The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL &SOCIETY, &5.c.

The journals in the interest of the Evangelical party have
been making as outcry because of the alleged refusal of Lord
Palmerston to sanction this year the customary issue of a
Queen's LETTER, promoting the ,collection for " the National
Society," and for " the propagation of the gospel in foreign
parts. The Morning Advertiser and the Herald of Satur-
day notice and denounce the refusal, and speak of the Home
Secretary in no measured terms. But it appears from the
Observer of yesterday that there is not a particle of founda-
tion for this story. That journal observes :—" There is no
foundation for the mistatement, and the collections will be
made this year in the usual way, in the churches, upon the
letter, formally and officially addressed to the Arahfriabm, ,st
Cauvuctoul uuu immoc tn- sit L'l! iuuu
The same journal thus discusses the propriety of continuing
the royal patronage with an irrererence which we condemn,
but with a plainness that shows how nearly at an end is the
custom of royally promulgating those annual collections :
" But the present discussion will probably lead to an inquiry
that may open the whole question of this sort of royal
patronage in favour of eleemosynary efforts, which are of
late years sufficiently organised to do without them. And
should it so happen—fortunately or unfortunately•—that the
decision of the advisers of the crown prove to be against
continuing the practice in future years, we shall in all pro-
bability have the Rev. Dr. Denison declaiming that he had
much rather do without it. Lord Palmerston, however, is
proverbially good-natured. Whatever opinions he may
have, he is ready to grant a long day—whether it be to
the religious societies in question, or (if we compare great
things with small) the Christmas Mose Clubs, which may
boast no great religion at all. All irregular gambling tran-
sactions have been ordered to be closely watched by the
police. The goose clubs at the public houses, and the plum
pudding deposits at the small grocers' shops, are let off—for
this year only—on condition that they have now fair warn-
ing, and that however innocent themselves, they will not be
permitted to operate in future years, either as a cloak, or an
example, for more dangerous dealings in the gambling line,
which the government has resolved, in the interests of society,
to put down altogether.

MINING IN RUSSIA.—The mining Journal of St. Peters-
burg states that the mines belonging to the state have this
year furnished to the mint 1457 pounds and 28 pounds of
gold, representing oalue of 19,902,338 roubles (79,609,3520
and 1367 pounds of silver (4,979,524 f.), or in all 21,147,219
roubles (84,588,876 f.)
THE BOARD OF CUSTOMS—A room on the ground floor at
the eastern end of the custom-house, London, will be appro-
priated to the hearing of complaints and appeals. With re-
gard to the outports, the same mode of proceeding is to be
observed, as far as practicable, the collector, controller, or
other officer deputed for that purpose, presiding at the in-
quiry, instead of a commissioner.
POSTHUMOUS WORK OF WILLIAM HUMBOLDT.—A letter
from Berlin, of the 25th ult., says :—" There has just been
published a collection of 352 sonnets, composed by the late
Baron William de Humboldt, brother of Alexandre de
Humboldt, during his residence on his estate of Tejel,
whither he retired in 1831, after the death of his wife, and
remained until his death, in 1835. These sonnets were dic-
tated by this celebrated statesman to his secretary, M. de
Schulz, now sub-director of
.the Public Debt of Prussia,
recommending him not to publish them until 15 years after
his death. The king has accepted the dedication of the
work."