Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-16 00:00:00

Irnerrill Salm—rigs Van. At the broker•' office, 2, Dala-street. 2,030 bales E►st India, Rus sian, and E;yptian Wool.—Browne, Hunter and Co. e- For particulars see advertisements. AYILISE vIEiTS, P 0131.10 MEETINGS, Esc. 'THIS DAY. ROYAL Am patrasAme—Drarnatie Performance-7 p.m. Ilitrot.za's GRAND CIRQUE Yvan , Dale-street-7 p.m. ROYAL COLOSSEUM—GeneraI Entertainment-6.30 p.m. Zoom:mica. GARDENS—Grand and Varied Entertainmenta. CLArrox HALL, Clayt n-square—G3rdon Cumming-8 p.m. lalzeor's CRYSTAL PALACE, Lims-street —lO a.m. to 10 p.m. (e' For particulars see advertisements. TO CORRESPONDENTS. QIIIIT.—It is an offence agacmt a toe , 1 act. Give the name and address of the p,rty to the police, and they will su -omen him; and if the offence is proved, he will be fined. iLle Mantra Pazrin THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1857. THE DAY'S NEWS. In the House of Commons, last night, petitions were presented from Mr. Cobbett ; from Mr. Jas. Meery, member for Falkirk; and by Mr. I. Butt, from Mr. John Patrick Somers, member for Sligo, complaining of proceedings in connection with the return of these gentlemen, which, it was alleged, amounted to breaches of the privileges of the House. The petitions were ordered respectively to be taken into consideration to-day (Thursday). Mr. Seholefield, chairman of the select committee which lately sat upon the Mayo election petition, moved that the evidence taken before the commit tee be printed with the votes ; and he gave notice that this day he should move the suspension of the writ until the evidence was in the hands of the members. The house then went into committee upon Mr. Crawford's Judgments Execution Bill. Colonel F. French immediately moved that the chairman report progress, and the motion was pressed to a division; the numbers being for the motion 33; against, 58; majority, 25. Some further opposition being offered to the bill, Mr. Crawford, seeing no prospect of passing it this session, in the face of factious opposition, consented to withdraw it, but would ask leave to introduce it next session. The house accordingly resumed, and the bill was withdrawn. On the motion for the second reading of the Married Woman's Bill, Sir J. S Butler moved that it be read a second time that day six monns, on the ground that its effect would be to create discomfort and dissention in :families. Mr M Milnes objected to some details of the measure, but supported the second reading, in the hope that it would receive the careful consideration of the Lords in the upper house, and he passed in a satisfactory shape. Mr. Massey, on the part of the government, agreed to the passing of the second reading of the bill, though he entertained many objections to clauses. The question was one of great difficulty and deli cacy, and he would suggest that it be referred to a select committee. Mr. Hadfield remarked upon the unsatisfactory state of the law in regard to the property of married women, and concurred in the suggestion to refer the bill to a select committee. Mr. Spooner observed that the bill rendered wives liable to be sued for the debts of the husband, and that was a principle to which he thought the'House ought not to be asked to assent. Sir Erskine Perry declined to withdraw the motion for the second reading, and after a few words from the Attorney-General, who did not approve of the details of the bill, but would not oppose it, a division took place, the result being—for the second reading 120, and against 55—majority in favor of the bill, 65. The bill to amend the 6th and 7th Vic, which exempted literary societies from local rates, was then proceeded with. It was proposed to place the poorer societies under this act, but several divisions took place, the result of which was that the motion was altered, so that no society but that of " Fine Arts exclusively" should be exempted. The Athenfe um, Lyceum, and other similar instituitons, have now no chance of evading the regular local taxes. At a meeting of the Bradford Town Council on Tuesday, a recommendation was read from the General- Purposes Committee to petition the House of Lords to pass into a law the Mersey Conservancy and Docks Bill, and a letter was read from Mr. Heron, the town-clerk of Manchester, requesting that the petition should be sent immediately to Mr. R. H. Wyatt. the Parliamen tary agent. London. A discussion of some length ensued. Mr. Pickup and Mr. Schofield opposed the Bill, but Mr. Rtwson at some length urged its advantages, and moved that a petition in its favour be despatched. The motion was agreed to, and the petition despatched to London the same vening. _ _ The usual weekly meeting of the West Derby Guardians was held yesterday. Mr. Shaw has had the good taste and gentlemanly feeling to apologise for the unjustifiable attacks he made upon thc: proprietor of this paper. We are glad for his own sake for this satisfactory end of what promised to be a rather unpleasant controversy, and we hope that for the future personalities will be avoided. The summlns against the proprietor of a local weekly print, for defamation of character, will not be heard before next Tuesday week. The proceedings at the Kirldale sessions yester day will be found in another column. The following six regiments of infantry will, in all probability, proceed to India as soon as trans ports for their conveyance can be procured, viz.:— The 20th Regiment, the 34th Regiment, the 42nd Highlands, the 54th Regiment, the 97th Regiment, and the Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion. With the reinforcements already embarking, together with the troops on passage to China, who will in all likelihood go to Calcutta instead, and three regi ments from Persia and Ceylon, the Bengal force is now being strengthened by about 25,000 of the Queen's