The Sun. — London, England, 1847-05-20 00:00:00

o. 3 ' Mr. ruler 0:1 EPSOM RACES. WEDNESDAY. The Derby has passed away with no very new or marked feature to distinguish it from its predecessors. The main difference in relation to its accessories was, that the promise of direct railway accommodation from London •bridge to the town of Epsom was fulfilled, and the result was, that thousands thronged to the races who would have hesitated to visit them by the route of Nine Elms and Kingston, or by the more direct and not less fatiguing one, via " The Elephant." Whilst we, how ever, admit that the new channel possessed, at all events, the recommendation of being cheap, and, in its express trains, direct, and that the consequence was an unprece dented number of visitor., still we cannot grant that it by any means added to the respectability of the assemblage, but had evidently the effect of diminishing the presence of titled and fashionable company. With respect to the line, we have to regret that the directors allowed themselves to throw it open without having Provided the requisite accommodation for passengers in the shape of stations and efficient employes ; for the fear that great inconvenience, and probably something evoree, would ensue, deterred great numbers from tra velling by the new route. These evils, however, pro duced good, and hence the South-Western Company, and the job-masters, had a fair share of the profits the Derby day brings with it. This new division of the traffic produc e d another beneficial effect, as it materially lessened the confusion, stoppages, and danger that used to prevail when the route was more limited. The race was advertised for half-past two,'long before Which hour the mass of visitors had settled into such 1) os itions as their fancies dictated, the equestrians °e ating themselves on the hill in order to witness the !tart, oth ers congregat i ng at " T a t ten h am - co rner" —an Interesting point of the race, at which the wiener may "soapy be selected out of four or five—but the majority stationing themselves either in or as near the Grand Stand as possible, thereby obtaining the twofold advan tage of seeing the preliminaries of the race and its Il L s ue• The crowd in this quarter was immense, and a fair sadd p ii r n o g o , f s;c., of soundness of the policy that led to the on the course, and the removal of the betting ring from the hill to the Grand Stand enclosure, dill offered by the fact that the receipts at the l'ifferent stands were on a greatly increased scale. An touching on the actual business of the day, and the c hief incidents arising from it, we must return to the Spread Eagle, at Epsom, where the betting men usually the for a couple of hours before they repair to - " e Downs. Their number was immense, and their th d ying point the most inconvenient imaginable, i. e. e area in front of the inn, which by some unaccount able capri ce , t h ey pre f er to t h e un di stur b e d accomm o- Z ion of the S ubscription-room, opened for t h e i r spec i a l e and convenience. The general business was not by luzy means heavy, but it was remarkable for the extreme eagerness with which Conyngham was backed, of course !.o the p re j u di ce of The Cossack, who decline d to 5 to 1, il ati l s,rival' s c l os i ng price being only 4 to ; 1. B etween t we l ve 4rcl°l s l t e the O'clock the ring dispersed to re - assemble soon tor wi t hi n the enclosure of the Grand Stand, where, alnid Babel-like din that ever prevails on this Z• ettB e i " , we collected that Conyngham gradually in. noti -a er ed in favour, and at the close was backed at a shade ril e d . 3 t° 1 . Some confusion arose from an unautho. of an nouncement having been made in the ring that ~,,i . , Fort would not start ; it was not contradicted until &e.. 11 half an hour of saddling. Mounting, cantering, bi a _ "jug followed within view of the excited assem blage' the horses proceeded to the post, and, a a ii„ il er before three, were started without the r test failure. We have fully described the ,t,,,_ underneath; it was run in a good old-fashioned f ro / o Z , Cossack baying been in advance nearly at end to end, beating the same horse that he beat •pyitll ,Wmarket, and by precisely the same distance. cr ac k t he` o exception of the winning one, none of the „ oil _ ts made any figure in the race. We may °h elm !, in conclusion, that no Derby within our knowledge °Yee Ll3l4e ir so perfectly "on the square." The race , there roo ms was a tremendous rush for the refreshment 'ewe, ',and both in the Grand Stand and in Mr. Care noai L e suPpl statesa scarcely equal to the demand ; it were °° ° sfaetory to that if some little scarcity prevailed rac ea re f P i l i alnla were heard of the charges. Three other wed the great one, and the day's amusements add a bro ughtB, to a close in good time. We have only to Dukeetection of the principal visitors : fort, 34 of Rutland, Duke of Richmond, Duke of Beau- Grae v ir c luis of Exeter ; Earls of Chesterfield, March, Gi as 0 le, Strathmore, Grosvenor, Caledon, Uxbridge, Lore g a ;('' Avilton, Stradbroke; Countess of Chesterfield; Osb oee aw alone, Suffield, G. Bentinck, W. Powlett, S. liennO x ° ' G . .„ Manners, A. Lennox, W. Lennox, G. Fite eo ' l iurghley, Brownlow, Cecil, Bateman, C. . maheote, C. b . Y, E . ' tink a id . Russell, Vivian, Newport, Stanley, Cl. Rea h, Fitz-Clarence, Paget ; Sirs R. Pigott, Cockerel] W. Codrin ton J Hawley , • Stapl e s ' B ' : tt i hyany Forester H. Pi w• Wynne Y, S. Spry, J. Shelley, F. Goodricke, W. 11 , Baron Rothschild, Count °nourables Colonel and Mrs. Anson, G. Byng, E. 1` Pitt, Boyle, Admiral Poulett, &c. &c. Of s o e TH E DERBY STAKES. Mu, s, Bst 21b ; 8"s. "eh ' h ft, for three yrs old; colts, £3et 71b; the owner of the second horse to re calve 100 8 " , - out pay 100 soya, of the stakes, and the winner to ovs. toward • course ; l ast mil s the police regulations of the Mr. Pedle ' e an d a half. (ISB Subs.) Y 8 Coss lir. Bouree,3 lick .................... (Templeman) 1 Lord Eghre'eri War . Eagle tOn' s V (Boyce) 2 5ir,....,.. m an Tromp The follow' (J. Marson) 3 g also s t arted, I I -r lgot's Conyngham but were not placed : — Duke of Richmond's Red Hart .• (A Day) 0 kr ' - M (Cotton) 0 „ A , • e rrY's Limestone (S. Darling, jun.) 0 ..kr• AlOgtyll'S fir. Martin (Calloway) 0 Duke of Richmond's Halo (II. Bell) 0 Lord E. Russell's Nottingham (E. Edwards) 0 Lord Caledon's Wanota (Marlow) 0 Ur. Irwin's Oxonian (Sly) 0 Mr. Mostyn's Planet (W. Abdale) 0 kr. Mostyn's Crozier (Ford) 0 kr. Alostyn's Gabbier (Kitchener) 0 Lord Strathmore's Signet (Crouch) 0 kr• Ford's Clarendon (G. Edwards) 0 Ca ptain Deltne na Resolution (Pettit) 0 kr• Meiklam's Deloraine (Hornsby, jun.) 0 kr Lord •H. Bulk e l ey ' s M ontpens i er (B um b y ) 0 M , r. 0 Brien' s Lib erator . Warwick' s Ali wa l (Cartwright) 0 Glasgow's Chai (Wakefield) 0 Lord ainsbury's(Whitehouse) 0 kr, s • nbearer Questionable (J. Sharpe) 0 Colonel A n , , on s Bingham (Butler) 0 kr, Bowes ' s Epirote _ le athcote's Bellerophon (Holmes) 0 Bie r G . e, e 4 1 1 4 • Robertson's Good Coin (Chapple) 0 r, 1, (W. Howlett) 0 kr. 1/filer's The Admiral (Bartholomew) 0 Gre e r. , ille s Alirraillo (Nat) 0 liar, , 1341 _, e Mr. S o r : I el: °l; l e' ci a p P or a t ntomime (Retort colt) (Mann) 0 kd on , Mr. vy ars Christopher . (W. Scott) 0 (Robinson) 0 Bedlam did not start. W k Betti ng uy a length. Thirty-t w o ran . izi a g i s u t o C , o l a te a o k te , 2 7 ta Tting-11 to 4 ngst Conyngham, 5 to 1 to 1 agst Van Tromp, 14 to 1 agst Mir -20 to 1 a gst , u a gst Red Hart, 15 to 1 agst Oxonian, War E a , " anota, 20 to 1 agst Planet, 25 to 1 agst Ualo. I °' e t 30 to 1 agst Montpensier, and 50 to 1 agst 12eIhreethheorreses reached the post about twenty minutes o'clock, an d, in fi v e minutes a ft er , no t, as o f Yore after a doz en f a il ures , were s t ar t e d at t h e fi rs t tp al. Gabbl er was t h e fi rst to ma k e runn i ng, b ut i n ‘ew strides was beaded by Cossack, who went on with 1 1 at a strong pace. Gabbler waited on him, followed Conyngham and War Eagle ; Epirote, Wanota, irroillo, and two or three others lying next, and in the centre Van Tromp, Limestone, Halo, Mr. Martin, and Bingham. Mirmillo and Gabbler lost their places at the top of the hill, and at the coin , mencem k f l i la turn Wanota was beaten, and War Eagle had ta en place next Cossack, Conyngham lying third; LL Martin Van Tromp, Limestone, Bingham, and Mr. to the were also in the front rank, but not near enough "" ton two leaders to flatter their backers with the sli ghtest chance of winning. On crossing the road Co -IQllYngharn was beaten, and Vn Tromp became third, itig about two lengths from a War Eagle, Cossack now 'Wing a clear length ; they ran thus to the half dis tance, where War Ea g l e ma d e a ga ll an t e ff or t , an d f or a moment got to Cossack's shoulder, but was disposed of tl PPosite the st an d, an d b eaten c l ever l y b y a length. van Tromp finished a very bad third, Mr. Martin was fourth, followed past the chair by Halo, Limestone, and Conyngham—in what order, from the prevalence of yellow jackets, we dare not attempt to specify. The race was run in 2 min. 52 sec. Value, 5,2504 The Carew Stakes of 5 soya. each, with 30 added ; three yrs old, 7st 101 b; four, Bst 111 b; five, 9st 21b; six and aged, 9st 61b; mares and geldings allowed 31b. The winner to be sold for 150 sovs., &c. One mile. , 4 (7 Subs.) . 44 " - Goddard'aibrahim Pacba, 3 yrs ...