The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-26 00:00:00

THE SUBMARINE TELEURAYII BETWEEN

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

This important line of communication has at
length been success!ully effected (as briefly announced In
the IlVy Negev yesterday) by a submarine cable manufac-
tured by the well-known makers, Messrs. Newell and Co.,
of Gateshead, aid laid down by that firm on Monday, the
23rd instant, for the English and Irish Magnetic Telegraph
Company, between Donaghadee and Portpatrick.
The cable caneists of six communicating wires insulated
in gutta perch', and protected in the usual manner by an
outer covering of iron wire.
It could not be laid, as was intended, during the previous
week, owing to the gales front the East preventing the open-
, lug of the duck-gates at Sunderland to let the vessel cora-
ltattling it pass out.
As several previous attempts to lay a submarine telegraph
across the Irish Channel had failed, every care was taken to
ensure the successful teimination of the present attempt ;
and the expedition, eonsisting of the screw steamer William
Hutt (with the cable and apparatus on board). the Con-
queror, and Wizard, left the Irish coast, having lends el
the end of the cable at a point abuut two and. s to the
south of Donaghailee harbour, and commenced the auh-
merelon of the cable, under the guidance of Capt. Hawes,
lt.N , specially appointed by the Admiralty, who rendered
great assist—nee in determining and directii.g Cie exact
course to be pureued, without which, in el probabili.y,
the squadron could not have sucensfully overcome the
swift tides and adverse currents prevalent throughout that
I part of the Channel.
The party who accompanied the laying of the cable in-
cluded Messrs. Newell, the co:Ammo's ; Mr. Statham, of
the Gutta Percha Works; Mr. Bright, the eecietiry ; Mr.
Charles Bright, the engineer of the English and Irish Mug-
netic Telegraph Company; Mr. It rid, the well-known
telegraph engineer; and Mr. Moseley.
The cable was l coded on Wednesday morning in a sandy
b:ay (called Mora Bay), a little to the north of Port Patrick,
belonging to Mr. Blair, of Duaskey, who kindly awarded
permission to lay the land-wires through his estate ; and as
sets as the end had been taken up to the position aai coed,
the magnetic instruments were put in operation, and the
following message despatched :
"Alma Bay, Port Patrick, Monday, May 23.
The Directors of the English and Irish Magnetic Tele-
graph Company beg to acquaint his Excellency the Lord
Lieutenant that they have this rooming successfully
effected communication between the shores of Great Britain
and Ireland by means of a submarine cable from Port
l'atrick to Donaghadee."
The cable at each side was then buried in the trenches
prepared for its reception, and instrument' connected up
to serve as a means of communication for a short time,
until the subterranean line of six wires now being carried
from the company's station at Carlisle through Dumfries to
meet the cable at Port Patrick is completed to that spot ;
and an underground line is about to be extended fa om the
Irish end of the cable at Donaghadee to Newtownards, the
terminal station of the County Down railway, along which
the wires of the English and Irish Magnetic Telegraph
Company are nearly completed to Belfast.
At Belfast the wires meet the company's line of telegraph
already completed over the Ulster railway, and will be car-
ried eta the Belfast Junction, and Dublin and Drogheda
railways, into the company's offices on College-green, Dub-
lin, where ti.eir line from Galway, already working, and
the southern line of telegraph, now in forward course of
construction from Cork, will concentrate.
The lines of the English and Irish Magnetic Telegraph
Company now working ketween Liverpool, Manchester,
Blackburn, Bolton, and Preston; and between Carlisle,
Glasgow, Greenock, and Edinbargh ; and those now in for-
ward progress between London and Manchester (consisting
of ten subterranean wires), and between Preston and Cat-
lisle, will join on at Carlisle, and the three capitals and
chief towns of England, Scotland, and Ireland will be
thus brought into instantaneous communication with one
another.

ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY FLOWER SHOW.

The first flower-show of the season was held yes-
terday, at the society's beautiful garfien in the Regent's-
park ; and, notwithstanding the counter attraction of
Epsom Downs, was attended by nearly 10,000 of the di le
of fashionable society. The Duchess of Cambridge and her
two daughters, the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelits end
I Prince's Mary, attended !;y Baron Knosebeck, came early,
and among the general company were Prince Frederick of
Schleswig-Holstein, the Greek Ambassador and lady, the
Prussian Ambassador, the Bishops of Durham, London,
Lichfield, and Winchester; the Count Paul Esterhazy, the
Dukes of Beaufort and Argyle, Lady Broke, Countess of
Dysart, Ladies Crompton, Downshirc, Somerset, Grafton,
Melee, Grabam,Warrender, Welby, Campbell, Codrington,
and Beauchamp ; Sirs John Sirr, E. Colebrooke, F. French,
E. Firmer, It. Jodrell, Bart., B. Wilson, J. Hamilton, and
W. Molesworth._

