The Welshman

llfcLioious EQUALITY FOR ROMAN CATHOLICS. On Ihursday, a deputation of the Roman Catholic clergy and laity waited upon Lord Palmcrston at Cambridge House, for the purpose of bringing under the notice of his lord ship the claims of the Catholic inmates of workhouses, schools, reformatories, ;>nd prisons to be placed upon terms of equality with their fellow subjects in matters relating to religions instruction and ministration. Amongst the depu- tation were Lord Stafford, Mr. Wilberforce, and Mr. Ser- geant Bellasis. Lord Pulmerston admitted the importance of teligious education, but he said he did not believe any intelligent Protestant, or any intelligent Catholic, would for a moment dream of scrambling for the conversion of a few helpiess children or incaicerated criminals. Her Mnjestj's Government were most anxious to adopt any fe asible scheme to secure fair play in the instruction of criminals and children. He could promise the deputation that the best attention of Government should be given to the subject, though he was not prepared that moment to say whether it would be expedient to bring in any enact- ment for the purpose. U- -J u

MORE ABOUT SOLFERIXO. Very large supplics or intelligence conccrning toe battle of Solferino have come to hand, very interesting and in- structive. We have now further details from independent, sources in the Allied and Austrian camps, and a detailed ,Iecsril,ti(,n of the coiilfiet in tlil, Ifo,titclo'. Some extracts from all theso may be acceptable to our readers. We begin with the English correspondent in the Allied camp, whose valuable letters find a place in The Tunes. THE AUSTRIAN POSITION. J Before I speak of these dispositions I will attempt to nit you an idea of the position of the Austrians. flic Mineio, 1 coming out of the Lago di Garda, runs due south, while the direction of the hills on both banks runs at light angles alrno-t towards it. Those on the right bank, with which alone we have to deal, here come down from the north-wes* in a southerly direction as far as Castiglone, and then, making a bend, strike the Mincio in a south easterly direction. The hilly country forms thus a tolorably regular parallelogram from north-east to south-weot, the four angles of which are Lonato, Peschicra, VOila, and Castig- lione. This parallelogram of hills is about 1^ miles in length and nine miles in width, and is divided almost, in its middle by a little stream, which runs into the Mineio, I he bills rise gently fron the shores of the lake, and attain their highest elevation about the source of this stream, falling'off again towards the Mincio. This is just about the centre of the parallelogram, at liondoletto aud Pozzolen^o on the left, and at Solferino, Monte Olivcto, and Cavriana on the right hqnk of the stream, those points were chosen by the Auttriiuuas the pt Vi .t of their line. Their line itseif extended Irolll f. schiera, on which they leant their extreme light, through this pivot, down into the phin of the Mincio intersecting the great road to Goito. The whole line was not less than tw he miles in length Cavriana was the centre of it, which the Emperor of Austria had chosen for his head-quarters, while Solferino was the key of the whole position. This order of battle protected till the approaches I to the Mincio, but it was just the necessity which was felt to protect all the roads leading to the Mincio which caused this long extension, and became thus aii element of weak- ness in the whole position; and this length of line aId corresponding weakness increased the more the Mincio "di approached, for the road to Goito, which is the principal passage, goes off from Castiglione at a considerable angle towards the south-east. FRENCH DISPOSITIONS. This weakness was recognised, and the dispositions taken accordingly. Instead DC tllking the position in front, where it is of formidable strength, the whole weight of the attack was thrown on the wings, with the view of breaking through the line, if possible, and gaining one of the Mincio passages, or, at any rate, forcing the enemy out of the strong position in the hills. Accordingly the 4th Corps, that commanded by General (now Marshal) Niel, reinforced by part of the reserve and artillery, received orders to act in the plain, towards Goito. The 1st Corps, of Marshal Baraguay d'tlilliers, was to proceed by the road which runs from Castiglione along the base of the hills, near the ii-.tle village of Grole, up to Solferino. One division of the 2nd Corps, that of the Duke de Magenta, was to take this village from the hill road in front, while the other was to take it quite in the rear by San Cassiano. The 3rd Corps, that of Marshal 1 Canrobert, did not enter in lii,.o, but was bent back in the direction of Castel Onzago, while the Sardinian army was to execute on the left wing a flank movement corresponding to that on the right, trying to bieak through the line between Peschiera and Pozzolengo, and get to one of the Mincio passages which exist in that direction. The Guards remained as a reserve, under the personal direction of the Lmperor, who took the command of the movement. THE FIGHT FROM THE FRENCH SIDE. The fight began almost in the plain, just where the road coming from Castaglione bends to ascend the villiago, and crosses the road from the latter to the main road of Goito. Two divisions of the ]st Corps (Forey's and Bazane's) had orders to drive the enemy from this position, while one division of the 2nd Corps was to take the villiage in the rear by San Cassiano. The enemy's skirmishers being driven back. the two divisions of the 1st Corps advanced, and after a sharp fusillade, succeeded in driving him back towards the I village. But it was only at the village that the real tight began. The entrance to it had been barricaded, and the high garden walls which extend to the right and left were loopholed for musketry, while on the spur which lies to the right of the road as you ascend, a battery was sending down a shower of grape. This entrance became the Fcrnc of a most desperate fight, but was at last forced, and then began one of those street fights which seem to become a character- istie of this campaign; every house had been loopholed, j and was occupied by