The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-30 00:00:00

111-PiRiAL PARLIAMENT

the House of Commons would assent to such a change, .or
would suffer the work of the last five months to 'be
rendered nugatory ? He must, therefore, on the part of
the Government, ask the house to reject the motion.
Lord CARNARVON objected to the redistribution
scheme contained in the bill as quite disproportioned to the
extended franchise, and remarked that the county repre-
sentation being the only check left upon household suf-
frage it was unduly limited, being only one-third of the
whole representation. He could not support the abstract
resolution now proposed, but he would be prepared to vote
for Lord Grey's proposition to deprive of double repre-
sentation boroughs with less than 12,000 inhabitants.
Lord DE GREY and the Duke of CLEVELAND spoke in
support of the resolution, while Lord Lifford, equally de-
precating the Government scheme, professed his inability
to support the abstract proposition now made. Lord Rom-
ney, regarding the resolution as a vote of want of confi-
dence, declared his intention to support the Government.
Lord RUSSELL, desiring that the present measure
should be a settlement of the reform question, regretted
that the Government should resist the resolution, as he
considered their redistribution scheme too imperfect to be

- -
HOUSE OF LORDS--LAST EVENING.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
five o'clock.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL.
On the motion of the Earl of MALMESBURY for going

into committee,
Lord tEALIFAX rose and moved the following amend-
ment--" That, with regard to the redistribution of seats
the proposed scheme is inadequate, and that it is ex-
expedient to provide the means of giving more representa-
tives to large and important constituencies than was given
by the bill, and said that if he adopted another plan to
the one which ho had now adopted, he should have incurred
the censure of the noble lords. He was actuated by one
motive only, that was that this question might be settled as
satisfactorily and speedly as possible (Hear, hear.) He
thought that the other side of the house was more likely to
carry such a measure than they on that silo were. It was
Government only that could effect this. The motion he
had put on the paper was therefore no party motion. He was
a man of party, and if he meant this motion as such he
should have avowed it to be so. But that this matter was
above party feeling ho would not have brought forward a
rival scheme, for that would be a party motion. He
thought that with regard to the redistribution of seats the
scope of the bill was inadequate, and on that ground alone
he brought forward this motion, and without any reference
to party whatever. (Hear, hear.) He wished, before he
went to the question of redistribution of seats, to say one
word about the other side of the bill. The Government
had proposed a very large measure of Reform, and he had
to say for one that with it he was perfectly satisfied. He
had none of those fears with regard to the operations of
the bill which had been expressed in that house. He consi-
dered that there would be no abuse of the privileges
conferred by the scheme. He only wished that
the other half of the bill had been conceived in the same
liberal spirit. With reference to the discussion on the
bill, he -would ask would they merely register the opinion
of the other house of Parliament, and not discuss the
question themselves because it had come to them
late in the year? He thought not. If any borough should
lose its seat through disfranchisement, which was under
the influence of a member of that house, it would be a
grateful zoncession on the part of their lordships to allow of
the increase of redistribution that would produce this change.
He proceeded then to point out the prominent de-
fedi in the scheme. It would give in large boroughs
certain extra members, but in the small boroughs
hardly any alteration would take place. There
were 10 boroughs which had only 5,000 each,
the population of the whole amounting to 38,000 ;
and six of these boroughs had less in population than
they had in 1831. Then there was the borough of Liver-
pool having a population of 410,000, 11 times the popu-
lation that of the whole ten boroughs just alluded to ;
and there was an increase in the borough of Wolverhampton
almost as great. It would be seen that as the large
boroughs bad increased so had the smaller ones di-
minished. He should like to see certain districts cut up
into equal proportions with an equal number of members.
As under the present scheme there would be the same
lumber of members to a county having 150,000
nhabitants as there would be in one having only 30,000
or 40,000, he would rather see that there should be a
proportionate number of members to each division. The
noble lord then contrasted the boroughs which were
to have additional members with the boroughs which
were not mentioned in the bill, and stated that there were
many of these boroughs which really had a larger popula-
tion ; for instance, there was the borough of Darlington,
which had 15,000, and that of Stockton 13,000 population,
while many towns around had far larger populations. A
prima facie case, therefore, was made out against the
scheme, which was that it was unfair and inadequate.
These were not solitary cases, there were many similar
ones. He thought he had shown them that the scheme
of the Government with regard to the smaller
boroughs was unequal, and that it was likely to
cause,discontent throughout the country. If he had satis-
fied their lordships that there was just cause that some
alteration should be made in that portion of the bill he was
satisfied. In conclusion, he impressed upon their lordships
the policy of availing themselves of the opportunity now
presented for making the redistribution part of the measure
coincident with the scope of the enlarged franchise, and
thus place the settlement of the question on a more per-
manent basis.
The Earl of MALMESBURY expressed his sense of his
inability to fill the place of the Premier, and, having asked
the indulgence of the house, replied briefly to the charges
of inconsistency made against the Government the other
night, and said he had never expressed an opinion on Par-
liamentary Reform. At the time of the passing of the Re-
form Bill he was too young to have any opinion on the sub-
ject, but he well recollected that the intention was no doubt
the generous wish to enlarge the suffrages and constituen-
ciee, but there was also a second one—to prevent a Tory
Government from coming in as long as possible. They
succeeded in both objects. The Conservative party ac-
cepted the measure, and everything went on quietly until
the second object was frustrated by time. Then for the first
time the noble earl opposite began to grumble, and the
country was told that a new Reform Bill was necessary.
Without following out one bill after another, the
found it was a see-saw, and grew weary of the procrastina-
tion. When the Conservative party proposed to bring
down the county franchise to the level of the boroughs it
was negatived. When last year they had to meet nothing
but a sliding scale of reform, it became obvious not only to
him hut to thousands that the only restine. place was house-
hold suffrage. That was the explanation he had to offer,
so far as the Opposition was concerned. But he had now
to turn to what fell the other night from the noble earl his
late colleague, who accused him of holding secret opinions
in favour of household suffrage, and therefore being an
organised hypocrite.
The Earl of CARNARVON—I beg my noble friend's
pardon, but he is putting words into my mouth 1 never
used.
The Earl of MALMESBURY certainly understood him
to say that if the Conservative party held secret opinions
in favour of household suffrage it was an organised hypo-
crisy. (Hear, hear.) What is the great difference? Al-
though anything but an impartial authority on the ebb-
ject, the noble lord's memory would doubtless enable him
to bear testimony to the fact that long before the question
of reform was discussed in the Cabinet, long before they
became colleagues, when he (Lord llabnesbury) paid him a
visit in the country, they had a long conversation in which
he told the noble earl in distinct terms that he thought
there was no resting-place but household suffrage, and
that it was the only hope of passing a Reform Bill. He
not only had that conversation, but he wrote a long letter
on the subject, and gave reasons in favour of his opinion
which he would now repeat to the House. In a Conser-
vative sense be advocated household suffrage. He believed
that if Republican principles exist (and he trusted that the
extreme principles are only held by a few) they are enter-
tained by that class in the category between £7 and house-
hold suffrage. Generally speaking, they aro not friends of
the Church, but dissenters, of strong opinions. (Laughter.)
The class immediately below them is a very loyal one.
A noble earl the other night said, that many of this class
aro so ignorant that they do not know the name of the in-
cumbent of their parish. If that be so, it cannot be said
that there is any one of them who does not know the name
of the Sovereign. (A laugh.) They are contented, and
like the throne ; and even should the Sovereign at times
be personally ucpopular, they have never despised the
throne. But with the other, to which he had referred,
it is very different; the Sovereign may be popular, but
they distrust the throne. Ile always thought there are
only two principles to be considered on entering on the
question of Parliamentary Reform—the principle whether
the suffrage is to be universal or restricted. When we
came to a restricted suffrage, that is a mere matter of
detail, and a man must judge according to the circum-
stances of the time. A great deal has been lately said in
the way of prophecy. In fact, their lordships have be-
come such famous prophets that the House will likely be
consulted by the public on future events, and will stand
before the country rather as an oracular than a
legislative assembly. He had very little faith,
however,
in such prophecy, except when the pro-
phet has it in his power to carry his vaticina-
tions into execution. The noble viscount who has just
sat down is one of these. He,. says that he looks to this
measure as one that cannot be permanent. But what is
permanent; is there anything !permanent but change ?
See in what position the measure stands, and if the re-
commendations just made can really be carried out. He
asked the house not to look at this as by any means a
perfect measure. In the nature of things it could not be
so. If it had not been a bill of compromise it could never
have arrived at this point. Ithas been under the considera-
tion of the House of Commons for five months. 'Will the
House of Lords at, the eleventh hour tamper with the bill,
the work of so many laborious weeks and nights -of so
flinch diplomatic skill on both sides ? Would it be discreet
and becoming of the bows of Lords to interfere with a
question so intimately connected with the House of Com-
mons in the way proposed? (Hear, hear.) The noble
viscount proposes to disfranchise all the boroughs below

