MONDAY, JULY 15TH.

Eimer gentlemen, most of them barristers, have addressed a letter to the daily papers, stating the case of the men as against the masters in the building strike. They state, on behalf of the men, that the system of payment by the hoar would enable the masters to work overtime at discretion, an annoyance which, though sometimes neces- sary, is at present checked by the necessity of paying fifty per cent. higher for work in. excess of ten hours a day. This is the main griev- ance, for which no moderate addition to the pay per hour would compensate. The men lose also the time required for sharpening their tools, and the day's pay, if dismissed after three or four hours' work. They feel, moreover, that the hour system. degrades them, re- ducing them to the level of dock labourers, an. idea perhaps just as painful as if it were a reasonable one. Further, in answer to state- meats which have been circulated, the men say their committees are composed of Union men, but their general meetings include the whole trade, and the general meetings form the real governing body. Lastly, the men who have accepted the hour system are generally inferior workmen, and even these are with difficulty retained. — The number of ticket-of-leave Men is greatly on the increase. In the last prison return it is stated that. 581 men were released last year on ticket-of-leave, and the Home Office state that the number will increase every year, "until the number released in each year shall equal, or nearly so, the annual number of prisoners received into the convict prisons." That number will be a fearful addition to be made to the hopeless crime of the country. — The 12th of July, the anniversary of the battle of the Boyne, passed off in Ireland without bloodshed, probably for the first time since the battle was fought. A few Orange processions were seen in the country, and there was a meeting in Dublin, where the chaplain of the society, the Rev. Thomas Wallace, said he "was not going to contend that the mere fact of being an Orangeman could save the soul," which is, in Ireland, a great concession. — The Times publishes a fist of remedies for the potato disease.

The most efficacious is one discovered by "C., of Homsey," which Consists in. pressing down the haulm thus: "He set his potatoes in a double row instead of single, the two rows occupying a foot in width, with a foot of vacant space outside each row. They were planted on the level, and hoed up at the usual time. Now comes the important step ; when the haulm had reached its fall growth, about the 1st of Jul, he turned it over right and left towards the vacant

spaces, by earth between the rows and pressing down the haulm so as to rive it from the erect position, and allow the rain, instead of descending to the roots, to run off upon the vacant space." Not one in a hundred perished.

— Mrs. Ann Wilson, wife of George Wilson, farmer, of Epworth, Lincolnshire, has been committed for trial for the murder of her three children. She has been "weak-minded" ever since her last con- finement, and her husband, fearing she would go out of her mind, in- tended to remove her back to his native place. Her husband de- posed that he met his wife at Wheatley, inNottinghamshire, whither he had been on liminess, and asked her what sheiad done with the children. She said they were safe. He asked her three times, and at last said they were in heaven, as she had pat them into the soft-water cistern. He said it was impossible. but she repeated the statement, adding that a black man had helped her. Half-distracted, Wilson drove home, apparently with the idea that his wife was wandering; but on opening the cistern saw one of the children's legs, and fainted. The children were quite dead, though the cistern is not deep, and there seems evidence—a wound on one child—that they were forced under the water. The coroner's jury brought in a vu. diet of wilful murder, adding an opinini that the mother was of un- sound mind.

— A very large number of gentlemen have addressed the follow- ing letter to the municipality of Turin:

"London, June 29, 1861. "Sir.—We have heard that the municipality of Turin are about to erect a monument to the memory of Count Cavour.

"In the belief that some indication of sympathy for the loss which Italy has sustained would not be unacceptable to you, a few gentlemen have met together and collected subscriptions from those persons whose names are appended, who may be considered as representing the esteem and respect in which England has ever held the talents and patriotism of the deceased Minister, and the earnest desire that prevails among us for the welfare and security of your new kingdom. "No effort has been made by advertisement or by public meetings, all has been done privately, and the amount for each person has been designedly fixed at a small sum to show that expression of sympathy, and not pecuniary aid, was intended by our contributions.

