Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-31 00:00:00

BOROUGH BANK Would the Editor please correct two dates in my letter to Mr. Sellars The letter appears in your paper of yesterday to be dated 30th .Tune; 1857, and the financial statement 30th January, 1857. They should be re spectively Ist August, 1857, and 30th June, 1857. W. KER.SHAW. LOSS OF THE INDIAN. BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY. i niry into the loss of this steamer was resumed in the Crown Court, before Mr. Mansfield yesterd Mr._o'Dowd sail that, in the few rotriark: he adverted to what appeared to him a total want of control and authority among the inhabitants on the coast in the vicinity of, the wreck, and the ineffici ency of the colonial legislature on the subject. He was, however,' happy to say that he had received a letter from the Colonial Office, with a copy of one received there from Earl MuleTave, the governor of Nova Scotia, in Le made yesterd which h received of t ys that, immediately on intimation being wreck of . the Indian, he convened his consulting with them he de- . , spatched two gentlemen to INTria Joseph, - to enquire into the matter, and, at the same time, addressed a letter to the local magistrate regarding it. He therefore hoped that the perpetrators of those dastardly outrages would be speedily brought to justice. The examination of Captain Smith was continue&-- In conformity with the request of Captain Harris, on Thursday, he handed in a chart with the course he navi gated the Indian traced upon it. This chart (Lawrie's) was published on 24th July, 1858. The lighthouse on Whitehead point is not mentioned on it, and he (Capt. Smith) was not aware till lately that there was a lighthouse at that spot. He was not aware of any regulation of the Board of Trade which required every ship to be furnished with Admiralty charts. Aspinall said that if Captain Harris was aware of this regulation, no other person here was. Captain Harris said that having been lately engaged on an inquiry into the loss of a ship, it appeared that the immediate cause of the loss was using a chart thirty two years old ; and the Beard of Trade addressed letters to the masters of ships, recommending the use of Admiralty charts. Mr. O'Dowd said that, from the best of his recollec tion, the Board of Trade had never gone beyond recom mending the best and most recent charts. Mr: spinall Suggested that if the Board of Trade thought the Admiralty charts the best, they ought to say so at once; as in general recommendations every one had his own opinion as to Which were the best. In answer to questions by Mr. Aspinall, Captain Smith said he could only account for being thirty-two miles . from the place where he expected to be, by the current running in an opposite direction from what he was led to believe by his chart and book of instructions. He had on five several occasions been instrumental in saving human life ; and at the present moment he be lieved there was a medal waiting for him at the Sailors' Home as a reward for his exertions in this respect. The captain produced a testimonial he had received on the 28th July last, signed by the passengers on board the Indian from Quebec to Liverpool, in which they expressed their high opinion of his seamanship, and the great personal exertion he had undergone during the voyage. Mr. O'Dowd handed in the certificate of the Ship Surveyor of the Board of Trade. He said it was rather a lengthy document, and referred to the very superior manner in which the vessel was built, and the unexcep tionable manner in which she was equipped, in common with all boats belonging to this company. In answer to questions by Mr. Mansfield, Captain Smith said that the wind freshened the day after the vessel struck, and by evening all trace of her was gone. A diver,had subsequently descended, and found that the fore part had split in two, and the after part had fallen to g ether. James Stewart, first officer of the Indian, was next examined. He stated that he was a certificated master. His evidence, from the sailing of the vessel till the time she was wrecked, corroborated in almost every point that given by the captain on Thursday. Shortly before the vessel struck he had not the least deubt, judging from the distance they had run and the soundings taken, that they had passed over the Banqueroe Bank, and had reached the middle ground, between it and NOVA SOOtia. He was in the last boat that left the ship, and saw the lu g gage all stowed into the ladies' cabin and the doors locked, about an hour before. When he returned to the wreck next morning he found several boats alongside ; in one of them were several trunks, and in another ar ticles belonging to the ship. There were about a dozen of men altogether.' . He accused them of plundering the ship during the. night, but they denied having been there before. Captain Harris asked witness if he could form any opinion as to the cause of the wreck. Witness said he could only; account for it either by ~a current, or by inaccurate soundings being laid dowA on the chart. He believed that every precaution was taken to insure the safety of the vessel. He had found the soundings along the Bengueroe Bank very irregular, and the currents between Nova Scotia and Sable Island were very much influenced by the wind. Mr. Mansfield here asked how many witnesses there were yet to examine, Mr. O'Dowd said there were only four more. Mr. Mpsfield—The witnesses who have been alre..facly examined have given very important evidence and there can be no doubt every effort was made , by, the captain and officers to ensure the safety of the ship, and the lives of the passengers. It would scarcely . be corroboration, to call any more witnesses in cooboration, as that point might be considered settled. Mr. O'Dowd ,expressed an opinion that the enquiry would terminate to-day. The. pxoneaditiga_were__ accordingly adjourned till to-day at one o'clock. LIVERPOOL POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY. (Before Mr. J. S. MANSFIELD.) REFUSAL TO GO TO SEA.—Charles Brown, Charley, Stephenson, Antrim Friend, Guinna 2artiney, Itobert . Ingram, George Wilson Charles Sin,ith,,Joeeph Leary,. and Thomas -Ea.den,- were-broUght-up on.the.charge of refusing to go to sea in the ship ,Deva, after signing the articles. It was proiedAhat thefe was aniffeetivt - crew on boars- and furnished with every requisite for pro ceeding to sea. The men pleaded that one , of them had been illused by the second mate, and that half.the,crew consisted of foreigners. • His Worship senteneed them to twelve weeks' imprisonment. CHA'EGE of PEntruirr.4—Martha Davis, a young woman, was charged with wilful perjury. It appears that between Sunday night and Monday morning last, an untortnnate girl; named Margaret Cross, was Mur dered by oneof heceompanions, in a brothel in cromus street: • The prisoner' was one , of the witnesses- at the inquest, and in her evidence at first said that the deceased woman merher'deathibtfallink down stairs. She sub sequeitq, I con4adicted this statement, and witnesses were - preddecl, who deposed that she *as, at the time the murder was . committed,, lying on the floor tip stairs drunle, The prisoner stated„ in extenuation of her eon duct, that Sullivan , who is committed for the murder of Cross, 'Coerced her to make ... this statement. She was= remanded for seven, days. lumen AT BUICOLARY.