The Sun. — London, England, 1853-04-14 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Under the Management of Mr. Buckstone. THIS EVENING, APRIL 14. Will be performed ELOPEMENTS IN HIGH LIFE. By Messrs, B. Sullivan, Chippendale, Howe, W. Farren, Buckstone, and Comp. ton ; Mesdames Fazwilliam, Reynoles, L. S. Buckingham, Sec. After which MR. BUCKSTONIrS ASCENT OF MOUNT PAR , NASSUS. To conclude with POPPING THE QUESTION. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. Tinder the Management of Mr. Charles Kean. THIS EVENING, APRIL 14, Will be performed THE CORSICAN BROTHERS. Principal character by Mr. C. Reau. After which will be performed the new Drama, adapted from the the French of Mons. Scribe, by Mr. Pa:grave Simpson, called MARCO SPADA—by Messrs. W. Lacy, J. Vining, Ryder, Graham, and Everett; Miss Heath and Miss C. Leclercq. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. Under the Management of Madame VestrlS. THIS EVENING, Arum 14, Wlll be performed USED UP. Pr: ncipal character Mr. C Mathews: After which, THE GOOD WOMAN IN THE WOOD. Charge• ters by 3fecers. F. Matthews, Suter, l'orneastle, and Templeton sulame Vestris, M sses Robertson, Eglinton, &C. To conclude with A HOUSE OUT OF WINDOWS. THEATRE. ROYAL ADELPHI. Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster. —Directress, Madame Celeste. THIS EVENING, APRIL P, Will be performed A DESPERATE GAME. Af er which, MASKS AN D FAC ; or, Before and retard tFe ('attain —by Messrs. B Webster, L. Murray, Honey, P. Bedfind, and 0. Smith ; Mesdames Celeste, Woolgar, &c. To he followed by BE rsy B ' , KEE— by Mr. and Mrs. Keeley. To conclude with PEPINO THE DUMB BOY, AND PUG, HIS MONKEY. ROYAL OLYMPIC; THEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. Farren. First Appearance of Mr. Henry Farren. THIS EVENING, Amy, 14, Will be performed ASK NO QUESTIONS. Supported by Messrs, K. Farren, G. Cooke, and Morgan ; Mesdames Gordon, Turner, ani Bartlett. To be followed by CATCHING AN HEIRESS. Tom Twig, Mr. Robson. To conclude with SALVATORI ; or, the Bandit's Daughter. ASTLEY'S ROYAL ANIPIIITHEATRE. Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. W. Cooke. Unprecedented success of the New Spectacle, which nightly in creases in popularity and attraction.—The novel and wondrous Ftats of the Horses, the Passage of the Burring Forest, the Leap through Fire, and the terrific spring of Amakosa's Steed trum the fearful Heights over the Falls of the Umtata are nightly hailed with perfect enthusiasm. Mr. Cooke hai been for months training the Horses for the astonishing Feats. THIS EVENING, Aram 14, And during the Week, the Performances will commence with the magnificent Ppectacie entitled AMA.KOSA.; or, Scenes of Kafir Warfare ; with new and brilliant scenery, costumes, and appoint ments. To be followed by an entire change in the ever-popular scenes In the CIRCLE, introducing the most accomplished Equestrian and Gymnastic Artistes of the day. To conclude with a Laughable FARCE. • Box-office open daily from Eleven to Four. Stage Manager. Mr. W. West.l DAILY WEATHER TABLE. THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1853. State of the wind and weather at each of the following places at nine o'clk yesterday morning. The station s are arranged in ord o e c r of latitude. HASTINGS—N., fresh breeze—overcast. TUNBRIDGE—N.W., strong breeze—overcast. BASINGSTOKE—N.E., strong breeze—overcast. GREENWICH—N.E., strong breeze—overcast. STROOD—N., strollg breeze—partially cloudy. YARMOUTH—N., hard wind—overcast. The returns from the following places indicate the state of the weather on Tuesday morning at nine o'clock : LiMmtica—W., gentle breeze —overcast. MIILLINGAR—W., gentle breeze —parti a ll y cloudy. strong breeze W II ITBY—N•N•W., —principally clear. DARLINGTON — W, gentle breeze—partially cloudy. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tnis DAY —Morning 7 min. after 5 I Evening 24 min.aft. 5 To-Moanow—Morning 43 min. after 5 Evening 2 niin.aft. 6 THE WEATHER.—Scrs OFFICE, APRIL 14. THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE. 48—highest sines noon yesterday. 39—lowest this morning and during the night. 54- this day at noon. BAROMETER, 30'09. WIND, N.N.E.—Light breeze, with cloudy weather, and sunshine occasionally. THE PUBLICATION OF " THE SUN" COMMENCES EVERY AFTERNOON AT THREE O'CLOCK, AND TIIE LATE OR THIRD EDITION, - CONTAINING THE DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT THE SAME EVENING, With all other News 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. Y - Qin • - v ~~` MI LONDON, THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1853. v -- On Monday evening the CHANCELLOR of the Ex- CHEQUER will bring forward his financial scheme. It is by no means improbable that the Ministry will stand or fall by the propositions then sub mitted for legislative consideration. The chopping and changing about of Sir CHARLES WOOD—the introduction of a second, a third, or, haply, a fourth Budget during the same session, must have thoroughly disgusted the colleagues of that unfor tunate financier, and induced them to consider a strict adhesion to the original fiscal project as a virtue of no ordinary magnitude, so that the new Minister of Finance will be encouraged and sus tained in making a firm and uncompromising stand on at least the leading principles of his Budget. What the nature of that Budget may be as yet appears to be an impenetrable mystery, or, at least, a well-kept Cabinet secret, of which not the slightest inkling can be obtained until the appointed time. Mr. GLADSTONE himself has refused to give any clue as to his inten tions. He will not let fall the most trifling hint calculated to appease, or, perhaps, to excite more strongly the public curiosity. Some persons assert that there is a sound reason for ais myste rious silence—that the Right Hon. Gentleman has not as yet made up his mind between the numerous conflicting claims --that he is still tossed upon a sea of doubt and uncertainty, and that all he could say (if disposed to say any thing) was, that, as yet, nothing has been de cided. It is, therefore, incumbent on all Fiscal Reformers to bring forward the griev ances which have obtained their peculiar ad vocacy—to explain the chief objections to each impost, and, above all, to elicit the opinions of influential Members as to its impolicy. Lord ROBERT GROSVENOR has obtained an additonal vic tory, has added another laurel to those he had previously acquired, in behalf of the Attorney's duties. Mr. HUME has exposed the serious evils arising from the petty Customs Duties. Mr. FREWEN has pointed out the injurious results of the practical confiscation of the property of the British hop-grower. Sir DE LACY EVANS, the strong claims of the coachbuilders. Many other matters have been brought forward, and invari ably with benefit to the subject submitted for general discussion. Indeed, a good cause must always be promoted by the most ample inquiry, the most stringent investigation. We rejoice, then, to find that the Right Hon. Gentle man the Member for Manchester is about to fol low the excellent example set by so many Fiscal Reformers, and once more to bring the injustice and . impolicy of the taxes on knowledge under the consideration of the popular branch of the Legislatur that he will, this evening, bring for ward three distinct resolutions, on each of which he will take the sense of the Flouse Separately. Duties, first of these relates to the Advertisement Duties, which are, perhaps, the most ine(juitab!e and inexpedient, while they are un questionabl y posts. least productive, of these 0)(1-noxious • Y. HonouraZle poet& On these points the Right Gentleman adopts the most summary and decisive course. He offers the broadest issue to his opponents. The resolution of which he has given notice is—" That the Advertisement Duty ought to be repealed." There is no paltry com promise offered —no halting between two opinions. No hint that a reduction to one-half the present scale would be acceptable. We do not dwell on the gross and palpable injustice of charging the same rate, on the pompous announce- went of the intended sale of a property worth tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of