The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-26 00:00:00

PARIS AND' ROUEN RAILWAY sh°4 Wednesd a y a mee ti ng o f th e E ng li s h s h are holder s i n e Paris and Rouen Railway was held in the Clarendon- South John-street, for the purpose of receiving a re run from the English directors, of their examination of the e , and of the general affairs of the company. The meet g was attended by a very numerous and respectable body of shareholders. I A the m o ti on o f M r. Ch ar l es Lawrence, Join "19. of this town, was requested to take the chair. ,Moss, in acceding to the proposition said, he shoul, ,a,ve requested Sir John Easthope, who was present, to havc `„ *4 ela the chair, had it not been that twelve months ago he ; r _esided at a meeting in this town, and that from the repro. iteotra Cons then made, many were induced to become share obsclers in the undertaking. He should now, without further nation, call for the report of the English directors to be !earl r. SWIFT then read the report... In making their report to the English shareholders of the t a tis and Rouen Railway the English directors think it best Is°refer to the state in which matters stood when they last let the prop r i e t ors i n thi s t own , on th e 22 n d o f J u l y o f l as t a r• The chambers of the French legislature had then ted the law, authorising the construction of the railway, 14'4 law only waited the signature of the king of the 10 e4 ch previously to which, however, it was felt expedient , _ a scertain whether its terms were such as rendered its ac- ,` l Ptance by the• English shareholder - s -- ciesirable. Some mo peations which the law sustained in its passage through the (t r ench legislative chambers were then discussed, and acqui i„,ee..4 in by the English shareholders, and the royal sanction 18 , in due course given. The statement, which had up to td ° the English shareholders, both as to the 4 Y and its probable revenue, wa el dv subscription for its share ..• .t time bei it of the r ;uch as Tt annf had induce ,ppc.rett trotn the i - Port !chief of the company, ! f l ', (l equipping the line (80 mil , ; that, f ,°,e4 be obt a i ne d, the rom ti "llluoveing fur legal anti nt'of interest during the pe'riod of construe,....., 'rges of direction, and for all other contingencies which 4a voidably.occur in such undertakings, the whole expendi pte would be amply met by the capital then provided, of '1 ,0 00,000 sterling. The English directors deem it to l i e l easion to refer thus brieflye L e En g li s h s h are h o ld ers accep t e d th e t he directors adopt this course in order p lag fact that, up to-the pre s e n t tim t the land is purchased °r and in operation e adful to ,-- • who is by lav the cost, boil; of constrtictin El leng nation which could DOO ; and that —for the pay -for all ❑d would cost £150,1 important on this ;pect of thit he terms of the law ; anc ' , n* to represent the gra -.,hen three-fourths - `••V LAJ1.1.11 , 1,k. qtr., Ili, whole of the eng,thes r !Led, still there is iiothi 'lley of the capital, or t that it amount of At a general ass t days after the Inc the samc ecretary to others aris, there to resid 41 able services to the cc the wt direct( Lit political events sliglitly.r arsons, taring district of the kingdom, stretching towards the most important commercial port, and holding out facilities for transport to nearly four millions of inhabitants. It must be borne in mind that of the capital of two millions sterling, the French government lend £560,000, at 3 per cent. inte rest, repayable in thirty equal annual payments, the repay ment commencing in July 1848. Placing, therefore, the in terest on the £560,000 as part of the current expenses of working the line, the profit will have to be divided upon a capital of £1,440,000 only —a sum unprecedentedly small for 80 miles of railway. Nor is it expected that the cost of maintaining or working this line will be large. The works, with the exception► of the tunnels and the bridges across the Seine. are of an unusually light character, and the nature of the material is everywhere of the very best description. With the exception of the article of coke, all other expenses of working the line will be small,—it being found, on all the lines hitherto made in France and on the Continent gene rally, that the number of passengers per train is much greater than in England ; and it is almost unnecessary to add, that on this, more than on anything else, depends the actual cost to the company of conveying passengers, and consequently the degree of profit. "'!'he English directors cannot give a greater proof of their confidence in the success of the line, than by the statement of the fact that they now hold more shares than they have done at any former period. " As respects the financial position of the company, the English directors have to state, that, although there is in hand nearly £400,000, yet the rapidity with which the works are now carrying on, in order to their completion by the spe cified time, makes it imperative that the expenditure be large also at very early periods. The £560,000, which is lent by the government, will not be advanced until the whole £1,440,000 raised in shares is fully paid up : the last of the calls to make up this 11,440,000 cannot be made before the month of October next, leavit , only a very short time to ob tain from the government, - and expend, the remaining sum sted engineer I of 1;560,000. It is evident that to incur any delay in open- . . big the line, by suffering arrears of calls to remain unpaid, would be inconsistent with the best interests of the concern. The English directors feel it therefore to be their duty to press for the punctual payment of all calls; they hope they may be spared the necessity of resorting to the power given them by the law for enforcing payment of calls in a concern which promises such great advantages at so early a period ; but they deem it to be their duty at once to state their deter mination not to suffer the concern to sustain damage by any delay in the payment of the subscribed capital. It may here be added that the calls on the shares held in France are promptly paid. Having now set forth the facts, and the opinions which are the result of their late visit to France, it remains only for the English dicectors to add that they were treated with the most entire frankness and cordiality by their French colleagues, with whose diligent attention and econo mical administration the English directors were highly gra tified. (Signed,) JOHN EASTHOPE. JOHN Moss. CHAS. LAWRENCE. W. CHAPLIN." The CHAIRMAN said, this was the report which the dire, tors had felt it their duty to make to the shareholders. aking it, it must, of course, he understood that they bad _d their information from gentlemen eminently fitted ire it, namely, Mr. Locke, Mr. Chaplin, Mr. Reid, and ; and he was very glad to have the pleasure of saying, 'se gentlemen, being present, would confirm what the had stated. Of course the directors would be happy ...ver any questions which the shareholders might think . aper to pat. In the meantime, he called upon Mr. Locke to state his views as to the certainty of completing the un dertaking within the time allotted to it. Mr. LOexr., who came forward amidst much appl menced by observing that what he could say in addition to the report just read would be very little, because nothing that he could say could be more distinct than the report itself. When he had the pleasure of attending a meeting in that building twelve months ago, lie did nut feel so certain as to the cost of making this railway as he did now. Two-thirds of the entire works had been let, and from the prices at which they had been taken, he felt no hesitation in sayingtaht the capital subscribed would be rather more than ample for their entire completion. (Hear, hear.) Indeed he might tell the shareholders that at that moment with £240,000 worth unlet, and with £600,000 let, lie had an offer to guarantee the entire completion of the line for a sum of money less than he had set down in the estimates. (Hear, hear.) He did not think it necessary to accept that offe r , because he thought it was better to let it ; but it enabled him to speak with perfect confidence as to the total construction of the railway. For engines, stations, coaches, or what he called the stock of the line, there was in the estimate £350,000, and he would leave it to any gentleman to say whether that was not large enough, economically used for such a purpose. He thought it was : he thought it more than sufficient : he did not think they should spend it ; and when all the entire works were finished, they would have £350,000 to be carried towards the stock of the concern. With regard to time, which was one of the questions the chairman had put, the contracts hitherto let, (and they were the heaviest works on the line), were to be entirely finished by the Ist of March, 1843. There had been some difficulty and delay in obtaining possession of the land. They had pot certainly gone on so fast as they hoped and be lieved they should, having been prevented by the want of possession. This must occur again, and therefore he spoke less confident with regard to the question of time than with regard to the question of estimates. He had no doubt that the work would be finished in less time than had been named ; but lest any unforeseen circumstance should occur, he wished to speak upon this point with his usual caution. Having had the fullest opportunity of seeing the line, and what it was ca pable of, he could say a great deal more than was said in the report. (Hear.) It was impossible for any one to see it, and to see the traffic upon it, and feel the slightest doubt about its eventual success. (Applause.) Tile CHAIRMAN, after complimenting Mr. Locke, and end alluding to the necessity of rigour in the prosecution of the' works, said that Mr. Reed could give the meeting some information as to the difficulties there had been in obtaining possession of the land. With regard to the cost he (the chairman) felt no doubt. The Grand Junction Line, about which he might be supposed to know more than about any other, really and truly, including every thing, had not cost £20,000. If the Grand Junction could be finished for £20,000 a mile, and he could find nothing on this line worse or more expensive than on the Grand Junction, for there was only one station to be built, the Paris station being like that of the Grand Junction at Liverpool, he should think it would not cost £23,000 per mile—that indeed there would be some thing left out of that. (Hear.) He was quite convinced that the shareholders would not be called upon for any more money. (Cheers.) If they looked at the bill, they would find that there was no power to borrow one farthing. The French government, unlike the English, did not allow the shareholders to borrow upon their land a certain sum of money ; but with that which they had they must finish the line, and he felt confident they would do it. (Applause.) Mr. REED said that with regard to the land the directors had something to learn as to the mode practised in France of obtaining possession. The government of France were very justly jealous of the rights of landowners. The act of parliament, which was contained in four pages of the book which he held in his hand, merely recognised the principle and the public usefulness of constructing a railway from A. to 8., from Paris to Rouen, but did not -define where the line should go. It did not limit you, as railway bills in England did, to fifty yards deviation on one side or the other ; it merely gave you power to make a line through certain communes or parishes from one place to another. But the government, although they did not insist that you should prove before a committee of the houses of parliament the special line, and define the land with which you wish to have the power to interfere, took care of the rights of the landowner, by an after view of your plan ; and railway companies in France were