The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-10 00:00:00

and drifted to that. locality. The colour and the shape of many of them are so like that of biscuits that they deceived persons at table, but their variety of shape is fantasti', beyond description, and their number immense. Specimens have been sent to the Geological Museum in Jermyn-street, and Mr. Stowe is forwarding specimens to all who request them. artlant. THE Loan LIEUTENANT has appointed Mr. Kernan, Roman Catholic, to the office of Clerk of the Crown for the county of Leitrim, in the room of the late Mr. Keruan, uncle to the new official. THE ANTI-INCOME .TAX AGITATION is spreading rapidly throughout Ireland, and is assuming a more defined and better organised appearance. A public meeting of the citizens of Cork was held on Wednes day. The mayor presided, and among the speakers were Messrs. Fagan, M. 11., and Maguire ' 51.1'., , Lieut.-Colonel Beamish, Mr. Edmond Burke, Mr. Sugrue, J.P., &c.; and resolutions passed protesting against the continuance of the present tax beyond the sth of April next, and that— The Act of 1553, which provides for the gradual reline. tion of the tax, and for its total extinction iu 18 , 10, should be adhered to, and that steps should be taken immediately to render the law, while it exists, less inquisitorial in its provisions, and to cause the tax itself to be more equitably levied--distingitishing between realised property and in. &tarifa capital, and between fixed and uncertain means, whether the latter accrue from the exercise of the learned professions, whether in the fields of literature, or in the ordinary pursuits of trade. A large meeting of the gentry and ratepayers of Carlow county was held on Tuesday, in the local Court-house, to petition against the present excessive income tax. Several similar resolutions were pro posed and carried with acclamation, and a petition to the House of Commons adopted. CATHERINE CAMPBELL, the woman who has been in the charge of the police for the last six weeks, on the supposition that she could afford important evidence as t. , 3 the murder of Mr. Little, has at length been discharged, and intends leaving Dublin to reside with her friends in the county of Meath. Her discharge would seem to imply a total abandonment of the in quiry by the police authorities. THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY in the case of the railway forger, Knighting, has terminated, the jury finding the Crown entitled to all the personal pro perty of the convict, consisting of bonds, bills of ex chance, promissory notes, policies of insurance, &c., eAimate,i to amount to about 1,2001. in value. This will be all given by the Crown to the railway com pany. The convict holds his real property, as he was not capitally convicted, and subjected to attainder. it is valued at 3001. a year. Knighting was sentenced to six years' penal servitude, at the expiration of which he can recommence life with this amount of independent income. (Obituarl. THE DUCHESSEENRIETTA OF WURTEMIWRG, mother of the reigning Queen of that country, died on the ••2nd inst. This princess, who was daughter of the late Prince Charles of Nassau Weilburg, was lx.rn on the 22nd April, 1780, and was married in 1797 to Duke Louis of Wurtetuburg, uncle of the reigning King, deceased in 1817. PRINCE ADOLPHUS DE SAYER WITTGENSTEIN Ho- HENSTEIN, formerly Minister of Heese-Darmstadt in Austria, died suddenly this week at Frankfort. THE DOWAGER COUNTESS OF DONOUGHSIORE died of bronchitis, at Chiavari, near Genoa, on the I lth ult. LORD MILFORD died at his seat, Picton Castle, in Pembrokeshire, on the 3rd inst., after a short but severe illness. Lord Milford was born in the year 1801, and in 11' 4 24 assumed, by sign manual, the name of Phil lipps, in lieu of his patronymic Grant, after his maternal cousin, Sir Richard PhiHipps, whose estates he inherited. His lordship was fur many vears a member of the House of Commons, repre senting Haverfordwest for nearly twenty years. He was raised to the peerage in 18-17. His lordship leaves no heir, and the peerage therefore becomes extinctt. SIR EDMUND FILM£R, BART., M.P., one of the representatives of the Western Division of the county of Kent, died at his seat, East Satton•place, near Maidstone, on Thursday morning, about eight o'clock. For many months past he had been in a declining state of health ; and in the early portion of last spring announced his intention of retiring from public life at the close of the present Parliament. Sir Edmund was the representative of an ancient Kentish family, which has held large pmss - !ssions and exercised considerable influence in the county for the last three hundred years. He succeeded his uncle in the baronetcy in 1834, and in 31arch, 1838, on the resignation in his favour of his half-brother, THE PRESS. Sir W. Geary, Bart.