Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-07 00:00:00

HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY, (From Dr. ltitspratt's Dictionary of Chemistry.) The dawn of photography is intimately connected with researches on .light. For a long time the.queStion, whether light possessed any chemical properties, was discussed by st numerous body of scientific men. 'Schoilt; was the first to draw attention to the subject of the rays of the sun possessing properties -able to effect chemical changes, more especially upon silver salts, and showed the comparative power •of the different raysio,darken them. In this department he .was followed by Senebi( Count Rumford, and Ritter, who -was the fi that solar bFums, not possessing luminosity, but having to notia a remarkable effect in inducing chemical nt4amorphoseW, existed in sunlight. Between.lBol, the period of Ritter's done beariest upon the origin searches, very little was of photography: ill Thomas, third SOR of the celebrnied wood, in 1802, published his method of by coat producing sun pictures, 'white paper or ena melled leather with a' sohition of uitrate of silver, and exposing the coated surface to the light of the sun under a painting on glass. Although he anticipated the advan tages which would accrue fresti the art, he could not 'partake of them to the extent he deserved, owing to the .n . unknown to imam of fixing the impression being . him, notwithstanding the fact of Humphrey Davy :being engaged with him in , the mcitry, It appears was the:. first who partially same( that - Niepe, fixing the image produced in the camera obscu t this was not till 1827, long after the Wedgewood, and after many ye--- • - Tiotß to this period. Dk the subject, but was unsuccessful ars' investigatio guerre w as likewi In 1829 he :etit into an agreement with -researches on this s iNiepce to rsue their several -period of the compact, the- latter published - his method,' which he called heliography. It consisted in coating a highly polished tablet of plated silver with a mixture of petroleum and essential oil of lavender, reduced to the consistency of thin varnish. After drying at a gentle heat, the prepared plate was exposed in the camera to the image thrown upon it, and, after duo time, the latent impression was rendered visible by disengaging the un affected parts. This was executed with a solvent com posed of one part of oil of lavender and. ten of ordinary white petrolenin or spirit of tar. On pouring this liquia over the plate, the impression began gradually to show itself; when sufficiently defined, the plate ivas removed, the dissolving liquid allowed to drain off, and the operat terminated by careful washing,. At th eriod they anxiously seeking for a substitute for the varnish, and had recourse to alkaline sulphides aad iodine fo ening the plates to form a- ground for the picture ; bat the results were not as satisfactory even as the varnish coating, although the latter proved subsequently to he the most eligible in the hands of Daguerre. The heliographin method of Ni e p c e was a ver y s l ow an d uncertain process, requiring several hours' exposure in a strong light before a tolerably defined impression was made. Daguerre , improved the process by using the resin of the essential oil of lavender dissolved in alco hol the basis, and the vapour of petroleum, which bad not the effect of removing most of the varnish to the injury of the picture, as was the case in, the other. From this period till that of Niepee's death the subject - was actively prosecuted on both sides . ; but it would appear that the latter savant had lost faith in the efficacy .ef coating the plates with a metallic film, such as sulphide or iodide of silver ; whilst Daguerre seemed as much Impressed with these, or similar ones, being the true media for taking impressions. After the death of Niepce , in 1833, the compact was renewed between Daguerre and the son, Isidore Niepce, and the research was as anflag gingly pursued as before till 1839, when Daguerre was fortunate enough to discover the beautiful process which is now so well known under his name. It is almost needless to say, that upon the publication of the process, communicated to the Academy at Paris, the beauty of the gradations ,of light and shade, • and. the extreme delicacy and truthfulness of the pictures, took both the whole of the old and new world by surprise ; and after the French . Government had secured to Daguerre and Niepee a pension adequate to the importance of the dis covery, and gave the process to. the world, its practice became universal. _ Whilst the French were diligently occupied in bring lug the process of producing pictures on metallic plates . to perfection, in England the subject was silently -pur sued by Mr. Henry Fox Talb o t. His experiments were 'Undertaken in 1834, with the view of rendering the image produced in the camera obscure permanent in the sun ; these were prosecuted with varied success till 1839, when a paper was read by him to the Royal Society, on the thirty-first of January of that year, entitled—Some account of the Art of Photogenic Draw ing ; or, the Process by which • Natural Objects may be made to delineate themselves without the aid of the Artist's Pencil. This was the first account, of this process —since called telbotype -methodized to tho production of pictures In. February of the same year a fuller account of the preparation of the paper, and the method of fixing the picture, was communicated to the same body, Talbot's pictures. were produced on paper prepared for the purpose ; and though less delicate In detail, in consequence of the inequality of the basis, than daguerreotypes, still they could be viewed with equal effect in any position; and were consequently free from the_defect experienced in looking at the latter. From this it will be evident that the British philoso pher pursued his investigation ,-independently of the French labourers in the same field; and arriving at :results in a measure as satisfactory as those of Daguerre, he Contributed; as Hunt remarks, equally with the latter most important services to science, an producing an instru ment by which the mysterious phenomena of light could be satisfactorily investigated ; and to art, by giving her votaries tablets upon which nature - Impresses herself in all her delicacy and.decision, in all her softness and grandeur, and in all her richness of tone and breadth of effect. The fixing agent first used by Talbot was a concen trated solution of chloride of sodium, which had the effect of dissolving the unaltered chloride of silver. lodide of potassium was employed for a similar purpose ; but these do not give results as satisfactory as the hypo sulphite of soda introduced by Sir J. Herschel. Other improvements by the latter philosopher have also to be recorded, which i though not so important as the one just referred to, contribute, nevertheless, to the perfection of the art. This is particularly the case with his researches on the solar spectrum, the results of which have been already given, and by which he has laid the foundation of the principles of actinism, and brought it to its present comprehensive state. Iferschel was the first to recommend the practice of saturating the saline washes used to prepare the paper with chloride of silver, and the employment of a double wash of nitrate of silver to be used in succession, alternated • with drying the paper, with the view of doing away with the whitish spots so frequently seen in the pictures of Talbot at the time ;he also noticed—as likewise Robert Runt —a method of fixing the impression formed in the camera with chloride . of mercury, and, at the same time, rendering