The Express. — London, England, 1867-12-14 00:00:00

PARIS EXHIBITION IPTILST-CLASS SILVER MEDAL, 1867 1 JOHN BROCIDZN. nRIGINAL GOLD CHAIN MANUFACTORY, NJ , 111. KINALITTA-811111111T. COVIST-GILADIN. JOHN BROOME/4'S 18-oarst GOLD CHAINS. JOHN BROGDEN'S GOLD GUARD CHAINS. JOHN BROODEN'S GOLD ALBERT CHAINS. JOHN BROGDEN'S GOLD BROOCH CHAINS. PRIER MED AWARDEDI. ALLEN'S ( PATENT AL PORTMANTEAUS and TRAVELLING BAGS, with square openings. LAMES WARDROBE TRUNKS, DIMMING BAGS, with gayer fittinga DESPATCH BOXES, WRITING and DRESSING CASES. and NO other articles for home or continental travelling. Illustrated catalogues post trees . Also Allen's Barrack Furniture Catalogue of Portable Bed steads. Drawers, Easy Chain. Washhaadatands, Canteens, tic., J. W. ALLEN Manufacturer and Patentee, 37, West Strand, Loudon. W.O OVERCOATS for the PRESENT SEASON. Gentlemen who do not mind paying a (Mr peke for limb dam WLNTYJI OVERCOATS can depend on the beat materials at HAMILTON sad KIMPTOWS, Tailors and Oreroost-makets, 106, STRAND, OPPOSITE EXETER-HALL. BREAKFAST.-EPPB'S COCOA. DAVIES'S beautiful HARD WAX and SPERM CANDLL4, Is, per lb. ; palace psrafilln candles, la td. =7lll. 61. and . la 10d. ; entente wax, : eomposite, 8441., . and 100.. moulds, Bd.. dips, eld ; soap, Ma, 405., 44a, and 48e. per 118 lb. ; mottled 491. ; best Colza oil, 4s. 6d. per gallon ; for cash, at IL P. DAVID sod -AN'S wax chandlers and Italian Oilmen, 63, PA. Moines -awe, w.C.—Liete post tree. gite erVrefifs* TO COREEBPONDENTE. &sailmanta intended for " The Irprea" London Evening =,must be at the Moe. Bouverleatreet, by Two on the dar of publication DRURY-LANE. THIS EVENING. THE DOGE OF VENICE. Idr. Phelps, Messrs. J. C. Cowper, H. Sinclair, t Phelps, Barrett, Temple, de. , Mrs Hermann Veva, Ilia Grattan, ete.—Aad THE LADIES' CLUB. Mesdames Beatrit Shirley, Kate Hardest, IL Vaminnhoff, dc. BAYMARKRT. TIIIS EvErngo, OUR AMERICAN :WEIN. Messrs. Bothern, Raymond, Gor ton, Rogers, de. : Mee.busee Chlywn,tale. Burke, Wright, Robertson, &c.—TO PARIS AND BACK FOR. KA. Mr. Buckstone.—Aud TUE SPECTRE BRIDEGROOM. Mr. Raymond. Tins EtriNll4, A LITTLE FLIRTATION.—Atter which THE COLLEEN; HAWN. Ileum Boardman, D. Murray, E. Atkins, O. Neville. J. G. Shore. H. Stclloe . &c.. Hrs. Bandeault, & Misses Barnett and laswortlyy.—And NO. ONE ROUND THE CORNER LYCEUM. Tnta ETIMITNO. PP.RFECTION. Mt. )fend fthelley.—And ROMEO AND JULIET. Mann. W. Ley and Ryder; Min Veravall, Mn. Manton, sad Was Maly Palmer. Tan imago, NOTEUNG TO KUM& Mr. Thorne and Mira Ne•ton.—KlND TO A FAULT. Mom. Panetta, Belford, and JUNO Mesdames Johnstone, Onynne, and Hughes. —And WILLLILII TELL WITH A VZ.NOSANCH., TIT/3 Emma, FOR LOV HO E. LB ORN. Mears. H J. Nlontspne, Price Garden, Westland, and H. Widdieamb ; Mesdames Stephens,, Remade, C. Saunders, 46.c.—And MARY TURNaIt; OR, THE WICIOUB WILLIN, Miss Josephs. ANNTa. inn Erman, THE KINGS DItTH-TRAP. lkons. Rey. Bolds, Bell, te. ; Mrs, S. Law. —Mr. Mark Floyd ; Mr. sad Mrs. Loran & Mr. J. 11 11Beent—CAPTAIN ORRALD. ilessn. Bowe Charlton, Ice.: Madames Comdata", Booth, thc. NIGH WATER AT LONDON BILTDOT.. run Doti —Morning. 3k Urn_ —..AtOgrnoon, 4h. 7s. TO- 11 01tagir—Morning. 4k 31 =--...theniook 4h. 55m. LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14. Ir is our painful duty to lay before our readers this morning the narrative of an outrage which in the diabolical wickedness of its design and in the murderous consequences attending its execution has scarcely any parallel or precedent. The tale is told elsewhere, but we may repeat its chief incidents here. Yesterday afternoon, at about ten minutes to four o'clock, in the light of day and in the midst of the traffic of the streets, a keg of gunpowder, covered with a tarpaulin, was carried on a truck through Cor poration-row, Clerkenwell, and deposited on the pavement against the wall surrounding the exercise yard of the Clerkenwell House of Detention, in which the alleged Fenian " Colonel " Berms is confined. It was conveyed by three men and a woman, who scarcely tried to con ceal themselves, trusting no doubt to the suddenness and shock of the explosion to cover their retreat. One of them applied a fusee to the barrel, which, after burning for two or three seconds, fired its contents. The wall of the prison-yard, which is between twenty and thirty feet high, and two feet thick, was lifted up and driven in, brick by brick, for many yards of its length ; and eight houses on the opposite side of the street were shattered, and more or less completely destroyed. The two immediately fronting the part of the wall against which the barrel of gunpowder was placed were entirely demolished, with the exception of the front wall of 'one of them. These buildings, which are lofty and spacious, were sub-let in numerous tenements, and densely crowded. The injury done to life and person is appalling. Three persons, two men and one woman, have been killed, and lie now in the dead.house of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Besides these, a woman and two children are miming, and are believed to be buried in the ruins of one of the houses, though up to a late hour last night the researches of the firemen had failed to recover the bodies. Be tween forty and fifty persons have been wounded, of whom most have received fearful, and some, it is too likely, deadly injury. They include per sons of every age and both sexes—from the old man of nearly ninety years, to babies and young children. Thirty-two of these poor creatures have been received at St. Bartholomew's, six at the Royal Free Hospital in Gray's-inn-lane, and five at the Clerkenwell Workhouse. The House surgeon of St. Bartholomew's declares that during his fifteen years' residence he has never seen wounds so fearful nor so much blood. Happily for the ends of justice, three of the four persons believed to be concerned in this infernal massacre have been arrested. Rumours that an attack of some kind was meditated had reached the autho rities, and three policemen in plain clothes patrolled the building. At the sound of the ex plosion they rushed to the spot whence the noise proceeded, and arrested two of the men and the woman—the last, it is said, an habitual visitor to Braxe—who had