The Sun. — London, England, 1847-12-24 00:00:00

I SPORTING INTELLIGENCE , ,TATTERSALL'S.--YESTERDAY. WAKEFIELD STEEPLECHASE. 3 to 1 agst Captain Little's The Chandler 3 to 1 agst Mr. Bretherton's Wolverhampton (Glau cus gelding) 10 to 1 agst Mr. J. Robinson's Fanny Grey—taken 19 to 1 agat Mr. Ma.dclock's Proceed—taken 10 to 1 agst Mr. Buclaanan's Mitchleis—taken LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE. 15 to 1 on the field 20 to 1 agat Mr. Barry's Sir Arthur—taken to 501. 2 0 to 1 agst Capt. Alleytie's The Nigger—tkn to 501 DERBY. 12 to 1 offered on the field 1 •000 to 150 agst Mr. Pedley's Besborough—taken 1,500 to 50 agst Mr. B. Green's Beverlac—taken DR. HAMPDEN'S PROMOTION. The following answer has been returned by Sir merge Grey to the memorial from the Dean of liereford to the Queen on this subject : " Whitehall, Dec. 20, 1847. Sir,—Lord John Russell having placed in my ,"ands the petition addressed by you to her Ma- Asty, and transmitted in your letter to him of the 17 th instant, ," I have had the honour to lay the same be fore the Queen, and I am to' inform you that her Majesty has not been pleased to issue any commands thereupon. " I have, &c., " G. GREY. " The Tery Rev. the Dean of Hereford." THE TEN HOURS BILL. Minima AT TODMORDEN.—In consequence of the leeretary of the Association of Masters and Mill. owners, held in Manchester, having forwarded to all the manufacturers in the kingdom copies of resolu tions recommending that an effort should be made °Y the masters to get a repeal of the ten hours clause i .of the Factory Bill, accompanied by a form of peti °to; to be presented at an early opport unit y , John 'ielden, Esq., of Centre Vale, late M.P. for Oldham, immediately published an address to the factory eperatives, exhorting them to remain firm to the Principle of ten hours, for which many of them have fsr more than 30 years been struggling. The short time committee of Todmorden met on Friday even 'g last, and came to a unanimous determination not to allow themselves to be deprived of the victory they had so recently assisted in obtaining. An im- Portant meeting was held at Todmorden on Monday of the central committees of Lancashire and Yorkshire, Mr. ,Josph Hurst in the chair. The Chairman having opened the proceedings, the meeting was addressed eY several delegates, urging the necessity of the re organisation of the various local short-time corn- Inittees ; and expressing their regret that the mill- Owners should attempt to get the factory hands to i sign an eleven hours petition , wit hout g ivin g the ten 'lours clause a fair trial. Mr. Mullineux, secretary to the Lancashire Central Short-time Committee, Made several statements as to the means used by rosny masters in Lancashire to coerce the hands to sign the petition, but said that, in nearly all cases, the masters had failed in their attempts. Letters were read from Lord Ashley and other Members of the Rouse, expressing their determination to assist the factory operatives in boldly maintaining the t en hours Clause. The meeting separated, after several hours' deliberation, and having passed several resolutions Unanimously. ACCIDENT ON TEI NORTH•BRITISH RAILWAY. — Last night, about nine o'clock, an accident, which might have been attended with very serious consequences, took place on the North British Railway. From what we have ascertained, it appears that an engine, in charge of a stoker, was proceeding from Meadowbank to Edin burgh (a distance of about a mile), when it was overtaken by a luggage-train upon the same line of rails. The concussion was considerable, but not such as to damage Materially either of the engines. The stoker, it is sup- Posed; fell from the engine in consequence of the force of the collision; and the steam not being reversed, the engine ran into the station at the North Bridge, where It came in contact with four waggons. These it dashed in pieces, and drove in great violence against the stone supporta of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Sta tion, where it was brought to a stand-still. In addition to the demolition of the trucks, a cast-iron pillar in the station was driven down. Great as the damage un questionably is, it would have been still more so had the engine happened to be on any of the side rails instead of the centre one, as in that case it would have done sad havoc on the passenger carriages, which generally stand ranged on each side of the station-house. The stoker, We learn, is injured by the fall, but not severely. — Scotsman. CHATHAM,.DEC. 22.—Yesterday the 63d Regi ment assembled on special parade in the barracks, for the purpose of witnessing the presentation of a silver medal for meritorious and faithful services, awarded to Quartermaster Serjeant James Stewart, he having served in the regiment 22 years, 14 of which have been in India, and six years as Quartermaster Sergeant. The medal Was presented by Lieutenant Colonel Pole, in front of the regiment. SIiDDEN DEATH.—About a quarter before three o'clock yesterday afternoon, a stout gentleman, appa rently 60 years of age, came to the Euston Railway sta tion, stating that he came to meet the train arriving at three o'clock. He had only been on the station a few minutes when he suddenly fell down and almost instantly expired. He was dressed in a black body coat, waistcoat and trousers, low shoes and gaiters, with a brown over coat, his linen mark e d " J. 8.5." A paell: was also found upon him, addressed " Captain SterEerareof Captain Dyett, bark Robert, The body now lies c at the Royal George, Drummond-street, awaiting the Coroner's *uest. It appears that the draughts of the North-Western Bank of India, which were on Wednesday refused ac cstance by Glyn and Co. , ha ve been acce p ted by the officiating agent of the establishment in London, and that expectations are held out of the whole being paid at maturity. The bills of the bank at sight, it is also said, are paid by this party immediately on presentation. The capital of the bank is now understood to be 400,0001. LOUIS PHILIPPE AND THE PRESS.—The Commerce has calculated. that during the last seventeen years no less than 1,129 prosecutions had been directed against the journals in the name of King Louis Philippe, who had inaugurated his accession to the throne by a formal promise that no prosecution should be in future insti tuted against the press. During that period 57 journals Were obliged to suspend their publication in consequence ofthe severity of the penalties. The writers were sen tenced to 3,141 years and 8 months' imprisonment, and the journals to 7,110,500 f. fine. THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. — A parcel of Breton Testaments have arrived here by a steamer from one of the French ports, which are in tended for gratuitous distribution by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury have granted permission for the books to be delivered to the Society, free of duty, for the purposes mentioned. WHALE STRANDED AT ABERDEEN.—On Saturday, while two boys, Robert Fernie and Isaac Massie, were walking along the beach, they observed a whale blowing away and playing about outside the breakers, and soon after got into shallow water and was washed ashore. While he lay stranded, and lashing the tide with his tail, one of the boys ran to the shipbuilding-yards, where they were instructed to give information to the proper authorities at the Town House ; but by this time Capt. Reid, of the Pacific, had got accounts of the stranding of the monster, and proceeding to the spot, harpooned him, and cut his initials on the blubber. Intimation having been given to the town-clerk, it was arranged that the whale should be taken charge of by the magistrates as admirals of the port and harbour ; and Captain Reid has got the necessary instructions to have it cut up and the oil boiled. The whale is 49 feet in length by 26 in cir- Oumference—is a male of the finner species—clinker built, and has very little whalebone in its head. Thou sands of the intabitants have flocked to see the monster. —North of Scotland Gazette. WINDSOR, THURSDAY EYRNING.—HER MAJESTY'S Naw YEAR'S GIFTS TO THE Pooa.—Her Majesty has just commanded, that on the morning of New Year's day a liberal quantity of provisions is to be given away i so nearly 500 poor families residing in the par ishes of - Windsor and Clewer, the recipients of the Queen's bounty being selected from amongst the most deserving of the needy and distressed, by the Hon. and Rev. C. L. Courtenay (her Majesty's domestic chaplain), the Rev. Isaac Gossett (vicar), the Rev. Mr. Gould (curate), and the Rev. Stephen Hawtrey (the incumbent of the church of the Holy Trinity, at Clewer), assisted by the church wardens and overseers, and the ladies of the Visiting Committee. The Royal gifts will consist of meat, bread, plum pudding, coals, and potatoes; the quantity to be regulated according to the extent of the families of the respective applicants. There will also be given away, by command of her Majesty, a quantity of winter cloaks, flannel, and calico, besides upwards of one hundred pairs of blankets. The distribution will take place in the Queen's Riding-school, at the Royal Mews, in the presence of her Majesty, the Prince Consort, and the 'members of the Royal household. ROYAL SAPPERS AND MINERS. -- The company stationed at Chatham, under the command of Captain Robinson, Royal Engineers, left Chatham on Wednes day morning for Nine Elms to proceed by railway to Portsmouth, where they are to be employed in con structing fortifications at that important naval port. The duties of the company at Chatham will be per formed by large detachments from the companies at Woolwich. THE LATE FAILURES IN THB IRON TRADE. — The first decided step towards a reduction in the price of South Staffordshire iron has just taken place, the agent of Lord Ward having issued a circular fixing the price of forged pig iron at 31. 