The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-15 00:00:00

Yitictrrol *faaVarV. TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 15, 1853. THE WEEK. FOREMOST in the events of the week was the cele bration of the Centenary of ROSCOE, on Tuesday last, a day which was distinguished by the realisa tion of that happy idea—a public Breakfast in the Philharmonic Flail, and the opening of the Derby Museum. It is true that all the invitations to dis tinguished literary characters at a distance re sulted in apologies for absence ; but the towns men of ROSCOE responded to the appeal to do honour to his memory, and there was a goodly gathering. The worshipful the MAYOR entered warmly into the spirit of the affair, and showed his appreciation of the claims of poetry by an elegant soiree at the Town-hall. The weather, since our last, has been very vari able, the days being, alternately, bright and dull. Yesterday (Monday) there was a continuous fall of rain, and, during the forenoon, so heavy a cloud of vapour hung over Liverpool, that lights were burning in the various public offices, and the ap pearance was that of a dull November evening. The dry and sunny days have, however, done much good, and farming operations have been actively carried on in the neighbourhood. A great object of interest in the vicinity of the ferries was the noble ship Marco Polo, which came out of dock early in the week, and anchored be tween the Landing-stage and Seacombe until Sun day, when she bade farewell to England. Her symmetrical form, the fine proportions of her hull, and her tall and taut rigging, made her an object of much attention, in addition to the interest which she excited from her ivell-earned fame. The Select Vestry have cooled in their wrath towards Mr. MANSFIELD, the Stipendiary Magis trate ; for a Select Committee, to whom his charges were referred, have reported that he was wrong in his assertions—so that the Guardians can afford to be magnanimous. One of the Magistrates has had an unseemly war of words with an attorney, in which it is difficult to say which showed the most want of sense. POLITICAL IMMORALITY.—There is a growing cancer in our constituent system; corruption pre vails to a frightful extent amongst the poorer voters in nine boroughs out of ten ; and whenever there is a tolerably even balance of parties, money carries the day. Cambridge and some other places have been " found out :" in that consists their special guilt. Practically they are not one whit more cor rupt than scores of places which have heretofore escaped exposure. The evil is a system of low franchise. Reduce the franchise to £5, and there will be 400 purchaseahle votes in Cambridge at about £4 per vote. This is perfectly understood by every man who has taken a part in borough electioneering. You may declaim as you like about purity of election; it is a myth, which nobody be lieves in except gentlemen and ladies in easy chairs. And so it will remain so long as we have Liberalism prating about extended franchise. Amongst the lower order of voters, the franchise is becoming to be almost universally regarded as an article of commerce. " I have no particular principles," said a Canterbury voter before a committee the other day; " I am open to anybody, and do not see why I should not vote for anybody who makes it worth my while." Give these men the ballot, and a bag of sovereigns, to be distributed upon the success of a certain candidate, and every borough in Eng land will be bought every election, without the chance of subsequent inquiry, for ballot and elec tion committees, of course, cannot co-exist.— Cambridge Chronicle. MINISTERIAL PROTESTANTISM.--The English ministers from time to time care nothing at all about Protestantism. They are utterly indifferent about it. Catholic emancipation was granted in palpable derision of the principle by which England professes to be governed, and the endowment of Maynooth is a savage onslaught on the same. Eng lish statesmen in general are infinitely superior to all religious considerations, unless they can have an opportunity of injuring the Church. There is suffi cient proof of this in the speech of Lord John Russell the other day, when he advocated the admis sion of Jews into parliament. The difference be tween him and the Jews was so exceedingly small that it was not worth while to keep them out. That difference being only this—they differed about the .value of the Gospels. Thus, when it suited the ministerial convenience—that is, conscience—not only was Protestantism thrown overboard, but Christianity itself. The writer of the Durham let ter sees no harm or sin in Judaism, but he cannot bear Catholicism. The Four Gospels are of no moment in his eyes when he pleads for the Jew; but, if there be a question of justice to the Catho lics, then he becomes an intolerable Protestant, and stands up for the purity and simplicity of his Faith, and denounces the " mummeries" of Popery.—The Tablet. THE SIXMILE BRIDGE AFFAIR.--There was something far more manly in the refusal of the late government to prosecute at all, than in this con temptible compliance with the base and hollow form of an arrangement, followed by the contemptible farce called a `trial,' from which the spirit of justice had evaporated while the skeleton was held together by the gibing machinists of the Crown. A jury havingbeen sworn without challenge, which included " nine magistrates" of the county, Mr. Attorney- General made a very long speech " for the prosecu tion," and ended by producing " no witnesses." A. jury of magistrates, without a challenge, and a pro secution without witnesses, constitute a novel mode of giving effect to the inquisition. But they ren dered all the effect ever desired or contemplated by the government, and that was the discharge of the prisoners, and the public justification through the farce of a " trial," and a verdict of acquittal of the whole proceeding at Sixmile Bridge. This is jus tice—justice for the Dooleys and their dead bre thren of Sixmile Bridge, whose sacrifices brought the present government into power I—Dublin Free man's Journal. CANADA CLERGY RESERVES.—The majority upon the second reading of the bill was not ex pected to reach forty, and exceeded eighty ! The government had, of course, all the Infidels and Rornanists to a man. But they had, beside, a large section of Conservatives, who used to follow Lord DERBY'S lead. But that ought not to astonish, however much it may annoy, their former chiefs. What sort of lessons have the late government taught their followers on religious questions ? The ex-cabinet ministers, one and all, walked out of the house on the recent Maynooth division. Upon the subject of Irish education, too, the late government, while in office, grievously disappointed their Protestant party, and Mr. DISRAELI voted against his friends on the Jew bill ! Is it any wonder, then, that the disorganization of the party should progress pan passe with the disappointment of the public.—Dublin Evening Herald. " THE DRYING UP OF TIIE EUPHRATES" IS a sign of the times. The Turks encamped in Eu rope many centuries ago, and enslaved Christian people without profit to themselves. They are bankrupt and powerless. nemesis is approaching for them, and the hour is at hand for the fulfilment of their own prophecy, as well as ours, when they shall be driven back into the Kara Khoum , or ~ _ black dust" from whence issued the tribes whose boast it was that, where their chief's . horse . set his foot, the grass would Turkey never grow again. It is a fact . that Europeanhas withered beneath their sway : and it is clear that England,. Russia, France, and Austria, are in the name of civili zation each to get what she procuierecan of the spoil. Our great interest is to apermanent right of the interest w ay to India. It i sof other powers, at least they think so, to deprive us of that right.— Church and State Gazette. THE GOLD DISCOVE RIES.