--Thomas Hunter, a t a ll, rough-looked" fellow, brought up on the ch arge o f war, attempting to break into the house of Mr. attain Hope-strier. The; servant girl sUrprised him attempi . to force the• bars of• the' office window. Mr. Goo4a went out, and, finding him near the spot, gave hint in charge... 4.l4eleton: , key, and another nondescript articit used .fir.the-profession of burglary, was found on him. The prisoner was remanded till to-day. JUVENILE DELINQUANCT.—Richard Ledman, a lad about ten or twelve years of age, waif Charged with stealing a(qttnntityzef cut glass from the shop, _of Mr. Hancock's, Cases-street. The theft' was proAd, and the bliy' was committed to prison for four days, and ordered, to be whipped., (Before Messrs. If.dr.A. nsTopzß and R. W. lloucrrox.) PUBLICANS AND BBERShLtERS' CASES.—Jas. Richard son, publie,au, Melville-place, Oxford-street, summoned for permitting drunkenness, was acquitted. —Ann Flark,er, publican, Scotland-road, summoned for the same offence, was also acquitted.—Benjamin Stockwell, publican, Islington, summoned. for the Sallie offence, was also acquitted. Th e officers for; as a girl of loose eharaatetka young woman who was in Stockwell's house on the night in question, and who was, proved to be a ra spectable serva,if girl. Mr. Gladstone•severely repri manded 'them for making such an imputation upon a respedtable girl's character, and warned them . to 'be more cautious in future.—Sohn Raley, publican, Cop peras:hill, dismissed.—John Reece, publican, Prtassiti street, dismissed, —Luke Bramwell, publican, Trafalgar street, summoned for Sunday trading, was acquitted.— Patrick Mulligan, publican, Upper Milk-street, was fined ss. and costs.—Wm. Murdoch, publican, Waterloo road, ss. and costs.—George Wainwright, publican, Hill-street, Park, acquitted.—George Lyman, Highfield street, acquitted.--John Lloyd, beerseller, Clement street, 2s. 6d. , and costs.—Hugh Ashton, beerseller, Prussia-street, acquitted.—James Shiel, beerseller, Chisenhale-street, 20s. and costs.—James Butcher, beerseller, Heath-street, acquitted.—Catherine Ains worth. Chisenhale-street, acquitted.—Bridget Finnegan, Atherton-street, 20s. and costs. ANNIVERSARY OF THE MERSEY STEEL & IRON WORKS BENEFIT SOCIETY. The annnal dinner of this excellent and interesting society was held at the Pine Apple Inn, Park-road, on Saturday last, when upwards of one hundred of the members sat down to a sumptuous entertainment, Win Clay, Esq., one of the members of the firm (in the un avoidable absence of G. H. Horsfall, Esq.), presiding. It would appear from the report of the society, which was read at the meeting, that the number of members amounted to upwards of five hundred men. As, how ever, no single room could, conveniently, be found to accommodate the whole, there were present, chiefly, the older and principal members of the club. The large roam in which the dinner was served, was gaily and profusely decorated with evergreens, and when the several members were marshalled into their places, the coup d' mil was at once pleasing and imposing. The arrival of Mr. Clay with the guests of the evening, was the signal of one great outburst of cheering, which " made the welkin ring." Dinner being over, and, prior to the introduction of the loyal toasts, the annual address of the society to George Henry Horsfall, Esq., was read. The address detailed at considerable length thd various operations of the society, and, after regretting the absence of Mr. Horsfall that day—absence rendered doubly afflictive from its being known that it was caused by the illness of his relatives, concluded by thanking him for his marked interest in, and support of the society ; not alone by his subscription, but, what was of more value, by his countenance and moral support. From the address, and the report which accompanied it, we perceive the income of the society from all sourees—`including the handsome subscriptions, of the members of the firm, and fines from the works)—amounts to the goodly sum of £714 12s. 71d. ; all to be expended in the relieving of members when sickness, accidents, and oft-times deaths visit their humble dwellings. There are many points in the report upon which we would willingly dwell, did time and space permit ; but lacking these, we must briefly allude to the more promi nent matters : the largest amount, looking to the side of disbursements, we notice to be, £330 4s. 10d., for sickness and accidents. This, we are given to under stand, is a little in excess of last year. For deaths also, we find £lO7 entered, viz., four of members, four mem bers' wives, and nineteen members' children—twenty seven deaths in all. The only additional point of interest to which we will venture to allude, is a payment to one of its members of a capital sum of £6O, to set him up a small business. This member received injuries which disabled him from following any active employment. Comment on such rin item is unnecessary; it only further proves the great and inestimable value of this, society. Having disposed of these routine matters of business, and commented upon them, the Chairman, next in order, referred to the more immediate object of theingathering, and invited the members to dispose of the contents of stindry huge bowls of punch, which stood provokingly before them. The CHAIRMAN then gave, in succession, the usual toasts, which were loyally and cheeringly responded to by the members. The CHAIRMAN next called upon them to drink to the toast of " The Army and Navy." In the course of his remarks he drew attention to the letter received that morning from Thomas B. Horsfall, Esq., M.P., in which that gentleman, while regretting., in consequenee or recent illness, that he could not be with them, thanked them most heartily for their loyalty in so soon forining themselves into an Artillery, and. Rifle. Corps. It was the intention, the Chairman remarked, to have the. uniform previded theni ready for their annual dinner, but thil could not 'be effected; lie hoped siOrtly, hoWever, to have the two corps fully equipped. (Hear.) ' ' Captain whose name was associated with the toast,;. was received ;with loud cheers, and in a pointed and elegant speech, thanked them on behalf of the army. He could'have wished to see a member of the sister service, the navy, resent;p however, saw none. 