The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-19 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 19, 1856.] FREE LIBRARY FOI? BIRKENHEAD. ---...w-- at.. li vtlinac meeting of the ratepayers of Birkenhead au d Lt. `'Pounding district was held in the Town-hall, Birkenhead, 4 Saturday, having been convened by Mr. John Laird, chair- Al l of the commissioners, in answer to a numerously signed Lion, for the purpose of adopting measures for the es lißhment of a Free Public Library and Museum in the „,,, , 'on accordance with the provisions of the Public Libra- Act of 1855. Mr. Laird occupied the chair; besides whom :e Messrs. P. M. Dove, R. Lamont, A. Waln (clerk to the (nissioners), Keightley, R. Bryans, &c. The ball was 1tc7 01 3 , well filled, the trading classes pred ominatin g over ','Of the lower order on the social scale. ae C HAIRMAN having explained the object of the meeting , Vir. W IL E having read the requisition, 4 , I %PEROT M. DovE then rose and moved the first resolution And, in the opinion of this meeting , the est ablishment of w o fr l l e, public library and museum is highly desirable, and 4 0 j greatly conduce to the instruction , recreat ion, and r,,] V,, welfare of the inhabitants of this dist rict ; and that the Libraries Act, 1855, ought to be, and that the same be, i h .,ted for the district aforesaid."—The speaker said he had 1 7, pleasure in acceding to the request made'to him to take re Part in the proceedings of the meeti n g , from a dee p sense s, l t tl he importance of literature and learning generally, and i ki, the advantages which the culture of th e intellect would he upon the whole of the community . Com p arin g the heft ht nt time with the past, it would be found that the Zeacies had never been greater than at the p resent da y iig the whole history of this country. That thought S had 'rred to him some three or four weeks ago, when preparing Le manuscript leters for the purpose of reading t he m to the 7°_rle Society of Liverpool. Amongst them were some Zs of Benjamin Franklin, addressed to a friend of his, and -, h _7% Dec., 1788: In one of them was a req u e st that an ency lia might be sent out-for the use of a young student of Zaaelphia, having heard that books under that title had Tilt,ly been published in England. The book was to be sent a'.3 , ' one of the spring ships ; showing how different the 'lt,ions between man and man in different regions of the .."'ll Were at that time compared with the present. At that I n t i;oll it was evident there were no fast-sailing vessels at all k es of the year. There were no builders of steam vessels— rlli,ght say there were no John Lairds—(apphense)—conse thr the young student alluded to had to wait from Decem al.7BB, till the spring ships had arrived, before he could 'eY his cyclopredia. He thought, therefore, he had made his position, that the difference between the days of klin and our own was such as to show the importance of Coral knowledge now compared with what it was then. The ;Mies and prospects of this nation are now vast and magni- C." Commercial and political events are raising the Anglo 41en race to a pre-eminence in the intellectual struggle that likely to take place in the worl d. No class of men can i'ler afford to be ignorant. If the field be not occupied by ' 4 3 : 4 Will assuredly be taken possession of b y a race similar to Re Own—by our active and energetic transa tlantic brethren. 4 wished, therefore, to impress upon them the necessity of I kv i ig in this town what must be done in ever y town in En g . l t,,i'• Benevolent men were looking forward t o this im p roved of things. Many of them might be too old to live to see Cr _ir anticipations realised, but no doubt th e y would 1 ; 1 1,7 74 the language of Franklin in one of t he letters to y 3 "ieb he alluded. He said—" It is an important thing to lee the world getting better and happier,though we are about iewre it. " But what is the object, be (Mr. D ove) asked, in 7, 4 !!)lishing a free library here ? It is surely primarily _,,uorelope and to make useful to - other s a p ower which 1 1 1- but universal in n - an. The vast majority even of the O z,4 ting classes have that within them which, if brought out Let . irly culture, and then matured in after years by further Zlng, would make them different beings, and give life and inn to ?acuities of the very possession of which they would th,,nrwise be wholly unconscious. It was not merely or ex -1,,,-'wely wealth which they desired for them, nor that which ` 94 1 a „ .. need wealth ; it was rather 'that they should produce hZngst all classes in this country a more general and genial ranity, which should act between mind and mind, and re tiZt ultimately in a better state of soeiety ; because, if they OroVed in real knowledge, so would t he y in their relations tit ole another. It was therefore necessary, and he wished to %Press it upon them particularly , tha t the y should look to etharacter of the books 'to be selected for such a p ur p ose, ti, asto have them suitable. He did not stand there on that t Osion as the advocate of any section of the religionists of ti l . l Country, but he would venture to assert t hat no knowled g e s 1,71 i impiously dethrones the Creator from the homag e which llie to Him, or which did not increase the feeling of revere nce bllls laws, would ever benefit a nation. We have only, he said, forgjance at the history of-ancient nations most distinguished learning, to find an illustration of the appalling fact that , e exercise of the accutest intellect may be joined to the r i l f iletice of the grossest sensuality. From this he drew the a erence that they must be careful what sort of knowledge Zit' imparted, believing that the knowledge which only Zelled the head, and did not-touch the heart, was not of that there which would benefit the community. (Hear.) But h ",tZe was another object, and it was purely a benevolent -and ;Vaathropic one, to give to our fellow-townsmen a solace gieb, if once appreciated, will seldom fail in its effects. "Co; all around in their worldly concerns was pervaded. ith L'ilotn and darkness, there would be found in books that which dreading the troubled spirit ; and often, at his fireside, a man, 'treading an inte ll ectual book, found a short respite from the 1 7n.bles which surrounded him, and obtained lessons of phi jrn,Phy which enabled him the better to bear the ills that ti e sla is heir to. He advocated the reading of the Bible as y onlook that wou produce these results under all - Quistnc b es. However, ld the present object was to refer cir to, L uti to recommend•those other means which , though immea- ZFably less, were yet the gifts of a munificent Creato r. He Light say that the reading man lived in a new world, com ed with those who had not been in the habit of cultivating aequaintance vriththe writers of old, and receiving wisdom t omthose who had gone before them. The late Sidney smith had said that if it were not for the love of knowledge t ti ll i d books he would rather be the merest hedger and ditcher On the most powerful man in the world. His love of know nge was such that he considered the pleasure of it far ,greater than wealth and power. But there m i g ht be a further ' be produced by the establishment of a lib rar y . It -mi g ht , that some rising genius in Birkenhead woul d be enabled, :1 the aid of the free library, to furnish his mind, andhring l i to maturity ; such a-one might rise to be an honounto Bir ienbnarieead, and add another star in that galaxy of intellectual i i!Mis that form the glory of this country. (Applause.) Lle referred to the diffioulties which even some of our eminent Poets and writers had in obtaining books in formerdimes ; 'at by the establishment of the free library he hated all 'could be furnished with knowledge for the development of lose noble faculties with which they had been endowed. In licashire there were already four such institu tions, contain -isu_g 80,000 volumes devoted to the public use. Each of these b ooks had been used eleven times, and provis ion was made for r eplacing them as they became worn out • and one of the best r esults which had attended such establishments was the union ofi all classes, not only as regarded the fu nds necessary for ~.," en foundation, but by the subsequent participati on in their gyantages. T hey were libraries for the town, and not of stoj section ; and he believed that u nder the amended act I ,ge3 , would become increasingly popular. For the reasons he that stated, he gave his hearty concurrence to the resolution ''ilat had been placed in his hands, which he begged leave to 'Dove. (Applause.) t , Mr. LAMONT had great pleasure in seconding the resolu tion, and in doing so he mast state that he hoped it would 'V .4 ". He could not imagine that any ratepayer would make 1:13' objection to it on the score of cost. The legislature, Wits ~isdom, had passed a very simple act, enabling s uch institu tions - to be formed in such townships as that . He did net vB li to make any political remarks, but he must sa y he though '' this act