The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-24 00:00:00

FRANCE.

BOURSE, April 23.—There has been a fair amount
of business done, but stock has been in many in-
stances offered by speculators desirous of realising,
and prices are slightly lower than yesterday, Threes
for the Account, being now at 70f. 50c. The
Railway Share Market has been less animated than
the Rente, but prices have been pretty firmly
maintained. The market closed as follows :

4t per per Cents ... 98 65 Bank Shares 3116
Do. end month.... 98 60 Credit I oncier l5lO
3 per Cents
Do. end month.... 70 50 Piedmontese Fives 69 50
New 3 per Cents .. 69 55 Italian Loan 69 10
Do. end month.,.. 69 65 Austrian • lO
Credit Mobilier.... 837 60 Spanikh Threes 52
Do. end month.... 838 75 Home Debt
RAIL

rATti.

Cash. Account.
Orleans 1203 75 .. 1292 50
Northern
New, ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 1140 77 .. 1140

Geneva 377 50 .. 382 60

Southern BOO 800
Western
Eastern , ..... 593 75 .. 692 50

Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 585 .. 585

It is in itself of little importance, being too close to
Savannah, which is a flourishing post village of
Hardin county, Tennessee, and is situate on the
eastern side of the river. The Landing is about 120
miles from Nashville, in an air line.; nearly 100
miles from Columbia, on the Nashville and Decatur
Railroad, by turnpike road, crossing the river by a
ferry, about 25 miles from Corinth, in en air line,
, and about a dozen miles from Purdy by the turn-
pike road. The country is very wild, the surface
rising on both sides of the river after the manner of
inclined planes, the ascent being gradual. Iron ore
is abundant in the neighbourhood.
"Savannah is the capital of Hardin county, and
is a place formerly noted for its active business.
Previous to the rebellion it had been considered of
rising importance, and the progress made therein
during the years from 1854 to 1860 inclusive had
been the matter of general remark. A good trade
had been done there in cotton and staves, which
were shipped from Savannah in steamers by way
of the Tennessee river. The population in 1853
was but 800, but had since been much increased.
The area of the county is about 650 miles, and the
Tennessee river flows through it, dividing it into
nearly equal parts. The river is navigable for
steamboats all through the entire county, which
has a population of over 10,000 persons, nine-tenths
of whom are free. Iron ore abounds in this

county.
" Corinth is a very important strategical point.
It is situate in a hilly, semi-mountainous country,
a branch of the Apalachian range, which diverges
from the Alleghany Mountains, and forms the
mountains and gold bearing regions of Georgia
and Alabama, The village is nearly surrounded
by an irregular circle of hills, rising on the
north, about four miles distant, with the State line
between Tennessee and Mississippi crossing their
summit. The Mobile and Ohio Railway crosses
ridge through a cut 75 feet in depth. Similar cuts
of lesser depth penetrate the hills on the east, west,
and south, where the railways enter. Beyond these
hills, in the direction of Pittsburg and Savannah,
the ground becomes more level, and much of it is
low and swampy. The particular location of the
rebel fortifications at Corinth we are unable to indi-
cate ; but from the topography of the region it is
-not difficult to perceive that the place is one sus-
ceptible of strong defence. The village of Corinth
was formerly called Farmington, and is so men-
tioned in the gazetters. It is a post village of
Tishomingo county, Mississippi, distant 262 miles
north-east from Jackson, the capital of the State.
There are but three or four stores in the village,
and of course its population must be relatively
small. Tishomingo county forms the north-
eastern extremity of Mississippi, bordering
on Tennessee and Alabama, and has an area of
about 1,400 square miles. The Tombigbee river
rises in the county ; the Tennessee flows along
the north-east border, and it is drained by Tus-
cumbia creek. The surface is diversified by small
hills; the soil is fertile, especially in the valleys,
and generally has a substratum of sand. A large
part of the county is covered with forests of oak,
hickory, walnut, and pine. The head streams of
the Tombigbee furnish valuable motive power.
" The principal military value of this last-named
place consists in the fact that the railroads from
Memphis on the west, Columbus, &c., on the north,
the principal cities of rebeldom on the east, and
Mobile on the south, cross at this point. Jackson,
the rebel head-quarters in Tennessee, is thus con-
nected with Mobile and the east, and New Orleans,
via Grand Junction, is also in the same manner
united with other points of the rebel confederacy.
To hold this junction is all-important to the rebels,
and if compelled to leave it a most complete isola
lation of their forces east, west, north, and south
is at once effected. It will thus be seen why the
final stand will be made here if anywhere."
A despatch of the 11th reports that the Merrimac
and Yorktown advanced out of the harbour, and cap
tured two or three small craft. The Monitor and
Stevens' battery were lying in wait for her. The
latter fired four shots at the Merrimac, to which the
latter only replied with one shot, and then steamed
back to Craney Island.
General Gault, one of the subordinate Confede-
rate officers captured, is reputed to have stated that
the four weeks' bombardment of Island No. 10 had
only killed one man.
The situation of affairs at Yolktown appears to
be unchanged. A letter in the New York Tribune
says:--

