The Sun. — London, England, 1851-01-17 00:00:00

MARLBRO'-S CREET-(1' HISDA Y.) A, CONFIRM E D VAGRANT.—Ann Brady, ri teiscrable lookiutz wotc:in, who has b:-co convicted at least fifty tires from this court for vagrancy, wai brought hi fare Mr. Hardwick charged with bein t r drunk and begging:, and also assaulting Webb, one Cf the Mendioity cou stablts. Webb stated that on the previous evening, about half- Past six o'clock, he was proceeding along Bond-street, when he saw th e p r i soner, w h om h e k new t o b e a noto rious vagrant, an d w h o was exceed i ng l y d run k, go up . l several gentlemen, an d h ear d her in terms more coarse than polite demand alms. The gentlemen ItePulsed her, when she went into Albemarle-street and accosted several more gentlmico, who refused to lklve her money, whereupon she commencedabusieg u €ra in the most filthy terms. Witness then took her ! al 1 ?to custody, an d on the way to the stat i on s h e struc k ai, several time s i n t h e f ace. 4 . prison er d en i e d the charge, and said the Men leltY officers were always taking - her into custody for nothing at all. liorsford proved more than fifty former c,nvictions "pima the prisoner, and also that she had been tried a Ilidellesex Sessions and committed for six menthe.. Mr.liA nnwicK sentenced her to one month's rin P l ummaent iu the House of Correction. D -- RUBY-LAVE THEATRE. Sun's an's new comedy, The Old Lose and the "' Y ew, was produced her e l as t even i ng , and achieved an unmistakeable success, testified by the enthusiqstie Ll A .PPlause an d h earty laughter of the aud i ence. 1:4 - ,e T ik wing is the plot :—Captain Sidney Courton (Mr. O der ; on ) , the nephew of Sir Algernon Courton r• Cooper) h as f al l en in love w i th t h e c h arm i ng az lively Haythorn (Mrs. Nisbett), the it :ghter of the rough, worldly, old country Squire ythorn (Mr. B arra t t ) ; b u t as Sid ne y is entirely ti t e l Pendent on his uncl e , he suggests to Camilla i old sh° should i ngrat i ate herself with the Baronet before he ventures to mention o `u .s eir attachment to him. Her father and herself are _ a visit at the Baronet's residence, and she does so ntectuall y in the B arone t' s good o pinion that he 11411561 f falls i n l ore with her, and makes her an offer, which • - is, t o t h e e,„;rettioniously great chagrin of old Haythorn, un rejected. In an interview with Miss 1-,(.bnmer (Mrs. Ternan), a blunt, but kind-hearted 1 1 1 maid, he learns that Camilla has been in the habit ill:fleeting a Young officer, whom he suspects to be ze v n n e ltw, and on whom he is determined to be teen- of L bY discarding him. The lovers get Sir Al e : t ub' plan, and determine to circumvent ettspi e r en ert by substituting as the object cf his Marti no Ma jor Stock (Mr. Emery), a rough . old and c Sidney Courton. The Major arrives, wid ower soon induces the old fellow, who is a. would - h r ' fur the second time to believe that she Th e 13 ' 4 " no objection to become Mrs. Major Stock. sr justi ° nett feeling he has done his nephew an in ee' 86 ttles all his estates upon him, and now ,Jor Stock . suito r e and Sydney accepted as the is cast off In the mean tine i t . Y en by old Haythorn himself. 'former -es Trimmer, the old maid, turns out to be a n ; h „ flame of Sir Algernon's, who had ti ° l l d s "eyed her dead, and cherished her memory, ye at her intercession he consents to the union of the the Abovele, and all ends happily. In addition to the characters, we have Stubbt, the agent to Ch er : ru net, quaintly acted by Mr. Artatid, and Pers,, -Y Bounce, his housekeeper, admirably im- Tho -nate c t Mrs. Walter acy, who, al -nbi,tigh so lame from an accident as to be with to use a crutch, yet went through the part k r , ~,,r.eat spirit. The burden of the piece falls upon v i va r 4 isbett, and the way ward,volatile, witty, rattling, rael°ll',Setwarm-heartedCamilla,couldnothave had kp c're fit ting representative. Never did Mrs. Nisbett e Pear more fascinating than last evening, never did ne w l et better. Mrs. Ternan appeared in, to her, a to l d lin e of character, in the part of Miss Trimmer, to aline a which sh e m a y ma k e her own, as we have "e on the st age now w h o cou ld act it nearly p r „ we ll as she can . M rs . T er nan is at the tw4, ll t moment what Mrs. Glover was five and - t ords Years ago, an d i n th e L a dy Almeiria Mt Un it alui the M rs. G enera l D artmout h s wou ld be 41'4Pproechable. M r . B arre tt p rov ed himself an ex -4'84 actor by his performance of old Haythorn ; he Atn, t a broad an d hearty style, an d a r i c h an d . M a °llB humour w hi c h po i nt hi m ou t as the legitt )l4: successor of poor Strickland. The testy Major Nici excell en tl y performed by Emery, wh i le C ooper so h e t t b l ie most s en t ent i ous o f B arone t s , an d Ander ls * e most gallant of lovers. The comedy e i oter :arkably we ll b u i lt, and carefu ll y wr i tten ; th 041 0 s t is agreeably k ep t up t h roug h o ut, and the tlaer i gue ' a lways neat, terse, and perspicuous, is fre had 3' brilliant and sparkling. Mr. Sullivan has it. a T great success, and he has fairly earned stag e he comedy is admirably put upon the , t.:e the tuao bare tasteful scene is quite equal d drawing-room scenes . we a use e_ e C ovent-garden under the Vestris ma . n g . nt' and tun exterior of Sir Algernon's mansion is eo qy b eauti , u ,. ; 1 All the artistes were called on at the for tieltis ' (4l of the play, and then came loud ,calls f rolic lle author, who bowed his acknowledgments at tvo ,ealprivate box. The theatre was very well fa- ` IR LIAMENTARY BANQUETS.—Lord John Russell ferial'irst Lord of the Treasury), as leader of the Ministerial ~ i i I the House of Commons, has had invitations issued resideland Parliamentary full-dress banquet, at his officiale.. 1. 41 nee in Downing-street, on the 3d proximo, to the sev in otiembers of the Administration and Court, having seats Lord P r • Il at assembly. The Marquis of Lansdowne (the , . ii tti ii4ot of the Council) will give a grand full-dress I al to a i rtarY dinner r n the 3d proximo, at Landsowne House, strive ar .ge Party of Peers. Lord Stanley (who is expected to 1140 iri town on the Ist of next month) wilt give a sump eirelt3 banquet to the Duke of Richmond and a numerous q , of Protectst Peers on the 3cl of the ensuing month, nig mansion in St. James's-square. A, tti • , t€ esti ng of the Middlesex Magistrates was held De rts t daY at the Court-house on Clerkenwell-green. Re %nun 'were the from the governors of the different r auti Y prison s and county lunatic asylums, and the i usu c a .. l elat e d c euntY business was disposed of. Mr. Powna 1o li as chairmn. 3R ts —This t om: ToL, EIGHT O'CLOCK P.M., JAN. 16 .. l wi " n tng the weather came in with a sharp biting wind, el o ~ g a tendency to frost. About eleven o clock A.M. da k 'w es ti t u t,begali to rise, with heavy squalls from the south a: hi ed ' the wind increasing with extreme violence, accomp as be en A Y deluges of rain. It is feared mach damage h . u'el oe i . ine by the violence of the storm. It is now nine 10. , and the elements are some less boisterous. 4.1 a u , -,„ ab t . ii Iti-'NY E SCAPE OF THE HON. W. PORTMANAND eldest I. ARKka.—On Saturday as the Hon. Win._ Por tma n, ono nearBl34l of Lord Portman, and Mr. Henry Bankes, a z , Bll kes, Esq., M.P., were rtyurning frorn i l , 3la d n s dford, Iria n , t r i cart, to hunt at Bryanstone, the seat of r oirinPotrte spin', boar se became unmanageable, and derrio or is tm i h demolishing for- Ivard i : 4 1) Y a kick of the leg, threw in th e , ll a 18 head under the cart, Mr. Bankes being ejected horseback 148 m anner by a kick on the allele. The groom on , ern th. --- n Procurd assistance, and the gentlemen were though to 1-1,... — faxistone. It is satisfactory to add that, . i"_" e ga they ere considerably bruised and wounded, no -vu a were broken. The %li ed Marchioness of Hastings has been suddenly 111 41 , a waY from her seat at Efford, near Lyminton, in of h„Psbire, to Dublin, in consequence of the alarming illness 0 , 1 7 eldest so n the Marquis of Hastings. The .Marquis had a ttack e d arriVa at Dub a i; 1-11 ith his regiment when he was the reside.e- w ith a low fever. nw He was immediately taken to B e4t nc e of the Duke of Leinster, and an express was The Ni t f °r the Marchioness to proceed at once to Dublin. ti4dbedarveiltoursesBasvma,smagbout to receive a number of distin whom were Lord and Lady Hor, pi t y and Lady Brou ham &c m . Lord Howe is the guardian e tlarchi C i ness's g child;en- • 1 n ws , awrr t ,,,,,, - n) GENERAL LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC tij th .- ' 'ON, SUSSEX -HALL, LEADENHALL-STILET..— r . he W as ee'rulversary of the opening of this valuable institution Willis, ebrated last evening by a ball, which took place at it4l e n 7 ll "as) St. James's-street. This institution offers to and we tara and subscribers the advantages of an extensive end dii... gelected library, reading-rooms, and evening classes, larnneCug the session lectures are delivered on the various ha s h e r b % art, science, institur and polite literature. Anew feature htlie een added to the benefits already imparted every 1 !,. (34 ; Free lectures are given to the humbler classes tae twee n 6 ,,,,"y evening, and they have been attended by be- Ivas o f '''' and 700 persons. The gathering of last thepaig. tro na _ r f t, very brilliant description, including many of ... t ioiti u the institution, and numbered nearly 400 ladies and Ax el:l:le n. Dancin g as continued until a late hour. ...4.0 1 " / 4044 , S ECESSIONS FROM THE CHURCH OF ENG tii„-It was made matter of boasting by Sir Jobo lia r: re N V l n d and by the Rev. Mr. Bennett himself; in their c h o ad go tt a e tlee with the Bishop of London, that nobody - over f • t he Chur rota either of Mr. Bennett's two congregations to his friend,el" of Rome. Neither the rev. gentleman nor gentlein tile baronet, can boast of this any longer. Two and both type of " of them an architect of distinction-- ill'''sntmabeli,,,''litnent and St. Barnabas' Church, have quitted the " become reconciled to the Church of ten n i; shay were formally received into the Romish corn -Beeensin on Sunday last. We are enabled to add, that other liy. on s of persons filling a prominent place in the public IQteadnidatluelyetn....bers of the same church, are expected to follow -advertiser. AtIUL ilisniiation of 3 alt . . TERATION OF COFFEE.