was one of the fruits of the freedom of our country; alld ou r r epresentatives had given a great boon to their con etltuents in helping forward this move ment. It was one of the results of popular elections, he believed. He was not srngto -detain them with any further remarks, but he hoped there -happened to be any gentlemen present who were ~greater ratepayers, or who held a-higher position than their .poorer brethren, they would consider that a greater reason 7 11 3' they should help forward such a movement as that. He I ',oned they would show that evening that they appreciated ~_'ne establishment of such a provision, and unanimously autho- Liiie their guardians of the district or the commissioners to ""tablish, without delay, an institution such as had been ex- Plait t ea by his friend Mr. Dove. , Mr. Gunax (an ertzploy under Mr. Laird) moved a nega tive to the proposition, on the ground that t he education of e people had been so neglected by those who o u g ht earlier t 0 have seen to it, that a free library would be no boon to them ; -411 (1 that, tired of waiting for their betters to assist them, the working men themselves were about to establish a concert hall, ,%viith evening lectures, schools, and reading rooms. Other :reasons why he was opposed to a new tax 'being laid upon the `People for a purpose like this, lay in the coming ten per cent. ` i ncome-tax, and the inability of the authorities to put the "Ads in Birkenhead in repair with the means at their dis 'Posal. ~ Mr. ToWNSEND, in supporting the proposition of Mr . Dove, 'rated that the present free library at Liverpool, which now °limbered 65,000 volumes, originated about eighty years ago with .a number of gentlemen who kept the few books with w hich they commenced in a box at a coffee-house. He men tioned this fact as one of encouragement to the pro moters of this meeting. Mr. Hanaisona of the Canada works, as one well acquainted With the habits, wishes, and mental capacities of the working !nen ofßirkenhead, rebutted the slander that they were unable t ° read, and asserted that such a library as the one eoutem l''ated would be a great boon to them, and that among t he g ood `nilags it would accomplish, would be the bri n g in g to g ether, gilder the same roof, and for the same improving and elevating purposes, both master and man. in answer to a question from the body of the hall, it was s tated, by Mr. WALT. that the maximum rate authorised by 'ne act was one penny in the pound, that the election of a 13 , 1 13mittee of management rested with the commissio n e rs, and flat the composition of such commiteee was not confined to laembers of their own body. , Mr. Hornblower, Mr. Bailiff , Mr. Walker , surgeon , an d Dr. Baylis, also supported the motion, which, on being put to the vote, was carried nem. dig. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings LIVRRPOOL POSTOFFICL—From the estimates of the. revenue department for the ensuing financial year the following I°N postoffice particulars are gathered. The sala r y of the werpool postmaster is £l,OOO per annum, being h i g her than tat of any other provincial postmaster with the e xce p tion of Manchester, where the salary is £1,300. In addition t o this, the poundage on the sale of postage labels and envelopes mounts to £3BO per annum, in which item the emoluments of the Liverpool office are intermediate between those of the Postmasters of Manchester and Bristol. Rent, rates, taxes, ° oals, and gas amount to £ 216 p er annum, and the annual a llowance for incidental expenses to £1,614. The establish pent comprises a chief clerk, two pr inci p al clerks, a comp troller and an assistant-comptroller of sorting offices, an in 814e dor of letter-carriers, two assist ant-ins p ectors, eight first elatai clerks, sixteen second-class clerks , and seventeen supple mentary,, clerks, whose united salaries amount to £6,468 per a ltnum. The letter-carriers and sorters are 178 in number, leer week 20 first-class men, receiving from 31s. to 355. each week ; 23 of the second class, at from 265. to 30s. ; 46 of title third class, at from 225. to 255. ; 78 of the f ourth class, at l etter-carrier, to 21s. ; ten temporary sorters , at 18s. ; and one extra at 17s. 6d. The annual amoun t p a y able to the l etter-carriers (92 in number) is £4,902. The wages of 13 t s l e iral letter-carriers amount to £203 per annum, and there are messengers, stampers, and porters, whose wages a mount, in I ,* aggregate, to £5,563. 58 sub-postmasters and receivers, connexion with the principal office in Liverpoo l, receive s alaries amounting to 11522 ; and there are two letter - car riers "L' sub -offices receiving 10s. each per week. The total amount Paired for the expenses of the postoffice esta b l ish men t in — iyerPool for the ensuing year is estimated at £20,924. MUSIC AND THE DRAMA. AT Ti PfMinn Ront, Mr. Copeland has seen fit to withdraw the pantomime, and to woo the attendance of regular playgoers by a revival of the legitimate drama. To Carry this intention into effect, he has secured the aid of Mr. Barry Sul livan, whose histrionic merits have long insured him very general favour with the Liverpc connoisseurs, as they have also won for him the admiration of other auditories of refine ment. Daring the past week he has appeared on the Liver pool boaids in the characters of Sir Giles Overreach, Don Ccesar de Bazan, Richelieu, Hamlet, King Lear, and The Stranger, a wonderfully diversified range of parts for one actor in one week. In all of these he was, at least, respectable, and, in some of them, great. His impersonation of the mystic Prince of Denmark was attractive and ingenious, and his read ing of the part displayed no small amount of well-directed study. The character is, in all respects, a difficult one to ren der effectively before an audience, but in its representation' Mr. Sullivan was, in a high degree, successful. Lear, a cha racter of equal difficulty, though more startling in its peculi arities than Hamlet, Mr. Sullivan played with good taste, and a fair appreciation of his author. The hurricane bursts of passion, which, from time to time, rend the mental texture of the " foolish fond old man," were shot forth with great energy, and told well with the house. His declamation seemed, in some instances, rather formal and scholastic, yet, on the whole, his performance was such as to merit warm applause. Last night he appeared for the second time as Richelieu, and enacted the wily, proud, old statesman with great.judgment and ability. To-night he re-appears in Hamlet, and to-mor row Shakespeare's celebrated tragedy of " Macbeth" is to be produced with entirely new stage effects. The original vocal music is to be retained, but re-arranged by Mr. T. G. Reed : the instrumental music to be arranged expressly for the revival by Mr. t. Pitzwilliam. New scenery and costumes have been designed and executed, together with appropriate machinery, and, in short, every effort has been made to render the revival attractive and interesting. The character of Macbeth will be sustained by Mr. Barry Sullivan ; and that of Lady Macbeth by Mrs. Vickery, from tin Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, who will make her first appearance in Liverpool on this occasion. AT THE ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE the equestrian company from the Cirque Imperiale de France continues nightly to draw crowds of admiring spectators. The feats of graceful performances by the male and female equestrians excite the most lively admiration, while the tight rope and other displays are received with equal satisfaction and applause. THE British and North Americam Royal Mail steam-ship America sailed hence for Boston on Saturday, with 104 passen- gers and a large cargo, besides the usual - _ AUSTRALIAN Mens.—The sailing ship Kent, Capt. Cole man, left Plymouth Sound on Saturday morning at eight o'clock, and the screw steam-ship Royal Charter, Captain Boyce, in the afternoon, at four o'clock, both for Port Phillip . wind easterly ; fine breeze. Dugs of LANCASTER'S OWN RIFLES.—The recruiting for this distinguished corps is'going on most favourably. Captain Littledale has sent to head-quarters during the last fortnight seventy-three fine young fellows : he is ably assisted by an efficient staff of sergeants and men, and the vacancies caused by the volunteering into the line will soon be filled up. Able bodied men should lose no time in making application to Ser geant Neal. THE other day, at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Station, in Southport, a man was taking a hamper from the cart which contained sixteen live rabbits, when the bottom came out of the hamper, and the rabbits scampered away in all directions. Many of them got into the goods department. Two dogs were employed, and a chase ensued, which, after an haurls hunting, ended in the rabbits being recovered.—Pres lon Chronicle. SIMPLICITY.—On Thursday, at the Liverpool Police-court, John Wilson, aged 25, living on Shaw's-brow, timidly ap proached the desk of the magistrate's clerk, and, presenting a document printed and worded like a summons, asked when this case would come on. Taking np the paper, Mr. Garnett ;read it aloud, to the amusement of - the court. 