conveyed the keg of gun powder to the place. The man who actually applied the fume escaped, the constable who endeavoured to seize him having been knocked down by the shock, but it is believed that the fellow is known, and that his capture will be speedily effected. The feelings of indignation and horror which this diabolic outrage excites do not need to be heightened, and cannot, indeed, be fittingly and fully expressed in words. Its wickedness is portentous and almost superhuman. The mind shrinks from dwelling on the sights and sounds of distress which the Hospital walls enclose, on the physical tortures of the unhappy victims of the outrage, and on the mental anguish of those who discovered there the friends and relatives they sought for but feared to find. Possibly the perpetrators of the crime did not know the full force of the explosive material they used, nor the strength and resisting power of the wall, and THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1867. the resulting force of the serial rebound that de stroyed the houses on the opposite side of the way. But they knew that they were dealing with a murderous instrument, and were putting to hazard uncounted innocent lives. We do not prejudge a case which will be tho roughly sifted ; but it would be affectation to ignore the fact that the instinctive suspicion which points to Fenian' as the perpetrators of the out- rage is confirmed by circumstances. The hour at which the explosion took place, was that in which " Colonel" Bums usually took the air ; and the wall which was blown down enclosed the yard in which he walked. The Governor of the jail had, however, on the day previous to the outrage, changed both the hour and place of the pri soners' exercise. Jf the previous arrangement had been adhered to, BURKK and CASEY might have escaped. Until some other possible motive for the attempt is suggested, the public mind must inevitably believe that the liberation of the suspected Fenians was its object. OUR CONTEMPORARIES. (THIS DAY.) Litt Court. WINDSOR CASTLE, Dm 13. The Queen, accompanied by Princess Christian, and attended by Lady Waterpark, drove out yesterday siternoon, and honoured Major-General F. H. and Lady Beady Seymour with a visit at Holly-grove. The equerry in waiting was also in attendance. Her Majesty walked in the grounds this morning, accom panied by Princess Louise. Princess Beatrioe rode in the liomapark. The Dean of Windsor and the Hon. Mrs. Wellesley had the honour of dining with the Queen and the royal family yesterday. Mr. Theodore Martin arrived at the Castle yesterday, and had also the honour of being invited. A deputation from Kidbrooke, Lewisham Union, con sisting of the Rev. W. Woodman, M.A., Mr. J. B. Spen cer, Mr. John Moore, and Mr. D. Christopher, bad an in terview with the Earl of Devon, at the office of the Poor law Board, Whitehall, yesterday. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has been passing this week at Buokenham-ball, Norfolk, with the Earl and Countess of Dudley. The Prince and several distinguished visitors have had good sport during the week in the preserves on the estate. On Thursday even ing the Earl and Countess gave a ball, the company com prising, in addition to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Earl and Countess of Tankerville, the Earl and Countess of Leicester and the ladies Coke (two), Viscount and Viscountess Royston, Sir W. Rogge, Bart, M.P., the Hon. T. de Grey, M.P., the Hon. C. Vivian, Major Grey, Mr. H. Chaplin, Sir Edmund and Lady Leon and Miss Lacon, Viscount and Viscountess Chelsea, Sir George, Lady, and Miss Nugent, Sir Willoughby and Lady Jones, Lady A. Hervey and Miss Hervey, and a large number of members of leading county families. The Prince of Wales opened the ball with the Countess of Dudley. Supper was served at one o'clock, and the festivi ties were prolonged until far into yesterday morning. The Duke of Sutherland has passed through town on his way to Trentham Hall, from visiting the Earl and Countess of Dudley at Buckenham Hall, Norfolk. The Bishop of Rochester and Hon. MIS. Claughton have arrived at Himley Hall, Dudley, from town. irtuott. SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY. The five hundredth ooncert given by this society in the large room of Exeter-hall took place last night, when Mr. Costa's oratorio Nauman was performed. The solos were assigned to Madame Lemmens-Sher rington, Madame Rudersdorff, fildlle. Dresdil (in con sequence of the indisposition of Madame Sainton- Dolby), Mr. Cummings, Mr. M. Smith, and Mr. Bentley. The soprano solos belonging to the character of Adah were given with much refinement and expression by Madame Sherrington, the air, "They shall be turned back," and the beautiful prayer with chorus, " Maker of every star," being especial instances of these quali ties. The subordinate soprano solos and recitatives of the Shunamite woman, and her more important air, " Look up my son," were given with much earnestness by Madame Ruderthorff, who sang the same music on the production of the oratorio at Birmingham. Millie. Drasdil (who replaced Madame Sa'nton•Dolby at short notice), it may be remembered, made a highly favourable impression at the Norwich Festival of last year. This young lady, who has a genuine contralto voice of sympa thetic quality, sings with much earnest feeling and pathos, her delivery of, the beautiful air of the resuscitated child, " I dreamt I was in' Heaven," last night meeting with an unanimous encore. Mr. Santley's splendid declama tion and finished style in the music assigned to Elisna was as admirable on this as oa the several other occasions of his performance of music which has been identified with him from the first hearing of the oratorio ; his airs, " Arise 0 Lord," "The seed gall be prosperous," "Lament not thui' (encored) ; and the dramatic " Invocation" scene, being characterised by the best qualities of vocal art. Mr. Cum mings, in the arduous music given to Nauman, written for and originally sung by Mr. Sims Reeves, sang like the thoroughly prepared and efficient musician that he has so frequently proved himself to be ; in the trying air " In voking death," displaying considerable declamatory power. Mr. M. Smith was