The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-02-20 00:00:00

Feb. 20, 1544. FOREIGN 4- COLOAlilt, IN'ILLLIGLACE. .ARRIVAL OF THE BRITANNIA. The British and North American royal rind steam-ship Britannia, Captain He.vitt, which has been anxiously ex pected for the last few days, arrived in the Mersey on Sun day night, shortly afte r eight o'clock. In consequence of the Il ews, brought by the Sh e ridan, of very severe weather havin g set in just previously to her departure from the States, the opinion generally entertained was, that the Britannia was ice-bound at Boston ; and this surmise turns out correct. She was to have set out from Boston O n the Ist instant, her regular day for departure; but she Was closed i n b y i ce , w h ere b y s h e was d e t a i ne d t ill t h e 3d. Meanwhile, a passage had been cut through seven or eight tiles of the frozen water, in order to afford her a passage, and at noon she was got into the canal thus formed, when she proceeded slowly down the harbour. It was nct with out immense labour and difficulty that she was at length 4 nally extricated, when, amid strong gales and in a heavy cross sea, she shaped her course towards Halifax. Having t o contend a ga i ns t thi c k an d t em pt es t uous wea th e r, she did not reach the last-named port till two o'clock in the afternoon of the 6th instant. She set out from Halifax at seven o'clock on the morning of the ith, and had moderate Weather during the greater part of her passage to England. She has made the run across the Atlantic in eleven days, and has brought over sixty-five passengers, a list of whom, With an abstract of the log, we subjoin. We have advices from 'Washington to the 30th ult. ; the news is somewhat interesting; the adjourned debate on the tariff having been resumed, and Mr. M`Duffie in a powerful speech, in order to strengthen his argument in favou r of free trade, has given an entirely new turn to the discussion by demanding the abolition of restriction or the dissolution of the union, as he says that it is not at all improbable that the people of the south and west will be content to pay 30 or 40 per cent. more for goods of Ame nan manufacture than they can be supplied with by England, in order to insure the prosperity and influence 1) f the New England manufacturing states. There exists a strong feeling of hostility at Washington towards England, and the frequent discussions on the Ore gon queston are not calculated to allay it, but rather to add fuel to the flame. The following is a brief notice of the effect of Mr. M`Daffie's tariff speech at Washington, as given by the cor respondent of a New York journal. In his second speech on the tariff, Mr. M`uffie a broach e d an entirely new ground—made a new h and im s Dortant issue, which will change the whole course of the discussion in congress and of political movements through out the country. Another crisis has been created by the South Carolina statesman which will produce great ex citement—it is an issue between a separation of the Union into three republics on one side, or the entire abandon ment of the protective system and abolition agitation on the other: This is the new issue proposed by Mr. M`Duffie in closing his speech on Monday—an issue which will be seized by the whigs of both houses, and manufactured into a crisis on which to preserve the present tariff and elect Henry Clay. It is now understood that the discussion of the tariff on this new and absorbing point will be continued in the senate, and may break out soon in the house with great violence. The Calhoun party will move en masse in this direction, and probably drag the whole Loco Foco party, including Van Buren with them. A change of parties is very probable, and the next news will be of great impor tance. The debate is again adjourned. IV Ir. Weller (p ro b a bl y a re l at i on o f th e renow ned Sam), the gentleman who cudgelled Mr. Shriver, a reporter, the other day, has refused to be shot at or bowie knived, either by that gentleman or any of his friends, and has had the satisfaction of seeing himself posted as a coward (which he und oubtedly is) at Baltimore and other places. Or T le haensdates from Mexico are somewhat later. The New Picayune of the 16th ult., has the folllow ng ay the arrival on Sunday last from Havana, we have, In addition to the letter of our Havana correspondent, some information in regard to the pending quarrel be tween England and Mexico. In the Diario de L Habana, of the lOth ult,. we find some of the conditions of the convention heretofore an nounced for the settlement of th e i r mu t ua l diffi cu l t i es . _Y the first arti c l e , a ll pro j ecte d h ost ili t i es on t h e part o f G reat Britain against Mexico are to be suspended. ~„.1 3y the secon under the English flag, which was to be a ppropriately saluted by Mexican guns. Thirdly, a certain commercial house is to be indemni fied for any injuries sustained by it, through the acts of L ae Mexican Government. it Fourthly, the English Government binds its e lf t o reca ll 8 late ministe r , an d t o sen d ano th er w i th t h e approba tion of the Mexican Government, who should not be al lowed to present his credentials until all the conditions ab ove named should be complied with MARKETS. NEw YORK, Feb. I.—Stocks are in a very unsettled state. From day to day they advance from to 3 per cent. The cotton market is quiet. Holders are firm, and ex- Porters are not willing to buy without a small reduction in price. I C iRW ORLEANS, Jan. 17. COTTON.—Some northern buyers yesterday made their appearance in the market. Influenced by the good accounts from New York, tran sactions amounted to 5,000 bales, at full prices, and in some instances a slight advance was obtained. The total in three days was 10,000 bales. Liverpool classification 8 —Louisiana and Mississippi inferi or , 74 to 7 i . Ordinary, to 81. Middling, 9,1 to Good fine.lo4. Good fair, 10 to 101. Flour, dull, small lots going to West Indies. Ohio, 4.25 to 4.30 dols. Miss, and Illinois, 4.30 to 4.50 dols. Exchange on England was high, the prices fur prime bills being 109 to 109 L. The sales of cotton were limited, in the lack of intelli gence from the south, no less than ten mails being due from New Orleans and other places. The H era ld, o f the rjst, says, " The movements in the cotton market, since Zue last arrival, have been very curious. The speculators i n th is City are doing all in their power to prevent cotton Liver poor -r eittl going f d By keeping back supplies from the m o a r r w k a r aixtirvtasnacebowutiltibe new et crop, a . nd sending forward unfavourable re they are in hopes a very large be realised there, which will have a corre %9"ing influence on this market. Nothing short of 18 move will create the effect they require." °f The me paper,. in another place, s ays , "Th e pos i tion hi ord . great American staple, at this time, is very extra te itl arY• 'Without any decided inf ormat i on as to the ex ot:3l of 111 lithe crop, the most extensive speculation is go i ng parts of this country." LIST OF PASSENGERS. nd r ' r „, i l Boston to Liverpool :—Mr. A. Kennedy, lady, Qed.pervant • Mr. and Mrs. Weir; Messrs. Charles Thomas e s, ' C. Kerr, and Howley Williams; Mrs. 4 0 1 ,,"n0 • Messrs. J. L. Beaudry, A. Prevost, Felix de C. D. Ross, A Levesgue, Tancredis Sauva- G a l t : , John Robertson, Isaac Gilcnor, J. S. Hill, Alex. tle - r ;"',W. John Carter, Wakefield, Atcbasson, G. C. Wal- Wii; : `-'• F. Pratt, and John Irwin ; Lieut. Fordyce ; Mr. "ain Benjamin ; Mr. R. J. Matchitt and lady ; Messrs. „6. Barnes, William M`Linnot, James Dougall, J k"rnas Waddell Cumming, W. Ross, jun., °:!&Glipurizning, ' Niel M'lntosh, Cores De Vries ; arid Itz'rorn Halifax n to Liverpool :—Mr. Arthur Rit c hi e, Donaldc, T. W. Wedderburne, Mr. James Donaldson, M r . Samuel Murray, Mr. Edward Billing, Mr. Michael Lieu:enant Pollard. Mr. Charles Robson. Mr. C: T Tepper, Mr. Thomas Joss, Mr. Weidman, Mr. Joseph ili ward, Mr. Joseph Bell, Mr. W. H. Knowland, Mr. A• Babcock and lady, Miss Nordheck, Mr. C. H. otte r Mr. Vance, Mr. W. H owar d, M r . M`L eo d , M r. N'Culloch, Mr. W. Doherty, Mr. Thomas Crozier, Ca ptain W. Ward, and Mrs. Philips. ABSTRACT OF THE LOG. on t ) . 3 .--Wind N.E. At 10 30, a.m., having received 13 0 : a td the mails and passengers, back e d out from East e ca 4 th —l3 Wharf; at noon succeeded in getting th e s hi p i nto v ic_nal or cut which had previously been made in th e te h,,,and proceeded slowly down the harbour; at 1 p.m., Cape cleared the ice, discharged the p i lot ; at 330 p.m., str ong A4a n bore N.W. distance eight miles ; midnight, Sea run gales, With dark cloudy weather and heavy cross 1 at..4 4. 