The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-31 00:00:00

TUE INQUEST.

The inquest upon the_ body of Mrs. Barnes took
place yesterday (Tuesday), at the New Inn, Belper.
The evidence given was substantially in accordance
with the facts published by us yesterday. The inquiry
was adjourned over till this morning.

FORGERIES ON THE YORKSHIRE
BANKING COMPANY.

LEEDS, DEC. 30.—An extensive forgery has just
been brought to light in this locality. From what has
transpired within the last few days it is evident that
forged notes of the Yorkshire Banking Company
(which has branches in most of the large towns of
Yorkshire) have been rather extensively circulated.
Last Friday two men, named Jones and Jackson,
were committed for trial from Bradford on five sepa-
rate charges of having uttered these notes, and in all,
so far as can be ascertained, twenty 51. notes have been
passed in that town alone.
On Saturday last Inspector Granham, of the Leeds
police, having obtained information as to other par-
ties supposed to have paid forged' notes at Leeds,
proceeded to Sheffield, and in a public house there
apprehended three men, one of whom was identified
by two Leeds tradesmen (who accompanied him), as
the man who had paid them each a 51. forged note on
Christmas Eve. On the same evening a great number
of other forged notes were also paid in Leeds.
The three men apprehended are named James
Ellis, Edward Marshall, and John Green. They were
brought to Leeds yesterday (Monday), and underwent
a long examination before Ralph Markland, Esq., and
C. E Macleod, Esq., two borough magistrates.
Mr. Eddison, solicitor, of Leeds, appeared to pro-
secute, and Mr. Wainwright, solicitor, of Wakefield,
for the prisoners.
Mr. Inspector Granlam produced a large quantity
of tea, some silk handkerchiefs, and other articles,
which had been found on Sunday in a hones in York-
street, Leeds, and these articles are what appear to
have been purchased by the parties who paid the
forged notes in Leeds on Christmas Eve. As far as
has been ascertained, all the notes paid in Leeds were
passed off on the some evening (namely, on the 24th
inst.), and almost at the same time. Not more than
two hours seemed to have elapsed between the first
though they were made in
i)
adifferentymh ee
evening named Mr. William Malkin, a grocer, in
Boar lane, received a forged Si. note in payment for
half a pound of tea and two ounces of tobacco, the
value of which together was 2s. hid., and he iden-
tifiednt evidencepaarntds ntfh
the prisoner James Ellis as the man who paid
him the note. produced
lhea
tso4 v n.
went to show that on the
T

Mr. John Birdsell, a grocer, at Timble Bridge, re-
ceived a similar note in payment for some tea and
coffee, amounting to 3s. 6d., and he identified the
prisoner Marshall as the man who paid him it.
Mr. Samuel Firth, draper, Marsh-lane, identified
the prisoner Ellis as the man who paid him a similar
forged note (purporting, like the others, to be of the
Doncaster branch),
in payment for a black silk hand-
kerchief, the price of which was 4s. 6d.
Mr. James Winpenny, grocer, of Timble Bridge,
stated that on the same evening he also received a
similar note from the prisoner Ellis, in payment for
half a pound of tea.
Mr. William Hill, draper, Kirkgate, indentified
Marshall as the man who paid him a similar note
likewise on the same evening in
payment for a silk
handkerchief and muffler, value Bs. 6d.
Mrs. Mary Greenwood;
of Hanslet-lane, grocer ;
Mr. Henry Exley, grocer, Marsh-lane ; Mr. Peter
Whitelock, goocer, Upper Head• row, each produced
forged 51. notes of the some bank, which they had
received the same evening in payment of small sums
of 23. and 3s. each ; but though they spoke to Ellis
and Marshall as like the men who paid them, they
could not speak positively to their identity.
The prisoner Ellis was also sworn to as having paid
another forged 51. note to Alr. R. Glover, of the Wel-
lington Hotel, in payment for a glass of grog.
Ann Hickman, the person in whose house the pro-
perty bought was found, and who is also the mother-
in-law of the prisoner Ellis, stated that she
never saw the prisoner at her house, and that the
articles found there, and produced by spector Gran-
ham, had been left with her daughter, when she
was out.