—A microscopic ex -4 different qualities of coffee sold in London LionsatelY been made, which showed that with three excep 3the Whole were adulterated. Chicory was present in lastle tana anees, with the frequent addition of roasted corn, 1,,. r Potatoes, and in soine cases the quantity of coffee -4 not more than a fifth of the whole article. T.. 't he .1 SOUTHAMPTON BOARD OF GUARDIANS.— t, rd ad' inquest was resumed for the fourth time yes ti.,B], at the Guildhall, Southampton, When the jury yes eau °" a verdict that the deceased "Died from natural 4 . B es. and that the guardians of the poor are censurable for °' and her relief in the last stage of her disease." 4 ICA llaely ESCAPE.—On Friday a man named , jail Whittaker, when crossing the railway on his way • a • tr i end ti : union -hous e to Writtle, at midnight, to procure the thin ic e of a surgeon for a sick inmate, observed some 408r;eneRstwoolipicinlaghe supposed to be a parcel lying across the rails. to pick it up he discovered it to be a man ~ P. He immediately awoke him front his bed of danger, fo u r en he stated his name to be Turner, from Roxwell. But w st l i i i d e ti mely intimati on o f h i s dan g erous position his life there is lit t l e doubt, have been sacrificed, several lug gage trains passin g over the spot during the night. Such ,‘ o,ris should remember that the trains pass over all the I pars" upon the line. —Essex Herald. vriiii r SISTE R OF BURNS.—We really wonder that, of , her Majesty's advisers prompt her to bestow pensions 1.,, 1 ,° 0 /• per annum each upon Madame Belzoni, and Mr. - n u_ o ls, the author of Paul Pry, they should pass over Mrs. cleg,fi a , the 'urviving sister of our great national poet of ;.' 0 , 14 lad, Robert Burns. Now that her Majesty has become Qte,3eearnily vaisiwtoorrtthoythe north, such a ()Taut could not but be compliment to her Scuttidi subjects.— "I.PHIP coristitutione, INDIA AND CHINA. INDIA. A summary of the political and military intelli gence has been already published in a telegraphic message from Trieste. We add, however, the follow ing particulars : 'The Governor-General, accompanied by Lady Dal housie, arrived at Lahore on the 28th of November, and the North-Western papers are lull of the illumi nations and fetes with which the Viceregal advent has been welcomed. Lord Dalhousie will remain eight or nine days at Lahore, and is expected about the 15th of December at Wuzeerabacl, where the in terview with Ghoolab Singh is to take place. Mr. J. Lawrence will accompany the Governor-General to Peshawur, Sir H. Lawrence going only as far as Wuz-erabad, to be present at the interview with the Mlliaraja. of Cashmere. The health of the troops in the L'unj , mb and Upper Provinces is but little improved. According to the nuhli,hed returns for th:, week ending the 21st of November, there were 1,204 men in hospital out of the 7,448 comFsing the garrison of Lahore; nearly half of one regiment (the let European Fusiliers) were on the ; and in the 4th Punjault Intaivry 406 out of 894 were in hospital. On the 19th of November the Wuzeeree Hill tribes attempted their long threatened attack on our outposts on the Bunnoo frontier. On the 18da they had asstmibled in large masses on the lioorum river, with the declared inten tion of invading our frontier. 'They came down at night into the Goomutce pass, and towards morning sent forward a detachment, which advancing from the pass overran and set fire to three of our 'villages. They were, however, unable to make head against the fire kept up by the guards, who, in anticipation of the attack, had been placed in the towers of these villages, and were driven back with considerable loss after teen minutes' firing. The main body finding their advanced detachment so roughly handled, and ' haling learnt that our outposts were well supported, immediately dispersed, and the frontier is now quiet again. The Seikh State prisoners, Chutter Singh, Sere Sing b,and Aotar Singh, are to be immediately removed from Allahabad to Calcutta. The transfer is likely to save a good deal of anxiety as to their safe cus tody. Sir W. Gomm arrived at Calcutta and as sumed command of the Indian army on the 6th of December. The following notification was issued on the occasion : " The Hon. the Court of Directors having in a dis patch, dated the 2d of October, 1850, announced to the Government of India that they had appointed General Sir William Maynard Gomm, Knight Commander of the Most Hon. Military Order of the Bath, to be Commander-in-Chief of the Eat India Company's Forces in India, and an Extraordinary Member of the Council of India, and having forwarded copies of the commissions for these appointments to the Government of India, and the said commissions prescribing that the said General Sir William Maynard Gomm is to take upon him the said Command-in-Chief and office of Extraor dinary Member of the Council of India upon and from his assumption of the command of her Majesty's Forces in the East Indies,' and the said General 6ir William Maynard Gomm having informed the Hon. the President of the Council of India in Council that he assumed the command of her Majesty's Forces i❑ the East Indies on this date, it is hereby notified that Gene ral Sir William Maynard Gomm has assumed the office of Commander-in-Chief of the Forces of the Esst India Company in India, and that he has this day taken his seat and the laths as an Extraordinary Member of the Council of India, under the usual salute from the ram parts of Fort William. " By order of the Hon. the President in Council, " FRED. JAS HALLIDAY, " Secretary to the Government of India." Sir Charles Napier was at Loodi,ma on the 30th of November, and is expected at Bombay about the end of the year. During Sir Charles Napier's 18 months' administration 45 officers of the Bengal army have been brought to trial, of whom 14 have been cashiered, 6 dismissed, 7 lost rank, 5 suspended, and 10 reprimanded ; only two have been honourably acquitted, one acquitted, and four pardoned or their sentence commuted. . _ . Vv A considerable sensation has been excited by the discovery of fraudulent entries to a very serious amount in the bodes of the North-Western Bank of India ; these frauds were, it appears, committed in 1848, and only detected very recently, the accounts of the bank having been passed as correct, and pub lished every half-year during the interim ! During this period the actual deficiency in the assets has been fraudulently concealed by false entries. The present apparent deficiency is generally, attributed, not to any misappropriation of funds, but rather to an " ingenious" and hitherto successful endeavour to work the bank through a crisis, by concealing its ac tual losses and the real state of its affairs from the body of constitueots and shareholders. The general feeling which was excited against the judicial courts of the East India Company by the recent attempt to subject Europeans to their jurisdiction has been materially strengthened by their proceedings with reference to /Alla Jotee Persaud and his colleagues. It will be remem bered that when bail to the amount of 2,000/. was taken at Calcutta (half on his part, and half on that of his legal advisers) for his appearance at Agra by the 19th of November, Jotee Persaud meniorializ2d Government, to the effect that the time allowed was insufficient for the performance of so long a journey, according to the native rates and modes ef travelling, or a ith due regard to his health and comfort. He diet not arrive at his journey's end till the 24th, and on rendering himself up on the following day the Court at Agra decided on escheating half the amount of his recogaizences, against which his counsel, Mr. Lang, in vain protested. The defendant paid his share as a matter of course ; but Mr. Lang refusing to comply with the order of the Court, chose rather to have his property seized, which was promptly done. On the following day, when Mr. Lang appeared in behalf of Jotee Persaud, and was about to address the Court on the part of his client, he was stopped by an order to say all he had to say in Hindoostanee, which was the only language recognized by the Court. " Thus," says the Delhi Gazette, " ended the first essay of the first English barrister who has sought to exer cise his vocation in the Courts of the Mofuesil." Un der the circumstances of the case no impartial person in India would consider the fact of Jotee being even tually found guilty by one of the East India Com pany's Courts any proof of his actual guilt, every one at all acquainted with native character being well aware that when a party under ban of the Govern ment is tried in a Government court, false witnesses will rise up against him in numbers sufficient to in sure his conviction, without any actual subornation of perjury or corrupt practice on the part of the judge. Tile operations of the Bengal Railway Company have been much impeded by the delay of Government in providing the necessary legislative authority to take the ground for the line ; thus the progress of the works is confined to such portions of ground along the course of the line as belong to parties with whom the contractors have been able to negotiate private arrangements. The interruptions from this source have not, however, been so serious es they have been represented to be, or as English precedent would lead one to anticipate. Land in India is