The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-03-11 00:00:00

imptrial Vadiamtnt. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MosnAY The following railway bills were severally read a second time :—The Caledonian Railway, the Chester and Holy head Railway, the Manchester South Junction and Al trincham Railway, the Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle Railway, and the London and York Railway Bill. The Eastern Counties Railway Bill was read a first time. In committee of ways and means, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated that he could not fix a later day than the 14th of March for that es should take effect. With on which a regard to a drawback for those who either had a stock on hand or who had pail duties on the stock which they had left in the Queen's warehouses, he observed that proposi tions for the repayment of duties were seldom or never entertained, and the holders of sugar had the less reason to complain, as they had received notice in the last session of parliament that a change in the sugar duties was in tended. Ultimately the question of a discriminating duty be tween clayed and Muscovado sugars, was postponed. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE gave notice that, immediately after Easter, he would move for leave to bring in a bill to se cure the inviolability of letters passing through the Post office. Mr. SHEIL also gave notice that he would, on the 11th of March, move a resolution expressing the regret of the house that letters addressed to foreigners res;ding in this country had been opened in the Postoffice without their knowledge or sanction, and that certain information with regard to the disturbances in the Papal States should have been communicated to a foreign power. HOUSE OF LORDS.-TUESDAY Lord ASHBURTON presented a petition from certain tradesmen in Westminster, complaining of the operation of Lord Brougham's bill, for abolishing imprisonment for small debts. Lord BROUGIIAM defended the bill of last year, but said he would endeavour to frame a measure to enable' creditors to get at the wages or salaries of debtors who might hold situations as clerks, or otherwise. Lord DENMAN presented a petition from an individual, complaining that he had been for three years in prison owing to his entertaining a conscientious objection to taking an oath. He further stated, the same objection prevented his obtaining the county allowance, and he bad, therefore, great difficulty in escaping famine. The Lord CHANCELLOR said he would take the matter int - ) consideration. In reply to a question from Lord CAMPBELL, The Lord CHANCELLOR said he had no intention of re-introducing the Ecclesiastical Courts Bill during the present Bess' HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY The Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington, and Colne Ex tension Railway Bill, the Whitby and Pickering Railway Bill, the Manchester. Bury, and Rossendale (Heywood branch) Railway Bill, the Barnsley Junction Railway Bill, the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Bill, the Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction Railway Bill, and the Eastern Counties (Ely and Whittlesea Deviation) Railway Bill, were severally read a second time. On the resolution in the report of the committee on railway bills, which excludes from the committee all members having a local interest, a conversation ensued, in which a great many gentlemen took part ; but after the gallery was cleared, the resolution authorizing the com mittee of selection to send to each member on the com mittee of their appointment a written declaration, which he was to return signed, that he had no local interest in that railway, was agreed to without a division. A further discussion took place upon an amendment moved by Mr. ENTIVISLE, which would exempt all mem bers having a private interest in a railway from serving on the committee appointed to examine into its merits. After a short conversation, Sir R. PEEL said, that it was qui•e evident the resolu tions made a difference between the local interests of the constituency and the personal interest of the representative in a railway. It would perhaps be a matter of some diffi culty for any member to say that there was any railway in which none of his constituents had a local interest, but it was very easy for him to say that he had no personal in terest himself. By the order made last session every member who now served on a railway committee was called upon to declare—" 1, A. 8., have no personal in terest, and my constituents have no local interest i❑ railway." Now, if any member had any difficulty n making this declaration on behalf of the constituency which he represented, he trusted that he would state that difficulty to the Committee of Selection. and that com mittee would immediately report the difficulty to the house. When that difficulty arose, the house would best see how it could be got rid of. The resolution was then agreed to. On another resolution, a conversation took place re specting the constitution of the railway department of the Board of Trade. Objections were taken to the want of publicity attending its investigations. (blank - Sir R. PEEL confessed that he had a strong preposses sion in favour of the constitution of that Board. He passed a high eulogium on the intelligence and assiduous attention which his noble friend at the head of it had be stowed on the different railway projects which had come before him. Tne very last report which the Board had presented, and which he had only read that morning, contained a novel and highly important view on the sub ject of gradients, which he was certain could never have been taken by any committee of the house, however in telligent. It was the result of former investigations un dertaken by the Board of Trade upon other projects, He therefore thought that the house ought to riaii till the approach of the close of the present session before it undertook to make any alteration in the consti tutio❑ of the Board of Trade. The rest of the resolutions were agreed to, after a dis cussion on their connexion with some of the standing orders of the house, more remarkable for its multifarious character than for its general interest. Mr. COWPER, in moving for leave to bring in a bill to promote the letting of field gardens to the labouring poor, observed, that present measure was nearly the same as that which he had i,,troduced last session. His object was to provide for the working man a certain portion of land, as the possession of land was a great ingredient to wards the improvement of his condition. Before the 16th century every peasant in England above the condition of a serf had some hold over the land, but since that period a long succession of events had dissevered him almost en tirely from it. Among other circumstances, he enume rated the numerous enclosure acts which had been passed within the last century, the consolidation of small farms into large farms, and the almost total cessation of the tenure of land on lives, which was formerly so very pre valent. Uniil the introduction of the allotment system, the present generation of the working men of England had very slight connexion with the land on which they dwelt ; and he was anxious to extend in an improved form to the remainder of the labouring population the benefits which that system hael already conferred upon a portion of it. his bill would contain nothing compulsory—it would only enable individuals in a parish who were kindly inclined to the labourers to carry their intentions of providing them with land into effect with safety to themselves, and with security to the landlord. It adopted a parochial organi zation, and made provision for taking from the poor-rates a certain sum of money to secure to the landlord the rent of the land let out by him to the labourer. It was quite undeniable that the allotment system could pay itself ; but his bill provided an easy mode of recovering possession of the land, wherever the rent was unpaid by the labouring man who held it. He dwelt at some length upon the ex cellent moral effects produced by the allotment system on the labouring man, by providing him with rational amusement; he showed that in many cases it had enabled him to keep off the parish, and that in others it had been useful in restoring him to habits of industry after he had ceased to be a burden on the poor-rates. If his bill were carried, he anticipated that it would be pro ductive of the most beneficial consequences to the community. Leave was given to bring in the bill. HOC SE OF COMMONS .:EDNESDAY The Trent Valley Railway Bill