470° 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
(JuLy 8, 
the recent sittings of the Peace Convention in this 
y polis. The deputation was introduced by Dr: 
Bowting, who briefly stated their object; to present an 
Address from the Peace Convention urging the introduc- 
tidn of a clause in all international treaties, binding the 
parties to refer all disputes that may arise to the arbitra- 
tion of one or more friendly Powers. The address was 
read by the secretary, and very courteously received by 
the Prime Minister, who promised to place it before the 
other members of Government, and stated that the principle 
of arbitration had been frequently and successfully acted 
upon during the last twenty years. 
Meetings of Companies.—On Monday the half-yearly 
inteting of the proprietors of the Colonial Bank was held, 
J. Irving, Esq., M.P., in the chair, From the report it 
appeared that the profit for the past half-year was 
14,9077. 9s. 10d, ‘The total assets was stated to be 
1,505,030. 8s. 10d. The directors recommended a 
Aividend of 14. 108. for the half-year, which was at the 
rate of thfee per cent. per annum. The directors hoped, 
as a more favourable state of things had arisen in the 
West Indies, that the losses would not amount to more 
than was estimated at the last meeting. On the chairman 
moving the adoption of the report a long discussion arose 
i respect to the losses incurred by the bank, in which 
r. Wood, M.P.; Mr. Gurney, Mr. P. Stewart, M.P., 
&c. took part. Mr. Wood proposed a committee of 
inquiry, but it was afterwards withdrawn, and the report 
adopted.—The half-yearly meeting of the London Dock 
Company was held on Tuesday. From the report it 
appeared that the number of loaded ships which entered 
the docks from foreign ports, during the six months 
ending the 31st May, was 434, measuring 96,456 tons— 
being 7,835 tons less than in the corresponding period of 
te Notwithstanding the decrease in tonnage there 
was ati intreage in fevenue, compared with the corre- 
Sponding petiod of last year, of 3,226/. The stock of 
goods in the warehouses was 94,879 tons; at the 
corresponding date in last year, 94,469 tons: A dividend 
was declared for the half-year of two per cent. on the 
company’s stock, besides paying the Income-tax.—On 
Wednesday the quarterly court of proprietors of South 
ed Stock was held at the Company’s House, in Thread- 
needle-street. Mr. Franks, the sab:governor, in the chair. 
After some routine business had been disposed of, the 
half-yearly accounts having been read, and the usual 
dividend declared, Mr. Mocatta brought forward a motion 
for the surrender of the Company’s charter to the Crown 
Gi eguitable terms. Mr. Capel seconded the motion, 
and after a long discussion on the propriety of enter- 
taining a motion affecting the interests of so large a body 
without notice, the Chairman put the resolution, when 
only the mover and seconder held up their hands in favour 
of it. Nearly all the rest of the proprietors voted against it. 
The New Steam Frigate.—The Penelope steam-frigate 
was commissioned last week by Captain Jones, who 
forinerly commanded the Vestal, and was inspected on 
Saturday by the Lords of the Admiralty, for the purpose of 
trying her engines and rate of speed: he attention of the 
naval world has of late been directed to this v 1, recently 
converted from a sailing frigate of a useless class to a power- 
ful war steamer, 245 feet long, and fitted with engines of a 
power surpassing any hitherto made, either for land or sea 
purposes, the cylinder being 92 inches in diameter. The 
Penelope is one of the old class 46 gun ships, built on the 
lines of the French Hebe, at Chatham, in 1830. There 
are nearly 40 of this class of vessels lying in ordinary 
at the several ports, none of which are, from their com- 
parative dimensions, suited to cope with the frigates of 
foreign navies, cither in size, capability of armament, or 
equipment, and have therefore become nothing more than 
blanks in the list of the British navy, although they could 
not have been built at a less cost to the nation than two 
millions sterling. The Lords of the Admiralty, with the 
view of rendering these vessels serviceable to the country, 
have caused the Penelope to be converted, as an experi- 
ment, into a steam frigate, in order to ascertain if they 
can be made available to the service as war steamers. If 
the experiment should prove successful, and of that there 