infinitely less valuable than in England, and the public spirit of the Hindoos generally in duces them to give it up readily for any public work executed under Government auspices. In this case a peculiar inducement (and in this country a very effective one) has been afforded by the promise that the names of those who give up their ground volunta rily are to be perpetuated by being inscribed on some one of the bridges or other works to be constructed thereon. The electric telegraph is progressing ra pidly, and the entire line will be laid down as far as Diamond-harbour by Christmas. The progress of laying down the wires (which are covered with resin and protected by earthenware pipes) is at the rate of about three miles a day. An almost fatal accident has happened to Mr. Knight, the aeronaut. lie made his second balloon ascent from Calcutta on the 25th of November, and was passing at a great height over Calcutta towards Dum Dow, when the balloon was observed by many persons watching it through teles copes suddenly to collapse, and descend with great rapidity, and violent oscillations. It fortunately fell in a rice swamp. Mr. Knight was taken up sense less, and for some days was not expected to survive the shock he had sustained. Ile is, however, now re covering. Tne .Nizam's affairs continue in state quo, and he is still his own Minister. The contributions hitherto levied ou his subjects have, owing to his laxity in en forcing payment, produced sums in driblets so small as hardly to amount to one-sixth of the assessment ; meanwhile it is stated that the Resident, acting under instructions from Calcutta, has intimated to the Nizam that unless the sum due to the Company's Government be paid on the given day (December 31, 1850), all official intercourse between this representa tive and his highness must cease straightway. If this menace is seriously meant, it is presumed that the Supreme Government has resolved on acting in the event of default. The Commander-in-Chief of the Madras army, Sir George Berkeley; arrived at Hy derabad on the 7th of December, and it is surmised that his visit has reference to the present crisis of the iv izarn's affairs. Sir C. Napier has written to Bombay to secure a passage by the mail-steamer that leaves there on the 31 of January, but it is considered doubtful whether he will be able to reach Bombay by so early a date. Sir Willoughby Cotton will also leave India by the mail of the 3d of January. A public entertainment is to be given to him in the Town-hall on the 31st of December, at which his successor is also expected to be present. Sir 'Willoughby's adrainiAration will long be gratefully remembered by the Bombay army ; in his intercourse with those under his come mend, and in the dispensation of his patronage, be has been uniformly remarkable,for impartiality, firmness, and kindness. THE SUN, 1MN1)014.,, A y _EVENING, JANUAR 17, ism. CHINA. The dates from Hong-Kong are to the 29th of November. The mail steamer arrived there on the morning of the 11th, conveying advices from Eog - land to the 24th of September. _ . . Nothing of importance had occurred during the month. In Canton all was quiet. Nothing further had been heard respecting► the rebels. They would, pro bably, in Chinese fashion, be bribed into quiescence. In the import market the business done had been considerable, and at improved rates for some articles. Our advices from Shanghai do not come down to a later date than the 13th of November. The de mand for imports had fallen off. Of tea extensive purchases had been made both at Canton and Shanghai. The total export to this date of black was about 3 000,0001 b., and of green 1,500,0001 b., in excess of the export to the same period last year. It was not expected that the 4F81011 ' 6 supply to Great Britain would be larger than the last. Of Ilia the export to America will be double what it was the previous year. In silk there had been little alteration. It con tinued to be pushed for ward to market. The total Export to date was about 10,000 bales and 1,000 eases Exchange on England continued to rise, and was unusually high-ss. to ss. id. per dollar. . The change in the navigation-laws had occasioned freights to tall to an unprecedented low rate. Many of the American vessels employed in the Californian trade proceeded to Hong-K6ng, o after discharging their cargoes at San Francisce, and were ready to accept of any rate of freight rather than meet with detention. The rate to Great Britain was about 21. per ton, and it may be lower. In harbour, her Msjesty's ship Hastings, the flag ship of Admiral Austen. Her Majesty's ship Amazon sailed from Hong- Kong on the 19th of November, aid Manilla, for Sin gapore, to remain on that station. Her Majesty's steam-frigate Sphynx left on the 25th for Amoy and Shanghai, with stores for her Ma jesty's vessels on those stations. The Cleopatra, Captain Massie, was expected from the Indian station early in January, to relieve the Hastings. At Whampoa—Her Majesty's brig Contest. At Canton—Hon. Company's steamer Phlegethon. At Amoy—Her Majesty's brig Serpent. At Shanghai—The Pilot. The Reynard left Shanghai on the 9th of Novem ber, on her way to Hong-Kong, intending to call at Ningpo and Amoy, to give the Bishop of Victoria the opportunity of visiting the missionaries at those places. The latest" dates at Hong-Kong were—from Eng land to the 24th of Sept.; Calcutta, Bth of October ; Bombay, 18th of October; Singapore, 3d of Novem ber; Manilla, 10th of November; and Sydney, 7th of Sept. MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Six,---The friends of the above Bill are now on the alert, in the hope it will this session become the law of the land. Your readers will recollect that, after the most senseless opposition from the University of Oxford and all the High Church bigots in the country, who fought side by side to maintain the canons be queathed to us by the Roman Catholic Church, the Bill passed the House of Commons with a large ma jority during the last session of Parliament. It is rumoured that the Earl of St. Germans will introduce the Bill early in this session to the House of Lords. For the last two years this has been de layed until it was said to be too late. Why was it, then, it was thus delayed ?—and Commonsense answers that there was too much lukewarmness in some of its supporters, whilst its enemies were more active and united in throwing in every impediment against it at every stage. Who could have thought that Mr. Roebuck should have been found fighting for the canons of the Roman Catholic Church? Yet so it was. But with the aid of the Liberal press, let us hope for the best. It will at any rate be a curious thing to see, amidst the present excitement, certain parties turn round to do battle for the musty old canons of our Roman Catholic ancestors. Probably the present unpopularity of the Roman Catholic priesthood may modify the fierce hatred of the Universities against those persons who dare im pugn those remains of Popery which are left to us as a legacy by the Romish Church! During the discussions on this Bill, during the last year, it was proved, over and over again, that there was not any scriptural authority to prevent a man's marrying the sister of his deceased wife. Let us, then, hope for the best, and we shall soon see the extent of the opposition against which we shall have to contend; at any rate, the whole of the Bench of Bishops are not opposed to the proposed new Marriage Bill. There are two or three, perhaps the most illustrious names amongst them, who will as suredly be its advocates in Parliament. The canon law, according to Lord Coke, once actually prohibited marriage between cousins, as far as the seventh degree, and between spiritual re lations, such as sponsors and god-children, upon the supposed authority of the Levitical code ; and to such an extent was this error carried, that, according to the same authority, a divorce might have been obtained, on the ground that the husband had stood godfather to his wife's cousin. Surely, then, now is the proper time entirely to brush away these furnish canons as mere cobwebs, and having nothing whatever to do with the pure religion of the Gospel. It is now, as I have before observed, generally - known that marriage with a deceased wife's sister is nowhere forbidden in the Scriptures; the words in Leviticus which are referred to being—" Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, besides the other in her lifetime" —(chap. xviii., v. 18); which, it must be understood, expressly to confine the prohibition of such a mar riage to the lifetime of the wife; and, as there is no consanguinity or blood relationship between the par ties, therefore there is no physical ground for the prohibition. It is well known that the similarity of person, feelings, and habits frequently points out the sister as the most natural successor of a deceased wife ; whilst undoubtedly she is the fittest person to take charge of the motherless children, who, under her care, are rarely exposed to the proverbial harshness and injus tice of a stepmother. The law as it now stands is producing the most extensive demoralization among the lower classes; it having become common, since the passing of the late Act, for men to go through the ceremony of marriage with a decelised wife's sister, and afterwards, when it suits their purpose, to deny its legality and repudiate s obligations. The marriages thus prayed for are well known to be tolerated, with or without dispensation, in almost every other Protestant as well as Roman Catholic country in Europe, and without producing any ill effects, or diminishing in the slightest degree the freedom of domestic intercourse, and therefore the restrictions upon these marriages in our own statute book is a standing reproach upon the English nation ; and proclaiming as it does to the whole world, that in the opinion of the Legislature the people of this coun try are less under the control of religious and moral principle than those of any other Christian country, and need restraints upon their conduct which are found to be unnecessary elsewhere. These sentiments only require to be again circu lated prior to the approaching struggle in the House of Lords to insure success, and the patient sufferers under the prohibition will have then, I hope, to con gratulate each other that the new Marriage Bill is at last become the law of the land. