The Press. — London, England, 1854-03-04 00:00:00

202 THE FOUNDATION-sToNE of a new parish church at Doncaster, to replace the celebrated edifice destroyed by fire on the 28th of February last year, was laid on Tuesday. The ceremony, which was performed by the Archbishop of York, excited a good deal of atten tion in the town, and the occasion was observed as a general holiday. The new church is designed by Mr. Gilbert Scott, of Spring-gardens. A liberal subscrip Lion towards the expense of it has already been raised. Her Majesty contributed NU, and the corporation and inhabitants of Doncaster have given upwards of 12,000/. THE LORDS OF THE TREASURY have issued instruc tions prohibiting the shipment of gunpowder or war like stores to any port in the kingdom of Greece. THE DEMOLITION of the numerous buildings lying between Great and Little Carter-lane and Old 'Change began on Saturday last, and in the course of a few days the whole will be removed, and thus completely open the line of thoroughfare of the new street, Cannon-street West, in a line from the magnificent pile of new warehouses in St. Paul's-churchyard, throughout to London bridge, on the south side. When completed, this will be the finest street in the city of London. Sin HAMILTON SEutotra and his family arrived at Berlin on Wednesday from St. Petersburg. COMMODORE MICHAEL SEYMOUR, Captain Superin tendent at Devonport, has accepted the important poet of Captain of the Fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir C. Napier. THE LABOUR PARLIAMENT will meet in Manchester on Monday next, and the committee have been busily engaged during the last few weeks in getting dele gates elected from the various trades throughout the country. The following are pointed out as being the most important topics for discussion :—The organisa tion of a national labour movement—the foundation of an emancipation society, and the accumulation of a fund for that purpose—the erection of a working man's palace in each manufacturing town—the institution of a provident fund for unemployed turn-outs and lock-outs—a project for the equalisation of wages among the working classes themselves—the formation of large combinations in order to concentrate con sumption—the acquisition of property, chiefly dwelling houses in manufacturing towns, and also land and machinery—the extrication of women and children from physical labour; generally to devise the means by which labour may be made independent of capital, and "the producers of wealth be made sharers of the wealth they produce; and to obtain the means of in dependent self-employment." The promoters of the scheme state that they have no political object in view whatever, and that their sole idea is the social elevation of the working classes. A DEPUTATION from the committee of Anglo-Peru vian Bondholders had an interview with the Earl of Clarendon at the Foreign-office on Monday, for the purpose of obtaining his lordship's interposition in support of the claims of the bondholders on the Government of Peru. Sail) nub Volta. H.B.H. TILE PRINCE OF• WALES has appeared as a plaintiff in the law courts, his cause being argued be fore Vice-Chancellor Sir W. P. Wood on Monday in an action against one Wheeler : His Royal Highness is entitled to an undivided moiety of the manor of Treverhyn, in the duchy of Cornwall, and his tenants have been accustomed to the flow of water to assist theta iu the operations of washing and preparing china clay there. Mr. Hour and Mr. F. LEntit PEMBERTON moved exparte for an injunction restraining the defendant Wheeler from diverting certain springs of water, and the bill prayed an account of the loss sustained by the alleged diversion. The Vice-Chancellor granted an interim injunction until after the next seal. A FEMALE QUACK, named Jane Browning, was tried at the Middlesex Sessions, on Tuesday, for com mitting bodily harm on Harriet Gunton. The pri soner lived in Were-street, Clare-market, where she was introduced to the prosecutrix, a woman of about fifty years of age, and in whom stupidity and simpli city appeared to be combined, as a person possessing some sk►ll as a herbalist, and eminently successful in the treatment of persons suffering from worms: — The proseentrix told her that she had worms, and after some bargaining she agreed to pay her 51. if she cured her. Of this sum she actual' ) paid 11. ba., and she took some very powerful meckicinea, which she now described as "poisonone." At length the prisoner induced her to undergo an operation of a most painful and disgusting nature, and pretended In the end that she had succeeded in extracting from her persona very large worm, which was not, she said, in point of feet a worm, but half a snake, half an eel, with a poisonous head. The prosecutrix desired to take it away with her, and the prisoner put it in a bottle with some liquid, for which she vitarged her 2s. Sd. By some means the affair came to the knowledge of Mr. Biggs, a surgeon, and through his instrumentality the prisoner was given into custody. The bottle containing the "worm" was produced in court, and it proved to be a common eel, about two feet long. Mr. Biggs, the surgeon, said a actions injury, had been done to the poor woman, who had endured considerable pain. The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and she was sen tenced to one year's hard labour. ANDERSON, THE CITY MERcHANT, was tried at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, charged with forging the acceptances of bills of exchange to a large - THE PRESS. amount. The forgery was effectually established in the case of one note for 2,4801. It was shown that the defendant had enjoyed