troops. Mr. Dillwyn has given notice that on Friday he will move a resolution authorising Baron Roths child to take his seat in virtue of the general priueiple of the law respecting oaths. This prin ciple, as is known, recognises any form of words or action as good in au oath, if it be in accordance with the conscience of the jurant ; and it is con stantly practiced in our Courts of Law. " We think, however," says a London cotemporary of last evening, " that the House of Commons will not pass any resolution of the kind, and that if it should, the propriety or efficacy of such a step is more than doubtful. A resolution of the House of Commons could be no authority to Baron Rothschild, or to any body else, to break the law. The form of the oath required to be taken at the table is not a matter within the privilege or competency of the House ; these oaths are pre scribed by an Act of the Legislature, and of course no lesser authority can set them aside. The course proposed by Mr. Dillwyn would place the Commons in an entirely false position, and it would only end in injuriag the cause it is designed to serve Any legitimate pressure that can be brought to bear, whether by the Lower House or by the people outside, upon the obstinate Peers, should, no doubt, be resor t ed to ; but a resolution to violate the law on the part of one branch of the legislature would seriously damage it, and strengthen the position, in t h e Jew question, of the other—the House of Lords. The election for Oxford city will take place on the 20th iast. Both candidates are well supported. District committees have been formed, and canvas sing is pursued by both parties with a vigour which shows that the victory will not be gained without a severe contest. Mr. Cardwell has not yet ap peared in public. A slight incident in the debate on Monday, on the Estimates for Civil Contingencies, displays, in a very vivid and striking light, the ridiculous mockery of the supposed control which the House of Commons is said to have over the public purse. Sir J. Trelawney moved the reduction of the vote—a round sum of £loo,ooo—by some £5,000 odd, including several items which he thought objectionable. How was that motion met? In a way that ought to make the successors of the Hampdens and Pyms of a former age, if there be any such now in existence, open their eyes wide with astonishment. Up gets the placid and polite Chancellor of the Exchequer, and says—we quote his very words as being remarkable—" The sums," says he, " referred to by the honourable baronet have been paid, pa. 4 *harefore the amendment will not effect the meet which it is intended to serve," The worthy baronet, the member for Tavistock, therefore withdrew his amendment, observing that the control of the house over the finances was a mere farce. Of course it is, but it seems likely that under the, present dictatorship the mask will be dropped, and the farce no longer kapt up, for when money is spent before Parliament is asked to sanction it, and objections are then met with a plain—" You need not say a word—the payments are already made, and all you have to do is to give your assznt"—we say when these things can be done and avouched in the House of Com mons in language so plain, no one can much longer doubt the irresponsibility of the Treasury, if not in raising taxes, at least in spending them. The worst of it is that the House of Commons is quite insensible to the degredation put upon it; if it were otherwise, the short, and in substance most inso lent, speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer which we have quoted, would have provoked the instant rejection of the entire vote. It is now distinctly stated that Her Majesty will pay a visit to France in September next. She will be entertained as the Emperor's guest at Fon tainebleau, Compeigne having been first thought of but afterwards rejected. • Foreign news is again scanty. The Turkish mail of the 4th inst , confirms the statement of a proposal having been made by Lord Stratford to the Porte, concerning the constitution of the Principalities, but nothing as yet is known of the details. The communications from Spain concerning the Socialist outbreak in the south of that country, continue of uncertain accuracy. Suspicious per sons have been removed from Madrid, and the Government refuses to give any explanations at present. It is evidently still apprehensive of clanger. Lisbon and Gibraltar are designated as the true focuses of the insurrection. If the statement of a German newspaper is to be believed, a protest of the Italian Governments, including that of Austria, will be made at London against the facility allowed to the refugees here to organise insurrections in Italy, like the one just attempted; The discussion of the Education Bill in the Dutch Legislature is now closed, and the contest has ended in a compromise between the Govern ment and the United Liberals and Catholics, with this important feature, that State grants to con fessional schools are prohibited. STEPS are being taken to oppose in the Lords, as effectually as possible, the Mersey Conservancy Bill. The House of Commons, incited by Government influence, gave its sanction to this iniquitous measure, so that it has become incumbent upon the Dock and Corporation authorities to make another and determined resistance to the objects and inten tions of the originators and supporters of the bill. As preliminary step to this renewed opposition, our readers have already had their attention called to a petition which is now in course of signature, and which will be presented at the first stage of the bill in the House of Peers. It is a document which merits the calm and attentive perusal of all classes of the people of Liverpool, as well as their signature. In tone, the language of the petition to the Lords is moderate, but in argument it is unanswerable ; and we shall