The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-15 00:00:00

t......,_..._ TRE GAS QUESTION TN CHESTER. MEETING- O'F rOWN COUNCIL OF CHESTER, (IWN REPORT' ThB monthly meet PROM g OUR of he get ter eit7 Was held at in the t O any welock , yeat eraay: • dtno•ng the questions, Lot ion to take int kittee apeoh,* mge; lit city, at:eleven Mit was a a e innany, fo r , So Oer Gas Light Comp, is :eine ordi nary and routin, of in the first instance. re port of .the committee ap, i th !!nell of the amalgamation. - of the tat _ read. Its report stated that the • co, UrelY considered .the application for to m , amalgamation, fon° ended to the conned to give their con t.on the co % wi ng conditions. First.—That the capital e se e z i l f i6 th o e , old of ce I24 TY , after such purchase, should not exc4td. Second OO paid up to the time of the to t ,, o „ t the company should ent ti u r e Fi i 7 gaa to Public and privet( Th at 7 1.,,t 0 be ascertained by a ct _ price of gas to 11 ,„, ,rteeed 4s. lid. per e"pZ,ltitie charge for public li at in the schedule. eir ow , ono . Pality Pror gEt er.... gc zj.rled up on. rat facture gas at tat , e f t ° be fixed ti t h t c,"° Power to te cen t that if the plea, l bothi ° l ll 131 vards, f or t h ree success i ve ye l r ? , the counci pri ce ue at lib erty k retn ' a nd te reduce it. ' of th to re-consider the conditions i r r e g gardinf Ninth, that the repa the ex :" of the streets should be an of of the gas-company. to at , liaenld call upon the comp: aik,eja heef the outlying districts, so , toatel annexed to the „requirement. Eleventh, that the t he;" theold have the power -of inspecting the hooks _oi, I tl e;tl l3l oe. Pa . n Y- Twelfth that in all cases of _dispute the t er , p 7 should •be 'referred to . arbitration, iipou i n of the acts of parliament referring thereto. And th e 0 - event of the council confirming this recommendation, ,e;:rilLittee recommended further that the matter should t t ePs, ar :u to a sub comm i ttee , t o cons ider the necessary weiecang e ments, acts of parliament, or otherwise; by tti r i l he Propos a l s were to b e carr i e d ou t. sad g e ntY Cutter presented a memorial from ratepayers . station "'lsomers of St. John's ward, against the am Ward , Sirtidar memorials were presented from St. Mary's f rorn st."ghton, Trinity,and St. Oswald's wards. That w o g h tou John's as sigd by 89names, St. Mary's by 101, T he (-)7 6 7, Trinity by.: 91, and .t;t : Oswald' by 133. and worr,lists stated that they looked with great . suspicion if i t t 4 rin at the proposed amalgamation, considering that Ithic7ere assented to, .a t monopoly would be established,_ that ‘,47, 4 -hit nd to raise the price r' s 'rhey conceived great far,`l great coal fields °f thefor the transfer of the coal ir.to theveryhear t here ;', I tY, and the 1.-,y / price at which gas could be produced' ftha rsan t ;i:, ° ' Places had greater .or equal , advantages . o a r vas aumeie f act Places of gas, and therefore th `^is present price consent iltlY high, and prayed the The°ut anything which mig' lepartMaYor proposed the adoption au,. "trtoi ""' u erston seconded-thereselntion. He thought it certa th- ' fi serj "7 Ty desirable thst.the ' be 'frilly ells -411,-,,,therefore, 'although he reserved to himself, to a n. t eeote rc : r . lent,' the privilege of not fully sanctioning the rotigh t tation made by the committee, icasmuch as be 4 t the b -11113 of' them required further consideration, yet, si,inai re erPose of bringing the one material question of the uattp l .„.,", ft tio of the two companies before the council, he etily-'li4 Pleasure in seconding the motion. The first and 1 1 ,f thetV i aLquestion was in reference to the amalgamation ai s „ r st th - e ; ° „ e ° lll Panies. He presumed that the object, when ttike - „t th eil granted permission to the second company th e tn,..russession of.the streets for the purpose of supplying tli ev - Z ll - Nrith gas, was that by introducing competition obtain for the citizens a supplyof gas at a proper tie j wzollable price. .The council them-' that 4„ „ t 1 1„ en Proposed the Si) e-' Unit uu- Ishould et an , . titt a.t al CP U% uncil was to consider-the mpsoies was havinz obligation to of the best 6 Third.— ners. should Fourth.— ;, to be fix .eafter to should no 1 to 10 counci heir main ble condition me reas thbold its ht tend increase it confirmation of the yes, and the par- amstanc 4 4 - Wag Permitted; the p th at Pert, he never colt,. Nit, Condition was propos2d. wertaq.not supply gas at 411. 6d. while it tid s ,ln existence, considering the, amount of gas consumed, hone himself thought it might be .a question whether they s l i e 'l oldco supply it at that price with tne competition which u no,sti present: However they were not called u n p o o t, beta"nto consider whether the price was to be .raised or feeling th at s e in the eonsrnittee'tbere Was a very decided .. Aer tt l ? ° reason could be ellen why, if amalgams!Aon o 77 t tit ii !ed, there should he: any' increase in the pricei took place it quite 0, bOhla "'e e eattaryi.and that if any. alteration' 1 Lad sa.;', be a reduction. . atear, hear.) 11 Viithd r :' tßc'ra the trouble of consid•' Ras rii,„ - !; 11 , the pron.—' le two companies Salisbon the eo wo cor n tWo flourish thapert a large d iv i dend. r ai nalga •u pree. , •- •niU'ion _fin tenlaln COti f i;i 1.0 ‘,... tii,iT On Led 4 at all :- had elati ° f 4 net that tine allthotifV thereforee ad heard the s eino that there must W ere ll ' e lPeose and the wertineed, in the end one or 'ie ------ Detitinael. Was Le fact must be that during the time the c.odmer: abl e 1„ - '' ' l 'as goinrs forward, it must have been at cons' in Sad ; 4 to bo tliparties. Now, if the city could step A l reje c i?,, e .i that the citizens would not be in any way Lie ce id not ' b Permitting an amalgamation to take place, Fie ph 4 (I s why the council should not give its ennse h n .. ce et e r e ße they consider it this way :—at present the city d It iPpl ' e ul "er one of the companies which was bound to `Ne e ', MI at 4s. Gd. per 1,000 feet. The other company Pete lt i c _t under any such conditions. If then they were me Positt r ,' ll to azialearnate both would be placed in the same 1 40 , and th e ema l cl a d to gamated company would be ill farrit•lg censumers at 43. 6d ? The town would be g placed tile - c i.'e, a better position than before, inasmuch as when te coetioltolend rose to the amount of 10 per cent, 1 I 1, 4 r e d l ' u could then enter into an arrangement for : 8 d - TT'. in the price. To some of the details -kreediti not quite agree. He thought before £5O l was 404 Oho On as the amount of capital, some vuentz lohie;,lll,l 1)3 ea tle upon the Dart of th? e lesti' did not believe had been done yet, and it should be eepe l'certained what would fairly represent the amount int Iltlet ed , 1 1 the new company, and the amount the I) 'tear )'Nfl of the old company were now worth. (Hear,. l ot se '. With regard to the extension of the -mains, he did by th e - ,, 141 Y any. concessions should be made upon that point ' 4l , nse tt ,ocil s or that by the amalgamation they should_ . Lttee -- ) : 4 C oneefle any of the privileges they now possessed 4 asti n i i; ' e ar ) Under the belief, however, that an amalga *ottle,', P° ll proper terms, would benet theyl he * a ti ec " , l the resolution. The only obj'ct . .al 'had tis?,llBe:Rittli°of :le" the best for the town, and if this could be "liot world jut . i.og parties who had embarked their cap : etr b rneet Etta views, qta si,..,"°h'rt Frost said, one point to which the memorial •-.1,Z-lected—that of a probable advance in the price of gas h- now removed by the resolution of the committee, then N I • tli e ,, .in fact, placed the consumers in a better position ee e ,'„ occupied before. They had at present the two eir - ,,,e 4 Oies competing. Suppose by an unfortunate feCkatance the Roodee company should eventually prove a b p l .""