The show of flowers was superb, and seldom have there
been more prizes of the first class carried off by
ezhibiten. The gardeners of Mrs. Lawrence, of Ealing,
had their usual success in carrying off the gold medals for
greenhouse plants, and for exotic orchids, of which they
exhibited several new varieties. Gold medals were all) oh-
tamed by the gardeners of Mr. Culyer, and by some et the
more eminent nurserymen in the neighbourhood of London.
The display of roses was magnificent and abundant, so
much so that the pavilion in which they were exhibited was
densely thronged throughout the entire day. The heaths
also exhibited remarkable proofs of the triumpla which art
is gradually obtaining over this once neglected plant. Pe-
largoniums were well represented, and exhibited many
novelties in tint and structure, and the gaudy azalea
flaunted in all its gigantic luxuriance. Everyone present
pronounced the show to be one of the best fur several sea-
sons ; and certainly not its least brilliant feature was the
numerous and fashionable company, that crowded the pavi-
lions, or formed groups on the lawn to listen to the strains
of the military bands, of which there were three, the Ist
and 2nd Life Guards, and that of the Royal Hone Guards
(Blue). The three bands, having severally performed selec-
tions during the earlier part of the evening, united into one
grand orchestra at six o'clock, and played the company out,
with a grand selection from the " Prophide," and the Na-
tional Anthem. We subjoin a list of the principal prizes:
Extra Gold Medal.—To Mr. May, gardener to Mrs. Law-
rence, Ealing Park, for 20 stove and greenhouse plants;
Mr. Franklin, gardener to Mrs. Lawrence, Ealing Park,
fur 25 exotic orchids.
Large Gold Medal.—To Mr. Cole, gardener to H. Colyer,
Esq., Dartford, Keat, for 20 stove and greenhouse plants.
Medium Gold Medal.—To Mr. Speed, gardener, Edmon-
ton, for 20 stove and greenhouse plants ; Messrs. Frazer,
Lea-bridge-road, for 16 stove and greenhouse plants; Mr.
Green, gardener to Sir Edward Antrobus, Chum, Surrey,
for 12 stove and greenhouse plants • Messrs. Lane and Son,
nurserymen, Great Berkhampeteid, Herta, for 11 green-
house azaleas; Mr. Franklin, gardener to Mrs. Lawrence,
Ealing Park, tor 25 exotic orchids; Messrs. Bollinsons, nur-
serymen, Tooting, for 18 exotic orchids • Mr. Wooly, gar-
dener to H. B. Ker, for 16 exotic orchids; Mr. Francis,
nurseryman, Hertford, for 12 roses in 13 inch pots.
Gold Me Sal. To Messrs. Rollinson, nurserymen,
Tooting, for 16 stove and greenhouse plants; Mr. Carson,
gardener to T. G. Farmer, Esq., for 12 stove and green-
house plants; Messrs. &Minion, nurserymen, Tooting, for
10 Cape heaths ; Mr. Smith, gardener to W. Quitter, Esq.,
for 10 Cape heaths ; Messrs. Fraser, nurserymen, Lea
Bridge-road, for 10 greenhouse azaleas; Mr. Tinter, nur-
serynan, Slough, for 12 pelargoniums, is B.inch pots; C.
Wiggins, gardener to E. Beek, Eng., for 12 pelargoniums,
in 8-inch pots ; Messrs. Late and Son, nurserymen, Berk-
hamptend, Herta, for 12 roses in 13-inch pots.
Large Silver Gilt Medal.—To Mr. Over, gardener to W.
BL'MoUsin, Esq., Clapham, for 20 stove and greenhouse
plants ; Mr. Clark, Streatham-place, Brixton, for 16 stove
and greenhouse plants; Mr. Dodds, gardener to Sir J.
Cathcart, Bart., for 12 stove and greenhouse plants; Mr.
May, gardener to Mn. Lawrence, Ealing Park, for 10
greenhouse azaleas; Mr. Williams, gardener to C. B.
Warner, Esq., for 25 exotic orchids; Mr. Green, gardener
to Sir B. Antrobus, Cheam, for eight distinct Tannin of
exotic orchids; Means. Paul and Son, Chrshunt, Hens,
for 12 roses in 13-ineh pets; Mr. Terry, gardener to Lady
Puller Youngbury, for eight roses in 13 inch pots.
Large Silver Medal.—To Mr. Green, gardener to Sir E.
Antrobus, Bart., for six tall cacti ; Messrs. Fairbein,
nurserymen, Clapham, for 10 Cape heaths; Mr. Cole, gar-
dener to H. Colyer, Esq. for 10 Cape heaths ; Mr. Smith,
gardener to William Caulker, Esq., Norwood, for nine Cape
Deaths; Mr. Taylor, !gardener to J. Coster, Esq., for six
new and distinct varieties of azaleas; Mr. Dolon, nursery-
man, for 12 pelargoniums in 8-inch pots ; Mr. Carrigan,
gardener to E. Lawrence, Esq., for 12 pelargoniums in 8-
inch pots.

TIIE DUBLIN EXHIBITION BUILDING. —lt was
intended that the structure should consist of three large
halls, side by side, bat the demands for space extending,
and additional area becoming necessary. two other halls
were added, making five, together with various other
smaller apartments, and a long range of buildings at the
back for carriages, models, and agricultural implements.
The central hall is 425 feet in length, and 100 feet in
height, covered by a semicircular roof upon treks ribs, in
one span of 100 feet. On each side of this centre ball, and
running parallel to it for the same length, are two halls 60
feet wide, with roofs similar to thlt which covers the main
nave or hall of the building. The height, from the floor to
the roof of each of these halls is 65 feet. In addition to
these three halls are four compartments of 26 feet wide,
running the whole length of the building ; two are
placed betwecn the Centre Hall and the side
hags, and two on each side of the latter ; divided
into sections of 25 feet square, forming convenient
spaces for the purposes of classification. Over these com-
partments are spacious galleries, also running the length of
the building. To the south of the Central Hall, left of the
spectator, is a hall devoted to foreign contributions ; adja-
cent to which is the Fine Arts Court, coeresponding in po-
sition to the Machinery Court. Branching off from the Fine
Arts Court, ate the Antiquarian Court, refreshment rooms,
and a court abutting upon the yard of the Dublin Society,
usually occupied by farming implements. At the western
End of the northern court are esti:naive refreshment-roems,
with a fountain playing in the centre. Light is effectively
admitted from above. Tho construction of the building is
strongly marked on the elevation, and forms in fact the or-
s namental character of the design. There are also external
galleries, which are attractive features on the exterior, and
will be useful in providing access to the roof for repairs.
The materials of the building, we need scarcely say, are
iron, timber, and glass. There are 6.5 tons of 40 cz. ribbed
glass in the roof-lights.— The Builder.
BURIAL GROUNDn.—Lord Shaftesbury has a bill
before the lions° of Lords, just printed, to empower local
boards of health to provide burial grounds. In the Public
Health Act, burial grounds may be closed, but local boards
have no power to provide new burial plane.

PROFESSOR ATTOUN'S LECTURES ON

POETRY.

What with an universally amusing subject, corn-
, liments to the ladies, a sprinklin,. of easily intelligible
jukes, and thenorthern brcgue, to which English audiences
are partial, from a fouling, we suppose, that a man's a
man for a' that ;" and that they arc in the complacent ea-
, anise of a Christian virtue in overlooking. the peculiarity,
Professor Aytona has sum, Jed in entertaining a well-
dressed audience at Willis's Rooms by a series of lectures
on poetry. We should not have thought it necessary to
say a word in dispraise of Mr Aytoun, who has laudably
and successfully eudeavourid to cater for the popular
amusement at this busy season, bad it not been that an in-
fluential contemporary journal has permitted some thought-
less friend of Mr. ,1y hunt to make use of its influence in a
manner which has startled a good many persons into laugh-
ter, and, no doubt, eonfus,d the ideas of a good many
more, who du not know mush of the be.t mo-
dern English Litt rause. Wo were told last week, in a
leading article of the Times, that no poetry has appeared for
many year!, except t:.at which has been written by Mr.
Aytuun. Let us seo : during the last very few years, to
say nutuin4 of half-a-dosen works in verse which would
have mad, great and merited reputations thirty years ago,
thero ha VE appeared Teunyson's two voltam. of .• Posms,"
his "Princess," and his "Is Mentoriant ;" W ordsworth's
" Prelude," in which, whatever may he thought of the whole,
it cannot be denied that there is some of the very finest
tosetry in the language ; and all the poetry of the two
thownings. This is 113 bad crop for an English clime,
which Swift says

