The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-07 00:00:00

Index No.,
Population inlAnnual Value, or Claim to
Counties. 1851. of Property. Represen-
tation.
- --- _
Bedfordshire .. • • 1'12.600 £5•17,000 63
Berkshire.. • • • 1.25,000 716,000 90
Bucking-ham inire.. 1'15,000 6'87,000 80
Aberdeenshire .. 1'30,000 5'05,000 43
Antrim .. .. .. 2'31,000 5•11.000 80
Armagh 19'6,000 28'8,000 51
Allinglesea .. .. . • 4'4,000 15'6,000 24
;Cities & Boroughs.
Aylesbury .. .. 2'6,000 12'0,000 14
Ashton-un.-Lyne.. 2'9,000 10/,000 13
Blackburn .. .. 4•6,000 18'1,000 22
Birmingham .. .. 21W,000 11'08,000 134
Boston .. .. .. 1'7,000 71,000 9
Aberdeen (city) .. 7'1,000 26.8,000 34
Armagh do, .. 8,856 23,000 3
Belfast .. .. • • 7'8,000 28'4,000 3G
Beaumaris .. .. 1'2,000 3'5,000 1
The above will be sufficient to show the principle
and results of this plan.
- - - _

As an interesting statistical inquiry I have calcu-
lated the index number or claim of each borough or
county, and the following summary of results may
be interesting :

Comparative -table, showing the index valuo of the
population and property which now returns one
member to Parliament (£lO,OOO of property and
10,000 population, being the unit of index value) :

Index Value of each 31. P.

In
'Counties,

In Total of Counties
Boroughs and Boroughs.

England and NVales
Scotland
Ireland ..

44 14
32
24 7

We are accustomed to consider, that if population
be admitted as an element of representation, Ireland
is not fully represented. The above table shows
that by uniting " population" with the " value of
property" (the best known standard of the intelli-
gence of a people) Ireland is really over-repre-
sented.

This plan aims to secure the, full and fair influence
of both elements—people and property. It can be
applied in any way, according to any scale ; it
simply acknowledges that people and property, the
very objects of representation, should be fairly
taken ; and where large numbers of people exist,
as in some parts of Ireland, without a correspond-
ing amount of property, that they should lose their
proportionate share of representation.—l am, Sir,
your obedient servant,

DAVID CHADWICK.
Borough Treasurer's-office, Town-hall,
Salford, April 5.

TILE FRENCH NA rr.

An eminent shipwright of Bordeaux has pre-
sented to the Emperor the model of a gunboat con-
structed on a system to be propelled without steam.
The Emperor has approved the model, and has
commanded the inventor to build a gunboat accord-
ing to his plan.
The steel-plated frigate Normandie, launched at
Cherbourg on the 10th of March, is being prepared
for sea with the utmost despatch. It is expected
that her trial will throw great light on the efficacy,
during a maritime war, of ships cased in a species
of cuirass.

The Toulon fleet has sailed, but not on a political
mission as was asserted by the French papers, but
merely to exercise the crews, and to try some new
naval manwuvres suggested by the Emperor. The
Toulon fleet, which is now at anchor in the roads
off the islands of Hyeres, is commanded by Admiral
de Tinan, and is composed of the screw ship of the
lino Bretagne, bearing his flag; the• screw ship
Donauwerth, bearing the flag of Admiral Jehenne,
and the screw ships Alexandre, Eylau, and St.
Louis. Admiral de Tinan is to be reinforced by
the Brest fleet, commanded by Admiral Paris, corn •
posed of three ships of the line—the steam-frigate
Foudre, now: at Nice, and by the steel-plated fri-
gates the Gloire and the Normandie.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY INTO THE STATE
OF THE GEXERAL POST-OFFICE.

In consequence of the statements recently made
public as to the inefficient working of the circula-
tion department of the General Post-office, a com-
mission has been appointel to inquire into the facts
of the case. The commis3ioners are daily engaged
during the hours of duty at the chief department
in St. Martin's-le-Grand in collecting information
by personal inspection and by association with the
officers, the whole of whom have been invited to
furnish information in conformity with the follow-
ing minute (5,613)

" To THE OFFICERS OP THE CIRCULATING DEPARTMENT.
it The Postmaster-General having appointed a commis-
sion to inquire into the working of the circulation depart-
ment of the General Post-office, the committee is prepared
to receive from the officers of that department any sugges-
tions, in writing, which they may wish to make. Should
any class or separate section of clerks, sorters, or messen-
gers, or letter-catriers, attached either to the chief district,
or suburban offices, desire to make observations on the re-
lative positions and duties of the men employed in that
class or section, the committee is ready to-receive any dele-
gates whom the classes or sections may choose to put for-
ward. In such case the names of the delegates must be
previously communicated to the committee through the
Controller of the Circulation Department, not later than
the 21st inst.
" General I'ost-office, April 5, 1860."

