The Sun.
London, England, 1833-06-28 00:00:00

JOINT STOCK BANKS.

Sir HENRY PARNELL presented a petition from the
Joint Stock Banking Company, established at Manchester. The
petitioners stated that if Lord Althorp's plan was passed into
a law their interests would be affected without inquiry, al-
though it could not be pretended that they had misconducted
themselves in the slightest degree. He was of opinion that the
experiment made by Lord Liverpool, in 1826, had succeeded,
and that if they wanted a secure system of country bank-
ing, they had only to let alone that which had arisen in
consequence of the laws then passed, under the sanction
of which these petitioners had embarked a large capital.
The petitioners also expressed their anxiety and alarm
at the effects which would result from making Bank
of England a legal tender, and they also stated it as their
opinion that the monopoly of the Bank of England had been
the cause of all the great fluctuations that had taken place
of late years in the currency as well as the real cause of the
failure of the country banks. Now this was a strong asser.
Lion against the Bank of England, but he did not hesitate to
say that if the Committee of last session had sat a sufficiently
long period to have allowed witness to be adduced, to show
the effect of the monopoly, and the conduct of the Bank
of England, or if that Committee had been renewed this Ses-
sion, facts would, he had no doubt, have been brought forward
which would have gone far to establish the truth of the asser-
tion of the petitioners, for he did believe that no great convul-
sion of trade, or fluctuation of the currency had taken place,
in the course of the last forty years, in which the conduct of
the Bank of England had not been a main ingredient. The
petitioners stated that the only means by which, in their opi-
nion, a recurrence to those national evils could be avoided,
was gradually to introduce a free system of banking. They also
stated that, besides making the country banks subservient to
the Bank of England, the effect of making Bank of Eng.
land paper a legal tender, would be to prevent the
remaining banks from accommodating the industrious classes,
as they had hitherto done, and that power of accommodation
would be confided entirely to the Bank and its branches. The
petitioners, at the same time, expressed their readiness, if
Parliament should see fit, to publish their proceedings, and
pay up a larger portion of their capital, and do any thing else
which might render the system, under which they were esta-
blished, still more effective. The Hon. Member said in con-
clusion, that he believed the allegations in the petition were
perfectly well founded, and that it amply deserved the serious
consideration of the House.

The petition having been read,
Lord ALTHORP rose and said, as the question was to
come under the consideration of the House this evening, he
should not feel himself called upon to enter at length into the
different topics to which the Right Hon. Gentleman had al-
luded, because it would be impossible for him, without going
into great detail, to state his reasons for differing from him on
many points. He would only now state, in answer to
his complaint, that the Committee of last session
had sat during the whole of the Session; that his Right
Hon. Friend was a member of it, and had an ample oppor_
tunity then of adverting and directing evidence to the facts
now alleged in this petition. If, during the present Session,
the House had thought proper, that Committee might have
been reappointed; but he did not think there was any occa-
sion for it, and no proposition to that effect had been made by
any Hon. Member. Besides, some of the Directors ofthat very
Bank had been summoned as witnesses, and given in their
evidence. He would only now further state, that when the
discussion came on to-night, he should state fully the ground
which led him to propose the measure to which the petition
referred.

Mr. M. PHILLIPS supported the petition.
NEWSPAPERS—THE POST-OFFICE.

