The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-01 00:00:00

L)NDON, THIIRSDA.Y, JANUARY 1, 11q7,

The Financial Returns for the year, three
quarters, and quarter respectively,. terminating
ola the last day of the departed year, are before
us, and will be found in another part of this day's
impression. They are in every respect satisfac-
tory--indeed we can scarcely call to mind any in
which .our gratification was so completely unal-
loyed as the present. There is a steady and per-
ceptible improvement in all the ordinary items.
The only one in which there is a falling off is that
under the head of "Miscellaneous," which the
alleged sales of old stores might have
rendered more respectable. We may easily,
however, content ourselves with the very decided
improvements in the Customs, Excise, Property
(?) Tax, and other important sources of revenue.
The Customs, the first, and perhaps the most
important, of all, as indicating the activity of our
foreign trade, and the value of the various articles
of necessity, comfort, or luxury, that we have
been enabled to procure from other lands, show a
very considerable improvement. The receipts
for the year 1856 have reached the enor-
mous sum of 23,618,3751., while 22,534,3021.
only was received in 1855. The gross in-
come therefore amounted to 1,084,0731., while
that since the beginning of the financial year in
April was 584,3461., and on the quarter
525,0741. ! With such prospects we trust that
the Chancellor of the Exchequer may think proper
to relax some of the minor duties, which, without
producing any considerable sum to the Treasury,
materially interfere with the freedom of trade.
Some of them are essentially protective imposts,
and ought to be -got rid of. For instance, tho
duties on cheese and butter—the former whereof
brings in some 50,0001., and the latter a little more
than twice that amount--tend to enhance the prices
of these important articles of consumption, so that for
every pound realised by the Treasury at least
twenty-one are taken from the pockets of the
consumers. The charges on currants, figs, raisins,
oranges, and lemons might also be entirely
abolished. It would be a great boon to the
rising generation, and some compensation would
be obtained in the enhanced demand for the "corn
of the tropics."
In the Excise—the index that exhibits the de-
gree of comfort enjoyed by the working popula-
tion of the country—the improvement is on the
year 804,3151. ; the gross receipts amounting to
18,073,7781., while that on the three quarters is
762,6261., and on the quarter 212,0001. The
addition to the Malt Tax will, we need scarcely
remind our readers, shortly expire, no " petti-
fogging quibble" having been raised with respect
thereto. The Spirit Duties in Scotland and
Ireland will also require consideration.
In Stamps the improvement on the year is
135,4481., the three quarters, 192,2621., and the
quarter, 88,2311. The Legacies and Successions
are gradually becoming more productive. They
constitute, as we have repeatedly stated, the
worst description of " property" tax, but, as a
direct charge on accumulated and realised wealth,
they are far better than the unjust and impolitic
tax on profits which the Legislature has so un-
wisely sanctioned.
In the Assessed and Land Taxes; a small im-
provement is perceptible, that on the year being
9,4831., on the three quarters 4,9951., and on the

quarter 5/.
Ths Property Tax, as it is facetiously termed,
shows the greatest augmentation. The collection,
in 1856 realised no less than 16,028,4221., show-
ing an increase of 1,906,8611. on the year,
95i,464/. on the three quarters, and 88,0911. on
the quarter. We thus see that each penny in
the pound produces, in round terms, a million to
the Treasury. If fairly and justly assessed it might
produce far more, with justice to the industrial
classes, who are so grievously oppressed under the
existing iniquitous system.
The Post Office participates in the general ira.

se on t
0001.
urse..,
4:eaynedaerri4st.he quarter
provement. The increa 165,1521.,
on the three quarters 92,
It is quite are on the gross
101,0001. These, of co
receipts. The expenditure Lula, V ery properly,
;, IbliAtuent, should
kept pace with the ameliorct.' .o n.
suf-
ficient if that great, and, We are bound to add,
generally well conducted e:..1-
defray its own expenses.

