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Ho *** Aprii,23. 1859.1 THE LEAPEB. 535
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GENERAL. POST OFFICE. The report of the ...
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¦ MISCELLANEOUS.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Koyai, Italian Opeka—Drcet-Lane Tneatite...
wue" entitled " The Omnibus ; or , a Touch at the rnmes" The Omnibus has been running : some time , Shas already been classed among the " Favorites , ' S weneed not report on it at length . It , of course , as its name implies , continually changesits passengers , « nd in accordance with omnibus law and Laurie , keeps moving ; but we do not observe that the fair conductor or appointments want changing . The audience on Tuesday were quite of this opinion , and were prodigal of encores and applause .
Polytechnic Institution . —The bill of fare for the Easter holiday visitors . is highly attractive . The useful and the amusing are happily combined , so that people who go merely for amusement can hardly avoid clandestinely , or under false pretences being crammed with a deal of information on subiects which will be of much practical service to them provided they understand the various lecturers who certainly do their Utmost to familiarise science to the meanest capacities . The Institution deserves general patronage , and we hope it will
continue to obtain it . Madame Tlssauu ' s Gallery is more gorgeous in its array for the holidays than we remember to have seen it . There are many novelties , amongst whicli may be mentioned the effigies of their Royal Highnesses , the Prince of Wales and . Prince Alfred . Mr , John Bright , M . P ., figures among the distinguished dummies in all his bluffness . The costumes of the royal groups , and the regalia thereunto belonging , have been renovated , and their general effect / is certainly dazzling .
Ho *** Aprii,23. 1859.1 The Leapeb. 535
Ho *** Aprii , 23 . 1859 . 1 THE LEAPEB . 535
General. Post Office. The Report Of The ...
GENERAL . POST OFFICE . The report of the Postmaster-General for the ; past twelve months was issued oh Wednesday , and we present a summary of the principal points of interest . Tn the inland service the report describes niany extensions , the number of post-offices in the United Kingdom having been increased by 134 , making the total 11 , 235 .
sums . The void orders which lapsed to the revenue owing to non-applicationfor payment , amounted last year to l , 902 Z / , the greatest proportionate nuinber being in Ireland . . . . , , In relation to foreign posts it is mentioned that a new treaty with Portugal will soon come into operation , and that proposals for new conventions have been sent to Brazil , Chili , Peru , Mexico , and all the other States in South and Central America where there appeared any hope of a successful result . A treaty with Nicaragua has just been concluded , and be ht into
the consequent improvements will broug operation oh the 1 st of August . The negotiations for a new convention with the German Postal Union proceed very slowly , and those with the United States make no progress whatever , notwithstanding our proposal made more than two years ago for a large reduction in postage and the establishment of a book-post . With Holland and Tuscany there are better prospects , and the negotiations for an improvement in the mails between London and Paris and London and Os'end , which are still pending , are expected ultimately to prove successful .
New sites have been obtained to build offices at Edinburgh , Dundee , and Dover , and similar steps are in contemplation for Canterbury , Lincoln , and Southampton . A site has also been secured at Manchester , but , in deference to the . wishes of the inhabitants , an endeavour will be made to change it . The whole number of additional road letter-boxes put up last year . was 465 , making a present aggregate of 1 , 168 , and they have been found to promote alike economy and dispatcTi . ,
In the London districts farther accelerations are still hoped to be accomplished , so as to reduce almost to a viininnim the time between the posting and delivery of a letter properly addressed . The result of what has already boon effected is seen in an extraordinary increase of correspondence , the annual rate of increase of metropolitan letters , which in the ten years previous to 1857 was less than 1 , 500 , 000 , having been 4 , 2 ; J 9 , 000 in IS 57 , and 6 , 270 , 000 in 1858 , a progress which promises to be increased in the present year . To the credit of the jmblic , they have generally complied with the request that tho initials of the district should be added to tho addresses .
Tho arrangements for improving the postal service betweon London and Dublin have been completed , but owing' to tho time required for building the powerful steamers to be employed they will not commence till the middle of next year . Tho distance over which mails arc now conveyed within tho United Kingdom is about 133 , 000 miles per day ( an iiUTeaso of about 3 , 000 sincq . 1857 ) . Of those ) 2 , 4 U 3 miles are by railway at an average charge of 8 jd . per mile ; 31 , 0-11 ) by couches , & G , at 2 id . ; 05 , 712 on foot , nt ljd . ; and 2 , 60 !) by packets and boats at « : ! d .
