The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-27 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL MONDAY.

• ,
anans, also, is absolutely demanded by • the dai'y
duties of the office. Legislation cannot rapidly
advance if an uncertain, timid voice issues from
the Speaker's chair, or if a faltering hand hold the
helm of parliament. His habitual tone is not
suited for the position. His age, also, seems a
great disqualification. Can it be expected that a
gentleman in his fifty-eighth year may look forward
to so long a tenure of office as to entitle him in
point of justice, to the honours of a peerage ?"
The elections are now to by the county
Leitrim returning their old members. Taking all
in all,' the present parliament is more decidedly
liberal than the last, and it is the opinion of men
not generally sanguine as to those matters, that
there is an actual majority in the house for the
b dint. This, however, may be questioned. But
the ballot may nevertheless obtain majorities, for
while its supporters are pledged to support it, there
is no party pledged to oppose it. The ballot is not
even a sine qua non of conservatism, although ob-
jections .to the ballot dwell in many honourable
minds on bath sides of the house. It is said by
political calculators that, if Lord Palmerston adopt
an obstructive conservatism on the question of
church-rates' or the ballot, he will be defeated in
this house, Which his supporters fondly call his
own, by at least a majority of forty.
One of the members of the old Parliament has
just paid the last debt of nature. Mr. J Macgregor
late M.P. for Glasgow, and a director of the noto-
rious British Bank, died on Thursday last. Pre.
\Timis to his demise he was in a very low pecuniary
oonaition.

Under the head pf "-another large steam 11.,mt
for Southampton," we perceive the following
very singular paragraph in a Southampton paper
of Saturday During the past week our port has
been visited by Mr. James Bibby, of Messrs. John
Bibby, Sons, and Co. of Liverpool, with a view to
the completion of arrangements with our Dock and
Railway Companies for their large steam fleet em-
ployed in the Mediterranean trade (eighteen to
twenty vessels) to load regularly at Southampton,
the present comparatively limited accommodation
for steam tonnage at Liverpool being found alike
irksome to shipowners and consignees of cargo."
If such be -really- the case, the Liverpool -Dock-
C,)mmittee have surely something to answer for.
Why don't they take care that the steamship
owners of the port have sufficient accommodation
at moderate and fair charges, and not be driving
one trade after another to the rival port of South-
ampton. As a sort of corroboration of the paragraph
quoted above, we perceive a notice to the
effect, that " the Directors of the South
Western Railway have consented to some modifi-
cation in their tariff, affecting Manchester goods
for sl4ipment at Southampton." Liverpool would
need to look to her laurels if she would pride
herself upon being the first steamship port of the
United Kingdom. •

We see that the Belfast merchants are in great
glee at the arrival at that port of the Florence
Nightingale, from China, with 7,563 chests of tea,
value, duty paid, upwards of £BO.OOO. This is the
first vessel, with anyt hi e g approaching the quantity
of tea, that has ever arrived at Belfast.
In our columns of this morning, will be found
an address presented to Mr. S. R. Graves, of this
town, by his would-be constituents in the borough
of Nero Ross. The address is signed by all but
three, who voted for him on the occasion of his
contesting the representation of his native place.
Singular to say, although Mr. Graves is, or was a
staunch Tory, the signatures to the address are
headed by the parish priest.
There will be some fun in Cork, when there is
sufficient funds in hand to proceed with the in•
tended memorial to the late Father Matthew. One
section is for a reformatory, and another for a
model lodging honse, and a third for a statue.
The ridiculousness of these differences of opinion
will be seen when we state, that only about £3OO
has yet been collected.
The intelligence from China is far from reassur-
ing. It illustrates, in a striking manner, the kind
of warfare which the most "-courteous and
moderate" of barbarians seem determined to carry
on. The Chinese passengers and crew of the
steamer Queen rose on. the Europeans on beard
and murdered them--a repetition of the Thistle
massacre by Yell's soldiers in the-disguise of
passengers.. At Hong Kong, already. notorious for
the arsenic poisonings, incendiaries have suc-
ceeded in burning the storehouse of the Govern.
ment contractors, and 700 barrels of flour therein
contained. In the settlement-of Rajah Brooke, at
Sarawak, the Chinese, it seems, broke out in insur-
rection on the 17th February, and massacled all
the Europeans upon whom they could lay their
hands. -7 Slr James 13!•oeke himself escaped, but he
was forced to swim for his life across a creek. But
here the Chinese met with more than their match,
and almost instant retribution followed the atroci-
ties of the 17. h. Sir James collected a band of.
Malays and Dyaks. One of the Borneo Company's
steamers opportunely arrived. Returning to the
settlement with these forces, Sir James rapidly
disposed of his foes in a manner that they are not
likely to forget.
It is now said that the strength of the British
Expedition to China is to be increased 0.20,900
men, and that measures will be taken to maintain
the regiments at their full strength. -Should
the Chinese refuse to conclude an arrangement,
it is not thought that the war could terminate in a
single campaign. It is said that there is an in-
tention of commencing with the capture of the
island of Formosa, separated from the mainland
by the straits of the same name. This island
belongs to the province of Fou Kian, which
adjoins that of Kouang Jouna, the capital of
which is Canton. The island, which is garrisoned
by 12,000 Chinese, would form an •admirable spot
for the establishment of hospitals, depots, &e., and
it would admit of being easily fortified. The Court
of Pekin attaches great importance to the posses-
sion of Formosa, which during the latter part of
the 17th century, was the scene of a violent sting.
gle ; it was finally annexed to the Chinese Empire
in 1683.

