The Sun. — London, England, 1857-09-23 00:00:00

DB. LIVINGSTON AT EDINBURGH. The freedom of the city of Edinburgh was con ferred on Dr. Livingston, the African traveller, on Monday afternoon, in the Queen-street Hall. The civic corporation attended in their robes, and the hall was crowded with from 1,000 to 1,200 persons. The burgess ticket purported to be conferred by the Town council on Dr. Livingston in testimony of weir admiration of the courage and undaunted per severance displayed by him during his journey through South Africa, and their sense of the valu able services rendered by him in opening a way for the diffusion of the blessings of Christianity and civilisation among the inhabitants of that hitherto tinknes-vrn land. The LOnD PROVOST, in presenting the burgess ticket, a -ed—l have now the honour of placing in this burgess ticket, which contains the your hinds' resolution u nanimously adopted by the members of this Toi.vn-council, to mark the grateful sense enter tained by of your heroic efforts in the cause of religion and civi lisation. The exertions made by you to open a way for diffusing the blessings of Christi anity awl science iil central Africa have been con temelated by us with feelings of admiration and gratitude. The couvtry which you have chosen as the sphere of yonr , philanthropic labours has long been regarded erith solicitude by the inhabi tants of Great Britain. Many have gone before you and have trodden the path of scientific dis covery. Like you, they have made vast sacrifices in order to explore its hidden and unapproached recesses. To you belongs the especial honour of being the herald of the G a e T eel of Peace to the in habitants of that dark and &isolate region, and at the same time the instrument of conveying to them a knowledge of the advantages of commerce and civilisation. The all.important object of diffus ing the Gospel light is that to which your energies have been first and chiefly devoted. You have practically recognised the important truth that the advantages of science are as nothing unless united to the benign influence of our holy faith. (Loud applause.) The example which you have thus given will, we trust, be followed by many who will be encouraged by what you have been enabled to achieve. For your success in the Christian and philanthropic work to which you are again about to devote yourself, let me assure you that our best wishes and most fervent prayers go along with you. (Applause.) That your past and future efforts to accomplish this important object may be crowne I with signal success is the fervent prayer, not only of us who are here met, to do you honour, but of many not now present, whose grateful attention excited by your past exertions will be anxiously directed to your future efforts—efforts on which bleasings will be invoked by your countrymen of your own day, and which we trust and believe will be the means of calling forth blessings on your memory from generations yet unborn. (Loud applause.) Happily throughout the vast extent of our country's dominions the blight of slavery has ceased to exist. (Applause.) It is far otherwise in the country to which you are about to return. The cry of injured justice may well be raised from Africa t Europe, for we owe to her a large debt of reparation. ey it be yours to loosen the bands of the oppressed, and may you live to wit ness the approach of the time when the soil of Africa shall be as free as that of the land which gave you birth, and is proud to claim you as one of her sons. (Loud and prolonged applause.) Dr. LiverrosToer, after thanking his lordship and the audience for his reception, and premising that perhaps the most suitable acknowledgment he could make would be to communicate to them a little iuformation about Africa, said,—There is a good deal of ignorance about Africa in England, just as we have in Africa about England. (A laugh.) In fact, in that respect we are very mueli alike. I have been quite astonished at some of the questions put to me since my return to this country. Ono of the most common is this—would the people of Afria be induced to cultivate the soil ? Now, the fact of the matter is, that all the African tribes who have it in their power cultivate the soil, ex cept the Bushmen, who are an exception in every respect, and who never cultivate the soil or keep domestic animals, and neverhave any abiding place. Their language, too, is exceptional, but all the other tribes . of Africa show by their language and customs that they are one family of people. The Africans look upon us white people as only another tribe of men, and when I attempt to tell what their numbers may be, they put tc me the question, "Are they as many as a cloud of locusts 1" If I say yes, they ask further whether, if each of the white people were to take a locust into his hand, they would finish the whole cloud. Of course I say I tliink they would. Then th e y w ill add, ~ Your Queen must be very rich indeed when she has so many people." "Oh yes," I reply, " she is exceedingly rich and lam asked , " Has she many cows ?"—a - question I really could never an swer (laughter) ; and then when I mention the fact. that I have never seen the Queen they say, " What sort of people must you be never to have seen your chief ?" A great rainy other questions show the same kind of ignorance respecting us. Many Euro pean gentlemen have gone to that country to hunt, but, as the Africans have no idea of sport, they wonder to see gentlemen working so hard for a lit tle dry antelope meat, and they put the ques'ion to me, " Have Tarr friends no meat at home ?" 1 nigh.) Not wishing my friends to appear in such a light, I say, " These gentlemen could have beef every dsy of their lives if they liked ;" but they reply tome, " Aha, you know better." (Laughter.) In reference to the cultivation of the soil, we find that they labour most industriously, and that the grain they raise requires more labour than the crop would do in this country. It is true that in the south part of the country most labour falls to the share of the women, but they do labour most in dustriously in the north, and it takes them about eight months of the year to get their crop. In the central parts of the country we find that they are all anxious to trade, and knowing this, I have not the smallest hesitation in saying that if encouraged to cultivate the raw material for our manufactures they would he delighted to do it. The interior hag been hitherto shut up to us, for many of the tribes around the borders have been most unwilliug to allow the central tribes to get in tercourse with the white man ; and I am told th st in the centre of the country many expeditions have gone towards the sea cast, and were unable to get there owing to there border tribes always wishing to get the trade into their own hands. Now the object I have in going back again is to try to make a path from the sea to that central country. (Applause.) On the east side of the country we have a large rives-._.the Zambe.3e. This river does not rise where it has been always pointed out to do in the Portia gueee maps. Instead of that, it rises from near the sources of the Nile, and flows from north to south in the centre of the country. Nearly all the river] in that central part flow from the sides to the centre, and there they form that large river the Zambt se, whieh finds its way from the central valley by MOW'S of a large fissure through a high ridge of country, and then appears at that part which the Pv)rtugnese maps have s'ways pointed out as its source. It rises many hundred miles hes ond that, and the Zarabese is, t believe, really and truly an English discovery. My object in returning to that country is to try to get a permanent path to that centrall.egion from which most of the slaves have alwayri been drawn. The native slave traders go into ',he central country and carry our manufactures they e, and with a few yards of cloth they purchase sla:ves, and then take them down to the sea coast. The people are so anxious to get our manufactures that they part, not wi t h th e i r own children, but with children kid na pp e d f rom o th er t r ib es . Now hope to, be able to make a path up the Zambese to the ceeitral country, and then, if we can supply the People with our goods fur lawful commerce, we ha* ire a fair prospect of putting a stop to the slave teade in a very large tract of country. (Applause.) * The people in the central part appear to be rather of a higher grade than those near the east. When English people think about Africa, t hey. tmagine that all the Africans are like the b ii. a r t . iallitlf4 we have in front of the tibacconists' 4, 1 , 1 ;P 3 - <Laughter.) This is not the case at all. in taht e le ia th w e e r it eal negrotype that is only to be found part of the population. The people ~nerally are not altogether p p black. 