look with some anxiety to see or hear what the promoters of the Mersey Conservancy Bill have to say, in reply to the statements which it contains. We shall just glance at the grounds taken by the petition for opposing the measure. In the first instance there is a strong, but at the same time reasonable, objection put forward to the principle of centralisation contained in the bill. No just reason can be adduced for empowering certain members of her Majesty's Government to influence and control the administration of the Liverpool Dock Estate. The Docks do not owe the country a single penny. All its debt has been, as we have before stated, through private investment, hence law and justice are alike offended by the adoption of the main principle of the bill. Truly does the petition aver, that this is the first step towards the further extension of Government influence and control in the local affairs of Liverpool. The progress and the prosperity of the Liverpool' Dock Estate has been the wonder and admiration of the world. Year after year the tonnage of the port increases, shipping accom modation is increased, thereby augmentin g vastly the import and export trade of the country. This is a patent fact, which does not require any argument or figures to demonstrate its correct ness. The very introduction of the Mersey Conservancy Bill implies that there had been something very much akin to mismanagement in the Dock affairs of Liverpool. Now, mis management and progress and prosperity are apposite results. The existence of the latter at once negatives all the assertions put forward by the promoters of the Bill as to the expediency of altering the character of the Dock Trust. It cannot be said that the new constitution of the Dock Board will aid in a more effectual manner the trade and commerce of the country. It has been admitted by all parties who gave evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons, that the gentlemen now on the Dock Committee are all parties of aptitude for business, and of unsullied honour and rectitude. They are all connected by trade and commerce with the port, and are therefore better qualified than any outsider to mature and carry out plans for dock extension and shipping accommodation. If the Liverpool Dock Estate has improved under its present system of management, there cannot be a doubt that its affairs cannot be administered for the better. True it is that now and again we hear of complaints respecting this and that trifling inadvertence, but it must be borne in mind•that no estate of half the magnitude has ever been conducted to the satis faction of all parties, They who urge the THE NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY, JULY 16. 1857. adoption of the Mersey Conservancy Bill were quite dumb on this most important point, and by their silence satisfactorily and incontrovertibly set forth the complete and proper conduct of the affairs of the Dock Trust. If, then, no objection on this head can be urged by those who promote the bill, it is evident that there must be another and more important motive in view. This the petition to the House of Lords alludes to, and briefly, but unanswerably shows that the attempt to rob the Corporation of the Town Dues is an unjust proposal, " inas much as the right to levy such dues was acquired by purchase." The petition also sets forth, if the proposal be sanctioned by their Lordships' House, " there will be no security for the con tinued enjoyment of municipal property of any description." We would go much further than this ; for it is evident that if the principle of confiscation which the Mersey Conservancy Bill propounds, it is clear that the rights of private property are not secure, and many noble domains attached to the peerazes of the United Kingdom would become subject to sequestration, should a band of greedy and adventurous men combine, and make out a case in the manner which marks the progress of every step taken by the men of Manchester and the railway interests - they have fished up in their career of Liverpool spoliation. Independent of the injustice, in point of law, of taking the Town Dues from Liverpool, there is the further consideration that these very dues have been employed for the benefit of trade and commerce. The promoters of the Bill have,. therefore, gone to Parliament under false pre tences, and they have made assertions in their preamble which have not been sustained by evidence . For these and other reasons to which we7have reverted on former occasions, we give our cordial assent to the petition, and earnestiy trust that every ratepayer and resident in the borough will attach his signature thereto. No time should be lost to show the House of Lords that the interests of half a million of people are at stake ; that the Bill is unjust in principle; and that its adoption cannot confer a simzle benefit upon the trade and commerce of the country. Once again do we declare that a town's meeting should be held upon the subject. WERE the Water Authorities really serious when they represented to the Council, on Wednesday last, that the inhabitants of Liverpool made fewer complaints of bad or dirty water in the present, than they did in any previous period when they had the well supply If the Water consumers do not complain to the Water Authorities it is because they know such complaints to be useless; that from them they need expect no redress ; that they are doomed to drink the detested Pike bog-wash with all its abominations, living or dead, and that, there fore, to complain or remonstrate would be about as useful as " throwing water on drowned rats." To tell the people of Liverpool, forsooth, that there have been fewer complaints of dirty water or defi cient supply during the past fortnight or month, when the town has been partially supplied with a mixture of Pike and well water, than there was