obliged to submit, in very great detail, as Mr. Locke knew to his great trouble, in a very great multiplicity of plans, not only of all the land required, but of all the works to be constructed. This had to pass through several judicial ordeals • and as regarded the land it had next to go through the ordeal of an ordinary committee. This committee next was summoned after the plans had been ap proved by the Board of Government Works ; and there, any objections which individual landowners, or public functionaries might have to the proposed line were heard. The report of this committee was next made to the government; and after wards you got the arri.t of the Prefect of the department which gave you the power of taking the land. But they had to assign not only their entire line along the map, but also what land they should want; they bad to say within a perch how much land they should want, the parish where it was, and from that they must not deviate, or if they did the devi ation occasioned them the trouble of going through the whole process again. He need not tell gentlemen that Mr. Loche, or any other engineer of equal talent, would necessarily have a great deal of trouble in so defining the land as to have no after consequences of a troublesome character, which would be consequent upon any future deviation from the plan ; and therefore that the preparation of all the details arid plans for afterwards being revised by the authorities, should occupy time, was not to be wondered at. The wonder was, that, how, going strange, as they did, into a foreign country, with all the prejudices of former habits, they should have gone through those forms in the time they had. He believed he might say that that was done in an unexampled short space of time, and that the French authorities had taken great pains to step out of their way to oblige them, merely because they were an English company. (Hear, hear.) The meeting would gather from what had been said, that time was necessary, in order to get possession of the land, but that period had now elapsed. Though it took between five and six months to get possession of the first acre, the whole processes had been going on, and the company were now in a condition to demand possession of the whole. Indeed, whilst he was now speaking, the whole fifty-two communes through which the railway passed, and the committee of enquiry, had reported to the government upon the whole. The ground wanted for the station at Rouen had been approved by the Town Council and Chamber of Commerce, and the directors had reason, non-officially, to believe that government ap proved of the plan. Therefore, though delay had taken place from time to time, that delay would not occur again, and Mr. Locke had no reason to expect that there would be any future delay in the completion of the works. (Hear, hear.) He was happy when he arrived in London, to find this distant and little known railway excited the attention of the press, for he found that week after week there was some notice of it in the railway papers of this country. (Hear, hear.) He saw in one or either—or both of them in fact—articles with regard to the purchase of the land for this railway. Those gentlemen who were in the habit of reading the railway pa pers would see the juries with which the directors had to do took a just and proper view of the case. In one paper it said that as to the forest of St. Germains the directors had had a contest before the jury. Now he was happy to be able to state, that with regard to the forest of St. Germains they did not go before a jury at all, except as a matter of form, an ar rangement having been made between the company and the government as far as pecuniary matters went. They went through the royal forest of St. Germains three miles and a half, through a part where there was a large quantity of growing timber ; they took forty-two acres of the royal land, six acres and a half being required for a deposit ; and for this land they paid 55,000 francs, and they contracted for additional works in order to facilitate the undertaking, which would cost £1,500 more, Looking at the whole cost of this land—the £2,200 which was represented by the 55,000 francs, and the £l,soo—it was £3,700 for three miles tmd a half of land. But he could tell the meeting that this sum was agreed upon previous to going before a jury, that they went there as a matter of form, and to be sure that the different departments should not quarrel which department should have such and such a share ; and lie thought the shareholders would agree that this was fair and honourable on the part of the directors. Upon the Southampton Railway, where economy was practised as much as anywhere, the land cost at least £3,500 a mile ; but he did not think that the whole land for the Paris and Rouen Railway would cost much more, irony, than half of that money. With regard to the legal ex penses of obtaining the land, he would say they were satisfac tory. The government had given the company exemption from the duty, which, it must be added, was a statuteable duty upon conveyances. A conveyance was inexpensive; a nominal duty I of a franc for every one had to be paid, but it was rather lucky the company had the exemption, for pot unfrequently he had signed so many as four hundred, end this occurred something like once a fortnight. (Cheers.) He did not know that lie could say anything more with regard to land, or anything else, as the report of the English directors con tained so full an account of all their doings, and for that reason little remained to be said; but it perhaps might be thought that after a residence in France of some year and a half he ought to have formed some opinion as regarded the traffic to be expected on the line, lie was happy in being en, abled to state, that nothing whatever—that no cirenmstanee which had passed around him had tended to shake his faith —that the figures, and the amount put down in the first re, port would certainly be realised—that the traffic would at least amount to the sum there put down. (Hear. hear.) It might be thought extraordinary that such a line, in such a country, which was not proverbial for its commercial enter price ; should be found where traffic should be' even, more abundant than upon any road in England. But if the parti cular circumstances of the line were taken into considera tion, the thing explaindd itself. Taking the whole sea board of France upon the English channel, Havre was the only commercial port of the sligiitest consequence. Independently of being the port of the Metropolis, it was the only commer cial port. Let a ship arrive from any part of the western world ,from England,or even.the southern coast of France itself, to Havre they must go - , One case which had come under his own observation was this. Many of the rails to be used on this line were made at a place a hundred miles north of Marseilles. Marseilles lay direct south from Paris. The shortest line of transit would be to send these rails by canal or otherwise to Paris, but the fact was, instead of being sent north to Paris, were sent north to Marseilles,f there to be shipped ; they were then brought through the straits of Gi braltar to the port of Havre, and thence conveyed to the railway. Nothing, he thought, could better prove the exten . sive usefuluess of that port than this fact. It was the only means of approaching the capital with things of bulk, n only of foreign ports, but even from their own coast. In like manner the wine of Bordeaux was not sent to Paris by land, but it was shipped there to Havre, and thence sent to Paris. By and by he hoped it would be conveyed by this railway. (Hear.) The revenue of the railway, too, would be materially helped by the imperfect navigation which the Seine afforded. During the summer time very commodious stearn-packets were fitted up for the convenience of passen- gers, but they really did not run more than tive months in the year. In the early part of the month of May they had scarcely started, and before October they had ceased to rUil, and not one of them was now plying. The consequence of this uncertain medium of transit was, that a great part of the goods as well as passengers, was sent by land ; and surely it was nothing more than certain that they would be able to take goods by railway cheaper than by common carts. Im mense quantities of goods did go by these carts now ; and be saw no reason why they should not take the whole of them, and also abstract a portion from the river. However, if they only took that which now travelled by land, they would take more than any line of • railway in England, or, he be lieved, any other in the world. (Applause.) . _ The CHAIRMAN said the tneefing . tnust feel much obliged to Mr. Reed for the explanations he had just given. lie (the Chairman) had seen - it. reported that there were some differences between the French and English directors ; but be was quite sure that nothing of that kind had ever oc curred between them. (Hear.) They went on together in perfect harmony. Of course little differences in opinion would occur but he might say that, although we English directors had power to vote by proxy in the committee, they bad never once sent their proxies ; therefore there could not have been any very great differences. He was sorry that he Was in ill health in Dover when his friends visited the works in France, and therefore could not go there ; but Sir John Easthope would state in what manner they had been re- ceived by the French director Sir Jons EASTELOPE, Bart., said he could have no diffi culty at all in stating, which was of much more importance to gentlemencomposing a meeting for business purposes, that the works contracted rails and chairs —the whole of t ilso contracted for, as well as !s.sary to work it when emu- i doubt of the suffi- est app ,000 will be exceeded. above referred to r. Nee L Weste ,he Erectors at th led the operations of the autumn th 'nary for the production of detailed plans of the land re 'red and the works proposed, were prosecuted with all at energy which the engin, ~._ ,_ of• the company is known to ie English directors were ad- : I sed b colleagues olthe progressoithe works, 1 11 din the early part of last month they determined on visit- Prance and inspecting: hem, with a view of reporting to r e shareholder s the resu lt o f th a t i ns p ec ti on . It i s f or the a"Pose of making the shareholders acquainted with that re- -_-.- t that this meeting is called. ; Having proceeded to Paris, and receiv Dlri the Fren rectors and the officers of the company the most unreserved Planations upon all those matters which relate to in-doors _ _ the English directors were accompanied by th, 'sneer-in-chief arid the secretary of the company on an in !tion of the works. Leaving Paris they proceeded to the t Bizons, which is Seine, and which is not very far from the junction with feet span each ; andall is of ten arche alreE;dy built . up t 3 tt The timber - work for t (which are of stone), f the springing of the .acture is also ged in le towing-path and other contingent works. embankment extends nearly a mile to so about a mile long, and to the rive lstitute the most im cutting at Houille has owin active pro- ining embank- k - is proceeding with like that of Bigons, mat energy_ all the piers ready for receiving the arches, and itres are placed in one arch for throwing over e ribs of timber which is to carry the Railway .T anks for p reserving the timber are built, and every preparation made for prosecuting. simultaneously all the the parts of the work. A little beyond the bridge ,w . e line en t ers a cu tti ng f rom ei g ht to twelve feet deep, iTich continues for a considerable distance into the forest of Germain !e-arch bridge i :7 4 json!s is fixed. In this cuttir be* at which point the station for On the west of th Germain forest 4.d in the iiei not heavy ; °t it it is already commenced in sever•' !