The Sun. — London, England, 1857-12-31 00:00:00

THE STATE OP DELHI. The following are extracts from a very interest lug private letter, dated Delhi Palace, Nov. 16 : " We are here to accompany a column about to march down country to convey tents and carriage to Cawnpore for the Commander-in-Chief and troops from England, now reaching Cawnpore in numbers. No date is yet fixed for the column leaving this ; in the meanwhile a grand sale is taking place of the captured booty of Delhi, and a wonderful and rare sight it is to see all the collected things—the spoils of a sacked Palace and city ! We left . . . at Dins o'clock at night, and it was strange to find our selves driving by starlight along the Delhi road, which is as safe now as an English lane ! We slept calmly on the way, but roused at dawn to watch the battlefield of the Hindon (where General A. Wilson distinguished himself), and shortly came in sight of shattered Delhi. What a memorable sight r Every wall or bastion that faced our camp is in almost shapeless ruin, while the white m a rbl e pavilions of the palace rise unharmed along the .J . umna bank. "In one of those live the There is no describing the beauty and quaintness of their rooms. I long for photographs to send home. They are all of ialaid marble, with semianabs pitched in the asnanah courts between ; but all around speaks of awful war—the rows on rows of captured guns— the groups of English soldiers at every post ; and not English only, for our brave defenders the Ghoorkas, Sikhs, and Cabulees mingle among them. A strange army, indeed, with not a trace of pipe clay ! It is a frightful drive from the Palace to the Cashmere-gate—every house rent, riven, and tot tering ; the church battered, and piles of rubbish on every side. Alas ! the burnt houses and de serted shops ! Desolate Delhi ! and yet we are told it is clearing and much improved since the storming of the place. It has only as yet a hand ful of inhabitants in its great street, the Chandnee Choke, who are all Hindoos, I believe. Many mis-e rable wretches prowl through the outside of the city begging admission at the various gates, but none are admitted whose respectability cannot be vouched for. Cartloads of ball are being daily dug from the Moirie Bastion, now a shapeless battered mass. The mutineers are collected in Oude in formidable masses. Most of them are represented as hopeless, and aware that they are only assembling there to die. After Oude there will ensue a Itohilcund campaign. There will be ample work for everyone whom mother England has sent out : but it is a triumph of the great Anglo-Saxon race that so much has been accomplished before the reinforce ments came by India's Army of Heroes, " few, but undismayed. The finger of God is in deed traceable in the taking of Delhi. LA no man at home dare to underrate the work, or talk of the delay of it; accomplishment. It was a daring, fearful undertaking for oar small army, against such a city of endless fortification and so very numerous au enemy. Had not God been on ourside, that vast army of mutineers could never have been driven front such a stronghold. Great perils may attend the passage of the column we are to accompany. It may possibly meet bodies of mutineers on the road in sufficient numbers to at tack us, and we may find ourselves in the midst of a battle ; but, as ladits are to be permitted to go under its escort, it is of course hoped that the road will not be impeded. Many unusual precautions will have to be taken, no tents or servants can be sent on over night (as in peaceful times) to await our arrival in the morning ; but we must carry one small tent only, which cannot be struck till we are about to march with it ourselves. All must keep close together ; there would else be certain harm frcm armed thieves. I fear we may lose some of our baggage, but we shall arrange and hope for the best. Some artillery go with us and same Carabi neers, and a party' of the Sikh Guides, and a Pun jabee Ressalah is expected in time to more with uR. Most of the neighbouring Nawabs have been brought in captive. Some are criminated beyond dout.t, others have only been very discreditably neutral. We have seen the captive king and royal family— they are in ruinous little rooms in one of the gates of the Palace. The old king looks very frail. He is too old to be responsible for anything that has been done. With his sons much more guilt may lie ; some have been shot, and some are yet untaken. The youngest son we saw looking like 15, they say 18, bold and coarse to look at. He is the only child of the Queen. With her some of our ladies have bad a long interview ; they found her seatcil on a common charpoy (bedstead), dress-d in white cotton clothes, with few and very trilling or-a ments--all her grand things having been taken from her. She is 'described as short and stout, above 30 years of age, with a round, animated face, not at all pretty but having very pretty little plump hands ; she was cutting betelnut to eat with her pawn. Some 30 females, relatives and menials, surrounded her. She professes the utmost horror of the 3d Cavalry, to whom she traces all ber mis fortunes. She says the King was helpless to con trot them, and that when their arrival had placed Delhi in rebellion against us they were as ready to rob her as any one else. She says the mutineers did rob the palace, and that all her jewels were only saved by being buried. She does not seem to blame us for their present captivity ; she under stands the necessity for inquiring into guilty or ii.- nocent parties; but she did not seem to as,ert the King's innocence as much as her own. She said he had been in the hands of bad people. There ap peared to be frightful rivalries among the women ; it is said she criminated the sons of the former wives, she being the last. Her sister is represented as much better looking than herself, and has a daughter of 13 married to the King's youngest sin already mentioned, and reputed very beautiful. Our ladies describe her as having superb large aye and a most beautiful little mouth, but her face .otherwise too flat and full. Some of the women told them they had Lad English women and chil dren in the Palace after the massacre, in hope of preserving them, but the mutineers demanded them and could not be resisted. They sly the Sepoys complained that the King was feeding English women daintily, while he only gave them gram for food. Haven knows if the Royal Family be clean in heart or hand or not. I say nothing sentimental about them, but pity them. Their religion is quite enough to excite our pity, and if they have been abettors of murders they ought to be pitied for their sins. If they are, as they say, innoceet of any share in the rebellion, they are victims in d- ed. " I trust all. examinations may be judiciously and fa'rly conducted. Mr. —is an excellent man—most upright and indefat gable in discover ing truth, and withal most tender-hearted. He will not spare ti)e gnilty, nor indict suffering on the innocent. But I must pauso. The following lettAr from au officer affords a re markaVe illustration of one of the greatest of In Ilan difficulties—the low moral state and help lessness of the people, and especially of the Ben galees • " October 20. " I am sure, if anything is dispiriting it is the work have in hand just now in collecting carriage for the troops which are every day arriving. The eternal shifts and evasions of the zeminflars, of the cart drivers, of the contractors, lead to c - mstant disappointment; and were it not that I begin to think that one must make up one's mind to a repe tition of the satne kind of semi-demi success through out life, at least in India, why I should be thoroughly disgusted. " Anywhere else high wages and regular payment would bring the carriage in of itself. Here it only makes the matter more complicated, as you have to take the greater procauliens t 3 insure the strict fulfilment of your conditions, and no one will be lieve that you can insure it. The very police roe all engaged in defeating your object. They have actually so terrified the owners of carts that no one can undertake a contract to provide carts until he has secured the interests of the darogah by agree ing, of course, to pay a per centa go on th e pro fi ts . Then, again, the amlih or officers of my court used formerly to have the real c irection of these sort of contracts ; and because Government is now at tempting to do away with impressment, in which lay their enormous profits, I cannot get the slight es t assistance fro m them. n the contrary, tLey in trigue right and left to prevent parties front coining to a settlement with me. Thus I have had one con tractor after another slip through my fingers for no apparent reason ; in fact, while consenting he re fuse.. I have just now lost a couple of hours in answering a sudden complication' between an agent of mine andone of a neighbouring officer, who are fighting with each other and doing their best to em broil us together ; and here is another who posi tively declares that unless I give him the aid of the police cannot secure a singl e g b ary. I know well enough what that probably means—vi z , that he wants an order for impressment, which would be a Small fortune to him. If I refuse I ri-k the loss of his aid altogether, as the chances we he'll throw up, in the certainty that before long!. must take to im pressment." A CHILD SCALDED TO DEATH. --Ye terday Mr. W m. Carter, the Surrey coroner, held au invest on the bcdy of Arthur Rivers, aged 3 years and 10 months. lA, b parents lived in Thomas-place, Lambeth. On Chii t , na, day a nurse, who was attending the mother, placed a kettle of boilirg water upon the table, from which the child drank, and although medical aid was promptly ob tains), he lived only 25 hours. The jury having return( d a verdict of accidental death, the coroner said parents should never allow children to drink out of either teapo's cr kettles, whether the water contained therein was hot or cold, fur if they were allowed to drink from such ves sels when the water was cold they were apt to make a mistake, and drink the water when hot. ST. JAMES'S PALACE. (Prom. the Tim ea ) There are two parties to all pomps, c-remonials, and State exhibitions—those that are seen and those that see. The latter party, we believe, takes as warm an interest in these scenes as ever. The world of spectators still loves ceremonial dearly, and keeps the sacred flame alive. To this day nine-tenths of the English public will willingly undergo a kind of martyrdom in the process. There are no inconveniences and fatigues too great for them ; hours and hours will they wait in slow ex pectation ; they will stand counting the minutes till their legs s lmost give way, all to see a pageant of some 20 minutes. But, while the outside party keeps up its full interest in the scene, the inside party is rather losing it. Those who form the spectacle care a good deal less about it than the spectators. Why should they ? "It is only our noble selves that are exhibiting, with whom we are tolerably familiar. You and lof the same set are very poor heroes to each other. We see or may see each other most days. We see nothing parti cularly wonderful in each other. We are a very poor ceremonial, then, to each other." Such is the cold reasoning of modern times. How different from the glowing atmosphere of a golden ceremo nial in Froissart, where majestic heralds precede rows of prim knights with pointed shoon, who step daintily before rows of demure, white-robed, au burn-haired damsels, who precede awful crowned personages, walking solemnly beneath canopies of cloth of gold, supported by officers of State, and shaded by pennons and insignia ! Are they in different to the scene and to their own position in it—those prim knights, those auburn-haired maidens, and those august personages in crowns ? What set ene enjoyment, what balmy satisfaction is expressed in their looks—what serious sympathy with the pageant and appreciation of its deep reality ! What a ceremonial elysium are they in How sadly have the present elements of spectacles degenerated and cooled down ! These occasions have actually now come to bs considered rather as bores ; they are hurried, curtailed, squeezed, abridged, jammed up into corners, hemmed in at the. aides, boxed in all round, boarded over, ro)fed in ; tbey are twisted about ant split into sections to suit local angularities ; and, finally, they are got over as soon as possible, and almost before the lucky spectator has got his glimpse of the scene through a crack in the timber. The marriage of the Princess Royal is to be celebrated in the Chapel Royal. The precedent of a century is iu favour of this, but such a precedent is more honoured in the breach than in the ob servance. It was ineeed always protested against. Lord Hervey finds all kinds of fault with this choice in the case of the marriage of the Princess Royal of his day—the daughter of George 11., the lady from whose name Sir Cornewall Lewis began the line of precedents wnich inaugurated his Annuity Bill. Lord Hervey, we say, notices with much humour the difficulties and awkwardness of St. James's as the scene of such a ceremonial—awkwarduesses which were increased on the occasion of her present Majesty's marriage, when so much more national interest was excited, and when the numbers whose loyalty wished to be accommodated with a sight of the ceremonial was so much greater. The Chapel Royal cannot, in fact, hold much more than 200 persons properly, though we are told that the temporary gallery is to hold 200, minus the hoops of the ladie., which are to be left behind, in con sideration of the appalling squeeze prepared for them. With the exception, then, of the Royal personages themselves and their suites, and th foreign guests, literally nobody will s. e the actual ceremony of the marriage. We might know this by measurement, even if we had not been told by authority that the Chapel Royal will be almost filled by the suites of the Queen, the Princess Royal, and the bridegroom, and the royal guests that have been invited to this great gathering." The Chapel will not, indeed, hold nearly all even of the Royal guests, who, we are infom-d, are to fill three hotels in Sr. James's-street ; and as for Eng lish faces, what room there will be for them is easily inferred. So much for the actual ceremony of the marriage, which it would appear no Englishman who is not in a suite is to see. But, besides the cere mony of the marriage, we are to have " three dis tinct processions—" t hat of the Queen as Sovereian. —that of the Bride, and that of the Royal Bride groom." How and by whom are these processions to be seen ? The narrow intricacies of St. James's are fatal to the effect of processions ; they will be cut into fragments, one part will be lost in one cor ner while the other is emerging from another. And even thus spoiled, how many wilt see them I We are told that seats will beerected in the area where the band plays to accommodate five or six hundred persons ; that a gallery will be erected on the stair case in the area leading to the front of the Chapel to hold two hundred persons ; that seats will be provided near the corridor where her Majesty will alight; and that in all some fifteen hundred per sons will be able to see the processions. Fifteen kundred ! What a nualur ! And that only to se• the bare externals of the scene ! Fifteen hundred to be all that are even to have outside places ! Fif teen hundred out of all England ! As for the in side and kernel of the cereinouial—that, as we have said, not a single Englishman who is not in one of the suites will see. Now pomps and processions may, as we say, be great nuisances to those who compose them ; it may be true that in this 19th century persons have no great taste for walking solemnly in full costume in the presence of thousands of spectators riveting all eyes—it may be true that the Eng lish taste especially is not at all for this sort of thing—i. e , for composing a ceremonial ; still the world of spectators is to be regarded, we think, ou these occasions as well as the great world that is looked at and that constitutes the rageant. The world at large still likes a pageant, and in the capacity of lookers-on we have by no means lost our taste for these exhibitions. Why not, then, show a little more liberality and indulgence to the natural wish of the public for a sight of the cere monial connected with this Royal marriage 1 Why cram the ceremonial of the marriage itself into a chapel which does not properly hold more than 200, though by a porteirous squetze, and at the cost of treasures of millinery, you may fill it up to the extent of another hundred or more? Why select for the p occasions that knot of small courts, corners, and angles which composes St. James's Palace, which is about the most unsuitable and uncongenial scene for a procession that cJuld be found in London ? Why conduct these cet e monials as if we were ashamed of them, as if '• we wanted nobody to see us." Tha marriage of the Princess Royal of England is a national event ; why should it not be celebrated as such, and the two bands be joined tope her, as far as can be, i n the sight of the country 1 Why not celebrate it in that edifice which is so associated with the h;story of English Royalty, which witnesses the crowning of our Kings and Queens, and which it spires such deep national rtcollections and display's such me morials of English glory—in