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Regent's-park, Jan. 7, 1851. ALFRED. Another fatal accident occurred on Tuesday morn ing at the railway station, Ingatestone, whereby John Wil son, an engine -driver of the company, unfortunately lost his life. The driver of the goods-train got off his engine, it is supposed to expedite the passing of the train, when, by some extraordinary oversight, he got between the two trains. He was giving some directions to the driver of the passenger train, when the engine of the goods-train caught him, and jammed him between the trains, and, unfortunately crushed him to death. Yesterday, at Ingatestone, an inquiry took place respecting the death of the deceased, when the jury announced, through their foreman, that they were of opinion that the stoker of the goods engine was guilty of much blame for moving his engine before he had the proper signals to come on, and not seeing when he did so that the points were clear. They, therefore, returned a verdict of " Manslaughter" against Henry Hampshire. EXPLOSION OF GAS.—Between twelve and one o'clock yesterday, an explosion of gas took place, which was nearly being attended with very serious consequences. It appeared that the New Great Central Gas Company were laying down some of their pipes in Moor-lane, City, when through some accident, the gas was allowed to escape from one of the mains. In the course of a short time, the back premises of No. 20 were tilled with gas, which, being ig nited by some means as yet inexplicable, exploded with a great noise. This explosion was immediately followed by another in the shop of Mr. Bryant, a pork butcher, at No. 19, which blew out nearly the whole of the shop front and win dow frames, as well as splintering the posts of the shop door. Fortunately the shop and back premises were empty at the time, so that no one received any injury. The churchwardens of a parish in Yorkshire have returned the following answer to the circular received by them from the National Club;—" The churchwardens of -- know their duty too well to require instructions how to perform it from Lonikri clubs and preaching Dukes. There tore, after reading Mr. Bellamy's printed circular, they have unanimously resolved to burn it, and have burnt it ac cordingly." [ADVERTISEMENT.] --CONSUMPTION, BRONCHITIS, Scc.—Just published, price ad., by Dr. CRONIN, M.D., a Report of some of the most formidable forms of Disease of the Throat, Lungs, Heart, and Stomach.—'• The success of Dr. Cronin's treatment in the cure of those affections which have hitherto generally baffled every attempt at cure, although the first talent had been applied to, and the most consummate skill had been exerted for that purpose, is most satisfactorily shown in this report."—Preface.—Wertheim and Co., Paternoster row ; Hughes, St. Martin-le-Grand ; and at the author's residence, 14, Leicester-place, Leicester-Square. PROPOSED LONDON AND SUBURBAN BANK. Yesterday evening, a public ineetinf, - -, of the inhabit%n?s of the virish of St. P.ineras was held at the Prire,,, , Albert Tavern, Great College -street, Canylen Town, with a view to c•xplairiing - the, nattrte and advantages of the London and Suburban 'Bank, and soliciting the co operation of the inhabitants. The me-Aug was convened in reply to the following requisition, which had been signed by nearly kur hun dred of the inhabitants of the parish of St. Pancras:— " TO THE DIRECTORS CF TUE LONDON AND SUBURBAN BANK. "My Lord and Genthinea,—We, the undersigned in habitants of the parish of S. Pancras, being sensible of the want of banking accorniuodation in this neighbour hood, and having coutidered. the propoal to establish a bank at the We! , .t-,,rid, on the Scotch principle, request you to depute some quo.lified persons to attend a nick tmg of the inhabitants of this parish, to be held shortly, tu!ly to explain the nature sod advantages of the propot;ea b..nk." Mr. WARREN was celled :a the uhair, on taking which he said that Mr. Archibald Kintrea was in al teboat:c:: at the rneeing ou behult' of the directors or the bank, fi was prefaled to explain i s objet . A and to answer ,:ny questions which might 13. , _• u.:lted by aoy of the gentlemen Mr. ARCHIBALD NINTREA. said, in eta mpting an t a planatien of tee Scotch banking s) stem, and of the de sit ableness of having it introduced into England, he must beg the patience and forbearance of the meeting for two reasons; first, bee:into of his inexperience in addressing large a.serriblies, and, second'), because he had only had a few minutes' time to cast together a few imperfect ideas on the subject. Born and educated in Scotland, he mieht, however, pretend to some acquaintance with it, and his subsequent experience in London, us a merchant and manufacturer, entitled him to speak with some confidence as to the imperfections of the system in operation in the metropolis. He appeared there to affirm, ewphaticelly, that to the banking institutions in Scotland must they attribute the prosperous condition of his •native country, and the intelligence and energy which so proverbially characterised his countrymen. A century and a halt ago the system took its rise at a period when the ener gies of that country, so long depressed by vexatious re ligious and political troubles, were beginning to be di rected to objects which would advance the comfort and prosperity of the people. Previous to that time Scot land was but little removed from a condition of semi barbarism, and the circumstances of the mass of the people were wretched in the extreme. The inventive genius, however, of William Patterson, a Scotchman, and author of the too celebrated Darien expedition, aided by an English gentleman, John Holland, opened up a new era. They established the Bank of Scotland in 1695, and from that time a new hope was infused int) the people; the means were given to them of turning their industry to a usetul and profitable account, and the result had been that the country had been enriched, the arts and sciences had been cultivated, and the share holders of the various banks had enjoyed large profits with the most perfect safety. That the intelligence of the people of Scotland was the result of ,her banking in stitutions might easily be proved by a reference to the condition of Ireland. There the people were literally without money, the circulation being less than 11. per head per annum. They were positively in a condition of primitive and uncivilized barter, without the means of exchanging wealth, if created, and consequently without the necessary stimulus and reward to exertion and per severance. He held a strong opinion that the miserable and degraded condition of Ireland was in a great degree to be attributed to the want of a sufficient circulating medium, because Scotland was in a similar condition pre ' vious to the noble and patriotic exertions of Patterson, and but for her banking institutions wculd, he confi dently believed, even now be quite as impoverished as Ireland. At the revolution of 1688 Scotland was much in the:condition of a newly-discovered country; the land, na turally poor, was left unimproved; produ ce o f an y ki n d was limited, and the people were indolent and slothful in their habits. Nothing could be done without money; not that he meant gold coin, which was wealth itself, bat money as it ought to be—the representative of wealth. lc was necessary that the labourer should be supported while tilling the soil, and implements were required; but there was no money. The banking system volunteered to rouse and direct the dormant energy. There was abundance of natural wealth, and the batiks found a symbol which represented the real wealth, and thus furnished the means of enabling the agriculturist and the manufacturer to procure implements and ma chinery, and to maintain their labourers in the produc tion of food and manufactures. The borrowers of that representative money were speedily enabled to repay the loan with interest; wealth rapidly increased on all sides, with equal advantage to the borrowers and the lenders, anti thus the system had continued to the present time, increasing yearly in its magnitude, and in an equal ratio increasing the prosperity of the country, until they now find Scotland, the land of the Celts, to be but little in ferior in all respects to England itself; which had had all the benefits of a naturally rich soil, of a flue climate, and was, besides, the inheritor of cen turies of Saxon enterprise and greatness. The Scotch banking system might briefly be explained as follows: Deposits were received from the poorest, for which a re spectable interest was paid. Thus all classes were em braced in the system, and the interest which was paid for the deposits was found to be a strong incentive to saving and frugal habits, producing a great moral effect, and placing within the reach of all tee certain means of ob taining, sooner or later, the position of having what was called a stake in the country. The chief feature, how ever, was the cash• credit system, an arrangement by which a specified sue-r, was placed to the credit of an in dividual, upon which he m:ght draw as his business re quired, paying interest upon the sums drawn out; and inis credit was granted to him on the condition of his finding the satisfactory security of two or more friends, as might be agreed upon between him and the bank. Ile was also expected to make repayments as he was able, end in all