(Whitehous e ) 1 'lr. O'Brien's Conceit, 3 yrs 2 „The f o ll ow i ng we re not placed:—Mr. Drinkald' s ,loodke e , C o l . A nson ' s Treacle, Mr. Death's Guaracha, "r. Woodward's The Slot, Mr. Hornsby 's Bukhara. bßetting -7 to 4 agst M oo dk e e, 3to 1 agst Ibr a hi m ac ha, 4 to 1 ags t C once it, and 5 to 1 agst Treacle. Won Y length ; M oo dk ee t hi r d , a l e ngth from the second, and a length before Treacle. The Polesdon Stakes of 5 soya. each, with 30 added; three yrs old, 7st 101 b; four, Bst lilb; five, 9st 21h; ail and aged, 9 st 6 1b . M ares an d g e ldings allowed albs. The winner to be sold for 120 sovs. if demandod, 111 7' 1 c Niv i.l`lochn mile. eban o ( n 4 , S 4 ul y V Itf)artivnskottialds s u h r i e istre i ss Jean, 3 yrs (W. Abdale) 1 2 3 twa da, 5 yrs Drew's Cameo, 3 yrs !!Betting-6 to 4 on Mi stress Jean. Won b y a h ea d . !etwalda a good third. The winner was claimed. The Burgh Stakes of 5 sovs. each, with 30 added; three yrs old, Sst 21b; four, Bst I llb; five, 9st; six and aged, 9st 41b. Mares and geldings allowed 31b. The winner t,t_ocs Cho sold for 80 sovs. &c. g One mile. (7 Subs.) , terfields Malnbrace /4„..r; Theobald's Chemise 5 yrs (N:lt) 2 1 " ....... " • 1 I"P••'s Bleasoe Lass, yr: Bedouin, 3 wing 3 olio • Bon's Bretwildrs were not placed :—Mr. B. Green's ; Mr. Drew's Sylph, aged ; Mr. Daw- B ettin _ a 5 get Mr. Smith's Tell, 4 yrs -6" 5 to 4 Mainbrace, sto 2 agst Bedouin, THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 20, 1847. and 7 to 2 agst Chemise. Won cleverly by half a length, Bletsoe Lass a good third, Tell a moderate fourth, Sylph fifth, and Bretwalda sixth, Bedouin beaten off. ASCOT RACES. We are authorised to state that Alarm will not start for the Emperor's Vase. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SU?. Sin,—Tuesday's racing ended as I anticipated it would by the triumphant victory of Plates teller for the Woodcote Stakes and Crozier for the Craven Stakes. Most extraordinary success attended my prognostica tion, I having in both instances named the first and second. A mistake crept into my list of starters for the Derby in Mathematician, who was scratched on Monday. As I did in my last epistle, so shall I do to-day, in giving the list of starting horses for Thursday and Friday's races, I shall place an asterisk (*) against those who are in all probability likely to prove the winners. THURSDAY. DURDANS STAKES. *Queen 11fary Marquis of Conyngham Teresina Pineapple *Miles's Boy. D PLATS. Widred Anna tho Third Binnacle *Bedlam Dean Swift GRAND STA yrs. st. lb. yrs. st. lb. Laundry Maid ...4 8 8 Mr. Martin 3 7 6 * Brayissimo 4 8 4 Sir Simon 4 7 5 Gian‘ess 5 8 2 Alkali 5 7 4 Gannett ...... ..5 8 2 Polka 4 7 0 Little Jack 5 7 13 Eryx 3 6 13 Conjugation ...aged 7 10 Christopher 3 6 8 * Colt by Amato...4 7 10 *lleloraine 3 6 5 Attorney 5 7 8 Sultana 3 6 3 And perhaps two or three more. COBHAM STAKES. I Conceit. DENBIES STAKES. ICapt. Pepper * Clemanthe *Treacle. *lcicle Carissima Satyr Sarah Sykes FRIDAY. OAKS STAKES. Brown Bess Miss Whip filly Maid of Saragossa Emerald Isl© *Vanity lonia Gift Mangosteen *Lady Lift Noiseless Slander Jumble. •Clementine. Filly—Quilt Arnold's dam Cosachia Kite Maid of Motherwell Exhortation So Nice Nannette filly Palma Marie Louise Farmer's Daughter *The Queen The remaining stakes—the Members' Plate, and the Derby and Oaks Stakes—are so much dependent on those preceding them that it would be impossible to give a correct list of the starters. I am, Sir, yours, &c., May 19. THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF. LITERATURE. ADVENTURES OF THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS. 2 Vols. By William Grattan. Little if anything could be desired with reference to the a ste r D i y u v k e e u o m f e W s We i f ! n N g t a o p n i e i r n . t th he e vpicetnoirniosuulsacaumftepraigtnhse omf O f a after purely th e h i s n t , o e ri tk c s a h t c ha a t r act havee r alreadyth i nothing indeed is beenpublished, requi site but of the anecdotal adventures, of the hair-breadth escapes, and the personal rencontres of that stormy epoch much—very much—remained unchronicled. Mr. Grattan has done well towards the filling up of the hiatus. As Lieutenant of the Connaught Rangers during the days when that valorous regiment was ac quiring its chief renown and covering itself with im perishable glory, he is in a peculiar manner entitled to command our attention when speaking of the military achievements of a body of men whose bravery, and ardour, and audacity, and perseverance, and success have imparted to them the distin guishing title of the Fighting Eighty-Eighth. But Mr. Grattan is no dry didactic narrator of events. Ile can describe a siege or a pitched battle with all the pre cision of a Napier and all the minuteness of a Siborne, if not with the eloquence of a Gibbon or the enthusiasm of a Tacitus. Beyond this, he tells an anecdote with the gusto of Harry Lorrequer—proving himself to be a rare companion over a dish of walnuts and a flask of Madeira. There is an unction, too, about his humorous passages that irresistibly tickles ono into laughter. And all the aJvantages are " set off" by a winning modesty as regards his oiNn personal movements, and a delightful and unaffected bonhommie. Where, moreover, could a soldier find a fairer field for discursive chat than the peninsula of Iberia and Lusitania, when the marshals of the Emperor Napoleon and the generals of England were contending for the mastery amidst a fruitful vegetation, a delicious climate, and a distracted people ? And where could the lovers of military adventure look for incident, for merriment, for daring, for vicissitude, and for a very forgiveabla rascality, if not to the Con naught Rangers—the Boys—the Fighting Eighty-Eighth? Surely nowhere. Mr. Grattan has chosen a glorious theme, and he has treated it gloriously. The book, though rambling and discursive to an inordinate extent, is enthralling from page 1 to page 675. As Phia-like illustrations to Napier's Peninsular History, these chapters are excellent and invaluable. They testify in a brilliant manner to the indomitable courage, the un repining endurance, and the national peculiarities of the British troops ; but, like the descriptions of all battle grounds, they are mournful in their very pleasantry, and ghastly in their very facetiousness. We honour Mr. Grattan, especially because ho shows here and there throughout his volumes that there is a tender core to his Heart of Oak that he has a bosom to feel for the suffering as well as to bear the brunt of the bayonet—that he can, in no maudlin tones of affectation, but with a manly candour and explicitness, lament over the desolations and woes of war as well as exult over its glory and its heroism. In this respect he effects a sort of compromise between Captain Pea and Captain Sword. As a specimen of the drolleries con tained in these adventures, we extract the following characteristic remarks upon Wellington from the lips of a Connaught Ranger with the felicitous name of Paddy Aisy:— .... _ . "I Well!' said he, now ids all past and gone, and wasn't it the divil's own dthroll business, the taking that sam e place ; and wasn't Long-nose (meaning the Duke of Wellington) a quare lad to sthrive to get into it, seeing how it was denuded! But what else could he do, afther all? didn't he recave ordhers to do it ; and didn't he say to us all, Boys,' says he, ids myself that's sorry to throuble yees upon this dirty arrand ; but we must do it, for all that; and iv yees can get into it, by hook or by crook, be the powers, id 'ill be the making ov yees all—and ov me too !' and didn't he spake the thruth ? ' Sure,' says he, ` did I ever tell yees a lie, or spake a word to yees that wasn't as thrue as the Gospil ? and, iv yees folly my directions, there's notion can bate 3 ees ?' And sure, afther we got in, was he like the rest, sthriving to put us out before we diverted ourselves? Not he, faith. It was he that spoke to the boys' decently. Well, boys,' says he, when he met myself and a few more Rising a house ov a thrifle, well, boysisays he (for he knew the button), God bless your work ! ids myself that's proud to think how completely yees tuck the concate out uv the Frinch 88th, in the castes last night.' Why sir,' says I (forgettin to call him my Lord), the divil a Frinch Connaught Ranger ever was born that the Irish Connaught Rangers isn't able to take the concate out ov;' and ids what he said upon the same, splitting his sides with laffin, that it was thrue for me there wasn't ; and blur-an-ouns, boys, aint he the man to stand by? Don't he take the rough and the smooth with us, and wouldn't it be a pity not to give him his dew? don't he expose himself to the wet and the cowld with us, lie out on the grass at night, like any other baste? and aint he afthnr kicking the French before him, just as we'd kick an old foot-ball? Be the powers, whin I see him commin next or nigh me, my heart gets so big that my body isn't big enough to hould it, and it jumps up clans into my throat—to get room I And don't think that I'm romancin, when I tell yees how he said we tuck the concate out ov the Frinch 88th; he said every word ov it, and more too—iv I could repate it in his own words. Why,' replied Corney Fagan, what you say is per fectly thrue; we ought to stand by him—and didn't we? Sure yees remember how Misther Mackie ran up the laddher as nimble as a cat, and poor Misther Martin thought to do the same, till he was kilt ! and didn't Captain Seton owe his life to his being so thin that the French couldn't hit him? and whin we have such a man to direct ns, and such officers to lade us on, why, what else can we do but folly them through thick and thin ? '" With such an opinion of the capacity of their leader, and with such an aptitude for fingering the trigger and plunging forward with the pike themselves, it is not difficult to comprehend how the British arms became predominant over a dejected an tagonist and estranged commanders. In review ing the campaigns of the Spanish and Portuguese Peninsula, it must never be overlooked that England was then enabled to concentrate all her military strength upon those two countries while France was battling against the leaguered arms of northern, eastern, western, and southern Europe. A very mournful sub ject is brought under consideration in the present work, namely, the anomalous character of the immortal Picton. Though the conduct of that illustrious warrior was certainly of a very questionable, if not of an entirely reprehensible, kind towards the 88th Regiment, it is cer tain that he has entitled himself to the respectful and lasting remembrance of his countrymen by his