"We have, therefore, on the part of the gentlemen above referred to, to request that the subscriptions which we now remit may be accepted by the mmicipality, and added to your local collections, as a sign that the interest of Englishmen m the honour and independence of Italy has not undergone any abatement or change."

The list latitudes the names of Lord Palmerston, the Duke of Argyle, the Earl of Clarendon, Lord Clyde, the Duke of Devonshire, the Earl of Dudley, Earl de Grey, the Right Hon. E. Ellice, Earl Granville, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord Llanover, Lord Lyveden, Lord John Russell, Baron Rothschild, Lord Shaftesbury, the Archbishop of York, Mr. W. M. Thackeray, and many other personages of the first eminence.

— The public distribution of prizes to the competitors for pre- eminence in rifle-shooting came off at Wimbledon on Saturday. The prizes were delivered by the Duke of Cambridge, Mr. Jopling, of the War Office, receiving the Queen's prize, the "Blue Ribbon" of the contest. One prize excited some ridicule, being a patent safe, sent, we presume, as a cheap mode of advertisement; which the Associa- tion ought to have snubbed promptly. Most of the smaller prizes were rifles, and some copies of a costly engraving, "The Allied Gene- rids in the Crimea," presented by Mr. Garle Brown. His Royal Highness made a kindly observation to each prizeman as he stepped up, and the crowd cheered loudly. A royal order authorizing the Queen's prizeman to wear his gold medal would probably have the hest effect. At the close of the ceremony the Commander-in-Chief reviewed the London regiments on the ground, about eight thousand men, who in spite of the wretched weather went through their man- ceuvres admirably. — Mr. Charles Turner has been invited to contest the newly created seat for South Lancashire, in the Conservative interest. He has consented, stipulating that the gentlemen who have invited him should pledge themselves, so far as it lay with them, to secure his return, which they did in writing. The signatures include all the Roman Catholic nobles holding property in South Lancashire. — The subscription for the new India Loan of 4,000,0004 reached twenty millions, and all who tendered above and at 981. 18s. will rc. ceive a portion. The following is the result of the biddiugs :

Number of Aggregate Subscribers. Price. SubscrEtion.

2

8.

d. 100,000 24,500 50,000 2,000 3,000 123,000 53,500 4,000 2,000 191,000 371,000 280,500 226,000 207,000 519,000 427,700 462,500 35,000 316,000 99,000 503,200 It is understood that most of the loan is in "strong" hands. The loan has stood since above 100.

— Major Murray was on Friday last attacked and shot by a Mr. Roberts, an army agent or bill discounter, in the latter's rooms in Northumberland-street, Strand. Major Murray, who is in Charing. cross Hospital, is sufficiently recovered to give an account of the affair, which is briefly this. -He was accosted in the Strand by Mr. Roberts, who asked him if he were not a Director of the Grosvenor Hotel Company. Major Murray replied in the affirmative, and fol- lowed his questioner, whom he did not know, to his rooms. There Mr. Roberts turned, to seek apparently for some papers, and Major latirmy felt a stunning sensation at the back of his head, and fell on the floor. He was again shot at, the bullet striking his cheek-bone. He feigned death, but on his assailant's turning his back seized the tongs, and felled Mr. Roberts. A struggle ensued for the tongs, in which Major Murray was defeated, but he caught up a beer bottle, and then snatching the tongs from his opponent, beat him nearly to death. He then endeavoured to escape, found the door locked, but got

2 •• • 99 8 0 • •.

3 ••• 99 7 6 ••• 1 ••• 99 7 0 ••• 1 • .• 99 6 6 ••• 1 • .• 99 6 0 ••• 6 • .• 99 5 6 ••• 7 ••• 99 5 0 • .• 1 ••• 99 4 6 ••• 1 • .• 99 4 0 ••• 7 ... 99 3 6 ••• 15 ... 99 3 0 ••• 22 ... 99 2 6 ••• 7 ... 99 2 0 ••• 21 ... 99 1 6 ••.

52 ••• 99 1 0 ••• 43 ... 99 0 6 ••• 55 ... 99 0 0 ...

