The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-16 00:00:00

THE TICK.EI OF LEAVE SYSTEM.

A singularly magnanimous pamphlet has within
the last few days made its appearance at Paris, in
relation to this problematic question as to who
shall be the new Greek Sovereign. M. BALTAZZI
is the Pamphleteer : the title of his brochure being
"L© Prince ALFRED et les interks Francais en
Orient." PRINCE ALFRED and EN ORIENT being
the conspicuous words upon the title-page—
and obviously with a certain significance. As
much as possible we shall in what follows
let the Parisian publicist who has ventured to touch
upon this delicate theme of debate just now among
Frenchmen and Englishmen, speak for himself—
translating as we turn the pages a few of the more
telling passages in the argument this put forth.
At the very opening of this argument says M.
BALTAZZI—" Whether Prince ALFRED may Or
may not be destined to reign in Greece, the success
of his candidature is a recognized fact. And
the significance of it (that is of this signal
success) is too profound for us not to endeavour to
signalise the causes of it, and from the indication
of those causes to deduce the consequences of an
event which has apparently taken the French
public by surprise. The policy of the Anglo-
French Alliance," the writer then adds quite boldly
and frankly, " the policy, the value or the worth-
lessness of the Anglo-French Alliance is now about
to be very brilliant and conspicuously signalized in
Greece ! When," says M. BALTAZZI, "it is said
that the advent of an English Prince to the throne
of Greece would be the signal of the ruin in Greece
of French interests in the East—that it involves, by
necessity, a displacement of equilibrium that could
only bring about general complications, there is
surely a total forgetfulness that there is
such a thing as an Anglo-French Alliance
at all, while a flagrant misinterpretation is
given to the significance of the predilection
which the Greeks are just now manifesting in
favour of an English Prince." A few reflections,
adds the writer, and those reflections, reflections
of the simplest kind, will suffice to put the whole
question upon its right footing, and to recall to
mind, in some manner, the precise principles out
of which the Anglo French Alliance sprang.

THE SUN.
LONDON, TUESDAY, DEC. 16, 1862.

The long-expected Persia has at last arrived—the
failure of one of her engines much more than de-
stroying all the advantage she might have derived
from the late westerly winds. The tidings she was
to bring us enhanced the anxiety with which we
awaited her, as we knew that she was to place on
our desks the President's second Message. We have
it at last—the telegraphic summary at least—this
morning. We may say, in a word, that it disap-
points sadly the pro-Southern journalism of this
country. On the great question of the hour, it is
at once firm, yet conciliatory. It shows that the
President is determined to maintain the Union, to
get rid of slavery in order to do so, and yet to give
every opportunity to the South to emancipate gra-
dually and with fair compensation. The Southern
prophets in England were expecting either blood
and thunder, or cowardice. They find neither; but
they do find that the second Message is based on
the principle, that for the safety of the Union slavery
must die. Slowly, that is in 28 years, if that be
preferred, but mortal it must be. The new
Southern Republic proclaimed Slavery Divine,
therefore immortal. The Federal Government,
through its President, proclaims it earthborn,
therefore mortal, and, as a Roman might have said,
moriturus.

The PRESIDENT first lays it down that a division
of the States is impracticable. That there is no
line, straight or crooked, suitable for a national
boundary upon which to divide. The present strife
' is, he says, a passing one; it belongs only to this
generation, and cannot be passed on to another.
Meaning, we presume, that a division of the States
would be a fertile source of disunion for future gene-
rations. Europeans may not so easily see the
Telidity of the basis thus laid for his policy, which
follows ; but, we presume, this view is eminently
acceptable in the North to Democrats as well as to
Republicans. Union worship is the worship of the
Northern States. All political parties there are
willing to sacrifice any consideration to that of
being prospectively the mightiest nation upon
earth. And Mr. LINCOLN is, doubtless, politically
right in firmly declaring separation to be an im-
possibility.

