The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-18 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL STATIONERY, SOLD BY CHARLES WILLMER, WHOLESALE STATIONER ANI) PRINTER, 19, SOUTH JOHN-STREET, LIVERPOOL. THE attention of Merchants, Brokers, Trades men, and others, is respectfully drawn to the fol owing list of CASH PRICES for LETTER PAPER: Per Ream. For 3 Reams. s. d. X s. d. 6 0 017 6 6 6 0 18 0 6 0 0 17 0 superfine large thin Cream Laid Ditto ditto Blue Wove Ditto ditto Yellow Wove Rink Post (Towgood's) for Foreign 1 761 1 0 Correspondence Ditto French, extra thin.. ... 7 6 1 1 0 FOOLSCAP OR CUSTOM HOUSE PAPER. Thin Blue Laid Middle Yellow Wove Per Ream. For 3 Reams .90 1 6 0 ,96 1 7 6 ENVELOPES 1 - tid Adhesive, full letter size, Taiek Yellow Wove, ditto. . NOTE PAPER. ss. per 1000, 6s. per 1000 S iperfine Large Cream Laid, is for 5 quires, or 3s 6d per ream Ditto Ditto Blue Wove, 1 , 4 for 5 quires, or 3s 6d per ream LETTER COP lING BOOKS, Halt-bound, calf, paged and indexed, 4)o:reaves, 6s; 480 do, 7s; 500 do, 7s 6d; 580 do, 8s 6d ACCOUNT BOOKS, of every description, manufactured on the premises, in the best style, on the shortest notie.-. and at prices equally low, Orders from the Conn'? N r, ceive prompt attention. WHOLESALE Per 19, SOUTH JOHN- L' ER WAREHOUSE, STREET, LIVERPOOL WILLMER'S RAILWAY AND STEAMBOAT GUIDE, for APRIL—PRICE TWOPENCE. Sold by CA kaLss WILLMHZ, 11', South John-street, and by all toolcgellers. COMI/ler THIS DAY THIS DAY, the 18th instant, at Twelve o'clock, at the Brokers' office, Exchange-alley North, 390 Bales } JUTE, 960 Bundles ek tritish Trident, from Calcutta ; may be seen in Howell's 'warehouse, 364, Queen-street.—For further particulars apply to SHAND, HIGSON & CO., Brokers. Trus DAY, the 18th instant, at One o'clock, at the Brokers' office, 20, Hackin's-hey, 70 Tons Patagonia GUANO, ex Ellen ; in Importers' warehouse.— LEpl to A. & S. H. IGH, Brokers On account of whom it may concern. Tins DAY, the 18th instant, at Half-past One o'clock, at the Broker's office, 10, Brunswick street, About 500 Bags FLOUR, ex Florence, from Savannah. 99 Apply to 300 D. Indian CORN. ex Walter Scott. WILLIAM PARKE, Broker. NEXT WEEK TUESDAY On account of whom it may concern On TUESDAY next, th 22nd inst., at fialf-past One o'clock, at the Commercial saleroom, Temple-court. About 161 Boxes Long Middles American BACON, damaged by sea water, ex Emerald Isle, fr'im New York. — Apply to TRIMMER & GRAINGER. Brokers, Bank Chambers, Cook-street. On account of whom it may concern. On TUESDAY next, the 22nd inst., at Half-past One o'clock, at the Commercial saleroom, Temple-court, About 560 Boxes Long Middles American BACON, damaged by sea water, ex Westpoint, from New York.— Apply to TRIMMER & GRAINGER, Brokers, Bank Chambers, Cook-street. WEDNESDAY On WEDNESDAY next, the 23rd instant, at Twelve o'clock, at th© Public saleroom, Exchange-buildings, 97 Bags PLATE LAC, ex Robert Palsford ; in Molynenx's, New Quay.—Apply to Messrs. T. and J. Brocklebank, Merchants, or to T. & H. LITTLED 3LE & CO., Brokers. SATURDAY On TAURSDAT next, the 24th instant, at Twelve o'clock, at the Brokers' office, 1327 Bags Bombay LINSEED, 400 Bags Bombay MUSTARD, 430 Bags Bombay RAPE, now landing ex Eldorado and Blanch.—Apply to Messrs, Rennie, Clowes and Co., Merchants, or to T. & H. LITTLEDALJ & CO., Brokers. WOOL SALE On TnirasD%Y neat, the 24th instant, at the Brokers' salereom, 10, North John-street. 1000 Bales East India 550 Bales Peruvian (washed, fine fleece, and WOOL Merino), 250 Bales Egyptian, Italian, Sfax, &c., 1800 Bales. Apply to ABRAM GARTSIDE & CO., Wool Brokers FRIDAY On FRIDAY next, the 25th instant, at Twelve o'clock, at the Brokers' office, 2000 Bundles COIR YARN, 460 Bundles COIR ROPE, now landing ex sundry vsssels. —Apply to Messrs. Nicol, Duckworth & Co., Merchants, or to T. & H. LITTLEDALE & CO., Brokers. AFTER NEXT WEEK On WEDNESDAY, the 30th instant, at Twelve o'clock, at the Public saleroom, Exchange-buildings, 42 Chests LAC DYE, DT and DD Mimpore marks, just landed ex Tornado, in Albert Doek.—Apply to T. & 11. LITTLEDALE & CO., Brokers. 6u *dr. TO SHIPPERS TO THE WEST COAST. FINE BLEACHED WAX, AND STEARINE WAX, SPERMACETI AND STEARINE CANDLES, Suitable for the West Coast, and other markets. Apply to FRANCIS J. EATON, 7, Exchange•chambers. NODDER, R HATTER, 81, CHURCH-STREET, Begs respectfully to inform the Nubility and Gentry of Liver pool that his NEW STYLES for the Season are NOW READY for Inspection. EARLY DELIVERY OF THE "NORTHERN TIMES."—Any subscriber within four miles of the Liverpool Exchange, or at Rock-ferry, Tranmere, Birkenhead, Woodside, Oxton, Claughton, Seacombe, Egremont, or New Brighton, who does not receive his copy of the " NORTHERN TIMES," by Eight o'clock will oblige the publisher by addressing a note to him at the office notifying the fact, in order that the cause of complaint may be investigated and removed. As our messengers commence their delivery at five o'clock on each morning, it would greatly facilitate its completion if subscribers would have letter-boxes in their doors through which the papers might be dropped, as the detention at some houses is very great at present, and causes delay and disappointment to other subscribers. EVENING EDITION Sir An Evening Edition of the NORTHERN DAILY TIMES is now Published every Afternoon, at Three o'clock, containing the Markets, together with all the News of the Day, up to the hour of going to Press. Tall ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES is TWO GUINEAS PER ANNUM. FRIDAY, APRIL 18 WE published in our paper of yesterday a letter from Major GREW, explaining the discrepancies pointed out in the NORTHERN TIMES of Wednesday, in which he says :—" In reference to the apparent " discrepancies pointed out by you, as shown in "the Returns of the Coronet and the Police Returns, " the difference consists mainly in the classifiea '• ton, the return forwarded from the Coroner's '• Court to this office being under thirty-nine " different heads, whilst the Return made by the Police contains only fourteen. It is impossible TNE NO TIIIEL=LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY, APRIL 18,1866: " to arrive at any conclusion, by comparing the " Coroner's Table with No. 1 Table of the Police " Statistics, the former showing the number of " inquests holden and the result, whilst the latter " gives, as it professes, the number of persons taken " into custody, and the offences with which they " were charged at the time of their apprehension." This explanation we willingly accept, so far as the Head• Constable is concerned ; but what are we to think of a system which, according to Major GREIG'S own showing, is useless for comparison, by which means alone the public can test the tccuracy of either statistic ? No man can be committed for murder or manslaughter, let those crimes be " classified" as they may, without an inquisition being held on the body of the person killed. And in the " Return of all Inquests ' held before the BOROUGH CORONER for the year hich we published simultaneously with the article alluded to by Major GREG, the cases of wilful murder are nine, and those of manslaughter eight; whereas, Major GREIG states, in the second paragraph of his report, that " not " fewer than twelve persons were committed to the " assizes for murder, by verdicts of the Coroner's " Juries." " 1855,' Turning to Table No. 1, we find the number " taken into custody," and " committed for trial for " murder," twelve, and " manslaughter" six, of whom two were discharged. Now, if Major GREIG had not himself taken the Coroner's " verdicts," and mixed them up in his Report with the figures given in the Police Return, entitled " Table No. 1," no one would ever have dreamt of comparing the Coroner's books with those of the Police authorities. It may be possible that " infanticide" comes under the head of murder in the Constabulary Reports, but as the Coroner's Returns show these crimes to have been eight, by adding them to the twelve mentioned by the HEAD-CONSTABLE, the total would be twenty! instead of twelve, and not seventeen, as stated in " Table 19.'' The discrepancies to which we have alluded, are, therefore, not only " apparent," but real. But as we must not compare these returns, suppose we take either one of them, the other must be wrong. The CORONER did not hold seventeen juries on cases of wilful murder, or ten juries on charges of manslaughter, in 1855, as distinctly stated in `• Table 19 ;" nor, did he commit twelve persons to the Assizes for murder, as alleged in the second paragraph of Major GREIG'S report. Again, in this " Table 19," we find in the " causes of " death" that persons " found dead" are returned nil, while the CORONER, out of the total of 705 eases brought before him, returns 257 as " found " dead," and 91 " died suddenly"—" the surgeon "called being unable to give a certificate of the "cause of death." This " Table 19" gives us, it is true, the same number of deaths under different heads, but how comes it, that the police give us specific causes of death in ninety-one cases in which the CORONER states the surgeon called in was unable to discover the cause of death ? This Table, it is said, " gives the number of deaths during the " year 1855, upon which Coroner's inquests have "been holden," and " the cause of death;" but if it does give us the total number of deaths, the causes of death, and their " classification," are wholly at variance with the verdicts of the Coroner's Juries, and the inferences to be drawn from them. With the apprehensions and charges which were made in the year in question, we have nothing to do. We have to deal with the figures set down under specific heads, and these are all at variance, and must appear to the public; for whose inform ation they are compiled, wholly unintelligible. Our object in pointing out the " apparent discrep ancies " is, that they may be corrected. If we are to have a Table embodying the criminal charges brought before the Coroner's Court, let that Return be copied from the Coroner's books. Believing that the Watch Committee will see these errors rectified henceforth, we cheerfully advert to a brighter phase of the criminal records. " For example," says Major Greig, "in offences "by violence against the person, education is " almost entirely wanting, there not being one " person charged with shooting, violent assaults, who can read and write well ; whilst of " 1,131, the number charged with common assaults " only one out of every 250 can read and write "well." Here are facts for the working classes to ponder over, and the friends of education to turn to good account. We have here only the debase ment of the uneducated, not the terrible amount of punishment ignorance provokes. Yet, with all that can be said, crime is not increasing in this 852 against Borough. This encouraging assurance is given in " Table "5" of Major GREIO'S report. Comparing the number of prisoners committed for trial in 1846 with the total of 1855, the decrease appears to be A fraction over 49 per cent., the numbers being 448, while in the former year the number convicted and sentenced was 700, and in the latter 352 only. The last two years show pretty nearly the same ratio of decrease, and now that the low neap tide of crime has arrived, redoubled efforts ought to be made to arrest the increase of those less heinous vices which date directly from ignorance and drunkenness, and which appear under the head of offences " summarily punished." In this column of the Police Returns considerable improvement may be traced, except in intem perance. The number summarily punished in 1816 was 12,198, and in the twelve months ending December last 15,053, being an increase of 2,855 . but this augmentation, in the muster-roll of depravity, must not be added to what is strictly speaking " crime ;" for Major GREIG states that the total number of persons " taken into custody " for the degrading vice of intemperance, was " 4,820," and if we dedact these figures from the total of apprehensions for 1853, of which 39 . 