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merest shade higher than the cost of production . Foreign orders continue scarce , and the home . trade is also languid . Those of the masters who can .- aflSbrd to stand still are contracting : their operations , as the difference between the cost of material and'labour and the selling price is so-nicely'balanced as to become , a loss at the slightest furtherdeelme . A very large number of miners are on strike , owing to the reduction tit their wages , and , in the neighbourhood of Wigan , to this demand on the part of the
masters that they should \ tork the mines eight days a fortnight instead of twelve , thus causing a still further diminution in their receipts . The masters say that pigiron has become almost a drug in the market . At Brierly Hill , near Dudley , little short of three 4 thousand colliers are on strike ; and a considerable body of the county constabulary has been called forth in anticipation of disturbances . At Wigan , nearly two thousand colliers and drawers are in a state of voluntary idleness ; but no disturbances have taken place .
The condition of the Hebrides and West Highlands still remains very bad . The poor people are almost starving ; for the insecurity in the tenure of land , and the want of capital are such that between the exhaustion of one crop and the in-gathering of another—generally from June till September—there is a positive absence of the barest necessaries of existence , Mr , Charles Forbes , a gentleman who is connected with a society for the relief of Highland destitution , has written on this subject to the morning papers . He says : —" Owing to a more complete failure of . the potato crop last autumn than in any previous year , and a wet and'bad harvest of their scanty patches of oats or barley , aggravated by the dearness of provisions , destitution in a most alarming
form oppresses the people of the remote islands of the west ; and the society has been urged to extend industrial employment in knitting of hose , the weaving of cloth , towelling , &c , which it organised in 1851 , as a means of ' helping the poor to help themselves . ' As regards this plan of feeding the hungry , without pauperising them in spirit , the most gratifying testimonies have been received . From the Island of Harris , where the society had previously afforded valuable assistance , _ in a letter now before me , elated the 3 rd of April , addressed to our secretary , from the schoolmaster of Sealpay , asking for renewed aid ( since granted to a small extent ) to that remote island , he says : — - ' Th _ e poor creatures are in a famished state , without food or l : iothes \ - neither have they a particle of seed to crop their lands with . Unless some seed
be sent them they will next year be worse off than they are this one . I never saw such severe destitution . I fear many of the poor creatures have already starved for want of food . I hope your committee will take their sad position into consideration by sending them immediate relief . ' These poor people in the Hebrides , the kindred of those brave Highlanders who have performed prodigies of valour on behalf of their Queen and country , are not entitled to relief while able-bodied . " When disabled , they may have miles to travel to find a poor-law inspector ; they have no workhouses in which they can take refuge ; they cannot wander forth and invade , like hungry wolves , our Southern townsy for rugged mountains or stormy soas hem them in , with nothing but the skies above and the barren muir around them to derive succour from , unless benevolence and Christian charity respond to our advertised appeal for largely-extended help . "
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CONTINENTAL NOTES . A circular forwarded to the governors of provinces by M . dc Decker , the new Belgian Minister of the Interior , states that " the idea which presided over the formation of the cabinet is openly avowed—a compromise among all moderate opinions . " Mdllc Doudet has appealed to the Imperial Court against the judgment of the Tribunal of Correctional Police . In answer to interrogations by the President , she protested her innocence ; nnd asserted that some of the witnesses had been gained over to speak against her , and that others had aeposcd to matters of which thoy
were ignorant . The further hearing of tho case was postponed to the 21 th of April . M . Henry Collie / ., a barrister , has written a pamphlet in favour of tho accused . This Jtfdmoire , M . Berry or ( Mdllc . Doudet ' a counsel ) says , ho intends to use for the defonco ; and the ground upon which tho court consented to postpone tho trial was that tho whole impression was not yet finished . On the other hand , it is reported that tho Advocnte-Ooneral will tako advantage of the nppeal to demand that tho sentence of two years' imprisonment pronounced against Mdllo . Doudot may bo augmented to five .