—Ha ppy continents ! who reap all the benefits of our commercial system without risk, and gather fruits while they churlishly refuse to support in any degree the burden and heat of the day. Surely, if nations could be grateful to foreign benefactors, the statue of Sir Robert Peel would occupy a consp i cuous p l ace i n e very city of continental Europe, and adorn the slave-marts of Virginia, of Cuba, and Brazils. He bequeathed to them the gross profits of all our gold discoveries ; and now the furnaces of the Royal Mint are heated day and night to meet their leche-like cry for THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 1853. fames has ever seized upon and overcome the laziness of the natives, many of whom, it is reported, are about to go to the diggings.' The next twelve months will be a trying time ; no labour, business at a dead lock, and bread high. I positively believe that our new constitution will arrive when there will not be sufficient males to work it. lam not, however, in a desponding mood. I think that most of the people will return ; if successful, Cant rnieux ; if otherwise, they will buckle to again, as before, satisfied that there is no good to be got by roaming. Perhaps the land question may in the mean time be settled ; it is just now as unsettled as ever ; no arrangements yet made for selection of the supplemental orders, or for exchanging lands selected in unpurchased districts." AMERICA. ARRIVAL OF THE NIAGARA. By the British and North American Royal Mail steam ship Niagara, Captain Lang, which arrived in the Mersey on Tuesday, we have intelligence from New York to the 24th ultimo. The Niagara brought 5250,000 in specie, and twenty-seven passengers. The United States mail steam-ship Pacific, arrived at New York on the 21st ult., at 5 . 50, a.m. The British and North American Royal Mail steam. ship Arabia, arrived at New York on the 23rd ult., at I'so, p.m. The trial of the caloric ship Ericsson appears to have given the most ample satisfaction to all who were on board. From the time of her leaving Sandy Hook till she reached the mouth of the Potomac, she ran in the face of a succession of heavy gales, and though frequently pitch ing her bowsprit under water, her engines performed with the utmost regularity, and her wheels made six and a half revolutions per minute. Only one fireman was on duty at a time, and her machinery was continually in motion for a period of seventy-three hours. The barque John Hutchinson, from Liverpool, went ashore about Ist Jan., 80 miles south of Buena Ventura. Two schooners and several boats had gone to render assistance, but it was feared the vessel would be come a total wreck. The John Hutchinson left Liverpool early in April for Panama, and got foul of the ice off Cape Horn, put into Valdivia for temporary repairs, and afterwards repaired all damages in Guayaquil, for which port she had some cargo ; she then proceeded on her voy age to Panama, via Buena Veutura, in making which place she got ashore. This vessel had a valuable cargo for Panama. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, with her husband, Dr. Stowe, and some other members of their family, proceed direct to Scotland by the steam-ship Glasgow, which sails from New York on the 26th of March. Much commotion exists at Washington ; as to the Cabi net. All of General Pierce's views and selections meet with bitter opposition from one portion or another of the party. General Pierce has arrived at Washington. Mr. Guthrie, Judge Douglas, and Secretary Everett were closeted with him some time. General Pierce kept his room the entire day, declining to see company, not ad mitting even the mayor. In the afternoon, Mr. Marcy was closeted with him for a considerable time. CALIFORNIA.—The Albatross left Vera Cruz on the 15th, and the Tennesse arrived in Acapulco on the 9th, in 7 days 16 hours from San Francisco. She had 380 passengers and two millions four hundred and thirty thousand dollars on board. The Cortez, with two hundred passengers, and the Pacific with five hundred and eighty passengers, were at Acapulco on the 9th, bound down. The census returns for California make the popu lation of the State 224,435. Advices from Hong Kong had been received at San Francisco to the 11tH of Decem ber, by the clipper barque Pathfinder. Great excitement prevailed there respecting alleged traffic by the English in Coolies for the West Indies. The steamer New Orleans goes to Australia. The express from Acapulco to Vera Cruz came through in five days and a half. The clipper barque Pathfinder arrived at San Francisco on the 3Tst of January, from Hong Kong, Dec. 11. The floods which• have prevailed to such an• alarming extent throughout California, bad somewhat subsided, and the pros pects of the miners in many localities were of the most cheering nature. The shipments of the precious metal during the ensuing season, it was believed, would be fully equal to those of any preceding year. The suf ferings of the miners had been somewhat relieved by a. more plentiful supply, and a. consequent decline in the prices of provisions. MONTEVIDEO.--The British , brig Arabella Tarbet has- arrived at Philadelphia with a cargo of 3,400 bags of; coffee, and dates to the 17th of January. The fever had abated ; sugars were arriving freely, and business was re viving. The stock of sugars was 70,000 boxes. Phila delnhia flour was selling at $l7:, and lard was wanted. MExlco.—The advices, though brief, are of considera ble importance. President Cevallos is reported to have resigned ; General Uraga, with his revolutionary army, has declared in favour of Santa Alma, and General Loin bardine has been installed as President ad interim. ARRIVAL OF THE. AMERICA. By the British and North American Royal Mail steam ship America, Capt. Leitch, which arrived yesterday (Monday), we have intelligence from Boston to the 2tl instant. The America sailed from Bestmi at noon, on the 2d instant, and on the same day, at eight, p.m.. passed the Cambria from hence. The America arrived at Halifax at. 5.30, a.m., on the 4th, and sailed again at 6.50, a.m. She reached the Mersey yesterday at six, a.m., but got on the Burbo Bank, when the Independence steam-tug, being: near, took off her mails, which•were landed at 9:20, The America got up the river about eleven. She has brought forty-seven passengers,. but no specie. The Humboldt, from Southampton, arrived at New York on the Ist instant. The Washington, for Southamp ton and Bremen, sailed on thenth ult. Washington adviees of the 28th February state that•tho Cabinet stands as it was first formed. The ship Winchester, hence for New York, had put into Halifax, in distress, on the 28th ult. The leading items of interest in the reports of the pro. ceedings in Congress seemed to be embodied in the ps.ra graphs announcing the appearance of General Pierce in each house, where he was soon surrounded by hordes- of hungry office-seekers, who pressed upon him so closely that he was compelled to beet a speedy retreat, in order to avoid suffocation. The New York papers publish the report of the Secretary of the Navy, relative to the proposed establish of a line of six steamers, to ply between San Francisco, China, the Sandwich Islands, &c. accompanied by a.copy of the rejected amendment to the Navy Bill for the•eon struction of said vessels upon the caloric principle. A letter from the Secretary the Navy to the Naval .Clom mittee of the House of Representatives, recommends the passage of a resolution by. Congress, authorising the de partment to contract for the building of a frigate of not less than two thousand ton:-, .to be equipped with, calorie engines of sufficient power. The Secretary also aaks for an appropriation of five hundred thousand dollars, to commence the work, as he is convinced that the.. experi ment would result in introducing the caloric engine gene rally into the naval service. CUBA.—From Havana we have advices to the.2lst ult. H.M.S. Cumberland west at navana, for the purpose, it was said, of inquiring into the alleged connivance of the authorities with the reprobate slave traders ; and also to inquire into the outrages committed on certain British subjects. The commander had an interview- with the Captain-General, Canedo ; shortly after which Mr. Boy lan, the outraged Englishman, was released, and allowed to go back to his business, at St. Jago.. The French squadron was still in, the harbour. Great excitement existed at Havana, in, consequence of the authorities having broken open the United States mails, (both the outward and inward mails.) Judge Sharkey, the U.S. Consul at Havana, had addressed a communication to the Captain-General, protesting, it is said, in energetic terms, against the right of the Cuban authorities to search any United States mail steam ship. No response had been received by the Consul, prior to the departure of the Isabel. The Isabel, however, was permitted to leave port without undergoing any examination. The com munication, therefore, of the Consul,.seems to have had a desirable effect. MExi-co.