The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-23 00:00:00

I'HE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1863.

HERTFORD DUILDING COMPANY,

(From the Hertford Mercury.)

The annual meeting of the Hertford Building Company
was lately held at the Town Hall. Amongst those present
were :—M. H. Gosselin, Esq. ; Hon. and Rev. Godolphin
Hastings; R. Dimsdale, Esq. ; Rev. D. B. Bevan, Rev. C.
B. Pearson ; J. W. Chesshyre, Esq. ; Rev. E. Bartrum ;
Jasper Gripper, Esq. ; Rev. H. Demain ; Mr. Ludlow, &c.
Mr. Gosselin having been called to the chair, the report
was read by Mr. R. Dimsdale, the Managing Director.
The CHAIRMAN said he might congratulate the share-
holders on the presentation of so satisfactory a report. The
Building Company had two objects—first, to improve the
dwellings of the working classes; and secondly, to give a
moderate interest to the shareholders. Unless they had
kept the commercial aspect of their project in view, they
would not have prospered. They had, however, succeeded in
both their designs ; on two occasions they had paid dividends
of 3i per cent., and had largely increased the number of
houses in their possession. It was encouraging to find that,
in the improvements effected on property purchased by
them, they had always kept within the estimates, which
was much to the credit of their architect, Mr. Smith, who
gave the company his time and skill for nothing. kle (the
chairman) did not know whether country gentlemen were
likely to take advantage of the company's offer to build for
tSem on a commission of 5 per cent.; but he hoped they
would do so when they found that the company could build
good cottages ; and could also make good out of bad, which
was still more difficult. (Cheers.) The Chairman concluded
by moving that the report be received and adopted.
The Hon. and Rev. G HASTINGS, in seconding the
motion, said the movement superintended by this com-
pany, was one of those efforts for the benefit of the
labouring classes which had emanated from the
Labourer's Friend Society, and for which they were
entirely indebted to Mr. Dimsdale. The object was to
provide houses fit for Christian people to dwell in—wanting
which the wife and children of the labourer became slat
ternly, and the man, instead of becoming attached to his
home, sought refuge in the publichouse. It was important
that the company should direct its attention not so much to
building cottages as to the improvement of cottages already
in existence. They might build pretty cottages outside
towns, but they would do little good unless they improved
and reconstructed the wretched places to be found within
the towns, in which people would live so long as such pieces
existed. There were some such residences in Herttor I,
which reflected but little credit upon it. He was glad to
find that the society did aim at the improvement and recon-
struction of cottage property. When the company was first
started, there were many persons who never expected that it
would pay a dividend, and .who were now, doubtless. much
surprised to find that it was able to give the shareholders 3
per cent. each succeeding year. That fact would be a great
inducement to persons, who had money they wished to put
out at interest, .to take shares in the company. (Cheers.)
The resolution was then agreed to.
The Rev. C. B. PEARSON briefly proposed that the re-
tiring directors be re-elected.
The Rev. H. S. WARLEIGR said he had much pleasure
in seconding the resolution for their re-election. As a
town clergyman he wished to record his gratitude to the
directors for what they had done and were now doing, in
order to improve the accommodation of the poor. What
town clergyman was there who did not know that the
wretched cottage accommodation provided stood at the
very threshold of his usefulness? He could not urge
upon the poor, with any effect, to observe the dece
cies of life or to cultivate private prayer. As to clean-
liness in many houses it was out of the question. Since
he had been in Hertford, his heart had ached many
times when he had gono into cottages—nay, not
cottages—hovels—not hovels, but rather styes of the
poor; and he could not understand how any gentleman
could allow himself to be the owner of such wretched places
as dwellings for human beings. He was happy to find that
some of the miserable cottages in his parish were to be
pulled down, and others, worthy of this society, were to be
erected in their stead.