during the same period of last year, when the supply was entirely well water, is a statement so utterly mendacious that none but unblushing, un principled, and unscrupulous Pikeists could have the hardihood to advance as matter of fact. Yet, as such, it was palmed off on the Council by the Water Engineer in his report to the Water Com- mittee, No complaints, eh ? Why, go into what company you will, and you will hear nothing but complaints about the quality of the water—and often, very often, of its deficiency, and the notorious irregula rity of the supply ; but then, say the people, what is the use of complaining; we can get no redress; hitherto our complaints have been treated with silent contempt or scorn, and it is utterly futile for us to renew them ; we suppose we most submit to our fate. Such is the language of the unfortunate ratepayers of Liverpool. Let those who argue in favour of the Pike Water inspect the specimens of it left from time to time at our office, and then say whether there is not just cause for complaint ; that such stuff, teeming as it does with the most digust ing matter—animate aad inanimate—should still be forced down the throats of the people. Why, the whole town, with one voice, condemns the filthy wash, whatever water engineers may say to the contrary, as every member of the Water Com mittee knows full well, although they dare not speak out. We are told by the Water Committe that the Pike and well water are now being supplied in about equal quantities, and that the gross quantity of the admixture furnished to the town weekly is about 70,000,000 gallons, or 10,000,000 gallons per diem, equal to a supply of 25 gallons per head per diem, to every man, woman, and child, in the Borough. Do the Water Engineers really wish us to credit such an absurdity ? This quantity of water may be wasted but it never can be legitimately used. We know, moreover, that the actual quantity delivered from the Rivington reservoirs does not exceed 3,000,000 gallons daily, or less than half the quan tity represented in the Water Engineer's report. Is there to be no end of this system of falsehood and deception on the part of Water Officials ? We believe not, so long as the present Water Committee remain in power. They are so thoroughly manacled, so much under the thumbs of their own officials that, how ever willing, they have not the power of emancipa ting themselves. The public of Liverpool never need expect to arrive at the truth on any of the many important points connected with that all important question—their water supply —so long as the present " incapables" remain on the Water Committee. After what has already transpired, those gentlemen would do well to retire from a duty, the performance of which they have proved themselves utterly inadequate to. Let them adopt the only course open to them, as gentlemen ;:and men of honour, auci rosign their ftmtious into the hands of those who are not trammelled with their incumbrances, they will thus prove their integrity, sincerity, and singleness of pur pose. We are well aware that the committee, some time ago, seriously contemplated the adoption of the course we have here indicated ; but they hesitated, vaccinated, and ultimately abandoned that original, wise, and manly determination—at least for a period. The public will look forward with considerable interest to the report which is promised for the next council. We confess, however, from the known tendencies of the agents, or, at least, some of those employed to investigate the subject, that we have no confidence, whatever, in any beneficial results accruing to the inhabitants from the proceedings of those parties. Mr. Spencer will, no doubt, as usual, theorise with all his plausi bility, and, for doing so, will have another long pull at the Corporate purse. But what can he or all the other chemists in Christendom, d o to improve the quality of the Pike bog-wash, so as to make it proper for dietetic purposes ? Why, absolutely nothing. Granting it possible that its colour may be improved, that its appearance may be rendered less offensive to the eye by some costly means of filtration, yet, what of that ? The deliterious animal, vegetable, and mineral matter, which this water holds so largely in solution, cannot be removed by any process of filtration whatever; hence, however sparkling it might be made to appear, yet all its worst qualities would still remain unaltered. In short, we have not the slightest faith in the• present proceeding. The result will soon be before the world ; but, in the meantime, we shall have something more to say on the subject. REDPATH'S FRAUDS.—We find the following in the London Times of Tuesday :—Mr. E. Denison, the chairman of the Great Northern Railwgy, has given in a characteristic letter what he considers to be his side of the question with regard to the cost of ltedpath's frauds being thrown upon the preference shareholders. Both parties have spoken, and the public, therefore, may now judge. The facts of the case as they are now understood, stand simply thus—From neglect of duty on the part of Mr. Denison and his colleagues, Redpath, through a series of years, was able to issue large amounts of ficticious stock. The fraud was discovered only in a lump, and then the point was how should it be met. The preference shareholders, whose cause has lately been advocated, are entitled at all times to their full dividend before the ordinary shareholder can receive anything. If the frauds had been provided for year by year as they occurred, those parties would consequently have suffered nothing. There would in each year have been not only enough to pay them, brit even to leave a fair dividend for the others. Owing to the mismanagement of the directors, however, the shareholders remained in ignorance of what was going on, and thus each year dividsd among themselves amounts to which