—who had been elected in con junction with Mr. T. Law Hodges at the general election in IB37—he was returned M.P. for West Kent, which he continued to represent till the time of his death. Sir Edmund is succeeded in the baro netcy by his eldest son, who attained his majority in 1855. In politics the lute baronet was a Conservative. As Sir Edmund some time ago announced his inten tion of retiring from public life at the close of the present Parliament, there are already two candidates in tha field for the representation of West Kent— namely, Mr. C. Wykeham Martin, of Leeds Castle, near Maidstone, and Sir Walter B. Riddell. Mr. JOSEPH BROTHERTON, M.P. for Salford, died very suddenly on Wedne:day morning, whilst riding in an omnibus from his residence at Pendleton, through Salford, to Manchester. Mr. Brotherton had been suffering from an affection of the heart for some time, but was in his usual apparent health up to the time he entered the omnibus. In the omni bus with him were his friends, Sir John Potter and Sir Elkanah Armitage, and they were in conversation together for nearly a mile of the way from Pendle- On, during which Mr. Brotherton accepted an invi tation from Sir John Potter to spend an evening with him next week, when a sudden change of countenance in the honourable member attracted the attention of Sir John, marked by a wild and vacant gaze at the top of the omnibus. "Look at Mr. Brotherton," he observed, " how ill he looks ;" and immediately he had uttered the words Mr. Brotherton reclined gently backwards, as though for support. The omnibus was passing the Crescent at the time, and Sir John becoming seriously alarmed for his friend desired that the omnibus should at once be stopped. With the assistance of gentlemen present, Mr. Brotherton was carried into Mr. Southam's, surgeon, in the Crescent, but the time bad already gone by when any human aid could avail, and it is believed the honour able gentleman had ceased to exist before he was carried out of the omnibus. He died at the advanced age of seventy-three years. Mr. Brotherton was the first member returned for Salford upon its enfran chisement after the Reform Bill, and he held the representation up to his death. In politics he was a Radical, plodding, hardworking, and attentive to his parliamentary duties. THE RIGHT REV. Da. Wursox, Bishop of Cork, died on Monday last, at the age of seventy-six, at the epis • copal palace, St. Finn Barr's, Ireland. The deceased prelate was formerly one of the fellows of Trinity Col lege, Dublin, and Was consecrated in the year 1814. He had tor some years previously filled the office of Precentor of the Cathedral of St. Patrick, Dublin. He was a firm supporter of the national system of education, but it is understood that latterly his opinions had been somewhat altered, and that he leaned more to the views of the Church Education Society. He for several years had filled the office of secretary to the National Board, previous to his appointment as Precentor of St. Patrick's. He also for many years acted as examining chaplain to the Archbishop of Dublin. The deceased prelate was popularly esteemed as a learned and pious divine, distinguished for his experience in ecclesiastiNtl affairs, and for a concilia tory and cordial spirit towards those who differed from him in faith. In politics he was a Whig. Dn. ANDREW LIRE, F.R.S., the eminent chemist, died on the 2nd lest., at the house of his son in Upper Seymour•street, Portman-square. Dr. Ure was born in Glasgow on the 18th of May, 1778, and had consequently entered upon his seventy-ninth year. He studied both at Edinburgh and Glasgow, and in 1803 graduated in the university of the latter city. In 1805 lie was appointed Professor of Chemistry to the Andersonian University of Glasgow. As a chemist Dr. Ure was essentially practical and utilitarian. His exertions at the Andersonian Uni versity have been attested by the success of many of his pupils in after life : the names of Fairbairn, Monteith, Neilson, Farey, and others, who were formerly pupils of the Andersonian University under Dr. Ure, illustrate better the value of his teaching than any other eulogium could do. Amongst his labours must be reckoned the establishment of the Glasgow Observatory, and the publication of treatises in almost every department of chemical science. The conclusions therein offered have been adopted as bastes of important calculations by many eminent philosophers in this and foreign countries, and the practical details contained in them are still in use in many manutactories throughout Europe. His per sonal character was much esteemed. SIGNOR CRITELLI died last week, at his residence, Upper Norton street, Portland-place. Signor Cri velli came to England in the year 1817, with his father, who wag engaged as the principal tenor at the Ring's Theatre. Since that time he dedicated him. self to the profession of teaching singing, and directly acquired a great name, which he maintained with in creasing reputation up to the moment of his death. Since the foundation of the Royal Academy of 31usic, in 1823, lie had been the principal professor of singing at that institution, and almost all our present singers have been his pupils. Signor Cri velli has also written a method of singing, "L'Arte SATURDAY, del Canto," which is considered the best work ex taut. lie leaves behind him a celebrated name in the profession, and he was beloved mid esteemed by all who knew him. 