10s. Last quarter -day the nominal price was 51., although little business has in the meantime been done at that quotation. A meeting of the creditors of Messrs. Oakes and Jones, of the Kelley iron-works, Kingswinford, was held at Dee's Royal Hotel, Birmingham yesterday (Thursday). The atten dance was numerous. The liabilities of the firm, exclu sive of debts beetired by mortgage, were said to amount to about 20,000/. There was a unanimous expression of good feeling towards Messrs. Oakes a nd Jones, and of confidence in their honour and integrity. After dis. cussing the affairs of the firm, it was resolved to accept an instalment of 6s. Bd. in the pound, payable in January, 1849, and further instalments of 3s. Bd. every six months, until the debts are fully liquidated—thus finally winding in yPars hence. The concern will lierrart:.r 11,1rfi, 1.11•6er ..p( (Mop M. Charles gnaw, of Birmingham ; IL of Dudley ; and Williamson, of the Potteries. The meeting of the creditors of the Oak Farm Works is further postponed till Monday, the 3d of January. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF TH IS DAY. TIMES.—The report which appeared yesterday of the proceedings at the quarterly Cout ~t of the East India Company concurs with the Parlissmentary mo tion lists in intimating that the case of the late Raja of Sattara is not considered closed by his death. Such resolute advocacy is, of course, no more than consistent with a true conviction of his innocence. We have no wish to disparage the pleaders in this cause, o r suppress the inquiry. All that we have desired is to describe more accurately what was the injustice which the Raja suffered, if he suffered any; what form his complaints would reasonably assume ; what were the relations between him and his judges; and what could be alleged in behalf of the latter, if exculpation they should be founts to need. We are not without some hope that our simple exposition of the facts involved may have placed this question to many eyes in a clearer point of view than before, and offered some more tangible materials for forming an equitable judgment. Some credit is fairly ours if we have imparted any novelty, or much interest, to this interminable suit, for there is nothing more difficult than to correct such indefinite preconceptions as these, and to commu nicate accurate views on a subject which has been thoroughly hackneyed without being half compre hended. Petitions poured into the House upon this matter even during the late session, nor do we mean to deny to the subscribers the credit of sincerity or good intention. They have been probably impressed with the idea that a helpless Prince has been persecuted by an overbearing power, and has at length been driven to his grave without redress, and they trust to see that justice done to his memory which was refused to his remonstrances. What we have endeavoured to show is, that whatever may have been the injustice Of his fate, it was not such as has been represented. He was not "an independent Prince:' He was not "im prisoned "or " persecuted" by us ; nor is there the smallest imaginable possibility of concluding that his deposition was owing to any of those motives ascribed to his judgee by the uninformed advocates of his case. His mimic principality was not confiscated on his removal ; it was transferred to bis brother, who enjoys it still ; and it has been said, indeed, by some ,)f the most intelligent observers on the spot that the family jealousies created isy this promotion have been more instrumental than any other cause in per petuating the agitation of the case, and that if the, British Government had but appropriated, instead of transferring, the revenues of the princedom, the ex- Prince would have been speedily reconciled to his change of residence. That the Government of India should have concerted a plot for deposing a native ruler in order to impound a few square miles of territory at the transfer of the Rajaship, is an idea which could never for a moment be entertained by any person to whom the affairs of Hindostan were not as strange as the affairs of Patagonia. We are sure that Mr. Hume, at least, with his knowledge of these matters, will not pretend to affirm that the proceedings in the Raja's case could have ever either originated or been conducted in any possible ideas of aggrandizement or gain. The motives of the Government,whether well grounded or not, were manifestly political. They were caring for the peace of the Peninsula, not the income of the Presidency. If they erred, it was in discharge of their public duties—in defence of the British dominions, not in pursuit of their own ends. Whether they did err or not may be a question, but it is a very different question from that ordinarily stated. In 1839, when our army was entangled in the distant passes of Affghanistan, and wiser heads than those of its leaders were just surmising that our troubles were presently to come, there was a very prevalent impression that a combination was on foot amongst the Hindoo Powers of the Deccan to strike a blow at us in our embarrassments. Our experi ence of Oriental character tended to substantiate, if it did not suggest, the belief. It was not that the several Powers had anything to complain of—on the contrary, there was not one who did not owe to us such tranquillity and consideration as he enjoyed; it was not that they had anything to hope—on the con trary, it was certain that the most murderous anarchy would ensue on the first suspension of our practical supremacy. But it was in the highest degree pro bable that at the rumours of embarrassments and miscarriages which even then began to find their way from the wilds of Candahar, they would be unable to resist the impulse of Oriental nature, and that they would turn with one accord upon a totter ing power. At this crisis it was said that the Raja, the titular head of all the Mahrattas, had been in correspondence with the Raja of Berar, the most powerful member of the old confede rate stock. That his alleged overtures should wear but, slight form of verisimilitude was pro bable enough. Communications between Siam and Nagpore on the subject of annihilating. British India were not likely to be highly reasonable in their details. Yet, whatever was the purport of the correspondence, its simple existence (and this was a fact pretty clearly proved) did of itself involve the forfeiture of the Itaja's throne, for one of the most imperative conditions of the treaty by which he was placed on it was his entire forbearance from all kind of intercourse with any foreign Court. Here, how ever, he now was, with a suspected character, and in a position highly critical, both geographically and. po litically. Nothing is more remarkable than the readiness with which any single prince of either of the two great races in India has been able to rally the scattered branches of that race for any promising in surrection. Holkar, as regarded possessions or descent, was certainly entitled to the smallest influence of any Mahratta chieftain, and yet when Bishop Heber saw him sunk in irrecoverable debaucheries he could not refrain from remarking,how fortunate it was that British India had thus lost at least one foe around which the whole Hindoo population might rally. With the Musuulmans it was the same. Lord Moira raised Oude into a kingdom, in order, amongst other motives, that the consequent jealousies between Lucknow.and Delhi might impede any cordial union under either power for mischievous purposes ; and yet it was the opinion of the best informed that even this, as well as all other obstacles, would yield to such a temptation. Under these circumstances, then, with Bombay stripped of troops, with the forces of the em pire engaged in a distant and gloomy-looking war, and with a suspected chief in a position from which he might descend upon, our destitute Presidency, with all the AtahrettaS at his back; ifie British Govern ment stepped in, removed' him from his throne and capital, and placed him under liberal superin tendence in the most princely city of Hindostan, with 10,0001. a year to live upon. Such is the head and front of the Company's;offending. The questions at present open for consideration are these—first, whether cause can be shown for a fresh trial ; and, secondly, if upon trial so granted the innocence of the arraigned character should be shown, what com pensation is due for the injury inflicted. On the first head we cannot say we think that a case has been yet established. It may . be true enough that a trial, such las a prisoner may demand in England or an undis turbed district of