Westminster AbF ey ? In that interior thousands, instead of hundreds, could see the actual cei etuony of the marriage. That would be a great improvement. But, besides the thousands which c Aild be accommodated in the Abbey, tens of thousands would line the road which would conduct the processions from the Palace to the Abbey. That would indeed be a national scene. As it is, it looks as if the whole ceremonial were shut up in a box. The very journal which authoritatively gives us the pro graseme is driven to that melancholy test of grandeur and sublimity which consists in the 'number of disappointments, the quantity of persons who might naturally have expected places at the ceremonial but who will not get them. Our contemporary enlarges with some gusto upon this huge, dark mass of disappointment, upon the deep, hoarse murmuts, of an excluded crowd, as if the black shadow threw by contrast an addi tional glory and brightness upon the rich scene itself. We are told that "never was Lord Cham berlain or Chief Commissioner of Works made so much of as at the present time," and that "as much interest is made for seats, especially by ladies, as would under ordinary circumstances procure capital official appointments." Our contemporary dwells almost with fondness upon " the d-af ear to the voice of the charmers" of the Lord Chamberlain, who upon this occasion sustains such a siege as was never known before in the anna!s of pageantry, and who from all accounts ought to be a very Brutus and a perfect hero of moral courage to get through his difficulties and sustain the assaults upon his con science. All this may give immense importance to the occasion, still it is not an agre'3able mode of giving importance to it. It would be better that, as far as practicable, the sense of the grandeur of the scene should arise from seeing it than trout not seeing it, and that a Royal marriage should be associated with pleasure rather than disappoint meat. CHRISTMAS WEATHER IN THE NORTH.—The weather on the north-7tast coast curing the Christmas hulidays has been the most remarkable ever remembered by the oldest inhabitants. Old seamen and fishermen who have spent their lives on the North Sea have no rec. liection of such a long §‘ spell" of open sunny weather at a Christmas as we have experienced tbis year. The lutae bushe s are out in bloom on the bents upon the Nor thumberland coast, and daisies, primroses, and other spring flowers may be seen peep* from the ground. On Christmas-day numerous parties were observed bath ing in the sea near Cuileroats and Tynemouth ; and to notice a person walking with a top coat on was some thing remarkable on that day. Tho mild weather and the general depression of trade are very much affecting the coal trade. Above 200 vessel.' generally employed in the Lyndon coal trade are laid• ny in Um Tine. TJIE SON, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENINO, DECEMBER 31, 1857. AN AUSTRALIAN VIEW' OF THE BALLOT QUESTION IN ENGLAND, (From the Melbourne Argus.) A favourite argument against the adoption of secret voting in England is based ou the theory that the suffrage is a trust, not aright or privilege, of the individual voter. It is maintained that the exercise of this trust, like any other trust, ought to be always open to control. This is a dogma on which Lord J. Russell bases much of his opposi tion to the ballot, and with him it is no novelty. He has always stoutly combated the opposite opinion as a dangerous heresy in constitutional doc trine. He compares the power of the electors to the power of the executive and the power of the judge, and insists that, according to the British constitution, all are to be subjected to the control of public opinion in the exercise of the powers con ferred upon them. But does a man vote more conscientiously because he votes openly ?—and if he votes according to his conscientious convictions, how does he vote wrongly ? The comparison em ployed by Lord John to illustrate his meaning proves that he does not regard all the sides of the question. Public opinion, may indeed, prevent the palpable abuse of the suffrage, and control the voter who, unchecked, would vote against h . s real opinions, from motives of interest, of hatred, or of private friendship, just as it may prevent similar abuses on the judicial bench. When the liberal elector votes for the liberal candidate, and the con servative voter for the conservative can lidate, public opinion cannot, and if it could, ought not, be of any avail. If the suffrage be a trust, which of these voters bas committed a breach of that trust ? For whose benefit is tke trust to be exercised ? Lord John answers, for the benefit of those who have no voice in the representation. He con ceives that this theory is inapplicable iti a cons'itu tion under which manhood suffrage prevails. Yet even un ler such a constitution women and minors are unrepresented. Are their interests to be dis regarded, and their existence altogether ignored 1 Sarely, if the power of voting be a trust because a certain poet of the male adult population is ex cluded from the enjoyment of it, it must continue to be equally a trust while any individuals, of any age or sex, are excluded. A Mahomedan, or an aboriginal Australian, might consistently enough hold the contrary opinion ; but it certainly is not the theory of a free constitutional government. In fact, the suffrage is in no sense a trust at all. It is a right in the individual, to be exercised by him as all the other rights which he possesses are to be exercised, so long as he remains a member of a social community, with a view to the interest of others as well as of himself. Doubtless there is a duty attached to it, as there is a duty attached to the ownership of property, or to hi , h intellectual gifts ; but it is merely the duty of acting conscien tiously. One mau votes for, and auother against, a candidate, each in his conscience believing him self to be right. Both have performed their duty, both have exercised the power conferred upon them with uprightness and honesty. Neither is justly amenable to public censure for the manner in which he has voted. But of two diametrically opposite opinions one must be incorrect. If one is beneficial to the public, the other must be, if not injurious, at least neutral. Clearly, there fore, one of our supposed voters has employei his suffrage in a way which is not beneficial, and there fore erroneous. To call his conduct, however, a breach of trust is a misapplication of language. If he is to be guided by public opinion, the turncoat who votes always with the majority would always be in the right, and the conscientious opponent of a popular measure always in the wrong. In truth, the inconsistencies and absurdities to which the doctr'ne that the suffrage is anything like a trust must lead are almost endless. If, on the contrary, it is regarded in its true character of a political right, the theory of representation becomes intelli gible, and what is more to our present purpose a mein argument of the opponents of secret voting falls to the ground. The last ground on which Lord John Russell rests his opposition is, the aversion of the British public. It must be conceded thati this assumption is based on a more solid foundaSion than his other argumen's. A very large section, and that the moat influential of the entire nation, feels a re pugnance to alter the system of open voting. Many causes contribute to this result. John Bull's notorious reluctance to change his habits, until they become altogether unsuited to him, throws difficulties and delays in the way of any constitu tional changes fur which there is not au imperative necessity. The numerous class who at present ins fluence elections, doggedly oppose a change which threatens to destroy the foundations of th-ir power ; when to these are added the great body-of men who do not think at all, but are led by thenon sensicel claptrap that secret voting is cow4rdly and un-English, the apparent unpopulai icy of the ballot is sufficiently accounted for. That the popular opinion has not yet set in steadily in its favour is ev dent from the tone still preserved by the Times. That unfailing index of the general feelings of the day scoffs at the topic with cool contempt, as an unpractic,l speculation, not fitted to be carried out. Nevertheless, indications are not wanting that the under current is flowing slowly, but uninterruptedly, forward. As it has frequently happened in English history, a political change is being ripened outside of the walls of the House of Commons. The people will lead their representa tives. Candidates who avow their predilection for secret voting are more frequently returned than was the case a few years back. If a man