The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. It. DIMSDALE said he had a pleasing duty to perform,
in calling attention to that portion of the report in which
the directors recommend a dividend of 3 per cent. On a
former occasion it was stated by some of their friends that
the dividend was paid out of sources which were not legiti-
mately applicable to that purpose—being the proceeds of a
successful sale, and not the rentals of the property; but on
the present occasion such an objection could not be made,
because the receipts from tenants amounted to about £5O,
which, after paying all expenses, would leave a sufficient
amount to pay the proposed dividend. There were two or
three matters on which he wished to say a few words. In
the first place he agreed with Mr. Hastings that they should
devote their attention principally to tne conversion and im-
provement of old houses rather than to the building of new
houses. It they built a number of additional houses in some
districts, and left the old houses as they were, they might
do more harm than good. To do any good they must get
rid of the filthy, wretched tenements at present existing.
This was what they were trying to do at Hertford, where
there was cottage property of the worst description; but
which, perhaps, be had better not venture to describe, as he
had been called to account for doing so last year. As they
got more money at their command they hoped to c 1..) more
good. It had been stated that if 4000 were raised for every
1,000 inhabitants, cottage property would in time fall into
the hands of cottage improvement societies. That had been
done at Hastings; but it was too much to be expected to be
done here. No doubt it was better that it should fall into
their hands, than that it should be in the hands of small
proprietors. It would be a great benefit to the poor if their
cottages could be transferred from the present owners into
the hands of kind-hearted landlords. (Hear.) A subject
which had occupied the consideration of the society was the
importance of providing suitable accommodation for single
men. It was well known that it was very difficult to pre-
vent people taking in lodgers. It was easy to say that they
ought to make stringent regulations that their tenants should
not take in lodgers. It was quite clear that the single men
must go somewhere. At present they very often had ill-
ventilated rooms at a public-house, where they were likely
to get more harm than good. If this difficulty were to be
met, it must be by provioing some system of lodging houses.
wo classes of lodging-houses were required in this town.
First, lodging-houses for single men working in the neigh.
bourhood ©f Hertford, who required a comfortable place to
have their meals in, and a good bedroom to sleep in. Ano-
ther and inferior description of lodging-houses was required
for mere tramps. No less than 9,000 or 10,000 tramps passed
throught Hertford every year, and they lodged in places
which were very objectionable. Both these descriptions of
lodging-houses the society hoped to carry out in Hertford
in course of time. There was another question which had
come before them from time to time. It had been said they
were doing a good deal for the town, but nothing for the
country. If they could avoid this they would be glad to
do so, tor they received support from the country as well as
the town. But the society could not go into the rural dis-
tricts and say to a landlord, "give us a piece of land, and
wo will build suitable cottages." But they provided plans
and estimates for any gentleman wishing to avail them-
selves of such assistance; and they also offered to build cot-
tages for any gentlemen at a commission on the outlay of
5 per cent. The society had endeavoured to establish dis-
trict societies, but up to this time had been unsuccessful.
If in any town there were a number of gentlemen who
wished to form a society of this kind, by becoming a
district society in connection with this, they would have
the advantage of saving the who:e of the preliminary
expenses, the clerk's salary, and the expenses of an
office, &c. With regard to the future of this society he
must say that as they had already done some good, it was
clear they would do more good if they were able to purchase
more houses of a bad and in fficient character ; and he
hoped that the dividend they were able now to pay would
be an inducement to others to join them. Although the divi-
dend was but a moderate one, yet at the present time it was
not easy to get a safe investment which would pay more
than 3 per cent, And he believed that they might fairly
calculate on soon being able to pay 5 per cent. lithe whole
of their capital of £5,000 a ere paid up, and judiciously ex-
pended, it would yield a rental of £350 a•year. Of this sum
£250 would be sufficient to pay the shareholders 5 per cent.,
leaving £5O for working expenses, and £5O a-year for re-
pairs. He thought the time had now come when persons
might safely and profitably invest a small portion of their
money in the society, and by so doing they would confer
great benefits on the vicinity. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Dimsdale
concluded by proposing that a dividend of 3 per cent. on the
paid-up capital be declared.

