Notes On Literature Science And Art.

At a time when everything connected with the growth and manufacture of cotton is of immense importance , the following statistics will be of value . They are taken from a report addressed to Edmund Ashworth , Esq ., Vice-president of the Cotton Supply Association , by Mr . G . R . f Haywood , dated Bombay , Sept . 26 th , 1861 . The number of spindles and looms working , at this date , in Bombay -. —¦

Spindles . Looms . Broach Spinning Company 15 , 000 — Oriental Spinning and Weaving Company 21 , 000 210 Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company 21 , 000 — Bombay Water Twist Company 20 , 000 — Victoria Spinning Company 5 , 000 — Ahmedabad Spinning Company 2 , 500 — Total at present working 90500 210

, Mills building , and extensions— Spindles . Looms . 'Great Eastern Spinning and Weaving Companv 30 , 000 600 Bombay Royal 30 , 000 600 Coorla 26 , 000 410 . Manocjee Pitty ' s 50 , 000 1000 Bombay United 20210 330

, Oriental 13 , 536 225 Total 170 , 176 3165 Two other companies formed , but have ? „„ „„„ 0 n „ not yet commenced building j ' "

Total mills , & c , at work , including ex- " ) < , „„ „„„ „ extensions , ccc j -JU , o / o ,. D ¦ and vice joined together in the same soul , and developed in a thousand different ways , according to an infinite variety of circumstances . But his female characters—that glorious gallery of everliving portraits—how beautifnl and womanly they are ; save his intention be to show how fallen , how depraved , even tbe gentle

heart of woman may become—as in the unkind daughters of poor King Lear , and the proud and cruel Lady Macbeth . Virtue with him is ever victorious ; it is undaunted under suffering , and triumphant even in death . What a fine philosophy pervades each of his dramas ; and weak indeed must be the penetration of the man who can discover no high moral purpose running , like veins of silver in the earth , through all the writings of Shakspere . We need not envy the soul that has never felt its self-reliance strengthened by

a perusal of these immortal dramas . They are not only moral , but ¦ reli gious , in the highest meaning of that word . " These are certainly very opposite views of the same subject , and we leave our readers to "look upon this picture and upon that . " Jffow that ifc is decided that Mr . Maciise ' s picture of " The Meeting of Wellington and Blucher after the Battle of Waterloo " is to he executed in stereochromy , or water-glass painting , for the new Houses of Parliament , there is a general wish to know in what the invention consists . Everybody knows what an oil-painting is ,

¦ though everybody may not be aware that the art is not five-hundred years old ; as it dates only from the days of Hubert and John Van Eyck , the "Flemish painters . The most ancient of all paintings are those called fresco , which are executed ivith water-colours whilst the plastering on which they are painted is still damp ; and if the artist wishes to correct his work , as often happens , it is

necessary to cut out the plastering- where the picture is defective , and to re-prepare the surface . For the invention of water-glass painting ive are indebted to the Germans , who adopted it ten years ago , when Herr Kaulback and his pupils ivere painting the staircase of the new museum at Berlin , when it at once rivetted public attention by its superiority over the old fresco-painting . Mr .

Maclise , in the true spirit of an artist , visited Berlin , as ive stated some time ago , to learn the new process ; for " a flint , " says he "in fluid form , was a mystery to me , even though I was told on good authority it was a fact ; and the fluidity of a flinty mass , as having ¦ been effected by combination with an alkali , such as potass , soda , or lime , appeared to me a state of such matter rendering it wholly

unfit to effect the desiderati of fixity and indelibility for a painting on a wall . The state of watery glass , even while I was looking at it , still no less than the state of stony water , seemed impossible . " To be brief , the painting is executed on the wall in water-colours as in fresco , but can be rubbed out ancl repainted before it is coated over with the new composition . Not only has Mr . Maclise

Notes On Literature Science And Art.

mastered the new German method , but improved upon it , for whereas Kaulbach required a rough surface , Maclise can execute his work as well on a smooth one . The new discovery promises fair to become of immense importance in , the decoration of public buildings .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed hij Correspondents . TO THE EDITOR OE TIIE FKEE 1 TASOXS 3 IAGAZIXE AXD 3 IASOXIC MIIiEOIt . SIR AND BEOTHEE . —If yonr correspondent ' ¦ f jjj j : will be good enough to favour me with a commiinicaton , I shall be most happy to afford him , in replyevery

informa-, tion in my power with reference to the Mark Degree , not doubting ray ability to remove the erroneous impressions convoyed in the editorial note attached to his letter in your publication of the 16 th inst . I am , Sir and Brother , Tours Fraternally , FBEDEEICK BINCKES , G . Sec . Grand Lodge of Mark Masters of England and Wales .

Office , 40 , Leicester-square , W . C . , Nov . 17 , 1861 . [ If our observations were erroneous , Bro . Binckes can answer them through THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE . ]

Provincial Grand Lodge Of East Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF EAST LANCASHIRE .

TO THE EDITOR OP THE FREESIASOXS' LTAGAZIXE AXD MASOXIC 3 IIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — -Can any of your correspondents in East Lancashire enlig hten me on the following points ? viz .: —1 st . According to what principle are the appointments to Prov . Grand Lodge made ? 2 nd . How many lodges are at present represented in Prov . Grand Lodge ? 3 rd . Of the 47 lodges in the province , how many have never been represented in Prov . Grand Lodge ? I remain , dear Sir and Brother , , ; JONATHAN , " P . M . of one of the 47 .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Northumberland.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF NORTHUMBERLAND .

TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE PEEEAIASOXS MAGAZINE AXD MASOXIC MIRROR . DEAR SIE AND BROTHER . —From the tenor of your report in last week ' s Magazine of the proceedings at the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of . Northumberland , at North Shields , brethren at a distance may be led to believe that the motion of Bro . Barker , Provincial Grand Treasurer , "to invest annually or bienally , a sum of money towards

the forming every lodge in the province into perpetual life governors of the Masonic charities , " was defeated by uncharitable opposition—such was not the case , and I beg yon will be kind enough to insert the following particulars : — "At a Provincial Grand Lodge of Emergency , held at Newcastle on the Sth of March lastBro . Barker brought

, forward his motion , and entered into a lengthened explanation of the details of his scheme for carrying out such object , but , the arrangements being so very complicated , it was resolved that the Provincial Grand Secretary and Treasurer should draw up a circular , embodying the whole scheme , and send a copy to every officer—present and past—of the Provincial Grand Lodge—the W . Masters ,

Past Masters , and present Wai-dens of every lodge in' the province—so that the motion should be perfectly understood , discussed , and decided at the next meeting ofthe Provincial Grand Lodge—such circular was never issued , and it would have been irregular to have allowed the motion to be brought forward and decided at the meeting of the Sth inst . " Had the motion been brought forward in proper formthe

, brethren of Northumberland wonld gladly have supported Bro . Barker in his desire to aid the funds of the Masonic charities . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , North Shields , Nov . 20 th , 1861 . P . M . No . 624 .