Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-01 00:00:00

AMERICAN AFFAIRS. FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT, THE CONTEST FOR THE PRESIDENCY : THE STATE OF PARTIES. THE SLAVE TRADE : DETERMI NATION OF THE SOUTHERNERS TO REFRAIN FROM IT ; THEIR MOTIVES OF ACTION ; A QUESTION OF POLICY. SYMPTOMS OF SLAVERY DYING OUT IN SOME OF THE STATES. THE ACQUISITION OF CUBA : ANXIETY TO ACCOM PLISH IT ; PROCEEDINGS AT WASHINGTON. REFORMS IN CONGRESS. MEETINGS OF SYM PATHISERS WITH THE IRISH CONSPIRATORS. SEVERITY OF THE WEATHER : SUFFERING AMONG THE POOR. FAREWELL . BALL TO LORD AND LADY NAPIER AT WASHINGTON. CON GRESS OF EUROPEAN EXILES AT NEW YORK. Still does the controversy rage, alike in Southern and Northern journals, as to the party Probabilities of the approaching Presidential contest. It involves, of course, a complete review of the state of parties. The two principal ones are .„as yet the Democratic party, now in office, and the Itcpublican party, now in opposition. At present, it seems, there is not much to choose between t hem, as to their chances respectively,—unless, indeed, there arises such a mutiny in the Demo cratic camp as some people seem to think that Senator Douglas's course is already prdducing, and which would have the effect of bringing out two or three Democratic candidates for the succession ; in which case it is not at all improbable that the Opposition candidate may have only to walk over the course. " From the present disordered and divided condition of the Opposition forces," says one of the close observers of the game, "they have quite as good a prospect for two or three tickets as the democracy. Indeed, from all the existing intestine rivalries, jealousies and antipathies on both sides, and from the conflicting movements of cliques, factions and sections for the succession, we can undertake to predict nothing but a disorderly scrub race, and a contest over the three highest candidates in the next House of Representatives for the Presidency, which may possibly tear the Government to pieces, and drive the country headlong upon the rocks of disunion, and into something like that horrible anarchy of revolutionary Mexico." For, as the writer goes on to show, whatever may be the case with the other side, " there is no visible hope from the democratic party. It has filled its mission of good ; it has entered_upon that suicidal mission of mischief which is the inevitable result when disappointed leaders, demagogues and reckless spoilsmen of the same faith turn upon each other. The Opposition command an over whelming popular majority of the Union ; and in behalf of the Union, and of law and order, this majority may be consolidated in 1860 against all the sectional disorganizers of the day." But then there is yet a candidate to be found to take advan tage of all this. With " a good national name " —and that of General Scott is given out as such, as being " a name synonymous with patriotism and nationality "—it is considered, in certain quarters, that "the Opposition may sweep the field, and inaugurate a party in power competent to hold the Government for twenty years to come ; but in default of some such movement as this, we can look f or no thi ng e l se th an a - scru b race of fighting sections and factions, and a final contest in Congress, which may involve an abrupt dissolution of the Government, and, North and South, a general call to arms." A little time will show. Meanwhile, although more than a year has yet to elap apse, there is all the usual underhand political Seuer ning going on, as actively, though not perhaps so openly, as if the election were close at hand. The question of the Slave-trade has been r eviewed anew by the Southern Press ; and great cr edit is taken for having come to the humane eTiclusion, that it would not be proper to renew it 1 Present. The real motive, however, for declin ollpg to persevere in the recent attempt to do so, is Wquite a different character from what they 7° ll ld persuade us it is. It is a two-fold motive. i , 1 : 1 the first place, the law is found to be against and in the next place, Northern indignation, to 8 93" nothing of the indignation of the whole civilised world, would be too stronglor them, they "d, to resist. One of the organs of the Slavery Party says it is " opposed to the agitation of the question of re-opening the African slave trade in this Union, on the ground of its utter impractica e,ullitY and mischievous tendency to divide the South on an open question of policy, whose control, if practicable, would be in the hands of its enemies in the Union, and as a question likely t ° distract the public mind of the South from practical and pressing questions of vital import ,,,ltnce." This is, doubtless, a very plausible excuse. There can be no doubt, however, that it would be a Most impolitic proceeding to make any further attempt to revive such a trade. And it is its With which is the great restraining influence. ith reference to the views recently expressed by t he Southern Press, adverse to its revival, the 'veto York Herald has observed,—" We have no doubt that these views faithfully represent the ?Pinions of the great body of the Southern slave holders and non-slaveholders upon this question, ,and we a ccor di n gly hope that we shall not soon hear of another African adventure into Georgia, Alabama, or any other Southern State, like that of t he mysterious yacht Wanderer. The world's uemanas for cotton of late years have operated to raise the prices of negroes in the Cotton States to an average which is very tempting to the African trader • but as the only safety of the South is in a igid adhesion to the federal constitution, and the laws of Congress enacted under its authority, and We are glad to see that the policy' of the South in this matter is so correctly understood among the leading organs of Southern public opinion." It is, indeed, I repeat, made altogether a question . of " policy,"—not of humanity, or right, or justice, O r honesty. It would appear, however, from a statement in e same journal already quoted, that without the S lave -trade, Slavery may not unlikely come to die out of its own accord, in some of the States. For, it is related, "the high prices of slaves farther the are rapidly carrying off in that direction t ‘ i _ae slave population of Missouri. And thus, from Plessure of free white labour upon her shores, labour fr om th e su p er i or cas h va l u e of her black slave Ishour in the cotton and sugar States, Missouri at 1 2 1 0 dista n t d a y must become a free State ; and in Pe season Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and 4 4 tentucky will follow in the same direction, under Lue fundamental laws of climate, products, and co mpensation. These," it is added, " are the fixed a nd natural laws of slavery ; but under them, and Under the saving compromises of the constitution l u favour of State sovereignty, slavery, even when r educed to the limits of the cotton zone, will be co mpetent to maintain itself,"—only this in a uuninished degree, and under still prevailing uncon genial influences which must make it dwindle t waY