!. The city, in that emergency, would have to fall hoarda -"into the arms of the other company, which was not 1/ Y any condition as to price; and judging from their be , Perienc,, of past, they might judge of what 7111 ue tt e the futur e . - (Hear, hear.) By sanction • ill ' experience of the k tile a malgamation,' the tinder of company would be placed eqn a , an agreement never to c 'e more than 4s. 6d., and ebtn,t lue ntly a sec ur ity, whirl had not now, would be e nv ,' , rs l ed f or the consume. • -on bow, by the efot7, aul ation, th e c ity won derahl have the chance of ga the e le' On the question of the e.. an (I.ut it would be very well that th. tntna P t i ; lll°ll that day. He _would not vote for the athal eity -,"', if any of the rights and privileges which the ear,)'')" Possessed, were to be infringed upon. (Hear, po rt rie contended that if the council gave up any . Of tin of their right with regard to the extension Pate:" Ma io; they would sow the seed of many future (In es', g • 14_ with the company. t --tr,Th'• Cutter thou ht the sum of t 50,000 very exorbitant I;4 n 'e as capital.g. It was well known that if works were ieeee eranienced, they could be erected for a sum not l lave e d, 4l ! 30 ,000, and why were the citizens of Chester to hert2o,o o , a7 ged out of their pockets a sum of 10 cent., on r. , -,above what they could erect works f p o e r r ? (Hear, • ' it es— • ei I clear, for two or three years com petitio on, and that if it while it ry const- on of the mains, he council should give emed t ount they were to rueived it for three sue would then be position to fronLtheir teßsi7e _ that Lila, ~,e uPon —RI 50,000, an d if they re rfid Years, the council would then tioileeee the. present price. Now, it was wel, eco proximity to the coil fields, that if Of rd's.lllY were exercised, gas could he produt {reef,,., heater for three shillirzs per 1000 cubic fee In many s throughout the country which had not the famitae 11 4 city of Chaster afforded, gas was manufactured at that i t - ee • As to the question of amalgamation, everybody . blllew that in nineteen cases out of twenty, amalgamation ti.e.allt--, what ? tooMnopoly I (Hear, and cheers.) He would "'" Qe a party consent to such a step, until at least the chiming of Chester had- had, a n opportunity of consid ering the recommendations of the committee in detail. (Hear.) The reCommendationa had now come before the council for the first tittle, and'became known only just at the present moment, which ..he considered qUite a stifficiene reason for..his . objectint to their' beirig now carried, -(Heir;' hear.) therekirej move amendthent to:the re601u1404, wbicil,..he Upright, ,would ,be :couched ib such t , rms that it could hardly be objected to. certainly would'nereinliessly vote' for lundlgamatiorr - in the lace of the meraoritil-which„had •by his con- OUR RELATIONS WITH AMERICA. dORRESPONDENCE,oN THE ENLISTMENT QUESTION We resume our synopsis of the diplomatic correspon demi(' whichtiii titkenipla , ce :betivileiv the .gevettiteettt - Of the United States and that of her-Majesty, on the subject of the infraction gtitl;te neutrality; lawA. :by the qnpstment Men in America for service in the_British army. Our , ression .of ~y esterday. :supplied our , ,cespondence which ttow.pieeent.aur abstract of the Tengt,hy.,epistle, whiCtillte dorres nundenee biased, addresSid-by` j me ,tl?,cre i sig a very ffinntleadioCate indeed, and he it was tot betteti hands thanihitidto support of that detcriptien;lbUt he should content hirnscl `, He was dens ments for sendir a s t akeiri piiee; Teliminary co , y: " That the inhabitants of 'ttis, nun ifh.es , e,l in the'feSiilt of the present application to M&RCY TO MR. IitTCHANAN committee ti whom the 'Matter was recommended= recommendedl that , the .:anialgamation ke under - certain conditions, it is the opini.)n of this .hat tte.furrher consideration of the present appli briiild be adjourned to the'neTt meeting of the ie - tin CM to afford the public atJargeln opportunity, which they are justly entitled to, of discussing the merits of- the conditions under which" the committee have made - such ael , ; at This despiich bears date The 28th December last, and takes an elaborafe" review of thWantecedent proceedings reciting, frequently atlength, th&cariestxmdence of which we 'pave already given an • outline. Referring to Lord Clarendon's despatch of the 13th October, Mr. Marcy :! • It is-perceived with deep regret that there exists a_very wide difference of opinion between, this government and that of .Great Britain in regard to the principlqs of law involved in the pending discuision, and a still wider 4tr, ferdnee, if possible, as to. the material facts of the case:: It is due alike to the serionsimPortanee of the questions under consideration, and to the sincere respect entertained for the elevated character and position of Lord Clarendon, that opinions and views so much in conflict with his shoOld not be merely announced; but sustained. The Claim put- forth in that despatch of the right Of a foreign - belligerent power to resort to the territories of a neutral state ,t,o,recruit its armies, and, for that: pnrposc Lich Ms - a eans he . justifies; 'raises 'One of the iternational `questiOns which can corn tsideration., If that right be conceded, then . an 7 stifiablv resort to measures fot recruiting its a of this co recommendations." - - Mr. Walthew seconded the resolution. -Mr. Glover sail he would pay every deserved deference to any memorials presented by his constituents in reference to any measqra,to he•voted on , but he topld not -disguise from himself the fact that these memorials presented a isnicions appearance. (Nro, 1:1?:) It was stated that they Id by thocoritituents 'watched , the )ntiaand be a at varioup..nieetir!gs 'w. he had carefully ious war on this.question (luring the last r two meetings 'in rravest a ' Trinitp..Wat the idea of a meeting Was-being abandoned a the jur ped in, when it assumed the character MOD: and en&A l'thOgeidlich can be -employ ,y this expression of.opiulon. The meeting is St...Johu's-ward he perSonally attended, and although the memorial appeared to be signed by a great number of that ward, he could say there were barely 40 persons there, and of these a portion consisted of YoUthi of 12 or 13 years of age. If these memorials had had their origin in numerously attended nieetinis, - and bad' • the language' of them been properly exisidered "and determined on, - by the majority of the meetings f . they • Would then have' had a different effect,'! - but they"' had their origin 'ln' Itteetitig,s, self-constituted, of persons who thesaselvet framed the fanguage•of, the memorial, and in an unprecedentedly short space of %ime obtained:numerous. signatures, .to them. reference to the question now before the,council he reminded the meeting that the projected advance in price had not been entertained; 'and therefore the objections raised. by the memorialists on' that ground . did not apply. Theineasure of aiiialga' mation *as opposed by an' active parti, which at once started into existence, and which ivasirightened by : the bugbear - of monopoly. (Hear, hear.)' He with them ht?ted but he said that the very proceedings taken in opposition to this measure, were in themleliis active steps to p7ornote monopoly, instead of removing it. Iu the present had two opposition companies, which bad for able space of time being, trying to undersell each the , : market. They had now .become r as might 7be expected, tired of a losing gatne. The_. new were obliged to supply, gas, at a price nQt elbeedir The old, company was not limited as to pi ice -- In order. td present the different aspects with which the two governments view the ca'e, and to 'show the reasons for dissenting from some of the state ments and main conclusions contained in Lord. Clarendon's despatch, Mr. Marcy proceeds to recur to its prominent points, to define American rights, and to_ ascertain - the precise limits of Britishlaretenshins. After reviewing the foreign enlistment bill introduced by the - " Duke of . ..INTeircaStle into the , House of . Lords, and . the! assurance given by, the British Goierninent -on the 2201 March, 1855, that they not only , were not; connected with, but discountenanced enlistment in the United States,. Mn. Marcy 'observes that " being - Satisfied the govirnment of Great Britain reCiprocated our friendly sentiments and that it.;vould not deliberately