The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-08 00:00:00

THE LANCASHIRE SPECIAL ASSIZES. On Saturday afternoon Baron Alderson and Mr. Sergeant Channel opened the commission in the Assiza Courts, St. George's Nall. Their lordships were attended by the high sheriff of the county, the mayur of Liverp3ol, and several members of the corporation. Ycs erday, their lordship, attended divine service at St. George's church, and were accompanied by the mayor and the corporation. The sermon was preached by the high sheriff's chaplain. This day, thei r lordships will commence the business of the assizss at St. George's Hall. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. BEFORE MR. J. STEWART. DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE.—There are many instances of " intercepted correspondence" on record : and had Mr. Camphdl, one of the main bridewell keepers, lived in the time of Fouehe, he might have rivalled that celebrated king of deteeHtes. Joseph Connor anti John Shaw, were locked up on a charge of having robbed William Hickson, a person keep intr a baker's shop in St. Anne street, of his watch and coat. On Friday evening a girl came to the bridewell with a nice hot spiced cake, buttered toasts, tea, and divers other nice things, to comfort Messrs. Connor and Shaw in their captivity. Mr. Campbell having received these savoury articles for the purpose of transmission to the prisoners, imagined lie smelt something more than the odour of caraway seeds and currants. Now, the olfactory nerves of Mr Camp bell discovered in the centre of the hot cake the following billet doux :—" The man has been two times to day, and does not blame you for the watch. Send word out what you were put back for, if you can." To this the following d.‘snatch was sent by the " birds" :—" We hope you have given him his watch and coat, Posteript —Be in the Court soon, as we will he ibe first tried, and let us know whe ther youhaoe!Zinn the watch and coat back." Mr. Campbel! kept al l this :tiplomatie correspondence cozy and snug until the P li " 1 "."..1 were brought up; but when Hickson came up to loss, it appeared he was so drunk when he lot the 'articles, that he could not tell anything about the affair, so the prisoners were discharged. CHARGE OF FORGING A FREE PASS ON THE LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY. IMPORTANT CASE =George Nash was brought up on remand before Mr. Stewart, on Saturday, charged with having forged a p . ass on the London and North Western Railway. The prisoner had been before the magistrates on Saturday week, and on Monday the details of the proceedings appeared in our paper. On Saturday Mr. Blenkinsop appeared far the company 'o prosecute, and Mr. Godfrey was for the prisoner. Mr. Blenkinsop, in opening the case, said it was a charge of forgery of a serious nature that he had to prefer against the prisoner. It appears (said he) that about six years ago a single pass for one journey from Liver Pool to London was given to a person named Browning. That pass was heard nothing more of until about seven days ago, when the prisoner presented the pass, the date having been altered to 1856, the original figures being 184, leaving a blank for another figure to be filled in after the four. The four had been altered to five, and the six added, and the pass was also altered from " Liverpool" io " Chester and back, for three months." He would prove to the bench that that pass was used by the prisoner, and that the forgeries on it were in his hand writing. Indeed, on the former day, when the prisoner was before the bench, he admitted that he altered the date of the pass. Now this was a forgery at common law, the same as if a bill of exchange, that was out of date, had the date altered to make it negotiable. Travelling by train without a ticket was a minor offence, but he would., proceed on the higher charge, that of forgery, for the sake of the public, and also to caution persons, as he believed there were several forged passes in existence. He called Mr. George Blake, who said : I am a clerk in the managers office in Lime street. I was at Crewe on Friday night week, when I saw the prisoner get into a carriage. I got into the same carriage with him. On arriving at Edge hill Station, the ticket collector called on the prisoner to show his ticket. He said he had a pass, and produced this pass to him. The prisoner showed it to him in a book, and the collector took it for granted that it was a good pass. I saw the pass, and said to the prisoner, " Excuse me, but passes are granted only for single journeys," and then the guard came np, and I told him to look to the matter. The guard insisted on getting the pass from the prisoner, saying he would have it examined, and if found to be correct, he would return it next day. I saw at once that the date bad been altered. When we came to Lime street I said he must pay the fare or go into custody. He said he would leave his luggage, but that would not do, and he said all the money he had was a sovereign. I was here this day week, when he admitted that the pass was altered. Cross-examined by Mr. Godfrey : You offered to let him go if he paid his fare? Yes, if he paid the fare I would have let him go I have been twelve years in - the company's service, but I do not remember passes being altered, nor allowed to be altered—quite the contrary is the fact. Do you know if the company allows booksellers and news agents to alter passes ? Certainly not, they do not allow anything of the sort. He offered to leave his luggage, and said if I would accompany him he would pay the fare. It was not my duty to go with him for the fare. Do you say you have never done so.? Ido positively. I have not made any enquiry from persons along the line about the prisoner, but there have been enquiries made at Euston square by the company's solicitor. I have not been informed under what circumstances the pass was issued. Mr. Blenkinsop : lam going to call a gentleman who will tell you. The witness was examined at much length by Mr. Godfrey, and said about four years' ago the prisoner had a pass from the company. There was no conversation between them in the carriage nor at Edge hiit. He was called:on at Crewe to show his ticket, and he showed the pass in a book. (The witness described how the prisoner showed the pass in a book, covering one-half of it with his hand, and only showing the signature.) I have seen the prisoner, but not very frequently. Do you know he was a newspaper reader in this town ? No, but he said something about such a thing. I claimed £2 5s , the fare from London, he said he would give me a sovereign but I refused to take it. There was a ticket inspector, a guard, and two boys present. It was at three in the morning. I do not remember if be said he could get the money at an hotel round the corner. To Mr. Blenkinsop : I was not aware that the pass was forged at the time when I offered to let him go if he paid his fare. What first raised your suspicions ? The prisoner's antecedents to the com pany. John Bettring, a porter, and ticket collector at Edge Hill, was examined : Said the prisoner s lowed him a pass on the morning in question, this :pass now produced is the same. He - had a bundle of documents in a book with the pass, and he showed me the signature to the pass. Cross-examined : I did not like to delay the mail train by examining the ticket more closely, but I called the guard's attention to it. I was not at Lime street. Mr. Charles Long ex ,mined : I am corresponding clerk at Euston square station, and it is part of my duty to make out free passes; I made out this (pass pock:teed) one. What portions of it are in your handwriting? All, except the signature of the secretary, the words—" for three months --- to Chester and back," are not in my handwriting. There is a figure of five altered to a six, and that is not in my handwriting. This form of pass was not in use in,1851, and clearly it has been altered. Was the form in, use during the last twelve months ? Most certainly not. I have received letters from the prisoner, and I am familiar