enter prizing life and his heroic death. Mr. Grattan speaks out boldly, and with apparent reason, upon that General's behaviour to his comrades. We cannot resist the feeling of antipathy we have, however,for the contemplation:of these doubtful blemishes in the disposition of a popular hero like Picton. The hero of Sinde would have afforded him a very different notion of the care duo to privates and subordinate officers—and so also would the hero of Aliwal. To desist, however, abruptly from this painful topic, here is a picture for the contemplation of those who see only the laurels and not the blood, who hear only the triumphal symphonies and not the shrieks and blasphemies, who note only the bauble medals, and not the agonised victims of the battle-field and the pillaged city. It is an incident thus mentioned by the author in telling about the terrific storm of Ciudad Rodrigo:— " During a contest of such a nature, kept up in the night, as may be supposed, much was of necessity left to the guid ance of the subordinate officers, if not to the soldiers them selves. Each affray in the streets was conducted in the best manner the moment would admit of, and decided more by personal valour than discipline, and in some instances officers as si ell as privates had to combat with the imperial troops. In one of these encounters, Lieutenant George Faris, of the 88th, by an accident so likely to occur in an affair of this kind, separated a little too far from a dozen or so of his regi ment, found himself opposed to a French soldier who appa rently was similarly placed ;—it was a curious coincidence, and it would seem as if each felt that he individually was the representative of the country to which he belonged; and had the fate of the two nations hung upon the issue of the combat I am about to describe, it could not have been more heroically contested. The Frenchman fired at, and wounded Faris in the thigh, and made a desperate push with his bayonet at his body, but Fads parried the thrust, and the bayonet only lodged in his leg ; he saw at a glance the perit4of his situation, and that nothing short of a miracle could save him ;—the odds against him were too great, and if ,he continued a scientific fight he must inevitably be vanquished ; he sprang forward,aem ueeach mutual oas,tltheyh ee a ffr n d r: ythse s er e ite i ro z m i w n ge g ean n h po o of l d of the Frenchman by the collar, a gw t what a struggledisengagedtt of the most nervous kind took place; in their an s nearly werea dv a equal n o t f a advantage n e o a they strength,va lost ibt u t wt h aeisi:a doubt fulci Faris p at he issue hwouldimselfbe.fremThtheye grasp sowehnicthanh held gled w hi i m th , length he as able to use his sabre; he as p i ;hedt e French man from him, and ere he could recover him self he laid his go he f a t, d ill o y m e a n de ne p a o rl r y tu t g o ite te on c e hin w ; up blade, w td a h h e e f tz e , his as ou s tl e Ci of the blow, and retained some pieces of scu ll the th hair ! At this moment I reached the spot with about twen t y men, composed of different regiments, all being by this time mixed pall mall with each other. I ran up to Faris—he was nearly exhausted, but he was safe. The French gre nadier lay upon the pavement, while Fads, though totter ing from fatigue, held his sword firmly in his grasp, and it was crimson to the hilt. The appearance of the two com batants was frightful !—one lying ',dead on the ground, the other faint from agitation and loss of blood; but the soldiers loudly applauded him, and the feeling uppermost with them was that our man had the best of it I It was a shocking sight, but it would be rather a hazardous experiment to begin moralising at such a moment and in such a place." As a kind of companion-story to this very ghastly anecdote, we give the following account of the execution of deserters:— "At eight o'clock the division was under arms, and formed in a hollow square of small dimensions ; in the centre of it was the Provost-Marshal, accompanied by his followers, with pick-axes, spades, ,shovels, and all the necessary et ceteras for marking out and forming the graves into which the unfortunate delinquents were to be deposited as soon as they received the last and most imposing of military ho nours—that of being shot to death ! In a few moments afterwards, the rolling of muffled drums—the usual accom paniment of the death march—was heard; and the soldiers who guarded the prisoners were soon in sight. The divi sion observed a death-like silence as the prisoners defiled round the inside of the square ; every eye was turned to wards them; but Mangin, from his well-known good cha racter, was an object of general solicitude. The solitary sound of the muffled drums at last died away into silence— the guard drew up in the centre of the square, and the pri soners had, for the last time, a view of their companions from whom they had deserted, and of their colours which they had forsaken ; but if their countenances were a just index of their minds, they seemed to repent greatly the act they had committed ! The three men of the 60th were in their shirts, as was also Mangin, of the 88th, but Curtis wore the old red rag,' most likely from necessity, having, in all human probability, no shirt to die in; a circumstance by no means rare with the soldiers of the Peninsular army. "The necessary preliminaries, such as reading the crime, and finding the sentence, had finished, when the Adjutant- General announced the pardon granted to Mangin, who was immediately conducted away, and placed at a short distance in rear of the division; the rest staggered onward to the spot where their graves had been dug, and having been placed on their knees, their legs hanging over the edge of the grave, a bandage was tied over their eyes; the Provost-Marshal then, with a party of twenty musketeers, their firelocks cocked, and at the recover, silently moved in front of the prisoners until he reached to within five paces of them, and then, giving two motions of his band—the one to present, the other to fire—the four men fell into the pit prepared to receive them. The three Germans were dead—indeed they were nearly so before they were fired at! And if the state of their nerves was a criterion to go by, a moderate sized PV - gun would have been sufficiently destructive to have finished their earthly career; but Ctirtis sprang up, and with one of his jaws shattered, and hanging down upon his breast, presented a horrid spectacle. Every one seemed to be electrified, the Provost-Marshal excepted; he, I suppose, was well accustomed to such eights, for without any cere mony, he walked up to Curtis, and with the most perfect composure levelled a huge instrument (in size between a horse-pistol and blunderbuss) at his head, which blew it nearly off his should ers , an d h e fell upon the bodies of the Germans without moving a muscle. "The ceremony over, the division defiled round the grave, and as each company passed it, the word Eyes right' was given by the officer in command,' by which means every man had a c l ear v i ew o f th e corpses as they lay in a heap. This is a good and wholesome practice, for nothing so much awakes in the mind of the soldier, endowed with proper feeling, the dishonour of committing an action which is almost certain to bring him to a disgraceful end, while it deters the bad man from doing that which will cost him all that he has to lose—for such persons have no character—his life. It was ten o'clock before the parade broke up, and we returned to our quarters, leaving to the Provost-Marshal and his guard the task of filling up the grave. Several Portu guese peasants crowded near the fatal spot, and so soon as all danger was past, they flocked to witness the interment, making, all the time, divers appeals to the Virgin Mary ; but whether they were intended for the preservation of the souls departed, or their own bodies corporate, I neither knew nor inquired. " Mangin, the man who had received his pardon, was still in a state of stupor; after the lapse of an hour or so his captain went to see him; but the shock he had received was too se vere ; he had not nerve to bear up against it ; he replied in an incoherent manner, soon fell asleep, and awoke an idiot I Every effort that could be made by the medical men, and every assurance of favour from his captain, proved vain— he became a palpable, irreclaimable idiot, and shortly after wards died of convulsions." In justice to the officers and soldiers who partook in our Peninsular victories and campaigns, and whose services have been so long and shamefully unacknowledged, we transcribe two passages from these volumes. The Duke of Wellington would evince no little anxiety to ingra tiate posterity with his character did he but take a hint from what follows. The author has just mentioned Wellington's applications to the Duke of York and to Earl Bathurst respecting the Waterloo medals, when he proceeds— " Now, is there any disinterested man to be found who cannot, at a glance, discover the cause, the mainspring, of this wonderful solicitude—this maiden effort of the Duke of Wellington, to obtain a badge of honour for his army, nine tenths of which he had never seen before that day, and who, as a matter of course, had never laid eyes on him? Is it to be supposed that he who could, and did, quietly accept the immense riches, honeurs, and titles that were showered on him, and gained for him by the best blood of his Peninsular army, without once raising his voice in favour of a medal for his old and tried veterans,—his companions during six years' terrible war, and victorious in every battle ! the men who had carried him, it may be truly said, on their very shoul ders, and placed him in the exalted position he now occupies ; is it, I say, to be supposed he felt, or could feel, any interest in an army that he had but just seen, and an army that had fought under his command for little more than as many hours as his Penin sular soldiers had fought for years, except for the gratifica tion of his own personal vanity ? If not this—but who can doubt it?