The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-02 00:00:00

KZ ANNUAL DAILY TIM EVENING EDITION rum TO THE NORTHER VO GUINEAS m ANNUM IQWI ri g ared, ar extensio Qr . An Evening Edition of the No Published every Allertiobn, at Thies e't eontabsing the Markets, together with all the News of Tiaras is n n to the hour of ving to Press , 1 !" it-tll4ll (LOC ey on TURDA ( e / Arlin and we put it to the whole community whether thi is a season for the Corporation to expend and for 4IIIIUF )O,GOO/. in addition to the large amouw the ilioCic Committee are authorised to borrow &Commons had been called under ti FEBRUARY --..,..-----. n answer to her I e of aI to be s I a paying ended to banks, hich is I " capital," by t roved deonspicuone ed amendment lit for Mr. HA' ) bankers and banking, we it the fate which has nded the limited liability measure of last What is meant the regulation of Joint Stock Companies we cannot divine and Joint Stoc of thos manag their affairs o the -t liable fo What the great ck creditor interest law fixing, unequivocally, the respon- who undertake the direction and in all matters relatir st reposed in them. As bankers are the safety of the ities placed in so ought Railway, It Companies' Directors be by their c and Steam-no. able for the millions of the share- ) their care directors appoint their subordinates ; ar d what the holders bstance entrusted t no ma in the dis ,harge of the chairman and the board of directors shall ma good the damage done to concern. If Mr. HiYTER gives us such an act great Joint Stock int reason -to be thankful. But if he m P est of the country will Aerely pro- - . to regulate the duties of directors it the shareholders Parliament stem of jobbery and at put an end to the s will not peculation w 1 him for g actual lelays Joint Stock portant is of overnraent dividends .hich has been so long without redress, shareholder must have some shorter c ,...,Ling at a public company's Lion than that of filing a bill in Chancery '—gelf in interminable costs and annuitant class has , and far more numerous, than with as much confidence is of incorpora- lareliold incolt nig • duty, 1 hay tliaracter. luestion, hover the directo ii~t~d by Parliament too long left unheeded ndivided wi til r wno nave ( assumed a majesti ation of the Joint must be settled barked Stock business of the country before the prevailing railways, is all titeit alone , to cart utility, have a most, indi tatior imputable claim on the Legislature for protection, and urging their case on - the attention of Parliament, they will obtain it before they g That species of local taxation, called " passing tolls," has excited the attent:- iovern - don of the ( nent, and augurs , well for those who moderate the local burthens of the country t it will have on the revenue this Borough and dock dues, the Corpora- If it should extend to through Liverpool, to or from foreign countries, it will sweep away our Town This the Burgesses must not seek to r. What es from its por tion will probably tell us goods passing Dues altogether submit to, particularly at a moment when the prodigality of the Council promises a large decrease in the Borough income. If it applies to shipping only, the public of Liverpool should give it their warmest support, and call upon both their members of Parliament to aid in carrying it forward with all their might. "Passing - as light dues charged upon shipping passing from Cape Clear to this port, are exceedingly onerous, and where there are other penses to be met on getting to Liverpool, it would be a matter of great importance to get as many other local tolls removed as possible. We might lose something in our Corporate income by the 'change ; bnt our shipping would obtain a far greater, advantage. We cannot do more, however, resent • than show we are fully alive to the import of alt those legislative movements whieli are . ever so remotely connected with the g re at , And trading interests of the .The,biUs to which we have alluded may be of far -'reater moment' than we have supposed ; but when we have an opportunity of perusing them we 'Shall be better abl e to point out their merits Ind defects, and to consider how they will operate n practice Burgesses of Liverpool are much indebted to Mr. HODSON, for having brought under discus sion the plans and movements in connection with the Birkenhead Docks. These matters were brought before a - mitt' meeting of the Council on ' it required no small share of Weclueiday ; anu ttiliodd.and sense of public duty for any man attempt the HoDsoN took that view of the ease whic h ev reasonable man entertain. He was not )pposed to the final purchase of the Birkenhead docks inded the Council of the depressed state of that property at the present moment, anciendeavoureci to impress upon them the pro- the h( eavy outlay . proposed to I auspiciou, moment In this he HORNBY, snubbed and and 'derided Hoi -1, CHARLES TCRNER. ) friends when opposed .heir mon I to Ti was opposed rebuked by Mr. SAMUEL and modestly reviled I Mr. HODSON had ilation- of joint-stoc I,a bill to abolis I passing tolls lation needed the interfer ,invited Liab act. of remained up to th ter. I t mitations with re n a law the employment of pctrine that it should not be hich would increase that ose who ad allure. What he producti But if it by the GoG and MAGoo of and he in favour therefore, withdrew his motion of discretion and economy That the Birkenhead Docks must be placed in a mar DAILY thorough, working condition is beyond all gues tion, on the principle suggested by Mr. HOLME, hat a half inished railway, or a house without a 3f, cannot be expected to pay But we n ust not Ele adage; The - fe is a time for all thine, extension Act of last year ! elf-evident that he interest of the mone, Birkenhead Docks int, t in putting condition Inns be taken Mr. HORNB do not hesitate to assert return ibsence of an authorised schedule nd pr tie extent, toge er with th he borough estate,'tai` tt corporat ad in 1854 1 that there is certain indica icipal income whiich have to make gogd by a borough on for sanctioning the expenditure