The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, I'IItIRSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 28, 1861.

`his their moment of defeat, as an
t. -qt to Conservatism, whereby it
Opposition in
agreeable little com,. . it may for the rather
may console itself as 13,
•nstrained to swallow,
bitter pill it was yesterday ct,
much doubtless to its disappointOent
It was only the other day that the right hon.
gentleman the Leader of her Majesty's Opposition
humorously suggested in a tole of sardonic irony
that the Great Liberal Party sbould hold another
meeting in Willis's-rooms, St. James's. Well, the
meeting has been held there according to the right
hon. gentleman's suggestion. In Willis's-room last
evening the Great Liberal Party did there and then
assemble, each member in his political capacity as
one of the units in that large and important aggre-
gate. There—presiding over them— was the
Ministerial head of the Great Liberal Party, the
veteran Premier, Viscount PALMERSTON. There
—as the honoured guest of the evening—was Sir
WILLIAM HAYTER, the renowned ex-Whipper-in.
The occasion which had thus brought together
once more in Willis's-room the pick of the Great
Liberal Party may be most aptly and tersely inti-
mated in the words of the inscription upon the
magnificent Testimonial presented to Sir WILLIAM
HAYTER by his brother Liberals upon the date of this
henceforth memorable demonstration. " This tes-
timonial," says the inscription, " was presented on
the 27th day of February, 1861, to the Right Hon.
WILLIAM GOODENOUGH HAYTER, Bart., M.P., by
Viscount PALMERSTON, M.P., on behalf of 365
members of the House of Commons, in remem-
brance of the courtesy, fairness, and efficiency with
which he performed the duties of Political Secre-
tary to the Treasury between the years 1850 and
1859." So that for one entire decade did this model
whip acquit himself of the responsibilities of his de-
licate and onerous position to the entire satisfaction
of the Great Liberal Party, to which during those
ten years he did far more than yeoman's service—to
be eventually complimented by 365 members—one
for every day in the twelvemonth ! The duties de-
volving upon the ex-Whipper-in during all that pro-
tracted service of his to his party from 1850 to 1859
inclusively, required, as the noble Chairman at
last night's banquet well observed in the speech in
which he proposed the toast of the evening, " re-
quired rare and distinguished qualities for its
efficient discharge—great courtesy of manner,
great soundness of judgment, great discrimi-
nation in dealing with men, great fidelity
in executing the instructions he might
receive." And of the brilliant success with which
those duties were discharged, the banquet of last
night afforded sufficiently distinct attestation.
That attestation, indeed, was visible yesterday at
Willis's Rooms in various ways—in the ample
gathering of the members of the Great Liberal
Party around the banquet table—in the fact
that the leader of the party, the Chairman of
the night, is still Prime Minister of England—in
the recollection of the recent triumph won' by the
Party down at the House of Commons, that victory
fresh from which they had just come in full glow
and glory to this attractive and deeply interesting
party demonstration.

THE CHURCH-RATE DIVISION.

,I,

The importance of this division may be estimated
by the fact that 551 members voted, being just 50
more than voted on the second reading last year.
when there was also a great increase on the pre-
vious Not es. It is also 90 more than voted on the
third reading last year. This is exclusive of the list
of pairs, the publication of which will show still
further to what as extent the opinion of the House
of Commons has been elicited upon this subject.
' The great efforts made by the Conservative
party are attested by the fact that they brought
up 32 more votes than on the second reading
last year; notwithstanding which, and the loss
of several Liberal voters at recent elections, the
Abolitionists were able to nearly double their
majority on the third reading lust year.

DEFACING COIN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—Can you say why a man is punished for defacing
the coin in this country, and is only a wise enterprising
capitalist who sends the coin to be melted down abroad.
Yours very truly,
AN ENQUIRER.

Feb. 27.

The Emperor of Austria has just conferred the
great gold medal for Science and Art upon M. Pauer, a
gentleman well known and highly esteemed in the musical
world.

The Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia
Company's steamer Etna, which sailed to-day for New
York, took 250,000 dols. in specie.
FIRE AND LOSS OF SEVEN LIVES IN CORK.—
A telegram from Cork yesterday states that a fire broke
out that morning on the premises of Mr. Long, publican,
42, Old George-street. Seven of the inmates were burned
to death. An explosion of gas was supposed to be the
origin of the fire.

