The Sun. — London, England, 1847-12-16 00:00:00

THAI% lES.—(THIS DAY.) David Hill, a. tall, powerfully-built seamao, was ~70tIght up in the.. custody of Police-constable Piekering, i k 87 , charged with . the following desperate outrage:— , Anna Willi ams state d that between seven and eight ()clock yesterday evening, as she was passing the Swan P u blic-house, Ratcliffe-highway, she saw the prisoner and another sailor turned out of the house. They com menced fighting in the streets. Suddenly the prisoner Seized the other man by tl Le hair, forced his head back, and bit his nose off. The, p:or fellow was taken to the London Flospital. Mr. BALLANTINE--Do you mean to say the nose was completely bitten off? Witness—One half of it, your Worship, was completely bitten out. Pickering KB7 apprehended the prisoner. Witness bad been to the hospita't to make inquiries, and the ap pearance of the juju' tei individual was frightful; half his 4 80 and a portion c,,f the upper lip was completely torn ou t. The constabl.e then handed in to the magistrate a certificate from tt)e house-surgeon, which, after stating th e nature of the inj ur i es i n fli cte d, p rocee d e d t o s tate th at there was g,reat danger of inflamation supervening. Mr. BALLANTINE, after commenting on the brutal nature of the outrage, said he should commit the pri after for trial, and ordered the depositions to be taken. Prisoner—Will your honour take hail ? Mr. BALLANTINE—Most decidedly I will not. 7 LI`ItAORDINARY OCCURRENCE.—On Thursday tot some excitement prevailed in Marchmont-street. Br unswick-square, in consequence of the following oc eurrenee:—About six o'clock that evening a person was O bserved to enter th e s h o p o f M r . O wen , c h em i s t an d rnggist, in that street, and being assisted by a medical gentleman in the neighbourhood, who waited a short time to enable Mr. Owen to &spres° a prescription, followed kr. Owen, who had taken refuge in his back parlour, Where he was thrown down, overpowered, and handcuffed When a straight-waistnoat was put on him, and he was dragged into the street. Mr. Marshall, a neighbour, eas at his door, and on Mr- Owen's observing him, he said, It Mr. Marshall, they rare taking me to a madhouse." kr. Owen was then conveyed away in a cab, with a keeper, and a person, on the box, to a lunatic asylum. The neighbours, wleo are perfectly satisfied of his entire lenity and propri sty of conduct, determined to take i mmediate steps t e procure his liberation, and retained respectable sa,eitor in the neighbourhood. Twelve neighbours swore, that they had known him eleven years, and that he was a quiet, gentlemanly, inoffensive neigh bour, and as sane as they were. Mr. Justice Erie, on hearing the tracts at chambers, on Tuesday, granted a habea s coqous for the production and discharge of the Prisoner. TH E CITY OF LONDON NEW UNION WORKHOUSE. The special committee directed to carry out the in tention of the board of guardians of the city of London tation, to erect a workhouse, to obtain plans and esti mates, and offer premiums, &c., for designs, have, oat °f forty-one sets of designs sent for their inspection, Selected the work of Mr. R. Tress, archilect, of Little „St- Thomas the Apostle. The estimated cost of the altilding about to be erected is 28,860/., including fittings and fixtures. The design, as far as can be Judged from sections and diagrams, appears to be good; ae consurodation is provided for the various persons who ta tlY seek relief, ventilation is attended to, and airy ;rounds, fot excelcise laid down. Provision is also made or the classification of the inmates. The site of the building is between the Tower Hamlets Cemetery and the road f rom S tratford - le-Bow to L on d on. A fever se°llces altogether deta c h e d, f o r m s part of the plan adopted. PIOILISM.—TH E TIPTON SLASHER AND MASSEY'S tXXFIT AT THE NATIONAL BATHS.—These well- known , tic h eroes took a joint benefit last night, at the Na °nal lßaths• and it being generally und e rstood that a ch 'allenge for the championship of England, and its nc t_cPtanee on the part o f C aun t, wou ld f orm p ar t o f th e e vening' s proceedings, upwards of a thousand spectators Viid for admi ss i on to t h e sparr i ng di sp l ay . Th e ex bitors were certainly rather below the average, not in a i nceieer, but in character and ugilistic science. At the l'ose of the proceedings the 'Lipton appeared, but there 4 ", ac no one to put on the gloves with him. He briefly Lualtked the assemblage, and declared his readiness „"", meet Caunt for 5001. a-side, and to post 501. luere and then, in addition to the 5/. already de- P°,,sited. This called up Spring, who, on behalf ?, Caunt, declared himself ready to produce (making 201.), provided the battle should take place tla a stage, and in not less than six months; and certain !Ninties to 'oe barred by agreement. The Tipton reite. fitted his headiness to make up 501. there and then, and `.° fix the event within three or four months. This was ieeted to, and the shorter time insisted on. A person 011 behalf of Ceuta here, amidst much confusion, entered On What he termed the shameful conduct of Perry in int erruption Caunt on the pr ev i ous even i ng . Af ter g reat nt erruption Spring proposed th a t th e me n should meet St his house on to-morrow (this) evening, to arrange pre l• iminaries, which was ultimately assented to. Massey e •7 urned thanks amid some a ppl ause , and the multitude ia- spersed. • SIIIPWRECK ON TBE COAST OF SICILY OF THE '', e ttoostert. ORIENTAL.—The schooner Oriental, of lef t Yarmouth, C a p ta i n Th omas Christmas, which i t Malta on th e sth o f N ovem b er , bound to Liverpool, "lte unfortunately wrecked on the 9th or 10th, on rocks l i the Cela Bernardo, in the district of, and about two foom Noto. She struck on some rocks, immedi -eV fe 11 on her larboard bilge, and heeled off with her „, e 'is to the sea, which breaking on board with great h i °, l erice cleared the decks of the boats, spars, &c., com thieill'ttg the crew to take to the main rigging, to which ey clung, soaked by torrents of rain, until daylight on tr uckness Y following morning, when in consequence of the l e of the weather, nothing was to be discerned s ett the ro c k s upon wh i ch the vessel had strack. The unfortunate men thus remained the whole of that day 'and the following night, the mate being drowned in an attempt to carry a line on shore; and about eleven o'clock the second day they were rescued by a fishing boat, which was drifted off to them from the shore. Mere, however, their position was far from being corn fortable, as they were put under quarantine regulations, and kept b' an armed force at the brink of the water until a shed could be erected for them. All communi ‘ktion with the British consul and Lloyd's agent was 'Cut off, until at length the captain contrived to have a letter despatched to Malta, and her Majesty's steam -410°13 Locust arrived off the coast, and took the poor fellows away on the 26th. SleiertriG or TUB CREDITORS OF MESSRS. GATES, C OSIES AND Co.—Another meeting of the creditors of thi s firm, who were extensive warehousemen in Wading eet, wa s h e ld at t h e o ffi ce o f M essrs. Qu i lter, Ball, and rae the accountants, in C o l eman - s t reet. W e regret to : 0 te that the a s p e ct of th e aff a i rs o f t hi s h ouse was i n respect so favourable as that presented by most of (Aber houses which have stopped payment. There n i l a good deal of discussion, but it is only necessary to G a te the result. An offer of 2s. 6d. in the pound was 1e t . 410 by the insolvents, to be paid within a month, but offer was rejected by the creditors, and a resolution 'faa drawn up to the effect that th e o ff er b e re j ecte d , an d at the a ff a i rs o f t h e fi rm b e a d m i n i stere d i n t h e C ourt lot '"ankr up tcy. The debts and liabilities of this firm - re about 13,0001., and the assets more than 2,0001. F ATAL EXPLOSION or GAS.—Tuesday afternoon a 2; inquest was held before Mr. W. Baker, at the York ;row re Grey public-house, Hig-sreet, Whitec hapel, on • of the body of Mr. Francis Eaby, aged 37 years, died 'on Sunday last from the effects of severe in ;VI% he received by an explosion of gas. John Tar eant, waterixtan, deposed that the deceased was the endlord o f th e ab ove p u bli c -h ouse , an d h a d boon so f or i v enal years past. On the evening of the 16th June the i ttst • witness was sitting before the bar, conversing with deceased who was behind the bar. The deceased p „ho vered that gas was escaping from some of the pipes, e d a search was made by them. The deceased lit a le of paper in the tap-room and returned to the bar latiour with the light in his hand. He opened the door atoll the deceased was forced to the ground by the explo :,(lea of gas that took place. He was enveloped in flames, b" e `i Was burnt most severely. His hair was completely eat off his head, and his face was most frightfully dis egared. Mr. Prophet, a surgeon, attended, but the de li ked died from the effects of the injuries on Sunday o r. The house had been under repairs, and the screw e _ the gars-pipe in the ba r p ar l our was l e f t ;un f astene d , 'daa ‘ud the Deaths ga s escaped from theh o l es . V er di ct , " A cc id en . BOMBAY COMMERCIAL NEWS.---A letter from Alex ladria, received in Paris, gives very favourable commer tial accounts from Bombay. It states that the intelli• Bence of .the crisis in England, brought out by the last Packet had been met without a single failure, and large remittances were on their way to assist their English torrespondents. PARIAH OF ST. DUNSTAN IN THE WEST.