The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-11-21 00:00:00

An officer on the staff of Sir Hope Grant, on his
way to England from China with despatches, has
had a private audience with the Emperor and the
Minister of War ; but no one seems to know what
was the result or the precise nature of the intelli-
gence of which he was the bearer. There is a
sort of impression, nevertheless, that a treaty of
peace has actually been signed, two " illUstrious
Princes" connected With the Chinese Emperor
having arriv ed in the allied oanip On .the 30th,
armed with full powers to that effect. The
31oniteter de l'Armee contains some interesting
and curious details respecting road making at
Ticn-tsin. It says, among other things, that that
city is connected with Pekin by a magnificent
macadamised road, with similar appliances with
those in Europe, for permitting the surface water
to run off in a few minutes, and of thus enabling
•the road to become dry almost as soon as the rain
ceases. The inhabitants declare that that all
the principal roads in China are constructed
in the same style, and that the method has been
in use for several ages. " Bearing in mind these
facts," adds this Journal, "it is easy to demon-
strate that the macadamising process must ha've
been imported direct front China to England
(perhaps in tt tea chest!) "It is, known," it
continues, " that the celebrated ambassador,
Lord Macartney, in 1792, succeeded in reach-
ing Pekin. His lordship had for the secretary
of his mission Sir George Staunton, whose
father, a rich proprietor in Bristol, was in
the habit of employing the celebrated Mac-
adam as his architect and engineer. Sir
George, after having remained several years
in Asia; rethrtied to England at the end of the
year 1790, and read several communications to
the Royal Society Of London. After this; Mac-
adam executed at Bristol; in the year iSOI, and
upon the hints which he got from his employer,
a road empierre, and thus gave his name to the
system, the Chinese origin of which appears to
us to be indisputable. It is well known that
this system is at present in vogue in every part
of the world." It is extraordinary what solici-
tude appears to be manifested by the French
people to deprive the English of their claims as
discoverers and inventors.

The following explanation is offered by some
of the French papers of the cause of the present
scarcity of silver in France. In 1849 there were
coined at the Paris Mint 91,397,849 fr. in gold,
and 80,643,108 fr. in silver. In 1859, 52,225,846 fr.
gold, and 5,375,341 in silver, were all that was
manufactured. Hence the inundation of gold
pieces and the scarcity of silver money is fully
explained.
It is believed here that the Bank of England
will announce a reduction in its rate of discount
next Thursday. The Bank of France refuses to
follow further in the footsteps, in an upward
direction, of the directors of the Bank of England,
and this has given rise to the belief that the
tightness is not seiious, or of a permanent nature.
As a consequence, the Rente has again touched
70fr., and the market has a firm appearance.

THE NEAPOLITAN TROOPS IN THE
ROMAN TERRITORY.

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
ROME, Nov. 13.

* Some of the Neapolitan regiments
which entered the Roman States are in a most
deplorable condition—a great many of the soldiers
are in want of everything; they have neither
shoes nor uniform. The 11th Regiment, which
went to Gaeta from Messina, is composed for the
most part of individuals who still wear their
peasant dress, and they are either old men, or
boys of 16 or 17. The unfortunate wretches have
been received by the French soldiers as brethren,
and it was an interesting sight to see at Velletri,
at Albano, at Frascati, and at Genazo, the French
officers go before the Neapolitan officers, and take
them into the restaurants and the cafés ; the
common soldiers carrying off their fellows in the
Neapolitan ranks, and giving them as much bread
and wine as they could eat. Report speaks
highly of the kindness and generosity of the
French army on this occasion.
An order of the day has been published, which
prohibits the purchase . from the Neapolitans of
arms, horses, or any article • whatever. About
4,000 of them have run off and returned to their
homes. One of their generals arrived from Gaeta
last Sunday, in order to make arrangements for
the disposal of the soldiers who have taken refuge
in this neighbourhood. At Albano and Genazo,
the cartouche boxes of the Neapolitan soldiers were
inspected, and it was ascertained that the powder
of the cartridges was of very bad quality. You
are no doubt aware that in the course of last spring
Francis 11. lent the Pope a million of scudari. This
sum was required by His Holiness for the supply of
his immediate wants, and no interest was charged
on the loan. I have very little doubt that this
transaction suggested to the young monarch the
idea of sending such of his troops as were not
needed for the defence of Gaeta into the Papal
dominions. But as the expense of feeding so
many mouths was a burden which the govern-
ment of Pius IX. could by no means afford, it was
considered prudent to pay off the loan at once ;
and this was accordingly done to-day, Francis 11.
accepting stock in the Roman Funds in payment.
Notwithstanding the withdrawal of all the
military from the Marches and the Umbria,
the most perfect tranquility prevails in those
provinces.
The Cardinal Archbishop, who was expelled
from Naples by Garibaldi, is, I hear, thinking of
returning, now that the government of the
Dictator has been replaced by that of Victor
Emmanuel.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT IN OLDHALL-
STREET.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY TIMES.