the enemy. As there are no gates in the rear of the courtyards of these houses, the defenders in each were obliged to fiaht to the last or else surrender. Twice I the first division of the 1st Corps bad succeeded in penetra- ting to the church, the enclosure wall of which is just at the foot of the great tower and the top of the hill, and twice it had to retire before the reserves which the enemy brought up. The fight had lasted for more than two hours, and the strength of the soldiers began to fail. At this moment, which was about eight o'clock, the Voltigeurs and the Chasseurs of the Guard received orders to relieve them. At the same time the Uivison of the 2nd Corps, with the Turcos or Chasseurs Indigenes, pushed homo its attack from San Cassiano, while the other division of the 1st Corps had attained the heights to the left of the road. In less than half an hour the enemy was driven out of his stronghold, and had to retire, leaviug 12 guns behind. He retired in the direction of Cavriana, but only step by step. Looking down from Solferino towards Cavriana there is a maze of hills before you, which I can compare to nothing but to the ruins of a number of colossal Roman camps formed by nature and half obliterated by age. It is one succession of ascents and descents, the best description of which I heard from a soldier, who, describing the battle on the height, said, C'jtait une chaste á VecureuiV j After the taking of Solferiuo the engagement assumed really the shape of a battle, where tactics came into play. It was in this fight that the immense superiority of the new French rifled cannon showed itself. The lightness of the pieces is such that they could be brought up hills so steep that even infantry had no small difficulty in scaling them Still the range of them and their precision are almost incre- dible. You could see their shells bursting among the guns and infantry of the enemy, while the shells fired from bis guns at the highest elevation were falling short or bursting in the air. The attack on this succession of positions was I' made from the plain at the same time as from the heights, the object of both being to gain the heights of Cavriana, the centre of the Austrian position. While one column advanced by the road which leads along the base of the hills to Cav- riana, the main body followed the chasse « CUlClttl over hill and dale in a regular steeple-chase towar ds the tower of Cavriana. While the attack, in what was now the centre, took this shape, the attack of the 4th Corps in the plain to the right had likewise developed itself, For a short distance from Castiglione the country to the right and left of the road is full of vineyards and mulberry trees, not very closely planted, but sufficient to be an obstacle to the movements ot artillery and cavalry. After two miles or so, however, Itt-e trees recede on both s ides, and an almost naked plain, partly litass, rartly planted with com, streches out almost from the foot of the hills across the main road to the neighbour- hood of Medole. This plain, which extends as far as Cavriana, Guidizzolo, and Ceresole, became the scene of a I gement WhO 1 most animated artillery and cavalry engagement, whiell was very effective, as seen with a good glass irom the heights. The infantry took part in it; only tobe xtl cne right, towards Medole and Ceresole, occupying the vineyards which lie at the entrance of the plain, and from which the infantry of the enemy had been before driven out. As soon as General Niel was able to debouch into the plain froni the right the day was gained, for such was the superiority of the French artillery that the Austrian artillerymen, who it m u,t be acknowledged fought their adversaries with great bravery, were obliged to yield. This was in the afternoon about four o'clock. The centre had come to the hills about Cavriana, and while one column scaled the steep ridge under which the road runs, another was sent on the road into the village From the rapidity with which these columns advanced you could see that the Austrians had given up the idea of resist- ing any longer in this position, and were now only anxious to make a good retreat. The position of Cavriana, which is almost as formidable as that of Solferino was only held until the other troops could be withdrawn, and was ultimately taken with little loss. In the plain the Austnan artillery executed a very good retreat en echclon, while the cavalry- was sent forward to arrest somewhat the progress of tile allies. On this occasiou there were a couple of brilliant charges executed by the Chasseurs d'Afrique, but this did not prevent the enemy from keeping the road to Goito. By five almost everything was over on the right wing and the centre. The end was precipitated by a smart shower, which began to fall about this time. What happened on the left I must reserve for another letter as 1 could not overlook that part of the field, and have had as yet no time to hear the details and see the field of battle. THE FRENCH OPERATIONS: The story in the ilonituer, so as it relates to the opera- tioii, of the French, tells us little that is new. Its estimate of the strength of the Austrian army, 250,000, is evidently greatly exaggerated. The report confirms the statement that both armies were advancing—the one towards the Mincio, for the purpose of taking uppositions the other from it, to attack the Allies on tliemarch, when they rather unexpectedly met: The two armies, on their way one agaiust the other, met therefore suddenly. Scarcely had Marshals Baraguay d' Hilliers and M'Mahon passed Castiglione when they found themselves in presence ot considerable forces, which opposed their advance. At the same iustant Generel Niel encountered the Austrians near Medole. The King's army which was going to Pozzolengo, also met the Austrians in advance of Rivoltclla and on his part, Marshal Canrobert found the village of Castle Gotfredo occupied by the enemv's cavalry. All the corps of the allied army being at the time on their march somewhat considerable distauce one from the other, the Emperor first of all directed his attention to bringing them together, so that they might mutually support each other. For that purpose his Majesty went immediate- ly to