wirli his handwriting. To the best of my belief, the " three months ---- to Chester and back" are in his handwriting. Cross-examined by Mr. Godfrey : I have been twenty-one years in the company's service. I have a brother in the employ at Euston station. I have known Nash for a dozen years or so. Do you know that he is an active and respectable man ? I have heard he was an active man. (Laughter.) Had conversations with him once or twice. Do you know that he was employed at railway meetings to give reports to news paper agents ? I have heard such stated about him. I never knew he was employed by the company. Did you ever hear that he served the company most materially at Oxford, Birmingham, and other places ? No, not the company. Do you know he was employed as repre sentative of the company ? No, I heard he was an active man, and that,t a all, and during the railway ses sion of 1845 he might have done something for the line about the ,guages, and have got a pass like this one, -or it might have fallen into his hands by mistake. The company to any one to alter never p g o a s y s e ibl p e eT a i t s , si a o n n d no Pass could be used passes—quite impossible out of date. We have had parties who used, them out of date, but we made them p a y the fare. I cannot remember if he had a pass in 1846 or not. I have not seen any correspondence between the prisoner and my brother, but I heard the latter speak of him. • I have seen a letter from the company to Nash, asking how it was be altered a:pass, and to give an explanation of it. Mr. Blenkinsop : That letter is here, if Mr. Godfrey wishes to see it. (A laugh.) Mr. Godfrey : Thank you, sir. The witness, in answer to Mr. Stewart said : Certainly the form of pass was out of use since 1851. To Mr. Blenkin sop : I heard Nash bad detained a pass on hands. After a desultory conversation, Mr. `Nyberg said the prisoner had sent the following document to the magistrates, which, if Mr. Blenkinsop wished, could be read and put in as evidence. Mr. Blenkinsop said he was entitled to To b„, 1.4 ,4t14.1;;;. ‘ - ‘eitt ,fitiw ti9D71.194 %/Oil elide eAvyi • - t!q1 1 ! ' • kola 711-iil:lso`t; have it in evidence. Mr. Wyberg then read the follow ing document : WALTos, Thursday. TO THE SITTING lIAGISIIIACES. I feel it but right, as I appised my solicitor last Monday, whatever course my case may take, at once to save trouble to all engaged, and not to give undue importance to a simple •matter, by giving in a written statement admitting the facts. I then gave to him as follows, whether the charge made against me at the railway station, at the police station, and at the police court, as to the " liability to pay the fare," be magnified into any other or not. I state, therefore, that I did travel to Liverpool on Friday night, 28th November, by a London and North Western Railway train with that "free ticket" (pass) plainly altered to " 56" from 1848 or 9. That the additions to it (as "to Chester" and " three months") were in my undersigned handwriting. That fact does not, however, come into operation now, the old date of blank "Nov.' covering that month. It was a (.o,ml - ion practice to alter and to use them out of .date, and to hand them over, like tickets for the theatre. Booksellers and newspaper people de so still, and use them out of date, at risk of paying fare. But I must stand or fall by the circumstances which I before stated to the magistrate and the prosecutors;to justify or excuse me in using this .ticket without pking the fivos, or more than that. I made no d guise about the ticket. When at Crewe, looking for the above Liverpool train, the guard asked me for my ticket. 1 gave him my packet book with this free ticket and a regular free ticket up to Crewe by another line, both opened out. He took it out of my hand on to the platform, and looked at, I believe, both. The witness Blake, too, handed it back, saying "all right." At Edgehill they had another inspection, and asked for it. He and Blake got into another carriage with it. At Liverpool they disputed the ticket as an old one, and required , the faro lat first refused. I offered to deposit a sovereign, silver, and luggage, until the heads decided the subject. He agreed,-but afterwards refused. I made no overture to him to overlook it. Those officers, present the whole time, can speak to thi.A. As to the ticket, I was no stranger. For many years from 1815 I %tiith my relatives, at the instigation of Mr. Mczeley, %yolked days and nights, attended meetings, voting, speaking, and writing, in the ba!ties of the gauges, and other business matters, without reward. I was in the habit of having hatches of free tiakots for such purposes. I appeal to my correspon dence with the assistant secretary, Mr. Long, whether I was not justified in altering and using them. I have returned several batches previously, and altered tickets to the company in the last half dozen years, in 1843 50.51. &e. This one and another one or two I received from Mr. Long I kept, with his consent, for any sudden emergency that I might . experience. I It was not used before, though altered for a witness who could not be found in 1849, and the correspondence will show that I was allowed to retain them for a pressing necessity, and altera tion plough not strictly en regle) not objected to until now. Mr. Godfrey then proceeded to address the bench, and contended that his client imagined he had a right to alter the ticket; that he was now 8 days in prison—kept from his important duties, his character stained, as a report of the case would go over the world ; and he, therefore, contended that punishment enough had been inflicted on him. Mr. Wy berg said ; There was no doubt the forgery was an offence at comm 'n law ; —it was a misdemeanor. Mr. Blenkinsop denied that the prisoner was ever employed by the company. His ante cedents with the company were the reverse of employ ment. Mr. Godfrey contended that, the only case that could be made out against Mr. Nash, was for travelling on the train without a ticket. Mr. Blenkinsop said : It was his duty to press the highea charge of forgery. After a short consultation with Mr. Wyberg, Mr. Stewart gave the following decision :—The prisoner must pay the full fare, and a fine of £2 with cos s, or to be imprisoned for two months. Mr. Blenkinsop said: It was the bounden duty of the company to bring forward the case, in order to caution others—as it was known that forged passes were out. THE ROYAL OAK BURIAL SOCIETY. " A COLLECTOR IN TROUBLE."—III OUT impression of Saturday, we informed our readers that a case had been brought before the magistrates which again brought this society under public notice, although it had generally been supposed that all its difficulties and mishaps had been settled when its disputes had been brought under the cognizance of the judge of the county court, who, after much pains, and with moderation, exercised the powers entrusted to him by the act of parliament, by enforcing the adoption of a new code of regulations, and the election of a staff of officers for carrying out those regulations. Such a procedure) however, ably carried out, as it was, has not placed this important society—for the interests of the greater portion of our working classes is involved in is good management— in the high position it has a right to stand with the public; and hence the p•esent case before the magistrates. The facts of this case are simply as follow :--George O'ffyllon, one of the collectors, wac summoned, under the Friendly Secietics act, for having, after being dismissed by the com mittee of management, retained the possession of certain books belonging to the society, after ho had been called upon to give np the same. Mr. loiartin, one of the trustees of the society, appeared as the prosecutor, and his case was conducted by Mr. t spinal], barrister, instructed by Mr. Tybee ; Mr. Bremner appeared for the defendant. When the case was first heard, as our readers will recollee, Bremner first raised a doubt as to the jurisdiction of the magistrates, the defendant having entered an appeal against the decision of the committee of management as te his dismissal. That was overruled by the bench, and then an adjournment was asked for on behalf of the defendant, which was acceded to,with the understanding that the books he held ,in his possession should be given up to the society. On Saturday, however, the parties again appeared before the msgistrates, Messrs. Aikin' and Rathbone (the latter gen tleman being one of the trustees of the society, would have withdrawn from taking any part in the case, but WES by each party requested to occupy his place on the bench), when, after many conferences between the legal gentlemen on each side and the defendant, who, from his gesticulations, appeared not to be content, like Shylock, until he had had his bond, therefore the case proceeded by Mr. Aspinall stating the offence for which the defendant had been sum moned, that of not giving up to the society the books which he held in his possession, at the same time admitting that some of the books had been promised to be given up; but that there was 0ne...