The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-07 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

The report of the directors states that the result
of the year's working was a balance in favour of re-
venue of £57,047. After payment of the dividend
on the preference and debenture stocks there would
remain £26,346 available for division among the
holders of ordinary stock. Out of this sum the di-
rectors recommend the payment of a dividend of 21
per cent., leaving a balance of £1,279. The expen-
diture on capital account had not been increased
during the year. The number of visitors during
the 12 months had been 1,758,516 against 1,661,083
for the previous year, showing an increase of 97,433.
-The Saturday concerts under the direction of Mr.
Manns were becoming increasingly attractive. An
aovantageous change had been_ nia4l thp enrn
of the centre transept, at its junctioi& -„;t:. the nave,
by which the convenience of persons occupying the
corner galleries when performances were taking
place in the great orchestra had been very much
promoted, while at the same time the strength of
that portion of the fabric had been much increased.
Some useful alterations had also been made in the
Handel Orchestra, which had the effect of making
it more effective for the summer concerts. On the
cricket ground a convenient pavilion had been
erected. An improvement effected during the past
year had been the continuation of the internal illu-
mination of the palace by gas. An increase had taken
place in the returns of the exhibitors' department.
The receipts of the refreshment department show
an increase. The net receipts from the Handel Fes-
tival had amounted to £5,400. The residence of the
late Sir J. Paxton, at Rockhills, had just reverted
to the company.

American Debt, Finance, and Currency,

-

The Secretary of the Treasury has made his monthly
exhibit of the National Debt, showing that, at the end of
the last month, the amount of Debt and Interest were as
follow :-
1865. Oct. 30. Sept. 30.
Dols. Dols.
Debt bearing coin

interest - 1,161,137,691 00 1,116,658,191 00
Interest thereon 67,670,340 00 65,001,570 00
Debt bearing law-
fulmoney interest 1,191,819,787 00 1,260,009,120 00
Interest thereon 71,267,738 00 72,527,645 00
Debt bearing no in-
terest
Total debt 2,740,859,758 86 2,744,947,726 17
The folloiving table exhibits the rapid growth of the
Public Debt for the year ending with July last, when its
increase was arrested, and its actual diminution since
that period

1864. Principal. Interest.
Dols. Dols.
June 21 1,729,586,253 00 72,737,416 00
July 5 1.792,867,040 00 73,425,240 00
July 12
July 18
July 26
August 2
August 9
August 17 ,849,914,555 49 76,038,165 66
August 23 1,859,284,874 00 76,500,069 00
77447,122 53
August 30 1,878,565,233 90
81,773,643 12
September 30
85,313,666 63
March 31, 1865 2
October 31
102,836,531 18
May 31
124,688874 02
July 31
August 31 2,757,689,571 43 138,031,628 21
September 30
October 30 2,740,854,758 86 138,938,078 59
Here it will be seen that —although we have been dis-
bursing millions on millions in payment of arrears due to
soldiers and sailors from day to day mustered out of ser-
vice—we have actually reduced the aggregate principal of
our national debt more than sixteen millions of dollars
within the last two months. No doubt the sale of gun-
boats, steam and sail transports, and other public property
purchased for use in the war and no longer required, has
materially contributed to this result ; but we have mean-
time paid out two dollars in discharge of anterior obliga-
tions to soldiers, sailors, contractors; S:c., for every dollar
received, from closing-out sales. It is certain, therefore,
that we have passed the turning-point, and may hence-
forth steadily reduce our vast debt if we keep out of foreign
complications and wars.—New York Tribune.