Sir IL PARNELL then said he had a petition of consider-
able importance to present, on which he wished to say a few
words. It was the petition of the news-venders, agents,
and dealers, in newspapers resident in London and its
vicinity. It was signed by upwards of 200 of that re-
spectable class. They complained very much of the inter-
ference of the post-office clerks, clerks of the road, and post-
masters, in their trade. They said that those clerks exercised
their official influence, greatly to their injury, by becoming
traders in newspapers. They possessed this influence, unlike
the officers of any other department under Government,
and contrary to every sound principle of trade, for
every body must perceive that the filling of an official
situation must give that particular class of officers a great su-
periority in carrying on the trade over others who were not
connected with the Post-office. They further complained that
by the privileges allowed to clerks of the Post-office, foreign
newspapers were charged double their prime cost
abroad—(Hear, hear)—and that this increased price
went into the pockets of those officers, to the great detriment
of the public revenue. They particularly complained that this
practice was also allowed in the foreign post-office, and that
the circulation, therefore, of English newspapers was very
much, curtailed beyond what it would otherwise amount to,
in consequence of which the petitioners suffered very con-
siderably. They expressed great regret at finding that the offers
on the part of the French Post-office, to do away with the impe-
diments affecting the transmission and circulation of newspapers
between the two countries, had not met with that readiness
on the part of our Government which they had expected,
and which was most desirable. The Right Hon. Gentleman
said there would be great advantage derived from putting an
end entirely to those rest-fictions on newspapers, not only
extending information generally, but in point of revenew to
the country. He himself had had an opportunity of con-
sulting the Postmaster in France, and he was ready to bear
his testimony to the truth of the allegation in the petition,
that individual having stated to him that they were quite
ready to co-operate with the Government of this country
in avoiding all difficulty at present in the way of carrying on
correspondence by means of newspapers between the two coun.
tries. The petitioners also comp Lined that the clerk of the post.
office in addition to other advantages which they possessed were
allowed to put newspapers addressed to their agents or
customers into the mail-bags up to the moment of their de-
livery to the mail, while they (the petitioners) were obliged,
upon each paper posted after six o'clock, to pay the charge
of one halfpenny, and were also subject to total
exclusion after half-past seven o'clock. The petitioners sub-
mitted they were entitled to the consideration of the Honse,
from the monies which they paid to the support of the
various establishments in the metropolis, and in contri.
buting extensively to the revenue of the country.—(Hear.)
The Right Hon. Gentleman, in conclusion, declared his in-
tention to movefor a Committee to inquire into the circuin-
stances, provided some other Hon. Member did not take up
the subject.

The following petition was then read :
TO THE HONOURABLE THE COMMONS OF THE
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND

IRELAND, IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED,

THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE NE WSVENDERS,
AGENTS, AND DEALERS IN NEWSPAPERS,
RESIDENT IN LONDON AND ITS VICINITY,

SHOWETH,—That your petitioners have embarked large ca-
pitals in their trade, as newsvenders, that no other species of
property pays so heavy a duty, or requires more industry and
exertion to insure success, or yields less profit for the risk of
capital and return :

That your petitioners have long laboured under great disad-
vantages in carrying on their business in consequence of the
undue influence of the clerks of the roads, or clerks of the Ge-
neral post office, and Postmasters, who are permitted to deal
in newspapers :

. .
That by the permission allowed to the officers of the post_
office to be dealers in newspapers, a property and interest im-
mediately tinder their charge, they are enabled, unlike the
officers of any other department under the Government, to
exert the influence derived from their official situations, for
their private advantage as traders :

That the officers of the post-office, or clerks of the roads,
exercise the privilege of transmitting through the post office
certain unstamped papers, as Lloyd's lists, Shipping lists, the
Price Current, &c., which is injurious to the interests of your
petitioners, and an actual loss to the revenue of the country,
inasmuch as it insures to the post-office clerks, or clerks of the
roads, an almost exclusive trade in these prints, and the charge
for conveyance, which would, under other circumstances, merge
into stamp duty, and contribute thereby to the revenue :
That your petitioners are under similar restrictions with
respect to foreign papers; French papers being charged by the
clerks of the post office about double their first cost in Paris, of
which addition no part, as your petitioners believe, is contri.
buted to the revenue :

That your petitioners suffer, in like manner, from the mono-
poly of the clerks of the foreign post-office, by newspapers for-
warded abroad from this country, on which, over and above the
profits gained by the post-office clerk, as a dealer in newspapers
an extra charge is made of 35-67-100, and even, in some
cases, of 145 and per cent, upon a newspaper :
That the aforesaid impost acts nearly as a prohibition to the
circulation of newspapers out of the British dominions, with
the exception of the East Indies and the British colonies, that
it thereby tends to injure the revenue, and to fetter the industry
and speculation of your petitioners ; whereas, were the con-
veyance of newspapers confined to a fixed and moderate rate of
postage, as in the case of the before mentioned British colo-
nies, this source of revenue might be greatly extended :
That the clerks of the post-office, in addition to other ad-
vantages which their office gives them, are allowed to put
newspapers, addressed to their agents or their customers into
the mail bags up to the moment of their delivery to the mail;
that your petitioners, on the contrary, are subject to a charge
of one halfpenny upon each paper posted after six o'clock, and
total exclusion after half-past seven o'clock; that the post_
office clerks, or clerks of the roads, are enabled to correspond
with their agents in the country, and through them with their

customers, without any expense or postage, and that your
petitioners and their customers subscribe in this shape to the
revenue after the rate of three to five postages annually for each
newspaper, or separate transaction :