—Yes terday, at one o'clock, the inhabitants of the parish of St. Dunstan assembled for the purpose of returning three gentlemen as fit and proper persons to represent the b ard of Faringdon-with ou t, i n t h e C ommon C ounc i l of the City of London, during the ensuing year; Mr. Bat chelor, ch urc h war d en, i n the chair. After going through 11 ‘e usual busin ess , th e f o ll ow i ng gent l emen were una t• aously elected, without oppo s iti on , t o b e re t urne d e! the W ar d mote as t h e representatives of the above i ir e a cinet viz.:—Mr. Hodgson, M r . Li es , an d M r . G. () m i ler- The Inquest Gentlemen and the Parochial 1 , 0 eel% were then appointed, after which, thanks were til. ,ted to the Chairman, who briefly replied, and the ',eating broke up. -Uoe, —SIORDEN.—ANOTFIBR INUNDATION ATTENDED (3,," 1 LOSS OF LIFE AND CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE.— th"„ the evening of Friday last, a dreadful overflow of b un rivers Cal and Darr took place, in which several le ti "red houses, including shops, warehouses, &c., ware Thadeted, many of them to the depth of nine feet. 1, 0 5 overflow extended for more than two miles in e gth, visiting many houses that have been erected W ards of 40 years, and have never suffered a similar ebis' e tt- The damage done on this occasion is consider in variously estimated. The banks of the rivers tee se and places were brought down ; but perhaps the Of a u ' serious was the supposed loss of a man of the name ti e i l '',r• Thomas Hartley, gardener at Ehodens, near liq u ' e n Bridge, who left the Wood Mill Inn torward in 11..,01- about the time the flood WAS at its height, and seine ot beers heard of up to Monday. Near to the betweenPlae a horse belonging to Mr. Marshall, a carrier eie as „ Halifax and Rochdale, was drowned, and a of - • ee ten groceries, with which the cart was loaded, ch ene glag to various shopkeepers, was spoiled.—Man -1,,r Examiner. A xol ue Lords of the Treasury have ordered that Peeo °ll th, in the port of Lyme, shall have bonding pr4trillicagees with regard to timber and wood goods, and ece e ,, e - 8 have been specially approved for that purpose ''ingly Th e • sai d quarantine station at Senate Creek, it is ,otti suety be reduced to e.be • eise•helf the present men ce ment of m en an d officers. It is expected th a t th e Pm "'loved from thi s stat i on w ill b e l ocate d at Liver and Birkenhead. LITERATURE. MEN, TVOMEN, and BOOKS. 2 Vols. By Leigh .Lunt. No writer of his gene ration can produce a plea santer volume than Leigh Hunt. And one of the most delightful works he has yet composed is this of " Men, 'Women, and Books." It is to the " Priests, Women, And Families." of Michelet, what a chalice of hippocrene, with " Beaded bubbles winking at the brim," would be to a cup of poison ; or, to use another simile, what a country-dance on a Christmas-eve, in a farm kitchen, would be to the " Dance of Death." The book, as those who are familiar with the writings of Leigh Hunt will recognise at once from the " Table of Contents," is the selection from those of his uncollected prose writings which have hitherto re mained in existence only as straggling articles in some of the most eminent periodicals, including the Edin burgh Review, the Westnanster Review, the New Monthly Magazine, Tait, Ainsworth and the Monthly Chronicle. That this veteran essayist has not lost the energy which associated him for so many years with the magazines and newspaper press, has been recently shown by his contributions to the columns of the Atlas. Here, however, we have grouped together the raciest of the papers whiQh came from him in the palmiest days of his literary strength, when his wit was two-edged, and his humour richest, merriest, most hilarious, running over into lavish abundance of conceits, and occasionally as boisterous as the veriest romp in the playgrounds. OF these effusions who can ever forget, who has ever forgotten, his talk with the reader about " The inside of an Omnibus ?" How ridiculously true in point of fact, and absurdly grotesque in point of fiction, it is ! The very con jecture at the outset, that if Dr. Johnson had been transformed into any sort of vehicle—a thing so pro bable !—it would have been into an omnibus ! And how he makes Johnson (in Elysium) de velop his choice f„o the ghost of Boswell ! " Sir, I should not be a cart. That would be low. Neither should I aspire to be the triumphant chariot of an Alexander, or the funeral car of a Napoleon. Posthumous knowledge has corrected those sympathies with ambition. A gig is pert; a curricle coxcombical ; and the steam-carriage is too violent, perturbed, and migratory. Sir, the omnibus for me. It is decent, deliberate, and unpretending; no respecter of persons ; a king has been known to ride in it ; and opposite the king may have sat a republican weaver. Then, after dismissing the shadow of the garrulous doctor, how he goes off at a hard gallop, describing the various grades and ages of omnibuses —the morning omnibus, the noon, and the night ! " If a midnight omnibus," says he, " it is full of play goers and gentlemen, lax with stiff glasses of brandy and water." And how correctly he pourtrays the different passengers who get in and out—the precise personage, the youngster, the maid servant, the young lady in colours, the two more young ladies in white, the dandy, the man with the bundle, the old gentleman, the fat man, the woman with the baby, the two estranged friends ignor ing each other, and the man in a smockfrock, "who, by sitting on the edge of his seat, and perpetually watching his time to go out, seems to make a .constant apology for his presence." Here is one. little side face, however, worth a dozen full-lengths by another artist :—" Enter an unreflecting young gentleman who has bought an orange, and must needs eat it immediately. He ac cordingly begins by pealing it, and is first made aware of the delicacy of his position by the giggle ment of the two young ladies, and his doubt where he shall throw the peal. He is in for it, however, and must proceed; so, being unable to divide the orange into segments, he ventures upon a great liquid bile, which resounds through the omnibus, and covers the whole of the lower part of his face with pip and drip. The young lady with the ringlets is right before him. The two other young ladies stuff their hand kerchiefs into their mouths, and he, into his own mouth, the whole of the rest of the fruit, sloshy, and too big, with desperation in his heart, and the tears in his eyes. Never will he eat an orange again in an omnibus." No doubt he won't. Then, in glancing through " The Day of the Disasters of Carfington Blundell, Esq.," can we overlook the account of the deplorable state of the weather, when the gutters were a torrent, the pavement a dancing wash, the wind a whirlwind, and " the women all turned into distressed Venuses de Medici ;" or the description of the flock of sheep, and the drover in a very loud state of mind, hooting, whistling, swearing, and tossing up his arms ; or, best of all, the picture of the man who fled from the jeers of the crowd—" He fairly turned back, pursued by a roar ; and oh ! how he loved the corner as he went round it ! Every hair at the back of his head had seemed to tingle with consciousness and annoyance. lie felt as if he saw with his shoulder-blades; —as if he was face to face at the back of his hat." In the paper on Zoological Gardens there is a thought as lustrous and precious as a precious stone :—" The sun beam in the thick of St. Giles's comes as straight and young as ever from the god-like orb that looks at us from a distance of millions of miles, out of the depths of millions of ages." Then the pleasant sug gestion made while the author is descanting on wild beasts ! " Fancy yourself coming home from the play or opera," he says, " humming Deh vieni non tardar, or Meet me by Moonlight alone ; and, as you ' are turning a corner in Wimpole-street, meeting—a tiger! What should you say ? You would find yourself pouring forth a pretty set of Rabelaesque exclamations : " ':Eh—oh--01l Lord !—Rollo I— Help !—Help ! Murder I—Tigers I—U—u—u—u—u—u!—My God!— Policeman !" " Enter Policeman. " Policeman—' Good God A gentleman with a tiger!' [" Exit Policeman." Then the dissertation on " Beds and Bedrooms!" a dissertation better than poppies, or opium, or the recipe of Endymion. Home is home, however homely, says the proverb. Bed is bed, however belly, says Leigh Hunt. And, after this execrably good bit of parody, how he goes on : " Bed is the home of home ; the innermost part of the contents. It is sweet within sweet; a nut in the nut; within the snuggest nest a snugger ❑est ; my retreat from the publicity of my privacy ; my room within my room, walled (if I please) with curtains ; a box, a sepa ration, a snug corner, such as children love when they play at house;' the place where I draw a direct line between me and nay cares ; where I enter upon a new existence, free, yet well invested ; reposing, but full of power ; where the act of lying down, and pulling the clothes over one's head, seems to exclude matters that have to do with us when dressed and on our legs; where, though in repose, one is never more conscious of one's activity, divested of those hampering weeds ; where a leg is not a lump of boot and stocking, but a real log, clear, natural, fleshy, delighting to thrust itself hither and thither ; and lo! so recreating itself, it comes in contact with another ; to wit, one's own. One should hardly guess as much, did it remain eternally divorced from its compauion—alienated and altered into leather and prunella." What truth there is again in his diatribe about a feather-bed ! " When we are in the depths of it, we long to be on the heights. When we get on the heights, down they go with us, and turn into depths. The feathers hamper us, obstruct, irritate, suffocate. We lose the sense (f repose and independence, and feel ourselves in the hands of a soft lubberly giant." We have already remarked that our essayist is some times in his humour as boisterous as a romp. Here is proof of it—where he revels at the veryl idea of having a bed made up on the floor—" pro vided the palliasse be of decent thickness. The floor itself thus becomes a part of the great field of rest in which we expatiate. There is nothing to bound our [right of incumbency ; we can gather the clothes about us alandroll on the fl oor if we please." O u t o f his exquisite" Criticism s on F ema l e Beauty, " papers abounding with classic and scholarly thoughts, as well as with thoughts springing from an innate sense of what isthe truth of the beautiful, we shall transcribe one of those latter thoughts most delicately expressed : " The mouth out of its many sensibilities may be fancied throwing up one . great expre ss i on i nto the eyes ;as many lights an a c i ty reflect a br oa d l ustre into the heavens." And how he speaks against stays!