The Sun. — London, England, 1847-01-28 00:00:00

mr.... ... w S . :erdny. Arne ) 730. )-day b e t , in pric ee - 0 less in 91 to 91 Excheci o—.,. - T,l lr , h ee : a nts OWer agallh ivestra eat& . and W ,A. . 1 Stow. 4'82 1 per Cen' oing ii ' BloS r 20 0 i 914 914 . , 93 1 , 4 13% 1 1.1* 1-16 9 25 ' 1 6? 109 s. 8 a. 8 2. rL05150 P epe` 8314 19% 94S 510 ..- 34)i cLogIoPBICEt • 23* •••• •''' •••• 147 , •• • 4 ? ...• •••• 26% •••• •••• •••• -•• 2% ,••• •••• 19, ~.• r •• 24 • 34 • 264 • • 05 • •• 12 • 2 0 • • •• 89 •'• 9 04 ..• 5 • • 14 :•• ..• 504 ▪ • 544 9% • 194 i 4, •• 7 44 •• 624 •• 556 •• 50 •• 44 •• •• 21!4 10 0 , 1 •• •• I P •• I)4 •• 12 3 36., •• •• •• •• 331 1 • • pia , • • 14 " 3)4 •• 834 •• 17, •• 171 i •• •• • 40 % • . „; 11* • Isg • 4 • 714 O. • N • 1% P ' • 116% • 11% ~ ilkot THE SUN, LONDON, IRELAND. r ) ultL bo a tTitu. 25 —Many more deaths from starve whare reported in te accounts received to-day, end thel is termed the 'starvation fever" is spreading in western as well as the southern counties. c at : m e:Mg, contains the following alarming rever is still on the increase ; the deaths in the isPotr-house are m os t numerous, e.id almost all the per who have died have been carried off either by ty- ET fever or d ysentery. There are at presen t f our ( 7 dred on the sick list in the poor-house, or one - thir d th all the i nmates. This is really alarming, and from Zpigreet increase of fever in the town we fear a plague The th e w e e coroners of Sligo are unable to attend . to all th ."s made upon them, and although indefatigable in b e en Iseharge of their duties, numbers of persons have iiv.buried (who died of starvation) without inquests . 11 N; been held upon them." a t e giving details of inquests on_five persons who .‘; from starvation, the Sligo Champion proceeds Q ii bile the coroner ;as engaged yesterday with the in ett Druincliff, he received an official communi e—"n from Head Constable Hay, of Riverstown, re n'tflesting his attendance to hold inquests on the bodies t - I . t girl named Hodge, and a man named Brian Mat ven„ls, both of whom ;lied of starvation, and he was three by the messenger who brought thii letter, that p " or four oraerlies were at his house, requiring his re scoce in different parts of the county." • t;O 4 • r "'" such a district it is not surprising that emigra ,.. still in progress, even in sold-winter. Two V!lndred persons left the port of Sligo on Thursday, for fAverpool, with a view of making their way to America; but most of them were very poorly provided with sea provisions and some were almost destitute of clothing or rr ;" is ions• Many of those creatures, no doubt, will still further :pigment the pauperism in Liverpool. • P rom all parts of the county of . Galway the most /tor n accounts have been received, and deaths starvation are increasing. The Tuam Herald states that five inquests were held from the 16th to the 21st instant, and in each case the verdict was 4. died b 7 starvation." GALWAY, JAN. 23.—MORE DEATHS BY STARVATION. — "Our private letters front Connemara mention details of woo almost unparalleled. In Clifden, we are in formed that the population are fast dying away for want Of food --many are hurried to their early graves from utt-r destitution, without the ceremony of a funeral, and frequently without the covering of a coffin, and the C lergy are incessantly employed in administering the consolations of religion tu those who are falling victims to the ravages of famine. In the village of Glenn, westward of Oughterard by about two miles, in one wretched cabin, ten human beings, constituting an en tire family, lie deal in otte heap of rottenness and putrefaction. In the extensive county of Cork the most appalling . sc:-nes are to be witnessed on all sides. In the city o f Cork. on Saturday last, a crowd of labourers para ded through the streets, but some of the ringleaders having been arrested while endeavouring to force an entrance into a shop, the remainder dispersed without committing Any outrage. The Cork Reporter of Saturday contains a stateme nt from it, correspondent of the dreadful destitution i n the district o f B antr y. I hav e ex t rac ted the followlng a r ms s . sage Mothers bearing dead children in t heir arm s are everywhere to be seen, and those who follow them are often compelled to eat grim to satisfy the cravings of the hunger that gnaws their vitals. As an exa mple l of the r ap idi ty w i t h w hi c h d eat h sta lk s t h roug h the and, It may be stated that during the last ten days the Rev. Messrs. Freeman Begley visited and prepared for death no less than forty-two, thirty-five of whom were in the utmost state of destitution, and of that number twenty eight died, twenty-five of absolute starvation. That number did not include the deaths in the workhouse, ',which had been unprecedented in extent, notwithstand ing the exertions of the board of guardians. Scarcely an hour elapses without some of the population dropping and sinking into the grave, and children, after suffering t he Pangs of h unger f or f our or fi ve d ays . M an y die on 11 ;e mountains, uncared for and deserted. In the midst ( , ) , t , all thes e h orrors, i t i s grat if y i ng to fi n d that " (4 e who have been blessed with a reasonable share of the world's g oo d s h ave no bl y d one t h e i r d uty . A mo n g st ,o most prominent in endeavouring to allay and mitigate he misery which exists 4l amongst the tenantry is Lord eninare. Some instances have occurred in the barony where the landlord has demanded and distrained for rent, but those instances, it is happy to observe, are very few. alhe f • th i:yited, in act is, the tenantry hare nothing to give; . for cligh I have seen more fields prepared for the coming visited, ni this neighbourhood than in most others I have general all their corn is gone, and but few 2 any seed." inacti n ...I.rons g• the southern coun ti es th e re port s are equally ..ro m it home of the counties of Ulster the accounts are t i t: as bad as from the south or west. The Lord week to a.sis " gyre:jot Derry and Raphoe having recommended a 2 40/. from the National Club in London, con meeting o f ' t . his clergy at the deanery house last in allocating the money and localobtain subscriptions. The reports submitted by the Th r e g lt "hi b it a mass of u tt er d est it u tion in their parishes. coma . ee .. Mr. Maturin described the parish of Gorton as th an I ntrif4 " one thou san d i n di v id ua l s w h o have no more ohl e i n it , w ,eek:l provi s i ons , an d w h o are w i t h ou t means to Th e f : - "J'IRANCE OF THE POTATO DISEASE. s esidi ‘-ork Reporter of Saturday says:—" A gentleman liotbeldlg in the neighbourhood of Kinsale planted in a ho ,_, , about three months since, a quantity of sound ;„`2"oes of the quarry kind, and on examining the pro it(icvea yesterday, w hi c h, b y the forced growth, had far ra sed. ,, to maturity, he found them black and dis £HE IRISH DISTILLERS.—REDUCTION OF DUTY ON RUM. J 8 Project o f t h e C hancellor of the Exchequer, re il esctlng the use o f sugar i n b rewer i es an d di st ill er i es , tt bee n received with general approval here ; but the r o paed a rrangement f or re d uc i ng t h e d uty on rum i n r e and to about one-third of the present amount, has Produced absolute consternation amongst the Irish dis tillers meeting of the Dublin distillers was held this day, 1./_t the Commercial-buildings, Sir John Power, Bart., Pre:idi ng, when the following resolutions were adopted: That the meeting have seen, with the greatest ! HI M, the proposition of the Chancellor of the Exam- I l lekmade in the House of Commons on Friday last, to reduce the duties on West India rum imported into Ireland to 3s. 2d. per gallon —a measure which, if car ried into effect, will prove utterly ruinous to the Irish distillery trade, and most prejudicial to the landholders, fanners, and traders of this country, and to every inte rest connected therewith. " That any measure of a temporary nature, calculated to meet the exigencies of the present time, however in convenient it might prove to the trade, would be cheer fully rt ceived and submitted to by the Irish distillers ; but that the measure now proposed does not contemplate any such effect, but is solely calculated permanently to injure, if not totally extinguish, the manufacture of spirits in this country. " That a general meeting of the trade be called by Public advertisement, to assemble in Dublin, on 'rues day, the 2d of February next, in the Corn Exchange, at one o'clock in the afternoon, to take the proposition of the Chancellor of the Exchequer into their consideration, and that these resolutions be published in the meantime In some of the morning and evening Dublin and London New spapers. By order of the meeting. " WT'-TaAm W. JAMESON, Secretary." Mr. O'Connell attended the meeting of the distillers. The honourable and learned gentleman has delayed his departure for London in consequence of the unfavourable state of the weather ; but has to leave town by the mail Packet to-morrow evening. REPRESENTATION OF GALWAY TOWN. The Gal wa y Vi n di cator conta i ns an address from Sir v alentine Bl a k e , B ar t., to t h e e l ectors of the town of G a lway, intimating his retirem en t f rom t h e representa on of the town, " it having pleased Providence to de rive me of th e p ower to atten d to your important inte estss in Parliament in future." The same journal con- P t ains a letter from I'. S. Comyn, Esq., dated " Upper L * t x‘vnitam- s t ree t, Dublin, Jan. 21," in which the writer says—" Either my brother (Francis Comyn, of Wood stock), or mys e lf, w ill o ff er ourse l ves as candidates, and We will not support any Government not pledged to the repeal of the union." _lt is generally believed th a t th e S o li c i tor - G enera l, Cdr. Monahan, who is a native of the county of Galway, will start for the representation of the vacant borough, with a fair prospect of success. Mr. O'Hara, the late recorder of the borough, is also spoken of as a candidate. On Wednesdsy a meeting of the trades and other re peal elect ors , p res id e d over b y t h e Rev. Mr. Martyn, was 13 ,e1d in th e repea l rea di ng-room, Galway, when a resolu tion was adopted, pledging the meeting to use every exertion in the event of a vacancy for the return of a repeal representative. REPEAL ASSOCIATION. At the weekly meeting of the Association held this day, Alderman Butler in the chair, Mr. W. T. Kelly, solicitor, detailed at considerable length certain proceed ings instituted by a large number of landlords (whom he named) in the county of Mayo, against their cottier tenantry. From the statement of the Learned Gentle man, it appeared that at the recent sessions held at Castlebar and Ballinrobe, an incredible number of civil hill actions had been brought for non-payment of rent, the greatest portion of which fell due in Nov em b er l ast. r. O'Connell moved that a special meeting of the cum raittee should be summoned for next day, to consider the atat ement, and that a petition to Parliament, detaili ng th e f t a h ets (if substantiated by the gentleman who announced should be prepared ; and he (Mr. O'Connell) nuld undertake to present it. How, asked Mr. O'Con -11..e11. could the Irish members have the face to demand naistance from the British Government if it appeared s tated? t the landlords of Ireland were acting in the manner t h ltted ? The Hon. Gentleman subsequently announced at a Mr. Anthony O'Flaharty, of Knockbane, " having ti t i ti _ f ied his conversion to repea'," was i.eterinined to seek etvikraetpiorneseefntation of Galway (town), vacant by the re- Sir Valentine Bltike. tot 4 it i the conclusion of the proceedings (which were tUtally devoid of int erest ) , t h e rent for the week was an s to be 151. 