I I • • ' . where the efficient and eloquent . - j proprietor is desirous of setting y a,ges that must accrue to 7,•-71.34:-.X. tAltr: s the fortunate purchaser of the princely and truly enviable domain, and the modest application for employment of the man able and willing to work—to whom the duty may involve the neces sity of honouring the Duke HUMPHREY with his company for three successive • days—or, in other words, of abstaining altogether during that period, or contenting himself merely with a dry crust. A Joint-Stock Company in course of forma tion requiring a column or two of a public ' journal may think nothing of the addition of ls. 6d. to the charge, but it will act as a practical prohibition to the over-toiled sempstress, who is compelled to work some eighteen or twenty hours a-day for an exigeante mistress, simply, be cause, by this most impolitic tax she is prevented from bringing her qualifications under the con sideration of those who are, in consequence, com pelled to pay exorbitant prices to exacting task mistresses. It is not merely, then, on the gross inequality of these duties that we found our chief objections. They are bad enough, and would afford unanswer able grounds for the modification of the tax ; but there is a radical objection to the impost that can never be femoved. We are proud to say that we are "a nation of shopkeepers." That which was intended as a sneer we accept as a high honour. It is to the commercial character of the country that Great Britain is indebted for the high position which she has long occupied and now holds in the scale of nations. Anything, then, that cripples or impedes trade, that interposes an ob stacle between vendor and purchaser, is wholly indefensible. It strikes at the very root of " the unrestricted competition," the advantages whereof have been written, said, aye, and sung, in every form and in every tone. For a paltry 160,000/. per annum, we inflict injuries on dealers amounting to far more than ten times that amount ; and not merely to dealers or tradesmen, but to the revenue itself. It is indeed the " penny wise and pound foolish" policy which wise men deplore, but Financial Ministers are partial to—the sys tem of getting money in any way, no matter how objectionable in other respects. The Adver tisement Duties have _.been long marked—the brand has been placed upon them ; they must no longer be permitted " to cumber the earth." The other resolutions relating to the Stamp and Paper Duties, are as follows : "2. That the policy of restraining the cheap periodi cal press from narrating current events, by rendering it liable to stamp duties, and other restrictions, if " any public news, intelligence, or occurrences, or any remarks or observations thereon," be contained therein, is inex pedient, and at variance with the desire now generally expressed in favour of the diffusion of knowledge amongst all classes. And it appears also to this house, that the law relative to taxes o n news p a p ers ; an d other regula tions affecting public prints, is in an unsatisfactory state, and demands the attention of Parliament. "3. That the excise duty on paper, whilst impeding the developement of an important manufacture, also materiaPy obstructs the production of good cheap litera ture ; and the maintenance of this tax as a permanent source of revenue would be impolitic and inconsistent with the efforts which Parliament is now making to pro- . mote education amongst the great body of the people." In their propriety and policy we fully and entirely concur. The doubtful state of the law on the subject of the Stamp Duties— the serious differences of opinion between the legal advisers of the Crown and the majority of the learned Barons of the Court of Exche quer on the interprepation of these Statutes, would alone show not merely the propriety, but the necessity, of some speedy legislation on the subject. There can be litte doubt that any change either in the Newspaper Stamp Duties or in the Paper Tax must end not merely in an al teration; but in a total remission. All these imposts are decidedly bad—the Advertisement Duties un questionably the worst. If we must accept jus tice to " the Fourth Estate " by instalments, let that be the first concession. Although we cannot relinquish our claim to the others—al though we believe that the most ob noxious taxes now in operation are not worse than the Paper Duties or Newspaper Stamps, we would willingly accept the evidence afforded by a total abolition of the Advertisement Duties as a convincing proof of the Financial Minister's intention to deal equitably with the entire grievance as soon as circumstances may admit. He may be well assured that he cannot possibly apply 160,00044 of his anticipated sur plus to a better purpose than the total repeal of the Advertisement Duties, which would form a redeeming feature in an otherwise objectionable Budget. There is not an individual in the Cabinet who more needs the discipline of pressure from with • out than the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. He, moreover, of all men can with least grace ask for an indulgent consideration of his forth coming Budget, since no speaker last December was more bitterly, and even haughtily, severe upon that of his predecessor. If he either blun der in his calculations, or sustain to the extent of his power the two monster cases of class taxation, he ought to be unceremoniously discarded by those who profess, at least, to be the representatives of The People. Chancellors of the Exchequer have been long indulged both by Hon. Members in the House, and by deputations to Downing-street, in replying to applications for remission of particular taxes with polite evasions and official reserve. They are allowed, like a coy maiden, to give an car without an answer to every suitor, till they have declared their love in the Budget ; but then, alas ! their declaration has to be accepted for final ; they cannot change their choice with honour, unless, perhaps, such perverse ones as Sir C. WOOD, who having given not only his "nay," but something worse, to Income-tax and Stamp act suitors, found that those determined wooers of the Guardian Genius of the Ex chequer would take no denial. He pre sented them indeed with offers, which they thought reversing propriety, and therefore gave him no peace till he accepted theirs. It ought to be im pressed on the House and the country, that unless its two great financial demands be loudly made before the Budget is brought forward, we shall get nothing worth having from Mr. GLADSTONE. We have watched him carefully since he took office, and with no unkindly feelings, but we have been unable to detect the slightest symptom of inten tion to concede the Financial Rights of the people. We, of course, as decidedly as Mr. GLADSTONE him self, regard a fair balance in the national Exchequer as one of those rights. We know, as well as he can tell us, the consequences to all of us when the Fun& decline. There is, and can be, no dispute between him and the people on that score. No. What we more than suspect Mr. GLADSTONE of, is a determination to uphold the present form of two great taxes, by which the landlords principally are saved some six or seven millions per annum, and • other classes pillaged, of course, to the same amount. The evil animus of Mr. GLADSTONE in regard tothe taxes in question was mostdistinctly brought out in his (to himself) most damaging speech on Mr. WILLIAMS'S motion of the Ist of March for the equalization of Legacy and Probate Duties on all kinds of property. In his speech he said as plainly as he well could that he would continue the iniquitous incidence of these taxes, and of the Income Tax too. Although the country is ringing with the injustice of assessing income from permanent sources and precarious sources alike, he coolly came forward and alleged the specially hard bearing of the Income Tax on real property as one reason why it should be exempt from Legacy and Probate Duties ! What can this mean but that if he had his way he would reduce the rate of the tax on schedule A rather than on schedule D ; and certainly that lie will never make a proposition like that of