The Sun. — London, England, 1857-04-20 00:00:00

Naval and telligence. Her - Majesty's State yacht the Victoria and AT bert, Captain the Hon. Joseph Denman, has just been taken into dock at Portsmouth to be embel lished for her Majesty's summer cruise. The Royal Sovereign, 131, screw—The time approaches for the launching of this magnificent three-decker, and the greatest interest is felt to witness so imposing a spectacle. Every arrange ment is being made by Admiral Superintendent Martin to afford as much accommodation as possible to the public. It is still believed that his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will be present, with other branches of the Royal family. The Royal Sovereign is larger than the Duke of Wellington, but smaller than the Marlborough. Her dimen sions are : Length.... Breadth Depth of hold., Burden Her armament will consist of -16 8-in. 65-cwt. guns on the lower deck. 20 32-pr. 58-cwt. guns ditto. 36 32-pr. 58-cwt. guns on the middle deck. 36 32-pr. 45-cwt. guns on the main deck. 22 32-pr. 25-cwt. guns on the upper deck. 1 68-pr. 95-cwt. pivot gun. Her engines, 800-horse power, can be worked up to 2,500. Xellyar, the dockyard carver, has been rarticularly successful in producing a figure-head. The launch will take place soon after 11 o'clock on Saturday, the 25th instant. The Terrible, 21, paddle-wheel frigate, is in No. 1 dry deck, Sheerness, hastening her repairs. The Renown, 90, and Emerald, 50, are both in the Sheerness basin, fitting their machinery, etc. The Hesper, iron screw store-ship, under orders for China, will leave Woolwich in a few days. Her alterations are now completed, and on a trial trip down the river, it was found that she could main tain a speed of 10 knots per hour. The Pylades, 21, screw corvette, in charge of Mr. W. H. Sharpe, is at Sheerness. Her machinery proved most satisfactory on her late trial ; she forms one of the first-class steam reserve. The Vesuvius, 6, paddle-wheel sloop, is still in the harbour. The lieutenants have joined her, but we have not heard who is the captain ap pointed to the command. The Cyclops, 6, steam frigate (not commis sioned), had her compasses adjusted last week ; she is waiting further orders. The Furious, 16, paddle-frigate, Capt. Osborne, C.B. having fitted out for th e China station, went out Of Portsmouth harbour to Spithead on Satur day, and there await sailing orders. Her convoy of gunboats is nearly ready. The Firm, Lieutenant Nicolas, went out of harbour on Saturday and took in her powder and shell. The Drake, Lieutenant Arthur, and Janus, Lieutenant Jones, are ready for sea. The Melville two-decker, Commander Trollope, fitting out at Portsmouth as an hospital ship for the China squadron, is nearly complete in her rig. The Amphitrite, Captain Tatham, fitting out at Portsmouth for the Coastguard service, is complete in the rigging department, and will leave the fitting ba-in this day. The Sylph, mercantile steamvessel embarked at Portsmouth on Saturday a company of Royal Ar tillery, and left with them for Jersey, whence she will return with the depot of the 72d Highlanders. A letter from the Pacific squadron, dated the 27th Feb., gives the followine , movements on that station :—"The Monarch, 84, flag, is at Valparaiso. Rear-Admiral Bruce arrived at Callao in the mail steamer Lima, and hoisted his flag in the President, 50, Capt. Frederick. The latter leaves to-morrow (the 28th) for England, when the Tribune, 31, Capt. H. Edged, will hoist the Admiral's flag until the arrival of the Monarch. The Tribune had made her self popular, protecting all mercantile interests. All the ladies of the place attended Church service on board with their families. The Tribune got up a play, which went off well ; then the American mer chant fleet gave a grand banquet to her captain and officers on board a 2,000 ton clipper ship, at which 260 sat down to a banquet. Toasts and speeches followed, and dancing wound up the evening. The 22d—Wasbington's birthday, the frigates saluted and dressed ship. On the 23d the Tribune left. On pa4sing through the English merchant fleet they all dress• 1 and saluted ; it was quite a gala day. The Tribune returned the salutes, and the American merchant ships returned the salutes for Washing ton's birthday. The Esk, 20, is at Panama; the Havannah, 22, en route to Valparaiso ; the Alarm, 26, gone to San Blas for freight ; the Brisk steam alcop sailed for England ; the Pearl, 20, at the Chinch is." 279 ft. 10 in. 60 25 . 4 3765 tons. The iron screw steam gunvessel Minx, Lieut..- Commander R. H. Roe, rowed up to Woolwich on Friday morning by a merchant steamer, was on Saturday inspected by the commodore of the dock yard, when the crew was mustered, cleared for ac tion, and. went through general quarters. The commodore was highly gratified with the discipline of the ship's crew and the gunnery manoeuvres. The Minx made the run from Sierra Leone entirely under canvas, and having fair wind the whole dis tance she performed the voyage in 35 days, and landed the mails off the Lizard. The sailing transport Mooresfort embarked her troops on Saturday for Chins, viz., 2 companies of the Royal Artillery, Cants. Longden and Middle ton's companies, consisting of 14 officers, and 280 rank and file of the 13th battalion, toether with 3 complete batteries, 130 tom of reserve stores, and 150 tons of military baggage. The embarkation took place at 2 o'clock, and the vessel was towed down the river at 5 o'clock p.m., amid the cheers •f the numerous] persons who bad assembled to witness the departure. After the removal of the Moores fort, the Neleus, whichbad been several days anchored at the buoy, took up her position to pre pare for the embarkation of Captain Knox and Captain Barstow's companies of the 9th and 10th battalions, who are under orders to embark on Wednesday next, likewise for Hong Kong. The Cumberland is put out of No. 3 dry dock and berthed in the fitting basin under the shears, to be masted and rigged. Her officers and crew were mustered on Friday last by Captain the Right lion. Lord F. Kerr, in command of the flag-ship Waterloo. The Vesuvius has this day been taken into No. 3 dry dock to have her valves, feed-pipes, and bottom examined. The following officers have taken up their commissions and joined this ship :—Mr. R. L. B. Heal, Actiog-A , sistant-Surgeon, and Mr. Wm. Wallace, Clerk. The Terrible is ordered to be realy by the 31st May next. She is now undergoing extensive re pairs in her hull and machinery The crew of the Miranda will be paid off at Sheerness to-morrow (Tuesday). Sir F. Baring, Bart., M.P. for the borough of Portsmouth, has paid a visit to Portsmouth, and received a deputation from the sailmakers and rope makers belonging to the yard, complaining that they were not paid wages on the same scale as the men of other departments. They felt it as a great grievance that, while shipwrights were receiving '27s. a-week, and painters 235., they only sot 21s. Sir Francis thought the better course for them to pursue was to send a petition to the Board of Ad miralty, through the Admiral Superintendent Mar tin, and he would do all in his power to assist them in the just object they had in view ; he had already forwarded their case to the First Lord of the Admiralty, and was awaiting Sir C. Wood's re ply. The deputation were introduced to Sir Francis, at the Fountain Hotel, by Mr. Alderman Levy. EAST INDIA AND CHINA MAILS. April 9—The steam packet Colombo, from Sonthamp. ton, with mails and a general cargo, for Gibraltar, Malta, and Alezaudria ; steamer Thalia, from Valencia, with fruit, for Cork, consigned to Messrs. Grahams and Co.—cleared; brig Asia, from Porail and Constanti nople, with maize, for Cork—cleared ; brig Charlotte, from Rio (Elba), with iron ore, for Newport—c!eared ; brig Pacific, from Mazzarelli, with locusts, f-r Dart mouth, for orders—cleared; barque J-seph Bushby, from Genoa, in ballast, for Gibraltar, for orders, con-, signed to Messrs. Carver, Brothers ; brig Jane Price, from M.tlaga, in bailaq, for Gibraltar, for orders, con.. signed to Messrs. D. Garese and Sons ; steamer E trl of Lonsdale, from Tangiers; with bullocks, for Gibraltar, consigned to Mr. Mateos ; her Majesty's steam-sloop Curlew, from Tangier ; schooner Merit, from Garrucha, with copper ore, for Swansea—cleared ; barque Magna Charta, from Scala Nova, with barley, for Cork, for orders—cleared ; screw -steamer Berwick, from Malaga, in ballast, for London, consigned to Messrs. Peacock and Co. April 10—The screw -steamer Britannia, from London, with a general cargo, for Gibraltar and Cadiz. consigned to Messrs. Peacock and Co. brigantine Dirt, from Newcastle, with coals, for Gibraltar; screw -steamer Albanian, from Liverpool, with a general cargo, for Gibraltar and Genoa, consigned to Messrs. Carver, Brothers—cl-ared. April 11—The schooner Premier, from Scilly, with potatoes for Gibraltar, consigned to Messrs. Turner and Co. ; barque Excelsior, from Marseilles, in ballast, for Ssields—cleared ; ,barque Swift, from Malta, with salt, for Jeriey—cleared ; barque Albert Grosby, from Mar seilles, with a general cargo, for Montreal—cleared. April 12—The schooner Bee, from Palermo, with fruit, for London—cleared. Owing to the large number of ships of war now lying in ordinary in the Medway, it has been found impracticable for the troops belonging to this garri son to continue their practice with the Enfield rifle and &all firing, as it appeared that the lives of the men on ooard were endangered. An order has ac cordingly been issued by the commandant, directing that the troops undergoing rifle instruction shall discont:nue ball firing until the Lords of the Ad n►iralty have directed the removal of the vessels of war frora St. Mary's-creek, out of the range of the rift s. April 13—The steamer Mebta, from Liverpool, with a general cargo, for Gibraltar, Malta, and Constanti nople, consigned to Messrs. Middleton, Bland, and Co. —cleared. Twelve noon—The steamers Albanian left at half-past 2 p in. on Saturday for the East, and the Berwick at 6 a.m. yesterday for the west. A Spanish paddle-wheel steam-sloop and the British barque Sun derland passed from west to east yesterday afternoon. EXCIIANGES.