'.e.it a slight improve-
ment.xes quarters 3,";g1/.,
The Crown Lands mani
There is an addition to the receipts of the
Under proper control
the receipts from this source
year
of th4e3q4ulal.;terefl,tohoeoi.tb
might he greatly en-
will look
htoaneited. withWcae
much for the revenue. "Nation, for het may do
retruastitathaattt ' Ai, B. Hall

The last item is t'ne Miscellaneous.. In that
alone, as we have stated, is there a deficiency
amounting in the year to 131,901/., on the three
quartera to 187,0421., and on the quarter to
149,4751. There is, however, nothing beyond
la trifling loss of X. s. d. to be r:egretted in this,
and„ as we have stated, the complete return is the
most satisfactory we have seen for many years.
We cannot say much for '
the manner in which
the national balance-sheet is. prepared. The pub-
lic accountant would no't receive many compli-
ments were he compelled to make an appearance
1 in Basingliall-street.

At the close of the Year of Peace the Minister
of War has been glorified. A magnificent ban-
quet, at which 800 of the admirers of Lord PAN-
MITRE assisted, was given to that nobleman on
Tuesday evening, the 30th of December, 1856,
in the Market-hall of Arbroath, in the name of
the inhabitants of Forfarshire. An account of
the proceedings will be found in another part of
to-day's impression of The Sun. From which it
will be observed that the festivities of Tuesday
originated, not so much in a sentiment of good-
fellowship towards the noble lord in his capacity
BA Lord Lieutenant and Onstos Itotulorum of the
County, as in an eager and heartfelt solicitude on
the part of his friends and neighbours to offer to
him some tribute of graceful homage and grateful
recognition in his more conspicuous and respons-
ible character, as her MAJESTY'S Secretary of
State for the War Department. Hende the
gathering of those eight hundred enthusiasts who,
the day before yesterday, " greatly daring
dined " in the Market-hall of the good
burgh of Arbroath. Hence, the guz-
zling, the guttling, the speeches, the cheers,
the hear-hears, and the laughter.

It is always satisfactory to know precisely the
meaning of any Row—and that was the meaning of
all the hubbub that took place on Tuesday evening
in the banquet chamber of the more ardent among
the political wights of Forfarshire. They wanted
as significantly as possible, and to use the words
of the Chairman "in the face of the whole
world'—[like the Tailors of Tooley-street fl—to
evidence their profound admiration for the " dis-
tinguished services" rendered to hiscountry during
the last two years by the successor of his Grace
the Duke of NEWCASTLE. According to the local
reporter, the Hall presented an appearance which
—we are not at all surprised to hear—

