The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-28 00:00:00

Etberpoot -taitharto PROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT. MONDAY MORNING, TH211 . 3 Was a comp late lull in the usual haunts of poli ticians throughout the whole of yesterd:y, forming a curious contrast to the excitement of that day se'nnight. The reason is, that the public mind is made up. The "coming event" by the telegraph of Friday was corro borated beyond all mistake, misrepresentation, exaggera tion, or quibble, by the return to the metropolis of the Hon. Captain BLA.CKWOOD from St. Petersburgh, between ten and eleven o'clock on Saturday night. Quick as the voltaic battery the CZAR'S unceremonious rejection of the last offer of France and England ran through the metro polis. In a few minutes it was communicated at the Mansion-house, where the Earl of CLARENDON, the mi nisters, and foreign ambassadors were dining. The Satur day Mansion-house banquets usually close at eleven o'clock —the last one was rather abrupt in its termination, and every guest was aware of the cause in the Czin's deter mination. Another message conveyed the intelligence at the same moment to Buckingham Palace, where there was a large evening party, a dinner having been given previously, at which the Duke of CAMBRIDG9 was the chief guest. It was considered very probable that the royal duke would have dined with Viscount HIEDINGE and their mutual friend, Coant WALEWSRI, the French Ambassador, and divers soldiers for the East, at the Man sion -house, but for the proceedings at Christ's Hospital, in which the royal duke was chosen president of that ancient foundation, in preference to the LORD MAYOR. His Lordship was the first to take the initiative as regards the war in the East, and about an hour only before the news brought by the QuEnN's messenger was communicated, his lordship said, referring to our long peace, that he much feared, that peace was now at an end, and that the present day (Saturday) might be regarded as the last of that tranquillity with which Europe had been blessed for so many years. At the banquet, either by mistake, or otherwise, there appeared to be a rather mal apropos feeling for a moment existing. Three or four speeches were made stuffed full of "epithets of war," instantly on the back of them the BISHOP of LONDON'S health was proposed. The bishop, though a churchman, likes a smart contrast, and came out rather successfully as returning thanks for the " Ministers of Peace." There are all sorts of rumours touching the treatment of Captain BLACKWOOD at St. Petersburg. The EMPEROR was not in the capital on the gallant messenger's arrival, but at a place two or three days' journey distant ; hence, in part, the delay. At all events, " I have no answer," was the laconic return. The Russian people are represented as wound up to the highest pitch of religious enthusiasm. They believe they are right ; their blind devotion to the EMPEROR is stated to recognize no bounds. I am not now referring to the feelings of the nobles ; the intelli gence brought by Captain BLACKWOOD has to do with the great mass of the population, and the military. Though the newspapers have said nothing at all, or as little as nothing, on the important point, the fact is the same, that at a recent meeting of ministers Lord PALMER STON suggested,—hinted—broached a topic, as bold as it undoubtedly will be advantageous to the British arms in the East, and it may be a lasting profit to England. The fortified Turkish port of Gallipoli has been ceded by the SULTAN to the British government, as a naval and military station for the force of this country. Look at the map, and the incalculable advantage of Gallipoli will be at once perceived. It is situated at the mouth of the Dar danelles, commanding ingress and egress between the Me diterannean and the Black Sea. Time out of mind it has been a great shipping port, to which English and other vessels resorted. Situated on a long and narrow tongue of land, running from the Turkish mainland, with a command as above mentioned. Two thousand men sta tioned in the fort of Gallipoli, can withstand any attack from the land side, the breadth of the isthmus being about a mile and-a-half. In short, no ship could sail up to Con stantinople, or return from the Turkish citadel, if the parties in possession of Gallipoli were to oppose it ; and the con tinued possession of it by the English would almost neu tralise the advantages that Russia would gain by the oc cupation of Constantinople. Gallipoli was the first place taken in Europe by the Turks in the fourteenth century; it was taken from the Greeks, the king then being in Constantinople, and the Turks have held it ever since as the ordinary station of the Ottoman fleet in time of peace. A conversation of momentous import occurred in the House of Peers on Tuesday evening, at the instance of the Earl of ELLENBOEOUGII, touching the government supply—not contract, as it at present unfortunately happens, for the ends of just and swift punishment— touching the recent supply of fodder for our artillery horses, now on their way to the scene of action. A few words on the subject may be interesting—they are drawn from the first source, and are not much in reference to the dis cussion itself in the Lords, but rather being upon the grand question of government supplies, contracts, and some news thereanent. First, however, let ns treat of the artillery horses. They are chiefly of the Cleveland breed, thorough English,—brown or black—white or light gray never; these are marks for the enemy, and to be avoided. Of all the horses in England, from the " high mettled racer," your Flying Dutchman, and so forth, including every species down to the humble nag, the trained artil lery horse is the most valuable. Good blood of the sort, sound in wind and limb he has passed veterinary manipula tion ; now comes the drill, which makes him invaluable, for action, rapidity of motion, acuteness, beating out of the field the boasted trained horse of France, the more proudly spoken-of horse of Austria and of Prussia. Drill continues more or less according to the aptitude, or intel ligence rather, of the animal; by degrees he is accustomed to the roar of the cannon, in Woolwich marches, distant it may be comparatively, in his earlier practice ; gradually it is brought nearer and nearer, till at last his acme of perfec tion is reached. The intellect of a higher order of animals, we are told, is sometimes reached through the stomach. In the field of battle, in front of the deadly breach," there the trained horses stand; in a twinkling slip goes the loop—they are unhooked from the field piece, and free to bound like the wild horse of Mazeppa— but they don't. The " nose bag "—the military one—is a chef d'oeuvre in its way, with its little elastic cane border; this is placed on the ground—the animal eyes it. Moons, or somebody, sings aloud in praise of the eyes of the -gazelle; for docile intelligence, with a dash of cunning in it, the eye of the artillery horse is beyond compare ! Well, the horse is not long in dipping his month—bit, and bridle-leather flaps on his chest—into the bag of provender —a toss, and it is fixedon his head. Boom! goes the cannon ; they are in the heat of the action. Fire away is the order ; each succeeding roar from the mighty gun within a foot of the horse is answered by a quiet look round—a harmless pricking of the ear —another toss of the nose bag, and munch ! A change of position is commanded ; in a second twinkling, on goes the loop, and the huge piece of ordnance is drawn to the new point of 'vantage. When hard work of this description is expected, the horse is kept a good while beforehand without food, even almost to ex haustion. He pays all the more attention, they say. Such is our trained artillery horse. Such glorious crea tures, upon whose life or death, it may be, depends the destiny of nations, by the merest accident were saved, but the other day, from death by fire or poison before they landed to meet a foe ! The cause ? A desire for filthy lucre on the part of the miscreant who supplied the fodder. Has wickedness since the beginning of the world gone further ? No, no. I remember some time ago tasting " preserved provisions," a mere particle on the end of a fork; it didn't pass the epiglottis; the horrible flavour remained in my month for many hours thereafter, making all condiment hideous! Readers may recollect the con tract, when our brave sailors, on having the preserved " tins" of meat opened, found bits with " hair on them," together with all unutterable filth. It was suggested then that" tasters," sworn, should be appointed; commissioners, in short, to be present when the barrel-bulk of the provi sions was being packed ; that they should taste a portion of the bulk, and see it afterwards, portion by portion, her metically closed. With fodder the process is much more simple. A very dull nose indeed can detect the difference from the sweet smell of hay and the rotten. Combustion would undoubtedly have occurred had STURGEON'S hay been shipped; but probably the horses might have been previously poisoned. Let there be sworn G overnmen t tasters?' Why does the East India Company