—why did he write to the Duke of York on the subject? Why! because he had beaten the great man in person, and he was determined that Wellington' and Waterloo' should be banded about on the breast of his hundred thousand soldiers, more than a half of whom had never seen a shot fired before that day, and many of whom were not only not in the battle, but knew nothing about it for a day afterwards; yet all these men—absentees included —got a medal! I therefore ask what interest—except to gratify his own ambition—could he take in this Waterloo army, or any other army the world could produce, when he forgot the services, and trampled under his f ee t th e applica tion of an army that made him what he now is? But having written to the Duke of York, as his dispatches avow he did, why did he not say so in his reply to the Duke of Richmond ? Does he not, in point of fact, deny in his speech that which we have, printed by his own authority, in his book of dis patches? and his assertion that since the battle of Waterloo 'not a shot has been tired in Europe' is perfectly contemptible when adduced as a reason for granting a medal for that battle, and refusing one for the Peninsula. Why has there not been a shot (an hostile one we presume the Duke meant) fired in Europe since then? Because Napoleon was properly secured after Waterloo, and had he been so secured after Toulouse Waterloo would never have been fought. But how did the Duke of Wellington know (for I put the good and amiable Duke of York out of the question, as also the Ministers), that there would be no more fighting in Europe? lie knew not, nor could he know any such thing; but in a few months after his beating Napoleon (this was the hobby!) we find his Waterloo army with their medals dangling at their breasts." " Had the Duke told the House of Lords," he continues, " and told the army that he had suggested to the Duke of York the expediency of granting this medal to his Waterloo army, he would have told that which a great number of people had never heard before ; and he might have added, with the most perfect safety, that if he had asked the same favour for his Peninsular army, it would have been as freely granted as his Waterloo suggestion,—and, his Peninsular army will add for him, that it would be granted even now but for the heartless opposition he gives it. But the whole secret has been already told: Napoleon, the greatest general of this, or perhaps of any other age, was beaten in person; and it would seem that this all-absorbing thought haunted the Duke df Wellington so early as the night of the battle, for Captain Sherer tells us, in his history, that on the night of the,battle, when at supper, Wellington re peatedly leaned ba'ek in his chair, and, rubbing his hands convulsively, exclaimed aloud—" Thank God I have met him! thank God I have met him."' How different were Nelson's meek but fervid words after his great victory at Trafalgar! The dying hero's last words were—' I thank God I have done my duty—l hope my country will be satis fies that I have done my duty!' But the Duke of Welling ton, according to Captain Sherer, was thinking much more of himself and his beaten adversary than of his country. However, he did not forgot his army, for, as has been seen, in ten days after the battle, he begged leave to suggest' (in plain English, he asked the Duke of York to give the medal, and it was given,) the expediency of giving this medal to his army." Mr. Grattan records a multitude of the most inte resting and diversified adventures, savouring sometimes of the romantic, sometimes of the horrible, and always of the remarkable. We scarcely know whether to him the flavour of mulled wines, the smell of gunpowder, the sheen of the green herbage, the vermillion lips of a donna, the elastic amble of a horse, or the cheers and rush of a forlorn hope are preferable. E veryw h ere and in everyt hi ng b e fi n d s matter for disquisition, and he either "points" an episode with an Iri s h witticism, or " colours" it with an English pleasantry. A s a decoction of all sorts o f a d. , venture Mr. Grattan has imparted the raciest taste imaginable to the outpourings of his memory ; and he has nobly fulfilled a duty incumbent upon an officer who can write so well ---a duty honourable to his soldier's heart and his soldier's intellect. THE PEACE SOCIETY. The thirty-first anniversary of this society was held on the 17th and 18th instant. The meeting of mem bers, on the 17th, convened by printed circular, was in the large room at the White Hart Inn, Bishops gate-street, Joseph T. Price, Esq., in the chair. The report of the committee was read by the Rev. J. Jefferson,and ordered to be real to th e pu b l i c meeting in Fins burychapetlh.e sTehereeofficers for the ensuing year were appointed, and the general business of the society at tended to. The following gentlemen took part in the proceedings :—John Allen, Esq., W. Astbury, Esq., R. Barrett, Esq., Mr. E. Clarke, It. Ransome, Esq., E. Smith, Esq., Mr. A. B. Stevens, and Mr. F. Wheeler. __ At the public meeting in Finsbury Chapel, on the 18th, the chair was taken by C. llindley, Esq., M.P., and afterwards by J. T. Price, Esq., and the follow ing gentlemen addressed the meeting :—Rev. T. Ave ling, Rev. J. Burnet, J. Brotherton, Esq., M.P., J. S. Buckingham, Esq., Mr. Elihu Burritt, of Worcester, Mass., and Mr. Clapp, of Lynn, Mass., United States. The resolutions were embodied in a petition Ivhich was unanimously adopted, and ordered to be signed by the chairman on behalf of the meeting, praying that suitable measures may be taken to settle interna tional disputes by arbitration or other legal process, without having recourse to arms, From the report it appeared that the cause of peace is gradually advancing. It was stated that by the agents of the society and other persons there had been delivered, under the immediate sanction of the com mittee, about 500 lectures during the past year, to 110,000 persons ; half a million of tracts have been distributed ; the periodical press bee bean employed both in England Wal.‘ ; the sale of the herald of Peace is increasing ; fairs and markets have been visited ; Sumner's Oration and Bowring's Lecture on the Commercial Importance of Peace have been many distributed. a 51,500 p ersons , an d cir culated ; petitions for a legalised system of arbitra tion have been extensively adopted ; and on the con tinent of Europe twenty lectures have been delivered —someof thousandsthem The report referred als o to th e dock-yards and the coming general election , as also to the decease of J. f t o tracts as cts J. Gurney, Esq., and T. Clarkson, Esq., and others. Including a balance of more than 5561. at the com mencement of the year, the income of th e soc i ety has been 2,147/. 19s. 10 d. There is a balance of more than 1000. on hand. 0 , n from lwhich h Tuesdayich — ine stalk, which near the School yarddous crash in the di rection of the School-brae ; destroying one house of four storeys in height, and another of one storey. e l eint Bo'ness,tle erected fe beforelbly;t Johnei t n h o a ' cltivroeicln tremendous o , e ni ; The inhabi tantsone female was taken out dead, and several others severely mhaosrinaitnoegfl3;he buildings were buried in the ruins Pits,_ ba injured, but who are since progressing favourably. It is re markable that more lives were not lost, as the road over which the stalk fell is the one leading to the parish school, and the accident happened at the very heur of the assembling of the school. Some narrow escapes took Place. The erec tion was upwards of 100 feet in height—Liverness Journal. ASCOT RACES.—'The alterations which had been for some time past in progress in front of the grand stand, for th e increased accomm odation and convenience of the public, have just been completed under the superintendence of Mr. Hibburd, the active clerk of the course. A great improve ment has also been effected in front of the royal stand, which is now undergoing the usual epibellish ments for the recep tion of her Majesty and the Prince Consort, who, with the distinguished guests who have been honouredwith invita tions to honour to the Castle, are expected the course with their presence on two days during the races. It is also ex pected that their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal will accompany the Queen and the Prince, for the first time, to the course. DEATHBLOW TO THE LOCOMOTIVE. —We had the privilege yesterday of a " private view" of I a new invention by Mr. William Martin, the national philosopher, which, to I use his own expressive phrase , ,,_Ny_ill " hobble Hudson." It is to "supersedethe locomotive.' Mr. Martin dispenses with coke and steam, and falls back upon hand labour. Two or three men, turning a crank, will move a trin at the speed (as the Americans would say) of " greased lightning." We congra tulate Mr. Martin on his great mechanical achievement. Its simplicity is realarksblei—Gateshead Observer. THE RAGGED SCHOOLS. Yesterday evening a public meeting was held at the Clerken well Parochial School-rooms, Amwell street, in support of the Lamb and Flag Ragged School. The meeting was densely crowded by a most respectable assembly, who appeared to take a warm interest in the proceedings. Lord Brougham presided on the occasion, and the Bishop of Norwich opened the business of the evening with prayer. A hymn was then sung by the children of the school, who, raised on a platform at one side of the building, maintained a propriety of de meanour which wonderfully contrasted with their ragged and wild appearance. Lord BROUGHAM said he was sure that he spoke the sense of all present when he expressed his gratification at seeing them meet on such an occasion. They were really engaged in doing one of the very best works that it was possible for man to be engaged in, for they were endeavouring to rescue from a state of helpless and hopeless ignorance, which was the parent of crime, a great and important body of our fellow-countrymen.