The Sun. — London, England, 1840-04-18 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION. FURTHER ILLUSTRATIONS OF BREECHES-POCKET LEGISLATION. It is quite true, as Lord Ashburton is reported l to have said in a late debate, that he opposed, in 1815, the addition of a great exorbitant duty on I foreign corn, but it is not the less true that the arguments he then used were in favour of complete freedom of trade, and that he then taught the nation to mistrust the landowners. We must lay before our readers additional proofs of this, because, as we foresaw, the Noble Lord's declaration has been eagerly caught at by the Corn-law Journals, and by them Lord Ashburton is now held up as a miracle of sagacity. The passages of the N oble Lord's speeches, which we have already quoted, show that he was then against all restriction, and he illustrated the effects of restrictions in causing fluctuations in Iprice, by supposing that one country would not communicate with another. Such restrictions, said Mr. Baring, drove ingenious artizans abroad—they drove our manufactures out of the continental roar ket--they enabled foreigners to under-sell us— they drove capital abroad—they made the whole people pay a higher price for bread than was necces sarv, to cultivate barren lands—they were opposed to the dispensations of Providence. He insisted 1 that restrictions on corn were not an exception to these general rules, and he showed conclusively, that a country never could be starved which had an open trade with all the world. He demonstrated that every shilling tax on corn levied a large sum from the people to keep up the rents and value of land, and he insisted, over and over again, that the landlords had a bias or sinister interest, which ren dered it folly to trust them. Such, shortly to re capitulate them, was the substance of the opinions of Mr. Alexander Baring in 1815, and though they were spoken in opposition to a law which went to enhance a duty previously levied, they are as conclusive against a auty of a single shilling a quarter as against 20s. We shall now quote some more of his former sentiments, and if the wretched old man do not feel much ashamed of his conduct, it must be that a long course of money-getting has blunted in him all the sensibilities of our common nature Here is a passage from his speech, on February 22, 1815, which expresses quite as clearly as ever we have expressed the murderous effect of a Corn law. It cuts down population, but it is otherwise so valuable for its exact philosophy, that we should have pleasure at any time in quoting it. Our authority is " Hansard's Parliamentary Debates," Vol. 29, pages 972, 973. " But then, according to the gentlemen on the other side of the question, it was of the utmost importance that eve should be independent of foreign countries for a supply of food ; an d we s h ou ld, o f course , b y keeping i out foreign corn , f orce i nto cu l t i vat i on a ll t h e l an d s n the kingdom, at whatever expense, for the sake of being independent. Here he would observe that no Go vernment which had the least regard for the welfare and prosperity of the people entrusted to their care, ever went on so absurd a principle as to force in this manner, what gentlemen were pleased to call an inc:- pendent supply. This was acting in direct opposition ' to the wise provision by which nature, in varying the produce of different countries, had made them all de pendent on one another. Some countries were suited to corn ; other countries possessed mines, fisheries, and other means by which men could gain a subsistence, hut were not adapted for corn. If Malta and Norway had in thismanner taken it into their heads to make them selves independent of foreign countries for a supply of food, they might long have scratched their barren rocks and barren hills, before they could have produced one , tenth part of the subsistence which they procured in exchange for their fisheries, and the other branches of industry which nature had placed within their reach, Undoubtedly, they might have, in this way, forced some land into cultivation which would otherwise have been neglected. In Malta th e p eop l e even went so far as to bring soil from Egypt an d sprea d i t on the i r rocks. 'there was no limit to the perseverance of human in dustry ; but on that principle of forcing a supply front your own soil, for yo ur ows popu l at i on, your po pulation never can exceed your ou'x produce, and the consequence, therefore, of that would be, that you must cut down yonr population to suit your corn, instead of regulating the supply of corn by the population. This was not lengthening the bed to the man, but shortening the man to the bed. The consequence of this system on our own country would be this—though it was not like Malta or Norway, unfit for the production of food, yet it was in many cases in an analogous situation. Scotland, for instance, was not fitted for the growth of wheat. In some parts of the south of Scotland, he was aware that the cultivation of wheat was practised ; but in general the country was naturally ill-adapted for it. What would be thought of the folly of the people of Scotland—a people remarkable fur their ability and wisdom—if on this principle no persons were to be per mitted to live in that country except they brought meal and bread with them ? Instead, however, of acting in this manner, a country, comparatively speaking barren, was occupied by a people full of industry and enter prize, who brought from every quarter of the world that which nature had refused at home. In the southern parts of England there were many districts somewhat in the same situation ; and the greatest part of the country was more unfavourable for agriculture than many of the countries on the Continent. It was evident that we had more bad harvests, for instance, than there were in the country over-against us. By this system of forcing an independent supply, we should he abandoning all those resources which we derived from our industry in every part of the empire. Whe ther this additional 13s. on the quarter would drive the cotton, iron, and other manufactures out of the country, he would not, pretend to say ; but this he would say, that every advance on the price of corn, and conse quently in the price of labour, was giving an advantage to nur competitors in the market of Europe, and that we ought to be on our guard how we hazarded any measure which might have the effect of ruining an; branch of ou r i n d ustry , an d thus sacrificed the means ' which had already contributed so much to our wealth and prosperity." Now Lord Ashburton is a stickler for the ab surd principle of forcing a sufficient supply from our own soil, which he then denounced. We shall now jump over five years of the Mer chant's life, and, in 1820, he being then a great merchant, this was the language he used. From has then advocacy of free-trade principles, he was chosen by the merchants of London (how is that body now changed, and how is that once noble name now prostituted to money jobbers and com mercial tricksters!) to present their celebrated peti tion to Parliament for the removal 'of commercial restrictions ; and on May 8, 1820, Hansard re cords for him the following just and honourable sentiments : He - was perfectly persuaded that no laws could long uphold the present price of produce in this coun. try. Nor was it surprising that many parts of Europe, as well as America, where trade was unrestricted by the Idlers imposed on it in this country, beat us in the market." [ " The first doctrine which the petitioners wished to combat was, that fallacious one which had of late years arisen, th a t thi s country ought to subsist on its own produce ; that it was wise on the part of every country to raise within itself the produce requisite for its eon ! sumption. Now really it teas most absurd to contend, that if a country by selling any article tf inannfacture could purchase the produce which it ;night require, at at half the expense at which that produce could be raised, it should nevertheless be precluded from doin so. It was one of the wise dispensations of Providence g to give to different parts of the world different climates and diierent advantages ; probably with th e great moral I purpoia of bringing human beins tog ;nal relief of thei r wants ether f or t h e mu had B these absurd found out that the only true wisdom was, in spite of that benevolent ordination, to endeavour to produce at home, by considerable effort and at great disadvantage, that which with ease, and at half the expense, mi g h t be procured elsewhere. To some countries greater ler greate r ingenuity on th e p art of 1 tility of soil, to others the people, was imparted. Bul according to the pro found gentleman to whom he alluded, no exc h ange I ' should take place of the reduce of the one for the fabric of the other. Nay, they would have the Swede or Nor wegian scratch his barren rocks, in the hope of a sca n t y crop, rath er th an purchase with his ample forest th e means of kin.. from countries possessed of abundance." " Every endeavour should be made to abolish restric tion as f ar as i t was pract i ca b le to do so. For instance, r,e. in th e art i c l e of timber. Why not allow the No . gians, th e P o l es, the Russians, to import their timber into this country, which would necessarily cause a great consumption of British manufactures and