The Sun. — London, England, 1857-02-18 00:00:00

T T HEATRE ROYAL, D Mini LA NE. Lessee, Mr. E. T. Smith. Acting Manager, Mr. C. Mathews. Stage Manager, Mr. R Rexby. Scenic Artist, Mr. W. Beverley. The eminent Comedian, Mr. Charles Mathews, every evening. Great Success of the Grand Christmas Pantomime, the most magnificent ever produced on the English stage. TFIIS EVENING, her Majesty's Servants will perform an entirely new three-act Drama, entitled THE BLACK BOOK. Charaebers by Mr. C. Mathews, A. Younge, G. Honey, Mr. Vincent, Mr. Tilbury, Mr. Lingham; Misses Cleveland and M. Oliver, and Mrs. Selby. After which will be produced SEE, SAW, MARGERY DAW ; Or, Harlequin Holiday, and the Island of Ups and Downs. The reduced prices' as follows, varying throughout the house to suit every one :—Galleries, 6d. and is. ; Second Circle of Boxes, ls. 6d, ; Pit, 2s. ; First Circle of Boxes, Le. 6d. ; Dress •Boxes, 3s. ; Stalls, bs. ; Private Boxes, 10s. 6d., V. Is., 1/. lls. 6d and 21. 2s. Last Morning Performance of the Great Pantomime to morrow (Wednesday), at Two o'clock. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. THIS EVENING, to commence at Seven, with the successful new Comedy, in three acts, entitled, DOUBLE-FACED PEOPLE. Characters by Mr. Buckstone, Mr. Chippendale, Mr. Compton, Mr. W. Faen Mr. Rogers, Mr. Clark, Miss Reynolds, Mrs. Poynter, and'Mrs. E. Fitz wil' jam. Followed by (3d time) a new drama, called A WICKED WIFE. After which (52d time) Abe new comic pantomime, entitled THE BABES IN THE WOOD, or Harlequin and the Cruel Miele. The scenery of the opening story painted by Mr. W. Callcott. The pantomime produced under the direction of M. Milano. Harlequin, M. Milano •, Columbine, Fanny Wright ; Pantaloon, Mr. Mackay ; and Clown, Mr. Driver ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, THIS EVENING will be performed A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. After which, a new grand Christmas Pantomime, called ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP ; or, Harlequin and the Genii of the Ring. Harlequin, Mr Cormack ; Clown, Mr. Huline ; Pantaloon, Mr. Paulo ; Co lumbine, Miss C. Adams. R OYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. Lessee, Mr. C. Dillon. THIS EVENING, will be performed a new play, in five acts, by Westland Marston, Esq., entitled A LT 'S RANSOM. Lord Revesdale,i Mr. C. Dillon ; Bancroft, Mr. etnart,; Felicia Revesdale, Mrs. C. Dillon. To be followed by CONRAD AND MEDORA ; or, Harlequin Corsair and the Little Fairy at the Bottom of the Sea. The burlesque opening by W. Brough, Esq., ounded upon the ballet of Le Corsair, as produced at Her Majesty's Theatre. The harlequinado upon things in gene. ral. The new and magnificent scenery painted by Mr. F. Fenton. • Conrad (the Corsair) Miss Woolgar Birbarto (his lieutenant) Mr. J. L. Toole Medora Mrs. Charles Dillon Clowns Mr. H. Mardlihall The box-office open daily, from 11 to 5, under the super- Stendence of Mr. Chatterton, jun. Carriages conveying parties to the Private Boxes to set down at the State entrance in Burleigh-street. T HEATRE ROYAL, AD EL PHI. Lessee—Mr. Ben. Webster. THIS EVENING, will be performed OUR GAL. Caro line Morton, Mrs. Barney Williams. After which, A NIGHT AT NOTTING-HILL, in which Mr. Wright and Peal Bedford will appear. Followed by the new and original comic drama, called BARNEY THE BARON. Barney O'Toole, Mr. Barney Williams. To conclude with MOTHER SHIPTON ; --- er, Harlequin Knight of Love, and the Enchanted Whistle. Harlequin and Columbine (a la, Watteau), Madame Celeste and Miss Wyndham ; Clown, Mr. Garden ; Pantaloon, Mr. Moreland; Scaramoueh, Mr. Le Barr. Characters in the bur lesque by Mr. Paul Bedford, Mr. J. Bland, Mr. R. Romer, Madame Celeste, Miss Wyndham, Miss Mary Keeley, Miss Kate Kelly, Miss Arden, &c. ROYAL SURREY THEATRE, Lessees, Messrs. Shepherd and Creswick. THIS EVENING, an original play, in three acts, entitled A BIRD IN THE HAND WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH. Roderick Praiseworthy, Mr. Shepherd. After which, HARLEQUIN AND THE SUMMER QUEEN. Harlequin, Mr. F. Glover ; Clown, Mr. Buck ; Pantaloon, Mr. Bradbury; Vag Four Sprites, the Fills Fa mily ; Columbines, Mesdames Marie and Agnes. THEATRE ROYAL, SADLER'S-WELLS. Under the Management of Mr. Phelps. THIS EVENING, Shakespere's play of THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, To conclude with THE SENTINEL% STRAND THEATRE.—Manager, Mr. T. Payne.—This Evening will be performed a powerful new drama, THE PRIDE OF POVERTY ; or, The Real Poor of London. Affer which, DON'T LEND YOUR UMBRELLA. To cmclude with the immensely successful novel Burlesque Pantomime of THE MAGIC MISTLETOE ; or, Harlequin Humbug and the Shams of London. The Fairy Christmas, Miss E. Wilton ; Good Humour, Miss Norbury ; Mercury, Miss Cameron ; Humbug, Mr. Herbert ; Cant, Mr. Bolton ; 33aron, Mr. J. B. Jobnstone • Sir Roland, Mr. Clarke ; Lord Lover, Miss Craven ; Addelpate, Miss Cuthbert ; Crambo, Master W. Edouin ; Lady Agnes, Miss E. Jacobs ; Baroness, G. Lee ; Furbilosa, Mr. J. Howard. Novel Harlo. quitude : Clown, Miss Cuthbert ; Little Clown, Master W Edouin ; Pantaloon, Mr. J. Clarke ; Harlequin, Miss Craven ; Columbines. Miss E. Jacobs and Mdle. Collison ; Premier Dansense, Mdle. Marie Charles. Commence at Seven. Stabs, 3s. ; Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, ls. • Gallery, 6d. A morning performance of the Pantomime every Monday at two o'clock OY A L OLYMPIC THEATRE. Lessee, Mr. Alfred Wigan. THIS EVENING, a new farce, by Bayle Bernard, Esq., called A SPLENDID INVESTMENT. After which, CRINOLINE. A new Fairy Extravaganza. by J. R. Planch6, Esq.. called YOUNG AND HANDSOME. Messrs. F. Robson, Rogers, Leslie, G. Cooke, Danvers. Misses Swanborough, Thirlvrall, St. Came, Castleton, Bromley, Maskell, ana Mrs. Melfort. Commence at half-past Seven. ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE, Lessee and Manager, Mr. W. Cooke. THIS EVENING—A Performance crowned with signal success !—The operatic drama of ROB ROY, Illustrated by Mi. Wm. Cooke's Trained Horses, and acted with the original music, with Mr. J. H. Cooke's Great Bridge Act. After which, the Equestrian SCENES in the CIRCLE. To conclude with the equestrian comic pantomime of PAUL PRY ON HORSEBACK. Commer.o4 at seven7o'clock. , e Dress Boxes, 4s,'; Tipper Boxes, 3s. ; Private Boxes, from 1/., no charge for booking ; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, is. ; Upper Gallery, 6d. cox office open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W. West. Equestrian Director, Mr. W. Cooke, jun. cIANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road. — k.) OPEN EVERY EVENING.---Tbe follow ing company of Vocalists are engaged for the performance of Selections from all the popula” Operas, Madrigals, Choiruses, Glees, Duets, exc., viz. : Miss E. Pearce, Mrs. J. Caulfield, Miss Brunell, Miss Summers, and Madame Marietta ; Mr. J. Caulfield, Herr F. Jonghmans, R. Grover, T. Farrant, S. Jones, J. Barker, W. Melling, P. Corri, Senor Antonio M. de Saila, and E. L. Hime ; Masters Austin, Bennett, and Corri; Messrs. Sam Collins, E. Mackney, and C. J. Wilkins. Pianoforte, Mr. Cecil Hicks; harmonium, J. Caulfield, jun.; director, Mr. J. Caulfield. Commence at Seven o'clock pre cisely. Suppers, &c., until twelve o'clock. Mr. C. Morton's Annual Full Dress Ball will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 3.8. Gentleman's tlzket, 7s; lady's ditto, 56 ; double ticket (lady and gentleman or two ladies), 10s. RIGA WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. THIS DAY—Mom. 27 min- aft. 7—Evening 59 taia. aft. 7 TMMORBOW—Morn. 37 min. aft. B—Evening 23 min.aft. 9 THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, FEBRUARY 18. THERMOMETER, IN THR SHAM. 55 —highest since noon yesterdayl 47 —lowest this morning and during the night; 55 —this day at noon. BAROMETER, 30.05. WIND, S.W. - --Light, with fine warm weather. .rlfA nfl'4 f ~~ T ~~ '~-.