The Sun. — London, England, 1847-02-26 00:00:00

THE Our re it hap iired, and all trace from his iven `say sequently, heap roof we may immediate ailed, and Mr. John derwent a heir testi he subject• verdict of ly satisfied rsons who far as we sale, dead; w lying et om Leeds, Lternal in , the house Dmpany t• and kind to believe duals were stand that aken place ler not be )proaching • the roya l ig-master, Inv, is ap ad to hear igator and A. it III" giment on, at, Second e diiabled 11 possible i the bee float the ations are iy. Pembroke about 450 Clarence :s of whole sack and t this port,: compani eu Host e, ar* e. Ls iu Boni' t the CAP° [th of Ve- CASTLE . [ng, i de in Oa, num b e r or y engage d I's riding' invented al boards inal have bees jiv sta bles ,that the inspectinn nmer, an m orderea passage! it story er rn terrace ompletecb in order the Castle I upon d the ter" ATION. Leid at the rs, on the Le Brazils. omas, the the agree xnd Ague ago Soco, he Duroe, the price Irma] rent trteminces system of by intro 3g-roes, to rehelders. of 21. Pe r hould the ied to th e !re report. be broken be glares tt 7,000/. in Lon" that the main un he og t, port No"" t 11 01 ; ee ting o f be Beau the por' o relieve present, rosve nOrl Chain p a Colonel ng a r - iiseratio? ie Prowl" was gra' nd of all t o ow- 3 ture2. - " „ i nust alantitY , tendered It wb ile for thes e 3 thilig . atlerneee thin e of WO" ere we r° Ireland; 7,urred aye 391 Lowever, to all° . led the Rev. J. Pith the n , rk gs;B s be d ' /. r )3 °I. PROVIDENT T CLERKS' MUTUAL B ENEFIT ASSOCIATION AN!) BENEVOLa.NT FUND. The sixth annual meeting of the members of the benevolent department of this useful assoc i a ti on too k pl a ce on Thursday Bening, at the L or .d on T avern, Bi s h opsgate - stree t. IL , °ha Abel Smith, Esq., M.P., the treasurer of the associa took the chair, at six o'clock precisely. "; 1110 ag the gentl emen present we o b serve d Thomson Han ' JIM, Esq., Mark Boyd, Esq., James Mackidop. Esq., tied Smee, Esq., F.R.S., R. H. Jones, Esq., J. W. Welch, W. J. Jordan; Esq.. A. Dawson, Esq., S. Notley, Esq., G. e p l33, Esq., W. S. Sawtell, Esq., W. Maitland, Esq. , W. I,.:k.uuse n W. Rennell, R. Price, Esq., J. Clarke, Esq., J. Lintott, and W. Rennell, Esq. • .TROAtas MULLINDER, the Secretary, having read the irisernent convening the meeting, at e % J ?". -a, chairman of the board of managers, pro p..„ .0 read the annual report of the state and of of the institution, to the evident satisfaction . Neu satisfaction members present, many of whom testified hbu* satisfaction at the rising prospects of the institution - "'l. l° e ll d applause. fa ,.`,.0 report set forth that the managers had much satis -1;.'.4aal in stating that the amount of patronage which it had ozu, been pleasure to announce at former meetings had not 3.4 ran continued to the association, but during the past 4 been increased. tso he last annual meeting it had been determined to add board took annuitants to those already elected, and that the ro tt ;',lnek the requisite steps for giving publicity to . the laievrs of such an intention, and that at a special meeting, p . 4 0 0 the 6th May, at which the treasurer, J. A. Smith, preside4, , an aged clerk was voted an annuity of tl ll .' d 'o a widow of a clerk an annuity of 15/., and that on tot e ` u v :Oing of the day of election the event was commemo of ,"3' a . public dinner, at which the Right lion. the Ear pottet'llousie, President of the Board of Trade, presided, up' roost'' by the Right Hon. Lord J. Russell and many of the Opeminent merchants and bankers. Above two hundred 61)ot "men were present, and during the evening upwards of • was subscribed in aid of the Benevolent Fund. The tqlgers on the p resen t occa sion, desirous of carrying out to Jests of the assoc i a ti on to the fullest extent, recommend d b , : w 4 meeting that two additional annuitants be elected fit: 4 the present year, the one to be a member, the other 's ,"l(l °W of a member. wii'M report then enumerated some of the advantages 4 . had been afforded to members during the past year. tas a li a."-In 1846 the sum of 715/. had been lent . to Rea hers in amouuts varying from 101. to 251., and many in atteea had come before the managers in which such aid had Istaii ° ! t he greatest service, and that while the managers had tim e : Aretponded to the applications, they had at the ;same ittp ro ; ll ; u . .eavoured to prevent such aid being granted to the ateb,, - " o ent, and the board were happy to state that the in n-41ns Were generally punctualy repaid. r ates T h tTIT Ir-a•—The board during the past year had many t hroi,a" rOu ght before them showing extreme distress, stat o ,' sickness and other causes, and they were happy to laa._''st every one had received assistance according to its iessities. tit e ril i n OWN BOOK.—This department bad been produc toultj tearr 'such good during the past year, as many members • kr, 1 3 . grat ub leaL ADVICE.—The report alluded to the continued of ,uus advice of the medical officers in London, and Ne ro u mourable conduct of many of the provincial medical ste t s Who had followed the example of their London Nab - p .n. The number of new membrrs who had joined tai. -be h during the past year was 152, and the income lc fund was 816/. 18s. 4d. is t re Port then alluded to the annual meeting of the 11444anidLitse Assurance branch, held on the 18th January quoted the fact announced at that meeting of the that („ Pro sperous state of this important department , via. , latos -- 184 6 the number of policies issued had been 374, for 1845,knounting to 69,200'., being more than double that of 1 844, W hich year's business was more than double that of ptosLand that such was the increasing prosperity and 4 4.47 t , a of the lif e department, that a special meeting had e 'd the same evening, Jan. 18, for the purpose of 0b „,t01,41)°, wer to extend the arnouut to be assured from 500/. the Ca which proposition bad been unanimously adopted. • hl.7 a nce-sheet showed that the sum of 1,421/. 10s. 6d. ss ia i'vi received during the past year for the Benevolent altspi., i ' Sod that a f ter pay i ng a ll ex p e nses there remained a !og Whin of 475/. O s. 8d on the year ' s accoun t, w ithout nfring- Ittp a P° . II the annual subscriptions, which had been applied 411 1tI tilebt of gratuities to members, annuities , loans , &c. , Th e c Purchase of 2001. stock. Pttt on re port, after alluding to the continued support and tileo stroZsge of the treasurer and trustees, concluded with an 4 PPeal to the members to exert themselves to make • Pri nciples and objects of the association as widely known lea'bie, and to endeavour to induce others to join. a t , "esiy.,,`aak boan, in proposing that the report . should . be the directors, adopted. and printed, according to the discretion of Sot a - f ec tors, said—Sir, when I entered this room, I was t o --are I A that I was to be honoured by having this motion feltl;: i nit to you. I am sure that the satisfaction I feel is cs tl ia ta nt l a e n v . erY person present at the rising nature of this in- I speak as a director myself of a life assurance 4bl e r," a lk and the directors of such company, as far as I am ttit o i'. ° Juage, have not been favourable to these kinds of in raostlujis generally speaking. I am proud to hear, and it with a source of great satisfaction to those connected tali! this institution to know, that it is progressing so satisfac aohd• can say that those parties who preside over it are int ,enieri of knowledge and honeur . , n w4 e o ssa wi r l y l on to all occasions I ,,sully promote those interests air „7 its l lding. Under such auspices the institution cannot en ultimate success. My duty is move adopted,that the report .ted s d ur es e p Which has just been read be receiv t e e d recording to the discretion of the managers.-(Haenar,-hneanr.) Mr. - T 1103ISON HANKET,kin., in seconding the motion, said fir, I have very great pleasure in seconding the resolution hulch Mr. Boyd has proposed, and I have greater pleasure in w e ring the terms in which it was proposed, by a gentleman ah.. ani I have the happiness to see here for the first time on any -- s ' i • . n occasion as this meeting. lam sure, from the expres s that he has used to us, he will continue the sup. li:tand assistance which he has given to us at present upon Wit itture occasions. It is well known to a great many friends . *4 14 1 see around me, that I have on almost all occasions, 14 4 T"e meetings have taken place, attended here, and to say, in substance, the observations I baye . now R h i r . All that I have now to say is, that the condition of titution is very much more satisfactory now than it ess, s Z e t Sear. I have had to offer this observation on every_ them ) upon which I have had to stand in this room, and ras tit. 11 will not dwell upon the subject at the present an- L ea d t also say ! that when such a report has been must j,,,"t 1 as has been presented to this meeting, it ratts - t - source of great pleasure to you, and r Lear fro nt be be satisfactory to know, that in every e y 'e commencement of this institution untilthe pro s - unient it has not only greatly, but rapidly increased a pply 4 PPIy i n P PtY. I do not know what milder blip s g r eat a aasat I say again, that it is o wan satisfaction to know that this institution _ . t a er s7urc d e o t o o s sad that its p p prosperity is connected with that good _ sli st; w na hic h, beli n h s- erl existed and which I believe does cia a a r,,,nich l eN t e rus as t Ishall , always find between the. ,Pari n ,' - '"' every house and those who carry on the executive Zltic, - „ e lt under him. I think that the success of this "Ilea: - i s a strong Proof that that feeling does exist no . tad imore than in Loudon and among the clerks of Londoa rs , atn„ thi nk that it is as satisfactory a state of affairs Lett °O.o can possibly desire to see. I believe v Zlell a t r i ' e n c!pal . of a house must feel how essentiall, t it is to him and to the welfare of his ch ar hat the clerks who have the management —so great kkets.Aheoanuud responsibility as the .mana.ge.ment of the busi- Ler ftt . .4 feel not only that their principal takes . a deep h, 1. 11 their prospe 't but that they are provided fo . r t able. e° °rts of that p r r i in y Cipal, and secured, as far as preen- Ihfol e'vgeainst any unforeseen calamities or events which may th an es„ r Y individual and none more likely than those who ' tan it ' a .,,ged in trade and ' commerce. It cannot be otherwise ow asta hruarce of great pleasure to every principal to kr_i t is sati s f,4 t4rks are placed in such a situation ; and if ' tierit know, t° him, it must be equally satisfactory to e t c h: Listay a pow, that it is by his own saving, by lus owp inself alskull,p Provident habits, that he has rendered himself °f si c k de nt against the day of calamity ; and, when the l hour . iletioeadterlteSsh..oramisfortune shall . conwie,ihoie:will not feel, in addi b misfortune and the ink of ecessary calamity ti; ut °d inflicts upon him the additional sting of know:. /vlll a • o t t Own i providence has injured him, and 1.70: :areelti t t t u(!_ iipvr c eoo o v e i_a seio ni us that his want of care and added to everythose sufferings from ht hve released him. It . must sik ur v , of illialst, thatthe ika—hioaown man—to know, in the prudence which has 1/t tid l e a u t t la his sufferings, 'and which has rendered him the at of unforeseen calamities, and enabled him to feelthat • sb,l ll ,, r ial God s h a ll ta k e hi m ou t o f the world, his widow " ( add • " r en will not suffer so severely as they otherw ise wh, not onl f Cell h e rom the loss of the services of the money tlben e fi.:l 3 earning, but from the loss of the assistance . of rZvet t o t ,und. That must always be a point of great in imAivin ion whose situations place them in the way of lelne il 6 asst benefit from such an as this. Gen- ,) i n harY e to apologise for again institution intruding my opinion ° Luton which I hve so often given, and which I hope (Ch e 'o give agai n an d again upon similar occasions.