altogether, perhaps, in no long process of „The idea seems to grow stronger that the acqui sition of Cuba is to be accomplished ; and, what is 7 . P1.1 more astonishing, that the paltry thirty mil lions of dollars voted for the purpose by Congress 'rill suffice to buy it ! No doubt it is very impor tant to the United States to have Cuba. But they seem to forget that others have an equal interest in preventing it. ” Cuba," they say, " overlies the great routes between our Atlantic and Pacific empires, and commands the outlet of that vast valley, unequalled in the world for territorial extent, activity of its population, and mighty dest iny, which is drained b y the Mississi p i and its b ranches, with their twenty thousand miles of river navigation." And, therefore, it is very natural to add, that " in acting upon this measure, Congress should consider, not the five hundred millions of dollars of our trade that now pass annually under the guns of Cuba. It should r emember that in thirty years we shall have sixty millions of p eo pl e i n this Union, and, according to the ratio of our past commercial increase, we shall then have five thousand millions of dollars 111 value flowing out of the Mississipi valley, and passing between our Atlantic and Pacific shores. the purchase of Cuba may be valuable now, but it has an incomparably greater value for the gene l'atien that is to come after us." All this may be very true as respects the interests of the United States. But there are other interests to be' eon sidered in the case,---,and this they don't care to do. In fnrtherance of the efforts that are being made in Congress for the acquisition of Cuba, the Senators of the Government party have had a meeting at Washington, with regard to the expediency of supporting a measure expressly enjoining upon the President the purchase of Cuba. The Bill already in the Senate appropriates, as has been stated', thirty millions of dollars for the purchase of the island. But this process is considered too slow, as well as its issues being too dubious. Mr. Douglas thinks Cuba must be taken first, and negotiated about afterwards, — well knowing, as a lawyer, the importance of possession. The question of annexation is a popular one, and capital of great value will be made out of it in the contest for the Presidency. Meanwhile a resolution has been introduced into the Senate calling upon the President for all the correspondence between his Government and Spain relative to the purchase of Cuba. Two great reforms in Congress are proposed, — the removal of the little desks at which the•mem hers separately sit, and which encourage them to keep writing letters when they ought to be attending to the business before them ; and the abolition of the vicious " lobby " system,—the lobby, of which it is remarked, that " originally consisting of a few poverty-stricken old soldiers, asking for pensions, has grown into the third estate of the government, and the numerous gangs of its luxuriantly supplied dependents, which now swarm in the purlieus of the Capitol during the sittings of Congress, will afford some idea of the spoliations upon the treasury and the pockets of the people." These, then, would be practical reforms of no slight importance. The Irish Phoenix Club heroes have, as a matter of course, the sympathy of their compeers in the Republic, who have had meetings in New York to give some public expression to it. One way that is proposed of doing this, is to raise a sum of money towards defraying the expenses of the defence of the conspirators who are to be put on their trial. Irish rebellion very naturally meets with a good deal of fellow-feeling among those whose participation in former attempts of the kind have made them exiles from their native land. The weather in the Northern States has been lately the severest experienced for many years. At New York the mercury has been 10 degrees below Zero—at Buffalo 20, and at Ogdensburgh (or the northern border of the States) 36 degrees below Zero. This, after some days' continuance, was followed by a partial thaw, with sleet, and dense fogs. Many have perished from the intense inclemency of the season. There has been much bitter suffering among the poor of the laige towns, and some, it is feared, have perished from cold and hunger. And yet, so far, little or nothing has been done to alleviate their distress. There is now, however, a talk of something being attempted. The clergy have done most for the suffering poor as yet. But for the alms, indeed, they were enabled to give, many more must have perished. Lord and Lady Napier, it appears, are to have a farewell ball held in their honour at Washington. It is expected to be a grand affair. They are both very popular in the federal capital, and they deserve such a mark of respect, if only as a return for their own brilliant assemblies, which the senators, representatives, and principal citizens have so liberally enjoyed. A curious sort of Congress has been held in New York, of self-chosen representatives of almost all the States of Continental Europe, for the purpose of settling the affairs of the old world, from which they have, as patriots, very cruelly no doubt, been exiled. Yet, though in exile, they are patriots still. The papers tell us that " the speakers ad dressed the audience in five languages. The dullest of the addresses was that delivered in English by Signora Mario. The audience was too foreign to appreciate the lady's eloquence. Had it been otherwise the meeting would have been very enthusiastic, as the speech was a regular bomb shell into the camp of the enemy. There was considerable consumption of lager beer and cigars in the same building where the meeting was held, which was entertainment enough for many who could not understand English, so that all seemed. pleased." What were the important results ar rived at, deponent saith not. THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL. ALEXANDRIA, Jan. 24 The Columbine arrived at Suez yesterday morn ing, bringing 28 passengers and £75,461 sterling in gold. Her dates are—Sydney, December 11 ; Melbourne, December 18 ; King George's Sound, December 24 ; Galle, January 8 ; Aden, January 17. She was detained three days at Melbourne for a supplementary mail bag. The European arrived at Sydney on the 15th of December. The Oneida left Galle on the 25th of December, and should leave Melbourne for Suez, on the 21st inst., with the January mails. SWITZERLAND. BERNE, SAN. 29 The Federal Assembly has been closed. The President in his speech said—" We will maintain our independence as an united and armed people, but without giving offence to neighbouring states." AUSTRIA. VIENNA, JAN. 30. The Empress and her sister, the Duchess of Calabria, departed to-day for Trieste, where the latter will embark for Naples. This seems to show that the Kilg's health is re-established. SERVIA A Vienna letter of January 27th, expresses an apprehension that the reorganisation of the new Servian government may perhaps after all not be effected so quietly as was at first hoped. A member of the Skuptschina having moved that all those persons who took part in the dismissal of Prince Michael should be sent out of the country, that body proceeded at once to vote a decree of banishment against the families of Nikolitsch, Skiwanowitsch, Ilnesewitsh, and Zach. Moreover all known opponents of Prince Milosch, fearing to reside in Servia, are likely to take refuge in Austria. MELBOURNE IN 1853.