In consequence ( Hays ( l ( ilitjnnni ') of a duel which recently took place at Madrid butwocn two newspaper writers , the journalists of that city have decided that , in order to prevent suoh nfthvrsin future , a tribunal of honour , consisting of five members , shall lie nominated every month , to decide on , and arrange , all personal disputes which may arise between gent lumen of tho press in that city . The Popo has had a narrrow escape of his life . On tho 12 th insfc ., his " Holiness" gavo a dinner to a groat many distinguished pursonagcn in tho convent of St . Agnes , several of tho students of which word admitted , after dinner , to tho extreme folicity of kiswinp ; tho holy too . However , it scoina there is many a Blip 'twixt tho
toe and the lip ; envious Fate interposing at the very moment of beatification ^ and causing the floor to sink through , carrying the' * Holy 3 % tHer" '^ nd ^ seYcral others ¦ along-with It . The Pope- 'escaped' iirthttrt < by special favour ) ; but Gttrdfttttl Antotttellf , ' GJetoferal Montreal , commandant of the French division , arid st « ne of the ip-apils . of the convent , received slight contusions . His " Holiness"' must have thought he was about' to fulfil the Fate-like command of Mazzini : ^ - " You are a Lie : Descend !" Mr . Lionel Gisborne has settled- the conditions on which an English company will undertake the construction of a stSbtottrtine telegraph from . ' C 6 nstantinople to Alexandria . The-s <* eme of Mr . &isborne is ifldepen ^ -
dent of tfte Belgrade line , but is dependent on it for suecees . He pxrrposes to carry wires ttnder the Sea of Marmora and the Dardanelles , thence under tne Archipelago to Rhodes , and from Rhodes to strike boldly across the 'Mediterranean to Alexandria , This last part of the enterprise is the boldfest idea yet conceived with respect to submarine telegraphing ; btrt I am informed t&at no difficulty will present itself which may not be overcome in the present state of science . The pecuniary arrangements are now finally settled . The Turks are to pay 50 &W . a-year for ' 21 years , in return for which all government messages will be sent gratis between the Ottoman and Egyptian capitals —Times Constantinople Correspondent .
A letter from Shumia states that the telegraph which was commenced in February was completed from Varna to Shumla on the 18 th , and that that from Shtmrla to Rusteb . uk would be open by the end of the first week in April . If this be the case , the communication between Varna and Vienna may be expected to be completed before many days are over . — -Idem . A letter from Athens , dated the 31 st ult ., says r" The new Emperor of Russia promises , it is saidf to extend at the close of the war the limits of the kingdom of Greece to the frontier of Macedonia . Promises of money have also been made ; and it is currently rumoured tfeat the Court will W 6 t desist from promoting the
intrigues of Russia . Fortunately , the majority of the Greek people understand now their real position , and do not seem disposed to act in favour of the policy of Russia ; and there is reason to hope that the energy of General Kalergi will baffle any attempts that may be made to disturb tranquillity . To the secret agents of Russia are attributed the acts of brigandage ^ which have recently taken place , such as the robbery of a large sum of money-belonging to the government between Corinth attd Athens in ' the open day , and similar acts in Enbcea on the person of an English resident . The Greeks generally are convinced that the more Russia shall be humbled , the more certainly will the solemn engagements of the West in favour of the Christians of the East be
realized . " Count Creszkowski has delivered a speech in the Second Chamber at Berlin , explaining the reasons why the Polish deputies abstained from voting on the Prussian loan . He said they had done so on a similar occasion last year , and now did so again , because they did not wish , by voting against the loan , to embarrass the ~ government , and . yet could not vote in its favour , since no assurance was given of a sound"amT advantageous policy . The subject of the French Emperor ' s journey to the Crimea is revived . It is now said that he will start on the 10 th of May , and that the Empress will accompany him even to the seat of war itself . But these rumours may turn out as baseless as the former .
A great misunderstanding has arisen between the Jesuits and the King of Naples , and it is thought the former will be compelled to leave the kingdom . Strange to say , they are too liberal for the King . The Madrid journals of the 10 th contain details of the attempted insurrection in that eity on tho previous evening . Groups , it appears , collected in the vioinity of the Cortes and the Pucrta del Sol , and raised cries of " Death to Espnrtero ! " " Death to O'Donnell ! " and " Death to Santa Cruz ! " There were nlso some cries of " Long Live Espartero ! " The civil governor of the capital , M . Sagusti , at tho head of two companies of the national guard , succeeded in dispersing the groups without bloodshed . Several persons who were acting as
leaders of the movement were arrested , and amongst thorn was the brother of an ultra-libornl deputy . The Government did not think it advisnblo to employ the regular troops ; but thoy wore assembled in their barracks ready to act at a moment ' s notice . It was considered certain thnt the agitation had been got up by a distribution of money supplied by tho absolutist party . This party is in fiict , it is stated , endoavouring to innke use of tho republicans to overthrow tho Government . Tho civil governor had published a bando forbidding tho assemblage of groups of more than eight persons in the
vicinity of tho Cortes . It was the determination of the Government to support order at every cost . In the event of a now attempt at disturbance , it intended not only to proclaim tho stato of siege , but aJso tho law of tho 2 lst of April , fur tho iimnedinto puniHl ^ iiio nt of conspirators . It considorod itself certain to bo supported , by tho regular troops , nml by tho majority of tho national guurd . A wort of proclamation purporting to'cirtftrintu from tho national guard , and containing violent threats ngn ' mat tho deputies in the event of the adoption of the hill on tho national guard by tho Cortes , was in circulation . -
M . Ducos , Minister of the M < arine , died'ttt Paris on Tuesday night . . HheEpooa of the 10 th contains tlie ¦ fi > ltowm { r pwragraph'in answer to an , article against Lord Howden : — " We oaJa assure the Etpana that Lord Howden is a Roftnan Catholic . He declared himself to be-so -on ; the occasion of a recent marriage of two persons of-the diplomatic body . Besides which , we understand tttatj as an Irish peer , the English representative baa always professed that faith . "
The generals of the religious orders still existing : in Piedmont have addressed a letter , dated Rome , 31 st ult , to the archbishops and bishops of that kingdom , congratulating them on the resistance they have made to the Convents ; Suppression Bill , now before the Senate at Tram , and thanking them for the protection they have thus granted to the establishments , menaced-with destruction . This document is signed by nineteen generals , including the Bishop of Porphyra , general of the Augustin . monks .