—By telegraph advices from Baltimore, of the 28th ult., we learn that the New Orleans papers received there contain Tampico advices to the 9th of Feb., which, state that ex-President Arista had arrived there in dis guise, and, after a stay of two days, left for Matamoras. The Picayune thinks, if the report+ be true, that a change of government will soon be heard•of on the Rio Grande. Col. Cruz had succeeded to the command of the troops-at , Matamoras, and Gen. Avalos took refuge with the Ame rican officers at Fort Brown, but afterwards returned to Matamoras, and thence to Saltillo. Caravajal Nvaa-at or near Reynosa, with troops. There was enmity between him and Col. Cruz, and he intended attacking the latter when he comes to Matamoros. Caravajal and his men, and the National Guards generally, are incensed at the massacre of Rodrigue, at Tampico, and one of Ca ravajal's men, by the officers of Colonel Cruz. Colonel Cruz had issued a proposition giving twenty days, from the 23d of January. for Caravajal and his followers to lay down his arms and unite in the plan of Guadalajara. The editor of the Galveston Journal has a letter dated Roma, Jan. 29, stating that there was a conducta onthe way from Monterey, with 5500 4 000 in specie, consigned to Messrs. Uhde, Spiers, Dillon, and to merchants at Brownsville. It was expected that Caravajal would make an attempt to take the money, but would fail to do so, as it was well guarded. An affray had occurred at Roma, which, it was supp.osed, would greatly injure the frontier trade. A party of Mexican traders, on the way from Brownsville to a Mexican town, were met by a party of Davis's Company of Rangers, who, acting under orders from Mr. Brashear, customs' officer at Roma, took from the Mexicans mules and goods, besides killing two and wounding another of the party. The citizens were pre paring the necessary documents representing the conduct of Mr. Brashear to the proper authorities at Washington,, and an effort will be made to hold the Government respon sible for the loss sustained by the Mexicans. WEST INDIES.—We have news from Jamaica to tha 21st ult, The House of Assembly had refused to raise more than , e 150,000 to defray the public expenditure, and had passed a strong resolution on the subject of retrenchment. The question of abrogating shipping duties was to be taken up on the 22d ult. Recent advices from Halifax, N.S., announce that the railroad bill has been defeated in the Legislature. The New Brunswick Legislature was opened on the 24th, and an address to the Queen, deprecating the making of any treaty on the fishery question in which Nova Scotia shall not be a party, was unanimously adopted. LIST OF PASSENGERS.—From Philadelphia : Mr. John Owen and lady, Mrs. Cuthbert, Rev. Mr. Grapett and lady, Mrs. Dudley, Mr. W. Draper and lady, Messrs. T. B. Lawrence (bearer of despatches). J. Duncan, Samuel Cropper, E. Jackson, W. P. Razoux, W. F. Dodd, T. Cronin, L. Hansmann, Dr. Londre, Dans, A. Ulmann, H. J. F. Jackson, A. C. Hamilton, E. Pury, S. Bell, Miss Bell, Mrs. Williams, Messrs. E. Kalk stein, A. Gardner, J. Fowler, T. Horton, J. Bevan, Nti, Fitzgerald, J. Put-Kaunner, J. P. Manshardt, W. Eves, J. Robsey, W. Bender, C. Paturel, D. Renault, Esche, Reichter, Acer.—From Halifax : Messrs. Retchie, Archi bald, Wishart, Reed, Walsh, and Thorn. COMMERCIAL. NEW Yonx, March 1. MONEY.—Exch ange on E urope h as a ten d ency t o de cline. Ou r l ea di ng bankers are drawing at 11 0 . Th e rates are—Lo n d on, s i xty days, 109 k to 110 ; Paris, 5.124 to 5.131; Amsterdam, 41} to 41 ; llamburgh, 351 to 35i ; Bremen, 80 to 801. COTTON,—TiIe sales since our last review, per :Niagara "More, more." Nothing must be suffered to re tard their activity : w hil e H er M a j es ty' s s t r uggling subjects, who crave a little brief attention to their pressing necessities, are told by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pretty much in the same tone that a Pampered lacquey would announce to beggars at the gate, that they must " wait till their betters are served."—Dublin Evening Mail. FOREIGN NEWS. FRANCE.—A grand ball, to be given by the Legis lative Body to the Emperor and Empress, is definitively fixed for Easter Monday. A ball is about to be given on behalf of the British Charitable Fund, for which His Majesty has purchased 100 tickets. The expose des motifs of the Bill presented to the Corps Legislatif for calling out 80,000 men from the lists of 1552 for recruiting the army and navy, states that the bill is in the precise terms of that passed in the last session, and that the number of 80,000 recruits per year has never varied since 1830, experience having shown that annual contingent to be necessary to keep up an army of 500,000 men at the least, which effective force is considered normally requisite in France. The Emperor Napoleon has conferred the Legion of Honour on Erard, the manufacturer of pianos. Byron's fair and loved Countess de Guiccioli has be come a senatoress of France, her husband, the Marquis de Boissy, having been just nominated to the Imperial Senate. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe was on Wednesday admitted to a private audience of their Majesties, in the apartments of the Empress, at the Tuileries. ITALY.—Letters from Florence, of the 2d, state that the police had forthwith sent off an English officer, just arrived from Corfu, whose visit to Florence was supposed to be connected with the organization of a revolutionary Propaganda Committee. He is said to be a brother of Mr. Craufurd, M.P. for Ayr. The Austrians had occu pied the fort of Belvidera and the fortress of Basso, and directed the Tuscan artillery to be removed therefrom. Three persons bad again been arrested at Sienna for po litical offences. The policy adopted in Lombardy had excited general indignation and terror. The Parma Gazette, of the 18th ult., publishes a decree, in which the Duke of Parma names Baron Thomas Ward, at present his Plenipotentiary at Vienna, to the post of Minister of his Household. The Australian Correspondent:, the semi-official charac ter of which is well known, contained in its number of the Ist an extremely violent article against England on the subject of the Madiai. It calls upon the Government of Tuscany to firmly maintain the sentence. SPAIN.—The Cortes was opened by Royal decree without a speech on the Ist. M. Martinez de la Rosa was elected, almost unanimously, President of the Chamber of Deputies. The Ministry had sustained a defeat in the Senate. The four secretaries elected belong to the Opposition. The Senate refused to admit the new Senators before the constitution. A proposition put forward by several Senators to inquire into the demands of Narvaez, Sieyes, &c., had been rejected by the Senate. GERMANY.—In the sitting of the Germanic Diet, on the sth inst., the reinforcement of the federal military service was negatived. The new Zollverein has been rati fied by all the States. It was to commence on the 10th instant. The political condition of Bavaria is stated to be ex tremely critical ; military precautions are redoubled, and the Council of Ministers have forwarded a despatch to King Maximilian, who is at present in Naples, urging his immediate return to his capital. TURKEY.—Advices from Constantinople to the 20th ult. state that the Russian Envoy's (Prince Menschikoff) mission bears reference to the Holy , Shrines, in which matter the Porte has resolved to demand the intervention and arbitration of Prussia.—ln one of the letters of the 19rh it is observed that French and English despatches which arrived just after the Porte had accepted the Austrian proposals by no means encouraged the Turkish Cabinet to resistance. The Porte may propose the arbi tration of Prussia in the question of the Holy Shrines, but it will hardly be accepted, as the Russian Cabinet peremptorily insists on the publication of the firman in favour of the Greek Church which M. d'Ozeroff obtained some time ago, but which has until now been a dead letter.—The news of the victory gained by George Petro vich at Limljani, in the southern extremity of Monte negro, is confirmed. The Montenegrin Commander at tempted to keep his undisciplined troops from indulging in their villanous habit of mutilating the corpses of their enemies, but in vain-40 heads were carried away as trophies. "We have positive information," says the Oest. Correspondent, " from the Ilerzegovine that the ill-usage of the Christians exceeds all bounds. They are robbed, if not cast into dark dungeons and strangled."— A telegraphic despatch from Vienna of the Bth inst. an nounces that the status juo had been re-established in Montenegro, all hostilities suspended, and the political refugees removed to the interior. Kleeks and Sutorina are guaranteed to Austria, and the Porte assures the Bosniac Christians of its protection. WEST INDIES.