The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-13 00:00:00

♦LL WEIGHTS.

First Priv.—C. Dobson, Cumberland, Si. and a hand-
som. belt.
Second Prize—Corporal Wills, Carlisle, 41.
Thin.' Priz —J. Haig, Carlisle, 21.
Fuurth Prize—J. Pearson, 2/.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.
LONDON, APRIL 11.—' ind E., moderate, and hazy.
WIETEIIAVEN, APRIL B.—Sld. Thomas Herbert, Quebec,.
CLYDE, APRIL B.—Sld. Gleaner, Duncan, New Richmond;
Louisa, Watson. Pugwash; Lord Sidmouth, Daw, Quebec.
RAMSGATE, APRIL 9.—The Pfeil, Hentz, from hamburgh
to Lisbon, put in hers this morning leaky, and with other
damage, having been on shore on the Goodwin Sands.
PORT TALBOT, APRIL B.—The Magnet, Davis. which was
on the bar, was hove off this morning without damage.
LIVERPOOL, APRIL 9.—A bale of cotton, apparently not
long in the water, was passed 22d ult. in lat. 44 lon. 34, bi
the John Garrow, arrived here.

SHIELDS, /trait, 9.—The Bernhardine, from Aberdeen to'
this pert, which was on the Herd Sand, wax gat off thil
morning without material damage, and brought in here.
OFF T. ALBAN'S HEAD, APRIL 7.—Emile, Bahia.
PORTLAND, APRIL 6.—Arid. Emily. Raupart, Angustura;
7th, Garonne, Texas; Christian, Batavia.

.
OFF
TORBAY, APRIL B.—Lady M'Naghton, Calcutta, W.
FALmouTit, APRIL 9.—Wind N. to N.W., moderate.--
Arrd. Freeia, Wanberg, Newcastle for Rio Janeiro, to stop
a leak.

HOLYHEAD, APRIL B.—Wind N.E., fresh.—Sld. Auroral,
Se tt, Que:)ec.

BEALTMARIS, Arun 7.—Sld. Hindoo, Hughes, Boston.
OFF POINT LTNes.—Elizabeth, New York.
PoRTSMOUTII, APRIL B.—Wind N.N.E. to N.—Arrct
Johannes Hager, Rasmusser, for Copenhagen, from Rio
Janeiro; Somersetshire, Dempster, London, fur Quebec, with
damage, having been in contact with the Aneas, for Cal-
cutta, off the South Foreland. Sld, Hull, Putman, Sumatra.
SOUTIIAMPTON.—Arrd. Avon steamer, West Indies.
FOWEY, Arum 9.—Wind N.—Sid. Good Intent, Quebec.
MUMBLES, Arum 7.—The Wanderer, Ward, for Ross, 111
run foul of by the Royal Oak, of Neath, and lost foretopM4;
LIVERPOOL, APRIL 9.—The Catherine, Daly, from Hall',s'.
to Liverpool, was abandoned in a sinkin,,, state 26th January'
in lat. 46, lon. 37; crew arrived. Two casks of oil, larg,
quantities of broken b tards, apparently damaged, and pie%
of wreck, were passed on the 18th and 19th February by 11l
Indiana, arrived at New York.

DISSOLUTION of RAIL WAY CO*

PANIES.
The following is the official letter from the Board of
Trade, detailing the previsions of the intended measura
on the subject of the voluntary dissolution of projent
railway companies :
" Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade'
" Whitehall, 9th April, 1846.
"Sir,—l am directed by the Lords of the Commit be
of Privy Council for Trade to communicate to you *
following information, with a view to your making
known with the least possible delay to those provision •
ally regivered railway companies to which it relates..
__,
..It is the intention of her Majesty's Government Lujia
mediately after Easter to propose to Parliament a °of
to enable any railway company, which gt the time of
the passing of the Bill shall not have obtained an Act
Parliament, to dissolve itself.
" By the Bill it is intended to provide for the cella
a meeting of the shareholders either by the manse/
body, or by a given number of shareholders, at '001"„f
meeting it is intended that the holders of a majoriti4
the shares in the company, or the holders of three-fl'!A
of the shares belonging to those present or represen7,
by proxy at the meeting, shall have the power to deLe
mile upon the dissolution of the company.
übli°
" Due provision will be made for a sufficient P-
noti ie being given of the time and place of meeting+ so.
or the mode in which absent shareholders are to be

eiented by proxy. 140
" Upon the dissolution being carried at the tneell.h'
•
the pr,,p,-rty.of the company is to become vested enrio
w.th in certain persons to be appointed for the parfait
of winding up the concern, and, after discharguiS
liabilities, for distributing the surplus.
"The actual holders of scrip are to be taken as w---hrop.
holders entitled by themselves, or their proxies, t°
tend the meeting.—l have the honour to be, Sir,
" Your obedient servant, „.g.
(Signed) " JOHN LEFEIT-g'
" F. Rogers, Esq., &c. &c."
" Joint Stock Companies Registry Office'
" Sergeants' Inn, April 11, 1846.
" Gentlemen,—l annex a copy of a letter villicift
have received from the Lords of the Committee of Vile
Council for Trade, and which I am directed to ootrisltipio
cate to such provisionally registered railway coniP„er
as it may c )ncern. I forward it to you, as Ido not riber
ceive that your comp my has notified to this office el'ait,
its dissolution or its incorporation by Act of Parlia°3-
am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
`t-

‘` Fitt DERICK ROGERS, a
" ItTister of Joint Stock ComPini—.

