22 SEPTEMBER 1849, Page 10

.11fliscellantous.

The following correspondence between Mr. Joseph Hume and Lord John Russell, on the subject of the Italian refugees repelled from Malta, has been published this week. Mr. Hume to Lord John Russell.

"Sly Lord—As Chairman, for the time being, of a Committee of Members of Parliament and other gentlemen, which has been formed in aid of the Italian (Ro- man) refugees in this country, I am desired, in their name, to address your Lord- ship, as the head of her Majesty's Government, with respect to the recent conduct of the Governor of Malta in refusing an asylum to the refugees from Rome.

"The broad facts of the case, as brought to the attention of the Government and the House of Commons on the closing day of the late session of Parliament, (facts which have been corroborated and developed in greater detail by subse- quent information,) are more than sufficient warrant to address your Lordship, without reference to any individual cases. "The Governor of Malta has thought fit to refuse a landing at Malta to political refugees from the &mien States, who took ship for that island, relying with confi- dence on passports vised by the English Consul at Civita Vecchia or at Rome. "Had there been reasonable cause to apprehend any misconduct on the part of these unarmed refugees, the garrison of Malta was surely a place where sufficient security could have been taken against such a contingency; whilst, in considering the probabilities of so unworthy a return for the hospitality they claimed, it should not have been forgotten by a British citizen so high in office as the Governor of Malta, that the unfortunate wanderers were of the number of those defenders of the city of Rome who had won the respect of the civilized world by an observance of law and order and of constitutional government within its walls, as remarkable as the valour and humanity they displayed in its defence.

"Amidst all the diversities of opinion, in this and in former times, concerning the foreign policy of our country, there is one rule of conduct which has been invariably observed, and has met with universal and heartfelt assent, namely,— that of extending a generous and fearless hospitality to political exiles of every class, from every country, and of every cause. It is a bitter mortification to find that rule of conduct in the present instance disregarded, and the character of this country for hospitality needlessly sullied, by an officer bearing her Majesty's commission, and in command of one of the strongest garrisons of the British empire. " The Committee ventures to express a confident hope that her Majesty's Go-

vernment, if it have not already done so, will visit with marked disapprobation this discreditable act of its representative in Malta, so as to manifest to the world that the British Government in no way countenances conduct which is as foreign to our national character as it is disgraceful to the British name.

"I am, &c. JoSErit Humm." "Aug. 31." Lord John Russell to Mr. Hume.

"Balmoral, Sept. 5, 1849.

" Sir—I have had the honour of receiving your letter of the 81st of August, written in your capacity of Chairman of a Committee of Members of Parliament and others, which has been formed in aid of the Italian (Roman) refugees in this country, complaining of' the conduct of the Governor of Malta. "Lord Grey has sent me all the papers which have reference to the conduct of Mr. More ()Terrell, Governor of Malta, to the Italians who sought refuge. "It has been our practice, as you truly observe, 'to extend a generous and fear- less hospitality to political exiles of every class, from every country, and in every cause.'

" Yon may remember, that on the occasion of the French revolution of Febru- ary 1848, when you asked me a question in the House of Commons, I adverted to this honourable practice, and expressed my determination to adhere to it.

"I may observe, that the refugees in this country at present are of every class, from every country, and in every cause' ; and a proof is thus afforded how well the usual rule has been observed.

" The Governor of Malta, however, was of opinion that, although the refugees from Rome (not Roman refugees, in great part) might safely be allowed to pro- ceed to England, be could not be responsible for their remaining in Malta. They were therefore detained on board ship for some ten days or a fortnight, with the exception of the sick, and of the women and children, who were allowed to land.

"You are probably aware that there has existed during the past year a sort of circulating society of revolutionists, who have appeared sometimes in Paris, some- times in Berlin, sometimes in Baden, and who were especially in great strength and numbers at Rome.

"it is not consistent with the peace and good government of Malta, although it may be consistent with the peace and security of London, to have numerous bands of this revolutionary association at Malta.

" It would be as pleasant an occupation to them to stir up dissensions in Malta aa to head a riot in Berlin or in Baden. "One of these refugees was avowedly only taking Malta in his way to Venice to aunt in defending that city against the besieging troops. "After all, what has been the hardship inflicted? ThzetersTonsheywewreereinrnoz danger of their lives while they were on board a French v detained longer than a vessel put in quarantine. They took their passages to England, or to Greece if they chose. They were prevented from distarbhig Maas, and that was all.

"Lord Grey has therefore, with my full concurrence, expressed hisj. Bauparssenbau_tioe of the coarse pursued by the Governor of Malta. " I have the honour to be, &c.

