The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 23, 1858

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT directly assessed should certainly be entitled to a
GARDEN, under the sole Management of Miss Louisal.
vote in the district wherein he resides.
Pyne and Mr. W. Harrison.—The public are respectfully
in-
formed that this new and el,:gant Theatre IS NOW OPEN, An educated man should. also have a voice in the
for the first ENGLISH OPERA SEASON THIS EVENING-
W.c. 23, when will be presented an entirely new and orlizinal.E national legislation. But we know many possess-
Opera, by Mr. W. Balfe, entitled SATANELLA ; or, THE
POWER. OF LOVE. ing high intelligence and sound judgment who have
Conductor—Mr. Alfred Mellon.
no means of publicly declaring their opinions. We
After which the National Anthem.
Commence at Seven, heard of a remarkable instance of this description
lately. A gentleman who took high honours in
one of the old universities, a barrister of consider-
able standing, and well known as a political writer,
is deprived of the franchise because he " resides"
outside the limits of the neighbouring borough, and
his rent is a mere fraction under £5O per annum.
The next topic is the gross inequality of the elec-
toral districts. Bad as it is when popu-
lation is regarded, it is still worse when
property is taken into consideration. Mr.
BRIGHT being in Scotland naturally accepted
Scotch measures, and he showed that Edinburgh
and Glasgow, returning only four members, possess
taxable property to the extent of £7,800,000, and
actually contribute to the support of the National
Establishments and the liquidation of the Public
Liabilities no less than £556,5 or £139,000 per
annum for each member ; whe a number of minor
boroughs, returning 126, and therefore possessing
thirty-one and a half times the political weight and
influence, only pay £568,000 or a little over £ll,OOO
more than Edinburgh and Glasgow—not much
more than £4,000 for each representative.
The Ballot, however, above and beyond all, is
the great matter on which the public mind is set.
It is the only way by which every corrupt influence
can be averted—by which parties can honestly
bestow their suffrages in favour of those
whom, in their heart and consciences, they
believe best qualified to represent their wants
and wishes. Any one who votes differ-
ently is, as Mr. BRIGHT justly remarked, " a
"demoralised and degraded man," one who has
literally bartered his birthright for " a mess of pot-

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Under the Management of Mr. Charles Kean.
On MONDAY EVENING next will be presented
TIIE JEALOUS WIFE. Mr. and Mrs. C. Kean.
After which, a new grand Christmas Pantomime, entitled
THE KING OF THE CASTLE; or, Harlequin Prince
Diamond and I'rincess Brighteyes.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING will be performed a new Comedy,
THE TIDE OF TIME. Messrs. Buckstone, Chippendale
&C. ; Mesdames Reynolds and Poynter.
A new Spanish Ballet, THE INFLUENCE OF GRACE.
In which Perea7,.Zena will appear.
THE TOODLES. Sir Wm. Don, Bart.
And A DAUGHTER TO MARRY.
Commem.c at 7.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. Edmund Falconer,
Will be Opened for the season o CHRISTMAS EVE, Fri-
day, Dee. 24, when will be produced a new Burlesque, written
expressly for the Lyceum Company by Robert B. Brough,
anti entitled THE SIEGE OF TROY. The new and gor-
geouil scenery by Mr. William Callcott. The principal elm-
ractets by Mrs. Keeley, Miss Julia St. George, Mrs. Weston,
Miss Portman, Miss Talbot, Miss Kate Saxon, Miss E. Romer,
kc. ; Mr. Emery, Mr. Charles Young, Mr. Ellerton, Mr. .T.
Rogors, Mr. Barrett, &c. ; Miss Rosina Wright, Miss M.
Charles, Miss Harriet Dalton, and a numerous Corps de Bal-
let will also appear. _ _ .

After the Burlesque a new Comic Pantomime, replete with
new tricks and mechanical devices, entitled HARLEQUIN
TOY lIORSE ; or, The Cremorne Fete. Clown, Mr Charles
Lauri ; Harlaquin, Mr. John Lauri ; Pantaloon, Mr. Henry
Lauri ; Columbine, Miss Jenny Lauri.
The Performanees will commence on Friday, Monday, and
Tuesday with the Comedietta of TOO MUCH FOR GOOD
NATURE.
A Morning Performance of the Burlesque and Pantomime
on Boxing-day, to commence at two o'clocky precisel ; doors
open at half-past one.
Reduced Prices—Dress Boxes, 4s. ; Upper Boxes, 3s. ;
25.; Stalls, 58. ; Gallery, ls.
Box-office ,men from 11 to 5 daily. Doors open at half-past
6, to commence at 7 every evening.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE,
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborouih.
THIS EVENING, THE RULE OF THREE.
After which THE MAID AND THE MAGPIE.
THE LITTLE SAVAGE.
And THE BONNIE FISH WIFE.
Commence at 7 o'clock.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.
Sole Lessee, Mr. William Cooke.
THIS EVENING, the great Eastern Spectacle of THE
REVOLT IN INDIA ; or, The Fugitives and their Faith-
ful Steed.
After which SCENES IN THE ARENA, introducing Mr.
W. Cooke, and his beautiful horses, Mr. Runnels, Madame
Blanche, Miss Emily Cooke, Madame Fleurette, and the finest
troupe of equestrians in the kingdom.
To conclude with the Farce of SHOOTING THE MOON.
A famous, magnificent, and matchless Christmas Panto-
mime on Boxing-night, entitled HARLEQUIN BARON
MUNCH AUSEN ; or, The King of the Pumpkins, unprece-
dented for comicality and splendour.
Two Performances of the Pantomime on Boxing-day, viz..,
at Two and Seven o'clock.
Dress Circle, 3s. ; Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, is, ; Galleries, ed.
Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips.

CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road..--.-
Proprietor --C. MORTON.
The üblic is most respectfully informed that the Frxr
ARTSGALLERY, in connection with the above Hall, IS NOW
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT, from 11 o'clock a.m. until 12
o'clock p.m. The New Gallery contains an extensive Collec-
tion of' Pictures, by Ancient and Modern Masters -and is also
devoted to Art productions generally. The Proprietor feels
he may confidently assert that, viewed altogether, the exist-
ing Music Hall, the New Fine Arts Gallery, and the recently
added Ante-Hall, will present an attraction which, whether
as regards the architectural beauty of the structures them-
selves, or the varied and hitherto unattempted combinations
within, will be found to be wholly without parallel in the
King-dom.
The MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT commences as usual at
Seven o'clock.
IR addition to the usual entertainment, the SAUVLET
FAMILY, of Amsterdam, Eight in number, whose varied
instrumental performances have created so marked a sensa-
tion in the principal cities and towns of the Continent, will
perform every Evening at Nine and Eleven o'clock.

THE WEATHER.-SUN OFFICE, DEC. 23.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.

oo—highest since noon yesterday.
49—lowest this morning and during the night.
47—this day at noon.
BAROMETER-29.42—falling rapidly.
WIND, Southerly ; rather fresh, with rain and dirty
weather.

THE SUN.

THURSDAY. DECEMBER 23, 1858.

Mr. BRIGHT possesses the great element of suc-
cess—an unflinching energy, combined with that
devoted zeal which induces him to enter heart and
soul into the cause with which he identifies himself,
and which in his conscience he believes to be just.
Now that he has accepted the responsibility of
bringing forward a Reform Bill, he is determined
to explain the nature and extent of the contem-
plated measure, so that " he who runs may read,"
and every man may understand what is expected
at his hands. There is no mystery or concealment.
He is too earnest and straightforward for such a
course. He does not hide his time in order to feel
the popular pulse, and ascertain the smallest pos-
sible modicum of reform with which the quasi repre-
sentatives of the people will be contented, or rather
which may be regarded as a colourable redemPtion of
the pledges solemnly given on the hustings in March
and April, 1857. He has, in this respect, taught
a valuable lessen to Lords PALMERSTON and JOHN
RUSSELL ; and the cartoon, in which our facetious
contemporary Punch represents him as offering
"satisfaction to the Liberal party," contains a sound
moral. The lordly candidates have been floored by
the superior candour and honesty of the Member
for Birmingham.

Mr. BRIGHT declares that " he is no conjuror."
The remedies which he invites those who are
suffering either from being rendered political
cyphers, by being altogether deprived of the fran-
chise, or from not receiving their fair share in the
representative scale, is not a modern invention.
It was ventilated, more than sixty years since, by
Lord GREY, and repeated by Lord DURHAM. The
Act of 1832 was, unquestionably, a great amelio-
ration on the former system ; and, although we
can sympathise with the delight with which JOSEPH
HUME, perhaps as single-minded and honest a re-
former as ever sat in the House of Commons, listened
to the plan proposed by a Cabinet Minister, he would
not have put forward the doctrine of finality, or
urge that the experience of six-and-twenty years
should be disregarded, or that five-sixths of the
adult male population should remain without votes,
that two or three hundred electors should return
as many members as twenty or thirty thousand,
or that these few electors should be driven to the
poll by landlord, priest, employer, or customer, so
that they could not conscientiously exercise the
sacred and important trust confided to their charge,
and the privilege was rendered a curse instead of a
blessing.

The first great "point"—for it appears the im.
provements required are still to be designated as
"points"--is the extension of the franchise. There
are but one-sixth of the adult male population
who are now represented. The five millions can
only resort to bludgeons and brickbats, if they wish
to express an opinion. That is what Lord
JOHN RUSSELL, While condemning the Ballot,
seemed to consider the legitimate mode of expres-
sion of public opinion. Mr. BRIGHT Would give
the franchise to every ratepayer and to every per-
manent lodger ; but every contributor to the
revenue in any form should be included. The
constitutional theory is, that " there should be no
taxation without representation," and a person

tage."

We know the temptations by which the poorer
voters are assailed—the terrible pressure that may
be brought into operation should he vote in accord-
ance with his convictions. He may be ejected
from the farm on which he was born, married,
brought up a family, and fondly hoped to close his
eyes in peace may be deprived of an
occupation in which he had justly dis-
charged his duty, because his 'political views
happened to differ from those of his employer—
may see his shop deserted, and the local aristocracy
contenting themselves with inferior goods at higher
prices, because his competitor is contented to ac-
commodate himself to their prejudices ; or have to
encounter sacerdotal fulminations, or the outra-
geous insults of an infuriated mob or hired bludgeon..
aries. This is the blessing of open voting. With the
Ballot, although the best man may not invariably
win, the man whose opinions are most in accord-
ance with the majority of his constituents
will do so. Bribery and intimidation will be num-
bered with the past, and although the nation may
not be well represented, it will at all events be
honestly represented. There are many points on
which we differ from Mr. BRIGHT, but we give him
full credit for his manly, honest, and straight.
forward conduct on the all-absorbing question of
Parliamentary Reform.

