The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-03 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES.

[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]

CAIIMAIIMEN, Nov. 30.—The Anti-Church-rate party
have won a victory to-day. The poll has just closed,
with a majority against the rate of 164 ! These are
what are called personal votes, and until the poll is
ana'ysed it cannot be known what the real ma-
jority is, as many voters have a plurality of
votes according to the amount of their rating.
'William Morris, Esq., one of the borough magi-
strates, after having spoken strongly and well against
resorting to a poll and in favour of a voluntary effort to
supply tahnld b
the needs g
of the church,
This was seconded by proposed that no
Mr. James Bagnall, the well-known advocate for the
abolition of Church rates, and supported by Lewis Mor-
ris, Esq., who filled the civic chair for the last two years.
A forest of hands was held up against the vote, but a
poll was insisted upon by the adverse party, and the glo-
rious result is as above.

The state of the poll after scrutinising the votes was
as follows :
Against the rate 358
For
...... 165

Majority 193
The majority of personal votes was 164, but after
giving both sides advantage of votes according to amount
ef rating the result is as above.

Viscount and Viscountess Barrington and the lion.
Misses Barrington, have returned to Beckett House,
Berks, from visiting the Earl and Countess of Hard-
wick°, at Wimpole Hall.
THE NEXT CAMPAIGN.—A letter from Constantinople,
in the Cologne Gazette, states that next spring the Turk-
ish army of the Danube is to be increased to about
80,000 men, and is to march to the Prutb, in order to
carry the war into Bessarabia. Two divisions of French
and Engli6h troops are to proceed to Varna from the
Crimea to support the operation.
The betrothal of the Grand Duke Nicholas, younger
brother of the Emperor Alexander 111., with the Prin-
cess of Oldenburg, daughter of Prince Peter of Olden-
burg, was celebrated on the 26th ult. at St. Petersburg.
Prince Peter is son of the Grand Duchess Catherine,
who married the King of Wurtemburg, father of the
Queen Sophia of the Netherlands.
THE VICTORIA RIFLES. —The volunteer corps for the
county of Middlesex will muster for drill every evening,
during the winter months, at Allen's Riding School,
Payanstone-square.
fflMonday, Dec. 10, has been fixed by the high sheriff
tot the Meath election. The contest, although between
candidates who, strictly speaking, both belong to the
Liberal party, will be one of the closest and bitterest we
have had in Ireland fir some time.
The Queen has presented the Rey. E. Eardley Wil-
mot, vicar of Kenilworth, to the living of All Souls,
La.ngharn-place, vacant by the resignation of the Rev.
W. Thompson.
The Marquis and 'Marchioness of Salisbury have 1)-2en
entertaining a large party at Hatfiold•house, Harts, in-
cluding the Earl of Verulam, Lord Stanley, M.P., Lord
and Lady Harry Vane, Lord Pelham, Lady Cowley, the
Right Hon. Benjamin and Mrs. Disraeli, the Hon. R.
Grimston, Mr. and Lady Susan Smith, Sir Fitzroy
Kelly, Is

Lorieux and Eugene de Fourey are preparing
for publication, iu 17 large maps, au Atlas of subter-
ranean Paris.

FOREIGN POTATOES —lt appears, from a return just
issued, that from January to October only 55,736 cwt.
of potatoes were imported. In ten months of last year
the importations were 110,773 cwt.
The German, Journal of Frankfort, s tates that the widow
of -Major de Lettgau, of the German Legion, who died
on the way to the Crimea, is to receive an annual pen-
sion of 1501. from the English Government.
Owing to the intruded visit cf the King of Sardinia to
the city the colonial produce markets will be closed on
Tuesday. In all other departments of business the
transactions will be restricted as much as possible.
SPECIE. ..The arrivals of specie last week, with the
exception of earne silver f-om Bslgiurn, have been li-
mited to the large ones from Australia by the White
Star, Oliver Lang, and Kent, amounting altogether to
1,200,000/. Of these one-third, the only portion yet
brought upon the market, has been purchased and re-
mitted to the Bank of France. Meanwhile it is under-
stood the next specie shipments to India and China will
be if unusual magnitude. From Mexico 500,0001. is
now overdue.

