The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

V olitual anli 6traral.

Sin EDWARD BLAKENEY, after nearly twenty years'
service, retires from the command of the army in
Ireland. He is to be succeeded in his high office by
General Lord Seaton, Colonel of the Second Life
Guards, and better known to the military world as

Sir John Colborne.
THE MANCHESTER GAS WORKS have cost 400,0001.
The length of the main is between 170 and 180 miles,
and the number of meters fined is about 10,000.
The production of gas is 000,000,000 feet. The
price is 4s. to ss. per 1,000 feet, and the profits,
which are applied for public purposes, are between
35,0001. and 40,000/. per annum.
THE following steamers have been engaged by the
Admiralty as regular transports, viz., the New Fel-
ton, /Etna, Great Britain, Imperial, Killingsworth,
Snowdown, Crcesus, Baltic, Victory, and the Severn.
UP to the Ist of December the Admiralty had
expended 0,793/. in maintaining Russian prisoners

of war.
WITHIN the last few days, says a Paris paper, there
have been forwarded to the Crimea, for the French
army of the East, 150 officers' huts, and 1150 privates'
huts, for thirty thousandjmen, made at Toulon and
Marseilles ; 450 officers' huts, and 1,500 privates'
huts, for 30,000 men, ordered from England ; and
210 hut-stables, for 10,0110 horses, ordered in Paris.
SONE OFFICIAL DESPATCHES were published on
Monday, in a parliamentary paper, received from the
governors of the British colonies, containing addresses
by legislative assemblies and councils approving of
the war with Russia.
Fos' the time being, the armies may be said to have
gone into winter quarters; the French, English, and
Turks on the plateau of Sebastopol, and the Russians
at Simferopol, Baktchi Serai, and Sebastopol.
Moss. A. SoYER has offered his services gratuitously
and is willing to proceed direct to Scutari for a short
time, at his own personal expense, to regulate the
hospital kitchen department, if the Government will
honour him with their confidence, and grant him the
full power of acting according to his own knowledge
and experience in such matters.
A PERSONAGE belonging to one of the highest
families in Portugal, who desires to preserve a strict
incognito, has placed 10,000 bottles of port wine at the
disposal of the French Government for the army in
the Crimea. The Minister of War, in thanking the
generous donor for his welcome present, has ex-
pressed his regret " at not being allowed to mention
the name of one who so well merits the gratitude of
the French people and army."
THE MORTALITY OF LONDON is still excessive, and
the number of deaths, as returned in the last report,
exhibits but a small decrease on that of the previous
week. In the last five weeks the deaths were-1,404,
1,468,1,54951,680, and 1,604. Throughout December
the temperature was about 41 deg. ; and the deaths
in a week were about 1,300. The weather has since
become colder by 12 deg., and produced an increase
of 300 in the deaths. Compared with the decennial
average. it appears that 391 persons died last week
above the calculated amount.
THERE has been a rather serious affair between
the British troops stationed at Christianburg Castle,
on the west coast of Africa, and the natives of the
town, who showed signs of rebellion. The batteries
of the castle fired on the town, and the fire was re-
turned. We lost one corporal and three privates
killed, and had twenty-four men wounded. Peace
was finally restored.
THE HORTICULTURAL Socinry held a winter meet-
ing, the first under the new arrangements, on Tues-
day, at the society's house in Regent-street, the Right
Hon. Lawrence Sulivan, vice-president, in the chair.
Notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the wea-
ther, the exhibition surpassed anything of the kind
that has been witnessed in London for many years,
and was extremely well attended, many leading hor-
ticulturists and amateurs being present. The first
spring meeting was announced for Tuesday, the Bth
of March.
Tan Rev. E. S. FOULKES, 8.D., late fellow and
tutor of Jesus College, Oxford, has seceded from the
Church of England. Mr. Foulkes, who is a nephew
of the venerable principal of Jesus, was admitted a
member of the Church of Rome on Monday last, at.
the Church of the Oratory, Paris. He held the of
of divinity tutor at Jesus College for several years.
In Easter Term, 1841, Mr. Foulkes obtained a
second class "In Literis Hurnanoribus."
A PROJECT has been set on foot for the establish-
ment of a new London Joint Stock Bank, to be
called the City Bank, with a capital of 300,0001., and
power to increase that -amount, if necessary, to half
a million. The active promoter is Sir Robeit
Carden, who, it is understood, will be chairman.
The success of the existing institutions, the dividends
latterly declared having been large, will, no doubt,
ive a stimulus to the undertaking.
toTim lOrarussses, now en route from India to
le Crimea, will be reinforced by recruits from Eng-
land.