5,000.
Lord HALIFAX did not propose any number.
The Earl of MA LifESBURY observed, that only in-
creased the difficulty by raising an abstract proposition.
Then the noble earl on the cross bench (Earl Grey) has
another proposition for, the disfranchisement of 22
boroughs. But if the noble viscount does not state any
figure, surely it is not the business of the Houso of
Lords to fill up the blanks in his resolution. Suppose
again that the 22 prizes are thrown open, on what coast
are they to be stranded—on Ireland, Scotland, or England?
It is really nothing less than a new Reform Bill. (Hear,
hcar..) You cannot ask the Houso of Commons, already
beginning to disperse, to consider the question over again;
and WO andshould, therefore, be all thrown again into the
chaos of uncertainty. There is this strong reason against
the
proposition
of the noble viscount, that the bill, when
amended, unanimously passed the House of Commons.
Did any noble lord think that any Government could send
Commons down to the House of a bill so extensively
altered as tin, Noble viscount desired? Was it likely that

upon the question of any expenditure from the reserve
fund until he had seen the report of the committee which
had been sitting to consider the subject. With respect to
the 3d West India Regiment, it was a peculiar case, and
he had already dealt with it. (Hear hoar.) With respect
to the officers of the 74th Regiment, he was quite content to
accept the high character that had been given to them by
the hon. and gallant gentleman, and he also admitted that
it must be extremely depressing to be purchased over
no less than five times. The unfortunate circumstance
was an incidental of the purchase system, and it turned on
the change that had been mado in the army by the late
Government. By that Government it had been decided
to reduce the strength of the army by cutting off two bat-
talions from every regiment quartered at home. Great
hardships and inconvenience had ever since that arrange-
mentcome into operation, occasioned from the circumstance
of having regiments of one strength abroad and another
at home. (Hear, hear, hear.) When this arrangement
came into operation there were about 40 regiments at
home, and knocking off two battalions from each 240
officers had to be provided fur. An arrangement was
made for the promotion of 60 captains without purchase,
with the understanding that the other officers should re-
main as supernumeraries in the other regiments to bo
absorbed as opportunity offered, and the case of those
three officers, which he much regretted, arose entirely out
of those arrangements and nothing else. He could not
assent to.the resolution moved by the hon. and gallant

permanent.
Lord 'Taunton supported the resolution, as did also Lord
P arrowby, who desired to increase the county representa-
tion as a counterpoise to the lowered franchise in boroughs.
'The Duke of BUCKINGHAM justified the scheme em-
bodied in the bill, and urged that it would be indiscreet to
make any material alteration in respect of redistribution.
After some observations from Lords Stratford de Red-
cliffe and Fortescue in favour of the resolution, the house
divided, and there were 59 in favour and 100 against the
motion of Lord Halifax, which was therefore lost.
The house then went into committee upon the bill, and
Clauses 1 and 2 were agreed to.
On clause 3 a conversational discussion was raised by
Lord Ellenborough as to the meaning of the words "all
poor rates," and eventually the clause was amended by the
insertion of the words "rate made for relief of the poor."
On clause 4, an amendment moved by Lord ROMNEY in-
creasing the term of occupancy required for exercising the
lodger franchise was negatived without a division.
A more important question was raised on this clause by
Lord CAlnss, who proposed an alteration which would
admit as voters the occupants of rooms in halls and colleges.
This was generally supported by the members of the Go-
vernment, and strongly opposed for various reasons by
Lord Grey, Lord Westbury, Lord Abingdon, and Lord
Granville. Eventually, on a division, the numbers were—
For the amendment
Against it
Majority —4B
On the proposal of Lord Ciunss to make the limit of
the lodger franchise £l5 instead of £lO,
Lord MALMESBURY intimated on the part of the Go-
vernment his readiness to accept the amendment, but
Lord GRANVILLE earnestly deprecated such a step,
and reminded the house that if this amendment was car-
ried, all hopes of a settlement of the Reform question
would be scattered to the winds.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said such an altera-
tion would only increase the regret of their lordships at
the absence of Lord Derby, while Lord HARDWICKE said
he was glad of a motion to increase the franchise in any
way. He therefore seized with avidity upon the oppor-
tunity of heightening the lodger qualification.
Lord KIMBERLEY opposed and the Duke of RUTLAND
supported the amendment.
The Duke of ARGYLL, while admiring the strength of
the party ties of the Government, wondered at the weak-
ness of their political convictions. If Liberal peers pro-
posed liberalising amendments, they were met by the ob-
jection that in altering the bill they were breaking a com-
pact with the House of Commons, but when a Tory
amendment limiting the franchise which the other house
had agreed to was put forward, it was adopted without
a word of explanation. Such a course on this question
would be regarded by the country as an indication of the
reaction which had already set in.
Lord MALMESBURY defended the course taken by
the Government, and said there was no analogy whatever
between this question of the lodger franchise and that of
the implied compact as to the redistribution of seats.
Lord CARNARVON, though not opposed to the amend-
ment, was not, under all the peculiar circumstances of the
present case, prepared to go so far as to vote for it ; and
Lord RUSSELL thought that by its being carried, and
the qualification raised, a fresh opening would be given to
an agitation for manhood suffrage, and to get rid of any
'imit whatever.