6 per cent were discharged, it will be found that the com mittals for all other petty crimes were numerically less than last year, and the year before, than they were in 1846 ! We have good cause to exult at the truth as disclosed in these Returns, for it shows us most irrefragably that the sole remaining pleague ~ pots we have to remove from our social system are drunkenness and ignorance. With the disappear ance of one, apprehensions by the police will be dimi nished fully 50 per cent, and summary punishment 40 per cent, and with the latter we may infer that when every Englishman can read and write well, that the police reports would convey to us the joyful tidings, that since education was no longer wanting, there was not one person charged with "shooting, violent assaults, &c.," as all could read and write well." OUR Chester readers and supporters are loud in the expression of their just wrath at the manner in which the Council and the gas monopolists of their city have juggled them on the gas question. They must, however, do us the justice to say, that we have given them all the information they could require to enable them to see through and oppose the whole job. Had the consumers, as a body, made a determined stand against the amalgama tion, the Corporation would scarcely have attempted to sanction it on any terms. But as this was not done in good time, the question is, what course ought now to be taken? Our corres pondent, whose letter will be found in an other column, gives a concise, and, no doubt, a perfectly correct outline of the Council's proceed ings ; and certainly they do not redound much to the credit of a public body. Yet the good people of Chester must remember, that it takes great men to carry out great wrongs, and that those on whom the public have conferred power, are to blame in this, as in almost every other instance. There are, in leed, few ZENOS in these days, at whose house the keys of a city ought to be leSt, or who place the summum bonum in virtue, such as that required to resist the rich pickings which are to be found in gas lighting at Is. 6d. a thousand. Philosophy, or the close fist of logic, may, in a few more centuries, work the same change in cor porate jobbers, that the former did in SOCRATES' temper, and win mayors, aldermen, councilmen, and town clerks, from all the natural weaknesses of their nature ; but so long as corporations are suffered to give away, out of the pockets of rate payers, 10,0001 to 20,0001 to gas monopolists, the much to be desired change will never take place. Wherever such things can be done with impunity, there the public will always be found in a minority of 8 against 23. Give Mr. SALISBURY, or any other gas manufacturer, 10,0001 or 20,0001 out of the corpora tion purse, and he will ride rough-shod over a town containing half a million of people. Our correspondent states that at the council meeting fore the last, the amalgamation question wa ostponed until the opinion of the citizens could be obtained ; and he appears surprised that the Mayor did not call a public meeting, to see what the ratepayers and corporate constituency thought of the proposal. Five ward meetings were held, but the knowing amalgamators did not pay one farthing towards the expenses, and the Chester newspapers—save us from the like—played the prudent part assigned to GoG and MAGOG, who, when brought out and positively made a show of, beside civic trumpers and men in brass, remain as silent as the grave. But we would simply ask the Legislature if this is the way the Corporate affairs of this nation should be conducted, or that indispensable necessary—cheap light—dealt with by men wholly ignorant of its quality, mode of distribu tion, and cost of production? Is the light which ought to be supplied to the people, the poor more especially, at a price which would render it as accessible and useful to the million as the light from the sun, moon, and stars, to be longer left in the hands of venders of false measures, reckless manufacturers of gas, incompetent engineers who cannot lay down pipes with less than 121 per cent leakage, jobbing secretaries, exhorbitantly paid directors, and the long phalanx of tricksters who stand around almost every gas holder in the king• dom ? Liverpool, Chester, Manchester, Stockton, Hereford, Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, Norwich, Dublin, Cork, and Glasgow, are not the only towns where the gas consumers complain, and can show their cuts and scars. The whole of the large towns in the three kingdoms are crying aloud for cheap and good light, and complaining of the extor tionate price of gas, and we repeat our assertion, that Parliament must interfere on their behalf sooner or later. They have granted those powers which gas companies know so well how to put in force, and to them the public must appeal for relief. With regard to a shareholder in gas companies sitting as chairman of a corporate gas committee, and persons equally interested in such partnerships taking part in a municipal division on a gas question, nothing can be more manifestly illegal. And if that is the way in which the Chester amalgamation has hepn carried, the Burgesses should at once convene a public meeting, and enter a solemn protest again the vote of the council. If Mr. SALISBURY Ni have the two companies amalgamated, let him go to Parliament for a bill, and let the gas consumers tell a committee of the House of Commons, that he is a shareholder in his " rival " company, and watch the result. Why ! his bill would not be " thrown out" according to ordinary parliamentary usage. It would, in all probability, be thrown