The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-26 00:00:00

WHITECHAPEL.

The supplies of meat are moderate, and the trade rules
inactive, as follows :
Beef, from 2s 6cl to 4s Od ; mutton, 2s 10d to 4s 4d ; veal,
48 Od to 58 Od; and pork, 3s 8d to 48 8d per 81bs.

BOROUGH HOP.
Now hops are in steady request, and prices are fairly sup
ported. Old qualities are a slow inquiry.

THE VALUE OF DRURY •LANE THEATRE SHARES.
Yesterday, at the Auction Mart, Mr. Robins offered to
public auction, in two lots, two renter's shares in theTheatre
Royal, Drury-lane, originally entitled to 2s. 6d. per ni:z•ht
of performance, but now paying an annual dividend, which
last'year was to the amount of £3 155., with a free admis-
sion, admitting upon all occasions and to every description
of performance, and transferable or saleable annually—sold
at £5O Bs. per share. Also, in one lot, five £lOO joint stock,
or proprietors' shares, in the same theatre, paid in full, ill-
eluding a personal life admission, admitting on all occasions
and to every description of performance—sold at £26 4s.
Five similar shares, without free admission, sold for £9 9s.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE EXHIBITION BUILDING.
Yesterday Mr. Bedford held an inquest at St. George's
Hospital, on the body of William Churchill, aged 19, who
lost his life at the Exhibition building on Thursday last,
by some Lattens falling on him from the shoot used in tak-
ing down the scaffolding of the east dome. The battens
struck deceased on the back of the head whilst he was in a
stooping position below. William Irving Page, house
surgeon, said that he saw deceased wren admitted to the
hospital, on the 20th March. He was quite insensible
There was a compound comminuted fracture a little to the
left of the vertex. There was an opening in the skull, and
the brain protruded. He was admitted at twelve o'clock,
and remained insensible until half-past four o'clock, when
he died of the fracture, Nothing could be done for him.
After hearing a great deal of other evidence, the jury ulti-
mately returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."

CHINA AND 211 E TAEPING REBELS.

A crowded meeting of the Royal Geo-
graphical Society was held on Monday evening,
Lord Ashburton, President, in the chair. Mr.
Galton read the first paper, by Lieutenant Oliver,
R.A., giving a description of his travels to the west
lof Canton. The President, in introducing Dr.
Barton, author of the next paper, observed that it
was of great geographical interest, as it was an ac-
count of the expedition which,under Colonel Sarel,
Captain Blakiston, and Dr. Barton endeavoured to
ascand the Yang-tse-kiang and to pass by Thibet
into India, but was prevented by the jealousy of
Chinese officials and the state of anarchy in the
country. The paper, however, gave an account of
Sechuan, on which no European foot had ever
trodden excepting that of the Jesuits. After the
reading of Dr. Barton's paper, the President said
it would be desirable to have more information re-
specting the Taepang rebellion, the causes of the
weakness of the Government, and the Jesuit estab-
lishments in the interior. Mr. Consul Parkes, who
was most mostly received by the crowded assembly,
said it was with no ordinary feelings that he had
seen Dr. Barton and his companions push off in
their little junk from the squadron under Admiral
Hope, on their expedition up the Yang-tse-kiang.
After alluding to the difficulties of travelling in
China, he said that, although some disappoint-
ment might be felt at the party not having reached
India, yet great service had been rendered
to commerce and science by their having traversed
the length of the river, and ascertained its navi-
gability as far as Ping-Shan. With respect to
the condition of the country, whole provinces had
been made desolate by the rebels, and cities which
at one time contained an immense population, and
were the entrepots of enormous commerce, were now
almost extinct or in rains. The rebellion first broke
out in 1849, in one of the remotest provinces, and
after three or four years, having acquired sufficient
strength, the rebels made their way down to the
Yang-tac-kiang, and thence along its course until
they reached Nankin, which they seized and fixed
upon as their head-quarters. From this point they
overran the neighbouring provinces, desolating a
region 60,000 square miles in extent, with a popu-
lation of 70,000,000 souls. At present they did not
hold more than 60 or 70 miles of country bordering
on that river, and, not possessing any flotilla, they
could not impede its navigation. As a proof of the
value of that river to commerce, he might mention
that during eight months of last year 152 foreign
vessels and 170 junks in foreign employ passed up
from Shanghai to Hankow, and it was estimated
that trade to the amount of £10,000,000 would be
done during the present year. He. attributed the
gigantic proportions of the rebellion to the discon-
tent arising from the pressure of population upon
production, the absence of poor laws, and the inef-
ficiency of the police. The Government had been
accustomed to rule by moral suasion in the form of
proclamations on large sheets of paper, daubed over
with red ink. Adverting to the cultivation of the
poppy, Mr. Parkes remarked that the Chinese were
acquainted with the use of opium before we took it
to them, and that the quantity imported from
India bore but a small proportion to that raised in
China, but was preferred on account of its
superior quality. In reply to a question from the
President, Mr. Parkes said that, as far as words
went, the present Government of China gave some
hope of improvement, and that it was scarcely fair
to judge of them, as they had so recently come into
power. After some remarks with reference to the
Jesuit missionaries, he said that he had received a
letter from Dr. Lockhart, at Pekin, stating that he
was visited by the best classes for advice ; and, in
his (Mr. Parkes's) opinion, hospitals would be found
a most efficient instrumentality in the hands of Pro-
testant missionaries. After a few remarks from
Captain Blakiston as to the possibility of effecting
a commercial communication between China and
India, thanks were passed to the authors of the
papers, and the meeting was adjourned to that day
fortnight, when papers on the Feji Islands will be
read. The papers were amply illustrated by several
views on the Yang-tse-kiang by Dr. Barton, and
numerous Chinese sketches by Lieut. Oliver, R.A.