After a few words from Lord Ellenborough, Lord Gran-
ville, Lord Shaftesbury, and Lord Grey, who were opposed
to the amendment, and expressed their regret that the Go-
vernment had departed from the text of their bill, a divi-
sion was taken on the original question, that the figure
£lO be retained, when the numbers were—
Contents B9
Non-Contents
Majority --32
The amendment was consequently carried.
After a few words, clause 4 was agreed to.
On clause 5, relating to county property franchise,
Lord lIIIIROWBY proposed an amendment altering
the copyhold property qualification from £5 to £lO, which
was agreed to by the Lord Chancellor, but opposed by
Lord Granville.
After a very short discussion, their lordships divided on
the question that clause 5 stand part of the bill, when the

numbers were,—
Contents
Non-Contents
Majority ---83
Clause 5 was therefore struck out, Clause 6 was agreed
to. The House then resumed, and the othAr nrdora of the
day having been disposed of, their lordships adjourned at
half-past 12 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.
The SPF.Axv a took the chair at 4 o'clock.
DENMARK AND PRUSSIA.
Mr. D. GRIFFITH asked the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs whether the French Government had re-
monstrated with that of Prussia against their requiring
any engagement as to the protection of the German popu-
lation of North Schleswig from Denmark as the condition
of their giving effect to the fifth article of the Treaty of
Prague ; and whether the English Government had offered
any opinion on the subject.
Lord STANLEY said it was quite true that communi-
cations had passed between France and Prussia, but ho
should not be justified in stating the nature of those com-
munications, as the information ho had received was of a
confidential nature. Her Majesty's Government had ex-
pressed no opinion whatever on the subject.
THE SCOTCH REFORM BILL.
Sir J. OGILVIE asked whether it was intended to bring
this bill forward for discussion this evening.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was
not intended to do so that evening or any other evening
during the present session. (Laughter.) It had been
asked that the bill be reprinted, and on the motion for
going into committee he should move that the house do so
gyro forma, r.nd at the same time move that the bill be re-
printed with the alterations made in accordance with those
of the English bill ; but before he could so it was necessary
it should be known what was done in another place with
respect to the English bill.
Col. FRENCH asked whether it was proposed to raise
any discussion on the motion for going into committee I
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not
anticipate any discussion would arise, as the motion would
simply be that the house go into committee pro forma.
Mr. M'LAREN asked when the discussion would be
taken ? (A Voice—" Next session.") (Laughter.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
had already stated that it was not intended to proceed fur-
ther with the bill during the present session.
Mr. M'LAREN said that the hon. member for Ayrshire
had announced on Friday last that the bill should not go
on without an opportunity being given of discussing the

matter.
Sir J. FERGUSSON said on Friday he was authorised
to say that no progress would be made in the bill without
an opportunity being given for discussion. He never said
that further progress would be made.
THE FENIANS.
Major KNOX asked the right hon. gentleman opposite
if it was true that he bad stated that champagne and
other delicacies had been furnished to the Fenians by the
place he had the honour to represent.
Mr. MONSELL said his observations applied to Dun-
garvon and not Dungannon..
THE-PACKET SERVICE VOTE.
In reply to Mr. CRAIN-FORD,
Mr. HUNT said he had intended to'proceed with this
vote on Wednesday, but as it had been represented that it
would be exceedingly inconvenient to members generally
if he did so he would fix the matter for Thursday next.
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS BILL.
In reply to Sir G. GREY,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was
not intended to proceed further with this bill during the
present session.
The order for the committal of the bill was then read and
ordered to be discharged.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENT BILL.
In reply to Mr. HOPE,
Mr. AYRTON said when the order of the day for the
second reading was arrived at he would state what course
he intended to take with regard to the bill.
THE PURCHASE SYSTEM.
Col. NORTH rose to bring under the consideration of
the house the casesof Lieut. Frederick Nind Woodall and
Lieut. and Adjutant H. Curry, of the 74th Highlanders ;
and Lieut. and Adjutant R. F. Stirke, 69th Regiment.
The hon. and gallant gentleman said the cause of these
officers was one of peculiar hardship: they had been pur-
chased over no less than five times, and the whole cause
of their non-advancement in their profession was
simply because they were not in possession of 'the
means of obtaining their promotion under the pre-
sent objectionable system of purchase. The officers
he had mentioned were men of the highest honour
and undoubted courage, and it was to be regretted that
such efficient officers should be so unjustly treated. He
concluded by moving the following :—" That in the
opinion of the house no rnonetaty consideration should
delay the promotion of these three officers."
Sir J. PASINGTON said ho should decline to touch

Miscellan

Ncws

A. letter from Rome, dated July 20, says :
I -was obliged to send off my letter rather early
last -week, as I was engaged for a few days' change
of air in Albano, so that I could not bring my nar-
rative of events up to the end of the week. On
Friday (12th) the Pope held a Consistorio Segreto.
In his Allocution he announced to the Sacred Col-
lege the execution of the Emperor Maximilian, and
that his solemn obsequies would be celebrated in
the Sixtine Chapel. New bishops were appointed
for Sens and for Oran in Algeria, which has lately
been made an episcopal see. The Pope himself in-
vested Mgr. Antonio Hassoun, the new Armenian
Patriarch of Cilicia, who has taken the name of
Antonio Pietro IX., with the pallium, with the
accustcmed ceremonies, all the Armenian bishops
in Rome being present, as well as the Siro-Maro-
nite Patriarch of Antioch and other prelates of
Oriental rites. Afterwards he received the peti-
tion for the pallium from the Archbishops of Sens
and Quito, who were invested in his presence, and
conferred the cardinalitial ring on the new car-
dinal. _ _

