St. Croix Avis (Christiansted, St. Croix [V.I.]) 1844-Current
March 3, 1865

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o 3 X FEE !:3; o S X 3% g SR 2 W— o] ._4‘. 3 g e R, A L V.t -n\;i 3 i Umße e 3 o] 1. M g T A g 53} e oo 851, s 8, iy i, b SIS e A e SO g S i ERO R AT G a i ;{‘%‘é R 34 e 0£ S =y '('fi): Fi) _a.{%;-_ s 5 ;«':.\:.".",:."F, e e Vi ST o i AR il R R o Riha! +3R OO <Sy Bl 20 SRR 10 h2OE R Dty so LR e YRR PN e LESENE RS s R O R fi RS, R e 35y A"\ 0 v SN A P 53 "‘?s.‘ e o R SR S Ty B ek ity BT v N S 55 AR s Torsy i e -‘Q;*-é‘; 3 ~;‘a¢ est Sl B AL TP *L’;;f\ r.:«j 85. I v Fors Ay s G e T Bt T St D <)AB)]R3 e s oY e o ThUWER: HANS HHATUHETT THYET I ENEEN HABTRIET HATCHETY 'S BOUTEYREERL 21de Aarg.] The “AVIS”? ISEDIT:D BY HANS HATCHETT; EVERY T?’;;)Slg‘j\n\g.i}f\'sl?l“RlDAY. for the Proprietress. Lutheran Church, Christiansicd. On Sunday the sth Instant, there will be divine service held for both Lutheran Congregations in this Church. e S S SR TABLE OF THE FALL OF RAIN during the week from 22nd ¥eb. to 28th Feb. Christiansted. Frederiksted. King's Hill. Lines. Lines: Lines. Feb. 22, 0 03 0 w2O 0 0 0 24 0 0 0 "t an v 0 0 26, 0% 03 1} 2% 0 04 0% 58 10% 13 43 23 33 T 088 CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR THE ISLAND OF ST. CROIX D. W. 1., Fesruary I4IH, 1865. h\;' @Tfl F F is hereby given, that U 5 henceforth, no tra veller, except immigrant passengers, dircctly entering an American Port by sea, will be allowed to enter the United States from a foreign country without a passport. If a citizen the passport must be from the Depart ment of State, or froim some U. S. Minister or Consul abroad, and if an alien, from the competent authority of his own country; the passport to be countersigned by a diplomatic agent or consul of the United States. This regulation will be strictly en forced by all officers civil, military, and naval, in the service of the Unit ed States. No immigrant passenger coming in manner aforesaid will how ever be obstructed, or any other per sons who' may leave a foreign coun try on their way to the United States, before intelligence of this regulation could reasonably be expected to reach them. E. 1. PERKINS, U. S. Consul. have just received by the Bark /In telope Brig Nellie the follow ing articles which they offer for sale on reasonable lerms, viz: VMEAL IN PUN. BBLS. Superfine Flour

in whole bbls. 3 R;E FLOUR. AVY BREBAD —in pun. bbls. CHRISTIANSTED, FREDAGEN den 3die MARTS 1865. PILOT BREAD IN BARRELS. CANDLES. STARCH. LARD INPANS. Butter in 25 lbs. kegs. MESS PORK. BEEF IN BARRILS. Fulton Mkt Beef in and 1 bbls. HERRINGS, MACKAREL, SALMON IN BBLS. Scale Fish in 4 quintal boxes. HAMS. BACON. Matches. SHORKED HERRINGS. EMGLISH SOAP. Green and Black Tea, Eihds. Shooks. RED OAK STAVES. WHITE OAK STAVES. White Pine Boards. Pitch pine Boards Laths Norway pinc Boards for FLOORING- Spruce boards. Spruce, Norway Pine P. P. Scantling, assorted sizes. SPRYOE 2L AN, ALBANY SHINGLES. BOSTON Ditto. CYPRESS Ditto. BANKIXG PLOUGHS N 0.22. Salt in Barrels. CAPA FUSTIC POSTS. TOP CUTTERS. Plough Socks. Hydraulic Cement. Tar in Barrels. Christiansted February 21, 1865 Roche Bros. Co. nAUCTION. ÆUCTIONS-Directeuren bekjendt -3 dgjor herved, atifølge Requisi tion as St. Thomæ Skifteret som he handlende afdide Anna Lavinirs Bo vil i Medfor as Placat 22 April 1817 blive opraabt til Salg ved 3de offent- lige Auctioner den Stervboet tilh6- rende faste EITIENDOMWM E 43 IVE Nr. 7 Prindsensgade, Kronprindsens Qvarteer. Iste Auction afholdes Onsdag d. 15de Marts næstk. KI. 12 Middag. Qden Auction afholdes Onsdag den 29de Marts næstk. KIL. 12 Middag. 3die Auction afholdes Onsdag d. I?te April næstk. KI 12 Middag. Iste og Qden Auction paa underteg nede Contoir, ådie Auction pea Aa stedet. Conditionerne, Panteattest og Vur deringsforretning ville blive fremlagte ved Auctionerne, hvortil Lysthavende indbydes. St. Thomæ Auctions Contoir, den ILåde Februar 1865. ERosenstand, Auctionsdirecteur. ATUCTION. SFHE Vendue Director hereby T makes known, that at the re quest of St. Thomas Dealing Court in administration of the estate of Mrs. Anna Lavinir deceased is offered for sale by 3 Auctions in conformity with the Royal Ordinance dated the 22nd April 1817 THE PROPERTY No. 7 Prindsensgade, Kronprindsens Quarter, belonging to said estate. Ist Auction on Wednesday the 15th March next at 12 o’clock noon. Znd Auction