Avarilla Hickman, daughter of the previous witness,
said that the goods were left on Christmas Eve in a
box, by a man who wore a drab topcoat, but who
was stouter than any of the prisoners; that she never
saw the prisoner Ellis at her mother's house on that
night ; that the man who left the goods said his name
was Ellis, and that she had told the inspector of
police so.
Mr. W. Cooper, manages of the Doncaster branch
of the Yorkshire Bank, said he had examined all the
notes produced (nine in number), and he pronounced
them to be forgeries. The signatures to the notes
had been lithographed and then inked over. The
general appearance of the notes very much resembled
the genuine ones, but there were some important
defects in the German text "Y," in " Yorkshire,"
and the plate from which the forged notes had been
taken was also more than a quarter of an inch shorter
than the plate from which the genuine notes were
obtained.

This being all the evidence at present, Ellis and
Marshall were committed for trial at the next York
assizes; and Green was remanded to Thursday, when
it is expected evidence against him will also be pro-
duced.

FATAL ACCIDENT FROM A GUN.-0a Friday Mr.
Joseph Bentall, of the Green Shutter farm, Prittlewell, took
his gun, a double-barrelled one, and his dog, stating he
should go into the fields, look for a hare, and return about
four o'clock. Not returning at the time, the workmen of the
farm searched the fields. Abtut nine o'clock deceased was
found lying on his face, in a field near his brother's house,
with a handkerchief round his head. Life was extinct. It
vas discovered that the skull vas fractured, and part blOwn
away, evidently from the discharge of a gun, which ap-
peared not to have taken instantaneous fatal effect, as the
deceased had taken off his necKerchief and bound it tightly
round his head, to stop the hemorrhage, and had put on his
pocket-handkerchief also. This was done in a rough man-
ner, as if his strength was failing. Deceased had proceeded
about 80 yards towards his brother's house from the spot
where the accident appeared to have happened before he
fell, and hag passed through a small pond, leaving marks of
blood, where he had evidently struggled to get out on the
other side. It is thought ho sad shot a hare, one being
found in his pocket, and while reloading his gun the other
barrel went off. His dog was found lying beside him,—
Essex Herald.

MONMOUTHSHIRE AND GLAMORGANSHIRE BANK-
ING COMPANY.-A petition has been presented to the
Court of Chancery praying that the winding-up of the
affairs of this bank, which lately failed, may be referred for
settlement to the Commissioners of the Bristol District Court
of Bankruptcy, notwithstanding that the Act of Parliament
for winding-up joint stock companies provides that these
matters, which involve numerous nice questions in law and
equity, shall be referred exclusively to the Masters in Chan-
cery. The principal reason alleged for the proposed refe-
rence is on the ground of convenience to the parties locally
interested, for which purpose, under the Act, a Master Ex-
traordinary in Chancery may be appointed.

EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1851.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, DEC. 30.
The Queen walked in the Rome-park and Slopes
this morning.
The Prince of \Vales, the Princess Royal, and
younger members of the Royal family, took their
usual pony and walking exercise.
His Royal highness Prince Albert went out shoot-
ing this morning, accompanied by Prince Nicholas
of Nassau, Baron Bentinck, and Lord Cowley. Col.
Bouverie attended on Prince Albert, and Baron lladeln
on Prince Nicholas of Nassau.

At the Royal table last evening at the Castle were
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, his Serene
Highness Prince Nicholas of Nassau, the Lady in
Waiting to her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,
the Baroness de Speth, the Baron Bentinck, Lord and
Lady Cowley, the Right Hon. H. Labouchere, Baron
Hadeln, and Baron Roggenback.
The band of the Grenadier Guards attended during
dinner and played the following selection :
Overture, " Belisario"
Waltz, "Die Industriellen"
Selection from " Cenerentola"
Carnival de Venise Paganini.
Erinnerung an Lucille Grahn, polka
Her Majesty's private band afterwards attended
and performed—
The Overture " Zerline" .. Auber.
Finale, Ist Act " Euryanthe"
Choiur et March du Ikeuf Apis " L'ln-
fant Prodigue"
Dense Bohemienne

Earl Granville, the Queen's Principal Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, held a diplomatic levee at
four o'clock yesterday afternoon at the Foreign-office,
Downing-street.
The reception was attended by the Ambassador of
France (Count Walewski), the Ministers of Belgium
(M. Van de Weyer), Buenos Ayres (M. Moreno),
Bavaria (Baron de Cetto), Russia (Baron Brunnow),
Prussia (Chevalier Bunsen), Sweden and Norway
(Baron de Rehausen), United States of America (Mr.
Abbott Lawrence), Greece (M. Tricoupi), Turkey
(M. i\lusurus), Austria (Count Buol), Portugal (Count
de Lavradio), Brazils (Chevalier de ➢lacedo), Naples
and the Two Sicilies (Prince Carini), Persia (Sheffee
Khan) ; and by the Charg6s d'Affaires of Peru (M.
Rivero), Denmark (M. de Bielke), Spain (M.
Comyn), Sardinia (the Marquis Oldoini), Guatemala
and Costa Rica (M. Wallerstein and Colonel Facio).
Their Excellencies appeared in their respective
diplomatic costumes, and such as are members of
Orders of Knighthood wore their respective insignia.
The reception was concluded at half- past five o'clock.

