The Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-01 00:00:00

COUNTY RIFLE ASSOCIATION. A public meeting was held on Friday, in the Preston Exchangt f , ° for the purpose of forming a rifle association for the county. of I.,anpaster for pilrilose:isinifiar to those of the National itifie Association. The Earl of Sefton, lord.lientenant of the county, presided, and the following other noblemen and gentlemen were also am angst those present :—The Right Hon. Lord Stanley, M.P.; Lord Harrington, M.P. ; Lord Grey De Wilton, Sir Elkanah Armitage, Sir Thomas Trafford, .Major Blundell, Gen. Sir James Scarlett, Major trey; Sir Thomas Heslreth i Mr. Garnett; the high sheriff for the eotioty his Wnr nbip the May of iverpool,, S, I praes, ; the Mayor. of Manchester, . the :Mayo.B of ,Prest(nr,....Colonel Adam ,Gladstone, Mr: Woods, Mi.. Mr. Pettey, Capt. Mlccy. m: Pending; Mr. J. LOnlat *c:; 4c. THe briefly opened the proceedings by eitpressitig 'his hearty concurrence in the volunteer movement, his opinion that a county rifle association for Lancashire would be productive of very beneficial results in inducing and encouraging the practice of rifle shoot ing, and his determination, if such an association were formed, to do the utmost In his potter to make it as effective as possila, Lord liartington then moiled a resoliition to the effect that an association be formed, to he called the County of Lancaster Rifle Association," having for its object the encouragement of Voldnteer rifle corps, and the prpmqtion of rifle shooting throtigholit the eounti. The noble lord, aftr erifVrcing thehatiorial irliPoitatice of the volunteer piovetneht, appealed to the friends and supporters of that movement not to relax in their efforts, and cautioned them that the greatest risk of danger in that, as in all other undertakings, was when the first novelty began to wear away. Colonel Wilson Patten, M.P., seconded the resolution, and it was unanimously agreed to.. Mr. Garnett, the high shctiit, nett mooed a resolu tion to the effect that the Lord-Lieutenant shorild be president of the association; whiCh sholild Consist of 10 patrons, whose subscriptions should be optional; 511 presidents, with power to add to their number, whose subscriptions should be five guineas per annum each ; members to subscribe one guinea per annum each, and ddritts of 21 guineas and upwards would be considered as life members of the association, staid His Worship the Mayor of M anc h es t er briefly seconded the motion, and it was unanimously agreed to. an of His Worship the Mayor of Liverpool, i 9. It. Orraves, tntial EN., then ro os ecte at are r= ed the followin? 2 "- D h a t • g annual meeting of the association fftti attiotig the mem bers of the association, who shall appoint dominittets 'and the officers of the association a sedretaft treastirer, and two auditors, to be annually appeitited), Mid hare the management of the affairs of the association, bile third of whom shall retire annually (in the first and second years by lot), but shall be eligible for re-e l ^^" - - " His Worship said—My _ received the -- a do= nary ailed pelt, . the f the from eace : tb Bur- is no Anged price 65c. b , Attih ~di6c~. as for la of a 1 south d flues aisles ) st, the fig thii hit tidy emain. 4 Mrs. [es i p: jtll ~fii A bilf.: caused irdner, dew= ilding, r pre- More e the The 5 and ierti iii ided•td d Atli ntirely s, whd re was a con- Had it re can e been s fully in the tus, it luting ;ht he ALL- before Police males, sealing emem- Tames, and k at them, d with Mr, appear o does :ecutor )ad. I nslow, rrsonal 1e wad 11, and rere at laimed i. The s, and 'mice. ' could and of isoners 3 size on [tie by r were s took it for o send he fol officer when other nelow, mined• I under watch, e not. ys her L. To i any 'atrick ise on I been home. raise Mr. .fe ? r live y life. !in ? ife?-- as I ;e the id not ning ; trged, tried right Neill, 3vins, 3atty, •t for Eyes, rgicaL and gentlemen, when I ..ammons to attend this meeting, I felt that Loa inhabitants of LiVerpoel took so Jite . ly . aii ititcrest 'eVatt tare of the, Irpltniteers;,, , ,ehtl , o i lo h ti i 7niting the ff O l eg h b d ii i 4o t int i g l' he:e ;e tl t -da g y to ° assist ss is t s in ill p s ro r m ° oting a scheme which, to my mind, has the most important practical bearing, not only on the permanency, but the very existence of the volunteer organisation through out the country. (Hear, hear, and applause.) The volunteer service has not attained its present proportions withotit its Millie hating heed odeasionally Chequered by doubts and fears; espetially in the be inning of its Career : ,It has idiMeil Ptiti6h iiiatlY ilhagEs, ail bfeating p,b143 left abilety bat, on the whole, its .course has Been attended with the most fortuitous circumstances. ' (Hear, hear.) Its very wants were anticipated and remedied before being felt, while the difficulties which beset its path were remeae.d befqr they beeame anstacles and. pew stun t s ..berpre the Countryaaceniea ,by, ; .hei• MaJest as tale of the most grkteftii offerings which a devoted nation could present to its sovereign, encouraged by the goverment, and recognised by the unanimous voice of the people as a most economic but most material element in the defences of England. (Applause.) This is a proud position to have won, and I earnestly hope that the volunteers will remember that on them rests, both individually and col lectively, the responsibility of showing that they ean be not only, g oad salditrt, biit at the smile tithe gdod Citi zens. It is tidt at hdme alone that ,the inibinteers' influence is felt, for our colonies have followed our example, and England now finds that at hethe and abroad the potsesbs large numbers ready and *llllPg ttlagSiSt the regular for ces , s h ou ld Unhappily any emergenc y arise to require that assigtanbe. (Hear, liettil It is no small Pilag .to, be able to sap County which, more than ftnT aher, depends on the manual labour of its popula tion tbi its wealth, that we should embrace within its area one-tenth of the volunteers of the United Kingdom ----that some 14,000 of the employers and employed should have banded themselves together and devoted the few hours which out of the 24 they could call their own, to purposes of drill, without in the slightest degree affecting the labour market or trenching On the industrial resources of the country. (Hear, hear, and applause.) Thus far has the movement gone on unaided by other than private support, and it is pos s ibl e th a t it s popularity andits success may in some degree be owing to its course being left free, and the absence of inflexible rates or Unnecessary control ; but I canadt eoileeal from myself the belief that the timb lids itiiiiTed when the Government and Pie boiirlitY mast come forward, and by assuming Kreate, feenonsibilities assist in the formation o f stoithbilses for drill and the protection of the arms, for traetice rounds, and, by the gratuitous distribution of ammunition, place the volunteers on the same footing as the other services of the country. (Hear, hear, and applause.) Science has placed in the hands of the volunteers one of the most perfect weapons for general use which have been invented; but unless they learn endthe power of this w ea p on the safety of the force will be angered, and their efficiency materially impaired. (Hear, hear.) It is for the purpose of affording facili ties for the use of the rifle we are met to-day, and I doubt not that the association which has just been lauriched under such high auspices will meet with the support of all classes, and that an organisation will be secured which will enable every volunteer to become an experienced marksman, and which will by competition s timulate him to greater exertions. (Cheers.) It is an acknowledged axiom in political economy that the defences of a country should bear a due proportion to its wealth and its trade; and if we regard the value of the association from this point of view, we shall fi n d that we have in this country ititerests to protect which only few kingdotns can boast of. Our enormous popu lation is mainly dependent on our trade, and it is impos bible that that trade can be con d uc t e d w ith p ros p er i ty ti nlbas Vrb tan look on with indifference while surround- In' aborts are embroiling themselves in di ffi culties and ithli gits. We must feel the most perfect security, and this we can only do through possessing a powerful and a united volunteer force. (Cheers.) If, then, we are to maint a i n a local volunteer army at all in keeping with the great interests we have here to protect, we must establish a rifle, association worthy of the great county in which we live. (Cheers.) It is not necessary that I should remind this meeting that much of the success of any institution depends on the practical ability of its executives and I think it is wisely decided, in the resolution which I am requested to move, that the council shall be elected from the whole body of the members of the a ssoc i at i on, an d th us , by giving the , widest field for selection, ensure the election of the best men who can be found amongst its members. (Loud applause.) The Right Hon. Lord Stanley next rose to address the meeting. He said the Lord-Lieutenant had called upon him to propose to them a resolution in the purport of which he was certain the meeting would unanimously concur. It was a resolution which he should have no difficulty in recommending to their favourable notice, bat ; t .rap one which he confessed he felt some difficulty in attempting to support by any argument or by any reasoning which was not already as familiar to the minds nf those whom be addressed as they were to his own. was to the following effect :—" That the annual acting of the association shall be held not later than too last - w ee k in September, successively, in different parts of the county, at which numerous prizes of mode- Irate value shall be given for the best artillery, rifle, and carbine Practice, to be competed for by volunteers, militia, yeomen of the county, and members of the association." There were some things, continued the noble lord, which at a meeting like that might fairly be taken for granted —that they were all agreed that the volunteer move ment deserved pu blic support ; that it h a d a power f u l influence upon the politics of Europe, and that it was desirable to make it one of the permanent institutions of the country. They must all be aware that in 1803, the second year of the present century, a volunteer force existed in England numerically more powerful than that of the present day, although the population was only one-half what it was now ; and yet that volunteer force passed away, leaving hardly a trace behind it, as B ° ol a as the danger of an invasion had died away. Remembering that, he thought they would have no difficulty in coming to a conclusion that if a character of permanence was to be given to the present volunteer movem ent , it was not merely a matt er of convenience, but a matter of absolutely necessity, that something in the nature of a regular organisation sho u ld be given to it. (Cheers.) He quite agreed that the time of difficulty and danger to the promoters of this m ovemen t—the time when risk of failure was greatest— was when the first novelty of the undertaking had Passed away, when European politics had settled down, and when other and narrower subjects, perhaps of domestic and