The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-20 00:00:00

_Zd %21

N°. 22.698

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, 1865,

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BILL.

The Public Schools Bill, which is presented to
Parliament by the Earl of Clarendon, has just been
printed. There are few of our readers who will not
be anxious to be informed of its provisions, and we
hasten to satisfy their curiosity. We shall not, how-
ever, attempt immediately to express any judgment
upon proposals of so much importance and involving,
such delicate considerations. In the following ob-
servations we shall simply present our readers with
a short summary of the provisions of the bill, and
explicitly disclaim any intention of commenting
upon them.

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NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF "ST.
KNIGHTON'S REIVE."
Now ready at all the Libraries, in one vol., post Bvo., 10s. 6d.,
fONNINGTON HALL: a Novel.
By the Rev. F. TALBOT O'DONOGHUE, 8.A.,
Author of "St. Knighton's Reive,"
London: Saunders, Otley, and Co., 66, Brook-street, W.

The recommendations of the Royal Commission
may be referred to three distinct heads—that is, to
the governing bodies of the schools ; to the statutes
which determine the character of the foundation and
the appropiktion of the school property ; and,
thirdly, to the general regulations for the course of
study and the management of the school. The
second and
.third of these three subjects are by the
proposed bill entirely subordinated to the first.
With a few slight exceptions, and subject to the re-
strictions which we shall explain, the alteration of
statutes and the framing of regulations are entirely
committed to the governing bodies. The bill pro-
vides for their appointment; and gives them the ne-
cessary powers of interference, and then leaves it to
them to carry out as they may think proper the
other suggestions of the Commissioners. With the
slight exceptions, therefore, which we shall presently
name, no matters of detalf as to the constitution or
management of the schools are involved in the pro-
visions of the Bill. It is concerned almost- solely
with determining the nature of the new governing
bodies and the powers which shall be intrusted to
them. Upon their constitution and the nature of
these powers everything else will depend. In
framing the constitutions of the governing bodies of
the several schools the Bill seems to follow as'nearly
as possible the recommendations of the Commission.
The new governing body is framed in each case
more or less upon the basis of the existing govern-
ment. The present members will for the most part
retain their position, but other members will
be added in a proportion which varies with the dif-
ferent schools. The example of Eton will serve to
indicate the nature of the changes proposed, though
they appear larger there than at the other schools.
In place of the present Provost, Vice-Provost, and
six Fellows, the governing body is for the future to
be composed of a Provost and fourteen Fellows, of
and five stipendiary.
honorary
Established Church,
mwhlosmhaninll
beearme
etombbeershoonfort
but shall not necessarily have been educated at
be nqminated by the
Crown,Eton. sThahne
bPeraovgorsatdusahtaellof
Oxford or Cambridge,
of not less than 35 years of age, and not necessarily
in Holy Orders. He shall be required to reside
during the whole of every school term. The Provost
of King's shall be ex officio one of the honorary
Fellows. Of the other eight, who shall receive no
emoluments and shall not be required to reside, three
shall be nominated by the Crown, and shall be
Graduates of Oxford or Cambridge, and the other
five shall be elected by the governing body. The five
stipendiary Fellows shall also be elected by the go-
verning body. They must all be either distinguished
for literary or scientific attainments, or have done
eminent service to the school as Head or Assistant-
masters. Three of them, at least, shall be in Holy
Orders. They shall receive £7OO a year and a house,
and shall be required to reside three months in
every year. A similar change is proposed at Win-
chester, though the number of Fellows is not so
largely increased. At Harrow, Charter-house, and
Rugby the proposed change is simpler, consisting
merely in an addition to the number of trustees or
governors, with the provision that one-fourth of the
whole governing body shall be persons distinguished
for their literary and scientific attainments. At
Westminster, Shrewsbury, and St. Paul's the change
is more complicated, but is of the same character.
To the governing bodies thus constituted all the
" property, rights, powers, privileges, and obliga-
tions" of the existing bodies will be transferred,
subject, of course, to the provisions of the bill ; and
in the case of Westminster and St. Paul's some
change will be necessary in respect to the tenure of
the school property. The time and places of their
meeting and the management of their business are
to be under the entire control of the governing
bodies ; a majority of members present is to decide
any question, the chairman is to have a casting
expenses are to be defrayed
ov
uoattseto,l
yf t andhe
their
school there of course, a fixed quorum.
Lastly,
reasonable
fs d s

Comedy, by Mr. George Hodson (the celebrated Comedian
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NEW NOVEL. - Just ready, in three vols., post Bvo.,
AUBREY COURT: a Novel.
By FRANK LYFIELD.
London: Saunders, Otley, and Co., 66, Brook-street, W.

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The matters which will come under their control
are, as we have said, of two kinds—first, the sta-
tutes affecting the foundation and the constitution
of the school ; and secondly, the general regulations
as to its management. With regard to the former,
Parliament their
be subject to the control of
ofTh tehyeweilltiinavge
statutes,
5t,044
aua
nme Queen in
en
nt
doamnCadokuce
on
nnc
sielow;li
dwaitteh a re-
gard to the latter their authority is unrestricted.
statutesnyfor any of the following purposes :—To decide the
number, the conditions of admission, and the privi-
leges of boys on the foundation ; to re-arrange any
scholarships, exhibitions, or other emoluments
tenable at the school or at the University, except
those which have been created within the last fifty
years ; as, for example, to make emoluments now
tenable at only one college tenable at any college
in either University ;
to determine the mode and
conditions of appointment to any ecclesiastical
benefice in the patronage of the govern-
ing body, or to which those educated at the
school have a preferential claim ; to fix the salaries
of the masters and to abolish any other than the
head-mastership, and to dispose of the surplus
income of the school property. The only exception
to their independent decision on these points, to
which we alluded above, relates to the qualification
for boys on the foundation. The bill specially pro-
vides that no candidate for the foundation at Eton
shall be entitled to preference by reason of his place
of birth or abode, and that neither illegitimacy nor
bodily imperfection shall be a disqualification. In the
case of Shrewsbury the rights of the burgesses are
to cease in 1880, and after that date there will be 40
free scholarships absolutely open. At Harrow and
Rugby the privileges of free education possessed by
persons residing within the parishes or neighbour-
hoods shall cease, except in the case of children
born within ten years from the passing of the
act. The governing bodies of those schools, more-
over, are to prepare schemes for appropriating a
suitable part of their revenues to the promotion of
education in their neighbourhoods—as, for example,
by establishing separate schools, regard being had
to the local objects of their founders and to the
altered circumstances of the present time. Besides
this, the restrictions under which the governing
bodies will make these statutes and the conditions
of their validity are as follows :—No statute made by
the governing body of one school shall affect the in-
terest of another in endowments common to the two
without the consent of the governing body of the
second school, and where a statute would affect any
College in either of the two Universities sufficient
notice is to be given to the head of such a College.
A statute shall be valid after it has been approved by
her Majesty in Council, and this approval shall be
obtained under the following conditions :—The sta-
tute shall be laid before the Queen in Council and
published in the London Gazette, and any persons in-
terested in it may within a month petition the Queen
against the whole or any part of it. Any such
petition shall be referred to five members of the
Privy Council, two of whom are to be of the Judi-
cial Committee, and the petitioners may be heard
by counsel. Further, all such statutes are to be
laid before Parliament at once, if it be sitting, and
if not, within three weeks after its opening ; and
either House may address Her Majesty within 40
daps against the whYie oar any part of the statutes. _

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serving the rights of the existing governing bodies
during the time which may elapse between the

passing of the Act and their reconstitution.