A few days ago we had a letter, a rathertouching
on e too, from Mr. President BUCHANAN ; then a tele-
graphic summary of his Message ; then the full-
length Message—of such a length, and on so many
topics, that to master it fairly was not the work of
a leisure hour. Looking calmly back upon the
whole, one thing especially strikes us. The Mes-
sage is, quite undesignedly, expository of the letter.
What is more remarkable, the letter deplores the
melancholy prospects and the lowered political
morality of the Union, while the Message unfolds
the very policy which makes a Jeremiah of the
President. Mr. BUCHANAN himself glories in the
shame of his country, and claims a civic crown for
what threatens to shake the Union to pieces, com-
mendation for abetting the most odious social crime
in Christendom, and the credit of patriotism for a
hardly disguised filibustering foreign policy.
Some hundred years ago a detachment from
General ABERCROMBY'S army captured Forts Du-
quesne and Pitt on the Ohio ; the citizens of Pitts-
burg thought fit to hold a centennial celebration of
this English success, which has resulted in the
creation of a large and flourishing American town.
They invite the President to the fete. He is unablo

to attend, but he does the next best thing—he sends
them a letter. It is a letter, too, which miglat fur-
nish the citizens with much more matter for grave
consideration than for jovial self-laudatory decla-
" Assuming the privilege of advancing
years," as he says, he speaks out to them on the
subject of " public virtue," and that, too, in the
admonitory strain. Tie distinctly indicates the
entrance for the first time into their electoral
practice "of the employment of money to carry
elections ;" he notes the frequent use now of the
word " disunion,"—a word which it would have
been thought treasonable but to pronounce some
years ago ; and he asks, and apparently not
rhetorically, but in all seriousness, Will the next
centenary of the event now celebrated witness a
breaking up of the great federation, a conflict of
rival and jealous States, or the triumph of a despot
over the exhausted republics ? While, as he says,
every patriot must rejoice in the change which has
converted an obscure fort, almost in the wilderness,
into a large and populous commercial city, have
we not reason to see in the present of the Republic
a crisis which may either consolidate the Union
or break it up into fragments ?
But, then, turn to the Message; almost its first
paragraph affiliates to Mr. BUCHANAN and his im-
moral policy all the evils he deplores, and the
dangers he foresees. Is there any evil which in
every way so endangers the Union as slavery, and
the social and political violence and injustice of the
slaveholders, and those who make them a ladder to
office ? In regard to everything else, political power
is equally apportioned among the free citizens of
the United States. But the slaveholders, by in-
cluding their slaves in the population, while of
course they have no vote, obtain a share of the
representation wholly disproportioned to their real
numbers, and though but a small minority, contrive
thus to domineer over the numbers and intelli-
gence of the North. To keep their numbers equal
in the Senate with those of the free States, there
is no jugglery, fraud, or violence from which they
have shrunk. Kansas, with the ready help of
PIERCE and BUCHANAN, has been the well-known
scene of their last outrages on liberty, law, and
order.

mation.

And it is just this Kansas with which the Pre-
sident occupies a column or more of his long
Message—of course altogether a laudation of his
own policy, and a censure of the determined Free-
soilers, who would neither be threatened nor cajoled
into a surrender of the slavery question. Mr.
BUCHANAN exults in the fact that, by the help of
the thoroughly partisan and corrupt Supreme
Court of the United States, he can now bid the
slaveholders welcome into every " territory" under
the administration of the republican Congress ;
and though he has lived some years among us, and
might be supposed to have imbibed some of our

spirit of genuine freedom, yet this aged Statesman
adopts, with gusto, the hateful language of slavery
—" American citizens have equal rights to take
into the territories Whatever is held as property
under the laws of any of the States ; and to hold
such property under the guardianship of the
Federal Constitution so long as the territorial con-
dition shall remain." Heaven grant that long be-
fore " a second centenary of the capture of forts
Duquesne and Pitt," American Presidents, if they
exist, may blush for predecessors who could unctu-
ously discourse of property in man ! who could
put in one bill of sale houses and land, cattle and
pigs, dogs and native Americans of a different com-
plexion to the PRESIDENT !

The PRESIDENT deplores the employment of
money at elections. To what is this to be ascribed?
What has made it worth whilg to employ money ?
Who have done it ? Have the Free-soilers employed
anything but argument ? No, it is the mad tyrants
who fear that their despotism, and their infernal
traffic, is in danger; who, as they were ready to
pour forth others' blood in Kansas, have been also
ready to pour forth such funds as mortgages have
left them to uphold their bankrupt slave system,
and all its cruelties. It is this, too, which has
generated that coveting of tropical countries which
has again given birth to the demoralising love of
filibustering, and the readiness to concede their
flag to pirates and slavers rather than allow British
cruisers, by any chance, to ask a sight of an Ame-
rican vessel's papers. With millions on millions
of acres westward, the Slave States have been ever
coveting the warmer adjacent territories of Mexico,
Central America, and especially of Cuba. Politi-
cally, they will be an injury to the Union ; but
slavery hates free States near it, and longs for
territory specially adapted for it. American de-
moralisation, in regard both to foreign and domestic
policy, is chiefly due to slavery. It is the poison
which is corrupting the whole body—social, eccle-
siastical, and political—and Mr. BUCHANAN, who
deplores the disease, has done all in his power to
increase its virulence.