Rasu of ‘l'Aelits.—ln consequence of the exorbitant
price cf provisions the journeymen sailmakers of this
city have applied to their employers for an advance of
wages to the amount of 6d. per hundred yards, to which
recoest they have readily acceded.—B746tol Mercury.
THE lIIJNGF:EFORD CASH.—We learn with much plea-
sure that the erection of a school-house for Mr. Grant
will be commenced immediately, and that it is hoped a
fund sufficient will be raised to admit of a chapel being
erected for him in the spring. Several handsome sub-
scriptions have already been received by the committee,
but more will be required to defray the expenses of
building, and to reimburse Mr. Grant for what lie has
lost.

COUNT WALEWSKI'S CIRCULAR.—" An unauthorised
denial," says the Emancipation of Brussels, "has been
given to the statement that Count Walewski had ad-
dressed a circular 'to the neutral states relative to itbe
Eastern war. This circular was read some days sance
to the Foreign Ministers of the various states not engtged
in the conflict, by the French representatives at heir
courts. The circular is drawn up in a pacific sense' cor-
responding to the last speech of Napoleon 111. The
neutral states are invited to pronounce in favour of one
of the belligerent parties, not in order to be brought
into actual hostilities, but rather to influence by their
moral support the decision of the power that commenced
the war."
SIR COLIN CAMPBELL—Lieut.-General Sir Colin
Campbell has honoured Cheltenham with a "flying
visit" this week, arriving on Thursday afternoon, and
taking his departure on the following day. Daring his
short stay this brave and distinguished officer put up at
the Queen's Hotel, where, early yesterday morning, he
was waited upon by Colonel Kirwan, the Master of the
Ceremonies, who tendered his services in any matter
wherein they might contribute to render the gallant
general's sojourn amongst us pleasant and agreeable, in-
timating at the same time a hope that an opportunity
might be afforded to the inhabitants of the town pub-
licly to express their sense of the estimation in which
they held their visitor. Sir Cilin's arrangements would
not, however, admit of his remaining in Cheltenham suf-
ficiently long fur this purpose, having to leave the place
in a few hours, and having only four days before be
would have to re-embark for the battle-fields of the Cri-
mea ; he was consequently compelled to decline any pub.
lic demonstration in compliment to his very short and
hurried visit, which barely admitted of his passing an
hour with Lord Ellenborough at Southern, and seeing
his other personal friends resident in Cheltenham. The
gallant general left by the five o'clock train on his re-
turn to town.—Che'tenitane Looker-On of Saturday.
LECTURE ON ARCHITECTURE.—On the evening of Fri-
day, the 30th ult., a lecture on architecture, its purpose
and origin, was delivered at the Westbourne College,
Bayswater-roa3, before the Rev. Charles Mackenzie,
A.M., Principal, and an attentive audience, by Mr. Ed-
ward Hall, F.S. A. The lecturer showed the importance