the paper to all appearance fit for the ordinary uses of writing and the like; whilst nothing was required to develop the picture but simply washing with hyposul- phite of soda. Another very efficient discovery of Talbot's may be here recorded—namely, the property of gallic acid in rendering the prepared paper so sensible as to be capabl€ of receiving impressions by instantaneous exposure, owing to the gallic acid of the in and developing the effect of the si !was ultimately superseded by pyrclallic acid, introduced by Archer, the reducing or developing action of which is much greater than that of the gallic compound. Various methods for rendering paper sensitive to the reception of solar influence have • been published, to dwell upon which would take up too much space. All, however, have their particular advantages, based upon the judicious application of the usual compounds, so as to produce a more even and more perfect coating with the silver salt. This agent übquf , ,ntt o the production of photographs on pope]: wi S th se considerable accuracy, glass was - adopted for the basis of the pi e t a ,. Ire made to adhere - t ; but s - the sensitive media could not adju nct o iti t a h c i s body alone, it was necessary to employ as an 601110 adhesive matter. • The first trials were with albu t m F a : i i . ntroduced .by Niepee St. Victor in 1848—and gelatirein clln a thin stratum upon the clean surface of the g la ss. with od th id e of potassium or .alkaline chlorides were mixed adhesive composi whpeinct.urseensitiv tion ; and after partial drying, the sae adhesive were exposed to solutions of nitrate of silver, e coating formed on the film. on which the Generally, the pictures obtained on azas impressed gelatinized glass, owing to the even and close s textur e of the coating material, had many qualities those produced upon paper, excepting Where the to ying the latter waxed was followed. e l rac . ,e adoption of these Materials by photon n-r _....utter introduced pyrogallic acid, an d soon- after r; co llodion; than which no other material i s now more extenstvely used. With the exception of modification s introduced from time to time to render the co ll o di on film more sensitive , or to: propagate the impression of ,:, and thus shorten the period of exposure, las been done within the last few years beyond o art More general both in . practice • and Xyloidiii, a compound prepared from starch and tinctured with iodine, was introduced soonafter + +b.+ A the rays of lig! very littl v,ith nitric aCi few years ago, but its use is not so extensive as that of a ,;„ e )Ilodion. notwithstanding its repute for being a more compact basis for the picture, and more capable of receiv ing the pictorial impression. The particulars of these methods will be detailed further on when describing . the Practice of photography, Besides the Tarious praossive steps alluded to, there are a few others which tend to extend its usefulness, and deserve a short notice. These are the methods forimpressing coloured pictures upon the prepared surface, and of engraving the photo graphic impression without the aid either of the artist's graver or pencil The latter, which might be called photogalvanography, is not recent, but almost as old as the first bituminous impressions of M. .Niepce, whose finished pictures required but the applications of . tide etching to convert them into engravings. The system of procedure had been considerably improved by • several others,. more .Niepce the younger, L ere b ours , an d Lerner latter, • applying it t o lith ograp hi c pr i n ti ng . especially cier, the Dr., Dorme of Paris endeavoured to obtain engravings from daguerreotype plates by chemical agency, and partly sacceede4.: : His .method, was to attack the • plate with gilding of the picture, *here all the nitric acid before ti was redaced became more of less corroded accercling to the depth of shade. As nitric acid ,happened . to be. the agent used, it could not be parts whereon .01 always confined to the parts - where its action should be ronifested, and, , therefore, the results were 'precarious. Grove published a method for engraving ;the daguerreian image by voltaic agency in" 1842; in this operation,.the Agent was chlorine liberated from hydrochloric acid, in which the picture, attached. to the positive pole of the battery, cas immersed. This method, though superior to its antecedents, was not all that was desired. A patent was granted in 1844 to Fizeau and Claudet for en gi?ying photographic impressions. Here hydrochloric sted frinn a Mixture of chloride 'of sadium and nitrate of potassa, to which a little nitric acid had been added, was the etching medium, and ammenia.and a hot concentrated solution of caustic potassa the auxiliaries to it in bringing the proce is to perfection—the former hating the effect of removing the chloride of silver, and the latter protecting the surface coated with the mercury from the corroding action of the acid. When sufficiently deepened the plate was washed and dried, smeared with printers' ink, dried,cleaned, and the unetched parts gilded, after which the remaining parts could be deepened at will by first removing the ink. Another method dis covered by H. F. Talbot, and published by him in May, 1853, seemed to be most satisfactory. It consisted in coating a well• polished steel plate with a mixed gelatin impregnated with a strong solution of bichromate of intassa; and, when dried, exposing this plate to the rays of light impinged from the illuminated subject of the or,, better, to the sun's rays, whilst a positive graphic picture had been laid upon it. As in the s bituminous method, so in this; the influence .of the light - , rendered the parts on which it fell insoluble, so that on subsequently washing in water the ,gelatin,and bichromate solution were removed from the other parts, leaving a raised facsimile of the picture, the lights beingrepresented by the bare metal, and the shades caz4erz case of Aic -corresponding to the lights in the original by the altered gelatin. On pouring bichloride of platinum upon the washed surface, the plate became readily etched on the parts from which the gelatin was removed. When the action has been suffi3iently continued, it is arrested by _washing with a sponge,. which removes the gelatin, and drying. The plate now exhibits a delicate etching of the picture on the steel plate, iu which the raised surface cor responds to the light and half tones of the original design. Pretsch of Vienna publi s h e d a me th o d for effecting the same purpose ; it has much in common with Talbot's, brat instead of washing off the coating of gelatin, as directed by the latter, it is merely soaked in water, to swell the unaltered gelatin, and give the appearance of an engraved wood-block to the figure.. An impression of the figure is then taken with a soft material in the way of a mould, and the latter is .rendered a conductor of electricity, and copper is deposited upon it to any desired extent. In this way a true impression is taken of the photograph in copper, and may be multiplied at pleasure. Latterly, Poitevin of Paris has used the same materials as Talbot, and applied them to lithographic stone, and the results appear to be very satisfactory. Notwithstanding these several steps towards improvement, much still remains to,be effected, both as to investigation and discovery, to give the art the utility which it is calculated to possess. In colour piinting, or chromophotography, also, efforts have.been made to impress the tints of the object upon the picture by chemical agency, but the results have not been as successful in this department as those just detailed of photogalvano,graphy ; still, sufficient