"P.& I presume there is no doubt of the legality of the course pursued by the Governor of Malta?"

We have authority for stating that there is no truth whatever in the para- graph, copied from a morning contemporary, to the effect that Mr. More O'Farrell had been reprimanded for not receiving the Italian refugees at Malta, and that he had in consequence tendered his resignation. We un- derstand that there is not even a shadow of ground on which to found this paragraph.—Glebe. [The paragraph thus contradicted was quoted by the Times and some other journals from the Globe itself!)

The grave news from the Cape of Good Hope seems to have startled the Government into a spasmodic though only temporary activity. It was an- nounced by the Times on Monday, that it had "been determined to send out further instructions for the guidance of Sir Harry Smith under the existing emergency." The Morning Post stated on the same day, that 'An order was issued by the Board of Admiralty, on Sunday night, to the Port-Admiral at Portsmouth, to prepare for sea her Majesty's steamer Hecate with the utmost possible speed"; and that "so much alacrity was displayed in obeying this order, that the steamer was reported last night as ready to sail this morning for the Cape direct." On Tuesday evening, however, minds seem to have changed, and the orders were reversed. "After all," says the Portsmouth correspondent of the Tinier, "it seems that the Hecate will not be sent to the Cape; for, after every nerve had been strained to complete her equipment by Monday night, another order was sent down, to the effect that she would not be required for service."

4' Rome, January 28, 1825.

" My dear Cloneurry—I have received your letter of the 4th. 1 write upon large paper, for I feel as if I had a good deal to say to you; but there is, in truth,. too much to say, and I do not know how to begin, and to go on. I do not quite see into the state of affitirs, but it appears to me that, take what view you will of them, they are frightful. Can the Peel and Wellington Government stand? I am sure it ought not; and if there be common honesty and fair dealing in 1111111, it will not. But can any one count upon honesty and fair dealing in these days? I think not. I strongly suspect what are called the Moderate Whigs. I have no faith in them. I believe that in general they are frightened, and only show Libe- ralism as long as the tide runs that way, and as it turns (if turn it do) they will float back with it. Neither have I any faith in the Ultni-Tories. I suspect that a great part of them, with a view to office, or, at all events, to retaining in office men who, upon the whole, they like better, and believe themselves to be safer in the hands of than the honest Liberals—that with a view to preserving in power, I say, the present leaders, they will sacrifice all their principles, and eat all their words, and vote through thick and thin for Reform,—ay, even for Church Reform. Here, then, if I be right, will be a tolerable equipoise of baseness; and thus Peel and Wellington will continue to hold the reins, and, with a bad grace, give all the reforms that were in contemplation by the last Government, and which, if my voice had been attended to, would, as far as the Irish Church is concerned, have been set smooth three pests ago. But instead of attend- ing to me, they took the advice of Stanley, and brought forth that veritable bill of his for the recovery of tithes, which I at once pronounced would befa total and also a very expensive failure, and would cause much clerical blood to flow: and so it happened, and the Protestant clergy have been bleeding and starving ever since. But why do I allow myself to write on such subjects? I am sure I have no inducement to take any part whatever in public affairs. Yon, with your usual kindness and partiality, express a wish that I should, in the event of a change, again return to Ireland, or else go to the Horse Guards. But of what use could I be in either situation ? It has been my fate to be unkindly and ungenerously treated both by friends and foes, and I do not see why I should again allow myself to be made unhappy by either. The truth is, I have not the capacity for acting with men who have recourse to trick and duplicity. I have independent thoughts; and if I go, I must go my own way. I could not consent to allow Ireland to be governed in Downing Street, and therefore I did not suit my employer and employers generally. Mine has been a curious fate. Twice I have been recalled from Ireland for vehemently pressing measures which were obstinately resisted whilst I was in power, but which were adopted as soon as my back was turned. I forced Catholic Emancipation upon Wellington and Peel ; and I was recalled, and recalled too with marked in- sult; but they immediately carried the measure. Under another Government I again tried my hand. I urged the necessity of taking the whole of the Ecclesi- astical funds into the hands of the State. By it the country would have been en- riched; the clergy would have been amply paid; there would have been no collision between tithe-payer and tithe-receiver. All would have received their just dues; the Catholic clergy might have been paid, and there would have been a surplus for the benefit of the State. But even that would not have been alienated from the Church. The surplus would simply have been held in trust for it; and if hereafter the Protestant faith had spread, and more help for its souls bad been required, there would have been the fund from whence to draw the required aid. Well, my colleagues did not dare venture upon the measure s and so 1 was recalled, because Stanley was opposed to it. Yet they still attempt- ed by driblets to do something! This something pleased nobody, and was reject- ed by the Lords. Then came another net of men. These, during the recess, did make up their minds to something very extensive; but in that time they are ousted; and now Peel and Wellington, if I am not greatly mistaken, will bring forward as sweeping a scheme as that proposed by me, (with the able assistance of my worthy assistants, who, in fact, had the whole merit of it, and particularly Blake,) with this only difference, that whereas I would, for a time at. least, have given all the surplus from the Bishops' lands, &c. for the benefit of the State, W. and I'. will insist upon its being used for Ecclesiastical purposes. As for the Army, what could I do with it? I should find myself at the head of a complete party (I fear) Ultra-Tory force. I should find difficulty in every direction. The King playing the whole game of Toryism, and a set of people at the Horse Guards, just such as I found all the working men at the Castle of Dublin ! If I could do good in either situation, I should not mind the burden of it, and might reconcile myself to the relinquishment of all my home and family enjoyments; but when I know that I can do no good, it would be madness to attempt anything. Nor doI believe that any party would have me. They have had ample proof that I will not submit to be a mere cipher; and therefore I am not their man. What a