16,:. 9d. The meeting then adjourned. E A great , _XPERIENCES OF A GAOL CHAPLAIN." -- . deal of interest has of late been, and continues to be taken in 0 e very important subject of prison discipline, and the re 44!dinn of criminals, and several works have been written, ...„lell, to say the truth, have communicated much general I,,:lorination touching this matter. But general treatises, Q_ >wever elaborate, have not half the effect, and consequently 41 e inot nearly so useful, as particular f ac t s. I t is for this T.. nthat we hail "The Experiences o f a G aol Chap rSlT?' Just bublished by Mr. Bentley. It is indeed a dark aftet.fro, in life's volume, but which, whilst it is one of the most p,..; ab'e di-closures ever made as to the economy of our -mostlB and the moral condition of their inmates, is one of the interesting collections of narratives ever published. LITERATURE. - - HOOD'S 0 W2V; or, LAU YE GHTER FROM YEAR TO AR. Happily for us there is no necessity for any analytical examination of the contents of t i ts cele brated volume ; we say hapily, because were there that necessity, we should find ourselves placed in a bewildering dilemma; we should feel, at one and the same moment, incited to enlarge upon it to the ex tent of many columns, and compelled, notwithstanding that inclination to condense our observations in con sequence of the press of Parliamentary and miscel laneous intelligence. But, fortunately for us, there is not merely no necessity for any lengthened criticism of " Hood's Own," but such a criticism would be little better than a wilful impertinence to the public. We should just as readily attempt a critical dissection of " Robinson Crusoe ' " or "Tristram Shandy," or " The Visit to the Other World," as we would of " Hood's Own." One is about as much familiarised with the popular mind as the other, and all of them are equally associated with our pleasantest recollections. Why, we should have ample matter for commentary upon the profusion of illustrations scattered through the letter-press--and such illustrations ! Forms and faces as much in accordance with the pro portions of nature, as with the elementary principles of art. Faces and figures little more artistic in pencilling than the monstrous shapes pro duced by a child on its satchel. But brimming over with the extravagantest drollery imaginable ! A joke in every line—a witticism in every movement of the pencil. Throughout the kingdom, these comical engravings have, by one means or another, been cir culated in periodicals, in a variety of editions, in broad-sheets, and so forth. They cannot be circu lated too much, for they have a morally medicinal effect upon the mind of every spectator; they drive away the nightmares of indigestion and the day mares (if we may so call them) of melancholy, and whole swarms of blue devils and morbid phantassies ; and they drive them away to the most hilarious of all music—explosions of laughter ! Such is the inevitable effect of this, the most humourous work of one of the most humourous beings that ever breathed. MURRAY'S HOME and COLONIAL LIBRARY No. X L.—Gatherings from Spain. Part 11. By lii- chard Ford. _ As pleasantly and good-humouredly as its com mencement is the conclusion of this excellent sketch of Peninsular society. Here and there Mr. Ford ex hibits a quaint formality that almost reduces his style to the grotesque, but the principal portion of his nar rative is keen and sparkling. The philosophy with which he scans the people of Spain in their present degeneracy is sweet and homely. Without any os tentation of shrewdness, the sarcasm of Mr. Ford is at times surprisingly penetrant. He looks at the descendants of the Cid not through the jaundiced medium of national prejudice, but with a calm, im partial gaze. When he is wandering through the streets of their principal cities he doubtless bears in recollection the age in which those same streets reverberated with the warlike wail of Ay di mi Alhama! and the citizens drew their brands against the Moors. Nevertheless, if his mind is teeming with these remembrances, he seldom allows them to appear, and that is what we conceive to be the chief deficiency of the book. Probably he con ceives such dreams about the romantic chapters of Spanish history to be the hallucinations of a contem plative rather than the embellishments of an observant writer. For the pleasure of the thousands, who are lovers of that tobacco which Mr. Ford poetically and expressively terms " the anodyne for the irritability of human reason," we copy sundry notes about the "divine weed," contained in the closing pages : "In Spain the bulk of their happy subjects cannot afford either the expense of tobacco, which is dear to them, or the gain of time, which is very cheap, by smoking a whole cigar right away. They make one afford occu pation and recreation for half an hour. Though few Spaniards ruin themselves in libraries, none are with out a little blank book of a particular paper, which is made at Alcoy, in Valencia. At any pause all say at once—"pues senoies! echaremos un cigarette—well then, my Lords, let us make a little cigar," and all set se riously to work ; every man, besides this book, is armed with a small case of flint, steel, and a combustible tin der. To make a paper cigar, like putting on a cloak, is an operation of much more difficulty than it seems, al though all Spaniards, who have done nothing so much, from their childhood upwards, perform both with ex treme facility and neatness. This is the mode :—the petaca, Arabiee, Butak, or little case worked by a fair hand, in the coloured thread of the aloe, in which the storke of cigars if, kept, is taken out—a leaf is torn from the book, which is held between the lips, or downwards from the back of the hand, between the fore and middle finger of the left hand—a portion of the cigar, about a third, is cut off and rubbed slowly in the palms till re duced to a powder—it is then jerked into the paper-leaf, which is rolled up into a little squib, and the ends doubled down, one of which is bitten off and the other end is lighted. The cigarillo is smoked slowly, the last whiff being the bonue bouche, the breast, la pechuga. The little ends are thrown away : they are indeed little, for a Spanish fore-finger and thumb are quite fire-browned and fire-proof, although some polished exquisites use silver holders : these remnants are picked up by the beggar-boys, who make up into fresh cigars the leavings of a thcusand mouths. There is no want of fire in Spain ; everywhere, what we should call link-boys run about with a slowly burning rope for the benefit of the public. At many of the sheds where water and lemonade are sold, one of the ropes, twirled like a snake round a post, and ignited, is kept ready as the match of a besieged artilleryman ; while in the houses of the affluent, a small silver chafing dish, with lighted charcoal, is usually on a table. Mr. Henningseu relates that Zumalacarreguy, when about to execute some Christinos at Villa Franca, observed one (a schoolmaster) looking about, like Raleigh, for a light for his last dying puff in this life, upon which the Gene ral took his own cigar from his mouth, and handed it to him. The schoolmaster lighted his own, returned the other with a respectful bow, and went away smoking and reconciled to be shot. This urgent necessity levels all ranks, and it is allowable to stop any person for fire ; this proves the practical equality of all classes, and that democracy under a despotism, which exiAts in smok ing Spain, as in the torrid East. The cigar forms a bond of union, an isthmus of communication between most heterogeneous oppositions. It is the habeas corpus of Spanish liberties. The soldier takes fire from the canon's lip, and the dark face of the humble labourer is whitened by the reflection of the cigar of the grandee and lounger. The lowest orders have a coarse roll or rope of tobacco, wherewith to solace their sorrows, and it is theircalun:iet of peace. Some of the Spanish fair sex are said to in dulge in a quiet hidden cigarrilla, una pajita, una reyna, but it is not thought either a sign of a lady, or of one of rigid virtue, to have recourse to these forbidden plea sures; for, say s their proverb, whoever makes one basket will make a hundred. ' Nothing exposes a traveller to more difficulty than carrying much tobacco in his luggage ; yet all will re member never to be without some cigars, and the better the better. It is a trifling outlay, for although any cigar is acceptable, yet a real good one is a gift from a king. The gi eater the enjoyment of the smoker, the greater his respect for the donor ; a cigar may be given to every body, whether high or low : thus the petaca is offered, as a polite Frenchman of La Vieille Cour (a race, alas ! all but extinct) offered his snuff-box, by way of a prelude to conversation end intimacy. It is an act of civility, and implies no superiority, nor is there any humiliation in the acceptance ; it is twice blessed, ' It blesseth him that gives and him that that takes.' It is the spell wherewith to charm the natives, who are its ready and obedient slaves, and, like a small kind word spoken in time, it works miracles. There is no country in the world where the stranger and traveller can purchase for half-a-crown, half the love and good-will which its in vestment in tobacco will insure, therefore the man who grudges or neglects it is neither a philanthropist nor a philosopher." _ _ _ This is a pleasant enough description. James I. of England, and