The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-04 00:00:00

-ttcratttre. POETRY. WHERE IS HE NOW? Written on hearing of the death of the Hon. R. B. Wilbraham, late :11.1' for Souch Lancashire. BY THE AUTHOR OF " THE ISLES ARE AWAKE." ! heard ye that knell ns it boomed on the ear, And saw ye the mourners round Wilbraham's bier ! What a change from the day, when—cis.tusted at length With the self-styled Reform rs—ye rose in your strength And called upon him, as a leader, to burst The fetters ye wore. and had vaunted at first ; When he came at your call, and with pleasure and pride Conducted your battle at Egerton's side ! How bright was the wreath that ye placed on his brow ! How proudly he bore it !—and where is he now ? St. Stephen's had advocates noisier by far, More fond of, more skilled in, the long wordy war, But none more distinguished for high-minded zeal In all that affected his native land's weal, And none of more deep and continuous thought To trace the right line, and to prom the right vote. He chi= to a arty, but that w s, he saw The party of old Englis:i order and law; His promise was sacred, his word was a vow; Ye loved him, ye tru3ted.—And where is he now Ye feel—hut your sorrowing time must be brief, Your sympathy checked e'en with Skelmersdale's grief, Though the light of his house and his name is extinct, And the brilliant chain broken by wh ch ye were linked I A duty is yours to perform, that will show Respect for the de ,d more availing than woe ; Choose a man to ins PRINCIPLES zealously true, One worthy of Egerton—worthy of you — And ye pay the best tribute your fortunes allow To Wilbraham—Ah! no—not iVilbraham now I THE WATER-DRINKER. (AS RECITED BY PROFESSOR GREENBANK.) Oh! water for me !—bri_Ait water for me, And wine for the tremulous debauchee I It cooleth the brow, it cooleth the brain, It rnaketh the faint one strong again , It comes o'er the sense like a breeze from the sea, All freshness, like infant purity. Oh ! water, b 'gilt water. for me. for me ! Give wine, give wine to the debaucher ! Fill to the brim Fill, fill to the brim! Let the flowing chrystal hiss the rim ! For my hand is steady, my eye is true ; For I, like the Howe s, drink nought but dew. Oh! water, bright water's a mine of wealth, And the ores it yieldeth are vigour and health So water, pure water for me, for me ! And wine for the tremulous debauchee! Fill again to the brim! again to the brim! For water strenetheneth life and limb : To the days of the aged it addeth length ; To the might of the sarong it addeth strength; It freshens the heart, it Mightens the sight, 'Tis like qu .fling a goblet of morning light. So, ,ater, I will drink nought but thee, Thou parent of IF.alth and energy ! When o'er the hills, like a gladsome bri•'e, Morning wales forth in her be,uty's pride, An I, leading a band of laughim,- hours, Brushes the dew from the nodding flowers; Oh! cheerily then my voi e is heard, Mingling with t at of the soaring bird, Who flingeth abroad his matins loud, As he freshens his wing in the cold, gray cloud. But when Evening has quitted her sheltering yew, Drowsily flying and weaving anew Her dusky meshes o'er land and sea — How gently, 0 sleep. till thy poppies on me ! For I drink water, pure, cold, and bright. And my dreams are of heaven, the livelong night. $o hurrah for thee, Water ! hurrah. hurrah 1 Thou art silver and gold, thou art ribanu and star : Hurrah for bright Water ! W ter ! llurrah, hurrah ! NOTICES. Blackwood's Edinburgh 2tlagazine. We do not remember to have perused a more interest ing number of this well-conducted periodical than that for the present month, whether as regards articles of a literary and amusing or of a political and instructive character. The first paper, " Traditions and Tales of Upper Lusatia," besides a curious disquisition on " Fairies." in every Eu ropean country, contains a number of traditions, each con veying a moral, we have introduced for the first time to the English reader in these pages, " The Fairies Sab bath," or the story of the beautiful and virtuous " Maud," the stonemasons daughter of Lusatian Mountains, by Ernst Willkomm, an elegant German writer, a well-told and truly beautiful legend. In the next article, " The Diligence," there is an affecting story of a widow lady in France, and another of a deserted wife—further illustra tions of the mysteries of life in Paris. The paper " Who wrote Gil Bias?" is learned, but somewhat lengthy. The able writer sets the question at rest, proving (to our satis faction, at least) that Le Sage was not the author of that celebrated novel, but that he merely compiled and ar ranged it from one or more Soanish NI.SS., of which he had obtained possession. The most important article is, we think, that entitled " Atrica—Slave Trade—Tropical Colonies." In this the author (Mr. M'Queen) describes, from the best recent authorities, that large and prolific portion of the African continent, south of Abysinnia and Sea of Bab-el Mandeb, (from the equater to 13° north latitude, and extending from the coast Ajan far to the westward,) describing the several countries and tribes, rivers, productions, &c. He arrives at the valuable con clusion that much cif this territory may be made available for British enterprise, not only to the advancement of our commerce to a high degree, but by civilising and christi anising of the natives in their own country, be the surest means of abolishing the slave trade. We strongly recom mend a perusal of the valuable facts and suggestions of this valuable writer. The "Narration cf certain Uncom mon Things that did formerly happen to me, Herbert Willis, 8.D.," is a well wreught narrative of strange events connected with, and immediately preceding, the Revolution of MSS. It is told with delightful simplicity. and the characters and incidents are full of the deep and spirit-stirr'ng interest of romance. We have also a re view of Captain Jesse's, " 1 he Life of George Brurnmell, Esq.," (otherwise " Bean Biummell,") embodying, we should think, the very pith and marrow of that able and entertaining piece of biography. " The Actual Condition of the Greek State," at the end of the number, gives a full account of the revolutionary movements in Greece in Septeml - er last, by which that weak monarch, Otho, was compelled to accede to his subj-cts the long-promised constitutiun. The author points out the principal barrier to the prosperity of that country—the inadequate nature of the tenure of the land, and the iniquitous manner in which it is taxed ; and paints out by what steps, through the measures that may be taken by Great Britain and France, the evil may be removed. There are some other good pipers in this number, as well as two admirable pieces of poetry by B. Simmons, but we have not room to particularise. We shall furnish some extracts next week. An Address on the Position of the Jews in Great Bri tain, with reference to their Literary, Political, Civil, and Religious o,nditif,n. By MOSES SAMUEL, of Liverpool. The author of this pamphlet, which is written in a spi rit of kindlinf•ss to all denominations of Christians,-is an enthusiastic adoMrer of Hebrew literature and after no ticing the gratifying efforts now being made by hisbrethren in various pans of the continent of Europe to revive and cultivate the works of ancient Hebrew poets, historians, and philosophers, strongly urges upon his fellow-Israelites in England similar rff.rts to promote and cultivate He brew and Rab!)iniral learning. " I hope," he states, "to see this Jewish and philanthropic feeling manifested amongst cur brethren in Greet Britain ; that Jewish or • thodox periodicals will be properly patronised with money and talent. I heed not who may be your editors, and whether of weekly, monthly, or quarterly journals. En courage them ! By increasing the matter with versatile talent, see king for, and finding some, who may aid in your glorious cause of true reform and earnest regeneration, you w:11 increase the interest in your publications; and by increa-ing the consumption, you will have to offer them at low prices. Happy days, when the sons and daughters of Judah, after prayers and a cord .rtable repast on Sabbath, forgetting all trouble and anxiety, will read their own pe riodicals ; the composition of their own flock, breathing feeling in every line responded to by every Jewish heart. Hebrew poetry, Hebrew biography, Hebrew learned con troversy, Jewish history, pieces of Talmud copiously ex plained in good plain English, for the aid of students struggling with and stumbling over apparent obscurities, will, I hope. be comprised in our Jewish periodicals." The author, after urging his views on this point with much energy, states his regret that he is prevented at pre sent from contributing his quota to such a cause, owing to his being engaged in an