—London, 90 days' date, 51 3-16; Paris, ditto, 51. 36e.; Marseilles, ditto, sf. 37c.; Genoa, ditto, sf. 39c. ; Madrid, 8 days' sight, 1f die. ; Cadiz, ditto, dis. ; Malaga, ditto, dts. ; Seville, ditto, i die. ; Ali canto, ditto, die.; Valencia, ditto, i dia.; Barcelona, ditto, dis. The following appointments were made on Saturday at the Admiralty : Lieut. W. E. Gordon, to the Melville ; Lieut. F. W. Sullivan, of the Castor, Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral the lion. Sir F. Grey ; R. Onslow, mate, to , the Vesuvius W. A. K. Craven, mate, Cto the urabentad. ;R. Evans, midshipman, to the Cumberland ; G. F. riotharn, naval cadet, to the Cordelia ; W. li. clerk, to the Hima laya,; and T. J. Giles, clerk, to the Hastings. DEATH OF COMMANDER: ROOKE. —Commander Charles Thomas Tooke died on the 15th instant Cheltenham, , at in the 51st year o f hi s age. lie entered the Davy April 11, 1821 ; and obtained his first commission May 10, 1827. Hia succeeding appoi n t_ meld.; were—June 26, 1827 ; and Nov. 20, 1830, elvidera, 42, C apia i ns Sir to the Is's, 50, and B Thomas Staines and Hon. Kchard Saunders Dan_ daa,' both is the Mediterranean ; and Feb. 11 , 1833, to the Vi c tory, 104, flag-ship of Sir Thom as Wiiliam s , at Portsmouth,of 1835. His promotion where he remained un til suporsedd in the spring to the rank of commander took place Nov. 23, 1841. FIRST-CLASS SHIP CHARTELED BY THE PROPRIETORS OP AN EQUESTRIAN CO3IPANY.---A first-class American packet-4hp has been chartered by Messrs. Howe and Cushing, proprietors of the great United States Circus, t , ) convey their artistes, stud, and exhibition properties from New York to Liverpool.--Liverpool Journal. [A DV E FIT ISE MENT. Fifty Thousand Cures without Medi cine, by Du Barry's delicious Revalenta Arabica Food, of in digestion (dyspepsia), flatulency, constipation, nervous, bilious, and liver complaints, debility, cough, asthma, consumption, dr.e.—Cure No. 71, of dyspepsia, from the Light Hun. the Lord Stuart do Decies—" I have derived considerable benefit from Du Barry's Revalenta Ara bica Food, and consider it due to yourselves and the pubiio to authorize the publication of these Iines, —STUART DE Decies."—Cure No. 49,832—" Fifty years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, constipa tion, flatulency, spasms, sickness at the stomach and vomit ing, have been removed by Du Barry's excellent food.— ARIA JOLLY, Wortham Ling, near Digs, Norfolk."—From the Dowager Countess of Castlestuart. Cure 52,612.—" Ross trevor, County of Down, Ireland, 9th December, 1854--The Dowager Countess of Uastlestuart feels induced, iu the in terest of suffering humanity, to state that Du Barry's excel lent Revalenta Arabica Food has cured her, after all medi -1 eines had failed, of indigestion, bile, great nervousness, a n d irritability of many years' standing," This food deserves the onfidence of all sufferers, and may be considered The battery of artillery now lying at Norwich a c real blessin g. tinprte by stimnoeint esfrowillthbee celebratedcheerfull , p a r n o s f wered._ nu - racks, under the command of Major Arbuthnot, is under orders to Proceed to Ildershott. It is ex- I Chemistry, Dr. Andrew Ure • In Dr. Shorlan ; Dr. H es a so rv rs e of pectel that the corps, which comprises six guns ' Dr. Campbell; Dr. Gattiker; Dr. Wnrzer; Dr. Ingram ami d 156 then, wi 1 proceed thither this day (Mon- Lord Stuart de D ee l es; the Dowager Countess of Castle clay) smart; Major-Gen. Thom as Ki ng, and many other respectabls Lie engineer district of Kilken n y h as b een b ro k en persons, whose health h as b een restored by it, afterall oth er means of cure had failed. For further particulars respect. up frond tbe, ibt of alalthoughtho order for i ng this invaluable food our readers are * erred toDn the puiposo was only received withi n t h e past atnrtiserant in aiaotherp34 ofthispak. Essrf. week. Captain Gossett, R.E., has already left for Cork. The Hon. Captain Bury, RE., remains in charge of Kilkenny, Which is beneeforih to be at tached to the Curragh district. It having been determined to reduce the artillery force quartered at Balliucolig from three companies to two, the company under command of Captain Thomson, numbering 136 rank and file, received orders a few days ago to hold themselves in readi news fur the route, and on Thursday morning they were accordingly directed to prepare for their de parture. Having started in the afternoon from their quarters in heavy marching order they ar rived in Cork at about six o'clock, the same even ing, in charge of the captain of the company, and were subsequently billeted throughout the city for the night, preparatory to their departure per steamer for Bristol, en route to Woolwich, where they are to join the head-quarters of the Royal Artillery Corps. SOUTHAMPTON, SATURDAY. The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's steam-ship Pera, Captain Soy, r eac h e d Southampton this day, at half-past eleven o'clock p.m., with mails and dates from the above places. On her outward voyage the Pera exp er i ence d fine weather and strong favourable winds. She ran from Southampton to Gibraltar in 3 days 22 hours, and to Malta in 7 days 3 hours ; we believe an unpreceden'ed passage. HornewardA she me 7, with westerly winds in the Meditei ranean, northerly up the coast, strong S.W., with a heavy N.W. swell across the bay, and S.E. winds, with fine weather, up the Channel. Her dates of sailing were :—Alexandria, April 5 ; Malta, Apt it 9 ; Gibraltar, April 14. The Pera brings 152 passengers, amongst whom are Captain Lane, Dr. Darnton, Captain Clapcott, Captain Yard, Dr. Hastings, Colonel Lloyd, Col. Hughes, Captain Cannon, Captain M'Donald, Captain Barclay, and Sir W. Baynes, lady, and Mrs. Bray, passenger from Bombay, died on the morning of the 18th April, off Ushant, of disease of the lungs. She also brings Mrs. Hartley, and the body of James Hartley, Esq., who died en board the com pany's ship Alma, on the 19th ult., two days' sail from Ceylon, on his return from India, aged 56 ; and it may in all truth be recorded that in him were eminently combined the noble quali , ies of the honourable, upright, and holiest citizen ; the kind, affectionate, and indulgent parent ; the fond and faithful husband ; the true and valued friend ; and the charitable and generous man. His loss will be long and deeply mourned by all who knew him ; but who can say how deeply by the widow and children he has left behind him, and by those friends who were more immediately connected with him, and who for many years had felt the influence of his kind and benevolent heart. The freight of the Pera consists of 6 packages of specie (value not specified), 10 boxes of oranges, 1 case of opium, 1,636 bales of silk, 50 cases of 90 hales of flax, 57 bales of wool, 28 bales of in cense, 64 packages of gum, and 233 packages of sundries. Her Majesty's ship Tartarus was at Alexandria. Admiral Lord Lyons was daily expected atMalta, from Constantinople, with his fleet. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's ship Alhambra arrived at Gibraltar on the morning of the 14th inst. At three p.m. on the 14th, off Cape Trafalgar, exchanged colours with the Royal Yacht Squadron schooner Centaur, standing to Gibraltar. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. Arrivals and departures of British ships reported at Gibraltar from the 6th to the 13th inst., inclusive : April 6—The Royal Yacht Squadron schooner Clay more, R. M. Wood, commander, 13 days from Genoa for England ; brig Jessie Thomas, from Alexandria, with maize, for Gibraltar for orders, barque Blackness, from Marseilles, in ballast, for Cardiff—cleared ; barque Rose, from Alexandria, with barley, for Cork—cleared ; barque Repeater, from Trieste, in ballast, for Quebec—cleared; barque Mary, from Malta, in ballast, for Gibraltar, for orders ; barque Victoria, from Malta, in ballast, for Cardiff—cleared ; brig Stanley, from Cagliari, with salt, for Pocle 7 —cleared ; schooner Zephyr, from Taranto, with oil, for Hull—c'eared ; brig Minuet, from Velez- Malaga. in ballast, for Newcastle—cleared. April 7—The steam sloop Curlew, Commander Hor ton, returned from Tangier last evening, having on board her Majesty's charg4 d'affaires, John Hay Drummond Hay, Esq., CB., who left for Tetuan in the same steamer at half past six this morning. Her Majesty's screw line of-battle ship Cressy, Captain Warren, and steam frigate Magicienne, Captain Vansittart, which arrived on Fri day night from Malta, left the bay this morning under steam to the westward. The steam tug Bustler, in charge of Mr. Falkner, left about two p.m. for England, where she is to undergo a thorough repair of her machi nery. The steam sloop Sphynx, Captain Wilmott, which arrived from Malta on Saturday bound to Sierra Leone, will leave this afternoon. Schooner Isabella, from Galatz, with maize, for Cork—cleared ; schooner Marian Zagury, from Corfo, with maize, for Gibraltar, for orders—cleared for Gijon; barque William and Anne, from Barcelona, in ballast, for Savannah—cleared. April B—The whale of the wind-bound vessels have succeeded in passing the Straits since yesterday morn ing, when the wind veered to eastward. Her Majesty's steam sloop Sphynx, Captain Wilmot, steamed to the westward at half-past two o'clock yesterday afternoon ; brig Unity, from Algiers, i❑ ballast, for Ssiansea ; bar que Vulcan, from Cartbagena, with lead, for Newcastle —cleared ; schooner Victoria, from Tangier, in ballast, for Gibraltar, consigned to Mr. Martinez ; her Majesty's sloop Curlew, from Tetuan ; brig Renovation, from Car thagena, in ballast, for Quebec— cleared; brigantine Geaver, from Valencia and Tarragona, in ballast—clear ed ; brig Clara Heckman, from Leghorn, with marble, &c., for Bost.m—cleared ; brig Undaunted, from Malta, in ballast, for Sunderland —cleared ; schooner Sir John Newport, from Cartbagena, with lead, for Newcastle— cleared ; barque Charles, from Cardiff, with coals, for Gibraltar ; brig Alma, from Palermo, with fruit, for Philadelphia— cleared ; steamer Phoebe, from Constan tinopto and Smyrna, with a general cargo, ior London, consigned to Messrs. Middleton, Bland, and Co. cleared. THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 20 1857, concerns quietness and general order, the proceedings of totes by ballot, on Thursday, were a complete triumph over the antiquated style of voting. If vote by ballot-is so un-English as Dr. Palmer emphatically declares it to be, it has this advantage, that men record their decision in sober earnestness and with proper dec•irum, instead of, as heretofore, in the midst of excitement, and when the mind was almost incapacitated from judging in a calm and rational spirit, But the real object of the ballot— to give the electors a fair opportunity of returning the most eligible candidates—has been already so fully real ised by the late elections for the Central and Southern Provinces, that we have very little fear for the result of Thursday's election." and we may expect to see the French nation, under the sway of its present intensely selfish vices, dwind ling more than under the guillotine of the Ter rorists, or the desehting waros of the ti , st Nap, dean. Her d , dining populatio❑ is the reproachful record against her. THE INEQUALITY OF THE POOR-LA TV RATES. (Prom the times.) Whatever may be the general prosperity of the ' nation, it is pretty clear that a certain amount of pauperism must be considered permanent in the metropolis and the great towns. Even in the At lantic cities of America there are the aged who cannot work, and the journeymen of depressed trades who cannot get work, to be provided for. This great capital and its suburbs, with nearly 3,000,000 of people, must therefore expect to have its perpetual multitudes of unfortunates, who must be maintained by those who are able to make a liv ing. The question of Poor -rates is, therefore, one of the most important which can affect the house holder. That the inevitable burden should s:t equally on all, the constant drain exhaust no one more than another, is a matter worthy of the most careful legislation. But how stauds the case in London ? Is not every one aware that in cert sin parishes the Poor-rate is but a trifle—that, in fact, there are no poor to be supported—while in others the householders are burdened with a most oppres sive impost'? It is well known that sometimes one street lets be't-r than another adjoining it, simply because the former is in a parish of respectable resi dences and well-to-do shops, while the other belongs to a district which contains some nest of poverty, squalor, and crime. But, not only are parishes of what may be assumed as epril wealth unequally taxed, but the working of the system is to give to those that have, and to take away from those that have not. , It is evident that the parishes which are the most free from paltry tenements will be those inhabited by the richer classes, while the poor will live among those who are almost as poor as them selves. The wealthy will therefore he freed from a burden of which the industrious and . s•ruggling cannot get rid. The rate in the pound for differ ent parishes in London varied in the year 1856 from 7fd. to 3s. 4d. And which were the parishes that presented this strong contrast ? The ' rich, aristocratic, and Royal parish of St. George, Hipsover-square, paid the 71-d. ; while St. George's in the-East paid the 3s. 4d. Of the lightly-taxed parishes we may mention St. James's, Westmins ter, rated at 101(1. ; Paddington, at 71d. ; ton, at ls. fashionableor respectable loca lities ; while, on the other hand, we have Shore ditch rated at 3s. ; Whitechapel, at 2s. 74d. ; Bethnal-elven, at 3s. 2d. ; St. Gerirge's, South wark, at 2s. 11d. ; Rotherhithe, at 3s. OW. ; and so on. It is evident, therefore, that those districts in which the poor have their dwellings are con demned to pay a much higher rate than the more fortunate neighbourhoods which have beets swept of inferior tenements. The consequences of suc'u a sytem are obvious. The poor are employed all over the metropolis, and yet there are on'y certain districts in which they can live, it being the direct interest of the parish, the landowner, and the builder to destroy the kind,of hou-es inhabited by the labouring classes. Thus, not only are the sol vent inhabitants of the poor parishes taxed exorbi tantly, but a burden is imposed on the poor them selves—the burden of living in places far from their work, and wasting time and strength in pa-sing to and ire. An "Association for Promoting the Equalisation of the Poor-rates and Uniformity of Assessment" observes in its address that the pre sent laws are unjust and cruelly oppressive, their effect being that in those parishes where property is of the greatest rateable value the charge for poor rate is so light as to be only nominal, while, on the contrary, in those parishes where the houses are small, and where the labouring man can find a residence, the poor -rate is most oppressive, vary ing from 3s. to 45., 5s , and even 10e. in the pound per annum. In the former case it will be found to be only 4d., 3d., 2d., and in a few instances only id. in the you d for the year. All these facts point to something like a general rate for the entire metropolis ; and there is, indeed, much to be said in favour of such a scheme. London is a city of an extent out of all proportion to the other towns of England, and it is the onlylarge city in this part of the kingdom. It might, then, be not unfairly considered as an exceptional region, and, as it has its Central Criminal Court, it might be furnished with its General Poor-Law Board and rate. But there are, on the other hand, many difficulties. The metropolis has been well described as not so much a city as an aggregation of neighbourhoods. The gentry and tradespeople of St. George's and St. James's, of Belgravia and Tyburnia, have as little to do with the manufacturing population of Lambeth and Southwark, the maritime race of Wapping and Blackwell, or the vast labouring population of Bei hnal-green and its neighbourtiood. In fact, London is a metropolis properly so called, with its Court and Legislature and administration of justice; but it is also a great seaport, and a great manufacturing city. To throw all these to gether, arid tax each individual according to the wants of the whole, would be pretty much as if Liverpool, Manchesterjand one or two favourite watering-places were united to support the poor of the whole. It would be conceding the principle of central as opposed to local rating ; and, were it established for London, it might soon be demanded for the entire kingdom. But leaving this great question aside for the pre sent, we think much may be done by the parishes themselVes. There la no doubt that at present there exist great inequalities, from the system of fititious rating which