of 800,0001. within the next two years ! It is quite true that the Corporation are bound to go to Parliament this session for an act to transfer the dock estate and its management to them. But they are not compelled not been re to seek powers to raise sc ection, ex, coney on lans whicl are as dif lifted to the public for the office of the Clerk situate in Cheshire, where Ecult of access to shipowners anc tierehants as it is possible - to render them The money is not to be laid out on the plans already sanctioned by Parliament, but in accord ance with a rival design emanating from Mr. i ARTLEY, _, who has taken as many days only as other .dock engineers would require months to digest and consider it scientifically. Mr. HARTLEY deals with tidal areas—with the capacity and 7 - ith the accumulation of mud banks, and other obstacles to navigation—with excavations and the deposit of the clay, sand, or stone, raised'from them—with the narrowing and deepening of natural inlets, through which flows a sufficient quantity of tidal water to secure and preserve the navigation of rivers, and their ap proaches, as though he was the most gifted of scientific men, and had proved the most unerring of all engineers. We will not say Mr. HARTLEY is reckless when he is thrown upon his reputation, but we cannot give him credit for plaCing sufficient value on time in considering such stupendous works; and WO are opposed entirely . . _ to the functions of rivers— prinCiple of allowing engineers to obtain Acts of Parliament for plans, which are to be altered and amended in the course of con- struction There are fixed and recognized laws to be observed in all such undertakings, and they cannot be provided for by a hasty glance at a large tract of land laid apart for docks. It may be very easy to sit down and set out on a sheet of paper a series of lines 'representing something like docks, with spaces for entrances; but calcu lating the loss of tidal power, and the innumerable evils which follow in its wake, is a far different matter, and should not be suffered to be undertaken on any man's bare ipsi dixit. The proposed plans have, in fact, been prepared with indecent haste, and probably the Council will find that Parliament will take this view )f them when they come before a committee of he House of Commor and the public, for dis- noble river has igation of the estuary of our , certainly, gained nothing by the already constructed ; and it remains those interested in the maritime great ness of the Mersey to see that no furthe r mischief is done by hurrying forward crude and immatured dock schemes. The population and locks commerce of Liverpool and the latter in ti Increase in a well ascer If r doubles it n fifty We have, there iple time to devote to examining such - projects in all their ramifications. Haste has done much towards bringing the Birkenhead estate into its present position. The great natural advantages of Wallasey pool were first destroyed by the costly operation and intolorable folly of bringing earth from Bidston hill to fill up its mouth, which had been designed by nature for docks ; and, according to Mr. HARTLEY'S plan, a large portion of the space thus filled up has now to be excavated; and it is proposed to place this same earth on a spot from which it has again to be removed, as a prelude to further excavations of its kindred soil ! There are rumours also afloat with regard to the depth amd width of the entrances to the new docks to which the Council ought to give some attention ; and the Conservator of the 11 Tersey ought to look clos e ly to the eff ec t these new docks w ill h ave on the bars at the mo u th of the river ; and to the navigation of the Me rsey generally. THE COURT FRIDAY, JAN. 31.—The Queen went in state yest er d ay to the Hous e o f P eers to open Parliament by a from the Thr one. Her Majesty and his Royal 'Hig speech hness the Prince r e t urne d to Buckingham Palace at two minutes before three o'clock, and were received by the Vice- Chamberlain. The Queen and Prince Albert left Buck ingham Palace for Windsor Castle at 20 minutes past four o'clock yesterday afternoon, attended by the Duchess of Wellington and suite. Her Majesty and his Royal High ness were conducted , to their carriage, by Lord Ernest Bruce, Vice - Chamberlain, and Colonel Francis Seymour, Groom of the Bedchamber to the Prince. A party of Light Dragoons escorted the Queen from Buckingham Palace to the Paddington terminus of the Great Western Railway. WINDSOR, JAN. 3l.—}Ter Majesty and his Royal High ness Prince Albert, attended by the Lady in Waiting and the Gentlemen of the smite, arrived at the Castle about a quarter past five o'clock this afternoon, having travelled from London by a special train on the Great Western Railway. O . , The 2, ari of Caithness, will be the new Lord Lieutenant Of Caithness in the room of his .father, the late Earl. T$E -SPEAYEEasaIp We have authority for stating thet the Speak of the Hou 'intenti on of.retiring. se of Comm ons h as no present Sir And ,rew Agnew will, we hear, start for Wigton on Liberal principles. The -seat is rendered vacant by Lord Dalrymple's retirenient. ---~-_ The, Gazette:of last night contains the cationuclay of Lancaster, Jan 30.--.ller Majesty h followin g notifi as been pleased this day to appo int Robert has of the Park, M anc h ester, to be Sheriff of the Philips, County Palatine of La ncaster.. for the year ensuing. • .. • f Cou'crYTOtrtit.7-T14:014' sat yesterday, and dis posed of a Considerable number of cases, none of which, however, possessed anypublicinterest. The Trustees of 'the , **.hiin :azid Toiteth.Hospite; have receiycd do,tiation,of.fpur,guineas 'from John Marsh, al3iikenhead, being one third of proceeds of o a de l l o:e of r for Mr. Hut c hi n ' s beautiful southbiscuit model, portico of St. G eorge ' s Hall. m ty th s e cl em NORTHERN TIMES.--LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1856. MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL. Eastern Counties 91 10, East Lancashire, '72 74. Great Northern, 92 93. Ditto A, 79 80. Great Western, 59_ 591. ,Lancashire• and York shire. 