on Wednesday the 29th March next at 12 o’clock noon. 3rd Auction on Wednesday the 12th April next at 12 o’clock noon. Ist and second Auction at the under signed office, 3rd Auction at the pre mises. The terms of the sale, Extract of mortgage and appraisement to be seen at the Vendues to which pur chasers are invited. St. Thomas Vendue Office, the Isth February 1865. Rosenstand, Vendue Director TheUndlersigned have just received; pr. Schooner “DRA GON,” the followiug Articles, viz: Cheese, Butter, Lard, Pork, Hams, Pota toes, Onions, white Flour in whole and half Barrels, Starch, Rve flour, Cori Meal, Quarter Barrels family Beef, white Bedns, &c., &c., &e. February Slh, 1865. 18 Finlay Ceo. [Bir, 18.

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AUCTION. EFTER Begjæring as Procurator Bahneberg paa vedkommende Pante- og Udlægshavers Vegne, vil blive opraabt til Bortsalg ved trende offentlige Auctioner i Overeensstem melse med Placat 22de April 1817, Eiendommen Perseverance) beliggende i Compagni Qvarteer her paa Oen under No. I Lt. B, tagen ved Execution fra Hr. F. E. Huyghue. Auctionerne afholdes saaledes: lste Auction, Liverdagen den Iste April næstkommende. 2den Auction, Loverdagen den Iåde April næstkommende. Bdie Auction, Loverdagen den ?29de April næstkommende, de to forste Auetioner paa Auctions Contoiret i Christiansteds offentlige Retshuus No. 10 i Kongensgade, den tredie paa den sælgende Eiendom, alle Eftermiddag KI. I slet. Auctionsconditioner, Vurdering, Panteattest m.v. ville være til Efter syn paa Auctionscontoiret i Christian sted samt paa Procurator Bahne bergs Contoir fra den 27de dennes. Christiansteds Auctionscontoir, St. Croix den 2den Marts 1865. J. A. Stakemann. AUCTION. Y request of Lawyer Bahneberg in behalf of the mortgage and levyholder concerned will be exposed for sale at three public Auctions con formable to the Placard of 22d April 1817 The Property 6P 99 rerseverance situated in Company’s Quarter in this island No. 1 Litra B, taken by levy from Mr. F. E. Huyghue. The Auctions will be held as fol lows Ist Auction, on Saturday the Ist April next, 2nd Auction, on Saturday the 15th April next, 3rd Auction, on Saturday the 29th April next, the two first Auctions at the Auction Office in the Courthouse, No. 10 in King’s Street, Christiansted, the third Auction on the premises, all of them at 1 o’clock afternoon. Conditions, appraisement, mort gage-certificate etc., can be seen at the Auction Office, Christiansted, and at Lawyer Bahneberg’s Office from the 27th instant. Christiansteds Auction Office, St. Croix March 2, 1865. J. A. Stakemann. BANK OF ST. THOMAS. OTICE is hereby given that the divi- H dend of Four and a half per Cent on the paid up Capiial of this institution, declared at a Meeting of Proprietors held this day, will be payable at the Bauk to- SSTe CROLX AV] S morrow and every’day after, during the hours of business. St. Thomas, 23rd February 1865. A. WOLFF, Manager. WANTED TO BORROW $20,000. for which a liberal rate of interest will be allowed and good security given. Any person disposed to lend will please ad dress Borrower” at the Post Office, with real name, which wi!l be attended to. AUCTION. AUCTION. Y request of Capt. Harboe, will be sold from the Store yard of P. W. Schousboe Esq. on Saturday 11th instant, at 1 o’clock, Sundry Articles consisting of 2 to 300 Pine Plavks 3 to 9 inches thick and 10 to 20 feet long, a quantity of other Lumber, Spars, Boards, Scantling, empty Puncheons, Water Casks, Provi sions, Shovels, Oats, Barley, Oilmeal Bran in Hhds, bags barrels. ALSO 300 FUSTIC CAPA POSTS. St. Croix, I'rederiksted 15t March 1865. R, J. Robinson, Auctioneer. For sal Ol (]J ‘e’ imported pr. Ship “Birgitte Melchior” A SPANISH JACK, very large. 2 HORSES, 2 extra young and large MULES. Please apply to Capt. I'. Harboe, or R. J. ROBINSON. Frederiksted 27th February 1865. From the St. Thomas Temes, February 22.) We would remind the public that the list of’ persons qualified to vote for Mcem bers of the Colonial €ouncil, will -contin ue to lie on the table of' the Town Court until the 28th of this month, and that those possessing the qualifications should be sure that their names have been en tered thereon. Ou the other hand it is with regret we learn that s great many persons who possess the right to vote under the SSOO qualification have omi'ted to claim the same, giving as a reason that they find the rules tor obtaining the ne cessary proofs by far (6o exacting, and it may be said, too serutinising into one’s private affairs, and therefore prefer to forego the right of a vote, rather than to be catechised ou points which they hold to be purely their own business. If it should prove by this new method intro duced into the Colonial Law for voting, that it has served to curtail the number of voters, the Government may vet find that it is in its own interest that the num ber of Electors should rather be over than under what it was during the old Colonial Law. e e S American. 