member.
Mr. MONSELL hoped that as the 74th was about to be
sent abroad and would be strengthened by the addition
of two battalions, he hoped the case of the two officers
would be favourably taken into consideration.
The house divided, when there appeared—
For the motion 54
Against it 65
Majority
The motion was consequently lost.
THE REVENUE OF INDIA.
On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Mr. OTWAY asked the Secretary of State for India
whether there was any, and if any, what limit to the sums
of money which the Secretary of State for India in
Council might expend in this country without obtain-
ing the sanction of Parliament ; and, should the
balance in the Home Treasury be insufficient to meet
any exceptional expenditure incurred by the Sepretary of
State for India in Council, whether there was any, and if
any, what limit to the sum for which ho may draw on the
revenues of India; and if the Secretary of State for India
could fix the day for the discussion of the Indian Budget.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE said there was no limit to the
home expenditure of the revenues of India, which were
vested in the Secretary of State for India in Council.
There were limits, however, with respect to the salaries
of the Secretary of State and the members of
the council. With respect to allowances that were made
to officers dismissed for misconduct, the money was
awarded those persons to prevent them from actu-
ally coming to starvation. It was thought very
objectionable that persons having enjoyed certain positions
in India should be seen in this country in a state of desti-
tution.
In committee of supply, the British Museum vote, moved
by Mr. WaLroLs„ was agreed to—the CHANCELLOR of the
E
thenuofndaiv
discussionnnmprehentshat
earlyxce
scheme for the better accommodation and exhibition of
next
tnn year stating
he
hlo in the
rd
prop
our national collections.
The Education Vote (£705,865) was moved by Lord
R. MONTAGU, who went into the educational budget of
the year in considerable detail, contrasting the expendi-
ture, and the results with the figures of former years. For
the building and enlarging schools and teachers' houses
£30,000 is asked in the estimate, as against £24,000 actually
spent last year, which had been supplemented by £91,000
of voluntary contributions. For elementary schools,
£427,345 is asked, and for night schools £16,000, as
against £416,582 and £13,302 spent last year, supplemented
by £369,000 voluntary subscriptions and £56,000 endow-
ments. For normal schools £74,000 is asked—a slight
decrease on last year—and for administration, inspection,
and office expenses £81,790. Passing to the results, Lord
Robert mentioned that during the past year 80 schools had
been built, 50 enlarged, and 61 teachers' residences had
been built, affording altogether new accommodation for
20,516 scholars. There had been inspected 13,586 schools
—an increase of 636 schools over the previous year ;
1,510,871 children were on the books at the end of the
year, of whom 1,287,604 had been present at the inspec-
tion, and 664,000 had been presented for examination, and
more than five-sixths had obtained passes in reading,
writing, and arithmetic. The number of night scholars
on the books was 42,872, a sensible increase over last
year.
The usual long and discursive conversation on various
points preceded the granting of the vote.
On going into committee on the Parks Regulation
Bill,
Mr. LOCKE strenuously opposed the bill, objecting par-
ticularly to what he insisted was a principle novel in our
law, giving magistrates jurisdiction over political offenders,
instead of sendi ig them before a jury, and to the clause
which allowed the Ranger and the first Commissioner to
make regulations the breach of which is to be punishable
by fine. Now that a satisfactory Reform Bill was on the
eve of passing a measure of this kind was unnecessary;
and he moved that the house deems it inexpedient to
proceed with the bill this Session.
Sir C. RUSSELL supported the bill, on the ground that
London was now threatened with another Hyde Park
demonstration against Mr. Hughes' Sunday Trading Bill.
Lord AMBERLEY denied that these meetings had been
snown to cause public inconvenience or to interfere seri-
ously with the street traffic, maintaining that Hyde Park
was the most fitting place for great public meetings, and in
an ironical vein complained of the ingratitude of the Go-
vernment towards the Reform League, which by its
demonstrations had co-operated so powerfully with them
in passing their Reform Bill.
Mr. COWPER supported the bill to preserve the parks
for the purposes of recreation, arguing that the power of
preventing public meetings was vested in the custodians
of all other parks ; that they never had yet been allowed ;
and that if the house refused th's bill the parks would
become the arena of all kinds of controversies, political,
religious, and social.
Mr. Sergeant GASELEE opposed the bill.
Mr. HARDY denied that the bill interfered with the right
of public meeting; its only object was to prohibit the
holding of meetings in certain places properly devoted to
wbeyo
to ad
hold
ald doubt,thsin, for
and u
purposes of recreation. That such meetings there was
illegal
pt
the 1855bi11 simplynobody
had
ever gave
additional facilities for enforcing a legal right.
attemptedas
Mr. GLADSTONE, though not disposed to refuse to
legislate for the purpose of giving these additional facili-
ties, was of opinion that this bill had not been well con-
sidered—and at this period of the Session it was not pos-
sible to consider it—that the peculiar delicacy of the
subject had not been kept sufficiently in view, and that it
was altogether inopportune. This was not a question to
be decided by argument alone—feeling must be considered
as well ; and objecting to increase the power of the Execu-
tive in connection with the events of last year, and appre-
hending that legislation at present would bear the appear-
ance of an attempt on the part of Parliament and the
Exechtive to revenge themselves for something like a
defeat, he supported Mr. Locke's resolution.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER remarked
that the right of public meeting was a valuable safety
valve, as useful, perhaps, to those in authority as to any
body, and, admitting that the Londoners were not so well
off for open spaces to meet in as the people of other towns,
he maintained that it was more convenient in great colos-
sal cities that meetings should be held in buildings such
as the Manchester Free-Trade Hall, adding that if a great
public demonstration were needed there was Primrose-
hill. But the bill was a mere social and police arrange-
ment, and the only question for the committee to decide
was—ls it desieable that the parks should be retained for
the amusement and recreation of the people ?
Mr. BRIGHT dwelt on the importance and the use of
public meetings, and eulogised the conduct of the people
at the recent Reform demonstrations, metropolitan and
provincial, arguing that at meetings in Hyde-park the risk
of collision would be less than at Primrose-hill, as the
ground was larger, and that, as they would be wi nessed
by a larger number of persons, their effect as demonstra-
tions would be greater. The urgency of the case was not
proved, neither was the ncessity for increasing the power
of the exo :utive to deal with public meetings ; and he
pressed the Government to drop the bill, pleading that, if
at the commencement of next session it should still be
thought necessary to legislate, the subject could be ap-
proached with greater chance of success and without the
same risk of provoking popular resentment.
Mr. NEWDEGATE supported the bill, and on a division
Mr. Locke's resolution was defeated by a majority of 45
133 to 88. The house went into committee, but no pre-
gress was made with the bill.
Several other bills wore forwarded a stage, and the house
adjourned at a quarter to three o'clock.