respects he used the sum placed to his credit as his own legitimate capital. A small capitalist trader, or a young man, whose previous well-known good habits might have acquired him friends or relations willing to lend their names towards procuring him the means of starting in life, had by this cash-credit system placed at his command a ready money capital by which he might enter into markets as advantageously and as successfully as the wealthiest capitalist, and be gets rid of the ruin ous necessity of resorting to usurious money-lenders, whose assistance was never obtainable excepting on terms which rendered success iu business utterly impossible. In these two principles consisted, in point of tact, the essence of the Scotch system of banking. It would, of course, be expected that he should show wherein that system so essentially differed from the English system. This he should now do, desiring that it might be clearly understood that he did not wish it to be inferred that the English had not appreciated banking institutions, or that they were ignorant of the value of banks as an engine for calling forth the energies of a people and de veloping the stamina and resources of a country; but he did mean to say that on comparing the two systems, the Scotch and the English, he thought he was entitled to say, speaking from a practical experience of both, that that in Scotland was infinitely superior to what they had in England as respected the smaller class of tradesmen and working people. He knew perfectly well thiit a capitalist with 10,0001. could go to Lombard-street, or Princes street, in which all the banking accommodation of the metropolis was centred, and procure assistance on good mercantile bills to at least twice the amount of his capital, but he (Mr. Kintrea) had no desire still farther to increase the already overgrown resources of the rich e li wt aheld'xtioetsy was tcr q u ite a different class of see strengthened and assisted those wring either by h eal or h an d , f orme d cp t w h aehop e opi:lae b ii u sa n tbh. e and sinew of this mighty empire. He wished to see something done to improve the falling condition of all those who were included under the denomination cf the industrious classes; not that he would seek to de that at the expense of the capitalist, but that lie should simply wish to see intro duced into this metropolis e system which should afford assistance as readily and as economically to the man who had only 5001. in business, a shopkre per for instance, or a little manufacturer, as could the 10,0001. capitalist from his Lombard-street banker. He did object to the English system, inasmuch as it offered no inducement to people of limited income to accumulate their small savings, and that it refused to have any transactions with a tradesman unless he could afford to keep a con stant balance of some 2001. at his credit in the bank, upon w hi c h in most cases he neither received interest nor accommodation, or, if interest at all, at a r a t e so in significant as to be inappreciable. How different was the a Scotch over as ch a system, apet ere u osmit: and upon whi c h a f a i r i nterest was paid, where as sm e ll a sum as 1 1 . was re ceivedr a person a ccumu l at i ng those small se of years m i g h t reasonably expect the after countenan ce and su pport of the bank should he svi savings r a n t d where withdraw his savings for the purpose of entering into business. Besides th e advanta g es held out by the Scotch system to the gener al p ublic, th e inducement to hold shares in a Scotch hank was, in hi s (M r. K i ntrea ' s) humble is h opinion,system One's capital was not s o l oc k e d up by much greater than it was un d er the E the purchase of Scotch bank shares as it was by the purchase of English bank shares, because the cash credit system enabled a bank sa fel y to accommodate its own r at any rate to ied on upo n a r 'something ßesid shareholders th like ep inro profits sem uapo preference uouan tot allbusiness shares others;c held by them. Capital wa s prin e large amount of deposits, especially deposits for long periods, as was generally t h e case with small sums, which the Scotch system attracted to itself, must be c m i p u a c i h i y contributed g r eater Accordingly they found tha t in Scotland the balls y r e t t h h , e e t s r i a i adrinhgold ers themselves. paid from 7 to 10 per cent. per annum on the paid-up capital of their shareholders, besides periodical bonuses to a large anaemia and all thi s t“o than where was done with the most perfect safety, a s was proved by the fact tha', during the last century and a half, em bracing a period notorious for its numerous civil and religious commotions, a sum not exceeding 40,000/. was all that had been lost to the community by Scotch bank ing tailures, and these failures, too, it was to be re membered, were confuted solely to private bankers esho had not the respoesOiility of accounting to a large pre prietory, and who, doubtless, used the credit of the bank in the furtherance of their own private transactions. lie could conceive no more secure investment for capital than that afforded by it, joint-stocl on the Scotch principle. No doubt mall English bank failures were fresh in the winds of those present, but few of them Were to be found among joint: stock companies, and where such joint stock companies could be pointed out end referred to, it would to found that the utmost recklessness and extravagance had characterized the conduct of the managing body. That was the case in Liverpool in 1817, where ;he howler of a joint-3tock oompany ad vancecl the large sum of 400.000/. to one individual, without, it appeared, the kno,ledge or consent of those who ,abould have been consulted on the subject, and when the individual who had received so large an amount of that company's capital became brnkrupt, in the general wreck of mercantile houses in that memorable year, the bank was or course compelled to suspend payments. lie (Ur. Kintree) 'night also refer to the extraordinary case of Ilarnmersley's bank, although a private bank, where the prin cipal proprietor advanced the capital of the firm to a plausible adventurer in the soap trade, who, without pretensions to either knowledge of his business, or genius in management, recklessly squan dered the money in erecting extravagant works, and even in fitting out armed vessels for the safe conduct of tallow from St. Petershurgh, end by this notable scheme 80.0001. was lost to Dammersley's bank. Ile ought to mention that one great safeguard of the Scotch banks was this—that a provision was generally made in the Ceed of copartnery, that when a specified portion of the ei,pitak say one-fourth or one-third, was let, the share ho:ders should he c died together to consider the:r posi tion. o,le Scotch bank already exiso-51 in Lorair•n, and, if the reports of its success v. hieh had reached him wane correct, no farther proof could he r«ptired in 'eon °bora lion of his assertion, that the Scotch bay kir g system. was superior to that now in op,r,-,ti 3n in England, and that the tradesmen in Loudon were willing and anxiou., to lend their support and enema—gement to bank:, mainly designed fur their accommodation. In proot of what tradesmen of nr &rate capital could accomplish, he might mention the cAse e f the Commercial Bank of Scotland. That bank was established principally f,y shop koep- and was popularlycalled I he"Shopkeop k." Its more aristocratic competitors loud!) progno, lean d dial failure, but the Shopkeepers' Bank not Dilly to Is up a high position, but it greatly distanced all the others in the number of its branches, and its shares had sold at 250 percent. premium. Up to the present time the suburb, of London had not had all the advantages and facilities to which they were entitled ; the retail trade of the me tropolis was rapidly extending to the suburbs, and, in the absence of banking facilities, a class of men were rapidly springing up who discounted, in a private manner, upon large security, and at a most usurious rate of interest. Loan Societies, too, of which the 1,83 said the better, were greatly on the increase, and it was high time that the suburban tradesmen should have the same attention as the City capatilist. It was, accordingly, proposed, forthwith, to establish a chartered bank, to be called the " London and Suburban Bank," which should consist of four chief suburban branches, with smaller receiving houses, and that this bank, so much needed, should be on the Scotch principle, which he had already described. A most respectable and influential board of directors had been obtained, and a large number of shareS had already been applied fur ; and, in a short time, it was expected, the bank would be in operation. That it would effect a great and lasting benefit could not be doubted, and those whom it was designed to be nefit ought, even on a selfish principle, to lend it their countenance and support.