S,ILE OF TILE L()RD MA Y 0 STATE

BARGE.

Thursday 'Messrs. Pullen and Son, by order of the City
Lands' Committee of the Corporation of London, put up to
auction the Lord Mayor's state barge, at Messrs. Searle's
yard, 'Westminster-bridge, where she had been moored for
some days past. She was built by Mr. Searle in the year
1807, at a cost of .2,000; and was launched from his yard
on the 9th of June in that year. Her length is 85 feet, her
breadth 13 feet 8 inches, and she is constructed of British
eat.. He': inventory incluclod 26 silk curtains, table and
velvet covers, carpets, the state chair, .0 oars, nagstam,
&c. ; and the grand saloon is extensively fitted with plate
glees, and ornamented with carved and gilt pilaster scroll-
work and other decorations. The stern, as is well known,
is richly gilt, and has on it the City Arms and large figures
of Neptune with his trident, and a Nereid. Among the
conditions of sale there was a stipulation that the purchaser
of the "barge" should deposit ss. in the pound in part
payment, and should pay the remainder of the purchase
money within six days after the sale. The property was
offered in one lot. The auctioneer, having stated the cir-
cumstances which led the committee of the corporation to
part with the vessel, and which was in consequence of the
procession by water having been done away with, asked fur
a biddinr. After a pause the sum of £2O was named. For
some time there was an active competition. Eventually it
was knocked down for £1.05. The competition for the civic
relic was between some gentlemen connected with the boat
clubs of the University of Oxford and with the City of
London, these wanting to make use of it for a pleasure boat
or a boat of excursion on the Thames. It was won by the
latter.

A VALUABLE WIT:i ESS.—At the Norfolk assizes
on Tuesday, a .•.,i..her ludicrous incident varied the mono-
tony' e.l.;.te,vii: ease which occupied the court for two days.
One of the witnesses called by Mr. Sergeant Parry on behalf
of the plaintiff was Mr. C. F. Gale, solicitor of Cheltenham,
who, on condo° into the box, declined to answer any ques-
tion until hilliad received his expenses.—viz., £3 3s. per
day for loss of time and travelling charges at Is, per mile.
Mr . Gale stated that he had passed six days in Norwich,
waiting for tho case to cone before tho court, awl he
claimed £29 Its , of which he had received .E,5 on account
before leaving home. 'llw associate said the witness could
only claim £1 Is. per day, and oh actual travelling charges.
Mr. Gale contended that he was entitled to £3 3s. per day
when he was away from home. Eventually the Court
ordered that he should receive £1 Is. per day for eight days
and his travelling expenses, including an allowance of £(1
for railway fares, in all about .CIC. As no arrangement had
been xnade for payment at the moment, Mr. Gale was
directed to leave the box, arid another witness was called.
Shortly afterwards he we* again presented for examination,
upon which he raised the objection that he was still unpaid.
After some little delay, a check for the balance due to the
witness was handed to him, and he then consented to be
examiled: In reply to a question, whether he had made
any communication to Mr. Hamilton, his town agent, with
reference the will, the validity of which was disputed,
he said fto
believed he had not, and Mr. Hamilton did not
recollectriiT enanything being said on the subject. Mr. Sergeant
, amid much laughter, observed that he sup-
posed the witaess could not afford any information on the
retetler, to which he replied, I told them I could not tell
anything Norwich," they
about it when subpoenaed me to

• ~ "►

~~

LATEST NEWS.

The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Reuter's office :

PARIS, APRIL 7.

The Moniteur of this morning announces that
the Minister for Foreign Affairs, M. Thouyenel,
has informed the Municipality of Thonon of the
intention of the Emperor to protect the commer-
cial interests of Faucigny and Chablais by establish-
ing a commercial zone in their favour similar to
that for Gex.

MADRID, APRIL 6.

