The Sun. — London, England, 1857-12-30 00:00:00

1858 —LETTS'S LARGE PRINT SHEET • ALM...4NACIC, price 6 pence, for aged or near sighted persons, also LETTS'S DIARIES in above 100 varieties, from 6 pence to 14 shillings each. Cellar Books, Game Books, :Stable Books, etc. Sold by all Booksellers. Catalogues gratis. Letts, eon, & Co., stationers and mapsellers, 8 Royal Exchange. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. LA TRAVIATA. Piccolomini, Spezia, Ginglini, Bellotti, Rossi, Vialetti, and Aldighieri. The following favourite operas will be given :-- TO-MORROW EVENING (Thursday, Dec. 31), LA TRAVIATA. Saturday—LUClA DI L AMMERMOOR. Prices :—Pit Stalls, 12s 6d; boxes (to hold four air, persons), pit and one pair, 2/. 2s ; grand tier, 3 /. 3s ; two p 1/. 55.; three pair, 15s ; gallery boxes, los ; gallery stalls, 3s 6d ; pit, 3s 6d; gallery, 2s. T HEATRE ROYAL, HAYM:4.RICET. Lessee—Mr. J, B. Buckstone. . . THIS EVENING, to commence at Seven o'clock, with SPEED THE PLOUGH. Characters by Messrs. W. Farren, Compton, Chippendale, Mrs. Poyater, Mrs. E. Fitzwilliam, and Miss E. Ternan. After which, a new comic Christotas Pantomime, entitled THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN Th'E WOOD; or, Harle quin and the Spiteful Fairy. Harleqtrin Mr. A. Leclercq ; Columbine, Miss Fanny Wright ; Pantaloon, Mr. Mackay ; Clown, Mr. Charles Leclercq. - - " Orchestrs Stalls (which may be retained the wbole of the eveningi, 6s. each. (No charge for booking.) First Price. s. d. Second. price. s. d Dress Boxes 5 0 Dress 80xe5...... 3 0 Upper Boxes 3 0 Upper Boxes 2 0 Pit Tower Gallery 1 0 Lower Gallery... 0 6 Upper Gallery. 0 6No half-price to Upper Gallery. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. — LAST NIGHTS OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND, THIS EVENING, To-morrow, and Friday next. On Saturday, THE CORSICAN BROTHERS. On Monday next Mr. Charles Kean will make his first ap pearance those two years in the character of Hamlet. R OYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Proprietor, Mr. Chartes Kean. _ _ THIS EVENING, will be performed Slakspere's Tragedy of KING RICHARD 11. King Richard 11., by Mr. Chas. Kean ; Queen, by Mrs. C. Kean. After which, a now grand eomic Christmas Pantomime, entitled HARLEQUIN WHITE CAT ; or, The Princess Blanche Flower and her Fairy Godmothers. The Princess Blanche (White Cat), Miss Kate Terry ; Harlequin, Mr. Cor mack ; Clown, Mr. Huline; Pantaloon, Mr. Paulo ; and Columbine, Miss C. Adams. THEATRE ROYAL, A DELPHI. Lessee—Mr. Ben. Webster. THIS EVENING, THE WEPT OF THE WISH-TON WISH. Mr. Wright and Madame Celeste. After which, a Mythological Extravaganza, entitled HARLEQUIN, OR THE LOVES OF CUPID AND PSYCHE. Jupiter, Mr. Paul Bedford ; Mars, Mr. Frank Hall ; Venus, Mrs. Billin;ton ; Cupid, Miss Mario Wilton ; Psyche, Miss Mary Keeley. R OYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.—SoIe Lessee and Manager, Mr. C. Dillon. THIS EVENING, will be p esented. Sir E. L. Bulwer's play of RICHELIEU. Richelieu, Mr. Charles Dillon ; Ba radas, Mr. Stuart ; De Mausprat, Mr. J. G. Shore ; Joseph, Mr. Barrett ; Julie, Mrs. Charles Dillon ; Francois, Miss Woolgar. To conclude with the Burlesque and Pantomime, L ALLAH ROOKH, and the PRINCESS, the PERI, and the TROU BADOUR ; or, Harlequin and the Ghebers of the Desert. Supported by Mesdames Charles Dillon, Buckingham White, Eliza Webb, Maria Ternan, Esther Jacobs, and Woolgar ; Messrs. Barrett, Calhaem, Holston, Fitzhenry, Poynter, and J. L. T.ole. Clowns, Messrs. T. Matthews and R. Stilt; Harlequin, Mr. J. Ricketts; Pantaloon, Mr. A. Stilt ; Sprites, Herr Zeleski and Sons ; Columbines, Misses A. Malcolm and Lees. Gorgeous Feast of Lanterns.—Fenton's Grand Trans formation Scene. Doors open at half-past 6 to commence at 7. Morning Performance on Saturday next, Jan. 2, on which occasion the Boys of the Licensed Victuallers' School will attend.—Doors open at 2, commence at half-past 2. 3ox.office open from 11 to 5 daily. pOYAL SURREIY THEATRE. Lessees, Messrs. Shepherd and Creswick. THIS EVENING, will be performed BROKEN FAITH.' After which, QUEEN SUB ; or Harlequin Romeo and Julliet. Clown, by the Surrey Buck ; Pantaloon, Mr. Brad bury. STRAND THEATRE.—Lessee, Mr. T. Payne. —THIS EVENING, will be performed HARLEQUIN NOVELTY AND THE PRINCESS WHO LOST HER HEART, Harlequin, Miss Craven ; Columbine, Madlle. Denlin ; Sprite, Herr Kirt. The Lambert Family and the Red Man of Agar in their wonderful performance, ske. Commence at Seven. Stalls, 35.; Boxes, 2g.; Pit, ls.: Gallery 6d. CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.— OPEN EVERY EVENING. The follow company of Vocalists are engaged for the performance of S lectlona from all the popular OPERAS, MADRIGALS, CHORUSES, GLEES, DUETS, &c., viz. :—Miss Russell, Mrs. Badaey, Madlle. Marietta, Mrs. Palmyre, Miss Bru nen, and Madame Marietta ; Herr F. Jonghmans, Mr. Henahaw, R. Grover, T. Farzant, S. ,To.ies, J. Barker, W. Melling, Senor Antonio, E. L. Hime, and Mr. St. AYbyn; Messrs. 5, Collins, W. T. Critchfield, and E. Mack ney, Pianoforte, Mr. Cecil Hicks; harmonium, Master Williams; Director, Herr F. Jongimaans. Commence at Seven o'clock precisely. Suppers, &c., until twelve o'clock. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. TAM DAY—Morn., 42 min. aft. 12—Even., 10 min. aft. 1 To•Sfoßßow —Morn., 37 min. aft. I—Even., 5 min aft. 2 THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, DECEMBER 29. IHEIMOSOITICR, IN THE &lAD& 49—highest since noon yesterday. 42—lowest this morning and during the night. 45 —this day at noon. Beaolurrzu. 30.62. WIND, S.W. ; light, with a dense fog all the morning, and still continues. /6 1 A y fic) LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30, 1857. The Council General of the Bank of France have reduced their rate of discount to 5 per cent. Although for a short time the charge for pecu niary accommodation in Paris was 8,9, or 10 per oent. according to the period for which the ad vance was made, it was reduced at the first symp toms of a mitigation of the panic. It was but 6 per cent. during the week preceding Christmag, while " the Old Lady" was coolly pocketing 10 per cent, on unexceptionable security ; and now there has been another movement in the same direction, and the comparatively moderate rate of 5 per cent. only will be demanded ! "They manage these things better in France." The Government of that country does not encourage usurers at the expense of the industrial community. Its languishing trade and commerce will thus be resuscitated, while our own is depressed. We are virtually sacrificing the national " thews and sinews" at the shrine of Mammon ! But for the refusal of Sir G. C. LEWIS to sanction the clause proposed by Mr. MALINS, authorising the directors to reduce the rate of discount without the act being terminated thereby, a speedier re auction would have taken place, and we should not have been so long encumbered with 10 per cent., or row charged 8. It is notorious, as we stated yesterday, that gold is rapidly flowing into our ports, and accu mulating in the vaults of Threadneedle-street. There might, therefore, be an immediate diminu tion to 5 per cent, the price charged in Paris. 