The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-01 00:00:00

eS/O.Y.
general meeting of the commissioners of land-tax,
for thanpaet of the County of Middlesex which is de-
scribed in the 38th-Geo. 111.-as the " rest" of the said
county, was held yesterday, at the Sessions-house,
Clerkenwell, pursuant to notice, " to put in execution so
much of the said Act as is thereby committed 'to, their
care and charge fen the year ensuing."
Obi the motion of Mr. WOODWARD, seconded by Mr.
OFFka; flargreave Mann; chairman of the
Holoorn Division;-was called to the chair.
The Ciainnme.ej eniehit would not be necessary at all
for hiunto enter into any statement of the objects or pure
poses for which the meeting was called, as they were
well-known to every commissioner, and had been the
subject of much discussion on-previous occasions.
After sow preliminaries,
Mr. COPPOCK said they had me( on that occasion for
the third time only, .for the: purpose of putting into
execution that ;-which -the Act of Parliament under
which -they, were proceeding directed should be done
every yearfur the, third time only he said bad they
runt to slo this in a period of twenty-eight years; and
without their holding their annual meetings no warrant
could be, legally enfoined,"'and no assessment for land-
tax Made, yet the injustice of the-present system had
been goieg on the -whole efe that time, and because
it had. Act. gone on 'it -*as now to' be ,said that it was
one hat 'could not be looked at. The Learned Gentle-
Man then briefly mentionedethe proceedings before the
Commissioners tif the Holbornlfividen, ,in 18.50, which
led to the--question of :also: equelizetion of the land-tax
beingge-brought prominently before the public, and said
that last. Year the-n o mmbisioners, at their general Meet-
ing, passed es reSolbtibn that the amounts. assessed. on a
diensiniaehould beraised by an equal pound-rate through-
oat •suctedivisinn, but they were stopped from,e'carrying
thin 1-r-A4...4---L.T-*L,:ilf:et by eletter from' Air: Keogh,
of the Board of Inland.gbientre-, thus they were pre-
vented, as ;t were, on the very threshold -ot- aueo.,as,
from doing their duty- and doing justice 'to the public,
which they could- do without wrong to any individual
-whatever. He proceeded to contend that the equaliza-
tion of the:unredeemed portion of- the tax, or even its
entire repeal, could not be attended ',with any injustice
to those wi) had redeemed the tax on their property;
and in comparingahe rate of St. George's and St. .An-
drew's, Huibern,(ene shilling in the pound), with that
of Mereleboue "(one farthing in the pound), men-
tioned that at least one good result of these proceed-
ings, and one fur ,which he- thought he ought to re-
ceive the Meeks' of 'the • inhabitants of Marylebone,
was the discovery by one of the commissioners that one
of the Marylehene collectors had been making charges
for land tax and 'petting the money he received
into hie pocket. He then cited the various Acts of
Parliament; from that of William and Mary, down to the
present-. reign, having reference to the subject, and
contended that the commissioners had the full right and
power to raise the amount contributable by each division
by an equal pound rate. They bad, be said, reason to
hope for a better state of things now than existed when
they appealed from Mr. John Wood of the Inland Re-
venue, to Sir Charles Wood of the Excheque,r, althoegb
they then acted on the evidence given by Mr. Wood
himself before a Committee of the House of Lords,
which was published in the Lords' papers, and which
he 'would read to the commissioners. But they now had
another Chancellor of the Exchequer, and be (Mr. Cop-
pock) held in his hands the recorded opinions of that
Ittgzss Honourable Gentleman on this subject, and he
found that at Aylesbury, in 1849, in the course of a pub-
lic speech, he *aide—
.
" am certain that there ought to be an equal adjust-
ment ot local taxation, or rather what is called vocal,
though it is tn reality national taxation, and if that were
obtained, as in all justice it. ought to be obtained,
considerable relief would at once be given to
the agricultural interest Gentlemen,
I will now atilt yOur attention to another tax which
tads been,, much . ,dwelt - upon, and- the unjust ar-
rangement of that tax. You all know that farmers pay
dunole the poor-rates paid by other classes, and public
epietenletes,eilready given, a verdict that that should not
tie al/Owea,' so that before long a esttlement of that ques-
tion may be expeCted, which will do justice to the e,gri-
eultUral am now, however, anxious to call
your ateeetiew to a tax the arrangement of which is
cnosenejust. No doubt every gentleman present has
neartfaud many pay the laud-tax.
This tax is so levied that the county of Buckingham pays
