The Press. — London, England, 1854-04-08 00:00:00

=P;;;; 322 language. On arriving at Stafford the passengers mplained, and the man was re moved and thrust into Colonel Gordon's compartment. The colonel !remonstrated, offered his card, protested against the !indignity, and undertook t o bear all the responsibility of refusing the fellow admission. The inspector persisted, however, in forcing the drunken man into Colonel Gordon's company, and, on the colonel still persevering in his opposition to such intrusion, the inspector rushed into the compartment where the colonel was sitting, seized him by the shoulders, and said that he must go out, at the same time pushing him towards cur. door. The colonel abandoned the contest—the man was forced into the carriage; but the excitement was too much for the gallant soldier, and he died a few minutes afterwards. The jury re turned a verdict of " Manslaughter" against the in spector, who awaits his trial at the assizes. A FATAL ACCIDENT occurred on Saturday at the Manchester station of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. John Lee, a wheelwright of the city, wish ing to go to Oldham, and finding a train on the point of departure, endeavoured to force his way into a carriage, though unprovided with a ticket, and while the convoy was actually on the move. Two officers of the company attempted to prevent him ; and, in the struggle, one of them, Reid, the station master, fell under the train and was crushed to death. The other two men were thrown down also, and had a narrow escape of their lives. An inquest was held, ac which a verdict of " Accidental death" was returned. But Lee did not escape quite unpunished, being fined forty shillings by the local magistrates for breach of the company's rules. A FELLOW OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, Edward Brenton Vance, died suddenly on Sunday morning last. He parted with a friend, with whom he had been spending the evening, about two o'clock, and a few minutes afterwards expired, while lying on a bed. At an inquest afterwards held the verdict returned was, " Died by the visitation of God." By A FIRE which broke out on Wednesday night a house and shop belonging to a tailor, No. 257, Blackfriars-road, were totally destroyed. The pre mises were numerously inhabited, and several of the occupants escaped with much difficulty. The damage is considerable; and several families of lodgers lost all their furniture and effects. THE EXECUTION OF WILLIAM THOMPSON, for the murder of Lorenz Beha, has been fixed by the High Sheriff to take place this day (Saturday) at Norwich Castle. Ho has fully admitted his crime, and con fessed that no other person save himself had any share in the transaction. The execution of James Hohman, for the murder of his wife at Crowan, in Cornwall, will take place on Monday next at Bodmin. James Bailey, who was found guilty of the murder of Emily Coles, at Taunton, will be hanged at Wilton on the 15th. The High Sheriff of Shropshire has fixed the execution of Lloyd, who was convicted of the murder of Samuel Gittens, for Friday next at Shrewsbury. THE Westminster, from Honduras to Queenstown, sprung a leak in the gale of the 12th of March, when she became waterlogged and capsized. Eight of the crew, with the captain, were taken off by the Acton, but nine were left on the wreck. THE MUTILATED REMAINS OF A MALE INFANT were found in the sewer opposite Berkeley-street, Con naught-square, by a man who was rat-catching in that subterranean channel. The body being re moved and examined, it was pronounced to have been dissevered by some sharp instrument, and apparently during life. The natural inference is that the child was murdered, and investigations are making to dis cover some traces of the perpetrator. Two SEAMEN were suffocated on Monday on board the Dezciwyn coasting-vessel lying off Rother hithe. Their names are John Williams and William Davis, aged eighteen years, cook. They retired to rest in their usual health, leaving a coal fire burning below, but neglected to open the ventilators. On the captain going below he endeavoured to arouse them, but to no purpose, Williams being quite dead, and Davis dying a short time afterwards, in spite of all the attempts made for his resuscitation. THE SAILING BARGE Uncle Tom was run into on Saturday by an American ship, while making for the East India Dock, Blackwall, heavily freighted with crates of earthenware and glass. Such was the force of the enllision that she instantly went down, and the men in charge were immersed. Boats put off, and the poor fellows were rescued, terribly ex hausted. When the tide fell the Essex shore, as far as Woolwich, was strewn with the fragments of the wreck and broken crockery. A CURIOUS BRANCH or COMMERCE is every year ac quiring an increased importance in Paris. It is the trade in white snails, tits consumption of which amounts now to some hundreds of thousands of these animals in the year. The principal Waives of supply are Champagne and Bur gundy, in both of which provinces there are several exten sive snaileries, admirably arranged. TIIE Jewish Chronicle states that Lord Clarendon has in