an efficient second tenor in the concerted music and incidental recitative. The well known trio " Haste ! to Samaria," admirably sung by Madame Sherrington, Mdlle. Draadil, and Mr. Cummings, narrowly escaped the usual encore ; which, however, the equally beautiful and more important quartet, "Honour and glory," received. The choruses were given with great power and precision ; the impressive " Sanctus" being somewhat marred by a refractory continuous note of the organ, pro longed by a mechanical accident technically terra' d "cyphering." The hall was very full, and the applause which greeted Mr. Costa on taking his place as con ductor and at the close of his work, together with the general gratification apparent during the progress of the oratorio, will render the occasion as agreeable to him as the recollection of this five hundredth performance must be to all those associated with an institution which hu now attained so high a position as the Sacred Har monic Society. CRYSTAL PALACR.—Madame Ruderadorff and Mr. Vernon Rigby are the artistesat this afternoon's con cert. Schubert's symphony in C and the finale to Lorcley are included in the programme. DRURY-LANE THEATRE. —Mr. James Guiver, the treasurer of Drury-Lae Theatre, announces that his benefit will take place on Monday, Dee. 16. The entertainments will cousin of The Doge of Venice and The Lodi& Battle. We hear Mr. Mapleaon has engaged the Lyceum Theatre for operatic purposes after the termination of the pantomime.—Mutical Standard. To-morrow (Sunday) there will be an ordina tion in the chapel of King's College, London (adjoining Somerset House), by the Lord Bishop of Labnan, who is an associate of that college. Service will commence at 11 o'clock. The offertory will be devoted to the church in Borneo. Meetings of legitimists and clericals are taking place in certain Parisian hotels. to plot the best means by which they can aid the reactionist agents now working in certain large towns of the peninsula for the return of the exiled sovereigns. Several friends of the Neapolitan Bourbons, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and the Dukes of Modena and Parma, are making their appearance in Pails. . _ . The number of volunteers who have gone to the support of the Pontifical throne brings up the effective of the Papal army to about 11,000 moo, consisting of 3,500 Zonaves, 3,000 gendarmes, 1,500 of the legion, 1,000 native regiment, 1,500 foreign battalion, 300 dragoons, 80 artillery, and 120 engineers. A meeting of the committee, appointed at the meeting held in the cotton sale room on Tuesday last to farther the formation of a cotton spinners' and manufac turers' exchange, was held yesterday afternoon, at the Trevellyn Hotel, Manchester, under the presidency of Mr. Richards, of Kirkham. Numerous expressions of encouragement to persevere in their object were reported from various districts, and from Manchester itself. A sub-committee of three was appointed to confer with the proprietors of various buildings, which in the opinion of the committee seemed capable of affording temporary .ftywmmarlatinm WHITEHALL, DEC. 13.—The Queen has been pleased to order a conga d'elire to pass the great seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, em powering the dean and chapter of the cathedral church of Lichfield to elect a bishop of that see, the same being void by the death of the Right Reverend Father in God Dr. John Lonsdale, late bishop thereof ; and her Majesty has also been pleased to recommend to the said dean and chapter Dr. George Augustus Selwyn (now Bishop of New Zealand) to be by them elected Bishop of the said see of Lichfield.—Gazdk. ------- ---- WHITEHALL, — DEC. 12.—The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. Henry Grey Graham to the church and pariah of Nenthorn, in the presbytery of Kelso, and county of Berwick, vacant by the transportation of the Rev. John Barclay to the parish of Old Kirkpatrick.— Gazdte. FOREIGN OFFICE, DEC. 9.—The Queen hag been graciously pleased to appoint Joseph Hume Burnley, Iraq., now secretary to her Majesty's logation at the Hague, to be her Majesty's charge d'affaires at Dresden. The Queen bas also been pleened to approve of Mr. Thomas Kerr Lynch all consul-general in London for hie Majesty the Bhah of Pemba—dinette. _ - THE PALMERSTON &ATTE IN PALACE-YARD.— A OOMMMMOR for the statue of Lord Palmerston, to be erected near the houses of parliament, has been entrusted by the committee of subscribers to Mr. Thomas Woolner. The site which has been fixed upon is one of the finest in London, being at the corner of the new enclosure in Palaoe yanl, immediately opposite the Peel monument. The work is to consist of a single colossal figure, eight feet in height, and is to be commenced immediately. EXPRESS FROM PARIS. (raoit on (Ant PARIS. FRIDAY Ramo. The Libert4 mentions as latest gossip in the lobbies a rumour which I have not hitherto seen in print—that the general elections will take place in January, 1868. It also states that a decree fixing new electoral districts for the next five years will appear in the Maui teur on Tuesday next. The precise day named may be erroneous, but there is no doubt that shortly, and probably very shortly before the elec tions, the existing electoral circumscription _ will be broken up. The government has a right to do it ; and it generally exercises the right in such a manner as to throw the constitu encies into the greatest confusion possible, and enhance the difficulties which the law puts in the way of anything like reasonable and equitable con cert and deliberation in the choice of a candidate. A writer recently commenting on this system, said, " The government is not to be blamed for resorting to such manteuvres ; but it is to be 4 pitied for feeling them necessary." The Patric (which, however, is very often wrong) says there is no truth in the rumours of a dissolu tion, and that it will, at all events, not take place before March 31. The • Franche Comte is prosecuted before the correctional tribunal of Besancon for having replied upon a "communicated note." It will be a surprise upon the whole press of France if it should be found guilty of such a charge. In worse times than the present, when