_. the ladies should read it—how he speas again s t stays ! Prior, in his " Henry and Emma," say s _ " No longer shall the boddice, aptly laced, From thy f u ll bosom to thy slender waist, That air and harmony of shape express, Fine by degrees and beautifully less. No ! exclaims Leigh Hunt, it should be different ; it should be " Gaunt all at once and hideously little." There is one passage at the outset of these inimitable papers, on Female B eauty, w hi c h i s d e li g htf u lly natural both in manner and sentiment. Here it is : " The reader may take the confession as he pleases, either as an instance of abundance of sentiment on our part, or as an evidence of want of proper ardour and im partiality ; but we cannot (and that is the plain truth) think the most beautiful creature beautiful, or be at all affected by her, or long to sit next her, or go to a theatre with her, or listen to a concert with her, or walk in a field or a forest with her, or call her by her Christian name, or ask her if she likes poetry, or tie (with any satisfaction) her gown for her, or be asked whether we admire her shoe, or take her arm even into a dining room, or kiss her at Crietmas, or on April-fool day, or on May-day, or on any other day, or dream of her, or wake thinking of her, or feel a want in the room when she h:.3 gone, or a pleasure the more when sh e a p pears —unless she has a heart as well as a face, and is a proper good-tempered, natural, sincere, honest girl, who has a love for other people and other things, apart f rom self reference and the wish to bo admired." We have culled so many choice fragments—and strung them together, as we might have done the rare eggs of the halcyon, or the picked jewels of Golconda, or the largest lumps of the nmst costly gravel o f t h e Valley of Diamonds—so that we have merely spare enough for the hurried enumeration of the residue of the two volumes. " Fiction and Matter of Fact," a hopeful chapter as to the immortality of th• fieti tious, closing with a noble allegory of the Press. 1 —" A Man introduced to his Ancestors," a dainty bit of banter against those who are proud of their "family," as smart in its way as John Kemble's exclamation at the dinner table when two dukes were wrangling about the antiquity of their blood— " 1) both your bloods, why don't you pass the bottle!" —"A Novel Party," in two senses, bringing together the creations of Richardson, Fielding, and Smollett— " The World of Books," hinting the propriety of a book geography—" Jack Abbott's Breakfast," an incident as outrageous as a contretemps by Aloliere, or a farce by Morton—" On Seeing a Pigeon make Love," a fanciful sketch about birds in general and doves in particular—" The Month of May," i smelling sweetly of the May blossom, and breathing brightly of Italy— " The Giuli Tre" (pronounced Joolee Tray), translations of some of the 200 sonnets of that name, written by the Abate Casti—" A few remarks on the Rare Vice called Lying," a piece of sarcasm against society, bitter enough to be relished by Douglas Jer rold—" Of Deceased Statesmen who have written Verses," a chapter, curious, elegant, and historic— " Female Sovereigns of England," such a paper as might be fittingly published in the appendix to the biographies of Miss Strickland—" Social Morality," an odd disquisition, the argument of which is illus trated by the lives of Suckling and Ben Jonson— ' " Pope, in some Lights in which he is not usually Regarded," and displaying the character of the little nightingale of Twickenham most amiably. The paper ends with this rondeau by Leigh Hunt him self. It is sweet, quaint, and : " Jenny kiss'd me when we met, Jumping from the chair she sat in ; Time, you thief ! who love to get . Sweets into your list, put that in. Say I'm weary, say I'm sad, Say that health and wealth have miss'd me, Say I'm growing old, but add, Jenny kiss'd me." " Garth, Physicians, and Love Letters," a charming bit of literary small talk—" Cowley and Thomson," a comparison as striking as any one of the contrasts of Plutarch—" Bookstalls and Galateo," a loving re miniscence of old sixpenny books and twopenny halfpenny pamphlets picked up by chance—" Book binding and lieliodorus," a chapter, on the other hand, in which the writer's fancy runs riot in the luxuries of gilding and morocco—" Ver-Vert; or, the Parrot of the Nuns," a happy translation from the French of Gresset, of a most fantastic and comical original—" Specimens of British Poetesses," a mul titude of delicious snatches of verse from the works of very many remarkable and distinguished ladies of these islands —" Duchess of St. Albans, and Marriages from the Stage," con sisting principally of old theatrical anecdotes, well put together—" Lady Mary Wortley Montagu," where she is fitly considered both as to her life and her writings—" Lite and African Visit of Pepys," an agreeable annotation on the wine-loving, tailor worshipping author of the diary—" Life and Let ters of Madame de SC,vigne"," an a r ti c l e elucida tive of the history of that inimitable correspondent, and one which shows that Mr. Hunt can appre ciate her writings as well as did Sir James Mackintosh. Such are the several portions of these two right excellent volumes—the bloom of the ripe ness of Leigh Hunt's intellect. They are so well calculated in tone to create an intimacy between the author and his reader that his winter offering will be anticipated with almost as much curiosity as the forthcoming medley (" The Princess") by Alfred Tennyson. We allude to " The Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla," a book with a dainty title enough. The work which we have here noticed is in like manner as various and palatable as a honeycomb. VANITY FAIR. No. XII. By W. Al. Thackeray. In this number we have an account of the death of old Sir Pitt Crawley, and of the accession of young Sir Pitt, who, immediately upon his accession dis patches to his brother Rawdon (despite the remon strances of his mother-in-law, Lady Southdown) a missive, inviting him and his wife to Queen's Crawley. The invitation is accepted; and Rebecca, having restored herself to the good graces of Pitt and his sisters, and having in half an hour secured the close and intimate friendship of Lady Jane, pro ceeds to attack the august Lady Southdown herself; and thus she proceeded : " As soon as she found her Ladyship alone, Rebecca attacked her on the nursery question at once, and said that her own little boy was saved, actually saved, by calomel, freely administered, when all the physicians in Paris had given the dear child up. And then she men tioned how often she had heard of Lady Southdown from that excellent man the Reverend Lawrence Grills, minis ter of the chapel in May Fair, which she frequented ; and how her views were very much changed by circum stances and misfortunes; and how she hoped that a past life spent in worldliness and error might not inca pacitate her from more serious thoughts for the future. She described how in former days she had been indebted to Mr. Crawley for religious instruction, touched upon tho Washerwoman of Finchley Common,' which she had read with the greatest profit, and asked about Lady Emily, its gifted author, now Lady Emily Llornblower, at Cape Town, where her husband had strong hopes of becoming Bishop of Caffraria. " But she crowned all, and confirmed herself in Lady Southdown's favour, by feeling very much agitated and unwell after the funeral, and requesting her Ladyship's medical advice, which the Dowager Rot only gave, but, wrapped up in a bed-gown, and looking more like Lady Macbeth than ever, came privately in the night to Becky's room, with a parcel of favourite tracts, and a medicine of her own composition, which she insisted upon Mrs. Rawdon should take. " Beaky first accepted the tracts, and began to ex amine them with great interest, engaging the Dowager in a conversation concerning, them and the.welfare of her soul, by which moans she hoped that her body might escape medication. But after the religious topics were exhausted, Lady Macbeth would not quit Becky's cham ber until her cup of night-drink was emptied too ; and poor Mrs. Rawdon was compelled actually to assume a look of gratitude, and to swallow the medicine under the unyielding old Dowager's nose, who left her victim finally with a benediction. " It did not much comfort Mrs. Rawdon; her counte nance was very queer when Rawdon came in and heard what had happened; and his explosions of laughter were as loud as usual, when Becky, with a fun which she could not disguise, even though it was at her own expense, described the occurrence, and how she had been victim ised by Lady Southdown. Lord Steyne, and her son in London, had many a laugh over the story, when Raw don and his wife returned to their quarters in May Fair. Becky acted the whole scene for them. She put on a night-cap and gown. She preached a great sermon in the true serious manner ; she lectured on the virtue of the medicine which she pretended to administer, with a gravity of imitation so perfect, that you would have thoueht it was the Countess's own Roman nose through which she snuffled. Give us Lady Southdown and the back dose," was a constant cry amongst the folks in Becky's little drawing-room iu May Fair. And for the first time in her life the Dowager Countess of South down was made amusing." Completely mistress of the position, Rebecca returns to enjoy her triumphs in London. The story then returns to the Osbornes. Maria Osborne, married to Frederick Bullock, resides at the West-end, and cuts her father, her sister, and the residents in Russell square, as vulgar. Miss Osborne becomes the old maid housekeeper of her father, and an occasional visitor at the residence of Sir William Dobbin—there she one morning meets little Georgy : "Miss Osborne came back to give her father his din ner. He had made a good speculation in the City, and was rather in a good humour that day, and chanced to remark the agitation under which she laboured. What's the matter, Miss Osborne?' he deigned to say. " The woman burst into tears. 