The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-23 00:00:00

T E &ITN; LONDON, WEDTIESDAY v STP ''''EYPI3ER 25

India. They pay the passage of coolies from India,
giving them wages much higher than those common
at Natal ; still they become rich upon it- In
Africa we have an amazing extent of country totally
unfilled. In this country you cannot form any
idea of the fertility of many parts of Africa. Wi-len
I went to the west I was obliged to use an ox—
there are no horses in that country ; but still in
passing through some districts the grass was so high ,
that I was obliged to hold my hands before my eyes ,
to keep the grass out. Each stalk of grass there is
about as thick as a goose quill, and then we have
immense dense forests of trees, about 50 feet high,
running straight up without a single branch. Now,
the soil that is capable of producing these trees
and that vegetation, seems to me capable of pro-
ducing anything. And we find that they actually
do grow the sugar cane, and they dogrow cotton,
but only to a small extent. These people have
great confidence in the English, suck confidence as
they have in no other tribe of white men. When
I was lately with the Bakwain tribe, I found that
when any English gentleman came to that part of
the country he always paid his way honourably ;
and such was the confidence this honesty inspired
that the natives would go with them 500 miles, all
the way to Graham's Town, simply on the promise
of a small payment when there. They would also
go with them to the north, and hunt with them for
months together, serving them faithfully all the
time, and trusting their honour as Englishmen.
They would not have trusted a Boer or any other
tribe but the English. I could appeal to English
gentlemen who have visited that country that when
they wanted two guides their only difficulty was
lest four should go with them. From a number
of other circumstances I see a probability of the in-
terior people cultivating their produce in return
for our manufactures, and my great wish is to link
the interests of Africa with those of England. I
have a two-fold object in view. I believe that
commerce is a most important aid in diffusing the
blessings of civilization. (Hear.) When a tribe
begins to trade with another it feels a sense of
mutual dependence ; and this is a most important
aid in diffusing the blessings of Christianity, be-
cause one tribe never goes to another without telling
the news, and the Gospel comes in to be part of
their news, and the knowledge of Christianity is
thus spread by means of commerce. Again, we
know that our own country is is a great measure
dependent for its supply of cotton on the United
States. We are dependent for our supplies of this
material on slave labour. Now, no Englishman is
content with this state of things, and the majority
of the Americans detest slavery as much as we do ;
but still we are going to them with increased de-
mands for cotton, which effectually helps the slave-
holder to maintain his system. Now, I wish to
direct the attention of my countrymen to this new
field as a means of relieving slaveholders from feel-
ing it as a necessity to have slaves. If we get
abundant supplies of the raw material from Africa
we shall soon find that the slaveholders will become
more enlightened than they are at present. (A
laugh.) I have hopes of Africa from the fact that
we have, both in Eastern and Western Africa, a
healthy highland region. The form of the conti-
nent is a kind of basin. The central part is a
basin for the rivers that flow from the sides, and
thsn there is a slope towards the sea. This elevated
regi in is quite a healthy one, and is watered and
drained by the Zambese. From this point to the
set is about 600 miles, and there is only one rapid
in all that distance. Entering it from the ocean
we have 300 miles of a good large river, then this
small rapid ; beyond that we have 300 miles more,
and then we are at the healthy ridge, which might
be made a sanitarium, from which both coin-
mercial and military enterprise might be carried to
to the less healthy region beyond. This is the path
by which I hope to be able to establish trade with
Africa. The Portuguese at present command the
outlets on both sides, but they have always treated
me with great kindness, and if the resources of
Africa are developed they will gat more by that
development than any other nation in the world.
They are not the masters of the country by any
means. Their wars with the Caffres have not, like
ours, been paid for by the mother-country, and in
fact they kept them shut up in their fort at Tete
during two whole years. The chiefs who havebeaten
the Portuguese consider them as a conquered tribe,
and oblige one of their villages to pay tribute
almost annually. They have a knowledge of the
mouth of the Zambese, and might aid commercial
enterprise very effectually, and from the knowledge
I have of the enlightened young King of Portugal
I believe the Portuguese will not be wanting in
their duty in that respect. On the' opposite side of
the continent they ii we exports from Angola worth
100,0001. annually. Had Angola been in the hands
of the English, the exports, I believe, would have
amounted not to thousands, but to millions, be-
cause the country inland from Angola, and likewise
on the east coast, is fertile beyond anything I can
coavey an impression of. It is disagreeably fer-
tile, for everything grows up with only too much
fertility. I again thank the Lord Provost for the
honour he has done me in presenting me with the
freedom of this ancient burgh. I shall always re-
member with gratitude the kiud reception you have
given me. Igo back not expecting to meet with
any of this excitement or lionising, but to engage
in hard work. I hope your sympathies will con-
tinue to go forth to that country, because I see
plainly that England will every year become morel
dependent on that continent for the supply of the
raw material of her commerce. (Loud and pro-
longed applause.)
After he had sat down, Dr. LIVINGSTON again
rose and said, a question had been put to him—
did these tribes employ slave labour ? The tribes
in the interior might be said to employ slave labour
iu this way—when one tribe conquered another it
took the people of the conquered tribe into sub.
jection, and called them their children. Their con-
dis ion approached to that of slavery, but there was
this difference between it andthe American slavery,
that there was no Fugitive Slave Law. (Applause.)
They were called children, but their condition was
railer that of serfs. Each man had his own land
to cultivate, and his own family and house, but
when his master went forth to war he accompanied
him as a servant, and must fight in his defence. The
children of the serf, however, became exactly like
the tribe which bad conquered their parents. They
were initiated by circumcision, and there was no
difference between them and the native members of
the tribe. Every tribe tried to augment their power
by adding to their number by means of conquest,
but the amount of service the conquered had to ren-
der was very small indeed. They sat down with their
masters, and were nearly on au equality with them,
and if not kindly treated they ran away, and the
tribe •to which they went generally received them
w:th great kindness, and they became "children"
there. Approaching the Portuguese settlements,
however, they found slavery more perfectly deve-
loped. People there were bought and sold as slaves,
waich they were itot in the central country. His
men never saw chains until they approached the
Portuguese settlements. They seemed to regard the
chained men there as mere beasts or things, and
that they could not be men from the way they
were enslaved.