thmlly bears
A s;irif of Lay in tidy years.
But we are assured it is all nothing in comparison with the
great Poet Aytoun. Now we feel nsfared that we represent
the reeling of every reading man in England, with, or per-
haps without the exception of the writer of the Times
leader in question, when we affirm that as a poet Mr.
Aytoun's place is nearly at the head of the third class, and
not at the head of the first. Tennyson is the first
class himself; otter Lim there are two or three
who, like Biownieg, ore only second class because they
will not be ut the pains of working the sterling ore
of their imagination to the requisite) degree of fineness;
and after these come a host of clever writers, who know
tolerably well how to rieg the popular changes in rhyme
and metre, so as to produce what is termed a "spirited
effect." These writers are of course the most popular, and,
according to Proferspr Ay toun's criterion, which is immediate
popularity, they are the best. Macaulay, and, next but far
below him, Aytoun, are high specimens of this class, which
includes Eliza Cook, Charles Mackay, It. Montgomery,
Martin Tupper, and many other names little known among
readers of Tennyson, Wordsworth, and Coleridge, but
familiar,to the perusera of annuals, three-halfpenny periodi-
cals, and the second-r to monthly magazines. No reader of
true poetry, who knows anything of this clam of versifiers,
will think it too much if we affirm that the best of them,
acre he to labour for a hundred years, must necessarily fail
in producing a hundred consecutive lines equal to any hun-
dred consecutive fines by Alfred Tennyson. If it were
otherwise, the very idea of genius must be false and without
foundation, and we must go a step beyond the communists,
and declare fur an universal equality of intellect.
The following quotations, tauen at random from Profes-
sor Aytoun's " Lays of the Scottish Caval.ers, and other
Poems," will afford some means for judging whether that
gentleman is re ally the " coming man' of the poetical
world come at last :
Come listen to another ramp,
@Could make your heart cent high,
Bring crimson to year forehead,
And the lustre to your eye ;
It is a song olden time,
Of dais lung since gone by,
And of a Harms stout and bold,
As e'e: wore sword on thigh!
Like a brave o:d Scottish cavalier,
All et the olden time.
Be kept his castle In the north,
Hard by the thundering Spey;
And a thousand vassals dwelt arvand,
All of his kindred they;
And not a mutat all that clan
Bud era tested to pray,
For the royal race they loved so well,
Though exiled far away,
item the stesdfa4 soottish MlTieller%
All or the olden time.
All that we can say of this sort of writing is, that there
is little very bad in it, and nothing good. The following
lines are from the opening of a piece, whose title, " (Enone,"
proves that Mr. Aytoun is not very sensitive as to the con-
trast it provokes us to make with Mr. Tennyson's poem on
the same subject :

On the holy mount of Ida,
Where the One and cypress grow,
Fate a young and lovely woman,
War g ever, seephe low,
y throughout the forest,
Did the winds of 111114t1111 blow,
And the Coin's als..ve were flying,
And Sc.unauler rolled below.
Faithless Paris!—cruel Paris!
lbw the poor deserted spoke;
Wherefore thus 60 strangely leave me,
Why thy loving bride forsake?
Why no tender word at partiug—
Wby nu Liu, no farewell take?
Would that I could but forget thee,
Would this throbbing heart ntVit ken !
Is my fax no longer blooming!
Are piy ey.s no longer bright!
Ah! my tears have made them dimmer,
And my cheeks are pale and white!

We suppose that we need quote no more to prove that
Mr. Aytoun's poetical capabilities are not above the average
of all educated persons ; every young lady's album contains
plenty of verse up to the mark of the foregoing, which are
by no means unfavourable specimens of Professor Aytoun's
style; and it must be abundantly manifest that the writer
who can write such mediocre poetry as this cannot be any
very high authority as a critic of the subtle harmonies and
perceptions of the true poets of our time and this brings
to the subject of Monday's lecture.
Mr. Aytoun set out with a very just and well-expressed
condemnation of the furiously adverse style of criticism with
which it is customary for certain reviews to welcome poeti-
cal genius into the world: he recommended that young
poets should be treated with a certain amount of considera-
tion, and not followed with hoots and hisses until they
fail under the infliction, or succeed, as they have often
done of late, in putting their critics utterly to shame. Such
advice would have come better from almost any rerson in
' the world than from the reputed editor of Blackwood'a
Magazine. The Professor then proceeded to his account of
" Modern British Poetry." Sir Walter Scott holds, in Mr.
Aytoun's opinion, by far the highest place in modern
poetry ; and, unless we misunderstood the lecturer's ex-
pressions, Thomas Campbell comes next. These are cer-
tainly bold opinions for this time of day, but, as the audi-
ence expressed no disapproval, we imagine that the oddity
of the view was overlooked as an amiable and inevitable
national weakness. With the exception of having Scott
put over their heads, Wordsworth,Keats, and Shelley came
off much better than we should have expected. In fact,
Mr. Aytoun expressed, concerning these and some other
petits, pretty much what is the prevalent view of their
standing and merits among tolerably cultivated persons ;
and it is to this and other instances of the Professor's great
care, not as a general rule to tell hie auditors anything but
what they already know or believe, that his oonsiderable suc-
cess as a they
is mainly to be attributed. Coleridge says
somewhere that all the clever Seotchmen he had ever met,
were either dull Frenchmen or shallow Germans. The
combination of these two characteristics of indifferent wit
and poor philosophy is unfortunately the best guarantee,
with a miscellaneous audience, of the success of a lecturer
upon any such high and essentially abstruse subject as the
nature of poetry.
Mr. Aytoun's re upon Lord Byron were all in the
right direction which 'Uvular opinion is now of itself assum-
ing. This notable story of great powers ruinously abused
and wasted, of a mind capable of earning fame, yet offering
itself a sacrifice upon the idolatrous altar of temporary po-
pularity, was well told. Keats, strange to ear, had even
more than justice done to him, but not more than sufficient
to make up for the malicious injustice which was of old done
to him by Blackwood's Magazine and the Quarterly Review.
The reputation of Keats, if we mistake not, is destined to,
and is even now enjoying, a reaction in its favour which
will have to be a good deal sobered dowa before it is one
with the truths. This young poet had quite an unparalleled
command of the external instruments and appliances of
; but in the essence of poetry, thought, and hearty
rue=
feeling, he was, perhaps too deficient to be
ranked among the immortals. Coleridge, though highly
commended by the lecturer, had not the honour given
which is due to him. A poet cannot be reckoned by the
quantity he writes, but solely by the quality. If so, the
writer of " Christabel," the " Ancient Mariner," " Kubla
Khan," and " Genevieve," must rank far Shove Stott,Camp-
bell, Byron, Keats, and every other modern poet, except per-
haps, Wordsworth. We were much surprised to hear
scarcely any mention of Burns, who is incomparably the
best poet ever produced by Scotland, and scarcely, if at all,
inferior, in his best pieces, to some of the great English '
bards. Shelley, like Keats, had, we think, more than
justice done to him : that is to say, his excellences were
set forth, but his fatal defects wholly overlooked. No
living poet, except Mr. Rogerson. mentioned. Mr. Aytoun
showed good taste in the exception no less than in
the rule.