Ireland, was not granted to a Mahratta Prince in Western India, suspected of hatching treason against his liege lords ; but on the other side, independently of the probabilities of the case, we hay% the coincidence against him of all the successive Governors of Bombay and their Coun cils from that time to the present—of Lord Auckland and his Council—of the Court of Directors and of three Presidents of the Board of Control—a coincidence which, considering the hereditary antagonism of these authorities, is little less than miraculous on any supposition but that of unmistakeable guilt. On the second head we have I said enough, we trust, to show that neither was the lot of the Raja very hard, nor the conduct of his judges very impeachable. If he did really deserve to enjoy the Company's present of 100,0001. per annum for the twenty eight years remaining of his life, in stead of for only twenty of them, he has so far been unjustly treated, and his representatives may ask the proportionate tribute of acknowledgment and com pensation ; but to presume that his benefactors con cocted a plot in order that the recipient of their bounty might be called Apa Saheb instead of Purtaub Singh, or that they did it with the hope of gaining money by the transfer, is about as sensible as to assert that the British Government seised the Danish navy in 1807 for the sake of the ships' coppers. If the cause is to be tried again, let it be tried fairly ; whe ther its magnitude or mystery demand such re-hear ing it is for others to decide. POST.—There can be no doubt that the Whig Ministers and Sir Robert Peel will make use of their majority in the Committee on Currency aad Com merce to render it nugatory. They are satisfied with the law as it is, because they made it what it is ; and if firm in nothing else, they are so in their self sufficiency. The country, indeed, suffers beyond what language can describe ; but that does not touch them in the least. They do not suffer but rejoice in keeping the law as they made it. The Committee was intended to stifle an honest, useful examination of the difficulties of the country, and if the subject be left to the Committee that end will be accom plished. But if Members of the House of Commons have energy to do their duty, they may compel a consideration of the question, notwithstanding the Committee trick. There are various ways in which the question may be brought forward, and if there be men who understand the subject, and who are not afraid of annoying Ministers, they may do what the circumstances of the case demand. ‘i hat we fear is a want of energy and perseverance --a want of the determined will to be heard, and to represent to the country, through the House of Commons, the needless difficulties and gratuitous in juries which are inflicted upon the industry of the country by the existing monetary system. T . he man s 1,,, v ;;1 :1,11;e 'lir - 11.'2:f u‘o•-ter of the subject, and -. ho s;i: ~ • ,1 binv , ell t.) it i.) the lionse 4 Co T•• . mons, resolving that he will be heard, in spite of suggestions here, and remonstrances there, and ex- - . - preHions of impatience from all sides—the man who will do this will entitle himself to lasting praise as the best friend of the people , in the House of Com mons. CHRONICLE.--The Bank reduced its rate of discount yesterday to five per cent. We are not of course in possession of the facts which have led to this decision, and we are unwilling, upon imperfect infor mation, to condemn the directors as guilty of a very serious error, but we must confess that we do not find it easy to imagine any possible justification for this proceeding at the present time. It is true, indeed, that according to the strict principles of the Act of 1844, they may be able to make out a strong case in favour of what they have done, as a legitimate effort to promote the interests of their proprietors. For we know, from the state of the Bank as shown by the latest accounts, that while bullion continues to in crease, and the reserve in the deposit department to increase still faster, the demand of the public for dis counts was falling off, and that there was, therefore, a continually growing amount o,f capital, for which the directors could find no em ployment. Now, if we are to think of nothing bait the Act of 1844, the directors are entitled to act as private bankers, and therefore authori sed, when they found their business going from them, to offer their accommodation upon cheaper terms. But although that unwise law is still in overation it has come to he almost unanimously felt that no more mischievous principle was ever broached than that of placing the banking department of the Bank of England on the footing of a private competing bank ; and the Bank directors, therefore, must be well aware that they are not considered at liberty to use the enormous power in their hands upon consi derations so narrow as those which refer merely to the profits of their own business. Now, looking at the matter upon public grounds, why should the rate be reduced at the present time ? It will, no doubt, be said that the market rate was falling, and that the Bank could not prevent it. This we believe to be true ; but why not leave the market rate to take its own course ? Why step in to accelerate reduction, and thereby cause it to be carried lower than the point of safety ? If the market rate was falling, it showed that the supply of capital was becoming more abundant in relation to the demand for it, and there fore that the pressure upon the mercantile commu nity was diminishing by a. process which, as being natural, might be considered wholesome and safe. It was precisely a case, therefore, in which the competition of the Bank was not wanted, and could serve no useful purpose. But, on the other hand, if it be possible that the market rate of interest has been falling, while powerful causes tend ing to enhance the value of money are still in opera tion, how very much safer it would have been for all parties if the market rate, in rising again under a renewed demand, were not driven into more sud den and violent action by an inevitable rise in the Bank rate at the same time. The Bank directors, however, having taken upon themselves the respon sibility of pressing down a falling market, no doubt believe that they are in no danger of a re action. They rely probably on the magnitude of their stock of bullion, which may perhaps be twelve millions, and upon their deposit reserve, presentwhich is very posßsiabtly can m ight it mhiellioisiasid that at the t there is no danger of causes coming very speedily into play which might make a serious change not only in the amount of the dersosit re serve, but even in the bullion ? The re serve, it is at all events certain,will becon siderably reduced by the payment of dividends in January ; and though this process may not very materially affect the bullion, yet it must, under the present law, dimir6sb the banking re sources of the Bank by an amount equal to the whole reduction effected le, the deposit reserve. In January, 1845, the resers, e was reduced by 1,600,0001. In January, 1846, it s , ',as reduced by 1,800,0001. In January, 1847, whes, a drain of gold set in at th e same time with tsne payment of th e di v id en d s , th e reduction in the deposit reserve was no less than 3,100,000/. In other words, it was reduced from 8,800,0001., on the 26th of December, 1846, to 5,700,000/ on 'the 30th of January, 1847. Now what if the reserve should be reduced by three millions in the course of January, 1848 ? Will the Bank in such case be able to adhere to its five per cent. ? If not, and. if by any possibility the directors shall have to ado pt any extraordinary measures of self-preserva tion, we venture to say that they will find the resolu tion of yesterday the most unlucky blunder which they aver committed. But January, 1848, it will be said, cannot possibly be like January, 1847, because there will be no drain of gold. This would be consolation if we could only be sure of it. But, unfortunately, there is reason to suppose that there will be another drain of gold, though the period of its commencement may be doubtful. It must be remeinbered that a portion of the recent large influx of bullion from America arose from the fact of remittances having been made by many merchants in gold instead of bills, not because bills in England were scarce, but because they were in discredit. But it must be re membered that the bills thus distrusted by the re mitters of bullion still remain as claims upon this country, and will still have to be discharged by the accepters here when they arrive at maturity. If the operation of this process comes to be felt, as it may be in the course of the month of January, we must not be surprised to hear of the American steamers carrying back again some of those boxes of sovereigns which they have just brought over. But this is not the only ground on which we have to apprehend a demand for gold for export. The very last accounts from New York represented that the export of specie from thence was producing a great and growing pressure upon the money market. The rate of interest was very high, and was still rising. Now this of itself would draw the gold from this country, precisely as the