2 Ind N . • , course N. 81 E. ; distance 135 miles ; 100. 67 35. Strong g a l es , w i t h d ar k , c l ou d y 'sath .and heavy cross sea r unn i ng . • --1 1 ind N. ; course N. 83 E. ; distance 115 miles; .at. 4 2 46, lon. 65 41. S trong gales, with dark cloudy we ather and heavy bead sea running. „ 6 . ---Wind E. Strong breeze s , w i t h thick foggy wea ther. At 2 p.m., moored ship at Halifax. At 5 p.m., received on board the mails, but, owing to thick weather, could riot proceed to sea. 7.—Wind S.E. ; S. course 73 E. ; distance 27 miles ; lat. 44 30, lon. 63. At 7 a.m., the weather having cleared, Proceeded to sea. Midnight . moderate breezes, with dear weather. 4448. --Wind N. ; course N. 84 E. ; distance 175 miles ; ,lon. 58 46. Strong breezes and clear, with a heavy oortherly sea. 449,--Wind E. ; course N. 78 E. ; distance 194 miles; 411 41 , lon. 54 20. Strong, steady breezes any hazy, with m e avY northerly swell. bNP.Wind variable ; course N. 78 E. ; distanc e 208 ei„ e a ; lat. 45 50, lon. 49 25. Light winds, with dark 119 weather. t4 t • -- Wind variable ; course N. 78 E. ; distance 211 ; lat. 46 30, l on . 44. 32. F res h b reezes an d c l ou d y . 4`‘"Wind N. ; cour s e N. 78 E. ; di s t ance 205 m iles; k 4 7 10, lon. 39 42. Moderate breezes and clear, with i e , a vY swell from the south. lous_ Wind ; course N. 78 E. ; di s t ance 215 m iles ; b ea r 52, lon. 34 52. Fresh breezes and cloudy, with IP' Squalls, accompanied by lightning and rain. mjl e N.N.W.; course N. 78 E. ; di s t ance 243 Aj th s lat. 49 5, lon. 28 56. Strong breezes arid cloudy, 1 5 a heavy westerly sea running. N.N.W. ; course N. 78 E. ; di s t ance 232 CI o 8 ; lat. 49 47, lon. 23 10. Moderate bre ezes an d r *. S.E. ; course N. 78 E. • distance 244 miles ; , 1; 0 31, lon. 17. Fresh breezes an ' d cloudy. liti, 4 '," - -Wind S.W. ; course N. 78 E. ; distance 263 miles ; R e „q 6, lon. 10 0. Fresh breeze, with thick foggy ii:Ler At 2n m saw Alizen Head, N.N.W., distant . • ) te l „,* - -Wind S.S.W. Fresh breezes, with thick, foggy th e "her. At 245 p.m. received on board a pilot. Passed 11 1 , barque Leander, of Glasgow. At eight o'clock ar- T e d in the Mersey. l'op,, Passengers by the Britannia on her last outward ki N ie from this port to Boston, presented her com bl4"det, Captain 11.-wit. on her arrival at the last-named tli t i e t with a handsome gold snuff-box. as a testimony of estee m arid high opinion uf his nautical skill. Letters from Madrid of 5 iiista!tt represent the movement at Cartiia,gena • o:uitli more serious than the telegi J, lied by the F., ticii government had led us to supp: appears that an attempt had been made by laws ~1 Nj ui , o ; a Iu join the movement at A imant. lor; that the autliorttie. got notice of their intentions in ton• t i prevent them. Tito insurgents of Alicant hove shot tits: old politic.) chief Ceruti, as well as a very intliien i.,l roan, named Bernam-It• The garrison of Carthagelia, coo-wing of a battalion ot the regiment of Girona, and b-.vvetri 1000 and 1200 Cata lonian prisoners, transported thither for safe custody by General Prim, had declared for the insurgents. At Va lencia, after the departure of Rinicali, an attempt atpro nunciamento was made, but having returned to that city he succeeded in suppressing it. Several of the leaders were shot. Rumours of attempts in other districts to join the movement hail been cirulated, but they were evidently without foundation. Nlurcia, with the exception of the village of Aljazares, remained faithful to the gov ernment. The Council of Ministers remained assembled nearly the whole of the sth. On the Portuguese frontier the 13th Regiment of Infantry of the line, in garrison at Cheves, had exhibited a disposition to revolt. Private letters from Madrid affirm that the savage proclamations of the government have not only greatly increased the exasperation of the insurgents, but alarmed even their own friends. The royal order for the slaughter in cold blood of 30 of the prisoners taken at Alcoy had excited unmitigated indignation, and will no doubt lead to repri sals. The ferocity which has been displayed on the occa sion proves, however, that the movement is regarded by the bravo ministry as more formidable than they would have us believe it to be. The Paris papers of Wednesday add little to the news. Bonet, the leader of the insurrection at Alicant, was evi dently beaten at Elda, on the sth, by the Captain Gene ral of Murcia, and all his band dispersed. The associates of Bonet have, however, seized a steamer, armed her with four guns and a competent crew, and directed her on a coasting expedition against the Queen's authority. PORTUGAL. Intelligence has been received from Lisbon of the 7th. The news from Lisbon is of the highest and most serious importance. The Septembrist party have long been en gaged in conspiring to overturn the present order of things, and have raised considerable sums of money to bribe the army. The principal mover in this revolu tionary attempt is Count Bomfiin, formerly Minister of War. Orders were despatched to Faro to arrest nearly half of the officers of the sth battalion and artillery sta tioned at that place ; similar orders were also sent off to other towns to effect similar arrests. The 4th cavalry at Torress Novas openly declared themselves hostile to the ministry. The garrison at Elves has, it is said, also re volted, and shot the governor. Lisbon is in a state of high excitement ; the troops are under arms every night, and supernumerary sentinels have been stationed in diffe rent places, in order to watch the movements of every sus picious person. On the recent marriaze of one of the Russian Princesses to the Crown Prince of Denmark, the Emperor presented to the bride a set of diamonds valued at £75,000. The Queen's troops at present serving in India are composed of five cavalry regiments, each 674 strong; 23 regiments of infantry, each, 1,000 strong; making a total of 26,370 men. Cardinal Spada, who died at Rome a short time ago, has left a sum equalling 54,000 f. to the brotherhood of charity to which he belonged, to be employed in defend ing the poor, and particularly working men, when brought before the tribunals. NAuvoo.—Two young men natives of Longton, near Preston, have just returned from this notorious place, well known as the city of the Mormonites in America. They have been absent nearly three years, and resided principally at Nauvoo. Nauvoo, they state, contains about 15,000 inhabitants, nearly three fourths of whom are of the Mormonite persuasion. Joe Smith, the Mormon prophet, lives there, and keeps a splendid este blishmcnt ; drives about in his carriage, attended by two footmen, and accompanied by a number of young ladies, who were left orphans in their childhood, and whom he has taken under his guardianship and protection. Joe also keeps a black cook, at high wages, and is considered quite a go-a-head character : he is the great " lion" of the day, and his name is on every one's tongue. In the summer months, crowds of visitors flock to see him, and the President himself does not enjoy greater celebrity. An arrest, it is said, again hangs over him : dissensions and disturbances are, moreover, rife among his disciples —the Mormonites, who are, generally, very much dis satisfied with their prospects. Many, both Yankee and English, have come to Nauvoo, expecting to make a for tune, but they have been grievously deceived in their an ticipations. Few English, in fact, when they arrive there, are considered worthy to hold any office of trust or emolu ment. Numbers of them, last winter, were out of work for five months, on account of the severity of the season. The frost and snow set in early in November, and con. tinned till April. Their sufferings were beyond descrip tion. They were without shoes and clothing: they lived on the coarsest food, scarcely fit for hogs, and were huddled together in houses to which there were neither doors nor windows. Last fall, as it is termed, the num ber of deaths among the Mormonites, especially the English portion of them, was fearfully great : the heat, and the vapoury emanations from the Mississipi, spread dysentery, diaarlicea, jaundice, fever, and ague among them, and they sickened and died by hundreds. Such is this city of these " Latter Day Saints," where the in habitants have to live in winter like bees on what they have hived in summer, and where their summer employ ment consists in making bricks and building houses with them, as well as of logs, of mud, and of sods. The begging and imposture of the Morirronites, we understand, have greatly tended to disgrace the English character in the eyes of the Dutch and French of St. Louis. Nor has the ardour for emigrating to the country of the Mormons abated ; numbers of deluded creatures continue to embark from Liverpool, expecting, when they reach the " pro mised land," that heaven and fortune will speedily be gained, and all their hopes crowned with a blessed fruition. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.-FRIDAY. FARRAR V. DEFLINNE. It will be remembered, that this action was tried at the assizes in Liverpool in March last, having been brought by the plaintiff, as a creditor of Thomas Todd, aeainst the defendant, whom he alleged to be a partner of Todd. A verdict was returned for the plaintiff, for the amount claimed ; and the defendant, in the following term, ob tained a rule nisi for a new trial, which came on for argu ment on Friday last. The matter was argued at great length before Lord Denman, C.J., Mr. Justice Patteson, and Mr. Justice Wightman, by Mr. Baines and Mr. Tomlinson on behalf of the plaintiff, and Mr. Dundas and Mr. Watson in support of the rule. Lord Denman.—We certainly think there are facts in the case of a very striking nature which ought to be re considered. It is better not to give any opinion upon the effect of the evidence when that is the case. Another jury will form their opinion upon it, and that must be upon payment of costs; because, in my opinion, there has been no mistake on the part of the judge, and no evidence improperly received. His lordship then went fully into the case ; and, in conclusion, said, " It strikes me that there is evidence here that the plaintiff was not dealing, and that he knew he was not dealing, with the defendant. That seems to me not to have been quite properly submitted to the jury." Mr. Justice Patteson.—The circumstance of his sign ing that instrument (alluding to a deed of composition wherein the plaintiff and other creditors of Todd had compounded their debts for ten shillings in the pound) is a very strong fact. Rule absolute for new trial on payment of costs. LORD W. PAGET V. THE EARL OF CARDIGAN.— Calm Cox.—This celebrated case has been definitely fixed for trial by a special jury, before the Lord Chief Justice, in the Court of Common Pleas, at Guildhall, on Wednesday, the 21st instant.—Globe. - ----• In the Court of Common Pleas last week, in the case of Goslin v. Corry, an action was brought by plaintiff to recover damages for a libel on him published by defendant in the Police Gazette, or Hue and Cry, iscued by the authority of the Secretary of State. The libel offered a reward for his apprehension on a charge of fraud. The Jury gave him £2OO damages. Mr. Charles James Mathews, the well-known come dian. and the husband of Madame Vestris, appeared be fore the Court of Bankruptcy in Basinghall-street, on Thursday in last week, to be heard on his petition to be discharged from his debts and liabilities. His present debts were £B,lll, of which about £4,000 were renewals of old debts from which he had been discharged by the Insolvent Court in June 1842, when his liabilities amounted to the sum of £26,000. As an offer had been made by Mr. Mathews to allow his creditors one-half of his future weekly salary of £6O, the further hearing of the case was adjourned till the 17th inst. DEFAMATION.—The last cause tried at the Court of Queen's Bench, on Saturday, was an action brought by Miss Phillips, a young lady who keeps a respectable boarding-house. It appeared, from the evidence, that the defendant, Mrs. Morris, who is a widow lady, living upon her private income, boarded some time with the plaintiff. Shortly after she left the house of the latter she sent to one of the inmates an anonymous letter, signed M, which was proved to be in her handwriting, in which it was set forth that Miss Phillips had slept with a person called Waller, at his lodgings, on the night when Prince Albert laid the first stone at Exeter Change. The witnes ses for the plaintiff showed distinctly the respectability and prudence of her character ; and that she had not slept from home on the night in question, or been abroad that day. A witness was called who swore to the abominable charge made in the letter, and stated, in addition, that Miss Phillips was drunk. Lord Denman summed up at some length, and expressed his opinion of the innocence of the plaintiff of all the charges brought against her ; and denounced the attempts too frequently made to throw slurs upon the character of females struggling to obtain an honourable maintainance. The jury consulted together for a few seconds, anti the foreman said, " We find for the plaintiff, damages £100; and we are unanimously of opinion that not the slightest imputation rests upon the character of the plaintiff." We were much amused by seeing exposed, in the shop windows, pocket hankerchiefs with the portraits of Messrs. Cobden and Bright, upon them. In several instances, this has been adopted to show respect to some popular person, but it appeals to us ineffably ridiculous, to com pliment a favourite by Liming one's nose upon his effigy. —Morning paper. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, CL. P.RICAL "VI; WS. np v . Th otn , is I ) , Lacy, With deep r egret we atin,inie th- death of the Very Archdeacon of M e ath, in the 72nd tear of hi s age, and the 44th ot his rocumhency of the Arclore.:e onry of Heat;;.—Dub/n Mail. . , the Vicar of Bradford, has proposed to his rarishion rs a plan of dividing the extensive parish of Bradford into separate vicarages, on the plan proposed by Dr_ Hook, of Leeds. This scheme. suggested by the fa cilities allot dd bt the Church Extension Act, passed last session, has been for months negotiating between Dr. Scoresby, the Bi s h op of Ripon, and the trustees of Mr. Simeon, who are the patrons of the parish. All parties are agreed on the desirableness of the measure, which, it is hoped, will he effected by a private Act of Parliament during the present session. CHURCH EXTENSION: Al UN IFI CENT GIFT.—We learn from a copy of a letter to the Secretary of the Ec clesiastical Coinmissiont rs, from the Lord Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, which has just been printed, that his lordship, having reflected upon the manner in which his diocese may be benefited by the Act of 6 and 7 Vic., c. 37, called the " Endowment Act," has, under the pro vision of the 22nd sec'ion of that measure, placed in the hands of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners TWO THOU SAND POUNDS, " towards erecting churches, of dimen sions proportioned to the population, in poor neighbour hoods of the diocese, to which the commissioners shall assign ecclesiastical districts in the present year." The Bishop adds—" In regard to the power of nominating the ministers of the districts, I wish to leave the decision to the commissioners; stipulating only, that they shall not be placed in private patronage." This truly noble gift requires no eulogy. May all who have the means, also give a portion of their worldly substance for the pro motion of the good and holy end in view! RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. IMPORTANT JUNCTION RAILWAY. —It is said that a junction line to connect the Liverpool and Manchester Railway with the Sheffield and Manchester and Birming ham lines, near Piccadilly, Manchester, is likely very soon to be carried out, a survey being nearly completed by Mr. Locke and Mr. Buck, under the direction of the two latter companies. It will only be about 2,400 yards long, with very easy gradients, capable of being worked by loco motive power; thereby preventing the danger and delay inseparable from lines worked by stationary engines. BLACRWALL RisteveAY.At a meeting of the Black wall Railway prop r i e t ors , w hi c h was held on Thursday, at the London Tavern, Mr. J. N. Daniell in the chair, the report stated that the number of passengers conveyed in the last six months of 1842 was 1,087,195, and the amount received £22,811 Os. 4d., and in the correspond ing period of 1843 there were 1,460,877 passengers, and £23,818 3s. 7d. ; showing an increase of 273,672 in the number of passengers, and £lOO7 3s. 3d. in the receipts. A dividend of 2s. 6d. per share was declared. GREAT NORTH OF ENGLAND RAILWAY COMPANY. —The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on Tuesday last, at Darlington. The report of the directors stated, " that compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, there is a diminution in the working expenses of £2,240 Os. lid. ; while there has been an in crease of £2,763 2s. sd. on the traffic. With the excep tion of the coal trade, almost all the branches of the company's traffic have contributed to this increase." The directors recommend that a dividend of £1 12s. 6d. per share, clear of income tax, be declared and made payable on the 4th of March next, which was agreed to. NORWICH AND YARMOUTH RAILWAY Co.