7 }"rom'tbe New York World, February 17.) There s every reason for believing that General Sherman has ere this time captured Branchville, and is now advan cing with his victorious columns on Co lumbia. The news received last night also war rants the belief that the city of Charles v ton, the birth-place of secession, is now in our possession. According to our latest despatches, General Gillmore was in command of the column operating against Charleston, and had suceeeded in crossing the Ashley river, thus gaining position in the rear of this city. It is also probable that Fort Johnson has been captured, which work commanded the approach from the sea. These two positions held by us, the occupation of the city could not be long deferred. Hence the strong ground for believing that the old flag now waves over the spot which first fired upon it, and the city in which secession was cradled has been forced to succumb to the sieady and triumphal march of the Union army. (From the New York Ilerald, February 17 THE SI'PUATION. General Sherman, the terror of rebels, still moves steadily and majestically across the State of South Carolina. The advance of his lelt wing was on Monday last seventeen miles north of Branehville, and within fifty miles of Columbia, the capital of the State, while his right was immediately in front of the city of Charles ton, only two uiiles distant, and threat ening it. On the next day—Tuesday last —itis indicated by the Richmond papers that his cavalry had reached the North eastern Ratilroad, and tiius severed the last remaining link between Charleston and the rebel capital. His troopers were be lieved to be also in the vicinity of Flo rence, the important point of convergence -of the railroads communicating between South Cavolina, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, and near which town were recently coufined a large number of cap tured Union soldiers. ‘The rebel papers admit that there is nothing to stop Sher maun’s army, and expeet that the naticnal flag will svon be floating over Charles ton, Augusta, Culambia and Raleigh. We have received Fort Fisher des i ;,mtchcs gi\'ii)_’ additional details of the movement towards Wilmiington, N. C,, on last Saturday, by the national forces an i nounced in yesterday’s Herald. The troops engaged were exclusively those of General Terry’s command; but the ope rations were directed in person by his superior officer, General Schofield. They were most suceessful, and what at first appeaied to be only a reconnoissance in force terininated in a permanent advance, the Union lines being moved forward two miles, after considerable severe skirmish- I ing. The new ground was held, and i works were Immediately thrown cp on it almost as strong as those in front to which the rebels fell back. 'The Union casualties during day.were only about ten killed and fifty wounded. Oar Consul at London has informed the government of the sailing from King ston, Ireland, of the steamer Ajax, which, it is not doubted, is intended for a rebel pirate. Her armament had gone or would go out in a sailing vessel. Notwithstand ing the fact that she is small, it is believ ed that she will be able to do much dam age to American shipping if she gets started in her meditated career. It was thought she would go to Nassau before taking on board her guns. The sealing of the port of Wilmington against the English-rebel blockade run-. ners has been a fearful blow to the little town of Nassau, in New Providence Isl and, Bahamas. Our correspondent in-