," was,

as a whole splendid, and imposing." Appro-
priately " imposing," we conceive—under the
peculiar circumstances of the case. For,
with every imaginable good feeling towards
Lord PANMITRE, we really cannot, for the life
of us, conjecture in whet these "distinguished
services" of his have actually consisted ! We can-
; not comprehend why it is that Lord PANMURE
should be glorified as though he were another
CARNOT, another " Organiser of Victory"—now—
at the end of a bungled War and a Disgraceful Peace!
While his unlucky predecessor in office, HENRY
PELHAM CLINTON, sth Duke of NEWCASTLE—for
doing, to a very considerable extent, precisely the
same thing ; for acting, for the most part, accord.
ing to precisely the same policy ; for toiling and
moiling with precisely the same assiduity, if not
with a great deal more—thanks to his Grace's im-
munity from the luxurious pangs of gout—was
ti pelted, not with the roses and sugar-plums of com-
pliment, but with the mud and brickbats of oppro- '
brium. Don't let it be forgotten for one moment
—in the name of fairplay—don't let it be for-
gotten how the Right Hou. Fox MAULS, 2d Baron
PANMETRE, on consenting to take office as Minister
for War, a couple of years ago, during a period of very
extraordinary anxiety, announced bluntly and expli-
citly his intention to shape his course in all essential
particulars by that pursued, until his advent into
power, lay his predecessor, the Duke of NEWCASTLE.
Let not that significant and remarkable avowal be
forgotten. And, besides all this, do not let it be
overlooked how, on Tuesday evening last, the 30th
of December, 1856, Lord PAN3IIIRE formally de-
clared (shall we say, confessed ? very creditably
for himself as a man of honour) "many things
[l. e., reforms, or changes, or whatever you may
like to call them] which I worked out took their
origin in his [the Duke of NAWCASTLE'S] Adminis-
tration." Yet, marvellous to relate, it has some-
how come to pass—that Lord PANMIIRE, who set oat
with the avowal of his intention to adopt, in
many particulars, the policy (the policy bitterly
maligned, but still perversely persisted in) of his
unfortunate p redecessor—that L ordPastm EIRE, who,
but the day before yesterday, declared that many
of the " things" (meaning the Reforms) recently
worked out by him took their origin in the Duke
of NEWCASTLE'S Administration—that he (Lord
PANMITRE) is glorified to the seventh heaven as a
Living Marvel of Statesmanship, while the luck-
less Duke of NEWCASTLE is treated as an Official
Pariah, is placed under a Ministerial Taboo, is
politically sent to Coventry ! An inconsistency,
a glaring and monstrous inconsistency,which brings
us back bewildered to wonder and ponder over
the really tantalising problem as to What can, be
the " distinguished services" performed during
the last two years by the present Minister for
War ? Eight hundred people met to celebrate
these, only the day before yesterday, in the Market-
hall of Arbroath. Sir JOHN OGILVY, the chair-
man of the night, eulogised them. The panegyrics
pronounced upon them by him were cheered to the
" very echo" by his hearers. The Toast of the
entertainment (" done brown" enough in the uni-
versal glow of admiration) was given at last,
upstanding, uncovered, with three times three,
and another " good one" over to finish with.
But; now that the welkin has ceased to ring to
these cheers in Forfarshire—What, let us ask, in
the name of fortune, is the meaning.of it all ?
What are these " distinguished services" dinned
into our ears so loudly and so often, and for
which the country is to be se very grateful
to the Noble Lord for the last two years at the
head of the War Department ? Are they dis-
coverable in the blundering conflict with Russia,
or in the despicable compromise called the Peace
I brought about by the Paris Conferences ? Are
they traceable through the frightful loss of life,
of credit, and of money inseparably associated
with the names of Scutari and Balaklava,
of
rKars
and Sebastopol, and with the re-
collectionfsome 80,000,0001. or 100,000,000/.
in the way of a fruitless three years' War
Expenditure ?
No honestly be it con-
fessed—the less we say or do in the way of
glorification in regard to the late lamentable

War with Russia the better. Remember, for a
moment, how it is we come out of this War !
With Russia's prestige elevated among the Asiatics
by the fall of Kars before the indomitable per-
severance of a Muscovite General as brave as he
proved himself magnanimous ! With Sebastopol,
after all, never entirely taken by the united
maritime and military strength of France
and England combined ! With the Crimea
restored to the CZAR ! With the Govern-
ment of the Danubian provinces still left
a matter for discussion ! With Persia still
not only empowered to endanger the peace of the
world, but already actually imperilling it afresh
through her nefarious intrigues at the Court of
Teheran With not one solitary ruble or
kopeken mulctedlfrom her by way of indemnity !
On the contrary, with all the hugeous expenses
involved in our share of the conflict sad-
dled on ourselves with enormous loans to
pay up—and a more than doubled Income Tax
grinding us down—and war prices still sus-
tained in all directions ! Pshaw ! Talk of the
distinguished services, forsooth, of any one among
her MAJESTY'S Ministers in regard to the manage-
ment of the late War ! Talk rather of their distin-
guished services in regard to anything else but the
late War, a War as disgraceful in its close as it
was "horrible and heart-rending" in its• Afis-
Management !

We this day give the remainder of the highly
interesting report of the Federal Council of Swit-
zerland, the former portion whereof appeared in
The Sun of yesterday. The spirit-stirring address
has been nobly responded to in the Federal
Assembly. The proposals of the Council were
unanimously adopted. The representatives of
the people with one accord remained faithful to
the independence of the Itepublic. A de-
gree of enthusiasm was manifested that augurs
badly for CLICIZITOT. The descendants of
those who dared the wrath of CHARLES the
Bold, who were prepared • to die rather
than yield a particle of the national liberty,
have proved themselves worthy of their illustri-
ous ancestors. Whatever may be the event, they
have earned for themselves the respect and admi-
ration of surrounding nations.

