by the four surviving individuals who were present at the governor's ball." The Hobart Town Mercury concludes its notice of this incident as follows:-" With whom does the blame of this rest? Most assuredly not altogether with the natives themselves. No one can say with truth that they were not as much sinned against as sinning in disasters that befell them. The original population is gone, and their extinction, as a race, was probably as inevitable as it is inscrutable. As savages they were found, as savages they lived, and as savages they perished. Such an event is deserving of some notice." Is it ever to be so? Is it a necessary law of this earth? Caribs, Red Men, Australians, Tasmanians, New Zealanders all cease, and their places are taken by the Anglo-Saxon race. at any price! This price vanishes into utter insignificance In all moderate climates Europeans seem to have supplanted the native races; only in the extremes of hot and cold countries has co-existence been possible; and even in As a memorial of the payment made to clear the hot climates, harshness of treatment, degradation, and slavery have been the leading characteristics of conduct on British national conscience, the subjoined table of the the part of the invaders, until, by the almost total dis- compensation prices paid to the owners for their slaves in appearance of the aborigines, the necessities of the labour our several colonies may not be without interest; and I requirements of the colonies have had to be met by the submit for consideration when the decay of some of the introduction of the hardy African race. Whether, on the West India estates is so prominently brought forward, whole, that race has to thank or curse our colonisation is that as the principal item in the value of the properties a difficult question to answer, as will be evident by a consisted in the number of slaves, and as they were remoment's consideration of the moral and social debase-deemed by the British public, it would be scarcely fair to ment brought upon Africa by its internal wars for the expect the plantations to be as profitable as formerly, obtaining of slaves for sale, the miseries to which the which seems to have been anticipated by many planters. poor wretches are exposed in transit, and the eventual Time is bringing about a better adaptation to the new state condition of the slaves, without hope, family, or life, of society. Every thinking Englishman, but at the will of others. who regards the contest recently concluded in North America must feel profoundly thankful that thirty years ago this country roused itself, at the loud call of noble men, some of whom are still amongst us, enjoying a green old age, to incur the expense of redressing a great moral crime, and at the large price of £20,000,000 the blot of slavery was removed from our flag and country. From the 1st August, 1835, no slave has been held by a British subject. Great cost, did we say? Can freedom be dear It has been stated that the emancipated negroes do not increase in numbers as they did whilst in a state of slavery, owing to vicious indulgences. But this statement seems hardly borne out by the population columns; and as the increase cannot be owing to any large influx of Europeans, and the immigration of Coolies can scarcely account for the increment, it must be inferred that the black population does not diminish, as has been supposed, but the contrary. There is one point of view in connection with the surging TABLE SHOWING THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST VALUE OF SLAVES IN THE BRITISH COLONIES, AT THE TIME OF THE EMANCIPATION; THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST COMPENSATION GIVEN; THE NUMBER OF SLAVES IN EACH; GROSS AMOUNT PAID TO EACH COLONY; AND THE POPULATION OF EACH COLONY IN 1850 AND 1861. COLONY. AVERAGE VALUE OF A COMPENSATION Number Amount POPULATION. Compensation. 33 31 14 255,290 5,853,977 0 113377,433 441,255 100 7 66,638 1,659,315 0 9122,198 152.727 170 973,442 18 2 68,600 84,438 230 35 69,579 4,068,809 6 43 127,695 148,026 53 19 9,078 226.745 14 101 13,028 15,410 19,009 117 60 18,114 120 40 10,328 570,733 1 7 28,927 31,900 30,128 31,755 26,705 75 35 11,664 265,072 1 0 22,220 25,065 23,350 415,173 14 11 36,178 36,412 15,667 309,908 5 7 23,177 24,440 1,587 96,571 9 6 25,635 3,314 48,253 18 10 11,092 11,461 Bahamas 80 19 7,734 118,683 13 11 23,410 35,487 Cape of Good Hope 29,111 1,193,085 8 6 285,279 267,096* Mauritius 56,699 1,986,099. 8 21 180,863 310,050 ........ Montserrat 25 5,026 Nevis 7,225 100,654 0 10 7.355 7,645 9,822 Virgin Islands 4,318 70,177 13 2 6,689 6,051 1856. In addition to the pecuniary compensation given, the slaves, it will be recollected, were required to serve an apprenticeship for a term of years-six, if I remember correctly. One extraordinary item is found in the " Antigua" Account, consisting of an appraised value of a slave under the “* Aged, diseased, or non-effective" class, 5d., and compensation, ląd. over the native populations by the Anglo-Saxon race which | Appeal, which pronounced that the picture in question' must not be altogether omitted, and that is the fact, that where we do not exterminate them, we undoubtedly cause the lower classes amongst them to be treated with more justice than they received under the rule of their native chiefs or princes, and to that extent our governance is an advantage. India may be referred to as, on the whole, affording a satisfactory illustration of the improved condition, under our rule, of the lower classes of the population. The demand for cotton appears to have thrown a bright and joyous sunlight upon India, and opened to the native population the road to a new status; and while this commercial advantage is felt by its myriad population, even to the very lowest, the wise institution of the Star of India is flattering to the higher classes, satisfying the Eastern craving for decoration. The double passions of wealth and distinction being thus gratified, the recipients are more firmly attached to the empire which confers these advantages upon them. Fine Arts. THE PALAIS SCHIARRA AT ROME.-The collection of Prince Schiarra, which contains some very fine works, amongst others, the "Violin Player," by Raphael; Vanity and Modesty," by Leonardo da Vinci; a "Saint Sebastian," by Perugino; a Portrait of Titian," by himself; and a "Magdalen," by Guido Reni, had a very narrow escape the other day when the palace was on fire. Their destruction would have been still more lamentable from the fact that, in consequence of a law suit amongst the heirs of the late Prince, the gallery has been closed for several years, and therefore the works are but little known to amateurs. ROSA BONHEUR.-This artist received the other day another, but rather costly, proof of the estimation in which her works are held. It will be remembered that some time since she was summoned by a dealer to deliver a picture which she had undertaken to paint for him, and which, for reasons not stated, she refused to do. The court ordered the artist, under penalties, to deliver the work within a given time; against this decision Rosa Bonheur has appealed, and the superior court has condemned her to pay M. Pourchet four thousand francs for not having fulfilled her engagement to paint for him, at a price specified, the picture in question. TOULOUSE EXHIBITION-The importance of the provincial exhibitions of pictures in France may be estimated by the fact that the late show of the kind at Toulousenot one of the principal local exhibitions-included no less than 765 works of art. Of the artists exhibiting, about a hundred and seventy were of Paris, and about the same number belonging to the department of which Toulouse is the chief town. DECORATIVE SCULPTURE IN PARIS.-The façade of the new buildings of the Palais de Justice is just finished, and exhibits a large amount of sculptural decoration, including six colossal statues in granite-" Prudence and Truth," from the chisel of the late sculptor Duret; "Power and Justice," by M. Jaley; "Punishment and Protection," by M. Jouffroy. An emblematical figure of "The Law," also by M. Duret, is about to be placed at the head of a fine double flight of steps leading to the courts of assize; and over the porch of the same two cariatides supporting the tables of the law and a sitting figure of Justice, by M. Perraud. PROPERTY IN WORKS OF ABT.-A curious question of property in a work of art occurred the other day in Genoa. The picture of the Madonna, by Piola, on the wall of a house in the Rue des Orfèvres in that town, is well known to all artistic travellers. The property in this work has been for a long time contested by the authorities of the town, the proprietor of the house, and other persons. The matter has recently been decided by the Court of which is on the public way, should be considered as public property, and not to be alienated for purposes of private speculation of any kind whatever! The evidence adduced before the judges is not given in the report, but it is to be presumed, in order to account for such a decision, that the origin and true proprietorship of the work were involved in perplexity, and that the only way of undoing the knot was to cut it. ANTIENT SILVER WARE.—An interesting specimen of very old chased-work in silver has recently been discovered, during the demolition of a house at Toulon, beIt is a bénitier de lieved to be of Roman construction. famille, or vessel for holding holy water, in a private apartment, and consists of a small cup or tazza, suspended by a chain from a winged figure, all in massive silver, and ornamented in repoussé by the hammer, in the style of the early period of the Christian era. It was destined to the melting pot, when M. Comte, a watchmaker, rescued it from destruction. Manufactures. PORTUGUESE EXHIBITION.