'Referring to our position as islaiiders;' he main- . tained our great indebtedness' to the navy, and stated that -so long as we had a navy, upon, the sea, it would be no easy matter to land any effective number of hostile troops upon England's shores. (Cheers.) In the face of things as they existed, he, however, strongly urged . the formation of Rifle companies, and took the Oppor tunity of giving a , few practical hints to the members of his own coxps, who might then be present, and sat down amid loud applause : Mr. CHARLES CAMPBELL, in replying to the toast " Our Artillery and Rifle Corps," given by the Chair man, said he was proud to be considered one of the' officers of this Rifle Corps, for which he was indebted to his kind friend,. , Mr. Horsfall; and, in a humorous speech, detailed his experience as a rifleman in another . corps not the least interesting statement being, that he felt hi mself, though not yet atall man by any means, to be, at any rate,•one and a half inches taller' from the , beneficial effects of regular, drill, than,he was before he joined. (A laugh.) He enlarged upon the benefits of Rifle Corps, and assured the men that their chests would expand; and it would altogether improve their Physiliue. (Rear, heal'.) . Mr. B. EASTWOOD proposed the health of George H. Horsfall, Esq., whose absence that. day be greatly de plored, and especially , its being caused by, the illness' of some of his relatives. He was, however' sire,; that though absent from them, he (Mr. Ilortifal would not be unmindful of them that day. (Hear.) He begged to propose his good health. (Loud cheers,. which were again and again renewed.) The health of T. 8.. Hem : , fall, Esq., M.P., being, proposed by . the Vice-President, was again_ *signal for renewed cheers, each man iieing with his neighbour Who could cheer most lustily. The 'Cliairman'S health being Priapoled . bye Mr.' B. EASTWOOD, jun., that gentleman replied, stating how much he was obliged to them for the hearty reception of his name, and as hewas labouring unAer'a severe Attack of influenza, which prevented his voice from being well heard, he hoped they would bear with him While'he deavoured, with what voice he could command, to occupy their attention forfora few moments. (AFPlause.)• The Chairman then proceeded to dwell upon the great advantages of, the society, whose anniversary they were that day met to, celebrate,particularly noticing that part of the report which, spoke of a 'change—a modifiCatithi' .of their laws-4i l trie year just passed, by which a more liberal system: Was' adopted in admitting-members. No man in the works need henceforward be without the benefit. of ,the society ; no restriction was made. as to age; but all,ffitheut exception s were solicited to be come members. And the experience of the year had proved their newVisteni to be gOotl, and adapted to the general 'weal ; 'Pkoild he was to see its .good effects among them. After a few well-timed remarks, he resumed his seat: amid great cheering. • ea2taiu,M`NElLE, in reply to, his health, proposed by Mr. 9ouhler,ohserved that it gave him greafpieasure ilval4oeing i 'priVilegepa'meet them at their' annual dinner, and, m an 'k e a. th.em all most heartilf far their kind and enthaii&atic reception. In refereaCWVlAlr. Goulder's remark as te• their pleastire:in belongiiik . to the ride companies, and what-goeifit 'had dime, - herirai happy to 'hear that such good effects had resulted as those to which allusion had been made that eveirino.; He Concluded a long and eloquent speech by again re turning them all his warme.t acknowledgments. (Cheers.) • • • • ; Mr. 'J. CIA* proposed " Prosjierity to tVe ;ICerse T 'Steel and Iron Works BeriefitSocietyv a nea6ipeeeh, highly eulogisink it, and expressing his 'admiration of , its organisation, AS well as the magnitude of its various operations. The toast was received witli great cheering. Mr. J. R. HUGHES proposed, "The - Officers of the Society."' (Cheeri.) ' Mr. EASTWOOD, the treasurer, in returning thanks, said it was his endeavour; and always would be, to do his best. (Cheeti.) They might not, at all times, please every;. body ; but so far as they;ebuld they strove to do what was right. (Hear.) 'Though it was his duty to pay money away, it did sometimes haplien that it required a little discrimination in addition. (Hear, hear.) H. begged to thank the members for their kindness in drinking his health. _ _ Mr. GEORGE GOULDER, secretary, also responded in a brief speech, thanking them all most heartily for their recognition of his semees. The CHAIRMAN proposed " The health of the Vice chairman. Mr. P. Eastwood," whom he eulogised highly; to which the Vice-Chairman briefly replied, and con cluded by proposin g " The gentlemen of the office," to which Mr. Hughes briefly responded. Among the remaining toasts were " Success to the Mersey Steel and Iron Works, and to the Iron Trade ; " proposed by Mr. Rollo; "The Surgeon of the Society;" and "The Visitors," to which Mr. George Swainson replied in a pleasing).. speech. Mr. Swainson, we likewise gathered to be one of the officers belonging to the Artillery Corps recently formed. The members continued to enjoy themselves to a moderately late hour, and all "went merry as a marriage bell " until they parted, all loud in the praises of their esteemed employers, and happy in belonging to so excellent a society. We cannot close our notice of this day's interesting proceedings without congratulating the Messrs. Horsfall, in having so respectable and well-ordered a body of working men as those it was our pleasure to see upon this occasion ; and it is especially gratifying to us to chronicle these facts, when we are given to understand that this society is entirely managed among the men themselves, who fill all the offices. Would that in the course of this festive Christmas season we could see many such gatherings, and were equally impressed with the conviction that men could at the same time " be both merrie and wise." ANNUAL ADJOURNED MEETING OF COUNTY MAGISTRATES. The annual adjourned meeting of magistrates of this county was held at the Court Rouse, in Preston, on Thursday. About fifty magistrates were present ; Mr. T. B. Addison in the chair. Mr. ADDisoN, being proposed as chairman, drew at tention to the fact that in case of at least one of the motions it could not be entertained, the proper news paper notice of it not having been given, and under that circumstance he declined to take the chair. Lord STANI,EY thought this need not prevent Mr Addison taking the chair. Ultimately Mr. Addison was, voted to the chair, and on taking it he, expressed his regret at the absence of the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, from indisposition. ASSUSSMENTS Mr. JONATHAN PEEL, as chairman of the Finance Committee, • moved that the following be the estimates payable by the various hundreds, from the 30th Nov. last until the end of August, 1860, omitting shillings and pence : Heads of Rate Amt. Heads of Rate. Amt. Accounts. per of Accounts. per of £ Rate. £ Rate. General Purposes A £8677 Ormskirk . i £799 Lunatic Asylums i 2169 Prescot NewLunatieAsylums Warrington ll-16 1160 Loan account . . ... .. .; 8677 Houses of Correc- General P01ice.....,.. 