give a thousand a year to that saffron-coloured man, with the chalky tongue, for tasting their teas ? He can tell at a smack of his lips the difference between Pekoe and Hyson, Twankey and Souchong ; a chip of Bohea he detects at once. Mere mercantile precaution, that a chest of inferior may not be palmed off for one of superior ; and until this is done by the Government, garbage for ever ! Jon Hume, M.P. for Montrose, deserves the desecra tion of thousands of poor hard-working clerks, warehouse men; porters, mechanics, artizans, railway people; and people of all working orders —nearly--save the " vera ink, " Wording to HU ME ' S vernacular, which I do not ob ject to. Jos is now getting on for eighty years of age, still ; tiff, bluff, and rugged as he always was : he has called Reformer—Radical, indeed —the poor man's friend ri ir fifty yea rs, and, oh sorrow and shame ! the poor have ta k en him at his word. I never thought JOSEPH HUME a friend of the poor man, or of any man, other than him self That be has been going on with cheese-parin g .re form in the House of Commons for a life-time, moved for returns more costly in their production than the tax he had in his eye for abrogation, is most true. In any great question, JosnPH Hymn's heart becomes shrivelled—con tracted as his mind, if he have one. He will take care of working men's pence, for a penny monument, (and good enough, too,) Joann! HUME, while in memory of the founder of our modern curse, PEEL and the Income Tax . he had yet a character to make and . sustain, attended working men's meetings, took chair oftentimes thereat, and gammoned them ; filing with the talked big about othersreform . in parlia ment—it gave a colour to his'sad om ex pense of his election. Middlesex to wit. Sprung tr mealy the lowest grade of society, he made his large for tune at a time when India was worth going . to, and when saltpetre, gunpo w d er , an d o th ers imilar materuils,were even in more request than at present. He:became a nabob without diseased liver ; returned to England,— n ow bestrides an exquisite horse — keeps a beautiful carnage ; nay, further, I have seen himbut pay for a box at the French plays; that he considered "as lassies.". All this is well. Low a French lesson to the • Low origin and refined taste, even in the things above noted, reflect lustre on each other. But JOSEPH Huani's heart is cold and worthless. What business has he, forsooth, of all men living, if his fealings be real and not sham, as I have almost inti mated,--what business has he to eke oat the income-tax —add to it,—aid Chancellors of the Exchequer in burden ing poor people, already with fewer dinners than seven a week ? Does that prince of accountants and political economists, WILLIAM EwART GLADSTONE, require a hint • from the dull dormitory of JOSEPH HUME'S mud-mind ? 6 I trove me nay. Yet JOSEPH has hanging over the heads of thousands and tens of thousands of such people a (till now) unheard o f t ax :—the CHANCELLOR OP THE , ' EXCHEQUER is not likely to lose sight of it, seeing it comes • from a Reformer. Ugh! JOE proposes that when a man . with a wife, it may be,—for it is all one to the father of , Reform,—and half-a-dozen children,—and it is wonderful to see what an aid to population poverty is.—Humn pro poses that such a husband and father, if he earn 235. and the fraction of a penny a week (260 per annum), shall be liable to an income-tax. He proposed the monster-thought ! His reason for it ? Here it is, in Jox's own words almost, indeed altogether :—those who had urged on the govern ment to go to war, at public meetings and elsewhere, should be called on to pay their fair proportion of taxation. What d'ye think of that, working men of England, who have £6O a year, wage or salary ? It hangs over your heads like the sword of antiquity. Chancellors of the Exchequer resemble the eldest BONAPARTE—NAP,—WhO said that no enemy was too insignificant to be despised. So Mr. GLADSTONE thinks every little helps ;—he would gladly have taken JOSEPH'S proposition ; but Mr. GLAD STONE thought it " too bad," more especially as the impo sition of the income-tax on sums from £l5O to £lOO had only produced £250,000 ; and Mr. HUME'S proposition, he was afraid, "would not at all produce a similar sum." No suggestion, however insignificant, if it bring grist to the CHANCELLOR'S mill, is to be despised. Mr. GLADSTONE took good care to tell JosEmi to keep his proposition over for a while,—till he saw how the present measure worked. And JOSEPH answered and said, verily I shall do so. One of the plague-spots of the vast metropolis—West-end especially—is about to be remedied, removed. Gaming! Let us take a ride in a night cab to Bury-street, St. James's, the Haymarket, and streets ramifying, the " Silver Hells" of Castle-street. Woe's me ; that poor, silly act, brought in two or three years ago, and afterwards hurrah'd to the sound of the dry bones in the dice box, which provided that conviction should only follow gamblers being caught in the act, or gambling instruments being found on the premises. The act was laughed at ; the gamblers, know ing fellows, and the still more knowing ones who kept the " bank," saw at glance they could easily circumvent the warrant of the "beak," held by his most vigilant officer. Iron-bound doors—examples for the ordnance office—managed the one, and that science which relates to fluids in motion, and more especially to the conveying of water through pipes, did the other. A West-end plumber, for £5O, puts up a tank, joked about in these sinks as Il Taneredi ; it is arranged for a pipe, two inches in diameter, with a bend here, and a bend there, just to give impetus, and running bang into the common sewer. A ton of water, in the moment of alarm, is let down ver tically,—adieu implements. Though they have been going on to a great extent lately, it is curious to con sider the effect of the pitiful enactment last passed. In a dozen of the " hells " referred to, old familiar faces meet each other nightly over the green baize,—friend — prostitution of the sacred word !—preys upon friend; few strangers worth plucking turn up ; now and then a "pigeon," it is true, but seldom. The same parties meet, night after night, to fleece each other, and each as poor as t'other. The very porter has been played with, and, in a recent case, he cleared out the parties, and lent them cab hire. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S bill proposed, and brought in on Thursday evening, is good ; it will surely put down these gaming establishments. There are thou sands of gaming places—" more to be feared than they." What follows, too commonly, the table d'hote ? Cards — plunder. Two, three, five, ten, twenty pounds lost and won ! The master-tradesman, the clerk, by this " friendly hand," and a drop of gin, finds his quietus in the Thames! This was the case the other morning. Wednesday is a quiet day in the region of the Houses of Parliament; the Earl of CARLISLE, when Lord MORPETH, used to - Throw up his cap, And shout joy I joy !" on its return. The late illustrious DUKE carried his love of the day still further, by never coming down to the horse at all, under any consideration, on that day, which ever after became a dies non. The placid air (I do not mean atmospheric) of the place does one good to have a stroll, taking care you do not slide and tumble each glassy step you take. Wednesday last formed an exception to the rule. I was forcibly, and sadly too, reminded of Lord BYRON'S famous first and last speech in the House of Peers, when he stood up in support of the poor of Not tingham, touching the knitting-frame breaking-boys, of five-and-forty years ago. Sir HENRY HALFORD , a kind hearted man, aware of one great grievance under which groan the hard-working and harder paid makers of Not tingham hose, moved for a measure in their favour. Who has not heard the jarring, sharp, and unmusical sound of the stocking-maker's loom—chick—chick—chur For all your improvements in science, exhibition prizes, &c., these noisy looms cost as much now as they did when they first were patented —say from £l9 to £22 for the better order. Scarce one stocking-weaver out of a hundred can call one of these looms his own. Sharifellows, for the most part, they say, butlers and other gentlemen's ser vants—a class who well know safe and profitable invest ments—purchase the machines, and let them out to the poor worker of hose at a rent of 65., 75., aye, and Bs. a week ! Is not this monstrous ? One year's rent of the loom pays for it out and out. Here are gal the evils of the truck system, without even the masteiPketting anything by it. A man with half an eye could see that this enor mity demanded attention. No. Sir WiLLIA.m CLAY, the Tower Hamlet baronet, opposed the measure, on the ground that it " interfered with the labour market"—in terfered in a serious manner with the laws which regulated labour as between master and servant ; a subject which BROUGHAM, with all his age, experience, and forensic lore, always approaches with jealous care. Sir WILLIAM CLAY'S opposition is baseless ; the question is not between master and servant—the truck system and middle-men are the subjects ; and let us hope that Sir