behind the fire, or out of the window. But what do the amalgamators say about the Chester " meters?" Are they as honest as those of Liverpool, or are they no more accurate than those of Manchester, and some other large towns we could name ? Let the Council and Mr. SALISBURY give the public some information on this head. If no one indivi dual will pledge himself as to the simple honesty or accuracy of the Gas measures now in use in Chester, what does the amalgamation scheme mean ? It is quite enough for the Gas Consumers to have to pay 33 per cent. for engineering " waste and leakage," without having to pay for measures which .may have been spoiled while undergoing repairs, and which are as fast and otherwise defective as some new meters we have seen in use in other places. MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL. LITERPOOL, THURSDAY EVENING. The Liverpool Cotton Market has assumed a much quieter tone, and the amount of business done to-day does not exceed 8,000 bales, including 2,500 taken for speculation and export. The offerings to-day have been but moderate, and prices remain without change. The amount of business done in the Liverpool Share market has not been large, but it opened with a firm tone which was maintained throughout the day, and closed steady at the fol lowing quotations :-- Aberdeen, 131 13 a . Chester and Birkenhead, 1.51 16. Caledonian, 31 301. Chester and Holyhead, 1G 161. Eastern Counties, 10 1-16 10 3-16. East Lancashire, 10a 191. Great Northern, 238 231. Ditto A, 9-'4 l 104. Great Western, 6-1-1- 65. Lancashire and Yorkshire Stock, 894- 89,1. Liverpool. Crosby, and Southport, 17 17/. London and North Western Stock, 1011 1011. Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, 298 29k, Ditto Pref., 111 12. Ditto New 6 per cent. Pref., 7-16 9-16 p. Midland Stock, 754' 751. North British, 8 13-16 Bi. North Staffordshire, 6 51d. South Eastern and Dover, 22 22 1-16. York, Newcastle, and Berwick, 191 198. York and North Midland, 287, 281. Leeds Capital Stock, 151 16. Buffalo and Lake Huron, 1 15-16 2p. Dutch Rhenish, 11 qp. Great Western of Canada,26 5-16 267 , : Ditto New Stmres. Ditto 2nd issue, 31 3-Ip. Great Luxembourg, 71 7d. We have advises from Akyab to the 26th of February, and quote the following market report, from the circular of Messrs. Wienholt, Mohr, and Co. _ _ Since departure of last mail, supnlies have been on a large scale, particularly on 10th 11th, 12th, and 13th inst., which had an immediate effect upon prices, and large pur- chases have been effected on these dates, at prices gradually decreasing from 69r. to 64r. ; the news of this fall, however, immediately spread over the country, and supplies almost as suddenly stopped. Buyers, notwithstanding, appeared determined to follow up their advantage, and, although several were hard pressed for ships in port, yet the efforts to keep prices down were so far successful that prices, during the 14th, 15th and 16th, with decreasing supplies, were kept at from 62r. to 573 r,, or 7s. to 6s 7d. per cwt., free on board. We do not estimate the purchases effected at these rates beyond 100,000 baskets. It is to be regretted, that with the large amount of tonnage in port waiting for cargo, shippers could not afford to restrict their purchases any longer ; on the 17th, 18th, and 19th, the competition of buyers raised prices again from 58r. to 66r., or 7s. 7d. per cwt. free on board, and in some instances 67r. and 68r., or 7s 8d to 7s 9d per cwt. free on board was paid, which immediately drew larger supplies again from the interior. Yesterday morning the news from Europe, from beginning of January, via Bombay, per telegraph, to Calcutta, and thence per land mail here, announcing the acceptance by the Russian government of the entire propositions carried to St. Petersburg by Count Esterhazy, became known, and as by the letters which we expect in a few days, more restricted orders and lower limits may be expected, we doubt not that this will have the required effect on our market, and that we shall be able to report lower rates by next mail. The Nakreusee crop will be in excess to the same extent, as the Laroong crop has fallen short.—P.S. The news of peace have already had a deteriorating effect on prices, and purchases could be made yesterday afternoon and to-day at from 58s. to 625., or 63. Bd. to 7s. per cwt., f. o. b. It is to be hoped that this decline may continue, and that supplies may not be stopped by it. How much prices will give way, and of what duration it will be, too much depends upon the circumstance, how far and how long our shippers will be able to restrict their purchases, without getting their ships on demurrage. Accounts from India by the Overland Mail state that at Calcutta no variation had occurred in the market for British piece goods. If the money market, however, became easier there was likely to he considerable activity, as the stocks of several articles were reduced. The Money Market exhi bited no signs of immediate improvement, and discounts on the other hand have slightly advanced According to the last Bank return there was an increase in the loans and discounts of 1,220,875 rupees, and the Bank was 17 lacs in a worse posi tion than in the previous week. Heavy remittances, however, had been sent to Burmah for purchases of rice, but these would soon cease, and it was 3xpected that towards the termination of the season the directors would make some material alteration in the charges for discount. The Batavian papers state that owing to the failure of the rice crops in Jambi (Sumatra) the Governor-general of N. India had decreed that all Paddy and rice imported into Muraa Kowpeh, in Jambi, during 1856. should be free from duty. The Blackwall, from Melbourne, with 87,281 ounce of gold on freight, has been telegraphed off Penzance, where she landed some prssengers. The railway traffic returns for the nast wpoir ne mpared with those of the same period last year, ,ow the following results . 