-.-the most important one—which had not been for hcoming. He then went on to say that it was well known to' the public that there had been great disputes in the society during the years 1855 and the beginning of 1856, when all parties appeared to be their own masters. During this time it appeared that some of the collectors had taken advantage of that state of things, and had collected various sums of =grey for which they had not accounted, and had put it into their own pockets. Mr. Bremner objected to such a statement being made, as his client was not charged with any offence of that sort; he was only summoned for not giving up certain books. Mr. Aspinall said he should prove that the books required by the society had been in the possession of the defendant, and that they had not been' given up, But, he believed, that as some of the books had been given up, the only question .that would arise was as to one. Mr. Jenkins, the secretary of the society, was then called, and he.st ited that he had given the defendant a collecting book for the collection of the subscriptions from June, 1855, to Dlcember of the same year. That book had never been given to him. He had frequently seen it in the possession of the defendant. By Mr. Bremner :He could not say that it had not been given up to the auditor, although ha did not believe that it bad. Mr. Moses Cullen, the presi dent of the society stated that the defendant had never given the book in question up to him. He had asked him for it, but he had never received it. In the June of this year he had told the defendant that Mr. Bold, the auditor, wanted the book to make the accounts up: By the Bench : Did he deny having the book in his possession at that time ? Witness : -Ne, he did not, Mr. Aikin.: He did not deny that ho had the book then—why did'nt he give it up or account for it ? Mr. Bremner then quoted the section of the act of parliament which stipulated that the person must be guilty of holding money or books by false representa tions, and was about to make sonic observations Ott the same, when Mr. Aikin said it was clear that the defendant had possession of the book in June, 1856, and that he had not since given it up—that was six months after the time it should have been given up. It is his place to show why he did not give it up. Mr. Bremner: The defendent is not charged with fraud or embezzlement. Mr. Aikin : Then that is the very reason why h 3 should produce the book, and then it would be seen that no charge could be made against him. Mr. Bremner : The de fendant denies having the book. Mr. Aiken : He may deny having it, but it. would be a difficult job for a society to prove that he bad not it. He may have burnt it, or destroyed it, but let him prove that he has delivered it up. Mr. Jenkins was then recalled, and he stated that he could not say that he had ever asked the defendant for the book in question, but he bad fre quently told him that all his books were required for the auditor to make up the accounts. Mr. Aiken said the Bench were of opinion that the defendant had the took, and as he had not shown that he had given it up, was responsible for it. If he had not it in his possession, what had he done with it ? It was a case that should be visited with the severes t pena l ty w hi c h th e B enc h cou ld inflict. e then ord ere d th e d e f en d an t t o p a y a p ena lty o f £2O, or beimprisoned for three months. Sme conversation then took place between the parties concerned and the Bench, the result of which was, that the case wls adjourned for a was not given up the society, the decision week, with the Understanding, that if in the course of that to o ti rth e e th m e a b g?:t k rates would be enfarced. XOITAT:! +2. 1 4 11 1F4.11 a ral ,rad2;fl,. c,Aia;ob ,effi 7 J r.1;41 THE NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, MONDAY. THE LIVERPOOL FINANCIAL REFORM ASSO CIATION. The business before the Council at the weekly meeting on Thursday was principally of a routine character, and almost confined to the reading of correspondence, several of the members usually most regular in their attendance being absent. ANTI-INCOME TAX AGITATION. A letter was read from the Secretary to the London " Society for promoting the interests of the Trading Community," soliciting the co-operation of this association in the wtainment of its objects, which aro these ; —to watch and oppose bills having a tendency to injure the trading classes ; to amend laws which press with undue severity on trade and commerce ; to prepare and introduce bills calculated to meet the require ments of the times ; and to seek, by all legal and proper means, the, removal of the various grievances under which the trading and middle classes labour, avoiding all interference with political questions. The prospectus included a petition against the Income Tax, which it is stated, received 50,000 signatures in London, within three weeks, and is about to he extended to all the principal parts of the kingdom. The petition complaints of the great inequality and injustice of the tax, as at present levied, and prays that it nosy be abolished as regards incomes under £150; that the first £l5O shall be exempt on higher assessments ; and that measures may be taken "with a view of speedily and entirely removing an impost alike injurious to the interests, and repugnant to the feelings of a largo and important portion of the community." It was observed'that taxation of any kind must be generally repugnant to the feelings of those who bore it, but the question was what kind of taxation was, at the same time, most pro ductive to the revenue, and least injurious to the community. Advocating the substitution of direct for indirect taxation, and the consequent abolition of all Customs and Excise duties, the Financial reform Association, though, of course, anxious to redress all grievances, and remove inequalities, as far as pos sible, could not petition for the removal of a tax which they regarded as sound in principle though most defective in detail. They advocate a just and equitable system of direct taxation, be cause convinced that such a system would produce more revenue, press less on the springs of trade and industry, and allow as few as possible to escape from bearing their fair proportion of the burdens of the state. A pamphlet issued by the Birmingham Association, advocat ing the adoption of a- fairly regulated property ;tax, and the exemption of incomes derived from trades and professions, was also considered. The council could not see the justice of such exemption. It directed that the tract on the property and income tax, explanatory of its views on .the subject, and of the great advantages to the country which would result from the adoption of a just and equitable system of direct taxation, as a substitute for customs' and excise duties, should be sent to both associations. INTERNATIONAL FREE TRADE MOVEMENT. A letter from the secretary of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce announced the formation of a special committee of that