Tho total uunihcL" of lettors delivered in the United Kingdom during tho past year , "was 523 , 000 , 000 , showing an iiuToaso of : $ !} per cent . The proportion to each person wus 18 . Of tho wholo nearly a quarter wore delivered in London and the suburban district , and , counting those also which were dispatched , nearly one-half pussed through the London office . Tho proportion of ren'itftorod lot tern is about 1 in 400 . Tho number of ueM ' . simpiTS delivered was about , tho name as in cadh <> 1 the two previous years—viz * . 71 , 000 , ooo . Tlio number of letters returned owing to the failure of the attempts to deliver them is about 1 in 3 U 0 , and of ncnvimiipcrs 1 in 124 . There were 7 ; 250 , ooo of book-put'lcels lnst year , being an Increase of more than ono-flilh .
With regard to money-orders the report stales 127 now oflloos wire opened , making tho total 2 , 300 . Tho number of ordura issued vus () , () 8 f > , 3 »( 5 for a toUiI of ¦ 12 , 003 , 1057 . ( showing an increase of 4 i > ov cent , ) , and tho commlflslon roeuivod was 111 , 5012 ., which loft a profit of 25 , «; . » i / . The monyy-ordor system although no-w xn'oduotivo of a largo profit in England and Scotland , is a | , iU carried on at a loss in lrolnnd , owing , in tuo latter ease , to tho BiwuUnoss of tho individual
¦ Miscellaneous.
¦ MISCELLANEOUS .
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Great JJqat Race . —The great race for . £ 100 : a side ^ on the Tyne , between Thomas White of -Bermondsey , London , and Robert Chambers , of Newcastle came off on Tuesday evening , and was attended by thousands of spectators . The men were equally matched in age and performance ; but Chambers was the favourite ; Chambers having , among other things , beaten Galley of Newcastle and Ralph , of London , easily , and White having won upwards of eight races easily , and contending hard in two . The men got to their posts both in excellent condition , looking confident and doing credit to their trainers . They started beautifully together , and the conflict for half a mile was most desperate and determined . White obtained a lead of several lengths , rowing in his usual style ; but Chambers , with his powerful stroke , overhauled him soon after a mile had been rowed . Another desperate contest ensued , but it was so close that afoul occurred in the heat of it . Chambers drew away , and came in first at the winning post by five-lengths . Public Health . —There was a decrease in the number of deaths registered in London during the week ended on Saturday , they having been 1 , 084 ; whiie in the previous week they were 1 , 20 . 1 . The births of 865 boys and 771 girls were registered during the last week . Dr . Letheby reports that the mortality returns for the week in the City indicated a very favourable state of the public health , the number of " deaths being 44 against 62 , the average for the corresponding week in the last three years . The births during the week were 52 — males and 24 females .
Thames Subscription Club . —On Tuesday evening , at their anniversary dinner , at the Freemasons Tavern , the Hon . G . Denman in the chair , the menabers of the above-named' club presented B . N . Phillips , Esq ., with a handsome silver cup as a token , of respect for his ability and services whilst holding the office of president , and as a mark of their personal esteem . Adam Bede .- " George Eliot" writes to the Daily iVeuw . — " The Rev . H . Anders has , with questionable delicacy and unquestionable
inaccu-. ' ^? - ¦ . ¦ The Dissolution . —We believe that the writs for the new Parliament will be issued this day . They will be proclaimed in the several boroughs and counties on Monday , and when three clear days have elapsed from that date the elections for the new Parliament , will begin in the boroughs , and three days afterwards in the counties . Sm Joh > - M . Laivhisce . —At a meeting held at at Willis ' s Rooms on Monday , it was resolved that a public banquet should be given to Sir John Lawrence . The banquet is to be confined to persons connected with the Indian service .