NATIONAL MERCANTILE LIFE
ASSURANCE SOCIETY. '
Yesterday the ordinary annual meeting of this so-
ciety was held at the London Tavern, when a report
from the directors was read to the members. The re-
port stated that the office was in a very satisfactory
position, the amount of the sums assured during the
year ending 30th September, 1851, amounting to
178,037/. 10s. 5d., showing an increase upon the year
1850 of 19,221/. 163. sd. The amount of the claims
by deaths during the year 1850 was 11,3041. 7s. td.;
whereas during the past year they only amounted to
4,6941. 135., showing a diminution in favour of 1811
of the sum of 6,6091. 143. 7d. The report of the di-
rectors was received and adopted, and the business
terminated.

In the evening the anniversary of the establishment
of the society was celebrated by a dinner at the same
place, which was presided over by Mr. Robert Wil-
coxon, and attended by the directors, the principal
officers, and a considerable number of the friends of
the institution.

After the customary loyal and patriotic toasts had
been duly honoured,
The CHAIRMAN proposed the toast of the evening,
" Prosperity to the National Mercantile Assurance
Society." He said that, as chairman of the Life
Board, he should confine his observations to that
department of the business with which he was con-
nected. That company was established in 1838, by
a few noble-minded commercial travellers, who thought
it most desirable that an assurance office should be set
on foot, to which their own class could particulariv
resort. During the past year the losses sustained by
the company amounted to a sum under 5,000/. ; and
their income had considerably increased. The whole
of the losses of the society, since its establishment in
1838 up to the present time, by the decease of mem-
bers, amounted only to the sum of 48,0001., and
their present annual income amounted to upwards of
42,0001.—a sum of itself nearly sufficient to pay the
whole of the claims on account of deaths which had
arisen since the commencement of their office.—
(Hear, hear.) Independent of that, the amount which
had accrued to the company, through the lapse of
policies which unfortunate members had not been able
to continue, was highly satisfactory. The flourishing
position of the office was in a great measure attributable
to the care and pru fence exercised both by the medical
officers and by the directors of the institution in the
selection of sound lives. The present year had been
one of great change to the office. Since the Ist of
January, 1851, the nature and composition of the
company had been altogether altered. They had
thrown off the trammels of a proprietary and be-
come a mutual life assurance office—(Hear, hear)—
and he thought they would admit that that was a step
in the right direction. Since the establishment of
the office the directors had not litigated a single claim,
but had met every liability cheerfully and promptly,
and he trusted they would long continue to do the
same. It depended upon the body of commercial
travellers of England to make their own property
treble its present value, and by their influence and
their zeal the National Mercantile Assurance Society
might soon be made one of the most useful, as well us
most successful assurance caul in the kingdom.
Mr. TRAPE (one of the members of the Fire
Board) said that, although his branch of the office
was only now in its infancy, it was steadily progress-
ing in importance; and it was in the power of the
commercial travellers to place the fire business in an
(pal position with the life department. lie con-
cluded by proposing " The health of the body of com-
mercial travellers."

Mr. CARTER briefly returned thanks ; after which
Mr. LAWSON gave " The health of Mr. Robert
Wilcoxon," the chairman, on whom he passed a high
eulogium for his valuable services to the company.
The CHAIRMAN acknowledged the toast, and pro-
posed the like compliment to Mr. Jenkin Jones, the
secretary. _ _ .

Mr. JONES; in returning thanks, alluded to the re-
mark of the chairman as to the number of lapsed
policies. It was true that these contingencies were
very profitable to a proprietary office; but he con-
sidered that the object of a mutual office should be
to render every man's policy, no matter what his cir-
cumstances might be, of the greatest possible value to
him ; and if he should be unable. through misfortune,
to keep up his payments, he should not be compelled
to forfeit all his interest in the institution on that
account.

Various other toasts of a complimentary character
followed, including " The healths of the Directors,"
" The Local Agents," and " The Medical Officers,"
and the company separat€d at an early hour, having
spent a very harmonious and convivial evening.