~'~'`y -., ;~ LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1857 Captain BCC:MELT,' 17CCordh; to annual wont, renewed last evening hi s cus p y tomar motion for the appointment of a S e l ect Committee to inquire into the system of naval prombtions. According to annual wont, the motion was as usual rejected. The grievance complained of is cryi ng , is is undeniable. But Minist ers wont see glaring,None —we know the rest of are so blind" the saying. And here, sure enough, is a startling an d , by this time, a tolerably familiar illustration of its correct ness. The maritime profession (the -National Service) of England is notoriously regulated from first to last—from the Junior Midshipman to the Senior Admiral—by parliamentary influence, by family influence, by political influence, by all sorts of indirect, but eminently potential and dominant, considerations. There is no question at all about it. The thing is, we repeat, notorious. It is patent to the whole community. It cannot be ignored, or, as a not less popularly idiomatic phrase has it, cushioned. Yet the Powers That Be gain say it totally, unconditionally, uncompromisingly. And so it comes to pass—as it did last night--that a First Lord of the Admiralty can have the con- SUN, LON DON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, VEBRU_ARY le, 1857. summato effrontery to rise from his place in the House of Commons, and assert unbli tsioingly that promotions in the navy are rot regu lated, or in_ fluenced, in the smallest degree by pa rliamentary, or family, or political consideration F. Actually pointing to the " Navy List " itself for corrobora tion of this most astounding announcement ! Not a jct less preposterous, this, than the cool assertion of the farceur—" Black is the White, of my Eye." Here is Merit trammelled, hampered, clogged in every way—supposing, that is to say, that it is simply Merit—Merit without any backstairs in fluence whatever, political, family, or parliamen tary. The "Navy List " proves it. The cata logue of retired and half-pay officers proves it. Everything proves it—everything bearing in the smallest degree upon the matter. But Ministers can't, for the life of them, see what is obvious to everybody else. Or-- this is perhaps more " the English of it "—won't, on any ac count, recognise what it would be the height of inconvenience to recognise. And so the Matter of-course Motion of the hon. and gallant member for Bath is, as a matter of course, quashed. Ra ther inconsistently on the part of the authorities, if they are so very secure as to the correctness of their aegument—seeing that that motion is, after all, simply one for the appointment of a Select Committee of Inquiry ! A Committee that—sup posing the Ministerial assertions to be so very accurate, to be so entirely borne out by the " Navy List," to 'be so wholly undeniable, and so completely corrobo rated by circumstances—one would expect must be rather sought after eagerly, than avoided sedu lously, by the Members of her MAJESTY'S Go vernment. But no--investigation--mere inves tigation is so pertinaciously refused, as to amount to a virtual acknowledgment on the part of Ministers that their position in this particular question is al together untenable. Captain SCOBELL pleads in vain. And yet so, for that matter, used Mr. VILLIERS to plead in vain, in behalf of Free Trade—as Mr. WILBERFORCE had pleaded before him in vain in behalf of Negro Emanci pation. And, yet, after all, Protection was abo lished—as Slavery had previously been abolished ! 1 As promotions by favour rather than by merit, both in the Army and in the Navy must, in the end, infallibly, be abolished as a sys• tern, whatever may be said or done by a partisan Administration. Sooner or later the desired amelioration will come—political inflnonce, family influence, Parliamentary influence, to the con trary, notwithstanding. The solitary water-drop dropping, dropping, dropping—wears away in time the solid granite. And so will it be with Mr. BERKELEY'S annual motion for the Ballot, for example, as a means of securing the actual as well as nominal independence of the constituen cies. And so will it be in due time, please GOD, with reference to Captain ScoaELL's generous, and consistent, and persevering advocacy of Merit as the motive power—of Justice as the regulating in fluence in the complicated system of promotions in the Royal Navy of England. Promotion in the Army, not less (nay, if that be possible, even still more) than Promotion in the Navy, is notoriously and (let us add point blank, in one unmistakeable word) infamously regelated—not by a sense of public services or of individual merit, but by the merest soeial, poli tical, and Parliamentary considerations ? Do we want a signal and glaring indication of this de plorable fact ? There is the memorable case of Colonel TULLOCH ! And with it that of Sir JOHN M'NEIL, his able and gallant co-Commissioner What can possibly be more infamous in its way than the miserably scurvy treatment experienced by these brave officers at the hands of a shuffling and ungrateful Government ? Everybody knows the enormous difficulty, the oppressive responsibility, the exquisite painfulness of the almost unexampled task entrusted to them. Everybody knows, moreover, how well, how wisely, how wonderfully they tracked the thin clue of truth, with unerring sagacity, through all the mazes of the Crimean Labyrinth of Confusion- Worse-Confounded. Uninfluenced, in every stage of their inquiry, by any considerations save those affecting the good of the Army, the honour of the Crown, and the advantage of the Common weal ! Yet the very men who are acknowledged by the Prime Minister to have so conducted this most important inquiry, in their capacity as Com missioners, as to have " performed their duty en tirely to the satisfaction of her MAJESTY'S Govern ment, and very much to their own credit—with great ability, great perseverance, and great minute ness of research" —are, after all, the very men (actually) who are, so to speak, chosen out of the vast concourse of the public servants for the ex press purpose of being overlooked I Nay, Lord P.AIMERSTON not only confesses to this (virtually) on Tuesday evening, in the course of his brief reply to Mr. EWART, but immediately after- wards, in further reply to the supplementary inquiries of Mr. LAYARP, actually goes the length of observing, almost petulantly, that Colonel Tur,Locil has not (even) been " promised " promotion ! He had previously remarked, this magnanimous Premier of ours, that her MAJESTY'S Government had not the smallest intention in the world of "stepping out of the ordinary way" (that is his Lordship's graceful mode of putting it) " to ask the Crown to give these gentlemen addi tional honours." Ho endorses this gracious avowal directly afterwards, as we have said, by observing that Colonel TULLOCH had not even the empty solace of a shadowy "promise" of any further promotion ! Encouraging, this, wonderfully en couraging, to all Public Servants who may hence forth be entrusted with responsibilities almost as overwhelming in their magnitude as in their cha racter they are extraordinary ! An assurance that they cannot hope to look for even the Promise of Reward. Not that we set much value, it must be confessed, upon mere promises—particulary the promises of a Government. tinMien,' says the old French proverb, est mieux que deuce tu 1' auras I But at any rate a Promise is so far valuable as a Symbol—a symbol in this instance of the recogni tion of services as yet unrewarded. But, even that, Ministers grudge to men like Sir Josor M'NEIL and Colonel Ttnitoou—even empty pro mises ! While at the very same time the Crimean Culprits, impeached, and not only impeached, but convicted, by the daring and sagacity of these con temned Commissioners, are covered with a gaudy and glittering shower of ribbons, stars, crosses, medals, and promotions ! Nay, While with a monstrous