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forms us that complete stagnation in trade has suddenly succeeded.to the great com mercial activity which so lately prevailed there. In its harbor on the 3rd instant there were lying idle over thirty steamers and about a hundred”sailing vessels re cently engaged ian the contraband trade with our Southern rebels, and the ware houses are filled with goods for which there is now no market. The rebel pi rate Tallahasse, now called the Chame leon, was at Nussau in the beginning of this month; avd the attention ot the Go vernment had been called to her by the United States Consul. The United States gunboat Hounduras arrived here on the 31st ult., and her commander asked per mission to anchor in the harbor, but was refused. On Tuesday, in the court at Montreal, the rebel muster roils brought from Rich mond by the messenger Cameron were presented by the counsel of the St. Al bansraiders. These purported to be certifi ed by Seddon, late rebel Secretary of War, and Benjamin, Secretary ofyState, and con tained the names, asregularly commission edofficersin therebel army, of the defendants. A documentoverthesignatureof**C. C.Clay, Jr., Com., C. 8. A.,” was also presented. It contains the instructions to Lieutenant Bennett Young for raids on St. Albaus and other Vermont towns. 'l'wo marshals from this city have arrived in Montreal tor the purpose of taking charge of the prisoners in case they are surrendered. Our files of late rcebel papers present some very curious and interesting discio sure regarding financial and military mat ters in Jeff. Davis’ domivions. Their new currency is now counsidered of less value than the old; there 1s no money, even of this worthless character, 1n the Treasury to settle the immense outstand ing accounts, and taxation is declared to be as heavy as the people can stand. The proposal to conscript the negroes by wliolesale having received an adverse de cision in the rebel Congress, the scheme ot calling on them to volunteer is now being warmly discussed. We have also accounts of rebel military movements in North Carolina, and preparations made to oppose the march northward of General Sherman. e DISTRESS IN JAMAICA. The Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society have just issued a circular with regard to the condition of the people of Jamaica. The circular says: During the past two years the island has suffered most fearfully from drought, 50 that the provision grounds, on which a very large portion of the peasantry depends for sub sistance, have failed to afford them the means of support. The suffering thus occasioned has been severely aggravated by other causes. The American war has not only diminished the sup ply of breadstuffs, but made dearer ‘what bas come to hand. The increase in the cost of cotton goods, from the same cause, has been rendered more oppressive by the heavy cus toms duty, which increases with the higher value of the articles, while at the same time the means of purchase bhave been largely diminished by the deficiency of employment on the estates and plantations. The want of employment, and the failure of the provision grounds, have therefore plunged large portions of the population into the depths of poverty. Their clothes are become ragged, and multi tudes are almost naked. Petty thefts and the robbery of provision grounds, arising chiefly from absolute want, have more than doubled, reodering it necessary, in the judgment of the governor of the island, to build new prisons and to ioflict heavier punishmests. All moral and spiritual improvement is brought to a stand. Sohools are being broken up and the school masters dismissed. The attendance at public worship has greatly declined, owing to the want $Te CROLX AV I S of decest clothing. The pastors of the church es and congregations, dependent on their peo ple for support, necessarily participate in this suffering, and unless promptiy assi:ted will be deeply involved in debt, or drviven frowm thuir posts. The comuwittee will be glad to redeive from you aud your friends such contributions, either of clothing or money, that you may be able to bestow, and to relieve, to the best of their ability, this great distress Wilmer Smith's European Times, January 205. BANKRUPTCY ADMINISTRATION. Annexed is a case which, extraordinary and disgracetul as it may appear, is only one of hundreds, that yearly occur of a similar character, as a natural resuit of the present state of the bankraptey law. In this instance the features of the aftair are so peculiarly gross that the in stitution of Chancery proceedings might have a summary effect by