—The two domestic plagues of that time were the scarcity and impudence of the ser vants, and the outrageous price of everything. Servants were, in truth, the greatest plagues in life. The house maids would perhaps do up the parlour after lunch, but go out immediately to shop or pay visits, no leave asked or granted. One lady, telling Mary she was going to have a few friends to tea, was very severely reprimanded for not giving earlier notice, as " she, too, had an express engagement for the entirg afternoon." If found the least fault with, a well-bred domestic would give immediate notice. And all this impudence and discomfort was thought cheap at £3O a year wages, everything found, two days' holiday a week, and an unlimited number of fol lowers. Mr. Kelly himself heard a groom of £BO yearly wages and keep, refust to take a cart into town for a few bags of brass, "it not being his duty." As for dearness, some of the prices were fabulous, coming so rapidly as they did on the heels of such notorious cheapness, before the discovery of the gold-fields. Draught horses were from £lBO to £220, and a saddle horse could not be kept under £415 a year, at the least; an auction mart was bought at £7OO per foot frontage ; and some property, which fifteen months before had cost £450, now sold for £15,000 ; a single acre at South Yarra was sold in the early part of 1851 for £3O, resold in January, 1852, for £4OO, purchased a few months afterwards for £l,OOO, and sold again for £2,500. It was the same in all things. A moderately-sized cabbage would be 2s. 6d., and a fine cauliflower ss. ; eggs were 18s. the dozen, pickled fowls 30s. a pair ; £2 10s. was refused for a decently plump , w u as nd g e i r v t e h n e f n o u r e p u a f ir e o h f ain ch p e n a g p n g e l , ofvnersl;mb6add gootu rkeyse h e ; r r y 6 s . s 6 01 d d . the flask, ale and porter for 2s. 6d. the bottle, and brandy was £l, or more, according to th e nee d or custom of the place.—L i terary Gazette. THE NORTHERN TIMES, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1859 MARRIAGE OF PRINCE NAPOLEON AND THE PRINCESS CLOTILDA, On Saturday, at 3 p.m. Count Cavour, in his character of notary of the crown, drew up the matrimonial contract between the Princess Clotilda and Prince Napoleon, in the presence of General Niel, the French ambassador, Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne-Lauragais, and the grand digni taries of the state. In the evening a deputation of National Guard was presented to the Princess at a monster banquet. Later in the evening a serenade took place on the Place Royale, by the band of the National Guard, in honour of the betrothed couple, which was accompanied by enthusiastic shouts of the people : " Viva it Re !" " Viva i Sposi !" The town celebrated the interesting event by a general illumination. On Sunday, at 10 a.m., the marriage was celebrated. The benediction was pronounced by Archbishop Verceil, assisted by the Bishops Casalse, Pignerol, Savone, and Bielle. At 1.30 p.m. the married couple departed for Genoa, accompanied by the King and the royal family. The Ilioniteur of yesterday contains the following messages : " GENOA, Jan, 30, 7.30 P.M. " The King and their Imperial Highnesses Prince Napoleon and his bride have just arrived. They every where met with the most enthusiastic reception from the populace. Their imperial highnesses will arrive at Marseilles on Wednesday morning, and will depart from thence the same day at 3 p.m. They will stop at Fontainebleau, where the Princess Matilda will be awaiting their arrival to receive the Princess Clotilda. Their imperial highnesses will arrive at Paris in the course of the afternoon." _ „,„ ” GENOA, Sunday. " The young ladies of the palace presented a large bouquet to Her Imperial Highness the Princess Clotilda on her arrival. The whole town and the port were splendidly illuminated." On Sunday evening the royal and imperial party were expected to appear at the Carlo Felice Theatre, Genoa, splendidly illuminated a giorno. Yesterday (Monday) there was to be a grand review of the garrison of Genoa by the King, accompanied by Prince Napoleon and General Nul, and in the evening a ball in the state apartments. A Turin letter of the 28th, states that the Archbishop of Verceli, decorated with the St. Helena medal and the cross of the Legion of Honour, had arrived in Turin to perform the marriage ceremony. He was to be assisted by four bishops. The Prince Carignan and the senior Knight of the Supreme Order of the Annunciation, were to hold the nuptial veil over the heads of the august couple, pursuant to a very ancient custom. On Sunday evening the Strada Nuova and the Piazza San Carlo of Turin were illuminated by Signor Ottino, a pyrotechnic artist of celebrity. On Friday Prince Napoleon was present at a debate in the Chamber of Deputies. He had been rather looked for there before, but it is surmised that he deferred his visit out of delicacy until the dotation bill of his bride had been voted. As it was, he heard rather a dry dis cussion on the law regulating the profession of an attorney. Count Cavour left his seat to pay his respects to the Prince in the ambassador's tribune. In a congratulatory address presented by the munici pality of Turin to Prince Napoleon these words occur : " May our respectful and sincere congratulations be so many happy presages of the realisation of the hopes which at this moment fill the heart of all men who are proud to call themselves Italians." The Prince, in his reply, echoed the word " hopes," . and expressed his sincere wishes for the happiness and " future prospects of the country." The significance of the interchange of compliments cannot fail to be remarked. THE PRINCESS FREDERICK WILLIAM OF PRUSSIA BERLIN, Jan. 30, 11.36 A.M . OFFICIAL BULLETINS. The Prince;s - ired;;ia William has slept quietly during the past night. The health of her Royal Highness and the young Prince continues satisfactory. (Signed) Dr. SCHOENLEIN. Dr. WEGNER. Dr. MARTIN BERLIN, Monday, Jan. 31, 11.25 A.M. The Princess Frederick William has' slept quietly during the past night. The health of her Royal Highness and the infant Prince continues satisfactory, (Signed) Dr. SCHOENLEIN. Dr. WEGNER. Dr. MARTIN. THE TURF IN FRANCE.