Is. sd. iu the pound on the rental of the land, while
other counties infinitely more populous and infinitely
more rice pay 24 in the pound. You are, therefore,
called upon to pay an undue amount of the land-tax.
&lied, I am not speaking of that portion of land-tax
which has been redeemed, because that is always brought
forward by our opponents to perplex the question, be-
cause in nothing that I propose do I wish to disturb any
public compact which has been entered into. Oue-third
of the land-tax has been redeemed, and therefore no
longer presses on the soil; but two-thirds remain to be
paid, and produces more than 1,000,0001. annually.
Now, it produces-. Is. sd. in the pound iu the county
of Buckingham, and only 2d. in Lancashire, and Is. 4d.
in Liverpool. I 'ask you, then, where is the equality of
--that taxation? The inequality, however, is not peculiar to
Buckinghamshire; fur I was speaking to a gentleman from
Hertfordshire on the subject before I entered the room,
and I find that in his comity they pay Is. 6d. lathe pound.
I have alluded to Hertfordshire, because I do not wish
to confine the consideration of the subject to Bucking
hamshire. I will also take a border county, that of Bed-
ford, where I find the tax is ls. 6d. in the pound, while
in Northampton, anotheer border county, it is more than
Is.—in Berkshire, a sister county, it is ls. 3d. Then,
again, the remaining twenty agricultural counties, in-
cluding Somersetsfaire, Kent, Devonshire, and even Es-
eex—trum which a.. petition signed by 25,000 persons in
favoup of tldat tax-stiuu was seat to Parliament, that pe-
tition being given to me to present by their own county
Members because I had originally brought the question
forward—in these twenty agricultural counties the ave-
rage ot the land-tax is but little under Is. in the pound.
Having given you these facts, which I have drawn from
Official documents, I will pat before you the conclusions
to whicn. have come. • 'lf the land-tax were levied
throughout the country as in Buckinghamshire, and that
is riots() high as in Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire, in-
stead of realising 1,000;0001. it would realise 5,000,0001.
Mind I -um not proposing any new tax opposed to the
spirit of the age, but only the equalization of a tax
which already exists; and in this I have a right
to anticipate the support of those who have declared
themselves in favour of equal taxation and &Juniata re-
form, for cut of thy own mouth will I judge thee.'
All that I ask is, that the tax on land, which has
been already sanctioned by Parliament by an ancient
Act, shall be levied throughout the country in the same
proporte n as in Buckinghamshire; fur, tholLth the tax
presses heavily on the agricultural districts, it does not
press on: Manchester, Liverpool, or Brighton. 'Gentle-
men, suppose we had this equalzation of the land-tax,
and the consequent 5,000,000/., the question arises what
shall we do with it ? We have with this money the
means, in my opinion, of raising the agriculture -of Eng-
land from its deprersion, so that the leuded interest
should find itself, itt that position in which, as long as
I live, I will labour to place it."
He (Mr. Coppock) found the person who uttered. these
sentiments was bow the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
and the hope he entertained of their being assisted by
him in equalising this tax was fortified by the opinions'
of the present Attorney and Solicitor-Generals—Sir F.
Thesieer and Sir F. Kelly. The subject was divisible
into three parts : first, the inequality of parish with
parish in a division; then division as with division; and
then county with county. Ho proposed only to deal
with the first, and the-iniquity and injustice of the pre-
sent mode, of levying the tax would be apparent when it
was considered that on one side of -Oxford-street it was I
6d. in the pound, whilst on the other it was but a
They were net to exclude common sense from the appli-
cation of this Act of Parliament, and the cenaulissioners
were bound to equalise parish with parish in one divi-
sion. He was ot opinion that they had the power to re-
arrange the divisions of the county, but that had better
be dealt with by Parliament. So long as the Board of
Inland Revenue got the quota assessed on the county,
they did not care how it was raised or where it came
from, but it was the duty of the commissioners to see that
there was a fair
,and equal pound rate on the divisions.
The ruling of Lord Campbell, and the other judges of
the Court of Queen's Bench, in the case of Bradley
Haverstoe, was clear and conclusive. Justice, law, and
common sense were on his side, and he was confident
the good sense ot his brother commissioners would lead
them to the same conclusions. He then moved—