Louis X EV. of France, would have thought difficulty ; but the imperturbable Spaniards would, no doubt, have retorted upon their irascibility —" Pues, senores! echaremos un cigarrito." That would have been an expressive counter-blast to the counter-blast of James and also to Louis, " qui kris• soil le tabac singulierement," according to La Beau melle. THE ECLECTIC REVIEW. We observe that the Eclectic Review, for January, devotes more than a merely cursory review to . the rayers ri e i t o i f t utdhee p t r e e , : n n g t aagitation texts t f s o r e f t h itse e e d b u s e c r a v t a n i t i n e n o s f and Bell, the of Mr. ejaculation n ine t s e an th d e D m r. e V m a o u r g y hc o n r . R A eb f e te r r t Raikes, and to the systems o . f .Lancaster_th alarm ing the writer enters upon a consideration of increased a vastly Kr nd necessity extension some ignorance, in struction. He is irrate at the manner in which the clergy continued for a long series of years the most inveterate opponents of the diffusion of knowledge systematic aned of the among the poorer classes, and he is indignant at that same clergy on their ungraceful conversion to the cause of education (simply because they saw that further antagonism on their part would be utterly ineffectual), wanting to monopo lise the direction an d super i nten d ence of t h e national schools. We are amazed, considering the frankness and impartiality of the article generally, to find the reviewer in one part characterise the Crusade agaii.st Ignorance, led on by Lord Brougham, as " earthy " and its measures all of the earth. As if the mere absence of conventional phrases of devotion derogated from the divine and god-born influence of the study of Nature's laws and of the organisation of the universe ! As if the contemplation of the phenomena of this globe, and of the mysteries of the skies were ini mical to religion, and not an almost irresistible im pulse to its more ennobling impressions ; The deve lopement of the Free Trade question in France is noticed, as is also the doctrine of Future Punishment, the Career of Thomas Clarkson, the Abolitionist, and Dr. Croly's Fiction of Marston. KNIGHT'S MONTHLY VOLUME. No. Vl. Moliere and the French Classical Drama. To those enviable individuals who have not yet made their acquaintance with Jean-Baptiste Pogue lin, commonly called Moliere, the little book which forms the present number of the monthly volumes, formerly published by Mr. Charles Knight, but now published by Mr. Charles Cox, will prove an admi rable pioneer. Even to those few who are ignorant of the French language, the little work translated from the original of Madame Thaz de Bury, (nee Stuart,) c omprehensible and, we will under take to say, most charming. The smallest quotations of wit, irony, sarcasm, retort, equivoque, and so forth, from the exuberant dr olleries of Moliere, are given throughout with their English version. Every paragraph in this composition of Madame de Bury is stored with anecdotes or critical observations of a piquant or delightful character. KNIGHT'S WEEKLY VOLUME. No. CXI. The Romance of Travel. Vol. H. By Charles MacFarlane. We should feel disposed to utter a somewhat lengthened commendation upon the oriental sketches of Mr. MacFarlane, but that we deem such eulo giums to be altogether superfluous, from the popu larity already acquired by his writings. Like Eothen, and Elliott Warburton, and Mrs. Romer, he regards the East from two separate points of view— first as a fervent worshipper of the physical creation, and, secondly, as a shrewd contemplator of the spiritual nature of the lands visited; he looks at one moment to the peculiarities of the country which he is traversing, at another he regards the society, the habits, the customs, the disposition, the creed, and the traditions of the multitudes by whom it is popu lated. Mr. MacFarlane has an eye for the pic turesque, and one capable of appreciating the beautiful, whether of the moral or actual world. PROGRESS OF THE NATION in its Various Social and Economical Relations from the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century. By G. A. PORTER, ER. S. 4 new edition. The work, of which this is a new edition, has long since been universally recognised as the authority on all matters relating to the statistics of the British Empire, and for years past it has been constantly ap pealed to as such in Parliament by men of all parties. The statistics of the empire aro, in this edition, brought down to the close of the year 1847. In his preface to this edition, Mr. Porter, to whose demon stration of the absurdity of the protective system, the destruction of that system is mainly owing, and to whose record of facts, quite as much as to the " un adorned eloquence of Richard Cobden," the conver sion of Sir Robert Peel may be attributed, thus speaks of the mighty victory of truth over fallacy which is accomplished in the year 1846: swms oyaasisnt enstmw.et "Durin g the year in which these sheets have been passing through the press, changes of the most momen tous character, affecting our commercial relations, have been crowned with legislative san c tio n . The protective wom w o asv h hte i io e ns u h e dwi o at n hsv e y aanl vtl iv a osriueo f r e n t w haora yb 3 ri • an e t sin a s r dae s n adhaigst interestsohyeooaierpeip t , a a g r ht e an d ai nas t ts o st anyu b di t e : denly yielded to the force of argument, and is abandoned by every one having valid pretensions to guide the opinions, or to govern the decisions of the legislature. "If this sudden change could have been foreseen, some of the arguments might possibly have been spared, that wear in the following pages, and that were levelled against positions which, at the time, were by most per sons deemed impregnable, but which are now and for ever given up as no longer tenable; for it is not to be conceived that a victory so signal over deep-rooted pre julices, and which has been gained by changing the convictions of the great majority of those by whom they were entertained, can ever be reversed, nor that circum stances can hereafter arise to call for a repetition of the means by which that victory has been aehieved," is admirably said. We join with Mr. Porter in cele brating this signal victory over deep-rooted preju dices, and we entirely agree with him in opinion that a victory so gained can never be reversed. MUSIC. THE TURF. (0! what a time for a lithe bit of some thing.) A Racing Song. By Harry heaver. Not " The Turf' of Mark Lemon. No ; but a capital song upon that most suggestive and delightful theme—a song worthy of being carolled in the petite comedic by the editor of " Punch." Those who thoroughly enjoy anything relating to the field sports of England will remember with pleasure the hunting song of " The foremost flight," by the same " know ing hand" as the present. To say that " The Turf " is a fit companion to its predecessor is admirable praise, and is well deserved. TRANSFER OF LICENCES. SAINT JAMES, WESTMINSTER. Present the Hon. Fred. Byng, Chairman, Sir John Kirkland Charles Graham, Esq., and S. W. Fresh- field, Esq. Angel and Crown, Heddon-street, William Daniel Hanes to William Howard. Black Horse, Tichborne street, John Oliver and John Green to Henry Vickress. Blue Posts, Rupert-street, Samuel Smith to Robert Winter. Bricklayers' Arms, King-street, Golden-square, Edward Rich to Richard Tomlin. Coach and Horses, Silver-street, Henry James to William Henry King. Coffee house, Princes-street, Henry Beeby to John Jacob Denham. Green Dragon, King-street, Golden square, Francis Boulton to William Field. King of Prussia, Lower John-street, Joseph C. Bradfield to Alfred Talmage. New Shakspeare, formerly Long's Hotel, New Bond-street, James Mark well to John Jub ber. Paris Hotel, Haymarket, assig nees of William Humphreys to James Esden. Red Lion, Portland street, Thomas Jones to Edward Nash. Three Crowns, Richmond-street, Rodolph Guyaz to Hannah Day. Royal Tent, Silver•street, Thomas Edward Gleaves to James Hilton Lawson. Rose and Crown, Little Pul teney-street, to Clara Maria Theresa Pharaoh, executrix of William Pharaoh, the late occupier. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. LEAMINGTON STEEPLE CHASES —WEDNESDAY. The Leamington Cup, of 1,000 Guineas, Three miles. Mr. R. Sutton's King of the Valley, llst 71b (Capt. Broadley) 1 Mr. H. de Rodes's I'ullaway, 11st 71b 2 Captain Barnett's Marengo, 12st Lord Guernsey nd Eugene Sue Several others started. Won by a head. A fine race, the third only beaten a head from second. The Professional Steeple Chase Stakes, of 3 sous each, &c. Three miles. Mr. E. S. Devonport's Victress Mr. J. Brown's Hip Briar Four others started. Won easy. The Handicap Hurdle Stakes, of 10 sovs each. Two miles. Lord Strathmore's Belshazzar, list Mr. E. Nunn nd Waterman, aged, lOst 2 Mr. Clarke's Leo, lOst 121 b SANATORY REGULATIONS. The Corporation of London are determined to adopt the strongest measures to secure the observance of sanatory regulations. In the Court of Aldermen held some days ago, Sir James Duke made some observations founded on the emphatic representations of Doctor Lynch, in the Court of Common Council, on the state of the lanes and alleys of the extensive district of Furring don Without ward. The following letter was transmitted by the clerk of the Commissioners of Sewers to Sir James Duke, in consequence of the remarks made by that Alderman, urging the necessity of making efforts for the protection of public health:— "Sewers-office, Guildhall, Jan. lb, 1847. Sir,—l am directed by Mr. Deputy Peacock, Chair man of the Commissioners of Sewers, to signify to you that he has seen in the Times newspaper of Tuesday last, a report of some observations made by you, in your place in the Court of Aldermen, on the preceding d ay, refer ring to a presentment made by the inquest jury stf Dunstan, relative to some old houses in Fetter lane, in which you - are made to state 'there was abundant me dical evidence to show that the densely crowded state of the neighbourhood, and the want of sewage, produced fever to an alarming extent, to which the presentment " The Chairman desires me to draw your attention to Commis fact that within the last four years al o ne th e Comis sionors of Sewers have expended about 20,0040. in the construction of sewers in the ward of Farringdon Without, and that they are proceeding in that work carefully and steadily. They have reason to believe that upon in quiry, but very few places in that ward will be fuund to be without a sewer. But the Chairman directs me to say that upon finding any such place, however remote, in which a public sewer can b 3 constructed, which at present has it not, if you will be good enough to attend the Court, as a Commissioner, or otherwise point it out to the Commissioners, their immediate attention will be given to remedy the grievance as far as possible. " I have the honour to be, Sir, your very obedient servant, JOSEPH DAW, Prin. Clerk." The most firm hopes of a strong support of the efforts of Government to improve the health of the vast popu lation of the metropolis are entertained, in consequence of the prompt attention paid by the Committee of Sewers to the subject of complaint. FOREIGN POTATOES.