TIE ARMY.

The following information is promulgated by Col.
Charles Bingham, Deputy Adjutant-General, in a
general regimental order of the Royal Artillery,
dated the 22d inst. The undernamed officers have
been appointed lieutenants of companies of gentle-
men cadets at the Royal Military Academy, Wool-
wich :—Lieut. 0. H. Goodenough, Lieut. H. C.
Farrell, Lieut. H. C. Lewes, Lieut. E. W. Sandys,
Lieut. H. Munro (Bengal Artillery), and Lieut.
T. P. Berthon (Bombay Artillery). Second Capt.
H. Thornhill to the Royal Horse Artillery, vice
Markham, appointed Adjutant. The undermen-
tioned officers have been raised to increased pay—
viz., Lieut.-Col. Robert Talbot, 2d Brigade, to lieu-
tenant-colonel's pay ; Lieut. Thomas Mulrenan, 2d
Brigade, vice Bazalgette ; Lieut. Charles John
Deshon, 3d Brigade, vice Bevan ; Lieut. Francis C.
H. Hallet, Ist Brigade, vice Glasgow, resigned.
Major E. A. Williams is posted to No. 1 Battery,
14th Brigade, vice Thring, appointed to the cadet
company at Woolwich ; Second Capt. Bazalgette
to the Depot Brigade ; and Second Capt. Elton to
the C Buttery, 9th Brigade. The following ex-
changes have been sanctioned, viz.—Between Capt.
and Brevet-Lieut.-Col. the Hon. E. T. Gage, of the
6th Brigade, and Capt. G. Coleclough, of the
9th Brigade; between Capt. and Brevet-Major
Spurway and Capt. and Brevet-Major Milward,
of the 6th Brigade; between Second Capt. W.
B. Ellis and Second Capt. W. Rooke, 13th Brigade.
The undermentioned officers are to be attached for
duty until further orders, as follows :—Lieut.-Col.
Du Plat to the Depot Brigade at Woolwich ; Major
Williams, of the 14th Brigade, to the Depot Brigade
at Woolwich ; Capt. Denne, of the 11th Brigade, to
N 0.3 Battery, 14th Brigade, at Woolwich. Quarter-
Sergeant Shields, of the 9th Brigade, has been ap-
pointed Master Gunner at Shoreham, vice Renham.
His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-
Chief has approved the following appointments, to
take effect from April 1, 1862 :—Major Reginald
Curtis to be Capt. Instructor at the School of Gun-
nery, Shoeburyness. To be Instructors in Gunnery:
—Lieut. Bell, Ist Brigade ; Lieut. Barlow, 2d Bri-
gade ; Lieut. Nicholson, sth Brigade ;Lieut, Greig,
Bth Brigade; Capt. C. W. Wilson, 9th Brigade;
and Lieut. Phipps, Depot Brigade, for Sheerness.
To be Assistant Instructors in Gunnery :—Sergeants
Higgs, Horse Brigade; Burridge, 3d Brigade;
Gusterson, 6th Brigade; Baily, 6th Brigade; Frost,
Bth Brigade; Page, Barry, and Broadhurst, Depot
Brigade, for Shoeburyness.