... 98 19 6 ••• 14 ... 98 19 0 ••• 17 ... 98 18 6 ••• 71 ... 98 18 0 ••• 349

£4,000,000 TUESDAY, JULY 16TIL — At the Surrey Sessions, a widow named Harriet Carter yester- day pleaded guilty to stealing a coat. The deputy-chairman was about to sentence her to twelve months' hard labour, when she asked for four years' penal servitude. She wanted, she said, to break away from bad associates, and less than that would do her no good. Mr. Telson granted her request. Since when have convicts been permitted to fix their own sentences ? We thought the duty of a judge was to do justice, not alter his sentence in accordance with special, perhaps morbid, fancies. The infinite probability is that the accused in this case will earn a quick ticket of leave, and be brought up again for some worse offence.

— Two convicts escaped from Millbank Penitentiary on Sunday night, under circumstances which recal some of the great historical escapes. The three men were confined in one of the basement cells, from which an iron ventilator in the wall communicates with the cellar beyond. They placed a dummy, made up with a nightcap, in each of the beds, and in the course of weeks removed the bricks round the ventilator, whitening the disturbed whitewash with the whiting supplied to clean their tins. The cellar had a similar venti- lator communicating with the grounds, and the bricks of this also were removed. Itlast, when all was ready, the men, who were em- ployed in making up Government great-coats, stole a coat apiece, got into the cellar, and thence into the grounds, whence they scaled the railings and ran away. They were seen, however, by a gentleman, who gave information at the prison, and four of the warders set out in chase. Knowing the two haunts to which they were certain to repair, they visited both in succession, and at one ascertained that the men had been there and changed their clothes. It the other the detectives discovered that the men would probably walk down Britannia-street at eleven o'clock, bat, after waiting a quarter of an hour they did not arrive, and the police were just turning away, when they stumbled on the two men. Both were arrested, of course, after a furious struggle, and were safely lodged in the prison by twelve o'clock, having broken out at nine. — Johann Carl Franz, a Saxon, has been committed for trial on a charge of being concerned in the Kiugswood murder. I pocket- book, it will be remembered, was found close to the murdered house- keeper, containing a letter, in which Mademoiselle Tietjens, recom- mended the bearer to a countryman, who might procure him a pas- sage back to Germany. Mademoiselle Tietjens, on Monday, before the magistrates of Reigate, recogaized the prisoner, who was farther identified by two witnesses as having been in the neighbourhood of Kingswood on the day of the murder.

— The Baron de Rutzen, charged with sacrilege, has been found

guilty by the Ecclesiastical Court,. This gentleman holds in right of his wife a life interest of the Slebech estates, Pembroke, and the perpetual miracles of Newton Slebech and Minvere, now united in one parish. The church interfered with the extension of the park, and the Baron consequently first ordered it to be unroofed, thereby depriving the parishioners of their church for two year's ; and then, when a new church had been erected, had it pulled down. The incumbent and the parishioners were afraid to report the facts, and the archdeacon made no personal visitation. Dr. Lushington sentenced the Baron to rebuild the church, and pay all costs of the proceedings. — The Daily New reports that the larger firms in the building trade, though holding out against the men's demands, are in many cases sub-letting their contracts, with liberty to the contractors to pay the men as they please. This course has been pursued Roe some time by Messrs. Kelk and Lucas at the Exhibition works; and within the last few days Mr. Smith, of Chelsea, who has the building of the Royal Marine Baths, at Charlton ; Mr. Brassey, Old-street- road; and Mr. Wilson, of the Borough, who is building the Jews' Hospital at Norwood, and some new schools in Albany-street, have sub-let their contracts, and the sub-contractors have engaged the men oat of the window on to the water-pipe, and thence dropped eighteen feet to the ground, where he wd arrested by a workman, who handed him over to the police. The door was then broken open, Mr. Ro- berts found terribly wounded, and, with Major Murray, taken to Charing-cross Hospital. Mr. Roberts's escritoire was found broken open, and the.papers covered with blood and wine. Major Murray's story is obviously incorrect, as he could not possibly have been shot from behind while on the floor, unless on his face, and if on his face, could not see whether his assailant had turned to seize the tongs. Up to Friday, Major Murray persisted in this account, but Mrs. Roberts states that a woman calling herself Mrs. Murray called so frequently on Mr. Roberts as to rouse his wife's suspicions. Mr. Roberts says Major Murray shot himself, though, as no human being could shoot himself in the back of the neck, that story seems as lame as the other. The police believe they have discovered in the papers a clue to the whole mystery. It seems pretty obvious that there was a struggle for the papers, which ended in blows, though muck remains to be told.

