The Press. — London, England, 1853-08-06 00:00:00

322 THE POTATO ROT, we regret to hear, has made its appearance in a serious form in the neighbourhood of Tiverton and other localities in Devonshire. THE BRITISH BENEFICENT INSTITUTION has just issued the fourth annual report, from which it ap pears that the finances of the society are in a highly prosperous condition, and that its prospects are most encouraging. Though only founded a few years ago, for the purpose of affording permanent incomes to the widows and unmarried orphan daughters of per sons once in affluent circumstances, or occupying a high position in society, its operations have already exceeded the most sanguine expectations. At the present moment twenty-four annuitants are upon the funds, receiving each :301. per annum ; and the in creasing support the institution is enjoying justifies the hope of a speedy extension of its sphere of use• fulness. THE __ _ TO THE GREAT WELLINGTON CouIOE TESTIMONIAL have at length reached 100,0001.—that sum being the minimum contem plated in Lord Derby's original letter, written in November last. A meeting of a few subscribers to the fund has accordingly been held, under the presidency of Prince Albert. Her Majesty has con sented to become visitor of the institution, and will nominate the trustees without delay ; but the amount now contributed, large as it is, falls considerably short of the sum required to carry out the scheme is its integrity, and further subscriptions are earnestly solicited from the public. THF: WAGES Qiar.s.rios.—The strike continues, and spreads in London, although the cabmen are re turned to their duties, and the omnibus-drivers con sent not to abandon theirs. A large number of dock labourers still hold out., and at many points of the waterside a most unwonted silence and stagna tion testifies to the stop thus put upon metropolitan commerce. Offers of 2s. 04. per day have been issued by the proprietors, and many recruits are thus tempted from the country, who it is hoped will supply the place of the old labourers, if they persist in their demands. In Covent-garden Market, and at the market garden-grounds round Fulham, several hundred labourers, of both sexes, but principally Irish, have refused to work unless their wages are raised 2s. per week. They earn at present 14s. on the average. The City police have held several meetings, with the view of obtaining an advance. Deputations from several divisions waited on the commissioner to present their petitions for an in crease of pay. They were received with courtesy, and Mr. Harvey promised to represent their rasa in the proper quarter. The spinners engaged at the establishment of Messrs. Kelly and Gilmour, num bering 150, struck on Thursday, and will involve the stoppage of more than 500 other operatives attached to the concern. The wages of these men had very recently been raised 13 per cent. by their employers. In South Wales a strike of serious extent took place yesterday week. The miners and colliers, nearly 5,4)00 in number, employed at the Great Dowlais iron-works belonging to Lady Charlotte Guest, ceased work without giving notice, but demanding 10 per cent. addition to their wages. Nearly 15.000 workers, men, women, and children, are thus suddenly de prived of employment. The great turnout of factory operatives at Stockport is virtually at an end. The master spinners have found that, however great the sacrifice may be from giving an advance, which pre sent prices for their produce will not cover, the loss they are sustaining from closing their establishments, leaving capital lying waste, is likely to be much greater; so they have capitulated. The strike had lasted eight weeks, and the loss incurred by all par ties in the struggle is estimated at from 130,0001. to 150,0001. Sporting. BRIGHTON RACES.—WtnNEsnAv. THE TRIAL STAIMS of A son. each, with 30 added. Mr. Spencer's Snowdon Dunhill (Charlton) 1 Mr. Ma►v's Phan)ld Mr. Onbaldeston's Sy!rhi►►e 3 Betting: 5 to 4 against l'harold, 7 to 4 against Snowdon Dunhill, 5 to 1 against Sylphine. Won cleverly by a length. SECOND YEAR Or THE FIRST BRIORTO BIENNIAL STAKES of 10 sum emelt, with 1(N) added. . _ I►uke of Bedford's Sittingbourtie (S. Itogers) 1 I.ord 'John Seott'a Catherine liars Betting : t to 1 on Sittinghourne, who won in a clutter. THE IIItIIII4TON STAKES of 25 BOVB. eseh, with 10() added. Mr. Mattetinis'a Pantomime (Oliver) Mr : Girville's Adint• 'flw following also ran :—Poodle, Jouvence, Oarforth, Antigone, eneybantes. Mrs. Nutting, Extaey. Betting : to 1 agwitott Arline, 4to 1 against Poodle, to 1 against Pantomime, 0 to 1 against Corybantes, 6 to I against Jouvenee, 7 to 1 against Antigone. 