We learn from the Bombay Gazette that an action
for libel in the Supreme Court of Bombay is about to be
instituted against the publisher of the " Vesnuv Punch," a
Gujrati journal, by a Mr. Gunputram, a Brahmin who
lately married a widow of his own caste. By doing so he
incurred the indignation of many of his countrymen, and
was subject to constant arnoyance from them. The
" Vesnuv Planch" became the vehicle of this abuse.

The last letters from New York express strong
apprehensions that the Morrill Tariff Bill will be carried
in Congress. "If such should be the case," it is observed
in a letter of one of the leading merchants, "it will nearly
stop all imports from England, France, and Germany, and,
as a matter of course, those countries will have to fraternise
with the South, notwithstanding its slave institutions."
The latest return of the New York banks shows
the total of gold to be £7,000,000, or rather more than
double the amount usual in ordinary times.
" ESSAYS AND REVIEWS."—A writer in a con-
temporary says :—Dr. Jelf has moved Convocation to con-
demn "Essays and Reviews" on the ground that they
have been quoted, as the doctor says, by certain Atheists at
Leeds in support cf their opinions. lam afraid that, if
tb;s argument be a good one, it will bear hard upon
Psalms and Deuteronomy, which are quoted by the Devil
himself in the fourth chapter of St. Matthew.
THE BALLOT SOCIETY.—The weekly meeting
of the Executive Committee was held on Tuesday at the
offices, 5, Guildhall Chambers—Lieutenant-Col. Dickson,
in the chair. Mr. Bontems, Mr. Whitehurst, Mr. Syden-
ham Nodes, Mr. Elt, Mr. Le Maitre, Rev. W. H. Bonner,
Colonel French, Mr. M. E. Marsden, Mr. R. A. Marsden
Me. Tlonwld Nicoll, M. Man, &c., attended. Several sub-
scriptions were reported, including James Ross, Carlisle,
£5 (accompanied with a strong expression of gratitude to
the Executive Committee), the Earl De Grey and Ripon,
£3 3s. Lieutenant-Col. Townsend Wilson, £1 is. and other
smaller sums. The question when Mr. Berkeley's motion
could be most effectively brought forward occupied the
attention of the committee, and it appearing that after
Easter would be the most convenient time to a large num-
ber of the Parliamentary friends of the question, it was
resolved to solicit Mr. Berkeley to postpone his motion
until after Easter, but to bring it forward as soon after there.
cess as possible. It was resolved earnestly to support Mr.
Duncembe's motion, that the elections in Gloucester and
Wakefield shall for a certain period be taken by the ballot.
This motion it is expected will be made on Tuesday,
March 12. The preparations for the soiree at the London
Coffee House, on Wednesday evening, 6th March, also
engaged the attention of the Committee.
A WORTHY WORKING MINISTER.—The Ban.ff-
shire Journal notices a work of a novel character, entitled
" A Brief Outline of the History of Christianity in Scotland
from its Introduction to A D. 1690," by the Rev. John
Christie, minister of Kildrummy. The narrative is a plain
and simple one, carefully put together ; but the more notice-
able feature in it is, that the pastor of Kildrummy may lay
claim to the production as being entirely and peculiarly his
own. He compiled it, wrote it, set it up, " imposed" it, to
use technical phraseology, printed it himself at his own
press, and had it circulated among his parishioners
after be had delivered it from the pulpit. The typography
s not perhaps such as would satisfy a fastidious printer,
and his stock of material does not seem to be such as would
induce a large number of customers were he in a public way;
but, in the circumstances, it is marvellous for accuracy and
artistic get up. Mr. Christie regularly on Sundays has dis-
tributed in his church pews a printed list of the psalms to
be sung, the text he is to preach from, and the heads of the
sermon. Are we not therefore entitled to designate Mr. C.
as a worthy working minister? Truly his hearers have
rare advantages.

LAI EST NEWS.

THE FRENCH FUNDS.
PARIS, THURSDAY, NOON.
Three per Cent. Rentes, 67f. 85c., 67f. 90c., 67f.
87c. Flat.

PARIS, FEB. 27 (Evening).

The Pair. ie and the Pays give a denial to the
rumour that France has the intention of with-
drawing her troops from Rome.
General Turr has arrived in Paris.
The reading of the project of address took place
in to-day's sitting of the Corps Legislatif.

CONSTANTINOPLE, FEB. 20.
The financial embarrassments of the Government

continue and Increase.

