The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-26 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 26, 1858.

COAT ENGAGEMENT AT LAGOS.

LIVINGSTONE'S VOYAGE.

The following extract front a letter of a young officer
to his mother will be read with interest :
" Bloodhound, Lagos, W.C.A.,
March 7, 1858.
" My dearest Mother,—We are this day to leave for
England, but as our route is rather a long and tedious
one, having to call at so many places, 1 am fearful it
will be nearly the latter eed of June before we reach
home.'
" I write now for the last time frcm this most en-
chantng spot, and will proceed to inform you of the se-
vere engagement the boats of the Bloodhound were
engaged in the Benin River (being our second action),
"In this host I acted as a volunteer, an:J had a most
miraculous escape of being shot from a battery of swivel
guns manned by a parcel of cowardly and bloodthirsty
negroes ; the first gig was commanded by our gallant
captain, Lieut. Chas. Robson, who led the way, and on
the advance suffered very severely, for it was but a nar-
row creek, and defended by desperate men, whose bat-
teries were placed most advantageously. Tne gig was
supported by the cutter, jolly-boat, and dingy, all well
armed and manned. Capt. Robson's gig was soon com-
plete y riddled, and the boat filled with blood and water ;
still on they went, the fire from the marines and blue
jackets doing great execution. Although two of our men
were killed and six fearfully wounded out of so small a
complement in the gig, nevertheless en they pie..sed
well supported by determined fellows. Tise loss was
cccasionid principally from a masked battery, which,
however, we soon boarded and spiked the guns, two of
which we now have on the quarter-deck of the Blood-
hound.

"The creek was without exception the most dangerous
ai,d difficelt passage to enter, being extremely narrow,
well commanded by guns concealed in the mangoes, and
armed natives in the swamp,.
" The object in attacking this place was to compel
Smart,' a great trading chief, to deliver up a vessel,
the property of Messrs. Charles Horefall and Co., of
Liverpool, which had been piratically seized, as well as
the crew, the latter baying been cruelly tortured. We-
succeede in destroying their batteries, after which we
returned to the ship.
"A consultat on was held on board as to the pro-
priety of destroying the Tew Tew, an idolatrous place
of worship situated at the entrance of the creek. We
went in under fire of the ship's guns, and pulled it
down. I never had imagined previous to this what
open boats could accomplish ; and had the cowardly
wretches stuck to their guns not one of us could have
escaped.
"At one angle they bad a six-gun battery, loaded to
the muzzle, and fronting that a largetree had been felled,
which lay right across the creek. We were provided
with Colt's revolvers, which I believe so astonished the
natives with the repetition of fire without re-loading,
that they must have thought his satanic majesty was
lending a hand. How I escaped I know *o.—but lam
grateful to a merciful Providence—for we were com-
pletely hemmed in it the blacks had taken advantage of
our critical position.
" Oar Captain Robson was foremost is all of it, and
when in the act of picking off a nigger, he was severely
wounded in the hand ; but nothing daunted, although
he dropped, he continued his orders as coolly as though
he was in a drawing•room, and this increased the confi-
dence of officers and men. lam ashamed to say that
while the action lasted I felt bloodthirs, y and savage and
wicked ; but you must make every allowance, my dear
mother, for our excitement.
" We all thought that our commander was killed, and
we determined to avenge his death, as we thought, at
(he moment. He behaved most nobly throughout, and
gave 116 an example for coolness which I !Than not easily
forget. Aud now I look forward to tell you in person all
I have gone through, and (D.V.) I shall be with you in
June next, at which date we may be supposed to arrive
in Eng►and.

THE 01?EilT SOCIAL EVIL QUESTION AGAIN.

On Saturday, at the meeting of the Marylebone Re.
presentative Council, held at the Court-house—Mr,
enurch warden Soden in the chair, . .

The Rev. Mr. WILMOT, the rector of All Souls, pre-
sented a memorial, signed by 123 inhabitants of Port-
land place and its vicinity, stating that inasmuch as the
vestry had not taken any steps for ridding the neighbour-
hood of infamous houses, they feared that the parties who
had previously infested toe neigh boa, hood of Charlotte-
street and Norton-street were returning back to their
old haunts, and'that unless same energetic steps were
taken the evil would soon be as great as ever. The
memorial, ther,fore, urged the vestry to energy in the
prosecution of the la Lies, in which the association
formed for the purpo e of checking street prostitution

was prepared to ass's', them.
Tue Rey. Mr. WlLltur moved that the memorial be

received and euttr id upon the minutes.