1856. Corresponding week last year. ENGLISH LINES Bristol and Exeter Blyth and Tyne Chester and Holyhead Deeside East Lancashire Great Western Great Northern Lancashire and Yorkshire 21,194 ~ .. 18,994 London and North Western.. London and South Western London and Brighton ...... , Manchester, Sheffield, &c Manchester and S. Junction 699 .... 696 Midland 29,229 ..... 28,109 North London North British. North Stafford North Devon Oxford, Worcester, &c 3,202 .... 2,967 Kendal and Windermere Shrewsbury and Birmingham Shrewsbury and Hereford 1,121 .... 1,024 Shrewsbury and Chester South Eastern • 15,200 .... 18,140 South Devon South Yorkshire Shropshire Union .. ....... .... 877 Taff Vale ) West Cornwall West Hartlepool .. IRISH LINES Belfast and Ballymena Cork and Bandon .. 250 Cork and Blackrock Dublin and 'Wicklow 370 Londonderry and Enniskillen .... 672 Londonderry and Coleraine Waterford and Limerick Waterford and Kilkenny SCOTCH LINES £5,955 741 Aberdeen Caledonian Dundee and Arbroath .... Edinburgh and Glasgow__ Glasgow and South Western Great North of Scotland .. Peebles ... 3,379 11,798 5,450 5,970 1,146 132 3,162 11,292 LkTEST INTELLIGENCE, SEPARATION OF THE PLENIPOTENTIARIES PARIS, THURSDAY EVENING As a proof that the Congress has concluded its labours, and that the representatives of the Great Powers have separated, it may be mentioned that Count Cavour, the Sardinian plenipotentiary, left this city to•day for London. • TUEKISH REFORMS Despatches from Constantinople, received yes_ terday at Marseilles, announce that the proclama tion of the Hatti Kamayoum had been received with demonstrations of joy throughout Syria, especially at Lanarca, at Rhode, and throughout the Archi pelago. On the other hand, it had met with an unfavourable reception at Anasea, which was in full revolt, and great excitement also prevailed in Armenia. -.4o...______- THE CRIMEA By the Indus, arrived at Marseilles, we have intelligence from the Crimea to the date of the sth inst, News of the signature of the Treaty of Peace was known, and the Presse (I,' Orient states that the evacuation of the Russian territory by the Allies would commence at Kinburn, and be followed by the evacuation of Eupatoria. FOREIGN AND COLONIAL. Grand Trunk of Canada , 2,500 Great Western of Canada 13,134 Demerara The following were the closing quotations of Rail way Shares : Caledonian, 61,61. Eastern Coun ties. 10 10i East Lancashire, 77 70. Great Northern, 944 958. Ditto A, 701 84 Great Western, 641 651. Lancashire and Yorkshire, 898 89a. London and North Western, 1014 101 i. Man chester Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 29-1 291 Midland Stock, 75?-, 757- i . North British, 372. South Eastern and Dover, 73/ 731. York, New castle, and Berwick, 78* 79a. York and North Midland, 56* 57. The funds to-day exhibited increased firmness, the closing prices beine , quoted at 03ti to 931. The general tendency of the various Stock Exchange Markets, evidently continues favourable. The restraining influences exercised by the stringency ' of the Money Market was to-day less decided, the demand for accommodation being less active in all quarters. In the Stock Exchange short loans were obtainable on Government stocks at the reduced rates of five per cent. The prospect that the gold to-day, announcod as arrived from Australia, will be retained here, stimulates confidence, inasmuch as this supply will form an important set-off against the drain to Turkey. At Paris to-day the 3 per Cent Rentes closed at a further rise of Bto - per cent. During the last few days a stimulus has been given to speculation on the Bourse by reports which are current that thc Bank of France is to be empowered to make a fresh issue o f notes to the extent of about 8,000,0001 sterling. AMERICAN MAILS. —The Royal Mail steamer, Persia, will sail for New York with the mall!, &c., to-morrow. Letters, in the usual form, will be received at the General Post °thee to half-past six , and, with late fees, to h a lf past seven in the morning. Additional late fees will be taken at the box on the landing-stage up to half-past eight o'clock. THE COURT The Queen and the Prince Consort went on Wednesday afternoon to inspect the invalids in the military hos pitals at Chatham. The Queen had a dinner party in the evening. The company included the Duchess of Kent, the Princess Royal, the Marquis and Marchioness of Breadalbane, Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, the Earl of Dalkeith, the Earl of Sandwich, the Earl and Countess Delawar,Viscount and Viscountess Enfield, and Rear• Admiral Meynell. TROOPS FOR CANADA.—The Globe of last night says : Our cotemporaries are in error when they state that ten thousand men re to be sent from the Crimea to Canada. It is quite true that British North America will be again garrisoned by regular troops, as it was before the war, but so will Dublin, Portsmouth, Gibraltar, and our other home and colonial stations. Five or six infantry regiments were generally quartered in Canada before the exigencies of the war required their withdrawal, and about the same number will now be despatched thence from the Crimea. The regiments composing General Eyre's division are not so likely to be selected as those who are first on the roster for colonial duty. GRAND REVIRW'AT ALDERSHOTT.—To day her Majest y and his Royal Highess Prince Albert leave Buckingham palace to visit the camp at Aldershott. There is to be a grand review of the whole of the troops encamped there, and a strong force of the Royal Artillery is ordered to assist at the military spectacle. The Queen and Prince Albert will remain during the night at Aldersh ott, and return to Buckingham-palace on Saturday afternoon• His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Field- Marshal Viscount Hardinge, Lord Panmure, and a bril liant staff of military officers will be present on the occasion. A number of fir.) Royal domestics have gone to Aldershott to make preparations for her Majesty's recep tion. VIOLENT ASSAULT ON A WIFE.