communiques were first invented, the press, in its terror, re garded them as sacred things, which it was not lawful to criticise. But after November, 1861, when the press began to hold up its head, it was found out that no laws gave " Monsieur Commu niquiS," who, it must be remembered is an anonymous gentleman, the last word. The papers are forced to insert any communi cation, however long, with which this voluntary contributor may choose to enrich their columns ; but of late they have not seldom answered the official lecture inflicted upon them. M. Michel Chevalier in particular has ferociously pulled to piecesagreat many of M. Haussrnann's conanuniquis to the Debat about the or.troi duties. Replies would be more frequent and more vigorous were it not for this consideration that Communique may go on ad infinitum if he pleases, and his contributions, though having the advantage of being gratuitous, are seldom interesting reading. The Superior Council of Public Instruction has fully adopted M. Durny's plan for the finishing education of girls which so stirs the bile of the Bishop of Orleans. It is especially worthy of note that this council numbers among its members five prelates, one of whom is the Archbishop of Paris. President Schneider persists in his refusal to be chairman of the jury of honour to which the diffe rence between Viscount de Kerveguen and MM. Havin and Gueroult is referred. It would be un pleasant to him, he says, to have anything to do with an inquiry which must necessarily result in a verdict against one or more members of the Corps Legislatif. He recommends the parties to choose three more arbitrators. The four deputies first named have held a preliminary meeting, not as at first reported, at M. Schneider's house, but in one of the committee rooms. There is no probability of a decision for some time to come. A grand fairy spectacle, in the style of the old Olympic revels called " Gulliver," which has been long in preparation, was brought out last night at the Thdatra Chatelet, with Mdlle. Schneider, of Belle Helene and Duchess de Gerolstein celebrity, for the principal actress. The rage for theatrical novelty is so great in Paris that the suc cess of a first night is no guide whatever to the real merits of a piece. English people with leisure will, of course, like to see a French version of " Gulli ver's Travels." It soems there are a great number of puppets to represent Lilliputians, and great scenic effects, with the flying island of Laputa ; a very pretty girl, who throws up not unfrequently her horse's vizor, plays a leading Houhynym ; but the most striking report of the evening is that boxes cost 201., stalls 51., an uncomfortable extra seat called a strapontin 21., and that as late as midnight business was done in checks for the pit at 10fr. At the Bourse the Bente more than recovered the fall of yesterday, closing at 691 r. 80c. for cash, and 69fr. 65c. for account, with a rise of 30c. and 25c. Italian rose 20c. Mobilier and Credit Foncier, however, remain at the last quotations. Italian news is in arrear, and all the Italian papers are seized. THE FENIAN OUTRAGE. Tho atrocious act in Clerkenwell is, as will be supposed, the chief topic dealt with in the morning jour nals. It is terrible to think, observes the Times, that there are, no doubt, still among us others planning out rages equally dastardly and deadly, and that any day may bring some disastrous news. As to the Fenian conspiracy I itself, it must be evident that the time is past for clemency and forbearance, and that in dealing with the Fenian. pub lie opinion wiU need rather to be restrained than instigated. While doing strict and stern justice on the guilty, we must separate them in our minds from the excitable and de luded. Our first thoughts, however, must be given to those who have been the victims of this plot, who may be said to have suffered in a public cause. The Daily News, pointing out the almost stiperbumam wickedness of the act, observes that with all the re searches of our detective police we know little of the inspiring principle and organisation of Fenianism. For an hereditary chief an Irish peasant will en counter any peril, but a similar allegiance to half foreign adventurers is a new thing. It may be, however, that a greater peril is behind them, and that men such as Allen and the presumed authors of the Clerkenwell out rage are the blind instruments of a secret power, and the sure victims, in case of disobedience, of a secret vengeance. Should it prove otherwise, and that these men are volun teers in a forlorn hope the mystery and embanassment of Fenianism are greater than it is easy to realise, and he is sanguine who will predict its end. The Post presumes that another special commission will at once be issued to try the persons now in custody for the deed, for it is essential that, if it can be brought home to them, their punishment should follow swiftly and surely. The Standard says there were ominous cries in the crowd last night for Judge Lynch. It is plain that the extreme limit of conciliation and forbearance has been reached. We know now what sort of men we have to deal with, and how to deal with them. This latest act will put to flight, remarks the Tdegroph, all that sentimental sympathy which has been lavished on the Fenians in some quarters. The detestable act of yesterday has • fearful value of its own, since it plainly discloses the true nature of the league, and the enormities which spring from it. The Star describes the act as a crime, not merely against the law of an individual State, but against society and humanity itself. These Fenian leaders, demoralised by • war in which blood was spilt like water, have become callous to the promptings of human sympathy, and strew death around with a revolting indifference. If they think they thus serve the cause of their wonky they fall into • terrible error. This crime of theirs will send • thrill of horror to the remotest region of the earth. The prohibition of the funeral processions has come, the Times thinks, not a day too soon. In the case of a hostile movement intended and planned to develop itself continually into something more dangerous, the precise time for intervention will always have