—By the royal mail steam-ship Orinoco, arrived at Southampton with specie, to the value of 51,443,106, we have intelligenoe from Jamaica to the 13th ult. Emigration to Australia and to the Isthmus was proceeding apace. The government ship Glentanner was in Kingston for the purpose of taking passengers to the former place. It was said that ninety persons, principally of the better sort, had already en gaged births on board of the Glentanner, and it was expected that a great many more applications would be made. The sugar crop had commenced, and was ex pected to reach from 30,000 to 35,000 hhds., although some apprehensions were felt with regard to the scarcity of labour. The subject of mining was attracting much attention in consequence of the reported success of the Job's-hill and Mount Vernon mines. Trade continued dull. The bank rate of discount was at eight per cent. per annum.--Her Majesty's ships Imaum and Alban were at Jamaica, the Dauntless at Barbadoes, the Calypso at St. Kitts, and the Vestal at Havana. THE PACIFIC.—By the Royal Mail steamship Orinoco we have advices from the Pacific ports. The dates from Valparaiso are to the 15th of January. A memorial was presented to the Government some few days since, advocating the construction of a canal con necting the river Maule with the Biobio. The project of a new line of steamers to the south was also in contemplation. The country was rapidly increas ing in material resources. The steamer Bogota arrived at Valparaiso on the 12th of January, with 215 passengers and .8'160.000 in specie. The British bark Grenfells arrived on the 30th of Decem ber with utensils for the Santiago railway. In Arica the exports of wool and copper had increased. The new mole was progressing rapidly towards completion. The Copiapo mines continued to produce largely. At Coquimbo all was quiet, and an increased number of labourers were employed in repairing the road from the mines to Serena. The copper mines were producing considerable profit, and it was believed that silver had been reached in several places in Aqueros. The British bark Elizabeth had arrived at Valparaiso in 42 days from Hobart-Town. AFRICA.—The African Steam Navigation Company's steamer Forerunner, Commander J. B. Atkins, on the return voyage, entered the Cameroons, Calabar, and Bonny, to the great delight of the natives and settlers. At Fernando Po the Forerunner, as the first of the Afri can line, was saluted by the British consul, Mr. Bracroft, with 15 guns, a display of flags during the day, and an illumination at night. . _ _ The slave trade was almost extinct along the coast, but at Sierra Leone several cases of kidnapping had been dis covered, and tried by his Excellency Governor Kennedy. The English bark Lady Worsley, Captain Salter, from Liverpool for Bonny, with a general cargo, went ashore on the 15th of January at Bonny Bar. She was deserted by the captain and crew, who went in three boats to Fer nando Po, taking with them a quantity of goods which formed part of her cargo. Previous to the departure of the Forerunner it was ascertained that the agent for the ship at Bonny, Captain Wylie, in conjunction with Mr. Thompson, had succeeded in getting off the vessel, and anchoring her in safety on New Calabar with loss of rudder only. AUSTRALlA.—lntelligence has been received, rid Panama, from Sydney to the 10th of December. The screw-steamer Sydney sailed from Sydney on the 7th of December, with the mails for England, vid the Cape of Good Hope. She had also a very large amount of gold dust on freight. The screw-steamer Great Britain was to leave Sydney on the 20th of December, for Liverpool. There was no sign of a diminution in the produce of gold, and the mania, instead of decreasing, seemed to be spreading with greater intensity. At Yarra Yarra upwards. of 4,000 persons were encamped, most of them reported to be doing well. The yield of gold amounted to £1,000,000 per month. Two government escorts had arrived at Sydney just previous to the sailing of the Irene, bringing 15,000 oz. from Bendigo, and 24,000 oz. from Ballarat. The Meteor, which sailed from Sydney for London at the end of November, took on freight 44,704 oz. of gold dust. Gold was selling in Sydney at £3 9s. 6d. per ounce. A correspondent of Bell's Life in Sydney, of the 10th of December, writing from the Tuena gold-fields, says : " I started from Goulburn at 10 a.m. last Monday week, and reached Tuena by sundown the next day. The road is very good—better than any road I know in the colony— and the hospitality of the settlers on the way 1 shall never forget. Everybody here seems to be doing well ; indeed, I have not heard of one case of ill success, nor of any person grumbling. lam told that numerous parties of four are getting 15 to 20 ounces per day ; of course, there are numbers not getting so much, but I am sure I am not wrong when I say that, taking the number of diggers at present on the ground, 11 ounce each per day is the average yield. The Liverpool party are doing a good stroke of business. The parties of Reynolds, Jones, Vernon, Hawkins, and Cameron, and a score of others, are realising a handsome independence. We only want men ; the gold is in abundance here, and only requires labour for the proper working. A man of the name of Brown, I am informed, has sold GO ounces of gold dust, which to-day he stated was the produce of one week's labour. I have never seen a more picturesque part of the country. I suppose, however, you do not want poetical id ea s ; but, in plain prose, every convenience is to be had ; there is plenty of delicious water, and the grass here could not be surpassed. There are large paddocks for horses, bullocks, &c., at a mere nominal charge. Provisions are both abundant and cheap. Befor e I return to Goulburn I hope to make a fortune.' , The accounts of the harvest, received from various quarters, were most favourable, and the land was pro ducing abundantly. Large crops were looked forward to with confidence. Flour had gone down in Sydney t o -B'l2 per 2001 b., or about £23 sterling per ton. NEW ZEALAND.—The following is an extract from a letter dated Wellington, New Zealand, Sep. 6, 1852 : " We are at present in a very awkward position here. The return of a few people within the last ten days from the gold fields, where they have been very successful, and letters from others who left but a few weeks since, have created such an excitement that it is hard to say what will be the immediate consequences. I really believe that hundreds will leave. It is not only the labourer, but the mechanic and shopkeeper are also infected. The auri Nara 23d ult., amount to 5,000 bales. The market has been very irregular, and on the 23d was much depressed, mid dling Upland having been sold on that day at 94-e.; strict ditto, 91 to ne., good, 10c. ; and middling fair 101 c. The week ending 26th, closed subsequently with more enquiry and on an improvement on the lowest previous sales, of c. To-day holders have been firm, but buyers having filled their open orders, await late advices from Liver pool, and little has consequently been done, the sales reported on 'Change being only 250 bales. While the uncertainty exists as to the probable extent of crop, it may be interesting as bearing upon the subject, to look at the receipts:at the ports subsequent to date for the past five years. The receipts at all the ports on the 23d inst. is stated in the N. Y. Price Current to be 2,225,631 bales : bales Same time in 1851-2..1,690,705 Subsequently rec'd Crop. bales hales 1,304,324 3,015,029 820,567 2,355,257 636,755 2,096,706 1,289,424 2.728,596 678,048 2,347,634 Pt tt 1850-1.. 1,534,690 I/ Pi 1849-50.1,439,951 /1 44 1548-9.. 1,441,172 ff ti, 1847-8.. 1,669,586 If receipts subsequent to 23rd inst. equal those of 1851-2, it would give as crop 3,549,955 JD ~ 1850-1 9 9 I, 44 „ 1849-50 ,1 ” 2,882,386 111 ~ 1848-9 1, 2 9 I, /I 1847-3 f 9 if - - If we take the average of the receipts from Feb. 23d to Sept. Ist, of the past five years, namely, 953,423 bales, and add it to present receipts, it would give us for the crop of 1852-3, 3,179,057 bales ; and with all the facts before us in relation to the inducements and facilities this season, for marketing the crop, what is the most rea sonable conclusion in regard to subsequent receipts com pared with the subsequent average receipts of the past five years. It will be well, we believe, for those interested to pause before submitting to panic prices, and reflect that at least 3,250,000 bales will this season be required for the consumption of the world at the present scale of prices. The latest despatches from New Orleans quote mid dling 81e„ and freight :Id, and from Mobile, Sac., and d. freight, costing fully 54d, to sell below which nothing has been lain down this season. STRICT LIVERPOOL CLASSIFICATION. N. Orleans. Other Gulf and Texas. Ports. Atlantic Inferior Nom. Nom. Nom. Low to good ordinary Bl to 9.