The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-09-12 00:00:00

iiept. 12, 1848. Z. tteraturr. NOTICES. Catlin's Notes of Eight Years in Europe, with his In dian Collection, and three parties of American Indians, at the Courts of England, France. and Belgium. 2 v.° 18 ., with nu merous Ill ustrat i ons . P u bli s h e d b y th e Author, at his Indian Collection, 6, Waterloo-place, London. It is now some years since Mr. Catlin published a work to which h e d escr ib ed his life and adventures amongst the wild Indi ans o f America. The present volumes may be garded as a p en d ant to that work, an d lik e to i t i n many re spects, because they are as truthful, and as strange. as 1 ,„?..11 of novelty, o f sagac i ty , an d o f p hil an th ro py. M r . of the first wor k was a p l a i n , unvarn i s h e d d escr i p ti on the savage Indian in his wigwam, and amid those scenes for which his habits and customs had formed him as the master and possessor; whilst in these volumes we have the same savage brought, not merely in contact with civilisedilised life but actually dwelling in its towns, and re ceived within the palaces of its sovereign princes. By Lae former work of Mr. Catlin we were made acquainted With the h a bi ts and the manners of the Indian, but in the present we are able to appreciate his intellectual qualities. We ha ve as i t were his mind and his heart laid before us ; and if We could j u d g e of him by the one publication, so (I -a o tiwe know by thi s , h ow h e j u d ges o f us, an d w h a t re nt were su gges t e d to him by witnessing our habits, our s a manners, and our customs. In these volumes the va ge is placed in the rostrum of the lecturer, and ap proves or condemns man in the highest state of civilise wha• It is alike interesting to know what he thinks, and e on t , he feels —whether his judgment be accurate, or his elusion erroneous. inuresill be seen by this description of the present vo the, that they are unique in their character, and that re is in them that which is most difficult to discover in o l f l Y modern publication—novelty of idea, of thought. and lu._expression. The opinions of the savage upon civilised eto be found in these volumes, it is to be observed, Ze k aot those of a solita individual, nor even of a single Mr. Catlin found more than one race of the Indian Eu rope, and he has therefore been able to show the ` Viecti ons o f several m i n d s , an d t o d e pi c t th e thou g hts af ._ More than one rude savage—to describe how these irlge beings conducted themselves, and to dissect and 3' bare the motives and the reflections of each. If these raines contained nothing more than this, they should e esteemed as well worthy of perusal, but to the English reader they will be found peculiarly interesting on other grounds. It i s we ll k nown th a t Mr. Catlin's " Indian Colle c ti on " has always occupied a prominent position a mongst the " s i g h ts o f L o ndon " whenever it has been opened to the public—deservedly attracting towards it lir P of atr onage of the Royal Family, of the nobility, and eVery stranger of exalted ran who visited the oftmero- P u lis• Thus we have not merely k life-like portraits the savages in the presence of those with whose names the Public are familiar, but we are shown those illustrious Individuals in the presence of savages. We have de scribed, for instance, the visits of the Duke of Sussex , the Duke of Cobourg, Prince Albert, &c. ; and we have a lso portrayed Buckingham Palace, and her Majesty, When th e I n di ns were honoure d by a summons. We End them b rea kf as ti ng w ith Mr. Disraeli, and introduced m the family of the Duke of Cambridge—in Paris re e°ived by the King of the French, and feted by the illus. t ri l , men of France. Thus a double interest is given to the book ; it portrays what otherwise must be utterly i,;"°v 7 n, and it throws a new light on persons and mat " Previously well known. Every circumstance and every individual, like every thought contained in this work, is depicted truly, faithfully, and clearly. There is I'm effort at the graces of authorship, but there is a manl iest desire to state nothing but what is the fact, without retension , without palliation, and without exaggeration. he reader is instructed, is interested, is amused ; and he cannot close the book without coming to the conclusion that the hours devoted to its perusal have been given to the literary labours of an honest man. VARIETIES. ,At a market town in Rutlandshire, the following placard affixed to the shutters of a watchmaker, who has de camped, leaving his creditors minus :—" Wound up, and the main-spring broke." WIVES WANTED IN THE BUSH.—It is almost impos !tble for either a bush servant or master to get married. There are scarcely any women in the interior, and no der- Omen. If a stockman or shepherd is so fortunate as to Meet with a gill willing to have him, he must make a long Jo urney into the settled districts, and there sojourn three Weeks for bans, or go to the expense of a license, a Most unreasonable demand upon the time and money of ta9Ple in that situation of life. To take a woman with 'undren up from Sydney into the interior, is a trouble and f l P„ense few squatters like to undertake ; but children born jl` ne Bush are no expense, and very little trouble. They Indian corn, melons and potatoes, which grow by g oo aeratching the ground round the hut. And a stout as :1 1 7 girl can in many respects make herself as useful aides uat-keeper--turn a corn-mill, clean a sheep-yard, be 's Makin g and mending garments, and adding to the population. One instance will illustrate the position of b e whole of the interior of the colony. On the Barwen, ath sides of the river were settled for 300 miles, and th ere was not one white woman in the whole distance. l there h a d b een t en or t wen ty servan t s , h u t-keepers, Shepherds,l and s to c kmen married and fixed to their ioleroes, th e f oun d a ti on wou ld h ave be e n l a id for civiliza en of the best kind. Bushmen, when they do get wives, make excellent husbands and fathers, although, of course, extremely jealous, in a country where women are as Scarce as Bcaook. bla c k swan s in Europe.—Auatralian Hand DE MANDS oN THE CHURCH.—It appears to be the growin g hatthe e imp ress ion of many able and experienced minds t present period demands peculiar exertions on the part of the Established Church. While every day gene rates some new peril•to all the great institutions of States, every day must make a new call upon the protective powers of society. The profession of the clergy, their education, and their ample means of ascertaining the effect of laws upon the people, make those calls impera tive upon them in the highest degree. There are proba bly fifteen thousand clergy in the Establishment—each of them has a circle of his own—and each who will thus use his leisure may awaken that circle. To do this requires no eminent ability. Sincerity was never in want of lan guage. Plainness itself is power. The heart of an honest man transpires through his pen and illuminates his page. - The office of the clergy must be to instruct the mature population in the great objects which comprehend every condition —to supply them with a " reason of the hope that is in them" —to give them the primal principles of action —to rescue them from the false knowledge, which can only excite vanity or embitter discontent ; and to give them that knowledge, at once solid and safe, which Will make th em goo d su bj ects , goo d h us b an d s , goo d fa thee; and, as the source and security of all, good Chris -04,- The Church requires no new powers—she has a re . ..to, exert those she possesses already. The people c u i,",!ll affected to her; but she can maintain her rank ti• "Y her reason. Of all the faculties which God has ; I v ; en to man intelligent zeal is the noblest. The distin e,:!lling qualities of a Church which is to guide this I° ll must be vigilance and vigour. The country in our tradition, feels but little homage for virtue which lives only in 0 and heroism sealed in the tomb. It must look n the living figure of virtue—on religion in its quench- L es intrepidity and sacred ambition of good. The Church of England must be, like the seraphim in the vision of the Prophet, all eyes and wings.