frighteaing all the parties concerned with the prospect of publicity; but, as a geueral rule ex perience has demonstrated that it is worse to seek a remedy than to submit to the evil, so that the Bankruptey Courtis now regarded solely as an incubus on trade, which evables thriftless or dishonest per sons by threatening a resort to it to com pel their creditors to accept any alter native that may be offered them:—Every commercial man in England must feel gratefal to the Lord Chancellor for his zealous endeavours to improve our bank ruptey laws and sympathize with the fecl ings expressed in his recent letter to Mr. Paget, for really the evils inflicted on the business community by the solicitors who cultivate that branch of the profession almost pass belief. Toshow you, how powerless we are against them, let me state a case well-known to several mer chants in Manchester. Nearly five years since a merchant in London, with an es tablishmentin India, failed. The creditors in this country were numerous. A large stock of goods existed in India, said to be worth close on £70,000, which seemed sufficient to pay 16s. to 18s. in the pound. After some delay the creditors executed a deed appointing two trustees onein Manchester the other in another large manufacturing town, both of them respec table business men, but who have un fortunately allowed themselves to be ru led by a number of lawyers. They em ploy a firm of solicitors in Manchester, another where the second trustee lives, “one 1n London, and at least one in India. To this day not one penny has reached the unfortunate creditors, and, to aggra vate them further, the sufferers can obtain no information as to how maltters now stand. The last meeting held was about three years ago, but early in August last year a requisition, signed by fourteen re spectable firms in Manchester and Lon don, was presented to the trustees re spectfully begging of them to call a meet ing and give the creditors some informa tion as to the position and prospects of the estate. 'T'o this most reasonable re quest the trustees, acting, we must sup pose, under the influence of their solicitors, have not yet deigned to give any answer whatever. Once, or perhaps twice, they have gone through the farce of sending to some of the creditors, for their perusal, copies of a letter, or twa, written by one of the firms of solicitors—say by the one in Manchester o the onein London, with the reply of the one in London handinga copy of his letter to the lawyer in India, saying it was a long time since they had had the pleasure of hearing from him Re-—y," eto. We are told we might perhaps find remedy by filing a bill in Chancery against the trustees, but you will readily under stand that to an active man of busines: the time and attention required, the doubt of succeeding, the expenses to be incurred, and the annoyance coasequent on such a proceeding, are, as the Lord Chancellor justly says, suflicient to make the credi tors abanden estates in despair.”’—Lon don Times. WHAT LORD CHANCELLORS COST THE COUNTRY. There are now no less than four ex- Lord Chancellors: to wit, Lord Broug ham, Lord St. Leonardt, Lord Cranwork, and Lord Chelmsford, each receiving a pension of £3OOO a year; besides two Irizsh ex-Lord Chancellors—the Right Hon. Joseph Napier, and the Right Hon. Francis Blackburn, each receiving £3692 os. (a curious sum this?) Our old friend Brougham has received this £SOOO a-year for thirty vears altogether, therefore, he has taken £150,000 for doing nothing; and, I think, we may say that during these thirty years the country has paid in salaries and pensions to Lord Chancellors at least a million of money, which is over £33.000 a-year.—lll. London Times. HREPORT ?fi\ 59 L Os the Receipt of Deposits at the St. Croix Y- g Ll SAVINGS BANK, On Saturday, 25th February 1865. e Receivers: IN CHRISTIANSTED J. Colberg, Esq., Trastee. James Moore, Esq., Member. IN FREDERIKSTED Counsellor C. E. Rahr, Trustee. Amount of former deposits.. $229,451 14 8 deposits of 20 cents each. 20 above 20 cts. and under sl. X B bt 5. 3 it 5 10. t 39 o 20. 1 5 50. s"7“(lo.posits, of which 46 in Christiansted amounting 6., 39 97} 11in Frederiksteddo. 22 46 e 104 43 Total 229,555 67 Balance of deposits 48,342 63 1 new deposit account, viz.: 1 Various. 13 Withdrawals amounting t0..5940 14. Receivers for Saturday, 4th March 1866. IN CHRISTIANSTED: Robert Finlay, Esq., Trustee. L. Coakley, Esq., Member. INn FREDERIKSTED Geo. Walker, Esq., Trustee. S. Wescott, Esq., Member. GEO. BEHAGEN, President, St. Croix, 27th February 1865. T P R 2575