82 'B2l. London and 'North _Western ; 10011001. Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 251254. Midland Stock, 70k 701. North British, 304- 31. South Eastern and Dover,6ll 62. York, New castle, and. Berwick, 74 75. York and North Midland, 49 49k. LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY EVENING, There has been rather less activity in the Liver pool Cotton Market to-day, and the business done does.not exceeds 10,000 bales, inclusive of 2,000 taken for speculation and export. Prices, however, continue' firm, at I r d to id per pound, advance upon ldst Friday's' piices. The total sales of the week amounted to 84;500" bales, of which 12,000 have been taken for export, and 14,380 for specu lation. , :" LATEST INTELLIGENCE. The Liverpool Share Market opened flat at a decline upon yesterday's prices, but subsequently improved upon the rumour of good dividends, and 'lie close a - still further advance, equal to •, 2, Per. cent took pl ace i n t h e heavy stocks :—Aberdeen, 12i 12k. Chester and Birken head, 13k 132.. Caledonian, 281 t?`7,-. Chester and Holyhead, 122 131. Eastern Counties, 9k 98. , East Lancashire,- •17 18 Great Nor thern, 23 23g. Ditto A, 9 98. Great WeStern,'sB - 1 59. Lancashire and Yorkshire Stock, 812 82i, Liferpool, Crosby, and . Southport, 15k 15 0.. London _and _ North Western Stock,. 100 100 k. ManChestei, Sheffield and Lincoln, 2 . 51 - 251. Ditto Preference, 11k - Ditto 6 per cent Pref.,l Ip. Midland'Stock; 691 70k . 'North British, 7.9-16 7 11-10, North Staffordshire, 8 72d. South Eastern and Dover, 18 9-16 181. York, New- Castle, and Berwick, 18k 18k. York and North Mid land, 24k 25. Leeds Capital Stock,l4k 143-. Dutch Rhenish,l ip. Ditto New Shares, 2 3-16 21p. G reat .ern (of Canada, 2 5a 25k. Ditto 'New Shares, 31 3' 5'46n. Great Luxembourg; 8Z- 82d. . SECOND EDITION. COMPLETION OF THE PEACE PROTOCOL we 11 e received informatica which"enables Ille course of the Corn Market is still down ward,.and at the Liverpool Exchange this morning it was difficult to sell wheat at a decline of from 3d to 4d per bushel from the prices lbtainable on Tuesday. Flower was ls 6d per er sack lower, and other articles barrel, and 2s p in proportion With reference to the Tallow Trade. Ave quote the following' from the circular of Mr. F. J. Eaton, issued this day :-- The tendency of the London market throuhout the week has been towards gradually advancing rates, and there is less disposition to sell for the next two months' delivery, the stock of new tallow being firmly held for higher prices ; in the event of peace arising out of the present conference, (of which there now seems • little doubt) there would he no inducement to continue the overland trade, and as supplies could not arrive from St. Petersburg, via the Baltic, before the end of July or the beginning of August, consequently, the demand from the trade for the next six months must necessarily be supplied from the existing stock, which is at present 21,432 casks, against 36,119 in 1855; and as the deliveries from the Ist of February to the 30th of June last year, were 39,400 casks, this matter is well worthy of the attention of con sumers ; there are also symptoms of improvement in the country demand, owing in some measure to the supplies of home-melted not being so good ; yesterday 59s 6d was paid February 11 , 1arch,lbut at the close 593 per cwt was accepted, March April is quoted 555, April June 545, and for the last three months a large business was done at 52s 6d to 9d per cwt. There has been very little doing here, small sales of P.Y.C. at 59s to 60s per cwt; fine S. American offers at 60s, N. American at 56s to 59s per cwt, as in quality, and Neapolitan at 55s per cwt. The. Dublin--Mercantile Advertiser states that letters have been received from Glasgow announc ing the suspension of no less than four firms in the Corn Trade, with very heavy engagements. The same journal has commercial lett ers f rom S t. Petersburg, — Which states that owing to the sanguine opinion generally prevailing amongst all classes of a speedy peace, prices of wheat, and oats, and linseed, have continued to advance, and the exchange on England has also ftirther. risen. A meeting of the Scottish Australian Investment Company was held yesterday, at which an unusu ally large number of proprietors attended, A dividend at the rate of 15 per cent. upon the paid up capital, leaving a reserve of about 89501, was agreed to. Intelligence from Switzerland mentions that the subject of railway communication through the Cantons of Vaud and Friburg is engaging the ttention - of the Federal Government. At a session assembly held at Born, the council agreed to the construction of a line to the Bernese frontier by way'of Thorishnus and to the frontier of Vau doise by way of Payerne. The total length of the line will, be 46 kilos., and the cost of construction 9 million francs. Of this.sum the city of Friburg is to furnish 2 millions. This railway will be in connection with the Western Swiss Railway Com pany, whose line reaches the Bernese frontier from Geneva : and whose capital was furnished by the of the 'redit Mobilier Society t Paris ANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS, 32, for the We Act 7th and Sth Victoria, car ending Jan. 26, 1856. us to aMrm that the protocol was signed yester day (Friday), at Vienna, by the- Ministers of Russia, France, England, Austria, and Turkey. --....,,„_..._.