Mr. DISRAELI'S, to con cede even one-fourth to common sense and justice. Then again, Mr. DISRAELI—both in his opening speech on the Budget, and in that reply which Mr. GLADSTONE attacked with all the bitterness of one who saw that it had made financial injus tice ha r d er for lihnself--Mr. DISRAELI distinctly asmrted, that the subject of the Legacy and Prob a t e Duties could no longer be de fended and that it must be taken up by Go vernment. M r . G LADSTONE, on the contrary, when he might have excused himself with the current evasion that his Budget was yet in embryo, extemporised (as we candidly hope) the most wretched and illogical, as well as one-sided and class-interest, speech we ever had the misfor tune to read. We transferred at the time the able and triumphant critique upon it of a weekly contemporary to our columns, and need not re enter into details just now ; but the upshot is that Mr. GLADSTONE refused, by a set of argu ments little better than transparent falsifications or fallacies, to impose the same Legacy and Pro bate Duties on the property of the aristocracy as are imposed on the property of the middle classes, and that, notwithstanding, thissimple equity would enable him to do away with the Income Tax altogether ! He openly refused to accept five or six millions a-year which the landlords escape en tirely, and indirectly more than justified charging precarious incomes, we should say, full two mil lions too much to the Income Tax ; that is, as we remarked at the outset, he upheld financial pro tection for the aristocracy to the amount of at least six or seven millions yearly. Now, we do think the country would do wisely to let such a CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER know that it will not be trifled with. The most honest thinkers freely speak out, that precarious incomes, earned by the sweat of the head or the hands, are no fit subject for taxation at all ; but all men, of any pretensions to humanity, equity, and common sense, demand at least that they shall be assessed at a much lower rate. Mr. GLA.DSTONE, we take it, if some of his colleagues have not a little more sympathy with flesh and blood than he has, and require him to deal with his fellow-mortals as men and not as mathematical abstractions, will face out the whole country, that 1501. from land, and 1501. dependent on life and health, and a hundred things beSide, ought to be taxed alike. It is the fault of the country if he be allowed to do this. Let him not, however, presume, because the nation may wait quietly till it hears what he has to say. Traitorship to justice on the Income Tax will con jure up a storm which will certainly scatter far and wide the feebly coherent materials of the pre sent Cabinet. Net less stir ought to be made on the Legacy and Probate Duties. Equalisation of these we indeed conceive to be the key of fiscal ameliora tion. With five or six millions at the very least secured, either the hateful and inquisitorial Income Tax might be clean swept away, or all of those baneful Excise duties, and taxes on knowledge which so cramp manufacture, and hinder popular education might be abolished—leaving, besides, a handsome margin towards banishing the last rem nants of protection from our Tariff. We confess to have but little patience with the Minister who can shamelessly defend such a monster abuse as the exemption of real property from the duties in question. The execrated Corn Laws were only worse in their amount ; in point of favouritism they could not be worse. Take a sample of these landlord arrangements. These "farmers' friends" have arranged that the value of a farmer's lease, including outlay on improvements, his stock, crops, implements of husbandry, furniture, and even wearing apparel, must pay both duties, while the owner of the land pays nothing. Houses built on building leases pay both duties on their full value, but the ground landlords pay nothing. Houses, while they remain in the leaseholder's hands, pay both duties ; as soon as the lease is out, the immensely enriched landlord pays neither duty. Land sold on lease at a pepper-corn rent, although as good as freehold, pays both duties —it not being an aristocratic tenure. Houses built by a landlord on his own estate pay neither. Even real property which is bequeathed to be sold, though it pays Legacy Duty on the proceeds, pays no Probate Duty, which averages nearly as much as the Legacy Duty. This is but a sample of the inexcusable one sidedness of these taxes—of the broad palpable injustice, the rectification of which would immor talise the Coalition Budget, or any other, and re lieve the country so prodigiously, with hardly the shadow of inconvenience to any one. For, be it carefully borne in mind that, as we have always maintained, a better tax than a tax on successions to property cannot be. There is al ways money to pay it. It is money, too, for which the recipients have neither toiled nor spun, and they can well spare it. It is merely sacrificing a part, as it were, of a lucky windfall. How differ ent to the demand of the Income-tax gatherer on the exhausted, mortal, and precarious energies of the professional man and tradesman ! An equitable, not to be evaded, and adequate tax on what is annually left by those who " rest from their la bours," might relieve, from some of their most harassing imposts, those who yet " bear the heat and toil of the day." Let the country remember, and let the House of Commons be aware the coun try will remember, that Mr. BENJAMIN DISRAELI has proposed a measure of Income-tax justice, and as good as promised the greater boon of Legacy and Probate Duty justice, and Mr. WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE may have to pay dear for it if he superciliously ignore the really good part of his predecessor's proposals. Accounts from Melbourne vary so much that it behoves all future immigrants to supply them selves, before starting from England for Australia, with really reliable and authentic information. Long ago the movement across the ocean to the new world ought to have been immediately directed by her MAJESTY'S Administration. The conse quence of the non-interference of our rulers hitherto in this matter, we believe to have been, in several instances, most disastrous. Exertions should at length be adventured upon to prevent, if possible, the repetition of these very avoidable misfortunes. It would appear that perhaps the most notable evil experienced by our fellow-coun trymen on their arrival on the shores of the new colony, is that of finding an extraordinary diffi culty in obtaining anything like a decent place of habitation. Melbourne, especially, has been so overrun with intended diggers and their families, that the dwellings there have proved insufficient to afford them accommodation. Crowds have been consequently compelled to seek shelter under the brambles, and undercart-tilts, and under temporary sheds, and in tents, which have sprung up in all di rections, transforming the suburbs of the town into an enormous encampment. Hence, and from the unexpected inclemency of the weather, and the now-undeniable insalubrity of the climate, the mortality has turned out to be alarming contrary to all anticipation. WILLIAM HOWITT has written home, indeed - ; from d - spot well known in those quarters as the Ovens Diggings, informing his friends, and through them the people of the United Kingdom, that unfortunates there are everywhere attacked by diseases too often fatal, such as dysentery, cramp, influenza, and rheu matism. An assurance by no means surprising, when we remember the-discomfort to which these poor wanderers are repeatedly subjected in a land where the days are alternately remarkable for broiling heat and for perfectly deluging thunder storms. Together with these sources of bodily ailment must be borne in mind the severity of the toil incurred by men wholly unaccustomed to such continual and laborious exertions. As a contributor to the Household Words of CHARLES DICKENS forcefully observed some time since, in a rather discouraging paper descriptive of one of the gold-fields, the work incumbent upon the diggers is of a kind only to be gone through, without ill conse quences, by