is now hardly a doubt, these otherwise useless ships can 
be converted into a steam fieet of such enormous power as 
may bid defiance to the navies of the whole world, and at 
acost of less than one quarter of the amount it would 
require to build them. The Penelope can stow fuel to 
last her 16 days with full steaming power, and by husband- 
ing the consumption of coals by working at the full, half, 
or quarter stroke in cutting off the steam, the capabilities 
can be increased to 24 days’ steaming, which, with the aid 
of sail, will take the ship to the Cape of Good Hope in 
about a month from England, with a regiment of 800 
soldiers, in addition to her crew of 300 men, giving ample 
accommodation to all. She will be furnished with an 
armament that is astounding to all who are acquainted 
with the power of naval gunnery: namely, two 10-inch 
pivot guns of 84 cwt. each; eight 68-pounders, all shell 
guns; and fourteen 32-pounders on the spar and main 
decks, making, in all, 24 guns of a description that will 
enable her, having the power from her steam of taking a 
commanding position, to bid defiance to any two ships of 
the line. In the trial on Saturday she proved herself to 
be a vessel of extraordinary velocity, her maximum rate 
of steaming, with the tide in her favour, being 13 8-10ths 
miles per hour, and her minimum speed 10 3-10ths miles 
per hour. On her return to Blackwall, she was off Erith 
at 4 37 p.m., and reached her moorings at 5 37, having 
performed the distance, 11 miles exactly, in the hour, with 
the tide against her. 
Light Gold.—It has been discovered that a consider- 
able number of light sovereigns and half-sovereigns have 
been making their in the lis for the 
‘PP 
last few months, and it is ascertained that the bullion- 
Hamburi an 
‘last winner of the Derby, have actually caused the fame 
C ¥e 
of i cheeses to be spread to such an extent, 
dealers and Jews in Paris, Rotterd 
other parts of the Continent, have been re-exporting to 
this country all the light gold they have had in exchange 
during and since the panic. 
Hammersmith.—The business of the Kensington Police 
Court will, after the 12th inst., be transferred to more 
commodious premises at Brook-g peal gb ith 
and the Court will be called the Hammersmith Court. 
Chelsea Hospital—The governors of Chelsea Hospital 
have purchased, at the cost of 12,000/., a piece of ground 
adjoining the College, for the erection of a church for the 
pensioners, which will be also free to the public. A Bill 
is before Parliament empowering the governors to apply 
a portion of the property bequeathed to the College by 
Colonel Drotly towards the erection of the proposed 
church. he building will be almost sufficiently capacious 
for the accommodation of matiy of the inhabitants of 
Chelsea, who are at present without chutch room. 
Millbank Prison.—The Penitentiary at Millbank has 
been changed into ‘* The Millbank Prison,’’ and placed 
under the superintendence of inspectors. The practice 
of visiting justices has been discontinued, and magistrates 
have now no power over its internal management. The 
inspectors are to make rules to enforce proper discipline, 
which are to be sanctioned by Government, and laid 
before Parliament. These alterations have been effected 
by an act which came into operation on the 2/th ult. 
Midile Temple Gardens.—The Benchers of the Middle 
Temple have issued an order against the gardens being 
opened to the public in fatare on Sundays. 
Thames Tunnel.—The number of persons who passed 
through the Tunnel last week was 48,628, making the 
grand total, since it was opened on the 25th Mar., 928,000. 
Mortality of the Metropolis. —The following is the 
number of Deaths registered in the week ending Satur+ 
day, June 24:—West districts, 139; North districts, 
175 3 Central districts, 190; East districts, 182; South 
districts, 199—Total, 885. Males, 450—Females, 435, 
Weekly average for the last five years, 903. (461 males, 
442 females); and for the last five springs, 854, 
Wrovinctal Nets. 
Bath—The Rey. Dr. Baines, Vicar Apostolic of the 
Western District, was found dead in his bed at Prior- 
park on Thursday morning. The deceased prelate, who 
was in his 59th year, assisted at the opening of the 
Roman Catholic Chapel in Bristol, recently purchased 
from the Irvingites, on the previous day ; and his decease 
is attributed to an attack of apoplexy, to which he had 
formerly been subject. i 
Dr. Baines was consecrated 
Bishop of Siga on the Ist May, 1823. 