— (Hear, hear.) It was the cruel lot of the poor of our land, that at all times, as well in seasons of plenty as in those when Providence had visited us with a scarcity or any other calamity— unhappily there must always be in this and every other fully peopled country—every country where there was not as infinite amount of land unsettled, that was to say, over every country in the old world and a considerable part of the new—there must of necessity be this deplorable result, that the wages of the poor were reduced to the lowest ebb, far, far below what every humane mind must wish to see them at; far, far below what was sufficient to minister to their comforts, and, he was afraid truth compelled him to say, reduced as nearly as possible to the lowest amount on which man could subsist.—(Hear, hear.) He did not say this to make the poor discontented ; God forbid ; but he said it to make the rich mindful of their less fortunate neighbours, and to render them anxious by every means in their power to alleviate the necessarily hard lot of the humbler classes. Now, various men had various opinions as to the best way f carrying into effect their humane inten tions in this respect. Some thought it best to interfere with the employment of labour, and to tell the poor man he must only work a certain number of hours in the day; while others, considering that the labour of the poor man was his only wealth, thought he should be al lowed to labour unrestricted and in the best way he could. He would not say which of these two opinions he held, and he stated them only to show how much different minds differed as to the means, though all agreed in the great end, that of promoting the good of the humbler classes. It was natural, then, to ask whether there was any neu tral ground on which men could meet, which would not raise controversies between different religious sects, be tween the Jew and the Gentile, between the Christian and the heathen, who dwelt in utter darkness. He found that neutral ground in attempting to promote by all means in their power the free education of their fellow citizens of the working class. The children of that class were a burden to them, and would grow up to be a curse to them and a pest to society at large, if they were al lowed to remain in that state of ignorance which led to vice and immorality and the infraction of the laws both of God and man. The question then was, how could they rescue from this deplorable state creatures born in misery and bred in crime; and this led him to remind the meeting that they were assembled to perform one of the most acceptable services which men could render to their Maker, and to show forth not only by thanksgiving, but by good works, their gratitude for being placed in happier circumstances than their brethren of the humbler classes. His Lordship then proceeded to touch upon a va riety of general questions having a more or less direct bearing on the subject of education for the children of the poor. He referred to the preponderance of crime among that class, and contended that it was not to be effectually counteracted by any reform of criminal law—the ex ample of punishment operating only in preserving the good in their habits, and not in deterring those who had once become depraved. He admitted that some pro gress had been made in the reformation of offenders in France and Germany, the example in that respect hav ing been set at Stretton, in the county of Warwick. He was, however, for beginning a step earlier, by educating the children of that class which produced nearly all the criminals in the country. Ills Lordship concluded by saying that, as the greatest satisfaction had been ex pressed at the improvement of the children at the Lamb and Flag Ragged School, he hoped that its numbers and means would increase, and with them the satisfaction of its patrons, who would thus derive the sweet consolation of benevolence, attended by that without which benevo lence was a barren plant—beneficence; the doing good as well as the meaning good.—(Cheers.) Mr. C. WHITE read the report, which stated that 300 children were on the books of the school, and which gave a most encouraging view of its usefulness. In moving the adoption of the report, Tho Bishop of Noawxcn said, that he had heard since he came into that room one argument in favour of ragged schools which scattered to the winds a thousand arguments against them. He had heard these children praising God with lips which would have otherwise blasphemed him. The Right Rev. Prelate here addressed himself to the children, and told them, for their instruc tion, a very affecting story of an accident in a coal mine, by which many people had perished. Among them was a boy, who had written on a slate with a rusty nail the following words:—" Mother, dear mother, grieve not for us, mourn not for me; we are singing the praises of God in our last hours, though we shall see you no more." The Right Rev. Prelate then proceeded to point out the prejudices with which the cause of educating the poor had hitherto been opposed. Their Noble Chairman had lately expressed a doubt as to whether this was the year 1847; but the reason why he (the Bishop of Norwich) believed that it was so was the signs which he saw of increasing interest in the instruction of the humble classes. Even if the ragged schools did nothing else, they would secure cleanliness, which was a great point, for he made bold to say it as his experience that he had never known a very wicked man with a very clean face. —(Laughter.) Mr. Peto, by educating the navigators working on the railways in the county of Norfolk, had beat the beer-shops out of the field. The Right Rev. Prelate concluded by an earnest appeal to the meeting to promote with hand and heart the cause of instruction among the poor. The Rev. Mr. HUGHES, in seconding the motion,' bore witness to the good results which had attended the Lamb and Flag Ragged School, not only to the children but also to their parents. The resolution having been carried by the meeting, Mr. WIRE moved the second resolution, which was— " That this meeting, recognising the important truths conveyed in the report of the committee, earnestly in voke all parties to co-operate in removing the evils arising from and incidental to juvenile delinquency." In reference to a statement made by Mr. Wire, Lord BROUGHAM, at the close of that gentleman's ad dress, rose and said that it was, he was sorry to say, thirty-seven years since he presided at the first meeting in founding the British and Foreign School Society, the object of which was that, without interference, schools might be established to teach all classes secular in struction. That was their principle, and he was sorry to say that it had placed him between two fires.— (Laughter.) He had the Church on the one hand, of which he was a humble member, and the Dissenters, whom he very much respected, on the other, and it was hard to say from which he had encountered the most opposition at different times. As he was about to state a thing in which they all would agree, he would also state on what they might differ also. The Dissenters proved themselves excellent friends to the cause of edu cation, and indeed began it. The parochial clergy, also, were excellent agitators, and both agreed in doing a great deal about it; but there was one thing both were a little more agreed in, and that was in endeavouring to gain a victory over each other. Some slight confusion followed this expression of opinion, in the midst of which his Lordship left the chair, which was filled by the Bishop of Norwich. The meeting terminated after hearing addresses from Mr. Bellenden Ker, Mr. Payne, and other gentlemen,and adopting resolutions supporting the objects for which they had assembled. FATAL FIGHT.—On Saturday evening a fight took place at Cramlington, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, between John Walton and Joseph Simms, pitmen, when the former was unfortunately killed. An inquest was held on Monday, before Mr. S. need, coroner, at the Bay Horse public-house, Cramlington, when it appeared in evidence that on the day in question the parties bad been at the Town Moor , New cestle, at a bowling match, and that some words afterwards ensued between them. Simms, however, being afraid of mis chief, left the house in company with a friend, took the train, and reached Cramlington at 7 o'clock. The deceased seems to have been in the same train, for on reaching the station he came up to Simms and challenged him to fight, but at that time he declined. Some irritating expressions having soon after been made by the deceased, both parties threw off their clothes, and, after exchanging blows, the deceased seized Simms by the hair of the head, and both fell down, Simms falling against the fence, and the deceased into the ditch. On getting up, and while the deceased was advancing towards Simms, in a fighting position, the latter struck him on the side of the neck, when he fell on his hands and knees. The deceased got up, but after walking a yard or two, fell down, and soon afterwards expired. There were altogether but two rounds. The jury returned a verdict of " Man slaughter against Joseph Simms," who was committed, under the coroner's warrant, to Morpeth Gaol, to await his trial at the next assizes. The deceased is understood to have been of a quarrelsome disposition, while, on the contrary, Simms bears the character of a well-disposed man. THE GREAT BRITAIN.—SIHCe the fine weather has set in, pedestrians and equestrians, by dozens at a time, have been visiting this ship. the g r eat po i nt of attraction being the breakwater. The spring tide beginning en Wed nesday last, the labourers along the bay were taken on board the leviathan, and it was soon known that the effect of the work which had been going on inside with smiths and car penters seas to be tried. The pumps were known to be working as the tide rose, by the streams of water seen issuing from her in several places. As the tide rose it was perfectly evi d e nt that the ship rose slightly also, but the tide was not a high one. Thursday morning, however, it rose much higher, and the same efforts were repeated ; and at high water it was quite visible that the vessel was nearly upright, and very little by the head. At low water, it was evident that she stood out of her old bed two or three feet, and an amazing quantity of large and small stones were thrown into the hollow left from her rising. Some of the labourers who h av e been on her from t he the first are intelligent men, and they stated that she was all in motion and quite afloat everywhere. It blew strong, and the sea was very high. The ship seemed to have settled back a little, but it is quite clear tho se in authority have her in hand, although the large hole is still not high enough for patching.