Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-25 00:00:00

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FRANCE. PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING. The result of the Paris eections which I trans mitted last night by telegraph is pretty much as I anticipated : two or three of the opposition candi dates have obtained a triumph in Paris. I say two or three, as, in consequence of not having obtained the absolute majority—that is, one-half plus one of the total votes —General Cavaignac will have to go through a new election, His majority, relatively to his opponent, M. Thibaut, is only 237. In the second election he will not be required to have the absolute, but merely the relative, majority. As to his success on this second essay, opinion is divided. Some believe that he will still be the elected ; others, on the contrary, affirm that every one that would have voted for him has voted, that his list will con sequently not be swelled by any additional names, and that such electors as were too indolent or too much occupied to come to the poll will, when compelled to appear, vote for his opponent. The second election will commence in fifteen days. The fifth and sixth are the arrondissements where the other Opposition candidates, M. Carnot and M. Goudchaux, have obtained each a considerable majority. In the last mentioned division, the Government candidate was M. Perret, a man, by all accounts, generally and deservedly popular. Yet, in spite of his great influence among the working classes, the fact of his being the Government can didate sufficed to defeat him• M. Perret, it seems, has suffered from the effects of excessive zeal on the part of his friends. Independently of the ordinary placards announcing the name of the candidate, another one appeared for some days, in which five or six working men strongly recom mended to their fellow operatives to elect M. Perret, on the ground of his being the friend of the industrious. Nothing can be more suspicious than a Parisian ; so earnest a recommendation was pronounced to be the work of the police, and it cost M. Perret at least 1,000 votes. The hasty sketch I gave you yesterday of the arrondissments, particularly the 3rd and 6th, will probably have prepared you for the result. The bourgeois of the 3rd has given its lesson to the Government, and the operatives of the 6th have not forgotten 1848. M. de Laboulaye, whose name the Journal des Debats puts forward with, I have no doubt, the best intentions, has met with the fate he deserves. The representative of the juste milieu, of moderate opinions, equally removed from Absolute or from Revolutionary doctrines, stands in the returns mid-way between the candidate of the former and the organ of the latter. The Government candidate has 1,070 votes ; the Debats Parliamen tary representative, 4,676 ; and the Democratic, 1,682. Poor M. Garnier Pages, has been left in a pitiable condition. Certainly the " Ancients" have no cause to glory in their champion. The " Young" adversary, whom he treated with such sans facon, and with whom his difference grew to downright personal hostility, may console himself for his own defeat in the fourth arrondissement, and for the triumph of the Government candidate, when he sees his elder brother Democrat 4,000 votes below him. As to the question of taking the oaths to the Emperor I can say nothing ; it would be only a waste of precious time to repeat the many opinions ex pressed on that point. One thing, however, I can affirm is, the deep mortification felt by the authorities at the result. Each now tries to transfer the blame from his own shoulders to those of his friend or colleage. The Prefect of Police will not admit that the fault is his; any one that wishes may take the responsibility, but he will not. You-hear low mur murs of satisfaction on the part of shopkeepers without number, who are suspected of revenging themselves for their wives and daughters being so often forgotten when balls and other entertain ments were given at the Hotel de Ville. For merly there was a certain number of tickets issued so the mayors of the arrondissements on these important occasions. Since Mr. for, I believe, Baron) Haussmann has swayed the sceptre of the Prefecture the invitations have become less liberal—" fine by degrees, and beautifully less." Then, again, we have complaints, not merely of M. Haussmann's " department," but also of his circulars. Your Parisian bourgeois, though. a terrible philosopher, and professing the greatest indifference on such matters, is one of the most susceptible of beings. As a Radical he looks down upon them as unworthy of occupying a serious mind, but he never will forgive a real or fancied slight. Then, again, the circulars of the Minister of the Interior are criticised with much bitterness. " M Billault," it was said in several polling-booths yesterday—" M. Billault has forced the country to decide—and we have decided. We hope he is satisfied." The Democrats of Paris state with satisfaction that they have gained a majority of 10.000 votes over the government in the eight circumscriptions within the walls, and that it is the two circumscriptions extra notros that made up the government majority. As I write, a private despatch from Lille, just received, announces a majority of 7,000 votes in favour of the opposition candidate (Jules Braun) in that city. A despatch, also private, states that, at Bordeaux, M. Cure, the opposition candidate, has also been elected. Another, that Dr. Henon (opposition) has been elected at Lyons, and a rumour (though not generally credited) that Jules Favre (opposition) has also triumphed. The following returns have been received Lisieux.—M. Amedee .Rene, government candi date, was returned by a majority of 13,000 votes, out of 17.000 voters. Marseilles.—Edrnond Canaple, Government can didate. Aix —M. Rigaud, Government candidate. Doubs.—The Duke of Corregliano against the Count de Montalembert. Gironde.—M. Annan against M. David. Somme.—All the Government candidates, except M. Delamarre. Tarn-et-Garonne.—M. Belmontel. Rhone.—All the Government candidates, except M. Cabias. Hautes-Pyrenees.—M. Achille Jubinal. Gers.—Granier de Cassagnac. Loiret.