a navvy or a coalheaver. Yet, as suredly, we all of us know well enough that the majority of those who have flocked across the ocean to the southern El Dorado, has consisted by no means of navvies and coalheavers. Rather have they been respectable members of the middle class of society, habituated more to quill driving than to the use of the spade and the mattock. Gentlemen of education, who have striven vainly to obtain at home any description of rational employment, discouraged by frequent failure in England they have hastened eagerly to break up new ground (literally) in Australia. After scraping together enough money to pur c h ase a moderate out- fit, and to pay their passage in some sailing vessel or steam-packet, they have disembarked at Mel- bourne with scarcely sixpence left in their pockets, with the humblest lodgings already occupied, with provisions selling at an enormous price, and with a terrible stretch of country between them and the place of their destination. It must be recollected that the Ovens Diggings already menticned are THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY _EVENING, APRIL 14, about the most accessible of all the gold-fields to persons setting out in search of the precious metal from Melbourne. Nevertheless, what is the ac count furnished of the difficulties encountered in going thither, and furnished, too, remember, by WILLIAM HOwITT, one of the most credible and intelligent of modern travellers ? Why, he tells us plainly that no less than " two months" were consumed in making that " arduous and eventful journey." Two months in going over ground estimated by some people at 150 miles, by others at 200, by others again at 250, but believed to be 280 miles, according to his own ideas of ac curate measurement ! And, says he, with an almost audible sigh, or rather groan, " such ground !" Scarcely any roads—what roads there are, are broken and dilapidated—running down into gullies—straggling over hill, or, as.we should possibly term them in this country, mountain after mountain—the earth parched, the foliage " bluer and bluer," and barely anywhere the scantiest ves tige of the wholesome verdure of vegetation. Hav ing surmounted all the obstacles lying in their path along this miserable route, the adventurers discover themselves to have, at last, arrived at the object of all their melancholy wanderings. Here, however, many of them, it is true, soon meet with ample compensation. If they don't always light at once upon a nugget weighing so many pounds of solid gold, they come upon sand that yields them bowl after bowl of gold dust, after being loosely washed in a clumsy little rocker, consisting, perhaps, of a small painted cradle. ' But, then, they have to live among the abominable stenches reeking from the garbage-pits and the butchers' shops, ou the banks of some creek or rivulet, described by Mr. HOWITT some what significantly, as no " longer translucent." Everything in the way of personal discomfort, however, is quickly forgotten by the diggers if they can only contrive to stumble upon a bushel or two of that delectable gold-dust, or upon a solitary specimen of those delicious nuggets. Rewarded by this good fortune for all their past sufferings, they soon learn to catch the fleeting pleasures, loving anew those dear old words of their schoolboy-days --carps diem, quam minimum credula postero. They exult in the merry song of their tea-kettle, more delightedly than the veriest winebibber at home could do over] the sparkling of a glass of toquay, or of a flask! of the rarest chateau-margeaux. Their hearts are dancing if they can only crisp a few additional rice biscuits. They are as happy as kings if they can only buy a basket of dried apples to celebrate with a pie or a pudding the festivities of Christ mas. Such are a few among the pains and plea sures encountered by the swarm of gold diggers flocking *inland from the port of Melbourne. Would it not be well for all future emigrants from England if they weighed rather more cautiously than their predecessors the good and the ill awaiting them on their arrival in what might now be called truthfully, though antitheti cally, the populous solitudes of Australia. COURT CIRCULAR. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the Queen yesterday. His Royal Highness Prince Albert rode out on horse back yesterday, attended by Lieut.-Col. F. H. Seymour. The Belgian Minister and Madame Van de Weyer, the Hanoverian Minister, the Russian Minister and Baroness Brunnow, the Austrian Minister and Countess Colloredo, the Bavarian Minister and Baroness de Cetto, the Danish Minister and Madame de Bille, the Countess de Lavradio, Prince and Princess de Carini the Turkish Minister and Mad ame Musurus, the Brazilian Minister and Madame Macedo, the Peruvian Minister, and other members of th e dipl o matic corps called yesterday at Buckingham Palace to read the bulletin of her Majesty's health. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Princess Mary, honoured the performance of the French Plays with their presence last evening. The Duchess of Kent was accompanied by her Serene Highness the Princess Adelaide of Hohen lohe, and was attended by Lady Anna Maria Dawson and Sir George Couper. A deputation on the subject of the Advocates' Library had an interview with the Earl of Aberdeen yesterday, at his official residence in Downing-street. The depu tation consisted of the Lord Advocate, the Dean of Faculty, the Solicitor-General of Scotland, the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay, M.P., Mr. Forbes Mackenzie, M.P., Mr.. Cosmo Innes, Mr. Adam Urquhart, Mr. A. S. Swinton, and Mr. Halkett. Lieut.-COlonel Eyre had an interview with the Duke of Newcastle yesterday. Mr. Chapman had also an in terview with his Grace at the Colonial-office. A meeting of the Finance Committee of the Exhibition of 1851 was held yesterday at the Privy Council-office, Whitehall, Present—Earl Granville (chairman), Sir A. Spearman, Bart., Sir W. Cubitt, Mr. F. Baring, M.P., Mr. Coulson, Q.C., Mr. T. F. Gibson, and Mr. Edgar A. Bowring (secretary). Captain Owen, R.E., was also present. - The Judical Committee of the Queen's Most Honour able Privy Council sat yesterday at the Council-office. The lords present were :—Lord Justice Turner, Lord Justice Knight Bruce, the Judge of the Admiralty Court, Sir Edward Ryan, and Sir J. Patteson. The petition, "Bodmer's Patent Extension" (part heard), was concluded, and judgment given. An appeal from Barbadoes, " Turner v. Cox," was part heard, the lords present being Lord Justices Turner and Knight Bruce, Sir E. Ryan, and Sir J. Patteson. CLOSING OF THREE CITY GRAVEYARDS.—Lord Palmer ston having represented to the Queen in Council the necessity of closing the churches and graveyards of All hallows the Great and Allhallows the Less, in Upper Thames-street ; St. Edmund the King with St. Nicholas Acons, Nicholas-lane' Lombard-street ; and St. Law rence Jewry and St. Mary Magdalen, Gresham-street, notice has been given to the vestry-clerks and parishioners that the same will be taken into consideration by the Lords of her Majesty's Privy Council on Saturday, May 14. The church and graveyard of Allhallows is situate in a very crowded neighbourhood, being adjaceat to Messrs. Calvert's brewhouse, and surrounded by . lanes and courts densely crowded by the labouring classes, who will appreciate the discontinuance of interments immediately under their windows. It is expected that many more of the City golgothas will be closed before the session terminates. DETERMINED SUICIDE BY A SOLDIER OF THE GRENA DIER GUARDS.