—Xeicry Telegraph of Dlay 18. SWING._A farmer near Retford, Nottinghamshire, having several corn , stacks in his farm-yard, has received an anonymous letter stating that unless } he thrashes out th e gra in, and puts it i nto market, it will e thrashed for him. Count Torre del Lago and suite arrived at Black wall yesterday a fternoon by the General Steam N av i ga ti on C o mpany's steam-ship Venezuela that left O s t en d i n th e morning. CHEAP STEAM TnAvELLlN6.—Yesterday the, boats runn i ng from London -bridge to Harwich and Ipswich re duced their fares to it. 6d. for the entire distance. COURT CIRCULAR. Lord John Russell had an audience of the Queen yes terday at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty, accompanied by the Princess Alice, and attended by the Viscountess Canning, took an airing yes terday in an open carriage and four. His Royal High ness Prince Albert rode out on horseback at the same time. The Equerries in Waiting, Lieut.-Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps and Captain the Hon. A. H. Gordon, attended her Majesty and his Royal Highness on horse back. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal, accompanied by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton, took an airing yesterday in an open carriage and four. Their Royal Highnesses Prince Alfred and the Princess Helena, took airings yesterday in the royal gardens. The Queen and the Queen Dowager visited her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia yesterday, at her residence at Kensington. The royal dinner party at Buckingham Palace. yes terday, included his Serene Highness the Prince of Loiningen, Prince Leichtenstein, the Duk3 and Duchess of Buccleuch, the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, the Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn, and Captain Francis Seymour. It being the Queen's intention to hold a Drawing room at St. James's Palace on Thursday, the 27th inst., to celebrate her Majesty's birthday, the exhibition of the royal pictures must close after Saturday next, the 22d instant, and it will be resumed on Saturday, the 29th instant, the interval being necessary to prepare the Palace for the Drawing-room. No tickets to view the royal pictures will be issued from Saturday next, the 22d instant, to Saturday, the 29th instant. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady Augusta Bruce and Sir George Couper, honoured the Achbishop of York with her company at dinner yesterday, at his residence, in Grosvenor-square. His Grace received the Noble Directors of the Concerts of Ancient Music. Their Royal Highnessess Prince Albert and the Duchess of Kent honoured the performance of the Concert of Ancient Music with their presence yesterday evening at the Hanover square Rooms. A deputation from Windsor, consisting of the Rev. Dr. Hawtrey, the Rev. E. Coleridge, Rev. W. G. Corberley, and the Rev. E. H. Pickering, had an interview with Viscount Morpeth on Tuesday, at the office of the Com missioners of Woods and Forests in Whitehall-place. The Judges, Queen's Counsel, &c., will not meet at the Lord Chancellor's on the first day of Trinity Term (Saturday next). The Chevalier Bunsen, the Prussian Minister, trans acted business yesterday at the Foreign-office. His Ex cellency had an interview with the Earl of Clarendon at the office of the B oar d o f T ra d e. A deputation of the S evern an d W ye Railway Com pany, consisting of Mr. Joseph Cookson, the Ch a irm an ,. Mr. Edward Thomas, the Tre asurer; r. Steph en Jar rett, Rev. H. Sheets, Mr. 0. C. Lane, Mr. Coates, the Parliamentary agent; and Mr. Bigg, the solicitor to the company, had an interview with the Commissioners of her Majesty's Woods and Forests yesterday. A deputation from the Birkenhead and Lancashire Railway Company, consisting of Mr. Laird, Mr. Coch rane, and Mr. Lister, had an interview yesterday with the Right Hon. Edward Strutt at the office of the Com missioners of Railways in Great George-street. Captain Hayes had an interview with Earl Grey yes terday at the Colonial-office. Major-General Sir Charles Smith had an interview with Lord Joha Russell yesterday, at his official resi dence in Downing-street. Mr. Higham, Secretary and Comptroller-General to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Ex chequer yesterday, at his official residence in Downing str( et. Lord Northland and Admiral Sir Charles Adam had interviews yesterday with the Right Hon. E. Strutt. Mr. Aldam, MY., and a deputation of the Surveyors of the Highways of Leeds, consisting of Messrs. Brock, Jackson, Rosson, R. Roberts, and Barrett, accompanied by Mr. Beckett, M.P., had an interview with Viscount Morpeth yesterday. Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening from the Colonial Office for the Governor of Ceylon, and for the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands. BRITISH AMERICAN LAND COMPANY. A general Court of Proprietors of the British American Land Company was held on Monday, at the London Tavern. The meeting was specially con vened for the purpose of considering the provisions of a Bill now before Parliament, for amending a former Act, and granting the company further powers. The chair was taken by Alexander Gillespie, Esq. Mr. B. BALDWIN, M.P., said he felt bound to op pose this Bill, which sought to confer unnecessary powers. He would ask whether any proxies obtained under the circular that had been issued would autho rise the directors in proceeding with this Bill. He protested against engaging in new works in the pre sent circumstances of the company. He trusted that the course taken by the directors would not be sanc tioned. It was his determination to oppose this Bill in every stage. Mr. BISCHOPP, solicitor to the company, read a copy of the Bill. In addition to provisions respecting the payment of interest, it provides that new powers shall be conferred upon the company. Clause 5, which provides that the company shall be authorised to subscribe to other undertakings, was the principal matter about which difference of opinion arose in the meeting. It provides as follows :—That it shall be lawful for the said company to subscribe towards, or become shareholders in, any existing or future under taking for making or working any railway, canal, road, bridge, dock, port, harbour, mine, or other public works of like nature in the several provinces and colonies in North America in the said charter re spectively mentioned, or their dependencies, the esta blishment whereof may appear to the said company likely to further the objects for which the said com pany was constituted; and also to make any loan or loans for the purpose of enabling any such public work to be made or worked, &c. Mr. B. BALDWIN and Mr. SAUNDERS objected to conferring such large and extensive powers on the directors. After some discussion, Mr. RonnisoN (ex-governor of the company) pro posed the following resolution :—" That this meeting approves of and sanctions the Bill now read, entitled, Sze. and that the directors of the company be hereby authorised to take all the necessary steps to carry the same Bill through Parliament." After some discussion, it was proposed, in order to obviate the opposition of Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Saun ders, that words of limitation should be inserted, so as to limit the powers to be conferred on the company to engage in undertakings, and to subscribe only to public wcrks " affecting the lands of the company, and being either within such lands or immediately contiguous thereto." The resolution in its amended form, as proposed by Mr. Robinson, was seconded b v Mr. Gould, and was then unanimously agreed to. Aft4r some routluc prcteedinB,: the meeting 1- out ned. The price of bread at Brussels for the second fort night of May has undergone a redaction of one centime per kilogramme. IRELAND. ,r! .5.41 ATTEMI7.T TO MURDER LIR. J. WATSON, BALLYCORNEY. Limoicri Examiner Office, One o'clock, nisi., Monday. This uio. u ent Surgeon Wilkinson passed our office on his way to L i, nycotuey, to give his professional aid to Mr. James N s? atson, who was fired at about half past ten o'cloc1': this morning from behind a hedge, on the road between Bridgetown and Killaloe. It is feared that the ITenac. l is a k logerous, if not fatal. Mr. Spaight, jun., has just sr rived from Killaloe with the melancholy intelligence of' Mr. Watooifs death. The only cause assigned for the murder is,. that be became an agent over some property in the room of Afr.. Rogers, who emigrated to America. A man, nalnedt Edmond Duet, dropped instantly dead on the rope-walk of the Messrs. English, this morning, after breakfast. DURLIN, :a1.411' 19.