That your petitioners have also to contend against the pri-
vilege allowed to, or assumed by, the twopenny post men of
the neighbourhood of London, who, as dealers in newspapers
and almanacks, &c., are in the habit of soliciting orders on the
customary route, of their delivery of letters, which they ex_
ecute to the palpable disadvantage of the public service so in-
trusted to them, and to the injury of your petitioners :
That the post-office clerks issue printed circulars, with a
view to increase their own trade, disseminating reports preju_
dicial to the stability of the private trader, by stating in their
circular letters of solicitation, that their " official situation is
a guarantee that the amount subscribed is secure ;" thus a
public officer is enabled, without capital or risk, and out of
the time which, it is presumed, ought to be devoted to official
duty, to carry on a business of great magnitude, and to supplant
the interests of the fair trader :

That your petitioners humbly submit, that by the clerks of
the roads and post-office clerks being permitted to deal in news..
papers, and to announce by public advertisements that every
postmaster in England acts as their agent for receiving sub.
scriptions, such postmaster being allowed a commission on the
moneys so received, they thus hold out a temptation by which
the postmasters are induced to deliver first to their subscribers
those papers supplied by the clerks of the roads, and that each
of those officers, therefore, have an obvious interest in delay..
ing the delivery of all newspapers supplied through any other
channel, contrary, as your petitioners believe, to the inten-
tions of Government :

That your petitioners, as regards themselves, respectfully
represent that they are obliged, by the daily custom of the
trade, to collect and pay into the Treasury, through the me_
dium of the newspaper proprietors, the whole of the stamp
duties on the London newspapers, free of any expense to the
Government in its collection; which newspapers are in twenty-
four hours valueless, unlike most other merchandise, taking
all the risk on themselves as to their realizing a sale; while, on
the contrary, the clerks of the roads and post-office clerks are
in the habit of receiving their charges for newspapers in ad.
vance, with other advantages which their official situation
leaves your petitioners no means of competing with :
That your petitioners entreat to be understood as petition.
ing against the privilege, not against the individuals who
exercise it.

That your petitioners, with some exceptions, pay daily the
greater part of the moneys which make up the several incomes of
the proprietors, editors, reporters, clerks, publishers, composi.
tors, printers, porters, servants, &c., of each newspaper establish-
ment, and are, therefore, they humbly and respectfully repre-
sent, not unworthy the protection of your Honourable House.
May it therefore please your Honourable House to take
the matter of this petition into consideration, and to
frame such measures thereon as your Honourable
House in its wisdom may deem meet. And your peti-
tioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
Here follow the signatures of upwards of two hundred Lon-
don dealers in newspapers.

Sir F. BURDETT concurred with his Right lion. Friend
who had presented the petition, that it was most desirable to
give every facility to communications of the nature to which
he had adverted; but he did not see any necessity for an Hon.
Member taking up the question, and moving for the appoint-
ment of a committee on the subject. It appeared to him to
be quite sufficient to have drawn the attention of his Majesty's
Ministers to the subject, having all the means in their power
of doing all that was wished upon the subject. It was desira-
ble, in every point of view, that every facility should be given
to the communication.