—(Applause.) Mr. HALL TERRELL, solicitor, of Basingball-street, said the only serious objection he had heard started against parties having shares in joint-stock banks was the supposed liability they incurred. In reply to that, he would call on the meeting to look at the numerous joint-stock banks in the country, having large capitals, and therefore a large number of subscribers. The pro. posed London and Suburban Bank would not be formed on the same basis as those joint-stock bunks now in ex istence. In the existing joint-stock banks, in the event of any deficiency of the funds, every subscriber was liable to be sued, not in proportion to the amount or number of his shares, but to the extent of his whole pro perty. The proposed bank would not be attended by anything like that same amount of liability; in fact it would be formed on a different basis. Through the intervention of' Sir Robert Peel an Act of Parliament was passed to regulate joint-stock banks in England. The object of that Act was twofold—to af ford additional security to the creditors of any joint stock bank, and at the same time to lessen the liability of the parties who were shareholders in it. No joint stock bank could be formed since 1844 without complying with the requisitions of Sir Robert Peel's Act. In order to make the bank stable it was required by that Act that it should cons i s t o f a certa i n num b er o f shareholders, with a paid-up capital of 50,000/., and each joint-stock bank in the country was required monthly to advertise the amount of its assets and liabilities. By the law as it now stood applicable to joint-stock banks, no shareholder was liable t o b e sued individually, ally ' in the firstinstance, as form er ly , b ut the coroporaron itself must now be sued; and the shareholder could only be sued in the improbable case of a deficiency in the ge neral funds, and then he had his remedy against his co-shareholders, who could be compelled to contribute. It therefore appeared to him (Mr. Terrell) that the amount of liability incurred by any shareholder was very trifling indeed; so much so, that when a gentlemen asked him one day to state the amount of his liabilities arising out of a joint-stock bank, in the event of his tak ing shares in it, he (Mr. Terrell) told him he might take as many shares as he thought proper, and for one shilling he (Mr. Terrell) would guarantee him against any loss.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. LENVIS moved a resolution alleging that there is at present no adequate banking accommodation in the parish of Sr. Pancras, and that from the existing banks the great bulk of the shopkeepers and professional men receive no advantage. This resolution was seconded by Mr. FRYER, and unanimously passed, as were also several others, express ing confidence in the proposed back, and for tLe adop tion of measures to establish it. In answer to a question a; to locality of the bank, The CUAIRMAN said it was not yet fixed upon, but it would be in the locality where they were likely to re ceive the greatest support. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, JAN. 16. The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert took their usual early morning walk. The Royal Family took walking and pony exercise. in the Slopes and 'Windsor Park. The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir George Grey, and the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay, left the Castle to-day. Her Majesty's private band attended in the Castle yesterday evening after dinner, and performed the following selection : Marcia Punebre, Rondo, Allegro vi vace ; Sinfonia Turkish March, " Ruins of Athens" Beethoven. Divertissement, "La Prophete" Meyerbeer. A Cabinet Council was held at half-past two yester day at the Foreign-office, Downing-street. The Mi nisters present were—Lord John Russell, the Mar quis of Lansdowne, the Earl of Minto, Sir George Grey, Viscount Palmerston, Earl Grey, the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, Sir Francis Baring, Sir John Hobhouse, the Earl of Carlisle, the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, the Marquis of Clanri carde, and the Right Hon. Fox Maule. The Lord Chancellor arrived at the Foreign -office at half-past three o'clock, and joined his colleagues. The Council sat three hours. M. Felipe Molina, Minister of Costa Rica, trans acted business with Viscount Palmerston, at the Foreign-office, yesterday. A deputation, consisting of the Rev. Charles Hume, B.A. (Rector of St. Michael, Wood-street), Mr. Nicholay, J. Bushnan, M.D., Mr. C. F. J. Lord, Mr. W. Rogers (Barrister at Law), Mr. C. R. Walsh, Mr. W. D. Bruce, F.S.A., Mr. T. Abraham, and Mr. A. Barnett (Honorary Secretary), had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his official residence in Downing-street. Sir George Grey returned to town yesterday from Windsor Castle. Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening from the Colonial-office for the Governors of the West Ildia Colonies, and also for the Governor of Gibraltar. Lord and Lady John Russell had a dinner party yesterday evening, at their residence in Chesham place. The company consisted of the Earl and Coun tess Granville, Lord Seymour, the Right Hon. Sir Robert Adair, the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay, Lady William Russell and Mr. Arthur Russell, Sir Juhn Herschell, Mr. B. Hawes, M.P., Mr. Rich, and Mr. Charles Dickens. DEATH OF LORD WILLIAM SOMERSET. We dceply regret to announce the death of Lord William Somerset, brother of Lord Fitzroy Somerset, and uncle of the Duke of Beaufort, who expired on Tuesday last, at his residence at Clifton, after a severe illness of several weeks' duration. The deceased nobleman, who was in holy orders, was fifth son of Henry, fifth Duke of Beaufort, and was born 2d September, 1784. He married 29th June, 1813. Miss Elizabeth Mob 'nix, eldest daughter of the late Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Molyneux, Bart., by whom, who died in August, 1843, he had issue seven suns and daughters. His Lordship was a canon of Bristol, which he has held since 1822, and rector of the valuable living of Llanguttoch (Brecon), appointed in 1814, and Tormarton (Gloucestershire), appointed in 1826. In September, 1844, his Lordship again married, but does not leave issue by that marriage. The families of the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, the Marquis and Marchioness of Cholmondeley, the Earl and Countess of GalloWiy, Lord and Lady Fi►zroy Somerset, Captain Somerset, M.P., Sir W. C. and Lady Georgian a C .drington, Sir Walter R. and Lady Mary Farquhar, Lady Harriet Mitchell, the Hon. F. and Lady Charlotte Calthoree, Mr. and Lady Louisa Finch, Ludy Elizabeth Orde, and many other families of rank are placed in mourning by the lamented decease of his Lordship. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHADWELL-STREET, Is- LINGToN.--(From a Correspondent.)—On the 11th inst., the ladies connected with this congregation presented their pastor, the Rev. Walter Smith, A.M., with an elegant pul pit gown, to mark their approbation of his personal worth, and of the self-denying zeal which he has displayed in dis charging the duties of his sacred office. Mr. Smith posses ses, in a high degree, the quality of an effective preacher of the Gospel. His discourses are characterised by a style of thought of no common vigour. At the same tine they com bine the piety and fervour of a devoted servant of th 4 great s th pi g relvriings. Head of the Church, with an uncompromising adherence . to fundamental truths cheeringof Christ t i o an t h 7 f , religion to see that under the spiritual superintendence. of this talented young minister, a new congregation is rapid . an additional bulwark to our common faith against the f course of formation, which promises, ere . long, to constitute e s n r d e N s ' e o a tel evangelical n n t g h e e l c i in spired ag gressions either of Popery or infidelity.—.Adveri/ser. ROY AL THAMES STEAM NAVIGATION ComPAlri..—.. Yesterday the claims against this company were proceeded Ttithi NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. MALTA, JAN. 9.—The Oberon packet left port en Saturday for Eogland, touching at Gibraltar. The ,Spiteful stcam-sloep, altar an absence of nearly fifteen months, returned ,o port on the Gth instant from 1 , 1::21ff, where she bad been relieved by the Dragon. This vessel is, it is thoug,ht, likely to rejoin the Admiral when relieved by the Scourge from this port, which will talc, place shortly. The Powerful, 84, has been inspected by Sir William Parker, who hacl,a long exercise of small arms and great guns, after which lie paid a very deserved compliment to the Hon. Captain Dundas for the efficiency in which he fund her, and the high state of discipline of her crew. She will in all probability sail oa Saturday for Gibraltar, and will call at Algiers; she will also touch at Lisbon on her way home to take on board any invalids that may be waking for her. The Ripon, with the Indian mails, reached port this afernoon. Nobody expec , ed to see her so soon; inike;i the only means of ace ,, unting for tie arrival ui the ala;i so much before her time is the rapid pa, , sf:ge mode un otlo_r side of the water by the Otiental from Caleatti. to ; , u( Z. Oa Al,..nday a very Leaay shuck of earti!titi;,lte kit in the is;auq. DISTRIIiUTIoN OF TUE MEDITERRANEAN SQUADR'.,N Li Malta liarbour—Tfo. Qu:en, 110, Ca alit C. Wise. hew g !he flag of Vice•Admird Sir W. Park,r, G.C.8., the ( 7 otnuinder-iii• Chief ; Ceylon reoi..iviog sl,if hearing flizof Rear-Admiral Edward Harvey, Super? rut.-Talent cf Malta Dockyard, :Aid second in command; Gawionia, 120, Cep - sin T. W. Carter; Superb, 80, Cap tain a: Purcell; Powerful , 84, Caitlin the li on . R. S. Dundas; Gang s, 84, Captlirt H. Smith. Steam-frigates — Fireerutal, Captain T. 0. Knox; Scourge, Lord P. It lieci.; Terrible, Captain Hope; Spiteful, Commander Sir T. Carmichael. Research and Auxiliary (late ten ders to Volage), Porcupine, Ardent, and Spitfire steamers (laid up in ordinary). On a cruise —Facer, 12, Commander Beddoes. At Naples —Dragon, H. W. Gifford. At Curfu—Growler steam-sloop, Commander Stod dart. At Patras—Frolic, 16, Commander N. Vansittart. At Constantinople —Antelope, Lieutenant Smith. En route from Malta to England—Resistance troop ship, Captain Bradshaw. MAIL STEAM-PACKETS. At Malta—The Merlin, Lieutenant J. H. Turner. En route from the lonian Islands and Greece to Malta —The Triton, Lieutenant C. J. P. Glinn. En route from Malta to Marseilles—The Medusa, Lieutenant J. Bathurst. Ea route from Marseilles to Malta—The Medina, Lieutenant Darby. En route from Malta to England—The Oberon, Lieu tenant R. B. Harvey. PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL STEAM NAVIGATION COM- PANY'S FLOTILLA. At Southampton—The Pasha, Queen, Erin, Indus, Euxine, and Pottinger. At Malta—The Ripon. En route from Malta to Southampton—The Sultan. Between Constantinople and Trebizond—The Tagus. UNITED STATES SQUADRON. At Naples—The Independence frigate, bearing the flag of Commodore Charles W. Morgan; Mississippi steam corvette, Captain Long ; Constitution frigate, Captain Conover; Cumberland, Captain Latimer. FOREIGN SHIPS OF WAR IN PORT. The French steamer Eurotas; yachts, the Sapphire, Gondola, and Firefly; the Russian brig Ennee. PORTSMOUTH, JAN. I6.