—This morning, the following determined suicide was committed at the barracks, Portman-street, Portman-square, by William Bryan, a private in the Grenadier Guards, quartered there. Last night de ceased returned home to his quarters apparently quite sober, and in the best health and spirits. At the usual hour he retired to bed in the barrack-room, in which also slept forty of his comrades. At six this morning as he did not get up, the serjeant of his company ordered him to be called, when, upon one of the men proceeding to do so, he was horrified to find deceased's bed saturated with blood that flowed from an extensive gash in his throat, inflicted by a razor that lay at his side. Although quite insensible, and unable to speak, he was still alive, but upon the arrival of the regimental surgeon, who in stantly attended, he breathed his last. No cause can be assigned for the rash act ; for although not a strictly sober man, deceased was considered a smart, well-con ducted soldier, and was rather a favourite with his com rades. Deceased was unmarried, and 32 years of age. Mr. M'Kenzie, the summoning officer, instantly for warded to the Coroner's office information of the melan choly occurrence, with a request from the deceased's captain that he would hold the inquest as soon as pos sible, as the forty men who slept in the same room as deceased had to be removed to other quarters, where they must remain until after the inquiry. ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.—A crowded meeting of this society was held on Monday, at the theatre of the Royal Institution, Albemare-street ; the President, Sir Roderick I. Murchison, in the chair. The paper read was—" On Oceanic Currents, and their connexion with the proposed Central American Canals," by A. G. Findlay, Esq., F.R.G.S., illustrated by large diagrams of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and by maps of Lieutenant Maury, of the United States Navy. Arrow smith's large maps of Australia, and Captain Moore's "Great Circle-Sailing Indicators" were also exhibited. Mr. Findlay directed attention to the very great import ance of a proper knowledge of ocean currents in the pre sent days of commercial enterprise; the whole subject having been nearly stationary since the days of its origi nator, Major Rennell, and mentioned our entire ignor ance of the causes, proximate and actual, of current Systems and data required. He gave a brief statement of each current circulating in the two Atlantic Oceans, as defined by Rennell ; the Gulf-stream, the Thwart channel Current, and the Agulhas Current, having only been properly investigated, while the peculiarities of the currents of the Pacific and Indian Oceans were most im perfectly and unsatisfactorily known. MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN SOMERS TOWN.—About two o'clock on Monday afternoon, Mr. Hornby, of 15, Northampton-buildings, Somers Town, called at the police-station and requested the assistance of a police constable, stating that a lodger of his had not been seen to leave his room for three days, and as nothing had been heard of his moving about, he was afraid some thing was wrong. Police-constable 192, Snooks, was immediately sent with him by the acting inspector, Ser geant Bloomfield, when, on entering his room, he was found to have expired. The body presented a most ghastly spectacle, being much discoloured, and almost in a state of decomposition. Mr. Bullock, surgeon, of Skinner-street, was immediately called, who said de ceased had been dead for two or three days, and he be- heved that death had been caused by a . ' rupture of a blood-vessel. The deceased was about 70 years of age, and was of very eccentric habits. He has been in the army, and is-supposed to be a pensioner. His relations are not known. He was only known in the neighbour hood by the name of Thomas Splatt. - 1 8 5 3. MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.) CITY, TWO O'CLOCK. The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were estimated at from 8,000 to 9,000 bales, of which 2,000 American were taken for export and specula tion. The market closed firmly, with prices a shade against the buyer. The sales comprised 6,000 American, 500 Pernam and Maranham at 6id to 6/d, 500 Bahia at 6d, 500 Egyptian at 6kd to 6d, 400 Surat at 4d. to 4id, and 300 Sea Island at ls. 9d. to 2s. Bd. per lb. Railway Shares were steady. The steamer Baltic has arrived from the United States with later dates, and as much as 600,000 dollars in specie. This remittance, with the ex change at 101 to -1 5 ., can only be explained upon the assumption that payment of accounts, owing to the high rate of interest, has been delayed as long as possible, and that there being now an absence of good bills, parties are obliged to send gold even at an apparent loss. There is no choice, cotton bills not always meeting with ready currency. there is another reason, probably, why efforts arc , naking to remit at once, viz., that the imports of European merchandise into America were very large last month, and far outbaLinced the exports. Accounts from France state that the floods on the 26th, 27th, and 28th of last month, did consider tble damage, and further retarded sowing opera tions. A new railway from Lyons to Turin is sanc tioned, but although the policy of the Emperor of the French is to have the capital for such under takings provided in England, in order that the Bourse may not feel the incumbra,nce, it is the growing opinion that further subscriptions to any foreign project, however good, should be avoided, at least for a time. It is impossible to believe that the money market will bear such a continuous strain, and the payment of calls will operate even more severely than the preliminary deposits have done, because many parties make it a point to sell out at a small premium the moment a company is formed, and the scrip is negotiable in the market. In this way they proceed with a limited capital, subscribing to every new concern of which they can obtain shares, and the circle widening, smaller capitalists, as well as large ones, are brought within its circumference, leaving future holders to pay the additional instalment. Such being the case, a warning may usefully be given, even though it be simply in reiteration of what has been often before stated under this head. Rome and colonial under takings at any rate should receive a decided pre ference. The Spanish official agency have given notice that the 17th auction takes place at Madrid, on the 29th inst., when 750,000 reals will be assigned by the Government. The English Funds, now the Account has been adjusted, are looking up, and there is good support given to prices by the purchasers for money. If the Chancellor of the Exchequer were to modify his plan to obviate an increase in the capital of the debt, there would probably be a speedy rise. Con sols have been 1001 / for Transfer, and 1001 for the Account. The New 3k per Cents. have realised 1031 to I, an d th e 3 p er C e nts. 99 to 100. Exchequer Bills of June are 4s. to Bs. prem. East India Bonds have been quoted 445. premium. Bank Stock is worth 225 to 226, and India Stock 260 to 2621. South Sea Old Annuities are 99k. Foreign Rock are very quiet. Peruvian Defer red have been firm at 67k. Mexican are worth. 27/. Grenada Active Bonds are at 231. Portu guese 5- per Cents. are worth 43. Spanish New Deferred are 24k. The Certificate is at 6to and dull. Railway Shares are generally firmer, and the settlement of the Account is being got over to lerably well. The rates of " continuation" are scarcely so high as they were, but speculators for a rise having preponderated, are closing accounts, and hence the market has not participated in the improvement in Consols. Midland, Lancashire, Caledonian, and South-Eastern have been most dealt in. The Foreign lines are generally very firm. The Gold Mine Shares are heavy as regards the Australian Companies, the Colonial being lower. The Agua Fria, however, are very firm. The Land Companies' Shares are all improving. The " contango" has been high on South Austra lian and Van Diemen's. Land. In the Australian Banks the bargains have been limited, and prices are flat. The last week's railway receipts ascertained up to this day, are in round figures as under : Great Western 1853. 1852. £20,481 £17,498 North Western 45,753 42,320 South Western 11,099 11,634 Brighton 11,492 10,613 Midland 23,513 22,093 South Eastern ].3,737 13,677 Caledonian Great Northern Lancashire and Yorkshire 18,220 17,405 The following concerning the fall in the price of Copper is furnished by Messrs. Tredinnich and Co..