to be carefully con sidered. In this constitutional country we cannot " nip evils in the bud," as they do elsewhere. THE WEEKLY PRESS. The Saturday Review believes it to be a truth that catholicism is gaining strength in France. The priests tight for the ten.porel power as for • symbol of their authority, and an object which they have agreed to think absolutely indispensable to their church, and the re cent vote of the church ought to be set down clearly as a clerical victory. But it was not only a clerical victory. It was also meant as an assertion of a particular line of secular policy. If the present storm blows over, the action of France may possibly not be quite so decided as the Chamber has now resolved it shall be ; but, for the immediate future, it is difficult to exaggerate the gravity of the situation in which France has placed Italy and herself by the triumph of H. Thies. After years of energetic foreign action Napoleon has succeeded in restoring the isolation which be bated and feared so much. Het has made Germany and Italy feel that he Is hostile to their development. He has exas perated Russia by touching, without settling, the Polish question. He has alienated America, frightened Belgium, and deserted Denmark. His ministers pretend to have won over Austria ; but Austria seems very unlikely now to commit herself to any anti-German enterprise. - . . . The Examiner complains that neither in legislation or in administration has Ireland the benefit of constitutional government. No man has depicted in more telling terms than the present Chancellor of the Exchequer the painful exigencies of the " Irish question ;" and no man knows better than he how worse than vain it is to hope for peace, prosperity, or contentment while that question remains unsolved. Yet not an effort or a proposal worthy of the name is made in parliament by the existing Ministry to mitigate the social and sectarian injustice which has driven so large a portion of an oppressed community mad. As for the executive, it is helpless, save only to chase and cage a few of the political lunatics here and there ; but as for general measures of cure, Lord Aberoorn and his ad visers do not appear to have so much a• thought of them. We read in the Spectator s—Frederick Raker, the attorney's clerk who cut up a little girl at Alton, has been sentenced to death, and the day of his execution bar been fixed. No one doubts his guilt, or that his guilt deserves the highest penalty, but serious doubts are entertained of his sanity. He was always esteemed peculiar, and so strong was his tendency to suicide, that he wee watched on one occasion by a policeman through a long walk. His father years ago bad an attack of acute mania, with homi cidal tendencies, and another relative is now in an asylum for the came reason. Then the act itself, in its motive less atrocity, is not that of a sane man, and the entry of the murder in the prisoner's own diary can be explained on no theory except that of insanity. It is urged, on the other hand, that his fellow-clerks saw no insanity in him, and that he knows right from wrong; but the doubt in the cane seems too strong to justify execution. Until our whole theory of punishment is changed, we cannot hang the mad without unsettling all the principles of the public mind. We might as well hang a man for a murder in his sleep, or for tumbling off a roof on to a puler-by. There m►y be danger to society without moral responsibility, but there cannot be guilt. The Royal Botanic Society announces, amongst its arrangements for 1868, an exhibition of spring flowers, to continue during one week, from March 21st to March 28th ; an American exhibition, to continue from June Ist to June 13th ; and three miscellaneous exhibitions of plants, flowers, and fruit, to be held respectively on May 27th and 28th, June 17th and 18th, and July lit and 2nd. There will also be lectures at the gardens on the following Fridays :—May 15th, 22nd, 29th ; June sth, 12th, 19th, 26th ; July 3rd. An Italian journal states that a number of the citizens of Spoleto (in the former territory of the Holy See) have sent the subjoined telegraphic despatch to M. Jules Favre :—" The volunteers and citizens of Spoleto, assembled at a fraternal banquet, send to you a heartfelt greeting—to you, the intrepid and magnanimous defender of Italy, as well as to your friends in the Legislative Body, and to Liberal Frame." LATEST INTELLIGENCE. AMERICA. THE PRESIDENT AND THE CONGENIS. We have this morning received the file of American papers containing the text of President Johnson's message. The telegram by the Atlantic cable and that from Queenstown, which we pub lished yesterday, render it unnecessary for us to give the whole message. But, in the case of the two following passages the President's exact language is interesting : RESISTANCE TO UNCONSTITUTIONAL LEGISLATION. How far the duty of the President to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution, required him to go in oppos ing an unconstitutional act of congress, is • very serious and important question, on which I have deliberated much and felt extremely anxious to reach a proper conclu sion. Where an act has been passed according to the forms of the constitution, by the supreme legislative autho rity, and is regularly enrolled among the public statutes of the country, executive resistance to it, especially in times of high party excitement, would be likely to produce vio lent collision between the respective adherents of two branches of the government. This would be simply civil war, and civil war must be resorted to only as the last remedy. Whatever might tend to provoke it should be most carefully avoided. A faithful and conscientious ma gistrate will concede very much to honest error. and some thing even to obvious malice, before he will endanger the public pesos ; and he will not adopt forcible measures, or Inch as might lead to force, as long all those which are peaceable remain open to him or his constituents. It is true that cases may occur in which the executive would be compelled to stand on its right and maintain them, regardless of consequences. If congress should pain an act which is not only in direct conflict with the constitution, but