— !talro-o'lek) Fothatr my frie nd long as he on my left (Mr. J. A. Smith I San as is able to perform hoset 'Astjt - ',,, : hi so long will hech he has so essentiallre nder y ren them, dered to nd t his ~mitt on his , a r'e, will induce others to follow in his thu aa an humble individual I shall be happy to follow ”Ille, - t aMple, and give to the institution that assistance litit tu l he has done. I can only say that, as long as the in o',,'°n exists, so long, if I am able, I.shall be happy to take Ii 001; f i t in anything which can be of service to it. I again ; sh o re for trespassing upon your time, and, in conclusion, N ape t hank you for your attention to those remarks which T h e Made in seconding this resolution.—(Cheers.) has C itaanatax then said—lt has been moved by Mr. uts b' an d seconded by Mr. Mulkey, that the report which dr n read should be received, adopted, and printed at for k ~s,t,'r et ion of the managers. Before going through the refers that res out i on I am anx i ous to sa y one word with l inea t ijo to that report. I shall confine myself solely to the !he m oor % af accounts, which are the soul of all business and . in g at t " all prosperity and advancement. Anybody look these accounts cursorily, without thoroughly ititta nt r • ln g the objects and views of the funds of this otr go k ~U ll, would think it very unfair on seeing so 'rea c h: Portion of the annual expenses of both Odinof this institution borne by the benevolent fu.nd -411 about a half, or very nearly so. My object in al taaat,gato. blishal inVOlvee so WS subject is because I feel it vital to the advance completely the principles, of this esta tresp,,,t, that it was necessary to take the liberty to platiet 7 ' u pon your attention with a very few words in ex to threttm• It would be most unfair and improper, as I think, ta rt. ' t he weight o f t h ese expenses upon tl.e benevolent Nmle it were nt that the benevolent fund has th greatest taan o: interest i o n the success of the benefit fund e . A cer /teisrrtion of th e pre& derived from the benefit depart m e n t la 4 I.° Cre ate the be nevo l ent f un d, t h e e ff e ct of which will be, fr ura g l e :r n d egree, to save the finances of the benevolent fund t o ar e to g called upon. It is on this principle that I hope .---4,,,,„.continue. It was because it was to create a . per- Rota life interest that the benefit fund was established the the benevolent fund. It was called early in its infancy It b i n, uafit fund, but mead fact a life insurance; and t too` it ar I l l t ia ta t, in .a great . i ni ng ea ' su l' re, success must . e s oh . tad oe obvious to any per,,on thqui.ing into tipo u a Jeat, at first sight, that this benefit fund seas framed until of self-support. It will support itself shortly, to „„..`L r i, that time it is the interest of the benevolent fund o r ~'-'aatt_thute liberally and fairly to its expenses. Whethet have succseded in making myself clear I do not ea 7w b ut I know that if I have ckne so, that there's . not . ' .t gentlern ‘airil t i o an present who will not concur with me in t e o r e_t i en gnthmatkt.he managers have used a wise and . solid dis ward, rhe a log the benevolent fund pay as it has done expla;_, expenses of the benefit fund. With the view of ow n `,,,"ang that I have taken the liberty of expressing my ash ot i;rra and feelings upon the subject, and I now ask this ter any gentleman has any observations to make upon At t e l t before I put it to the meeting? aerr at i o `": lol, lD Limit; said—l do not rise to make any ob have objection to the report, the contents of which ter me great satisfaction. After the very able man r,,,,,raaueli other speaker, have proposed •-ecorni*;(l 11r, *tn.' !here Intrud e upm, our qtte , ltion for a Ntry :=Liort ticC ith. tia alteration has tiken place in the last twelve la the rules of the institution, which, during the w last -- - two or three years I have constantly proposed. I allude to that alteration in reference to the amount of insurance. The policy was before this restricted to 5001., and the alteration now limits it to 1,0001. That alteration will contribute ma terially to the success of this institution. 1 have striven for this point, and I have been in a minority upon it, until the present time. I feel great satisfaction that the al• teration has taken price, and although I did not know it until I entered the man to-night, I can assure the gentlemen present that the success of tiiis institution has been greatly accelerated by it ; and such will be its effect that in the course of a few years the managers will have to go further than that. The CHAIRMAN—The report does not lead to any point as to the future alteration of the benefit fund, and therefore these remarks are a little out of order. :Nita Lawis--Ilad not the report led to that point I should not have spoken upon it, but as I found some reference to it I alluded to it. The success of this institution will be such that in a few years an alteration will be compelled to be made. Those who have given their attention to life assur ance will find that the greater amount of policies are far above 5001., or even I,ooo'. They are at present limited to 1,000/. in this institution, but as the business increases the amount must increase also. In the neighbourhood—in Grace church-street—an establishment was conducted on the same principle. It had only existed eleven years and was yet in its infancy, and yet the income was from 90,0001. to 100.000/. I shall conclude by saying that I hope to live to see the in come of this institution as much.—(Cheers.) The CHAIRMAN then put the report to the meeting, and it was unanimously adopted. Mr. MAITLAND then proposed the second resolution.— " That on the 31st of May next, or such other day as the board may appoint, due notice of the same being given to the members, a special meeting be held for the purpose of elect ing two additional annuitants, one being a member, the other the widow of a member duly qualified according to the rules." He said—Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, the resolution which I have to propose is one which gives me great pleasure to put to the meeting. That resolution affords a proof of the progress of this association; and I do trust from year to year to ascertain that the same kind attention has been given by the trustees. I have no doubt that the gentlemen who have already greatly assisted to form the strengh of the establishment will continue to do as they have already done. You all know and feel how fairly, and by what means, this association has been supported by the principals of houses, and what large sums have been raised, and you must also feel that assistance can only effectually be given to the association by the clerks themselves. It is to their benefit to promote it. I do not say these words in discourage ment, for you have heard, that during the past year, 150 new members have entered one department, and 374 another, which is a strong proof of the progress of the institution, and the favourable manner in which it is going on. You are all aware that Use clerks of this country are not numbered by hundreds or thousands, but by tens of thousands, and 1 hope that out of that numerous body many will still augment the numbers of this association by your means, as the augmenta tion is an object of considerable importance to this institu tion. I have to apologise for the trespass upon your time, and I will conclude by moving theadoption of this resolution. Mr. W. G. HUDSON seconded the motion. The Ctimiteias put the resolution to the meeting, and it was carried uaanimously. Mr. Josue then proposed the third resolu ion, which was-- "That the warmest thanks of this meeting are due, and are hereby presented to the treasurer and trustees, for their continued patronage and support." He said—As chairman of the board of managers, I have the pleasure on this occa sion to move a vote of thanks to the trustees and treasurer, I have no occasion to say anything upon this subject, and I shall merely move the resolution without any remark at all, as it is unnecessary. Mr. WELCH seconded the resolution, which was then put and carried unanimously. The CHAIRMAN then said Gentlemen, I wished Mr. Haukey to return thanks , beca u s e first of all, he would do it much better than I can, and also because I have it done so so often, that I am unable to find different words to convey my thanks to you, and I have, indeed, only one form of do ing so. Mr. Harkey and others have talked this eveuitig about what has been done for you by myself and others, but I say do not trust to that. The institution is not worth helping if it wants help. The institution is in itself' able to take care of itself, and it recommends itself to public support, and is consolidated by the endeavours of the principal and the clerks. It has many advantages, and which Ido Lot believe are owing to the help from the principals, but because the in stitution is safe and good in itself. As long as it is so, and is properly managed, I believe it will flourish, whether helped or not. lam sure that I speak the sentiments, not only of myself, but of all the other trustees, when I assure you that it has afforded, and continues to afford, all the principals the most unfeigned satisfaction. It is a good institution, because it is carefully, and because carefully, well and safely ma naged. Thet in an institution like the present is of consi derable importance. It is not only a stimulus to economy, providence, and care, but it will be valuable in its results to the clerks. It is a fund which is formed by the labour of the clerks themselves, and to which the sick and distressed may look forward with certainty to receive relief without disgrace to themselves, as it is the result of their own for bearance, providence, and care, and also that of their fellow.- labourers in the same cause. Gentlemen, not only on my own part, but on the part of those gentlemen with me, I thank you for your expression of feeling, and I can assure you that with equal warmth of feelin g we wish prosperity to the institution and to you. Mr. RENNLL sa id—Mr. Smith and gen tleman, in rising E resolution foefwtwheoredvs.eniinkft,holugshhailtl ttaoldrge°soe the ppor fth tun o i u t3 r- of saying a appears from the report that the number of new subscribers this year has increa sed, as com p ared with any former year, still the amount subscribed is very small indeed when we consider the vast number of clerks in this metropolis and in the country, who are each capable cf putting down their guinea to the institution. There are many who feel disposed, and, no doubt, do subscribe more than one cr two to different charities, but I say that before they give their guineas to any charity let them come to the Provident Clerks' Institution, because it is the most closely asso ciated with their interests. I did certainly ex pest, from the large increase in the assurance department, to have had a greater increase to the benevolent fund, and as far as my own exertions go, I have made a great many converts to the institution. All I can do is to endeavour to persuade you to act in a similar manner. If every one of you endeavours to persuade your fellow clerks, and find it difficult to succeed , tease them— (Laughter)—until you become in fact a bore.—(Continued laughter.) I would venture to say that you would succeed at last. I have done so.