'Many of them are of olive colo ur °of and usually-The:l the colour of coffee and V.4is lighter culler. igher . grades of society are of Leanainginoneuthat the . type we see on the eminent Egypt population o the type of the central shop variety. (A laugh.) These peg gto pay for thei r le are mil- ing to labour if you are l s / Ali /1 ; and I believe that capitalie ta e ., p l uying )/hour and pa yi n g for it in Africa Would fins abundant scope for our own mlnufactnre 9 . The rea , on I think so is this :—Whoa T left Africa I sew- the people busily engaged in their gar d, 3us, both. wen and women, all down the Zambesa—for 'clee centre country every man has his own gar en, and cultivates enough for his own cmsump. tion. When we came among the Portugueie fine settlements my men were delighted with the gardems and the soil, and they were very much aetr niched the Portuguese did not cultivate more. Well, I believe, from having seen them labour , 15 4 from the great anxiety manifested to collect any lade thing they can sell, they would cultivate cotton an d ot h er produce for our markets. W hen I rer (led the Mauritius I found there a similar spertaele. I found thislittle Island of 35 miles by 25, which is only a mass of volcanic rock, and with P. soil not at all equal to the African soil, because there they could sot raise sugar without guano, pro ducing by means of improved machinery sugar equal to one-quarter the entire consumption of Greg Britain. There they being their labour from T E &ITN; LONDON, WEDTIESDAY v STP ''''EYPI3ER 25 India. They pay the passage of coolies from India, giving them wages much higher than those common at Natal ; still they become rich upon it- In Africa we have an amazing extent of country totally unfilled. In this country you cannot form any idea of the fertility of many parts of Africa. Wi-len I went to the west I was obliged to use an ox— there are no horses in that country ; but still in passing through some districts the grass was so high , that I was obliged to hold my hands before my eyes , to keep the grass out. Each stalk of grass there is about as thick as a goose quill, and then we have immense dense forests of trees, about 50 feet high, running straight up without a single branch. Now, the soil that is capable of producing these trees and that vegetation, seems to me capable of pro ducing anything. And we find that they actually do grow the sugar cane, and they dogrow cotton, but only to a small extent. These people have great confidence in the English, suck confidence as they have in no other tribe of white men. When I was lately with the Bakwain tribe, I found that when any English gentleman came to that part of the country he always paid his way honourably ; and such was the confidence this honesty inspired that the natives would go with them 500 miles, all the way to Graham's Town, simply on the promise of a small payment when there. They would also go with them to the north, and hunt with them for months together, serving them faithfully all the time, and trusting their honour as Englishmen. They would not have trusted a Boer or any other tribe but the English. I could appeal to English gentlemen who have visited that country that when they wanted two guides their only difficulty was lest four should go with them. From a number of other circumstances I see a probability of the in terior people cultivating their produce in return for our manufactures, and my great wish is to link the interests of Africa with those of England. I have a two-fold object in view. I believe that commerce is a most important aid in diffusing the blessings of civilization. (Hear.) When a tribe begins to trade with another it feels a sense of mutual dependence ; and this is a most important aid in diffusing the blessings of Christianity, be cause one tribe never goes to another without telling the news, and the Gospel comes in to be part of their news, and the knowledge of Christianity is thus spread by means of commerce. Again, we know that our own country is is a great measure dependent for its supply of cotton on the United States. We are dependent for our supplies of this material on slave labour. Now, no Englishman is content with this state of things, and the majority of the Americans detest slavery as much as we do ; but still we are going to them with increased de mands for cotton, which effectually helps the slave holder to maintain his system. Now, I wish to direct the attention of my countrymen to this new field as a means of relieving slaveholders from feel ing it as a necessity to have slaves. If we get abundant supplies of the raw material from Africa we shall soon find that the slaveholders will become more enlightened than they are at present. (A laugh.) I have hopes of Africa from the fact that we have, both in Eastern and Western Africa, a healthy highland region. The form of the conti nent is a kind of basin. The central part is a basin for the rivers that flow from the sides, and thsn there is a slope towards the sea. This elevated regi in is quite a healthy one, and is watered and drained by the Zambese. From this point to the set is about 600 miles, and there is only one rapid in all that distance. Entering it from the ocean we have 300 miles of a good large river, then this small rapid ; beyond that we have 300 miles more, and then we are at the healthy ridge, which might be made a sanitarium, from which both coin mercial and military enterprise might be carried to to the less healthy region beyond. This is the path by which I hope to be able to establish trade with Africa. The Portuguese at present command the outlets on both sides, but they have always treated me with great kindness, and if the resources of Africa are developed they will gat more by that development than any other nation in the world. They are not the masters of the country by any means. Their wars with the Caffres have not, like ours, been paid for by the mother-country, and in fact they kept them shut up in their fort at Tete during two whole years. The chiefs who havebeaten the Portuguese consider them as a conquered tribe, and oblige one of their villages to pay tribute almost annually. They have a knowledge of the mouth of the Zambese, and might aid commercial enterprise very effectually, and from the knowledge I have of the enlightened young King of Portugal I believe the Portuguese will not be wanting in their duty in that respect. On the' opposite side of the continent they ii we exports from Angola worth 100,0001. annually. Had Angola been in the hands of the English, the exports, I believe, would have amounted not to thousands, but to millions, be cause the country inland from Angola, and likewise on the east coast, is fertile beyond anything I can coavey an impression of. It is disagreeably fer tile, for everything grows up with only too much fertility. I again thank the Lord Provost for the honour he has done me in presenting me with the freedom of this ancient burgh. I shall always re member with gratitude the kiud reception you have given me. Igo back not expecting to meet with any of this excitement or lionising, but to engage in hard work. I hope your sympathies will con tinue to go forth to that country, because I see plainly that England will every year become morel dependent on that continent for the supply of the raw material of her commerce. (Loud and pro longed applause.) After he had sat down, Dr. LIVINGSTON again rose and said, a question had been put to him — did these tribes employ slave labour ? The tribes in the interior might be said to employ slave labour iu this way—when one tribe conquered another it took the people of the conquered tribe into sub. jection, and called them their children. Their con dis ion approached to that of slavery, but there was this difference between it andthe American slavery, that there was no Fugitive Slave Law. (Applause.) They were called children, but their condition was railer that of serfs. Each man had his own land to cultivate, and his own family and house, but when his master went forth to war he accompanied him as a servant, and must fight in his defence. The children of the serf, however, became exactly like the tribe which bad conquered their parents. They were initiated by circumcision, and there was no difference between them and the native members of the tribe. Every tribe tried to augment their power by adding to their number by means of conquest, but the amount of service the conquered had to ren der was very small indeed. They sat down with their masters, and were nearly on au equality with them, and if not kindly treated they ran away, and the tribe •to which they went generally received them w:th great kindness, and they became "children" there. Approaching the Portuguese settlements, however, they found slavery more perfectly deve loped. People there were bought and sold as slaves, waich they were itot in the central country. His men never saw chains until they approached the Portuguese settlements. They seemed to regard the chained men there as mere beasts or things, and that they could not be men from the way they were enslaved. Dr. Livingstone withdrew amid loud cheering, and the meeting separated. FIVE IfEN DROWNED IN ..TIIE RIBBLE, .NEAR LYTHAM. PRESTON, TUESDAY MORNING. , r Last w night information as received at the county police-office in this town that a fatal boat accident had taken place on the