indications have been given to show that the subject is feasible of attain ment. In chromophotography, or heliochromy, as the process was called in France, Becquerel in 18.54 and preViouily, showed that colours could be impressed on the picture at the instant of its formation, by employing the violet chloride of silver - a compound in which more or less of a basic chloride exists—for takin g the picture. To give the subject more definiti o n, h e coated the silver plates by means of chlorine liberated from hydrochloric acid by voltaic agency, and in which solution the tablet was immersed, attached to the positive pole of the battery. As it was found that the s h a d es were muc h altered by the thickness of the coating of the violet chloride on the plate, he introduced a voltameter of water in the circuit, to measure from the volume of hydrogen disenfiaged the quantity of chlorine set free, and by this means he was able to determine the quantity of gas that passed over a given extent of the plate. When a plate so prepared was . exposed in the camera to the solar light of the spectrum, all the chief colours were produced, beginning with the yellow and orange, and extending to the red and violet, thus leaving a coloured picture. Becquerel observed that a temperature of 212 to 302 degrees, applied to the plate before exposing it to the spectrum, or a heat of 97 degrees kept up for two or three days, modified the strength of the colours, though giving good yellow and green-impres sions. . As these hues eoulenot be fixed so as to resist the effect of diffuse light, they were looked • upon more as a scientific curiosity. Niepce St. Victor being led to infer a relationship between the colour which many bodies communicate to flame, and , that which light develops in a plate of silver coated as above, tried the effects of silver plates excited in chlorine water impregnated with various salts, such as 'chloride of strontium and the like, and placed the plate in the camera for the reception of the rays from coloured bodies, when the image became 'im pressed with the natural tints of the subject. Thus, an orange was obtained by the use of chloride of calcium, yellow by chloride of sodium or chlorine, red with chlo ride of strontium, green with boracic acid and chloride of nickel, and so on, employing for any particular shade a Substance which similarly colours the alcoholic flame, o r that of the blowpipe. Mr. Hill, of the iited States, had been engaged upon the same subject,.andgave the public to infer that he had arrived at satisfactory results in obtaining coloured pho tographs as early as 1850, by means of some chance composition of a nondescript nature; but though he has given details of the pi c t ures he produced by this means, the editor is unable to find any description of the method or substances which he employed. It is certain, however, that no sure means of impressing the hues of the natural bodies upon the daguerreotype or photograph have been yet arrived at; and notwithstanding the instances re ferred to, that the' discove r y o f th e process still remains a desideratum in the science and art of photography. The art of photography is dependent partly on optics and partly on chemistry. It is the business of the op tician to provide a suitable camera in which the photo graphic tablet may be placed, and the image formed by the lens thrown upon it. It is the business of the chemist to prepare the sensitive tablet in a suitable manner to receive that image. POOR RATES AND PAUPERISM.—On the last day of the fourth week of December last, the number of paupers in the receipt of relief in England and Wales was 857,903, against 938,815 in 1857. This is a difference of 78,912, equivalent to a decrease of pauperism amounting to 8.42 per cent. THE Muitur.o IN SHEFFIELD.—The adjourned inquest on William Wilson, the man who was stabbed on Thursday morning last, was resumed in the Town Hall on Wednesday morning. George Plant, the accuse d person, voluntarily stated that, " going home late on 'Wednesday night, I met a man of the name of Wilson. He came rushing out of a passage, took hold of me with out saying a word and knocked me down. Meeting him again afterwards, he,ran. round at me again, tried to get hold of me again, and whilst he was doing so h e ma d e a rush at me. I had my band and the knife out in front of me, and he fell on the knife." Plant also said that h e carried the knife for protection, as he had to collect y for his employer. The jury, after bcing locked up find a-half, returned u. verdict of about four hours Wilful Murder SEDrCTION AND REVENGE.—A. young dressmaker of Avignon, named Onzedoigts, I's .atried by the Tribunal of Correctional o • wa• i d ‘ ay fo o r r th ts r v o ° w a irr nitric acid into the face of a workman, named Paqer, here he lost the use of an eye, and was otherwiseinjured. wby This man, un d er the promise of marriage, formed, som_e time ago, an i n ti ma t e conne ction with the girl, and she became enciente but all at once, on the pretext that she was not a well-conducted person when he, formed her acquaintance, he refused to fulfil his preinise. She went to him day after day, and earnestly implored him to marry her, but he. refused; he, heWever, consented to visit her occasionally. Oa the 18th of August last whilst he was in her chamber, she suddenly cried out, Monster! I will make you repent year refusal to marry me !" and threw the corrossive liquid at him. In support of the accusation, gross imputations were cast on the girl's character; but the jury were so muc h moved by her solemn protestations - to tlke contrary, and by hearing that a law .days before she had given birth to .4 ,child in prison, that they acquitted her. . CARDINAL WISEMAN'S VISIT TO LIVERPOOL. TO TILE EDIV:Ht OF THE NOItTIIEItN TIMES Sir,—l fear from two or three local incidents that have transpired on the occasion of Cardinal Wiseman's visit, that our " Good Old Town " is bent upon perpetuating the unenviable notoriety and character of being the "hot-bed" of rampant bigotry and arbitrary class legislation. One would have thought that some manifestation of censure, if not of indignation, would have been given expression to by some one of the many newspapers circulated amongst this large community. How ever, from one half of our local papers, we could • scarcely expect such condescension, for, to use the words of your correspondent, signing himself a Scotchman," " they seem to be afflicted with a perfectly maniacal hatred to Catholics in general, and great Cardinal in particular ; " but that such liberal and independent papers as your own---' the Daily Post or the :Mercury, should have passed silently over, the infamous and disgusting riot---the dastardly outrage on the carriage of Car dinal Wiseman—is inexplicable, to say the least of' it. First came'the scurrilous and unprovoked attacks at the Concert Hall, where the hitherto unknoWn Rev. Mr. Robinson, who glories in public, that he is a happy man—that thanks God he can say that he' dreads no condemnation ! and then, with unblushing impudence, endeavours to make his gullible auditors believe that the Cardinal had some hand in the Jew child case, by singing out, " who stole the child," " who loads poor people with chains, and caste them into prison," &c. His idle twaddle about the Popes must cause some to pity, and many to despise the " happy" retailer of such foul and flagrant calumnies. Then follows the hint that was acted upon when the Cardinal was returning from delivering a lecture—during the delivery of which not a word was uttered to give offence to any class. It looks very much like the practical carrying out of the hint Mr. Rev. Robinson gave for