international interest, were occupying the Public mind. They wanted, therefore, a regular organisa tion; and the object of that organisation ought to be net merely to induce men to connect themselves with the volunteer movement, not merely to induce them to join this or that particular corps, but to induce them to do what was much more—to give to themselves those other qualities without which no volunteer corps, and indeed no rifle corps of any kind, was available for mili tary purposes —the . quality of the discipline in the corps collectively, and with individual skill and marksman ship in the members of that corps. (Hear, hear.) This could only be acquired—especially skill in shooting could only be acquired—by a training which would be laborious but for the interest that was taken in it. That quality was the present want of the voluntee r movement, and he was prepared to contend that the ass oc i a tion which they were then forming supplied that Want. It indirectly aimed at the promotion of discip line by holding out certain privileges and advantages to those who were inclined to join the volunteer corps al preference to competing separately on their own account, and directly it gave encouragement to marks- Xnanship and skill in shooting with the rifle by applying that which was found to be the most powerful stimulus ui all affairs of life, the stimulus of competition, of pub licity, and of honourable distinction. (Hear, hear, and applause.) So much as to the general purposes which the association had in view ; and he did not think he should be doing injustice to the many gentlemen who had interested themselves in its promotion iPhe specially named as: two of those Mr. Blundell and Mr. Adam Gladstone. (Hear, and applause.) Amongst the ques tions which the promoters had had to consider were What should be the area over which the association should extend, what should be the times and places of meeting, who should be admitted to compete for the Prizes, and what the nature of those prizes should be; and the noble lord urged that the area should include but not extend beyond the whole of the county, for there would be inconvenience and disadvantage in making an association of that description territorially either too large or too small: if they made it too' large, their prizes served only as an encouragement to a few of the first-rate shots of " All England; " and nothing could be more clear than that if the association were to exist for purposes of practical utility, and not mere display-, their object should be not to be able to show half a dozen of the best shots in Epgland— whether they did that or pp would be mere accident —but to be able to show the highest average of good . . shots ettericling . over the largest number of competitors. On the other hand, if the nrea was too small, the honours it would Confer would not be looked upon with Sufficient iniportaine. As td the tine, he thonght Sep temher4ould be mdst fivoiiralile, but experience would be the best guide, and he thought it would lie better not to tie themselves down too strictly, and that the best!in terests of the association would be consulted by holding the meetings in different parts of the county each year. His lordship thought; too, it would be a pod thing for the volunteers themselves if, whilst some prizes were reSerted eidiusiVely tn. them, .others, whether giYeri bjr the association or. by indit?iduals, should be open to ontsidersi bOatise i it,Wonld l good the. nicqbeis pc,* corps ; to . 9 5qi 9 ped.,tii ! stick g o j tibetitiOn. ; ,Xfter expreising bf the iir , tneiple of giving it number or small prizes rather than a few large ones; the noble lord concluded by saying for himself, as he was sure he might also say for his friends on the plat form, that their object in coining together was not to impose their own ideas or wishes upon the meeting, but to elicit the opinions of others, and they would, there fore§ be glad to hear any suggestions which gentlemen Wight thkoit , The lidn. 41gefriOit E . geftdii seconded tiie which was carried by aCeldination. The ndlile, ChaintiMi Lead. the folldwinm letter frOni the Right Tioriciiirable the Earl of tletbli 44 • • • Unable to attend the nieetins!--: +0 THE ESRL OF SOTON, ETO. • ,KnoWsley; Dec. 26, 1860. My DEAR SErrox,—l am very glad to letirri that you are to preside on Friday at a meeting at Preston for th e formation Of a County Rifl7 Association. Such an institution (if I may use • the term) appears to me exactly what is required to give at thismoinent a character of permanence and cory,istency to the great national movement which his reflected such credit on the public spirit of the country. I have hitherto kept aloof from every proposal of the kind, because I found, in all that had been presented to me, the prevalence of local influences anti local jealotisies ; but, if you will alto* me to say so, foil have tal6n Your ptoPer place" as lotd-lieuteitant of the,colinly, Fitting yourself at the head Of it hiciO nteit Whith I hoperilay tend td edilsdlidatE and Unite the niluriteek ayktem, Which hits already provided, in thiS One County, a larger force than that Antall has just enforced terms of peace upon the capital of the Chinese empire; and you may depend on my co-opera tion in carrying out the object whicii you have in vier/. As my attendance at the meeting is impossible, I hope you will excuse me if I offer to you a few rem arks,as to what I con• ceive should be the obj -ets chiefly aimed aL We have had abundant evidence this yeat di the feadinesS of those who are not in a pidsiViin tti give their personal ser 4 d€6 to aid theMOVettlent by pectiniamo,ntriliAttidnib and_espeOidity by Oirering fob pioliciency in rifle ghcio4ng; and this has even been carried to an eitent ',Oak pioriiineneelleinTgli . Zn to tiflej4r7i7r. miteh fis " 27- I : 4 gf r ri z ir We ifinst ndt forget that the nationtm object is ' tile formation ' Of rifle ;Cof-jr.o; and ,not, of rifle qub.v; and this ,distinction ought, riot to,. be lost sight of in Ipying the rules for a Czity „The first , praclacal step must 1)1 provide t e "AiriervS of war„" not for .a temporary, lint stir ti birritarient dbjett; ;With trig 4 - ieri - I P'imild suggest that tihateVrt eontl "talons are filmic should be either in annual subscriptionS, or, if •• At 14 ,en in a lump sum, that sum to be invested 1,1 the names of trustees, and the annual interest alone to be expended. Now, as to the application of any funds which may be raised, the .amount of which need not be very large ' provided they are certain; I. think they Should be limitcd to two objec,s---Ist, the providifi an adequate nuttibet of r an g es fa r practice at long di.stantes;ato atterithodatts the Yarioirs districts of this lArge,cothity ; cird, 2n ; the ektablishmefit ul Pertain jitiT.pd tc! tie annually fib(' Subject to alteretions from time to time by a e immittee, the anpointment of which, after the principles are settled, should be the very first step. It is needless to say that this should be a working committee, composed of men willing to give to it their time and attention, and impartial y selected from all parts of the county. As to the rifle ranges, they ought to be a charge on the per manent funds of the association. I believe there is only one dt present, at ilightown, which is more especially available for Liverpool and its neighbourhood. but which is at present held dii thfi responSibility and at the It of Mr. Adam Gladstone dr/dottier pritate indificltials. I think at least two other ran es ought to be f6tind; anti leaded yy the tift..dciation—otte for t e north, and one fOr the Manch6ster diYiSidn of the t;dunty.d ground should be adopted bY the a isoci , tion which dcies no give at least a 900 yardi range. .I shorild think ground ttiight be found towards the easteni range of hills,, nearer the Manehester and Leeds or the Manchester and - Stiefil*l lilies, Which 'Would be vesy . sqitaArle for MilnelyAter•an4 its ririglibourhd-id., lii my oprnioh, these grduridg; *heti taken. should be free for the prattichdf tiny coins front any part of the county, but not for 1 individual members of such corps, except on payment of such fees as may be fixed by tie committee. Spectators coming on to the ground should also be charged a moderate payment, which will naturally diminish the cost to the association. Every county ground will require a permanent staff attached to it, of three or four men, to attend to each target. The association should have nothing to do with minor local ranges, the provision of which should be left, as at present, to the .was respective stoprizes. corp s. zes. I would limit them to money or to pieces df plate ; grid I Wottld absolutely otellide every thing in the Shape of medals, to be letlin—lihich; if allowed, Woirld havd A. tendency rather, to cast. ridieuje than distinction, on the Wearers. Thesprinei .should bp fixed, and announced by the committee at the commencement o,; each Jeer. T per amount must,..of.cmuse, .depend on tlie.funds at their disposal; but I should lay grPat stress on the eonditiOn that the prizes titen by the AssooiatiOn Should be competed for only by Weathers of some accepted rifle corps, or of the Queen's regular service. I would not disc enrage the offering of prizes for shooting, by individuals, on other conditions ; but I would Make them subject to the sanction of the committee, and espe cially if intended to be shot for on days assigned to the associ ation's prizes. The practice grounds should be open, on days not required for the regular volunteer set vice, on moderate terms, but not gratuitously, to parties desirous of making use of them for shooting matches between individuals, or even clubs; but no assistance in the wr.y of prizes should be given to these latter. I have thus hastily embodied what appear to me to be consi derations applicable to the objects of your meeting, of which I will thank you to express my hearty approval. I entrust my letter to Stanley., *ho *ill attend, and yr it may make any use of it you think am, dear Sefton, ydurs sincerely, ToEttutc. Lord Grey de I t filtoti f Mr. Blundell, Captain Brooks, Major Grey, Colonel Adam. Gladstone, Sir Titdmas Hesketh, .and Sir James Scarlett, a l so briefly. addressed the meeting in support of formal resolutions, and expressed their warmest approval both of the volunteer movement itself and also of the formation of a county association, the proceedings terminating with a cordial vote of thanks to the noble chairman for presiding. LIVERPOOL POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY. (Before Mr. RAFFLES.) THE POOR-BOX. His Worship acknowledged the receipt of £5 for the poor-box, from Messrs. Allen, Brothers, & Co. HOW MARY CLARKE FINISHED HER ENJOYMENT. Mr. Tooke, of Faulkner-square, whose place of busi ness is in Church-street, charged his servant, Mary Clarke for being drunk and disorderly, and in his house making use of bad language, and insulting sortie friends that he had in his house. I , h c doniplainant said the prisoner Was ih his service for some five weeks, and he had no particular fault to find with her until Sunday evening, when he found she was drunk, and he dis covered that she had drunk a flask of brandy and nearly hal , a one of Hollands. She became very drunk of course, and got most outrageous, used very bad lan guage, and insulted his friends grossly. She would not go to bed, but acted in the most disgraceful manner. He offered to send her