of more than ordinary intelligence offers himself to a con stituency, in two cases out of three he is an advo cate of the ballot. Nor is the favour with which the " unadorned eloquence" of our own clear-headed politician, Mr. Nicholson, has been received, with out significance. His statements of how the system has opersted amongst us here have not been with out weight with the English mind, ever most desirous of knowing how a thing will " work." We are not annoyed nor surprised at the contempt with which the Commons treat the proceedings and experienc of the colonies, so long as tbdy do not rebel. The swell membsr of Leech's clever sketch, who complains, with the a's- of an extremely ill used man, that the colonies ought t., be satisfied when Australian won the Derby, is hardly a carica ture. Lord John Rus,ell and Sir George Le Nis refer to this colony mush as a veteran sportsman might speak of the fox hunting experiences of a schoolboy ; but we mistake greatly if the same feel ing finds much favour amongst the intelligent thinkers without the house. The science of poll ics may be learnt equally in a small and iu a large community, and scholars will not forget that our most valuable lessons are derived from the experi ences of the petty states of Greece and of Italy, and that the wisest of statesmen may draw profitable knowledge from the pages of Thucydides and Aristotle, who wrote of nations numerically as small as our own, and with territories far less extended. The working of the system, as developed in France, receivei little morc attention in the de bate to which we have been referring. Probably this reserve might have been dictated by motives of prudence ; it would not be altogether con venient to discuss in the House of Commons so delicate a subject as Ole internal affairs of that country. Nevertheless accurate observers look to the ballot as the means by which France will eventually extricate herself from the thraldom under which her liberties now lie oppressed. RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS. LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERA RAlLWAY.—Traffie re turn for the week ending Dec. 26, 1857 .219,157 1 6 Corresponding week last year Increase in 1857 LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.— Traffic return for the week ending Dec. 26, 1857 Corresponding weak last year 12,752 2 9 Total of the half-year to this date, 1857 42 ~ 861 2 Total of the half-year to this date, 1856 423,738 18 11 GREAT NORTHERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for the week ending Dec. 20, 1857 Corresponding week last year 2 1,855 1 0 LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAlLWAY.—Traffic re turn for the week ending . I )ee. 27, 1857 £+B,';s7 14 G Colresponding week last year 22,609 1 8 . - - LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for the week ending Dec. 27, 1857 E 56,288 0 0 Corresponding week last year CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for the:week ending Dec. 27, 1857 .. £4,127 0 0 Corresponding week last year 4,393 0 0 Tue PROJECTED IMPROVEMENTS IN PARIS.— The following are the items of the intended PariA improve ments :-1. Building a set of roads (chausees) aid boulevards, which, branching of from the railway ter minus, will unite all the districts of the town and divide it, as it were, like the squares of a chess-board ; the streets to be embellished in succession. 2. Improvement of the sanitary condition of Paris, by the leading of pure water into all the stories of houses, and a p. eeet sewags of the streets. 3. A new organisation of the interna' communicat'ons, which, although it will not reach the regularity of a railway traffi.-, will still afford grea alleviation to the overcrowded streets. The continua tion of the railway up to the markets (Italics), the completion of the circular railway line around Paris, on the left bank of the Seine, the util zation of this line, and the chief market terminus for the transport of tra vellers, and especially the conveying of the workingmen over the whole extent of the line to their often distant dwellings, is among the chief items of this grand plan. To this is to be added the removing of the ectroi stations (tollbar.) to the external fortifications, the transferring of the huspitsl beyond the centre of the town, and th., ensrgetio exertions at the workmen's habitation..—/Utts trated Inventor. TEE ART TREASURES EXHIBITION. The Manchester Town-council having, as already reporte 1 in these columns, unanimously passed a resolution of thanks to the executive committee of the late Art Treasures Exhibition for their able and arduous services in the management, the presen tation of this testimonial on behalf of the corpora tion took place yesterday afternoon in the Mayor's Parlour at the Town-hall. A dejeuner was pro vided by the Mayor, Mr. , Ivie Mackie, at which were present eighty gentlemen, includ ing, besides the members of the Executive Committee, Sir J. Potter, M. P., Mr. Ku-slimy, M.P., Mr. J. Pender, Sir J. Watts, and the mem bers of the Town Council. After the toastsof "The Queen," and the "Prince Consort," The MAYOR rose, amid loud cheering, to propose the " Health of the Art Treasures Exhibition Com mittee." He said this meeting was for the purpose of paying a deserved compliment to gentlemen who had been most ably and zealously concerned in a work of great national importance. (Hear.) At a meeting of the town-council held last Wednesday a resolution was unanimously passed—proposed by Mr. Rumney, and seconded by Mr. Rawson, in speeches which did credit to themselves as well as to those in whose honour they were intended— (cheers)—which resolution he should read, as it would explain better than anything he could say the thoughts to which he was desirous to give ut terance. It was as follows : " That this council is deeply impressed with the great advantages conferred upon this city and tha community at large by the recent Exhibition of Art Treasures of the United Kingdom, an exhibition of works of art unrivalled in magnitude and value, the examination and study of which were eminently calcuated to improve the know ledge and elevate the taste of all visitors, and, by brining together different classes not accustomed to associate, to promote goodwill and kindly feeling among all sections of the people. _ _ _ "`that gratefully acknowledging the munificent liberality , with which the heavy expeeses to be incurred were origi nally guaranteed ; as also the noble manner in which the applications made for the ban of works of art were re sponded to by the contributors, this council feels called upon, as representing, and on behalf of, the citizens of Manchester, in an especial manner to tender its most sin cere and cordial thanks to Thomas Fairbairn, Eaq„ the chairman, Sir James Watts, and Thomas Ashton, William Entwistle, Joseph Heron, Edmund Potter, and Sigismond James Stern, Esqrs., the members of the executive com mittee, for their disinterested and ardtmas labours ; for the untiring and unremitting attention which during so lengthened a period they devoted to the undertaking ; for the judgment and ability which characterised all theirpro ceedings and arrangements, and which so largely contri buted to render completely successful the most memorable exhibitio❑ of modern times, conferring lasting fame and honour upon the city in which it has been held." (Cheers.) Anything he could say would only tend t weaken very much the force of these expressions. He need not say that he concurred entirely with every sentence of tuatresolution. Thegreat amount of time which he was aware had been devoted to the management of the Exhibition by thegeritlernen who now sat on his right hand was not sufficiently known to many members of the community. No one could gainsay what a serious thing it was for gentlemen c mcerned in the management of exten sive business to withdraw from it so large a portion of time for a public undertaking. It had been said that in Manchester people had no taste for anything except for cotton and money, but this Art Treasures Exhibition bad shown, at all events, that although they had a great taste for money, and wire tole rably successful in the indulgence of that predilec tion—(hear, and laughter)—they did not regard money as "the end of all things." (Hear, hear, and cheers.) They had never been backward in the pro motion of great public benefits, and they had given sufficient manifestation of their interest in the at tainment of commercial freedom and the insurance of cheap bread to all classes of the community. (Cheers.) It used to be said that in the town of Man chester there was a conspicuous want of architectu ral taste, but he was glad to say that in th • lost 15 or 20 years