THE CONFEDERATE S rATES.

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High Holborn, London.

(From time Times' Special Correspondent.)
RICHMOND, Feb. 16.
Never in any community have I witnessed such a
revolution of public feeling as has been wrought in
Virginia by the contemptuous terms offered to the
three Southern Commissioners who have lately re-
turned hither from their informal interview with
President Lincoln and Mr. Seward at Fortress Mon-
roe. It is idle to pretend that previous to that inter-
view the general heart of the Confederates had not
reached a lower pitch of dejection than was ever ob-
servable at any earlier stage of this rueful war. It
is true that the Confederate army around Richmond
has never participated in the despondency of the
Gulf States, and has hardly realised the amount of
depression prevalent in half hearted Georgia but,
in addition to the fall of Fort Fisher and the
triumphal march of Sherman to Savannah, there
was much to abate the characteristic hopefulness of
Richmond and Virginia. For more than 100 days
the Southern House of Congress have been in ses-
sion in this city, and anxious spectators have awaited
some exhibition of valour and vigour from Legisla-
tive Bodies called to deliberate upon the most mo-
mentous and appalling crisis that ever engaged the
attention of a representative Assembly. I know of
no parallel to the feebleness and imbecility of the
results attained in the Southern Congress, unless it
can be found in the simultaneous deliberations of the
Federal Congress, or in the war of words which
Gibbon has held up to undying scorn, and which
raged at Constantinople among the Greeks of the
Lower Empire while the battering ram thundered at
the city's gates.

There is at this moment a lull, a breathing place, a
new point de depart for these sorely-tried Southern-
ers. In the first place, Wilmington has been sealed
as a port of entry, and all the sharks and Shylocks
who there congregated and shirked duty in the
ranks have lost their occupation. The demand for
gold, now that the chief port through which it
lately flowed has been closed, has already sensibly
diminished, and the spirit of speculation has received
in the loss of Wilmington a staggering blow, from
which all who wish well to Secessia cannot but pray
that it will be slow to recover. Secondly, there is a
prospect that the Southern Congress will shortly ad-
journ, that the action of Congress will no longer be
invoked as a mysterious Abracadabra, destined to
neutralise the debasing influences of disaffection and
corruption, and that the finance of the country will
be committed to the far more capable hands of Mr.
Trenholm, while military affairs are left to the ma-
ture wisdom of Gen. Lee. Thirdly, the exchange of
prisoners, so long delayed, so long disingenuously
eluded by the North, .has been resumed, under the
inexorable pressure of the relatives of Northern pri-
soners, and will, if honestly carried out (and we have
Gen. Grant's word that it will be honestly carried
out), give to the
.Southern armies some 30,000 or
40,000 men, many of whom still breathe the spirit
of 1862, and carry back to their comrades, now sadly
shrunk in numbers, voices that speak of Gaines'
Mill, of Chancellorsville, or of Antietam. Fourthly,
the question of putting negroes into the ranks, long
and vehemently debated and combated, not only
within the walls of Congress, but also at the corner
of every street and round every fireside in the South,
is gaining manifestly in public opinion, and seems
likely to lead to immediate and energetic action, with
a view to opposing Mr. Lincoln's 200,000 African
soldiers, when the great collision of next spring shall
arrive, at least a very considerable body of their dusky
brethren. Fifthly, the appointment of Gen. Breckin-
ridge to the important office of Secretary of War, and
the vigour which he has already exhibited in dis-
charging the onerous functions of that bureau have
given elastic confidence to men's minds, since it is re-
cognised that perhaps the most important office of
the State is now held by one who more than any
other man in the South possesses simultaneously the
qualifications of the soldier and the statesman, and
that the Bureau of War and the Bureau of Finance are
now administered by unquestionably the two fittest
heads for the purpose that Secessia affords. But,
lastly, and most important of all, the strong revul-
sion of feeling occasioned by the fruitless errand
which carried Vice-President Stephens,Judge Camp-
bell, and Mr. Hunter to Fortress Monroe, and exposed
them to the indignity of listening to terms very diffe-
rent from those shadowed forth by Mr. Blair, has

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In the absence of any such petition or address the
Queen may pronounce her approval, or she may
approve the parts which are not objected to. The
other parts she may refer back to the goveining
body, who will proceed to alter them subject to the
same conditions. Lastly, these statutes are to be
made before the Ist January, 1867, unless the
Queen shall specially grant an extension of the
time, but this may not be further than to January
1,1868. When once made, statutes may be altered
and cancelled from .time to time in the same

manner.
With regard to the second head of their charge, the
governing bodies are, as we have said, uncontrolled.
They may make, alter, or annul as they please
regulations with respect to any of the following
matters :—The number of boys other than founda-
tion boys in the school ; their ages and the condi-
tions of admission ; the manner in which they are
to be boarded and lodged ; the payments to be
made for them, the fees and payments of all kinds,
and the application of such payments ; attendance
at Divine service, and the services themselves ; the
times and length of the holidays; the subjects of
study and the general discipline and management
of the school ; and the disposal of any surplus in-
come, with a view to promoting the efficiency of
the education provided. With such large powers,
they will obviously have in their hands the entire
management and character of the school. Subject
to the statutes they may make, they will appoint
the Head-muter and all masters now appointed
by the governing body, and all the other masters
will be appointed by the Head-master and will
hold office at his pleasure. It is also specially pro-
vided that "no candidate for any mastership
shall be entitled to preference by reason of
his having been educated at the school of
which he desires to be master." The Head-muter
will be subject to the general regulations of the
governing body on all the points we have enume-
rated, but he will be otherwise independent, and
will be supreme over all the other masters.

Such is a short sketch of all the provisions which
concern the management and constitution of the
schools. There remain only a few miscellaneous
provisions. The Dean and Chapter of Westminster
are, in conjunction with the Ecclesiastical Commis-
sioners, to vest in the gOverning body and their suc-
cessors the fee-simple of such an estate as shall be
adequate to the due maintenance of the school, and
also to make over to them the buildings at present
in use; but these are to revert to the Dean and
Chapter in case of the removal of the school else-
where. Power is given to the governing body of
any school to prepare a scheme for raising money
upon mortgage for the purpose of alter or enlarging
the school buildings, in obedience to the recommen-
dations of the Commissioners; and such a scheme is
to be subject to the same conditions of validity as
the statutes before mentioned. The parish of Eton
is no longer to be under the spiritual charge of the
Provost, but is to be constituted a distinct vicarage,
in the gift of the Provost and Fellows, with an en-
dowment of £6OO a year. Further, the govern-
ing bodies of Westminster, Charterhouse, and St.
Paul's may lay schemes before her Majesty for the
removal of their schools from their present sites,
providing for the sale or mortgage of the existing
property, and these schemes will also be subject to
the same conditions as a new statute. Lastly, there
are two clauses saving all existing interests and pre-

PRICE
STAMPED

...4d.
...sd.