°, Mantes .om mut 20 miles, the done is under contracts, but 'e is not yet much wo the heaviest portion is at Te to wn of Mantes, gtreetors wised throe Leh was commenced on tt :st of Mante R►'eat 'tunnel of R erable progress the excavations 1143 been made both in ti ea each end. nns.t._eltd, anA at the west s the t e road To this point, about 40 miles from Paris, The tunnels at -Venables in a very advanced state. The works uro under contract re next visited. They z !tertnnost tunnel _ lking through the rift way from end to end an opportunity was afforded of kein g the strata. There is another tunnel at this place 400 Yftrd s long, Where the driftway is already completed, and the ° Pen cutting between the two is proceeding. Both tunnels eye through chalk, perfectly dry, and easily worked. The ITrks are very slight between this place and Le Mauvir, _ similar to those before mentioned is building aiers there are not placed in the ame may be said of the bridge at Oissel, which a few miles nearer to Rouen. Near to this latter bridge a tunnel at Tourville, about 500 yards long, is being cased th brick work, the driftway being already completed. At 411 the tunnels the brick work is started. The line from Ois sel to Rouen was not let at the time of this inspection, oat it has since that time been contracted for on reasonable terms. here a brill; :roes the S le, but • Mr. Locke, who is present, will inform you that the F orks thus visited form a very large proportion of the whole that those which remain uncontracted for are of fight character, and it is confidently expected that the con tracts for them will be concluded within a month from : 4 e present time. The English directors believe, therefore, the they are warranted in conveying to the shareholders ir full conviction that the cost of the entire work is within .. 4 ,very narrow margin, defined and certain. It may here be '2 o served that, with the exception of one bridge, the whole of t hese works are let to two English contractors of known re spectability and capital—viz., Mr. William Mackenzie and j i lt'. Thos. Brassey ; who, in addition to the guarantee which t ! afforded by their character and their property, give posi "e security for the due execution of the works within a vrescribed time. These gentlemen leave also in the hands ; l i r the company 5 per cent. of the value of the work done, that i s to say, they receive only £95 for every £lOO certified !.% being due to them by the engineer of the company, the r eniaining £5 being retained as a security for the final and l ubstantial completion, to be paid to them after the opening °f the railway. Moreover, Mr. Mackenzie and Mr. Brassey, having from their own observation become convinced of the !dvantages which must ultimately arise to t 1 e shareholders u h this line, have arranged with the directors to invest this 5 Per cent. in 1700 shares of the company—such shares to be handed over to them instead of money at the period when o therwise that money would become payable to them, and in t he mean time to be held in trust for them by the directors. " The directors cannot quit this part of their report without adverting again to the position of this company in respect to she work when the last meeting of En, t hat It will be recollected by those who were present on occasion that Mr. Locke, with his usual prudence, de- Ttared with respect to the estimates, that ' the only difficulty he felt concerning them arose from his not knowing the value ' a t French labour'—and to this it may be added that the directors had, in common with Mr. .Locke, some doubts W hether the experience of English workmen could be corn with those of France, and especially whether the two c lasses of labourers, French and English, could agree so as to act together as to prosecute the works with that expedition w hich in England is required in railway undertakings. All IPprehension of difficulty on this subject is now at an end. 4t is true that, in the competition for contracts, the English %utractors have, by reason of their greater experience and orisequently increased ability to appreciate suet' works, been such lower in their tenders than the French contractors ; but so far as the workmen are concerned nothing can be more s a tisfactory. Not only do the French labourers work hat- mouiouslywith the coinparatively small number of English men whom the contractors have feltit necessary to send over Prance, in order to show how works of this sort are con ncted, but in some of the operations, particularly in the f ormation of the tunnels, the French b ed unless they are associated with En workmen are not satis "In the previous part of this report - His stated that three "Mrths of the land is purchased, and it is fully expected that i‘'ithin three months from the present time the whole of the 4 4d will be in the possession of the company. Those who a re acquainted with the minute subdivision of property I t , Prance, and the immense number of proprietors with ' , ho rn the company would therefore have to deal, were not w ithout fear that these circumstances would impede the °Perations of the company, and present almost innumerable 1 4 stances of that extortion to which railroad companies h ave been subjected to by landed proprietors in England. Bt this has not been the case. The French law requires At various forms shall be complied with, local inquiries ''ade, and positive proof adduced, that the land is really re :Mired for a work, which has been declared by the legislature i° be one , o f p u blic usefulness. The compliance with these fo rms involves delay, but it does not occasion much ex -4 Pence appeals to juries are not frequent, nor are those '`'Peals attended with anything like the same expellee as in rlgland ; there are few large landed proprietors, and these e* do t generally ask unreasonable terms from the coin o no "The rails and chairs are all contracted for. The iron is excellent quality, and, although it is much dearer than in 4gland, the cost does not exceed the estimate. ' Far the greater art of the engines used on te few rench tailr ads already constructed have been made in England F ,— he efforts of the •French manufacturers of locomotive Oines having hitherto - been unsuccessful. The directors' til t it right therefore to entertain a proposition. made to %m e ta by an English party who offered to establish them tVies as a company at Rouen, and there to build, according • ,Plans and drings approved by Mr, Locke,. all the ytues required by the company at a stipulated price. As G .this means the import duty, and the heavy expense of the from England, are avoided, the directors, under advice o f their engineer, have contracted with acting this corn nY, and the engines are now in course of construction at e a cl i , l t l i en• The concern is under the management of Mr. All , kn own t o man y present as for mer ly one of the enginceys • t he Liverpool and Manchester and Grand Junction Rail ,t4Ys, and o f Mr,. Buddicom, who, until he went to France ,I :Pressly for this purpose, was the manager of the locomotive " e Partin en t on the Grand Junction Railway. 1, ,---ie works tire contracted to be finished at various t i ""the latest on the Ist of March, 18-13, — little more fifteen months from the present time; and there is no ti Zut th a t t h e li ne may be opened •as early in the spring of Year as circumstances render desirable. t o 4, , to the traffic, the English directors have little to add tie:pe statements formerly made. The very careful statis r,Fflort originally prepared by Mr. Reed, aided by Mr. sliewed that the present passenger and parcel traffic ai tii • „ u alone, a quantity railway prices, produce £305,000 per ql• The of goods carried by land, as well as t y r , ate r , is . This railroad h one terminus in Capital of France, immense and the other in the as greatest manufac- :e this bridge a st liouille, which is i 7 cutting embankment then cantina iiere another large Uri 'd the earth work beta Irtant part of the whole en delayed for want of the land, but it i ss; several of the under bridges in the =nt are built; ateach end of the cutting the earth is hein cnoved, and the whole of this wor The Maison's Bridge dge is i❑ r. een them, e English d rs were receives y their Frehel '1 colleagues ith perfect frankness.' Tb )d thorough investigation, without any apparent reserve, or ly manifestation of doubt, that men of business all liked, .dmitted into that Close quite obvious that there had been certain matters upon which they ; with there notions of bu.:incss, and with their views formed as they were in a commercial city, differed from their French colleagues. They stated those differences ; they were heard with great frankness and kindness ; they left them, the French directors having submitted to some changes in reference to those matters—the details of which it would be scarcely usual for him to explain ; and he believed he could very safely say, that they left them under a conviction, that in those things the English directors were right. Every thing was now arranged to their satisfaction. The whole of the shares had stood now fully subscribed for in Paris at par ; and there was not an unappropriated share connected with the concern. The English directors had had an opportunity of witnessing that there was a general punc tuality in the payment of calls. Generally the shares there were very much divided; it was an unusual thing for an in dividual to hold a very large number ; and he believed, as far as his observation, and the information he could collect, served him, he believed he migkt safely say that the capital subscribed in France was subscribed by a class that was likely to pay the calls, and that they irright be considered as exceedingly well held. That was the general report which he received, and every thing he had, an opportunity of observing justified that opinion. With regard to the personal diligence of their French colleagues, he could assure the meeting that they would be an example to English directors, for they did not attend simply once a week, or once a month, but they considered it their daily business. Go at almost what time of day they (the English directors) always found some of their colleagues in the office. (Hear, hear.) They always found them attending to some business which had been apportioned to them ; and upon the days of meeting, which were twice a week, he did not remember that there was one absent, unless it was the chairman, who was a gentleman of advanced years and who, from his advanced age and increasing infirmities, was scarcely capable of attending to any business. With that exception—and he (Sir John Easthope) understood he had withdrawn mach from business engagements, they found zeal and earnestness upon the part of every member of the French board. He had before stated that there was, what was of infinitely more importance to men of business than agree able manners ; there was that perfect sincerity, that becoming frankness, that great anxiety, that punctuality, diligence, and faithfulness in the discharge of their duties which gave the English directors a good opinion of the intentions of the in dividuals with whom they were embarked—because, after all, if they were associated with persons of light character and defective. morals, it must be manifest that all the surpervision and all the checks they could interpose would be:unavailing for the purpose of practical security. These gentlemen were identified with the English shareholders in interest; and they were men of high character in France. They had iden tified their character with this concern, and he believed they had before them a concern which held out not only very ample profit in return for the capital embarked in it, but he believed they were engaged in a concern that in some degree promised a higher and more excellent end than that of mere gain. He believed that this concern would tend to establish that good opinion between the two countries, the natural result of which was, not only to bring the labourers of the two countries into contact but into harmony, by promoting a connection of their mutual interest. (Hear.) It