in a cab to any friend's house that she had, but she refused, and at last he was obliged to call an officer and give her into custody. At the station he offered to forgive her if she went away, but she would not, so he was obliged to give her into ctts tody. Mr. Raffles : Had you a character with her ? Witness I had two characters with her, one was a good one, but the gentleman with whom she lived with last gave her a bad character, but I did not see him until a day or two ago, and he (witness) intended to discharge her. The prisoner, in reply to his worship, said she was ill, and she took some brandy to cure her, and it had an effect on her, (the effect was visible enough at the mo ment). Mr. Raffles ordered her to be remanded, and inquiry made about her. She was subsequently dis charged at the request of Mr. Tooke, he paying her her wages. A TIPPERARY MAN AND HIS PISTOL. A comical looking fellow named Michael Cahill, was brought up by police-offieer 365, on the following ohargo. The officer said, last night, about 12, I saw the prisoner in the street rolling about drunk. I asked him where he lived ? and he replied, what's that to you, Mr. " Indigo ?" I told him be must go home, or if he did not, I must take him into custody. Oh, be easy, Mr. Bluebottle, he replied, because if you lay a hand on me I'll shoot you dead as a red herring. He would not go away, so I took him into custody, when he pulled out this, and swore he would shoot my brains out. Here he produced an instrument made of iron, and shaped like a pistol. It had a touch hole on the top, and was bored like a pistol; but it was just as comical looking a thing, in it's own way, as the owner of it. Inspector Carlisle, after examining this novel looking "shooting iron" with his lynx eyes, laughed rather heartily, and said it was an original matchlock, and if brought here from China it might have passed off as the life protector of Sing-ling-poo, the cousin of the stars ; and probably would command a high figure from some old curiosity shop visitor. Whoever it belonged to it was a decided antique," and ought to find its way to the Tower, to Henry Vll.'s Chapel, or some other place where trophies are wont to rust and rot, and bo admired by any one paying sixpence for looking at such ancient luxuries. Mr. Raffles asked the prisoner where he came from ? and he laughed heartily as he replied, from Tipperary. Mr. Raffles : What are you doing here ? Begar, I can't say exactly—knocking about seeking adventures. • Mr Raffles : (to the governor of the bridewell) Is this man known here ? Mr. Burton : He was here nine months ago for being drunk. Prisoner : Well, your worship, a that's long fast, and these are festive times you know. .Mr. Raffles fined him 55. for being drunk. The prisoner gave a hearty laugh, and declared it was a good joke as he was removed from the dock. ARMY IN CHINA, CHESTER SESSIONS..--.The general quarter sessions of the peace for the city and borough of Chester were held yesterday in the Town Hall, Watergate-street, before the recorder, William Newland Welsby, Esq. The business was of no public Interest. CHRISTMAS TREAT TO EmeLoyEts.---Yesterday even.. ing, Messrs. G. Forrest and Co., of the Veuxhall-road Foundry, gave a splendid dinner to upwards of fifty of their principal employees, at Mr. Child's "Harrington Restaurant," Harrington-street. The dinner was served up in a style that aot only pleased every one, but was in accordance with Mr. Child's well-known ability as a caterer, which has alsilys given such general satisfac tion. All the viands that the season abounds in were on the table in perfection, and the praise bestowed on the "provider," was only equalled by the justice done to all the good things which he had provided. The usual loyal and patriotic toasts were proposed and responded to, and the health of Messrs. Forrest was given and received with rapturous applause. Some good speeches and excellent songs diversified the evening's enjoyment, and all passed off with the harmony an d good will that should ever constitute an agreeable even ing of this sort. THE GREAT BARON OF BEEF AT MORRlSH'S.—Yes terday, according fo usual custom, a great baron of beef was dressed at Morrisles, Tithcbarn-street. In our account of the Christmas markets, we noticed this mon strous large joint, which .weighed .nearly 400 lbs., and which was cut from one of the prize oxen reared by the Earl of Galloway, and slaughtered by Mr. Thomas Lowtbian, the "Bing of John's Market." The joint, if it m i g ht be so called, answered all the expectations formed about it; and the compliments passed by nearly one thousand gentlemen who dined off it yesterday, to the worthy caterer (Mr. Morrish) fully bore out the brightest anti cipations. The most refined epicure could not find fault with it—it was done to a turn—was delicious in flavour and tender as a chicken. More need not be said, except that it disappeared very soon, and emery one expressed a wish to see its like again at th 4 famous Merchaute Dining Rooms, Tithebarn-street.. THE PROCEEDINGS OP' TIIE MOUSE. A letter, ftitten "Before Pekin/ f on Cictoter 17, gives flie follo*ing, interesting,dgeonnt ot the looting of the kmperor's Stinirlier Palace: it will be observed that the writer entirely confirms the accuracy of the statements that the French had secured and appropriated the principal part of the spoil before the arrival of the British troops ott the spot t Y 6,11 havehetird, I suppose, low the Emperor's Sum lialage has lined Iddted;" to use a fiord Which the Indian mutiny has domesticated to out` military parlance. Our allies decidedly got to windward of us on this occa sion, and the amount of plunder which they secured is only equalled by the amount of valuable property which they destroyed. When I reached the palace, which is fire or sip miles from here, on the morning of the Bth, nearly, 41 the portable talnables were gone, but enough of a, larger description remained to show what must hoe been the niagni#cence of those now :deso late halls. fie . Efiglish officers Weie alloied to visit it,_l3Ut the Praia being eikdriiped cnt the spa, Loth Officers and men were theie in ntimbeis, - and the deg truetien of fiirnitiire ' mirrors, clocks; and .articles of Zcrldi by tht French soldiery Was something almost , painful to behold. My time vas so litnited, and the crash and din so bewildering, that I feel utterly =equal to describing this palace, or rather succession of palaces, with its noble park full of artificial lakes and mounds and fairy-like summer=houses, with its marble halls and, terrabeS niagnAdent even In thlr inini its gorgeous furniture elaborate eakVings, do4arehtitise9 of silks and embroideries which not even an army was able to empty. The sight was a practical translation of " Yee Mils," and was enough to make every Englishman pray that night that we might never have an invader in Loiteldih Prike agents 'ere afitioinied to get idgethef as Math piojie4 as they could tdi ihe tiene6_4_tiie titAish , r e er ~give , a a arpc es rought 1740' iitodid tie jianded They /it a valUe on eacharticle„ al *hid' dthi'at might redeem if he ,chose, or else leave it to be sold for th e I ? ene4t of Ow safe took place on the 11th aild 1"th; iihen a perfect nignia of ,cowpotition seemed to have seized on all ranks, the piliees realised were almost fabulous. The commonest orna- ment for a table or mantelpiece fetched from $3O to $5O, anything valuable or handsome much more, and the silks, put up in lots of a dozen rolls at $5O a lot, generally brought in $BO or $9O. 1h tad atnettuttealised by the sale is upwards of £B,OOO, which, added id 16 e6/3 and. silver bullion found in the palace, makes a prize fund of aboatal,ooo; to be divided : ---two-thirds among the non-commissioned officers and men who were in the field on the 6th inst., and one-third among the officers ; Generals Grant, Michel, and Napier generously resigning their claims to participation in it. A visit to the French camp shows clearly that our allies rilade the itiost of their opportunity. Ask the first few mut yott meet Whether they hate anything to sell, and the Chanees ate that one Will produce a watth set with lirilliarits; dUother a siring of pearls; d third a lump of silver, and a foiirth a ilandtiii of tifrikeis j. at least, this was the case some days ago ; now much Of the plunder has been exchanged for English dollars, and the rapidly increasing prices have made the fortunate possessors coy. The number of watches is immense. I believe every French soldier has got one, and I know of one man who brought away 92. The Emperor had a decided taste for clocks and watches. In every room of the palace were some handsome ormolu clocks by London and trench makers, and some of the watches I have seen aniorig the Ffeneli ate of stiperior Workmanship and elaborate and Costly The same writer, in another letter, dated the 23rd, thus alludes to the " scene" at the sacking of the Palace:— We passed the road, scaled the deep bank, and came to a halt, and, in consequence of the firing, we went no further. The French, who were on our left, passed behind our rear, and proceeded to the palace,• where also our cavalry, who were asking the French where we had gone to, likewise went. The French made a hand some thing out of that same palace, and we have not done so badly either, as a quantity of gold and silver was found there. Almost all the officers went there, and brought something away, which was sold by auc tion, and retailed very high prides. The Commander in-Chief and the two Generals of Division relinquished their share, aid were voted some article or articles about to be sold, as also a large' pair of vases of old enamel, which the army presented to Lord Elgin for the Queen. The bronzes, the enamels, and the jadestoue and other carvings were beautiful in the extreme. It was estimated that property to the amount of a million and a half was in the place, and could have been realised if there had been time. As it was, I never saw such a scene of ruin and wanton destruction—clocks of most marvellous con struction all smashed to atoms; plate-glass mirrors of immense size, magnificent carvings, all served the sante. In one instance I saw a good lump of a bronze joss sent at a fifty-guinea mirror and irretrievably ruin it, while again a demented Frenchman would run a muok with a stick among the glass bobs and pendents of the chandeliers. The grounds of the palace ate of great extent, and are studded with innumerable small houses, with, as in the generality of Chinese houses, three rooms and one or two inner courts, also with three rooms at the end opposite the entrance, and generally a one or three roomed building on each of the sides. Of a palace, properly so called, you saw little or nothing. There was a fine throne-room, and two or three suites of apartments near the entrance gates of larger dimen sions, but still in the prevailing fashion of con struction. These were, of course, more profusely decorated than the rest. In the course of three or four hours' cursory - view but little could be seen or understood of the place. There were large ware houses full of rich silks, satins, embroideries. You may form some idea of the value attached to a five-guinea silk robe when the French soldiers were pounding away with them at the tag-rag of Pekin, who were looting away to their heart's content. Many of the most suc cessful looters contented themselves with waylaying the Chinese and