1-12 1110 Lion--- Local Popoce--; North Lonsdale South Lonsdale 1 55 Garstang Kirkham Higher Blackburn lOB3 Lower Blackburn , 11-12 779 Leyland 1 114 Bolton k 537 Bury Middleton 1 - 1108 _ i 594 1 252' Oldham Ashton-under-Lyne l4 539 Manchester l3ll Kirkdale Preston and Kirkdale 5-16 3110 Salford A 3701 Hundred Bridge s-- Lonsdale North and South l-12 91 Amounderness , 1-16 63 Blackburn l-12 192 Leyland l-12 69 (Salford -16 1388 West Derby- • 1-24 155 Alanehester . Assize Courts -16 5558 West:Derby Hundred ' Riots - 115 REPORTS OF , COMMITTEES The reports of the various committees were then read and agreed to ; after whidh the report of the committee to inquire into the boundary lines, &c. of the existing division for holding special sessions, police division; and districts allotted to the inspectors of weights and mea sures, was read and received. VISITORS TO THE ASYLUMS The committee of visitors to the various county lunatic asylums wemnext appointed. THE LATE CHIEF CONSTABLE'S SALARY, The CHlan*As read a letter from Captain Shepherd, the late, chief constable, ,addressed,,, to, the Constabulary Committee, thanking the committee for the provision made for, him at the meeting of the magistrates. The Rev. T. S. /Alum 'Moved the appointment of a committee to consider the.late Act of Parliament regu lating the sale of ga4, and other matters connected with it. The motion was agreed to. THE RAINHILI, LUNATIC ASYLUM On the motion of Mr. liardman Earle, seconded by Mr. W. ,0. Pilkington, it was agreed "That the, com mittee of visitors of the Pauper Lunatic Asylum, at Rainhill, be ,' empowered to expend not exceeding the sum of £3,50 for fitting's up, furniture, and other things necessary for making the new building At for reception of patients, &c." PARLIAMENTARY BILLS On the motion of the Itev.. J. S: Birley, a committee was re-appointed to watch all bills that may be intro duced into Parliament aonitected with the duties'of the county magistrates, relating to the interests of the county or any portion thereof. BACUP POLICE tOURT, The court sanctioned the purchase of 105 square yards of land adjoining the 06itrt-honse,'Utlfacup ; some other parties hating Offered tiy purchase the same. ' ARMING AND 'FRAiNIN'O' OF 'I'RE COUNTY 'POLiCE FORCE Mr. R. ToNi,mt-t PARKER moved as follows : That this court . considers it expedient to communicate' with Her Majesty's principal Secretary'of State for the Home 'De partment, and to recommend that• authority be given by act of Parliament to justices of tbe peace within the several coun ties of England and Wales, at their courts of annual session, or at any adjournment thereof, to direct, if the said justices think fit, that the constabulary force maintained within and at the cost of the said counties, shall be trained to the use of arms by their respective chief constables and other officers ; and that rifled fire-arms and ammunition shall be provided, in such manner as the said act shall direct, for the use of the said constabulary force. Mr. PARKE'R contended that the (county police, being a force that are already partially trained, it would re ire little to make them a most effective body in the use of firearms, should occasion call for their services. in Lancashire: the force consisted of 666 men, being the largest police force in the kingdom, with the exception of the three united Ridings of Yorkshire. Mr. A. F.' SA,IiNDERS seconded the motion, which Was opposed by Mr. E. DAWBON, who thought it would add to the ev. pense of the force in the county, iihich already amounted, to £40,000 per annum. He prOlioseartliat thq moved into the next business. Mr. W. Itoss'seconded'ihi motion. Mr. I. PEEL thought the matter was deaerving of con sideration; but he thought , there was an objection to this court committing itself to the motion, for, if the Government were 'to adopt the recommendation; then this court would be held pledged to Aupport a measure to this effect that might be brought into Parliament. He thought it was more a question for the Legislature to deal with than that court.: He proposed that the matter be referred to ti`committec. ' The Rev. J. S. Britt,ny 'supported generally Mr, Peel's views. After some remarks from the R.v. Canon Parr, Sir J. P. B. Shuttleworth, and Lord Stanley in support of the measure, Mr. Parker altered his motion as follows : That this court considers it expeilient to communicate Ivitk Her Majg.tyos principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, for the purpose of inviting Her Majesty's Govern ment to consider whether authority shottld be given by act of Parliament to Justices of the Peace, &c. After a little further discussion, this motion was car ried by a majority of 38 to 8. A committee was then appointed to confer with Government on the subject. -- coifs' of' 'tit6Erzelmmoi On the motion of Mr. Jonathan Peel; the accounts of the county treasurer for cogs of prosecutions and re moval of transports, from the Ist June to the, 30th November last, were passed, amounting to £5,865 Is. 6d. After some other business h 4 been transacted, the court adjourned at four o'clock. WASHINGTON IRVING AND WASHINGTON.—That Mr. Irving had himself seen General Washington. He said there was some celebration going on in New York, and the General was there to participate in the ceremony. " My nurse," continued Mr. Irving, " a good old Scotch woman, was very li4ious for me to see him, and held me up in her arms as he rode past. This, however, did not satisfy her; so the next day, when walking with me in Broadway, she espied him in a shop ; she seized my hand, and darting in, exclaimed, in her bland Scotch, ' Ptease your Excellency, here's a bairn that's called after ye!' General Washington then turned his bene volent face full upon me, smiled, laid his hand upon-my head, and gave me his blessing, which," , added Mr. Irving earnestly, " I have reason to believe has attended me through life. I was hut five years- old, yet I can feel that hand even now." —Once a Week. NORTHERN DAILY TIMES. THE LOSS OF THE BLERVIE CASTLE Anxious inquiries have been made daily at Lloyd's and of the charterers of ' the ill-fated outward bound Australian ship Blervie Castle, relative to the