0, Sir,' she said; ' I've seen little George. He is as beautiful as an angel —and so like him!' The old man opposite to her did not say a word, but flushed up, and began to tremble in e mu limb." PUNCH'S POCKET BOOK for .1848. " Punch's Pocket-book for 1848" is glorious. The illustrations are first-rate. Nothing, for in stance, can exceed the humour of Punch taking his seat in the house of Commons by the side of Sir R. Peel. The likeness of the ex-Premier is admirable— there is no mistaking that broad expansive waistcoat, surmounted by that broad expansive face. The letter press, too, is full of fun. " The Brown, Jones, and Robinson's Failure " is an admirable illustration of the uses to which th e pan i c may b e put by a man of genius We presume that the portrait of the gentlemen " who, if things go on like this much longer, must deposit his title deeds," is a por • trait of the Mr. Frederick Balsover, who, on hearing of the failure of Brown, Jones, and Robinson facetiously gave his tailor a cheque on that firm, and then humanely requested his friend to call at the tailor's, and tell the poor snip's wife "to keep his razors out of the way, and to have an eye on the water-butt." " Punch's Pocket-book for 1848" is, as regards fun, both pictorial and literary, superior to any of its predecessors. FUNERAL Or SIR CHARLES DALISIAC.—The mortal remains of the late Sir C. Dalbiac were removed from the Albany, to the family vault at Kirklington, near Ripon, shortly after eight yesterd a y morn i ng, to t h e Euston-square terminus, where a special train was in readiness to convey them to Rugby; whence they go by the Midland Counties and York and Newcastle Railways to Boroughbridge, where the Duke of Roxburghe and other relatives were in attendance to accompany the mournful procession to Kirklington. • SLAVE TRADE.—By a Parliamentary paper yes terday printed an estimate is given of the expense of her Majesty's ships-of-war employed for the suppression of the slav e t ra d e, an d o f a ll their appointments, so as to exhibit the aggregate charge to the country for their support in the year 1846-47. The aggregate charge is returned at 301,6231., comprising four items. The estimate of th e expense o f the wages an d v i ctuals of the ships-of-war employed in the suppression of the slave trade is 220,2331.; the estimate of the wear and tear of hulls, &c., 49,3131.; the estimate of the weer and tear of the inaehilLery vt steain-vesels, 17,7901.; and the esti mate of the value of coals provided for the use of the teana•vessels, 14,2871, making the aggregate charge stated. STOCKPORT ELECTION. STOCKPORT, WEDNESDAY.—The nomination of can didates for the representation of this borough took place this morning. The assemblage was very numerous, there being from 8,000 to 10 000 persons present. At ten o'clock the Mayor, Edward Marsland, Esq., son of the candidate of the same name, accompanied by the friends of the candidates, ascended the hustings. After the usual preliminaries had been gone through, Mr. Alderman BARER came forward to propose Mr. Kershaw as a fit and proper person to represent the bo rough in Parliament. The nomination was seconded by Mr. Alderman JOHN RAYNER. Dr. TURNER then proposed Major Marsland, in a shot. speech. . JAMES GRAHAM, Esq., surgeon, seconded the nom: nation. There being no other candidates to propose, Mr. KERSHAW came forward to address the electors. After a few preliminary observations he referred to a number of the leading incidents of the last election, and dwelt at some length on the various pretensions which his opponents had assumed at the present and the late election, and inflicted a severe castigation on them, for at one moment professing to be free traders, and in the next giving their best support to tho3o men who had invariably resisted all attempts to introduce even a re peal of the corn laws.--(Cheers.) He then proceeded at great length to detail his political opinions. He is as favourable to a considerable extension of the suffrage, the introduction of the ballot, a shortening of the dura tion of Parliaments, and a general revision of our system of taxation, so as to cause the pres sure on the working classes to be much less severe and oppressive, and more equitable than at present.—(Cheers.) lie would also repeal, at all events to a very great extent, the navigation laws, so far as to promote the free interchange with all the world.—(Applause.) He then professed himself to be the staunch friend of the fustian jackets and the smockfrocks, and again avowed himself the friend of not only free trade, but of those great principles on which the amelioration of the mass of the working classes so obviously depended, and concluded by ob serving, that if they were only true to their own prin ciples and professions on Saturday next he would be their representative. Mr. Kershaw then retired amid loud and repeated cheers. Major MARBLAND then came forward, and was received with loud cheers by his friends. They knew him well, as he had always been among them, and had before served them in Parliament for nine years. Ho did not see that much talk mended things. One thing, how ever, he never did. He never tried to run another man down to raise himself.—(Cheers.) After a few more observations to the same effect, ho concluded by saying that ho would pledge himself to nothing. He had been a free-trader before his Hon. Opponent was known to them. He was a free-trader with Huskisson—(Cheers) —and rather than go into Parliament shackled he would lose his election. A Mr. DANIELS then came forward, and put a number of questions to Mr. Kershaw on the suffrage, the ballot, the taxation, church -rates, and a few other matters, to all which questions which Mr. Kershaw gave direct and satisfactory answers. Mr. MARSLAND declined to answer any of the ques tions. The ArA.TOlt then called for a show of hands, which, on being taken, he declared himself unable to decide on horn the election had fallen, so nicely were the num bers balanced. On calling for a second show of hands, however, ho gave the decision in favour of Mr. Kershaw, amidst loud cheers. Mr. W. CRUTTENDEN then demanded a poll on the part of Mr. Marsiand, which was fixed to commence at eight o'clock to-morrow morning. Mr. KERSHAW, in a very laudatory speech, proposed the thanks of the electors to the Mayor, for his very handsome and impartial conduct, which was seconded by Mr. MARSLAND, and put amidst loud cheers, and the proceedings were adjourned until to-morrow. THE NEW COAL MARKET. On Tuesday the first stone of the New Coal-market, in Lower Thames-street, was laid by Mr. David Allan, in the presecce of the committee having the execution of the Act of Parliament for providing an improved site for that building, and under the authority of the Court of Common Council. The underside of the stone was in this instance hol lowed out for the reception of the several coins of the realm, which were arranged in a very ingenious manner upon a glass triangle, on the sides of which were en graved the plan, elevation, and section of the new building. The triangle was supported on a cut-glass stem, with the Royal and City Arms engraved thereon, and in serted in a glass base, on the surface of which were inscribed, in a circle, the names of the members of the committee, with the date of the laying of the stone. On the four sides of tho base were the names of the Queen, the Lord Mayor, the architect (Mr. J. B. Bunning), and the contractor (Mr. William Trego). The glass triangle and stand were placed upon an en graved zinc plate, with the following inscription:— VICTORIA REGINA. " The Coal-market of this city, established by the Act of 47 George 111., cap. 68, being small and incon venient, an enlarged site was provided for a new market, under the authority of the Act of the 9th of Victoria, cap. . _ The first stone of this building was laid on Tuesday, the 14th day of December, 1847, by David Allan, Esq., Deputy, the Chairman of the Coal and Corn and Finance Committee of the Corporation of the city of London." The committee afterwards dined at the Albion Ta vern, where they were provided with a magnificent entertainment by the Messrs. Staples. Several of the principal coal factors and coal merchants were amongst the guests of the eommittee. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Coalmen& WEDNESDAY, DEC. 15. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. - - Motion made, and Question put, 4 , That when any new business is brought an after Twelvei o'clock at night, if it be moved and seconded, Th a t th e D ebate on such Quest i on be adjourned, Mr. Speaker shall immediately declare the Debate adjourned, without putting the House divided;— Question to the vote." The MINORITY-AYES, 33. Arkwright, G. Ileald, Jame s Tennent, r. J. Boyd, John Heywood, Jam Thicknesse, R. A. Busteild, W. Moffatt, George A sir J Callaghan, D. folonel Chaplin, W. J. J T Robinson, George Wave, T. Drummond, 11. Salwey, Colonel Wosthead, J. P. Duncan, George Sanders, Georgo wilicox, Brodie Duncuft, John - Scholefleld, William Williams, John Evans, John Seeley, Charles Willoughby, Sir 11. Ewart, Wam Sibthorp , Colonel TELLERS. Fordyce, A. D. Smith, John B. Brotherton, Joseph Gregson, Samuel Strickland, Sir G. Bow - ring, Dr. ----- rilkington, Junes wThaoiranpryn: sir J. MAJORITY —_NOES 57. Archdall, Captain Divett, E. Masterman, J. Arundel, Earl of !Seines, M. T. Pinney, W. Bellew, R. M. Elliot, Joh n E: Raphael, Alexan d er Barrington, Viscount 11)1:41u1ncrkereownio, r be t e h .,G , o B .. ir .1, 13,1aerikgeurn,d John Bellew, Bennet, I'. Ferguson, Sir R. Bentinck, Lord G. Floyer, John Birch, Sir Thomas Fortescue, Chichester Talfourd Bouvoric, E. P. Fuller, A. E. Thompson, Aid. Bramston, T. W. Gaskell, J. lv, Thornely, T. Bruce, Lord E. Gibson, T. M. Vane, Lord IL , Richard ec rhgaeraid Richard i t Cabbell, B. B. Goulburn, E Henry Clay, James Greene Thomas Clive, Visc. Langston, J. 11 Grenfel , Charles W. Wilson, James Cochrane, A. Grey, Sir G. Wood, Sir Charles Ileatheote, Sir W*, Wood, W. P. Coops, Octavius l S yl p i a io Richards,do ad n ii c ,jt 0. Hn : H .: s . armaduke Corry,Henry Howard, (2„ w.G. wyyill, II Craig, W. G. KePPol Geo , rge„T. TELLERS. Deeties, W. Deering, John I'. Lindsay, Colonel ..............._____ T il u ni fn , e i ll o , 1 1 1 henry ACCIDENT ON TIIE —On Tuesday the greatest alarm prevailed at all the stations on this line, in con several trains, occasioned by station in the morning, whi ch n , an euence o the reading G---LtE WESTERN RAILWAY• placed the ng lives of passengers in great although accident at I li provi dentially unattended with a The down train which arrives fatal consequence t s. 8 ro jeopardy, was mostat Reading the A. M. had duly reached th e stoppage it started again, main line on to the branch line of ahl short distance of the station a within, however, a re v n e e r n y t ~W,i and after usual theo t h branchtr)la(li lw L a . y n s a n , Railway, about to bo opened, ft from the nn present main Hants is being Barks de . in conse quence a temporary crossing for the m t g r trains on ' the down eferonmbwhile regularthe trainline is was P l r a e n t e u d rn b i e n t g w down line the engine called an incline which raised it on one Lightning, owing to curve, with undue ' speed, got a to nd the off side, and a sharp e rails, and the wheels and fore part were embedded in depth. Fortunately it did not run down aietheem earthhal) embankment, y or the result must have proved most disastr ous . The af frighted passengers were all greatly alarmed at the sudden stoppage of the train, and soon retreated back to the station, when fortunately it was found that no one had sustained any material injury. An express was for warded immedi ately up and down the line with the intelligence. The engine and tender were comp lete ly in a ~ fix, ,, and blocked up all communication on th e down line. Every effort was used for a long while t o raise b ot h o ff r h o line, and at one time four engines were e brought for the purpose, but all endeavours to remove them from their difficult situation, where they still remain, were unavailing. While this was going on, all the down trains on arriving at Reading, as well as at the upper stations, were stopped. At length, when a tho down trains began to crowd one upon _another, it was found necessary to allow them to g o on the up ulna from Read ing as far as Pangbourne, the next station, and then to rejoin the down line. The express train from London was the first to proceed, but without being allowed to convey the delayed passengers, who proceeded in their own train attached to another engine, after a detention of two hours and a half. The mixed down train, arriving at Reading at 9 20, did not proceed for nearly three hours afterwards. The up mail train due at Reading at 11 53 did not reach there till one o'clock. All the subsequent trains throughout the day were more or less delayed. Owing to the great obst ruction at this particular part of the line from the works in progress, it was previously all along app rehen ded that some • ' acci dent would result from it, and we have no doubt a strict inquiry will be instituted consequent on the pre sent occurrence. COLLISION ON THEY ORK AND NORTH MIDLAND RAILWAY.—YORK, TUESDAY. --A serious accident oc curred on the York and North Midland Railway this morning, about half-past three o'clock. A s t h e luggage train from Hull to Wakefield was passing at a slow speed on its route, near the Burton Salmon station, the mail ' train from York, for London, came up, end, from some cause, which remains to be explained, ran into the lug gage train, and destroyed two vans. The re were in one r , ~f the= yarn:l,2 , s three cattle- jobbers, proceeding to Wakefield Market, and, we regret to State, that two of them were killed on the spot, and the third is in a pre carious state. The engineer and stoker of the engine on the mail train escaped unhurt. THE LATE STORM. (FROM AN EYE-WITNESS.) SHIPWRECK AND Loss OF LIFE.-011 Wednesday, the Bth inst., wind W.N.W., a ship was seen off Newquay, in great distress, drifting fast to the shore. A boat was immediately manned by some brave fellows of this place, who felt determined to risk their lives for those of their fellow -creatures. However, in their first at tempt they failed, the sea being so rough; and it was more than likely they would all have fallen victims to a watery grave had they proceeded. During this time the Coast Guard, who were the first to discover the barque, were actively engaged in preparing Dennett's rockets, and hastened to a place called Crantock Bay, where she was drifting to. Mr. Llewellyn, chief officer of the Coast Guard, succeeded in firing them to the vessel, but the poor sailors did not go aloft to fetch them ; and it was thought no other communication from shore could be formed, when Captain William Darke, of the schooner Rose, bravely said he would risk his boat and life ; so, with two other courageous fellows, the boat was immediately manned—their names are Captain William Johns, of the smack Liberty, and William Found, mate of the Modle, then lying in Newquay. Too much praise cannot be given to them, for they succeeded in going to the vessel and getting a rope from thence, after which they were again soon on shore, to the great wonder of the spectators, the boat being only about fourteen feet In length. She was sent off again a second time, and brought four of the crew to shore quite safe, but the third time she was not so successful. Tho sea being mountains high, she overset, and two of the poor creatures met with a watery grave. The fourth attempt was by a line from the vessel to the shore, she having drifted very much nearer, when one only was saved by this means, two only having attempted, the second fell a victim to the deep. The crew was twenty nine in number, twenty-six of whom were saved. As the vessel was dry at low water about midnight, they all came on shore quite well, and were received by Captain Nott, R.N., who particularly interested and exerted himself, also Mr. Joseph Martyn, formerly commander of one of her Majesty's packets. Lloyd's agent and several other gentlemen were present. The name of the barque is the Marchioness of Abercorn, 1,100 tons, laden with timber, bound to London. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. SIR CHARLES NAPIER'S SQUADRON. PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 15.—We have received our usual concise and interesting details of the movements of the above squadron by the packet:— " Nov. 30.—The English packet sailed, and the Comet steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Rigge, went down the river, with Mr. Biddlecomble, master of the St. Vin cent, surveying. The Amphion, screw steam-frigate, Captain Williams, got her damaged bowsprit out (which it will be remembered, she sprung by fouling the Cano pus) it being found defective. At sunset, down top gallant and royal yards, which was done admirably well, being quite a new era, sending topsailyards down on deck at sunset. Admiral made signal—' Exceedingly well done.' " Dec. I—Eight ..M., up topsail, topgallant and roya yards; at sunset sent them on deck. " 2d—Eight A.M., up topsail, topgallant, and royal yards. The English packet arrived. The Amphion weighed and steamed about the river to try her engines. At noon squadron fired a royal salute, ships dressed, on the occasion of the christening of the infant Prince of Portugal. " 3Cl—The Admiral went on board the Amphion, and examined the working of the screw propeller. The purser of the Canopus, 84, Mr. Browne, was invalided, and the purser of the Avenger, Mr. C. H. Jones, ap pointed to the Canopus ; the purser of the Scourge steam-sloop, Mr. Haile, leaves her for the Avenger ; and Mr. Terry, the Admiral's secretary's clerk, is appointed acting purser of the Scourge. " 4th—The Comet anchored again in her station, and the Caledonia, 120, Captain Dixon, sailed for England. The naval instructor of the Queen, 110, Mr. Raimbach, has exchanged with the naval instructor of the Cale donia, Mr. Grant. Mr. Sambell, naval instructor of the St. Vincent, went home in the Caledonia, on leave of absence. "sth—The Oberon steam-vessel, Lieut.