the dastardly attack on the Cardinal, when he exultingly exclaimed—" Oh ! if that Cardinal were here to-night, I think if he never vanished before, he would fly before you." This appeal to the brutal and low passions of his auditory seems to have been frantically taken up ;by those pre sent; the convicted young man Veevers was one of them, and the 150 kept at bay by the well directed efforts of the_ police, were no doubt a -part of the same audience that was afterwards addressed by a German adventurer, who now and again makes some spasmodic efforts to gather some forty or fifty of a congregation in an obscure building in Sir Thomas's Buildings. He, at least, will never be over-estimated for those virtues and qualifica tions that befit a Christian minister ; but he may be pitied and sympathised with by a few old women, for the fifteen years of "grief and astonish ment" with which he has seen the indifference and apathy regarding the inexhaustible subject of Popery. • It does seem passing strange, that people should be led away by such flap-trap orators, who, in the poverty of their intellect and talents, can find no other means of making themselves known than by indulging in such unprovoked and scurrilous abuse of " Catholics in general, and the Cardinal in particular." Then comes, last, though riot least, the discus sion in the Council chamber on Wednesday last, regarding the use of the concert room in St. George's Hall, for the Cardinal to deliver a lecture in. The mere fact of not being granted the use of the Hall is a matter of no moment, as the par ties, it seems, wanting it, obtained a more suit able place, and at a less cost; but, as Mr. Woodruff said, there is an impression abroad that the use of the room was refused because the gentleman to give the lecture was a Roman Catholic—and really such was the fact, disguise it as they may, for the rules are, that the Hall be let for general enter tainments, excepting only those for " political purposes." I think the Catholics, who constitute a large proportion of the community, have been badly treated, not to say insulted, and the narrow minded bigots have overstepped common discre tion and equity—at least such is the opinion of SPECTATOR, Liverpool, Feb. 4th, 1859 P.S. -:-These gentlemen of punctilious and deli cate feelings could let the Hall to a parcel of strangers with blackened faces and woolly hair ; aye, and could stand by and see the stars and stripes floating from the flagataffon such occasions, but to let the Cardinal lecture in the same building was too shocking. MARKETS INSPECTION, TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES. Sir,—A short time ago a friend of the writer being in Liverpool, and about to return home per railway, made a purchase in St. John's Market. He, on getting home, or rather his wife, found he had been cheated, the article being the very opposite of what it was sold for. He returned it to me in order that I might ask for explanation and cor rection. I called upon the dealer, bift could get no satisfaction. I intimated I would complain to the Inspector ; but he remained unmoved, and apparently unconcerned, as to any complaint ill that quarter. I did complain ; was promised that enquiry .. should be made, and ex -planation sent. No explanation was sent. I called again, was told the dealer had gbne away, but, on passing out of the market, I observed the name still up, and business going on as usual. I subsequently, in passing, called again, but was put off in a most unsatisfactory manner, and I could only think the Inspector inclined to screen the dealer. The remarks in the Town Council, on 'Wednesday, have enlightened me a good deal. While the committee are upon the subject of Reform, I suggest that they make the receiving of any "testimonial" by the inspectors punishable with dismissal. Such gifts, under such circum stances, can only be classed under " bribery and corruption." If the committee do this, they may More reasonably hope the public interest and their own will be the first cared. for. A RAILWAY OFFICIAL. M. Montalembert has had two . silver statuettes made, representing Demosthenes and Cicero, intending to pre sent them to , the two counsel who conducted his defence in the late trial. PORTSMOUTH, Friday.—A large steamer, ship-rigged, reported similar in size and appearance to the Hima laya, is ashore on Peel Bank, but is expected to come off with, the flood tide The colliers of Greave, who recently turned out for an advance of Bd. per day, have returned to th e i r wor k , sixteen to Messrs. Lord's,i and thirty-six to Messrs. Townsend's, having obtained half the advance for which they struck. The Coreegpondancia Autografa publishes a letter from Cochin China, which asserts that the Emperor of that country was so alarmed at the comet that he had fastened himself in a tower with poison and a cord, in order to put an end to his existence in the event of its causing any disaster._ A.TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT IN THE RIGA/ANDS.— The Perth Courier says :—" The . Marquis of Breadal bane and other noblemen and gentry of the county of Argyll lately resolved to suppress li cense d d r i n ki ng houses on their respective estates, with the view to the moral and physical elevation of the Highlands." Thu MURDER AND SUICIDE AT MANCHESTER._ On Wednesday, Mr. E. Herford, the city coroner, held an inquest on the bodies of William and Ellen Robinson ; and, after hearing the evidence, returned a verdict of " Wilful murder against Robinson, and that he had, after murdering his wife, committed suicide by hanging him . - selk while in an unsound state of mind." MR. POOLE AND THE Aucumsuor.---Some influential gentlemen ;of Belgravia and its neighbourhood, styling themselves " The St. Barnabas Church Association," have issued an appeal to "all lovers of English justice and fair Play," liberally to contribute towards the expenses which, by justice not having hitherto been rendered to him, the Rev. Alfred Poole has needlessly had to incur. THE BURNS PRIZE CONTEST.-Mr. TT Myers, the young gentleman mentioned in the papers, as being the author of the second best composition sent in for the prize offered by the Crystal Palace Company, our readers will be pleased to hear, is at the present time a pupil in the Rev. Principal's division of the First Class at Chel tenham College, and will be immediately recognised, by those taking an interest in the progress of this noble institution as the author of the two. spirited composi tions on " Belisarias" placed first and second in the College Prize Poems published at the commeneemont of last Midsummer Tacation,—Cheltenharn Oronick THE RIGHTS OF THE ARMY AND NAVY, TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES. Sir, - - You will be conferring a great favour upon old soldiers, sailors, and their children, by inserting the following opinion (upon the much vexed qwestion of their privileges,) of Mr. J. Smith, the eminent solicitor, Bir mingham.=—Touri, RICHARD HILTON. 