great employ ment of British shipping ? And here he would observe, that the restrictive system bad not only driven us nut of the Continental market, but had communicated a cha racter of severity to our commercial regulations gene rally injurious to us. He was sure that our restrictions, and especially those on the importation of timber, had created many enemies who possessed considerable moans ) of annoyance." Next we find the Merchant, Mr. Baring, eclari n d it was not ''by a restri c ti ve system that th try had grown to such a pitch of gis reatness, bucoun t o n the contrary, that system was a bar to that great ! ness ." Tiler. he exp a t ia t e d on the evil effects fully proved, which our example a n d our pros now now would hare on other nations, and he contended it was our interest as well as our duty to remove thu false Impression from their minds that our greatness was owing to restriction, by altering our commercial re gulations. In May 1820, he affirmed that the Corn-law, " As he had predicted, had turned out totally inade quate to give those whose interest it was meant to serve, that protection they required. The result had also further shown the fallacy of endeavourinc , to put a permanent artificial price on a necessary of life by any legislative measures." Yet that fallacy the Merchant Mr. Baring, con verted into Lord Ashburton the Landowner, now strenuously defends, and vituperates as a joint-stock company of agitators those who endeavour to re duce to practice his former wisdom. Again he said, mocking at the wisdom he now admires— " All this seemed to prove that the price of corn could not be forced up by Parliamentary enactments ; but that it depended on a great number of relative cir cumstances.' In March 1825, Mr. Baring, speaking of Mr. Huskisson's improved regulations as to trade, " Expressed his satisfaction at the adoption by his Majesty's Government of the leading principles of that commercial feeling which they now professed to support." The Corn-laws he then said, " pressed most heavily upon the country, and injured it in its commerce, manu factures, and foreign relations." He wished to see the principles of free trade established, and he should be glad if the trade between England and all countries was thrown open. " He was one of those political econo mists who looked on a reciprocity of advantages as the only true source of commercial prosperity to any country." One of this foolish man's statements some nights ago was that he had only opposed the Corn-law of 1815, because it was giving an additional pro• tection to the corn-growers. But we find him, on April 22, 1828, speaking thus : No person could conceive wheat selling at the rate of 655. in this country without knowing that a great quantity of distress must prevail, and that consequently to impose a duty of 20s. on the importation of that article was unjust." But that which he then called an injustice he now supports for its benefits, though under it wheat has been selling at 88s. per quarter. Next we will quote a passage which we hope will be thundered into his ears in the House of Lords by some honest Peer, and thundered into his ears in the streets whenever he is recognised and can be made to hear. On April 25, 1828, the then emi nent Merchant delivered these just but bitter re marks, for the benefit of the then existing and all future landowners : " He was amazed at the course which so many gen• tlemen had pursued upon this question. How was it possible that any man, baying the powers of reason or reflection, could come down to that House day after day and talk about protection to corn—protection to wool—protection to oak bark—the difference meanwhile in the price of bread between Great Britain and the nations of the Continent being as the difference in favour of the latter between 2.55. and 645. ? How was it possible that they should expect we could go on ex porting manufactures as we now did, to the amount of between fifty and sixty millions a year, there being this frightful disproportion between the relative prices of corn among ourselves and our continental neighbours ? Heartily did he wish that some man among them, with honesty in his heart, would come down and tell them plainly it was their duty to consider not how they might get in their own proper rents—for that parti cular year or so—but how the country was to subsist with its establishments for the next twenty or fifty years? But, on the contrary, he declared with pain that whenever the corn question came on for discus sion it was argued by them on the most selfish and narrow-minded principles that any Legislature ever condescended to listen to. He was a landed pro prietor, but he disdained to seek protection for his in terests in that capacity by means which, being intended 'or the benefit of one class of the commnnity, must one day crush them all." The Merchant had, in 1828,become a landowner, but the feelings and honesty of the merchant still clung to him, and so he indignantly denounced that conduct which, as landowner, he is now pursuing. We wish that some man now, " with honesty in his heart," would tell the Dukes of Richmond and Buckingham that it is their duty not to consider how they may get in their own rents, but how the country can subsist with its establishments, while, in addition to the public burthens, it has to bear the burden of the corn tax, which is lowly esti mated at twice the amount of all the taxes levied by the State. - It is useless to trace Mr. Baring's change sub sequently to becoming a landowner to the present time. Gradually he has gone from right to wrong, from good to bad ; and now the man, who was the great apostle of free trade in 1820 and 1825—the determined opponent of the restrictions on the corn trade in 1815, is become the quoted idol of those whose restrictions annihilate our trade and starve our people. Lord Ashburton has no longer any interest in the House of Barings Brothers and Co., and he is one of the great landowners of England. This is the solution of the change, and the full explanation of the most selfish and narrow-minded principle which he now espouses. The country that is a prey to such legislation, unless saved by some interposition of Providence or of virtue in the people, which will make them overrule their selfish legislators, must be on the downhill road to ruin. This article was prepared some time ago, but was withheld by the pressure of more temporary matter. Since it was drawn up Lord Ashburton has spoken justly of the Church in Upper Canada. We wish we could suppose that he had no pecu niary interest in the question. But we aro afraid that the influence of the breeche,, pocket may be traced even in his opinions of Church establish ments. The Noble Lord is known to have a con siderable pecuniary interest in the United States, and perhaps has an interest of that kind in U per Canada. His language was too clear and too decided not to be dictated by the sensorium that is seated in the neighbour'iood of the right thigh. THE EDIBLE BIRDS' NESTS OF CHINA. Not only in their ordinary form, or acted upon by the culinary art, are the mosses employed as food ; but one of the most admired luxuries of the table in China is the eatable birds' nests formed from them. A small swallow, called, from his peculiar instinct in building this sort of habitation, hirundo esculenta, makes his nest from several of these species, and amongst others, it is said from the Ceylon moss, in the highest and most inaccessible rocks, in deep damp caves. Craufurd tells us, that none but those accustomed from child hood to the dangers it offers, can pursue the occupation of collecting these nests, for they are ody approachable by a perpendicular descent of many hundred feet, by ladders of bam boo and rattan, over a sea rolling violently against the rocks. When the mouth of the cave is attained, the perilous task of taking the nests must be performed by torch-light, by penetrating into the recesses of the rock, where the slightest slip would instantly be fatal to the adventurers, who can see nothing below them but the turbulent surf making its way into the chasms of the rocks. The high price given for these delicacies is, however, a sufficient inducement for the ga therers to follow " this dreadful trade." The nests are formed of a mucilaginous substance, they re semble ill-concocted fibrous isinglass, and are described as of a white colour, inclining to red ; their thickness little more than that of a silver spoon, and the weight from a quarter to half an ounce. When dry, they are brittle and wrinkled, the size nearly that of a goose's eg g . The qualities of the nests vary, according to the situation and extent of the caves in which they are found, and the time at which they are taken ; if pro- cured before the eggs have been laid, the nests are of the best kind ; if they contain eggs only, they are still valuable ; but if the young are in the nest, or have just left it, they are nearly worthless, being dark-coloured, streaked with blood, and intermixed with feathers and dirt. After they are procured, they are separated from feathers and dirt, are carefully dried and packed, and are then fit f or market. The best sort are sent to Pekin, for the use of the Emperor. The labour bestowed to e re v n e d ry er at t iek hem , orfitimfoprortiatby of any leiseno k rm in o d u , enormous—every c v a e r ry fo feather, many preparati ons , th ey are made Into undergoinghea soft, delicious i they are likewis e serve d up in brot have the reputati on o f b e i ng nutritious ngs . and , hs and and gently these nests The extra vagant by the Chinese rend er th em a most expensive articl e of of diet. The sale has beco me a monopoly the Govern ment, in whose dominions they are found. MeY in his voyage round the world, state s , th at the Japaneseeni had long ago discovered that these costly bi r d s ' nests arc nothing more than softened sea-weed, and that they now prepart, the substance itself i n an artist-like man ner.