inconsistency, other officers much lower down upon the list, are pitchforked over their heads—for no services whatever that the public c an i n any way compre h en d or r ecognise Colonel the li s t O RIIMLEY, for example, 123 lower down on f C o l one l s th an C o l one l T uLLocu , b e i ng appointed a Major-G enera l— a lth oug h never in the Cri mea , l et us say, Commissioner 1 Col. SToeiitt r pacity K h s e : a a, g s a a in Culprit or in a t s he a Crimea in eithe r ea • —Colonel STORKS, 124 below Colonel Tur.r.oesr upon the same catalogue, being nominated a K.C.8., While Colon e l TULLOCH fan has not even a grip of the • 7-gold of a Pm raise ! Colonel RIIMLEY promoted to a Major- Generalship over the head of the Crimean Commis sioner (and over the heads of 122 other Colonels besides)—because, forsooth, he had gloriously commanded a portion of the depots at Malta! Colonel STORKS, in like manner, being advanced over Colonel TULLOCH'S head to the rank of a K. 0.8. (and over the heads• of 123 other overlooked and overleaped Colonels into the bargain)--because (0 most heroic K.C.8.) the said Colonel STORKS had valorously taken charge for a while of some wretched hospital at Smyrna! Never, perhaps, was there more mon strous or more flagrant inconsistency. Pity, Col. TULLOCH was not born a German ! The Chancellor of the Exchequer seems to think that there is but one class with whom it is neces sary or desirable to observe strict faith. Every thing is to be done for the receivers of public money, but nothing for the tax-paying commu nity. Even the expectations of the former must not be disappointed in any way . . A di rect and positive promise to the latter may be evaded or violated with impunity, and the Right Honourable (!) Gentleman will chuckle at the notion of obtaining a few thousands additional from the pockets of those who had the simplicity to confide, sot only in the express pro visions of an Act of Parliament, but in a distinct and positive answer from himself, stating the period at which additional duties are to be with drawn and a more moderate tariff substituted. We cannot feel surprised at the excitement manifested by the importers and dealers in tea at the very inequitable and impolitic proposal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to retain for four years longer a considerable portion of the was duties on tea, levying no less than 972,5001. on that important commodity within the ensuing year, and 3,790,0001. altoother, more than he would receive under the existing law. Men of all shades and varieties of political opi nion have apparently concurred in deprecating a retrograde policy, or recurring unnecessarily to the indirect system. of taxation. Of the many heavy duties levied on the products of foreign nations, there is none in every respect more ob jectionable than the duties on " the cup that cheers without inebriating," and on " the corn of the tropics." They are the chief comforts ft the over-toiled and worst remunerated portion of the labouring population. They may, indeed, be regarded as actual necessaries. There can be no objection to their unlimited use. They are strictly domestic comforts, which improve those who adopt them in place of more exciting articles. The husband and father who enjoys his tea or sweet dumpling with his family is a " better and a wiser," although far from being a sadder, man than his neighbour who expends his time and money in the gin-palace or the beer shop. The miserable sempstrese who—. " With fingers weary and worn, With eyelids heavy and red," labours at her monotonous and wearisome task, is only enabled to pursue her almost incessant labours by means of her only exhilaration, her cup of tea, that forms her chief sustenance. The consump tion of this very important article is, however, checked by the exorbitant duty, which far exceeds the first cost of the inferior samples, and which is charged at the same rate on the " Bohea," or "good rough Congou," of the long-suffering nee dlewornan, as on the high flavoured Hyson, supe .4or Pekoe, or curious Souchong of the peeress. Nor is it merely for domestic benefits that its use should be encouraged. There are many cogent reasons set forth in the elaborate Report of the Committee on the " Tea Duties" which induced Parliament to sanction a very considerable mho tion, by which the duty would eventually be re &uced to ls. 3d. from and after April, 185'T, and ls. in April, 1858. The exigencies of the war required that the reduction should for a time be stopped, and both the importers and dealers, although seriously injured by the unexpected alteration, cheerfully acqui esced in the propriety of the suspension. But the very terms of the Act provided that the addi tional war duties should terminate on the sth of April, after the signing of a definite treaty of peace. There was, apparently, no possibility of a " pettifogging quibble" here—no question of " ratification." The most strained construction of the law could not torture the words from their ordinary meaning. For once, the intention of Parliament was carried out. But to make as surance doubly sure, some of the leading importers questioned the Government as to the time when the reduced duties would come into operation, and received' a distinct and positive answer that it would be in April next. Acting on this une quivocal statement they entered into new engage-, • ments. The stock in hand has been greatly increased in consequence of that reply, which was without any qualification what soever. They may now suffer considerably in pocket from their credulity. But if so, they will of course be more cautious for the future, and the revenue may suffer very considerably from the culpable equivocation of the Financial Minister, while the general public will share in the loss that primarily falls on importers and dealers. We trust that Parliament will interpose and prevent this discreditable proceeding. We have already shown that the money is only required for the purpose of unnecessarily paying off Exchequer Bonds, that may, and in justice to the people ought to, be renewed, and which could not pos sibly be regarded as a "fresh borrowing." By the assistance of the Derbyites Ministers may suc ceed for the time being ; but it will be a dan gerous triumph—one that will pave the way for their eventual humiliation and ejection from office. The tea-dealers have proposed a compromise, to pay Is. 4d. per lb. for the next three years, but Sir G. C. Lzwrs has rOurned no answer. They aught rather to stand on their rights, and firmly and energetically protest against the palp able swindle. They may be assured that the voice of public opinion will be uplifted in their favour, so that even Sir G. C. LEWIS, or, pos sibly, his successor, may be ashamed to profit by the fraud. Let them boldly appeal to Parlia ment and the country for justice, and, sooner or later, they will obtain it. The struggle on the Income Tax is fixed for Friday. The great question will then be decided as to whether the "pettifogging quibble" shall be even partially successful. Sir G. C. LEWIS has attempted to compromise, and hopes that by re luctantly and ungraciously surrendering 9d. he may be permitted t• retain the other 2d. in the pound for the next three years. But Parliament should not take any question respecting the impost into consideration until the Act of 1855, into which the word ratification so strangely found its way, has been wholly repealed. " The slight convenient en trenchment in the distance," to which the Times so significantly alluded, should be completely dis mantled, in the first instance, so that neither ' party could be in any way influenced by its use. It was the original intention of Mr. DISRAELI to have moved for that repeal, in which he would have received the decided support of the inde pendent members, and even of many Minis terialists, who would have been afraid to face their constituents with the brand of being sup