1 ORKSHIRE OS,
THE RIPON HORNBLOWER —The oldest relict voeir
Corporation of the old borough of Ripon, Ben/
m Simonds, departed this life, aged 82, on Thuryti„Oberts
For nearly 30 years hi. had filled the situation el , se:
blower. The deceased was a well-known cbarsote" 111,
had always many attendants and admirers soil tie
juvenile population. He was camp colour it
Ripon Volunteers and the Claio L Militia 01
the whole time they were in service In his 016°4
netted with the Corporation he always took pre! 919 A
in all processions; and on gala days he bore the,,
horn, tipped with gold, the emblem of the borolrog;
city arms. The horn, which he blew each fevevio.,Ogi
nine o'cl. ck, at the Mayor's door and the Cross, ocell
of such costly material.. It is stated deceased of
all previous blowers for the length and strength ee.
and which frequently attracted the notice of still
" But now no more they'll hear his blast,
For Benjamin has blown his last." in Rine,
The origin of the custom of blowing the boron vr
is described by an early writer as follows:-1 oPir
to oe
deed the custom of the vigilarius, or wakenisot o'cl
that a horn should be blown every night at nine r robv.;;
and if any house or shop was broken open .the
alter the blowing of the horn, till the rising' oloa to cc,
why then, the loss was obliged to be made gfr,500°,1,04
suffering inkabi:ant. For this obligation, Ott if P'big
every householder used to pay 4d. a year ; c10t4,0
was a back door t am.ther street, from whiad ' •
danger might be supposed, then it was to he
earee le:
sf
tax is since discontinued ; but they still P time
blow the horn at the said hour of night, cro' /
the mayor's door, and thrice at the market
,h Ple7toritetl
INFLUENCE OF W ANMTH ON THE POTATO
a if
In the April number of the Magazine of Nat74:tobet Plated
quoted an experiment by M. Durand, who ir,Oc_s4 thsolifi
some disea'ed tubers in the earth, in a Irot-heu, bete e 4
, 54 oew beh
The
of which was constantly from 48 to,
tu, ine .0 44
The tubers were buried to a depth of ~.;boot.l°....oetstolf PA
appeared above ground in six weeks. Their. 'IAA ve;
fresh and vigorous, the leaves attained a neibind • 4
inches. The plants were afterwards pulled IT „eyi
found that they all bore a certain number, of
the largest being the size of a hen's egg. Ana,esll/.;6050
characters of perfect healtli, internally and
experiment strengthens the probatwity that
bile, 0,1017
damp was the cause of the potato disease; 7 ht be ryd
,fluo ice of a long and gerial summer, it IllwilLtrap,ii•m-
three 4.
ith
to raise a sound and healthy crop,
tainted tubers, as the disease.doeatr.t.stirin ;--04
-101r1
under the above circtunotancos.

~__

THE ROYAL SOCIETY.
ILLEGAL AWARD OF THE ROYAL MEDAL
(From the Lancet of April 4.)

Grave- reports of irregular and improper conduct, in
Connexion with the bestowal of the honours of the Royal
Society, have now been for some time both privately and
publicly promulgated. In the absence of all contradic-
tion or explanation by the parties most intimately con-
cerned, rumour grows into assured certainty. The
Royal medal for the present year, in the department of
Physiology, has been prominently r-feired to ; but the
facts in our possession enable us to slc,,tch a history of
the medals from their institution in 1825 to tne present
time.

