The Sun. — London, England, 1853-05-26 00:00:00

.curtt rtettion SUN OFFICE, Seven, o' Clock. EPSOM RACES. (THIS DAY.) BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, SELLING STASES. Sabra Eccentricity Nervous . Adiue ... Psaltery Six ran. HER MAJESTY'S PLATE. Eight ran. THE COBHAM PLATE. Old Rowley Ann Page Five ran. ADDITIONAL ARRIVALS. — Lady Mary, Hybla, Ni co . tine, Lady Alice, Charming Woman, Sylphine, Glen avon. ELECTION OF CHAMBERLAIN. STATE OF THE POLL THIS DAY, AT THREE O'CLOCK. Scott Sir John Key Majority for Scott. 2,085 2,060 IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS--(THIS EVENING.) The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at 5 o'clock. The Earl of EGLINTON presented petitions from places in Scotland, against the Maynooth grant. LAW OF EVIDENCE. Lord BROUGHAM, after alluding to certain returns lately laid before their lordships' house, said he wished to correct a mistake which these returns might lead their lordships to fall into, with regard to the working of his act of 1851, which made parties to a suit capable of being examined as witnesses. The returns at first sight seemed to show that the number of cases of per jury had increased since the passing of that act. The fact, however, was quite the reverse. The bill had been passed into law in the month of November, 1851, and in the ten previous months of that year the number of cases of perjury had actually doubled, and the number since the passing of the act was not greater than, if so great as, the former average. The noble and learned lord concluded by moving for certain returns showing the relative number of convictions in the years 1849; 1850, and 1851. Lord CAMPBELL said the bill of his noble and learned friend had been of great advantage to the pub lic, and instead of increasing, had greatly decreased the cases of perjury. The Duke of CLEVELAND presented a petition from the Governor of Christ's Hospital, against the Charitable Trusts Bill. AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS BILL. Earl GRANVILLE moved the second reading of this bill. Lord CAMPBELL approved of the bill, and would be glad to see it pass into law. After a few words from Lord BEAUMONT and the Earl of Wics.Low, the bill was read a second time. SHERIFF'S AND COMMISSARY COURT (EER WICKSHIRE) BILL. On the motion of Lord PAN3IIIRE, this bill was read a third time and passed. COUNTY ELECTION POLL (SCOTLAND) BILL. On the motion for going into committee on this bill, Lord PANMURE explained the objects of the bill, which was to shorten the time for polling at county elections in Scotland to one day. The house then went into committee on this bill, and was (LEFT SITTING.) HOUSE OF COMMONS --(THIS EVENING.) The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock. NEW MEMBERS. Mr. MACKINNON took the oaths and his seat for Rye. The following bills were read a third time and passed :—Aberdeen Railway ; Bedale and Leyburn Rail way ; Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway ; Leeds and Whitehall Roads ; Portsmouth Railway ; Scottish Midland Junction Railway ; South Eastern Railway ; South Shields Improvement ; Tralee and Killarney Railway ; The Alston Roads ; and the London and South-Western Railway. PETITIONS. Mr. KEATING presented several petitions, in favour of legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister. Mr. A. PELLATT presented a petition from the Northern Association of the Baptist Church, against the Education Bill. Mr. MITCHELL presented a petition from Bridport, praying for the abolition of ch urc h ra t es. Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition agreed to at a public meeting held in Southwark, complaining of the conduct of the spy system in the police, and praying the house to take steps for its abolition. Mr. KINNAIRD presented a petition from Perth, praying for the abolition of university tests in Scotland. Mr. MUNDY presented a petition from the attor neys of Derby, against the proposed alterations in the stamp duties on articles of clerkship, and praying:for the abolition of the attorneys' certificate duty. Mr. A. HA STIE presented a petition from a place in Scotland, praying for the abolition of university tests. Sir J. WALMSLEY presented a petition from Mal don, praying for the abolition of church rates. Sir J. V. SHELLEY presented a petition from the operative stone masons of Westminster, praying for an alteration in the law of combinations amongst workmen. Sir B. SMITH presented a petition from Stockwell, praying for the opening of the Crystal Palace on Sun days. Sir B. HALL presented a petition from Marylebone, against the spy system in the police. Mr. CROSSLEY presented a petition from Halifax, against the Government Educational Scheme. Mr. HUME presented a petition from Andover, pray ing for the total abolition of church rates. Mr. LOWE presented a petition in favour of the Com bination of Workmen's Bill. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the metropolis, praying that the t o ll s l ev i e d upon carts pass ing througli, the oity might be abolished. Mr. 11. W. WICKHAM presented a petition from the basket and skep makers of the town of Bradford, Yorkshire, in favour of the Combination of Workmen 's Bill. DURHAM ELECTION. Mr. T. EDGERTON gave notice that when the mem bers chosen to serve in the Durha.m election committee came to the table to be sworn, he should move that the hon. member for Dundee be discharged from it. SAVINGS BANKS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave notice that, on an early day, he should move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the law relating to savings banks, and also to establish regulations for making investments in the Government securitios through the medium of savings' banks. MI:: MILES wished to ask the Under Secretary for the Colonies, whether in pursuance of a dispatch (No. 169) from Sir C. A. Fitzroy, dated Sydney, the 19th day of October 1842, upon the subject of immigration, any act has been passed by the colonial legislature to regulate the inducting of assisted immigrants and others in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, and their em ployment in the colony for a certain time after their arrival therein. Mr. PEEL said such an act had been recently passed by tho Legislabive Council of Sydney, but it had not yet been :received by the Colonial-office, and he, therefore, could not state the nature of its details. CORK ELECTION. The evidence taken before the Cork election committee was ordered to be printed. THE KAFIR WAR. Mr. HINDLEY wished to ask the Under Secretary for the Colonies what the conditions upon which San dilli and the other hostile Kafir chiefs have obtained peace, and if the Government was prepared to sanction them. Mr. F. PEEL said, in February last, Gen. Cathcart I proposed certain terms of submission to the Kafir chiefs, but ho had received no official intelligence of those terms having been accepted, as the mail which would bring the answer had not yet arrived: Mr. HEADLAM wished to know if the noble lord the member for the City of London, would postpone the vote relating to the Kafir war, until the papers upon the subject were before the house, as he wished to draw attention to them. , before J. RUSSELL sa id t h e papers would ' be printed the vote was proposed. FACTORY REPORTS. Mr. COBB I' • for the H Wished to ask the Secretary of State Hie Dettaeriment whether the factory inspec tor's reports for have been laid beforeallf year ended on the 25th of April on the table of the hout i , ' . l ' and when they will be laid Lord PALMERSTOofNthIid the time had not yet ar rived for the delivery CORPORATION rpercortpaßTy. In reply to Mr. HEADLAM, The CHANCELLOR of the EXmealikeQUEß stated poraaroposal for that the Government intended to extending the succession duty to or and he should state the nature of the proposa le traerty, motion for the second reading of the Succession t h e ' l4. ,i C al .s .0 . g' . • ' MAYO ELECTION. 1 ,, , , , -,' I. Vr, 1! Vi ...- gave notice that on an early day h e e '. .4 1.7 .- -., 7 - e" select committee to inquire into th e lert r a erence practis ed by the priests at th e '.. '' e l. 1: .: -last e l e alow . r, the coun t y ~..;- .:* -3, h i . ' t. , 6 1 • CHURCH RATES. , be postponed until ? ; - :T. ;... ' 1- & v . '.n of. Lord J. RUSSELL, it was agreed 1 -4: • '''' ' l of the day should .., ....„., 1 . •)),1 • 3., i, • :, .o f the Lon, member for Tavistock, in %, ..„.„ . .0 .9 - - 1-- reference to church rates, had been disposed of, agree ably to an understanding on a former evening. Lord J. RUSSELL intimated, in reply to Mr. Disraeli, that the Government would not propose going into committee on the Income Tax Bill after 12 o'clock. Petitions in favour of the abolition of church rates were presented from different parts of the country by Sir W. Clay, Mr. IlatAeld, Mr. Phillimore, and other hon. members. Mr. PHILLIMORE then rose to ask for leave to bring in a bill to alter and amend the law respecting Church rates. After explaining the difference between his bill, and that proposed by Sir W. Clay, he said the object of his own orris in entire accordance with the ex pressed opinions of the principal members of the house who took a part in the debate on the church rates in 1851, and that it made certain alterations, which justice and policy alike demanded. He proposed that the church should make a large sacrifice, and it was necessary that hon. members who represented the dis senting interest should appreciate its extent. No pro position of law was more incontrovertible than that Every parishioner was at present bound to contribute to the repair of the parish church, and that the rates levied for such a purpose extended to all kinds of property within the parish lands, stock-in-trade, and all goods. Enforcing church rates rested on the assumption, both in law and in fact, that the Church and State were identical. It was now for the house to consider whether the law and the fact remained the same, or whether they had not undergone extensive alterations, which rendered it equit able and just that some relief should be extended to a large portion of the population. There could be no doubt that, at the time