—The follovvin—wgeekarartivtahlespoorft rr w e s lines, brought 18 tons; the Boru, potatoes t at Londono e s have :—Thetake n N p o l p a t c o e ne, during fr oro t the 7 f0 5 t m oi:is tulogne, 80 Nathalie, from Dun the Jeune Gravelines, 63 tons; . the tonston froms tons; wGterbiaegvl John e t s h a, e n3d4 P At e o l nn l n e s 8 ! f therfor o m m cDhuonr Calais, kloitre: kHirekn,riB, 2frotmonGs;raytheleintsi,oo3,s f t r o o n m s ; the Emelie, from Calais, 30 tonsßose, from G i i i , : f ehne s , 50 tons ; the Hope, from Guernsey, 81 tons; the ' from Harlingen, 5 baskets; the Prince, from Guernsey agnet d Jersey, 20 tons weight t the Neptune, from Gravelines an 3o t p o h n o s o ; s, thefr(afrom cil Cecile, rav Calais,efirionneis,42 to n 3 82 w etiognhst; ofand tii e the article.eu n e ' A l - EXTENSIVE BURGLARY IN REGENT-STREET.— Tuesday morning. between the hours of one and five, a most daring burglary was committed upon the premises of Messrs. Hallstatt an d Hannaford, jewellers and silversmiths, No. 223, Regent-street. It appears that about the latter hour a policeman was going his usual rounds, and on ar riving at the door of the above house, he as usual gave it a push, and was surprised to find it open. A search being made, it appeared that some thieves had effected an locks two doors made their way int o the shop, from which they took property, consisting of gold and silver plate, to the amounts wharfin weight value of upwards of 3001. Fifty s overei g ns which were left in the till on th e p rev ious night, were fortun atel y overlooked by the thiev es . A heavy b arge a rrived from Rouen two day s a g o, at the of St. Nicolas du Louvre , w ith the last part of the antiquities f rom Ni n eveh, consisting of 99 blocks , some weighing as much as 14 tons each. The whole car g o to 275 tons. Preparat ions are being made for their being landed and transported to the Louvre. —Paris Paper. THURSDAY MORNING-, JAN - VARY 28, 1847 CONSEQUENCE OF A FRANCO- THE PARSEES ; aR FIRE-WOR SHIPPERS 01? INDIA. (From the " Camp and Barrack-Room.") The supposition is natural to the mind of man in whfceeer position he may be placed, that a Being exists, superior to himself, who watches over and in fluences his destinies either for gocd or evil. While in his rude and primitive state, he hesitates with what at tributes end powers to clothe this mysterious one; he is necessarily sensible that the sun is the source of light and heat, and that summer, whose genial warmth gives verdure to the earth, is the consequence of its protracted appearance. On the other hand, as winter approaches, he sees the flowers wither away, and the trees shorn of their leaves; he feels the cold and storms of the season; and therefore wishes for the return of that time of light and beauty which presents so many pleasing objects to his senses, and which alike enables him to preside for present wants and future necessities. Thus sensible of tl.e great benefits resulting from the emanations of the un, it cannot be a matter of surprise that this glorious luminary is associated in his mind with all that is good and powerful; and that a feeling of gratitude is en rendered a Lich gradually merges i n t o adoratiou. 'Hence, mankind, in alines every age and every coun try, in the absence of revealed religion, have wor shipped the sun and firs. as its protetype, under different features. In the new world the nations of the South adored it, and hailed the Spaniards ns its children, it circumstance which considerably facilitated their con quest by the latter; and there is every reason to suppose that the practice existed amongst them from a very re mute period. PI rebus, the light of life, as as the fa vourite god of the Greeks, as well from his being sovereign of the sun, as from other qualifications suited to the inclinations of a p dished people. The sacred fire of the Romans, guarded and kept alive by the vestal virgins, was never to be extinguished; such an occur rence being considered as portentous of dire calamity to the empire. Anterior, however, to the era of Latin supremacy, lire-worship was almost universal in Persia, and had already been reduced to an established form several hundred years before the birth of Christ. Thus, if great antiquity of origin, as some say, stamps to a certain extent the tenets of a creed with truth, that of the Parsees has strong claims upon our belief. Fire•worship is said by some writers to have been in troduc: d into Persia by Zoroaster or Zerdisht, an emi nent philosopher, whom they affirm to have flourished in the sixth century before Christ. Others maintain that fire-worship existed long before that period (having been first instituted by another Zoroaster, a king of Bactria, who is supposed to have lived some time before the Trojan war, and who, like Pythagoras, admitted no visible object of devotion except fire, which he considered the most proper emblem of a supreme being), and that Zerdisbt only reduced the practice to systematic order. The followers of Zoroaster aver that extraordinary and miraculous occurrences preceded his birth, which event took place under most unusual circumstances ; while his life was like that of all other celebrated law givers, a tissue of marvels. For example, some of the old Persian writers say that he was induced, from mo tives of wisdom and virtue, to lead a solitary life upon a mountain, which he found one day in a flame of celestial fire, out of which he came unharmed, having been en gaged on certain sacrifices to God, whom he declared had appeared to him. According to many of his followers, Zoroaster did not die a natural death, but was taken up into heaven. The new, or revised doctrine, as it may have been, was first taught by Zoroaster in the province of Aderbijan, and spread rapidly from thence over the whole empire. Gushtasp, who was then sovereign of Persia, is said to have been converted by his son Isfundear, and to have subsequently built temples in every part of his kingdom, ordering at the same time 12,000 cow-herds to be finely tanned, that the precepts of the prophet might be written on them, and when this was done, carefully placing them in a vault at Persepolis. A war with Arjasp, King of Tartary, was the result of this change of religion on the part of Gushtasp, which was prosecuted with the exterminating fury of fanati cism during its continuance. Balkh, then the capital of Persia, was taken and sacked, and all the priests and fol lowers of Zoroaster there put to the sword. The Tartars likewise captured the sacred standard of Persia, the apron of the blacksmith Kawap ; but in another engage ment, Isfundear totally defeated them, slew their king Roweendeb, and re-captured the national banner. Under the dynasties of the Seleucidee and Parthiane, the religion of Zoroaster was neglected, and conse quently became con upted. Ardisher Babigan, how ever, a military adventurer, who rose from a low rank to the sovereignty of Persia, and who assumed the title of Shaken Shah, or king of kings, after overthrowing Arduan or Artabanus, the last of the Parthian mo narchs, about the year 229 of the Christian era, re stored the religion of the Guebres to its primitive purity. From the reign of Ardisher Babigan, until that of Chosroes, the contemporary of Justinian, a period of about 300 years,t he doctrines of Zoroaster were main faired in their primeval purity, and continued to be the established religion of the State. Mahomet new appeared before the world; and while still little better than an obsure adventurer, sent a formal requisition to Chosroes, then in the zenith of his power, to renounce the religion of his fathers; this he received with the utmost contempt, tearing the letter of the prophet to pieces; an act deemed sacrilegious b) the Mahometans, and to which they ascribe all that monarch's subsequent misfortunes. The next attempt to subvert the ancient religion of Persia was made by the Caliph Omar, who effected a passage across the Euphrates with a strong body of Arabs, and although repulsed in several engage ments, at length won an important victory, which paved the way for Mahometan ascendancy. Y. zdijurd 111., on his accession to the throne, found his kingdom seriously threatened by the Arabs, and immediately dispatched an envoy to their general, Sand, to effect, if possible, an amicable adjustment with him of mutual differences. Sand communicated with the caliph, and a deputation was sent by the latter to the Persian monarch, to whom the terms proposed were that his people should become converts to the Moslem faith,upon which no Arab should enter his territory without permis sion. If they did not choose to do this, they should pay the taxes levied upon infidels ; and if both these condi tions were refused, they might prepare for war. Yezdi jiird rejected these proposals with disdain, and prepared for hostilities. In the first general engagement, the Persian monarch was defeated, and his army all but annihilated, the sa cred standard falling into the hands of the enemy. After the battle Yezdijiird fled to Ilulwar, with all the property he could carry, and continued the war for a few years ; but his defeat at Nahavund decided the fate of Persia ; its monarch, a fugitive in his own dominions, dragged out a miserable existence for ten years, when he was murdered, and the religion of Zoroaster terminated in Persia. From the death of Yezdijiird, historians generally date the era of the modern Guebres. Shortly after that oc• currence, the persecutions of their fanatical conquerors induced many of them to emigrate into Khorassan,where they remained for about 100 years ; and some modern travellers suppose that the Siaposh Kaffirs, or black clad infidels, inhabiting a mountainous district near the Kama, are the descendants of these refugees ; both from their manners and customs, different from those of their Affghan neighbours, and the remains of pyrathraa to be seen in their country. Certainly, from Khorassan a large portion of the Guebres withdrew to the island of Ormuz, in the Persian Gulf, where they staid for a period