He then proceeds in the manner following :
" The Crimean war has effectively proved that
the East is open to domination by one or
other of two policies. Namely, that of
conquest, represented by Russia ; and that of
civilisation, represented by France allied to Eng-
land. Between those two policies thole is no room
left for a third. It is only in a secondary place and
in a subordinate sphere that the thousand and one
questions, which are continually surging to the
surface, enter at times into consideration. And in
order to arrive in any way at a sense of their
actual significance, it will suffice to ir quire
for a moment in what manner any of those
minor questions affect the one or the other
of those two antagonistic influences between
which the East is perpetually balanced 'and in
oscillation. From this point of view let us now
examine for a moment the events which have very
recently taken place there in Greece. The Revolu-
tion of the Tenth of October regarded strictly in
reference to itself, affects in no degree whatever
either the one or the other of these two policies. It
was a revolutionary movement directed against
the KING, who had no identification with
either." Here we take leave to dissent,
however, tato ccelo from the conclusion ar-
rived at by M. BALTAZZI, in regard to the neu-
trality of the policy of the ex-King OTHo, that
policy, on the contrary, being flagrantly sympa-
thetic with the policy of St. Petersburg, in prefer-
ence to the coincident policies of St. James's and
the Tuileries—and this simply in obedience to the
Russian proclivities of the ex-Queen AMELIA—the
She Marplot of the interests of the Bavarian
Dynasty in Greece ! Returning however to the
course of the argument pursued by the
Parisian pamphleteer, we find M. BAL-
TAZZI thus pursuing in its occasionally
devious windings the tenacious thread of
that argument of his : " Obliged to quit the
country which ho had disgusted by his incapacity,"
adds the writer, " King OTHO left behind him no
heir to his throne. As the Greeks had actually
there and then had the clean sweep of a Revolution,
they had, at the moment of the ex-KING'S deposi-
tion, a perfect right, supposing they had pleased to
exercise it, to constitute themselves into a re-
public : and all the more so, seeing that Greece is
peculiarly and essentially the country of equality."
Such a decision, however (argues M. BALTAZZI),—
in favour of proclaiming a Republic—would have
been like entering upon a wild series of specula-
tions. It would have been committing themselves
to the chance of a mere adventure. Prudence drew
the revolutionists at Athens, throughout Greece—
at once, as by an instinct—to a monarchy, to a
monarch. And this new monarch—where was he
to be found ? In Bavaria ? The rights of treaties
were in favour of such a direction being
followed up. Bavaria was out of the question how-
ever for very obvious reasons—first and foremost
among them being the fact that she bad been tried
in this way and found a-wanting ! And this by no
hasty decision on the part of the Greeks, let it be
borne in mind, but by a series of patiently borne
and protracted experiments—experiments extend-
ing over an interval of thirty years of misrule.
Turning from Bavaria to Russia, the pamphleteer
recalls to mind at once, most appositely, the
famous exclamation of the late Czar NICHOLAS to
Sir HAMILTON SEYMOUR. during the course of one
of their memorable conversations apropos to Greece
and Turkey—" I should prefer to have the last
Russian killed and to spend my last rouble, rather
than permit the Greeks to aggrandise themselves in
the East." Coming at last to the chief alternative
presented to the Greeks in the present not altoge-
ther disagreeable difficulty—" This KING," asks M.

He then proceeds to develope his emancipation
scheme. It is founded on the second paragraph of
his proclamation, and is briefly described as "com-
pensated emancipation." It is to be effected by the
process known to the Constitution, of two-thirds of
both Houses concurring to lay certain articles of
amendment of the Constitution before the States
belonging to the Union ; these articles to be
adopted into the Constitutions of the several
States, by a majority of three-fourths in conven-
tions called for the purpose. The first article is
that every slave State which shall abolish slavery
at any time prior to January, 1900, shall receive
compensation from the United States. Presidents
of the United States are to deliver United States
bonds, bearing a certain interest, for every slave
ascertained to have been such, at the eighth census
(that of 1860)—the bonds to be delivered by in-
stalments or in one sum, according as the
emancipation is gradual or immediate. It
appears singular, however, that the States
should be at liberty to reimpose slavery; since pro-
vision is made, in case they should do so, for their
refunding the bonds.
The second article provides for the liberty of all
who have been actually emancipated by the chances
of war before the end of the rebellion: loyal owners,
however, on proof of their loyalty are to receive a
fair:compensation. By this article the PRESIDENT,
as we understand him, proposes to carry out his
proclamation for the first of January. That
proclamation is a military not a civil mea-
sure, and all slaves emancipated under it will
obtain their freedom through the "chances of war."
Mr. LINCOLN thus holds over the beggared South
the alternative—compensation, if you will take it;
compulsory emancipation if you will not. We shall
in a few hours, when we have received the full
message, be in a better position to judge of the
scheme as a whole. But as it lies before
before us at this moment, it appears to be a
declaration that the war shall be carried on with
the utmost vigour, as if no terms were offered,
while yet, terms which ought,without such a threat
to be willingly accepted, will be freely proffered.