and. designedly authorise proceedings within the juiiidietion of the "United States in contravention of these laws,this(the American)government was disposed, to believe there had, been some strange . misapprehension on the' sUbjeat by her Majesty's cabinet, and that the inadvertent mis-step would be traced as soon as it was perceived, with sitehexplanations to this govern ment as the- - circumstancesof ihe case seemed to require. ? Mr. Marcy proceeds as follows : , - After the 4apse of some time, this government discovered that.,Ao4ad, looked with a mistaken confidence to a result monopoly "desired:sonitid • - - To arrest the, evil, An appeal to the British Government, unpleasant as such a step was; became necessary, and in the early part of June you were directed by the President to present the case to the notice of the Earl of Clarendon. Tn your note to the Lord Cl irendon of the 6th of July, the other,i Is'elearly and ably laid before his lordship, and he is clear that an amalgamation would save expense; and ie citizens from the chance of being left at the mercy assured that-this government had reason -te-believe,-•and did believe, that British officerawere engaged in carrying out a scheme of recruiting for the British army within the United States in, contravention of their laws, and sovereign rightiV- LoM'Clarendon was assured that the President would be gratified to learn that her Majesty's Govern ment had not authorised the proceedings complained of ; that it had condemned the conduct of its officials engaged therein ; had visited them with it paarked displeasure, and hadlaken measures to arrest `the proceedings com plained of. . . In the note of the 16th of July, Lord Clarendon seems to admit. that the restraining effect of. the law of the United' States in regard• to recruiting; is such as this governinent asserts it to be; but, by his 'exposition of that law in his despatch of the I6th November, it is bereft of the very stringent character he had before ascribed to it, and it is now so constructed by him as to afford justification for such acts as, in his former note, he conceded to be illegal. These•positions taken by the Earl of Clarendon brought the • Matter' to a definite point. This governunent took that the nersons engarnil save ti of the company which was not limited is to price. The manner in which the expense would be saved was because there would be one management instead of two, one set of works instead of two, one leakage from, the numerous mains of that city instead 3f two, and one expense of repairing the plant instead of two. He therefore, supported the recom men 4:12 tion•pf the committee. Mr. Cutter stated that tho meetings held - in the various wards were convened by public,printed placards. Mr. Meadows Frost expressed himself favourable to the amalgamation ; but as the recommendations from the cop mit tee'appeared to him in some respect to reqiiire considera tion, he thought it would be more business-like to send them back for the purpose of being re.modelled. The Mayor : You perhaps lose sight of one thing—that we recommend that a sub-committee should_take all these things into consideration, to have them matuied 'and laid bef)re the council. _ _ -" gh he did not agree with them in mar ry sorry Mr. Glover had not tt flogs• - confidence of hi Un cruitinjr,iu,,— thorised agent , , whine acts had been disavowed ; maintained, on the contrary, that the persons performing :them were authorjSed . agents, furnished in the same not consult with him abot He warn theth to take exainpl? from the nopoly in Liverpool aor carrying on th tur 4111 a s have brought out a mass of ) be •resisted, implicating these ies and sustaining the foiegoing allegations._ and aria (Hear, hear timony ) Were When this state Of the case was preSeded tVLord Cla rendon, With the designation by name of some of the higher British officers, and with the assurance by the President. that the information ho possessed did not allow him to doubt their participation in the offence against the laws of the sovereign rights of the United States, his lordship did'not then call for the evidence, as he has since done. The exposition he has given to the statute of the United States - against recruiting, and the restrictions he has placed upon our sovereign rights, show that his views on n , ,nt hate been greatly modified' since his first those who signed it, 111'.11 of - sense and intelligence; the principal part of them influential shopkeepers of the city, he would admit that a greater insult could not be offered to any class of. 'persons, than to say there was anything suspicious in that memorial, or that those who signed it, did not know what they were signing. (Hear, hear.) One special point had_notyet been touched. How did the new gas company get its footing in Chester,? By solemaand repeated pledges over and over again, that it would' never amalgamate with the old dompany. (liear;hear.) He alluded—as instances of places where gas was produced na eheablv as Ili Chester, under less - favourabh nd ;patch was written. A tx that law is now construed by him, scarcely any evi. )btained, 'or' whatever be. itS.Character; Iltenham ;lieate any one in. the offence of eruiting v f the views c )11 as to that law nll the States can be maintained, of this country are open, almost without to . tte recrnit;.ng operations of Olt.nations, and at p - urpose, any foreign power may sustain a vigor competition with this government.upoe its' own soil. Marc- then discusses at considerable length the. • tiOnal law bearing upon the question, and by his construction of that law takes issue with the views enter tained and expressed by Lord Clarendon, who " is under stood to maintain that her Majesty s government may authorise agents to do anything within the United States, short of enlisting and organisinm, and training men as soldiers for the British army, with perfect respect to the sovereign rights of this countr3 . This proposition is exactly the reverse of that maintained by this government, which holds that no foreign Power whatever has the right to do either of the specified acts without its consent. No foreign power can, by its agents or officers, lawfully enter the territory of another to enlist soldiers for its service, or organize or train them therein, or even entice persons away in order to be enliSted, without express permission." in support of his position, Mr, Marcy quotes Walpius, Hautefeulle, and other writers on international and muni cipal law. Mr. Marcy then proceeds to review the course of events, in order to show that the British government proceeded by its high officers and actents in a course utterly at variance with the "protestations to maintain with strictness the laws of neutrality by which both nations were bound. Reviewing the intermediate despatches received from Lord Clarendon, and accepting his lordship's denial that the acts and advertisements of self constituted and unauthorised agents were recognized by the British government, Mr. Marcy thus proceeds : It is with reluctance that I perform the duty of bring -• Mr. Crompton's connection with some of the ing into view agents Who were employed in carrying out the recruit ment system, and who have, in doing so, violated the law and sovereign rights of this country. The intercourse between Mr. Crampton and Mr. Hertz, who was convicted in September last for violating the neutrality law of the United States, is established by Mr. Crampton's two letters to Hertz, one dated the 27th of January, and the other the 4th of February, 1855. This connection being established, it is allowable to allude b-iefiy to Hertz's account, verified by his oath, of what took place between himself and Mr. Crampton in relation to recruiting in this country. Hertz says :—All that I did in procuring 'and sending men to Halift'x for the foreign legion, was done by the advice and recommendation of Mr. Crampton, Mr. Howe, and Mr. Matthew. Mr. Matthew knew of both the expeditions I sent; he approved and encouraged me in sending them away ; he encouraged me by his advice and council, and in giving me money to send them away. Mr. Max F. 0. Strobel acted a more conspicuous part than Mr. Hertz, and his conduct in the affair under consi deration requires to be more fully traced. After Mr. Strobel's interviews with' Mr. Crampton in Washington, he embarked in the recruiting service, and suddenly-rose to the 'rank of " captain of the first company of the foreign legion." 