Dr. Livingstone withdrew amid loud cheering, and
the meeting separated.

FIVE IfEN DROWNED IN
..TIIE RIBBLE,

.NEAR LYTHAM.

PRESTON, TUESDAY MORNING.

,
r Last w night information as received at the county
police-office in this town that a fatal boat accident
had taken place on the river Ribble, about 2 miles
floin Lytham and 14 miles from this town, by
which, it is believed, no fewer than five lives have
been lost. It seems that on Saturday, about two
o'clock in tho afternoon, five men named John
Murray, a tackler, residing in Peel-street ; Richd.
Forshaw, William Whittle, weaver ; John Holden,
weaver; and another man, whose name was not
ascertained, left the Old Quay, Preston, with the
intention of sailing to Lytham Lighthouse, in a
boat called their Royal Consort, belonging to John
Murray, and walking thence to Blackpool. The
party reached their destination the same night and
remained in Blackpool until about noon on Sunday,
when they started the return trip. Soma hours
afterwards the boat was seen passing along near
the beach at Lythatn. making its way for the mouth
of the Ribble, with the sails fully set ; but af. or this
nothing further was either seen of boat or its ill-
fated crew. Not returning to Preston on Sunday
night, as fixed upon, the wives and fami'ies of the
nijssing became greatly excited, and waited in in-
tense anxiety until yesterday morning, when no
thlings having been heard of any of them, an expe-
dition party went down the Ribble in search of
them. When this party had arrived about 2 miles
beyond Lytham, the b)at was discovered ashore on
the horse b ink, with the sail hanging over one of
its silos. Tile boat was searched, nut nothing wi.s
found Within it, but, wrapped or rather .entaugled
i%
the large sail lying within a few inches from the
cihouaitt,etiiatiefirealls found the body of John Holden,
than', where '
at the entranceco
olfrd n was then removed to Ly-
quiry.A.furth itnow lies awaiting a coroner's in-
bu', despite the
eexploring party, no, vestige bodies, or even their
further seardi its to be
search was then made along and
m+o.lo river for the missing bodies,
strenuous exertions of the
Clovtehstinige of any of the other
maj' could be found. A
, to-day. Au inquest
will be held at Lytham to-night by the
~,,,,e•C01N••...