—Duke de Tarente and Nogent Saint- Laurens. The Pays, ministerial journal, says that the result of the elections surpasses all the hopes of the friends of the Empire. Out of 200 elections known at present in Paris the united Opposition have not returned more than six or eight of their candidates, including those in Paris. The Pays adds, that even in Paris the elections have a particular signification. The real contest was in the third circumscription, where all the Opposition force was concentrated, and there Gen. Cavaignac only polled 10,345 votes, 4,123 less than in the year 1852. Admiral Hamelin has commanded that the frigate Alceste shall be prepared for sea at Brest, to convey an admiral to Rio Janeiro, to relieve Admiral la Roque de Chaufray, who commands the French naval force at that port and in the Plata. It having been observed that the French Consuls and Consular agents abroad are not sufficiently instructed with respect to the population and commerce of the countries in which they ere stationed, orders have been sent to them that every two years they shall make a tour to the extent comprised in the exequatur granted by the power to which they are accredited. At the conclusion of the conference held at St. Cloud, to examine the claims of the representa tivea of the seaports in the question of the Trans atlantic stea m Packet Company, the Minister of Public Works charged two engineers to make reports as to the mouths of the rivers Loire and Gironde. These reports will enable the Council of State to give a definite answer to the delegates from the cities of Nantes and Bourdeaux. A. latter from Algiers of the 15th inst. announces that the Russian Admiral Behrens, who anchored in that port in the frigate Viborg, has been invited by Marshal Randon to visit him at his camp at Souk-al-Arba. It is not true, as reported by several journals, that Prince Vogorides, the Kaimakan of Moldavia, has been dismissed by the Ottoman Porte. The engineer Appointed to execute the works at the mouth of the Danube, having been sent to France to purchase the machinery required for the. purpose, was received in a private audience by the Emperor yesterday, to whom ho 6titbmitted the plang which have been adopted. His Majesty took a warn' interest in this communication. It may be recollected that some time since the Grand Cordon of the Iron Crown was given by the Austrian Government to Prince Vogorides, the Kalmakan of Moldavia. M de Bourqueney had a communication with Count Buol on that occasion. The conference was conducted most courteously by each statesman. Count Buol explained that the favour granted to Prince Vogorides could not be considered as a particular demonstration, inas much as several Wallachian and Moldavian Boyards had received the same mark of distinction for their exertions in maintaining order in the Danubian provinces during the Austrian occupa tion. The French Government has received de spatches from the Indian Seas, which announce that the persecutions to which the Christians have been for some years subject in the Empire of Anuam, in place of diminishing, are increas ing. The official journal of the French estab lishments in India contains, in its number of the Ist May, two letters communicated by the Apostolic Mission at Pondicherry, and which are written—one by Mon signeur Gautier, Bishop of Emmaus, Vicar-Apostolic of Southern Tonquin, the other by Monsigneur Sohier, Bishop of Gadare, coadjutor of Northern Cochin China, which draw a terrific pioture of the treatment which the Christians suffer at present in those countries. These facts assume a greater importance in con sequence of the events which are preparing in China. In the year 1787 Gya-Long, the Sovereign of that country, made a grant to the French Go vernment of the town and magnificent bay of Tourane in return for the assistance afforded him by 20 French officers who assisted him in tho conquest of Tonquin. Three of the French officers, MM. Dayat, Chaigneau, and Vannier, were created Mandarins of the first class ; and the others received important military commands.. Unfortu nately, Gya-Long died, and his successor, Mignes- Mau repudiated the policy of his father, and com menced a persecution against the Christians. The French officers returned to France in 1823. Since that period no European nation has been able to establish relations with the Government of the Empire of Anuam, and even lately M. de Moutigny, sent by the Emperor Louis Napoleon. failed in his mission to Cochin China, though he succeeded with the King of Siam. _ It is rumoured that, in consequence of the dis covery of a plot connected, more or less, with the present election movement, four Italians have been arrested. The plot is, if we can depend on report, of a most serious nature. Papers and fire arms are said to have been found on the prisoners. The following despatch has been received : MARSEILLES, JUNE 22. Advices from Egypt to the 13th state that the harvest will be exceedingly abundant. In Persia, the Prime Mi nister of the shah wanted to have his Majesty's brother in-law executed, for being suspected of having kept up a correspondence with the English during the war. The French Embassy obtained a commutation of the punish ment, on the ground that such a condemnation would violate the treaty lately ratified. The Blidah steamer has been lost at the month of the Ebro, passengers saved. ITALY. TURIN, JUNE 20. To-day we have intelligence of another address to the Pope, which is to be presented to him on his arrival at Ferrara. The citizens of Ferrara, profiting by the example of Bologna, resolved on making known their grievances to the heal of the State during his visit to their town if possible, and to that effect have presented an address to their Gonfaloniere, which, for boldness of language and distinctness in pointing out the evils complained of, is superior to that drawn up by the BoloLtnese. The address bears the signatures of 40 of the most influential citizens of the place, fifteen of whom are munieipal councillors. On its first being read to the Gonfaloniere he made no observation either of approval or dissent; but in about an hour after he again met the deputation that had presented it to him, and told them he could not undertake the charge assigned him. The deputation, however, persisted, and in the end succeeded in persuading the Gonfaloniere that it was his duty to comply with the request of his fellow citizens. The address runs as follows : Excelleney,—When the Supreme Pontiff determined on visiting the provinces of his own States, no doubt was en tertained that the principal cause of this journey was love and solicitude for his own subjects, and the noble aim of substantially ameliorating their destiny. Strong in this conviction, we do not think we shall offend the majesty of the Prince by opening to him our mind, and showing him the wants of the country, but, on the contrary, give him indisputable proof of the faith we pl, , ce in his good inten tions, and in the love of good that pervades his paternal heart. The internal condition of these provinces is vory far from satisfactory, and, to the eye of those who govern us even, the permanent discord which exists between the tendencies of the rulers and the honest and liberal aspira- tions of the people, which is the natural consequence of the spirit of the age and of civiliza'ion, cannot have escaped notice. Great are the abuses committed in the name of the Sovereign. The legislation is imperfect; the ecclesiastical element preponderates ; and arbitrary mea sures falsify and annul the spirit of good laws, as proved by the unexeeuted law of the year 1830, on the formation of the municipalities. Wise and liberal