Lord ALTHORP said that, as his Right Hon. Friend,
in presenting the petition, had referred to negotiations that
had been concluded with this country and France and the
Government of this country, it might be right for him to
say a few words on that subject. In those negotiations his
Majesty's Ministers had not been able to comply with all
the propositions of the French Government. He was not com.
petent to enter into many of the circumstances connected with
the negociation, but it was thought impossible to agree to all
the propositions. With respect to the particular point in-
volved in the petition as to newspapers, lie agreed with his
Hon. Friend that that species of communication should be as
free as possible, and not subject to restrictions, if restrictions
existed. The plan, however, upon which this department of
the Post-office was conducted, enabled the Government to
carry on the business at a considerably less expense than it
would otherwise be obliged to be at. If the fees of the clerks
with respect to newspapers was abolished, it would be necessary
or the Government to increase the salaries of the persons em-
ployed in the Newspaper Office. The question in his opinion
must be looked upon as a balanced question and not quite so
clear in favour of the view of the petitioners as his Right lion.
Friend thought it to be. He agreed that every thing ought to
be done to facilitate the communication between France and
this country, but the difficulty was on which side the postage
should be paid. His Majesty's Ministers had every wish to do
this as far as they could consistent with the safety of thc revenue.
Mr. BUCKINGHA Ii supported the prayer of the petition,
and said that nothing could be more improper than that official
men should engage in trade. It was particularly improper in
the Post.office where it was important the vigilance of the clerk
should be devoted to their duties up to the last mo-
ment. The practice of the Post-office, with respect to news-
papers sent to or from the continent, absolutely threw impedi-
ments in the way of their circulation.—(Hear, hear.) In
the internal communications of England, however, the
matter was worse. At the present moment the most intense
interest was felt in the country on the proceedings of this
House, and the consequence was that the greatest rivalry ex.
isted between the newspaper proprietors to keep their press open
till the last moment, rnd thus convey the latest intelligence to
their customers. The proper dealers who undertook to trans-
mit the newspapers into the country were the news
venders ; and it was literally true, as stated by the
Right Honourable Baronet opposite, that they furnished
all the capital by which it was done. Contrary to this prac-
tice, in most buisnesses a great sum of ready money passed
on both sides. The stamp was the chief expense of a paper,
and the general run of establishments tried to go to the stamp_
office with the money in their hands, whilst a very short credit,
indeed, was given to the larger establishments. The news_
venders in this town came with ready money to
the newspaper office, or at farthest paid their bills
every Saturday. The amount of money which they
paid in this way was perhaps about 100,000/. per
week. The newsvenders were obliged to give their customers
many months' credit. The clerks of the Post-office, o❑
the other hand, had numerous advantages over the
newsmen. They were not obliged to be furnished
with a large capital, and had it in their power to receive papers
at a later hour than the newsmen, who were obliged to pay a
fee of ld. for every paper after a certain hour, which went, in
case of papers forwarded by the clerks of the post-office, into
their pockets. There was another evil of which perhaps the Noble
Lord was not aware. There were certain literary publications
which, containing no politics, were not obliged to have a stamp,
but if a stamp was put upon them, they went post free. A news
man sending a literary publication into the country, had to buy it
stamped. Now he was informed by Mr. Johnson, who sup-
plied the whole of Ireland with newspapers, that numbers of
the " Literary Gazette" were passed through the Post_
office unstamped. Of course this must occasion a
great loss to the revenue.—(Hear.) Another advantage
that the clerks of the Post-office had over the newsmen was in
their being able to write to the postmasters in the country,
who were their agents, free of expense, and the post-
masters to answer them in like manner, free of ex.
pense. This enabled there to supply papers in the country
at half the commission other people were obliged to charge.
He thought, therefore, that the sooner the fee system was
abolished in the post-office the better.
Lord ALTHORP said he believed the Hon. Gentleman
was mistaken in saying that the fee paid on newspapers, as
the last half hour of admission was saved to the clerks of the
post-office.

Mr. EWART said he had seen it stated in some of the
public journals, that impediments had been thrown in the way
of the transmission of newspapers from America by the Post.
office at Liverpool. He wished to know whether such was
the fact ?

Lord ALTHORP replied that he did not know whether it
was or not.

Mr. HENRY LYTTON BULWER asked whether the
report of a convention with the Government of France was
correct I'

Lord ALTHORP said he had already replied in the affir-
mative.

Sir H. PARNELL made a few observations in reply. He
said it was quite clear the circulation of the papers would very
soon bring in a full compensation for the losing of the stamp.
The petition was then laid on the table.
The Right Hon. Gentleman then presented a petition from
the ship-builders of Dundee, in favour of the timber
duties. Also a petition from the Magistrates of Dundee,
requiring an alteration in the Dundee fisheries; from
the Political Union of Dundee, against the Irish church
establishment ; and from the bakers of Dundee, against bak-
ing on Sunday.

Mr. RIPPON presented a petition from a parish in Nor-
thumberland, the purport of which was not understood in the
gallery.

Mr. EWART presented a petition from the sugar refiners
of Liverpool, praying for an equalization of the duty on East
and West India sugar, and other articles from the Colonies.
He had great pleasure in supporting the prayei of the petition.
Ile Hon. Member stated the import on East India coffee was
one half more than the import on West India coffee, and, after
making a few other observations, he concluded by hoping the
importantse ugive every assistance in its power to this most
wouldsubject to carry it to a final and satisfactory con_
Io
elusion.

Mr. BUCKINGHAM said the people of England had a
right to have that which they could get cheapest and in the
best perfection front any part of the world.
Mr. ROBINS.ON admitted that at first sight it might appear
unreasonable that there should be higher duties on sugar from
one place than another, but on consideration he thought it
would be looked upon as gocd policy.
Mr. It. TODD complained that after a promise had been given
to inquire into the inequality of the duties on East and West
India sugar, no attention had been paid to the subject. He
could only account for the table of the House not being
more loaded with petitions on this subject by the unwilling-
ness of the House to pay attention to them.
Colonel Williams, Mr. Ewart, and Mr. Brotherton sup-
ported the prayer of the petition.
Mr. SHAW presented a petition from Carrickfergus against
the disfranchisement of that borough.

Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from Salford
against the Apothecaries' Bill.

Lord MOLYNTEUX presented petitions from the neigh
bourhood of Liverpool, against the Rating of Small Tene-
ments and Highways Bill. Also a petition from Ashton-
under-Lyne, Stockport, and other places, praying for altera-
tions in the Factory Bill.

Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a petition from Preston,
signed by Mr. Hunt and 6,000 other persons, complaining o
the number of polling places (20) erected at the late election,
to the great expense of the candidates.

- Mr. STANLEY said the Mayor had appointed so many pol-
ling places to prevent the disturbances of which he had had no-
tice. The electors had since presented him with a piece of plate.
Petition laid on the table.
The SPEAKER then left the Chair.

COURT OF CHANCERY.-(THIS DAY.)

WADE V. COX.

The Loan CHANcv.r.toa pronounced judgment in this
appeal motion, which was argued before him a few days
ago. The application was to reverse so much of an older
made by the Vice-Chancellor as directed the defendants to
pay into Court nearly 8,000/., the produce of Consols
which had been transferred to them as trustees, and which
they sold out. His Lordship said that the opinion he
had formed at the hearing, had been confirmed by a pe-
rusal of the papers, and the consideration of the case he had
been able to bestow, and thnt opinion was, that he ought
to refuse the motion. It was clear from the admissior,s
in the answers, that the Court could do nothing eke
than order the money to be brought in. His Lordship,
however, could not but regret that a writ of execution to
enforce the Vice• Chancellor's order, had been sent down
against the defendants to Oxford, which he understood to
be the case yesterday. He considered it right to extend the
time for the bringing in of the money for a fortnight from
this day.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH-(TEAS DAY.)

THE KING V. WELLS AND OTHERS.

This was an indictment against the defendants, Messrs.
James Wells and John Drake, woolle❑ drapers, of Saint
Martin's-le-Grand, and Messrs. John Payne and Ralph
Wise, of No. 36, Gosweil-street, tailors, for a conspiracy
to defraud Mr. Wm: Daniels, a woollen draper residing
in Aldermanbury, of a large quantity of woollen goods.
The defendants pleaded Not Guilty.
Mr. Poar.ocx (with whom was Mr. PLATT) stated the
case for the prosecution. He said that it would not be
enough to establish this charge by merely proving a false-
hood, because much was left to the ordinary prudence and
discretion of parties to whom application might be made
to supply goods ; hut when individuals set themselves
together to the prejudice of another, and to produce an
injury which neither of them could alone accomplish,
so that the ordinary caution and jealousy of a tracer
may be laid asleep, and so that he might be made
the victim of a combination, then it became an offence
punishable by a proceeding like the present. He stated
that much i❑ order to arouse the jealousy and attention of
the Learned Judge and the Jury to the nature of the in-
dictment, for he had seen much injustice committed under
charges of conspiracy. The present charge in substance
was, that Wells and Drake knowing the insolvency of
Payne and \Vise, to whom they were creditors, combined
with them, by means of false representations of
the affairs of Payne and \Vise, to enable the
latter to get goods from the prosecutor, in order that
the goods so obtained might go in payment of Wells
and Drake's debt, while all the other creditors went un-
paid. It would be proved that in July, 1831 a meeting
of Payne and Wise's creditors was held at Wells and
Drake's house, at which it was agreed that Payne and
Wise should compromise with their creditors by paying
their debts by instalments of 401. a month, and to give
them a letter of license. Wells took an active
part on that compromise, and, therefore, knew Payne and
Wise's insolvency. Their affairs becoming in a worse state,
the 401. a month was, after the payment of about three
instalments, consented to be reduced to 201. a month. In
the following November, another meeting was held at
Wells and Drake's house, when, in consequence of the
then state of Payne and Wise'a affairs, it was agreed that
their books should be delivered up to Wells and Drake,
i❑ order that they might collect in the debts fur
the benefit of the creditors. Wells and Drake's debt
which was originally 2861. 108. was by that
time reduced to 2361. It would also appear
that as it was still necessary for Payne and Wise to get
some goods and enable them to carry on their trade, they
applied to Mr. Daniels, the prosecutor, who, before he
consented to deal with them, wanted a reference. Payne
referred them to Wells and Drake, and, notwithstanding
Wells's knowlege of Payne and Wise's affairs, he gave them
a good character, stating them to he solvent, to have a good
business, and as having regularly paid his firm. In con-
sequence of that recommendation Mr. Daniels supplied
Payne and Wise with a considerable quantity of
goods, the greatest part of which never were pail
for. It would also be proved that after the goods
had been so sold to Payne and Wise, on Wells's recom-
mendation, they were transferred from Payne and Wise's
shop to Wells and D:ake's, and the consequence was :hat
Wells and Drake's debt against Payne anti Wise w..•is paid,
to the injury of the prosecutor and the other creditors ;
fuel, in order to enable Payne and Wise to make an appa-
rent show of stock, Air. Wells sent. him a number of
" dummies," which were so made up of straw and other
rubbish covered over as to have all the appearance of
pieces of cloth.