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RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

RAILWAYS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

The report of Captain D. Gaiton, RE., to the
Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade
and Foreign Plantations, of the proceedings of the
department relating to railways for the year 1856,
states that 59 railway bills were passed in the ses-
sion of 1856, authorising 322 miles of railway, the
capital being 5,784,4261. Of the 59 Acts 38 were
for the construction of 214 miles of railway in Eng-
land and Wales, 106 miles in Scotland, and about
two miles in Ireland. The number of level cross-
ings authorised was 93. Twenty-two of the Acts
authorised companies to enter into working and
traffic arrangements with other companies, subject
to the approval of the shareholders and of the
Board of Trade. The total length of railway
authorised by Parliament down to the end of 1856
amounted to 14,668 miles ; but of this 1,495 miles
have been authorised to be abandoned, leaving
13,163 miles for which Parliamentary powers have
not been repealed ; of these 8,635 miles were open
for traffic at the end of 1856, including 355 miles
opened during that year, and 4,538 miles remain
to be opened—namely, 3,316 miles in England and
Wales, 452 in Scotland, and 770 in Ireland. He
does not think it probable that 2,532 miles of those
lines will ever be made, the powers for the compul-
sory purchase of land having been allowed to ex-
pire without having been exercised. The total
amount of money authorised to be raised by rail-
way companies by shares and loans to the end of
1856 amounted to 377,767,9071., of which
308,775,8941. had been raised, leaving 68,992,0131.
to be raised. Of the 8,718 miles open to traffic
on the 31st of December, 1856, 6,737 miles were
narrow gauge, 679 miles broad gauge, 254
miles mixed, and 1,048 miles Irish gauge. The
length of single line in the United Kingdom at the
end of 1856 was 1,562 miles constructed on the nar-
row gauge, 240 miles on the broad gauge, 72 miles
on the mixed gauge, and 637 miles on the Irish
gauge, making together 2,511 miles of single line.
It has become a very general practice for railways
which are subsidiary to the lines of existing railway
companies, and which have been constructed by in-
dependent companies, to be worked by the existing
larger company. This mode of working is advan-
tageous to both parties, and generally to the public,
because these agreements create for the time that
identity of interest which is created by an amalga-
mation, while at the same time the existence of the
local company provides for the interests of the dis-
trict being better cared for than it would probably
be if the small lines were entirely merged in the
larger company. The length of line reported to
be in course of construction on 30th June, 1855,
was 963 miles ; of these about 208 miles were opened
before 31st Dec., 185(5. The lumber of persons
employed on 30th June upon the railways in course
of construction amounted to 36,473, being on the
average 37.87 per mile. The length of line open
for traffic in the United Kingdom on 30th June,
1856, was 8,506 miles, and the number of persons
employed thereon amounted to 102,117 persons, or
12 per mile.
With regard to the traffic, the total number of
passengers conveyed on the railways in 1856
amounted to 129,347,562, against 118,595,135 con-
veyed in 1855, the number conveyed per mile of
railway open being 15,213 in 185 G, against 14,503
in 1855. The receipts from passengers amounted
to 10,153,7451. in 1856, against 9,525,205/. in 1855
the receiptsper mile being 1,194/. in 1856 and 1,164/.
in 1855. From the figures given in the appendix,
it appears that from 1852 to 1856 the first-elms pas-
senger fares in England have been diminished, and
the receipts per passenger have also decreased, while
the receipts per mile have increasef. As regards the
second-class traffic in England, the fares have been
slightly increased, and the receiptsper mile have not
varied much. In the third-class traffic, which in-
cludes a large amount of excursion traffic, the
average fares wore diminished, and the receipts per
mile largely increased. In Scotland the fares of
first-class passengers have been diminished, and the
receipts per mile have increased ; as regards the
second-class traffic, the average fare has been in-
creased ; the actual receipts are about the same as
in 1852, while the receipts per mile have diminished;
the average fare for third-class passengers has been
increased, and the receipts per mile have also in-
creased. In Ireland the average fare per mile and
the receipts from each class of passengers have
increased, but the receipts per mile, with the excep-
tion of the first class, have diminished. The receipts
from goods, cattle, minerals, parcels, &c., in 1856,
amounted to 13,011,7481., against 11,982,3941. in
1851, which represents 1,5301. per mile in 1856,
compared with 1,4651. per mile in 1855. The total
receipts from goods, cattle, minerals, parcels, &c.,
may be divided as follows—viz., 7,685,3791. was
for the conveyance of 23,823,931 tons of merchan-
dise, 4,585,9911. was for the conveyance of
40,938,675 tons of minerals, 517,7861. for the
