The Sun. — London, England, 1853-07-25 00:00:00

I RDTAL ruuscEss's TVEATRE. OXFORD-STREET. Under the Management of gr. Charles Kean. TIIIS EVENING, JULY 25. Will he priformea THE DAY AFTER THE IVEDDINCI. Sup portect OM My: and Mrs.W.Lacy. After which, Lord Byron's Trucely of SAR.DANARALUS. Principal characters trrMr. and Mrs. C. Kcan. To be fo;loired by CHESTERFIELD TRINSKTN. Characters by Messrs. Harley, Meadows, Addison, and Miss Vivash. THEATRE ROYAL ADELPIII. Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster. --Direcyces. Madame Celeste. THIS EVENING. JULY 25. Will be .perfornied GENEVIEVE. Characters by bfeSsrs. lien. Webster, A. Wigan, Leigh Murray, Keeley, Porsche, Paul Bedford, Cullentord, Woolgar. 0. Smith, and C. J. Smith; Madame Celeste and Mrs. Keeley. • After which, will be presented SADD.A.NAPALUS. To be followed by THE CAMP AT CHODIIAM. To conclude with JOHN JONES. ROYAL oLy uric THEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Afr. Farren. Great success of the New Drama. THIS EVENING, JuLy 25, e Will tie performed the New Drama entitled TUE TIMES. Charac terl by frletotra. Farrel). T. bleed, li. Marston, W illiain ' , Laren, (I. Cooke. and Shatien; Mesdames Ane.crLun, tI. t4ordon, E. 'tur ner, awl Barnet:: • After which, an entirely N,w Burlesque, by Fran-13 Talfouril, entitled SUYI.O4:I<, or. TUB '' VENICE PRESE VE " Shylock. Mr. V. ttnbs. •To cone - tale with TUE WANDERINO MINSTREL. Jan Bags, Mr. F. Robson. ASTTEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Now under the Direction and Management of Mr. W. Cooke. The title of success has fairly set in to this favourite Establishment. No greater test can be given than the crowded state of the Theatre nightly to witness the ever-memorable Battle of Waterloo, with its marches, entotmters, and brilliant tableaux. New and splendid Scenes in the CIRCLE, by Artistes of known talent—introducing a new engagement, M HOMET BEN, SAID, Vie Arabian Grotesque, from the Cirque Royal, St. Petersburgh, 11:1 permfasion of the Emperor. 61st NIGHT OF LIFE ON THE TURF, with a real Fox Chase. N.B.—Miss Emily Cooke is re-engaged, and will appear at this Theatre at the conclusion of her Continental profesdonal trip. THIS EVENING, JuLT 25, And during the week, the Performances will commence with THE BATTLF, OF WATERLOO, with all its or ginal military affects. To be followed by Mr. W. Cooke's Scenes in the CIRCLE, intro ducing talent unprecedented, among whom will be found the great Arabian Wonder, Malibmet Ben Said. • _ To conclude with the successful Hippo Drama of THE CHASE ; L1F4.,0N THE TURF, iu which a real Fox. Chase will take place;- Doors open at Half-past Six. Tex-office open daily from Eleven to Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W. ►Pest. ROYAL SURREY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, Engagement of Mr. Distin and Sons (the original Saxhorn players' and Mrs. Theodore Distill 'or One Week Only. To-day, Panoramic View of CHUSAN, Splendid and interesting MENAGERIE, (louraaT'S unrivalled M ILITARY BAND. VOC ti and Instrumental concert. Two favourite Songs by Miss Cicely Nott. A selection of c ncerted pieces , Glees and Madrigals, by the celebrated visur, Family. Various amusing novelties, concluding with the extraordinary spectacle of THE FEAST OF LANTERNS, with grand display of Fireworks, and Explosion of Chinese Fire Rafts. Admission is. • DAILY WEATHER TABLE. MONDAY, JULY 25, 1853. State of the wind and weather at each of the following , laces at nine o'clock on yesterday morning. The stations a 13 arranged in order of latitude. LIMERICK—S.W., calm—overcast. ULLINGA.R— S., gentle•breeze—overcast. SOUTHAMPTON- - W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy. FOLKESTONE—S. W., gentle breeze—overcast. BA SINGSTOKE—N.W., calm—partially cloudy. GREENWICH—LS.W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy. STROOD. W.,' calm , —cloudless: CAMBRIDGE—S., gentle breeze—cloudless. CREWE—S.W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy. • YARMOUTH—S. W., gentle breeze—cloudless. HOLYHEAD—S.W., gentle breeze—fine. • WHITBY—N., gentle breeze—cloudless. • SHAP—S.W., strong breeze—cloudy. 'The returns from the following places indicate the state of the weather on Friday morning at nine o'clock : PORTSMOUTH—S.E., gentle breeze—scud. SOUTHAMPTON—S.IV ~ gentle breeze—rain. FOLKESTONE--S.W., gentle breeze—rain. TUNBRIDGE—W., gentle breeze—overcast. I.3AsiN G STOKE— S.W., calm, scud—rain. GRE ENWICEI—S.W., gentle breeze—overcast. STRooD—S.W. gentle breeze ove rcas t. SWINDON—S. W. light breeze—rain. L IGHTON—S. WI, gentle breeze—light rain. CA MBRIDGE—S., gentle breeze—cloudy. CREWE—S., gentle breeze—cloudy. YAAM 0 UTIT—S.W., gentle breeze—rain. iTLYIIEAD—W. gentle breeze—overcast r) HAP-8.E., calm—overcast. lIIGII WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tim DAT —Morning 6 min. after 5 1 Evening 28 min.aft. 5 To-!qoaKow—Morning 48 rain. after 5 1 Evening 9 min.aft. 9 THE WEATHER.---Su x Orvicis, JULY 21. TIIEEMOIIETER, IN THE SLIDE. 74—highest since noen yesterday. 59 —l,)wr,ct tliia morning and during the night. 71 —this day at noon. BA.ll,os4ltrilli, 25:63. —Fr: - . , ,Z1.1 breeze., fine WIND, JULY _). highest since noon yczturitay. --lowest this meraing and during the night. —tWs day, at noun. 13AnolrEvn 11 - t,, ; .~~ Finc THE PUBLICATMN OF " Tl= E S " COMIENCES EVERY AFTERNOON AT THREE O'CLOCK, ~ , 111) THE LATE OR THIRD EDITION, CON TUNING THE DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT THE SAME EVENING, With all other Sews arriving up to the hOur of Post, AT SEVEN O'CLOCK, EXPRESS EDITIONS will be forwarded after the Post is closed by the Latest Trains. $2, ) Alat, LONDON, MONDAY, JULY 25, 1853. The Succession Duty Bill received its second reading in the House of Lords on Friday evening without any division being taken as to its prin ciple. So far all is right ; but, unfortunately, there were indications of " breakers ahead" that threatened to oppose formidable obstacles to its safe arrival in the destined. port, Lord DERBY, in a long and able speech, enumerated a variety of objections to the details of the bill, and declared that, .although he would not oppose the second reading, lie shoUld - certainly bring forward amendments in • committee calculated to remove what he considered the more serious objec tions to the measure. We trust, however, that the Noble Earl will be contented with: recording his protest against the portions of the measure which he may consider unjust or impolitic, with a view to its future improvement and that even should ho persevere in this i lie has announced, their Lordship:ten ion which generally will not incur the risk of a serial, eollision with the popular branch of the Legislature on a. subject which is acknowledged to b e t he key -stone of the entir. Budget—the matter on whi c h th e entire financial arrangement of the Session, the preservation of public credit, and the on) Power of making the revenu e su ffi c i en t to provide for the neces sary expenditure of the session, m a i n l y ren d. Such a course would, at any ti me, an e- d under any circumstances, be most imprudent, but it would, at this moment, be peculiarly dangerou s , In the present lowering appearance of the political horizon, - with the Russian difficulty still impend ing, we can scarcely suppose that any Noble Lord would incur the grave responsibility of rejecting a Lou, of such -vital consequence, money bill, and one , which had been deliberately =>anctioned by a large and decisive majority of the popular representatives, and by an overwhelming majority of the people. It must not be forgotten that any alteration, how ever trivial—that any change in the least impor tant detail, must be as fatal to the measure as a decided rejection on the second or third reading. The House of Commons will not permit any tam pering with its constitutional and most Cherished privilege. Prom time immemorial it has as mmed the office of guardian of the public purse, and provider (-f the necessary supplies for the liqui dation of the nation:ll liabilities and the main tee ant or the establishments. It is not at a moment like the present , that it will sanction such an encroachment on one of its unquestioned rights, The only o pti on ac corded