of architecture with reference to physical, social, and
moral condition. He adverted to the qualities and to
a love of the beautiful in nature and art, and urged
strongly the necessity of design and contrivance in ordi-
nary dwellings, and in the laying out of streets and
squares. This design was habitually neglected by us,
yet was important, quite irrespective of improved sewer-
age, water supply, and similar questions. The argu-
ment was illustrated by reference to Sir Christopher
Wren's plan for the improvement of London after the
great fire, where convenience and architectural effect
went band in hand. The same lines of thoroughfare
were being more and more demanded, but now were
supplied with serious disadvantage, and without the
chance of the originally designed architectural effect.
A subsequent lecture is to treat of the principles of
" Practical, Art," as applied to house decoration and
furniture.
LORD J. RUFlEittat 1N atsnoileinnninal. —Lord q.illus-
sell, who has lately teken tin his tealdir.ii blmtt btscild,
In ttlottnestershire, has beet; paying a visit, with Lady
Russell, to Cheltenhhne' and inspecting the Cheltenham
Grammar School. At the Gretteirnai S hhol h as t dn-
thicteA thtstigh the different class rooms by the master,
Dr. Humphreys, observed the system of instruction
adopted there, and, particillarlY eitemined the maps and
other cWateihtfe }hit: nriimercuti school, thence proceed-
kg to the higher or classical department. The boys were
examined in the presence of hie lerdshiP, and an addre§s
was presented by the ;1/4 of the school to his lordship
nn behalf of the scholars, in which they say !--" We have
been too carefully instructed hi the [(fent nrintiples of
civil and religion§ htit to esteem and revere the
statesman. who has so long been the fearless elefender cf
those principles ; and we need scarcely sae, that those
feelings have assumed a della and a warmer character
since we have learnt tho kind interest taken by your
lordship in this ancient schnol, and the eneottragninent
which our esteemed head-master has received from yon
in his aritious efforts to raise it from a state of compare,.
five decay to that healthy and honourable position which
we, the pppils, feel proud to know the Cheltenham
Grammar School has attained. We trust that we all
shall strive to do credit to our masters and our school,
and to prove ourselves not unworthy of the countenance
and encouragement of the good and the noble." Ing
lordship made a rather lengthy reply to this address, and
pointed out to the boys the great advantages now
afforded them in every department of the school coin-
pared with: what existed in similar institutions some
years ago. Lord and Lady John Russell were after-
wards entertained at luncheon in the dining-ball of the
school, where they were met by several of the clergy and
gentry of the town. In the visit to the hospital Lade J.
Rus,,ellinquirud with mimit-,; .43
arrangements, and appeared much pleased with the clean-
liness and good order which prevailed throughout the
Establishment,