H. HALrouro's bill will be ultimately carried. The second reading was by a majority of 47. - - Half-a-dozen dramas, such as they are, have been pro duced during the week at the chief theatres ; all of them artificial in plot, incident, language, and almost every accessory necessary to the "legitimate." Yet they have all been successful ; nay, more, an adaptation produced on Saturday night by Mr. C. KEAN, that great stickler for legitimacy and stage virtue, I am informed, was received with the utmost favour, though unmitigated vice—male and female—was rampant it in. The theatres are all crowded,—at least those of them that I visit ;—standing room all that can be had, unless seats are previously se cured. The winter season closed at Drury-lane on Satur day, with a bow from BROOKE and another from the lessee. Some Chinese varlets make their appearance this evening, preceded by opera. The impresario of the Italians has issued his hot-pressed programme;—the same artistes as before, with Lemacica—a great addition. Gaisi bids farewell in July. It was stated that the season would begin with " 11 Barbiere," LARLACIIE as Bartolo ; "Wil liam Tell" has been substituted with a grand cast,—a change which no lover of music or musical scholar can approve. REJECTION OF THE SUMMONS OF THE WESTERN POw.ERS. A telegraphic dispatch, dated Berlin,March%,states that on the pevious night an English courier passed through that capital, bearing to his government the refusal of Russia to accede to the summons of the Western Powers. The messenger bearing the summons arrived at St. Petersburgh on the 13th inst. It was immediately communicated to the Russian Cabinet; and, on the 19th, Count Nesselrode signified to the British Consul that his Imperial master had no reply to make to the message of England and France. The Hon. E. W. Blackwood, messenger from St. Peters burgh, arrived at Dover on Saturday afternoon, and im mediately started for London. He reached the Foreign Office at half-past ten o'clock at night. He is the bearer of dispatches to our government, which were immediately sent to the residence of Lord Clarendon. Mr. Blackwood left St. Petersburgh on the 19th inst., having deferred his departure till the last moment indicated in his instruc tions. It is understood that the Emperor would return no answer to the Sovereigns of England and France. The last authentic dispatches from Bucharest mention great stir in the Russian armies. Some reinforcements had arrived, and it was known that the Czar had desired the capture of Kalafat at any risk and cost of money or life. Tit AMERICA.3I 31.ms.—The steam-ship Andes, which had been appointed to take the present turn of the Cunard line of steamers from New York and Boston, had not arrived previous to our going to press. Should she arrive any time to-day, we will publish the news brought by her in a Second Edition. WE would recommend those who want to purchase country residences to read Mr. Williams's advertisement. Mn. ALBERT SMITH is stated to be writing a new novel, the action of which is to pass in the varied localities of London, Wolverhampton, and Ulverstone. The story is said to be very dramatic, and to bear out the old adage " that truth is stronger than fiction." STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH WALEB.—A line of steamers is about to rim between Cardiff and Liverpool ; a large shed is now in course of erection at the docks for the reception of cargoes to be brought by these ships.— North Wales Chronicle. Docz COMMITTEE.—The election of a member of the Dock Committee in the room of Mr. Francis Shand, who vacated his office as a representative of the ratepayers on being elected an alderman, took place yesterday, when John P. Palmer, Esq., deputy chairman of the Shipowners' Association, was elected without opposition. Tan AtAnco POLO, which sailed from here on the 9th of November for Melbourne, arrived out on the 28th of January. Later accounts state that on the 80th of January she got on shore, and was not expected to be got off. SERVANTS' WAGES.—In the County Court, yesterday, the Rev. Dr. M'Neile was summoned by his late cook, for the non-payment of £1 75., a month's wages, in lieu of warning. The rev. gentleman said it was an understand ing with the plaintiff when she was engaged that she was to have no visitors, except by leave of her master or mistress, and that they made no objections at reasonable times. On Sunday, while they were absent at church, she admitted a " cousin," and on being remonstrated with for her breach of regulations, she took fire as though she had been brought up at Spit-head, and boldly defied the authority of her master, who would not have pressed the objection had she made any attempt a t civility. The judge gave a verdict for th e defendant , and this produced the plaintiff, who was locked up u another she voll e y fmni couldntil cool down. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL. ADVERTISER. prices. Sugar dull, and prices slightly in favour of buyers. In Rice, a further decline. Tea very dull. For Palm Oil, an improved demand at £2 per ton advance. Tallow dearer, Petersburg Y.C. having advanced from 655. to 675. 6d. American, 655. per cwt. To-DAY, the Sugar market continued dull, the sales comprising 1500 bags Bengal, at 31s. 6d. for dry brown, 355. 6d. for middling Dates, and 395. for white Benares, also 50 hhds. 50 brls. Porto Rico at 365. 9d. to 395., and 200 brls. Venezuela at 365. 6d. per cwt. There is nothing to report in Molasses, Rum, or Coffee. We have to notice the sale (which took place on Saturday) of 1500 chests of common Congou Tea at lljd. per lb. ; to-day there has been very little doing, and prices are nominal for most kinds. The Carolina Rice offered to-day was not sold, nor has anything transpired in East India. A small lot of Saltpetre is reported at 365. 6d. per cwt., 2+ per cent. refraction, and 16 .ehests Lac Dye at 9d. to 10d. per lb. 3000 bales Jute, to arrive, have been sold, but the exact price has not transpired, also 100 bales Sunn Hemp, of indifferent quality, at £24, and 55 bales Aloe Fibre at £2O per ton. MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.--On Saturday afternoon last, an occurrence of this painful nature took place at the house of Henry Price, police-constable, 18, Tarlton-street, Everton. Elizabeth Price, aged 26, daughter of the above, had been much depressed in spirits for the last three months; and on Saturday last Mrs. Price, who went to the market at ten o'clock, leaving her daughter at home, returned about half-past one, when she was surprised to find the doors fast. She contrived to gain admittance by the parlour window, and immediately proceeded up stairs, when she found her unfortunate daughter suspended by a silk handkerchief, fastened at the top of the front bedroom door. What renders the event still more lamentable is the fact that deceased was under a matrimonial engage ment, which was fixed for Easter Sunday. She had been a teacher in a Sunday-school, and was much respected. ST. MICHAEL'S BURYING GROUND.—An adjourned meeting of the grave-owners and other parishioners was held last night, at the school-room, in Cornwallis-street, the Rev. H. Carpenter, in the chair. The Chairman stated that no answer had yet been received from Lord Palmerston, but it was a fortnight before the Rev. W. F. Taylor received a reply from him to a similar application respecting St. John's Churchyard, and that being a favourable one, they had no right to anticipate a refusal to their application. By the act, all cemeteries established under an act of parliament, were exempt from its operation, and they had thh ground of exemption. He (the Chair man,) would, however, write again to Lord Palmerston, pressing for a reply, and should it be favourable, the parishioners would have notice by placard, but if it should , be such as to require further consideration, they should be called together again. He might state that as there ex isted no legal impediment, burials would take place as hitherto. The meeting concurred in the propriety of this arrangement, and adjourned sine die. ROBBERY OF WEARING APPAREL. —Two sisters, named Ann and Elizabeth Reece, were charged on Thursday, at the Birkenhead Police-court, with stealing a large quantity of wearing apparel the property of Miss Eliza Jones, of Bridge-street. Ann was a servant of the prosecutrix, and was frequently visited by her sister. Several articles of wearing apparel were missed from the house, but no suspicion fell upon the servant until after she had left her situation. The lodgings of the prisoners, in Back St. Ann street, were then searched, when the whole of the stolen property was found concealed in two boxes. Ann excul pated her sister, who was, in consequence, discharged, and she was committed to trial. DARING ROBBERY AT EVERTON.—On Sunday evening a young lady residing in Earle-street, Everton, was startled by finding a man in the bed-room. He dis appeared by the window, and a search showed that a burglarious entry had been effected by means of a ladder reared outside. All the upper rooms had been ransacked, and a sum of upwards of £lOO in money is missing. DINNER AND PRESENTATION.