[AnvflatismiENT.]-11enceforth no one will doubt the valuable
Properties of Du Barry's health-restoring Revalenta Arabica
Invalids' and Infants Food, since to the thousands of blessings
it has already rocolved from Invalids whose position had been
deemed hopeless, we may now add that of his Holiness the Pope,
whot.'e health has been perfectly restored by it after thirty years
of unsuccessful medical treatment. We quote from the "Gazette
Flu Midi," July 25th :—" Rome, July 21, 1866.—" The health of
the Holy Father is excellent, especially since, abandoning all
other remedies, he has confined himself entirely to Du Barry's
Revalenta Arabic'. Food, of which he consumes a plateful
at every meal. It has pi odueed a surprisingly beneficial
effect on his health, and his Holiness cannot praise this
excellent food too highly." We extract a few out of
more than 68,000 cures:—Cure No. 58,216, of the Marchioness
de Brehan, of seven years' liver complaint, wasting away,
debility, nervousness, with a nervous palpitation all over, bad
digestion, constant sleeplessness, and the most intolerable ner-
vous agitation. Cure No. 1,771: Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord
Lieutenant of Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia. N 0.49,832 :
" Fifty years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness,
asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms, sickness, and
vomiting.—Maria Joly." Cure No. 46,2'70: Mr. James Roberts,
of Frimley, Surrey, of 30 years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood,
liver derangement, and partial deafness Important Caution.—
Beware of the many unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations
to which, without authority, Baron Liebig's name is most auda-
ciously attached.
In tins at ls. lid.; 1 lb., 2s. 9d. 2 lbs., 4s. 6d.; 5 lbs., lls.;
12 lbs., 225.; 24 lbs., 40s.—BAILEY DU BARRY and Co., No. 77,
Aegent-street, London; also Fortnam and Mason, 182, Piccadilly ;
and at 61, Graceehurch-street; 4, Cheapside; 63, 150, and 298,
(3/Zl9rd-street;93o Strad; and all grocerand chenabto,
• - • . _ .

barely escapes being ludicrous, the ente morale—
the moral being—of ecclesiastical bodies ceases.
Their corporate possessions become national pro-
perty, bene del demanio, as it is called, or as an
Italian paper suggests would be more appropriate
in this instance, del demonio. The pittance to be
doled out to the dispossessed owners is prescribed
in Article 3. By a report presented to the Chamber
it appears that the estimates for 1867 amount to
1,114 millions, and the deficit will be 217 millions,
without counting arrears.

We hear every day threatening rumours of the
preparations of the Garibaldian party, which, it
is hinted, are subsidized by the Italian Govern-
ment. In spite of the protests of the official
journal that Government is determined to arrest
anything of the sort, they yet receive no effective
check. It is not that there are not now and then
secret meetings disturbed, a marauding party in
the frontier overhauled, and a few arrests made,
but from all I hear there is more going on than
could be managed without assistance in high quar-
ters. A handful of men spurred on to the attack
will form an excuse for sending a whole army in
pursuit, and, once in the Roman State, may they
not cry, "it is good for us to be here !" At the
present moment, at all events, the excuse is seized
for concentrating large bodies of troops on the
frontier, which, under the title of cordone d'osser-
vazione, present good grounds for suspecting in
them the materials of an invasion. • The " National
Committee " and the " Centre of Insurrection"
have contrived somehow to effect a fusion at last,
and have constituted a new administration with
the title of Junta Nazionale Romana. Its first act
is the circulation of the following proclamation :
« Romans !—Rejoice that there are no more dissensions
among us ! All sections of the Liberal party are to-
day united in the resolution to crush once •for all the Papal
Government, and to give Rome to Italy.
"The National Committee and the Centre of Insur-
rection are alike superseded by the Junta Nazionale
Romana, which henceforth will take the Sovereign direc-
tion of the movement.
"Rejoice over this holy concord, and second it by
union in faith and discipline—union in intentions and
sacrifices. The Roman fasces are truly formed this day,
and will lead you to victory, but beware of another
fracture.
" Romans !—The honourable citizens who compose the
Junta, into whose hands we resign our office, are worthy
of their exalted mission, but they can do nothing unless
seconded by your courage and confidence. You have
but to will it, and 25,000,000 of our brethren will acknow-
ledge Rome for the capital of Italy.
(Signed) "THE NATIONAL ROMAN COMMITTEE,
" Rome, July 19." " THE CENTRE OF INSURRECTION.
It is not from within, however, that we have
anything to fear. The Junta may issue as many
circulars as they will ; they won't get the Romans to
rise against the Pope, and if we had no subsidized
attack from without to expect, we might rest con-
fident that the boast of this new Roman fascio
would turn out another fiasco.
The Pope still continues too much occupied to
leave Rome. His departure has been postponed,
but no day has as yet been named for it. The
heat is very great, but the general health is not
much below the average of the time of year. The
obligation of abstinence, on Fridays and Satur-
days, has been dispensed, however, as a precaution
against possible inroad of cholera, and because the
season is considered trying.
There was a Solemn Mass for the Emperor
Maximilian on Wednesday in the Sixtine Chapel,
sung by Cardinal Reisach. The Pope pronounced
the absolution. Nearly all the cardinals and pre-
lates in Rome assisted. The King of Naples and
Count Trapani, many Roman princes, and the
Corps Diplomatique were present, and a consider-
able crowd of faithful.
Letters from Vienna describe the obsequies cele-
brated there on the 12th as very grand. The cata-
falque was surrounded with the arms and banners
of the imperial houses of Austria and Mexico. At
the foot of the coffin were two velvet cushions, on
which were laid the arch-ducal and imperial
aandr
The beyond crowns, together with the imperial orb and scep-
tre ; around were placed 120 tapers in massive
v ercandlesticks,dg
d. u these were sta-
tioned theb
Emperor of Austria
entered the church about eleven o'clock, preceded
s l
body
y
by the Archdukes and officers of State. The
plenipotentiaries and envoys of England, France,
Russia, and Turkey were present, as well as all
the resident nobility.
The man who cut his throat in St. Peter's left
the Hospital of San Spirito, cured of his wound, on
Saturday last. I believe he has been removed to
a lunatic asylum ; it is the third time he has
attempted his life.
The Defesore, a Modenese newspaper which has
been some little time in abeyance, reappeared on
St. Peter's day with the new title of .11 Diritto
Cat tolico.