shameful long letter! Adieu, most sincerely yours, ANGLESEY."

The death of the Grand Duke Michael of Russia, prematurely announ- ced the week before last, took place at Warsaw on the 10th instant. The Emperor and the Grand Dutch= Helena were present at the moment.

The following letter from the Marquis of Anglesey is given by the Daily News as an extract from a forthcoming publication, the Memoirs of Lord Cloneurry.

The Grand Duke was remarkable for the contrasted violence and kindness of his character. "The same man who would put under arrest for a de- ficient button or a wry stock, and visit pipe-olay peccadilloes with intem- perate personal abuse as well as punishment, spent a princely fortune in pensions to poor retired officers and their families."

We are informed that Dr. Hinds, Dean of Carlisle, has been appointed to the vacant Bishopric of Norwich.—Mortting Chronicle.

Several other Prelates have added their sanction to the observance of a day of penance and worship on account of the cholera. The Bishop of Bath and Wells gives his "authority, sanction, and direction, that Friday the 28th instant shall be kept as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer before Almighty God." The Bishop of Worcester "proposes that the same should be observed as a day of prayer and humiliation, when all the inha- bitants may have the opportunity of thanking God for his past mercies, and of praying to him that he would continue not to deal with them according to their sins, neither to reward them according to their iniquities." The Bishop of Lincoln "has felt it his duty to accede to the wish that a day should be set apart for imploring Almighty God to stay the progress of the pestilence with which it has pleased him to visit the land:" the Bishop has referred it to his clergy to'fix a day, and they have fixed Friday the 28th. The Bishop of Chichester recommends that all parishes should assemble in the churches for public worship on Wednesday the 26th or Friday the 28th instant, according to the discretion of the minister.

The Bishop of Oxford has addressed the following circular to his clergy- " Caddeadon, Sept. 17. "Reverend and dear Sir—Having received applications from various parts of the diocese to name a day upon which God may be specially entreated for those places which are visited by the cholera, and his mercy gratefully acknowledged in sparing others, I have named Wednesday, September 26, for that purpose. "I have no authority to enjoin its observance; but, in whatever parishes it shall be willingly observed, I hereby authorize the use of the Commination Ser- vice thereon; which, joined to the appointed daily prayers, and, where it is desired, the administration of the Holy Communion' with the Psalms, Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for Ash Wednesday, will form, I think, an appropriate service.

"In these cases, the clergy will, I trust, stir up the people, in their sermons, to confession, intercession, and giving of thanks.

"You will oblige me by informing the clergy of your deanery of the contents of this letter at your earliest convenience; and letting me know hereafter in how many parishes, and to what extent, the day was observed. "I am, reverend and dear Sir, most truly yours, S. Oxos." In the deanery of Southwark, Wednesday, the day appointed by the Bishop of Winchester as a day of humiliation for that district, was kept very generally and very strictly—" even less business was transacted in tha smaller shops than is usually done on Sundays. The streets were deserted, the public-houses closed, and the congregations in the various churches bore testimony by their numbers to the deep interest excited." In the parish of St. James's, Clerkenwell, the invitation of the Rector and Churchwardens to observe the day, yesterday, as one of fasting, humi- Mon, and prayer, was heartily responded to. The churches and chapels were opened in the morning; and in the evening Sadler's Wells Theatre was closed. The parish of Aldgate also observed the day with similar strictness. Yesterday was chosen by the Wesleyan body throughout the kingdom, for humiliation and prayer: the various chapels of that body in London were thronged, morning and evening.