which will certainly, if carried out, produce immediate injury to the organic structure of the government ; and if , there be neither judicial remedy for the wrongs it inflicts, nor power in the people to protect themselves without the official aid of their elected defender; if for instance the legislative department should pass an sot even through all the forma of law, to abolish a co-ordinate department of the government—in such • case the President must take the high responsibility of his of and s►ve the life of the nation at all hazards. The so-called reconstruc tion acts, though as plainly unconstitutional as any that can be imagined, were not believed to be within the class last-mentioned. The people were not wholly disarmed of the power of self-defence. In all the Northern States they still held in their hands the sacred right of the ballot, and it was safe to believe that in due time they would come to rescue their own institutions. It gives me pleasure to add that appeal to our common constituents was not taken in vain, and that my confidence in their wisdom and virtue seems not to have been misplaced. BIGHTS OF NATURALINED CITIZENS. The annexation of many small German states to Prow* and the re-organisation of that country under a new and liberal constitution, have induced me to renew the effort to obtain a just and prompt settlement of the long-vexed question concerning the claims of foreign states for mili tary service from their subjects, naturalised in the United States. In connection with this subject the attention of Congress is respectfully called to • singular and em barrassing conflict of laws. The executive depart ment of this government has hitherto uniformly held, as it now holds, that naturalisation, in conformity with the constitution and the laws of the United States, absolves the recipient from his native allegiance. The courts of Great Britain hold that allegiance to the British crown is indefeasible and is not absolved by our laws of naturalisation. British judges cite the courts and law authorities of the United States in support of that theory, against the position held by the executive authority of the United States. This conflict perplexes the public mind concerning the rights of natural ised citizens, and impairs the national authority abroad. I called attention to this subject in my last annual message, and now again respectfully appeal to congress to declare the national will unmistakeably upon this important question. THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION. The correspondent of the Times from Armesley Bay sends the following despatch, transmitted from Suez on the 11th inst : " According to letters from Magdala to the 28th of October the captives were well. _ _ " Abba Balms, ibuna, and Enghty, three Tillages in Tigre, with a population of 12,000, had proffered friendship. "Four thousand Egyptian troops have mustered at Maaaowah." PRINCE LOUIS BONAPARTE'S OPINION ON ROME THE CAPITAL OF ITALY. The following is an extract from the Memo randum, signed in 1831 by Prince Louis Bona parte, now the Emperor of the French : According to my ideas Italy should be united into one nation, and should form but one family. It should have Rome for its capital. There should be one unit of weight, measure, and money. There should be no other custom houses than those on Its national frontiers. The chambers should assemble in Rome and the Pope should reside in the Vatican. But this chief of the church should only have a spiritual power. (REUTIR'S TELEGRAMS.) FRANCE. PARIS, Dec. 14. The Muniteur of this morning reprints the note inserted in the Moniteur of the 2nd February, 1866, recalling the legal regulations relating to the pub lication of reports of the debates in the Senate and the Corps Legislatif. AMERICA. (ay ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.) NEW YORK, DEC. 13, 6 P.M. The steamers Atlantic and Fulton have arrived out. Closing Prices :—Gold, 1331. Sterling exchange on London, 110. 5-20 United States Bonds, 107} ; Illinois, 133 ; Erie, 73. Cotton Middling Upland, 14. _ PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 13. Petroleum : Standard white, 25k. THE BOMBAY MAIL.—SCEZ, DEC. 11.—The Carnatic, from Bombay on Nov. 29, arrived at 7 p.m. to day. SURVIVING AN ExneuriON.—The Italian journals relate a most singular story. A soldier who had deserted and taken to brigandage was captured and condemned to death. Being brought out to the place of exe cution a firing party of five performed th e i r painful duty, and the sergeant commanding them perceiving that the man was not quite dead, gave him point blank the coup-de-grace. In the be lief that this was really a finishing stroke, the body was handed over to the gravedigger ; but as night was ap proaching the latterpostponed his office until the morning, leaving above ground what he naturally supposed to be a corpse. The unfortunate man, however, was still alive, and the cold night air, by irri tating his wounds. revived him. Painfully he dragged himself to the wall of the enclosure, against which he managed to place a ladder which happened to be there, got over, although all bleeding and with his arm broken by the bullets, and delivered himself up as prisoner at the nearest guardhouse. The Ministers of War and of Justice each claim this resuscitated victim of martial law, but the belief is that he will be pardoned. His wounds are not mortal and his arm has been reset. _ CONSECRATION OF ST. JAMES'S CHURCH, FULHAM. —Yesterday the church of St. James, at Moor-park, Fulham, wee consecrated by the Bishop of London. Th e district in the midst of which the new church is placed has grown up within a very few years and has now a populatif a of 6,000, chiefly a humble and bard-working class, the site being barely 1,000 yards from the Imperial Gas Company's worts, and immediately opposite the Britannia carriage manufactory of Mr. T. B. Aribford. The bishop preached from the text in Philippians, "Be careful for nothing ;" end after the service there was a collection which amounted ta76&61. THZ ROYAL HOSPITAL FOR DISEASIS OP TEI CHTST, Cm-ROAD.