— Sir William Miles, who has represented East Somerset since 1834, will not offer himself again, as he has been in yarliament forty-three years. Sir W. Hallam Elton has accordingly come forward, as has Sir H. A. Hoare, both on the Liberal side. The Conservatives will support Sir T. W. Slade, Q.C., in concert with the sitting member, Mr. W. F. Knatchbull. — A permanent volunteer camp is to be established at Aldershott, in order that the volunteers may occasionally be brigaded with the line. This project is sanctioned by the Horse Guards. A club- house for the men, with one thousand separate chambers, is to be erected at Aldershott by a subscription from the ladies of England, headed by her Majesty.

to go on with the jobs on the terms of the compromise, 6s. per day of ten hours for five days, with 3s. for Saturday, leaving work at twelve o'clock. Should all the masters adopt this system, -the strike will practically have terminated in favour of the men.

WEDNESDAY, AMY 17TEL — The Baron de Vidil, accused of attempting to murder his son, was arrested in Paris on Friday, and at his own request sent over to England. He was brought before Mr. Cowie (Bow-street) on Monday, and an order issued to examine Rivers, the labourer, who saw the affair, and who is lying seriously ill of consumption at Twickenham. The witness deposed as follows, signing the deposi- tion with his mark : "My name is John Rivers. Ilive here, and an a labourer. I remember leaving this house on the 28th of June last, and going to my work at the river-side, down by the Duke d'Au- male's. It was aboat seven o'clock. I met two gentlemen on horseback. I think I should know them if I saw them again. The elder gentleman had a white hat on. They were riding towards me, the younger one being nearest to the railings. I saw the elder one strike the younger one a back-handed blow on the forehead with a whip-handle, or something like it. I could see there was a shining knob at the end of it. The young one's hat fell off, and he cried out, Oh, don't ! Pray don't !' I then saw the elder gentleman, strike the young man's horse across the head. The young one rode off as fast as he could. The old gentleman said, 'by! hoy ! here's your hat,' and tried to get his horse back, but it would not go." The witness recognized the Baron in the crowd of persons in his room.

— The leading insurance companies of London have resolved to increase largely their premiums for mercantile risks. They say that during the past eleven years they have paid on this description of risk double the amount they have received, and a new tariff is unavoid- able. Many importers and owners of wharfs have resolved to resist this change, and endeavour to establish new insurance-offices to adhere to the old rates, which, as they believe, are amply remu- nerative.

— Mr. Arnold, this day, decided a point connected with the hiring of cabs, which is not generally understood by the public. Mr.• Arnold said that any driver passing through the streets might refuse to take a fare when called upon because he was not at an appointed'

plying-place. If, however, upon being hailed while passing through the streets, he should stop and permit a gentleman to get into his cab, he must be deemed to hold himself out for hire, and was then bound to take the passenger. The theory entertained by the _public is that a cabman without a fare must take them unless he is driving' home. Most cabmen, when refusing a fare, plead previous hiring, which it is impossible to disprove. — Some of the leadins. Conservatives of the City of London have signed a requisition to the Lord Mayor, inviting him, on Lord John Russell's retirement, to contest the city in the Conservative interest. On the Liberal side, Mr. Stuart Wortley, the Recorder, and Mr. Western Wood have been mentioned, but nothing has yet been or- ganized. — The census of Ireland has been published. The total popula-

tion of Ireland on the 7th of April was 5,761,543, less by 787,842 than it was in 1851, which is a decrease of 1202. per cent,. on the last decennial period. On the previous decade there was a decrease of 19-85 per cent. The diminution has been greatest in Minister, where it is 18 per cent., and least in Ulster, where it is only 5 per cent. The Commissioners ascribe the decrease to emigration, as there has been no other powerful cause in operation, such as famine, pestilence, or war. From the Report of the Emigration Commis- sioners it appears that 1,230,986 emigrants left Ireland during the last ten years.

