February 18.] 
THE FIELD. 
161 
h nractical improvements. Tbe next paper read was “ On 
Macadamised Roads, for the streets of towns,” by Mr. J. 
Picott Smith, Assoc. Inst. C.E. The lengthened experience 
f the author, as surveyor to the corporation of Birmingham, 
h ving under his charge about 150 miles of street road, and 
'■o miles of turnpike road, enabled him to express coufident 
Opinions on the comparative cost, durability, and general 
°u alities of paving, ami of broken stone for road6, and even 
?or streets, subject to a considerable amount of heavy 
traffic. The system employed in London, of heavy watering, 
without removing the mud, or of scraping and of hand- 
sweeping, and lifting by shovels into carts, was shown to bo 
bad and expensive. The loss of speed, and the extra power 
required to bo exerted by horses drawing carriages over 
street surfaces in the state of those in London, wore shown 
to be as much ns twenty-fivo per cent, as compared to the 
work dono in Birmingham. The employment of a hotter 
gystem, combined with the use of the sweeping-machine, 
has been productive, at Birmingham, of an economy of 
nearly one-third of the materials employed for tho construc- 
tion and repairs of tho streets and roads. Instances were 
civen of the actual results of the system of washing and 
peeping purls of the Quadrant, Regent-street, where the 
method had been satisfactorily proved to liuve produced 
superior effects, but prejudice had induced obstinate ad- 
herence to tho old system, to tho annoyance of tho public 
ft „d with the derision of all foreigners who visited the 
metropolis. The actual state of all the lending thoroughfares 
could vouch for the justice of the criticism on the present 
metropolitan system. The greatest amount of wear and 
tear of macadamised street surface in Birmingham was 
shown to he four inches per annum ; the average might 
be therefore taken at two inches: the cost of maintenance 
was fourpence per superficial yard, and that of watering and 
cleansing wus twopence, giving a total of sixpence per yard 
per annum. Paving cost fifteen shillings per yard ; it 
required to ho renewed once in fifteen years, and tho clean- 
sing cost about ouo halfpenny per yard. Paving was, 
therefore, evidently about double us expensive as macada- 
mising at Birmingham. It was therefore contended, that 
macadamised roads and street surfaces, if properly constructed 
and carefully managed, well water-cleansed for mud, and 
watered for dust, brushed or swept by machinery, main- 
tained with an uniform surface, and not permitted to become 
degraded, were well adapted for towns and cities of average 
traffic, and for many localities in and around the metropolis. 
Crystal Palace Company. — An extraordinary general 
meeting of the Crystal Palaco Company is called lor the 
28th instant, to authorise the directors to raise a further 
sum of 250,0001., either by borrowing or by a fresh issue 
of shares. At the same time will he submitted a report 
on the present state of the undertaking, and on the arrange- 
ments for the opening of tho Palace and grounds in May 
next. 
Royal Orthopedic Hospital. — The committee of 
this hospital (which was established in 1839 for the cure 
of club foot and other deformities) have decided on erecting 
a larger building, in consequence of the present establishment 
in Bloomsbury-squave being wholly inadequate to the 
demands on the charity. For some time past the committee 
have been compelled to limit ihebenefichil operations of the 
hospital from the want of space, and latterly the claims for 
indoor admission have been so urgent that the committee 
have determined to carry out tho proposed enlargement with 
tho least possible delay. Already a very handsome sum has 
been subscribed towards the building fund ; but as yet it is 
a long way short of the amount required. The hospital is 
one of a peculiar description, being exclusively devoted to the 
treatment and cure of all kinds of bodily deformities, and as 
such it is in no way liable to imposition or misapplication. 
Patients are received from all parts of the kingdom, the only 
passport required being poverty ami affliction. Since the 
opening of Lite hospital upwards of 15,000 have been cured. 
French Academy.— A very remarkable discovery was 
announced to the French Academy of Sciences, by M. 
Dumas, at its sitting last week. He stated that M. Saint 
Clair Deville had succeeded in obtaining from clay a motal 
as white and brilliant ns silver, as malleablo ns g<»ld, and us 
light as glass ; it is fusible at u inoderato temperature. Air 
and damp do not affect this metal, which is called aluminium ; 
it retains its brilliancy, and is not affected by nitric or 
sulphuric acid, either strong or diluted, if the temperature 
bo not raised. It is only dissolved by very hot ehlorhydric 
acid. Several specimens of this metal were exhibited to the 
Academy, and on the proposition of Baron Thenard, it was 
voted unanimously that a sufficient sum should be placed at 
the disposal of M. St. Clair Deville to enable him to make 
experiments on a large scale. 
PROVINCIAL. 