elaborate work, of 1500 pages, the prospectus of which he purposes shortly to publish. lie next takes a view of the social and political position of the Jews in this country, which he considers capable of impr , vement, while he congratulates them on the recent kindly feeling manifested towards them by their Christian fellow-men in various parts. " The sun of liberty," he exclaims, " is dawning upon us, and may, with God's will, soon arrive at its meridian ; the genius, the integrity, and the philanthrophy of Hebrews being made manifest, must shake the prejudices of the world ; they will be considered as men and as fellow-citizens." He strongly approves of the introduction of English lectures into the Synagogue in Liverpool, which were commenced some few years ago, and have been attended with the hoppiest results, not only here, but by the example being followed in other towns, as well as in Jamaica, New York, &c. He thus alludes to the desire manifested to convert the Jews :—" I cannot conclude this letter upon our position in England, without adverting to the great desire manifested by some of our Christian friends to regenerate us according to their views —to convert us to their faith. I cannot but suppose that this proceeds from a good feeling, engendered by a con viction in their own minds of the truth of their doctrine, and a positive injunction contained in their charter, to preach up their mode of salvation to every soul through out the earth. Avoid polemics if you can • but if you are forced into the aren a o f controversy, argue mildly and patiently. We live amongst a stirring, an enlightened people, the Christians of Great Britain. Our entire si lence when questioned upon religion would be construed into ignorance, whilst a pushing, meddling, provoking fullness of zeal for controversy, would savour of presump tion." Remarks on the Efficacy of . Matieo, as a Styptic and Astringent. With addilicnal Cases, m o d e o f Ex nibi lion, 6(c. Second edition. By Thomas Jeffreys, M• • Longn.an and Co. , London ; Grapel, Liver p ool. The author of this second edition of a pamphlet, setting forth the valuab'e properties of the South American plant " Matico" or 6` Piper Augustifolium," states in his pre face that the favourable mariner in which his medical bre thren received the in!roluction of that perwerful vegetable stringent, made known to them through the medium of the " Transactions of the Provincial Medical and Surgi cal Association" in 1843, together with the pressing in treaty of those who have the sale of the article, and the results of further experience of the utility of the plant, not only in cases of haemorrhage, both externally and in ternally, but also in other diseases, where the usual reme dies have failed, " must be his apology for further tres passing upon the public." We think our author had no need even to hint an apology, for the work is one not only of great interest to the protession, but to the public generally. He further states in the course of some pre fatory remarks, that the manner of using the Matico, and the form prescribed, is of much importance, and that the simple washing of the bleeding vessels with a strong de coction has with him proved successful, when the leaf, the powder, and the tincture have failed, though aided by well directed mechanical pressure. He furnishes an extraor dinary instance, of spontaneous bleeding from the inner parts of the mouth, to such an extent as to endanger the life of the patient, which was stopped by holding the de coction in the mouth. We have, in this edition, besides the information formerly published, many valuable ad ditional remarks, together with a number of letters from medical men of eminence in this and other towns, bearing testimony to the efficacy of the plant in staunching every kind of bleeding, both external and internal—also (Erec tions for its use. It appears that the Matico has now become a regular article of import, but care should be taken that the genuine article is procured, as not only a spurious herb, but an inferior sort is sometimes offered. It is known by the Spaniards and South Americans as " Yerba Soldado," or " Soldiers Herb." The following is the account of its discovery given to our author by a mercantile friend who brought some of it from Peru : " A soldier, wounded in the field of battle, was left bleeding so profusely as to afford little or no hope of his surviving, The occurrence of syncope so far checked the haemorrhage as to revive him, and enabled him to perceive his threatened danger. He immediately exerted what little strength lie possessed to fill the wound with grass. and the leaves of a plant accidentally within his reach,* and the effects were so speedy and complete as to enable him to rise from the place where he fell ; and he survived to record the means which he supposed had saved his taco •, *The latter, upon examination, was found to be Matico. The Library of Travel. We have received Part 11. of this cheap and interesting work, and we find in it no relaxation in the zeal and in dustry of the editor, Mr. Walter K. Kelly, to accomplish the object with which he commenced his labours,—viz., " to collect from the writings of travellers in all European languages, the interesting matter now dispersed through a wilderness of volumes, and to methodise this matter, and recast it into such a form as shall make it available fur readers of limited means and leisure." He appears, in fact, nut only to select the works of the best writers and travellers, but to possess a peculiar aptitude for spreading before his readers the concentrated " honey of their deep research." The present number contains the continuation of " Syria and the Holy Land," and is re plete with interesting descriptive details of, and adven tures in, those highly interesting countries. We have here the " Route to Tripoli, and the Cedars" ; " Route from Tripoli to Latakiah" ; " Journey along the Heights of the Lebanon" ; " The Druses " ; " The Palace of Bteddin" ; " Route from Beyroot to Damascus," &c. ; the whole interspersed with neat illustrative wood engra vings. We shall probably give a few extracts in our next publication. SELECTIONS. FRENCH VANITY.—A very worthy agent sent to Texas, some years ago, by the French government, planned an excursion after Buffalo, directly into the hunting-grounds of the Camanches, to be accompanied only by two of his friends with servants. On being told of the certainty that be would be killed, her confidently remarked that he should carry the flag of France with him—the Camanches would never dare insult that I—Kendall's Narrative. CAPTURING WILD HORSES.—The Indians and Mexi cans have a way of capturing mustangs (wild horses) by running up on their fleetest and most untiring horses, and noosing them with the lariat. The white hunters have also a method, which is often successful, of taking the wild horses. It is called creasing, and is done by shoot ing them with a rifle ball upon particular cord or tendon in the neck, immediately under tl.e mane. If the ball takes effect precisely in the right spot, the animal falls be numbed, and without the power to move for several mi nutes, when he is easily secured. Should it strike too low, the horse is still able to run off, but eventually dies. —Kendall's Narrative of the Santa Fe Expedition. EASTERN POLITENESS. —An English gentleman is walking in the streets of Damascus, when up comes a re spectable-looking Turk, and slaps him on the breast; the Englishman, not knowing what to make of this, stares at the Turk, who seems quite disappointed at not receiving a return in kind for his civility. In the end it turns out that the blow was not meant for a❑ invitation to a pugilistic set-to, but as a friendly token of recognition, such as is very common throughout the East. Again, a traveller riding towards the ruins of Caesarea, sees two Arabs ad vancing in the opposite direction, mounted on very fine horses. As soon as they catch sight of him they raise their long spears in the air, and shouting " Yullah !" dash at him full tilt : he halts ; they circle round him at once, then wish him a happy journey, and ride on their way. — Library of Travel. CHINESE ICE HOUSES.