- -
I have just had my attention called to a
number of the Semaine Religieuse of Nevers
giving an account of a most interesting ceremony
which took place at Barbeloup, near that town on
the 19th ult. When Pius VII. was transferred from
in June, 1812, he was
night notwithstanding his
madeSavon atday and
age and infirmities ; in order also to prevent the
o
manifestations which the sight of him would have
t travel Fontainebleau,
da
called forth from the people along the route it was
arranged to have a number of posting stations pro-
vided with relays of horses at some little way out of
the towns. Thus it happened that on the 19th the
cortege came through Nevers, and the horses were
changed at a little place named Barbeloup, be-
tween Pougues and La Charitd. The Pope left
the carriage during the delay, and sat down to
rest under a cherry-tree by the wayside while
he sent into a cottage to ask for a draught of
milk. A peasant woman brought it to him on her
knees ; the Pope thanked. the new Veronica, and
presented her with a piece of money, which she
always afterwards wore hung round her neck like
a sacred medal.
The cherry-tree was long an object of veneration
for the whole country side, but somehow perished
in some subsequent storm either moral or atmo-
spheric. The Bishop of Nevers had the happy
thought of replacing it by a more durable memorial,
which might serve in future ages to mark this sta-
tion in the Via Dolorosa of Pius VII. The Mayor
of Trousage, in whose parish Barbeloup is situated,
was most assiduous in seconding his pious wish,
and subscriptions were not wanting. A local archi-
tect, M. Bouveault, accordingly has just erected an
elegant column of sculptured marble, surmounted
by a gilt cross and bearing this inscription :
Hie
Die XIX jvnii M.D. CCC. XII,
Pivs VII P. M.
Peregrinvs et togotans
Modico lac te reficiebatvr.
De torrente in rid bibet, prcrpterea exaltabit caput.
A large crowd assembled at its inauguration, and
after the psalm, " Quare fremuerunt gentes," had
been sung, the bishop made a short address on the
text, "Et venient ad te curvi filii eorum qui
humiliaverant te, et adorabunt vestigia pedum
tuorum." "The children of them that afflicted thee
shall come bowing down to thee, and all that slan-
dered thee shall worship the steps of thy feet."
lx., 14.) •
A letter from Turin, dated July 22, says :
The new bill for the liquidation of the Church
property continues under discussion, and seems
likely to pass. It is the most sweeping measure yet
proposed. By it, the State lays its hand on every
kind of ecclesiastical property, even on what was
spared before ; the very subscriptions of Confra-
ternities do not escape notice. The Chamber is
hard at work in its struggle to make up for lost
time and is holding three sittings a day. The second
and third clauses were passed on Saturday. The
attempt at philosophical accuracy the wording

The Commission appointed to inquire into the
general administration of the Naval Department
has sent in a report which, from the extracts that
have been allowed to transpire, reveals a deplorable
state of confusion and malversation. When the
Commission found that the receipts and payments
were a long way from balancing, they were told it
arose from economy in the personnel of the office.
There was a sufficiency of clerks to look after the
receipts, but there were only two or three to note
the payments, and these were so frequent that it
was often impossible to register them all ! This is
a specimen. of the frivolous answers given to the
gravest charges of the Commissioners.
With reference to various secret gatherings of
small knots of G-aribaldians, of which we hear now
and then, the following appears in the Corriere
Italiano, the official paper : —" The King's Govern-
ment is not only resolutely determined to oppose
every attempt of an attack on Rome, but the most
complete measures have been taken to prevent any
infraction of the pledge on that subject already
given." This is said to be the result of a late
warning from the French Emperor, recalling the
convention, and stating he has so much now on
his hands, that a Roman complication must be
avoided at all hazards.
The same paper states that Cardinal Antonelli
has addressed the three following questions to the
representatives of the four Catholic Powers, France,
Austria, Spain, and tortugal :—What course they
would pursue if it should appear plainly that the
Italian Government was conniving at the invasion
now being planned by the Garibaldians, in spite
of the convention ? 2. What they would do in
case the revolutionary party made their way up to
the gates of Rome ? 3. And what, supposing there
was any outbreak in Rome itself ? I give you the
paragraph as it stands, on the faith of the Corriere;
I have heard nothing from Rome itself of any such
application.
The only public notice which has hitherto been
taken in Italy of the execution of the Emperor
Maximilian has been by the Pope. A Turin paper,
while raising its voice against this apathy, accuses
certain papers of not being content, like the Go-
vernment, with an ignominious silence, but of
publicly applauding this frightful act of Juarez.
I have not heard. ,that this has met with any official
reprobation, but printed sheet, entitled, " Sogno
di Napoleone 111. e l'ombra di Massimiliano," which
was in circulation aNilan, has been seized.
From Austria it was rumoured that the Arch-
duchess Sophia had been so horror-stricken by the
terrible news of the loss of her son that she had
entirely lost her reason. The Vienna Gazette of
the 15th denies this report, but it says she has been
most painfully affected by the intelligence, and it
is said she seems continually to have the picture
of his last sad moments before her eyes. The Press
of Vienna announces that the visit of the Emperor
of Austria to Paris is definitively abandoned ; he
has, however, invited the Sultan to spend some
days at Schonbiunn on his way home. The
Tagsblatt says the Sultan will come by way of
Berlin about the end of the month, but that he has
expressed his earnest desire that his coming shall
in no way interfere with the Court mourning, and
that it may not occasion any public festivities
which would be out of season at such a time.
Count Crotti's re-election for Verres has just
been completed and declared valid in the Cham-
ber. It remains now for the battle of the oath to
be fought over again.
The Florence journals are beginning to wake to
a perception of the irreparable injury to art which
is resulting from the public contempt of its reli-
gious sanctuaries. The instance which has spe-
cially roused their ire is the vandalic treatment of
the cloisters of Santa Croce—Santa Croce, where
the great Dante festival was completed by the
inauguration of the statue which now commands
the piazza ; Santa Croce, where so many great men
of Italy are inhumed, till our guide-books have
called it the Westminster Abbey of Florence ;
Santa Croce has a claim on the haltanissimi
'which would be' wanting in a mere church.
But they have sown the wind, and they
are now reaping the tempest ; the smooth,
green turf beneath which are laid a Sabatelli, a
Santarelli, a Gazzarini, a Virginia Blasis, is con-
verted into a yard " where rubbish may be shot !"
The traceried arches which enclose it—the work
of Arnolfo de Colic, in the fourteenth century
—are covered with obscene and ribald scrawls.
The marble tablets destined to record the merits
of the departed, are covered with offensive and
derisive epithets. Small boys, brought up in com-
munal schools which have succeeded the pious
teaching of religious, delight in giving a practical
effect to the anti-ecclesiastical lessons they are
taught by spending their play-time in shying
stones at the monuments and defacing the frescoes.
They are brought up to see religious edifices
turned into barracks, and rnisons, and army stores,
and, more logical than their elders, they deem it
less of a sacrilege to make places of sepulture
serve for a playground.
Our Sindaco issued an order a few days ago re-
lative to precautions against cholera, which, among
other things, forbad the hawking of fruit and vege-
tables. A number of poor people are thus deprived
of the means of existence, and we had quite a little
e'meute last Friday. The itinerant vendors of fruit
and lemonade, who had thus been condemned to
starve, collected in crowds, and after parading the
streets for some time, surrounded the Palazzo di
citta, the female element predominating, and com-
menced tearing up the pavement to provide mis-
siles with which to assail the building. The police
came out and restored order by carrying a consi-
derable number to prison, where they will, at all
events, be fed. The same day we had another affair
which has made some noise. A woman, very
respectably dressed, and of prepossessing appear-
ance, attempted to commit suicide in the streets.
She was observed to point a pistol at her head,
but before anyone could reach her, she had pulled
the trigger. The ball entered her mouth, tearing
away part of the lower jaw ; but the case is not
considered likely to prove fatal. The act is attri-
buted to despair excited by jealousy.
A letter from Paris says :
The Chamber, on the eve of dissolution, conti-
nues to be occupied almost exclusively on the
Budget. M. Berryer took occasion on Saturday
to inquire of Government what reports had
been received regarding the cholera, and what pre-
cautionary measures had been adopted. M.
Forcade, Minister of Public Works, said in answer,
that the Mecca pilgrimage had passed off without
giving any grounds for serious apprehension of
mischief, owing to the favourable conditions of the
atmosphere, and the precautionary measures
adopted during the last two years at the instance
of the French Government, such as preventing the
overcrowding of the Red Sea steamers. Cholera
has, however, appeared at various points of the
Mediterranean coast, first at Tunis, then in Sicily,
then in Italy. In Sicily it was not the towns that
were attacked, but the small villages in the open
country-. The affrighted village populations col-
lected in the towns—at Palermo to the number
of more than 40,000, and, strange to say, they
did not take the contagion with them. The reports
that have been circulated about Rome are greatly
exaggerated ; there is no cause for alarm there. In
the north of Italy, however, at Brescia and Ber-
gamo, it broke out, but has not spread. Some
isolated cases have also been reported at various
points of the coast of Brittany. With regard to
precautionary measures, M. Forcade stated that,
though the system of quarantine had at one time
been abandoned, there had been a reaction in
scientific opinion, and last year permission had been
given for its adoption in certain cases, as when a
vessel arrives in port which has had an outbreak of
cholera on board. Government was, therefore,
armed against the worst ; but, at the itame time, it