The continental news this morning is not of
much importance. The formation of a camp of
Sardinian soldiers at Alessandria is denied; the
Danish Ministry is not yet reconstituted ; and the
Upper Chamber of Prussia has rejected the Minis-
terial project of a tax on salt. This latter event
completes the financial embarrassment of the
Prussian Government, which will now probably
have to raise the salaries of its officials by dimin-
ishing their numbers, and forego the contemplated
augmentation of the standing army.

The screw steamer New York which sailed from
New Yolk in company with the Alps. arrived at
Greenock yesterday. The New York encountered
some very heavy weather. The steamer Asia had
not arrived *hen we went press this morning.
She was to sail from New York on the 15th inst.,
and will in all probability arrive. here during the
day.

THE Annual Report of the working of the
several leading Departments of the State, is at all
times an interesting and valuable document. In
its pages we can carefully glean past progress,
and form some estimate of future prospects. The
Postmaster-General bas just given to the world
his third annual Report, being a history-of the
department over which he presides. for the year
1856. Nothing could more clearly demonstrate
the advantages and beneficial effects of " cheap
postage" than the statements contained in the
Report, as well as the general excellence of all
our Postal arrangements throughout the United
;Kingdom. , The main requisites of the general
speed in transmission,
Post-office should be
and punctuality and accuracy in delivery.
Judging from the contents or the Report, these
have been eminently attained. It seems, how-
ever, that the Post-office authorities ail! not
content with: what has been done in the way of
Postal facilities and improvements. They are
constantly on the look out how, and by what

means, additional reforms can be best promoted,

so that the speed, regularity, and accuracy
alluded to can be still further augmented. This
is as it should be, inasmuch as the trade and
commerce of the country is rapidly increasing.
Cheap Postage has multiplied epistolatory cor-
respondence to an incalculable extent, and the
vast increase and reduced price of newspapers
have thrown upon the Post-office service of the
country a tremendously increased amount of daily
labour. Every means which ingenuity can
suggest for promoting its interest, and enabling
every one therein to transact with rapidity and
accuracy the duty or duties assigned him, is
called into requisition. In no other department
of the public service have the improvements been
so numerous or strikingly beneficial as in the
Post-office. Compare that service with what it was
in the " old mail coach time," and the reforms
which have takenplace will at once become appa-
rent. But enough on this part of the subject.
Let us glance at the main features of the Report:
First, as to the work done. It appears that
during the course of 1856 -there has been an
increase of 2,600 miles added to the distance
over which the regular mails are carried, making
a total at the present time of fully 61,000 miles
per diem. This, be it observed, is exclusive of'
conveyance by steam-vessels or boats, and irre-
spective of the walks of letter carriers or the
carriage from Post-offices to ori from railway-
, stations, During the last year no fewer than
fifty additional towns were furnished with day
mails to and from
.London, and the delivery of
letters so far north as Wick and Orkney has
been accelerated, whilst additional accommoda-
tion and postal communication has been
extended to the Western Islands. In looking
at the statistical records or the distance traversed,
we find a fact of a singular character, and one
that will hardly be expected to exist—namely,
that more than one-half the duty of conveying and
-distributing letters is still performed by coaches,
omnibuses, and mail-carts. Of the 61,000
miles over which the mails are conveyed,
28,692 are railway, and 32,721, road, In Eng-
land alone, the. railway surpasses the road mile-
age, the former being 22,285, the latter 19,298.
Ireland's pro Portion is small, 2,766 to 3,538, and
Scotland gives 3,641 against 4,885. These
figures of themselves are an apt illustration of
the enterprise, wealth and prosperity of .England.