of the Reformation and sub sequent times, one religion was professed by the vast majority of the population. (Hear.) Circumstances had, however, greatly changed. A return recently laid before the house presented an appalling aspect of the dissent in the kingdom. It appeared from it that the number of Dissenting places of worship registered from 1688 to 1852, includingßoman Catholic chapels, amounted to no less than 54, 804, No doubt, considerable deductions were to be made from that number, but it presented a remarkable statistical fact which could not be omitted from consideration in arriving at the conclusion whether or not the present state of the law respecting the payment of church rates by Dissenters was right. It was said Dissenters purchased property under the acknowledged obligation that it would have to bear Church rates, but that argument could not apply to houses which they might build upon their estates. It was not to be wondered at that within the memory of many members, there should have grown up a determined opposition to church rates. He contended that the grievances of Dissenters required a wise and speedy adjustment. Not only were church rates in some places practically abandoned, in order to avoid any ill blood or bad spirit, but Dissenters were driven to use various devices in order to evade the payment of church rates. Those devices were of two kinds—the first was by appointinc , a church. warden, who was a Dissenter, and the other by making a nominal rate. He could not admit it was an argument against his bill that no great num ber of petitions were presented in its favour, and that there was n o ag it a ti on w ith respect to i t i n the country. It was much better to mend one's house in a calm than to be obliged to set about doing so in a storm. [LEFT SPEAKING.] HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK. (Front the Registrar-General's Return.) In the week that ended last Saturday the deaths re gistered in London numbered 1,098, being nearly the same amount as in the previous week. In the ten cor responding weeks of the years 1843-52, the average number was 900, which, if raised in proportion to in crease of population during that period and up to the present time, will give a mortality for last week of 990. Hence it appears that the actual number of deaths last week exceeds the estimated amount by 108. Fatal cases arising from diseases of the respiratory organs continue to decline, but they still exhibit an ex cess above those of corresponding weeks, for last week they were 174, while the corrected average is only 131. Phthisis destroyed 152 lives, hooping cough, 65. Th e weekly temperat ure rose 10 degrees, and an increase of diarrhoea is the immediate result ; this complaint was fatal in 18 and 28 cases in the last two weeks. Typhus in the same times declined from 71 to 58. In the sub-district South St. Giles-in-the-Fields five deaths were registered in the week from typhus, one from gastric fever, and one from brain fever. One of these occurred in Short's-gardens, one in Endell-street, one in Smart's-buildings, and the rest in the workhouse. Mr. Foulker, the registrar, says :—" Typhus has been very prevalent lately in my sub-district. I have regis tered 11 cases since 4th May, and 8 of these occurred in the workhouse." Mr. Matthews, registrar of Somers Town sub-dis trict, observes : "The warm weather having now set in, I would suggest that that part of my sub-district which is under the control of the commissioners of the Somers Town Estate, should be better cleansed, and that the streets should be watered." At 141, High Holborn, on the 13th May, a spinster, teacher at the Field-lane Ragged School, aged 31 years, died of "typhus (8 days." Mr. Yardley, the registrar, was informed that "the deceased eamehome ill from the ragged school, where it is supposed she had caught the infection, as two or three of the children attending the school had died from typhus, and two of the missionaries visiting the Refuge, which is under the school, had also died from it. There was also registered the death of a man, on the 11th April, who died from typhus abdominalis, in the Hahnemann Hospital, and who had been re moved from the Refuge." Last week the births of 791 boys and 776 girls, in all 1,567 children, were registered in London. The average number in eight corresponding weeks of the :years 1845-52 was 1,347. MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS. NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, MAY 21 Zymotic Diseases Diseases of Uncertain Seat Tubercular Diseases Diseases of the Brain. Nerves, and Senses l2l Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 34 Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of Respiration 174 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digeston 7l Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus &c. Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles Diseases of the Skin, &c. Malformations 3 Premature Birth and Debility 25 Atrophy 22 Old Age Sudden ll Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemper ance 4l Causes not specified DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES Population Deaths in cone- Death, Enumerated. sponding week in the 1851. of 1852. Week West Districts North Districts 490,396 Central Districts 393,256 East Districts 485,522 South Districts Totals Males Females 1,098 610 488 BIRTHS IN THE WEEK. Males.... Females. 791 776 Total . 1,567 RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, MAT 25. STOOK EXCHANGE.—The share market to-day has been very fiat, and very few transactions have taken place. The little business done has been at lower prices than the cur rency of yesterday. The following are the transactions : Eastern Counties, 13 5-16 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 80 ; ditto (fifth shares), 41 d. ; London and North Western, 1171 ; Ditto (eighth shares), g 7-16 p. ; Midland 75 ; Shrewsbury and Hereford, 14 d. ; South Eastern and Dov er , 221 ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln (10/. shares), 11; St. Helen's Railway and Canal (41. per cent.), 1 p. BIRMINGHAM, MAY 25. STOOK EXCHANGE.—This market was steady to-day, and prices well maintained. London and North Western Eighths were done at 10s. prem ; Midlands (Bristol and Birmingham), at 150. MANCHESTER, MAY 25. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market has been inactive, and the few sales made were at a slight decline. Eastern Counties 13 5-16 ' • London Stock, 118 ; ditto Now Eighth s , 7-16 p. ; Sheffield's, 30 ; ditto Pref., 10-1 • Midlands, ; Dovers, 22i ; East Lancashire Prof. Quarters, 9 5-16. not, any more than any other Government, permit all the patronage to be in the hands of their political Oppdnents. " Sir B. Walker asserts that the expressions, as Cited by himself, Were used a second time by Mr. Stafford, in the presence of Admiral Hyde Parker ; and that, Upon his reading this portion of his evid ence t o Ad m i ra l H. Parker while Admiral Berkeley was present, Admiral Parker admitted having heard the expression as cited by Sir B. Walker. Admiral Berkeley confirmed this fact before your committee. " A rumour of this evidence having reached Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli, they attended a meeting of your com mittee, and denied having either pressed Mr. Stafford, or used language which could afford any ground for such a statement. " There is a materiral difference between the assertions of Sir B. Walker on the one hand, and Mr. Stafford on other, in reference to the precise words spoken at this interview ; but, as regards one material point, it is agreed on both sides that the names of the two most influential members of the Government were introduced in an argu ment, wherein the Secretary of the Admiralty endeavoured to constrain the Surveyor of the Navy to consent to an alteration of the system under which promotions were regulated. "On the sth of April, the day when this interview occurred, a promotion was authorised by the Admiralty, which gave rise to serious remonstrances, and brought again to Mr. Stafford's notice the danger of any hasty exer cise of patronage among men in the dockyards. Captain Richards, the Superintendent of Chatham Dockyard, stated that on the Ist of March, 1852, in his monthly report to the Admiralty, he informed the board that there was a vacancy for a leading man in the metal mills, and that, as the inferior leading men were not competent for such a po sition, he recommended art entry of a man from private trade. This suggestion was not approved, and on the sth of April, 1852, :letter was sent from the Admiralty, ap pointing Joseph Ridgway, a second class man in the metal mills, to this vacancy. " Upon receiving this appointment which Captain Richards says seemed to him a violation of the orders of 1847—he thought it best to write a private letter to Mr. Stafford. " Accordingly, on the Bth of April, he related fully, by letter, the circumstances of Ridgway's case. He informed Mr. Stafford that Ridgway had in a former year attempted to obtain this promotion from Sir Francis Baring by poli tical influence, through some friends at Portsmouth ; and he sent some extracts of the letters, showing that Ridg way had been then reprimanded for transgressing the orders of 1847, and warned that a repetition of his conduct would, be followed by dismissal. Capt. Richards further repre sented, in explicit but respectful language, the ill effects which such a promotion must have in the dockyards, and he added that he brought all these facts to Mr. Stafford's notice before putting in force the order for Ridgway's pro motion. " On the 9th of April Capt. Richards also wrote to Sir B. Walker on the subject, expressing his fears that the system of promotion established in 1847 was about to be entirely set aside. " On the 11th of April Mr. Stafford replied to Captain Richards, that the appointment of Ridgway must go for ward. " Your committee inquired by whom Ridgway had been recommended, and were informed that Sir F. Smith, then a candidate for the borough of Chatham, represented to Mr. Stafford, or to Mr. Grant, his private secretary, that Ridgway was kept out of his just promotion on account