conveyance of 10,450,175 head of live stock, and
1,222,6281. for the conveyance of parcels, arc. The
tables in the appendix show that while in 1849 the
t proportion of the passenger traffic to the goods
traffic was 53 to 47, in 1856 the proportion of the
passenger traffic to the goods traffic is as 44 to 56.
The total receipts from all sources of traffic have
amounted fn England and Wales to 19,728,3111., or
3,1201. per mile, iu 1856, against 18,363,8691., or
2,978/. in 1855 ; in Scotland to 2,319,217/., or
2,0221. per mile, in 1856, against 2,144,3981., or
2,003/. per mile in 1855 ; and in Ireland to
1,117,9651., or 1.992/. per mile, in 1856, against
999,8321., or 1,v601. per mile, in 1855. The aggre-
gate receipts from all sources of traffic for the whole
kingdom having been 23,165,4931., or 2,724/. per
mile in 1856, against 21,507,5991., or 2,6291. per
mile, in 1855. It would appear that the average work-
ing expenses of railway companies, per mile of rail-
way open, have increased in England and Wales from
1,3521. per mile in 1854 to 1,531/. in 1856 ;
in Scotland, from 9611, in 1854 to 970/. in 1856 ;
but that in Ireland they have decreased from 465/.
in 1854 to 427/. in 1856. The proportion which
the working expenses have borne to the receipts
has been 49 per cent. in England an 1 Wales as
compared with 48 per cent. in 1855 ; 47 per cent.
in Scotland as compared with 49 per cent. in 1855 ;
and 39 per cent. in Ireland as compared with 41 per
cent. in 1855 ; the general average being 47 per
• cent. upon the gross receipts as compared with 48
par cent. in 1855. The expenditure appears to be
divided under the several heads as follows—viz.,
maintenance of way, 15 per cella ; locomotive ex-
penses, including repairs of rolling stock, 39 per
cent. ; traffic charges, 26 per cent. ; miscellaneous,
including police and watchmen, compensation, Arc.,
13 per cent. ; rates and Government duty, 7 per
cent. With regard to the financial position of rail-
ways, the report states that the total amount of
capital raised for the construction of railways
on the 31st of December, 1856, amounted to
3)8,775,8941., which represents an expenditure of
35,459/. per mile of railway open. In making this
I estimate it must be recollected that the lines re-
ported to be in course of construction amount in
length to about one-ninth of the whole length com-
pleted and under construction, and that some por-
tion of the cost per mile belongs to those lines. But
it is worthy of notice that although the cost of rail
ways in the united kingdom has averaged 35,4591.
per mile—viz., 40,288/. in England, 27,75ee in
Scotland, and 14,8081. in Ireland, the average cost
of the independent lines of railway for which the
Acts have'been obtained since 1848, and which are
now opened for traffic, has only amounted, to 9,568/.
per mile ; of these railways, those open in Eeglan I
have averaged 12,373/. per mile ; those opened in
Scotland have averaged 5,408/. per mile, and those
opened in Ireland is 6,716/. per mile. Of the total
amount of money raised 77,359,419/. has been
raised by loans, 57,057,1711. by preference shares,
and the remainder—viz., 174,359,3041. by ordinary
share capital. The preferential and loan c spited
invested in railways is 43 per cent. of the whole
capital, and the interest which has to be paid
upon the preferential and loan capital averages
5.08 per cent. ; the net receipts on railways
give an average interest on the whole capital in-
vested of nearly 4 per cent., but the heavy prefer-
ential character of the charges reduces the interest
on the capit 1 to 3.12 per cant. It also appe irs
that the receipts of railway companies have in-
creased steadily, although slowly, every year. The
large amount of preferential capital has prevented
a proportionate increase in the dividends on the
ordinary share capital ; but the steady increase in
the net receipts in a greater ratio than the increase
of the capital invested is evidence of sound progress.
The stability of railway property depends chiefly
upon a careful management. Without entering
into this question, which is one of great difficulty,
owing to the magnitude of the several undertakings,
the extent of territory they occupy, and the con-
flicting interests to which they era subjected, Capt.
Gaiton calls their Lorlships' attention to the fact,
that while in 1855 a case occurred in which the ac-
counts of a railway company were audited in so lax
a manner as to have admitted of a considerable
amount of peculation iu many trenches of the
service, in 1856 an important company suffered
great ices in consequence of the defective system of
audit h wing permitted the forgeries of an empires é
t:) escape unobserved for a length of time. He
states that frauds thus committed entail serious
losses upon shaleholitersratid that the shateholders
will be continually liable to frauds of this nature
until a more careful system of audit, and one inde-
pendent of those directly concerned in the
management of the railways, be generally adopted,
and until a direct responsibility be placed on those
to whom that management is confided.
The report concludes by showing the proportion
_ of passengers killed end injured in Great Britain
and Ireland from causes beyond their own control
to have been 814111 as compared with the number