—The ice-houses around Ning po, and especially on the banks of the river between that city and Chinhae, are beyond calculation. They are built above the ground, and generally upon a platform of earth raised so as to be above the level of the surrounding fields. Upon such a mound a bamboo frame is thrown which is well and closely thatched with paddy straw. The ice is collected in tanks or ponds which the proprietors of the ice-houses take care to keep duly filled with water during the winter season. When the ice is of sufficient thickness, they collect it ; and, as it is brought in, each layer is covered with dry straw, and in this manner the ice is pre served during the whole summer. Each house has its oven drain to draw off the water caused by the melting house. The article is not used in Ningpo for private consumption, but solely es an anticeptic for flesh and fish during the heats of summer. The inhabitants know noth ing of the mode of cooling their liquid, except as they have observed foreigners use it for that purpose, and then they are very willing to retail it to them at the rate of about eighty to one hundred cash per bucket, a charge by no means excessive during the dog days, In places like Foochow-foo, the seat of Chinese luxury, ice is occasio nally used to cool frui s, sweetmeats, &c.—Friend of China. ARABIAN TALE .—Subterranean streams are common in Syria, as in ma - ay other limestone regions, and there is no end to the tales related of them by the natives. As Lamartine was riding in Antilebanon, an Arab guide, who was trudging by his side, pointed out to him a distant lake, and told him the following story :—" Once upon a time there was a herdsman who tended the she-camels of a village situated on the borders of yonder lake, in a lonely tract of this lofty mountain. One day, when watering the herd, he perceived that the water of the lake escaped by a subterranean issue, and this he closed up with a large stone, but let his s . aff fall in while doing so. Some time after this a river dried up in a province of Persia. The Sultan, seeing his dominions threatened with famine for want of water to irrigate the land, consulted the sages of tl4 4 e em pire, and, in accordance with their advice, sent emissaries into all the neighbouring realms to discover how the source of his river had been diverted or dried up. These envoys carried with them the herdsman's staff, which was hurried away by the torrent : when they arrived in Damascus the herdsman happened to be there, and, recognising his own staff, he perceived that his lake was the source of the lost river, and that the wealth and the existence of a whoie people were in his hands. What will the Sultan do for the man who will restore him his lost river ?' said he to the envoys. He will give him,' they replied, his daughter and the half of his kingdom.' Go in peace, then,' rejoined the herdsman ; and before you reach home, the river shall again water Persia, and rejoice the heart of the Sultan.' rhen going up the mountain, he removed the great stone; the waters returned to their old course, and once more filled the bed of the river. The Sultan sent fresh envoys with his daughter to the fortu nate herdsman, and bestowed on him half his provinces.' " —Library of Travel. A FORTUNE ACQUIRED BY DRESSING SALAD. — In passing throw h Cologne I met a Breton gentleman, who made a good thing of it by becoming a traiteur. I might multiply examples of this kind to an indefinite extent; but I prefer relating, as more singular, the history of a Frenchman who acquired a fortune in London by his cle verness in making a salad. He was a Limousin, and, if n,y memory serves me rightly, called himself D'Aubignac or D'Albignac. Though his means were very small sub sequent to his emigration, he happened to dine, one day, at one of the most famous taverns of London. Whilst he was in the act of finishing a slice of juicy beef , five or six young men, of the first families, were regaling them selves at a neighbouring table. One among them stood up, and, addressing the Frenchman in a polite tone, said, " Sir, it is a general opinion that your nation excels in the art of making a salad, would you have the goodness to fa vour us by mixing one for us?" D'Albinac, after some hesitation, consented, asked for the necessary materals, and, having taken p ains to mix a perfect salad, had the good fortune to succeed. While the salad was in process of mixing, lie candidly answered all questions addressed to him on his situation and prospects, stated he was an emigrant, and confessed, not without a slight blush, that he received pecuniary a id from the British govern m e n t. It was this avowal, doub tless, which induced one of the young men to slip into his hand a five-pound note, which, after a slight resistance, he accepted. He gave the young men his address, and, some t.meaf ervvards, was not a little surprised to receive a letter, in which he was asked, in the politest terms, to come and dress a salad in one of the best houses in Grosvenor-square. D'Albignac, who began to have a distant glimmering of durable advantage, did not hesitate an instant, and arrived punctually, forti fied with some new ingredients destined to add new relish to his mixture. He had the good fortune to succeed a second time, and received, on this o ccasion, such a sum as he could not have refused withou t injuring himself in more ways than one. This second success made more noise than the first, so that the reputa tion of the emigrant quickly extended. He soon became known as the fashionable salad maker; and, in a country so much led by fashion, all that was elegant in the capital of i thethree kingdoms would have a salad made by him. D'Albgnac, like a man of sense, profited be - his poularity. He soon sported a vehicle in order the more readily to transport him from place to place, together with a livery servant, carrying in a mahogany case every thing necessary, such as differently perfumed vinegars, oils with or without the taste of fruit, soy, caviar, truffles, anchovies, ketchup gravy, and some yokes of eggs. Subsequently , h e caused similar cases to he manufactured, which he furnished and sold by hundreds. By degrees the salad dresser realized a fortune of 80,000 f. with which he ultimately returned to France.—Classiques de la Table. THE BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SIR,—In the Mercury of the 31st ult., appears the re port of the proceedings of the Birkenhead Commissioners at their meeting held on Tuesday last. Mr. William Jackson, the acting chairman, in the course of the obser vations he volunte ere d on the subject of the " Monk's Ferry Bill," after complaining " that it was rather grie vous to find that any individual in Birkenhead who had been benefitted by the improvements which had been going forward, should so far aid and abet the Corporation as to sign a petition against the bill ;" and exonerating Mr. Edward Willoughby, (for which gracious act of ie. demnity the exculpated petitioner is, as in duty bound, no doubt, most profoundly grateful,) continues—" he was indeed surprised when he found such men as Mr. Hughes, with several others, who had profited by the public im provements which had been made, puffing the township to the unnecessary additional expense in obtaining a mea sure so useful. What would be their reasons he knew not, but at the same time it was right the township should know who the individuals were. Mr. Bentham rose " to express his astonishment that his colleague should wonder at any thing that that n'entleman did." He sub sequently said, " I think the individual in question is like some others who long to do something to make themselves known. He concurred with the chairman that the names of the oppositionists should be known." I beg your par don for annoying you with this lengthy quotation. In my own defence I am warranted in conducting my own case in my own way. What may be the exact nature of the motives which have actuated Mr. Jackson to drag me from the privacy I court, into the van of the body of the subscribers by whom the obnoxious petition was signed ; although I am not perhaps at a loss to imagine it ; I will not stop to analyze. If it were his intention to mark and ticket and push me forth, as the victim at whose " devoted head" the fierceness of the indignation of the promoters of the " Monk's Ferry Bill" should be hurled, I can a' sure him that his motive is as paltry as his design will be fruit less. A residence of sixteen years in Birkenhead so far fortifies the in depending upon the character I have maintained, and the connection I have formed, that I am emboldened to despise the terrorless threats " of the little tyrant of the fields" whom I have had the temerity to withstand. There is a circumstance connected with the meeting of the commissioners at which this unprovoked outrage was hazarded, which I cannot forbear to notice. Mr. Jackscn is a liberal. In the course of the day on the evening of which he perpe trated this attack, he had been, no doubt, engaged in ex erting his influence to secure the return of Mr. William Brown, the " free-trade candidate," for the Southern Division of Lancashire. Stung with disappointment, and exhausted with the fatigues of an anxious canvass, he still continues to muster up sufficient energy to perpetrate, on a board from whose councils political discussion should be expelled, a gratuitous attack upon an obscure indivi dual, " the head and front of whose