MAGAZINES.

Zaidee" is finished t, and now
that it is finished we May
speak or it deliberately
as of lie eheriting writer's unquestionable master-
piece. " Katie Stewart" was, previously, her best
work, a "true story" of singular beauty and fresh-
ness. " The Quiet 'Heart' being a sweet compahion
narrative, replete with grace and tenderness.
" John Riutoul, or the Fragment of a Wreck,"
occupying a minor place among the anonymous
writings of this delightful contributor to the pages
of the great Edinburgh Magazine. Not that we
ourselves regard the last-mentioned tale as in any
essential respect inferior to the other fictions
emanating from the same hand, but that such ap-
pears to be the author's modest estimate of it
herself—judging from the circumstance of its re-
maining (to our notion somewhat unaccountably)
up to the present moment unhonoured by the fact
of a separate republication. Beautiful, however,
though the three preceding stories by * * are
beyond the possibility of any serious contradic-
tion, " Zaidee " is the best of all, as it is also the
most considerable in extent, the most ingenious and
elaborated in plot, and decidedly the most graceful,
agreeable, and sparkling in its general treatment.
The incidents of the romance here compacted toge-
ther in the crowning instalment of the serial-narra-
tive, aro sufficiently numerous, varied, and im-
portant to satisfy the taste of even the most uncon-
scionable. The Cumberland Family, taking the
half-suspected but as yet unrevealed Zaidee with
them, accompany Percy upon a visit to the Vivians
of Cheshire. Before proceeding at once to the
Grange, the whole party turn aside for the purpose
of a brief preliminary excursion to Vivian Castle,
where the heroine is startled by unexpectedly wit-
nessing the arrival there of the youthful " Head
of the House," newly arrived from India, to take
possession of the old estates placed within reach of
his purchase-money by the death of Sir Francis.
Bronzed with travel, only now in the first
Lloom of his manhood, Philip is at once
recognised by Zaidee, the little brown Zaidee no
longer, but the beauty of the family par excellence,
lovelier even in the fastidious eyes of the whole
Vivian race than the vaunted belle of Briarford,
the noble and stately Elizabeth. Immediately after
Zaidee has thus recognised Philip iu the person of
the new Lord of Vivian Castle, she herself is
recognised in turn by one after another of her
beloved kith and kindred. The revelation of the
lost Zaideo to each and all of these startled
Vivians is very charmingly described. It
comes—this astounding revelation of the heiress
of the Grange—first of all to Percy, the
Great Author, secondly to Sophy, now wife of
the Rev. Reginald Burlington, Rector of Wood-
church, and then to the whole astonished group
of the rest of the family, to Philip the Head of the
House, to Mrs. Vivian the fairy Godmother, to
Elizabeth the spouse of Bernard Morton, Captain
and Member of Parliament, to Margaret, Lady
Powis now by reason of her marriage with the
Welsh baronet, Sir David Powis, of Powiscourt.
And after these, still more surprisingly, the news of
Zaidee's discovery comes also to the hearing of her
kindly protectors, Mr. and Mrs. Cumberland, and
good-natured, unsuspecting Aunt Burtonshaw
—Mary, the betrothed of Percy, having been the
first of all to penetrate the mystery of her adopted
sister's identity. The upshot of all is, of course,
the marriage of Zaidee and Philip, and the con-
sequent blending of the hitherto divided estates
of Vivian Castle and the old Cheshire Grange of
Briarford. And so the whole charming romance
comes to the happiest conclusion imaginable. There
are six other contributions in the present num-
ber of Blackwood, but these, fur the most
part, are of a rather dull, heavy, lumbering
character. The last and shortest of these six arti-
cles being a genial tribute to the memory of an old
and honoured contributor to Maga—recently de-
ceased. This being the Rev. John Eagles, author
of " The Sketcher," a well-known series of papers
published some years ago in Blackwood's Magazine.
Mr. Eagles, we may observe, was a native and for
the most part an inhabitant of Bristol, having been
born and having died there. And to him we were
indebted, it seems, very recently, for the delightful
notices given duringtwo or tLree successive months,
of C h arl es Knight's most agreeable collection of essays
entitled "Once upon a Time"—in the last of which
notices, we well remember was a promise given by
the reviewer of some new and as yet unpublished
particulars about Bristowa's incomparable bard,
poor, glorious, murdered Chatterton. For these
particulars wo fear we may now look in vain—un-
less Blackwood somehow comes to the rescue, and
by some ingenious device contrives to redeem the
promise given by its dead contributor. The most
readable of the remaining articles in the December
number is the criticism on " Art :" the most un-
readable, the treatise upon " Simony." The lite-
rary review of the month is the contribution re-
lating to " Herodotus ;" the political paper
the one referring to the War ; and the
story of the mouth, the translation, from the
German, of a humorous history entitled " Court-
ship under Difficultio." So much for the contents
of Blackwood's Magazine for December, the 482 d
number, ending volume seventy-eight.