—Rev. Dr. Croly. tIastN—iRWEGIAN GLEN. — lzestedal — the Glen of the Os in the very heart o ß f Norway : a facetious tra !eller would call it the lungs of the land. My way hither f or the la s t h our was across a vast plain, the barren bed of s , • a ters that, ages ago, must have found slower level, leav ing indelible traces of their former state. Black and grey cheu cover stones more like debris than shingle ; while i Te . e and there an alpine willow (Salix polaris), or, more Pa r* still, a dry, swarthy, berry-bearing shrub, lowlily letept between. A little further you came, every now and : k en, to the brink of a mimic crater, at the bottom of 4 .," 14 ,ehi half buried in bog-earth and moss-water, huge t b,a!at and stumps, and trunks of pine -trees, mighty in generation, lay black and hideous. Beyond these everted barrows of the dead, these sepulchres of doughty :rest chiefs of old, the heather grows tough and rank ; b" on the left of a ve doubtful path an old pine stands y „, it selft—barkless, aid bleached, and withered, all ex one branch pointing towards the south : telling, ' IIII Y enough and feelingly enough, poor old fellow ! of _(;rest grandeur and high domain in bygone days. A rifle not farther on are the utmost limits of modern sylvan stay defi ne d by s t un ted birch-trees,—not honest dwarfs ( ne tute name) but dwarfed white birch-trees (B. alba) , th at stand there, cowering and squinting southward with ;runawa look, evidently but ill at ease on their post o ( lag the y frontier line. And between these pitiful senti- Zand the stubborn old aristocrat above stands, gaunt, outs gre, and rim whole generation of pine-tres, with tretYched bl g asted a arms, like a God-stricken e race of giants turned to stone while uttering some impious vow. Crossing the frontier line unchallenged by the cringing o ot ot riosts, the glen lies before you, with its bosky braes O n grassy leas shelteringly. Westward rise the dark, 1-Cen peaks of the Rondna ; southward, the dreary tb:ager-fells ; northward, the massy Dovre ; eastward, b et :ary Stor-Kringla ; and, beyond, the Folge-fells, tr on l e en whose brown brows and fir-clad leas the blue in c re, of a copper-work tells of human wants and human rriro3'. It was not long before I was snugly harboured e tidy little dwelling of the owner of the glen. No Ivor had my host—the only jolly one I ever saw in th,:s w aY—cloneand said his best to make me feel at home, o" a bright thought seemed to strike him ; and he left ti o4 w . itli th e m i en o f a man b en t on doing a virtuous ac diso, In a few minutes he returned, his countenance ra the `, with benevolence, and having placed a stool beside set !louse-father's chair," in which I was installed, he /3„,,eri_ore me a wooden platterful of turnips—yellow nf l i e ,s" turnips, the only garden produce of the glen, in Ali el neither potatoes nor corn of any kind can be grown. th ere s e he had tried : all else had failed. And he bad ga -1.31.0_ d these roots, the greatest luxury he had, and it do hem them unto me. some burly old moralist had laid tie. 7, that no one ever repents of having eaten too lit / oua toy part, I have left undone so many things that 'lad orde Ylave done, that I have enough to regret with you t i ng my conscience with the sins of my . stomach. tality, a- but seen that man's face, beaming with hospi tat ..he set before me his dish of roots, bidding me earnly and 'one Just spare not, you would, I am sure, have Slice, what did,—smilingly, gently, savouringly, l a, sh oe, and . eat, three raw turnips. In the glen of the noSheltering and friendly as it looked to me, no fruit, n -f rh e e n, no Potatoes, can be grown. But the white grouse grate ca rnet and the ptarmigan of the alpine scaur (Te of 4 ' a gaPas b • th e au alptna, and Lapopus alpina), the char m e , 2:z ., and the butter of the mountain pastures,- 15. -- 01e 7,_ __the farm-produce of my jolly host's estate.— ' Magazine. TAAL BY JURY. Gradually, at intervals, during the past ten years, have misgivings disturbed the public mind with regard to the perfect fitness of our jury system for the advanced intel ligence of the age, and the circumstances and relations of society existent around us. The traditional veneration which Englishmen have, time out of mind, entertained for trial by jury has been shaken. and partly dissipated, by that sternest of monitors, and most sweeping of re formers—common sense. " There is nothing," says Shaftesbury, "so strong as habit." Custom is to a people what habit is to a unit of the people. Respect for an institution which has existed for centuries, and was once the cherished guarantee for personal privileges and security, may, without wonder, well remain after the value of that institution has been greatly diminished. The eulogies of those great constitutional lawyers Coke and Hale (supported since by Blackstone. and by some later judges of the last century who have taken occasion to enunciate an opinion upon the subject) are, we con fess, not to be lightly regarded ; but living in times widely differing from theirs, it will surely be pardoned us if we apply our own judgment to test the real value of the praises bestowed upon the system when it was called The Glory of the English Law" and " The Palladium of British Liberty." The nearer a writer lives to the period when a great boon has been wrested from arbitrary and irresponsible power by the people whence he has sprung, and of which he forms a member, the higher will be the consideration wherewith he regards the triumph achieved. Hence the unqualified admiration expressed of trial by jury by our early legal writers and historians, and which, partly from conviction and more from custom, has been repeated down to the present day. Here we must guard against being supposed to hold the system cheaply ourselves. We do no such thing : we are profoundly convinced of its value as a guarantee against oppression and injustice in criminal cases ; nor are we disposed to wish for its total abolition in our civil tribunals. But we protest against that unphilosophical mode of settling a question which many of the upholders of trial by jury adopt, who would have us render blind obedience to tradition, and sacrifice conviction to precedent. The printing-press and the steam-engine are after all the best guardians of the liberties and privileges of Eng lishmen. The general diffusion of education, through the instrumentality of the first, and the rapid dispersion of intelligence by the latter, afford the safest guarantees against arbitrary or despotic power on the part of a Go vernment, and against danger from the overthrow of the laws of property by corrupt or tyrannical magistrates, that can possibly exist. It is not to abolish this ancient insti tution, but to strengthen it, that we add our voice to the call of those who demand a remodelling of trial by jury. The frequent occurrence of notoriously erroneous verdicts should alone insure this. There are many counties in England and Wales where the incompetency of jurymen, and absurd verdicts, have become proverbial, and often are made occasion for merriment. A failure of justice is, nevertheless, but a sorrowful jest. But the alarming mis carriage of the jury system where, as at present in Ireland, a country is in danger (when, above all times, the vindi cation of the law is of vital consequence) has again at tracted the attention of the public, and, added to former convictions, has turned the scale of opinion, and caused it to fall heavily upon the arguments of those who would prohibit change. It is repugnant to common sense to up hold a system in its entirety where the obstinacy of a par tisan or the sympathy of a rogue can effectually counter vail the honest opinion of eleven men, and defeat the ends of justice. If laws are to be of any worth, they must have means provided for their application. The social compact is a submission to the authority of the laws devised by the wisdom of the people, through their representatives, for their mutual protection and advantage ; but these benefits aie not secured, and the compact is imperilled, if laws be constructed which there is not a sure method of rendering effectual, because a pre-existing law, for want of adaption to altered times and circumstances, renders their provi sions a nullity.—Law Times. HOW TO KEEP HORSES FROM STRAYING.—The Ice. landers have a curious custom, and a most effectual one of preventing horses from straying. Two gentlemen, for instance, are riding together without attendants ; and, wishing to alight for the purpose of visiting some object at a distance from the road, they tie the head of one horse to the tail of the other, and the head of this on the tail of the former. In this state, it is utterly impossible that they can move on either backwards or forwards : one pulled one way and the other another ; and, therefore, if disposed to move at all, it will be only in a circle, and even then there must be an agreement to turatbeir heads the same way. WASTE IN SOWING. — An astounding fact on the fore ground of all inquiries respecting the seeds sown by far mers, is that an enormous proportion of them is destroyed, or never germinates. This proportion has been computed to amount to two-thirds of the entire quantity sown ; and therefore to involve the stupendous annual waste, through out Great Britain and Ireland, of 4,666,666 quarters of wheat, barley, and oats—a quantity equal to the support of one million of human beings. One portion of the loss of sown corn-seeds is easily traceable to birds ; and whatever amount of this is occasioned by the overharrowing of light soils might be prevented. Another portion of the loss is traceable to the bursting and rotting effect of too much moisture ; and whatever