prevails. Instead of rating all houses equally some are made to pay on their rack-rent, some on two-thirds, and some on not more than half. It is evident that this is an inherent defect which will render ineffectual any scheme for au equalisation of burdens. Even were London united for rating purposes, the inequalities for rating would exist as here•ofore so long as s .me parishes or parts of parishes were only half-rated, while others paid up the full rental. It is certainly 1 great hardship for St. George's-in -the East that property-tax value should be 106,469/., while its poor -rate assessment amounts to 153,2971.; also for Bethnal-green and Whitechapel that a similar ex cess should appear ; while St. George's, Hanover square, with a property-tax value of 1,027,580/., should only be assessed at 694,3801. We find that this rich parish is not only lghtly rated from the absence of poor, but that the nominal rating is in reality much less, from a low fictitious value being substituted for the real value of the property. Under the present system this nominal rating is no test of the real burden on the parish. Until, there fore, uniformity of assessment be attained, either lay the voluntary action of the parishes or by the interference of the Legislature, there can be little hope of a practical equalisation of poor-rates ; and the great Metropolitan Union, with its general rate of ls. in the pound, must remain a vision of the future. At the South Melbourne election the following were the words of the returning officer, on declaring the poll— _ "I hope one day all will be in favour of the ballot, for the ballot never wilt be overturned. The report of its successful operation here will go borne and strengthen the hands of the popular party in England, who are working towards the same great end." That it will do so is beyond a doubt. The arrival of Mr. Nicholson in England at this particular mo ment, with the Victorian Ballot law in his hand, and the narrative of the first elections held under it., is to be regarded as a most auspicious event for the popular came. The Society for promoting the Bsllot (the most useful polit'cal association we are acquainted with) is entitled to our applause for the judgment with which it Las availed itself of the presence of the Australian reforniet to give a fresh impulse to the question. It is well done to make the public as extensively acquainted as possible with the achievements and• experience of such a man. Let us mention one or two more points in which Mr. Nicholson informs us that secret suffrage has already verified the predictions of its advocates. Personal c knvassing is, of course, absurd under the ballot, and we are not surprised to learn that it ceased almost entirely at Victoria with open voting. " It was a remarkable fact that in Victoria eanvassing had almost ceased to exist. It was the practice there for candidates to address public meetings such as the pre sent, but private solicitation was all but entirely abo• llshed. In many cases candidates had declared th a t they did not canvass, a n d t h at was the reason_ why they were popular. A letter from Mr. Kerby, in the Mel bourne Argus of Oct. 11, said :—' The ballot being now the law of the land, ought to be carried out with strict integrity. An advertisement emanating from Mr. M 4 Dermott's committee invites the electors to hear him, as be has altogether abstained from a personal canvass, "so unfairly adopted by other candidates." If such has been the case' I quite agree with him in denouncing such proceedings, and am therefore anxious to let the public know that, as far as I am con cerned, the charge cannot be brought against me, and I challenge any el ec t or , if I , i n any one instance, Erectly or indirectly, resorted to such a practice. I would much rather, by using fair means, be an unsuccessful candi iste, than the reverse, and a suc7.essful one." Observe also another operation of the ballot-box. One of the notorious and worst effects of the pre sent unprotecte I state of the franchise in England is the virtual political annihilation at every election of multitudes who, being placed in the dilemma of voting at the hazard of their personal interest, or abstaining from voting at all, choose the latter side of the alternative, and might therefore just as well be disfranchised by positive law. It will be worth inquiring what proportion of the electors of the United Kingdom left their franchise unexercised in the e!ections which gee now just concluded, and the Ballot Society would do well to collect and publish the facts. We have no doubt that the number will be found very considerable, mid just as little that its magnitude is chiefly to be ascribed to the state of the law, which mocks men with privileges only to be used at risks to which poiitiJal extinction is a preferable evil. Now, here is what we are told of the effect of the ballot at Melbourne, actually more than doubling the effective constituency; for elec tors that dare not vote might as well nut exist at all ; the law gives them a barren right, which the ballot-box alone can convert into a practical advan tage. 7. It might be said, when all this quietness prevailed, that there was not sufficient interest taken in the elec tion. But what was the fact. An election took place at Melbourne some time before the last general election. Tb, number of the constituency was about equal on the two occasions. At the first election a large amount of money was spent by both candidates, of whom he (the speaker) bad the honour of nominating one, and then out of the 8,000 electors, but 2,000 recorded their votes ; whilst at the last election, under the operation of the ballot, out of the same number of electors, and accompanied by no noise or excitement, those who re corded their votes numbered over 5,000. In South Melbourne only twelve electors failed to record their votes. In another a very remarkable and almost un- exampled circumstance occurred, for there only one e t, otor did not record his vote ant of the whole district. It was manifest that, however much peop:e were pressed or driven to the poll, under a system of open voting, they were influenced by considerations of various kinds, and many of them made it their business to get out of the way so as to escape from voting. Now, however, under the ballot they recorded their votes in more than double proportion they did brinerly. " THE DEPOPULATION OF FRANCE. RUSSIAN RAILWAYS. Messrs. Baring, Brothers, and Co. have issued heir Rusian Railway prospectus, and their name is the only English one comprised in the board of direction. The sum they ask from Loudon capital- its out of the 12,000,0001. first to be raised is 2,000,0001., instead of between 3,000,000/. and 4,000,000/., as originally contemplated. The sum iu Paris having likewise been reduced, ,it is to be presumed an estimate more accurate than that originally entertained has been formed of its pro bable reception. The statements now put forth fail to modify any of the features, already com mented upon. The guarantee,. after allowing for sinking fund, is to be only 4 11-12ths per cent, the working expenses, in the face of universal experi ence, are put as low as 45 per cent., and the diffi culty as to crossing the marshes with which the country abounds is simply disposed of by the state ment that they:" will be avoide& by a proper selec tion of the route." The number of miles to b., con structed are 2,535, at a cost 'of 16,5111. per mile, or about 43,000,0001., and the whole must be made within 10 years. It is not stated in what quarter the extra proportion first intended for London and Paris is now to be allotted. The Prussian public, who aro best qualified to form an opin.on of the pr. spects of the enterprise, both commercial and political, are understool to be disposed to limit themselves to the modest amount of 200,0001., or less, although the proposed extension of the Wareaw line to their own frontier and the intimate business connexions of their backers and others with St. Petersburg might be supposed - to operate in its fa vour. Upon the Court of St. Petersburg and its agents the duty of making up the deficiency from the failure on this side will therefore apparently fall, and the advices for the next few months will perhaps desctite the eagerness with which the mer chants of that capital, who usually never put out their money at a less interest than 10 to 12 per cent., aro seeking to be allowed to contribute. With regard to the prospect of the 2,000,000/. being taken in London it must be inferred that Messrs. Baring, before they istued.the prospectus for that reduced amount, were able to ealeu!ate that it could be made up by their own subscription and that of personal friends who would feel it incum bent on them to afford assistance.. The first pay ment is to be 61. per share, and the period for ap plications is from the 28th of April to the sth of May. The contractors stipulate for 6 per cent. of all profits beyond the guaranteed dividend and sinking fund. LAW INTELLIGENCE.