porters of fraud and chicanery. They will, how. ever, find a plausible excuse, of which they may avail themselves, in the double operation of the a mendment of which the Right Honourable Gentleman has given notice ! We trust, however, that amendment may succeed, I/ unless Sir G. C. LEWIS capitulates, and consents t o render the impost more equitable and less op pressive in its operation. We long since warned Ministers that the tax could not possibly be maintained in its pre sent form, that there was no alternative save its modification or its abolition. Sir G. C. LEWIS has, however, turned a deaf ear alike to our admonitions and to the wishes and feelings of the country. His sole desire has been to gratify the moneyocracy--of whom he is ithe very obedient and dutiful servant. :He must, therefore, abide the disagreeable consequences of his own acts, and we earnestly trust that no professing liberal or independent member will interpose to save him from the painful humilia tion he has so eminently merited. The , fate of the tax on proits now depends on the independ ent members. If they cause it to be clearly and distinctly intimated through the Whipper-in, that their votes will be given for the abolition of the onerous burden, unless they receive a distinct and positive pledge, that the wide difference between fired and permanent i ncono:es aris ing from accumulated and realised pro. perty, and the precarious and fluctuating profits of industry will be recognised and fairly acted on, Sir G. C. LEWIS will yield Ihe point. He has already proved that be is made of very squeezable materials, and the salutary lesson should not be lost sight of. Major REED and Mr. MUNTZ haw) already postponed the motions of which they had given notice, and the discussion whereof might have materially helped to Ministerial enlightenment. We trust, however, that the Honourable Gentlemen will afford no further proofs of their accommodating dispositions. The independent members as a body, and these Honourable Gen tleman in particular, are now on trial. It will be seen whether they merit the confidence of the community or not. Every excuse will be closely criticised, not only at present, but subsequently on the hustings ! It will not do to speak one way and vote another.. If the Chancellor of the Ex chequer succeeds we shall be permanently saddled with the intolerable burden. No matter what may be its amount, the unanswerable objection of gross and palpable injustice will remain as an indelible brand, whether it be sd. or 16d. in the pound. The new firm of DISRAELI, GLADSTONE, RUSSELL, and Co., pretend that it is impossible to make even an approximation to an equitable assessment. They therefore insist on the abate ment of the social nuisance. If their premises be right, they are unquestionably warranted in the conclusion. In order to retain the tax Sir G. C. LEwis must show that it can be ameliorated and more equitably apportioned. That duty devolves upon him. He asks to obtain more than 6i millions by its means within the neat three years, without giving any binding pledge for its ultimate removal. He must take one course or the other : show that it can be improved ; or that it shall be relinquished. The onus is on his shoulders, and as he acts so will the independent members vote. GERMAN RAILWAYS.—S:tmony and Prussia have just concluded a treaty, of which the object is to establish between the two countries a new communication, by tneF , ,ns of a railway to connect Leipsic and Berlin by a direct line. This line will form a junction at Bitterfield, with the railway which. unites Wittemberg to Hallo, by way of the Elba and Bitterfield. BREAKING INTO A THEATRE; --- BAween Friday night and Saturday morning the treasury of the Queen's Theatre was broken into, an iron safe opened by means of a false key, and upwards of 701. carried off. The depredatbrs are supposed to have remained concealed in some of the lobbies of the house after the perform ances were over, and to have escaped, climbing down the outside of the theatre, from the window of the treasury to the ground.—Edinburgh Express. ACCIDENT ON ALIGHTING FROM A RAILWAY TRAIN. —An action was tried yesterday, in the Court of Com mon Pleas, to recover damages from the North-Western Railway Company, for injuries received in alighting from a train at Aber, a station on the Chester and Holy- , head Railway. It appeared that the plaintiff, a lady named Wlntosh, was a passenger from Euston•square to Aber ; on the train arriving at the station it passed the platform, and plaintiff was requested to alight from the carriage on a bank, which she objected to. Ulti mately she was persuaded by the attendants to leave the carriage, and on her being assisted therefrom by the station-master she fell and her leg was broken. The jury gave the plaintiff 4501. damages. FATAL GAS ExrLosioN.—Yesterday an inquest was held on the body of Eliab Box, aged 64. The deceased, who was in the employ of Mr. Parkinson, gas-meter manufacturer, City-road, was, on the 15th ult,, engaged on the premises of Messrs. Myers, builders, Lambeth. He bad, for the purpose of gauging water to drill four holes in a ga , ..-meter. He bad drilled three, and com menced the fourth, the candle he worked by being close by him, when an explosion took place, and be was thrown some distance. He was picked up in a state of insensibility, and conveyed to the Westminster Hos pital, where he gradually sank, and died from exhaustion on Friday last. A verdict was returned of "Accidental death." SALE OF POISONS.—•Last week, a servant-of-all-work, named Anne Boxall, resident in the house of Mrs. Adams, at Peters&ld, committed suicide by taking a dose of " mouse powder" (Buttle's " vermin -killer"), which contains the deadly drag strychnine. It was pur chased by a fellow-servant at a druggist's shop. The doctor found the wretched girl in a state of spasm. On endeavouring to raise her head (to which she strongly objected), in order to introduce the tube of the stomach pump, he found it impossible to force open her mouth. She repeatedly expressed a wish to have her legs rubbed, and also her feet. He was about to use chloroform, when she expired in great pain. The stomach was found to be very much inflamed, and showed the result, of an active poison. —Sussex Express. PRICE OF GOLD.—Tbe quotation of gold at Paris is about 6 per mills premium, and the short exchange on London is 25'20 per Li. sterling. On comparing these rates with the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 100. per ounce for standard gold, it appears that gold is nearly 5-10ths per cent, dearer in Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburg the price of gold is 424 per mark, and the short exchange on London is 13'4} per 1/. ster bog. Standard gold; at the English Mint price, is there fore nearly 2-10ths per cent. dearer in Hamburg than in London. The course of exchange at New York on London for bills at 60 days' sight is 1031 per cent., which, when compared with the Mint par between the two countries, shows that the exchange is nominally against England ; but, after making allowance for charges of transport and difference of interest, the present rate leaves no profit on the transmission of geld either way between the two countries. FRIGr.TFIII, ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON AND SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY.—A frightful accident took place on the London and South-Western Railway near the Barnes station, on Monday, which will no doubt ter minate fatally. From the particulars obtained, it ap pears that the wife of the switchman noticed her child upon the line just as the whistle of a goods train was sounded, and which was making rapid progress to wards the station. The unfortunate woman rushed across the metals to save her child, which she succeeded in doing, but before she could gain the platform she was thrown down upon the line, and her two legs nearly severed from her body by the passing of the whee:s of the carriages over her limbs. The poor creature was placed in a train, removed to the Waterloo terminus, and afterwarde placed in a caravan and taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, but little if any hopes can be enter tained of her recovery. No blame can be attached to the company's officers, as the melancholy event was occasioned solely by the poor woman rushing upon the ' line to save the life of her child. NAPIER AFTER MEANER.