'He went with a detachnienk :recruits, raised in Philadelphia, to Halifax ; was e,xultinglt recetved into fellowship with the military and civil officers of the highest position in her Majesty's service there stationed'; was invited to partake of the hospitali ties of " his Excellency Sir Gaspard. le Merchant," of " Colonel Clark, and the officers of the seventy-sixth regiment ;" and of" Colonel Fraser, Colonel Stotherd, and the officers of the royal artillery and royal engineers ;" and the original cards of invitation, addressed to him, were produced on. Hertz's trial. After such an endorsement of his character, it would seem that the testimony of Captain Strobel, even if it were uncorroborated, should command confidence. Passing, without comment, the plan for recruiting, which Strobel says was prepared at the request of dr. Crampton, and approved by him and Sir Gaspard le Merchant, I propose to off e r some remarks upon the instructions furnished by Mr.. Crampton, while in the provinces, to the recruiting agents who were to go to " Buffalo, D e troit, or Cleveland," to " make kno wn to persons in the United States the terms and conditions upon which recruits will be received into the British service." These instructions show that the persons sent into the United States to raise recruits therein for the foreign legion were authorised agents of British officers, and received directions for the guidance of their conduct from her Majesty's minister to this government. It is thought to be unreasonable in this government to complain of any of her Majes'y's officers, because the agents thus employed " were enjoined carefully to refrain from anything which would coustnute a violation of the law of the United States." A similar injunction to the agents first employed was also oontained in the directions which preceded the instructions issued by Mr. Crainpten in May, and he well knew how utterly it had been disregarded by them. As his visit to THE 11011TEIEEN TIMES.-LIVE151 , 1 ) 001 , , SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 18ZO. the British provitcps had special., relation to the recruiting .servion ' it cannot be presumed that he was m i sinformed of What had then happened to these agents in Philadelphia, New York, and Beaton, through which'cities he passed on his way to Halifax. This government had, as early, as March, ordered prosecutious against. the recruiting agents in those leittel:':fer 'having violated the laws of the United Stew many had heen arrested for,that offence.,and against several of them" grand juriv had found' - bills" - of inietment. Instead of disconnecting himself from the pro c •edings which` lied led to this disastrous result, Mr. Cramp tonwetttolinlicaz4ind-Cluebee to rnsirejtltther arrange- Al it is f , other reer,uiters into the ljnircl' 10 ' Lt ex riegto orthe pacf States renewint the experiment 3irmingham, t4tYrql nted; gas was m at the railway it he had "no doubt citizens of Chester that. they would hot they would be well supported. Wear, Platt contend( that , the amalgamation v better position than they wer( and added t' it - they had sup t to have done, npany as they oug lion would never have beet ipet of amalgam- Mr. Hicklin, while he did not at all deny that there was a strong, feeling, in the city against the amalgamation, reminded the council that the memorialists scarcely represented one-fifth of the gas consumers of the city. The total number of gas consumers was about 2,500, and the memorials were signed by rather below 500. It should not be lost sight of that the memorials had been signed under a strong conviction that the intention of the amal gamation was to raisa the price of gas: (Hear, hear.) Now, that point was conceded. There was to be no advance, and wh:,.n the city understood that fact he thought it very likely that there would not be the feeling against the amalgamation which had been already witnessed. For his own part he was inclined to think that the consumers would gain very considerable advantages from the amalga tion. If the ratepayers were likely to be called upon to pay one penny more than they did then, he would be no party to the arrangement, but he belived it would be an arrangement for the general benefit of the city. The present state of things he arghted could not go on long. Mr. Jones declared that there was no sympathy felt in Chester for the old gas company; and urged that the voice of a public meeting should be taken. Mr. Peacock supported the principle of amalgamation ; but, at the same time, had no objection to adopting the amendment proposed by Mr. Cutter, in order that the public should have a full opportunity of considering the merits of the case. The Mayor said it was evident that the signers of the memorials were under the impression that the price of gas was about to be raised, which was not the case, and which he never would have supported. Great stress was laid upon the fact of the coal-fields being so close to Chester, but he reminded the meeting that' Lan cashire cannel was partly used in the manufacture, which cost double as much, and involved the cost of transport. As regarded: the dread of monopoly, the amalgamation would only place the united companies in the position of the old company, and would be just as • liable to be met with opposition if they displeased the citizen. _ _ _ _ . Air. W. M. Williams supported Mr. Cutter's amend ment, and objected to passing the resolution now in the face of so many memorials. _ _ Mr. Edwards opposed the amalgamation, and especially objected to the amount of capital. He contended that the amalgamation was as serious a thing for till city of Chester as a man taking a wife. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) They might depend upon it they would'have to take the companies for better for worse, and if they found it was all for worse it would be too late t o complaia,(laughter). They roust then keep them in sickness or in health (laugh ter.) He did not see why this was to be done merely because the companies were..not making ten'per cent. A man who kept a shop could not prevail upon his custom ers to pay him a higher p r i c e f or hi s goods b y appeal i ng to theln On the ground•that he *was only making five per cent. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Potts thought the amalgamation was the best thing which could happen under the circumstances, but he agreed in the propriety of postponing the question until the next council meeting. Some ether members having expressed a similar opinion, and the general feeling of the council appearing to be in iavour of a postponement, the motion was withdrawn, and Mr. Cutters amendment allowbd to pass unani mously. the names of Messrs. Cotter, Edwards, and Williams, were added to the committee. After getting through some routine business, the council adjourned. Omer Pacha is daily expected at Constantinople. The armistice throughout the Crimea was proclaimed on the Ist of March. There is a' talk of Sir E. Lyons being sent, as minister, to Constantinople soon after the peace is finally concluded. VIENNA, Thursday.