carried >in :the; several years from 1852 to 1586
incluiive. In 1852 the proportion per million
passengars conveyed W 33 0.11 killed and 4.20 in-
jured; in 1853, 0.35 klled and 2.80 injured ; in
1854, 010 killed and c• 27 injured; in 1855, 0.08
killed and 2.70 injured ; and in 1856 the
proportion per million passengers conveyed 'was
0.07 killed and 2.18 injured. It thusappears that
only one person in IS, 18i,049 who travelled has been
killed, and one in 458,370 who travElled has been
injured from causes beyond their own control ; and
that the degree of safety with which passengers
have been conveyed cu railways is greater than on
any year since 1851.

OLD ROCHESTER BR.ME.

ROCHESTER, TUESDAY.

A series of grand explosions took 'lace this after-
noon at the old Rochester-bridge, fir the purpose
of demolishing the remaining porticos of that huge
structure, the handsome bridge waich now spa us
the Medway having been for sone time open to
the public. The idea of employng the troops of
the Royal Engineers in the renoval of the old
bridge originated with Col. II Sandham, the
director of the Royal Engineers' establishment at
Chatham, who considered it wculd be unwise to
allow such a rare opportunity to pass for the
men of the Royal Sappers and Miners to take
part in the destruction of Cie works, espe-
cially as the Royal Engineers had been
so successful in the siege operations for destroying
the great docks at Sebastopol. On the proposal
being made to the authorities permission was at
once accorded, and for nearly 12 months past the
Royal Engineers have been engaged in sapping and
destroying various portions of the ancient structure
—the works being carried on under the superinten-
dence of Capt. W. H. Noble, R.E., an officer of
great intelligence and experience.
The old bridge, which has been built nearly five
eisaturies, originally consisted of 10 large arches,
resting on 9 piers and two abutments ; the Royal
Engineers have already succeeded in destroying five
arches, three piers, and the abutments ; but, owing
to t'ie immense strength and solidity of the struc-
ture, the operations have necessarily been carried
on slowly. Six piers, five arches, and nine " star-
lings" remained to be destroyed, and nearly the
whole of these were successfully blown to pieces this
afternoon in the prbsence of the Earl of Romney,
the wardens and assistants of Rochester-bridge,
Lieut.-Colonel Sir C. W. Palley, K. C. 8., besides
a large number of officers of the Royal Engineers
and the Royal Artillery, the whole of the opera-
tions being under the superintendence of Colonel
H. Sandham, assisted by Major F. C. Hassard,
Royal Engineers.

The operations commenced this afternoon by the
destruction of the lower portion of No. 4 arch from
the Rochester side, which was thrown down by
means of two charges of gunpowder lodged in one
of the voussoirs o each haunch of the arch, and
two charges lodged in the voussoirs next the key-
stone. A charge of 301 b. of gunpowder placed
under the soffit of the keystone of the upper added
portions of the arch was next exploded, the effect
of which was to throw down the whole of that por-
tion of the arch acted upon. The troops next; pro-
ceeded to destroy the third arch in a similar manner.
Nine charges of 41b. each were placed in the vous-
soils of the haunch, and also nine of 11b. each in
the voussoirs next the keystone of the old portion
of the arch before the bridge was widened. These
charges were fired simultaneously by means of the
voltaic kattery, the result being that the arches
were destroyed, and the masonry of which they
were composed entii ely detached. The finest ex-
plosions of the day, however were reserved for the
latter part of the operations, when three of the
massive piers were blown down by means of several
charges of gunpowder, weighing iu the aggregate
about I,ooolb. In order to facilitate the operation,
the Sappers and Miners had previously excavated
a shaft in each of the piers to Lo destroyed, which
was sunk to a depth of about 30 feet. Each of the
shafrs was about four feet square, and at the base
projected a number of galleries, in which were de-
posited the large quaratity of gunpowder required for
the explosions. In the third pier, which was the first
blown up, 4001 b. weight of gunpowder was laid in
two charges, each containing 2001 b. The gal'eries
were then rmly closed by means of " tamping."
The second pier had likewise 4001 b. -of gunpowder
placed in the galleries, also in two charges, and
the first pier 2661 b. At the sound of the bugle the
charges in the third pier were ignited by means of
the voltaic battery, worked by Capt. H. Y. D.
&sett, Royal Engineers. The effects of the ex-
plosions were most complete, the large mass of earth
and masonry, containing, it was computed, about
20,000 cubic feet, being lifted up from its founda-
tion and scattered into fragments, retaining not a
vestige of its original-form. The second pier, after
a short delay in fixing the wires, was destroyed in
the same manner, the shock of the explosions being
felt at considerable distance, the ground being sen-
sibly shaken as if from the effects of a distant earth-
quake ; the river also being considerably agitated.
The first pier, which contained az large a mass of
stones and earth as the other two, was the last de-
stroyed, several of the huge stones of which it was
composed being hurled to some distance.
The while of the operations were highly success-
ful, and notwithstanding the immense number of
spectators present, not a single accident occurred.
During the operations a body of the Royal Engi-
neers, not engaged in the explosions, were employed
in forming abridge of rafts with General Blanchard's
pontoons across the Medway, some distance above
the old bridge. The river at that spot is vary wide,
which prevented the bridge being extended from
shore to shore. It was, however, carried out a con-
siderable distance into the river, and when com-
pleted the whole of the troops, together with a large
body of spectators, took up their position upon it
for the purpose of witnessing the operations at the
old bridge.
The Royal Sappers and Miners will continue their
operations at the bridge until the whole of that
structure is entirely removed.