taking anything they took a fancy to. Silk robes were sold next day for half a dolloar to a dollar, the latter being the prevailing price. Now they are quoted at from $1 to $lO, and few sellers. Watches and Sycee gold ornaments have also been plentiful. Two English carriages and the harness complete were there, and any amount of watches, the chief maker being Ilben. These were doubtless presents from Lord Macartney or Lord Amherst, Ahother correspondent, writing from the camp on the 2oth, thus described the ceremony at the signing of the English Treaty, and the appear ance and treatment by Lord Elgin of Prince Kung Our destination was a common looking building, like a large shed, entirely open at one side, near but not within the precincts of the palace, and to which a look of temporary grandeur, evidently foreign to it, had been imparted by red cloth and carpets. Down the sides of the room were chairs and tables covered with red cloth — for the English on the right as you entered, and for the Chinese on the left; and at the head of the room sat Kung at a small table, a corresponding place being set for Lord Elgin. Kung is the Emperor's brother, and has a high reputation among his countrymen, many of whom would be glad to see their present imbecile ruler deposed and Kung reigning in his stead. He is a surly, dissi pated-looking young man, and the whole proceeding seemed sadly against his grain, as he regarded neither the barbarians nor the treaty with a favourable eye, and his restless demeanour formed a striking contrast to the dignified bearing of the British Envoy. The attendant Mandarins were plainly and uniformly dressed in dark purple silk robes, with a square of embroidery on the chest and back, and the only difference in the Prince's apparel was that he wore several round instead oftivo square pieces of embroidery, and a velvet instead of a cloth hat. He rose and advanced to meet Lord Elgin, who, after an interchange of bows, took his seat with Sir Hope Grant on his left, and the business of the day began. This was soon over, being'simply a matter of sealing and signing, and at its conclusion Lord Elgin and Kung rose, more bowing ensued, and we sallied forth into the dust once more. Tea was handed round during the ceremony, and a collation of some kind was said to be prepared, which Lord Elgin declined on account of the lateness of the hour. Before the assembly broke up, Signor Beato suc ceeded in taking a photograph of the scene, the Manda rins h aving been requested to remain steady for the pur pose, a request with which they willingly complied. I hear that the French treaty is to be signed in like man ner to-day. THE DAILY TIMES, TUESDAY, JANUARY I, 1861. there signed by the respective plenipotentiaries, who have affixed thereto the seal of their arms. Baron GROS. Prince KUNG. THE PRiZE MONEY AT Paxnc.--The prize money taken in the Emperor's Summer Palace, situated some miles out of Pekin, atnounts (for the troops engaged Prete) , to tame .E28',0130, and it made up by a stun of £l4,oeio itt *be sitter, Which the French bonded over (in accordance' Well the' feting of the treaty) as the British share of what f 1 ay had found in the Imperial treasury; and by one of SINCi f fettiNed by the sale by avctiori Ili the camp of, artictes Which English officers fidd laded; and' Which Sir Hope Grant made therm give up, declaring oh, their Word's of honour that they had done so ; the articles broitht tato prices, and, as Sir Hope Grant and his two Generals 6f DiVision, Napier and Michel, gave up their shares, it alto Wed for the army the following scale First-class geld , ofteers, A6O; second-class field-officers, £5O; captains, 40 lieutenarris; A:3o'; ensigns, £2O; sergeants, &c., £7 10s.; privates, £5." The priie money would have been very considerable had the French lid had possession of the palace for two days prior to our troops &ming tip to it. The French, it is supposed, had some pritirte' infor.; illation. General Montauban is said to have realised £50,000 as his personal share.—London and China Telegraph. MUSICAL, DRAMATIC, LITERARY, AND ARTISTIC NEWS AND GOSSIP. Mr: Anthony TroflopV 1 vtrititig d dory for the Lazdait Aftittb: l• Preparations are tieirtz mat' for " the Atrittf ger Majesty'i Theatre. A doiropondent states that the sisietir liftlehisio are *VA fur /be RoYdt Italian Opera in Londe.. The Debats diitiot'enos the' death from apoplexy of M. de Saint-Ange, one of its ififters, At the Italian Opera in J3erliti, leadifig artistes are said .to be natives of every country save ftgly. Thoi libiiry of the late Karl Ritter, the celelVaied geograpbeit, ?Me 4en sold by his heirs, for a sum of 14,000 thalers, to the adcril_Nelip Weigel, of Leipsic. Dr. Cureton has been enrolled thribpff the Correspond ing Membereof the Historico-PhiloloatutOtass of the A hydrogtaphic survey of the alf of Suez is abaft: to be executed by Capt. Mansell, of her Majesty's ship kiregy. Me;ists. Chttrehlll announce their intention of pub lishing a new selieg df Lankester's " Quarterly Journal of Microseopical Science/ I Messti. Macmillan' have in ?reparation the " Pie ' tures Of OW England," by Dr: Reinhold Pauli j trans lated frOnt the original by Mr: E. C. Otte: .The first ntnnbet t a new an'd cheap paper,. the Niversal Nava, is published tls th'e &tan of din nidre liberal portion of the Roman Catholic contrialnity: Mr. Basil Pickering will publish immediately "The Bee did flie Wasp," a fable in verse, with illustrations designed and sket.!thed by George Cruikshank. Mr. Francis Galton, fief author of the " Art of Travel," is announced as the edit& of ,the forthcoming collection of "Tours on the Continent," bY nilembers of the University of Cambridge. M. Berlioz is said to be engaged in an opera in ene act. We hear nothing, says Galignani, of the "Siege of Troy," by this composer, much and favourably spoken of 011ie time ago. What has become of it ? Mr. tiolYett Chambers has in the press a third and concluding voltimt 6f jib "Poniestie Annals of Scot land," in which he will hiing down his Hlusttations of social and ecclesiastical history Arent 1580 to 174 g. M. Mocquard, private secretary td the Emperot of the French, has given a private reading di Mt new forthcoming novel, called " Jessie." Rumour gives the Revue Enrope'ene the channel through which this work will be made public. The German papers record the death of Herrmann Breitiag i daring twenty years tenor at the opera of Darmstadt. During the last five years of his life he Had foUnd d shelter in the Hospital for Strangers, at Hofheint, where he died; aged 07. A committee, vfith Mr: Dickens as chairman, has been formed for the purpose of raising subscriptions with the view of presenting a substantial testimonial to Mr. Hullah. Among the subscribers are Lord Lansdowne (X 100), Mr. Gladstone (ao), Sir, J. P. Kw) , Shattle worth (£5O), Vice Chancellor Wood (V 0), and Lord Nelson (L 25). Several literary gentlemen have consented to give a series of lectures in aid of the new Post-office Library and Litetary Institution, Manchester ; the first lecture, CoMiiiene s ing on the 4th January, by Mr. Anthony Trol lope, " O'n tilt; Oitil Service as a Profession." Mr. Hughes (author of "Teat Brown's School Days") and Mr. G. H. Lewes, with others, likevrise promised their assistance. The Royal Dublin Society has determined to hold ttti "Exhibition of the Fine and Ornamental Arts" during May and the three following months of 1861. The object is to collect the chefs d'aeiccre of painting and sculpture, and to exhibit them with drawings, engrav ings, photographs, medals, objects of vertu, elaborately wrought plate, works in precious stones and metals, in porcelain, silk, velvet, lace, tapestry, and works in which art forms a material element. The guarantee fund, fixed at £5,000, has already grown to upwards of £9,000. Among the recent additions to the National Portrait Gallery ate the following:--A full-length portrait of Alexander Pope, seated in an and chair, with a lady in the background reaching down a boot from the' shelf. Sir Christopher Wren, painted by Sir Godfrey Knellyr, and dated 1711. Another is an oval portrait of the great John Locke, by Brownover. "My Lord of Dor chester" and his lady, better known by the earlier titles of Sir Dudley and Lady Carleton, by Cornelius Janssen ; and an exceedingly delicate mittiatrare of Queen Eliza beth, aged 38, by N. Hilliard. THE PARIS DRAMA.—The writer of the extraorifinery novel of " Fanny," which has occasioned so much con troversy in Parisian society, is said to be engaged upon a comedy for the Francais, under the title of " L'Argent," not, we trust, a translation or imitation of Sir B. Lytton's comedy, "Money." M. Ponsard has also written a comedy in five acts for the Francais. Its title is " Pre cepte et Example." M. AmOdee Rolland has also a comedy ready for the theatre, but not yet presented ; it has not yet been baptised. A comedy, entitled " Les Capitulations de Conscience," by M. E. Capetidu, men tioned some months ago, has been received at the Od6on, but with a change of name. It is now called " Les Fr el ons."—Galignan PAYMENT OF OPERA SINGEnS i a-Some differences are spoken of between Mme. Penco and the director of the Italian Opera, Paris. The lady, whose salary is at present 10,000 f. per month, amounting to 70,000 f. for the season, demands, it is said, an augmentation of 20,000 f. Ninety thousand :francs is a large estimate, many will think, for seven months' service. But the general kale of salaries tp Italian singers is extrava gantly high. Mine. Alboni receives for the season 72,000 f., and M. Mario 15,000 f. per month. The wonder is that, while singers insist upon such rates of payment, the Italian' opera, can be kept open at all. The system must eventually, however, work its own cure. These overpaid ladies and gentlemen should take a hint from the fate of their royal countryman, now at Gaeta. Had Francis 11. listened to the advice of his real friends, he would not have been where he now is, and revolutions may reach opera houses as well as thrones. The Paris correspondent of the Weekly Register asserts that since the return of the Empress Eugenie, the Emperor has declined to allow her to attend any meetings of the Council of Ministers, as formerly. The writer says that the Empress has presented Cardinal Morlot, her confessor, with 100,000 f., as an offering to the Pape. HIGHLAND RESIDENCE FOR THE PRINCE OF WALES. —Her Majesty, it is said, will purchase the Highland property of Glengarry, as a Highland residence for his Royal highness the Prince of Wales. The estate belongs to the Right lion. E. Ellice, M.P.—Observer. , NEW POST-OFFICE FOR Dtirionn.—The tender of Messrs. George liaggart and William Robertson, builders, • Dundee, for the erection of the new post-office has been accepted. It amounts to £3,665. The parliamentary grant was £4,800, of which £575 has been paid for the stance, and the balance will be expended in furnish ing, &c. TILE PRIVATE BUSINESS OF THE ENSUING SESSION OF PARLIAMENT.—On Saturday, the official list of petitions for private bills for the session, 1861, deposited on or before the 23rd December, 1860, was made up ; there is only a unit under 400 petitions, and many of them are for improvements in towns and the metropolis, but the majority are in connection with railways. THE COLLIERY EXPLOION AT HErroN.