of his political opinions, and that for this reason Capt. Rich ards proposed to select a man from the private trade. "On the 11th of April, when Mr. Stafford persisted in making this appintment, he knew the facts of this case ; he was aware that Sir F. Smith had applied to him for Ridgway, and that, according to the circular of 1847, any attempt to obtain promotion through political influence had been strictly forbidden; he had been told that after the re port of the superintendent, the promotion of Ridgway would be viewed in the yard as the supervision of the sys tem of 1847, and that such a step must produce an influence on all the men, as well as diminish the authority of the su perintendent. He acted, therefore, in opposition to the advice of Captain Richards, and he did not ask for the opinion of the surveyor. " As a justification of this proceeding, Mr. Stafford states that he was at this time prepossed with a notion that Capt. Richards was a decided political partisan. This notion, however, rested on some rumour which Mr. Stafford had accepted without inquiry; and he states he did not then know the engagement into which Captain Richards had entered upon his appointment to this office. Your com mittee have not received one word of evidence in support of this rumour ; but, on the contrary, decisive evidence that it was unfounded. "On the 16th of April, 1852, the circular was issued can celling the previous circular of September, 1849. " Your committee have endeavoured to ascertain the authority under which the circular of thel9th of April was issued, and the occurrences which led to its issue. " Mr. Stafford states that he had not then seen the original minute sanctioning the circular of September, 1849 ; that he had found a transcript of it in the general minute book, but could trace no notice of it in the general minute book. This seemed to prove that it had not been issued by the board. Again, in the general minute book no mark showed that it had received the sanction of the First Lord, Mr. Stafford, therefore, without inquiring for the original document, concluded that the minute of Sep -1849, had been issued upon the sole" au th or ity o f the te In b e,r 2 previous Secretary of the Admiralty. He made this erroneous statement to the Duke of Northumberland, and contended that he, as Secretary of the Admiralty, was fully justified in revoking an order which a former secre tary had of his own authority issued. "The Duke of Northumberland admitted that he had on several occasions refused to interfere in cancelling the circular of September, 1849 ; and it was only when he thought the power belonged to the Secretary that he ac quiesced in it. Under this erroneous impression, the First Lord permitted the circular of the 19th of April to be issued, and was cognizant of its purport before its issue. Two Lords of the Admiralty had been themselves superin tendents of dockyards, but neither these Lords nor any other members of the Board of Admiralty were consulted in regard to this circular, or even informed of it until after it had been issued. " From the evidence of the Earl of Derby, it appears that the Duke of Northumberland had himself selected the distinguished naval officers who were his colleagues at the board. It may be presumed, therefore, that his Grace had full confidence in their judgment and experience; yet on this occasion he did not consult them, but relied on the assertions of the Secretary of the Admiralty, who had nei ther official experience, nor any knowledge of the details of the several departments under the Admiralty. " The Duke of. Northumberland remembered, as he said the undeviating traditions of former times respecting job bing in the dockyards, and it seems that his Grace studi ously avoided all cognizance of such proceedings ; ' he never knew, from the day he entered the office until he left the office, whether the patronage was in the hands of the Surveyor, or whether it was in the hands of the Secretary, he never knew anything about it.' "The evidence shows, however, that the duke's mind had been imbued with a notion that the circular of 1849 had transferred patronage from the Secretary to the Surveyor of the Navy, for his Grace said, ' Under the circular of 1847, the superintendent sent up two names to the Secre tary of the Admiralty, who selected one of those names, and that selection was the only patronage which the Secre tary had in the promotions.' Under the circular of 1849, he believed that the Surveyor erased one of the two names, transmitting the other to be registered at the Admiralty. " The duke admitted that he spoke only from hearsay ; and your committee, relying upon evidence, must pronounce his Grace to have been misinformed in regard to this point. Under the circular of 1849, the Surveyor, having received two names from the superintendent, did not erase either ; he merely made a submission, giving his opinion as to which was the more deserving person. Patronage, in regard to promotions, could not honestly be exercised either by the Surveyor or by the Secretary. The circular of 1847 had announced that promotions should be governed by the merits of the candidates, and that no preference or favour should influence the decision. For the justice of the deci sion, the Board of Admiralty remained equally responsible under the circular of 1849 as under the circular of 1847. " The authority, therefore, under which the circular of 1849 was cancelled on the 19th April, 1852, was undoubt edly the consent of the First Lord ; a consent given under the assurance conveyed to him that the power of cancelling that document belonged properly to the Secretary. The sanction, therefore, of the First Lord, was given in igno rance of all the facts which were essential to be known, before a correct opinion could be formed upon the pro priety of maintaining or rescinding the order issued by Sir Francis Baring. " Your committee repeatedly asked Mr. Stafford to state any facts which had made him desirous of cancelling the circular of September, 1849, Mr. Stafford did not state to you committee the source from which he derived his im pressions, nor did he furnish any facts enabling your com mittee to institute a more searching inquiry. Under the authority of that order the Surveyor of the Navy had acted for two years and a half ; and if, during that period, it had been shown that any promotions had been unfairly submitted, or any names unjustly witheld by the Surveyor, or by the Surveyor's department, your committee would have deemed it their duty to report facts so injurious to the interests of the public service. " In regard to promotions unjustly withheld, your com mittee were suprised to find that Mr. Stafford, when he gave his evidence, still considered the case of Ridgway a very strong case in justification of altering the system under which recommendatigns were submitted. It is unnecessary to speak further of this case, except to say that a timely warning had been kindly but fruitlessly sent to Mr. Staf ford, which does honour to the gallant officer from whom it emanated. "Mr. Stafford said that he had some distrust or mis giving as to the Surveyor's department ; it was represented that there was nepotiqm and jealousies at work between that department and the dockyards. Representations were made to him that there was a concert between the Surveyor's department and Chatham, or, in other words, that some hint was given from the Surveyor's department to persons in the dockyard at Chatham, as to whom they should re commend. In regardrto the Surveyor himself, Mr. Stafford says, that he entertained no suspicion, but he so far gave credit to the numerous private hints and anonymous re ports which reached him in reference to that department, that he thought it desirable to bring the correspond ence from the do c k yar d s di rec tly under his own inspection, without allowing it first to pass through the Surveyor's office. " Since, however, it appears that in two cases at least, the promotions were specially recommended by Sir F. Smith, the evidence given by this gentleman beforo the Chatham Committee, will perhaps throw some light on this subject. Sir F. Smith there states, in reference to Mr. Cotsell, that `he understood Cotsell was about to be jockeyed by some contrivance in the Surveyor's office.' Again, it will be remembered that Mr. Grant states, Sir F. Smith, his friend, had represented the injustice done to Ridgway, at Chatham. " Your committee earnestly endeavoured to obtain something more definite than these rumours, because they deemed it important to ascertain whether the promises held out' by the circulars of 1847 and 1849 had been honestly fulfilled. " For this purpose, the first question to be asked was— whether the Surveyor's department had duly submitted the recommendations as re ceived from the dockyards. The superintendent s o f th e 'dockyards were unanimous in testi fying to the fairness with which their recommendations had been treated while the circular of 1849 had been in force. They had perfect confidence in the impartiality of the Surveyor's department, and considered the system in troduced by the circular of 1849 an improvement on the previous practice. "Your committee next inquired whether the superin tendents had made recommendations whereby they appeared to have been actuated by any preference in forwarding or in withholding the names of candidates. Mr. Stafford read to your committee a statement which he had made in the house, acquitting the superintendents of any such motives, and testifying his belief in the good faith with which they discharged their duty. He discarded any impressions to the contrary which on his first entrance into office he had entertained. " Another important question remains—namely, Did the principal officers and their Moil/tante in the dockyards , THE SUN, LONDON, TIIUIISDAY: EVENING, MAY 26, 1853. who co-ticketed the examinations, and recommended three tames to the stilietletendent, invariably perform this duty with care and impartiality I " it is manifest that the good intentions of the Board of Admiralty, the.fairnetes of the Srirveyor, and the justice of the superintendentg, ate all liable to be defeated, unless the principal