of fifteen years ; when not finding it a residence suited to their wishes, they sailed for India, and landed at Diu. But on consulting their written oracles they ascer tained a protracted stay here would not be auspi cious ; and again emb ar ki ng on b oard their ships, they put to sea, and re ac h e d a fertile art tempest, p th ea e t, co w as b t ie o b f Guzerat, after encountering a severe p seriously 'damaged their fleet. The prince of this terri tory received them favourably; but as they were numerous and well armed, he bound them to the ob servance of five conditions, ere he allowed them to land; That they should explain the mystery of their faith, lay aside their arms, and speak the language of the country, that their women should appear unveiled, and that their be i tisolemnisedconditions, of te a i oG t n n as i ,e g b h r t e . s whichA t h forbade et.e as w tb n e o i t r h a in e g ee marriages, accordin g t o th e customs of his people, should in the they gladly consente d , and were per mitted to land. The Indians, discovering something analogous be tween many of the strangers' principles and their own, treated them kindly, and gave them land to build a town on, which they called Sanjan; and shortly after, obtain ing another grant of land, they erected a fire temple, in pursuance of a vow they had made should they escape tyre tempest which had assailed them. At this place they remained together for about three centuries, when they dispersed to Baum* Surat, and other places along the coast; and in the lapse of time Sanjan gradu ally became depopulated. They were, however, recalled by the Sovereign of Guzerat, on his being threatened with invasion by the celebrated inconoclast Mahmood of Ghuzni, in order to assist in the defence of his terri tory, when 1,400 of them were found capable of bear ing arms. A large number of Gaebres fell in an engagement with the Affghans, and the survivors fled, leaving their city to be pillaged; and carrying their sacred fire along with theta, they proceeded in quest of another settle ment. Thus they continued to wander from place to place along the coast for several centuries, as though they were never destined to obtain a permanent resi dence, until at last they found a secure asylum in Surat, Bombay, and a few other places, where they are per mitted to enjoy the free and undisturbed exercise of their religion. Such of the Guebres as remained in Persia without becoming proselytes to Mahometanism, were treated with the greatest rigour, and their number gradually decreased. At Yczed, however, distinguished by the appellation of the Darub Abaduct, or seat of religion, rel i i i gion, the Guebres ate still permitted to haveanA town, or fire-temple, in their own quarter of since the which the h they assert has had the sacred fire in itdaysof Zoroaster. But for this indulgence th e y are indebted to the avarice, not the tolerance, of the Government, which for the taunts and r ess at the followers of a levies on them a capitation tax d of twenty-five rupees, be sides leaving them without re indignities ever levelled by fanatics despised faith. purity ; their tenets having become exist in its original with those of the Christians and Ma gradually mixed up The religion of these Guebres does not they have practised their worship undisturbed , and hommetans. The contrary is the case in India, where pre served some of their religious books, in a peculiar cha racter, to the present time. c reated light, water, fire, Hormuz d, H d to eternity, d The Parsecs maintain t hat an co: iginal principle,. ana logousthe source of all p l o t c , and Ariman, the author of evil ; was effected. Hormuzd is adored beings and matter reation, for by it the formation of speech preceding .a belief thus far closely re for his malevolence. T co oos for his beneficen ce, andb .Ariman held in detestation Shiva, the de deities are B ra hma, the creating power ; Vishnu, the preserving. Many of the s embles that of the Hind , whose three greatest greying; and RUSSIAN ALLIANCE. Our readers are aware that ever since the rupture of the entente cordiute between England and France, it has been the persevering endeavour of a ,mall section of politicians in the latter country, to bring about an old ance between France and Russia. La Presse, always known in Paris as a Russian organ, has recently advo cated the Franco-Russian alliance, the impolicy of which was shown, in an admirable series of articles which have appeared within the last few days in Le Conimarce. The object of the first of the series, was to prove that Russia had never desired, and did not now desire to form any intimate alliance with France; of the second, to show that, even admitting the good faith of the Emperor Nicholas, such an alliance would compromise the very existence of the Government of .July; and of the third, that the formation of a Franco- Russian alliance would be the signal for the breaking out of an European war. As the two first propositions concern solely the French people themselves, we do not think it necessary to reproduce the arguments by which they are supporte I, The third prep: siting, however, intimately concerns us, in common with every other Eutoperin nation, and we therefore offer no apology for presenting our readers with the following translation of the principal portions of an admirable article which ap peared in le C'onaneree of Sunday last: " It remains then for us, in order to complete our ex amination of what would be the probable results of an alliance betwi en the Cabinet of the Tuilleries and that of St. Petershurgh, to dcvelope the third of our proposi tiens, which certainly is not the least important. • The day after an alliance shall have been entered into be• tween France and Russia, there will be an European war.' And do not let it be said, in making this asser tion, we are exaggerating the consequence of those new international relations of which a Paris journal, well known for the practical spirit in which it has treated a multidude of other questions. has made itself almost the official organ -- * A', Whenever great questions arise concerning the balance of power in Europe, and the mutual relations tion of states to each other, we should closely study all that is passing among our neighbours ; we should make ourselves acquainted with their public opinion—with their sentiments—with their political views—with their fears, and with their hopes ; we should be less absorbed in personal considerations, and we should find it to be so. To take no account of Germany in considering the effect of a Franco• Russian alliance, would be to expose ourselves immediately to the results of a terrible mis calculation. We have read with attention all the con troversies that the articles of the Press have raised on the other side of the Rhine, and the perusal of these has contributed materially to strengthen our conviction that such a system under existing circumstances could not fail to excite an European war. As it is impossible to find room for numerous extracts from all the German papers, we will only cite some fragments from two of the principal of these organs, the Gazette of Cologne and the Gazette of Weser. We read in the first of these journals, "If it is true that it is the intention of France to form a Franco Russian alliance, we find in this fact an evident sign of' the decadence of that nation, and a proof of madness on the part of the statesmen who govern it. It would be curious to see those, who for fifteen years have sacrificed their prin ciples and natural friends to the preservation of general peace entering into an alliance of interests which, the moment that it was concluded, would become the signal for a war of extermination. In truth, what ever might be the basis of a Franco Russian alliance, such an alliance must necessarily bring on a war. We leave to others the dream of Poland re-established by Russia —we, Germans, who know the price that must be paid for Russian friendship, laugh with contemptuous pity when we hear of such chimeras. Besides, to re-establish Poland, the consent of Prussia and Austria is necessary, and this quadruple alliance is simply impossible, unless, indeed, Prussia and Austria, con v i nce d by the argu ments of the Press, should become infected with a sud den love for constitutional liberty, of which, however, we very much doubt. But that of which we are con vinced is, that Germany would lose nothing by a union between Paris and St. Petersburgh, even should she be obliged to fight at the same time against Russia and against France. The day on which this alliance, formed at our expense should be concluded, we should be obliged to have recourse to arms, and for this reason : Russia weighs heavy upon us ; her influence in our affairs is fatal to progress and to liberty, and we should desire nothing better than to see Russian barbarism advance to be struck down at Constantinople. But immediately England and Austria would oppose such advance, and the question of the East would be decided, as it always has been, on the banks of the Rhine and of the Vistula. Germany, therefore, wought have to fight for her own nationality, for to become French would be to become Russian. There would no longer be any parties in Germany ; women and children would take arms against both France and Russia ; and we should again sing our patriotic chorus • wherever German is spoken there is our country."' We have preserved in this fragment from the German journal, its impassioned form, its patriotic incoherence. It is a national cry, it is a war cry. In these burst of passion the heart is everything, and the style reflects its feverish agitation. Here is the passage from the Gazette of Weser, more calm, but to the full as significant The restoration thought seriously of a Franco •Russian alliance ; many diplomatic dispatches which have been since published prove this fact. The restoration, by this alliance, had no doubt, in view, a; its ultimate object, the esta bllehment of absolutism. It would, moreover, have been a continental alliance against England. At present the appearance of Europe is changed. Not only has France a dynasty born of a revolution, but even Prussia tends towards a new order of things. Russia alone does not accept accomplished facts. She remains the symbol of autocratic unity, both in political and in religious interests. We doubt whether Russia could have established herself at Constantinople, for how could the Ottomans be governed in accordance thatrdance with the fixed idea of Nicholas , who wills every Russian subject shall profess the Greek religion. Besides, England would never consent to such a displacement of the balance of power in Europe. Now what interest can France have in con tracting an alliance with Russia—would s he siege the frontier of the Rhine in the name of the Czar? would risk Alsace by the attempt, for PrussiawldShe be revolutionized, and we know the maxim of an to_ • It is only countries in a state of revolution whichca!' make conquests.' Does she propose to re-es t abli s h Poland? Admit that Russia would consent to it, what I would Austria say? Admit even that it would . be possi ble to do without Austria, what compensa tion n could be given to Prussia?