-Commander Gardener, arrived with the Right Hon. Richard More O'Ferrall, the newly-appointed civil Governor of Malta, and family, on board, and also Captain Napier, to com mand the Avenger steam-frigate, vice Dacres, to be flag captain to the Admiral ; also Commander Marper, to join the St. Vincent. "6th—The Canopus, 84, Captain Moresby, C. 8., shifted berth close to the Admiral. Sir Charles went on board the St. Vincent to-day to inspect, and, after four hours' exercise expressed himself highly satisfied with her state and efficiency. "7th—The Amphion got her bowsprit in but she is yet in great t rou bl e w i t h h er screw and machinery. " Bth—The Oberon steam-vessel, with the Governor of Malta, &c., left to-day. The Dragon steam-frigate, Captain Hall, arrived to-day from Madeira, whither she had conveyed the Duke and Prince of Saxe Weimar, on a visit to the Queen Dowager, whom the Dragon reports is in good health, and enjoying the ge nial climate. Captain Dacres took the command of the Sr. Vincent to-day, and Captain Milne goes home in the packet. The Blazer steam-sloop, Lieutenant Com mander Smith, came in to-day to refit before she pro ceeds to the coast of Africa. Her machinery is damaged. " 9al—Packet sails—The Albion, 90, Capt. Fremantle, is hourly;expected from Malta. Squadron in the n g us at this date—the St.Vinceat, 120, Capt. Dacres, flag of Bear- Admiral Sir C. Napier,Commander-in•Chief; Howe, 120, Captain Sir J. Stirling ; Queen, 110, Captain Bruce; Canopus, 84, Captain Moresby; Amphion, 36, Captain Williams; the Avenger steam-frigate, Captain Napier; the Dragon steam-frigate, Captain Hall; the Scourge, steam-sloop, Commander Wingrove; the Blazer steam sloop, Lieutenant• Commander Smith; and the Comet steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Rigge. All well." The Cuckoo steam-vessel is now in the basin along side the Kite, receiving the officers, crew and stores from the latter, when she will bo put out of commission and the Cuckoo take her place. Captain A. Milne arrived this morning early in the Dockyard and has since proceeded to the Admiralty. Wind south; strong breezes and hazy weather, with rain. THE LATE GALES.-HASTINGS, DEC. l I.—During the recent fearful gales in the Channel, a fine Neapo litan ship, called the Addolorata, M. Salvator Porzio, commander, was totally lost in Pevensey Bay, when ten of the unfortunate crew perished. Nine of the bodies have since been cast up, and the evidence adduced at the Coroner's inquiry will convey some idea of the vio lent character of the storm, and the difficulty shipping sailing up or down the Channel had in weathering it. The deceased were fine muscular young men. M. Sal vator Porzio, the captain of the unfortunate vessel, de posed that at the time of her loss she was on a voyage from London to Naples with a general cargo. He left the Thames on the 28th ult., and had got to the Isle of Wight on the 3d inst. Then blowing strong, he was obliged to heave round to the English land, which he made at eight o'clock, A.M., on Saturday, the 4th inst., being four miles distant. At four o'clock, P.m., same day, he stood away, with the ship's head to the southward, till midnight, when he hove her head round to the northward, and mado Beachy Head between two and three o'clock in the morning of Sunday, the sth instant. He got soundings, and in the course of an hour attempted to wear the vessel, when be found the rudder was disabled. The ship then became unmanageable. The violence of the weather was awful in the extreme ; it was blowing a perfect hurricane ; the vessel struck, and immediately tell on her beam-ends. She then drifted for some dis tance, then bumped, parted in midships, and soon went entirely to pieces. The crew consisted of the deceased persons and witness, and three other survivors. Mien the vessel went to pieces he parted from it on a piece of plank, and pe was not conscious of what afterwards occurred, until he found himself in bed at the Tower. Lieutenant J. H. Nickolls, the commanding officer of the coastguard, stated that information of the wreck was first conveyed to his men by goods being washed up on the beach. The captain was discovered holding on by one of the groynes in an exhausted state. Two boys and a seaman, also belonging to the ill fated vessel, were found on the beach in a similar condition. Verdict, " Found drowned." THE KNOWSLEY MURDER.—The trial of Dwerry house, the man who killed the girl at Knowsley, by tearing the scalp from her head, was to have come on at the present Liverpool Winter Assizes, but it was stated to the Court by Mr. Peter Burke, the counsel for the prosecution, that the prisoner still continued i n a s t a t e of hopeless insanity, and that, pursuant to a recent Act of Parliament, he was retained, by a warrant from a Secretary of State, in the county lunatic asylum. Mr. Justice Alderson, therefore, indefinitely adjourned the trial, at the same time remarking, that in giving power to a Secretary of State to imprison an offender without bringing him before a jury, the statute in question went far beyond the intention of the Legislature. NATIONAL PROVIDENT INSTITUTION.—Yesterday the annual meeting of this institution took place at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street. S. H. Lucas, Esq., presided. The report was of much intere st and highly favourable. It appeared that the policies were now upwards of 7,800, and the income of the society ex ceeded 111,000/. There had been a large accession of new members in the past year, and the funds had also greatly increased. MR. HOWITT'S NEW WORK, " THE HALL AND THE HAMLET."—This is a very delightful work about the country, and matters appertaining thereto. In these volumes there is more originality, more wit, more humour, more pathos, than in any of those which have already issued from the same pen. Mr. Howitt appears to have let go the reins of his imagination completely, and hence those delightful sketches and sweet and en chanting pictures of rural life in which these pages abound. He has displayed such exquisite good taste and poetic discrimination in the selection of his topics, that the whole work breathes an atmosphere of rural pleasure and beauty. The work is one which we have ' no doubt will be read not only at the homestead of the farmer, but at the mansion of the squire, or the castle of the lord, with gratification and delight.—Sunday Times. nix TEA Du - rim—The Liverpool Association for the reduction of the duty on tea has again commenced its operations. A very full meeting of the members took.place at the rooms of the East India and China Association on Wednesday last, when some very ener getic measures for effecting the object in view were agreed upon. Several influential merchants,, who, though quite approving of the exertions of the associa tion last year, did not then take any very active part, liabc now come forward and offered their services ; amongst others we may name Mr. Robertson Gladstone, whose valuable aid will tend greatly to the ultimate suc cess of the association.—Liverpool Timm MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS. NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTEREIYIN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DEC. 11, 1847. Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases Diseases of Uncertain Seat ... Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ... 177 Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of Respiration ... ••• ••• Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion... ••• • Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. Oe• Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. . Diseases of the Joints, B,Jnes, and Muscles Diseases of the Skin, &c. • Old Age, or Natural Decay ... Deaths by Violence, Privation, or Intemperance ... 35 Causes nut specified ... 2 ... 783 913 ~ 50 ... 11 DEATIXS FROM ALL CAUSES Ponulation Enumerated, 1811. West Districts... 301,326 North Districts.. 376,396 Central Dist7icts 374,759 East Districts ... 393,247 South Districts., 502,483 T0ta15........ 1,948,211 Males ... Females ~. Males Females Total 2,416 Average weekly Deaths Deaths, 1842-6. in the Five Autumns. Week. 146 ... 332 . 184 ... 482 196 ... 458 , 232 ... 463 . 288 ... 681 ... 1,046 ... 2,416 ... 1,17.5 .., 1,241 BIRTHS IN THE WEEK. ... 638 ... 667 ... 1,305 From the Registrar-General's return for the metropo litan districts, it appears that the excessive rate of mor tality which was announced in the previous report continued to prevail in the week ending Saturday last. The number of deaths is 2,416, showing an increase above the average of the season equal to 1,370, or 130 per cent.; whilst, compared with the greater number of the preceding week, it gives a difference of only 38. The following are the principal causes of mortality in three weeks:— Weeks ending Saturday 1 Weekly _.A..., r-- — Th i Average, Nov. 27. Dec. 4. Dec. 11. 1 ; -- --, 1 ZymoticDiscases 415 ' 638 783 ; 211 Diseases of respi ratory organs 634 994 913 333 Typhus, &c 9l 136 140 38 Influenza Pneumonia and Bronchitis All causes The decrease of mortality in the previous week, though numerically insignificant, encourk es a belief that the force of the epidemic has attained its maximum, and, being checked by some improvement in the state of the atmosphere, is already on the decline. Probably, influenza hai done its worst for the present; certainly it has done more than enough to renew in the minds of the existing population the " acquaintance ". which it established with our ancestors some centuries ago. From the above statement it will be observed, that while the total mortality is less, the deaths specially ascribed to influenza show a considerable increase on the former week. The circumstance it is difficult to explain, except on the supposition that, at first, medical men per ceived in a multitude of cases only the aggravation of a chronic complaint, or the inflammatory symptoms of a common cold, till wide-spread disaster compelled them to recognize the presence of a new agent, and to assign the appropriate name. Subjoined to the return are the following exceedingly important meteorological observations:— The most remarkable meteorological phenomenon of this year is the low reading of the barometer on the morning of Tuesday, December 7, which, as stated in the general remarks, was 28181 in. ; this reading is lower than any since that in the memorable storm of January 13, 1843. which was 28.096 in. ; the lowest reading in the year 1844 was 28'525 in. ; in 1845 was 28.659 in. ; and in 1846 was 28.536 in. In 1847, De cember 1, the reading was high; and at midnight it was 30 . 