"That to raise the sum of 107,602/. lls. 7d., the
quota laid on the rest' of the county of Middlesex in
and by the 38th Geo. 111., c. 5, for the service of the
year 1852, the proportions to be raised by each division
to be as follows:—(flere were inserted the figures of last
year.) And that the same be raised by an equal pound
rate on each division."

Mr. OFFER (of the Tower Hamlets division) seconded
the resolution. He instanced the inequalities existing
between some of the parishes of that division, in some
which the tax was as much as 2s. in the pound, with
Ktrylebone, and said if they could not get justice with-
out going to Parliament, let them go to Parliament and
obtain a geneial equalization.

Mr. W. PAYNE (the Coroner) said the question was
twofold, %hat it would. be advisable to do, end what
they had the power to do. Ile conceived that justice and
ev?eron sense were with his- friend Mr. Coppock in the
s he took in this Matter; but he could not agree
eimarart he had the law with him, and they were bound to
ppo,7
tt)o7ka:nth,ority of Lords Mansfield and Kenyon in
ber jeout the law. The Learned Gentleman quoted, as
su
except in the mode adopted for so many
vied at ppeuseLsntview, that the tax could not be legally le-
years. He full
c4lY.adroitted the injustice of the present
had not the power to alter it.
mode,
odsellobuuldt 2ov!.°:7Taemye
ndment, and afterwards, if it
With Mr. Coppock's permission,
were carried,
go
eto Parliament and a,k
'4filoun3rberunt ihdteu twr ett"ri:lautttoitlrt:e °DI 03 sot iel; aHo
fe La: undv-eTd aaxs for
ng taken into conside
to 0
usgsuiadbr,:deriitdg
the
ees
uas severales s-
aiMAidedtslke(elefap,hrilia
ra
t
v
t
ltulloattasthweyhidcho
dnati
eieonni o(oi
nef nsi
I,_rf
them x
of the
sessments, and the opinion of the Board of Llandchßafs:
courts of law on
venue regarding the same, are of Qp
and havin
not possess the power by law to varyintihoen

Awe hitherto been. assessed within the severabdtrbiloas
of the country, that the quotas to be assessed itithiti the
several division's of the country to the tamest:nt:oSr"
assessed thereon respectively for the last yeatt.%.'f-.''=`'.•
Mr. RAMSLIEN seconded the amendment, IthaPn7
derstanding that it was to he followed by the .
go to Parliament. .11e trusted :that good W
from their proceedings, butif they passed -felf4Pak
resolution th 4 would be without the means o Waging
it—they would have no.funds to contest the*, to
enforce it; and though he fully admitted., Oa •g,
juadce of the present operation of the tax, he
application to Parliament was the only thing
• • . adopt to remedy the evil.
. .
Mr. Donaldson, Mr. Neste, Mr. Woodward,indOther.•
commissioners, having shortly spoken, •
Mr. CoPtiOex ,lariealy replied. He said alb 'had
of op ad-
mittedi=
. justice of hi)clearly case,and he was
nioli that hd had the law vvithlim. He did,n*PPPO°
to interfere with.diViitin'sitad division, but as tki)artshes
within Aed.as to the letter.of tholl34aid of
Inland' Revenue, a tore unauthorised .or unWirantable
letter never was written;; and the threat that 00,board.
commissioners out of the publiO,Pr,_,aol,
theyswhoouullddil efe d'be°peroceecied against, was, in! effeiief..SemnA
mistook not, that letter would vir
card
that board against thatjtif ttie,40013.0
Btheenacuht,hanordit,yifoth.e
of in the House. of Croinons: • r'
•
The resolution; as amended by Mr. PaYneOrtklf'.aar'
by 32 against 14. ried, on a show of hands,
After some discuasiOn; Mr. Payne abatrapar)Chil
reiolution for making an
application to Pailiaitientandf
on the motion of Mr. v.
—'sl)Pocki it was reeolved that it,
be referred to the committee appointed last3,3tear. to
wait on the Right Honourable the Chanceliat cif the
pEpxocnhzimuerthuepnoencetahseity of
subject with the view
bringingurging
.
the sut.4:?"
""Tte CHAIRMAN said the Lord-Lieutentoit,lhe Mar-
moved for returnisa.the subject.
Mr. CoppocK said iFey had the great advantage of
Allis of Salisbury, had taken
knowing beforehand what were the opinions of the
present Chancellor of the Exchequer on this subject;
the matter up, and had
they never could find out what the opinions of the late
One were.—(A laugh.)
Masters W. Brougham Sir George Rose, and Purer,
were present as commissioners for the Liberty of the
Rolls, and they were added to the committee to wait on
the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to
the Chairman.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
REDUCTION OF TIM MEDITERRANEAN SQUADRON.-