—. Dr. Signiond on the Ceylon Moss. A weekly allowance to a poor woman residing at Southampton, eighty-four years of aye—an outepanp er o f one of the parishes in the Devizes Union, having for a short time been discontinued, the old lady determined upon " facing the Guardians." (hi Sunday last she walked from Southinup. ton to Salisbury, a distance of 22 miles; and on Monday from Salisbury to Devizes, 22 miles farthe r. On Tuesda y she pre sented herself to the board ; when the guardians, after atten tivtly listening to her story, determined to continue one-half of herformer allowance—ls. a week, instead of 2s —with which she appeared satisfied, and yesterday r eturned to Southampton to foot ! I t appears she gets a trifle by going errands, an d selling a little taPe.—Devizes Gazette. TRE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1840. GENERAL REPORT OF COMMIS SIONERS FOR INQUIRY INTO NAVAL AND MILITARY PROMOTION AND RE TIREMENT. (Continued from The Sun of yesterday.) REPORT OF ROYAL ENGINEERS. Upon proceeding to investigate the condition of the officers of the corps of Royal Engineers, also under the direction of the Muster-Gener a l of the Ordnance, and which, like the Marines and Artillery, is a seniority ser vice, we were struck by the general approximation of age throughout the corps, and could readily recognise in that circumstance a sufficient reason for the com plaint which is preferred by the senior Captains and Subalterns that the promotion h as b een unusua ll y s l ow , This approximation is shown in a return from the Ordnance department to be so close that the difference between the average age of the second and first Cap tains is but three years and a half, and but seven years between the second Captains and the Lieutenant- Colonels. The following is the statement of averages to which we refer : Average age. 10 Colonels 25 Lieutenant-Colonels 49 3-12th years. 40 First Captains 40 Second Captains Colonel Fanshawe, indeed, reported that one-half of the officers of the whole corps were between the ages of .53 and 39 years. It is obvious that in a corps thus constituted there is not that fait prospect of promotion for the officers holding inferior comm•sssions, which would be open to them if the gradation of age were more in accordance with gradation of rank ; and although we have not re ceived any representations as to any part of the corps being inefficient for the important duties which are en trusted to it, we see some grounds for apprehension that the energies of the officers will languish from th e wan t of promotion, and that the inefficiency w hi c h must i n a few years ensue, will, lions the ve r y approx i mat i on of age, to which we have alluded, not be limited to one class only, but will be widely spread throughout the whole of this valuable arm of the service. There is one other circumstance connected with this corps which prominently presents itself in any consideration of its probable efficiency. It is that almost entire abstinence from duty as 111ili tary Engineers, which, of necessity, results from a time of peace, and the consequent fear that the cessation of the demand for service may tend to gene rate a neglect of the acquirements already made, or may lead to a less valuable estimate of those qualifications than would be consistent with the improvement and proper display of them at a seasonable opportunity. In the absence of active employment as Military En gineers, we consider, therefore, that some encourage ment is needed to induce young officers to devote their time to those studies which are best calculated to im prove the acquirements they have derived from their education at the Academy and at Chatham, so that they may be qualified in time of need to assume their places as competent engineers in the field. We are perfectly aware of the advantages which have resulted from a course recently adopted upon the recommendation of the Master-General of the Ord nance, which has opened civil appointments of the highest class to Engineer Officers ; but we confess that, in our minds, it is of importance with a view to secure the military efficiency of the engineer, to maintain that connexion between service and reward which is to be found in the expectation of military promotion conse quent upon military efficiency. Without a reasonable prospect of such promotion (and the great approximation of age throughout the corps of Engineers must operate against such expecta tions), the energies may droop, the habits of applica tion essential to the attainment of eminence may be neglected ; and although the daily routine of service may be carefully performed, the spirit of emulation will will be wanting, the desire of distinction deadened, and feelings of dissatisfaction and discontent will be nur tured, to the entire destruction of all the qualifications calculated to form a good and efficient officer. If our belief of the necessity of a stimulant be well founded in regard to an individual who is daily called upon for the display of some portion of his military acquirements, it is evident that this necessity is increased, when the daily portion of duty to be discharged shall call for no such display of the acquirements with which the officer is presumed to be invested, or shall be altogether foreign to his professional studies and pursuits. This, however, is very nearly the case of the engineer. The stores of science and skill which it is his duty to acquire in time of peace can only be proved or manifested in war. As a military officer, his duties are dormant, or his experience is directed to objects, not perhaps in ferior in value to his duties in the field, but not exactly calculated to improve his science as a military engineer. 1 We desire to guard ourselves from any expression implying disapprobation of the course of duty upon which the engineers are now employed, both at home and abroad, in regard to the building and repairs of barracks. On the contrary, we think it highly expedient that the public should have the full benefit of the science and skill of the engineer ,during peace, in such manner as may be most advantageous to the public in terest, and we think their employment will be best directed to works either of survey, or of the building and construction of barracks, as most analogous to their more legitimate service ; and if proper encouragement be given to study, we cannot anticipate any ill result from the practical duties which the engineer officers are now discharging, both at home and abroad, in regard to barracks. It is within the knowledge of the members of your Majesty's Commission, that the delegation of this duty to the engineers has produced a considerable saving of ex pense, and that military advantages have resulted from it of the highest importance. But we are perfectly sensible that the possible abstraction from study involved in these peculiar duties, might tend to the deterioration of the military capacity of the engineers ; and on that account we venture to urge it upon your Majesty, that every in• centive which can reasonably be offered, should be used to stimulate the energies of the corps, and to induce them to maintain their military efficiency. Study alone can do this, but it must obtain its reward ; and the corps must not be led to believe that, although their present duties may call for little display of their scientific ac quirements, the country will be slow to claim their mili tary exertions in the hour of need, or to overlook their endeavours to obtain the necessary qualifications in a time of tranquillity. Some consideration is also due to the circumstance that the prevailing spirit of the age offers the greatest possible encouragement to the acquirements of the engi neer in civil life. New fields for exertion and new prospects of great advantage are open to the man who devotes his abilities to the exercise of his profession as a civil engineer ; and under the protection thus afforded, it is certain that the science has made rapid progress. It is therefore an object of public necessity that the exertions-of the mili tary engineer should bo encouraged to corresponding improvement by every prospect of advancement that can reasonably be opened to him. Under the present position of the corps, we think there is reason to fear that the habits of application will be abandoned, or that the officer will be enfeebled by old age before he shall have reached a rank favourable to the development of his science and skill for the benefit of the public service, or calculated to ensure a com petent retirement for himself, if he is compelled to re linquish the service. Before we enter upon the consideration of the reme dies we have to suggest to your Majesty, to correct the evils of the present condition of the officers of Engi neers, it would be proper that we should place before