The case was proceeding when our reporter left.

Iu the Court of Exchequer this morning, Mr.
CORBETT recovered 1001. damages against the Times for a
libel inserted on the sth Janu iry last. The libel stated
thrt Mr. CORBETT was an uncertificated bankrupt,
and consequently could not take his seat in the House of
Commons.

ELECTION FOR ALDERMAN FOR PORT-
SOI:EN WARD.—The numbers at the close of th poll
yesterday were—For Mr. SCALES, 121 ; for Mr. JOHN-
soN, 52—Majority for Mr. SCALES, 69. Party feeling
ran so high, that two respectable inhabitants of the Ward
had a regular battle near the Loan MAYOR. Mr. SCALES
entreated his friends not to relax their exertions. He
referred at sonic length to the proceedings at the last
election. The LORD MAYOR here expressed some impa-
tience at being detained, as he had previously arranged
that no speaking was to take place on that day. Mr.
SCALES begged his Lordship's pardon, and expressed him-
self grateful for his Lordship's condescension in stopping,
as his presence added so much dignity to his speech, ,vhich
in his absence it would want.—(Cheers and lau4hter.)

LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, JUNE 26.
—We Live had a most spirited demand for cotton tv-day.
The sales reach 12,000 bags, one-half nn speculation, at an
advance of ed. on the prices of yesterday, and of on
those of the preceding week.

The military sinecure of Governor of Land-
guard Fort r-mains vac int by the demise of Lieutenant•
General Sir ROBERT BROWNRIGG.

Only three of the arches of Waterloo-bridge
are now passible, even in a wherry, at low water.

The custom of giving the Author a Night
is revived at the Queen's, the spirited Manager of which
has accorded Mr. REDE a benefit on Wednesday next (3d
July), in consequence of the success of " Faith and False-
hood."

Mr. PARKER gave n,,tiee on Wednesday of a
motion for the next Committee of Supply, " That a copy
of the printed re7orts of thc, Public C ,mmittees of this
House he sent to every vii.y or town in the United King-
dom, which returns P. Member or Alemb,rs to Parliament,
for the use of some public library or other suitable institu-
tion therein."

There has been lately exhibited in the Palace
of the rfamedo, at St. Peteisburgli, a State bed, constructed
it the Royal manufactory by order of the EMPEROR, to be
sent as a present to the Schab at PERSIA. It is formed
of solid crystal, resplendent with silver ornaments. It is
ascended by seeps of blue glass, and has a fountain under-
neath, so contrived as to throw out on each side jets of
odoriferous waters. The effect when the chamber is lighted
tip is absolutely dazzling, as it has the appearance of my-
riads of diamonds.— Galignani's Messenger.

FEES.—The amount of fees received in the
Treasury far the year ending 1832 was 14,0481. 17s. 11d.
the whole of which was applied in the payment of the
established salaries of the department. In ,be Home office
the amount of fees for t',e same period was 15,1931. 74. yd. ;
the allowance from the Post-office, as a compensation
formerly enjoyed by the clerks of thin office for franking
newspapers to Ireland, 1,25,0;.. and half the profits of the
London Gazettc in 1831, 3,6381. 3s. 9d. The whole
amount was expended between the fee funds of the Foreign
and Colonial. offices, and the payment of the salaries of the
Home Department. The fees in the Foreign-office were
10,6451. Os. 10,1., expended in a similar manner. The
lees in the Colonial Department were 10,3761. 16s. 6d,
expended of which, in salaries i❑ the establishment,
10,0711. ss. 10d. The fees received in the Privy
Council-office were 14,8141. 53. 2d., almost entirely en
Account of fees received on the release of vessels ft%,m
quarantine during the chulei a.