The Mediterranean fleet has now been reduced to a mere
squadron. Sir William Parker has given up the com-
mand to Rear-Admiral Deans Dundas, C. 8., and left
Malta in the Queen, 116, Captain Wise, for England,
with the Spiteful, 6, steam-sloop, commanded by the ad-
miral's son, Commander G. Parker. The squadron re-
maining on the other side of the Straits of Gibraltar is
Bellerophon, 78, CET-
the Modeate, 14, Com-
mander icw a limited eod.
Captainto B r Britannia, nGn
ri
eiev
i1121e; 0 a
nCaptaind Goldsmith; Tra-
packets—Firebrand, 6, Cap-
tain Lord F. Kerr; Fury,
n
mtaainndLer toroGrd. Pcaotmileptt;ona; aioop,and
the following steamers,
tbesidesain c o dtdh
;e
Scourge,lareaking6- o
and
a shaky old tub called the
Commander Horton. The
6s,b
rCaormwamtearn,de3r, TLai
et tut at
emn;a
nt
elite of the Mediterranean force is now dispersed. We
have not a single ship at Corfu, no cruiser on the coast
of Syria—at a moment, too, when the greatest excite-
ment prevails with respect to the Tanzimat; we have
not a single pendant at the Piraeus, and whilst a
heavy French frigate has by this time passed the
Dardanelles,aand is anchored off Constantinople, the re-
presentative of the British navy there is an old, worn-
out, leaky tub—the Shearwater, with not guns enough
on board to return any compliment paid to the union
jack. Hitherto it has always been held that the natural
rendezvous for the main division of the British fleet in
commission is on the station on which the French fleet
is cruising, and near the forces of other powers. It has
also been considered that the best method of keeping
our ships in an efficient state, and teaching our Junior
officers and men their profession, is by cruising and ex-
ercising together, and performing their evolutions in
company and in succession, which enabled Howe, Jervis,
and Nelson to engage so successfully the superior forces
of the enemy. Opinions appear to have changed, and
systems to have altered. It would seem now that the
means adopted to make our fleet efficient are to keep
the line-of-battle ships as far distant from each other as
possible. Time, however, will test the soundness of the
judgment which has weakened our Mediterranean forces
at a time when our rivals are so strong on that station,
and distributed our ships to those ports at which their
priasence is unnecessary.—Herald.
We stated yesterday that commanders would be ap-
pointed to the flag-ships at the home ports as formerly,
. and we gave the appointment of Commander J. B. Marsh
(1844), to the Waterloo, 120, flag-ship, Sheerness. Two
officers have now been appointed to the other flag-ships
—namely, Commander Alexander Boyle (1842), for-
merly of the Thunderbolt, steam-sloop, to the Victory,
flag-ship, at Portsmouth, and Commander John R. Rodd
(1851), to the impregnable, 78, flag-s Lip, Devonport.
Lieutenant W. B. Mason (1848) has been appointed
to the Britomart, 8, fitting at Devonport,
Spithead now looks as of old. The presence of the
Prince Regent, 90, the Superb, 80, the Rodney, 90,
Hogue, 60, and Retribution, 28, steam-frigate, gives it a
warlike appearance.

Arrogant, 46, screw steam-frigate, Ciptain Robinson,
was removed from the angle dock into the basin, at
Portsmouth, yesterday morning, where she will further
fit for service.

Dauntless, 33, screw steam-frigate, Captain E. P.
Halsted, was paid wages in Plymouth Sound on Monday,
and the men were granted leave.
Niger, 14, screw-sloop, Commander Heath, is ordered
home from the coast of Africa.
Racer, 12, Commander R,ddon, was paid off into or-
dinary, at Davenport, yesterday.
Sampson, 6, steam-frigate, Captain L. T. Jones, has
hauled off from the dockyard to the Dryad hulk, at
Portsmouth.

Vulcan screw troop-frigate, Master-Commander Penn,
which on her arrival at Denenport was compelled to
come to an anchor at the west end of the Breakwater,
was towed to the moorings within by the Confiance
steamer, on Tuesday.
PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 31 --THE CHANNEL SQUAD-
RON.—Her Majesty's shin Prince Regent, 92, Captain
W. F. Martin, has arrived from Lisbon and Queenstown.
She saluted the Port-Admiral with 17 guns from her
heavy battery, which shook the town. Her crew will be
paid down to six nimiths. Her Majesty's ship La
Hogue, 60, and Encounter, 14, are hourly expected to
anchor at Spithead from the same ports, when the effec-
tive force at this station will comprise the following
I.luadr°n
Neptune
(ordinary flex),
crew Captain Scott. 120 guns, 2,705 tons, 482
Prince 'Regent, 92 guns, 2,613 tons, 820 crew, Captain
Harris.
Rodney, 92 guns, 2,598 tons, 820 crew, Captain
Graham.
Superb, 80 guns, 2,589 tons, 750 crew, Captain Purcell.
*Blenheim, 60 guns, 1,747 tons, 500 crew, 450 horse
power, Captain Henderson.
"Hogue, 60 guns, 1,750 tons, 500 crew, 450 horse power,
Captain Nl‘Dongall,
Aretbusa, 50 guns, 2,130 tons, 500 crew, Captain Sy-
monds.
Winchester, 50 guns, 1,487 tons, 450 crew, Captain
Loch.
•Arrogant, 46 guns, 1,872 tons, 450 crew, 360 horse
power, Captain Rubinson,
Retribution, 28 guns, 1,641 tons, 300 crew, 400 horse
p ewer, Captain Warden.
*Encounter, 14 guns, 906 tons, 175 orew, 360 horse
power, Captain Gordon.
Sampson, 6 guns, 1,297 tons, 210 crew, 467 horsepower,
Captain Jones.
Vixen, 6 guns, 1,054 tons, 160 crew, 280 horse power,
Captain Barnard.