--Germany, perhaps- But Ger manys must be willing to g ive herself to 1 rus ,a , and she would never consent to such a bargain except on condition of gaining liberty and po litical guarantees Russia would become, then, the prote ctres s of the cause of liberty and progre ss . Thi s i s simply absurd, fit only for the poetic readers of La Presse. instant a Franco-Russian alliance should be enterehd!,,neo.,, 1 The fact is that . the t ) Austria, England, and the Porte, would be o !l ew d_ in self-defence, to coalesce against these te Powers. 'What Germany might do pre dict, but the fact that the French Governmentuehan we cannot has, for a single moment, contemplated alliance, proves that it no longer understandss the moral sense of its mission, and that thereAsisno longer anything to hope or to fear from France. p ion of will go the lowest peasant in Germany . for Russia, go to Damstadt, to Berlin, to Stutg h a is rd o , - ai d nnd the y learn what Germany thinks of Russia, an o r u e ee p why it tion she would give the Cossacks. Inquire also,. is that the Emperor Nicholas always ce with Berlin, notwithstanding his intimate allian ce with be a. voids the city Prus sia. To sum up all, a Franco-Russian alliance w the destruction of France; but to every German for such an alliance with all our heart, and ." These are speak frankly, we wish who loves his country, will be of our op argument, the quotations. The most moderate of in th lo e two journals that which seems to found its opinion upon of our alliance terminates its reflections on the results t the French with Russia, by an imprecation ag ains Government, which, as yet, has been guilty hav ing thought such an alliance possible. W h a t then would on ly of be the cry of public opinion on the o th e r bide of the should - Rhine, if that nation, who has hithertobeen consi ddefiniered as the Pharos of progress and civilization,o_ one empire, which Lively unite its destinie s to those the ec of walks in the darkness of barbarissole objt m and of des potism ; of one empire,to be to extend that whose mission e darkness over the resste seems be thefsEurope We have thus proved that a Europea n war would necessary consequence France and Russia. Is there no of an alliance and the Gazette of Weser? For six other conclusiobnettwoeebee drawn from these articles of the Gazette of Cologne resented a miserable spectacle to years France has eaten, so frittered aWa Europe; . liberal andPconstitutional principles have during y, so dena that period been which once secured to us deplsoorable Ministry, that we have lost the turalised by whose nationality was depressed greater part of that p ,e rt•selY e for emancipation. Secondary the attachment of those and who were thirsting have ceased to consider us states, as we s as their guide —as their hope ; and except on t as their support — he na ting h e y rou f s ore c o ond o i f tion arm o s f u :0 - p un dertaking a propaga expect to formthose national for a long which were were possible for national alliances evolution of July. us im mediatelyrf strengthing in her Franceowncounntorwy after our herself stands in need She has to accomplish, and the principles of constitutional government" great national r!forne the only fit nation. It is not by fit ting ally for herself that she is reduced - her is a constitutional • the fault of France to the necessity of having still some lab ours to und erta k e i n the cause of public liberty and re p rese ntative regime; after sixteen years of a Government fou n d e d solely on the triumph of that regime and of tho se liberties. ISLE OF ELY.— CORN I\l ARKET.—Prida last, was the opening y day for establishing' a corn market at March. Notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather, there was a full attendance of farmers, and several merchants from a distance, and others of the neighbourhood. Considerable tub esquan of grain were shown, viz. :—Wheat, o ats, q Beans, 172 qrs.; Barley, 35 qrs. 1,169 qrs.; A slight check to the transactions of business occurred at starting, owing to the farmers endeavouring to establish the practice of not allowing discount on the purchases; ulti mately, however, the farmers gave Way, when a fair pro portion of grain changed hands. We are authorised to say, that in future the farmers attending this market will concede the discount on all purchases by the n t e rc h a nt.—Cambridge .Adrortiscr. ROYAL NAVAL ScitooL.—Tuesday speci a l ad journed meeting of the supporters of this institution was held at the School, situate near New-cross, Deptford, for the pur pose of electing a president in the room of Admiral Sir Charles Ogle. Lord Prudhoe had, it was understood, suf fered himself to be put in nomination, but when the time for the election came his Lordship communicated his inten tion of declining the honour and duties of the office. In p consequence no election took place, and th e meet i ng aga i n adjourned. I traditions of the Guebres relating to the early condition ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITTJ of the world, like those of the Greeks and Latins, are • TION. assimilated to Scripture truths, although barely dis- To our mind there are few plans better calculated to L • cernible through the mists of f a bl e w hi c h o b scure them. impart instruction and amusement to all clesses tbaa • With respect to fire, the Guebres place its fountain head in the sun , ca ll e d b y them Mithras, or Mihir, and this establishment, The principal lectures whi c h are being delivered at this well-conducted institution are to which they pay the greatest reverence, as well in upon Schonbein's gun-cotton and the electric teleraph; gratitude for th e various benefits resulting from its the former by Doctor Ryan, and the l atter by Doctor ministerial omniscience, as from the beli e f that the Backhoffner. As we have already given a notice of throne of the author of all good is placed in that lumi- Dr. Ryan's admirable lecture on the gun-cotton, we nary. But they do not confound the creature with the need not repeat it, but as the latter has not appeared, creator. They view the sun simply as a passiv e instru- we with pleasure give a short notice for the advantage of ment, controlled by the power of the deity, and as pos- our readers. The learned doctor particularly pointed sesscd of no qualities of sense or reason ; while at the out in the commencement of his discourse the peculiar same time they only give it a secondary place amon g application o f e l ec t r i c it y t o t h e purposes o f th e electric the works of creation, th e fi rst b e i ng occupied by the telegraph. I n a dditi on to th e usua l l uc id explanations mind of man. According to their sacred books, the of the principles of magnetism, and an historical notice holy fire should be found in every town and settlement ; of the application of the invention to railway and pub and if necessitated to move, it should be carried with lie purposes, Doctor Backhoffner entered into a length them. The Guebres allege that the holy fire, Behram, cued illustration of the practicability of the mode of is the guardian of their abodes and destinies; that it is communication by the index upon the new principle the extract of 1,001 fires, t a k en f rom fif teen oth er fires; secured by patent to Messrs. Nott and Gamble. It is and that it must always le preserved unextinguithed in )ortned befor but just to observe, in a passing notice of the various absolute purity. Many 810r:flees are Pei insti uments invented for the purpose of facilitating the it, either hy priests in this teui e les, or by transmission of message: , , &e., in such eases the new in private. Li the temples the fire burns on a vase, patent of the above-it:ailed fsentleznan is fir superior to within a grating, which none may approach but the any that Las preceded it. The simplicity of the index, priests who keep it aliv e , a d watch perpetual:3 , over it and the direct cc , aunniii:Altirm established by the electric day and Light; the light of the sun, from its snperier current, the ringing of the bell to the most distant brilliancy, being carefully excluded. Should any person station on any line of to legraph, appear mighty strides of another sect approach within the temple, the priests towards the necessary siznplit; , lation of this most im consider themselves defiled, and have to undergo a cure portant, but at present not sufficiently appreciated agent. mob) , of purification, during the course of which they alma admirable practical exemplifications of the applica are suspended from the performance of their sacerdotal bility of the invention were given during the lecture, by duties. As to these priests, the Guebres h o ld them in conveying messages from one side of the stage to the the greatest reverence, as has been the case in every other from two beautiful working models on the princi age ; and Gibbon, when speaking of their tenets, says— pie of Messrs. Nott and Gamble. The lecture was fully "If the destours, or priests, be satisfied, your soul will attended by a highly respectable audience, who ap escape hell's tortures ; you will have praise in this world peered to appreciate the learned doctor's discourse. and happiness in the next ; for the destours are teachers of religion, they know all things, a nd d e li ver a ll men ." Independent of their sacred fire, the Guebres have the greatest veneration for that element in general, and when once kindled. they deem it sacrilege to extinguish it un less by a particular method. A candle must either burn out to the end, or if they wish to save a portion of it, the part next the wick is cut off, and being carried to the hearth, is left to burn out. A light is blown out with the wind of a fan or the hand, but never with the mouth, for that would be impure ; and should their houses take fire, they will not permit the flame to be extinguished by water in the usual way, but pull down the surrounding parts, that it may expire of itself when it has nothing to feed upon ; their principle being to let fire die away, without any endeavour on