hadbeen determined not to have recourseto a means the 15th inst., at eleven o'clock, a funeral service
so calculated to impede trade, except in case of for the repose of the soul of the late Emperor
great necessity. M. Berryer replied that he was Maximilian, honorary member of this Societe d'elite.
glad to hear that the opinions of anti-contagionists Among the numerous congregation were most of
were not paramount in France. the notabilities of the capital, the Ministers, and
The bishops, on their return from Rome, have foreign officials, and the whole of the Austrian
been received throughout France with the most Embassy,
marked expressions of rejoicing and veneration. In
most instances they were met at the railway station
by Confraternity processions which conducted
them to their cathedrals, where they addressed
their flocks on the glories they had witnessed in the
Eternal City, and dismissed the congregations with
the Papal Benediction. The towns were in gala
array with flags, and wreaths, and triumphal arches,
and illuminated in the evening. The Bishop of
Rennes, who was prevented from going to Rome
by grave indisposition, but sent 20,000 fr. for the
support of forty Zouaves, has published in his dio-
cese a letter of sympathy and thanks addressed to
him by the Holy Father. Mgr.- Godelle, Bishop
in partibus of Thermopylae, Vicar-Apostolic of
Pondichery, who intended to spend a few days at
the House of the Missions etrangeres in Paris before
returning to his diocese, was taken ill in conse-
quence of the fatigues of the journey, and obliged
to lay up at Chambery. He desired to be taken to
the HBtel-Dieu, which is a very extensive institu-
tion at Chambery. The Sisters of St. Vincent
lavished every care on him, but his constitution
was already undermined by the labours and priva-
tions consequent on the duties of his apostolic mis-
sion, and he died on the 15th at the age of 62.
It may well be doubted whether, with all his
foresight, the Emperor had any suspicion of the
comments that would be passed on his late letter
and present to M. Rouher. According to the fol-
lowing details of the circumstances of its presen-
tation, published in the Independance, the latter
would seem to be better acquainted with the state
of public opinion :—" As he was entering the
Council Chamber, M. Rouher was requested to
attend the Emperor, who then gave him the cross
and the written testimony of friendship which ac-
companied it. The Minister, casting his eye over
the document, observed the line which implied it
should be made public, and, in order to make
quite sure, asked the Emperor if he meant it.
The Emperor replied that he expressly stipulated
it. The note did not, however, appear in the
Moniteur till after the lapse of another day, M.
Rouher, in his exceeding discretion, having thought
it advisable, in the interim, to give his imperial
master the opportunity of reconsidering his deci-
sion." The diamonds are said to be worth £1,600.
The King and Queen of Portugal and the
Infant, Duke of Coimbra, brother of the King,
arrived on Sunday evening. The Viscount di
Paiva, Portuguese Ambassador at Paris, met them
at the Belgian frontier. The Emperor, accomp-
anied by Prince Joachim Murat, received them at
the terminus of the Nord Railway. The Empress
came down to welcome them at the foot of the grand
staircase of the Tuileries. After spending some
time in the private apartments of the Empress,
they drove together to the Pavilion Marsan. The
Empress left on Sunday morning for Havre, to
embark there for her private visit to the Queen.
The Emperor accompanied her to the pier and re-
turned to Paris in the evening. King Louis 11. of
Bavaria also arrived on Sunday, and paid a visit at
the Tuileries ; he travels under the title of Comte de
Berg.
The Moniteur reports that the Prince Imperial
appears to have already derived great benefit
from his stay at Bagneres-de-Luchon. He bathes
regularly every morning, and takes a walk of two
or three hours on the mountains. "He has never
been better ; it need hardly be said that he is the
theme of all conversation and of all thought in
the neighbourhood. His pleasant, healthy coun-
tenance, his vivacity and amiability, have won all
hearts."
The Paris prints are a good deal occupied with
speculations concerning the fate of Dano, the French
representative in Mexico, who was accredited in
June, 1865. The Emperor Maximilian sent to
Paris as his plenipotentiary General Almonte, in
May, 1866. Juarez, on his success, demanded
that General Alnionte should be given up, threat-
ening, in case of refusal, to shoot Dano. Of
course, France cannot give up Almonte ; but, with
the specimen we have had of Juarez's recklessness,
the safety of the French plenipotentiary is doubt-
ful indeed. The Courrier Francais reports that he
has effected his escape, but there is no notice of
such an event in the official journal.
An ancient town has lately been discovered in
Russia in a curious way. A fort was in course of
construction at Orembourg. The Kirgis had un-
dertaken to supply the bricks, of which they seemed
to have an exhaustless supply of a very fine kind.
The Russian engineers at last became curious to
know whence they were obtained, and, in answer
to their inquiries, were told they had a mine of
them. The officers required to see the mine, and
found that there was a town of considerable extent
buried beneath the soil. The Kirgis had already
destroyed the dome of one large edifice for the sake
of getting the bricks. There was no one on the
spot, however, capable of determining the date of
the constructions.
The Abbe Sire, one of the professors of the
Seminary of St. Sulpice, while in Rome for the
Centenary of St. Peter—l believe on St. Peter's
day itself—presented to the Pope the very labo-
rious production on which he, has been engaged for
a long time. It is a collection of translations of
the Bull Ineffabilis Deus (defining the doctrine of
the Immaculate Conception) into three hundred
languages and dialects. He has been at pains to
render it as correct and complete as possible, each
translation having been verified by the bishop of
the diocese in which the language or dialect is
spoken. Each is written, adorned and bound
according to the prevailing style and taste of each
country; the precious metals, jewels and enamels,
corals and mother-o'pearl, have been put in requi-
sition for their ornamentation. It is curious that,
of all the European versions, those from Poland
and Portugal are said to be the most costly and
elaborate.
A letter from Brussels says :
Great astonishment has been expres'sed here at
the rumoured retirement of M. Van de Weyer, and
all sorts of conjectures are afloat as to the probable
cause of that Minister's tender of resignation.
Nothing can exceed the gratification of the Bel-
gian nation at the more than cordial and handsome
manner in which its representatives have been
received by the English people. The souvenirs of
the Belgian volunteers seem to rest with peculiar
satisfaction on the entertainment offered them by
Miss Burdett Coutts ; but they seemed at first to
have some difficulty in understanding why that lady
was singled out for one special occasion in their
programme. The public spirit which prompted
this individual liberality, however, and the peculiar
circumstances which suggested to her the wish to
receive them on her own responsibility, upon being
explained to them, it was both felt and appre-
ciated.
The awkward incident of the disproportion be-
tween the number of medals distributed by his
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales at Wimbledon
and the number of recipients has excited some
comment and remains to be explained, and Colonel
Gregoire has been severely censured for a laxity of
discipline and a want of method, without which
such an accident so vexatious to all parties, and
principally to his Royal Highness, could not have
occurred.
The magnificent annual procession known as that
of the " Tres Saint Sacrement de Miracle," took its
accustomed circuit on Sunday last from the Cathe-
dral of Ste. Gudule, amidst an immense concourse
of the faithful, and followed by upwards of 2,000
pilgrims. Every accessory that could contribute to
the imposing richness of the occasion was supplied ;
and, although those who took part in it began their
preparations as early as three in the morning, it
was five in the afternoon before the different groups
put themselves in order to gain their respective
homes.
The first stone has just been laid of a new bridge
across the Vesdre, which is to unite Verviers to the