The Albuera, No. 5, sailing transport, Captain
Elmslie, arrived at Spithead during the night of
Tuesday from China, bringing the following officers
and troops from Hong Kong :—Military Train—
Major Grey, commanding detachments on board,
Capts. Williams and Jarvis, Lieuts. Sewell and
Bruce, Quartermaster Lambert, Adjt. Bryan, Vete-
rinary-Surg. Fleming, and Ensigns Mackenzie and
M'Mann, and 216 non-commissioned officers and
men. Royal Engineers—Capt. i'vlalcolm, Lieut.
Hine, Staff Surg. M‘Nab, and 83 non-commissioned
officers and men. Royal Artillery —Lieut. Morgan,
two men of the Military Train, one man•belonging
to the 99th Regiment, and one civilian died on the
passage home. The Albuera sailed from Hong
Kong on the 30th Nov., and arrived at the Cape on
the 23d Jan., sailing again thence on the Ist Feb.
She arrived at St. Helena on the 11th Feb., sailing
again on the 12th, sighting the Star Light at 9 pan.
the same day, and passing Ascension on 18th Feb.
Fine weather Was experienced the whole passage
home. On the 13th Jan., in lat. 31 24, long. 38 56
E., exchanged signals with the barque Constance,
from Manilla, bound for London, 54 days out; on
the 17th, in lat. 33 50, long. 28 57 E., the ship Com-
modore, from Moulmein for London ; on the 14th
February, in lat. 8 35, long. 13 54 W., the ship
Northumberland, for Liverpool. The Albuera has
a large cargo of Government stores on board, which
she will discharge at Deptford. The troops on
board will disembark at Portsmouth this morning,
and be forwarded to their destinations by railway.
We learn by the Albuera that the portion of the
60th Rifles landed at Hongkong from her Majesty's 1
I ship Simoon, prior to her leaving for England, •

owing to her being thought overcrowded for a long
voyage, are on their way to Spithead in the clipper
ship Flying Cloud. On their arrival they will dis-
embark and join the head-quarters of the regiment
in Portsmouth garrison.
General Sir John Burgoyne and Colonel Jervoise
arrived on Monday evening at Plymouth, and yes-
terday morning proceeded to inspect the progress
of the defences of the entrance to Hamoaze and
Picklecombe-point, and the fort at Tregantle, Corn-
wall.

THE MOVE rIENT A (]AINS2 ThE
INCOME TAX.

The following additional correspondence has taken
place between the committee of the Income Tax
Repeal Association of Birmingham and the repre-
sentatives of that borough :
London, Reform Club, March 17, 1862.
Sir,—l have to-day received your communication of the
15th instant. The part to which you especially desire an
answer is, I presume, the following :—" Will you heartily
and willingly take up a position of resolute hostility to the
income tax, and divide the house, and vote, or assist to turn
out a Ministry, or to take any other hostile steps whenever,
in the judgment of common sense, such steps can tend to
ameliorate or get rid of the income tax P'
In reply I beg to state—That I am not prepared to pledge
myself to " a resolute hostility to the income tax," if this
imply the total repeal of that tax.
That I am not prepared to pledge myself " to divide the
house, and vote, or assist to turn out a Ministry" on this
question alone.

That I am quite ready to take " hostile steps" whenever
I think that " common sense" recommends them as tending
to ameliorate the income tax.

In giving my answer in this somewhat pointed manner
I am sure you will not suppose that I mean any discourtesy
toward you or those acting with you. I have adopted this
form solely because I think it is the one best calculated to
convey a clear and definite reply to your questions.—l am,
Sir, your most obedient servant,

John S, Manton, Esq.

WILLIAM SCILOLEFIELD.

Birmingham, March, 1862.

Sir,—We are requested by the committee to acknow-
ledge your letter of the 17th, and to say that, so far from
complaining of the pointed manner in which you reply to
the main questions in their letter, they are obliged by your
directness, though they deny the soundness of your con-
clusions.

They desire a total repeal of the income tax, because they
perceive, in common with our most advanced scientific men,
that income is not, and never can be, a just criterion of
liability to direct taxation, and because all our indirect tax-
ation is an enormous income tax on that part of the national
income which is spent, while there is a total exemption of
dire& taxation of capitalised wealth.
The regret that you are not at present prepared to assist
to turn out a Ministry on this question alone, as they be-
lieve that in this respect you are at issue with the great
majority of your constituents, who consider that the pres-
sure of these dishonest and insulting tax laws by the
Government is a paramount reason for turning out any
Ministry.

You inform us that you are ready to take hostile steps
whenever common sense recommends them as tending to
ameliorate the income tax, but you give no information
whatever as to what ameliorations of the income tax you
desire—what you consider our direct taxation ought to be,
or whether, in support of your own views, you are prepared
to vote against Ministers. We hoped you would have con-
sidered it due to the request of a large public meeting of
your constituents to express this information, as, without it,
it is impossible for them to know how far you are using the
power they give you as their representative in the House of
Commons, to subject them to extortion and insult.
If you desire to communicate any further information it
will be our duty to receive it, and to make it public.
We are Sir,
On behalf of the Income-tax Repeal Committee,
Your obedient servants,
Jourt S. MANTON, Chairman.
FRED. W. FIDDIAN, Hon. Sec.
To Wm. Scholefield, Esq., M.P.

Rochdale, March 21, 1862.

Dear Sir.—l have to thank you for your second letter.
I do not know that I can add much to what I have already
written to you.