their part to abbreviate its duration. They will allow no person to meddle even with their shop-lights ; and a European can scarcely insult them more grossly than by attempting to light a cigar or pipe with them. One of their traditions touching fire is very poetical ; it says, that when a child of a great prophet was thrown into a large fire by order of Nimrod, the flame instantly turned into a bed of roses, where the infant sweetly reposed. The festival days of the Guebres are very numerous, but their principal festival is celebrated on the last ten days of the year, when they believe that the souls of the just descend within three bow-shots of the earth. They likewise carefully observe their birthdays, and those of their children, towards whom their conduct is affectionate and indulgent in the extreme. But in no respect are these people more singular or distinct from other sects than in the treatment of their dead. The The corpse is placed in a round tower, or circular edi fice, open at the top, on a stone floor, elevated from the ground, and sloping to the centre, where there is a deep well or sink, into which the bones aro gathered after decomposition, by means of an iron rake, subterra neous passages beneath communicating with the sink and preventing it from being filled up. Exposed to the birds of prey in this way, the bodies of the dead pre sent a most revolting appearance. Yet the Parsees, from habit, look on with indifference, and even draw omens of good or evil as regar d s t h e stage of the de parted spirit, from the eye which is first plucked out by the hawk or vulture. Marriage is a favourite condition among this people, while sterility is, on the contrary, a reproach. Polygamy is not allowed amongst them; yet if a man has no off spring by his wife, he may, with her consent, take an other, she still continuing to live with him. When a young woman attains maturity, she may demand that her parents provide a husband for her, and if they dis regard her request, it is considered a culpable negligence on their part; but if she, on the other hand, declines the married state, and dies a virgin at eighteen, her soul is believed to descend to hell, where it remains until the end of the world. The marriages of the wealthy are celebrated with great pomp, and as I witnessed this cere mony while at Bombay, I will endeavour to describe it to the reader. FALL OF THE MONSTER CHIMNEY AT WIGAN. On Thursday afternoon last, shortly after four o'clock, tkia very imposing fabric fell to the ground with a loud crash. The chimney, which has been completed for only a few months, was commenced by Mr. Dobb nearly four years ago, close to the lands of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, at the termination of his extensive chemical works. Its progress since that time has been gradual during the summer months, but has necessarily been stayed for several months of each winter, when its part completion gave indications of its future greatness. Its completion was effected a few months ago, when it had reached the great height of upwards 0( 400 feet or about 134 yards, and the event was duly cele brated. Shortly, however, after this was done an indentation of one side near the top was observed, and which was watched daily, when, after a further lapse of time, a very apparent deviation from the perpeadicular had taken place, and the base slightly parted from one side of the excava tios. A further inclination being observed, the advice of Mr. Fairbairn, civil engineer, of Manchester, was obtained, and we believe he recommended a portion of the top being taken down, and the work was consequently commenced, and continued until the day of its fall, when we believe a person was up the building; at this time about 28 yards had been taken otf. For some time-past a further sinking of the base has been observed, and greater fears were entertained for its safety, and a series of stays were being constructed to place round it. But all the measures were without avail. It fell on Thursday afternoon across the canal, and extends for the length of a field beyond it. The passage of boats on the canal is stopped until it can be cleared, and active mea sures are now being carried on for the purpose. We believe this is the third chimney which has fallen on Mr. Dobbs' premises. —Manchester Courier. Happening to proceed to Fort George on business, I found the street it was necessary I should pass through literally blocked up with carriages, palanqueens, and people, and on inquiring the cause of this unusual con course, I learned that a Parsee marriage was about to be celebrated. The wedding guests or friends of the par ties, to the number of about 500, were seated on forms placed at each side of the street, in front of the bride- groom's house, and these, clad in their costume of spot less white and singular hats, all exactly alike, presented a strikingly characteristic and unique appearance. Pre sently the bridegroom, a boy of about fourteen years of age, descended the steps leading from the door of his house to the street, his dress being completely covered over with gold leaf, and mounting a horse richly caparisoned, and having long garlands of flowers trailing from his trappings, one of his relations took an egg and cocoa- nut, as the emblems of plenty, from a basket filled with them, and after holding these above his head for a moment, dashed them against the ground, when the pro cession already marshalled moved onwards. First came several carriages filled with children, from three to eight years of age, their little caps closely fitted to the head, glistening with ornaments of gold, and in many instances with precious stones, the rest of their dresses being formed of the richest stuffs. After the carriages were borne palanqueens filled with the chil dren of such as had no equipages. Next in the procession came several boys and girls on horseback, the former dressed like English generals and staff officers, and the latter like English women, their horses being led by servants. A sepoy band in full uniform succeeded to these, which endeavoured to wake as much noise as pos sible; being immediately followed by the wedding guests en masse, another sr poy band coming after them. Behind the band came between twenty and thirty low caste Hindoos, who exhibited a mock fight with short sticks, and after these were a crowd of native musi cians, the noise of whose tom-toms, brass trumpets, six or eight feet long, &c., &c., was absolutely deafen ing. The bridegroom now appeared, his horse led by his nearest relative, while several servants fanned bim. He held a folded handkerchief in his hand, which he every moment pressed gracefully to his forehead as he salaamed the numerous spectators ranged along the streets. He was followed by about a hundred women, one of whom carried a silver lotah and a representation of a sugar-loaf in a line with her shoulder, as emble matic of the commencement of housekeeping. These were simply, yet richly dressed in a gown and spencer, with large shawls of the choicest fabric thrown over their heads, which fell in loose and graceful folds around them, exhibiting to the best advantage their deep borders of gold and silver lace: their stockingless feet, in many instances beautifully white, were encased in tiny kid slippers, peak e d an d t urne d up at the toes. Although the Parsee women are not, generally speak ing, handsome, some of these, despite features of an olive cast, were so, and possessed those large melting eves peculiar to Orientals, while their pencilled brows and glossy hair were both as dark as the wing of the raven. MR. WILSON'S NIGHT FOR THE lIIGHLANDERS.--• The Princess's Concert Room was on Wednesday night crowded, and many persons were reluctantly compelled. to leave the doors without being able to procure admission. Mr. Wilson's generous act was therefore well seconded by the public, and he may well be proud of the crowd that his talent drew round him in so praiseworthy a cause. He was most enthusiastically cheered when he made his appearance, as much as to say, "We honour you for the noble example your have set to all other performers." Mr. Wilson gave his en tertainment on the melodies of the Highlands, than which there could have been nothing more appropriate for the oc casion. He introduced a beautiful song, written by Me. James Ballantine, of Edinburgh, entitled "The Highlanders' Farewell to Home," which seemed to touch the hearts of the audience. He was in capital voice, and gave all the songs with his accustomed excellence. Before Mr. Wilson com mences his campaign for the season in London, he is to visit Edinburgh, Glasgow, and also Paris, where he is to sing in March. He has our best wishes for his continued success. CURIOUS STORY.—Many years ago the late Earl of Stair. when Mr. Dalrymple, fell in love with a beautiful young lady, a Miss Gordo n . H e e l ope d with her and mar ried her. In a short time they became unhappy, and Mr. Dalrymple made an attempt to get rid of his wife, which failed, his lady obtaining a decree for the restitution of con jugal rights. Mr. Dalrymple, however, who was co-habiti ng with a foreign lady, h av i ng determined' on a separation, took the following extraordinary step :—He requested a certain gentleman to pay attentions to Mrs. Dalrymple, and if pos sible, win her affections, so that he might be in a condition to sue for a divorce. In the event of success Mr. Dalrymple bound himself to pay the gentleman a large sum of money. The gentleman succeeded in gaining the affections of Mrs. Dalrymple, but she, instead of yielding so far as to give her husband the desired opportunity, herself sued for a divorce, on the ground of adultery, and obtained it. The gentleman, who had promised to marry her, now refused to perform that promise; which had such an effect upon the mind of the lady that she immediately lost her senses, and has ever since been confined in a lunatic asylum. She is now 75 years of age, and it is stated that she has entirely recovered the use of her reason. A petition was brought before the Lord Chancellor, on Friday, to supersede the commission, which was issued in 1820. Several medical gentlemen testified that she was entirely restored to reason. The Lord Chancellor decided. that the petition should stand over, and that Lady Stair should appear before the Master by her solicitor.—Liverpool NEW 'HOUSES Or PARLIAMENT.