was ordered to be brought in by Lord Francis Egerton and others. The York and North Midland and the West Cornwall Rail way Bills were read a first time. Mr. SHAW presented several petitions from Protestants in the county of Cork, complaining of what they consi dered the unfair treatment of the Established Church in Ireland in respect to the education grants. Mr. H. GouLBURN moved that the house resolve itself into a committee on the Property• tax Bill. Mr. 13susw. OSBORNE moved that the bill be com mitted that day three months. Mr. MONTE seconded the amendment. As he bad sup ported this tax when it was originally imposed, he was anxious to explain why he voted against it now. He had approved it originally, because he saw that it would ena ble the minister to remove many taxes which pressed on articles of general consumption ; but he now felt himself at liberty to oppose the income-tax, which he considered to be unjust and vexatious in every respect. He did not object to a property-tax. On the contrary, he considered it to be a very just impost, and would, if it were fairly and equally imposed, consent to quadruple its amount. More over, he believed that the income-tax was not now impo sed for a temporary purpose, but for a permanency. Sir R. Peel had relieved the poorer classes of a considerable burden ; but he had only done so by placing it on other classes, and especially on the agriculturists. Sir Robert was, as had been remarked, a difficult bird to catch so as to place salt on its tail, but he had succeeded in placing salt on the tail of the agricultural interest, and it was in a pretty pickle at present. Mr. F. BARING avowed that the financial condition of the country was the only reason on which he now gave his support to the income-tax. He could not join in re ducing the revenue again into a state of deficiency, and therefore he could not support the amendment now pro posed for consideration. But in giving his support to the present bill, he would not be a party to permanently im poing the income-tax in a time of peace. He could not, however, agree to the propriety of imposing it on the country without examining the whole financial system of the government. He then reperited the objections which he had urged against it on a former evening —first, that it left only a small surplus of £90,000 above expenditure ; secondly, that that surplus, which was very doubtful, rested on the amount of revenue to be derived from the sugar duties : and, thirdly, that amount was calculated on the supposition that the increase in the consumption of sugar would be one-fifth of the greatest amount of sugar ever consumed in this country in one year. Moreover, the taxes repealed did not affect either the bread, butter, cheese, tea, tobacco, or soap, consumed by the poorer classes. Mr. 11. GOULBURN observed, that Sir R. Peel had pro posed the reimposition of the income tax, because he had found it paid with cheerfulness by the country on the one hand, and very protective to the revenue on the other. He had likewise proposed to continue it for three years longer, for the purpose of relieving the people from other burdens, of which the removal would increase the indus trial resources, and so reinvigorate the revenue, of the country. He also showed that the taxes repealed did affect the interests of the poor,—for instance, the repeal of the tax on cotton would render the fustians and other articles of clothing of the poor much cheaper than they were at present. The reason why he had not repealed the duties on tea, tobacco, and soap was, that the state of the revenue would not permit it. Tea produced a revenue of £3,000,000; tobacco, the same amount; and soap, £1,000,000. At present he could only make a reduction on any of those three articles to the amount of £250,000. Now, a reduction on the duties of tea amounting to £250,000 wauld be a mere fractional quantity, which might, indeed, enrich the trader, but which would net confer the slightest benefit on the consumer. So, too, in the case of tobacco and soap. The amendment was lost after some further speaking by a majority of 96 to 23. Atter a long desultory conversational debate, the vari ous clauses of the bill were agreed to, and the house ad journed. -*. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY The Trent Valley Railway Bill wasread a first time. Mr. Spooner obtained leave to bring in a bill for a rail way to be called the London, Birmingham, and Worces ter Railway. Mr. Estcourt brought up a report from the Standing Orders Committee, stating that in the Shrews bury and Birmingham Railway the standing orders might not be dispensed with. Mr. EWART moved for leave to bring in a bill to ena ble town-councils to establish museums of art in corpo rate towns. In consequence of the report of a committee of that house, which sat in 1836, a central school of design had been established in the metropolis, and local schools in concert with it were established in the provinces. It was originally intended that the central school should be a normal school of art ; but that intention had not been carried into effect. It was also intended that museums of arts, containing casts of works of mediaeval art and of the most eminent specimens of modern masters, should be erected in different parts of the country ; aed it was to accomplish that intention he now asked leave to bring in his bill. He proposed that such casts should be taken and distributed among the manufacturing towns ; that the municipal authorities should be authorised to erect and support museums of art to contain them, by levying a small borough-rate ; and that they should afterwards throw them open gratis to the inhabitants. By such means the taste of antiquity had been formed and perfect ed, and so, too, had been the taste of many modern na tions. He trusted that by such means the fame of Great Britain as a patroness of art would, although she was a commercial country, be raised to a height of glory equal to that formerly attained by the commercial republics of Genoa and Venice. Mr. WYsE seconded the motion. Sir ROBERT PEEL approved the object of Mr. Ewart's bill, and said that the subject had not escaped the atten tion of her Majesty's government. In the course of the present session he should have to propose to the house a grant for the purpose of facilitating the means of access to an improved geological collection in the British Museum. He trusted, however, that the house would proceed with caution in devolving excessive powers of taxation on the municipal bodies of the country. One hon. member now proposed the levying of a local tax for the purpose of pro viding places of recreation for the people. The govern ment, in the course of the session, would have to propose a scheme of local taxation for another object, more im portant than either of those two—he meant the promotion of ventilation and salubrity in large towns. They must, therefore, take care that they did not raise any prejudice acainst these schemes by waking the burden of them too heavy for their inhabitants to bear. He thought that, be fore they called on the towns to tax themselves for these objects, they should see what sums they could obtain from the more affluent inhabitants by voluntary contributions. The motion was agreed to. House. OF LORDS.-FRIDAY. A discussion was raised by the Marquis of NORMAN BY resvecting an appointment in the Irish constabulary, which he contended was in direct violation of an under standing between Colonel M`Gregor, the head of the con stabulary force, and the government, to the effect that all appointments to that force should be made upon his re commendation. In the case in question, a gentleman had been recommended by Colonel M'Gregor, but the Lord Lieutenant had overlooked the recommendation and ap pointed another party. He moved for certain papers con nected with the appointment ; and he further moved for returns of the amount of military forces in Ireland, at the Ist of January in each year, for the last ten years. The latter motion was made, he said, in consequence of a speech made recently by Mr. S. Herbert, on his re-elec tion on accepting the office of Secretary -at-War, in which speech he said that the late government had left Ireland in a state of revolution. The Duke of \VELLINGTON defended the appaintment made by the Lord Lieutenant, and denied the existence of any such underatanding between the government and Colonel M`Gregor as had been alluded to. The discussion terminated in a division, in which the motion forpapers connected with the constabulary appoint ment was negatived by a majority of 32 to 12. The motion for the returns respecting the military forces in Ireland was agreed to, with an amendment by the Duke of Wellington, suggested for the purpose of endering the returns more complete. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY On toe motion for the house resolving itself into a com mittee of ways and means on the sugar duties. Mr. COBDEN called on the government to allege a suffi cient ground for taxing the community to the extent of ten guineas a ton on the natural price of sugar, for the ex press purpose of protecting our co!onial interests. After some observations from the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER and Lord Howicß, Sir R. PEEL referred to the case of corn imported from the Channel Islands as one parallel to that of sugar from foreign countries. It did not follow that the natural price of sugar was raised in proportion to the amount of the tax, as was evident from the fact that during the last week 3000 quarters of foreign wheat were admitted at a duty of 205., and yet no one would contend that the effect of that importation had been to raise the price of corn. Mr. LABOUCHERE deprecated the idea of placing the sugar trade upon a sliding scale similar to the corn trade. Mr. GLADSTONE enforced the arguments of Sir R. Peel, which, he said, appeared to have produced great un easiness on the opposition benches. The great superiority of foreign sugars called for discriminating duties, in order to protect the coarser productions of our colonies. Viscount SANDON wished to answer the question by another. (Hear, and laughter.) A little while ago a motion was made from the other side to impose a fixed I duty on foreign corn. (Hear, hear.) Now, he wanted to know to what amount they proposed to tax the people of this country ? He should like to hear what answer would have been given to the free traders, if a question had been put by any of these, accompanied with a charge that a tax of £8,000,000 or X 10,000,000 was contemplated for the benefit of the landowners. (Ilear, and laughter.) These questions were, without doubt, popular enough in Covent-garden, but be defied any man to prove that the amount of protective duty measured the burden imposed on the community. It was impossible to answer such a question as that put by the tun. member for Stockport. The hon. member himself was the only one that had at tempted one, and it had been disavowed by all who had spoken on his own side. (Hear, hear.) This was not very encouraging to others. No one doubted that pro tection was taxation; no one denied this. Victory was therefore easy when no enemy was to be met with. Of course a certain amount of sacrifice must be submitted to by the consumer, in order to carry out a great object. (Ironical cheers from the opposition.) They might cheer if they pleased, but those who submitted to the tax thought the object worth a sacrifice. Why, hon. mem bers opposite themselves were protected, with the excep tion of the noble lord the member for Sunderland. He repeated that the argument that you could measure the amount to which the people were taxed by the amount of differential duties, although a good argument for the boards of Covent-garden, was a perfect fallacy. (Hear, hear.) Every one knew that the price of an article must be governed by supply and demand, and that if we at home were filling the market rather more than the demand required at the moment, the price must fall, quite irre spectively of anything going on in foreign countries. He defied any one to tell what the difference between supply and demand would be in any month, so as to enable him to tell the difference between the home and foreign mar kets in consequence of the protecting duty. It was, how ever, not necessary now to enter into the question of pro tection, leaving that battle to be fought by the noble lord the member for the city of London and his supporters, with the exception of the noble lord the member for Sun derland ; for he did not see why those on his side of the house should always be put forward as the sole champions of protection. (Fear.) He had only risen to assert what no one could dispute, that the amount of the protection could not be measured by the mere question of the differ ential duties, and that off-hand they could not anticipate precisely what the amount of the tax levied by them would be. The right hon. gentleman the late President of the Board of Trade had very properly said, that the amount of the duty was the maximum and not the mini mum of the tax. After some further discussion in which several mem bers took part. Mr. P. M. STEWART contended that under the enor mous difficulties to which the colonies were exposed by our legislation, they were entitled to protection. A desultory conversation ensued, after which the house went into committee. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then entered into the reasons which induced him to adhere to his ori ginal intention of imposing discriminating duties on sugars according to their qualities, although he was wil ling to admit that there was considerable difficulty in carrying such a plan into successful operation. Still it was just and equitable, and that which was just and equit able should not be abandoned because there were difficul ties in the way of its accomplishment. The right hon. gentleman concluded by moving the discriminating duties. . .. Mr. HOGG expressed himself satisfied with the course proposed to be pursued by the Chancellor of the Exche quer, as quality and not colour was to be the criterion for the imposition of the discriminating duties. Sir R. PEEL hoped the difficulties were overrated, but, at all events, if the experiment of a classification was to be tried at all, the present was decidedly the time to make that trial or never. _ ..-. After a lengthened and very desultory discussion, the first and second resolutions were agreed to. On the third resolution being moved, Sift W. CLAY moved as an amendment that the duty on white clayed sugar, the produce of Java, Manilla, or China, or of any foreign country, such sugar not being the produce of slave labour, should be only £1 3s. 4d. instead of £1 Bs. as proposed. and that the duty on brown sugar being muscovado or clayed, but not equal in quality to white clayed, should be ISs. Bd. instead of £1 3s. 4d. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER contended that if the duties proposed in hi s r eso l u tions were too high, which he did not believe to be the case, it was an error on the right side, and he would, therefore, oppose the amend ment. The house then divided, and the amendment was nega tived by a majority of 152 to 69. The resolution was then agreed to. On the fourth resolution being moved, Mr. M. GIBSON contended that the duty on foreign molasses should be reduced by is. the cwt., so as to maintain the differential duty of l Os. 6d. _ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER assented to the proposition, but suggested that the better plan would be to introduce it in the amended bill. On fixing the period for the new duties coming into operation on the 14th inst., Mr. WILLIAms moved as an amendment that the pe riod be postponed till the sth April. Sir lt. PEEL said a memorial had been presented to him signed by 70 of the leading firms in the trade, praying that any alterations intended would be announced, and the alterations carried into effect as speedily as possible. The amendment was then withdrawn and the resoluti ons agreed to. FuREIGN AND COLONIAL. INDIA AND CHINA The news received by the present mail is of the 18th of December from China ; 23d of January from Calcutta Delhi ; 24th of January from Madras ; and 25th, from Agra : and from Bombay to the Ist February. The intelligence. is more interesting than it has been for some months back. The insurrection in Kolapore and Sawunt Warree continues unsubdued, although 10,000 men are in the field for the purpose of suppressing it. Three British officers have, in the course of the month, been slain by the enemy. The roads are everywhere blocked up, and robbery and plunder universal. In Lower Scinde the troops continue healthy, and the people quiet. Her Majesty's 78th Highlanders, now at Hyderabad, are suffering as severely as ever from indisposition. They have in the course of four months lost 402 men, 35 wo men, and 120 children, or 557 in all, belonging to the regi• went. Sir Charles Napier has proceeded into the Bhoogtee Mountains, with a force of nearly 5000 men, for the pur pose of chastising the marauders, wbo continually infest our frontier miring the bot season. The expedition is a dangerous one. By the latest accounts they were getting on successfully, the general himself having