to the. Upper Hou se has been that of s imple acceptance or i 4 rejectio and, if a majority of the Peers had made up their minds to brav e th e consequences of such a step, it would be more straightforward and manly to do so by a direct vote, than to get out of. it by a side wind ; a n d we believe that Lord DEBBY would - himself he the laslA to propose or even to sanction a step so inconsistent with the honour and dignity of his order. We cannot feel surprised if he should take every opportunity to express his disapprobation of certain provisions, that he should endeavour to lay the foundation for future alterations, but that he would seriously attempt to throw it out, and, as we have stated, any alteration would be -tanta mount to rejection, we cannot and will not credit until we have witnessed the success of the ex periment. In truth it is not the time, nor is their Lordships' House the place in which a contest on such a sub ject could be waged. We have never been indifferent to the many serious objections to the measure, and the great hardships that would be sustained through its operation. We have repeatedly pointed out the superiority of a judiciously and equitably assessed Property Tax as a fiscal instrument to a duty on successions. But unless the Legacy Duty were totally abolished, the extension of the tax to real estate and settled personalty became inevitable. The evasion of the duty by one description of property could no longer be tolerated, and the equalisation of the burden was demanded in terms that could no longer be ruiaunderstood or resisted. The . only alternative lay between an increased and modified Property Tax, and a Tax on all successions, without exception of any sort, kind, or description, and the renewal of the Property and Income Tax, without any recognition of. the distinction between permanent and precarious income, and the preparations for its grad ua l re d uc ti on and ultimate extinction precluded the possibility o f e scaping some enactments analogous to those now under notice —enactments which ought to have been darried into operation under the aus pices of WILLIAM' 'PITT, when the revenue arising from the Probate and Legacy Duties could not be dispensed with. In passing the bill unmutilated during the pre sent Session, the door will not be closed against future ameliorations, or against the total aboli tion of the entire tax, if an adequate and suitable substitute be provided. No duty can become due or payable for at least twelve months ; and if any legislation should take place in the interval, the benefit thereof may be extended to those who will have incurred lia bilities during the time. We believe that the experience that will have been acquired of its working during that time, the provision which parties may be called on to make for payments trenching largely on capital, will have the effect of changing the direction of the current of popular feeling, and inducing a general preference for a certain Property Tax levied on income rather than an uncertain Succession Tax levied on capital. Any collision between the different branches of the Legislature at this moment would materially pre judice the chances Of an amicable arrangement, and fasten on the burden which it is desired to avert. We look, then, confidently to the. imme diate passing of the Bill in its present form. It would be questioning the prudence, if not the sanity of their Lordships,' to entertain any doub as to the result. The reports from and concerning Russia are still all of a pacific tendency. Some declare posi tively that the CZAR has definitively accepted the mediation of Austria, and consented to refer the entire matter in dispute to the decision of his brother Emperor. Others, with equal plausibi lity, assert that he has received most favourably the propositions which have been approved of by the representatives of the other parties to the Treaty of 1841, and that lie only awaits further intelligence from Constantinople to carry them into practical execution. These are, no doubt, very satisfactory tidings; but we must see that nothing is likely to occur calculated to dash the cup from the lip at the last moment, and to impede, if not altogether to prevent, the contemplated arrange ments—so that . the Russian troops may remain in the occupation of the Principalities during the winter, and proceed en route to Constantinople in the spring, before the combined Fleets of France and England could render effective service in the Black Sea. Considering that so much time has already been consumed without any decided result, and that barely two months remain for maritime operations—considering, too, that an emeute in Turkey, or a successful result of the diabolical conspiracies that are alleged to exist against tie life of Louis NAPOLEON, would enable INTICHOLAS to carry out any designs which he may have conceived for the destruction and annexation of the Ottoman Empire—we cannot confidently rely on any auguries, however auspicious, or any promises or obligations however stringent, until the invading army is withdrawn from the Danu bian Provinces, and has recrossed the Pruth with all its materiel and munitions of war. We must confess, too, that we do not very highly approve of the matter being submitted to the sole arbitration of Austria. There have been too many reasons to doubt the sincerity of that Power—too many suspicious circumstances con nected with the proceedings of FRANCIS JOSEPH, to enable us to await his decision without some degree of uneasiness. We cannot forget the ex traordinary degree of influence which NICHOLAS is supposed to exercise over the mind of the Juvenile Emperor—the tardiness of Austrian interference until the flags of France and England floated over the waters of Besika Bay, in close proximity to the Dardanelles—the movements of its troops towards the Servian frontier—and the undue tenacity with which its claims were pressed, at a period , so very inoppor tune, on the Divan. We cannot strike out of the calculation the notion, whether well-founded or otherwise' we need not now pause to inquire, that Austria is supposed to hanker strongly after some of the Turkish provinces ; and that, if the dis• membermeut of the Ottoman empire were fully consummated, it is more than probable that no inconsiderable portion of the spoil would fall to its share. Could we, then, consent that ourancieut ally should refer all existing disputes to the arbi trament and final determination of a Power di rectly interested iu pronouncing an adverse judg ment ? No. The lamb might as well have yielded itself a prey to the assailing wolf in the first instance, as have purchased a brief respite by submitting its case to the decision of a lupine tribunal, where its prosecutor and the . presiding judge would have participated in the banquet on the torn remains of the innocent victim. We acknow ledge that we dread the interference of Austria, notwithstanding all its fair promises and apparent impartiality. But supposing that NICHOLAS had even accepted the propositions of M. DE BOURQUENE; sanc tioned and approved by the other diplomatists, that he was ready to affix the imperial seal to a treaty based on that foundation, would nothing remain behind of which advantage might subse quently be taken ? What arrangements would be.made for the evacuation of Moldavia and Wal lachia should it take place previous to or simul taneously with the return of the French fleet ;to Salamis, and the English fleet to Malta Count NESSELRODE distinctly declares that there will be no withdrawal of the Russian army until Turkey shall have rendered full satis faction, and `` the presence exercised by the atti tude of the raari tim i e p p o o7e .w rs it s h hall equ h a a l veceased;" while , Lord CLA.RE2 N determina tion, avers that there shall be no removal of the fleet until the evacuation of the Principalities has been accomplished. If then the preposition of the Powers should be accepted, which is to yield on the remainin question, as t o the g priority of the naval or military retreat ? An in superable difficulty may arise on this apparently trivial' question. . - But, again, if everything else should b e amicably arranged, who is to pay for the expen ses °mi. sioned by the act of