A letter from Arta ( Lower Albania ) , dated April 5 , states that some Greek soldiers having deserted and advanced into the Tnrkish territory , Achmet Pacha had marched against them with a battalion of infantry and two pieces of mountain cannon . The Sentinelh du Jura of the 15 th says : — " We aro now arrived at the middle of April , and the sowing has not yet commenced in the high grounds of this department . Snow falls almost every day , and never in the memory of man has it lain so deep as at present ; it varies from one metre to six metres according to the locality . Many houses are buried up to the roofs , and the inhabitants , in order to obtain egress , are frequently obliged to cut a passage through the snow . Nearer Mount Jura it is still worse ; to the west of Reculot , one ho * use is so completely buried that not a part of it is visible . "
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NAVAL AND MILITARY NEWS . AroirRAL DtnsrDAs ' s Fr . AG-smp , the Duke of Wei lington , has completed the repairs rendered necessary by her collision with the American emigrant-ship . The Loss of titb Tiger . — The court-martial appointed to inquire into this affair terminated on Saturday last , in the following finding : — " The Court is of opinion that the ship Tiger was run on shore in consequence of Jier having been rashly conducted as she approached the coast of Odessa , and that , after the ship had been run on shore , the measures resorted to to get her afloat were injudicious : but , in respect to the surrender of the Tiger to the enemy , that , as the ship-was aground without any hope being entertained of floating her off , and as she was exposed to the enemy ' s guns , which had . set her on fire , and upon which the guns of the ship could not be
brought to bear , no blame can be imputed m consequence of such surrender . The Court is further of opinion that no blame is imputable to the said Lieutenant Alfred Royer , since he acted under the immediate directions of his cax > tain , and the Court doth adjudge him to be acquitted . The Court is further of opinion that Mr . Francis Edington is blamable for the want of caution that was exhibited by him in approaching the shore near Odessa ; but , -in consideration of his previous , good characterand long services , doth adjudge him to be only severely reprimanded , and the said Lieutenant Alfred Royer iB hereby acquitted , and the said Mr . Francis Edington is hereby severely reprimanded accordingly . " Tub Militia . —The greater number of the regiments in this force continue to dwindle under the influence of
Lord Panmure ' s act of grace . The Duke of Lancaster ' s artillery , which , but a short time ago , mustered one thousand strong , can now show only about half that number . The Third West York Regiment , now stationed at Dublin , is reduced almost to a skeleton . The men were offered a month ' s furlough , in addition to the supplementary bounty of 1 / ., if they would remain , and were exhorted as Englishmen not to desert their colours ; but to very little effect . Only 121 volunteered to remain on duty , while 321 ) left . Tho Anglesey regiment has molted down from upwards of 300 to 20 or i }() . The Armagh regiment , however , has volunteered , without one dissentientto go abroad ; the great majority of this
, Dublin regiment , and nearly ( 500 non-commissioned officers nnd privates of tho Second West York Light Infantry , have ailso been attested for foreign service . The Antrim Militia has given upwards of 75 volunteers to tho line ; the Monnghun MUftiii , 52 ; and tho Gnhvny Militia , onicers and men , liavo volunteered m a body for tho Crimea . In Fact , tho Irish regiments Hecm almost to monopolism tho spirit and 1 >""« which wo miif lit expect to see generally dill used . Iho West York KMoh , how « v « r , nr « in ii high state oi oliieicney , with very slightly climlnlHliod numbers ; and 17 T , of tho Duku of Lnnonutcr ' rt Militia have joined the
AuniVAi . s or Sick anu Wouio > ki > j'noni thb CitmiiSA . — J 75 rank and ( He of various regiments , together with fionio oIHcers and their . wives , arrived at Plymouth on Tuesday . Five deaths occurred on tho voytw , duping which tho weather was vory stormy , and « onio of tho burthtt in this troop deck won ! brokon . Launch op two Floating Uattkimes . —On Tno » - day afternoon , two largo floating buaorieHCconfltructertfcrt " tlio Govorumont ) wcru launched from thoyard'of McsweitS * C . J . M / irc and Co ., at Blnclovull . Tho scone Yms an
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Apbel 21 , 1855 . J ' ¦ T . PS . E Ii 3 B 1 BBS > MSB
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Leader (1850-1860), April 21, 1855, page 371, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2087/page/11/
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