amount of this is occasioned by the stagnation of rain water in furrows and hollows ought to be ascribed to bad tillage or insufficient drainage. A third portion of the loss is traceable to the trampling of the horses, pressing the seeds beyond the action of the air, or making holes over them for stagnant water; but this, in the present state of husbandry, cannot be avoided. A fourth portion of the loss is traceable to the exclusion of air by adhesive clays, or undue exposure to frost or heat by sandy soils ; and this, as well as the greater evil of comparative infertility, might be cured by a little georgical improvement. A fifth portion of the loss is very proba. bly caused by the depredations of the numerous insects which inhabit the sand ; yet as the seed is not eaten by them, but damaged or destroyed in consequence of their peculiar habits of existence, this source of loss is a proper subject for investigation for entomologists. A sixth por tion of the loss is. in some instances, very probably caused by noxious metallic salts existing in combination with the soil ; and this evil, as well as other evils of greater magni tude, forms a decided reason for a careful chemical analy sis of soils. A seventh portion of loss is possibly, though not certainly, traceable to high electric influence ; and this consideration, in spite of being merely theoretic, is strong enough to concur with reasons of greater weight for urging upon scientific agriculturists the study of electricity and of electric agency on soils and vegetation. An eighth por tion of the loss is, in many instances, manifestly occasioned by the over-ripeness, the bad preservation, or the other wise damaged vitality of the seeds ; and this—often a very abundant portion of loss—may easily be prevented by using only seed-corn, all the grains of which, when tested in the sample of one or two handfuls, will sink readily in water. A ninth portion of the loss—and this both a ge neral and large portion—is caused by damage to the seed, or absolute destruction to its vitality, from the blows of the scutchers or the flail in threshing; and this ought to be prevented by a slow, cautious, and quite partial thresh ing of the selected sheaves for seed corn, leaving the re mainder of them to be afterwards threshed in the usual manner for edible grain. A tenth portion of the loss, and the last we shall mention, is indiscriminate sowing, or the want of adaptation in the quantity of the seed to the powers of the soil.—Rural Cyclopedia. FIRST STEAM-VESSEL WORKED IN SCOTLAND.—Mr. Miller lived at Dalswinston, in Dumfries-shire; and in 1787, tried several experiments on the best mode of pro pelling single, double, and triple vessels, by the power of men and of horses applied to paddle-wheels. Mr. Taylor, who was at the time living with Mr. Miller in the capa city of tutor to his family, suggested applying steam power to move the paddles ; but neither of them could devise a method of connecting the steam power with the paddles. In this dilemma they resolved to seek the as sistance of Mr. Symington, an engineer, who was at that period actively engaged in endeavouring to adapt the steam-engine to carriages. The result was, that Syming ton, assisted by Miller and Taylor, constructed a small engine, the castings of which, oddly enough, were executed by a founder of the name of Watt; and in October, 1788, the engine was placed in a small pleasure-boat belonging to Mr. Miller, and was tried on Dalswinston lake. The engine was placed on one side, the boiler on the other, and the paddle-wheels in the middle. With all the disad vantages of a first trial, and with cylinders only four inches in diameter, the boat moved with a velocity of five miles an hour: and the engine was removed from the boat, and preserved for many years as a trophy in Mr. Miller's li brary. An anxiety was now felt to try the experiment on a grander scale ; and Mr. Miller purchased a large boat, which was used on the Forth and Clyde canal, and which, under the joint superintendence of the three above-named gentlemen, was fitted with engines and paddle-wheels, and propelled at the rate of seven miles an hour. It is curious that, with this great success, Mr. Miller, who was the capitalist in these experiments, should have carried his attempts no further. The boat was dismantled, and re garded only as a curiosity ; and Mr. Miller directed his attention to the objects, which, as he conceived, held out a more immediate prospect of improving the condition of his country than of enriching himself. But Symington, with happily more perseverance and determination, com menced a series of experiments on steam navigation, un der the patronage of Lord Dundas, which, although they did not lead to the immediate adoption of steam-vessels for commercial purposes, tended in no unimportant de gree to their establishment ; for it was mainly to the in spection of Syniington's experiments and steam-boats that Fulton was indebted for his ideas respecting steam navigation. Fulton had made some experiments of a si milar nature to those of Symington on the Seine at Paris, under the auspices of the American chancellor, Mr. Liv ingstone, who had tried to establish steam-boats in Ame rica, but failed. Fulton's experiments met with no better success, for his vessel moved so slowly that the experi ment was pronounced to be a failure. Fulton subse quently went to Scotland, where he introduced himself to Symington, who has left on record an account of Fulton's visit. He says, " I was waited on by Mr. Fulton, who, after making himself known, candidly told me that he was lately from North America, and intended to return thi ther ; but having heard of our steam-boat operations, he could not think of leaving this country without first wait ing upon me, in expectation of seeing the boat, and pro curing such information regarding it as I might be pleased to communicate." Symington then goes on to relate, that at Fulton's earnest entreaties he shewed him his steam-engines, and put his steam-boat in motion, carry ing him eight miles in an hour and twenty minutes, " to his great astonishment." Fulton made copious notes of everything that he saw, and having obtained all the infor mation he could, which Symington declares he most libe rally imparted to him, ordered, it is said, a steam-engine under an assumed name, from Bolton and Watt, and shortly afterwards returned to America, where, in con junction with Livingstone, a patent was obtained, securing to them the prospective advantages of steam navigation in America, by what they rather insincerely termed their in vention of steam-boats.—Fraser's Magazine. TIE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. ROMANCE OF LIFE. A lady of Stockport died a few months ago, leaving a great number of legacies and friends, and amongst them was one to a woman named Smith, a daughter of a per son of that name who was, 18 or 20 years ago, a sergeant in the 33d Regiment. The executors had punctually dis charged all the duties imposed upon them by the will of the deceased, except that of paying this legacy, and they gave up that as a matter almost too wild and impractica ble to be thought of, insomuch as it seemed so little likely they could ever properly trace out the legatee; for the lady who had left the legacy had left no address of the party, and herself never seen her, and when she did hear of her it was 18 years and a half ago, and only 18 months after the child's birth ! There seemed to be little hope of success by applying to the regiment, for Sergeant Smith was dead—died in the regiment, 18 years ago—and it might be more than possible that even his name might be buried in the memories of his companions in arms, if not in their coffins, for they had seen loreign service, and part of the regiment had but lately come from Canada. The Regiment of 1848 might be another generation of men to that serving in 1828, after hard foreign service in the affairs of Cahill or amongst the agues and fevers of Canada! but even if remembered, what of his widow and child ? Would they have continued followers to the " tented field ?" Nothing was more unlikely, especially when it was recollected that Smith was degraded from his rank of sergeant for some breach of discipline a short time before his death, and his widow might be supposed to have lost even sympathy with those who had treated him, to her mind perhaps, harshly, and have been too glad to quit and forget them. Besides, Smith was a com mon name ; how many James Smiths, and Sergeant James Smiths, might there not have been in the service ? What more likely than that the mother, too, should now be dead ? It seemed almost chimerical to pursue such an investigation, and so thought the executors. One of these gentlemen, Mr. B. Wheeler, the news agent, of Manchester, a few weeks ago was with a party at South port, when taking up a Manchester paper, he read of the movements of troops in various directions about the coun try in consequence of the apprehended aisturbances, and amongst other