The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-23 00:00:00

i•totialq.

ARRANGEMENTS have been all but completed for
the purchase of the Theatre Royal and most of the
adjacent buildings for the site of the new post-office.
No site could be more suitable or convenient, and
few could be found which would afford so much
room for the exercise of architectural talent and
taste ; it is to be hoped, therefore, that no Mistimed
and misplaced economy will prevent the erection
of a building worthy of taking a place among those
other structures of which Edinburgh is so justly
proud.
THE excitement caused by the attempts of the
Kelso folks to destroy the toll-bars of their bridge con-
tinues. A lengthened correspondence has been pub•
lished between the Sheriff of Edinburgh; the
Coininissioner of Police, and the civic authorities on
the subject of sending a large body of police to Kelso
without the authority of the magistrates, and in
which Mr. Sheriff Jamieson distinctly requires that
the Men may remain in the disturbed town. The
Lord Provost is highly indignant, and tells the
Commissioner of Police that he has no doubt that
counsel will be able to point out a course by which
the law can be determined authoritatively as regards
his (the superintendent's) powers and duties, and
by which he or any other superintendent of police
will be prevented from setting the authority of the
magistrates of the city and the comniissioners of
police at defiance ; and by which the force provided and
paid by the inhabitants of the city for their own pro-
tection shall not be improperly removed from the
city. Kelso still continues in a state of siege, and the
same injudicious and reckless conduct on the part
of the county officials, which seems to have contri-
buted so much to the excitement, continues to ex-
hibit itself in novel and very dangerous forms.
Further accounts state that the Kelso disturbances
have at last received the proper check from th
proper authority. At the Circuit Court of Justiciary,
opened on Thursday week by Lords Cowan and
lituidysitie, Thomas Wild, John Robson, Abraham
Rodger, and John Cameron M'lntosh, were placed at
the bar, charged with mobbing, rioting, and assault-
ing, in having formed part of a mob of riotous per-

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SEPTEMBER 23, 1854.

sons on 27th and 29th of July last, and in hitting
been aiding and abetting in the destruction and re-
moval of the toll-gates across the Tweed; also with
assaulting the officers of police in the execu
tion of their duty, and with throwing stones at the
toll-house, and breaking down and carrying away the
wooden porch. The prisoners pleaded not guilty,
and several police officers and the tacksman were
examined, all of whom deponed to the riot, and to
one or other of the prisoners having been present
and having taken part in the proceedings. The tacks-
man, in the course of his cross-examination, stated
that, sihce Friday week, when the gates were re-
erected, the same. rates were not exacted, and that
they were only now one-sixth of the rate that existed
when the riots took place. , A gig is now lid., and
foot-passengers free. Mr. Boyd, the justice of the
peace before whom the declarations were taken,
stated M cross-examination that he thought the pri-
soner Rodger was weak in his intellect, although he
considered he knew what he was about; and other
witnesses stated that they saw him the worse for
drink. The crowd on both occasions numbered from
1,000 to 1,500 persons. Exculpatory evidence was
also led. Mr. A. R. Clark, advocate-depute,
addressed the jury for the Crown, and was followed
by Mr. Gifford and Mr. Patton for the prisoners.
Lord Cowan, in the course of charging the jury,
said—" It has been stated that this toll, which has
been exacted for a length of time, was no longer
exigible froni the inhabitants at the time when these
disturbances took place. I shall most sincerely re-
,ice if the inhabitants of Kelso shall be found enti-
tled to pass along that bridge without paying any
toll ; but what I want to impress upon you, and
through you on the public, is, that be the exaction
legal or illegal, neither you nor I are entitled, irre-
spective of the judgments of the law courts, by force
pr masterful means, to prevent the exaction of a toll
the levying of which has been sanctioned by statute
for hall a century. The remedy is to go to the
court of law, and, when it is fixed that the toll
is no longer . exigible, then the civil power can be
called in to prevent the trustees from exacting any
more toll. if a party unites himself to a mob with
the intention of countenancing any lawless act they
have in view, he must be responsible to the laws of
the country for the consequences of the acts of the
mob. It is always a question for the jury to consider
in such a case, quo aninw, with what mind the party
has united himself to the mob; and this will be con-
sidered by you at. the present time. lam not at all
moved by the remarks made by Mr. Patton, that
probably a thousand people in Kelso united them-
selves to the mob. lam very sorry to hear it. lam
sorry they did not feel it to, be their duty either to
give their aid actively to the public authorites in
Itadder to restore peace, or at once to leave the crowd."
jury, then retired, and were absent about half an
hour. When they returned into court they gave in
their verdict, finding the libel against M'lntosh and
Robson not proven, and Wild and Rodger guilty, but
recommended the latter to the leniency of the Court.
Lord Handyside then sentenced Wild to six months'
and Rodger to three months' imprisonment. The
Case excited great interest, and the court was densely
crowded.