The Scotch Church also selected yesterday as a suitable occasion to implore God to mitigate and remove the present epidemic.

Lord Carlisle lately received a check for 100/. from some anonymous person, with a request that he would apply it to her Majesty's service. Ordinarily he would have forwarded it to the Chancellor of the Exchequer; but conceiving he had some discretion, he felt at liberty under the present emergency to ask the Bishop of London to apply it, through his clergy, in relief of families suffering from cholera, or the losses occasioned by it in the districts of the Bishop's diocese. In order, however, that by this use of his correspondent's gift he should not appear to be making free with the money of others, he sent the same amount to the Bishop of Winchester for distri- bution on the South side of the river.

The Board of Health published in the Gazette, on Tuesday last, a long notification on the measures for the prevention and relief of oholera. It recapitulates the returns of its subordinate officers; showing that where preventive measures have been duly carried out, the greatest success has been attained in checking the progress and mortality of the disease. It re- peats, with considerable force, the arguments against resistance to such measures, founded on mistaken notions of economy; and specially points to the mischievous influence of bad and insufficient supplies of water.

The Medical Gazette announces a discovery respecting the intimate na- ture of cholera, which may prove to be of importance— "Mr. Britten, lecturer on anatomy and physiology at the Bristol Medical School, in a series of investigations, undertaken in conjunction with Mr. J. G. Swayne, has observed the constant occurrence of certain peculiar bodies' hitherto undescribed, as characteristic constituents of cholera evacuations; and by a fur- ther series of experiments he has succeeded in demonstrating the important dis- covery of similar bodies in the atmosphere, &c. of districts infected with cholera. The results of his observations have been submitted to the judgment of the most eminent microscopical pathclogists of the Metropolis, as well as of those gentle- men who have acquired great repute for their researches on cholera ; and they, considering them of a novel and most important character, have urged Mr. Britten to give them immediate publicity." The Morning Chronicle adds a point of information— "Br. Britten, with the desire of keeping his facts clear of all theory, gives no opinion at present as to the nature or operation of these bodies; but we have rea- son to know that those who are most competent to form an opinion declare them as unequivocally of fungoid character."

The third volume of the Transactions of the Academy of Sciences for the last year contains a paper signed "Arthur Gargey, of Toperez, in Hungary," "On the Virtues and Chemical Properties of Cocoa Nut Oil."

Oa Saturday, 70 tons weight of gold-dust from California and dollars from Valparaiso were placed in the vaults of the Bank of England, brought by her hLajesty's ship Calypso. The specie arrived by special train from Portsmouth, and was removed from the London Bridge Terminus in twenty vans, drawn by eighty horses, and escorted by the police. It was -contained in 1,400 boxes, value 6,000,000L sterling.

A very beautiful specimen of Roman tessellated pavement has just been laid open niche principal street of the old town of Cirencester, by workmen employed ui making a sewer. A piece was opened to view some weeks ago, and was taken Op in order to be laid down again as the floor of a museum: on pursuing the ex-

cavations across the road, the present beautiful specimen was found. The room measures twenty-five feet square, and contains nine circles of nearly five feet dia- meter. Four only are at present wholly exposed. They contain bold and well- executed beads of Ceres and Flora, and exceedingly spirited representations of Actleon and his dogs, with Silenus riding upon his ass.

A full-sized locust was caught on our race-course last week. The egg, from which the perfect insect is not speedily developed, is supposed to have arrived in the root of some foreign plant.—Norteamptara Herald.

The Bankruptcy Consolidation Act is the first regular attempt at codification which has been made by the British Legislature; for Peel's criminal statutes, and some others to which the name was given, were in fact consolidation statutes, and not codes: the sections of a multitude of acts were simply thrown together, with most inartificial endeavours after arrangement, and the acts themselves were re- pealed. But the new Bankruptcy code is an artistical reconstruction of the whole law; making, indeed, very few alterations in its substance, but setting it forth in orderly array, every part in its natural sequence, and expressed in perspicuous language. In so great a work, and in which numerous alterations were made by Parliament after it had passed out of the hands of the framers, there will doubt- less be found some flaws; but we trust it will prove so far a successful experiment as to induce the Government and the Legislature to apply the same principle of codification to other branches of our law, and thus by degrees to relieve those who have to obey and to interpret the law from the almost insuperable difficulties that now result from its multifariousness. We stated last week that the Commission- ers who have for sixteen years been occupied with codifying the Criminal Law, had prepared two bills, which would be laid before Parliament next session. But there are other branches of the law which might be codified with equal advantage. All offences punishable by summary conviction before magistrates should be the subject of a code; so should be the mercantile law, and so the law of real pro- perty. This last is the least confused by enactment and decision of any branch of our law, but it is sufficiently diffuse and involved to require arrangement and reconstruction.—Lato Times.