aggression—expenses not merely of the Russian but of the Turkish prepa rations ? It is generally rumoured, and almost as generally credited, that Russia will demand an indemnity, which Turkey could not and ought not to pay ; and that in failure of obtaining satisfac tion thereof, she will continue her occupationof the provinces. Every circumstance, too, affording ad ditional confirmation to the accuracy of these ru mours, we find an ample supply of provisions for mouth;:, contracted for, military roads constructed, and fortifications repaired and improved. Every thing that can by a possibility strengthen the position, is effected with reckless prodigality. Where there is such a total disregard of expense, and every indication of a permanent occupation, we may readily suppose that the AUTOCRAT has made up his mind as to who shall pay the piper, and the means by which he will enforce the liqui dation of his demand. We must not, then, be too sanguine as to the pacific solution of the diffi culty, or induced to let the golden opportunity slip away, in vain reliance on the specious pro raisestheWestern of the AUTOCRAT, who, having once d ece i ve d o Po c w e. ers, is no lo nger d eserv i ng o f implicit confidence. The war in Burmah "drags its slow length along," precisely as may have been predicated bj , any one acquainted with Eastern policy. The men of the burning clime can only be brought to book by force, and our application of force has been from the beginning absurdly directed—more absurdly applied. Only self-sufficient ignorance in supreme authority could have adopted Rangoon , for the point of first attack, to render it after , wards a base for operating up the Irrawaddy in its whole length, and to reduce a king who can, by retiring, lengthen that line by a thousand miles—who can dispute, if he chdoses, many strong positions as he retires, and, if beaten, leave pestiferous swamps to do battle for him ! What, we say, but self-sufficient ignorance in supreme authority could have determined on such a line, when a short safe movement across Arra,can and by the Aeng pass, would have brought the army at once upon the river, cutting the long unhealthy line from Rangoon in half, and giving the power to assail the capital up the stream, or Rangoon, by descending it, with the advantage of taking all the Burmah defences and forces in reverse, separating their troops in the lower country from those defending the capital. This pitiable ignorance of the great principles of war, which does not require a military head to forbid—though not to forbid it would be damna tory to the reputation of any 'General—has now brought the operations to a fix, and negotiations, bullying, boasting, the if and the what I will do, are all brought into play. They will be fruitless. Eastern politicians understand their work. They cannot be beaten in that way. They will lie, fawn, flatter, threaten, appeal to justice and to religion. They will promise and interpose delays while they are preparing for battle, and make piteous appeals for mercy, for forbearance, offer ing amity, entir e su b m i ss i on , a nd even love, al the moment their swords are raised to smite. This was the way of the Ameers of Scinde with Sir C. NAPIER. So it is now, apparently, with the Burmese towards General GODWIN, and it will ever be so with the subtle barbarians of the East. Sir C. NAPTER has been, with all the virulence that malice, and ignorance, and dishonesty com bined could produce, accused of having assailed the Ameers when they were dreaming of anything but wPoor, innocent, sincere, s i mp l e souls ! They expostulated against coercion, they declared aloud for peace, they sent their commissioners to negotiate ; • they would do anything to avert the anger of the power which menaced them that is, while their plans for war were incomplete, their gathering army unable to strike, and had Sir C. NAPIER been deceived by their negotiations, had he trusted to the infatu ated political Outram, who, without the wisdom of the Serpent, hissed mischief in his ear, the Ameer's subtle negotiators would have kept the General and his troops in suspense, until the sharp Belooch swords were at their throats. This should be a lesson to General GODWIN. He may be assured that negotiations and promises without acts for guarantee, will end in peril greater, per haps, than is now anticipated. If the whole sys tem of operations be not soon changed, the Direc tors may yet weep tears of blood as freely as they are now weeping tears of gold, for Lord. DALHOU SIE'S warlike ignorance. Mr. MACAULAY reminds us continually of his own Halifax. For all the trimming legislation of the Whigs, their great orator displays an unmis takeable predilection. Two of his three orations this session have been delivered in the cause of compromise, and of compromise with a lion's share for tho advocates of vested abuses. We have scarcely forgotten his endeavour to cover the coali tion work of Sir CHARLES WOOD and the India i House from the irresistible onslaughts of the Indian Reformers, before clown lie comes to the House, to invest, if possible, with a halo of ora torical glory, a most miserable clerical compromise of the Edinburgh clergy with tho Lord Advocate and the present Government. Mr. MACAULAY, like Lord JOHN RUSSELL, is successful enough in enunciating noble principles, and we listen, except as taught by "experience, with the full expectation of propositions in accordance with them. Uni formly, however, we find this discernment and appreciation of the nobler and better, to be but the prelude to the old avowal sed deteriora sequor, to the defence of some utterly contemptible com promise with confessed evil. Let us glance at the oration for the Edinburgh Annuity Tax on Tuesday night. Mr. MACAULAY declared that the " cost of the Establishment for Edinburgh was enormously disproportioned to the wants of the inhabitants," " frightfully dispropor tionate compared with the scale of other large cities in Scotland." He proved by calculation that it was "at least three times greater than its cost in other cities ;" and that hence the inhabitants of Edinburgh " had a real, a substantial grievance to complain of." Well, to rectify this part of the " substantial grievance," Mr. MACAULAY pro poses that the 18 ministers, whose congregations average some 20 or 30 persons each, should be xeduced by—three ! That 18 clergymen preaching, just like those in the city of London, to nearly empty churches—preaching to congregations which, all, put together, would not outnumber one of the congregations of the popular Free Church preach ers, actually non-resident clergy also, should be reduced, if reduction it can be called, to fifteen, and should still enjoy 5501. a-year for doing next to nothing. A truly substantial redress this of a substantial grievance ! The substance of the Annuity Tax case is this. It affects only the, Old Royalty as it is called, con taining about one-third of the whole population of Edinburgh, which now amounts to 160,000. It is.a tax of per cent, on house property, and was collected by the Corporation who paid the salaries of the ministers. Previously to 1808, it could be levied only for six ministers who received 3301. each. In that . year, however, a bill was framed on the subject, into which clauses were smuggled as it passed through Parliament, in virtue of which the number of ministers was increased to eighteen, and their salaries to 750/. per annum. This led to endless disputes, which resulted in the corporation undertaking to pay the 'ministers , 5201. each. • The arrangement lasted till 1820, when the clergy again undertook to collect it. Their doing so became the signal for fresh resistance : and summonses, sales of goods, imprisonments, and even calling out the military, were the fruits of clerical tax-gathering. At length in 1848, Mr. J. 8. LEFEVRE Was de- I pnted by the Government to take evidence on the subject. It became clear enough that the griev ance was indeed "substantial." Out of 10,0001. collected in ono year, 8,0001. was paid by persons who never attended the church ! In the Old Town there are eight churches, but out of 8,480 sittings only 655 were let to persons residing within the Royalty. There were in them not less than 5,882 sittings