—Nineteen long letters from Lord Ellenborough ! He has made me Governor of Scinde, with additional pay; and he has ordered the captured gang to be cast into a triumphal column, with our names. I wisla he would let me go back to my wife and girls ; it would be more to me than pay and glory and honours ; eight months now away from them, and my wife's strange dream realised ! This is glory !is it Yes ! Nine princes have surrendered their swords to me on fields of battle, and their kingdoms have been conquered by me, and attached to my own country. I have received the government of the conquered pro vince, and all honours are paid to me while living in mine enemy's capital I Well, all the glory that can be desired is mine, and I . care so little for it, th a t th e mo ment I can all hall be resigned tolive quietly with my wife and girls • no honour or r i c h es repay me for absence from them —Life of Sir Charles Napier. SAILORS' STRIKE AT HIILL.—The Hull papers state that the seamen at that port are on strike in consequence of a proposed reduction of wages. At a meeting of sailors last week it was resolved that the following should be the rate of wages :—For the East Indies, 31. per month ; Mediterranean and West Indies, 3/. 10s. ; and America and the Baltic, 4/. A small placard has also been issued, in which it is expressed that the ship. owners of Hull will take these terms into consideration, for their own benefit as well as that of the seamen, the former " well knowing how many ships have suffered out of that and other ports through taking men unable to do their duty." A foreign sailor, who was alleged to have signed articles to go in the Dowthorpe from Hull Bombay at reduced wages, viz , 21. 10a. per month, was set upon by a party of English seamen and hoisted on a pot crate, but the assailants decamped on the approach of a posse of police constables. DEATH OF THE DEAN OF CANTERBERY.—We regret to announce the demise of the Rev. William Rowe Lyall, D.D., Dean of Canterbury. For some months past the venerable gentleman has been suffering from an aggra vated attack of paralysis, which almost deprived him of sensation, and at 11 o'clock yesterday morning death released him from further pain. Mr. Lyall was ap ptinted to the deanery of Canterbury in the latter part of the year 1345, and during the ten years he has held the post hie unvarying kindness and Christian eharity have gained for him the respect and love of the inhabit ants of the metropolitical city, in the prosperity of which he ever evinced a warm interest. Previous to this ap pointment Dean Lyall held several livings in different parts of the country, but more especially in Suffolk ; he was the first archdeacon of Maidstone, and during a brief period filled a canon's stall in Canterbury. He was also private chaplain to the late Archbishop of Canter bury when Bishop of London. Upon the news of his death this morning the great bell of the Cathedral—used only on the occasion of the demise of any of the church dignitaries —was tolled for an hour. WHITEHALL PREACHERS. —The Lord Chanaberlein has issued the following list of Whitehall - preachers for the ensuing Lent :—Feb. 25 (Ash-Wednesday), Dr. Saun ders, Dean of Peterborough ; Feb. 27, the /tor. Henry Howarth, 8.D., rector of St. George's, Hanover-square ; March 4, the Rev. Henry Moseley, M.A., canon of Bristol, and one of the Queen's Inspectors of Schools ; March 6, the Rev. Sir John Hobart Seymour, canon of Gloucester ; March 11, the Rev. Thomas Randolph, M.A., prebendary of St. Paul's ; March 13, the Rev. Edward Bouverie, M.A., prebendary of Salisbury and chaplain to the Queen ; March 18, the Rev. H. Melville, 8.D., canon of St. Paul's ; March 20, the Rev. Beneage Finch, M.A., vickar of Oakham ; March 25, the Rev. J. R. Wood, M.A., chaplain to the Commander-in-Chief ; March 27, the Ven. Dr. Tatham, archdeacon of Bedford ; April 1, the Hon. and Rev. R. C. Boyle, M.A., chaplain to the Queen ; April 3, the Rev. M. J. Wynyard, M.A., rector of St. Martins, York ; April 8, the Rev. G. A. F. Hart, M.A., vicar of Arundel ; April 10 (Good Friday), the very Rev. Dr. Johnson, dean of Wells. MERCANTILE MIINIFICENCE.—Messrs. John Crossley and Sons, the eminent carpet manufacturers at Dean Clough, near Halifax, at a recent soiree of the Halifax Mechanics' Institution, subscribed 1,5001. towards the fund for defraying the debt on the new hall, amounting to 3,0001. Mr. John Crossley has within the last few weeks undertaken the erection of a new college at Hali fax, at a cost of 20,0001. A munificent public park, adorned with shrubbery, terraces, asphalted walks, fountains, and sculpture from Italy, to be opened in August next, is the gift of Mr. Frank Crossley to the town of Halifax. A handsome pile of almshouses, 23 in number, has recently peen built and endowed by the last-named gentleman. Messrs. Crossley employ 8,000 work- , people, more than one-third of whom are male adults in the receipt of wages ranging from 20s. to 255. per week. The firm at 10 days' notice recently manufactured 1,100 yards of velvet pile carpeting for the residence of the Empress Dowager e of Russia at Nice. The cross of the Legion of Honour has been bestowed by Napoleon 111. on the senior member of the firm, Mr. John Crossley, in acknowledgment of the, superior quality of the carpets exhibited by him and his partners at the Paris Exhibi tion. The extensive carpet works at Dean Clough are at present being considerably enlarged. PAUPER CHILDREN. —From a return moved for by it appears that o n th e I s t J u l y, Mr. M. Gibson, 1 % 1 -Po 1856, there were altogether 58,243 children in England and Wales attending day schools at the cost of parents or relatives ; 3,986 attending day schools at the cost of the poor rates ' • 39,857 attending schools at th e cos t o f ot h er parties (charity or free schools) ; 52,434 who were not attending any day school ; and 35,827 children at work. ROYAL LONDON OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL. —The annual P general meeting of the governors of this noble charity was held at the hospital on Monday last ; Mr. Labou chere in the chair. The report showed that the recent enlargement and improvement of the hospital, which have been effected at a cost of nearly 2,5001., had been met by special and other recent subscriptions, and that the number of admissions during th e p as t y ear was 10,665, being an incr ease o f 568 patients during the year. A number of resolutions were passed, one con veying a testimonial to Dr. Farre, the consulting phy sician, who has been for more than 50 years identified with the interests of this institution. The Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, M.P., and the Lord Mayor for the time being, were appointed vice-presidents, and Miss Nightingale an honorary life-governor ; after which several emendations in the rules were pro posed and agreed to, when the meeting separated. LATEST N E WS. The Paris correspondent of the Morning Pose (Second Edition) says "After the promising aspect of coming to an arrangement with Persia, which existed a few days ago, I presume later despatches, received by the Shah's Envoy at Paris, have not been so conci liatory as :anticipated. At all events, Farouk Khan's journey to England, I hear to-day, is en tirely put off. It was understood that he would have taken to London the material for a new treaty with him ; but now it appears a delay at least has occurred in the peaceful march of events. "Intelligence from Constantinople comes down to the 9th, and confirms the information you have already received, to the effect that the Commission for the delimitation of Bessarabia expected to con clude their labours by the end of February. " A report from the Russian Minister of War declares that the truce concluded with Schamyl during the Eastern war expired in the month of May, 1856, and that operations against that leader have been begun along the whole line of the Cain casus. " Communications from Frankfort, dated Feb. 14, inform me that the Legislative Assembly had sanctioned the proposed literary convention, after an animated debate. "The Prince and Princess of Wrtirtembmg will visit Nice towards the close of the month. "M. de Kisseleff, the Russian Ambassador, ar rived in Paris from Nice yesterday." COURT CIRCULAR. The queen, attended by Lady Churchill, took a drive in an open barouche and four yesterday. Major-General the Hon. C. Grey attended on horseback. His Royal Highness the Prince rode on horseback with the Prince of Wales yesterday morning, attended by Lieutenant.