COLLISION.—THE BLENHEIM AND TRAFALGAR
STEAMERS.—About the time of high water—half-past twelve
o'clock on Thursday a serious collision took place, at the
entrance of the Clarence Dock, between the City of Dublin
steamer Trafalgar and the Belfast Company's steamer Blen-
heim. The Trafalgar was engaged in warping into the
Clarence Dock Basin, being properly secured by the usual
cable, guide rope, &c., when, as she was half round the north
corner of the gate, the Blenheim was observed approaching
the Clarence Dock along the walls of the Stanley and Col-
lingwood. From some cause which remains to be explained,
she was not able to slacken her speed in time, or to steer
wide of the Trafalgar, and she struck that vessel violently is
the quarter with her paddle-box, staving in her stem lights,
knocking down her wheel, and seriously injuring other of
her upper work—however, as thus far ascertained, doing no
injury below. So violent was the shock that the cable—a
nine. inch one—upon which the Trafalgar was twisting in.
was broken, and the vessel impelled against the south wall
of the dock entrance, seriously damaging her head and cut-
water. The injury done to the Trafalgar will, we learn, cost
at least a couple of hundred pounds, with a fortnight or
three weeks' detention in port to repair, in all from 3001. to
5001. The Blenheim is herself much injured, having her
paddle-wheel destroyed, and her steering gear displaced.—
Liverpool Times.
THE RAWMARSH COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—The ad-
journed inquest was resumed yesterday. The important
feature in the proceedings was the examination of the Go-
vernment inspector, whose opinion appeared to be that, as
some short time before the accident there had been a fall of
coal in the mine, a quantity of gas had been liberated, and
that coming in contact with one of the lighted candles used
by the men it had exploded. The inquiry had not terminated
when our account was sent off.

THE COLLIERY EXPLOSION NEAR WIGAN. - The
adjourned inquest was resumed yesterday at Hindly. The
Government inspector gave his opinion as to the state of the
mine, and the inquiry, which seemed likely to be protracted
to a late hour, was proceeding when our report left.

ANTI-TEETOTAL ROOKS.—Some time ago, in con-
sequence of being too much protected in this district, while
they were severely dealt with elsewhere, the rooks became
so numerous amongst us, and so destructive to all manner of
crops, that the pest was intolerable. In Annandale espe-
cially the mischief done was enormous. A poor hind went
out ono morning, and found his young potato crop completely
gone ; he returned to his cottage, and sat down and cried in
vexation. How to abate the nuisance became a serious ques-
tion. One yeoman steeped barley in whisky, and scattered
it in one of their places of resort, and then sallied out with a
nung to do for the tipsy vermin. A lot of ten or a dozen of
them were sitting, as glorious as a circle of bellies at a cor-
poration dinner, nodding to one another with such antics,
sad tumbling over so fantastically, that our stout-hearted
friend became too generous to take advantage of the drunken
were.—Dumfries Herald.
squad ; and so he let them go, rogues in grain" though they

GAME OE CHESS BETWEEN ENGLAND AND BE L-
caum.—BRUSSELS, DEC. 28.—This game, which has excited
so much interest and attention has been gained by the Bri-
tish champion, Sir John Deacon, who beat his adversary, M.
Michaels, the Belgian champion, by 7 to 3. —Jeurnut du
Commerce d'Anvers, Dec. 29.