unlet. Another gross , iniquity is, that all persons belonging to the College of Justice, the wealthiest portion of the residents, are exemptfromthe tax, and, as Mr. MA CAULAY stated, " a poor dissenting shoemaker actually paid to two churches, while the wealthy submit the to such secession of gallingthe Free provocations Church, of as course, these the anomaly and disproportion is far greater than ever. Edinburgh i s now amply provided with places of worship, but it is by dissent, or, at least, it is the Dissenting Churches which have all the congregations. Seventy-four of the latter are nearly all of them well attended, while the twenty- THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, .JULY 25, 1853 , six churches and chapels belonging to the Estab lishment are nearly deserted. I Now, one would have supposed that a legisla tor's course would have been pretty clear in such a case. The least he ought to do would be to place things as they were before 1808 (of course reserving life interests), cutting down the 18 clergymen to 6 ; which, as Mr. MACAULAY (who could see no difference between fifteen and six, because both were reductions) was told, adjusts exactly the disproportion he had represented as an enormous grievance. And considering the size of the flocks, the old stipend of 3301. a-year would have been munificent. Instead of this Government proposes, Ist, to retain 15 clergymen at 5501. each ; 2dly, and of course justly, to abolish the odious privilege of the College of Justice ; 3dly, to reduce the pre sent rate of 6 per cent, to 3 per cent., and to make it henceforth- a municipal rate ; 4thly, to apply in aid of the fund the proceeds of the Royal Deaneries,. about 1,500/., which are pure sinecures at present ; sthly, to have all the money paid into the Consolidated Fund !—from which the ministers are to draw their stipends. This last graceful and delicate device is to save the annuity tax payers the feeling that they are paying their 3 per cent, to a hostile Church ! Really, then, are Scotchmen after all to be caught with such chaff? Our far north fellow-country men approve one thing n o d ou bt, the shuffling off the responsibilty of paying the Edinburgh parsons unto the Imperial Exchequer ; but the Imperial Parliament gives marked signs of pretty strong repugnance to settling a Scotch squabble at the cost of the Empire. There is a scandalous little addition to the Government plan we had almost forgotten. One church, has been burnt down, the congregation of which numbered thirty five. Another has been taken by a railway com pany, whose congregation actually amounted to nineteen persons. Instead of applying the com pensation money to lessening the annuity tax, under this bill the latter useless church is to be rebuilt at a cost of 10,1461,, and the other is to be re built also. Two new churches for 54 persons! Our readers will probably think that no clerical job bing on this side the Tweed, and we can exhibit some fine samples in that line, can well surpass the grossness of this Presbyterian scheme to re tain sinecure salaries. It is, however, useless altogether for any Go vernment to force ecclesiastical arrangements upon the people —at least upon the British people. One would think we had had enough of that in Canada, and that after having been compelled, and righteously, to repeal one Clergy Reserves Act there, we should have been slow to concoct an other compromise, sure to become the subject of a fresh agitation, in Edinburgh ; above all, slow to hazard bringing such annuitants as preachers to congregations of 20 or 30 souls upon our Con solidated Fund. Admirably did Mr. MACAULAY observe, when dwelling on the general aspects of the question, "Consider how widely the unpopularity of this tax differed in its essential nature from the unpopularity of other taxes. A police or an army might be unpopular, still the one preserved our property from the midnight attacks of the dishonest, and the other from the aggressions of a foreign foe. A coa s t- guar d m i g ht b e hate d ; st ill i t d i d its duty, and protected us from illicit frauds. But a Church which was hated was worse than useless; and if it inspired feelings opposed to affection and respect, better that it should not exist at all. He did implore the House, there fore, not to support an institution, which would be useless unless it were loved, by the only means which must occasion tt to be hated." The marvel is that Mr. MACAULAY could suppose three per cent. collected for it under a new title, could at best do more than diminish the hate by the three per cent, remitted. To cut the whole thing down to the real wants of the case is what his eloquent observation plainly demanded. COURT CIRCULAR. THE QUEEN. OSBORNE, Saturday, July 23, 9 a.m. The Queen has passed through the measles in the most favourable manner, and her Majesty is now convalescent. No further bulletin will b 3 issued. JAMES CLARK, M.D. HENRY HOLLAND, M.D. OSBORNE, JULY 23. Her Royal Highnegs the Duchess of Kent, attended by Lrdy Anna Maria Dawson, drove out in the grounds yesterday. Prince Albert and Prince Ernest of Leiningen rode on horseback in the afternoon. The Duchess of Kent and Prince Ernest, attended by Lady A. M. Dawson and Sir George Couper, left Osborne this morning for London. Sir Henry Holland has also returned to London. JULY 24. His Royal Highness Prince Albert and the Prince of Wales rode out on horseback yesterday afternoon. Count Werthern Beiehlingen, Grand Chambellan, arrived at Osborne yesterday from Weimar with letters for her Majesty, announcing the death of the late Grand Duke and the accession of his Royal Highness the reign ing Grand Duke of Saxe Weimar. The Hon. Mary Seymour has succeeded the Hon. Flora Macdonald as maid of honour in waiting. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent attended Divine service yesterday in the Chapel Royal, St. James's. The Duchess of Kent visited the Princess Royal and the Princess Alice yesterday at Buckingham Palace. Her Royal Highness also visited the Duchess of Glou cester, at Gloucester House, Piccadilly. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, accom panied by his Serene Highness Prince Ernest of Leinin gen, and attended by Lady Anna Maria Dawson and Sir George Couper, arrived at her residence, Clarence house, St. James's, on Saturday afternoon, from a visit to her Majesty at Osborne. Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge and he Princess Mary, visited the Duchess of Kent on Sa ,urday, at Clarence-house. The Duchess of Kent, . accompanied by the. Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Mary and Prince Ernest of Leiningen, honoured the performance of German Plays with her presence on Saturday evening. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs. Gladstone left town on Saturday for Windsor. DEATH OF THE COUNTESS OF BANTRY.—This lady, so remarkable for her many charities and evangelical piety, died last week at her residence, near Cork. Her lady ship was the wife of the Earl of Bantry, and sister to the Marquis of Thomond, the head of the old kingly house of O'Bryen. OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS.—Mr. William Musgrave Sherrington is appointed first clerk in the customs de partment, Sierra Leone. Mr. 'William S. Field is ap pointed sub-collector of customs at Port Elizabeth, Cape of Good Hope. Mr. Thomas Graham is appointed Crown commissioner, surveyor, and engineer, Turk's Island.--06scrver. A CABINET COUNCIL.—A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday afternoon at the Foreign-office, Downing street. The Ministers present were—the Earl of Aber deen, Lord John Russell, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Duke , of Argyll, the Marquis of Lans downe, Viscount Palmerston, the Earl of Clarendon, the Duke of Newcastle , Sir James Graham, Sir Charl es Wood, the Ri g ht Hon. Sidney Herbert, and William Molesworth. The Council sat three hours. THE INCOME-TAX IN IRELAND.—The Bank of Ire land have stopped six months' income tax from the dividends 'due on Consols now in course of payment, although the bill only came into operation from the sth of April. The stockholders think the imposition of itself bad enough, but to pay it in advancce they regard as an additional hardship. THE SUCCESSION DUTY.