TERMS OF THE NEW AUSTRALIAN CONTRACT.—
According to the conditions of :he new Australian mail
contract the contractors must state at which of the three
Ports, Melbourne, Sydney, or Adelaide they propose to sail,
and they will be bored accordingly, but they will be at
liberty to touch at either, or both of the other two ports, as
may snit their convenience. If the contractor' cannot
touch at all the three ports they must provide for the deli-
, very of mails at the ports at which tney do not touch. If
they land all the mails at Adelaide a deduction of fourteen
days will be made fur the time allowed them for the per-
formance of the whole mail service, and if they land them
at Melbourne a deduction of seven days will be made.
IMPROPER USE OF TUE HALFPENNY NEWSPAPER
STAMP.—Some of the London and country newspaper
offices have been in the habit of printing the posting bills,
advertising the contents of their papers, on halfpenny
supplement stamps, and forwarding them through the
pat-offices to their various agents in other towns. The
Post-office officials have either winked at the practice or
been wholly asleep, and the system has answered the puts
pose of publishers for some time ; for whilst it was a cheap
way of transmitting the posters, the newspapers bad a
credit through :he stamp Calms, of a fictitious circulation.
The fraud (for there could be no pretence for calling these
posters supplements) has at length been discovered how-
ever, and the agents at Manchester were astonished yester-
day by having a demand of eightpence postage oa each copy
dsioanded by the letter-carriers.

EPSOM RACES.

WEDNESDAY.-DERBY DAY.

The attraction of the Derby has this yoar our-
; passed all precedent. Never, in our long remembrarce,
was so vast a, multitude collected upon any similar occasion
oa the Dawns. From an early . hour in the morning the
trains continued to arrive In qutek succession, each adding
its numbers to the crowds that pound into the town, and
blocked up the streets from the Spread Eagle to the King's
Ihritl, where the chances of the aeproaching contest formed
the subject of snituated discussion. Little business was,
however, transacted, the protessienals generally reserving
themselves far the ring "on the course.
Besides tee immense number of viiitore who preferred
the ready tied rapid mude of transit by the rail, hentlreds of
persons, tempted by the extraordinnry fineness of the wen.
Bier, selected the road, which was three ged with vehisles of
every grade and Lehi an, from the cestermonge is daukeys
cart to the aristocratic baronehe er four-in-bond, recul:iag
the almost forgotten glories of the QUCtli'd hie:ilexy on the
Derby day. The brilliancy of the sun preduced, however,
i's invariable consequence is the clouds of dust with which
the outsiders were completely enveloped.
The utmost praise is due to the officials at the London-
b.idge station for the tat:ll44We arrangement, by which
the public were admitted to the trains without the slightest
difficulty or confusion, and fur the order and regularity
with which the transit of so vast an aesemblage was effected
to and from Epsom.
The first race—the Carew stakes—being over, the excite-
ment commenced in earnest as the time for deeming the
great event of the day approached. The 1141: 3...1 of
human beings by which the gra.und was covered, gr.:l-
-da illy formed itself into a dense belt on both sides of the
course, which lay like a broad green ribbon between two
dark borders, from Tattenharu Corner far beyond the Old
Stand Douse. At length, after an anxious interval
the t,herep:i boatels in the inclesare announced that ed of
the 32 horses named on the cord were prepared to compete
fur what the late Lord Georee Bentiuck called the blue
ribbon of the turf." The horses soon afterwards cantered
up the courts tram the paddock which, for the eccommoda-
tiou of owners and trainers of bersea, was again thrown
open tty Mr. Arthur licatheote. Alter due time bad been
allowed for the inspection of tae horses, Mr. Ifibburtl, the
starter, took charge of the troupe, sisal conducted them to
the auk/ling post, and at the suet signal got them away in
beautiful order. At this moment it would be difficult to
imogiae a more animated and exciting scene than the course
presented. The Grand Stand was resplendent with summer
fashions, and the private stands were crowded with the
members and friends of the stewards and the gentlemen of
Jockey Club ; in abort, a more brilliant meeting both as
regards the number of visitors and the fineness of the wea-
ther has never been seen on Epsom Downs.
It is some years since the Derby was invested with so
much mystery, interest, and importance, a circumstance
chiefly attributable to the Ciness and lloneywood move-
ments. They, however, who, with an unprejudiced regard,
scrutinised West Australian and Sittingbourne when they
pulled up after the race fur the Two Thousand, had never
',any doubt of their being first and second for the Derby.
Through good repeat and evil report West Australian
firmly maintained the lead The Ring," and fully did
he justity the confidence of 104 backers. It is doubtless
well remembered that Mr. Bowes achieved a similar
triumph last year with Daniel O'Rourke. In Mei he won
the Derby with Mundig, and iu 1813 with Cotherstone.
We cannot conclude our remarks without testeying to
the satisfactory manner in which the race etffeials performed
their respective duties, and to the efficiency of the police in
the arduous teak of maintaining order on the course.
The refreshment rooms in the Grand Stand were excel-
lently and abundant; bupplied by Messrs. Juliet and
Woodruff.