-The Portuguese authorities, by way of marking their appreciation of the readiness exhibited by the French government in contributing specimens of the productions of the Imperial factories of Sèvres, the Gobelins, and Beauvais, have called a special meeting of the commission at Oporto, and have passed an official vote of thanks to the Imperial government, at the same time nominating M. de Gérando, the French Consul at Oporto, and who was previously a member of the grand council of the exhibition, a member of the central executive committee. BISMUTH.-This metal has of late years risen considerably in price. Amongst other causes, some journals have stated that two or three years ago a company was formed to work an invention by which gold was to be made by the transmutation of bismuth into that metal, and that large quantities of the former metal had been bought up for this purpose. Whether such an enterprise was or was not entered upon does not appear. The fol lowing is a list of the prices: supply began to fall off, and in 1861-2 there was a very large extra demand for medicinal preparations, which, to a certain extent, still continues, but the demand for mechanical use has since that time been very trifling. New sources of supply are opening, and prices, it is said on good authority, are likely to fall. THE SILKWORM culturists in France announce the birth or hatching of the larva of the Bombyx atlas, an enormously large silk moth. This gigantic moth has never before been seen alive in Europe; and if it can be introduced into France it will prove of the greatest commercial value. Its cocoon is extremely large, and weighs nine grammes, whilst those of the ordinary worm do not exceed two grammes in weight. The grub lives on the leaves of a species of barberry shrub. NEW MODE OF PREPARING WORT.-The Brewers' Journal states that an invention has been registered by M. Hychert, of Paris, for a new way of preparing wort in the making of beer. His plan is as follows:- I throw ! upon the ground malt, intended for the vat, enough cold water to form a thick mass. I take care to mix well the malt, to let the water penetrate into all its parts. I then let the mixture remain for about an hour, to obtain the dissolution of the diastase; at the end of that time the excess of water is let out containing the dissolved diastase. Stirring well, I add to the mass in the vat or copper, whichever it may be, which still contains a notable quantity of diastase, a sufficient quanity of hot water to arrive at a temperature of 75 deg. The mixture being perfectly homogeneous, I let it remain some time, and then boil it or let it attain at least a temperature of 90 deg., be it in the vat (if there is a way of introducing steam) or be it in the copper, but mind and stir it well, or the malt will adhere to the sides of the vat or copper. Keep it boiling for about an hour, taking care to stir it constantly; remove it then to the vat (in the boiling has been effected in a copper), and let it cool down to 75 deg.; now should be added the best part of the dissolved diastase, which being nearly cold, produces a fresh coldness. All this should be done whilst stirring, which must be continued for some time afterwards. Let the mass stand for about another hour, and then let off the wort, which, if the tempering has been successful, should be quite bright and clear, having a soft and agreeable taste. now add to that remaining in the vat the rest of the dissolved diastase and enough water to raise the temperature to 75 deg., and again proceed in the manner before advised. If the malt in the first place has been properly ground from the first tempering, nearly all the starch will have been turned to sugar; but if the ground malt has not been enough crushed, you make with profit a third or several temperings, in which case you must be careful of your diastase. By this proceeding all the existing starch is converted into sugar, which augments considerably the quantity of wort, and makes it singularly bright and clear; it does not contain any particle of amidine, and is perfectly free from dextrine; and, again. being nearly all sugar, it results that the beer manufactured has a very agreeable taste, and will keep a considerable time without turning sour." Commerce. You may In THE FRENCH WINE TRADE.-The vines everywhere promise well, presenting a brilliant aspect, which induces great hopes both in respect to quality and quantity. most vineyards the vintage will begin early this year. GERMAN YEAST.-The payments made for German dried yeast during the last ten years will probably excite some surprise from their magnitude. In 1855, the value of this import was £143,851; in 1856, £171,374; in 1857, £180,378; in 1858, £111,539; in 1859, £172,215; in 1860, £184,079; in 1861, £186,337; in 1862, £204,404; in 1863, £209,837; and in 1864, £231,748; a yearly increasing amount, and forming an aggregate value in the ten years of more than one million and three-quarters sterling for this simple article. CHINESE TEA AND SILK.