-Colonel Ponsonby. Prince Albert visited the British Museum in the afternoon. The Princess Royal and the Princess Alice, attended by Lady Caroline Barrington and Major-General Wylde, visited the Temple Church yesterday. Prince Leopold visited the Duchess of Cambridge, at her residence in St. James's Palace, and the Princesses Helena and Louisa took a carriage drive. Her Majesty and Prince Albert, accompanied by the Princess Royal and the Princess Alice, honoured the Princess's Theatre with their presence in the evening. The Royal suite consisted of Lady Churchill, Lord Canioys, Major-General the Hon. Charles Grey, and Lieutenant-Colonel Ponson hy. It is understood that his Royal Highness Prince Albert will hold a levee, on behalf of her Majesty, on Thursday the 26th February, and on Thursday the 12th of March. It is also understood that his Royal High. ness will hold another levee before Easter. The Duke and Duchess of Bedford left town, on Mon day, for Woburn Abbey. Their graces will return to London on Saturday nest. The Duchess of Montrose is expected in town, to-day, from St. Leonard's. The Marchioness of Downshire has arrived in Bel grave-square for the season. The Earl of Burlington and Lady Louisa Cavendish are expected in town tomorrow, from Castle Howard, Yorkshire. The Earl and Countess Vane have arrived in Hamil- ton-place for the season. The Countess of Clanwilliam is expected in town next week, from Deal Castle, Kent. Admiral Sir George Seymour, Mr. Mydleton Bid dulph, of Chirk Castle, and the Earl and Countess Delawarr, were present at the marriage of the Hon. Mary Seymour and Colonel Mydleton Biddulph, in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, on Monday. The bill of the European and Indian Junction Tale gornapthheClo6mthpainnyst.was presented to the H ouse o f Commons We regret to learn that G. S. G. D. Pennant, Esq of Christ Church, Oxford, sou of the Hon. Col. Douglas Pennant, met with a serious accident while hunting with the Heythrop Hounds on Monday last, the nature of the injury being a broken arm. LIMIMIOIC ELECTION.--DUBLIN, Tuesday.—Mr. Mon sell, President of the Board of Health, was returned without opposition. MARRIAGE OF LORD ARTHUR HAY AND THE COUNTESS HELENA KIELMANBEGGE. — Yesterday morning the mar riage of Lord Arthur Hay, second son of the Marquis of Tweeddale, brother to the Duchess of Wellington, with the Countess Helena Kielmansegge, daughter of Count Kielmansegge, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni potentiary of Hanover, was celebrated at St. George's, Hanover-square, in the presence of a brilliant cirole of the friends of both parties. About half-past eleven the bride entered the church, attended by a group of brides. maids attired in white silk and sky-blue cloaks. Lord Arthur Hay immediately followed, also the Marquis of Twseddale, Marchioness of Stafford, Marquis of Aber corn, Lady Lyndhurst, Sir Robert and Lady Peel, Hon. Mies Copley, Duke and Duchess of Wellington, Lord Adolphus Vane Tempest, M.P., Right Hon. Lord Claud Hamilton, Lady Ramsay, Ladies Susan and Georgiana Hay, besides many others of the nobility. The service was performed by the Rev. Henry Howarth, RD., in a very impr ess i ve manner. On l eav i ng th e c h urch the party proceeded t o th e H anover ian Embassy, i n G ros : Tenor-place, where a grand dejeuner was given on the occasion. In the afternoon the happy pair left town fo Harrowgate to pass the honeymoon. The bride recd many magnificent presents on the occasion. Lord Brougham will leave town to-day for his seat near Cannes, in the south of France, where he proposes to remain until after the Easter recess. His Lordship is in excellent health, and is only anxious to avoid the cold winds of this and the following month. He will resume his seat as soon as the business of the Hduse of Lords, which is almost entirely dependent on the bills sent up from the Commons, really commences. CAMBRIDGE, Feb. 17.—1 n the Senate-house this day, the Rev. W. G. Clark, M.A., of Trinity College, was elected to the Public Oratorship, virtually without op position. The Rev. Mr. Perowne, of Corpus College, .ad been nominated with Mr. Clark, but there was no contest, and Mr. Clark was declared duly elected. THE GREEK LOAN. -47,0481. was issued out of the Consolidated Fund last year for the payment of that part of the interest and sinking fund of the Greek loan guaranteed by England in 1843, making a gross total of 645,7821. so paid since the year .1843. As 31,0841. was repaid by the Greek Government in 1847 and 1848, a balance of 614,6981. remains due. DEFARTURE OF THE GREAT BRITAIN.—LITERPOOL, Feb. 17.—The auxiliary screw clipper-ship Great Britain left the river yesterday for Melbourne, having on board upwards of 500 passengers, a full cargo, and a large mail. She was acco mpan i ed to the B e ll B uo y by a tug, and when left was s t eam i ng stea dily a t the rate of 71 knots, with portions of her canvass set, and when fairly on her course it was intended to make all possible sail. Numerous beta have been made that she will land her passengers at Melbourne under 58 days. PRUSSIA AND PERSIA. The ratifications of the treaty signed between Russia and Persia on the sth of January last were exchanged at Teheran on the 18th of the same month. This treaty cedes to Russia a tract of land on the frontiers of Turkey. This tract is situate between Bayazid and Nakhshivan. This new pos session will give Russia a complete command of the strategic road from Trebizond on the Black Sea to the Persian frontier by Erzeroum. The Russian Government has been endeavouring, since the treaty signed with Persia the 22d February, 1828, to ob tain the advantage which Persia has now granted. It is asserted that orders were immediately sent from St. Petersburg to construct a line of fortresses on the territory lately oeded. The last accounts received by the French Go vernment from Persia announce that Fezlali Khan, who commands the advanced guard of the Persian army in Farsistan, had sent forward, on the 25th of December, a strong reconnoitring party of cavalry , as far as 50 miles in advance of Shiraz. This de monstration, though so far from the British camp, had given rise to a report of an approaching attack on the Euglish lines by the entire Persian army ; but this is impossible, for the Persians, who have been joined by the Turcomans, have none but irregular cavalry in the province of Fars, with which it would be impossible to make an impression on the well-fortified position of the English army at Bushire. A letter from Bushire, dated December 28, pub lished in the Moniteur de l' .Annee, gives some in teresting particulars relative to that town. The period of the greatest splendour of Bushire was during the reign of Shah-Abbas the First, sur named the Great, and seventh prince of the dynasty of the Sophis. He formed the interior