—The half yearly general meeting of this company was held at Nor wich on Friday, the 9th instant. . The report stated, that arrangements bad been made to open the line to the public on the Ist of May, instead of the Ist of June ; that the capital for the branch to Brandon was all subscribed, without their incurring any additional liability ; and that the directors had contracted for efficient working of the line at a saving of £4,000 per annum on the Parliamen tary estimate. The totil receipts to Dec. 31 last were £161,937 45., and the expenses were £142,836 lOs 4d., leaving a balance at bankers of £19,100 13s Bd.—The report was unanimously agreed to. BIRMINGHAM AND DERBY JUNCTION RAILWAY.— The half yearly general meeting was held on Thursday, the 15th instant, Samuel Beale, Esq., in the chair.—The report, which was read by Mr. Sanders (the secretary) stated that the receipts of the railway during the half year ending 31st December, 1843, were £38,547 5s Ild., being an increase of £2445 18s 4d. over the correspond ing period of 1842. The working expenses of the half year were £14,225 16s 11d., being a reduction of £4270 19s 5d., as compared with the corresponding period of 1842. The net balance of the half-year was £13,899 2s Id., and this sum (with the balance of last half-year's revenue account) was available for a dividend, and gave 28s. on the £lOO share, 9s 4d. on toe third share, and is 4d. on the eighth-share—leaving a small balance to be carried over to the current half-year. LONDON AND DOVER (SOUTH-EASTERN) RAILWAY. —On Saturday week, a special meeting of the proprietors of this company was held at the London Bridge terminus, to determine on the propriety of applying to parliament in the present session for an act to enable the company to improve the harbour of Folkstone, with a branch rail way, and approaches thereto ; also, to consider the pro priety of making a branch line from Ashford to Canter bury, Ramsgate, and Margate ; and further, for autho. rising the directors to take a lease of the proposed Has tings, Rye, and Tenterden Railway. Resolutions were agreed to for carrying out the proposed undertakings, and it appeared from the chairman's explanations that resolu tions bad been unanimously passed in furtherance of them at public meetings of the inhabitants of Canterbury, Mar gate, Ramsgate, Hastings, and Broadstairs. A commu nication from the consul of the Netherlands, resident at Ramsgate, stated that the project was hailed with much satisfaction by the inhabitants of that important point. It was stated, before the meeting dispersed, that a sp-cial court would be convened at an early day to consider the expediency of issuing 28,000 new shares, for the capitali sation, as they fall due, of the greater portion of the com pany's securities. GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.—The half-yearly meet ing of the above company was held at the Paddington terminus. The receipts of the last six months of 1843 ex ceeded those of 1842 by £18,420175. 6d.—the total amount being £377,797 10s. Bdd., of which sum £309,445 ss. had been separately received on the Great Western Railway. The receipts in respect of the Bristol and Exeter Railway amounted to £56,543 18s. 9d., and on the line between Swindon and Cirencester to £11,408 6s. 11d. A reduc tion, amounting to £7,000, in the general expenditure for , the half-year, had been effected, but the directors re gretted to add that more than this sum had been absorbed by the increased duty and parochial rates. The balance, after discharging all interest, is £116,820 13s. 6d., from which the directors recommended a dividend of 3 per cent. for the half-year, which would require £102,678, leaving a balance in hand of £14,142 13s. 6d. The report went on to state that the branch lines were satisfactorily pro gressing. The Oxford Railway would be opened early in June; the whole line to Gloucester would be completed within the stipulated time, June 1845, and the Bristol and Exeter line was expected to be completed and opened by the month of May next. Full powers were given to the directors to apply to parliament for a bill authorising the formation of the line in question, and thanks having been voted to the chairman the meeting separated. In the course of the chairman's address he stated that the sub scription towards the erection of a church at Swindon already amounted to £4,600, without any assistance from the awe!, Building Society, and £1,380 bad been col lected towards the school fund. A library for the workmen had been established, and it was in contemplation to in close a plot of ground in order to afford them the means of amusement by cricket and other manly sports. ST. Ht:LENS AND RUNCORN GAP RAILWAY.—A spe cial general meeting of the proprietors of this railway was held on Tuesday last, at the Clarendon-rooms, in this town, to consider and determine on certain arrangements and agreements submitted by the directors, for the pur chase or junction of the Sankey Brook Canal and Navi gation by or with the said company, and for raising the necessary funds for that purpose, and on the expediency of applying to parliament for an act to empower the said company to carry out the proposed arrangements. Mr. Greenall, M.P., occupied the chair. The directors re ported that a negotiation had been made whereby the railway company should purchase the canal at the price of £144,000, being £3OO per share on 480 shares; in ad dition to which there was a bond debt of £30,000. In order to carry out the arrangement and raise the neces sary funds, it was proposed to create 1440 new shares of £lOO each, which should, in the first instance, be entitled to a dividend of 5 per cent. per annum out of the revenues of the entire concern, and the surplus income then to be divided amongst the holders of the present railway shares and of the new shares. The payment of the purchase money to the canal company would be from the calls on the new shares, in five annual instalments of £2O per share each ; the first instalment being payable on the issue of the scrip, and the amount of the purchase money bear ing interest at 4 per cent. It was intended to apply to parliament for an act to authorise the amalgamation of the two companies, but not to seek for any powers to in crease the rates of tonnage already authorised to be levied by the existing acts ' • and, in order to e na bl e t h e proprie tors to judge o f the desirableness of completing the pro posed arrangements, it was stated that the nett income of the two concerns for the past year, had been eq ua l t o paying the proposed p re f erence dividend of 5 per cent. The directors concluded by stating their belief that, when united, the joint concern would yield a considerable in crease upon this, by savings from the concentration of management, reduction of interest upon the bond debts, and in various other ways, resulting from the cessation of the injurious competition which had hitherto existed. The report, after some discussion, was adopted. NORTHERN AND EASTERN RAILWAY.—The half wyeeaerkly. m T e b e e t in t g r a ffiof e this t company . y e t v a a r s e h n e d l n g o n t b T e h A r s s t d a n y f December last had been £43,767 Bs. 7d., being an increase p O e n r t c he en c t o . r ; r e a s n p ond increase ig ha n o l f f- ya revenue erof £ w B, h i o c 2 h l 7s. 6 had d. or 22 per been , gained 2 without any great addition of expense. From the net profits, the directors recommended a dividend of 41 per cent. per annum, less property tax. The works on the extension line to Newport were in active progress, and would be completed within the time originally stated. The report next referred to the agreement concluded with the Eastern Counties Company, with reference to the line to Newport, and also to the determination come to for the extension of the Northern and Eastern Railway to Cambridge and Ely, thence eastward to Brandon, and westward to Peterborough. The directors were engaged in realising the surplus property of the company, which was considerable, and would, in their opinion, produce a larger sum by the course they were pursuing, than by proceeding to an immediate sale. The capital account could not, therefore, be closed at present ; but the direc tors felt confident that the cost of the railway to Bishops Stortford, with the Hertford and Ware branch, would not exceed the sum of £910,000, the maximum amount of expenditure upon which the Eastern Counties Company'had guaranteed 5 per cent, p er annum , i n perpetuity . ,he directors further felt satisfied, that, when the ptojected extensions ware completed, great as the advantages of the amalgamation were to the Eastern Counties Company, the proprietors of the Northern and Eastern Company would, in.due time, realise a considerable addition to the 5 per cent guaranteed by the terms of the agreement.