fate of the unfortunate passengers and crew. Unhappily, not the least doubt is entertained but that they must have all perished in the ship, and this belief is confirmed by the reports that have since been made .by the French fishermen, to the effect that they had seen numbers of dead bodies of men, women, and children floating among the wrecked goods and cases. That the catastrophe took place during Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, and on either the Vance or Ridge Sands, has now been satis factorily ascertained. It appears the wreck was first seen about eight o'clock on Wednesday morning, by the captain and chief officer of the General Steam Navigation's Company's steamer Panther, while on their passage from Boulogne to London, and who, from some oversight or other, omitted on their arrival in the Thames to report the fact either to Lloyd's or the Ship ping Gatzette, by which the loss of the Blervie Castle would have been known 48 hours before it was actually an nounced. The wreck was observed to the eastward of the Verne and Ridge Sands, and some 10 or 12 miles off the French coast, the wind blowing hard at the time from the south-west, with a high sea. The chief mate at first perceived something large looming in the dis tance, right in the course of the steamer. His im pression at the moment was, that it was a species of whale which is occasionally seen in the Channel, but soon after wards he detected it was the wreck of a 600 or 700 ton ship, floating with her bilge out of water. The course of the Panther was direct at it, and it was only by her helm being put hard aport that she cleared the wreck, otherwise she might have sustained serious damage. The wreck was sheathed with yellow metal; and she appeared to have been painted &buff colour inside her bulwarks and stanchion; or rather, what remained of them. Captain Russel, who was despatched to the French coast by the Underwriters at Lloyd's to collect all the authentic information on the melancholy subject, writes to say "that the wreck of the BlerVie• Castle was - seen on Saturday driving - tibotit^ twelve miles N.H. of Calais. Four fishing boats had had it in, tow for sixteen hours endeavouring to-get into some -- plaer on the coast, bat were 'at length obliged to relinquish their charge on account of the strong wind. The fisher men describe the wreck to be much damaged in her stern, that all her masts were gone, and she was lying on one side." The next that is heard of the wreck is from the officer of the Dover and Calais steamer, which escaped coming into collision with it in the course of Saturday night. On Monday night some Deal luggers came up with the wreck between the Kentish Knock and the Galloper, fifty or sixty miles from the Varne Sand, and they got it in tow and succeded in getting it on to the main to the eastward of Ramsgate Harbour. From its shattered state, it was evident that some vessel had struck upon it during the time it had been driving about. Lloyd's agent at Ramsgate describes it as the port side of a ship from the stem to stern, of about 600 tons, broken off at the floor heads, yellow metalled and fastened, all black outside, and partly planked with oak or teak. It was painted with a narrow white streak, and the poop and topgallant fore . castle appeared to have been newly coppered. The general opinion is that the wreck is that of the Blervie Castle, although as yet it has not been clearly identified as part of the ill-fated ship. It may be remarked that some doubt has been expressed. as to whether the wreck really is that of the Blervie Castle, and an impression has been enter tained that it 'belonged to some other ship which had come in collision with the Blervie Castle, and had met the same fate. This conjecture has arisen from the circumstance of pieces of wreck having been seen float ing in the Channel different from that of the Blervie Castle, but its driving about for so long a period would account for its somewhat altered character, and it is only reasonable to suppose that it is part of the lost vessel. There has been a large quantity of wrecked goods landed, not only at several of the French ports, but at Ramsgate, Dover, Margate, &c., seine of the cases having the words " Blervie Castle" upon them, and 1 • others only the figuye and marks. On referring to the ship's manifest, however, it has been clearly ascertained that the greater •bulk of the goods brought ashore formed part orthe cargo of the Blervie Castle. The circumstance that nothing has been heard of the boats of the unfortunate ship has excited some attention, and with a few of the relatives of those on board has raised a kind of hope that some of the people might have escaped from the, wreck, and have got on board some outward bound:ship. This, however, painful as it is to announce, is exceedingly doubtful. The Blervie Castle was a first-class, stout, oak-built ship ; and, bearing in mind how speedily she was broken in two, it is easy to imagine that the boats could not have withstood the , fury of the tempest with any better result. It is very probable that they were crushed with the ship. Most of the crew were residents of . the east end of London, and many of them have left widows and families to mourn their sad: fate. 'Captain Mg:lardy had been for a long period in the • service of .Messrs. Dunbar, and his loss has excited the deepest regret. In connection with the sad case, a telegram was received yesterday from Marseilles, announcing the wreck of the Kindro diet at coringa, and that only one seaman and eight passengers- were saved. , Among those ,who perished was the master,, Captaia M'llardy, who is stated to have been a brother, of the unfortunate commander of the 131ervie Castle.. . , It may be stated that the ship was provided with two signal-guns and ropkets. Inquirieshave been made of the keeper of the ,lighthouse : on . Cape; Grisnez as to whether he had heard, any signals, of,distress.fired during the night of Tuesday or :Wednesday morning, and he answered that he had not. CoNsmioumyrr.7-There,,, is a family, residing at Hesket-NTy-Market, under one roof, named Walton compoSed of six persons,. Rd ; their consanguinity runs thus:—One grandrnOlier,,fro pothers, one father, one son, four daughters, two sisters, one brother, Tie uncle; two attntZ, two granddaughters, two cousins, and two nieces. The parish of , Caldbeck is remarkable, foo,,foi containing pc; many nepbews and nieces clainiing seniority, over their uncles and aunts.--Carlisle . Examiner. . DEATH OF MR. PSBERT BAKER, WRIT±LE.