After this sketch the writer thus proceeds:—
Now conies the recent award of the resat medal to
:qr. Beck, for his paper on the dissection (f the gravid
uterus. hi, was commented on in Mr. Redford's letter,
publi,hed last week ; and this gentleman certainly de-
serves much praise for Lis courage in openly detailing
many of the facts connected with the award—facts
which tend very much to brine the medical section of
the Royal Society into contempt for their extraordinary
vacillation. Up to the press nt date, the proceedings of
the Royal Society have expressed, five separate times,
an opinion on Dr. Lee's dissections. Of these, three
are favourable and two are adverse. Dr. Lee's first
paper was panted in the " Philosophical Transactions ;"
a suppletnt at also was as
then an additional sup-
Blement was reported nut to be printed ; next, Mr.
eck gets the royal medal for contradicting all
Dr. Lee's laaeurs ; and lastly, the second suppleinent,
once reported against, is now ordered to appear in the
forthcoming tran-actiiins.
The charges brought against the medical section of
the Royal Society are as follow ; if they can be proved
to be incorrect, doubtless the proof will tie supplied :
On the 19th of June, the lest paper of Dr. Lee was read
before the Society. On the 28th of October, (four months
afterwards), the physiological committee niet, to receive
reports on the merits of the different papers, and to re-
commend to the council the award of the meda's, Mr.
Lawrence being in the chair. After the dispatch of the
ordinary business, and after voting the recommendation
for the Copley medal, Mr. Lawrence dissolved the meet
ing, on being informed by the secretary, Dr. Roget, that
there was no further business for transaction. As soon
as Mr. Lawrence had left Somerset House, the com-
mittee was re-formed, Dr. Todd being placed in the
chair; and Dr. Todd and Dr.Sharpeyebeing the referees,
produced from their packets reports favourable to Mr.
Beck's paper. On these reports, it was resolved to re-
commend the award of the Royal medal to Mr. Beck.
It should be mentioned, that Mr. Lawrence had been
the referee of Dr. Lee's papers .on former occasions,
and was, of course, well acquainted with the subject,
and that neither Dr. Todd nor Dr. Sharpey had seen
Dr. Lee's preparations and dissections for four years.
Another extraordinary fact (tvi we are informed) is, that
Dr. Lee's paper, which for four months had remained
unreferred in thei secretary's possession, was actually
produced at this extraordinary committee, and, as if in
mockery, put in competition with Mr. Beck's paper and
some others. The very next act of this alleged illegal
Committee was to refer Dr. Lee's paper to Sir Benjamin
Brodie, to ascertain whether it was worthy of being
Printed in the transactions. Sir Benjamia Brodie re-
ported in its favour, but it was blackballed by the
physiological committee. It must, however, in justi e
to the council, be stated, that this body afterwards or-
dered it to be printed.
It will scarcely be believed, that on the 30th of Octo-
ber, two days after the recommendation of this irregular
committee, the council met and adopted the award of
the committee, after which it resolved itself into a com-
mittee of papers, to consider whether Mr. Beck's paper
should be printed ! They then could know nothing of
the grounds on which the award had been made ; the
'only persons who had seen Mr Beck's paper were Drs.
Todd and Sharpey, and the secretary, Dr. Roget ; it had
not, as yet, even been read to the society 1 In such a
mole-like manlier were the proceedings conducted, in-
volving a most important point in anatomical discovery,
and implicating the reputation and labours of a Fellow
of the Royal Society
Another extraordinary circumstance is, that Mr. Beck,
after presenting his paper, was allowed to have it back
for correction ; and it is even alleged that Mr. Beck
bad been permitted access to 1)r. Lee's papers ; for it is
stated that his corrected paper contains allusions to the
subject matter of that which had been presented by Dr.
Lee. Such proceedings are subversive of all order and
justice. Who can say that Mr. Beck's paper for which
be received the medal is the same paper as that origi-
nally presented, or that the paper, when printed, will be
the same paper as that upon which the award was made?
There are yet other singularities connected with this
affair. From some 'cause or other, the council, ap-
parently not satisfied with the first recommendation of
the committeee, ordered them to state the grounds upon
"Met the recommendation was made. The physiologi-
cal committee, on the 20th of November, ap-
pointed Drs. Sharpey and Todd to draw up a
report ; on the 2tth, the committee met, received the
report, and adopted it. On the Ist of December the
council met, received the report, confirmed the recom-
mendatie a of award made b% the irregularly constituted
committee on the 30th of October, and an hour after,
the Royal medal was given away by the Marquis of
Northampton.
Thus, then, the recommendation of the award was
made by the referees, Drs. Sharpey and Todd, and
adopted by the physiological committee, and by the
council, before even the paper was read to the Society,
and before it was known whether it was to be printed or
not. The medal was given before the minutes of the
councht had been confirmed, and before the paper for
which it had been given had been printed. E'en now it
has not appeared in print! And this is in glaring con-
travention of the regulations according to which the
foundation of the Royal medals was restored by her
Majest v, which orders—"'That the Royal medals be
given fo r such papers only as have been presented to the
Royal t society and inserted in their ' frantactions.' "
This regulation is printed, too, on the front page of
every vaunt• of the "Philosophical Transactions." The
justice and propriety of such a regulation are obvious.
Time is afforded for weighing the merits of different
communications, and the possibility of unfair alterations
and omissions in a paper printed subsequently to its re
ward prevented. The scientific world has no guarantee
whatever, looking to the previous conduct of the parties
concerned,. that the paper may not be adapted to suit any
contingency that mey arise. Properly, morally, and, it
would appeal ,legally, Mr. Beck could not have appeared
as a caneidas'e for the medal, supposing his paper to be
printed during • the course of the present year, until De-
cember, 1848. Thus time would have been allowed for
deliberation, anel the award of the medal would have had
some force; now, it falls to the ground, utterly valueless
to its recipient.
But suppi sing Mr. Beck's dissections to be quite cor-
reet—supposing the uterus has no nerves at all, or that
Dr_ Lee's ganglia are fictions, creations from cellular
tisstee, what ate Mr. Beck's researches wor•h? One
migh. t imagine a great discovery, so instant in its re-
n and applieation, that such hot haste to reward it
might have been in some measure pardonable. But Mr.
Beck's pretends to be none of these. According to all
that theprofession yet knows of it, even granting it
true, it woad be but the pains-taking correction by mere
mechar, iced distention of the mistake of another anato-
mist. The medal is actually given for not making a
discover) e On e might imagine Sir Charles Bell ashamed
he received. The first falls to Bell—the
of the medal
last, to I. leek! What a difference! what a decadence!
If all thi a be severe to Mr. Beck,
let him thank Drs.
Todd, and' Sharper, and Roget, who have placed him in
a false po Cajon. o one would more readily have ren-
dered legi Violate praise to his labours than ourselve 4.
The rel ation of the ILoyal Society to men of science
shout l be- distinctly understood. If the council or the
committetta do wrong, the Royal Society must suffer.
In the eye 'of the world thne is no injustice
so odious,
and so sere 'rely resented, as that of unjust judges, in
any case. There is no misconduct so vile as that of
malvereatima of office ; the higher the office the greater
the atrocity. when wrong is perpetrated. Even the
Royal soesees, v is not omnipotent ; it cannot make,
though it may " adjudicate," the bad to be good, and
the good to be, bad. A paper unjustly. treated may bring
temperery pain and discredit to its injured author, but it
reflects lasting' ie, n (niaY
oao
double his
ccrejudges.di A
ilerdeali,uonn
justly awarded bt ings a d
those who giee,, and on him who receives.ls It was a tree
anl beautiful say ing of one of the most illustrious pre-
sidents of the Hoye! Society, Sir Humphrey Davy, It
is better to desee"ve nocf to have, than to have and not
deserve."
Justice it is which give's value to honorary rewards.
Could fifty Royal medals re'ise Mr. Neap in to a level
with those who were insultesi by the award in his case ?
Could fifty awarded to Mr. Beck, under the circum-
stances detailed, have the effect tef destroying the credi-
bility of Dr. Lee's iii-sections Would they not rather
create, a prejudice in their favoter ? The recoil acts
always upon the doers of injustice. Let the Royal So-
ciety look to it, particularly the medical section of
those in authority. They are on trial before their pro-
fession, up-in whose opinions their reputations resthe t. Let
Royal Society loek at the Society of Antiquaries,
where intestine cabals have already cawed the resigna-
tion of dill! president' Lord
_ Aberdeen, and take warning.
We are not sure whether, in the present acute of things,
it could not be
Cu state l'iciaopt they
to call on all the parties ag-
gravedey know req,secting the events
in question. But we
wait awhile. Time is an in-
structive monitor.
(From the Lanett of April 11.)
We understand that thec7 the
has refused to revise
the scandalous proceedings
mted lastcomtnittee extraordi-
nary, upon which we e mtent te
even
a
wee
case of the
Dr. Lee, the recommendation
of ve;
commit-
tee formed out of order by a mean trick, is held to be
inviolate. Dr. Lee protested avinet the proceedings of
this pretended committee, and r
their Lawrence, shedchaee.
chair-
man to one of the meetings, moved
but in vain. Properly considered, the wholereapffuiation,
affair is
gresely insulting to this person as it is unjust to Dr. Leaes
It is incredible' that he should have so far stultifiedhim.
self as to put the illegal recommendatien for the Royal
medal to the next meeting for confirmation. 13 t
thOugh the council have refused to retrace their false
"steps, they have humbly confessed their error by re•
seelviug to print, in the next volume of " Transactions,"
different rcgttlattons respecting the future awards of
inr.dals, thougb this is in contradiction to the regulations
sanetiimed by her Majesty. But will a loophole for the
Nitre he a veil for the past ? We have heard, too, that
the Jesuitical dogma his been broached by the heads of
the society, that whatever the doings of the council,
however unjust, partial. and flagitious, once promulgated,
they are to have the force of law to the fellows; and they
!Ire told they are in honour bound to lick the rod that
injures.o them. Tiiis would, indeed, be in the school of
Yeee—to up hold the dishonour, instead of the honour,
01 the .tociety.
!,.lillt swhat en glut to be done to purify our first scientific
"I'tusagn s wad et) abused ? Will the Physic'
seal- Commit
log ie
14 tie, which has caused the Spciety to stink
nostrils o f all decent people, be allowed to remain

