The Press. — London, England, 1856-08-30 00:00:00

7 826 whether this was so practicable as the first suggestion, but this he knew, that there were many soldiers who would willingly join with them. There might, indeed, be a spe cific alliance formed fur this very purpose. Dr. Blackwood alluded to the miserable condition of soldiers' wives : In the march from Bulgaria to Varna they were left des titute and helpless, and under those trials they had first taken to drink, and ultimately their morai character gave way altogether. So full were the hands of Miss Nightin• gale that she could pay no attention to these women; and he, with others, took them under his notice. In one room he found fifty-seven women lying among men and children with but scanty clothing to cover them, and nothing to sepa rate one sex from the other, unless it might be a rag hung upon a line, which was only an apology for a separation. He brought these facts before the meeting as he hoped to enlist the sympathies of the ladies in the amelioration of the soldier, by ameliorating the condition of the soldier's wife. The best soldier they had was the married soldier. Cdonel Lefroy had said that no amelioration could be extended to the soldier's wife on account of the expense necessary for barrack accommodation; but he had told him that the British people would not shrink from providing for the comfort of the soldiers' wives, and he thought the ladies of that Alliance might do much good in this matter by forming themselves into small committees for the advancement of the cause. In conclusion the rev. doctor suggested, with refe rence to the state of Christianity in the East, that the council should take into consideration two things —viz., to appoint and pay a correspondent at Con stantinople to remit to London all details of the suf ferings of the Christians which exist, and make that liberty of worship real which existed now only on paper; and also to enable these persons to pay depu tations to the Sultan to represent their cases, which were mainly occasioned by the chicanery of the infa mous and ungodly Ministers of the Porte. He thought the Alliance should also take some steps to reach the Bulgarians and Mahommedans. He saw no obstacle to it himself, and he hoped the council would take the matter into their serious consideration. THE LORD ADVOCATE, owing to the use of strychnia by gamekeepers for the destruction of vermin, has given instructions that it shall be made known as publicly as possible that any one placing strychnia or other poison within the reach of the public, or using it without such precautions as are needful to prevent injury, will be held responsible for the consequences, and that if death or injury to health is the result the party offending will be liable to be prosecuted criminally. Similar proclamations have been issued by the sheriffs of counties. THE EARL OF SOUTHESK has given instructions to the tenants on his estates to make returns of all the houses and cottages occupied by servants and others employed in agricultural labour, specifying the dimensions of the different departments and other particulars, with the view of introducing a thorough reform in the dwellings of the humbler classes in this quarter (Brechin). THE CROPS THROUGHOUT SCOTLAND, though late, are generally reported heavy, and promises a high average return. The oats crop is not equal to the wheat. The potatoe blight has set in in Wigtown shire, and is progressing throughout the country. Feel anb' Vilitarg gnitilignat. The following general order was issued from the Horse Guards, August 22 Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to direct that Lieutenant-General Sir Colin Campbell, G.C.8., shall be placed as a Lieutenant• General upon the Staff of the Army in the United Kingdom, with the view to his appointment as Inspector• General of Infantrv.—By order of his Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief, W. F. FORSTER, Deputy Adjutant-General. His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in- Chief on Tuesday inspected and reviewed those divi sions of the German Legion stationed at Colchester. The Ist and 3rd Regiments Foreign Legion en camped at Browndown were reviewed by her Majesty the Queen on Saturday last. After the review her Majesty and suite went over the camp, the troops being drawn up in companies in front of their respective encampments. The Queen and the Prince afterwards drove to the new forts con strutting near Browndown, and made a lengthened inspection. The royal party then returned to the beach, and re-embarked on board the Fairy at half•past six under a salute from the ships at Spithead. The Board of Admiralty have this week inspected Plymouth Dockyard. The sppointtnent of Rear-Admiral the Hon. Fre derick Grey to th e Ad m i ra lt y B oar d, v i ce Admiral Berkeley taking the command of the Coast Volun teers, and the employment of Vice-Admiral Bowles on foreign service, is rumoured. The Italian Legion disbanded at Malta are en route to England. previous to leaving Malta the Austrian Consul caused it to be made