they were in ne way entitled. When the aggregate loss became known, were they to refund what they had im properly taken ; should they meet It by a creation of stock, or by gradual appropriations for the future; or, should they take the amount out of the current half year's receipt ? In the latter case there would not be enough to meet the claims of the preference shareholders, and, as these parties had never received a shilling to which they were not entitled, and it was, moreover, a stipulation in their Act that their dividend was to be so much per annum, thus enabling them to claim that the loss should, at all events, be thrown over an entire year, in which case they would have had to contribute nothing, th e injustice of such proposition was at once admitted. The directors, said Mr. Denison, " cannot support any bill that would throw upon the Preference Stock any portion of the loss, and thereby shake the confidence of the Public in all such stock." Thus far all was well, and the tone taken by the directors induced shareholders of all classes to trust them with their proxies, for in Eng land there is rarely any disposition to sharp practice among such bodies, unless it is prompted by those who are officially supposed to know what is best. At a subse quent meeting, however, it turned out that there was some legal difficulty to prevent the deficiency being met, as had been proposed, by a creation of stock ; and then the directors, as if they had no other alternative, ad loted and carried a measure to admit of throwing it upon the current half-year. An alternative suggested to Mr. Denison as the proper one, by the chairman of com mittees of the Muse of Lorde that it should be made up from the future dividends of himself and his colleagues, was carefully suppressed, and so obscure were the proceedings, and so adroit the confusion gene rated, that many of the parties destined to be mulcted seemed until the eleventh hour to have no consciousness of what was intended. In calm trust upon Mr. Denison's assurance they gave no further heed to the matter. Ulti mately it appeared that the proxies obtained by the direc tors when they professed an intention to act justly by the preference shareholder.; were used to carry the day against them, The Bill for the proposed arrangement, therefore, was introduced into the Commons, and lately went through its second reading in the Lords, with a strong protest against its injustice by Lord St. Leonards and Lord Wensleydale. On Wednesday last a meeting of the share holders was called to approve it, and, as the prefer ence holders, whose rights are compromised, constitute only a fraction of the entire body of voters, they of course had little chance, especially as Mr. D en i son on the occasion exhibited that high mode of dealing with minorities of which Mr. Hudson may elaim to have been the originator. Bat the bill had still to pass the committee of the Lords, and the victims expected that here their case would be recognised, or that, at all events, they would learn in what it is defective. To their astonishment, however, without any new light being throWn upon it, the bill was sanctioned forthwith, and to-morrow it will go through its third reading, which will, it is pre sumed, be merely a matter of form. In reviewing the whole affair; Mr. Denison takes elevated ground. He does not deny his first avowal that the measure is of such a character as to destroy the confidence of the public in all preference shares, nor even assert that his conviction on that point is changed, neither does he justify the suppres sion of the recommendation of Lord Redesdale, that as a penalty for the gross neglect he and his colleagues should take the burthen on themselves. The share• holders, he says, are the persons who are answerable for what has been done. Mr. Denison used their proxies, but they must be responsible for his mode of using them. This is the whole gist of his statement. The rest consists of a sneer at tho sufferers, an unfounded allegation that they have endeavoured by a side wind to exalt their shares into the superior condition 01 guaranteed shares, and an insinuation, such as is happily now heard, perhaps, for the first time from an English gentleman, that the law lords who spoke against the bill, and whose whole lives have been characterised by the habit of dismissing every personal feeling from their judicial functions, were biased by sordid motives. Mr. Denison laughs at the idba of his opponents being astonished at the result of the hearing before the Lords' committee. Considering how many persons, if they had been in his position, would have been depressed by self-reproach after the Redpath discovery, to say nothing of disingenuousness subsequently exercised, his determination to ignore the whole, and to throw taunts aid accusations against all corners, will now at least furnish food for that emotion, Mr. Denison, in yesterday's Times, makes the following reply to the above statements :—I am not going to be so fooli4h as to enter in,() an argument ; with a uawspaper, but I demand a right to expose a series of the most gross misstatements I ever saw in any article in The Times which you have allowed the writer of your City Article to publish to-day, under the pretence of giving a fair summary of the case between the ordinary and preference shareholders of this company. 1. There has now been ample opportunity of proving whether Redpath's frauds were owing to the " mismanage ment" and " negleect of the directors," and the result has been that the only person on whose neglect the committee of either Honse of Parliament made any remark is Mr.W. H. Clark, who was for eight years bead registrar over Red path, at a salary twice as large as that of any of the directors, and who 11 times over certified under his own hand, as was shown to the committee, that the register was correct, when, in fact, it was full of annually increasing forgeries. 