—The Birkenhead iron steam frigate, Master-Commander Aylen, has been put out of commission, and will go into the basin. The Fairy steam-yacht, Master-Commander Welch, has been hauled into the Camber, to have the steel screw, with which she was tried some days since, un shipped, and to ship a three-fan screw for trial. She did not answer so well as was anticipated with the steel screw. Naval matters at this port are exceedingly dull. The Fantome, 12, Commander Genneys, remains at Spithead, weatherbound. The Cyclops steam-frigate, Captain the Hon. G. F. Hastings, is and has been for some time daily expected from the coast of Africa. When the Birkenhead ar rived, it got wind that she was detained at St. Helena on a Court of Icquiry, but no one seems now to know how such news could have arrived, as the Admiralty know nothing about such detention. Captain Lord Edward Russell (brother of the Pre mier) has taken up his appointment to the Vengeance, 84, which has cast off her mourning and resumed her wonted appearance. The Jackal, steam-tender to the Gladiator steam frigate, Captain Adams, captured a slaver with 270 negroes on board, just prior to the departure of the last mail from the coast of Africa. PLYMOUTH, JAR. 15.—Her Majesty's vessel Rosa mond, from Woolwich, arrived on Saturday, went up harbour, and was placed at her moorings as a reserved steamer. The Samson steam-♦essel has her coal on board, and is now lying at her sailing moorings. The crew of the Crane packet will be paid off on Friday. Th; Avon steamer arrived from Portsmouth on Mon day. When the weedier moderates she will convey to Woolwich Lieutenant Robertson and patty, who navi gated the Rosamond here. _ _ Her Majesty's ship Bellerophon, 78, Captain Lord G. Paulet, now in Barirpool, has been dismantled, and her rigging being defective is sent to the yard. The screw steam-vessel Propontis, Captain Glover, arrived in the sound at S 15 P.m. on Monday, having made the passage from Blackwell in 35 hours. At four o'clock on Monday evening, 10 miles east of Start Point, she overtook and passed her Majesty's steam-vessel Avon, which arrived subsequently at this port. Trir Cape of Good Hope mails this morning were placed on bwlrd the Propontis, but she did not start at 12 A.m. in consequence of the state of tho weather, which con tinues very heavy from the south-west. Captain Thomas, of the American ship Brunswick, which sailed from Havre for New Orleans on the 29,h of December, with eighty passengers and a general cargo, reports that she left the Downs on the 6th inst., and encountered strong gales from W. to S.W., up to the 9th. On the morning of the 9th, off the Casketts, lost one man overboard ; in attempting to save him swamped a boat, another man being washed overboard at the same time; got over the second boat, manned with four men, and when about to shove off a sudden squall from W.N.W. struck the ship. This boat's crew were saved with great difficulty, and the second boat lost; much damage being done to the sails, running rigging, Sce. That night experienced very heavy gales from the westward. Put into Plymouth on the 13th to repair damages, the wind still blowing heavily from the westward." WOOLWICH, JAN. 16.—The Resistaro', 10, troop-ship, Master• Commander Bradshaw, arrived at the dockyard at a quarter past eleven o'clock A.N. to•day, towed by the Jasper steam-vessel, and was made fast at moorings alongside the Sulphur hulk vessel, and the three compa nies of the Royal artillery arc to land at ten o'clock A. 31. to-morrow. The Apollo, 8, troop-ship, Commander James Raw storne, arrived at Woolwich Dockyard at twenty minutes past eleven o'clock, towed by the Monkey steam-vessel, and was brought up at moorings alongside the Nymph hulk vessel. She will land the companies on board at ten o'clock, A.M. to-morrow, when the whole of the five companies arrived from foreign service will march up to the garrison, headed by the band of the Royal Artillery. Captain Crawford, of the 6th battalion, had the com mend of the Royal Artillery on board the Apollo, the non-commissioned of f icers and men returning from Jamaica belonging to his company being.sB. The non commissioned officers and men of Captain Morris's company only numbered 33, but, as was previously stated, a portion was lett at the detached stations of Honduras and Nassau, and they will come home when an oppor tunity of a passage by a freight ship offers. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL'S-YESTERDAY. Considering the dullness that has so long Prevailed at the Corner, the betting this afternoon was uncommonly brisk; it turned chiefly on the Chester Cup, and occa sioned a few changes in the quotations, the chief outlay being on Rhesus, The Italian, Lady Evelyn, Haricot, and The Knight of Avenel. The Derby movements were remarkable only for the spirit with which the Prime Minister, Newminster, and Constellation were backed. Closing prices:— LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE. 12 to 1 agst Mr. Vever's Vain Hope—taken CHESTER CUP. 15 to 1 agst Mr. Treen's Rhesus—take 16 to 1 30 to 1 agbt Lord Clifien's Wallflower—taken and afterwards offered 33 to 1 agst Mr. Meiklaat's The Italian—taken 33 to 1 agst Mr. Pedley's Cossack—taken 1,000 to 25 agst Mr. J. Brown's Haricot—taken 1,000 to 25 agst Mr. Combe's Trouncer—taken 1,000 to 25 agst Lord Chesterfield's Lady Evelyn—t 1,000 to 25 agst Lord Eglinton's Knight of Avenel—t 1,000 to 20 agst Sir J. Hawley's Vatican—taken 1,000 to 20 agst Mr. Howard's Brother to Dough—t 500 to 10 sgst Mr. Glen's Damask—taken 1,000 to 15 agst Mr. Carew's Eva—taken THE GREAT MATCH. 500 even laid . between Voltigeur and Flying Dutchman :not p. p.) DERBY. 7 to 1 agst Mr. Raiford 's Prime Ministar—taken to 1504 13 to 1 agst Mr. A. Nichol's Newminster-14 to 1 taken freely 35 to 1 apt Mr. Meiklam's Constellation—taken 40 to 1 agst Mr..l. Clark's Marlborough Buck —taken 40 to 1 ags,t Sir J. Hawley s onfeszor—talien 50 to 1 agst Lord Zetland s Lightfoot—taktn OAKS. 15 to 1 tig,it Sir J. Hawley's Vermuth—taken 25 t) 1 agst Lurd Waterford's Perdits flay—taken HUNTING APPOINTMENTS. Southdown kids., Mon.; rolugste Statiou; Fri., Ram CriiwisY and Horsham hds., Mon., Tilglte Lodge; wed., Nuthurst Village ; Frl., Wivelsfield 101. Che:,hire Mon., Abb o t t ' s M oss; Wed., Dun }'ln ; Thurs.. Twcinlow I1all; Sat., Beestcn —lOl. Sir W. W. Wynn's hds., Tues., Acton Reynald ; Wed., St)ehe ; Fri., Ilavikstone; Sat., Prees-101. Mr. Conyor's hds., Moo., Hatfield Heath-10i. Herefordshire hds., Tues., The Bacho; Fri., .Axon bury Priory-101. Ludlow hds., Tues., Stanton Lacy; Fri., Wigmore Castle-10. Shropshire hds., Mon., The Fox, Albrighton; Thurs., Lebotwood. Tiverton hds., Mon., Cruwy's Morchard Mill; Thurs., Spring Grove Park-10i. . _ ...,,, . REPEAL OF THE IVINDOW—TAX 1 s i.. -_--',---- ----: ' The very large amount raised by , the wi tax,, approaching as it d oes to two minions, hud a! ' ' tfor..-. .. bidden U 3 to hop e th at , t h oug h professiAlly a R 't a l s\-, wo should ever live to see it entirely re/noted 7 4 i)*.o - • sort of modification was all that could be expect 'it*. - had almost said desired—in the condition of our fl 6, ----- I ev er s i nce t h e war. But whrn we come to the quMirin i \ of modification or commutation there are, we must con= fess, greater difficulties than we have hitherto succeeded in removing quite to oar satisfaction. To tax the cu bical contents of a house would tell very hard on capa cious but homely residences and on large family houses in unfashionable situations, besides being a tax upon health, to which space is as necessary an light and ven tilation. A property-tax upon howee of all sorts we have already. Then, what is to be done? Two millions a year are not to be sacrificed in a hurry. In the present state of public opinion, with a Board of Health and a Crystal Palace staring u s i n th e f a ce, it is equally imposnble to retain the window-tax with its present malignant influence upon sir and light. Tot to steer midway between the twu itooossthilitie,, though easy to prescribe, hitt: hilherzu Seen toutati most difficult to accomplish. iiad the ,indatt-tax be vr , i •L t•: opm tito.l to value, like the property-Litt, or a ti.xed cht,rg,•,iike the laud to:, or a lair tat upon supstfluou, txpeunizure, Tike the duty on foreign wines, o, '' Lution might have bccoma in a manner recunelkd to it; but the burden and t , e practical anomalies of the win..los•-tax incieese con tinualiy, and esery year adds to the reason:. agaiust it. It is now in all •respects a far wore tax than when it e, as fir.t laid on. One t.lieEed principle of the window•tax is, that it is a duty on expenditure, and not upon indastry. h is laid on the residence, t.nd nos on the stoop, the counting-house, the workroom, or the warehou,e. The labourer's cottage, the nail farm house, the dairy, the cheeseroom, aro all exempted. Yet a " prefessional residence" in Bedford square may con tain as many windows as a house in Park place, and pay equal window-tax, though the rent of the termer may be only 1201., and that of the latter 500/. Rates and the property-tax follow depreciation; the window-tax is a constant burden, till the value sinks to that melancholy zero when windows are bricked up, and drawing-rooms are used to hang up sage and thyme, or spread out apples and onions. Lodging-houses and some hotels have strong claims on the public consideration, but the window-tax is levied on both without the least mitigation or remorse. The poor widow who stakes the last remnent of her fortunes in opening a boardinghouse may be sadly disappointed in her expectation of boarders, but one visitor she will certainly have,—the inexorable man who for her 30 windows, door-lights, sky-lights, cellar lights, and air -holes, demands no less a sum than 10/. 