—A despatch from Constantinople, via Semlin, states that Kalil Pacha brother-in•law of the Sultan, is dead. BERLIN, Thursday. —M. Manteuffel leaves Berlin for oa Fri , lay night or Saturday morning. The nvitation of Pruosia t o th e C . n f erences was es pecially prompted by the fact, that the discussion of the treaty of the Dardanelles, of 1841, in which she took a part, is to be began forthwith. It is evident that the points, the rejec tion of which could lead to a reaewal of the war, have already been definitely arranged. ihcoilt have dith Ther can be' no, doubt that vised , ing r trtretions were intended to impress recruiting. agents with the expediepcy of greater circum sgection in their business, but it is' evident that the motive for this caution had much more respeot 'for . the success of the recruiting pioject than ",for the United States - law: This is apparent from the following piragraph of: these instructions : "7. rt i,s essential to success that no assemblage of persons should take place at beer-bouscS, or: Other places of ' enter. tainment, for the purpose of devising measures for enliiting ; and the partieshould scrupulously" avoid resorting to this or similar means of diSseminating the desired information,' inasmuch as the attention of the Anierican authorities would not fail to be - called to such.proceedings,.. which would . un doubtedly be regarded by:them as an attempt to Carry on recruiting fora _ foreign pOwer within the Jimits of the United . . States ; And it eertainly.must-be borne in mind.that the institution of legal proceedings against any of the parties tlfe tienalty, would itin,t;ven if'ther : viere to el .I'to ItlW - sneceSs of the . enliitine - nt its It wilLnot, I presume, be denied that several hiindred Cases of this kind actually 'occurred in carrying out the scheme of British' recruitment, The•very design of employing agenti . for such, a purp in the ',limits of the iniOlved in its consequences an infringement of that law It is the solemn duty of the Government of the United Statei to maintain this construction of their Neutrality Law, and the attempt to set up and sustain a different one has created much surprise; that it has been done by a friendly government, with, which the United States are most anxious to maintain and strengthen the relations of amity, is the of deep regret.. Some satisfaction for the injury was confidently expected, but nothing thAt chn be _regarded in that' light has been offered; and this gbyernment has been compelled, in vindi cation,of its rights and laws, to take a course which it sincerely hoped her Majesty's government woald,have ren dered nnnecessary. Her Majesty's minister to this government, Mr. Cramp ton, his taken a conspicuous part in organising and executing the scheme for recruiting for the .British army within the United States.. Wer&it, possible, with due regard to the evidence and disclosures in the case, to assign hira a subordinate part in the scheme, even that would not allow the. President to - change the 'coUrge , which he is obliged, under the circumstances, to pursue towards him. Any Tiltrtitipation in the project, as it has been - developed, of rai.sinpreqruits .in this country for the British service. was incompatible 'with his official relations with this government. His connection with that affair has ren dered bim an unacceptable representative of.her Britannio Majesty near this government, and you_ are directed by the .President to ask her Majesty's government to recall him. Mr. Rowcrofr, the British Consul at Cincinnati, and Mr. Matthew, the British Consul at Philadelphia are-implicated in thelecrutting project, and you are further directed by the President to ask for. their removal for that cause. The persons connected with the British consulate at New York.have been actively engaged in furthering the recruit. -ing scheme. Mr. - Stanley, the assistant or clerk of the consul, has taken a snore open and effective part than the consul himself, and is now under an indictment for violating the law against foreign recruiting. The consul, Mr. Barclay, could not but know of Mr. Stanley's conduct in that matter, but stilt - retains — him" in the consulate. Besides the responsibility that rightfully' attaches to Mr. Barclay for the improper conduct of an employe in his office, and under his immediate and, daily' observation, this governmont is satisfied that he has himself not only favoured the recruiting for the British army, but has participated in it. Moreover, the improper conduct of Mr. Barclay, in the case of the bark Maury, has justly gi!en offence to the Commercial com munity in which he resides and with which he has official re - connection. unau and. it For these reasons this' government deems it proper to imitruct you to ask the government of Great Britain to ir. Barclay from the post of British Consul at withdr New• York The-final document is a letter dated Feb. Ist 1856, from Mr. Rucganan to Mr. Marcy. Its contents relate to mutual explanations. of previous ,conversarlons between Lord Clarendon and Mr. Buchanan, and announces the presen tation—to his Lordship, by the latter, of Mr. Marcy's despatch of the 28th December, 1855, demanding, among other things, the recall of Mr. Crampton. This concludes the correspondence, and we dispose of it (for the present) with the remark that Mr. Buchanan with held the dispatch of the 18th December, a fortnight or more before delivering it, which really gave Lord Clarendon no sufficient time to reply by the Atlantic or the Asia. We understand, however that the 'reply was promised by Lord Clarendon at an early day. SUNDAY v.' SABBATH TO. THE . EDITOR AF THE NORTHERN TIMES than a week has passed since I. last wrote in your columns, accusing the Evangelical clergy of gross perversions ot Scripture, and proving, by quotations from the `Christian 'fathers, that the Jewish Sabbath is not binding on Christian disciples Is my letter .Mr. Barnsley has vouchsafed no answer unanswerable ? or is it merely that he is better engaged in the compilation of the matrimonial statistics of his Irish colleagues ? Meanwhile the matter rests thus :—A. charge of the most serious nature is brought against a body o clergy men. They are accused of saying what is false and un scriptural, and saying it with full knowlede.e that it is so. Under this accusation they are content to remain. They make no apology—they offer no explanation. Be it so. The public can judge of the facts, and will readily under stand the me ming of this strange silence. But not only does Mr. Bardsley abstain:from vindicat ing himself from a very grave charge, but he declines to answer a very strong argument. Surely,_ of all , men, the first Christians must have known whether their Master enjoined upon them the observance of the Jewish. Sabbath;, and when we find Justin Martyr, Ignatius, Tertullian, and Clemens Alexan drinus, denying the obligation of the Sabbath, we may feel tolerably certain that the Sabbath was no ordinance of Christianity. Quotations from these authors to this effect, were the main point in my last letter. But this subject is one of such importance that I must request that you will find space for a few further remarks illustrative of the teaching, and the practice, of the early Fathers. The testimony of St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, and of St. Paul in several of his Epistles, make it evident that the first disciples, instead of keeping the Sabbath, were accustomed to meet together on the first day of the week, in order to commemorate the Lord's resurrection. This reunion on the Sunday was to them uo cold, dull, observance, but a joyous festival. In the morning they met to read of, and meditate on, Him who was their spiritual Head, their personal Friend, their risen Master. It was kept so strictly as a day of rejoicing that fasting was for bidden. (Tertullian de Corona militis, cap. 3.) The same author—whose own temperament was so gloomy and severe, that his testimony is doubly valu able—also remarks (Apology, cap. xvi.), "In like manner, if we do, observe Sunday as a day of festivity, we are in that custom closely allied to such of you iitn a g s m s ai e nn t y a toi p lbe a s r ee t rav t r h ely e d Chl Saturday Church eshh oa rgftao against thereas t day Pu rw o i easetafasn so iasceticismandstr o n feasting. a f tehe c the Jewish Sabbath as a festival, in addition to their own Sunday. The " Apostolical Constitutions," which, in some d dw e ehln g o r ow e e us ihnl , loc eun r l e osd p ewn r f e atce s son e tn n coc t elnuods t f h ea: e tuusrrpe C dgea h nuy u se r isoo c t nir h n asgg o ua f nivi idntrahs. Sunday u fourth f th c e e n clergyt ury other Evangelical minister, not to allow th .B e a s r e d s s t i a e t Y en o )e r nt a s n o y f mine, if untrue, to remain unanswered. For my own sake, should I be wrong, I would wish to know where and how I have fallen into error. Should I be right I hope Mr. Bardsley will have the candour to acknowledge. it. B. THE LATE EMBEZZLEMENT.