Mr. J. W. CHESSHYRE, in seconding the resolution, said
he agreed with Mr. Dimsdale that eventually, if they got a
larger number of shares taken, they would increase the
dividend considerably; because their expenses would not
then be nearly so large in proportion to their income. At
present they amounted to nearly 40 per cent, on their whole
receipts, whereas then they would be reduced to a merely
nominal sum.

The resolution was agreed to.
Mr, JASPER GRIPPER proposed the re-election of the
auditors, with thanks for their past services.
Mr. HATCHARD seconded the resolution, which was car-
ried unanimously,

Mr. ARMSTRONG and Mr. POLLARD respectively re-
turned thanks.

The Rev. Mr. RUSSELL proposed the thanks of the share-
holders to the managing director, the honorary architect,
and the bankers. He said they could not bo too thankful at
any cost to succeed in the object which the society had in
view, which was the improvement of the dwellings of the
poor ; but still, as a general rule, they could not expect a
large number of persons to subscribe their money to a work
of this kind without a prospect of getting some return for
it ; and therefore great thanks were due to those gentlemen
on whom the care and labour of the society falls, and who
had so managed its affairs as to prove to the public that,
while it was doing a great deal of good, it was at the same
time an investment which yielded a fair return.
The Rev. E. BARTRUM, in seconding the resolution, said
the managing-director—their friend Mr. Dimsdale—had
given abundant proof that he took the deepest interest in
the society, and that he devoted himself energetically to the
carrying out of its objects. As to Mr. Smith, the architect,
the demands on his time must be very great and pressing,
and they were much indebted to him for undertaking the
work of the sooiet
without remuneration, He (Mr. Bar-

t. um) ;41,1nd like to t() uor( elergyna. n take up with the
Loci' y Dr, Livingstone h tel sii l in reference f the
heat heti, betoi e you a, t empt to preach the Gospel you must
first introduce civilization He did not say that he entirely
agreed with that; but he certainly believed that a clergy-
man would find the hearts of the poor open to his religious
teachings, if their dwellings were better provided with com-
forts and conveniences. (Hear, hear.) In country parishes
if there was no resident proprietor, cottages were generally
overcrowded, ventilation and drainage were neglected, and
frequently the result was that contagious diseases broke out.
But here this society might be of great use, not only by
providing proper cottagc.,s,but by drawing public attention to
the matter, which was of much importance. Mr. Dimsdalo
had spoken of lodging houses for tramps. Probably Mr.
Dimsdale, who was at Oxford, would remember that at that
town there was an institution for the reception of tramps—
lod ging houses, in fact, in which tramps were received in the
evening,compelled to wash themselves,provided with supper
and with breakfast the next morning. That answered well,
and something of that kind seemed to be wanted here. Mr.
Dimsdale had said that 9,000 tramps passed through this
town every year. That seemed an incredibly large number,
and it was certainly of importance to do something for that
class.

The Rev. Mr. RUSSELL observed that they had at Cam-
bridge a similar institution as that at Oxford. It was called
the Mendicity Society, and the officers ascertained whether
the applicants were mere beggars, or were passing from one
place to another in search of work. Tickets were given,
and the mere beggars and vagrants did not like the tickets,
for they only wanted money, and moreover they could not
bear the ablutions. The society had the effect of reducing
the number of professional beggars in that town.