16, South John-street, sLiVerpool, 'Feb. 5. TO TILE EDITOR OF TILE MORNING CHRONICLE Sir,—l have observed in various newspapers that dis cussions have taken place in reference to an application made by me to the Dudley magistrates, on behalf of Mr. Timothy Salmon; that he should be allowed to exercise the trade of a victualler, without a license, on the ground that he is the son of a soldier who served in the army for five years, between the Years 1802 and 1816. The Act of Parliament under which I made the application is the 55 Geo. lIL, c. 67, the preamble to which act is as fol lows : " Whereas there have been and are divers officers, mari ners, soldiers, and marines, who have served his Majesty in the late wars, by sea and land, some of whom are men that used trades, others that were apprentices to trades, who have not served. out their times, and others who by' heir own industry'have made theniselves apt and fit for. trades, many of whom, the wars - being now ended, would willingly employ themselves i n tho s e trades which they were formerly accustomed to, or which they are apt or able to follow or make use of for getting their living by their own labour, but are or may be hinderpd from exercising those trades in certain cities and corporations and other places within this kingdom, because of certain bye-laws and customs of' those places ;" for remedy whereof "be it enacted by the -King's MoSt Excellent Majesty; and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled,. and by the authority of the same, . that all such officers, mariners, soldiers, > and marines, a; have been at any time employed in the service of his Majesty since the 22nd day of June, 1802, and have not since deserted the said service, and also the wives and children of such officers, mariners, soldiers, and marines, may set up and exercise such trades as they aro apt and able for in any city, toWn, or place within this. kingdom, without any let, suit, or molestation of any person-or persons whatsoever for or by reason of the using of such trade." The words ""because of certain bye-laws and customs in those places appear to be the stumbling block upon which such diversity of opinion arises, but, when it is remembered that the statnte,gives -a right to the children of soldiers to carry on trade, the question presents itself as to what local hindrances existed to prevent such !Children from carrying on 'any trade which any other person might do ? If the - hindrance meant 'Merely the want of citizenship, the statute would have been explicit on that point. , andyet perfectly' silent onthe subject; and I know of no other local hindrances to any trades not requiring lidenses,_ except those where 'the 'freedom of a city is necessary to be held by an individual trading within 'each city boundary. Is it reasonable to suppose that au Act of Parliament would have been passed to eriable soldiers and. others mentioned therein to commence trading: without being citizens ? Surely such could never haVe been the intention of any Government, especially when pressed by the numbers of soldiers and others dependent for support upon it, and; thrown out of employ immediately, the war of 1815 had terminated. In the first section. of the 56th George 111., cap. 67, are these significant words`-"'shall riot be sued,, irnpleaded, or indicted in any court whatsoever within this kingdom' for using or exercising any such trades as aforesaid." What indictment could lay for any infringement for want of citizenship? None. But an indictment could hare-been prosecuted for carrying on any prohibited trade requiring a license, or for non-payment of governmental rights. If the question rested here, I do not think any common sense view of the meaning of Government (bearing in mind its liability and difficulty to provide for soldiers,. &c.) could be so. confined and limited as to narrow the mean ing of the words, "by-laws and customs" to mere local hindrances ; yet, had this been the intention of the framers of the statute, it has- signally failed, . for the 4th section of the 56th Geo. 111., .c. 67, enacts— • Sec. 4. Provided always' that this act shall riot be'in anywise prejudicial to the privileges of the Universities of Cambridge or oxforclor either of, them, or :extend to give liberty to any person to set up the trade of a vintner, or to sell any wine or other liquors within the said Universi ties, without license first had and obtained fro m th e Vi ce - Chancellor of the same respectively." The exception in this section proves the rule, for what necessity was there 'to prescribe the right to set up the sale " of wine and other liquors" within the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge without a license, unless every other place was excluded from the prohibited "local hin drances?" Take the .converse of the 4th clause of the statute with a view to test the correctness of the interpre tation put upon the entire act by several learned magis trates. Suppose- the statute had ,said any person might sell " wine.and other liquors " within the jurisdiction of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, could 'any reasonable mind doubt that it was intended to exclude all other places ? If not, every fair construction of law and common sense must ,mean that "wines and. other liquors" maybe sold elsewhere than Within the prohibited places. It may at the present time be 'highly inconve nient to grapple with the difficulty, but the privilege does exist, and must be got rid .of legally and not by any strained and straw-splitting construction which may be forced upon the public. Why will not those interested in the subject (and there 'are thousands) join together and try the question ? The General Licensing Act,. 9th Geo. IV., repeals, eo nomine, all other acts oeparliainent in reference to vintners and victuallers, except the 56th Geo. 111., c; 67 ; and as no other statute repeals it, as a consequence it is still in force. Apologising for intruding on your Valuable space, I am, sir, yciur obedient servant, • JOHN S3fITII. Birmingham, Nov. 16. THE NORTHERN TIMES, MONDAY; FEBRUARY 7, 1859 SATURDAY'S MARKETS LIVERPOOL CoTroN.—The cotton market continues quiet to day, but without change in price. The sales—including 200 Pernambuco, 'lid to so •,50 Maranham, Bhd to B,ld ; 200 Egyp tian, 7Ad to Old • 600 Surat; s&d. to ; are reported—G,ooo bales, of which 50'0 are on speculation and for export. LONDON Prtonccm. -The imports having been light, the small supplies announced for sale are proportionately small, and the markets consequently very steady as to quotations, but the business passing is of 'quite a retail character. The new teas by the. Sir Isaac Newton have realised higher prices ' but the market is otherwise dull, the inquiry being . checked by the large public sales declared for Tuesday. In other articles nothing of interest has transpired. LONDON TALLOW. - The market is - firm to day, at the following prices : Town tallow, 518 9d, net cash ; Petersburg!' Y.C. on the spot, 53s 3d: March alone, 53s 6d ; April, 53s ; April to June, 52s 6d; Octobei to December, 52S 6d. Market Averages : Town tallow, 51s 3d ; fat by ditto, 2s 10d; yellow Russian, 51s 6d; melted stuff, 38s 6d ; rough ditto, 23s ; tallow greaves, 16s; good dregs, 7s. _ LONDON MINING.—In the mining market to-day Rosewarne shares are flat, at 45 to 50; Alfred Consols are also more offered. On the other hand, shares in Providence Mines, Wheal Margaret, East Tolgus, and South Caradon, are in request. F ore i gn mining shares are inactive. Those of the North Rhine Copper Mining Company of South Australia have benn dealt in at lOs prem. • WEEKLY REPORT OF METAL MARKET.—There is no abatement of the feeling of uncertainty as to the course of events now em barrassing European politics, and, ire continue, in consequence, to find little business doing ; copper ruled firm in price, but the demand has fallen off ; stocks are low, and manufacturers are fully employed; iron keeps firm, and is in good. inquiry ; tin has had hardly any attention for many days, but prices do not yield materially ; lead is in fair request still, and tin plates have im proved in demand ; spelter is further depressed ; the Bronfloyd Mine sold yesterday 20 tons of silver lead ore, at £ll 15s per ton. WOOL AND WOOLLEN MARI:MTS.