—The Paris Sprinc , Meeting will probably commence on the 25th of April, but the com mencement may be postponed to the Ist of May. In the latter case (says the Sport) the third steeple chase of La Marche, at present fixed for the 10th of April, is to be postponed to the 17th. The Minister of Agriculture and Commerce has changed the dates of the Bordeaux races to the 20th, 25th, and 28th of April, and the let of May. The steeplechases of Dieppe are fixed for August 21; they are to be three in number, and one of them is to be for 2,000 f, given by the council-general of the department. The engagements for the Continental Derby of Ghent of 1860 must be made before midnight of the 31st of this month. The programme of the steeple chases at La Marche has been published. On each of the three days there are to be three events:—On the first, the Opening Stakes of 2,000 f. ; the Tribune of I,ooof, ; the Trial of I,ooof ; on the second, the Annual Handicap of 6,000 f, added to 500 f entry, half forfeit, and 125 f if declared; the Selling Stakes of I,ooof, and the Avenir of 1,000 f; and on the third the Extraordinary Handicap of 3,000 f; the Selling Stakes ofl,ooof, and the Chateau of I,ooof. GIANT TIMBER.—Our attention has been called to an importation of three cargoes of mast-pieces of timber now discharging in the Commercial Docks, Rotherhithe. The sizes, both in length and square, are so unexampled as to be worthy of record. One vessel, indeed, the Bostonian, of 1,000 tons, has, spars of a magnitude that we believe were never before made timber of commerce ; they run from 90 to 140 feet in length, and from 26 to 40 inches square. One mast contains 28 loads, weighino . about 33 tons, and is, as are most of them, nearly as straight as a ruler, and without a knot, being 1391 feet long, and 392 inches square. When felled it measured 316 feet to the branching top, and for 150 feet was without any branch at all. It was squared to 41 inches ; but was of necessity reduced to 312 inches to admit of its entering the ship's bowport. The quantity of timber in this enormous tree is worthy of notice ; call it 300 feet by 41 inches square, it would contain 3,502 cubic feet, or 70 loads 2 feet as squarred, or 116 loads as round timber. It would saw into 2,050 boards 41 inches wide, half an inch thick, and 12 feet long ; or, allowing about twelve per cent. for waste in sawing, 1,800 boards 36 inches wide, half an inch thick, and 12 feet long. If laid out quite close it would cover 72,000 square yards, or 1 acre, 1 rood, 2 chains 6 poles, 10 yards ; or, allowing for unavoidable interstices, about two acres and a quarter. It is difficult to imagine a tree half as high again as the Monument before it branches out. These masts are considered worth from £l2 to £l4 per load, and we understand are secured for the British navy ; and it is said that the longest may perhaps be raised as a flag-staff at Windsor. We are indebted for these particulars to Mr. N. Gould, F.S.A. The Builder. _ _ LATEST FASHIONS.—Under-sleeves, formed of puffs of white tulle, are frequently ornamented with trimmings of coloured velvet disposed all round the puff. These trimmings are of various forms, and they are almost all edged round with narrow black lace. A plain cuff of crmison or amaranth velvet has a very pretty effect with white under-sleeves. Another style of sleeve, much in favour, has a very broad mousquetaire cuff composed of tulle or net, of whichever material the sleeve may consist. The cuff is crossed with rows of China blue velvet, edged with narrow white lace. The collar intended to be worn with these sleeves is pointed in front and behind, and trimmed with crossings of velvet in the manner just described. For ordinary out-door dress, collars and cuffs of nansouk are crossed with black velvet. Crossings of velvet are also extremely fashionable for fichus, pelerines,"and bretelles, made of black tulle. The crossings are of narrow black velvet in a lozenge pattern, and the polerines, &c., are edged round with full trim mings of black lace. These pelerines and bretelles have long ends, which may be crossed in front and linked one in the other at the back of the waist, or they may be left to flow over the front of the skirt. lii either way their effect is very elegant. When made of white tulle, their crossings are of coloured velvet. Some very pretty children's dresses have been pre pared within the last week. One for a little boy of four years of age, consists of a blouse of grey cashmere, ornamented with passementerie in blue silk. This blouse has a ceinture or waistband ornamented with passementerie, and sleeves with a turned-up mousque taive cuff. The under sleeves are of nansouk, orna mented with a double row of hem-stitch at the wrist. A cloak of grey cashmere is worn in out-door dress. This cloak is nearly as long as the blouse ; it has a small collar and broad trimming of blue velvet. The hat is of white beaver, trimmed with a blue cock's plume and bows of blue velvet. A dress of crimson velvet has been made for a little girl of five or six. The corsage is low and square, and is ornamented with a berthe which descends to the waist. The berthe is trimmed with grelots in silk, of the same colour as the velvet. Chemi sette and under-sleeves of worked muslin. For the promenade, a cloak of black velvet, with a round hood. The bonnet is composed of white quilted satin and terry velvet. The under-trimming consists of a wreath of small flowers, composed of red velvet. —Lady' s Newspaper. THE CRITICS AND THE BURNS PRIZE POEM. The literary journals condemn with faint praise or severer dispraise the production of Miss Isa Craig. The following are a few critical opinions : The Athenceum says :—Worse than prize poetry in general, the lines of Miss Isa Craig are not ; neither are they better. They are weak in the joints, and often sin gularly oblivious of the common grammatical rights of tense and person. They abound in "lamps" and "stars," with their poetical compounds, " sphere-lights" and " star souls ;" also in such dulcet harmonies of sound and sense as "joy-wines" and " poet-souled." A man who followed his plough arid gauged his beer—who sang in village inns, and kissed the ale-wife on the sly—who reeled home late of nights, and lived a lowly Scottish life, a little more jovial and humoursome than his fellow peasants, but as far from mock heroics as any rustic in Ayrshire—obeys the destiny of every man who sits as subject to a prize poet, re-appearing as . "a God-made king ; " fretting through the lines " wrapped in purple state," and falling, when he falls, with "his regal vest ments soiled." Burns himself tells us how his nature came to him, and he went to nature; the sweat on his brow, the bird in the hedge, the daisy in the furrow. No one will forget how he turned the plough to spare the flower. But these true touches from the hand of genius are far beneath the Crystal Palace laureate. Altogether the poem wants grasp of will, ease of numbers, freshness of phrase. As we said at first, it is respectable prize versification, good enough to pass with the occasion, but without the nerve, depth, or beauty that would have insured it, at any other time, a column in the literary page of a provincial journal. The Critic remarks—As for the poem itself, we are obliged to record what is the undoubted fact, that the prevalent feeling is of disappointment. We are not dis appointed, because we expected nothing—certainly far' less than has been produced. That the poem has fine lines in.it, it would be unjust to deny; but when we hear that it is the best of 621, our opinions as to competitions are more than fully borne out. Those who are anxious to discern something especially fine in the poem have selected