Among the many fashionable visitors were the Puke de
Nemours, His Excellency tho French Ambassador, the
Duke of Richmond, the Duke and Duchess of Montrose,
the Marquises of Exeter and Clanricarde, and the Mar-
chioness of Ailesbury ; the Earls of Jersey, Du by, Wilton,
Granville, Annesley, Chesterfield, Bessborou;h, March,
Strathmore, Brace, and Longford ; Viscounts Maidstone,
Newport, Anson, Curzon, Clitden, Lascelles, Vil-
lien and Viscoantess Villiers ; Count Bentevoglio ; Baron,
Baroness, and Meyer Rothschild ; Lords H. Gordon Len-
nox, George G. Lennox, Alexander G. Lennox, George
Manners, M.P., Burleigh, Exmouth, Drumlanrig, Dan-
Londesborough; Sir Robert Peel, Sir Sandlord
Graham, Sir George Armitage, Sir Robert l'igot, lion.
Mr. and Mrs. H. Lawley, General Anson, lion. J. M .ICdO.
nald, Hon. G. S. Smythe, Hon. W. Begot, Admiral
Rous, &c.
The sport came off as follows:
. _

CAREW STAKES of 5 sovs. each, with 50 misled ; 2-yr-
olds, bet 31b; three, Bst 6lb ; four. 9st 71b ; five aad up.
wards, 9st 1210 ; mares allowed 61b and geldings 310 ;
allowances for beaten horses, &o. New T.Y.C., three quar-
ters of a mile. (13 Subs.)
Mr. E. It. Clark's Mr. Sykes, by Sir Talton Sykcs,
3 yrP, 7st 121 b (J. Osborne) 1
Lord Clifden's Nightshade, 2 yrs, Est Slb ..(Oliver) 2
Mr. Gulliver's Village Lusa, 2 yrs, sst 121 b (Wells) 3
The fullowing also ran :—Determination, Don Quixote,
Pelopidas, The Kaffir, Folly of the Day, Blonde], and Miss
Delamere. _ _ _

Betting : 5 to 4 apt Village Lass ; 3to 1 aget Night-
dude, 4 to 1 agst Pelopidas, 6 to 1 apt Mr. Sykes. A gond
race from the distance with Mr. Sykes, Nightshade, Vil-
lage Lass, and Blondel. Won by a neck, a head only be-
tween the second and third. Blondel a good fourth. The
others beaten off. The winner was objected to on the
ground of not carrying proper weight.
DERBY STAKES of 50 son. each, h ft, for 3-yr-olds;
colts, Sit 71b; and fillies, Sit 21b; the owner of the
second horse to receive 100 son. out of the stakes. New
Course. One mile end a half. (195 subs.)
Mr. Bowes's West Australian, by Mulbourne
(F. Butler) 1
Duke of Bedford's Sittingbourne, by Chatham
(S. Rogers) 2
Mr. Powney's Cineas, by Touchstone or Epirus
(Bumby) 3
Mr. Howard's Ratapian, by The Baron
The following also ran :—Baron Rothschild's Orestes
(Charlton), Lord Londesborough's Mayor of Hull (J.
.Holmes). Count Batthyany's Stows Plover (NV. Abdale),
Mr. E. R. Clark's Mr. Sykes (Bartholomew), Mr. Mars's
Pharold (Pettit), Lord Exeter's Filbert (Norman), Mr.
Perren's lonic (Hornsby), Lord Derby's Umbriel (Temple-
, man), Duke of Richmond's Pharos (Flatman), Captain
Lane's Ninnyhammer (Sly), Lord Clildea's Cheddar (A.
Day), Lord Caledon's Prince Leopold (W. Sharpe), Mr. B.
Way's Brocket (Thick), Mr. Knowles's Talfourd
(Eashant), Mr. J. M. Stanley's Orinoco (J. Maroon),
Mr. Howard's Lucelles (W. Day), Mr. Oliver's Eth-
elbert (Crickmere), Mr. Surtees nd Honeywood (J.
Osborne), Mr. Rowan's Fionn ma Coul (D. Wynne),
Mr. J. Ayling nd Rattle (G. E. Sharpe), Mr. Thomson's
Coomberland Stathesmon (Aldcroft), Lord Glasgow's Bar-
baths (Whitehouse), Lord Eglinton's Vanderdecken
(Marlow), Mr. Wilkins's Peggy (H. Neale.)
Betting at Starting :-6 to 4 agst West Australian, 5 to 1
apt Orestes, 6 to 1 agst Honeywood, 8 to 1 agst Sitting-
bourne, 20 to 1 apt Umbriel42o to 1 agst Pharos (0ff),25 to 1
apt Ninnyhannuer, 30 to 1 agat Cinema, 30 to 1 apt Peggy,
50 to 1 each agat Cheddar, Barbatus, and litataplan, 100 to
1 apt Coomberland Stathesmon.
An excellent start, all getting off in a cluster, except
Coomberland Stathesmon, who was some lengths behind.
Che, dar and Cineas started in front, but they had scarcely
proceeded halfway up the bill when Umbriel took up the
running, with Cheddar, Cineas, Orestes, Ethelbert, Ninny-
hammer, and Rattle well laid up, and directly in their
wake were Pharos, Honeywood, and Filbert ; West
Australian, with Sittingbaurne in close attendance upon
him, being the next two. No material change occurred until
they arrived at the turn into the straight, when Umbriel
began to drop off. Rattle immediately went on with the
lead, but at the road was passed by Cineas, and at the same
time West Australian, with Sittingbourne at his quarters,
was seen to draw forward. At the distance these two
singled themselves out, and a very exciting race home
ended in favour of West Australian by a neck. Rataplan,
whet eft the ruck in the last quarter of a mile, and gradu-
ally improved his position, finished about half a length be•
hind the third. Hollywood and Rattle were the next two.
Serbians pulled up lame.
nun in 2 min. 56 see. Amount of the stakes, 5,4251.
Jerry Kent was scratched at 10.30 a.m.
Emus Tows PLATE of 50 son. (Handicap) for all
ages. Winners extra. One mile.
Mr. Drinkalo's Slurry by Sleight-of-Hand, 4 yrs,
Sit 101 b (Aldcroft) 1
Mr. Reeves's Abdallah, 6 yrs, fist 71b(Bartholomew) 2
Mr. Magi/Isis's Sandhurst, 3 yrs, 7st (Oliver) 3
The following also ran :—Telescope, Merriment.
The betting opened at 8 to 4 apt Telescope, but closed at
2to 1 agst him. 2to 1 agst Santry.
Atlas race with Snarry, Abdallab, and Sandhurst. Won
by a neck ; the second beating the third by three-quarters of
a length. Telescope a bad fourth.
GREAT EXHIBITION PLATE Of 100 SOU. (handicap), for
all ages; winners Wee. One mile and a quarter.
Mr. Magenta's's Clair de Lune, by Lanerned, 3 yrs,
sst 51b (Oliver) 1
Mr. Wiggan's Forester (h h), aged, 7st 71b (Wells) 2
Mr. Y. King's Narcissus, 6 yrs, fist 41b ..(Charlton 3
The hollowing also ran :—Puritan, Sweetheart, 'reline,
f be Confederate.
Letting : 6 to 4 apt Narcissus, 3 to 1 agst Clair de Lune,
sto 1 apt Forester, 6to 1 apt Puritan. Won cleverly by
a length ; a neck only between the second and third. Sweet-
heart and Iresine were fourth and fifth.
DORDANS STAKES. of 5 son. each, with 50 added, for
2-yr olds and upwards. Optional selling weights. Half a
mile. (10 subs.)
Lord Londesborough's Gold Dust, by Dulcimer, 3
yrs (601), 7st 51b (E. Harrison) 1
Captain Little's m by Counseller—Mies Lucy, 5 yrs,
(401.), 7st 10Ib (Charlton) 2
Mr. J. Dawson's Shipwreck, 3 yes (10/ ), fist 1216
(Aldcroft) 3
The following also ran :—Otranto, Fenian, Tilshead Lass,
f by Venison dam by The Saddler, Knavery, c by Epirus—
Empress.