The Commander of Alcanis has announced to
Government that five persons have been arrested
at Calanda, and that he believes one of them to be
General Ortega.

Tranquillity prevails everywhere. It is asserted
that the Emperor of Morocco has ratified the bases
of the treaty of peace.

MADRID, APRIL 6.
Three personages of the highest rank have been
arrested with General Ortega at Calanda.

BUCHAREST, APRIL 5.

The news published by some Paris papers that
Prince George Stirbey, eldest son of the former
Hospadar of Wallachia, had been arrested for high
treason is unfounded.

PARIS, APRIL 6.

The reported negotiations for the conclusion of
an offensive and defensive treaty between France
and Denmark are contradicted by the following
official facts :

M. Dotezac, Minister of France at Copenhagen,
was recalled in the month of December. Baron
Baudin, bis successor, is still in Paris, and will only
leave, to take possession of his post, a month hence.
On the other side Baron Derkink Holmfeld, Danish
Minister at Paris, was recalled two months ago,
and is about to be replaced by Count Moltke. Baron
Derkink Holmfeld will deliver his letters of recall
after the Easter holidays.
It is therefore evident that such important nego-
tiations could not be commenced between the two
Cabinets at the very moment when their representa-
tives are recalled, and when their successors have
not entered upon their functions.

FRANCE.

PARIS, FRIDAY.

It is believed that the Government has taken into
consideration the proposition for a treaty of navi-
gation with Great Britain. The Government is
likewise actively engaged with the construction of
railways in Algeria. It proposes to contract with
public companies for the completion of three lines :
—l. From the sea to Constantine ; 2. From Algiei s
to Blidah ; 3. From St. Denis-du-Sig to Oran, with
a continuation to the port. The capital not to ex-
ceed 58,000,000 f., of which the Government will
advance 6,000,000 f. as a bonus to the contracting
company. The Government will further guarantee
5 per cent, on the capital subscribed, to commence
10 years after the date of the concession. The Go-
vernment will, moreover, grant a lease of 99 years
to the contracting company.
Admiral Baudin, who has been lately appointed
to the command of the Marine Department at Al-
giers, has quitted Paris to take possession of his
post.

The new Sugar Bill appears to have been objeeted
to by the French refiners as fixing at too high a rate
per cent. the yield which is to enable the exporter
to claim the restitution of the duty paid on the raw
article when brought to France. At present that
rate is fixed at 75 per cent. for inferior qualities,
and at 78 per cent, for the better kinds. The bill
proposes to raise those figures to 80 and. 83 per
cent. respectively, and it is that change which is
objected to. The Constitutionnel supports the op-
posite view of the question, and maintains that the
French sugar refiners need not fear to compete ost
such conditions with any rivals in foreign markets.
The Constitutionnel says :—" The administrative
organisation of Savoy and Nice required some pre-
liminary examination ; and the task of making it
has been confided to two functionaries of acknow-
ledged talent. M. Pietri, senator, was selected for
Nice; while the journey of M. Laity, senator, to
Chambery was for a similar purpose."
BoußsE, April6.—The market is steady, with a
limited amount of business. The dividends of 67f,
on the Orleans and 17f. 50c. on the Western shares
have been deducted to-day. Threes, after having
been done at 69f. 90c. and 70f. 5c., receded to 69f.
95c. ; Mobilier have varied from 790 f. to 797 f.
50c. ; Austrian, 530 f. to 532 f. 50c. ; Orleans, 1,360 f.
to 1,367 f. 50c. ex div. ; Western, 570 f. to 575 f. ex
div. ; Lyons, 925 f. to 927 f. 50c.; Southern, 520 f.
to 525 f. The following are the last quotations :-
41 per Cents. .... 96 Credit Foncier 765
Do. end month .. 96 I Belgian 4}
3 per Cents. 7O Piedmontese (5)
Do. end month.... 69 95 , Roman
Bank Shares
Credit MEbilier .. 791 25 Spanish Threes
Do. Account
RAILWAYS.

Cash. Account.
Orleans
Northern 961 25 .. 960
New ditto 866 25 .. 867 50
Lyons and Mediterranean 927 50 .. 922 50
Geneva 432 50 .„ 432 50
Southern
Western 565 .. 571 25
Eastern
Sardiniam.
Austrian
Lombard ..
Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 14c.; money,
251. 13e. ; three months, paper, 241. 85c. ; money, 24f 8210.