—BROCKLEBANIS. v. WILSON. ---In the Rolls Court on Thursday, Mr. Palmer moved for aft injunction to restrain the sale of certain property belong ing to the defendant, and for a receiver. The plaintiffs, he said, were merchants at Liverpool, defendant was for a a number of years their confidential clerk, and he had been committed for trial for embezzling sums to a large amount —£6,ooo—belonging to his employers. They had made inquiries, and found that defendant, without having any means which would otherwise account for the acquisition of property, had purchased a house and five acres of land at Thornton, in Cheshire, and several other dwelling-houses ; and plaintiffs allege - 1 that he had made these purchases out rof their money, which he had embezzled. Since the corn mit'al of the defendant the property had been advertised for sale. The court made the order as prayed. ORMSKIRK UNION..--On Thursday, the usual weekly meeting of the board of guardians for the Ormskirk union was held, Mr. R. Mawdsley in the chair. On the question that the minutes of the last board be confirmed, Mr. Stoner drew attention to the omission, on the part of the clerk of the board, to enter certain resolutions he (Mr. Stoner), bad proposed with reference to the publication of an advertise ment in the NORTHERN DAILY TDiES for a ohaplain to the workhouse, and, after narrating his interviews with the Rev. Mr. Tatlock en the subject of his election to that offico, he pointed out the omsssions in the minutes, and moved that " they be not confirm ed. " The motion, havin g been second e d by Mr. Ambrose, was put to the vote, when there appoared :—For the motion, Messrs. Stoner and Ambrose ; against it, Messrs. Tilsley, Hunt, Linacre, Jen -1 kinson, Bromley, Mercer, Mawdsley, and Sutton. Mr. Parr declined to vote. The minutes were then confirmed, and, after the 'routine business had been disposed of, the board adintrrnati. POLICE COURT v ESTRADAT (BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD.) MYSTERIOUS I—A respectable looking woman, named Jane Shea, was charged by a Mrs. Catherine Sherrop, who resides at 35. Tenterden-street,,under.the following mys terious circumstances; Mr. Bluck: , appeared for the llni_fauer. Several witnesses were examined and cross examined in the ea:SP, thdcOnclusion of the evidence Mr. iMansfield declared • his inability 'to make it out, although Mr. Bluck (he' said) had used all his ability and iitrin vain to elucidate the matter. As well as our or could-get at. the mystery, it, should seem that ------ months -ago, a -woman, whose-name did not trap= spire, had given Mrs Sherrop a sovereign to keep for her: On Thuraday m'ornitlg the woman called :for, the money, and she took Wont of a small hoir,*and was in the act of handing.it to her, at-the. sametime speaking to her, as she. 'alleged, in the most amicable manner. At this particular mOrnent the prisoner. who- was a total stranger to the complainant, entered the house, and without saying a word, took uIS - a, jug, with which she struck her a violent blow en the crown of.the head and floored her. Her head Was cut, and of the floor, the prisoner broke about 20s. worth glass and other *ware of that description, and then took the sovereign out of her hand and went -away. .On the - other hand it was shown that the. corn . plhinant was fighting with the woman about the sovereign. -and that the prisoner. who was a friend of the latter, went to,save - her, and that in the scrimmage the things were broken. It also transpired that the re was a law suit some :Where (not,stated)on Thursday befween the parties. and that this caused an ill-feeling., Mr. " Mansfield said the ritv of the case was made more visible as the wit ned. lie really never heard of such a No One'could believe that the prisoner house'and *coniriiitted an assault ay,provocation, or without knowing her. ned to have been broken, and he would fine jngOnt: went into complainant's on lmiwithout The glaas'seo the defendant 1 and cost • BEERHOITSZ CASES.—The following charges against betThouse keepers were disposed of :—John 'Hughes, Bed- ford-street, Park, 2s 6d. j Mary Jones, Mill-Tane, dis- Missed. Elizabeth Mallin, Chadwick-street, dismissed. John Lloyd, Tobin-street, 5s and costs. Thomas Hart, Park-.-oad, Is and I.s. John Hussey. Henderson street, 40s and costs. George Whitley, Bride-street, 40s and, costs. James Leslie, Egypt-street, 40s and costs. William'lSTicholson, Circus-street. 2s 6d and costs. Hnrh Logan, Ben Jonson-street, 2s 6d and costs. Martin. Doherty Harrison-street, 40s and Costs. - EMIGRANT RUNNERS CASES.—Captain Prior, one of the emigrant (government . ) agents, summoned the following persons under the 75th sec., chap. 119, of the act 18 and 19 Victoria, for acting as emigrant runners without license. Richard Burgess, 55, Frederick-street, fined 20s and 4s 6d costa. _Joseph Hachenall, 13, Lawton-street, £2 and 4i 6d costs., Henri Lockwood, 23, tnion-street, 5s and 4s 6d costs. _ _ . aaa. V a. CHARGE AGAINST A PUBLICAN.—Peter Donnelly, pub lican, Great Howard-street, was summoned by Inspector 'Comlin, and constable 684, on two informations, one Charging him for allowing drunkenness in his house, and a second for alloy' ing a fight in his house, contrary to the statute in both cases. The charges were proved, when Mr: I3lnek, for the defendant, said it happened on the day of the steeple chase, and that the people who were drunk and fighting at the house, had come in from the races, and could not be got out. He produced several witnesses in support of this version of the case, and the magistrate,s dismissed one, charge, but fined lOs on a charge of having disorderly persons In the house. (BEFORE MR. ALDERMAN ROLME.) SUPPOSED ROBBERY or WATCHES.—Two men, dressed in rather swellish style, and to exterior appearance re spectable, and about 30 years of age, who gave their names as John William French, and John William Dyer, and a female named Margaret Marsden, were brought up by officer Sullivan, of the detective force, under die fol lowing suspicious circumstances. From information which'Sullivatt had received, of a considerable number of watches having been stolen hi Manchester, Liverpool, and other places, he was on the alert. On Thursday evening, after six o'clock, he went to a house in Moon-street, when hr. arrested the two men, and found on a table, in the room where they were, eleven silver watches, two gold do., some Valuable gold'ohains, and two peninsular medals —one with the name of Geo. Thorpe, Royal Artillery, and eight clasps ;. the other bearing the name of Reuben Kaye, 48th foot, and three clasps. One of the gold watches was described as stolen from Manchester, and it bore the same number and other marks, as the missing article. One of the silver watches had been stolen from a sailor, named William Ashley, on Sunday night, in this town, and he fully identified the watch as his property. -It was one of tho - se found. in the room with the prisoners. Sullivan then went to a house in Richmond-row, where he arrested the woman, as an accomplice. She said in reply to his ques tions that french was her husband. When he asked the male aisoners, in the hOuse in 11joon-street, what account they could give of the prOperty, Fiench said he bought all frorela , man in Manchester, but he could not tell who or what he was, nor, where he lived. In reply to his Worship, French told the same story, and said trans action took place at. his house in Brown-street, Saltord. He could not tell who the man was, The other prisoner said he resided in Napier-street, and that he was in the habit of getting jobs from French, and he went to look for one when he was arrested. The woman declined to say anything. The Alderman said it was quite clear that two of the watches were fully identified as stolen property, and ho would remand the prisoners, and in the meantime let a communication be made :with Manchester on the subject. The prisoners were remanded to this day (iirti.oßE MEPSRS. HOLME AND TURNER ASSAULT ON TUE HIGH SEA's.:—Captain john Clanson, of,the ship• Sea, was summoned by a black man named Peter Ryder, who was cook on board the ship, for having assaulted him at Bonny, on the 17th June last. Mr. Block appeared 'for the complainant. From the evidence produced, it appeared that on the day in question the dinner was got ready and taken to the cabin by the ard, `when the captain flung the contents of the dish nd then ordered the crew to lash up the him. This was done, as described by the " most unmercifully." The defence endeavoured up was that the defendant was not then in charge tip, hut that he only obeyed the orders of his officer. Alderman Holme said it was a brutal rovoked assault., and he would fine the defendant 5, or in default, of payment two months' imprisonment. C HAR GE AGAINST A BOARDING-HOUSE KEEPER.