Bristol.—The liabilities of Messrs. Harford and Co., 
whose failure was recently announced, amount to about 
341,200/., of which security is held for 24,9862. ; the 
assets are estimated at 93,000/., besides the surplus of the 
price realized by the works above the mortgages. The 
works were valued, in 1841, at 270,000/., and the mort- 
gages are stated at from 40,0002. to 60,0002. 
Carmarthen.—Precautionary measures to prevent the 
possibility of breach of the peace continue to be adopted 
by the magistracy. The marines have gone from Pater 
to Cardigan, and two troops of the Castlemartin Disias 
manry have arrived at Narberth from Pembroke. About 
30 Dragoons which had left this town for Newcastle, 
returned on Tuesday night. Other troops are to be sta- 
tioned here; and, in fact, the whole country is to be 
studded with soldiers, who are to be kept continually 
shifting their quarters, so that Rebecca may be quite 
unable to calculate at any time upon their presence at any 
particular place. The magazine on Picton-terrace is to 
be formed into a barrack for troops, and it is said that 
200 or more will be permanently stationed in this town. 
The gate-levellers have continued their nocturnal depre- 
dations as’ usual. The papers report the demolition of 
three gates near Lampeter, of two or three near Cardigan, 
of Penygarn-gate and toll-house, which is a heap of 
ruins ; of agate called New Inn Gate, on the road from 
Llandilo to Talley ; of Trevach Gate, and several others 
in different parts of the county. At Cardigan they were 
scarcely less bold than in their attack on the Carmarthen 
workhouse. About twelve o’clock on Friday night, the 
23d, they commenced an attack on the gate and tollhouse 
erected on the main road leading from that town to Abe- 
rayron. ‘Rebecca’ appeared on foot, dressed in white, 
with a large feather on her cap; one of the daughters, 
assuming the name of Phoebe, had considerable interest 
in the command, and she was often called upon, with a 
loud éry of ‘* More hands, Phoebe!? About ten minutes 
past one, the toll-house, with about eight perches of well- 
built stone fence, erected on both sides of the gate, was a 
mass of ruin. The gate-posts and the timber forming 
the roof of the tollhouse were smashed to pieces. The: 
next gave a loud cheer, hundreds clapping their hands, 
followed with cries of ‘“ Rebecca for ever !’’ Then the 
mob, headed by their leaders, marched in procession 
through the principal streets of Cardigan, firing now an 
then as they went towards the Rhydyfuwch turnpike- 
gates, standing about three-quarters of a mile off, the 
first on the road leading from Cardigan to Newcastle 
Emlyn. There are two gates, with the toll-house between 
them. The northern gate was the object of their visit, 
and it was destroyed ina few minutes, when the depreda- 
tors disappeared, and none of them have yet been detected. 
Devizes.—A meeting has been held in this town for 
the purpose of establishing an agricultural college for a 
district comprising Wilts and the adjoining counties of 
Gloucester, Oxford, and Berks. 
‘Durham.—The local papers mention as a fact, that the 
trophies won by Mr. Bowes’s horse ‘ Cotherstone,”’ the 
that their price has risen from 9d, to 18d. per pound 5 
and at this moment, they are not to be had for money, so 
great has been the demand! 
Guildford.—At the Surrey Sessions last week, the 
Grand Jury, prior to their discharge from attendance, 
made the following presentment. It should be stated, 
that when the chairman delivered his charge to them on 
the first day of the sessions, he expatiated at considerable 
length on the importance of persons engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits exerting themselves to the utmost to give 
employment to the labouring population. ‘ The Grand 
Jury, whose names are subscribed, in consequence of the 
remarks of the chairman, in his address to the Jury, beg 
leave to observe, that they fully coincide with him in his 
opinion, that idleness is one great cause of crime, ani 
that if labourers had constant employment, with adequate 
wages, there would be a great diminution of offences ; but 
from the depression in the value of agricultural produce, we 
cannot expect, neither is it possible with the present 
rents, taxes, and burthens on the land, that the farmers 
can improve their cultivation, or employ more labourers 
than is absolutely necessary.”—Mr. Cobden paid a visit 
to this town on Saturday, for the purpose of being present 
at a public meeting and explaining his views as to the 
manner in which the Corn-laws operate upon tenant- 
farmers and farm-labourers. The meeting was to take 
place in the Town-hall; but it was soon found that the 
place was not large enough to accommodate the number 
of persons anxious to be present, and it was therefore 
agreed to adjourn to the barrack-field, where some wag- 
gons had been placed for the accommodation of the 
speakers. Nearly two thousand persons assembled, but 
| whether from a want of interest in the proceedings, or 
from being engaged in the harvest, very few of the number 
consisted of farmers, the great proportion of the auditory 
being labourers and inhabitants of Guildford. Mr. 