-
Mr. NH/IMLAY seconded the motion.
Mr. TAVENER contended that it was perfectly useless
for the parish to be wasting its money upon a question
which was one for GJ v cram en ta l or Parliamentary legis•
lation, It was a perfect act of cruelty to keep persecut-
ing these women by driving them from place to place.
The legislation upon this subject as at pressnt was like
a revolving wheel ; as soon as these persons were moved
from one place they went round to another. If the
Marylebone portion of the wheel threw them off they got
into St. Pancras, and as the St. Pancras wheel went

round they came back again to St. Mare lsbone, to S
James's, and other places.
Mr. MALTBY complained of the narrow view Mr
Tavener took of this question, and contended that i 1
was the legal duty tf the vestry, when these things were
brought under their notice, to put a stop to them as tar
as practicable.
Professor MARKS also thought the subject was one
which ought to be dealt with in a more comprehensive
spirit than even parochial legislation.,
Mr. M'EVlev contended that it was the duty of that
vestry to find the funds to prosecute in such cases, and
if aggrieved parties did so themselves they could re-
cover the 111R,18 of she vestry.
Dr. BACHROFFNER, Mr. VERET, and other gentlemen
having offered some observations,
Mr HODGES said the memorial was indefinite, as it said
the mecuorialists "had reason to fear that the parties
complained of were returning to the houses." He has
understood from Mr. Stewart it was a fact, and, there-
fore, why not state it as fact He moved as an amend-
ment, or rather addition, " That the memorial be re-
ferred to a committee, t 3 confer with the gentlemen of
the Portland-place Association, and to report as to the
kind of assistance the latter were likely to afford the
vestry.
Mr. VERET seconded this addition.
Dr. GOURLEY said he had several times written to Sir
R. Mayne on this suoject, and he had replied to him that
he received quite as many complaints from gentlemen of
the impertinent interference of the police with the street
females as he did of the solicitations of the females them.
selves. He thought the best thing for the Portland-place
Association to do was to engage twenty policemen
themselves, and let them be continually dodging these
people about. (Laughter.)
The motion, with Mr. Hodge's addition, was then
carried.
The report as then brought up for consideration.
Tne Rev. T. GARNIER, rector of Trinity, said he had
great pleasure in moving the adoption of the reeort, and
also that a copy be forwarded to the Secretary of S ate
for the HOMO Department. The public press had very
properly denominated this our greatest social evil. It
was, indeed, a disgrace aid scandal to the country, and
was sapping its foundation.
Mr. TAYENER seconded the adoption of the report.
Professor MARKS was for going much further than his
colleagues in this matter. At the same time he would not
go the length of a certain vestry, which desired that
these unfortunates shou.d not be treated as if they wets
human flesh and blood.
Mr. MASON said the main cause of this misfortune
was the disgraceful emolument given to female labour.
There was an establishment in that parish, facing a
church, where from 40 to 50 young women were ern•
ployed in cloak-roaking, and they were paid at the rate
of 2.H. per cloak, anti it was impossible fur them to earn
more than 76d. each per day, and fled their needles and
silk,
o"
when' (if
femaleit.
(Shame,lab shame.)ourwa
sWhat
abominable
m r.
SMART rate ?
moved (l e
aa (Hear, bear c
remunerated
e could
ethey
a n
amendment
that this report
be referred with the memorial to the committee. He
could not agree that there should be such reArictions
put upon these poor women or upon the houses called
disorderly a
disorderly house.
irrd.ervly houses. It was a great question how to de-
fine
EBEy
al co
plained that it was the gentry who
supported these dens of infamy. Only a short time back
an elderly man came up to his house, which, as they knew,
was a public-house, in his carriage, with his livery ser-
vant behind, and actually had the audacity to come and
ask him to inform where he could find a notorious house
of the description in the neighbourhood. This was in
broad day. (Hear, hear.)
Af er some further remarks the report was adopted,
and a copy directed to be forwarded to the Secretary of
State.
The board, after other important business, adjourned.