—Thos. D 7 ulligan, the keeper of a sailors' boarding-house in Green land-street, was summoned by a sailor named Robert. Williams for detaining his clothes. There was a dispute about an account between the parties, and (as the com plainant said) the defendant seeing he had plenty of money, wanted to make a " pull at him, but he would not allow it as he had overpaid his account. The magistrates ordered the clothes to be given up, and the wife of the defendant left the court declaring her intention of keeping the worth of the whole case out of poor Jack. in his face, a cook, and flog THURSDAY.—(BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD.) SAVAGE ASSAULT.—A powerful-looking man, about 27 years of age, named William Anderson, described as the keeper of an infamous house in Pall-mall, was brought up on a charge of having committed violent and savage assaults on a person named James Barnes (a sailor) and constables 420 and 571. The man Barnes and officer 420 had their faces torn in a fearful looking manner. The officer said, about a quarter past twelve o'clock that day he was going down Pall-mall, when he heard a great noise, and on looking round, he saw the pri soner runn i ng furiously afi erßarnes. The latter was covered with blood, and calling loudly for assistance to " prevent the prisoner from murdering him." The officer made a grasp at the prisoner, who at once knocked him down, and shoving two or three of his fingers into his mouth, nearly pulled the jaw off, at the same time inflicting several wounds on his face. Officer 571 then came up, and he was knocked down and kicked by the prisoner, and it took six men to capture and lodge him in the station house. The complainant Barnes said, at eleven o'clock that morning he met the prisoner (whom he did not know before) with some friends of his, at the bottom of Denison street. They had some drink, and, as witness had no money he took off a top coat, and sold it to get some drink, not wishing to be worse than another. The pri soner then asked him to go to his house and that he would give him drink, and a cost in place of the other. He went accordingly to Pall-mall, but when the prisoner got him there, instead of giving him a coat, he wanted him to sell that which he had on his back for more drink. This he refused, upon which the prisoner then made a furious attack on him, seized him by the neck, thrust a finger into his eye, and nearly pulled that organ out on his cheek. Four women who were in the place also attacked him with candlesticks, pokers, and other weapons and had he not managed to get out and call for police, he probably would have been killed. This statement was fully corrobated by a witness who saw the transaction. A gentleman who was passing through Pall-mall said he saw the attack on the police, which he described as very violent and savage. The prisoner managed to fasten his leg some way into a " lorry " wheel, and in this pofyiti)m he resisted the police, so that they c ould not p away. Barnes said that in addit ion to the injur ies he had received in the eye and fac e, the prisone r k nocked him down and nearly bit a p iece out of his thigh. The prisoner was sentenced to thr ee months' hard la bour. (BEFORE MESSRS. RATHBONE AND TURNER.) A VALENTINE. —One of the most remarkable cases - we have heard for a long time came on before' the above named magistrates. It was the case of Charlotte Wilson, against her husband, Mr. John Wilson, described as a general and commission agent, living at Stafford-place, Craven-street, Islington. The simple charge was one for an assault. Mr. Campbell appeared for the complainant, the defendant had no legal adviser. The lady, from her appearance, could not be more than twenty-eight years of age, and is very handsome, but the fearful temper she exhibited throughout the hearing of the case, spoiled all the romance and poetry of her beauty. She laughed out right, cried, shouted like a squeaking trumpet, talked so as no one could hear her, in turns. She got into fearful paroxysms, and, anon, assumed the gentleness of a dove. She caused a large amount of laughter, and occasionally she laughed herself, at the merriment she created, and then she would burst into a violent rage, and use lan guage, not exactly fit for a respectable drawing-room. On being sworn, Mr. Campbell proceeded to examine her, but she went out with such express speed:and, with such violent gesticulations, against her husband, that Mr. Campbell had to inform her several times, that if she did not put on the break. he would fling up his brief and depart in silence. With a vast deal of coaxing, a great deal of threatening, and divers other devices, Mr. Camp bell succeeded in getting from the complainant a history of the case,-which, as well as could be collected through the fits already alluded to, amounted to this :—She had been eleven years married before her present espousals. Her former husband was dead; leaving her with three children. Some fourteen _or fifteen months ago she married Mr. Wilson, whom she called by several"im- . polite names,". and said , he was in the habit of beating her furiously ; that all he allowed her a week to support three children, his brother, his sister, herself, and his sister's husband, and two additional children, was from 13s to 18s a week. Thath4was a most " confounded" man, although he earned of clear profit from five'..to eleven pounds sterling, be the same more or less per day. After similar scenes of tragelv dad - comedyon the part of 'the .complainant; the ' 4 - a docu ment which was read b " dentlemcn,A ; a,m dull of ;hearing, and r wife vras a Widow when I married 4er, as follows : ar r slghted ; my nrfeen months' same , man who mons, to obtain ne, she was the ere is a man of ago, and has three ch came, to iaformatron party Dur court with' a xllO put fe very often I Manchester, Lys and . three nights; which , without lair consent, and ihenaine'cif C harleS ItaWeliffe, - he and i meet together, and to 'Warrington and stay away there three happens every alternate we also yrhen. in 1. - ,iverpool, s' steps away froth 'horm company of this man, from twelve to three o'clock in the merging, at such,times I am left at home to take care of her three children, the eldest, being eleven yefirs, the next four:years, and the youngest two. years.. I-have a cm fortable home to maintain her arkd her children, andi give her from 18s to 20s a week, to buy fopd and other necessaries, but she is not content, but goes away Into the company of this man, and spends the money in liquor and returns home drunk, and is violently abusive. My patience became exhausted, and :I - mildly remonstrated with her, when she scratched my face and hands. Thr assault she complains of, was dor it should have been I vrho shoult not her. She told roe in the p cliffs, that they were in bed to, man Kaw- Dhester. I have not had ace or happiness this man, which acquainted vvitn has been the ruin of my happ to forturn only they tell fou'r husban R .wcliff .nii. I she stated the ould purcbse medicine and take it to cause her to mi N pregnant Having said so much, and upon my oath, foppeal . honour for - advice in my trouble : —John Wilson reading of this. document, particularly the latter 'portion, caused a storm of laughter. The defendant then said here is the valentine I received. "V. R. (Liverpool Arms) Summons to a person charged with indictable offence. Court of Hymen, to wit: To John M. Wilson, late of Craven-street, now a lodger in thaws-brow, whereas you have this day been charged before the undersigned, one of Cupid's justices of tke peace, in and