____. RUSSIA Despatches received from St. Petersburg state that such are the hopes entertained of the conclu- sion of a peace that the Russian merchants are exhibiting great commercial activity, and have -- - been induced to make considerable purchases for exportation a FRANCE. - 40' (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) PARIS, THURSDAY EVENING. The telegraph has just brought the text of the Queen's speech, and, as I write, all Paris is en gaged in reading it. It is considered as by no means of so pacific a-character-as had - been ex pected—in other words, it fails to express that positive confidence in' peace which had been looked for. • A despatch from Vienna says, that the signing of the protocol, setting forth the acceptance of the Austrian propositions by Russia, was 'to take place yesterdey. After this, the Aus• trian Minister. of .Foreign Affairs was to con- 'voice the representatives of the Allied 'Powers; and read those propositions. Then Prince (forts chakoff was to read the despatch of Count de Nes selrode accepting then t and then two sets of minutes recording what had been done, were to be drawn up.' Neither Prussia nor Piedmont, it is said,' were, to take any part in 'these:proceedings. -7A Vienna letter; in the Cotistiiutionnelialleges that Lord Clarendon, in a despateh,.to Sir H. Seymour, declares that, after reading the despatch of Count Nesselrode, announcing' the acceptanCe of the Austrian propositions, the English Cabinet entertained not the sli g ht es t h es i tat i on as to the signing of thfi preliminaries of peace, and the con- In the same letter formalities which THE FRENCH FUNDS PARIS, FRIDAY EVENING, The business in the Funds closed on the Bourse to-day at the following quotations :—Four and a Half per Cents., 96f 20c. ; Three .per Cents., 71f. 80c LONDON GAZETTE BrINKRUPTS.—HENRY FIELD, Staverton-row, Wal worth-road, tea dealer and grocer. Jour/ . SHOOLBRED, Jermyn-street, tailor and surgical bandage maker. JAMES LOMAX, Warrington, Lancashire, licensed victualler. Tilos. HESLINGTON, Birmingham, straw and meal dealer. FREDERICK ROBERTS, Drwyham, Denbighshire, flour and provision dealer. EDGAR CROWE, Colchester, boot and shoe maker. CHARLES WILLIAMS, Wilby-terrace, Mile End, tea dealer and grocer. GEORGE FOSSEY, and JAMES STEELE, Norway-wharf, Millwall, Middlesex, timber merchants; and of Trinity-street, Rotherhithe, Surrey, lightermen. RICHARD GILL, and HENRY EDE, builders. SAMUEL I3A YLEY, Pdaeclrsfield, Cheshire, cotton spinner and manufacturer. JOSEPH NIXON SEWELL, and THOMAS RATTINSON, .Newcastle-upon. Tyne, chemists and druggists. Qum( DESPATCH.—The new iron clipper ship Mary Stanhouse, from Akyab, 'owned by Edward Bates, Esq., having on board 22,511 bags rice, was discharged, and cargo warehoused in the transit shed, No. 2, Prince's doth, under the usual regulations in 29 hours, by Messrs. John and James Mullins, stevedores. FATAL ACCIDENT.—On the 31st ult.. John Curry, aged 28, a dock labourer, who was at work in the Waterloo dock, o❑ board the ship Plymouth Rock, was accident ally hurt and died yesterday in the Northern Hospital from the effects of the injuries he had received. An inquest will be held on the body this day. LECTURES ON CELTIC CIVILISATION.—We perceive by an advertisement in another part of our paper, that Mr. M'Carthy is to deliver a course of lectures on the Civilisa. tion of the Celtic Race, in the Hall of the Catholic Insti tute, Hope-stree', and from the great interest excited by his dissertation on lush History, which appeared in the Nation newspaper a few years since, we have reason to believe that the public will enjoy a correct and proper estimate of the real condition of the Celtic people in those early times. MONTHLY REPORT.—EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY, No. 90, To' OF MOUNT PLEASANT.—Surgeons : Hugh Neill, Esq., John Poole, E , q., and Dr. R. }ltbbert Taylor. Assistant surgeon, Dr. Nevins; - treasurer, William Langton, Esq. Eye department : new patients admitted in the month of January, 344. Patients prescribed for, and who have received surgical assistance during the month of January, 1356. Ear department : Patients prescribed for, and who have received - surgical assistance during the month of January, 389. THE GOSPEL IN NEW ZEALAND.—Last night, a meet ing of the subscribers and friends of the Church Missionary Society was held in Hope-hall, Hope-street, to hear statements from the Rev. Richard Taylor, mis sionary in New Zealarrl, and Hipango, a native chief, iu reference to the progress of the Gospel for the last twenty years in that important colony. The Rev. Mr. Taylor acted as interpreter to Hipango, and gave also himself most interesting details iu connection with the New 'Zealand mission. MR. JAMES CHEETHAM'S AFFAIRS.---At a meeting on Thursday of the creditors of Mr. James Cheetham, spin ner and manufacturer, summoned by Mr. William Sale, solicitor, a resolution to the following effect was unani mously adopted :—" That Mr. Cheetham's offer of lOs in the pound, payable in five 'yearly instalments of 2s each, be accepted ; that as these instalments are un guaranteed, the business shall be carried on until they are paid, under the inspection of Mr. Henry Bury, banker; Mr. John Platt, machine maker; and Mr. Joseph Simpson, spinner and manufacturer." The Duke of Newcastle made his appearance on Thurs day, in the House of Lords, with a well-developed ( rimean beard, as,An evidence of his ;recent tour in the East. THE COLONIES.—A parliamentary return, printed yester day morning, shows that the expenditure of Great Britain, on account of her colonies, in the year 1853.4, was £3,288,338. The Prase contradicts the rumour that the Indepentlance Beige had been sold to some foreign bankers. That jour nal will, it :says, remain in the hands of the present proprietors. The Spanish government has given orders to its agents in Africa to come to an understanding with the Emperor of Morocco for establishing on his territory a lighthouse, at the south-western extremity of the Straits of Gibraltar. The following are the new rates of pay to captains in commission :—The first 70 are to receive £7Ol 2s. Id. per annum ; the next 100, £574 17s. 6d.; all others, £450 3s. 4d. Commodores, whose pendants are now flying, will not, however, benefit by this arrangement:until the Ist of April next. A bitter altercation took place in the Spanish cortes on the 23d Jan, between M.Orense and Marshal O'Donnell, leading to arrangements fur a hostile meeting. The gene rals in the cortes promptly met and signed a declaration that the marshal ought not to fight, and thus the matter is, for the present at least, disposed of. PARLIAMENTARY PETITIONS. —The total amount of money paid for printing and folding the reports, appendices, and indices on public petitions to Parliament, was in 1854-55. 