— "We regret to have this day to record a fall in price of copper of fully 101. per ton. Last Thursday the standard again fell, and during the last month a decline of fully twelve per cent. took place. This must materially affect the standard Dividend Mines of Corn wall and Devon. We, some weeks ago, drew attention to the high price• at which many of these were selling in the market, and expressed our apprehensions of a reaction shortly taking place. This, unfortunately, is now being felt, in the disposition of holders to realise and the scarcity of buyers in the market. We have more especially at all times directed attention to mines of a legitimate character, having capital subscribed, situated in good localities, with analogy in their favour, and under good and practical management, as most de sirable for investment." BRITISH FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK THIS DAY , ( From the Official List.) ' - Business done. Bank Stock • 3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 99 i IC3 3 per Cent. Consols Annuities New 34 per Cent. Annuities Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860 -16 Ditto - 30 Years, Expire sth Jan., 1860 6 5-16 India Stock India Bonds, £lOO Ditto, under £lOOO 45 38 South Sea Stock, Old Annuities..... Consols for Account Exchequer Bills lid. June. March £lOOO. £5OO 4 3 Small 3 2 PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK. Grenada Bonds, Ex Dec., 1849, Coupon 23i Mexican 3 per Cent. Peruvian for the Account Portuguese for the Account 43 Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent. 2St llBl S a rdinian Bonds, 5 per Cent. ........ ...... . Spanish Bonds, New Deferred, 3 per dent 24i Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun. 6/ HALF-PAST TWO. - Consols Ditto April Account MARKET NEWS-(THIS DAY.) GENERAL AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN For the Week ended April 14, 1853, male up from the Returns of the Inspectors in the different Cities and Towns in England and Wales, per Imperial Quarter. .. INEEAT. ' I IBARLEY. OATS. RYE. I BEANS. I PEAS. 44s 9d 131 s 4d 1188 9d 13 Is 10d I 34s 5d 132 s 10d THE SIX WEEK'S AVERAGE. WHEAT. I BARLIY. I OATS. I BYE. I BEANS. I YEAS. 45s Id 3ls 8d 18s 8d 3!s 3d 34s 5d 32s 8d DUTIES ON FOREIGN CORN. WHEAT. I BARLEY. I OATS. I RYE. is Od is Od is Od Is Od BEANS. I PEAS. Is Od le Od QUANTITIES OF GRAIN SOLD LAST WEEK. Wheat, 88,343 ; Barley, 39,157; Oats, 21,812; Rye, 97 ; Bears 3,62 - 5"; Peas, 1,339 quarters. HAY MARKETS. SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, 3/ 5s to 4/ 12s ; clover ditto, 3/ lOs to 5/ 5s ; and straw, 1/ 8s to 1/ 15s per load. Supply tolerably good, and trade firm. CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, 3/ 8s to 4/ 150 ; clover ditto, 3/ 8s to 5/ Os ; and straw, 1/ 8s to 1/ 16s per load. Trade steady, at frll prices. WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, 3/ 5s to 4/ 13s ; clover ditto, 3/ lOs to Si 5s ; and straw, 118 s to 11 16s per load. A In. average supply, and a sluggish demand. MEAT MARKETS. NE WaATE AND LEADENIIALL.—The general demand ruled steady, and prices were well supported. Beef, froro. 2s 8d to 35 6d ; M u tt o n, 3s 4d to 4s 4d ; Lamb, 4.8 10d to 68 ; Veal, 38 6 d t o 4s 4d ; Pork, 2s 10d to 4s 4d per 81bs by the carcase. SORTHALL;APRIL 13.—The supply of stock being on the de crease, the general demand ruled steady, at very full aces. es. Beef, 2s 10d to 4s Od ; Mutton, 3s 8d to 5s ; mab, 5s Od to 5s 10d ; Veal, 3s 6d to 4s 2d ; Pork, 38 to 3s 10d per 81bs, to sink the offal. BOMFORD, APRIL 13.—Beasts and sheep moved off 8 + at an advance in t ho q uotations of 2d p er 81 bs. Sad, from 2s 10 d to 4s 2d ; Mutton, 4s Od to 5s 2d , Lamb, 58 Od. to 68 Od ; Veal, 3s 6d to 4s 2; Pork , 3s Od to 3s 1 0 d per Blbs. Quarter old Store Pigs, 19 s t () f :22s each. LEWES, 3fAucu 29.—Our market ruled stead as f lllows :--Beef, from 3s 4(1 to 48 4d ; Mutton 48 steady, A to 5 3 2d ; Lamb, 58 4d to 6s Od ; Pork, 38 6eto 48 00d p ar Blbs. FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—On Saturday night last a t 7 o'clo,ck, an accident occured near the goods station the ,slidland line, Nottingham. It appears that at t he th J ae in question a man of the name of Potts (one of the C company's servants) was shunting some carriages on, the line, when he stumbled and got underneath the car riage% the wheels of which passed over his body. He wat i extricated as quickly as possible, and conveyed to the General Hospital, where every means was resorted tr ) ta, • restore animation, but without effect, as the unfor ' Auto ,to man died in a few - hoUra afterwards. ELECTION COMMITTEES.--(THIS DAY.) TAUNTON. The committee sat again this morning to inquire into the cross-petition against the return of Sir Thomas Cole brooke, Mr. Mills having yesterday been unseated by the resolution of the committee. Mr. Montague Smith stated that the petition was founded upon allegations of bribery and treating —that 21., 31., and even 10/. had been offered to voters to vote for Sir Thomas E. Colebrooke, and that a large breakfast had been given to voters at the house of a Mr. Smith. The fair sex had also been induced to exercise an undue influence over the minds of their husbands, by va rious presents of money, in some cases so much as 201. and 301. having been promised. One method of distributing the bribes to voters had been accidentally to drop sovereigns on the floor. It was on these grounds that the petition was based. The learned counsel then proceeded to call witnesses. Mrs. Peppins deposed that she had been promised 71. for her husband's vote, but he had said that he would not sell his vote for 201. The case was proceeding when our report left. COCKERMOUTH. The committee resumed at 11 o'clock this morning. Sir Walter Riddle proceeded to sum up the case for the petitioners. RYE. The committee to inquire further into the petition which unseated Mr. Mackinnon for this borough, met this moaning at 12 o'clock. Mr. Alexander stated, that since the committee first assembled, an inquiry had been instituted into all the cases of bribery alleged on both sides, at the late elec tion. The agent to conduct this inquiry had made a discovery of a corrupt practice which had existed in Rye since the Reform Act. It was based upon a system of loans to voters, thus giving the lender a control over the voter. These loans have been used for the advantage of many candidates since the time of the Reform Bill. Major Curtis was returned for Rye, after the Reform Bill, at an expense of 4,0001., expended by Jeremiah Smith. Such a sum must have been illegally spent. A " portion" of it was advanced to establish this loan system, which has prevailed ever since. The learned counsel was proceeding when our repox left. TYNEMOUTH, At the re-assembling of the committee this morning, Miss Storey, landlady of the Albion, was re-called, and cross-examined by Mr. Slade. She stated that the 3001., to which her bill amounted, included rent for the com mittee-room for 15 months, at two guineas a week. It also included the refreshments consumed by the com mittee during that time. No order was given by the committee to prepare breakfasts on the polling day ; in fact,- the sitting member's agent refused to give any order. Witness did a ready-money business to a larger amount than the account, which she sent into Mr. Tay lor's committee. She considered that she would have done much better had Mr. Taylor's committee not en gaged her house. &tr. Beasmont, the landlord of the Bath Hotel, was under examination when our report left. LEICESTER. At the sitting of the committee this morning, the pe titioners proceeded to call evidence similar to that with which the committee has been occupied for the last two days, contradictions of the statements of their first wit nesses. Mr. Harrison, the agent for the petitioners, was examined this morning, and detailed the statements which had been made to him by the witnesses Kirk and the Ludlams, and signed by them. THE NEW - PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY. The second concert of the season took place last night in Exeter Hall, with Herr Lindpaintner as conductor.. The audience, though not so overflowing as is generally to be seen on the Sacred Harmonic nights, was a very large one. Cherubini's "Requiem )' and a fragment from Mendelssohn's unfinished opera, Lorely, were the