Ifetting : 2 to 1 art Gold Dust, 5 to 2 Wit Empress colt,
3 to 1 agst Venison filly, 45 to 1 nest Counsellor mare, 8 to
1 agst any other. Won by half &length ; a length between
the second and third. The winner was afterwards sold for
230 guineas ; the fund thereby realising upwards of 1801.

LATEST BETTING ON THE OAKS.
2to 1 agst Catherine Hayes (t)
sto 2 Mistletoe (t)
6to 1 Meotmore Lass (t)
7to 1 The Queen
10 to 1 Lady Louisa
10 to 1 likagliatre

THE DERBY " AND THE BEYTING SHOPS.

SlR,—Few specific complaints will bottle& againet
TO THE EDITOR OP THE Rxeite.ail•
the general desertion of business, un the celebratoll of
what is r; ally almost our chief outdoor national festival.
There Ir. in fact, some cause for regret that the fever of
modern life, the muleitudinons nature of its reqmrements,
which splits up society into classes, each of which needs a
special education and development, does not allow more
frequent fu•dons of each element of nationality in great
public celebrations. The Greek festivals which brought all
the members of a nation torether, to witness emtests in
exercises, which were thought the most eff-ctive means of
eilusating great men, were admirable centrivances for pro-
moting national feeling, and exciting the growth of patriot..
ism. Ali that, of course, is dime away with, in modern.
tinier, and a, nation divided into a humired religious meets
cannot replaee them by the celebration of national. re-
l:gious feasts. Hence we shall find ;bat the oozy prominent
feature in national holidays of the present day will more and
more he amusement. Ina hard working age,however,amuse-
meat is a thing to be euconraged. If the hiq ft and wealthy of
the land mint have their t' eireenscs'• after the manner ht the
Roman plebs, they have so much the mare right to indulge
themselves, as they pay fur the indulgence, which the
plebs did not dn. If, however, it should happen that the
indulgence of one class hail something to no wait the in-
jury of another, it wou:il then be..inne a question whether
we can look upon thtit suLtiement from the same point of
view as before.

Looit at the great extension of gambling which has come
upon us with such rapidity, and which from being confthed
to a few exclusively atistuerotie spots is now in a manner
brought home to every man's door. Within the lan
month an additional nurdie r of houses have sprunct up, an
fostered into shert-lived existence by the " Derby,"
which have anrded the means cf gambling to children,
apprentices, servant•, workmen—in .hurt, to all those
classes of society which in times post were unable to in-
dulge in this terrible propensity, on account of their dis-
tance trout the scene of events, nod the slender nature of
their tin 'ores. The men who keep these houses are the
chaudler-thep retailers of poison, in doses adapted to the
capacities of their customers. They are the instructors of
common people in the vices of the aristocracy, and the pan-
ee er s to the propeneities which they ere accessory in creat-
ing. They are the channels through which streams of pesti-
lence are couv.•yed, which would otherwise hove been con-
fined to one spot. Their name is Legion, for there is prac-
tically no limit to their number, it being competent to any
one to open an establishment of the kind. They require no
previous capital ; that will be supplied by their dupes. Otz
the occurrence of an adverse event they Mist Ate. The .h u acre
of their shops are nth taken down the morning after the
race, steel the poor sulferers have not even the poster of
gettiug at the solitary chair and &At, which with a print
of " Voltigeur" and a few "lists" are the whole furniture
of the place. They arc oil, no ono knows whither, mid have
left "nothing in the pound" to maim those steno they
have reduced to bcagary, and to whom gambling beesmes
almost is necessery of existence.
if the higher classes in the indulgence of an appetite for
sport have ieflicted immeasurable evils upon the esters
below them, the duty lies peculiarly he-ivy upon them of
di.covering a remedy. And it is bezuwie there is an
almost insuperable difficulty to be encountered its
dealing with an evil of this nature that men
should not by sati-tied until strong attention Is
directed to it. Laws for the regulation of the habits and
customs of the people arc proverbially defective in their
operation. The severity of the laws against duelling never
produced the slightest edict upon the practice. When the
duties on spirita were raised ss high, in order to el i.n:nisk
the vice of drunkenness, that they amounted apparently to
a prohibition, gin was sold at the corner of every street,
and drunkenness was never more prevalent. The more we
diminish the profits of the importer of foreign goeds, this
more we increase the income of the muggier. be effect
of sumptuary laws is too much like persecution not to ex-
cite bitter feelings in 010 annuls of those who are the obi, cos
of them. If duelling and drunkenness are less prevalent
than they were, it is not that the law has placed greater
difficulties in the way of fighting duels and getting
drunk, lost because people have less taste for these
forms of vice. Just in the sante way, the decay of
this spirit of petty gambling, which has for years past pro-
duced such a mass of misery will be owing, it at ever comes,
to au alteration in the tastes of the people. If the betting.
houses were put down to-morrow, there is no doubt that
some other means would be found of ratifying the gam-
bling desire that exists for betting on horses. If common
sense did not tell us this, it might be inferred from Cie fact
that the expulsion of betting-lists from public-houses was
the proximate cause of the establi.hment of the bettieg-
offices.

Is it not, then, incumbent on the Duke of R:chniond, the
Duke or Bedford, and Lord Derby, to reflect, when they
discuss the merits of their respective horses—Pharos, Sit-
tingbource, and I.7inbritil,—and the state of the odd, upon
the same, that their footmen, the text day, may commence
the trade of pickpockets, solely because Pharos, or Sitting-
bourne, or Umbriel did not come to the promise of well-
doing ewertd into for them by the prophet of some Sunday
sporting print ?
Mound not there noblemen seriously consider, that the
splendid animals which are the objects of so much care,
really carry, not only the amount of various noble betting
books on their backs, but the fortune and fate M hundreds
of servants, small traders, and others ? It would be. absurd,
as it would be unjust to debit the aristocracy with the
whole of the evil which falls upon the working classes on
account of gambling; but it is not unfair to direct atten-
tion to the fact, that these claws are led into ruin by imi-
tating a practice until lately almost exclusively indulged
in by the richer classes. It is, therefore, justifiable to hope
and expect that the great patrons of the turf—those who
farm and control the opinion of their fellows—will do their
beat to purge the turf from the gambling abominetions
which disgrace it. ANTI-GAIII3LL'.