TRIAL TRIP of the CLARENCE STEAMER.
(From the Liverpool Standard of yesterday.)
Yesterday we had the pleasure of witnessing the
trial trip of a new steamer of 380 tons burden, the
Clarence, built by by Mr. Laird, for the Clarence
River Company of Australia, of which Mr. Lambert
—a gentleman extensively connected with the General
Screw Steam-ship Company—is the agent in this
town, which is intended to ply in the coasting trade,
with passengers and produce, wool, &c , between the
Clarence River and Sydney. For this trade the
great requirem( nts were a light draught of water,
strength, and carrying powers—speed not being so
much regarded. Yet Mr. Laird has not only supplied
the former in his model, but has furnished at the
same time a vessel which, as tested yesterday, com-
bines very great speed with her other indispensable
qualities. The Clarence is an iron ship, strongly
built, with a good breadth of beam, as may be in-
ferred from what we have already
said as to carrying
capabilities being a leading desideratum. She has a
poop deck, and very neat cabin arrangements, both
fore and aft, capable of accommodating about forty
passengers, and leaving ample room for stowage of
cargo. Her precise dimensions are as follow .
Length •••
••• 150 feet.
Beam .. 23 feet.
Tonnage... 380 tons old measurement.
She is calculated to carry about 250 tons of measure-
ment goods; and, with her coals, engine, and cargo
to draw from 7 to 73- feet. Her coals, which
we have stated at 90 tons in her engine-room, it is
estimated will carry her 2,000 miles. Her require-
ments however in her regular trade, when she reaches
her destination in Australia, will only be for about
800 miles, thus leaving an ample allowance for bad
weather, and the inkrior quality of coal which she
will have to use. In making this estimate of her
consumption of coal which, as experienced yesterday,
is only about nine cwt. an hour, which will appear a
small consumption to those who are acquainted with
steam navigation, it is proper to inform our readers
that the Clarence yesterday consumed a description of
coal from the Coed Talon Mine, in North Wales,
which is only beginning to be introduced to this lo-
cality.
This coal is supplied from the Coed Talon and
Leesewood collieries, near Islold, North Wales, which
extend over 1,300 acres, and were opened about 30
years ago. They form part of the Flintshire coal-
field, the main seam of which is nine feet thick, and
surrounded by .50 other beds of coal and form of iron-
stone. The Coed Talon coal, from its flaky texture,
speedily disintegrates into flat masses, burning with
little intumescence, and scarcely any tendency to ag-
glatination. This property allows a free passage to
the air, favours rapid combustion, and causes the
' exhibition of an exceedingly brilliant light. Its
prompt and rapid action adapts it in a remarkable
meaner for the consumption of steam-vessels, while
its great size and strength render it peculiarly suit-
able for bearing transportation, and resisting the
effects of a warm moist temperature. It tells to great
advantage in tubular boilers, keeping the tubes very
clean and free from soot. Besides being on the list of
coals taken by the British Admiralty for the use of the
Government steamers, it is included in the Hon. East
India Company's contracts, and used extensively by
the American steamers running between New York
and Chagres, by the Austrian Lloyds', the Brazilian,
and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Companies, all of whom speak highly of its qualities
for steam purposes. The collieries are about 30 miles
from Birkenhead, the port of shipment, and the coal is
delivered in railway waggons direct from the pit's
mouth, thus avoiding all breakage and loss of weight
from change of carriage.
On a previous trial trip of this steamer, of five
hours' sailing, with the same coal, not a particle of
clinker was found to adhere to the bars, and, on this
occasion, they were observed to be perfectly clean.
The engines have been put in by Messrs. Fawcett
and Preston, of this town, and do high credit to those
well-known makers. In fact, they have on this oc-
casion surpassed all their previous efforts, and pro-
duced a model, which, we trust, will attract to Liver-
pool once more a trade which, a while ago, we thought
with others was deserting us. They are side lever
engines with tubular boilers. The cylinders are 42
inches in diameter. The stroke is 4 feet 6; and new,
and, of course, stiff as the machinery is, they attained
(luring the trip yesterday a speed of 2.5 storkes per
minute, which, it is expected, will reach 28 strokes, as
the vessel had steam to spare during the whole of the
time, and worked most of it with the furnace doors
only half closed. Her wheel is 19 feet in diameter ;
and she carries 90 tons of coal in the engine-room.
The nominal power of the two engines is 120 horse ;
and, with water in the boilers, their weight does not
exceed 15 cwt. per horse power. This is attributable
to the mode of fixing, which can only be adopted
in iron built vessels. The working parts are of
wrought iron ; they are bedded upon the
iron kelsall of the ship, and the frames
built in upon the iron beams of the ship, thus saving
all necessity of stays, and at the same time, from
the rigidity of the beams to which they are attached,
producing less vibration than we ever experienced in
any other steamer. In appearance below the engines
resemble more the skeleton movements of a watch, as
compared with one of the old cumbrous construction,
than anything else we can liken them to. The
vacuum of the condenser is from 27i to 28 inches.
The Clarence started on her trial trip from her
moorings in the Sloyne about 10.30, and proceeded
down the river, part of the time at half-speed, to the
Rock Lighthouse, which we passed at 56 minutes
past 10. From this point her time wits as follows :
b. m.
Crosby Lightship ll 21
Formby Lightship
Bell Buoy ll 56
making a distance of nine knots and two-thirds in an
hour, with an adverse tide of a knot and a half part of
the trip, equal to a performance of 12l to 13 miles an
hour. From the Bell-buoy she steamed to the north-
west lightship, three and three-quarter knots in
20 minutas. The course was gone back again in
about the same time; and again to the lightship in a
little under 20 minutes, making the mean speed upon
the three trips of 13 miles per hour. It must be taken
into consideration that the vessel, whilst achieving so
gratifying a result to both her owners, her builders,
and the constructors of her engines, was not at all in
the state in which she is intended to sail when ar-
rived at her destined location, being at present
heavily sparred for the voyage out, the greater part
of which she will have to make under sail.
One of the most gratifying characteristics of the
Clarence we observed during this trial trip. Although,
as we have already observed, built with an eye to
strength, light draft of water, and carrying powers,
her lines below are beautiful, and particularly so in
the bows. These have a fine hollowing ; and hence
she makes no headwater, throwing it off her, in fact,
from her cutwater, and again from the lower part
of her bows, so that her wheels strike solid water,
instead of, as in some steamers, the top of a wave
of her own making. This feature was especially
remarked upon by her future Commander, Captain
Wiseuaan, as an evidence that not an atom of her
power was liable to be thrown away. As a proof of all
her capabilities being made to tell in moving through
the water, she leaves behind her, instead of a wake
like some vessels, scarcely a ripple.
This fine vessel is advertised to sail shortly for
Sydney, under the command of Captain Wiseman,
who has superintended her fitting out, and will, we
have no doubt, handle to the satisfaction of his
owners, and of whatever passengers may accompany
him, a vessel of which he has every reason to be proud.