—The following report by Mr. Barry, the architect, appears in the Report of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, just issued, show ing the state of the works of the New houses of Parliament on the 30th ofJune last :—" The shell or carcase of the river in et portion of the building is completed. The whole of the north and south flanks are now roofed in, and the carcase of the building completed, with the exception of a small por tion of the cresting on the ridges of the roofs. The Victoria tower is 70 feet in height, and the groined roof over the state entrance within it is in hand. The clock tower is 73 feet high, and is now above the adjacent roofs. The central tower is from 55 to 60 feet high, and the corridor portions of the building to north, south, and east of it, as well as a por tion of St. Stephen's Hall, are at the same height. The whole of the low roofs over the corridor, and rooms surround ing the various courts, are completed. The Royal gallery is roofed in, the windows glazed, and the wood ceiling is nearly completed. The roof of the House of Commons is being fixed, and the New Palace-yard portion of the building is ready for its roof, which will be fixad forthwith. The brick arches forming all the floors in this part of the building have been completed. The various brick arches forming the floors in other portions of the building are completed, and the stone groins and vaults required in various parts of the building are far advanced. The work at the crypt of St. Stephen's Chapel, and contiguous portions of the building, and also the vaults under the central hall, are at a stand, owing to diffi culties in respect of warming and ventilating 'arrangements. The decorations of the walls and ceiling of the House of Lords are completed. In the house of Lords, and in the ad joining lobbies and corridors, the carpenters and joiners are jroceeding with the fi x i n g o f th e oa k fi n i s hi ng ,. Th e oiners' work of the libraries, committee rooms, refreshment rooms, and corridors of access thereto, of the Houses of Lords and Commons, are for the most part prepared; but the fix ing of those finishings, and the preparations of the joiners' works for other portions of the building, cannot with pro priety be proceeded with, until a decision is come to in re spect of difficulties connected with warming and ventilating arrangements. There are 1,186 men engaged on the works, of which number 774 are employed at the building, 83 at the quarries, 202 at the Government workshops, at Thames Bank, upon the joiners' works, and 127 men upon miscella neous works connected with the new Palace, both at the building and elsewhere." WINDSOR, TUESDAY EVENING.—There have been no arrivals :at the Castle to-day. Count Alexander Mens dorf, the Earl of Aberdeen, and Earl Fortescue remain, and will be among the guests at the royal dinner table this even ing. The health of the Duchess of Kent is much improved. Her Majesty and the Prince Consort have confined their out door exercise to-day to walking in the grounds immediately surrounding the Castle. I - ler Majesty suffered much anxiety yesterday in consequence of the delayed arrival of the visi tors expected to join the royal dinner party that evening, Count Mensdorf, the Earl of Aberdeen, and the Lord Steward, Earl Fortescue. Count Mensdorf, who has just returned from a special mission to the Queen of Portugal, had signified his intention of leaving London by the four o'clock train of the Great Western Railway that afternoon ; and one of the royal carriages was sent to the Slough station to meet him ; but several hours passed and the Count did not arrive. A messenger was sent to Slough to learn the cause. In a short time he returned with a general statement that the four o'clock train had been delayed by an accident. This state ment naturally occasioned much anxiety; and at her Ma jesty's request, Lord Alfred Paget instantly repaired to Slough, and had the good fortune to meet the royal carriage returning with Count Mensdorf. The Count had been de layed by the accident alluded to, by which two persons were killed, and many others seriously hurt, but he himself re mained uninjured.. It was nearly eight o'clock when the Count reached the Castle. The Earl of Aberdeen and Earl Fortescue had been delayed by the accident in question, but they arrived at the Castle an hour or two earlier. iVINDSOR. — A marriage took place in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Tuesday, which excited much in- in terest, not only on account of the station of the parties.but because of the fact that no ceremony of thrtieeidgil,teydiehserT. solemnized in St. George's Chapel for morefthe Dean of Windsor than The bridal pair were the younger son_ o Ordnance-office. b a l n is o s e- 8 01l l t ac o k o wo , o r t e d D au e g a h n t i e i r t O pofe rDa EIAN MATCII Mr. F B odi la e c i k a ‘ t % e o d o . GREAT PEDESTRIAN late of the ONE HUNDRIED POUNDS.—On Monday on e of ti m e been contested c h has for some Oe greatest ameoff f n oo ea t r ra th ce e s p w n li c e , h s Head Inn, at Bedfon t. The competitors were nnsJosontna,gSw.mhEninthtihs, n g ent under-str e t ehte Pet,cognomen an d of Charles the E J o e n n d k n i acquired great celebrity, and were con s id ere d t h e riabileitaant a lias charmpions a eol m v'e. p ions of the present day—the former claiming superiority over all his competitors for a short distance, and the latter maintaining a position unequalled for a half-mile race' and the present match was made to test the compara tive merits of the men over a distance of 400 yards, being an intermediate length between their respective choico of dis tances. The " Stag," up to the time of starting, was the favourite at 6 to 5, and many thousand pounds were pending the result. The men came to the starting mark full of con fis starting, the men andaftersome dexterous efforts for an advantage at opponent kept cl ose u g p otoff till NS , yards of the goal, when i t t l i i i e in P l e oo t t a king the lead. His the Pet made a rush—his adversary immediately imitated him, and after em. of the most splitting races ever witnessed Smith came in .he winner, amidst the loudest cheers of his backers. The 400 yards of road were covered in the unpre cedentedly short time of 43 seconds. ACCIDENT ON THE BRIGHTON RAlLWAY.—Tues day, about noon, a very shocking accident happened on the Brighton Railway, near the Stoat's Nest Station, a few miles beyond Croydon. It appears that the signalsort an each side of the line are attendod to by on e man, d signalledhpearinvinagnoltway to an n th u e p opposite tra inli s e id p e ro t c o ee s d i c g d nal to th c e ros e s le\ t , l e i n e o'clock mail train from London, which he saw approaching. The unfortunate man, however, it evident, must have m iscalculated the distance, for ere hiewciotuhldfoncrlefnl clear the rails, the buffers of the engine struck him and hurled him some distance. ve _ _ con veyed to Guy's Hospitil. I.sasntoetvile was immediately e e x ni p n e g ete h d e •ato-assuirnvi the a very dangerous condition, and w nig u l r l e t d. . His skull is f ra ctured, and his body otherwise much nj The women closed the procession, which proceeded through various streets of the fort, returning at length to where it had started from ; that quarter being now lit up by innumerable small lamps, disposed in clusters, which produced a brilliant effect. The Parsees of Bombay number most probably between ten and eleven thousand, and although it may be styled their head-quarters, a much larger portion 3f them are scattered through the various towns along the coast, so that on the whole the amount of this people in India cannot be much short of thirty-five or forty thousand. Many of them are very wealthy, and may be classed among the princely merchants of the earth ; and taking them altogether, they are an industrious, enterprising people, among whom the extreme of individual poverty is unknown, as the rich invariably assist the poorer when required. Th e y may b e said to monopolise the trade of Western India, displaying in commerce the energy and acuteness of the British merchant, along with the craft and l a t en t d up li city characteristic of Asiatics in general. The Parsees of Bombay have branch es tablishments in all the principal towns and military stations of the presidency, and in Lower and Upper Scinde ; while their vessels trade to the several ports in the East and to England. In many instances, they have become extensive landholders by purchase, and their country seats are mostly elegantly fitted up in the English fashion, whom they love to copy in everything, with the exception of religion and dress. Their equi pages are the most beautiful in Bombay; they use Eng lish saddles, and are good horsemen; and continuing the analogy, like many of our countrymen they will stop at nothing to acquire money, and have their prodigals to squander it again. Like the generality of Asiatics they are sensualists in their pleasures, and lascivious in their conversation, and many of them keep European mistresses. They resemble the Irish for sociability of manners, and have houses in the country, the property of the whole fraternity, where they tase semble for convivial purposes. On these occasions the bon vivants frequently quarrel in their cups; generally,. however, at an advanced period of the night, when rows ensue which would rival those of Ireland. In all the Government and public offices, Parsees will be met with, either in posts of trust , or as clerk i s. duties which are ever fulfilled with honesty and ability; in deed, as a people, they justly merit the indulgent light in which they are looked upon by t he authorities of the Presidency, being equally susceptible of polish and re finement with the European, although closely wedded to their ancient mode of dress and to their religi on . A Parsee convert to Christianity is among the phenomena of the East. --- TILE LATE FLEET PRISON. --it appears from the report of the Commissioners of Wo o d s an d F orests, just pub lished as a Parliamentary blue book, that nine tenders were made for the purchase of the Fleet Prison, in sums Tarrying from 8,200/. to 18,0001. As, however, the highest of the offers was considerably below the minimum price which, by the advice of their architects, the Commissioners had been advised, previously to opening the tenders, to accept, viz., 25 0001., they were all declined. Subseq uen tly the Corpora tion of London treated f or t h e nurchase of the'property, with the view of converting it into a house of correction in lieu of Giltspur• street Compter, and the Commissioners asked the sum of 25,000/. The City offered 22,8004, as its full value, which was refused, and the sum of 25,000/. was agreed to be d paid on a con ve y ance of the freehold to the City ; to , be pal free and clear of an d f rom the expense of the conve3auce. .._ . 7