you the result of our investigation into the causes which have operated to produce this unsatisfactory state of affairs. Approximation of age in all ranks appears to be the general complaint. We found that by all the witnesses this was attributed to the continual demands of the service for Engineer Officers during the progress of the war, from 1803 to 1814 ; all of which demands caused augmentations of young officers to the corps, to such an extent indeed as, according to the evidence of Colonel Fanshawe, to have introduced within that period a portion of the present Colonels, all the Field- Officers and Captains, and even some of the existing Subalterns. This rem ar k a bl e i n fl ux o f young officers rendered the corps perfectly effective for all the purposes of the war, and undoubtedly assisted in producing a course of rapid advancement for some of the officers appointed at an early period ; but there has been no outlet at all corresponding to this admission , and officers are now holding Subalte rns ' ran k after an equal length of ser vice to that w hi c h ma de some of their predecessors Field-Officers. It is impossible to consider this corps in a position to promise a continued or permanent efficiency ; and with reference to the great demand there still is for Engineer Officers both at home and abroad, there being of 217 officers only 10, including the Colonels-Com mandant, unemployed, it appears to us that it would be most expedient to anticipate and prevent the evil that would result from a nearly simultaneous failure of energy on the part of all classes, and which might occur at a moment when efficient service was most needed. We desire, bye cautious and gradual removal from the corps of all inefficiency, as it becomes apparent, to obviat e the necessity of an entire renovation, which the progress o f a f ew years ma y render essential ; and in so doing, we are satisfied that we are pursuing a course justified b y t h at attent i on to econ omy enjoined by your Majesty's i nstruct i ons. If a mea sure of this descrip tion be delayed, we think there are reaso ns to appre hend a genera l i neff i ciency ent i re ly destructive of the usefulness o f th e corps. The course we venture to advise your Majesty to fallow, to produce the gradual renovation we contem pte, would be to provide a continued outlet of retire ment, regulated as we have proposed in regard to the Royal Artillery, rather by the positive demands of the public service to have efficient officers in every class, than by an establishment having any reference to the numbers of each rank of the effective force, so that the seniors, as they become inefficient, may be removed, and younger and more competent men advanced to their places. The proposal we have to submit in this respect, and which we consider to be calculated to give a fair pro portion of promotion to the officer in active employ ment, and a competent retirement to him who has ceased to be efficient for duty, is the same we have sug gested in regard to the Artillery, limited only to such an extent as will appear to meet the necessities of a less numerous corps than the Royal Artillery. We should recommend to your Majesty that a num ber ,not exceeding two Lieutenant-Colonels, and two Captains of the Royal Engineers, be allowed to retire annually upon full-pay, upon proof being afforded that, from ill health or infirmity, they are no longer equal to the duties that may be required of them. And upon the same principles, and for the reasons which we have fully explained in that part of our Re port referring to the Royal Artillery, we would further recommend that this retirement upon full-pay should not, in the case of the Field-Officers, debar them from further advancement by brevet ; but that all those who may hereafter retire on full-pay as regimental Field- Officers, or those who have heretofore so retired, shall have the advantage of such brevet promotion as would apply to them under other circumstances. To mark distinguished past service in the case of these retired officers, we would suggest that the Master-General be empowered to select from those upon the retired list, who may attain the rank of Major-General, a number not exceeding four, whise retired pay should be made up to the unattached pay of a Major-General of the line—viz., 4001. a year, and that the senior so promoted and selected should have an addition of 501. a year, as we have proposed for the Royal Artillery. We also suggest that to facilitate promotio❑ to the rank of Field-Officer, one Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Engineers may be allowed annually to retire on half•pay at his own request, a privilege which has been already granted to captains and subalterns, but that he should not be eligible to further promotion by brevet or Otherwise. As we have recognised the claim of the General- Officers of Artillery to sonic proportion of the rewards substituted for garrison appointments in 1833, by a re commendation that two unattached General-Officers should have their pay made up to 6001. a year until they shall succeed to battalions, we consider the unat tached General-Officers of Engineers to have a similar claim on this account ; and we would ; therefore, re commend that one unattached General of Engineers should in like manner have his pay increased to 600/. a year, until he shall be appointed Colonel of a battalion. During the progress of our investigation into the state of the Engineers, we received suggestions from several of the officers that it would be expedient to de part from the course of seniority promotion to a certain extent, and to afford an opening to selection in the case of a highly meritorious officer. Some of the witnesses limited this proposed selection to one in ten, others ex tended it to one in six ; but all desired to apply the principle merely to the promotion from the subaltern ranks. We are not insensible to the advantages which would result from the adoption of such a qualified system of selection, if any test could be discovered of the respective merits of the different candidates for promotion so certain as not only to afford a safe guide to the Master- General, by whom the choice must be made, but also to satisfy the corps and the public that the preference would, in all cases, be given to the person best entitled to it. If such a mode of estimating the claims of officers could be found, there can be no doubt that the adoption of the principle of selection would have the double advantage of advancing officers of distinguished talent, at a compara tively early period of life, to the higher ranks of the service, and also of raising the general standard of pro ficiency in the corps, since the new motive to exertion which would be created would have a tendency to improve not only the successful, but the unsuccessful, candidates for promotion. The practical difficulty, however, of as certaining the real merits of different officers, employed each on different services and in distant parts of the world, and the danger of creating discontent and jealousies in the corps, by a selection which might not, in all cases, be well made, and which, even when it really were judi. cioug, might not always be so considered, have appeared to us to present so great an obstacle to any change in the long-established system of promoting Engineer Officers strictly by seniority, that we cannot venture to recommend any departure from the existing practice, more especially during the continuance of peace. It is also to be observed, that the same reasoning is appli cable to highly meritorious officers of the Royal Artillery, and should the existing practice of promotion by seniority be at any time departed from hereafter in the oae Ordnance corps, it would be only justice to extend a similar principle to the other. We sum up our Report upon the Ordnance corps, by recapitulating. the several conclusions at which we have arrived in respect to them. 1. That it is expedient to relieve the two Ordnance corps from the difficulties under which they labour at present, owing to the great length of service of the Lieu tenant-Colonels and Captains. . 2. That in order to effect this, it is proposed, in ad dition to the present means afforded for retirement to full-pay and half-pay, that the Master-General be autho rised to admit of the retirement to full-pay annually of such as may be pronounced unequal to the discharge of the duties required from them on account of age or in firmity, to an extent not exceeding four Lientenant- Colonels and four Captains of the Royal Artillery, and two Lieutenant-Colonels and two Captains of the Royal Engineers. 3. That the regimental Field-Officers so retiring and all those who have heretofore retired upon full• pay as such, or on the half-pay of Field-Officer, should be promoted in succession, by brevet, to the rank of General Officer. Of these a number not exceeding eight of the Royal Artillery and four of the Royal Engineers should be allowed to receive 4001. a year on becoming Major- Generals, the selection to be with the Master-General ; and the two seniors of the Royal Artillery, and the senior of the Royal Engineers, that have been thus promoted and selected should receive 501. par annum in addition. 