The total number of letters delivered in the
United Kingdom, during 1856, was 478,000,000.
They are thus classified :—:188,000,000 English,
48,000,000 Scotch, and 42,000,000 Irish. The
total increase of the year being no less than
22,000,000, or 41 per cent. on 1855. These
figures suggest two important considerations,
both of which speak trumpet-tongued in commen-
dation of the system of penny postage. In 1839
our post office letters amounted to 76,000,000.
The scheme of Mr. ROWLAND HILL has augmented
them in less than eighteen years to 478,000,000,
an average increase of about 22,500,000 per
annum. Nothing could more forcibly demon-
strate the wisdom and the benefit of a system
which will ultimately be adopted by all civilised
communities. Again, if we compare the number
of letters delivered in the three kingdoms, we find
the following results. In England, 20 to each
person in the ,population ; Scotland 16; Ireland
only 7—an evidence of the activity of internal
intercourse which England possesses over Scot-
land, whilst Ireland is left far behind. The
decrease in postage to India from Is. to 6d. has
augmented the letters under this denomination-
from 800,000 to 1,100,000, French corresp Ind=
ence, from a similar cause, has advanced from
200,000 letters in 1855 to 800,000 in 1856; and
we see by the returns that an increase of 125,000
letters has taken place as regards correspondence
to and from the United States. These are cheer-
ing facts regarding our trade and commerce in
every quarter of the globe, as well as our ex
tended intercourse, not only with our own
colonies, but the nations of the earth at large.
The facts and figures connected with the
working of the money order office are equally
gratifying and encouraging. They prove that
the system has taken firm root, and is flourish-
ing to the benefit of the entire community.
No less than 162 new money order offices have
been opened during the year, the great majority
of which are for the benefit and convenience
of the country districts. This branch of the
service comprises 2,095 offices, and has been the
medium of transmitting in 1856 the large amount
of 11,805,5611, namely, 10,999,3661. in England
and Wales, 899,2531. in Scotland, and 806,9421.
in Ireland. And when we bear in mind that
the aforesaid sum of 11,805,5 61/. called
for no less than 6,000,000 of post-office
orders, we have a satisfactory proof
of
-the great profit which the trading and labour-
ing classes of the community reap from the
systeni. As a branch of revenue, the• Money
Order Office is beginning to pay. When first
established in 1847 and 1848, there was a loss.
A small profit, 322/. was obtained in 1849. Last
year, the clear gains amounted to 22,674/., an
increase of 2,4221. on the profits of 1855. It
would be well if the Post Office authorities culti-
vated this department a little more, and as reduced
taxation brings increased trade, if they lowered
their tariff of charges, the augmentation of
business would not only enhance the profits of
the department, but afford still greater con-
venience to the public.
Another topic of interest alluded to in the
report under consideration, is the question of
ocean postage. A reduction to 6d has taken
place in all letters to the British colonies, so that
we can now forward communications to all our
British North American settlements, to the East
Indies, Western Australia, the Island of Ascen-
sion, and the Cape of Good Hope, for the same
figure. There has also been a reduction of
postage to most of the leading cities and corn-
mercial towns of the European continent ; and we
are informed, that nec,rociations are going for-
ward with the view of reducing the postage
between this country and the United States, from

Is. to 6d. We would, however, earnestly advise
the authorities to consider well, whether a uni-
versal penny postage tax would not only bring
in a much larger revenue, and, at the same time,
accelerate the march of civilization throughout
the world. It advantages so vast and important
has resulted to the people of these kingdoms, by
the adoption of an inland penny postage, what
would it not be to mankind at large, if we could
correspond with relatives and friends in the back
woods of Canada and the United States, the
flourishing colonies of Australia, the West Indies,
Cape of Good Hope and India, and China, at the
nominal tax of a penny for each letter under half
an ounce weight. At present, there is every
reason to encourage the idea, and lie will be a
popular statesman who can obtain this important
boon for the millions.