CROWN OFFICE, Fbb. 14. 
(From Tuesday’s Quzelte .) 
MEMDBRS RETURNED TO SERVE IN TUB PRESENT PARLIAMENT. 
County of Stafford.— Southern Division. 
The Hon. Henry* William George Paget, commonly called Lord 
Paget, in tho room of William Walter Leg^re, commonly called 
Viscount Lewisham, now Earl of Dartmouth, summoned to the 
House of Peers. , . 
County of Sussex.— Western Division. 
Honrv Wyndlmra, of Petworth, in the county of Sussex, Esq., 
in the room of Richard Prime, Esq., who has acceptod tbo oflico 
of Steward of her Majesty’s Chiltern Hundreds. 
Bromley.— On Monday evening, between the hours of 
five and six, a fire broke out at Clausser.’s Pateut Flax, 
Hemp, and Juto Company’s mills, situate at Bromley, near 
Bow now church. The property covered a large extent ol 
ground, and comprised the principal mill, the machine- 
houses, the devilling-rooms, the drying-houses, and a 
large warehouse probably 50 feet wide and nearly 80 feet 
deep— whilst in front of tho premises were packed in 
tho open yard, under marquees, several heaps of hemp, 
jute, and flax, each stack being as high as a common 
dwelling-house. Tho lust named property was worth some 
thousand pounds, and the principal portion has been reduced 
to ashes, besides the destruction of machinery and goods in 
the mills. Tho fire was first discovered by a boy who was 
employed in tho mill, and who stated that his attention wa9 
directed to an exceedingly small body of fire in one of the 
front warehouses. At that timo the fire was travelling 
along tho ceiling, and appeared to be feeding upon the loose 
dust that had accumulated round tho joistings. The boy at 
once 6ounded an alarm, and in the course of a few minutes 
a strong body of police belonging to tho K division came 
np from the Bow station, under the direction of Mr. Super- 
intendent Howie and Inspector Ellis. The polico and the 
various hands employed on the works at onco made a vigorous 
attempt to get some of the many bales of goods in the ware- 
houses removed to the open yard, in which endeavour 
tlieysucceeded ; but unfortunately theirexertious were of little 
avail, as nearly everything they could remove has been con- 
sumed. Information of the outbreak was now sent by the 
electric telegraph to London for tho aid of the engines. Tbe 
moment the message arrived, tho brigade engine stationed 
at Schoolhouse-lane, Shad well, started for the scene, but, 
on its arrival, the whole of the warehouses, the machine- 
rooms, and drying compartments, were enveloped inflame. 
The engine was set to work from a good supply of wator, 
but tiie fire continued to spread witli amazing rapidity. The 
engines from Wellclose-equare, Jeffrey-squaro, and Watling- 
street, the West of Enghmd engine, and the company’s firo- 
men, next arrived, and by this timo the flames were issuing 
from every window in tho warehouse and mills, and when 
the roof fell in a tremendous shower of sparks rose high 
into the air, and, falling upon nearly a dozen stacks of 
jute and hemp in tho yard, as well as the greater portion 
of the goods previously romoved from the premises, set 
fire to the whole. The wind at the same timo blew stiffly, 
and very few minutes elapsed before the various stacks of 
hemp and other articles looked like so many dwelling-houses 
on fire. The engines above enumerated, ns well as that of 
tho parish, were worked with full vigour, but as late os 
midnight tho fire was far from being entirely extinguished, 
although all danger of any further extension of mischief 
was fortunately at an cud. The firemen succeeded in saving 
from destruction the engine-rooms and bicaching-houses at 
the east end of the mills, but the other portions o! tho works 
may be described as being entirely consumed. 
Blandford. — Lord Portman, of Bryanston House, 
Blandford, is selling out to tho labourers on his estate the 
41b loaf at sixpence, as a mitigation of the present pressure 
on the poor. 
Leeds, Feb. 15. — To-day at noon, the 28th Regiment 
of Foot left Leeds, cn route for Constantinople. Immense 
excitement attended their departure. From the barracks to 
the railway station they were most enthusiastically cheered 
by thousands of spectators who filled tho streets. It is 
estimated that not less than 00,000 persons assembled to 
see them oft’. So strong a war spirit lias never before been 
manifested in the town. It was with difficulty that tho 
soldiers could pass through the streets. 
Lichfield. — The Under-Sheriff has declared officially, 
In the City-hall, the numbers polled for Lord Paget and 
Lord Ingestre during the late election for South Stafford- 
shire. They differ little from those published in the London 
morning papers, and are as follows : — 
Paget 4,328 
Ingestre 2,769 
Majority for Paget 1.669 
On the announcement being made that Lord Paget was 
duly elected a knight of the shire for the county of Stafford, 
the hall resounded with tho most deafening cheors. We 
have given above the announcement in Tuesday’s Gazette. 