would tend to display skill in that simple and practical form by which the people of the two countries would form a better opinion of each. He believed it would have still higher ramifications ; that it would teach the two countries that their happiness, their power, and the good which both should consult and aim at, was to be attained by the promotion of their mutual interests; that it would diffuse the sentiment that more was to be gotten by advancing that which would advance the good of both, than by rival interests pursued by narrow feelings, and advocated by doubtful means. (Hear, hear.) He knew that the enlightened man who was at the head of the administration of the foreign affairs of France had very much in view, in the encouragement which lie gave to this concern, that it would tend to establish amicable re lations between the two countries. He knew that that sen timent proved his anxiety for its support and prosperity. He told the meeting frankly, that this was one of the leading considerations which had induced him (Sir John Easthope) to engage in it. He did not affect to be indifferent to com mercial returns, being, as he was, sprung from commerce ; but he did tell them—and his friends who were present could tell them the same—that being about to retire from business engagements, he was anxious not to engage in anything fur ther. He was determined' by the circumstance of this rail way tending to advance the interests of another railway with which he was connected, but most of all by the conviction that it would tend to advance the great, high, and permanent interests of both countries, by advancing the prosperity of `each. (Hear, hear.) With that sentiment of this concern, he embarked in it. The way in which it had been carried on, and the confidence in it shewn by English proprietors, who, in times of difficulty and embarrassment, submitted to the danger of paying their money, because they had made an engagement—(hear, hear); (for it would be within the recollection of gentlemen present that when they had to make their first payment there was an unhappy collision between the two countries upon points it would be unnecessary for him to dilate upon, but they considered they had made an engagement, and therefore like English men of business and British merchants, they resolved to fulfil those engagements) —had had a happy influence upon the French. (Hear.) The skill carried into the concern, the comparative economy, the great exertion, indeed all; he elements by which it would be accomplished for a smaller sum of money, in a smaller space of time than had been customary, would, he was con vinced, be a very hap?y means of establishing a good feeling, and most cordially did he wish it should be a permanent feeling, between the country of France and that of Great Britain. (Cheers.) The CHAIRMAN said if there was in the country one per son more capable than another of knowing and appreciating the value of traffic, it was his friend Mr. Chaplin. lie had been over the line ; and he believed that Mr. Chaplin would state to the meeting that it would make a very good return. Mr. CHAPLIN said that after what had 'pa'ssed scarcely any thing he could say would be worth attention ; but as the Chairman had particular tact in fixing responsibility both upon his colleagues as well as his officers, he was bound to say something. He went to Paris with his friends, in the employment to which the Chairman had alluded ; he took a very careful review of the traffic ; and he saw no reason in any shape or way for departing from the data which had been laid down by himself and Mr. Reed upon a former occasion. Every portion, he considered, was flattering in the extreme, and an increase rather than a decrease might be ex pected. The meeting was quite aware that apart from coach or diligence traffic it was difficult to make a statement that any man could swear to, because the wine came from distant parts and at certain seasons; the fruit was also dependant upon the season ; and it was impossible to stand and take them doWn in that minute detail which could prove it. He could, therefore, only refer the meeting to the authorities quoted upon a former occasion for making the railway, and they were the officials of all the towns upon the line and of the various districts. These being men of importance, of influence, and of character, there could he no doubt of the facts. But if they looked only at the positive stage coach traffic, and give it the proportion of increase that railway facilities had produced in England, there could not be the shadow of a doubt of its realizing all that bad been said. There was one question that had arisen upon which it af forded him much satisfaction in giving his opinion, and that was the question of how far the French might be of suf ficiently locomotive habits as to justify an anticipation of that multiplication of trade in France which had taken place In England. The two railways he was most conversant with were that of St. Germains and that of Orleans. It was true there might be an undue attraction in the former place which suited the pleasurable habits of the Parisians; bqt during their visit to France they went to Corbeille, which was the first station on the Orleans line and twenty miles from Paris, and here the case was different. This line had now been opened twelve months. There was no great attraction upon it, for it passed through an agricultural district, to a small town something like Stafford; and it maintained a high state of competition with steam-boats upon the canal. The result of that line—though here there was no St. Cloud, no Ver sailles, or Paris—was that it produced £l3OO in the latter week of September. Comparing this with the English practi s e, h e had much satisfaction in his calculation of the traffic. These were his opinions, and his confidence in the undertaking was unabated. Mr. LAWRENCE said there was a feeling in Rouen that a bridge near there which had been let to a French contractor, would not he executed within the required time. If this were so, it might impede the entire communication; and he begged to call Mr. Locke's attention to it. Mr. LOcwE said he had had a similar report made to him, but in the present state of the contract it would be difficult for him to interfere. The party had given security that the contract should be performed in due time, therefore, at pre sent he had no right to assume that he did not intend to fulfil it. He had himself doubts of the power of the French eon tractors to execute any work of this kind within the time given. However, if he did not seem likely to do it within the time the company had a right to expect, he (Mr. Locke) would take means to ensure its being done by other hands. Mr, BAnNED said, there was a part of the report which might be easily explained he knew, but which at present gave rise to some misconception. In allnding to the contractors, as evincing their high opinion of the success of thp under taking, it was stated that with regard to the deposits which they were compelled to leave in the hands of the directors, as a security for the fulfilment of their contracts, that those deposits would be invested in shares, and that the number of sharps reserved would be 1,700. It might be well to know whether the directors had, as public officers, shares which they could devote to the fulfilment of this wish, or whether the deposit was to be employed in the purchase of shares in the market. The meeting had upon the one hand a statement by the worthy director (Sir John Easthope), who had satisfieforily explained thepdation of matters in France —that all the capital was there subscribed, but as there were two descriptions of capital, English and French, he shouk wish to know el hether the whole capital was subscribed for, and whether the shares had been appropriated Sir JOIIN EASTUOI id, that as this question had ariser in consequence,of what he had stated, he might be permitter to explain. There were a certain number of unappropriatec one of the subjects to which tin attention of the French directors was specially applied. These shares were now appropriated—being a part of the _ _ They were taken by Mr. Mackenzie and Mr. Brassey although the price in the market was below par. That did not amount to the entire sum they were required to de - ' the remainder would have to be purchased as the posit, ai t 011 C Ulla!) .1 share shares in England, and he was not - quit sure whether there were not a few in France upon which onl I'iiere were a- one call had been mane. _ aof course be the duty of the English directors to insist upon the calls being paid. The number was very trifling, and he did not apprehend the being in existence of one share upon which only one call had been paid for many days from this time. The CHAIRMAN rose to state the reason why there were any shares unappropriated. Certain shares were allotted fur the City of Rouen ; and the City of Rouen passed a resolu tion that they would guarantee any persons who took those shares four per cent. Before the guarantee was executed the shares got into a little discredit; and the law itself would not allow the city to guarani Sir J ASTHOPE lave now The CHAIRMAN resumed. The consequence was that those shares came back to the board of directors, and Mr. Mackintosh and Mr. Brassey were anxious to get them. They said they should be glad to take them at par; and the shares were applied in the names of three parties, of whom the chairman was one. Mr. ALTCAR having stated that he should be ready with the engines for the line at_the time he had contracted for. Air.BARNED expressed his satisfaction at the explana tions just given, and moved a vote of thanks to the chairman and to the English directors. Mr. Moss returned thanks, and strongly recommended all artics who held shares to keep to them through evil report am! good report. The meeting then separated FUNERAL OF THE LATE JOSHUA LACE, ESQ, The funeral of this highly respected gentleman took place on the morning of Wednesday. In compliance with the wish of the deceased, expressed on various occasions, and more particularly a few days before his death, the procession was not marked by any extraordinary display—his immediate relatives alone proceeding with the mournful train from Woolton to Trinity Church, in the cemetery of which is the family grave. There, however, a large and respectable body of his townsmen had assembled, to pay a last tribute of re- pect to his worth as a man, and his integrity a practitioner, throughout a life so prolonged as to render him the father of the legal profession in Liverpool, The hearse, which was drawn by four horses, was preceded by the Mayor's carriage, and those of the deceased's family ; and was followed by two family carriage closed the procession. On arriving at the church, the gentlemen alluded to, comprising nearly the whole of the members of the profession of the highest standing in the town, and other individuals of the first respectability, formed an avenue from the gate to the door of the church, through which the coffin was borne. The burial service was emphatically read by the Rev. Mr. Douglas, of Chi'dwell, and the body was deposited in its final resting place (on the south side of the church,) amidst a large concourse of atten dants, who appeared to be deeply affected on the solemn and and mournful occasion. FUNERAL OF EGERTON SMITH, ESQ. The funeral of Mr. E. Smith took place yesterday, and was attended by a large body of his fellow-townsmen attached to the principles of which he was the advocate for so many _ . years. It was originally the intention of his family that the interment should be private; but Mrs. Smith subsequently yielded to the request of a number of his friends that it should be public, to afford an opportunity to his admirers of following him to the grave. Long before the hour appointed for the train to move onwards, a great number of persons, including many females, collected on the footwalks in Rod ney-street, particularly opposite and on each side of