-The shipments from Chinese ports to the latest dates were 117,913,545lbs. of tea, being 722,2021bs. above last year's export, and 30,719 bales of silk, nearly 10,000 bales less than last season. HOPS.-While the import of foreign grown hops appear to have fallen off this year, they have very greatly increased since 1850. In that year the imports were 6,479 cwt. ; in 1854, 119,040 cwt.; in 1861, 149,176 cwt.; and in 1863, 147,281 cwt. The value has increased considerably. In 1860, £568,901; in 1861, £657,763; in 1862, £723,034; in 1863, £626,660; in 1864, £549,863. TIMBER AND WOOD.-There seems an increasing demand for timber, judging by the increase in the imports of last year. In 1855 the value of the timber and wood imported was £3,567,870; in 1860, '61 and '62, an average of £4,500,000; in 1863 and '64, nearly £5,000,000. Of these sums foreign timber and wood contributed in 1855, £1,645,108; in 1860, £2,238,021; and in 1864, £2,569,585. WOOL. There is not an active demand for English wool among the staplers in the manufacturing districts, and the collectors of wool do not find it easy to sell at rates current a few weeks past. There is, however, more than an average consumption, and prices can hardly be quoted lower. The manufacturers are well employed in the clothing districts, and the value of colonial and other wool is well sustained. The progress of the woollen trade has fully kept pace with, and perhaps outstripped, the advance in the imports of the raw material. Thus the value of the woollen and worsted manufactures exported from the United Kingdom in 1850, was £8,588,690. In 1853 it made a bound to £10,172,182; in 1859 they made ano.her great stride, going to £12,053,708. In 1862 they rose to £13,148,431; and, in 1864, to £18,566,078. Last year's figures were of course swollen by the high price of raw material, but 1864 was, nevertheless, a progressive period. These details refer wholly to the export trade; but the home demand for woollen and worsted goods has also immensely expanded during the last fifteen years. BEET-ROOT SUGAR.-The following is from the Journal des Fabricants de Sucre of July 27th:-"Floods of rain have followed the violent storms which have borne devastation into the North, l'Aisne, l'Oise, and La Somme; the beet-root again shoots forth vigorously, but has in many places lost its leaves from the effects of the hail, while the grey worms or other insects continue, wherever they have settled, the course of their destruction. Such are the salient facts of the position of a crop the appearance of which begins to manifest itself, although its result is yet difficult to estimate. Thus, as we have previously said, a good part of the crop, about two-thirds, is out of the question; its return will reach probably more than that of the average; as to the rest it is impossible to make the least valuation. With these late rains it is to be feared that the plant will for a long time remain green, and will then ripen badly. On the other hand, the beetroot which has lost its leaves will be retarded, and the new leaves will form to the prejudice of the saccharine part. In Germany and Belgium where they suffer the same phenomena of temperature as in France, there exists also a great deal of uncertainty about the future of the cop, which everyone agrees to consider as incapable of exceeding that of the past year, which, in the Zollverein, reached the amount of 165,000 tons, and which, compared to a normal year, such as that of 1862-63, was much better than in France. Taken altogether, it seems to follow from this information and these estimates, that, on the whole, there will be this year in Europe at least as much sugar as last year, and that the surplus, if surplus there should be, depends entirely on the temperature from now to the end of September, that is to say, from - THE EAST DARLING DISTRICT, NEW SOUTH WALES. -An interesting report has been drawn up by the Assistant Commissioner of the Albert district of a tour through what has been known as the dry country, to the east of the Darling, and lying between that river and the Lachlan. Mr. Byrne's journey extended over 700 miles of this country, and his report as to its capabilities is favourable. Three or four years ago the occupation of this country was considered remote; the river frontages were taken up by settlers, but it was thought dangerous to settle beyond the reach of the river. But the completion of the railroad to Echuca, together with the increased supply of steamers on the Darling, has lessened the difficulties of transit, and given a greatly increased value to the land. The necessity for finding fresh pastures for the increase of flocks and herds, together with the emigration of squatters from Victoria, has stimulated the demands for sheep runs in this district, and so far as the taking up of fresh pasture land is concerned, this portion of the colony of New South Wales has been the most progressive. Mr. Byrne, in his report, divides the country