The following table shows the state of the population for the three decennial periods in provinces : Provinces.

Number of Persons.

1841. 1851. Decrease in 1851. 1861. Decrease in 1861.

Persona. Persons.

Leinster 1,973,731 1,672,738 300,993 1,439,596 233,142 Munster ... 2,396,161 1,857,736 538,425 1,503,200 354,536 Ulster 2,386,373 2,011,880 374,493 1,910,408 101,472 Connaught... ... 1,418,859 1,010,031 408,823 911,339 98,692 Total ... 8,175,124 6,552,385 1,622,739 5,764,543 787,842

The following are towns : the returns front the principal cities and

- Dublin (Municipal) „ (Suburbs) (County) ... 249,733 ...

... 46,231 ?

... 106,058 f ... Decrease Increase -8636

5,511 Belfast ... 119,242 ... Increase 18,941 Cork ... ... 78,892 ... Decrease 6,840 Waterford ... 23,220 ... Decrease 2,077 Limerick ... ... ... 44,626 ... Decrease 8,822 Kilkenny ... ... ... 14,081 ... Decmdse 5,894 Galway ... ... 16,786 ... Decrease 7,001

The number of inhabited houses is 993,233, a decrease of 52,990.

Of the total population are,

Protestants ... ... 1,273,960

Roman Catholics ... 4,490,583

The Protestants, therefore, are only two to seven, a relative decrease of only three per cent.; the positive decrease has, however, been

very great. In 1851 the Irish Catholics were about a clear fourth

of the whole population of Great Britain. They are now barely a seventh. The number of members of the Established Church, for whom alone the Establishment is kept up, is 678,661. There are only 322 Jews in Ireland—a curious fact. — On Sunday, the 30th June, a young man named Rumbelow, a milk-carrier at Cambridge, did not return home at night. His father commenced a search for him, which terminated, on the 5th of July, in the discovery of his body in the Cam, and the arrest of a young man named Pilson, with whom he was last seen. Elizabeth Chap- man, wife of a fossil-digger, swore that she was returning home from the theatre when she met Pilson, Rumbelow, and another man coming along, all quarrelling, saw Pilson strike the deceased re- peatedly, and heard him threaten to throw him into the water. The other witnesses contradicted each other, and the jury returned a verdict "that deceased came to his death by violence, but by whom inflicted there is no evidence to show." Pits= is still in cus- tody, and the matter is now in the hands of the police. — Yesterday, Captain Wilson, of the ships Severn and Express, who has been committed for the manslaughter of his second officer, was charged with murdering his stewarfil. The witnesses, generally coloured men, swore that the captain beat the steward Henderson, threw a knife and a hand-spike at him, told him that he should die before he reached England, raised him out of a sick-bed, and knocked him down again. The captain is a mild-looking, quiet than; the steward, it is admitted, had Coast-fever, and it is supposed that the statements are much exaggerated. — A great dog show was opened yesterday near Leeds, the animals being divided into sporting dogs and non-sporting dogs. Under the first head there were respectively two classes of foxhounds, greyhounds, bloodhounds, pointers (large), pointers (small), setters, harriers, beagles, other hounds, deer-hounds, Irish setters, retrievers, spaniels (dumber), and spaniels (other breeds) ; in addition to which there was an extra class for any known b'reed of foreign sporting dogs. Under the second head there was a similar double classification of mastiff, Newfoundland, Dalmatian, bull, and sheep dogs, black and tan terriers, white and other English terriers, Scotch terriers, bull terriers, pugs, Italian greyhounds, Blenheim spaniels, King Charles's spaniels, and toy terriers, with an extra class for foreign dogs. With the exception of foxhounds and Blenheims, which were not represented, the entries were very large, one hundred and thirty pointers, ninety setters, and so on. Mr. T. A. Jennings gained the prize for the best bloodhound, and Mr. J. Langler of Mickleover, near Derby, for toy terriers under five pounds in weight. Have the Japanese terriers yet been brought to England? They weigh under three pounds, and are as fierce as if a decent rat could not swallow them whole.