—(Cheers.) I have been laughed at in many instances, but 1 have succeeded. The resolution I have the pleasure to move is—" That the best thanks of this meeting be presented to the auditors, medical officers both in town and c, uutry, to the actuary, and the honorary solici tors, for their valuable services during the past year." Mr. Jzrrs said—Sir, I beg leave to second the resolution which Mr. Fennell has just moved, and I am sure that al though there is ample room for me to make a long speech if I wish so t do—for here are our auditors, medical officers, both in town and country, the actuary, and the honorary so citore, to speak about— yet, sir, I think there is no neces sity for my doing so, as we all know that to these gentlemen cur thanks are in an especial manner due, and I shall there• fore content myself with seconding the proposition, which I do with the greatest pleasure. The resolution was then put from the chair, and carried. success of the institution, and he would have great pleasure in seconding the resolution. The resolution was carried unanimously. Dr. MuntaaDEß then rose and said—Mr. Chairman and brother members, the gentlemen who has had the kindness to move this resolution is not, perhaps, aware of a family secret—perhaps a family quarrel. He s p oke of the kind feeling existing between the board of managers and myself. Now we are always quarrelling —(Laughter)—and I will tell vou the cause of the quarrel. It is which of us will do the inost to advance the interests of the association : — (Cheert. ) But I cannot say more, or say better, than this— such has been the celebrity w hich the Provident Clerks have achieved that it has extended even to the Antipodes ; and I have received a letter from the secretary of the Sydney, New South \Vales, Provident Institution—(Loud cheers) — asking us in London to advise, counsel, and direct them in their movements.—(Continued cheering ) I think that no better evidence need exist of increased prosperity, or of what we are capable of doing, than this which is before us—the fact that our fame has reached the other side of the globe. We are now sitting by candle light, and they are, perhaps, sitting by sun-light, end if we cannot communicate by the electric telegraph, we, at all events, shake hands together.— (Cheers.) Gentlemen, I thank you. This compliment is undeserved, as it was uncalled for, and I feel grateful for it. Mr. Prucat said, I rise row to perform a melancholy task, because it is the closing scene; I have to move—" That the warmest thanks of this meeting - be presented to J. A. Smith, Esq., M.P., for his kindness in presiding this evening, and ' for the continued and deep interest lie has shown in promot ing the success and prosperity of the association." I need not occupy your time by expatiating upon this resolution— you all see what he does for us.—(Cheers.) Although all do not know so well as the board of management hew much of his valuable time he bestows upon the affairs of this in stitution, or the kind and handsome manner in which he re ceives the board of management when we require to worry him with some particular details, I am sure that you will all join me most cordially in this resolution. Mr. DANN - sox felt great pleasure in seconding it. The CHAIRMAN, who rose amid loud cheering, which con tinued for some time, said—Gentlemen, I assure you I am not going to trouble you with a second speech. I can only repeat what 1 have said before now, that I thank you for this good nature and kindness to me. There is one thing, ample of the success of this institution. however, to which I wish to call your attention, as it fur rsrgh. o e jt s oll a t e. s s t r n k itnhg oughte sof mentioned lB47 etxtlo:onhm'it,w.e havebut ld done, in suppose the fo assurance office, 501. more than in the whole year of 1844. (Loud cheers.) I think that if we talk to this time next year we cannot add one word to that fact ; and, although I cordially agree with the gentleman to my lett (Mr. Rumen), that the guineas which we have received for the benevolent fund are vastly dispro portioned to the number cf clerks in the metropolis, I believe that a time will come when those who are partakers of the great advantages which the guir ea confers will think these too great to be extended to other individuals at the like price of a guinea a year. This is the case with all asso ciations which have got rich and prosperous. They naturally and justly feel, and it becomes with them a question, whether new subscribers should have the benefit of these advantages for the original subscription. I sincerely hope and trust that, as this is the case, the words of my friend on my left will sink into the minds of those present. I do trust, also, that as you admit the efficiency of the board, wa may observe that members should co-operate with us in extending the benefits of the institution. With these few remarks I take trey leave, bidding you all good night, and I trust that when we meet again we shall have the same pleasant task to perform that we have had to do this night. The Chairman, on leaving, was loudly cheered. The meet ing then separated. Mr. COLEMAN said-1 • rising to ask your concurrence to this resolution, I am sure that I shall have an easy task, and you will at once be prepared to allow this when I read the resolution to you. It is —" That the best thanks of this meeting are due to the board of mana gers for their continued attention and devotion to the interest of the association." I think that if the resolutions which have preceded this have obtained your unanimous support, this will follow as a matter of course. It is necessary for the well-being of this society that the board of management should olosely attend to its interests, and in the report pre sented to us to-night we have a convincing proof of sacrifices made, which entitles them to our gratitude. We see SUMS subscribed to the institution which have been the means of benefiting many. When we refer to this we must envy the feelings of those gentlemen who have been the means of effecting so much gocd among a class so interesting as those connected with this association. I think that, as a general rule, the affairs of this institution have been admirably conducted ; and if we descend to particelars—and I can speak of those which affected myself—the same care and attention will be found to be exhibited. It will be re membered that on a former occasion I ventured to call the attention of the board of management to the caste; n part of London. Soon after that I received a communication re questing me to call at the office. I did so, and gave the best information I could with respect to the means of dissemi nating a knowledge of the association in that part of the metropolis. I em happy to say that they met my views on this subject. I then endeavoured to gain the consent of some influential gentleman in that part of London to take the chair at a public meeeting, and I am happy to say that a meeting is to take place in the Eastern Institution on the 25th March, and that George Frederick Young, Esq., has consented to attend and to preside on the occasion —(Cheers.) If appli cations similar to these were made throughout the various works in that quarter of the city, we should soon have a number of contributors sufficient to satisfy the gentleman who has lately spoken. I hope and trust that many of those I see now around me will give us their support on that occa sion, and, if I may trespass so far, we should wish, sir, (addressing the Chairman) to have your assistance at the East end, and I am sure you shall receive as welcome a reception from us as you would in the city of London. The merits of the institution are so obvious, that when I asked the gentleman I have already named to preside over our meeting, he said, I see a number of influential names connected with the association, but these have not so much merit in my eyes as the real benefits of the institution have.— (Cheers.) I think that if we could manage to enlist your assistance we could add materially to the extension of the association. I have much pleasure in moving that the best thanks of this meeting are due to the board of managers fur their continued attention and devotion to the interests of the association. Mr. OSMOND LEWIS said that the resolution which he was thereq u e r s o t o e t i n l , to a and e d c o h n e . 1 could d o t p l r a e c s e i s d i t n t h h e i s t e h m a p n t ds at i o o n n e t n o t d e r o i : 8 , g o ‘ p v l h e a e s n u l r i e e h h i a s d e e g o l n a d n i c i e g d i a t t ; i t a s n o d b , ject. after He had, the able way therefore, in great iehi t had been brought forward, he would not add another word in support of it. The CHAIRMAN, in putting the resolution, added his con viction that they possessed in the board of managers a body of gentlemen eminently qualified to ensure success in both branches of the institution. The resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. R. H. Joregs said—Yr. Smith and gentlemen, I am extremely obliged to you for the kindness with which you have passed this resolution, and if there is anything that d e tracts from the pleasure of this evening, it is the absence of the deputy•chairman, an absence the more to be deplored as, I regret to say, that I believe he is on his death-bed. I may mention, as showing the interest he took in the prosperity of this institution, that hi his delirious moments nothing but " Provident Clerks' Association "escapes his lips; and let me add that idea pervades the feelings and prompts all the ex ertions of your managers. I beg to assure you that every manager d..votes the best energies of his mind, as far as (dr. cane Mutes and thee duties will allow. to the best interests of the a , soci.ition.—(Cbeers.) I have the p;easure of aimouncing that in the present year the it, titution going On in the same satisfactory rnanaer that it did in the past years. We have many new subscribers to the benevolent fund, and three ad ditionald ones since e:.tering the room this evening.— (Cheers.) We have completed 76 policies during the p resen t year, representing a sum of ; we have 17 prop osa l s accepted, and only wanting payments to complete them; and 23 are waiting examination.—(Cheers.) I think that, with that statement before us, all that has been said of the satis factory progress of the association is well borne out.—(Cheers.) Mr. OsMONI) LEWIS said—•l beg to propose that the thanks of this meeting be given to the secretary of the institution. I do not kn( w that I am out of order in this course, but feel ing as I do that the success of this institution has principally arisen from the able management of the board, assisted by our excellent secretary, I could nut, although I have not the happiness of a personal a rquaint ar.ce with him, resist the plea sure of proposii , g that the best ti: rks mectaig chi iulil be giv,n Mr. Tamura had witnessed the unceasing efforts of the secretary in former years, as in the present, to carry out the THE SUN, LON.DON, FRI DAY EVEN I P.46,_ FOREIGN RAILWAYS• Some further details have appeared in the French railway paper (the Journal des Chemins de Per) respect ing the progress of this system of eemmunication on the continent of Europe, the present account being confined to the enumeration of the undertakings which have been eon- tructed and opened for the accommodation of goods and passenger teat - Be in the German states. According to this statement, three railways were con structed and brought into operation before the year 1833, but these were worked by horses. These lines were, the Budweis to Germunde (Austria), opened in 1825, 68 kilometres; the Prague to Lahna, opened in 1830, 57 kilometres; and the Budweis to Linz, opened in 1832, 129 kilometres. Tho first railways upon which locomotive power was used were the Nuremberg to Furth (Bavaria), opened in 1835, 7 kilometres in length; the Vienna to Wagram (Austria), opened in 1837, 17 kilometres; the Berlin to Potsdam (Prussia), opened in 1838, 26 kilometres; and the Leipsic to Dresden (Sax ony), opened in 1839, 117 kilometres. It will, therefore, be seen that up to the close of the last-mentioned year, Germany possessed 421 kilometres of railways completed and opened for traffic. In 1840 the lines brought into operation were the Mayence to Frankfort-on-the-Maine, 44 kilometres in length; the Wagram to Bruhn (Austria), 116 kilo metres; the Magdeburg to Leipsic (Prussia). 