g, Henldlir AGENT FOR ROYAL INSURANCE COMPANY FOR FIRE LIFE: TIN ST, CROIX, it g SUB-AGENT IN FREDERIKSTED.

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Post Magazine and_lnsurance Monitor, Jan. 28. ON THE BEST MODE OF PROTECTING LONDON FROM THE RAVAGES OF FIRE. By Cuas. F. T. Young, Esa., C.E. Fire, like the rest of the clements when pro perly used and controlled, is an excellent serv ant and assistant to man; but, when it obtains the mastery, it is, as we fiad from past and con tinued experience, a most terrible and ruthless tyrant, destructive alike to life and property, and perfeotly indiscriminate in its ravages. The palace and the hovel, the prince and the pea sant, the old and the young, are equally open to its destructive influence and it becomes the bounden duty of all to do their best to prevent its doing mischief, and confine its powers with in those bounds in which it is found to act most beneficially for man. Carolessness and wilfulness are the two best sllies by whose influence it so frequently ex cceds its bounds, and against these it is impos sible always to guard; consequently we find, from the earliest ages, provision mads for resti tution or punishment, according to the origin of the fire, and in the caso of wilfulness it was punished by death. From a death by fire or burning we all in stinctively shrink, and with reason, for a more fearful or terrific termination of one’s existence cannot be well imagined therefore, as when a fire once breaks out it is impossible to foretell the extent of its ravages, or the loss of life that may ensue, it is proper that the punishment for arson should be made most severe, and also that for culpable carelessness, the effect being the same though the motives may differ. A large fire, especially amongst much inflam mable material, is an awful and magnificent sight, and one usually as ruinous and fatal in its results as it is extensive and magaificent in appearauce. In a few hLours the labours of a lifetime, or even of a generation, disappear, leaving in their place a shapeless, useless mass of ruin, and the owners or dependents house less or penniless, aud frequently to commence again those labours and exertions that possibly another year or &0 would have rendered unne cessary. Lo provide some means for counteracting these dreadful effects seem to have been a part of the 'business of every civilized nation from the earliest times; and there can be no reason to doubt that such means existed and were in use, in most of the celebrated cities of antiquity, such as Nineveh, Bubylon, I'yre, and others; for it is difficult to believe that the engineers and mechanicians of those citics, whose talents and skill are 8o well known, would have omitted to provide some means of counteracting or ex tinguishing fires, the fearful ravages of which were well kaown and would be of such injury to toeir magnificent cities. That this was the case i 8 rendered the morc probable from our findiog that Piiny the Younger wrote to the Euwperor Trajan asking permission to establish a fire brigade of 150 men, into which he pro posed to admit only those of that business: and we find him stating that the town of Nicomedia was burnt, because of the laziness or indifference of the inhabitants, and from waut of proper machines. or apparatus for extinguishing the flames. When ancient Rome was rebuilt, eve ry citizen was required to keep in bLis house “a machine for extinguishing fire but what those machines were we are not informed. As io those days there were buckets, mops, hooks and oyringes, it is reasonable to suppose that they were the latter for we find the dimensions of these squirts when employed for extinguishing fire, were generally regulated by those of the building in which they were to be used. Pilioy, in speakiog of fire machines, uses the term “Sipho,” which by some is taken for piper or water tubes; but in a passage from a fragment of work of Appolloderus, the architect to the Emperor Trajan, we are told that when a fire oocurs in the upper part of a house and the «Sipho’’ is not at hand, to take leather bags and fill them with water, connecting long pipes to them and then, by compressing the bags, the water