great credit, and that re spectable houses had had transactions with him to the amount of more than 100,0001. The jury found him Guilty. Judgment was postponed. A BREACH or PROMISE CASE was tried at the Ox ford Assizes on Monday. The plaintiff was a widow of fifty, and landlady of an inn in the town of Oxford called the Dolphin. The defendant was a custom house officer, about forty five years of age, who, in his communications with the widow and her friends, represented himself as in receipt of a salary of 3001., and an income of 4001. a year more .from houses in the parish of St. Giles, Spitalfields, London : In the month of December, 1852, he called for the first time at the Dolphin, and ordered dinner. After dinner he went into the bar, unit there formed an acquaintance with the plaintiff, which he continued to improve daily, till, on the 2Gth of December, he nir.de her an offer of marriage—that is, as her barmaid on cross examination explained, he told her he wanted a wife, and not a young one, and that she was of it suitable age for him. Such progress was made in the arrangements that in the mouth of January attorneys were engaged on behalf of both parties in pre paring a settlement, the defendant having agreed to settle 2001. a yea' ou her. However, the defendant, though he promised to produce his deeds, never did do so. The marriage was first fixed for February, but was postponed till the 28th of March. The de fendant did not appear in time for the ceremony. and the plaintiff, having remained at home till three o'clock, left fur Norbury, near Leatnington, where her son-in-law resided, telling her barmaid to inform the defendant, if lie culled, where shehad gone, and that he might go after her or not, as he pleased. Next day (Tuesday) he came down from London, and ou receiving the message he became very angry, and said lie would have nothing more to do with the plaintiff. On the following Saturday plaintiff went to a solicitor to complain of her wrongs, and on the 7th of April de fendant received intimation that proceedings hail commenced. On the 2nd of May he wrote a letter to the plaintiff, in which he was willing to fulfil his promise, and to marry her at a day's no tire, but warned her agamst going to law with him, as he always won his suits, and would spend a thousand pounds rather than she should get a penny by him. _ The jury returned a verdict for 2501. A RUFFIAN named Calvert has been charged at Clerkenwell Police Court, by the Society for the Pre vention of Cruelty to Animals, with skinning cats alive. He dealt in the skins, which it is stated are improved in value by being taken off while the animal is alive. Mr. Yardley, who heard the charge, declared that the investigation almost chilled his blood. He sentenced the prisoner to three months' hard labour. AN ACTION for having published a malicious libel was brought against George Brown and William Knighton, and tried at Winchester Assizes. Mrs. Mary Harvey was the complainant. The libel consisted of a picture in which the prosecutrix was portrayed with the inscription " The Handsome Woman" : It appeared that Mrs. Harvey kept a beershop at Portsea, and the defendants, who were navigators, conceiving some animosity to her, opened a beershop just opposite to her house, and as a sign they had her " vilely painted;' and over the picture, wbich was exactly like her, and dressed in the same manner, was written " The Handsome Woman." This led to great bickering, and crowds of people constantly collected inside the house, to whom the defendants would point out the sign. Mr. Baron MARTIN suggested that the best termi nation of the case was for the defendants to paint out " The Handsome Woman," and undertake not to annoy Mr•s. Harvey any more. This suggestion was adopted, and it was arranged that the defendants should plead guilty tothe libel, on the understanding that they should not be called up for judgment if they took down " The Handsome Woman." The picture was produced in court, and excited great merriment. THE MAYOR OF RYE, Mr. Jeremiah Smith, was tried at the Central Criminal Court for perjury. The charge was founded on evidence given by the defend ant before an election committee. He had, it ap peared, always been active in electioneering affairs, and especially in the election for the borough of Rye which took place in 1852, when Mr. Alexander Mackinnon was returned : Against that return a petition was presented and a committee appointed, before whom on the sth of March last year the pri• water was examined touching a certain dinner which was given to the electors. The dinner took place on the 2nd of July. The defendant was naked who had paid for that dinner, and he said that he had, and that he had nothing to do with paying Mr. Mackinnon's bills; that he had never seen a shilling of Mr. Mackinnon's money, and that he looked to Mr. Curteis, the re tiring member, to pay for it. The dinner cost 2261. The de fendant was again examined, and ch. a said he was very sorry for what had taken place; that he had received the money from Mr. Mackinnon to pay for the dinner. He received 2301. from a Mr. Reeves, and he knew it came from Mr. Mackinnon, and that he received it the day after the dinner. Ho had no intention of saying what was not true, but that, having made one false step, he had made others. The actual transfer of this money to the prisoner was proved by the testimony of Mr. Mackinnon himself, and of Mr. Reeves. The former said : I was candidate for the borough of Rye in 1552. I recom• mended that the dinner should be given on the 2nd of July. Upon the 3rd, the day after, I drew 2301. in notes from the Lon don and County Bank at Rye. What did yon do with that money ?