118 kilo metres; the Maiiheine to Heidelburg (Grand Duchy of Baden), the Munich to Augsburg (Bavaria), 60 kilo metres. In 1841 an additional 442 kilometres of rail•. way were opened. These included the commencement of the Trieste line from Vienna to Neustadt, 50 kilo metres ; the Stokeran branch, 23 kilometres ; the Dus seldort to Elberfeld (Rhenish Prussia), 26 kilometres ; the Berlin to Coethen (Prussia), 152 kilometres : the Cologne to Aix-la Chapelle (Rhenish Prussia), 65 ki lometres ; the Lsndenburg to Olmutz (Austria), 80 ki lometres ; and the Brunswick to Ilarburg, 46 kilometres. In the year 1842, the total length of railways opened in Germany increased from 1,220 kilometres to 1,450 kilometres, by the addition of 185 kilometres, of which 25 kilometres were contributed by the opening of the Neustadt to Gloggnitz (Austria line ; 20 kilometres by the hamburg to Bergedorf line ; 40 kilometres by the Breslau to Brieg (Prussian Silesia) line ; 84 kilometres by the Berlin to Frankfort-upon-Oder (Prussia) lines and 20 kilometres by the Leipsic to Altenburg line The lines opened in 1843 were the Altenburg to Krim mitzichau (Saxony), :30 kilometres; the Heidelburg to Carlsruhe (Baden), 75 kilometres; the Brieg to Oppeln (Prussian Silesia), 42 kilometres; the Oscherlcben to Wolfenbuttel (Brunswick), 62 kilometres; the Magde burg to Halberstadt (Prussia) 40 kilometres; the Berlin to Stettin (Prussia), 135 kilometres; and the Aix-la-Chapelle to the Belgian frontier (Rhenish Prus sia), 20 kilometres. In 1844 the lines opened were the Cologne to Bonn (Rhenish Prussia). 30 kilometres ; the Carlsruhe to itastadt (Baden), 20 kilometres; the Rastadt to Ooe (Baden), 10 kilometres ; the Hanover to Brunswick (Hanover), 60 kilometres ; the Oos to OtTenburg- Kehl (Baden), 40 kilometres ; the Frankfort-upon- Main to Darmstadt (Hesee), 20 kilometre a; the Barn berg to Nuremberg (Bavaria), 36 kilometres ; the Mirzeschlay to Graeirz (Austria). 95 kilometres ; ar,d the Breslau to Fre) berg-Schweidnitz (Prussian Sile sia), 57 kilometres. In 1845 the lines opened were the Olmutz to Prague (Austria), 293 kilometres ; the Krimmitzschau to Zwickau (Saxony), 14 kilometres ; the Liegnitz to Beriztau (Prussian ,!silesia), 45 kilo metres ; the Cronsta tt to Unter-turekheim (iVurtem berg), 3 kilometres ; the Leherte to Celle (Hanover), 30 kilometres ; the Cologne to Dusseldorf (Rhenish Prussia), 25 kilometres ; the Dresclt-n to Radebent (Saxony), 12 kilometres ; the Graetz to Marburg, south line (Austria), 45 kilometres ; the Oflenberg to Frey berg (linden), 61 kilometres ; and the Radebcrg to Bisehofswerda (Saxony), 20 kilometres. Up to the end of this year the system of railway communication through the German States had extended to 2,845 kilo. metres. The year 1846 showed still further progress, the length of railway opened during that period being 1,315 kilometres. This extension included the section of the Upper Silesian lire between Mosel and Ratibor, 28 kilo section of the Northern Ba varian between Bamber g (l r t i f o n ando f the i)r t ? s o b l u o r g g n , e I t 7 o i. , re n d e e t t i n li s n , e thhee tns'veeter ; D t u h s e s e I se and Liehteefels, 30 kilometres ; the continuation of the Berlin and Stettin litre to Stargard, 35 kilo metres ; the junction between the Munich and to Reichenbach, 16 kilometres ; th e section of the mAeutgrsebsu;rghtheandconNticnrrutahteiron Bavariann of fth l e sa ine xo s, 3 n-Baxa k r i i l a o n South Austrian line between Graetz and Cilly, 125 kilometres ; the section of the Thuringe line, from Weissenfels to Halle, 30 kilometres; the continua tion of the Saxo-Silesian line from Bischolswerda to Bautzen, 19 kilometres; the Hanoverian state line be tPheotpsdaanntn-- s t w t a e d e t n a L m e i h u r t e e i d a e n i b d u l r l g i de line,ish e s i In s , k 2, 1 40 In k i e l t o r m e s e ; t r t c h s e ; Magdeburg (Prussia), 118 kilometres; the part of the lower Silesian lime between Bunzlan and Frankfort•on tke-Oder, 166 kilometres ; the Coetten-Bernburg line, 20 kilometres; the Vienna-Bruck-upon-the-Seytha (Aus. tria), 40 kilometres; the branch of the Sagan to Glogow (Prussian Silesia), 70 kilometres ; the section of Berlin and Hamburgh grand line between Berlin and Boizenburg. 220 kilometres ; the Lichtentels to Neu rnacht, 40 kilometres ; the Stutgard to Constadt (Wur temburg), 18 kilometres ; the Koeuigshatte to Myslowitz (Prussian Silesia), 18 kilometres ; the Leipnie to Weiskirchen (Austria), 20 kilereetres ; the Esslingen to Ploehingen (Wurtemburg), 9 kilometres ; the Boizen burg to Bergdorf (the Harnburgh to Berlin grand line), 30 kilometres ; the Bautzi-n to Lcebau (Saxony), 60 kilometres ; and the Weimar to Weissenfels (the Thuringe line), 70 kilometres ; making the total length of railways opened in Germany up to the Ist of January, 1847, 4,130 kilometres, or about 1.030 leagues. CHARGE OF ARSON AGAINST A YOUNG LADY. BRISTOL, FEB. 24.—At our Police Court to-day a young and handsome lady, named Sarah Outeridge, who is said to be well connected, was placed at the bar upon suspicion of having set fire to five rooms at Langley's boarding-house, Cumberland-street, St. Paul's. It appeared from the evi dence of the numerous witnesses examined, that .\;iss Outeridge is the :ister of a lady named Meredith, who, with her husband and child and Mr. Meredith's mother, had come about a week since from Lancashire to take up their resi dence in Bristol, and had taken apartments for a time in Mr. Langley's house. On Tuesday evening Mr. and Mrs. Meredith went out, and Miss Outeridge remained at home in charge of their young child. At about twenty minutes past seven o'clock some persons who were passing along Cumberland-street observed that one of the bed-moms over looking the street was o n fire. Th e y i mme diately gave the alarm, and when the family went up st a irs they found that the furniture and bedding in the room occupied by Aliss Outeridge and Mrs. Meredith, seni or , were in flames. With the assistance of some neighbours, th e fire was extingu ished. In about three-quarters of an hour after this, Mr. Langley observed that Lis bed-room was on fire. He gave an alarm, and with some difficulty the flames were extinguished, and it was hoped that all was over. Half an hour after this an alarm of fire was again heard, and it was found that a third bed• room on the same story was in flames. The hangings of the bed and bedding were in flames, but they were extin guished. Scarcely had this been fully accomplished, when tire was observed in the small drawing-room, on the first floor, the curtains and window blinds of this apartment being also wrapped in flames. The burning materials were pulled down and the fire was soon extinguished. A minute exa mination of the premises was now made, and it was con cluded that all danger was completely over, when another alarm was given that the front parlour was on fire. On entering the apartment, the window hangings and blinds, which, as in the previous cases, were far removed from the fireplace, were found to be iu flames. A policeman and several other persons exerted them selves and saved the remainder of the furniture, and upon a close examination being made, the police found that there was a blister mark on the painted wall a g ainst which the bottom of the curtains hung, as if a candle had been placed there for the purpose of setting fire to them. The evidence, which failed to show any motive, was of a merely circumstantial character. It was proved that the prisoner was seen in c.ne of the bedrooms shortly before it caught fire, and also that she was in the parlour a few minutes before that was seen in flames; but a servant was with her for the whole time, or within a few moments of the whole time. It was likewise shown that Misa Outeridge had been told that she was last up stairs, and must have set the room on fire, and she said she supposed she must, but her brother would pay the damage. The examination was proceeding when our account left. A memoir was read on Saturday before the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of Paris, by Mr. Wheaton, late American Minister at the Court of Berlin, and corres ponding member of the Academy, upon the question of the right of succession to the different states, comprising the Danish monarchy, in the event of the failure of direct heirs male, of the present reigning.house of Oldenburg. The author of this memoir traced the history of the royal succession in Denmark up to the earliest times, and showed that the rule of sucer asion formerly existing in that kingdom had preferred the male line of all the royal descendants to the female, and that the latter had never been resorted to unless on the total of a Inldolstein quite failure of the fo rmer. A different rule bad been introduced, together with the absolute monarchy, by the famous revolu tion of 16 60, by which the succession of the Crown was li m ited to the descen dants of the then reignin g sove r ei g n, t f thepueb), Schleswig,, Frederick 111. , bo th male and female, to the exclusion of col laterals. Such was the p resent law of succession existin g in the kiogdom of Denmark; but it was q uestionab le how far it might tn be applicable couldi cab e notto t h h ep l e ap Duchyied o of w here the Salic law bad alwa y s prevailed as in t he other ' G erm an states; so that the Danish monarch y was threatened with dismemberment i n case of the ultimate failure of direct c t e ha a t p i p t male heirs to the present reigning how-e. The 1 cm.y certain means of preventing this catastrophe, without the inter ference of the great European Powers, and without the danger of war on account of the conflictin g cla ims to the duchies, appeared to be the abolition of the lex . e 7 a • z , and the restoration of the a ncient Danish la w , by which the succession was open to all the descendants of the regal house with a preference of the male t o the female ' lilies. 'lle eow.equence ,f such a change Nyonl , i that the rule of succession would he the s ame -.' be,i kingdom as in the duchies; and, consequently, thein la ' 01 the Danish monarchy, which was one of - the unity till elements of the balance of European power, ° css i et h ' • preserved against the dangers by which it was threatened.wo"-e If this change were at the same time coupled with of a representative constitution for the united the grant would be an effectual means of reconciling the monarchy, it e rival '• the Danish and Teutonic races, of which it was claims of was true that the lex reg;a had been declared by composed. It to be immutable; but as it was introduced by as 0; its author as between the sovereign, and his people, there "ln compact why it might not be altered iu the sant was no reason mutual consent. —Ca/igen/Li. e mariner by their The House of Commons, as at present constituted, consists of 656 '_Members, the two vacant seats for Sudbury being still in abeyance, making the total number 655. Of these there are 44 Members between the eges of . 