—Last night, Mr. Alex. Speirs, manager of the Vauxhall Foundry, wasentertained to dinner in Feeny's New Merchants' Dining Rooms,when he was presented with a handsome service of 'fiver plate, consisting of a massive silver teapot, a coffee-pot, a sugar basin, and a cream ewer, in testimony of the estimation in which he is held as manager of the above-named foundry. Upwards of 150 of the various employe& in that establish ment, and a few of their friends, assembled on the occasion. The chair was occupied by Mr. George Somers, foreman of the fitters and turners, who was supported on the right by Mr. Speirs, the guest of the evening, on the left by Mr. Duncan, of the Corporation Waterworks. The grace was sung by Messrs. Lawrence, Graham, G. Wheeler, and W. Lloyd ; and, on the cloth being removed, the same gentle men sung " Non nobis domini." The chairman then gave in succession, as toasts, " The Queen," drunk with all the honours, after which, the National Anthtm was sung. " Prince Albert and the rest of the Royal Family,' was drunk with much applause; "The Emperor of the French;" Glee—" The Bright Sword of Liberty." The next toast was " Success to the Naval and Military Forces of Eng land and France." The Chairman then, in a neat address, in which he alluded to the good feeling which had always subsisted between the workmen of the Vauxhall Foundry and their late manager, with which that gentleman had been connected for the last 26 years, presented him with the very handsome testimonial of esteem which they wished his acceptance of. The salver bore the following inscription : " Presented by the workmen of Messrs. George Forrester and Co., Vauxhall Foundry, Liverpool, to Alexander Sp Ars, Esquire, Mai aver, as a testimonial of respect on his leaving the above place, March, 1854." In acknowledging the com pliment Mr. Speirs alluded to the reminiscences which crowd upon the mind of one who had been so long connected with so important an establishment as that he was quitting. The duty and the responsibility of a foreman, he remarked, caused his position to be one of great delicacy and diffi culty, as he was open, on the one hand, to suspicion of overleniency to the men, and, on the other, of too rigid an exaction of duty from them to the employer. He had endeavoured to steer his way as evenly between these difficulties as he could, and the reception he had met with that night showed he had not been altogether mistaken in his efforts. The anxiety he had experienced for the last few years was very great indeed ; and he was glad to think that the new appointment he was about to enter on would not be so environed by difficulties. The evening was spent with a great flow of genial good humour and much social harmony, which was enhanced by the singing of numerous glees, duets, and solos, by the musical gentlemen already named. The viands, wines, and liquors were supplied by Mr. Feeney, in his usual style of tasteful abundance. The plate, which was above £6O in value, was manufactured by our townsman, Mr. Joseph Mayer, and was characterised by the good taste for which his establishment is proverbial. WILLIAM THOMPSON, aged twenty-one, has been con demned to death at the Norfolk Assizes by the Chief Baron, for the murder of Lorenz Beha, on the 18th of November, atTittleshall. The LORD MAYOR gave a grand banquet on Saturday to her Majesty's ministers, the Foreign ministers, and a distinguished party. Lord John Russell, Lord Palmer ston, and Sir James Graham were not present, the former on account of illness, and the latter two from fear of it. THE ST. FERGUS MURDER.—The new trial of Dr. Smith for the murder of M`Donald is fixed for Wednesday, the 12th April. A Lim? or STEAMERS has been advertised to run from Hull to the Prussian port of Pillau, in the Baltic, taking goods for Memel, &c., with the view of carrying on the trade between England and Russia. It is to consist of a screw propeller of about 700 tons. FAnuass.—The suspension of Messrs. P. Monteaux and Co., foreign exchange dealers, with establishments in Paris and London, has been announced. The total liabi lities of the joint houses are stated at £lOO,OOO, of which £40,000 will fall in London. The failure of Messrs. Ben jamin Elkin and Sons, a very old and respectable mercan tile firm, chiefly engaged in the West Indies and Australia trade, has been announced. Their liabilities amount to £140,000. CHRIST'S HOSPITAL.—The election of a president of this hospital, in the room of the late Alderman Thompson, t oo k p l ace on Thursday, and was regarded with unusual interest, in consequence of the Lord Mayor and Corpora tion having claimed the office as belonging of right to the Lord Mayor of the time being. In opposition to this claim, which is said to have no legal foundation, though sanc tioned by custom, an influential body of donation governors put the Duke of Cambridge in nomination. At the close of the ballot the numbers were—for his Royal Highness, 216; for the Lord Mayor (Sidney), 87; majority for the Duke of Cambridge, 129. His Royal Highness subse quently attended the court, and was formally installed in the office of president. AT THE NORFOLK ASSIZES, on Friday, Mr. Peter Ash croft, superintendent of the permanent way, or resident engineer, of the Eastern Counties Railway, and John Latham, one of his inspectors, were charged with the man slaughter of Thomas Ellison, who, with the Rev. Joseph Bell, and four others, was killed by a collision on the above line during the heavy fall of snow in January. A verdict of not guilty was returned. SUICIDE OP A LAW STUDENT.—On Saturday an inquest was held at the Prince George, Regent's-park, London, on Mr. George Crump, aged twenty-one. The deceased, who was keeping his terms, was regular in his habits, and passed several hours a day in study. He returned home in his usual good spirits, and, while in the course of ge neral conversation with his cousin, he suddenly took a phial from his pocket, exclaiming, " I've something so nice here !" and immediately drank off the contents, which proved to be laudanum. A medical man was sent for, but the deceased survived only a short period. Verdict, in sanity. CHARACTERISTIC OP THE SCOTCH.—Two active Aber donians, who arrived at Oban for the emigrant ship Themis finding that the ship would take six weeks to repair, heard of a granite quarry in operation at MiNiven's Isle. They s t ar ted, and found employment at 30s. per week. They will clear £6 a-piece while the vessel is repairing. LETTERS TO AusraLuA.—The terms of the new agree ment entered into between the directors of the General Screw Steam Shipping Company and the Post-office autho rities are on the basis of an equal distribution of the charge upon all letters despatched by the government. One moiety of the postage will be paid to the company, who are bound to deliver the outward mails at Melbourne in sixty-five days, and the homeward mails in sixty-seven days. The first steamer to be despatched will be the Queen of the South, which will leave Southampton on the 4th of April, and the service will be continued every al ternate month. LAl:mos. — On Wednesday, a barque, named the Oribe, 220 tons N.M., and 270 0.M., was launched from the building-yard of Messrs. Hall, at Footdee, Aberdeen. The Oribe is owned at Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, and is built expressly for the trade of that colony. COAL ON THE PACIPIC.—Mr. Benham, of San Francisco, who has been in Washington Territory examining the coal mines, reports that in Bellingham Bay, there is a mine of sixteen feet in depth with a dip of forty-five degrees. The vein is of solid coal, with the exception of two small strata of clay. The bed of the coal is forty feet above high water mark. One hundred tons of this coal, placed in the San Francisco market, commanded within one dollar of the highest market price. The mine is sitapted w ithin, a quarter of a mile of deep water, and one and a half day's sail of the outward mouth of the Straits. CO-111fERCIAL ,S• MONETARY NEWS, MONDAY NIGHT. IT would seem that the apprehension which exists as to the impend; g war with Russia, is as mischievous in its effect as the most dreaded realisation of it ; and, indeed, it is the opinion of many that the suspense under which the commer cial world is now labouring would be considerably relieved even by the commencement of actual hostilities. From day to day the funds have been declining in value ; but this fall must not be alto gether attributed to expectations of war. A larger quantity of stock than usual has been thrown upon the market, owing to the anxiety of many large holders to be in funds for anticipated demands upon them, and the downward tendency has been assisted by the operations of speculators for a fall. The returns of the Bank of England, on Friday, showed another decrease in bullion to the extent of £573,846 ; but this may be considered rather favourable than otherwise, as, owing to the demands for the continent and the receipt of few remittances, the decrease might have been expected to be larger. It is rather an evidence that there is no drain for specie except for known objects, and, therefore, a favourable reaction, when something more definite is blown as to political combinations, may reason ably be anticipated. Money