We are told that a great effect was produced
by the report. It could not be otherwise. The
Council appealed to the highest and purest sym-
pathies of the People. Every man, worthy of
the name, would eordiallyirespond to the spirited
address.

In such a cause there maid be no seceders. The
land of TELL would not tolerate such baseness.
FREDERICK WILLIAM may choose to indulge in
what the Yankees term "btiekrum." He may ful-
minate threats, with no greater notion of carrying
them into execution than Ancient PISTOL himself ;
but in meddling with the hardy and patriotic
Swiss, he has, as the Mayor of Yarmouth said to
Queen ELIZABETH, most decidedly taken " the
wrong sow by the ear."

We cannot suppose CLICQUOT will be sogreatafool
as to force matters to extremities. He may wish
to exhibit a little spirit, just by way of a set-off
for the apathy—or cowardice as some irreverent
persons may term it—displayed during the late
war. It may suit his taste for "playing at
soldiers" to concentrate his troops in a particalar
district, and to make the most formidable de-
monstrations. But still his nature will remain
unchanged. He cannot pretend to a fierceness incon-
sistent with his nature. The ass in the lion's skin
betrayed his quality the moment he strove to roar.
The " braying" was unequivocal, and in like
manner FREDERICK WILLIAM must appear in his
true colours when the crisis arrives.

We believe that the manly attitude of the
Confederation has averted war. Had th3y dis-
played the slightest symptoms of yielding, there
would have been an amount of swaggering and
bullying that would have rendered hostilities
inevitable. But now that they have shown
inflexible resolution a loophole for evasion will be
CLICQUOT will console himself with the
froeufinecdt,ioann dtha
that, he had known "how cunning
they were of fence, he would have taken care not
to meddle with them."

In another part of our present impression it
will be seen Sir BENJAMIN HALL has lost no time
promise in relation to the metro-
politan drainage. Not only has he appointed,
what appears to us, a competent commission of
inquiry, but also addressed to them a letter of
instructions, in which the facts are so fairly stated,
and the desiderata so fully and clearly expressed,
that we see no possibility of exception being justly
taken to it as a whole, or to any part of it. If it
involves, as it certainly does, the condemnation of
the Metropolitan Board, that is no fault of his.
If it furnishes a satisfactory vindication of his
own procedure, he is just as little to praise or
blame on that
account. To do either has evi-
dently formed
no part of his intention. In the
proper discharge
of his duty, and for the informa-
tion and guidance of the Commissioners a review
of what had been done was necessary, and all
that was left hire Was to furnish as he has done
a truthful and fair one. The discrepancies in the
statements of the Engineer of the Metropolitan
Board in relation to the amount of sewage dis-
charged, to which it was necessary he should call
attention, are facts which tell their own tale, and
alone suffice to justify the appointment of the
cl
Commission, and the we have felt it our
duty to make on the absence of substantial
grounds for confidence in the efficiency of
the plan. The instructions given respc3t
ing the point of discharge, and as to how
far the extension of the works may bonefit the
districts through which they may pass, and estab-
lish a pecuniary claim on the owners and occu-
piers, are deserving of especial attention. There
can be no mistake as to the spirit of equity in
which they are conceived, and the desire of the
Chief Co
justice meted out to all parties.
mmissioner of Works to have substantial

Let us hope with the New Year, and by the
aid of the newly-appointed Commission of Inquiry,
we shall see a speedy end to this much vexed
question ! The interests of millions are at stake
—surely a due consideration of the fact calls for
some sacrifice of self-love, if necessary, to have
them respected ; and this, we imagine, is what is
principally wanted. By this time the impression
must have become pretty general at the Board
that a final settlement cannot much longer be
delayed. More than a suspicion, we cannot
doubt, is also generally entertained in the same
quarter that the Beard has placed itself in an
unenviable position—nay, that its very existence
has been seriously endangered by its blunders,
squabbles, and shortcomings. A plan worthy in
the main of its acceptance may confidently be
expected to be laid before it at no distant period.
Lot the B)ard embrace the opportunity to redeem
itself in public estimation by showing itself, how-
ever late, equal to its responsibilities. 'lt is no
small fault to throw discredit on the principle of
self-government., May the expiation outdo the
offence ! Of one thing we are assured : when
the majority of the Board come to their right
mind, instead of regarding the Chief Commissioner
of Works with suspicion and taking a pleasure in
thwarting his wishes, they will, with equal inde•