•
* Tno.:e marked thus are screw ships.
Of this force the Neptune is the harbour guard ship,
or receiving ship of the ordinary; the Rodney is filling
up her complement. and wants upwards of 150 to make
up 820; and the Winchester is fitting out to proceed to
the East Indies and China, as Commander.in-Chief's
ship. Her Majesty's ships Prince Regent, Rodney,
Superb, and Retribution are at Spithead; the rest are in
Portsmouth harbour.

Her Majesty's ship La Hogue, 60, Captain M'Dougall,
anchored at Spithead about five o'clock yesterday after-
noon, from Lisbon and Ireland, and saluted the port-
admiral with 17 guns.
Her Majesty's steam-sloop Vesuvius was taken into
the factory basin yesterday, to have her machinery re-
paired.
Tho Antelope steam-packet, Lieutenant Commander
sent
Young, is on shore at St. Helen's. She brought up there
yesterday, on her way from this port to Gibraltar, not
liking the appearance of the weather, and it appears she
Theore
ranas t Sprightlyaesrhcon ags
net steam-tender, ating i
eun
hasndde r,r
beenweighnt to early
her assistance;
Mr. George Allenthis m,
°Arlo tiinngg
Master .
she towed the Drake lighter also to the spot with haw-
sers and the necessary gear for getting her off, and they
have not yet returned, th-refore we cannot give details
of the catastrophe. The Ant.lope is an iron vessel.
92;A At
he
Superb,Spithead—The
80;
the Rogue, 60; and the Retri-
bution, 28. Pane 11,,gent, 90; the Rodney,

SHEERNESS, MARCH 31.—Her Majesty's ship Water-
loo, 120, Captain G. B. Mundy, flag of Vice-Admiral the
Hon. Josceline Percy, Commander in-Chief, sent up her
topmasts and topgallantmasts, and crossed her lower and
topsail yards, yesterday morning, being her rig for the
summer months.

84, Captain C. Hope,
and Her
heMaj
r Majesty's
chip Monarch,
esty,sship London,9o,
Captain the Hon.
Montague Stoword, also sent up their topmasts and
crossed their lover and toosail yards.
Her Maje.ty's steamer Myrtle, Mr. W. S. Bourchier,
maser, proceeded to Chatham yesterday on service for
the dockyard, returning to port in the afternoon.
Her Majesty's steam frig Ite Amphion, 34, has her
topgallantincsts &fried, and will be all audit in a day or
two. She has been removed to the north side of the
fitting basin.

The Leiatus, Ord, master, and Columbus, Gray,

Master,' hiving been windbound for several days, have at
length.salkkrifor Newcastle. ' "• 1.
Tbs„`Coontess of ;Merley,t, Clapp, master, froni Leg.
*horn for Lencion, was run intohile lying pt anchor
olr DeiT, 'en Subdiy, by the- Lady. 'Janda!, of Lyminc-
tuu.
Shebat hen jibboom and -cathead, and 'sustained
.other datrisge4;a.nd;proeeeded.far.the river in tow of a
ste I.
Af c
f •• „
4iii:Detnerare, came in ponitict witit the
:Alblin,'Mitiri;-166.sier, from Sunderland, bound to
-,Ade4.l.3llyetfortor harried away her bovriprit, had her
bores staeo,'o4evalteobliged to, be towed! for the river
ag„tkvil,P*l The latter lost her jibboom and, gut-
receitved 'Other daMage., She proceeded to.
Palmotithildkrelisirs.
WOce.wicri, Masted 31.-=:Thi Valorous 'steam-110(3p
`wol /eve Woolwich for Greenwich on Friday morning
next to hive her compasses adjusted, and will then pro-,
ceed 7olind'to' lleyonport in charge of Lieut. Rob'ertient
and: she will remain at that `station as an advaSedd *kg
:MALTA., Mp3cx 26.--The Medusa, with the, ,
mail,'rettehed the island during the night.
ReSchid Pasha has once more been called to tis',o7i-'
zierat.
• Id ,A theirs the Rev. Mr. King has . been sentenced to.
fifteelit days' imprisonment, and also to be banished frjan
:Gieee,e for prOselytizing young Greeks, Mr. Xing, who; an "Atnerittary missionary, bas been before 'the peptic
on othereecosions,
.has appealed against the sentence of
hanishment, but we have not heard.the result in Malta.
The scourge steam-frigate, baying parted company
with the Queen, Hercules, and Spiteful, with a fair wind
for Gibraltar, ran to the' Grahani's shoal, and found
little or no diffetence,since the survey in April lastyear.
he Seourge leavee port ,to-morrow for . Corfu, and
brteiwarde:for Constantinople, to be, placed at the ordey
,44.air.:811111.ning, who ielgotogfruinse on conic'The Spit act.'-fiiratitait prdeeed et the *l4
of the month to resume her surveys.