If the South does not accept them, if it resolves
to fight for slavery at all costs and hazards, then
let every Englishman blush to say one word more
on its behalf. The future figh+ing will be more
undisguisedly than ever for slavery, and for no-
thing else; and the war on the part of the North
one of emancipation. The issue, we may hope,
I could hardly be doubtful. The Federal Govern-

ment, though by loans of one kind or another,
chiefly, has paid its way with a balance of fourteen
millions of dollars to its credit—it musters 800,000
men actually equipped and on the field ; and when
the quotas are completed will have a million. Most
important of all, it reckons ❑p a Navy of 323 steam
and 104 sailing vessels. carrying in all 3,268 guns,
with which alone it could almost, in time, squeeze
the slaveholders into submission.
Mr. LINCOLN speaks as well as we could expect

* Le Prince Alfred et lee interets Frangais en Orient
Par T. E. Baltazzi, Bvo. pp. 31. Paris : Lain 6 et gavard.
1802.

trap qi

--------------
of foreign nations. He has some censure for those , RATTAZZI, " shall he be French or shall he be Eng- 4
who so easily recognised the belligerent position lish ?" Provided obly that the choice lit upon
of the South. It was unwise and unnecessary, one or the other he then argues the question as to
and he had hoped in June last that the powers which of the two it should be, mattered little or
would have receded from a position, as he thinks, nothing to the Greeks.
injurious to themselves, as well as to the North. Without mentioning his Imperial Highness
He thinks also that foreign nations have contem- by name, the pamphleteer sets aside as in a
plated the American struggle less with reference manner out of the question the Prince NAPo-
to its merits than to its effects, which were often LEON as one apart from all party, as one with- ,
exaggerated, on themselves. Still ho thinks that out any clear aim before him in his policy, as
for America to complain would be unwise, even one fitted by temperament more for observation
though it might be just. In this country, than for action. And after this fashion, he respect-
we apprehend, the merits of the case have fully passes by " this French Prince," as he terms
been everything. It is true a good deal him, periphrastically, but pointedly, " whose name
of feeling has been temporarily created on behalf is his only prestige." Summing up the principal
of the South, bat it began entirely through the tern- claimants otherwise in a sentence, he says (p. 17):
porising of the North with slavery, and the North —" An indigenous Prince would have humi-
is regaining the good-will of England, just in pro- Hated Greece, a Prince allied to Russia
portion as it shows itself determined to strike at would have been in direct antagonism to
the root of the war, and at the iniquity which, the national aspirations." Consequently, he
though locally Southern, has been too much fos- says—" Menaced by Russia, unable to demand
tered north of the Potomac. One thing the PRE- their new King from France, the Partizans of the
SIDENT honourably recognises—that England has Anglo-French Alliance in Greece directed their at-
carried out her treaty for the suppression of the tention towards England, and these fixed their
slave trade with a "jealous respect for the autho- regard upon Prince ALFRED, of whom personally
rity of the United States, and the rights of their they had themselves enjoyed the opportunity of
moral and loyal citizens." appreciating the many brilliant qualities." The
rest of the argument may be readily imagined.
It is a vindication of the reasonableness of
the choice determined upon almost by an instinct of
good taste and discretion by the Greeks them-
selves. M. BALTAZZI places his reliance implicitly
and absolutely on the cordiality and integrity and
truthfulness of the Anglo-French Alliance. Greece
he says, just towards the close of his argument, has
not (it should be understood) demanded an exten-
sion of territory. She has simply demanded a
Prince that diplomacy refuses to her. Has she not,
therofore,he asks, a perfect right (in the event of that
refusal being persisted in) to demand an in-
demnity (or compensation) for the sacrifice
which Europe thus imposes upon her legitimate
aspirations ? And the Anglo-French Alliance,
re
intest
has it not, in its turn, an
in seeing now that the brilliant successes just
proffered to it there in the East in tribute or in
sympathy shall not be abruptly changed into a
disaster. Their power (if they so please) to decide
the question now at issue, the writer of this out-
spoken brochure will express, by briefly remarking
—" When France and England act in concert,
malcontents hold their peace, and the world remains

lull."

