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©«R CCRA^MITAF.

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CCRA^MITAF. (Wfe deem It right to state that we do not at all times Identify Mmelves with our correspondent's opinions.] Naturally enough, people have not yet done talking of the terrible calamity in the Regent's Park, the de- tails of which have formed so prominent a feature in our papers lately. There are two things which might be done to prevent the recurrence of such a disaster. In the first place, people should not be allowed to go on the ice when it is unsafe. This would perhaps in. volve the abolition of the park-keeper system, and the placing the parks under the control of the police; and a very good reform that would be in itself. But there are many persons drowned while bathing in the sum- mer, as well as while skating and sliding in the winter, and the remedy for this is simple enough. In St. James's and Battersea Parks the water is of a uniform depth of only three feet. Why cannot this be done in all our other parks ? The ornamental waters should be all drained, the bottom levelled and cemented, and the water should not be above three, or, at the most, four feet deep. In many ways this would be a grea1, improvement. The distress in London at the present time, in spite of the generous and large-hearted efforts that are made to cope with it, is lamentable indeed. At the east end of the Metropolis especially the misery is very great. There must be by this time some 10,000 persons receiving relief from Poplar parish alone and the middle classes, but especially the small shop-keepers, are being themselves dragged down to poverty in the attempt to relieve their poorer neigh- bours. I noticed a letter the other day in one of our newspapers stating that there were 16,000 men and their families suffering from the depression of trade; but this statement must be far under the mark. I do not believe, in fact, that it is possible to calculate the distress. The only means of doing so is by taking count of the number who apply for relief; but there must be thousands who will suffer almost the extreme depths of misery before they will apply for parochial re- lief. The severity of the winter has of course been the chief cause of this, and I have been reminded of the beautiful words which Shakespeare puts into the mouth of King Lear:— Poor naked wretches, wheresoe'er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, Tour looped and windowed raggedness, defend you From seasons such a* these. But, however much we may pity the poor, it is impossible to shut our eyes to the fact that many of them refuse work, if the remuneration does not come up to what they think they ought to have. One of our police magistrates lately stated that 800 men applied for pariah relief, that all were offered half-a-crown each per day to go and sweep and cart away the snow; that only sixty.three accepted the offer; and that even out of this small number several ultimately refused to work. To this it may be at once replied that 2s. 6cL a day, and this only for two days perhaps, would have been utterly inadequate to keep a family. Remem- bering how little agricultural labourers receive, this may be doubted; but turning from this fact let me allude to another. There is immense distress among the shipwrights of the port of London. With an in- tention of alleviating this distress the Thames Iron Shipbuilding Company succeeded in obtaining some foreign contracts for building some steamers. They were obliged, however, to take the contracts on such low terms that profit was out of the question, and they merely entered into them with the view of giving em- ployment to unemployed and distressed men. Accord- ingly, they proposed to these men that, under the cir- cumstances, they should work for 6s. 6d. a day instead of 7s., and they refused Such a fact, I think, needs no comment, and all that the men can say in reply is utterly powerless to rid the public mind of the im- pression that the men have acted very foolishly, to say the very least. If "half a loaf is better than no bread," how much better is thirteen-fourteenths of a loaf 1 More than one note of preparation has been sounded for the ensuing Session. It has been an- nounced that the Queen will open Parliament in per- eon, an announcement which has given general satis- faction. It ia true that a little damper was thrown on us immediately afterwards by the addition that the ceremony would be with such state as was observed last year," and we know that that was not much. But still the fact itself is consolatory, aa indicating that her Majesty is likely to come once more amongst us more prominently than has been her wont for the last five years. We are informed, too, that Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli will severally give their accustomed (when they have the opportunity) parliamentary ban- quets to their supporters in