Mr. DIMSDALE7 in acknowledging the vote of thanks,
said that when the society was first established Mr. Ches-
shyre was the treasurer, and the society owed its success
principally to the attention he had devoted to it, and to the
assistance he had rendered him (Mr. Dimsdale) by his ex-
perience. With regard to the architect, it was due to Mr.
Smith to say that he devoted a good deal of time to the
interests of the society, and the. his estimates were always
prepared with so much care and judgment that in no one
instance had the costs incurred on any work exceeded the
estimate, while in some instances they were considerably
below it. (Cheers.) He would take this opportunity of
saying that the Hastings Society had established an excel-
lent benevolent fund in connection with the society, though
independent of it. They said a contribution of is per
share horn each shareholder would enable them to establish
a Lund for the assistance of their tenants in times of dis-
tress. The thing was found to work well, and was calcu-
lated to promote a kindly t'eel ng between the shareholders
and their tenants , and moreover it promoted prompt pay-
ment of rent. If any of the shareholders of this society
would like to join this movement, he should be happy to
receive their subscription for that purpose.
Mr. HATCHARD said, in reference to the large number
of tramps said to pass through this town, that the figures
did not actually represent the number of individuals who
passed through the town. If, for instance, a tramp re-
mained in the town a week, which was very often the case,
he would be entered seven times, and thus the number
would appear much larger than it really was.
Mr. LUDLOW proposed the thanks of the meeting to Mr.
Gosselin for his kindness in taking the chair, and for the
assistance he rendered to the society at the various meetings
of the board of directors. He hoped Mr. Gosselin would
long remain amongst them as a useful man and kind
neighbour.

Mr. AUSTIN, in seconding the resolution, said it was a
matter of congratulation that gentlemen of the neighbour-
hood came amongst them to take part in meetings of this
kind. With regard to the number of tramps passing
through this town, he had tried as a member of the Cor-
poration to get the actual number of individual tramps who
slept in the town in the year, but he had not been able to
do so yet. The Government only t equired of the Corpo-
ration a return of the number of persons who slept in the
lodging-houses in the year, and as that included, in many
instances, the same individuals a number of times, he did
not see what good the return was. He still hoped to succeed
in getting the actual number of different individuals passing
through the town in the course of a year.
The motion having been agreed to,
The CHAIRMAN briefly acknowledged the compliment,
and the proceedings terminated.

Serious Charge against a Member of the

Stock Exchange.

On Saturday, Mr. John Bruce, a stockbroker,
carrying on business at 4, Bank-chambers, Loth-
bury, surrendered at Guildhall, on bail, before Al-
derman Humphery, a warrant having been previ-
ously issued for his apprehension, on a charge of
traud, to answer the complaint of Mr. J. H. B.
Vivian, of King's Bench-walk, Temple, and Morden
Lodge, Tulse-hill, Brixton, who alleged that the
defendant had misappropriated the sum of £1,726.
the proceeds of certain London, Chatham, and Dover
stock entrusted to him to exchange for some shares
in the Recife and Sin Francisco (Pernambuco)
it,itway.

Mr. Pa A' ni of P xW le and Lovesy, ot
New It,o, Straw', emoluc'ed the defence.
Mr Fo,kard, ies,ructed by Messrs. Cardale,
Iliffe, and Russell, appe,red tor the prosecution,
and stated the 1 eiding facts ot the case ; and ade'ed
that it was Hider feelings of a most painful charac
ter that Mr. Vivian had adopted proceedings, .4s
he and the defendant had been schoolted•)ws
together, and intimate from childhood; but the de
rendant, having abased the trust reposed in him t.
a broker, although no one would be more pleased
than Mr. Viviat4 if a satisfactory ::newer could be
given to the change, it became his duty to ask that
the case be sent before another tribunal.
Mr. Vivian, who gave his evidence in a very ex
citable manner, said—On or about the 22d August
last I requested the defendant to go the the S,(
Exchange and ascertain how many Pernambuc,
Railway shares he could obtain in lieu of 48£100
shares in the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway,
and when he returned he said he could only pur-
chase 100, covering all expenses for commission
stamp duty, &c. I allowed him a commission o
2.. 6.1. per share on all purchases, but nothing on
the transfers, the same as I paid my regular broker.
I wrote out an order on my bankers for the deli, ery
to the defendant of all my London, Chatham, and
Dover stock, and waited in his office while he sent
his clerk with the order to the London and West-
minster Bank. When the clerk returned he brought
with him London, Chatham, and Dover stock to the
am.aunt of £9,500, £4,800 of which I handed over
to the defendant with instructions in writing to sell
it, and to apply the proceeds in purchasing 100
Pernambuco Railway shares. I was about depart-
ing for Spain on the Ist of September, and I there-
fore gave him directions in writing to the effect that
if he could not make the purchase before I left he
was to purchase the shares for me in his own name.
At the same time I signed some blank transfers, to
be used in the sale of the London, Chatham, and
Dover stock, as the defendant said it would be more
convenient to sell and deliver the stock, and trans-
fer at once, without troubling me to come to town
about it. On the 25th of August I found that my
bankers had not delivered up all my London, Cha-
tham, and Dover stock, and I handed to the defen-
dant a further quantity to the amoun t of £2,000, mak-
ing a total of £6,800, representing 68 £lOO shares, and
requested him to purchase 40 more Pernambuco
Railway shares with the proceeds of them.
Alderman Ilumphery —What was the market
value of the £6,800 London, Chatham, and Dover
stock