2. It is not true that there is spy stipulation in any Act of the company that any of the preference share ho'ders should have so much dividend " per annum," as your writer asserts there is; and the Attorney-General has pronounced that no such claim can be maintained ; and, if it were true, they are now attempting to get recouped out of the ordinary shareholders' dividends of 1857 for their loss in 1856. 3. It is not true that the directors declared " they could not support any Bill that would throw upon the preference stock any portion of the lose." It is true that they said they" could not take upon themselves" to do it; and it is also true that they were, nevertheless, required to do it by the almost unanimous resolution of the first meeting of the shareholders in favour of an amendment upon the directors' own resolution. 4. It is not true the directors suppressed the " recom mendation of Lord Redesdale that as a penalty for their negl( cL the directors should take the burden of the loss upon themselves," Lord Redesdale expressed no such opinion, and, if he had, it would have been so absurd for him to do so without any investigation of the facts, or any legal decision upon them, that the reading of such an opinion could only have injured his reputation, and not ours. The whole of what Lord Redesdale wrote, his decision as to what the Standing Order Committee would allow, and his own individual opinion on the case was read to the meeting last Wednesday, when the Bill was approved by a large majority; and the council for the Bill had before offered to read it to the committee in the Commons, who refused to heor it, as immaterial. 5. So far is it from being true that " many of the parties destined to be mulcted seemed until the eleventh hour to have no consciousness of what was in tended,":that a report of the proceedings on the 12 h of March had been in the hands of every shareholder for four months, and a com mittee had been sitting for a month before the meeting which sanctioned the Bill before it went into the Lords' committee, getting up all the opposition they could, by advertisements and circulars to the shareholders. 6. The statement that " the proxies obtained by the directors when they professed an intention to act justly by the preference shareholders were used to carry the day ar.rainst them" I pronounce to be a gross and deliberate falsehood, either on the part of the person who wrote that statement or of some one else who furuished him with it ; for it is notorious that none of these proxies were used at all, the meeting being so unanimous that nobody thought of demanding a poll. Moreover, the majority of those proxies were not from preference shareholders, as is here and has been elsewhere insinuated, but from ordinary shareholders: and this too was proved before the corn - mittee on the bill, so that the excuse of ignorance cannot be made for even this mis-statement. 7. Of course it is in one sense true that the preference shareholders " constitute only a fraction of the entire body of voters," inasmuch as anything short of the whole is a fraction ; but it is as untrue as most of this writer's other statements, that they therefore '• had little chance at the meeting ;" for the fact is that the various classes of shareholders interested in opposing or altering this bill constitute a considerable majority of the entire body ; and yet, nevertheless, as this writer very well knows, the vote against the bill, by themselves and their proxies, only re presented one-ninth, and the petitioners against it less than one-fortieth of the entire stock of the company. After these specimens of the veracity of your City Ar ticle writer, I am quite content, as he proposes, to let the public form their own opinion without further argument. THE COURT, &c. TUESDAY, JULY 14.—The Countess de Neuilly and the Duke and Duchess de Montpensier visited her Majesty at Buckingham Palace. His Royal Highness Prince Frede rick William of Prussia, attended by Baron de Moltke, paid a visit to the Duche-s of Orleans at Thames Ditton. Prince Frederick William left Buckingham Palace for Germany, attended by Baron de Moltke. Mr. F. Caven dish, one of her Majesty's Grooms in Waiting, attended his Royal Highness to Dover. Lady Macdonald has suc ceeded Viscountess Jocelyn as Lady in Waiting to the Queen. Lord Waterpark and Colonel the Hon. A, N. Hood have relieved Lord Byron and Sir Frederick Stovin in their duties as Lord and Groom in Waiting. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands at Claridge's Hotel. His Majesty the King of the Belgians visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent. Prince Frederick Wil liam of Prussia and the Duke de Nemours also visited the Royal Duchess at Clarence-house, St. James's. In th e evening her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent dined with her Majesty at Buckingham Palace. THE QUEEN AT ALDERSHOTT.—Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by the Prince Consort and the younger branches of the royal family, will leave town this day for Aldershott, with the intention of remaining - a couple of days in camp. A grand review of all the troops has been arranged to take place on Friday, and those who have any interest in witnessing a "field day" will do well to make arrangements to be pra;ent on that occasion—probably the only opportunity that will be afforded during the season of witnessing the whole of the troops engaged in mimic warfare. THE PRINCE OF WALES.