THURSDAY, JULY 18TII.

— Thomas Farrow, stable-helper, formerly in the employ of the Earl of Dudley, sued his late employer for false imprisonment. Thonias Farrow had been accused of rape, and the Earl, as magistrate, gave him into custody. The case broke down, but the Earl said plaintiff was a worthless fellow, and detained him ten minutes while the clerk took down his age, height, and complexion. The object was to establish malice against the Earl, but the jury, after being locked up three hours, declared there was no chance of their agree- ing, and they were discharged. The bulk of the evidence went to show that the Earl of Dudley had slightly—very slightly—stretched his powers in order to mark his disapprobation of his servant's con- duct.

— Baron de Vidil was again brought before Mr. Corrie (Bow. street)yesterday, when his son appeared, and made a statement, of which this is the most important portion: "I am placed in most painful circumstances. I am not willing to proceed any further, and I hope I shall not be pressed to give evidence. I am not well, and I don't think—I don't know (a pause)—I don't think I can give evi- dence. I don't know what will become of my father if—if I am pressed. I had better state honestly to you that when I asked for the warrant I did so only for my own protection, not thinking it would lead to this. I did not think they would succeed—that it would be executed. I did not think they would find my father. I cannot tell what effect it will have upon me, but I hope I shall be able to undergo whatever you may put upon me or require, if I re- fuse to give evidence. If you insist upon my speaking I am in a dread- ful position. You do not know all. 1 understand that my father has accused me to a certain extent—he has made a charge against me. If he says anything against me, then I shall be compelled to tell everything. 1 wish him to know that if he insists I must tell all." Mr. Alfred de Vidil, a man of singularly delicate appearance, adhered to his resolution, though the magistrate informed him that he must imprison him till he gave his testimony. Ultimately his friends be- came responsible for his appearance. Bail for his father was refused. On Wednesday the London Scottish Volunteers gave a dinner to their Colonel, Lord Clyde. His lordship, in returning thanks, said esprit de corps was almost as valuable as patriotism.