237 in. ; immediately after this time the reading be gan to decrease, and continued decreasing till the morn ing of the sth day, at which time it was 29.205 in. ; it having been at 30 . 074 in. at midnight on the 2d ; at 29.885 in. at midnight on the 3d ; and at 29176 in. at midnight on the 4th. During the sth day the reading increased a little till the evening, when it again began to decrease, and at 4h. 20w. A.M., on the morning of the 6th, it decreased below 29 inches, and continued to decrease throughout the day, and at midnight it was 28.291. On December 7th, at 2h. 35w., A.M., the minimum reading 28.381 in. took place, and it remained at this read ing till 2h. 50m. e.at. ; after this time the read ing began to increase. This reading is P 855 in. less than it was 5 days 1 hour previously. This change of reading is great, but in January, 1843, between the 13th, at Oh. 53m. r.ze , and the 19th. at 9h. 20m. P.M , the reading increased from 28.096 to 30 . 437 in., or 5.341 in. in 5 days and 21 hours. (See the Greenwich Observations for 1843, page 266.) In 1847, December 7th, at 9h. P.M., the reading had increased to 29 inches, and it continued to increase till the Bth, at 7h. P.M., at which time it was 29'634 in. It then began to decrease, and to the end of the week it has alternately increased and decreased about the mean reading as shown in the table. On beceraber Ist, there were unusual changes of tem perature of the air ; the temperature during the pre ceding night was high, and generally above 50 deg.; towards sun-rise on the sky becoming free from cloud, it began to decline and continued doing so till very nearly noon, at which time it was 40 deg.; at lb. P.M., it had increased to 50 deg., and continued nearly this point till after 4h. P.M. ; it then began to decline, and at midnight it was as low as 38 deg., and after mid night it declined to 31 deg. On Tuesday the sky be came cloudy, and the temperature increased from 40 deg. at 7h. A.m., to 56 deg. at midnight, it did not decline below 55 deg. during the night. On the 3d, the sky was clouded throughout the day, the temperature was high and nearly uniform, till after Bh. P.M., between which time and midnight it declined from 53 deg. to 41 deg. On the 4th, the temperature of the air increased till Ih. P.M., at which hoar it was 50 deg., and it con tinued very nearly at this point throughout the remain der of the day ; after midnight it declined to 24 deg. 5 min. The highest point reached on the sth was 47 deg., and this decreased to 37 deg. by 11h. P. 11.; after this time the temperature increased rapidly all night, and at 7h. A.M., on the 6th, was 53 deg., and from this time it slowly declined during the day, and at midnight was 41 deg. The 7th day was cold, and there was but little change of temperature during the day. On the morning of the Bth the temperature was 32 deg., which increased to 41 deg. 5 min., by lh. P.M., and decreased to 31 deg. 3 min. by 7h. p.m. ; at Bh. r.iu., it had in creased a little ; at 9h. P.m. it was 36 deg., and from this time it increased all the night, and at lh. P.M. on the 9th it was 56 deg. 5 min., being 25 deg. 2 min. higher than it was 18h. previously. The period of time between the 9th at 2h. P.M., and the 11th at 2h. P.M., was remarkable both for the high temperature and its uniformity, the extremes between those times being 50 deg. and 54 deg. After lh. P.m. on the 11th, the tem perature declined from 51 deg. to 38 deg. by midnight. From the preceding remarks it will be seen that the usual uniform rise and fall of temperature during the day has frequently been reversed. The reading of the barometer was high on the Ist and 2d, during the 3d it decreased about a quarter of an inch, and on the 4th it further decreased half an inch ; on the sth it was low all day, and on the 6th it was remarkably low, and it has continued rather low till the end of the 11th day. THE MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL.—On Monday a special general court of the governors of this charity was held in the board room, Charles-street, Tottenham•court road, to take into consideration the case of Mr. E. W. Tusen, one of the surgeons of this institution. Mr. B. B. Cabbell presided. There were also present — the Duke of Cambridge, Sir It- Inglis, M.P., Sir W. Stirling, Sir B. Smith, Sir E. Pearson, General Caulfield, Mr. B. Hawes, the Hon. Captain Maude. R.N., Captain Mirky, the Hon. J. W. Percy, Mr. W. F. A. Delane, and nearly 100 governors. The business of the day having been opened by the chairman, Mr. Sheddon, the secretary, read the statement o f th e weekly board of the circumstances the meeting were called upon to investigate, in which were set forth cases of complaint against Mr. Tuson for having received money for defraying the expenses of pupils, and for not having therewith paid the fees for the lectures in the hospital, whereby the pupils had been obliged to pay the money out of their own pockets a second time, and statements by Mr. Rowden and Mr. Core, co-lecturers with Mr. Tuson, complaining that he had not duly ac counted to them for various tees. The statement having been read, the Hon. Captain Maude addressed the meet ing, and moved " that the meeting confirm the reso lution of the weekly board of the 30th of November, by which Mr. Tuson was suspended." Mr. C. Elliott seconded the resolution. Mr. Propert moved an amend ment to the effect that, although Mr. Tuson had, in his transactions with his private pupils, been guilty of con duct in the highest degree censurable, yet as his duties during the years he had bean attached to the hospital had been characterised by skill, assiduity, and great zeal, the meeting did not deem it expedient to force his resignation. Mr. Brewster seconded the amendment, after which several gentlemen addressed the meeting, and several questions were put to Mr. Tuson. The debate resulted in a resolution, put by Mr. Hawes, which was as follows :—" We, the undersigned, feel strongly the importance of waving every individual feeling for the security of the hospital, and we deem it right to disclaim further contention, and to place our resignation in the hands of the weekly board at the next meeting." Thi s resolution, which was signed by all tho surgeons of the establishment, was seconded and carried by the meeting. The officers will offer themselves for re-election, and it will then be for the Governors to say whether they will re-elect Mr. Tuson. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge having said a few words e r xpr a e n s , si t v h e e o m f e t e h t e . interest he felt for the good of the hospi ta l , and a v thanks having been passed for the chairman ote °t ing broke up. TtiE MURDER OF MR. 13ELLCHAmBERs.--The grand jury at the Central Criminal Court returned last evening two true bills against George M'Coy, Thomas Sale, Thomas Doyle, and Thomas Davis, fur the wilful murder of John Bellchambers, and for felony. THE BELGIAN LOAN. —The Belgian journals state that the new loan which is talked of for Belgium will be for 75,000,000 francs (3,000,000/0 It is not to be offered to tender, but to be raised by subscriptions. According to the journals it is to be a 3 per cent. loan St 60, ..... N COURT CIRCULAR; -----,, . The Queen, accompanied by the,lartio- and : - -, Marchioness of Normanby, and atten ad ..I),Yilie:ll.fiiii., Miss Kerr, took an airing in a cur' p - :ancr tor 90: , Tuesday afternoon. :- Professor Sedgwick arrived at Os K sne hour_ on- Tuesday, on a vis i t t o h er M a j es t y . .- -- ._,.. The roy a l di nner par t y at O s b orne „ tr Tnesdai,. , 4.1 0 1 0 evening, i nc l u d e d t h e M arqu i s and Mittctieriesi - Of ''' ' Normanby and Professor Sedgwick. Yesterday morning the Royal Children went to the beach, and walked and rode on their ponies. The Marquis and Marchioness of Normanby left Osborne yesterday morning, embarked at Osborne Pier on the Undine, commanded by Commander Allen, and crossed to Gosport, on their return to town. General Prince Castelcicala had an interview yes terdav, with Lord Palmerston, at the Fureign-office. The Postmaster-General had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on. Tuesday, at hia official residence in Downing-street. Mr. Kinnaird had an interview with Sir George Grey yesterday, at the Home-office. Lord and Lady John Russell had a dinner party yesterday, at their residence, in Chesham-place. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lady Mary Wood had a dinner party yesterday, at their resi dence, in Downing-street. Disp'atches were received yesterday, at the Colo nial-office, from the Governor of Gibraltar. GRAND OPERA, THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE.— Among the noble and distinguished company who were present on Wednesday evening were—His Excellency the Russian Ambassador, with the Baroness Brunnow and party ; the Prince Louis Napoleon, Viscount and Viscountess Dillon, Lady Frederick Beauclerk, Lady and Misses Antrobus, Earl of Canterbury, Lord Henry Lennox, Lord Robert Clinton, Lord Ward, Lord Brook, Lord Munster, Lord Edward Howard, Sir William Ball, Sir George Clerk and family, Sir William de Bathe, Major-General Sir A. Clifton, Right Hon. C. R. Daw son, Right Hon. C. Buller, Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay, Hon. Colonel Cavendish, General Mercer, Lieutenant- Colonel Macdonald, Henry Baring, Esq., M.P., &c. TUB COUNTESS Gurcciou.