officers of the deelersd execute their portion of the task with honesty and diligettee., " On this point your committee have received conflicting evidence. The superintendents testify their belief in the honesty and good faith of their principal officers, witS the contrary is positively asserted by one witness, a political agent in a dockyard borough. Mr. Stafford also says that he was was influenced by the prevalence of such reports. When further pressed by your committee to furnish names and to instance some cases, he replied that this would be injurious to the persons who had given him the informa tion, that he had himself tried to remedy the injustice, and then destroyed the letters. " Your committee consider that if the Secretary of the Admiralty entertained such suspicions, and was from this motive induced to cancel the circular, of 1849, he would have done no more than his public duty in endeavouring, by every means in his power, to expose such dishonesty and fraud. Mr. Stafford, however, thought it useless to inquire further, and probably in his case he judged wisely, for when the Secretary of the Admiralty accompanies political candidates through the dockyards and invites the officers of the department to meet electioneering agents on the eve of an election, it becomes obvious that he cannot consistently take any steps for the purpose of repressing favouritism and party preferences. Before any useful in quiry into such rumours can be instituted, it is essential that all the men in the dockyards should be convinced that the authorities at head-quarters are sincere in their intentions. " Your committee have been unable to discover any facts which justify the issue of the circular of 19th April, 1852, cancelling the order of September, 1849, and the evidence proves that this proceeding was adopted by Mr. Stafford to satisfy his political friends. The circular of September, 1849, has since been restored, I ,2ed its pro visions rendered more secure by being embodies in an Order in Council. " In concluding their observations on this head of their inquiry your committee feel it due to the Surveyor of the Navy to declare their opinion that they have heard nothing which casts the least shadow of suspicion upon the integ rity of his conduct in the performance of his official duties. Sir B. Walker asserts that he never allowed any one in his department to interfere with these duties, and that the re sponsibility of the submissions rests solely on himself. SECOND. —Also to inquire into the circumstances under which a letter addressed by Sir B. Walker to Mr. Stafford, as Secretary to the Admiralty, in which letter Sir B. Walker tendered his resignation as Surveyor of the Navy, was withheld from the board. " On the 21st April, 1852, Sir B. Walker states that he was first informed of the issue of the circular of the 19th by the dockyard returns acknowledging its receipt. On the same day he wrote a letter tendering his resignation, and addressed it to the Secretary of the Admiralty. " Sir B. Walker says that he took this letter to the Ad miralty, and read it to Admiral Hyde Parker, who was the immediate head of the Surveyor's department. Ad miral Parker took the letter, and said he should give it to the First Lord. Admiral H. Parker is not certain as to the date, but it is certain that he took the letter, on the Same day on which he received it, to the Duke of Northum berland ; that he gave the letter to the duke, having first taken it out of its cover. He did not read it to his Grace, but told him the purport of the letter. "The Duke of Northumberland has no recollection of this letter, and he thinks there is some confusion as to the date of this interview. He believes that Admiral H. Par ker came to him on Monday the 26th of April, and repre sented the annoyance which the Surveyor felt on account of a slur which seemed to be cast on his character by the issue of the circular of the 19th. Admiral Parker spoke very warmly and justly upon the subject, and the duke told him he felt confident that Mr. Stafford meant no dis respect to the Surveyor. After this interview his Grace sent for Mr. Stafford, and told him that the Surveyor con sidered the circular cancelling the order of 1849 had cast a stigma on the Surveyor, and the duke was much afraid he would resign ; and he added to Mr. Stafford, who treated it rather lightly, 'lt is much more serious than you seem to think ' • for, if he resigns his office, I may not find a suc cessor.' Upon that Mr. Stafford went into Admiral Par ker's room, and at the end of about half an hour they came into the duke's room, Sir B. Walker and Admiral H. Par ker together. The circular of (the 26th April was then read in the duke's room, upon which Sir B. Walker said, I am perfectly satisfied.' " Sir B. Walker asserts confidently that the duke is in error as to this interview ; but he states that he did see the duke between the day of the delivery of his letter and of the circular being issued, and that the duke said to him, I know all about your letter ; Admiral Parker has told me all about it ; remain perfectly quiet, and everything shall be set right.' "In the midst of these contradictions, there is one point on which all the witnesses agree, namely, that the purport or draught of the circular of 26th April was read in the presence of Admiral Parker and of Sir B. Walker before its issue. " The circular of 26th April was afterwards read at the board. This circular informs the superintendents that the circular of the 19th was not intended as an imputation on the Surveyor of the Navy,. and it proceeds in these words : —` The arrangements with regard to the dockyard promo tions, as laid down by their lordships' circular of the 27th February, 1847, will be strictly adhered to ; and they deem it desirable to revert to the system then in force, of having all communications on the subject addressed to this office in the first instance.' "Admiral Parker states that a day or two after the above interview he destroyed Sir B. Walker's letter of resigna tion, considering the matter to be settled. As regards the letter of resignation, therefore, it appears that, although it was addressed to the late Secretary of the Admiralty, it was never delivered to him, and, consequently, he is in no way responsible for the act of withholding that letter from the board. " Your committee were informed by Sir B. Walker that he did not until November know that his letter of resigna tion had been destroyed ; ho had found in the circular of 26th April a reference, as he thought, to the words he had used in his letter, and he concluded that his letter had been submitted to the board. Sir B. Walker acknowledged that the circular of the 26th cleared his character, and so far, and so far only, was he satisfied ; he did not think the course taken by the board satisfactory, inasmuch as they confirmed the act previously done by the Secretary with out their knowledge. " The Duke of Northumberland, and the other Lords, in sanctioning the circular of 26th April, repeated and con firmed the order of the 19th. They had now removed all imputation upon the Surveyor's honour ; but they had not provided for the efficient working of the system which they stated would be strictly adhered to. "The First Lord and several of his colleagues seem to have considered that in regard to promotions the Surveyor would be consulted as before, the only change being that the recommendations would be sent, in the first instance, to the Secretary. The duke did not, however, give any directions on this subject; he expected that the Secretary and the Surveyor would work together, as this was essen tial for the efficiency of the service. The First Lord sup posed that the Secretary would communicate upon all matters with the Surveyor, and his Grace said that it was impossible for him to contemplate any abuses. This expectation was not realized. Sir B. Walker denies that he was afterwards consulted by the Secretary upon vacan cies or promotions, and Mr. Stafford cannot remember that he ever did consult the Surveyor upon such business after April, 1852. " The duke received, however, other intimations that the appointments in the dockyards were not satisfactory to officers in his department, and that abuses were not alto gether impossible. He had granted an interview to Captain Richards, who had brought to his notice the circumstances of Ridgway's promotion, and the correspondence with regard to that case. The Surveyor of the Navy had also seen his Grace upon that subject. His Grace's conversa tion induced Captain Richards to think that the duke quite concurred with him in his view of dockyard promotions. Admiral H. Parker remonstrated frequently upon the rescinding the circular of September, 1849, and said he should bring the matter before the board. In reply to Admiral H. Parker, the duke spoke very confidentially, and encouraged him to bring the subject before the board. This, however, was never done. "On the 10th of May Sir B. Walker, having received many communications from different dockyards iu regard to the unjust filling up of vacancies, and being now re lieved from personal feeling in regard to any imputation on his character, which had been at first involved in this question, wrote a letter to the duke calling his attention again to the subject, and expressing and earnest wish that his Grace's administration might not be tarnished. " The duke states that he considered this letter well, and thought he saw in it a desire to revive personal disputes ; he however, showed the letter in confidence to Mr. Stafford, saying that he should not make it public. Sir B. Walker received no reply to this letter. " Your committee examined Sir B. Walker upon tho details of the cases which he adduced in justification of his letter to the Duke of Northumberland, and they ob tained evidence in corrobation of his statements from the superintendents of Woolwich, of Devonport, and of Cha tham. The officers concurred in stating that the appoint ments made by Mr. Stafford were, in many instances, un just to the men in the yards, contrary to the circular o -1847, and detrimental to the efficiency of the service.. Inf explanation of these various cases Mr. Stafford