The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-10 00:00:00

Volitital an Otntral.

THE COMMIssioN OF INQUIRY INTO THE
coItPoRATION of LONDON.
The conunissioners appointol to conduct this in-
quiry—Sir John Patteson, Henry Labouchere, Esq.,
and G. Cornewall Lewis, Esq.—have appointed their
secretary, and have arranged to commence their la-
hours early in the ensuing month :
The inquiry will be conducted at the fluildhall, pro-
bably in the court appropriated to the sitting of the Com-
Molt t'omiril. it will lie an open court; maul it is under.
stood that the commissioners have determined en hearieg
all the evidence that may he tendered to them. either for
or against the corporation. Among the first witnessta
examined will he Mr. Merewether (the town clerk), the
Recorder, the City Solicitor, the Chamberlain, and such of
the aldermen and common councillors as may choose to
tender their evidence.

From the terms of the commission, the inquiry will of
necessity he a most extensive one, and will divide itself
under the following heads :-1. The relation of the City to
the metropolis at large, and the proportion which it bears,
in respect. of population, property, and extent, to London
popularly so called; 1., the limits of the corporate jurisdic-
tion ; :t, the constitution of the corporate body ; 4, the cop:-
!dilution and machinery of the governing bodies, hn
the election of mayor, aldermen, common councillors, ke.;
:k• the number, duties, salaries, and mode of election or ap-
pointment of the corporate officers; 6, the cants, civil and
criminal, within the jurisdiction of the corporation : 7, this
division of the City into wards ; 14, the' management of tho
stele of the priSons, ke. ; 9, the rigulations of the
port of London mid the conservantv of the Thanes; 10,
the appointment, functions. and privileges of city lm kers
and porters; 11, the markets—their condition, sufficiency,
and revenues; 11, the constitution and management of the
Irish society; .13, the property of the corporation, their
annual revenue, and the nose of its disbursement; I I, the
jurisdiction of the corporation in the borough of Si oth•
wark: IA, the constitution. functions, income, mld ex-
penditure of the various livery and other companies.
On all these heads the commis!: ,rs must neces.
bardy depend chiefly fur information un the offievir4 or

SEPTEMBER 10, 1853.

members of the corporation themselves ; but. the court
being an o a n One, WitiiM4'SN'lll cro,..s•
111 l ion by any eiti7ens who may choose to envoi. by
1 hemselves or by counsel.
The ordinary income of the corporation, as estimated
on an average of three yeses, ending 1a32, amoimted to the
enormous sum of I iti,oo/., and the average annual expen-
diture during the same period was 133.0i511. It is Whiled,
from the rapid therease in the value 14 all property in the
City, that that iueome has augmented during the inter-
vening twenty years by at least :10 per cent. The corpora•
Lion will be called on to show that they have properly
applied those enormous funds. This branch of the in-
ipury will necessitate a reference to the coal tax, which the
corporation, by a piece of parliamentary sleight-14-Imnd.
have recently extended to every person within the limit of
twenty-five utiles from St. I'amb's.

llyssimis IN CHIN not generally
known that the Russian Government, for more than
o century and a quarter, has had at Peking a reli
gins and scientific mission, not "merely tolerated
4,r connived at, but existing under a formal treaty."
This treaty was concluded on .lone 14, lilB, between
Count Vladislawitsch, Russian Ambassador Extra4,r
Binary. and the Ministers of China. The fifth article
is in the following terms :