'gat; anb THE BANK FORGERIES. Tile investigations into the great geld robbery are scarcity concluded before I the London' detectives exhibit another proof of their sagacity in the capture of as clever a gang of forgers as ever infested Loudon, and expose to us at a glance the witole system of the most ingenious frauds that ever puzzled police. Last year several forgeries of cheques were success fully passed upon the different London bankers. Every bank more or less suffered. The skill and ingenuity with which the forgeries were effected, planned, and executed, defied detection. No effort of the police could either bring the forgeries home to the right men, or even discover thtir haunts. Innocent men, the tools of the gang, or men mistaken from their identity to the rogues, were tried, and in some cases convicted, while the real rogues remained comfortably housed in London, enjoying the fruits of their rascality, and planning more comprehensive ventures. A few days since two men, James Anderson and James Seward, were arrested by the detectives, and brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with having been connected with these forgeries. A preliminary examination, it will be remembered, took place laq week. The principal evidence was given on Satur day last and on Wednesday. As in the case of the great gold robbery, a convict now undergoing imprisonment was the principal wit ness for the prosecution. The first charge against the prisoners was for forging two cheques on Messrs. Barclay in August last for 46/. and for 95/. 17s. lid. Atwell, the convict-witness, said ho had made Saward's acquaintance about twelve months since. Atwell had just done a little business in the burglary line, and had in his possession some blank cheques and some paid cheques on Messrs. Barclay and Co., the bankers : Those cheques and blanks were part of the proceeds of a burglary committed on the premises of a Mr. Doe. I showed these documents to a person named Saunders, who lived in the Old-street Road. In consequence of something that passed between him and me, I went to his house a second time, ani saw Saward, who was introduced to me by him. I think there were two blank cheques. and I think there were three that had been returned by the bankers after having been paid. When I called at Saunders's house on the second occasion I showed them to Saward. Saward, who was a man of business, said at once that they were convertible securities. Money could certainly be got with them : He told me (continued the witness) that it was to be done by filling up the blanks, and that they were then to be sent to the bankers. He said he had a person whom he called the " sender " that he would introduce to me, and that that person would send them to the bank and get them cashed when filled up. After this the written and blank cheques were left with Seward, who studied the handwriting of the one and successfully filled up the other. After a week's practice Saward was perfect, and met his friends near Spitalfields Church, and then and there ar ranged the swindle : Saward took the cheques from the cuff of his coat showed them to me, and compared them with the writing in the cancelled cheques, which were then turn up and thrown away. Saward, Anderson, and I then proceeded to Leman street, where they showed me a private house in which Anderson had taken a room to use as a place from which the cheques could be sent. Anderson went into the house, Saward and I remaining o u t s id e near at h an d . I t had been previously arranged that I should watch the man who was sent to the bank to see whether the money was paid or not. Another man also went into the same house. He shortly afterwards came out and went to Messrs. Bar clay and Co.'s, I following him. This was with respect to the smaller cheque, for 461. 15s. 111. He was th._ bearer of that cheque. I saw him receive the money at the counter. That young man I followed straight back to Lemaostreet, and I waited outside while he went into the house and paid the money. The other little affair was to come off the same afternoon : After Anderson had received the money he and Seward and our other companions met on the same day, in the same street, and went towards the Eastern Counties Bail. way, where Anderson had to meet another young man. whom he employed to take the other cheque to the bankers. I went with Anderson into an eating•house opposite the station, Seward and the others waiting close by. While in the eating•house Anderson, who had met the young man on the platform of the railway, came in, and told us that he had sent him to Barclay's with the other cheque, for AM 17s. 6d. I followed the young man to the banking house, and saw the money paid him over the counter. The cheque was paid partly in 101. notes, and the rest iu gold and silver. It was part of my duty in these " matters of business" to see the young man back safe. Mr. MULLENS : Now, on this occasion did the young man who had received the money for the chore 0 4 1 4 0 hack straight with it ?