'lt was dated tfrom the Court of Hymen, signed " I. Lovewell," justice of the peace, and commanded "John M. Wilson" to appear at the , said Court of Hymen to answer a charge "having wilfully, feloniously, and designedly waylaid and entrapped, and having violently and feloniously assaulted and stolen from the plain tiff in this cause a heart," &e., and cautioned him not to fail, under the penalty of being tarred and feathered. Mr. Garnett asked the defendant what he had to say to the charge, to which he replied that he did not know, as he was unable to under stand one-half of it. Mr. Garnett then informed him that the case did not come under the jurisdiction of the magistrates, and he left the court a happier if not a wiser man. HOBE AND ANOTTLEE v. M`CA.masur.—At the Liverpool County Court, on Thursday, Messrs. Hore and Co., passenger agents, sued Mr. John M`Carthy, provision and ship-store dealer, New Quay. The action was to recover £l5, the value of certain surplus stores taken from the plaintiffs' ship North ern Belle, by defendant's agent, at New York. In September last the plaintiffs were sending out passengers, and gave the defendant an order to supply those passengers (forty-one in number) with provisions for seventy days, that being the time which the act of Parliament required the ship to be supplied for. The order was supplied, and the defendant sent in a bill charging at the rate of 25s per head for the forty-one passen gers. The vessel made a very .rapid voyage, and upon her ar rival at New York the defendant's agent there took possession of the surplus stores, which he sold off, and retained the pro ceeds, rendering an account of the sales to his principal here. It was to recover the value of these stores that the action was brought. Verdict for the plaintiffs for the full amount. SELECT VESTRY. — The Rev. Rector Campbell presided at the, fortnighly meeting on Tuesday, when Mr. Woodruff called the attention of the board to.a subject of great importance. The board, he said, would be aware that within tha last few days the government had introduced a bill into parliament, the object of which was to do away, to a certain extent, with the town dues of Liverpool. They would also be aware that, as the bill was introduced by the government, it would require no-ordinary effort to get rid of such an objectionable and unjust measure. He had consulted the Rector on the subject, and they had arrived at the'conclusion that the subject was of such importance to the parish as !to justify the board in taking active steps in the matter. They proposed to place themselves in communication with the Mayor, and to call a future meet ing of the board, with the object of seeing what steps should be taken in reference to the matter ; and he hoped whatever course they might adopt would meet with the approval of the committee. The proceedings •of the Finance Committee con tained a letter from the Poor-law Board, asking whether the surcharge of £56. Bs. 4d., made upon Mr. Bradley by the auditor, had yet been paid. Upon this resolution the com mittee resolved, as their opinion, that the question was one which should be taken up bytthe general board, and dealt with, instead of being allowed to remain exclusively upon one member. After some conversation had taken place on the sub ject, the Chairman expressed an opinion that the resolution, if passed as it stood on the books of the Finance committee, would compromise the whole board, and he suggested that a resolu tion should be come to that the-board petition the Poor-law Board at once on the subject-of the overcharge. Mr. Bradley said this was all he wanted. The original resolution come to by the committee was withdrawn, and a resolution, that the Vestry petition the Poor-law Board on the subject, was unanimously agreed to. PROPOSED NEW MARKET.—On Friday, a meeting of the inhabitants of the north end of the town was held, at the house of Mr. Bunbury, Oldhall-street, to memorialise the town council to build a market on the site of the old Borough Gaol, instead of disposing of the land by auction. Mr. McGuffie, who presided, said he wished it to be clearly under stood that he did not identify himself with any of the resolu tions that might be adopted, or pledge himself to anything that might transpire. He thought itlneeessary to say so, from the position he held as a councillor, and as one of the markets committee, before whom the resolutions adopted at that meet ing might ultimately have to come. Mr. Brumfitt acted as secretary.—ln answer to the chairman, Mr. Brumfitt said he •had sent circulars to many of the residents in the north-west side of the town, though not to Vauxhall or Scotland wards. — The chairman said he hoped there were parties there from the neighbourhood of Pownall-square ; andle.asked if there were, but-no one replied.—As Mr. Murdoch was about to be called upon to move the first resolution, Mr. Thompson rose and said, before any further business was entered upon, it would only be fair to adjourn the meeting, to enable ;them to get the attendance of parties from every ward. It mould not be fair to bolda meeting in which the two wards mentioned had not a voice. There was plenty of time. The finance committee met every Friday ; so he begged leave to move that they adjourn 'to next Wednesday evening, at half-past seven, and in else meantime to properly advertise it.—Mr. Councillor Godfrey seconded the motion, as it was only fair to give every one a chance.—Mr. Murdoch supported the motion.--Mr. Edward Pulford was sorry to see Mr. Thompson and Mr. Godfrey, who were so much interested in the borough gaol, take part in the proceedings. It would look very much better to leave it in other gentlemen's hands.—Mr. John Bunbury was pro ceeding to comment upon the proposed new market, and stated that the new meeting had been called by two or three gentle men at the north end, who were not individually interested, — when the chairman called him to order.—A gentleman re marked, it would be a pity to let that meeting pass without discussing a little on the subject. On the motion being put, it was unanimously adopted, and the meeting separated. ROBBERY OF £l6O BY A TICKET-OF-LEAVE MAN.—The ship Rangoon, Captain Huskins, arrived in the Mersey on Wednesday, from Madras, bringing as a prisoner from that place a modern Jack Sheppard, named Thomas Jones, who was arrested in Madras on the charge of having stolen 146 sovereigns, 25/ dollars, and a diamond ring of the value of £lO, the moneys and property of Captain L. 0. Legg, of the British ship Berkshire, while lying in the French port of Pondicherry, in the East Indies. The history of the prisoner is remarkable, and worthy of record. He is a young man, about twenty-eight years of age, about five feet six inches in iaeight, slender make and rather gentlemanly in appear ance. His travels in the East having exposed him to the effects of a tropical sun, his skin is considerably bronzed, giving him the aspect of a foreigner. It appears that he is a native of Liverpool, and that, some six years ago, he was tried at the assizes, and sentenced to ten years' transportation, for the crime of burglary. Having served the greatest portion of the time in a penal settlement, he appears to have obtained a ticket of leave ; but nothing was known or heard of him by the authorities until the 24th of August last, on which date he was found doing duty as a seaman on board the English ship Berkshire, Captain Legg, at the port of Pondicherry. On the night of the same day, Jones was found wanting, and subsequently it was discovered that the captain's desk had been broken open, and about £l6O and a diamond ring stolen. Some short time afterwards the prisoner turned up at Madras, where he was apprehended in October, on the above charge, by Mr. Elliott, the chief superintendent of police at that place. He was then put on board the Rangoon for conveyance to England, and arrived here as above-stated. Detective Carlisle took charge of him on being landed, and escorted him to bridewell that evening. He appeared to be perfectly acquainted with that establishment, and solicited the favour of being located at No. 12 cell for the night. In conversation with Mr. Campbell, the bridewell-keeper, the prisoner spoke in familiar terms of the town, the bridewell, &c-, and said that he had been perfectly well acquainted with the late stipendiary magistrate ; having been in his company on several occasions—the last time he had that honour was particularly impressed upon his memory, seeing that that gentleman committed him for trial. On Thursday, he was brought before the magistrates, but no evidence was gone into, Mr. Superintendent Clough having stated that he had received a communication from a solicitor in London, saying that the prisoner would be tried in the metropolis. He was consequently handed over to the particu lar care of the police, for the purpose of being conveyed to London. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. CO'' MERC.TAL and _7IIOIVETA.RY .NEWS. MONDAY NIGHT. THE Public Funds maintained the high value which they have recently attained, and even gradually advanced, until Friday morning, when severallsales of Stock caused a slight reaction, and the publication, shortly afterwards, of the following letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announcing the inten tion of the Government to contract another loan, created a kind of panic, the decline being almost two per cent., while the subsequent reactionhas been but trifling : Downing-street, Thursday Evening. Gentlemen,—l request that you will make it known in the usual manner that, on Monday next, the 18th instant, at one o'clock, Lord Palmerston and I will be ready to see any gentle men who will be willing to contract for a loan for the public service, in order that we may afford them information as to the amount of the loan, and the time and manner of bidding. Lord Palmerston and I will, at the same time, communicate to the gentlemen present the conditions upon which we shall be prepared to receive offers for funding a portion of the Exchequer Bills now outstanding. I hope it will be convenient to you to meet those gentlemen, at the Treasury, at the hour named. G. C. LEWIS. To the Governor and Deputy-Governor of the Bank of England. It will be observed that nothing is said as to the amount proposed to be borrowed, but it is believed that the loan will be for Twenty Millions, and the amount of Exchequer Bills to be funded Nine Millioni. On the other hand, however, it has been asserted that the sum at present required will be much smaller, leaving further arrangements until after the termina tion of the Peace Conferences. Money for commercial purposes has been in active demand, and as the announcement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer renders necessary a provision for the first instalment of the projected loan, the supply has been inadequate. The rates of discounts have con sequently increased, but as the fullest confidence is felt in the result of the pending negotiations for peace, the tone of public feeling continues satisfactory. • The ' Bank Returns published on Friday show a decrease in the stock of Bullion of £92,157, but as there is at the same time a decrease in the actual cir culation of £317,260, the reserve of notes unemployed has increased to the extent of £192,515, making a total surplus under this head of £5,604,500. Amongst the other changes may be noticed a decrease in " Other Securities" of £348,068, and also in Private Deposits of £758,002. The Corn-markets during the week have shown a continuance of the recent decline, there being an evident disinclination to purchase for more than immediate necessities in the face of large supplies which may reasonably be expected, and the diminished consumption owing to the long continuance of high prices. There can be little doubt that the conclusion of terms of peace will tend materially to augment importations from the Black Sea, and the disengage ment of shipping from the transport service will also lead to increased supplies from the American continent, which have only been kept back from scarcity of freights. The quantity remaining of home-growth is also very large, and as falling markets will probably induce holders to realise, we may anticipate further reductions in price. The receipts of specie during the week amounted to about £569,000 by the West India mail steamer. The exports are estimated at £200,000, With respect to probable receipts, the Times of to-day, in its City article, says : Large arrivals of specie are known to be on their way to this country. The James Baines, from Melbourne, which is expected:to bring £490,000 or £500,000, is overdue, since, sup posing she sailed at her appointed time—the 25th of Novem ber— she has now been 83 days out. According to the last advices from Panama, Her Majesty's ship Brisk was en route for England with £360,000. The letters from New York lead to the belief that some moderate amounts will, probably, in future arrive thence by each packet, while at Alexandria the rate of exchange has taken a turn which will suspend the transmission .of gold from this country to Egypt. At all the continental cities likewise the changes have a firm appearance. On the other hand, remittances at the rate of at least £lOO,OOO a-week are expected to be made to Constantinople during a considerable period on account of the Turkish Loan, and until peace be absolutely concluded the demands for the British Commissariat will still continue heavy. The return from the Bank of England for the week ending the 9th February gives the following results, when compared with the previous -week : Public Deposits ... £3,683,327; Decrease £99,552 Other Deposits ... 13,049,256; Decrease ... 758,002 Rest 3,492,520; Increase ... 82,438 On the other side of the account: — Government Securities.. £11,422,361; Decrease... £670,000 Other Securities ...... 17,868,429 ; Decrease... 348,068 Notes unemployed ...... 5,604,500; Increase ... 192,515 The amount of notes in circulation is £18,803,375, being a decrease of £317,260, and the stock of bullion in both departments is £10,613,719, showing a decrease of £92,157 when compared with the preceding return. ISSUE DEP.&I3.IIIENT. Notes issued ... £24,407,875 Governmt. Debt £11,015,100 Other Securities 3,469,900 Gold coin &bull'n. 9,932,875 ;Silver bullion £24,407,8751 £24,407,875 BINNING DEPARTMENT. Prop. Capital ... £14,553,000 Gov. Securities £11,422,361 Rest ... ... 3,492,520 Other Securities 17,868,429 Public Deposits 3,683,327 Notes ... 5,604,500 Other 'Deposits 13,049,256 Gold & Silver Coin 680,844 7-day & other bills 798,031 £35,576,1341 £35,576,134 Ix our SHARE MARKET the late advance has been well.supported, and at the settlement just past stock was more scarce than the dealers anticipated, and, con sequently, contangoes declined as the settlement pro gressed. The unexpected announcement of the loan on Friday caused a sudden and rapid decline of about 1 per cent.; yet from this, on Saturday, the market rallied considerably, and to-day is as high as before the promulgation of the loan, closing with a decided upward tendency. The London and North Western meeting takes place on Friday, at which it is expected the directors will make such a statement as will re assure the public respecting this stook as an invest ment for,capital. The Leeds meeting is expected to be equally satisfactory. In our local stocks there is not much change. Banks are steady. Insurance shares quiet ; Royals, buyers at £4lss. ; Fire and Life, sellers, £9. The meeting of this company passed off satisfac torily, and a dividend of 10s. per share, free of Income Tax, was declared.—We annex this day's prices : Caledonian, 28; Great Northern A, 911 Lancashire and Yorkshire, 81+ 82 1. ; London and North Western, 100+ 1014 1 • Midland, 761 North Eastern, Berwick capital stock, 19 ; South Eastern, 191 ; Dutch Rhenish, 1p ; ditto new shares, 21p ; Great Western of Canada, 261. Corrox.The trade has been very buoyant 'during the week, there having been large purchases from the trade as well as on speculation, and prices have advanced fully 3-161 per lb. on middling, and from +d. to td. on fair qualities. The sales for the week up to Friday reached 92,070 bales, of which 27,530 were taken on speculation, and 9, 440 for expo r t , leavin g 55,100 for the trade. TO-DAY the sales were 10,000 bales, in cluding 4,000 for speculation and export, and the market closed firmly. The following is a comparison of present rates with those of the corresponding peried last year : 1855 1856 New Orleans, middling If fair Upland, middling fair . 5A- 6 . 51 61 . 5 bi ~ bf 6f BALES. --"- Week ' Previ en din g ouely Feb.ls. thia 600 3660 GO 280 16950; 82520 11650 26880 40540 136020 1490 6790 2850, 4440 910 4210 130 2990 15590 620 1590 12650 57020 760 280 140, RTS. umscRIPTIoN. PRICES. ] Sea Island Stained Boweds • • • • • Mobile New Orleans—. • Pernanss, .• Bahia Bw. Maranbain Demerara,&c Egyptian. Surat Madras ...... • Bengal 8 (434 44 8 44 7 5 64 4,1 7 6 6; 6/ 6 64 1 51 10 2i 51 31 4i [Week ending Feb.ls. This Year. :STOCK Feb.ls 114691 69697 JJ 264130 5561 1957.£ ! 6449! 2025 0 . 3W53 5661 186 ....! 17511 18520 1 620 isii 7808', 38420 Coigou is not offered under 9d per lb., but at this pre there are few buyers. 1,100 bags Bengal Rice tuve found sale at lOs 3d for good broken, and lls 3d to ls 9d per cwt. for middling white ; also 200 bags Salpetre at 335 - 6 d per cwt. for 31 per cent. refraction. Wchave also to report 80 bags Pimento, all faults, at 4d o 41-d ; 100 bags white Pepper at 71d per lb. ; and3oo tons Jamaica Logwood, to arrive, (to be taken witl all faults) at 26 17s 6d per ton. VOOL.