The Sun. — London, England, 1859-12-16 00:00:00

....---- ----- THE FRENCH ,IN THE _RED SEA. (E•cm r Cwrispondent of the Times.) ADEN, Nov. 27. _ Not long ago I reported some suspicions move ments on the coast of Abyssinia in connection with a politico religious association of Europeans, who are making strenuous efforts to gain an aseendancy in that country. It was intimated on that occ asion that French officials in 'Egypt and elsewhere were cognizant of the design, and were generally sup posed to be secretly fostering it. Advices just re ceived froMMa.ssowah tend to show that the scheme is being consolidated under the special auspices of the French Government. A new Consul, in the person of M. Gilbert, has lately reached Massowah, accredited , to .Dejai Nagoosi, the preeent ruler of Tigre, and furnished with instructions to protect all the Abyssinians under the jurisdiction of that chief, and to discourage the traffic in Christian slaves. it appears, moreover, that the port of Adool, or Adoolis, has been ceded t o France by Dejai Nagoosi, and that a French vessel of war is shortly expected,in the Red Sea, to take possession of the newly acquired territory. As intimately connected. with the projoet thus about to he inaugurated, I may alio mention that pertnission has lieen obtained from the Terte.to build a Itatnan Catholic church on the i.sland of Massowala, to be under the special protectprate of Franee. The foregoing arrangement is presumed . to be the result izif an enibassy sent to Paris by Dejai, Na goosi, and the qufd pro q uo which he is to receive for the concessions granted is avowedly the counte nance.and support of the Imperial. Government. That fact alone is ominous of farther interferenCe; and the consequence is likely to prove most disas trous to the interests of the Abyssinian Emperor Theodorus, and at the same' time to give France sa preme ascendatacy over the whole country. The pro vince, of Tigre, comprising the principal ports on the coast, is nominallyhtubject to the Emperor, who re sides at Gondar ; but for y ears past and to the present moment it has been virtually ruled. by its own chiefs, who have maintained an incessant warfare with e the Supreme Government. By enlisting the political Co-operation of France, and by Securing the sympathy of Catholicism through the encorage ment - given to' Ronaish missions in Tigre, Dejai Nagoosi bids fair not only to secure his own inde pendence; tut ultimately also to acquire the sove reignty over the whole of Abyssinia. Material aid in the shape of moneiand arms has already found its way into Tigre through the church, party, and the projected French' settlement at Adoolis will be a convenient centre whence to give better direction and' efficiency to ulterior proceeings. By accrediting a representative to Dejai Nagoosi France has officially recognised his independence of the Abssyinian Emperor. This recognition was obviously i ndispensable to give validity to 'the ces sion by the former of any portion of the Abyssinian territory. The British Government may not feel itself called upon to dispute the title-deed, thotigh I doubt not that Theodorus, to whom our own Consul, Mr. Plowden, is accredited, will not fail to call its attention to this act of hostility on the part of France. The latter power is evidently more dis posed to recognise dc facto rulers in these parts than in the Italian Duchies, for the simple reason, I suppose, that it suits her iuterest better. She may deny it, if she pleases, nevertheless -it Is indispu table that ' for some time past France has been hankering after a settlement in the Red Sea. About ten years ago a place called Idd, on the African side, was purchased by a Frenc hman ; and, although the then existing Government of France disowned being privy to the bargain, nevertheless. a French frigate passed through Aden not long after, supplied with artisans and materials for com mencing a station there, and. I believe the idea was eventually abandoned owing to the insecurity of the anchorage' and other serious drawbacks. Came ran, on the Arabian side, was the next spot fixed upon, and was fully surveyed by the French steamer Caiman in 1854 ; but, as that island belonged to the Turks, the 'political dif f iculties in the way of its acquisition could not be surmounted.' There can be no doubt, however, that the object has been gained at last by the cession of Adoolis ; the intelligence from Massowah is explicit on that point, and confirms the announcement lately made in the. Journal du Havre that the Abys sinian King had ceded to France the port of Massowah, on the Red Sea. There is an im portant mistake in the name, for the island of MaS sowah belongs ,to the Porte, and has a Turkish garrison and governor ; but, although the Moniteur de. la Flotte took advantage of that error to question the truth of any concession having ben made to France in this quarter, the fact is undeniable, and the port of Adoolis, from which the site of the an cient city of that name is distant about 15 miles in land, is the station elect. It is situated towards the extremity of Gubbet Dncnoo, to which Lord Va lentin gave the name of Ansley Bay ' and is about 40 miles to the south of Massowah. Moresby gives the following , description of the Bay :—" Gubbet Duenoo is formed between the land of HUrtow Peak on the east and the land. of Geedan on the west, and Dissce Island lies in the entrance, with a chan nq. leading on each side ; the eastern one is a mile broad in the narrowest part, and the western one