—Leeds (English and Foreign), Feb. 4 : The demand for English wool has slightly improved, and prices are rather firmer. For colonial there is a fair demand. In some of the clothing districts they are very busy. There is not much doing in low wools. Bradford, Thursday : We have to report considerably more inquiries for wool in this market, and a limited number of transactions have taken place, at prices in favour of the buyer. Good Lincolnshire parcel wethers may be quoted at 184, and hogs at 19id to lOd per lb., according to quality. A restricted business is doing II noils' and shorts, at .the rates lately current. Halifax, Friday Evening : The trans actions in th^ wool market continue to be few and difficult, with the bias in favour of purchasers ; indeed, where sales of long wool are being effected, the reduction from the highest point is material, both in skin and fleece descriptions. NEWCASTLE Coax. - Wheat was in good supply, with a ready clearance, at last week's prices. In south country and foreign, scarcely anything is doing, but holders are firm, and Tuesday's prices sustained. Flour was in large supply,' with a slow demand. Malting barley not in great demand, at previous prices. Prices of oats were in favour of buyers. Beans and peas quiet, and unchanged in value. DONCIATER CORN. -At our market to-day there was a large supply of wheat, and prices of this day week were maintained with difficulty, and in some instances a decline occurred. Barley was actively inquired for, and prices , advanced. Oats were without change. DROGHEDA CORN.—There was a fair supply of grain to-day, which met with a ready sale at last Saturday's prices. White wheat, 22s to 245; red, do., 21s to 235; oats, lOs to 12s Gd; barley, 13s to Its Gd. CORK Coax.— A moderate business was done at the following prices: —White Wheat, 21s to 23s 6d; red, 15s 6d to 22s 9d'; barley, 12s to 15s; oats, lOs 6d to 13s. CORK BUTTER.—There were 300 kegs and ferkins at market to-day, which were disposed of at full prices. Firsts, 130 s; seconds, 130 s; thirds, 102 x; fourths, 85s; fifths, 64s per cwt. CARLISLE Coax.—There was a good supply of wheat and oats, and a fair one of barley, which met with a fair demand. Wheat and barley, 3d to 6d dearer. BOULOGNE, Feb. 4. —The Jubilee. a vessel of 700 tons, from Shanghae, laden with tea and silk, has gone ashore near here. Crew saved. SARDINIA AND THE MONET MARKET : A FALL OP TEN PER CENT.—The Times says it is presumed the new Sardinian Loan must be intended to be raised at Turin ; or, if that be impracticable, at Paris, under a French guarantee, as originally reported. In London it would be scarcely entertained for a moment. The fall in the existing Five Per Cents has already been equal to nearly 10 per cent, since the Ist of January. MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL. LIVERPOOL, Saturday Evening. The Liverpool Cotto n M ar k e t rema ins steady, but quiet. To.day, the sales were' 6,000 bales, including 500 on speculation and for export. There has been a depression in our local share market to-day, and the business done has been very limited, at a decline. •During 'the last few days the all-engrossing topics in monied circles have been the New Austrian Loan for £6,000,000, and the probalities of war in Italy. Yesterday thz excitement was further increased by the announcement of a Sardinian Loan, and the. publication of a semi- official pamphlet published in Paris, supposed to emanate in a great measure from the pen of the Emperor, upon the affairs of Italy. The English Stock market, Under this influence, was greatly unsettled, and Consols fell to 94'4 to 95, with a very, unsettled market. In Foreign Securities, Sardinian fell to 81, and Turkish Scrip to 7 dis count. In the course of the day it was announced by Messrs. Rothschild that the subscription list for the Austrian loan, which was to have been closed on Monday next, would be kept open SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. MIS DAY Edward B HIGH WATER. WIND At LIvERPOoL,-3.W.--Light breeze „ HOLYHEAD,—W.— Do. Mu_ atlan Waterspiitt Cyprus Ariel ....... Valencia Braganza (bar Sayannah Brothers (bar - - City of Bangor .... Pontreaux Orion ........ Elizabeth & Mary .......Jaffa Perseveranco Flying Dutchman St. Michael's Johns .... . Giovanne G ....... Alexandria Vivid ... ... Compromise Lawrence Mathilda Moulin Orienta Nepanthe Offspring ..._ Peter Senn Sunbe Africa (ss) ,Beraza . Albert (as' ' Balm Irina Laglebapo' Sea King Salimande Wurtembuig ..Shigaoore Tom ..... geve Orleans Greyhound . Madras Primrose .... nordeaux Oriu9co . .. Demerara Menai Packet .Alexandria Ed ' Trinidad I Winefred Calcutta New York Sumttr Gibraltar 1 'Marco Antwerp I, Harvest Qu Gmfra. Wand,..‘rer Bahia I Sta `Aft New Orleans D-21 ..Guayaquil F. F., Clark , Tlavannah krizona • New Orleans Cyrabeline New Orleans Ocean MARITIME EXTRACTS Height 16:'8 ',looner) . '' Cax Port Pineg • • • Sscl a g $ :nth Rio Polle e lielbode v , - Nor 'pi- .7st. Lac 'rhario Ade ° • • 61;lcut t ' s Mitni ll ,t : ... ** ' MvEnpooL, Feb. 6 • - • The Sunbeam, hence to Calcutt a , ha,: put back with AreA bolt broken, and making water through the aperture. rho Bijou, Priest, from_ Terceira, went ashore on Marls Sands, on the 4th inst an t, b u t was got off w i thout assistanc e, "" proceeded. A derelict briF, apparently Nova 'Scotian, of about 250 to' timber laden, painted black, with a h ouse a ft, was passe dJaae° in lat. 36 N., ion. 43 W., by the Oriental, arrived here. hit t A vessel of about 200 t ons , app aren tl y foreign, with streak and ports, was seen to founder on the 22nd Jan., off Ca2 P e ;:, St. Vincent, in -about 60 fathoms of water, and all hands 1 . 1 observed to reach the shore in their boat, by the Coluinv— arrived here from Valencia. The galley of the French brig - Rossini, on the Prince's grir o f was singed inside, on Saturday, by the overflowing of a 1 0 "" boiling pitch: kelt' The Queen of the Isles; hence to Africa, has put i n to Hob' , WELLINGTON (New Zealand), Nov. I.—The Oliver 13 0 Mundle, from London, which parted her anchor - and dragge d shore in this harbour, Sept. 23, but got off very leaky Oct. advertised to be sold Nov. 7. The Rosebud, schooner, of Svclo!.::, put back to this port Oct: 'l9,' dismasted having parted 7 0 . auchorsat the heads, and drifted on the beach, where her go'. were cut away to lighten and get, her off. SYDNEY, N.S.W., Dec. 10.—The Mary Pleasant arrived t_„„ r°° o Liverpool Nov. 16, bringin g 278 em i gran t s . There-had 0 `;1, three deaths—two of them emig ran t s , an d th e surgeon , Dr. 13e who died of convulsions on the Bth of October. eit' MILFORD, Feb. 4. —Put in : The Edgar, Monkman,frorn port for London, 21 days, lost bulwarks, &c. MARSEILLES, Feb. 3: - The barque Norfelk, Hill, of Newe'" t y f.om Carthagena (ballast), was fallen in with Dec. 4,' olf-1,1 Azores, derelict, and the' register and other pap ers taken v$A the Circe, David, arrived at this port. , TRIESTE ' Jan. 31.—The Adolphe, Lequellec, Cette, has been wrecked at Augusta (Sicily)". Dist.ps, Feb. 4.—The Wilberforce,' Elder, in going mite .. . 4 44 the wind at W, came a s f ar as th e pi er en d, w h en the ~771 shifted in a squall to NNW, w hi c h cause d h er t o come into with the pier, where sh e b ro k e h er bowsPrit and did others damage.' ga y AMSTERDAM, Feb. 3.—Part of the cargo (wine) ex ; „0 Durand, „from Bordeaux for Rotterdam, s t ran d e d ne ar Brie Jan. 29, has been saved and landed at Brielle." ,;ell ADELAIDE, Dec. 11. —The Arabella, Younghusband, sailed hence for Port Augusta (to load. wool), grounded durin7 or Or ning tide, and doubts are entertained of her being got off ' from Trieste Or some time. • • ort s Home. TOWN, December 6. --- The William and Jane rep a y., having' experienced a succession of gales from S.W. to '-'`• from the latitude of the Dape of Good Hope. TWISTED, Jan. 30.