'Ent: MARINE PI, \TE of 100 SO'S. (handicap). Mr Magennia's The Heriot (Oliver) 1 Mr. Darling jun.'s Puritan THE PRESS. THZ BRIGHTONNURSERY STAKES of 14)_sova. each, with 10U added, for two-year-olds. Captain Lane's Cyrus (Wells) 1 Mr. DeLunere's Sine-qua•non 2 Lord J. Scott's Vingt-un 3 Mr. Elwes's Joan of Arc l, Bribery, Winckfield, Worthless, Twinkle, Woodyeates, Royalist, Adelaide, Bracken, Basquine, Margaretta, Jovial, St. Spiro, Bonnie Bairn, Kitty Clover, Health, f. by John o' Gaunt, also ran. _ _ _ Betting : 4 to 1 against Basquine, sto 1 each against Twinkle and Juan of Arc, 7 to 1 against Cyrus, 8 to 1 each against Health and Bribery. Won easily by a length. THE RAILWAY PLATE of 100 NOVEL (handicap 1. Mr. Mare's Perfidious ( Wells) 1 Lord Exeter's Mrs. Nutting 2 Eight ran. THE. TOWN PLATE Of 50 WAIL Mr. Magennis's 3laitlatone (Rogers) I Mr. Elwea's Himalaya 2 Mr. E. R. Clarke's Dear Me Won by a head. The winner was old by auction for 190 guineas. THURSDAY. GRAND STAND PLATE of 100 soya., added to a handicap sweepstakes of 10 soya. each Baron Rothschild's Hungerford (Charlton) 1 Mr. Magennis's Sandhurst Captain Baruett's Mayfly 3 Betting : 7 to 4 against Mayfly, 4 to 1 against Sandhurst, 6 to 1 against Hungerford. LICENSED VIVI CALLERS' STAKES of 5 SOY& each, with 100 Wiled. Mr. Tilbury's Tomboy (Crouch) 1 Mr. Goodwin's Musician 0 Duke of Richmond's Antigone Betting : 7to 4 against Tomboy. Won by a short head only. A dead heat for second. BRIGHTON CUP Of 100 NOM, added to a sweepstakes of 10 ROM each. Mr. Mare's Ariosto (S. Rogers) 1 Duke of Richmond's Harbinger 2 Betting : Even on Ariosto, 4 to 1 against Harbinger. The winner was claimed. FIRST YEAR OF THE SECOND BRIGHTON BIENNIAL STAKES of 10 sovs. each, with 100 added, for two-year-olds. Mr. Thelltutson's King Tom (IV. Day) 1 Duke of Bedford's Student '2 Lord Dorchester's Bracken Betting : 2 to 1 on King Tom, 5 to 1 against Student. PAVILION PLATE Of 50 sovs. Mr. Delamere's Madame Landeau (J. Butler) 1 Count Batthvany's Hambletonian betting : 2 to 1 on Hambletonian. SUSSEX PLATE of 50 SOVN. Lord A. G. Lennox's Nightshade (Charlton) 1 Mr. Jordan's Jessamine Mr. Magennis's Janina The setttement on the Goodwood events pretty well mo nopolised attention at Tattersall's on Monday. The at. tembuice was exceedingly numerous, but the results, fur the moment at all events, anything but satisfactory. Most of the balance•sheets presented an extraordinary array of figures, the betting having been to an extent seldom if ever surpassed. That it had been a smiling meeting for the fielders was very evident, but " the true joy is when the money comes ;" and what with the late attendance of some parties—the total absence of the accounts of others, heavy betters too—and the disappointment caused by three or four " hit and missing," one of whom used to be deep in commissions, and whose locus daft& in future is likely to be in that paradise of defaulters, Boulogne, there was a fruitful source of vexation and complaint. Aqtrsrics.—Doggett's coat and badge was rowed for on Monday by six competitors, against the tide, from London bridge to the Swat► at Chelsea, After a very hard struggle, the victory remained to James Richard Finnis, of the Tower-stairs. pin ad Voila. CONSPIRACY TO MURDER THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH. An alleged conspirator, a French refugee, named Edouard Ilaynaud, has been examined before, and committed for trial by, the magistrate at Bow-street Police-office during the week. The prisoner had ad dressed two letters to the Prince de Joinville, in the first of which he proposed a scheme for the destruc tion of the Emperor's life, and requested the Prince's co-operation and assistance. In the second letter he offered to go over to France and accomplish the mur der of Louis Napoleon, unaided, if the Prince would give him 20/. When his crime was