The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-18 00:00:00

been the simple cause of Her Majesty's visit to Scot-
land :—The Empress, as all the world knows, for a long
time past has not enjoyed very good health. The death
of the Duchess of Alba, to whom she was sincerely
attached, occurred during her Majesty's ceremonial visit
to the south with the Emperor. The Empress never
recovered the shock which her sister's death produced.
On her return to Paris a nervous and desponding humour
appeared continually to possess her. A change of scene
was advised, and a complete change of habit of life
deemed necessary by her medical advisers. A previously
contemplated visit to Scotland was decided upon, which,
amongst various suggestions, seemed to please the Em'
press best,

It is stated that the despatch received by the Govern-
ment, intimating that a treaty of peace had been signed
with China, was communicated by the Russian Govern.
meat to Sir John Crariipton at St Petersburg, and by
him transmitted to the l'oreig,n 9ffice; and our Paris
correspondent inform§ us that a similar coin/11140401i
was, the same evening, received by the Fretibh Govern-
ment from its Ambassador at St. Petersburg.
A correspondent of the Daily News, in alluding to
the sale of the proceeds of the looting of the Palace of
the Chinese Emperor, says :—" The sale of articles
taken from the summer palace for the prize commission
terminated this morning (13th October). £B,OOO were
realised—a large sum, considering the small number of
articles sold, The fur coats, embroidery, jade stone
ornaments, and Chinese copper enamel brought very
high prices. The whole sum to be divided is insignifi-
cant, being somewhere alio& £30,000: The weather
continues fine, but the mornings are getting very told.
The view of the mountains to the north-west of Pekin
is very beautiful, especially in the evening when the sun
sets behind them, and shows the outline in strong relief
against the glowing sky."
The tariff at present ruling in Victoria (Australia) is
—Small houses, 12s. to 14s. per week ; bread, the 41b.
loaf, Btd. ; English ale, 6d. the glass ; colonial ale, 3d.;
beef and mutton, sd. per lb. ; potatoes, 10s. per cwt.;
tea, 2s. 6d. per lb. ; sugar, 40. ; eggs, ls. per dozen;
milk, Bd. per quart; butter, fresh, Is. per lb. These
prices are all retail, and for the best articles.
A letter from Melbourne by the present mail Men-
tions that a solid rake df gold; Worth £9,500, the pro-
duce of the crushing of billy ten tons of quarts from a
reef near Inglewood—a locality scarcely known twelve
months ago—had been sold to the Bank of stew South
Wales. This bank had also purchased at Sandhurst a
cake weighing about 501 ounces, the produce of thirty-
five tons of quartz ; and it is affirmed that the same reef
will produce £30,000 a year for many years to come.
A collision took place at an hearly hour on Sunday
morning, at the Rugby station of the London. and
NorthLWesterii damage to
the property of the company, and occasioning consider-
able alarm and inconvenience to the passengers, but pro-
videntially unattended with fatal consequences. It ap-
pears the express mail train from Edinburgh, due at Eus-
ton Station at 4.20 a.m., on arriving at Rugby came into
collision with a goods and cattle train which was at the
moment being shunred inio a siding (the accident occur-
ring under very similar circumstances to the recent
disastrous affair at Atherstone), by the force of which
the trains were thrown off the metals, several of the
cattle trucks were completely destroyed, and many of
the oxen contained therein were killed. The line was
obstructed for some hours, and the arrival of the read
in London delayed until 11.30 a.m. The Irish mail
and other trains were also consequently retarded, and
did not reach their destination until long after the
appointed time.
The Rev. Mr. Maurice has returned a lengthened
answer to the address presented to him some time since.
He considers he has no right to be called a learned
theologian, nor can he assume to himself any special
zeal in behalf of the working-classes.
In reproducing his volume entitled " The British
Constitution, its History, Structure, and Functions,"
Lord Brougham has heralded the work by the following
dedication to her Majesty :—To the Queen :
I presume to lay at your Majesty's feet a work, the result
of many years' diligent study, much calm reflection, and
a long life's experience. It professes to record facts, in-
stitute comparisons, draw conclusions, and expound
principles, often too little considered in this country by
those who enjoy the inestimable blessings of our political
system ; and little understood in other countries by those
who are endeavouring to naturalise it among themselves,
and for whose success the wishes of all must be more
hearty than their hopes can be sanguine. The subject
of the book, "The British Constitution," has a natural
connection with your Majesty's auspicious reign, which
is not more adorned by the domestic virtues of the
Sovereign than by the strictly constitutional exercise of
her high office, redounding to the security of the Crown,
the true glory of the monarch, and the happiness of the
people. Entirely joining with all my fellow-citizens in
feelings of gratitude towards such a ruler, I have indi-
vidually a deep sense of the kindness with which your
Majesty has graciously extended the honours formerly
bestowed, the reasons assigned for that favour, and the
precedents followed in granting it. With these senti-
ments of humble attachment and respect, I am, your
Majesty's most faithful subject and most dutiful servant,
BROUGHAM.—Brougham-hall, 11th December, 1860.
Mr. Davis, a draper of Merthyr, in Wales, brought
an action, on Saturday, in the Court of Common Pleas,
against the proprietors of the Birmingham Fire Insu-
rance Company, to recover the sum of £l,BOO on a
policy of insurance. The defendants pleaded several
pleas, alleging fraud on the part of the plaintiff. It
appeared from the evidence of the plaintiff that for maul
years he had carried on business at the above-named
place, gradually increasing his business, until in the
year 1859 he took three shops, and then insured in the
defendants' insurance company. The shops answered
very well. On the 4th of April of the present years
during the plantiff's absence from home, a fire took
place, and everything was burnt or destroyed by water.
Ultimately the parties consented to a verdict for the
plaintiff ; damages, £1,200.

HAVE WE GAINED OUR OBJECT IN