—the whole of the bodies in the pit have now been recovered. With regard to the relatives of the unfortunate sufferers, it is stated that the Hetton Coal Company have resolved to pay a fixed sum per week to the widows and families who have been deprived of their breadwinners. A com mittee has likewise been organised in the district for the purpose of collecting subscriptions. HOLLOWAY'S OINTMENT.—Blotches, pimples, dry eruptions, and all irritations of skin, soon pass away before the action of this extraordinary Ointment, which produces its effects with a rapidity and certainty never experienced in the case of any other medicine in the world. Many of the ordinary eruptions are caused by suppressed perspiration, and as this penetrating unguent at once opens the pores and invigorates the absorbents, it disperses the inflammation by a double process. Any lady who is disfigured by cutaneous diseases may quickly remove the blemishes and restore the skin to its natural state. It requires no skill to use it right, and all that is required is that its hould be well rubbed into the parts affected. INFANT-REAnisn.—Miss Martineau, who, like all philoso phical ladies, has studied the matter thoroughly, says, that " in England alone, 40,000 babes die annually ; and cne-third more of that number grow up either idiotic, sickly, or de formed." The reasonis'evident, as mothers, through inability to nurse their offspring, resort to the administration of baked flour, biscuits, tops-and-bottoms,or pap. The infant stomach, cannot assimilate such crude preparations, and frequently rejects them; but still the nurse or mother continues them, under the hope of soothing the child. Internal inflammation place—eructations, diarrhoea, and consumption appear—and most frequently convulsions are induced which seal the infant's fate. The Medical Times and Gazette, August 28, 1838, p. 215, conveys Dr. C. B. F. Routh's views on the same im portant subject, and his opinion of Du Barry's ReValenta Arabica Food, as adapted to obviate the mischief effectually. Dr. Routh is physician to the Samaritan Hospital for Women and Children. This learned and experienced practitioner says : .“The human milk contains, besides salts of lime, chloride of potassium. Now, in common with carbonic acid, this salt enjoys the peculiar property of dissolving carbonate of lime or chalk. An absence of it in the food, as in wheat 'isead, Is very injurious to a growing child; hence, a child fej. on p.tp for a time grows fat, but the bones are soft ; frequently it sickens, and severe symptoms supervene. Amongst the vege table substances, that which comes closest to mi k in its com position, besides being more easily assimilated and strengthen ing, is, without doubt, Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica Food. containing both phosphoric acid in abundance, and chloride of potassium; it also includes caseine, the same principle which is found in milk in its constituent parts. No wonder, theie fore, that under its influence many children affected with atrophy (wasting away of the body) and marked debility have completely recovered. I have given it with the greatest advantage in such cases; and, so far as I may judge from my own experience, practice fully carries out what theory, from a knowledge of its composition, led us to anticipate. It gives good,musele and strengthens the bones, restoring tone, and a healthy, regular action to the stomach and bowels, whether constipation or a relaxed state of the system is complained of." C. B. F. ROUTH, M.D.—Packed in tins, with full instructions : 11b., 2s. 9d.; 2 lb., 4s. 6d. ; 51b., lls. ' • 121 b., 225.; 241 b., free of carriage, 40s. Barry du Barry and Co., 77, Regent-street; also Fortnum, Mason and Co., Piccadilly; Abbiss, 60, Grace church-street, London ; and through all grocers and chemists. Agents in this district :—Nixon and Thew, I, Castle-street; T Low; J. Kirkus ; Forsyth; F. G. Jones, 5, Paradise-street; It. Sumner and Co. ; H. S. Alpass; E. Pearson and Son ; J. Oliver; W. Cross ; Sharp, Higgins, and Co. ; Clay and Abra ham, 37, Bold-street; Evans, Sons, and Co., wholesale agents; John Beynon ; Thompson and Capper; J. Strawson, druggist; G. Bramwell and Son; C. Bromlow, 1, London-road ; Isaac Woodville, tea dealer; Raimes and Co., wholesale druggists; F. Staveley, druggist, Price-street ; T. D. Walker, Ranelagh street ; J. 11. Howell, 72, Dale-street; Hingston, druggist, Bold-street ; Henry Middleton; Gilbert Brothers; J. Cruice ; Grace and Kelk; 0. Barber, 21, Great George•street, Birken head ; T. Fore, druggist ; B. J. Candler ; J. Dutton ; J. E. Hargraves ; Sanders and Co.; C. Jones; J. Green ; J. Lloyd, 69, Islington; J. C. Wales, 7, St. Anne-street; Thomson and Capper, 43, Bold-street ; J. Hamilton, 49, Mill-street ; R. oulds Pitt-street. THE ANTING GATE OF PEKIN. The following is a description of the gate of Pekin occupied by the allies : The word " gate" conveys but a faint idea of the com plicated structure which bears that name. As you approach the heavy massive wall, 40 feet high, and, as will afterwards appear, 55 feet thick at the top, passing by a bridge of stone over a ditch which may once have been wet, but now is dry, you come to what I can best term a "semicircular bastion," having at what, if it were built according to our ideas, would be its salient angle a huge square tower of several stories, pierced with four rows of loopholes, one over the other, and twelve in each row, and surmounted by that peculiar pagoda-like roof with which the willow-pattern plate bad made us all familiar. Leaving this on your right, and keeping along the semi circular excrescence till it joins the maieivall of the city, you come to an archway which is gate No. 1. Having got into the courtyard inside this said semicircle you find another archway in the city wall, facing the aforesaid tower, and this is gate No. 2, surmounted by a tower similar to that already described, but apparently intended more for ornament than use, not being furnished with loopholes, and having a balcony round it at about half its height from the ground. From this balcony, reached by means of an antiquated wooden staircase of question able solidity, I received my first, and as yet my only, 'View of Pekin, for ingress beyond the immediate gate is positively forbidden. Facing you as you look towards the city, a broad street runs north and south, and at right angles to it similar streets along the foot of the walls, At the junction of these streets hefore the gate etas an enormous doted of Wo'nderstineft infinfritnnts, gating with open eyes `and mouth's at the EuioPean sehliery in the gate, as the Trojans may haie galed on the Wooden horse when it had &And their impregnable wall's. To keep back this curiosity-stricken mdb "NS a task of some difficulty to the sentries, and so far from fearing rtg were they, that several adventurous spirits brought with them supplies of fowls, fruits, and sweatnicats, with which they dro+e a good trade with the soldiers on guard. The shops in this part of the train street, as far as 1 could see, seemed to be small and insignificant, as Were also the houses on which we looked down from the wall, and f was struck with the absence of all large buildings, or even of the pagodas of which I fancied the city had been full. In this respect, I am told, the Tartar portion of the city, on which I was then looking down, is far inferior td the Chinese, or southern half, the inhabitants of which Would gladly Trade opened their gates to us long ago; and attnally made ha'ndsortie o#ers of supplies in case we took AP 6nr 4'uarterS in their city: I its not at a sufficient eletation to' see the Walt separating the Tartar from the Chinese eity / could efearlysee the whole egtent of the northern and part 6f the ea's'tern and western walls, each about four miles long, and tell protided With gates similar to' that on `which I was standing. THE FRENCH TREATY WITH CHINA. The Mdtdatkplittlislies th l e, French treaty with China, and a desp'aidi ilainiT 0.01, contain = ing an account of the s i gna t ure o f ilie which resembles, in most of its features, the cere mony which took place when the English con tention was signed. The following is the Treaty ofPtdOe.eonqltaed at Pekin on the 26th October, ( AnAtot of the French and I&60 . , between die the Ertiperor of China ••• •I , . •• Ijis Maiesh* the Etnitieroi of the French and his Mayesfy tiio dhiaa, wishing to ptit an end to the differenee whiCh iias tithed Vet*eea the two empires, and to re-establish and secure foi ever the tlelatiOni of 130.ce and friendship which existed between: them, and which regrettable events haie interrupted, have named for their iCifieetive represeptatives the fol lowing personages :—The Emperor ot‘ the Pre*, lean Baptiste Louis, Baron Gros, Senator of the Empire, Ambassador and High Commissioner of France in China, Grand Officer of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour, Knight Grand Cross of several Orders, ftc., and his Majesty the Emperor of China, Prince Zing:, Itienther of the Imperial Family, and High Commissioner : Who, after having exchanged their full to*efs,tottnd good and in due form, have agreed to the following articles : Art. 1. His Majesty the Emperor of China has seen with pain the conduct practised by the Chinese military authorities at the mouth of the river Tien-tsin, iu the mouth of June last year, at the moment when the Mi nisters Plenipotentiary of France and England there presented themseiVes, on their way to Pekin, in order to proceed VI the eidhartge of the atitidatiorts of the trea. ties of Tien-tsin: Art. 2. When the Ambassador ligh CoVimissiotef of the Emperor of the French shall be in Pekin, to probeed to the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty of Tien tsin, he shall be treated during his stay in the capital with the honours due to his rank, and all possible faci lities shall be afforded him by the Chinese authorities, that he may fulfil without obstacles the high mission confided to him. Art. 3. The treaty signed at Tien-tsin on the 27th June, 108, shall he faithfully etecuted in all its clauses immediately after the exchange cif the ratifications spoken of in the preceding article, subject, it is sell understood, to the modifications which may be made therein by the present convention. Art. 4. The fourth article of the treaty of Tien-tsin, by which the Emperor of China engaged to pay the French Government an indemnity of 2,000,000 taels, is annulled, and is replaced by the present article, which raises to the stun of 8,000,000 taels the amount of the indemnity. It is agreed that the sums already paid by the custom house of Canton, on ac count of the 2,000,000 taels stipulated by the treaty of Tien-tsin, shall be considered as having been paid in advance and on account of the 8,000,000 taels referred to in this article. The stipul aticins made in Art. 4 of the treaty of Tientsin, on the mode of paying the 2,000,000 tacls, are annulled. The amoddt of the sum which remains to be paid by the Chinese Government, on account of the 8,000,000 taels stipulated by the presedt convention, shall be provided for by setting apart the fifth of the gross revenues of the custom-house of the ports opened to foreign commerce, and the payments shall be made at intervals of three months, commencing on the 31st December. This sum, specially reserved for the indemnity due to France, shall be paid to the Minister of France or his delegates in Mexican piastres, or in Sycee silver, calculated at the rate of exchange on the