Dublin University.—" Holly and Ivy" appro-
priately begins the number for the month of De-
cember. Some suitable reflections are made on the
departure of one year and the advent of another,
and some pleasing verses are introduced in the
course of the composition, entitled "December,"
" Tho Willow," &c. " The Old House of Dark-
brothers " is concluded, and although the plot is
not very probable, nor the personages every-day
ones, there is a great deal of interest attached to it
from the charm of the heroine, Grace. Her courage,
her kindness, and her talents render her worthy of
a place in any story. It was no wonder that she
softened the rigid austerity of Miss Beaufoy, and
thus restored peace to a melancholy household.
The succeeding passages in the story are of great
power and energy, when Grace and her father, in
the course of a Journey they take in Ireland, meet
with the relation of Miss Beaufoy, whom she had
lost sight of for years—thus a second time was she
of service to the proud lady who had once not
thought her worthy of being noticed. There is also
one scene which is very ably sketched, in which
Grace crosses the sea in a storm. Her father had
gone on an excursion to a small island, and while
there had. nret with an accident. Grace insisted on
joining some fishermen who were going there in a
small " curragh." The voyage was exceedingly
rough, and there was enough to terrify any one not
so nerved with power and faith as the heroine.
Grace had, however, had the pleasure of beholding,
after all her toils and struggles, the whole dis-
united family assemble together, and the fruit of
her works was peace and charity. " The Fortunes
of Glencore," which is continued this month, is not
nearly so engaging a story ; as yet the meaning is
not so apparent, although it is cleverly written,
and the characters of some of the dramatis personce
are described with skill. Sir Horace Upton is a
diplomatist, and his cunning wiles and deceitful
manoeuvres form a decided and striking contrast to
the open and straightforward demeanour of Colonel
Harcourt, who is incapable of subterfuge, and to
whom the plots and counterplots of diplomacy are
so many marvels. The old Lord is a most extraor-
dinary individual, who evidently labours under
some great secret which he is unable to clisciiVe on
account of his extreme weakness and ilnss. It is
to be presumed that, the next portion of the,story
will contain some eclaircissement of-.thenayEifdy-
which hangs like a cloud over the affairs at present:-
A short article is written on Lieutenant Beliot,
as may be supposed, it is one of greatinterest. On
perusing the details that are everywhere and on all
sides afforded of this officer's daring and devotion,
the words of the poet occur to one's memory—
" Brief, bright, and glorious was his young career ;
His mourners were two hosts—his friends and foes."
Although he lived in a time of peace, it was from
them) supposed to be the hereditary-foes of his na-
tion that i3ellot won a high =sad of approbation.
An amount is given of the manner in which be met
his death. It is observed, in the description of one
of his countrymen, that he sacrificed his safety to
duty] and that he died full of that sublime cone-
dend3 arid tlisit holy faith which inspired the navi-
gator of the sixteenth century to utter the fine say-
" Heaven is as near by water as by land."
The writer of this article ooncludes by the follow-
ing passage
6ncled the short career of Lieutenant Ilellot ;
and seldom, perhaps, has a human life been more replete
with the eleincnts of genuine happineasthan his. " Whom
the gods love, die young." Bellot lived long enough to
win, by honest mean., the respect of two great nations,
end, better still, to earn and to secure the esteem and
love of iraoy friends. He died before tbo experience of
manhood had cast its shadow over the brilliant colour-
ing in which the generous eethusiasm of youth depicted
the future. Being dead he yet speaketh, teaching, by
his own story, the use., personal and social, of legiti-
mate and honourable ambition ; and, by the manner of
his death, uniting France and England in a common
de?ire to do honour to the memory of one of the truest
and loyalest of Frenchmen."
" Flow and Ebb" is a melancholy poem. It is in-
teresting in its idea, and the style is flowing and
easy. " Irish Rivers" is continued. This month
The Barrow is described. A great deal of in-
formation may be derived concerning the country
and the different points of interest met with by the
course of the river. As is observed here, we are
" made acquainted with picturesque scenes, famed
rivers, and historic details of a country whose
l'e`"l' ;0, 'n^ litfie DriZed." toOs'rl4"r-
-u
- .r ai'6 CuliCalLlS aI.:UO.IIILS acid &inlet:awns
of the sons of the sea, and will interest those who
take a delight in naval oubjecto. After reaDY re

marlo on various_congenial circumstances, an opi-
nion is apreittled thit "the hearts of oak" who
man our wooden . have acted meritoriously
in the war, and that in whatever he has had to
perform or to sii6tain " Qur Jack" has proved him-
self every way worthy of his Lurie and fame.