reforms sheltered from every misin terpretation and restriction, are, in our view, the only valid means of putting an end to such evils, and it will be easy to the lofty and benignant mind of the Supreme Pontiff to perceive, among all those which are possible, what reforms are to be made for the sake of the public good. Confident that your Excellency, being fully persuaded of the opportuneness of this our step, will warmly and humbly express our seatiments to the Sovereign, We have the honour, &c., Ferrara, June 6, 1837. I understand the reception of Cavaliere Bon• compagni, the Sardinian Eovoy, by the Pope at Bologna was markedly courteous on the part of His Holiness, and the conversation was strictly of a complimentary nature, both parties carefully avoiding any allusion to the estrangement be tween the Governments of Romc and Sardinia The interview took place in thepresence of Cardinal Corsi, Archbishop of Pisa, and Cardinal Vannicelli, Archbishop of Ferrara. During his short stay in Bologna all the principal inhabitants left cards on Cavaliere Boncompagni; in testimony of their respect for the Government he represents there ; and it is said that the demon stration of sympathy would have been still more openly and unequivocally displayed by the leaders of society, if they had. not feared that by doing so they might have led their humbler . fellow-citizens into such a display of feeling as the . police or Austrian authorities could have laid hold of to impose fresh restrictive measures. The success of the CoUrt of Rome in prevailing on the King of Naples to make concessions to the Chuch equal to, if not greater than, those granted by Austria is beginning to show its natural conse quences at Florence. The Ultramontane party there, having obtained permission from the Grand Duke to publish a political newspaper iu spite of the previous refusal of the ministers, has, of course, de. rived hopes of effecting a Concordat, notwithstand ing the eontinued opposition of M. Bald asseroni and part of the Ministry. Hitherto, the Grand Duke has been restrained from destroying the glory of his country—the Leopoldine laws by the better judgment of his Ministers, supported sometimes, it was believed, by the counsel of his brother in-law, the King of Naples ; and, now that his Imperial Highness has given clear evi dence of his intention to favour the Church of . MN eIN NM the independence of his government to the Court of Rome. The Criminal Court of Parma has just acquitted the political prisoners handed over to it for trial by the " mixed" military tribunal on the raising of the state of siege According to the evidence elicited in the course of the present trial, both from credible witnesses and from the prisoners themselves, the moat atrocious means appear to have been resorted to by the military entutg in order to obtain con demning evidence against the accused, The horror excited in the country by the positive proof of such infamous proceedings is, of course, very great. par ticalarly when it is remembered how many persons who, perhaps, were as innocent as those now acquitted, were executed by sentence of a court martial, and that the very men now set at liberty would probably hive suffered death had the state of siege been continued only a few short weeks longer. _ _ . _ _ _ The British squad ron,undereommand of Admiral Lord Lyons, which anchored in the port of Cagliari the other day. left there again on the 19th, and is expected at Spezzia about the 26th, whence, after a few days, it will probably come to Genoa, having in the meantime taken a look at other parts .tf the coast of Italy. From Genoa it is expected Lord Lyons will come to Turin, to pay his respects to the King of Sardinia, and visit General Della 'garment, with whom he served in the last war. His squadron at presecit consists of the Royal Albert, Conqueror, Centurion, and Brunswick, screw ships of the line ; Curigoa, steam frigate; Ariel, steam corvette ; and Osprey and Wanderer, steam gunboats _ _ The Italia del Popolo, of Genoa states, on the authority of persons coming from Naples, which it says is confirmed by private correspondence, that another attack has been made on the life of the King of Naples, at Gaeta, on the 11th inst., and that his Majesty was slightly wounded. This re port has been repeated here to-day by all the papers of Turin, but evidently received by them with great suspicion, as they carefully quote the source of their information A. letter from Rome of the 16th inst., informs us that on the preceding day, during the procession of the Holy Sacrament to the church of St. John of Lateran, an accident occurred which had nearly produced painful results. The procession was quietly passing the magnificent Piazza of St. John of La teran, when a coachman endeavoured to approach too near with his carriage ; the spectators attempted to prevent him, the coachman whipped his horses, and the draitoons on duty then interfered. This produced a panic. the women and children screamed, and everybody began to fly without reason. The only person who remained at his post was Cardinal Patrizi, who carried the Holy Sacrament. Fortu nately, there was no serious injury to be regretted There were four persons slightly bruised, and there were a multitude of hats, canes, and ladies' head dresses damaged. The writer adds that, as yet, the Pope's stay at Bologna has not been signa lized by any remarkable event. Cardinals Berard? and Borromeo have not failed to inform Cardinal Antonelli of the slightest incident which occurred during the Pope's journey. Cardinal Antonelli remains fixed at the Palace of Monte Cavallo, where a private telegraphic correspondence is established. Cardinal Antonelli is likewise in constant communication by telegraph with his brother, Count Angelo Antonelli, who is at present in Paris, and who keeps him informed with respect to French politics. The Cardinal is said to mistrust the French Government, and fol lows French politics with great attention. The Cardinal, notwithstanding his numerous occupa tions, does not neglect his personal interests. He has lately purchased the splendid palace which belonged to the late Duchess of Saxony, with the handsome villa attached, situate on the Quirnal, and opposite the Pope's Palace. Several of the foreign Ambassadors had left Rome -on leave of absence. It is known that the Pope will be absent for another month, and the Diplomatic body are taking advantage of the Pope's journey to escape the great heat now about to set in. SPAIN. MADRID, JuNn 19. The complaints concerning the slave-trade in Cuba are stronger and more frequent than ever, and persons very competent in the matter assure me that at no time since its existence has the treaty been more flagrantly violated in the Spanish West Indies than during the latter period of General Concha's command. To the remonstrances ad dressed to it, the Spanish Government makes the usual reply. The British agents, it says, make