—An Extraordinary Gazette was published yesterday evening, containing the following official announcement:— " Dublin Castle, May 17, 1847. " Last night, at the hour of eleven o'clock, died, at her Majesty's Castle of Dublin, his Excellency John William, Earl of Besborough, the late Lord Lieutenant-General and General'. Governor of Ireland, to the infinite regret of all ranks of people." TRU FUNERAL. The arrangements for the funeral are to he made under the direction of Sir William Betham, Ulster King at Arms. The funeral is intended to leave the Lower Castle yard, on Friday evening with a train of carriages, and will arrive at the terminus of the Great Western Railway, Island-bridge, about five o'clock, where special trains will be in attendance to convey the remains and the procession to Carlow, where carriages will be in wait ing to convey the body to the family burying-place, at Besborough, near Kilkenny, where it is expected the meloncholy cortege will reach on Saturday evening. The guns in the Park, by order of Town-Major White, commenced to fire at intervals of one minute at eight o'clock in the morning, and discharged 66 rounds, that being the number of years of his Excel lency's life. This is the usual custom when Royalty, or any of its representatives, depart from this life. Town- Major White also ordered the bands on the different pa rades, when mounting guard, to be muffled, &e., and parade is to be carried on in solemn silence until after the interment. All the vessels in the river had their flags floating half-mast high, which is the sign for mourning on such occasions; and the flags at the Castle, Barracks, and Magazines, were hoisted in like manner. It is understood that the Ladies Ponsonby will leave the Castle on Wednesday, _en route for Besborough Castle, Kilkenny. Several noble families will be put in mourning by the sad event, which has deprived them of an affectionate relative and friend. The several tradesmen belonging to his Excellency had their shops closed yesterday in respect to the me mory of his Lordship; and, indeed, all classes of citizens seemed to be deeply affected at the loss this country has bustained. The following letter has been received from the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor in reference to the funeral:— "TO TH E EDITOR OF TUB FREEMAN'S JOURNAL.' " Mans i on-house, Monday E ven i ng, May, 17 1847. " have received the annexed communication relative to the funeral of the lamented Earl of Besborough. " I have the honour to be your faithful servant, " MICHAEL STAUNTON." " ' Dublin Castle, Ma 17, 1847. " My Lord,—l have to acquaint your Lordship that the remains of the late Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland are to be removed in state from the Chapel Royal on next Friday afternoon, the 21st instant, to the terminus of the Cashel Railway, at King's-bridge, and from thence privately conveyed to the family vault at Besborough. "' I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's " T. N. REDINGTON. obedient servant, " "The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor of Dublin.' " SWEARING IN OF LORDS JUSTICES.. Mr. Savage, the clerk : the Council, sum monses yesterday, for the purpose of having Lords Jus tices sworn in, pending the arrival of the new Lord- Lieutenant. The Queen's letter, nominating the Lord Chancellor, the Commander of the Forces, and the Archbishop of Dublin, Lords Justices, is expected to arrive to-morrow, when a Privy Council will sit for the purpose of administering the oaths. The following is a copy of the notice and proclamation issued by the Lord Chancellor:— " Council Chamber, Dublin Castle, May 17,1847. " Sir,—l am directed by the Lord Chancellor to transmit to you a copy of a proclamation for the election of a Lord Justice or Justices, and Governor or Gover nors orfreland, in the room of the late Lord-Lieutenant, the Earl of Besborough. And you will forthwith, on receipt thereof, publish the same in your bailiwick, and will cause to be . summoned every member o f th e P r i vy Council of Ireland who shall be resident therein, to attend at the time and place appointed by such procla mation; then and there to elect a Justice or Justices, and Governor oi Civvcrnora of Iroband, lac ranrocaid. -1 have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, " M. W. SAVAGE, Clerk of the Council. " To the Sheriff of Dublin City." " BY THE QUEEN.—A PROCLAMATION. " Victoria R.—Whereas by an Act passed in the Par• liament of the kingdom of Ireland, in the twenty-eighth year of the reign of his late Majesty King George the Third, entitled An Act for repealing an Act made in the thirty-third year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, entitled an Act for the election of the Lord Justice, and also for the election of a Lord Justice and Governor of this realm, upon the event and in the manner therein mentioned,' it is enacted, that if at any time after the passing of the said Act the office of Chief Governor of the said realm should be avoided by the death of the King's Lieutenant, Deputy Justice, or other Chief Governor or Chief Governors, or otherwise, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Keeper, or Lords Commissioners for the custody of the Great Seal, for the time being, shall immediately issue or cause to be issued a proclama tion, under the Great Seal of the said kingdom, thereby in the name of his Majesty, his heirs or successors, sum moning and requiring all and every the members of the Privy Council of the said kingdom, wherever they shall then be, to meet and assemble together in the Council Chamber of the Castle of Dublin, or in some other public and fit place in the city of Dublin, at some certair. hour, on a day not later than twenty-one days nor sooner than fifteen days from the issuing of such proclamation, for the election of a Justice or Justices and Governor or Governors of the said realm of Ireland, during the plea sure of his Majesty, his heirs and successors, and until his, her, or their further or other pleasure shall be known : " And whereas the office of Chief Governor of that part of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire land, called Ireland, has become avoided by the death of our trusty and right well-beloved cousin and councillor John William, Earl of Besborough, our Lord Lieutenan t and General Governor thereof; now, therefore, according to the said statute, we do hereby summon and require all and every the members of our Privy Council of that part of the said United Kingdom, wherever they may now be, to meet and assemble together in the Coun cil Chamber, at our Castle of Dublin, a t th e h our o f one o'clock of the afternoon of Wednesday, the second day of Jnne next ensuing the date hereof, for the election of a Justice or Justices, and the Governor or Governors of Ireland, during our pleasure, and until our further or other pleasure shall be known. " Given at our Castle of Dublin, this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, and in the tenth year of our reign. " MAZIERE BRADY, C. " God save the Queen." RE-ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL TRADES' POLITICAL UNION. The Freeman of this morning states that the National Trades' Political Union is about to become re-organized in anticipation of a general election. The old committee has already had several meetings, and we are led to be lieve that long before the election of the city can take place, the Trades' Union of Dublin wi ll be in a position to turn the scale, and ensure the triu m p h of the national cause, as it has often done before. COUNTY OF GALWAY ELECTION. The election took place yesterday. James Burke, Esq., proposed Captain Burke, and the nomination was seconded by Robert Bodkin, Esq. There being no other candidate, the High Sheriff declared Captain Burke duly elected, amidst loud cheering. Never, perhaps, was there so general or unanimous an election in Galway. REPEAL ASSOCIATION. The weekly meeting of the Repeal Association, post poned yesterday in consequence of the death of the Lord- Lieutenant, took place this day at the Conciliation-hall, Mr. James Burke in the chair. Mr. JOHN O'CONNELL read a long letter from Lord Ffrench, and covering a subscription of 51. Mr. J. REYNOLDS made a long speech in reply to the Nation newspaper, which asserted that the Association was in a state of bankruptcy. Mr. Reynolds denied that the fact was so ; they had reduced the expenses from 3001. to 301. a week, and their income was equal to all the present wants. _ _ The rent was announced to be 491. is. 6d. CORR. AND PASSASE RAILWAY.—The works on this railway will be commenced forthwith. STATE OF TRADE MANCIIESTER, MAY 18.— There eyeenbereanthe but more inquiry for yarns to-day,_ sales b have any improvement in prices. ef fected only at lower rates. There has been a little more doing in goods, but without Short time is gradually extending in different districts, and its adoption will doubtless be hastened by the ad vance in the price of cotton , . reported elsewhere. R o crwALE. MAY 1 7.-- there has been a bett er f ee li ng in the market to-day, but little or no improvement in the demand for goods: the buyers are waiting to have them for less money, which has been resist e d on t h e part of the manufacturers. Wool is rather easier to buy. at somewhat lower prices. HALIFAX, MAY 15.—Our piece hall to-day presented the usual dull appearance, and scarcely any goods were disposed of. The demand for yarn has greatly fallen off; and a great deal of machinery is running short time, with the prospect of more mills following their ex ample. Very little wool, of nny kind, is changing hands. The price of long wool is in favour of the buyer, more especially in lower sorts; but short wool remains firm, on account of the scantiness of the supply. HUDDERFFIELD. MAY 18.—We have again had a very eat market; mauufacterer3 makk• bitter complaints, aid several mills are working half time. LEEDS, MAY 18.—Our market continues in the same inanimate con di t i on as we h ave h a d to report t h ese last few weeks. Business is at the very lo we st e bb, and , t h e advent of a favourable change seems as far removed as viers—Manche/ter Guardian, INT i / , • 44 , ........,..............ft REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CO , -At ittictr s ~.. TRADE. --4, The weather h as be en un i n terrup !