Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Week.
lishing an article commenting on the conduct of certain persons who had made affidavits relating to a case before His Honour ' s court , was set at liberty on Saturday . Jlr . Rigg made a sort of apology , but in addition to that he will have to pay some £ 50 in the shape of costs . Liverpool has been the scene of a terrible explosion . A vessel ,
ot about 120 tons burden , lying in the Mersey , and about to sail for Africa , with five tons of gunpowder on board , caught fire . The crew consisted of 14 men ; but they , knowing the nature of the cargo , appear to have quitted the ship at the first alarm , and the vessel was left to her fate . The fire reached the gunpowder about half-past seven in the evening ,
when the windows of the buildings in the town were shattered in all directions , the gas lamps put out , and several people thrown down by the violence of the shock , but happily no lives were lost . From the latest reports , the damage extended to an immense distance , which is not all surprising seeing that there were between 11 and 12 tons of powder on board .
COMMERCIAL . —The Bank of England has increased the rate of discount to 8 per cent . At the meeting of the London and AVestminster Bank the report was adopted , and a dividend of 6 per cent , per annum , with a bonus of 12 -per cent , on the
paid-up capital was declared . ——At the meeting of the City Bank the report was adopted , and a dividend of 6 per cent , per annum , with a bonus of 30 s . per share ( equal to 12 per cent , per annum ) was declared , £ 9 , 000 being carried forward to profit and loss new account ; so that the reserved fund now amounts to £ 130 , 000 . The Imperial Bank has declared a dividend of
5 per cent , having only been in existence about two years . The National Discount Company has declared a dividend of 10 per cent , and increased its capital to £ 3 , 000 , 000 . The London aud Provincial Jlarine Assurance Company have declared a dividend of lOper cent . The GreatFastem has been put up for sale at Liverpool , by order ofthe mortgagees , whose claims along
with that of Jlr . Parry , amount to about £ 110 , 000 . The " sale " drew together a large number of persons , but the auctioneer could obtain no advance upon the only independent hid offered — £ 50 , 000 . There was a reserve bid of £ 130 , 000 , and the ship , therefore , remains unsold . This attempt to dispose of the Great Fastem was followed by the sale of the Gibraltar —¦
formerly the well-known Confederate cruiser Sumter—wliich was knocked down at £ 4 , 500 . FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —The statements made in the Paris journals respecting the assassination plot , and the solicitations of his English friends , have induced Signor Mazzini to publish a letter making declarations , which will be received with the
respect aud credence due to them , as his warmest political opponents will not dispute his personal truthfulness and honour . Signor Jfnzzini declares that he " never did instigate anybody to kill Louis Napoleon ; " that he never gave any man weapons for » that purpose ; that Trabuco , Imperatori , and Saglio , are altogether unknown to him ; that all the stories
about the meeting at Lugano , & c , are absolute falsehoods ; that his photographs , with his autograph attached , are openly sold at several places ; and that no letter or money has ever been sent hy him to Greco at Paris . He admits that he knows Greco , " an enthusiastic patriot , who took part in the enterprises of 1860 and 1861 in Southern Italy , " but says that any note of his in
Greco ' s possession must be at least nine or ten months old . A demand has been addressed to the Danish Cabinet , by the Austrian and Prussian Envoys to withdraw the November constitution . The demand was rejected by King Christian , and the Austrian and Prussian Envoys quitted Copenhagen on Jlonday afternoon . The Danish Legislature is evidently prepared for the warlike consequences which may probably result from the
The Week.