things perceived that a few companies of the 33d Regiment had come to Manchester, and were gone to encamp on Kersal-moor. " Now or never," thought he ; " there is but little probability of success, but we ought not to lose such an opportunity at all events." So takin7, " the rail," he came to Manchester, and took an early opportunity to visit the moor. He advanced towards the camp, but was held at bay by the sentinel. The sentinel, he perceived, was of the 33d, but was a young man, however • so he inquired from him if there was an officer with these companies who had been in the regiment 20 years ? " Yes, said the sentinel promptly, that gentleman you see coming this way, the captain (Captain Gough), has been in the regiment 20 years." Mr. Wheeler advanced to meet the captain, and communicated as briefly as possible the object of his visit, exhibiting at the same time two letters, the last Sergeant Smith had written to the testatrix. " Sergeant Smith ?" repeated the captain, musing, " Sergeant Smith ? Yes : I recollect him very well, and his widow is in the regiment yet." Here was encouragement, thought Mr. Wheeler. " But," continued the captain, " she has married again." " And could you give me the name of her present hus band ?" was the next inquiry. " Why," rejoined the captain, smiling, " he's Sergeant Smith, too ; but they are not here—they are in Canada." " Well," said Mr. Wheeler, " it is not the mother I want, but the child—the daughter." " Oh, the daughter ; well, we have the daughter, too—she's on the moor, but she's married." " And married also into the regiment," inquired Mr. Wheeler, "as well as the mother ? " Married into the regiment, also," rejoined the captain, laughing ; " and she, also, is married to a sergeant." The facts seemed so striking, and the coincidences so unlikely, that the inquirer might have been excused a little incredulity had he not been talking to one not likely to romance, and on a less serious subject; but so true were they, that in a quarter of an hour from his arrival on the moor, Mr. Wheeler was in the presence of the legatee herself—was next day in possession of documents from the register of the regi ment, by the courtesy of Captain Gough, showing when Sergeant Smith enlisted, when his daughter was born, her name, when the sergeant died, when the widow was re-married, and registering also the marriage of the daughter, with every other particular important to give the child a legal title to a legacy left her by a person she could never have known—had never beard of—and, more singular still, whose name she had never so much as heard mentioned, even by her mother ! We have only to add, that the executors, rejoiced at being so unexpectedly enabled to complete the task imposed upon them, lost no time in fulfilling the requirements of the law, and some thing more than a week ago paid over the legacy. THE POPE'S DEMANDS. The Whigs assent to everything. If they had any ap prehension that Rome could be so insane as to revive obsolete ideas and antiquated claims, they would be the last men in the world—witness the private correspond. ence of the Earl of Clarendon with Popish archbishops— to propose the opening of communications with the Roman See. It is only their profound conviction that the Papacy has long ceased to be what once it was, which enables them to bringin the Diplomatic Relations Bill. Nothingcan be more satisfactory than the general understanding. The bill is discussed, and the problem of diplomatic intercourse with Rome is quietly worked out by the legis lature on the well-understood assumption that the Pope is content to befriends with Great Britain in the same way as the Sultan, who does not find fault because we are not all Mahomedans—simply as one potentate with another potentate. In due time the bill authorizing diplomatic intercourse with the Sovereign of Rome becomes law. And now, who would have thought it ? The Diplomatic Relations Bill collapses. Like other fabrics built upon a mendacious hypothesis,itgoes to pieces. Thelegislature has been deceived. Lord Minto was either the Pope's fool in Rome, or he is the Pope's knave in England. We know not which, but one thing is certain. The bill will not work. The Pope will not treat with the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as " the Sovereign of the Roman States ;" he will treat with her as " the Sovereign Pontiff," the rightful head of " universal Christendom," or—not at all. A remarkable article in the Univers, of Tuesday last, blows the whole structure of British diplomacy with Rome to atoms. "We are convinced," says the well-informed writer, " that the Pope will never consent to receive an English ambassador before he can cause himself to be re presented in London by any one he may please to ap point. The English. Government has little notion of the character of Piux IX, if it fancies it will be able to im pose an ambassador on him so easily. Besides, the dis cussion which has just taken place in the House of Com mons is of a nature to open the eyes of the Holy Father as to what the honour of his Government and the dignity of the Holy See demand of him at this juncture." Indeed, so firmly is the Univers convinced that the Pope will scout the bill, that it wonders at the unfounded alarms of the English Roman Catholics, and especially at those of Mr. Anstey, whose opposition to the measure is accounted for on the ground of the hon. and learned member's intimacy with Mr. Urquhart, " the evil genius," as the Univers calls him, "of the chief of the Foreign Office." Our Romish contemporary flatly tells us that " England is not yet worthy the honour to which it aspires, of having an ambassador in the capital of the Christian world,'' and authoritatively declares that, " notwithstanding the definitive vote of the house, the present bill will not tend to the re-establishment Qf diplomatic relations between the Cabinet of St. James's and the Vatican." eriirral Altstrtialw. Fine new oatmeal has been retailed in Ardrossan for the last ten days at ls. ld. per peck. Subscriptions are being raised for the relief of the fa milies of the shipwrecked fishermen at Peterhead. It is stated that Government lately refused to register or to issue stamps for a paper to be called the " Democrat." In a garden near Aberdeen, there is a Scotch thistle, 7 feet II inches, with 238 proportionate flowers. A new lead mine of unusual richness has been opened on the surface of the earth near Winster, in Derbyshire. The Diorama in Regent's Park was on Tuesday sold by auction for £6750. An entire cargo of filberts, consisting of 2,260 baskets, was imported into London, on Monday, from Rotterdam. There are at this moment 700 houses and shops unte nanted in the parish of St. Mary's, Nottingham. The loss of property during the late storm on the east coast of Scotland, amounts to £23,000. PUNISHMENT OF A GARDEN ROBBER.—At Darling ton, last week, a boy was ordered to be privately flogged for plundering a garden. SHOCKING DEATH.—On Monday, William Pitter, a marriep man, with a family of eight children, at Odiham, was gored to death by a two-year-old bull, in a field. " The Stowe effects," it is calculated, cost the Bucking ham family £ 250,000. They are expected to realize about £lOO,OOO. The Builder states that American potash made into a thin paste, and laid on with a brush will take stains out of marble, except oil, the removal of which is doubtful. The venerable church of Llanfrynach, near Cowbridge, having been to a considerable extent restored, was re opened for divine worship (aito - a lapse of one hundred and fifty years or more) on Sunday, the 27th Ult. ROYAL YACHT SQOADEOI.I.—The Earl of Wilton was elected Commodore of this club at a meeting held at Cowes last week in room of the Marquis of Donegal, who has resigned. A LIGHT WEIGHT.—George Brown, whose riding was greatly praised at the late Goodwood Meeting, has been engaged by Colonel Peel. His lowest riding weight is 4st. 10th. Lieutenant Waghorn has been voted a sum of £1.500, in consideration for his services in ascertaining the prac ticability of the route, vid Alexandria, for the conveyance of the Indian mail. Before Trinity College church, Edinburgh, was taken down to make room for a railway station, every stone was numbered and the building was daguerreotyped, that it may be rebuilt in some other part of the city. Some " cannie Scotchmen" are about to try " to turn a penny" in a new way through the present royal visit to Scotland—namely, by publishing a daily newspaper, to be called " The Balmoral Gazette and Highland Herald." Five of the soldiers apprehended for raising a disturb ance in Edinburgh, have been sentenced to terms of im prisonment varying from forty to sixty days. Two others were fined two guineas; in default of payment, to be im prisoned thirty days. Smithfield Market is about to be enlarged by the re moval of the entire clump of buildings extending along the north-east side of Long-lane to Charterhouse-lane. Of the Bell Tavern, and the extensive premises attached, the Markets Committee have already obtained possession, and the demolition of the houses will commence early next week. This is the second addition to the space within the last two years. A pea, which had accidentally taken root among the cabbages in a garden at Appleby, was found to have pro- 1 duced 108 full pods, thus giving, at an average of five peas in each pod, a return of 540 for one. As a lady was playing on a piano in Roxbury, a canary bird struck up and sang very loud, as if inspired by the lady's music. The bird sang with such z?al and force as to split its windpipe from top to bottom, and immediately died. DROWNED IN WlNE.