the de ceased's house. Shortly before eleven o'clock, the procession, headed by the hearse, with mutes in attendance, moved onwards. It was followed by two mourning coaches, and 15 other vehicles of various descriptions, including three or four private carriages. After them walked, two and two, the compositors of the Mercury office, headed by the overseer and one of the reporters of the establishment—all in black. These were followed by twenty of the deceased's more immediate friends, wearing hat bands, and about a hundred more respectably clad individuals, chiefly in black, and including many of the trade, formed the rear. The whole occupied about half the length of Rodney-street. The number of persons in the procession might be about 200. The train moved along Russell-street, Seymour-street, London-road, and Moss street, amidst numerous spectators, to the Necropolis, where also a large concourse awaited their arrival. After the usual service, in the small chapel, at the entrance, (which afforded accommodation to comparatively few of those present,) the remains of the deceased were deposited in the grave of the family. NDLEY'S LECTURES ON SOCIALISM MR. BRI,. On Tuesday evening, pursuant to notice, Mr. Brindley, the celebrated opponent of socialism, commenced a series of lectures at the Queen's Theatre, in Christian -street, in which he had proposed to shew the declining state of tha•. pestilent and abominable system, and to prove, in especial, the swin dling character of the community, established by the social ists of Liverpool, at Pant Glas, in Wales. The proceedings commenced at eight o'clock, at which time, notwithstanding a very insufficient notice of the lec ture, a considerable audience was collected. The Rev. Mr. Connor, on the motion of Mr. Crisp, was called to the chair ; and Mr. Brindley proceeded at once, in that rapid and effective style for which he is distinguished, to lay before his audience an account of the past and present condition of the heresy of Owen and his fellow-atheists. In the midst, however, of an eloquent and most cutting expose of the do ings of these profound and philosophic scamps, (Which was listened to, we are glad for the honour of our town to say, with unqualified disgust,) Mr. Brindley was interrupted by the dissentient voices of two individuals—a Mr. Westwick, formerly, it appeared, secretary of the socialist body in Li verpool, and a Mr. Stewart, of Whitechapel, a couple of gentlemen for whose peculiar " organisation " and address one would almost imagine was especially intended the ex pression of " old Will"— " Hence, cream-faced loon ! Whence got'st thou that goose look ?" and, after a short pause, the two socialists were introduced upon the stage, to fulfil the purpose for which doubtless they had conveyed their most sweet persons" to the place of meeting, viz., to engage the lecturer to hold a discussion with a notorious missionary of their dishonest craft, who is, we believe, known to the socialist public under the eupho nious Welsh-sounding name of Lloyd Jones. _ _ To the proposition made by Mr. Ve - stwiek in his behalf, Mr. Brindley at once acceded —nay, he declared that he was delighted to accede to it ; but he was anxious to know whe ther the worthy who made the proposition was fully autho rised to do so. Upon this point, however, he was satisfied, by the production of a letter from the socialist missionary himself; and, after a little shuffling (and much of this espe cial instrument in social tactics is not practicable where Mr. Brindlcy is concerned), an arrangement was at length come to for a discussion, to be held upon the following terms and question, the latter of which was dictated by Mr. Brindley, and committed to writing by the rev. chairman. Upon the result of this discussion with their favourite oracle—for poor Robert Owen appears to be shelved by his own dupes—the two socialists pledged themselves, in behalf of their whole body in Liverpool, to " sink or swim "—a pledge which it is just possible that the " external circumstances " with which they are surrounded, viz., the contempt drawn upon them by Mr. Brindley's exposure of the fraudulent character of their doings, and the impious and odious nature of their principles, will not allow them to shuffle out of. The following are the terms of the discussion agreed upon: —" Mr. Brindley will prove, and Mr, Lloyd Jones will dis prcve, socialism to be a lying, strindling, fraudulent scheme, which has robbed the working classes, and is now robbing them, under false pretences ; and that it in theory denounces all marriage and all religion, and denies the existence of a personal intelligent God." The discussion is to take place in the Queen's Theatre, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the 6th, 7th, Bth, and 9th of December, under the management of a committee chosen on each side, with a moderator chosen by the meeting. The proceeds to be handed over to the mayor, for the benefit of the Infirmary and Dispensary. On Saturday evening the chartist question is to be dis cussed, when we feel sure it will meet with the same fate that befals the other abominations of the day under Mr. Brindley's searchinr , investigation. We rejoice to 'see the staunch support afforded that gentleman by our working men. WEDNESDAY,EVENING'S LECTURE EXPOSURE OF TIIE PANT GLAS COMMUNITY SWINDLE After a few preliminary remarlcs—UTan;inusinideSCrip tion, with respect to a recent visit to London in search of the husband of a female missionary, and reading to the audi ence some disgustingly abusive and threatening letters re cently addressed to himself by the socialists. Mr. Brindley proceeded to his promised exposure of the swindling nature of the community established by the Liverpool socialists at Pant Glas in Wales, which he proved by a public examina tion of the wife of one of the victims of the fraud—a poor woman of the name of Gregory. The leading movers of this 'precious affair were a knot of individuals—Liverpool socialists. The Mr. Westwick, spoken of in a former lecture, was also a subscriber to its funds. The place in question, Pant Glas, d escr ib e d t o it s poor dupes, and in the pages of the New Moral World, as a perfect Paradise,—where "nightingales sung on every tree" —consisted of about 1 ,000 acres of Welsh mountain, which is said not in reality to contain as much grass or any other herbage "as would graze a goose," On their arrival at this paradise, the misguided individuals, who had paid some £lO eaph for the privilege of going into community, found pre pared for their residence only a miserable hovel, which had been in use as a.cow-house, and in which the whole —men, women, and children—pat, drank, lived, and slept together on beds of straw in true social style—like pigs in a straw yard. - - - Their supplies of food were forwarded them from Liver pool, from the parties who had swindled them out of their money, and fooled them into this wild-goose scheme ; and were, as might be expected, of the most wretched descrip tion. Thick stirabout, oatcake, coffee made of roasted corn, and sometimes a little tea for the females, constituted their luxurious breakfast. Potatoes and lard,—once or twice a fowl amongst 16 of them, with boiled nettles—salt fish, which, having been packed in the same box with soft soap, required to be washed before eating, was their ordinary din ner; and their only other meal was one of chocolate, sent from Liverpool, with oatbread and lard. Fixed in this delightful spot, and luxuriating upon this delightful fare, the community naturally became restive, and wrote in savage terms to their defrauders, the Liverpool socialists ; and they were directed, in order to keep up the swindle and to get in subscriptions, to write two kinds of letters—one for the public about nightingales, rural felicity, and the rest which duly appeared in the New Moral World, and the other containing the plain unvarnished truth. After six months, however, of endurance, in which period they literally eat up their farming stock, beds, bedding, and all, the community broke up—one of the party running away with the only portion of their locomotives remaining—a donkey and cart—and another swindling his fellow dupes of the remnant of their pots and pans. A wretched attempt was made by a wretched being in the form of humanity during the progress of this exposure and at its conclusion, to create a diverson in favour of the infa mous body with which he is associated ; hut it is gratifying to state that his efforts were rewarded with only the most un qualified disgust. Indeed, we believe that but for the inter ference of Mr. Brindley, his doom would have been the nearest pump. A. resolution was unanimously passed that the community was a s wi n dling scheme: and o n t h e sugges tion of a person in the pit a subscription was got up on the spot to relieve the poor woman who having, with her two children, been reduced to wretchedness by it, and deserted by her husband who had dragged her into it, had come for ward to expose its villany and that of its concoctors. The amount realised by this spontaneous and creditable effort of the audience was £3 13s. W. MEETING OF THE DOCK CO HMiTTE The following gentlemen were present at ti the Dock Committee, yesterday :—Messrs. Sand Hors&ll, Barclay, Holt, Holm Tobin, Chapman. Ripley, k loon, and Chilton. The. Sub-co THE CONTRACT SYSTEI Middleton had been made with Messrs. Bowers and Co., to take down the pier -head at the entrance to the Canning Dock, the Graving Dock No. 1, Salthouse Dock, and part of the east side of. George's Dock. Mr. CHAPMA.N asked whether there had been any com- petition for this work ? competed for it dozen persons had M - r 7. CHAPMAN further enquired whether the contract wa. Mr. IionsFALL said it was not exactly advertized, but notice had been given which had induced ten or a dozen pVC -801/8 to come forward. Mr. AIKEN asked the surveyor whether it was not his opinion that the work oauld have been done lower by the committee themselves ? The SURVEYOR replied that it was. Mr. AIKEN thought the system of contracts was carried too far, and that the present one ought to be abandoned. The SURVEYOR observed that a great part of the work was already done. Mr..TOI;IN was decidedly of opinion that the committee carried the contract system too fir Jingly wrong Mr. Alderman EVANS thought it was excet to run any risk by the present system. If the committee could do this work better or cheaper themselves they ougiit to do it. Mr. RIPLEY observed that if the committee could do the work cheaper than it could be done by this contract, they ought to abandon it. The SURVEYOR remarked that there might be cases in which it would not be cheaper for the committee to do the work. Mr. CHAPMAN said there was one point which was appa rently lost sight of altogether, and that was the expedition the committee could command by having the work done by contract. Small things ought to be done by their own esta blishment ; but for the sake of saving a few nounds they ought not to inconvenience the trade of the podby abandon , ing the contract system. The time at which the work in an) case should be completed was always specified. Mr. HORSFALL observed that the experience of the pm. mittee had always been the reverse. Several centracton who had taken works had passed the time to complete them and had actually doubled it. Mr. CHAPMAN.—Penalties are always attached. Mr. HousFALL.