" The Russians shall henceforth tweupy at Peking the Komi..
lir court, which they now inhabit. According to the desire of
the Ittoutiati Aniliaasador, a dwelt shall I.e bunt, with the as
sistallee Of the Nthlege Government. The priest who now
resides there, and three Mien. who are e‘pecte4l, shall live hi
the F above mentioned. Them) three priests shall be at-
taelled I. the Sallie church, and receive the nallllllllllll44loala a.
the 111'esela priest. Tito Itussbum Audi be permitted to w,mslitp
their tial aceording to the rites of their religion. Four 3oung
students, and two of u more ad •tid age, acquaiiacti with the
Russian and languagos, Audi als.e in reeeiveil into this
house, the tunbassador wishing to learn them at Peking to learn
the language I.f the country. They shall be at the
6.41141/41. 111 owl shall be at liberty to return to
their own onuttyl as wsn as they have tiuishrd their studies...
According to this treaty, says the Russian traveller
Timkowski, the Russian mission, composed of six
ecclesiastical and four lay members, fixed its abode
at Peking ; the first do duty alternately in the Con-
vent at Candlemas and the limn+ of the Assumption,
situated in the same quarter of the city, and origin-
ally inhabited by the Russians whom the Chinese
Government caused to be removed thither in Ittss,
after the destruction of Albazin, a Russian fortress,
which had been built on the banks of the Amour.
The lay members are young men who are obliged to
study the Mantchoo and Chinese languages, and to
acquire an accurate knowledge of China. They all
reside in the Kogan, a vast building, part of which,
known by the name of the Court of the Embassy, is
kept in repair by the Chinese Government, and the
other, containing the convent, by Russia. The re-
guilar abode of the mission at Peking is fixed at ten
years, at the expiration of which time it is relieved
by another ; but the correspondence of the Russian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the name of the
Directing Senate, with the tribunal at Peking, is
subject to so many delays that the abode of the mis
siunaries is protracted to a longer period. It was
recently stated that a Russian land force was to be
sent to aid the Imperialists, and assist them in put-
ting down the insurgents ; but such a step is highly
improbable. The distance from St. Petersburg to
Peking is upwards of fi,ooo miles by lud, and, He-
el/riling toTimkowski, it took him and his small
suite upwards of three months to travel from
Kistekleta, the border station, to the capital of China,
and six months to get from SL Petersburg to
TM; OFFICIAL RETURNS OF TRADE ANT) NAVIOA-
mut in the United Kingdom were issued on Wednes-
day, containing the comparative statements for the
mouth, and seven months, ending on the sth ult. The
month's imports, compared with the like date of I 552,
show au increase under the head of live animals,
cocoa, coffee, grain, fruit, bacon, butter, seeds, silks,
spices, sugar, tea, timber, tobacco, and wine. lee
flour, spirits, and tallow, theft' was a decrease. The
exports of the month were respectively as follows :-
1,452 „. 16,5samal
15.53 . 7,'Jafp,4

X 1,405,9114
The articles which exhibit the greatest increase are
—et itton titan 'tr.'s, from 1,0411:1,41st to 2,167,044 V. ;
earthenware, haberdashery, hardware, linen, bar iron,
silks, and woollens. The vessels employed daring
the month in the tbreign trade of the United King-
dom represent the subjoined totals :

11431. 1/443.
T 011.4.
I tiwards 710.110
I hatwanlm .. 015,351
n thim inere•se Britimh shipk have largely partici
rated.

THE Qt'EEN has appointed James Cosmo
Esq., Secretary to the Court of Directors of the East
'lndia Company, an Ordinary Member of the Civil
Division of the Second Class, or Knights Cumman-
der,, of the Most lion. Order of the Bath.
THE Eklif, or DEnuv, who was suffering rather
wverely from gout on his arrival at Knowsley-hall,
Lancashire, &inn Lndon, has much inqwoved in
health during the last fortnight, lagti Maley;
liuvw*ley un a Wur.

THE PRESS.