day of payment. A sum of 500,000 taels shall, however, be paid on account beforehand, in one sum, and at Tien-tsin, an the 30th November next, or earlier if the Chinese Government think proper. A mixed commission, appointed by the Minister of France and the Chinese authorities, shall determine the regula tions to be followed for effecting the payment of the whole indemnity, for verifying its amount, giving a receipt for it, and, in short, for fulfilling all the formalities required in such cases. Art. 5. The sum of 8,000,000 taels is allowed to the French government as an indemnity for the expenditure which the circumstance of taking up arms against China compelled it to incur s as also to compensate the French and the persons under French protection who were de spoiled of their property when the factories at Canton were burnt down, and likewise to indemnify the Roman Catholic missionaries who have suffered in person or property. The French government will divide that sum between the parties interested, whose claims shall have been legally established, and in proportion to the said claims ; and it is agreed between the contracting parties that 1,000,000 taels shall be set apart to indemnify French subjects or persons under the protection of France for the losses they have suffered or the ill treatment they have undergone, and that the remaining 7,000,000 shall be appropriated to meet the expenses occasioned by the war. Art. 6. In conformity with the Imperial edict issued on the 20th March, 1846, by the august Emperor Tae- Nouang, the religious and charitable establishments which were confiscated from the Christians during the persecution of which they have been the victims, shall be restored to their owners by the instrumentality of his Excellency the French Minister in China, to whom the Imperial Government shall cause them to be transferred with the cemeteries and buildings appertaining thereto. Art. 7. The town and port of Tien-tsin, to the province of Petcheli, shall be open to foreign commerce, on the same conditions as the other towns and ports of the empire where that commerce is already permitted ; and that shall take place from the date of the day of the signature of the present convention, which will be obligatory for the two nations without it being necessary to exchange ratifications of it, and which shall have the same force and value as if it was inserted word for word in the treaty of Tien-tsin. The French troops which occupy that town may, after the payment of the 500,000 taels men tioned in Art. 4 of the present convention evacuate it, and go and establish themselves at Taku, and on the northern coast of the Shang-tong, whence they will afterwards retire on the same conditions as will preside over the evacuation of the other points which they occupy on the coast of the empire. The Commanders in-Chief of the French forces shall nevertheless have the right of wintering their troops of all arms at Tien tsin if they think proper, and of not withdrawing them until the moment when the indemnities due by the Chinese government shall have been entirely paid, unless it may suit the Commanders-in-Chief to make them leave before that period. Art. 8. It is also agreed that as soon as the present convention shall have been signed, and as*the rati Aca dons of the , treaty of Tieu-tsin shall have been exchanged, the French forces which now occupy Cbusan shall evacuate that island, that those which are before Pekin shall retire to Tien-tsin, or to Taku, on the north side of the Shang-tong, or into the town of Canton ; and that in all these places, or in each of them, the French Government may, if it thinks right, leave troops up to the moment at which the total sum of 8,000,000 taels shall be entirely paid. Art. 9. It is agreed between the high contracting parties that, as soon as the ratifications of the treaty of Tien-tsin shall have been exchanged, an imperial decree shall order the superior authorities of all the provinces of the empire to permit every Chinaman who may wish to go into countries situated beyond the seas to establish himself or to seek his fortune, to also embark with his family, if he desires, in the French vessels which may be in the ports of the empire opened to foreign com merce. It is further agreed that in the interest of these emigrants, to assure them full liberty of action, and secure their interests, the competent Chinese authori ties, in concert with the minister of France in China, shall adopt such regulations as will give to these en gagements, always voluntary, the guarantees of morality and validity which they ought to possess. Art. 10. It is well understood between the contracting parties that the tonnage dues, which, by mistake, were fixed in the French treaty of Tien-twin at five maces (about fifteen sous each) per ton, on vessels guaging 150 tons and upwards, and which in the treaties signed with England and the United States in 1858, are fixed at four maces only, shall only amount to that same sum of four maces, without having to appeal to the last paragraph of Art. 27 of the treaty of Tien-tsin, which gives France the formal right to claim the treatment of the most favoured nation. The present convention of peace has been made at Pekin, in quadruple, on the 26th of October, 1860, and -NO IRISH PROSPERITY, The iirorther;rt Whig gives some further statis tics of Irish perogphrity While the number of enfigrzats erom Ireland in 1859 was considerable less than in 1868 . , tlid'airionnt expended in Poor-law relief in 1859 was less Ivy .£4 . ,,,2i3,1; than that in the previous year ; the number of persons receiving in-door relief was also less by 23,334, and of those receiving out-door relief less by 426 in 1859 than in IS. Unable property had risen from £12,091,563 in /868; to £12a13,610 in 1859; and the average . poundage had fallen from Sid to Bid. Further, crime had decreased, and education had increased. The at/miler of committals dtrrhig the year /859 was fewer by 443' than in 18'58 ; and there was an addition of 85 to the number of national schools. The amount of land in cultivation was, it is true, less in 1859 than m 1858 by nearly 2'0,000 acres, But they were eiclusivel37 acres devoted to cereal prodricts. On the other hand, the value of sbA had increased near a million in 1:859 over that of 185 q; and Ireland is rather a grazing thaii' a corn-growing country. The facts which we have collected an'd' put together show a decrease of poverty and distress, witl4sQd to by a falling off in the num ber of emigrants, and id' the amount of poor-rates and number of paupers ; art ktrease of the value of property, a decrease of crime, tirld at extension of the means of education, between the' as year of which the returns are before us and its predecessor, W'e do not,, it is true, venture to lay much stress - upon slight flustuations from year to year. National progress or decline mast be judged of by the average of much fonger periods ; but the details which we have adduced are satisfactory, in' so far as they show that the general causes of pfastiglity which have made the Ireland of . 1860, physically and morally, another eonntry than the Ireland of 1830, have not, during the late year, been suhlect to app, even temporary, suspension or disturb ance. We need not at present say more. Figures of them. The eloquence csf faKts dispenses with the neees city of other words than those barely necessary for the statenielit of them. The ship Shalimar lid/ arrived in the river from Aus tralia, with a general cargo'. . - FlRE.—Early yesterday morratigt a fire was discovered at a milk house in Lower Parliament-street. The alarm etas won communicated to Hatton Garden, and the fire brigade Viongbt out. Fortunately, however, the fire Was soon ad/fp/Ist:fed with but trifling damage. A PRETTY LrrrtE ALMANACK has been issued on a taid, ahmit the size of a card used by any shopkeeper, by Mr: roinquinos, lithographer, Cable-street, for the use of hie ctktomets ; and besides being the prettiest thing of the sort halt seen, it is the most useful, and can be carried in any potket;: . and what more necessary than a little companion of tttie sort CORONER'S INQUESTS.—YeSterdaI f tile coroner held the (6116 Wing inquests :—On the body or Mill Maxwell, 50 years of Loge, a tailor who lived in Sir Thomas's buildings. Demand was much given to drink, and on Saturday night he was fey drank. He was found dead in bed on Sunday morning. 'Verdict : Died of excessive drinking.—On the body of Elizabeth plover, who lived at 7 Court, Gascoyne-street. The deceased was seldom sober when she could get drink, and was fourrel dead in the petty on Friday night. She was very drank on Thu'rsday, and it was supposed she died whilst in a state of intokication. Verdict accordingly.—There were four inqUeets bele} oft the bodies of children that were overlain on Saturday mild S'rnday nights. Verdicts as usual. WATER COMMitaii:.-- - Mr. Farnworth presided at the'weekly meeting of this eirtenrittee yesterday; the other members present were Mess's: Carle, Jeffery, Wagstaff, Crellin, Alderman Woodruff; ifire t ßeloe, and Estill. From the engineer's report it appeared !bat the quantity of water received from Rivington during the past week has been 73,470 gallons, and from the wells 21,450 gallons, making a total of 94,926 gallons. The number of gallons used in the same period amounted to 9,M;000' gallons. Mr. Jeffery asked how the arnoWn't conk/possibly have been so large. The engineer replied that a great number of pipes had burst in the last week. ljd Sunday alone there were from 100 to 150 of the leaden pipes hroketr. Mr. Jeffery said that at his establishment they blad not used any of the cor porate water asthe pipes had been frozen, and he bad no doubt that several other places were in the same predicament. He thought it would be - desirable to have a return of the number of burst pipes in the last week. The assistant engineer also submitted the fallowing report I have to report the following matters, for the information of the committee :—Filters: Owing to the severe frost, the Works have been clearing off the sand from those recently cleaned. clearing the channels around the clear water tanks and filters from snow, and sand washing. At Roddlesworth the men have been employed in keeping clear the goit feeder, and clearing away the wreck washed into the top end oithis reserroir during the late floods. Arrangements have been made for breaking up of the ice and passing off the water in case of a thaw; and as yesterday the thaw set in, the engineer went off to Rivington early, and has again gone off this morning, to see that due attention is paid to his instructions, and every precaution taken for the safety of the works. The depths of water below the overflows of the various reservoirs were on Saturday last as under Vet. 29. Dec. 22. Rise. Fall. ft. in. ft. in, ft. in. ft. in. Roddlesworth 4 10 ... 3 7 ..„.,... ... 1 3 Rake Anglezark 2 5 0 la , 2 3,1 Rivington 1 5 ... 1 10 ... 0 5 .., ...,.., tleseot No. 1 Preieot No. 2 The rain ousts show no indication for the past week. On the pipe line nothing has transpired since last report calling for special remark," This was all the general business. Kossuth has addressed a letter to the Daily News, quoting the opinion expressed by Lord Palmerston in 1849, when he said that any government surrendering political refugees was degraded and dishonoured, and a hope is expressed that England will protest at Vienna against Count Teleki's arrest. Tim Astoon.