Welsh Coal Trade — Tho demand for coal through- 
out the whole coal-basin of South Wales is almost unprece- 
dented, and there is every prospect of the demand continuing 
with unabated vigour. Tho consumption of coal at the 
present time is stated to be unparalleled — so much so, that 
anything at ail combustible, landed from the pits, is cleared 
off without hesitation. The supplies required for the ocean- 
going steamers is very great ; and the contracts just issued 
by the Government for the supplies of Welsh coal in the 
Mediterranean and Baltic seas have given a fresh impotus. 
It is calculated that 30,000 tons will be required for tho use 
of the fleets. The various ports of South Wales are full of 
coal shipping, and more could bo taken up. 
xnoro than 100,000, at present returning two members, for the 
future to return three members. 
Bedford 
Chester . . . Southern division 
>» Northern division 
Cornwall. . Western division 
,, Eastern division 
Derby .... Northern division 
Southern division 
Devon .... Northern division 
Southern division 
Durham . . Northern division 
Southern division 
Essex Northern division 
Southern division 
Gloucester. Western division 
Kent Western division 
Eastern division 
Lancaster . Northern division 
Lincoln . . . Tarts of Lindsey 
, Ports of Kestoven 
Middlesex 
Monmouth 
Norfolk . . . Western division 
Eastern division 
Stafford. . . Northern division 
, Southern division 
Somerset. . Western division 
,, Eastern division 
Salop Northern division 
Southamp- 
ton Northern division 
Suffolk . . . Eastern division 
„ Western division 
Surrey. , . . Eastern division 
Sussex .... Eastern division 
Warwick.. Northern division 
Worcester . Eastern division 
York East Riding 
n North Riding— 37 
and Holland 
Wales. 
Glamorgan 1 
Divisions of countieB now returning two members to bo sub- 
divided, and eiioli sub-division to return in fuluro llirco mem- 
bers. 
Lancaster . Southern division | York West Riding— 8 
Additional members, 46. 
Schedule D. 
CITIES AND BOBOUOHS TO IIBTURN FOR TIIE FUTURE ADDITIONAL 
MEMBERS. 
Cities and boroughs containing inoro than 100,000 inhabitants, 
at present returning two membors, for tho futuro to roluru 
three members eaob. 
Manchester (city) 
BlietRcld 
Southwark 
Wolverhampton— 9. 
Birmingham 
Bristol icily) 
Bradford (Yorkshire) 
Leeds 
Liverpool 
Borough now returning ono member to roturn in futuro two 
members. 
Salford 1 
Additional members, 10. 
Scbbdulb E. 
rNREPnESENTED FLACB6 TO RETURN MEMDBRS IN FUTURE. 
Towns containing more than 20,000 inhabitants to roturn in 
future ono member eucb. 
Birkenhead | Burnley 
Stoleybridge — 3 
Inns-of-Court to return in future two members. 
London University to return in future ouo member. 
Additional membors, C. 
THE NEW REFORM BILL. 
The following are the schedules attached to this important 
measure. It will bo seen that the schedules of disfranchise- 
ment, A and B, would vacate G2 scuts— viz., A 29, and B 33. 
The total disfranchisement of boroughs therefore comprises 
62 seats. With respect to additional members, schedule C 
gives 46, schedule D 10, and schedule E G ; total, 62. The 
number of seats enfranchised therefore exuctly balances 
those disfranchised; and tbe number of the House of Com- 
mons remains the same : — 
Schedule A. 
Boroughs having less than 300 eleotors, or less than 5,000 in- 
habitants. 
Members at present returned. 
The following are tho now franchises common to counties 
and boroughs granted by tho new bill: — 
1. Persons in receipt of salaries from public or privnto em- 
E loymont of not less than IDOL per annum, payable quarterly or 
alt-yearly. 
2. Persons in receipt of 101. per annum, derived from Govern- 
ment stock, or Bonk or India stock. 
3. Persons pnying 40*’. por annum to income or assessed taxes. 
4. Graduates of any University in tho United Kingdom. 
5. Tersons who have for threo years possessed a deposit of 50/. 
in any savings’ bank. 
New Franchise for Counties. 
G. All ocoupiers rated at 101. per annum, residing elsewhere 
than iu represented towns. 
New Franchise for Bonotons. 
7. All occupiers rated at 61., who liavo been rosident within 
tho borough two yearB and a half. 