A Hitwxo Comm:runts or lttArlso MACHINES
o:une off on Tuebdity at Stirling, beforo a large
assemblage of lemons congregated ftvin all quarters
of the country. The tiohls chosen fur the competi-
tion were about a mile westward of Stirling Castle,
on a farm occupied by Mr. Dewar. Dipulations
were present front the Highland and Agricultural
Society of Scotland, the Royal English Agticultuntl
Society. the Irish Agricultural Improvement, and
North-West of Ireland Agrieultural Societies. No
less than taenty-otte machines hail been entered for
competition, and throughout the whole day tilt) wore
cbouseentively at work. Some were hand-machines.
Hopes machine did very good work, but it was con-
sidered that the trial really between ADConnick's
machine and that of Bell. The latter rut 110W11 the
wheat rapidly , leaving the ground exceedingly stins4ll
and free of stubble. The judges awarded tile first
prize te Hell's machine and the PS4`011(1 tAI M`Connick's.
Tll E MANCHESTER AN II LIA EltEolll. Al i RICULTI ntl.
HEFTING %YRS held this year at Warrington, between
Manchester and Liverpool, on Wednesday morning.
Tiw att011(141111' wits %cry large, anti the show, taken
as a whole, decidislly the most successful which the
society has et or had. Resides agriculturist. fry u till
parts of Lauwashire and Cheshire, and some of the
best farmers in the country, a great number of
Lfentlemen from Mtuichester will Liverpool attended
the gathering. The latter include some of the
wealthier mitimfaeturers and merchants, who spare
time for agricultural purposes, although devoting
their principal attention to commercial enterprise.
Being men who in litany clews owe their success ill
life to intwhinery as applied to manufactures, they of
eetirse are anxious HISIV its iulvantngex ill'Aeltils`6l its
nitwit as possible by agriettlt mists, and the implement
department of the exhibition attraets it good 11011 44
their litti'llt1(111. Among the visitors present were
the Bight Hon. the Earl of Derby (who appeared to
be suffering mite!' from ill health), Sir Humphrey
de Tratfont, Wm. Tinton Egerton, Esq., M.P.„llilbert
()mond!, Esq., M.P., the Mayor of Manchester, the
Mayor of WaitTington, Arc., AT. The exhibition was
held in a large held near the London and North
Western Railway station.
tI)FICIAL APPOINTIIENTS.-111r. T. Villiers Lister is
bop' blotted to the clerkship in the Foreign office t intuit
by the resignation of Mr. Hugh Aslley. The ap
iniititments itit4l4.l* the act of last syssi‘lii bit. the
"Better Administration of Charitable Trusts" have
beet) fixed as follows :—Chief Commissioner, Mr.
Peter Erie ; two paid Commissioners, Mr. James
Dill and the Itev. It. Jones; Secretary, Mr. Henry
Vane ; two Inspectors, Mr. l'ltemas I fare and Mr.
Walker Skirrow.
LATE CItAN(6I:I4 IN THE 16‘W 161, LLECTIAN (quiet
that, after the first 418 y of next month, ',oiling for
eiinnties is to he clattitusl to one day, from eight till
five o'clock. Elections f, 1,40 atglis, titles, ite., are to
take place within six days after the receipt of the writ
or precept, giving three clear days' notice at least of
the day of election. No polls are (Al be taken at inns,
hotels, public-houses, k.., or in any !smith or place
eommtmicatin g with such, unless by the oitostetit of
all the candidates, expressed in writing.
THE °thee of LortLl.ientonant of the county of
Inverness, vacant. by the death of the Earl 01' Sea
field, has been bestowed upon I,ord Lovat.
Mu. InutAsi.l has Recepte4l till invitation, abliln.smeil
to him by the Royal Bucks Agricultural Associa
Lion, to meet his constituents, the freeholders of
Buckinghamshire, on Weilnesdry, the I Ith inst.
The proceedings will i.e prefaced by a dinner at the
George inn, Aylesbury. Mr.ifisraeli will be accom-
panied by Mr. Calislon li.Du Pre, nipn of his col .
leagues in the representation of the county.
statement of Captain Leicester Venni!l hating
resigned his seal for Chatham is not strictly accurate.
'the gallant (offieer dwchiuril 111 defend his %VII', but
his decline, is defended by the electors who return4.4l
him, who have also entered a counter pPtition against
the return of Admiral Sir James Stirling.
THE WHEAT TRADE OF AIMEIHC% is tillllllltASI ill
some interesting returns recently published in New
York. By the census of 1550, tlw quantity of wheal
produced in the United states was 1100,500,000
bushels; being an inen•ase of about 15 per rent. on
the prodtict of islo, when the crop SAS returned at
s4,sl3,is to bushels. In the eorrespooding period of
ten years the ispulatifin hail increased from 17,11119,453
to 23,216,301, being a gain of about 311 per cent.
Thus it appears that the production of wheat does
not keep pace with the increase ..f the population.
'rite amount of export of wheat awl flour in 1537
Was 1,6111,595 bushels, worth 3,1114,115 dollars ; in
15443 it wax 4,4111,165 bushels, wile it .1,1117,1 5.2 dollies
in 11441, 22,314,431 bushels, worth 32,153,1111 dollars;
111,41 in 1551, 1102)4,397 bushels, worth 11,50,15 et
114,11ars. During the twenty-two years between Ik3 I
'53 the aggregate value of every 414.scrilaitai of 'multi-
facture expo mica rival' the United States hits annpunte4l
to 212,15111 MM dollars; and that of wheat alone to
1541,notytun.
Tin: Ctivserti.ott or THE Exeneourn was pm
rented with the freedom of the burgh or limier
, nes% long, I Ile 1111111.11 r having 1.41;t31
CtekrlVd 14t; tvwu Council vi that place,