The early arrival of Count Orloff, on a special
mission from St. Petersburg, is rumoured.
The Marquis de Lavalette returns home in May,
to be succeeded, report says, by Marshal Niel.

MARSEILLES, FEB. 26.

Letters received from Constantinople to the 20th
inst. announce that the financial news received
from Paris and London had increased the commer-
cial panic. Turkish Consols fell to 38. Numerous
failures were imminent. It was asserted that a
fresh creat ion of paper money was inevitable. The
assembling of a Russian army at Tiflis had given
great uneasiness to the Turkish Government.

BERLIN, FEB. 27.

It is stated on reliable information that, on the
occasion of the anniversary of the battle of Grochow,
fought on the 25th of February, 1831, between the
Russians and the Poles, disturbances took place at
Warsaw, which rendered the interference of the
police necessary.

the number of 5,000, supported by Montenegrins,
have forcibly entered Bihar, killed more than 50
Mahometans, among whom were several women,
pillaged the eity, and finally set fire to it.

PRUSSIA.
BERLIN, THURSDAY.

Prussia has not, up to the present time, given in
her acquiescence to the recent French project in
reference to Syria.

AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.
The Cunard screw steamer Kedar has arrived
with New York advices to the 14th.

The counting of votes for President commenced
in Congress on tho 13th, when Abraham Lincoln

was declared President, and Hannibal Hamlin Vice-

President of the United States, for four years from
the 4th of March next. The following is the vote :
—Lincoln and Hamlin, 180 ; Breckinridge and
Lane, 72 ; Bell and Everett, 39; Douglas and

Johnson, 12.
In the Senate, on the 13th, the Tariff Bill was

order consideration, when Mr. Seward gave notice

;hat he should move to strike out that portion of
she bill abolishing the warehousing system. In

view of the pressing embarrassments of the Treasury
Department from lack of means to meet indispen-
sable obligations, Mr. Sherman, the Chairmen of
the Committee of Ways and Means of the House,
reported a bill authorising the President, in place of
any part of the recent loan, to issue coupon bonds
of a denomination not exceeding 50 dols., and bear-
ing not exceeding 6 per cent, interest, and running
20 years, and apply such bonds at par to the credi-
tors who may receive them, the entire amount not
to exceed that authorised by the recent Loan Act.
The Secretary of the Treasury had sent the follow-
ing urgent appeal to Mr. Sherman, Chairman of the
Committee of Ways and Means :
u Treasury Department, Feb. 13.
" Sir,—lt is indispensable that I should give to-
day notice of a loan of 8,000,000 dols., in order that
the Government may be in funds to meet indispen-
sable payments on the Ist proximo. The obstacles
unexpectedly thrown in the way of the passage
of the bill reported by your committee yester-
day, authorising the acceptance of the guarantee
proffered by several of the States, compel me reluc-
tantly to ask for the loan on the usual terms; for,

in the present distracted state of the country, should
it continue, I fear there must be a loss of 800,000
dols. Under all the circumstances, however, instead
of calling for 2,000,000 dols., as I suggested in my
letter to you of the 11th inst., I have thought it
advisable to ask for 8,000,000 dols., reserving the
right of declining to accept bids which may be
deemed disadvantageous to the United States, and
taking the chance of a favourable change in the
political condition of the country within the next
10 days, at the end of which proposals for the loan
will be received. Allow me to remind you that the
Loan Bill, under which I ask for proposals, was not
presented for the approval of the President until
the Bth inst., and that on the 9th inst., Saturday,
there was not a quorum of your committee to act
on the bill reported yesterday accepting the gua-
rantee of the States. I advert to these circumstances
to exonerate myself, in the judgment of those who
have an interest in the discharge of the liabilities
pressing upon the Treasury, from any want of
diligence on my part. Your committee, I believe,
all understand that more than 5,000,000 dols. of
Treasury notes have been redeemed out of the cur-
rent revenues, and that about two millions more
fall due before the 4th of March, less the amount
to be paid in for public dues, making nearly the
8,000,000 dole. now required to meet the public
wants before that day; that more than one-third of
the revenue derived from the Customs is paid in
Treasury notes, due at a future day ; and that the
present embarrassed state of the Treasury arises
from the operation of a paper system which com-
pels the Government to anticipate the payment of
its debts out of its current receipts. As I have de-
cided to issue the notice for a loan to-day, I am
constrained to request that the bill reported yester-
day may not be acted on, as the expectation, of a
call for a loan at a future day on guaranteed stocks
could not fail to have a very.disadvantageous effect
on the proposals to be made for that now asked
for."