will be threwn to certain heights; thereforae it is fair to say, from this description, tbat whatever the “Sipho’’ may have been, it was evidently s fire eagins for if such a rude contrivance as that described was applicable in ST CRBOLDX AVI S its stead, it must be tolerably evident that the “Sipho’’ was an efficient machine for the pur pose. The ancient Romans, we are told by Suetoni us, maintained bands of trained firemen called matricularii, whose duty it was to extioguish fire, aod therc were also firemen in all the pro vincial towns. Petronius mentions their cut ting away with axes, and throwing water from buckets at fires. To the ancients who lived near 2,000 years ago we are indebted for the modern manual engine, which was invented by Ctesibius, of Alexandria, an engineer of that city, who lived in the 165 Olympiad, or about 2,000 years B.c. His pupil, Hero, of the same city, describes one in his “Spiritalia,” which had metal cylinders—metallic pistons—spindle valves, with guards to prevent their openiog .too far—a goose neck, form:d by a kind of swi vel juint—sowerhing like a union or coupliog screw—the application of an air vessel—two puwps forcing the water through one pipe—nand one lever to work both pumps; all these are features, some or all of which have been reviv ed and brought forward in modern times as great improvements or inventions. It wou!d be tedious, would take too much time and be foreign to my present purpose, to give a consecutive account of the different laws, ordi nances, rules, and regulations, made from these times for extinguishing or controling fires, but they will be found fully treated of in anew work on the sutjeet sbortly to be published; therefore I propose to commence with what bas been done to protect London since the Great Fire in 1666. The enormous destruction of property by this tremendous counflagration scoms to have convinced the Government and city authorities of the imperative necessity for some well regulated means and appliance for the controlling of fires, and Acts of Pailiament and Common Council were passed to obtain them. The city was divided into four districts, cach of the twelve companirs and aldermen were to provide themselves with brizon eyrin ges, leather buckets, ladders, pickaxes, shovels, and, to obtain the water required for the eugines and squirts pumps were ordered to be placed in all wells, and fire plugs in several main pipes belonging to the New River and Thames Water Works. Ta the official report or account of the Great Fire, dated Whitchall, September Bth, 1666, it is romarked that “this lamentable fire in a short time became too big to be managed by any engines,” thus showing that some appara tus besides the hand-sqnirts must have been in use. These hand-squirts were worked by three men, one on cach side to hold and dircet, and one on the piston-rod to force the water out, just the same sort of thing as was used some 1800 years before Io 1708, the 6:h year of Queen Aunne, it was enacted that “‘cach parish shall keep a large engine and a hand engine, and a leathern pipe or socket of the same s&ize as the plug or fire cock (of the water mains) that the socket may be putinto the pipe to convey the water clear to the cngine,” under a penalty of ten pounds. It also provided that the first person who ar rived with a parish engine to extingui-h a fire was entitled to 30s reward; the second, 20s. and the third, 10s.; provided the engines were in good order, “with a socket or hose or leather pipe.” This Act, with the usual characteristic of English Acts of Parliament contained no provision or regulation for the payment of the expenscs of working these engines at fires, nor did it impose any obligation on cach parish to take the engines to a fire; therefore, if the engines and required appliances were provided by each parish, the Act would be duly compli ed with, and they need not be used at all, but kept locked up, if it pleased the parish authori ties to do so, without in any way contravening the provision of it—a fine example of ihe legis lative wisdom of the Solons of the 18th century. In 1709, the owners and keepers of ‘‘other large engines” (not parish engines) were en titled to the same reward upon arriviog with them and assisting in extinguishing a fire. In the same year, an Act was passed by which it wag enacted. “That every servant by whose negligence or