unreformed ? Will the medical section of the Royal
Society still be marred by the exhibition of scientific
Jesuitry, of partisanship, of petty cliqueries, of favour
itism, of selfishness, of mean cringing, of want of
sympathy with real genius, of private enmities, and
other baleful feelings, which degrade Loth the men and
the profession? If the indiviijual, who might almost be
call d the medical portion of the Royal Society, be indis-
tuissible, the Marquis of Northampton should resign, and
repudiate his acts. If he does not the one op the other,
the blame and discredit will be divided bbetween them.
One thing is very certain, that suspicion will huver about
the proceedings of the Society for some time to come,
and every step will be narrowly watched. When- medi;:al
men see, that of six Royal medals in physiology, the
award of one only has been perfectly satisfactory, they
will for the fwure ask, nut who obtaincd the Royal
medal? but, what was it obtained for? The professional
eye, once awakened, will be keen enough for the detf c-
Lion of injustice; and wh'n injustice is dw:e, a Royal or
a Copley
deserved punishment.
tut dal will be a very poor Asia to ward off the

COWES, ISLE OF WIG II T.
(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
APRIL W.—Her Majest) 'a brig . Cont,st is to- be
launched troin Mr. Joseph Whites yard, East Cowes,
to-morrow (Saturday). in the opinion of those whose
experience ought to enable them to form a correct judg-
ment, a more beautiful and powerful vessel of her ton-
nage was never built.
Her dimensions are as fo:lows _ _

Fect. Inches.
Length for tonnage llO 8i
Keel for tonnage B6 6
Extreme breadth 3l 7
Breadth for tonnage
Breadth moulded
Depth of hod
Burden, 459 76-94 tons.
She is completely finished below, and her fittings and
accommodations for the men are far superior to any
other vessel of her class.