novelties of the evening. The performance of this " Requiem " is stated to have been the first even given in London. It was received by the audience with mani fest approval. The directors of the hall had prohibited the performance of the "Offertorium . ," on account of the essentially Romish doctrines therein contained ; the prohibition was, hdwever. totally disregarded, a n d th e work performed in its entirety. The fragment from the opera of Lorely was first introduced to the English pub lic at the Birmingham and Norwich festivals of last summer. The subject is wild and romantic in the ex treme, and exactly suited to the peculiar turn of Men delssohn's imaginative mind. The passage before us depicts the despair and indignation of the deserted Leonora, and her appeal to the spirits of the _Rhine for assistance in her plan of revenge. She demands the power of inflicting on her faithless lover, and all beside, the corroding pangs of unavailing love, and her request is granted on the condition that she becomes the bride of the river. The choruses of the fays and river sprites are from the composer of " Walpurgis Nacht," and the music allotted to the unfortunate maiden touching and pathetic in the extre. The latter received full justice from Miss Pyne, who displayed all the energy of feel ing and musical ability which the part demands, and, considering the difficulties which surround it, this is no slight praise. The programme being more judiciously constructed than the former, as regards length, the con cert terminated shortly after eleven o'clock, amidst the applause of the audience, which was freely bestowed throughout the evening. THE CUSTOM HOIISE.—The large room in the Custom house known as the Long-room, where a vast amount of the Customs business is transacted, including the receipt of monies for duties on foreign goods imported, has recently undergone a thorough renovation, for the first time for many. years. The whole being now com pleted, this magnificent apartment, which is acknow ledged to be one of the finest in the kingdom, and, as being without any visible supporting pillars, one of the sights of the metropolis, presents a vastly-improvectap pearance. . . LETTERS TOR THE ARCTIC SHlPS.—Letters for officers, seamen; and marines, serving in the Arctic ships, will be in time for H.M.S. Phoenix if sent to the Admiralty before the 29th instant. AGRA AND UNITED SERVICE BANK.—At the half yearly meeting of the Agra and United. Service Bank, the profits for the six months ending the 31st of Decem ber were stated to have been 36,4951., out of which a dividend was declared at the rate of 9 per cent. per annum, leaving 7,8551., of which 6,9721. was added to the existing reserve fund of 70,065/. At the conclusion of the proceedings the resolution adopted in October was confirmed for the removal of the head office of the bank from Agra to Calcutta, the establishment at Agra being henceforth continued as a branch. THE TURKISH Loniv.—The subjoined letter, in con nexion with the reimbursement of the Turkish Loan, wasmann pEonstibedasysye,stNerod.ayl,ißnrytlalensStock - Exchange th : ' AP t ri t6 l 1853: Sir,—l beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, and to inform you that it is by my authority a nd u p on m y respons ibility that the holders of Turkish scrip are to lodge them at the office, No. 52, Adelaide-chambers, Gracechurch-street, open for that purpose under the direction of Mr. Edward Zohrab, the Ottoman Consul-General. I have the honour to be, &c., C. Musunus.—George Webb, Esq., Secretary to the Stock-Exchange Committee. AMSTERDAM AND ROTTERDAM PRODUCE-MARKETS.— The weekly reviews from the Amsterdam and Rotterdam produce-markets state that business had not been active, but that prices had on the average been well supported. Coffee showed little alteration, and the demand was confined to orders for consumption. The prices of sugar, raw and refined, continued to be maintained, though operations had recently been less animated. The late improvement in tea was supported, the trade having made further purchases. Indigo and rice were without material change. The General Screw Steamer Indiana, for Calcutta, vit the Cape and Mauritius, takes out 80,0001. in specie, a full cargo, and 65 passengers. ROYAL ARTILLERY, WOOLWICH, APRIL 13.—Thirty gunners embarked at the Royal Arsenal yesterday, under the charge of Sergeant-Major Cairns, for a passage to Leith, to fill up the company at Leith Fort. Captain Graham's company, 4th battalion, assembled at three o'clock p.m. yesterday, in heavy marching order, and w ere inspected by Colone l C. E Whinyatest,:eC.B. K.C.H., previous to their leavin g the garrison to-mor row to mount the guns and b e stationed at•Tilbury Fort. T HEATR E ROYAL, NEWCASTLE. — The nte LeClercq family appeared at this house each evening last week, and created a most favourable impression. They took oafndp e, . a fhaveo benefit rDa anc enterede o s n , S ai nf a tt t eo u r r aw d r a he y i ce , hn w tg h ha e eg n ye m t p h er e no h te o efe u od s r e ta o w n o a t s h c e r r o w se d r e i ed' Edinburgh.s, Mrs. Stirling is announced to make her appearance in ABATEMENTS. —Fro m a return to the s u p P r e E s R e A n N t N w zr e A e T k l • the House of Commons, just issued, it seems the super annuation abatements from salaries to persons appointed to situations since August, 1829, amount to 621,5391. ss. 71d. Since then, the payments on account of offices abolished have amounted to 3,3291. 15s. 2d., and as L3uperannuations, to 36,413/. 14s. 11 xd. ROBBERY OF 2,0001. BY A POSTMASTER. — The town of Whitchurch, in th e county of Salop, has been thrown into a state of excitement by a - the p p re hension of the postmaster, on the c h arge o f having several sums of money, amounting in the whole to more than 2,0001., from letters. The case was partially investi gated on Monday before the magistrates. From what transpired, and from other sources, it appears that Mr. Cross, the accused, who is also parish-clerk and sexton, and proprietor of an extensive draper's shop in the town, on Saturday hired a conveyance to go to Crewe, about 16 miles from Whitchurch, and set out ; but when he had got a few miles on the road, he told the driver that he had forgotten something, and had changed his mind, and told him to drive him to Shrewsbury, which is 20 miles from Whitchurch, which he accordingly did. Mr. Cross bad not long left Whitchurch before a person who had posted a letter con taining some valuable enclosures called and asked to see the letter again, in order to write something additional on it, but the letter could not be found. A communi cation was made to the police, and constable Layton was sent after Mr. Cross ; and he arrested him in Shrews bury, and brought him back to Whitchurch. The sum which up to Tuesday last had been recovered is 2,0151., a considerable portion of which was found on the person of the accused, whose intention is supposed to have been to have escaped on Saturday night to Liver pool by railway, and thence to America. He has been remanded by the magistrates for examination. • NEWMARKET RACES. Comfit .. Defiance (THIS DAY.) BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. ZETLAND STAKES. Four ran. SWEEPSTAKES, 50 Sovs. each. 3-year-olds. D.M. 1 Valour Begum colt Three ran. SWEEPSTAKES, 100 Sovs. each. D.M Speed the Plough Nutpecker Defiance Three ran. LATEST BETTING. 1,000 GUINEAS. 3to 1 agst Sylphine (taken). 6to 1 agst Vaultross (taken). 3to 1 agst Comfit (taken). 100 to 15 agst Hybla (taken). CHESTER CUP. 10 to 1 agst Trifle (taken). 30 to 1 agst St. Michael (taken). 50 to 1 agst Missive (taken). DERBY. 40 to 1 agst Cheddar (taken). 50 to 1 agst Reiver (offered). 