— The Chairman, in his address to the meeting, referred to tire opening of the Hertford and Ware branch, and said, from the receipts of the last two months, the most unpro ductive in the year, he had no doubt it would prove a most profitable source of income.—A resolution, increas ing the proposed dividend from 41 to 5 per cent., was adopted; and the sum of £l,OOO was placed at the dis posal of the directors, as a compensation for their past services. CORRESPONDENCE. GAS QUESTION. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SlB, —From the proceedings at the Quarter Sessions on Tuesday last, as reported in the Courier, it would appear that the application of the Guardian Society was to obtain an order from the Court to canipel the New Gas and Coke Company to reduce the price of gas, and that the Company was compelled to reduce in consequence of the application ; whereas the fact is, the Company had already announced to the public, at the annual meeting on the 31st January, reported in all the Liverpool papers, that they had determined to reduce the price to 6s. per 1,000 feet from the Ist of April next. The Guardian So- ciety, therefore, gained for themselves and friends nothing by their proceedings, except the privilege of paying costs on both sides ; for such will in effect be the result, it being quite clear the proprietors of the Gas Company can lose nothing, their dividends being secured to them. TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE STAFFORD AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION SOCIETY, THE EARL TALBOT. MY LORD,--j have been invited by the joint secretaries of the society over which you preside to become one of its members, and to attend a meeting on Tuesday next. I most heartily concur in the objects of the association, and shall be happy to have my name enrolled ; but I regret that it will be totally impossible for me to be present on that occasion. I however, enclose fifty pounds in support of the ca use. Your lordship will, perhaps, allow me to congratulate you on the energy which the agriculturists begin to dis play. After enduring the calumnies, the falsehoods, and the buffettings of the League, with a patience which has but added fresh force to their assaults and more audacity to their statements, the yeomanry of England have nobly vindicated themselves ; and the sneer of a late minister of the crown, who charged them " with having heads as thick as their own clay,".will never be repeated. But, my lord, the agriculturists have to contend against an active and well disciplined body ; an heterogeneous body, consisting, in part, of able, honest, and enthusiastic men, but, for the greater part, of paid advocates and selfish and unscrupulous mill-owners, who pass from town to town with wonderful celerity—who diversify their meetings by a change of speakers—who gather intimidating crowds by the lure of "cheap bread"—who have money to influence, and, if they choose, to corrupt the consti tuencies—who compassionate the poor, with a tear in one eye and a sly wink in the other, being " all for themselves in this world,"—whose emissaries distribute Tracts amongst the labouring peasantry, creating discontent, without actually suggesting crime. This is the body that has to be encountered ; but, my lord, let us not mistake übiquity for numbers, nor importunate clamour for the public voice. The cause of the agriculturists, if rightly understood, is intimately connected with the power and prosperity of the nation, and, if vigilantly and earnestly maintained, will never succumb to such assailants. I have stated that the League have been guilty of false hood ; perhaps misrepresentation would be a less offensive term. I will proceed to the proof. In the Times newspaper of the 30th December last Mr. Cobden is reported to have said, at Derby, " that the average cost for carriage, &c. of bringing foreign wheat to this coun try, was 10s. 6d. per quarter. Take the cost at 40s. per quarter, if they liked, and that was 25 per cent. carriage before the corn could be landed here." It is astonishing, after the repeated contradictions which similar statements have received, that any man can be found daring enough to repeat them. I now beg to state, from my own intimate knowledge of the foreign corn trade, that the freight from Hamburgh has long ranged at Is. 3d. to 2s. per quarter, and that foreign wheat, so im ported, is subject to no charge, to which English, moved from one port to another, is not subject likewise : and, moreover, I state, without the fear of contradiction, that the rate of freight on such Engli s h w h ea t, moved coast wise, is as often above 2s. as it is below it. He is a bad calculator, who thinks that the merchant in Yarmouth who buys wheat, and the factor in Wakefield who sells it, work without a commission. The charge for " commis sion, porterage metage," and the " imaginary profits" of Mr. Macculloch, are common to all wheat, wherever bought or sold. Freights from the Danish ports vary, from 2s. 3d. to 2s. 9d. per quarter, and from the Baltic ports, from 3s. to 4s. per quarter, to which must be added 6d. per quarter Sound dues. It is true that Odessa freights have been as high as 10s. to 15s. per quarter, but unless the cost and freight of wheat together were considerably below the cost and freight of wheat from the Baltic, the trade to Odessa and the South of Europe would be at an end. 1 have known the price of wheat to be as low as 12s. per quarter at Odessa, and, at the present moment, the price, on the Danube, ib only about 18s. to 195., and the price of barley only 6s. 3d. per quarter. I have known the price of the finest Baltic wheat (which is Bs. to 10s. per quarter better than Odessa) to remain at 18s. to 19s. per quarter for years together; but I should consider it as dishonest to ouote these as average prices, as I should deem it unfair to quote the average rate of freights at 10s. 6d. per quar ter. But it is contended that free trade would raise both the price of wheat abroad and the rate of freights. I deny the consequence. That might be the first effect, but there is nothing more certain than that a steady demand for any article, the production of which can be progressively ex tended, will finally establish a fall in price. Look at the decline which, within the last few years, has taken place in cotton, salt, coal, and iron. Look also at the reduction in the rate of freight on coal between Newcastle and Lon don—the most constant and steady of all trades. These reductions, in part the result of over-trading and excess, and for which some allowance must be made, will become a permanent feature in the history of prices. Perhaps I may be excused by your lordship for exhort ing the landed interest to adhere rigidly to the principle of the sliding scale. The corn law has a double object it protects the land of this highly -taxed country from the free competition of the vast territories of Poland and Russia, inexhaustible in their fertility. It protects the tenant from the wretchedness of the occupiers of those lands, and it protects the labourer from being reduced to the condition of the miserable serfs and slaves who till B as ut fa i r t a h s as hu a m no a t n he le r gi o s b la j t e i e o t n , an s t u he m m e . prices. c itp d ro o t , ec a t g s ai t n h s e t choignh rs, What can be more consonant to common sense than a duty varying with the price? At one time protecting the producer from ruinously low prices ; and, at another, the consumer from oppressively high prices. With great submission to many powerful authorities, I consider a fixed duty as a fixed injustice, and that it possesses no other merit than being a sort of " ready reckoner" for the merchant. But can such a duty be permanent? In the mutations of times and seasons, distress will reappear ; and when the excitable masses (the " reserves" of agita tors) are converted into mobs, as they inevitably will be, can any man hope that a fixed duty of Bs. or 10s. per