13 at this would 'not suit the views of the " hard with cale ti l uo TS whose i n t eres t s an d wishes are the Celbinet of St. James's. That they may enhance, t , m • elt exorbitant profits, mills are to re main 'closed, tx . ork half time. The operatives are to be deprives the ordinary comfort 9, which have become almost uemualieB, and the national revenue is to be injured, a s _ We sh all discover by the returns made on the Ist of A,,,,;1 next--a very appropriate day for the purpose t All these evils will be the, results of the monetary cod e , of 1819 and 1844, which that pre-eminent financi er 0) Sir G. C. LEWIS, has determined, if __ possible, t . retain without change or modification, unless i t , be in the way of additional restrictions, creating further elements of disturbance to those already in existence I It is by no means improbable, under the cir suinstattoes, that ere many months have elapsed, we shall have an abundant supply of gold, and With it a corresponding increase in paper money, .1 at the time it is not required. The wildest RE SITN, LONDON," WEDNES'DA - DVENING, DIE CE 11 13'ER 30, 18N1, speculations will then be fostered and stimulated. ' " Money will become a drug in the market." The " hard calculators," having achieved their objects, by obtaining the property of their softer brethren at less than its actual value, will bring forth their cone paled hordes, having realised profits sufficient to enable them to await patiently the commence ment of another monetary crisis, which they will be enabled to produce all the sooner in conse quence of the additional power they have obtained. The condition of the rich will thus gradually be come more enviable, and that of the poor, ground down by oppressive enactments, more miserable, until a state of affairs similar to that which pre ceded the decline and fall of ancient Rome will again be produced. It will require no extraor dinary power of vaticination to predict the speedy decadence of British glory ; and the Moneyocracy will deplore too late the fatuity that induced them to incur the risk of forfeiting the substantial be• nefits they were enjoying, from their greediness in snatching at further contingent advantages. The Directors may probably make a further reduction at their next meeting. They are now underbid in Lombard-street, and must conse quently conform to the present state of affairs. Enough of mischief has been produced, and it ii not always safe "to goad the overdrawn ox." The tortured animal may possibly turn on his persecutors ! As it is, the nation should profit by the painful lesson it has received, and remove the cause that has produced, or at all events materially aggravated, the sufferings of the in dustrial community—of all, in fact, who earn their daily bread by their daily labour. We have adverted to the apparent fairness of Mr. BUCHANAN'S language respecting the Kansas proceedings, while we could but suspect that something lurked behind which he desired to con ceal. It turns out that our suspicions were but too well founded. So justly indeed, that one of his partisans, a senator, and a leading Democrat, has come out in vehement opposition to his policy. Mr. DOUGLAS who has denounced the course taken by the PRESIDENT, and has divided against him in a larger anti-slavery minority, we believe, than any obtained of late years in the Senate, was the author] of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, by which slavery became possible in that territory ; yet he regards the scheme of Mr. BUCHANAN, and of the " Bagus" convention, as such a gross outrage on the rights of the United States citizens, that he will not sacrifice his brother freemen to the shameless violence and intrigues of the pro-slavery men, and to the cunning and plausible PRE SIDENT. Mr. DOUGLAS also was the principal means of obtaining the votes of at least two Free States for the PRESIDENT, and he obtained them by representations, pledging Mr. BUCHANAN, as far as in him lay, to the admission of Kansas as a Free State. But for this prevalent opinion judi ciously nursed by well-timed silence on the part of BUCHANAN, he would in all probability have lost his election. Even the Quaker and traitor-state of Pennsylvania, could hardly have given her vote for BueEcANA..N and slavery, had she not be lieved that Kansas was to be free. Mr. BUCHANAN has quickly shown his true co lours. Governor WALKER, sent to Kansas by him in the pro-slavery interest, but yet a man of sufficient public standing and character to be un willing utterly to falsify things, and disgrace him self by outrageous party violence—Mr. WALKER soon perceived that the Free-soilers in Kansas were an overwhelming and undoubted majority, and that any man who had the least particle of salf•respect could not ignore the glaring fact. In teed, every Governor in succession has been corn yelled to acknowledge and succumb to the same fact. Mr. WALKER struck out of the returns at one election some grossly false ones, in which the pro-slavery votes were several times more nume rous than the entire population of the district, as the Governor found by personal inspection. Mr. BUCHANAN, finding Governor WALKER was not to be bribed or threatened into desertion of his duly, and that the Secretary, Mr. SANTON, was taking measures to obtain an honest expression of public opinion, has gone already to the extent of super seding them, and of nominating to the vacant posts men who will prove, no doubt, unscrupu lous supporters of BUCHANAN and slavery. It will be remembered that there were two con ventions, one appointed freely by the inhabitants of Kansas, called the Topeka Convention, the other the result of Missouri violence, called the Lecompton Convention. The Free-soilers will do nothing to acknowledge the pro-slavery convention, and abstain from voting under its regulations. Indeed, we believe that pro-slavery declarations are still required un der the ruffian laws as a qualification previ ously to voting. It is not easy to see, therefore, how honest men can implicate themselves in any of the transactions connected with the Lecompton Convention. The Free-soilers accordingly de clined to vote for the Convention, which was to construct a constitution ; they probably felt secure of nullifying the aotion of the " Bagus " convention, by refusing the constitution when it was submitted to them entire before being finally sent up to Congress. This has of late been the uni form practice before asking for a constitution to get the approbation of Congress, and the Freesoilors no doubt relied upon it. The President and the Convention, however, doubtless well understand ing each other, have hit upon a clever trick—one of the most ingenious devices of political sharping we ever heard of. The Kansas-Nebraska act does not explicitly say that the whole constitution shall be submitted to the votes of the people ; the Convention, therefore, submits only a part. It puts the question—" Whether the State shall be admitted with or without slavery into the Union," to the ballot of the citizens—it refuses to put the whole constitution to the vote l and the oily Mr. BUCHANAN says—" Well, we must settle the question somehow—the slavery question is the important one, and as that is submitted to the people, the main point is placed in their hands, while—the language of the act is some what vague, as must be admitted—the vagueness being such as rogues only can perceive. Even taking Mr. BUCHINA.N'S OWII statements, no honest man can for a moment doubt that Mr. DOUGLAS, the author of the act, never suspected that any political knavery would think of sending up to Congresss a Constitution which had not, in its entirety, been submittal to the popular suf frage. If the language were somewhat general, it was because the custom to which it referred needed no more definite reference. There is no doubt now, whatever, of the na ture of this shameless trick. The Convention, indeed, keeps the Constitution, ex.:opt the slavery clauses, a secret, but enough has transpired to show that the remaining portion of it has clauses Peculiarly favourable to slavery, and such as will Confirm the power of the pro-slavery men, or lea ve loopholes for slavery to get a footing on the soil which, the majority are so determined to keep free f rom • this obviousmoral thatdthepolitical pes pest. more than v President lt an i d s his oai slav are wh o ll y i n the wrong. There d b e e ho no need t o resort to such shifts and could dishonest practices as these, were there not some sinister end to be obtained. The whole thing resembles the coup d'etat election of the EMPEROR —when the candidate submitted himself or nothing to the overawed voters. Indeed, it seems worse, for even if the slavery clauses are rejected, and if it is voted that the State shall be admitted to the union without slavery, the remainder of the constitution will not have been vetoed, and that will afford a fulcrum for the power of the slavery men to move the whole state. It is truly grievous to see the First Magistrate, of what should