for commercial pur poses has ruled from 51 to 6 per cent. for good bills, and the bankers here now charge 6 per cent. on overdrawn accounts • but the Bank of England has made no official change in the minimum rate of discount. There have been reports of some few failures, but not to any great extent, and, not withstanding the feverish state of the public mind gives credence to many idle rumours respecting warlike movements, the confidence of capitalists in commercial security may be considered in a more satisfactory state than might have been expected. The operation of warlike expectations upon the several markets have been various, telling appa rently with the slightest effect upon colonial pro duce in most general consumption. It is true that commercial transactions have been, in a great mea sure paralysed; but the slight alteration which has taken place in the market value of Sugar, Tea, Rice, and similar articles, must have the effect of ensuring that confidence in mercantile stability which is indispensable to the maintenance of public . credit. Russian produce has, however, as might have been expected, considerably advanced in value, Hemp having advanced about £lB per ton since the beginning of the month. Tallow and Palm Oil are also dearer. In the cotton manufacturing districts trade has been very dull, but not more so than might have been expected, considering the great disinclination to do more than for immediate consumption, and prices have in consequence slightly declined. The relative high price of the raw material has also operated to restrict manufacture, but the declining prices of Corn render the prospects for the future by no means discouraging. In the Wool, Hosiery, and Lace trades similar inactivity prevails, all parties evidently waiting until political events take a more decisive turn. The Corn trade has suffered a still further de cline, not only through the United Kingdom, but on the continent, with no immediate prospect of a reaction. The arrivals recently have been very large, owin g , in some degree, to the manner in which Wheat has been hurried away from Odessa, previous to the time when exportation was prohi bited. There have also been large arrivals from the United States, and further large supplies may be expected from Canada on the openinc , of the navigation of the river St. Lawrence. The de cline, however, may partly be attributed to parcels having been forced on the market, in order to realise advances, and as the Russian ports are now closed against further exports, there are some who entertain the opinion that should holders not be compelled to give way from monetary pressure, prices may yet rally between now and the middle of May, when the markets will be most affected by the weather and the appearance of the growing crops, as, notwithstanding the extent of foreign importations, the dependence for the largest supply must be upon home produce. From a return just presented to Parliament, it appears that the total numbers of British registered vessels, employed in coasting and foreign trade, has increased from 1849 to 1853, as follows :—Sailing vessels from 17,807, of the tonnage, 2,988,021, employing 144,165 men, to 17,567, of the tonnage, 3,511,827, employing 155,006 men. Steam-vessels, from 414, of the tonnage, 108,321, employing 8,446 men, to 639, of the tonnage, 218,260, employing 17,519 men. It appears, therefore, that in the five years the average size of sailing vessels has increased from 167 to 200 tons, and of the steam-vessels from 261 to 341 tons. The following tables from a parliamentary return just published, show the comparative trade of Great Britain with Russia and Turkey, and that while we take considerable amounts of Russian produce, the Russians are but indifferent customers for our manufactures; the Turks, on the other hand, being customers to the full amount of our imports from thence : 1849.—Imports, £5,654:,103 ; Exports, £1,379,179 1850.—Ditto, 5,296,833 ; ditto, 1,297,660 1851.—Ditto, 4,482,282 ; ditto, 1,157,543 1852.—Ditto, 4,190,830; ditto, 994,330 TURKEY. 1849.—Imports, £2,103,708 ; Exports, £2,373,669 1850.—Ditto, 2,249,326 ; ditto, 2,515,821 1851.—Ditto, 2,511,100; ditto, 1,937,011 1852.—Ditto, 2,252,284 ; ditto, 2,079,913 The return from the Bank of England for the week ending the 18th of March gives the following results, when compared with the previous week :-- Public deposits ... £3,678,817; Increase £779,220 Other deposits 11,305,383; Increase 417,987 Rest ... 3,730,877; Increase 12,649 On the other side of the account--- Government securities £11,844,700; Increase £96,972 Other securities ... 14,512,895; Increase 1,458,240 Notes unemployed ... 7,278,665; Decrease 347,990 The amount of notes in circulation is £20,783,850, being a decrease of £230,565 ; and the stock of bullion in both departments is £14,822,839, showing a decrease of £573,846, when compared with the preceding return. _ DEWS DEPARTMENT. Notes issued ... £28,082,615 Governmt. Debt £11,015,100 'Other Securities 2,984,900 Gold coin & bu11'n.14,062,515 !Silver bullion ... ... 228,062,515 1 BANKING DBPARTMBNT. £26,062,616 Prop. Capital £11,553,000id0v: Securities £11,844,700 Rest 3,730,877 Other Securities 14,512,896 Public Deposits 3,678,817 Notes ... 7,278,665 Other Deposits 11,305,383 Gold & Silver Coin 760,324 7-day & other bills 1,128,607 £34,396,51 £34,396,584 COTTON.—The market has been dull all the week, and prices have receded about id. for mid dling and lower qualities. The sales for the week up to Friday amounted to 32,180 bales, of which 1,760 were taken on speculation, and 1,490 for export, leaving 28,930 for the trade ; but as speci mens are now importing pretty largely, these figures form no test of consumption. We have had no advices from America since the arrival of the Europa, but the most favourable accounts. have very little effect on this market, which is more strongly influenced by- warlike movements, the stagnation in the manufacturing districts, the difficulties in the money market, and the uncer tainty as to the future. To-DAY the sales reached. only 4,000 bales, mostly for the trade. The follow ing is a comparison of present rates with those of the corresponding period of last year :- 1853. 1854. New Orleans, middling... sld. 51d. fair old. aid. Uplands, middling. fair ....... 6d. did. DESCRIPTION. I SALES. IMPORTS. STOCK IM;11 Mar 24 DESCRIPTION. I PRICES. Week Previ- Week ending ously ending yea r. Mar. 24 this yr. Mar. 2 4 , —.—. Sea Island loi (430 460 4950 Stained 6 7 10 480 1 983 126727 Boweds 4 Ga 754 88900 339980 1 Mobile 4i 6i 4070 358401 l 5642 242493 New Orleans. 3i 8 12500 208040 Pernams, &c. 6 84 1060 1 9270 .... 7627 19630 Bahia, &c. hfaranham Demerara,&c .... 150 .... 124 220 Egyptian 5,1 10 1010 29190 1336 8820 62900 com,W.l.gic, .... 1480 .... 1007' 3700 Surat Madras Bengal — .... 880 100 840 ! 3550 --- I —. • 32180 467850 12983 479468 656510 WooL.—We have had another quiet week in the Wool market, and, in the almost total absence of transactions, prices are nominally the same. Public sales will commence here to-morrow, and will con tinue until Saturday, when about 5,500 bales East India, and 6,000 bales Turkey, Egyptian, Peruvian, Buenos Ayres, Chili, and other sorts will be offered ; it is not expected the result of these sales will give any encouragement to importers, though a pretty large attendance is expected. The imports for the week are very limited, 173 bales, viz., 105 Buenos Ayres, and 68 Irish. Paontrcz,—The markets during the week have ' be©u flat, with, however, but little alteration in RNPONSI IN NBNraorrxDLAffre.—Despatches have been forwarded to Newfoundland, conceding the demands for responsible government, and informing the colonists that the island will be put upon the same footing as Prince Edward's Island and Nova Scotia. QUESTION FOR LAWYERS.—Snooks wants to know if when "distance lends enchantment to the view," and the view refuses to return it, is there any legal remedy ? THOROUGH COMITERCIAL PRINCIPLES.—The Phila• delphia Bulletin, noticing Walker's expedition in con nexion-with the subject of Russo-American privateering, has few doubts upon the subject, and pithily says—" There are men who would go into partnership with Satan, if he would only secure them a profit of cent. per cant. !" A VESSEL was sent to sea the other day from Yarmouth entirely manned by master mariners ; the rise of wages and the attractions of the navy having so reduced the number of common seamen. TRAVELLING IN RUSSIA is rendered almost impossible by reason of the enormous tax imposed upon the indivi dual desiring to move about. In,the first place, it is with the greatest difficulty that a permission to travel, or leave of absence for two years, is obtained even by a noble ; and then it is only granted upon payment of a sum amounting to 80 pounds a-head for each member of the family. GRIST is announced to appear at the Royal Italian Opera this season. THE ADMIRALTY have adopted private signals in. their communications by electric telegraph, in order to ensure secrecy for their orders to the dockyards. COLONIALPOSTAGE.