COURT CIRCULAR..
The Queen held a Court yesterday afternoOn at Buck-
ingham Palace.
His Royal Highness the Count d'Aquila, brother of
his Majesty the King of the Two biellies, and the
Countess d'Aquila, accompanied by his Excellency the
Prince di Carini, Sicilian Minister, bad au audience Of
her Majesty. Their Royal Highnesses were introduced
by the Earl of Malmesbury, the Queen's Principal
cretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and conducted by
Major-General the Hon. Sir Edward Cust, K.C.H., her
Majesty's Master of the Ceremonies.
Their Royal Highnesses were attended by the Princess
de V►lla and the Chevalier Folgori.

Her Majesty will hold a Privy Council on Monday
next, the sth inst., at Buckingham Palace. Summonses
were issued yesterday to the Ministers and Officers of
State.

The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
with the Princess Royal and the Princess Alice, attended
by DlAjor-General Buckley and Colonel Bouverie, visited
the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's-park yesterday
morning.

Their: Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince
Alfred, and the younger members of the Royal Family,
took their usual exercise yesterday in the gardens of
Buck ioßham Palace.

The Queen, attended by the Marchioness of Ely, the
Hon. Caroline Cavendish, the Earl of Verulam, and
Major-General Buckley, honoured the Haymarket
Theatre with their presence last evening.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Lord
George Lennox, Culonel Wylde, Colonel the Hon.
Charles Grey, and Colonel Bouverie, honoured the So-
ciety of Arts with his presence yesterday evening. His
Royal Highness afterwards joined her Majesty at the
Haymarket Theatre.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended
by Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, and Sir
George Couper, left her residence, Clarence-house, St.
James's, at eleven o'clock yesterday morning, for Frog-
more.

A deputation, consisting of Mr. Hindley, M.P.. Mr.
Hilton, Mr. Birley, and Mr. Bagley, • had an interview
with Mr. Secretary Walpole yesterday at the Home-office.
Admiral Hornby had an interview with the Earl of
Derby yesterday at his official residence in Downing-
street.

The Oxford University Commission had a meeting
yesterday at the official residence of the First Lord of
the Treasury, in Downing-street. Present—the Bishop
of Norwrich, the Dean of Carlisle, the Master of Pem-
broke, the Rev. H. G. Liddell, Mr. J. L. Dampier, the
Rev. Professor Powell, the Rev. G. H. S. Johnson, and
the Rev. A. P. Stanley (secretary).
Sir John Duckworth and Mr. Robert Neilson had an
interview with Sir John Pakington yesterday at the Co-
lonial-office.

Baron Bentinck, the Netherlands Minister, transacted
business with the Earl of Malmesbury at the Foreign-
office on Monday.

PARIs THEATRICALS.