body, to he called the " Free trade committee for the Tyne," for the purpose of corresponding and co-operating with the International Association recently formed at Brussels, to promote such reforms in the tariffs of all nations as may lead to the extension of the principles of commercial freedom so suc cessfully (though as yet so partially) adopted in this country. The fact that the Belgian duties on iron aro to be greatly reduced, and anchors and chain cables admitted free, on and after the Ist of January next; was cited as an instance of the success which has already attended the efforts of the Belgian free traders, and as an encouragement to perseverance and universal co-operation. EXEMPTION OF STEAM PACKET COMPANIES FROM INCOME A reply to the letter of Mr. William Ames. surveyor of taxes, published in the Daily Postof Tuesday, the 2nd instant, was laid before the counc:l. From that letter, it would appear that Mr. Ames himself, after hearing the repre sentations of the assessor who called his attention to the subject, was, in the first instance, of opinion that the Isle of Man steam packet company was liable to the tax ; that he ascertained immediately on inspecting the assessments, that the company did not pay ; that he forthwith called upon the secretary (he means the agent) to make a return, that it was only subsequently, to make assurance doubly sure ; that he wrote to the board for a confil mation of the view on which he had already acted, and that the several statements that the assessor laid the case before the board ; that the company had been required to make a return for the last fourteen years, aid that a strict enquiry had been ordered as to other companies and firms, supposed to have escaped in like manner, were all "pure fabrication l" Now, the only substantial inaccuracy in the statements thus unceremoniously contradicted, lies in the fact that it was Mr. &Imes, not the assessor; who wrote to the board. In the first instance, Mr. Ames could not tell, at least he said so, whether the company was assessed or not, until he had consulted the collector for the district, who was then absent on leave. Mr. Ames was then of opinion that the company was not liable. Ile con sulted his legal adviser, who was of the same opinion, but de ' dined giving a positive decision ; and it was not until the asses sor said that he would write if the surveyor did not, that Mr Ames applied to the board. Subsequently:Mr. Ames informed the assessor, that the board had decided that the company were liable, that return papers had been furnished them, which they were required to fill up within twenty-one days, and afterwards, that on their application, an extension of the time for a week (which expired on Wednesday, the 3rd inst.) had been granted. As to the supposed liability to pay up the fourteen years' arrears, that was stated on the authority of a gentleman well qualified from his position and experience to give an opinion on such a subject; and as to the alleged investigation, one of the collectors accosted the assessor in the street, and told him that his enquiry respecting the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company was likely to be attended with more important consequences than he had supposed, as orders had been sect to the out ports, directing a strict enquiry respecting all companies having foreign connections. Such being the facts, it is difficult to conceive how Mr. Ames could venture on such a statement as that which he has made. There has evidently been remissness, or neglect of duty somewhere, otherwise this company, and others similarly situated, could not possibly have escaped so long ; but if the fault lay in the surveyor's depart ment, Mr. Ames was exceedingly injudicious in seeking to clear himself by imputing improper motives to others, and flinging charges of fabrication against them. DI- COUNT ON PRE -PA YM ENT-D EPA ULTING COLLECTORS. In the same letter Mr. Ames, referring to the statement that, under the sth and 6th Vict., s. 141, persons paying the whole year's income tax in advance are entitled to discount at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum, says, that " the following moat important proviso" has not been noticed—." The sum so paid not in any case to be less than the sum which appears by such certifiicate to be payable by two instalments." Ire describes the claim under this clause as " a dead letter," because, as the assessments under the income tax (except compositions) are never computed until the third or fourth quartets, two instalments never can be paid in advance." A. note from the anther of the communication thus contradicted, stating that he had sent a reply to Mr. Ames for insertion in the Daily Post, and would forward a copy to the secretary, if it were not inserted, was laid before the council. The reply was not inserted ; the copy has been received since the meeting, and is as follows : TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY POST. S:r t -I am much obliged to Mr. Ames, surveyor of taxes, for noticing my communication to the Financial Reform Association, reported in your columns of yesterday. No tax p►yer can be misled by my not having quoted that part of the clause of the income tax to which Mr. Ames refers,- because I s'ated distinctly that the taxpayer must remit the whole year's aksessment before the collector is in a position to demand payment of the first of the tax instalments ; and Mr. Ames will not easily persuade me that doing this is not a payment " in advance" of the collector, in the spirit of the act, and even according to its letter. To adopt Mr. Ames' construction of the clause would be to brand the Legislature with deceptively introducing a beneficial and protective clause, to enable Mr. Ames and all other sur veyors of taxes to make it, as ho says, " a dead letter," by. delaying, till after the first of the two instalments is past due, to do 'that 'which, as servants of the public, they ought to be compelled to do long before. I will now let Mr. Ames and my fellow taxpayers know why I us tde the communication which he is so very anxious should not mislead the public. A letter was recently received here from the Board of Tnland Revenue, containing the following most important, if not very agreeable information, which Mr. Ames has omitted to notice, though necessarily within his knowledge, viz., that in the event of the default of a parochial collector of income tax, the persons who may have paid him the duties assessed upon them are equally liable, with other persons assessed, to be charged under a reassessment, to make good the defalcation, a consummation which will be prevented by my s uggestion being generally adopted. Birkenhead, 30th November, 1856. .. WHAT Do You WANT ?—I require a godd Pen and splendid Ifik. Then go to E. T. Hall's, S o uth John street, where you will get the best quality at the. cheapest rate. DEATH OF AN IRISH GIANT.—One of the last of the mythical line of " Irish Giants," in the person of " Shawn Nabontre," died at Connemara, ou Friday last. He owed his sobriquet to his unusual stature, being a man of extra ordinary athletic symmetry—namely, seven feet in height, and weighing over 20 stone,. Ilia family, the " Joyces," have been, for many years, one of the wonders of Conne mara, about whom tourists have " spun long yarns" as the representatives of the "Giants of the West." which their stature and proportions induced the belief that Joyce country contained such specimens of the human family. He died at the age of 70, and has left four stalwart sons, and worthy representatives, who boast that their kindred was never conquered by the Sassenaghi yet Death has been more victorious.