offending" was simply this—that " not having the fear of Jackson before his eyes." he had dared to exercise that prerogative for the possession of which Mr. Jackson, the canvasser, con= tended, and which Mr. Jackson, the chairman, forbids an opponent to enjoy. I merely protested against the inflic tion of a measure which my extended experience as a re sident of Birkenhead convinced me would be not merely useless but actually mischievous. In maintaining this opinion I was not singular. I, with others, have been guilty of the high crime and misdemeanour of questioning the policy of projectors, whose scheme I practically know will be futile—and that I have presumed to doubt the assumed patriotism of cer taM parties who are loud and lusty in self-laudations. As to assertions of " Friend Christopher Bentham," I am happy that I can afford to treat them with a recep tion with which he was never yet known to greet friend or foe—that is, laughter. I am content to reside in my own locality without as piring to,the notoriety which, although I do not court it, that distinguished brother of the " non-invading order" is determined to thrust upon me. He himself, " Friend Christopher," is confessedly a notorious man ; but rather than I would seek that particular sort of distinction which in a long career he has contrived to attain, I would sink myself into the insignificance of any of the unbought tea chests harmlessly deposited upon Christopher's shelves. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, ROBERT HUGHES. Birkenhead, June 1et,1844. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. THE DUKEDOM OF SUSSEX. HOUSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY, MAY 23. This being the day specially appointed for the " Com mittee of Privileges" to take into consideration the claim of Sir Augustus Frederick D'Este to the Dukedom of Sussex, every avenue leading to the House was crowded long before the hour fixed for the assembling of their lord ships. Not only were their lordships summoned, but the at tendance of the judges was also required. Soon after ten o'clock their lordships formed themselves into a committee. Among the peers present we noticed the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Lord Brougham, Lord Cottenham, Lord Campbell, Lord Lang dale, Lord Dinorben, Lord Auckland, Lord Redesdale, Lord Camoys, Lord Beaumont, Lord Strangford, Lord Sudeley, Lord Sondes, the Marquis of Normanby, and Lord Cloncurry. The judges were also in attendance. Sir Thomas Wilde, Mr. Erle, and Mr. James. Wilde appeared as counsel on behalf of the complainant ' • and the Attorney and Solicitor-Generals, together with Mr. Waddington, were for the Crown. As very much interest will naturally be felt in this re markable and extraordinary peerage claim, the following abstract of the case, and of the arguments upon which Sir Augustus D'Este's claim is founded, cannot but prove welcome to the public. The claimant first sets forth his pedigree as the son of the late Duke of Sussex and Lady Augusta Murray, and then recites the letters patent of the 27th of November, 42d Geo. 111., by which his Royal Highness Prince Augustus Frederick was created Baron of Arklov, Earl of Inverness, and Duke of Sussex, with a limitation to the heirs male of his body ; and adds, that he (the claimant) is the only male issue of the marriage celebrated at Rome, A.D. 1793, between his said late Royal Highness and Lady Augusta Murray, daughter of the Earl of Dunmore. The marriage took place without previous communication with George 111., and with the strictest secrecy ; but the fact soon became known. " The King (to use the language of the claimant's case) was dis pleased at the event, and from the time it came to his knowledge every endeavour was made to cause a separa tion of the Prince from his wife. This was accomplished, in the first instance, by his Royal Highness being imme diately sent abroad, and after several short periods of residence together, the desired object of a permanent se paration was attained in the year 1806, the claimant and a daughter being the only children of the marriage." On the death of his royal parent, the claimant presented his petition to her Majesty, claiming the dignities of Baron of Arklow, Earl of Inverness, and the Duke of Sussex, which petition was referred to the consideration of the Attorney-General, who, having heard the evidence in support of its allegations, made his report in August, 1843. From that report it appears that the fact of a mar riage between the late Duke of Sussex and the claimant's mother having been celebrated at Rome, was proved; but with the view of establishing the lawfulness of that mar riage, and of showing that its validity was not effected by the provisions of the Royal Marriage Act, 12 George 111., c. 11, a statement of the circumstances under which the marriage took place is relied on by the claimant. The claimant, in the course of a detailed narrative of those circumstances, strongly relies on the fact that neither the sense which both the Prince and the claimant's mother entertained of the sufferings and disasters which their union had wrought, nor the feelings consonant upon the disagreement which put an end to the union, ever once induced either of them to deny the fact of the marriage at Rome, or to express any doubt in their own minds as to the legal validity of that marriage. It is stated confident ly, that unequivocal evidence will be given that his late Royal Highness repeatedly acknowledged and treated the claimant as his legitimate son; indeed, one letter, written in 1801, is directed by the Duke " to my dearly beloved son, Prince Augustus Frederick, No. 40, Lower Grosve nor-street, Grosvenor-square, London." Her Majesty having been pleased to refer the claimant's case to the consideration of the House of Peers, and the House hav ing referred the petition to the Lords' Committee for Privileges, the case is therefore now submitted by the claimant to their Lordships ; and these three principal questions will arise for their Lordships' consideration : First, the question of fact as to the marriage, upon which he relies, as having been contracted at Rome; se condly, the legality of that marriage. And upon these two points the claimant presumes to hope that little diffi culty will be found in the way of your Lordships' conclu sion in his favour. The third question will be, whether a marriage contracted by a descendant of his late Majesty George 111. out of her Majesty's dominions, and legal in all other respects, is rendered invalid by the operation of the statute 12 George 111., c. 11, commonly called the Royal Marriage Act. Whatever impression may be re ceived from the first view of the question, the claimant confidently anticipates that a due investigation of the general principles of international law and of local legis lation upon which the proper construction and effect of the statute will depend, and by which it must be governed, will in its result abundantly satisfy your Lordships that that statute does not invalidate the marriage upon which he relies, or defeat his claim, as the legitimate offspring of that marriage, to succeed to the honours of his royal pa rent." The above is the summary of the arguments upon which the claimant relies ; and the case is signed by " Thomas Wilde, Willia m Erie, and James Wilde," as counsel. Sir Thomas Wilde, at great length, stated the case for the claimant, and proceeded to read portions of the cor respondence between the late Duke of Sussex and Lady Augusta Murray, previous to, and after, their marriage at Rome, and in London, in all of which his Royal Highness contends for their validity, and appeared anxious that it should be generally known that he considered the present claimant, Sir Augustus D'Este, to be his lawful and legi timate child. Sir T. Wilde having concluded his address, the further consideration of the claims was adjourned sine die, their Lordships being unable at present to name a day to pro ceed with the hearing. Sir Augustus D'Este occupied the box in which the Usher of the Black Rod (Sir Augustus Clifford) generally sits, and appeared to take the deepest interest in the pro ceedings. In the course of his speech, Sir Thomas Wilde read several letters that passed between Lady Augusta Murray and the prince. They are couched in terms of the usual ardour; the lady showing the utmost devotion to her fervent lover, but man if es ti ng som e a nxiety, while Mr. Gunn's scruples were under process of persuasion, lest lie should think h er " v il e "— s h ou ld thi n k that she had been the prince's mi s t ress . I n M arc h, 1793, she thus writes to the prince : " Then, my treasure, you say you w ill talk of honour to him. There is no honour in the case : if there is, I will not marry you. I love you, and I have reason to hope