The following members have been at the Royal
Yacht Squadron House this week :—The Earl of Yar-
borough, Mr. Rentinck, Marquis of Blandford, Mr.
Peareth, Lord Clarence Paget, Sir William Montagu,
and Mr. De horsey.
Contracts have been entered into by the Cowes Im-
provement Commissioners to widen the parade in front
of the Royal Yacht Squadron House, and construct a
causeway from it. It is intended to widen the pavement
by the parade-wall to ten feet, and otherwise improve
that part of the town.
The annual meeting of the members of the Royal
Yacht Squadron is fixed for the Bth of May, at the
Thatched House Tavern.

There have been numerous applications for houses
during the past week, particularly in Ea•t Cowes Park,
but there is only one of those beautiful villas furnished.
Sir Edward Paget has taken Egypt house, and Sir
Richard Ryeroft Oak-hill niuse, West Cowes.
Died, on the 9th inst., Mr. J. K. Ward, the highly
respected proprietor of the Grapes wine-vaults, in his
74th year, from an attack of gout in the stomach.
The continued rains have given the wheats a very
sickly appearance, and changed theta from a healthy
green to a dirty yellow. There is a large breadth of
oats unsown, and the land has been so wet that clanging
and ploughing was out of the question, and very little
ground has been got ready for barley sowing.

CAPTAIN MANB Y,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—In your paper of the 19th instant, there is au
article headed- " Experiments at Woolwich," and I con-
sider I have some right to command and claim a small
space in your excellent journal, to satisfy the public. I
am the parent of the modes of saving life from ship-
wreck ; in other words, I led the van by introducing my
mortars into practical uses. You are also aware that I
have spent my time, my mental and physical abilities,
and the means I p.issessed, since the year 1807 to the
present moment., in pursuing my theory and practice,
and that my exertions have been acknowledged by my
gracious Sovereigns, a liberal Parliament, with many of
the reigning monarchs of Europe, which are testimonies
of high value to my zeal ; and continue to urge me,
even in my 81st year, to emerge from my retirement to
defend an opposition directed against the established
simpiicity and practical successes of my apparatus all
round the kingdom.
I take your article just adverted to for the authority,
and therefore a duty I owe to myself to confute. It
says, " Captain Jerningham, commanding the Coast-
guard at Yarmouth, has had many opportunities of wit-
nessir, the complication and inwfficiency of the plan
adopted at present." Sir, this is an assertion as extra-
ordinary as it is astounding ; and I shall reply to it by
stating, not only from my own knowledge, but from
general society in Yarmouth, he never has seen, nor had
an oppOrtunity of seeing, a life saved by my apparatus,
or lite lost by shipwreck on the coast. since he had the
command. I must, therefore, consider his assertion, as

to the complicaton and inefficiency of my plan, to be
most unfair and unfounded. Holding, as 1 do, the sim-
plicity of all my arrangements to be perfect, and from
the uninterrupted success that has attended them, ought
not to have been violated or infringed upon, without
some more simple, less expensive, and certain expedient
was required from the failure o' my plan, and then only
confirmed by practical experienced men competent to
decide.

My very advanced period of life, and declining state
of health, prevents my commenting upon other parts of
this extraordinay article, especially in reference to the
laying of the rope ; but I cannot conclude without con-
sidering the article named, evidently to detract from the
labours so long devoted to the welfare of my fellow-
men and my country's good, to obtain a spurious reputa-
tion therefrom.—l am, sir, your obedient servqnt,
(Signed) GEORGE W. MANBY, Capt., F.R.S.
Pedestal House, Soutl:town, Great Yarmouth,

March 27.

SIR F. TRENCH AND LORD LIN-

COLN.
TJ THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—l have been much surprised and annoyed to see
in the Times of this morning two letters of mine., which
ought not to have been made public without my sanc-
tion. I called at your office to inquire how y• u kid
become possessed of them, and by what authority you had
published them, but could not obtain any satisfactory ex-
planation.
I had caused these letters to be printed, to secure uni-
formity of paper and type, with sundry hints for the
improvement of the metropolis, which are in my pos-
session, but they were not intended for publication, and
my printer assures me that no copy has escaped from
his office. I hope, therefore, you will give immediata
insertion to this expression of my regret and indignation
at the dishonesty or breach of confidence which has
placed these letters in your hands.
I have the honour to be your obedient humble servant.
F. W. TRENCH.

85, Pall-mall, Wednesday night.
P.S. Thursday, 11 oclock, A.M.—I have this moment
received your note, in which you state that the letters in
question " were sent by a correspondent to your office,
printed as a circular, and with an intimation that they
were at the editor's service." In reply, I beg to ob-
serve that they were not "printed as a circular," nor
" intended for circulation," as your note intimatig ; and
I must repeat my regret that letters bearing my signa-
ture, should have been published without my sanction.
F. W. TRENCH.