15s. 10d. The rambling old manor-house occupied as a school is treated as harshly, and the operation of the same injustice tells prejudicially on the construction of new colleges and schools. The tax, then, is not true to its own principle as a tax upon expenditure. The great number of attempts that have been made to save the principle by particular exemptions only make the incon sistency more flagrant, for it is continually asked, with good reason, why is a shop exempted and not a lodging house—why a small farmer's house and not a small schoolmaster's? Now, both this principle and these in consistencies of the window-tax present serious difficul ties in the way of a " commutation." The old mansion, which will not let, even for a ladies' boarding-school, because, having fifty apertures for light or for air, it is charged 19/. a year to the window-tax, would only have that burden fixed on it for ever by a mere commutation. Doubtless a commutation might be made palatable, and so far practicable, by a considerable reduction. It a house that now pays 161. a year for its 40 windows were henceforth to pay the rent-charge of 84 a year, its occu piers would bear with more complacency the fact of another house paying the same rent-charge, though of two or three times the value. The numerous difficulties in the way of a mere com mutation will lead, we believe, to the surrender of the window-tax, and the substitution of a very moderate house-tax. There is reason to hope that the Chan cellor of the Exchequer will have so considerable a surplus at the end of the financial year that he can easily afford a million or twelve hundred thousand for this long-desired object. By the substitution of a house-tax calculated to raise about 600,0001. for the window-tax raising about 1,800,0001., the sacrifice of revenue will not exceed 1,200,0001. Such a tax will in the first instance fall much lighter than the present window-tax, and will not interfere with the construction of our dwellings. We beg to congratulate all our readers on this great measure of relief, particularly those excellent persons who have laboured so long to improve the dwellings of the poor, and have hitherto found the Legislature itself their greatest antagonist. It is enough that we have gone on for 50 years enduring the most slavish, annoying, and inconvenient limitations to our personal comfort and our architectural taste. Experience shows that up to a class of comparative influence, the most economical form of habitation is that in apartments or flats, as is now generally practised in Paris, as was till lately in Rlinburgh, as was formerly the case much more than now in this country, and as we now see revived in the model lodging-houses for families recently erected. The window-tax, which charges an increasing duty on any inhabited building, whether occupied in apartments or as one dwelling house, has almost put an end to this econo mical and convenient plan. It has compelled every small family to occupy its separate howe, from the toundation to the root', or pay a penalty for being content with half a mansion. As ter the working class, the window-tax has operated as a direct comataed that they shall con tinue to dwell in those interminable streets of little six roomed cottages which our railway viaducts exhibit to so little advantage, instead of clubbing together for those conveniences which can only be attained in large edifices constructed for that purpose. This is only one of the many ill fruits of this—perhaps the very wo,•st of all our war taxes. We have dwelt en thew so oaten, that we will at present only say that architectural antiquaries lour or five centuries hence, will describe Ile domestic architecture of 1800-1850 ;:s tho monumetit of a ruinous war.— Times. ~ .. ~..;_ • ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY. Some particulars of en elopement with a somewhat ludicrous denouement hAve reached us. It appears that a gay Lothario, much enamoured of straw-coloured kid and eau-de-Cologne, met with a very fascinating travelling companion the other day in a railway carriage. All possible politeness was shown to the lady by our gallant young gentleman, and at length a genial confidence arose between them. He gave the lady his address, and no doubt pictured his prospects coleur de rose. The lady was very communicative. She was none other than " the Hon. Mi-s Lumley, daughter of Lord Scarborough," and " had ten thousand pounds in her own right." The gentleman's feelings became excited with the details ; Cupid shot an arrow into his heart, and the " Honourable Miss Lumley " betraying every disposition to reciprocate his feelings, the flame of love burnt brightly. We have not heard what passed between them from that time up to last Saturday morning, but certain it is that an elopement was planned. " Mis■ Lumley," evidently exhibited great eagerness, for she appeared before her lover in the town where he resides, in a riding habit, stating that her brother was " atter her," and that the knot must be tied as quickly as pos sible, otherwise it would be undone—she would be snatched ruthlessly away from her lover, and probably be for ever atterwards placed within the precincts of grim walls under lock and key. A special licence w►s obtained; the marriage service was performed at one of the churches, after some objections on the part of the clergyman had been removed by the clever and skilful " Miss Lumley," and " the happy couple " proceeded to spend the honeymoon in a neighbouring county. They were seated in a beautifully fitted up drawing-room in a stylish hotel, sipping champagne and " telling tales of love," when they were surprised by the arrival of Lo thario's mamma and papa. Great was the consternation at first, but the tact of " the Hon. Miss Lumley" was speedily in requisition. She succeeded in convincing trie too-credulous parents that she really was " the Hon. Miss Lumley;" and that she had 10,0001. in her own right. With the consolation that matters were not so bad after all the parents returned home, where they shortly learned beyond doubt that " the Hen. Miss Lumley" was a nymph of the pave Shocked at the in telligence they again went in pursuit of the fugitive sos, whom they found in company with his loving bride at a far•famed and delightfully clean road-side inn. The duped son heard the character of his " blushing bride' with astonishment, and he accompanied his parents home, leaving " the Hon. Miss Lumley" to her own reflections and resources.—Derby Reporter, Jan. 17. MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED IVOR'S SISTER.-- A meeting of the inhabitants of Birmingham was held in the Town-hall, on Tuesday night, for the purpose of con sidering the propriety of petitioning Parlia ment for the abo lition of the law which prohibits a wid ower from marrying the sister of his deceased wife ; there was a c ons id era bl e at terdance of ladies. The Mayor occupied the chair, and was supported by the Rev. J. C. Miller, Rector of St. Martin's, the Rev. J. B. Owen, Vicar of Bilston, R. Spooner, Esq., M.P., the Jewish Rabbi, resident in Birmingham, and Die seating ministers representing various congregations of the town and neighbourhood. Lett ers were rea d f r om Mr. (Nonconformist), mistl A. Mr. Bl untz, M.P., and t h e R ev. J. . J S: ), expressive of their concurrence in th e object of the meeti ng, b ut regrett i ng the i r i nability to a ttend. The Rev. J . C. Miller and the Rev. J. B. Owen James eii ( e s l d, o moved and seconded the adoption of a petition to Parliament, praying for the legislation of marriages of the class above mentioned. The Rev. Prebendary Gray, warden of Queen's College, moved an amendment to the effect—" That no peti tion upon the subject under discussion be presented to Par liament ; that the marriage of a man with his deceased wife's sister was especially prohibited by Scripture, by the practice of the universal Church, and by the opinions of divines and theologians of all ages until a very recent period." The Rev. Mr. Mackenzie, of the Scotch Church, seconded the amendment. Mr. Spooner, M.P., supported the petition, and the 11ev. J. C. Miller having replied, the Mayor pro ceeded to take the sense of the meeting. A very inconsider able number of hands were held up in favour of the amend ment, and the original motion was carried almost unani mously, and amidst great applause. ROYAL ARTILLERY.—WOOLWICH, JADT• 16. The Resistance, 10, troop-ship, Master-Commander Bradshaw, arrived at the dockyard to .day, and the three companies of the Royal Artillery are to land at ten o'clock a..x. to-more The Apollo, 8, troop-ship, Commander James Rawstorne, also arrived today, and will land the companies on board at the same time to-morrow, when the whole of the live companies wid march up to the garrison, headed by the band of the Royal Artillery. Captain Crawford, oftthe 6th battalion, had the command of the Royal Artillery on board the Apollo. There are nine orphan children of soldiers passengers on board. Lieutenant Barry, of Captain Crawford's company, and Lieutenant Vandeleur, of Captain llorris's company, also returned in the Apollo from Jamaica. WRECK OF THE SCREW-STEAMER LIVERPOOL, TriunsDAT.—lntelligensie reached here this morning from Holyhead of the wreck a the Nautilus screw steamer, Captain Pearson, of London, .attended with the loss of six seamen and three firemen. The Nautilus was on her pass age from London to Liverpool, whi •n, on Tuesday after struck on th e Sk err i es Pl a t t ers an d wen t d o wn. mate, two engineers, and I )ne seaman only being stnhaoveoen captain , sh