first communi cated to the police, Raynand was residing in Sher rard's-place, Soho, but disappeared, and was not cap tured until the officers had traced him to Southampton, where he was caught on the very point of embarking for .lersey. His first appearanee at the Police-office was on Tuesday, when he was merely remanded for the attendance of the Prince de Joinville. On Wed nesday the Prince was present, and the prisoner being again placed at the btu., Mr. llonstm, who was accompanied by Mr. Reynolds (the soli• citor to 'freasury) anti Mr. Humphreys, said he appeared by direction of the offence of which the prisoner was accused was a misdemeanour. He was charged with an attempt to conspire in this country to assarainate the present reigning Emperor of the French. It was not necessary to quote case* for the purpose of showing that this was an offence against the laws of England. The circumstances of the case were very short. The Prince de Joinville, who is a SATURDAY, resident in this country, received a letter from the prisoner two Or three months ago, of which be took no notice at the time, his Royal Highness having regarded it as sat idle and impertinent effusion. That letter was destroyed. Shortly afterwards a se cond letter was received by the Princes secretary, in the same handwriting and of similar purport, but going somewhat more into detail. It was followed by a third letter, in which the writer stated that he had been down to Claremont. His Royal Highness now considered it his duty to send these letters to the Home-otlice, and Lord Palmerston, on seeing them, determined to take proceedings with a view to the discovery and apprehension of the prisoner. The purport of the letters addressed to the Prince wait, that his Royal Highness should combine with the writer in au attempt to assassinate Louis Napoleon. or, by ad voicing a aunt of 201, enable the prisoner to do it himself, with out assistance. A detective omcer having been employed by the Commissioners of Police to commence a search for the prisoner, inquiry was made for hint at the house from which the letters had been addressed to the I'rince. It was ascertained that the prisoner was residing there; but, on suspecting, probably, the object of the inquiry, he decamped ftom London. He was traced and followed to Southampton, and apprehended just before his in tended departure for Jersey. Feaui;ois Prince de Jolnville, who appeared to be a sufferer from extreme deafness, then made the following statement in English have been for some time residing at Claremont, in Surrey. I have no personal knowledge of the prisoner at the bar. Two or three months ago I received a letter front a person who signed hitcaelf " Raynaud." The writer requested au interview with me. I handed the letter to my secretary, with instructions to reply that I did not grant au interview to any one with whom I had no previous acquaintance. Some time after this I received another letter from the saute person, and sub uently a third (on the 23d ofJune). These letters were handed to nay secre tary, and the letters now produced, marked A and 11, are the same. They are in the French language. Auguste Trognon, the private secretary of his Royal Highness, identified the letter as the same which was handed to hint by the Trines. Alexander Seminouve, a talk); who had resided in the same house with the prisoner, proved that the letters produced were in the handwriting of the prisoner, with which he was well as Here the prisoner requested the interpreter to ask the witness if he (prisoner) was not subject to periodical attacks iu the head, which made him at times confused and deranged ? The witness replied that he had heard him complain of attacks of this description. The original letters were handed to the prisoner for his in spection, and he did not deny having written them. The follow ing passages indicate their character. In the first letter, a ft er dwelling upon the interest which he took in the welfare and hap piness of the Prince's family, and the feeling of hatred which he entertained, in common with his oppressed countrymen, towards " Napoleon the Liule," who had deprived the Prince and his fa mily of their just rights to the throne of France, the writer pro ceeded to say " I leave for Paris. My journey