timated that the privileges to be obtained for the Christians in Turkey will be extended to the Jewish subjects of the Porte. THE PRESS. PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. THE ARMIES. Viscount Hardinge, as General Commanding in- Chief, gave a farewell banquet on Thursday night at his mansion in Great Stanhope-street to the officers about to proceed on active service to the East. The guests included his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Lord Raglan, the Earl of Lucan, the Earl of Cardigan, Lord De Ros, Sir Charles Trevelyan, General Wetherall, General Freeth, General Yorke, Brigadier-General Airey, Brigadier Bullen, Brigadier Estcourt, General Sir Richard England, Colonel Steel, Lieutenant-Colonel Maule, Lieutenant-Colonel Munday, and the Hon. A. Hardinge. The officers of the Staff are now on the move for the East. The Tonning, which sailed on the 4th, took out Brigadier-General Sir Colin Campbell, Brigadier- General Pennefather, Brigadier-General Eyre, Mtkjor Stirling, Major Hope; Captain Walsh, aide-de-camp to Lord De Ros ; Captain Woodford, Deputy-Assist ant-Quartermaster-General ; Captain Blane, Deputy- Assistant-Quartermaster-General, with other officers. The City of London sailed on Thursday with Major- General De Lacy Evans, Captain Gubbins, Captain Boyle, Captain Allix, Captain Clifton, with his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge's establishment; Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, Assistant Adjutant• G eneral ; and Lieutenant-Colonel Harbert, Assistant- Quartermaster -General. The Emperor starts to-day (Saturday), and takes out Sir Richard England; Brigadier-General Cator, Royal Artillery; Lord De Ros, Deputy-Quartermaster- Geneial ; Captain Neville, Captain Bradford, Captain Gage, Captain Pack, Captain Kingscote, with Lord Raglan's horses and establishment, Lieutenant Cal thorpe, Lieutenant Curzon, and Surgeon Mapleton. The Duke of Cambridge, commander of another division, is expected to leave on Tuesday next, by which time the whole of the staff in command will have gone. The means of transport have still to be provided for twenty-two officers and seventy-two horses of the general staff. Four more regiments are now on their way to the seat of war. The 23d Fusiliers and 88th Connaught Rangers embarked on Tuesday—the first from Portsmouth on board the West India mail-packet the Trent, the latter from Liverpool in the Niagara. The 7th Fusi liers sailed on Thursday from Southampton in the Orinoco, and the 05th embark from Portsmouth on board the Medway. The aggregate force despatched during the week comprises nearly 4,000 men. At Malta the troops are beginning to move towards the expected scene of operations. The Rifle Brigada and the 4th Regiment embarked on the 30th ult. on board the Golden Fleece, the oth on board the Georgiana ; and a detachment of the Sappers and Miners on board the Cape of Good Hope, all for Gallipoli. General Sir George Browne, who arrived at Malta on the 28th, sailed for Turkey with the Rifles. Fresh bodies of English troops were almost daily arriving at the island, and many French steamers, some with soldiers on board, were constantly touch ing there for coal. The number of English troops already arrived in Malta is 422 officers, and 11,577 non commissioned officers and privates. The total of French troops that have passed by the island is 3,514 men and 250 horses. The following arrangements have been taken with the Porte regarding the first expedition of 10,000 British troops. The Turkish Government is bound to furnish daily-10,000 lb. of bread (first quality) ; 10,000 lb. of meat, half beef, half mutton ; 30,000 lb. of wood; 15,000 lb. of barley ; and 15,000 lb. of straw. These articles will be paid for monthly by bills on the London Treasury. The troops are to be lodged in the spacious barracks situated in the Turkish quarter called Daout Pacha, and the military Governor of Constan tinople has received orders to repair that establish ment. Nothing has yet been decided about the French expedition. The only positive information is, that similar arrangements will be made, and the barracks of Scutari will be given up by the Porte. The Government purpose sending out all kinds of clothing and food which can in any way conduce to the health of the troops. A large quantity of tea will be shipped, as the use of water alone in any way will be prohibited, owing to its deleterious character, without the operation of boiling. The French pro pose shipping a large quantity of wines, and it is supposed that some arrangement will be made by means of which our Government will be able to follow the example. Thirty-two assistant surgeons belonging to depots throughout the United Kingdom have been ordered to attend in London to receive instructions previous to their immediate embarkation for the East. SATURDAY, The cavalry regiments under orders for active ser vice have broken up their bands and returned the men to the ranks. A new sham-mill for army purposes has been sent out to Malta, which had been constructed in this country in compliance with an order from Odessa, but the exportation of which had been