for special commendation the following stanza "As lamps•high set Upon some earthly eminence And to the gazer brighter thence Than the sphere lights they flout— Dwindle in distance and die out, While no star waneth yet ; So through the Past's far reaching night, Only the - star souls keep their light." - ' This, however, is but an impoverished version of one of the finest figures in Shelley's poem "To Adonais." We subjoin the parallel passages without further comment:— " And many more, whose names on earth are dark, But whose transmitted effluence cannot die, So long as fire outlives the parent spark, Rose robed in dazzling immortality ; Thou art become as one of us,' they cry ... Whilst burning through the inmost veil of heaven The soul of Adonais, like a star, Beams from the abode where the Eternal are." The Professor, one of the " Council of Ten" in the Literary Gazette, opines : I think that Isa Craig sat down in a very happy moment to the coinpOsition of her ode, and that she has done herself great honour, and given thousands great pleasure by the mode in which she has achieved her task. I agree with the Baronet that the poem, after a little revision by the writer, will take its place as a standard utterance of pupular feeling. And as matter of art, one should note that in several passages the musical flow of the rhythm is perfect. _ _ As poetical luck would have it, says the Saturday Review, a Scotch poetess won the prize by a very indifferent poem, which had at least the merit of fulfilling the propriety of the Scotch proverb, which assigns its own fish guts to its own sea-mews. The Illustrated News says : —"The prize poem at the Crystal Palace, the production of a young Scottish lady, known to a few, but a worthy few, as an earnest and con scientious worker in the literary field and elsewhere, is worth nearly all the addresses—inasmuch as it is, in the first place, a poem of an enduring character; and, in the second, it takes the lofty and truthful view of the genius and the failings of Burns. " Ivory" in the Weekly Mail, says : One naturally expected an ode that should be nationally and individually characteristic—that should be worthy of Scotland and Scotland's glorious son—that should smack of the heather and the mountain, and yet have the polish and the delicacy of a Cairngorm pebble. Instead of this, however, we have a set of • rhymes—all poorly manipulated, and, towards the close, even " damnably iterative" as rhymes, about kings, and robes, and jewels, and many other green-room appointments. That there are a few good lines in this poem no one can deny ; but that the collaborator of the author of " Firmilian" should have awarded the laurel to a spasmodic who prates of "joy-wines" and " star-souls" is something I cannot understand. The best verse, the tenth, and the next best, the second, are plagiarisms ; and this, perhaps, is the reason why they are the best. The London correspondent of the Oxford Flying Post says :—Apropos of the prize poems, I wonder whether the old motto, " Palmam qui meruit ferat" has been carried out. I should like to have had .a peep or two at the adjudicators as they were at work. How they must have been horrified at the mortal pile of manuscripts before them ! Between six and seven hundred poems to be read, scrupulously and critically ? But were they read scrupulously and critically ? I muck doubt it. I fancy I see the learned adjudicators di viding their piles of poems, and each one reading till he came to a faulty line, or a plagiarism, and then reconciling his conscience to the fact of the unhappy poem being placed among the condemned. Had the examiners a capacious box for the rejected addresses ; and if so, did they have inscribed over its yawning mouth " Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch' entrate ? " I confess I have no confidence in measuring six or seven hundred poems by the Procrustean calibre of three individual minds. The whole system is —well, I won't use a harsh word, or readers will say " he's a competitor doomed to oblivion ; " but, at all events, I share in the opinion held by most literary men, that the prize system is a false one. RATHER SEVERE UPON TILE BURNS' FESTIVAL.-Per haps the shopkeeping element in our national celebrations and glorifications is neither a new thin.. nor especially English. The ages of faith, we take It, were ages of profit ; and hero-worship and saint-worship had then, as now, their commercial aspect. In a recent celebra tion which took place at Chartres, it turned out that a certain shrine, or statue, was a chief element in the municipal receipts ; and a decaying cultus was openly revived, because the town exchequer was moribund. Treves has always made a good thing of the holy coat ; Canterbury inn-keepers and tradesmen knew that St. Thomas-a-Becket kept trade alive for many a long century ; the Three Kings were a most pro fitable investment to the Cologne burghers and it is well known that La Salette has risen into celebritynot.without an eye to the pecuniary incomes of poverty-stricken aubergistes in a poor and deserted district. We do not, therefore, complain of the Burns Centenary Festival at the Crystal Palace, as it is commonly designated, as any new thing. It is only a Yankee notion. Indeed, Mr. Barnum has no need to teach us the arts of the showman, after the fact that the people of Birmingham actually exhibited their sovereign in order to get up the means of purchas ing a people's park, which they pretended to have bought, but had not the honesty to say they omitted to pay for. We do not, then, stigmatise the Burns' festival as an innovation. It was only a vulgar stroke in trade. It was simply a take-in, and was not only an offence against good taste, but against decency, if not against honesty. — Saturday Review. REPRESENTATION OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY.-It iS rumoured that should a vacancy occur in the representation of the University, the Right Hon. T. H. Sotheron Estcourt, now M.P. for North Wilts, and President of the Poor Law Board, will be solicited to become a candidate. Banbury Guardian. A CARRIER PIGEON CONVEYING THE SUDDEN DEATH or ITS OWNER.—A few days ago, as a man named James Dando was leaving the Barnet railway station, he sud denly burst a blood vessel. He was instantly conveyed to the Barnet union workhouse, and although every attention was paid to him he very shortly expired. It appeared he had gone to Barnet to start some carrier pigeons, and rather a novel experiment was tried to discover his friends. A note was attached to one of the pigeons, and it was instantly liberated. The result was, that a brother of the deceased arrived at Barnet and recognised the dead body of his relative in about an hour afterwards. The deceased resided a No. 2, Jenner's court, Blackfriars. • EXTRAORDINARY CATCH Or FISH. —WORTHING. —On Thursday morning the fish market presented a very busy appearance, upwards of 200,000 mackerel having been brought in by one boat alone. We believe this is the first catch of the season. A good beginning, truly ! The mackerel were caught off the Isle of Wight, and so great was the number that a quantity of the nets sank to the bottom from the weight of the fish. There is a proba bility of their being yet recovered ; but even if such is not the case, the loss of a few pounds (the nets are, we believe, valued at £2 each) can be borne without com plaining, when it is taken into consideration that the catch is worth something like £2OO. Lxirsic FAIR.