—In anticipation of the large public sales just commenced in London, our market has been ratir quiet during the past week, and the report that thei have opened very briskly, at an advance of lid. per b., upon fine wools, has increased the tone of thisinaarket ; the low Wool sales have not yet com melted, and from the very light stocks, both here and in London, some improvement is anticipated in these sort) also. In Egyptians, Turkey, Smyrna, &c., there has ! been but little doing since our' last ; some few sale) of Donskoi have been made, but without any improvement in prices. Imports for the week 326 Bales, Portugal ; 306, Meditteranean ; 121, East Indio; 5, Buenos Ayres; and 15, Irish :—Total, 773 bales. METALS.—There has been a considerable decline in the value of Scotch Pig Iron since our last, and the latet quotations are 66s per ton cash for store warrants f.o.b. at Glasg ow. Manufactured Iron is in good demmd, without change in price. In other metals then is not much doing, and no alteration in value. 5131,1013'9 EMBEZZLEMENT.—On Tuesday last a confidential clerk named Robert Wilson, in the employ of Messrs. Brock lebark and Co., the extensive merchants of this port, ab sconcbd, taking with him a large sum of money belonging to his euployers. The following description has been issued by the Nice, coupled with the offer of a reward of £2OO to any persoi who will give such information as will lead to the ap preheision and conviction of the offender :—" Wilson is about 54 yews of age, about 5 feet 3 or 4 inches high, stiff made, sailor complexion, dark hair and large whiskers, rather flat full face, has a serious thoughtful appearance. Walks very steadly, with his arms, which are rather long, close by his sides Usually dresses carefully, although clothes much worn ; had cn when last seen a black dress coat, long in the skirts, graytaixture trousers, and Blucher boots or shoes; generally a colaured neckerchief, which is loosely tied; hat, which looks large; has altogether a very respectable appearance. A native of Vilitehaven. He is well known at Monks Ferry and Wocdside, and lately resided at Thornton, near the Spital StatUu, on the Chester Railway." . FUGITIVE SLAVE IN LIVERPOOL — The American ship Asttion, 'Captain Day, which arrived in the Mersey on Satur day, brought a slave woman, under rather peculiar circum stances. It appears that, while the ship was loading in New Orhatts, the woman made her escape, whereupon her master offered a reward of five hundred dollars to any one who would resbre to him his " property." The police, as is usual in such cams, made strict search throughout the city and on board the vessels in the harbour, but she eluded their vigilance, and fouad a friend in the ship's boatswain, who secretly conveyed her on board, and kept her in his berth during the whole of the passage, which occupied about twenty-five days. The strangest part of the affair is, that, with the exception of her liberator, her presence in the ship was unknown to the cap tail, officers and crew. When the vessel anchored in the Mersey, the custom-house officers went on board, and, while one of them was rummaging in the boatswain's berth, he found het concealed amongst the bedclothes. He brought her upon detk, and she was afterwards removed ashore, and taken to Qteen-street. She is a mulatto, about twenty or twenty-five years of age, was tidily attired, and appeared to have been well trtated during the voyage. INSTITUTION FOR TEN TRAINING OP NURSES. — The first spinal meeting of this institution was held at the establish mmt, Slater-street, on Friday, Mr. E. Cropper presiding. Tie report stated that six nurses now in the house had passed tteir probation, and two others had been engaged to enter it. A-considerable number of patients had been assisted gratuit otsly, and the number attended for small fees was as large as mid be expected, the nurses being at home scarcely two days together. The demand, in fact, had been greater than the institution could supply. An urgent appeal was made by the committee for increased support, and the document closed with a number of testimonials to the efficiency of various nurso supplied by the establishment. The treasurer, Mr. J. Cropper, read the statement of accounts, which showed that the eipenses during the year had been upwards of £2OO. The furnishing of the house had cost £141; housekeeping, £B5 18s. 6d. ; salaries, £5O 14s. 8d ; rent and taxes, £26 ',3s. 9d.; printing, £lO 4s. 9d. The donations had been £226; the subscriptions £4B; nurses' earnings during eight months, £4B 6s. The treasurer remarked that, if they could maintain nine good nurses, the institution would be self-sup portiig. On the proposition of the Rev. Mr. Howson, seconded by tle Rev. Dr. M`Neile, the report and statement of accounts were adopted. EiGLISH AND IRISH MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY. - The annual meeting of shareholders in this company was held yesterday in the Clarendon-rooms, Mr. Harrison in the chair. From the report and accounts read and adopted, it appeared that the receipts for the half-year ending 31st December, 1855, had amounted to £29,259105. 4d. ; and that the total charges during the same period were £19,198 3s. Bd., leafing a sum of £10,162 Os. 10d. available for dividend, which wcald be paid at the rate of four per cent. per annum. Among the items of receipt there were £16,589 10s. sd. for messages, news, royalty, and rents ; and the items of expenditure con taned £1,042 15s. for the maintenance of apparatus and wages of workmen. The sum of £5279185. Bd. had likewise been expended in salaries, stations, offices, and wages.—The &airman, in moving the adoption of the report, said if the income continued toinirease as it had done for the last half-year they would be able to declare a dividend of 6 per cent. next year. Mr. M`Donald, accountant to the company, was ap pointed an auditor, in room of Mr. Busby, who had died. Tie' following gentlemen were appointed directors, vlz. : Xessrs. T. D. Hornby, Langton, Barton, M`Donald, and larton ; after which the meeting separated. LETT v. MAUTINDALE.—This was an action brought in the Court of Common Pleas, on Saturday, by the plaintiff, a gentleman residing in Cumberland, to recover the sum of 12,010, alleged to have been received by the defendant, a cot ten broker, at Liverpool, under circumstances which would not eititle the plaintiff to retain the money. It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Lett that in the month of September, 1655, he was desirous of investing the sum of £2,000 in the purchase of a bond of the West Hartlepool Dock and Railway Company. Ire accordingly communicated with a stockbroker at Liver poi, Mr. Gladdowes, to whom he remitted by a letter of credit tie sum of £2,010, being £2,000, the purchase price of the bind, and £lO for the broker's commission. Subsequently, hearing that the bond had not been taken up, he made in qtiries, and found that the money forwarded by him to Mr. Gladdowes had found its way into the hands of the defendant under the following somewhat pecilliar circumstances :—lt appeared that the defendant was very intimate with the stock broker, Mr. Gladdowes, and was acquainted with all his money transactions, and, among other matters, he was aware that the letter of credit in question was expected. From the evidence of Mr. Flint, the clerk of Mr. Gladdowes, it appeared that the defendant requested him not to let the money •be applied in any way without his knowledge. Upon the morning of its arrival the defendant went to Gladdowes and informed him that he had to pay £2,000 for some cotton thet day, and that he would be a severe loser if he did not have the money. Mr. Gladdowes hesitated for a considerable tine about such an appropriation of the money ; but, upon the solemn •assurance of the defendant that he would return it in the course of the day, Mr. Gladdowes endorsed the letter of credit, and, accompanied by the defendant, went to the bank and received the money, the whole of which he placed in the hauls of the defendant, who, however, handed Mr. Gladdowes £lO, saying that was for his commission, and that he (the defendant) only wanted £2,000. In the afternoon of the same das the defendant sent for Mr. Gladdowes, and said that he whiled to settle •the money matters which they had between them, and placed upon the table the sum of £52 2s. 7d., which he alleged to be the balance due to Mr. Gladdowes. The latter gentleman was much surprised and alarmed, and at first re fined to take the balance, but subsequently did so, and found it necessary to leave Liverpool for a time.—The defendant's counsel admitted the facts as above stated, but contended that there was no privity between the defendant and the plaintiff, and that, at most, it was only a case where an agent had mis applied his principal's money.—The Lord Chief Justice directed the jury to find their verdict for the plaintiff, but reserved leave to the defendant to raise the point at law hereafter, if so advised, upon his bringing the money into court, or giving sectrity within a week.—Verdict accordingly. CAPTURE OP A. GANG OP BURGLARS.