—His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, travelling under the came of Lord Ren frew, arrived at Aix-la-Chapelle on the afternoon of the 11th inst. After receiving the compliments of the military authorities stationed at Are-la-Chapelle, the Prince pro ceeded to the Hotel of the Grand Monarque, which was suitably prepared for his reception. The spacious court yard of the hotel, enlivened by many of the national flags of England waving above tiers of choice flowers, was filled with the English resident there, who were all eager to behold their young Prince. The Prince, after gracefully acknowlAging these attentions, proceeded to tike posses sion of the suite of apartments prepared for his reception, being the same which were occupied by his father Prince Albert, on the occasion of his journey to England to claim the hand of Q seen Victoria. On the following day, after making a due inspection of the principal monuments of this ancient city, his royal h7gbuess lefc by the afternoon train for Kcenigswinter. PRINCE NAPOLEON'S VI3IT TO THE MANUF.I.O mimes OP MANCHE3TER—After leaving the Exhibition, the Prince and suite proceeded to the Strangeways Engraving Works, Bury New Road, whither the mayor had shortly proceeded them to give notice of the intended visit, and there they were introduced to Mr. Joseph Lockett, Mr. Henry Lockett, and Mr. Leike, the partners of the firm, and by them conducted over the works. The illustrious party manifested much interest in what they saw, and were exceedingly pleased with the buildings and general arrangement of the works. After spending nearly an hour in the Strangeways Works, the Prince and party proceeded to the warehouse of Messrs. J. and N. Philips and Co., Church-street, where they were received by Mr. Mark Philips and Mr. Jas. Chadwick. Nearly an hour was spent in Messrs. Philips's warehouse, the Prince ex, Pressing himself very much pleased, and then the party, about two o'clock, proceeded to Messrs. Whitworth and Co's engineering works, Chorlton-street. As the party had ogoo without notice, Mr, Whitworth VY4S not present, t o receive them, but Mr. Hulse, the manager, WAS at hand, and conducted them through the works. The Prince took a great interest in the machinery and mechanical appliances, and evinced considerable knowledge of mechanics, as well by the questions he addressed to Mr. Hulse, as by the readiness with which he appre hended what was explained to him: With the rifles, and the large shot for ordnance, he was very much pleased. The clean and orderly appearance of the works also attracted the Prince's attention, and he manifested especial interest in the steam travelling crane in the erecting shop, and the steam crane in the foundry. In Mr. Whit worth's works a full hour was !neat ; and, on leaving, the Prince signed his name in the visitors' book, "Napoleon, Prince Francais." The party next proceeded to the vul canised India rubber works of Messrp. Chas. M'lntosh and Co., where they were received by Mr. Thomas H. Birley and Mr. Herbert Birley, and by them, accompanied by the manager, Mr. Woodcock, taken through the various de - partments of the works, and shown the various processes of the manufacture. The Prince appeared to have previously taken considerable interest in the subject, as he manifested a remarkable acquaintance with the various processes, and very readily comprehended what Mr. Woodcock explained to him. Arter spending about an hour in these works, the illustrious party returned to the Queen's Hotel. TIM QUEEN or HOLLAND.—Her Majesty the reigning Queen of Holland, travelling incog., and a suite of twenty one persons, disembarked on Tuesday, at Woolwich, from the Dutch steamer Cyclop. The Queen is accompanied by her younger son. After her arrival at Claridge's hotel she was visited by the Duchess of Kent. AMUSEMENTS, &c. THE AMPHITHEATRE —On Tneaday night the new mele-drama, "Joseph Chavigny," was performed. This piece was not very successful in London, so far as the general opinion of the audience was concerned, but was fortunate enough to secure no common share of praise from very high critical authorities among the daily and weekly papers. It was eulogised for originality of con ception and incident, and far sparkling epigrammatic lan guage. We can only soy ftr ourselves that we did not form an equally high estimate of its merits. It is the genuine, old melo-drama of the stamp with which we are all thorough'y familiarised from our earliest nlav-going associations. The principal character, Joseph Chavigny, is the old famil'ar villain of the romance and the stage— something of Karl Moor, something of Paul Cli f ford, something of Robert Macaire—who has been cast out by society, and charges all his vices upon it in consequence, avenging, moreover, his early wrongs by scathing sar casms upon all its institutions and deceits. Any one at all up in this kind of litera'ure can easily enough from the beginning anticipate all the movements and the fate of the hero. We are not surprised that he has a coarse and brutal comrade, whose passions he dreads, and whom he has to keep in order partly by conciliation, partly by stern gaze and firm tone. That he has a daughter, who visits him in his den, and whom he first repels, and then melts over, is only to be expected. That when, on the point of committing murder, he suddenly hears the sound of the evening bell in a church, remembers his mother and his childhood's innocence, and drops his hand, is an incident properly appertaining to such a hero. Finally, when he is shot by the brutal comrade, we see with calmness the precise catastrophe we had been expecting all through. These are the leading points of the drama, and the dialogue is of the kind adapted to set them off. This is just what this kind of mele-drama began with. Time has come round, and where we did begin there now we end. Let us hope that the life of this species of dramatic performance has therefore nearly done i's compass. If anything could have given new life to such a theme it would have been the acting of Mr. Webster. We have never seen that gentleman display more genuine dramatic force than he threw away upon the part of Joseph Chavigny. The