high rate of interest and the contraction of credit in England during October last drew gold here from France, Germany, and Russia. The connexion between the great mercantile countries is such, that a monetary pressure in any one operates like the creation of a sudden vacuum in the atmosphere. The neighbour ing gold, like the neighbouring air, rushes into the void, being drawn by the attraction of a very high rate of interest. When all this is so well known as it now is, we must confess that we do not understand the policy of reduction in the rate of discount in the face of such accounts as those brought by the last American packet. We shall be heartily glad, however, if it turns out that there are better rea sons for the move of yesterday than we are able to discover: ADVERTISER. The ante-Christmas session closed on Monday. Parliament stands adjourned. It does not re-assemble till the 3d of February. Hon. Gentlemen are again at large, and will be so for six weeks to come. They are about to enjoy their Christmas festivities, to amuse themselves with the h sports of the field b y da y , and in scenes of dissipa tionoter people in the at night. But t here are world besides the Members of the Imperial Legisla ture. There are those who sent them thither. What is to be their conditio n durin g the recess, is a question which doos not seem to have occurred either to Mi nisters or to the Membe rs of the House of Commons. few months. changed the state of t hin g s within the last who had a d waite months. It was only in Ju l y or Au g ust last that all the small shopkeepers and work in g -men voice in the choice of a representat ive, were on, hat in hand, for the purpose of prevailing on them to promise their votes, by the very men who can now coolly consent to the adjournment of the House for a period of six weeks, without expressing one word of sympathy for those of their constituents who are now groaning under the pressure of the times. The only Member who uttered a syllable on their behalf was Mr. Spooner, the Member for North Warwickshire. That Hon. Gentleman, a genuine Conservative, be it remembered, and one who did not enter Parliament with any servile professions of re gard for the popular will—that Hon. Gentleman alluded in touching terms to the prevailing distress among the smaller class of tradesmen and the indus trial part of the population. Nor was his sympathy confined to mere words. He opposed, solely on their account, the adjournment of the House for so long a period. Instead of adjourning till the 3d of February, he proposed that the House should re-assemble on the 15th of January. The Hon. Gentleman grounded the justification of the course he proposed on the dis tressed state of several of the manufacturing districts, and on the not improbable contingencyy of a necessity arising for again suspending Peel's 13111 before the re-assembling of the House. Mr. Spooner, however, did not press his amendment to a division. He saw it would be useless. The "sense of the House," as it is technically called, was evidently against him. Hon. Gentlemen preferred their own ease and pleasure to the well-being of the country. That is the plain meaning of the " sense of the House " being against Mr. Spooner. But though it would have been a hopeless effort to press his amendment to a division, we regret that the Honourable Mem ber withdrew it. A division would have dons good. It would have let in a little light on the com position of the House. It would have shown who are and who are not the real frienis of the people. A list of those who voted in the majority and minority would have enabled us to gibbet those Hon. Gentle men who, though now exhibiting a complete disregard of the people's well-being, had so recently come reeking hot from the hustings, where they bad loudly proclaimed their readiness to sacrifice their lives, should need be, in furtherance of the popular interest. Among the motions whose postponement till the re-assembling of the House we regret, is that of Mr. Herries, for the suspension of the Bank Re striction Act of 1844, until the Currency Committee should have concluded its labours, and made its re port. I;.; I, ttoic.te that this motion has am been hung up for more than six weeks. We steal have to encounter all the evils of suspense for that long period. Suspense is the bane of credit—it is destructive of commercial enterprise. If Ministers were determined to maintain the Bank Bill at all hazards, it is desirable that we should be apprised of the fact in a manner which can leave no doubt on the point. Let us, at any rate, know the worst. When the worst has come it will soon be over, and matters will be gin to mend ; but when the worst is still expected to come, the apprehension has a more discouraging effect than the reality itself. We dread the results of the uncertainty which will now for more than six weeks hang over the fate of Mr. Her ries's motion ; and we have no doubt that much of the gloom which has hung over the stock and share mar kets, during the last few days, is to be ascribed to the postponement of the Right Hon. Gentleman's motion. In the meantime, let us hope that the interval will be rightly improved by the opponents of Peel's Bill, in preparing for the discussion on Mr. Herries's motion. If the result of the postponement be such an organi zation of the opponents of the Bill, as will insure the success of the Right Hon. Gentleman's motion, the country will have no ca use t o regret t h e d e l ay which has taken place. From the currency question, let us turn for a moment to other matters. Lord John Russell, immediately before the adjournment of the House on Monday, gave a promise that the recess should be employed by Ministers in maturing their measures, so as to be ready to lay them before the Le gislature on its re-assembling in February. Let us hope the Noble Lord will keep his word. The coun try will be greatly disappointed if he do not. Nor will any excuse be admitted for further procrastination. The Noble Lord, indeed, will not be in a position to offer any excuse for further delay. But we beg to remind him that something more will be expected of him than the mere introduction of his measures. It will be expected that he shall introduce them in good faith. It is one thing, as our experience of Whig Administrations has taught us, to introduce measures, and another to press them forward through their various stages. Need we give any instances of this ? They are ready to our hand. Let it suffice to refer to one recent and remarkable instance. The public will, no doubt, anticipate the case which we have in our eye. We allude to Lord Morpeth's Health of Towns Bill. That measure was introduced early in the last session; it was one of the most important mea sures of the session, and yet it was allowed to sleep pro foundly till near the end of the session, and then it was one of the " innocents" slau g ht ere d by its parents, on the ground that "at that late period of the ses • sion" it would be impossible to pass it. It may be right to warn the Noble Lord at the head of the Government that it will not be politic or safe to re peat this game with any of his great measures of the present session. The country is not in a mood to • stand another experiment on its patience of the same kind. Whatever measures Ministers may bring for ward on the re-assembling of Parliament, they will, it is to be hoped, for their own sakes as well as for the sake of the country, introduce them with the full determination to make them the law of the land with all convenient dispatch.- REPEAL OF THE WINDOW-TAX. Yesterday morning a numerous meeting of the rate-payers of the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields was held in the vestry-room, " to take into considera tion the window duties, and their effect upon the health of the metropolis ; to receive the report of the late committee of vestry ; and to appoint, if deemed necessary, a new committee to co 'operate with other metropolitan parishes for the removal of such tax." Mr. W. H. Dalton, senior churchwarden, took the chair, and Mr. Cobbett, jun., read the following re port : 64 Your committee beg to report that, although public interest, in regard to the window duties, has not in the least abated, and the agitation of the sub ject, both in and out of Parliament, has met with in creased support, hitherto the exertions of your com mittee have not been attended with any favourable result. Changes in the administration of affairs of the country, and the agitation of measures of free trade, combined with other causes, have been the reason for not pressing the matter on the attention of Government. These obstructions now no longer exist, and your committee trust that internal legislation will receive its share of attention from Parliament, and that all imposts whereby the health of the public is affected will be removed. In conclu sion, your committee consider the time has arrived when, with propriety, this tax can be abolished." Mr. Labram said that the committee was appointed in March, 184.5, to co-operate with other parishes, but their efforts had ever been thwarted by the more pressing claims of other great questions. The com mittee now proposed to renew the agitation, and he ho ped it would meet with greater success as a ques tion of sanitary importance. ,After several very interesting speeches, the report was adopted. Several resolutions were also agreed to, and a pe tition for the immediate abolition of window duties was read and approved. Mr. J. WTI" M.P. for Bodmin, on his name being proposed as a member of the committee, said, lAt should be most happy to serve, and if his holding a seat in the House of Commons could be of any service to them, he should be most willing to assist them in any way. With the subject he must say he wat not very well acquainted, but from his know ledge of that parish, and the numerous poor living in it; he was aware that it was one of very great im portance. They had a large number of the working classes living in the parish, and they were the par ties who felt the opressive character of the window tax.