—The New-year's fair at Leipsic has closed, and the amount of business done is stated to have been good. Cloth has fetched good prices, and largo orders have been given to the principal manufacturers for the end of March. Of 50,000 pieces brought to the fair upwards of three-fourths have been sold. White and coloured flannels for Italy and Switzerland have also been disposed of at satisfactory prices Silk and half silk stuffs, however, were flat. Wool was much in request, and the whole of the Saxon and Prussian stock was bought up, the Austrian only remaining unsold. SERIOUS CONFLAGRATIONS SHEFFIELD, Sunday, 11.30 p.m.—About ten o'clock a fire broke out on the premises of Mr. Charles Unwin, timber merchant and furniture broker, West-bar, Shef field. For the last half-hour it has been raging with terrific violence, illuminating the sky to an extent which must be visible for miles, and casting a glare on the whole town. The premises are extremely extensive, having a considerable frontage to West-bar, and extending thence to Spring-street. They comprise large furniture shop and stores, with extensive timber yard and workshops behind. The stock is immense. The conflagration extends over the the whole premises, and throws up a blaze many yards above the loftiest surrounding buildings. There appears no possibility of preventing the flames consuming much adjacent property, and the loss will probably be enormous. It is the most serious fire which has occurred in Sheffield for many years. The cause of it is not yet known. Monday, 1 a.m. —The con flagration is abating. The whole of Mr. Unwin's pre mises are completely gutted ; large portions of the walls are down ; nothing saved. The fire only extended to a shop and a few cottages adjoining Unwin's. A brisk north-west wind blowing. The burning premises sheltered by the Surrey Music Hall. There is a tremend ous crowd. The military were called out to clear the streets. The same premises having been previously on fire, the surroundinc , property has fortunately been pro tected by high walls. The building is insured in the Sheffield Fire Office. Stock not insured; estimated damage over £lO,OOO. MYSTERIOUS FIRE AT SALFORD.—On Saturday morn ing, at twenty minutes after eight o'clock, a fire was discovered on the premises of Messrs. Lewis and Sons, machine and tool makers, Stanley-street, Salford, by a woman living in a cottage on ,the - opposite side of the road. Information was speedily given at tho fire engine department at the Salford Town-hall, and within seven minutes an engine and body of firemen, under the direc tion of their superintendent, Mr. Atherton, had arrived on the spot, and got two jets of water in play. The flames were issuing from two or three windows in the second storey, and whilst the Superintendent directed a jet throngh one of the windows outside,.the other jet was carried into the building by a back entrance. Notwithstanding that the flames were very fierce, they were extinguished in twenty minutes, and an examination of the rooms then showed that apparently the fire had broken out in two distinct places, but had been self-extinguished in one for want of draught. This latter place was a box protecting a wheel connected with the main shaft which worked the machinery; and it was situated about five feet from the ground, in a closet a few feet higher, and about three or four feet square. The fire had originated inside the box, but had only burned a hole in the lower part of it, and singed the upper portion of the woodwork of the closet. This closet was about nine feet from the drawing room, were the more serious fire occurred, the counting-house intervening. No traces of actual flames could be tracad in the counting-house, but the paint of the wooden partitions was greatly blistered in consequence of the heat from the fire in the adjoining drawing room. Here the fire appeared to have originated under a counter, and it consumed a large quantity of valu able drawings and drawing materials, which were upon it, and the shelves above. The upper panels of the doorway leading into the counting-house were burnt through, as also was the woodwork above the door, but with these excep tions the fire was entirely confined within the room, The origin of the occurrence is a mystery. The works have been stopped for a few months, in consequence of the owners being in difficulties, and have been for some weeks in the possesion of bailiffs, placed there by a gentleman who is said to have advanced money to pay a composition to the creditors. Arrangements were being made for carrying on the business by a partially new firm, and several persons had visited the place on the Friday morning.. About five o'clock on Friday evening, the premises were locked up, when everything was safe; but towards the next morning the dog, which is kept in the yard, was heard growling, by some of the neighbours, as if in a state of uneasiness. The premises contained several thousand pounds worth of property, consisting of machinery, tools, and an immense number of patterns, drawings, &c. The persons interested in the property attended before the Fire Engine Committee, at the Salford Town Hall, the same morning, and expressed their satisfaction at the very prompt manner in which the fire brigade extinguished the flames. We understand that both building and property were insured. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE NEAR' SELBY.—NINE STACKS DESTROYED.—A fire of a very destructive character broke out, last Friday night, upon a farm called South Duffield Lodge, near Selby, occupied by Mr. James Hodgson, surgeon. The servants had retired early to rest, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson. The latter had not been in bed more than half an hour, when she perceived a glare of light, and woke her husband, when he found some of the stacks in his yard in a blaze. The inmates were immediately aroused and the inhabitants of the neigh bourhood alarmed by the ringing of a large bell. Numbers of persons flocked to the scene of the conflagra tion, when it was found that. four of the stacks were on fire, and were burning with a fierceness which would render all attempts to save them futile. A messenger was despatched to Selby, to telegraph to York for engines. Meanwhile all efforts were earnestly directed towards saving those stacks which had not already become ignited, and preventing the fire from extending to the adjoining buildings, which bounded one side of the stack yard.' Despite the most praiseworthy labour, however, the fire continued to extend from stack to stack, until in the whole nine stacks were being rapidly consumed. The sight at this time was one of immense grandeur, the flames- from the nine stacks towering to an immense height, and forming a mass of fire, which illumined