known in the camp that such Austrian subjects as were of good T 'PRES S. character would be allowed to return to *their coun try ; that their " father," deeply grieved at the unworthy treatment they had received during their residence in Malta, was ready not only to pardon their having engaged in foreign service without his consent, but to admit them to the honour of serving under hii standard. Very few have availed them selves of their "father's" kindness. (?) Obituarl THE HON. SIR W. TEMPLE, K.C.8., late Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Naples, died on Sunday morning at nine o'clock, at his temporary residence in Dover-street, Piccadilly. The deceased was second son of Henry, second Viscount Palmers ton, by Mary, only daughter of Mr. Benjamin Mee. He was born on the 19th of January, 1788. He was unmarried. He was brought up to the diplomatic service, and was first attached to the embassy at the Hague in 181 t. In September the same year Mr. Temple went in an official capacity to the Congress of Vienna, and shortly afterwards was appointed Secre tary of Legation at Stockholm. He filled the same position at Frankfort from July, 1817, until Novem ber, 1823, when he was appointed Secretary of Legation to Berlin. In January, 1828, he was ap pointed Secretary of Embassy to St. Petersburg, and was afterwards pricis writer to his brother, Viscount Palmerston, from January,lB3l, to September, 1832. On the 18th of that month, in the same year, lie was appointed Minister to the Court of Dresden, and in the following November Envoy Extraordinary and Alini.ter Plenipotentiary to the Court of Naples, the duties of which high office he discharged up to the last week of the past month, when ill•health com pelled him to relinquish his diplomatic functions, and return to England. Although his health was felt to be in a precarious state, his death was scarcely an ticipated so soon. On Thursday evening last he took his accustomed carriage drive, and received a visit from Lady Palmerston on Saturday afternoon, pre vious to her leaving town for Brocket-hall, and late in the evening Viscount Palmerston also called on him, and remained until an advanced hour. Until half an hour before his death the deceased was in full possession cf all his faculties, and then expired in perfect calmness, without the least apparent pain. Sir William Temple was nominated a Civil Knight Cross of the Bath in March, 1852, for his diplomatic services. Xabr ad Volta. BETSY lii'Mum.eiv, of Bolton, tried last week at Liverpool and found guilty of manslaughter, for poi soning her husband with small doses of antimony, was sentenced on Monday by Mr. Justice Willes to transportation for life. The evidence was strongly against the prisoner, and in favour of deliberate murder ; but, apart from that, the trial presented some curious features of the manners and customs of Bolton. It appeared from the evidence of the diffe • rent witnesses that the druggists of Bolton are in the habit of selling •certain powders called "quietners." These powders contain tartarised antimony, and are sold with the view of quieting and curing drunken husbands, by making them so sick and prostrating them so completely that they feel little or no incli nation for some time to come to get drunk again. Daniel M'Mullan lived with his wife unhappily. He was a flour-dealer, and they were both drunkards. Mr. M'Mullan's life was insured for 1001., and he was jealous of his wife, apparently with good cause. On the 7th of June last they both got drunk, and quar relled about a man named Peter. Ann Hutton, the servant, in washing her drunken mistress and putting her to bed, searched her pockets and discovered a powder. For some time past Hutton had observed her mistress, on several occasions,-mix a little white powder with Mr. M'Mullan's food; she had put some in his broth, in the gravy on his plate, in his buttermilk and treacle, and on each occasion her master was after wards very sick. • Early in April M'Mullan had con sulted Mr. Donien, a surgeon. He complained of constant vomiting and• pain, and Mr. Dorrien pre scribed for him. He continued unwell during May. On June 22nd he was very ill; be vomited constantly, suffered severe burning pains in his stomach, and on the 2nd of July he died. During these latter days Hutton had observed her mistress mix somo white powder with Mr. M'Mullan's medicine and tea. Her suspicions being excited on observing a powdery deposit in the bottle, she took it, and also some tea, over to Mr. Dorrien. In both antimony was discovered. A post-mortem examination took place, and, although the medical evidence was not quite satisfactory as to the cause of death, yet antimony was declared to have materially hastened death. Upon being questioned, Mrs. WM ullan acknowledged having purchased these powders from Simpson, a druggist in the town, and to have administered them now and then for the pur pose of eurialf her husband of his drunken tastes. Simpson in ho evidence acknowledged the sale SATURDAY, The powders (he said) are used by factory operatives to clear cotton from their stomachs. 