there had been a marked improvement in this respect. He was only afraid they were over doing it, for the erections now springing up on all sides we re really more like palaces than places of business. (Cheers and 1 aughter.) He felt proud of th town-:ouncil for their performance of this act of justice to the members of the executive committee. He begged to thank Mr. Fairbairn for the litany acts of condescension and kindness for whit--h he was indebted to that gentleman and the rest of the com mittee. The resolution was not yet engrossed on vellum, as it shou'd have been in readiness for this occasik n, Lut he was anxious that the formal presen tation '-f it should take place in the course of the year 1851—(hear)—and the document itself should be handed over to them as soon as it was prepared. He was sure that this acknowledgment of their ser vices on behalf of the citizens of Manchester would be highly valued and prized by them, and that it would be no leas esteemed by those who would come after them. (Cheers. ] The toast was drunk with three ti tnes three cheers. Mr. T. FAIRBAIRN, the chairman of the Execu tive Committee, said—Mr. Mayor, and gentlemen of the city council, the members of the executive committee of the late Exhibition of Art Treasures of the United Kingdom owe you their warmest thanks and gratitude for the distinguished honour you have paid to them by the unanimous adoption at your last meeting, after most eloquent • and elegant intreclaetions by , Mr. Runiuey an 1 Mr. Raeson—(hear, hear)—of the resolutions which have just been read and presented to us. We recognise in this spontaneous expression of good feeling and in the cordial approbation which you, speaking for your constituents, assure us will long be felt for the exhibition itself, and for the hum'. le services we rendered in its management, the very highest reward we could look for after our labours, of the public acknowledgment of which we one and all of us have just reason to feel proud. (Cheers.) So mat ked a compliment and distinction must at all times, and under• any circumstances, occasion varied emotions of pleasure, gratitude and satisfac tion. (Hear.) But honours of this kind can only he thoroughly prized, and can only exercise their full and most beneficial influence in stimulating to lueure exertio:e3, when they carry along with them records of success, and when they are in truth in the minds of their recipients the echo of self-ap proval. (Hear.) Now, gentlemen, the success of the late exhibition was in every respect unequivo cal and decided. (Lou I cheers.) As the executive, we have every reason to feel proud of the whole history of th et undertaking. (Cheers.) We acknew ledge with yourselves, the characteristic public spirreand lit eralityof the gentlemen who subscribed to the guarantee fund—(cheers)—whese early and cordial approval of the project, and whose munifi cent contributions in support of it, gave an autho rity to our proceedings without which our applica tions to the owners of works of art throughout the kingdom would have failed to command attention. We join moat heartily in your thanks to the gene rous contributors to the collection—the vast extent and richness of whose poisea -lens have not mere astonished the world than have their ready sacrifice of personal enjoyment and convenience, and their desire to assist in every way in their power the al van iment and imp rovemeutof theirfellow-country ee,eacited its warmest admiration. (Cheers) We further acknowledge with peculiar pleasure the by its visitor s, of all ranks and classes; t s i t i e e a e d x y b a ib n i ( t l i e on xcellent support that was extended to and fortunately, also, we can record with un feigned satisfaction and pride, the excellent con duct of the humbler classes, who on this occasion, as on many previous ones, proved themselves most jealous guardians of the kafety of property, and the truest friendsof order. (Cheers.) For these various manifestations of genuine consideration and kind mss towards their city and towards theinseaves, I believe that the people of Manchester ere e a very detp debt of gratitude, which they will long re member—a debt which iey can only repay by con tinuing to encourage all good and liberal workx, and by the firm determination always to hold a for ward rank in every movement which claims to in crease the happiness, to protect tie honour, er to consolidate the power of our country. (Cheers.) Mr. Mayor, I will only add again the sincere ex presion of the thanks of the committee for this a w l soos tthgratifying c a ia ti t d io s n u o ru f p u t l u e o u u i s d e i o n r t in ert c a o ni n t:l i e d n e t , a , t a io n n d hands of the council of this city. (Loud cheers.) Sevc al other toasts were of erwards given end responded to. THE LAW OFFlCES.—Yesterday the law offices were opened after the Christmas recess, in anticipation of the ensuing Hilary Term, which commences on Jan 11, THE WEAR COMMISSIONERS AND SUNDERLAND DOCK. —Tae long pending dispute between the directore and •hareholders of the Sunderland Dock aud the CAninie cioners of the river Wear, with re.,;,ard to the latter body charging the usual river dues upon vessels leaving the •Joeljby the sea outlet, without any compensation to the .lock proprietors, has been amicably settled by those bodiee, The followiog terms, to be ratified by Parl;a ment, have been agreed to :—" So long as there shall br net less than seven feet watt r at low water of ordi nary spring tides from the outer dock gates of the southern outlet into the sea into deep water the conn mitsibiiers to pay the (lock oompany the annual sum of 2,C4)/., s ubject to the following graduated rise and fall : If "ilnue nta of e )al in any year exceed 900,000 chal drone, al additional ld. per chaldron to be paid on I:uc , . , xcess, but never to rise above the total saw of 3,000/ And in case shipments fall below 900,000 chahlrons, per chaldron trJ be deduct d from the 2.0001. per ant um. And if the shipments fall b(l.)w 600,000 chaldronl, then all payments to cease. The dock company to allow ships not loading or unloading in the dock to pass from the river through the southern outlet on payment of the same tolls as ship s l oa di ng i n th e d oc k , no t excee di ng i n any case 4d. per re,.tisrered t.m, vessels passing inwards with or without ca rgo , an d a ft erwar d s returning th roug h the dock, being o n ly c h arge d once. POUCII INTELLIGENCE.—Dee. 30. MANSION-HOUSE. George Harrison was charged with having stolen a sovereign from Miss Annie M'Carthy, of N0.,...1.10, Cheapsid-, tobac conist. The prosecutrix said—Last night at about half past 9 o'clock the prisoner came into my shop and asked for two twopenny cigar 4. placed them before him, and he offered me a sovereign, which I took and placed in a drawer in which was a little basin for gold. There were two other sovereigns and two half-sovereigns then in the basin. I then closed the drawer and opened the till . to give him the silver. He said, "Return my sovereign, I have small change." I again opened the drawer and returned him the sovereign, which he took up with one hand, while with the other he reached across and snatched a sovereign out of the bowl, dropping at the same time a shilling into the bowl. With both my hands I caught his hand, and found the sovereign jammed between his thumb and the palm of his hand. While I was struggling with him ail elderly - gentleman came to the door, to whom I said, "Pray, assist me, this min has ptolen a sove reign." The gentleman did not assist me, hut st ead by, and the prisoner relaxe l his hold and I took the sovereign from him. He then said it was his, and that I had not returned the sovereign he had given me, and I asked the gentleman ta c.ll in an officer, which he accordingly did, and when the prisoner stooped down and undid his shoes and pulled off his stocking I heard s ime money drop. He said it was a florin. I saw afi irin in his hand. The officer then came, but the sovereign was nut found, neither was the florin. Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis for the prisoner— He did not place a shilling on the counter, hut dropped it into the bowl. He did not say anything bout two half-sovereigns until after the officer came. He came into the shop alone. The door was closed. He had been kneeling behind the counter full five minutes before the officer came. The gentleman would not anew him to escape. Noble, 441—1 was called to the shop and there saw the prisoner, who was given into my charge for -tealing a sovereign from the ti'l. He said he had given the sovereign to the woman to pay for two cigars, and that he afterwards said to her that ho had smaller change and wished for two half-sove reigns for his sovereign. He wished to be searched in the shop. Ise ached his wai tcoat pockets there, and I afterwards searched him at the station house, and Is. in silver, 11d. in copper, and 3ez of tobacco upon him. I received a sovereign from prosecutrix, which was that she believed be had taken from her till. I asked him his address. At first he said he came from Stafford, and then he said he came from Manchester, and ultimately he refused to give any address, or to give any satisfactory account of him self. The Prosecutrix—lt appeared to me that he put his own sovereign, which I returned to him, into his pocket. The Lord Mayor said in all probability the pri soner had swallowed the sovereign, and directed that he be kept in prison under medical treatment. The prisoner was then committed for trial. BOW-STREET.--Mary Diefke and Mary Ann Dusseldorf' . were finally examined on the charge of shoplifting ; and a German named Frederich Diefke the husband of the first prisoner, was charged as the wilful receiver of the stolen property. It appears that the prisoners were part of a gang of foreigners, who, locating thecnselvos in the neighbourhood of the Dover-road, Southwark, em barked every morning for the West-end on thieving excursions. Some of the party had been already in custody for similar offences. Police constable R. Pell, 3 M, having watched the two female pri soners on the 23d inst., saw them go into the shop of Mr. C.sadmau, Strand, and come out again, when, after pr,,c,:eding a short distance, one of them pro duced a silk umbrella from under her shawl. He detained the women, and found that the umbrella had been stolen. The same woman had previou , ly, on the 15th inst., visited the shop of Mr. Morton, of the Turnstile, where, while pretending to look at a variety of goods, which were to be sent to a false address, they contrived to stcw away a consi derable quantity of cutlery, some of which was pledged in the Strand. Some f the stolen goods and a great number of pawnbrokers' duplicates were found at the male prisoner's lodgings, where both the women lived also. Mr. Henry committed them for trial. A man named John Teban, a discharged servant . , was also committed for stesliug coats, umbrellas, Ste., from the halls of gen tlemeu's houses. He usually inquired for the hous,maid, and when asked if he meant "Elizl," or "Jane," he promptly replied " Yes." While the housumaid was b iug s,sught the prisoner stripped the house, and de camped. M ARLBOROUG ri-S TREE P—Mary Ann Mer ton, a young wo wan of very ladylike appearance, was charged on su , pic:on of sto ding a (cold watch, value 30 guineas from the person of Mrs. Eliza Elstob, of 7, North place, Camberwell. Mrs. Elstob stated she was iu the German Fair, Langham-place, the prcading afternoon between 4 and 5. Ti *re was a considerable crowd of persons collected round the musicians listening to the music, t which spot she likewise was attracted. She saw the prisoner in front of her and fait her press on her muff, under which was her watch, secured by a detewor. Almost directly upon feeling this pressure she missed her watch and s .w the pri soner's hand about her muff. She seized her by the wrist, but she managed to get her hand into her own muff, and, with the other hand, appeared to pass something to a stout woman near her. She kept her hold of the prisoner, raised an alarm, and, a policeman coming up, gave her into custody. Her watch, value 30 guineas, had not been traced. Pelice-constahle 343 of the A division was on duty at the German Fancy Fair ' and took the pri soner into custody as above stated. A lady's, valua ble gold watch, horizontal movement, beautifully enamelled back, and jewelled in eight holes, was found on the prisoner, together with two diamond rings, a pair of diamond earings, and a gold brooch with the pot trait of a gentleman on it. The prisoner reserved her defence and was re manded till Tuesday. MA RYLE BONE. —Thos. Meredith wa3 charged with having, ou the night of the 231 inst., burglni ously entered the house of Mr. H. Jackson, builder, 33, T ,ayer-street, M .nchester-square, and stolen t erefrom a coat, a jacket, a pair of shoes, and three pairs of boots. The stolen jacket was now produced anti identi fied; it had been purchaied of the priioner by a wan named Guulden, in John's-court, Wigrnore street. The article was identified by the prosecutor, and the prisoner W 43 committed for trial. WESTMINSTER.--Alfred Johnson and Jilin M'Donald were finally examined, charged with stealing two diamond rings froli the shop-window of Mr. Edward Smith, of 17, Victoria-road, Pim lico, silversmith and pawnbroker. The robbery was committed on Monday 'fortnight during the heavy fog. A little girl, named Rich ardson, attracted by the showy articles in the win dow, advanced towards it, and saw Johnson and two oth-r men at it. Johnson had an. instru ment of some kind against the window, and im mediately afterwards a piece of glass dropped out, when Johnson thrust his baud through the aperture, and, taking two rings out, handed them to one of his comrades. At that moment the thieves - caught sight of a Mr. Makepeace and his wife, who had just come up in time to witness the robbery, and darted off. Mr. Mikepeace pursued Johnson until he was captured. The other prisoner, who had been seen with him an hour previously, trying to cut another window in Tuthill-street, was subsequently apprehended, and both the girl Richardsim and Mr. and Mrs. Makepeace said th4t to the best of their belief he W,'3 one of the two engaged in the robbery at Mr. Smith's. The rings wee not recovered. The prisoner wa3 fully committed for trial. WORSHIP -STREET.—William Jessop was charged with the following outrage : Harriette Davis, who appeared to be, and was described by her landlady,ai a very quiet and in offensive young woman, but who was in the most deplorable conditi , n from injuries and exhaustion, stated that the prisoner on Monday night saw her home, where shortly afterwards he made a request she could not comply with, and immediately she said so he grasped her by the throat, and, flung her over the edge of part of the furniture, declared he would strangle her, and held her in that position till she was nearly senseless, when he at length re leased her. She then tried to esck e from the room, but the prisoner on seeing her doing so seized the poker, and struck her such a fearful blow with it on the side of the head as to pitch her from the top of the stairs to the bottom. On partially recovering from the joint effects of the blow and fall.she crep., with the blood s reaming down her face, into the back kitchen, to hide herself, but the prisoner followed Jul., flung her down, knelt upon her stomach, thrust his hand into the pocket, of her dress, from which be took some money, and then att•mpted to escape from the house. She con trived to follow him, to give him into custody, but on reaching the passage the prisoner suddenly turned upon her, and struck her such a blow ce? the head wi h half a pair of firetongs that she fell !o the ground senseless, and remembered nothing more that occurred to her till she found herself in a cab, covered with blcod, and on the road to St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Isabella Horton, the complainant's landlady, stated, that on hearing a heavy fall down the stairs, followed by moans, she went out to ascertain the cause of them, and found the prisoner kneeling ou the young woman as r•he had described. She ran to the street door to alarm the police, but was fol lowed by the prisoner, and on turning round sln saw the prisoner strike the young woman on the head with some iron implement, and she imme diately dropped senseless at his fest. The prisoner then rushed out of the house, swearing he would do for any one who at empt , d to stop him, but two men who were pas ing and had heard their screams seiz-d hin by the collar and held him till a con stabb, came up and secured him. Balls, a constable of the N divi,ion, produced the tongs and poker, and described the complain ant, when he saw ter, as stretched upon a sofa, bleeding shockingly from wounds in the head, and perfecly senseless. She was in such a dreadful condition that he sent her at once to the hospital. Mr. Walter Chippendale, house-surgeon to the holiital, attended and describ d thQ n.ture of the injuries tit- , young woman had sustained, which were tortun tt,iy not so serious as might have been expected from such violence, though she would still have to return to the ho-pital, and Mr. Ha umill, who char:lcteri e l it as a most fearful outrage, fully committed the prisoner to Newgate for trial. SOUTEIWARK.