Wales.— Rebecca Again.— The following is a copy of 
a notice that wus posted up in the town of Huilth, on iho 
night of the 17th nit. “ Carmarthen, January, 1854.— 
This is to give notice— To all flour-dealers, ull corn-factors, 
and farmers, that shall bo found concocting together to 
raise tho price of eatables — corn, flour, bread, cheese, butter, 
and meat — any farmer that shall bo found out holding back, 
not bringing his corn to market, .-hall he dealt with accord- 
ing to my law, a6 he is shedding tho blood of the innocent 
under the disguise of honest men. Let them look to them- 
selves, for my eye is upon them, and I will not 6paro, for 
my law is severe. — Rebecca." 
Andover 
Arundel 
Ashburton 
Caine . . . 
Dartmouth . . 
Evesham . . . 
Harwich . . 
Honiton . . 
Knnrcsborough 
Lyme Regis . . 
Marlborough 
Midhurst . 
Northallerton . 
Rcigato 
Richmond (Yorkshire) . 
Thetford . 
Totness . 
Wells 
Wilton . 
19 boroughs 
2 
1 
1 
1 
1 
2 
2 
2 
2 
1 
2 
1 
1 
1 
2 
2 
2 
2 
1 
29 members 
Schedule B. 
Boroughs having less tlinn 500 electors, or less than 10,000 in- 
habitants, now returning two members, to roturn in future 
one member only. 
Bodmin 
Lichfield 
Bridgnorth 
Maldon 
Bridport 
Multon 
Buckingham 
Marlow (Grent) 
Chichester 
Newport (Isle of Wight) 
Chippenham 
Peterborough 
Cirencester 
Poolo 
Cockcrinouth 
llipon 
Devizes 
Stamford 
Dorchester 
Tam worth 
Guildford 
Tavistock 
Hertford 
Tewkesbury 
Huntingdon 
Tiveiton 
Leominster 
Weymouth 
Lowe9 
Windsor 
Ludlow 
Wyoombe (Chipping) 
Lymington 
Total, 83 members. 
Schedule C. 
ADDITIONAL MEMUKR8 TO COUNTIES. 
Counties and divisions of counties containing a population of 
THE WEATHER AND THE FARM. 
Meeting op East Kent Hop-Planters. — Canter- 
bury.— A meeting of the East Kent hop-growers has been 
held at the Royal Fountain Hotel, for the purpose of taking 
into consideration the acreage duty on imps. Mr. Charles 
Neame, of Belling, near Faversham, presided. Most of tho 
leading hop-growers of this division of the county were pre- 
sent. The following resolution was unanimously agreed 
to;— “That this meeting is of opinion it is highly inex- 
pedient in any way to promote tho establishing of au acreage 
duty on hops.” 
Farming in the South op Ireland. — Me have 
(soys u Nnnagh paper) for tho last fow days been fuvoured 
with very fine dry weather, and farmers have, in consequence, 
been very active in preparing the land for the recoplion of 
spring seeds. Them is a huge breadth ol land around 
Nonagh, Thurles, Roscreo, and other parts of tho county of 
Tipperary ; some with wheat, which, even at this curly 
season, affords promise of a luxurious growth. It is also 
contemplated to plant potatoes, despite the repealed warn- 
ings of the past, on un extensive scale, and for this purpose 
field operations ure already going on. 
Agricultural Returns op Ireland for 1853. — 
The census commissioners have issued it return, showing the 
extent of laud tinder crops for each county and provinco iu 
Ireland in 1852-3. Wc give the total for Dublin of acres : 
-1853, 86,552 acres; 1852, 84,422 acres. Total for 
Leinster, under crops, 1862, 1,747.632; 1853, 1,683,600 
acres; total decrcose, 04,032. Total for Munster, under 
crops— 1852, 1,440,758 acres; 1853, 1,431,082 acios; 
total decrease, 9,676. Total for Ulster, under crops— 1852, 
1,842,844 acres; 1853, 1,846,246 ucres ; total Increase, 
3,402. Total for Connaught, under crops— 1852, 707,980 
acres; 1853, 734,419 ncres ; total increase, 26,439. Total 
docreaso under crops in Ireland— 43,867 acres. Total of 
ncres under crops in Ireland — 1852, 5,739,214; 18oJ, 
5 695 347. The decrease of cereal crops was 143,661 acres ; 
on meadow and clover, 404. Increase on green crops of all 
kinds, 62,783 ncres; on flax, 37,415. Potatoes iu 1852, 
876,632; 1853, 8 97.774 acres. 
WORK AND WAGES. 
Tiie Duke of Newcastle and the Labouring 
Population. — It gives us great pleasure to record the 
kindness and consideration of his grace the Duke of New* 