1 don't remember ever to have seen a man come for these powders. We always tell purchasers to divide each powder into four doses. We sell about five every week. The jury, after nearly three hours' deliberation, re. turned a verdict of " Manslaughter," and Mr. Justice Willes commented severely on the custom of women dosing their drunken husbands iu order to keep them quiet. " A woman," said the judge, " has no right, whether for good or evil, to administer doses of any drug to her husband without his knowledge and consent." " Such acts," he added, " appear to me to be perfectly terrible." He did not pass sen tence at the moment, but he made a very useful re mark before he parted with the case : I likewise think it right to state, that if Mr. Simpson or any other person engaged in the sale of drugs chooses to sell to married woman such poisonous drugs without the knowledge of their husbands, and well knowing that they are to be administered to their husbands, no matter for what purpose, and death ensues, I repeat that Mr. Simpson and all others so acting are equally guilt of manslaughter. A "FOUR•OLAMP " MAN, JAMES ORPIN, of the Coldstreams, in a St of despair on Sunday morning at being deserted by his wife, attempted to drown himself in the Thames. He was rescued in time, and taken to Bow-street. On Monday he was brought before Mr. Hall. It appeared from the evidence that while Inspector Thomas, of the Thames Police, was on duty at the station•gallery tear the Adelphi pier, at about half-oast nine in the morning, he saw the defendant go aboard the halfpenny steamboat, Endeavour, run across the deck, throw off his leather belt, and jump into th 3 river. The inspector imme diately called his men to the oars, and proceeded to the spot, where they caught defendant's body with the boat-hook, and succeeded in getting him into the boat. The defendant remained breathless for some little time, and then called to the crew to let him drown, exclaiming earnestly, " Oh, let me drown ; pray let me drown ! I did not know you were so near me." He then made several attempts to throw him self in again, struggling very bard with the men, until the inspector threatened to handcuff him if he did not remain quiet. On being asked what motive he could have for destroying his life, he replied, "My wife, my dear wife, whom I loved so truly, has left me." He was then taken to Bow-street. The colour-sergeant of the regiment, a stalwart fellow, also wearing the Crimean medal and clasps, here stepped forward and informed the magistrate that defendant, who had been on duty throughout the late campaign, was a most efficient soldier, and bore an excellent character. He bad sent home a great deal of money to his wife during his absence in the Crimea—more, perhaps, than any other man in the battalion ; and when, on returning home again, he handed her every penny of his savings, she suddenly absconded—having, it was believed, formed a connec tion with another man during her husLand's absence. The defendant, who seemed painfully affected, said he was fully sensible of the wrong tie had committed in a moment . of bitter anguish; and assured his worship that if he would overlook the offence this time, it should never be repeated. He had lived happily with his wife for fourteen years, and her sudden desertion now, without any conceivable cause, was so great a shock to him that it was almost more than he could bear. Mr. Hall inquired if there was any one to look to him until his mind became calmer and more settled ? Defendant: Take my word, your worship, I will not attempt it again. I had better go to the barracks; that will be the place for tue. I had leave, as a married man, to live out of barracks, but now I must go back. Let me go with the sergeant. Eventually the defendant was given up to the sergeant, who undertook to look after him for the present. A CURIOUS CASE (Petrie v. Ellis) was tried this week before Mr. Baron Bramwell at Liverpool. The action lay between the master of a merchant ship and an underwriter for "total loss" on an insurance policy for 3,8001. on gold dust and nuggets, and 0001. on sovereigns. The details of the " total loss " were singular. The plaintiff, in 1852, made a voyage to Adelaide in his own vessel, went to the Junga diggings with 1,8001. in his pocket and a dray.load of provisions, kept a store, sold his flour at 150/. a ton, bought gold dust at 31. an ounce, and soon realised a tolerable profit. He then made several voyages be tween Adelaide and Melbourne, and at length, in May, 1853, started on his return home with some 4,4001. worth of gold dust and sovereigns, packed in strong boxes and sowed away under his bed. Coming up channel on the night of the 12th of October, blowing hard and a heavy sea on, he thought he would burn a blue light to show his posi tion to passing ships. He unpacked the blue lights in his cabin, took one on deck ; it was damp ; he went down for another and found it ready lighted, fizzing away on the top of the powder magazine, and setting fire to his bed-clothes. He smothered _ \