A FRENCH CRITICISM ON THE ENG
£lBl-1 _POLICE.

The following letter appeared in the columns of
a contemporary this morning
Sir,--A fortnight has scarcely pass3d since you did me
the honour to insert a letter of mine in your journal, and I
again find myself under the necessity of sending you these
few lines, in the hope that you will have the goodness to
insert them in your columns.

It is the habit in France to speak in terms of high praise
of the English policeman and to represent him as being at
once gentle and firm, deliberate and vigilante—as the model
in short of Sergents-de-Ville, past, present, and future. I
venture to hope, sir, that with your well-known impar-
tiality, you will allow me to give to the English public in
general, and to my countrymen in particular, a sample of
the firmness and vigilance of the English policeman.
On the evening of Thursday, the 7th inst., the day of the
fire in Portpool-lane, at about half-past 7, I passed along a
narrow street, named, I believe, Leather-lane. The crowd
blocked up the road—those whom I shall name, honest
people, occupying the road, whilst the others, of more doubt-
ful probity, and who appeared to be of the lowest class, were
ranged along the pavement. The apparent motive of all
was to see the fire, but the real object of a great number,
as I shall presently prove, was to rob.
As I went along I perceived many hats whirled into the
air, a dozen or so of fights, which might be serious or not,
and other pastimes of a similar nature, to which I paid no
attention, regarding them only as the natural consequences
of the jokes allowable between friends and seansintances
on such occasions. But I was speedily undeceived.

All at once I found myself surrounded by half a dozen
individuals of the most suspicious appearance, the youngest
of whom might have been sixteen years of age, and the
oldest about five-and-twenty. It did not take me long to
guess their motive, and that it was simply to rob me of
all I possessed. Some persons in the road called out
to me to take care of my hat; but this was the least of my
anxieties; the important and essential thing for me being
to prevent my arms being pinned to my sides, and, above
all, to avoid being thrown to the ground. My only wea-
pon, offensive or defensive, consisted of an umbrella, but I
showed a good front to the enemy. This mode of action
seemed to astonish my adversaries, and for a moment made
them hesitate. They looked at each other, with the evident
object of stirring up one another to the attack, but each
was unwilling to be the first; and this moment of indeci-
sion on their part saved me. I resolved to fall back slowly
upon the honest people in the road, or upon the wall of a
neighbouring house, and put in practice my feeble
knowledge of the French mode of boxing, which has been
pleasantly named the " savote."
Fearing that the somewhat comic position in which I
was placed might speedily turn to a tragic one, I was na-
turally far from feeling altogether at ease or at home, but
my anxiety was not of long duration. A workman took my
hat, passed it to one of his comrades, and, placing himself
behind me, facilitated my retreat. In this way I found
myself introduced, always moving backwards, into a pub-
lic-house, and was saved.
I now recovered my hat, and was informed that Ihad
been saved by its temporary removal from my head, since,
had it remained there, it would have been thrust over my
eyes, and that whilst I was unable to see and recognise
who robbed me, my aggressors would have found courage
to despoil me.
A hundred persons had sought refuge in the public-
house in question, and almost all had been robbed. Two
young gentlemen, amongst others, had been completely
cleaned out ; their watches, chains, hats, and even coats,
having disappeared, and—what is almost incredible—the
rings belonging to one having been torn from his fingers.
After I had remained a good half-hour in the tavern, I
resolved to sally forth and brave what danger might remain.
Two gentlemen, emboldened by my example, offered to
accompany me, and setting out from a side door, we suc-
ceeded in effecting a passage through the crowd.
Now, will be believed that all this took place within
thirty or forty feet of a steam fire-engine, and, I must add,
of half a dozen policemen, who seemed to make a point of
looking in the exactly opposite direction. Without making
any commentary upon this, I will simply certify, to the
honour of the French police, that such things as those I
have described are unknown in France,

It may be asked, perhaps, what I was doing in such a
place as Leather-lane ? To which I reply that I was
there on business, and not as an idler; that being a teacher
of the French language I have to proceed from one place
to another in the shortest possible time, and that I believe
Leather-lane to be the most direct route from Charter-
house to Gordon-square.