There are now sundry bankruptcy amendment
bills before Parliament, and it is essential that
there should be a complete revision of the entire
law of debtor and creditor during the ensuing ses-
sion. The great object is to distribute whatever
assets may be available fairly and impartially
between bona fide creditors, not to let one sweep
away the entire amount, receiving 19s. or 20s. in the
pound, while those who have been more indulgent
do not receive as many pence. The present law
holds out a premium to sharp practitioners to in-
duce them to crush the unfortunate debtor, whom
a little forbearance might save from total ruin.
While, however, undue advantage can be obtained
by the party first issuing an execution, there is a
premium on harshness, an inducement to proceed
to extremes, which few can resist ; and the result
is that both debtors and creditors are seriously
• damaged—the former being involved in ruin, and
the latter losing the entire amount of their claims.
Were the law different all parties would be mate.
rially benefited, save the one who, if really a
creditor, is probably the least meritorious of any.
The opportunities of collusion and fraudulent pre-
ference would be completely got rid of if it were
provided that the proceeds of any fi. fa. levied
within three months of an act of bankruptcy or
insolvency should be paid into court for the general
benefit of all the creditors. Indeed, it may be
assumed that, when any man allows his property
to be disposed of by sheriff's sale, he has but little
prospect of retrieving his position.
It is absurd to maintain the distinction between
traders and non-traders. The law for both should
be assimilated, so as to compel every person unable
to meet the demands for which he is responsible to
I submit his affairs to the consideration of a compe-
tent tribunal. At present, until a non-trader can
• be taken into custody, no account can be obtained
of his affairs, lie may himself petition for protec•
tion from process, but that, as we have already
stated, involves a heavy outlay in the first instance.
It is also purely optional with the debtor. What-
ever may be the state of his affairs, whatever may
be the injury inflicted on his creditors, he cannot
be called to account until he has been captured and
placed in prison. Even then he may continue to set
' them at defiance; for although a vesting order may be
obtained, he cannot be compelled to file his schedule,
or to appear before the court. Such contumacy
should not be tolerated, and the Commissioners
should be invested with ample powers to deal with
obstinate persons who are unwilling to make full
and complete revelations respecting their affairs.
Bankruptcy is an expensive process, while insol-
vency is comparatively cheap. The former requires
at least £l5O for fees and other necessary outlays,
while the tenth, or, more frequently, the twentieth
part of the amount is sufficient to carry a petitioner
through the other court. It is obvious, then, that
the latter cannot be done away with, while there are
thousands whose entire liabilities would be defrayed
for less money than would entitle them to apply
for relief at Basinghall-street. Indeed, the majority
of cases that appear before the Insolvent Court are
those of small traders, who do not owe more than
£lOO or £l5O. These men should obtain relief,
and on the most economical terms. There should
be no imprisonment in the first instance. The
matter should be fully investigated before any
punishment—and imprisonment even in a debtor's
prison is a punishment of no ordinary magnitude—
and when the entire property had been given up
for distribution there should be no further liability ;
no mortgage on a man's future labour, to tempt
him to improvidence, and reduce him to spend h;s
receipts as fast as they come to hand.
The proper course will be to retain both courts—
sending those where there are large assets to
Basinghallitreet, and retaining those of smaller
means in Portugal-street. The parties should be
bound to surrender on the like notice, and the cer-
tificate of the Commissioners to be a good discharge
for all future time, and all future earnings. We
trust that due attention may be paid to these im-
portant topics, so that the barbarous system of im-
prisonment, at the mere will and pleasure of a vin-
dictive or exasperated creditor, may be set aside,
and that no man shall be incarcerated unless he has
deserved punishment by his misconduct.

The Duke and Duchess of Manchester left town
on Tuesday, for Calais, en route to Hanover. The noble
Duke and Duchess intend to return about the middle of
next month.

The Marquis d'Almasy and Baron Meyer have
left the Brunswick Hotel, for the Continent. _ _

Lady Forester has gone to Grantham for the
hunting season. Her ladyship was described yesterday in
error as having left town for Broadlands.

Mr. and Lady Elizabeth Russell have left Tun-
bridge Wells for Buckhurst Park, on a visit to the Earl
and Countess Delawarr.

Sir Alan Macnab, Bart., has arrived in town from
Canada.

SIIIRTMAKERS IN DERRY AND BELFAST.—The
shirtmakers in Belfast at present earn 4/d. per day I The
trade, says the Belfast News Letter, is now being carried:on
extensively, yet the applicants for work at this very low
figure exceed the demand for their services, especially since
the depression in the sewed muslin trade has thrown many
out of employment.
The attention of Count Puckler, the Minister of
Agriculture in Prussia, having been directed to the dete-
rioration of the present breed of horses in that country, a
committee has been formed by him to inquire into the bad
means to remedy the evil. General do Willisen, the Grand
Equerry, and the chiefs of the GoverumeillOgeeding studs
are to take part in the conferences of the committee.

THE CONTESTED WARDMOTES.

The following are the results of the pelhl yesterday in the
six wards in which contests took place on the previous day,
the names given being the gentlemen elected :

ALDElLSGATE.—Messrs.Chaplain, Besley, Godson, Wood,
Da Jersey, Woodward, Lockin, and Harris.
Bls o s GATE.--M essr s. Hopg, ood, Richardson, Peacock
(deputy), Stapleton, Stevens (deputy), Neddes, Ashley,
Kerry, Gilpin, Owden, Pilcher, 'Jones, tricker, and
Warren.

COLEMAN-STREET.—Messrs. Davies (deputy), Perkins,
Webster, Valiance, Westall, Saunders, Roberts, and
Haines.

FARRINGDON WITHIN.--Messrs. Deputy Holt, Wheeler,
M'Laughlan, Deputy Virtue, Glover, 'DoHand, Morris,
Young, Reed, Bengough, C. Phillips, Blake, Rudkin, and
Kelday.
FARRINGDON WITHOUT. Surridge, Walter, Ross,
Lawley, Barnard, Butcher, Bedford, Obbard, Scamell, Wol-
torton, Cotterell, Stanborbugh, Anderton, Lias, Langham,
and Butler.
LIME-STREET.—Messrs. D. Cook (deputy), Simpson,
Symonds, and Harris.