-Death (says the Chelmsfor d Chronicle) has „just removed from amongst us one who, for„upyrards of thirty years,, has taken a prominentlizifinAltinif relates to;the,practical operations and improvement,and welfare of the agricul ture of Essex, and indeed of the country generally i 4r. Robert Baker, of Writtle, the father of the protection societies, 'the, author ,of the PriAe Essay, of the ROyal Agricultural Society,,on the farinipg system of the county, and thelditor of a valuable edition of Bayld0; Himself a tenant farmer,,g-r. Baker, was ever ready to stand up for thp,f , ightnitt4everythin,g calculated to pro mote the prpii)er of, Ahe class to.. which he belonged ; his sound 'judgment and integrity s.eeurecr for him the confidence of all ,classes connected with the land. His.habits of study end long, practical "eliperience had stored his Mind with a fund of varied knowledge, ;which he 'often brought to bear ,upon the cause of -pro-. gress, not only amongst the agriculturists but the people generally, ,threugh the paeans of the speed' or public lecture, or. the instrumentality ,Prhis pen ; and the servieek.lie r rendered to society were repeat edly_ acknowledge first by the award of the Royal Agricultural Seciety's prize for the ability and sound in formation of the essay before alluded to; again, in 184.5, ,by the presentation of a silver salver and a purse of 300 guineas, for his tact and talent in forming and presiding, over the first and, -1 protection society of the king. ,; dom, which;thPug i beaten in the end, fought the battle energetically, ably, and eloquently—and often . by unanimous votes of thanks from public assembliei. Mr. Baker long took a,leading part in thesproceedings of the London Farmers' Club, of which he was one of the' founders, but latterly ill-health had prevented his giving active attention to public or Tractical affairs ; and after a long, and, at one period, painful illness, which brought out more strikingly the Christian virtues of sterling piety-and calm resignation, he closed a well spent and useful life on Saturday last, at the age of sixty-seven. DEATH OF LORD MACAULAY It is with great regret we announce the death of Lord Macaulay. This melancholy and unexpected event took place at his lordship's residence, in Kensington, at eight o'clock on Wednesday evening. 'Although for many years past Lord Macaulay's health had not been good, yet up to a fortnight ago, when he had an attack, arising from disease of the heart, it had not been such as to cause any serious anxiety to himself or his friends. However, on Friday last, his lordship had so far rallied from his attack that he appeared again to have attained his usual state of health ; but subsequently a relapse took place, which terminated fatally, as we have above stated. The noble baron was the son of Zachary Macaulay, well known for his exertions in company with Clarkson and Wilberforce in the cause of the abolition of the slave trade. He was born at Rothley Temple, Leicester shire, in 1800, and was consequently in his 59th year when he expired. The distinguished historian, after graduating with high honour at Trinity College, Cam bridge, was elected to the CaVen scholarship in 1821, and became a fellow in the supeeding year. In 1826 he was called to the bar at Lincoln's-inn. As early as 1824 he had given evidence'of his literary talent by some poems contributed to 'various magaiines, and in 1826, his essay on Milton, in the Edinburgh Review, drew upon him the attention of the entire reading public. The leaders of the Whig party, in acknowledgment of his literary superiority, appointed Mr. Macauley Commis:. sioner of Bankruptcy, and in 183011 e entered Parliament as member for Caine. He afterwaixls became Secretary to the Board of Control, and entered with great spirit into the discussions on, the Refort. Bill, defending the policy of the Grey ministry against all opponents. Having acquired an amount of parliamentary eelebrity,i Mr. Macaulay was returned with. Mr. John Marshall as member for the newly - enfranchised borough of Leeds. Two years after, to the disappointment of his constituents, the -right• honourable gentleman accepted an appointfnent in . the Supreme Council of 'lndia. He enjoyed that'lucrative post for three years, and on his return tb England, produced those well-known and magnificent sketches of Lard Clive and Warren Hastings—due, no doubt, to the acquaintance with Indian officers he had acquired in Calcutta. In 1839 Mr. Macaulay accepted the office of Secretary at War, and in 1840 was returned to , Parlia ment for the city of Edinburgh. At an earlier period of his life Mr. Macaulay had produced several choice bal lads ; but now he tried his powers on a larger scale, and in 1842 gave to the world his " Lays of Ancient Rome." His Essays, which had been 'previously published in America, were, in the following year, collected into• three volumes. It is needless here to notice the pro: 'found learning, the extent of information, and the sur passing eloquence which Characterise these productions. It is believed that his latest contribution to the .04nburgh was the second part of his "Essay on Lord Chatham," which appeared in the autumn of 1844. At the restoration of the Whig party , to powetin 1846, Mr. Macaukiy was appointed Paymaster Of the Forces, with- a seat in the cabinet. In consequence, however, of a serious agreement between the henourable gentleman and 'his -constituents,' with regard to , the' Maynodli grant, the eitisens of Edinbnigh rejected him at - the election of 1847 'ln-favour of Cowan. This, Which; under ordinary "circumstances, might have beena subject 'of regret, must now be accepted as a matter of con gratulation ; for, untrammelled with the •cares 'of public life, the honourable gentleman devoted his leisure to,the grand project he' had formed of ,writing a History of England. His past official life •and his literary acquirements eminently fitted him for such a task. In 1849 the first two volUmes of his "History of England" appeared. -Never, perhaps, was the-reception givan liy thn r‘ibrio e. any work' equal to CUE of these and the two later volumes of the "History."' In 1852 Macaulay and his former constituents of Xdinburgh were reconciled; he . was spontaneously elected by them without himself taking a single step towards that object, and he continued their member until raised.to the House of Lords in 1857. In the introduction to his greatest work, the author expressed a hope that he might be enabled to bring' down the history of his countr?" - to a date within the memory of living men, hilt unhappily this hope is very far from being realised. For some time it has been rumoured that the fifth. and sixth volumes of the work were about to ippear, but even with this addition to the history, the work of the noble author will be but a fragment after all. ~A GREENLANDER'S FAMlLY.