21 and 30; 159 between 31 and 40; 213 between 41 and 50 ; 155 between 51 and 60; 67 between 60 and 70 ; and 15 above 70. The oltio4 Memb 7 . • 7r. WO , !t, vi„ nib " for `L• GI Ur*ovenor, Member for Chester, aged 22. The average age of the entire House is 50 years.--Jersey Times. PARLIAMEN TARY BU SINESS. (From the Votes and Proreetii , g , of the House of Commons.) THURSDAY, FEB. 25. The following Railway Bills were presented, read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time:— East Lancashire(Chtheroe,Mittonand Patiiham Branches) —" t enable the East Lancashire Railway Company to make Branches from the said Railway to Clitheroe, to Mil ton, an I to Pat - Munn, in North Lancashire." Waterford and Limerick—" to authorise certain alterations in the Line of the Waterford and Limerick Railway, and to amend the Act relating thereto, and for other purposes." Great Northern (Branch to Horncastle and at Brayford Mtre, Lincoln)—" to enable the Great Northern Railway Company to make a Branch Railway to Horncastle, in the parts of Lindsey, in Lincolnshire, and another Branch Rail way to certain V, harfs at Braytord Mere, in the city of Lincoln." London and North-Western (Portobello and Wolver hampton Branch, &c.)—" for enabling the London and North-Western Railway Company to make a Branch Line of Railway from Portobello to Wolverhampton, and for other purposes." Edinburgh and Northern, St. Andrew's and Newburgh Harbour Branches and Road Crossings (Newport Railway Extension)—" to enable the Edinburgh and Northern Rail way Company to construct Branch Railways to St. Andrew's and Newburgh Harbour, and to divert and alter the levels of certain Turnpike Roads in the Line of the Newport Railway Extension." York and North Midland (Hull Station and Branches)— " for enabling the York and North Midland Railway Com pany to make ',a Station at Hull, and certain Branch Rail ways connected with their Railways and the said Station, and for other purposes." York and North Midland (Harrogate Branch Extension and Terminus)—" for enabling the York and North Midland Railway Company to extend the line of their Harrogate Branch Railway, and to make a Station at Harrogate." Newcastle and Berwick (Cramlington and I'ercy Main, and Killingworth and other Branches)—" for enabling the New castle and Berwick Railway Company to make certain Branch Railways in the borough and county of Newcastle upon-Tyne, and in the county r:f Northumberland, and for other purposes." Newcastle and Berwick (East Coast Line, Illyth, Seaton Sluice, and other Branches)—" for enabling the Newcastle and Berwick Railway Company to make certain Branch Railways in the county of Northumberland, and in the borough and county of Newcastle-upon 'Tyne, and for other purposes." Taw Vale Railway and Dock—" to enable the Taw Vale Railway and Dock Company to lease their undertaking to the London and South-Western Railway Company." Great North of India—" to alter, vary, and extend the powers of the Great North of India Railway Company, and for facilitating the construction of a Railway for connecting the Cities of Delhi, Agra, add Allahabad, in India, and for extending the same to Mirzapore and Benares, with Branches to Meerut, and other places in India aforesaid." The following Railway Bills were read a second time, com mitted, and referred to the Committee of Selection:— Chester and Holyhead (Extensions at Chester and Holy- head, &c.) Dublin and Belfast Junction and Navan Branch. ..... _ Dublin and Drogheda ( Branch from Na van to hells). St. Helen's Canal and Railway (Warrington and Blackbrock Branches, &c.) Oldham Alliance. Eastern Counties (Ilford to Tilbury Fort and Southend, with a Branch from Vange to Battle Bridge). East of File (Markinch Deviation). Airdrie and Batbgate Junction Amendment and Deviation. Great Norihern (Branches to Sleaford). Great Northern (Extension to Leeds and Wakefield, Deviation of Methley Branch of Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole Railway). Great Northern (Purchase of Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston and Eastern Junction, &c.) Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley (No. 2) Branches. Paisley and Renfrew (Sale and Improvement). NOTICES GIVEN AT THE PHIVATE BILL-OFFICE. The following Railway Bills are appointed to be read a second time:— MONDAY, MARCII 1. Ilerne Bay and Canterbury Junction. Shrewsbury and Chester. East Lothian Central. London and South •Western. Ipswich and Bury St. Edmund's (Branch from Ipswich to Woodbridge). Guildford Extension, and Portsmouth and Fareham. Duffryn Llynvi, and Perth Cawl and Llynvi Valley Rail sways Amalgamation. Royston and 'Debbi (Extension from Royston to Cam bridge, &c.) Royston and Hitchin (Sale or Lease). WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3. Eastern Counties (Somersham to Ramsey). Eastern Counties (Lynn and Ely, and Ely and Huntingdon, and Lynn and Dereham Railway Lease). Eastern Counties (Purchase of the North Woolwich Railway). Eastern Counties (Maldon, Witham, and Braintree Railway Purchase). Newmarket and Chest erford (Repeal of Provision authorising the Company to use the Line of the Eastern Counties Railway). Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow, and Dublin. Birmingham and Oxford Junction (Deviation of Line). Birmingham and Oxford Junction (Warwick and Stratford Line). LEATH.—At his residence, 10, King's Arms-yard Coleman-street, on the 26th inst., Charles Lloyd, Esq., aged 50 years, for many years the principal book-keeper to Messrs. Fletcher, Alexander, and Co., and an original promoter and Deputy-Chairman of the Provident Clerks' Association—a man of sterling worth, great talent, and unbounded kindness, possessed of all those qualifications which ennoble the mind. His loss will be deeply felt by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance CHINA.—The Angsburgh Gazette publishes the eh re in ce a i , ve v‘dliferho,mallKudjuincghta, to a accounts isbeenfollowing letter f ro m St. Petersburgh, Feb. 6.—" A letter 1a commercial from townin Russian Canton, says:—' We are approaching towards a very interesting epoch. In ten . years hence the state of affairs in Eastern Asia wilt considerably liberty developing with rapid strides itselftt in China which is bringing about Thousands of e ruin of the existing form of Govern ment.connected with the dYstiis n on o s f as t semble to discuss on matters appearing among the people which h e human race. A spark is out into a flame. They are c becoming not be long in break ingolf liberal principles, and Keying, nowecoming warm defenders Canton, dare take no steps with Governor General of out the consent of the people.'" REPRESENTATION OF MANCHESTER. —R UMO URED RETIN EME NT Or Lotto LINCOLN.—bi IANCIIESTER, F ITOURED A deputation from Lord Lincoln's committee waited 24. upoi. his Lordship, by appointment, yesterday, in London. to pre sent him with the requisition which has now b een in course signature f , r some months. It is reported here this morn ing that owing to the representations of the deputation his Lordship has declined to come forward as a candidate. I have made very strict inquiry into this report, and from the best information I can obtain, and 1 believe it is correct, I have no hesitation in saying it is perfectly true. Lord Lin coln is, therefore, the rejected of Manchester. There are nnmv reaeons a ,, sigi:eil 10, t hi .; wa nt of succes., but th ,, principal (pie appears to be that many of the supporters ot Mr. Gibson are afraid that it Lord Lincoln came forward the Right Hon. Gentleman would be thrown out. The recent flagrant violation of the treaty of Vienna, in the suppression of the free state of Cracow, has justly awakened feelings of indignrtion in the heart of every honest man. Her Majesty's Government has not shrunk from expressing its opinion upon this utter disregard of the most sacred obligations ; and we are glad to learn that a grand public tneeting, to petition the Crown with reference to the , subject, will be held on Tuesday next, a t the neemascn s. Hall. The Marquis of Northampton will occupy the chair, supported by many distinguished and influential persons, and we are cure that, considering the importance of the object, the meeting will be fully and respectably attended. — ..Morning Paper. ENCOURAGEMENT TO FlSHlNG.—Government has voted 3,000/. for the encouragement of the fisheries on the iv , , , ,it enao - . Ii will be l e ivoii tln colt , 1 , •,• .- • Bard,"- 1 ° .. ~. e 1 fs.ieel , . w ;II 11e. (~' ',- . - - ,•. expcoded in pr: , .i;,o , of Imo , qiid .111(!: i fishing materials for the de . the . . ' strum hsherrnen.—John o' Groats !Journal. FEBRUARY 26, ;817, FLANDERS MAIL. BRUSSELS, FEB. 22.—The Senate adopted yesterday several projects of law, one of which WAS, that decreeing the pensions of officers and officers' widows to be inalienable. It likewise opened and closed the general debate on the project of law for granting a vote of credit to the war department, and a general discussion of the budget of the department of justice. The Chamber of Representatives resumed to-clay the debate on the project of law relative to the clearing of the waste lands. At the conclusion of the sitting, the Minister of Public Works presented a project of law relative to the bolts on the iron railways. The communication of the project of law relative to the Commercial Society for Exportation, may be consi dered as terminated. The reporter will be appointed at the next meeting of the Central Section. Ttie Minister of Foreign Affairs has proposed as an amendment to pro hibit the Society from all manufacturing operations, and as for frequenting the markets of Europe, he consents that the statutes shall exclude for the present the mar kets of France ; the markets of Spain may be opened or closed against them, according to circumstances, as soon as Spai❑ shall have pcornulgated a tarif which shall per mit the regular importation of our linen into that country. _ BERLIN, FEB. 20.—" Her Majesty the Queen has had an uninterrupted and refreshing sleep, and is to-day in a very satisfactory state. " Dr. SCHONBEIN. " Dr. VON STOCH. " Dr. - GRIMM. " Berlin, Feb. 19, half past nine A.M." Her Royal Highness the Princess of Prussia returned to Weimar today. COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen will hold a Privy Council to-morrow (Satur day afternoon, at three o'clock, at Buckingham Palace. The Royal dinner party at Buckingham Palace on Wed nesday evening, included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Sutnerland, their Excellencies Prince and Princess Callimaki, their Excellencies Mons. and Ma dame Van de Weyer, Lord John Russell, the Earl Spencer, Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, Lord and Lady Charles Wellesley, Lord Marcus Hill, and the Right Hon. Sidney and Mrs. Herbert. The Band of the Coldstream Guards attended during dinner, and performed the following pieces : Overture, " Joseph in Egypt."—Mehul. Fantasia sur la Favourite.—Donizetti. Valse, " The Bridal."---Jullien. Glee, " Blow gentle Gales."—Sir H. R. Bishop. Morris dance from Fair Rosamond.—J. Barnet. Yesterday morning her Majesty and her Royal Consort took their usual early walk. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge visited the Queen and Prince Albert yesterday. The Duke of Northumterland had an audience of her Ma jesty yesterday at Buckingham Palace. His Royal Highness Prince Albert rode out on horseback yesterday, attended by the Equerry in W aiting the Hon. A. H. Gordon. . Their Royal Highnesies the Prince of Wales, Prince Al fred, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice, took their accustomed walks and rides yesterday. The name of Mr. El% art. M.l'., was accidentally omitted in the list, of company present at her Majesty's Levee on Wednesday. The Queen and Prince Albert honoured with their pre sence, last evening, the performance at her Majesty's Theatre for the benefit of the fund for the &Stressed Irish and Scotch. The royal suite consisted of the Marchioness of Douro, Lady Caroline Cocks, the Honourable Miss Paget, Earl of Listowel, Colonel the Honourable Charles Grey, and Captain the Hon. A. H. Gordon. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and his rene ness Prince Frederick of Hesse, attended by L Augustus Cadogan and Mr. Edmond Mildmay, also hono ed thelidt formances with their presence. Wednesday was the birthday of the Duke of CambOe His Royal Highness P r i nce Alb ert pa id a visit t o t h e hike at Cambridge House. Many of the nobility and - geritty called during the day and left their names for his Royal Highness. In the evening the Duke and Duchess of Cam bridge, accompanied by Prince Frederick of Hesse, dined with her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, at Gloucester House. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the Duchess of Cambridge yesterday. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lord John Russell, accompanied by the Lords of the Treasury, the Secretary of the Treasury, and also by Mr. J. B. Heath, the Governor of the Bank of England, and the Deputy-Governor, received a number of capitalists of the city of London yesterday morn ing, at the Treasury, on the subject of the terms and condi tions of the new loan of eight millions. A deputation of the Committee of the Spanish Bond holders' Association, consisting of the Chairman, Mr. Dempster Heming, and Mr. Henry Chard, had an interview with the Earl of Clarendon yesterday, at the office of the Board of Trade. The Commissioners of Railways, the Right Hon. Edward Strutt, Earl Granville, Sir Edward Ryan, and Major Brand reth, accompanied by the Inspector of Railways, Captain Coddington, visited the Great Western Railway yesterday. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had a meeting yesterday. The Marquis of Lansdowne and Earl Grey left town yester day for Cambridge. Major H. L. Play fair had an interview yesterday with the Earl of Clarendon. A deputation from a meeting of the railway interest, con sisting of Mr. Hudson, M.P., Mr. Russel!, M.P., Mr. Glyn, Mr. Mac Gregor, Mr. Saunders, Mr. Swift, Mr. Ellice, and Mr. Mangles, had an interview, on Wednesday, with the Right Hon. E. Strutt. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL'S.—THURSDAY. Business was so languid that on some of the principal events we are spared the trouble of making a quotation. The chief betting, in fact, was on the Liverpool Steeple Chase, for which Brunette and Roarer were backed freely, no one offering more than 5 to 1 on the field at the close. The few bets laid on the other events noticed led to no change in the prices. LIVERPOOL STEEPLE CIIASE. sto 1 agst Mr. Preston's Brunette-6 to 1 taken freely 8 to 1 agst Lord Strathmore's The Roarer—taken freely 10 to 1 agst Mr. Watts' St. Leger—taken 13 to 1 agst Mr. Courteney's Matthew—taken 14 to 1 agst Mr. D'Arcy's Culverthorpe—taken 15 to 1 agst Mr. 0. Higgins's Pioneer—taken 25 to 1 agst Mr. R. J. Moore's St. Ruth—taken NORTHAM TTON HANDICAP. 9 to 1 agst Lord Orford's Footstool 15 to 1 agst Lord Stradbroke's Lynceus—taken 16 to 1 agst Sir C. Monck's Vanish—taken 20 to 1 agst Lord Glasgow's Disc( ntent—taken 20 to 1 was betted agst Vanish to upwards of 1001. CHESTER CUP. 20 to 1 agst Mr. Gully's Mendicant—taken 22 to 1 30 to I agst Mr. Wilson's Punch—taken to 501. 4(0 to 10 agst Mr. Minor's Duke of Richmond—taken 500 to 10 agst Mr. W. Scott's Sir Tattoo Sykes—taken No others mentioned. DERBY. The only bets to our knowledge were 1,000 to 50 agst Glentilt, whose backer would have gone on ; 1,000 to 35 agst. the Horn of Chase, 500 to 15 agst Allertonian, 330 to 10 agst Wanota, 500 to 10 agst Christopher, 500 to 10 agst Bedlam, 600 to 10 agst Montpensier, and 1,000 to 15, five times, agst Black Dwarf. 200 to 10 was laid agst Kent's lot winning the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, Derby and Oaks. OAKS. 15 to 1 agst Slander, laid to 201., was theonly bet. Offers to take 15 to 1 about Miami, and 16 to l about Nerissa. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. The Queen and his Royal Highness the Prince Albert ha• noured the performances at her Majesty's Theatre yesterday evening with their presence. The royal suite consisted of the Marchioness of Douro, Lady Caroline Cox, the Hon. Miss , Pat, the Earl of Listowel, Colonel Grey, and Captain Gor- I done their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cam bridge, accompanied by his Serene Highness the Prince Fre derick of Hesse, and attended by the Baron Knesebeck, Mr. Edmund ;Mildmay, and Major Stephens, also honoured the theatre with their presence. Amongst the company were— the Marchioness of Ailesbury, the Marchioness of Clanricarde, and the Viscountess Palmerston, the Prince Louis Napoleoii, the Duchess of Sutherland, the Duchess of Hamilton, the Marquis of Ailesbury, the Marquis of Donegal, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Marquis of Clanricarde, the Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry, the Marquis of Douro, the Mar quis of Sligo, his Excellency the Russian Ambassador, the Baroness Brunnow and Mademoiselle Olga de Lechna, the Prince Castelcicala, the Earl of Monster, the Earl and Coun tess of Cadogan, the Earl of March, the Earl and Countess of Clarendon, the Countess of Blessington and the Misses Powell, the Earl of Morpeth, the Esrl of Cardigan, the Earl and Countess Grenville, the Countess Grey, the Countess of Lincoln, the Count de St. Aulaire, the Count de Noailles, his Excellency the Austrian Ambassador and the Countess Dietrichstein, his Excellency the Belgian Minister, his Ex cellency the American Minister, the Count Reventlow, the Count Koudriaffsky, the Viscount Cantalupe, Lord Mont eagle, Lord Ernest Bruce, Lady Brougham, - Lady Murray, ' Lady Emily de Burgh, the Ladies Elliott, Lady Woodford, Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, Lord Harry Vane, Lord Foley, Lord Carrington, Lord and Ladr:Beaumont, Lady Jane Stewart, Lads , Mildmay, Lady Monson, Lady Gordon, Sir Robert Peel, Bart., and Lady Peel; Sir George Wombwell, Bart., the Hon. Miss Foley, Mr. Hubert and Miss De Burgh, the Hon. Sidney and Mrs. Herbert, Hon. Captain Duncombe, Hon. Mrs. Norton, the Count de Revel, Sir Ralph Foley, Sir Henry Webb, Sir John and Lady Clay, Sir A. Forster, Sir Fitzroy and Lady Kelly, Lady Macfar lane, Lady Mentefiore, Mr. rake Redding, Mr. C. W. Packe, M.P., Mr. H. Baring, Colonel Lindsay, Colonel and Mrs. R. Trevor, Mr. Moncton Mills, &c. &c. AMERICA. LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY. By the packet-ship Washington Irving, Captain Caldwell, we have advises from Boston to the sth instant inclusive. In consequence of the prevalence of easterly winds the Washington Irving was detained off Holyhead for two days. The political intelligence by this arrival is without in terest. COMMERCIAL. BOSTON, FEB. 4.—Corn continues in good demand for ex port, and nearly all the southern that is on the way has been sold to arrive at about 1 doll. per bushel cash. Flour remains without alteration. Genessee, good brands, 6 dolls. 75c. to 6 dolls. 87c. cnsh. Molasses—Sales of a cargo of cardenas, new crop, at 23c. 6ms. Distilling molasses is held at 19c. to 20c. Mackerel are in better demand, at improved prices. Sales of No. 1 at Si dolls.; No. 2,5 i dolls.; and No. 3, 44 dolls. per bushel cash. White beans—From 5,000 to 7,000 bushels, being about all there was in the market, have been sold at I doll. 25c. to 1 doll. 75c. per bushel cash, for export to England. DREADFUL FIRES. Yesterday morning, between the hours of 4 and 5, a very destructive fire, by which the lives of numerous persons were jeopardised, broke out in the lofty-building termed the Red Lion Tavern, situate 123, Jermyn-street, St. James's, the property of Mr. Williams. The flames originated in the lower portion of the premises, from some unknown cause, and when first discovered they hid obtained such a strong hold that it soon became apparent that at the least the entire building would fall a prey to their fu.ry• The inmates, consisting of nine persons, were, after much delay, made sensible of the great danger to which they were imposed; and they immediately made an attempt to de ieend the staircase. They had, however, barely got upon Ole landing, when a shower of sparks and volumes of smoke hushed upwards, and cut off all retreat by the regular means. The poor creatures hardly knew what to do; but having run into one of the front rooms, they closed the door, and then appeared at the windows supplicating the crowd to as ,. irst them. A ladder was soon brought to the spot, but that proved too short to be of any assistance, and whilst the parties were gone to fetch the fire-escape, the whole of the residents got out of window, and by passing along a narrow lead flat, were enabled to reach the balcony of the next house, and were then admitted through the windows without receiving any personal injury. Not one of them was able to save an article of clothing. The engine of the County-office was the first that arrived, and was followed e by several others of the London establishment, and the West of England one from Waterloo-road. Fortunately an abundant supply of water was obtained from the plugs in the street, which was copiously discharged into the blazing building, in spite of which the flames continued to progress most fearfully until floor after floor was hurled down. Owing to the praise worthy exertions of the firemen, the flames were confined to the premises in which they originated, but they were not extinguished until the furniture, stock in trade, and other effects were destroyed, and the house nearly gutted. The origin of the calamity is unknown. Fortunately Mr. Wil liams was insured—the stock in the Licensed Victuallers'. office, and the building in the Royal Exchange. A few hours after the engines had returned to their sta tions another fire, by which one life was lost, occurred at 19, Fox and Knot-court, Snow-hill, occupied by a poor family, named Coney. It appeared that three children had been left by their parents in a room in which a fire was burning in the grate. Whilst thus alone, one of the children lighted a piece of paper, and threw it on the floor, when some wearing apparel took fire, and very soon the clothes of Mary Coney, aged nine years, became one mass of flame. She had an infant in her arms, which she threw down, and then rushed into the court with the flames mounting over her head. A Mrs. Grady made an attempt to put out the fire, but was unable, and had her hands dreadfully burned in so doing. At length a rug was procured, and the child having been wrapped in it, the fire was eventually extin guished, but nut until her body and head were burned as black as a coal. She was taken to SL Bartholomew's Hos pital, where she lingered till four o'clock in the afternoon, when death terminated her sufferings. _ _ About half past three o'clock yesterday afternoon a fire broke out at No. 19, Holiday-yard, Creed-lane, Ludgate bill, in the occupation of Mr. Robson, which was also attended with loss of life. The discovery was made by one of the neighbours perceiving an unusual glare of light in the third floor front. An immediate alarm was raised, and upon the inmates of the court opening the door of the room, a huge sheet of flame rushed out, and they were forced to retreat. The engines from Farringdon-street station quickly attended, and, with the aid of the police and inmates, the flames were extinguished, but not before they had penetrated the parti tions, and had done considerable damage in two rooms. A 74 soon as the fire was extinguished, the firemen beheld a most distressing scene; upon the flooring, where the flames had evidently burnt most fiercely, was lying the body of a female child, most frightfully burned. An assistant of Mr. Baker. the surgeon of Wardrobe-place, attended, and pronounced life extinct. The deceased's name was Eliza Robson, and she was between four and five years old. The child, it appears, had been left alone whilst the mother was out at work. The Emperor of Russia, having learnt that the French Government had sent out an artist to select blocks of the finest porphyry he could find in any country, to be used in raising the monument to Napoleon at the Invalides, has given orders for blocks of the requisite size to be hewn from the quarries belonging to the Crown, and sent to Paris. The porphyry from these quarries is considered to be unrivalled in the fineness of its grain and the delicacy of its shades. TENANT'S LIABILITY FOR RENT.