quar ter would last many months; and being suspended, that it ever could be resumed ? More than forty years' expe rience leads me to conclude that, under a fixed duty of Bs. per quarter, the average price of wheat, with good crops, would not exceed 355. or 365. per quarter. Before concluding this letter to your lordship, I have a word to say on free trade. The League boasts of the ac cession to their cause of the Marquis of Westminster, and they avail themselves, very naturally, of the grace and influence which rank always confers on a popular move ment. His lordship seems enamoured of his new allies, but he has yet to learn that the " hounds would as soon hunt the huntsman as the hare." Rank and title are nothing in the hands of a leaguer, when contrasted with the rights of that never-to-be-defined personage , the public. His lordship is for a ll manner o f free trade, and is, at the same time, for maintaining faith with the public cre ditor, but he has not told ns how that is to be accom plished. Now, if I know what thorough free trade means, it amounts to this; that every man who has a privilege or a protection of any sort, or kind, for his calling, should, at once, voluntarily surrender it for the public good, that all things may be in common. I submit, that when this state of things has to be enforced by statute, it is demo cracy in disguise, or, as Sismondi has happily described it, a Game of Beggar my Neighbour." It is the prevailing error of the present times to test every question of state policy by money's worth. Things different in sort cannot be compared in degree, nor can the value of an annuity, which every man may be said to have in good government, be estimated by an actuary. The man who, being suddenly possessed by " economic views," determined to repair his own clock, found no diffi culty in pulling it to pieces, but on attempting to put it together, he had a bowl full of wheels, for which he could find no use. So the free traders will find, that the whole is not the parts separated, nor the parts the whole. The complicated machinery of state government, with all its ramifications of property and industry,—with all its ba lances and maintaining powers,—is not a whole to be broken up on speculative suggestions. It has been said that the first duty of a statesman is the "care of his own times." A prudent minister, like a skilful physician, will discriminate between an organic disease and a functional derangement, and will restore when others would destroy. The tariff modified, and re gulated protection. but carefully preserved the principle. It has been maintained by many, that all the lands of England are under mortgage for the public debt, but by what force are they to be entered on, if, in the latitude of change, the title should be disputed, and " there are more things than are dreamt of" in the league's philosophy. The public creditor, however, is wise in his generation, and instictively knows,. that it is o n th e we ll an d stead i ly requited industry of the nation that he has to rely for payment, and that " the first creditor on the soil is the plough." In the sincere hope that the association will not play the game of their adversaries, by abusing the leader of that party from which only they can look for permanent protection.—l am, my lord, • Your most faithful and obedient servant, JOS. SANDARS. Johnstone Hall, Beele.)hall, Feb. 3, 1844. THE FOR[ IGN-AID SOLiE; On Wednesday week, a meeting r I tire of the association called the Fa-eigii-Aid Sno • , -a • pea_ n r t;og the objects of the Continental i!;vanye"- liques, was held in the Music-hall, and wi; very Otillle rously and respectably attended, notwithstanding its bring called together withi n the business hours of 'tie day. Amongst those on the platform were the lies Richard Burgess, 8.D., of Chelsea, sesrtiary to the parent soci ety in London ; the Rev. Edwd. Bickersteth, of Watton ; and many of the clergy and religiously-dist inguisio-d laity of our own town. A considerable number of kuniiss were also present ; and all, as the objects of the society became more fully developed by the several speakers, evinced a warm interest in its behalf. The Rev. HUGH M'NEreE was calledkto the chair, and the proceedings commenced by a fervid - Prayer offered up by the Rev. J. H. STEWART. The Rev. CH AIRMAN then addressed the meeting. He said the immediate object of the present meeting was to receive a deputation from the parent society, whose object was, to cheer by manifested sympathy, ari d to a i d by pecuniary contributions, the poor struggling Protes tants of the Continent of Europe. To enter into this object with intelligent and lively interest, it was necessary to know something in detail of the existing circumstances of those Protestants, relatively with the laws, or the ty rannical disregard of law, or the ingenious perversion of law, under which they live. (Hear.) Hitherto the chief field of this society's co-operation has been France; and, concerning France, a very general idea prevails in this country, that since the last of her revolutions—the revo lution of 1830, or of " the three days," as it is called— the charter resulting from that movement, the charter under which the present King was rased to the throne, has secured to all classes and denominations of professing Christians a perfect equality, not only of state toleration, but also of state countenance and support. Such indeed are the flattering words of the charter ; but it has been conveniently discovered that the privileges secured by this charter—at least the religious privileges secured to Protestants--are conditional, being, in every disputed instance, still subject to the decision of the chief magis trate, or maire of every commune. In France there are eighty-six 6partments or counties, each with its prilet or lord-lieutenant. In each of these there are five aeon dissements, literally circuits, or as we should say ridings, each with its sous preet, or deputy-lieutenant. And in each of these, there are several communes, each with its maire. The total number of maires is forty-four thou sand. (Cheers and laughter.) They are all appointed by the King. In some of these communes, where Pro testant pastors, trusting to the charter, have proceeded to give religious instruction in their own simple way to their little flocks, the maires have interfered and put a stop to it by the police. There is a clause in the 291st article of the Code Penale, subjecting all assemblies of the people to the surveillance of the local magistracy, that no breach of the peace may be allowed. This is ingeni ously played off against the charter, and by means of this the maires interfere to put a stop to religious assemblies of Protestants, under pretence of keeping the peace. (Hear, hear.) The Protestant pastors have complained of such treatment as an infringement of their rights, and pleaded the words of the charter. The maires have per severed, alleging that those privileges of the charter were never intended to contravene their authority as local magistrates, but must be held subject to that authority. This question has been referred to the superior court in such cases in Paris, and decided against the letter of the charter, and in favour of the jurisdiction of the maire, to such an extent as leaves Protestant worship absolutely at his will. (Hear, hear.) A remarkable instance has lately occurred, which is likely to bring the matter for final decision before the Chamber of Deputies. A number of Protestants in a small commune in the neighbourhood of Versailles hired a room for divine worship, and invited a pastor, called Russel, to come to them and officiate. He accepted the invitation, and gave notice to the Maire of his intention to come, under the guaranteed privileges of the charter. The Maire did not approve of it • this might have been his own private feel ing, or possibly he might have been personally careless about the matter but instigated by some of the priests to act. It was easy for them to manage to have information laid before him that if Protestant worship were allowed, there would be a breach of the peace ; and thereby to sat isfy him that in preventing it, he was acting legally under the article above cited from the Code Penale. Whatever may have been his motive, or the proximate influences under which he acted, the fact is that lie gave orders to his armed police to prevent the assembly for Protestant worship, and when Pastor Russell arrived at the hired roam, he was turned away from the door. He appealed against the Maire's conduct to the local court at Ver sailles, and the celebrated