It appears from an advertisement for the sale of the
late Mademoiselle Rachel's mansion, in the Rua
Trudon, posted on all the walls of Paris on Saturday,
that Count Walewski, the Minister for Foreign Affairs,
has, in the forms admitted by French law, acknowledged
himself to be the fatber of one of her children, who, with
his Excellency's sanction, bears the name of Alexandre-
Antoine Walewski.
MADAME DISBAND'S EXHIBITION.—The female cos-
tumes have undergone a complete change here in the
Imperial groupe, being entirely new and of the most
splendid description. Her Imperial Majesty the Em-
press of the French is in a dress partly of gold tissue
and lilac moire antique. Her Imperial Majesty the
Empress of Austria in light green brocade, ornamented
with numerous small bunches of red feathers. The
Dowager Empress of Russia in blas6 and Imperial pur-
ple of moire antique with white lace. The Queen of
Spain is in a light blue moire antique and white lace.
The whole of the costumes have been under the Wm.*
diite inspection of Mr. J. Tussaud.

regret to him that his having acted under
such erroneous impression should have been de-
trimental to Brigadier Carthew, and have given
pain to that meritorious officer. The Commander-
in-Chief directs me to request that you will solicit
the permission of his lordship in council that his
memorandum of the 9th instant may be considered
null and void ; and if it should have been sent for-
ward to the Government at Madras, he begs that
this further correspondence may be despatched to
the same destination in justice to Brigadier Car-
thew.—l have, &c.,
H. W. NORMAN, M•jor.

No. 5.

The Secretary to the Government of India to the
Secretary to Government, Fort St. George.
January 6,_1858.

_
Sir,—l have the honour, by direction of the Go-
vernor-General of India in Council, to transmit to
you for the information of the Governor of Fort
St. George in Council, transcript of the papers noted
in the margiu,t on the subject of the defence of the
bridge on the Bithoor-road at Cawnpore, on the
28th of November last, by Brigadier M. Carthew,
of the Madras army. As the first part of the cor-
respondence was forwarded to the Court of Direc-
tors by the mail of the 24th of December, it was
impossible to annul the Commander-in-Chief's
memorandum, dated the 9th of December. A copy
of the Deputy Adjutant-General's letter, communi-
cating his Excellency's desire that the memorandum
in question may be considered null and void, will
be tcansmitted by the next mail, and a copy of the
whole correspondence is now enclosed for the infor-
mation of tie G-Jvernment of Fort St. George.—l
have, &c.,

R. J. H. BIRCEE, Colonel.
*Nos. 1,2, and 3. t No. 4.

THE LONDON AND EASTERN BANKING

CORPORATION.

On Saturday an important meeting in the matter
of winding up this unfortunate under taking was held
at the chambers of Vice-Chancellor Wood, before
Mr. Leman, his chief clerk, to proceed to make a
call on all the shareholders in A, being the holders
of shares at the date of the winding-up order, and
also on those included in Class C, being shareholders
who had transferred their shares within three years
prior to the date of such order, the amount of call
proposed to be made being at the rate of 501. per
share.