—During the past few months many daring burglaries have been committed in the neighbourhood of Barnsley, and loud have been the com plaints of the inhabitants at the burglars so long escaping detection. Police-constables and night watchmen have been appointed, but to no avail. On Monday, however, a gang of burglars was cleverly broken in upon and captured at Hoyle Mill, a little hamlet almost a mile from Barnsley, with part .of the booty of the burglary committed at Thurnscoe, at the residence of the Rev. Thomas Wood Simpson, the rector (in which plate to a considerable amount was stolen), in their possession. Arrangements having been made between Super intendent Green, of Barnsley, and Mr. White, of Bolton, to capture the gang, on Monday evening about six o'clock, Mr. Green, assisted by constables White and Hirst, proceeded to Hoyle Mill, to the dwelling of a fellow of suspicions character, named William Bonson. After taking a rapid survey of the premises and making a search in the outbuildings, they found two large dishcovers concealed in a pigsty& close by. With these White was left in charge, and Mr. Green and Hirst went towards the house. The outer door leading into the front room they found open, and they entered very cautiously; and, on looking through a crevice of theed door into the inner room, they could see four men engag in breaking up something resembling the stolen articles. Mr. Green tried to open the . door, and, on finding it fastened, burst it open and surprised the burglars in the act of breaking up the silver plate, which they were doing with hatchets and other instruments, having on the table a file and a bottle containing aquafortis, with which they were testing the metal. The burglars, on finding their retreat thus unexpectedly discovered, appeared thunder struck, and exclaimed, By ! there's Green," and soon began to make preparations for escaping. At first they scarcely knew how to act; but, after a moment's pause, they set upon Mr. Green and his assistant, and a most desperate struggle ensued, and finally two of the burglars threw up one of the windows and made off. White, on hearing the struggle, was coming towards the house, and on perceiving the two men jump from the window, pursued them, and succeeded in cap turing one of them, named William Bonson, on the turnpike road, about. 200 yards from the house. in the pursuit Benson had thrown off his shoulders a bag containing some silver dishes, and other valuable portions of the property. This White secured, and, after a desperate struggle, succeeded in overpowering the burglar, and brought him back to the house. Mr. Green and Hirst had also, after a severe conflict, in which they had received some heavy kicks and blows, succeeded hi overpowering and handcuffing the other two men. The pre mises were then searched, when a large portion of the booty in Mr. Simpson's robbery was discovered, among which were two electroplated dish covers, two silver dishes, two silver de canter stands, one pair of sugar tongs, nutcrackers, 1 dozen of plated dessert knives and forks, grape scissors, a piece of beef, mutton, cheese, and sugar, nearly the whole of which has since been identified by Mr. Simpson as his property. All these were taken possession of by the officers, and the prisoners were conveyed to Barnsley, and lodged in gaol,--!.lllanchester Guardian. LATEST NEWS. Ihnuaw, Feb. 13. The health of the Empress Dowager of Russia causes some apprehension. One hundred brass guns from Kars have been placed at Tiflis in Alexander square. General Williams is unw, THE PEACE CONFERENCES. PARIS, Feb.l7. Lord Clarendon and Lord Cowley arrived yesterday evening at Paris. To-day, at two o'clock, Lord Clarendon was received in a private audience by the Emperor. Count Buol, the Austrian plenipotentiary, arrives at Paris during the night. The Conferences will probably open on Saturday. Baron Manderstrom, the Swedish minister, arrived at Paris to-day from Vienna, THE CRIMEA. MARSEILLES, Feb. 16. The Jourdain has arrived with advices from Constantinople of the 7th, and from the Crimea of the 6th instant. On the 4th instant the French blew up Fort St. Nicholas, at Sebastopol, with complete success. TURKISH REFORM BILL. Telegraphic advices from Trieste, state that the Sultan has sanctioned the new Turkish Reform Bill, containing twenty one points; among which are :—" Abolition of punishment on account of change of religion; admission of Christians to state offices, military honours, and representation in Council of State ; Bank credit for commerce ; and reform of currency." 1411 1850 } 2465 1 19675 47250 309244 409990 92070 3395501 II 79245 PRODUCE.—There has been a fair demand for Sugar both for export and home consumption, which has been firmly met at a decline of 6d to is per cwt. In Coff ee a very limited business without change in value. Of Tea common qualities are rather lower, but better kinds, both green and black, in fair demand. No improvement in Rice. and prices 6d per cwt, lower. Run very dull. For Palm Oil lower prices have been taken. Tallow dull ; Petersburg, Y.C., in small parcels, at 58s to 598 per cwt. To-DAY we had more business doing in Sugar, especially in foreign kinds for export, the transactions, including Saturday's sales, comprising 90 hhds. 200 brls. Demerara at 35s to 365, and at 39s 6d to 42s for grainy ; 800 mats Mauritius at 36s 6d ; 550 bags grainy Bengal at 39s to 40s ; 500 bags Dates, price not reported ; 275 bags Madras, all faults, at 30s to 308 6d ; 110 hhds. Porto Rico at 35s 6d ; 850 boxes Havannah chiefly at 24s to 25s 6d ; and 4,100 bags Brazil from 20s to 21s per cwt in bond. Nothing has transpired in Molasses, Rum, or Coffee. 50 bags Guayaquil Cocoa are reported at 47s per cwt. There has not been much passing in Tea, but a plenti ful assortment of all kinds is upon show ; common ALLEGED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE. The Paris correspondent of the Post writes --" There are two false statements which have gone the round of the conti nental press. It has been stated. that the governments of France and England are not agreed on the questions to be mooted at the congress. Such is not the case. If there be any difference whatever between the two cabinets, it is simply reduced to this : the Emperor's advisers were addressed in the first instance by Austria, and the ultimatum came through Paris. Her Majesty's government then agreed with that of the Emperor on what terms the interests of Europe could be secured against the designs of Russia. Hitherto the action of the allies—that is, France and England—has been perfectly unanimous • and if the envoys exercise the same union and decision which has hitherto characterized the proceedings of their respective governments, there can be no doubt as to re sults. I beg to draw your attention to this assertion, because the enemies of the Anglo-French alliance are singularly active just now in• promulgating mysterious assertions." [BY ELECTRIC tt INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPHS.I LONDON, Monday Night. DEATH OF THE DUKE OF NORFOLK. The Duke of Norfolk died this morning at Arundel Castle. By his death a Knighthood of the Garter becomes vacant. SERIOUS ILLNESS OF MR. SERGEANT WILKINS. Sergeant Wilkins was seized with illness in the Court of Common Pleas to-day, and was removed to his chambers. His state is reported as serious, spasmodic affection of the chest being the cause of illness. - THE NEW LOAN. The new loan is to be for the sum of £3,000,000. For every £lOO subscribed in money the contractor is to receive 3 per cent. consolidated annuities ; and the biddings to be made in such annuities. Interest to commence on the sth of January. The loan will be made in five instalments. The instalments are payable as follows : February 26th, Deposit of 20 per cent. March 13th, Payment of 25 „ „ 29th, /7 25 13 April 10th, 15 24th, 15 The funding of Exchequer bills will amount to £3,000,000 sterling. Several questions were asked, in reply - to which the Chancellor said that the preference would be given to one bidding for each operation ; for every hundred pounds of Exchequer bills, £lOO ss. stock will be given • the amount of Exchequer bills at present out is £23,000,000 sterling. No discount will be made for payments in advance. After some discussion the meeting separated. THE BALTIC FLEET. APPOINTMENTS. Rear-Admiral Richard Daridas, to be Commander-in-Chief of the Baltic Fleet. Captain thetlion. Frederick Pelham, to be Captain of the Fleet in the Bak. Rear-Admiral Baynes to hoist his flag on service in the Baltic. Rear-Admiral Sir M. Seymour to be Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies. LOSS OF THE POLYPHEMUS STEAM FRIGATE. The Admiralty has received the following from H.M. Con sul-general at Hamburg : " I have great satisfaction in reporting that the Quarter master, Samuel Fletcher, and 15 seamen of the late Polyphe mus ship, who were in the two boats, have been saved by a Danish vessel, and have just arrived from Hgerting. They will go in charge of the chief engineer, Mr. Wood, with the other men, to London." The Danish government have issued instructions to their postmasters to confiscate all letters not registered. The amount asked by the Danish government to capitalise the sound dues is 63,000,000 dollars. HOUSE OF LORDS. MONDAY. The Committee of Privileges sat to-day at 2 o'clock in the