Mangles, one of the members for the borough, took the 
chair. Mr. Cobden then addressed the meeting at great 
length on the Repeal of the Corn-laws, and was followed 
by Mr. Maydwell, who opposed Mr. Cobden’s arguments, 
and stated his opinion that steam had been the cause of 
all the distress, by destroying the demand for labour. 
Mr. Moore next addressed the meeting at considerable 
length, after which Mr. Best moved a resolution that, in 
the opinion of the meeting, all laws intended to give 
protection to any class of the community, at the expense 
of the others, ought to be i diately and litionall 
abolished. The motion was seconded, and carried by 
a majority of about two-thirds of the meeting. 
Knutsford.—At the Quarter Sessions on Monday week 
the Rev. J. Mitchell, assistant-curate of Habergham 
Eaves, was appointed chaplain of the county gaol. The 
chairman, Mr. Trafford, plained of a misrey i 
which had appeared in the report respecting the discussion 
upon Sir J. Graham’s letter. He denied that he had put 
it to the Court whether the letter ‘ deserved ’’ an answer, 
and held out something like a threat to exclude the press, 
if misrepresentations were persevered in, He did not, 
however, state what he had really said. Mr. France stated 
that the words used were these :—‘‘ It is my duty to ask 
you if this letter requires an answer?’’ Mr. G. Wilbraham 
subsequently rose to move, that an answer be given to the 
letter; but finding the meeting against him, he abandoned 
his intention, declaring, amid the laughter of the other 
magistrates, that “it was never too late to repent.’”” A 
motion was then agreed to, appointing five fresh visiting 
magistrates. Mr. H, Marsland stated that at the next 
meeting he should submit a motion on the subject of the 
dismissal of the gaoler. 
Lancaster.—The late Mr. Joseph Ridgway, of Ridg- 
mont, made bequests to public institutions connected 
with this county of 8,600/., to take effect after the decease 
of his widow. “He also directed investments in the 3 per 
Cents. to produce annuities, to be applied to churches and 
schools, amounting to 4322, All this is said to be free 
of legacy-tax, and the entire sum is not less than 26,0002. 
Lynn.—We lately noticed the robbery of the Lynn 
Bank by a clerk named Sanger, who absconded on the 15th 
ult. It now appears that he was taken at Pooley Bridge, 
Ullswater, on Monday last, and the whole of the property, 
except 20/. spent on his tour to the Lakes, amounting to 
4,3002., was recovered. He was sent immediately to 
Norfolk in custody to take his trial at the assizes. 
Liverpool—A meeting of the subscribers to the monu- 
ment to Mr. Canning was held last week, when it was 
decided that the balance of the funds collected, amounting 
to 872/., should be divided equally amongst the Collegiate, 
Mechanics’, and the Royal Institutions. 
Newcastie.—On Saturday night, about eleven o'clock, 
the timber-yard of Mr. Todd, on the Dean Bank, in this 
town, close by the terminus of the Newcastle and North 
Shields Railway, was discovered to beon fire. By mid- 
night nearly the whole of the timber in the yard, valued 
at. between 5,0002. and 6,0007., was enveloped in flames» 
and before the fire could be subdued, twelve dwelling” 
houses, inhabited by poor people, were consumed. Thy 
value of the property destroyed is estimated at 20,0000. 
and the fire is supposed to be the work of an incendiary- 
Portsmouth.—The Waterwitch, 10, Lieutenant Matso” 
artived in this port on Thursday, the 28th. She sailed 
from the Cape on the 7th March for a short eruize oP the 
coast of Africa, where she arrived on the 12th, and on the 
3d April captured a vessel with 390 slaves on board. is 
the 27th April she boarded a brig, which was run on shore 
in chase and deserted by her crew, and hove her off, the 
slaver’s men keeping up a fire of musketry from some 
high cliffs immediately over head, by which one man pula 
wounded, This last prize made the number of the Water: 