} 81 to 9 81 to 9 Low to good Middling Middling fair to fair FLoca, &c.—ln consequence of the inclement state of the weather there was but little done in Flour-1000 barrels of Canadian sold at .B'S 121. Other descriptions were held as follows : —St a t e Fl our 45 121 to 45 181, favourite brands at 25 ; Western mixed ditto, 45 1811: to 45 25; Michigan and Indiana straight ditto, 45 25 to 45 371 ; Ohio., Indiana, and Michigan extra ditto, 45 62} to 46 ; Genesee fancy brands, 45 314 to -4fs= 431. extra brands 45 50 to $6 25 ; Canada,in bond, 45 18-1 to 85 25. Corn meal 43 314 to 43 371. No sales of wheat reported. NAVAL STortEs.—The last sales of North County tur pentine reported were at L'S 25 ; for spirits of turpentine 60c. is offered, and 70c. asked. Common rosin, -&1 50 to to 41 55 ; Wilmington ditto, 41 65. PROTISIONS.—Pork is dull and prices nominal ; gl6 . 873 to 417 for mess, and L'ls 37 to 415 50 for prime beef is steady, with a fair demand. Butter and cheese remain without change in prices. FREIGHTS.—There was but little done to-day. To , Liverpool, flour 35., corn 9d. ; cotton, 7-32 d. to Id. To. London, tobacco, per hhd., 305.; flour, per barrel, 2s. Oil. to 2s. 101 d. ; turpentine, 280 lbs., 3s. Gd. ; measurement goods, ton, 30s. ; heavy goods, oil, &c., 25.. to 30s. ; cheese, 30s. to 355. ; beef, per tierce, ss. 6d. To Havre, cotton, square bales lb., lc. ; ashes, ton, 48 to 410; rice, 410 ; measurement goods, 410.; whalebone, &c., lc. FOREIGN MISCELLANY. SIR HENRY BULWER is sinking under the effects of a disease, the seeds of which were received at Washington. THE PRUSSIAN BOOKSELLERFtare, it i 9 said, about to establish a grand book fair at Berlin, in order to be independent of that at Leipsic. A COMPANY on an extensive scale, with a capital of two million thalers, has been established at Aix-la-Chapelle, for the manufacture of looking-glasses, crystals, &c. SLAVES- IN BATAVIA, after they have acquired a little money of their own, are now frer:uently allowed to buy themselves off—such is the improved tone of public feeling on the question of slavery. THE DIME OF BRUNSWICK has rlet with a sad mishap in Paris. On returning home from the ball given by the Senate to the Emperor, he found that his diamond star had been cut from his coat. THERE IR•E TWO EMPERORS OF JAVhA.ii ; the temporal Emperor has the seat of his authority at Jeddo ; the ecclesiastical Emperor reigns atiNleaco, a descendant of the Sun Goddess, the tutelar deity of Japan. RAPPINGOI—In the Ohio Lunatic Asylum there are at present confined twenty-six victims of the " spirit rap pings" delusion, the number being eqvally divided be tween males and females. IN THE Dk.NISH THEATRES, the gas lights in the audi ence part of the house are turned down during the acts, and the stage alone is illuminated. This adds greatly to the effect of the scenes and costumes. It has an effect also upon the treasury. MRS. TROT_IOPE, the busy novelist, resides at a hand some villa, in Florence, which passes Ender the name of Trollopina. She is still as industrious as ever, and has for a near neighbour, Charles Lever—" a bluff, humorous looking Irishman, quite in keeping with his works." A FEMALM. VIOLINIST. --- The New York papers announce the approaching advent in the - United States o Marrietto Serato, a pretty girl of 12 years, from Venice, a protégé of 'Madame Sontag, and a wonderful violinist— in fact, a perfect Paganini in petticoats. THE DISGUSTING FORREST CASE io -again before the law-courts of New York, and the papers- of that city luxuriate in the details. Mr. Forrest, it appears, is exceedingly popular, and his receptions at the Broadway have been quite affecting ! The " dress circle " is crammed nightly. WHO OWNS IT ?—A letter has been lying in the South Boston Sub Post-office for some days, post-marked New York, and directed to the " Handsomest Girl in South Boston." No personal application has yet been made for it, though it,has been sent for several times. The post master reserves the privilege of judging as to the respec tive merits of any claimants that may. appear.—Boston Journal. Du. Fx - _ , nrau, of Aberdeen, Mizsouri, U.S., was re cently called upon by a youth of:that town, entirely without He sought to have the hideous deformity relieved. Dr. Fenner, it is said,. took a piece of flesh from the left arm of the youth, and , stitched it over the teeth, shaping it so as to resemble as near as possible the natural lip. The Aberdeen Ind3pendentsays "he will have a pair of lips in a few days almost as good as new." DESTriaCTION OF HUMAN LIM. 131( TIGEES IN INDIA. —The annual loss of human life from tigers at Singa pore," says- Capt. Keppel, " chiefly among the Chinese settlers, s perfectly fearful, averaging no fewer than 360, or one per diem. Great exerticns are still making for the destruction of these animals, which is effected by pitfalls, cages baited with a goat, dog, monkey, or other restless animals, and by sundry cunning contrivances." 'ERR NEW PRESIDENT c - ris, AMERICA.—The opinion seems to be almost universal, if , we may judge by the tone of the-United States press, that. General Pierce has un. expected and extraordinary qualifications for the Presi dential office. He conducts himself with the greatest modesty and discretion. He accepts no invitations to public honors. Every speech, and letter, and word that have gone from him since his- nomination, have been characterized by a spirit of; modesty,. moderation, and un ostentatious truth. A.LADY " RAPPER."—An indignant doctor, writing in, s,New York paper, says:—" I am acquainted with a • . female ' rapper ' of some notoriety, whose character is. suck, that her husband is-unable or unwilling to live with, her, and yet she pretends to be a favorite with the spirits. of the great and good departed of all ages. No one, not even Washington and Franklin, refuse to obey her call. . How is this ? Do explain ? Are they always waitinZ on. her ladyship, ready to rap, at the first intimation of her wishes ? What a dignified employment ! What a vocation. for Channing and Webster I" THE REV. THEODORE PARKER, in a recent lecture at New York, remarked :—John Bull and Brother Jonathan quarrel a little sometimes ; John Bull may grumble, and Brother Jonathan shake his sst in return, but the trouble is soon settled. John Bull is very proud of having so fine a son, and we are very proud of being the son of such a father; and soon this Anglo-Saxon race—that is the Anglo-Saxon Britons and Anglo-Saxon Americans—will control the whole world. Three hundred years ago the Anglo-Saxon. Britons did not own the whole of Great Britain, and see what they have now ! A DATIGI-JATER OF TEMPERANCE IN MAINE.—The women of America are going ahead at a pretty astonishing pace. in the latest New York Tribune we find it related that " Miss Isabella Dunham, aged 15,, daughter of Geo. Dunham, Esq., the enterprising ship-builder, recently took passage in the .t. g a coach to 11...mpa.., whorA qhw was attending school. There were with her in the coach several young gentlemen (?) who set the Maine Law at defiance by drinking from a bottle which one of them took from his pocket. Considering herself insulted, she called on the driver to stop, and jumped from the carriage. Although solicited by the driver to return, she persisted in walking the remainder of the distance, about a mile, to the no small mortification of the nice young men." SHOCKING SUICIDE OF AN AMERICAN MERCHANT.-- On the 3rd of February last a dreadful suicide was per petrated at the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. Early on the morning of the 4th, Monday, the lifeless body of Mr. Walter Mitchell, a merchant in Markham street, was found stretched upon the ground, a short dis tance in the rear of his store, with the blade of a bowie knife sticking in his left breast almost to the handle. Life was entirely extinct, and the body cold and stiff when discovered, which showed that he must have come to his death in the early part of the preceding (Sunday) night. At first, it was supposed he had been assassinated. The jury could come to but one conclusion as to the cause of his death, and that was that it was produced by his own hand ; and that was made still more certain before they rendered their verdict, by finding the fol lowing notes, written by himself, on a sheet of paper in his room. The first is addressed to his little daughter, now at school in New York :—" My dear Josephine, be a good girl—the last good bye from your affectionate pa, W. Mitchell."