Witness—X2,943 10s. I saw defendant repeat-
edly between the 22d and the 30th of August, and
he gave me an account of the purchases he had
effected, but I have since lost it. In it he stated
that he had sold the London, Chatham, and Dover
stock, and had purchased 140 Pernambuco Railway
Shares at £l9 17s. 6d. each. They were £2O
shares. I went to Sp tin on the Ist of September,
and was away for six weeks. On the 13th of
January, having sold the 140 Pernambuco with
other shares for the account, I went to the bank for
the certificate., or transters, and then discovered for
the first time that I had only 63 instead of 140 Per-
nambuco shares.

Alderman Himaphery—Did you not count them
when the defendant gave them to you?
Witness—No, sir. I believed there were 140
shares, and took them direct to my bankers, and
they .lid not count them. When I asked for them
I remarked that there was a deficiency, and the
bank clerk said he had only received 65 ehares.
Alderman Hiunphery— What price did you sell
hem :,t for the ,iceotint ?
Witness—From £lB 10s. to £lB 12a. 6d. per
share. On ascertaining that there was a deficiency
of seventy-five shares I applied at the Pernambuco
Railway-office, and examined the transfer books
and found a similar deficiency there. I then went
to the defendant and showed him the account he
had given me, and told him I had discovered a defi-
ciency in the number of my shares. He said it was
all a mistake, and that if I would go to my bankers
and look over my transfers I should find the certi-
ficates for all but about ten shares. I told him it
was not the case ; but not desiring to have any
words about it, I wished him good night, and on
my return to my chambers I found I had lost his
account which he gave me in August. On the fol-
lowing morning I went to my bankers, but did not
find the missing transfers. I then called on defen-
dant again, and told him I had lost the account, and
asked him if he hadit, as I thought I left it in his
office on the previous night. He denied having it,
and refused to give me a duplicate. I told him the
result of my visit to my bankers, and he then told
me a very different tale. He said that I had given
him authority to use the shares for his own pur-
poses, and that I had lent them to him for that put.-
Rose. He said that I had given him the transfers
signed in blank to enable him to convert the shares
to his own use, which I had never done. I never
gave the defendant any authority to apply the pro-

eeeds of the Ldon, I.)uv,A• stock to
Own use, rw- to use the bl3Ank transfers for any
purpose but I ha, of de ling with tllk, Chu;
ham, and Dover stock. Neither have 1 ever ,:utho-
risbd him to use the Pernambuco shares for his own
purposes. I never offered to lend him X 1,700, or
any_other sum.

Mr. Vivian Underwent a long cross-examination,
and several witnesses were examined for the purpose
of showing that the defendant had been authorised
to appropriate the shares to his own use. Mr.
Vivian had some difficulty in remembering the
meaning of a letter he had written to the defendant,
at one time saying that the letters P. R. meant the
Pernambuco shares, and afterwards that they stood
for Paternoster-row.

Ultimately an offer was made by Mr. Pawle to
hand over the whole of the amount received by his
client for the deficient Pernambuco shares, which
Mr. Vivian said he should only be too glad to receive.
Alderman Humphery said, from all he had heard
of the case, that would he the most rational termina-
tion of such a charge under such peculiar circum-
stances.