river Ribble, about 2 miles floin Lytham and 14 miles from this town, by which, it is believed, no fewer than five lives have been lost. It seems that on Saturday, about two o'clock in tho afternoon, five men named John Murray, a tackler, residing in Peel-street ; Richd. Forshaw, William Whittle, weaver ; John Holden, weaver; and another man, whose name was not ascertained, left the Old Quay, Preston, with the intention of sailing to Lytham Lighthouse, in a boat called their Royal Consort, belonging to John Murray, and walking thence to Blackpool. The party reached their destination the same night and remained in Blackpool until about noon on Sunday, when they started the return trip. Soma hours afterwards the boat was seen passing along near the beach at Lythatn. making its way for the mouth of the Ribble, with the sails fully set ; but af. or this nothing further was either seen of boat or its ill fated crew. Not returning to Preston on Sunday night, as fixed upon, the wives and fami'ies of the nijssing became greatly excited, and waited in in tense anxiety until yesterday morning, when no thlings having been heard of any of them, an expe dition party went down the Ribble in search of them. When this party had arrived about 2 miles beyond Lytham, the b)at was discovered ashore on the horse b ink, with the sail hanging over one of its silos. Tile boat was searched, nut nothing wi.s found Within it, but, wrapped or rather .entaugled i% the large sail lying within a few inches from the ci ho u a i t t , e t i ia ti e fi re alls found the body of John Holden, than', where ' at the ent rance co o l fr d n was then removed to Ly quiry.A.furth itnow lies awaiting a coroner's in bu', despite th e e e xploring party, no, vestige bodies, or even their further seardi its to be search was then made along and m + o .lo river f o r the missing bodies, strenuous exertions of the Clo v t e h st in ige of any of the other maj' could be found. A , to-day. Au inquest will be held at Lytham to-night by th e ~,,,,e•C01N••... BOTANIC REMEDY FOE INDIGESTION. —The attention of our readers is requested to au adve rtisemen t : ll l :hthe our paper headed • A Fact for Physiologists," in Nottingham Medical Reform Society propose to send free to all applicants the Botanic Remedy for indigestion," Bilious and Liver Complaints, lately discovered by Professor Webster, of Philadelphia. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. RAILWAYS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. The report of Captain D. Gaiton, RE., to the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade and Foreign Plantations, of the proceedings of the department relating to railways for the year 1856, states that 59 railway bills were passed in the ses sion of 1856, authorising 322 miles of railway, the capital being 5,784,4261. Of the 59 Acts 38 were for the construction of 214 miles of railway in Eng land and Wales, 106 miles in Scotland, and about two miles in Ireland. The number of level cross ings authorised was 93. Twenty-two of the Acts authorised companies to enter into working and traffic arrangements with other companies, subject to the approval of the shareholders and of the Board of Trade. The total length of railway authorised by Parliament down to the end of 1856 amounted to 14,668 miles ; but of this 1,495 miles have been authorised to be abandoned, leaving 13,163 miles for which Parliamentary powers have not been repealed ; of these 8,635 miles were open for traffic at the end of 1856, including 355 miles opened during that year, and 4,538 miles remain to be opened—namely, 3,316 miles in England and Wales, 452 in Scotland, and 770 in Ireland. He does not think it probable that 2,532 miles of those lines will ever be made, the powers for the compul sory purchase of land having been allowed to ex pire without having been exercised. The total amount of money authorised to be raised by rail way companies by shares and loans to the end of 1856 amounted to 377,767,9071., of which 308,775,8941. had been raised, leaving 68,992,0131. to be raised. Of the 8,718 miles open to traffic on the 31st of December, 1856, 6,737 miles were narrow gauge, 679 miles broad gauge, 254 miles mixed, and 1,048 miles Irish gauge. The length of single line in the United Kingdom at the end of 1856 was 1,562 miles constructed on the nar row gauge, 240 miles on the broad gauge, 72 miles on the mixed gauge, and 637 miles on the Irish gauge, making together 2,511 miles of single line. It has become a very general practice for railways which are subsidiary to the lines of existing railway companies, and which have been constructed by in dependent companies, to be worked by the existing larger company. This mode of workin g is advan tageous to both parties, and generally to the public, because these agreements create for the time that identity of interest which is created by an amalga mation, while at the same time the existence of the local company provides for the interests of the dis trict being better cared for than it would probably be if the small lines were entirely merged in the larger company. The length of line reported to be in course of construction on 30th June, 1855, was 963 miles ; of these about 208 miles were opened before 31st Dec., 185(5. The lumber of persons employed on 30th June upon the railways in course of construction amounted to 36,473, being on the average 37.87 per mile. The length of line open for traffic in the United Kingdom on 30th June, 1856, was 8,506 miles, and the number of persons employed thereon amounted to 102,117 persons, or 12 per mile. With regard to the traffic, the total number of passengers conveyed on the railways in 1856 amounted to 129,347,562, against 118,595,135 con veyed in 1855, the number conveyed per mile of railway open being 15,213 in 185 G, against 14,503 in 1855. The receipts from passengers amounted to 10,153,7451. in 1856, against 9,525,205/. in 1855 the receiptsper mile being 1,194/. in 1856 and 1,164/. in 1855. From the figures given in the appendix, it appears that from 1852 to 1856 the first-elms pas senger fares in England have been diminished, and the receipts per passenger have also decreased, while the receipts per mile have increasef. As regards the second-class traffic in England, the fares have been slightly increased, and the receiptsper mile have not varied much. In the third-class traffic, which in cludes a large amount of excursion traffic, the average fares wore diminished, and the receipts per mile largely increased. In Scotland the fares of first-class passengers have been diminished, and the receipts per mile have increased ; as regards the second-class traffic, the average fare has been in creased ; the actual receipts are about the same as in 1852, while the receipts per mile have diminished; the average fare for third-class passengers has been increased, and the receipts per mile have also in creased. In Ireland the average fare per mile and the receipts from each class of passengers have increased, but the receipts per mile, with the excep tion of the first class, have diminished. The receipts from goods, cattle, minerals, parcels, &c., in 1856, amounted to 13,011,7481., against 11,982,3941. in 1851, which represents 1,5301. per mile in 1856, compared with 1,4651. per mile in 1855. The total receipts from goods, cattle, minerals, parcels, &c., may be divided as follows—viz., 7,685,3791. was for the conveyance of 23,823,931 tons of merchan dise, 4,585,9911. was for the conveyance of 40,938,675 tons of minerals, 517,7861. for the conveyance of 10,450,175 head of live stock, and 1,222,6281. for the conveyance of parcels, arc. The tables in the appendix show that while in 1849 the t proportion of the passenger traffic to the goods traffic was 53 to 47, in 1856 the proportion of the passenger traffic to the goods traffic is as 44 to 56. The total receipts from all sources of traffic have amounted fn England and Wales to 19,728,3111., or 3,1201. per mile, iu 1856, against 18,363,8691., or 2,978/. in 1855 ; in Scotland to 2,319,217/., or 2,0221. per mile, in 1856, against 2,144,3981., or 2,003/. per mile in 1855 ; and in Ireland to 1,117,9651., or 1.992/. per mile, in 1856, against 999,8321., or 1,v601. per mile, in 1855. The aggre gate receipts from all sources of traffic for the whole kingdom having been 23,165,4931., or 2,724/. per mile in 1856, against 21,507,5991., or 2,6291. per mile, in 1855. It would appear that the average work ing expenses of railway companies, per mile of rail way open, have increased in England and Wales from 1,3521. per mile in 1854 to 1,531/. in 1856 ; in Scotland, from 9611, in 1854 to 970/. in 1856 ; but that in Ireland they have decreased from 465/. in 1854 to 427/. in 1856. The proportion which the working expenses have borne to the receipts has been 49 per cent. in England an 1 Wales as compared with 48 per cent. in 1855 ; 47 per cent. in Scotland as compared with 49 per cent. in 1855 ; and 39 per cent. in Ireland as compared with 41 per cent. in 1855 ; the general average being 47 per • cent. upon the gross receipts as compared with 48 par cent. in 1855. The