FIBER CH SISTERS OF CHAETCY IN

The Courrier de Lyons gives the following ac-
count of the dangers incurred by several French
lay nuns iu India during the late disturbances :
"The religious establishment of Jesus-et-Marie at
Fouseiare had several of its sist-trhold imperilled
at Meerut, Delhi, Sealeote, and Agra by the Indian
insurrection. It is only by the last mail that intel-
ligence- has been received respecting thorn in letters
written to their superior, which show that a p )r-
-tioe of them, at least, have esc 'pad. All these holy
women were at the head of schools for young girls,
English and native. Those who were at Meerut suc-
ceeded in ewapiug through the conflict, murders,
and conflagration -with a part of their pupils, some
English ladies, and about 50 males, officers and
in the mountains of
civilians, to a valley Thibet,
where they are, it appears, in tolerable security, for
the party being well armed, is strong enough to
defend against the insurgents the defile leading to
their asylum. The flighttrom Sealecte was marked
by most dramatic .incidents. The evening before
the rising, some of the natives, through gratitude
for the atttmtion and kindness which the sisters had
always shown to their children, came secretly to
inform them they would do well to leave the place
at promptly as possible with their pupils, as the
insurrection was to commence the next morning at
break of day, and the insurgeuts had resolved to
kill every European. Tire sisters at once procured
cars, and loaded them with their property and with
their yeung,est pupils, whose weakness would have
retarded their precipitate flight. Then, profiting
by the shades of night, they left the town for a
fee t some leagues distant, where they hoped to find
refuge. _ Unfortunately, whether it was that the
warning given them was -too late, or that the
fugitives had net hurried on -with sufficient
rapidity, or, that the natives had ad.
vaneed. the moment of the insurrection, the sisters
were overtaken when about half-way by a troop of
the insurgents, who, on finding their convent aban-
doned, had pursued them. The poor sisters, on
seeing this horde of miscreants approaching, aban-
dienoil their cars and baggage in the middle of Use
road to be pillaged, and hurried away to take re-
fuge) in an isolated house which stood near. But
their pursuers soon murdered iu presence of the
po sisters and the children several English per-
s Otis, women and men, who had also hurried to the
house for safety. They thou rushed at the sisters,
and, with - borrib'e imprecations, threatened to
make them and their pupils share the same f
if they did not at once declare where their property
was Lobe found. Tee unfortunats women protested
tint they had nothing in the world but what they
lead left in the cars on the high road, and that they
willingly gave up that property... As, however, -
other pi -lagers hid already carried off whatever
was pr. cious from the cars, th) insurgents iu the
house wee about to execute their threat of killing
every human bring in the building,
when a voicr:l
ie I out that the pudic treasure 1 a I been found
Th-y then rushee from the 11,,thie to chf
Their shale in the booty, and the sisters, without
losing a moment, placed the youngest
child-
rca on their shoulders, and, talc-ng the others by
Vto hand, proceeded as rapidly as they could to-
wards the fort, which they at last reached, ad oh-
tailed a elicitor in the midst of otter fugitives of
every age and coud:tion. It is impossible to praise
t o high!y the devotedness of these pooe women,
who risked without hesitation their own lives to
sai e these of the children confided to their care."

COMPEMY P7E FIA ILINATION.