—If the succession tax is car ried in the House of Lords this evening, it will be owing to the votes of the bishops ; that they will vote, we fear there is no doubt, because the Archbishop of Canterbury has paired with a Conservative. The, episcopal bench contains the only persons in the kingdom who are not taxed by the bill. They are the exceptions ; yet we, who are strong friends of the Protestant hierarchy, fear they will be the means of inflicting this odious impost on the people of England.—Herald. GERMAN PLAYS. —HERR DEVRIENT'S BENEFIT. —Herr Emil Devrient, whose personifications of the heroes of the plays of Goethe ' Schiller, and Schlegel, have been so attractive a t th e St. James's Theatre, has his benefit underlined for to-night, when he will doubtless receive proofs of the estimation in which his abilities are held by the admirers of the German drama. VAUXHALL.— Great preparations are making at these beautiful gardens for the reception of a portion of the Royal Family, who intend honouring them with their presence. A new royal box is being fitted up in a costly and elegant style. The present entertainments are in every way worthy the exalted patronage, particularly the scenes of the circle, which nightly create constant surprise and gratification, and attract thousands to wit ness them. The director, Mr. R. Wardell, deserves en couragement for his taste and liberality. BOROUGH OF CHATHAIL—The Speaker has received a letter from Mr. Leicester Viney Vernon, stating that it is not his intention to defend his return for the borough of Chatham. PETERBOROUGH ELECTION PETITIONS. —The general committee of elections have selected the following select committee on the petitions from Peterborough City, viz. :—Mr. James S. Wortley (chairman), Hon. P. Locke King, Mr. Thos. Greene, Mr. R. Ingham, Mr. C. B. Adderley, Hon. H. T. Liddell, and Mr. Hutt. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS—(THIS DAY.) The SPEAKER took the chair at one o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Lords' amendments to the following bills were considered an.d agreed to :—British Electric Telegraph Company, London and North-Western Railway (North ampton, &c.), London and North-Western Railway (St. Alban's, &c.), West Harptry Road. The following bills were read a third time and passed: —Banbridge, Dublin, Newry, and Belfast Junction Rail way, Galway Improvement,ffanring,ton and Altrinchan Junction Railway(Warrington, &c.), the Duke of Atholl's Estate, &c. EASTERN UNION RAILWAY. Mr. COBBOLD moved that the amended special re port of the Eastern Union Railway Bill, and the third reading be taken to-morrow. Sir G. PECHELL and Mr. CARDWELL opposed the latter part of the motion, and it was ultimately with drawn, and the former part was agreed to. Sir G. PECHELL then moved that the third reading be taken on Thursday next, and in the meantime that the opponents of the bill be at liberty to point the evi dence—Agreed to. PETITIONS. Mr. MIALL presented a petition from a place in Lan cashire,-praying for the repeal of the taxes on knowledge. Mr. A. PELLATT presented a number of petitions from dissenting bodies in Southwark against the opening of the Crystal Palace on Sundays. Mr. HADFIELD and other hon. members presented petitions against the Government Education Bill. ENTRY OF SEAMEN BILL. 4 On the motion for going into committee on this bill, Captain SCOBELL reminded the house that the bi, had arrived at its present stage without any statement in explanation of it having been made to Parliament. Now, he thought that was not right, and he hoped the right hon. baronet the First Lordiof the Admiralty would take this opportunity of giving some explanation of the nature and object of the bill. Sir G. PECHELL did not think that any explana tion was necessary, as the object of the bill was suffi ciently well understood. It was looked upon by seamen as the charter of the navy, and he hoped no time would be lost in passing into a law. ' Sir J. GRAHAM said it was from no want of cour tesy to the house that he had not yet entered into any explanation of the object of the measure, but in the present state of the session it was hardly advisable to waste time with lengthened explanations. He might, however, mention now, since this appeal had been made to him, that the object of this bill was to increase the the pay of the lower, second, and first class of seamen en tering her Majesty's service by ld., 2d., and 3d. a day. [LEFT SITTING.] MARLBOROUGH-STREET.-(THIS DAY.) THE NEW CAB ACT.—Thomas Asker, driver of the cab No. 1832, attended before Mr. Bingham, to answer the complaint of Mr. Johnson da Silva, of Percy-cross House, Fulham, for demanding more than his legal fare. Mr. da Silva stated that this morning he engaged the defendant's cab on the London side of the Hospital for Consumption, Brompton, to drive him to 128, New Bond-street, where he got out and gave defendant a shilling. The defendant refused to accept the shilling, and said the distance was more than two miles. Com plainant, who doubted it was over two miles, then directed the cabman to drive him to this court. The cabman, in reply to Mr. Bingham, said the dis tance exceeded the two miles. Mr. Bingham told Mr. da Silva he might have the ground measured if he thought fit. He (Mr. Bingham) had carefully looked over the map, and considered the distance to exceed the two miles by some furlongs. He therefore thought complainant would be in the wrong. Mr. da Silva said he should like to have the distance measured for his own satisfaction, and paid the usual deposit of ss. for that purpose. The cabman said he had not ss. with him, but would bring it in a few hours. __ M. Bingham—Very well, that will do. The ground should be measured as soon as possible. Complainant thanked the magistrate, and left the court. POST HORSE AND HACKNEY CARRIAGE DUTIES. The following are the resolutions reported to the house on Friday evening : POST HORSE DUTIES. 1. That from and after the 10th day of October, 1853, the duties of Excise payable under any act or acts now in force on horses let for hire, and on licenses to let the same, shall respectively cease and determine ; and in lieu thereof there shall be paid for and in respect of every license to be taken out yearly by every person who shall let any horse for hire, with or without any carriage to be used therewith, the following duties of Excise (that is to say) : Where the person taking out such license shall Duty. keep at one and the same time, to be let for hire 1 horse or 1 carriage only £7 10 0 And where such person shall keep, as aforesaid, any greater number of horses or carriages, Not exceeding 2 horses or 2 carriages Not exceeding 4 horses or 3 carriages Not exceeding 8 horses or 6 carriages Not exceeding 12 horses or 9 carriages 4O 0 0 Not exceeding 16 horses or 12 carriages 5O 0 0 Not exceeding 20 horses or 15 carriages Exceeding 15 carriages 7O 0 0 Exceeding 20 horses, then for every additional number of 10 horses, and for any additional number less than 10 over and above 20, or any other multiple of 10 horses, the further additional duty of 10 0 0 HACKNEY CARRIAGE DUTIES, 2. That from and after a day to be named, the duties now payable in respect of hackney carriages, and licenses to keep and let to hire such carriages, within the distance of five miles from the General Post-office in the city of London, shall cease and determine, and in lieu thereof there shall be payable for, and in respect of every hackney carriage which shall be kept, used, or let to hire within the limits of the act of the present session of Parliament, chapter 33, for the better regulation of metropolitan stage and hackney carriages, the several duties following (that is to say) : For and upon every license to be taken out .. yearly to . keep, use, and lot to hire any such hackney carriage .. £1 0 0 And for and in respect of every such hackney carriage as aforesaid, weekly and every week : Weekly duty. Where the license for such carriage shall au thorise the using and letting to hire of the same on every day of the week, the sum 0f... And where such license shall authorise the using and letting to hire of such carriage, on every day of the week except Sunday, the sum 0f... 0 6 0 £0 7 0 ROYAL