port, con structed the fortifications, established a dockyard, and collected a flect. At the celebrated battle of Ormuz, which he fought in 1623, he com manded 75 ships of all sizes. This battle made him master of the island and of all the pos sessions of the Sultan Hanniz, whose eyes he caused to be put out. Shah-Abbas was one of the most re markable men of his time, but he ruined his repu tation by his atrocious cruelties. He commenced his career by dethroning his father and putting his two brothers to death. His custom was whenever he captured any distinuguished person to cause him to be blinded, which he said was the most certain mode of preventing him from commanding again. This Prince, at the close of his career, formed an alliance with the English Government, and granted the British merchants trading in the Persian Gulf important commercial advantages. King James I. sent a brilliant embassy to Shah- Abbas. The splendour of Bushire continued until the close of the reign of Nadir Shah. This great conqueror increased his marine considerably. He opened five ports in the Persian Gulf, and collected a fleet of 200 vessels of war. His flag was seen in the Indian seas, and was respected equally with any European flag. He wrote to the Great Mogul after the capture of Delhi that he was as formidable by sea as the other by laud. Nadir Shah was as sassinated in 1747, and from that period Bushire declined, FRANCE. PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING. The Imperial Speech fills the columns of the Paris journals, but has not been commented on in any one instance. The only leading article published this morning appears in the Debats, and is written in defence of the financial policy of the Greek Go vernment. It, is to this effect : "For some time past serious complaints—not justified by circumstances—have been raised against the pre tended negligence displayed by the Greek Government in the payment of the annuities of the loan of sixty millions guaranteed by the three Powers. The Hellenic Govern ment woald be justified in its turn were it to remark that this loan, which might have proved of a certain ' utility to it at the period when it was contracted, has in reality rendered it but a trifling service, inasmuch as the memo randum on the employment of .that loan, communicated recently to the three protecting Cabinets, clearly proves that only 12 millions were paid into the Treasury. At the epoch of the installation of the royal Government in Greece, the country issued from a war which had exhausted every source of public wealth. It is scarcely necessary to say that good finances are alone found in pros perous countries, and not in a country like the Greece of 1833: It matters have since improved, it is still certain that taxation cannot be increased to any extent without checking the development of Greek industry, and depriving the Administration of all popularity. It, results from the conclusions of the memorandum that whereas the Greek treasury only received the sum of 12,277,671 fr. from the proceeds of the loan, it is indebted to the three Powers for advances, sinking fund, interests, commissions, &c., made by them up to the lst March, 1856, to the extent of above 36 millions. It is seen by these figures how loyal has been the decision taken by the Greek Government to pay in future, in a regular manner, annuiti es w hi c h , i n sp it e o f the modest conditions with which they will be met, will serve to liquidate the loan guaranteed by the three Powers." BOURSE, Feb. 17.—The following were the last quotations Cash. fr. c. End of Month. 4i per Cents ...... —-95 fr. 35g. 3 per Cents . . — 68 85 New Loan Bank Shares 4,150 Roman Credit Mobilier ...... 1,345 Austrian Belgian Fives — Spanish Threes Piedmontese (5) 9O 50 Home Debt RAILWAYS--FOBS CASH. fr. c. fr c Orleans 1,376 25 Western Northern 902 Strasburg Lyons 1,380 New Ditto Mediterranean 1,760 Grand Central Lyons Geneva Cette PRUSSIA. BERLIN, FEB. 15. The two Chambers here were a long time before they got well to work this session, owing, in a great measure, to the unsettled state of the Neu chatel affair, which compelled the Finance Minister to keep back his budget. From the 29th of No vember, the day the session opened, up to Christ mas, the House of Deputies had but six sittings, while the House of Notables took it still easier. These six sittings were taken up for the most part with the necessary business of getting the House into working order, with electing its officers, constituting its committees or bureaux, investigating the validity of elections that have taken place since last session, &c. The said six sittings offer little that is remarkable, but one thing was worth noting, viz., the result of the Toting, which is thus effected here—each member on his name being called out by the clerk deposits a card in the urn placed in front of the President, and in full view of the whole house. It has, however, already happened frequently that more cards have been inserted• in the urn than there were mem bers present, an irregularity which of course leads to much discussion to and fro, and consequent loss of time. On the cards thus thrown into the urn the member writes " aye" or " no," as may be, or the name of the person he votes for; and it, moreover, often happens that what is written on the card is illegible, and very frequently also that there is no writing at all on them. The voting for the selection of members to act as clerks at the table revealed a fact interesting, perhapl, to those ve rsed in natural history, viz that, in addition to a Taylor and a Pilgrim who were proposed for that office, there were alo nominated a Wolf, Goat, Steer, Cock, Fish Ostrich, Herrings, and Crab, i.e., their names, when translated , w ould show this intere sting men agerie as proposed to be engaged in quill-driving for the how°. TEA AND SUGAR, DUTIES; A deputation from the Grocer Commercial Assorcia tion waited yesterday on the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer, upon the subject of his proposal, with respect to the duties upon these articles of uni.,ressal consumption. The deputation comprised the chairman and ma- tip of the leading members of the association, who were ac eom panied and introduced by Baron Rothschild, .111. P. Several of tie speakers remon,trated with the Cha noel lor on the unexpected nature of his proposal, and the shortness of the time afforded for its contideration, arid earnestly pressed for the postponement of its discussion in the house, so as to afford the trade in all parts of the empire an opportunity of considering its bearings upon them and upon the community at large. It was Jul •- ther urged that the scheme of the Chancallor was in d i rect violation of the existing act of Parliament, and cal °elated to involve trade transactions in uncertainty ails d obscurity. The 'light Hon. Gentleman listened with great attel • tion to the arguments adduced, but declined giving au y other assurance than that they should have his best con - sideration. It was not his intention or desire to take ; the trade or country by surprise, or to precipitate tlu 3 passage of his resolutions through the house; but hi I stated that it was impossible for him, in the present con - dition of the finances of the country, to adopt the datiet ► of 1855 as a standard. In reply to this it was urged, on behalf of the deput4 tion, that the trade generally regarded a single duty fo r three years, both upon tea and sugar, as highly prole: able to an oscillating scale. Many arguments were ad - duced in favour of this proposition. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference ti ) this suggestion, promised to give it his best attention , and observed that he saw no objection to some such ar - rangernent. The deputation withdrew, highly pleased with theil courteous reception. SIR JOHN FRANKLIA'S EXPEDITION. The following letter has been addressed to the Edite r of the Times : Sir,—On my arrival in London my attention we caned to a letter lately addressed to the Times by Capt Sherard Osborn, in which he gives publicity to an ane nymous communication from Red River Settlement . wherein it is stated that information, which I kept secret reached me at Norway-house in July last, from Mt *. Anderson (of the late expedition down the Great Fie! River), of traces of Sir John Franklin's party bavirl ; been discovered on the Back River by Indians. Tb.p secretary of the Hudson's Bay Company-, in my absenc pointed out the improbability of this story, and my on iiy object in now troubling you on the subject is to confir to Mr. Smith's statement, by assuring you that no inform la tion of the nature alluded to by Captain Osborn, or of al ay kind whatever respecting the Franklin expeditio reached me from Mr. Anderson or aay other person, a it Norway-house, or anywhere else, in the course of tb past year, although Mr. Anderson had occasion to a. 1- dress me frequently, his last letter being dated at t' he latter end of July. In order that there may be no room for misappre sion on this point I beg to state that no informal tion, bearing in the most remote degree on the Franklit t ex. pedition, has ever reached me, directly or indirt ctly, officially or privately, except that obtained throng's Dr. Rae in 1854, which was confirmed in 1855, by the expo dition under Messrs. Anderson and Stewart to then tooth of the Great Fish River. The reports of those Le; .)ntle men were given to the public without one hour of .unne cessary delay.—l am, &c., G. Sine; sc Hudson's Bay House, Feb.l7. TDB MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, TuEs) .11. T. The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship La flats, Captain C. G. Weller, left this afternoon with this usual West India mails, 74 passengers, full cargo, specie to the amount of 10,0001., an d j e w e ll e ry value 5,0001. Among the passengers were General Herrera, Vie count de la Motte, Mr. and Mrs. Price and family. .... .... The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam n-ship Madrid, Captain Bradshaw, also left this afternoons with the Peninsular mails, 17 passengers, among whom were Mr. and Mrs. Adkins and family, Lieuts. Galtot t and Wilton, and Mr. Hooper. She also took out a good cargo, and specie for Cadiz to the amount of 26,85'71. The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Magclialconat Captain Abbott, is expected to arrive with the West India and Mexican mails to-morrow. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steatn•sbip Pera is expected with the heavy portion of the East India and China mail on the 20th. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's screw uteant ship Alhambra, Captain W. Woodgates, is the next ship home with the Peninsular mails. She is due on the 24th instant. • BURBIIY THEATRE. it is the usage at this house to abandon tragedy &Lying the few weeks after Christmas, and to rely on the pro' verbial success of the pantomime, to which some work of a lighter class serves as a prelude. During this woo Mr. Creswick habitually reposes, and his re-appeara.noe , when it has expired, is regarded as a eort of debuit for the season by the tranepontine world. For some :tim e past the comedy entitled "A Bird in th e H a nd Wert h Two in the Bush" has proved a most attractive addilion to the pantomime, and, perhaps, few pieces produced 11$ the Surrey have been ao generally talked'about, even, on the northern side of the river, This week, however, the tragic muse has returned to her southern temp I. ; Mr. Knowles's "Vi rg i n i us " h as b een rev i ve d with gi ea t eclat, and Mr. Creswick has been heartily welcomed al the representative of the stern Roman father. Nor is the "Bird in the Rand" suffered to fly away; it played alternately with the tragedy. STATE OF TRADE. MANCHESTER, Tuesday.—The excited state of the ootton market, with the higher prices of almost all kinds of cotton, has produced a very firm feeling here. Spinners have put up their quotations. Buyers offer something more than they were willing to give last week, and in some cases sales have been made at full prices ; but much business is not done at to-day's prices. These require to be confirmed by the continued upward tendency of the Liverpool market. There is much in quiry for cloth, and where purchases can be made at a slight advance of last week's rates sales can be made; but, of course, manufacturers require an advance corre sponding with the increased value of the raw material and yarn. MARKET NEWS.— (This Day.) CORN EXCHANGE. Since Monday only a moderate supply of English wheat has come to hand coastwise and by land carriage, hence the show of samples here to-day was limited. For most descriptions we had a slow inquiry, but no change took place in the quotations. Foreign wheat—the supply of which was by no means large—realised full prices ; but the business doing in it was only moderate. Proofing cargoes were rather dull. We had a fair inquiry for barley at full currencies; but e the demand for malt was very inactive. We had a fair demand for oats, and late rates were well supported. Beans, peas, and flour, the receipts of which were only , moderate, changed hands slowly, on former terms. Malt. Oats. F•onr. English - 2,210 I I Wheat. B l a , 7_ey. 1 5,940 1,550 1 2,090 Irish .... Foreign 1,380 I -... ---- BOROUGH HOP. Our market oontinues to be fairly supplied with most kinds of hops, and the demand is steady, at full priced. 1,190 1 3°° 1 barrels WHITECHAYEL. Each kind of meat sold steadily, as follows :—Beef from 3s 4d to 4s 6d; mutton, 3s 8d to bs ; veal, 4s to be; pork, 4s to 5s 2d per 811os by the carcase. LLOYD'S SHIPPING.--{This Day.) ONDON, Feb. 18.—Wind, this day at noon S.W.— Light breeze and fine, though cloudy at times, and mild weather. FALMOUTH, Feb. 17.—Wind E..E.—Arrived—G a, ia, Wye,lo R f T r S o lr m l 0 IT AI T a II ,t Malta, Feb. an i Te . f — tf W or in W d Woolwich. S.E.—Arrived—H.M.S. t from Scala Nova. variable.—Arrived — lris, f rom Arrived—Brazi- DARTMOUTH, Feb. -.. Ri C o olv a E n s e , iro F . ab. lr.—Wii 17 .— Wind .wind S . E.— .—Sailed — Ann Armstrong, feria, from /sera. . for P ß lL o t a , b l a 'e y b i S I d Q Feb. 17 ai e —11001 1 Victoria, for Alicante. Feb.l7.—Wind S.E . — Arrived—Ella, from CARDIFF, x . GLouCESTER LI , i7v.e—r ! :°Td A f iWtig. Santander. SHIELDS, Feb. •W.—Arriv e d—M a tilda, from Santan der. S dA i n t h d 8 * alle eman, for C ar th agena . 17 . --W Sourassf ET oN, Feb. 17.—Sailed—L a P lata (8.), for the West Indies. SCILLY, N EWP ORT, Feb. 17.-11;1nd W.—A rr i ve d —Ravens wheel, from Santander. W E XFORD, Feb. 16.-9 e Chattahoochee, f r o m Liver• thltaraFs. eb from . 16.—Wind S. E. — Arrived—Buchanan, pool, for Savannah, ran on shore early last night on the rocks at the entrance of the South Bay, is full of water, and is likely to go to pieces the first gale of wind. Some of her materials have been saved. YARMOUTH, Feb. 17. —The Rifleman, of and from Newcastle, for Rouen, has put in, having been on the Soroby Sand and assizted off, after throwing part of cargo overboard. CROOKHAVEN, Feb. 17.—A large iron buoy, apparently sometime in the water, was picked up in 42 N. 31 W. --- (PER ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) 4 Wind W. LIVERPOOL, Wednesday Morning. A rrived—Melita, screw steamer, from Constantinople. Sailed—Cintia, screw steamer, for Oporto; Corinthian, screw steamer, Trieste; Canvas-Back, Boston; Eagle, Port-au-Prince ; Wentworth, Beaumont, Corfu. QUEENSTOWN, Feb. 17. Arrived—Water Lily, from Alexandria ; Mary, Glantz ; Freedom, Rouen. WATERFORD, Feb, 16. Wind S.S.E. Sailed—Concordia, for Santander. (BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH.) GRAVESEND, Wednesday, 10.9 a.m. Wind S. ; tide half ebb ; cloudy. Arrived—Snake, from Terceira - Scotia, Sydney. DEAL, *edneaday, 9.37 ft.lll. Wind S. W. by S. ; moderate. Anchored--Majestic, from Undo, for Cardiff.