—The intended reduction of postage between this country and the colonies to a uniform rate of 6d. on letters not weighing more than half an ounce is now about to come into operation with respect to all those colonies the postal direction of which rests with the Post master-General, and in respect to such other colonies as had notified their concurrence in the arrangement in time to be included in this first measure. On the 23rd instant the reduction took place with regard to the following colonies : —viz.,Canada, Prince Edward's Island, Bermuda, British West Indies (Barbadoes and Turk's Island ex cepted), British Guiana, Bahamas, Belize, Malta, and Gib raltar ; and on the Ist of May the same reduction will be made in the postage on letters between this country and Ceylon, Hong Kong, St. Helena, and the Gold Coast. De tailed information, with a statement of exceptional cases, will be given in the usual notices exhibited at post-offices. VICTORY AND REWARD.--" A decent country woman," said an English divine, "came to me one market day, and begged to speak with me. She told me with an air of secrecy that her husband behaved unkindly to her, and that knowing me to be a wise man, I could tell her what would cure him. ' The remedy is simple,' said I; ' always treat your husband with a smile. The woman thanked me, dropped a curtsey, and went away. A few months after she came again, bringing a couple of fine fowls. She told me with great satisfaction that I had cured her husband; and she begged my acceptance of the fowls in return. This was at once the victory of love and the reward of patience." THE OLDEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD.—The Charles ton Standard thinks that Mrs. Singleton, now living in the Williamsburg district, in that state, is the oldest woman in the world. She is now in the 131st year of her age. Her mental faculties are still unimpaired, and she retains all her senses except her sight, of which she was deprived, at the advanced age of 99 years, by an attack of measles. Her bodily energy has exhibited no diminution for many years, she being still able to walk briskly about the room. She has outlived all her children, her oldest descendant living being a grand-daughter over 60 years old. The first grand-daughter of this grand-daughter, if now living, would be over 16 years of age. TUE NEW YORK GREAT EXHIBITION.—A correspon dent of the Cologne Gazette has furnished the following report : —"The New York World Exhibition has closed — an abortion from beginning to end, a failure as far as the advancement of national industry is concerned, quite un worthy of the national patronage, and only valuable as a lesson for the future. Although the 800 pictures exhi bited occupied as much space as the Louvre Gallery of Paris, yet not fifty amongst them were worth the frame they were in. In December last the jury met, whereby men of intelligence were mixed up with those who were devoid even of every rudimentary knowledge. Thus, even the honesty of some of the juries was suspected ; in other cases it seemed mere chance which had guided their awards. Thus, it is said, that the list of the prizeholders affords but an insufficient sample of the capabilities of American arts and manufactures. A MONSTER STEAMER. Active preparations are now in the course of progress at the yard of Messrs. Scott Russell's, at Millwall, for layinc , down the immense iron steam-ship, for the Eastern Navigation Company, the peculiar construction of which is exciting vast interest among ship-builders. In consequence of there not being sufficient length in the yard for her ways, it became necessary to add the adjoining yard of Messrs. Napier's to Messrs. Scott Russell's works, and many hundred piles have been driven in preparatory to laying down the keel, which is to take place in the course of the present month. The dimensions will be nearly as follows :—Tonnage, 10,000 tons, or builder's measurement, 22,000 tons ; ex treme length, 700 feet ; extreme breadth, 83 feet ; depth of hold, 58 feet, with screw and paddle engines of the aggregate nominal horse power, 2,800-horse ; stowage for coals, 10,000 tons ; for cargo, 5,000 tons ; 500 first-class cabins, with ample space for troops and lower class pas sengers. Her entire construction will be similar to the tube of the Britannia-bridge, a kind of double ship, with a space of 2 feet 8 inches between of a cellular formation. She is to have 14 watertight compartments, most of them 40 feet apart. With these, it is said, she will carry out sufficient fuel for a voyage to Calcutta or Australia and back to England, and avoid the delay of lengthened stop pages and coaling which other steam-ships are subject to. The ship is designed by Mr. Brunal, the Great Western Railway Company's engineer, and who, it will be remem bered, designed the Great Britain. It is expected by that gentleman that she will accomplish the voyage between England and India, by the Cape, in thirty or thirty three days less time than the distance is at present done by sea-going steamers. She is to be completed in eighteen months. EXTRAORDINARY FORGERY.—DR. GARDINER'S CASE. This case is as remarkable as any recorded in the Causes Caebres. A large sum had been appropriated by Congress, under the treaty of peace with Mexico, to pay-off the claims of American citizens, who, at various times, had suffered injury at the hands of the Mexican authorities. A special commission was appointed to examine these claims, and Dr. Gardiner came forward with documents to prove that he had been the owner of a valuable mine in the department of San Luis Potosi, and that the Mexi cans had broken up his mining establishment, causing him a loss of some half-million of dollars. The commis sion awarded him, if not the whole, a larger sum, as we believe, than was given to any other single claimant. He got the money, paid his counsel a large part of it, and with the rest was a rich man. Soon after this he went to Europe, and while he was there the suspicion became so strong:that his whole claim was a fraud, that an injunction was laid on a considerable portion of the money which he had left in bank at Washington. He returned, and was indicted about three years and a-half ago. He was first tried under the indictment about a year since:; but that trial resulted in the disagreement of the jury. The evi demo against him was procured by commissions sent to Mexico expressly for the purpose. It was conclusive ; the papers on which his claim had been prosecuted before the Indemnity Commissioners were proved to have been for the most part forgeries of a gross character; and it was shown that the mine he claimed to have lost had never had an existence. Still his case was managed with ability, and the evidence he furnished on the trial was such as to stagger and divide the jury on the question of his guilt. We believe, however, that in the interim additional proofs were obtained, which no longer left the possibility of a doubt, and which not only resulted in the verdict ren dered, but in the infliction of the law's extremest penalty by the court. The next stage in the drama was his suicide —a terrible confession of the justness of his sentence, an awful blow to the friends who had stood by him through the prosecution.—New York Tribune. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. MONDAY EVENING, MARCIC 27. LONDON.—The Commercial Daily List says, that on 'Change the report that the Russians had crossed the Danube, was confirmed ; Tallow, consequently, advanced to 695. and 695. 6d. for P.Y.C. on the spot, and forward delivery, 70s. Hemp, £75. Linseed, 70s. ; and Linseed Oil, 41s. 6d. to 425. delivery; and 455. for forward. A cargo of Havana Sugar sold at 265. for the Mediterranean. Scotch Pig Iron, 755. Speltre, £23105. Saltpetre, 375. 6d. to 38s. A Cabinet Council was held at the Foreign-office this afternoon. LORD PALMERSTON'S HEALTII.—His Lordship is much better to-day, and progressing towards convalescence. THE BALTIC FLEET. It is stated that Admiral Napier was refused an inter view with the King of Denmark. WYBORG, Menu( 26, 12 A.m.—The fleet is passing from Romsel. Three large ships are off this place, one with Admiral Napier on board. KIEL, SIINDAY.—The fleet, eighteen strong, entered the Great Belt early on the 25th. Six English ships-of war are already off' Kid. VIENNA, SUNDAY EVENING.—The Journal Oest Cor respondenz announces that Prussia, feeling the urgent necessity for a perfect understanding with Austria at such a critical moment, sent M. de Manteuffel to the Emperor, who in return has sent Baron Hesse with an autograph letter to the King of Prussia. It is not doubted that a perfect understanding, relating to the future policy of the two Powers on the Oriental question, will be established. KNOWLE RACES. BIRMINGHAM AND WARWICKSHIRE STEEPLE CEASE. —California Gelding, Ist ; 10 ran. KNOWLE STEEPLE CHASE.—Ace of Trumps, Ist. BETTING AT TATTERSALL'S.--TresDA.Y. BIRMINGHAM STEEPLE CHASE.-3 to 1 against Trout, offered ; 7 to 2 against Tulip, taken ' • 4 to 1 against Need wood, offered ; 5 to 1 against Vain Hope ; 5 to 1 against Dearest Mac, taken and offered. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STARES.-4 to 1 against Defiance; taken. 10 to 1 against Bracken. oto 1 against Red Lion. 8 to 1 against Swiftsure; taken. 10 to 1 against Mr. Sykes. 