and believe that you love me; but honour, in the sense you take it, is out of the question. I cannot bear to owe my happiness to anything but affection ; and all promises, though sacred in our eves and those of Heaven, shall not oblige you to do anything towards me that can in the least prejudice your future interests. As for ho nour, with the meaning Mr. Gunn will annex to it—l am ashamed to fancy it—he will imagine I have been your mistress, and that humanity, commonly termed honour, now induces you to pity me, and so veil my follies by an honourable marriage. My own beloved prince, forgive me if lam warm on this subject. I wish you to feel you owe me nothing ; aid whatever I owe you, I wish to owe to your love and to your good opinion, but to no other principle. Tell Mr. Gunn, my own Augustus, that you love me—that you are resolved to marry me—that you have pledged a sacred word ; tell him, if you please, that upon the Bible you have sworn it; that I have done the same, and that nothing shall ever divide us; but don't let him imagine that I have been vile. Do this, my only love ; but pray take care of the character of your wife, of your Augusta." The letters do not appear, at least to unprofessional eyes, very cogent evidence, except that the partie, made a passable Romeo and Juliet of real life ; but they are curious as specimens of royal erotics. The prince's style does not always do justice to his Gottingen education ; and it lacks a certain smoothness and elevation, which the lady had probably acquired from the study of novels. We piCk out a few samples : PRINCE AUGUSTUS. " 26th March, 1793. " Do, my dearest Augusta, trust me ; I never will abuse the confidence you put in me, and more and more will endeavour to deserve it. I only wait for !iour orders to speak to Mr. Gunn. Say only that you wish me to do it, and I will hasten to get a positive answer. See, my soul, it only depends upon you to speak ; thy Augustus thou wilt find at all tines to serve you. lie thinks, he dreams of nothing but to make thee happy. Can he not succeed in this, all his hopes are gone; life will be nothing to him; he will pass the day in one constant melancholy, wishing them soon to conclude, and finding every one longer than the other. Indeed, my Augusta, that cannot be the case; my solemn oath is given, and that can never be recalled. —I am yours, my soul, ever, yours." PRINCE AUGUSTUS, 4TH APRIL. (STILL UNMARRIED.) " Will you allow me to come this evening? It is my only hope. Oh, let me come, and we will send for Gunn. Everything but this is hateful for me. More than forty eight hours have I passed without the smallest nourish ment. Ob, let me not live so. Death is certainly better than this ; which, if in forty-eight hours it has not taken place, must follow ; for, by all that is holy, till when I am married I will eat nothing ; and if I am not to be married, the promise shall die with me ! lam resolute ; nothing in the world shall alter my determination. If Gunn will not marry me I will die. * * I will be conducted in everything by you, but I must be married or die. I would rather see none of my family than be deprived of you. You alone can make me ; you alone shall this even ing. I will sooner drop than give you up. Good God, how I feel ! and my love to be doubted sincere and warm. The Lord knows the truth of it; and, as I say, if in 48 hours lam not married, I am no more. Oh, Augusta, my soul, let us try ; let me come ; I am capable of every thing ; I fear nothing ; and Mr. Gunn, seeing our resolu tion, will agree. lam half dead. Good God ! what will become of me? I shall go mad most undoubtedly." THE LADY'S ANSWER. " My treasure, my dearest life and love, how can I re fuse you? and yet dare I trust to the happiness your let ter promised me ? You shall come if you wish it ; you shall do as you like ; my whole soul rejoices in the assur ances of your love, and to your exertions will I trust. I will send to ( ); but I fear the badness of the night will prevent his coming. My mother has ordered her carriage at past seven, and will not, I fear, be out before the half hour after. To be yours to-night seems a dream that cannot make out; the whole day have I been plunged in misery, and now to awake to joy is a felicity that is be yond my ideas of bliss. I doubt its success ; but do as you will; I am what you will; your will must be mine; and no will can be dearer to me, more mine, than that of my lover, my all. Don't be angry at my not adding, my husband. 1 cannot any more say this till marriage sanc tions it. Forgive my doubts—my fears. They are ex cusable in Augusta." EXTRACT FROM LADY AUGUSTA ' S JOURNAL ON THE MARRIAGE-DAY, " A bright sunshine of hope blazed upon me yesterday, but the darkest ray of despair succeeded it. I return thee, oh prince, thy promises, thy oaths; if love does not make you mine, I scorn all other claims. I am extremely wretched, but I must submit to inevitable destiny. How that destiny changed at night, dare I tell ? Oh, my God and my Lord, let me remember this awful day ; let me remember the new, the dear duties it imposes on me. At night my lover and my prince came ; then came a clergyman. Oh day ever sacred to my memory ! oh mo ment that I must record with letters of gold! you are written on the tablet of my heart: you have changed my destiny ; this morning, wretched and forlorn ; this even ing, the happy wife of the most amiable, the most honour able among men. Teach me, oh Lord, to deserve the favours you lavish upon me, and grant that I may ever have reason to bless this day." FROM LETTERS EXCHANGED AFTER MARRIAGE : LADY AUGUSTA.. " My dearest and now really adored husband ! you are but this moment gone—the sacred words 1 heard stilt vi brating in my ears—still reaching my heart. Oh, my prince, my lover, and now indeed my husband! how I bless the dear man who has made me yours. What a pre cious, what a holy ceremony ! how solemn the charges ; bow dear,,and yet how awful. Do you feel happy, my only love ? Tell me you do, that I may bless my destiny. To be your wife is the summit of my wishes : I have at tained that summit; but if my loved, my adored husband has one moment of regret, my happiness is fled, and despair returns. But do I talk of despair when joy ought to be my only theme—when it fills my whole soul ! Shall I hear from you to-morrow morning, my only beloved ? Will you write to your wife ? Will you tell her how you have gotten home, and whether the coming out has given you cold 1" IDEM : THE PRINCE. " Wife ! dearest of all beings ! my dearest Augusta ! What happiness, what comfort to my wounded heart, to find all sorrow vanished from it ! yes, my soul, to feel what inclination, the dearest inclination, joined to duty, has done ! We have made a hard promise to Gunn,a very hard one indeed ; but what would we not have done ' for to have obtained' the highest blessing—that of never being separated, our conscience free. Does my Gussy know that she can no more have a will of her own—that she will and must be strictly guided by me ? Oh yes ! that the dearest creature knows. How rigidly we must observe what we swore to Gunn. Gratitude demands this ; and, though a trial, we shall enjoy everything better afterwards. I may say at least, Gunn has made us make a dreadful promise, and we must keep it. This is hard—much more so than we think—but a thing for to reap so much bless ings from is just ; and though at times we shall be sorry for having mode it, yet comfort ourselves we have made a great acquisition. FASHIONS FOR JUNE. (From the " London and Paris Ladies' Magazine of Fashion.") Foulards de chine with barege are the most fashiona ble materials ; the prettiest are checked in shades of the same colour, violet and lilac, dark green on light, cerise and dahlia ; they are trimmed with two wide biais put on a little full, or two deep flounces ; but a more novel style is one very deep flounce put on at the edge of the skirt, which is necessarily very short and the transparency thereby preserved ; the flounce is en biais ; the newest trimmings are ruches chicorees, flounces frontages, and antique biais. Redingotes of glace or cameleon silk are sometimes ornamented with a trimming of the silk form ing gueules de loup ; it is very usual to head the trimming on the skirts with gimp of the byrinthe style matching the colours; the corsages are high or half high, of the Amazon style, and for every description of toilette they are made open and more or less ornamented—some lac ing half way up, others with revers showing the habit shirt ; the sleeves are generally wile, with the under one of white ornamented with inlets of cretea of lace. The lighter materials of summer wear, tolatanes, muslins, &c., are with corsages drapes or demi-vierge, and three deep tucks often replace the flounces, and these are in rounded scollops