Lords and Commons. Mr. Gladstone, too, has from his temporary retreat in Florence, addressed his supporters, hoping that their convenience will be consistent with their atten- dance, &c. It is announced too that the Address in the Commons will be moved by the Hon. Thomas de Grey, member for West Norfolk, and seconded by Mr. Graves, member for Liverpool. To these gentle- men the honour is doubtless very pleasant, but the public generally care very little about the matter. When they have read the Queen's Speech they can form a pretty good idea of what the Address will be. Of infinitely more importance is the amendment to the Address, whenever such a course is decided on. There will be, it is rumoured, an amendment to the Address this season if the subject of Reform is not alluded to in the speech from the throne. But I do not think it at all likely that this vexed question, this much-agitated and much-agitating topic, will be Ignored and I confidently look for an allusion to it. Under any circumstances Reform will be a prominent topic of discussion during the next parliamentary cam- paign, and the fate of the Ministry and a probable dissolution to a great extent depend upon it. All sorts of rumours are afloat relative to the probable course which Government on the one hand and the Opposition on the other will adopt, but we have not long now to wait before the Queen's Speech will add another illustration to Campbell's poetic axiom, that coming events cast their shadows before." A very pleasant rumour comes from Paris, and though it is but a rumour there is some reason to hope that it may prove true. The Presse mentions a report that the Queen will visit Paris during the Ex- hibition, while the Epogue also alludes to the report, and adds that the visit will be strictly private. Every. body will at least be glad to hear this much, and will hope that it will be verified. Be it as it may the Prince and Princess of Wales intend to go, and they will, it is said, be officially received with all due honours. This will give a great incentive to the visits of our countrymen. The influx of foreigners into the gay French capital will be something tremendous. Mr. Cook, the excursion agent, is making his arrange. ments to take our countrymen over by the thousand, and to board and lodge them by contract. Many thousands will doubtless avail themselves of his cheap and well-managed plans. For myself I should not like thus to go; but every one to his taste. By the way I think something too much has been said about the probable frightful expense of living in Paris during the Exhibition. The Parisians, it seems, are now beginning to understand that they may overdo it, and are already moderating their expectations. Had I fortunately been a shareholder in the London and Westminster Bank I should have seized on the report the moment it was issued but not having that advantage I have been reading it rather late in the day. The success of this bank is marvellous. They pay 15 per cent. this half-year, in addition to 14 last half-year, making 30 per cent. per annum. What a contrast is this to many banks which have smashed up during the last few years! To pay 30 per cent. successively for three years is something astounding, added to the noble salaries they pay to their managers and clerks. And yet the bank had but small beginnings. It commenced business on the 10th of March, 1834, with the small capital of 50,000?. Like many other great enterprises it was pooh-pooh'd and snubbed at the commencement. The Bank of England brought all its powers to bear against it, and the bill by which it was sought to give it a legal status, though it passed the Commons, was thrown out by the Lords, through the active opposition of Lord Alfchorp, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. The London and Westminister was therefore compelled to transact its legal business through trustees, and the Bank of England refused to open an account with it, and the Clearing House refused admission to its representatives. in one year it surmounted its chief difficulties, and first annual report showed that it had a capital of nearly a quarter of a million. Still difficulties pursued it, and there were three years of litigation with the old Lady of Threadneedle.street. At first the Bank of England triumphed, but ultimately its youn^ rival gained the victory, and has since gone a-head; and now it has a capital of five millions, in 50,000 shares of lOOi. eaoh, and has, to use Dr. Johnson's words when speaking of Thrale's brewery (now Barclay and Perkins'), "a potentiality of wealth beyond the dreams of avarice." The history of joint-stock enterprise is a splendid page in our commercial history.

PASSING EVENTS, RUMOURS, &0.…

LOSS OF A LIFEBOAT MANNED…

I The EYRE PROSECUTION and…

I A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.

WATER THAT WILL NOT DROWN.…

THE LATE GALES.

IPBTTLLANTOUS 'INTTUIJTNA,

E VITOME OF NEWS.