stopped by the royal proclamation. It was much required at Malta, the Admiralty steam-mill there being unequal to the pressure upon it, and the old mule-mills of the knights of the island not being suited to the re quirements of the present age. THE FLEETS. The latest news from the Baltic fleet is conveyed by a telegraphic despatch received raid Copenhagen, dated " Kioge Bay, April 4, afternoon." The fleet was then still in the bay. The Austerlitz (French) and other ships were visible from the mast lead. An ample supply of steam coal has gone off from Shields to the Baltic for the use of the English fleet. Between thirty and forty collier-vessels are employed in carrying out coals. The pilotmaster at Shields has received instruc tions to send up more north-country captains, to be examined by the Admiralty as pilots for the British and French fleets in the Baltic. Their pay will be fifteen shillings a day and travelling expenses. Tidings of the Black Sea fleets were brought to Malta by the Caradoc, which arrived there on the 30th. The whole of the combined fleets had en tered the Black Sea on the :24th. Their destination is supposed to be Varna. They were preceded by the Inflexible, with Ottoman troops. The Caradoc bad on board General Sir John Bur goyne, on his return from Constantinople. Captain Brock has been out to correct the sound ings m the Black Sea, which he found anything but accurate. He had the assistance of all the masters of the fleet, and made quick work of it. The Samp son, in company with a French steamer, was sent off to reconnoitre Russian ports. If they met with a superior force they were ordered to trust to their heels and good luck. If the contrary, they are to give a good account of them. The Danish Government has issued a declaration containing its definitions of " contraband," which in cludes horses, timber for construction of vessels, tar, copperplates, sailcloth, canvas, hemp, cordage, &c., but not coals. At the same time the royal Danish ordinance of May .1, 1803, is renewed. No Danish pilots, or men acquainted with the Danish straits and seas, are therefore allowed to serve on board the bel ligerent powers' vessels. In the instructions for the commanders of the Danish guard-ships—frigates Thor (steamer), Thetis, Bellona, Nordenskjold ; brigs Hol gar Danske (steamer), Galathea, Flora, Mercurius, and Valkyrien—they are ordered to observe a strict neutrality, to protest against the taking of captured war or merchant vessels into Danish ports, but not to oppose it by force, and only to use force against privateers. The Danish territory is to be considered to extend one Danish sea mile from the coast, except at Kronborg and the river Elbe at Gluckstadt, where the distance is named as 3,000 ells (0,000 feet). A SIMPLE INSTRUMENT FOR TESTIEIi SUSPICIOUS COIN has just been invented. The test is that of pressure. An oval plate of brass has upon it a thick bar of the same metal extending along the plate, and across the bar are in cisions or grooves answering to the respective thicknesses of the following coins :—crown, half-crown, shilling, sixpence, and fourpence. The half-crown groove does for the florin, the shilling groove for a sovereign, and the fourpenny groove for the half sovereign. The detector having been firmly fixed, the suspected coin is placed in the appropriate groove and pressure applied to ascertain if it will bend. Only au excessive force is efficient in the case of a good coin, but a counterfeit readily gives way and breaks against the edge of the groove. No counterfeit has yet been found to stand like a real coin. A ST. PETERSBURG PAPER of the 10th gives details from London of the attempts now making in England to raise forces capable of meeting those of Russia. According to this authority old men of sixty are ordered on board to make up the full complement of a ship's crew. The re cruiters, too, have hall the greatest difficulty in beating up volunteers. Then, again, children of nine, ten, and twelve years have been coaxed into the naval service. "Huge" bounties have been offered to native and foreign mariners as an inducement for them to enter the Royal Navy. Never has it been so difficult to collect sailors in England, and never were there so few seamen as at present. IN a paper recently read by Mr. Gibson before the Ame rican Geographical Society at New York, on the islands of the Indian Archipelago, strong assertions were made by the writer as to the extent of gold existing in the island of Celebes. In his view it is destined in this respect to out vie California and Australia. "The precious metal," it was stated, " has been lately found in large flakes within the Sultanate Menado. These flakes or sheets of pure ore, some presenting a surface of nine or ten inches square, though not more than an eighth of an inch thick, have been picked out from the interstices of the masses of crystal and quartz that compose the hills of the country." THE QVANTITY of OPIUM imported in the month ended the 6th ult. was 14,6031b5. against 0171bs. at the same period last year. In the same month there were 13,878 tons of guano imported against 6,153 tons in February, • 1853.