—The number of patients under treat ment at this hospital during the past week amounted to 857, of which 70 were new oases. The wards for in-patienta are now quite fall, ami the secretary is appealing for assistance to meet the heavy current expenses. HR. CHARLES DICKENS'S FIRST READING IN AMEPJCA. Mr. Charles Dickens's first appearance in Ame rica as a reader took plane at Boston on the evening of the 2nd. Tremont Temple, one of the largest halls in the city, was filled in every available part by one of the most appreciative and brilliant audiences ever assembled in New England. At an early hour the holders of the prized tickets of admission flocked into the ball, and before the appointed hour of 8 o'clock, every seat and the side aisles were occupied. The excellent police arrangements pm vented any confusion or disturbance attendant upon the grand rush into the hall. The Governor of Massachusetta was there, while literature and science were represented by Agaariz, Whittier, Longfellow, Lowell, and Holmes. The account in the Nelo York Tribune says:—" There sat Longfellow, looking like the very spirit of Christmas with . his ruddy cheeks and bright s o ft eyes looking out from the vest of snow white hair and snow white beard. Them was Holmes, looking crisp and fine, like a tight little grape-skin full of wit instead of wine. There was Lowell, as if Sidney him self had come back with hie poet's heart smiling sadly through hie poet's eyes. Here, too, was the elder Dana, now an old man of 80, with long grey hair falling round a face bright with shrewd intelligence, as able now as :10 years ago to write "Paul Felton" or "The Buccaneer." Running the eye over the hall one saw other men widely known. Charles Eliot Norton, whose translation of Dante's " Vita Nueva" may well stand Bide by side with his coaster Longfellow of the grander song. Them in the gallery is Edwin Whipple. Yonder is Fields, to whom all owe this great pleasure, for he suggested, urged, and made this visit of Dickens easy to him. Bishop Eastburn, over on the other side, see= thankful that clergymen have yet some pleasures left. There is Poole, the librarian of the Athenreum, one of our men who knows most about books, and Samuel Eliot, the President of the Social Science, and George Green, who recently crossed blades with Bancroft. Emerson's face I could not catch. Concord is far away, and snow storms no joke to travel in. Nor did Whittier come as was pro mised—Whittier, who has never in his life been present at an evening entertainment of any description, concert or opera, or even, strange to say, a lecture. He promised, but at the last his heart failed him, and the good grey head that all men know, did not blast our eyes to-night." A few minutes after 8 o'clock Mr. Dickens appeared unaccompanied upon the platform. He was greeted with clapping of hands, vociferous cheers, and shouts of " Wel come," and other entheisiastio manifestations of warm appreciation. The welcome was a most cordial one, and it cams from the elder of the city and vicinity. Mr. Dickens bowed his acknowledgments modestly. After silence was restored Mr. Dickens proceeded to read his "Christmas Carol," which occupied about one hour and a half. Ose account says :—" The very first words ' Marley was dead, to begin with ! That wu oertain,'—settled the question of sitcom. The way in which those words were uttered, showed also that the reading waif to depend for all effect upon the worth of what wu read, and upon the sincerity of the reader. From tint to last there is ft) trickery in it,—full of action, abounding in gesture, with a voice for every character in every mood ; with a face ice every man, woman, and child, reflecting every feeling, TLe reading of the "Trial" from "Pickwick," convulsed the audience with laughter throughout. THE MEMBERS FOR LEWES AND THEIR COX STITUENTR. LEWES, FRIDAY NIGHT. Thin evening the Right Hon. H. Brand and Lord Pelham addressed their constituents on political &daisy in the public lecture hall, WeststreeL The meet. ing, which wasp crowded, was called by the Lewes Liberal Registration Association, and the proceedings were of se enthnsiaetic description. Mr. B. GODLEE occupied the chair, and first called upon . _ . . Mr. BRAND, who was received with cheers. The right hon. gentleman said that amidst the multiplicity of great events which had occurred since he last met his con. stituents there were three which stood out in greater pro. kminence than any others. Two of these were foreign, and the third related to home affairs. They had during the past year witnessed the creation of a German nation with a German parliament, which was an event not only Important in itself, but of the greatest hope and promise. It was a meet cheering thing to think that in Europe there was now a nation of some 60,000,000 souls enjoying the blessing of representative government, and therefore he should say God speed to the German nation and its parliament. (Cheers.) The other event to which be alluded was one of deep regret, namely, the re-occu. tion of Rome by French troops. Everyone would agree with him that the presence of a foreign army in the heart of Italy, and against the wish of the Italian people, must place the integrity of Italy in a state of peril, and be a cause of uneasiness and danger to the peace of Europe. (Hear, hear.) He believed that so long as that occupation continued so long would the nations of the Continent be armed to the teeth. The one great event which had occurred at home had been, the passing of the Reform Act by the tories. He was not surprised to find them dealing with the question, but he was surprised at their passing a measure of so ultra a character and at the audacity of their leaders, and especially Mr. Disraeli, in stating that ever since 1859 the conservatives had been in favour of household suffrage. If they were so the secret was remarkably well kept, but for his part be did not believe that there was any sound morality or common honesty in the tory leaders having one faith among them elves and another for their followers. He showed by re ference to the past speeches and votes of the tory chiefs that not only bad they always opposed measures of pro gress but that they in particular objected to the extension of the suffrage, referring to Mr. Duneeli's address to the constituency of