1,7451., against 1.7921. in 1854, and 2,4481. in 1852-53, the average of the three years having been 1,9951. Fifty-eight autagraoh M.S. compositions by Mozart, several of which have never been published, are now being exhibited at Berlin. They consist of " Apollo and Hyacinthus," the three-act opera " Mitridate," (composed by Mozart in his fourteenth year for the Milan Opera House), and the two-act dramatic cantata "II Re Pastore." • THE STRIKE AT Afareenesnat.—On Thursday evening a meeting of the self-acting minders and piecers on strike was held at the People's Institute, Heyrod-street. The attendance was about the same as at previous meetings. The Secretary said that their position at present demanded their cairn and serious attention. They were now suffering for their own neglect of duty. When they went to the country districts to look for assistance, the trades in those districts knew very well the number of males at work in Manches ter; and their delegates had to be deaf, dumb, and blind, when they were asked what Manchester men were doing. The fact was, that, with the exception Of two or three shops, the men of Manchester were not paying anything like what they ought to pay. Notwithstanding all the difficulties they had to contend with, with starvation staring many of them in the face, and with their masters being more tyrannical than they had been for many years,thinking now the men were beaten, they would find that the hands were not half beaten, if those on strike and those in work only acted in concert. if the men did not want to work for nothing, or to be crushed for ever beneath the iron hoof of oppression, they should attend those shops that were working and tell tha hands there that they must pay, If they did that, he could pledge himself for the country districts that they would not be behind. The country delegates, notwithstandirg the apathy of Manchester, were not willing that they should lose the struggle at the eleventh hour, and they had put an extra lid ou themselves for a fortnight. He would again urgo those on strike to attend the shops that were working, and rouse the hands there. If each minder and piecer at work would pay Is per minder and 8d per piecer, it would bring in more in one week than all that had been got yet since the strike com menced. It was suggested by different speakers that some means should be taken to disabuse the public mind of the false notion that prevailed in some quarters town, th a t the strike was at an end. A. vo of the te of thanks was passed t o the ballad-singers, and another vote to that portion of the public who had sympathised with the bal lad-singers. After one of the strike songs :had been sung, the meeting separated until next Wednesday evening, at , : the same place . West An Acc ISSUE DEPARTMENT. _... Notes issued • . £24,173,580 Government £11,015,100 Other securities 3,459,900 Gold Coin and Bullion 9,698,580 £24,173,580 Total .... £24,173,580 Proprietors' ca pital Rest Public deposits Other Sew day, and other bills .. BANKING DEPARTMENT. Credit. Government 5e £14,553,000 curities £12,636,261 3;376,630 Other securities 16,7.50,656 3,264,205 Notes 4,874,975 12,871,553 Gold and silver coin 844,027 • . £34,909,415 Total ... £34,909,415 The foregoing Bank Returns show the following results when compared with those of the preceding week :--Notes issued, decrease 110,2901; bullion in both departments, decrease 79,2091; rest, increase 11,4181; public deposits, decrease 594,0321; other deposits, decrease 640,6921; seven days and other bills, increase 17,7771. On the credit side, govern ment securities have decreased 1,091,985/. other securities decreased 106,400/. Notes unemployed, decrease, 38,2251. Actual circulation, 19,298,6051; decrease, 72,0651. The English Funds opened this morning at a decline of a per cent. A. number of the late ope rators for arise have come forward as sellers, the Queen's Speech, and last night's debate in Parlia ment not entirely corroborating their sanguine expectation's of an immediate peace. In the after noon, however, there was a recovery, assisted by news of a fresh rise at Paris. The Funds generally closed the same as yes terday, namely at 91. In the Stock Exchange reonerwas, to-day, in less active demand, but still commanded 61 to 7 per cent. on Government Securities. In Lombard-street, also, there was a material subsidence of the late pressure. It is stated,, however, that the applications at the bank, yesterday, represented the e:ltraordinary aggregate of 'upwards of a million.. The requirements in connexion with , ,the heavy - Stock • • Exchange settlement in the Shares and Foreign Stocks have now been met, and' the preparations made in anti cipation of the commercial settling of the 4th inst. and of the Consols liquidation of the 7th inst. will tend:to diminish the pressure at those dates. One of tite chief feAures in the day's business in the Stock4;xchange .was a decided rise in the Railway Share Market. • L on d on and South Western Stock advanced 4 ,per cent. on the official a nnouncement of the dividend. The sub" j are th e latest quotations ofub the Foreign Exchanges ':-Amsterdam sh or t, 11 17 to 11 171 Do : Three Months, 11 191 to 12. R otterdam,Do.,.ll 191 to 12. Antwerp, Do., 25 50 to 25 55, B russels,Do., 25 50 to 25 35. Hamburg, Do., 13 91 to .18 10.}.. Paris, Short, 25 25 t o 25 30. 'Do., Three • :Months, '25 671 to 25 721' M ar , sales, Do., 25' 671. to 25 721. .Frankfort. Do., 1,20 to 1201. Vienna, Do., 10 47 to . 