—(Hear, hear.) Many of them manufactured vfirious articles at their own homes, and although the rooms at the top of the house were used as workshops, they were compelled to pay most exor bitantly for the light they required to complete their work. He knew an instance of a poor man, a book binder, who in consequence of making the lower part of his house a dwelling, was compelled to pay 151. per annum for the windo ws i n his wor k s h op a t the t o p of the house.—(Hea r .) He hoped soon to see the dwellings of the p oo r man made com f orta bl e , an d p u t upon the same footi ng w i th other c l asse s i n the metropolis. During the great improvements that had been made in various parts of the metropolis, every class had been thought of but the working classes. They talked of fine façades and fine build ings being erected, but not one thought was given for the working man.— (Hear.) I n consequence of their work many ;of th e poorer classes were com p e ll e d to live in houses no t f i t for hab i tat i on , an d i n some houses they would find twelve live. It was not, th en, to be won d ere d a t th a t there was a predisp os i t i on to disease i n crowded ought o r to four teen families, where only six or seven neighbourhoods, and unhealthiness produced. If the Window duties were repeal e d, the poor would be improved. Aft e r some further re marks, the Hon. Gentl eman said they m i g ht command to his services in the H ouse of Commons, e ith er t o pre sent their petition, or th e dwelling-houses of support its prayer. A numerous commit tee was then co operate with other p ar i s h es in obtain i ng th e a b o lition of the tax. appointed to On the motion of Mr. ',ABRAM, the day were ordered t o b e advertise d . A vote of thanks h av i ng been awar d e d t o th e Ch a ir• man, the meeting s e p arated, the proceedings of METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION FOR IMPROVING THE DWELLINGS OF THE INDUSTRIOUS POOR. This association held i ts usual me eting yesterday at the offices, Coleman-street, Sir Ralph Howard, Bart., in the chair, when the secretary read the third re port of the directors, W hi c h stated that the ground opposite the church in Old St. Pancras-road, which they had agreed to take on lease for 99 years, at 90/. per annum, from the Brewers' Company, was now . oovered with the houses intended for the occupation of the industrious poor, and would very soon be corn-' pleted ; that already sixty-two sets of rooms in those houses had been applied for ; that the houses would afford very superior acco mmodation at a moderate' rent, commencing at 6s. na --• a week for the ground floor, consisting of three large rooms, and proportionate reductions to the fourth floor, which would be 3s. per week for two rooms; that arrange ments had been made for avoiding the necessity of bringing up and down stairs any other articles than those necessary for daily consump t i on ; that the whole of the building would be nearly fire proof, and had been insured for fo ur thousan d pounds in the West minster Fire-office; that the staircase had been pro vided with Kite's patent ventilation, which would have the effect of keeping up a constant supply of fresh air ; that arrangements h ad been made with the New River Company for the requisite supply of water upon moderate terms ; that the directors had endeavoured to get a reduction of the window-tax, by representing to the Chancellor of the Exchequer the benevolent object of the association ; but, accord ing to the present mode of assessment, ten of the dwellings would be charged as a forty-windowed house. However, they had received an intimation that if they prepared mitigatory clauses, they would receive the attention of the Government. The report also recommended the erection of a dormitory for single men. The total number of shares taken amounted to 1,181. The balance-sheet was next read, by which it appeared that the sums received from September, 1846, to September, 1847, amounted to 21,5221. 10s., which included 14,210/. which Share holders were still liable to be called upon to pay in satisfaction of their shares, and that the actual balance now in band was 3,3371. 10 s . 6d. Lord R. GROSVB NOH, MT., moved, and Dr. S. SMITH seconded the report, which was unanimously adopted. The meeting soon after separated. -DEc. The Chamber H UNGARY , PRESBURG, the Nigntktes of , Hungry has reject e d, b y 96 a gainst vu v o t es , all those claust,s the adultcss which have het yet been discussed, and which were of a nature to lead --agenteine Zeit un g. o violent debates. THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, (From the New York _Herald, Nov. 30.) We learn from various sources that this important document is now nearly perfected. Of course, no one beyond the chief magistrate himself, not even his constitutional advisers, has seen or heard the con tents of it ; yet we can guess a good deal of what they are, for Mr. Polk is not a man whose past life has not given us many materials from which we may calculate, by his previous conduct, what he might do thereafter. This message will, beyond doubt, be the most im portant paper of the kind which has emanated from the American Government for the last halt century. It comprehends the history of a year that may be called the turning point, not of one century, but of twenty—the turning point of a new age in the New World. Since last December all the great battles have been fought in Mexico, from that of Buena Vista to the capital, and now the American arms are in quiet possession of the whole of that great re public. The President, of course, will sketch briefly those wonderful campaigns, mixing his grate ful feelings to the Almighty for these victories with lamentation at the loss of life at which they have been purchased. Like Cromwell, our worthy and pious President will fight and pray in the same sen tence. But the details of those brilliant deeds, sur- passing anything that has taken place since the great wars of Napoleon, will be reserved for the glowing pen of Mr. Marcy, the Secretary of War. Now, of Mr. Marcy we have a very high opinion as a writer, though not so high as a warrior. He can easily demolish half a dozen generals in correspond ence, as Gen. Scott had reason to know in the famous "soup" epistles, and as it is probable he may here after have reason to know, should a recent correspond- ence between the department and the Commander-in- Chief be given to the world by order of Congress. Mr. Marcy's report of the military operations of the last year will be written with great fervour and elo quence. It will do credit to his talent, and will place before the American people, and the world beyond the Atlantic, a history of a series of deeds that cannot be outstripped, it they can be paralleled, in the records of the world. The President will, no doubt, pro _ _ _ pose to the country a temporary possession of Mexico, the prosecution of the war against all opposition, although he will at every step, and in every sentence, state his willingness to make peace and form a treaty, that treaty being the Rio Grande for a boundary, with New Mexico and California for an indemnity. It is very easy to propose to make a treaty with Mexico, when that country has no Go vernment to form a treaty with, or any likelihood of having one for years to come, if ever. Yet the Presi dent will not recommend annexation, but will plant himself on the general ground of indemnity for the past, and security for the future, which may mean much or little, according to the contingencies of com- ing years. The report of the State Department, containing all the correspondence between Mr. Trist and the Mexican statesmen, will probably be briefly given in the message. The material facts of these negotia tions have been laid before the world already, and • _ publication in a connected shape will not tend to enlighten us much as to the prospects of the future. One of the most important branches of the mes sage, and of the reports of the departments, will be that in reference to the Treasury. The Treasury Department of the United States is now a monstrous power, and requires a monstrous deal of talent to conduct it with energy, decision, skill, and success. As the country now stands, we have a population of nearly 40,000,000 of people, embracing the United States and Mexico—the latter being under the con troul of the American