ITALIAN OPERA.—M. Bazzini, the great Italian
violinist, made his appearance on Saturday night. He
was announced to perform three morceaux of his own
composition, each entirely different in style and cha-
racter, and he had not played a dozen bars before he
proved himself not only a complete master of his instru-
ment, but a true musician by nature, feeling, and
genius, delighting and revelling in all the passionate
beauty and poetry of his art. M. Bazzini first played an
eleeset and brilliant study on Donizetti's Anna
Bolena—exquisitely performed, and followed by im-
mense applause. His next theme was the celebrated
finale from Lucia, into which he threw a soul and ex-
pression not to be surpassed by that greatest of all in-
struments—tbe human voice. In his hands the
violin absolutely sings this beautiful air with all
the pathos, tenderness, and passion of a Bubini.
The largo was executed entirely upon the fourth
chord, and was given by Bazzini with a power and
grandeur worthy of Paganini himself, of whom he re-
3ainded every musician present who had had the gratifi-
cation of hearing that great master. This marvellous
performance coneluded with a scherzo, " La Ronde
des Lutins," one of those fantastic dreams of
fairyland in which the imagination of the coins
poser and player is allowed full scope, and
which considered alone as an exhibition of executive
skill, is one of the most extraordinary feats ever
heard on this instrument. His passages of tenths, dou-
ble notes, and daring leaps of bow and hand, preserving
unerring truth of intonation, even in the wildest
velocity of delivery, exhibited a mastery over every
conceivable intricacy and difficulty impossible to sur-
pass. This wondrous display, at first frequently in-
terrupted by expressions of delight, as it proceeded gra-
dually excited a perfect furore on the part of the public,
who, after a tempest of applause, insisted on a repetition
of the entire morceau, a demand which, notwithstanding
its unreasonableness, was complied with by M. Bazzini
with unimpaired energy; and he concluded amid re-
newed acclamations on the part of the entire assembly.
Among the many claimants to the succession of the great
Paganini, M. Bazzini must be set down as the most ideal
and poetic that has yet been heard in Paris.
ODEON.—NI. Leon Gozlan has produced Les Cinq
Minutes du Commandeur, a drama in five acts, founded
on an excellent novel of the author's. The transplanta-
tion and adaptation to the stage has been effected so inju-
diciously that the plot, to those who areunacquainted with
the romance, is perfectly incomprehensible. Under these
circumstances, it is not to be wondered at that Les
Cinq Minutes du Commandeur should have been a
failure. Since the first representation it would app.ar
that some changes had been effected in the drama, as it
has kept its ground on the affiche, whore, however, it
seems impossible that its sojourn can be permanent.
OPERA. COMIQUE.—The last novelty here, Le Far-
fadet, partakes of the unsubstantial nature of the fan-
tastic being denoted by its title, both as regards the
music and the libretto. It is an old story, but
arranged in a new form, and gaily narrated by M.
de Planard. A clumsy miller is about to marry
the pretty Laurette, under the compulsion of one
of those traditional uncles fast disappearing from
the stage, while he is in reality attached to a cer-
tain Mdlle. Babel. Laurette,-,in.her turn, still regrets
a former lover, one Marcellin, a boatman, supposed
to have been drowned. An evil spirit (a fartadet)
appears, however, to have bewitched the mid, for us
the dsy fixed for Laurette's nuptials approaches, the
machinery gets out of order, sacks of flour are
tossed about, and a thousand pranks are played the
miller, by the mischievous elf, who turns out, at
length, to be no other than Mona. Marcellin the missing
boatman. Laurette marries her lover, Babet becomes
the wife of her miller, and everybody is satisfied, even
the public. The music, by M. Adam, is pretty, nit
contains nothing meriting note or special mention.
__'n.,d
was extremely well sung by Mdlles. Lenierci
Talmon, and MM. Bussine and Jourdan, a.n
Farfadet was received with marks of unequivocal milw
faction.
brought out
GIMNISE.—Two novelties have been
favour. The
here, both of which were received
with favour.
sot affair,
first, Le Marquis de la BretecheLigs
in which the artful designs of edam(' is Mar-
quise" to win the affections of hernhdusband are prettily
Biz aconde:cended t -
described by
with a
ti re-
authers. The Marquis havinbg y
a marriage
re-
pair his shattered f,rtun-s.
so ashamed
e, is at thus
very rich and pretty bourgeois
chat on the first day f his
a tsr
having encanaille hiceself,
wife, and flies to his chate au '
marriage he leaves hisf
killing
time,
he lays in
Britanny, where by
way
o tgirl, in whom siege to
the virtue of a pretty peasant
a f he notices a
with his wt. e; as matters proceed
strong resemblance
he is amazed to find that the little
however,villageoise
is no other than " Madame la Marquise', herself, who
has resorted to this method of making the conquest of
her husband; this stratagem brings
about a better un-
derstanding between the sposi, between whom the
greatest harmony prevails at the fall
the curial s.
This sprightly affair is acted with great spirit by Mdlle.
Luther and MM. Numa and Lafontaine. The other no-
velty, Le Piano de Berthe, is a mere bluette to display the
talents of Mines. Ruse and Anna oberi,
and M. Bressant.
It is written in imitation of the style of M. Mired de
Musset in Un Caprice, and, though far from r quelling
the original, it is not destitute of merit. The author.
are MAL Barriere and Morin.
AMBIGIT.--A lugubrious melodrama, Sarah la Creole,
exhibiting the terrible rancune of a certain damsel in
Martinique, has been received with transports of applause