The financial statement of Messrs. Stuart and
Ball, the official mauagers eligage.l in investigating
and in winding up the affairs of the bank, set forth
that the liabilities of the corporation on the 6th of
April last amounted 193,5121., which amount was
made up as follows :—drawinrs• accounts, 2001. ; de-
posit accounts, ex interest, 7,042/. ; bills payable,
107,7001.; Delhi Bank, 2,0)0/.; Uncovenanted Ser-
vice Bank, 570/. ; Indian claims, 13,000/. ; Orien-
tal Bank, 63,000/. ; total, 193,512/. The actual and
estimated assets o the corporation amounted to
102,750/., made up as follows :—Cash in hand,
1,100/. ; Bank houses in Pall-mall (leasehold), and
King William-street (leasehold), 1,900/. ; bills re-'
ceivable current, 4,500/. ; past-due bills, say
35,250,/. ; sundry debtors, say 10,000/. ; Brank-
sea Island, and other assets, 50,000/. ; total,
102,750/. The official managers believed that the
above estimate of the assets and liabilities was fair
and reasonable, but the assets were insufficient to
meet the liabilities by the sum of 90,762/., or there-
abouts. To meet this deficiency it would be neces-
sary to make a call on the shareholders of 50/. per
share, but inasmuch as on a call being made prior
to the winding-up order—v;z., on the 9th April last,
of 15/. per share, and a similar call en the 14th July
last, many of the shareh elders have made payments
in respect of the same, such shareholders will have
credit for the amount so paid. In arriving at
the necessity of a call being made of 501. per
share, the official managers had used the following
estimate of the result of the said calls, and which '
they believed to be fair and reasonable :—Uncel- DUBLIN, SATURDAY EVENING.
lected arrears of call of the 9th of April, 1857 TOUR OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.
(which was to produce nominally 75,0001.), 40,000/. Yesterday forenoon his Royal Highness, accom-
of which ttie available amount is 10,0001. ; call the palled by his suite, returned to Cork from Killar-
14th of July, 1857, of which the available amount ney. From the local jouinds we learn thet—" In-
is 45,0001. ; a further call of 20/. per sharel to pre- timat ion of his arrival was conveyed to Queenstown,
duce nominally 100,0001., of which the estimated and on the departure of the Royal Alice, C iptain
available amount would be GO,OOO/. ;—total Livingston, for Cork, he was directed to call
115,000/. If a call of 501. per share:were made the at the Git eat S )uthern and Western Railway, and
official managers believed that, after giving credit there embark the Prince and the gentleman who
for sums paid on account of the calls of April 9 accompanied him. Tile few minutes of delay that
and July 14, it would not produce more than the intervened between the arrival of the train and the
above e tisnated amount-of 115,0001., and that the time that the sleepier approached the quay a,' trac'ed
margin of 24,2381., which it was estimated that a considerable number of persons, who regrrded
the call of 50/ per shire would produce in excess of the Prince with the greatest interest. Ms Royal
the deficiency of 90,762/., was a fair and reasonable flightless has evidently made good use of the time
margin to insure the discharge of the liabilities of that he spent at the Lakes as he carried with him
the bank, and to cover contingencies arising from numerous specimens of the beautiful varieties of
interest, costs, and charges, and other sources which wood that grow on the romantic shores, as also
could not now be specifically estimated. some enormous stag's horns, awl other trophies of
Considerable discussion—in which Lieut.-Colonel the chaFe. After entering on board the Royal Alice,
Tucker, Colonel Bevau, Colonel Yates, and others she immediately steamed towards Qaei-nstnwn, and
connected with the East India Company's service, being recognised at various points along the iive,r,
and through their solicitors, took part—ensued on the Prince received the most cordial greetings from
this proposition for a call on 50/. pershare on share- the persons assembled at those places. It, is ex-
holders in Class A. petted that the Osborne wdlleave Queenstown this
Messrs. Burchell, solicitors to the official mans- (Friday) evening, and her destination is supposed
gers, stated that although it had been proposed to to be Bristol.
THE VICEREGAL COURT.
make the call on Class C, still, from the present un-
certain state of the law in regard to the transfer of ! His Excellency the E Eglinton and suite
shares, the call on them would not be pressed at left Dublin Castle yesterday for the ViceregalL )dge,
the present moment, and it was probable it would in the Phoenix Palk. The " season" is consider, a
not be necessary to call on shareholders in Class C closed at the Castle, according to usage, at this
for payment. period of the ye Ir. It is likely, however, there will
Messrs. Tatham, Upton, and Johnstone, Messrs. be further receptions there.
Smith and Nelson, solicitors for sundry share- , THE BUDGET.
holders in this category, applied that the call in The honourable and Ultramontane member for
respect of Class C should be discharged. ! Dungarvan, who cannot be suspected of expresing
The Chief Clerk ordered a discharge, but refused favourable opinions on the measures of the govern-
payment of costs. went, save so far as ho may believe they are mien-
Lieut.-Colonel Tucker said he was a large share- Laced to serve the country at large and himself as
holder, and that without his consent his name no unimpottant unit in the population—in writing
was published in the company's prospectus as a from London to his readers in the Cork Examiner
director, and sent out to India. He regretted to says:—
find that Major-General Corfisld and Gen. Brooke "From my knowledge of the feeling which exists
and others, who had taken an active part in the with respect to the fitiancialscheme of the Chancellor,
affairs of the bank, and held shares largely, now I can assure you that it is one of the most popular
sought to obtain exemption from their liability, which I can remember, and that it has done a good
while numbers of military officers in the East India service to the cabinet from which it emanated,