THE GOLD FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA.

Under the above heading we published in a late
number an article referring to the districts which
have been successfully worked for gold. We have

since been favoured with the report of P. S. Hamil-
ton, Esq., the Chief Commissioner of Mines at
Halifax, which contains a large amount of infor-
mation relative to this auriferous country, and
from which we gather the important fact that there

are few other British colonies in which capital can
be more satisfactorily employed than Nova Scotia.
It may be observed, en passant, that Nova
Scotia is distant from England not more . than a
ten days' voyage by steamer, being in the direct

route of vessels sailing between Liverpool and Bos-

,on, United States—in fact a line of steamers run

every fortnight between these two cities, calling at
Halifax for passengers and merchandise. These
vessels are constantly freighted with gold from
the mines of Nova Scotia, and there is every reason

to suppose that future years will show a consider-
able increase in freights of the precious metal from
Halifax to England.
As everything relative to gold mining—especially
from such an authority as the Chief Commissioner
of mines—must be deemed interesting, we give

the following information, extracted from his
annual report on the pines of Nova Scotia for

the year 1866 :
" GOLD MINES.-Our gold mines continue to be
worked steadily and satisfactorily. The area over
which operations are carried out is yearly extend-
ing, and as a rule, if not universally, the quartz
lodes being worked show no decrease in richness,
but rather the reverse. Improvements in machinery
and increased skill in mining have led to the pro-
fitable working of many lodes, which in former
years were abandoned or left untouched as too
unprofitable to be mined."
As we shall probably have much to say in future
on the interesting sub; act of gold finding and
gold mining generally, we shall commence by
describing the, districts of Nova Scotia, in which
up to the present time the precious metals (gold
and silver) have been found in the largest quan-
tities.

Ensival.
The " Grand Serment Royal et Noble " of cross-
bowmen and carabineero ci Drumel4 celebrated, on

The first and most westerly from Halifax is
known as " The Ovens Gold Fields," on the At-
lantic shore of the province, near Lunenburg har-
bour, and we take the following description of it
from the Prize Essay, published in 1862, on " Nova
Scotia and her Resources," by Thomas F. Knight,
Esq., of Halifax :
" The Ovens is a peninsula which forms the
western side of Lunenburg Harbour, extending
from the town of Lunenburg, a distance of five
miles, into the Atlantic Ocean, terminating in a
bluff promontory, about forty feet high, with
steep cliffs on the eastern side, but on the western
side sloping down to a stretch of level land, with
another bay beyond. The average breadth of this
peninsula is about half a mile, presenting a front-
age to the sea, where deep caverns have been
worn into the bluffs by the action of the waves.
The quartz veins run in all directions through the
promontory, and are visible to the naked eye with-
out labour. Whilst attention was generalli
directed to the quartz veins in the upland rocks,
it was conjectured that the sands below the cliffs
would be impregnated with particles of gold.
Experiments proved successful, and these shore
claims proved wonderfully remunerative. The
astounding revelations of gold lying at their feet
startled the imaginations of the stolid Germans,
and so great was the excitement for some weeks
before the claimswere adjusted thatbuxom matrons
and maidens might often be seen in diligent search
for some shining nugget, or gathering sand with
the hope of extracting the precious dust."
Such is the description of the Ovens. The quartz
veins, described as running in all directions, are
impregnated with gold in a singular manner, and
we have recently been shown a quantity of this
auriferous quartz which is the subject of much
research all over the world. If we are not mis-
taken, this British colony of Nova Scotia must ere
long form a great attraction to emigrants of ever/
class, inasmuch as, apart from its gold fields,
it
possesses great facilities for agricultural operations•
Coal fields and mineral productions are opening 11P
in great abundance, and the fishing grounds in the
province are known to be some of the finest in
the world.
We shall take the opportunity of referring t°
this subject in future publications, taking for our
next article the gold fields of Tangier, which afford
much scope for ihe investigations of the 016
seeker and the geologist.—Westminster Gazette.