rejection of the Austro-Prussian demand , and determined not to relinquish Schleswig without a struggle . The'draft of the address in reply to the King ' s speech , which was read on Monday in the Rigsrad , says : — " The house has seen with sincere satisfaction the determination on tbe part of the King to maintain the liberty and independence of Denmark , in face of the demand
of foreign powers for the withdrawal of the November constitution . The task your Majesty has inherited from your predecessor , viz ., to secure for the Danish kingdom au independent position in the whole monarchy , will be fraught with difficulties , and may cost bloody sacrifices . But they will be willingly borne by the people to preserve the inseparable union
between Schleswig and the kingdom . " And King Christian himself appears to know well enough the present temper of his Danish subjects ; for in replying to a provincial address he declared that " in the event of a war for the
protection of the independence of Demark , if all forsook him , he hoped for the support of the Danish people . " During the ceremony of presenting a Cardinal ' s hat to Archbishop de Bonnechose last week , the Emperor Napoleon took the opportunity to make a declaration of the light in which he views the efforts of the Opposition to obtain a little more liberty for France . He was , he said , " astonished to see at
so short an interval men hardly escaped from shipwrecks again call winds and tempests to their assistance . But " God protects France too visibly to permit the spirit of evil to once more . call forth agitation . " Every honest man may be at ease within the limits of the French Constitution ; and "nearly every one can have the opportunity of expresssing
his ideas , of controlling the acts of the Government , and of taking an equitable part in public affairs . " . In Berlin it is confidently expected that the King will again dissolve the Chambers even before Herr Schulze's vote of censure on the Government comes on for debate . The Diritto has been seized by order of the Italian Government for having published an address from Garibaldi , announcing the formation of a committee to promote Italion re-union . AMERICA . —The American advices brought by the Asia possess
very little interest , military , political , or commercial . No movement has been made by any of the belligerent armies in Virginia or the south west . The shelling of Charleston on Christmas-day was said to have done much damage to the buildings ofthe city ; and a Confederate battery on Stono river , which had seriously injured the gun-boat Jlarble Head , had been captured by a body of men landed from the Federal vessels . The Federals had occupied Lavacca and Indianola , in Texas ; and the
Confederate General Jlagruder had issued a proclamation , declaring that AVestern Texes would be vigorously defended , and that "the Federals would be driven to their ships . " AVe are told that the negro mutineers in Fort Jackson , on the Mississippi , were to be tcied by court-martial , but nothing is said of the cause or extent of the mutiny . President Lincoln and his Cabinet had recommended Congress to offer liberal bounties to volunteers up to the end of Februaryas the suspension of
, bounties had almost stopped recruiting . Jlr . Allison had , consequently , introduced a bill , offering bounties of 400 dollars to re-enlisting volunteers , 300 dollars to new volunteers , and 100 dollars to negro recruits . It was stated that the payment of these bounties would necessitate a further issue of 150 , 000 , 000 dollars of Treasury notes .
To Correspondents.
TO CORRESPONDENTS .
P . JI ., Preston , must have altogether forgotten his obligations , or he would not ask us such a question . AV . AV . —AVe could obtain an unlimited circulation were we to place every occasional correspondent on the free-list , but it would not pay the printer . J . J . —AVe think not . ERRATUM . —In the 13 th line of our first article last week , the word " Directors " accidently appeared for " Brethren . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Week.
lishing an article commenting on the conduct of certain persons who had made affidavits relating to a case before His Honour ' s court , was set at liberty on Saturday . Jlr . Rigg made a sort of apology , but in addition to that he will have to pay some £ 50 in the shape of costs . Liverpool has been the scene of a terrible explosion . A vessel ,
ot about 120 tons burden , lying in the Mersey , and about to sail for Africa , with five tons of gunpowder on board , caught fire . The crew consisted of 14 men ; but they , knowing the nature of the cargo , appear to have quitted the ship at the first alarm , and the vessel was left to her fate . The fire reached the gunpowder about half-past seven in the evening ,
when the windows of the buildings in the town were shattered in all directions , the gas lamps put out , and several people thrown down by the violence of the shock , but happily no lives were lost . From the latest reports , the damage extended to an immense distance , which is not all surprising seeing that there were between 11 and 12 tons of powder on board .
COMMERCIAL . —The Bank of England has increased the rate of discount to 8 per cent . At the meeting of the London and AVestminster Bank the report was adopted , and a dividend of 6 per cent , per annum , with a bonus of 12 -per cent , on the
paid-up capital was declared . ——At the meeting of the City Bank the report was adopted , and a dividend of 6 per cent , per annum , with a bonus of 30 s . per share ( equal to 12 per cent , per annum ) was declared , £ 9 , 000 being carried forward to profit and loss new account ; so that the reserved fund now amounts to £ 130 , 000 . The Imperial Bank has declared a dividend of
5 per cent , having only been in existence about two years . The National Discount Company has declared a dividend of 10 per cent , and increased its capital to £ 3 , 000 , 000 . The London aud Provincial Jlarine Assurance Company have declared a dividend of lOper cent . The GreatFastem has been put up for sale at Liverpool , by order ofthe mortgagees , whose claims along
with that of Jlr . Parry , amount to about £ 110 , 000 . The " sale " drew together a large number of persons , but the auctioneer could obtain no advance upon the only independent hid offered — £ 50 , 000 . There was a reserve bid of £ 130 , 000 , and the ship , therefore , remains unsold . This attempt to dispose of the Great Fastem was followed by the sale of the Gibraltar —¦
formerly the well-known Confederate cruiser Sumter—wliich was knocked down at £ 4 , 500 . FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —The statements made in the Paris journals respecting the assassination plot , and the solicitations of his English friends , have induced Signor Mazzini to publish a letter making declarations , which will be received with the
respect aud credence due to them , as his warmest political opponents will not dispute his personal truthfulness and honour . Signor Jfnzzini declares that he " never did instigate anybody to kill Louis Napoleon ; " that he never gave any man weapons for » that purpose ; that Trabuco , Imperatori , and Saglio , are altogether unknown to him ; that all the stories
about the meeting at Lugano , & c , are absolute falsehoods ; that his photographs , with his autograph attached , are openly sold at several places ; and that no letter or money has ever been sent hy him to Greco at Paris . He admits that he knows Greco , " an enthusiastic patriot , who took part in the enterprises of 1860 and 1861 in Southern Italy , " but says that any note of his in
Greco ' s possession must be at least nine or ten months old . A demand has been addressed to the Danish Cabinet , by the Austrian and Prussian Envoys to withdraw the November constitution . The demand was rejected by King Christian , and the Austrian and Prussian Envoys quitted Copenhagen on Jlonday afternoon . The Danish Legislature is evidently prepared for the warlike consequences which may probably result from the
The Week.