expenditure appears to be divided under the several heads as follows—viz., maintenance of way, 15 per cella ; locomotive ex penses, including repairs of rolling stock, 39 per cent. ; traffic charges, 26 per cent. ; miscellaneous, including police and watchmen, compensation, Arc., 13 per cent. ; rates and Government duty, 7 per cent. With regard to the financial position of rail ways, the report states that the total amount of capital raised for the construction of railways on the 31st of December, 1856, amounted to 3)8,775,8941., which represents an expenditure of 35,459/. per mile of railway open. In making this I estimate it must be recollected that the lines re ported to be in course of construction amount in length to about one-ninth of the whole length com pleted and under construction, and that some por tion of the cost per mile belongs to those lines. But it is worthy of notice that although the cost of rail ways in the united kingdom has averaged 35,4591. per mile—viz., 40,288/. in England, 27,75ee i n Scotland, and 14,8081. in Ireland, the average cost of the independent lines of railway for which the Acts have'been obtained since 1848, and which are now opened for traffic, has only amounted, to 9,568/. per mile ; of these railways, those open in Eeglan I have averaged 12,373/. per mile ; those opened in Scotland have averaged 5,408/. per mile, and those opened in Ireland is 6,716/. per mile. Of the total amount of money raised 77,359,419/. has been raised by loans, 57,057,1711. by preference shares, and the remainder—viz., 174,359,3041. by ordinary share capital. The preferential and loan c spited invested in railways is 43 per cent. of the whole capital, and the interest which has to be paid upon the preferential and loan capital averages 5.08 per cent. ; the net receipts on railways give an average interest on the whole capital in vested of nearly 4 per cent., but the heavy prefer ential character of the charges reduces the interest on the capit 1 to 3.12 per cant. It also appe irs that the receipts of railway companies have in creased steadily, although slowly, every year. The large amount of preferential capital has prevented a proportionate increase in the dividends on the ordinary share capital ; but the steady increase in the net receipts in a greater ratio than the increase of the capital invested is evidence of sound progress. The stability of railway property depends chiefly upon a careful management. Without entering into this question, which is one of great difficulty, owing to the magnitude of the several undertakings, the extent of territory they occupy, and the con flicting interests to which they era subjected, Capt. Gaiton calls their Lorlships' attention to the fact, that while in 1855 a case occurred in which the ac counts of a railway company were audited in so lax a manner as to have admitted of a considerable amount of peculation iu many trenches of the service, in 1856 an important company suffered great ices in consequence of the defective system of audit h wing permitted the forgeries of an empires é t:) escape unobserved for a length of time. He states that frauds thus committed entail serious losses upon shaleholiters r atid that the shateholders will be continually liable to frauds of this nature until a more careful system of audit, and one inde pendent of those directly concerned in the management of the railways, be generally adopted, and until a direct responsibility be placed on those to whom that management is confided. The report concludes by showing the proportion _ of passengers killed end injured in Great Britain and Ireland from causes beyond their own control to have been 814111 as compared with the number carried >in :the; several years from 1852 to 1586 incluiive. In 1852 the proportion per million passengars conveyed W 33 0 . 11 killed and 4.20 in jured; in 1853, 0.35 klled and 2.80 injured ; in 1854, 010 killed and c• 27 injured; in 1855, 0 . 08 killed and 2.70 injured ; and in 1856 the proportion per million passengers conveyed 'was 0 . 07 killed and 2.18 injured. It thusappears that only one person in IS, 18i,049 who travelled has been killed, and one in 458,370 who travElled has been injured from causes beyond their own control ; and that the degree of safety with which passengers have been conveyed cu railways is greater than on any year since 1851. OLD ROCHESTER BR.ME. ROCHESTER, TUESDAY. A series of grand explosions took 'lace this after noon at the old Rochester-bridge, fir the purpose of demolishing the remaining porticos of that huge structure, the handsome bridge waich now spa us the Medway having been for sone time open to the public. The idea of employng the troops of the Royal Engineers in the renoval of the old bridge originated with Col. II Sandham, the director of the Royal Engineers' establishment at Chatham, who considered it wculd be unwise to allow such a rare opportunity to pass for the men of the Royal Sappers and Miners to take part in the destruction of Cie works, espe cially as the Royal Engineers had been so successful in the siege operations for destroying the great docks at Sebastopol. On the proposal being made to the authorities permission was at once accorded, and for nearly 12 months past the Royal Engineers have been engaged in sapping and destroying various portions of the ancient structure —the works being carried on under the superinten dence of Capt. W. H. Noble, R.E., an officer of great intelligence and experience. The old bridge, which has been built nearly five eisaturies, originally consisted of 10 large arches, resting on 9 piers and two abutments ; the Royal Engineers have already succeeded in destroying five arches, three piers, and the abutments ; but, owing to t'ie immense strength and solidity of the struc ture, the operations have necessarily been carried on slowly. Six piers, five arches, and nine " star lings" remained to be destroyed, and nearly the whole of these were successfully blown to pieces this afternoon in the prbsence of the Earl of Romney, the wardens and assistants of Rochester-bridge, Lieut.-Colonel Sir C. W. Palley, K. C. 8., besides a large number of officers of the Royal Engineers and the Royal Artillery, the whole of the opera tions being under the superintendence of Colonel H. Sandham, assisted by Major F. C. Hassard, Royal Engineers. The operations commenced this afternoon by the destruction of the lower portion of No. 4 arch from the Rochester side, which was thrown down by means of two charges of gunpowder lodged in one of the vouss o i rs o each haunch of the arch, and two charges lodged in the voussoirs next the key stone. A charge of 301 b. of gunpowder placed under the soffit of the keystone of the upper added portions of the arch was next exploded, the effect of which was to throw down the whole of that por tion of the arch acted upon. The troops next; pro ceeded to destroy the third arch in a similar manner. Nine charges of 41b. each were placed in the vous soils of the haunch, and also nine of 11b. each in the voussoirs next the keystone of the old portion of the arch before the bridge was widened. These charges were fired simultaneously by means of the voltaic kattery, the result being that the arches were destroyed, and the masonry of which they were composed entii ely detached. The finest ex plosions of the day, however were reserved for the latter part of the operations, when three of the massive piers were blown down by means of several charges of gunpowder, weighing iu the aggregate about I,ooolb. In order to facilitate the operation, the Sappers and Miners had previously excavated a shaft in each of the piers to Lo destroyed, which was sunk to a depth of about 30 feet. Each of the shafrs was about four feet square, and at the base projected a number of galleries, in which were de posited the large quaratity of gunpowder required for the explosions. In the third pier, which was the first blown up, 4001 b. weight of gunpowder was laid in two charges, each containing 2001 b. The gal' er i es were then rmly closed by means of " tamping." The second pier had likewise 4001 b. -of gunpowder placed in the galleries, also in two charges, and the first pier 2661 b. At the sound of the bugle the charges in the third pier were ignited by means of the voltaic battery, worked by Capt. H. Y. D. &sett, Royal Engineers. The effects of the ex plosions were most complete, the large mass of earth and masonry, containing, it was computed, about 20,000 cubic feet, being lifted up from its founda tion and scattered into fragments, retaining not a vestige of its original-form. The second pier, after a short delay in fixing the wires, was destroyed in the same manner, the shock of th e ex pl os i ons b e i ng felt at considerable distance, the ground being sen sibly shaken as if from the effects of a distant earth quake ; the river also being considerably agitated. The first pier, which contained az large a mass of stones and earth as the other two, was the last de stroyed, several of the huge stones of which it was composed being hurled to some distance. The while of the operations were highly success ful, and