the Marshal the Duke de Magenta, who was on the right on the plain, and who had deployed perpendicularly to the road which leads fiotn to (ioito. As General irl did Hilt yet appear, his Majesty hastened the march of the eavalry of the Imperial Guard,and placed it under the orders of Duke dc Magenta, as a reserve to operate in the plain on the right of the 2d Corps. The Emperor at the same time sent orders to Marshal Canrobert to support General Niel as much as possible, while recommending him to guard himself on the right against an Austriau corps which, according to information given to his Majesty, was to advance from III antua on Azola." The action was fierce about Solferino, and the French re- peatedly worsted. The advance of the Guard alone saved them from destruction. In like manner the offensi ve move- ment of M'Mahon from the plain against Cavriana and Cas- siano was repulsed at first, but a flank attack by a portion of the Guards from Solfeiino decided the victory at this point. On the extreme right the Austrians advanced as far as Medole, but retired at seven in the morning. On this side the French had strong batteries, and the Austrians were inferior in guns, flic corps under Canrouert Cllt a large support to Niel, who was deeply engaged about Medole, and Niel, thus aided, was able to keep his ground until i the centrc was forced, and the storm put an end to the fight. 'J.. The most interesting and the new. st portion of the narra- tive in thp. Jlonituer is the account of THE COMBAT BETWEEN THE SARDINIANS AND AUSTRIANS. On its part the l'ierlmontese army placed on our extreme left, had also had a rude and splendid day's work. It was j advancing in four divisions in the direction of Peschiera from Pozzolengo and Madonna della Seoperta, when at about I seven in the morning, is advanced guard encountered the enemy's advanced posts between San Martinoand Pozzo- lengo, The combat commenced, but strong Austrian reinforcements hurried up and drove the Piedmontese further back than San Martiuo, even threatening to cut off their line of retreat. A brigade of Mollard's division then arrived in all haste 011 the scene of combat, and assaulted the heights on which the enemy h id established themselves. Twice it attained the summit and Possessed itself of s veral pieces of cannon; but twice also it had to yield to numbers, and to abandon its conquest. The enemy was gaining ground in spite of some brilliant charges of the King's cavalry, when Cuchiari's division debouching in the field of battle by the road of llivoltella, came to support General Mollard. The Sardinian troops rushed forward a third time with imputuosity under a murderous fire the church and all the works raised on the rights were carried, and eight pieces of cannon were taken. But the enemy again succeeded in disengaging the cannon and in retaking the positions. At this moment the 2d brigade of General Cucchiari, which had been formed in columns of attack to the left of the Lugano road, marched against the church of St. Martino, regained the lost ground, and carried the heights for the fourth time, without holding them, however for, overwhelmed by volleys of grape, and facing an enemy who was c nstantly receiving reinforcements and incessanilv returning to the charge, it could not hold out till the arrival of succour from General Mollard's 2d Brigade, and the Piedmonte,e being quite exhausted, retreated in good order along the RivoltT a road. "It was § then the Aosta Brigade of Fanti's Division which had at first gone towards Solferino to form a junc- tion wilh Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers, was sent by the King to support General Mo !ard and Cuchiari in the at- tack on San Martino. That body was checked for a while by the storm but about five o'clock in the evening this brigade and tile Pignerol one, supported by a numerous artillery, marched 011 the enemy under a terrible fire and reached the heights. Tiley took possession of them foot by foot, fiel,) by field, and managed to hold them bv very desperate fighting. The enemy began to give way, and the the Piedmontese Artillery, gaining the ridge, soon crowned it with 24 pieces of cannon, which the Austrians vainlv en- deavoured to "capture two brilliant charges of the King's cavalry dispersed them volleys of grape threw their ranks into confusion, and the Sardinian troops fidally remained masters of the formidable positions whuili the enemy had. defended for a whole day with such obstinacy. On the other side, the Durando division had been engaged with the Austrians ever since half-past five in the morning. At that hour its adviticed guard had met the enemy at Madonna della Seoperta, nnd the Sardinian troops had held their ground till noon against the efforts of an enemy superior in number, who at last compelled them to fall back b,,t, th,,n reinforced bv the Savoy Brigade, they resumed the offensive, and, repulsing the Austrians in their turn, made themselves master of Madonna della Scoperto. After this first success, General della Marmora sent the Durando division against San Martino, where it did not arrive iu time to assist in taking that position, for it encountered on the road an Anstrain column, with which it had to dispute the passage, and when this obsticle was overcome the village of San Martino was already in the power of the Piedmontese. General della Marmora haj directed, on the other hand, the Piedmont brigade of I*anti's division upon Pozzidengo. This brigade carried the enemy's positions in front of the village with great vigour, and having made itself master of Pozzolengo after a warm attack, repulsed the Austrians, and pursued them to a certain distance, causing them severe loses. Those of the Sardinian army were unfortunately very considerable, and do not amount to less than 49 officers killed and 167 wounded, G-!2 sub-officers and privates killed, 3.409 wounded, and 1,2-58 soldiers missing, making a total of 6,52,5 absent at roll call. Five peices of cannon remained in the bands of the King's army as trophies of this sanguinary victory which it had gained over the enemy superior in number, and whose force appeared to have been not less than 12 brigades. II The losses of the French army amounted to 12,000 