"The storm had prevented active operations for
several days, and caused no little discomfort to both
armies, the bulk of the rebels not being so well
sheltered as our men, who eke out their tents
d'abri with pine branches. The mud was knee
deep everywhere, except under the pines. One
civilian, who penetrated on horseback to General
M'Clellan's headquarters, was three hours in
achieving three miles. Our men were working
cheerfully and with a will.
" The main work so far has been done by one or
two batteries of light artillery and Berdan's sharp•
shooters. The latter are doing wonders. When
they first came within range the rebels were in the
habit of insolently dancing:upon the top of their in-
trenchments, with jeers and uncouth antics, but it
was 8000 found out that every man so amusing him-
self received a rifle bullet from an unseen marks-
man. The gunners also soon discovered that it was
unwise to expose themselves, and now every gun
is protected. But 30 of our men have been killed
since the commencement of the siege. The loss of
the enemy is of course unknown, but is probably
greater.

~-= ~.

LANCASEiRE AND-CITES1111?B AfECHAN/CS'

INSTIT'UTIU NS.

A meeting of delegates from these institutions
was held yesterday morning, at the Mechanics' In •
stiution, Manchester.

Mr, BAZLEY, ALP., presided, arid in opening the
proceedings alluded to the loss this society had
sustained by the death of the president, his late
Royal Highness, the Prince
Consort, who was ever
the advocate of all that was calculated to improve
and benefit mankind and his fellow-subjects.
Mr. J. W. GREGORY read the annual report,
which states that the ass ociation now numbers 143
Mechanics' Institutions, being an increase of 18 in
the year. For Hyde, Stockport, Ashton,. and
Staleybridge fine structures were in course of erec-
tion by the institutions there. During the last five
years upwards of 5,300 male and female candidates
had undergone a preliminary examination in the
class rooms of the several institutions in spelling
writing, grammar, and arithmetic. Last year 912
papers were presented at the public examinations
by those who had successfully• passed the public
test. The numbers voluntarily examined during
the five years were 5,361. Altogether, since these
examinations were commenced, 7,967 individuals
had been examined in subjects ranging from spell-
ing to mathematics. The itinerating library has
been increased by a contribution of £2O worth of
books. This library occasion.s embarrassment, as it
requires 120 boxes (six times the present number) and
an income of £4OO to work pi operly. An income of
about £5O a year is derived from the institutions in
association, being ss. each. At 20s. each all diffi-
culties could be overcome. After alluding to the
death of the Prince Consort and to the interest he
had taken in the itinerating library, the report says
that despite the prevailing distress the members
of the institutions in general had increased their
attendance upon the classes.
The following letter from the Rev. S. G. Osborne
was read during the proceedings :
" Sir,—l am obliged to you for your kind in-
vitation, but I fear there is little chance of my
profiting by it. It is an expensive journey from
hence, and the pulls on my limited means are
incessant. I confess I should like to have wit-
nessed a mechanics' institute meeting with me-
chanics present, a thing never saw yet, although I
have spoken and lectured at a great many. You
manage these things better in the north. At our
meetings, unless the working men are con-
cealed under crinoline, I confess I never see
them at the meetings. I have grave doubts
whether real workers get much benefit from our
institutions, though I have no doubt the small
tradesmen profit by the rooms and books. I am very
sick of the humbug which preaches from the plat-
form that these institutions are so much machi-
nery for the creation of Herschells and Stephen-
sons, that a thirst for knowledge will be begotteni
of them, and that 'being well read, the working
men will become patterns of propriety. When I
see public schools, universities, and rich private
libraries and clubs making my own class moral,
honest, &c., I will believe in the miracle of read-
ing rooms begetting a race of rising, highly
moral, &c., working men. I advocate such, plans
as yours as giving ' opportunity,' not as insuring
results.' I wish to see what knowledge a work-
ing man can get applied to making him happier
as such ; if he can rise lam glad. If he is
made happier at his present task I am content.
Your account of what you are doing and have
done, is to me most interesting. I hope God may
continue to bless your efforts.—Yours, &c.,
"SIDNEY GODOLPHIN OSBORNE."