exaggerated, not to say erroneous, statements ; and it knows, from the very best and highest source, that the slave trade is completely stopped in Cuba. But this excellent source of Senor Pidal's knowledge is no other than Gen. Concha, who, as it is perfectly well known here, gets a hand some doueeur for every slave imported. This is an extremely notorious fact, and it is impossible to believe the Spanish Government is so badly in formed as not to be fullyaware of it. General Concha showed, during the period of his former command in. Cuba, that he could, when he pleased, effectually check the traffic. There is no reason for its sup pression being more difficult now than then. Yet cargoes of slaves are continually landed, and vessels fit and sail, almost without a pretence of disguise, in and from Cuban ports for the African coast. It is for the British Government to consider how far it will permit the policy it has mad.) such sacri fices to carry through, to be baffled by the bad faith and wilful blindness of Spain and her West Indian Viceroys. Lard Howden, who certainly does not allow the subject to sleep, has just sent in another, and, as I understand, a very strong note. One hardly dares to hope that it may have more effect that the many that have preceded it, A long conference that took place ; on the 17th instant, between Senores Pidal and Lafragua, does not appear to have greatly improved the chances of a settlement of the dispute between Spain and Mexico. There is no reason, to believe that this Government is otherwise than pacific in its wishes, perhaps, be as conciliating and yielding as would be desirable, or as it couhrwish. The report that General Concha had sent vessels to the coast of Mexico is fully confirmed. This might induce one to think that that officer, who, at the commence ment of the dispute, did not show at all a hostile _ _ feeling towards Mexico, had changed his views and plan of action. Meanwhile, with Spanish ships off Vera Cruz, there is risk of collision—a small spark might soon become a flame; and Senor Lafragua, already indisposed to remain much longer in Madrid unless received in an official capacity, would scarcely have a choice but to depart at once should news come of the slightest act of hostility having taken place. Opinions here are very divided as to whether the quarrel will be settled amicably or the reverse. The situation, at this present moment, is critical, and it is difficult to form a judgment as to how things will turn out. The English and French ambassadors are doing everything in their power to bring about a recon ciliation. According to present appearances, not many days can elapse without the question assum ing a more decided aspect for better or for worse. The question of the coupons continues to be the subject of paragraphs and conjectures in the Spanish journals. The Clamor Publico says that it learns, from London and Amsterdam, that the ap proaching recognition of those certificates waa con sidered as almost certain on the Exchanges of those two cities. Commencing on this, the semi-official Correspondencia persists in saying that nothing will be done speciizlly in favour of the coupons, but that it does not know what benefit may accrue to the holders from the general settlement or arrangement which it is said that the government proposes to make, in order to put an end to all sorts of claims (reclamaciones) against the credit of Spain. Rome, whether his Ministers will it or no, and as You will be better able to judge than we his intimate advisers and fellow-Sovereigns, the are of the value of the Camor's statement. As Emperor of Austria and the King of Naples, have regards the Co:yespondencia, the nu merous pare done as much before him, the Jesuit party at graphs it 1 - aas had on this subject seem in- Florence very reasonably hope that the expected tended rather to bewilder the public than to visit of the Pope there, on his return to lea() to any just conclusion as to the intention of Rome, will decide the question, and that the ";he Spanish Government. Having no reason to Gromd Duke will then be induced. to tiip aviu:4 I think that there is any change in the position and HUBS DAY, JUNE S , 1857. prospects of the affair since my recent eonttmuni• cations regttrding it, I should not advert to these Spanish newspaper reports but for the possibility that greater importance might be attached to them than they deserve. I believe the state of the ease to be that the Spanish : Govern ment, with a view to improve the credit of the country, and so to ward off impending financial difficulties, is disposed to do something in favoUr of the coupon holders, but, aware that a measure to that effect• would meet with strong opposition, it hesitates to bring it before the Cortes. There are persons who think Ministers could carry the measure, but this is, to say the least, doubt ful; and, supposing that they did, by a slender majority, the victory might still be injurious to them, owing► to the senseless but strong popular prejudice against the recognition of this repudiated portion of the debt, owing also to the damaging attacks that it would give rise to in the Chambers and in the press. Another course open to them—that, namely, of settling the matter by decree during the recess—would, some think, be the safest. At present, all that appears to me certain, is the disposition of the Government to do tardy justice to the coupon holders ; not, perhaps, from mere love of justice or out of consideration to foreign creditors, but because they feel that not to grant it is to keep down the funds and injure their own interest. In short, Senor Bravo Murilo's policy in this matter is recog nised to have been a grievous mistake, the effects of which now make themselves sharply felt. Bravo Murillo, however, is not disposed to admit that he erred, and should a measure wholly or partially re pealing this be proposed, he is prepared to fight the bad fight of repudiation with all the force he can muster. As to the majority of the Spanish press and public, which set their faces against such a measure, it is labour lost to reason with them. They are obstinately blind to the advantages Spain would derive from re-entering, after a long aberration, upon the paths of honesty, and persist incessantly as does the Espana to-day, in one cuckoo cry, that the coupon question has been judged and settled without appeal, I understand that Mr. Stokes, who was in Madrid some time ago, as representative of the interests of the coupon holders, is here again on a similar errand. A Spanish journal says that, when the French expedition in Kabylia is over, General Randon is to send a body of troops against the pirates of the Riff, and that the English will co-operate by sea to give a lesson to -those troublesome marauders, by whom the Spaniards have long suffered their flag to be insulted and their commerce molested. In a letter from the Citafarinas Islands, published in another paper, it is stated that, on the Bth inst., the English war steamer Vulture was on that part of the African coast, and that its boats were pulling about the shore and performing various movements, which seemed to have caused some uneasiness to the correspondent, but which, perhaps, had for its object to take soundings and examine the coast, with a view to approaching operations. 