rank and file killed or wounded, and 720 officers hors de combatt ,,f whom 150 were killed. Among the wounded are Generals de Ladmirault, Forey, Auger, Dieu. and Douay. Seven Colonels and six lieutenant-colonels have been killed." The correspondent of The Times at the Au^traiti head- quarters, in a supplemental letter written at Verona, de- scribes THE AUSTRIAN RETREAT. The Emperor, cool and collected as a veteran, stood on the height of Madona del Pieve, close by a church sur- rounded by cypress trees till a quarter to four. Count Schlick and his aide-de-camp, his Highness the Prince of Nassau, were standing by him at Madona delie Piere, while the masses on the plains below were already retiring The French were pressing hard on Cavriana. They had already gained possession of an old bridle path called the Strada Cavallara. which runs direct from Solferino to V ategio, and already the road from Madona del Piere to the latter place was becoming excessively dangerous. The Emperor now went off leisurely to Volta with a few aide-de-camps, while the Archdukes, with the Hereditary Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his brothers, followed a by-path through groves and over rocks towards Valleggio. While we quietly rods on few of us knew that the enemy, following a parallel direction to our own, were within a half a mile of us. The French, on the other hand, were happily in equal isjaoiauen of our true position, or they would have made a dash to cut us off. We struck the Strada Cavallara just below the Monte Oliveto, meeting the head of Stankovitsch's division of the 1st Corps as it was retreating on the road from Castellaro Lagusello to Volta. The right of the 5th Corps was at that time withdrawn to Monzambona, while the 8th, Benedek's had fallen back as far as Salionze, north of Poz- zolengo. and on the road to Peschiera. At half-past five Cavriana had been finally taken by the French, who then made a combined attack on Volta and on Gutddizzolo, but both these attacks were successfully repulsed, which enabled the Austrians to retire their materiel and guns by bridges at or npar the Molino di V oltaduring the night and move off their first army by the same road on the next day. As we made up to Borghetto heavy banks of cloud had gathered in the west and lowered heavy and black over the hills. The bridge of Valleggio and its approaches were en- cumbered with waggons, through which we passed with difficulty, while the ascent into the village itself was almost choked up with cavalry moving towards Villafranca, cart- loads of wounded, and artillery with its head turned towards the bridge of Borghetto. As we slowly threaded our way through these obstacles, a tremendous hurricauc of wind, the precursor of the coming storm, raised a dark veil of dust. The sky became completely overcast and black as ink. The dust and gravel of the road rattled furiously in our faces, casting everything into darkness. The roar of thunder was mingled in sublime confusion with that of can- non, which appeared to be so close that its reverberations 1 might be distinguished from that of the thunder that rolled around us. I thought that the high wind had brought in the sound of the fight which might still be be proceeding at Cavraino, not knowing that the French were following us at 20 minutes' distance on the Strada Cavallara. A tre- mendous downpour of rain inundated me in the streets of Valleggio before I could find refuge in my old quarters. Here were visible some of the results of the battle. Soldiers of every corps and every regimen: were gathered together in the streets vrsprenjt, or separated from their proper posi- tions. The people of N'ztileggio were all at their windows or communing together outside the houses, in spite of the heavy rain: The storm disappeared as speedily as it had come on, the sun shone out again with brightness in the west, and still closer and closer came the sounds ot artillerv. It was evident now the enemy was threatening the tcte (1G pont of Valleggio. At all events, Valleggio was not exactly the place to choose for a night's rest, so, with hesitation, following the example of the lmpeiial head-quarters (we had ridden all day without food of any kind), I started from Valleggio and rode through Ouaderni. to Villafranca, where the Emperor had already arrived. There dispositions were speedily made to guard the passage of the Mincio, the wan- dering soldiers were brought together on the roads, and directed back on Valleggio. Batteries of po-ution were moved so as to cover Borghetto, and the 5th Corps was ordered to stand fast at Monzanibano, where, as you are aware, there is a bridge over the Mincio: It was night when I came on to Villafranca, where the first batches of wounded were be- ginning to arrive. An ambulance had been formed at the railway station, where they continued to arrive during the night. As it is natural to suppose, those who first came were slightly wounded, but gradually more severe cases call- ed for attention. As cart after cart gave up its freight of groaning victims, these were taken in hand by the doctors and carefully attended to. When their wounds were dressed 1 the sufferers we placed in railway carriages and transported to Verona, where, in addition to the great hospital, the con- vent of the Jesuits, and other temporary establishments, the Casino had been filled with beds for their reception. It was half-past 7 in the morning of the 2.ith when I returned to Verona. As I anticipated, a sharp contest took place for the possession of Monzambano yesterday. But notwith- standing the French, the 5th Corps preservod that position, while the head-quarters of Count Sciilich stood at Borghet- to. The Allies, as well as the Austrians, must re-assemble and re-arrange their arnii-, when, doubtles,, hostilities will be resumed. There are here 400 or 500 l'iedmontcse, and some French prironers. What the losses on this side may turn out to be it is impossible as yet to state with precision. They cannot be less than 12,000 or 1,5,01)0 men hors de com- bat. No generals were killed. Among the wounded are Count Pullfy, slightly General l'hilipovics, General Bal- tin, aud I believe, one or two others. Several colonels and numbers of officers