Co?burn's New Monthly.—The first paper in the
present number of the New 21/oldhty takes its sub-
jects from two recent French works on the adven-
tures and exploits of the Zouaves at Sebastopol. It
is remarked that " ever since the Zouaves have
been designated by a Marshal of France the first
soldiers in the world,' they have not failed to claim
a lion's share in the history of the exploits of the
war." The present article consists not so much of
a list of their warlike feats, as a series of lively
anecdotes of their camp adventures. A " Memoir
of Sir William Molesworth," by Cyrus Redding,
furnishes some interesting details of his political
career. The story of" Millicent and Philip Crane"
is concluded, under the title of " Seven Years."
Unlike the generality of this author's stories, it
brings the trials of its heroine to a happy termina-
tion, although by the unsatisfactory expedient of a
second marriage. "A Yacht Cruise through the
Caledonian Canal " consists chiefly of descriptions
of Scottish scenery. A paper, under the title of
" Fly Leaves from a Circulating Library," gives us
a criticism on Mrs. Gaskell's novels. It contains a
well-merited tribute to the powers of this writer,
who may be ranked among the very foremost of the
authoresses of the day. The history of " Stoke
Dotterell " progresses, and recounts some extraor-
dinary events ; among them the arrest of Sir Jonah
Foster for murder, on his wedding day, and his
sudden death at the bar after his acquittal. The
fifth instalment of " Occasional Notes on Litera-
ture in France " contains a criticism on Villemain,
who has been styled by some " the French Addi-
son." It is an interesting paper, and presents an
attractive sketch of the writings of the French
critic, whose writings appear to be popular with his
own countrymen, if we may judge from the fact of
three thousand copies of one of his works being sold
in two days. " Fontainebleau" is an entertaining
slietch by Florentia, though it may be doubted if
all its historical details are authentic. " Pied-
mont" is a state which will doubtless now be often
described and discussed, the present visit of Victor
Emmanuel directing the public attention to his do-
mains. It forms a brief paper in this number
founded on a History of Piedmont, by Antonio
Gallenga. "An Account of the Punishment of
Criminals in the Eighteenth Century" gives a
gloomy picture of the inhumanity and brutality of
our ancestors in their torture of criminals. The
extracts from the journals and registers of that
time narrate, quite as au ordinary occurrence, acts
of cruelty that now fill us with horror. The poeti-
' cal contributions are not above mediocrity of a
very superior class. They consist of three poems ;
the first. some graceful but somewhat lengthy and
vague stanzas by Mary Monck, entitled " Alice's
Dream." The second, and best of the three, is a
cavalier song by G. Thornbury, which is spirited
and martial. The remaining one is a translation
from the Danish, by Mrs. Bushby, which does not
rise above mediocrity.

Colburn's United Service.—The "War in the
East," as might be expected, is the topic of the
opening article. The writer is of opinion " that
the opportunity of conquering the Crimea has been
missed," and that retaining Kamiesh, Balaklava,
Kaffa, and Kinbourn, the allies would do well to
carry on a merely passive war in the Crimea, di.
recting, among other objects,2their more active
efforts tookords the destruction of the Russian
traus-Cauebian army on its defeat by Omer Pasha
and the conquest of Finland. " A Visit to the
Camp at Aldershott " recounts the objects for
which the camp was established, and, after describ-
ing its appearance and the scenes to be witnessed
there, pronounces the actual result, so far as the
training of the militia goes, to be " most satisfac•
tory." " Winter Quarters at Constantinople" are
shown to be a capital exchange for the hard-
ships of the camp, and to include a good
deal of the amusing and picturesque. " Pub-
lic feeling in Italy " should be read by those
who are desirous of forming a tolerably correct
notion of its actual state, and ascertaining
on whom it is the people of Italy chiefly found
their hope of future independence. " Camp Life
Before Sebastopol," if not of a nature to secure
contentment, would appear to be no worse than
might fairly be anticipated, judging by the revela-
tions of the lively participator in it whose contribu-
tion bears this title. Having enumerated its an-
noyances and advantages, he remarks that " the
campaign in the Crimea does a man good—if it
does not kill him." "Mr. Cobden on the Army
and the War" is gently handled, and the necessity
for lighter carbines and curved instead of cut and
thrust swords for our cavalrysubsequently enforced.
" Sekomn-Kaleh, Mingrelia, and Goomri," the
second the scene of Omer Paella's operations, are
graphically described, as also their inhabitants,
and those of the Caucasus, generally, in a long
and interesting paper. " Leaves from -Western
Africa," and " The War in the Peloponnesus in
1820," are continued. The editor, in his Portfolio,
apart from the injustice done to Sir Colin Campbell,
expresses satisfaction with the appointment of Sir
Wm. Codrington to the Eastern command. The
number contains beside a great deal of information
interesting to members of the two services.