—George Davis, aged 27, in the employ of Messrs. Bishop and Son, British wine-mer chants, Finsbury, was found, on Tuesday last, drowned in a raisin wine vat. It was supposed that he had com mitted suicide in consequence of domestic troubles. A statue of the late Marquess of Londonderry is now being executed in marble by Mr. Evan Thomas, the sculptor, which it is intended to place over the late mar quess's tomb in Westminster Abbey by the side of his great rival and contemporary statesman, Canning. At a meeting of the Moravian Missionary Society at Birmingham last week one of the speakers said that two years ago the field negroes of Antigua contributed, in col lections after sermons, no less a sum than £144 sterling for the relief of the starving Irish. Mary Hardwicke. a married woman, aged eighteen, de scribed as quite a girl in appearance, is in custody at Leeds, on a charge of having attempted to poison her husband by taking to him, while at his work a can of poisoned coffee. ESCAPE OF CONVICTS.—On Thursday night, after or during prayers, six convicts in the York hulk, moored off Gosport, effected their escape in a boat belonging to that ship, and got away steering up the harbour, where the boat was found next morning near Portchester Castle, about three miles from the dockyard. The Darlington Times reports the laying of the first stone of a Roman Catholic chapel, at Wycliffe, (a pretty village on the Tees-side between Richmond and Greta bridge, Yorkshire), the birth-place of Wycliffe, the ear liest or at any rate the most famous of the early English religious reformers. A fatal accident occurred at University Hall, near Gower-street, London, on Saturday. Four workmen, by some defect in the scaffolding, were thrown to the ground. One was killed on the spot ; another was, it is feared, fatally injured ; whilst the third and fourth were severely hurt. At the wedding of Mr. E. B. Roche, M.P., to Miss Boothby, which was performed last week at Twyford Abbey, Middlesex, the bridesmaids, in compliance with sn old charm for insuring good luck, threw a farewell shower of old white satin shoes after the carriage in which the pair took their departure. Last week, Mr. Goold and his nephew, Master Gore, son of Sir R. G. Booth, Bart. Lissadell, went out in a small row boat to the channel at Boyle, where the boat upset and Mr. Goold perished. Master Gore struggled in the element till rescued by a fishing yawl, whose crew witnessed the catastrophe. MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—On Friday night, as the steam-boat London Pride was passing Brook's wharf, on the Thames, a female passenger, named Ann Tranham, took up her child, apparently about five years of age, and jumped into the river. A waterman rescued the woman, but the child was lost. UNPOPULARITY or THE POPE.—In the drawing-room of an Italian gentleman, residing in London, where many of his countrymen are in the habit of meeting every week, was a statue of the Pope. At the last meeting of the Italians the head of this statue was removed, and there was substituted for it the head of a boar ! DEATH OF COLONEL BAlRD.—Colonel Baird, the gal lant officer who was injured at the recent accident on the London and North-Western Railway at Newton-bridge, expired on Tuesday morning. At the time of his decease Colonel Baird was attended by Colonel Nicols, his sister, and several other attached friends. In the parish of St. Clement Danes, London, a num ber of humane ladies have generously undertaken to im part instruction in reading and writing, every Monday evening, from seven to nine o'clock, to females upwards of twenty years of age. The court-room of the vestry house has been kindly placed at their disposal for this purpose. THE LEEDS SHARE MARKET.—We are informed that at one meeting on the Leeds Stock Exchange this week, the whole value of the stock and shares bought and sold amounted to less than eight pounds. In 1845, when the members of the Exchange were crowded into a small room, transactions of more than as many thousand pounds were daily entered into. What a contrast !—Leeds Mercury. THE RIOTS AT DONCASTER.-0a Saturday, the trial of the railway labourers who had maltreated some Irish reapers in the neighbourhood of Doncaster, some time ago, took place at the West Riding sessions, at Sheffield. After a short hearing, the magistrates, considering the affair only as a drunken row, discharged several alto gtther, and passed sentences of three or four months' im prisonment on the remainder. REFUSING INTERMENT.—OD Saturday a communica tion was received at Lloyd's, stating that one of the crew of the Helen, Captain Easter, having died from cholera, on Southwold. Kent, the master took the body ashore for interment ; the authorities, however, ascertaining that the man had died of cholera, positively refused to allow the body to be buried, and the crew consigned their de ceasd shipmate to the deep. A Shropshire lady lately went before breakfast to take a walk, and after proceeding for a considerable distance along a public road, met one of her husband's labourers, who astounded her by asking her if she knew that she was without a bonnet. The lady immediately raised her hand to her head, and discovered to her confusion that she had indeed forgotten to put on a bonnet, although she wore a ruche, and carried a parasol. One hundred and fifty surgeons, chemists, and druggists of the eastern and various other localities of the metropo lis, with a view to abridge the general hours of business on the Sabbath day, commenced on Sunday last between the hours of eleven in the forenoon and six in the even ing, to keep their shops closed, and during that period to supply nothing but what may be urgently required in case of sudden indisposition, or under professional direction. DERBY-SWEEPS ADVERTISEMENTS.—At a petty ses sions for the district of St. Anne's, Westminster, on Saturday, both the magistrates, Mr. Whiskin and Mr. Rose, whilst disapproving of these lotteries generally, condemned the Attorney-General's plan of declaring the publication of advertisements respecting them to be illegal, while the sweeps themselves were left untouched. They thought that such an unjust system would rather aggravate than diminish the evil. EMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA.—There were 200 young women embarked last week in the Shannon steamer for Plymouth, en route to South Australia, under the charge of officers appointed by the Poor-Law Commissioners. They will be sent out free, and are comfortably clothed, and provided with suitable necessaries for the voyage. They have been selected from the union workhouses, principally in the north of Ireland ; and it is intended to extend this system of emigration.—Plymouth Times. Mr. Bailey, poulterer in Mount-street, details the large sums paid annually by London salesmen for poultry. He states that one salesman alone sold every year £lOO,OOO worth !—that he had himself paid £Bl,OOO in the course of the last year, and that £15,000 was received annually at Aylesbury for young ducklings ; but to this last item he added the somewhat humiliating fact, " that, in Bucks, the wives are in the habit of driving the children from the hearth that the ducklings might get the benefit of the fire." A GOOD CUSTOMER.—Last week, as Mr. Hylton's menagerie was entering Rhayader, Wales, the elephant was regaled at a baker's. He carefully " surveyed" the premises, and about two o'clock the next morning broke out of his temporary lodging—forced a way into the baker's shop—and in no time put out of sight fourteen quartern loaves. He then demolished the bottles con taining the sweetmeats ; and, but for the timely appear ance o the keeper, it is not known what freaks this huge beast would have committed before daylight. HIGH FLoons.—The river Towy has been much flooded, in consequence of the very heavy rain that has recently fallen. The flood has, we are sorry to say, done considerable damage, as very large quantities of valuable corn have been swept away, which has proved very ac ceptable to many of the fishermen in Carmarthen, who on Monday last might be seen in all directions collecting it. Some cattle also have been lost ; two cows and a calf were drowned, and a number of horses were nearly sac rificed close to Abergwilly Bridge. Some of them were floating about at the time they were extricated. Although the weather has taken a somewhat more fa vourable turn, the agricultural reports from the provinces continue to be of a satisfactory nature. In the midland counties the grain crops are all nearly secure, and the yield of wheat is stated to be much better than was ex pected a week ago. The oat crop is abundant, and the failure of the potato is represented as being only partial. Of the latter other accounts are not so cheering: but up on the whole there is no reason to suppose that the sup ply of food this year will not be very nearly equal to the last. PROPERTY OF THE EX-ROYAL FAMILY.