—Timothy Roach, of No. 1, Roy,l Ten -court,. Kent stre* t, a very luw locality, was charged before Mr. Coombe with selling beer without a licence. The ca e was proved by a policeman, who said that he and a bother officer w‘-rtt to the house dr, s , a.d as roldi,v. Mr. Solomon, fur the defendant, severely cen sured the system adopted by he police to entrap persons to bleak the law. Ho was instructe t t:; say that his client did not sell beer, but had a few friends drinking with him when the officer first came. He refused to admit him into his home, but when they return-d as soldiers his daughter admitted them, as he had a son in the army. Mr. Combo had no doubt as to the trade carried on by the prisoner. He must pay a fine of 5/. and 2s. costs, or be imprisoned one month. LAMBETH.—Charles 13 , )yes, a letter-carrier in the General P. st-oilic-, was charged with steal,ng 91bs. of soap, the property of Mr. Wybrow, a soap manufacturer in Camberwell. Mr. Wybrow, the prosecutor, deposed that on the day before the prisoner called to deliver a let ter, and while passing along the factory he (wit ness) observed him take up a bar of soap, and break it in two pieces. He questioned him on the subject, and the prisoner, who had the appearance of having beet, drinking, seemed to treat the matter as a j. but witness told him he must accompany him to the counting-house, which he did, and on there exa minii,g a bag which he (prisoner) carried, he found in it nine pounds of soap, his property, and of the value of 3s. Mr. Wybrow added that for eight yeara the prisoner had been the p ,, stman on the walk in which his house wis siivate, and, though he had been in the habit (,f delivering letters at the factory at aluost every post, and many of them contained remittances ~f c )nsiderable amounts, nothing of this kind had been detected before. Mr, Cole, inspector of letter-carriers at the Gene ral Post-office, said the prisoner had been a letter carrier for 12 years, and during the whole of that time had borneatt exc Tent character. Mr. Elliot,—What was the remuneration which he rtceived from the Post-office ? Mr. Cole—Twenty-three shillings a week ; and his charactt-r has been so good that I was much sur prised when I heard of the nature of the charge against him. The prisoner, who seemed very much affect d at the serious posi , ion in which he *toed, in reply to the chatge, sa.d he had b-en uufortu"ately drink ing in the course of Vie day, and, having taken rum and gin, the mixture had such an Abut upon him that he bs:cinie perfectly it oonscious of what he did. Mr. Elliott remanded the prisoner. MANUFACTUhE Ott ME 1101RS-CI;_RIOU,S BEV gLA lONS. A ca•o which came before the County Court in Ipswich last week, afforded some curious revela tions of the manner in which the public are supplied with fictitious biographies. Mr. J. M. Barter), the pub:isher in Ipswich, aberit twelve months ago receive 1 from Mr. Trenery, anther of "Leila Ada" and other works, a manuscript entitled " The Christian Lady, or Religion in High Life ; a Memoir for the Upp -r Classes ;" which purperted to be a genuine and auttientic biography of Miss Augusta Howard, who became L idy C. by mar riage, 1853, and died in 1855. The MS. was ac companied by a letter from the auth tr. off 'ring . the copyright for 1201., end adding " We intend to give the profits to her ladyship's poor, and it is to be an addition to their usual winter's store." A subs , A;luent interview with Mr. Treuery gave Mr. Bur. on the iinpre-sion that he was intimately acquainted wit!' the subject of his memoir, and an agree:bent was concluded to purchase the copyright for 501. Shortly b :fore Christmas Mr. Trenery wrote to his publisher, nrging,hiin t conclude 'he nego tiations with all convenient speed," as her lady ship's family " were particularly anxious thee the proceeds be joined to their Christmas gifts," arid the 50/. was paid. Internal and other evidence had since appeared to prove that the book was net a genuine memoir, as originally supposed, and an action was brought by Mr. Burtiin to recover the 501. paid. In opening the case, Mr. Eisdell, who appeared for the plaintiff, stated that Mr. Burton was satisfied with the terms of his contract and would continue the publication of the work if ti could be proved to be an authentic biography. The doubts of the publisher were first ra,issd by an an swer to a query respectin g the si ng ular name "Au gustus," in which time defen taut stated that the sist r of the Duke of Cambridge. was named Augus tus Caroline Charlotte Elizele th, a statethent which a reference to a " Pei-rage," prove 1 to be incorrect. But a stronger ground for doubt occurred. It had been susgeeied by pleintitf that a portrait of Lady C., and a vignetze of her coup: ry house, should be prefixed to the werk. The , let er, in reply to this suggestion, contained the following passage in re ference to the memoir e---" I look for it to do much good amongst her ladyship's own class. Many of them will, I think, like it : because many of them I know are ea rnes t l overs o f our S av i our , an d de sire every help i n th e i r h eavenwar d c 'urse. I know that it la able to do them good, much good. It always soothes my own heart whenever I read a little of it. In reference to the ►icture I have seemed idle. . . My visits to the Lady Howard have been usually of a kind wire. such a subject could not be iutr deced." Soon after Mr. Burton received from Mr. Trenery two beautriutry engraved . and coloured pole rsi 5 , one o f which was underwrWen " The Countess of —," and the other a portrait of Lady Harriet Hernilton. Tee former of these was, he said, to be altered in several particel,rs, as it had been badly copied from the original pairiting, and the dress was to be made like that of the accompanying portrait. Shoitly atter Mr. Bur toe recognised the pietetided portrait of . Lady C. am- ng oth i's from the Court Album, on the-counter of Mr. Bogue, tire publisher, it. London, but bear ing the name of the Countess of Durham. The de fendant, when asked for an explanation, refused to reply to " questions respectilig earnes whirei he could not iu honour divulge." The plaintiff again wrote, asking for au explanation for his ewn satis faction, and called upon the defendant, if he could not explain satisfactorily, to rafu id the tO/. and the expenses incurred for the part printed, proposing to place the MS. in the hands of a third party. The defendant then wrote at great length, endeavour ing to establish that the portrait sent bad never been represented to be that of the subject of the work. It was also shown that many peas of th, MS. which professed to be copied from her lady ship's diary had . be tir subs:-quebtly altered. Mr. Burton had addressed Et circular to various branches of the flovrard family, but could get no information of a Miss Howard, afterwards Lady C. Mr. Tre nery, who conducted his defence, asst r el that the MS. was " the genii ne biography of a real person," whom he knew "pretty wed." He had n it brought his diary with him, as he did not know it would b, wanted. He would not tell the real names. The husband was not a peer, but ti.e 6011 of a peer, not the eldest. He did not think he ought to be made to go there and be laughed at. His Honour theb asked defend nt to write is e real name on a piece rf pai er, and no one else should se ir, but this he re lussd. He sta ed hat he had letters with him from the British Society for the Conversion of the Jews, in commendation of Leila, Ada. The br ok we, used to ccnvert the Jews ; and he hoped te' make rresmolrs of Lady C. equ ,lly useful to the peer age. The memoir in question war worth 3501., but he would not pay 501. and take the MS. back, be -arise he preferred to clear his character. Among o :I. er ex riot dinary assertions, the defendant crated ae the picture, which hid been copied badly, t'e cause it hung in a wrong light, could net be move her muse her lad) ship's dying hand had helped to bang it ; anti when the artist had fiershed the copy, he strew his brush across the face and said : —" There is the crack of doom." Defendant per si.eing in refusing evidence of th e genuineness of rho work given for the plain tiff for SLI/. and judgment was cos t s , to be paid in a fortnight. —Busy and I! orwich Post. IRELAND. DUBLIN, WEDNESDAY MORNING. ENDOWED SCHOOLS COMMISSION. The Belfast N6weetter announcer, with an appa rent sir of auth ,, rity, that. the report of this com mission, which will be made public in a few days, will advocate the opening of all school endowmen's to persons of all religioul denominations. "In other words," says the Tory organ, "the Protestant foundations of Ulster will be throirn open to Roman Catholics." THE PATRONAGE QUESTION. The Dublin morning organ of the Irish Derbyites exclaims vehemently against the appointment of Lord