--Mago Con. t, I srd jrnt., ry 6i'itliil s l lo* MC r ft o 4 ,zoi:cicox9 7Cl:i a A VALIANT POLICEMAN. The Liverpool police force, as a body, is, perhaps, as well conducted and as efficient a force as any in the king dom : and with regard to the fire department, we have had frequent occasions of noticing the promptitude and almost indomitable courage that have been displayed in cases of emergencey, and when property, to a vast amount, have been in danger. But in all rules there are exceptions, and, perhaps, one of the greatest acts of cowardice, impudence, and a total want of knowledge as to his duty, was exhibited by a member of the force on Saturday evening. About nine o'clock it was discovered by the inmates of No. 10, Gildart street, London road, that a fire had broken out in the top bed room of that house. Immediately the aid of the police was sought, and No. 530 was promptly on the spot. He went up stairs for the purpose, as was expected, of endeavouring to extinguish it ; but he no sooner smelt the smoke than he rushed down stairs, and, seeing a person on the stairs, who told him that he had better give the alarm to the fire office, this policeman, with the coolest Effrontery, pushed the person on one side, saying, " Sir, you are drunk —mind your own business," and left the house ; not, how ever, before he was told that he was -in error. Directly after this policeman had made his retreat, the tenant of the housP, with the person alluded to, got into the room, after several attempts, and discovered that the fire had originated by wearing apparel catching fire, and was then rapidly burning. They instantly, with the ail of a few buckets of water, extinguished the flames, and all danger was over. No sooner had this been done than other members of the force made tbkir appearance, and was told that the fire was all out ; but, very properly, they expressed a wish to see that everything was safe, and were shown into the room. Soon after they were joined by 530, wh a big with import ance, commenced to question the parties as to the damage that had been done, wad being told that it was impossible for 'persons, in the moment of such an excitement, to be able to tell exactly what was destroyed, he again repeated the offensive remark that the person was drunk, and a member of the fire brigade csming in at the time, he was asked if such was not the tact. The last mentioned officer, after some little hesitation, said, " Perhaps the gentleman has had a gloss," which might appear to be the case from the part he had taken in extinguishing the fire. They all left the house together; but before doing so, were requesred to .walk into the parlour, to see in what occupation the person was engaged at the time the fire was discovered, with a view cf proving that the assertion of 530 was wrong,. as to the person being drunk ; but this invitation 530 refus ad to accept, and left the house. The person alluded to having some little experience in police matters, and having frequently shuddered to hear how they will swear in police coup, for the purpose of carryin g out any objects they have in view, immediately reported the case to Mr. Clough, at the Dale street police office, and satisfied that gentleman that the assertion of 530 was utterly false. Surely, instructions should Le given to the police that when their assistance is required, they sho ald exercise some little discretion, and not insult persons who endeavour to render them aid. If such a courss is pursued—and we fear it too frequently occurs — the police cannot expect the assistance of private individuals when it is most required. DOUBLE MURDER IN YORKSHIRE. Another of those terrible crimes which, unhappily, have Jecome so common since the adoption of the ticket-of-leave system has been committed at the village of Bolton-upon- Deem°, abut eight miles north of Rotherham. The victims are Luke White, aged 61, and Elizabeth, his wife, aged 60. The aged coup'e resided alone, "White acting as postmaster of the place, and carrying on the business of a druggist and grocer. The house is in the village street, and consists of a shop with a parlour behind, and also a kitchen on the ground floor. The connection between the shop and the house is by an inner door in the right-hand corner of the shop, into a pass age, that passage runs along the back of the shop, and then along the side of the parlour to the kitchen. Along one side at the end of the shop is the counter, with an opening in it at the angle opposite the door into the passage ; the kitchen is the room in which White and his wife ordinarily lived. White has for some years been a local preacher among the Wesleyans, and of late has been in the habit of sitting up reading until 11 or 12 o'clock at night. He usually closed he shutters and his shop at dusk, leaving the door unfastened till about ten. During the evening a lamp burned upon the counter, and when any customer came in he would go from the kitchen into the shop, carrying a candle. He was last seen alive a little before ten o'clock on Thursday night, by a girl named Swa - low, who called to purchase some candles. On Friday morning the shop was not opened as usual, and a woman named Downing, who wanted to purchase some article, tried the door and found it unfastened. On walk ing into the shop she was horrified to find White lying dead in a pool of blood at the opening of the counter, which communicates with the inner door. A candlestick stood upon the counter, with the candle burnt down to the eeceee The old man's sp:ctacles lay among the blood on the floor; the oit-lamp on the counter had burnt out. Mrs. Down ing rai,;el an alarm, and Mr. J. Davy and others came in. It was head that White had been struck about the head and face by some heavy instrument, which had inflicted some severe cuts. He appeared to have been struck down just as he reached the counter and set down the candle. Passing into the house, tho body of Mrs. White was found in the passage just outside the kitchen door. She lay with her head towards the shop, and a candle and candlestick lay separated, as if they had fallen from her hauds. Her death had also been caused by frightful wounds on the head and face, which had bled profusely. On examining - the shop, a cupboard was found to have been broken open, but whether anything had been taken from it was not apparent. White was in the habit of keeping his money in a canvas bag in his shop desk, which was found unlocked and the bag empty. There were no marks of violence about it. On examining the pockets of the old man, a sovereign in a leathern purse was found in his right hand trouser's pocket, and I6s 21 in the left hand pocket. There were no appearances - in the upper rooms of the house, of the drawers, &c., having been ransacked, but all were found unlocked. White's brother is not aware whether there was any considerable sum of money in the house. The constable, whose name happens to be the same as that of the deceased, though no relation, states that he called upon the old man during Thursday evening and tenni him sitting on the sofa with a rug about his shoulders reading the Bible : he complained of the cold, When the murders wore discovered the Bible was found opeu on the table and the rug thrown back on the sofa, as if the old man had arisen from the position in which the constable saw him to go into the shop. The surmise is that,,on hearing some person enter the shop, the old man went there and was struck down by the asissin as soon as he had placed the candle on the counter. His wife, alarmed by the noise, was no doubt going with another candle to the shop, when the murderer met her in the passage, and killed her with the same weapon which had destroyed her hu•band. No instrument likely to have been used by the murderer has been found about the premises. So far as is yet known no strange person had been seen about the place. Within three or four miles of the scene of this tragedy a cattle dealer, named Whitaker, was a few weeks ago waylaid, murdered, and robbed of about £2OO, and as yet no clue has been obtained to the perpetrator of the outrage. SEIZURE OF A DUTCH GOVERNMENT PILOT BOAT FOR SMUGGLING. A little excitement has been caused at Portsmouth by the capture or seizure of a Dutch pilot-vessel on the charge of being most extensively engaged in smuggling tobacco into this country. Dutch and Belgium pilot-boats are in the habit of coming down channel to fall in with the various merchant ships homeward bound from