—The mem bers of the Orleans Family have made several attempts to recover the effects which they left in the Tuilleries in Fe bruary. The ex-Queen has demanded a part of her ward robe, which was deposited in a private room. It has been sent to her, with the exception, it is said of some valuable lace, which has been cut from it and retained. No deci sion has yet been come to respecting the revenues of the Orleans family. The Government desired to sell wood for the liquidation of a part of the debts, to which Louis Philippe at first consented, but afterwards retracted. THE NATIONAL SOCIETY AND TIIE COMMITTEE Of Pawl( COUNCIL.—The Rev. G. A. Dennison says, it is generally understood that the negociatinns between the Committee of the National Society and the Committee of Council have failed principally, if not altogether, upon this point, that the local founders of schools shall, if they desire it, have their Bishop for arbiter upon all points whatsoever connected with the management of their schools, upon which a difference of opinion may exist among the members of the managing committee. This, t is understood, the Committee of Council have posi ively refused to accede to. THE SALE AT STOWE.—The sale of the collection of plate was continued on Wednesday. Lot 283, an eques trian statuette of the Duke of 'Wellington, designed by Cotterell, and executed by Gerrard, weighing 160 ounces, was bought by Mr. Rait, of Glasgow, at 13s. per ounce. Lot 323 was described as " Napoleon's Supper Tray." It consisted of a soup tureen, cover, and ewer , four dishes and covers round it forming a circle, with a classical frieze chased round the edges. With it were sold eight plates. and six knives and forks, and the same quantity of spoons, the whole being described to weigh about 360 ounces. The lot was put up at Ios. per oz., and sold at 255. per oz. Lot 326, " a superb chalice and cover," as described in the catalogue—in reality, the christening cup of the pre sent Marquis of Chandos. This lot was bought by a gen tleman named Harvey at 38s. per ounce, it is understood with the view of restoring it to the family. The whole of the plate sold for considerably more than it could have originally cost, some of the silver gilt articles realising as much as 40s. and 455. per ounce. The " Chandos Testimonial" was bought in at the auctioneer's valua tion, £772, to be re-presented to the duke's family. ROBBERY OF Two THOUSAND SOVEREIGNS. On Tuesday afternoon last a strong deal box, about eight in ches square, and iron-hound, containing 2000 sovereigns, was sent from the firm of Messrs. Praed and Co., Fleet street, London, addressed to Tweedy and Co., bankers, Truro. Cornwall. It was forwarded, in the first instance, to Chaplin and Horne's offices, Swan with Two Necks, Lad-lane, to be by them conveyed to the Paddington station. On the next morning a box which was sent by the mail train, directed as above, was received at the esta blishment of Messrs. Tweedy and Co., and, on its being opened, it was found to contain nothing more than a quantity of melted pewter and other rubbish. The box was of somewhat larger dimensions than the one sent from Praed's, but the address was a very good imitation of that on the original. His Grace the Duke of Rutland has been entertaining a distinguished shooting party at Longshaw Lodge, Derby shire. The following is a list of the number of grouse bagged each day :—Saturday, August 19, Lord Stanley, 39 brace ; Lord Forrester, 26 ; Lord Southampton, 14 ; Lord George Manners, 24. Monday, 28th, Duke of Rut land, 17; Lord Granby, 10; Lord George Manners, 21. Saturday, September 2, Lord Granby, 20 ; Lord George Manners, 25 ; Mr. P. Grant, 14. Monday 4th, Duke of Rutland, 9; Mr. Drummond, 23; Lord Granby 22 ; Lord George Manners, 21. The birds, we understand, are strong on the wing, and the above score may be con sidered good shooting. A CLEVER CHECKMATE.—In the famous '45 the Bank of England attempted a mean but unsuccessful trick upon her rival, Child's, by collecting about half a million of their receipts, and sending them in at a single blow. The wary bankers, however, had got scent of the plot, and were provided with a check upon the enemy for £700,000, drawn by the celebrated Duchess of Marlborough. When the notes were presented in a great bag they were examin ed singly, to give time for the check to be cashed in Threadneedle-street, and the malicious old lady was then paid in her own notes, which chancing at that time to be at a considerable discount, a large sum was made by Child's by the transaction. — Globe. A MODEL LODGING-HOUSE.—On Saturday a lodging house for clerks and the superior class of mechanics was opened under the auspices of the Society for improving the condition of the labouring classes, in Old Compton street, Soho, London. The premises contain 136 sleep ing apartments, divided into two distinct classes—the first class paying 3s, 6d., and the second 2s. 6d. per week — each having distinct entrances, and separate coffee and refreshment rooms, baths, and lavatories. The inmates for the above payment, in addition to all domestic con veniences, are supplied with the use of the daily news papers, magazines, and a library. It is called the St. Ann's Lodging-houses. Worcester Musical Festival opened on Tuesday, with a brilliant assemblage of rank, fashion, and beauty. The gates of the cathedral were besieged at an early hour by eager crowds, and at the opening of the morning service, the scene in the nave of this beautiful and venerable cathedral was most imposing. It was found, after col lecting the tickets, no money being taken at the doors, that upwards of 1,500 persons were in attendance. Last meeting (1845) the attendance on the first morning was between 800 and 900. On the second day there were upwards of 1,100 persons in the Cathedral, and the col lection at the doors was £283. The concert in the evening was attended by upwards of 600 persons. THREE GUN ACCIDENTS.—We have this week to record three painful accidents from guns going off, two of them fatal upon the spot, and the other expected to be fatal also. The first was that of Mr. John Howell, farmer, near Cowbridge. whose gun exploded on Saturday, and who was found sitting under a hedge quite dead. The second was that of Mr. John Evans, of Penaland Farm, who was accidentally killed by his gun going off whilst he was shooting birds in a wheat-piece. He had only been married for a week. The third was the case of Mrs. Simpson, the wife of a carpenter at Longford, who walk ingtbehind her husband accidentally received the contents of the gun which he carried. There are slight hopes of recovery.—Hereford Journal. SHOCKING TRAGEDY.—During the past week an oc currence of a most tragical character took place at Earith, Norfolk. A waterman of the name of Metcalf was on board his barge, and with him his two sons. Being in a state of intoxication, he quarrelled with both sons, and in his rage broke the arm of one and severely injured the hand of the other. Seeing the savage excitement of their father, they both, to escape his violence. jumped over board, when, after some difficulty, one of the sons reached the shore, and on looking for his brother saw him strug gling and apparently drowning. Notwithstanding his own narrow escape, he threw himself into the water to attempt his brother's rescue ; but in the heroic effort both were unhappily drowned. THE ESSEX POISONINGS.—A verdict of wilful murder has been returned against Hannah Southgate, charged at Thorpe with poisoning her first husband, Thomas Ham. The accused was the intimate friend of Mary May, recently executed for murder, and the suspicion is that the two women were engaged in more than one of the poisoning cases which have disgraced this country. The verdict was delivered late on Monday even ng, and upon hearing it the prisoner exclaimed, " I am innocent, gentlemen, of the crime," and exhibited great composure. She was imme diately removed, and conveyed by the train to the Che:ini i ford county gaol. It is said that application will be made to the Secretary of State to authoase further examinations of bodies of parties suspected to have been poisoned in the neighbourhoods of Dover-court, Bradfield, Tendering, and Ramsey. ATROCIOUS CRUELTY.