arrived at Deyra. Fresh revolutions have occurred at the Punjaub, where the army completely controls the government, put ting up and pulling down administrations at their plea sure. The British Government seems resolved not to interfere with their feuds, wisely determining to devote its attention to the welfare and prosperity of its subjects. There have been some disturbances of no great mo ment in Gopal, near Nepaul and Cashmere, which do not apparently very greatly concern us. The Governor-General continues at Calcutta, assidu ously devoting himself to business, and gaining golden opinions of all sorts of people. Throughout the vast pro portion of the company's dominions peace, contentment, and prosperity appear to prevail. Much comment was made on a comet, which was dur ing some nights visible in India, with two tails. A great point of interest in Bombay was the formation at that presidency of a railway company, whose object is to connect that fort and island with the mainland, and ultimately with the city of Poonah and the Deccan. The project was looked upon with favour by the government. The news from Cbina comes down to the 19th of De cember ; it is not of remarkable interest. The Chinese at Hong Kong were quietly engaged in their labours, and altogether submissive to the British regulations. COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE CALCUTTA Indigo.—Since the express arrived, notwithtanding that it brought intelligence of a further slight reduction in the London market, we can notice little or no change in demand of rates, public sales going off freely. Colton.—Market continues dull, and shipments are small, amounting from let to 21st inst. to 237 bales, 1302 mds. Silk.—Tne November Bund is now daily arriving in considerable quantities. The quality of the Cossimbazar, we understand, is very superior, and is held at high rates, which prevents transactions being large. British Cotton PiecP Goods.—We can notice but little alteration in almost any article fur some weeks past ; transactions have been moderate, and as stocks have been accumulating, purchasers seek for a reduction in prices, which holders appear determined to resist. BONIBAY„ FEB. Nothing has occurred during the past month to dimi nish the dulness which has been so long prevalent in our market for imports. The demand for most descriptions of goods has been extremely limited, and transactions ge nerally few and unimportant; almost the only purchasers have been the Bombay local dealers, and these have bought merely to the extent of their present necessities. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. CHINA CANTON, DEC. 14, 1844.—Since ours of the 13th ult. our market has remained very dull and inactive ; a greater or more general depression has rarely been felt here. The very low rates of imports have prevented importers press ing sales, and the high prices demanded for teas have, in some degree, limited operations therein. Imports :—Of raw cotton sales have been few, although deliveries have been very large, and the stock of Bombay greatly dimi nished. Shirtings :—Grays are taken off freely, but vrldtes remain, with large increasing stocks. Metals and tin plates disposable ; holders are more firm, hut stocks are too large to admit of early improvement. Opium : In Patna there has been considerable fluctuation, with a final improvement. The present demand is steady for consumption, without speculation.—Woollens of every description pat take largely of the general depression, and transactions have been very limited; but as stocks are not heavy (excepting camlets), some improvement at this season may be looked for in exports. Silk continues to be shipped freely at Shanghae ; here nothing is doing. Our season's total export will reach or exceed 1,000 bales. Tea export has been large, being to date in forty-one vessels, Pampero included, Black, 16,337,1461b5. ; Green, 3,124,5251b5.; total, 19,761,6711b5. In the Times' list of deaths, on Tuesday last, we find the following ;—" Barbarously murdered, by a band of hired Daboits, at his house, Furreedabad, Juanpore, on the night of the 15th of last December, Mr. James Bar wise, indigo planter, formerly of Margate, but for the last 18 years a resident of Juanpore. They seem to have gone to the house with the matured design of murder. After cutting up the body, they left without touching a single article." FRANCE.—The Bigorre, of the 25th ult., says :—" The day before yesterday, as a peasant, who lived in a house at a short distance trem Luz, was occupied in clearing a cross-road of the snow which blocked it up, he was attacked by an enormous bear. The peasant opposed a vain resistance with his spade, and in a few minutes his head and one of his arms was devoured under the eyes of his afflicted family, who were standing at the door of the house without the means of rescuing him from the fero cious beast." THE WEATHER IN FRANCE.—In consequence of the communications in many parts of France being blocked up with snow, the Minister of War has decided that the call upon the conscripts of the reserve, who were to join their respective corps in the month of March, is to be deferred till April. Accounts from the Doubs represent the cold as continuing with all its intensity in that country. The river is entirely frozen over, and the win ter has in all respects been as severe as that of 1829-1830. The birds continue to flock from the north, and two wild swans have been shot on the Plain of Champdivers. The wolves prowl about the dwellings of man, and two chil dren have been carried off by them. Papers from Mauritius to the 24th of December have arrived. The money-market appears to continue in an embarrassed condition, and the rate for commercial dis counts was 9to 12 per cent. per annum. The late sales of sugar and molasses had gone at rather improved prices for the middling and inferior qualities, with a good dispo sition to purchase. The lowest quotation for sugar was 4 dols. 75c., and the highest 7 dole. 7c., and upwards of 10,200 bags had been sold at these prices. Molasses had fetched from 3 dole. 50c. to 4 dols. 25c. Treasury bills on hand at 30 days' sight were 4 to 5 premium ; and pri vate bills at 90 days' sight, par. SWITZERLAND.—The sittings of the Diet continue, and nearly every member who has spoken, Romanist as well as Lutheran, has expressed himself strongly in favour of the expulsion of the Jesuits. On the Ist inst., the Diet divided on the question " that the Jesuits he expelled the Confederation," when the numbers stood thus—for the expulsion, 10 cantons and 2 half cantons ; against it, 8 cantons and 2 half cantons. Two cantons (St. Gall and Geneva) declined voting, but recommended that the cantons in which the Jesuits bad established themselves should be called upon to remove them. This decision leaves the matter unsettled, for a majorit y con sisting of at least 12 cantons is necessary to render valid any vote. THE REV. DR. WoLFF.—A. letter has been received from Dr. Wolff, (dated Erzercum, Jan. 17th, addressed to Captain Grover, in which the writer gives an account of the following atrocities committed in Bokhara :—" As long as that horrid fellow Abd-00l Samet Khan is at Bok hara, nothing will be of any use. Every Englishman's fate is sealed—he must die. The following persons have been murdered at Bokhara :—Lieut. Wyburn, of the Indian Navy; Lieut.-Col. Stoddart; Captain Conolly ; one whom they call Freshaw ; II Cavaliera Naselli ; a German ; five Englishmen, outside Icharr-Joo ; a Toor. coman, who came to Bokhara to attempt the escape of Colonel Stoddart; Ephraim, a Jew, from Mesked, who was sent to Bokhara to make inquiries about Captain Conolly ; and a Turkish officer." The Doctor gives a melancholy account of the misery he endured on the journey from Bokhara until his arrival at Erzeroum. IcuaboE.—Advices have been received at Glasgow, from Ichaboe, to the 3d January. The Thunderbolt had returned to the island. The accounts state, that, on the day above-mentioned, an attempt was made to break up the monopoly which had been established by a body of ship-charterers and supercargoes, who had established themselves on the island, and were carrying on a brisk trade in guano, shipping it for themselves, and selling it to others on the spot. About 2,000 men raised the flag of freedom, rallied round a leader, and commenced with picks and shovels to supply their respective ships, work ing vigorously, and without interruption, for several hours. At last an armed party from the Thunderbolt steam-frigate was landed and took possession of the pit where theywere digging. The commander of the fi igate had ordered all work to be suspended until the affair was in- I vestigated. DISCOVERY OF A NEW ISLAND IN THE PAcigic.