A DOCUMENT of considerable interest to the
public at large has recently been published. We
allude to the Report on Railway Accidents,
which has been laid before the Board of Trade
by Captain GALTON. It gives an abstract of the
number of accidents which occurred in the year
1850, and in the four years which ended on the
31st of December last. The causes which led to
the accidents are thus classified.: accidental cir-
cumstances, negligence of servants, defective
arrangements, and mismanagement. From the
Report we learn that the number of accidents
which were enquired into were fewer in the last
year, 1856, than for the fiist three years reported
upon. This is satisfactory, and induces the
hope that the decrease will continue until it
reaches a minimum, for we cannot expect that
there will ever be an entire freedom from danger.
The total number of accidents attributable to
causes which could not be controlled, during the
four years en iing the 31st of December, 1856,
was 326—namely, seventy-six in 1853, eighty-
five in 1854, ninety-four in 1855, and seventy-
six in 1856. But these numbers are thus
divided :—ln 1853, there were only five cases
which could be considered purely accidental ;
eleven were purely accidental and from other
causes combined ; and twenty-eight to the
negligence of servants, and in some of these the
negligence could be traced either to the men
having been overworked, or to defects in the
state of discipline; the remaining forty-two
cases being thus ascribed to defective arrange-
ments or mismanagement. It is unnecessary 'to
go over the other portions of the series, as the
Report is amply simple and intelligible.
The people are deeply interested in the heavy
portion of accidents directly chargeable upon the
Companies. It will, no doubt, be considered
that some means might easily be discovered and
applied, whereby a large portion, if not all, of
these cases of accidents, resulting in the loss of
life or personal injary, might be prevented and
avoided. There is enough of absolute risk con-
nected with Railway travelling, without its being
augmented by the carelessness, or, it may be, the
cupidity of Railway Companies and their officials.
In 1853 there were only five cases which could
be characterised as purely accidental and unfore-
seen. This, out of the gross number, 76, is
certainly not 2 large per centage. But if we add to
it those which took place by accident combined
with circumstances which probably could have
been prevented by the adaption of better
arrangements, the number of those casualties
even is certainly much too large not to evoke
feelings of alarm.
In treating of these matters, Captain GALTON
does not recommend any specific legislation as a
curative of railway accidents. He does not
think it necessary that Government should inter-
fere to prescribe any particular method of work.
ing Railways, because 'improvements are taking
place almost daily, so that any specific system or
systems of working, would, no doubt, tend to
interrupt the progress of improvement, which is
gradually, but slowly taking place, and at the
same time, relieve managers, directors, &c., from
that proper responsibility which clings to them
without practically placing it in any other
quarter. An excellent suggestion is put for-
ward, viz., the establishment of public investiga-
tions into all railway accidents, "by a competent
and impartial officer, or tribunal, whose report
should be made public, with as little delay as
possible." The sagacity of this idea will be
apparent to all who have perused the reports of
railway accidents, from the time when the late
Mr. Ilusserssoss nset his untimely end to the
present day. At present, we do not know all the
accidents which occur, nor even the nature,
extent, and number of personal injuries sustained,
and the loss of life which befalls the officers of
railway companies. Many and important ad-
vantages would occur from publicity. Among
Some of the more prominent, are the following,--
a greater care in all that concerns the fixed and
rolling apparatus of a railway ; the employment
of more servants, and the selection of a better
class of persons as such. -The concluding para-
graph of the report answers the objection which
has been made to this publicity, namely, that it
would operate injuriously against railway com_
panics in cases where persons sued for compen-
sation. Captain GALTON takes a totally opposite
view, and contends that the fact of public enquiry
taking place, would enable all parties concerned,
to determine what steps should be taken as regards
compensation, and would, in all likelihood, influ-
ence a jury to take a view favourable to therailway
companies, and it would also guard innocent
officials from unmerited and excessive punish-
ment, and render the really culpable certain of
the penalties with which negligence or other
species of improper conduct should be visited.
The report is a really important and interest-
ing one, and is worthy a close and attentive
perusal. There are several matters to which
Captain GALTON alludes, which require the due
deliberation of Parliament. When we consider
the influence which the railway system-has, and
is constantly exercising, upon the agricultural and
commercial prosperity of this country, and the
thousands of persons who are daily travelling