said, that he had .regarded many of these appointments as first entries, the nomination to which had been invariably vested in the Board of Admiralty. Under this impression he had not followed the recommendations of the superintendents, but had, without reference to their advice, named the persons suggested to him by his political friends. The evidence of Commodores Seymour and Eden, of Captain Richards and of Sir B. Walker, will show the view which these officers took of these appointments, and the meaning which they attached to the circular of 1847. In regard to several of the appointments inquired into by your committee, the origi nal documents could not be produced, having either been lost or abstracted. The original minute of the 19th of April, 1852, was also not forthcoming. Some evidence re specting it will be found in the appendix. "Your committee desires distinctly to state that in the majority of cases, after cancelling tho circular of 1849, Mr. Stafford appears to have followed the recommenda tions of the superintendents ; but it is obvious, as regards the efficiency of these establishments, that even a few pro motions obtained through political influence would defeat the authorities of the dockyard, subvert the confidence of the men, and rendar nugatory all the solemn assurances of circulars issued by the Admiralty, to the effect that men should rise by merit, and not by political influence. " There can be little doubt but that these results have attended the appointments adverted to by witnesses well qualified to give an impartial opinion on this subject. Officers of high character in the navy, distinguished alike for professional abilities and unblemished honour, observed the course of promotion in the dockyards during the last summer with apprehension, with feelings of humiliation, with dismay, and even with disgust. "One officer, of high standing - in the navy, and su p reme at the Admiralty, had power to check these proceedings ; an appeal was more than once made to him ; he intimated his disapproval, but he declined to interfere. His rank and station in the country, his position in the Government, his connexion with the gallant service of the navy, were deemed to be securities for the administration of a depart ment confided to the Duke of Northumberland. On this responsibility the Earl of Derby stated that he had placed his reliance. " His Grace had surrendered to the Secretary the civil patronage of the Admiralty ; and it is due to his Grace to state that the few appointments connected with the dock yards which he himself made were apparently selected for no other motive except the good of the service. Your committee, however, would ill discharge their duty if they did not point out that in every branch of the Government the head of the department must be held responsible, not indeed for every individual appointment, but for the sys tem under which the patronage is distributed ; and he is specially bound to uphold subordinate officers who cannot properly perform their duty without his countenance and support. TAXED Qvanue—The dumdum connected with the appointment of Mr. James Wells as master smith in the dockyard of Portsmouth, the subsequent cancelling thereof, and the appointment of Mr. George Cotsell in his stead.. ...r....1."' '' NAVAL IIVTELLIGENCE PORTSMOUTH, MAY 25. The Vesuvius, 6, paddle-sloop, manned from the steal guard-ship Blenheim, and in charge of Comm deg Gardner, of that ship, left this steam-reserve to-d19,1', Southampton, to embark the 23d Fusiliers a nd caw them to 'Cowes. The Porcupine steam-vessel arrived at Spithead th ig t morning from Jersey, which port she left on the Id °: May, leaving on the station her Majesty's steara-vessoli Dasher. She came into harbour at noon to refit , f t will afterwards proceed to the Isle of Man to Po" " Mr. George Cotsell, the master smith at Chatham, stated to your committee that he had for some years been desirous of being transferred to the same situation at Ports mouth, and in the spring of 1852 he made an application to the Admiralty on this subject. He subsequently saw Mr. Stafford in the smithery at Chatham, accompanied by Sir F. Smith and other gentlemen. He then took an oppor tunity of reminding Mr. Stafford of his request. In August, 1852, Admiral H. Parker, directod Sir B. Walker to select a man for the smithery at Portsmouth from the private trade. "Sir B. Walker thereupon communicated with Com modore Eden, because at Woolwich a smith from private trade had been found of great service. Eventually James Wells, a smith from Liverpool, was recommended for the place, and Admiral Parker signed a minute, considering himself entitled to appoint a master smith, and believing that this appointment would be an advantage to.the service. In accordance with this minute letters were sent from the Admiralty, on the 10th of September, to the superinten denr at Portsmouth, to the Surveyor, and to the Account ant-General, acquainting them with the appointment of Wells. -A warrant was also prepared, but this was sub sequently stopped by Captain Hamilton, the permanent Secretary of the Admiralty, without any communication with Admiral Parker. Captain Hamilton said that the minute by Admiral Parker was not regular, because he had no authority to make it, the patronage being at the dis posal of the Secretary. "At the end of September Mr. Stafford returned, having been absent for some weeks ; he wished to appoint Cotsell to the place, but Admiral Parker remonstrated. On the Ist of October Cotsell was appointed, and Wells, who had entered upon the duty, was dismissed. Cotsell had a very good character as a workman, as will be seen by referring - to the evidence. The chief 'ob jection to the appointment was, that he :had been named through political influence, and that, as this was well known in the yards, it must operate prejudicially to the service. "On the Bth of October Admiral H. Parker, wrote to the Duke of Northumberland, complaining of this substi tuting as injurious to the public service and as an affront to himself. His Grace states that he was vexed at the manner in which Admiral H. Parker had been treated, and expressed an opinion that it was wrong. The admiral, had, however, committed an irregularity in making the appointment, and the duke desired to allay the angry feel ings which had arisen. " Mr. Stafford defends the appointment of Cotsell upon two grounds—first, that Wells had, in fact, received no warrant of appointment ; next, that Cotsell had a stronger claim, because he was an excellent master smith, and hav ing served in the dockyards was fairly entitled to be pre ferred to a stranger. " Admiral Parker said that he made the minute rightly, as First Naval Lord, when he appointed Wells. The duke states, on the contrary, that the conduct of Admiral Parker was irregular, for that he himself had given this appoint ment to Mr. Stafford. " The expediency of introducing persons from private trade, and thereby stopping the usual course of promo tions, must depend on the special circumstances of the case. In the circular of 1847 attention is directed to im provements in working copper and iron, and to the early introduction into the Government yards of the best mode of working adopted in private establishments. Great be nefit had resulted in Woolwich from this introduction, and Admiral Parker, having been,superintendent of Ports mouth Dockyard, was well qualified to give an opinion on this question. ---•- - - " Under the present Board of Admiralty Mr Wells has been restored to Portsmouth, and Mr. Cotsell remanded to Chatham. " FOURTH QUESTION.—To inquire generally into the exercise of the influence and patronage of the Admiralty in the dockyards and Government departments connected with the several Parliamentary boroughs. "An extensive field of inquiry is here submitted for in vestigation. All the witnesses, who have been asked the question, admit that the political party enjoying the power and patronage of office exercise an influence, more or less effective, upon the constituencies of the dockyard boroughs. " The evidence offered upon this general subject con vinced your committee that, if they examined into the political conflicts within these boroughs in former years, they would immediately be bewildered by contradictory assertions and statements as to long-past transactions, which the lapse of time renders it difficult to verify ; and probably, after devoting the whole session to such an in quiry, they would be unable to afford to the house any more useful information than can be now obtained from the reports of different election committees. " Your committee have therefore restricted their inves tigations to proceedings subsequent to the issue of the cir cular of 1847, when a new era commenced. In former years it is generally admitted that corrupt practices pre vailed in the dockyards. To prevent a recurrence of such practices the circular of 1847 was avowedly issued, and the accompanying evidence tends to show that from the time of its issue until April, 1852, the Board of Admiralty had h.:neatly fulfilled their part of the engagement. Your com mittee limit their report to the subject of dockyard appoint ments, and to the direct exercise or influence upon men in the dockyards. They wish, therefore; to state, that they pronounce no opinion upon the general exercise of patron age by the Board of Admiralty. The patronage of the first entries would probably give a preponderating influence to a Government which had held office for a continuous term of years. There are, however, objections to permit ting the officers of the dockyard to exercise patronage in reference to the first entries. The admission of numerous relations and persons locally connected with each other would neither tend to the good discipline of the yard, nor to impartiality in the examinations for promotion ; while the power of rejection, if properly exercised by the super intendent, seems to afford some security against the intro duction of unfit men into the yard. " No general election had occurred since the issue of the circular of 1847 until the summer of last year, but two elections for Greenwich had occurred in the years 1849 and 1851 ; your committee