notwithstanding the immense number of spectators present, not a single accident occurred. During the operations a body of the Royal Engi neers, not engaged in the explosions, were employed in forming abridge of rafts with General Blanchard's pontoons across the Medway, s ome di stance a b ove the old bridge. The river at th a t spo t i s vary w id e, which prevented the bridge b e i ng extended from shore to shore. It was, however, carried out a con siderable distance into the river, and when com pleted the whole of the troops, together with a large body of spectators, took up their position upon it for the purpose of witnessing the operations at the old bridge. The Royal Sappers and Miners will continue their operations at the bridge until the whole of that structure is entirely removed. FIBER CH SISTERS OF CHAETCY IN The Courrier de Lyons gives th e f o ll ow i ng ac count of the dangers incurred by seve ra l F renc h lay nuns iu India during the late disturbances : "The religious establishment of Jesus-et-Marie at F ouse i are had several of its sist-trhold imperilled at Meerut, Delhi, Sealeote, and Agra by the Indian insurrection. It is only by the last mail that intel ligence- has been received respecting thorn in letters written to their superior, which show that a p )r -tioe of them, at least, have esc 'p a d. All th ese h o ly women were at the head of schools f or young girls, English and native. Those who were at Meerut suc ceeded in ewapiug through the conflict, murders, and conflagration -with a part of th e i r pup il s, some English ladies, and about 50 m a l es, o ffi cers and in the mountains of civilians, to a valley Thibet, where they are, it appears, in tolerable security, for the party being well armed, is strong enough to defend against the insurgents the defile leading to their asylum. The flighttrom Sealecte was marked by most dramatic . incidents. The evening before the rising, some of the natives, through gr a tit u d e for the atttmtion and kindness which the sisters had always shown to their children, came secretly to inform them they would do well to leave the place at promptly as possible with their pupils, as the insurrection was to commence the next morning at break of day, and the insurgeuts had resolved to kill every European. Tire sisters at once procured cars, and loaded them with their property and with their yeung,est pupils, whose weakness would have retarded their precipitate flight. Then, profiting by the shades of night, they left the town for a fee t some leagues distant, where they hoped to find refuge. _ Unfortunately, whether it was that the warning given them was -too late, or that the fugitives had net hurried on -with sufficient rapidity, or, that the natives had ad. vaneed. the moment of the insurrection, the sisters were overtaken when about half-way by a troop of the insurgents, who, on finding their convent aban doned, had pursued them. The poor sisters, on seeing this horde of miscreants approaching, aban dienoil their cars and baggage in the middle of Use road to be pillaged, and hurried away to take re fuge) in an isolated house which stood near. But their pursuers soon murdered iu presence of the po sisters and the children several English per s Otis, women and men, who had also hurried to the house for safety. They thou rushed at the sisters, and, with - borrib'e imprecations, threatened to make them and their pupils share the same f if they did not at once declare where their property was Lobe found. Tee unfortunats women protested tint they had nothing in the world but what they lead left in the cars on the high road, and that they willingly gave up that property... As, however, - other pi -lagers hid already carried off whatever was pr. cious from the cars, th) insurgents iu the house wee about to execute their threat of killing every human bring in the building, when a voicr:l ie I out that the pudic treasure 1 a I been found Th-y then rushee f rom th e 1 1 ,, th ie to chf Their shale in th e b oo t y, an d th e s i s t e rs, without losing a moment, placed the youngest child rca on their shoulders, and, talc - ng the others by Vto hand, proceeded as rapidly as they could to wards the fort, which they at last reached, ad oh tailed a elicitor in th e m id s t o f o tter fugitives of every age and coud:tion. It is impossible to praise t o high!y the devotedness of these pooe women, who risked without hesitation their own lives to sai e these of the children confided to their care." COMPEMY P7E FIA ILINATION. Horace tells us that when fools fly from error they lush into the opposite extreme. This fault is not, however, confined to fools. The tendency to pass from one extreme to another is very common, and we are not without ourapprehensions that it is now operating in the instance of examinations for ap pointments. Tho usage up to a very late date was nomination without any guarantee for, or even in quiry into qualifications. The candidate for the public service was employed first and tried after wards ; and, unreasonable as the system undoub tedly wag, it did not work so ill as might be sup posed, the proportion of the incompetent not hav ing been considerable ; while, on the other hand, many men of fit st-rate ability have always been found in the Government offices. Nevertheless, it was undoub'edly highly desirable to take measures for the exclusion of the incapable, and for that end the test of examination was wisely adopted. The question ie, however, how far this test can ad vantageously be carried. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir George C. Lewis, takes, in our opinion, the true view of the question, in de precating a high standard. He said—Look to the points and paces of the steed, but do not rest the choice of a coach-horse on the issue of a race. And for this simple reason of good sense, that we do not want racers in harness. Tue tendency is, how ever, all to racing under the specious name of com petitive examination. The public apple-pie is to be made solely of quinces, the plum-pudding of plums only. Such is, indeed, the common rush from one extreme to another ; from the utter peg ' lect of qualifications to the strained standard. The fault is, no doubt, on the right side, but still it would be well to be on that side, short of the fault the consequences of which may bo graver than are suspected. Lord Grey has stated some very wise objections to introduce competitive examination generally into the army, and they apply with hardly less force to the civil service : • I have a very strong opinion of the impolicy of intro ducing the system of competitive examination. Ido not think that any examination can test the qualities which are most important. With regard to the can didates for employments either in the army or in the civil service of the country, what are of moat importance are the moral qualities of men, not their mere acquire ments. You test nothing but the acquirements of a man by examination ; and what you want in an officer far more than any specific amount of acquirements is, that he should possess certain moral qualities, such as cou rage, high spirit, the feelings of a gentleman, energy, judgment, and the power of thinking and acting for himself. These things cannot be tested iu the slightest degree by examination, and it is very possible that by a competitive examination you may interfere with a man's acquiring those qualities ; because I believe there is nothing more certain than that by over-education, and by the system of crammin i • a young man, you weaken the powers of the mind, and that those who have been over-forced by education in their early years turn out less pratuically useful in after lifa than men who have been educated in a more natural monitor. I find in a very in teresting work publ.shed by Sir B. Br die, that he ex presses in a very strong manne.r his opinion that over forcing the youthful mind is cx . c.rently iejerious to its vi goar in after life; and I am told that 10 France this incon yeaience is already found, that so many of the employ ments both in the army and the civil service af the state ere given by competitive exaatinotion, that there is a tendency in the different schools to vie with each other in the amount of knowledge which, within a limited time, they can force into the heads of their pupils ; that each school wishes to have the largest possible number of those prizes, and, therefore, it increases from year to year the amount of exertion and labour that it re quires from its pupils; and the consequence is, irf the opinion of ambient men in France, a very serious in crease of brain disease among the young, and also that those people who have ex.3eiled in the ex stninatiou turn out, not uncommonly, very inefficient in after life. And I st , e even in thie evidenc , that an opinion has been given by some distinguished officers, that many 'men who have passed a very briliiant examination at Sand buret turn out less efficient staff-officers afterwards than those who have passed perhaps a very iaferior examina tion. Ido not think that by that system you test the quail ies that you really