-April 18. VICE - CHANCELLORS' COURTS. (Beier° Vice-Chancellor Wood.) INJUNCTION AGAINST MR. DILLON S ACTING—. WEBSTER V. DILLON. The plaintiff in this case was Mr. George Alfred Webster, the present lessee of &ellen' Wells Theatre, and the defendant was,Mr. Chas. Dillon, the well-known actor. The application was on behalf of Mr. Webster, for an injunction to restran Mr. Dillon from violating an agreement entered into between the plaintiff and defendant, and from acting at Drury-lane Theatre, or at any other place, without the sanction or permission in writ ing of the plaintiff during the twelve nighti 'com mencing Monday next, the 20th inst. The agree ment upon which the present motion was founded was contained in a letter addressed by the de fendant to the plaintiff, which w is in the fellowing words :—" My deer Sir—l agree to play for you at the Sadlere' Wells Theatre, for twelve consecu tive nights, commenciog on the 20th of April, that provided I provide Mr. Barret to play the old men in the pieces, you will allow me a-clear half of the gross receipts, 'after you have deducted 201. per night. Provided also that I play among my pieces the characters of William Tell, Rolla, and Ingomar." The plaintiff, in his affidavir in support of the motion, stated that in pursuance of the above agreement, he had made the necessary arrangement and preparations for the performance of Mr. Charles Dillon at the Sadlers' Wells Theatre fir twelve nights, and that he had gone to consider able expense towards producing the several pieces named in the agreement. That on the 15th of April the plaintiff received a letter 'written by Mr. Dillon's direction, in which it was stated that he (Mr. Dillon) would only act in the play of " Vir ginius" at Sadlers' Wells Theatre, on the 20th of April, and that he should decline to act in any other play on that evening. That this was a five act play, and that the defendant well knew the plaintiff, could not perf .rm such a play at Sadlers' Welts Theatre, since he was precluded by his agree ment with the lessee from performing five-act plays. That the defendant threatened to perform at Drury lane Theatre on Monday next, and in consequence of these circumstances lie was compelled to apply for this injuncti Mr. Swanston, who appeared for the plaintiff, cited Lumley v. Wagner as an authority in favour of the application. The Vice-Chancellor granted the injunction to restrain the defendant from playing at any other place than Sadlers' Wells Theatre during the ordi nary hours of performance at that theatre for twelve consecutive nights, commencing on the 20th April, the Plaintiff undertaking to abide by such damages as the court should direct. (Sittings at Nisi Prins, at Weettninster, before Mr. Baron Watson and Common Juries.) RANSOM V. BASVILLE — REVELATIONS OF THIS PRINCE OF WALES CLUB. This action was brought by the plaintiff to re cover 501., as money lent by him to the defen dant, who pleaded never indebted, and that the money was lent for the "purpose of gaming. Mr. E. James and Mr: Mills appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and Mr. J. Simon were counsel for the defendant. The learned counsel, -vin opening the ewe, said the defendant had pleaded that the money was lent for the purpose of playing a game—and then there was a blank, but he believed it would turn out that the money was not lent to play any I game at all. The defendant, in 1e 52, was a glitter ig star in the fashion, and the plaintiff was largely engaged on the turf, and in betting transactions, and he bad lent the defendant the sum sought to be recovered at hie request, and he gave the plaintiff an f 0 U of a Mr. Pitcher for that loan ; but it turned out that there was a balance due from the defendant to Mr. Pitcher which would much more than cover the I 0 U. The defendant had left his creditors whi n a very large defaulter on the turf, and had gone to reside in Paris, and was not found out till a short time ago, when the present action was commenced against him. If the defendant's case, as set up, was true, viz., that the 501. was not money lent, of course the defendant would come forward and suppert - it. The plaintiff was called and said--I was ac quainted with the defendant in 1852, and had known him for 10 or 12 years. I remember the York August Races Meeting very well indeed ; and I was at the Prince of Wales Club-house, in St. James-street, in the eourse of that week. One night I was in the refreshment room of that dun, and the defendant cline in after me and said, " Well, old fellow, lam cleaned out." I had been playing up stairs, and he said he had asked the people up stairs to lend him 301., and they had re fused, and he said " Would you lend me 301. till Monday ?" He also said he Wanted it for a parti cular purpos', but for what he did not say. I then gave him three 10/. notes. Monday was the set tling day for the York meeting, and this occurred on the Friday previous. The settling was at Tat tersall's, where he promised to meet me on the Monday. He al erwards said he wanted 201. more, which I gave him, and he gave me an I 0 U, accepted by a Mr. Pitcher, for 1001., and he said he would pay me on the Monday. I did not see him on the Monday, nor could I find him out, but my attorney did so, on the Monday I saw Mr. Pitcher at Tattersall', and he said the def ndant ought to be ashamed of himself, as be owed hint a larger sum than the amount of the I 0 U. Cross-examined—l do not know that Pitcher is a gambler. The defendant was not drunk when I lent him the money. The Prince of Wales Cluh is a gambling-house, but I never met Pitcher there. I have been to the club once or twice. I cannot tell who kept it. I mean to swear I don't know who kept it. There were a great many people playing there, but I did no t k no w them. I don t know that they play on the Sunday, as I have: never been on a Sunday. I was playing " hazard' there with my own money. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine—Do you know what a "bonnet" is ? Don't be delicate. I don't mean a lady's bonnet. (A laugh.) Mr. James—Nobody knows what a lady's bonnet is now ; it is impossible to describe it. (Continued laughter.) Witness—A "bonnet'' is a fictitious player. I had 2001. or 3001. in my pocket when I lent the plaintiff the money. Iliad been playing that night, and had been very successful. I was playing at the same table with tl:e defendant, and he told me that he had nothing to lose. I did not see the de fendant playing. I heard him say that he had just come from York. When he said he was " cleaned out," I prPsiime he meant that he had been cleaned out at York. I won the whole 501. at the table which I lent him. I began to play with about 1201. or 1301., perhaps more. I was living at that time where I am now—namely, at Church-street, Chelsea. I have no other means of living than by gambling. I bet on horse races. I have lived 15 or 20 years as a gambler. I have no business. lam 43 years of age. I always con trived to live by gambling, I was an engraver. Re-examined—The defendant and I met a good deal at races. It is a common occurrence to lend money at I lent this 501. I had nothing at all to do with the Prince of Wares Club-house, merely going as any other gentleman might who went to the house. The defendant was in the habit of playing a good deal. I met him at nearly every race that I went to. The plaintiff's attorney was tl:en called, but his evidence was not of any importance. It bein g intimated that no witnesses would b e called far the defendant, Mr. James summed up the plaintiff's evidence, acid contended that his client was entitled to a ver dict. The question was not what his charac er was, but whether his statement was true, or not; and on the other side no witnesses had been called to contradict it. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine then addressed the jury for the defendant, and submitted thet the plain tiff's evidence could not be relied on, and he there fore asked them for a verdict for hie client. It had been said, Why was not the defendant called ? The reason was because he did not want all his past life raked up for the amusement of the Court and public. There could be no doubt that the money was lent for gaining, and probably found its way batik into the plaintiff's pocket and the pockets of tho-e who kept the house. He concluded by ask ing the jury for a verdict for his client. Mr. Baron Watson summed up. Ile thought it was much t o th e di sgrace and di s honour of the de fendan,'s fittniiy that he should have instructed his counsel to impute perjury and 'cheating to the plaintiff without bringing forward any evidence to support those imputations. If they believed the pl-tintiff'a evidence they must find their verdict for him The jury immediately foUnd a i',:rdict for the amount, claimcci-501. [ADVERTISEMENT].. -110110Wa y 's _ Ointment and Pills stiq. unrivalled.