Sir F. Trench asserts that the letters were no

" printed as a circular." When two letters are printed
upon one sheet, and folded as if for the purpose of being
sent by post, we were until now under the impression
that, they were in the form of " a circular." Why, too,
letters sh.Juld be print,d in this or any other form which
are not intended for circulation, we are at a loss to con-
ceive. Our belief, when we received them was, that they
had been forwarded to our office by Sir F. Trench him-
self.]—Times.

1846.—The following is the House List of Governors
and Directors of the Bank of England for the year ensuing,
viz.:—

John 'Ben' amßoinvlllnesa(7h7Eßql", R6sOv.rn or.
Deputy-Governor.
•
EZl7Bnorsley Pali
William it.
Arthur Edward Campbell, Esnq,.E"l"
NOR DI It
William Cotton, Esq.
Bonam v
cos Esq. James Paulson Ener' Esq.
'Sir John 'Cl.
Chas. Pascoe Gren 1
fel , Esq. ChristopherHenry Pell)}, Bart.
Thomson Hankev, jun., E.—,
al, Henr.
PearAe. P..z,q.
John Gellibrand Hubbard, Esq. Davin PotTv't,lBl,l;tr,reseott, Esq.
William Little, E.g. Sir John Rae Reid Bart.
Janes Malcolmson, Eq. Thomas Chas. Smith, Esq.
Humphrey St. John Mildmay, Wm. Thompson, Esq., AI&
Thomas Tooke, jun., N.
Esq.
Jame, Morris, El. Thomas Matthias reguelin,
Esq.
Sheffield `'save, EN.
Francis Wilson, Esq.
George Wards Norman, Esq.
The election for Governor and Deputy-Governor will be
held at the Bank on Tuesday, the 14th of April, and for Di-
rectors on Wednesday, the 15th of April, from ten o'clock in
the forenoon till four o'clock:in the afternoon.

DEA.TII OF LADY ELIZABETH PERCEVAL.-- We have
to notice the demise of the above venerable lady, sister of the
late Right Hon. Spencer I'erceval, the unfortunate t
Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, who expired on Saturday last, a
b
Odell Castle. Her Ladyship, who was daughter of t e
second Earl of Egmont, was born Dec. 12, 1763. By her
Ladyship's decease, the families of Lord Redesdale, the Earl
and Countess of Egmont, &c., are placed in mourning.
SALE OF COINS of WILLIAM THE CONQUI.R9R,
On Thursday the valuable collecti,,n of gold and silver coins
of every English Sovereign or other form of Government,
from William the Conqueror to George IV., inclusive, col-
lected by the late Mr. John Paget. of Cranmore Hall, Sonvr-
set, were disposed of by auction by Messrs. S. Sotheby and
Co , at their auction-rooms, Wellington-street, Strand, seine
of which were purchased on account of the flritish
Museum. There were 143 lots, of which the follow-
lag were some of the pricer, ;..—A penny of William the Con-
quercr, canopy type, 1/. 15s. ; a ditto, full faced, sceptre on
earth side, 17s. (1066); a penny, William Rufus, star on each
side (1087), 11. Is. ; a penny, Henry I (1100), 10;. ; a ditto,
Stephen (1135), 12s ; a groat, silver, Richard 11. (1377),
struck at London, 175.; a halfpenny and farthing ditto, 75.;
a noble, Henry IV. (1399), gold, Is. 165.; a quarter noble,
cross corslet, gold, Henry V. (1413), 175.; an angel, cross
corslet, gold, Henry VI. (1122), I/. :an angel,Richard 11l
( 1483), very scarce, gold, 11. 16s. ; a penny. Richard
struck at York, fleur de tie with S. on breast, I/. 19a.; a groat
and half, Phillip and Mary. silver, 2/.25.; the Oxford twenty
shilling piece, with armour under the horse, silver (1640)
; the Inchiquin crown, silver, 11, 135.; a crown, Oliver
Cromwell(l;os), 11.18 s.; a hall.crown, ditto (1658),11.8s.;
a shilling, ditto (1658), 18s., &c.
CHANCERY ARREARS .—EASTER appears
by the equity cause registers, that the number, including en-
tries, up to the closing the Register-office, during the present
holidays, of appeals before the Lord Chancellor, and original
causes, before the Vice-Chancellor=, for hearing or disposal on
pleas, demurrers, exceptions, or further directions, is 285
(exclusive of those before the Master of the Rolls); of this
total 46 are appeals before the Loid Chancellor, 135 are
-cau§es before the Vice-Chancellor of England, 71 before
Vice-Chancellor Bruce, and 33 before -Vice-Chancellor
Wigram. • • '

EASTERN COUNTIES -RAILWAY.
APRIL 12, 1846.—An accident occurred on this line
between Edmonton and Ponder's End to a special train
that left London for Chcsterford this day at 1 30 P.M.
The cause is at present unknown, but an immediate and
full investigation will take place. The speed of the train
vitas about 43 miles in hour, as the secretary and super-
intendent of the locomotive department were on one of
the !engines, noting; it by their watches at the period of
the accident. The directors announce with much satis-
faction that there has not been loss of life, and that two
persons only are injured—one a guard, wuo is pro-
nounced by the medical gentleman not to be in any
danger, and a porter, who has suff,,red a alight contu-
sion. The Drputy Chairman of the Company and a
director, who lives in the vicinity, arrived shortly after
the itecid. an I the line was cleared and put in working
order within two hours of the arrival of the necessary
apparatus.