pendence, hail in him a public benefactor, worthy
of their high esteem and most cordial co-operation.
They have too long forgot the more than red-
tape relation in which he stands to them, and
been oblivious of the light in which his actions
should be viewed. The paternal relation has its
immunities as well as it duties. How few in a
similar position to Sir BENJAMIN HALL have
shown an equal desire to discharge the one with-
out having recourse to the other ! The most bitter
opponent of the Chief Commissioner has only to
imagine himself in his position to be disarmed of
all hostile feeling, and to regard him as a friend
of the people and the Board—a Liberal, indeed,
in whom either may safely confide.

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, DEC. 31.

The Queen and Prince drove out in an open carriage
yesterday afternoon, attended by the Equerries in
Waiting.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales went to
London and attended Mr. Faraday's lecture at the Royal
Institution, Albemarle•street.

His Serane Highness the Prince of Leinengen dined
with her Majesty in the evening. Colonel the Hon. N.
and Lady Mary Hood, Sir James Clark, and Mr. Gibbs,
had the honour also to be included.
The private band attended after dinner.
The Queen and Prince walked in the Home Park this
morning.

The Prince of Wales rode out on horseback.
The Princess Royal and Princess Alice also rode on
horseback.

THE MARQUIS OF WATERFORD.—The Marquis of
Waterford, while out riding on Saturday, fell from his
horse and sustained some injury, which, however, is not
likely to lead to any serious consequences. His Lord-
ship's head was cut, and he remained insensible, it is said,
for nearly half-an-hour. Accounts of yesterday's date
state that the Marquis is recovering from the effects of
the accident.

At the Court of Bankruptcy yesterday, a petition was
filed for adjudication of bankruptcy against Mr. Hum-
phrey Brown, M. P. The petitioning creditors are the
assignees of the Royal British Bank, of which Mr. Brown
was a director. The alleged debt, as unsecured, is nearly
40,0001. Messrs. Linklater and Hackwood are the so•
licitors for the petition, which has been ballotted to Mr.
Commissioner Evans.

The prospectus has been issued of the Oude Rail-
way Company, with a capital of 1,000,0001., in 201.
shares. The entire length of lines contemplated is 450
miles, but the company propose to commence with a
section of about 50 miles from Cawnpore to Lucknow.
The fertility of the province is unquestioned, and an
application is in progress for a guarantee from the India
House, without which it is properly stated the project
will not be proceeded with.

THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY AT EPSO3L—Thi9
society has just completed their thirty-first land pur-
chase at Epsom, in West Surrey. The property is called
the Parade Land, and is situated in the heart of the
town of Epsom, between the railway station and the
race-course, close to that world-famed hostelry the
" Spread Eagle."

A despatch from Naples says:—There can be no longer
any doubt of the existence of disaffection in the
Neapolitan army. Three or four soldiers have destroyed
themselves since the death of Milano, who attempted
to kill the King. ,A severe political investigation is
taking place amongst the royal troops."
GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION PROM SOUTHAMPTON.—
SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 31.—The following, is a summary
of the Government emigration from this port during the
year 1856 :

Passengers.
Ships. Tens. Cabin. Steerage,
To New South Wales 10 9,569 26 ... 3,508
To Victoria
To South Australia 5 ... 3,182 12 ... 1,288