TILE DEMANI► SEASIFN i►l illel continues.
Various crews have dining the lakt ten days obtained
41. to 41. As. per month for the Balite, and in s►ano
ito.taticett men have been Khippooti above the age of
:141 who had not pre% itnit.l) followed the o►►cultation
of oiewien.

NOTICE Viii% 1::I% ell id 010 host meeting of tho
tibiagow Town Colwell, that M. their next. *tomtit-
...

Ming a motion wt ulil 111 made to petitiou her hlkjesty
to entrust the I'HUIII I ul seottihli atrium to a

Soervtar) of State for tieotlinol.
A /111.1:11No of Ole nupporters of Lord Chelsea, the
Conservati titenther for lhoer, took plineo on Toon
an) evening. It. K. Winthrop, 1•:441., pre.itled on the
ex $ aluti4uvl Ity 1114111 gentlemen Itf the neigh-
liourbootl; gout Lord Cliekeit, who ailtlee,oceil thtt

meeting at considerable length in ant able hiweeli,
watt retTi% Vi lilt enthusiastic applause.
Lomi ItossEt.i, un the receipt of a special
message, left Edinburgh, where Ilt, hail just arrived
from Dumbarton, early yesterday week, and rtreoh►vl
London at twelve o'clock the stunt night. Next
morning the noble lona hint a prolonged interview
with the Premier, the Earl of Clarendon, ifigti
et%lltlt Palmerston. The interview lasted tie% end
Imam I.onl Russell left town again on
Monday for Wolnum, an rout• for Itosiatiaitii. Dina.

Lehi Kl.eintocresy. leo% been ambeinted tits‘erner
411. 11411111111 y ; 111141 Mr. Thom%%soot, hie 'linemen. el the
Nerth writ Provinces, hats 1144.11 %upended to the
gevernment, 151 Madrslv.
line% esr ISY Gi.ontow lows gi‘ed pollee
111511 at the next. meeting sit ettuneil he will propose
that they present the freeden% sit the city to Lont
1)1111ner141011.

THE ELFTTII/N or A Sytorrtsll ItEI`ItrS4II4TATIVE
I'KER, to fill the vacancy oreitsioneil by the Heath tat
the late Sigitielal, took place st Ileal)rood
l'alnee Ini %%ealtaesilsy, with the rust atooir
ties. Sixteen peers were ',resign, and, on the roll
being etilleal, it was found that Viscount Sinn :Italian
hail been elected, the number '.rating I him being
fifteen. Then. WI'S 1111 opposing candidate. 'PIu
it ',resent soother %Heaney in the Sellt h mum
seinative lasaeraige, eausiall by the death loan) Sail
loam. The Karl of Seadielil