I will conclude by acknowledging to my shame, that
the excitement of the moment prevented me from offering
a word of thanks to the labouring man who came to my
aid, and whom I shall always regard as having saved me
on this occasion. It is possible that these lines may meet
his eye, and that they may show him that the person
whom he so much obliged was not ungrateful.

Huntingdon-street, N.

COURT CIRCULAR.

J. Da L,

WINDSOR CASTLE, DEC. 15.
Her Majesty and her Royal Highness the Princess Louis
of Hesse walked and drove in the grounds this morning.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Prince
Louis of Hesse rode, attended by Captain Grey.
His Royal Highness Prince Arthur left the Castle this
morning, and returned to Greenwich Park, attended by
Major Elphinstone.

A deputation, consisting of the Lord Mayor, Alderman
Humphery, Alderman Sidney, M.P., Alderman William
Lawrence, Alderman Phillips, Alderman Abbiss, Alderman
Gibbons, Alder man and Sheriff J. C. Lawrence, the Town
Clerk, and the City Hen embrancer, had an interview with
Secretary Sir George Grey yesterday at the Home-office, on
the increase of crime in the metropolis.

THE EASTERN FISHERIES.—SeveraI of the boats
hailing from the port of Great Yarmouth, and which have
been prosecuting the herring fishery during the last few
weeks, have already " made up," and most of the remainder
will make their last voyage for the season this week. Since
allusion was last made to the subject in the Stan a week
or two since, the deliveries of fish at Yarmouth have been
larger than is usually the case at this season of the year,
and the fish have also been of better quality. Fresh fish
have sold at from £5 to £2O per last (13,200 fish) and salted
at from £4 to £l5 per last. At Lowestoft the deliveries
have also been large ; prices have ranged from 10s, to

£l7 10e. per last, ---P)

L , ,
ATLsr N E
i w st.l Vice-Admiral Sir James Hope, the Naval Com-
mander-in-Chief in China :
"Kandipg retaken ; very few easnalities."

THE WAR IN AMERICA.

NEW YORK, DEC. 8 (Evening).
(Per Jura, via Cape Race.)

An engagement has occurred at Hartsville,
Tennessee, between the Federal advance force
fiom Nashville and the Confederates under Gen.
Morgan. Colonel Moore's Federal brigade was
repulsed several times and finally captured. Gen.
Morgan afterwards attacked the Federals at Galla-
tin, but was repulsed with heavy loss.

Both the Federal and Confederate armies are
actively engaged in fortifying at Fredericksburg.
The Southern journals state that a fleet of 20
Federal vessels sailed from Hilton on the sth
inst. for Georgetown or Wilmington. Several
Federal vessels had passed Charleston harbour.
It was supposed that they were going to assist
in attacking Mobile.

The same journals assert that 30,000 Federals
are at Suffolk, preparing to move against Peters-
burg, while a Federal force at Newbern, North Car-
lina, will operate simultaneously against Weldon.
The Federals occupy Granada, Mississippi.
Large subscriptions for the Lancashire distress
fund continue to pour in.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YORK, DEC. 8 (Evening).
Money easy. Gold, 32 prem. Exchange on
London, bankers' bills, 146. Stocks steady. New
York Central, 102 - ; Illinois, 78; Erie, 61. Cotton
dull; Middling Upland, 66i. Flour slightly firmer.
Wheat in good demand for export. Corn advancing
lc. higher. Coffee quiet. Sugar steady.

(Per City of Washington.)
NEW YORK, DEC. 6 (Morning).
Seven transports and two iron-clad steamers have
sailed from Fortress Munroe under sealed orders.

INDIA.
CALCUTTA, Nov. 29 (via Jubal).
Gray shirting and mule twist dull.
Indigo, nothing doing. Linseed unchanged.
Exchange on London.—First-class credits, 2s.
Oid.

Government Securities.—Five per Cents., 1041.
Freight unchanged.

BOMBAY, Nov. 29.
Cotton piece goods and mule twist unchanged.
Government Securities.—Five and a Half per
Cents., 112.
Freight quiet.