thereon, it cannot be denied that the utmost
stringency of propriety in their management
should be enforced. The safety of life and pro-
perty should be placed, as far as human inge-
nuity can suggest, beyond risk or danger. For
these reasons, we could wish that the law of
Scotland was applied to all railway delinquents,
so that every one connected with a railway, and
to whose neglect of any duties lying within his
special province, accident, attended with loss of
life or personal injury can be traced, would be
subject to the salutary rigour of the law. We
desire to see the abolition of that principle which
requires us in cases of accidents to proceed by
deodands against engines and other non-sentient
articles, which can neither be fined nor confined.
Earnestly do we trust that in dealing with rail-
way offences our magistrates and judges will be
animated by the lenient maxim, "Salus populi
supreme lex," and that the punishments which
they award will have for their main purpose the
guarding against those terrific disasters which

have brought grief and woe to the habitation of
many an otherwise contented and prosperous
family. Mere restitution or compensation is but
a poor reward for the loss of a parent, a brother,
or a child. Hence it is tint we insist upon
heavier criminal punishments fur accidents, the
result of carelessness or inattention.

THE Duke of CAMBRIDGE, as General Com-
manding-in-Chief, , has just issued a " general
order," relating to the qualifications for staff
appointments. The document is an important
one, for it sets at rest all discussion as to whether
staff officers are to be instructed in certain matters
appertaining to their calling. Accepting the
general order. of the General Commanding-in-
Chief 'as an instance of his desire to comply with
the demands of the public for a more extensive
and liberal education in the army, we are sorry
to see that his Royal Highness is not much more
liberal in the programme of instruction which be
has ordered to be Rut forth. We greatly fear
whether it will' answer all the purposes for which
it is intended. The history of the campaign in
the Crimea has aroused the public to a full sense
of the deficient education of officers as such.
Nothing has been done to recognise a military
life as a professional one. The people love to see
young and dashing officers, on prancing steeds,
and fairly clad in bright and shining armour, but
they are somehow or other neglectful in the
proper training which is essentially necessary to
complete the full-fledged soldier. Strength and
courage are two great elements in his character ;
but to these must be added military tactics, for-
tifications, field movements, &c. Without them
he may be attractive at a dinner table and in
the ball-room; but will cut a sorry figure as the
commander of a regiment, or even one of its

companies or squadrons. The Duke of CAaz•-
BRIDGE seeks to improve this state of things, and
proclaims that in addition to being able to ride
well, he must be competent to write his own
language, must have a good colloquial know-
ledge of one foreign language, must have a good
eye for a country, and be able to produce an
intelligible sketch of it ; must have a thorough
knowledge of regimental duty, and tactics, and
field movements, on an extended scale, and also
a knowledge of field fortifications. Such is an
epitome • of the qualifications now required of
staff officers in the British Army.
Should these regulations be thoroughly carried
into effect, there is not the least doubt but a
signal advantage will be conferred upon all
branches of the military service of the country.
The Horse Guards merit the best thanks of the
public for this judicious step in Army Reform.
It is, however, defective, because it does not go
far enough. All persons aspiring to a commis-
sion in the British army should be required to
submit to an examination upon the nature and
objects of the profession. It is all very well to
require staff officers to possess an intimate
acquaintance with the subjects enumerated above,
but it is
_equally necessary that he who is on
active duty with his regiment should be qualified
in a similar manner. Before joining the army,
he should have studied the scenes of war, and
thereby prepared his mind for thoroughly under-
standing all details of field movements, fortifica-
ti3ns, and encampments, both at home and
abroad.