rejection of the Austro-Prussian demand , and determined not to relinquish Schleswig without a struggle . The'draft of the address in reply to the King ' s speech , which was read on Monday in the Rigsrad , says : — " The house has seen with sincere satisfaction the determination on tbe part of the King to maintain the liberty and independence of Denmark , in face of the demand
of foreign powers for the withdrawal of the November constitution . The task your Majesty has inherited from your predecessor , viz ., to secure for the Danish kingdom au independent position in the whole monarchy , will be fraught with difficulties , and may cost bloody sacrifices . But they will be willingly borne by the people to preserve the inseparable union
between Schleswig and the kingdom . " And King Christian himself appears to know well enough the present temper of his Danish subjects ; for in replying to a provincial address he declared that " in the event of a war for the
protection of the independence of Demark , if all forsook him , he hoped for the support of the Danish people . " During the ceremony of presenting a Cardinal ' s hat to Archbishop de Bonnechose last week , the Emperor Napoleon took the opportunity to make a declaration of the light in which he views the efforts of the Opposition to obtain a little more liberty for France . He was , he said , " astonished to see at
so short an interval men hardly escaped from shipwrecks again call winds and tempests to their assistance . But " God protects France too visibly to permit the spirit of evil to once more . call forth agitation . " Every honest man may be at ease within the limits of the French Constitution ; and "nearly every one can have the opportunity of expresssing
his ideas , of controlling the acts of the Government , and of taking an equitable part in public affairs . " . In Berlin it is confidently expected that the King will again dissolve the Chambers even before Herr Schulze's vote of censure on the Government comes on for debate . The Diritto has been seized by order of the Italian Government for having published an address from Garibaldi , announcing the formation of a committee to promote Italion re-union . AMERICA . —The American advices brought by the Asia possess
very little interest , military , political , or commercial . No movement has been made by any of the belligerent armies in Virginia or the south west . The shelling of Charleston on Christmas-day was said to have done much damage to the buildings ofthe city ; and a Confederate battery on Stono river , which had seriously injured the gun-boat Jlarble Head , had been captured by a body of men landed from the Federal vessels . The Federals had occupied Lavacca and Indianola , in Texas ; and the
Confederate General Jlagruder had issued a proclamation , declaring that AVestern Texes would be vigorously defended , and that "the Federals would be driven to their ships . " AVe are told that the negro mutineers in Fort Jackson , on the Mississippi , were to be tcied by court-martial , but nothing is said of the cause or extent of the mutiny . President Lincoln and his Cabinet had recommended Congress to offer liberal bounties to volunteers up to the end of Februaryas the suspension of
, bounties had almost stopped recruiting . Jlr . Allison had , consequently , introduced a bill , offering bounties of 400 dollars to re-enlisting volunteers , 300 dollars to new volunteers , and 100 dollars to negro recruits . It was stated that the payment of these bounties would necessitate a further issue of 150 , 000 , 000 dollars of Treasury notes .
To Correspondents.
TO CORRESPONDENTS .
P . JI ., Preston , must have altogether forgotten his obligations , or he would not ask us such a question . AV . AV . —AVe could obtain an unlimited circulation were we to place every occasional correspondent on the free-list , but it would not pay the printer . J . J . —AVe think not . ERRATUM . —In the 13 th line of our first article last week , the word " Directors " accidently appeared for " Brethren . "