The marriage was celebrated a few days ago at
the parish church, Stoke Dameril, Devon, of the second son
of the late Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, K.C.8., of
Lucknow, Lieutenant in the 6th Bombay, N. 1., to the
second daughter of the late William Creak, Esq., Com-
mander R.N.

The Earl of Dartmouth has accepted the office of
President of the Wolverhampton Working Men's College,
succeeding Lord Wrottesley, who has just retired.
The following persons were on Monday Taut
licensed to the undermentioned curacies :—William AVyke
Bayliss, St. Mark, Lakenham; Clement Ogle Smith, Hing-
ham; Albert John Porter, lleigham ; Frederick Greene
Littlecot, Thorndon ; Corbett Metcalf Moore, Shingham.
DEATH OF THE PRINCESS DORIA.—We announce
tc-day with much regret the death of the eldest daughter of
John, Earl of Shrewsbury. The Princess Doria expired on
Saturday last, at her residence in Rome, after a lengthened
illness, leaving a family of five children—three daughters
and two sons. The Princess's death will be a severe blow
to society in Rome, of which she was one of the brightest
ornaments.

DEATH OF THE COUNTESS LAVRADIO.—We regret
to learn that the Countess Lavradio, wife of his Extellency
the Portuguese Minister, died yesterday morning at half-
past 10 o'clock, after a short illness, at the Portuguese
Legation, in Gloucester-place, Portman-square. Many, of
the members of the Corps Diplomatique paid visits of con-
dolence to his Excellency during the afternoon. The Coun
tess, up to a few days back, was to all appearance in the
possession of excellent health. The Queen and the Prince
Consort, and the members of the Royal Family, sent to
inquire as to the condition of the Countess when the melan-
choly result of her illness was communicated.

LIVERPOOL, Dec. 22.—The screw steamship City
of Manchester sailed to-day for New York with a full cargo
and 110 passengers"; and the Montreal Ocean Company's
Canadian mail steamer North American also sailed to-day
with a full cargo, 72 passengers, 270,000 dols. in silver for
the new Canadian decimal currency, and the Canadian and
United States' mails.

AMERICAN AND CANADIAN MAILS.—The screw
steamer North American sailed from Liverpool yesterday
(Wednesday) for Portland, with the Canadian and United
States mails. The City of Manchester also sailed, taking
out a ship's mail and 143 passengers to New York. On
Saturday next the steamer Africa sails for Now York. The
letter box closes at 10 a.m., and finally, with a late fee, at
11 a.m. The box on the landing stage remains open until
within a few minutes of the departure of the steamer.
THE INDIA AND CHINA MAIL SERVICE.—SOUTH-
AMPTON, Wednesday.—The four screw steamers recently
purchased and added to the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany's fleet, heretofore known as the Barcelone, Franc
Comtois, Cadiz, and Alma, have been re-named respectively
the Behar, Orissa, Ellora, and China. The Behar, Capt.
Field, is appointed to take out the Bombay mails on Mon-
day next, the 27th inst., and the Orissa, Capt. Joy, the
Calcutta and China mails on the 4th proximo. The Malta,
Capt. Black, is expected to-morrow (Thursday), with the
heavy portion of the Bombay mails. The next mails from
Calcutta and China will be brought by the Ceylon, Capt.
Evans, due here on the 4th of January.

AFRICAN STEAM-SHIP COMPANY. —A special
meeting of the proprietors was to have been held yesterday
at the company's offices, 3, Mincing-lane, at one o'clock, to
consider the resolution submitted at the last half-yearly
meeting, with reference to the reduction under the 88th,
89th, and 90th clauses of the deed of settlement, of 20 per
cent. per annum out of revenue on original first cost of the
company's ships for wear and tear, insurance, and depre-
eiation, and to confirm the same, or take such steps thereon
as might be deemed advisable. As, however, the deed re-
quires the presence of 20 shareholders to constitute a meet-
ing, and only 17 had arrived at half-past one, no meeting
took place. The following is a copy of the amended reso-
lution which was to have been proposed : " That in order
to simplify the accounts of the company, the directors be
authorised in future to charge the actual disbursements for
wear and tear and insurance, against the receipts of the
vessels respectively, and to reserve 7-1- per cent. per annum
out of revenue on the cost of company's ships, as shown in
the books at the expiration of each half-year, to form a De-
preciation Fund." Mr. Hadow stated on behalf of the board
that, notwithstanding the failure to secure the passing of
the foregoing resolution, the accounts would be kept upon
the new system during the next half-year.
CHARLES LEVER, THE NOVELIST.—The follow-
ing announcement, which will be received with gratifica-
tion in literary circles, is made in the Evening Packet on
the authority of a private letter from Spezia :—" The Irish
public, among whirl') Churlca Lever rorl-mi. an many friends
and admirers, will be glad to learn that the distinguished
novelist has been appointed her Majesty's Vice-Consul at
Spezia."
A servant girl of Pilleboure (Gers) was three
mornings ago found lying dead in a pool of blood in the
road, having beem murdered by means of a firearm dis-
charged close to the back of her head. Various circum-
stances, and amongst them footmarks near her dead body,
indicated that the murderer was her master, one Mont, and
ho has been arrested, but his reason for the crime is not
known. He has been committed for trial.

PROOF OF A HELPLESS OLD BACHELOR.-.." I
always know a helpless old bachelor (says a clever lady) by
looking at the corners of his pocket handkerchief. If I
notice in them any little pieco of red, blue, or yellow worsted
—such as washerwomen run in to identify the property of
each separate customer—l know at once that he has no one
at home to mark his linen, and that he must be a poor,
pitiful, misanthropical, friendless, helpless old bachelor.
Punch' s Almanac for 1859.