—John Winterton, of Empingliam, Rut land, takes a pleasure in informing Professor Holloway of the happy effects he has experienced by the aid of these inestimable remedies, He was a sufferer fer four ye ars with an ulcerated leg, and repeatedly under medi cal treatment for,thesame, without o bt a i n i ng th e slight est alleviation of pain. Having heard of Holloway's ointment and pills he determined to test their virtues. After using them for n time, to his -astonishment and delight his restoration to btaltli was complete. Sold by all medicine vendors throughout the world at Profes:or Holloway's establishment-, 244, Strand, London, and 80, Maiden lane, New York ; by A. Stampa. Constanti nople ; A, Guidicy, Smyrna, and E. Muir, Malta. THE BALLOT IN AUSTRALIA, (Front the Examiner.) We published last week the secret-suffrage clauses of the electoral law of the colony of Victoria, printed in accordance with an address of the late House of Commons. The history of the introduction of the vote by ballot into Victoria is briefly this. The co looy in 1855 obtained a new constitution from the Imperial Parliament es t a bli s hi ng two houses ot leg islature, both elective, and a responsibl e m i n i s t ry. The then existing legislative body, called the Legislative Council, only partly elective, was charged with the preparation of an electoral law, to constitute the electoral body, and regulate the mode of holding elections. The electoral law, introduced by the existing colonial ministry, proposed to esta blish open voting, as practised in the mother coun try. e, leading member of the Legislative Council, Mr. Nicholson, a man of great intelligence and energy, who had filled several important posts in the colony, made a counter-propedtion in favour of the ballot, The ministry resisted, were defeated in the council, and resigned office. Mr. Nicholson was celled to form a government, but declined, in con sequence of his intention to visit Engle'''. The old government resumed their places, but perse vered in resisting the ballot, disputing the point inch by inch with the opposition, who were, how ever, not to be outdone in vigour and determina tion. Mr. Nicholson proposed the necessary clauses in the electoral law, and carried them by still larger majorities than that which had originally sanc tioned the principle. In the debate on the third reading, the Attorney-General of Victoria croaked the most awful warnings of the ruin which secret voting was sure to bring down ut, - on the devoted colony. No Attorney-Gene.al at Westminster could have performed the raven's part more ad mirably. The ballot was folly, the ballot was revolution, the ballot was un-Australian, and the immediate setting •of the Victoria sun, never again to rise, was 'predicted in a most lachrymose strain of a colonial crown lawyer, mimicking Eldon at the Antipodes. It is only just, however, to the Diabolus Regis of the other hemisphere to add, that. his afterwards publicly recanted some of his strongest objections, seen to be untenable by the light of experienCe. Mr. Nicho!son, who is still in England, bas been welcomed, as he well dest)rved to be, by Parlia mentary reformers in every part of the country. Several public entertainments have been given to him, and he has availed himself of these and other opportunites to relate the history of the move ment which he led with so much spirit, and brought to so triumphant a close. Example is of immense weight in the business of the world, and that of one of our greatest and most flourishing colonies seizing the earliest opportunity of applying the principles of plain common sense to the problem of securing the genuineness of the elective franchise, will not be lost on the people of England. How often have we not heard the parrot cry that there is something in the Atiglo-Saxon race that revolts with shuddering from the notion of voting in secret ? Well, here is an Anglo-Saxon community, and a vigorous specimen of one, which has revolted most conspicuously in the opposite direction. Let us hear no more, therefore, of the Anglo-Saxon argument against the ballot. Vic toria has knocked it in the head, and after full experience of the evils of the open poll, for it was the experience of those evils that called the ballot party into exist,eice, and supplied Mr. Nicholson and his friends with the artillery of argument that carried the day. Again, how many times have we not heard it re iterated that it was beyond the mechanical inge nuity of man in any part of the world to devise a machinery for the conduct of an election on the plan of secrecy. Mr. Nicholson's answer is very short. " We have done it in Australia," and he has told the British public what the process is. " The mode he said was a very simple one. There was returning officer foradistrict, and he held a nomination the same as was the custom in England. Supposing r. poll was demanded, it opened at 9 o'clock in the morning and closed at 4in the afternoon. The voting was by ballot papers furnished by the returning officer, who t'ok with him to the booth the electoral roll, and a number of ballot papers, containing the names of the candidates. In apish kis room each elector came up to vote, and might beques t tinned by any on e , thi s b e i ng done withl the view of avoid ing the possibility of personation. As soon as an elector's identity and right to vote bad been established, be was handed a ballot-paper, and then passed into a private room, where he was required to mark out the names of the candidates he did not vote for, and then to fold up and place the ballot-paper in the ballot-box. He was then pa eel out by another door. The mode of voting was secret in this way ; no one had an opportunity of knowing, what names he had marked out, or what parties he had voted for or against. In a large cenrikuenoy, such as Mel bourne, with 8,500 elector', they had various election booths, and in these rooms are sub-divisions over which are the letters indicating where individuals must record their votes. After a person came out of a ballot-room he could say how he had voted, but he had it not in his power to show how he had voted. He was perfectly free in this respect, therefore, from all influence." Corruptly tampering with the box appears to be most effectually guarded against; another thing stated ten thousand times to be beyond the reach of human wit. " One great evil suggested against the ballot was, that the returning officer might tamper with the ballot box; but, in Victoria, each candidate was allowed nominate a scrutineer, who sat by the returning officer during the whole proceedings, and until the poll was closed. It was impossible for a returning officer to suc ceed in tampering with the box with such a scrutiny as that. Each scrutineer has the opportunity of seeing the b..110t-box before it is locked up, and placed for the re ception of votes and at the cl ose o f th e po ll t o see t h e votes counted. In the elections in Victoria there were some close contests ; in one large district the successful candidate was returned by a majority of twelve, in another by a majority of one, and in another by th e cast ing vote of th e returning officer, but never bad a return. ing officer been charged with making a false return. Another check upon the returning officer was, that the returning officer when he delivered a ballot paper signed his name to it, so that, to be any imposition, they must very successfully forge the name of the returning officer." Although so recently established, it is to be ob served that already the ballot hai ceased in Victoria to be a theory. It has be- n tried, and has given unmixed satisfaction to the public. Of course the experience of its advantages is brief, but what more was it ever possible to say for 'he wisest and most valuable of human institutions, in the first days of their working, than that to Vie extent of their working their efficiency was proved ? We subjoin a few testimonials borne by the Australian journals to the satisfactory operation of the ballot in the first elections held under the new law. Vic give them as we find them in one of Mr. Nicholson's speeches, beginning with the evidence of the Melbourne Herald : " At the date of our last summary, the Upper House elections were pending, and the utmost public interest was excited as to the result. Thu polling for the Central Prevince (Melbourne and suburban districts) came off on the 26th ult., when the 'ballot was tested for the first time in the colony, and operated in a manner which not only satisfied the expectations of its meet sanguine ad vocates, but actually won over as converts some of those who were previously its most determined opponents, both in and out of the Legi , lature." His next extract would be from the Argus, this and the Herald being the two leading papers. It had reference to the election for St. Kilda : 'efa The polling for the two representatives to serve this district in the Legislative Assembly took place yester day, and passed off with the most exemplary good order and quiet ; indeed, with the exception of all the dead walls in the neighbourhood being covered with placards in all the colours