have been killed or wounded. Prince C. Windischgratz is dead, as well as Colonel Mumm. AUSTRIANS SUFFER FROM DEPECTtVE INFORMATION. There is no doubt that the Austrian army on the 24th suf- fered much inconvenience from the fact that they were attacked by the French and Piedmontese three hours sooner than the time fixed by themselves for assuming the offen- sive. There dispositions, admirable as they may have been w h en it became made for an attack, must have been faulty, when it became necessary to repel an advance of the enem'. It is evident also that il the Emperor intended to advance at nine o'clock in the morning, it was because he knew that his various corps would not be in their proper positions till that hour He was therefore, to a certain extent, unready at six 0 clock in the morning. The 10 and 11th Corps' movements, which should have turned the French left at Medole, very proba- bly depended upon a calculation of time, which was part of the Austrian scheme of attack. The 11th Corps (Weigl) did I believe, come in sight ofthe enemy but it did too late to have any serious effect on the result of the day, while the 10th Corps seems never to have come up at all. These facts suggest some reflections. How was it that the French were ready at 6 o'clock to make a combined attack against the Austrians, who, on their part, had but just taken up positions on the previous evening ? An easy answer can be given to that question. Xo sooner was the first Austrian battalion out of Valleggio on the 23d than a balloon was observed to rise in the air from the vicinity of Monzambano —a signal, no doubt, for the French in Castiglione, I have a full conviction that the Emperor of the French knew on the evening of the 23d the exact position of every Austrian corps that he made is preparations accordingly and that, on the other hand, the Emperor of Austria was utterly un- hole to ascertain what was the number or distribution of the forces of the Allies, This, it may be said, is the result which must be anticipated in every military movement on Italian soil. | The correspondent of the Morning Star reports an inter- esting characteristic A curious feature, and one perhaps worth mentioning, is the quiet contemplative tone with which the French discuss the event of Solferino. Strange to say, they allude to it but slightly, and when they do, it is in a quiet, subdued tone, strikingly different from that swaggering air which has characterised their discussions hi thertn. The French officers whom I have conversed with ou the subject seem by no means loquacious disposed, and they, of course, claim a great victory, but they equaliy admit that it was most dearly purchased, and that the fortune of the day for a long time trembled in the scale. Two more such victo- ries," said my friend to me, as we proceeded from the scene of slaughter, "and ma foi, our splendid ary will be hors de combat," and if we may judge from what we see it would certainly appear as if such really must be the case.

I FASHION AS A DECOY. j ''Bfomieyoniu!:ury"tnightbet)ietitleofthemorat tale wbicch has reached the public this week from White- chapel through the publishing house of Worship Street. Everybody lias noticed the increase of luxury in dress and other outward accessorie, of life, and Mr. Samuel Bromlev with a rough but masterly hand has passed his commentary on the vanity of outward shows. Most certainly, no vaga- bond, even of this great metropolis, could suddenly have snatched from any English lady the graces which are in he- rent in the lady herself, though Mr. Bromley managed to snatch some of those graces on which English ladies at present must conspicuously pride themselves. IVe will. not with the ancient moralist, whom Charles Lamb has so wittily shown up, expatiate on the wicked uses of gewgaws as a temptation held out to the flesh yet Bromley is flesh, and the gewgaws of the best intentioned British matron may become an actual premium to erring Bromleys, draw- in.; them on to perdition under Colonel Jebb. There is no denying the fact. The beauty of tli- thii-ig is the etallished ignorance which, in the teeth of daily experience, etii- boldeus the British mitron thus to make herself a kind of ludicrous burlesque on the Illuminated Indicator, for tile edification and profit of the thief. We see her issne (roal some blameless minsion, blamelessly proper in her whole being, from her heart to her lace mantle; and typifying the sterling qualities of her character in the watch-chain that glitters round her neck. Rich and rare were the gems she wore, A bright gold watch on her breast she bore." On she went, and her matron smile In safety jihted-" not the Liir traveller herself along Whitechapel, but Mr. Bromley, to the prompt and deft execution of the little operation which places some ninety pounds more or lcs in his hands. The picture is an illustration of British society worthy of the oldest master alive. The street is quiet; not a shadow of danger seems to hang over the fair, the place is crowded with people, volunteers, if necessary, in preserving order and under the sunshine of that manifest safety the fair has, hanging round her neck, watch, chain, and trinkets worth some hundred pounds or mo.-e. The thief eyes it. He has learned that to break into houses is exceedingly dangerous, to stop a man at midnight on Fincbley Com- mon—if Finchley Common still exists-is perfectly out of date, society having taken ample precautions against Finch- ley-commonism In the open street, in the very midst of Wbitechapel, nobody suspects anything. Women, particu- larly, never suspect anything that does not meet them face to face; for, you may observe, that a woman always crosses the road in cheerful and prompt confidence, so that the space before her be empty, without regard to the carriages that may be coming at the side, and still less to the Hansom that may be almost at her elbow. They implicitly adopt the physician's maxim 1enienti occurrite morbo,-run in front of the coming omnibus,-go out to meet the approach- ing Bromley. The chain is weak, a sudden snatch will break it, and in the hasty confusion which is bred by any sudden surprise, a quick-footed dodger can easily escape. If the thing be smartly managed, it