Sin,—It would render a service to the public if the
Coroner would pat the followin questions to some
witness :—" Was the driver seated' at the back of the
cart so low that he could not have a proper view
before him ?" " Was the bit in the horse's mouth, o r
hanging loose?" "Were the reins of leather, or only
weak ropes patched or knotted together ?" These are
daily and hourly infringements against the bye-laws,
and yet no notice is taken of them by the police.
From one who, though not greatly injured, has been
KNOCKED DowN.

MR. AND MRS. -WALTON'S BENEFIT AT
THE ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.

Mr. and Mrs. "Walton, veterans in Mr. Copeland's
company, took their benefit last night. The first piece
was the somewhat repulsive dramatised version of Chas.
Dickens' " Oliver Twist," in which Mrs. Walton played
Haney to Mr. J. C. Cowper's Bill Sykes. Mr. F. Sey-
mour—a new aspirant for Thespian honours—played
The Artful Dodger. After this, "The Illustrious
Stranger" afforded Mr. Walton an opportunity of
enacting a drunken scene with so much character,
that we heard various doubts expressed around us
as to whether the intoxication were not real.
Miss M‘Ginty and Miss Bramah then danced a pas de
deux, which was encored. " Guy Mannering" followed,
Mrs. Walton playing Hey Herrilies exceedingly well ;
Mr. Walton, the farmer Dandle Dinmont ; Miss Laura
Gray Julia Mannerly, Miss Goodall Lucy Bertram,
and Mr. W. Cooper Dominic Sampson. "
This evening Mr. Blakely takes a benefit, when
"Money" will be the principal play, in which he will
act the part of Graves. He will be assisted by Miss
Laura Gray in the part of Clara, and Mr. J. C. Cowper
in that of Evelyn. After which "The Cricket on the
Hearth."

FIRES LAST NIGHT.

FIRE IN BERRY-STREET.

- -
Last night, shortly before eleven o'clock, as Mrs.
Jackson, confectioner, was about to retire to rest, she
discovered that a fire had broken out in some part of
her premises, but from the density of the smoke it was
for some time impossible to discover where it was
situated. The assistant at once gave the alarm, and
Inspectors Southwell and Parkins, with a number of
police constables, were speedily on the spot, and after
considerable exertions succeeded in extinguishing the
flames, before they had gained much ground. The fire
broke out in a bakery in the cellar, in consequence of
some conbustible materials having been left near the
oven door. However, the fire was confined to the cellar,
and the damage done was very immaterial.

FIRE IN GREENLAND-STREET.
About half-past eleven o'clock another fire broke out
in the extensive rosin works occupied by Mr. Casson,
and threatened to be one of great magnitude ; but by
the exertions of the fire brigade and the police this was
also speedily extinguished. These premises extend
from Greeland-street to Parliament-street, and cover a
large space of ground, the whole of which is covered
with rosin and other combustible materials. For somo
time it blazed with great fury, and illuminated the
atmosphere for a great distance. The fire brigade from
. under the command of Mr. Super-
Hatton-garden,
intendent Hewitt, and the "West of England fire
Brigade and Mr. Barrett were in attendance, as were
also the several reels from the fire stations. Superin-
tendent Sybell, Inspectors Southwell, Natter, Smith,
and Ilaggarty were likewise present, with a large num-
ber of the tire brigade and police constables ; and by
their exertions, combined with a plentiful supply of
water from the branches, the fire was confined to the
rosin pans, where it first originated, and fortunately the
damage done was comparatively trifling. A few years
since a fire occurred upon the same premises, when the
whole of the property was destroyed, and much damage
was done to the premises,