Clauricarde to a p, , st in 'he Ministry of Lord, Palmerston. It is charged against the noble Marquis that while bolding the office of PoAmaster- General but eight Protestants were recipients of hiA bounty. The Evening Post, the Whig- organ doubts the truth of this statement, but remarks that, if even well founded, the objection " comes with a very bad glace from a journal which has been the organ of the Derhy Government, which during the whole period of its existence never had appointed a Roman Ca holic to any office of emolu ment under the Crown.' THE GREAT SLANDER CASE. The prospects of the finale are not improving ! The le -trued counsel for the plaintiff, who corn- nu-nced his rip- eel to evidence on Monday after noon, resume dyesterday morning, and occupied the day horn the rising until the adjournment of the Court, long after the shades of night had set in. Tile jurors sworn to try the merits of such a case as this would require to be gifted with marvellously retentive memories. Mr. M‘Donough's role is not yes played out. The learned gentleman begins his third chapter on evidence this morning. THE BELFAST TEA FRAUDS. The 1% orthern Whig complains that the Govern ment advisers continue their persecution of the Belfast tea-merchants by way of endeavouring to remedy th 9 "blundering management" of local officials in connexion with the case of John James Moore. The Whig adds : " Toe putdic are aEready aware that respectable tea dealers were some time since summarily arrested for the duty on teas which they had purchased, duty paid, from Moore. With respect to other merchants the law advisers of the Crown have now adopted a different course, and have sued, by information in the superior courts, for the recovery of the penalty, which will be at least three times the vahie of the tea purchased. Notice of this proceeding has already been served on the heads of several firms, but the infor mations will not be filed till the parties enter their ap pearance, which must be perfected before the 15th of Jan. We may mention that an eminent opinion has been given to the effect that the Crown can only seekto recover penalties where the defendants are shown have tAken a part in the Moore frauds.. Already this raid on the trade has considerably embarrassed business in Bel f st. Dealers justly complain that not. rious laxity In the administration of the business of the Customs in Belies' should fora series of months be permitted to hamper legitimate traffic. It is surely time that Govern ,,ient should see the irupolicy of continuing these tll advised proceedings against certain tea merchants whose mercantile position places them above suspicion, and who are I.kely to have the sympathy of the great body of the public. There may he guilt in some quarters, but to get at the guilty it is rather hard to make the innocent suffer. Country Markets. EDINBURGH BAY AND STRAW MARKET DEO. 29. Supplies of all kinds these last six days large. Oat straw, from 7s Od to lla Od per kemple of 16 stones trop ; wheat do., 7s Od to 9s Od ; barley do., 6 , 101 to 74 6d. Hay from 10d to 12d. EDINBURGH MEAL—DEC. 29. There were in the market today 12 sacks oatmeal, each weighing 2801 b imperial, which sold at 33s Od and —s. DALKEITH MEAL MARKET—DE°. 23. There were in the market to-day 20 bags of oatmeal, oof barleymeal, and 0 pot barley. Sales dull. Oatmeal, per sack of 2801bs First. Second. I Third. imperial Barleymeal, per ditto -a Od —s Od —8 Od Peasemeal, per ditto Flour, new, per ditto l—sOd—s Od — 1 Od . , . Pot-barley, new, per ditto —a Od —s Od —s WI, DUBLIN. DEO. 29. There was a poor attendance, and a very slow market. A. small supply of all kinds of grain. We repeat our quo. tations of this day week. White wheat, 28, Od to 29s Od ; red ditto, 24s Od to 27s 6d ditto new, —s Od ; barley, malting, 15s to 18s 6d; grind ing, —s to —s ; oats, old, 12s 6d to 15s; ditto, new, Od to —s 03 ; oatmeal, 14s to 15s 6d; bere, new, 14e to 15s Od , rapes, d, 23s Od to 25s Od per brl ; bakulis' flour, 16s 41 to 2.s Od per cwt ; Indian corn, 31s 01 to 32s 6cl per 480 lba. BRISTOL SUGAR. This market is closed for the Christmas holidays till Tuesday next, the sth proximo. NT. -DEC. 30. the close of the market Mtllsend, tea. _ s d. Nixon's Duffryn. 21 6 ttussell's ttetton 18 9 drosforth l6 3 tiraddyll Fletton l9 9 South fletton 19 9 Pees l9 9 Brown's Moor Haigh Main 15 6 Cowpen Hartley .. l4 3 ieaham lB 3 Eden Main lB 3 Northumberland l4 6 Lyon's Stone Coal 2O 0 Whitworth l5 9 ileugh Hall 18 0 South Kelloe 18 9 ~ 73 ; sold, 49. COAL Prices of Coals per ton ai s. d, Bebside's Hartley l4 3 Longridge's Wst Hartley 14 3 Canneld Moor l2 9 fAutield Moor Butes 12 9 Davison's West Hartley 14 3 Eloward's West Hartley_ Netherton 14 31. Walker Primrose 0 Bell's Primrose . 12 C liates's West Hartley 13 9 Morpeth West Bartley 13 6 Wylain W.lleend, htt: Riddell l6 3 Kei per Grainge l9 0 North Hartlepool 14 3 Cassop 18 9, Ships at market LOCAL SHARE MARKRT,S. LIVERPOOL, DEC. 30. STOOK EXCHANGE. —The Liverpool Stock Exchange to. day shows some improvement in a number of lines. South EAsterns, 21 —Midlands, 91 --Great Westerns, 542 —Loudon and North Westerns, 98—Sheffields, 41— Gr ind Trunk of Canada, 11,1, —Chester and Holyhead, 17A —Caledonian, 424 Lancashire and Yorkshire, 9/. new shares, 3.16 pm—Great Western of Canada 18 2-16— Birkenhead, 69L—Blackburn, 9j—Esst Lancashire, 929 0. —North Eastern, Berwick, 244. MANCHESTER, DEM 30. STOCK EXCHANGE—The market was firmer, with a good business, an-I prices of all the loading stocks a shade better. East Lancashire, 924—Sheffields, 414—Ditto, Pref., p" South Eastern, 21. - North Staffords, 3i die. —Eastern Counties, 11i—Midiands, 1 92—North Union A, 2204 Londone, 4—Great Western of Canada, 204—Ditto, new, d.—Leeds, 94i—Berwicks, 2411 .16—Grand T runk of Canada, 121. BIRMINGHAM, DEC. 30. STOCK EXCHANGE. —Business in the market generally active to-day. Great Western, Birmingham Guaranteed, 69—North Stafford,, d —Sou tit Statfords, 9—Worcea• ter anti Birmingham Canals, 1s- 7 -Birmingham Water works, new, 34 p—Birmingham and Staffordshire Gas, 251 shares, 48. E General team, 24. [ADVERTISEMENT.]— Gratis —Double Map of Asia— On Sun. day next, a truly beautifully-coloured double Map of Asia will ne given with each copy of the DISPATCH, and a coloured Map will be iss led every wee Gratis, to form the most perfect and useful Atlas ever published. The Back Numbers of the Atlas are kept constantly on sale, so taat the work may be made complete from the commencement at any time, and at the perfect convenience of the purchaser. Any Map of the Series may be had with the Newspaper of the cur rent week, or with any copy not out of .print. The price of the DISPATCH is—unstamped, sd. ; stamped (to go free by post), 6d. The Friday Evening Edition may be received in the most distant. parts of the kingdom on •Saturday morning. Portfolios, with spring -clipped backs, are now ready, price 3s. 6d., 45., and upwards. Orders received by all News Agents, and at the Office, 139, Fleet-street s London, BIRTHS. BEA LB —On the 29th inst., at Brandesbury-park, near Willesden, the wife of W. Lansdowne Beale, of a son.ll BENTINcx—On the 28th inst., at Kinnaird,.. Dunkeld, N. 8., the resid ence o f h er f at h er, air Sr. Vincent H. Whashed, Bart., the wife of Lieut.-Colonel Arthur Ca vendish Bentinck, commanding H.M.'s 7th Dragoon Guards, of a son. CLAREMONT —Ou the 28th inst. at ', Thorney-place , Camden - town, the wife of C . C Claremont, 854.0 of a son. OCHIERLONY—On the 27th inst. ~ •, at St. Andrew'ol the o wife of Sir Ch as . M. Ochterl ny Bart of Ochter onTa of a daughter. • MARRIAGES. fODGSCIN---TODD —On the 29th inst., a t the parish church , Marylebone, John Ev an H o dgson, Esq., of 46, Glom ter-place, Portman-square, and late of St. Petersburgb, to Ellen Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John Todd, Esq., of bl, Wimpule-street, Caveudish-square. I DEATHS. BAKER—On the 22d inst., at Staines, James Baker, Esq. hi.R.C.S., L.S.A., aged 51 . BLAIR —On the 26th inst., at Blairquhan, Sir David Hatter Blair, Bait. aENNX.XT—On the 29th inst., at the Vicarage, Corsharn, ‘‘, 'its the Rev. Win. Coles Bennett, aged 64. fitafoA—Ou the 27th inst., at Sowber-hill, Yorkshire, John Hutton, Esq., a Dep.-.Lieut. of the North Ridi n g , aged 63, NEwsON--On the 29th inst., at Brighton, Mr. Jasper Nevrson, formsrly of Grocers'-hall•court, Poultry. SMART - On the 29th inst., at Dover, Lieut.-Col. Smart, late Royal Engineers, Lieut.-Governor of Dover Castle, aged 12. 401.4D0N Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of No, 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No 1.1 - 2, Strand, in the Precinct of the 3sivoy, in the county of Middlesex. Thursday, December 31, 1&7. 1