be a great Republic, lending him self to such paltry trickery, and also to such un dignified FOG and DODSON practice in his first Message. England blushes, even before Naples and Austria, for such a specimen of Anglo-Saxon Government. Mr. BUCHANAN'S astuteness on be half of Republican slavery surpasses anything we have seen from the pen of the ministers of despots. Count NESSELRODE or BUOL must yield the palm to BUCHANAN, when oppression,—oppression com pared with which all is liberty in Lombardy and Naples—is the thing to be achieved, covered, or defended. Sincerely do we wish—hope, with such a nest of sharpers in office, is too strong a word—that the revealed chicanery of the Presi dent may compel even an American House of Re presentatives to take some care of the national re putation. With misgovernment and oppression in Austria or Naples we are irritated, but of the pro-slavery meanness of American Free States, and the Presidents they elect., we do feel ashamed. We could wish that they were not the offspring of England. It is a well-deserved punishment of the PRESIDENT that the troops he sent to Utah, having stopped in Kansas, to force slavery on the overpowering majority there, have reached so much too late for the expedition, that the Mor.• mons have fairly beaten them. The Kansas knavery will cost the exchequer an addition of four regiments to the army next spring 1 JOINT-STOCK BANKS. RIVER THAMES AND THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT In consequence of the complaints of members that bad smells were felt in the House of "Commons, Sir B. Hall requested Mr. G. Gurney to explain some parts of his scheme for " preventing a further pollution of the river and the atmosphere about the Houses of Pal liament during the construction of any system of drainage that may be carried out." The explanation so given was is,ucd yesterday as a Parliamentary paper. The evil is attributed to the retention of sewage against the down cast influence of the tide. THE EAGLESHAM MURDER.—We understand that, in addition to the tacit admission of his guilt made by the prisoner Thomson while on his way to Paisley on Thurs day night, on Saturday he more fully and more formally acknowledged his guilt. He says that his motive for committing the crime was to obtain possession of the small sum of money which he suspected his victim was possessed of, and that it was only on seeing the poor girl fall upon the floor, after having partaken of the poisoned draught of beer, that he was struck with a sense of the fearful position in which he had placed him self. The prisoner was visited on Saturday by Mr. Sheriff Glasgow and Provost Brown, to whom he ex pressed a wish that the Rev. Mr. Aitken, of the North Church, Paisley, should be requested to visit him. His selection of this gentleman arose from his having heard him preach while in the prison of Paisley previous to his trial. Thomson, we believe, appears fully alive to the awful nature of his position and of the necessity of following the advice given him by the Lord Justice Clerk to make the most of the short time allowed hint for preparing for eternity.— Glasgow Daily Mail. DEATH OF A WIFE UNDER SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES —On Monday John Sager, master of the Keighley workhouse, was apprehended under the following cir cumstances :—On Saturday week his wife died, and it was arranged that the funeral should take place on the succeeding Wednesday. In the interval circumstances arose which led to a post mortens examination of the body being made by Mr. Ruddock and Mr. Ainley, surgeons. An inquiry before the coroner was opened on the day appointed for the funeral, and owing to the evidence adduced, it was determined to forward some of the contents of the stomach to Mr. Morley, surgeon, of Leeds, for analysis. The inquest was then adjourned to Saturday last, when a letter was received from Mr. Morley, but as its contents could not be taken as evi dence in his absence, a further adjournment of the in quiry took place to this day (Tuesday).—Leeds Mercury. DEATH OF A MANIAC.— On Monday afternoon last Mr. W. Payne, coroner for the city of London, held an inquest at Bethlem Hospital on Mr. Hugh Pollard Wil loughby, aged 56. The unfortunate gentleman was con nected with the family of Sir H. P. Willoughby, and became an inmate in the above hospital under singular circumstances. In the year 1854, in the course of a trial at the Old Bailey, the deceased persisted in interrupting Mr. Giffard, who was addressing the Court, and he was ordered into custody, but ultimately liberated. The deceased afterwards attempted to shoot the same learned gentleman (Nlr. Giffard), for which he was tried and ac quitted on the ground of insanity. Mr. Willoughby was accordingly removed to Bethlem Hospital, where he has remained up to the time of his death. The unfortunate gentleman received the utmost attention while in con finement, but notwithstanding his health gave way, and be gradually sank, and died some few days back. The jcry returned a verdict of natural death. A CAPTAIN CHARGED WITH DESERTING HIS CREW. Yesterday Captain Brownrigg Candlish was brought before the Liverpool magistrates on the charge of de serting two of his crew on the Isle of Ascension. It appeared that the ship (the Northern Brute) put into the island for stores, when the captain and four seamen went ashore. Two of the men, named Latham and Mark, left the captain on the pretence of getting some tobacco, and when they returned they found that the captain and the other two men had left the island, and had nearly reached the vessel, which at the time was under weigh. In answer to the charge the captain said he was under the impression that the men had de ser ed the ship, and he accounted for leaving the island without the usual certificate of the consul, by saying that the gentleman was from home when the vessel sailed. A fine of Si. was imposed in both cases. LIVERPOOL, Dec- 29.—At an adjourned meeting to day of the creditors of Messrs. Klingender, Brothers, shipowners, after a stormy discussion it was resolved to reject the oiler of ls. 6d. in the pound, and to wind up the estate under inspection. At a meeting of the cre ditors of Messrs. John Fazakerly and Co., timber mer chants, to-day, it was stated that the liabilities of the firm were about 30,0001., and the assets 12,0001., and an offer of Gs. Bd. in the pound was submitted. Four gentlemen were appointed to inspect the state of affairs and to report to a future meeting of the creditors, Two ROBBERS POISONED BY A LADY.—An American exchange gives an account of the following occurrence at ‘• Attapulgus," Georgia. A gentleman who had received a considerable sum of money was compelled to go from home, leaving his wife alone in the house, situ ated some distance from any other dwelling. Towards evening two negroes entered the house and demanded of the lady the money, or they would take her life. Being a woman of great coolness she saw at once that it would be useless for her to attempt to evade the demand, so she produced the money and gave it to them. The negroes then remarked that, as supper was nearly ready, they would stay and eat with her. Sae told them to be seated till she got it ready. The woman had a vial of strychnine in her cupboard, and in sweet ening their coffee managed to put a dose of the poison in their cups. They drank, and in a few moments were dead. The neighbours were called in, and the negroes discovered to be wbite men in disguise—near neighbours and friends of her husband, who had known of his receiving the money, and of his absence, (The whole story is probably a fiction.) COSSIIITTAL FOR ARSON IN SUSSEX.