10 52 . Trieste Do., 10 50 to A.O 54. Petersburg, Do., 0 t o ' 0. Madrid, Do., 49! to 491 The Paris Bourse con ti nues t o show a strong upward tendency. The money price of the 3 per Cent. Rentea closed to day about 7- 7 , per cent. higher than yesterday ; but the rise in the quota tion f 4 account is as much as one per cent 'Telegraph advices from St. Petersburg of so late a date as the 30th January, report a further rise in thd price - Of tall6w, which has reached 142 roubles. The exchange 'On London has'at the same time advanced to ..3.7441. These changes point to a decided increase of confidence, and must be inter.. preted as indicatinr , that a belief in peace prevails amongst the St. Petersburg mer cria.nts. Weunclerstand that considerable purchases of c bun '!"ye have b een ma d e i n Arc h ange l on D utch ac t,- - in anticipation o f th e , conc l us i on of peace. The Railw a y Sh are M ar k et was extremely buoyant to-day, especially in the afternoon. The closing prices were thus quoted :—Caledonian, 56.1 elusion of a general armistice. it isstated that, the differer will hay ratified to be gone through, requ i r i ng t o b e by 'espei;tive goyernments, it will not be possible to open the con -es on peace in this city, until towards e of. March. On this point, however, he is, probably mistaken. He alleges, moreover, that the Austrian Government is ab,,ut to proceed with an immediate reduction of its army, so as to limit the war budget to 10,000,000 florins a month. It is said that the bi-weekly newspaper, the Figaro, of this city, is to be stispended. An official return shows that the total receipts from ' • the • French railways last year were 269,258,810 f., which were 71,216,709 f. more than in the preceding year. The Council of State of Switzerland, in a recent sitting, sanctioned, almost unanimously, the treaty of commerce recently concluded between Swit zerland and England. . ferenc, the midd The last letters from Stockholm say that the vexation of the public at the probability of peace was on the increase. The text of Count Nesselrode's first reply to the Austrian proposition has arrived here to-day, and will be in your hands from your Berlin correspondent before this letter. It is, therefore, only necessary to say of it that it is considered decidedly conciliatory. The Queen's speech was published in Paris on Thurs day afternoon, and produced a very favourable effect. It is considered moderate and dignified. There are now in the Southampton docks eight large war transports waiting government orders. viz., the Orinoco, Great Western, Ripon, Camila, Argo, Qieen of the South, Calcutta, and Hydaspes. They will convey: about. 8,000 troops. PMEBROKE DocxYAßD.—Notwithstanding all the rumours of peace, there is no t t h e s li ghtest abatement in the prepa rarions taking place here. The workmen are employed on the new gunboats from early morning until eight o'clock at night, and every shipwright applying for employment is aimitted into the arsenal. The works performing by contract • are also being pushed forward with the utmost urgency. THE SHERIFFS.—The nomination of the gentleman who is to fill the office of sheriff fur the county palatine during the current year has been made by the chancellor of the duchy. The following gentlemen were nominated at the privy council on Wednesday to serve for the counties appended to their names :—Cheshire-- Richard Christopher Naylor, of Hooton-hail, Esq ; Staffordshire—Richard Dyott, of Freeford, Esq ; York shire— Harry Stephen Thompson, of Kirby.hall, Esq ; Flintshire—Frederick Philips, of Bhual, Esq. COMMITTAL OF A BANKRUPT FOR PERJURY. —Benjamin Scott, blanket manufictorer, of Earlsheaton, near Leeds, came up at the Leeds District Court of Bankruptcy, on Tuesday, before Mr. Commissioner Ayrton, on his ad journed last examination. In the course of the interroga tories his Honour said (to the bankrupt), " You have already perjured yoqrself twenty or thirty times, sir. 1),) you want to spend the rest of lour life in York Castle ?" At the end of !he inquiry the bankrupt was committed for perjury and his last examination adjourned, without pro tection and sine die. CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT PETITION TO PARLIAMENT. —This petition has been signed by 10,353 out of the 11,000 persons interested. A few days ago the whole department of the Board of Trade, from Mr. Booth and Sir J. Emerson Tennent, the chief secretaries, down to the messengers, testified their earnestness in the common cause and their approval of the prayer of the petition by attaching their names. Mr. Thomas Hay Ferrer, a,sist ant secretary, Rear-Admiral Beechey, Captain Walker, and Captain Galton, of the marine department of the Board of Trade, are also among the petitioners. Mr. Walter Larkins, who has hitherto been associated with Mr. Bromley and his " widows' insurance scheme," has left both, and given his adhesion to a mode of settling this question in a way more simple, politic, and chnson sound English sense and feeling. We are glad anderstand that the lion. Mr. Spring Rice and . 11airn (son of the late Hon. Henry), Commis sioners of her Majesty's Customs, have also signed the petition, and thus testify not only t )(sir personal interest in this question, but their consideration of a grievance which has been the fruitful cause of much discontent in their department as well as in the others. Sebastopol,Jan. 19. —There is little to record during the past week but the rumours with which the camps have been agitated respecting the cessation of hostilities, and the plans of the future campaign, in case negociations for peace should be unsuccessful: These rumours are so contradictory that they are scarcely worth repeating. Preparations are being made to meet all contingencies. The regiments are frequently d. Hied, and marched out at regular intervals by brigades. The whole army is going through a regular course of target practice. The land transport corps is reported to be fast gaining its efficiency. Lieut. J. 11. Messenger, of the 46th regi ment, was killed by an explosion on the 15th, while engaged with a few men in blasting some rock. Since the last mail left the weather has been very variable, but without any remarkable extremes of temperature. The roads are maintained in an efficient state by constant repairs. No change has taken place as regards the fire from the northern heights, nor in the disposition o f t h e Mackenzie pl a t eau. On Wednesday an armistice was declared till four o'clock in the afternoon, up to which time the Russians and the French amused themselves by walking about in the Tchernaya valley in front of the outposts: They were so near together, that they could distinctly see each other's countenances. —Daily News. MARRIAGES AND BIRTHS.