4. That of the General Officers removed from the Royal Artillery and from the Royal Engineers on full pay to wait for battalions, two of the former and one of the latter, whose services have entitled them to par ticular consideration, should be selected, and their pay made up to 6001. a year, until they shall be appointed Colonels-Commandant of Battalions. 5. That the Master-General be authorised to admit of the permant retirement annually of two Lieutenant- Colonels of the Royal Artillery, and one of the Royal Engineers, to half-pay at their own request ; but these officers should not be eligible for any further promotion by brevet or otherwise, (To BE CONTINUED.) CITY OF WESTMINSTER LITE RARY. SCIENTIFIC, AND MECHANICS' INSTITUTION. The Twelfth Quarterly Meeting of this Institution took place at the Infant School-room, Vincent•square. on Wednesday evening. The Rev. Mr. Jennings, M.A., (Vice-President), in the Chair. The Committee's Report presented the most grati fying proof of the steady progress of the Institution ; it pointed out most forcibly the utility of such institutions, both in respect to the valuable information they impart to the industrious classes, and the superior order of re creation they are capable of affording. The Committee urged as the Society's claim on public attention arid support, that three years since, no means of adult in struction, or of recreation of a national character ex isted in the neighbourhood ; although the majority of the district (containing upwards of 50,000 inhabitants) consisted of mechanics and artizans. That since the Formation of the Institution it had presented at an in considerable cost lectures weekly on the most interest ing and useful branches of science, art, literature, and history ; that it had opened to its members, reading rooms, supplied with newspapers, and the periodical lite rature of the day. a library (accessible for reference and circulation) of upwards of 3,000 volumes ; and also evening classes for instruction in various sub jects of the first utility. The Report explained the arrangements that had been made for locating the Institution in permanent premises, and announced that the members would in a few weeks be convened to witness the auspicious ceremony of laying the first stone of the new lecture-room in Great Smith-street. It appeared from the Report that about 7501. was in hand toward the cost of the erec tion, and it was stated that additional donations were being daily received. Among the donors we observed the following :—The Right Hon. C. Shaw Lefevre (Speaker of the House of Commons,ls/. 15s. ; C. Barry, Esq.(arehiteet of the new Houses of Parliament), 10/ ; the Marquis of Lans downe, 21/. ; Lord Bexley, 10/. ; the Earl of Liverpool, 10/. ; J. K. Brunet, Esq. F.R.S., 10/. 10s.; Mr. Sheriff Evans, 10/. 103. ; Lord J. H. C. Stuart, M.P., 5/. ; Sir C. Burrell, Bart.. M.P., .5/. ; C. Hindley, Esq., M.P., 10/. ; J. Parkes, Esq., 10/. ; J. T. Hope Esq., M.P., 5/. ; George Grote, Esq., M.P., Si. 53. ; the Hon.. J. C. Talbot, 5/. ; Col. T. Wool, jun., M.P., 51. ss. ; Messrs. Scager and Co., 15/. 155., &c. A short time since, the following conversation took place at an Inquiry Meeting, not 100 miles distant from the pleasant town of Kennebunk, in the State of Maine ; and without further preface we shall only say, that the parties to it were the minister of the place, and an artless country girl, whose countenance indicated great simplicity of character and unaffected piety. Minister—Well, Miss, I trust you are pre pared to forsake all the vanities of the world, and- lead hence forth a new life of duty and obedience to your Maker? Girl —Yes, Sir. Minister—Are you willing to yield up everything you hold dear on the face of the earth, for the sake of Christ? Girl (after a long pause, during which a religious sense of duty, and the natural affection of the heart, evidently struggled for mastery in the bosom of the poor girl)—Yes, Sir,—all—all— but Oliver Adams ! PLUNDER . " AT TIIE DOCKS.-LAMBETII STREET.—On Wednesday Alfred List, a respectable-lookin g young man, who has been for some years a foreman in the A warehouse of the St. Katherine's Dock, was placed at the bar on a charge of plundering the Dock Company of tea, sugar, spices, and other property to a considerable amount. Mr. Taylor, the Superintendent of the Company, stated some facts, and at his.request the Magistrate remanded the prisoner, re fusing to admit him to bail. THE KIRK OF SCOTLAND. EDINBURGH.—The election of members for the Ge neral Assembly by the Town Council, yesterday, af fords a striking instance of the growing unpopularity of the veto cause. It has been the invariable practice to send the Lord Provost and the Convener as representa tives to the Assembly ; but these personages being vetoists of the first water, the Council have gone out of their usual course, and elected two other members, not in the Council, expressly on the understanding that they will oppose the proceedings of the wild party in the Church. The Lord Provost is so much enraged at this judicious decision of the Council, that it is said he has threatened to resign his office.—Scottish Standard. MORE INTERDICTS.—At a meeting of the Presbytery of Irvine, on the 31st ultimo, an interim interdict, at the instance of Mr. Cunningham, of Lainshaw, and the other heritors of the parish of Stewarton, was served on the Moderator and Clerk, prohibiting them from making any division of the parish, or allocating any portion of the inhabitants to the parish of the Rev. Mr. Cleland (late Original Burgher, Dissenting, Minister in the town), or appointing him any kirk-session, or to perform any acts of discipline, or to sit and vote in the Presbytery on any matter relating to the parish,—Scots Pilot. GENERAL ASSEMBLY.—In so far as the county of Fife is concerned, the majority of members who have been delegated to the ensuing meeting of Assembly, are men who, though retaining different opinions as to the rights of patrons and the privileges of the people, will not acquiesce in the present schemes of the clamo rous rebels, who so zealously labour to trample down the civil authority, and to set up a system of ecclesias tical tyranny having nothing to recommend it but the contumacious enthusiasm of its abettors.--Fife Herald. NON-INTRUSION.—Two of our clerical agitators, having advertised a meeting in the hitherto quiet and peaceable parish of Canonbie on the subject of non-intrusion, proceeded to that place, where they found the greatest difficulty in getting a room to send forth their seditious harangues. At last the innkeeper agreed to give them the use of a large room, where they had a very scanty attendance. On inquiring, after the meeting was held, what was to pay, the servant in formed our itinerating agitators that it was left to' themselves to fix the sum for the use of the room, but this they declined, and insisted o❑ the landlord making a charge. A guinea was then demanded, whereupon the agitators stormed and defied the servant, and told her that they considered it a gross imposition, and would not pay it, hut would advertise it in the news papers. The fair dame replied that her master would not object to that, as, being in a public way, he would like to see an advertisement put in which was to cost him nothing, The agitators still refused, and the ser vant went again to consult her master, and then re turned and informed them that as the last company of strolling play-actors paid a guinea, her master would not have taken less, but for the very small attendance the present company bad been able to collect, he agreed to take one pound, which the wandering agitators paid, and then left the house, breathing out all manner of mischief to the innkeeper.—Edinburgh Observer. HOBSON'S CHOICE.—It is said that the nickname of " Hobson's Choice," applied to the veto, and by which it is known about St. Stephen's, arose as follows : The deputation having said, in an interview with the Duke of Wellington, that the Assembly had the power to give the people a choice, the Duke remarked to Mr. Dunlop, •' That the veto was not a choice, but a mere negative." " True," said the latter. " Then," paid the Duke, " the people may reject i 0 presentees, and yet not get their choice." " Very true," was the reply. " But," says the Duke, " the Court of Session have decided that the veto is illegal, and that the Auch terarder people must either take Mr. Young or want a minister altogether." " Yes," says Mr. Dunlop." " Then," replied the Duke, turning to Sir R. Peel, and the other Conservatives present, " that is what we call Hobson's Choice' "—which call forth a burst of laughter from the gentlemen present. To enable some of our readers to appreciate the joke, it may be proper to state that Hobson, who was a horse-hirer in the time of Milton, kept forty horses for the use of the students at Oxford, and with a view to prevent any of them from being overridden, made it a rule that every student should take the horse nearest the stable door. The student was obliged to take the horse or want one altogether. Hence arose the adage " Hobson's Choice," to signify what a man was obliged either to take or want, or in fact to signify no choice at all. The Duke saw that the people of Auchterarder must either take Mr. Young or want a minister, and hence he wittily nicknamed the veto " Hobson's Choice." FALKIRK.—PUBLIC MEETING Or DISSENTERS.