'The Royal Council has approved the indemnity (said to be 2,000,000 reels, or £20,000), demanded by Count Vistahermosa for the damage done to his house, furniture, &c., in July, 1854, when the resi dences of several Ministers and unpopular person ages were more or less gutted and burnt. The other sufferers on the occasion were Queen Christina, Sartorius, Domenech, and Callantes (three Cabinet Ministers), and on Senor Salamanca, whose house was also entered on that occasion. A Government journal denies that the amount granted to Count Vistahormosa exceeds 13,0001, and says that the sum due to the Queen Mother and the Ministers is only 50,0001., and that they have not yet made a claim It is not difficult to make a high valuation of furniture, pictures, and books that have been burnt or have disappeared, and some of the Opposition papers insinuate that a much larger sum will be demanded than that above stated. There is a report that the Government is about to ask permission of the Cortes to put in forco the law on the press previously to its discussion. It is difficult to believe that so arbitrary a measure will be resorted to. The law is sure to pass, and to dis cuss it before instead of after its proclamation would be a saving but a few days. The ground for the report, probably, is the scandalous height to which party polemics have attained among many of the papers, and the divisions among the Moderado party to which these give rise. Such a violent and personal controversy has lately been going on be tween the Diario Espanol and the Orbe, that the Government has interfered to stop 'it; in conse quence of which the latter journal has suspended its publication. DUELLING IN CURRAN'S TIME.—Lord Clare, afterwards Lord Chancellor, fought Curran, afterwards Master of the Rolls. So much for equity; but common law also sustains its reputation. Clonmel, afterwards Chief Justice, fought two lords and two commoners—to show his impar tiality, no doubt. Medge, ofcerwards, Baron, fought his own brother-in-law, and two others. Toler, afterwards Chief justice of the Common Pleas, fought three persons, one of whom was Fitzgerald, even in Ireland the ' fire eater' par excellence. Patterson, also afterwards Chief Justice in the same court, fought three country gentlemen, one of them with guns, another with swords, and wounded them all! Corry, Chancellor of the Exchequer, fought Mr. Grattan. The Provost of Dublin Universi'y, a privy councillor, fought Mr. Doyle, a Master in Chancery, and several others. His brother, a collector of Customs, fought Lord Mountmorris. Harry Deane Grady, counsel to the revenue, fought several duels ; and " all hits," adds Barrington, with unction. Carran fought four persons, one of whom was Egan,.chairman of Lim tinhorn, after wards his friend, and with Lord Buckinghamshire. A duel in these days was often a prelude to intimacy. Tits REV. MR. Gourram.—The Rev. Mr. Gorham, whosa death has so recently occurred, is a member of an ancient family who once owned Gorhambury, near St. Alban's. He was born in 1787, and educated at Queen's College, Cambridge, under the Rev. Dr. Milner, who im bued him with strong Protestant and Evangelical sentiments. In 1811, having graduated as a wrangler with high honours, he was ordained by the Bishop of Ely, not, however, _without a remonstrance on his part against an attempt made by that prelate, to enforce on his conscience his own peculiar construction of the baptismal service. He spent some time at Edinburgh and at Cam bridge in tuition, and afterwards held the curacies of Beckenham, in Kent, and of Clapham. In 1846, he was nominated by Lord Chancellor Lyndhurst to the living of St. Just, but managed to quarrel with his diocesan, the Bishop of Exeter, who subjected him to the indignity of an examination in his catechism, on being nominated to another living, and finally refused to institute him. The quarrel eventually came, in 1850, before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, who decided that the Bishop had no legal right to refuse institution to Mr. Gorham. The Bishop thereupon " excommunicated" the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had been a party to the judgment of the Privy Council, and Mr. Gorham was admitted to his living, a large part of the Trac taron body seceding, in consequence, to the Church of Rome. SHAKtPERE'S FAMILY.—In a letter to the Times, Mr. J' 0. Halliwell, referring to Mr. W. S. Lendor's proposal of a subscription in aid of the descendants of Shakspere, says that the poet's family has long been extinct. "At Shak spere's death, in 1616, his family consisted of his wife, his daughter Susannah, married to Dr. Hall, his daughter Judith, married to Thomas Quiney, and Elizabeth Hall, a granddaughter, ' eghter, the only child of Susannah Shakspere. Judith Qainey had several children, who were all dead as early as the year 1639, leaving no issue, she herself sur viving till 1662. The poet's granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall, was married in 1626 to Thomas Nash, who died in 1647 without issue ; and secondly in 1649, to John Barnard, afterwards Sir John Barnard, of Abington, county of Northampton, by whom she had no family. Lady Barnard died in 1670, le lying no children, so that will her the lineal descent from Shakspere expired. .These may, how ever, be descendants from the Shakspere family still living, deriving their genealogy from Joan, the poet's sister, who married William Hart, of Stratford. .Toan and her sons are kindly mentioned in the poet's will. The pedigree is not complete, awl there is oily a descent from the second son Thomas, to whose sen Thomas. with a remainder to his brother George, the birth-place and adjoining premises at Stratford were bequeathed by Lady Barnard in 1669. These continued in the possession of the family for upwards of a century. About fifty years age the Harts removed to Tewkesbury, where, in 1848, resided Thomas Shakspere Hart, the eighth in descent from the sister of the great dramatist. One's fa , cy is apt to aid in deception in such matters, but I remember to have traced in his features a remarkable simi;arity to those of the bust of shakspere at Stratford." IMPERIAL PARLIAMII:;*;TT. (By British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph.) EOtT QF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY. The Speaker took the chair at twelve o'clock. The Blyth and Tyne Railway Bill was read a third time and passed. The House went into committee upon the Judgments Execution Bill, and after some opposition by Colonel French, Mr. Packs, and