—" If [l] am killed, it will be by my own hand, W. Mitchell : Little Rock, 30th January, 1853." —" I forgive my enemies, W. Mitchell." At the top of the same half sheet, the following part of a sentence was written by him, and then partially wiped out before the ink had dried :—" I have tried to act honourably, but the citizens of Little Rock would not all" For some days previous to his death, he exhibited symptoms of an aber ration of mind, and on Sunday evening he told his father that he meditated self-destruction. Upwards of .8400 in money was found on his person, and a loaded six-shooter in one of his pockets. Mr. Mitchell had been a merchant for several years, and did as heavy a business as any house in the city. Fancied troubles of a domestic nature, and possibly some derangement in his pecuniary affairs, are supposed to have caused him to Comfit the rash act, fle was 35 years of age. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.-TUESDAY, MARCH 8. The Duke of Ricumosn presented a petition from Poor-law Guardians, complaining of the practice of issuing general orders by the Poor-law Board. In presenting a petition, Lord BROUGHAM took the opportunity of complaining that the judges of the County Courts were paid by the suitors instead of by the state. The Earl of WINCHILSEA postponed his motion respect ing the College of Maynooth to the 14th of April. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, Numerous petitions were presented against the Jew Bill. LAW OF EVIDENCE. Lord BROUGHAM moved the second reading of the Law of Evidence and Procedure Bill, the object of which was to amend in many respects, and declare in some im portant particulars, the law of evidence and procedure. After some remarks from the LORD CHANCELLOR, the bill was read a second time. The Mutiny Bill and the Marine Mutiny Bill were read a second time. THE EASTER HOLIDAYS. The Earl of ABERDE E N gave notice that on Friday he should move the adjournment of the house to Monday, the 4th of April. FRIDAY, Mancit 11. Several petitions were presented. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH presented a petition from the Christian inhabitants of Bengal, complaining of the administration of the law in that presidency. After some discussion the Earl of DERBY said he hoped that the government would reconsider the determination, at which it was understood they had arrived, to legislate perma nently for India during the present session. Considering the immense importance of the subject, and the small progress that had been made in their inquiries, nothing was more to be deprecated than hasty legislation. In his opinion the proper course would be to pass a continuing act for a period not exceeding five years, during which a thorough investigation might be carried ont, and thus enable them to solve satisfactorily this great and difficult problem. The Earl of ABERDEEN objected to the sug gestion of Lord DERBY, and thought that inquiry had sufficiently advanced to enable them to legislate on one head—the government of India. The County Elections Polls' Bill was read a second time. Several other bills were advanced a stage, and their lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TUESDAY, INlAncir S. Mr. W. 0. Stanley presented a petition from the Chester Mechanics' institution, for copies of parliamentary papers. MINTS IN AUSTRALIA. Mr. WILSON said, that with respect to the establish ment of mints in Australia, he thought he might sal that the government had come to the conclusion that it was a question which was more to be determined by the colonies themselves than• bv this country, and the government were dieposed to afford every facility which the colonies might require for that purpose. SCOTCI SI4'F,RTFY COURTS. On the motion of Mr - . CRAWFORD, leave was given to bring in a bill for the more speedy and effectual adminis tration of justice in the Sheriffs Courts in Scotland. THE NATDONAL GALLERY. Colonel IlluaE moved for a select committee to inquire into the management of the National Gallery, and to consider in what mode the monuments of antiquity and fine art may be preserved, augmented, and exhibited.- 7 After some discussion the motion was-agreed to. Mr. HADFIELD brought in a bill to prevent the necessity of obtaining several probates of the same will, and several grants of administration in respect of the estate and effects of any deceased person ;. and to make certain amendments in the law of evidence in respect to the proof of wills, and of probates and grants-of administration. INSURANCE COM?P.'NIES: Mr. WILSON moved for a select committee on the sub ject of Assurance Associations, and after some discussion the motion was agreed to. THE HOLIDAY 3: Lord S. RUSSELL gave notice that he :thould on Friday, the nth, propose the adjournment of the house, for the Easter - holidays, from that day until , Monday, the 4th of April. _ 'The Designs Act Extension Bill was- read a third time and passed. __ WEDNESDAY, MARSH 1 The motion for the second reading of the Great London Drainage Bill was carried by 113 to IS, and it was referred to a select committee. Mr. W Forbes Mackenzie presented' a petition from Liverpool against the opening of the Crystal Palace on Sundays. The second reading of the Cruelty to. Animals' Bill was negatived by 93 to 19. The Laad Improvement (Ireland) Bill passed through Committee. THE DERBY ELECTIOn Mr. INE4rAm brought up the report of the Derby Elec tion Committee, which was as follows That Michael Thomas Bass, Esq., is duly elected a burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the borough of Derby. That Thomas Berry Horsfall is not duly elected a burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the said borough. That Lawrence Heyworth was duly elected, and ought to have been returned a burgess to serve in the present Parliament for the said borough. That the committee have altered the poll at the last election by striking there from, for receiving bribes, the names of• William Harris, William Morley, Thomas Blake, Richard Walcop, Francis Radford, Jahn Taylor, Henry Needham, John Swan, Francis Staley,. Charles Cockaigne, Edaard Cockaigne, William Oliver, and Henry Sharrack.. That Thomas Berry Horsfall was by his agents guilty of bribery at the last election, . but it has been proved to the satisfaction of the committee that the bribery was without the concur- i rence or privity of the said Thomas 8., Horsfall. That William Farris was bribed by £2, and 'William Morley was bribed' by £2, and by a supplementary payment of £l, in October last, subsequent to the election; Thomas Blake, Richard Walcop, Francis Radford,. John Taylor, Henry Needham, Francis Staley, Charles Cockaigne, and Edward Cockaigne, by £2 each ; William Oliver by £1 ; John awaa and Henry Sharrack by the payment of £2 each. That Thomas Morgan seem 3 -to have been the person principally engaged in the abo'rementioned acts of bribery, and that the funds for this purpose appear to have been famished to Thomas Morgan, through the in tervention of a person named Thomas. Lund. That George Clayton, John Ford, and Alfred Ackerman, were also engaged in various acts of bribery- and corruption. That it has been proved as to several of the other parties that at former elections they had received money for their votes-;. and the committee have reason to believe that such corrupt practices have been. prevalent in the said borough, and they desire to state their opinion that parties who are reported to the House-as guilty of bribery should be disqualified for the future from the exercise of any Parliamentary franchise. That' it appears to the committee that the petition of William. Poole, so far as regards. the return of Michael Thomas Bass, Esq., is frivolous and vexatious." THURSDAY, Alteati 10. Mr. Cs. TURNER presented a petition from the minis ters, churchwardens, and members of St. John's congre gation at Liverpool, against the grant to Maynooth. :Kr. W. FORBES INIACKENZI/ presented a petition from the attorneys and solicitors of Liverpool, praying for the repeal of the attorneys' annual, certificate duty. Mr. C. TURNER presented. a petition from Liverpool for a bill for securing freedons.of election in Ireland. Mr.L. HEYWORTH took the oaths and his seat for Derby. VALUE GOLD. In reply to Mr. DRUNINIDN'D. who asked whether the Government had considered the effects of the reduced value of gold and its consequences, and whether it was not advisable to appoint a, committee to inquire into the altered value of the standard, the CHANCELLOR of the BXCHEQUER said that the Government had seen no proof 'of the reduced value of the precious commodity, and.had no intention, under present cireumstances, to appoint a committee of inquiry. ATTORNEYS:• (WIITIFICATE DUTY. Lord R. GnosvENea.,moved for leave to bring in,a bill to repeal the attorneys'and solicitors' annual certificate duty, reiterating the arguments in favour of the repeal which he has urged in his annual motions since 1849. The produce of this duty, he observed, was only £120,00a a year.