festonnes a dents. Fancy straw bonnets are very much worn; when of open straw they are lined through out with poult de soie matching the ribbon; Leghorns are trimmed with very wide ribbons, generally checked, and often platted. Some white crape bonnets are lined with pink ; they are evase at the ears, and the form a little raised and ornamented with a bird of Paradise, nceuds of white and pink sarcenet ribbon inside. On fancy straws, capotes with silk crowns and straw fronts, and also Leg horns, wreaths of fruit and mixed flowers are much worn. Caps now form an important article of dress ; very pretty ones are made of inlets lined with pink or blue gauze trimmed with lace without any ribbon. Simple caps a la paysanne are made with crowns of tulle or blond ; they are quite round, and trimmed with long lappets of lace and wreaths of ribbon. Pretty coiffures are composed of ribbon and flowers, the lappets replaced by wide fringed ribbon, and the noeuds so as to intermix with the hair when in ringlets, or accompany the bandeax. Scarfs are worn in every variety of colour and material ; the pa'dessus d'ete are also fashionable, and also the chales mantelet of glacee silk edged with Alderienne fringe form ing a point behind and square ends in front, with revers at the throat reaching to the bottom ; this shawl has a join down the middle of the back. THE KING OF SAXONY IN ENGLAND. — The King of Saxony, with his suit, landed at Dover, on Tuesday, from the Queen's steam-packet, Cie Princess Alice. The King travels incognito, under the title of Count De Hohenstein. Having viewed the Castle and Archcliff fort, the military authorities being in attendance, the King repaired by railway, to Penshurst, where he was received by Earl Dela warr ; and thence to Buckhurst, the Earl's seat. Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar and a select party were invited to meet the royal traveller. On Wednesday, his Majesty, with a numerous party, made a short circuit, visiting Knole Park, the seat of Lord Amherst; Redleaf, the seat of Mr. William Wells ; Penhurst Castle, Lord De Lisle's property, his lordship receiving his Majesty ; and so back to Buckhurst. On Thursday, the King took leave of Lord Delawarr, and passed to Brighton, where he viewed the Pavilion. and showed himself on the chain-pier ;to Arun del Castle; Chichester, vis , ting its cat' edral; Portsmouth where the Port Admiral played hos t at di n ner, and at night. On Friday after viewing t he dock-yard, the King oversail e d t h i n e the e A of d mwi yight, a a n c d h t d iFnaendnayn sleptß ‘d , e; a t t t o h o e k a tour Club. hensuec.khaOgnhain Palace.iStatrdayis Majesty dined with t h e Queen at Bi GENERAL MISCELLANY. It appears by a parliamentary return, that in 1942 the profits of the London Gazette amounted to £10,532 6s. 6d. The York Minster great bell is to be ordered forthwith. The amount of subscriptions exceed £17,000. ANOTHER FOREIGN MANURE.—A vessel is now taking culm from Swansea to Barbadoes, for the purpose of burning the coral there into lime for export. An offer has been made to have London letters deli vered in Newcastle in twelve hours and a half from the time of their leaving the metropolis. Although great industry has been used to obtain signa tures to a petition in favour of Barber, the will forger, only six names have been appended. At the Grinshill Quarry, near Shrewsbury, the week before last, between two and three thousand tons of stone and earth fell with a crash that was heard three or four miles round. Fortunately the quarrymen were absent. Lieutenant Cuddy, one of the seconds in the late fatal duel, has published a letter, in which he flatly contradicts several of the statements of Mr. Munro respecting the late Col. Fawcett. The cradle for taking the Great Britain through the dock-gut is fast approaching completion, and the projec tors have no doubt of being able to carry her safely into deep water. At the late Eton montem, two youths drew the swords which they are permitted to wear during that festival, and, while playfully fencing. one. whose name is Fox, received the point of his fellow-pupil's sword in his right eye, the sight of which is entirely destroyed. On Sunday afternoon a fire took place at the Queen's Ferry, about six miles from Chester, by which an exten sive warehouse, stable, four fine horses, and a large quan tity of other property, have been entirely destroyed. The estimated damage is about £3,000. A very elegant piece of plate, weighing upwards of five hundred ounces, purchased by subscription of numerous noblemen and members of the theatrical profession, was on Wednesday last, presented to Mr. Bunn, in the saloon of Drury-lane Theatre. THE LATE LORD DURHAM.—The Durham Advertiser states that active preparations have been begun for erect ing a handsome monument to the late Lord Durham on Pensher-hill; a building imitated from the Temple of Theseus, at least seventy feet in height, and visible from a great part of the surrounding country. BEAR'S GREASE.—AII the brown, black, and white bears in the world would scarcely yield a month's supply of genuine grease for the polar consumption of Great Britain. To " slaughter a bear" is a byword among bar bers for opening a bladder of lard I—Mysteries of Lon don. Messrs. Grote, Prescott, and Co., the bankers, have put down their names for £lOO towards the national fund which the Chartists are about to raise for the purpose of purchasing an estate for Mr. Thomas Duncombe, as a tes timonial of their sense of his services to their cause, both in and out of parliament.—Sun. KILMARNOCK BURGHS.—On Tuesday last the voting for these-burghs took place, when at the close the num bers were—for the Hon. Mr. Bouverie, 389 ; Mr. Prinsep, 379; Mr. Vincent, 98. Mr. Bouverie was therefore elected. Mr. Prinsep, the conservative candidate, Only came forward a day or two prior to the poll, or he would certainly have been returned. Mr. Moon, of Lancaster, has lately paid a second divi dend of a quarter of a farthing in the pound.—Mr. May hew, of Camberwell, has paiu a halfpenny in the pound ; and in another case the creditors have received five eighths of a penny !—ln the case of Clarke, Mitchell, and Co., of Leicester, the creditors, who have received nothing, will probably have to pay the expenses of the commission. A curious proposal was made in the course of the last week to some of the principal Life Assurance Companies. It was for an insurance upon the life of the late Mr. Crockford for four days only from the day on which it was proposed, so as to carry the risk over the Derby. The proposal was declined ; but had it been accepted, the insurers would have suffered no loss, Mr. Crockford hav ing lived six days. GAMING AT RACES.—A letter was received on Thurs day morning by the Mayor of Windsor, from Sir James Graham, stating that it was the determination of her Majesty's government to suppress every description of gaming at the various race-courses throughout the king dom, and calling upon the authorities of Windsor to render all the aid in their power during the ensuing races at Ascot. HONOURABLE CONDUCT.—Mr. Ward, of Honduras Wharf, who stopped payment some years ago, and paid 10s. in the pound, having through his exertions recovered himself in business, has lately called his creditors toge ther and paid the remaining 100. So highly gratified were these parties with the honourable conduct of Mr. Ward, that, at a dinner which they gave him on Wednesday last at the Brunswick Hotel, Blackwall, they presented him with a piece of plate valued at 100 guineas. SUSPICIOUS CASE.—On Tuesday night some neigh bours of Charlotte Hall, wife of a plasterer, at "Wimble don, heard screams of murder. Next morning the poor woman was f,und apparently strangled in her bed, and the husband had absconded. An inquest was held on the case on Wednesday, when• it was concluded that the un fortunate woman had died from natural causes, and a ver dict accordingly was returned. The police are, however, still on the look out for the husband. THE PITMEN OF THE NORTH. — The pitmen have not yet returned to their work ; and the colliery owners are gradually obtaining fresh men to supply their places. We are informed that certain disclosures, implicating the con duct of the executive, are about to be made, the effect of which will probably be to break up the union, or at all events to give those a good excuse for withdrawing from its ranks, and we believe the number is not small who are heartily sick and tired of the strike.—Newcastle Adver tiser. It is rather a remarkable coincidence, that the late Go vernor-General of India, Lord Ellenborough and his suc cessor in that distinguished appointnent, Sir Henry Hardinge, Bart., K.C.8., are both brothers-in-law of the Marquis of Londonderry. Lord Ellenborough married, in 1816, Lady Octavia Stewart, who died in 1819, sister of the Marquis of Londonderry ; and Sir Henry Hardinge married in 1821, Lady Emily Jane James, widow of J. James, Esq., also sister to the Marquis of Londonderry. GAMBLING BOOTHS.