is worth from twenty to a hnndred pounds. Now there is a prize for a bold agile youth, such as may be found amongst the lowest of the London populace and if a prize is wanting, Mrs. Clifton will furnish it for the benefit of that enterprising class. If you blame her, she tells you that there is no vanity in her wearing the superfluity it is the custom," it is the fashion." She pleads the same authority which women now invoke to justify the deformities that they voluntarily adopt. For, it is remarkable that the fairest creatures who walk the earth are willing to convert their beautiful pro. portions int4a burlesque upon the vilest draughtsmanship, so that it be in the name of fashion. Now, what is fashion ?" It is a custom, a mode of doing it," a method of making clothes or wearing them. It often originates, very sensibly, either in some change of the habits of society or in the invention of some new con- trivance-a new cloth, or a new method of making clothes. But, since novelty is pleasing, and since the ready adoption of a novelty shows that the wearer has insight, means, and other qualities which are admired in society, the common run of men and women are greedy of the new contrivance merely for the salie of the Tuvy been tnu quality alone, exaggerate it, desire to strike the beholders with the newness or the costliness of what they carry about them and thus taste itself degenerates into the lowest vulgarity of purse-pride. Whenever any new cus- tom, however pleasing, tasteful, and convenient in its origin, becomes the fashion," it is hovering on the border between taste and vulgarity and as soon as it becomes the height of the fashion" it is rather a disagreeable and tasteless caricature. If you want a test of what we say, turn to the picture gallery, and there you will find, that whenever aristocracy condescends to adopt an extreme fashion it enters into competition with the parvenu and renders itself ridiculous. In fact the deportment of conscious worth, high breeding, and dignity, is exchanged for an artificial deportment im- posed upon the wearer by the inconvenience and extrava- gance of his dress. The high heels forced the wearer into an ungainly bent-kneed feeble cross of his ankles, making the human legs look rather like a pair of botanical scissors. And thus in a mere competition to pay for excess in height of heel the perfect gentleman adopts a limp, or takes pains To prove a weakness in the reins," at least to all outward appearance. Look round the nearest public picture gallery and contrast the fashion of the seve- ral periods, from Phidias to Roubillac, from Titian to Ho. garth, and you will see that all those fashions which are not dictated by natural fitness for the human figure, and by the principles of inherent grave in themselves, become ridiculous, since we look at them after the date. But to an eye trained to discriminate what is permanently fitting and temporarily fashionable, the height of the fashion must always be a burlesque and caricature. Raphael says so, Reynolds attests it these painters by the way being, and Titian with them, the most distinguished pourtrayers of gentlemen" and of ladies." Fashion indeed is not only vulgar but democratic. It reduces the gentleman to the meanest trifling or the most fantastic competition with the folly of the streets. Some time since, men of sense laughed at the chatelaine which ladies wore,—a sort of practical and not very tasteful joke on the bunch of keys which the housekeeper necessarily wore by her side, and which had in the ears of a well disci- plined house of servants a certain authoritative & dignified jingle. The ingenious lady with nothing else to think about, multiplies in her watch chain no end of gewgaws and alle- gorical trinkets for the amusement of herself, the envy of persons who cannot afford such luxe" and the profit on fit occasion of gentlemen like Mr. Bromley. Really it is possible, nay almost probable, that the gold laid out in this way inay be turned to more profitable human account in the hands of Bromley than of Narcissa. But if we laughed at ladies a little while ago, the satirist must now stand before the looking-glass and laugh at himself and his chate- laine. He has consented to wear the housekeeper's bunch of keys, and he has busied his wits in contriving gimcracks —guns to do the work of watch -keys, gridirons to roast nothing, ladders which mount to no place, and trinkets typifying things of even a more worthless kind There is in fact no folly which women commit in the name of fashion, thit under the same maddening influence men may not adopt. In England we have *en the hoop fol- lowed by the peg-top trowsers but to prove how demo- cratic is this kind of competition and folly, we observe that in the United States the hoops round the petticoat have been copied in hoops round the bottom of the trowsers. We do not follow the old moralist, but we do say that there is an ugly indication in this phenomenon. Let any man take an illustrated history of any great country, such for example as TitiWs Costumes of Venice, or a Pictorial History of England, and he will-though not, we admit, with any literal exactitude-observe that fantastical and excessive costumes busy the wits of peoples when their daily life has become either slavish under an insolent despotism or trifling under an aimless luxury. When the society of a great country has nothing better to do, it be- comes fashionable" and the great authorities are the tador and the dressmaker and then the outward picture of the man or the woman grows to be a disagreeable and ridiculous caricature, with hoops tripping up its ankles, chains showing its slavery as clearly as the chain which is said to be only a plaything for the Austrian prisoner, and strips of cloth dangling from its shoulder or head as labels whereon to write its folly. Fashion may be a bait to lure the unthinking to dangerous affectiovs,-it may aid the evil one in luring Bromleys to their fate, or gentle matrons into the claws of Bromley but most certainly it oftener decoys those who are especially wise in their generation, in'o hated ridicule, and, stiilwotse, into a waste of what is most graceful and lovely, inwardly as well as outwardly. — Spectator.