—Sorne days back at Soham, a horse harnessed to a waggon heavily laden with wheat, was unable to remove it. The owner flogged and coaxed and kicked, but it was all to no purpose, for the poor beast was unable to pull the load ; not to be foiled, how ever, the two-legged beast who owned the horse took two of the wheat sheaves from the load, placed them under the horse, and by way of making him move, absolutely, and with wicked cruelty, set fire to the straw, which in stantly blazed up and caused excruciating pain to the poor animal, which kicked and plunged in a most desperate manner, but was totally unable to move the load, and it Was some time before persons could get near to extricate him because of the flame and smoke, and indeed it re quired great efforts to save the waggon and its load from total destruction. The poor horse, supposed to have been worth £3O, was shockingly burnt, and although he has been well attended since he is never likely to be again worth as many shillings.—Essex Herald. NEW REGULATIONS FOR STEAM-BOATS.—The act of Parliament for the further regulation of steam-navigation, and for limiting in certain cases the number of passengers to be carried in steam-vessels (11 and 12 Victoria, cap. 81), is now in force, having received the Royal assent on the 31st ult. Two certificates must now be forwarded to the Board of Trade respecting steam-vessels as to their condition, whether they proceed to sea or not, under the 9th and 10th Victoria, cap. 100. To prevent the over crowding of steam-boats the Board of Trade may insert in a certificate granted by them a notice of the number of passengers steam-vessels are constructed to carry, and for every passenger beyond the limit a fine of not exceeding ss. is to be imposed. A certificate of the number to be carried is to be exhibited in a conspicuous part of every vessel under a penalty of £lO ; and persons, having been refused admission on account of a vessel being full, forcing their way on board are to be fined a sum not exceeding 55., with a like penalty on persons refusing or neglecting to pay their fares or to quit a vessel. This act, which will no doubt prevent a recurrence of the scenes recently witnessed on the Thames, is not to affect the privileges of the city of London. The Board of Trade will limit the number of passengers to each boat in a short time, as by the first provision all owners are directed to transmit the certificates required by the recited act on or before the 20th of September inst. USEFUL APPLICATION OF DISEASED POTATOES. — Since the recurrence of the potatoe-disease, those who visit the cottages of the poor may often see a pan-full of potatoes, partially decayed, cut up into a small compass, in preparing for the daily meal, and where no pig is kept, the refuse thrown away as utterly worthless. It might, therefore, preserve many a bushel for a useful purpose, if the visitor would inform the busy housewife that Quanti ties of arrow-root might be preserved for her winter store by a simple process, almost as easy as cutting up a large bucket-full of potatoes into the space of a small boiling pot, and certainly more profitable. She is doubtless already provided with a large earthenware pan, and per haps a very coarse cloth, of sufficient size to rest on the rim, and dip, like a bag, into it. The only addition to the required apparatus is a small she.st of thin iron, pierced through with a strong nail like a grater ; with the help of this, she can grate and macerate the diseased potatoes, previously pared, into a mass of pulp, which the cloth receives in the pan, nearly full of water. The gluten will soon pass through, and the water being thrown away, she will find it in lumps at the bottom of the pan. In order to render the arrow-root of a fine quality, she should pour water on it again, and stir it well up. After a quar ter of an hour, she must again throw away the water, and dry the arrow-root in the sun, or by the fire. One pound of this added to a peck of flour will make an extra loaf. The pulp, when thoroughly dried, will keep any length of time, and if ground has the appearance of brown meal, and would form a valuable adjunct to the wash-trough, should she be fortunate enough to possess a tenant in the adjoining stye.—[We have seen specimens both of the brown meal and the arrow-root, and they appear to be excellent.]—Hereford Journal. DEEP SEA FISHING.—The Aberdeen Herald says— " We may hope that the devastating storm which visited this coast on Saturday week will leave other traces besides wailings for loss of life, and lamentations for wreck of property. A powerful joint-stock company introducing decked vessels, paying marked attention to barometrical indications of foul weather, and enforcing the use of life preservers, would soon have their example widely followed ; and, besides being thus the means of greatly reducing the risk of life, they might, under judicious mercantile ma nagement, and by taking full advantage of the increased facilities of communication with the interior of the coun try, exhibit a degree of activity in their trade, and an amount of profit on their investments, which, of them selves, independent altogether of the inducement offered to other parties, would prove a great national benefit. That the attempt to improve the condition of our fishing population must be made from above or without will be evident to every person who knows anything of their situation, character, and disposition. They have not means to build a better class of sea-boats ; and if they had, they would not use them. To provide themselves with life-preservers, or any other contrivance for securing a chance of escape in case of wreck, they never think of. Although constantly on the sea, hardly one of them can swim ; and it has been remarked, as a piece of increasing ingenuity, that in the late storm some few of them seized the bladders used for buoying up the nets, and rode ashore with them. As for the barometer , so far from consulting it, they actually dislike it. One of them lately remarked, in reference to the one at the port of Aberdeen, that there never bad been good weather since it was put up ! In everything else they are equally prejudiced and bigoted, and nothing short of coercion, or some influence neariy approaching to it, is likely to drive them from their self injurious and suicidal habits." EXTENSIVE ROBBERIES. —On Thursday information was received by the police of the following robberies : From Mr. E. L. Batt. 15, Parliament-street, London, a bill of exchange for £15,000 ; from Mr. Higgins, the Ship Inn, St. Katharine-hill, Guildford, three bags, one con taining 100 sovereigns, another 15. the third £37 in silver; from Mr. Lewis, 18, Duke-street, Piccadilly, a box con trifling jewellery, &c., value £l4O ; from 24, Lloyd's square, Clerkenwell, eighteen £5 and one £lO Bank of England notes, and a quantity of plate. jewellery, &c. ; from Roberts and Ruby, auctioneers, Moorgatelstreet, £270 in gold and a £lO note. ARCTIC EXPEDITION.—We have received some little information as to the voyage undertaken by Sir James C. Ross to ascertain, if possible, the fate of Sir J. Franklin and his party, through the arrival at Stromness, on Tues day, of a Hull vessel, the cutter Bee, Captain Weldon, which went out for cod fish, and has returned with 8,000. From the log-book of the Bee our correspondent copied the following intelligence :—" July 16. Spoke the schooner Mayflower, Smith. who had seen the American whaler M`Lellan, of New London, Jackson master, with 40 tons of oil. The American reports Her Majesty's ships, under Sir J. C. Ross, as having reached Lieveley, Disco Island, on the 2d inst., all well and Captain Ross had left de spatches for the Admiralty, to be forwarded by the first Danish vessel for Europe, and that Captain Rossimmedi ately proceeded in search of his friend Sir John Franklin. The crews were all well." Slender as this intelligence is, it is gratifying, as indicating the success which had up to that time attended the expedition of discovery. Disco Island lies on the west coast of Greenland, at the entrance to Baffin's Bay, near 70 degrees of latitude. It is a dreary spot, with scarcely any vegetation, and inhabited princi pally by reindeer. The bay of that name is extensive, being about 160 miles in circuit. A voyage of five or six degrees farther north will lead to Barrow's Straits, and those regions where intelligence of Sir John Franklin is most likely to be procured. The circumstances under which Sir James undertook his exploratory adventure were most favourable. The two ships, the Enterprise, of 470 tons, and the Investigator, of 420, were b u ilt as s t r ong ias wood and ron could make them, w ith d ue regar d to their sailing qualities. They are larger and more elegant in appearance than the Erebus and the Terror, which were fitted with screws, worked by steam under high pressure. The disadvantages resulting from this plan were obvious, the most valuable portion of the vessel being occupied with cumbrous machinery. In the pre sent expedition these inconveniences are avoided. 