require. A greater mistake cannot be committed than that 'of making talent the all in all, the one thing needful. Qualities, or what we. sum up in the word cha racter, are of more worth than talent without them. What is it that is now making our countrymen and countrywomen in India the admiration of the whole world ? The qualities Lord Grey has recited, which nothing but the trials of a mighty exigency could call into action —inexhaustible energy, endurance, self-reliance, indomitable resolution. It is not the brain but the heart of our countrymen which is working so heroically in this stupendous struggle. The general fitness for action which has been proved by the Indian mutiny, is most especially remarkable, and it is more than doubtful whetner this most important aptitude could be improved by any scholastic culture. The probability is, that it would rather be impaired. The tendency of competitive examination must always be to a standard more and snore raised. There can be no " thus far and no far her." If one candidate crams up to a certain point to the satisfaction of examiners, another will cram beyond him, and another and another beyond, wilout end. No one contends that this encou ragement to Cramming is good, but it is said to be at least proof of an industry which will be avail able for the public service. It is proof of no such thing. It is no proof of the disposition for indus try, no proof of the habit of application. It proves nothing more than what may be done for a desired object, which is uo sooner attained than, like the scaffolding erected to build a house, the means become lumber, and the motive to exertion ceases. We need not eay there are exceptions, but gene rally the work of cramming produces a disgust of all labour and its objects, and as score as the prize is secured there is a relapse to idleness, or as great an approach to it as is permissible. But suppose, for the moment, that competitive examination would really secure distinction and preference, not o to the highly crammed,' but to the• highly gifted, is it certain that first-rate talent is always most useful and desirable in the public service ? First rate talent there should be, but should all be first rate ? We deny it. Every branch of the public administration is like a carpenter's chest, in which ot there ,de_f, 115,t are fe ca t h e ti osolesls, different o o f r ab differentuses.ox_i u 1 We do not, shapes,of,saw saws, o sizes,l.a bx and want f i u o l n is fo ofgimet ment, and the mallet has its place of utility as ' well as the most finely-edged. tool. As the work ' is of different sorts, so shoul I be the workmen, and if competitive examination should finally fill our offices with men of one caste, no matter how gimlets, chirp, or rp, brad-awls. sometimes S fo o r me a t i b m l e u s nt the in o st e r c u i s: high in talent it may be, it will produce a great practical evil, for they will be servants above much, if not most of the necessary work. ' We have a greet, a sincere respect for the gen. ' Heinen charged with the superintendence of the examinato2s, but nevertheless we are apprehen sive that there is a tendency to requiring too much, doubtless to keep ahead of the corresponding ten dency to cramming. We have heard of cer tein questions with amazement—questions which a man, young or old, should not be expected to answer, and his attempting or pretending to answer wbieli should stamp him as not knowing whit lie was about. But if a c date were asked to squire a circle, be would not venture to plead im possibility, and questions hardly less absurd have ' elicited responses to match, completely satisfying the examiners. We li tve he trd of historical corn prisons challenged, the subjects of which have had ' about ae much in common as a circle and a squire; what is it but befouling a youth to the top of his bent to invite him to strain out an absurd and im possible parallel '? The whole thing is overdone, • and will be more overdone before the correction will be applied to it through the dis - _!overy by the public that it has taken a specious name for a use ful substance. --Examiner. rADVE ANISIIM ENT. 1- SIGET IND REARING - - SPECTACLES POW iRFITI, TELESCOPES OPERA, RACE, AND PERSPECTIVE GLASSES. —S. and B. Solomous, opticians, 39, Albemarle etreet, Piccadilly. Observe—opposite the York Hotel, W By her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for valuable and ex traorditwy improvements iu the most powerful and brilliant Telescopes, Camp, Race-course, Opera, and Perspective Glasses, to know the distances. These Telescopes possess such extraordinary power that some, three and a-half inches, with an extra eye-piece will show distiuctly Jupiter's moons, Saturn's ring, and the double stars ; with the same telescope can be seen a pereou's countenance three-and-a-half miles distant and an object from 16 to 20 miles. For the waist coat-pocket, and are of larger, awl all sizes, with increasing powers accerdinely. The Royal Exhibition, 1851. -A valu able, newly-invented, very small, powerful, Waistcoat-pocket Glass, the size of a walnut, by. which a person can be seen and known one and a-half mile distant. They answer every pur pose on the Race,course and at the Opera-houses. Country scenery and ships are clearly sun at 12 to 14 miles. They are invaluable for shooting, deer-stalking, yachting, to sportsmen, gentlemen, ganiekeepers, and tourists. Opera, C anh, Perspective, and Race-course Glasses, with wonderful powers.—lnvaluable preserving :Spectacle Lenses of the greatest transparent power. '2lle great advantage derived f r om this invention is, that vision impaired becomes pro served and strentthoeed and very acel persons are enabled to employ their sight at the most minnto occupation—can see with tbo:e loniee of a much lass magnify in, . power—and tioy do not require the frequent changes to the dan gerons effects of . furtber powerful assistance. Perseus eau be mired tit the most remote part of the world by send in.: one of the glasses out et their spectacles in a letter, and stating the distince from the eye they can read small print with it, and those who have not made use of spectacles by stating their am Pelfuess.L.New Disco:ory.—The Orgauic Vibrator, an exteaordii arilje powerful, s mall, newly-iuvented instrument for cleatness, entirely differeut from all oth•rs, surpassing anytlung of the kitid that has been, or probably can, be produced. 'Being of the same colour as the skin, is not perceptible. enahleadeaf persons to hear distinctly at churchaml at public assemlkee ; the Unpleasant sensation of singing noises irt, the ears entirely reniov,d, and it affords all the assistance that possibly could be desired.-34. APee -1 marls-street, Piecalilly.--Opposite the York Hotel, W. 1857 _HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK. (From-the Report of the Registrar-General.) After the summer heat, and when the conditions that attend it, and that are so fatal to children, are to some extent removed, London begins to enjoy a period of health in which the mortality is usually lowerthan at any other time of the year except the months of May and June. In conformity with this rule the deaths, which were previously above 1,000, and in July rose above 1,200, fell in the week that ended on Saturday (Sept. 19), to 946. It is further to be observed that, though diarrhoea. continues ta exhibit more than its ordinary degree of prevalence, the health of the population generally appears to be batter than it usually is in the third week of Sep tember, for, if the weekly deaths from cholera at two epidemic seasons be withdrawn from the calcu lation, it will be found that nearly 200 persons sur vived last week, who should have died if the ave rage rate of mortality, as derived from correspond ing weeks in 10 previous years, had prevailed. The number of children born last week exceeded that of persons of all ages who died by 776. The fatal cases of diarrhoea now decline more rapidly, as will be seen from the numbers returned during the last five weeks, which were :-215, 198, 181, 144, and, last week, 111. Only three deaths, two of which were those of children, are referred to cholera ; eight to dysentery. Smallpox was fatal to only two children ; measles to 19, of whom 13 died in the central and east districts ; scarlatina to 39, of whom 26 died in the same districts. The deaths from typhus and common fever are 53. Nineteen persons died of cancer, six of hernia, two of diabetes, 10 women from diseases incidental to childbeariug, one of whom, a young woman of 18, died from puerperal convulsions, in consequence of excessive joy ; a girl of two years died from mumps, a housepainter from painter's colic, a girl who had lived ten years with spina'-bifida, one person from carbuncle, three from delirium tremens, one from intemperance. Two widows died at the ages respec tively of 91 and 92 years, the oldest parsons in the return of the week. Last week the births of 883 boys and 839 girls, in all 1,722 children, were registered in London. In the ten corresponding weeks in the years 1847- 56 the average number was 1,446. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 30 . 041 in. The mean daily reading was above 30 in. on the last five days. The greatest barometric pressure was 30 . 24 in. on Saturday. The mean temperature of the week was 621 deg., which is 5.6 deg. above the average of the same week in 43 years, as deter mined by Mr. Glaisher. The mean temperature was above the average on every day of the week, and on Wednesday and Thursday the excess was about 10 dog. On the latter day the highest point of the thermometer in the shade was attained-- viz., 80/ deg. ; the lowest point was 48.9 deg., and was obtained on Saturday. The whole range of the week was therefore 31.8 deg: The mean dew point temperature was 57.9 deg., and the difference between this and the mean air tempera ture was 4.2 deg. On Thursday the thermo meter in the sun rose to 104.8 deg. The wind was nearly always in the south-west till Fziday after noon, when it changed to north-east. There was rain to the depth of 0.25 in. on Monday ; none on any other day. , MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM AI .L CAUSES REGISTERED IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, SEPT. 19 Zymotic Diseases Diseases of Uncertain Seat Tubercular Diseases Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses 9l Diseases of the Heart and Mood-vessels 2O Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of Respiration Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles Diseases of the Skin, &c. Malformations _ 8 Premature Birth and Debility 26 Atrophy • 5O Old Age Sudden 4 Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance ' 27 Causes not specified DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES Population Deaths in corre- Enumerated. Bponding week 946 Deaths in the 1851. - of 18 . 56. Week West Districts North Districts 490,396 Central Districts 393,256 East Districts 485,522 South Districts Totals BIRTHS IN THE WEEK. Males Females.. Total - • 1,722 From the London Gazette of Last Night BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL, SEPT. 22. The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade and Plantations have received, through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy •f a Despatch from her Majesty's Acting Consul at Madrid, enclosing copies of Spanish Royal Orders altering, as fol lows, the duties upon the importation into Spain of pota toes and sago, starch, sago in grain, of No. 1126, and In dia-robber cloths : • Per quintal. Reals. c. Potato and sago starch . l2 25 Sago in grain, of No. 1,126, imported under foreign flag . Do., imported under national flag 2 10 Indian Rubber cloths of silk, wool, or cotton, imported under foreign flag,- 43 per, cent, ad val. Do., imparted under national flag, 40 per cent. ad val. COMMISSION SIGNED BT THE QUEEN. 2d Royal Lanark Militia—Lieutenant John Akin Dyer, from the sth Royal Elthorne Militia, to be Paymaster. Q )51MISSIONS SIGNED BY LORD-LIEUTENANTS Stewartry of Kirkcudbright—Erskine Douglas Sandford, Esq., to be Deputy-Lieutenant. The GallowAy Rifles—The Hon. Charles Murray Hey Forbes, late Lieutenant of the 95th Regiment, to be Cap tain, vice Barry, resigned. sth, or Royal Elthorne Light Infantry Regiment of Middlesex Militia —The Commission of Ensign denims is cancelled from the Bth September instant. NOTICE TO MARINERS. IRELAND--WEST COAST. Arran Islands' Lights. The port of Dublin Corporation hereby give notice that two new lighthouses have been erected on the Arran Islands, off the west coast of the county of Galway, from which ights Rill be exhibited during the night of the let of December, 1857, and thenceforth will be lighted every night from sunset to sunrise. Specification given of the position and appearance of the Lights, by Mr. Halpin, Superintendent of Lighthouses. Arran Islands North Lighthouse is built on Rock Island, the outermost of the chain, in lat. 53 deg. 8 min. 55 sec. N. and long. 9 (leg. 51 min. 30 sec. west of Greenwich, bearing from Slyne Head South Light, S. b E E., dis tant 20.3 nautical miles; from Skird Rocks, S. b E., dis tant 84 miles; from Loophead, N.E. by N., distant 36 miles. This light will be a revolving light , of the natural ap pearance, giving a bright flash once in every three minutes, and will be visible from seaward between the bearings of W.N. W., round by the westward to N.W. by N. The illuminating apparatus is catadioptric of the first order, its food point 115 feet over the mean level of the sea, and in clear weather the light should be visible at a distance of 16 • _ _ _ The tower is circular, of gray stone colour, 101 feet in height from base to submit ; the top below the lantern sash as ill be painted red, also two horizontal belts will be coloured red, on the tower. Arran Islands South Lighthouse is erected on the south western point of Inisheer, the most southern of the islands in let. 5$ deg. 2 min. 40 sec. N., and long. 9 dog. 31 min. 30 sec. W., it bears f. °ln Blackhead, W. 6 S. distant 14- miles : from Finnis Rock, (of S.E. point of Inisheer), W. b N i N., distant 1.1 miles ; from Loophead, N.E. b E. dial. ant 33 miles. - This light will be a fixed light, visible from seaward between the bearings of S.E. S , round by the southward to W. by S. and having its focal plane 110 feet over the mean level of the saa, should be seen in clear weather within a distance of 15 miles. The illuminating apparatus is catadiopttic of the first order. A strip or sector of red l'ght will be shown in the direction of the Finnic Lock— in all other directions the light will be of the natural ap. earance. The tower is circular, of gray stone colour b e l ow th e projecting gallery, and is 112' feet in height from its base to the top of the dome. From and after the date of exhibition of the new lights, the old light heretofore on the summit of Inish more, or the Great Island, will be discontinued, and the lantern and top of the old lighthouse tower will be re - moved. [Bearings are Magnetic, Vag . . (at the Arran Islands in 1857) 27 deg. W.] Ey order, W. LEES, Secretary. Ballast-office, Dublin, Aug. 27, 1857. BANKRUPTS. James Saunders, miller, Thurlton, to surrender, Oct. 2, at eleven, and Nov. 4, a t t w o, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assi gnee ; Aldridge and Bromley, Gray'E inn ; Copewan and eons, Norfolk. Henry Whittell, boot and shoemaker, LEamingtrn Priors, Warwickshire, Oct. 0, at ten, and Oct. 22, at half past eleven, at the Birmingham District Court, Christie, officialassi4nee, Birminghain ; Poole, 'Kenilworth ; Hodg son and Allen, Birmingham . : William COnyer and Joie ph Conyer, shoddy dealers, Dawsbury, Oct. 9 and 30, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Young, official assignee, Leeds; Scholes and Son, Dewsbury ; Bond and Barwick, Leeds. David John Allen, draper, Carmarthen, Oct. 5, ai d Nov. 3, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court. Acrama. official assignee, Bristol ; Sale, Worthington, and Still man, Manchester; Leman and H um phreys, Bristol. Thomas Biaber Daniell, ii.mmonger ' High-street, Pop lar, Oct. 2at half-past twelve,. and Oct. 27 at 0113, at the Court of BaLkruptcy._ Lee, o fficial assignee, Alderman burr ; Mcss; Moorgate-street. Henry ;Arnold and Henry John Arnold, merc h ant, Uttoseter, Staffordshire, Oct. 5 and 26, at half-past twelve, at the Birmingham District Court. Whitmore, official assignee, Birmingham; Wolby and Flint, 'Ut tom° %or ; James, Birmingham. STATE OP TRADE. MANCHESTER, SEPT. 22. We have bad a quieter market for yarns, and after six weeks' activity the pause, so far as cops and warps are concerned, has been rather marked this morning. Tbere is no quotable change in prices, but spinners are rather easier to deal with, and are not asking the extreme-prices of this day week. The easier feeling applies also to pincop; ;and warps for Germany and bundle yarns for Russia, but in these the demand is quite as good as ever, and the close of the market for Russia is. about three weeks from this renders buyers rather about early de liveries. With the exception of some orders for China, in the better class of 40-inch shirtings, there is a quieter market for clothe. Prices are nominally the same as before, but buyers are induced to withhold their orders, believing that there are symptoms of a drop in the price of cotton, and consequently in the cost of yarn; both for home consumption and shipping, which render it desir able to wait. The cotton market has been flatter for some days past, and the accounts from America seem to indicate with pretty great certainty that the new crop is one which must sooner or later have an influence upon the present high rates. But be that as it may, this opinion is exercising considerable influence with buyers of cloth, and they are consequently keeping back their orders. Messrs. John 514f . ) , ,g and Co. report : " Since Tuesday last the demand for nearly all kinds of goods has fallen off considerably, and we have bad a very quiet market, without change in prices. Almost the only exception to the above has been in 40-inch shirtings, 71b. and upwards, for which there has been since Friday last a good demand, and a fair amount