others, progress was made as far as the seventh clause. Motions made for the purpose of throwing out the bill were rejected successfully by majorities of 62, 30, and 91. A promise waigiven by the Government that the Law officers should go through the bill with Mr. Cranford, and amend it to meet what appeared to be the wishes of the House. Mr. ADAMS suggested that the amendment should be excluded from the operation of the bill. The consideration of details, was, notwithstanding pro ceeded with ; much opposition to the bill was advanced vs far as the ninth clause, when the Chairman reported progress. The Scientific and Literary Societies Bill was committed, and clause 1, with amendments, agreed to. On clause 2, it was moved that the Chairman should leave the chair. The committee dividel, For the amendment . • Against Majority It being a quarter to six o'clock, the House resumed. The Consolidated Fund £8,000,000 Bill, and Hanley Borough Incorporation Bill was read a second time. ROCHDALE ELECTION. Mr. HENLEY brought up the report of the Select Com mittee 'appointed to inquire into the statements in the petition of John Newall. to the effect that Peter Johnson offered Abraham Bothwell £5O to leave the country, in order that he should not be examined on the Rochdale Election petition. The Committee having set forth the facts as they have already appeared, reported that the necessary inference would be, that the object was, to prevent Bothwell from giving evidence before the Rochdale Election Committee, but the evidence of the witnesses was so inconclusive, and their testimony was so unsatisfactory, that the committee was unable to state that inference has been the clear result of their investigation. They stated that nothing came before them to connect the sitting member with the transaction, and that they abstained from inquiring int, any matter properly belonging to the Election Committee, least they should prejudice parties who were not represented before them. The Committee also stated that Johnson did not appear before them though every means were taken to find him in Rochdale and in London. The House aijourned at five minutes to six o'clock MERSEY CONSERVANCY AND DOCKS BILL. (FROM OUR OWN REPORT/CR. HOUSE OF COMMONS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 The Select Committee resumed its sittings this morning at twelve o'clock Sir James Graham in the chair. The other members of the Committee were all present. Mr. HOPE SCOTT resumed his address on behalf of the Liverpool Corporation. He reminded the Committee that, at the close of the proceedings, yesterday, he had directed their attention to the course pursued by the Great Western Railway Company in reference to the south reserve, and the land generally, at Birkenhead. He then detailed the various agreements which had been entered into with respect to the south reserve, in order to prove that, until a very recent period, the construction of the great low water basin was not deemed so essential to the Birkenhead scheme as it was now represented to be. On the 12th August, 1852, the Shrewsbury and Ches ter Company took aslease of 40,000 square yards of land on the south reserve, for a period of 999 years ; but Baron fJoldsmidt, as one of the Dock Trustees, protested against the lease, and served a notice upon the Shrewsbury and Chester Company, the object of which was to prevent the lease from being completed. In September, 1853, the great amalgamation between the Great Western and the Shrewsbury and Chester Companies took place. But at that time the Shrewsbury and Chester Company were not in possession of the south reserve ; and the Great Western Company were perfectly aware that a notice, disputing the lease of the land on that south reserve, had been served ; awl, consequently, there was no ground for stat ing that it was upon the faith of that lease that the amal gamation had taken place. On the 18th May, 1855, when the Birkenhead docks were on the brink of sale, an agreement was entered into with the trustees, then going out of office, to secure the Great Western Company in the possession f 23, 1 00 instead of 40,000 square yards on the south reserve—the plot, though not identical, comprising a portion of the land leased in 1852. In that agreement, all the rights under the lease of 1852 for occupation for seven years, subject to eighteen months' notice of withdrawal, was saved ; and it was under that agreement only, that any rent had ever been paid. He now came to the treaty of 1855, under which the pur chase of the Birkenhead docks by Liverpool was effected. It had been felt that the plans of Mr. Bendel were plans for a competing port, but competition had been tried and had failed. In 1855, therefore, Birkenhead was not looked upon as a competing port, but as a portion of the existing port, and it was only with that view that the works were to be completed. In point of fact, one great point was the reconsideration of Mr. Renders plans on the new basis and the adapting of Birkenhed to supply what might be deficient in Liverpool, and not to supply a fully complete port of itself. The agreement of 1855 contained a clause which directed that, unless parliament should otherwise determine, the corporation should, 'and were thereby re quired, immediately after the Ist September, 1856, to proceed with the construction of the several docks and works, which the trustees and company were respectively empowered to construct upon such of the provisions of the act of parliament as were then in force. It also enacted, that after the date referred to the corporation should be come responsible for all the liabilities of the trustees in regard to the construction of works. A year was given to the corporation, iu which they were to see how they could best adapt the Birkenhead docks to the existing Liverpool system. /le denied that there was any founda tion for the assertioff' of Mr. Saunders, that the Great Western Company had been induced to support the bill authorising the sale of the Birkenhead docks to the Liver pool Corporation solely on the ground that Mr. Reudel's plans would be carried out ; and he also denied that the corporation had assented to the constitution of a new dock trust, in which the dock ratepayers should be repre sented, and had failed to carry out such an arrangement. He contended, that upon these points the bill now under consideration contained statements which were untrue, and that all the corporation had agreed to was, to adopt Mr. Renders plans as far as possible to the existing sys tem. He then quoted the evidence of Mr. Laird, and other witnesses, to establish that Mr. Hartley's plans did not ignore the plans of Mr. Bendel, but were a mere modification of them. With regard to the statement of the Great Western Company, that if Mr. Hartley's plans were carried out the company would be prevented from availing themselves of the South Reserve, he did not con ceive that the company could have any reasonable