— The St. Petersburg journals state that the commission which was lately sent to examine the gold fields of the province of the Amoor, has ter minated its labours, and reported to the Government that it has discovered two deposits, one of which seems likely to be important. This latter is near Mount Sol kokone, not far from the river Modolakane, one of the tributaries of Amoor. The deposit is at two days' march from the latter river, and, from experiments made, it yields a considerable amount of gold. The grains of gold found are of average size, and appear to be of good quality. It is believed that still farther to the north of the mountain still richer deposits exist, but the com mission did not visit them. The journals add that after 1860 the Russian Government will allow the gold placers of the Amoor to be worked by private persons. A YOUNG LADY DHOWNED WHILE SKATING.—A lamentable accident happened on the ice on Saturday at noon, causing the death of Miss Fanny Wing, daughter of the Rev. William Wing, rector of 6tibbington, near Wansford. The deceased and her sister went to skate on the river Nene, about half-a-mile from their father's house, and near to the Sibson station of the Lcmdeni and North Western railway ; whilst they were enjoying the exhilarating exercise the ice suddenly gave way, and Miss Fanny Wing was instantly plunged in the water. Assistance , was useless, than. haing a strong rurrent at the spot Where the accident occurred, by which the unfortunate young lady was immediately swept away, so that after disappearing beneath the surface she was no more seen. The deceased was about 28 years of age. This sad affair has cast a gloom over the neighbourhood, in which the family is highly esteemed. CHURCH PARTIES.—A correspondent of the Record states that "at the recent ordination at Farnham Castle, the Bishop of Winchester, having expressly framed his examination to meet most pointedly the great questions of the atonement and the sufficiency and inspiration of Holy Scriptures, made also in his charge a most solemn address to all the candidates, first warming them of the evils by which. we are beset, by reading many passages out of the notorious Essays and Reviews, and then faithfully declaring that he would never knowingly ordain any one holding views approaching to those advocated by the writers of that (Neologian) school." On the third Sunday in Advent (says the _Durham Advertiser) an admirable sermon was preached in Durham Cathedral by the Venerable Archdeacon Coxe, of Landisfarne, on the words, " Ever learn ing and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. iii. 7), in the course of which the preacher animadverted in powerful and impressive terms upon some of the religious tendencies of the present day. Towards the close he alluded to the recent volume of " Essays and Reviews." We quote the conclusion pf the sermon :—" In thus . contemplating man's way wardness we have had a gloomy picture before us ; but a shadow of yet deeper intensity, a darkness thick indeed, would be thrown over it, could. I bring before you the extravagant, the appalling length to which infidel speculation has been carried during the current year by ordained members of our own church, the very guides to whom I have just referred. While separate and distinct publications have assailed particular doctrines —vitally essential doctrines—the atonement, the resur rection of the body, the future judgment, and others— it has been the drift and object of a volume of collected essays to obliterate at once and altogether the record on which every Christian hope depends. I may not hesi tate to term that volume the most astounding production that ever proceeded—l will not say from a Christian university, but from any man or men still daring to profess Christ's name ! To prove that the Bible—that all external revelation—is a fiction ; that man can have no knowledge, no strength, no hope, no salvation, but that which his own instinctive internal consciousness can supply (a mere borrowed exhibition of the God within the breast' of the Stoic philosopher)—this is the work which ordained ministers of our church and accredited instructors of our children, the regius professor, the theological lecturer, the college tutor, the head of the popular public school, the parish priest :—the elaborate denial, I say, of the Saviour, who bought theth, of the God whose sworn servants they are—this has been the work which such men have thought compatible with their damning responsibilities and solemnly reiterated vows. Without regret or shame has the volume been put forth; and without rebuke or reprehension—nay, with the seeming en couragement of public approval, of Royal favour, and of official sufferance—it circulates at this hour. Well may . the mass of believers, wonder-stricken and aghast, be inquiring, what after all is the Church's faith ? and where is her corrective discipline? hall we refer them—shall we dare to refer them—to an open Bible, to an Apostolic ministry, to Catholic creeds, to Scriptural articleq, offices, and ordinances ? What ! to a Bible so ruthlessly assailed, so slackly and tamely de fended? To a ministry so. rife with rebel treason, unre buked, encouraged ? To creeds and formularies so dis honestly accepted, so contemptuously cast away ? For b v e u r t y , s i h f a t m's b e e fe e s akeblel T C O O i Li n e l d I of n a o k n e e n ul o a s n u e c h o ul reference dreacb n o a s n v d ; influence his brethren and fellow-labourers, the pulpits of England should know no other topic till this degrad ing scandal were removed. This very day we are bid ding men 'so to account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.' [See Epistle for Third Sunday in Advent.] And such, no doubt, according to the purpose and ordinance of our master, Christ—such we ever should be. But then, 'it is required 41 stewards that a man be found faitaful." LATEST NEWS. BRITISH AND IRISH MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.) FRANCE. A MELODRAMATIC POLITICAL DEMONSTRATION. The production of a melodrama at Paris, en titled the " Massacres of Syria,' from the pen of Mocquard, is regarded as a political event. The Emperor vent almost in state to witness the first representation of his private secretary's performance. He sat most conspicuously in front with Marshal Randon and other officers of high rank, and immediately behind him it was noticed that his box was ornamented with flags and war like symbols. The great moral of the piece is that the Eastern question is ripe for settlement, and that it can only be settled by the word of Napoleon 111. The Opinion Nationale considers it as the knell which has sounded in the affrighted cars of Europe the last hour of Osmanlis. The Paris correspondent of the Daily News says the performance was meant to be, and has pro duced, the effect of a political demonstration. Funds fell on Saturday in consequence. THE FRENCH-FUNDS. PARIS, Dec. 31, 3.30 p.m. The Bourse has been dull. Rentes closed at 67f. 55c., or 10c. lower than on Saturday. PRUSSIA. The King of Prussia was so ill on Christmas Day that he was for some time given up. Intelligence has reached Berlin of the loss, on the coast of Japan, of the frigate Frauenlob, Asia. ITALY. TURIN, DM. 31. A Council of Ministers will be held this morn ing, after which the King will receive the different bodies of State. NAPLES AND GAETA. NAPLES, DCC. 30. Every province is ordered to take such mea sures as to be prepared to mobilise one battalion of the National Guard. Naples will organise several battalions. The French fleet is still at Gaeta. SIEGE OF GAETA. PARIS, Dec. 31. The report that some Governments have recently taken collective steps at Paris, in refer ence to the question of Gaeta, is without any foundation. GERMANY. Count Rechberg has issued a circular calling the attention of the German Government to a recent decree of the Governor of Ancona, in which Trieste is spoken of as an Italian city, though belonging to the German Confede ration, and he considers the incident both a symptom and a warning as to the pretensions of the Italian revolution. CHINA. FOREIGN OFFICE TELEGRAM. LONDON, Dee. 30. A telegram, dated St. Petersburg, this after noon, has been received from Sir John Crampton, stating that intelligence had been received by the Russian Government from Pekin up to the 18th November, confirming previous accounts, but giving no new details. The status quo, which was considered to be satisfactory, had not been modified up to that day. WARLIKE MOVEMENTS OF RUSSIA. Rumours from St. Petersburg state that an army of 150,000 men is to be concentrated in Russian Poland. THE AUSTRIAN PRESS AND THE CES SION OF VENETIA. The press of Vienna is altogether adverse to giving up Venetia, except by force of arms. SARDINIA. The authorities at Pola refused to allow a Sar dinian frigate to enter that port during a storm, and the ship is supposed to have gone down with all hands. Count Cavour has inveighed against this con duct in a ministerial circular. RISING AGAINST THE TURKS. TRIESTE, Dec. 31. It is reported here, on the authority of private letters from Mostar, that the inhabitants of Piva, Droppeg, and I3angano, have revolted against the Turks, and declared their intention of placing themselves under the government of Montenegro. Sultorino, Spizza, and Kick are being fortified, in order to prevent the landing of any Garibaldians. Russia has made a complaint in Paris on account of the revolutionary agitation in the Principalities. Prince Couza has offered to Austria certain guarantees in reference to the Hungarian refu gees. THE ARREST OF COUNT TELEKI. DRESDEN, Dec. 31. The official Dresden Journal contains an article on the extradition of Count Ladislau Teleki, which it endeavours to justify by existing trea ties. The same article energetically refutes the insinuations of the English press on this subject, and states that the particulars published by the Calayne Gazette, of the arrest of Count Teleki, are entirely unfounded. AUSTRIAN FINANCE. VIENNA, Dec. 31. The Ureditanstalt has given notice that it will pay the five per cent. interest on the 2nd of January next. This notice has had no effect on the money market. THE BANK OF ENGLAND. LONDON, Dec. 31. The Bank of England has raised the rate of discount to 6 per cent. THE WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 31. The Royal Mail Company's steamer Seine, Captain Revett, with the above mails, has arrived here. She brings 79 passengers, and specie value 51,987,315, of which about $320,889 is gold bullion, 568,288 gold coin, 51,032,759 silver bullion, 5560,439 silver coin, and 511,687 pearls. Her cargo consists of cochineal, indigo, cocoa, sarsaparilla, bark, cigars, and sundries. The dates by this mail arc—Vera Cruz 2nd December, Havannah 7th, Santa Martha 3rd, Carthagena sth, Jamaica 10th, Porto Rico 14th, Demarara Bth, Tobago Bth, Trinidad 9th, Barbadoes 11th, St. Vincent, Antigua, 12th ; St. Thomas, 15th. The last intelligence from Lima states that another attempt had been made on the life of President Castilla, on the 23rd November. The attempt was frustrated. Advices from Ecuador arc to the 29th ultimo. Political news is unimportant. Business was very brisk. Exchange 18 per cent. premium. Freights scarce. The civil war in new Grenada still rages. Pas sage into the interior was impossible. H.M.S. Cadmus was at Santa Martha to protect British interests. No French or American war vessels on the station. News from Chili is to the 18th. The dreaded invasion of the Duraca Indians appeared to have been partially prevented by the energetic mea sures of the Government. Fears were, however, still entertained. Business in Valparaiso continued very dull. Import stock generally heavy, and little doing in exports. Exchange on London , s ixt y days' sight, 431 ; Paris, sixty to ninety days, 4f. 50c.; freight for England, per ton, £2 15s. News from the West India Islands is unimpor tant. Sixteen more convicts had escaped from Cayenne, making thirty-nine which had escaped within the past two months. The weather had been very wet. Frequent thunderstorms had taken place, and several persons were killed by lightning. Several vessels had arrived prior to the departure of the mail. At Trinidad the weather continued favourable; reports of the crops satisfactory. At Barbadoes : Exchange on London, bank bills at thirty days, $490 ; sixty days, $4871; ninety days, $485. At Jamaica the weather was fine, but sickness, colds, fever, and dysentery prevailed to a formida ble extent. The Cortlaras Mercantile Intelligeneer says a steady business has been done in our market during the last fortnight, and prices have been generally maintained for American stuff's. Coffee J _~-~' _~!