A very remarkable result of pisciculture has
been lately obtained in the department of the Meurthe,
when from a small stream the enormous weight of 25,000
kilogrammes of bleak was taken during the last season.
The scales of the fish are used for making artificial pearls.
By an ingenious process they are reduced to a kind of lus-
trous paste called Essence d'Orient, and the French arti-
ficial pearls are simply small hollow glass balls coated in-
side with this paste and filled with white wax.
WRECK/OFF CAPE GRISNES.--At 4 a.m. yester-
day, a vessel of 550 tons, called the Carl Slorgomann, of
Hamburg, coming from the coast of Africa, laden with
ivory and palm oil, went ashore off Cape Grisnes. She had
been at sea 36 days. During the last 12 days she had not
seen the sun, and had lost her reckoning, and mistaking
the lights ("Cape Grisnes for those of Dungeness, was the
cause of her running on shore. The crew, 23 in number,
were got off by a French fishing boat, and brought in safety
to Boulogne.

COLLISION ON THE SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY.
—Yesterday afternoon a collision occurred at the Basing-
stoke station of the South-Western Railway. The particu-
lars are as follows :—The train which leaves Southampton
at 11.30, meets at Basingstoke a train from the Salisbury
and Andover branch, and the latter is invariably
shunted off to a siding until the Southampton train
has passed. Yesterday the Southampton train
arrived at Basingstoke shortly before one, and just
as the Salisbury and Andover train was being
shunted. A collision was the consequence, resulting in the
destruction of the break-van and damage to several car-
riages, besides injuries to several passengers, some of which,
however, were of a very serious nature.

„ - ---
ATTEMPT TO POISON A FAMILY NEAR NOTTING-
HAM.—A shocking attempt to poison a family tools place on
Monday night, at Mr. John Blagg's, Crifton-house, Epper-
stone, 10 miles from Nottingham. It appears that a ser-
vant girl named Susannah Twells was preparing some
potatoes for supper on the night in question, when the
nephew of Mr. Blagg went in the kitchen, and there being
a strong smell in the placer questioned the girl as to the
cause of it, and from her confused manner and silence he
suspected that all was not right. The smell was like that
of a wash which had been recently used for the purpose of
washing the feet of some sheep. Upon examining the
potatoes he discovered that nicks had been cut in them with
a knife, and the wash, which is a deadly poison, had been
inserted. - A policeman was immediately sent for, and the
girl taken into custody. She had bnpn frequently told that
the liquid was poison, and not allowed to meddle with the
bottle for any purpose whatever. On Wednesday morning
she was brought before the county magistrates at Notting-
ham and remanded. No cause for the perpetration of this
malicious act has bc en ascertained.

FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION.—On Monday after-
noon, between four and five o'clock, an old locomotive
engine exploded on the Iletton Railway, killing instanta-
neously James Ford, the engineer, and his son, a boy nine
or ten years of age. Two men named Harrison and Thomp-
son and another man were blown a considerable distance,
and severely scalded. The time men are seriously hurt,
and lie in a dangerous condition. It appears that the boy
Ford had gone with his father's tea, and waited till he
came forward to Old Hetton, where his father stopped the
engine to take his meal. The boy climbed on to the engine
to be beside his father, and as they sat together the boiler
of the engine exploded, and father and son were blown
nearly one hundred- yards from the spot. They were fright-
fully mutilated and scalded, and both survived the accident
but a short time. Ford has left a widow and two children.
The engine was the oldest on the line or in the employ-
ment of the company. Latest accounts say that the other
three men are very ill. The railway plates were torn up
for some distance and broken to pieces, and several persons
were slightly injured..—Newcastle Daily Chronicle.
DAMAGES BY SPARKS FROM A RAILWAY ENGINE.
—The Right Hon. Jane Douglas of Douglas, Lady Mon-
tague, raised an action against the North British Railway
Company, before the Sheriff's Small Debt Court, Dunse, on
the 14th of December, for £.5, as damages caused to a small
plantation on the estate of Buncle, known by the name of
the Brockholes plantation, near the line of the North
B.ritish Railway, by a spark from the tender of one of the
engines belonging to the company having set fire to the
plantation on the 30th of March last. At the hearing on
4th November Mr. MrWatt took the preliminary objection
that there was no allegation of culpa on the part of the
company, and stated that without such an averment there
was no ground for damages, the company being engaged in
a lawful act at the time. The sheriff remitted to the ordinary
roll for debate upon the point : and the case was on the 14th
December allowed to be withdrawn on payment of a small
sum of expenses to the company. It may be stated that
long before the summons was taken out the railway com-
pany offered to pay any damage that might have.arian,. ,
provided they were reasonably satisfied that the fire was
owed by them.—Sko

STATE OF TRADE.—MANCHESTER, Tuesday.—
There has been a decidedly firm market to-day for all sorts
of yarns and cloths at a general advance in price. The de-
mand just now is greater than the production; spinners
and manufacturers consequently obtain their own quota-
tions for any sales made.