—Oa Wednesday last a special petty sessions was held at the Greyhound Inn, Waldhurst, Sussex, wten a labourer, named Styles, was charged with feloniously firing some sheds, which are the property of Mr. Joseph Smith, the landlord of the Railway Tavern. About a quarter to one o'clock on the previous Saturday morning Mr. Watson, a lodger at the Railway Tavern, nea? the Wadhurst station, was awoke by a noise, and on opening his eyes was startled by the glare of fire. Instantly jumping out of bed, he discovered that the premises were on fire. The inmates of the inn were immediately alarmed and were soon out of doors, when they found that two of the sheds were being rapidly demolished by fire. The fire had such a mastery that it could not be stopped by water, and consequently burnt itself out, the fire fortunately being confined to two sheds, one a cart shed, in which a cart sad a stone tug were destroyed, and the other a fop-shavers e r e s to eworkSergeant ea n in. vv a O g n . was given to thete m pfollowing h shedday b built t fuorrdmahayod) informationoe . the police, and having borne went to the residence of Styles, which is in the neighbourhood of the tavern, and apprehended him. It was proved that the prisoner had had disputes with the prosecutor and some of the workmen employed on the premises, and that be had several times threatened to be revenged. Shortly before the fir e b ro k e ou t th e pri soner was, with a companion, about half-a-mile from the Railway Tavern ; and he was also found near the tavern soon after the fire was discovered. Other evi dence was given, and the prisoner, who pleaded not guilty, was committed for trial at the Lent Sussex Asssiza.—Sussex Advertise/. CHURCH-RATE CONTEST AT G REENWICH.—In pursuance of a demand made at a vestry meeting of the parishion ers of Greenwich, held on Friday the 18th inst., a poll took place on Monday and Yesterday for the purpose of determining whether or not a church-rate of ld. in the pound should be granted, the vestry h av i ng d ec id e d by an immense majority against the r a t e . Th e p o ll was brought to a close last evening at 7 o'clock, when the Rev. M. A. Soames, the vicar, announced that the making of the rate had been carried by a majority of 533, the numbers being—for the rate, 921 ; against it, 338. The opponents of the measure deny the validity of the rate, notwithstanding the majority thus obtained, in consequence of the rev. chairman having refused to put a motion for the adjournment of the vestry for six weeks for the estimates to be amended. Too LONG CREDIM—The credit system, under prudent restrictions, is a necessity of t ra d e . Cash down is simply impossible, except in a very limited kind of business. But there is a vast difference between a proper credit system and an improper one, and this difference is not only exhibited in a very ieriking manner in various kinds of business in New York in which short and long credits are gven, but in the business of this city as compared with that of Philadelphia. The loarnal of that city publishes an ex• tract from a letter from a New England manufacturing coLeern to them agent in Philadelphia, which says :—" We think you were very much mistaken iu your estimates of most of your concerns, and, on the whole, we think it very discreditable to the jobbing trade of your city to make such a show as most of your suspended houses do. So far, we have not lost as much in the whole United States as in your city alone." Tue truth of this statement is not denied, and the cause of it is attributed to the recklessness of the Philadelphia houses in selling on ruinously long credits, for the purpose of introducing customers from the West to purchase their goods there instead of coming to New York. The consequences of such imprudence have been palpable enough ; Philadel phia j abbers have sold an enormous quantity of merchan dise, and they have made more disastrous failures than iu an other of the great cities of the East; their banks and they will be the last to resume specie payment , . Th e j o urnal states that the were the first to suspend, jobbing merchants have been in the habit of purchasing their goods at six and eights, and selling them at nine and twelve. Such a system as this could not end otherwise than in disaster, and it is not at oil strange that more bad debts lishould be contracted there than in any other part of the Union. There hare been meeting in this city of the hardware dealers, the booksellers, and the wholesale druggists to regulate any other class of our jobbers in relation to this matter. their The system xpe credits, riLec o n f teef but nothing has been done by the past isix months have taught important lessons to all cl a s ses o f traders, importers, and manufacturers, which they will profit by, for a while at least, in their future transaotione. The no. minal terms of credit require no change ; they haye been established to conform to the exigencies of commercial transactions in this country, but it is their enforcement which i s nee d e d t o save th e c ominu. nay from the evils which have afflicted it the present year. With the opening of trade in 1858 there will be a now methol of doing business inaugurated, which will be bat' er for the importer, jobber, retailer, and con. eurner.—New York Times. THE BRITISH MUSEMI.—AII the departments of this u ion will be closed from Friday next, for a week, as is usual at the commencement of the year. The ne.v Yestuday as many as 438 rea d ers resorte d to it ; th e it is, is very much crowded. reading-room, large as pressure on the attendants was very great, and in the afternoon there was even difficulty in finding a seat. • bishopric of Cuba, to which he was nominated some time ago, but is to ba made an archbishop ia partibus. The members of the Narvacz Cabin©t had, says the Epoca, held a meeting to come to an understanding onthe explanations to b 3 given to the Cortes relative to their fall from power. A new bank, called the Bank of Commerce and Manufac tures, was about to be established. An advance had taken place in public securities, and, on account of the favourable news from abroad, it was thought likel to continue. Notwithstanding the crisis pre vailing in several countries, no bank in Madrid had increased its rate of discount. A French journal, to be called the Cosmopolite, was about to be esta blished at Barcelona. A let ter says :—" It appears certain that the Spanish government will consider the mediation of England and France in the Mexican affair as broken off, if Mexico does not accept all its conditions. In consequence of this resolution preparations are being actively made both in Span ish ports and in Cuba for an expedition against Mexico." "The allegations of the Brunswick correspondent of the Constitutionnel; relative to the note of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg on the Duchies affair," says the Nord, " produced a very unfavourable im pression in Germany. It was supposed, from what the correspondent said, that the French Govern ment intended to intervene in the difference be tween Denmark and the Germanic Diet, or at least to submit it to the Congress which meets in Paris. In recognising that it has been had into error, and that the despatch of Prince Gortschakoff, already published makes known the real attitude assumed by the Russian government in the affair of the Duchies, the Constitutionnel destroys any supposi tion of a difference between France and Russia. Our Paris correspondent besides reminds us that the French government has declared that the ques tion is exclusively German, and that the powers which signed the protocol of London of 1852 would only have to meidle in the affair in case the in tegrity of the Danish monarchy should be menaced. Nothing causes this last eventuality to bo antici pated, and consequently France, like Russia, con fines herself to counselling moderation and a spirit of conciliation. England, on her part, manifests the same dispositions." "The opposition made by the German duchies annexed to the Danish monarchy against what is called the unitary constitution accorded by the King on the 2d of October, 1855," says the Independance of Brussels, "becomes every day stronger and more decisive. It is known that the deputies sent by the duchies to the Supreme Council of the monarchy have in succession given in their resignation. New elections to fill up the vacancies left by the elections are to take place in a few days ; bat, according to a letter from Hamburg, there is not in Holsttin a man of any importance who will stand, and the electors