Company's service, and ladies and civilians con- " J. F. M."
netted with India, who had embarked the hard- This is, we are satisfied, an honest opinion—one
earned savings of years in this bank, were sought, that Mr. Maguire felt he could safely express to
to be held liable, to their loss and ruin. He should his constituents at Dungarvan as well as to the
strongly object to their names, and that of Mr. G. i supporters of the Cork Examiner.
H. Smith and Mr. Stephens and others, being The Carlow Sentinel has the following remarks
erases from the list of those to be held liable. It in a clever article in praise of the budget :
' was a point of honour with him to protect the ab- "As usual, a loud yell was raised by soma Irish
sent shareholders. He (Lieut.-Colonel Tucker) members against the additional duty on Irish
had already contributed 8,000/., and was about to spirits ; but although the distillers may complain,
pay 4,0001. more, although he had been grossly I they laugh in their sleeves, to borrow a homely
deceived by the misrepresentations of the managers expression, as the additional duty will be chargi d
of this bank, and he hoped that other directors and j on their stock in bond, and it is the consumer who
shareholders would be compelled to pay their just will pay for it. Now, as whisky is not a necessary
quota. On the ground of moral and commercial of life, those who object to pay additionally for the
principle he felt it to be his duty to call the atteu- poisons vended in grog-shops, may either abstain
Lion of the public and of the Attorney-General to from it altogether, or resort to good ale—as our
the gross mismanagement and to the transactions forefathers :did—or as the stalwart yeomanry of
that had taken place in this bank between four of England do to this day. There was no alternative
its directors—Colonel Waugh, Mr. Stephens, Mr. but an income tax, or a tax upon the poor man's
(x, 111. Smith, and Mr. Griffith—among whom a necessaries of life, tea or sugar ; and the Irish people
very gross breach of trust had been committed, by will not be sorry, until the times become more pros-
which the unfortunate shareholders were saddled perous, that Irish distillers should sell less whisky,
with the total loss of money they had invested in or add, at the expense of the public health, to the
the London and' Eastern Banking Corporation, l already enormous fortunes which they have upper-
together with the 50/. per share they were now I ceptibly amassed. The only argument against
called on to pay. If the official managers, Messrs. equalising the duties ou spirits throughout the
Stuart and Ball, did their duty on behalf of the three kingdoms was, that illicit distillation would
shareholders, which he hoped they would do, they extend, and potteen diMtilleries overshadow the
would work this matter out and carry it into a land ; but Mr. Disraeli showed the absurdity of
public court. Were he (Lieut.-Colonel Tucker) this argument, by pointing out the moral status
not now a ruined man through the transactions of -which our countrymen were likely to attain, in a
the directors of this bank he would himself retain country daily improving and becoming more pros-
tbe first men at the bar for the purpose, but he now p roue. But we entertain no apprehensions of the
called on the official managers to protect the irate- spread of illicit distillation, with a disciplined force
rests of the shareholders, believing that they were I such as the Irish constabulary, whose local know-
well and handsomely paid by the Court of Chan- ledge, intelligence, and vigilance will prove more
cery to do it. During the last few months he had than a match for the put oen manufacturers,
written to them continually, and had pointed whether in Kerry, Donegal, or Mayo. Peopleow:i.ll;
their attention to several matters that appeared to therefore, prefer the interests of the country t tn
and
have escaped their observation, and he felt con- overgraspiug cupidity of the Irish distill
vinced that if this affair was properly sifted Mr. G. the overworked professional man who
the mer •
H. Smith would be found liable for 19, 000/. , and brain from one year's end to anothetir;e
Chancel-
the other directors in proportionate amounts, and chant, and the shopkeeper will than for the ways
justice would be done to all parties. He (Lieut.- for of the Exchequer for providing
Col.
which it is
Col. Tucker) was induced to go into the bank on and means,' without resorting
a dousing a period of
the representations of Smith that it was a flourish- admitted can only be ju'tifiected emergencies. The
ing concern, and that he (Smith) held 400 share 4, war, or on great and utperxel%
the budget is the
which 400 shares, however, he sold in three weeks most satisfactory earsx h i
after ; that Col. augh was a leading man in Lou- adherence to thee
f:r the gradual reduction of the
feoarnupact. entered into in 1853
don ; that he had married a lady worth 25,000/. by Mr. Gladsto_pho
Chancellor of the Exchequer
a-year, had introduced an immense business to the income taxr.eatT
credit for having, under every
bank ; that his personal property was very great, desecrlvesnttge, adhered to that arrangement. A
and his real property 70,000/. a-year ; and although
declining
revenue and an increasing expenditure
in March, 1857, the affairs of the bank and the de-
death of this
would not tempt Mr. Disraeli to violate the COM-
DtEolaTiHinciouFnDeße. sdoeNn.
linquencies of Stephens were not fully known, er
pact that had been made with the nation."
corn-
was quite enough to damn him. It wouldbe
oHighlytth enie!
desirable to have these gentlemen examined tilhelitsuß
oaths and honour. In consequence of their
yesterday at his
residence in Hume-street. He was Professor of
duct he (Co). Tucker) had to sell his house andfur- gentleman, which occurred
niture to meet this call.
- ilea call was made, Anatomy in Trinity College,
After some further discussion and a writer of
eminence in this branch of his profession. He was
and declared payable on the 31st May.

- -
The report extends to 35 octavo pages, eclusive
of an appendix, and is signei,—
ESSEX. J. B. LAMES.
HENRY KER SEYMER. T. SOUTHWOOD SMITH.
ROBERT RA.WLINSON. JOHN SIMON.
J. THOMAS WAY. HENRY AUSTIN.

IRELAND.