The Press. — London, England, 1854-01-14 00:00:00

- .. ' JANUARY 14, 1854. A PRIAONER IN DERBY GAOL HUNG HIMSELF in his cell on Sunday evening. His term . of imprison ment was only a month , for seeepstealing. DIE EASTERN COPNTIES RAILWAY was the Scene c f a distressing accident on Thursday evening last week. Heavy snow had so blocked up the line that only one set of rails could be used at all, and that was continually becoming covered with fresh drifts. A clearance train was accordingly despatched down the line, drawn by two powerful engines from the Harling-snition, which encountered another clearance train, also doubly-engined, about halfway from Thetford. There was a dense fog at the time, and the drivers of both trains seems to have been wholly un aware of the risk they ran. The collision was fright ful: the four engines mounted into the air to the height of many feet , and, passing under these, the carriages came into collision, one second-class carriage being jammed into another, like the slides of a telescope. A mail train which closely followed the clearing engine from Thetford was with much difficulty saved from running into the debris, and thus increasing the fearful damage caused by the catastrophe. As it was, live persona have perished. Two labourers, who were proceeding to clear away the snow at various points, and two stokers, were killed almost instantaneously ; and the Rev. Mr. Bell, vicar of Framlingham, who had incautiously taken his seat in the clearance train in his haste to get on, was so much injured that he died two days afterwards. Two of the men who perished have left fifteen chid dren, but the company are stated to promise to make provision for them. At an inquest subsequently held, a verdict of " Manslaughter" was returned against Ashcroft, a superintendent of the line, whose neglect was supposed by the jury to have caused the acci dent. He was himself in one of the clearing trains, and in his defence it is alleged that the frost had interfered with the performance of the electric wires. Obituarg. LORD LEREBFoRD, whose name ranks next to that of Wellington on the roll of the great leaders of the Peninsular war, died on Sunday evening last, at his seat of Bedgebury park, in Kent. The deceased general, who was a natural son of the first Marquis of Waterford, commenced his distinguished military career in 1785, when he was appointed an ensign of the 6th Foot. His first active service was in 1793, when, as captain of the 09th, he disembarked with the troops that took possession of Toulon, and was generally engaged in the attacks that took place until the final evacuation of that place, when he went to Corsica, and was present at the attack and siege of St. Fiorenza, Bastia, and Calvi. In 1790, when lieutenant-colonel of the 88th, he sailed for the East Indies, and from thence by the Red Sea to Egypt, across the Desert, in command of a brigade of Sir David Baird's army. He remained in Egypt till its evacuation, as commandant of Alexandria. After some energetic services against the Irish rebels, Colonel Beresford, in 1805, proceeded to the Cape, and shared in the conquest of that colony. From thence he was sent, in command of a small force, to seize Buenos Ayres. This was accomplished ; but al though successful in theopen field against the enemyhe was eventually obliged to surrender, after three days' desperate and destructive resistance in the town. The force under Colonel Beresford amounted to 1,200, that of the enemy to between 10,000 and 12,000. After being prisoner for six months lie es caped to England, where lie had but a short time arrived (this was in 1807) when he was appointed colonel of the 88th, or Connaught Rangers, and was shortly afterwards sent in command of au expedition against Madeira. From Madeira lie went to the Peninsula, where he arrived a few days after the battle of \milers., and returned after Corunna. In 1809 he again proceeded to Portugal, to take the chief com mand of the Portuguese troops, with the rank of marshal. From that time Marshal Beresford's achievements are part of the history of the period, the greatest of them being his victory over Soult at Albuere, one of the most bloody and most glorious of the names inscribed on the list of Peninsular suc cesses. For these services Marshal Beresford subse quently received the dignities of Duke of Elvas, Marquis of Campo Mojor, and Count Trances° in Portugal, that of Viscount Beresford in his own country, and several decorations. By the demise of this venerable and gallant soldier the colonelcy of the 16th Regiment and the colonelcy in-chief of the 60th Rifles are rendered vacant. A pension of 2,000!. per annum also lapses to the Crown. This income had been granted to Lord Beresford for his own life and that of two successors ; but the deceased leaves no issue, and the pension as well as all his titles be comes extinct. At the period of his decease Lord Bere . sford was the se n i or officer in the armies of Spain and of Portugal, and the oldest marshal of Europe. In the promotion consequent upon the death of the Duke off Wellington he succeeded the -- THE PRESS. Prince Consort as colonel-in-chief of the 60th Royal Rifles. For many years he held the honourable post of Governor of Jersey, was Master-General of Ordnance in 1828, 