-37,151 marriages were celebrated in the quarter that ended on September 30th, or less by 999 tuan the numbers in the corresponding quarter of 18:54. 148,853 births were registered in the last quarter of the year 1855 ; or more in number by 2,394 than the births in the corresponding quarter 01 1854. There was an increase of births in every division, except in the two divisions south of th e Th ames , and in the eastern counties. The- registrars account in various ways for the decrease of births. At Royston the registrar says—" Many young married men are gone into the militia." The militia is referred to also by the registrar of Hatfield ; and at St. Albans "the removal of many young women with the numerous recruits," accounts for the decrease of births. Upon the other hand, " the formation of the camp at Alder shott," it is said, " accounts for the increase of births and deaths" in the district of Farnham. The registrar of Southampton notices that only 84 births took place in May, while the lumbers in that month in previous years had varied from 95 to 142; ,and on the whole he has a decrease in the year of 136 births ; which he attributes " to the fact that so many ships belonging to this port have been de tained in. the Black Sea, rather than to a diminution of the population."—Registrar tYeneral'a Quarterly Report. A GIGANTIC CAUSE.—A person named Paris, keeper of the Cafe des Arts, Boulevard du Temple, brought an action before the Tribunal of Commerce against a maa named Murphy, to recover B,ooofr, for breach of agreement. This Murphy, he stated, is of gigantic stature, and is em ployed in the establishment of the plaintiff to exhibit him self as ,a giant. The conditions are that be shall be paid 1,200 fr, a mouth, and, as well as his brother, be supplied with food, lodging, and washing gratis, and that, in return,' he shall be at the cafe every day from two o'clock in the ,afternoon to eleven at night, shall every half hour walk about the cafe; and light a cigar at the highest gas lamp. But instead of punctually attending to his duty, Murphy, for a long time past, had arrived every day about twenty minutes too late, and thereby did injury to th e ca f e . A s an indemnity for this injury, Paris maintained that a sum of B,ooolr. was not too much. Murphy, who stated that he lived at Neuilly, a long wiy from the c a f e , o p pose d the demand on the ground that it was not true he was habitually late, and he alleged that the plaintiff frequently advanced his clock ; he also said that, by their agreeernent, Paris had the power of fining him l'ar. for eve y half hour he was behind time, but so punctual was he that he (Paris) bad never had an opportnuity of inflicting the fine. The Tribunal dismissed the action with costs. in the course of the procsedisp it was stated that, though Murphy's name is Hibernian, he figures as a "Scotch" giant, and wears the Highland costume.—Galignani. ant wit also to ! Mr, CD. THE SABBATH DEFENCE MOVEMEN No. 111. (PROM A CORRESPONDENT.) In our last we endeavoured. to. enlist -in, favour the sympathies of those who bon oppose all public amusements on Suntlikv noon, by pointing out that the proposed tha would actually increase .the.numbers of thosp, attend places of Divine worship, by giving hi; tastes and nobleraspirations to the many thou&i who never attend church ,or chapel. from y end tayear's end, who have hardly ever heard name'of God. • VO claim Sunday recreation in the mine flindredswho have worked throughout in gldring for ;es, in.close, cpttqn,.mir:i, in warehouses,. in -confined ship-holds, in d and who have none wearied and fa home each night , in some seeluded stre;t me - unsewered court We claim Sunday re tion in the name of the thousands who b nghout each (ray in cnaaing.schooncr ne rooms, in muddy dock basal s, in cot nn canal-boats, in slimy drain streets, and who go to where they live. (we ho name of home,) in son We are a orm orator letters in our local press, all breathing. more ( less cant, and all more or less illogical, " That tl really sober, industrious, intelligent, and religiot ofthe working classes disagree with the views ti advocate." , : Even were this true, which it is nc it would be no answer to our claim. " The real sober, industrious, intelligent, and religim working-man" Will always be found among tho: who, at least once a week, surrounded by the families, enter a place of worship, and not amen the 150,000 of our population, for whom we claii some rational amusement en Sunday afternoon some rival to the gin -shop. It is in favour of these, the great majority of our fellow-citizens, we would legislate. We wish to convert to sobriety, intelligence, morality, and religion, those thousands, and tens of thousands,- who are, now neither sober, intelligent, morak or . religious. With those who now go tb church or chapel, any measure for throwing open gardens or museums, will in no way interfere; the. ineellii,ient working-man will then, as now, be free to- follow his own inclination. • We are toid, " if the labouring man will not go to► church, let him stay at home quietly with his wife and family." Go and see his home in the darkened: cellar, lighted and ventilated by the aperture, at once witidOw.and door; observe its . danip black floor, its loathsome smell ; look at the ilia fire, hardly warming. the food (what food, too lj tor the half-dozen occupants of the filthy . bea ; notice the broken table, the one three-legged chair; talk to the wife—a miserable slattern, whose whole . life is spent in nursing child after child from its birth in that cellar, to its tomb in the parish grave yard, and who wishes 'her turn would come too ; find out how 7s a-week can keep a Working-man, his wife, and five children; learn that the Sunday. spent in drunkenness ; made that home. what it: is, and makes thousands more in Liverpool like it; and, when you find you cannot remain in such art atmosphere five