Mons. Odillon Barrot, came from Paris to plead his cause there. In vain, the court confirmed the sentence of the Maire, and the Protestant Pastor was silenced. He appealed to the Court de Cassa. lion in Paris, where the cause was again heard, and again the decision of the Maire was confirmed. (Loud cries of hear, and cheers.) The last appeal is to the Chamber of Deputies, and we learn that is to be made this session. By the decision as it now stands, the exercise of Pro testant privilege, the advantages of scriptural instruction, and the enjoyment of scriptural worship, are all at the mercy of the Maires. Where the Maire is tolerant or Protestant (as in some few cases), the Protestants may shew. Where the Maire is intolerant, Protestants must hide. Thus there are communes with open doors, and communes with closed doors : and scattered throughout, there are little companies of faithful men and women kept by the grace and mercy of God, from the poison of papal s9perstition on the one hand, and from the pestilence of infidelity on the other. These little companies are so scattered, so separated, so disorganised, and as yet, so incapable of centralization ; that any thing approaching to unity of church government or ecclesiastical discipline, cannot be expected. For their encouragement, and as we hope for their eventual consolidation, protection, and increase, evangelical societies have been formed in Paris and eleswbere. (Hear, hear.) But the members of them are, with few exceptions, poor people. That part of the apostolical description of the primitive church, may with strictest accuracy be applied to them " not many r i c h no t many noble are called . The price of books is an object to them, the hire of rooms is an object to them, the tra velling expenditure of their itinerant pastors is an object to them. To whom can they took for help? The great and rich and noble of their own land are unhappily against them. True it is, they have access by faith, to the best of all providers, even to Him who opens his hand wide and supplies every living thing ; but God works by means, and even when be refers his people to the ravens as an example of dependance, still the reference if fairly con sidered, will be forced to involve the use of means, means as appropriate to man, as the use of wings and eyes and claws is to ravens ; for ravens are not fed by miracles while sittin g idly in their nests. (H ear , h ear, an d cheers.) In the use of means, the Protestants of the Continent have uttered a cry to England, and this society is giving the only response which has as yet arisen to cheer their hearts, or help their re sources. Yet this cry so raised demands a response from England, not merely from disinterested Christian sympathy with fellow Christians in distress; but because that distress arises from the operations of a common ene my,—(hear, hear, and cheers,)—all but triumphant in France, and seeking to extend his triumphs over the whole world. (Cheers.) The circumstances of this case as they now develop themselves in France, are full of in struction. The plan of attaching the priests of the Roman Catholic Church to the state, by making them stipendiary, has been tried. (Hear, hear.) For a time it seemed to succeed in France. All was quiet, and the supreme au thority of the civil power was not questioned. But now that Rome has had a little time to consolidate her re sources and bring her combinations to maturity, she is putting forth afresh her old attempts at the mastery. This has appeared, at what is indeed, the fountain head of national strength in years to come, v , z.,—the institutions of national instruction. In each of these there has been a chaplain, a Roman Catholic priest, by royal order under the charter ; and, hitherto, the hierarchy have seemed content with this. But some among them have now de clared that this is quite insufficient to secure the interests of the church, and demanded admission for their various orders, or what you will better understand by confrater nity men. This has been refused by the state, and some of the bishops have retaliated by ordering the chaplains to leave the seminaries of public instruction. In the instance of the Bishop of Chalons, the case has come before the king in council, to determine whether there has been any abuse of their authority on the part of the bishops. The decision has been against the bishops, and I am credibly informed that instead of submitting himself to the royal ordinance, the Bishop of Chalon gloried in his resistance, and on receiving the royal communication summoned his dean and chapter into the cathedral and sang a Te Deem ! How this will end, remains to be seen, It is supposed that the priests have moved prematurely, and must for the present yield. The Archbishop of Paris, it is understood, is unwilling to resist the royal authority. The CUM.. stances, however, supply a fair modern specimen of what the Romish hierarchy is, and of what they must ever strive to be ; as well as of the natural consequence of act ing on the delusion that a state support can ever make them willingly submissive to any civil power. (Loud cries of hear, and cheers.) This, as you may suppose, is creating no small stir in France, and will probably be loudly and warmly debated in the chambers. Already it forms the theme of the leading paragraphs in many news papers. One editor illustrates the present state of things by a fable of a number of foxes whose tails were tied to gether, while each was striving to run his own way. The largest fox, with the longest tail, ends by dragging all the other foxes after him. The writer winds up by assuring his readers, what it requires but little observation to believe, that "le renard de plus longue une, c'est le pape." The fox with the longest tail is not his majesty the king, although he appoints the 44,000 maires. No ! the fox with the longest tail is his holiness the Pope ! (Laughter, and cheers.) The rev. chairman concluded by saying that be had just received two notes, with no writing within, but with contents that were highly gratifying and accept able. One of them contained £5, and the other £25, for the society. (Loud cheers.) The Rev. Richard Burgess then addressed the meeting at considerable length, and with great force and eloquence, explaining more in detail the objects and operations of the Society, which extended not only to France, but bad penetrated to other nations of Europe, and had done much with comparatively small means in diffusing the religion of the Reformation over the continent. Like Hannibal they bad paved the way to Rome itself. He furnished many cheering instances in point. Besides their agents in France, they had three in Germany, who were contented to work effectually for the small allowance of £25 each, per annum. They had commenced in Spain and Portugal, and had also got the wedge in in Italy. He depicted the encroachment of popery in France and other countries, and the dreadful prevalence of blasphemy and Maryology in infidelity in various parts; and noticed amongst other modern abominations the distribution of 40 millions of the pretended miraculous medal of the Virgin. He stated that some of the Mayors of France were favourable to their views, and some new Protestant ennreh r s na,l h eu ereteett leAter wen. sanction. 't he foreign Protestants whom the . Society aided, had certainly Bishops:—b.ieg headed by eortsistories, resembling the sY , IOOB Of Scotland; hut the principles upon which it acted and been acknowled.:ed as leeitimate and praise worthy by ootny of the highest autip , rities of the church, including the Bishop of London, who with reference to slight differences in form, without divisiert of spirit had said " If it please th e Almighty to give the same benefit to others in a ?somewhat different method, shall we deny then the right of receiving ir, or question his power to give it ? Is oar eye evil because his is good? be most consider the foreign protestants as churches, thmedi not perfect, and they ought to help them. They entertained the same faith, ; belonged to the same fold, and Jesuit himsellvias the head." He strongly advocated the policy of cementing to us the French nation by the bontsof Christianity, and to induce them to join us in a truly holy alliance. It behoved them to arrest the tide of infidelity on one hand, and popery on the other which was rising isa that country, and to prevent the impure tide from rolling noon our own shores. lie moved a resolution to the effect that it was highly desirable to promote the religious principles of the Reformation on the continent of Europe, and that the Foreign Aid Society, was calculated under the divine blessings to effect that great object. The Rev. Dr. BYRTH, though evidently labouring tinder painful indisposition, seconded the motion in very energetic and eloquent terms, declaring his full concurrence in the sentiments of the previous speakers, and the important objects of the Society. The motion was unanimously carried. Major THORPE introduced the second resolution by furnishing some interesting details of the rise and pro gress of the Society, its connection with the continental Societe's Evangiteques, and the gratifying results is various partsthe officersof Europe.and He moved ittee a for res t o h l e ut e io n n lnini ap pointingcommittee year. The Rev. Ed. BICKERSTETEI seconded it, warmly sup porting the objects of the Society. They owed a duty first to their families, next to their immediate neighbours, next to their country, and next to their Christian bre thren in foreign lands.