revived, at least in Virginia, the fervid passion
which glowed in every Virginian heart when Mr.
Lincoln's proclamation of 1861 roused the Old Do-
minion to flame. Upon the 6th and 9th inst. the two
greatest and most excited popular assemblies which
this city has ever witnessed listened on the former
day to President Davis and on the latter to Mr.
Benjamin. In words weighty from the intensity of
feeling with which they were uttered, and which
dropped like solid shot among the listening thousands,
President Davis told his audience that they might
have peace if they would accept a Yankee satrap in
every State, a Yankee emissary in every Southern
Post-office, and if the soldiers among them would
pluck off their uniforms and hand over the individual
who was then speaking to them, and Gen. Lee, and
a thousand other soldiers whose names are engraven
on every Southern heart to the well-known clemency
and liberality of President Lincoln. But it was re-
served for Mr. Benjamin to demonstrate upon the
9th inst. that the reputation which he has long en-
joyed as one of the greatest orators of this continent
is not in jeopardy because for nearly four years his
voice has been hushed in public. Boldly grappling
with the question of negro enlistment, Mr. Benja-
min demanded what the South would have done had
she known three years ago that at the end of 1864
Mr. Lincoln would announce-that he could not carry
on the war without 200,000 negro soldiers stolen
from Southern plantations. You have to decide, he
said, between admitting emancipated negroes to the
ranks, or the evacuation of Richmond. He depre-
cated the notion of negroes being forced to fight as
slaves, as a sure method of recruiting the ranks of
the enemy. Give them, he argued, the option of
volunteering and fighting as freemen for their own
homes and the soil where they have been raised, or of
being abducted by the Federals as the country is
overrun, and fighting, according to the new fashion
of Northern emancipation, whether they like it or
not as freemen for the North. For 100 years and
more Richmond has been renowned for her orators,
but never in the history of this proud old State has
the public heart so leapt up to meet a speaker, so
responded to his every utterance and sentiment, as
when upon the 6th and 9th of February cheer after
cheer greeted President Davis and Mr. Benjamin,
and hurled back in fierce renunciation the contemptu-
ous overtures of Mr. Lincoln. For the moment the
war spirit of 1861 has driven speculators, money-
grabbers, and extortioners into the shade. At no pre-
vious stage of the war have I felt so painfully impressed
bythe dark uncertainty of the future; but I never had
less hesitation than at this moment in assuring the
North that their work is not more than half done, '
and that they are counting upon a victory as already
secured which it will yet cost them thousands of
lives to consummate.
There is little interest or profit in trying to re-
fasten the links of a broken chain, or in tracing step
by step the progress of an abortive negotiation.
But I may be permitted to say, in allusion to the
opinion expressed in my letter of the 23d January
(to the effect that peace, on the basis of nominal
recognition of Southern independence, and offensive
and defensive alliance between the two belligerents,
in addition to many other concessions to the North,
was not impossible), that a belief was distinctly en-
couraged by Mr. Blair during his two informal visits
to Richmond that such terms were not inadmissible,
and that if it had been known that President Lin-
coln's
ultimatum was reconstruction, no Southern
Commissioners would have met him at Fortress Mon-
roe. Nevertheless, there is general satisfaction at the
thought that Southern Commissioners have heard
from Mr. Lincoln's own lips that peace is only pro-
curable by means of abject submission, that he de-
signs to write Vw victis from the Capes of the
Chesapeake to the Gulf of Mexico, and will mete
out to rebels who sue to him on their knees such
mercy as Edward 111. would have extended to the
burgesses of Calais when they knelt before him.
with halters round their necks. An answer has thus
been given to those sanguine diplomatists who be-
lieved with Mr. Stephens that discussions about
peace between authorised agents of either Govern-
ment could only end in an armistice. That this
incident has had the effect upon Virginia, con-
verting it again into a sea of fire, it is impossible
to doubt ; nor can it be wholly without its influence
even upon the timorous property-savers and slavish
submissionists of half-hearted Georgia. " The popu-
lation is whipped," writes a lady from Georgia,
" but not so the army nor the women ; and, by the
blessing of God, whipped they never will be."
It is my belief that the military resistance to
Sherman, when he advances, will be faint and
insignificant until new Generals get hold of the
remains of the army of Tennessee and infuse fresh
life and vigour into it. But for the present there is
no way of fighting the invader half so efficiently as
by burning the cotton wherever it is in danger of
falling into his hands. There is little doubt that
Gen. D. H. Hill will burn every bale in Augusta if
Sherman threatens it ; and, if the spirit which ani-
mates Richmond prevails everywhere, it is possible
that in the next 12 months President Lincoln and
his armies may gain military possession of the South
—but in that case he will regain nothing but forcible
possession of countries of which he sways only the
ground where his armies stand—of provinces im-
poverished, depleted, and ref t of all their wealth; of
plantations to which their former prosperity cannot
be restored for years ; of negroes, suddenly converted
into free American citizens, from whom labour, more
than sufficient for their own support, cannot be
coaxed or extorted.

It is idle to talk of the movements of Sherman
when writing from Richmond. Nothing has so much
impressed me during my recent visit to the south as
the ignorance of Richmond in regard to everything
outside of the army of Northern Virginia—the ig-
norance of Charleston save in respect to South Ca-
rolina—the ignorance of Augusta save in respect to
Georgia. It is believed here that Sherman is
threatening Columbia, that General Beauregard,
with a respectable force, is facing him in that neigh-
bourhood, and that for the present the Federals
have no design to attack Augusta. But at any mo-
ment this programme may be altered if Columbia
shall fall into Sherman's hands. As matters stand it
is not impossible that Sherman will drive Beauregard's
forces northwards into North Carolina, and that there
will be a junction between the army of Beauregard,
the Confederate forces at Wilmington, andthe garri-
son of Charleston, if, as now seems probable, that city
is abandoned. The tendency of the Confederate
armies seems to be to coalesce, and it is possible that
the larger the force brought under the control or in-
fluence of Gen. Lee, the happier will be the result in
the interest of the Confederates. Such is, I know, the
opinion of several excellent military heads, and the
difficulty in regard to feeding such an army will be
solved in a manner which I will explain in a subse-
quent letter.

izi:..,...
divisions, and, after sharp fightingovo ;baffled -/Irt*,.
the Confederates. But in this opiiing skirMish of:-
1865 there fell an oillcer whose death :has Pittuged,:, the whole of this affectionate little citfintounuittfak-V:'
grief. Gen. John Pegram, formerly of.ltherblli 0:
United States army, had served throughout ails
war both with the Eastern and Western Confederate
armies, had proved himself a brave soldier, and was
specially dear to thmeople of Richmond as one of
the members of a family long resident in this city,
and esteemed wherever it is known. Upon the 10th
of January all that is gay and bright in Richmond
flocked to his wedding; three weeks later many a
sorrowful and anguished mourner followed his
body to its honoured and glorious grave. Such
scenes have, alas, been of too frequent occurrence
in Richmond during the last three years for this par-
ticular case to merit special notice, were it not that
the untimely death of General Pegram has brought
the reality of this world's horrors fearfully home to
many a heart, and has taught men to anticipate
with unusual foreboding the carnage which seems
so rapidly approaching, and which has for four suc-
cessive springs identified that season of the year
which seems usually symbolical of vitality and hope
with mourning and woe. But, be the future what
it may, there is in the breasts of Gen. Lee and his
army, of Capt. Semmes and the James River squad-
ron (to which command the captain of the Alabama
has just been appointed), and of nine-tenths of the
inhabitants of Richmond that unshrinking firm-
ness which will triumph over the imbecility of
Congress and the cupidity of speculators, and,
unless I am wholly mistaken in reading the signs
of the times, will teach President Lincoln to solicit
no recurrence of interviews at Fortress Monroe
unless he has terms to offer which can be accepted
without shame.

--
Naval and Military Intelligence.