—But the difficulty is to get the penalty from a man who has no money. Mr. AIKEN said that, taking the whole, he found that the works could be done better, cheaper, and quicker by the committee's own workpeople than by contract. If it could be shown that the work could be done cheaper by contract, he should say do it ; but unless time and money were both economiz-od by the contract system, it was carried too far. The co►nmittee had sufficient men, and as they could not work during the tide they could be advantageously employed elsewhere during that period. Mr. CHAPMAN contended, that if the committee let only the rough part of their work, and detained the smooth, they would not be doing justice to the contract system. Mr. HORSFALL recalled the attention of the committee to the question, which was, whether the recommendation of the sub-committee should be confirmed, This contract had al ready been taken, and the contractors had entered upon the work. Mr. RIPLEY was a member of the sub-committee of works, and he begged to say that they had themselves done a great deal of work upon the telegraph stations between Liverpool and Holyhead. The whole had been well executed by their surveyor, and he was satisfied that it was done quicker, cheaper, and better than if contracts had been resorted to. In one place the work had been done by a contractor, but it was found so bad that the subcommittee were compelled to have it taken down, and re-executed by their surveyor. Mr. HOLT said, the sub-committee had recently had new lights to the light-ships. These were usually made by Mr. Hartley, but in consequence of his absence, they were obliged to get them from another quarter. They cost £176 more than if they had been supplied by Mr. Hartley. The recommendation of the sub-committee was then con firmed. THE SHIP LADY FALKLAND. The Sub-committee, to whom had been referred the con sideration of the claim of Messrs. Rankin, Gilmour, ani Co., for a return of the dues paid upon their vessel the Lad , Falkland, on the ground that she had not entered the dock made a report, in the shape of a resolution. It was to th, effect that the evidence be reported to the general committe that no blame attached to the dock master, who ha, with sound judgment and discretion, and that the so mittee rl , neral committee PITT.STREET WARD CONFESSI6N OF " PAUL PRY." m,-I IE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. lye to state, through the medium of your i which the letter in the Albion of the 22nd " Paul Pry," originated. in the Mercury of Friday last, copied •• instant, and signed A communicatio vrat wssLic, cucaodass am LUC uoings or tne Tories of St. Paul's Ward, became the subject of conversation amongst a few friends; and the wholesale and absurd charges of bribery, intimidation, &c., brought forward by the Liberal press against the Tories, was much animadverted on. The writer of this suggested, (what is pretty well known to be the fact,) that these charges were merely trumped up to cover their_late disgracef--' of the public a :o draw the attention from the doings t like the crafty fellow who, when he is pursued at fault, turns round, and joins more lustily than them all in the cry. The " ruse" very frequently succeeds, as it has done, in a great measure, with these charges of bribery, in timidation, and guzzling, or, to use the phrase of an elegant correspondent of one of your contemporaries, " gobslotching," The mode in which these charges were got up was also brought upon the carpet, and I again suggested, that it did not matter from what quarter they came, authenticated or unauthenticated ; so that they were well seasoned with abuse of the " horrible, naughty Tories," they were sure to obtain a ready admission from the conductors of the Liberal press. To prove this assertion, it was proposed, that the facts which appear charged to the poor Tories of Pitt-street Ward, (but of which, in reality, the Radicals of that ward are guilty) should be dressed up • and I undertook to o bt a i n th e i r inser tion in one of the Radical papers. The favour was first intended for the Chronicle, but this was objected to, because, said the objector. " the editor who could admit such a mass of rubbish into his paper as that laid at the door of the shocking fellows in St. Paul's Ward, would, no doubt, admit any thing, no matter however absurd." The Albion_ was then named, and it was agreed Qn all nands, that if the editor of that really respectable paper should admit it, my position would be much better proved, and the public would have a much better opportunity of the degree of credit to he attached to those Prom what portion of their press they judging respecting Vilftraa:e •.n irs,nftx might emanate I do not need to inform you of the success of the hoax " the bait was greedily swallowed ;" but I hope it may be at tended with these good effects, via. : Ist. To teach these self-styled " liberal" editors a little more caution and circumspection for the future. 2dly. To show the public the caution with which they should receive these contemptible charges. 3dly. Who are in reality the transgressors. 4thly. The solidity of the triumphs so lately achieved by the Conservatives. If these objects should be attained, I, for one, Mr. Editor, will intrude no further. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Pitt-street, Nov. 23, 1841. PAUL PRY. TATION FOR THE WEST INDIA STEAMERS TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, Sitt,—l have read with great interest your able remarks on the subject of making Liverpool the port of departure for the Atlantic steam-packets, which remarks I conceive are such as to defy doubt or contradiction, but might be strengthened by a few additional facts, as contrasting them with the most prominent considerations that were urged in favour of South ampton, which appears to he the port selected, but by what reason or what authority that selection has been made does not appear, and would seem to be the result of that very energy that .the whig Council of Liverpool were so grossly deficient in, as we have reason to believe it arose from the influence of the proprietor of the Morning Chronicle, (the chairman, or late chairman, of the Southampton Railway,) who certainly deserves all praise from the local interests through which it passes ; but how stands the case with the great manufacturing districts of England, all Ireland, and Scotland ? Why, Southampton is the most remote point of England, entirely destitute of machinal resources, and with coals dearer than at any other seaport in the kingdom, while Liverpool is on the verge of a coal field, and possesses within itself very powerful resources in machinery, and is in direct railway communication ssith the emporium of the world, for this wonderful power having only about two miles of railway to complete through the town of Manchester, for which )5, parliament and capital raised, districts of Lancashire, York u•dshire within six hours of Li ig all the manufactories of the I that the Liverpool and Man- 110 w determined to all possible despat cannot conceive tha e this only remainin link witl cation c oh. - Armed with such argu - ments, we administration could res a proper a one as now governs the country. Should these remarks throw any light on the subject you have brought before the public, they will have answered the end of your obedient servant, N. The evidence of the Harbour and Dock Masters v read. They stated that an order certainly captain for the admission of the Lady Falkland vas given to the Coburg Dock, on the 14th of October, but the state of the tide was such that had she been admitted she would have grounded in the dock, and thereby have delayed the depart__ _ _ Acadia, Halifax steamer, which was appointed to sail the ne day. The Lady Falkland thereupon sailed for the Clyde. The affidavit of the pilot, who belonged to No. 6, pilot. boat, and of the captain of the L a dy - Falkland, were then read. They stated the granting of the order and that the vessel might have been admitted .e of the any degre of promptitude been used. A letter from Messrs. R nkin and C to the committ, was next read It stated, tt money upon the broad principle of not received the accommodati on ft)] •that they had The 100th and 101st sections of the Dock Act were cited to justify the return of the dues. The letter went on to say, that as the house paid one-fortieth part of the tonnage dues of Liverpool, and also contributed largely to the town dues and graving docks, they were entitled to consideration, and also to suggest a number of alterations. Mr. Shiiru . , chuirman of the sub-committee, said, that every ship coming into this port ought to wait for her turn of getting into dock. If the committee found accommoda tion in the docks they could not find water ; and it was the duty of every one who wished to dock his ship to wait till the tides were fit for the purpose. Mr. IionsFALL enquired whether the sub-committee re commended anything ? Mr. MOON replied in the negative ; adding, that they left the matter to the decision of the general committee. The want of water was the cause of the vessel not getting into dock. Mr. CHAPMAN did not at all accord with the views of the chairman of the sub-committee, because, on reference to the treasurer's books, it would be seen that nine years ago the dues were returned on a ship belonging to Mr. Brocklebank under exactly similar circumstances. Mr. Chapman then recited the circumstances of the Lady Falkland, and con cluded by saying that the committee had no right in equity to retain the dues paid by Messrs. Rankin and Co. for the payment of the expenses of steam-boat hire. Mr. AIKEN contended that Mr. Chapman's view of the question was erroneous. The question was whether the dock dues, being paid, the committee had power, under the act of parliament, to retnrn them. There was no member of the committee who did not feel desirous of acting the part of equity as Mr. Chapman' had suggested; the question was, had they the power. The CHAIRMAN said that the Solicitor was of opinion that they had not. Mi. AIKEN remarked that as the writer of the letter referred the committee to two clauses in the new act, those clauses had better be read. Mr. Alderman EVANS thought that equity and good policy required that the dues should he returned. if they had the power, they ought to return the money. Mr: Hoitsl4m. was quite of opTriio j Ci that if it could be done without a direliction of duty, the money ought to be returned. The SECRETARY then read clauses 100 and 101 of the . new dock act ; a n d a dd e d, th a t th e so li c i tor was c l ear l y o f opinion that neither of them could assist Messrs. Mr. HORSFALL was sorry to differ in opinion with the solicitor. There was a strong equitable claim in this case, and the clauses, he thought, went to favour the claim. He should move that the money be refunded. Mr. CHAI'MAN seconded the motion. Mr. Alderman EVANS said it was imeumbent upon the committee to do equity, therefore he should move as an amendment that the Solicitor take the opinion of two eminent counsel upon the question. Mr. NICOL seconded the amendment, After some discussion between Mr. Chilton, Mr. Sand bach, Mr. Horsfall, Mr. Aiken, Mr. Chapman, and others, the committee divided, when the amendment was carried by a majority of 1 ; the numbers being—for it 11, against it 10. 23d Norember, 1841. Jur correspondent r ill find some remarks on this impor taut question in the STANDARD of to-day, and in our next he will observe an article upon the subject, which will not only embrace the points to which he calls our attention, but wherein will be adduced many important arguments to which attention has not been hitherto sufficiently di dmission, rected.2 REPUDIATED EXCHEQVER BILLS the Morning Post.) A correspondent has communicated to us the following list of persons who hold the above description of documents to the amount of above £300,000. The list, we apprehend, i s not perfect : Bank of England Coutts and Co., hankers Ransom and Co„ , Price and Co., do Curries and Co., do 12,000 London Commercial Bank 11,009 . Bell and Co., solicitors Bell and Broderip, do Shearman, merchant John and W. Scott, merchants 15,000 Hichens, broker Barnes, do 12,000 Solomans, do. . Harrison, do 6,000 Shaw, City Treasurer Major Anderson IG,OOO £311,000 (From the Morning Chronicle.) The Edinburgh Exchange Bills are all of £l,OOO value each, and are apportioned in the following order among the various banking institutions of that city : Bank of Scotland £63,000 Royal Bank British Linen Company 50,000 Sir William Forbes and Co. Commercial Bank National Bank ~ Leith Bank Glasgow Union Bank . , Western Bank „ , £400,000 SACRED Music.