—Tke resolution was carried unani mously.. A collection was then made in behalf of the Society, and a liberal sum was collected. The Rev. Mr. PARRY moved, and the Rev. Mr. NOLAN seconded in neat terms, a vote of thanks to the Chair man. The CHAIRMiN ably replied, urging the necessity of the Society having a fixed income, and stating that Mr. W. Jones would receive the contributions of annual sub scribers. He concluded by an affecting appeal in behalf of the Society. The Doxology was then sung and the meeting separated. DOCK COMMITTEE. -THURSDAY Mr. Hartley was allowed to run the Coburg Dock dry for two tides, to enable him to make some repairs. The Marine Surveyor reported that, on the 11th instant, the Magazines life-boat proceeded, in tow of the Mona and Victoria tug-boats, to the assistance of a vessel called the Franconia, which was in distress at the Great Burbo Bank, near the Formby Light-ship ; the Liverpool life boat also came up soon afterwards ; the passengers, 155 in number, were transferred to the tug-boats without the least accident, although there was a heavy sea running at the time, and the promptitude and exertions of the life boat crews on the occasion were extremely praiseworthy. There were as many as 40 persons, besides a crew of eleven men, at one time in one of the life-boats. A letter was read from Mr. W. Ashley, Chairman of the Steam Tug Company, offering to the Dock Trust the use of a first-class steamer, to be in readiness to tt ke out any life-boat whenever practicable for saving life when a signal of distress was made; she would also remain as near as possible to the vessel requiring her assistance to receive persons saved; the charge for such service to be £l,OOO per annum, or they might take the same for an annual payment of £s^o per annum, and £25 per trip when they were called on to go out. When such service was attended with injury, the compensation to be deter mined by the chairman of the Dock Trust and the chair man of the Steam Tug Company, and another person ap pointed by both parties. Mr. RIPLEY thought it would be better to have one of their own, constructed of iron, which would be more effi cient than any that could be supplied to them. After some conversation the matter was referred. A letter was read from Mr. C. Lawrence, calling the attention of the committee to the expediency of appro priating a few quay berths in the King's Dock, opposite the railway entrance, at Wapping, for ships having goods on board per railway, or for the convenience of shipping goods by railway immediat e ly on arr i va l ; the adoption of such a plan would, it was thought, be advantageous to the commerce of the port. The subject was referred to the Harbour Masters' Committee. A letter was read from parties who were in the habit of crossing the river in the ferry-boats, complaining of the great want of accommodation and civility shown by the persons at the north and south gates of George's Dock when the gates were open, which often occurred about the time of the boats starting, thereby causing great dis appointment and delay. Referred to the Harbour Mas ters' Committee. A letter from Messrs. Wm. Dixon and Co.. complain ing of partiality in the disposal of quay berths, for ships at the Canning Dock, was referred to the Harbour Mas ter's Committee. DOCK ACCOUNTS. The CHAIRMAN said that as some statements had been made by members of the committee as to the amount of the income and expenditure of the Dock Trust, he had requested the treasurer to draw up a correct statement for their satisfaction. and also for the information of the pub. lie, for he fell convinced Ghat the me,ro tlac wwupnto wcre examined the more satisfied would parties be. The Secretary then read the following statement : Total income from the 25th Dec., 1842, to the 24th Dec., 1843, £221,877 10s. Id. Expenditure, exclusive of new works : General repairs at the different docks £24,942 3 10 Interest on old and new debt . . 66,172 14 11 An n uities . Officers of the establishment, police and dock gatemen Lighthouses Floating Light vessels Telegraphs Life-boats. .... Buoys Lamps and lighting .. Rent . Law and parliamentary expenses Miscellaneous disbursements . 28,744 3 4 2,242 19 5 6,904 7 4 1,673 14 2 1,527 12 4 1,235 7 11 2,111 13 0 172 0 0 2,802 11 II 1,711 4 7 Tot al .. .. . Surplus . .. ..Z140,638 18 9 . 81,238 11 4 £221,877 10 I ----- New works within the year £132,868 10 1 Property purchased do 54.916 2 0 Amount brought Total expenditure .. ..... £328,423 10 10 The CHAIRMAN said the treasurer was in attendance, to answer any question the committee might wish to ask on the subject. Mr. Hour suggested that tho document should lie on the table for the consideration of the members. The TREASURER said the accounts bad been prepared with such great care that he had no doubt the more they were investigated the more satisfied would parties be with their accuracy. Mr. RIPLEY thought it was hardly fair it should go forth to the public that they bad a constantly increasing revenue of £20,000 or £30,000 a-year. The Dock Trust might be considered something like a mercantile body, and subject to fluctuations. Although they were now gaining, a season might come when they might have a heavy loss, We had reason to believe, during the present year, there would be 400,000 less bales of co tt on t h an last year ; and as nearly one-half of the revenue of the trust was derived from that source-- The CHAIRMAN interposed, and observed that he could not permit the mere speculative opinion of a member to go forth in opposition to a statement founded in fact. Mr. BOLD moved that the document be recorded on the proceedings of the committee. Mr. ROYDEN seconded the motion, which was unani mously adopted. The Secretary then rend the following statement : Amount expended on New Works, scc., for Act 4 Vic., to 12th February, 1844 : Saltbouse Dock Albert Dock and Canning Half-tide Dock 96,567 3 IL River Wall 16,809 0 6 Warchvurscs Central Works, to be divided amongst ) the foregoing 47,283 17 10 Transit Sheds Canning Graving Docks Clarence ditto Purchase of Property.. £297,226 18 5 239,045 1 7 Total . £536,272 0 0 --- Amount borrowed under Act 4 Vic. .... £430.940 12 7 Amount yet to be borrowed . 450,059 7 5 Total. £884,000 0 0 This was also ordered to be recorded, and the commit tee adjourned. A fair correspondent informs us, that we should not be doing our duty to that class of our readers of which she forms one, if we did not intimate to them the splendid treat which an examination of the Parisian Artificial Warehouse, opened in the Upper Arcade, by Mrs., Givan, would afford them. ADULTERATION OF TOBACCO.—Henry Laffer, talacco manufacturer, of this town, appeared at the Police —court on Tuesday, to answer a complaint preferred against him by the excise, for having, on the 12th of last month, mixed sugar in the manufacture of his tobacco. The de fendant was fined in the full penalty of £3OO, and 1501 b. weight of the tobacco was condemned. ACCIDENT AT THE DOCKS.—On Tuesday last, Patrick Casey, a labourer at the docks, was knocked dow,r ) by the handle of a winch, while engaged in discharging the cargo of the Nimrod, lying in Waterloo Dock. 'de remained insensible for a short time, but afterwa;•d a got up and went home to his lodgings in Waterlo'o.road, where he complained of injury having been d0.",, e to his head. He was put to bed, but died about two o'clock on the follow ing morning morning. The catr, e of death was effusion of blood on the brain, f rom the injury he had received. varmwe ---... )qD✓ ving the wici- It as dis- the rds. ling ffect lies ing )re, dy. you one nst or, ne, ad, rs ill 711 Dr