135

A BODY OF Two THOUSAND POLICE CONSTABLES is
being organised for service in the Crimea as a trans-
port corps. The body to consist of a quartermaster,
sergeants or superintendents, drivers, and corporals.
The strength of the whole is to be 2,000. There are
to be 1,400 drivers, at a pay each of 3s. per day, and
2s. ed. each for the lower class, clothing and rations
to be given in addition. The officer is to receive 1001.
for an outfit, but the candidate must be in every respect
efficient, capable of holding her Mikjesty's commission,
and qualified to associate with the officers in the
British army. Pensions are to be allowed to the men
in the event of their receiving wounds whilst on duty.
It is proposed to raise MOO second-class drivers, who
are to be officered by about 100 men of the different
grades of non-commissioned officers.
FORY-FOUR years since Sir De Lacy Evans was five
times in as many months mentioned in despatches
published in the London Gazette for baying specially
distinguished himself, not as a favoured member of
the staff, but as a working soldier, who had been iu
ten battles and sieges, flume' ous skirmishes, had
ridden on horseback without rest three bundled
miles on exigent service, had five horses killed under
him, been three times wounded, and had led three
or four desperate assaults in person, as desperate as
any forlorn hope, and was still no more than a sub-
altern officer.
IN THE RADNORSHIRE BOROUGHS Sir George
Cornewall Lewis, son of the late Eight lion. Sir
T. F. Lewis, M.P., has come forward as a candidate
to fill the vacancy in the representation caused by
the death of his father. In his address to the elec-
tors the hon. baronet says :—" My political principles,
which have always connected me with the Liberal
party, remain unchanged."

I,'atu ant Volta.

MR. CHARLES WESTERTON, the churchwarden of
St. Paul, Knightsbridge, has proceeded in the Con-
siatory Court against he Hon. rd Rev. Robert
Liddell, the incumbent of St. Paul and St. Barnabas,
Knightsbridge, for the purpose of restraining him
from certain Tractarian observances in those churches.
The allegations are that a " high altar " had been
set up, that candlesticks and crosses were placed
thereupon, and that a marble credeutia, or prepara-
tory altar, had been erected. The episcopal monition
which has been issued directs that all these articles
shall be forthwith removed, and that there shall be
substituted in lieu thereof a decent communion-
table for the administration of the Lord's Supper, or
that Mr. Liddell shall show cause to the contrary in
the Consiatory Court.
MESSRS. COOKE, printers at Maidstone, had for
year or two contracted to do the county printing for
1401, per annum. Afterwards they declined to renew
the contract, stating that it did not pay, and asking
2351. Mr. Wildes, the deputy clerk of the peace for
the county of Kent, obtained a contract from a Lon-
don firm at the old rate, and in reporting thereon
to the county finance committee, observed, concerning
Messsrs. Cooke's demand, that it appeared to be "an
attempt to extort a considerable sum from the county
by misrepresentation." The parties thus alluded to
brought an action for libel against Wades, which was
tried on Monday in the Court of Queen's Bench, and
resulted in a verdict for the plaintiffs, with 501.
damages. Leave was, however, given to the defen-
dant to move a nonsuit on the technical plea that
his report came within the description of " privileged
communications."
Two PRIVATE SOLDIERS of the 90th Regiment, W.
Gibson and W. Gallaher, were tried by district court-
martial at Chatham, for the offence of making away
with their ammunition iu shooting at the Emperor
of Russia, whom the; had drawn on the barrack-table
with chalk. A most severs sentence has been passed
upon them—that of Gibson to 52 days with hard
labour, and Gallaher to 102 days' hard labour in the
military prison, Fort Clarence.
Six troops of the Household Brigade of Cavalry,
comprising about 350 men, will leave for the East in
the spring with the additional contingent of cavalry.
The present mounted men of the Household Cavalry
number about 750 men. The recruiting for the
cavalry in general is going forward most actively, and
by March next, it is expected that upwards of 1,300
men will be added to the cavalry force of the service.
It is stated that two new cavalry regiments will be
added to the light division, to be denominated the
Pith and Nth Light Dragoons. The following is the
cavalry standard now acted upon :
He ivy Cavalry.-741en and lads not below b ft. hi in. nor
above 5 ft. 9 in. in height, and not exceeding 24 years of sae.
Light Cavalry.--Men and lads nut below 0 ft. 51 in., nor
above 5 ft. 9 in. in height, and not exceeding 2.5 years of age.
Cavalry in India.—Men not below 0 ft. 5i
5 ft. 8 in. in height, and not under 1„ years of ago nor
c eeding 25. in., n
ex-
or ahoy°
Men who have previously served are eligible for re
enlistment into cavalry up to :t years of age, with
good characters. Bounty 101.

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