—Captain Grash; on en.' ,-quiring how many children a Goan'ander was blessed. with, was answered "four,"_l-.lis„wife, however, con tradicted him, declarinif s.tkelit isteite : 4 ,f &ell' nor could they agree about the matter till they had counted them on their dngers---the en,larithmetical powers of which they had any INewiedge ' Their names were, in English, !...ampsoot, Rdatiinaire; miff -.la4iet,' Blubber, and. Old. Sorrell Brailetriti.--Th.' - ‘proprietors . of the Com .mercial Bankfef Scotland, at their' annual' eour o 4 . :,have adopted the !directors' report, and passed resotations to capitalise £200,000 of the bank's reserved' funds:a =The' paid-up capital is thus raised from £600,000 to £BOO,OOO, and the additional stock has been allocated rateably, without a call, among tha'sfitakholderdiiiihe proportion of £lOO new stock for every £3OO formerly held. The new stock will , participate in_ the next Midsummer divi dend. The undivided profits, or rest, after carrying this measure into effect and paying the dividend in January, will amount to £237,537. At the'ennual'general Meet-, ing of the'prOPtietors of the Natioilal Bank dl' the prOfits 'of the past year Were dectirett i tet i lieirpWaYcla i Of £94,000. ' OA 'of thiii Sum a difidCtitilifftV rite of 8 per cent, was ordered to • be paid; andi EftilUdita6if of £14,000 f vetafi- 'made :to 'the reserve fnid;T , which r' howl amounts-to £160;000. '," f? , 1 FUNERAL OF THE LATE EA.RI,OF CADIERRDONVI44 K.T. --On Thursday the funeral of this lamented nobleman took place at the Kensallgre - e - n+Certielery. The late Earl having °Mersin Writing that his burial should be.strictly .private- :only. a ,felst of hismearest relatives and most intimate friends were presenter; rlliaLeidahip's eldest soon, the present Zarb"; Was . chief " moUrnery sup, ported by, his two sons, Robert, now Viscount liiineali, and the lion._ .George _Haldane Duncan. There also fellowed the late Earl's younger son,,gOn, Ilainittin Duncan; .his. Ran !t i g N otain Allen. of Errol; his ditl grande6Thiii;l'aw,' T.,0 terfi o .mlo 'te iron. .Gedike Coveritty, ' Mr'. l Ale*an 'll4l,daite',' Mr. ;Itolieit itahlan6" of Edinburgh, Mr. JAt...Alerfa4der Trardiatk r tord Dun- • fermline, Kie.B.', l •ll6rd Frederielr'ilbiclon., 'iiii. Dal-` housie Ranisayi - whO attended as thetrepresentative bf his uncle, Lbid Ptimure, Mr. Edmunds,-and Dr. Petti l; Bic ..11XN. 7 --jrgE Cfa4aT LIBEL C.Ogr- , 1n ., tilii case (Mears v.-Denison), defendant having, suffered judgment_ to go by default, the 'writ .has been sent i dwamto l le sheriff,. calling upon hint to ernpanefftiliiiro i rfis tlti,. damages. ,IR all probability.the ease wiltebm t e oil At an early da,y:' The deplaiiiio; which iSehly leirehy„.setji forth 'that when the first - bell east' by IVieirirs.'WaPaY' became cracked plaintiff was invited by the defendant` to recast it, providing any ne metarof pure copper and tin that might be.required,. f r,lt,was also/stipulated that the defendant and the Bet a) , William, Taylor were to give certificates in writing." - The ell was cast, and -plaintiff says the certifiCate ~ whir:given `to Sir Benjamin . Hall, , First Commissioner of - Works: and Public Buildings. The bell became cracked, and, then defendant published a letter in i the Times, in which, iii contained the alleged libel cpaiplainecl of. u . Defendant_ ,„ . "th' An. As letter s,anthat thq..be i llw,o,..a "zaagfiifice.nt,iniv posture ;" that i. M.s: bent ‘ 'l ri , aen.*d;it ,orit,,fteidllol s .4 had been very ini i erfectly, caSt, 'that' there are Wee in itr- 1 which had been fined in 'with "mineral sticcedinencri,' and the whole well t washe wcr--).1,h7,4-,.composition which the atmosphere had now removed.F-The plaintiff says that this accusation of fiend' his'i2ijihkt him' greatly til l his business; ' and that he has suffered considerififf& dathemwagreitwill have to decidefand in n t S, consequence ooo,and ° t f h i e t assess them . Numerous counsel are engaged on each side, it being stated that Mr. Edwin. James, 4.0., m . p .; and Mr. Bovill, Q.C., will he for .the plaintiff. mr ; Garth is mentioaed as junior counsel for the defendant , juryil[e iays his' daniageg in, Saturday, Deeember 31, 1859. (From the Northern Ensign.) THE DUKE OF PORTLAND AND THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT. We understand that in answer to an application for a subscription in aid of the funds for the establishment of an artillery corps here, the Duke of Portland, who is the proprietor of an extensive estate in a neighbouring parish, has written to the secretary declining to give anything, and adducing his reasons for so doing. We are sorry the committee have not seen fit to publish the letter; first because it is not often a Duke gives himself the trouble to write on public questions; and secondly, because we have reason to believe that his Grace's letter is unique both in spirit and in style, and is, therefore, worthy of publicity and preservation for future reference. However, at a committee meeting on Friday evening, the letter was read, and we do not therefore violate con fidence when we state that the sum and substanc is that what his Grace is pleased to term "the invasion fever " is the result of Tory and _penny-a-limy combina tion ; that the " defence panic " is all moonshine ; that the efforts now so universal over the kingdom to have put 'in a good state of defence are the purest humbug, and that, were it otherwise, the people of Caithness might rest satisfied that it would be a long time before Louis Napoleon or any other foreign invader would think It worth his while to pay them a warlike visit, the reasons concluding with three points of ducal admiration. His Grace concludes by stating that having been asked to subscribe to the fund, he thought it proper, as one of the landlords of Caithness, to give his r easons for declining, and requests that these reasons be made as public as the requisition. =We do not know what, or whether any reply has been forwarded by the committee to his Grace ; but we humbly conceive that never was a better opportunit afforded for vindicating a great, national, and patrio e movement, and showing the noble Duke bow greatly e has mistaken its character, and the pluck and patriotism of the people of Caithness. We hope the time may 'never come when the Duke of Portland will find how grievously he has misunderstood the signs of the times t but we rejoice to aver that his Grace will find, even among his own order, few to sympathise with his views, and that the great bulk of the nation, from the Sovereigi downwarols, sympathises with the movement, and that men of all political creeds are endeavouring to rigal each other in supporting an effort to place the country in a position at which " invasion fevers" and "defence panics," even though produced by "Tories and penny a-liners," will become an imposibility, by the country' from Land's End to despised Caithness being in a con dition of thorough preparation for the moat: unlikely contingency.' We speak not of the low state of patriotic feeling which would sneer at the present movement ; but we would remind the Whig Duke of Portland that it is 11 0 and such as he that are most deeply concerned in this matter. The great bulk of those who are now 'arOng themselves for the defence of fatherland,' and: are patriotically giving, a portion of their, time and-means for the purpose, have little , to fight for. Few of then would lose an inch of Mound or a storey of property they might leave Britain to-morrow, and be little the worse for the change. Not so with his Grace. 