The Secretary of the Treasury had advertised
for proposals till the 23d inst. for the 8,000,000
dols. loan under the late Act, successful bidders to
deposit the amount accepted on or before the Ist of
March.
Respecting the Conference at Washington the
correspondent of the New Fork Herald says :
" The Peace Convention met to-day at 12 o'clock,
and were informed by the committee that they had
not yet agreed upon a plan of settlement, and asked
for further time. The Convention gave them until
Friday, when the committee thought they would
be able to report. The indications are, from the
votes that have been taken, that the plan submitted
by Mr. Guthrie will be the one adopted. They
may vary it somewhat, but the basis will be Guth-
rie's, and it will be sustained by the border States,
both free and slave. The New England States,
with some others, will oppose this, and probably
bring forward either Corwin's or Adams's propo-
sitions. But for these outside States, the border
States would have agreed some days ago. Mr.
Guthrie's proposition was the particular one de-
bated to-day, and it is said that Mr. Logan, of
Illinois, one of the confidential friends of Mr. Lin-
' coln, is in favour of it. He would prefer some
trifling alterations, but if they cannot be obtained
will take it as it is."
Ex-Secretary Floyd had indignantly denied the
charges made against him.
The strictest precautions continued to be taken
at Washington for the suppression of disorder.
Mr. Lincoln's journey continued to be a trium-
phant one. At Columbia.on the 13th he said:—
" Mr. President and Mr. Speaker and Gentle-
men of the General Assembly,—lt is true, as
has been said by the President of the Senate, that
very great responsibility rests upon me in the posi-
tion to which the votes of the American people
have called me. lam deeply sensible of that weighty
responsibility. I cannot but know what you all
know, that without a name, perhaps, without a
reason why I should have a name, there has fallen
upon me a task such as did not rest even upon
the father of his country, and so feeling I cannot
but tt.rn and look for the support without which
it will be impossible for me to perform that great
task. I turn, then, and look to the American
people and to that God who has never forsaken
them. Allusion has been made to the interest felt
in relation to the policy of the new Administra-
tion. In this I have received from some a degree
of credit for having kept silence, and from others
some deprecation. I still think that I was right.
In the varying and repeatedly shifting scenes._ of
the present and without a precedent which could
enable me to judge by the past, it has seemed fit-
ting that before speaking upon the difficulties of
the country, I should have gained a view of the
whole field, to be sure, after all, being at liberty
to modify and change the course of policy as future
events may make a change necessary. I have not
maintained silence from any want of real anxiety-
It is a good thing that there is no more than
anxiety, for there is nothing going wrong. It is
a consoling circumstance that when we look out
there is nothing that really hurts anybody. We
entertain different views upon political questions,
nobody is suffering anything. This is a most
consoling circumstance, and from it we may con-
clude that all we want is time, patience, and a
reliance on that God who has never forsaken this
people. Fellow-citizens, what I have said I have
said altogether extemporaneously, and will now
come to a close."
Advices from Fort Pickens, Pensacola, report
that five of the Federal steamers were off the port.
The State troops continued to threaten an attack on
the fort. From Charleston we learn that the State
Government was strengthening Fort Moultrie. The
South Carolinians had erected an impregnable bar-
rier of railroad iron on Cummings' Point, at a point
so near the fort as to enable them to do much mis-

chief.
The Louisiana State Convention had adjourned
until the 4th of March.

BEGINNING `YORK.—The first report of the Com-
mons' General Committee on Railway and Canal Bills
which have been read a second time, states that the com-
mittee have arranged 181 bills in 19 groups. Groups of
members are now to set to work upon them.
INSTITUTE OF AcrumtiEs.—At the last ordinary meet-
ing of this institute, a paper by Mr. Tucker was read on
the subject of the returns made by the assurance companies
to persons assured with them. The paper gave rise to an
animated discussion in consequence of its showing that,
under ordinary circumstances, there was very little corres-
pondence between the payments made and the surplus re-
turned ; and that in some cases the former were wholly
insufficient to enable the company to perform the promises
held out. The opinion was very generally expressed by the
members present that these promises were frequently of an
inordinate character, and that it was not possible for any
assurance company to continue to meet them for any long
series of years.