—A young woman, apparently about eighteen years of age, named Mary Deluse, the wife of a man named .1 -nes Deluse, who is employed by Mr. Rose, charged him I), ',.ro Mr. Mansfield, yesterday, with having committed a vi gent assault on her. The poor young creature had a c=,ild in her arms, and seemed to have suffered considerably. She stated that, almost since her marriage, she had been subject to ill-usage, and en Taesday night her husband, whilst in a state of intoxication, nearly choked her, He beat her most violently, also. He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, acid then to find bail to keep th peace. THE COLONY OF VICTORIA We have reason to believe that the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Labouchere, has offered the Governorship of the Colony of Victoria to the Earl of Elgin, late Governor of Canada. THE FRENCH FUNDS PARIS, THURSDAY EVENINCI The transactions in the Funds to-day closed as follows :—Four and a Half Der Cents, 93f. 70c. ; Three per Cents, 73f. 50c. FRANCE. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) PKIIIS, TUESDAY EVENING, The Congress did not meet to-day ; but its last sitting, as I have already informed you, will posi tively take place to-morrow. 'rhe Austrian and Prussian Plenipotentiaries, Count de Buol and Baron Manteuffel, will leave Paris on Thursday, and Lord Clarendon's departure remains fixed for Saturday. The second Plenipotentiaries—that is, the ordinary Ambassadors—may hold a meeting between themselves, if circumstances should call for one. The day on which the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty will take place is not yet known; it depends on the receipt of the ratifica tion of the Ottoman Porte. The retirement of Lord Cowley, our Ambassador, is beginning to be talked of. The reason assigned is, the absurd squabble into which he got with Lord Clarendon, as to his right to take precedency of him everywhere except in the Congress, on the pretence that he represents the person of the Sove roign, whereas the noble Lord is only a minister. The retirement of Lord Cowley will not embarrass the Government, for it will be easy to replace him by a man of equal talent; and it will not be re gretted by the English residents, for he is neither amiable nor hospitable. A grand banquet and operatic performance were given to the Plenipotentiaries, at the Hotel de Ville, last night. They were both brilliant in the extreme, and were infinitely less melee than most festive gatherings at the Town Hall. The gentle men were in uniform, and the toilets of the ladies were of extraordinary magnificence. An official return published to-day, shows that the amount of the indirect taxes in the first three months of the present year was 242,191,000 fr., which was 31,085,000 fr. more than in the corres ponding period of 1855, and 40,026,000 fr. more than in that of 1851. The amount of direct taxes received in the three months was 14,300,000 fr. on account of 1855, and 92,668,000 fr. on account of the present year. Count Orloff, after the exchange of ratifications, intends to go to Naples to see his son, who was wounded in the Crimea. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—THURSDAY Their lordships met at five o'clock. THE TROOPS FOR CANADA. Lord PANMURE, in reply to a question from the Earl of Elgin, said that it was true that troops and ammu nition had been sent to Canada to supply the garrisons which had been reduced to meet the exigences of tha war. The noble lord added that there was no hostile intention towards any of the border states. The Public Works Bill and the Public Works (Ireland) passed a second reading. Their lordships rose at twenty minutes to six o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY. There being only thirty-six members present at four o'clock, the House stand 3 adjourned till Friday (this day). THE CRIMEA Camp. Sebastopol, April 1. The extension of the armistice has been formally announced in general orders, and no date for its duration is mentioned. The suspension of hostilities is to con tinue until further orders. No change has taken place in the relative positions of the hostile troops along the line of the Tchernaya. The valley on the left bank is a favourite place of resort for the English equestrians, but the Russians seldom descend into their part of the plain. Near the contracted valley of Inkerman, where the Russian barracks and huts are comparatively close at hand, there are always some groups of loungers—the line of Russian sentries, and at a little distance off the Russian pickets guard the right bank of the river, as the allies do the left side, and no one, of either army, is now seen to cross the fiver. It is rumoured in the French camp, that the Russians have received news of the peace negociations having been brought to a favourable con clusion. The English mail had been detained by rough weather ; our London dates are to the 15th March. SINGULAR ESCAPE OF A FEMALE CONVICT On Wednesday afternoon a female effected her escape from the custody of the gaoler of the Southwark police court in a most singular manner. The woman in ques tion, who is named Mary Ann Leonard, is known to be connected with a gang of housebreakers and omnibus thieves in and about the metropolis. She was tried at the Surrey sessions in August last for picking the pocket of Mrs. Sully, the wife of the printer of the Weekly Times, of a purse, containing £1 lOs, in an omnibus, and tormer convic tions being proved against her, she was sentenced to 6 years' penal servitude. She was then kept in the custody of the governor of HorsemongPr-lane gaol, and in the early part of February was placed in the infirmary to attend upon a lady named Rider, who drowned her child in a pan