the heavens most brilliantly. The buildings, which bounded one side of the stack yard, consisted of a long range of cattle sheds, and these, from the close proximity of the burning stacks, became ignited, and their speedy de struction would have inevitably ensued, but for the vigilance of those assisting to quench the flames, who succeeded in at once subduing the hold which the fire had taken upon them. Most fortunately, only three days ago, Mr. Hodgson got a stack of oats from the stack yard, and this had to some extent divided the stacks into two lots, there being eight in one lot, and six in the other. Of the eight, in which lot the fire broke out, it was found that none could be saved ; therefore, with a plentiful supply of water, it was thought advisable to thoroughly drench the other lot, to prevent their de struction. The flames, however, got into one of the stacks in the small lot, and here the indefatigable labour of those assisting enabled them to confine it. The engines from York were got to the fire about three o'clock on Saturday morning, but the smouldering masses were not extinguished until late on Saturday afternoon. The damage done is the total destruction of one stack of peas, four wheat stacks, one hay stack, two oat stacks, and a stack of clover. How the fire has originated is altogether a matter of mystery; but the fact of all the stacks being safe on the family retiring to rest, and other reasons, lead to the suspicion of its being the act of an incendiary. Mr. Hodgson is fortunate in having his stock fully insured in the Yorkshire Insurance Company. WILLS.—The will of Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew Pellet Green, Bachelor Knight Commander of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, Commander of the Order of the Sword of Sweden, and Vice-Admiral of her Majesty's navy, who died the 26th of December, 1858, was proved on the sth of January, by Alfred Scrimshire Green, Esq., of the Foreign Office, Downing-street, a son and one of the executors. Power is reserved to Lady - Green, the relict. Captain Andrew Pellet Scrimshire Green, R.A., a son also, is the other executor. The whole of the property is left to Lady Green. The personalty was sworn under £5,000. The will is dated the 22nd of August, 1851. — The will of Vice-Admiral Peter John Douglas, late of Southampton, was proved in London on the 6th January, by Lydia Mary Douglas, the daughter, and William Manners "Wellington Douglas, Esq., the eldest son, the joint executors. The sword presented to him by Lloyd's Patriotic Fund, he has bequeathed to his eldest son, and leaves his property in specific and pecuniary bequests among his children, and the residue equally amongst them. The will was made on the Ist of October, 1855, and he died the 17th December, 1858.—The will of Charles Cotton, M.D., late of King's Lynn, Noi folk, was proved in London on the 18th of January, by his relict, the sole executrix and sole legatee. Personalty, £4OOO. A FATHER'S VENGEANCE. —The Court of Assizes of the Haute Marne, a few days ago. tried a peasant, named Lavocat, for manslaughter. The facts of the case were very simple. Between ten and eleven o'clock in the night of the 21st November last, on returning home, he heard his daughter, a young woman of 26 years the hoef father, gaigrel,,s exclaim, "Good Hea vens ! there's my fathereeaxst room for a n !' t ' , and, on a jumped entering the chamber , he p erceived, that a man w as in her bed, crouching be neath the clothes. h w e el r 't etu in rn to ed th weith n it, The w ithout u s t tic s k ay , in a g nd a when he lover, who was one Bor del, a y o ung v from the bed, and implored pardon ; but the father, by a violent blow on the head, felled him to the ground, an d con tinued to beat him with great fury for, after as er which he after wards confessed, a quarter of an hour; he fl un g him into the middle of the road, where in a few seconds the young The fathe h r e w l e i n a t d at d o e n n c e e , to the Mayor of the village, man exPire s d ta . te stated what gave e himselftatwhat intot he hadcustodio.ne was The justifiable, prisoner'sa espe ciallydvo cate and contended tendasd h his daughter, who had been seduced by the deceased, was h a lf an idiot. He showed also that he was an old soldier, an d a very. respectable man. The jury declared him guilty, with extenuating circumstances, and the court condemned him to three years' imprisonment. THE IRISH JUDICIAL BENCH. The retirement of Mr. Justice Crampton, after twenty-five years' service in the Court of Quce Bench, took place on Friday, in presence of a iallres assemblage of the bar and the, public, including, of course, several ladies. The Attorney-Generai„ 01t the part of the bar, pronounced a glowing eulogiunt on the professional and private worth of the leartmd judge, now a b ou t t o qu i t t h e b usy scene w h ere h e had played so active a part for nearly half a century. Mr. Justice Crampton briefly, but do quently, replied. He then bade farewell to the Chief Justice, and to Judges Perrin and O'Brien, and on retiring from the bench he was grceiPli with a hearty burst of applause from the bar and the spectators. The following interesting sketch or memoir of the ex -judge is taken from the Freeman:— _ Though not of the first order of judicial intellect, Judge Crampton was an admirable working judge, a thoroughly conversant with every department of pub business in the Queen's Bench. He had a refined Mind perpaps too subtle for general use, and not - the sudden and unexpected turns it was woi the course of argument. He was remarkably urba bland in his demeanour, though his temper soine** strayed from the constraint in which he habitually held. it„ and then he would let loose some of thoi sarcastic things which he knew how to file from perfection. other judges counsel cc some approach to certainty, but the knew whether Judge Crampton went with or him. He would smilingly assent to a proposition--- nodding his head iq very decided. approbat when judgment was to be given all the nods wo lures' to lead astray." Tie IN Yn., imi prove only a raaa many and various acquirements, perhaps the most 1 on the bench, though he very rarely obtruded hi judicial erudition on the bar. At an ear distinguished in a field which, in the beginning of 'the present century, attracted great competition. he gained the second Fellowship of Trinity College, the ge wpi first having been obtained by tlie late Bishop of Water ford, Dr. Sondes. In 1816 Mr. Crampton was appointee/ Professor of Common and Feudal Law in the University, which he held until his promotion to the bench, whey succeeded by Judge Longfield. In politics he was not very decided, but. his middle age tendencies in clined to mild Liberalism, which, after, great elrorte, could screw itself up to a ref , rm in Parliament. When Lord Grey's Bill was convulsing England, and . thp Reformers swept all before them, Mr. Crampton hadlis weather eye open and rode, like ma n y o th ers - -- he was on the favouring gale. He was a very respectabl_ ex-Fellow of College, Professor in the University, good lawyer and advocate, and altogether acceptable