Mr. Pawle said Mr. Vivian wanted a profit of
£4OO in the transaction, taking the shares at the
value named in the transfers instead of the market
value.

Alderman Humphery said a letter of August 22,
which had been read, might be taken two ways—
either to buy shares, and hold them for Mr. Vivian,
or to deal with them on his own uccount. That being
the case, he thought it would be better if the matter
coutd be arranged.
The case was then adjourned for a week.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

SATURDAY REVIEW.—Lord Derby prohesied
that, we should have a humdrum session this year,
and his prophecy is coming true. He is, indeed,
in a position dear to prophets, and can largely assist
in bringing about what he predicts. There never,
probably, since a Reformed Parliament sat at West-
minster, was so complete an absence of important
measures proposed to the consideration of the two
Houses. The Lords, as usual, can get nothing to
do at the beginning of the session, and what is
worse, they cannot this year learn that anything is
coming for them to do a little later. Lord Derby
made a formal appeal on Monday to the represen-
tative of the Government in the House of Lords,
and asked whether there were any measures which
the Cabinet had to propose this year. The Lords
do not, like hard work, but it is dreary for them to
have the prospect of a session lasting some months,
anti nothing to do, or think, or talk of in it. Lord
Derby's question was, therefore, a very natural
and a very proper one. The country, as well as
the Lords, is interested in the answer. Lord Gran
vile was able to assure the Lords and the country
that, although the Government had not many im-
portant measures to propose, still there was one.
The session of the Lords was not to be an absolute
blank. One great scheme had occupied the atten-
tion of the Cabinet, and the House and the country
would be invited to carry out the conclusions to
which, after much anxious deliberation, the Cabi-
net had come. Her Majesty's Ministers were pre-
pared to bring in a bill to put down smells. This
was the one great measure which was to make the
session illustrious. But the width and grandeur of
the subject, as it first loomed in its vastness before
the vision of the Lords, were too overpowering ;
and the Ministry anxiously explained that it was
not all bad smells that were to be dealt with,
but only smells of a peculiarly alkaline charac-
ter. To suppress alkaline smells is the ambition
of the servants of the Crown, and on this one great
effort they have concentrated all their resources.
If they still hold office at the end of the
session, although they have done nothing to improve
the machinery of English justice, or to simplify the
tangled mass of English law, or to lessen the dis-
cordant absurdities which disfigure the jurispru-
dence of the three countries represented in Parlia-
ment, still they will be content. They will go with
light hearts to shoot grouse and partrides, for they
will have worked a great work. England will
smell a little sweeter, and they will be the men ck ho
have sweetened it. In the long run, this timidity
defeats its own object, and the country gets tired of
a Government that exists merely to exist. It is not
by calculated inaction that great names are made
and greatresults obtained. We might have expected
much more from many of the members of the pre-
sent Government than they give us. More espe-
cially, the Lord Chancellor is a source of reasonable
disappointment. Hitherto he has not fulfilled the
sanguine anticipations with which a large portion
of his profession welcomed the accession to the wool-
sack of a man who was far the moat accomplished
and weighty advocate of the English bar, who bud
often expressed a strong desire to impress a wider
and more philosophic character on English law, and
who had given a considerable impulse to whatever
has been done for the improvement of legal educa-
tion in England. The appointment of near relatives
to every vacant office, and the production of a Bank
ruptcy Bill which requires already the tinkering
which all Bankruptcy Bills appear in succession to
r,quire, are not very splendid results of the change
hr which Sir Richard Bothell passed into Lord
Westbury.