—The masts and rigging whi c h were cuts de from the Henry Gardner, Weightman, London, from Sun r ~01 land for Aden, stranded and wrecked ne ar Madsboll J a n. 2S, O A, washed on shore on the coa,st, and will be saved and r eclain' tj ' i it Hopes are also entertained of saving what there is on board , ,rhe the sea has been high to-day,and no salvage possible. 'il ' , ad and the wind strong the whole of last week, weather wa: .. - still continues, sO. BorLoaxg, Feb. 4.—The ship stranded at Berck is the iu Douglas, of Workington, from Shanghae for London, with ale and tea. The ship is leaky, but may perhaps be got of, if v .. 13. weather be good. When she dries, the leakage will be Wl° 5, A steamer is' ready, if she ' 'can be useful. Feb' ,e, 8 20 A.M.-By the last news yesterday, the Jubilee bad a j - ; teen. inches of water in her hold; the ship much darnaP„ - 0 - little hope of saving her. The unloading of her cargo has e O, winced, and it is expected most of the goods will be saved.rA Another telegram states that all hands were saved, but the in a very bad position.] DEAL, Feb. s.—Sailed:' Esk, for London. Passed; Sa Constantinople for - Hull (and not for London as reported) ; 'd : ner, for Itamsgate ; Hichberry, north to west. Anch ° 4,s , ; Capregore, Canton for Lond on ; Reliance, Shields for Guet Comperer, Havre for New Orleans ; Ariel, Sunderland for 13 deaux ; Pride of the Thames, Newcastle for Caldera ; Meng' Sunderland for Portsmouth; Si c ily, Shi e l ds, for Lisbon; 3f , d p Ann and Jane, west to no r th ; Thalia s), London for Gibra l o 7, —6.—Arrived and passed : Sagittarius, Antigua for Lon Philosopher,. Calcutta for London. Arrived and anch or h and Farewell;' Newcastle for Constantinople ; Pronli se for Gibraltar. Put back : Salicia, Clrthagena. fro % GRAVESEND, Feb. 6.-sth. Arrived : The Defiance, Calcutta; .Providence,. Gravelines ; Phtnnix, Guernsey; Pli t iet4 St. Michael's.- 6th : Antic AVerbulk, L e gh orn; Red Ga lo ,v; Calcutta ; Annie Morrice, Gergenti ; Ann Turgoose, Fe o re, Fidis, Rangoon ; Kate, and,Minerva, Alexandria ; Conuno u to il• Mersyn ; Pilot, and Uncle Billy, Abb ev ill e ";Cairngorm, Clio, Sid : The Margaret Evans, for New York ; East An 05 e1 Gottenburg ; Lady Wharneliffe, Cape of Good Hope ; Quash, Kurrachee. QUEENSTOWN. Feb. 6.-Arrived: The Augusta, from I) . R .,3 • Ann and Isabelle "Berdianski and Falmouth, for Cork. S al , 08 The Mary f for Isabelle, ; Golden Eagle, Bristol. Put back Iridian Queen, for Barbadoes. TO ; GREENOCK. Feb. s.—Arrived: The Davidson, from Done i o Thankful, Alexandria; Glasg ow ( ss ), N ew Y or k . put No .Sillory, Liverpool to Bombay, leaky. DUBLIN, Feb. s.—Arrived : The Sefton, Hall, from ()deli /1'; WATERPOED, Feb. s.—Arrived : The P ru d ence , from Ca r d ; Ellen, Ellen, Llanelly ; Malcolm, Swansea ; M a lvi n (s), B!" -Camilla (s),. Bristol; City of Paris (s), Milford. Sailed Mars, for Liverpool; Vivandiere (ss), Glasgow; Malalwilbsao Milford ; Malyina (s), London; Cleveland, and Water Lily, 'Cardiff VESSELS' REPORTS The William Edward, from Rio de Janeiro at Gibraltar, the following vessel : Or Jan. 15.—The iron ship Greenock, bound to Mauritius, 1- 4 out, in lat. 37 N, lon. 22. W. The Cara, from .31aceio, arrived here, spoke the follolo, vessels:— ' . ambuco Dee. 26.—John Scott (emigrant ship), off Pert, Jan 12.—Vovager, in lat. 24 35 N, lon. 41 53 W. tb e The Isabella Ridley, from Bahia, arrived here, spoke following vessels : Dee. 28.—Nethe r t on , f rom N ew f oundland, off Pernambu n i 5, Jan. I.—Miles Standing,' flout Calcutta to Boston, in Ist. lon. 32 53 E. Jan. 23 .--Edendale, from Calcutta to London inlat. 37 1 . '; ,1° 33 12 W; 91 days out. , The Lawrelee, from Six lowing vessel : Feb. 3. —Comorin (ship), h ence f or C a l cut t a, 2 6 m il es s°u Y west of Tuskar, under all sail. - Report of the Clara Pries, Alberseen, from Malaga at Brist ol ;9 Signalised with English barque, City o f P a l aces , J an . 30, a.m., off' Cape Finnisterre. 8, al; Report of the Swedish ship A us t ra li a , f rom B atav i a Nov. Cowes Feb. 4 : _ for Spoke gapore, 'arrived here, spoke the - -The Merchant Prince (supposed), from Bo • Liverpool, 61 days, Dec. 26, lat 14 30 8, lon. 7 W. ° 'odiac (barque), from Mauritius for Cork 51 days, Jan. 10, 10 N, lon. 29 W. Victoria (ship), lat: 13 N, /on. 31 IV Alert (barque , Hamburg si 'figures, Steel r fronz Calcutta for London 114 dayS, Jam' „ steering SW, Jan. 18, lat. 39 N, lon. 36 u.'ait ship, showing a white flag, with ” No. 28" i- 11 " -- ng S, Jan. 9, lat 7.30 N, lon FOREIGN FORTS. Blue Jacket, Frost, fiknn Calcutta ; Hero, Bowman, CociA; Lucy, Galloway, Melbiurne ; Fleetw oo d, Wil son, Clyde; Fau Donna, Londonderry ; and Cathcart, Smith, Table Bay -- Mauritius. Auspicious, Hurst, hence at Havre Feb. 3. Glow, Kamp, hence at Frederickshaven Jan. 25. . Palestine (ss), Dubbins. hence at Constantinople. Prosperous, hence at Gibraltar. Alida, Pieper, hence at Cadiz. Sephora (ss). hence at Bordeaux. Balbec (ss), hence at Havre. Pam Flush Gordon, sailed from Sydney for Madras Dec. 10. 5 ' Coniston, sailed from Coquimbo for Liverpool, '-' 1.°1.1 :Mary Fenwick, sailed from Mauritius .for Cork. Dec. 1 0 . Agnes Garland, sailed from 31auritius for Cork, Dec. 3 . free' Dolphin, Memphis, and Edwin Fox, from London at mantle (New Zealand.) Harwood, Forsyth, from London at Auckland Nov. 4. George Kidd, Rogers, sailed from Adelaide for London 0. ° Alma, Gilkison, sailed from Adelaide for L on d on Nov. ',ape/4 Ellen Masters, Munro, sailed from Adelaide for Sin?' Dec. 1. Kestrel, Smith, sailed from Adelaide for Sydney Dec. 6 . Sirocco, sailed from Adelaide for Ceylon Nov. 12 . _„, 0 30 ,41 Frenchman, Robertson, sailed from Adelaide for Nov. 12. Meteor, Morrison, sailed from M e lb ourne f or Mauritius,„--1. . Clutha, Broadfoot, sailed from Melbourne for London ; 71 ° 0 0 Fortitude, 31 ‘Donald, sailed from Melbourne for C 6 ` Dec. 13. 15. • General Wyndham, sailed from Melbourne for Guam D ec ' Anglesey, Gill, sailed f rom M e lb ourne f or London De• Aloe, Ferguson, sail e d f rom M e lb ourne f or Gu i chen Bay v.,..`„ 1 Mornington, Dyer, sailed from Melbourne fo r Guam lef:, GIBRALTAR, Feb. .—Arrived : The Avenue, f rom Gra . " fao City of Calcutta, Calcutta; Charles Henry, Buerms Ayres, 4eces' of Shaftesbury. Cal c utt a; W a t ei spr it e, St. M i chael ' s; Calcutta ; Nemesis, Rangoon •, Suindero, Rio Janeiro ; • liro" Sydney ; Vespasia, Calcutta ; Queen of th e W ave , Madrasj o eio; helmina, Rio ; Evangeline, Taganrog ; N ew Great Britain, Et' Lucknow, Calcutta; Camilla, Glorsia ; Hilchwitch La" Michael's ; Sylph, Bordeaux. THE LONDON GAZETTE. DrcHY or LANCASTER, Feb. 2.