—The report of the committee of the House of Commons on the laws respecting gaming, which- was presented on Monday, recommends that all gambling booths on race courses should be entirely and universally put down. As Mr. Manners Sutton, the Under-secretary for the home department, was a member of that committee, we have no doubt that the gambling booths and tables at Epsom, like the recent simultaneous entrance of the 17 gaming-houses in the neighbourhood of St. James's-street, arose out of the inquiries and recom me dations of the committee. THE DERBY AND LEGER LOTTERIES.—It is the in tention of Government to adopt measures for the imme diate suppression of the above speculations. Arrange ments are about being made with the magistracy to carry this intention of the Government into effect; for which purpose the police authorities will receive instructions to give notice to publicans that if they, for the future, per mit " lotteries" or " sweepstakes" to be held, they will not only subject themselves to heavy penalties, but by permitting them to take place on their premises, such an illegal proceeding will endanger the licences of their respective houses.—lllorning paper. RAISINC., THE WIND.—A most ingenious act of impo sition, attended with a forgery upon a highly-respectable solicitors' firm in the City, was enacted a few days since in the legal neighbourhood t f Lincoln's-Inn. It appears some rogue, " learned in the law," prepared a fictitious case in the usual terms of legal technicality, and which was duly endorsed " Case far the opinion of Mr. Bethell —two guineas." The names of certain clients of Mr. Bethell, as usual, at the bottom of the " case," and a cheque- fcr £lO, purporting to be drawn by them upon Messrs. Lubbock, the bankers, was presented to the clerk, who, unsuspicious of fraud, at once handed over the dif ference between the fee and the £lO. Upon the check being presented for payment the forgery was at once dis covered. TILE SLAVE TRADE.—The Rapid, 10-gun brigantine, doubts of the safety of which have lately been expressed, was left by the Rattlesnake, on the 25th March, refitting at the Island of Ascension—all well. She had been ac tively employed on the African coast. On the 15th Fe bruary, she captured, with her boats, a Spanish slaver in the river Bimbia. The boots had to sustain a long fire of nnusquetry, but courageously boarded her. One man was killed and two wounded. The Rapid has been on the coast for two years, during which she has captured seven slave vessels, containing 1,288 slaves. The description given of one of these vessels, from the poor creatures, men women and children, being stowed together in a bulk, is horrifying. Several were found dead. All the other ves sels captured were more or less in the same condition. - . office, the other day, Mark Noed, a gold - cutter, was S H OCKING BARBARITY.—At the Clerkenwell Police committed for trial, charged with brutally flogging, starv ing, and otherwise maltreating his illegitimate son, a boy of fourteen. The instrument of punishment was a clumsy stick, two feet long, with six knotted India• rubber cords fastened to the end of it ; and the boy had been kept tied r up in a darkened room, and fed on bread and water p t er days together. The boy was desired to remove t P the back, ing was presented to the court. The wholecov_red with from the neck to the hips, was literally . _ e ho i r the left side stripes and coagulated blood. The we;-marks of the lash part of his dress, and in doing so a spectacle tort.uiheshoc was contused ; there were two or t tb e r ON SHAD F T E h L e Ls b . o_y of father, being asked what having told his story, the brteacharge, replied, with great he had to say in reply to: s i s perfectly true ; but, in and knots on the lower part indifference, " What he E Y all he got. ' my opinion, he deserves put a period to his existence by cutting SUICIDE BY A v OAC Passenger on the London mail-coach who was a P" ' • aafbteorunt o e o i n gi l i a t s m t, i a le r s e f s r p o e m eta K b e le n - d lo al o: t i h n e g getitle-going southwards, , It appears,that, when the mail arrived at the his throat. bill on ShapFells, on the north side of the Hucks steep . ,--. II PASSEfNGhERaOb public- 0 , gentle man said that he would walk down the hill behind the m On an Thu h rs u d s a c y coach, and get up again on changing horses at the Hucks. The horses being changed, and the mail ready for a start, he did not come up. However, he was seen to go a little off the road, not far from the public-house, when a person was sent to the place, and, lamentable to relate, the gen tleman was found in a sand hole a short distance from the read, weltering in his blood, with his throat cut almost from ear to ear. As a matter of course, the mail drove on, and be was removed to the II uck s, where he lingered in great agony for little more than two hours, when life became extinct. On searching his pockets a few invoices of one Andrew Gibson, whisky distiller, Paisley, were found. June 4, 1844. FIRE AND Loss OF LIFE.—On Sunday week, about six o'clock, a most destructive fire broke out in the house of Mr. Brown, oilman, No. 69, Selby-street, at Hull. The county and parish engines were speedily on the spot, but there was a scarcity of water for sometime, and the fire rapidly spread to Nos. 68 and 70, the property of Mr. Banks and Mr. Walker, but it was happily got under about seven o'clock. We regret to say that the wife of Mr. Brown perished in the fire. Nos. 68 and 69 are en tirely, and No. 70 parti dly, gutted. Very little of the furniture, stock, &c., were saved. None of the houses are insured. No conjecture can be formed as to the origin of the fire. ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE CHARITY CHM.. DREN AT ST. PAUL'S. —On Thursday the imposing assem blage of the charity children of the city and metropolitan districts took place in St. Paul's Cathedral, it being the anniversary meeting. It was most ❑umerously and fashionably attended, and amongst those present were the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, and most of the civic officers. Fortunately, although the early part of the day was lowering, it cleared up, and a fine afternoon followed. Besides a number of the fashionable world, many foreign ers of distinction were present, but the vast arena on which the children were placed was the chief object of attraction. In number they were supposed to be not less than 7000, and their neat and healthy appearance was generally remarked upon. The anniversary sermon was preached by the Bishop of St. David's. COMMUNICATION NvTii THE EAST.—The Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company have received a letter from the Lords of the Admiralty, stating that go vernment have determined that the India overland Mail via Southampton shell for the future leave that place on the 3d of every month, and that the mail via Marseilles shall leave London on the 7th of every month. The half yearly meeting of the shareholders of this company was held on Wednesday last, when a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum was declared. A satisfactory in crease in receipts is reported, and the undivided profits of the concern, after providing £lB,OOO for the payment re commended, and reserving £lB,OOO for the payment re commended, and reserving £B,OOO for anticipated repairs, are stated to amount to £58,000. It appears the direc tors have lately been enabled to reduce the rates of insu rance on the Company's floating property in Europe from £6 to £5 ss. per cent. SEA WATER CONVERTED INTO FRESH.—The St- George, Sydney mail packet, sailed on Thursday from the London docks. Among the many conveniences provided for the passengers by this splendid ship is Clark's patent apparatus for procuring fresh water from salt water, pro ducing about three gallons per hour perfectly pure and tasteless, but not vapid--in fact quite as fresh as that usually consumed on shore. The difficulties which for merly laid in the way of the use of distilled water were -Ist, the accumulation of salt in the still; 2nd, the brack ish water mechanically carried by the steam from the still to the condenser; and 3rd, the vapid taste of water con densed in a close vessel like the ordinary worm. The first object is accomplished by drawing the salt water from the still or boiler before a large per centage of salt is held in solution. The second is accomplished by passing the steam through close air cylinders having a surface of fresh water. The third is effected by condensing the steam in a vessel open to the external atmosphere by which the water becomes as it were aerated.