he traversed into four varieties the mountainous, the undulating, the salt bush and the scrub. The first three can be mostly utilized; though some of the more mountainous portions seem too rugged to be very inviting. The salt bush country is not all plain, as has been generally supposed, though there are very large stretches of level country in it; the gullies in this broken country may hereafter be found to offer fine opportunities for making dams for the stowage of water. On the flat country Mr. Byrne felt the want of water very much, and his party was on one occasion three days without it. The creeks that run down from the hilly country soon vanish, as the soil is very absorbent. Wells and tanks are absolutely neces sary for the plain country. Except in localities where irrigating canals can be cut from the river, Mr. Byrne does not speak of permanent water anywhere; even in the mountainous districts the larger creeks do not appear to retain water for more than three or four months after rain. The formation in these ranges is mostly limestone, which is not considered the best for the production of nutritious grasses. The undulating country contains a fair supply of timber; the soil is a soft, red loam, and bears a very good herbage. It is heavy to travel over, and it will probably be found that railroads are the best roads for Riverina. Across the level country lines suited for the traffic could be made for £3,000 to £4,000 per mile. PROVISION AND LABOUR MARKET IN THE COLONIES.The following Table, extracted from Messrs. Silver and Co.'s" Emigration Circular," gives the prices of provisions and the wages of various classes of labour in the colonies, at the dates mentioned : LABOUR MARKET. COUNTRY. Per Annum with Rations. рив имор шор рие шлу ५२ р puv £ £ મ ри моя 18. to 18.6d. 2 6 to 3 01s. to 18.1d. 258. to 288. 6d. 68. 18. 3d. 1s. 2d. 38. 88. 18. 18. 6d. 38. 6d. 18. 58. 6 to 2 6 18. 6d. 8d. 88. 19. 6d. 23 2 6 to 3 6 3 6 to 4 0 Publications Issued. LES EUVRES DE LAVOISIER. Edited by M. Dumas. 3rd volume. Paris.-M. Dumas, of the French Institut, has just presented the third volume of the works of the famous chemist Lavoisier to the Academy of Sciences of Paris. All the world knows how vast were the services of that great chemist, but few are aware, perhaps, that he fell a victim on the scaffold. M. Dumas' work will greatly increase the interest that surrounds the name of Lavoisier, who was not only a chemist, but a labourer in almost all branches of physical science. Amongst the few practical remains of his labours that exist is a gigantic thermometer which Lavoisier constructed, and which still exists in the cellars of the Observatory of Paris. The object of this instrument was to exhibit variations of temperature however slight, and each degree is represented on the scale by a space of four inches. It appears, according to the statement of the Imperial astronomer, M. Le Verrier, that its indications do not agree with those of other instruments, and it is proposed by him that another instrument should be constructed on the same scale, in order to correct this discrepancy. It appears also that Lavoisier contributed largely to the scientific and administrative reports which appeared under the name of his friend Bailly, who fell with him under the revolutionary axe; the notes left by Lavoisier on this subject are very extensive, and M. Dumas has included the substance of them in the volume which has just been presented to the Academy of Sciences. Notes. PUBLIC WORKS IN PARIS.-The extent to which demolitions, changes, improvements, and ornamentation are being carried on in Paris is already without parallel; but it appears that what has been done during the last dozen years is, after all, merely a commencement. The Prefect of the Seine has asked for the large sum of two hundred and fifty millions of francs, or ten millions sterling, to carry on the work of transformation, and the Corps Législatif has acceded to the demand, backed, as it was, by the Imperial Government, but with a protest in the form of a minority of 50, the majority numbering 173. The question is a mixed one, composed of political, social, and industrial elements. One party argues that the amount of work projected is far too large, and the expense ruinous; another that the workmen of certain trades, such as masons, carpenters, joiners, and painters, are being drawn to the metropolis in vast numbers, to the detriment of other parts of the country, with the further danger of their own demoralisation from the fact of their being withdrawn from their families and their connections, and flung into the turmoil of a luxurious and crowded city, where living is dear, and temptation to excess of all kinds great, and, in addition to all this, with the possible danger in prospect of an end of the work, a great fall in wages, and general discontent; a third holds that, however desirable may be the changes projected, it would be far more