minutes, refuse to encourage the owner to pass his Sunday afternoon more Profitably, and " expect him to spend it. at home." We are reminded "that the innovations we pro pose will render it impossible for many to go to church." No douht some persons will be compelled to attend at the various places of public recreation to keep order amongst the vast crowds who will flock to them on Sunday afternoons, but experirned has taught us how uniformly well the working classes behave on such occasions, and but few officials will be required to point out the regula tions to be followed, and to protect the num-rims orderly visitors from the unruly few who will be foUnd in every large assemblage. Besides, this objection applies each Sunday to every polieew;ot who guards our docks, to every fireman wI3 , pre - - s our' houses and shops from fire, to every apothecary Whose shop is open, to every pilot \CLO stool's Ool' ships through the entrance of our port. We are told, " That once break through the 1,!w" in defence of the Sabbath, and the Sunday will become the seventh day of toil, and not the co!c day sacred to the Lord." We answer, that, :the public opinion of the country will never permit this; that the employer himself would not. wish it, knowing that a day of rest is necessary to. the existence of the employed; that the Sunday - - its healthy recreations, and its innocent enjoyi. would be dearer to the working man than ( before, and he would be less inclined to (rive i than he is now. which have been brought we have answered all the: object .ns against the • 0-pc,nin ; 0 chs, gardens, museums, find halls r - •Nunday afternoon, to all who wish to make use of 'tern, to the poorer of our population especially.. The clergy have, according to their. own con. . failed in impressing upon three quarters of our adult population the duty of 'attending Divine worship ou Sundays, let them .not deny the right of the laity to step in and • try if they cannot seduce this large proportion . ..Of their fellow Christians from the gin palaces and beer houses, and give them ono happy day out of the fession seven a public . - ditty b yA g ith . and hopeha rg in moderation, the b es t course to •be pu rsue d on this question in th e i nterest of less Wphoiilnetin weg out, ar e wd e s c educated, and, therefore, less prosperous fellow= townsmen, we will gladly accept the charge of " rationalism " which is brought against.uS ;. and if we succeed in ameliorating the position of the working man, in making the - life of any one of God's creat u r es h app i er and better than it is, our " worldly wisdom" will not "have proved foolish- ness." TILE RUGELEY POISONING CASES.-- The Court of Queen's Bench has granted the application for a certiorari made on behalf of William Palmer. In face of the grounds disclosed on the affidavits we hardly see how the application could with justice have been refused, it being abundantly clear that the man could have had no reasonable chance of a fair or satisfactory trial in the town of Stafford. TN) practical result of the success of the application. will. be that the prisoner cinnot be tried during the- assizes. • The of indictment, when found against him by •the grand jury at Stafford, will be forthwith removed, by the .oivation of the.writ of certiorari, to the Court of Queen's Bench, and the trial will take, place either there, or ; aais perhaps more probable, in the Central Criminal Court at the May sessions. DEMOLITION OF THE BUILDINGS IN HIGH-STEEET..--It 15 known that some time aue the Liverpool and London Fire and Life Assurance Company :purchased the large pile . of buildings near the Town-hall, bounded - by . MO street, Exchange -street East, and Dale-street, which are to be pulled down, and a magnificent erection Aubsfituted, in which, besides other of f ices, will be comprised a build ing for carrying on the large and increasing business of the company. The sale of the old materials took place this week, and already the work of demolition is in pro gress. The whole pile was divided into four lots,'and sold by auction by Messrs, \Vinstanley in the old pollae-oftice. The several lots were purchased by Mr. Williams, builde'r, Crown-street, for about £520, the lots, thus averaging £l3O a-piece —a very decided bargain, as the buildings were in good condition. Mr. Williams is tied (I.)wn to have the buildings demolished and the materials off the ground before the 20th of March next. The numerous tenants; including share brokers, ship b •077ei , s, brokers, lawyers, ship owners, rail vay • carriers, &c., have Pll "cleared out," with the -ex ception of two, Mr. Lea, the news vender, aila Mr. Richard Bird, chemist and drurtgist, whose tot-ins of notice do not expire until the 30th of June nest' and with whom, it appears, the ; company have P' yet been able to come to a satisfactory settlement. land is said to have cost the purchasers altogether at £7O 000, on an average of over £5O per square yard. some portion of it, (the corner of Dale street, and change-street East, £7O per square yard was paid. 'l new building is from the design of Mr. Cockerel', of Lo''' don, the artist entrusted with the completion of St . ; George's Ball, after the death of Mr. Elmes, the original designer of the " lion" of Liverpool. It is to be eomplet,°,, as speedily as possible, and will consist of nothing e' s . ' but offices, all the present shops behr abolished in 1 - I ' ° new plan. No doubt the rental to be derived from •the se offices will return good interest on the large outlay 0)113- prised in their erection, and the purchase of the s it ;'; With regard to the t wo tenants who will not move, it !i". expected that somethi ng s i milar will take place to vide! I was witnessed a fe w years ago in the case of the ROY.'S Insurance Company's B u il d i ngs, where a contumattuti barber, who occupied a little shop at the corner of No' . i „ John-street and D a l e - street, refused to evacuate until CI u roof was literall y ta k en off above his head, and an ar:. lanche of brick s , mortar, and old flooring drove him °of the premises. insurance