• '
.„ .
at thin theatre. .The, heroine, has had the mishap to,
be 'seduced by a 'villain` of a gay Foirisian, named Dto
moat, .who, having abandmied her, she savears,a4tickect'
oath of vengeance .against 'allrof the name of, Damout,..:
A young lady . of that .unlucky, name falls into, the-
bldtehes of this dem'on, who iunontinyuly comine,flcea
series of peraectitiobs'againseher, such as are only to be.
found at the Ambirn Comique,•winding up by poisoning
her mallieureuse victime. By an interference of Providence,
never at fault at this theatre, the poisoner ultimately meets
with condign puni,finient:• This terrible cxumple of the
effpiets of,libertinitm•is• nightly received by delighted.
crowds,. and, jadginefriam the applause, virtue and mo-
rality are decidedly in .the ascendant just now :ea the
itatilevardA ' The piety is well enough acted,
particularly LiyMmti. NAOMI! tArilitalt, an antrras•worthi ,
place-at a mud* I)l'oer:theatre than the Ambign. y
..TE5,4140 gaTf.Oll,&L 4 grand , military spectagle,
Patronnee de Paris, founded on the legend
ciobb;patioti saint 'of "..Pariti,` and' the siege of the city
slirthe fauns under 'the. terrible Attila, has been pro--
r.dneld Mere with the ptconst success. It is splendifilY got,
ttNitincl the strange nocturnes and mode of warfare of
't4fartia'rbariani and Parisians of the fifth century, are
repiessented with tile greatest possible accuracy. - - •
.•••
_The last concert of the Bode:6 Ste. Cools derived un-
wonted Mat from the presence of Mademoiselle Falconi.
This eminent vocalist sang the " Sicilieune" of
Pergolese, 'and the' celebrated cavatina
f 4 from Semi-
?amide; Bel 4aggio,7 showing herself equally great
in the classic and.. florid styles. With a splendid
soprano, the lower reguiter of her voice comprises the
notes of the richest contralto, which she uses with
transcendent effect. Falconi is on her way to
London, being engeg.ll by Mr. Bunn to meet the fur...,
ridable rivalry of the opera season about to commence.
Madlle. Marie Ducrest, a young artist of great talent,
gave a concert a few days since at the Salle: Pleyel,
•Nhichswari numerously attended. Madlle, Ducret pos-
"Seit+ei • good ,gliiiisopt•itne coins, raid oonsiderable
taste and execntionquailyteit warii_diakla,yed to;,
great advantage: in an air trona A u
to another trom Don;aatt's Buondet Mints.

LAMBETH WATERWORKS.
The potential influence of public epinten has already
begun to tell upon the metrop ditan water companies,
Red Tuesday furnished one of its most unmi,takeable
proofs. The Lambeth Water Company has, ever since
the year 1785, supplied the chief portion of southern
London with water drawn from Ihe Tnanies, in the ins
mediate neighbourhood of Hungerford-hridge. The
purity of the beverage during the last century must hsve
been questionable; what it has been for many years
back it would be almost painful to describe. A better
era has, however, dawned. A special train on the South-
Western Railway on Tuesday conveyed the directors
and a party of 350 friends to the Kingston station, to
witness the opening of the new works, constructed by
the company at Ditton, on the banks of the Thames.
A large extent of ground has been enclosed at the
spot known as Seething-wells, opposite to Hampton-
park. At this point of the river, 23 miles above
London-bridge, three miles above the tidal range,
and above Teddington-lock, the water is drawn from
the river through gratings and wire-strainers into
several enormous filtering reservoirs, each of which is
constructed to hold several hundred thousand gallons.
The bed of these tanks is formed of layers of shale,
pounded shells, and fine and coarse gravel, through
which the fluid must pass to be pumped up the steam-
engines, and transferred by the aqueduct pipes to the
reservoirs at Brixton-rise and Streatham-hill. Profiting
by the guidacce of Mr. Simpson and Mr. Pole, engi-
neers, and Mr. Phipps, the secretary, the visitors in-
spected the processes of filtration, the sluices having been
opened for the purpose, and then examined, the boiler-
house and steam-engines. Four engines of 600-horse
power collectively, of superior construction, furnish
adequate power for the supply of 1.0,900,00.0 gallons of
water per day—a quantity which it is estimated may
be increased three or even fourfold, if requisite. After
duly inspecting the whole of the works, and witnessing
the commencement of active operations, the company
adjourned to a large marquee, where a very excellen t
collation did much credit to Mr. Richard Gunter, the
purveyor. Mr. James C. Peache, the chairman of the
company, was supported by Sir James Duke,. M.P.,
Major Oliphant, Mr. Geach, M.P., Mr. Dakin, Mr.
Pepper, mayor of Kingston, Lieutenant-General Sir
John Wilson, &c. After various toasts and speeches.
which were all well received, the company dispersed,
.to
re-assemble at the railway-station, about half a mile dis-
tant, where the special train conveyed the party back to
town before night arrived.

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