of the rainbow, a stranger in the dis trict accustomed to election scenes in the old country would have exhibited some amount of incredulity on being told that an active election contest was proceeding. Not a single complaint against the working of the ballot or of any underhand or unfair practices reached our ear during our visits to the polling places. The amount of ' excitement which prevailed during the day was anything but active, so far as we could observe by the collection ot persons about the booths; but at the close of the;poll considerable interest was manifested in the result." The returning officer for St. Kilda was strongly opposed to the ballot, but he stated (as recorded in the Argus) on declaring - the poll : " The returning officer said he thanked the meeting for their kindness, and in doing so could not help bear leg ttstanony to the favourable working (~f the ballot, although opposed to it in principle himself. His assistant officers joined with him in asserting that during the pro ce,s of election, especially in the Windsor district, there had often been le- a noise in a polling booth than in a place of worship. That proved the strict propriety of the proceedings." Mr. Nicholrou considered the testimony of Mr. the returning officer in this instance, as of great value, as it shows that, although a consis tent opposer of the ballot, his practical experience as returning officer compelled him to acknowledge its success:-- ' The Melbourne Age, in speaking of the Geelong election, F,tatecl "The 44110 t on this occasion has shown what a safety valve it if to the people. Mr. Sladen, in his address, had the effrolitery to say that the voluntaries were in the mi nority, 'out this shows his ignorance of public opinion, which 'the ballot on this occasion bas proved. The bal lot bar; saved many a man from having a mortgage fore closed upon him, as was the ease under the old system, where a man exercised his own free will." lis to the Geelong election, the Geelong Observer say 1 ' The ballot saves the people from much of the an nclance they would have suffered under the old regime. When party malice and individual r ancour have done their work, the ballot affords a few minutes for calm re flection, and in that few minutes, honesty, capacity, use -fulness, and character will have the victory, and, after all, the chances are in favour of the best men." He then read from the Ballarat Examiner, Sept. 15, 1856 "The election for the western province. —As far as (From the Examiner.) The massacres of the first revolution, and the wars of Napoleon, may sufficiently account for the diminution of the French population up to a recent date, but a new cause is now in operation, tending powerfully to the same result. The old frugality of the French has been banished by the present regime, and luxury and extravagance are now the prevailing habits. Saving and hoarding are at an end, and people live up to their means, if not beyond their means. In Paris the immense increase of handsome equipages must strike every eye, and the other signs of enlarged expenditure are abundant. Women, who play so prominent and important a part in the affairs of France, have of course taken the lead in this new fashion of extravagance, and many of them do not think it unreasonable to devote a third of their husbands' income to their own toilettes. And this is not confined to Paris, it runs through the whole country, and every provincial town is a Paris in miniature iu the features of a new luxury and ex travagance. And the freer indulgence in every sort of enjoyment is concurrent with an universal aug mehted cost of living. A French authority, who has writ' en on thesubject of the high house-rentsof Paris, attribu'es that enhancement not to the demolition of old buildings, but to the new habits of expen-e which have sprung up within the last few years. And if t his be the fact in Paris, it will also account f I. the advance of pikes throughout the provinces. The subdivision of property, whatever may be its meri , s in other respects, lends its aid to the gene ral propensity for extravagance. A young man, a younger brother, gets his little share of pro perty, and launches at once int o th e p l easure i t may place within his reach. He goes up to Paris with a few hundred or thousand francs, and spends his capital as if it were an income. He is asked after by some one who has met him in better days, and the stereotyped answer is—He has disappeared. There are oubli e tt es i n soc i ety for these prodigals. some find their way to Africa, where they carry muskets ; some to the jail ; some to the bottom of the Seine. None recover by industry the footing lost by extra vagance. Families do not generally run the road to ruin so fast. They follow the fashion of ex pense by living fully up to their incomes, and the husband endeavours to extend the means of enjoyment by a litle gambling, under the com mercial name of speculation. One prudence only is observable, and that is in avoiding the charges incidental to a number of children. The saying so common in England, "where Heaven sends mouths it sends meat," is unknown in F rance , and the nu m b er of mouths to be fed is adjusted stilot!y to the means of feeding them. A h%s band and wife have one or two children, or none at all, as the Times observes, according to their ideas of what they can afford. Of course, then, in proporti on t o the enlarged expenditure for objects of luxury and show is the circumscribed space for the nursery. The stables cut into it, the coach-house cuts into it, above all, Ma dame's toilette. Wh ere you would see with English habits half-a-dozen healthy boys and girls walking with their parents, you see instead, in the Bois de, Boulogne, a flue lady in a hand some open carriage. The horses, the coachman, the footman, are in lieu of the children. Every thing cannot be afforded. A choice must be made, and we see what it is. The preferred issue of the French couple are their own favourite pleasures, dress, equipages, good living, gambling. Children would narrow the means fur these enjoyments, or leave for them no means whatever ; theref TO chil dren are not born to curtail their parents' pleasures. And the want of them is not felt where all is given to the gratification of vanity and the senses. The drawing-roeme the dining-room, the promenade, and the theatre fill every moment and satisfy every wish ; or it is only when these things stale and pall that a desire arises for the new play - thing of a boy or a gill. Of couree there are exceptions to these habits, and here and there will be found families with domestic enj o y men t s , b ut th e num b er o f th em has boon much diminished by the order or disorder of extravagance so countenanced and encouraged by the present dynas , y. The evil is not confined to the wealthy classes ; it descends through all classes with the modification of circumstances. The shopkeeper and his wile, the artisan and his wife, are all for the vanities and enjoyments within their reach, as muchas the millionnaire and his wife. The occupation for the thoughts which politics once pro vided being gone, the general pursuit now is plea sure, and the means of obtaining it, by hook or by crook, generally on the miry field of the bourse. In such a state of things there must be a tendency to every sort of degeneracy, moral and physical, THE BANK RETURN. The Bank Return of last week was quite suf ficently unfavourable to ju , tify, indeed to compel the Bank to raise its rate of discount. There was a decrease of bullion to the extent of 643,8391. when compared with the pr 3 vi,, u s re turn. But besides this the reserve of notes bas diminished by no less a sum than 1,120,645!., and was thus reduced to 3,507,475 i. The amount of notes in reserve in the spring of 1847 was at cne time (in May) as low RI 2,741,080/., or about 760,0001. less than that a last week. In the autumn it declined to littl• more than a million, and then the Act of 1844 bad to be suspended. The exchanges are still against us, and should more gold be withdrawn from the Bank, the rate of discount must again be immediately raised. A more decided and evident condemnation of Peel's whole monetary system could not posslblY be afforded than we have now presented in this country by these constantly recurring rises in the rate of discount., and ete attendant contractions of. the nation's circu!atmg uedium. If with the enormous advantage which the unex pected discoveries of gold give to the builionisto, we are exposed to these evils, what would have been the condition of the country with free trade and a contra , 7ted currency, and no arrivals from California and Australia ? We have no hesitation in saying that the distress and ruin would have been 'perfectly appalling, and the result either the overthrow of the existing in,titution of Engl lid in the attempt to obtain relief, or the overthrow of the bullionist =m e tal system.