Government, and forming the basis of our Treasury and financial system hereafter. So far as revenue is concerned, Mexico, in the tem- porary occupation of the United States, is just the same to our Government as the United States, and belongs as much to the departments of our Govern ment. Those extensive countries now under the action of one Government at Washington, comprise the richest grain country, the richest cotton country, and the richest specie country in the world, embrac ing a territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the great lakes of the north to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Nothing can prevent New York, the metropolis of this country, from being, therefore, the commercial metropolis of the whole world, and that in a short time. It is probable, from the genius and talent here tofore displayed by Mr. Walker, that his report will embrace comprehensive and enlarged views, corre , sponding with the position of the country, and that he may startle the world with original views and fresn conceptions, springing from the present position of affairs. If he were to give us a succinct commer cial and financial history of the United States from 1790 to this time, embracing all the tariffs and changes—the incidents growing out of the national debt and its extinguishment—the probable financial means of the country, as at present existing, we should not be surprised to see the capacity of this country to pay the interest of a debt equal to five hundred millions of dollars with greater ease than it paid an interest of five per cent. stock of twenty mil lions twenty years ago. It is probable, however, that the debt, now estimated at 45 millions, will not be permitted under the management of the present Se cretary of the Treasury, to go beyond that, or about 50 millions. The riches, and commerce, and wealth of Mexico will be well able to pay for its occupation, and even to give a surplus over the requirements of an army of 50,000 men there. If the old Mexican factions could keep up armies of 50,000 to 60,000 for twenty years, with such ignorance of commercial affairs as they have always manifested, how much more easy would it be for the American Government to make them pay simply the expenses of thirty or forty thousand, under a better administration of affairs, and a more encouraging arrangement of the tariff ? Some of these views will no doubt be embodied in the report of the Secretary of the Treasury, or in the message of Mr. Polk. On one point, however, we have no doubt the President will take care to praise strongly in his message, and that is the Post office department. He will, no doubt, endorse Cave Johnson, the head of that department, with all his stultification, his impotence, and incapacity in that branch of the public service. Dlr. Polk and Cave Johnson are from the same state; they have been colleagues in Congress together ; they have a congru ity of mind, are of the same intellectual rank, and, perhaps, like Tyler and Botts, have slept in the same bed. There, therefore, exists a strong sympathy between them in certain points of management and business. But all the endorsements of the President's message will not convince the people of this eountry that the present general derangement of the mails, both foreign and domestic, has not been occasioned by the Postmaster-General. Yet there is one thing ip his favour. It will be seen by the letter of our Washington correspondent that Mr. Cave Johnson has adopted the suggestions which appeared a few weeks since in a letter from the same correspondent on the reformation of the present Post-office system. Recommendations in accordance with those suggestions will be made in his annual report. We do not despair of making a radical cure of Cave Johnson yet. His case was a very bad one when we undertook it ; but we have succeeded with some quite as difficult. We hope to see him yet ask ing permission of Congress to make contracts with the lightning. Notwithstanding these drawbacks to the message, it will be a great and powerful document; and Mr. Polk, although not a man of extraordinary talent, or great magnificence of mind, or much comprehensive ness of character, still is placed in a position of great ness and splendour that must reflect something of its character on himself. He has an opportunity, by a simple statement of the great events of the past year, to produce an impression on the age, and on Europe, such as has not been felt for centuries ; and we trust and hope, for the reputation of the country, that he will do so, and that he will look over his message again and again, and particularly that he will read it quietly to himself, after having heard Divine service next Sunday, and see if it would not be as well to leave out any endorsement of Cave Johnson that it may contain. _ VENVILLATION ON A CHEAP AND SIMPLE PLAN. — A correspondent of the Builder says, I have often thought how easily all new-built dwelling-houses might be ven tilated, were the necessity of it more felt by those en gaged in building occupations. The plan I would suggest is, to carry up in the brick or stone work of the chimney-breast of each room, a common earthern pipe of about 1 or 2 inches diameter, commencing it above the fireplace, in any position, so as to be within 42 inches of the flue of such fireplace. Into each of these pipes, on a level with the joist above the ceiling, I would introduce one made of zinc or tin, continuing the sam e along the joist to a fu nnel in the centre of the room. The earthern pipes from each room, on working up the chimney stack, might be brought together between the flues and carried to the top with them. It will be evident these will become heated sufficient to cause a current and draw off the foul air from the rooms. The additional width required to the chimney for the purpose would be but of trifling cost compared with the benefit derived. The earthern pipes also can be ob tained at about one penny per foot run, as those made for agricultural purposes will answer as well as more expensive ones. PARISH OF ST. ANNE, LIMELIOUSE.—Yesterday forenoon a vestry meeting of the parishioners of St. Anne's, Limehouse, was held in the Town-hall, Church lane, to make a rate for the relief of the poor, and also to receive the report of a committee appointed by the preceding vestry, to draw up a memorial to the Metro politan Commissioners of Sewers, on the defective drain age of the parish generally ; and the nuisance :com plained of with .reference to the sewer which empties itself into the Limekiln Dock in particular. Mr. John Rugg. senior churchwarden, in the chair. Mr. William r, jun., vtstr ) clerk, read the memorial. After a protracted discussion the memorial was referred back to the committee, to make some verbal alterations. The vestry then separated. COURT CIRCULAR. Wlitnaott.,"intfaspmr.---The Most Rev. TI tom Musgrave, D.D., Archbishop of York, had an tud ence of the Queen this day in the Castle, ant] di homage on his translation to that See. The Rigl Hon. Sir George Grey, her Majesty's Secretary c State for the Home Department, and the Rev. Johi Vane, M.A., Deputy-Clerk of the Closet in Waiting assisted at the ceremony. The Queen and Prince Albert took their accustomed early walk. The Royal Family took walking and pony exercise this morning, in the grounds around the Castle. Prince Albert enjoyed the sport of shooting this morning. His Royal Highness was attended by Lord Waterpark, Lieut.-Colonel Hon. A. N. Hood, Colonel Hon. Charles Grey, Colonel Bouverie and GeLeral Bowles. The Queen and Prince Albert are expected to honour her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent with their company, at Frogmore House, this evening, 'after dinner. Mr. George Burnand had an interview wit! a tit?. Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday. Mr. \ Vick ham, Chairoan of the Stamps and Taxes, an d Mr. Pressly, Secretary yesterday with the RigL f .' to the Board, had also an int( Tview residence in Downing-street. Hon. Baronet, at his )fficial On Monday, Tuesday, and 'Wednesday las t, her Majesty's Royal Charities were distribth-Rd tit the Almonry, in Whitehall, to the age 3 ana dis2 ' Lled poor, according to the usual custol Lixider tt.e im mediate direction of the Lord Bishop s e , Z.,:ord, High Almoner, and the Rev. Dr. Jelf, and ooo, assistants. The number of persons, exceeding 1, received a crown each ; and the Royal Gate AlL' s were at the same time distributed to 168 poor, aged, and blind persons, who received 13s. each. The Earl and Countess Grey left town yesterday, for their seat, Howick Hall, Northumberland. Sir George Grey returned to town yesterday after noon, from Windsor Castle. Sir Thomas Fremantle Chairman of the Customs, and Mr. John Wood, Fremantle, of the Excise, had interviews on Wednesday, with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Right Hon. H. Labouchere has left town for Brighton. The Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson has left town for Theberton House, Suffolk. ASSAULT OF ARMS. Last evening we had the pleasure of witnessing an " assault of arms," or in less romantic language, a series of interesting assaults with the foil, straight sword, sabre, and bayonet ; and, lastly, with the naked sabre, at