10 to 1 against Lamprocles ; taken, 12 to 1 against Veteran. 12 to 1 against Marc Antony. 10 to 1 against Chief Justice; taken. 15 to 1 against Diometed. 30 to 1 against Little Jem. 15 to 1 against Pancake. 20 to 1 against Angerford ; taken freely. 20 to 1 against John Bull ; taken. 25 to 1 against Ptolemy ; taken. CHESTER Cur.-100 to 6 against Newminster ; taken. 33 to 1 against Swiftsure. 50 to 1 against Horatio. METROPOLITAN HANDICAP.-43 to 1 against Jonathar: Martin; taken. 20 to 1 against Lamprocles; takeue HOUSE OF LORDS—MoNDAy, MAsett 27. Owing to the important announcement of a message from the Crown, concerning the rapture with Russia, there was a numerous attendance. RUPTURE WITH RUSSIA. MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN. The Earl of ABERDEEN brought up the Message from the Crown, and delivered it into the hands of the Clerk, at the table. The Clerk carried it to the LORD CHANCELLOR, who read it as follows : " VICTORIA, REGINA. " Her Majesty thinks it proper to acquaint the House of Lords, that the negotiations in which her Majesty, in eoncert with her allies, have for some time been engaged with His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, have terminated, and Her Majesty feels bound to afford active assistance to her ally, the Sultan, against unprovoked aggression. Her Majesty has given directions for laying before the House of Lords copies of such papers, in addi tion to those already communicated to Parliament, as will afford the fullest information with regard to the subject of those negotiations. It is a consolation to Her Majesty to reflect that to endeavours had been wanting, ou her part, to preserve to her subjects the blessings of peace. Her Majesty's just expectations have been disappointed, and Her Majesty relies, with confidence, upon the zeal and devotion of the House of Lords, and on the exertions of her brave and loyal subjects, to support her in the determination to employ the power and resources of the nation to protect the dominions of the Sultan against the encroachments of Russia." (Cheers.) The Earl of CLARENDON gave notice that on Friday he should move an answer to Her Majesty's message. The Earl of DERBY presumed that the noble Earl would then take the opportunity of stating fully the precise objects which we had in view in entering on this war; also, if there was any convention or other engagement with France, or the Porte, establishing a sort of protec torate over the Christian subjects of the Porte. Earl GREY hoped the answer to the royal message would be so drawn out that their Lordships might unani mously agree to it. The subject then dropped. LAW OF SETTLEMENT In reply to the Earl of DERBY, the Earl of ABERDEEN said the subject of settlement and removal of Irish paupers was necessarily connected with the measure now under the consideration of the other House ; but he was not pre pared to say when this part of the subject would be dealt with. The select committee on the Common Law Procedure Bill was appointed. The Valuation (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. The House adjourned at fifteen minutes past six. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAY, MARCH 27. There was a very large attendance of members. HULL DOCKS. This bill was read a third time, and passed. LIVERPOOL IMPROVEMENT BILL. Onthemotion for the third reading of the Liverpool Sani tory Acts Amendment Bill, Mr. BM:MEWS objected to the clause which empowered two justices, upon the report of the medical officer of health, to fix the number of inhabitants that should be permitted to dwell in any e, and which further imposed a penalty of £5 per dirfor every day on which the number so fixed should be ex ceeded ; it was an interference of private rights, and would form a most inconvenient precedent. Mr. LIDDELL defended the clause as absolutely neces sary on sanitary grounds, and wished it might be adopted as a precedent, being sure that it was a very desirable power for the sake of public security against the evils of overcrowding. The house divided—For the clause, 59 ; against it, 119; majority, 60. The clause was consequently lost.—The bill was read a third time and passed. After a brief discussion upon the South Sea Bill, in which several amendments were moved and afterwards withdrawn, RUPTURE WITH RUSSIA. THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE. Lord J. RUSSELL rose to state that a message had been sent down from the Crown to the House, which, having been handed to the Speaker, he moved that it be read. The SPEA.ICEIL then, amidst profound silence, read the Royal Message. It began by expressing Her Majesty's regret at being obliged to announce that the negotiations in which this country, in concert with her allies, had been so long engaged with the Emperor of Russia had termi nated, and that she had consequently felt bound by treaty to render her active assistance and support to her ally, the Sultan, against the unprovoked aggression of Russia. Her Majesty had given directions that copies of all such negotiations, in addition to those already delivered, be laid before the house, as might afford information with regard to the subject of these negotiations. It was a con solation to Her Majesty to reflect that no endeavour had been wanting, on her part, to preserve to her subjects the blessings of peace. Her Majesty's just expectations had been 'disappointed ; but Her Majesty relied, with confi dence, on the zealous devotion of her faithful Commons, and the exertions of her brave and loyal subjects, to employ all the power and resources of the nation to pro tect the Sultan from the encroachments of Russia. Lord J. RUSSELL then moved that the gracious message of Her Majesty be taken into consideration on Friday. LAW OP SETTLEMENT. On the order of the day for the second reading of the Settlement and Removal Bill, Mr. PACER moved the postponement of the bill until the 26th of April, on the ground of the alterations intro duced into the bill since it was first brought forward. Mr. WALPOLE supported the motion for delay until the Government were prepared to bring in the contemplated measure respecting Irish and Scotch paupers. Mr. BAINES strongly opposed the proposition for delay, and contended that the bills were perfectly distinct, and that no good reason existed for postponing the considera tion of the measure. He therefore called upon the House to proceed with the bill on its own merits, as applicable to England and Wales, and without reference to the bill respecting Ireland, which was about to be introduced. Mr. R. PALMER thought that the opinions and votes of many hon. members might depend on the nature of the bill relative to Irish paupers. Mr. HERBERT took a similar view as to the necessity of not legislating on the subject of settlement until the Irish bill was before the house. Mr. NATTER spoke in favour of adjournment. Lord PALMERSTON said that Her Majesty's ministers had not sufficient time to mature the Bill relative to Ire land, but that he considered a gross injustice would be done, if, when they abolish the power of compulsory removal in this country, they did not also apply the prin ciple to Irish paupers. He strongly urged the necessity of proceeding with the bill, and should, therefore, press the second reading. Sir JOHN TROLLOPE and the Marquis of GEANBY sup ported the motion for adjournment; and Sir G. GREY opposed it. Colonel DUNICE did not think Ministers were acting up to their pledge given to the Irish members, and com plained strongly of the course taken by Government. Mr. E. DzivisoN considered it most impolitic to mix up the question of Irish removals with the present mea- sure, inasmuch as it perilled the passing of the latter. Mr. MAGUIRE remarked that if the Irish members helped the Government to carry the second reading, they could not put the screw on Government to insure justice to Ireland. Lord J. RUSSELL said that the intention of government on the question of applying the principles of the bill to Ireland had been plainly stated on a former evening, but government had thought that the necessary provisions would not be introduced into the bill, and that more information was required before they legislated in refer ence to Irish and Scotch paupers. The house divided—For adjournment of the debate, 209; against it, 183; majority against government, 26. The debate was then adjourned till the 25th of April. CONTROVERTED ELECTIONS. On the second reading of the Controverted Elections Bill being read, Mr. LIDDELL objected to several portions of the bill, more especially that relating to the appointment of asses sors to the election committees of barristers of ten years standing, with a view to decide disputed points of the law, and stated at some length what parts of the bill would be rendered unnecessary by the instructions. He intended to move when it went into committee, namely, "to pro vide for the trial of all cases submitted to the Parlia mentary Committee before the Court of Law." The bill was then read a second time. After a motion of adjournment by Colonel Sum:tows had been negatived, The Bribery PreVention Bill was read a second time. MINISTERS' MONEY. The house then went into committee on the Ministers' Money (Ireland) Bill. Mr. FAGAZi moved all amendment, to the effect that TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1854. the charge should be levied on houses of 0 2 ° . i rs ; motion, 92; for amendment, VI : instead of £ lO as proposed. The house divir„„ So the charge is to be levied on the £lO rating. ~A t j Mr. HADFIELD then moved an amendment, UP tax be only charged on houses rated at £l5. Sir J. Yotrxe opposed the amendment. 