66 to 1 agst Speed the Plough (taken). EAST INDIA HOUSE. Yesterday a ballot was taken at the East India Ito for the election of six directors, in the room of S it , Robert Campbell, Bart., Mr. William Joseph Eastwic l s Sir James War Hogg, Bart., M.P., Lieutenant-Colon William Henry Sykes, Mr. John Clarmont Whiteman , and Sir Henry Willock, K.L.S. At six o'clock the glasses were closed and delivered W the scrutineers, who reported that the election had fallen on Mr. Henry Alexander, the Hon. William Soy, Leslie Melville, Major Ja mes Oli p h an t , Mr. Ilenui Thoby Prinsep, Mr. John Sh ep h er d , an d M r. Ducut4 Coutts Marjoribanks. The contest lay between Mr. D. C. Marjoribanks 014 Mr. J. C. Morris, for whom the numbers were-- For Mr. D. C. Marjoribanks For Mr. J. C. Morris A court of directors was also held at the East 113 74 House, when the thanks of the Court we r e voted 10 15 ;: mously to Sir James Weir Hogg, Bart., M.P., 011 • : : f man, and Mr. Russell Ellice, deputy-chairman, for tjt great application and attention to the affairs of the India Company during the past year. SHIPPIAG RETURNS. The shipping returns of the Board of Trade for the month ending the sth of March furnish continued ec, r dente of the effects of the detentions in Austral',l; Although every available British ship now meets w"d good employment, the total tonnages entered and clos e ., show a considerable increase, as compared with the c°,..` t, responding month of last year. The high rates of freiV 3 however, still attract foreign vessels, which were the t 3 to feel the impulse of the new trade, and these exh l 1 an increase. Entered inwards : 1851 I 1852 18 33 ._....--- ---1 British vessels 205,874 206,603 1714 United States' vessels 36,023 41,378 60, 6 , ) . 0 Other countries 1 , 21 326,403 1 311,003 The clearances outwards were I 1851 1852 British vessels 248,246 295,823 218,,A United States' vessels 47,292 63,019 64,!i1i0 Other countries 427,986 38574 370,337 ft ° In relation to coasting vessels the returns also h diminution. It appears that the tonnage entereto; wards was 961,638 in the month ending March 5, 1 ' c e 4 1,055,382 in 1852, and 865,617 in 1853. The clearlo outwards were, 1,022,212 in March, 1851; 985, 41 1852, and 891,413 in 1853. COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT-April 13' (PR - 032 OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) o rs, ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON INTELLIGENT The annual general meeti ng o f th e members of beJ Royal Yacht Squadron is t o t a k e p l ace , a t t h e TO'''Teo House Tavern, on Friday, the 13th of May. JO noblemen and gentlemen have already been propos e a," candidates for election on that day. There is eve r J o oit pearance of the summer of 1853 being one of the, d e r brilliant yachting seasons known ; all the yacht 10.1 t oi have been busily employed ail the winter construert!e new yachts, indepe n dent o f w hi c h a grea t n umber old vessels are being. Americanised. The Cowes have more on th e i r h an d s t h an they will through with, an d h ave been pressed to u ndertak e more. Ratsey has tu rne d out a beautiful schoon er, v e l Viking. of 110 tons, for Major Sterling (on the line s ), the celebrated American pilot-boat, th e M ary Tar, r pl She is a sister vessel to Mr. Gee's Glorianna. She ` l t - Di out of harbour this day, and appears to sail ((like wiHend." tte!' launched, of the patent slip, the Julia e g j P 111 tons, for W. Peareth, Esq.. on Fridays an getting her ready for sea with all possible dispatch. 0 The Caprice yawl, of 55 tons, he will have ready launching in about a week. f itte l ' He is lengthening the Marquis' Conynghan's °- yacht Sultana, of 125 tons, 16 feet by the bow. f Mr. Wood's schooner-yacht Lily of the Test, ° tons, he has in a very forward state. i , l O Mr. Joseph White has hauled up Lord GodelP P yacht on the patent slip. per He has lengthened Sir H Bold Hoghton's ache s yacht the Gipi.y Queen, of 160 tons, and she is P e ready for launching. Lord Wilton's new schooner-yacht in the same is progressing, and the noble Commodore, we 61/ will this season have a fleet one. _ White is also building a yacht for Mr. Gootl e d el, 120 tons ; one of the sam e t onnage f or Captain Wio'pe and the Plover, of 70 t ons , f or Li eutenan t-CO'dA Browne. He has a keel ready to lay down for a 3 7 %0 of 100 tons, for Mr. Hammersley, and is lengW„t?, the Phantom for Mr. Lane, and the Cruiser for etY Berkeley. The two latter were run down last Wee"'' are in a very forward condition. 0 1 ' Mr. Hansen is lengthening the Aurora cutter, tons, for Le Marchant Thomas, Esq. The Ospr e •voi 45 tons, for Lieutenant-Colonel Huey, by the bolt 10 1 stern ; and he is also drawing out the Pandora e f i i OP both ends for Captain Smith Barry, and has hat e the Bittern cutter-yacht. The Flirt schooner-yacht, 155 tons, Sir C. F. Iq 3c Bart., is nearly ready for sea. Lord Mo un t c harles iv d purchased the Bianca schooner. Mr. Foster has ag i pe, here for the season i n hi s yacht Marina. The schooner-yacht, 105 tons, arrived yesterday, aria sail for Madeira to-morrow. ,", FEARFUL ACCIDENT ON THE L ONDON AND got Ai WESTERN RAILWAY.--Yesterday aft ernoon an ( 4, et, of an alarming natur e , w hi c h caused consideram"r,, 46 citement amongst a great number of persons, halr ii tlr at the Southampton station o f th e L on d on and °:014, Western Railway. From the inquiries made it aP I Y that whilst a train of carriages was being shunte'y the main line, a f ema l e , supposed to have been o°' the passengers, incautiously attempted to crossed' line of metals. In sa.doing the time, was not s uftio d for her to acc om pli s h t h at o bj ect, and as she wa s °`i ping across the rails the tail part of the train strucj on the right shoulder, threw her across the metals, she was in consequence so dreadfully injured that feared she cannot recover. She was picked up b 1). company's servants, and removed to the Southall:d Infirm ar y, w h ere s h e at presen t rema i ns i n a v erf i llY carious co n diti on . Th e acc id en t was wholly beyoi` control of the company's servants, and was ovvi r oi . tirely to the recklessness of the unfortunate woman 11 1 tempting to cross the line at such a time of danger. if OUR VOLUNTARY CORRESPONDENT.—His IlaW e Ao Legion. He writes everything —on every descri;l,l of paper, and with every conceivable and inconco.„o quality of illegible ink. Like the players in 1 13 'y nothing comes amiss to him ; " tragedy, corneal,' iff tory, pastoral, pastoral - comical, historical-pastora 4 c f, gical-historical, tragical - comical, historical-pastorali ° l gli individable, or poem unlimited." But if he partie ll ,,,.f excel in any one species of composition, it is perhat ) ;: 4 ! to our experience, in the p oem un li m it e d. He P t 0 1 general idea that literature is the easiest amuseraelior t the world. He figures a success f u l au th or as a ra; personage whose whole time is devoted to idlenes'e;ro' pastime who ke e p s a pro lifi c m i n d i n a sor t ofe sieve, and lightly s h a k es a b us h e l o f it ou t sor netidel in an odd half-hour after breakfast. It would all el incredulity b e y on d a ll measure, to b e to ld t h a t sue tioo' ments as patience, study. punctuality, determitlY self-denial, training of mind and body, hours of aPP o P tion and seclusion to produce what he reads in se c° o ° enter into such a career. He has no m ore coneeptl , the necessity of entire devotion to it, th an h e has eternity from the beginning. Correction and re-c ° , 0 ,0 lY tion in the blotted manuscript, consideration, n e t ictl servation, the patient massing of many retie experiences and imaginings for one minute purpo se l ; i eri i. ; the patient separation from the heap of all the frag e 4 that will unite to serve it—these would be Unic °r o ft e 4 ", Griffins to him—fables altogether. Hence, he cari uor , afford to dispense with the low rudiments of ortf. vr iol' i , phy ; and of the principles of composition it is that lie need know nothing. He is fond of aP i l;i00:, himself to lite ra t ure i n a leisure hour, or a "few . ; $ 6 moments." He " th rows hi s t h oug h ts " upo n He rarely sends what he considers to be his best Po r , tion. His beh production is not copied—son:l)o l7 lo seldom is. H e i s aware t h at there are many real e defects in the manuscript he encloses, but if ,f, e r s t insert that, "on th e usua l terms, " he has anaL:; Di home that will as t on i s h us. He is not at ali lie "knows he has it in him." It is possible that : r ei'd be in him ; but it is certain that under theso ci rli -- -P stances it very, very , se ld o l n comes ou t.—l c " Household Words.' 1