—The CHANCELLOR of the ExcnEctra - &n. opposed the motion, on the ground that there were other taxes which had stronger , claims to be repealed.. After some some further discussion, there appeared— For the motion ............ 221 Against it ... . 169 Majority against ministers...... —52 A motion for a select committee to• inquire into the subject of oaths was, after some discussion, withdrawn. Mr. FiT7nox obtained leave to bring in a bill for the better prevention and punishment of aggravated assaults upon women and children. He proposed to confer a greater power upon the magistrateain these cases, and, among other provisions, to give then authority to imprison for six months, or to fine to the extent of £2O. A motion to add two Irish members to the select com mittee of Indian territories wao uog.tived by 97 to 22. Mr. L. Km(. Galled attention to a resolution of the Chatham Election Committee, that there were strong grounds for believing that a witness named Mount had been guilty of perjury, and moved that the Attorney- General be directed to prosecute him. The motion was agreed to. - Mr. NAPIER obtained leave to bring in a bill to facili tate the more speedy arrest of absconding debtors in Ireland. The Metropolitan Improvements (Repayment out of Consolidated Fund) Bill, passed through committee. FRIDAY, MARCH 11 Mr. CHARLES TURNER presented a petition from the merchants, traders, and other inhabitants of Liverpool, against the excise tax upon paper, the tax upon advertise ments, the stamp tax upon newspapers, and the security clauses. PASSING TOLLS. In reply to a question from Mr. Hudson, whether the government would bring in a bill in reference to the Pas sing Tolls during this session in sufficient time to enable the house to pass it, Mr. CARnwELL said, the gentlemen appointed to inquire into the Ramsgate-harbour dues had reported that that harbour might be made self-supporting. A similar investigation would take place with respect to other harbours; and his intention was, that that investi gation should take place without delay. As soon as he had sufficient evidence before him to justify him in acting upon it, he would state what course he would take. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA. Mr. BRIGHT called attention to the affairs of India, and said he strongly deprecated any attempt at permanent legislation until the committee now sitting had closed its labours, recommending a bill to be introduced for one year only.—Lord JOHN Russet!, insisted that it was the duty of government to bring forward a measure upon its own responsibility calculated to provide for the future welfare and proper government of the inhabitants of India. A the thhoeusepresent dropped themeasure with that o bj ec t wou ld b e b roug ht forward dur ingsession.—After so m e further discussion JEWISH DISABILITIES. On the motion for the second reading of the Jewish Disabilities Bill, Sir F. THESIGER moved, as an amend. went, that it be read a second time that day six months. He conceded all civil rights to the Jew, but he denied that he was entitled to all political rights, because be was amongst the people of this country, but not of them. it was true that he had the elective franchise, but then be could only vote for a Christian, and though he might be a magistrate, he could only rdminister laws made by s Christian parliament.—Mr. B. OSBORNE contended that the question was not one of Jewish disabilities, but of the right of Christians to choose whom they pleased to rote . sent them in parliament.—Mr. H. DRUNINIOND admitted that, on political grounds, there was no objection to th e admission of the Jeans to parliament; but the religiou s grounds against their ad m i ss i on were insuperable.--34' S. HERBERT laid down the broad principle that no BO' fish-born subject should be excluded from parliament the ground of his religious faith.—Mr. HENLEY wish e to know what was to become of the Christianity of t ll3 house if they were to admit Jews, and Mahommeda e !! and Hindoos, amongst them as legislators.--Lord Joirt RUSSELL said that, excludin g th e J ews f rom par liameaL on account of the error of th e i r f a ith was i n principle Pre' cisely the same as if they were fined and imprisoned Ot. the same reason, and those who imprisoned the were only acting on the same principle.—Upon a divisl°," the second reading was carried by 265 to 214. MajoritY l " On discus s i ng th e mot i on f or go i ng into committee 05 the Metropolitan Improvements (repayment out of orl: solidated fund) Bill, th e h our o f six arrived, and t"" house adjourned. REFORM OF THE CUSTOMS. On Saturday a numerous and influential deputation fel London and various outp or t s wa i te d upon the Chancell° of the Exchequer, for the purpose of representing to him the wants and wishes of the merchants of this country is connection with the propo s ed re f orm i n t h e Customs °es pertinent. Amongst those present were Mr. Charles Turrier' M.P., Mr. Wm. Brown, M.P., Mr. Bramley_mooret Mr. J. Cheetham, M.P., Mr. Pilkington, M.P., hi t ' Brotherton, tsc. Mr. Travers read a memorial from a public held in London on the subject. The memorial stated that the committee had been induced to take this step in OP: sequence of a reply given on a recen t occas i on to )"' Horsfall, on his inquiring in the House of Commol when the Governm en t m i g ht b e expecte d to brin forw'sr, the subject of a reform of the Board of Customs,-- , '' reply being to the effect that " he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was not in a position to state whether ant measures which the Government might take for the Wl,' provement of the Custom s ' d epartment and machine,' would require legislative interference, but that the whole subject was under the consideration of the Treasury, 01 ! that the result of it would probably be embodied in ; minute." After hinti ng th a t a T reasury m i nute could n °' codify the fifty-one acts of Parliament relating t o the Customs now on the Statue- book, nor sufficiently siol' plify, for the purposes of trade, the accumulated Treason minutes, orders, and bye-laws of the Board of Custoengo extending over a period of forty years, the memorial core tinues " We lay before you the heade of such suggestions 0 we deem most important. We submit that under the existing law, a merchant's person may be seized, and 1)1 property detained or sold, without any warrant, withou t any statement of charges, without any opportunity afforded him of being confronted riTh the seizing officer° or of personal ex pl anat i on or d e f ence before the CO' mssioners ; and practically, there is no appeal from th e decision of th e C omm i ss i oners, or, in fact, from 0: off cer himself. The officer gives in his own account t, the Board ; on complaint, the Board refers to the officer; no one cross-examines him, and he receives, on his ow° statement of the case, a portion of the proceeds of the goods-as the reward of holdi ng to hi s story. The apPe s' to the Lords of the Treasury is also nominal ; they refet to the Board, and, noon the account given by the Board' decide without seci3g either the officer or his victim. " We complain that an appeal to the Court of Excbe' quer involves a ruinous expenditure, under bond to Of, cost, fines, and penalties ; and that costs are in no case.' allowed to be recove r ed f rom t h e Crowr.4 That, in fa" our Customs' system, as it stands, is the - one remaining blot upon our comm erce . W e h ave opened our pa t, , and seas ) we still keep shut th e narrow an d rusty ga te the Customs;: we hare established courts. to expedi te and cheapen justice, hot