TILE BALLOT SOICETY.—The weekly meeting of
the executive committee was held at the offices in Guildhall
Chambers, on Tuesday. Mr. Ell presided; Mr. White-
hurst, Mr. James Campbell, Mr. Richardson, Mr. Nodes,
and other gentlemen, were present. Mr. Washington Wilks
was authorised to represent the society at reform meetings
in the North of England and in Scotland. A letter respect-
ing the ballot in America, from a citizen of Edinburgh, for-
merly resident in the States, was read. This letter states:
" In the last session of Parliament, if I am not mistaken,
Lord Palmerston said that he defied any one to bring proof
that there was anything like secret voting in America. How
Lord Palmerston got this information I am of course igno-
rant, but I am not ignorant of this, that there is secret voting
in America, and further, that all Americans, who look up with
pride to their constitution, look upon the ballot as one of
the most important safeguards of that constitution. A re-
sidence of 12 years in the United States gave me a good
opportunity of becoming acquainted with its use in the
great republic ; and when I think of its efficacy and sim-
plicity, I cannot but admire it. In confirmation of what I
have said—that there is secrecy in the elections in Ame-
rica—at some of the elections at which I have been pre-
sent, and party politics have run high, I have heard it
suggested that it was possible to buy some of the votes ;
the answer to this invariably was, What is the use of
trying to buy, when we cannot possibly know, when we
have paid for the vote, which way it will be given.' "
THE BALLOT MEETING AT HORSHAM.—A
crowded public meeting of the electors and other inhabitants
of Horsham, convened to promote the adoption of the
ballot in any new reform bill, was held in the lecture-room
of the Literary Institute on Monday evening. A deputa-
tion attended from the Ballot Society, consisting of Mr.
Whitehurst (vice-chairman), Mr. James Campbell, and
Mr. George Staveley (from the colony of Victoria).
Mr. Honeywood, an elector of the borough and of
West Sussex, was called to the chair. The deputation
addressed the meeting in speeches of considerable
length, in the course of which it was shown that not one
member for the county of West Sussex or the boroughs
therein is really and freely chosen by the people. The
working of the ballot in Victoria and its success was at-
tested by Mr. Staveley on his own experience. The mis-
statements of the Times as to the ballot in America, and the
true state of the case as to the ballot in the great republic,
were clearly laid before the meeting. A resolution in favour
of the ballot accompany ing any reform bill was voted una-
nimously, and it was arranged that the proceedings of the
meeting should be communicated by letter to Lord Derby,
to the members for the county, and to Mr. Seymour Fitz-
gerald, M.P., Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs and
member for the borough.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF A PRISONER IN A
POLICE VAN.—On Tuesday evening, shortly after six, one
of the prisoners in the Government van, while being con-
veyed to Wandsworth House of Correction, made a most
determined attempt to commit suicide by cutting his
throat. The name of the prisoner is George May, and he
was on Tuesday charged before Mr. Combe, by Mr. Town-
son, one of the relieving officers of the parish of St. George's,
Southwark, with deserting his wife and leaving her charge-
able to the parish. His conduct before the magistrate was
very indecorous, and on his refusal to maintain his wife
or make any arrangements for her support, Mr. Combe
committed him to the House of Correction with hard la-
bour for one month. When removed by Downe, the gaoler,
to the cells to wait for the prison van, he seemed quite un-
concerned. Shortly before six o'clock he was delivered up
to Sergeant Russell, V division, who has charge of the van,
for removal to 'Wandsworth, and placed as usual in one of
the compartments by himself. While passing Vauxhall-
gardens Sergeant Russell heard an extraordinary noise in
the compartment where the prisoner was, and on opening
the door he perceived him reclining on the side with his
throat cut. He immediately conveyed him to a surgeon's,
where the wound was sewed up, and afterwards took him
with the other prisoners to Wandsworth House of Correc-
tion, when he was placed in the infirmary. Yesterday the
medical authorities pronounced him in great danger, with
very little hopes of recovery.

The Sentinelle du Jura says :—" An accident
occurred two days back at the Mesnay paper mill. M.
Vannoz, son-in-law of the proprietor, had been showing a
new steam-engine to some visitors, and on their departure,
being alone in the engine-room, began to arrange some-
thing belonging to the machinery, and in doing so,
pressed down the regulating weight of the safety-valve,
and the sudden compression caused the boiler to explode.
M. Vannoz fell to the ground nearly suffocated by the
vapour, and the windows having,been all blown to pieces,
the noise attracted the attention of the visitors who were
departing, and several men at once rushed to the room to
see what had taken place. But not one was able to enter
at first, and it was only at length that a servant by. creep-
ing in on his stomach, could reach M. Vannoz, lying in-
sensible, and bring out his body. Restoratives being
applied, that gentleman after a time recovered, but was
found to be very badly burnt by the steam. His life, how-
ever, is not considered in danger."

EMBEZZLEMENT.—The Military Tribunal of the
division of Algiers was a few days ago occupied with the
trial of a sub-lieutenant of infantry, named Boutier, on a
charge of embezzling sums of money which came into his
hands as paymaster of a district, the deficit in his accounts
amounting to the sum of 5,303 francs. It appeared that
about two years ago a deficiency on his part to the amount
of 1,865 francs was discovered, but the sum was made up,
and Boutier was continued in his post of paymaster.
When, however, the second deficiency was discovered, he
was placed under arrest. Previously to his trial he posi-
tively protested his innocence, and said that there must be
some error in the accounts, but when before the court he
made a full avowal, which rendered the examination of wit-
nesses unnecessary. The court sentenced him to five years'
imprisonment.

A strange affair is stated to have occurred in the
neighbourhood of Dinan (Cotes du Nord). A young man
named Crespel, of Trevron, and a young woman of Dinan,
to whom he was attached, went together into different cafes
and public-houses in the town, and drank a good deal ;
after which they went together to the house of the girl's
parents and ascended to her chamber. There the man
poured some liquid into a cup and pressed her to drink it,
but 4Le eceing some black substance floating on the surface,
took it out with her finger. Her finger was at once burned—
a proof that the substance was some corrosive poison. She
shrieked for help—the neighbours rushed in, and Crespel
took to flight. The vessel being found to contain suhuric
acid, a warrant for the arrest of the man was issued; but
when the police went to his house to execute it they found
that he had blown out his brains No explanation of the
man's reasons for acting in this way is given.