Horace tells us that when fools fly from error they
lush into the opposite extreme. This fault is not,
however, confined to fools. The tendency to pass
from one extreme to another is very common, and
we are not without ourapprehensions that it is now
operating in the instance of examinations for ap-
pointments. Tho usage up to a very late date was
nomination without any guarantee for, or even in-
quiry into qualifications. The candidate for the
public service was employed first and tried after-
wards ; and, unreasonable as the system undoub-
tedly wag, it did not work so ill as might be sup-
posed, the proportion of the incompetent not hav-
ing been considerable ; while, on the other hand,
many men of fit st-rate ability have always been
found in the Government offices. Nevertheless, it
was undoub'edly highly desirable to take measures
for the exclusion of the incapable, and for that end
the test of examination was wisely adopted. The
question ie, however, how far this test can ad-
vantageously be carried. The Chancellor of the
Exchequer, Sir George C. Lewis, takes, in
our opinion, the true view of the question, in de-
precating a high standard. He said—Look to the
points and paces of the steed, but do not rest the
choice of a coach-horse on the issue of a race. And
for this simple reason of good sense, that we do
not want racers in harness. Tue tendency is, how-
ever, all to racing under the specious name of com-
petitive examination. The public apple-pie is to
be made solely of quinces, the plum-pudding of
plums only. Such is, indeed, the common rush
from one extreme to another ; from the utter peg-
' lect of qualifications to the strained standard. The
fault is, no doubt, on the right side, but still it
would be well to be on that side, short of the fault
the consequences of which may bo graver than are
suspected. Lord Grey has stated some very wise
objections to introduce competitive examination
generally into the army, and they apply with
hardly less force to the civil service : •
I have a very strong opinion of the impolicy of intro-
ducing the system of competitive examination. Ido
not think that any examination can test the qualities
which are most important. With regard to the can-
didates for employments either in the army or in the civil
service of the country, what are of moat importance are
the moral qualities of men, not their mere acquire-
ments. You test nothing but the acquirements of a man
by examination ; and what you want in an officer far
more than any specific amount of acquirements is, that
he should possess certain moral qualities, such as cou-
rage, high spirit, the feelings of a gentleman, energy,
judgment, and the power of thinking and acting for
himself. These things cannot be tested iu the slightest
degree by examination, and it is very possible that by a
competitive examination you may interfere with a man's
acquiring those qualities ; because I believe there is
nothing more certain than that by over-education, and
by the system of crammini• a young man, you weaken
the powers of the mind, and that those who have been
over-forced by education in their early years turn out less
pratuically useful in after lifa than men who have been
educated in a more natural monitor. I find in a very in-
teresting work publ.shed by Sir B. Br die, that he ex-
presses in a very strong manne.r his opinion that over
forcing the youthful mind is cx.c.rently iejerious to its vi-
goar in after life; and I am told that 10 France this incon-
yeaience is already found, that so many of the employ-
ments both in the army and the civil service af the state
ere given by competitive exaatinotion, that there is a
tendency in the different schools to vie with each other
in the amount of knowledge which, within a limited
time, they can force into the heads of their pupils ; that
each school wishes to have the largest possible number
of those prizes, and, therefore, it increases from year
to year the amount of exertion and labour that it re-
quires from its pupils; and the consequence is, irf the
opinion of ambient men in France, a very serious in-
crease of brain disease among the young, and also that
those people who have ex.3eiled in the ex stninatiou turn
out, not uncommonly, very inefficient in after life. And
I st,e even in thie evidenc , that an opinion has been
given by some distinguished officers, that many 'men
who have passed a very briliiant examination at Sand-
buret turn out less efficient staff-officers afterwards than
those who have passed perhaps a very iaferior examina-
tion. Ido not think that by that system you test the
quail ies that you really require.
A greater mistake cannot be committed than that
'of making talent the all in all, the one thing needful.
Qualities, or what we. sum up in the word cha-
racter, are of more worth than talent without
them. What is it that is now making our
countrymen and countrywomen in India the
admiration of the whole world ? The qualities
Lord Grey has recited, which nothing but the
trials of a mighty exigency could call into action
—inexhaustible energy, endurance, self-reliance,
indomitable resolution. It is not the brain but
the heart of our countrymen which is working so
heroically in this stupendous struggle.
The general fitness for action which has been
proved by the Indian mutiny, is most especially
remarkable, and it is more than doubtful whetner
this most important aptitude could be improved by
any scholastic culture. The probability is, that
it would rather be impaired.
The tendency of competitive examination must
always be to a standard more and snore raised.
There can be no " thus far and no far her." If
one candidate crams up to a certain point to the
satisfaction of examiners, another will cram
beyond him, and another and another beyond,
wilout end. No one contends that this encou-
ragement to Cramming is good, but it is said to be
at least proof of an industry which will be avail-
able for the public service. It is proof of no such
thing. It is no proof of the disposition for indus-
try, no proof of the habit of application. It proves
nothing more than what may be done for a desired
object, which is uo sooner attained than, like the
scaffolding erected to build a house, the means
become lumber, and the motive to exertion ceases.
We need not eay there are exceptions, but gene-
rally the work of cramming produces a disgust of
all labour and its objects, and as score as the prize
is secured there is a relapse to idleness, or as great
an approach to it as is permissible. But suppose,
for the moment, that competitive examination
would really secure distinction and preference, not
o
to the highly crammed,' but to the• highly gifted,
is it certain that first-rate talent is always most
useful and desirable in the public service ? First-
rate talent there should be, but should all be first-
rate ? We deny it. Every branch of the public
administration is like a carpenter's chest, in which
otthere,de_f,
115,t are
fe
catheti osolesls, differentoofr
abdifferentuses.ox_i
u 1
We do not, shapes,of,saw saws,
o sizes,l.a bx
and
want
fiuoln is fo ofgimet
ment, and the mallet has its place of utility as
' well as the most finely-edged. tool. As the work
' is of different sorts, so shoul I be the workmen,
and if competitive examination should finally fill
our offices with men of one caste, no matter how
gimlets,
chirp,
or
rp, brad-awls.
sometimes Sfoormea t ibmleusnt thein ostercui
s:
high in talent it may be, it will produce a great
practical evil, for they will be servants above much,
if not most of the necessary work.
' We have a greet, a sincere respect for the gen.
' Heinen charged with the superintendence of the
examinato2s, but nevertheless we are apprehen-
sive that there is a tendency to requiring too much,
doubtless to keep ahead of the corresponding ten-
dency to cramming. We have heard of cer-
tein questions with amazement—questions which
a man, young or old, should not be expected to
answer, and his attempting or pretending to answer
wbieli should stamp him as not knowing whit lie
was about. But if a c date were asked to squire
a circle, be would not venture to plead im-
possibility, and questions hardly less absurd have
' elicited responses to match, completely satisfying
the examiners. We li tve he trd of historical corn-
prisons challenged, the subjects of which have had
' about ae much in common as a circle and a squire;
what is it but befouling a youth to the top of his
bent to invite him to strain out an absurd and im-
possible parallel '? The whole thing is overdone,
• and will be more overdone before the correction
will be applied to it through the dis-_!overy by the
public that it has taken a specious name for a use-
ful substance.--Examiner.