of water, while under temporary insanity. The unfortunate lady was allowed to see her friends, and on the 19th of February, the prisoner succeeded in disguising herself in some of their outer garments, and escaped. She suc cessfully evaded the vigilance of the authorities until Monday evening last, when she was discovered in a lodging-house at Liverpoel with a man whom she called her husband. It was ascertained that they had taken their passage for New York, and would have saPed on Tuesday morning. The prisoner was accordingly brought up to London on Tuesday afternoon, and charged before Mr. Combe at the Southwark police court. After being committed for trial she was locked up with other females by Downs, the gaoler, in one of the cells at the rear of the police court. During the afternoon several of her friends entered, and requested to be allowed to see her in the gaoler's room. The gaoler consented, and brought her out of the cell, and carefully locked the door leading backwards. While they were conversing he was suddenly called into the court on business, and on his return, after an.absence of a moment or two, he was surprised to find that his prisoner had made her escape. The court was rather full at the time, and it is a mystery to every one connected with the court how she could have gone through. A number of hal characters were seen about the court during the day; consequently, there could be no doubt her escape was previously planned. Information of this second escape has been sent to every police-station in the kingdom. AS QUESTION IN CHE THE G TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES. Sir,—l have observed that you occasionally note do f wn the sayings and doings of our town council (of which . am a member), and I am anxious that you shou ld he possession of some of the facts, when anything o f inir tance is brought forward—such as that of gas aural mations, which you have so correctly notice, article this morning. I am the more anxious, our two principal local papers (the Chroni cle and COI, will not, or, at least, do not, give the voice of the peep , _ and, judging from the course they have taken, suppose they are, in one way or other, deeply intereste_ in the matter. Add to this the fact, that a leading aldere man (a lawyer) is solicitor for the new company- .111 deputy town-clerk, who acts on the committee nieeticgs.! Is solicitor for the old company ; while the town coucol and the public are left to shift for themselves, and haves as I maintained at our last meeting, given Mr. Salls burl e one woul from £lO,OOO to £20,000 of the public money. I was °ll ., of the minority of 8 against ;23, and warned the councoil, that it would soon have occasion to regret that day's P r , ceedings. At a meeting of the . :council , before the voice they postponed the voting on this matter , until the vo'a. of the people could be obtained. Did the Mayor call meeting to see how this stood? Did a single antal - pay a farthing toward 3 the'_ expenses in calling meetings, or assist in any way to get the n. people ? Did either of those papers alluded to so toTenliglaten the people as to how the matter final' r fiv , w.rcl t ie ind c' t / not one 1 At every ward meetinc , resolutions were talo.a.. thoroughly condemning the course the council have These resolutions were placed on the table; and ye t ' 1 ,. nothisF, the face of these, they disregard the people, and but self-interest must have swayed their niifilsci Many of these amalgamators were at the were.ward meetings, but dared not defend the course they aga inst taking, even by so much as lifting up their hands f the strong resolutions which the wards put down er p a p er thanks for your helping hand. I have taken yetz r P 3 f ije fi passed daily since it came here, and if you will accept r tf 3 ,, n e ro observations or scraps which I think worth n otibe' l'i,„ ~ & do time to time, I will now and then dot sometulno or you, tbe a One fact more. Mr. Salisbury declares that company lost 33 per cent. in waste and le akage, while ‘4e W only lost 12/ (not a bad profit alone) , a nd also that bias. present works could alone supply m illi o ns, but he only supplying 17 millions. Twelve respectable tradesfeebe agreed, if he would n , t amalgamate, to guarantee that would - should have the full supply of 27 millions , or they wo.,s. pay for it; but he had not the common h onesty to tell 0 then that he had nearly one half the sh ares in old company, and that, in consequence of there bc,io" ee cil in his license, he would amalgamate whet her the u would let him or not. He was further a sked to Oro% open his company, and let us make it a Gas C° listin'c ad Company, but this he also declined, so that never w ere ti e r consumers so completely sold as the citizens of C hes v have been in this matter. However, something te al ; e t turn up to give us a chance of a word again ab°%ije, and, as I have said before, you shall hear f roin a t ef: I had almost forgotten that the chairman of the coraln"Toea, now appointed by the council to carry out the are als , 3 ag tion, is one of the largest shareholders company, and positively voted twice during i ts o e sitting, by7,means of which the question was carried--° privately, and then as chairman's casting vote; and „t. being a banker, and having influence to no small alaell-ea I consider it so glaring, that it ought, and shall be, noticed in one way or other. Sir, is it reasonable, that a t gas coVnth, councillor or alderman, having interest in should be allowed to sit and vote in council during discussion on these questions. Several law9c present in the council-room, who silently assente, in the ela last we do not feel satisfied about the legality eio proceedings.