On Saturday the Scorpion, ironclad ram, built by
Laird Brothers, of Birkenhead, and purchased from
them by the Government, left the• Mersey for Holy-
head and Devonport, under the command of Capt.
Paynter, R.N., of her Majesty's ship Donegal. The
Scorpion's dimensions are—length, 225 ft. ; breadth,
42ift. ; and depth, 20ft. ; and tonnage, 1,890. Her
nominal horse-power is 350. Her armour consists
of 4iin. iron plate and 10in, of teak. The thickness
of the plating is reduced towards the ends, so as to
insure buoyancy. Her machinery, turrets, and
magazines are thoroughly protected. Her decks are
of iron cemented over. She has two turrets, each
pierced for two 12-ton 300-pounder Armstrong
guns, so that the weight of her broad-
side will be 1,2001 b. The turrets, which are
on Captain Cowper Cole's principle, are plated
with sfin. armour-plates, doubled at the portholes.
In order to avoid the necessity of running back the
guns by manual labour, as is the case on board
the Royal Sovereign, Messrs. Laird have introduced
a small winch, which enables two men to do the
work. Since the vessel was bought by her Majesty's
Government several alterations have been made in
the arrangements for the accommodation of the
officers and the crew. The officers' cabins are
roomy, light, and well ventilated, and a comple-
ment of 165 men can be carried without the least
crowding. The gun slides have been fitted in the
turrets, and it was the intention of the Admiralty
to have put the guns on board before the vessel left
Birkenhead. Unfortunately, however, the vessel
which was bringing them round was wrecked on
the coast of Ireland, and it was thought better to
send the vessel to Devonport without them. When
the Scorpion got under way on Saturday she had in
her bunkers coal for six and eight days' consump-
tion, and drew 15ft. 10in. aft, and 13ft. 6in. forward.
It is expected that when she has her guns, arma-
ment, and stores on board her draught will be about
one foot more. There was a strong breeze, and after
passing the rock at the mouth of the Mersey all her
square canvas was set, the wind being nearly right
aft. The vibration of the screw was scarcely per-
ceptible ; and, although a pretty heavy sea was run-
ning, she rolled very slightly, and that easily, ship-
ping a little water occasionally through her scuppers.
There was no lack of steam, and she made witfi the
tide against her about 11 knots an hour, the engines
making 59 revolutions a minute (they have been
worked to nearly 70). When near Holyhead Cap-
tain Punter furled the sails and put her about. She
came round very easily and showed great buoyancy.
The Scorpion was then put on her course again, and
came to anchor in Holyhead harbour shortly after
6 o'clock. She may remain there for a day or two
until the weather, which was tery threatening,
moderates. Capt. Paynter appeared to be very well
satisfied with her behaviour. Her sister ship, the
Wyvern, is expected to be ready for sea in about a
mouth.

Her Majesty's screw corvette Harrier, 17 guns,
Commander W. H. Fenwick, arrived at Spithead
on Saturday morning from the Australian station,
and on coming to anchor at Spithead exchanged
salutes with the flagship of the Port Admiral and
Naval Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, Ad-
miral Sir Michael Seymour, G.C.B. She brought
to England a few naval invalids and supernume-
raries, who were transferred soon after arrival to
her Majesty's ship Victory, in Portsmouth harbour.
The Harrier sailed from Auckland, New Zealand,
on the 10th of December, 1863, calling in at Port
Stanley, Falkland Islands, on the 24th of January,
1865, and she sailed thence again on the 28th of
January. Fine weather was experienced through-
out the voyage, which had been unusually rapid and
pleasant, until reaching the Bay of Biscay, when
she met with a strong gale from the north-east. On
the 14th of February the ship Dauntless of Liver-
pool, with emigrants on board, was spoken, 46 days
from the Mersey, and desired to be reported. The
Harrier is ordered to be officially inspected at Spit-
head this morning, and afterwards to go into Ports-
mouth harbour to dismantle and pay out of com-
mission, after 4k year's service under five different
commanders.
The Calcutta, sailing transport, Master Young,
anchored at Spithead. on Saturday morning from
Calcutta with military invalids on board from Cal-
cutta amounting to 140 men, 14 women, and 21
children, accompanied by Capt. Thomas Smith
Robin, 54th, in military charge. Capt. J. W.
Hughes, 54th ; Lieut. Nolan, 46th ; and other
officers. The troops will be transferred to the
Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, this morning, by
Government steamer; and the Calcutta will imme-
diately afterwards resume her voyage for the port
of London, for which she has a general Indian
cargo.

Major-Gen. A. B. Stransham, Inspector-General
of the corps of Royal Marines Light Infantry, cora_
pleted his spring inspection of the Chatham divi-
sion on Saturday afternoon last with a review of

the entire battalion on Chatham Great Lines. Major
Gen. Stransham brought his inspection to a close by
visiting the Royal Marine Infirmary at Melville, over
_ _

which he was conducted by Deputy Inspector-Gen.
C. R. liinnear, M.D., and the staff of the establish-
ment, and in the afternoon quitted the garrison for

the Admiralty.

In conclusion, let what may be doubtful, I think I
can promise Mr. Lincoln that he has in Gen. Lee's
army a nut to crack which will severely try the jaws
not only of Gen. Grant, but also of Gen. Sherman.
It has been my fortune during the last week to be
much thrown among officers of Gen. Lee's army,
whom I have met either in Petersburg or Richmond.
There meets me one unanimous assurance that, since
the day when it was made patent to these war-
wearied soldiers that peace is only to be obtained
upon such terms as involve infamy, a new and
irresistible fire of indignation and resistance has
warmed every heart. Already the fierce fighting of
1865 has commenced—the prelude to a .campaign
which Gen. Longstreet anticipates will be the most
bloody and truculent of all that this desolated con-
tinent has witnessed. Upon the very night when
the Southern Commissioners passed through this
camp upon their road to Richmond Gen. Grant
moved three-fourths of his army upon Lee's right
flank, and threatened the railway which connects
Petersburg with the Danville Railway. This move-
ment, which was undertaken by three or four Fede-
ral corps) was promptly met by three Confederate

The following appointments and promotions have
been made at the Admiralty :—G. W. L. Harrison,
assist.-surg., to the Sharpshooter; John E. C. Sulli-
van, assist.-paymaster, to the Lion ; W. Roberts,
engineer, to the Saturn, for the Asp; IL Meredith,
acting first-class assist-engineer, to the Asia, for
Lighting; W. W. Watts, second-class asist. -engineer,
to the Saturn, for the Asp ; W. H. Sedgwick, Geo.
T. Allison (acting), Thos. Scott (acting), John G.
Taylor, James Daly, Thomas Bramley (acting),
Edmund J. Murphy, and Alex. Purvis (acting), pro-
moted to the rank of engineers, and Mr. Thomas F.
Pullen promoted to a naval cadetship ; Lieut. C.
Kent, Lieut. E. Drummond, and Lieut. A. C.
Littleton to the Sutlej ; Lieut. A. C: Harris to the
Duncan • Lieut. G. G. Webber to the Rapid; Lieut.
W. C. J. Blount to the Princess Royal ; Lieut. G.
T. Morrell to the Espoir ; Dr. A. Armstrong to be
Deputy-Inspector of Haslar Hospital, vice Leonard,
promoted • the Rev. F. E. Gutteres, chaplain and
naval instructor to the Royal Adelaide, additional,
for services in the Narcissus; the Rev. J. W. Grimes,
chaplain and naval instructor to the Resistance,
vice Gutteres • Gilbert L. Meason, nominated to a
naval cadetship ; E. Keen, acting engineer, addi-
tional, to the Frederick William ; T. A. Weeks,
second class assist.-engineer, to the Indus, as super-
numerary; W. 0. Bedford and G. A. Murray,
the Edgar; Colin C. Wilson,
assassist.-clerks,
to tcs
the Formidable ; J. Emerson, assist.-
clerk, to the Lion ; D. C. Stephenson, assist.-clerk,
to the Trafalgar; and J. Hamilton, to the Royal
George.

LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 20, 1865.

The " Lock-out" in the iron trade furnishes a
topic for consideration in many quarters ; and it is
sad to reflect upon the injury thus done to trade,
and the great losses which both sides incur in the
contest. A little more reflection might have pre-
vented the catastrophe, or at all events have modi-
fied its effects ; but for some years past there has
been a constant struggle, either open or secret, be-
tween masters and men, and thus things have gra-
dually approached a crisis. Selfish as the course
pursued by the masters has undoubtedly been in
many instances, and peremptory as their demands
are upon the present occasion, it must be admitted
that it is greatly the fault of the men themselves
that affairs have assumed so unfavourable an
aspect. Had they not been so pertinacious in
their prosecution of " strikes" their employers
would not have been induced in their
turn to have sought refuge in combinations
among themselves; thus it will be seen that one evil
engenders another. The trades' societies in them-
selves are not be reprehended, provided that they
did not carry remonstrances to an excess, and push
thing, too far, but their history is a striking exem-
lAif.cation of the harm done by those proud of power
mid reckless of the manner in which they exercise
it. Recourse was too frequently had to the employ-
ment of this engine of remonstrance against the
encroachments of employers, and the wise and
experienced have long since foreseen that the con-
stant recurrence of strikes would infallibly defeat
their Purpose in the long run ; and fully have their
predictions been realised. It was to put a stop to
the threatened danger of local strikes that the masters
resolved upon a lock-out, for it would have
been difficult to stem the storm of opposition had
each district struck singly, and, meanwhile, been
supported by those who continued their work. So
far, then, the circumstances of the case do not ap-
pear to bear so hardly upon the masters as at the
outset of the struggle, but great blame must be im-
puted to both sides, in that they allowed matters to
proceed to such lengths without making some com-
promise or other to adjust the differences, and get
over the difficulties respectively experienced. Nearly
five hundred thousand pounds of wages will be re-
moved from circulation, and the iron trade of the
country will be greatly injured. Many interests
will thus be affected by the unfortunate collision
that has taken place between labour and capital,
and, indeed, it is difficult to say where
the mischief will stop in its extended rami-
fication,. The failure of the York Conference

on Friday is greatly to be deplored, and both sides
regard it as a sign that the solution of the difficulty
is very far off. It is always to be deplored when
a decided disinclination to come to terms is exhi-
bited, and thus the resolution agreed upon by some
of the men was a very erroneous one, and calcu-
lated to militate against the best interest of them-
selves and others. Mr. PALMER, the Chairman of
the Masters' Committee, very truly said that a
system of tyranny like that whieh would not per-
mit his works to be opened unless all the men joined
the Union was intolerable, " and he regretted sin-
cerely that they did not appear to improve their
position." The truth of such remarks cannot be
gainsaid, and the conduct of the Brierly-hill Union
in not appearing atYork is greatly to be reprehended,
retarding as it has done the object which all right-
minded persons of both sides of the question must
have, and to promote the success which all should
agree to leave their own prejudices in the back-
ground.

The commercial interests of this country are of
such paramount importance, that when any topic
touching upon them is brought up, it is likely to
lead to a prolonged discussion. So many persons
are concerned, so many have an opinion to give,
or consider themselves judges, that when such a
debate is begun, it is not probable that it will
end until a good deal has been said. Such proved
to be the case on Friday evening in the House of
Commons, when Mr. FORSTER asked what steps
had been taken by the Government to carry out
the arrangements recommended by the recent Par-
liamentary committee respecting the relations be-
tween the Board of Trade and the Foreign-office.
The dealings of these two departments with
foreign nations respecting matters of trade and
commerce was the chief difficulty. The
views which were elicited on the points were,
as might have been expected, very conflicting.
Mr. FORSTER, who opened the subject, was chiefly
anxious that some of the officials in the respective
public offices should be well informed on commercial
questions, and especially that the Board of Trade
should be consulted on all points of commercial
treaties or foreign trade relations. The three re-
commendations of the committee, two of which Mr.
FORSTER strongly supported, were to the effect that
the Board of Trade should have more weight in the
Government than at present ; that it should be put
in direct communication with the diplomatic and
consular services, through the Foreign-office ; and
that an officer should be appointed in the Foreign-
office to conduct its correspondence with the Board
of Trade. These recommendations, it will be seen,
tended to give increased importance to the Board, but
Mr. LowE, on the contrary, thought it should be done
away with altogether. His opinion might naturally
have some weight, seeing that he occupied the post
of 'Vice-President for two years and a-half, but the
arguments with which he supported his views were
not altogether sound. The whole question, he de-
clared, had now resolved itself into a single maxim,
and the entire business which the Government had
with the trade of the country might be described
by Lord MELBOURNE'S famous interrogatory,
" Why can't you let it alone ?" This, in fact,
is very much the principle upon which our suc-
cessive Governments have acted for a good many
years. Our railways and other important works are
left to be carried out by private enterprise and
capital, so much ,so, indeed, that complaints have
been made of the excessive independence and
unchecked action of the companies. Still
there must always arise some questions in
our extended and complicated relations which
require to be settled by a responsible
authority; and while the action of trade is so free in
this country that the Government make no sign
though an important trade is stopped and 70,000
men are thrown out of work by a dispute as to
monetary relations, there must be matters, especially
in regard to our dealings.with foreign nations, with
which no private individual and no uninformed
official can properly deal. It appears then to be the
simplest and most effectual means of settling
the matter to have an assembly of gentlemen
who are duly qualified by knowledge and
experience to give an opinion on all legislative
matters connected with the trade and commerce of
this and other countries, and while there is, no doubt,
shortcomings and deficiencies in that as in other de-
partments of the administration, there is certainly
no ground for so sweeping a change as that recom-
mended by its ex-Vice-President. " I can imagine
nothing worse," says Mr. LowE, " than the prin-
ciple of having a consultative department at all.
For one department to advise, and another to act,
is to fritter away responsibility altogether." And
he adds that, the one who advises is not responsible
for the action, nor the one who acts for the advice.'
But this is not very logical, seeing that
each bears the responsibility of his own share, and
the object is not to shuffle off responsibility but to
give to the party that acts the opportunity of acting
from knowledge rather than from ignorance. Mr.
GIBSON, in defending his department, reminded the
House that the recommendations of the committee
had for the most part been carried out, and that it
would therefore be no more than just to give
the experiment time before coming to a wholesale
conclusion. It appeared, he said, to be generally
admitted, that if the Foreign Secretary were en-
gaged in commercial negotiations he must consult
some one on the subject, so that in this aspect of
the case, as we have said, Lord MELBOURNE'S
theory is inadmissible. The debate which produced
no direct result, except that of eliciting the opinions
of honourable members, was closed by Mr. BAYLEY,
who wished rather to strengthen than weaken the
action of the Board. The Government appears to
have acted, on the whole, with fairness and good
sense, and the strictures of some of our commercial
representatives are not to be always accepted as
indisputably correct, since there is no class for
which it is more difficult to legislate or which is
more hard to please.