F\- 114 41'11. 1' 11111. V 41 VltANclr., now SI)14111111i111.' lit
I ltiretiiont, have 'mule nrningementn for leaving ig
land forthwith, on n visit to ttiteen Donna Muria Raul
the King Consort ( Ferdinand of SIMI+ 011111r:4) lit
1,1,411141. The illuntrion4 wiles, including the ex-
Queen Marie Amelie, the Prince and Prineesai do
.1i •inville, the I Mellon: of trlennm, the Count de I 'swim,
rout a numerous suite, will embark for l'ortligtil, at.
Ststithsinipton, an the 21th inst.
T 111: N 1:T e 1 1A111.1: of the 1111441A1 eollllllllllje 014111
between Bombay 1111111 SW/. 111141 11141tilligy
which it was considered by land Canning's eon mill
tee could be defrayed for 40,5001., appears tint the
year Isis 9 (the latent period to which ti.. 111'144411141
41141 1/11111141ly 111141 144411 received 1, 110tWitle111411 ding
the ineoiti.faetilry iierftwntiusee of the seniee, to 1111111
heel, 171,111:11., exclusive of 11,1701., the year's inei
d, ntal expenses ill Egypt 111111 at Malta, ton qirds
%loch charge Parliament 14 oustrilmtes tit 5,5 MO/. per

A STltlki: 'IF SEAMmTltr..o4:m lIaM broken (1,(11 in
where a large number of the wow;
pl,l)eil ut the most ir ilieieriptimei of 1 miler
elsitliiug letie refiimed to work fur the iiiimerithi,e it
tamp l'lmiirri) 41,11ei1 IMt to thou. 1 'male

aid-Jena, makers mill thus.. employed ion alion el tithing
liii‘4. u 1,411 !WIWI! Olt fur an athattee of wagi. ; and
flit . 111111wN, 111111 4111IPPI enipluyi,ll in the
large xpuHing la hair.. made n Ilemittit llt 'I litt
increase alleging that the t• mat bag
illkl.ll the !wawa of bread, meat, ro ,all 4, and

tither necessaries, requires that it proportioc tads coo.
hancooment should he made in their wages. Then,
is hide doubt that the request will be compl hsl with,
114 several shipping.hoonses have large order. I to cum
Mete, sual offers of nolvaneed wages have bee n already
made by man) employers
A Politic DINNVIt to General Sir Jose! do Thark
well, (h.( in testimony of the meritorlot. t St'r% lees
which he has rendered to his country, wit o gi‘coo at
I ilonteester on Tuesday evening. The gall: ad
is intimately connected with that city, at td iirior to
his leasing this 'sundry for the Indian its noplagn, in
which lie moo highly olistitognixhed hung, 11, resided
there for several years. Howe on his return loom
India the inhaloitants imito.ol hint to a po abbe 'homer,
and he accoopted the invitation. The Ma epir of lilon
rester, W. ‘Vaslols 111111, EMI., presided, and mooing
the company present were Earl Fitz, 'linkup., Sir
Martin Crawley Hoevey, Hart.; W. P. l'rice,
M.l'. ; ¶4. I ; It. Tharkwel. 1, Esq. ; Itev,
I /r. elaxson ; I'. Purnell, Ks+, ei misty • chairman, itc.
The Earl or Eitodo 'rough would Jim els a n pHs, nt, but
was attending the funeral of the In le Sir Charles
Napier. The May or proposed Sirius. pI 'ilinekviell•K
health, who responolcol in au dote resting address.
Se%eral other toasts suitable to the umasion having
been gkru awl duly uvkutowledgeda' ctruipluly
beruralvd.