carelesspess a fire should be occa siones, should forfeit £IOO, or, in default, be im%rison'ed and kept to hard labour during eighteen months.”” "Ja the case of setting fire to a house wilfully, it was made a capital of fence, punishable by death. From this time a period of nearly one hun dred years elapsed, viz, to 1808, without any really efficient system for protecting the metro polis from fire being brought forward, or @ny thing being done. except a little “tinkering” by Acts of Parliament, in relation to parish en gines, &c. In 1808, however, Sir Fred. Mor ton Eden, the then chairman of the Glode In surance Office, attempted to form a fire engine establishment, for the protection of life and pro perty from loss by fire. He proposed that each Office should furnish 20 firemen, that all mat ters relating to appointments of firemen, and the business coonected with the proposed establish ment, should be managed by an Engine Com mittee and that cach office should pay an equal contribu‘ion towards the expenses of the esta blishment. By the end of the year, Sir Frede rick was convinced of the time not being yet come, by finding that only one Office, out of all the number, namely, the At/as, could be got to join him consequ:ntly he gave up the att-mpt. About the year 1823, a union similar to that propised by Sir F. M. Eden 17 years before, was formed by the Swn, Union, and Royal Ez change, who placed all their engines and men under one superintendent and some time after wards they were jhined by the Atlas and Pheniz. On the Ist Jan 1833, the Loudon Fire Engive Ilstablishment was formed, by ten of the Ipsur auce Companies united, with the view of re duc ing the scparate expenses of each Office, ond giving mutual assistancs at fires. These ten Offices were the Alliance, Atlas, Globe, Imperial, London Assurance, Protector, Royal Exchange, Sun, Union and VWestminster, and thus, after the lapse of quarter of a century, was the sys tem proposed by S'r F. M. Eden eartied ioto practice, chicily through the exertions of Mr. Bl Forde, a leadinr Director of the Sun Fire Office, and it consisted of 80 men and 19 sta tious. Up to'this perird the engines and plant of individual Office:, aund thos: belonging to pa rishes, and some of the large private firws, wera the only m-ans available for use in cas2 of fire; and at the present moment there exists no pub lic means for this parpose, we being as it seems content to rely on private enterprise for that protection which it is the bounden daty of <the public, and the public only, to sapply it being a matter of vital importance to the publie, indi vidually and collectively, that such means be provided and maintained in the highest state of efficiency. The protectinn obtaived from the existence of parish engines is of tiie most ineffectual charac ter, thouoh there are some notable exceptions, such as St. Ann’s, Soho, Hackney, Islington. and a few others, for we find, from the evidenca given by Sir Richa-d Mayne before the Select Commirtee of the louse of Commons in 1862 on Fires in th2 DMetropolis, that they are “mostly at churches and workhouses, under the charge of b:ad'es or private persons, who are paid a trflinz sum by the parochial authori ties. At great fires they sre quite inefficient, and at trifling fires thoy are not wanted. There are 98 parishes in London who are bound by the old law to keep two eagines in each parish, if they do it, it is no doubt done in an ineffectu al maoner.” We ulso learn from the same evidence, that of the engines for which engine keepers and sma!l rents are paid, one is said to Le bricked up bebind® blacksmith’s shop and if a fire happened where its sorvices were re quired, part of the wall of the house would have to be pulled down to get the engine out, and a man is paid for looking at it occasionally possibly with the view of seeing it does pot run away of its own accord. Sometimes a parish engine may bo sreen run ning express to a fire, at the rate of abouta mile and a-half an hour, pulled and pushed by half a doz:n poor old worn out fellows from the workhouse, cscorted by a crowd of all the little ragamufiins of the neighbourhood, and in such a state of perfect order and efficiency, that when arrived at the fire it cannot be put to work this has actually happened under my own notice. [To be continued.] inD executed at this Office JOB PRINTING v estaess wna s patch.