The Confederates appears to have left the section
of the country north of the Rappahannock.
The Federal expediti, n which had sailed from
Suffolk, Virginia, has recaptured the Federal bat-
tery taken some time since, and has driven the
Confederates across the Blackwater River.

The Federal gunboat Ellis was blown up during
the expedition up the New River, North Carolina,
to prevent it falling into the hands of the Confede-
rates.

The Federal commander has informed the autho-
rities of Fredericksburg that as long as no hostile
dcmonstration was made from Fredericksburg, he
should not shell the town.

General " Stonewall" Jackson is, reported to
have joined General Lee at Fredericksburg.
The Confederates are working on the defences of
Fredericksburg, and the Federals are erecting for-
tifications commanding the Confederate positions.
The Confederates have captured a train of
Federal waggons with ordnance stores in Virginia.

MEXICO.

ST. NAGAIRE, DEC. 15.

The steamship Floride has arrived here with
General Lorencez on board, and brings news from
Vera Cruz to the 16th ult.

During the previous fortnight six vessels had ar-
rived there, bringing altogether 4,000 men. The
corps of General Berder had victoriously entered
Jalapa, which was defended by 2,500 Mexicans.
A column of 2,000 men had taken possession of
Medlin, which is an important position for obtain-
ing provisions.

Twelve companies of the bid Regiment of the
Line had embarked for Tampico, in order to occupy
that place. The 3d Regiment of Zoulves were
scouring the neighbourhood of Vera Cruz for oxen,
destined to complete the means of transport.
Another tempest occurred on the 6th November
and drove three vessels on shore. Neither of them
were French.

ST. PETERSBURG, DEC. 16.

The Invalids .Russe of to-day announces that
Herr Ton Langenstrossiu, during his stay in Lon.
don, concluded a loan with Messrs. Rothschild a
5 9.10 per cent. for the Grand Duchy of Finland.
The amount of the loan is not stated.

MADRID, DEC. 14 (Evening.)

In tha Senate to-day the debate on Mexican
affairs was continued. The Marquis de Monaliches
censured the acts of General Prim, especially his
journey to the United States.
The Madrid papers comment variously upon the
speech of Senor Calderon Collantes, Minister of
Foreign Affairs, relative to the Mexican expedition.
Senor Collantes and M. Barrot, the French Am-
bassador, have had a long conference together.

CHINA.

SHANGHAI, OCT. 25.

Two expeditions have been sent from Ningpo
against the rebels, and were successful. Kanding
was captured by the allied forces on the 23d inst.,
and Fimgob a (?), the rebel stronghold, was carried
by assault by the Imperialists on the 24th inst.
The Mahomedans in Shensi have been routed, and
peace is now restored in that province.
The Duke of Lancaster has been totally wrecked
off Formosa. The captain and crew were saved.
An extensive business is being transacted in
cotton.

Ten thousand (P tons of shipping) have been
chartered for the transport of the raw material from
Hongkong to Europe.
Intelligence from Japan states that the Tycoon
has declared his inability to punish the perpetrators
of the late murder, and has applied to the British
Government for assistance.

The cholera has carried off a quarter of a million
of the inhabitants a Jeddo.

NOVEMBER 6.
The Taepings are moving on Kanding, and are
expected to attempt its recapture.

It is rumoured that they are also marching to
attack San kow.

An Imperiel force is advancing for the protec.
tion of this city.

The news from Japan is unsatisfactory. The
position of foreigners Was precarious.

The meeting alleged to have been recently held
by the Daimios did not take place.

A bloodless revolution is reported to be in pro-
gress, having, among other objects, the destruction
of Jeddo.

The whole country is in a most unsettled state.
Tea lower. Silk firm. Settlements in fortnight,
2,000 bales. Export to date, 49,500 bales.
Exchange on London, 63. Old. to 6s. Id. Freight,
555. to 60s.

CANTON, Nov. 14.
Total export to date,

Tea firm and active.
67,750,0001 b.
Exchange on London, 4s. 7id. to 4s. 7td.