— The New York Courier and Inquirer publishes the fol lowing account of the discovery of a new island in the Pa cific Ocean, by C a pt a i n Si mmons , o f th e b r i gan ti n e Faith : —" Captain Simmons was on his way from Sydney to Valparaiso, and, after leaving Otaheite, first saw it on the 31st of October, 1843. Seen from the deck of the vessel, the island had the appearance of a mass of rocks, but a nearer approach showed it to be an island, covered with cocoa-nut trees, with thick underbush. When convinced that it was an island, Captain Simmons supposed it might be one already known, and at first mistook it for Caris foot. To be sure, however, he lowered his boat and at tempted to land, but was prevented by a reef of black coral rocks, with heavy breakers, which surrounded the island. He went completely round it, however, and found it to be about six miles in circumference. At a short distance from it he found no sounding in sixty fathoms of water. After examining it for two or three hours, as thoroughly as he deemed necessary, he steered for Carisfoot, accord ing to his reckoning, made it in the course of a few hours, and passed to the south of it. A large lagoon was in the middle of the island, which seemed to be rich and fertile. On reaching Valparaiso, where he remained for some months, he waited upon the commander of the British squadron, and informed him of the discovery. He exa mined the most recent English charts, but no indication of such an island was to be found. It is situated in the track from Otaheite to Valparaiso, in south latitude 21 degrees and 10 minutes, and west longitude 138 degrees 54 minutes. He named it the Isle of Faith, from his vessel." IRE LAND. PROGRESS OF TSMPERANCR.—During last month no less than 392 persons were committed at Cork for drunk enness, whilst in February 1844 only 145 drunkards were committed. MURDER.—James O'Donnell, a farmer, was murdered in a house near Croagh, on Monday night, by a party of five or sit men, who broke his skull. Some of the assail ants are in custody.—Limerick Chronicle. DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT CORK.—On Thursday the lofts in the corn store of Messrs. Burke, at Cork, fell, bringing down with them over three hundred tons of corn, and quantities of lard. Three men and a woman underneath were killed. On Sunday week, as some young gentlemen, in com pany with a youth who had been a Romanist, were leav ing Upper Shandon church, near Cork, they were attacked by a dozen persons, and shamefully beaten. Similar out rages have been committed on several previous occasions in the same neighbourhood. CHURCH EDUCATION.—The Rev. J. Beresford John stone, rector of Tullow, Ireland, has resigned his office of chaplain to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, solely in consequence of the course pursued by the government in the education question, to which it would seem that Lord Heytesbury has entirely lent himself. Several meetings have recently been held in the diocese of Down, Ireland, similar to those lately held in the south of England, for the purpose of preventing any in novations in the established services in the church. The Bishop of Down is disinclined to attend to the remon strances. At St. Andrew's Church, Dublin, on Sunday week, seven men and three women renounced the errors of po pery, and made a profession of their embracing the doc trines of the Church of England by partaking of the Lord's Supper. Two of the clergy who officiated on the occasion were until lately priests of the Church of Rome. MYSTERIOUS DEATH.—On Thursday, the body of Sir Richard Barrington, who resided at No. 20, Middle Gloucester-street, Dublin, was found in his arm-chair before the fireplace, with all the appearance of being dead for several hours. H is clothes were considerably burned, and it is supposed they caught fire while he slept, and that he became instantly suffocated. He was very infirm and ninety years of age. The popish priest of a parish near Cork, has written to the proprietor of a scriptural school in the parish to say, that " his bishop had directed him to excommunicate the parents of all children belonging to the Catholic re ligion, who sent their children to the school." The pro prietor after expressing his surprise at such a step in the nineteenth century says, that " the proceeding can injure none but those who are the active agents of so iniquitous an undertaking." At a meeting of the Belfast Operative Association, on Wednesday, Lord Roden occupied the chair. His lord ship had arrived in the town that morning on private business, and an instant application was made to his lordship to preside at the meeting. To this he gave a ready and a willing assent ; and we confess that at a mo ment like this, when others are vacillating or wavering, or actually abandoning principle and profession for expe diency or for office, it is a matter of glatification and pride to us, as it will be of joy and gratulation to the Irish Protestants by whom Lord R ,, den is beloved, to see a nobleman of his station and character coming forward, under existing circumstances, and boldly vindicating the opinions he always expressed, and consistently abiding by the sentiments he on every occ tsion advocated. SERIOtS CONFLICT.—The county Roscommon, parti cularly that portion between Strokestown and Roscom mon, is in a very disturbed state, so much so, that it is necessary to have a large police force patroling the roads day and night between those towns. Monday night a party of police surprised above one hundred of Molly Maguire's sons in the act of digging up grass land of a farm, near Strokestown, belonging to Mr. Balfe. A dreadful conflict took place between them, and the fellows fired upon the police. The latter returned the fire, and wounded some of the ruffians, as traces of blood were discovered in the field and on an adjoining wall. The police closed with the party, and pressed upon them so that they were compelled to leave 35 loys, an iron grape, and three coats behind; they also arrested one man.— Limerick Chronicle. CRIME IN TIPPERARY. — The Nenagh Guardian pub lishes in a tabular form a list of the crimes committed within the last six months in the North Riding of Tip perary. It presents, to use the words of that journal, " a number of outrages unparalleled for the same period in any other county in Ireland, or in any shire or riding in the kingdom. It is also remarkable for another fact, namely the few persons who have been made amenable to justice and the laws. There are 16 cases of murder, out of which there have been six for which no person has been arrested, or information sworn against. There are 16 cases of attempted murders, and 52 attacks for arms, firing into dwellings, and assaulting the inhabitants for the purpose of obtaining same—and in which classes of crime a great number of persons have been concerned : of that number but few have been arrested for these cry ing offences." DREADFUL ACCIDENTS. — On the let instant, as nine men and two women were crossing the lake at Athlone in a boat on their return from work, the old boat went down stern foremost, and, strange to say, the two x‘ omen and one man were saved. It is supposed the clothes of the women kept them up until a boat came to their assistance. One of the women had also a quantity of bran on her back, which assisted to keep her floating.—On the 2d inst., the Longford canal packet-boat sunk, either from too much weight, or from the numerous passengers rush ing to one side. Those who were uppermost in the back cabin scrambled out of the windows, the boat being on its side, but the unfortunate persons under their feet, except a few active lads, could not move, and after several minutes had elapsed, by the activity of the police, some of whom narrowly escaped drowning, they were drawn out of the cabin window ; seven of the sufferers appeared quite dead, and one only was restored to life. REPEAL ASSOCIATION.—It is now manifest that, but for the Roman Catholic bishops and priests, Repeal, or the administration sitting at Burgh quay, would be ex tinct for want of the sinews of war. Of the sum ac knowledged as the rent of last week, two hundred pounds (or very close upo❑ it) were the contribution of those worthies—the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the sweet Dove of Elphin. A considerable sum from the Ameri can sympathisers is also to be deducted from the solid proofs of a domestic yearning for a parliament in College green. On the whole, there is a miserable prostra'ion of patriotism throughout the realms of Daniel-land; and Tom Steele's vocation more in vogue than Mr. O'Con nell's. R ibbonism, like the pigs, is looking up ; and Repeal, like the potatoes, going down. England is at peace with all the world ; and Ireland wants a grievance. Even the demagogue confesses the tendency of recent le gislation to conciliate his country ; and has nothing to fall back upon—more Hibernico—but fancied anticipa tions of evils that may not arise out of the Land Com missioners' Report. The whole rent for the week was FASHIONS FOR MARCH From the ":London and Paris Ladies' Magazine cf (Fashion." 