SPECTATOR.—Counted head by head, the Tories
,end the it alli,as have, probably, if tot a onlority, at
least a force comp' tAtt to t hrow out the Government,
r,r to sustain a flew one in an appeal to the country.
They have, too, as a body, a strong bias against the
Out sc., they belt-Ivr trio Government is pursuing, sad
some few but dist inct ideas of the road on which they
would rather wove. Yet they are almost powtt
ess, or powerful only to lock the wheels of the c0.,c1
They menace, and talk, and consult, but as to action.
they '' wait reinforcements." Their organisatitn.
on points is excellent, so good that they hart
doctored the registers into partisanship, and at.
winning at every turn new and contested seats.
They even seat their own men for the closest Go-
vernment boroughs, and Mr. Ferrand was received
in the House with as much enthusiasm as if be had
been in himself a working majority. Daily the Tory
muster creeps up to the figure which ought to sig-
nify victory, and yet the army grows no stronger,
the chiefs are just as rek ctan c to set the battle array.
The Liberals are almost as weak. They have in
internal affairs for the moment no scheme of action
whatever, except to defend Lord Palmerston on
account of his foreign policy, which Tories approve
as completely, if not as cordially, as themselves.
Their chief confines himself to abstaining from
offering points of attack. They have therefore no
interest in the game, except when a test vote is
near, and feel besides that if they found one, they
might only heal the disputes which prevent the.
enemy's charge. They have postponed the idea of
Reform, and can rouse no fight on free trade, have no
enemy to contend with on foreign affairs,and do not
affect to care much for administrative or judicial ad-
vance. In other matters a kind of carelessness, pro-
duced chiefly by Tory weakness, has taken posses-
sion of their minds. They fulfil their pledges on
Wednesdays, but even ecclesiastical measures
scarcely excite them to action, and the fifty reforms
really wanted in this department of life obtain only
an approving decree of indefinite postponement.
Like the hands of some men who do no work, they
are still strong but flabby, and advance and recede
as if either were an annoying waste of power. They
know they must be beaten if they break up for action,
and prefer, on the whole, an anxious chaotic quiet.
The consequences of this state of affairs are, on
the whole, disastrous. The Cabinet, though unable
to move, still feels itself safe from attack, and per-
forms the work of the hour in a desultory shiftless
way. It is a garrison all in undress. Lord Rus-
sell makes a blunder in Brazil, and is almost too
indifferent to manufacture a telling defence. Sir
George Grey lets crime go on almost without ap-
pearing to hear the public cry for protection. Mr.
Layard can hardly be bored to explain why new
trades have not been opened by treaties eaeily
framed ; and Lord Granville calmly remarks that
as to forthcoming measures—why, the Cabinet in-
tends most seriously to put down all bad smells.
Lord Palmerston does not care to explain why Mr.
Elliot told ati the Greeks that they had obtained a
king when the crown had never been taken, and
Mr. F. Peel thinks himself hardly used because he
cannot sell Epping Forest without a metropolitan
tes. Fula Mr. Giadstone lets his big cat out of the
5o tar, that he is oblipred to reduce a duty before
ms budget is ready ; and Lord Granville seemed in-
clined to swear because asked to deal with endowed
schools. Not that Ministers, or their foliowtrs,,,ae
enjoying an unaccustomed reoose. The lassitude
does not proceed from sleep or anything else enjoy-
but simply from weary feebleness, which yet is
not fatigue. On the other side,the Tories, aware that
they cannot punish, are disposed to let things drift,
mutter about extravagance, and highhanded foreign
policy, and reckless interference in China, but bear
them all,rather than risk the annoyance involved in
contest. Nobody attacks in earnest, and so nobody
defends, or acts as if he thought he should ever be
called upon for defence. The lassitude for Parlia-
mentary feeling is creeping into executive action,
and all that is not delayed is carelessly performed.
There is an aspect of weakness in all things, a loot
like that of a convalescent hospital, and while it
lasts nothing will be attempted beyond t. criticism
offered by critics who, all the while, want no change.
LAW TIMES.—The Lord Chancellor is settling a
bill for a partial change in the circuits ; so it was
stated in the House of Commons by the Attorney-
General. But the great and really desirable recon-
struction originally planned has been abandoned
through the difficulties thrown in the way of the
projected changes by the leading counsel, and the
reform is to be limited to the division of the North.
ern circuit. The Lord Chancellor seeing to Wm,