DESTRUCTION OF A WARE-
HOIfEV FIRE.

On Friday morning, about twenty minutes before two
o'clock, the warehouses occupied by Messrs. Peter Ja• k-
son and Co. furtier4, wool merchants, and silk plush
manufacturers, Auburn-street, London-road, was dis-
co.ered to be on fire. The discovery was wade by the
police, and no time was lost in communicating the Intel-
ligent e to Mr. Rose, at the police yard. When firm.
seen, however, the fire had wade considerable progress
through the building, and although Mr. Rose and a com-
pany of firemen, with the Thames engine. reached the
place a few minutes before two o'clock, the
blaze was distinctly visible to them as they went
along Portland street. The building, indeed, was
then on fire from the top almost to the bottom,
and the flames were issuing from the windows.
Water was flowing abundantly from one of the
plugs which had been opened, when the engine arrived.
Au -'upright" was fixed into the plug, and the water
came with such force, that it was easily conveyed by
means of canvass hose, to the top story of the building,
which is five stories high. The Mersey, Niagara, Water
Witch, and Thetis engines were on the spot soon after-
wards, making five engines altogether. Three of them
were quickly got into play, the water being directed
upon the building. both at the back and front ; but it
was tour o'clock before the flames were effectually sub-

dued. The roof fell in soon after the arrival Of Mr.
Rose, and the entire building may be said to be gutted,
with the exception of a portion•of the ground floor, used
as a counting-house. The outer walls, however, are quite
perfect. Oue of the gables adjoins the warehouses of Mr.
Frederick Schwalm, merchant, and Mr. B. Gibbons,
nail manufacturer; the other gable faces Messrs. Plant and
Sob's cotton mill, from which it is separated only by a
narrow street running from Auburn-street to Upton-
street ; and behind the building destroyed is a yard
nearly filled with sheds, which extended to the premises
of Messrs. Cottam and Travis, ironmongers. Notwith-
standing, however, the contiguity of so much valuable
prop,rty, Messrs. Jackson and Co.'s warehouse is the
only building which has suffered injury, a fact which
says much for the exertions of the firemen, and the judi-
cious conduct of Mr. Rose and Mr. Thomas Rose, in

giving their directions. The police, to whom mach
pralse is also due, assisted by other persons, succeeded
in getting some goods and an iron safe out of the ware-
house at an early period in the progress of the conflag-
ration. Showers of sparks flew in the direction of the
large warehouse of Messrs. Patchett, M‘Kay, and Co.
carriers, but effectual precautions were taken by the fire-
men, police, and persons connected with the warehouse,
to prevent it from being set on fire.
It is supposed that the total damage done to Messrs.
Jackson and Co.'s warehouses and stock of goods, will
amount to about 5,0001. The stock is insured in the
Sun fire office for 4,000/., and in the Protestant Dis-
senters', for 1,000/. The building, which belongs to a
brother of Mr. Jackson, is, we understand, insured in the
West of &Timid office, for 2,2001. Its dimensions are
16 yards by 9 yards, and it will probably cost from
1,000/. to 1,2001. to restore it. The origin of the fire is
unknown. Mr. Jackson locked up the premises a little
before nine o'clock on Thursday night, and at that time
everything appeared quite sate, and no smell of fire was
perceptible. The fire is supposed to have commenced in
a room where no fire had been used on Thursday, though
Mr. Jackson bad been in the room with a light, which,
however, he used with the greatest caution. -Every
opinion, therefore, as to the cause of the fire, must b,
mere conjucture. Captain Willis was presel►t in the
course of the morning. Owing to the hour at which
the tire broke out, there was a much less crowd a-sein-
bled than is usual on such occasions.—Manchester Guar-
dian.