THE REVENUE. II The quarterly pniod of tbe great national stock- a ■ g has coine round again, and we are able to conbu'tf? mfalnble register of our gains and" our • kept at the Treaty. TbeR?euu. Returns f.or nnar>fr ending the :?'Oth   lng ,„e 3o,n o,s= and we may come b--k -i th the quiet satisfaction of a tradesman .hTh..y. ■"»•»«? {!• books, and find that his business is pn,sperou8, and his account at bi b?ker? good, enough to me?t ?H ordinary demands, ?ith something to spare for Mtr.ordmary OMMtons. J.0 ) Upon the Quarterly receipts there is a net increase of oebmg approaching a quarter of a million [ £ 212,290). 1 his is as compared with the corresponding Quarter of st year. L pon the whole year, ending yesterday, as compared with the previous year, the figures do not in themselves give a proportionately satisfactory result for, "hile we have an increase of E212,290 upon the Quarter, we have upon the year a net decrease of £ 1,190,143. At first sight this is an unpleasant aspect of the great national account-book, but it is capable of an explanation which will allow us good ground for congratulating the country that the elasticity of its resources has not slackened, and that the productiveness of every branch of taxatiou has increased. This decrease of £1,1:10,1-13 is, of course, the result of a balance struck between several items of sur- plus and deficit. We will commence with the items of deficit. In the year ending the 30th of June, HISS, the the returns showed a receipt of £lO,;nO,lüO f, o [I) the Property-tax. The accounts for the year ending the 30th of June, 1859, show a receipt of only £6,:2liG,lU:j under the same head; but this is not a decrease in the effcctire- ness of the Property-tax, it is, to the extent of £ 4,004,956. a cessation of taxation. During a portion of the year 1857-8 we paid Is 7d. in the pound, and during a later portion we paid 7d. in the pound; during the earlier portion of the year 18.jS.9 we paid 7d. in the pound, and during the latter portion 5d. W e have rhosen to treat ourselves to a great remission of taxation and the amount of that remission is now presented to us. It is a large sum it is, as we have said, £ 4,064,050 But we have the satisfaction of knowinr that if this large sum has not fount in way in'o the British Treasury, it is every farthing of it in our own private and individual pockets. This is the only source of the great deficit. If the country had stood stiil, neither advancing nor retreating, that sum ought to mark the difference between the receipts of the last financial year and those of the present. Sucn, however, is happily not the case. We hive built new houses for our increasing population and for our own greater comfort, and those new houses have contributed to the House-fax and other assessed taxes an increase of E.30 967. We have written more letters, and thereby increased the Post-office revenue to the extentof £ 210,000. We have also, as we unhappily always do when we are able to do so, drunk more 5p¡ri:, and we have also quenched our thirst more liberally with English beer we have printed more raper, and we have increased our con- sumption of other articles of tscisable luxury or con- venience to such an extent that while postponing the collection of the Hop Duty, and thus throwing out of reckoning £ 140,000. we have paid to the Excise a surplus revenue of £ 2< 7.000 upon the year. A fact of yet more unmingied gratification is the increase of £ 1,508,528 upon the Customs. This represents the comforts and the ne. ces.sarips of the whole bulk of the populai ion. Sugar, ten. and tobacco are the articles that go to swell the total of this great branch of revenue, and these are-at least the two first and nrost important items are-articles in which increase of consumption represents no individual excess. The consumption of a great deal of tea and a great deal of sugar means that the prudent portion of the working classes have been thriving and comfortable, at the same time that thfir spirit-drinking companions have been jolly. This uniform increase hi the productiveness of the ordinary sources of revenue has gone so far to neutralize the effect of thatcostly indulgence which we permitted ourselves in the matter of the Income-tax that, instead cf a decrease of £ 4,064,056 we have only a decrease of £ 1,190,14- In other words, we have in the common and perpetual sources of financial income the magnificent increase of £ 2,173,913 upon the year just closed. Confining our examination to the last three months, the retrospect is even still more cheering. The real decrease to be met was E411,481 Property-tax, arising from the reduction in the rate of duty. There was also a decrease of £ 123,788 upon the Stamp Duties; but this is rather a postponement than a loss. The attorneys have naturally put off all their ordinary taxpaying business conveying estates, completing leases, creating interminable trusts, and playing at hide-and-seek with that legal will-o'-the-wisp the legal estate, in order that they might bestow their undivided attention upon the creation of the new Parliament. We shall undoubtedly, have this E123,782 now that the legal profession has settled down to its ordinary work. Meanwhile we suspect that the election has given us a substitute for it in the very unnatural and suspicious increase which has taken place in the Spirit Duties, which depart from their usual relation of increase to the Malt Duties, and contribute E370,000 of increase, while Malt only gives £81,000. If the In- come-tax, which we retain in our pockets, were not deducted, the increase on the quarter would be £ 629,860. Notwithstanding the reduction of the Income-tax, the derangement in the means of comparing the Hop Duties, and the temporary depression of the Stamp Duties, we have an actual net surplus, from the natural and steady increase of our ordinary revenue, of £ 212,379. We might flaunt this balance-sheet like a banner in the face of Europe, and it is an understatement of the financial position of England. To complete the statement, we must add that our Income-tax is down to 5d. in the pound, and that our Long Annuities fall in