OPINION OF THE FRENCH GOVERN-
MENT ON LORD PALMERSTON.
The lithograped correspondence of Havas, which is
a more than semi-official correspondence, as it is sent
to every Prefect in France by the Minister of the In-
terior, in lieu of daily dispatch, and which is sent to
a'most every French newspaper throughout the length
aid breadth of the country, and to most foreign Go
vernments and newspapers, contain the following ay-
preciation of the conduct of Lord Palmerston towards
the French Government. It says—
" The Ministerial revolutions which are accom•
plished on the other side of the Channel escape our
complete appreciation, as we are not competent to de-
termine the system or the man best suited to the hu-
mours or the interests of our neighbours. It is for
the Queen, the Parliament, the press, and the people
of the three kingdoms to discuss and to decide on
questions which may affect the composition of Ca-
binets. Such questions are purely English, of which
we, Frenchmen, should speak with great reserve,
under pain of falling into gross errors, such as those
of the limes, when it takes upon itself to judge
acts and the policy of our Government.
up in
" We will not, then, mix ourselves • the dis-
pute that has arisen amongst the London journals
office of Lord respecting the retirement from of the
d Pal-
merston. But as that A.l. • mister held
foreign affairs we have in offering the le
no scruple
tes-
timony of France concerning the relations of our Go-
the portfolio of
vernment with the chief of the Foreign-office.
vb eardn
reasonm cn t
" What we can affirm °Obis point is, that the Go-
oftothceomrprelasiidneonft oLf
othrde Republic has
enhetvhter
contrary,
afrarof
y,oftien it bae, whichheccdcaus waspraiseetoon
him*
“the
pint of
setting Europe on fire, was settled with a marvellous
facility, due as much to the loyal condescension of
Lord Palmerston as to the firmness of our Govern-
ment. On all occasions, we must say, the English
Minister has acted towards the Government of France
in the most noble and straightforward manner, and of
the violent and quarrelsome character which some
Governments wrongly or rightly attribute to him, no
trace can be found during the last three years in his
relations with France. •
"Endowed with superior intelligence, amounting
almost to second-sight, Lord Palmerston had foreseen
the great events which have snatched France from the
Abyss of Anarchy, And he received with lively and un.

disguised sympathy the act of the 2d of December•
This testimony, rendered by one of the most en-
lightened statesmen of Europe to the wisdom of the
resolutions of the Prince President, does honour, in
our eyes, to the English Minister, and adds to the
regret which his retirement causes us.
" We do not attribute to Lord Granville intentions
less amicable with regard to France. Lord Granville
has lived for a long time at Paris. He has married
a French lady. He is fond of our country, and the
speech which he made here on the occasion of the
Exhibition file: proves a lively desire to draw closer
the bonds which have united the two peoples. The
new Minister, then, will be for France a sincere and
true friend, such as Lord Palmerston was. But we
were not willing at the time of Lord Palmerston's
quitting the political scene to follow the ill example
of some of our journals, and refuse to him our marked
sympathy. This testimony will not fail Lord Gran-
ville, if one of those political crises, so frequent
amongst our neighbours, should deprive him of the
portfolio which his Sovereign has just confided to him."