—The name of Lord Byron's celebrated favourite appears in the Paris papers, as about to enter once more into the bonds of matrimony. first arrondissement the rrondi ssGm marriages en r or p p u a b r l i i s she is d atha that the h o e r ri f. e H o i f the l aire Etienne Octave Bouill6, Marquis de Boissy du Coudrais, Peer of France, and Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, widower, to Madame Therese Francoise Olympic Gas pera Gamba, daughter of the Count Ruggero Gamba Jriselli, and widow of Count Guiccioli." The Marquis de Boissy, like his fair bride, has arrived at an ag e of decided maturity. He has been for several . years a widower,M dll e. d e having Mushier beende Fo 11 e v Marri ed7ll6a in wh t o h , e w fi e rs t b e in li s e t v an e, ce mwas to granddaughter and joint heiress of the milliona i re had Mar quis quis d'Aligre. By that mitrrlage • a ja 1843 to tne Prince de only daughter, who was mains, alien. The Countess Leon, eldest son of the Duke de the Marquisa ' lied to some of the Guiccoli therefore becomes not o n ly a._ o f one of the noblest families in Fran ce , b u t th e w if e wealthiest of the nobility in that country. WEYMOUTH ELECTION.—WEYMOUTH, DAY.—The election of a Member to serve for this bo rough in the room of Mr. W. D. Christie, who has ac cepted the Chiltern Hundreds, took place to-day at the. Guildhall. It is broadly stated in the town that the re tirement of Mr. Christie is the effect of a compromise., between the Liberals and Conservatives, induced by the threat of a petition. It is, however, also rumoured throughout the town that Mr. Christie is to be appointed . an assistant-secretary to the New Poor-law Board. The.. certainty that no opposition would be offered to the re turn of the candidate agreed upon made the proceedings very brief and uninteresting. The Hon. Frederick William Childs Villiers was proposed by Sir George Thomas, and seconded by Mr. John Francis Hodges, . and no one else being nominated, was declared by the Mayor, Mr. W. Devenish, duly returned to serve as a , Member for Weymouth. NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME ELECTION.—WEDNES DAY AFTERNOON.—The election for a burgess in the room of Mr. Christy t o represent this b orough com menced this morning. Mr. Ross, the father of the late candidate, appeared as the representative of his son. The show of hands was declared to be in favour of Mr. Ross, and thereupon a poll was demanded and conceded. The poll takes place to-morrow. RAGGED SCHOOLS UNlON.—Yesterday evening a meeting was held at the Temperance Hall, King-street, Long-acre, on the occasion of the opening of a new ragged school in Neal's-yard, Seven Dials; the Right lion. Lord Ashley, M.P., in the chair. It appeared from the report of the local committee that the school which they were about to open was started by the liberality of one individual. A lady who had attended a meeting of the committee of the Ragged Schools Union was so much struck by the amount of good which they had effected that she presented to the union a building in Neal's-yard, Seven Didls, and the sum of 501. to put it in repair, for the purpose of being used as a ragged school. She also agreed to contribute the sum of 101. per annum to defray the expenses, at the same time ex pressing a wish that her name should be concealed. A local committee of several gentlemen resident in the vicinity was at once formed, with a view of raising contributions and superintending the arrangements. The schools which were now ready to be opened would accommodate eighty children, and the expenses would amount to 70/. or 80/. per annum. Letters were then read from the Rev. Mr. Tyler, the rector of St. Giles, containing a donation of 5/. ; from Captain Trotter, the secretary to the society, announcing a do nation of 2L, to be continued annually, and from other persons (names not given) announcing donations of 11. The Chairman then addressed the meeting at some length, congratulating them upon the occasion of their meeting, and urging upon them the strong necessity of carrying out, by their contributions, the work which had been so well begun. They might ascertain, by per sonal inspection of other ragged schools, the amount of good which had already been effected. The Rev. Mr. Branch then addressed the meeting, and stated that an instance of benevolence similar to the one which hasi been referred to had lately come ander his notice. A gentle man who owned two large houses in Seven Di a l s h a d presented them to the City Mission Society, with the sum of 1001., in order that a portion of the houses should be applied to some purpose for the benefit of the poor in the neighbonrhood. Several other gentlemen then ad dressed the meeting, and resolutions pledging them to forward the objects of the union were adopted. A•vote of thanks having been given to the chairman, the meet ing separated. MAILS BETWEEN ENGLAND AND NORTH ADID RICA.—The new postal contract of her Majesty's Go vernment for the conveyance of the mails between Eng land and North America, every alternate Saturday during the winter months, and every Saturday during the other eight months of the year to Boston and New York from Liverpool, comes into operation to-morrow even ing, when the mails will be made up in London and for warded by the Caledonian steamer. Liverpool, Halifax, and Boston, on the 18th. On the 31st by the Cambria steamer, for the Ist of January to New York, from Liverpool, and every alternate Friday till March, and then weekly. The following important notice was issued yesterday at th e Post-office, so as to preven dis appointments and delays in the correspondence between this icountry and British North America:—The Post master General of the United States, having given a no tice for determining the agreement under which the cor respondence between Great Britain and Canada bas been conveyed in closed mails through the territories of the United States, as well as all other agreements subsisting between the post-offices of the two countries, the mails to and from Canada will hence forth be landed and embarked at Halifax, Nova Scotia, instead of at Boston, as at present. All letters and newspapers, therefore, addressed to Canada will in future be forwarded by the way of Halifax, Nova Scotia, unless specially directed to be sent by some other route ; and, as the arrangement under which United States postage has hitherto been collected in Canada is also suspended by the notice alluded to, all letters for Canada which the writers desire to have forwarded by the way of the United States should be addressed to t h e care of parties in the United States, or they will other wise be detained for the ipostage due for their transit through the American territory. The postage on letters to and from Canada, forwarded via Halifax, Nova Scotia, will be Is. 2d. the half-ounce, as at present, but no charge o e n e letters in the for the United States King dom l States via Boston or New York, will b e Is. f o r every wi lb or e m i n a de e Canada.n newspapers The p postage a either letter not exceeding half an ounce, and so on. r he postage on both must, in every instance,be prepaid." C adiz, and News papers will be chargeable with a rate o f 2d . each. The mails for Vigo, Oporto , Lisbon, " Gib raltar, and the West Indies, &c. , will be made up to-morrow morning, the 17th instant ; for Gibraltar, Malts, Greece, the lonian Islands, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Hong-Kong, and China, on Monday morning, the 20th instant, via Southampton, and by the overland closed mail via Marseilles on the evening of the 24th inst. ' .. :5.. establishment took EAST distribution o f r c ri v s s a G t E, th il e A at E v y Ry.--The annual o place on Tuesday morning. Among the directors present Were the Chairman (H. St. G. Tucker, Esq.), John Cotton, Esq., Sir James Weir Hogg, Bart., M.P., Lieut.- Colonel Sykes, Sir H. Willock, Bart., Major• General Galloway, E. Macnaughten, Esq., Sir J. C. Whiteman, Major 011ifant, &c. Among the visitors were his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Sir R. H. Inglis, Bart., M.P., Major. General C. Pasley, K. 8., Major- General Sir G. Pollock, Bart., J. Hume, Esq., M.P., Major Chase, Major Wilkinson, &c. Several essays were read. Mr. E. J. Birch read a prize essay on the causes of the superiority of the Anglo Saxon race over the French and Spanish in North America. Mr. J. D. Forsyth read in the Hindustanee a translation of the character of Aurungzebe, from Dow's History of Hin dustan; also a translation of the Toorkoman tribes of Khorassan, from Bailey's Travels; and a Sanscrit trans lation, in verse, of the description of Satan, from the first part of Milton's Paradise Lost. The Chairman of the East India Company then addressed the students in to au appropriate speech. The company then adjo urned t G h e e o d r i g n e i; ' m on gold at Paris MONEY MARKET.—The premium dining hall, in where the chair. t the English iu Mint price of is 13 per mills, which, dinner took place. — Mr. St. ge at Paris on London ex change of 25.47 ;and the- follows that gold is 0.80 per at short being 25.67 i, it inParis. By advises from 31.175. 10 1. per ounce fo e r a x t n s h ta t a h n n e dardgold, gives an cent. dearer in Londos goldof 3/. 17s. 100. per ounce for the English Mint price exchange of 13.10 i ; and the standard gold, gives an_ on London at short being Hamburgh the price of tha n is 436 1- per mark, which, at exchange at Hamburgh ,Lo l3 ndoe than in Ilamburgh. .14 it follows that gold is 0. 57 per cent. dearer in \ 2 4;\ ,'~ ~''~~ AY VEXING, DECEMBER 16, 1847.