— A public meeting of Dissenters was held in the Rev. Mr. Rutherford's church, on the evening of Tuesday, the 31st. ult. On the motion of the Rev. Mr. Welsh, Alexander M'Farlane, Esq., Thornhill, was called to the chair. After prayer, the chairman, in a very lu minous and able address, stated the object of the meet ing. He said, by the veto law, the right not of electing, but of rejecting, was given to the Christian people. He supposed the case of a congregation of 500 members, male and female. Excluding from such a ' congregation all the un►narried communicants, as well as all the female members, he knew that in the ave rage of congregations not above 100 of the members would be entitled to a vote under the veto. Suppose, again, this right to be exercised, a bare majority of the heads of families consisting of fifty one individuals, have the right merely to re ject, while the choice ought to be vested in the whole congregation ; and it may be excluding the very man the majority of members would actually pre fer, and this is the boasted veto. What was actually the case in the High Church of Edinburgh There were only five male heads of families in that congrs-ga don ; of course three might have the power of the veto. Churchmen were now busy in getting up non intrusion meetings and petitions, and can you be in different ? In a parish not a hundred miles from Grangemouth, a non-intrusion petition has gone the round of signature—ship boys and apprentices have been induced to sign this petition —nay, the very foreigners have been requested to adhibit their names to it. Such is a specimen of the work ings of the Church party. The meeting was after. wards addressed by the Rev. Messrs. Steele, M'Far lane, M‘Michael, and Rutherford. The speeches were characterised by great clearness and eloquence' : and produced a powerful effect. Resolutions were moved by these gentlemen, and respectively seconded by John Buckie, Esq., Jas. Lane, John Marshall, Esq., New house, and John %Vise, Esq., Grangemouth. The Rev. Mr. Rutherford moved the adoption of the petition, which was seconded by T. Wilson, Esq., Tophill, and is now in course of signature. The petition to the House of Commons will be intrusted to the care of Mr. Gillon, the Member for the Falkirk district of burghs, and that to the Lords to the Earl of Zetland. We hope the Dissenters of Falkirk will do their duty at this time, and also liberal Churchmen will assist in breaking off the yoke imposed upon the Church of Christ by the State, and that the Church will soon stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made her free.—Scotch Paper. HORRIBLE MURDER AND SUL CIDE AT LIMERICK. LIMERICK, TUESDAY.—Never, within the memory of the oldest inhabitant of this city, had we to record so foul and determined a scene of murder and self-destruc tion as we have bad this morning. An old commiE sariat veteran officer, named Maurice Roche, late of Cashel, without any cause of provocation whatever, deliberately called to his servant-maid (Corbett) for warm water to shave himself. On obtaining it he closed the door, his wife being in the act of dressing herself. Immediately after his eldest daughter, an in teresting young woman, about 21 years of age, heard a great crash or fall over the room in which she stood, and fearing something wrong she ran up stairs, and saw her mother lying on the floor with her throat cut to the windpipe, her father leaning over her with the razor in his hand ; but she could not see whether he had wounded himself or not, as his back was to her. She screamed, upon which her brother and the servant maid came up ; but neither could render any assistance, as they were both in the agonies of death. The son, a young man about 20, deposed at the inquest that on entering the room he rushed towards the father, who, he perceived, had also cut his own throat. lie succeeded in seizing him by the arms, with the razor still in his hand, and he instantly fell on the floor, when the razor dropped. The son held him firmly, though ho bad made several attempts to get the razor back. On further examination it appeared that Mr. Roche was not of very sane mind for some time. His wife was much younger than he was, he being over 60, and, in consequence of his state of mind latterly, managed all his affairs. The son further added that his father never seemed so much to despond as when the wife or any of his daughters (three sons and four daughters) asked him what was to be done with " A B," or " C D," meaning the younger portion of the family. Deceased bad formerly been an officer it; the army, and fought in several battles, the last of which was Wa terloo; he was on half-pay, but sold out some years since. He had been latterly a ttacked by fits of apo eappear tta s ettled cke d i nw within t n ia d e , l b p a u l s e t rt t v il ' a r a s e f e n t e o m r t noticed o 'v n h t i h c s i h e t o d l i t d a v n e o b t The Jury returned a verdict of " Insanity." SINGULAR CASE.—Ott Thursday morning an inquest was held before Mr. Wakley, M.P., at the George, Brook-street, Holborn, on the body of Mary Menzies, aged seven months. It appeared from the evidence of the mother that on Tuesday morning she went out, leaving the deceased asleep in bed, and another little girl, aged three years, in the room. On witness's return she found the eldest child pointing speechless and affrighted at the body of her sister, which lay dead by the bed side. The surviving child was very fond of the othe r , an d cont i nually creeping into its bed to kiss it whilst it slept. She had no doubt that in witness's absence she did so, and probably, w hil st caressing, let it fall from the b e d upon t h e fi oor. Thu Coroner censured the woman for leaving such yo i u ti r i lg a children, pa r ti cu l ar l y so when he foun d s h e l e f t t h em w re, without a guard, in the room. % erdict--" Found Dead. " THE FROME FORGERIES.—AII the parties were convicted, and sentenced as under—James Sealy, trans•• portation for life; Thomas Candy, jun., 15 years' transporta tion ; and Hannah Candy, and Wm. Candy, two years' im prisonment. THE CHURCH AND THE. CORN- LAWS. The Church of England has been called the poor man's Church ; yet it is contended that its very ex istence depends upon the laws which double the price of the poor man's bread ; which prevent free trade , diminish employment ; and, consequently keep down the wages with which he has to buy this bread. They reason thus :—lf we permit the importation of corn in exchange for the manufactures of our industrious popu lation, the plentiful supply will make it cheap ; and as the value of tithes is greatest when corn is dearest, and as the value of the rectory depends upon the value of tithes, it is clear that cheap bread will reduce the value of Church property, and thus free trade will ruin the Church ; On sup position that this definition of the Church is correct, this reasoning is conclusive. " Tithes and Church rates constitute the Church ;" tithes depend upon the Corn-laws ; therefore the Corn-laws and the Church rates constitutes the Church. To the plain Christian, who imagined that the foundation of the Church was so sure that the gates of hell should not prevail against it, it must appear almost incredible that its stability is endangered by the present endeavour to obtain cheap food and increased trade ! The following passage, how ever, quoted from the Bath Chronicle of February 20, will place this matter beyond a doubt. After speaking at some length of the " cunning devised fillacies which the manufacturers of the. North arc propagating for the selfish and despicable purpose of aggrandising themselves at the expense of the British agricul turists," he says, " It is not, we think, sufficiently borne in mind that this Corn-law agitation is, in no inconsider able degree, abetted because, if successful, it must in volve the ruin of the Established Church. Large is the number of the subtle foes to the Church who join in the abolition cry for this, and for no ether reason, knowing as they do full well, that the withdrawal of protection from the agriculturists must result in the utter r inn of all who are dependent upon thy cultivation of the Foil ; and that in th e i r ru i n , t h e means b y wh i ch the Church is maintained must be next to entirely lost. This being the case, it behoves every friend to the Establishment to take the matter up. It is not, we say, a mere fiscal question, involving only the elevation or depression of particular money-getting classes ; but it affects the very existence of that sacred establishment, which is the ' glory and safeguard of England ; and with the uphold ing of which our strength, and even our continuance as a nation, are identified." How perilous is the condition of the Church of England. Would you remove any abuse ? The Church is in danger ; for that abuse is claimed by its secular or political friends as one of the pillars on which it rests. Would you make fools wise and drunkards sober ? The Church is in danger; for ignorance and intemperance are essential to its support. Would you banish its sectarian bi gotry, or humble its self-satisfied infallibility ? You risk the banishment and humiliation of the Church itself ! Would you abolish Church -rates, which wrong the Dissenter, or repeal the Corn-laws, which rob the poor ? the Church would be annihilated ; for these constitute the Church ! Nay, more ;if you let alone the Establishment, if you shake not the pillars of ignorance and intemperance, of bigotry and infal libity of Church-rates and Corn-laws, still it will fall of itself, unless by Church extension, you erect more pillars ; unless, leaving the wealth of the ecclesiastical treasury untouched, you persuade the state to appro priate the property of Catholics and Dissenters to this purpose. The voice of Scripture is, " What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ?" Whereas the Ultra-Protestant Churchman requires that you support laws that are unjust ; that you imprison for conscience' sake ; whicn is unmerciful ; and that you claim superi ority over all other churches and sects in the world ; which is anything but humble. According to him, to obey the divine command would be to put the Church in danger ; and if this be so, let the Church fall ! All who advocate the removal of abuses are described as the enemies of the Church ; but the real enemies of the Church are they who identify the Church with every evil, and who use it as a shield to protect every abuse !