ground of complaint, because if Mr. Renders plans were adopted the South Reserve would be cut away from the company in a manner precisely similar. The learned counsel then adverted to the negotiat ions, after the failure of the bill of 1856, between the Great Western Company and the Birkenhead Dock Committee of the Liverpool Town Council, with respect to the plans which were to be ulti mately carried out. Mr. Saunders suggested that Mr. Hartley, as engineer to the corporation, should be appointed to meet Mr. Brune!, the engineer of- the railway company, and arrange the question between themselves, but the corporation respectfully de clined. Mr. Hartley was simply the engineer to the Liverpool Corporation, but Mr. Brunel was something more, He and Mr. Saunders were substantially the Great Western Company, and the proposal of Mr. Saunders was substantially that a gentleman whose duties were confined to a particular class of functions, should be fully em powered to negotiate with, and be bound by an agreement framed by, one of the most experienced diplomatists in the railway world. In point of fact, it was a proposal for a meeting between a wolf and a lamb. (Laughter.) The Corporation replied that they woul , ', give no extended powers to Mr. Hartley, and they t.'dien received a letter from Mr. Saunders, in which IY, stated that he was in structed by the Great Westera Board to say, that if the Committee of the Corpore:ion confided to their engineer the power of acting, tart subject to the right of the Council to confirm or reject the agreement which he might draw up, the Great Western Company would en trust similar powers to Mr. Brunel, who would meet Mr. Hartley in Lond'jn. But the last paragraph of the letter, like a lady's 'postscript, contained the real pith of 0 - „ letter. In 't Mr. Saunders stated that, having pro oe - ..t that Mr. llartley shoUld meet Mr. Brunel, subjee' right of the Council to confirm or reject Grea!,, Western aqsed e xpected, as a or otter s acts of s e t oe, cour that if the meeting took place, the committee on the Birkenhead Docks would not only have instructed, hut empowered, Mr. Hartley to act for them in a bona fide manner. The Corporation replied that it was their ye. -sable practice to delegate to their officers only such - • i ;et they could exercise, and they were of opinio n PoNVerB could r!Qt ^0 farther, either with iee to the . e e that theY c •• , to their officer. The negotiations consequently r a ' ln ve e s t t ' o -" , , 0 resu:!: but while they were going on there lercurrent at work. Parlismentary notices was au unta e published three Consecutive weeks in required to be November. The , elorporation (nand that, whilst the Great Western Railway ,Company were goine on negotiating with them for the VW struction or these pare Littler works, and for the occueratfell „ of a definite site in the south reserve, not claimed in under the agreement of ;fired, with the know -112e2 n e o o f t t i h c e es G w - re e a r t e w in ..g f t e• e, c n t being cornzlnv, and with their consent—Mr. Heron telling the committee that he undertook the duties ot their" request, for the purnoie introlucing the bill whieh was' now on the table. Notices were issued in the first plaae by an occasional agent for Mr. Heron, giving no idea whatever who were the real parties, and kept afloat for Parliamentary purposes in the newsnapere, until it could be ,ascertained whether or not the Great Western Company could obtain exclusive pos session of the land on the smith reserve. The Corporation were therefore practically dealing - with gentlemen who were preparing what they deemed would probably be a very effective compulsiter upon the Corporation of Liver pool, in case of not being able to- force them to an arrange ment for an exclusive occupation of the south reserve at Birkenhead; and this was going on while professions of amity and hopes of settlement were .being held out to the Corporation. It was perfectly plain from the cor respondence, that it was upon the question of the exclu sive possession of a situation in perpetuity claimed, not under the agreement of 1'852, but under a new plan, that the negotiations went off; and therefore, because the Liverpool Corporation would not give up a great public commercial property on the most valuable part of the whole estate for commercial purposes—because the Cor poration would not make that sacrifices to the Great Western Railway Company. and to the Birkenhead, Lan cashire, and Cheshire Jtinctiore Rairway Company, to the exclusion of all other railway companies and et the public, this bill was introduced, and they were cited there as ,criminals for, in fact, having refused to corarnit a breach of trust. The committee would remember that in 1855 the Great Western Company raised no question of a new and enlarged Conservancy Board ; it was not pretended for a moment that they then objected to the Teem Dues; on the contrary, in 1'855 it was proved. that they assisted Liverpool in resisting the Manchester' interest on the Town Dues question—because Liverpool exercrsee her sense of duty on behalf of a great commercial community, and would not sacrifice for ever and a day one of the most particular and valuable portions of the Birkenhead Dock estate, they found a bill was introduced to rob Liverpool of her town Dues.—to constitute anew Con servancy Board, pledged to a particular course of action — and so the Great Western Company wee becoming the unworthy agent of the Board of Trade—having no public object in view—having only a desire to gratify their own selfishness and cupidity, and by assisting in such a measure as this, aiding iu swamping Liverpool' as a port, and robbing her citizens of their corporate property because the Corporation had foiled them in a monopoly, and thrown them back on their own resources. The Great Western Company, he would say again, had sought to coerce Liverpool violently to do them a benefit at the expense of the commercial interests of Liverpool by threatened attacks on points upon which they were confessedly tender. Now, he had said that Liverpool had been, as it were, hunted down. His impression was that if the Corporation had thrown the Great Western Company a bone even now, they would leave the chase. (Laughter.) His impression further was, that if the Corporation gave the Great Western Company that for which they were trustees, they would hear very little more of the question. He should like to know where the shipping interest would be ? where would be the Board of Trade 7—where the boasted rights of man ?