for said Court of Hymen, for that you wilfully, feloniously, and designedly, waylaid and entrapped, and haying violently and felouionsly assaulted,. did in manner aforesaid, steal from the plaintiff in this cause, a heart, until, and at the time aforesaid, being the whole, sole, real and personal property of, the said plaintiff. These are therefore to 'command you, in her Majesty's name, layiug aside ell excuses, you be and - -app?ar on , Wednesday, the 14th day of February, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, and so on from day to day, until your case shall be upon, at themid court of Hymen, to answer the said charge, and to be dealt with according to law. Herein fail not, under the penalty of being tarred and feathered. Given under my hand and seal, this 13th day of February, in the year 1856. J. Laveall, JuSi iee of the Peaca." —Loud laughter followed the reading of this document. In reply to Mr. Wybergh, the complainant admitted that she told her husband all that was contained in his written statement, but that she did so for a lark. After a " great .scene," it was resolved to let the parties separate, and, for the purpose of arranging the affair, the further hearing of the case was adjourned. THE FRENCH SCHOOL OF FINE ART.- CLOSE OF THE EXHIBITION. ----...4,...-.- After a short, but singularly successful, season, the exhibition in Liverpool of the French School of modern paintings closes finally this evening. Up to the last moment this beautiful collection has been visited by crowds. During the five weeks the exhibition lasted. it was viewed by upwards of 11,000 persons. The sale of pictures, we observed, was also exceedingly successful ; and the appreciation which Liverpool can feel for modern are:was, in this instance, very markedly shown. The result of the season leads us to hope - that the exhibition will be henceforward an annual one, and that the pro vinces may have every year an opportunity of seeing the rarest specimens of the artistic genius .of our French allies, as well as the principal, specimens of our own metropolitan . collections. It is needless to say that the exhibition attracted here universal admiration. Where the genius of Vernet, and Delaroche, and Dubufe, and the rarely-gifted Bonheur family was exemplified, it is scarcely necessary to say that an enlightened community took eager advantage of the intellectual gratification afforded to them. From its recent, peculiar, and sud denly-acquired celebrity, the wonderful " Horse Fair" of Rosa Bonheur, placed alone in the central room, was naturally the first, and the most engrossing, object of interest- But Vernet's " Angel of Death," and " Joseph , . and his Brethren," -Delarocbe's " Agony in the Garden, Scheffer's " King of Thule "—from Marguerite's ballad in Faust—and many others, which we cannot here stay to particularize, were never left without eager crowds of genuine admirers. We cannot now speak of the exhibi tion at any length, and, indeed, scarcely meant to have specified any of the pictures. It is enough to say that this first exhibition of French art in Liverpool has been met by a publi monstrative leircle, mitt ior uude- We may/mention that invitations to view the paintings, without charge, were liberally sent to the children of the Blue Coat Hospital, the Deaf and Dumb Schools, and other public charitable schools ; to the non-commissioned officers and privates of the artillery, and to the police force. COUNTY COURT -YESTERDAY (BEFORE JOSEPH POLLOCK, ESQ., JUDGE.) IMHOFF V. MCBRIDE.—Both the plaintiff and defendant are sculptors, and the action was brought to recover .21 on an agreement. Mr. Daggers appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Pemberton for the defend mt. The plaintiff was employed by the defendant to execute the bust of a deceased gentleman, the price as fixed by agreement, being .€2l. When the bust was finished, it did not give satisfaction, and the defendant refused to give more than £l5 for it, which sum he paid into court. It appearing, however, that neither the agreement nor copy was signed or stamped, the plaintiff's solicitor consented to take a nonsuit. The Austrian Minister of Justice has just decided that Jews may be henceforward admitted to exercise the functions of avocat- M. de Rochow, who has killed M. Hinckeldy in a duel at Berlin, way one of the youngest members of the Upper House. Before going out, M. Hiuckeldy resigned his post of director of police. M. Hinckeldy - was a great favourite of the King Jf Prussia, who intended to make him a minister on the first opportunity. M. de Rochow is in custody. THE REPORTERS IN ST. GEORGE'S HALL.—We have the satisfaction of stating the committee of St. George's Hall, ever ready to attend to the wants of the reporters, have resolved to erect a gallery for their use, over the petty jury box, which we trust will afford the long required accommodation for the representatives of the public, in the persons of the reporters. MR. MORRISFI'S ADDITIONAL NEW ROOMS.—With that spirit of ceaseless enterprise, which characterises Mr. Mor rish, he has, in addition to his already splendid and ample rooms in Tithebarn-street, fitted up another apartments on the same floor, for a somewhat different class of business, and the best judges state, that not even in Paris, can there be found anything to surpass this ro'm, either as regards comfort or elegance. It is intended for the accommodation of persons whose time may be so occupied as to prevent them remaining to dine or lunch, but who can spare a moment to take a sandwich or two, with a glass of wine, ale, or otherwise. Wines, also, and all sorts of liquors, are ready at a second, and drawn pure as imported from the casks; whilst sandwiches (of thirty different sorts), cheese, biscuits, &c., are always at hand. Thus an incon v en i ence, long felt, has been at length remedied, and at such prices as cannot fail to command a large trade ; in fact, the charges are within the reach of all, and, when contrasted with the comfort of the place and the quality of the articles, the prices range lower than anything of the sort known in Liverpool. In reference to the apartment itself, we have to say that it may be called truly original, and is a decided bit of the genius of Mr. Morrish in every way. The room, for some length, is oblong, and then terminates at the extreme end in a sort of semi -circle, which gives it a pleasing appearance. The wall facing the bar (which is also on an original design, beautifully fated up), is intersected with mirrors, beautiful and costly paintings, and marble pillars — all so harmoniously arranged as to present a splendid effect ; at the upper end, however, is the coup d'ceil. From this position the apartment receives artificial light, although the source is unseen, except through three brilliant trans parencies, representing Fame, Music (Sappho), an d Love reviving Life. These are elaborately worke d, and reflect great credit on Messrs. Forrest and Bromley, of this town, who have executed them. It is contrived, also, to make the transparencies " pay a double debt," for, besides giving light, the ventilation is produced through them in the most admirable manner, without the slightest inconvenience, —indeed, the visitor, until shown this, knows not of its existence, and he wonders at, as well he applauds, the mind that contrived it. There are marble-headed tables, and splendid cushioned seats along the room, 60 that those who wish to take a lounge here, lack not the means. There can be but one opinion, that its success must be eminent, and that Mr. Morrish deserves well of the public, for offering such clmforts and advantages as this truly unique saloon affords. On Monday, saloon will be open to the public, and, a s an appropriate introduction, a splendid baron of beet will be roasted for the occasion. We should state, that in addition to the viands and other things mentioned, that coffee, &c. will be supplied on an entirely new principle, never before introduced into Liverpool, and, from the report of those who have partaken of the beverage so made, it is most delicious. There are two entrances to this cafo—one from the street, the other from tht existing dining rooms.