ITALIAN afERA. The opera of Saturday evening, which was to have been La Favorita, was, in consequence of Mario's indis position, changed to Otello. This piece had not pre viously been given this season, nor, if we remember rightly, was it performed last year. Indeed, though it has great beauties, ()tell° is by no means one of the most attractive of Rossini's works. The performance of Saturday evening was, on the whole, excellent. Perhaps we have never had an Otello superior to Tamberlik. The music is well suited to his voice, containing many passages in the highest part of the scale which demand all the strength of his powerful and penetrating organ. He looks the character admir ably, avoiding the common error of making the hero a negro. Tamberlik makes the swarthiness of the moor quite consistent with manly beauty. Grisi's Desde mona, though it did not realise the English idea of "the gentle lady wedded to the Moor," was a superb perform ance. Her aspect was noble and imposing, her acting often impassioned, and her vocal execution as facile, clear, and brilliant as it has ever been. Ronconi made as much of lago as can be made of a character which is reduced to mere commonplace, and which, as a musical part, is inferior even to that of Rodrigo, which was very respectably sustained by Stigelli. Grisi and Tamberlik were enthusiastically applauded ; and the opera alto gether had a favourable reception. THE MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, JULY 23.—The depar ture of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer City of London, for Gibraltar, Malta, and Constanti nople, has been postponed from the 27th inst. to the 10th proximo, in consequence of her having been dis patched on a voyage to the Peninsular ports, in place of the Tagus, temporarily disabled. The screw steam-ship Bengal, under command of Captain Bowen, late of the Iberia, is about to be taken off the Southampton, Malta, and Alexandria stations and sent to India, via the Cape of Good Hope. The Bengal will leave South ampton on the 25th of August, taking passengers for Calcutta, Ceylon, and Madras, and is to be immediately afterwards employed in running between those ports and Suez with the contract mails. The Bengal will be re placed on the Alexandria station by the Cornpany's steam ship Euxine, to sail on the 20th of August. The Gene ral Screw Comp any ' s steam-ship H y d a ,spes, Captain Greig, after ha v i ng h er machinery thoroug hly adjusted, is to leave So u th ampton on the 15th, and Plymouth on the 16th inst., w i t h t h e mails for the C ape , Mauritius, Ceylon, Mad ras , an d Calcutta. The roya l mail steam ship Orinoco, Lieutenant Hast commander, is ap pointed to take out the next West India, Mexican, and Pacific mails of the 2d proximo. La Platta, with the homeward mails from the same quarter, may be ex pected to arrive home about Thursday or Friday next. The United States' mail steam-ship Hermann , with dates from Ne w Y or k t o th e 16th inst., is expected off Cowes about Friday next, on her way to Bremen. ELECTION-SATURDAY AT ETON COLLEGE.-On Satur day morning, Dr. Okes, Provost of Ki ng ' s C ollege, Cambridge, with the Rev. Mr. Witts and th e R ev. M r. Thring, the posers, accompanied by the P rovost and Fellows, the head, lower, and assistant masters, pro ceeded to the Upper School at Eton to hear the election speeches. The numerous and distinguished company included the Earl of Derby, the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., his excellency the Belgian ambassador, Mons. Van der Weyer ; Lo r d an d L ady Kinnaird. The school list contains 614 names, an increase of nearly 20 on last year. There are 50 candidates for admission on the foundation, and only one vacancy at present. After the delivery of the speeches the visitors were entertained by the Provost and by several of the masters at their respective houses. At seven o'clock in the evening tho customary regatta, or procession of boats, from the Brocas to Surley Hall, took place, and on their return there was a display of fireworks. The whole affair passed off most satisfactorily. To-day the boys leave for a vacation of eight weeks. LATEST FOREIGN _NE VV S. FRANCE. The Emperor of the French appears sure of a pacific solution of the Eastern question. Madame Dueos, the wife of the Minister of Marine, who is now making a tour of inspection on thO coast, went a day or two ago to take leave of the Em peror and Empress preparatory to a visit to Bor deaux, her native city. She asked an extension of leave of absence for her husband to the 10th August. The Emperor at once granted it, and observed that the Minister need be under no ap prehension of being disturbed from his repose by any warlike announcements in the press ; that he had no pressing occasion for the presence in Paris of either the Minister of War or the Minister of Marine ; and that the only member of the Cabinet whose presence was indispensable at the present moment was the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Emperor and Empress, by the way, paid a visit to the Tuileries on Saturday. The Emperor came in on horseback, and the Empress and her immediate attendants followed in a carriage. The Emperor proceeded to inspect the works going on at the Louvre. No escort accompanied the party. It is expected that on the occasion of the fetes of the 15th of August eight new Senators will be named. Among others the names of Dr. Conneau, first physician to the Emperor and the companion of his captivity at Ham, and the Napoleonist poet, M. Belmintet, are mentioned. Monnet has been convicted by the Court of Assizes of the Drome of the murder of the Vicomte de Dampmartin, mayor of Uzes, and sente nce d t o be excuted a t Valence. The Moniteur announces that the Emperor had received a letter from Don Jose Maria Obando, no tifying to him his elevation to the Presidency of the Republic of New Grenada. The Government has granted concessions for the railway from Rheims *to Mezieres and Charleville, with a branch line to Sedan, and for the railway froin Beauvais to Creil. These concessions have been granted to an Anglo-French company, among the members of which are the Duke de Mouchy, the Count Simeon, Mr. John Masterman, and M. .Uzelli. The absence of decisive intelligence respecting the progress of the Eastern question, combined with the usual dulness in business at the termina tion of the week, exercised an unfavourable in fluence at the Bourse on Saturday, and a decline in prices took place. The Three per Cents. fell 55c., and the Four-and-a -Half per Cents. 30c., both for the account, whilst in the quotations for cash, the Three per Cents. declined 30c., and the Four-and a-Half per Cents., 10c. An advance of sf. oc curred in Bank of France Shares. The final quo tations were :-For cash : Three per Cents. 78f. 50c. ; Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 103 f. 40c. ; for the account : Three per Cents., 78f. 25c. ; Four and-a-Half per Cents. 103 f. 20c. ; Bank Stock, 2740 f. Bank of Credit Foncier Shares declined 10f., and those of the Societe Mobiliere, 15f., the former closing at 753 f. ; and the latter at 825.. A gene ral decline in prices also took place on Saturday in the Railway Share Market, although in some few cases the final quotations remained unaltered from the previous day, in consequence of a favourable change occurring just previous to the conclusion of business ; Northern fell sf. ; Paris and Orleans, 17f. 50. ; Paris and Lyons, 12f. 50c. ; Paris and Strasbourg, 7f. 50 c . ; and Rouen and Havre and Bordeaux and Cette, each, 2f. 50c. Closing prices : -Northern, 875 f. ; Paris and Orleans, 11,35 f. ; Paris and Strasbourg, 927 f. 50c. ; Paris and Lyons, 925 f. ; Paris and R ouen , 1 1001. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean, 765 f. ; Weste rn o f F rance, 750 f. • Rouen and Havre, 502 f. 50 c . ; Bordeaux and Cette, 637 f. 50c. ; C aen and Cherbourg, 620 f. TURKEY AND RUSSIA. It does not appear that any intelligence has reached the Ottoman Embassy in Paris confirming the fact mentioned in a Vienna paper about the en trance of a portion of the fleet into the Dardanelles and its advance to Silivre, near Constantinople, for the alleged purpose of maintaining tranquillity in that capital. It is observed with much truth that the entrance of five ships ships of war would be quite as much a rupture of the treatie s between Russia and Turkey as that of the entire fleet ; and as it is certain that the representatives of the western Powers advised the Divan not to consider the passage of the Pruth as a fact to be immediately followed by the entrance of the Dardanelles, it would be strange if they counselled what would be tantamount to a declaration of war, and only to call a comparatively small portion of the fleet to Constantinople. The papers and letters which arrived at Stettin from St. Petersburgh, up to the 15th instant, ara still devoid of any decisive intelligence on the one great question ; nor can it be ascertained that any body professes even to be in possession of any posi tive news which would boar out the confident assurances that are so lavishly made, chiefly at Vienna, of a pacifie solution of the difficulty having been already arrived at. Amongst the passengers was the Russian Minister of the Imperal House, Baron von Zesckau. Count Gyulai is expected back from St. Peters burgh in the course of the next week. From Odessa we learn that the British Govern ment has sent three steamers to tug the merchant men laden with corn out of the Sulina mouth of the Danube. The opinion expressed yesterday relative to the movement of troops towards the Servian frontier will be found to be corrrect : their concen tration is merely a measure of precaution, and a strong proof of this is, that all the battalions have been left on a piece footing. None of the men on furlough have been called in, although the batta lions are but 600 instead of 1,200 strong, and the soldiers actually in service have their usual, and not what is known here as " war augmentation" pay. The Transylvanian Messenger also declares on au thority that Government has neither recalled the soldiers who are on leave of absence, nor ordered military stores to be collected in the province. The camp, of which mention was made about a week since, will be pitched in the month of Sep tember, and probably in the province of Moravia. About 40,000 foot and 10,000 horse will be col lected, and it is expected that this fraction of the Austrian contingent to the Federal army will be inspected by Prince William of Prussia. The full contingent of Austria to the Bund is 73,501 foot, 13,546 horse, 7,775 artillerymen, and 192 guns. We have letters from Jassy of the 4th. On the 3d the Russian sth corps d.'annee passed the Pruth at Leova. During the 4th 16,000 men passed by Jassy on their route to Wallachia, of which 4,000 were cavalry. The 4th corps d'armee passed the Pruth at Sculeni, and encamped during the night above Jassy, at Sokola, and continued their route on the following day. The three corps of which the army of occupation is composed are under the General-in-chief, Prince Gortchakoff, and the entire number of all arms is said to amount to 180,000 men, which will form three camps on the Danube, one at Kalafat, in little Wallachia, the second at Tournou (Deli Ormen), and the third at Kalarash, almost opposite Silistria. Three small steamers are expected to arrive in order to tow the flotilla, which is at Ismael, as far up the river as Orsova. M. Ozeroff, long while Charge d'Affaires for Russia in Constantinople, has been appointed Chef de la Chancellerie politique of General Gortchakoff. The Prince Gargarin, M. Kalergi, and M. Timofeff, attaches at the Russian Embassy at Constanti nople, have each received appointments in the above Chancellcrie. The principal Turkish head-quarters in Euro pean Turkey is at Shumla,,where about 2 0,000 men areconce ntrated. It is said that the Turks may be able to defend the four passes of the Balkan, but that they had much better not attempt to de fend the Danube in case of war. In Asia three points of concentration are named. At Batoum 15,000 men are stationed, at Trebizond the same number, and at Erzeroum 40,000. SPAIN. Our accounts from Madrid are of the 19th inst. M. Moyano was examining with as much care as zeal the voluminous documents relative to the railway concessions, and the different opinions ex pressed on the subject in the Royal Council. That Council was occupied during three months in pre paring the materials, now submitted to the Minis ter, and which embrace 28 railway lines. M. Moyano's report was expected to be ready in a few days. It was believed that his opinion was favour able to th e concessions, which he found perfectly legal. Th e Cabinet will no doubt ratify it. So confident was M. Salamanca that the concessions would be validated by the Government, that he intended immediately to set out for Paris, without awaiting its decision relative to the Northern Rail road. The Three per Cents. were done at 43 ; the New Three per Cents., at 23 1-16th ; the Debt of the First Class, at 10i ; and that of the Second, at 5/. DENMARK. JULY 19.—1 n its sitti ng o f yester day Landsthing, in spite of th e opposition of COPENHAGEN, the the Government, adopted the project of a commu nal law by 21 votes against 9. A Ministerial crisis was considered imminent. The Volksthing in its sitting of the 16th inst. had adopted by 64 votes against 8, on the third read ing, the project of law on a uniform system of cus toms for the whole kingdom. From the 17th to the 18th the number of new cholera cases was 317, of which number 156 had proved fatal. The total number of cases from the 15th inclusive, was 1841, and 026 had terminated fatally. LITERATURE. - -- Electra; a Story of Modern Times. By the author of "Rockingham," with Illustrations, by Lord Gerald Fitzgerald. 3 vols. Hurst and Blackett. This novel bears the same peculiarities as those which distinguished its predecessor. There is an impetuosity of manner evidenced in the descrip tions, and there is a daring spirit exhibited in the actions that redeem it from the charge of medio crity and endue it with force, energy, and vivacity. The interest is not so intense as might be supposed from the power of the work, for it is entirely con centrated on one circle, and not on any member of that even. Lady Glenarlowe, the step-mother, is an extraordinary character, but it is impossible to feel much concern in her affairs, after her cruel and heartless conduct at the commencement of the narrative. She was, in truth, far more fitted to rule despotically over slaves in Barbadoes than to conduct the concerns of a young family in an English home. Nor can her daughter, Florence, lay claim to much attention from her extreme vacillation and indecision. She was led away one day by her mother, the next she inclined to the en treaties of Augustus, and then returned to attend to Lord George Walsingliam to please her mother, and also to gratify her own fancies. At last she was s° over persuaded as to consent to relinquish her early choice, and to become the wife of her second suitor. But at the .altar her courage gave web and the " bride who fled from the altar" w.as warning to all who sacrified themselves a t the shrine of mistaken duty. This scene is ably de scribed, and forms one of the most powerful po ints in the work. Electra, the heroine, is the chief object, of attraction, not that she appears very often on the scene, but, like all really great minds, her works are evident when she is removed from the immediate sphere of action ; she influences her friends' thoughts and deeds, while apparently un concerned and unconnected with them. As g entle as her sister (the step-mother) Lady Glenarlowo was haughty, as calm as she was violent, LadY Hazebrook might well have served for a model as heroine of romance, or nameless martyr, unnoticed in the strife of a jarring world, but pre-emine placed among those who are acting for eternity in time. Inspired by the purest desires for others welfare, she never forsook the object of her regard, from the moment when the desolate and deserted school-boy was ill-used and neglected, to the day when the unfortunate man seemed deprived of all. human countenance in his adversity. Her efforts were fully appreciated by the hero, and it was but a just tribute to her virtues, a due return for her kindness, and a deserved homage to her matchless conduct, that actuated him, when on the day that crowned his long-deferred hopes, and