Prussia has exceeded expectations in her demands
upon the Duchies, more especially as regards the
military arrangements therein contemplated. If any
doubt yet remained in the minds of any respecting
the intentions of the Berlin Cabinet it must have
been dispelled by the nature of the note sent to
Vienna. From the terms of this communication it
will be seen that a deep-laid scheme is in contem-
plation, and that a dexterous contrivance has been
resorted to to effect a purpose long dwelt upon by
Prussian statesmen. The proposal to levy a general
conscription in Schleswig and Holstein is a very
ingenious one, and its object is clearly defined,
namely, to allow the Prussian navy a continual and
plentiful supply of sailors. When we think also o!
the encroaching character of the rest of the demand,
by means of which two-thirds of the troops will be
added to the Prussian army, and the remainder,
joined to the Federal Contingent, be somehow or
other under the jurisdiction of Berlin, it is not at
all
to be wondered at that the Austrian Government
should have sent a decided refusal. It is only
strange that the
Imperial Cabinet should for so long
a period have
yielded to the demands of Prussia ;
but doubtless there are politic reasons why such a
temporising course should have been pursued.
like There are some States which,
individuals, never
know when to pause in th •
eir requirements, and pi

these Prussia may pre-eminently be cited as one of
the most notorious and unscrupulous that it has
been the misfortune of others to deal with as friend
or foe. Austria has adopted a wise course in put-
ting off the requests of Prussia in a civil and yet a
peremptory manner. It was well thought of to
require that the question of who was the right
Sovereign of the Duchies should be ascertained,
before any special powers be conceded to another
State concerning his relations with it. While
matters are apparently in a quiescent state, however,
there is no doubt that the Prussians will be busy in
arranging their secret schemes, and in taking steps
to prevent the success of any project but their own.
They will rely upon the doctrine of chances, and
thus contrive to elude the expectations of those who
are trusting to the success of their own more mode-
rate and reasonable demands. The declaration of
the Minister of War is most significant, and fully
reveals the fixed and settled determination of the
Government at all risks and all hazards to carry
their point and put their dearly-cherished designs
into execution. The conditions upon which the
Government insists, if the strength of the army be
fixed by law, are in reality subversive of any attempt
on the part of the Chambers to legislate in the matter,
or to have any effectual control over the manage-
ment of the military arrangements. If the Go-
vernment be permitted to increase the strength of
the forces in times of danger, of what avail is it to
fix a standard which will be rendered virtually
illusory in its effect. What more easy than for a
Minister to declare that there is danger, and that
its approach is imminent. How absurd also is the
statement that the condition of Europe demands an
" armed peace." Who has been so busy in foment-
ing disputes and so sedulous in persisting in over-
reaching demands as Prussia herself. It is, how-
ever, no new thing to find Herr VON BISMARCK
pretend that others are to answer for his doings,
and that a course of rapacity and unblushing ef-
frontery is the line of policy which alone can serve
the interests of the country whose affairs he so mis-

manages.

The extreme severity of the weather which
threatens to continue still later in the season ren-
ders the price of coal a matter of considerable im-
portance to many. To say that England possesses
such magnificent collieries, and that our traffic sys-
tem is so extensively elaborated, the price of coal
within the metropolis is by no means reasonable.
Our House of Commons, however, consider that
the interests of one or two particular railway com-
panies deserve more consideration than the pockets
of the general public. Accordingly they have de-
cided that the appeal of the rival company cannot even
be entertained, and the very argument which its advo-
cates in their simplicity thought would be conclusive
was really the one to throw out the bill. It was urged
on behalf of the Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Great Eas-
tern Junction Bill that as the proposed line could
be made at a very small cost and the gradients were
remarkably good, heavier loads could be carried
with the same engine power as was employed on the
existing lures, and consequently it would be possible
to deliver coal in London at a rate of two or three
shillings a ton less than was now charged. But it
seems we have been mistaken in supposing that we
are living in an era of free-trade, and that
the business of the House is not to consult
the interests of the great body of the people,
which it represents, but to protect the profits of a
few monopolists. If this principle were to be carried
out to its full extent the results might be somewhat
startling, and it is certainty strange to find a
tolerably full house gravely supporting it. The
railway influence in the Commons is no
doubt great, and has probably been exerted
to the fullest extent to secure the maintenance of a
profitable monopoly, but it is really too bad that
independent members should lend themselves to a
proceeding whose real result is to defraud the public
and to tax heavily the poorer classes, as well as the
manufacturers of the metropolis. Competition is
the best safeguard for fair prices and fair goods,
and if our Legislature is to step in and
check it, we- are reduced to a worse plight
than that produced. by Continental administrative
interference in the regulation of prices. No doubt
the northern companies know best at what rate of
charge a fair profit can be got for their labour, but
if other companies from favourable circumstances
can supply no cheaper they must take the chance of
trade and not stand in the way of the public ad-
vantage for the interest of their own dividends.

AMERICAN MAIL STEAMERS DUE AT LIVERPOOL
THIS WEEK.—The following steamers are due at
Liverpool this week with the American and Canadian mails,
viz.: the Edinburgh from New York on the 11th, and the
Belgian from Portland on the same day, may be expected
to reach—the former Crookhaven and Queenstown, and
the latter Greencastle, in the course of Wednesday next.
The National Company's steamer Pennsylvania (though
not a mail steamer), which was to leave New York on the
11th, may possibly anticipate the former two steamers.
On Saturday next the Cunard steamer Canada, from
Boston on the 15th, and Halifax, early on the morning of
the 17th, may be expected off either Crookhaven or Queens-
town.
THE PRINCE OF WALES AND HIS HARRIERS.—OH
Saturday morning his Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales, attended by Lieutenant-Colonel Heppe], Equerry
n Waiting, arrived at Datchet from Marlborough House
at 11.50, and was met by Prince Alfred, who, attended by
Lieutenant Haig, had driven over from the Castle. This
was the first meeting of the two princes since Prince Alfred
left England for Bonn, and both seemed delighted to see
each other, and shook hands most affectionately. Major-
General the Hon. A. N. Hood, the master of the prince's
harriers, conducted the two princes to the front of the sta-
tion, whence they rode off through the village to the Riding
Court, the residence of Mr. Cantrell, pleasantly situated
upon the Duke of Buccleuch's estate, and where the meet
was appointed to take place. The field assembled here was
perhaps the largest ever known to meet the harriers, there
being about 150 horsemen and ladies, the company includ-
ing many members of the principal families of the district,
several officers of the Windsor garrison, and a number of
farmers. Their royal highnesses reached Mr. Cantrell's
house at noon, and partook of refeshments in the drawing-
room. During the short stay in the drawing-room of the
farm-house a rather amusing incident occurred. Miss
Watkins, a niece of Mr. Cantrell, having just been married
to Mr. A. Minton, the whole of the lady's wedding gifts
were spread upon a table in the room. These attracted
their rual highnesses' attention, and, having been informed
of the lady's marriage, they were requested to taste the
wedding-c:lke, which both of the princes did. Their royal
highnesses shortly afterwards remounted, and, after several
good runs, the sport terminated at Chippenham. Prince
Alfred returned to Windsor Castle early, but the Prince of
Wales remained till the finish, and returned to London by
the Great Western Railway.
DEATH OF MR. T. C. WHITMORE, LATE M.P. FOR
Buipariourli.—Mr. Thos. Charlton Whitmore, of Apley,
Shropshire, whose death has just been announced, was for
many years M.P. for Bridgnorth, and brother of Mr. Henry
Whitmore, the present member for that borough. Accord-
ing to Dod's " Electoral Facts," the political influence in
Bridgnorth "is chiefly possessed by the family of Whit-
more, of Apley, some members of which, with trifling inter-
ruptions, has sat since the reign of James I." The political
advowson of the borough has recently been offered for sale.
Mr. Whitmore resigned his seat in 1852. He married, in
1833, Lady Louisa Anne Douglas, eldest daughter of
Charles Marquis of Queensberry, by whom he leaves issue
two sons sad eight daughters.
THE DESTRUCTION OF CLOTHING BY THE DES-
Try= POOR.--The continual destruction of their
the destitute poor at the workhouses, which
d to which the authorities at
tbeys their being taken before the magistrates for
cnleoetehsecl:tag
qn severely animadverted
consideration oftN) subject, with a view
upon, has led to a
someunis punishment,
tebn(t),waenrdkhweiusthearebt7e
be,
Nvhich has generally
hitherto been supplied, and it is understood
possiblywbe recommendation of a high authority, a gray Serng
to a remedy of the canvass clothing
thate, udrnedsesr thilel
ea :Ale. There
O
of the
will not be any distinctive patch or mark on either
is
so
not that
warmn o excuse
or
r ee m f
of such a
b t the make and material will be
madebbe
furnished
that
clothing
garments, n
thing
mto
character as to check the wanton destruction of clo e
which the officials at many parishes have fora long u
sought to put a sstop.—Observer.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)