•edly fine during ; L d ei the week, with just sufficient moisture to Promote vegetation, and a decided improvervent has been"' wrought in the aspect of the country. More aus picious weather than that lately experienced oauld scarcely be desired ; and one cause of uneashneass, namely, the backwardness of the crops, has in sa me measure been removed. Still it is scarcely possiThle for the next harvest to be an early one ; and it wi 11, therefore, be the more necessary to husband our ne sources. What quantity of grain may still remain. in the hands of the producers cannot be ascertained with any degree of accuracy, but the more the matter is in quired into, the more general becomes the con vie tion that the smaller farmers have long ago thrashed out ; and though some of the more wealthy agriculturists may yet have a fair proportion ? of their corn on hand, it is nevertheless certain t hat, as a body, the growers hold much less grain than is usually the case at the corresponding period of 'the year. With regard to the stocks in warehouse at :the different large towns information is more easily o b tained ; and w e are convinced that there is har - dly a town in the kingdom, excepting Liverpool and Glas gow, at which anvthing approaching a fair stock is held. 'We do not, therefore, feel much surprise at the course which the trade 'as taken, and feel sane doubt whether the top price has yet been touched. Notwithstanding the extraordinary high prices which have been freely paid of late for wheat the deliveries from the growers have increased but very little; mad though hardly any speculation has taken place, the consumptive demand Las been sufl;:ciently active to take off all that has been brought forward. The con tinued pressure of the money market has also be en against a rise ; circumstances have, therefore, on tl se whole, been far more in favour of a fall than an si• Vance, but actual scarcity has overruled everythin g else. The improvement which has been brough t about by the splendid weather experienced since the beginning of the month, the decrease in the consump tion which has, as a matter of course, followed in co Is sequence of the dearness of the article, and la st, though not least, the caution which buyers have bee n compelled to observe owing to the contraction of cash accommodation, have all failed to check the upward movement in prices, and a further iinportant rise has been established. The arrivals of wheat coastwise intc London ham again been very small, only 4,059 qrs. having beesa reported during the week ending this (Saturday) evening. The quantity brought forward by land carriage samples has been on the same limited scale . On Wednesday the show on the Essex and Kent stands consisted of a few lots left over from Monday ; and though factors insisted on a further rise of ls. per qr., a clearance was effected. Since then hardly a sample has been exhibited, and the want of supplies prevented much business being done on Friday; but the inclination to buy was fully as great at the close as in the beginning of the week, and the few sales made were at 2s. over Monday's terms. In foreign wheat the operations have been on an extensive scale, and a large propor tion of the recently received supply has already been taken off the market, the greater part of what has lately been bought having been purchased by country buyers. The receipts have amounted to 15,873 qrs. this week, whilst on Wednesday the sales exceededt 10,000 qrs. ; and on Friday large purchases were again made at rates ls. to 2s. per qr. above those cur rent in the commencement of the week. The grana ried stock at this port is now so trifling as hardly to be deserving of notice ; aad should the country demand for foreign wheat continue as active as it has been within the last fortnight, we can scarcely expect ans accumulation. The top price of to wn manufactured Flour has re mained stationary at 80s. per sack, and the sale has not been, by any means, brisk at that figure. Ship Flour has met with a fair share of attention at prices cor responding with the value of town trade. American Flour was taken pretty largely on Wednesday at 50s. to 525. per barrel, but the flat accounts which have since been received from Liverpool imparted a some what languid tone to business on Friday ; still there was no giving way.—Mark -lane Express. THE CROPS IN IRELAND. We have most melancholy news to communicate about the crops. A fortnight ago everything looked promising, but a very considerable change has since taken place. It will be understood that we are only referring to the neighbourhood of the town, as we have not had any means of ascertaining the condition of the crops in the distant parts of the county. But about Sligo the crops have within the last few days, undtigone a deplorable alteration. Wheat has turned out very badly. Mr. Wynne, of llazlewood, sowed a large quantity of this grain, and we understand it, at present, presents a wretched appearance. Mr. James Wood, of Woodville, has four teen acres of wheat down, which looks so unpromising that he is hesitating whethe^ he will plough it up, and set barley or not. Mi. Vernon, of Finisklin, is about to re-set his whcst land with barley. And the wheat crop, every place we have had an opportunity of witnessing it, seems burned up ; it it yellow, red, any colour but green. But the most distressing intelligence we have to ar • nounce is, that the disease has reappeared in the pota. toes. The failure of the wheat crop is quite apparent to all, that of the potato requires, in its present stage, more discrimination and judgment, to detect. But, we believe, the existence of the disease is quite evi dent and visible to agriculturalists.—Sligo Champion. We are happy . to state that the crops in this neigh bourhood, notwithstanding the unfavourableness of weather during the last few days, appear in a very favourable and cheering condition.—Athlone Sentinel. THE CONVICT BARBER. The Liverpool Albion publishes the following origi nal documents with regard to the convict Barber : "Agricultural-office, Norfolk Island, October 12, 1846. " Being about to remove, for a time, from the Nor folk Island, and contemplating the possibility of not returning, I feel it to be my duty, as an act of justice, to leave with William Henry Barber, whose conduct I have had an opportunity of observing for nearly two years, a testimonial of the very favourable opinion which I have formed of his character, in the hope that it may be advantageous to him at some future period. I have observed Barber's conduct in the most trying and humiliating cir cumstances, of what I am convinced (without any reference to his plea of innocence f the offence of which he stands convicted) was unmerited suffering ; and while I deeply pitied the man, I could but admire his submissive demeanour, patient resignation, and unvariable rectitude of conduct, while his health was visibly suffering, and his frame wasting away under the mental torture inflicted upon him by the degrad ing and polluting association into which he was forced, and the unmerited and unaccountable perse cution of which he was the object for many months, by which the sufferings inseparable from this unhappy condition were deeply aggravated beyond that of even the worst conducted convict; while his enemies could not produce even a colourable charge against him. My losition, as the second civil officer on the island, enabled me, at length, to procure an alleviation of his suffering, by getting him removed from gang-labour to be assistant-clerk in the agricultural office, under my own immediate control, in which situation the undeviating rectitude of his conduct, and a general demeanour worthy, in every respect, of the respectable position which he for merly occupied in society, gained for him my con fidence ; and, on the removal of my principal clerk from the island, I obtained the situation for Barber. Considering his former occupation and business habits as a respectable solicitor, it is superfluous to say that he performed his duties ably and correctly. He worked hard from daylight in the morning until is late hour most nights, performing the duties of two men without any remuneration or indulgence, ex cept, what to his mind was a most important relief, separation from the other convicts. And the rules of discipline prevented me from furnishing him, from my private resources, with even the trifling comfort of a basin of tea or a bit of fresh meat, which J would gladly have done. I have great pleasure in certifying that he has kept himself entirely free from all the contaminating influence of his unhappy situa tion, both in habits and sentiments, as well as prin ciples • and I can, with great confidence, recommend admits him as a man whose conduct fully entitles him t o th e ear liest amelioration of which t p h l e ac l e aw in every its m in his c ondition, and qualifies him to fill w ith credit to him rdes respect him self and benefit to society, a equal to that from which his conviction removed " GILBERT ROBERTSON, " Superintendent of Agriculture." " Norfolk Island, Sept. 3, 1845. " In leaving Norfolk Island, of which I have been for some years the chaplain, I owe to public justice the duty of recording my firm conviction of the per fect innocence of William Henry Barber, now suffer ing upon it a sentence of transportation. Since his arrival here I have not ceased to follow a series of in quiries into the circumstances connected with his case. In addition, I have heard the reluctant ac knowledgments of Joseph Fletcher, the guilty author of the frauds, placing beyond the possi bility of a doubt the entire innocence of Barber. My exertions shall be continued for his extrication. I deeply lament his truly wretched condition here, and would have seen it ameliorated. I h ave never prisoner of the Crown expose d t o know gladly a ly greater wretchedness. I r e joice to be able to add, I have never seen an instance of more dignified suffer ing, accompanied by invariable c)nsistency of con duct, and nothing will give me greater pleasure than a renewal of his acquaintance under more favourable c ircumstances. " Given under my hand this 3d day of September, 1844, " T. BEAGLEY NAYLOR, Chaplain." t e ho ert Ist ;he 111, ley et. ,a n ot aaci' flit" aO7 r the note re to de i sin imit esses iting iCAS gag so; and Korn ,mas a bed ry to 7Wiee Ca' upon LOUSB vhen a ac ;'arid- It ztion tiol' . this the ,age large her Dun' ies in , e in ged ; d to fton ,lson► ;tool take It to and aken that WO 27th that , " first la- ego. ; sin. first din