we deny a place in them to th e sufferers under Customs' maladministration. No refornl has touched the irresponsible secresy of the Customs Board, nor the endless- heaping up of the costs- of CO" toms' cases-in the Exchevier. We have in ordinary ease: reformed our.modes of procedure, so as to allow of th e parties being examined face to face, with marked advantag e in eliciting the truth ; but, though a man's goods, papers' books, everythi ng h e i s worth i n the world, be se i z e ! upon without warra n t i n - th e name of the Customs, s,lci knowledge of th e accusa ti o 3 , and of his accus ers i s w i t hheld from him he may be beggared i n means, an d ru i ne d ~, ' character:bat• neither the Customs' Commissioners ne' the Lords of the Treasury will furnish him with- a state' ment of the charges agai n st hi m , nor a ll ow hi m . to appear personally in--his own def ence: U n til w i t hi n t h e l as t fe, years, the fall powers of the-Customs have been but se4 , dam exercised, or exercised only' against the wea k ; ° 0 commercial classes were even ignorant that such powe r , existed; and the irresponsible authority of the board W 59 tolerated, solely because the o p press i ve provisions-0f the numerous acts-and bye-laws-lay dormant. "It is now well understood-by people of all classes tha t every hindrance to the passage of ships and goods, ev e r 'i tax and waste-of time, e ver y r i s k o f i n j ury and loss, ever, liability to the plu n d er , corrupt i on , overc h arge, an d in the way of the landing, warehousing, clearing, bali° 6 o , selling, and distribution of merchandise, falls o'c Blast Wy e the consumer. We therefore confidently believe that the n 't would be no.diffieulty in bringing the wholz: weight .",1 public opinion to bear in favour of au i o ,licao• sweeping reform of the present system. DO " In conclusion, we beg respectfully to urge that dr time shoul_d be lost in laying the bills, as soon as prePa r 'i f before the commercial community , with a view tothL being passed into law in th e p resen t sess i on . of Park a ment. "We propose neith er t o d e f rau d th e revenue not fa abolish nacessary taxes ; what we ask is that, in the real!: ner of raising the revenue of . Customs, amounting r: £22,000,00%. there may be ne needless obetruction to trade," Mr. W. BROWN, M.P., said the memoria; which b,,, a now been placed in the hand s - o f th e r i g h t: h onour so gentlemen contained a memorandum o f th e requ i rem en'; t of the commercial community, and.expressed a.hope tba before the bills to which they-referred were introduced these suggestions would be embodi e d in them. He b a only to =press, on the part of , the,Liverpoot merchant s ; a strong desire and wish that any differences a risio; between: them and the Customs a u th or iti es s h ou ld 13 . submitted to an o p en t r ib una l, an d not , as-hitherto, 0: secret tribunal, where th e y weee required to defend theo l i selveg-from any c h arges t h a t m i g h t be brought agoia, s ig them. He believed it wou ld grea tl y s i mp lif y the vi°' of the Customs, and prevent a great many unjust seizure s ' (Hear, hear). They considered it a most important poin t ; in any alteration of the prese n t sys t em th at t h ey s hoe have on the spot an open tribun a l . t o appea l to. Gres hardships frequently arose tinder th e present system, ar": as- an instance, he might state that an American so'!" lately arrived in the Mersey. with a large Ipantity of rice Some ill-disposed person, or ill-natured• officer, gave ill ° formation that there were smuggled goods under the rice► and about 40 tons of it were thrown out by order of the Customs ; it happened to, be a very wet • day, nothing,° the kind was found, o r h a d ever been there, but the VS', was completely destroyed._ That was one of the grie' ances of the present system, and if they had such a WI bunal as he had stated to,resort to 4 which would con:lP e the officer to state who. gave th e f a l se i n f ormat i on , r 0 order that he might be punished, some redress might b" obtained. Mr. TURNER, M.P., said the establishment of opel local tribunals was held, by all com merc i a l men t o be the utmost importance, , because accusations were fr e ; quently made, involving not only the property b u t Ov a character of the party, which could not be so easily mad if the parties could be brought face to face. The CHANCELLOR, of the EXCHEQUER said, in t i l e answer he had given to Mr. Horsfall he did not apPr` , bend that there could have beers any misunderstanding : as the question had reference to the proposed alteratie; in the constitution o f th e B oar d o f C ustoms, an d w i t h te o gard to a sugge s ti on th a t a mem b er o f t h e B oard, or 0, chairman, should, h ave a sea t i n t h e H ouse of Coma:00 10 His answer h a d reference expressly to the what'' te alteration in the con s tituti on o f th e B oar d o f Customs; and not to the imp r o v e men t s i n th e C us t oms ' d e par e ment as regarded its machinery and working ; bees o ,,f measures had been take n f or th e p repara ti on o f a ct Parliament in reference to the warehousing a c ts, and the codification of the Custom laws. With respect to. the ba , -: which it was desired should be submitted to the constq f cial bodies throughout the cou n t r y, f or th e consideratril of their practical details, he was n ot aware th a t any rn timation had: been given to them that these bills would be submitted to them hy the present Government for thel consideration of the practical details. What he shoal' say tbe wpaarst,iethsatinhteerhesatded7Bonbdiebcetifoonreinthpeoyinwteroef principle submit the draft of the bills when they were prepared tA,° But the responsibility of the Government was not s hifte d from ICS should ers i n thi s i nstance. He was extremeLY glad to meet the present d e p u t at i on, on account o f having representatives from Liverpool and the other outports, because there was this difficulty on form e o occasions, that it would seem as if all along they had bee , discussing the case of the port of London exclusiv6 With respect to the se bill s th e w h ole question was in 017,1 manner could they be soonest made known, and i 0 what way could th e w id est and freest scope be giveu.,(l the commercial commu n ity t o canvass th e i r d eta il s v ii t wring to the kno w l e d ge o f th e wor ld an d of parliaceeo their wishes and their suggestions. He could not 5 b., what might be the deci s io n o f th e governmen t as t o se w mating them to the commercial classes in draft. frankly owned, although he was willing to be instrne` s o that it was no t c l ear t o hi m h ow h e cou ld bring tPeo, measures amply before all portions of the mercantile C O O munity. Some portions of it were well organised for b 0 purpose of discussing these measures, and to them sue $ o step might be highly convenient ; but others were ti c:lt. o f highly organised, and might possibly cons id er that % o f bad been treated with something l ess th an fairness, if t g,' were not acquainted with the details of these bills as e le ef, as the others. But, as the object wa s mere l y t o ask aL i ' l et he did not see the disadvantage u n d er w hi c h any p ort!o tro „ the commercial community would be placed by the il l p p, duction of these bills into parliament and the giving tte e , time for their consideration before going i n to conite. l t se The most convenient course for a ll p ar ti es was to I ",pe° duce the bills on the earliest possible day ; then the e n itY rience and knowled ge o f t h e commercial comuluts, would enable them to suggest many valuable amendotbeit and all such am en d ments as appeared to jus t i fY .o o adoption might then be embodied in the bill before l' op s , submitted to th e cons id erat i on of the House of Conlool4, If there wa s a s t rong w i s h t h at the drafts of the bills s re o; be submitted, th ere was every disposition on the Pawist! the Government to follow the course that strongarefal might point out. Various points were under the ea r t he consideration of th e Government, and, with respect jou , to Treasury mi nu t e, o f course that was necessary PreT the waYi the introduction o f an act of parliament in the regul arof After some furth er di scu ssion, in which seve rs members took p ar t, th e d epu t a ti on w ithdrew. • 11 A YOUNG LADY says that, in a yachting Ina t . cl i the vessels run s o many k no t s th a t s he should thin results of the race 4.4gat kea,lt ties,—Punch. eol st t b a . ta vo,„ er Qo a °I3D(