Loim ELCIIO AND TIIE LANDOWNERS.—At the
annual dinner of the East Lothian Agricultural So-
ciety, on Monday, Lord Elcho said these were days when
proprietors required to lOok about them, as they did not
know what might happen. lie had often thought of this
sort of thing :—Suppose such a thing were to happen that
proprietors would have no security for their land at all by
legislative enactment. (Laughter and applause.) What,
then, would they have to do ? Proprietors would then re-
quire to become farmers on a much more extended scale
than any of them were now. It was said, "You could not.
manage or overlook such a large property." Now, he know
a farmer in Northumberland who rented 11 farms, and
managed them himself. What had struck him as the only
way in which proprietors could manage large estates would"
be by giving thOse who cultivate them a direct interest in
their work by it system of copartnery with the bailiffs and
workpeople in the soil. That was done to a large extent
in factories and mines, and he thought the principle was
worthy of the consideration of .the members of the Asso-
ciation. With regard to game, he was inclined to think
that the wise and beneficial policy as regarded the proprie-
tary would be to let the farmer have the run of the hares
and rabbits on condition- of keeping. off trespassers and
protecting the feathered gape,:

Arid,' wspA pErt
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1 . dual and Military Intelliglant.., - -,;fr,
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The Duke of Cambridge, as Fiel % d like iq
- -,
manding-in-Chief, held a levee yesterdanytermon„,,s
,I
at the Horse Guards. Upwards of SO offiCers
. . `ended.
The screw corvette Reindeer, 250 horse power,
' orginally laid down at Chatham dockyard as a screw
corvette, after remaining some years on the stocks
unfinished, is now being completed from the plans
of the Chief Constructor of the Navy, Mr. Reed,
and brought forward for launching. To enable her
to mount the few heaVy broadside guns she is to
carry on her weather fighting deck she has been
fitted with iron deck beams laid on iron knees. Her
timbers will be strengthened by the introduction of
angle iron carried up to her bulwarks. On being
taken in -band it was found necessary to give her a
new keel. She was originally intended to be, fitted
with a poop, but an order from the Admiralty di-
rects her to be completed with a topgallant fore-
castle instead. The Reindeer is to be ready for
launching early in the ensuing year.
The Icarus, 11, 150 horse power, fitting in the
steam basin at Sheerness for the first division of tho
Chatham Steam Reserve, will be out of the hands
of the dockyard officials on the 18th inst., when she
will take her place in the Steam Reserve in readines4
fer the pennant.
The Star, 4, 200 horse power, attached to the
first-class Steam Reserve in the Medway, has had
her bottom cleaned, previously to going on an offi-
cial
trial of her speed at the Maplin Sands.
The Zebra, 17, 200 horse power, recently paid
off into the Chatham Steam Reserve, is in the steam
basin, in readiness to be taken in hand for the pur-
pose of undergoing a thorough overhaul and repair.
The experimental boiler made in the factory at
Woolwieh dockyard, and which has been at work at
intervals during the past 15 months, in testina petro-
leum, shale, and other oils, for steam purposes, to
supersede the use of coals, was yesterday given
over to the Admiralty authorities by Mr. Richard-
son on the completion of his experiments, which it
is stated have thoroughly matured the principle,
and rendered his theory a matter beyond doubt.
Mr. Richardson has likewise, at their lordships' re-
quest, submitted plans for the conversion of the or-
dinary ships' boilersinto boilers for which petroleum
can be used. This, it appears, can be done at
small cost.

Tier Majesty's 20-gun screw corvette Tartar,
1,296 tons, 250-horse power, recently raid off at
Sheerness by Capt. John M. Hayes, from China,
was yesterday brought up to Woolwich by the
steamers Locust, Master Commander Harvey, and
the Monkey, Master Commander Smithers. She was
hauled into the fitting basin to make good defects
and be prepared for recommission.
The following appointments weremade yesterday
at the Admiralty :—IVm. B. Goldsmith, master, to
the Asia, for service in the Simoon ; George Alex .
Broad and Robert William Stephens, second mas-
ters, additional, to the Victory ; Christopher B .
IVatson, assist.-paymaster, to the Malacca ; Nar-
cott D. E. Roberts, assist.-paymaster, to the Has-
tings ; James Melrose, first-class assist.-engineer,
to the Gleaner ; Michael J. Shannon, first-class
assist-engineer, to the Triton ; Wm. J. Hancock,
first-class assist.-engineer, to the Fisgard, for ser-
vice in the Prince Albert ; Richard J. Butler, se-
cond-class assist.-engineer, to the Oberon ; and H.
M. G. Pellew, acting second-class assist.-engineer,
to the Cumberland, for service in the Wildfire.