THE WEATHER.—THE FLOODS.
We had an almost continuous fall of rain, night and
day. for five days, up to Wednesday, when there were
indications of better weather. To-day (Thursday) the
sun has come forth in all his glory.—Hall Packet.
RUINOUS EFFECTS OF THE RAINS.—Among several
instances of injury done by the recent rains, we have
heard of none so; disastrous as has proved to be the
case with an industrious individual on the Anlaby road.
The party, with whose name even we are unacquainted,
lately hired a worked-out brick field near St. Stephen's
Church, and on which he had expended the earnings of
his whole life to raise a new soil, and to stock it with
seeds and plants for the supply of the vegetable market,
when the deluge—for it has lit Tally proved one on the
lace of his two or thrGe acres—has completely destroyed
all the prospects which in his honest industry he had
contemplat. (I.—Hull Packet.
FLoODS IN THE EAST RlDlNG.—Hundreds and hun-
dreds of acres on the low lands around Hull are now
under water. Between Hull and Beverley, and Selby
and Brough, numbers of fields present the appearance of
one vast lake, and in many places the drains and water
courses are undistinguishable from the land on either
side. On the road from Hatfield to Hull the highway
in one part is eovered with water knee deep. It is sail
that the land in the East Riding has not been so gene-
rally and heavily flooded for 30 years, and unless we
speedily have dry and windy weather, very injurious
effects are anLeipated, especially with respect to the
crops of spring corn.—Hull Packet.
FLOODS IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. The floods now.
covering the valley of the Trent are higher than have
been known for many years. The whole of the works
on the lid of railway between Nottingham and Newark
are at a stand-still in consequence; and the Midland
Railway, between Nottingham and Red Hill, is covered
in two places. The destruction of property in various
directions by this calamity is considerable, and very
many lives are reported to have been lost; but this, we
believe, is without foundation.—Lincoln and Nottingham
Advertiser.
THE FLOOD AND ITS CASUALTIES.—The almost inces-
ant rain which has fallen since Saturday, has caused
this town and neighbourhood to be visited with a larger
flood than bas been seen for many years past ; and
though rumour with her ten thousand tongues has whis-
pered many distressing tales, yet after careful inquiry and
visiting many of the villages on the banks of the Trent,
we believe that little has occurred beyond what is ordi-
nary in cases of this description. Ti.e inun lation is cer-
tainly very extensive, the meadows and lands adjoining
the Trent, north and south,for many miles being an almost
unbroken sheet of water, and several nen ly built bridges
and portions of works in the course of erection, hay
stacks, hewn timber, cattle, and property of a moveable
character, have bean swept away. At present, how
ever, notwithstanding the extraordinary reports in cir-
culation during Tuesday and Wednesday last, we have
not been able to discover that a single human life has
been lost. Before noticing particularly the reports in cir-
culation, we may remark that so large a flood has not
taken place during the last twenty years, and so rapid
*as the rise on Tuesday night, that a general expectation
prevailed, as a portion of the line of the Midland Rail-
way between Beeston and Keg worth was under water,
that the trains to and from Nottingham would not be
able to proceed on their respective journeys This, how-
ever, has not been the case; little or no difference has
/wen made in the railway communication of this town.
The works on the Nottingham and Lincoln Railway in
the Meadows and East Croft, adjoining this town, have
been entirely suspended, the water having covered the
whole of the land, with the exception of the Flood-road,
leading to the south from the town, and we believe that
along the whole line the men have ceased working.
At Gonatseone, a bridge built by the railway company,
over the Dover Beck, on the property of John Francklin,
Esq., gave way on Tuesday morning. and considerable
damage was done by the flood. The entire streets
aid approaches to whole villages on the banks
of the Trent are covered with water several
feet deep, and the labouring poor are without
employment. At Stoke, Shelf,lrd, Hoveringham,
iiaztotord, Bleasbv,Fiskerton, &c., the ordinary roads are
qui e impassable to foot passengers, and even dangerous
to peewits on horseback, in gigs, carts, and other
vehicles. Between Ilizle!ord and Bleasby the ~,at,r was
so high on the hors--road on 'l'ue day and Wedne-day
as to prevent appro ich by
the hedge, in many ar.y means, except by boats.
fields having quite disappeared.
st,houg it csoou
remainingnwt
,:r;el)o, thenct
circulated
The communication from these villages having becomraor-
e
so
alludedin
the
hs
ro me e d
tao measurey,
e list
icte-d.
Late on Tuesday evening we heard that un accident
had occurred in the neighbourhood of Fiskerton by the
s
the Trent, and that many live.
bath inquiry as to the nature of the
accident,
that 16 persons, engaged
e i!abe:, 11ne rtn: sse
we
sacrificed.
r fih:,eee watersde. informedo n
lirm an ozicr be 1, had een suddenly swept away by
moriang we received a Ovate
letter, orating that on
was upsetonday afternoon, a boat laden
i.whiethflocoodal.sOannlNS:oi
be-
tween Hoveringham and Hazlet ,
Ord owing to the over-
flownd a wAnan on board
of water, and that three men a
Tuesday
e sodnaMYthe river Trent,
had perished. This piece of intelligence led us to sup
Fi,ker-
pose that probably the report of the accident at
ton had taken its rise from this circumstance. Being
enable to obtain any satisfactory intelligence, we deter-
mined on making personal inviries on the spot. On
arriving at 13uleota, we heard that a foreman of
the Nottingham and Lincoln Railway had posiively
stated there that morning, that 18 men had been
drowned near Fis.kerton, and the inhabitants were won-
dering how this event had occurred, and who were the
sufferers. At Lowdham and I3lestSby no further intelli-
gence could be obtained, and at Fiskerton the villagers
were quite astonished to htar that such an event
was stated to have occurred there. They could not say
what had happened dsewhere, as theflood prevented com-
munication, but no person, t o their knowledge, had lost his
life at Fiskerton or in its neighbourhood. Hazelford was so
deeply flooded that we could not approach the village, and
,sfter passing along the road above a toile in water, we re-
turned,and took a circuitous route to Howl ngham,w here
we found the villagers also quite ignorant of any such
circumstance. One individual had heard of an accident
said to have taken place at Harem, near Newark, where
a bridge is being built over the Trent, but he, like all
others, merely related it as a report. At Harlan we saw
the man who was said to have originated the report, and
he told us that he had just learned the whole was a fa-