An Italian dancer named A piiani, was yester-
day cited before the tribunal of Correctional Police to
answer a complaint of his wife of having committed adul-
tery; but, instead of answering it, his advocate raised a
singular technical objection, namely, that the complainant
was not his wife at all, inasmuch as though they were
united in 1838 before the Burgomaster of the Hague, the
marriage was void, he being a Roman Catholic and she a
ProtesFant, and the Austrian Code, to which as a Lombard
he is subject, declaring that marriages between different
religions are not valid. It was added that the wife herself
had considered the marriage null, since fourteen years ago
she had left the man and had never since cohabited with
him. The woman's advocate, however, maintained that it
would be dangerous to allow such an objection to be pleaded
as an answer to a complaint of adultery, and that the tri-
bunal must assume the validity of the marriage. Taking
this view, the tribunal dismissed the objection, and fined
the man 300 fr.

The Court of Assizes of the Tarn-et-Garonne,
three days ago, tried a married couple named Garrigues, of
Fonbiaine, and their daughter, a married woman named
Gaugiran, for attempting to poison the husband of the lat-
ter. This husband, a man of weak character, confided
some time ago to the Garrigues a sum of 800 f., all he pos-
sessed, in order to avoid payment of a claim made on him ;
but when he wanted it back, he was unable, in spite of re-
peated applications, to obtain it. At length, in the hope of
getting his money, he consented to marry the daughter.
But this woman and her parents, soon after the marriage,
began to treat him with contempt and neglect, and mani-
fested an unmistakeable desire to get rid of him. On the
6th Oct last, on returning home from his work, he found
a large basin of soup on the table prepared for him—an un-
usual circumstance ; he at once ate some of it, but it was so
bitter that he could not take much. He pressed his wife
and her parents, who were seated near the table, to taste it,
but they refused. He at once suspected foul play and kept
a close watch on the three. The next morning he saw his
mother-in-law take the soup to a field at some distance, and
throw it on the ground. He, however, having followed her,
collected a quantity of it, and on submitting it to a medical
man, it was found to contain sulphuric acid. All the three
prisoners were declared guilty, but extenuating circum-
stances were pronounced in favour of the father and his
daughter. The woman was condemned to death ; the
daughter to 12 years' hard labour, and the father to five.
ADUENTURES OF A BELGIAN SEAMAN.—A Bel-
gian vessel, called the Leopold, ran in a violent storm on
a rock, on the 12th .April last, near one of the Falkland
Islands, on the coast of Patagonia, and went to pieces. It
was supposed that all her crew, nine in number, and their
officers, had perished, But the authorities of Ostend have
just received a letter from a sailor, named Declerk, of that
town, one of the crew, announcing that he alone escaped.
It appears that he swam from the wreck with the captain
and some of the men towards an island which they saw near,
but he alone reached it, the others being drowned by the
violence of the sea. He found no inhabitants on the
island, and had to live on some bits of bread which had
been washed ashore, wild celery, and some birds, which
he killed with a stick. He happened to have some
matches on him, and he succeeded in lighting a fire,
which he fed with turf. To make his fire burn well, he
partly surrounded it with some planks washed ashore from
the wreck. In the night of the sth, the wind blew these
planks into the fire, and they were consumed. He thought
this a terrible misfortune, but it was the means of saving
him. An American ship happened to be passing two miles
off, and seeing the rising smoke—an extraordinary thing
on a desert island—some of the crew disembarked. They
found the poor fellow crouching over the fire, and on hear-
ing his tale they took him on board, provided for his
wants, and on the Ist of June landed him at the port of
Stanely. The Belgian sailor does not give the name of the
ship, but says the captain's name was Smyley, and he ex-
presses the warmest gratitude to him and his crew.
ORIGIN OF THE NATIONAL DEBT.—The National
Debt consists, as we all know, of sums borrowed by Govern-.
went to make up deficiencies of revenue. But all do not
know that Charles II.—" old Rowley," the pensioner of
Louis XIV.—" the merry monarch"—was the first king of
Great Britain who borrowed money on the national credit :
this began in 1660. At the abdication of James H. in
1688, the amount of the debt was £660,000. But it was
his successor who established the system—a system which
has unfortunately taken deep root in eur finance, for the
ill-weed has systematically increased until it has now
reached the fearful amount of eight hundred millions ster-
ling 1 The following table will show its progressive in-
crease at various periods of our history down to the con-
clusion of the late war with Russia :

Year. Occasion. Amount.
1688. On the accession of William 111. £660,000
[702. On the accession of Queen Anne. 16,500,000
[714. On the accession of Georg:: I 54,000,000
[749. At the end of the Spanish War
[763. At the end of the Seven Years' War 139,000,000
[786. Three years after the American War 268,000,000
[798. After the Irish Rebellion and Foreign War 462,000,000
!802. Close of the French Revolutionary War 571,000,000
814. Close of the War against Bonaparte 865,000,000
817. When the English and Irish Exchequers
were consolidated i 848,282,447
840,14622

.830, ....

1840.-
[845

LATEST NEWS.

789;578;720
768,789,241

1.859.
022,638
1856. touclusion of the War with Russia 800,000,000
" How we are Goyerna," by Albany Fonblatigv.

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