the Dutch colonial possessions. Those pilot-boats are the property of Government, and not of individual pilots as in this country. On Friday morning, about eight o'clock, a licensed waterman of Portsmouth, named Richard Jurd, was seen with a large package in his possession in a back street named East-street. His antecedents, if nothing else, justified suspicions on the part of the Custom House offi cers, and Jurd was seized, when the package was found to contain 3 cwt of tobacco. Becoming alarmed at being placed in this position, he said that he had received the tobacco from a Dutch pilot boat lying at Spithead. The Custom House cutter was at once manned with upwards of 20 officers, and she proceeded out to Spithead, when Jurd, who was with the officers, pointed out a fine pilot boat of 120 tons burden, the No. 3, pilot boat, of Flushing, 111`Schott master. The Custom-house officers at once boarded and seized her, and took the master and crew, six in all, into custody. The pilot vessel was unsus piciously lying at anchor off Hyde Sands, but the Customs officers soon spread her canvas, and brought her into harbour. We understand that about 4 cwt. of tobacco was found en board the vessel, and that it is of a similar description to that taken from Jnrd. The captain denies, however, that Jurd had received any tobacco from his ship, that he had been on board, or even alongside. L. A. Vandenburgh, Esq., the Dutch vice-consul at this port, has been on board the pilot vessel, and had an interview with the captain. NARROW ESCAPE OF 3,000 PERSONS FROM SUFFOCA TION.—On Sunday last an English equestrian company in Bruges, Belgium, was performing in the presence of 2,500 spectators, under a large tent erected for the purpose in the Grand Place. Suddenly the whole roofing of the tent, which was thickly covered with snow, fell in, overwhelming the company awl the spectators. The danger of suffocalion was imminent, and a painful scene was presented. Fortunately. some soldiers, who were scattered outside, drew their swords and cut away at the tarpaulin, until they effected the rescue of the sufferers. The occurence was caused by some mis creants outside having willfully cut the cords from the poles of the tent. The Government, in order to prevent the re currence of such an outrage, have permitted the company to perform in future in the Government Riding school. . t.e.063 lizzy3 71-rjoj vlis,l3;a3;;:2lf`i Sth trtr ft 41. ol '.Y!: - ;:t c. 7 Eiti LLilvolfzi t e[zq ati ybiat U~. .i THE CATASTROPHE ON BOARD THE ROYAL WEST INDIA MAIL STEAMER PARANA. The inquiry into the circumstances attending this deplorable accident, which resulted in the almost instantaneous death of four unfortunate men employed in the stokehole of the West India steamer Parana, and serious injury to several o:hers, was resumed on Friday, before Mr. Edward Coxwell, coroner for tho borough of Southampton, and the jury assembled on the 27th ult. Captain Robertson, R.N., Surveyor General of the Marine Department of the Board of Trade, again attended to watch the case on behalf of the government. Capt. Mangles' chairman of the Royal Mail Steam-packet Company; Captain Vincent, the superintendent; Mr. Miller, chief engineer ; Captain Bevis, commanding the Parana, and other officials were present. William Smalo was the first witness called, He said he was a fireman on board the Parana, and was in the stokehole at the time of the explosion of the starboard forward boiler. The fires had been drawn from the other three boilers, and were very low under this one, which was being I fired with cinders drawn from the other fires by a stoker named Feltham. At the moment of the accident witness was engaged preparing to take off the mudhole door from the port forward boiler, in consequence of a leakage that had been discovered. The explosion at first sounded like a light clap of thunder, and then a louder crushing noise followed. Witness was not injured by the accident. As scan as witness heard the fisrt sound of something wrong he ran into the after stokehole, a distance of about 12 yards. The steam overtook him, but did not scald him. The fires of all the boilers had been kept up pretty smartly during the afternoon. Witness could form no opinion as to the cause of the accident. The Coroner asked if the stoker, Felham, was able to be examined. Capt.. Vincent said he was not. They had sent for him, but he was unable to get his clothes on yet. Another stoker named Paddington, in whose deposition there was no important fact, having been examined ; Mr. Edward Tate, second engineer of the Parana, was recalled and examined by Captain Robertson--I was in the engine room about two minutes before the explosion occured. I left for the purpose of giving ' one of the engineers some instruction as to what ho had to do to one of the cranks. I had been left in charge by the first engineer. About four minutes before 1 left the engine room I shut down the stop valve of the port after boiler. I did so because the water and steam in that boiler had been blown off. Previously to that the steam could have passed from the starboard forward boiler into the port after boiler. My only reason for shutting the valve of the port after boiler four minutes before the accident was that that boiler was the last blown off, and that it was not ready to have the communicatien valve shut previously. There was no special instructions to keep strong fires up during the afternoon. The Foreman : Do you thiuk the boiler exploded at a pressure of 12:bs. Witness : I should scarcely think it did. I should have thought it quite safe at 171 h. pressure. Foreman : Do you think it exploded at 211 b. ? Witness : No, I should think it would be safe at from 201 b. to 251 b. I believe it would stand that pressure. Mr. G. Mills was next called. He said : I am superintendent engineer of the Royal West India Mail Steam-packet Company: I am well acquainted with the boilers of the Parana, and previously to the 26th ult. I con sidered them to b 3 in a good and safe state. I have since made a personal examination of them, from which I believe I have been able to form an opinion as to the cause of the occurrence. I believe the accident arose, in the first instasce, from the breaking away of the stays inside the boiler. These stays were sixteen in number, and being all broken the steam must have been thrown entirely upon the shell. I Cannot account for the breaking of the stays. The ordinary pressure which the Parana's boilers would have to bear at sea would be about 141 b. The safety valve would be self acting at 161 b., and I should have considered the boilers safe with a pressure of from 201 b. to 301 b. Captain Robinson : Having heard all the evidence taken before the coroner, can you in any way account for the accident ? Mr. Mills: As the accident has occurred, I think thecauses assigned by Mr. Summers, mayperliapa account for it. Had it not occurred, I could not have believed it possible. After the examination of several ocher witnesses, the jury retired to consider their verdict ; and, after being closeted for a long period, the fereman announced the following as the unanimous finding of himself and brother jurors:—" That, in the opinion of this jury, the deceased persons, Daniel Knowlton, Alfred Rogers, John Pothecary, and James Hobbs, came to their deaths by scalding, consequent upon the accidental burst ing of the starboard forward boiler of the Royal West Indian Mail steamer Parana, during the trial of an experiment as to the superfluous heat in the ' up-take of the boiler ; and, although the jury are not prepared to apply censure to any parties under the circumstances of the safety-valve having been open one-eighth of an inch, and being, as far as the evidence shows, free to open at 161 b. pressure to the square inch, as also that the steam guage so shortly previously to the explosion had indicated a pressure of only 12:b., yet they cannot suppress their conviction that by a great amount of caution the accident was of a pre. ventible character, and therefore they consider it is to be regretted that it was not