endeavoured, therefore, to ascertain whether the Government, in the years 1849 and 1851, had interfered with the course of promotions at Woolwich, either before or after the two elections. Commodore Eden states that his recommendations were duly confirmed, and he does not remember any case where other influence pre vailed against him. "The late Secretary of the Admiralty was accompanied by the parliamentary candidates of his own political party when he visited the dockyards at Chatham,. Deptford, and Devonport, and at the two last places ho stood with the candidates at the ticket office, where all the men must necessarily pass in review. During his stay at Devonport, a few days previous to the election, he invited men, who were taking an active part in the political contest, to meet several officers of the dockyard at dinner, and this dinner was charged to the contingencies of the Admiralty. " In regard to these proceedings Mr. Stafford has ad mitted that his conduct was wrong, and not consistent with his duty. " Your committee asked Mr. H. Hay, who has been at the Admiralty during 47 years, whether he ever knew any occasion upon which a Secretary of the Admiralty had gone round without the board in the way in which the late Secretary did, and Mr. Hay said, ' I do not think I can in stance a case." "Mr. Stafford states that he was not then aware of the stringent obligations under which the superintendents of the dockyards, as men of honour, were required to abstain from all political interference. " Thus, in ignorance of much that he should have known, seeking counsel from none, and rejecting such counsel as had been tendered, he acted in disregard of precedents, and pursued a course which rendered the circulars of the Admiralty, and the conditions imposed on the superin tendents, equally nugatory and valueless. " Some observations will be found in the evidence upon the expediency of disfranchising the men in the dockyards ; this is a question of State policy involving considerations which were not referred to your committee, and which it is,not within their province to report upon. They have, however, not deemed it irrelevant to obtain some opinions upon the question from witnesses whose judgment and ex perience deserve the attention of the House. • - "In its bearing upon the public interest, the importance of the system under which labour in the dockyards is regu lated can hardly be overrated. The vote for wages alone in these establishments at home has this year amounted to 683,6001., and the present member of men is fixed at 9,65.3. A few years since the expense under this head was still larger ; but from the evidence of Sir F. Baring it appears that by the regulations of the years 1847 and 1849 the dock yards were so much improved that an equal amount of labour was obtained from a diminished number of work men. " An impartial system of advancement must be produc tive of industry, and therefore of economy ; such a system your commAteo believe may be enforced, if the Board of Admiralty honestly persevere in its maintenance, and if, having appointed fit persons as superintendents, they direct them vigilantly to watch those whose fair co-operation can alone insure justice to candidates for promotion. " For the purpose of securing a proper system of promo tions in the dockyards, it may, perhaps, fairly be required that if tho system under which these promotions are now again regulated should be hereafter altered or modified the information shall be laid before Parliament as soon as an opportunity may be afforded for such communication. " Before closing this report, your committee wish to di rect attention to some matters of detail which appear to them susceptible of improvement. The minute books of the Admiralty do not afford all the information in regard to past transactions which is desirable for reference. The evidence here annexed shows that important documents have been either withdrawn or lost, and the loss of papers is, it is stated, not an unfrequent occurrence at the Admi ralty. In order to obviate the inconvenience of such loss, an improved arrangement might, perhaps, be made, so that orders entered in the general minute book may not long remain without the cognisance of the board, and so that in after years a reference to the general minute' book may show not only the purport of the minute, but the autho rity for its issue. May 23, 1853." EXTENSIVE FAILURE IN BRIGHTON.—It is with no small regret that we announce not only the failure of Mr. Robert Winter, jun., but the breaking-up and dis persion of the Brighton School, which he succeeded in establishing in Clifton -road. It has for some time past been known that Mr. Winter was struggling against formidable difficulties into which the several speculative schemes in which he had embaiked involved him ; but it was hoped that such assistance would have been ob tained as would have enabled him "to weather the storm." These hopes have not been realised ; and some large creditors being in possession of a bill of sale, and all prospect of a retrieval having vanished, the pupils, up wards of one hundred in number, received their conge last week, and the effects will be brought to the hammer without delay by Mr. Wilkinson. Mr. Winter's liabi- lities are, we hear, nearly 20,0001., and we fear that much distress in several quarters will result from this failure. We regret to add that Mr. Winter has disap peared, and his absence will of course complicate matters the more.—Brighion, Guardian. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—HoIIoway's Ointment and Pills, excellent Remedies for the Cure of Bronchitis and Ulce rated Sore Throats.—Extract of a letter from Mr. James Downing, of Paris-street, Exeter, dated March 80, 1853.—" To Professor Holloway.—Sir, Your oint ment and pills have effected u p on me a perfect cure of a dreadfully diseased throat, arising from cold, which ul timately terminated in bronchitis. The medical aid I received was unable to combat with the disease, and I was rapidly sinking under its influence. At this stage I had recourse to your medicines, which in a few hours relieved me, and I am happy to inform you, thst , in less than a fortnight I w as en ti re ly cured by them. Sold by all druggists, and at Professor Efolloway's establish ment, 244 6 strand, Loudon. the fisheries. - The Sidon, 22, steam-frigate, Captain Goldsmith, iC,P'S, towed into harbour this morning and hauled into to steam-basin to receive her new shaft. • I to The Simoom steam troop-ship was docked to-u 3) have her bottom scrubd down. Orders have been received to hasten the fittings 0f ti/ice, royal yacht for the service of her Majesty the vo r men are employed over-hours to get her ready. The Sprightly steam-tender conveyed Vice-A.01'4" Sir Thomas Cochrane to Southampton this morning.„g The Court, being at Osborne, Royal salutes were , at 12 o'clock from the ships in harbour, in honour of to birth-day of the Princess Helena. , 25 PLYMOUTH, MAY 50, Her Majesty's screw steam-frigate Imperieuse, Captain R. B. Watson, arrived yesterday eveaing o'clock, from the eastward. The screw steam-sloop Brisk, 14, was cominissi° on Monda by Commodoe Semour. fn (' The barque Amphitrite, r Captain F. F. Arend e ) 0 for Hamburgh, 70 days from Buenos Ayres) with wc:j and hides, passed up Channel yesterday morning , an 3 t landed here M. Brasch and family, M. Schneiders and Miss Fokleberg. On the 10th inst. spoke barque Agnes, all well, bound for Liverpool. 91, Admiral Corry's squadron, the Prince Regent/ D o, the London, 90, the Sanspareil, 81, the I m periells e l 1: 1 4 the Amphion, 34, the Highflyer , 21, and Leopard , left the Sound this evening. La Hogue returned from a cruise this afternoon; 4, His Netherland Majesty's steam-sloop Seoubio/to Captain Fabries, four days from the Texel, put morning, bound to the Mediterranean. The screw steamer, Victoria, Captain tiii 3— ` made her number outside the Breakwater this foren°- WOOLWICH, May 0' APPOINTMENTS. Lieutenants—John W. Pike (1848), to the St- - rg e D'Acre, 101, screw steam-ship at Devonport ; Ge° „„ r ti• Stratton (1848), to the Excellent gunnery-ship at ' mouth. Surgeon—Frederick F. Morgan (1852), to the 8, sloop at Chatham. e ra Masters'-Assistants—C. H. J. Baker, to the St• do r D'Acre ; G. Christie, to the Comus, 14, sloop at W. W aval Cadet— . frigate at Devonport. Gunner—Edward D, De Burgh, to the to the Brisk sti LEEDS, MAY 25. STOCK EXCHANGE.—There is no change to report in the share market to-day. A general dullness prevails, but with out any material effect upon prices. This morning East Lancashires have been done at 18i • Lancashire and York shires at 804 ; and Malton and Driffield Junctions, at 84. ALLEGED MURDER AT HOLLOWAT.—Great excitement was yesterday occasioned at Holloway and in the vicinity, by a report, which was very generally circu lated, that a man had been fatally stabbed by a woman. On inquiry it was ascertained that the report was not wholly without foundation, and the horrid deed of vio lence had been perpetrated with fatal results. From what has been allowed to transpire, it appears that a man of the name of James Welch, aged 47 years, shoemaker, • _ - living at 1, Pleasant-passage, - near the turnpike-gate, Holloway, and who is represented to have been a most inoffensive man, had been out spending the evening of Wednesday, the 18th inst., and on his return home between one and two o'clock, the police on duty received information that-a, man had been frightfully stabbed in the abdomen and groin : on their arrival they found the unfortunate man bleeding profusely. Medical assistance was at once Bent for, who advised his immediate removal to Saint Bartholomew's Hospital ; a stretcher having been pro cured, he was removed without loss of time, when he w 1 ° .. was placed in B en tl ey ' s ward, under the care of Mr. LafiTerteendee,tsiergeon, who d resse d hi s woun d s , w hi c h were sha r p i nstrument ; but notwithstanding the m edi c al skill and a tt ent i on he gradually sank, and ex pired yesterday morni ng, having previously stated that who was convicted for he was fatally stabbed by a woman, but refused to give picio n is attached to a party up her name. Grave b an assault upon police constable Payne, t he N cOro i n n er f° , has been forwarded to Mr. no day is yet named for the inquest on James Welch. THE LATE BOARD OF ADMIRALTY. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the circumstances under which a circular sent to the super intendents of her Majesty's dockyards, dated September 26, 1849, was cancelled on the 19th of April, 1852, without any order or minute of Board ; also, to inquire into the circumstances under which a letter addressed by Sir Baldwin Walker to Mr. Stafford, as Secretary to Admiralty, in which letter Sir Baldwin Walker tendered his resignation, as Surveyor of the Navy, was withheld from the Board ; also, into the circumstances connected with the appointment of Mr. James Wells as master smith in the dockyard at Portsmouth, the subsequent cancelling thereof, and the appointment of Mr. George Costell in his stead ; and generally into the exercise of the influence and patronage of the Admiralty in the dockyards and Government departments connected with the several Parliamentary boroughs, and to whom the return respecting the case of Lieutenant Engledue, R.N. (presented 11th April), was referred; and who were empowered to send for persons, papers, and records, and to report their observations, together with the minutes of evidence taken before them, to the House— have considered the matters to them referred, and have agreed to the following report : " Four distinct questions appear to be contained in the terms of the above reference, and your committee will ac cordingly proceed to offer separately their observations upon each. "FIRST.—The circumstances under which a circular sent to the superintendents of her Majesty's dockyards, dated 26th September, 1849, was cancelled on the 19th April, 1852, without any order or minute of the Board of Ad miralty. " In order to render intelligible their remarks upon these circulars your committee must revert to the proceedings of the Admiralty at an earlier period. " On the 27th of February, 1847, while the late Lord Auckland was First Lord, an Admiralty order was issued in the form of a circular, addressed to the admirals and captains superintending her Majesty's dockyards. In this document, which will be found at length in the Appendix, the Lords of the Admiralty state their determination to introduce and maintain a system of promotion under which every man who shall have once entered the service of the dockyards may learn to look to his own exertions as the only means of future advancement. With the view of giving effect to this determination the circular contains a scheme, according to which, whenever a vacancy offering an opportunity for promotion shall occur, the principal officers of the dockyard are directed to select three names of the persons who, after examination, shall appear best qualified to fill the vacancy, and they are required to submit these names, with a full report of the respective merits of the candidates, to the superintendent of the dockyard. The duty is then imposed on the superintendent of investigating closely these returns, and of satisfying himself as to their perfect impartiality, after which he is authorized to reduce the number of candidates to two by striking out the name of that candidate whom he considers least qualified. The report of the superintendent, containing his opinion of the merits of the candidates, with the original documents an nexed, is then to be forwarded to the Admiralty, and the Lords of the Admiralty announce their intention to be guided by these reports in the selection of one from the two names submitted to fill the vacancy. " In laying down this scheme of promotion the Lords of the Admiralty reserve to themselves the right of making any further inquiries which they may see fit ; but they state that they will in all cases seek the advice and con currence of the superintendent before their choice is finally notified. They call upon the superintendents and the principal officers of the dockyard to assist them in working out this plan honestly. They further assert that, by the surrender of their own patronage, they have given proof of their sincerity, and have removed everything which can warrant a suspicion that preferment will be the result, not of services, but of political favouritism. They conclude by observing that the good or bad working of every system must depend, in a great measure, upon those who are en trusted with its administration, and they can only express their determination to mark with their severest displeasure every attempt to thwart their intentions, and to reward those who shall cheerfully second them by every proof of their favour and approbation. "It is important to notice, in reference to the above circular of February, 1847, that the patronage therein re linquished is solely the patronage of promotions, and that the Board of Admiralty did not surrender their right of making the first appointment—that is, of naming persons to be entered in the dockyards. " In the year 1849 Sir Francis Baring, being then First Lord of the Admiralty, introduced an additional precau tion for the exclusion of political influence from the ad ministration of the dockyards, by writing himself to the superintendents and principal officers whom he had ap. pointed, asking them, as officers and gentlemen, to give him an assurance that they would not interfere in the politics of the place. " Thus it appears that the superintendents of the dock yards, and the officers appointed since that period, who re ported on the qualifications of candidates for promotion, were bound by feelings of personal honour, as well as by obligations of public duty, to abstain studiously from any conduct which might cast a suspicion over the perfect im partiality of their recommendations. The superintendents of dockyards are invariably men of rank in the naval ser vice, and in regard to them the condition imposed by Sir F. Baring is the strongest tie that can be used to bind honourable men. It has, moreover, a double effect, inas much as the First Lord who imposes such an engagement is thereby himself bound to support the superintendent in strictly maintaining its observance. Your committee, however, doubt the expediency of maintaining this condi tion on storekeepers and subordinate officers in a dockyard. They have, indeed, only examined one storekeeper from a victualling-yard, but it is manifest that he was not qualified to appreciate an honourable engagement, and that in his case such a condition was futile and ineffective. Your committee have been informed that during the early part of the year 1849, as well as in some years pre vious, a practice had prevailed of transmitting to the Sur veyor of the Navy the reports and recommendations re ceived from the superintendents of the dockyards, in order that the Surveyor might add his remarks upon the promo tions submitted, and his advice upon the filling up of vacancies in the several yards. "In the summer of 1849 the Surveyor, Sir Baldwin Walker, mentioned to the board that some report had not been transmitted to him, and that, in consequence of this oversight, certain vacancies had been filled which he could have supplied more economically by transfers' from another yard. Sir B. Walker then suggested that, in con formity with a more ancient practice, the reports from the superintendents should be sent direct to the surveyor, and should then be forwarded by him to the secretary of the Admiralty. This suggestion was discussed at the board, who assented to it, but no minute was made at the time; ; and shortly afterwards Sir B. Walker again mentioned the matter to Sir Francis Baring, who told him the board were perfectly agreed, and that if he would write a letter to Mr. Parker, the Secretary, the minute should go on. The let ter was written and submitted by Mr. Parker to Sir F. Baring, who marked upon it his initials, with 'Approved.' On this authority the circular of September, 1849, was issued. The minute, therefore, was not a board minute. Sir F. Baring, states, It was not a minute made by the First Lord ; not, however, without the knowledge and con currence of the board.' " The late Board of Admiralty entered upon their du ties on the 2d or 3d of March, 1852. The Duke of Nor thumberland states, that as soon as he had accepted office he gave up to Mr. Stafford, the Secretary of the Admi ralty, all the civil patronage, excepting the master ship wrights, and one class of messengers, which he reserved for deserving sailors and marines. Mr. Stafford states, that upon his acceptance of office, the first thing which was forced upon him by all his political friends was the amount of his patronage, and the first thing he had to in quire at the Admiralty was the limit of that patronage. He further informed your committee, that as soon as he entered upon his official duties he received repeated com munications that the promotions and appointments in the dockyards took a direction invariably hostile to the Go vernment with which ho was connected. " On the 31st of March, or thereabouts, Sir. IL Walker states that Mr. Grant, a clerk of the Admiralty, and pri vate secretary to Mr. Stafford, came to his office at Somer set-house, with a request that he (the Surveyor of the Navy) would not submit the names of persons to be pro moted into the vacancies for foremen and inspector of shipwrights in Devonport Dockyard ; as Mr. Stafford's political friend s were di ssa ti s fi e d, 'he wished to promote some of their party. Sir B. Walker replied that he had been upwards of four years in the department ; that he had not allowed political motives to influence his submis sions to the board ; and that he was not going to com mence jobbing for him or anybody else. He requested, therefore, that such a proposition should never again be made to him " Mr. Walter Eden, a clerk in the Su'rveyor's depart ment, says that he entered the room during this interview, and heard the reply made by Sir B. Walker. " Mr. Stafford denies that he sent Mr. Grant to the Sur veyor on such an errand. Mr. Grant states that the object of his visit to Sir B. Walker was, as far as he can recollect, to ascertain whether certain vacancies existed in the dockyards, the Secretary of the Admiralty