OTTER-HUNTING IN THE ALMOND.
Owing to a timely notice I had from a friend in
the secret of the Duke of Atholl's intention to hunt the
Armond water for otter, I found myself at Cramond
Bridge at seven o'clock on the morning •of Friday the 6th
curt.: and a bright sunny morning it was. I had hardly
arrived when I saw a party winding down the road to the
bridge, consisting of half a dozen kilted huntsmen, with
scarlet hunting shirts, and thirteen or fourteen couple of
otter hounds—fine shaggy fellows, with long ears, showing
a dash of southern blood. •
The dogs drew the bank up the Edinburgh side of the
river. We had not gone two miles before they opened
with that deep tone which I believe is peculiar to the
otter hound, which told us that our quarry was at home,
or had not long gone out. They were whipped off, how-
ever, for the present, and we drew the same side of the
river till we came to a bridge at the extremity of the
Cragichall property, then down the Linlithgow bank, till
the hounds gave tongue again at the very spot they had
marked before. They were now encouraged to hut every
part where an otter might be hid ; and no easy matter either,
for the water had undermined the bank for some distance.
After a good deal of busy work, we were electrified by
a hello from the other side, which told where the otter
bad been viewed by one who knew all the tricks of the
amphibious game. Then the whole party spread them-
selves some hundred yards on either side of the river, all
eyes watching for the bells on the water, the first sign of '
the whereabouts of the otter.
Now all was excitement, as the hounds in full and most
musical chorus dashed and swam through pool and shallaw
after their game, to them, as to us, far the most part invi-
sible; and frequent view-hollos showed that the object of
our chase was getting exhausted, and could not remain •
much longer under water.
It was pretty to mark bow the stanch old hounds of the
pack hunted " on thin own book" and were not led in their
course, like the puppies, either by the baying of the other
dogs, or by the shouting of the huntsmen.
At length all attention was drawn to one part of the
river on the Edinburgh side, where the determined full
cry of some trusty old hounds disclosed the retreat of the
enemy under a deep overhanging bank lined with willow.
Two huntsmen, jumping into the water, found him engaged
tooth and nail with two or three of the dogs, and their
bleeding tongues and noses 'showed he had made no bad
(Wu of it ; but he had fearful odds against him, and at
length the huntsmen got their hands on him (no spears are
allowed in this pack), but then the difficulty was
to tear him from the teeth of the hounds, wild with
success and blood. Every member of the pack seemed •
determined to have a tug at him; they came tumbling
one over another in the water, and it must have been
a hard skin that did not give way in their clutches.
Then the body of the otter, rescued from the grip of the
hounds, was suspended on the end of a pole, supported by
two hunumen—one of :them a tall wild•lookieg
showing to great advantage in his kilt and hunting shirt—
and the whole pack came yelling round, fierce with excite-
ment from the exulting shouts of the huntsmen, and nearly
tore their shirts to pieces in their endeavours to make their
shoulders a stepping stone to their prey, the otter. So
ended our chow. _

It wu a lively and exciting scene even to one like myself,
new to the sport. The muter of the hounds, wearing the
same dress with the huntsmen, and only distinguishable
from them by the superior knowledge he showed of the
haunts and habits of the animal, wu most courteous to us
interlopers.—Edinburgh Courant.

BURNING OF THE ADELPHI THEATRE, EDIN-
81.71t011. -On Tuesday afternoon the Adelphi Theatre,
Edinburgh, was burned to the ground. The lire was dis-
cerned shortly before 5 o'clock in the evening, issuing from
under the stage; and the building being old, and, with the
exception of the outer walls, of wood, the flames spread
with a fearful rapidity, and soon enveloped the whole
edifice. Happily the occurrence took place before the
audience were assembled, otherwise the consequences
might have been most disastrous. Within an hour the
entire building was reduced to ruin, while the flames spread
on all sides, and caught several cantiguous tenements,
which were, however, saved by the timely arrival (and
well-directed exertions of the fire brigade, and by the
abundant supply of water obtained. Great fears were
entertained for the safety of St. Mary's Roman Catholic
Chapel, a sway cloister attached to which caught fire on the
roof. The altar-piece and all the moveable property of
value were immediately secured, but fortunately the pro-
gress of the flames in this direction were arrested. The
rapidity with which the fire spread prevented any of the
properties being saved, and the wardrobe of nearly all the
company was destroyed. The manager, Mr. 'Wyndham,
was partially if not wholly insured, and the value of the
edifice was covered by insurance. The loss of engagements
by the actors and the destruction of their wardrobes will,
however, be attended with great hardship. The origin Of
the fire is involved in morster7.

TILL LEUMY DUTY.

(Poo the A.tre.)