—A recent de- -- - -- cision was given in a small debt case, decided by Mr. Sheriff A case arising out of the Treaty of Utrecht was Robertson, at Stonehaven, to the effect that a tenant's po brought to a hearing on Friday before the Cour Royale, tato crop having failed by the general blight of last year, he Paris. According to Arts 33 and 34 of the Treaty And Art Bof the Special Convention of 1769 betwe e n Prance and , is consequently legally free from all liability for rent; and Spain, more than this, that if the proprietor prosecutes for his rent, pain, the Consuls of each nation a re d ec l are d to b e the legi- which, , as may be inferred from the report of the case, W AS titnate administrators of the eff ec t s o f a ll t h e i r fellow-coun- not a ' conditional," depending upon the success of the crop, trymen dying within their respective Jurisdictions. A short he may even be saddled with the expenses of t he suit s — time ago, Dime. de Porta go , a rich Spanish lady, lads died in Edinburgh Post. Paris, leaving at her residence property of great - value. Two MeN FOUND DEAD.—On Sabbath morning The Spanish Consul proceeded t o take possession of all she week two men were found dead in a plantation near the left behind her, in order to transfer it to the parties entitled. Broom , on the road leadie g to Newton Mearns. It appears M. Pichard, an intere s t e d party , i nter f ere d and insisted that that the unfortunate deceased were father and son, and had the property of the deceased should be administered according left the 3lains Toll about half-past ten on Saturday evening, to the common form s o f l aw i n F ran ce ; but the President of on their way home to Hazleton Head. The son, it is said, the Civil Tribunal, before which his claim was brought, decreed was a little intoxicated when he left, and It is thought that, that the Spanish Consul alonewas entitled totakethepossession having felt fatigued, they had both lain down in the plants of the prop er ty, to dispose o f i t , an d p l ac e the produce in the lion and fallen asleep, from which they never awoke. There hands of a Spanish merchant, to be selected by himself in was no appearance of violence on either of their persons.— compliance with the treaty and convention above ci ted. It Scottish Guardian. was further d ecree d, th a t, of the effects, 7,500 f. should be A FERRET IN A CHURCH. A few days since, paid into th e hands of M. Labaudy, notary, for the purpose during one of the weekly services at the church, in Wim of defraying the expenses of the last illness a nd interment of borne, a little g irl a pp roached the minister and accosted him the deceased and other urgent claims upon the estate . M. thus , a I hope you will excuse me , sir , but th ere is a ferret Pichard appealed against the first part of this decree, and the running about the church." The service was immediately Consul against the second part. The Cour Royale dismissed suspended, and the few females then present being much the appeal of 31. Pichard, and admitted the validity of that alarmed, speedily made their exit, and the minister and made by the Consul, declaring that all the produce of the clerk endeavoured to secure the \oinolteruhrdeerra, Herald it Golder claims effect. effects of the deceased shou ld remain in his hands, and that The animal made its escape. —P oole ape.—P it belonged to him only to settle and p a y the debts and other FOLKESTONE. und erstand . and Lucas have contracted for 300 houses to be built at Ash- Anclaims upon her estate.—Galignani. ford, for the South-Eastern Railway Company —72 to be event took place on Tuesday last, which finished by the end fJuly next. The carrying out ,of the created considerable sensation, and seasonably enlivened the town of Brighton—we allude to the marriage of Miss Catha- horn, ' or jetty, at the extremity of the harbour, has caused the rind Cecilia Craven, younger daughter of Charles John Craven, Esq., of Kemp Town, with Walter Ricardo, E sea to encroach upon the East Cliff, and to wash away large late of the 7th (Queen's Own) Hussars. The to ee Oldlc ecif. quantities of beach and sand near Copt Point. The wreck of a ship has been discovered, supposed to be the Grantham, Sussex-square at ten o'clock, and proceeded h Church, where the ceremony was performed i n a most 1 East Indiaman, 1,500 tons, wrecked there about 110 years pressive manner by the Rev. Jame s Anderson, preacherof since. She was laden with a general cargo. Many persons Lincoln's Inn. The bride was give n awa y by her father, have visited the wreck, and have succeeded in getting some was attended by the Hon. Miss bliss 9d of her timbers, Which are in a fine state of preservation. Gage , Miss Craven,Annaßird, Miss ho She will, however, be scarcely visible till the next spring Caroline Randolph, Miss Slate r , an d tides.—Kentish Observer. officiated as bridesmaids. The ga ll an t bridegroom was Mor portedsup- on this interestin g o ccas i on b y hi s b rot h er , 41r. Albert The Hon. H. Howard, brother to Viscount peth, Secretary to the British Legation at the Hague, left Ricardo. The party who were present at the ceremony con- town on Wednesday evening, to resume his diplomatic sisted of Lord and Lady Gage s L a dy Henley, Sir John ad duties. Mrs. Howard remains with her noble relations, Lord Lady Pollen, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Ricardo, Mr. and Mrs. A. and Lady Stafford and the Marchioness of Wellesley, at Cos- Keyser, Mr. Fulwar Craven, Mr. M. Ricardo, Mr. Albany B. Saville, Mr. Alfred Peel, and Mr. W. H. Morley. The morn- tesey Hall, Norwich. It is reported a marriage will take place between ing was unusu a lly fi ne , an d this, combined with the interest which has always been felt by the inhabitants of this town the Hon. Frederick Petre, the third son of Lord Petre, and for a family so long resident, so highly respected, and Miss Musgrove, eldest daughter of the late Sir Christopher who have been always so distinguished for their chari ta b le Musgrove, Bart. exertions and real benevolence, attracted a large concourse LOOK TO YOUR POCKETS.—Managers of legitimate of spectators. The children of the Brighton Orphan A s yl um , theatres, Irish Members, authors of syncretic epics, and in whom the bride has always taken a lively interest, were others, are hereby informed, that a gentleman in the City assembled in the churchyard to take a f a r e w e ll l o o k of their was robbed the other day of 10,000/. Persons in the habit youthful patroness, and strewed flowers in the path of the of receiving large sums should therefore be on their guard. — beautiful and accomplished bride. The ceremony over, the The Man in the Moon. party returned to Sussex-square, and being joined by a ~..1 1. . THE PATENT THEATRES. — Yesterday the follow me,rous circle of friends, partook of an elegant defamer a-la- ing shares in the Theatre Royal Drury-lane were disposed of fourchette. At half-Past one the happy pair took their leave, by auction by Mr. Lovell, at the Auction Mart. The first lot and proceeded to Titness Park, Sunning-hill, the seat of S. consisted of two 500/. renter's shares. They entitled the Ricardo, Esq., where they intend passing the honey-moon. possessor to the privilege of a free admission, which was We are given to understand th -it the trousseau was of the transferable. and to a charge on the theatre of Is. 3d. per most magnificent descript i on . It will be g ratif y in g ,to our night during every night it was open for performance. Th lady readers to know that th e bride was attired in a whit e suns paid on them last year was 31 . 105.: and, as trailf erable, places silk, covered with thr,e deep flounces of Limerick they respectively realised threeguineaspe.r a nnum. They lace; the head-dress consis ted of a lon g veil of the same wer e s old for 62/. each. The next lot ot consi . sted of lave 100/. material, encircled by a wreath of orange blossoms and as- proprietor shares, all paid up, a d subject to no further min. The bridesmaids were white tarlatan muslin dresses liability. There were no returns upon them, but the holder u ith scarves, with broad pink sashes, and transparent bon- of them was eligible to be returned on the Committee of nets, with cockades of roses. —Brighton Gazette. Management. ih,feywhfiecthcf•R,e,edntl f t. 91 T . h i e o r s e . were 11, r. threeLovel Lovell then 5001. renter's share in the Theat . r l e o 7: vas ROYAL COLLEGE OF CHEMISTRY, HANOVER- similar SQUARE..--The above college. was inaugurated, last evening, Rtoitreupt_ f l o o r t s e , a e le a each f i garden. It entitled the possessor to a free admission by the first general. meeting of members, for scientific pur- u (that for the present season having been sold), was held for on poses. The president of the evening was Lord Sandon, a term of nearly fifty years, and the sum of 13/ paid on it annually. The auctioneer stated that there ;as a M P., who was supported by Viscount Newry and Lorne, p . rospect of a great increase in the value of these shares. The M.P., W. Ewart, Esq. , ALP., Philip Piney, Esq., M. i. company which had themyaenaargse,mentreonftferthree („f which Dr. Arnott, Captain Lewis, F.R.S., Sir George Hamilt on , &c. Professor Hoffman read a report upon the state of c_he t : taken a lease of it for six the that prop er ty had m i ca ' sc i ence in England, and then exhibited a galvanic bat- tery upon a new principle, the invention of Professor Bun- had been deposited, while the admissions were sold for the sen, and lent for the occasion by Dr. Kolbe. It differed season, these averaging from 10 guineas to 12 guineas. The from Grove's battery in this respect—that charcoal . pre- possessor_ was entitled to a payment of 251 per annum. The pared in a particular manner was substituted for platinum. , first offer for it was 1501., , when,. after an active competition, , r , , ~t ie, w t i, i t the =- I, ct itut e '''''' P'rflsel' soiri' 0- '''\P'.i''''''''' it v i l cie k 117a k i 7 e rl ii ' lu c' t w i e n ss i ' o r I n L 'i a , tihdo w tie has left town for t ii Ae d. "Vute of 1.11.111. s ilit%iu ueeti passed to the , ‘5,..:54, per k) i Professor and the Noble Lord in the chair, the proceedings I BEciawrlooofd,shlibilunits;e stillbut c iS on e t tp u e e c s te a d t R to om re e t . u rn shortly. The Pry LITERATURE. HOMES AND HAUNTS OF TEE MOST EMINENT BRITISH POETS. 