On Friday week the printer and the publisher of the
Kelso Chronicle were summoned suddenly to the Cross
Keys Inn, where they were ushered into the august
Presence of the sheritdepnte, the sheriff clerk, and
the procurator fiscal of Kelio, who demanded to be
informed who !rote such and such an article in
the Chronicle of that day, and from what sources
the information it contained was derived. One is
at a loss whether to admire moat the naive im-
pertinence of this inquirT, or the official silliness
tibial it dlShltiy'ed. If the article was aeditiOttsor
ciangeroui the proper and the only dignified course
wsis to indict the publisher; but, before dellig thiS, it
irottld have been necessary to consult the law officers
of the Crown—and local offieioustieis, excite,' by
local acrimony, could not, probably; brook to be
delayed or thWarted by the cooler judgments in the

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Tit* Brix, which the duke or Bedford, head of the
Russell family, so graciously bestowed on the church of
Rosel, in the canton de Tilly-sur-Seulles, has been landed
at Caen, and is at this moment at Mr. Bourow's, the I.: g•
Ish Consul, Whence it is to be shortly transferred o
it
Rosel. The church pf this commune was built by tto
family of Lord John Russell, and on a recent occasion his
lordship's brother and nephew (Lord Hastings Russell),
when visiting the locality, left with the poor of the parish
substantial proofs of their munificence.
TH6 HOTELS OF NEW IrOltE.-TV New York Weekly
Herald states that the value of the otels of all kinds in
that city, exclusive of the large boarding-houses, is over
twe've million dollars ; their population about nine thou-
sand persona, and their, money receipts seven millions of
do lars yearly. There are two or three hotels, it is added,
now In contemplation, which Will equal, if riot surpass, in
extent and magnificence any one of those in operation at.
present. It is the intention of Mr. Mormot, of the New
Yolk Hotel, to erect a gigantic structure on the site of the
Hippodrome. The building is to be constructed of marble;'
and
&tatwill cost; *heti completed, upwards of A million of

THE PRESS:

ST. GEORGE'S HALLI LIVERPOOL.
Tnrs building, one of the grtindest of our provincial
architectural attempts, was inaugurated on Monday
with great ceremony. The civic authorities appeared
in more than usual splendour, and a musical enter-
tainment was given counting Viardot Garcia, Miss
Clara Novello, Miss Dolby, Sims Reeves, and Fornies,
among the soloists, but without either orchestra or
chorus worthy of the name.
The building was originally purposed to find ac-
commodation for the musical festival driven out of
house and home by the refusal of the rector, Mr.
Brooke, to alter the parish church to be Used for their
performance. In consequence of this a public meeting
was called by those who felt an interest in the
charities, and it was then resolved that a hall should
be built expressly for the festivals, and entitled " St.
George's-hall." A subscription was set on foot, and
large sum guaranteed, to be paid by instalments.
'the first instalment was duly forthcoming, but the
the second wits less easy to obtain. Just at this time
the mayor and corporfition of Liverpool, having also
come to the determination of building a hall for
judicial purposes (with the arriere partake, no dodbt,
of drawing the Lancaster assizes, to Liverpool),
proposed to the festival committee that their two plans
should be incorporated. This *as agieed tb; what
remained of the instalment which had been paid was
refunded, and the committee of St. George's-hall was
forthwith instituted. From aniong a great number
of designs, that of Mr. Henry Lonsdale Blmest a
London architect, was accepted ; in 1841 the building
was commenced, and 1851 was far enough advanced
towards completion to be honoured by a visit from
her Majesty. Having accomplished a greater part of
his design, Mr. Eimes went for the benefit of his
health, to Madeira, where he died of consumption,
and Mr, Cbckerell was appointed to succeed him.
Under the superintendence of the last-named gentle-
man St. George's-hall has been completed. •
The following account of the building is from a
Liverpool publietition:—
" Isolating the building, from stuTo' undin' g objects, it
must be pronounced one of the most imposing combinations
of beautiful, massive, classic designs Busting. , The com-
position is a unity of several styles, the Corinthian order
being carried Qat throughout. The northern aspect is
semi-circular, the columns being eight in number, and
attached. Viewing it from the north-east, a very striking
effect is produced by this projection, and the long row of
pillars of the eastern facade. This is the longest aspect of
the building, and is 140 yards ; thq columns rising to the
height of46,feet, each four and a half feet in thickness. The
central colonade advances 26 feet, and extends 200 feet; on
either side the subordinate portion of the facade is
extremely effective, and a striking contrast has been pro-
duced by the introduction of square pillars and pediinenta
for statuary on the screen which rises between thein.
Looking upon the building now from the south-east,
another change presents itself, and .it is the most com-
manding view which can be obtained. The eye t..kea in
the whole range of columns in the eastern façade and
those of the southern entratiee. The south front is a noble
design and specimen of workmanship, and were, It not that
the ground sinks rapidly the effect would be complete. A
terrace, however, bas been constructed, from which the
portico and its stylobate ( carried onward to the eastern
side) arise. The height from the ground-line to the pedi-
ment is 95 feet. In this portico, which recedes 21 feet,
there is a doable row of massive, lofty pillars, eight in
front and four within ; and above these is a piece of
emblematic sculpture, specially worthy of careful inspec-
tion. The motto on the hall, under this fine design is
'Artibtis teems, Copciliis, locum Municipes comititue-
runt. Anno domini 1841.' the figures in this sculpture
are Dirge and numerous, the weight of the whole being
exalt 50 tons. They were executed in Caen stone by
M r. W. G. Nicholl, from a design furnished by Mr. Cockerell.
The uncovering of the sculpture in this pediment took
place in the autumn of 1850. The western side is different
from the other three, yet similar in style. Corresponding
with the projecting façade at the opposite side we have a
lofty screen, with square Contain= pillars, extending
upwards. In this screen windows light up the numerous
small apartments connected with the courts of law • and
above, reseeding several yards, are the side vrindoirs,, Which
throw light into the interior. The workmanship within is
massive, like that without, much of the carpentry being of
oak, and all highly finished. Within we find many apart-
ments, most of which are subordinated to the grand pur.
poses of the hall—the courts of law."

The RIVER-TRAVELLING PUBLIC have recently had their
cariosity somewhat excited by the preeetiee of three
Vessels-of-we in the Thames. They are the Navarre screw
steam-frigate, 36 guns ; the Radetzky, also a screw steam-
frigate, carrying the same number of guns ; and the Eliza-
beth paddle-wheel steamer. The Navarre bas been lying oft'
tireenhithe for the last mouth or so. She visited the
Thames fur the purpose of manning the other two vessels,
the lituletzky and Elizabeth, both of which were built for
the Austrian Government by Mr. Wigram, of Blackwell.
The Railetzky frigate was towed down to Greenhithe on
Mohday ; the Elizabeth remains off litackwall, with her
pennant flying. The three are expected to Sail in a few
days.

lr has been resolved to confer a grant of quarter sessions
upon Brighton, which has long been sought fin by the in-
habitants of that increasing and prosperous locality. Mr.
Edwin James; Q.C. , of the Rome Circuit, Will be the first
recorder of Brighton under this new ertanginsent.