(PRIVATE TELEGRAM.)
IiONKONC, OCT. 30 (via JUBAL).
Export of tea, 57,500,000.
Exchange at Shanghai, 64. 2d.; ditto at Hong-
kong, 4s. 71d.
Gray ahirtings, 34 dollars.
The following telegram has been received from

DEPUTATION OF TILE LORD MAYOR AND CITY
MAGISTRATES TO TILE HOME SECRETARY.
Yesterday at two o'clock a deputation of maeis"
trates of the City of London, headed by the Lord
Mayor, had an interview by appointment with
Sir George Grey at the Home Office, in re-
ference to the existing state of the law BP'
plicable to the class of hardened criminals
and its administration. Besides the Lord
Mayor, the deputation was composed of Mr. Alder-
man Humphery, Mr. Alderman Sidney, M.P., Mr'
Alderman Lawrence, Mr. Alderman and Sheriff
Lawrence, Mr. Alderman Phillips, Mr. Alderman
Abbiss, Mr. Alderman Gibbons, Mr. Tyrrell, the
remembrancer of the Corporation of London, and
Mr. Woodthorpe, the town clerk.
At the interview yesterday Mr. Bruce, recently
appointed Under Secretary of State, was present.
The LORD MAYOR said his brethren of the Court
of Aldermen had thought it high time to ask for
such an interview, having regard to the lamentable
increase of crime. They had latterly been at great
expense in reconstructing the prison of Newgate,
and had built within the last few years a gaol at
Holloway, which, on its completion, was supposed
to be far in excess of the actual need, but both those
prisons were now inconveniently crowded. The
ticket.of-leave system resulted from time to time in
bringing many old offenders back upon the metro"
polis—a class of men who, being well known to the
police, and branded, so to speak, but few or no or
portunities of obtaining honest employment, ore°
if they desired it, and were therefore driven to re'
sort to their old habits for subsistence. All at'
tempts to reform criminals of the hardened class,
and to punish them at the same time, had ever been
beset with difficulty, and the magistrates of the
City of London were now of opinion, after all tbe
experience of past years, that the only way of cow
trolling this criminal element, and. of ensuring the
public safety, is by a recurrence to the old system
of transportation, though that may be attended with
some difficulty, inasmuch as the parts of the world
open to the reception of the criminal population are
not so many or so obvious as 30 or 40 years ago'
Next to the great object to be obtained—public
safety—the question became very much one as re'
garded the expense which the criminal class en-
tailed on the country, and on that ground also be
thought the balance of opinion was in faveeur of a
well-devised system of transportation. That NY°
the principal object the deputation had in vipiff
and they had thought it possible the Government
would like to have their hands strengthened 110
expression of opinion en the part of the magi'
steates of the City of London on this vital question'
Sir GEORGE GREY said no doubt we at home Were
now suffering from the evil of which some 6'f
the colonies complained when we transported 013`
criminals there. He had determined some time lief
to appoint a commission, composed of members e
both houses of parliament, to inquire into the WO.
tion of recent acts of parliament on penal serelitna!
and especially as to the manner in which senteso'
passed under their authority wore carried into effect;
He thought an inquiry so conducted would elicit
0
great deal of valuable information, and result in
suggestions which would tend greatly to inier°fo
the present system. He had therefore given cliref;
Lions for a commission which would probably
issued on Tuesday next.
Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY remarked upon the
evils arising from a want of uniformity of sentence'
some magistrates awarding six months' imprie9l;
ment, and others two for the same species of offers
Sir G. GREY said that arose from having a WI
of persons to administer the law. He himself °he
been bantered in the House of Commons as to the
disparity of some of the decisions by the magistra;
of the City of London, and he had had occasion.,
call the attention of the metropolitan police roas
gi
to
trates to the same inconvenience. Under 0
Criminal Justice Act they seemed to deal with
offenders who ought rather to be committed
trial. As to the tickets of leave, they were colonla;
in the first instance. When it became necessarrd
restrict transportation the act of 1853 was pollSe
and all sentences of transportation under 14 Ye°
were abolished. Then the ticket-of-leave Vao
troduced into England.
Mr. Alderman LAWRENCE said the great d 0;
culty with respect to ticket-of-leave men was 01i;
Perhaps every member of the deputation was
some way connected with trade, yet, probably
none of them would take a ticket-of-leave men 111,
gaps
their service if they knew it. Such men, there,'
inevitab,y became desperate, and returned to °lel'
old associates and habits.
e%i°
Sir G. GREY said that feeling would 030
towards criminals of that class whether they e,
out of prison in Sept., say, with a ticket-of4e4C
or in Jan., when their services expired.
°1
that a ce °
The LORD MAYOR was glad to hearh
mission was about to be issued ; but what the yoo
putation wanted to express most empliatica. fog
that in their opinion the only practicable re_" tee
for the present state of things was a return. :...
system of transportation in some form or 003!eopt
Sir G. GREY said it was quite useless to ;I'oool
to transport men under short sentences; 1 tepee°
not be done ; and the great majority of °lit Oa
were short. That was one evil the goverunlen rte'
to contend with, because even before tranuootto
tion was abolished it was a common priotice pis
la
send abroad short-sentence men. They con ego'
send abroad men physically able to undergt beolc•f
labour; those that were otherwise were sell
Mr. Alderman PHILLIPS asked whether'
and above the commission about to be issued'
.
•
thing could be done to appease the public 03 03 a 0
Sir G. GREY replied that he had instreeiof
cease
metropolitan police to report upon eve
alleged violence which had been related in t' case
lie newspapers and had not come under thud been
sauce of the police courts, and the result I°ltoteli9
that a great number of these reports were detee4
without foundation. One of their own Citilobec
tive officers had recently exposed the utter 0- beet'
of a story of that kind which was breiteci:4oo_l,l
He (Sir G. Grey) did not, however, intend of oeci
that there was an extraordinary number t Da,
cases at the present time, and the goverenieooo ba;
taken means to prevent their recurrence• cbcaste,
had a number of persons apprehended in suoir energy
and had caused inquiry to be made int° t' toe/ f
cedents as far as they were known. Fe In'
ut b pie e
t
were recognised as ticket-of-leave men' woe°
were known to have undergone penal et
some period or other,
ht tlAt iltt les ttoMr. Alderman LAWRENCE thoughtse-a jo
convicts under penal servitude should he 430 1,
prisons abroad e for under the present sY"
oc, feeling
criminal's punishment inspired him with
13er
of terror.
soot to id,
Sir G. GREY said many of them were f inc eOO
muda, and that that woul • be a subject ° eed
With this ended the interview en-
ded,
deputation took their leave.