Tnt Bill fur making the Legacy Lx mire eq:;i-
tahle has just been printed, and will foe satin: time *.r,
come be tin. most I:A.m.:lug topic of discussion Loll..
in and out of the House of Commons. There can be
ao doubt that this proposition to render real property
sulject to the taraiun affecting personal property
has been very generally regarded as the gem of Mr.
GLADATONE'S Budget. Ou many other points his
financial scheme was open t 3 revere critie,sni; and,
indeed, very heal y ohject ions were sustainable against
various points, both of principle and detail. ine.aded
in tis new fiscal arrangements. His plan for the
coma talon of the debt was marked by many miseal-
culaaons in its preliminary stage, and has
proved
something very like an unpalatable failure in
practice. Yet people were not inclined and
arc still mainlined to subject Mr. GLAIP,TONE to that
harassing and destructieu ordeal of criticism end
opposition which from time to time broke down
so many of his predecessors. Active, practical poli-
ticians have been induced to speak and act in tho
spirit of t huse who submit to much a hich may be irksome
and teen tatting for the sake a securing ore national
important step in advance. They have been willing
to wake sacrifices to secure a special good, and the
talisinan which has induced this tolerance and has
secured for the present CIUNCELLOR of the Et dux.
this isomut,ity from pains and penalties gene-
rally
ia.licted on ministers in his position has been
the proposed Legacy Tax on real property. The
pros' cc: of getting certain feudal rxemrtions removed
front land seemed so great a good that the man who
offered to make such a reform became at once an ally
to bo helped and advanced instead of a foe to be
opposed, delayed, or defeated.
But if sacrifices are to be made for securing any
special object, there is ell the more reason for requir-
ing such object to be sound and genuine. We must
have in return for our toleration a real measure of
Legacy l)uty reform. We must secure the good that
has been promised ; and not be put off with any
counterfeit. For a sound and honest ineesuro on this
subject, men on both aides of the House will
vote. There must be very many members amongst
the followers of Lord Dean-, quite willing to
support a just tax on Successions, when that im-
post is to be established for the purpose of lightening
and equalising the general taxation of the country.
Many of our soundest patriots have been found from
time to time amongst the country proprietors serving
in the House of Commons—as the days of HAMPDEN
and the Commonwealth bear witness. And there
must be many still, quite ready to support any mea-
sure for extending to real property its share of taxa-
tion, when the proposition is founded in justice,
and supported by political expediency. But we must
repeat that to gain such aid the measure must be
sour.d, and this soundness must be tested by full
examination. Before any vote is taken on the prin-
ciple of Vie proposed new law, it is well that there
should be ample opportunity for discussion ;—before
its details aro adopted there must be time taken for
the amendment of its clauses.
On a first examination of the Bill one part chal-
lenges immediate criticism. The seventeenth clause
proposes to interlere with leaseholds, and to assess
them hereafter under the new act. la other words,
the nevi Bill for extending to freeholds the legacy
Duty hitherto payable on leaseholds proposes to in-
terfere with leaseholds by putting them on a new
felting altogether. The simplest view of the object
to be attained would have suggested that Mr. GLAD-
STONE should merely extend the hand of the tax-
gathererthat it should hereafter include the freeholds,
heretofore unfairly exempt. This he seems not ors-'
tent hide, bat meddles with a branch of property
already taxed at the same rate as other personalty, and I
only confuses the matter by the step. Leasehold
per:y has always paid Legacy Duty when pasasd
will and surely all that was needed was to bring 1t
into the same net with all other wealth, when by
the death of a former owner any new proprietor sea
oceded to its possession. People are accustomed,
without question, to pay legacy duty oa leasehold
property as on all other personalty, when passing
by will or intestacy. Extend to this class of wealth
the clause fixing with duty all successions by settle-
ment or otherwise, and leaseholds arc sufficiently
attended to. But Mr. GLADSTONE wishes to dire
tied) ail this. The new act proposes to bring into
charge as "a succession" leaseholds which are
settled by deed, and —as is seen in the
first claaae—declares that these leaseholds are to

bo included by word "real property." This
makes the r the excuse—for the 17th clause,
because by the 19th clause " the interest of every
successor in real property" is to be computed and
paid upon as an annuity of equal value; and it
would be ridiculously contradictory if a man were
to pay legacy duty out. and out on the value of lease-
holds, coming to him under a will (say 2091. per an-
num, at isoestyyturs' purchase, or on 4,oooo—and on
another 2001. per annum, to which he bees= abso-
lutely entitled under a settlement, was required
only to pay as on its value as a life annuity,—say
(according to his age), perhaps floe or ten years'
purchase. lint, then, the proper remedy would
seem to be to declare (in the tint clause) leaseholds
to b.‘, as they are, personal property. They are such,
and no difficulty has for the last fifty years arisen in
the computation of their value, and the immediate
payment,pf the legacy duty upon their capitalised
value. Hence there seems to be no need for sub-
jecting them to the rules for valuation, which are pre-
scribed as to " real property" (Clause 19). And surely
it is not desirable, by the exemption in clause
17, to reduce and gins up the duties now payable
upon a very important section of personal property.
The common sense view of the matter is the
one which the landed proprietors, equally with
the general public, are interested in seeing esta-
blished. For the owners of land must desire the area
of taxation on personal property to be as wide as
possible, whilst the public—accustomed to pay on
this kind of wealth—do not complain of the burthen
on themselves, but grumble only that real property has
hitherto been exempted from similar burthens. The
national demand has been for the removal of a fiscal
injustice: this bill, when proposing very properly to
get rid of that injustice, travels, in the instance
gust given, from its rational, just, and simple ob-
4ect, and—as might be expected—gets the subject
into a tangle. The Somerset House folks are deter-
mined to be so very clever, that they are constantly
falling into scrapes. Here is a specimen of this. By
this 17th clause, the present legacy duty on leaseholds
is abolished. By the 2nd clause, a succession is defined
to be a right arising from some "pact or future dis-
position." By the Ist clause, "disposition" is said to
mean every act, e.rcept a testamentary disposition of
personal property."
Consequently, if the Bill were to pass as it stands
all leaseholds bequeathed by will would be exempt
horn legacy duty—first, because by the 17th clause
of this act all existing legacy duty on them is re-
pealed ; and second, because they would not be
liable under this act—as a " Disposition "is declared
not to extend to, or include, a testamentary disposi-
tion of personal property. But enough has been said
on these points of tho new Bill to show that, whilst
admirable ir. its object, it will requite improvement
in its details.

illt-ItAIIRTAGE OF A lIINDOO WIDOVV.—Wei beg
to mention, on good authority, thet recently a Ilindoo girl,
of a Kulin Brahmin family at Kornugger, has been re-
=rued to a neighbour of the village by her own father-in-
law, she having been widowed at the age of 9 years. This
unique occurrence has excited a great sensation is the place,
and the subject is now under warm discussion among the
orthodox leading members of the families of the fowls,
who have not only excommunicated the men given in mar-
riage to his daughter-in-law, but have forbidden all from
either dining or tieing "in his house on pain of excoin-
rounieation. But mousy is now all-powerful, and, in spite
of their threatening denunciations, the men proreribed has
succeeded in winning over to his aide a considerable num-
ber of his partisans by the soseross recommendations of the
mint. We hope sassy will emulate the conduct of this man
of uncommon moral fortitude, and thus break through the
pernicious euttom of keeping their widows in constrained
perpetual celibacy, which is found so detrimental in these
days of the march of intellect.—llau•karsi. .

•
DISTRESSED NEEDLEWOME.,ed -—A special
meeting of the committee of this institution which Is situated
in Carburten-street, Pitney-moue, was held at the mi.
deuce of the Lady Liater Kaye. Iler ladyship having
taken the chair, the secretary (the Rev. C. Geary), stated
the object of the special meeting, viz, the consideration of
an offer matte by the proprietor' el the Portland Bazaar,
free of rent, for the ealtibitioa of meek done by the peer
women who are received Into this home, when it was
resolved that the eras of the proprietors of the Portland
Bomar be accepted ; that the thanks of the committee be
conveyed to the not-rotors of the Limtr for their
sad that the mammy be instructed to make all necessary
agesagemeiNst after wltick the 'Natag adjourned.