The Duke of CAMBR IDG E'S educational
programme for staff officers implies the necessity
of an examination. Officers must not be left to
study the branches of education they require or
not, as they please. If there is an honest
intention in the " General Order," and it is
meant to carry out its requirements, there must
be.a Board of Examiners. That Board must be
of such a character as will gain, and at all times
command, the confidence of the public. Unless
a permanent Board of Examiners be appointed,
consisting partly of civilians and partly of mili-
tary officers; and unless the Board is rendered
absolutely independent of the Government, the
requirements of the General Commanding-in-
Chief is but so much waste paper,—without such
the Order in question affords grounds for
suspecting that it is rather to allay public
discontent than to effect a genuine Reform in
our military system. No difficulty need be
encountered in the matter. At present, the
Civil Service Commission is in active operation.
It is completely independent, and a glance at
the last Report demonstrates how requisite that
independence is in order t 3 enable both the
Commissioners and the Examiners to perform
with faithfulness and effect the duties assigned
to each.

• There is another consideration connected with
this general order, to which we would briefly
refer : it is as to the mode in ,ahich an eligible
officer can obtain an appointment on the staff.
We hope that his Royal Highness the Duke of
CAMBRIDGE does not mean to have such appoint-
ments effected by means of out-door patronage.
One officer is as much entitled as another 'to
prove his military knowledge, and having done
so, his claims for an appointment on the staff 1

h s ould be duly considered, although he may n9t
be able to command the support of the great and
nobly born. Besides, it would be desirable to
have the examinations so conducted as to enable.
the Board of Examiners to confer certificates of
competency, and also to distribute honorary dig'
tinctions to all who have in any way distin-
guished themselves, and manifested superior
degrees of military attainment. By this means,
the humblest private in the ranks would be Sti-
mulated to literary and military studies, and
instead of the army being as it now is, for the
most part, deficiently 'educated, we would have
not only a powerful but a wellinformed body of
The people of Scotland are noted for their
general intelligence, and on nothing was this
more clearly exemplified than in the graphic and
well-Written sketches of our campaign in tile,
Crimea, which were contained in the letters of
Scotch soldiers to their relatives and friends at
home.

men.

Taken as a whole, the public have reason to
thank the Horse Guards for its tardy acknow'
ltdgement—that an educated Staff is necessary,
and that heretofore it was not required. The
public will, however, do well to watch with'
attention the mode in which the " general order'
is carried out, so that this excellent scheme may
be fully and fairly tested. And, as we have
already remarked, that can only be accomplished
by the appointment of a competent Board of
Examiners, consisting partly of civilians, before
which every officer in the British army 113°4
appear, and give evidence of possessing all the
literary and military attainments required by the
rules of the service. -

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

[By British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph•]

RUSSIA.

The Government has issued a decree, directing
that in all cases where Securities are required t°
be advanced as caution money, the public office;
are authorised to receive shares at par in the nei.e
new Railways in the same way as Stocks in
public Funds.

AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

• ea
Yesterday a. telegraphic message was reeoiv
in Liverpool, announcing that the steamer of•
which left Southampton with the heavy portion ea
the Australian mails, on the 12th instant, arrl!cre,
at Malta on the 21st, after a rather long passe'

having encountered very bad weather. -
The Cambria, with the mails, via Mars
eillegt
arrived at Malta on the day previous. The Elrnat
would immediately proceed on to Alexandria iv'
both portions of the mails.
By the same telegraph we learn that the stearaar
Colombo had arrived at Malta from AleXandri.T
which port she left on the 19th of AP
r 1:
and she reports that a telegraphic maasat
had been received at Alexandria, announans
the arrival at Suez of the• European and Australia°
Mail steamer European, with the homeward
tralian mails from Sydney of the date of the 1103 f,
Melbourne of the King George's Sound ore
the 23rd of March, and from Galle of the 7th 01
April.
The European's mails would, no doubt, reach
Alexandria on the 19th or 20th of April, being fulll
five days before her contract time, and would, 10_
all probability, have to lie there until the 25th or
26th, as the steamer Etna, which should brill
them forward, was only at Malta on the 21st brill
her outward trip. Possibly this delay relay„a
avoided, if there -should have been any era
steamer at Alexandria that could be despale'le
with them. oar"
Supposing that they were detained for bThrili
rival of thes Etna, they would leave Alesa° the
about the 26th or 27th, and arrive at tialta
30th of April or the Ist of May, and in LOG—
via Marseilles, on the 2nd or 3rd of May.