case of the Wensleydale peerage. Further evidence was handed in respecting old life patents. Lord LYNDHURST inquired whether the Lord Chancellor required any further searches. The LORD CHANCELLOR replied that no objection would be raised by him with regard to the searches, but he begged to state that he had on that morning received a letter from the Deputy-Keeper of the Rolls in Ireland, stating that there had been granted in that country a later peerage for life than any that had been laid before their lordships, and he might, of course, require the production of that patent. Lord LYNDHURST gave notice that at the next committee he would move a resolution to the effect that, having con sidered the patent conferring a peerage for life on Sir James Parke, the committee were of opinion that such patent did not entitle the grantee to sit or vote in parliament. The committee was adjourned till 5 o'clock on Friday, and their lordships having resumed, the sitting of the house was suspended till five o'clock. The house resumed at five o'clock. On the motion of Lord REDESDALB, a resolution was passed that no private bills be read a second time after the Bth of July. The EARL of ALBEMARLE presented a petition from the native and British merchants of Singapore, praying for protec tion against piracy in the Indian seas. The Vice-President of the Committee on Education Bill, the House of Commons Offices Bill, and the Metropolitan Police Bill passed through Committee. The house adjourned at 5.60 p.m. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY. The house met at four o'clock. Mr. Black took the oaths and his seat for Edinburgh. Mr. GIBSON gave notice that, on Friday next, he should move a committee of the whole house, to obtain leave to bring in a bill to repeal the Oath of Abjuration. In reply to Mr. LusurNaToN, Mr. LOWE said a bill would shortly be brought into the House of Lords to establish a system of Agricultural Statistics. Mr. PEEL, in answer to Mr. LAYARD, stated that General Simpson had not recommended any list of officers for pro motion for distinguished services in the attack on the Redan ; and that the brevet rank granted for that service had been selected by the Commander-in-Chief from the list sent home by General Simpson, of officers who had been returned by the staff as having been engaged in that attack. COURT OF CHANCERY (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion for the second reading of the Court of Chancery (Ireland) Bill, which proposes to abolish the Encum bered Estates Court, and transfer its jurisdiction to the Courts of Chancery, Mr. SEYMOUR FITZGERALD, in a long speech, moved that the bill be read a second time this day six months, strongly objecting to any attempt to place, at one stroke, no fewer than 6,000 families in the Court of Chancery against their will. Mr. POLLARD URQUIIART seconded the amendment. Mr. DEASY supported the bill. Mr. McCANN expressed his intention to vote for the amendment. Mr. ELLICE hoped the house would watch the progress of this measure with jealousy. Mr. WHITESIDE declared that it was impracticable for the Court of Chancery, either reformed or unreformed, to fulfil the duties imposed upon it by this bill, and he further op posed it as a gross job. Mr. SERJEANT O'BRIEN was decidedly in favour of the bill, because the Court of Chancery could give a parliamentary title to unencumbered as well as encumbered estates. Mr. GEORGE spoke in favour of the Encumbered Estates Court being continued until it had disposed of the business and petitions now before it, and of all new petitions after July next being addressed to the Court of Chancery, but he suggested that all the bills before the house relating to this subject should be referred to a select committee. Colonel DONNE opposed the bill. Mr. BLAND approved of the bill. Mr. FERENciI had not heard any reason sufficiently strong to induce him to vote against the second reading. Mr. M`MAnoN opposed the measure. Mr. MALINS approved of portions of the bill, but dis approved of other parts of it. He urged that the bill before the house and the bill introduced by Mr. Whiteside should be referred to a select committee. Otherwise he would vote against the second reading. Mr. H. HERBERT supported the second reading. • Mr. CAIRNS, as one of the persons on whose report the bill was founded, defended their recommendation, and would therefore vote for its second reading, because it proposed to carry out those recommendations. There were, however, some of the details of the bill which were at variance with the report ; and he trusted that, after the second reading, they would be referred to a select committee. Mr. G. BUTT objected to the bill, and particularly to the provision which empowered the Lord-Lieutenant to appoint the chief clerks. He trusted the bill would be referred to a select committee. Sir E. PERRY expressed his determination to support the bill. Mr. KENNEDY supported the proposition to send the several bills connected with the subject to a select committee, other wise he must vote against a second reading. Mr. P. O'BRIEN supported the second reading, and depre cated sending the bill to a select committee. Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD supported the bill, and defended the provision vesting the appointment of the chief clerks in the power of thi Lord-Lieutenant. He agreed to refer the bill to a select committee, but objected to the other bills being also sent to that committee. Mr. NAPIER could not support the second reading. After a few words from Mr. Bunnx, Mr. pintail urged upon the Solicitor-General for Ireland the propriety of rgreeing to the proposition to send the bills to a select com mittee. Mr. SEYMOUR, FITZGERALD having made a few remarks, Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD declined to send the other bills to a select committee. The amendment was withdrawn, and the bill referred to a select committee. The Drairaze Advances Act Amendment Bill, the Turn pike Trusts Bills, and Common Enclosure Bill, was read the second time. Report on supply received. Charitable Uses Bill passed through committee. On the motion of Sir G. GREY, a select committed was ap pointed to enquire in the present constitution of the Ecclesi astical Commission for England. Into the operation of the• . acts referring to it, and into the expediency of continuing the act for the Improvement of Episcopal and Capitular Estates in England, and of Consolidating the Church Building Com— mission with the Ecclesiastical Commission. Select com mittees were appointed on the Formation of Parishes Bill, and, the Public Prosecutors' Bill. The house adjourned at 12.30 a.m. THE FUND, STOCK, AND SHARE MARKET. . _ From the confident statements circulated this morning, that the loan would not be one-half of the amount previously anticipated, English Funds opened per cent. higher, but were subsequently disturbed by a pressure of money sales. At 10 46, however, the terms of the loan were announced, and Consols rapidly rose per cent.. touching 91k, but from the suddenness of the advance the highest price was not sup ported. The bidding for the loan takes place on Friday next, at 10 a.m. Railways have shown increased activity, anltlie principal Stocks a marked advance. Land, Bank, and Foreign Stocks participate in the improvement. CLOSING PRICES. Consols, Account 9l* Bank Stock 212 14 Do. Money 9Ol 1 Exqr. Bills, L. 5.... 2 dis. 2 pm. Three per Cents. FOREIGN STOCKS. 20! !Turkish . 104 6 Do. (new) lOOl f . 92 4 Great West. Canada 25-K 6f . 128 35 Do. (new) RAILWAY SHARES. A mbergate,Nottinghani, London, Brighton, and and E. Junction 44 j South Coast 97 8 Caledonian Do. Preference Eastern Counties .... East Lancashire 7l 3 Lincolnshire 2ll 5 Edinburgh & Glasgow.. 52 4 Midland Stock Great Northern 9lf 2f North British . 29 30 Do. A. 76 7 Do. Preference.. 98 100' Do. B. 123 5 North Staffordshire.... 7 6t Great Western Lanc.and Yorkshire iiili 24 York, Newcastle, and Do. Fifths — Berwick ... 74f 5f Leeds Northern ..... On 'Change, Tallow, 595. 6d. to 655. ; for speculative con tracts, 535. to 545. middle of the year, and 51s. 6d. to 525. at the end of the year. Hemp, £33. Linseed Oil, 335. Gd. to 345. Scotch Pig Iron, 655. 6d. to 665. No particular sales in Colonial produce. Mexicans Russian Do. Canada Land LONDON Com; MARKET.—(From Kingsford and Lay's Cir. cular.)—Supply of English Wheat moderate ; the condition is still bad, yet the whole was cleared out at au improvement of Is. to 2s. upon the prices of this day week. Old Foreign met a much more general, although retail enquiry, at the prices of last week, or about 2s. advance. But the demand was limited to finest sorts. Barley, Beans, and Hog Peas, bring last week's prices, but White Peas, 2s. cheaper. A fair demand for Oats, at an advance of 6d. per qr. In Flour little doing ; last week's rates are barely supported. ARRIVALS. English. Irish. Scotch. Foreiza. Wheat 5167 23157 Barley Malt 10957 57 50 Oats ISSO 5210 228 4265 Beans Peas — Flour 250 sks. & 25179 brls. METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET.—The supply of Beasts and Sheep being small, trade is better. Calves in demand. — Beef, 2s 8d to 4s 8d ; Mutton, 3s 8d to 5s ; Veal, 5s to 6s ; Pork, 4s to ss. Beasts, 3,985 ; Sheep and Lambs, 19,670; Calves, 33 ; Pigs, 205. Arrivals :—Holland Beasts, 285 ; Sheep, 50 ; Calves, 11; Spanish Beasts, 315 ; Scotch Beasts, 451; Norfolk and Suffolk Beasts, 2,000; Cambridge, Leices ter, Lincoln, and Northampton Beasts, 100 ; Irish Beasts, 200. LONDON PRODUCE MARKET.—Sugar dull at previous rates. Coffee sells slowly, but is not cheaper. Rice : Several sales. and full terms. Cotton wanted and scarce. Rum active. COLONIAL WooL SALES.—SaIes improving : Prices 2d. to 3d. above last series. GLASGOW PIG IRON MARKET.—Business has not been brisk to-day, and prices continue to have a drooping tendency. Some sales were made this forenoon at 665. for Mixed Num bers, although, at the close, rather a better feeling was mani fested. No. 1., G. M. 8., is quoted at 675. 6d. MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE.—Eastern Counties, 10; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 81i 821 ; Midland, 80k ; Dovers, 19i 7-16 I. LEEDS STOCK EXCHANGE.—North Eastern, Leeds, 15 1-16 ; Ditto, No. 1,3 i pm. ; Ditto, Berwick, £lB 18s. 6d. ' • Mid land, 691 701 ; Eastern Union, 8., n ; Lancashire and York shire, 82 ; Dovers, 19g. BETTING AT TATTERSALL'S—Tms DAT. LIVERPOOL STEEPLE CHASE.— 8 to 1 agst Sir Peter Laurie; tk ; 9 to 1 agst Emigrant, tk ; 25 to 1 agst Jemmy the Black, tk ; 100 to 1 agst Minerva, tk ; 25 to 1 agst Jean du Quesne, tk ; 20 to 1 agst Seaman, tk ; 30 to 1 agst Potter, tk 25 to 1 agst Free-trader, tk. GREAT METROPOLITAN.-15 to 1 agst Phyrra, tk. GREAT NORTHERN.-7 to 1 agst Fandango, tk. LIVERPOOL SPRING Cm-9 to 1 agst Glimkel, tk; 9 to 1 agst Omar Pasha, tk. Two THOUSAND GUINEAS.-10 to 3 agst Yellow Jack, tk; 7 to 2 agst Fly-by-Night, had the call. CHESTER Cur.-500 to 15 ngst Courtenay, tk ; 15 to 1 agst Yellow Jack, tk ; 1,000 to 15 agst Cockatoo, tk. DEBBY.-7 to 1 agst Wentworth ; 10 to 1 agst Fly-by- Night ; 8 to 1 agst Eglington, tk ; 16 to 1 agst Rogerthorpe, tk ; 100 to 10 agst Barbarian Colt, tk. MANCHESTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.—A few days before the departure of Lord Clarendon for Paris, the direc tors of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce sent a memo rial to his lordship, in which they referred to the gross and culpable neglect of the interests of commerce at the Vienna conference of 1815, and expressed a hope that during the coming negotiations at Paris advantage would be taken by his lordship of any opportunity that might arise to increase the number of outlets for British commerce, and promote its interests in any other way. A reply , promising most careful consideration to the suggestion, has been received. PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS IN THE LIVERPOOL CIISTOMS.—Mr. James Griffin has been promoted from the second to the first-class of lockers ; Mr. James M. Hume from the third to the second-class ; Mr. Robert J. Russell from second-class weigher to be third-class locker ; Mr. Stephen Corcoran, from the third-class to the second-class of weighers ; Mr. Henry Wright from the inspectorship of patrol to be tide surveyor; and Mr. David M'Clure, tide-surveyor at Passage, Waterford, to be tide-surveyor at this port. Mr. Henry Sathest has been promoted from boatman of the first-class to be tide-surveyor at Milford ; and Mr. John Gilliland, extra clerk, to be third clerk at Londonderry. Asse.uvr.—Yesterday, James Quin, or James De Quin, who has opened an establishment in York-chambers, North John street, in which he professes to carry on business as a general merchant and commission agent, was charged before Mr. Mansfield with assaulting David Rose, a young man in the employment of Mr. Clegg, a tradesman of this town, from whom Quinn had obtained goods to the value of £5, but which Mr. Clegg was unable to obtain payment of. From the evi dence, it appeared that the lad had been sent repeatedly for payment of the account, but had been unable to obtain it. On Friday last, when at the office of Quinn's, the latter assaulted him, and struck him severely. The assault was clearly proved, and Quinn, who declared the whole was a conspiracy to ruin him, was rdered to pay a fine of 10s. and costs, or to be kilt prisoned one month. FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Sunday week John Hardie, a joiner . lodging with hisbrother-in-law in Victoria-street, Ever Eon, in, passing along Boundary-place, slipped on a piece of orange peel, and fell backward, striking the back of his head against the projecting curb, and %staining a severe injury of the upper part of the vertebrae. He was found in a state of in sensibility, and removed first to the Bridewell and then to the Workhouse, where he recovered sufficiently to state who he was, and where he lodged. He was then suffering from paralysis. He was taken home, and surgical attendance was called in, but he continued to grow worse, and died on Friday morning. LIVEUPOOL CUSTOM-110IISE.—Appended to the estimates of the revenue departments for the financial year ending the 31st March, 1857, is an explanatory paper, setting forth in detail the salaries and allowances of the officers of Customs of the port of Liverpool, the pay of extra and glut officers, and incidental charges. The total amount required is estimatedat £115,610, being an advance of £3,322 on the cost of the esta blishment for the year now drawing to a close. One of the principal items in this addition is an increase of £6OO in the salary of the collector, which is fixed for the ensuing year at £l,BOO. The addition of six clerks in the Long Room raises the estimated cost of that department from £5,605, the amount voted last year, to £6,615. This part of the establishment has been subjected to revision, partly to provide for the in creased business, and partly for the collection of the light dues, a duty which has been transferred to this department. The light dues will now be collected at an expense of about £650 per annum, whereas until recently the charge was £3,600; the difference will consequently go to the public ac count, and more than balance the increased charge for extra clerks' salaries in this department. In the warehousing department, also, the estimates indicate considerable altera tions. The salaries of the comptroller and assistant-comp troller of accounts receive each an advance of £2O per an num ; and there are to be two additional principal clerks, while the number of subordinate clerks is increased f rom fifty to fifty-seven. The estimate for this department, there fore, is £9,350, being an advance of £375 upon the vote of last year. In the water-guard department there is an addition of £5O per annum to the salary of the chief inspector of the river, now raised to £3BO ; and two additional tide-sur veyors of the fourth class increase the cost of that branch of the service from £4,355, the amount voted last year, to £4,595. In the incidental charges, a saving of £3OO in the pay of extra, officers and clerks, of £lOO in travelling charges and sub sistence allowances, of £7O in boats' stores and repirs, and of £460 in tradesm en ' s bills is anticipated ;. b ut provision is made for an increase of £487 for rent and repairs of buildings, of £4O for fuel and gas, of £lO for postage, and of £2lO for miscel laneous expences, including carriage of parcels. In those servicebtriaonchweisuofbtehewadein either the number or salaries of the which we have not mentioned no alter s officials.n The establishme n t for the ensuing year, therefore, will comprise the collector, £1800; the comptroller, £700; 36 Long Room clerks, at salaries from £7O to £500: the comp.. troller of accounts in the Warehousing Department, £460; the assistant -comptroller, £360 ; 60 clerks, at salaries from £75 to £300; the inspector-general of the Out-door Department, £600; , 9 landing-surveyors, at from £4OO to £500; 85 searchers and landing-waiters, at from £l5O to £350; the inspector of gaugers, £4OO ; 2 assistant-inspectors, £350 each ; 12 gaugers, at from £125 to £3 00 ; 2 timber-measurers, at £l5O to £l2O respectively ; '7 messengers, at £6O each ; 24 superintendent lockers and re-dipping officers, at from £lO7 to £127 • 140 1 lockers, at from £77 to £9 2 ; 1 0 0 weighers, at from £4,3 'to £5B, with ls. per day extra when employed; 2 inspectors- of the river, at £3BO and £3OO respectively ; 29 tide-surveyors, at from £l2O to £200; 28 inspectors of patrol, at from £9O to £lOO ; 240 tide-waiters and patrol, at from £43 to £7O, with ls. per day extra when employed ; 65 boatmen, at from £3B to £4B, with is. per day extra when employed; the coast officer and landing-waiter at Runcorn, £100; tide-waiter and boat. man at Runcorn, 01; and the coast officer at Oarston, --"k ,id ite air -- In nted Dwer -- the ae , is of ig of nits& see ,3o7, he 2d03 1 9 trties eY, had ef that n for )00l ? d be it to Dmis; ld tile resik whije street' ijurie ° ly to. flg e fot rr abe t hip viDgg , ee neo, n Ole •ey , iv draW . ort1)1 91 r I F il I I i