'But it seems that the Duke is far more influenced. by political considerations than afraid of the dangers arising frool, the country sleeping in insecurity, only to be a . wakenen 'when too late. We do beg the - committee to publish this precioul document, and then to send it to the 'British Musetiel for safe keeping, as a specimen of .a .Whig MAO . patriotism, liberality, and literary ability in the lgti? century. And in the meantime, it is well for his Grace, to know that the .Wick corps has not been annihilated by his surly response to their appeal, and that o ther , proprietors of the county entertain totally different sea' timents . from his Grace. Already-have Sir George Dunbar, Sir George Sinclair, Sir Ralph Anstruther , Mr. Traill, Captain Macdonald, Mr. Sinclair, Of 171bster, Mr. Henderson, of Stemster, and Mr. O given tangible proof of their sympathy with the move ment ; and we confidently hope that ere long the Duke of Portland will be .thee solitary -recusant among O. whole landed proprietors of this county. TIIE IMPERIAL STABLES AT : , 11fE LOUVILE. Sport gives the• following details of the arrangement of the Imperial stables at the. Louvre-:—' , The building° have the'forni of an 'oblOng'aquare; divided into two on . called v e iseont the T4 C : u t r w Can o si la d i e .z s ico ru urt n ,' pa an r d ali t erv ot t h b e r o h our e c ts, our .river. On the left of the Cour-Catdainceurt is the firer stable; , divided, into fourteen stalls , for- saddle-horse s. Adjoining is a second, which ,contains ten boxes and place fiiiiiiAting. '-Tli'direl4iteeturcil character and de °oration correspond' with that of the-other parts of the building, and the ornamentation is in the Italian style., ; From the ceiling are suipinided 'gas limpS,' and COei"/ .supply the quantity of water 'required for (Ise. The itr terest attached to these stables is increased by th e eel& biity of their initiates.' One of the horses is Ruckinghsit which,* Emperor rode at,Magenta; another was his charger at Solferino. There are also Perciesi, Hamilton, and PlotighboY,' the - Emperor's favourite hunters, Cuninghant also. has its' stall there. It ' o3° this horse which the Emperorgave to the King of Ssr dinia, and which et tie-'end af the Wir was `returned _his Majesty, the King of, saying that he e 01 • 11 e not find any more valuable present to make. ' ll j., gallery' into which the' Viktor enters, after pa ' n 4, the washing place, it about 300 , feet • :long 'Wide. It has a row of stalls on either side, and foommodates - 82 horstsitin'Wheir lighted up with g 7., 'fat night the effect iat'tteeedingly :striking.: Aulo n o .the horses is the fine carriage one Orphee, who survived the fourteen wounds it received before to n Opera,house in January, 1858, when its somPal e r was killed. The ground floor of th e two et b. sides of the parallelogram is ' fitted up as e° 1 1 . 1,0 houses, harness-rooms,.. and other :offices. In coach-house on the east side, in the Cour Visconti, 2g, 112 ordinary state carriages; and'on the west side sgf: s , (fere nt kinds: Over these , ground floors are apartr o ,4 l ~fOr the grooms, postillions .and stable-boys, and " c ;r: A lieYson§ Conneeted with the -e dePartnient. All the ~h Ol l 'wag' es'atfe very handsdme; hut,the most elegant 'rand .state one, which magnifi en t. The boot ' lalmost entirely composed ethe finest plate glass ; se co lined with rich white Satin , eavered • with gold bees , ~d er the straps and cords are in gold l ace . The tO i _j round the roof Of'the' earl-hike is m'brenze finely chii;l, and richly!. gilti.raid forme-ciphers •and crowns >a a t with laurel and. ealp leaves ; a gilt eagle L t , each eorner. " The - viheeli and every other P 3 r at.' the carriage-are of equal magnificence, .and in r oo of.,a keeping with tha,- body. This carriage colt 9 t h e t at J One still more magnificent than the above is at ail ; Trianon,. and which was' used rby-the Empetee Tes 1,411` 1 , . marriage. It was used at the coronation of Chei .. '„ r i s ge, o !and the repair's of it eh:Me cost 300,000 f. This eJl_ f t he' is completely gilt' in everyripart. - 'On.the ted doors are the , arms, of the dynasty, .surmona . cordon of the'LegiOn Of honour. The other pi , lA jo sti ornamented with 'Syinbolicallfigtirek:' The P were all executed . by Isabey. The total We g ot The ~ this carriage exceeds 6,500 kilogramme s ; re d service it the Royal stables w as always ten" c hic* • moto g i e dge. one of great iinportance under Vier_ k .; and required much techninal aptitude' an t a p i ort General` Fleury, Whd ad* , at' the'laintl r6 f" th th!" - was . selected , from this circutnst , W e . compos ed by 0 .0 1 'Emperor. The Imperial stud altogether is drof t, 4, ,f from '3OO to• :320 , &mei-L.-Saddle Carriage, an A ar e cee: horses- r andAhware now distributed •in 4 . f.e:` l " the 11° " establishmenis—at the Louvre, the Tuilerle i t 4. l ,- Montaittie;''litiel* Moncetiiii, , • and St: q'tg e oae active service isr at the Louvre, and the Pelf7 bo adc , l;a l ‘ the Tuileries. At the Rue /tfontaigne are horses of the EnipresS; well a' untber o!, horses..l, Saddle and carriage horses are also Ks , b ijoe!. panels .0 4 tbe Rue Monceaux, and the infirmary is alse_37ot. there: Cloud sixty horses, for dinefz e , re; poses, are always kept. The horses n 7 ale 1° - Th o wring to be turned out to grass are Aon ; the breeding-stud is at Vilitttetiv6-1 Eta ; 0 01 . 0 , ; 1 7, 'English are English, .and those l o are ;l ate and NOrniani and the posting - dep t ho at„.e man. The carriages, L l.Bo in number, aret,e, Louvre, the Tuileries, and in the Rue INien2 . :V i c s e i p o pe - state carriages are at Trianon. The pew, 7" ge the $ O4 are to be built on the Quai d'Ors a it d'Alma, will be capable of receivingr3r°lo.. 00 401•Pr ot tha Will contain those of the Empress, t h e ambles o ozy and the reserve of his 'Majesty. vlse .Th o e nt i , vre o re lo i_ r _j o s4 Leuvre; which, were began by ' -f• T he e*" - 3 0 ; pleted by M. Lefuel. The number o , fiLe o w e _ a yr coachmen, grooms, U.,,eceetis 300. ,_R" " order and strictly military precision Pry " 4 14 elk