—Rev. Mr. Spencer's Pillars of the Church. NEW YORK FESTIVAL IN 110 NOUR OF THE QUEEN'S MARRIAGE. (From the New York Herald of the 27th ult.) Yesterday the great feast came off in honour of the wedding of Queen Victoria, at Niblo's Garden. It was a curious, pleasing, and yet at times a laughable sight. On Wednesday afternoon a large ox was suspended in a sort of box with mica windows, and inside of this box or temple of Pluto were three circular rows of gas burners to roast the ox ; these were lighted about two o'clock, were well managed, and roasted the ox by 9 o'clock yesterday morning. He was kept warm, how ever, until about noon, when he was cut up into slices for the benefit of the widows and orphans, loafers and lookers-on. Between 11 and 12 o'clock the company began to assemble, to the number of from 2,000 to 3,000. Every seat allotted to the spectators, both in the gallery and the body of the grand saloon, was filled before noon. By 12 o'clock all the widows and orphans had arrived, and were seated, and soon afterwards dinner was served up. The Astor House, Waverly, Globe, City Hotel, Howard House, &c., each supplied their complement of waiters, and all went off remarkably well. The British • Consul was in high glee—sometimes very sublime, sometimes very ridiculous, as some thought. He kept calling out, " Who wants beef ?" " Who wants bread ?" —and when the clergyman commenced the grace, or prayer, he broke in upon the solemnity of the scene, by crying out, " Take off your hats, every one of you," which almost produced a general laughter. Still the scene was a delightful and beautiful one. Everything was well managed ; and over 3,000 widows and orphans sat down to dinner with a most excellent appetite. There was abundance to eat of the very best quality ; the ox was well roasted, the bread was good, and there was excellent port wine in abundance, from the London Docks, vintage 1815. With such fare it may be believed that the heart of the widow was made glad, for one day, at least. After they had all eaten as much as would satisfy nature for twenty-four hours, at least, the cloth was removed and " Non Nobis Domine " was sung. One Irishman cried out, " Let every body join the chorus of Anno Domini for Queen Victory !" The usual Loyal, Disloyal, Republican, Anti-Republi , can, and patriotic toasts were given, and then the great cake was cut up in slices, and sent ail over the garden and the city. Then there was a great scramble to get the cake ; some got a pocket full ; some got several pounds, and some got none, These last made up for that loss by drinking an extra portion of wine. After the cake was cut up, then commenced the speeches, some of which were peculiarly brilliant, par ticularly that of Colley Grattan, and Mr. Buchanan, the Consuls for Boston and New York. The latter spoke as follows :—" Boays—boays—you see the big cake—silence—attention—it's the biggest cake you ever saw—and when you grow up to be men you'll not forget the big cake—the great cake—there it is—it weighs 1,200 pounds, although part of it is cut up and eaten—never mind that. It's a big cake any way ; and when you're prenticed out to tinkers, end tailors, and shoemakers, you won't forget the big cake—it's the biggest cake in the world ; there never was such a cake ; and it is'nt all dough, either.—(Great cheering.) But there's this moral to be learnt boys, when you're trusted with your master's money, and put your hand into the till to take out the dollars, don't forget the big cake. And when any one tempts you to take a gin shag or a mint julep, you won't forget the big cake. And %%he❑ any body offers you a cigar, remember the big cake ; for smoking leads to drinking, and drinking leads to the devil—so remember the big cake, and God bless Queen Victoria, who made it, or caused it to be made, by getting married." Mr. Buchanan's eloquent. address was loudly cheered, and he was followed by Mr. Grattan, British Con sul for Boston. He delivered a humourous speech, and closed it by the following remarks :—" Ladies, I see many bright and beautiful faces around me, and to your sweet sympathies I appeal for an approval of this occasion. You must love Queen Vicioria, because she loves the United States. She has passed from the sin gle to the United State ; she has become a naturalized citizen of the great state of matrimony. Moreover, she has a claim on your affections, for one other most important and decisive movement—she has fixed in her own person the great Main Boundary Line between virginity and womanhood, and settled that little trou blesome affair for ever." This produced immense cheering. Three cheers were then g iven for the occasion, and th e mee ti ng b ro k e up at dusk, in delight and harmony. A CHINESE MAP OF THE WORLD.-It IS two feet wide by three and a half high, and is almost covered with China. In the left hand corner, at the top, is a sea, three inches square, in which arc delineated as small islands, Europe, England, France, Holland, Portugal and Africa. Holland is as large as all the rest, ant Africa is not so big as the end of one's little finger ! The northern frohtier is Russia, very large. T he left corner, at the bottom, is occupied by " the western ocean," as it is called, containing the Malay peninsula pretty well de fined. Along the bottom ate Cainhoja, Cochin China, &c., represented as moderate-sized islands, and on the right is For mosa, larger than all the rest put together. Various other countries are shown as small islands. I should have given an engraving of this curious map, but that a true reduction to the size of a page would have left out most of these countries alto gether. The surrounding ocean is represented as huge waves, with smooth passages, or highways branching off to the diffe rent countries, or islands, as they represent them. They sup pose that ships which keep along these highways go safely; but if they, through ignorance or stress of weather, diverge, they soon get among these awful billows, and are lest.—Makoin's Travels. EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE.—In the course of last week, Mr. Elineek, foreman of the s miths' works in the granary yard at Whitehaven, belonging to the Earl of Lonsdale, with the aid of engine machinery, - bored through not le;s than sixteen feet three inches of malleable iron in the short space of ten hours, with a bit one inch and a quarter in diameter. The weight of the boring, when collected together, was not less than (6 lbs. This Herculean performance; we understand, has seldom been equalled, if, indeed, it bt, not, al together without a parallel in undertaking,. of a similar nature and description.— Carlisle Patriot. EVENING EDITION. FURTHER PARTICULA RS OF THE DEATH OF THE REV. J. WILLIAMS. The following details of the murder are taken from the Australian (Sydney paper), Dec. 3 : The missionary brig Camden arrived on Saturday from the island of Arromanga (South Seas). By her we regret to learn the melancholy death, by violence, of the Rev. J. \Vidiams and Mr. Harris. The following arc the particulars ;—" On the 19th of November we had communication," says our informant, " with the natives of Tanga, one of the New Hebrides. Finding them favourable to receive instructions from our teachers, we proceeded to the island of Arronumga. The whole of the island is, without one exception, a complete iron-hound coast, without the least ap pearance of culture. The natives arc a barbarous race, quite different from those of other islands. Wednesday morning, 20th of November :—We sent the ship's boat ashore, containing Mr. Williams (missionary), Mr. Cunningham (Vice- Cinsul of the South Sea Islands), Captain Morgan, and Mr. Harris. Mr. Harris joined the Camden at Otahcite for the purpose of proceeding to this port to take his passage to England, with the view of ar ranging his affairs there previously to returning to the Marquesas as a missionary. On the boat a pproaching the beach, we could distinctly see the natives were averse to holding any communication with us. Mr. Williams attempted to make them presents of cloth, trinkets, &c., for the purpose of gaining their esteem, but without effect. He now proposed giving up the idea of having any intercourse with the island, and Mr. Harris asked permission to leave the boat for the put' pose of making another attempt. He was followed at a short distance by Captain Morgan, Mr. Cunnhigham , and Mr. Williams. When Mr. Cunningham reached the summit of the beach, he perceived Mr. Harris run ning