having received applications for certain vacancies which were stated to exist, but the reports of which vacancies had not reached him. His own impression is that he stated to Sir B. Walker that some inconvenience was felt in consequence of the reports of the vacancies not coming direct to the Secretary, but coming in the first instance through the Surveyor ; to which Sir B. Walker replied, that he trusted the system then in force was not about to be altered, as he thought it worked very well, and he hoped no system of jobbing was about to be recurred to. " According to Mr. Grant's evidence, therefore, the first intimation in regard to cancelling the circular of September, 1849, was made by himself, a clerk in the Admiralty, to the Surveyor of the Navy. Mr. Grant adds that he made these inquiries from his own wish to ascer . twin the facts, and not by direction of Mr. Stafford. " On the 2d of April, 1852, Mr. Stafford wrote a private letter to Sir B. Walker, wherein he adverts to the great dissatisfaction felt by his political friends as to the present arrangement of appointments and promotions in the dock yards, in regard to which he says, ' there is a general im pression that all those things are dispensed among political opponents, insomuch that there seems no alternative but to resume the system which existed previous to September, 1849: "Mr. Stafford stated it as his belief that, before writing the above letter to Sir B. Walker, he had consulted the First Lord, or at least he had, in his various conversations with the Duke of Northumberland, mentioned how much he was pressed, and referred to cancelling the circular as one mode of meeting the difficulty. " His Grace says that Mr. Stafford had at various times conversations with him in regard to cancelling the circular of September, 1849, but that the letter of the 2d of April was written without his knowledge. " Sir B. Walker, in his reply to Mr. Stafford's private letter, points out distinctly that the system of promotions is regulated by the circular of 1847, which renders political preference impossible, if the superintendents of the dock yards perform their duty ; and, in regard to the circular of 1849, he adds, 'lt is for the Lords of the Admiralty to de cide whether they will rescind that order, and deprive the Surveyor of the control which is so highly necessary,' &c. " On the sth of April Sir B. Walker had an interview with Mr. Stafford at the AdmirFlty, on which occasion the subject was warmly discussed. There is a material differ ence in their recollection of this conversation. Sir B. Walker asserts that Mr. Stafford said, ' There is no use blinking the question ; I am so pressed by Lord Derby and the Chancellor of the Exchequer that I cannot help my self. 7 3ir. Stafford states that is difficult to pledge himself, either affirmatively or negatively, to the precise accuracy , of any particular words, but he can say there was no pres sure put upon him either by Lord Derby or by the Chan cellor of the Exchequer ; and what he believes he stated was, ,y The pressure upon me from members of my own part was very severe indeed, and that the Government of I4Z(1 Derby and the chsussUor of the Exchequer would - ness, SYDL* - t O .$lO O P 3 , ean, to Le Bris. Devonport. „,„a , Captain Clendon, First-Lieutenant Stokes, 011 8 Lieutenant Burton, one sergeant, two corporn of drummer, and 72 privates of the Chatham Di05 .. . 1 ", Royal Marines arrived at Woolwich yesterday afte r having come up by the North Kent Railway front n to to the dockyard station, and immediately marched P 9 the barracks of the Woolwich Division, where th e y mained for the night, and this morning embar_mi g board the Salsette receiving-ship, where they 7 70) main until the Forfarshi r e freight-ship calls at V4 ° .,..10 to take them on board for a pa s s ag e t o the East " to join the Winchester, 50 flag-ship on that stOW' SHIPPING INTELLIG.b'NCA ARRA I NOTICE TO MARINERS.—SANITARY ° MENTS OF THE SWEDISH GOVERNM A STOCKHOLM, May . I 1 S bell The navigation of this part of the Baltic, which b 5 t h e impeded by ice longer than usual, is at length open) n l3l os lll' Swedish Government has promulgated the following , tart'regulations : . 1,0 4 St. Petersburg and Cronst a dt are h e ld t o be in fe ctl; 0 with cholera, and vessels from those ports are subjen'ioe. ten days' quarantine, counting from the day of dep!r to " All other Russian ports in the Baltic are beta W, suspected of cholera, and vessels coming from then of subject to seven days' quarantine, counting from th e of departure. , r ob " On the other hand the regulations of last r3nE,P jecting vessels from other ports in the Baltic to swill of health officers, and requiring them to produce Pi ...- health, are rescinded." CUSTOM-HOUSE, MAT 25. ENTERED INWARDS.—The Isabella, from Ave11"..,10 0, Dantzic ; Louise, Stettin • Hull, Dantzic ; t h ew Grefswold ; Catharina, Christiania ; Nedelfam, 0° fie' burg ; Palestine, Hamburg ; Organ, lodsund ; Johan t tio; do rick, Konigsberg; Seadrift, D a ntzic, Ferdinand, St e 31i• Leah, Wilmar ; Vorwaerts, ditto ; Elise, Konigsberi, o o, nerva, Stettin ; Germania, Memel ; Klyn, Dram ; l o g; Gothenburg ; Margaretha, ditto ; Jane and Mary, Hain Vectis, Stettin; Primus, Malta; Sarah, Ghent; Allieo n ie sted ; Alexander von Humbold, Dantzic Rakter,l%;,°,,o, berg; Najaden, Uddewalla ; Hannibal, Nestved • n' t , o r Stettin ; Vorwaerts, Konigsberg ; Selma, Dantzic;o° .;o ; and Anne, Memel ; Aphrodite, Dantic ; Agnes, Janl,' Branch,olgast; Maria Hardy, Tobago; Jeldenrust, vr t n ip; zic; Julie, Stralsund; Expedit, Konigsberg; Synia, Ste' d , Frederick, ditto; Prince Albert, Dantzic; Erbgrossbil ov - • Wismar; Frithiof, Uddewalla ; Flora, Nykiobing ; North Sea ; Faedrenes Minde, Holbech ; Christine - 51 ,1" op: Thisted ; Canada, Memel ; Restl ess , St e tti n,; Memel;Jan Jacob, Groningen; Waterlily, Jamaica;, baarheid, Randers; Hillechina, K on i gs b erg; DrieVron d o ff, 1; Amsterdam ; Charmides, Rostock ; Sjamke, g eLa iij at Milan, St. John's, N.B. ; Mary Ann, D an t z i c ; 'Brit n „ r g; Memel ; Cactus, Stettin ; H en k r ik a Alid a , Konigli b i o r Anninies, Stettin ; Barbara, Antigua ; Elizabeth, m oo burg ; Bellerophon, Memel ; Nancy, Holbeck ; 1 , 0 0, Maria, Griefevrald ' • Elizabeth, Konigsberg ; AntieS ° ' Stettin; Fraukea, Rugenwald. LIVERPOOL, May 25. ; LIVERPOOL SHIPS AT FOREIGN PORTS.—The ELO iLe ; 3 St. Übes ; Centipede, Oporto ; Amadora, Anla d , t ljof Pastoritas, Havana ; Gaspe, Palermo, and saileu, afi i for Liverpool ; Frankfort (s. s.), Palermo, and left Au - ,s 0 for Gibraltar and Liverpool • Tiber (s. s.), Palerm o, left May 17 for Messina ; Breton, Algesiras. E'clra The Sea Nymph, from Liverpool for Prince Island, was spoken May 15, lat. 51 N. long. 9 W. , o p. The Cuba was spoken May 22, lat. 50 N. long. 8 " VESSELS SPOKEN WITH P . A The Rhondda, from Buenos Ayres to Liverp o ol, 41 8, lat. 22 S. lon. 33 W. The Giaour, f g rom New York, bound south, Afil 4, /°' 32 N. long. 41 W. ' S The J. P. Curtis, bound east, 19th, l a t. 49 lonk ir. The Golden Fleece, May 19, lat. 49 N. long 43 w The Shenandoah, 24th. .11" 5 The Eliza Perrin, Bombay to Liverp oo l, April I° ' °- Equator. o' , The Emma, Liverpool to Calcutta, April 16, 1 0 ' 3'3 22 long. 21 W. , Ist ' The I. o. ' Buenos Ayres to Liverpool, April N., long. 38 W. CULINTRY MARKETS. EDINBURGH MEAL MARIiET—MAT 0 ,01 1 0 ,1 1 - There were in the market to-day, 4 sacks oatrae weighing 2801bs imperial, which sold thus :-1 at and 3 at 1/ 103 Od. EDINBURGH HAY AND STRAW MAY 24. Supplies were again large. slo e' Oat straw, from 5s Ocl to 6s Od per kemple of to 5503' tron ; wheat do., 5s Od to 6 s Od ; b ar l e y do., ls Ocl Hay from 10d to is per stone. DALKEITII MEAL MARKET—MAY 2;5' c, ..1 mi ,, There were in the market to-d a y 54 bags ° s jje o "; of barleymeal, and 0 bams pot-barley. Sales Were 1110' Oatmeal up is per bag on'the top and second price. il l ale sold at 27's 6d was of inferior qu a lity. Barley ° A same as last week. A Th iP o I Oatmeal,. per sack of 2801bs First. Secon d ' '2,7 0 (hi imperial Oct ' 0 Barleymeal, per ditto Peasemeal, per ditto Flour, per ditto --ss Od —s .. ze s oau o a d _ __l:, 0 ,1 °3 Pot-barley, per ditto :ET—MAY 2 1 .- ,ho close of the mom' • (1. 0 1 8 g '',l7 g .17 ' . . 11 :,17 g 1 6 0 "17 9 . :17 6 6 .15 6 16 6 23 6 1 5 9 16 COAL MAR, Prices of Coal per ton at t__ s. d. Bate's West Hartley l6 0 Hetton .................. Buddle's West Hartley 14 O l Haswell .................. Chester Main 15 3 ; Pensher .................... Hastings Hartley 16 6' Ste wart's................ Holywell.. .. . l6 6 Plummer ............. Howard's West . Hartley . Cassop Netherton 15 6 , Heugh Hall ......••" Tanfield Moor l5 &South Hartlepo ol ....... Tanfield Moor Butes 15 0; West Kelloe ............. Walker Primrose ...14 9 Tees . .......... •• .. Wylam 16 0 Woodhouse . ..... artleY _ • Wallsend, Derwentwatei 11.. Horton l6 0 Llanoennech •• Hedleyl6 0 Grey's west Hartley Lawson l5 • 6tSidney's Hartley . 85 . Ships at market 204 I Sold ......... BIRTHS. m of OF' A BON. On the 23d inst., at 12, Connaught-square, th e /CI.- Lieutenant-Colonel Townley, stillborn. On the 15th inst., at N o hh owr am-hall, nea r Yorkshire, the wife of William Moore, Esq. On the 20th inst OF A DAUGH. . at Hythe, TEß Sent, Douglas. HARRIED. • If lif On the 24th inst., at St. James's - church,Ficestl_.,ll- 'pa F. H. Gregory, of Clapham - ro ad, Surrey, to.3I,VcIC second daughter of Mr. Abra ham Field, 01 ” , street, Golden-square. T , j Gen e ; On the 24th inst., at St. Luke's, Chelsea, r • - ',00,4 6 Esq., of Ovington-tcrrace, Brompton, to Atinst'',,,J t it. daughter of John Minney, Esq., of BroniPta l-cree ICa lti W. DIED. On the 24th inst., at Mason's-hill, Bromley' - , 0 Thomas Edwards, aged 73. G e oJ r, Ch ajeli On the 24th inst., at 9, Cheyne-row , se , age Blyth, Esq., of the Audit-office, Somerset -thou ___4l. On the 24th inst., at Denmark-hill, c aut ion" ' 40, Robert Donaldson, Esq., of that place. yg:`,ll, LONDON : Printed and Published by 3117R-v,`" So. h'd of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sul Oillee'couti Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, In the Middlesex, Thursday, WY 262 WA