New Street from Covent-gaeden to the Strand . — -The works are going on with vigour . Near to St . Michael ' s Church a very large block is being proceeded with , from the designs of Mr . Chas , Gray . The new street will be 42 feet in width from wall to wall , and the sewer in the centre of the roadway , which is 4 feet by 2 feet 8 . inches , egg-shaped , one brick thick , is already put in . The surveyor will forthwith cause the roadway to be formed , and thus open out the thoroughfare to Burleigh-street . — Buildina Neios . . ¦ . '
South 'Kensington- ' Museum . —The prize drawings of the Metropolitan District Schools of Art will be exhibited during tho Easter holidays in the rooms provisionally prepared for the reception of the Ver . non and Turner pictures . The class rooms of the training school will also be open during the holidays for the inspection of the public . National Defences . —A public meeting was held on Saturday at St . Martin ' s Hall , to take into consideration the state of the national defences . The chair was taken by Vice-Admiral Sir C . Napier , M . I ., who , in a long speech , called attention to the defenceless state of the country . At this moment France possessed a fleet all but as large as that of 000 ead
England . She had an army of 500 , men , r y to march at a moment ' s notice . She had also a large number of commercial steamers . She had on the north and west coasts 180 steam-vessels of all sizes , and in the Mediterranean 150 . There was nothing to prevent an arbitrary and despotic Government like that of France from laying an embargo on those Vessels and marching tho men on boai'd . In a week slio could throw an overwhelming force into this country . It was not oven necessary to invade this country . All she need do was to send a fleet off tlio Scilly Islands . She would tlVus intercept a . 11 tho American , AVost Indian , and Mediterranean trade , and give this country a blow from which she could not recover for many years . Mr . ' Richards , Secretary to the meeting , read a letter from Sir Do Lacy
Evans , expressing his regret at not being able to bo nroscnt , and ' urged tho necessity of enrolling volunteer corps . General Taylor moved a resolution " That a memorial bo presented to tho C £ ueen , nnd potitions to both Mouses of Parliament , urging tho necessity of maintaining a suflleient Channel fleet ; of calling out tho noocs-ary militiu , and enrolling voluntour rillo and other corps for tho defence of tho country . Bir Allan WNab spoke of the Canadian militia " and their sorvtooa in tho war of 1812 . When 13 onapartc was marching his forces on Russia , tho American President took advantage of tho supposod omhiuTattsinunt of England to attempt tho conquest of Canada by an American army . Total defeat , howovcr , awaited them , and General Hull surrendered with hid whole force to Sir Isaac Brook . But of what was tho viotorious army composed ? Of Canadian mlliiia and volunteers ; for wliun the war broka out , the British "had not' in Canada 000 men of all arms above the elty of Montreal . " Sir Allan oxprossod tho hope that wo might some day have in this country a force as useful and patriotic
racy , assured the world through your columns that the author of ' The Scenes , of Clerical Life' and ' Adam Bede ' is Mr . Joseph Liggins , of Nuneaton . I beg distinctly to deny that statement . I declare , on my honour , that that gentleman never saw ahne of those works until they were printed , nor had he any knowledge of them whatever . The attempt to pry into what is obviously meant to be withheldmy name—and to publish the rumours which such prying may give rise to , seems to me quite indefensible , " still more so to state these rumours as
ascertained truths . ' The English Church in Paris . —A meeting was held at Meurice ' s on Monday , for adopting measures to secure the opening speedily of the English Protestant Church in the Uue d'Aguessau . The chair was taken by Lord Chelsea , who was supported by Bishop Spencer / and Lord Gray . The church'has been secured for £ 9 , 000 . Of this sum , the Colonial Church and School Society have agreed to raise . £ 6 , 000— . £ 4 , 000 by subscription , and £ 2 , 000 from another source . It was proposed to obtain the rest by public subscription , £ 2 , 000 in Paris from the English residents , and . £ 1 , 000 in England . Tho church , when-purchased , would be secured in perpetuity for Divine worship , and would be held in trust by the English Government for tlie Colonial Society . It was anticipated that in a month the church would bo open for service .
Compensation for Hailavay Accidents in FitANCK . —The Western Railway has ., ; had to pay dearly for an accident that happened at the Vvsinet station in ( September last . various claimants got heavy damages ; but tho most remarkable case was that of a man named Michel , whose wifo was killed . She had been the first fruic dealer at the Hallo , ana wus said to have turned 10 , 000 * . sterling a year , and to liavo cleared a tenth pro tit * She was tho maker of her own fortune entirely , came to Pans utterly unfriended , und never learnt tho arts or readingnnd writing . Her husband asked for 1 \ iO , uoot . damayos , and obtained 5 O , O 00 f . Tho poor womuw k-ft upwards of 250 , 000 f . worth of property ot various kinds .
Papal JUWIOM . UUY . — " Tho Popo , ' ways a lottov from liomo , " recently , in accordance 1 with a >" " «* . custom , blessed what is aalluU thu * Uohlon Kose . This flower , which is imido of tho purost gold , and ornamented with procious stones , was rubbud with balm , and incensed , his llolinuss rooituuj verses explaining the mystic moaning o tho benediction ; after which ho took it in his lyi ' t hand and blosaoa the people . Mass was thon oolobratod in tlio Sixtine chai > wl The gold roses arc ordinarily sent to female Sovereigns , sometimes to princes , and sometimes , though raroiy , to towns and corporations . Tho ono of hist year was sent to tho Empress of tlio French , und that of tho your boiorc to tlio CJucon oi Spain . "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 23, 1859, page 23, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_23041859/page/23/
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