--Plit it in a particular place, having been desired to do so. Lotus know where that particular place was ?—lt was behind a cushion on a sofa at the Red Lion. Was there any one there at the time ?—I did not see any one. I did not see any one come in. I do not know who took it. It was taken away. (Roars of laughter.) Cross-examined: I was not consulted about the dinner. There was not any feeling of rivalry about who should give the dinner. I only thought I bad gone far enough. (Laughter.) I did not know what the money was wanted for. I only knew I was to put it iu that particular place. (Roars of laughter.) SATURDAY, Mr. Reeves gave evidence tracing the further dis posal of the notes in question. - - Mr. Lawrence Reeves, farmer, of Bye: I do not know of any notes being given to defendant. I did give him a roll of paper. Do you call notes paper at Rye?—lt was like a bundle of notes. Where did you find it?—l found it upon the sofa. Buller was there, and said it was/parable it should be given to Smith. That was very kind ; where was Smith?—He was at the Red Lion. Did he seem surprised ?—No, not at all. By the REconnEn : I swear I do not know what the bundle contained. Had you no belief as to what was there?—No, none. After some hesitation, and being pressed very closely by the Recorder, he admitted that he believed the bundle was a roll of notes. Mr. Curteis, the retiring member, said : The defendant has been concerned for our family as agent for fifty years. I proposed that the dinner should be given. I wrote the first form of invitation; I had a running account with de fendant. Ido not know who set this matter in motion. I gave no written authority for the dinner. I meant to pay for it. I at tended the dinner. The prosecutor in this case is some sneaking coward afraid to show his face. The Government don't prose cute. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty. Sentence was reserved. ccibtnts and (Ofents. A FATAL AFFRAY occurred at Bristol on Saturday night, when a man named Cornelius Murphy was stabbed by Juan Antonio Castro, a Spanish sailor. At the inquest held on Tuesday a verdict of " Wilful murder" was returned. It was stated by one of the witnesses that the weapon was not like the knives usually carried by sailors, but was similar• to a but cher's knife. Another man was stabbed during the quarrel; and several Spaniards, comrades of the mur • derer, were taken into custody. Two SERIOUS FIRES broke out on Monday night in the neighbourhood of Blackfriars-bridge. The most formidable of these occurred at the well known glassworks of Mr. Apsley Pellatt, M.P., situate in Holland-street, Blacktriars-road. The fire com menced in the store-room at the rear of the building, and rapidly spread to the show-rooms, which were immediately contiguous. A good supply of water enabled the firemen to confine the conflagration to this part of the building, but it was not mastered until both show-rooms, as well as the store-room, were completely destroyed, together with the contents. The damage must amount to at least 20,0001., for the full sum of which Mr. Pellatt is fortunately insured. The second fire was discovered about midnight, at Mr. Pilkington's dining-rooms, No. 158, Fleet street, adjoining the Portugal Hotel. The conflagration commenced in the upper rooms of the building, but by the exertions of the firemen was confined to these premises, the whole interior of which, however, was entirely destroyed. Fortunately no personal injury was sustained. THREE WELL-DRESSED MEN were apprehended on Tuesday on the Manchester Exchange for picking the pocket of a merchant in open day. One of them was dressed in a large cloak, and the other two were "covering" him: he had succeeded in getting a pocket-book containing 301. from the person of Mr. Walmesley, of Marple, when the gang were seized, and conveyed to the police-office. THE DAUGHTER OF A LIVERPOOL SOLICITOR, a lady named Martha Gaudy, committed suicide on Sunday last. She was thirty-six years of age, and having met with disappointment in love had become low-spirited. Her sister heard the report of firearms, and, on going into a spare bedroom, found the de ceased lying on the floor, quite dead, her head shock ingly mutilated from a pistol shot. A letter to her father was found on the table. At an inquest held on Monday a verdict was returned of " Temporary insanity." ACTIONS will be brought at the ensuing Spring Assizes to be held at Exeter for the recovery of the damage sustained by some of the bakers during the late bread riots in that city. The total loss to the various sufferers in the county is estimated at from 1,0001. to 2,0001. At the same assizes about forty prisoners will be tried for having taken part in the bread riots in various parts of the county. HATTO, the groom, charged with the murder of the housekeeper at Burnham Abbey Farm, will be tried at the ensuing Lent Assizes for the county of Bucks, to be held at Aylesbury next week. ON Thursday a convict named Eglin, a notorious associate of burglars and smashers, succeeded in effecting his escape from the Middlesex House of Correction, Coldbath-square, where he was under sentence of twelve months' imprisonment, having been convicted at the last Central Criminal Court of uttering base coin. THE labourers employed at Holyhead New Har bour works struck for wages last week, and still con tinued to hold out, the contractorsbeing unwilling to accede to their demands. Their present wages are 2s. Bd. a day, and they ask for an increase of 4d., making it 3s. THE Staffordshire, a fine Liverpool and Boston packet ship, of nearly 2,000 tons burden, has been