en, masse have resolved to abstain from voting. As to Lauenburg, most of the mem bers of the Provincial Diet have resolved to abstain from taking any part in the elections. It is conse quently possible that the province may remain un represented in the Supreme Council, of which the session is to open on the 10th Jan. In Holstein, it is feared that a still stranger circumstance will occur ; the Danish officers in garrison there possess the property qualification required both for elec tors and candidates, and it is possible that some of them may be elected. A Stockholm letter states that the session of the Swedish Diet, which has already lasted more than 18 months, is about to be brought to a close. HACKNEY COACHES IN PARIS. The hackney coachmen of Paris, who not long since gained a grand victory by persuading the Pie feet of Police to repeal his decree, which had esta blished an equitable scale of fares, according to the time for which a carriage was kept, have now com pletely routed the unfortunate public. Not content with the revival of the old tariff, they have now got for their etrennes a considerable augmentation. Adieu to the ride for 22 sous. The worst carriage and the slowest horse in Paris will not, after to morrow, be had for less than 25 sous, to go from one street to the next ; and for the hour the price is raised from lf. 50c. to lf. 75c. In other words, inas much as a tip of 5 sous will be generally given, if only because a coachman has never any change, 2f. will be the least sum for which any ride can be had if a single halt be made, although the carriage may be only in use for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. The fiacre drawn by those diminutive horses (not ponies) which excite the curiosity of every stranger to know where they can come from, is to cost 1f.400. the ride, and 2f. the hour, instead of lf. 25c, and it. 'roc. The superior sort, of broughams, called voitures de remisii, are to be 2f. the ride and 2f. 25c. the hour, instead of lf. The. and all 2. In this change I have no hesitation what ever in saying that the public is very ill served. There must be some occultjobbery—some interested interference with wholesome competition, to account for the retrograde movement. Time was when Paris was a model to London for the regulations of its hackney carriages. That can no longer bo said. In London you may get a long ride for sixpenoe in a good vehicle, and now here, with a very inferior horse, if not carrage, you cannot•move a step under double the money. This is not all. The supply of common carriages is altogether insufficient for the wants of the population, and if you are in a hurry the chances are that you must perforce take a remise, which, without being substantially better. is nearly four times as dear as a London cab for a short distance. It is quite evident, taking a broad view of things, that the interests of Paris must suffer from the want of facilities for locomotion. FORGIN9- RUMEN'S CERTIFICIATES.—The practice of forging these certificates has been of late carried on to such an extent in Liverpool that the most vigilant exer tions are required on the part of the officials at the Sailors' Home to discover and punish the °Molders. By means of these certificates sailors of indifferent character and ability are palmed upon ship captains, to the great detriment of the service, and to the injury of the really excellent and worthy sailors. The persons who manu facture these certificates are for the most part boarding house keepers —a class who, particularly in Liverpool, are often the worst enemies the sailor has. A detective officer has been recently placed at the Sailors' Home to facilitate the exposure of this fraudulent system. CUILD BURNT.TO DRATIL—INQUEST.—Last night an inquest was held on the body of Henry Martin, a little boy, five years old, the son of a poor widow, living at 22, Clement's-lane, Clare-market. On Saturday evening the mother stepped out for a minute to buy a candle, leaving the child playing before the fire, which was un protected by either guard or fender. On her return the child's clothes were all on fire. He was found to be so burnt that he died during the Light. The coroner re marked forcibly on the impropriety of leaving children alone with an unguarded fire. THE LEvrATHAN.—Somewhat formidable preparations are being made for resuming the lauuch of the Levia than towards the close of the week. Portions of the ways over which the ship has travelled have been taken up, and several fresh buttresses erectednearer the cradles for the rams to actagainst. Altogether there will be no fewer than 18 presses brought to bear on the ship, one of which is of considerable power, and was used at the raising of the tubular bridge over the Menai Straits. The metal of the cylinder is 15 inches thick, and it is stated that it can accomplish a pressure equal to 1,200' tons, although not near her full power will be applied, the buttresses not being equal to the resistance. Tnis mon ster rain weighs 30 tons, and has been placed on the forward end of the after cradle. The other presses are 12 inches in diameter. The hydraulic power that will be applied will be more than double what has previously been put on. The moorings of the hauling chains have also been strengthened. Mr. R. Stephenson, M.P., paid his second visit to the building yard, accompanied by Mr. Brunel, and inspected the arrangements and position of the rams. The ship remain s in a fair and even position on the ways, and does not exhibit the least perceptible deflection. Amongst the visitors Woolwichnoticedwe Sir 18. Walker and s everal officials from D o iv c i k ß y . a o r d i . 1 A—uSLkEisl9PDiMcflEaNzs A ette 'r . CHATHAM.—Probably on no former occasion was there a more brilliant or crowded audience assembled in any building in either Rochester or Chatham, than congregated in the Lecture-hall on Tuesday evening, to greet Mr. Chas. Dickens on the oc casion of that gentleman giving a "reading" from his well-known Christmas tale, the "Christmas Carol." Long before the time of Mr. Dickens commencing, the spacious building was crowded with the elite of the towns and more distant neighbourhood, and the officers of the garrison and dockyard, the appearance of the hall being most imposing, the effect being considerably heightened by the elegant decorations designed by the committee. Since Mr. Dickens has become a resident in the neighbourhood of Chatham, he has ever taken a most lively interest in everything connected with the Mechanics and Literary Institute, for the progress of which he has been most anxious. This has been shown in the graceful manner in which he announced himself an annual subscriber, and subsequently permitted him self to be elected president of the institute. Being handsinfo r o e nl d e t i 3, 13 a c t o the n t lib e r d a t r o y g r i e v g a u a i r e r d e a a d u i g n g m e o n t. thi is 4h _ at - very Christ mas Ctrol," the proceeds of which to be devoted exclu sively misfo t r o m t e h d e , prod abject. o h l a j s ec e t x . eaelldedieBtls) e w m e ost have g b une en expectations of the committee. Apart from Mr. Dickens being a resident near Rochester, the neighbour hood of that city has, if we may so speak, peculiar claims on that gen tl eman . I n Chatham he spen t a considerable portion of his early life ; and that the asso ciations connected with his early home were not for gotten, is pnved by the fact that nearly all the incidents chronicled in his immortal Pick wic..' are laid at either Rochester or Chatham, while many of the peculiar names of the prominent individuals made illustrious in those pages are almost indigenous to this neighbourhood. --SoutA-Eastern Gazette. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR, —Having seen in the leading article of your very respectable paper of the 23d instant, remarks regarding the Joint-stock Banks, and the cry raised against them by the " Hard;Calculatora," and also warning the folks on this side the Tweed, to be ready to support the system of their long esta blished institutions : I hope the Scotch will not only show their usual caution, and think twice before running down their banking system because of the mismanagment of one, but that they will support that system (mainly introduced by the Great Wizard of tl e North) to which this country owes so much of its prosperity. The country has not suffered enough yet to make it alive to the real cause of the disasters of 1847 and 1857, but will be alive to the real evil when too late ; when another yet more terrible disaster than those of 1847 and 1857 comes (for come it must sooner or later, if the Bank Charter Act of 1844 is not repealed) which will shake the country to its very foundations, and do us more harm than a war with combined Europe. Then the cry will be raised that ought to be raised this hour ! Agitate I Agitate ! Agitate ! Repeal the Bank Charter Act of 1844, the stronghold of the monied aristocracy, and the oppressor of every other class of the com munity. A SCOTCHMAN. Leith, Dec. 26, 1857. BANK _RETURNS AS THEY OUGHT TO BE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—Allow me to show your readers how the Bank returns ought to be made up, if it be true, as Lord Overstone says, that gold is our only money :--- LI ABILITIZEt. Notes isstsed 2:35,400,735 Sown day bills„., 83,751 26,294,489 Deduct notes in Banking depart ment.. --- Promises to pay gold .e 20,537,314 Public deposits, or balances of taxes, that the Bank uses 6,914,352 . . Private deposits, or those who, when they run for gold, can break the Bank 42,559,094 Against which the Bank has only in gold, in both departments 9,450,855 Balance which the Bank cannot pay in gold.. 33,103,239 The above is the return for December 19. The figures will have to be altered according to the last return. Yours truly, JAMES HARVEY, Jersey. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE, Thanks to the restless spirit of Mr. Lumley, an Italian opera three nights after Boxing-day, far from being a mere ens rationis; or a combination effected by the purely imaginative faculties, is as much a reality as any lyrical entertainment in the middle of May. The favourite vocalists of the summer season, having fasci nated the ears of Dutchmen and Germans in the course of a recent continental tour, have all come trooping back to their London home bent upon adding a series o operas to the Christmas amusements of our metropolis' Last night the experiment commenced and promises to be a successful one, if we may judge from the appearance of the house, every part of it being crowded by a seem. ingly much gratified audience. Of the " Trovatore," which was the entertainment, there is nothing to be said now-a-days, ror is there much to be said of last night's performance. Giuglini, in the part of Manrico, was as fine as ever. We never heard him sing 'more beautifully, or act with greater energy and feeling. His great air, " Ab, si, ben mio," the gem of the opera, was exquisits in voice, delicacy of execution, and truth of expression. Spezia, too, gave great effect to the character of Leonora. The part of the Count de Luna was sustained by a performer new to the London public—Signor Aldighieri—who has a very good baritone voice, and sang the favourite air, "Al baleno del silo sorriso" to the entire satisfaction of the audience. Toe chorus and orchestra are of good quality. The " Traviata" is announced for to-morrow, and "Lucia di Lammermoor" for Saturday. In both these pieces Picoolomini and Giuglini will appear. A SUITOR FOR TICE PRINCESS ALlOll.—Although no official intimation of the views of the Dutch Court has as yet been conveyed to this country, .we believe there is no doubt as to the intention of the King of Holland to demand the hand of the Princess Alice for the young Prince of Orange. Neither of their Royal Highnesses is arrived at a marriageable age, it is true ; but that cir cumstance is no bar to such a proposal as ithat to which we allude ; and if the idea should hereafter become a reality the match is one which must be considered as in every respect euitable. That the idea of an English matrimonial alliance is seriously entertained at the Hague we are assured upon the authority cf those who are in a position to be well informed as to what is pass ing in the Dutch Court ; and we have been told that if the contemplated proposal, when made, shall be acceded to by her Majesty it is intended to send the Prince of Orange to this country to complete his studies, as his grandsire did, at one of the English Universities—Cam bridge most probably—and to mature his intimacy with the Royal Family.—Court Circular. CHATHAM, Dec. 20.--Tbis morning orders were re ceived from the Horse Guards by the officers command ing the Ist, 2d, and 3d battalions at this garrison directing them to hold in readiness 500 non-commis, sinned officers and men of the various Indian depots belonging to their respective battalions, together with the usual complement of officers, the whole of whom are to be equipped with the Minie rifle and held ready for embarkation for India on the 4th January next, for the purpose of joining the service companies of their respec tive regiments in the Bongal, Madras, and Brmbiy presidencies, it being the intention of the Government to make a considerable augmentation in the number of troops now serving in India. . . . . THE ROYAL iIOiI,SE GUARD.3.—At the annual examina tion of the pupils in the regimental schools of the Royal Horse Guards (BlueP) at Windsor on Wednesday last, their proficiency in English reading was tested by selec tions from the late Indian despatches, when Colond the Lion. Cecil Forester, the commanding officer, took the opportunity of poiLting out to the boys for their future ex %mple, the circumstance of one of the despatches they had just read, beiug signed by an officer who bad re ceived his education in the very school in which they were then assembled. The author of that despatch was born in the Blues, his father being a private soldier in the regiment, and he, Col, Forester, was proud to suy the writer's present position was the just reward of his own merit and good conduct ; he was promoted from the ranks of the regiment, into which when quite a youth he had enlisted, and at the storming of Delhi was com• mauding officer of one of the assaulting columns. LATEST NEWS THE CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS We have been favoured by the Peninsular and Oriental Company with the following message, received by them faom Marseilles this morning (Wednesday, Dec. 30) : " The steamship Vectis, with the Calcutta and China mails, arrived at Marseilles last night. " The mails left for London at 10 this morn• ing." MARSEILLES, DEC. 28. The Malta journals state that the Porte, before consenting to the cutting of the Suez Canal, de mands the evacuation of Perim. The Shah of Persia has invited the various ambassadors to be present at the coronation of his son. The Eng lish Minister, it is said, has refused to attend, making a reservation in favour of the rights of another heir to the throne, now a refugee at Bagdad. BERNE, DEC. 28. The Federal Council has assigned the various Ministerial portfolios in the following manner : That of General Policy to M. Furrer, president ; Interior, M. Picda ; Justice, M. Kunsel ; Mili tary Affairs, M. Frey Herosee ; Finance, M. Staempfli ; Commerce, M. Fornered ; and Post office, M. Naeff. THE PRINCIPALITIES. Intelligence from Galatz of the 13th says : " The early departure of the commissioners from the Principalities is spoken of. The resources of the country and the state of public opinion must now be sufficiently well known to them to enable them to enlighten the Congress of Paris. The questioß of the amelioration of the mouths of the Danube does not advance ; it is not even yet known which of the mouthss is to bg selected. The Eu ropean commissioners are divided on the point, three of the seven being in favour of that of the Sulina, and two for that of St. George ; the Austrian commissioner says that personally he is favourable to the latter, but that he does not know what his government will decide ; and the Turkish commis sioner has not yet given any opinion." The Eto jig du Danube states that the Divan