1 White and pink are the favourite colours this season, for crape, gauze, and other light materials of dress ; tulle is also again in fashion, and forms pretty toilettes, with double skirts, ornamented with ruches ; the corsages are all pointed, and very open, in cceur, showing a chemisette or guimpe of muslin, richly embroidered, or plissW, rising much higher tka❑ the corsage. Young ladies frequently have triple skirts of tulle, finished with a broad hem, and berthe to correspond ; and, for tall figures, the double tunic of crape, trimmed with two rows of fringed ribbon, placed on the lower skirt. . Dresses of satin, damns, broc irt, &c., are mostly trim med with lace, often placed en e'chelle in front of the skirt, or with a plat of ribbon, separating two monlanls, placed at the sides. Wreaths of flowers are very mu:h used up the sides of ball dresses; those in foliage of oak leaves terminate with a bunch of acorns ; guipure fringes are made in gold and silver, as also e'chelles and montants, in the same style, and fringes of chenille or jet, for vel vet. Walking dresses are always high, some with the cor sage carticao or rounded jacket encircling the waist. Spencers, with jackets, are becoming very general. Dres ses of black satin have berthes of velvet, embroidered in such very fine braid a. to resemble antique lace. Brand enbourgs are much in favour for redingotes; those ter minating with a tassel are pretty. Very pretty capotes, for morning wear, are made of satin, trimmed with velvet; the shape is rather close: but dress bonnets are made more open, some are without bavolet, but the rims continued rather deep at the back. The most fashionable coi f fures de bal, this season, are historical or national. For morning wear, small caps, short at the ears and trimmed with narrow lace put on plain all round, are much worn, ornamented with ribbon in various styles, rosettes, coques or pompons; the forms are pompadour, fermiere, Alsacien, Marquise, Charlotte Cordag, Very long ringlets are the fashion, falling on the neck, and often only a single one from the bandeau ; which style admits of bouquets of three flowers in three shades of colour, roses, camelias, and daisies. UNIVERSITY 4- CLERICAL NEWS. OXFORD, March 7.—ln a convocation holden this day, the Rev. Archibald Malcolm, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge, was admitted ad candela. In a congregation holden at the same time the following degrees were con ferred :—Master of Arts—The Rev. William Groome Holmes, Wadham. Bachelors of Arts—Charles Lloyd, Student of Christ Church ; Arthur S. D. Harris, Christ Church. PKEF ERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS.--ReV. Mr. Ber nard, from the curacy of St. Mary's, Donnybrook, to the parish of Castlemacadam, county Wicklow. Rev. J. C. Bradley, M.A., to the incumbency of Oakworth, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Rev. Reginald Pyndar Hill, to the curacy of Evesham. Rev. W. E. Hoskins, M.A., Rector of the united parishes of St. Alphage and St. Mary, Northgate, Canterbury, to the vicarage of St. John's, Margate, vacant by the death of the Rev. William F. Baylay. Rev. J. Jones, M.A., Rector of St. George, to be Rural Dean of the Denbigh Division of the Deanery of 1(hos. ORDINATION AT CHESTER.—OD Sunday week, the Lord Bishop of the diocese held an ordination in the Cathedral at Chester. An excellent sermon was given by the Rev. C. A. Thurlow, M.A., Rector of Malpas, and Honorary Canon of Chester, from Luke xiii. 23. The following were admitted into holy orders :—Priests. —Black, 8.A., Worcester College, La Trobe Foster, 8.A., Oriel, Jones, 8.A., Queen's, Redfern, 8.A., and Royds, 8.A., Brasennose, Robt. White, 8.A., and Tomlinson, 8.A., Trinity, Weekes, 8.A., Wadham, Woolwacd, 8.A., Magdalen, Roberts, 8.A., Saint Mary Hall, Oxford ; Wm. Chawner, 8.A., St. John's College, Ed. Aug. Campbell, B. A., Trinity, S. J. Lyon, 8.A., and W. Balmbro Flower, 8.A., Magdalen, J. M. Rowley, B. A., Corpus Christi, J. R. Whyte, 8.A., Downing, J. F. Herschell. S.C.L. Queen's Cambridge : John Bateson, 8.A., F. M. Harke, 8.A., C. R. Huson, 8.A., T. Ire land, 8.A., J. Richardson, 8.A., Trinity College, Dub lin ; H. T. Downman, St. David's, Lampeter ; H. G. Brasnell, D. 0. Etough, H. T. Fletcher. G. B. Hill, T. C. Humfrey, Job Lea, T. Wilson, W. R. P. Waudby, Saint Bees. Deacons.—G. D. Bourne, 8.A., Oriel Col lege, M. Fletcher, 8.A., St. Edmund Hall, Oxford; J. Beaumont, 8.A., and W. Oliver, 8.A., Trinity College, I. Durrant, 8.A., Queen's, G. Goodman, 8.A., Christ's, J. Godson, R. J. Heafield, 8.A., M. Pugh, 8.A., and J. Wilson, 8.A., St. Catherine Hall, John Herbert Jones, 8.A., Jesus, W. Newling, 8.A., R. Strong, 8.A.. and W. H. Taylor, 8.A., Saint John's, Cambridge; W. Bleasdell, 8.A., and J. A. Page, 8.A., Trinity College, Dublin ; Wm. C. Adamson, T. F. Carlile, W. Holder ness, W. W. W. Heffill, and H. Parr, Saint Bees. The Bishop of Chester preached at St. Peter's Church in the evening from Philippians i. 6. 6. The Rev. Mr. Tyler, rector of St. Giles's, has been appointed to the canonry in St. Paul's, vacant by the death of the Rev. Sydney Smith. Mr. Meyrick, scholar of Corpus Christi College, whose withdrawal from the University of Oxford followed im mediately upon the condemnation of Mr. Ward, has joined the Church of Rome. The address of thanks, signed by 544 members of Con vocation, to the Proctors of Oxford, for their negative upon the proposal relating to Tract XC., was presented on Saturday week by the Rev. C. Marriott. The following gentlemen are candidates for the vacant chair of music in Edinburgh University ;—Mr. Guyne mer, Mr. Donaldson, Dr. S. S. Wesley, Dr. Gauntlett, and the former professor, Sir Henry Bishop. Mr. Sheriff Alison, author of the " History of Europe," was on Saturday week, after a keen contest, elected Lord Rector of Marischal College, Aberdeen, by a great majo rity in all the nations, in opposition to T. B. Macaulay, Esq., M.P. THE BISHOP OF ELY.—Several of the symptoms under which the Bishop of Ely labours had, during the middle of the week, improved, but we have just been informed that his Lordship did not pass so good a night on Thurs day night as he had done previously, his cough having been more troublesome.—Cambridge Chronicle. THE COURT The Court remains at Buckingham Palace, and her Ma- Testy and her illustrious Consort h:ive taken their usual out-door relaxation during the week. The Queen held a levee (the first this season) on Wed nesday afternoon, at St. James's Palace. The Princess Royal has been made to comprehend the dignity of her position. The stateliness she assumes in public forms an amusing contrast with the childish gaiety she manifests in private. RAILWAY INTELLIGEACE. At the Dublin and Drogheda railway meeting, on Wed. nesday, a dividend of 245. for the half-year was declared. RAILWAYS IN WEST YORKSHIRE.—The Provisional Committee of the West Yorkshire Railway have an nounced their intention of appealing to Parliament, not withstanding the detailed report of the Board of Trade against them. THE DIRECT RAILWAY TO CHELTENHAM.—It is understood that the Great Western Railway Company have agreed to take a lease of the proposed line from Ox ford to Cheltenham at four per cent. interest. and half the surplus profits. A dividend of 40s. on the whole shares, and of 10s. on the quarter shares, has been declared by the Birmingham and Glocester Company. The receipts for the half-year amounted to £70,096, and the expenditure to £44,739. The lease of the line to the Midland Company was con firmed, the latter company paying six per cent. on the share capital of the former. TROOPS BT RAILWAY.—The principal railway compa nies have agreed to convey soldiers on furlough on the same terms as those on duty, provided they exhibit the proper authentic proof of their being absent on leave. We consider this concession to be no slight boon, seeing that when men are on furlough they are compelled to defray their own expenses. It is in contemplation to make a line of railway com munication between the Bolton and Preston and Liver pool and Manchester railways, by which the nearest pos sible route will be effected between Preston and Mances ter. The line in question, which will be less than nine miles in length. has been ordered to be surveyed by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company. HARTLEPOOL RAILWAY.