Desbordes, a young man of Orleans, formed a passion for a girl named Estelle Hareau, and made a proposal; but the damsel rejected it, saying that she was too young for marriage. Deshordes was greatly agitated. On a Sunday morn- ing, he went to the workshop where Estelle was employed, obtained an interview, locked the door, and asked her to return his letter. She replied that it was at home, but she would return it quickly. The lover, pale and distracted, hereupon exclaimed, " Ah ! mademoiselle, you know that 1 love you dearly; and the love of a man is not to be trifled with—you must die I" Suiting the action to the word, Desbordes seized the girl by the head, drew forth a pistol, and fired at her twice: he then retired to the other end of the room, took from his pocket two other pistols, and discharged them at himself. The wounds of the girl were not mortal; and it is expected that Desbordes also will recover. Estelle Bureau is described as remarkably beautiful.

The Reverend Peter Hall, who had been staying for some time at Malvern, under medical treatment, has killed himself: he cut his throat in the presence of his wife, whose hands were wounded in the endeavour to prevent the suicide. Mr. Hall lingered for some days.

Mr. Godfrey Pigott, of Bolton-upon-Dearne, died recently, from concussion of the brain occasioned by the blow of a ball under the right ear whilst playing at cricket.

Oa Tuesday evening last, Rees Morgan was talking cheerfully to an old friend, while engaged at the Golynos Works, in Pontypool, and asking him how his wife was. The friend replied, " I hope that she is happy, for she is dead." " Ah!" remarked Morgan, " we must all die"; and almost before the words escaped his lips, he fell down a corpse l—Jlonntoulle Materface, a smith of Honiton, has been killed by a strange accident. He and two other smiths were "larking" at the forge; one of them, Goss, threw a piece of nail rod at Materface; the latter held up his arm to defend himself, and the iron entered the arm; he immediately pulled it out, and an excessive hemorrhage en- sued, the main artery having been cut and also the net ve. However, the patient rallied for a time ; during thirteen days he seemed to be recovering; but hemor- rhage again came on, and he died. The verdict of a Coroner's Jury was "Homi- cide by misadventure."

Au up-train on the North-western Railway, on Monday night, met with an unpleasant accident. In the Wattled tunnel, an axletree ot the tender broke, and the train came to a stop: the passengers were detained in the tunnel nearly three hours, and were eventually taken beck to Kieg's Langley. There the carriages were transferred to the down-line, and were safely brought to London.

Results of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the

week ending on Saturday last— Number of Summer

Deaths. Average.

sea

44

119 11 3 25 44 36 — 'otal (including unspecified causes) 1008

The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 80.0a in t7.10essun to 38.0° in the shade ; the mean temperature by day being colder than the average mean temperature by 3.2°. The direction of the wind for the week was variable. "The deaths registered in London in the week ending Saturday, September 15, were 2,865; of which 1,652 were by cholera; making the aggregate numbers, since the commencement of the epidemic in London, 12,837. The deethe from all causes in the last six consecutive weeks were 1,909, 2,2110, 2,456, 2,769,3,153, 2,865. The numbers last week sensibly decreased." The cholera returns for the current week show a continuous decrease both in town and country. The total deaths reported on Tuesday were 1,010 by cholera, and 234 by diarrhcea; the reduced numbers published yesterday were 509 and 123. The returns published today give the total numbers of 521) and 123, thus divided—London and its vicinity, 121 by cholera, 32 by diarriece; England and Wales, 369 and 91; Scotland, 30. For several weeks past there has been no death by diarrhoea in Scotland.

Zymotie Diseases Dropsy, Cancer, and. other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 2159

no

....

....

Tubercular Diseases 170

Diseases of the Brats, Spinal Marron., Nerves, and Senses

11.5 .. .

Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 20

Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respinition 75

Diseases of the Stomaeh. Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 57

Diseases of the Kidneys, ate

14

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, Sc 9

Rheumatism, diseases of the-Bones, Joints, Sc

3

Diseases urine Skin, Cellular Tissue, Sc

a

Malformations 5 • • • • Premature Birth 44

Atrophy . 41

Age .

sudden 42 ...

Violence, Privation, Cold, and intemperance 33 _ ....