—where Mr.. Heron and his two pot associations of Manchester ? Where would all these be if the Liverpool Corporation dishonoured themselves by ghring the Great Western Railway Co. that which had been denied them, and denied them because it belonged to the public. The learned Counsel then went on to point out to the committee that it would be most unjust todeclare proved, in the preamble of the bill, that portion reciting the right of the Great Western Co., to a site on the south reserve at Birkenhead. The Great Western Co. did not dispute their right and title to question the lease, and this they were now doing in the Court of Chancery. It was manifestly unjust, therefore, that the Committee should be called on to enact that there was a valid title to the land in question, when one of the high courts of the land was now dealing with the question. He contented that, whether the lease under which the Great Western Co. claimed the land, was good or bad, th re was nothing to connect it with the amalgamation between the Great Western Co. and the Shrewsbury and Chester:Co., the original lessees, and, therefore, it was impossible that the Committee could declare the preamble of the bill proved. Sir J. GRAMIII asked if the Committee were to under stand that the reference in the agreement of 1855 with respect to the lease of 1852 was unopere tive ? Mr. HOPE SCOTT said, that for all practical purposes, it was. Sir J. GRAHAM : In what terms is the referenna in the agreement of 1855 to the lease of 1852. Mr. Hope SCOTT said, Ilfr Saunders in his. evidence treated it as a reservation in favour of the Great Western Co. The learned counsel then resumed his address. He submitted that if the bill was to pass, the Committee would create a new conservancy and would saddte unon the conservancy the plans which all parties practically agreed in saying must be altered. That which the Board of Trade in 1855 thought was a fit subject for alteration, and which was alluded to in the act of 1856, as a prowl- subject of change, the Committee were now asked to affirm. and to create a new public body with its hands held and its eyes blinded in reference to the many very important works which must be done in regard to the Mersey. The Great Western Co. would , dread a new conservancy as much as they dreaded 'the Corpora tion, unless they obtained one with its hands tied, in which case alone they would obtain a victory, and might: snap their hands at the new constitution. It was certat sly in the power and discretion of the corporation to. re enact Mr. Readers plans, but, by so doing, they would riag make the law a bit stronger than it was at present, bat' would simply give a direction to the new conservancy, th at they were to be created in order to redeem T e iverpool .01-n the state of ruin to which the existing dock trust has) brought it; and, in effecting this, they were to make a lee ,se valid, which, at this moment, was disputed in a coo' ft of law. With the greatest possible submission, he cents tided that that portion of the bill which related to the Gnat ,t Western Railway Company could not be declared by the Committee to be proved ; and if such a decision was. t emoe to, he should like to ask how much• further the b' di would be carried ? It might be that the spirit owe dered in the contest might survive, and the company migl it continue to go for a conservancy, which would be ter naain to take views perhaps more difficult to deal with tt ,an those of tee Liverpool Town Council, respecting them elusive occupa tion for railway purposes of land required for commercial purposes ; but their interest of the eontee t would be gone, and, what would remain, would be a flit contradiction of all their previous proceedings on the se .bject, and espeal. ally a contradiction to the aid which O. ley gave in 1855 in resisting that very Manchester party." iith whom they had now allied themselves. Mr. Saunders to ld t h e C omm i ttee distinctly that they bad entered rein' itantly unn the un dertaking, and' if they were to go ;n with it, they must league themselves entirely and heat thy with their Man chester friends ; but, however t hey might succeed in injuring Liverpool, they might! rest assured that they would receive from the corport Aim no concession un worthy of the trust reposed in tb em b y P ar li amen t . Th e learned counsel next read the ye ,rious recitals in the bill, with a view, as he stated, to 1 ; h ow t h e i gnorance o f t h e parties who had drawn up the bill, of the Acts of Parlia ment relating to Liverpool i ]. Ind her docks ; and also of ordinary facts connected wit 1 the trade and commerce of that town. From the preamb' le it would be found that there was really no serious chargt against the Dock Committee or the Corporation of 11 , verpool. The whole matter seemed therein to be one n power would be handed expediency, in which immense over to a new board, and the revenues of the corporat .ion materially diminished. The indictment for misconde .ct came rather from an irrespon sible body, whose asser' Lions need not, for general purposes such as these, be as as curate as the preamble must be. He was sorry to have to' refer again to that department of the Government, but he could not allow the statements there made to go forth ant lontradietecl. The Board of Tr a d e , i n their report of 1857 , stated " The Town Council of Liverpool seem, originally, ' to have claimed to be conservators of the Mersey. This title to the conservancy was, however, successfully dil:puted at law." The question never had been tried, atilt, therefore, the statement was untrue. The Board of Tr..ade next said They (the conservancy board) have no revenues ; this was untrue, for it would he found there were sums paid to the conservators for removing wrecks, &c." Speaking of the Town Dues, the Board ed Trade said—" The whole are paid into the berme,' fund; and, wikh the exception of a very t rising proportion, are applied to purposes from which trade derivets no benefit, and for which, in other towns, a borough rate would be leVied. In Liverpool, there is no borough rate" —strictly true, but covering a very large amount of untruth. In Liverpool, there was no borough rate; but 41435,000 a-year were paid by the people of Liver pool for the improvement of the town, and the better tnaP agement of the business of the corporation, other points in the report o f the Boarel eat Ti' rth were were utterly unworthy of a govern meaf e which and they were so absurd th a t h e cou ld department, to waste the time of the. Committe' .tot induce himself My Lords of the Board of Trao in combatting them. how far the facts prodoced 1. .e stated. in their report, of their claim to the po"' would be given to o of the corporation, in support Liverpool, and what weight are competent ,age, was not a matter which lay lords con f ess i on eo determine. He would take their own mitte , ae ignorance of the law, and show the Corn tl., trom the report of the Royal Commissioners, declaration that the Town Dues were legal ; and, moreover, the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, in the House of Commons, declared that the Town Dues were legal, but he thought them obnoxious, and therefore , asked Parliament to decree them unlawful. The learned counsel had not concluded when our parcel WAS despatched at a quarter past four o'clock.