realised his despaired -of desires, the thoughts of her dimmed his joy, and clouded the radiance of his future. He knew when he bade her farewell "on what distant course she was already bound ;" for- soon was the dark hour at hand, and the framer of the work lived not to see its result, and to witness its effect. " There was one gentle spirit who could discern her' own heaven-lit path amid the darkness around us. Through years of doubt—through months of dis may —through hours of absolute despair, she had cherished her own firm purpose, and moulded to its accomplishment every circumstance and acci dent which she could not wholly control. But now the valley of the shadow of death was passed, and tle hills of Beulah were unveiling their smiling expanse before her. The long-promised goal was before her ! The earthly ministration of the Guardian Spirit was over ; but we shall meet again. Oh, it cannot be but that we shall m eet again." In the course of the adventures the hero met with, he mingled in the stirring scenes of the Peninsular War, and many important engagements are here given with great force and spirit. The battle of Ciudad Rodrigo is the most striking in detail and description. On the whole for an ex citing narrative, or for an able exposition of the prominent passions that influence and excite min' kind, this work may be regarded with attention and admiration. It is a successful sketch of characters that are not common-place, and an epitome of events that will be remarkable for ever. It may not be called pleasing, but it must be owned as powerful, and the author may reasonably expect for it renown. THE PENINSULAR MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDAY, Jung 24. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship Madrid, Captain Weeks, arrived here this morning with the usual Peninsular mails, and dates from Gibraltar, the 14th ; Cadiz, the 15th ; Lisbon, the 19th ; Op o rto, the 20th ; and Vigo, the 21st inst. The Madrid brings on frei g ht 6 packages of specie, 396 half-chests of heinous, 36 boxes and 5 baskets pf onions, 70 boxes of eggs, and 21 nack a r r ,,, L „A„ rat lue pUlAk r ., „ 9 , 44hopue, rchandise. When the Madrid left Lisbon on the 19th, her Ma jesty's steam-sl oo p, Bl oodhound, captain Christian' from the coast of Africa, was coaling in the Tagus, em route for Portsmouth. There was no other foreign vessel 't of war in port. The Lisbon exchange quotations by this mail are — London, three months, 541 ; Paris, 528 ; Ilamburgh, 48!, ; Genoa, 527. On the continent little business had been done, and bills on London continued still rather scarce, notwithstanding the arrival of the Brazil mail, so that money remained over at 54k. Business had been more active in stocks and shares at 401 to 41 for Five per Cents. ; Four per Cents., 324 to 33' 1 ; Bank of Por tugal Shares, 163 to 150 milreis discount per share,. these rates beity , in Lisbon bank-notes, subject to the current discount of 21 per cent. Oporto Bank Shares were still at 4 to .5 per cent. premium in metal. Our Lisbon letters and papers by this mail contain no particular novelty. A Royal decree had decided that the Cortes should remain open until the sth of August, when little doubt existed that the money bills, So., would have passed the upper house. The Queen and Court had taken up their summer re sidence at Cintra, as also the Duke de Saldanha, who was still unable to transact business at the War Depart merit. There appeared no chance of his Grace's sup pressing, as he had promised, the command-in-chief of the army he has held, instead of the King, since the in surrection of 1851 ; and it is notable that the Liberals in the Cortes no longer clamour against an expenditure they formerly decried, particularly as the Duke's unfit- ness for active duties is now an additional proof oritS being unnecessary. A petition front different Portuguese manufactories had been made to the Chamber of Deputies to reconsider the reductions made in the tariff last year. They, of course, want more protection, but make out no case, and conveniently dispense with the demonstration of any fact applicable to any particular trade by stating that "all the circumstances are so obvious and generally known as to render superfluous the mention of any of them." No doubt the facts best known and most easily demonstrated would, in any other country, lead to a much larger reduction of the Portuguese tariff, but that is not likely to take place. The following letter, dated Oporto, the 19th inst., gives an account of the appearance and progress of the grape disease : " The most important subject now afloat is the disease that has recently appeared in the vine ; there are many exaggerated opinions and reports about it, but the fol lowing description may be inserted as truly authentic : —Last year there were instances of the vine disease both in this neighbourhood and in the Douro district. it then made no progress, and caused little alarm ; it has again appeared within the last three weeks here, and in the Douro, and many of the northern districts ; It is said to be pretty general, but the number of vines affected in the same vineyard is not at present great, except in one or two situations. It is universally ad mitted to be a new disease in this country, and no one ► doubts it being.the same as that which has desolated Madeira, and, with the fate of that island before them, people are naturally ~n a state of alarm calculated to produce exaggeration. * Prayers against the ravages of the disease have been offered up in many of the parish churches—a proof of the opinion entertained by the vine • farmers. If within the next ten days it remains nearly stationary, we may fairly hope that we shall save this 3', we shall have every i v .e i a n s t o ag a e ; to b u f t ea i if t that t en i d t m ra a p y idl do incalculable mischief between the end of this month and the first week of October. " The Civil Governor of Villareal has appointed a commission to examine the report." THE GREAT LONDON SUMMER POULTRY Snow.- - Saturday was fixed for the reception of the various specimens of poultry, &e., to be exhibited at the ensu ing London Summer Poultry Show, to take, place at the Bazaar, in .....Iting-street, Portman-sq uare , on Wed nesday, Thursday, and Friday next, the arrangements being finally completed. Amongst the contributors are Lord Berwi c k, L ord - Hill, Lady Georgiana Codrington; Lady Caroline' Legge, Hon. Mrs. Astley, Hon. and Rev. Edward Reppel, Hon. Mr. Hill, Sir Archibald Macdonald, Captain Hornby, R.N., John Far lie, Esq.' J. C. Adkins, Esq., &c. The entire area of the bazaar , excepting that portion where a large amount of ligh t is not obtainable, is now fitted up with pens for the' birds. The specimens which have arrived have amongst them some of the finest breeds in the kingdom. In on e class alone there are no less than 150 pens of chickens ; and, including the pigeons, geese, ducks, and turkeys) the number of birds to be exhibited will exceed 6,00 0 . The judges make their awards of the prizes, which amount in the agg rega t e to several hundred pounds, 0' Tuesday, and there will be a private view on that even ing. Amongst th e competitors are a large number 0 ' amateurs, who h ave never taken any part in previous shows, and the specimens they have contributed are ex ceedingly fine. Instead of the course adopted of dis tinguishing the prizes by red, blue, and white r osettes ) ; as was the case at the winter poultry show, they t recognised by cards, printed in different colours, ae``u, de scribing th e c h aracter and breed of the birds. To to the comfort and convenience of the public, not only will a portio n o f th e ga ll ery b e tastefully fitte d up for the purpose of refreshments, but arrangements are course of pr ogress f or introducing evergreens and flowersvii throughout various parts o f the b u ildi ng , which „ e have a :very pleasing effect. MOJ 'lh arler c D ublin qt • a d r Ist °n , po r% ig at 0133.2 B anabr t e ' st ' t 'outh S sines, W. Ix kingi tt irt 1 4.1 1 1. tit 3 btst Iv a; Ditty t ) itt, Cot isot Ezell Doh i , Ditto 1t 11, : N i•tou, Flo r ay est a N o rein ~. v es . Al a 4 t , lat 1) 10 0 t, 1 11 1 , e- Ila 148 .1 t. Br ow ti t) Lon, Peri, 185 c 1841 _•_. ~ I ,