THE WEATHER for same days past has been change-a I°r
and and somewhat si vere for the season. We had watt
three wet days list week, aid Saturday was Partli'hfjght
with a piercing cold atmosphere. Yesterday 039 -
and fine, but there was a sharp cold breeze all dal'. mit
FIRE YESTERDAY —Yeslerday, about four o'clock,:ioetf
was discovered in a boat builder's yard, in Kqelle,°:a'raegt
and on the alarm bzing given, Mr. Hewitt, with P;doces
with reels from Temple-cruet, were in prompt atte° joieg
and in a short time, the flames were put out withol
die los
any material damage. It was fortanta that the ightf
discovered in the day time, as, bad it occurred at
the consequences might have posted most serious. r held
CORONER'S .INQUESTS.—(II Saturday, the eorerle
flsolo
the following inquests :—On the body of a or/ed i 0
‘
James Hatton who died in Brick-street, as rep „riot
our paper of Saturday. The facts as published weree'd by
in evidence, and the jury found that death 'was °9l3:e both
j
excessive drinking.—An inquest was opened 60 ooteu
of the old man named Edward King, who died ee reil this
in Saturday's paper. The inquest was adjoorned
day, in consequeaco of some suspicious circu"s A
connected with the death. (84 ) named
FATAL ACClDENTS.—Yesterday, an old man ~„„t
William Jones, a 'Welshman, who used to sing 3",:r-oalce,"d
-streets, died in the Northern Hospital. fie was 'had
down and run over by a ear, on Monday last, en" yestcr,i
leg fractured, from the effects of which- he died.-- side,*
day morning a man named Edward Kavanagh, ob°,feto
at 21, George's place, William street, was brough"„ 5101)
Northern Hospital, where he lies at present, but wit sigh
hopes of recovery. Re fell down stairs on Saturdtlod is
whilst in a state of intoxication, and received a 1/3-
the head, and be appears also to be paralysed. „o an"
Steer LAUNCH.—On Satur lay, a number of ladles, the
gentlemen front each sile of the Mers,v, assemble(' the
Canada works Building Yard, Monk's Ferry, to witrjbdit b 1
launch of a very elegantly modelled screw steamer, ester
Messrs. Pete, Brassey and Co., the owne:s of these and is
sive yards. The name of the ship is the la tailekor Or'
intended for the Irish trade, having been built
no al
Hastings, of Dawnpatrick• Her dimensions;nes 3rtl
follows : —l6O tons measurement, and her eV sad'-
30 horse power, 100 feet long, 18 feet over
ebealli',,roPer4
feet 6 inches deep. She is very elegant in all her trber gclt
tions. At a given signal the order was given to liet.sto
and immediately this beautiful little vessel glide" ibter °
river in gdllant s'yle. Miss Fanny Batty, the dugast tile
is
Dr. Batty, of Stafford-street, acting as sponsor, 3°3:43
cheers of the vast assembly. This vessel has been
her gee
a very short time, it, being only seven weeks sty° Farts
was laid down, and reflects the highest credit on a
asotber
engaged in her construction. In a few sreek°,l, o°l
magnificent iron ship will be launched from, I'l te
„A stat,
establishment, and several others are in a forward oso $
construction. Another iron screw steamer wars ird, bum
tempted to be launched from the yard of Mr. J.
from some unforseen circumstance, it was found iwr
to get her off the stacks.

Within the last week the cuckoo has been beil-ballodOber
°-
swallow has been seen flying in the neighboull'°-
Ewood, in Low Darwen. cell
A REWARD FUer WAR SERVICES. The Lord C,J- Lilveoor
has presented the Rev. D. James Stevenson 131 c-to Abe
late military chaplain of the hospital at Scutari,l „
roctory of Middleton Tyar, near Richmond, Irc
The benefice is worth about £7OO a-year. that lu„;
It is seriously asserted in the Truster Zeitung
sl .ik fro-
Cavezzali, of Lodi, has succeeded in procuring
mulberry leaves. The silkworm is henceforth fo ,Pllll.
undisturbed in what Gibbnn calls its " golden tom'
that may prove sober fact which Waller- wrote 55
of fancy—that
<< Without the worm, in Persian silks we shine'" el 9
' Having got so far," observes the Lancet, ,4 it will care
c
excite surprise if tome enterprising philosoPherbjailjirole;
that he has succeeded in overcoming t
the prover •rioll4'
sibility of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear, 411400
a flint, getting blood out of a stone, or takin' he
off a Highlandman•"

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