—We beg to refer the lovers of sacred harmony to Mr. Novello's list of compositiens, which will he found elsewhere. The names of Mozart, Haydn, V. No vella, G. Hargreaves, Taylor, B. Hime, Ball, &c., will give an idea of the sterling merit of the work. JULLIEN'S CONCERT.—Some delightful concerts have been given during the week at the Portico Rooms, by M. Jullien and his unrivalled hand. The audiences have been literally astonished at the proficiency of Herr Koenig on the Cornet h Piston, His tones are powerful and very sweet, his execution brilliant, while his taste is of the first order. M. Jullien introduced his newly-invented instrument, the Clavicor, and played with Herr Koenig some of the music from Norma. The Clavicor is a sort of 0 pheiclide on a small scale, fitted with pistons. The tones are round, full, and very melodious. Madame Koenig's performances on the Accordion are extraordinary. We had no idea that this in strument could be made " to discourse such excellent music." The tones produced by the Accordion and Piano-forte accom paniment are similar to those of the Phys-harmonica as played by Herr Brennig. The Transatlantic Quadrilles are very spirited ; popular American airs are introduced. A set of quadrilles, composed in honour of the Prince's Birthday, are horrid rubbish ; it is a shame to ffnd talent so wasted upon them. The prelude—if such it was—intended for " God save the Queen," was really ludicrous; it appeared to us to be an endeavour to represent a s quailing infantile accompa niment. Mr. Collinet played a sweet air on the Flageolet. We seldom hear this beautiful instrument ; and certainly rarely, if ever, so skilfully played upon. M. Jullien gave the Nightingale Waltz with his accustomed brilliancy and effect. Mr. Richardson is a fine performer on the flute. We recom mend our friends—especially our musical ones—to visit the Portico ; if they do not they will miss one of the greatest treats offered for some time. The Portico Room is admirably adapted for musical performances : it is excellently contrived for sound. FATAL DUEL IN AFRICA.—We learn from Algiers that, on the 7th instant, a meeting took place, with sabres, be tween the son of General Bonnet and another officer of the Ist regiment of chasseurs, when the former fell from a wound in the heart, which he survived but a few minutes. The cane of this quarrel is not mentioned. DARING, HIGH\ )or man named .1 losnEny.—A fortnight since, as a Rhodes, of Rye, fish•seller, was re , where he had been to dispose of teked near Fairlight Downs by two iished 11 him and felled him to the grOund, and kept him in that position, with his hat held tight over his face, while a third proceeded to rifle his pockets. They succeeded in robbing him of between £2 and £3 in silver, the produce of the crabs, and made off through a gap in the hedge. As soon as Rhodes recovered from the ill-usage of the ruffians, he retraced his steps to Hastings, and gave in formation of the robbery to the police, and one of that body accompanied him to tne spot where the robbery was effected, when he found Rhodes's pocket-knife, which had been taken out.of his pocket while he was on the ground. CASE OF NON.PArMENT OF TOLL.—Great interest wa g excited in Canterbury on Monday, in consequence of the summons issued against the Right don. Sir Edward Knatch ball, Bart., for the refusing to pay a toll in the month of September, being fixed for hearing by the city magistrates. In the month of September last, on the occasion of the Right lion. Baronet's acceptance of office in the new government under Sir Robert Peel, his seat was vacated ; and the election consequent thereon was fixed to take place, on Monday, the 20th of September. The Right Hon. Baronet's residence (Mersham-hateli) is situate about twenty miles from the place where the election was appointed to take place. He left his residence on the previous Saturday, and the usual toll was demanded of him at the several turnpike-gates through which he passed, at some of which he refused to pay ; and among them was the one which formed the ground for the present summons. He claimed hi s exempt i on on t h e groun d that he was going to an election. Mr. Purley stated that Sir Edward Knatchbull living at the distance of 20 miles from Barham downs, where the election was appointed to take place on the Monday, he had felt it necessary to leave his home on the Saturday, in order to avoid Sunday travelling, and to be in time for the nomination he paid a visit to Sir W. B. Bridges, at Goodnestone-park, intending to stay with him on the Sunday. Consequently, though the election was fixed for Monday, still to all intents Sir Edward Knatchbull was on his road thereto in going to Sir Brooke Bridge's on the Satur day, and as such was entitled to the exemption of toll, the act authorizing that persons going to or from any such election should he exempted, He stated further, that Sir Edward Knatchbull himself proposed such a visit to Goodnestoue park merely for the purpose of being in time for the nomina tion. It was impossible to suppose that he, at his ad vance d age, could have left his home sufficiently early on th e morn ing of election to have been at it in time, without great bodily fatigue. Mr. Sands replied at some length, slid ridiculed the notion of allowing him the Saturday previous, when the election was fixed for the Monday, as a reasonable time for one to take to go to an election, especially, too, when, as in thi s case, the defendant lived but 20 miles from the place of election. The Court convicted the right hon. gentleman in the penalty of £2 2s. with Bs. 6d. cost s , i n order Watford the Opportunity of appeal, which Sir Edward, intends to prosecute, DAMAGE TO THE RIVER WALL The sub-committee for the department of the Harbour master recommended that the damage done to the river wall by the steamers Princess Royal and Admiral be not charged for, but that notice he given that in future if vessels came alongside the wall for the convenience of embarking or land ing passengers, they would be held responsible for any da mage that might result.—Confirmed. BRUNSWICK GRAVING DOCK Some repairs were ordered to be made upon the wall of the Brunswick Graving Dock. THE LATE ACCIDENT IN PRINCE'S MIT- The attention of the committee was called by a memoran dum to the want of chains to the dock-gates, whereby two females lost their lives on Sunday last, as reported in the STANDARD Of Tuesday. Mr. H IPLEY uuderstood that such chains were provided The CHAIRMAN.—We either have or ought to have them, The SECRETARY said this melancholy accident occurred at the north end of Prince's Dock. A young woman was running away from some young men who were teasing her, and in endeavouring to make for the footpath across the bridge, she got to the gate, and fell over into the lock. A crowd immediately assembled, and another girl ~ among them in the alarm slipped into the water. It true that there was a want of a guard,chairi, for it was p:, perly fixed, but there was no chain across the footpath over the bridge. The Harbour Master suggested that a chain should he extended across the footpaths over the gate Mr. TOBIN suggested that more lights were wanted. The SECRETARY said that he had received no complaints on that point, The misfortune was the result of acci. dent. guard- The conversation then dropped. RUNCORN DUES The dues received at Runcorn for - tie last month were re ported to be £52 Os. 7d. CONFERENCE WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee of the town council sent a copy of a resolution stating, that they had appointed a sub-com mittee to confer with the dock committee upon the best means of facilitating . the landin g an d em b ar ki ng o f passen gers at the several piers, on the pl ans o f th e propose d b as i n for the accommodation of the carrying trade, and on a proper site for the testing machine. After some discussion, to-morrc pointed for the conference, the CQII wt cons MR. GAGE'S PLANS Resolutions were read in recommendation of Mr. Gage's plans, from the East India and China Association, the Ship builders' Association, the Briti s h an d North American As sociation, the Shipowners' Association, the Brazilian and Mexican Association, and the Shipmasters' Association. Some conversation followed, at the end of which, it was re solved that two members from each association, together with Mr. Gage, should be invited to attend the committee on Monday next, to investigate the entire plans. It was further stated that the proceedings would be open to reporters for the public press. MR. CHAPMAN'S NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr. CHAPMAN then proposed the motion of which he gave notice last week, for the appointment of an additional committee to assist the sub-committee of works, on whom he made some strong observations. Mr. Alderman EVANS and Mr. AIKEN defended the pro ceedings of the board of works. The motion was ultimately rejected by a large majority, and the meeting separated. Ft Hoe DUTY.—The duty on hops, the growth of the year 1841 amounts to £266,898 ss. sd. The old duty at id. per lb. is £146 15s. 9d. ; and the new at id. per lb. is £108,030 ; the addition duty of five per cent. making up the difference. LAMENTABLE ACCIDENT AND Loss OF LIFE. - -On Thursday morning a fearful explosion of fire damp occurred in No. 6 Pit, Whiflet, whereby two men were instantaneously killed, and five or six others so seriously injured that many days must elapse ere they can resume their employment, or be considered fairly out of danger.—Bdinburgh paper. OUR PORTFOLIO.-N&. X If it is seldom that your reviewer peruses the entire of the work which he undertakes to criticise, it is stilt more rare to find him making a candid acknowledgment of the fact. We wish to place ourselves out of the number of those to whom this remark :is applicable, and in order effectually to do so, we shall begin by saying, that we have never even handled more than one of the four volumes of the work of which we are about to say something. Reader, have you ever had to do with odd volumes? If you have, you may probably agree with us, that there is a great deal to be collected from an odd volume. For our part we profess to be something of a connoiseur in this odd branch of literature, having long in dulged hi the secret luxury of a collector. A, clever writer will make himself known, even in a fragment of his work, and if we can obtain, no more of him th an a f ew di g . . membra—if lik e th e l c • _ . books of Livy eat classic, all else that bore the has perished—the value of what retrial,. and our " odd volume" becomes a treasi:. price. On the other hand, if the author be tt manner, and tasteless in his disse enough of him in a single volume of his labours ; we may be content to form our opinion of this Hercules, not by his foot, but by his toe, and instead of desiring to wrap ourselves all round in a wet blanket, we may be happy to divest ourselves even of the small end that has fallen in our way. Thus far then we would justify expound. ing from an odd volume ; and now to the work, to the notice of which we have made this prelusion—Alexis de Torque ville's Democra c y i n A mer i ca. nn , • - - Tress of his Cations, we shall 1. of this, then is all that we have looked into ; but us. M. de Tocqueville is a member of the en— ' puties, a member of the I ns tit u t e o f F rance, &c. we make no doubt a very clever personage; hut shall w, this account waste our time in sifting a whole bushel of chat for the sake of three grains of wheat? Your Frenchmen too often deem themselves profound when they are only muddy;—philosophical when they are only frivolous; and it is not merely a matter of taste, but an affair of sound judg ment and superior discrimination, when Englishmen put from them such inanities as quite unworthy of men who de light chiefly in what is solid and important. It is not that M. de Tocqueville does not favour us occasionally with very excellent observations ; it