—MercantileJournal. EXECUTION OF WILLIAM CROUCH. —afr Monday mornin.g, at eight o'clock. William Crouch suffered the extreme penalty of the law in front of the gaol at New gate, having been convicted at the last sessions of the Cen tral Criminal Court of the murder of his wife. He ex pressed himself fully conscious of the enormity of his crime, and added, that he had tried to exhibit by outward signs the sincerity of that repentance which he felt in wardly, but that he could not do so. At five minutes to eight, all being in readiness, the procession moved from the press-room, through the chapel yard, towards the scaffold ; the rev. ordinary read the impressive service for the burial of the dead. There could not have been i'ess than ten thousand persons present. Within a very few seconds of his arrival on the scaffold, Calcraft had com pleted the awful preparations ; and, having drawn a cap over the wretched man's face, retired. The Rev. Mr- Davis, who had continued reading the burial service, was in the act of repeating the Lord's Prayer, the prisoner joining fervently with him, when the signal was given, the' drop fell, and in a few moments Crouch had ceased to' exist. THE VALUE OIrAMERICAN PROPERTY.—On Tuesdayr at the Auction Mart, a territorial property, known as the' " Town-hall" estate, situate in Maryla ra n :th d whe , ei.t U phr n iais i o t l e n d ieire S r t a a n t a e o s o, , : , ,::: North America, and consisting of 12,470 acres of land, was offered for sale by auction. It was described as being only 17 days' journey from England, being bounded by the Chesapeake and . Ohio Canal, the Baltimore and Ohio Railway, and the river Potomac on the south, and on the north by the great turnpike road from Baltimore and Washington to the Western States. Among its recom mendations, there were stated to be on the property, to bacco, houses, iron and coal mines, sulphur springs, highly charged with white sulphur, &c., and the soil could grow wheat, barley, tobacco, the white, black, and rock oak, some nearly 200 feet high; white, yellow, and red pines, some 120 feet high ; dyeing and medicinal plants, sugar, &c. There was a communication with all the prin cipal towns, and two mails, with four other coaches, pass through the estate. The auctioneer, on putting up the lot, observed that the sale was an experiment, to try if its England an American state could find a sale. The, auc tioneer put the question three times, without success, when the estate was repudiated. SHIPWRECK AND Loss OF LIFE.--On the morning of the 12th ult., about two o'clock, the keeper of the Kinnardhead Lighthouse was attracted by a noise of some one knocking at the door of the house, and who turned out to be a shipwrecked seaman in a wet and exhausted state. After his necessities were provided for, he stated that his name was Alexander Hutchinson, and that his vessel, the Eliza, of Kirkcudbright, bound from Liverpool to Dundee, with salt, struck on a rock on the 9th instant, in passing through the Pentland Firth, in a fog. They attempted to cross the Moray Firth working the pumps, but the water at length came above the cabin floor, and they determined to abandon her. In putting the boat out, the rope slipped, and she went adrift. Upon this the crew (four men) jumped overboard, leaving on board a boy, who was unable to swim. Hutchinson alone reached the boat, the rest all perishing—and the vessel went down about half an hour after.. He could render 0 0 assistance as there were no oars, and the boat drifted to wards the shore, which he saw in the afternoon. At night the wind changed, and, afraid of being drifted off again, he jumped in and swam to the shore—about half a mile which he reached at midnight, and keeping the light in view reached the Lighthouse. The names of the crew lost are John M`Ritchie, master, Thomas Smith, mate, James Ross, seaman, and John Mackenzie, cabin boy. PROTECTION OF YOUNG FEMALES.—A petition pre sented to the House of Lords by the Bishop of Exeter, for the suppression of seduction and prostitution, is accom panied by a great variety of documentary evidence, show ing the necessity of protecting innocent females from the in'quitous practices of persons who trade in their destruc tion. Among others it is stated that the society fronl whence the petition comes indicted a brothel keeper, and were in a condition to prove that she allowed an in,divt dual a considerable salary, together with his travelling expenses, for supplying her house with young females- This he chiefly (lid by going into the cou❑try and hiring them, frequently with the consent of their parents, under pretence of procuring for them some respectable service of occupation in London. On their arrival in town they were taken to the house of the brothel keeper, where their ruin was effected. The brothel keeper was indicted, but, hearing of the indictment, she absconded, and is now living on the fruits of her iniquity at Boulogne. The s ociety also state, that a woman, residing in Great Titchfield street, was the ostensible proprietress of six infamous houses in various districts of the metropolis. This person► in connexion with other means of providing her houses with victims, established an agency on the road between Slough and Windsor, on the line of the Great Western Railway. She hired and furnished a house, and placed her own siste i r gel: i bl o op i u t lr , ohto with ow aa sfi for her r v u e ot principal cai t pn o adl e nebgsrtaosgtblegi establishment? n a e n de t et a : leaving nensto.si t hteN h ysi themselves shbweaulwvryeiss, which was in Great Titohfield-street. f w ro h m ole th d a i t ab n o e l i At length th e the notice of the magistrates of Eton, from whose inqui ries it appeared that the young women were sent front. Slough to the house in Titchfield-street, in which girls 01 the first class were kept, where their ruin was effected ; after a time, they were sent to another house of a lower grade, and from one house to another, till, soon aft er lowest walks of vice and misery. It is generall t0nq.,,,, stood that very considerable sums, even from £2o£ luu are frequently given for the opportunity of p . i ii p o e la r t t i y n helpless victims. ABDUCTION.—A singular case of abduction came on for hearing at the Brentford Petty Sessions o a ris broughtk ri d a y farmer's- Auplipanreeonln:a& consistingcc h., a lwragbi charge labourer,. o u f r e l r ,s , named vi e g aci u farmer, near wearing , B i a e b rot ap parel, ' • G. Willavyse, an extensive . from whose e mploy he. soner was in his m* 4 ° t w be ho 7t w h a s u l o t n . I h y e n a b y s e c a o r t s i doe old. . with se o at 9s. per week and lodging. On tli as farm servant, declared e that all that young lady were found in lodgings at Brentford. l',l • value of the articles was considerable as his daughter ha - Mnaanni Miss grddh.ttahWillavysefoetefdaughter,pr r Willavyseissev wholeprisoner, er ra a, l statedhonadfudlom)ftbbahherelaeei had t:s n ar at:tiwocisifwith abscon dedrinapd prr- silkosi books,eb- elapsed removed the Until he • n imacybetween discovered their absence, heaware° , . was not there being . the slightest i t . his daugh ter The prisoner,had taken i in placean sw h e e r tw to e e t n h the i c m ha r e g n e j Miss Jane Willavyse was then called in.. She is a nr; looking girl, and about fifteen years of age. She gave u e t evidence with reluctance. It was elicited from her qi..l having consented to elope with the prisoner, she ha d To midnight, on the night in question, quitted her father,_ house by means of herbedchamberwindow, and descerl, her own free consent' ed by a ladder, which had been placed for her by the P r ,,, r soner, bringing with her, of her own accord, the proPer."4 the prisoner was accused of stealing. They started ,!'',t foot to Maidenhead, where they arrived in the early Pio of the morning, and rested themselves. They then t" 0 " ; ,, that neither of them were in possession of a farthing, '„5 money, and were compelled to pledge some of her clotar4 to procure refreshments. Being fearful of discoverYth'e Maidenhead, they returned to Brentford, walking all the t he way, upwards of twenty miles, and took a lodging at es Drum. While at Brentford, they supported themsett a by pledging various artich a, but the prisoner had Pa s . situation to go to on Monday, as a farm servant, at "1, a week, at a tarmer's in the neighbourhood of Brentfor,!, Mr. Mollie, the magistrate, said, after tho evidences; Miss Willavyse, the charge of felony could not be r"._ t ,, tented; and he suggested to Mr. Willavyse the propriee 5 . , c , as his daughter was so young, and matters had g°",, c r, far, of arranging the affair. Mr,. Willavyse, korley . refused to adopt the suggestion. Search c i st h h (eviwai7et ri g: b f m ht e h s Au s s e u l i. ' l , s sert_e.