by some unusual foresight avoided. The jury desire to add that, in their opinion, the evidence clearly proves that a single safety.valve applied to one boiler is not sufficient protection to life and property (even though such boiler may or may not be in connection with other boilers) when the engine is not consuming the steam ; and that it is a grave question with the jury whether or not safety-valves are at present constructed on sound and effective principles, which question induces the jury to doubt whether the valve of this particular boiler was " hung up" as sug gested by some of the witnesses, the jury rather believine that it was insufficient in dimensions, and defective in principle. Lastly, the jury desire to express their con viction of great confidence in the directors and officers of the Royal West India Mail Steam-packet Company, and of their general arrangements for securing perfection of machinery, and guarding against accident, by having all the details of their boilers and engines in excellent order before going to sea, as satisfactorily proved in the course of the presnt enquiry. ...... LOSS OF THE STEAM SHIP NEVA. We have already briefly alluded to this vessel while on the passage from Cronstadt to Hull, subjoined are the details of the loss, by which it will be seen that the crew and passengers had a most marvellous escape :—The Neva was an iron-built vessel, and was only launched four or five months ago. She was put on the Hull and Cronstadt station, and left the latter port on the 13th ultimo, under the command of Captain Mellon, to call at Gothenburg on her return voyage. In addition to her crew, which numbered twenty-six, she had eight passengers on board, among whom were Mr. Atkinson and two daughters, of Cronstadt ; and Mr. Colley, and Mr. Conolly, of Manchester. On reaching Gotheuberg she filled up her cargo, which consisted of a large quantity of timber, iron, &c., and received on board eight shipwrecked seamen She resumed her homeward run on the morning of Sun: day, the 23rd ult., and went on favourably until six o'clock in the evening, when a gale, sprang up. The Neva was then off the north-west coast of Jutland, and the wind was blowing on the land. During the night the storm continued with increased violence, and the ship laboured heavily. On the following morning, about six, to the alarm of all on board, it was discovered that the steamer bad sprung a leak, which penetrated into the ladies' cabin. Captain Mellon immediately adopted the usual measures for stopping or lessening the leak, but the water flowed in so Last that the pumps, which could not be worked during the whole time, and the means the crew had at hand, could not reduce it. The leak gradually increased, and at midnight the water reached the fires and extinguished them. The position of the ship now became somewhat critical. The captain directed the deck cargo to be thrown overboard, and the greatest exertions were used by all on board in endeavouring to diminish the water in her. Such of the pumps as could be worked were kept in operation until four o'clock on Tuesday morning, and, there appearing not the least chance of resisting the in. crease of the water, avid the foundering of the ship seeming inevitable, the boats were got out. At the commencement of the voyage the Neva had five boats. but, one having been carried away by the storm, only four were available, and . into these four went the crew and passengers—between 40 and 50 persons. The gradual sinking of the vessel had been visible for some time, and when she was abandoned there were nearly eight feet of water in her hold, The changed soon. ged boats were buffetted about for two or three hours, when two Dutch galliots appeared in sight. It is st a t e d that when first seen they - were sailing in the direc tion their course o the mb ut on obs e rvi nbgo h t et h e ne D a dell ves se l s m w t yhey an han avoid b to ts, them. However, d d i id sap n p o e t are r d Fortunately, en . deFrortthuenmayi,d' but however, soon after another vessel, the Belford, of Dundee, Captain Smith, from Dantzic, for London, came in view. She immediately bore down towards the boats and received all on board. But now another difficulty arose; the Belford was short of provisions, scarcely sufficient for her own crew. Capt. Mellon, with two or three others, at once volunteered to return to the fast sinking steamer, with a view of obtaining what food they could get out of her, but before the boat in which they were could reach her she went down stern first in 22 fathoms of water, 120 miles W.N.W. of Holm Reef, on the coast of Scotland. The boat then returned to the Belford, and she continued her, way to the Thames. Much unavoidable suffering from scarcity of provisions was experienced. In two or three days they fell in with a Prussian barque from Dantzic, which took on board from the Belford eleven of the steamer's crew and some of the passengers, who were landed at Dover. Those who remained by the Belford were put ashore at Southend. The Neva is reported to have been insured. Notice of the loss has been sent to the Marine Department of the Board of Trade, and it is probable an enquiry will be instituted, the Neva being a passenger ship. .1 y,,, ; j f;tli f +' . .‘• : ~..~ -516: it, ; THE SOUND AND STADE DUES. A correspondent, writing from Berlin on the 3rd lust/ says : 0 It is now some months since I bad it i n my power, h bad ~ Government to you that the last proposals made by the pawed. Government for the capitalization of the Sou nd Dues tt; at any rate as far as the principle was concerned, b b e r en accepted by the State chiefly interested. Since negotiations have been assiduously carried o n, which bast resulted in a form of protocol being drawn up bY bad Britain, Prussia, and France, in common with Dente ripe the groundwork of a formal treaty, which, w hen all is l e ! will definitely sets le this long vexed question. The fib ° o f mentioned protocol is, as I hear, a joint production _ this Government and our own, and is understood _w_ embrace also the question of the transit duties betweeer; Hamburg and. Kiel. Some little time back there up on el tbe appearance that our government intended to press Danish Cabinet the conclusion of a sepa rate treaty, a n ` leave the other states interested to fare as they c ould; i v o u t as this course of proceeding would have been anythi a g niar t conclusive of the general subject of the claims of n en— t tore on all states trading. to the Baltic, it is matter of satisface eo to find that this intention has been abandonenl, the a l E er as sise as this government, which next after Englanl an d ur ,„ t the has the greatest stake in the matter, has throw:'n—ire whole affair evidenced the most unwaenrine'de the co operate with us in the fair sett l e mea overn m ei question. The sums required by the two gljee; to pay off their quota of the capitalised S ound b e will, doubtless, form prominent items in the budget a to io presenteuted to the Legislative bodies of both the ensuing session. Russia, Sweden, and Oldenbur., have long ago given in their assent to the capitalisation th e and no doubt is entertained of their speedily settling a," Of details for its execution, and according to this proton ol d the United States, whose Government gave ththis most effective impulse to the determination of il f o r existing abuse, we are told that a certain degree of vb „,• l o on ness is being exhibited now in Washington to' make enter at natioile4B cause with the European Powers, in setting this ma t rest for ever. Does is Important as the cessation of the Sound ee for to our Baltic trade, which has been diminishgoltr some years past, and which ought, in can° on with the new era commencing in Reesia, Yel p e tsa‘ to attain dimensions hitherto enknown",i%lll be as that cessation is in itself, its entire im see 9 fully _recognised only when its indirect resuio L t n e ta For the purpose of keeping the revenue derived Sound Dues undiminished by any competition, the •`" n istia government has hitherto, and with good success, r. - 0 t