The Lord Mayor, on Wednesday, gave a complimentary enter- tainment to Mr. Cobden, at which a large company attended. After the ordinary toasts, diversified by a speech from the Mayor in honour of Louis Napoleon, the Mayor proposed the toast of the evening, and Mr. Cobden rose to reply. "The French treaty, I have no doubt, if the peace for which we all pray can be preserved to us for five or ten years, will have opened lire door to such a com- merce between these two great countries as will surpass—it must, in the nature of things, surpass—the commerce existing between any Other two countries of the world. There are nearly seventy millions of people placed side by side, rather than separated, by a =raw arm of the sea, possessing such a diversity of natural endowments that they seem, of all nations of the world, to be the most adapted for a bene- ficial commerce with each other, who yet by the perversity of- legisla- tion have been busily engaged in nothing less than thwarting the designs of Providence and preventing -these advantages. Some people have said with regard to this treaty that it was entered into without the consent of public opinion in France, and that there- fore when the ten years for which the treaty is made expire the danger is that the policy now adopted in France will be reversed. Bat I have seen no proof in France that public opinion is not in favour of the policyof the Government. On the contrary, since the treaty was signed everything has indicated that with the logical talent and the quickness of perception which cha- racterize our neighbours they are making rapid progress still further in those principles. They have, for instance, since I was in Paris negotiating this treaty, by a vote of the Legislature, abolished their sliding-scale, and left the import and export of grain practically free. The city of Lyons, whose great heart and high intelligence are well represented by my friend at my side, has, by a formal decla- ration of opinion, pronounced in favour of absolute free trade as far as regards the articles in which it is interested. Lyons has nobly and manfully declared, "We own no superiority in the articles we manufacture, we seek no protection, and are ready to meet the whole world in the fair field of competition." He criticized English ignor- ance of France, saying, Englishmen might learn politeness of the French people, and Frenchmen business habits of ourselves. M. Chevalier, who followed, extolled the moral results of free trade. He explained his theory as to the cause of the animosity between England and France: "If you question the Frenchmen and Englishmen of our day, when . irritated with each other, what is the cause of the irritation? it will be very soon discovered to arise from the injuries and wrongs inflicted on each other during the long war of the Republic and the first Empire. If you had asked them when that war commenced the cause of their mutual enmity, it would have been found to have origi- nated in the wars which occurred during the reigns of Louis XI. and George III., or in the time of Louis XIV. and William III. But if at that time the cause of the war had been sought, it would have been traceable in a great degree to the previous wars during the reigns of Francis I. and Henry VIII., or of Charles VI. and Henry V.; and thus, in going back, it will always be found that the principal cause why people fought was, that they had fought before. So that it was the first war which was the chief cause of all the wars which followed. Now, the first war arose from a coarse jest uttered by the French King, Philippe I., upon the protuberant figure of Wil- liam the Conqueror, from which we inherited eight centuries of hos- tilities. A royal jest, in very had taste—such is the cause for which the two nations have for eight hundred years been destroying each other I can assure you that in France every reflecting man thinks that the manes of Philippe I. ought to be satisfied, and that it is more than time to repudiate this quarrel of the dark ages. And we hope that the modern generation of Englishmen will not be much more in- clined to sacrifice themselves on the field of battle to prove their love for the memory of William the Conqueror." He was followed by Mr. Bright, who, after adverting to the speech, "full of party exulta- tion, and not devoid of party invective," which an "eminent party leader" had recently delivered in that hall, proceeded to speak of the success which had attended the derided advocacy of free-trade, and his hope that a second revolution would yet be accomplished—the hearty union of England and France. To that end he hoped that when pickaxes and crowbars are employed to pull down the old Foreign Office, there will be somebody to bury many of its ad tradi- tions in its ruins. "I am sure, if there be any moral government in the world, and if we are rational and Christian men, there must be some means of making the future of these countries better than the past. We may give confidence where suspicion has existed. We may, I believe, plant affection where hate has been known almost for ages to continue. There is one thing which we may all do—we may endeavour to the best of our power, in our families and among our friends, to spread the knowledge of the French language. I believe the Minister of Foreign Instruction in France is very anxious to spread throughout France the knowledge of the English language. Why should we not here in all our schools have at least some portion of the schools well grounded in the Frsnch language ? The more we can come together—whether by trade, by travelling, by literature, by social intercourse—the more we know of each other, the more, I be- lieve, we shall condemn the past and be anxious to make amends for the future."

FRIDAY, JULY 19.

— The Admiralty has replied to the resolutions passed by the meeting of merchant officers with tegard to their admission to the Naval Reserve. The officers complained that the qualifications de- manded were too high, and that merchant-officers are not placed, as regards rank, as the officers of the Royal Navy.The Admiralty promise to revise the regulations on the first point, and on the second argue that the contingency contemplated by the merchant service cannot often arise, as in vessels commanded no other offi- cers of that rank are employed." All that the Admiralty insist on is, that the command of the ship, in the event of a death vacancy, should fall to the senior naval officer. — Mr. Roberts, one of the parties to the affray called the i "Strand Tragedy," died yesterday of his wounds. He had made no statement. Major Murray is considered not yet oat of danger. I — At a meeting held yesterday, of gentlemen of Liberal opinions) interested in the City election, it was resolved to support Mr. Western Wood, as the Liberal candidate for the seat to be vacated by

Lord John Russell. Mr. Wood has addressed the constituency, announcing his intention, if elected, to support Lord Palmerston's Government. The Conservative requisition to Sir W. Cubist has received 1500 signatures.