10 each ship is attached a launch boat, fitted with a screw propeller ; and these boats are so constructed as to be easily stowed amidships; whilst the steam machinery, which is light and portable, occupies but little room, and can be shipped and unshipped in a very short space of time. The intention of the launches was for the double purpose of being serviceable in towing the vessels and in exploring open seas during a dead calm. The ships were fully provisioned for three years, and amply supplied with instruments for rnagnetical and meteorological observa tions.—Edinburgh Advertiser. LAW .INTELLIGEYCE. A WEALTHY PETITIONER.—A petition has just been filed under the Debtor and Creditor Arrangement Act, to obtain protection of the Court of Bankrupt c y, by M r . J. Fitzgerald, of Portland-place, Regent's-park, the Oak Lodge, Leamington, Brighton, and other places. The debts of the petitioner exceed the enormous sum of £133,000, and his application to Mr. Commissioner Fane is attributed to water having got into his mines at Pendle ton, in Lancashire, and involved him in very serious losses. His proposition to creditors, i n liquidation of his debts, is to pay £6,000 per year, secured upon the as signment of the Pendleton mines, the machinery, work ing utensils, &c., until the whole of his debts are satisfied, and in case of his death then his widow, Mrs. Mary Frances Fitzgerald, is to continue an annual payment of £4,000. Several of the creditors' debts average above £10,000: but upon the first meeting under the petition a sufficient majority of the creditors acceded to the propo sition, and the learned Commissioner awarded Mr. Fitz gerald protection from arrest. The petition has been filed under what is commonly known as Lord Brougham's Debtor and Creditor Arrangement Act, and before an applicant to the Court of Bankruptcy can obtain protec tion, he must get three-fifths of the creditors present at the first meeting and nine-tenths of his creditors at the second meeting before he obtains his final protection. RAILWAY AFFAIRS. Mr. George King has resigned the secretaryship of the Chester and Holyhead Railway. A. guard at the Crewe station was crossing the line on Saturday morning when a down-train, coming at a great speed, sum, k and killed him. An accident, which providentially was not attended with any serious consequences, occurred on Wednesday to Mr. Stephenson, at the Conway station of the Chester and Holyhead Railway. THE COLLISION ON THE LANCASTER AND PRESTON RAILWAY.—The jury in this inquiry, being unable to agree upon a verdict, were on Wednesday discharged by the Coroner upon entering into recognisances to appear at the next General Assizes. The South Devon Railway Company have determined to abandon the atmospheric system of traction, after having expended upwards of £300,000 in the experiments upon it. The system is too expensive. It costs £lOB to carry £lOO worth of passengers. The opening of that portion of the Great Northern Railway from Doncaster to Reedholme, in connexion with the Askern branch of the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole line, a portion of the scheme of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company, took place on Thursday last. The number of passengers, according to the return re. cently published, who have travelled by railway during the half-year ending on the 30th of June last, amounted to 26,330,492,—which is just about the population of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The report of the Manchester, Buxton and Matlock, after adverting feelingly to the death of the engineer of the company, Mr. G. Stephenson, declared that the di rectors would immediately authorize the works on the I•ne t, Rows ey, if approved of by the half-yearly meeting. No further call is to be made this year, and the arrears are to be strenuously enforced. A SAD PROSPECT.—The Irish railways present a me.. lancholy spectacle for the shareholders. At the Water ford and Limerick meeting, a resolution was passed to discontinue the payment of 4 per cent. on anticipated calls, the chairman sagely observing that the line, when completed, would only yield 11 per cent.: 10,000 shares were declared forfeit.— one-fifty of the capital. Lucky fellows those—too poor to pay! It is said that the total arrears of unpaid calls, in the kingdom amounts to some nine millions. a great portion of which may be considered worth nothing. LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER, AND NEWCASTLE JUNC TION RAILWAY.—At a meeting of shareholders in Man chester last week, a resolution was passed approving of Mr. Leeman's motion, because it was plain and open ; while Mr. Parson's was cautious worded and uncertain ; and a committee, consisting of Mr. John A. Hobson, Mr. Henry Rawson, and Mr. Peel, was appointed to assist in carrying the same into effect. A second resolution was passed to the following effect :—" That this meeting views with great alarm the proposal of the directors to make yee F i n s t p chu e e c r i rd a ei l dr l e y ci c nt o o r n t sh s i te d o e r r fe i oc n re g engt t o h f u e atni g lye r . e spu a r t cohe Nv ea a e: s p t i e hn cag o s another speculative application to parliament in the en f g pledges itself to use every means in its pa s m u no o i dw n il e g t e y i ts. session, n.l r i e ne a de d n r o tion." A third resolution besought the shareholders to co-operate in procuring a division of the funds and pre venting any further unnecessary expenditure, and that each be requested to express his assent to or dissent from Mr. Leeman's resolutions. The greatest earnestness of pur pose marked the proceedings. MORE RAILWAY COLLISIONS.—On Tuesday morning, on the London and North Western line, two collisions took place at Leighton station, by which not less thsn fifty persons have sustained injuries of a more or less serious character. Upon the Rugby train reaching Leighton there stood on the line a number of ballast trucks, headed by a powerful engine. From some cause or other, this train was not moved out of the way, and the engine of the Rugby train struck the hindermost truck, by which it was smashed, the carriages being forced com pletely across the line, and several of them broken to places. Many of the passengers have been much injured, some being wedged in the carriages, and others lying underneath them. The driver of the mail train was thrown to a considerable distance from the line. Jnst at this critical juncture (shortly after three o'clock, a.m.) the Manchester and Liverpool train came up, and from some cause or other, it was not stopped, and the engine ran into the train lying across the line. The effect of this second collision was to throw the engine and tender of the mail trail across the down, and to crush several of the succeeding carriages. The driver and stoker had a narrow escape. The former was severely injured, and is now lying at Leighton ; but the stoker appears to have been thrown by the concussion completely over the ruins of the broken carriages and waggons—described by an eye-witness to have been between twenty and thirty feet high—on to the embankment on the down line, where he alighted corn paritively unhurt. The passengers in the train all suf fered more or less, but no injuries beyond a few cuts and bruises appear to have been sustained. THE LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY COM PANY.—The half-yearly accounts were presented at the half-yearly meeting on Wednesday. The total amount received to the capital account, up to the present time, is £8,448,579 ; the total sum expended is £8,242,627 ; leaving a balance in hand of £205,951. £645,010 have been expended on capital account in the last half year, the principal items in which are £68,692, for stock in land and works ; £38,488 for locomotive engines, carriages, waggons, workshop, &c. ; £46.715 for the Burnley Branch, £29,495 for the Heywood Extension ; £21,769 for the Ardwick Junction ; £97,582 for the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole ; £168,625 for the Liverpool and Bury ; £38,830 for the Huddersfield and Sheffield ; and £108,497 for the West Riding Union Lines. The amounts received on revenue account during the last half-year were :—For passengers, parcels, and mails, £77,907 ; goods, £95,540; live stock, £641 ; carriages, £196 ; rents, £978 ; total, £175,624. The expenditure was :—For working expenses, £66,546 ; rates and taxes, £4926 ; duty on passengers, £2015 ; total, £74,488 ; leaving a balance on the half year, applicable to interest on loans and to dividend, of £100,775. To this must be added £13,279, the surplus brought forward for the half-year ending December 31st, 1847 ; and from the total so obtained must be deducted £20,353, interest on loans for the half-year ; leaving a net sum applicable to the payment of dividend of £93,702. Of this sum, the directors purpose to divide £89,985 among the shareholders, at the rate of six per cent. per annum, leaving, at the expiration of the half-year, and after the payment of dividends, a surplus in the hands of the company of only 4,716. The report was adopted. herine as ter' an d o d a lane• 410' atii el wer e le i e ,lice"