rADVE ANISIIM ENT. 1- SIGET IND REARING - - SPECTACLES
POW iRFITI, TELESCOPES OPERA, RACE, AND PERSPECTIVE
GLASSES. —S. and B. Solomous, opticians, 39, Albemarle-
etreet, Piccadilly. Observe—opposite the York Hotel, W
By her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for valuable and ex-
traorditwy improvements iu the most powerful and brilliant
Telescopes, Camp, Race-course, Opera, and Perspective
Glasses, to know the distances. These Telescopes possess
such extraordinary power that some, three and a-half inches,
with an extra eye-piece will show distiuctly Jupiter's moons,
Saturn's ring, and the double stars ; with the same telescope
can be seen a pereou's countenance three-and-a-half miles
distant and an object from 16 to 20 miles. For the waist-
coat-pocket, and are of larger, awl all sizes, with increasing
powers accerdinely. The Royal Exhibition, 1851. -A valu-
able, newly-invented, very small, powerful, Waistcoat-pocket
Glass, the size of a walnut, by. which a person can be seen and
known one and a-half mile distant. They answer every pur-
pose on the Race,course and at the Opera-houses. Country
scenery and ships are clearly sun at 12 to 14 miles. They
are invaluable for shooting, deer-stalking, yachting, to
sportsmen, gentlemen, ganiekeepers, and tourists. Opera,
C anh, Perspective, and Race-course Glasses, with wonderful
powers.—lnvaluable preserving :Spectacle Lenses of the
greatest transparent power. '2lle great advantage derived
from this invention is, that vision impaired becomes pro
served and strentthoeed and very acel persons are enabled
to employ their sight at the most minnto occupation—can see
with tbo:e loniee of a much lass magnify in, . power—and
tioy do not require the frequent changes to the dan-
gerons effects of . furtber powerful assistance. Perseus
eau be mired tit the most remote part of the world by send-
in.: one of the glasses out et their spectacles in a letter, and
stating the distince from the eye they can read small print
with it, and those who have not made use of spectacles by
stating their am Pelfuess.L.New Disco:ory.—The Orgauic
Vibrator, an exteaordii arilje powerful, s mall, newly-iuvented
instrument for cleatness, entirely differeut from all oth•rs,
surpassing anytlung of the kitid that has been, or probably
can, be produced. 'Being of the same colour as the skin, is
not perceptible. enahleadeaf persons to hear distinctly at
churchaml at public assemlkee ; the Unpleasant sensation of
singing noises irt, the ears entirely reniov,d, and it affords
all the assistance that possibly could be desired.-34. APee-
-1 marls-street, Piecalilly.--Opposite the York Hotel, W.