the Armoury House, Finsbury, by members of the " Ancient and Honourable" Artillery Company, and of the London Amateur Fencing Club, assisted by Professor Gandini, Gillemand, Harrison, and Arnold. The banqueting-room was attended by a number of visitors, by a goodly muster of the Artillery Company in uniform ; and, lastly, though not least, many eminent officers in the regular service who evinced much interest in the exhibition which, we should premise, was, under the direction of Captain and Adjutant Bossy, Captain Iselin, and Lieutenant M'Leod. Amongst the officers present we noticed—Colonel Angelo, Major Angelo, Major Neville, Captain Wingfield, Captain Gilbert, and Captain A. Vande leur, of the Royal Horse Artillery ; Lieutenant and Adjutant J. Wightman, Lieutenant H. Phillips, Lieutenant and Adjutant J. S. Hope, and Lieutenant W. Elliott, of the Royal Artillery ; Captain Mac quary, of the 54th Regiment of Foot, Captain Mor rison, Captain Boulton, of the Royal Navy ; Lieut. E. 0. Leggatt, 35th N.I. ; Lieutenant Proby, Capt. Thompson, Quartermaster and Commissary-General Oliphant, of the Royal Horse Artillery; Lieutenant Edindoro, 19th Foot; and Major Rotherdon, of the Military College, Sandhurst. The following is a list of the assaults : Mr. 011invin, Sergeant Twhy; Mr. Winterbottom, Mr. Arnold; Mr. Tenniel, Mr. Shury; Mr. James Wilson, 21r. Harrison ; Mr. George Chapman, M. Leon Gillemand. STICK.—Mr. Robinson, Mr. Tenniel; Mr. Winter bottom, Corporal Munday ; Sergeant Twhy, Mr. Robinson. FoIL.—Mr. Henry Chapman, Mr. Arnold ; Mr. James Wilson, Mr. Tenniel. SABRE AND BAYONET.-31. Leon Gillemand, Ser geant Twhy. Shury, Mr. Arnold; Mr. George Chap man, Mr. Harrison. SABRE.—Signior Gandini, from Milan, M. Leon Gillemand, from Paris. The assaults, without an exception, were executed with much grace, modesty, and bearing temper, though we thought Mr. Robinson and Mr. Winter bottom in the single stick encounters struck with too much earnestness and gave blows on the bodies of their antagonists which must have been felt rather severely. The fencing with foils was the finest we have ever witnessed, arid evinced the skill and adroit ness which may be acquired by practice in the arts— not merely for the purpose of amusement (and per. haps there is no more healthy or exhilarating exers•ise or one which brings the muscles into more health 3 play or promotes a better carriage of the body) but for the purpose of self-defence with the sword whenever, unhappily, two men may come into such close and despe rate contact. The Artillery Company, whose age dates as far back, we understand, as the reign of Henry VIII., who was their first Colonel (they .are now under the Colonelcy of Prince Albert), have rendered essential service to this ancient city during riots, and when threatened with invasion ; it is now a matter for congratulation that riots are undreamt of, and invasion merely a name that this ancient body still keeps up its ancient prowess, esprit de corps, and is as ready to do the country service as in the past. By promoting ex hibitions of this kind, they will, we think, do essential service. The assault with the sabre was a terrific exhibition, and showed the proficiency which may be attained in this mode of encounter; that with the sabre and bayonet in the use of which Sergeant Twhy showed himself most skilful and proficient, and that, even with so apparently cumbersome an instrument of warfare, a sabre, in able hands, may be kept at hay for some time, and the skill of Messrs. Gandini, Gil lemand, Arnold, George Chapman, Wilson, Harrison, &c., were amongst the assaults and combatants most applauded. The amateurs were all worthy of their teachers. INSTITUTIONN FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB, 26, RED LION- SQUARE, BLOOMSBURY.— The exertions of the committee of the above praiseworthy society for pro viding employment and teaching trades to the adult deaf and dumb appear to be attended with the most en couraging success. The male inmates, who are in the course of instruction under well qualified hearing masters, are attaining the requisite knowledge of the trades of shoemaking and tailoring, and it is confidently anticipated that each of the present inmates, before long, will be enabled to sustain themselves by their own industry. It is, however, a subject of much regret—(it was stated at a recent meeting)—that the applications to the institution on behalf of the destitute deaf and dumb by far exceeds the resources of the charity; and an ear nest wish was expressed that the co-operation of the be nevolent would not be wanting in the carrying out of so charitable a purpose. BRUTALITY OF A FATHER.—At the Rochdale police office on Monday, u little girl named Sarah Ann Firth came to the table, and, on the New Testament being presented OR which to be sworn, and being re eqeune I s d t e n d n t t o — t i a t k o w n it shereplied e d s h t o e She th e n was take the book in her left hand while the oath was ad s in broken.her r i ght S h hand, ad ministered. On being asked to state her complaint, she said she was 13 years of age, and she prayed for protec tion against her father, who had struck her with a brush a nd broken her arm. She had her brother with her, who confirmed this statement, and said they wished the Magistrates to prevent the father from coming near them, as they were in danger of their lives from him. He also added that his father had been brought before them in 1845, for the same offence, viz., cruel treatment towards his children. The magistrates severely reprimanded the prisoner for his brutal treat, ment towards his children, and said if another complaint of that nature should be again brought before them, they would inflict the heaviest punishment upon him the law allowed. This monster of a father pleaded passion as an excuse for this treatment to his child, and said she would not obey his orders. He was ordered to pay ex penses and find security for his good behaviour to his children in future. MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK...TWO LIVES LOST. — On Tuesday last, while the sloop Pomona, belonging to Mr. Alexander Grant, of this town, was on her way from Aberdeen to Thurso, and while rounding Duncans bay Head, with a strong gale of wind and a heavy sea running, a tremendous wave broke over her, washing overboard her whole crew, Donald Calder, George Calder, and John Swanson. The latter fortunately got hold of a rope, and, with the assistance of a passenger (who narrowly escaped by clinging to the mast), managed to get aboard again. The other two men were never seen more. The same sea carried away her companion, part of her bulwarks, and split her squaresail to tatters. Swanson, as soon as he got aboard, got her head turned to land, and ran her ashore on a sandy beach at Duncansbay. Both of the poor fellows who were lost were natives of Dunnet, but residing in this town. Donald Calder has left a wife and four in family, and George Calder has left five. It is expected that if the weather proves favourable she will be got off._ Caithness Chronicle. CITY POLICE PETTY SESSIONS. Mr. Alderman Salomons, the newly-elected Alderman of Cordwainers' ward, presided yesterday for the first time as a magis trate for the City of London with Sir Chapman Marshall. Upwards of forty omnibus drivers and conductors were fined for loitering with their vehicles along Coruhill, Poultry, and Cheapside, to the obstruction of the general traffic. William Bird, a lad in the service of Mr. Good, of Peckham, was fined 50s. and costs for a c ting as a drover, he not b e i ng duly licensed. J. King was also fined for employi ng a dog to drive a herd of cattle. It would appear that the drovers are allowed a dog in driving sheep, but not cattle, as being ca l cu lated to irritate the beast s , th ere b y place the public in peril. _x• FRENCH VIE WS OF THINGS IN s ENGLAND. of Sunday.) (From the JCiurnal des Debats o just now ;it i s 1 English f ana ti c i sm h as p l enty to d, and places i be : besieged on a ll s id es s i mu l taneously, , -li e m ug , ;s of tween several fires. Yesterday it was t 'ho to o rin th g e s -1 the abst 'r d Lansdowne who made a bold attack ci, . ,-, t s the tiou. "- " interdict " under which England still lay of Rome ; to-day it is Lord John Russell N% t in a Bill for opening the doors of Parliamen Jews. The party of English " exclusiveness , are defendin g th emselves with an energy befitting & o B . Des perate cause. Th ey h ave already represented .k tEe Pius IX. c as ti ng b atches of human victims to Minotaur of the Inquisition ; at present they Ex re menacing England with the fate of Sodom and Go " . morrah if she renounces what these ignorant fanatics are pleased to call her " Christian " charac- I ter. Hitherto the causes of the cholera were not very ezactly ascertained. But, lo ! a " new light" has dawned, and the leading organ of the party has dis covered that the Asiatic cholera descended in a direct line from the Roman Catholic Relief Bill of 1829 ! It was when the Papists were liberated from their secular quarantine, and admitted to free pratique in the British Imperial Parliament, that Divine justice let loose the scourge of that dreadful pestilence upon guilty England to punish her f o r h er i mp i ous tolera tion ! And if Parliament take the Jews into its bosom, you may rest assured, old women and gos-• sips of Great Britain, that the c h o l era w ill enter through the same door—so beware ! Let not our intelligent readers opine that we are dreaming—we merely quote the words of the, Standard. " Those who have eyes to see" (remarks - . ds c o a r u. go , .i t y te a n ft t e h r e tshceougrrgeeatwalpliocs of e d l u B s 29 a , l m a o n s d t i m m th rn i c e h this delectable discipl e o f or th o d oxy ) " cannot h ave 1 I t ac in y v now dt eatens to submerge in an abyss of ruin an empire 1%. filch was so , powerful, so r i c h, an d so pros perous 25 wers ago. ' In sober e s.'riousness, when we see the way in which these.questiom are sometimes treated in England, we are astonished x.