of Bucharest, which was to have met on the 15th, persists iu its resolution not to enter into the ex amination of any question of internal organisation. FRANCE. PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING. Letters have been received in Paris from Teheran stating that the British Minister to the Court of Persia had declined acknowledging the son of the Shah as heir to the Throne. The reason assigned is, that the young Prince was appointed heir at the suggestion of the Russian Government. M. Caroll Spence, Minister from the Government of the United States to the Sultan, arrived in Paris last evening, coming from Constantinople. Vine dressers have been engaged in the wine growing departments in France to go out to Aus tralia. The wages offered are advantageous to the vine dressers, who are engaged for extensive landed proprietors at Victoria. Vine cuttings had rlready been sent from Burgundy and the Bordelais to Australia. The meeting of the Council of State, which was to be held to-day, und3r the presidency of the Em peror, to discuss the usury laws question, was post poned in consequence of a slight indisposition which prevented his Majesty from attending. To the same cause is attributed the counter order for the review which was to take place yesterday in the court-yard of Tuileries. The exchange of the treaty concerning the Bes sarabian frontier did not take place to-day at the Foreign-office as expected. The delay of this act will be confined only to a day or two. Her Majesty's steamer Vulture has arrived at Palermo. This vessel will occasionally visit Naples and relieve the ship now eccupied in running be tween Sicily and the Continental dominions. _ BOURSE: Dzo. 29.—An official notice of the Bank of France having been posted up before the opening of the Bourse announcing that the rate of discount had been reduced to 5 per cent., the market acquired great firmness, and prices im proved. A ministerial order has been sent to all the agents de change, prohibiting the despatch of affairs for money by clerks, and declaring that they must be negotiated directly by the agents de cbango. Threes have been done at 68f. sc. to 68f. 15c. ; Mobilier from 828 to 840 f. ; Aus trian, 732 f. 50c. to 737 f. 50c. ; Lyons, 865 f. to 870 f. ; Orleans, 1,3651. to 1,367 f. 50c. ; Southern, 550 f. to 552 f. 50c. ; and Northern, 9521. 50c. to 955 f. The end of the market' was very buoyant on a report that the Bank of France intended to make an advAnce of 17 millions of francs, at 5 per cent., to the agents de change, in order to wake continuations (reports) on the Rerite. HAMBURG. HAMBURG ; Dec. 28.—The tide in the monetary affairs of this city has now decidedly turned. There is no longer any talk of scarcity, and those who kept their money so carefully when it would have commanded ten per cent. interest at least, are now anxious to find employment for it at four. Instead of the Senate and Burgesses borrowing from Austria, and pledging the credit of the State and the property of the citizens as security, the local bankers have become lenders to other communities, and already a loan of 2,500,000 marks banco is announced as having been granted by the Norddeutsche Bank here to the Bank of Rostock, for which the revenue of the Mechlen burg domains is assigned in security ; and another loan for a sum of 1,500,000 of marks banco to the city of Lubeck, which they had not succeeded in obtaining from Berlin, has just been con cluded with a house in this city, so that nearly one-half of the Austrian loan has been already ap propriated to the aid of others. It will, therefore, be unnecessary to speak any more of the " crisis" here, which must be considered as having entirely passed away, although it may yet be some time be fore trade has recovered its usual tone. Confidence is by no means yet restored, and transactions in all kinds of merchandise are still on a very limited scale, which may perhaps in some degree account for the extraordinary abundance of money, as com paratively little appears to be required for the general purposes of commerce. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, Dec. 27.—Tiae Emperor at the recom mendation of his official advisers in general, and of the Minister of Finances in particular, has boen pleased to empower the Chamber of Commerce and Trade of the city of Trieste to take the necessary steps for forming a joint-stock company under 'the name of the " Trieste Commercial Bank." The capital of the Trieste Commercial Bank is to be 10,000,0001 (1,000,0001.), but it will be at liberty to oommence business as soon as 10,000 shares at 50011. have been taken. The Commercial Bank will be licensed to discount bills of exchange, to lend money on security, to do the usual banking business, to buy and sell Government and private stock for private individuals and companies. PRUSSIA. A . rlin letter, i u th e C ons tit u ti onne l , says : ---‘ isti3e now decided th a t th e sess i on o f th e Cha b,rs will not be opened by the Prince of Prussia, but by the P res id en t o f the Coun cil. This plan has been followed under other circumstances, and it is the more reasonable that it should be ad o pt e d on thi s occasion that the Prince, in consequence of his position as dele gate of the King, wishes to avoid appearing in public ceremonies. As is generally the case before the opening of the session, rumours are in circula tion of changes in the Ministry. The same Ministers are talked of as being about to retire as wore men tioned at the commencement of the delegation of powers to the Prince of Prussia, but these reports appear to be as ill-founded now as then."—The same letter adds :—" The American crisis has caused such a serious effect on the commerce of Thuringen that the Government of Weimar has thought it necessary to convoke an extraordinary session of the Diet to regulate commercial affalis. Apolda, which is the principal unanufActuricg town of the Grand Dochy, contains a great number of stocking wearing establishments, the productions of which ate exported to the United States via Hamburg." SPAIN. The contents of tho Madrid journals of the 25th are not of political importance. The Ministers of Finance, Public Works, and the Interior were tak ing measures for rendering bread and other articles of general necessity cheaper. Mgr. Claret - , the Queen's confessor, had declined to accept the arch- ROYAL INSTITUTION. Yesterday afternoon Professor Faraday com menced his usual Christmas course of lectures, ad dresses to a juvenile auditory, at the Royal tution. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales attended, and occupied a chair immediately in front of the lecture table. The subject of the pre sent course is static electricity, and Professor Fara day, who, it is gratifying to observe, displays as much vigour and animation as in years gone by, commenced his subject by repeating the declaration he made several years ago at the meeting of the British Association at Swansea, that of the nature of electricity he knows noshing, and that the longer he lives the more convinced he becomes of his ignorance of the nature of that force. Of its facts and of the laws that govern its operation he said he had indeed attained considerable knowledge, and some of that knowledge he hoped to be able to impart to his young audience. His object in the first instance was to show how readily, and from what a variety of bodies, electric force can be excited, for which purpose he employed a glass rod, a stick of shell-lac, and a piece of gutta percha, by the friction of which light bodies of different kinds were alike attracted, and the gold leaves of the electrometer were diverged. He then called upon his audience to consider the wonderful effect pro duced by the friction of those substances, which by that action were converted from apparently inert bodies into active powers, wilich attracted other bodies and emitted light. Professor Faraday laid particular stress on the met, that during the excite ment of electricity by friction, the rubber becomes equally electrical with the substance that is rubbed and he exemplified it by holding a