—Derbyshire Courier. Country Markets. HADDINGTON GRAIN MARKET —APRIL 17. winua. BARLRY I t OATS, ' : No.A , S'_ First 583 Od 45 s Od 33s 3d 1 464 Od ~ Second 36 s 3d 37s ld ) 28s ld ) 376 ', Third 29 s Od, 308 0.1 1 23 , . 64 1 34s w' Total quantity of wheat in market, CO9 qrs., 602 801 l I/I Oil barley ~ 190 qrs., 162 50 1 ; St , o ats ,; 365 qr s ., 365 t' . 1 /P PI beans ~ 112 qrs., 112 5 010 AVERAGES PER IMPERIAL QUARTER. Wheat, 1/. 16 3 4-12ths l Barley, _it. 17 1 10.12t 1 Oats, ... 11. 3 1 10-12ths j Beans, ..... 11. 17 3 9-12t1.1 DALKEITH GRAIN MARKET—APRIL 16. Q rs. Best. • Current, i nfet l,,, 346 Wheat 69s Od ...... .. 353 4d 492 Oats 3os 6ii 2sa Old _ 011 ..... 21. „ A 199 Barley 4ls Od ......... 36s 9d 39 Peas & beaus 40s oa 34i 70 3l (/' ABERDEEN-APRIL 17. Potato oats 21s Od to 22s Od 1 p 401bs er buohel Common oats 20s Od to 21s Od Bere 31s Od to 34s Od ( 53ibe Barley 31 s Od t o 34 s Od f ,P Wheat, red (spring)36s Od to 37s Od 1 621bs white 30s Od to 46s Od Oatmeal 16s 6il to 17s 6d per boll. Flour 448 Od to 45s Od per sack. PROVISION MARKET. Beef, per lb 6d to 8d Butter, p lb. is Od to 03 4 2 I Mutton, per lb 7d to 9d Eggs, p doz. Os 8d to Os 1 ' Lamb, do., Os Od t o O s 0 I Hens, p pair 3 s Od t o 3 8 6 Veal, per lb ... 8d to Os 1111 I Chickens,do.2s Od to 2t, 6 Pork, per 1b...0s 6d to Os 7d Ducks, do. 2s Od to 2s 6 Salmon, per lb Os to O s D uc klings,doOs Od to 0: °,., Grouse, per brace Os to O s T ur k eys, eac h 4s Od to 51 !; Tallow, p stone, Os to 10 s 01 P o t atoes, per peck, 01 to l A Rabbits, each 1 3d to 4d. Butter for exportation (present cure) per cwt.... 063 to IC4I Eggs, wholesale price, p er d ozen RETAIL PRICES. d Flour,l4lb 0s Od t o 2 s 6d B ar l ey fl our, l4lb .Os to 2 s 2 • Oatmeal Os Od to is 9d „ dust, Beremeal Od to is 10d , per lb 2d to 2 / Peaserneal... Os Od to 2s 8d Sids, Cheese, per imperial stone, 4s. Od. to 4s 51 4-lb. 10af...7d. J 2-lb. 10af...3A. DUBLIN, APRIL 17. - • There was a decidedly better tone in the corn market 1° : day, and we note w h ea t 6d to 9d., and oats 3d to 6d dear! ' than on Tuesday. Barley steady, without alteration in value. In Indian corn rather more business done, but 0° improvement in price. White wheat, 31s 6d to 33s GI ; red ditto, 303 Oa to 3 14 Oct ditto new, —0 ; barley, malti ng , 16 8 to 25.3 Gd ; grico: ing, 153, to 203 ; oats, old, 12s t o 14 s Od ; ditto, n-evr,l: Oct to 1530 ct, oatmeal, 13s 841 to 15 s; b are , new, He to I „''' 0,1; rApos- d, 303 0,1 to 32s Od per brl ; ')asters'. flour, 11 6 6d to 243 Oct por cwt; Indian corn, 33s Oct to 353 Od P t 4 480 lbs LOCAL SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, APRIL 18. STOCK EXCHANGE. —The market was dull to•day, t Tl f i the rates of all the leading stocks have declined. Tlis lowing were the sales : London and North Westell 1051 i—Manchest er , Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 39 1 Lancashire and Yorkshire, 102 Ik—South Eastern, 2 —Eastern Cou n ti es , 11a_ Black burn, Bl—Grand of Canada, 15 —N ort h B r i t i sh, 111—North Eastern, B er wick, 24—Great Western of Canada, 251 ex d.—Dittop new, 2.16.3. prem. ex d.—London and North Wester l4 Eighths, e die.—Midlands, 824 I—East Lancashire, fift l4 5 per ceut. pref., 52i. UAW:TESTER, Arlt/L 18. STJOR EXCEUNGE.—The market to-day was doing quiet business, and prices were slightly easier. Sout h Eastern and Dovers, 22$ 9-16—Easters Counties, 11i - ",. East Lancashire, 99—Midlands, F2!—London and Nori o Western, 1052—Lancashire and Yorkshire, 102--Ditt o ' new 91., p. BIRMINGHAM, APRIL 18. STOCK EXCHANGE. The market was doing only' a t limited business to-day, and chiefly iu local stocks, b% quotations for railway shar es were well supported, and I some instances a shade higher than on Friday. PROCLAMATION OP OUTLAWRY.—On Thursday the f °l. howing persons were called up on t o surrender to O° . several writ+ against them, under penalty of outlaw ' —Robert Ironeywood (two suits), Sir Robert juke; Clifon, Bart., the Hon, Francis C. Lawley, John Mar sey Stanley, Charles Henry Lionel Widrington Standisol E :wa; d Stratton, Win. Willoughby Gunstone the HO' Brownlow Thomas Montague Cocil, and George LoftUPt commonly called Lord George Loftus. lADvsarisamssr.j—Si ORTSM. N AND GENTLEMEN or T h al lismr AND NAVY.—S tilt, SolotuoN S , opti c i ans 39, All , marie - street, Picc a dill y, W. Observe— ,ppo3ite the Yo r. hotel,—Portability, combined with great power in Racecourse, Opera, and general out-door day so nip., powerful w a ht coat pocket Perspective Glasses, weighlol! only four ounces, each containing 12 an d 18 lenses, carl,‘ strutted of German g ass, will snow distin c tly a p e rson c ountenance two a n d a half and three m il es . Th e y 0 0r;° every purpose on th e race-course, and at the opera douses, scenery, an d s hi ps aro clearly seen at 8 to 10 re'll They are a l so invaluable for shooting, deer-stalking, yachtine. tiingle ones, the sZ9of a w 'hut, po.sessiog same great power. her Maje tv's , `oa•t-Guards are malo a r i us) of th em a , d , y and night glasses, in preference 0 all others ; they have also t ecomo iu general use by gentlemen' of the Army and Navy, and by sportsn.eu, gentlemen, O la ; ma tereEcope 3 , posse sing. keepers, an d tourists. The most powerful an d b r illia' such extraordinary power that -- solo s : three and a -h a lf , nches, with an extr ast - onomical eP / Vece grill show di s ti nc t' Jupiter ' s moons, Saturn's ring, ° ll4 the double stars ; with the same t t l escore can b e seen a P°' „ t san's countenan:e three -and-a-h a lf m il e , di s t ant t.nd an o bjec A from 11 to 16 m il es. All t e above can be had of larger 50 " all sizes, with increasing powers, aucl are mewed If t leer Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, Newly-inventte Spectacle Lenses or the grew est transparent power. 511 ,.. t valuable advantage derived from this invention Is, t''' d vision becomes preserved and strengthened ; very sgt t persons are enabled to employ their sight at the ron, minute occupation —c an see w i t h these lenses of a much less magnifying p ower — an d they do not require the fre quent change, to the dangerous effects of farther po wa , r ; ful assistance. Persons can be suited a t th e most re po % part of the world by seudin otie of the glasses out of the; spect-c es in a lett er, and stating the dist , nee from the 0 Y they can r ea d 'ma ll taint with it, and those who have 10 , made use of Spe c t ac l es by sta in their age. Deafness.—' tiewlv-invented tnstruraent for extreme eases of ,d e at'n?e% called the Sound Magn her, Organic Vibrator, and i nvistb i ; Voice Co n d uc t or. I t fit s so i n t o th e ear. as not to b e in t least percept ble ; the unpleasant sensa,rou of singing noise i in the head i s en ti re ly , emo , e d. It affords n,tant relief ,`" the deafest persons, and enables them to hear distinctly a! church and at public assemblies. 39, Al%emarle.street, PIC dilly—opposite the York Hotel. BIRTHS. orl;A sox. On the 18th inst., at 46, Wilton -crescent, Mss. Eric C' Smith. On the 17th inst., at FramptOn Vicarage, Dorchest er the wife of the Rev. John Willitan Clarke. OF A DAUGHTER. On the 17th inst., the wife of William Thad, Esq..' C unpden Lodge, CAmpden-hill, Kensington. On the 17th inst., at Lansdowne Villas, L a nsdow,n_„ B road, Claph am , the wife of Mr. John G. S. Pilchor—twl' MA It R ED. 00 On the 15th inst., at St. James's, Paddington, Moro, Fudges Morton Herbert, Esq., Exon o f H. M. R. J s ' ° . "0 Gourd, and l a t e C apta i n 4-th Rest.. to Henrietta, younger". daughter of Sir Hubert Gunning, Bart., of Horton, No thamptonshire. On the 15th'inst., at St. Luke's Church, Jersey, DSBJ e Philip Dickson, o f th e R oyal Art i llery, to Constole Phipps, third d aug ht er o f Phili p C hampion Taker, °(1" of Doctors'-commons, London. DIED. On the 16th inst., a t B r i g ht on, the Rey. Dr. Samuel ~„i . Holland, precent or an d pre b endary of Chichester, re" of Beaudeseret, Warwickshire, aged b 5. tt, On the 16th inst., at Dtllington, Sussex, James Drov e e d Esq., of Dallington, an d the borough of Southwark 72. On the 1611 inst., at Cha , pel-street, Bedford-row, C l3° ' Miles, Esq.. aged 53. On the 15th h is t., a t B rownhills, near Burslora, John Hay wcod Esq. On the 17th lust , at 1.3, Clement's-inn, M r . Tbooo }hider, aged 64. On th e 17th inst. Mrs. Elizabeth Willcocks, o f os, Croswell-street,n ad 6 , 7. On the 17th inst., Lydia, the wife of Thomas Napier , ° I Rye-lane, Peckham, aged 81. On the 17th i nst., at Islington' Rhoda, eldest dau. e of the l a t e W m. B rown, E sq ., of Tichfie]d-street. ---- LONDON : Printed and Published by KURD° you N O o. N of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The S un Office, count! 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, , iu the cou n of Middlues, Monday April 0, 1857 N.i this Ca The and Je 'whole and th Grand to tinu The 10h ,a Ther llth The , 1 1th: 1 VI. GI may Corr and etre ter. follo;i The Choral Inauce ! tion, fi Saturd They Fetes c 'work after FA moda Tl2l of s c I. Si Ti twee Is 0, 1 5th 11. ab oi thr e Jun no /1 Sa c jai Tra ot s val th e tigc