—The dues for the half-year, ending 31st December last, amounted to £23,505, leaving a profit of £11,926, after deducting the expenses of work ing and paying the interest upon loans. The collieries upon the line only resumed their full working after the long strike late in August ; and the above is the result of four, rather than six, months' traffic. In conformity with the regulation of the last meeting, delegating to the directors the power of fixing the dividend, they have re solved on 31 per cent. for the half-year. SHREWSBURY AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY. — The Bill for this line, which it will be remembered was one of the " bones of contention" between the London and Bir mingham and Grand Junction Companies, had been thrown out on Standing Orders—being (with the excep tion of the Thames and Medway Canal-railway) the only case that has yet been thus decided in the present Session. The Provisional Committee have however given notice that they intend to proceed with the bill next session.—Rail way Record. NORTH UNION AMALGAMATION.—A determined movement has commenced, of which the object is to de feat the proposed amalgamation of the North Union Railway with the Grand Junction and Liverpool and Manchester. The North Union proprietary, it seems, especially the class B of stockholders, have come to the conclusion, not only that the amalgamation is inexpedi ent in itself, but that they have been cozened, both as to the mode and the terms of it ; and memorials to the Board of Trade are in coui se of preparation, urging the beard not to sanction the union.—Railway Record. LONDON, WORCESTER. AND WOLVERHAMPTON, AND BITEMINGHAM AND SHREWSBURY DISTRICTS. The Report of the Board of Trade sets out by stating that these two schemes proposed, the one by the London and Birmingham, and the other by the Great Western Com pany (that of the Birmingham and Gloucester Company having been withdrawn), are so nearly identical that they cannot co-exist. It then discusses the question mooted by some parties of the non-necessity of any railway at all through the district, as interfering with the existing canal property, and as attended with danger from the nature of the district, in which great excavations have been made for mining purposes. These arguments are held not to be valid. With respect to the two lines, it is stated that in point of distance and of the number of miles of new railway, or of the population to be accommodated, there is little superiority on either side. The great point evi dently is the question of guage,—the importance of uni formity in which the Board at some length dwell upon, and instance the difficulties and delays occurring at Glou cester through the differing widths of the Birmingham and Bristol lines. They are of opinion that no mechanical arrangements are sufficient to obviate this inconvenience, and therefore the question simply is, whether the points of junction between the guages shall he at Rugby, Bir mingham and Wolverhampton, or at Oxford and Bristol ; and they give a preference to the latter points for various reasons—the principal of which are, that the greater por tion of the produce of Staffordshire passes to Liverpool and Hull, and that by means of an uninterrupted com munication, the Midland coal-fields will be rendered greatly available. The preference is further confirmed by the fact, that the London and Birmingham Company have voluntarily agreed to certain conditions. The Shrews bury scheme of the Grand Junction Company is put aside as likely to be used by that Company, rather as a protection against competition, than as an encouragement tofurt i l b ier cß extensions,. —ailuy .a or so s to promote the interest of the pu b lic.—Railway - - - RAILWAYS.—The _railway department of the Board of Trade has published a long report on the London, Wor cester and Wolverhampton, and on the Birmingham and Shrewsbury districts. They are of opinion that a line of railway is required between Wolverhampton and Worces ter. This being conceded, the sanction of a line in con nexion with it, to connect Worcester more directly with London, and to give communication to the large interme diate district, appears to follow almost as a matter of course. The supply of coals to this district, where a great reduction of price will be effected, is alone an im portant subject; and, on the other hand, an outlet will be afforded for agricultural produce. A population of about 128,000, between Worcester and Tring, would be accommodated by the line in that direction ; and, on the whole, taken in connexion with the Worcester and Wol verhampton Junction, the traffic seems sufficient to jus tify a fair expectation of return on the capital to be in vested, as also on the Li agby and Oxford portion of the line, which sill complete a chain of direct railway com munication from the northern and midland to the southern Mar. 11, 1815, and south-western counties, and will afford to those collo' ties a valuable supply of coal from the Derbyshire et lieries. They think that if there is one point more fultY established than another, i n the p rac ti ce o f ra il ways , it 15, that the inconvenience occasioned by a break upon:a Dee, of through-traffic, occasioned by want of uniformity e! gauge, is of such a serious description as to detract most materially from the advantages of railway communication. They conclude as follows :—" A line to Shrewsbury, 1 . 11 the hands of the Grand Junction Company, would maul' festly be not unlikely to be used for the purposes of pro: tection against competition, rather than of encouragement to extensions beyond Shrewsbury, and to the legitimate development of the traffic. It appears to us, therefore , that, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, th e fact of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham line being pro moted by a substantial and independent local party is e legitimate ground of p re f erence , i n a dditi on to t h a t al ready pointed out, of the superior advantages afforded 1/9 the independent line to the populous mining district be.. tween Wolverhampton and Birmingham. As regards the, line between Shrewsbu r y an d St a ff or d, o f w hi c h p l ans a nd sections have likewise been deposited by the Gray? Junction Company, it appears sufficient to say, that to,: though, as a mere line for the town of Shrewsbury, tt might afford considerable advantages, it accomplishes none of the more important advantages for the district at large which are held out by the line to Birmingham. W e are of op!nion, therefore, that the latter line is preferabl e to all the competing schemes proposed, upon general grounds of public policy ; and we are aware of no pu blic reasons why it should not receive the sanction of Par' liament." LAW INTELLIGENCE, LIBEL.—An action for libel was tried at the Waterford Assizes on Tuesday, before Mr. Baron Lefroy and ePe' cial jury. The plaintiffs were the Messrs. Malcolmsoo. the extensive cotton manufacturers of Portlaw, and the defendants were the proprietors of the Dublin W a rder newspaper. The libels complained of consisted of series of letters and statements published in that journal , ascribing acts of oppression to the plaintiffs in the coil' duct of their factory. An apology was subsequently printed in the Warder, but it was deemed unsatisfactori to the aggrieved parties. The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs of £5OO damages and 6d. costs. Mr. White• side (Queen's counsel) went special from the Norther° Circuit to conduct the defence. The learned counsel re' ceived a retaining fee of 100 guineas. The matter is not finally decided by this issue, as the prltprietors of th o Warder intend moving for a new ttial, together with change in the venue. POST OFFICE ORDERS.