is for you, and for you alone. I swear it on the grave of any mother and father. My life is a burden to me. I cannot suffer it, my Prince. My wife, who Is seventeen years of age, I wish to place under your protection. I have found an excuse for my voyage, and she consents. But the poor child will be the only victim of my project. I do nut sleep. I must alone take charge of the infamous wretch. He and his people must perish. It is a terrible thing for me to be au assassin, but it must be, if I sell may last shirt. I ant now writing in the absence of my poor wife. 1 must hasten to finish. May you read in my heart the sentiments I have for you and your dear family. Adieu, my Prince. All I desire is, that you may soon be upon the throne, waking the people happier, and all France loving you. (Signed) " RATNACD DE QUKTTEVILLE." In the second letter there is the following passage : " I again take the liberty of writing to you these few Hues pre vious to my departure. I have collected the little money due to me, but it will not suffice in carrying out my views. I alone un dertake aft blow up the tyrant and has accomplices, and all those around him. I will give nay best guarantees for the advances (tu might make me. I leave my furniture, I leave my wife, who is possessed of the value of 12,000., besides her venue in a bu siness. I employ several workmen. Your Royal Highness, it in money I require, but not a heavy sum—l must have All.; and I give the right to any one to stab me anywhere, wherever I may be, ifl do not change the French Government" Mr. JARDINE directed the interpreter to administer the usual caution required by the English law, and to ask if he then wished to say anything in answer to the charge. The prisoner said that he had been for a long time suffering from ill-health, which occasionally affected his intellects. He bad been an inmate of the hospital at Southampton, where his hair was partly shaved off. Under these circumstances, and for the sake of his wife, he implored the mercy and consideration of the court. Mr. Jardine committed him to New•gate for trial, offering to take bail—himself in 1001., and two sureties in 501. each—if pro. curable. THE CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER directed by a coroner's jury against the chairman of the South- Western Railway Company, and the superintendent of the locomotive department of that company, was tried at Croydon, in the Home Circuit, on Monday. The defendants, he Hon. F. Scott and Mr. J. Beattie, surrendered for their trial, which was instituted solely under the verdict ; an indictment presented upon the same charge to the grand jury having been ignored. The charge, as the prosecuting counsel confessed, in. , volved no moral delinquency ; the sole question being, whether, by any negligence or want of proper caution, the defendants had been the means of causing the death of the deceased : The transaction in question occurred on a branch line of the Guildford Railway, from Ash to Alton, between which stadium there was only a single line of rails; and only one station, that of Farnham, at which place the fatal accident occurred, intervened between the two places. Under such circumstances, the utmost caution was necessary to be observed by every person who used this portion of the railway. The line was opened, with the sanc tion of the Government inspector, in 1850, at the same time the inspector communicated with the railway authorities upon the subject of there being only a single line, and it was understood that only one engine should be used at a time upon the line, in order to avoid the risk of danger. The defendants must be taken as being fully aware of this understanding, and the question upon the present occasion would be whether they had exercised due caution upon the occasion of the fatal occurrence taking place. The learned counsel then proceeded to state that on the 14th of May the defendants ordered a special train at Guiltlfor to proceed to Alton, and there arrangements were made, and orders given to the effect, that they should proceed direct to the place of their destination. The ordinary passenger train was at Guildford when the special train took its departure, and it was detained, in order that it might be a sufficient distance ahead to