he portanv. all the efforts made to reduce the heavy inWa ste f, P eear, navigation of the Elbe, which, if made attractive hi - 90 00 0 ness, would be a formidable competitor with' the :„ hog passage ; the high scale of dues on the Elbe, aga7 o oe,t( enabled the riverain states on the Rhine to 101 : / /10 oppressive revenue on the navigation of that rive r „' the enormity of Denmark's levying a toll on 011 P e for through a strait of which she owns only one coast ba s t bee nished an irresistible precedent for Hanover to eXte r , t he Stade duties from all shipping entering and lea v , in° e pea l mouth of the Elbe. In the diminution and eventual re of the river dues on the Rhine and on the Elbe, a n e eet more the Stad s Dues, which weigh so heavily o n ie trade with Hamburg and Altona,* Great Britapid, deeply interested, 'and it is with the last-ment ian e'e raol t Stade Toll, that we must begin first, as being important. rr a a P t° In this course also we shall find that th e 00 1 ! and Prussia have already set us an example. ,„9°,7overit time back the latter made overtures to the lic",l3tso' Government with reference to the alleviati on of the 13t dis • Toll, and the United States have already proclainecesistigr trading interests of Hamburg their intent iol Of 1.001 the further payment of the toll to Hanover in the aa-meisb as they have acted towards the similar toll in the Phone Sound. The infliction of this impost on.the ov er- g ee entering and leaving the Elbe is, moreover, W1.6 8 , ' 7000' particualrly:invidious manner by Hanover as tool? o f it+ burg, in whose port she receives so large for she exempts from it all vessels with caw° enterttpg own port of Harburg, on the Elbe, which she is fa g at t and favouring at the expense of Hamburg, the P o lio. whose commerce she is indebted for the revenue sh a c t s geg from the toll. Hanover, moreover, does notbingneambani an equivalent for her Stade Toll, seeing that it Oa that keeps `up the lighthouses, buoys, &c., at expense. calle dthe Some years ago, when Mr. Hutt, M.P., . attention of parliament to the Stade grievance ta:eb) a portioco her produce of the tolls was estimated (evidently t ' oo u'le, ser. £70,000, which, in consequence of the alterationeshlf reductions introduced hp the treaty of 1844 fell tense t ool s-) that of late years Hanover has seldom realiSevuelisa than £35 000 from th's source ; of this amount vgl'oeli, commerce pays the half. In the financial estima t , e , eel!' laid before the Hanoverian Diet, for the two r a Stel years 1856-8, the annual gross revenue from O c oee; Toll is taken at £33,750, and, deducting take etilPeesoaaista.sAi col'ectinn, at £27,750 net. Supposing we an d round (rib or prospective revenue at the ample £30,000 per annum, and at sixteen years pureha ° t so cod is about the rate conceded to Denmark fa th e lo suit/ Dues), Hanover would have to receive from t 0 00 interested £480,000, and according to the pro,P d b oo k .- which Great Britain is interested the latter woui w bea t,"; pay at the highest £240,000, or more probalf, ,or figures are gone into carefully, about Germany.L2oo,ooo9' 0° relief of British commerce with the north of bieet The treaty of 1844 with Hanover is determineool time upon twelve months' notice, and it is perfecrib,, our Government to strive after better ternig , er oOe treaty put an end, it is true, to several vexatiottavrotea idu ings connected with the toll—fir instance, the tori0::;f reduced the rates of charge , but it simplified o g 0 0u .fr condensing the rates under 47 heads only; w il f; e :i e ssP e i c o l the previous tariff there were not only 2,36 8 a r ;; e eted o s tally taxed, but etch of these articles was ath'J he r Of r b s numbei of different duties, so that the real nut a " olla , titular rates to be levied amounted to 6,68 8 . n ay P t ,A . the merchants of Hull and Newcastle iudigna"„bieew-ee against our commerce with Germany being 6 ` . 10 1 ' o ' 60 such vexatious restrictions. and well might •sie r e'ver a "rtha their organ, demand the interference of txe o we to protect the British trade to the Elbe aga °l9 ,,ert• stlt most oppressive tariffs that the world had eor Sui.P 00000 The treaty of 1844 was undoubtedly an I b ti t upon the previous monstrous state of things' , tt o rr true that it was Lord Palmerston's intentio n 11 ' re ff' r ctir compel Hanover to revise the Stade tariff 60000340 d c t s i blv than took place in that arrangement. A o v e r, mission, appointed by Great Britain and Ilan' tb 0 0 Hamburg for some time in the year 1841, fol d ° lgast ed g sion the British Commissioner, Mr. Wared:eloer coo ti reducing the entire tariff to the basis of 1-1 01 ' le • valorem, which was the maximum agreed t l ll69l, e 'sr concluded between Sweden and Hamburg i n ayeenfitt s time when Sweden was still in possess i o n of lia cse,do Werden. But, on Hanover's refusing alloy oftair;istl this demand, the negotiations were broken ..tbe fiber' removed to London where they finally resulted ri jo rda ing convention of 1844,bearing the signatureeTon if,.o/00 deen and Mr. Gladstone, and which conv en „ wl / 0 11 f gl iori r upon the previous act of the Elbe navigation c" loir regulating the Stade toll as a river duty witbinnottitiog diction. The weak side of this arrangem ent c° B ll l na O bi ever, in *this, that in consideration of ilatin a b inerater by one tliird the duties hitherto levied on 1 3 '' etor a rel lt ture and produce, England asrreed for the fu be P' to the toll as a river toll, to be regulat ed by ,tiplll0 ' states of the Elbe, according to th eigl 9 t f t ea b a of the treaty of Vienna, while fro m " A i l d P,lte m " the State toll had been a sea 00"; $ „a jected to the cognizance of the ' o "'";iterl ii o ji c mmissioners. The result of thia al) 0 114 the nature of the toll is, that its am onn! . .i a esr% oOlv altered with the consent of the said C 0 17 1 ,1211 7 04 1 0 liC? fortuity ground there may be for co ntendine e etiendin l- 1 with the ancient treaties, Hanovero f thr ife e more than 1-16th per cent. ad valorem these r goe l States have not adopted that o inion, butolteeanettadat, articles of the Elbe Navigation CPonvention oc'ods.,otlo l' h pe s r cent. as the rate for non-enumerated g o . , 'wit tee circumstances it is useless to giv e t 'oeing betternotice of the determination of the t reaty' a . 8 00 8 terms are now likely to be obtained. o tads r o t or f ar at The_ only way, therefore, to get rid of tile e' b goo" 0 1 the mouth of the Elbe is to negotiate wit. via g e.f be an entire cessation of these tolls on her ref e ! a r t est o P cation. The very best precedent for so, doing De; 0 117, successful close of the present negociat°h% 1000000 v for the repeal of the Sound Dues, Cud about ll " - to ete putting his hand into his pocket for be for the King of Denmar, it wou ld 00 to O b. .4..2 0 0 t h id o trifle for him to vote another o rid of the Stade tolls. The other dues ley" — which e ti ni k and the Rhine are purely German impos tho s ara ire s-o h , r ta el k ie e v n in o g d o i u re r ct ow p a ar c t om in me a r lo c o , l f i r s o h m ing th ; a o s t tE j eic Tolig , t " be contributing powerfully, i tovi ll „O P , liberation of general commerce from the o ther O il the rig 0 n eared' , ' to be. af eo • ken ' a be- be a Ole step the Germans have already ta f f ec te direction,• viz., in consequence of the tali° e a ta ha s P S th ' e Zillverein and the Steuerverein, a tr a e j whi ci - l e'ese r ' brought about between them and • Brent L a the r already effected the cessation of the o ye s rive the .r out „ e re fo• A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR. —.. , A It - confidently rumoured that by ce nt .a o 0 re w oe 0, op Court of Chancery, a suit which has been _ n ow _ do upwards of a century has been brought to e_c A u st t he 10;0 9 r that a young man, a native of this country; a u n t i ll .g to time filling the humble situation of servanenotien e I giu drow man's family in Plymouth, has becon3 almost incredible sum of money t housands. —report 804 rf!! -: !_); ',;) t:'f,r4,ls'l