—In the Secondaries Court, 00 Wednesday last, in the trial of an action for the recovery of two guineas, for cigars sold by the plaintiff, who re sides in Liverpool, to the defendant, who lives at Great Marlow, a question of much importance arose with re spect to Post-office money orders. In answer to the plaintiff's case, the defendant's sister was called, and she deposed to procuring a money order for two pounds frail the Post-office at Marlow, which she afterwards saw her, brother enclose in a l e tt er a dd resse d t o th e p l a i nt iff at Liverpool, which she posted. A notice had been served upon the plaintiff to produce the order, but it was not done, the plaintiff alleging that he had never received it' The learned Secondary, on the conclusion of the defend' ant's case, said that he did not think that the sending a Post-office money order could be considered as a pal: ment. In his opinion the defendant ought to show On he not only sent the order, but that the plaintiff rec eived it. The jury, h owever , t oo k a diff erent v i ew f rom t h a t of the Secondary, and found for the defendant, the foretnta stating it as their opinion, that the sending of the Post' office order was a payment. THE IRON TRADE, (From the Mining Journal.) The iron trade still continues remarkably active, an d ' notwithstanding the recent advance, it is confidently ely pected that the prices will rise still higher during the en' suing week ; speculators are now turning their attention to Welsh pigs, which have not advanced in ratio to that of Scotch. Welsh pig is £6 10s., and our latest letters from Wales, Staffordshire, and Scotland, advise of further ad' vances of ss. per ton upon pigs, and frogi 10s. to 20s. pet ton upon bars, rods, hoops, and sheets. Staffordshir e iron, of every description, is particularly rising, and has' within the last week, again advanced 20s. per ton, making a total increase of £4 per ton on last October prices' Scotch pig is £5 10s., and very few sellers ; £6 is de manded, and it is the opi n i on o f par ti es possess i ng g c°' means of information, that the price will be £6 before th e expiration of the month, and that it will even go higl?e,f within no distant period. Th e f ew parce l s o f S w edoi' which were in hand last week have been bought up, all large orders given, for spring shipment, at £lO lOs., an finally at £ll 10s. for ordinary specifications. The stool , of steel is very limited, and holders are not only firm atk our quotations of £lB lOs., but some w ill no t se ll excel , ' at £1 or £2 per ton higher. LP:AD.—There is an extensive demand for home use' and several orders from the continent have also been fe t : ceived during the last week. There is neither a ny Span? or American (except a few lots containing silver) either'? this city or at Liverpool, remaining unsold. The prise [ ' pal smelters have disposed of their make, both of commo n and refined, for the next few months, and even foreign! on the way home, has been eagerly bespoke. Englis h metal may be named at from £l6 to £l6 ss. per ton co` pig, £l7 ss. for sheet, £l9 for red lead, £24 f or whito , ditto, £l9 for patent shot—while for Spani s h, i n bond , £l6 ss. may be quoted. YORK, March 4.-1 he rails and chairs, amounting t 6.. 27,000 tons, for the Berwick and Newcastle Railway, we t : contracted for to-day, and £l2 per ton for the forme" and £7 for the latter. THE PRINCIPLE OF CALCULATING INTEREST. ( From the Banker's Circular.) A farthing is the smallest coin now current in Great Britain; and as all larger sums whatever consist of a ca.; tain number of this coin, a tarthing with its interest l e assumed as the radix. The interest of any sum at fi3 O per cent per annum for twenty years, is preci s ely equal . ; the principal. In twenty common years, there are ef; actly 7,300 days ; therefore, if a piece of copper, of t°, same weight and value of a farthing, was heat out into ". thin sheet, and cut into 7,300 equal parts, one of the se little pieces (which, for distinction sake, might be dea ° ; minated a particle), would be the exact i n t e rest 0 , ,. 3 t farthing for one day ; two o f th em wou ld b e th e intere of a farthing for two days ; thr ee o f th em wou ld be the interest for three days, and so on for any other number 0 days ; the interest of a farthing at five per cent. when 0 ; pressed in particles and the number of days, in this ea s „ being always the same. The definite interest of a f a '; thing, for any number of days, being thus ascertained , 5 4 often as any sum contains a given number of f a rthings , ; s often will the interest of that sum exceed the interest of farthing. tt The rule to ascertain the interest on any given a nioa i j for any given number of days, is to reduce the princiF i ., into farthings ; multiply by the number of days, and vide by 7,300, the quotient will be the exact interest t` quired for the same. The interest of a pound for one day, at five per ce at i; expressed in the decimal parts of the money integer , i ,e 000•1369863'0136„ &c., and these ei g ht fi gures ( o ver first and last of which is placed an asterisk,) pe rpetto li r circulate. In like manner, the i n t eres t o f a farthing ' go op one day, decimally expressed, is 00060014'20940639 . 20' it &c. But as these numbers go on circulating for ever' r t is impossible for the mind of man to conceive what P 6 e r of a pound they repres en t. By th e par ti c l es , the f, is expressed by 960, and the latter by a single figure, %'; 1, and this unit i s th e 7,330dth part o f a farthing. ` t l ~,1 , 13 decimal tables of interest for any number of days in icl year, and consequently all table s o f convers i ons c ompo o e r from them, are only approximating numbers, excel)! l, e 73, 146, 219, 292, and 365 days, when the decimal ut interest becomes finite. The mode of beginning with the interest of farth -rj , o o may at first sight appear to be c arr yi ng ma tt er s to 1. 46 great a nicety, but when it i s cons id ere d t h at o ftimes l ' de d hundredth part of the intere s t o f a f ar thi ng , b e i n g ad to other parts of a complex sum, a complete farthiog,i l e interest will be obtained, th e o bj ec ti on mus t f a ll to `,1,. ground. It is obvious, therefore, that the farther we a d' vance, the farther will the objection of minuteness bed moved, as the interest of the fractional parts of the to °a integer continually increases. The difficulty of as cer!° ,. ,f, Mg the exact interest of shillings, pence, and fartln)l;o, by the old method of computation, is almost i ceivable If any sum of interest at 5 per cent. be divided in' o p equal parts, it is evident that one of these pa r t s will bllO 6 , actly one-half per cent. ; consequently t wo -t en ths "'D,,, j si, equal to 1 per cent. ; 3 equal to 11 ; 4 equal to two; 5(9 '40 to 21; 6 equal to 3 ; 7 equal to 39 ; 8 equal to 4 ; o,, e n "(of to 41 per cent. For example, if the int e rest of X.,"„05 0 one year, at £5 per cent., i s £l, th e i n t eres t o f the 7,g0 sum for the like period at the rate of one-half per o s o la 1 will be one-tenth of £l, or 2 s . • at the rate of 3 per c e j O l therefore, it will be 12 5 . ; a t 3, 1 14s. ; at 4,16 s. ; n /30/ 41 per cent., 18s. H av i ng th us found what £1 of iot„osisif at 5 per cent. is, whe n re d uce d to these rat e s, it is r o itP that we have only to-observe the same proportion 9 respect to any other number of pounds of interes t ' pe' like . manner, if the i n t er est of any s um, for a certai n , peg nod, 5 per cent. is one farthing, it is plain that S t u i eo l cent. it will be six-tenths of a farthing; at 31, $ e tenth; at 4, eight-tenths ; and at 41, nine-tenths o r farthing. Therefo r e, by adding six, seven, eight, and t ' o eo l tenths of a farthing continually together for 960 tl 0.0/ being the nu m b er o f f ar thi ngs i n £l, we s h a ll have tfr sum of interest u n der 20s. a t 5 per cent. reduced '- several rates of 3, 31, 4, and 41 per cent. it! In the ordinary transactions of computing i n terest,Po I scarcely requisite to have recourse to such nicety' is certainly proper to point out to those who wish In t 5 40; treme accuracy how it may be obtained. Tables of pie interest at five per cent. show the daily or v b. amount of any annual income, salary, wages, precision :—in the greatest ease and :—in example : for t , f days the interest at five per cent. of any yearly salads,income, is exactly 1-365th part of itself, consequ,e n dev is the true amount of such income for one day. , is clear that 40, 60, SO, 100, 120, and 140 days' inta c t . 10 exactly equal to the amount of such annual salary inter ( 0 : come for two. three, four five, six, and seven ( 13 ; spectively. It therefore follows that the amount 0' 0 01 ries, wages, incomes, &c., for any number of daY s ' pr te i be calculated in two ways, each of which will fora' 1 0 1 per check to each other. Ist, the amount for n n b - er,i, being found, multiply the same by the given nurn„,o/'• days, and the product is the answer. Or, 2ndlY , wr ply the given days by 20, and take the tnterest . 0 0 3 0 salary for the days, or years and days, contained tnegiso product; and the interest so found will be exactly _ tt m to the amount of the annual salary or inccme for the required