--The
'BENEFIT SOCIETIES' 03
itrfllfii:4
FT.hseduisnunaelr
loyal
atlhteoaGstesorge and Blue Boar,
at
ahe Committee and Friends of this Institution l's°-1.0 '
001 h. ° oti.f
.Friday,A.
aunder i
rthe
J.
pTr. ess ide n c y of Henry
veal.tiiiiiidrOotili,i;
minded the meeting thatidaiittser
and in spite of great Benefitdifficulties
wasose Societies'
satda of,b
viri i
officiating as 7
Claimsirli re
Ilehope
" The Metropolitan
affordingd a resting-place for Friendly:tAhrbigSeeseedYclel:3:3l:ll'c'e:l:::;llll:iinliretc;
now their troubles were at an end, P. 5 vibCo
ally
_ abequesto made by a departed lady had enabled
the
,
t'3rff the mortgage debt—put the building in ad le
Pond-road, Kiugsland-gate, into thorough rePsir'o of tof
vest £7,000 as an Endowment Fund for the belll%, 0,
the inmates. The toast was responded to by Jr. O'getD'o ~a
inmates, who bziefly thanked the supporters
there,of the
00,
lum and the Committee for the comforts OK° use,t
the provision made for ihe inmates. Nr. 511.' Great
oCi
ties c"" sli"
tary, then proposed " The Friendly Secle „,-.10 Do
present position, concluded by
Britain," and touching upon their origin, Pr_7ool_,l,
..,-, ter-, r
had supported the asylum. The toast beings uly •e, g ,
was responded to for the Odd Fellow and X°r 130ei
Messrs. t ellerby, Morrell, litilnptol3, iinovilesl 0 ro 5113
and Coshead. Other toasts tollowed—" 1 lle V° :leUre
thanking those br''..loiloari
Subscribers to the Asylum," by Mr. Slater, acknod. 01,
by the Chairman, Mr. Gawthorp, and Nr. raoe,l,,cl to Pi,
Committee of the Asylum and Officers," rerpon,' hooy
grlm ill
Mr. Lockhart, Treasurer ; " The Visitors," by A, 00
son, &c., and some excelleAt vocal music eulivelleu
genial meeting,