economical, and more conducive to the general well-being and comfort of the population, if execution were spread over a greater space of time. These are no doubt very serious questions, and deserve the attention of all political and social economists, who, moreover, can hardly expect ever to have such another extraordinary case presented for their study as that now furnished them in Paris. The large sum in question is to be raised on terminable annuities of sixty years, the issue of which is to be spread over a term of four years. Of course the exact application of the whole of this money cannot yet be known; but some important items are already settled. In the first place, the cost of piercing new streets and opening up various parts of the town, which are now crowded, ill-drained, and inconvenient, is estimated at seventy-five millions, or three millions sterling. Another great work is the conversion of the old military road, which now forms the outer ring of Paris, into a series of noble boulevards; the present road is only about thirty feet in width, the new boulevards will be four times as wide, and will be planted with four rows of trees, two rows on each side, with a promenade between. The entire length of these new exterior boulevards will be more than twenty miles. An immense garden or pleasure ground is being made at the Buttes Chaumont or Saint Chaumont, lately one of the wilds of Paris, a huge irregular piece of ground where plaster quarries have existed for centuries. The new parc will cover more than fifty-five acres. The ground, having been excavated in parts to depths of from one to two hundred feet, will be partly laid out in terraces, and one great hollow is being converted into a lake of considerable size. On a promontory is being constructed an exact counterpart of the Temple of the Sibyl at Tivoli. This park will be a great boon to the population of this almost inaccessible and heretofore deserted part of Paris. Amongst the buildings to be executed are, the new opera house, which is considerably advanced, and the Hôtel Dieu, which is to be rebuilt. The reconstruction of this hospital has given rise to much controversy, there being a strong opinion against its re-erection on a small island, but the opposite party has triumphed, and the new Hôtel Dieu is to be built, according to the plan proposed some time since, and published in the Journal, on the same island but on the opposite bank to that occupied by the existing hospital. It will be nearly in face of the Palais de Justice, and behind the new Tribunal of Commerce, will cause the suppression of nearly all the old narrow streets still existing in that half of the old city, and will have the Seine and the Quay Napoleon on one side, and wide avenues on each of the other three sides. The counter project of erecting only a small hospital of reception on the island, and a much larger one, in direct communication with it by means of an underground railway, in a more salubrious situation away from the river, was rejected on account of the alleged inconvenience which would result from its adoption, not only to the patients themselves, but to the medical men and pupils of the medical schools. Amongst the improvements to be introduced into the new hospital are mentioned the placing of the kitchens, bath-rooms, store-rooms, and other subsidiary departments in the underground floor, and the connecting the whole together by means of a railway. The ground floor, as well as the upper stories of the building, are to be devoted to sick wards, each being provided with a spacious parlour or day gallery, washing rooms, and a shaft down which soiled linen and everything to be got rid of will descend direct to the vaults underground. A litt, large enough to hold a man sitting or lying, is to serve the whole of the floors. Amongst the more ornamental works now in course of execution or to be carried out, are, the placing of sixty new candelabra on the Place de la Concorde, which is already lighted by as many such lamps, and by eight rostral columns, each carrying two lights; the place will be illuminated by no less than a hundred and thirty-six large gas jets. The number of lamps along the whole length of the avenue of the Champs Elysées is also to be doubled. The angular spaces opposite the front of the Church of the Madeleine have been planted with trees of several years' growth, and supplied with fountains, flowers, and seats, fixed and moveable. The decoration of the walls of the great court of the Hôtel des Invalides, with mural historical paintings, by M. Masson, is proceeding rapidly, and those portions which are finished are spoken of favourably. The Hôtel de Ville is being thoroughly renovated, outside as well as inside; and amongst other decorations in hand is that of the Municipal Council Chamber by the painter Yvon. The subjects selected for this purpose are four episodes memorable in the history of the city: Clovis, habited in Roman purple, |