down towards the boat, followed by a large party of natives, armed with spears, clubs, bows and arrows, and he fell the first victim. As soon as one knocked him down, the remainder of the party speared him through. When Mr. Cunningham came running to Mr. Williams, the latter turned and made for the boat, but unfortunately stopped to look a mo ment for Mr. Harris. He then made for the boat, and reached the water, but in the hurry stumbled and fell ; when one of the natives immediately took advan tage of the circumstance, and struck him four blows on the head with a club. By this time Capf - ain Morgan and Mr. Cunningham had gained the boat and pushed off. After Mr. Williams had fallen, another party of natives, numbering between i 9 and 20, speared him through, although our informant thinks that he was dead when they arrived. The children threw stones and missiles at the corpse. Neither of the bodies could be procured, though every effort was made for that purpose ; but the natives made an attack on the par ties remaining in the boat, and part of one of their ar rows is to be seen sticking in the boat of the Camden. Captain Morgan, finding it useless to remain any longer , as no hopes were entertained of getting an interview with the natives, or of procuring the bodies of the suf ferers, immediately bore for Sydney direct." THE MARKETS. COUNTRY CORN MARKETS. Wheat. i Barley. Oats. I Beam. I Per Quarter. s. to s. s. to s. s. to s. s. to s. F. 32 Abingdon —. 51 80 32 48 28 38 40 44 Andover 61 76 36 46 28 32 Banbury 37 44 23 31 42 Basingstoke,. 68 SI 32 37 24 29 42 46 40 ''irencester ... 65 76 38 40 40 42 -- ... Coventry— 78 42 25 38 46 40 go Oar entry— 68 72 3S 44 28 34 30 44 Derby 63 78 32 43 26 35 44 56 -- Howclen »»» 72 24 40 42 40 Hungerford— 56 81 32 42 25 30 36 43 37 40 Mahon --... fiS 76 35 38 22 33 58 83 35 40 25 32 37 42 -- Nottingham 56 78 '29 43 25 :36 39 52 40 " Wantage 68 80 30 46 21 28 36 46 Warwick--. 36 46 32 37 40 Wor,ester 72 36 29 43 -- York 40 80 32 46 22 30 Per Bushel. s.d. s.d. s.d. s. d. s .d. s . d. s, d, s, a I' d el Birmingham 90 10 0 4 6 60 40 56 50 701 u 4 s.d' 70 SCOTCH MARKETS. EDINBURGH CORN MARKET.--April 15. Wheat. Barley. Oats. Yeas". First 705.08. 435. 6d. 33s 4d. 43a. Od. Second...— 66 0 40 0 28 0141 0 41 0 Third Average price of Wheat 3l. 45 Od. PRICES OF PROVISIONS, skC. oa. PRICES OF PIL Beef, per lb. os. sd. to os.7d, 06 0 7 Veal ow.wwwwwwee.. 0 8 1 0 Pont 0 5 0 6 Limn, per qr. .... (1 0 8 0 0 44 Quartern Loaf 11 10 0 II Potatoes, 111 b. 0 4 0 0 EDINBURGH MEAL Per Sack of 2801 b. Imp. First Oatmeal Second ditto Barleymeat l 1 6 Peasenscal 1 11 0 Pot Barley from GLASGOW CORN Wheat, per 'AM. s. d. s. d. Mritish, old ar 0 to 40 0 new 240 370 Canada, free — 0 0 Irish Barley, per 320111, English 29 17 33 0 Scottish Sgt 0 310 Irish .ARKET MARKET.—ApriI 1. Oats. Pease. 33 s 48. 433. Od. 28 0 41 0 24 0 28 0 31.4 s Od. )VISIONS, &C. Freshßutter, N. 1.118. to 11.21. Salt 0 10 n Ditto, per co t.... 90 0 108 n Eggs, per II 6 0 0 OatStraw(kpi.)... 9 5 13 6 Wheat Ditt0......11 0 13 0 Barley Ditto Bti 10 0 Hay, 1 2 1 4 MA lIKET.—April 14. Per Stone of 14Ib. First 0atmea1........,..... 0 Second ditto . ............ 0 1 , - Barley.eal ....... Peasemeal .................. 0 2s. to 555. per sack. Alf 7_*KET.—April 15. “1. d . 0 to 2 3 5 .. . ......... Oats, per 2641 h 20 British Beans, per 2601 b. English ....... 22 0 24 0 Scottish Pease, Scottish Oatmeal, per 1401 b 2O 0 22 Flour, per 2601 b 5O 0 fin CORNWALL MARKETS. (Calculated at 8-1 gallons to the bushel.) Wheat. Barley. i Oats. --....---" s. d. to r. d. s. d. to s. d. s. d. to IL ( 4 - fniro — 0 70— 0 4 0 0 3 ,.. ~2 Helstone - St. Austell 0 94 0 46 0. 1 Boamtn 0 8 6 0 5 0 0 q O 6 :Askeard 8 6 9 0 3 9 44 1 0 3 Launceston Camlford 8 0 0 ( 5 , 2 8 Femme 7 4 8 0— 0 5 4 21,: ' On the afternoon of Friday last Mr. Leslie, one of the district overseers of the Forth and Clyde Canal, Wag r id " ing along the canal bank, accompanied by Mr. Wilson, soother of the overseers, on foot, and when about 400 yards from ins own house, they were met by two men carrying what appeared to be a mirror or picture frame, under cover of a red handker chief. The pony proved restive and would not pass. Mr. L. spurred on the animal, which suddenly wheeled and s prang into the canal, carrying his rider along with him. While in the canal Mr. L. unfortunately quitted the saddle, and not being able to swim, he sank before Mr. Wilson, who had leapt in to his assistance, could reach him. Aid being procured from the Glasgow road bridge, the body was got out almost immediately, and the usual means for resuscitation were used, under the su perintendence of a surgeon who had been sent for from Klrk in i tilloch on the instant, but all to no purpose—the vital spark had quitted for ever its earthly tenement. By this melancholY, catastrophe a widow and tw o c hild ren h ave b e en deprived °I their earthly protector.—Glasgow Chronicle. The RAILROADS IN NORTH CAROLINA.- - IP/mint/ton, (North Carolina,) Advertiser expresses much ex. ultation at the final completion of th e great railroad r unning , from that city to the Roanoake river. This road is sa id t b the longest work of the kind in the world, being one hundr i e and sixty-one miles in len g th. It appears th a t only 2 1 1 , e of of this road are curved, leaving the unparalleled ar noun e 6 13tq miles of straight road, in a t o t a l l eng th o f 161 miles. 11 8 , of these straight I nes i s 47 m il es l ong ; ot h ers ar e 3,4, , " do . and 15 miles in length. Major Gwynn is the engineer, " It. whose direction the work was cons t ruc t e d. On the o t h u the first car passed over the entire line of 161 miles. It _ a . : rived at Wilmington f rom W e ld on , a t noon o n that day , d the occasion was marked by a salute of 161 guns anti other de monstrations of public joy.—American paper. FAST-DAY IN GLASGOW.—ThUrSday being Glasgow Fast-day, the streets were crow d e d b y g reat num ber ; of well-dressed people fro m th a t City, who came down the river to enjoy a sail. They, however, seemed to enjoy the pleasure of drinking more, as a good many were seen in a state of intoxi cation as the day wore on.— Greenock Observer. SETS of PLATED CORNER DISHES , w ith or without Warmers. The price of the Set •f Four Dishes and Covers, without Warmers, varies from Eight to Ten Guineas. The Warmers are from Five to Nine Guineas the Set. Engravings of the various patterns will ho forwarded, post roe, if application is made, post paid. The dishes are comp lete f; themselves without warmers, and the handles take off, the corers thus forming four extra dishes when required. —T. COX SAVORY, - Silversmith, &c., No. 47, Cornhill (Seven d.ers from Graccchurch-street), London. DISH CO SHEFFIELD MADE PLATED VERS.—A. B. SAVORY and SONS, Goldsmiths, l'In• for Cornhill, London, opposite the Bank of England, submit r , selection, in their show-rooms, a very large variety of SIIV: t .: FIELD SILVER-PLATED DISH COVERS, from and teen Guineas the s e t ; th ey h ave sl i ver e d ges an d hand!e"! silver shields for engraving the crest or coat of arms. Double Dome Pattern. The Melon Pattern. , s. d. Size. .£ s d. Siz e * I , ', 17 0 I Plated Dish Covers, 20 in. 5 13 ii : 7:-ted Dish Cover, 20 lo• A. - 1 4 ci 1 ) „ Dish I Over, IS in. 4 7ii I ash Cover, IS in. ;': h 0 - „ Dish Covers, 14 in. .5 12 0 2 Dish covers,l4 in. Per Per Set Z1.71311 Plated Currie or Hash Dishes Seven Guineasretirie...ti• I7A Priem Current, Stamped as a Nempaer, containing f and every .information relative to the Purchase of silver or She the field plate, may be had on application, or will be sent into country, free of postage, in answer to a paid 1 tter. e drawing' BIRTHS. On the 16th inst., at Heath Lodge, Hampstead , the l a dy of David Powell, E s q., o f a son. Oil th Dpida e2deinsdt.e,, of aat Lisbon, and heir. on, the lady of S ar torius, Viscount NARKIED. On the 14th inst , at Brussels, Peter Pincoffs, Esq.' of that place, second son of A. L. Pincoffs, Esq., of Rottertlar.; to Ang e li na , third daughter of the late Solo►non Gomes V, Costa, Esq., of Nc son House, Stoke Newington. _ 11,, 0 v 0 . ti L tl a l isCti,i,rilii:,,ti.t,ero,np.iis,l.7)s.s,ag4l : e f d ro s n . Naples to L e g horn, the Wi y i r i l ai te n h wr i a t l i f t ( h ird i , ns E t s . q , ~Flrtitannebeusr3l,:litxcotrhi., eldest da u g hter of On the 16th inst. , Ma r g aret, second dau g hter of Mr. James Smith, of Hadham Pa lace, Great Hadham, Herts, aged 21. of On the 15th inst. , at Chelsea, Geor g e Duval Grn, Son the late W. E. G reen, Es q ., of the Audit-office, a ged 20. On the 1 4 th in st., at Eton House, near Liverpool, the %Sife of the late D r. Crompton, aged 80. On the 1 ith inst ., at Bushey-heath, Herts, Charles Law rence, Esq., aged 83 . Essex' O n the 15th inst., at the Vicaroge, East Nam , George William , se cond son of th e Rev . William Streatf eild,agedaed 3 years and 7 months. Tot- On the 16 th inst. , Mr. Swi nscow , Tottenh am-terrace, tenham. Mary, Radcliffe, the 15th inst., Mrs. Rad c liff e , widow of Dr. late Archdeacon of Canterbury, aged 87. On the 14th inst., in Prince's-street. Hanover-square,MarY. Charlotte, wife of Findlay Anderson, Esq., of the lion. India Company's Madras Civil Service. London Printed and 'Published by 1111/PLDO (; of NO. 1112, St r:tr.tl, at 27/ c Satz ()thee, No. 11 . 1 , :,trantl in the county 01111iddleiex.—Saturdoy, April 18, 1840. it I P