strip of flannel by each end, and rubbing backwards and forwards on the brass stage at the top of the electrometer, and then placine , the flannel on the top of a second electrometer, when the gold leaves of both instruments became equally divergent. Having shown that electricity may be excittd:^by the posi tion of varieties of bodies different in their me chanical structure, Professor Faraday proceeded to exemplify that the chemical composition of eleo tries may also be essentially different. For this purpose gutty peroba and gun cotton were selected as opposite instances. Gutta percha abounds in carbon, of which abundant proof was given by its combustion in oxygen gas, when volumes of soot completely blackened the inside of the jar that contained the gas. Gun cotton especially, in its preparation as collodion, is eminently electrical, and a film of that substance,ilter being merely passed through the fingers, caused the gold leaves of the electrometer to diverge. It was then applied to the flame of a spirit lamp, to show that it is as explosive as gunpowder, (aid abounds in nitrogen. Professor Faraday exhibited and burnt some pieces of gun cotton paper, which had been sent to him by Professor Schoubein, the inventor of gun cotton, seven years ago. Several illustrations were of the excitement of electricity that is constantly taking place without our notice by the ordinary actions of life ; such, for instance, as the combing the hair when it is dry, and rub bing the feet on the carpet. The latter _effect was shown by touching the top of the_, ereCtrometer, whilst the professor rubbed his feet on the mat. The rubbing of paper with india-rubber also gene rates electricity abundantly, and this was illustrated by placing a sheet of foolscap paper, after having been rubbed on an insulated stand, near the gas burner, and on suddenly removing the paper a spark was emitted which set fire to the gas. The accumulation of electricity by electrical machines was next shown, first by one of the globe machines used by the earliest electricians, which was excited by a ribbon held in the hand, and afterwards by the powerful cylinder and plate machines of the insti tution. Professor Faraday impressed on his audi ence that these larger effects were exactly the same in kind, and depended on the same principle as the excitement of electricity by the rubbing a stick of sealing-wax on a piece of cloth, and that his audience might at their own homes, and without any special apparatus, exemplify the leading facts of electricity. He constructed for this purpose several simple pieces of apparatus, ono of which was formed by a joking a rod of sealing wax into a bung to make a foundation, and balancing a tobacco-pipe on the top, which simple arrangement afforded a de cided indication of the presence of an excited elec tric, by the turning round of the pipe as the elec. trio was brought near one end. Another structure consisted of an inverted wine-glass, on the stand of which was placed a watch-glass, to form a centre ; and a piece of flat glass having been laid upcalfe long lath was delicately b danced on the cent re and turned round readily on the approach of an excited stick of sealing-wax, thus forming a good electro meter. At the conclusibu of the lecture the young prince shook hands with Professor Faraday, who did not, as on a former occasion, address the leo ture to his royal highness. IRELAND. DUBLIN, TUESDAY MORNING. VICEREGAL COURT. Lord Carlisle purposes returning to Ireland to morrow after a long absence in England. His Ex cellency will embark at Holyhead for Kingstown upon the arrival of the day express boat. In a few more days, therefore, public curiosity will probably be gratified by the official announcement of the new legal changes consequent upon the death of Mr. Justice Jackson. MR. JUSTICE MOORE. The Freeman's Journal states that Mr. Justice Moore, junior of the Queen's Bench, has been for some time lying dangerously ill at his country scat, near Dublin. It is added that he is in so precarious a condition as to render the prospect of his ulti mate recovery extremely distant. The other papers confirm this statement. ELECTIONEERING. In anticipation of the probable vacancy in the representation of the borough of Ennis, created by the elevation of the Attorney-General to the judi cial bench, a squadron of aspirants have been already named as candidates for the coveted seat. The aspiranti include Captain Stockpoole, Mr. Hughes, Q. C., Mr. John Bell, Sir Thomas Reding ton, and Mr. M'Donough, Q.C. The latter is a Peolite, but would be a supporter of the Palmer• aton Government. All the others are Liberals. THE GREAT SLANDER CASE. There are at length symptoms of the approaching finale to the case of " Strevens v. Campion." Yes terday counsel for the defendant spoke to evidence. Not having concluded his address when the Court rose, the learned gentleman will resume this morn ing, and will probably conclude this evening ; so that upon the whole it is likely the trial will not run into the ensuing Hilary term. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF SOCIAL SCIENCE. The. inaugural address delivered by Lord Brougham, President ; Lord John Russell, 'M.P., Sir John Pakington, Baronet, M.P., Lord Stanley, M.P., and Sir Benjamin Brodie, Baronet, F.R.S., toge ther with the sermon by the Rev. Sydney Turner. Revised by the authors and published by authority. John W; Parker and Son, West Strand. At the time the association was formed we no ticed its various meetings, and adverted more or less fully to those addresses reported by the press. We need not therefore enlarge again upon their contents. We are glad to see ihtm, however, in an authorised and revised form, and cannot doubt that they will be acceptable to many readers. The ser mon we had not seen before ; it is very appropHat e _ to the subject, calling attention to 46 Responsi bility in means and aims." Lord Brougham's was the inaugural address, and by universal consent could not have been assigned with wore propriety to any one than to the veteran Educationist and Law Reformer. Lord John Russell's address was on Jurisprudence and the Amendment of the Law; he being president of the section which had charge of those topics. He acquitt e d hi mse lf so we l l on a professional subject, that one is almost tempted to believe he would not h ave acqu i tted h i mse lf so badly in command of the Ch anne l Fl ee t , an o ffi c e, from which according to the well-known remark of the . Whig . wit he would not shrink. Sir John Lord . John, and Lord Stanley took charge Pakington took Education, as Jurisprudence fell to of the Public Health, leaving Sir Benjamin Brodie th e non-medical . topic of Social Economy- We Pa i r ; the press, and will, we presume, soon Per ceive that the transactions of the association are ma k e their ap pearance. ATTICIIPTED ASSASSINATION. --The Opinions of Tunis has the f o ll ow i ng f rom Mil an :—" As Count Brembatis of B ergamo, was on the 1 9 t h co ming out of a house situated in the quarter of San Damia no, at Miles, be suddenly received a blow from behind on hie hat, by which it was forced down over his eyes ; he then got a stab in the neck with a stiletto, and a blow with a loaded bludgeon on his side, which brought on a discharge of blood from the mouth. The assassin fled without a•tE mpting to rifle the pockets of his victim, whose cries soon brought people t o hi s a ssistance. Upon examina• tion it was found that the stiletto had inflicted but a slight wound, owing to the protection of the heavy winter garments worn by the Count. The police have arrested some persons on suspicion. THE 3 , 100 HE TEA. FRAIIDS.—It is stated in WA of the local papers that Belfast is not yet done with the disre putable revelations in connexion with John J. Moore's ingenious frauds on the Customs. It is deemed prudent for the present to withhola particulars, but there is a strong rumour that a very patient investigation has enabled the Customs' officials to trace tea on which no duty has been paid to several other houses in the town, and the loss to persons is expected to be very great. 7 (.