ITALY.

TURIN, HARd 20.
King Victor Emmanuel arrived here to-day; and
was received by the Ministry.
On account of the diminution of brigandage in
the southern provinces the military department of
Benevento has been suppressed.

RUSSIA.

ST. PETERSBURG-, MARCH 20.

The Journal de St. Petersbourg of to-day publishes
an article replying to the assertion of the Moscow
Gazette, that Russia ought to follow her civilising
mission in the south-western provinces instead of
advancing in Asia.
The Journal de St. Petersbonrg says—" What has
recently taken place in Central Asia has not the
object of extending the frontier of Russia, but of
rectifying it by acquiring an uninterrukted frontier-
line, and of establishing relations wit tribes who
know how to value the blessings of peace and com-
merce, and are not given up to plunder."

FRANCE.

PARIS, MARCH 19.

The following address to the Emperor, in reply
to the speech from the throne, has been brought
into the Corps Legislatif :
" Sire,—The session of 1865 has been opened
under favourable auspices. Calm abroad and con-
fidence at home tend to become strengthened. We
congratulate ourselves upon the circumstances which
permit us to turn our efforts towards the labours of
peace and interior improvements.
" For upwards of a year general and diverse
causes have seriously affected business matters
throughout the entire world. This crisis, which
has had less lamentable effects in France than else-
where, is now greatly diminished. It will have
proved once again the prudence, the solidity of our
commerce and our trade, whose progress is mani-
fested by the considerable development of our
transactions abroad.

" It has not been possible for our agriculture
completely to escape the effects of this crisis, but
its condition has been more particularly influenced
by climatic circumstances.
"The abundance of two successive harvests at the
same time that there was an insufficiency of forage
has brought about a general depression of prices,
the source of more suffering for the producers than
of prosperity to the consumers. This condition of
affairs, although temporary, will appear to you,
sire, as to us, a new reason for seeking with solici-
tude all ameliorations that could be realised in
favour of the agricultural population, so laborious,
so modest, and *so devoted.
"In agriculture, as in trade and commerce, in
material interests as in moral interests, there are no
more certain and more powerful auxiliaries than the
improvement and development of every kind of ways
of communication, the necessary corollary of liberty
of traffic.

" Thus, the completion of works having for their
objects the iron roads, ports, rivers, canals, high-
ways, and irrigation, must be energetically pursued
with the intention of carrying them out in a few
years. Struck with the fertile results of these great
enterprises, the populations desire their continuation
and extension, even at the cost of new sacrifices ;
upon many points they have already set the ex-
ample. The united support of the State, the depart-
ments, the communes, and companies would not be
too much for the united accomplishment of such a
work.

" The Corps Legislatif has received with satisfac-
tion from your Majesty the assurance that the situa-
tion of the finances, lightened of the expenses
entailed by distant expeditions, will permit the pre-
sent year to impart efficacious activity to these
works without auy appeal to credit.
"Another method of increasing the general pros-
perity is to open a career to individual initiative
and to the spirit of association. We will eagerly
second your Majesty's views in this respect.
" It is important, in fact, to facilitate the play of
commercial operations and the formation of socie-
ties intended to develope the welfare of the work-
ing classes, to bring back excessive regulation laws
(re'glementation) within proper limits, and without
abandoning the guarantees necessary for the public
safety, to release the State from the weight of a re-
sponsibility often illusory and always dangerous.
" The Councils General of the departments, and
the municipal councils are worthy through their
sagacity of receiving more extended powers. The
Corps Legislatif :appreciates the full importance of
the bill which has been laid bseimforpelifiyt
and
don thishasten
subject,
the
despatch and whichf
e apl raof
rpabisres 8. to
"The trade of maritime transport justly excites
your Majesty's solicitude. Closely connected with
the interests of agriculture and commerce, it is one
of the elements of the national power. We shall
devote all our care to the study of the bill, which,
with the intention of developing it, will lay it open
necessary o
to the general system of eompetaiptipoena.r
from
codeto
rigorous
shmaellasbure
egslando longer
edisr
judged
public order, and shall examine with the zeal the
interests in question require, the laws relating to
provisional release, with br without bail, and to the
suppression of personal arrest.

-- " Sire, We partake your wishes for public in-
struction. Eminently useful in every society, edu-
cation is essential in those communities based upon
universal suffrage. The desire of the Corps Legis-
latif, as of your Majesty, is that every citizen should
know how to read and write. We hope that the
development of general prosperity, a more liberal
application of the gratuitous principle and proper
encouragement given by the State to poor com-
munes, will hasten the moment when all children
shall enjoy the benefit of public education.
" Religious questions have recently occupied a
larger share of the attention of the country, but we
considered there is no reason for anxiety.. Upon
the one hand, the great principle of the liberty of
worship is beyond attack ; upon the other public
opinion bears witness to the deference for and in-
terest in the Catholic mode of worship shown by
you in multiplying branch establishments, improv-
ing the position of the clergy, and opening the
Senate to the Princes of the Church. So much
consideration and support secured to religion autho-
rises us the more to expect from her ministers re-
pect for the rights of the civil power. All sovereigns
in France have preserved these rights intact, and we
approve of your Majesty's firm maintenance of the
obedience due to the fundamental laws of the State.

" Sire, we learn with profound satisfaction the
pacific solution of foreign difficulties. We regret
that these questions have not received a general and
durable solution from a Congress. But the pacifi-
cation obtained reassures minds and interests. _

" In the conflict raised upon the shores of the
Baltic your Government has shown a proper reserve,
imposed upon it by our good-will towards Germany
and our sympathy for Denmark. Your were right,
Sire, to appeal in the diplomatic conferences for the
benefit of the populations to the
principles upon
which our public right is based.
" With your Majesty we verify the results gained
in Mexico, where, thanks to the valour of our
soldiers, the wisdom of the Sovereign, and the
support of the people, order, security, and labour
are resuming their empire. It is fortunate that
such successes prepare for the proximate return of
our troops.
" The unfortunate insurrection which broke out
in Africa has been happily subdued. We hope that
the Arab population, too long blinded by religious
fanaticism, will henceforth not misunderstand the
power of our arms, nor the benevolent intentions of
our Government, and that persevering efforts will
secure the development and prosperity of coloni-
sation.