If Birmingham is in earnest in a movement against the
income tax, and if other towns will join in the movement,
the tax can be overthrown ; and I am not sure that it will
not be overthrown more easily than made equal and just.
I can vote against the income tax with a clear conscience,
because I believe the whole sum annually raised by itmight
be saved by a Government anxious to do its duty to the
people. But I must tell you plainly that so long as there
is an apparent popular acquiescence in the present expen-
diture, and particularly in that branch of it which is con-
nected with the military services, I do not believe that the
tax will either be overthrown, or its pressure sensibly miti-
gated.

I am prepared to vote for any honest attempt to make
the tax more equal, as I am prepared to vote for its aboli-
tion. With regard to the precise course to be taken in
the House of Commons in dealing with the subject, I must
be left at liberty to do that which at the time may seem
most judicious.

I think you should correspond with all the principal
towns in the kingdom, if you wish your views on the in-
come tax to prevail.

I am, very truly yours,
JOHN BRIGHT.
J. S. Manton, Esq., Regent Works, Birmingham.

Birmingham, March 22, 1862.

Dear Sir,—We are desired by the committee to acknow-
ledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday, and to present
to you their warmest thanks for the clear and explicit
manner in which you have expressed your opinions on the
income tax question ; and the committee are gratified to find
that you heartily agree with this movement for the total
repeal of this most hateful and iniquitous impost.

The committee are aware of the importance of inducing
other constituencies to take similar steps to those taken
here, and they hope that the mere publication of this cor-
respondence will induce the formation in all the consider-
able towns in the kingdom of electoral associations, pledged
only to vote for candidates for Parliament who will advo-
cate the total and final repeal of the income tax, leaving the
Government to provide, if direct taxation be necessary, an
honest wealth tax, to be administered under laws and regu-
lations in which the rights and the feelings of the people
will be respected.
This committee will be glad to receive communications
from other towns, and to give every information and as-
sistance in their power to help the movement.
We are, dear sir, yours truly,
JOHN S. MANTON, Chairman.
FRED. W. FIDDIAN, Hon. Sec.
To John Bright, Esq., M.P.

SERIOUS CH ROE OF ATTEMPTED

MURDER AT BRIGHTON.

On Monday morning John Edward Belsey, a
short, dark, thick-set young man, aged 21, was
charged with attempting to shoot Louisa King, cook
to Mr. Francis D'Alquen, of 8, Montpelier-terrace,
Brighton, with intent to do her grievous bodily
harm, on Saturday afternoon, about half-past one
o'clock.

It appeared that the'prisoner was to be married
to Lucy Welder, housemaid at Mr. D'Alquen's,
on the Saturday morning, and then appeared
to be on the most affectionate terms with her,
and they all proceeded to St. Nicholas's
Church, prisoner walking with Lucy Welder's
mother, and the rest following. All at once the
prisoner said he had forgot his gloves, and that he
must go back and get them, adding that he should
be with them in a few minutes. He went back, and
the party proceeded to church, where they waited
his arrival for about an hour. No bridegroom ap-
pearing they were obliged to leave. The intended
bride went to Mr. D'Alquen's, and her mother to
her home. Nothing was seen of the prisoner till
about half past 1 o'clock, when he knocked at Mr.
D'Alquen's door, upon which that gentleman and
his son went to see who it was, having reason to ex-
pect that he would come there. Prisonerand
askedto
see Lucy (meaning Lucy Welder), Mr. D'Al-
quen, jun., told him he could not see her, on which
the prisoner presented a six-barrel revolver at the
breast of Mr.D'Alquen, sen. LouisaKing,the cook,
at the same time was coming up stairs, and went to
assist her master in closing the door against the
prisoner. A desperate struggle took place. Louisa
King put her head out of the door too tar, not know-
ing that prisoner had a pistol, when he fired, end
had it not been for Mr. D'Alquen, sen., pulling her
away from the door (just bolero the shot was fired)
the shot must have hit her. After he had fired the
Messrs. D'Alquen threw the door open, and a despe-
rate struggle ensued between Mr. D'Alquen, jun.,
and the prisoner. The latter was thrown to the
ground, and at the same time Mr. D'Alquen, sen.,
wrenched the pistol from the prisoner's hand,
when a policeman was sent for and he was taken
into custody. On his way to the Tow,. Hall
the prisoner said he intended to kill both the
girl and the old man. It appears that on the
Saturday morning prisoner tried his revolver at a
smith's shop, and bald he vvas going on the tramp
to shoot some one. All the barrels were loaded.
The prisoner was defended by Mr. Roupell. The
magistrates, A.
BigEr, Esti (in the chair), and W.
M. Host,
decided to. commit the prisoner for
trial
at
tlitihe Esq
assizes,
and the witnesses were hound
over to appear, Mr. Roupell reserving his defence.
.ExpreBB.