` the very little progress which the most elementary principles of liberty and equality have made in that coti...ltrY• Nothing is more amusing than the dismay with which the English Tory or obstructive party ask-6...8ut we have already ad mitted the Papists; you wi). 1 • 1 us now to admit the Jews ; why then should we not be asked to admit the Mahomedans and the Hinthos ? We have pos sessiona in China—we have Ceylon—we have the Cape of Good Hope ; shall we, then, have in our Parliament disciples of Confucius, followers of Buddha, and worshippers of the Great Serpent ?" To these irrational and childish queries it might easily be an swered, " Why not ?" but the primary error of these questions is that they are incorrectly laid down. The question is not to know if such or such an individual professes such or such a religion, but simply this, whether he is a citizen of the country, and fulfils the duties appertaining to that character ? It matters not, so far, whether he worships God or bows down to Baal—that is an affair of conscience. England has herself long since renounced the maintenance of the absolute principle of religion in her legislative enactments. Her constitution ceased to he Protestant the day on which she restored to the Dissenters, of whom the Papists formed a section, their share in the making of laws. Mr. Macaulay, the ex-Member for Edinburg!), and a member of the Cabinet, acutely remarks, in. one of his admirable articles, that " a Government esse , ntially Protestant, essentially Christian, is nonsense .; it is just as absurd as if one were to talk of an essentiall y Protestant cook, or an essentially Christian n lethod of riding on horseback. 'The differences be tween Christianity and Judaism are of some moment when a bishop or a rabbi is to be appointed ; but they have no more to do with the capacity of an individual to make a magistrate or a legislator than with his ca pacity to make a cobbler. Religion has just as much to do with the mending of shoes as with the budget of the Chancellor of the Exchequer !" This is rather a bold sally, we aciOit) especially for England. But Mr. Macaulay is duly rewarded for his learning, for his philosophical opinions have cost him his seat in Parliament. At all events, if the Church of England were to die or to fall away, it would certa:ely not be of in anition, as may be seen from a recen: deb s at fi e i e n d, th a e House of Commons. An Act of 1836 thu. _ - ' ' '' ' nelish s it appears, the revenues of the principal ~._ --' ~,k bishoprics ; viz., Canterbury, 1.5,000/. ; /.._ ' 10,000/. ; London, 10,0001.; Durham, 8,000/. ; Win chester, 7,0001.; Ely, 5,500/. ; St. Asaph, 5,200/. ; Worcester, 5,0001.; and Bath, 5,000/. The excess. of the revenue of each see was to serve to complete the revenue of the rest, which were to be of a maxi mum of 5,0001., or a minimum of 4,0001. We say " revenues," because in England there are ecclesi— astical " properties" and no clerical " salaries." The figures above quoted will doubtless appear • sufficient, especially if we compare them with the 25,000 f. (1,0000 of our own archbishops, and the 15,000 f. (6001.) of our own bishops ; but it must not be imagined that they represent the whole revenue of • the English prelates. The Act of 1836 was only to take effect as the episcopal sees became vacant ; the existing bishops remained in plenary possession of all. . their revenues. But a preliminary inquiry showed. that the Archbishop of Canterbury enjoyed an annual revenue of 32,000/. ; the Archbishop of York, 14,5501.; the Bishop of London, 14,5521. But even this is not all ; and the Bishop of London—how short soever the remaining period of his mortal career—will soon be _one of the richest private individuals in the weed. We find that in London alone, an entire district abutting on Hyde-park is built on ground which it the property of his Reverence. This is a new district —one of the finest in the capital ; and the probable revenue is estimated at 100,000/. These figures were cited the other day by Air.. Horsman, M.P., in the House of Commons. The Hon. Member complained that the Ecclesiastical. Commissioners had deviated from the Act of Parlia ment. ' For example, when the see of Durham had become vacant the revenue of the new bishop ought to have been fixed at 8,000/, This bishopric yielded, it appearF, an income of 19,000/. The bishop was offered the alternative of taking 8,000/., and leaving the property of the diocese to the management of the Commission, or to manage it himself and to pay the Commissioners 8,000/. The cunning bishop preferred the latter, and has pocketed a vast sum by the ar rangement. Hence, it will be seen that the situation of the, English clergy is not so very bad! We know not how real religion flourishes in England, but the Est* . blished Church is in very good case indeed. A. MAN CRUSHED TO DEATFL Yesterday forenoon an inquiry of some duration was gone into, before Mr. W. Carter, Goan( Jr for Surrey, and a highly-respectable jury, at the Drum public-house, Snow's. fields, Bermondsey, rely live to the death of Martin Barry, aged fifty years, wiho was killed by the falling of a wall connected with' the workhouse of St. John, Horslydown, Southwark. Thomas Barfitt, of No. 9, Albert-street, Bermood sey, stated that, on the morning of Tuesday last, about half-past nine o'clock, the deceased and several men were engaged in repairing the carriage -way in Artillery-street, Horslydown. The deceased was standing in front of a high wall connected with the workhouse, when a loud crash was heard, and the next moment witness saw that the said wall had given way, p w r o o r c k e . e d l e i t t o n e t s h s e a n s d p o a t aarngde commenced body of m e n r and fallen into the road upon the deceased whilst at d g t t e h ly e i e m m m ov e i dia n bricks and rubbish, and, after considerable difficulty, succeected in finding the body of deceased, who was. completely crushed, particularly about the head and shoulders. Other witnesses having been examined, showing that the occurrence was purely accidental, the Coro ner summed up the evidence at considerable length; when the jury, after a short consultation, unani mously returned a verdict of Accidental Death. At the close of the proceedings, Mr. Corner, the solicitor, informed the Coroner and jury that the con tractors intended to make some provision for the widow of the unfortunate man who had lost his life. EMIGRATION TO THE CANADAS.—Private letters have been received in town within the last few days from several parts of Canada, stating, that in consequence of the colony being overrun by Irish emigrants, who are unable to obtain employment, a memorial to her Majesty was in course of signature, praying that either some. means should be adopted by Government to direct the tide of emigration M ajesty's fromgtrhanattspoanrtthoefirhaerival, minions, or that some steps should be taken to provide Dither minions, s or in anyother way which Majesty's Government might think proper to adopt. fortohfe railways t u ri a l has already receiv ed the signatures of employmentThoehereconstruction me many thousand persons, and it is expected to reach this country by the next arrivals from Canada. It is worded in strong terms, and predicts the worst consequences to the colony, should evils complained of some t h i ng not be don© to remedy the The leading towns in the colony— New Brunswick is be literall3 • swarming .. mentioned in particular—are said to with these Irish emigrants, who move about in a mass of rags from place to place, asking alms from every one they meet. The writer of one of the > letters which have just been received from New Brunswick mentions that no fewer than twenty-seven of these, miserable creatures called at his house to solicit charity in one day. THE RIOT AT THE STOCKPORT ELECTION.—Late on Wednesday night, the jury empannelled to consider the cause of the death of the unfortunate man, killed during the riots which followed the Stockport election, returned the following verdict, after being locked up three hours:—" Manslaughter against John Hurst, and four other persons unknown." The jury, at the same time, unanimously expressed their decided reprehension o f those practices wh i c h have led to this unhappy case, and to hope that the origin, be it either by " bottling" voters or ey the use of weapons, or any ether exhibition of physical force, will cease hereafter to be employed in the conducting of elections.