22 18,293 55 7,039
The steerage passengers were classified as follows, viz.
1,211 married couples, 1,434 single men, 1,469 single
women, 1,487 children between 1 and 12 years of age,
and 218 children under 1 year. Of these, again, 5,651
were English, 500 Scotch, and 879 Irish.
IMPORTATION OF CLOCKS.—As many as 215,474
clocks were imported in the 11 months ended the 30th
November.
OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMPTON RAIL-
WAY.—The receipts of this company, including the
Ste urbridge Extension Canal, for the fortnight ending
December 21, have been 8,5311. 3e. 9d. ; and the ex-
penditure, also including that of the Stourbridge
Extension Canal, 4,5491. 9s. 9d., being at the rate of
53.32 per cent. ; or, with the amount already ascertained
to December 7, a total receipt from July 1 to December
21, of 109,4301. Bs. 5d., and a total expense of 59,231/.
15s. 7d., or at the rate of 54.17 per cent.
GEELONG AND MELBOURNE RAlLWAY.—lntelligence
has been received by the Red Jacket of the near ap-
proach to completion of this line. An arrangement wal
about being concluded by the Government to commence
the plate-laying from the William's Town end, by which
means some saving of time would be gained in the open-
ing of the traffic, which it was expected would be effected
in February or March next. All the earthworks and
bridges were so far finished that no delay would be exp.-
' rienced in executing the contracts for laying the perma-
nent way throughout. The Government railway board
were proceeding rapidly with the first contracts for the
Mount Alexander line from Melbourne, and at the open-
ing of the new Parliament it was expected further exten-
sions would be sanctioned from Geelong through the
western district.

LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS COMPANY.—With the
new year this company introduces the use of contract
tickets, or paper money. The tickets are issued by the
company at their chief office, 454, West Strand, in
packets or books of 100, 50, or 25 tickets each, for fares
of 6d., 4d., 3d.. or 2d. The packets are of such a size
that they may with ease be placed in the waistcoat pocket
or pocket-book, and occupy less space than the amount
they represent would occupy in silver. In lieu of paying
a conductor with money the ticketholders will hand him
a ticket. The trouble and time occupied in giving
change will thus be avoided, and the stoppage of five or
six minutes while the unfortunate conductor runs from
shop to shop begging for change for a sovereign—the
only coin some unbusinesslike passenger possesses—may
become a nuisance of days gone by. On the score of
economy, the company offer a saving of 2s. in the pound,
or 10 per cent. to all persons taking the contract tickets,
and they fix no limit to the period in which the tickets
are to ba uied. It is stated that the reduction in price
will be fully compensated to the company by the greater
certainty with which they will get their money.
FUNERAL OP MR. MILLER,—The funeral took place
on Monday, and both as to the attendance of mourner-,
and the concourse of spectators, was one of the largest
and most remarkable that has ever been witnessed in
Edinburgh. At one o'clock the procession left Porte•
hello, where the devotional exercises were conducted by
Dr. Guthrie. At two o'clock it reached Waterloo Place,
where it was joined by the kirk-session of Free St. John's
Church, of which Mr. Miller was a deacon, by the mem-
bers of the Rlyal Pnysical Society, by the compositors
in the Witness office, and by several hundreds of gentle.
men. The hearse was follow—l by thirteen mourning
carriages, and nineteen other carriages. Alonr, all the
streets from the Register Office to the Grange Cemetery
the shops were very generally closed at the request of
the Magistrates, ane, the pavements along the North and
South Bridges and Nicolson street were lined by large
numbers of persons. The pall bearers were—Mr. Mil-
ler's oldest son, fourteen years of age ; Mr. Williamson,
his nearest kinsman ; Mr. Fairley, his partner in busi-
ness ; Dr. Guthrie, Dr. Hanna, Mr. Dunlop, M. P.,
Mr. Robert Paul, and Dr. Cunningham. Among others
present at the funeral were the Lord Provost, Mr. A.
Black, M. P., Dr. Candlish, Sir H. Moncrieff, Baillie
Grieve, Treasurer Russell, Dr. Greville, Dr. Bruce, Mr.
R. Chambers, &c.