of business has been done in them at full prices." LEEDS, SEPT. 22. The cloth trade of this district continues rather dull, and all parties are apparently exercising the greatest caution. There was not a large attendance at the cloth halls this morning, and the transactions, which were principally confined to seasonable materials, were only upon a limited scale. HUDDERSFIELD, SEPT. 22. A fair business was transacted in the cloth-ball this morning, and the warehouses are doing a tolerably steady trade. A good number of buyers from London and, other places are in the town. The arrival of the Canal bia is reported to have caused some improvement. For steel mixtures and low goods generally there are nume rous inquiries. In wool prices are sustained, but the demand is limited. Country Markets. LIVERPOOL-SEPT. 22. To-day wo had a limited attendance, and small choice of samples, and consequently a moderate extent of trans actions. To effect sales of foreign wheat a decline of about 4,1 per 701bs had to be submitted to from the rates of Tuesday last, whilst Irish new, which was in abundant supply, could not be moved, though offers of 6d to 8d per bushel reduction would have been entertained. Flour did not follow wheat, and was only about 6d per sack and bd. lower. Indian corn supported late rates, with a fair de mand. Oats and oatmeal slow of sale. Barley, beans, and peas unchanged, with tolerable sale. HULL- SEPT. 22. We had a small supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which met free sale at about 2s decline on last Tuesday's rates- Foreign of fine quality sells at about is drop. Anything inferior unsaleable. Oats scarce. Beans and peas a ready sale. The supplies of linseed less liberal and held firmly Cakes in good demand. First qtfalities of Hull-made held firmly at 11/. per ton; and 5s to 108 higher for delivery TIP to December. Wheat, English red, sls to 58s ; white 6Cs to 63s • oats, ' 29s to 32s ; barley, 408 to 46s ; India n co rn , 39 a • linseed cakes; Hull, ill Os to —1 —s Od; ditt o , f ore i gn , 8/ 15s to 10110 s ; rape cakes, 6/ 5a Od to 61 108 ; guano, 8/. to 151. ; bones, 140 s Od.; flour, —s to ---s; tares, —s to —s. LEEDS-SEPT. 22. We have fair supplies of wheat : the late fine weather and dull report from Mark-lane cause us to hare a very slow trade, and best qualities of wheat have declined 1. 0 from Friday's rates • damp qualities still lower. Barley in rather better supply, and late prices supported. Beaus and other articles unchanged. NE WCASTLE-SEPT. 22, •We have a large Supply of wheat offering this morn' ing, and the market rules slow, at 2s per qr. decline froth last Saturday. Foreign unL , alhable. Flour 2s per sack lower. Oats in small _supply, and bring full prices' Barley unaltered. COURSE OF EXCHANGE.-YESTERDAT. Imsterdam •••••••• • • • • 11 16 Gibraltar •• .• •• •• Ditto, three months •• 11 19't Leghorn .. •• •• •• •• 3 0 Rotterdam •• •• •• •• •• •• 11 Is% Genoa •••••••••• •• •• Antwerp •• •• •• •• •• •• •• 25 40 1411 an „. •• •• •• •• •• Brussels •••••••••• •• •• 25 41 Venice................—, •••• •• •• •• aaruburoi •• •• •• •• •••• 13 8k Naples •• •• 42N1 Altona •• •• .• •• •• •• •• •• Palermo •••• •••••• •• •• 27 25 25 Messinal 127% Do. three months .. 25 61% Lisbon Bfaneillu •• •••••• •• 25 62% Oporto •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• t 3 Bourdeaux .. Rio Janeiro Ftanktort-on-Maine .... 119 • Buenos Ayres.. .• • • New York,6o days' sight • Vtenua.. .• • • 10 35 Philadelphia triesto— .• ••••••• •• •• 10 36 rams OP OULLION, PEE oz: Petersburg 36% Foreign Gold in Bars £3 17 9 tiadrid ..• •• •• •• •..• •• 49% Portugal Gpld Coin • • 0 0 0 Cadiz ......... • • . 50 %lexicon Dollars 0 5 1 Barcelona •• •....• •. .. •• New Dollars ...... 0 0 0 Seville •• • • .. •• . .. Silver in bars ...... 0 5 1% LOCAL SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 22. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The transactions in this market in the leading stocks are dull, and prices have declined. —London and Ni.rth-Westerns, 96—Caledonian, 42 it —Great Western of Canada, 204—Midland; 804 8 0 " London and North Western, -Eighths, new, dis.—Lan" cashire and Yorkshire, 968--North Eastern, Berwick, 23-- Eastern Counties, 11.8.9.--Dutch Rhenish, ; - ij dig; Grand Trunk of Canada, Hi—Ditto 6 per Cent. Debs, 64 —South Eastern, 19 x d—Shefaelds, 404 4—North British, 12i—Great Western, 54i. MANCHESTER, SEPT. 22. 'STOCK. EXCHANGE.—The market was inactive to-dal , and prices rather easier. Eastern Counties, 11 7-16; —Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, 40g—Ditto, new 3 S per cent., 65—Dovers, 19 13-16—Great Luxembourg, 7":„; ---East Lancashire, 9 4 —Grand Trunk of Canada, 1 3 - 1 —London and North Westerns, 97g --Midland, 80i -- ; Leeds, 96—Preston and Wyre, 43i—Great W es tern 0 1 Canada, now, d. BIRMINGHAM, SEPT. 22. STOCK EXCHANGE. —The market to-day has again been lower. London and North Western, 96i—Ditto, Btbs, 18s 9d die. —Great Western, Birmingham Pref., at Bristol and Birminghams at 132. DEMAND FOR FEMALE CONVIOTS.—The following re solution was adopted at a meeting at Fremantle, held on May 23d :—" That from the great disproportion of the sexes in Western Australia, causing doubtless not 001 much present immorality amongst the penal population , but, if allowed to exist, entailing still greater and opal horrors in future years, it is the opinion of this meeting , after seven years' experience of the working of met a transportation, that the objects of general indu s try wool' be promoted, and the growth of good morals through' out the colony be advanced, should a limited importation of selected female convicts annually take place." 18 " memorial based upon this resolution was presented t 0 the Governor.— West Australian Gazette. AN ATLAS GRATIS WITH MR DISPATCH On and after Sun' day, Oct. 4th, 1857, each copy of the Dispatch will be ac companied with a Coloured Map, a Chart, or the Plan of Principal Town,so as to furnish to each subscriber, gratis, mosteomprehensive, complete, and useful Atlas. The size of the engravings will be that of one page of the newspaper, maps and two plans, in each year, will be of double the biz. It is hoped, in the course of a short time, that the Dispatch Atlas will contain more names and positions of places than any other publication of the kind. The counties will b e , given separately, and, wh en l argo, di v id e d . W i thin th e lire' four months, India will e more accurately and completely delineated, in a series of nine maps, than in any British Atlas. The names of the artists will be the best guarantee for perfect accuracy. The engravings will be in the highest style of art, involving a cost of many thousands of pounds. Mechanics' Institutes, Educa ional Establishments, Hotels* Reading-rooms, and Coffee-houses will, in p sseksing the Dispatch Atlas, be supplied with a daily want. The Dispatch Atlas will bo forwared gratis, with the paper, at the usual , price —sd. per copy, or 6d. stamped. The Friday Evening Edition may be received in the most distant parts of the kingdom on Saturday morning.—Office, 139, Fleet-street, London. BIRTHS. OP A BON. On the 22d inst., at 14, Finsbury-place south, the wife of Charles Hogg, F.R.C.S. On the 21st inst., at Ellorslie, Great Malvern, the Wif e of Henry Allsopp, Esq. Of A DAUGETEI4; On the 20th inst., at Kenfield House, Edinburgh, the wife of John M`Neill, Esq., of Ardnaeress. On the 22J inst.; at Streatham, the wife of Charles 4• Fearon, Esq. MARRIED. On the 19th inst., at St. Ann's, Kew-groen, George J. BlTotnbie, Esq., of Aldermanbury, city, and Nelson square, Blackfriars-road, to Selina , third daughter of Jno. Smith, Esq., City - road. atSt. co. Mary's, Newingt on , Thomas Down, t o R u th, the m , O L n ei t .o h t e h , 19 E t 8 h q s o t f . , Killynother, youngest daughter of Mr. John Hulbut, of Newington, Surrey. DIEN Oa the 214 inst., at Westminster, Aim Elizabet h Farrer, aged 91. . . . On the 20th inst., at Albion-street, Hyde-park, Jan e ' Lady Andeison ' widow of th e l a t e Si r J ames E . A n der ion, M. u., aged 62. On tho iOdt inst., Richard Prest, Esq., of Manchwter , aged 80. On the 19th inst., Charles Martyr, Esq., of 12, CaS ll . ; dish- ,, lxt, St. John's-wood,' and late of Cannon-street Iv aged 66 on am 19th inst., at Stoko Talmage, Oxfordshire, the itev. C. L. Kerby, rector, and vicar of Baropton, in the sawn county, aged 93, On the 11th inst., at 2, Cottage.road, Harrow-roa d ' Lieutenant• Colonel J. Harris, late of 11.M.'s 24t,h Fe°' aged 75. LONDON : Printed and Published by 3117 P-DO YOUN CII of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, 14 ?, 112, Strand, in tho Precinct of the Savoy, in the coun t ' of Middlesex, Wednesday, September 23, 185/. G ton, 16 Septet on Fr Static and 4 6d. an bury, Bs.; and CI 12s. 6 offices 'Cr Liver A 7 2.. m„ stage) Os. 6 ilirke 155.; ton, 2 21s. 6 Fm Man, medif Comp Pm at vei Art T 37, C and 2 61, K now I 1.-1 2.-1. Tho 137,9 Boi invol, Th from for ti Annu Th went above and the I rcad3 suPP I port, as sb 3nonl earn Th Lion i Sarni) Ceive botic but ii point Offer props kv a res tend( tract R