VISCOUNT AND VISCOUNTESS PALMERSTON left town
on Tuesday for Broadlands, Hants. The Marquis
of Lansdowne left town on Saturday for Germany.
Sir James Graham for Cowes, Isle of Wight, on the
same day. Sir William and Lady Molesworth, on
Friday, for Pencarrow, Cornwall.
THE RAILWAY PAssEmiEßs' Assi•RANcE CompANI/
held their eighth half-yearly meeting on Wednesday,
at the offices, :1, Old Broad.street ; Sir J. Dean Paul,
Bart., chairman of the board of directors, presided.
The report stated that the number of tickets issued
during the half-year to the :10th June last, as com-
pared with the corresponding period of the two pre-
vious years, was as follows class : 1451, 14,979;
1452, 17,830; 1853, 31,314-2 d class: 11451, 40,770 ;
1852, 41,0494; 1853, 50,201-31 class : 1851, 58,238 ;
1852, 59,250 ; 1853, 71,317. Inible-journey tickets,
Ist class: 1852, 822 ; 1853, 4,0211-2 d class : 1851,
18; 1852, 1,41:1; 1853, 8,151-3 d class : 1851,1,8.26;
1852, 4,828 ; 1853, 5,800. Periodical tickets : 1851,
2,305; 1852, 2,308 ; 1853, 3,930. A dividend at the
rate of 4 per cent. per annum, on the paid up capital,
was declared at the meeting.
THE 01*KNIN0 of A N COAL-Flyin was celebrated
with much solemnity in Staffordshire on Thursday
It lies in a district hopeless, infertile, and once deemed
utterly unprofitable, known as Cannoch Chase, and.
extending over many miles of area between Lichfield
and Rugby. Now it has been discovered that all
this cheerless desert is one vast coal-field, embracing
within its bowels millions upon millions of tons of
coal. The Marquis of Anglesey, the chief lord of the
soil, took the leading part in the opening ceremonial.
BARNET GREAT CATTLE AND HOME FAIR com-
menced on Monday, and brought together one of the
largest shows of beasts ever remembered. The fields
for several miles around Barnet were occupied by
thousands of heads of cattle of all denominations,
but consisting principally of Scotch and Welsh store-
ling*, intended to be taken to the grazing districts
and fattened for the butchers. There was a very
extensive gathering of farmers and graziers from
all parts of the kingdom assembled upon this im-
portant and interesting occasion. A spirited amount
of business was effected, and prices ruled high com-
pared with those of previous years. The sheep mar-
ket contained a tolerably fair display, but trade was
inactive. The horse fair was on a very liberal scale.
But the moot exciting feature consisted of the Welsh
hill ponies, which were formed into rings occupying
the slopes of the fields bordering upon the town.
These rough shaggy mountaineers supported their
character at high prices, fetching from 41. to 121. per
head, and were in great request. On the whole a
vast amount of money changed hands at this import-
ant fair. The store beasts alone were estimated at
40,015 i head, every description of which were sold at
prices unequalled fir many years; and so great was
the demand that several lots were sold two or three
times, at considerable profit to the resellers. Mitch
and cows and heifers realised exorbitent
prices. Horses and ponies were seldom, if ever,
dearer. Altogether this was one of the best selling
fairs ever known at Barnet.
CoNtrISRVATIVE LAND SocIETV.—The fourth general
quarterly meeting of this society was held on Wed-
nesday at the Freemasons' Tavern, and was mime-
rowdy attended. Viscount Ranehigh presided. Nis
lorislri p read the report of the executive committee,
which stated that the number of shares issued during
the twelve months was upwards of 11,000, represent-
ing a silbseribeil capital of :101,fiM411., of which more
than 52 MO/. had already been paid. The number
of shares on the order of rights, on the termination
of that ilny's drawing, would be no less than 1,486, of
which nearly MINI had been so placed by the public
drawings , and :100 by rotation. A very few months
would suffice to enable every shareholder, up to
1,000 and! upwards, to seleet eligible estates. The
number o rights already exhausted up to that time
was 0041; tad seven estates of the fourteen purchased
yet remain ed for distribution. In the first quarter of
the society 's operation their receipts had been
in the thin l, 15,11141.; and in the last, 19,7811. The
amount of withdrawals from the society since the
commencei sent was only NV.; while in one of the
great societles it was as much as '2,0001. per week.
He believed there was no safer investment in Eng
gland than that offered by this society. Not only
were they wall supported in this countr. but they
actually had applieations for shares from Chitin and
Calcutta. The report was unanimously adopted, and
Vie meeting t hen proceeded to ballot for allotments.