9, and 30, and a Privy Councillor. Lord Beresford married in November, 1832, his cousin Louisa, daughter of the first Baron Deckle, and widow of Thomas Hope, of Depedene, the author of " Anastasias " and many other works. She died in July, 1851, since which time the deceased peer had lived in almost perfect retirement. Wnsism MALTBY, librarian of the London Institu tion, in which orrice he succeeded the eminent I'rofessor Porson, expired on the sth instant, having reached his 90th year. He was .one and not the least interesting of that class of gentlemen scholars which serves as a link of connection between the last and the present century in the field of polite letters. Although bred to the law, and practising for many years as a solicitor in cnpartnership with his elder brother, his love of classical literature absorbed his leisure hours, and, along with the cherished intimacy of a few friends of a similar taste, formed the object as well as the delight of his life. Possessing a quick observation, a deep and genuine feeling for the sublimities of thought conveyed in language of corre sponding force and elegance, an acquaintance of un usual compass with the best authors, ancient and modern, and an extraordinarily retentive memory, his conversation abounded with references and cita tions as instructive as apposite, and, having asso ciated with some among the most distinguished men of all professions, it was enlivened by choice and racy anecdote. To the Elmslejs, Sothebys, and Paynes, of bygone days, Mr. Maltby was especially well known, and a very valuable library attests the industry and judgment as well as the taste of the collector. His oldest and one of his most valued friends through life was the venerable poet Rogers, with whom he first became acquainted, at the age of nine years, at the school of the Rev. Mr. Pickbourne, of Newington-green. Mr. Maltby was a cousin of the present Bishop of Durham. Jolla MOORE, ESQ., Speaker of the House of Keys in the Isle of Man, died at Douglas, on the sth inst., aged 74. The deceased gentleman was born at Peel, in the Isle of Man, on the 12th December, 1779. He took his seat as a member of the House of Keys (the popular branch of the insular Legislature) on the 23rd September, IMO 7, and was at his death the senior member of the house. He was by the unani mous vote of the house, in 1851, elected Speaker, an office which he tilled with great ability and much urbanity. In 1800 he had been elected a member of the Harbour Commission, and sometime afterwards was appointed Surveyor• General of Highways and Bridges. Both of these offices were honorary, and so long as he had health Mr. Moore discharged the duties appertaining to them with unremitting atten tion. He was universally respected throughout the island. . . grtlanb. THM MAYNOOTH COMM! COMMISSIONERS hare been sitting occasionally during the past week, and some further meetings for the examination of wit nesses are still to be held, after which an adjourn ment will take place, probably for two months. Their report will, it is believed, be ready for presentation to Parliament soon after the Easter recess. - THE Freeman's Journal states that " a commission has been sitting for some weeks, under order, to pre pare a report on the proposed transfer of the heads of the Irish post-office department to London." Os Monday a telegraphic message announced the alarming illness of Baron Pennefather. The learned baron has since partially recovered, though his ad vanced age renders his health extremely precarious. THE Munster News reports a rumour which is, it states, "generally current" in Clare, to the effect that Sir J. F. Fitzgerald is about to be appointed Governor of Canada. THE SERIES OF ENTF.RTANMENTS given by their constituents to the members of the Irish party are -still proceeding. On Tuesday another of these re l'unionx was held in Kilkenny. The stars of the night were Mr. Sergeant Shee, M.P.,Mr. Greene, M.P., and Mr. Sullivan, M.P. UpwarOs of 220 guests sat down to a repast which consisted of all the delicacies of the season. The Freeman informs its readers that " most important letters of apology were read from the Arch bishop of Dublin, the Archbishop of Tuam, the Right Rev. Dr. Blake, the Right Rev. Dr. Feeny, the Right Rev. Dr. Cantwell, Right Rev. Dr. Murphy, Right Rev. Dr. Vaughan, Right Rev. Dr. Kelly, Right Rev. Dr. ➢l'Nally, F. S. Greville, Esq., M.P., and 0. Bow yer, Esq., M.P." AT A MEETING OF TITS DARGAN TESTIMONIAL COM MITTEE, on Tuesday, it was resolved to appropriate the subscribed fund to the erection of "a suitable building for the reception and exhibition of works of the fine arts and their applications to industry." The building is to be called the "Dorgan Institute." pisullana. - ',„•••••• Tim ►ndemnity to the bakers of Lana for the second fortnight of November amounts to 83t4,000f. ((about MANN.) This supposes a eonsuniption of 7,1316,018 kilogrammes of bread iltiring that period. tiALT Pow: is 110111 it:111)011"i iu barge quantities into this couuuy from Portugal, and fetches higher prices than Irish salt pork. Between Jailusuy and December the value of cotton ►totkings exputed was nu less than 4::+ 4 ,010/., aguinat for the previous year. (lemma. BARON n►: FAOILL, who for 11101111 than IA years has been the Dutch