THE PROPERTY AND INCOME Tax.—The Bath Town
Council heid a special meeting on Tuesday to consider
the propriety of petitioning Parliament for the reduction
and re-adjustment of this lax. Mr. R. Cook, the mayor,
presided, and there was a large attendance of the coun-
cil. Some of the speakers advocated the principle of
the property and income tax, but all agreed that, as at
present levied, it was unequal and unjust. Mr. Alder-
man Hunt, in an eloquent speech, moved the following
resolution, which was ably seconded by Mr. Jolly, and
carried unanimously :—" That while this council fully
admit the necessity of raising the property and income
tax from 7d. to 16d. in the pound for the purpose of
meeting the exigencies of the war in which this country,
has been engaged for the liberties of Europe, they con-
sider that, the war being now happily concluded, such
portion of the above tax as was levied for the purpose
of carrying it on should be forthwith abandoned, and
that a petition be presented to the House of Commons
praying such reduction ; and that such portion of the
tax as may be retained shall undergo revision, with
the view to a more equitable distribution of it among
the various classes of taxpayers." A petition in ac-
cordance with this resolution was agreed to, and the
city seal affixed to it. It was also resolved to send it
to Captain Soobell for presentation, and to request
Mr. Tite and the members for the county to support
its prayer.
THE WINE DATIES.—Mr. Oliveira, M.P., has arrived
at Lisbon, his object being to obtain the most recent
and authentic information in reference to the wine pro-
duce of Portugal, the stocks in hand, the effects
produced by the grape disease and its treatment, and to
ascertain what the opinions of the various public men of
consideration may be upon the question of a reduction
of the tariff upon British goods. Mr. Oliveira will visit
the Alto Douro and Oporto before he returns to England,
so as to be .ambled to have a thorough knowledge of
these matters to place before the House of Commons
early next session, when he will move for a select corn
mittee upon the whole question of the duties on foreign
wines, of which ho gave notice at the end of last session.
DEATH FROM DESTITUTION.—An inquest was held last
evening before Mr. Baker, at the Fountain, Virginia-
row, Bethnal-green, on the body of William Pack, aged
3 months, who died from want. The evidence proved
that the parents of the deceased and three other children
lived in a hovel not fit for human habitation, at No. 6,
Virginia-row, the children being naked and without food.
The father, who is a harness-maker, has through illness
not been le to pursue his occupation, and the only
sustenance of the family was derived from the mother's
scanty earnings as a charwoman. Verdict--Death from
destitution,

LATEST N E WS.

OCCUPATION OF CANTON.
TRIESTE, DEC. 31.

From the 15th of November up to the latest
advices the European factories were closed, trade

being nearly stagnant.
The Chinese authorities had retreated to the

interior, opposing merely a passive resistance.
The English troops and marines occupy the forts
and public buildings.

THE NEUCHATEL DIFFICULTY.

BERNE, DEC. 31.

The Federal Assembly has approved of all the
propositions of the Federal Council for the defence
of the Helvetic territory.

The diplomatic communications made by foreign
Powers to the Council teem to promise a pacific

solution.

The effect produced by the report of the Cora-
mission was prodigious.

THE PARIS CONFERENCES.

The Paris correspondent of the Times (second
'edition), in a letter dated yesterday, says :
"The Plenipotentiaries met at 2 o'clock to-day
in conference. They were still assembled at 5
o'clock, and it is thought likely that their delibe-
rations will be brought to a close this evening.
What renders this more probable is, that the re-
ceptions of to-morrow (New Year's Day) will pre-
vent any meeting from taking place, and it is
desirable to bring the matter to a conclusion as
quickly as possible. The lire before them is
already traced, and the questions are few and un.
mistakeable. They have been already studied tho-
roughly, and the Plenipotentiaries understand so
clearly what is before them that, in point of fact,
there ought to be hardly anything to' do be-
yond exchanging their powers, reading over the
protocol as a matter of form, and signing. The
Russian Ambassador only received his last in-
structions at seven o'clock last evening. They
were communicated to Count Walewski soon
after, rand by him to the Emperor. The
letters of convocation were at once sent out.
and the paragraph which I send you this
morning was communicated to the Moniteur
at eleven o'clock last night. The delay to which
I alluded yesterday was owing to the Russian
Ambassador waiting for the answer of his Court
as to whether two Russian representatives were
to be present at the deliberations ; of course only
one is to have a vote. The point was a delicate
one ; Count Kisseleff having only been appointed
subsequently to the treaty of Paris, and indeed
having arrived in Paris only since then, was not
presumed to be so well acquainted with the ques-
tion as the other representatives. It was desirable,
therefore, that M. Brunow, who on the last occa-
sion was second Plenipotentiary, should give his
confrere the benefit of his experience. The affair
was, I believe, decided in that wax."