tar the hypocritical Liberals of the day, among them the pre sent Premier, then Chief Secretary for Ireland. In 1.432„ Mr. Crampton was appointed Solicitor-General, and. having entered Parliament for one of the English Whig boroughs, he assisted Mr. Stanley in draughting an carrying through the Irish Reform Bill, one of the mast unsuccessful and embarrassing pieces of legislation of eviously, he hack made a grand Retenia speech in contesting the University, and efforts of TorTism to arrest the Reform pebble combating with " the mighty flc mred the -•-i g spirit to a Vhen he reach'ed the bench, however, in 1834, forgot all about Reform and returned to the of his earlier years. He was always Reform and Reformers, and mention of the if Commons appeared to have much the same effect on kis Lordship as a red rag shaken before a turkey cock. F 4 some time it was_ supposed he would have_ re his seat for the Liberta . party. He received all his promotions from a Liberal Government, and to them be should, on every principle of justice and honour, bore resigned his seat. Conservative judges follow the rule of party, which in this respect is a commendable rale, because it accords with our ideas of gratitude and geed faith. Though Judge Crampton had ceased to be -a Reformer, he was, at least, bound to restore th,?, to the representatives of the Reform party. But let IL' not be too political on a question which should exclude all hasty considerations. Judge Crampton has renderni good services to the public, and well has he lxzr rewarded for his gentle labours. The Attorney-Gearyg commends that rare virtue in the outgoing judge which he would wish to see repeated in another. Surely two judgeships in a month would content less inordinate desires and satisfy less ambitious hopes. MURDEROUS ASSAULT AND ROBBERY On Saturday the mayor and magistrates at Rochester were occupied a considerable time in the investigation si a charge of aggravated assault and .robbery preferrsi against two privates of the Chatham division of the Rny Marine Light Infantry, named John Norton And Gwne Herbert, who were charged with entering the shop as widow, named Clarke, residing in High-street, Frincis bury, and after severely ill-treating her, robbing the tat of a considerable sum of money. The prosecarti; who has been very seriously ill ever since the occurrence, was assisted into the court, and had to be seated near thn magistrate's clerk during the time she was gisirg her evidence. Her head and face were much disfigured from the prisoners' violence. The proseeutrix stated flint the prisoners entered her shop about nine o'clock in the evening, and asked to be supplied with a pennyworth of bread. After they had been served Norton remarked that he believed she was a widow, and asked her to giro him a glass of water. Prosecutrix sent the shop boy fur the water, and, on his returning with it, went into a roma at the back, leaving the prisoners, as she supposed, in am' shop. The prisoners, however, followed her into the nova, when Norton knocked her down with a violent Maw between her eyes. As she was down, he was proceetTheff to strike her, the other prisoner (Herbert) cal "Kill her, kill her !" She then succeeded in ( under the table, when Norton dragged her out by 1_ hair, and told her to give them all the money she ha Prosecutrix gave him the contents of her pocket, cas sis ting of some silver and half-pence, and also the icy of a desk in the shop, which contained the mom! , taken during the day. The prisoner Norton went isitit the shop and possessed himself of the money, among wig were two five shilling packages of half-pence, the olirez prisoner standing over her, and repeatedly threat:rim:. to kill her if she moved. Prosecutrix, however, managita to get out of the window and give an alarm. Both tic prisoners were apprehended the same night not far Fr= the scene of the robbery, but so violent was their cord.nc: on being taken into custody that it required Ike": police-constables and some other persons to convey them to the station-house, one of the police-constables, Dirk!, having his leg injured through their violence. 1:12. , prisoners, who had declined cross-examining the prc.• - cutrix or the witnesses, made no defence, and they then fully committed for trial. iliux Gui The exploit of William Tell has stimulated a weaver Spire to try his hand at rifle 'practice on his young - son; whose head he placed a potato, and brought dowal tuber at 100 yards, but was had up before the police, a sent to gaol for a week by the indignant magistrate. M. Jobard has communicated to the Academ y of Seim a curious discovery just made by M. Ch. Serret, viz., if a large kind of fresh water mussel,' frequently found. in stream called La Vierte, which rises near Neufehatez— the department of the Vosges, and waters a porti ( Belgium, produces pearls equal in quality to the Ori ones. Some of them are not white, but of a maim colour, as if they contained iron, which, however, 'ill do not ATTE7,IPTED SUICIDE BY A SOLDIER AT TILE BINV OF : , ,TGLAND.-011 Saturday morning a sentinel o 4 (hay Bankatthe of of ScotsE ngland,F tsilie tofr Guards, the namearc now o fWatts, lyinat of ttirot battalion Tower, loaded his musket whilst on duty with powder.fol ball, and placing it to his left side, discharged it. - p or t a , nately the ball took a slantinc , m s direction, passing throe his clothes, and eventually lodging in th e d oor. immediately conveyed to the military hospital at.tke Tower of London. He was in the four battles aide Crimean war, for which he received the silver medal va four clasps. No reason is assigned for the suicidal Act: A court-martial will be held at the Tower to inquire-WA the circumstances. i ri a d trh a g y ee ci a f INSOLVENT G, . . .RT, LANCASTER.—At the Court, l judge, on p i Discharged foniodi:tS7taiwldl insolvents Saturday last, Frederick before werLe o J hw o e h ray i r i ,aa ugpeon Addison, itipaeutcji P tica 1. 1 .- , lector, Manchester. Edmund Simister, block cutter to calico printers, Audenshaw, near Manchester. Thomas Parsons, builder and stone mason, Longbridge, near Pres ton. John Unwin, publican, Bury. Saud. Wood, tailor and draper, Heaton Norris. Richd. Davis, beersellcr, St- Helm. rm. Coupe, factory operative, Bacup. George: Varley, grocer and general dealer, Salford, Manchester- Michael Hart Simonson, teacher of Hebrew, Ki.ichester- Jas. RichmOnd Smith, shipbroker and merchant, Lim pool. Edwd. Moneypenny, beerseller, Manchester. Ha& William Morgan, commission agent, Manchester. hater Ince, beerseller and carter, llindley, near Wig as-- Adjourned to next Court. Elisha Riley, farmer, otnadest shaw, near Manchester. Thomas Charnley , acc- ti and general agent, Lancaster. William D a wson, , , u h ut . Ir. maker, Baxenden, ner Bury. John _G. t ° 0 1.5 ;9 d y or °t une, painter, and glazier, Ormskirk, .40' 0 j Liverymilta. months. Richard Balsbaw, commission agent, Michael Levy, cigar dealer, _ M an chester. ainuellskap. t S arWIF . wood, the younger, agen , Manchester.—Petitions missed. Thomas Tomlinson, currier and leather Manchester. James Eastwood, boot and shoemabes Bacup. 11' 0 01 oil ble