would be scarcely possible for one loan to write so much, and not sometimes thing striking or novel ; but we .2 - lation and systematising upon any trifling accident—. cessant elaboration to reduce every fact, however ins 4, cant, to some principle—his evident passion for what calls " general ideas,"—a passion which, he tells us, is inch genous to his country; all this, we say, renders him as a writer most uncongenial to our English taste. He furnishes the key to our dislike in a passage in which the character of the English and American mind is contrasted, and that of both countries with the national genius of the French : we shall transcribe it : hit upon " The Americans are much more addicted to the general ideas than the English, and entertain a much greater relish for them. This contrast become more striking still, if we fix our eyes on our own r 6 of the world, and compare together the two most enlightened nations which inhabit it. It would seem as if the mind of the English could only tear itself reluctantly and painfully away from the observation of particular facts, to rise, from them to their causes ; and that it only generalises in e-:' - inongst the French, on the contrary, ideas would seem to have grown to se it must be satisfied on every occasion, morning when I awake, that some has just been discovered, which I never mentioned before, There is not a mediocre scribbler who does not by his hand, at discovering truths, applicable to a great kingdom, and who is very ill pleased with himself if he does not succeed in compressing the human race into the compass of an article." Just so, M. de Tocqueville ; and though we are far from counting you as a " mediocre scribbler", yet you partake of the passion of your countrymen ; you too are a hunter after " general ideas", and if you do not seek to compress the " human race into an article", yet you lead us into inter ' minable discussions with no other view, that we can perceive than to convert Brother Jonathan, not into a military we mender, but a genera/proposition—and to make" Demr in America" the subject of a number of propositie neralities, which it costs much time to make we clutch we are not sure that we hold by any firm te.. and which, when held by the best, are not worth the chase To such "general ideas", you say, truly, that we English men are but little addicted ; and we pique ourselves upon the fact. Sentiment, or generality, is unquestionably not the characteristic of the English mind—speaking with reference to the great mass of the people ; it may probably arise from coldness of temperament ; but we do not count the absence of it a defect. By not being actuated by this passion we escape a number of errors, and are more easily induced to mind, each of us, our own business. We do not chatter so fast as Frenchmen— While others toil with philosophic force, Their nimble nonsense takes a shorter course ; Flings at your head conviction in the lump, And gains remote conclusions at a jump. We are in the habit of doing whatever we undertaia with se respectable measure of success. We are eminentl , s practical people ; but yet there are a few tolerable thinkers, poets, and philosophers amongst us, enough at all eveuts to make a decent show upon an emergency. Sufficient, however, on this point. We have said enough to show why one volume of " Democracy in America" suf ficed us. When we take up a book which professes to be about a people, we confess that we are so intensely Bull-ish that we prefer a few facts to an author's fancies, and feel more desire to see a few leading propositions carefully wrought out and rigidly demonstrated, than to be conducted, through a multitude of conjectures, to some meagre gene-. rality not worth a farthing, it' we could even believe it to be true'—and, after we have closed the book, to have nothing remaining in onr mind hut a certain dim and indefinite phan. tasmagaria of M. Alexis de Tocqueville and his theories Here and there, as we have admitted, there are some gor thoughts and lively descriptions. Let us take a specimen itns contrast becomes mt. ite of itsel taste f general Etya.ssion, that . lam infOrmed, every eneral and eternal law )ut, which whet OF MAN " I need not to ramble over earth and sky to discover a wondrous object woven of contrasts, of greatness and little ness infinite, of intense gloom and of amazing brightness— capable at once of exciting pity, admiration, terror, con• tempt. I find that object in myself. Man springs out of nothing, crosses time, and disappears for ever in the bosom of God : he is seen but for a moment, staggering on the verge of the two abysses, and there he is lost." AMERICAN RESTLESSNESS " In certain remote corners of the old world you may stil. sometimes stumble upon a small district which seemato have been forgotten amidst the general tumult, and to have re mained stationary whilst every thing around it was in motion. The inhabitants are for the most part extremely ignorant anc poor; they take no part in the business of the country, ani they are frequently oppressed by the government ; yet their countenances are generally placid, and their spirits light. " In America I saw the freest and most enlightened men, placed in the happiest circu►nstauces which the world affords ; it seemed to me as if a cloud habitually hung upon their brow, and I thought them serious and almost sad even in their pleasures. , • • " The chief reason of this contrast is that the former do not think of the ills they endure ;—the latter are for ever brooding over advantages they do not possess. It is strange to see with what feverish ardour the Americans pursue their^ own welfare ; and to watch the vague dread that constantly torments them lest they should not have chosen the shortest path which may lead to it. " A native of the United States clings to this world's goods as if he were certain never to die ; and he is so hasty at grasping at all within his reach that one would suppose he was constantly afraid of not living long enough to enjoy them. He clutches every thing, he holds nothing fast, but soon loosens his grasp to procure fresh gratifications. " In the United States a man builds a house to spend his latter days in it, and he sells it before the roof is on ; ho plants a garden, and lets it just as the trees are coming into bearing ; he brings a field into tillage, and leaves other men to gather the grapes ; he embraces a profession, and gives it up ; he settles in a place, which he soon afterwards leaves, to carry his changeable longings elsewhere. If his private affairs leave him any leisure, he instantly plunges into the vortex of politics, and if at the end of a year of unremitting labour he finds he has a few day's vacation, his eager curi osity whirls him over the vast extent of the United States, and he will travel fifteen hundred miles in a few days to shake off his happiness. Death at length overtakes hitt, but it is before he is beware of his bootless chace of that com plete felicity which is for ever on the wing. "At first sight there is something surprising in thi strange unrest of so many happy men, restless in the raids of abundance. The spectacle itself is, however, as old al the world ; the novelty is to see a whole people furnish a? exemplification of it." _ _ _ ?41, de TocquiVille is a Roman Catholic, and his preinciices in favour of his church arc apparent in his chapter " on the progress of Roman Catholicism in the United States." Of his statement concerning ifs spread in that country we ac knowledge ourselves sceptical ; it is in these words:— " America is the most democratic country in the world, and it is at the same time (according to reports worthy of belief) the country in which the Roman Catholic religion makes most progress." We'lla;e a theory to explain this phenomena, of course— for the Frenchman has a theory for everything—his passion for " general ideas" would scarcely leave him at fault upon so interesting a subject : " The men of our days," he says, " are naturally little disposed to believe ; but as soon as they have any religion they find in themselves immediately a latent propensity which urges them unconsciously towards Catholicism. Many of the doctrines and the practises of the Romish Church astonish them ; but they feel a secret admiration for its dis cipline, and its great unity attracts them. If Catholicism could at length withdraw iiself from the political animosities to which it has given rise, I have hardly any doubt but that the same spirit of the age, which appears to be so opposed to it, would become so favourable as to admit of its great and sudden advancement. Our posterity will tend more and more to a single division into two parts, some relinquishing Christianity entirely, and others returning to the bosom of the Church of Rome." We cannot be surprised at M. de Toequeville entertaining the idea expressed in the last sentence, seeing that so many of his countrymen have failed to distinguish any intermediate step between Itoinanism and utter infidelity. If he be a sin cere Homan Catholic, we must conclude that he has not been able to discover that resting place for himself, and therefore it is natural that he should conclud e th a t nonesu ch hi reality exists. And yet had M. de Toequeville considered in all its bearings that power of an unfett ere d Ch r i s tianity which he seems to have very well observed in some, it might be hoped that he would have formed a diff ere nt opinion. Religion, though not that of Rom an i sm , is, he admits, no inactive principle in the United St a t es . He dreams a picture on the subject. which is lively and interesting. " In the United States, on the seventh day of every week, the trading and working life of the nation seems suspended ; all noises cease ; a deep tranquillity, say rather th e so l emn calm of meditation succeeds the turmoil of the week, an d the soul resumes possession and contemplation of itself. Every member of the community. accompanied by his children, goes to church, when he listens to strange language which would seem unsuited to his ear. On his return ho sae, ht does not turn to the ledgers of his calling, but h e opt. book of Holy . Scr pture ; there he meets with sublirre affecting descriptions of the g rea t ness and goodness of ti. Creator, of the infinite magnificence of the handiwork God, o f the lofty destinies of man, of hi s d u ti es „ an d o f hi i m mortal privileges. 4: * I have endeavoured to poin out in another part of his w or k t h e causes to which the main tenance of the political institutions of the Americans is at tributable, and religion appeared to be the most prominent among them. I ant now t reat i ng o f t h e Amer i cans i n an in dividual capacity, and I again observe that religion is not less useful to each citizen than to the whole state." M. de To equev i lle therefore has observed the power of the Christian religion unfettered by the chains of the Popedorn— the energy which it diffuses through all orders of the state, and the prosperity, generally speaking, which results from it. He has noted these phenomena at length himself—and yet strange to say, he is notwithstanding of opinion that a great portion of the woild will eventually go back to a religion which is practically refuted by never being attended by such_ temporal advantages—which converts man, born with a couu tenance to look, inward, into a slave, and which, wherever it has prevailed in Ltirope, or in the world, has been evidently marked by providential displeasure ! M. de Toequeville would do well* we think, to reconsider his opinion. It is untrue that Lord Melbourne, like the Roman dictator —Ms office ended—has taken to the plough, or, emulative of Diocletian, has embarked in the cultivation of cabbages. He had certainly made progress in the study of nursery affairs, but an untimely frost set in, and nipped his experiments in the bud. We believe, on good authority, that in connexion with several of his late colleagues, he has turned his attention to the causes of blight and iruldove—John Bull.