Minister Plenipotentiary at Paris, has just obtained permission to retire.. Ilia Majesty on the occasion wrote him au autograph letter, in which he ex pressed his regrets, and at the same time his satisfaction at the faithful services which the bsrou had constwitly ren dered to the country. The King, in the same letter, named him Minister of State. I•ur SYNDICS OY THY 11AALItti . COUPOR \TION 011, P‘RIS have written a letter to the I►irector-General of Public Assistance, stating that the bakers having agreed to fur uish kilognuuniem of bread, brat qUially, as a gift to the poor, in place of the eakea which they send citly year to their cusunuers, tic►ets fur that quantity of bread will be at his disposed from the commencement of the new year. SEVERAL DEATHII 111011 COLD are reported in the Conti treats' journals. At Urinal Bigard, in lielgitini, a labourer was found frozen to death in the church after the early mass performed at six o'clock. A woman travelling from Assche to Brussels, on the imperial of a diligence, though well wrapped up, was found dead and stiff when the vehicle skipped. Tut visitors who attended the Museum of Ornamental Art at Marlborough-house during the month of I leeember were as ((tows :-19,1130 persons on the public days, ad mitted free; 457 persons on the students' dale, admitted u students on the payment of hid. each, besides the regis tered students of the classes and schools ;showing an in- crease of 5,54 over the corresponding period of last hear. WHILE MR. SHERIDAN KNOWLES is lecturing against Popery, his sun, Mr. Hiehanl Brinaley Knowles, is said to have become a Roman Catholic. THE number of men engaged in London alone upon omnibuses on the Sunday is estimated to be not fewer than THERE has been an increase in the exportation of soap since the duty was removed. In the month ended the sth ult. the value of soap exported was 14,3481., against 14,1501. of the same month last year. IVirit the Ist of January came into foree the union of the Steuenerein (Hanover, Oldenburg, and Schaumburg- Lippe) with the Zonverein, as also the treaty of comweice between the latter and Austria, Parma, and Modena. Up wards of 70,000,000 persons are 110 W participating in the benefits of this union. Dn. COLLYEII, the eminent Congregational minister, died on Monday morning at an advanced age. winsu 18.):1 thene were deposited at the Morgue of Paris 395 dead !sidles, being 30 less than in 141'2. That number consisted of 2:14 men, Al women, and 94) newli • born children. Out of the 304 adults, i were recognised, and 117 of that number claimed by their families to giv e them burial. The different kinds of death may bo thus classified:-141 suicides, Ui accidental deaths, 37 sudden deaths, 20 deaths by submersion, the cans., it which is not known; and Iby murder. In addition, nut of the newly-born children, a caws of infanticide were ascertained, and 10 persons guilty of that crime were tried and condemned. - - .... ACCOkIPINO to the census tables on religious worship the Roman Catholics in England and Wales possessed in 10.433 11 colleges and 4( religious houses, of which 13 were for men and 13 for women, while the number of the priests was 87:i. The estimated attendance on census Sunday was—morning, 231,1443 ; afternoon, 43,967 ; and evening, 76,8190. The sittings were D 46,111. The attendance was greater than the number of attendant*. Then! are more than one moniing service attended by the same in dividuals. whsle number of red men still surviving in North America is estimate,' at 400,000, and of these it is calm lateil that Iteiesi ',till linger in the country east of the Nlissiaiiippi—that is to say, in the organised tenitoriea of the Union. There are said to he about 1:X1,111111 Indians in California and New Mexico, 1 . :,099 in the nab or Mormon country, 23,900 in Oregon, 1151,0109 in the Plains wad Rocky Mountains, 29,000 in Testis, and about 110000 in Minnesota and slung the Tt•ISO border. Lime Wirearonn (says the Clare Jortrali) has in creased his income 2,090/. a year wider the following eir eitmetances :—A gentleman pessessed of a large feuded property, finding Coned' decreaeing so rapidly, became alarmed and applied to Lied Waterford to know if he would take all big CHOW at 3; per cent. This Lord Waterford has done, and cleared off his old ineurnbrancce, which were at a higher rate of interest. The negotiations were dosed on Friday. We understand that his lordship will dear 2,0001. a year by the alteration. TIM Uaaxn DOLS or TUSCANY has, by decree of the 19th ult., founded a new order, under the title of Order of Military Merit, of which be is the Grand Master. The members are distinguished into knights of the Ist, 2nd, and 8,1 class. The decorations are granted by the Grand Duke Wylie, Will may be gi‘en to foreigners as well as Tuscans. The riband of the decoration is red and black. The Minister of War is Grand Chancellor of the Order. Two small animals from the neighbourhood of the tireat Lake in Central Africa have been brought home in the 11,isphorus steamer from the Cape, under the care of Mr. Carruthers. Theme animals are diminutive in size, and approach in species to the squirrel as well as the monkey. No description of similar quadrupeds is to be found in the venous treatises on ustursl history. 1 ■rJ 35