Bucks in 1865, before the general election, as confirmatory of his statement in that respect. The conduct of the tories reminded him of the defenders of a fortress who, when they could hold out no longer, instead of capitulating, formed themselves into a storming party, and themselves stormed the fortress, thereby obtaining the best of the loot. (Cheers.) He congratu lated the working classes on having at last got the fran chise, and did it in a spirit of confidence and friendship. At the same time they must remember that, when put on the register in 1869, they would in reality be upon their trial, and therefore it behoved them to exercise the fran chise, as he believed they would, wisely and well. (Hear, hear.) It was impossible to conceive a time of greater difficulty for new voters than the present, because they were, in consequence of the conduct of the tories, just now in a state of political fog. He remembered the times when the great political cry was, " Measures, not men." That was • very good cry, but a much better one in these days, he considered, was, " Measures and men." (Cheers.) He believed that those who would be put en the register in consequence of the passing of the Reform Act would know how to advance liberal principles by sup porting Mr. Gladstone, and be should be very much sur prised if they did not recognise that fact in 1869. (Cheers.) Lord PELHAM also addressed the meeting, and elicited the cheers of the electors by expressing a hope that his votes bad been found satisfactory. He eulogised the me deration of Mr. Gladstone in his conduct of the opposition, and especially for the assistance he had given the govern. meat in rendering the Reform Act one which the liberal party could accept. He admitted that the foreign policy of the government had on the whole been one of non-in. tervention, and that the measures introduced for the im provement of metropolitan workhouses were both neces. my and good ; and he expressed an opinion that some legislation should be introduced to improve the condition of the poorhouses in the provinces. Nobody regretted more than Ye did the unfortunate necessity for an expedi tion to Abyssinia, but he thought its necessity was ad mitted on all hands. He then alluded to ritualism, and expressed an earnest hope that they would see some legie lotion on that subject next year, expressing his opinion that it was far better to see theatres turned into places of religious worship than that our churches should be transformed into theatres. (Cheers.) After ex pressing his great regret that on the next election Leer would only have one representative in parliament, and making some remarks upon the political tergiversation of the tory party, he concluded by assuring the meeting that whether in or out of parliament he would always be found ardently supporting liberal principles. (Cheers.) The speeches of both hon. members were most cordially received, and on their conclusion Mr. Monk moved and Mr. Kemp seconded • resolution expressing the entire confidence of the constituency in them, and thanking them for the satisfactory manner in which they had dir charged their parliamentary duties. The resolution was spoken to by Mr. Verrall and Mr. Hodgkin, and carried unanimously. A cordial vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceedings. There is to be a Handel Festival at Sydenham next year. The opening of Mr. German Reed's operetta season, announced for this evening, is postponed till Wed. nesday next. The Bakerian Lecture of the Royal Society is to be delivered next Thursday (19th) by Professor Roscoe. d Owens College, Manchester, the subject being " Re- searches on Vanadium." A number of public-spirited engineers in Mao- cheater have subscribed a large sum of money (one firm, Messrs. Beyer, Peacock, and Co., gave no leas than 3,00011 for the endowment of a chair of engineering in connexion with Owens College. The fund is so far advanced towards completion as to justify the early appointment of • pro. falser. We (Westmoreland gazette) have authority to state that Mr. William Lowther, second son of our lsie rt presentative, the Hon. Colonel Lowther, will offer himself u a candidate to represent Westmoreland. CAPTORS or A GORILLA.—Mr. Walker, of Fer nand yae, has written a letter to Dr. Gray, under date of August 29, 1867, in which he says :—" It may interest you, as well as the Zoological Society, to know that I hare a fine, healthy, young male gorilla, which, I hope, may eventually reach the Zoological Gardens. I hove heard of a young chimpanzee at some distance, and have to-.!s! sent to endeavour to procure it as a companion for my little Njina. I shall do my utmost to seed the paireafely to England ; but as the winter will becoming on before I can ship them, I may have to keep them until next spring, and it will be a hard matter to keep them alive all that time. The gorilla was captured on the 13th inst., and brought to me the next day by its captor, one of the natives trading for me, who whilst taking a walk, un armed, except with a spear, maidenly came on a family of gorillas—father, mother, and young one. The mother, contrary to what might have been expected, abandoned her ' baby, and ran off ; the father showed fight, rushing at the native open-mouthad. and receiving a stab on the side from a spear, winds caused him to retreat a little ; when my man, not wising to receive a second attack, snatched up the young one, and made for his home as fast as possible, and the next az brought the little fellow to me, made fast with a forked stick about his neck, as if he was a meet feroeioua annuli I soon made him more comfortable by placing a belt Tonsil him, to which I attached a email cord : and, though sot* what snappish for a day or two, and very shy, he wool became quite familiar and tame, and now hid greatert delight is to be in any arms, where he would atop getter if I would let him, and had nothing to do butts nurse him." THE MENICIPLL FRANCHISE. —We learn troll! the City Press that by the Municipal Elections Amendn?est Act of 1867, the total number of electors in the venom word' has been increased from 6,368 to 13.664. Of coons this may materially affect the elections on St. Thema , r day. i ;$ I , i i t