4,0 The house divided :—For the amendment, 71: 3, it, 92; amendment negatived by 21. 11$ majority for mov- Some discussion arose on an amendment moved J. O'Connell, that the tax should not be levied on 1 2 . occupied by Roman Catholics or Dissenters, in vihi cli o Maguire, Mr. Hadfield, Lord Palmerston, and took part. The house divided, and there appeared 71 For the amendment ... ••• 0 Against it Amend m ent negatived by •• 3, "' to be ) Mr. FAGAN moved a provision to claus e that the surplus of the income c laimed by th e nlO tical Commissioners, during the year ending O w tY after the passing of the act, shall be deducted frolii assessment 5 levied, in proportion to the ala° lll4 ,lS each city or town, until the entire assessment is and extinguished. The house divided, and there appeared 7d For the amendment ••• ' 9 5, Against it ... ..• ••• Majority against it ... ••• "' Mr. VANCE moved the insertion of a clang, P 31 compensation for collectors and others 101° 1:4 , 0 0 11 9 , . Tl °l prived of employment or emolum ent in 09...135" the passing of the act, and that such couge: be awarded by the Ecclesiastical C omm t4e 3 Mr. NAP' -ER supported, and Mr. lings clause. clOge Mr. MEA.GHER moved the omission of The House then divided — For the clause ••• ••• •• Against Majority ... • ns " di' . 'dee After some further discussion , the fro e For the clause .. • " 19 Against it ... 144 The rema Ksj im o ' r n i g ty".. On the motion of the LORD -be - A.DvocAT $ ll A of Land (Scotland) Bill was read a secon ,4,ao dered to be • committed on the 30th April. the I , clauses ". were-- agreed.t.o. .roiatiO The House having gone into committee on Buildings Act Continuance Bill, tifi ri° Mr. HADFIELD moved that the ti me for the cali of those acts be limited to one year. +l ot Lord PALMERSTON was willing to limit the - A of of the commissions to two years—less tin ° r " a , would not enable the house to j ud g e of the e the bill. Considerable discussion took place on t be 1 1 e jiti° c o f moved by Mr. HADFIELD. Ultimately the House divided on the - ri) o f tue ' L or d PALatEusTox, limiting the contintO pe C mission to two years. For the motion Against it 1 53 . 4 9 ' 1 1}i ••• coo, ... Majority ... ..• ... ... ••• .' tl' i' z The High Treason (Ireland) Bill wen t thro ro' mittee. OP On the second reading of the Bribery Preen •?: being moved, ..11? r ' Colonel SIBTHORPE denounced it in th e : r ‘ ' terms as an unworthy and unconstitutional ° 1' , 1 The Bill was read a second time. tlo' In reference to the motion of Mr. HE 1051. ', 0 for v J Solicitor-General for Ireland be clischarged fi :iite , '' l3 attendance on the Breach of Privilege CO' ~,,I• dicil° that Mr. Fitzgerald be added, .4. be ' .011 t116 Mr. FERNCII moved that the commhvee - „cti Mr. HUME trusted the house w ould not moti o Mr. n. egecti° 0 the FRENcu did not wish to cast anY 1 OO members of the committee. mor e alA r Pri (i' Mr. Bmsrirtcx said nothing could b e Bre°b of • the way in which the proceedings of the _l,o3pts e lege Committee had been reported to the De' to tile e r The motion was withdrawn. .ti ectiore I, , The motion of Mr. Ku S EY MOUR, ru''' aecution of parties connected with the 0 118.° 0, agreed to. ~ i l . e cl ) c ' l • The house adjourned at a quarter-per ' lel , A r VP' son / i FUNDS, STOCK, AND SHARD ---' • i 'o, e to The rejection by the Emperor of Russia Of tb t;fr.A. C OI: mono of France and England, and the imnieclit i ,'cit'4 o ,,e' war, occasioned increased gloom in Engl sh je r c _ . '"66 l o o ) ;), ll sole opened at a decline of 1 Der cenf I ,f' L. P . T, pe, f ; 4 ' buyers, at which they closed, with ~' - I ' v A' - 1.0 ' Land and Bank Shares are all from a' n - re ssed , ,t; t , I lower. In Foreign Stocks large sees n 't 13 P er -n ' 9 I generally experienced an average decline " 4r CLOSING PRICSS• k .....; • 'iji6 ' Consols, Account .. 1 0 ,, 113ank Sg. 1,, 8 4 Do. Money.... 1 " 4 ' KW. i'.....' 1 SI Three&QrperCents 1 YOREIGN STOCKS. .. ;ve S •": ,„ 4 • s h Pap' ~ 1 , Mexicans 224 ISPan! ...dire° Spanish Deferred - '' I Do. Threes 34i 53 W . " 94 , Amberg.,Nottingham, S. , eel*. and B. Junction 43 1 London s. 0 e a o 91 , Caledonian RAILWAY SHARES. ro ....; - . Do. Preference Eastern Counties East Lancashire 5B 60 Midland .. isbo . : . e. , 0 Leeds Northe Welter 74 Edinburgh & Glasgow 54 6 North ,BP;f o rtiSii ir o ver 5 Great Northern 843 Sit North Dll' an d I) n d 41 , Do. A7l 3 S. E as teT veas tlef " " 4 1 ' Great Western / Lane. and Yorkshire. 60 i nerwic s i:',,ll ~6 . London,Brighton,and York andii e fereo‘ South Coast 94 6 Do. s. 1 xrrprrNo strAlts . . 1 California Gold . . .............. .i 1 I t -ed............. .• .. i le 1 Nugget,veau b10nde........ ltieoguiseter2 No : .............. .. ~,i ii LAND SHARE' r .•...'...• ill AustralianAgricultu an • ral 32 4 Peel give ; 5 ..." . I S. Australian - -Van Dieto.tragoo • S. Australian Invest. li pm N. B. Al l ' .....—... MARK v. T. of C frio CORN MARD-- saes • 0 1 fro ° fi l At present there is nothing doing lip .--per'nso Wheat, and prices are nominally uncuo,..o7osll' Flour supported former terms. BarleY,.. f 0 and Peas are very dull at the last &din . ...e. very heavy, and 6d. to Is. lower. P r -2 ARRIVALS. ' Trio. j O eo English. ....1 / Wheat l6BO 40. ri B ar l e y 5567 30 6 0 6 Oats 1771 Malt — ..- 6 36 6 0 9 Beans - 1 411 0 1 15• 1 Peas 930 .... , A EV Flour 1331 it° so o ... at Friday's decline of 35. P e r (1r• SECOND REPORT.-The G ra in gook OP Barley is Is., and Foreign is. to 21;E; 15 - ; PP" , AA ; per qr. cheaper than on Monday- Bea f " unaltered. 01 0 T; , poll ' otrnade:l6ll.o_ll::%. Ofied* GLASGOW CORN 31"-Grsio o' There is no alteration in the prices of InlYer s ' somewhat more courage amongst ...""'''.... 7ii" AR g T. . 04 11; E PRODUCE .-- , h ttbe r- to OP,' Sugar : Foreign is wanted for expor' , l SP:. d o ,lii, .6 4 ' trade buyers. Yellow Havana, duty 1 331 ;4v • • uniP , 465* A ti fined sold more freely ; GrocerY .- 6 00 *lin ( 0,1, Coffee : few buyers. Native Ceylon , 4 doing or;,, 01 fine Plantation, 535. to 745. Tea: HUI!. to lt d ,l o pl prices accepted. Ordinary Congou , . 6 4 1,0, 41 ; r .01 few buyers. Bengal, 12s. to 146. ; P in del l° 125. Cotton: the demand small, but no o olCroo ROT' A l) TALLOW MA - Of pai s Tallow active, and prices advancinP.,r, m" against 33,580 casks same time last Ynesr• el" casks, against 1,772 casks same t ime lap; CATTLE MARK-DI:0 liro' o o fr 6" 0 0 Beasts and She ep are in d e mand, 8 0 , 6 10 0 24 Choice Lambs realised 7s. per stone. 4 6 F.I u A Beef 23 10d to 4s 8d 1 V e al • • 35 sl Mutton 3a 4d to 5s 3d I Pork • •,..•',•• ARRIVALS. ...,..... Beasts 4i-16 1 Calves •' ,244:sir 0 0 , Sheep and Lambs .. Cambridge Leicester, Lincoln, . ~••'; , . 00 ampton Beasts ................ .: A ,••• . A . 10 Holland Beasts ... .................. • A . ~ Do. Sheep .................. • ......;‘, . 00 Do. Ca1ve5. ................. .....• ~ ;00 Spanish Beasts .................. • •'', 00 0 Do. Sheep .................... • • '"‘••• Scotch Beasta ........................ • Norfolk and Suffolk Beasts ..... _ L op . 1,14 i ' VCC . 10#1 01 1td MANCHESTER STOCK . jii ! O n o Pill Caledonians, 252 2 ; Eastern ntle s, it i w t s • Cou .oo_o 1 1 shire, 141 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, %I t i n , p lt o North-western, 04i ; Ditto Eighths, lif'prek7.o6 par Manchester Sheffield, and 1AN...! s o ata o i, Pref, paid up, i 'dis •• Midland, 56 a, r ologo" . ' rG• Dover, 18 9-16 0 9-16 ;'Edinburgh an , Inver, Is 946 1 9-P3 i ."...---:-- tipSOP f P A , LEEDS STOCK. EXC`m — ea ten'' h4 l Lancashire and Yorkshire, 602 ; Sorth-vves .d. ..---. 1-1,1f;407; 4i4ttsi) LATEST SHIPPING IsslTE), 5) kkk . • D 434) A, , N'ti to GRAVESEND, MARCH 26. -- Arrived : !so ,0, Callao.via Cal srle . 11, DEAL MARCH lia fro— frl Is front Pernambucol William Pitt, from Ave 0 ,Nt Ocean, from New York.—Crew and twentli taken off the Sea Nymph, from Liven's° °P the Pride of the Ocean, have arrived here. The follo.AlfatAL eitll MATRIMONIAL ADVERTISEMBNT.--- t hornfo V, lk t t o ere m st a i r ng ry " aadvertise t eared in Ova 0 eolfdThestusrosndaoyf'—"men aPP , e in 0 0 r in a few years, would like the addition 01 i 4 e ov , e ea ~ t)t , i _A ilow . 0 •,, A lady who will haN e roy, .. 0 , apply. Address ' Celia,' " Ze ' . fl ° fwd P e 0 go, 0 a A AO SOME poor,one. brft lewaedill;po.rianiciipilinet;iorioje,e brae ; ,itiAtttti: EXTUAORDIN.A.RY Weeilnetls: e d It ° Ow \ I j i jogellf ) exhibited in the City, said to be obtai Merionethshire, about five wiles from 0 ist in great abundance. - - __ __—________ Printed and PublisheLdlVlEeritlisoPqrleclANsll,ll. *1 ''', Proprietor, ROBERT P A 4Gs:srsl% .111 Percy-street, at tha STNDAR:, 005 06. ' tlt tl OFFICE, No. 4, ST. GEosati s Tuelidayl March 25, 1835.