~! ‘ 3 and pimento had declined, and sugar remained at last quotations. Exchange on London : Jamaica and Colonial, 90 days, 1 per cent. premium ; 60 days, 1 per cent. premium; and 30 days, 2 per cent. premium. THE PENINSULAR MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 31. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Tagus, with the above mails, kas arrived. She brings 12 passengers, £3,430 in specie, £270 in precious stones, and a general cargo. The Tagus experienced stormy westerly gales, heavy sea, and incessant rain throughout the voyage. She brings the crew of the Cygnet, of Glasgow, which was lost at sea on the 11th of December, 400 miles northward of the 'Western Islands. At Lisbon H.M.S. Centurion and several other vessels, lying in the Tagus, received considerable damage during the heavy gale on the 27th of December, by running foul of each other. At Lisbon, on the 27th of December, Exchange on London was quoted at 51Z-; on Paris, 5 27; Amsterdam, 42i ; Hamburg, 48; Genoa, 5 26; Three per Cent. Rentes, 471 ; ditto Deferred, 371 ; Coupons, 461 ; Bank of Lisbon, 562 milreis ; the the Commercial Bank of Operto, 260 milreis; the Mercantile Bank of Oporto, 260 milreis. THE BRAZIL MAIL LISBON, Dec. 30. The Magdalena, with the above mail, arrived here this morning, en route for Southampton. She brings advices from Rio Janeiro to the Bth instant. Exchange on London was quoted 27. Total exports of coffee since the departure of the last mail 291,775 bags, of which 29,700 bags of good firsts, 5,500 reiw. Freights to hagiand, 50s. to 00s.—Bahia exchange on London was quoted 261 ; price of cotton, 7,800 reis.—Pernam buco exchange on London was quoted 263 ; price of sugar, 4,850 reis. THE CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 31. The Pacific and Oriental Company's steamer Ceylon, with the heavy portion of the above mails, has arrived. She brings 62 passengers, precious stones to the value of 12,500 rupees, a cargo of general merchandise, and 1,670 bales of raw silk,. value of £160,000 sterling. The Ceylon sailed from , Alexandria on the 18th, Malta on the 22nd, and• Gibraltar on the 27th inst. The Margarida, fromi Mazagan, which put into Gibraltar last week, reported dreadful weather on the Barbary Coast. A disease similar to the oidium had attacked the olive-trees in some parts of Andalusia, destroying great quantities of fruit. lonian vessels will bo admitted into the ports of Spain and the adjacent islands, from the Ist of January next, on payment of similar port and navigation dues. Gibraltar Exchanges were quct on London, 90 days, 591 ; Paris, sf. 30c. ; Marseilles, sf. 31c. ; Genoa: sf. 30c. ; Madrid, 18 days' sight, par. Freights remained without change. The following appeared in our later editions: of yesterday : THE BRITISH ARMY IN CHINA. The following troops are to remain for the present at. Ticn-tsin :-31st, 60th, and 67th Regts., Fane's Horse,, two batteries, two companies of engineers, military train,. and hospital corps. At Taku, a wing of one of Tien-tsinL regiments and half a battery of artillery. At Shanghai,. a native regiment and Pennycuiek's battery. At Hong Kong., 44th Regt. and one battery. At Canton, 99th ltegt. and Twiss battery. THE PRIZE MONEY AT PEKIN. Sir Hope Grant and his two generals of divisions, Napier and Michel, having given up their share of prize money, the division will take place on the following scale :—Field officers, £6O and £5O ; chaplains, £4O ; lieutenants, £3O ; ensigns, £2O; sergeants, &c., £7 10s. ; privates, £5. The prize money would have been very considerable had the French not had possession of the palace for two days prior to our troops coming itp to it.. General Montauban is said to have realised £50,q00. e his personal share. Lieut.-General Rainey, Colonel of 23rd Welsh Fusi liers, has died at Brighton. A drill shed for the Ist Middlesex Engineers has been erected at a cost of £B2. Length, 90 feet; breadth, 40 feet; height, 25 feet. It is expected that the Emperor of the French may announce on the Ist of January that a treaty of commerce has been concluded with Prussia and Belgium. A circular from Earl de Groy and Ripon explains- to. volunteer corps the legitimate mode by which the right: of wearing embroidered moss-muskets on the sleeve is , acquired. The owners of the Saxouia, mail steamer, have paid; the expense of sending the mails and passengers from( Cowes to Hamburg, in order to convey a cargo of American hops to London without delay. The royal mail ship America arrived at Queenstown at 10.45 p.m. on Sunday, embarked mails, and proceeded for Halifax and Boston at 10.55 p.m. All well. She experienced very heavy weather on her passage from Liverpool. The Paris correspondent of the Times says that strong remonstrances have been made, both to the Austrian and Saxon minister, at Paris, on Count Teleki's case. The conduct of the Saxon government has been com mented upon in terms of special reprobation. The Times publishes a list of fifty-nine firms whose failures have been announced during the year in London,. or in direct communication with London. They repro. sent debts to the large total of X 3,574,641, showing that tke general business of the country has been remarksoly free from disaster; thus, out of fifty-nine hose;, twenty six belong to the leather trade, and seven to the building or timber trades. The ship Rose has arrived from Singapore, with general cargo—sago, flour, gambicr, &c. THE POPULARITY OF TILE NAVY.—A correspondent informs us that the eastern division of the Channel fleet shows the following list of desertions :—Trafalgar,. 169 ; Edgar, 146 ; Algiers, 89 ; Diadem, 110 ; —a se-- vere reckoning, which shows that there are causes for , desertion more tempting than the inducements bo re main, or that the deserters were irrational blackguecds;. who to their offence superadsied ignorance of their OWPi interests.—Army and Nary Gazette. THE REV. BRYAN KricG.—The Rev. B. King haq• addressed a second letter to the Bishop of Londoni designed as a " public and solemn protest" against the conduct of the Bishop towards its author and his parish ioners. The letter resumes the history of the St. George's riots from the point where the other letter left off, and concludes as follows—" Even you, my lord, can scarcely be sanguine enough to imagine that I shall respect the acts of your late illegal aggression upon my return to my charge." A PASTOR M.P.-Mr. E. Ball, one of the Conservx.. tire members for Cambridgeshire, has just been pre— sented by the congregation of the Independent Chapell at Reach, Cambridgeshire, with a handsome sure, tankard and an elegantly bound, large-sized Bible. The inscription on the presents was as follows :—" Presented to Edward Ball, Esq., M.P., by the congregation won shipping at. the Independent Chapel at Reach, as a small expression of gratitude for faithfully preaching the Gospel to them gratuitously for 38 years." Mr. Ball, in expres s i ng hi s acknowledgements, said earthly honours were perishable. He had been a public men for many years, but nothing gave him so much pleasure in the retrospect as his labours at Reach. SNOWBALLING IN PARlS.—Snowballing in the Tuileries was carried on to such an extent on Christmas -day that, it became necessary to send for troops to protect the public. A parcel of young scamps systematically assailed every well-dressed person, particularly ladies who wore bonnets worth spoiling. One young man, supposed to be am Englishman, used his cane in self-defence, and a regular row was the consequence. Many bear-skin caps belonging; to the Grenadier Guards, who came to restore order, ware seen rolling about in the snow. The troops were unarcur.6 and could do little, but ultimately a body of sergeants dc ville cleared the gardens and arrested several of the snow bal lers. --------- rIIOTOGRAPIEY AND ROBBERY.-It becomes necessary to warn the public against a novel kind of danger to be found at cheap photographic establishments. The pro prietors of these places, almost as a rule, render the carrying on of their business a nuisance to the locality. Outside the den is usually to be seen a large showcase of fraudulent specimens, not unfrequently merely engraved portraits of eminent persons which the "artist has ,daubed with colours, and audaciously exhibits as his own productions and likenesses of his sitters. Stop for an instant to detect the cheat and marvel at the impudence of its projector, and you arc instantly set upon and " touted" by a lurking ragamuffin in the pay of the operator. On Sunday mornings, inside and out of their establishments, these idle-inclined fellows ply their vocation almost unmolested. It is one which has tended almost to absorb the scamp element of London domestic life. Many and many a black sheep of a decent home, the half-dirty, half dandified, indolent, reckless disgrace to the family —too lazy for trade, not clever enough for a profession—h as found a refuge and a redemption in photography. But yet there is a suspicion attached to the way in which such a business is carried on. Beguiled by the tout at the door, introduced to a room of a flitting and anony mous operator, sent up alone to his tent at the top of a house in a low neighbourhood, one can scarcely avoid feeling some apprehension that, in some cases, the intend ing sitter may possibly become a victim, glad to escape at some sacrifice in purse and person.—lllustrated News. BROWN and BACON most respectfully announce to their cus tomers and the plblic v,:nr , rally, that they keep a large and well-selected stocie of articles required for Family .aura' and that all Funcral and Mourning orders are attended the greatest car.. and economy.—Mage-' • Bold-stse.d.—Adr. PLAYING CARDS — Hitherto the lit , cribbage, 100, So., exhausted the 1 , Now, however, the beautiful, instr imparted to their exterior, teach of plants which have enriched t Those manufactured by De la in design, and can he had in lett's, commercial stationers Goon Boom:l.:T.:rpm is many of whom„harc beef. i this subj ec t. Those Pe thos,‘ who are only IT system, will see from t the writing writer, vrt classes for boolikeep'