—Th e Queen has appointed! ge r Robert Tolver Gerard, of Garswood, Bart., to he sheriff County Palate of ancaster, for the year ensuing. „rsteU DIVIDENDS in —Feb. L 25, T. H. Coldw e ll, W a k e fi e ld, __,, • spinner. Feb. 25, C. Exley, Wakefield, corn factor. Fe b. iffield , Haley, Leeds, hatter. Feb. 26, E. Rid ge an d T . J ac k son , She stationers. O ant DECLARATION OF Drab...NlL—J. and J. Crabtree, T Eaves, cotton 'manufacturer s ; first div. of Is, on Feb. 2, or tul subsequent Tuesday, at M r. J. Fraser's, Manchester. to th e CERTIFICATES TO BE GRANTED (unless cause be shoes contrary on the day of meeting). - Feb. 25, J. IL Clark% ir e, cheater, grocer. F e b. 2 5, J, G. Thorton, Richmond, V l ' oef. watch maker. Feb. 26 , J. Coggin, Swinton, Yorkshire , g A nd Feb. 2 5 , W. Monkfrystone, Yorkshire, Ow l glazier. until the 11th instant, in order to >ee the result of the opening of the French Legislative Chambers. - The quotations from the Paris Bourse fell to 66f. 80c. on the publication of the -pamphlet referred to above, and the last money quotation was 66f. 90c. The. European Money markets are, therefore, wholly under the influence of Continental politics ; nor has the Royal Speech, nor the dis cussions. in Parliament, sufficed to allay the prevailing uneasiness. In the meantime, money for commercial purposes continues abundant in the hands of bankers and brokers, though the pay ments due on the 4th have slightly increased the demand; but the rates continue out of doors at 24- - to 2t per cent., while on the Stock Exchange, it is not more than 1 per cent. To-clay, the funds have Sustained a fresh fall of k to 3-16 per cent., owing partly to a sale of £lOO,OOO Consols to close the account of a specu lator for the rise. Altopther a most uncomforta ble feeling prevails in speculative circles, and a further depreciation is not improbable. Very little attention is paid to financial affairs, and the fluctuations in the Money Market, as well as rumours of loans, are lost sight 4: amidst the excitement produced in the political world. Secu rities of a speculative character are the most depressed, and -these these include Foreign Shares, especially Lombardo-Venetian and Turkish Stock, the new issue of which .is now 7 or . 8. per cent. discount. The fall in Consols during the past five weeks has been two per cent., and in. the Rentes it has represented about 51 per cent., which is an ample proof of the uneasiness prevalent on the Paris Bourse. Consols closed this afternoon at 94 to 94 i -7,- for both Money and the Account, and the New Threes at 951 to 951. Exchequer Bills were quiet at 33 to 39. There was further depression in the London Railway Share Market to-day, and the business done has been . at a considerable reduction. Cale donian and Midland Stocks have been pressed.. for sale ; .the former have declined to 841, and the latter to 100:1. Eastern Counties are heavy at 611. Great Western, 55. Lancashire and York shire; 94;9. London Brighton, and South Coast, 1081. London and North Western, 941. Mid land, .100. North Eastern, Berwick, 921.; ditto, Leeds, 471 ; ditto, York, 781. The following were the closing prices :—Amberkate, • Nottingham, and Eastern Junction, 61; _Caledonians, 841, 'B5 ; -Eastern 'Counties, 614 ;. East Lancashire; 94,. 95 ; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 69, -70 ; Great Northern, 101, 1011 ; Do, A. 'B5l, 861 ; Great Westerns, 547.-,, 551,- Great Western Of Canada, - 161 ; Grand' Trunk of Canada, 81 ' 81 ;' Great Southern and Western, 105, 106 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 941, 95 ; London and North Western, 9-11; London and South Western, 911, 95 ; Leeds Northern, 474, 48 ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln shire, 361, 371; Midland Stock, 1001, 1001 ; North British, 611, 62 ; South Eastern and Dovers, 724, 73 ; York, Newcastle, and Berwick, 92 ; 1,93 ; York and North Midland,. 771, 781. Respecting Mines, the alining Journal of this day says : Although rumours of wars on the Continent, and a fear on all sides that use may be drawn into collision with one power or another, affect people's minds, and prevent them speculating, except for a " fall," we find the' Mining Market was well supported during the greater part of the week, and a good demand for leading mines existed. Before the close, however, shares in many cases were flatter, and a greater desire exhibited to sell. Lead and tin mines are best supported, 'as appre hensions exist that copper may slightly decline. Lead containing . good quantities of silver is in great request, and one mine has lately sold a parcel as high as £3B per ton. Rosewarne shares have been very largely dealt in, and advanced to 75, but owing to a few sellers appear ing, and an attempt to run them down, the price receded, and left off at 55; the bottom level, the 80 east, is worth £2O per fathom ; the 80 'west, £6 to £7 ; great interest attaches to cutting the - load in 'the 70 in abont 'a week, which may again cause a great rise in shares. The - movements in the precious metals during the past week have again been of a rather impor tant character, the. receipts- representing a total of £423,724, viz., -X94,918 by the Africa, and £11,099 by the Alps, both from the United States; . _ . £145,581 by the Donald M'Kay, from Melbourne ; £179,657 by the Parana,, from the West Indies; and £1,466 by the Sultan, from the Peninsula. The exports have been £195,828 by the Indus, to India and China ; and the shipments to the Con tinent, through the London Custom House, which have amounted to £60,992, making a total of £256,820. The advices received by the Port Phillip. Gold Company to-clay are of a highly satisfactory character. The profit on the operations during the month of November was rather more than 2,0001. A remittance has been received of 1,5001., completing the amount required for machinery, and .1,000/. on account of 2nd dividend. The average price of brown Muscovado Sugar from British North America, computed from the returns made in the week ending the Ist day of February, 1859, is 28s. 111 d. ; from. the Mauritius, 28s. 9d. ; and from the East Indies, 295. lid. per cwt. The average price of the three foregoing descriptions of Sugar, jOintly computed as above, andexclusive of duty, is 28s. 111 d. per cwt..- . Increased agitation has .been manifested to-day in a ll departments o 'business. The Bourse accounts, from time to time, promoted - the greatest distrust. Consols left off at 94-4 to 95. The transactions of the Govern ment Brokers, on account of Savings Banks, was larger than usual, the amount being £32,000. Times City Article, Friday _Evening. The Funds opened at a , fall of about ti per cent., and although rather more steadiness was apparent at one period, the appearance of the several markets at the close was very discouraging. Consols left off 7- per cent. lower than yesterday. Nearly all other classes of securi ties show a decided fall. Although this was the 4th of the month, the demand for money was comparatively slack. There were no gold operations at the Bank. The specie- by the last West India packet, amounting to £120,800 in gold, will, it is expected, be all taken for the Continent. The Foreign Exchanges, this afternoon, were decidedly firm, and in several instances the tendency was upwards. The chief rise was in bills on. Vienna, which, though nominally quoted 10.70 to 10.80, were almost unsaleable. According to the telegrams, the Bombay Exchange shows no alteration of importance. A telegram from St. PeterAurgh quotes the' Exchange on London 36,4 d —Daily Hetes City Article, Friday _Evening. RAILWAY TRAFFIC: - - The aggregate traffic of last year for the kingdom shows an increase of £27,804, compared with last year. • SHARE AND PRODUCE MARKET.—The Times, in its weekly review, states that these markets have been gene rally quiet, the expansion of the export trade being checked by Continental uncertainties, Although supplies have been low, prices of some leading staples show a decline. GREAT FALL IN THE FRENCH FUNDS.--On the Paris Bourse, on Friday, the last price . of the Three per Cent Reutes for money . was 66. Compared with the closing prices of the previous day, shows a fresh fall of to I per cent., making a reduction of nearly 11 per cent. in two days, and a total fall of fully 61 per cent. since New Year's Eve. THE AUSTRIAN 'Aux.—On Friday, Messrs. Roths child intimated to the Stock Exchange that the subscription list, instead of being closed •on Monday morning, would be kept open until next Friday eveninge It was probably felt that no olio would subscribe pending the : , Incertainty 4.1,5 to the speech of the Minister of the French. . - - . ‘t Ap 4 'ol