—Yours, &c., Chester, April, 1856. wer e ' SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN Tl3l'i Sir,—So long as the attacks upon the Sacred I !. " 1 t Society and myself were anonymous, I treated them ‘ contempt they deserved. My attention having this ( ! s , i )r re s. directed to a letter, signed A. Maclea n, whose n“' cautiously withheld, Ido not hesitate to reply. , gig! The quotation from the Mercury i s incorrect, tne hoc; being "discarded servant," not member. Allow In c fo to state Mr. Maclean was discharged for tb°ooo, lowing reasons :—Firstly : A deficiency in his, ac a ,lll ' after the first concert in November last. o ec ' Overbearing and insulting conduct to the subscriberanclr many of them have testified to the loss of the socie t y tl l6 thirdly, borrowing money of parties connected "c'iji,p/ iti " Mr. Maclean is consideo%aecl ...ed at various times, an d I reT'ci,eo jointly, in order to get rid of hini ; 4 for ie cause of his bitterness. I have the best of 'Tr:clean' stating that all the letters have been writt en by Mr. '`;‘,,cer though one or more were signed by J. T. Sowden (3t W bic Great George.street ) The letter signed " Bet a ?, o v( accompanies Mr. Maclean's letter, commencing ---` : parties," was, doubtless, also written by Mr. 148C i s I). though I could readily disprove its accuracy, I thin to V to treat it, as all anonymous communications deserve c'f ' with contempt. tbe r rs Allow me to add, I decline entering int o any .nrboribe respondence with Mr. Maclean, and beg to caution suatojeots, and the public from placing confidence i n his st „1” respecting the Sacred Harmonic Society. . • e s 0 1 I shall be happy to answer the personal o'l, l, oo' l ' , scribers, and remain, yours, &c. C. D. 2, Islington-square, April 17, 1856. society, which is yet tie an appointment hel SMOKE PREVENTION, TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTIIERN Tl 3l ' s a kW' SIR,—In one of your cotemporaries, t his day, aPPet3r the apl' ' from Mr, C. W. Williams, in which b e states tha not Pa t a a ratus employed by me at the Waterloo station is of mine, but an imitation of an expired patent of hi s u ' t fril r I should not have replied to this letter at all, b a af 3) " . ' having placed in my hands the printed illustration:lo 0a; Williams' patent, it enables me to tell Mr. Wllli auts N ot, f' l is no similarity whatever in any portion of the two Pa . ., s at 0 in proof of this the public may - inspect these illustrati°" e' office, n atea t ' „nlf I may also observe, that until I took out 13 3 Y i r, , wag :" 0 Williams - knew nothing about a metal bridge , °g u y : - Wi ll ': after my invention was successfully at work, tha t ;;;; . a f . l Ol l. inserted it in his book ; but a bridge does not tu a % a ga r :: and my patent is for a perfect furnace, and not l A - 100P' —Yours, &c. solori '-'' 6, South Castle-street, Liverpool ! . -=- .- _ HISTORIC SOCIF,TY night in in the Grand Jury-room, St• Ge° l.f ,,..' - l ° tO e o eld: b The fifth scientific meerinrof''this society 0 , 3 :1„ 11 3,1 1, ?„ l i i r ; Dawson, V having. P. , in tbheeencharei re.eivAednioll,g.„rlefiso. alirel;,yl,: announced vii e J x o .s u ;o r c n ife a rt l oym o , of ftothrhee Socic tY t. ..1 S 0 , 1.3; f_ T_ r r oe . a ro :nsa t ix. ie tlo S ns tatistical Society, Journal, vel. toe I00‘"Ill library of Liverpool Dec. 1855 Reportll.Bsllsi,l°l'lll33e.llB! V al.l .i t 0 49 ; from the editor, Poems of D ru il, s c i'op , the lib o r rnden, edited by W. B. D. D. Turnhu oart°gr. ient o authors bser v ; a t f o r r o y m , 1 ‘ . .. 1 ;,6 r• i c g r o or eA, s t a ti c John ;It Isaac, a Platter with a Crowneu room- o f ported . btwo dolphins in the centre, 0• 13 ,.' p o,i. oi border birds and fruit interspersed ; also ''' 'Tos" , t the two guns fused together in the fire a th e London. no rt o f , v of _ The Chairman read an extract from the Tereta`-ae t L b i e ve ß r r p i o ti o s l h Observatory, to the effect that the t o f se i s e , of Association for the advaneercle.ns the 1 i OW' had agreed to allow 'one of the local societte i Ati its plates and tables on f Vv erP°° t 1) the results 0 I f bo meter. 0 o ~,,o p D Der. Hume laid on the table proof impressfr iliir'o'be the wou r c i d a r tes and tables, and mentioned that Al; 111 .4;4 t tor ic ada separate paper explanatory t!,• the P-" published e in the forthcoming volume 01 Society's transactions. , 0 0 ° 5 v i. Mr. llartnup offered some verbal e/cp3rTia, t hee' e A plates, , and then proceeded to read a pap er i o , . 3 05 co ' upon the method now employed in the,,,,iliorovi il. noting of barometrical observations, and the 1 .7 a 03 11 1 l :jt' of the barometer of late years." The paP er yi n coi l r scientific, in . and it the writer expressed a stree,t trigot ' 0001' no f that the .encouragement now given by go as tro to re 0 tains of vessels to make barometrical n. rodoc:itatioa observations during their voyages, would he, f o oavla the most • . important results to sciedce an t 0 10 1 l inanellt y, in particular. • g lall The Chairman commented on the surprisil? den ot• 0 0 ,„miinitY 0 o , 0 of shipowners, and the mercantile c o ' . krio*vieub• 0 3 a to these enquires, though the thorough - r vesselirs 0 t laws s7 which governed storms by rnasters 0 , „ a re - i ' v h3; aeto them millions of money lost bY tiesllod I(3spee.. observed that if they did not themselves aot concerned their interests so largely t hey coal ocieti the government to do it. f the 6 On the motion of Dr. Hume, the t hanks ° s toll his f(f' ,, 4 were voted by acclamation to 'lllr. IlartnuP Among the exhibition, which were 0 11 , (w.- ° , o most rare and interesting were Mrs. Miltoli; a c oig e ot the poet) knife and fork in an oak case, W I sa l a ll her will and declaration touching their dile° grants bearing date 1239, 1263, 1324; 84e " "" • of t ,:il a ..„-----_ dry -- Tun WEATHER continues very cold, but -ated otr When the wind shifts, which may be -est er i ° , tlle moon's change, in a day or two, fine Wartn v l A dinit i o cipated. As it is, vegetation must have increase. past week. 1