Bentley's Miscellany.—The first and the last
article in this miscellany are the most remarkable.
The former is the continuation of the tale of " The
Spendthrift," by the editor, Mr. Harrison Ains-
worth, whose established reputation renders any
new work a matter of interest. Tho concluding
article is by Monkshood, whose writings are always
worthy of attention. The present paper is a criti-
cism on Prescott's " History of Philip the
Second of Spain," the two first volumes of which
have recently appeared. The critic renders full
justice to the transatlantic historian. We may
perhaps think ourselves fortunate that there are
only two articles in any way relating to the war,
one on " The Winter Quarters of the Allies," the
other on " The Russian Territories in America."
The tales, exclusive of "The Spendthrift," consist of
an Irish sketch, the continuation of the intermi-
nable " Adventures of Benjamin Bobbin," and a
ridiculous and extravagant story by Dudley Cos-
tello. It bears the attractive title of "The Cri-
mean Hero," but, without entering on the plot, it
is sufficient to say that at the conclusion the Cri-
mean hero is transformed into—a ticket-of-leave
man ! Another critical article reviews "Bailey's
Mystic," and for the utter discomfiture of sober-
minded readers gives numerous extracts. Of these
it is only necessary to say that when a writer of
the modern school sets out intending to be mysti
cal, the result can be betterimagined thandescribed.
The remaining contents consist of " An Account of
Glasgow and its Clubs," and a pleasing paper with
the curious title of " Take me Home," in allusion
to the wish so frequently expressed by invalids to
return home in their last moments.

The Merchants' Magazine.—A valuable number,
containing an unusual variety of the most recent
foreign, colonial, and home statistical information.
At the outset the reader is presented with
latest returns from the Zollverein, and is enahl..ld
to form a pretty accurate notion of its commerci,d
affairs, and producing and consuming powers, and
incidentally something of the commerce of other
countries. The paper is not without interest in
connection with the present monetary -crisis, the
Zollverein having a good deal to do with the drain
of our gold. "The Commerce of Rio de Janeiro"
and " The Trade .and Navigation of Spain for
1854" are the titles of a couple of statistical papers
of considerable utility. The imports and exports
of Spain in the above year were, wo are happy to
learn, 15 por cent. in excess of the preceding year,
and 38 per cent. over the average of the four pre-
ceding years. A useful compendium ofinforma-
tion respecting " The Sound Dues" will be found
in the succeeding paper. Theviews of the writer
in relation to this obnoxious impost, and the op-
portunity now offered of doing away with it, are
pretty much the same as those advanced awhile
back in our columns. The writer of an article on
"The Precont Crids" deprecates all excitemenqand
all hasty legislation about banking and financial
economy, and cautions " those who are open to ad-
vice against sharing in the rising spirit of specula-
tion, because a reaction must ere long take place."
In other words, he is satisfied with the present
extravagantly high rate of discount, and opposed
to the issue of small notes, which we are not.

Miscellaneous.—Sharp's London Maga;ine pre-
serves its character as the best of the minor serials.
An agreeable variety of tales and sketches are
usually to be found in its pages, which possess the
additional advantage of illustrations by George
Cruilishalk. He is at present illustrating the his-
tory of " Lorimer Littlegood, a young gentleman
who wished to see Life, and saw it accordingly."
The style of the tale may be easily guessed from
tts title. George Cruikshank's design represents
the congenial subject of a drunkard's death. Some
chess exercises are given for the benefit of the, ad-
mirers of that scientific amusement. The h ome
Companion furnishes a goodly list of well-known
names among its contributors. The talented au-
thoress of " Mary Powell" is among them, and a
story, entitled "The Good Old Times,' is from her
pen. A tale by Isabella Munro, " Consulting the
Sybil," offers a useful lesson to all young ladies who
• • t' rule their actions
W 1 1L the, propheeitiA of fortune-tellers. "A -home
Picture," is a pleasing domestic sketch. Mere are
a great number of simple stories, which, without

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