greed of money, the heartlessness, Jthe sudden change of emotion, the bursts of passion, the frantic despair, were embodied with a natural power which sometimes produced an electric effect upon the audience. If the talent of the actor could make real such a specimen of the nearly extinct "storm and force" school, Mr. Webs'er's singular ability and careful study, would have produced that very questionable result. Mr. Paul Bedford was in his own department, only less effective in the degree of importance attaching to his part. He performed the coarse embruted son of the guilldine, with befittingly rude force. Perhaps, theta were sometimes, occasional reminis cenceseen P r a e " t m o e c n ri tlc evidentise it i t o n o t he . he nearly. re n d e ring r. of the of the if L o o u n f e t Wright was as irresistibly comic as usual, in "Welcome Little Stranger," and " My Precious Betsy." Last night the p(rf)rmances were for the benefit of Mr. Paul Bedford. ' Mother and Child are Doing Well" was the opening piece,which was followed by the burlesque on "Norma" and other entertainments suited to Mr. Bedford's peculiar and original humour. The performers were all as effective, and as much applauded, as ever. LIVERPOOL BANKRUPTCY COURT —YBSTERDAY.—(BEFORE MR. COMMISSIONER PERRY.)-I.O'VR v. LAWRENSON•—The bankrupt, chain and anchor maker, of Liverpool, came up this day on his last ex Itnination, and passed; and a day was fixed for the certificate meeting. INQUEST.—Aa inquest was held yesterday, before Mr. Curry, coroner, upon the bony of a lad named James Syons, sm of a fisherman living in Frederick-street, who fell out of his father's boar, when lying in the Prince's dock, last Tuesday. A. verdict was returned accordi ng ly. SAILING OF THE AUSTRALIAN SHIP PIRENIX.—This fine and favourite Australian packet-ship, which is so well known in the trade, sailed yesterday for Melbourne, having been despatched by Mr. Walthevv, the well known manager of the G° Liverpool line." She had about 250 passengers, all respectable, and a full and valuable cargo of merchan dise. THE HEAD.—Keep your head cool, saith the philosopher. Ave, but how is that to be done in such weather as this ? It is said there is nothing new under the sun—hut that is very debatable, for if the new Summer Hats at Woxl's, of Lord-street, be not unique and without any comparison, then indeed co meth the proverb. There are three ingre dients in a hat—lightness, durability, and cheapness. As to the two first ingredients, the hats spoken of are incom parable; and as to the latter, it may be supposed when a first-class hat is had for 53 61 nothing more need be desired. This could not be done except that Mr. Wood has succeeded in purchasing au extensive bankrupt stock, at an immense sacrifice. Any one can Batley himself by looking'at the articles, which are truly astonishing in all respects. Who wonld have a bad hat now ? INDEPENDENT ORDER OF MODERN DRUIDS, LIVERPOOL DiSTRIXT.-LOYAL COUNTESS OF SEFTON LODGE.—The anniversary of this lodge was celebrated at the house of host John Green's, Dey's-lane, West Derby, on Monday last. the 13th July. The chair was ably filled by P.A. Henry Lea, supported on the right by N.A. Peter Punstall, and on the left by P.A. John Hindle. The vice-chair was occupied by Brother Joseph Haggerty, and his supporters on the right were Brother Garner, and on the left by Brother Bagley. The dinner furnished to the members by their worthy host, comprising everything that the season and goof catership could supply, was amply provided;, the viands being as varied as the taste were numerous, and justice was accordingly done to the beenty of his board. After the cloth had been removed, the harmony of the evening commenced by the chairman proposing the follow ing toasts, viz Her Most Gracio is Majesty the Queen," " His Royal Highness Prince Albert," " His Royal High ness the Prince of Wales, and the rest of the Royal. Family," " Prosperity to the Loyal Countess of Senon. Lodge," " Our Worthy Host," &0., &c. The toasts were and brotherhood among those who form this and similar succeeded by excellent and appropriate songs, which added greatly to the hilarity and conviviality of all present. The meeting altoge'her was one of the most calculated agreeable to and fosterhappy andcement that could fa en s o b l i e desired, f and w kindness mutual benefit institutions. SCHOoL TREAT.—On Tuesday, the teacltera and children connected with the Zion Free Gospel Ch urch, Elizabeth sireet, had one of those delightful day's treat which at this season of the year is so much enjoyed by the juvenile: population of this town. At an early hour in tile after. noon, the teachers and children, about 150 in number, assembled in the schoolroom, and from thence repaired to the Wavertree Park, adjoining the Botanic Gardens, / where everything in the shape of amusement and enjoyment was prepared for them, the minister of the cheeoh, the Rev. Mr. Sanderson, doing his utmost to contribute to their comfort and happiness. After spending a. most delightful afternoon, the party returned to the school-room, where a most excellent and substantial tea wad provided for the children end the members of the congregation. After tea the minister, Mr. Sanderson, took the chair being sup ported by several of the leading members of the congrega tion, He delivered a very appropriate and interesting address, as did several other gentlemen. In the course of the evening the children, some thirty or forty in number, recited several scriptural pieces and dialogues in a very creditable style, much to the amusement and pleasure of their relative and friends, In the course of the evening the Rev. Mr. Sanderson was presented with a substantial token of respect from the congregation and teachers, which was feelingly and suitably acknowledged, and after spend ing a most agrecakle evening the meeting WOW up.