" Thus, everywhere whither our armies have
carried their flag, everywhere -where our diplomacy
has given its advice, in Germany, Japan, Algeria,
and Mexico, our Government, Sire, has defended

moderation, right, and justice. We thank you
for having given France this part in the world.
The entire country, with its heart filled with joy,
will salute our soldiers brought back by peace,
after having added new lustre to the honour of
the French name, by their victories in the Old and
the New World.

" Sire, a situation existed in Italy which was the
object of just alarm to all sensible and clear-seeing
minds. It was requisite to conciliate the establish-
ment of the kingdom of Italy, partly founded by
our hands, with the maintenance of the indepen-
dence of the Holy See. The convention of the 15th
September has wished to attain this twofold ob-
ject. By that solemn engagement the Italian
Government undertakes to respect the Pontifical
territory, and to protect its frontiers against all
direct or indirect attack, thus efficaciously guaran-
teeing the confidence of the Sovereign Pontiff.
Upon the other hand, by transferring and fixing
its capital at Florence, it constitutes itself in a
definitive manner.

" We reckon upon the exact and loyal execution
of the engagements reciprocally binding Italy and
France. There are, no doubt, Sire, events which
human prudence would not be able to foresee or to
provide against ; but, full of confidence in your
wisdom, we approve you having, in this respect,
received your full liberty of action.
" Persevere, Sire, in this road of sagacious pro-
gress abroad, of conciliatory resolution at home.
This policy secures the influence of France in the
world, and consolidates her devotion to your per-
son and your dynasty. By firmly maintaining the
authority of power, continue to show, by the calm
development of our liberties, that there is not one
single realisable benefit which the constitution of
the empire cannot give to the country."
The address was received by the Chamber with
loud and long-continued applause, and its discus-
sion fixed to commence on Monday week.
BOURSE, March 17.—The market is very firm to-
day, with a decided tendency to a rise in all the
principal securities. Threes, for the Account, are
now at 67f. 25e. Mobilier have shown some ac-
tivity, and have been done at 890 f. In Railway
Shares transactions are somewhat numerous, at
about the rates of yesterday. The following are
the last quotations :-
4i per Cents 94 76

Do. end month —

Italian Loan 64 70
Do. end month 64 65
Ditto Threes —
New Mexican
Russian —
Austrian ... 80
Spanish Threes ... 45 50
Home Debt —
Deferred

3 per Cents. 67 15

D. end month 67 15

Credit Mobilier BBO
Do. end month BBO
Bank Shares —

Ondit Foncier 1295

Roman 74 50

RAIL'

WAYS.

Cash. Acct.
922 50 ... 923 75

Orleans .

Northern lOlB 75 1017 50
Lyons and Mediterranean 965 ... 963 75
Southern 582 50 ... 580
Western 542 50 ... 543 75
Eastern
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 550 548 75

North of Spain 307 50 ... 305
Saragossa
Ditto to Barcelona — ••• -- --

MARSEILLES, MARCH 19.

The Messageries Imperiales steamer Peluse left
Marseilles to-day with 53 passengers and £2,000
for Alexandria, also 51 passenger and specie, value
£192,000, for India and China.

The Schleswig Holstein Flag.

(REUTER'S EXPRESS.)
VIENNA, March 16.

The following note, replying to the proposal made
by Austria and Prussia for the recognition of the
temporary Schleswig Holstein flag, has been received
at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs :
" M. le Comte,—ln reply to the note dated Feb.
21, addressed by the Austrian ambassador in Lon-
don, in concert with the Prussian ambassador, to
her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
stating that the Government of Austria and Prussia
had determined to grant a provisional national flag
to the Duchies of Schleswig Holstein and Lauen-
burg until the definitive settlement of the constitu-
tion of those countries, and proposing at the same
time to her Britannic Majesty's Government to
recognise this flag, and grant to ships carrying it
the rights granted to ships of those Duchies prior to
their separation from Denmark, I have been desired
by Earl Russell to inform your Excellency that her
Majesty's Government has maturely examined this
proposal, and is disposed to recognise this flag pro-
visionally and under reserve of the rights of the
provincial estates of Schleswig and Holstein, as well
as of those of the Germanic Confederation, and
only until the definitive constitution of the Duchies
interested.

" I take this opportunity, &c.
(Signed) "A. G. BONAR."

South American (~ Jerked") Beef.

DEPUTATION TO SIR GEORGE GREY.

A deputation, consisting of merchants, brokers,
bankers, and traders of London, Liverpool, and
Manchester, on the subject of the South American
beef (" jerked ") which has been recently imported
into this country, waited on Saturday by appoint-
ment, upon the Right Hon. Sir George Grey, the
Secretary of State for the Home Department. The
deputation was headed by Mr. J. Bright, M.P.,
Mr. Horsfall, M.P., Mr. J. Cheetham, M,P., Mr.
James Ewart, M.P., and consisted of Messrs. Fripp,
C. Holland, W. T. Wigg (from Liverpool), J. Sturt
,(banker of Manchester), &c., &c.
The deputation having been formally introduced,

Mr. J. Madden (a City merchant) opened the
case to the right hon. gentleman, and explained the
merits of the beef as an article of food, and particu-
larly as stock for soups, and stated his efforts to
promote its consumption. In those endeavours he
was interfered with by the City authorities. They
had seized some of the meat upon his premises, but
believing, as he did, that it was good wholesome
food, he objected to any proceedings until the meat
had been analysed by Dr. Letheby, the City medical
officer. The meat may be considered unsightly to
the eye, but it was not unwholesome. He had had
an interview, in connection with merchants and
bankers, with Dr. Letheby, and that gentleman
said he was convinced that if this meat was properly
introduced it would be a great boon to the public.
Under these circumstances he wished to ask the
Home Secretary to give a Government sanction to
proper analysis, and to ask for the prevention of
the indiscriminate interference of the police-in the
seizure of the meat.

Sir George Grey asked the deputation why they
had waited upon him. He did not see how he could
give them any assistance. If there were any good
qualities in the South American beef, of which he
had no doubt, it would unfailingly find its way
into the London markets, and be generally used if
proved to be wholesome and fitted for consump-
tion.

Mr. Bright—The best test would be to get up a
Cabinet dinner off the jerked beef. (Laughter.) I
was about to ask the deputation what has brought
us here ?

Mr. Madden—To see what can be done for us in
the shape of protection in an economical point of

view.

Sir George Grey—You know well enough that
the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and it does
not matter whether it is English tripe or Scotch
beef, it would be seized in the same way as the
South American beef if it is not fit for human food.
He asked again what the deputation wished him to
do.

Mr. Madden—To prevent the indiscriminate
seizure by the police of this meat.
A long conversation ensued, in which it was stated
that at the next meeting of the Society of Arts the
whole subject would be fully gone into, and soups
and dishes made from the jerked beef.
A further discussion followed as to its introduc-
tion into the workhouses and prisons.
Sir George Grey said at present he could not ad-
vise the introduction of jerked beef into the prisons
and workhouses, but would recommend the deputa-
tion to wait until it found favour with the public.
Upon the suggestion of Mr. Bright, Mr. Lucas,
the caterer of the House of Commons Refreshment
Department, promised to bring it under the notice
of the members.