next year. We may have vague hopes and sanguine visions of still further reductions some may believe that the attenuated Income- tax will be suffered to fade away to its vanishing point, and to flit out. never to return in time of peace. Some of us are importunate to be relieved of the Paper Duty, and the lovers of French wines are clamorous for the removal of all restrictions upon their indulgence in a very sensible preference. A chorus of Insurance Companies sing of the wickedness of taxes upon prudence, and loudly expostulating shipowners demand the abolition of burdens upon British vessels. Every tax is a lash that produces a wale upon some spot in the body politic and every wale produces a groan or a howl. But, putting out of of consideration these necessary and inevitable sounds of distontent, we must all in our consciences admit that we are at this moment at a very low pressure of taxation. The bow is slackened, although not unstrung. We could simply by reverting to the rate of taxation which the country bore twelve months ago, raise another five millions of revenue. Such are the results of peace. All this we owe to the position we have taken up, and to the world's confidence in the stability of our institutions and the moderation of our policy. Will Germany reflect before it is yet too latc, that it is only by the arts of industry that such results are to be obtained ? Will Austria ever come to believe that it is better to rule a great and contended empire, and to be a respectable and solvent Power, than to fight hopelessly and to borrow recklessly for the sake of an outlying and unprofitable and unwilling province ? Will France, seeing these balance-sheets, come to think it better that Frenchmen should stay at home and consume more wine and corn- producing even as they consume—than that they should contribute to those dubious estimates of killed and wounded, and melt away in monster battles that produce no other apparent results than to make illustrious the names of small Italian villages ? The situation of England at this moment reminds us of the account long since ren- dered by the steamshipCadiz, surprised by a circling typhoon in the Eastern Seas. She was surrounded by the tempest but in the very centre, where her course lay, there was a litte area of absolute calm. She could see the storm mist rushing all around her; fish and sea-weed and pieces of wreck from less happily placed craft, raised by the whirlwind, were cast upon her deck; yet, so long as she kept within the circle not a breath of wind touched her and not a wave heaved under her. She neglected no precaution and made every preparation, but she waited and when the crisis came following the known rules of seamanship, she ran out of the storm, and was the sole survivor in those seas of that day's general wreck.- Times.

Mrs. Swinfen's action against Lord Chelmsford, for having, when Sis F. Thessger, compromised an action, in which she was plaintiff, without her permission, while acting as bei, counsel, commenced on monday before the Lord Chief Baron and a special jury, and terminated on Tuesday night in a verdict for the defendant on all the counts. It will bo remembered that some time after the compromise, Mrt. Swinfen obtained a new trial, and was successful in gaiuiu; a verdict. NEW MODE OF WABFARE.—The Times gives a loug description of new iron ram, which it says will be afloat next June. Her total length will be 380 feet, breadth 58 total weight at sea, 9,000 tons full speed, 16 miles an hour. About 220 feet of the broadside of the vessel will bo of teak, 2i inches thick this will be covered by armour plates 4 incbes thick on the deck. The ram will be arme,l with 36 Armstrong guns, each throwing 100 lb. shot over a range of six miles. The ram will run down ships by driv- ing straight at them at full speed. If she only does one-halt of what may fairly be anticipated from her she will be cbea per to the nation than a dozen sail-of-the-liiie. The cost "t the hull will be about C,200,000, the engines about £ 75,000, and her fitting for sea ab out E45,000 more, or 1;320,000 in all. BRISTOL BANKRUPTCY COURT.—On Tuesday, before Mr. Commissioner Hill. Re William Williams, Mountain As", draper and grocer.—Mr. Colston Lucas, for the bankrupt, stated that the balance-sheet though not filed was in a for- war d state and would be ready in a few days. He therefore applied for an adjournment of the last examination for a fortnight. Mr. Press (of the firm of Messrs. ?.  Girling, and Press) opposed the application, or at least J1, continuance of protection to the bankrupt, on bealf Of tl-(! assignees, who, he stated, were very much ?at.Bt?d  the bankrupt's conduct. Ultimately the case ,eJ for a fortnight, the bankrupt'. Protection ben", I enewed Saturday next, .0 enable    b?ance?h?: He S'd?,ty Dan JeJlkim, -B"?8tol, Sc., sliol,keeit:r, ?, Il Ss '^T thfalloiance of th cer16ca"e was opposed by ?Ni r. Edlin? for tbe assignees, On a Tanety of grounds the p,h. cipal being that he had disposed of a business as shtp-chan 1- ler to a Mr Elliott for an insufficient consideration and to the meiudice of some of his separate creditors, the proceeds of the sale being applied by the bankrupt to filing i,izi petition in this court. It was contended that this course had prevented the equal distribution of the bankrupt's p- perty among his creditors, and the learned (ounsel su ■- gested tbat the bankrupt should consent to a'^iulliti^ tho present petition, the assignees undertaking to file a ureditcr' petition and to impeach the deed under which Mr. Elli It became possessed of the bankrupt's business. Mr. P  ? bankru t dr' US\nf 5S. J 1. r", for the bankrupt, helmed to ?cept the terms o?cred, as !rj ?? that there would be a difficulty in obtaining an ? t- judication on a creditors petition. The sale of the busitr toMr.hlhottwas?Ha' ?e, the amount paid was the f?' value, and Mr. EHiott had pa d all the persons who w .? believed by the bankrupt to be his separate creditors, l'-vt tually, however, an adjournment was taken to enable Mes- Bevan, Girling, and Press, who were agents in the matter cd communicate with their principal..