lost ull the couraf.Te that has I therto disfinguslita
him ar: a law reformer. Thou,th iliffring from him
in hs,, Ua(ik,Uptey scio int , and unt irtiy in 'tie
registration of title scheme, we have always admired
and applauded the unflinching courage, as well as
the consummate ability, with which he has fought
the battle of law reform. It is, therefore, with no
small regret that we see him now apparently halt-
ing in his course, doing nothing and promising
nothing, and permitting the measures proposed by
others to be clipped and moulded to the conveniences
of private interests, instead of looking only to the
wants cf the public. And yet there remains abun-
dance of good work to be done. A new law to re-
gulate trusts and trustees, the expansion of the law
of evidenc', the improvement of the procedure in
magistrates' courts, the amendment of the jury sys-
tem, are all demanded, and were looked for from
him who had done so much already. There is yet
time for the session not to be quite a blank in the
improvement of the law.
LONDON RETlEW.—William Alexander King-
lake, at the breaking out of the Crimean War,
was practising as a chancery barrister in London.
About twenty years before he had travelled in the
East, and about ten years after his return home he
had published in one small volume an account of
his travels, which, from the playful and sub-sarcas-
tic style in which sacred topics were therein dealt
with, and the carefully-elaborated sarcasm in which
the book abounded, obtained a marvellous success.
Since the publication of that work—which Mr.
Kinglake with dubious scholarship had called
Ed•hen—he had retired upon his easily-earned
laurels and had remained a silent and apparently an
indolent member of society. He was of a shy, silent,
studious habit; not addicted either to field sports or
athletic exercises; and remarkably short-sighted.
When war was declared, Mr. Kinglake chanced to
be spending his summer vacation abroad, and
directed his steps to the East with the view of wit-
nessing the operations of the allied armies. He ac-
companied the expedition to the Crimea, landed at
Old Fort, and on the morning of the battle of the
Alma rode on to the field of action. He was pro-
bably the first who fell on it. His pony, not being
itself much accustomed to the saddle, on discover-
ing possibly, that its rider was in the same predica-
ment, ran away with him, and deposited him on the
ground almost at the feet of Lord Raglan. The
kind otd soldier, on learning the name of the distin-
guished writer who had thus singularly introduced
himself to his notice, repressed the smiles of his
aides-de-camp, rendered him what assistance he
could in his calamity, allowed him to accompany
his stt,ff throughout the action, and finally invited
him to dinner when the battle was won To judge
from Mr. Kinglake-'s obviou9ly exaggerated account
of the dangers to which he was exposed during she
fight (bee pp. 264 to 266, vol. ii.), he cannot be said
to have been in a frame of mind very favourr.ble to
calm observation, even if be had no. been physi-
cally disqualified by his defective eye-sight for
the task. In saying this we by no means desire
to insinuate anything derogatory to Mr. Kinglakee
personal courage, which we are convinced is of the
very highest order. We wish he was not so ready
to impute cowardice to others. We only mean to
imply that the obvious personal interest which he
appears from his narrative to have taken in the ar-
tillery practice of the Russian gunners was not par-
ticularly calculated to render him a reliable eye-
witness of the general conduct of the battle by
which he was surrounded. He himself points out
the disadvantage which resulted to the Light Divi-
sion from the defective sight of its three leaders;
and accounts for the short-comings of Prince Gods-
chakoff, by " the concussion of a fall" which that
general 11,-,cl from his horse, and which, according
to Mr. Kinglake's suggestion, may possibly " have
clouded his judgment,"—without seeing that the
arguments which he uses to account for the errors of
others may with perfect fairness be turned against
his own claims to accuracy.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

-

NORWICH-SATURDAY.

There was a fair supply of wheat to-day, but the de-
mand was still limited, and prices were in favour of the
buyer. Barley in moderate show, and brought high rates.
Not much doing in other art!cles. Flour easier.
White wheat. 4s to 50- Red wheat 428 to 460 I
Malting barley ... 37s to 40s Chevalier barley 35E, to 360
Distilling d 0..... 32s to 346 Oats.. 24. to 280
Flour, 34s Od to —s Od per sack from the miller.