2 Vols. By William Hamill.. • Agreeable as have been the previous writings of Wil liam Elowitt, this is unquestionably the most delighful work he has yet produced. There was a necessity, moreover, for a book of this description, a book forming , a topographical illustration to the inimitable biographies of Dr. Johnson, and perpetuating as far as possible the remembrance of the scattered localities in which the poetic genius of England has resided. Without some clue to the abodes of the departed illustrious it were difficult to form any conception of their domestic habits, of theincidents by which their lives bad been diversified, or of the natural and artificial objects by which they were continually surrounded ; and without some know ledge of those habits, incidents, and local characteristics, it were almost impossible to conceive to ourselves the idiocyncracies, the dispositions, the partialities, or the prejudices of those men otherwise than from their compost. tions. That would indisputably have been a lamentable toss to humanity, for it is from the contemplation of the biographies of remarkable persons that we derive some of our most salutary and benign impressions. From the perusal of biographical works we derive a plenitude of experience ; the memorials of our distinguished prede cessors are fir us fountains of the purest wisdom. In this respect biography is superior to history, and it is superior to history because the vicissitudes of in dividuals come more home to each of us than the vicissitudes and revolutions of empires. The story and the moral of biography is more applicable to our con fined fortune's, that the story and moral of those records which relate to the progression of entire races. To the statesman, the legislator, and the anointed sovereign, history furnishes an inexhaustible instruction ; to every one, without exception, biography teaches truths that are essential for the happiness of mankind. It is in consequence of these immutable principles, it is from our intimate relationship with one another, the prince with the mendicant, the sinless infant with the most reprobate felon, it is from the similarity of the human character in all grades and positions of society, that biographical compositions are invested with such a peculiar fascination. In the narrated peregrinations of the great, we find reminiscences of our own wanderings; in the utterance of their homeliest sentiments we listen with rapture to the thoughts which have floated through our own imaginations; in the troubles by which they have been buffeted, we discover a striking similarity to our own misfortunes; in the joy which they have ex perienced we frequently recognise something parallel to the emotions of which we ounelves have - been con scious. It is like the realisaticn of a dream; it is precisely chat mysterious sensation, sometimes of awe, sometimes of delight, which agitated the heart of Charles Dickens when as he tells us in his little volume upon Italy, he came upon a secluded spot is Switzerland when evening wsis closing in, and his carriage was toiling up the hill at some distance behind him—a quiet scene which, though of very ordinary features, thrilled him with the most unaccountable feelings of awe, as though he had known it in connexion with some appalling murder, and in a previous state of existence. Strange and bewil ,lering as these things are, they are nevertheless by no means unfrequent ; and it is nearly impossible to read much or to talk much without being sometimes affected in a similar manner. But biography does not only afford us these eccentric sensations, it gives us lessons it is ilea-ant and useful to con; it presents us pictures fraught with wholesome truths; and it almost enables us to live in imagination many times instead of once. The work to which we would here especially direct attention is to , iur mind an addition to our national biography as va luable as it is novel. It comprises, indeed, some of the most essential elements and rudiments of biography, for it is descriptive of those homes and haunts from the peculiarities of which our poets hare derived the whole colouring and bias of their intellects. What, for ex ample, would Drummond have been had he resided elsewhere thin in Hawthornden ? What would have been the result had Falconer never "Sailed along the deep, Where the stormy winds do blow ;" had Wordsworth never trod the herbage of Grasmere or Rydal Mount; had Burns never staggered through the streets of Dumfries ; had Shakspere never poached among the fern of Stratford, or strayed into the parlour of the Mermaid Tavern, Friday-street, Cheapside? Should we have heard ought of the Shipwreck, of the rural sonnets, of Tam O'Shanter, of Jacques, or of Bar dolph ? Would Spencer have ever imagined Gloriana, or the Shepherd of the Ocean, if he had never loved the woodlands or encountered Raleigh ? Had Chaucer never known the Tabard Inn, in Southwark, where would have been his priest, his reeve, and his miller? Because these men received particular impressions in their most impressionable mo ments from the scenery, whether of their homes or of their haunts, they wrote as they did ; had they never beheld that particular scenery at those particular times, they would have written otherwise, and perhaps not at all. hence we are satisfied that we are gratifying more than a merely idle curiosity, when we seek after the houses, and the fields, and the streets sanctified by the footsteps of genius. Hence the researches of William Howitt, in the neighbourhood of Belvoir, when Co!lecting materials for his paper on Crabbe, of Laracor for Swift, of Sandy-knowe for Scott, of Sloperton for Moore, and of Sheffield for Mont gomery, have a purpose higher than that of pandering to some unprofitable appetite of the multitude. So satisfied are we with the labours of Mr. Howitt in the production of the two volumes now under notice, that we are solicitous the subject may be completed by one who is . evidently so well qualified for it by his industry, his literary enthusiasm, and his graceful and fluent style. There are, of course, minor blmishes in the book, such for example as the monotonous repeti tion of the same phrases, Take as an instance the fol lowing iterations occurring within scarcely one hun dred pages of the second volume .—p. 365, " the scene in the gardens and the pavillioni s not surpassed by any• thing of the hind in the language;" half•a-ch zen lines er down, "one of the loveliest poems in the larguage';" p. 448, "gems of as noble and prtfect poetry as any in the language ;" p. 461, " amongst the most perfect things in the language ;" and so on over and over again. Wierwise the composition is simple and vivid. Occasionally, too, Mr. Elowitt, evinces an acerbity that jars in upon the subject treated of, very unpleasantly. It must be acknowledged that he encountered in his gentle and amiable inquiries after the homes and haunts of the English bards treat ment enough to irritate th e most gentle and amiable thsposition. As sp. cimens of this treatment, we may refer with a very sympathetic indignation to the articles upon Thomas Campbell, Sir Walter Seott, Shelley, and Mrs. Tighe—a poet, by the way, not very appropri• ately introduced among such illu s triou s an d i m me a surably superior minds. Sinc e th e p u bli ca tion of Mr. Howitt's work upon the British poets, we have seen with regret a singularly ungenerous and undeserved attack upon him from a correspondent of the Atheneeum newspaper —that correspondent being none other than the widow of Robert Southey. We are altogether unacquainted with either Mrs. Southey or Mr. Howitt personally; to our knowledge we have never even seen them ; our remarks, therefore , are uttered with the most disinterested feelings. Mrs. Southey on the bare representation of an anonymous critic, c hooses to become very indignant with Mr. Hewitt; for, inasmuch as she has been assured by the said critic, that her deceased husband is spoken of with undue harshness in the work entitled "The Homes and Haunts Of the English Poets." Beyond this, Mrs. Southey couples the expression of her indignation with a petulant insinuation, that Mr. Howitt speaks thus harshly of her dead husband, out of revenge for the refusal of his widow to supply him with anecdotes of the private life of Southey. And, as a climax to , his ungraceful aspersion, Mrs. Southey observes, that she has never read a syllable of the " Homes and Haunts," and remarks that she shall probably never ev( n see the book ; as much as to say, it is too con temptible a production. It were well if Mrs. Southey had read the book before writing as she has Written; had she done so, we would wager that she would have written otherwise, and might probably have abstained from writing at all upon the matter. For Mrs. Southey would have found that obnoxious article to have been dictated in the kindliest spirit towards her husband, and in the noblest manner towards herself. The close of the paper indeed amounts to a panegyric upon Mrs. Southey. As a proof of this, take the following simple sentence, vol. IL, p. 247—" Such a woman," (Mrs. Southey) "who has adorned the literature of her country with some of its most exquisite contributions, and sacrificed every thing to render the last days of one of its finest writers as serene as possible, ought not to be left to wear away the remainder of her life in the rcs anqusta domi, stripped of those simple elegancies and enjoyments to which, as a gentlewoman, she has always been accus tomed !" It were well if Mrs. Southey had read the article of which that is a solitary sentence. In that article Mr. llowitt awards a thousand-fold more praise tge Southey as a poet than we ourselves consider!! to be deserved. The only point in which he spe t ak o s_c depreciation of the " Lake Poet," is in reference to sudden transformation from a liberalist and a I_ _ honest man could tion into a tory and a bigot. And what speak of that mournful and sus pici ous Dmortuis nil nisi bonum, change in other than language of depreciation. De very sickly and maudlin has always appeared to us it, we should become the sentiment. Acting upon panegyrists of t!)e mo:s ni t a.nepraved and vitiated. Give us give us the man who can call the manly nil nisi tr things by their right'names without any spurious modesty, or any bowing own before the idols of Con vectionalistra That Sout h ey was nothing better than an a rrant renegade a s a p olitician, no one will have the tm erity or idiotism to deny. The metamorphosis was too abrupt to allow of our designating it by any other epithet ; and consequently it became in eum b eta upon Mr. Howitt to speak as emphatically in reprobation of that monstrous teregiversation, as he does in approval of S, uthey's virtues and abilities. We have spoken thus plainly, because of the fallacious and inviduous nature of the charge levelled at Mr. Howitt. Any quotation from these fascinating volutnes would be insufficient as a testimony of the talent by which they era characterised. We shall cuntent ourselves with observing that the biograOlical sketch or Scutt is among the most brilliant in the collection ; th at t h e eu l og i um upon Tennyson is as disc:itninating as it is deserved; that the publication is daintily embellished with wood-engravings ; and that it is equally ornamental in appearance, and excellent as a critical composition. A REVENUE CUTTER su AT SEA.—Between two and three o'clock on Friday afternoon, the 19th instant, the Nimble cutter, Mr. J. P. Blundell, commander, was standing along shore, between Berry Head and Dartmouth, in chase of a small smack, when her progress was suddenly arrested by a sunken rock, and caused a rapid leak; the vessel fell over on her starboard side, drifted from the rock, and in stantly sunk, in an upright position, in deep water. The crew were taved .by. hastily cutting away the boats from the tackles, but without clothes, bags, or bedding. It, is said the fatal rock is not laid down in any chart, and that the corn- . mander is a zealous officer and highly respected. ~.~►.0 ~,,.~ „ ,- ~/' \ . i:~ : ,i .