is of considerable width. The breadth of the en- , trance of this passage from shore - to shore is 12 miles ; half way up it is little mor ~ than four ; it then spreads out again, and is S' Miles broad at the bottom.. Its extreme breadth is 30 tniles: The 'soundings are 44 fathoms, mud, at the western en trance; decreasing. gradually to 20fathom's, mud, in the lower part, and 16 to 12 fathoms are. found close to the shore. Northerly wind; blow directly into it ; a vessel would then, perhaps, have some difficulty in.getting out. The surprising difference 'in the fertility of the soil in this place is remark able, the bay being bordered by low land, producing rich pastures, with grass of great length, plenty of cattle, and a greatnumber ef large antelopes. There are some ruins on the west coast occupying. much ground, and. an extensive burial-ground near them, but no inscriptions. Freshwater may be precured." Another officer of the Indian navy who visited the place in 18.49 confirms this account of the fertility of the district, adding - that indigo grew wild and in great abundance on all the adjacent hills. , The same gentleman succeeded in reaching the site of Adoolis, the ruins of whiCh he represents,as extend ing over an area ef 15 miles, and among them were numerous large blocks of marble, but without in scriptions. The reader of Eastern history will recognise-in. Adoolis one o: the four great Abyssinian emporia of the Indian trade in ancient times, the remaining three being Azab, Axum, and liieroe. • Of these Adool, or idoolis, appears to have been the most renowned, owing to its highly favourable position • in the Red Sea, as also its fertility and safe anchor age. Tie skill of the ."' children of Adool" in ship building is eulogize& in the 11loollaka of Trifa, • famous Arabian poet of the sixth century, and it was it the same century that, instigated thereto by Justinian, the Abyssinian Nejachi, or King, known to tie 'Westerns by the nrine of Elisbaas, built 700 • 'vewels at Adool, and with the • co-operation of a Roman fleet transported 70,000 Abyssinians into Arabia, and. effected the conquest s of Yemen. These few reminiscences of the past history of. Adoolis bespeak its eligibility as a commercial sta tion, and although it is improbable 'that' the wares of the Indian market will ever resume the old route by the Red Sea, nevertheless, as the trade of Abys sinia alone is. already considerable, and is, more over, susceptible of increase to almost any extent, a well organized Settlement at' the-port of Adoolis has everything to recommend it. It will interfere little, if at all, with thetrade of Aden, consequently France need not anticipate; any opposition on. that score from the , British. 'Aden is - certainly more . conveniently situated in respect of the African coast on this side the Straits of Babelinandeb ; but there can be no doubt that AdOolis, under wise 'ma nagement,. might in a• short time be made to rival its successor, Massowah, and eventually to become the great outlet for the - trade of Abyssinia. • and the country beyond; which now finds'. its way into Egypt through that port' via the•lted Sea, and overland through Nubia. • . The only danger in the projected Scheme is that France will not rest' satisfied with theeneral:pur suits of commerce, - bat • will • - seek— to establish .an exclusive _p o liti ca l ascendancy over Aevssirlia, which may be injurious to British interests in the East. It is well known. that the ancient Ethiopians under Sabacon invaded Egypt and overthrew the native dynasty ; and not many :ears ago the Abys sinians .rephls e d the Tureo-A rabtroops commanded by Kurschid Bcy. The courage of the Abys sinians,. and of their neighbours_ i and kinsmen the Gallas. is n o t or i ous , and, trained n .e.uropean tae . tieS, tl:ey world prove more ihin a match . the prese.nt .Egyptian army. With such a p3werful ally on the coo nos of . Egypt, Frsince would pos ness an overwhelmiug influence over that coultrS, inclepentl ent in a great. measure of her own' i re sources n the :qe.literrancan, and. political 'com plications. are certainly possible which may render such a pripenderance more than menacing to our legitimate po:iition in the East. There is no undue suspicion in these foreshadow . ings, and'Franee will best show that our fears are utterly groundless by restricting her.fut tire agency in Abyssinia to the - doclopment of commerce, and to promoting the peaceful arts and sciences among its half-civilised populations. • • Her Majesty's ship Cyclops 'left Men on the 7th inst. to complete the survey for the telegraphic cable between Men and Kurrachee. On this oe. casion Captain Pullen will take up his former, soundings at Ras-el-Hadd and continue them to Muscat, thence in a north-easterly- direction across the gulf to the coast of Mekran, and then along that coast to Kurrachee. It is presumed that this course will give more favourable soundings than the di rect line from Ras-el-Had to Kurrachee, which was surveyed last year. Captain Pullen anticipated reaching the Tatter plkee early in December, and expects to be joined there about the middle of the month by `the Imperatriz, -with part of, the cable on board. The Imperador, with the, remaining part, is looked for 'at Aden on the 10th proximo, and will proceed at once with >lr. Newall, the contrac tor, and Mr. Pwrde, the company's engineer, tojoin the sister ship and the Cyclops at Knrrachee, touchinp r ojected stations of Hallania and Muscat on her way thither. If all goes well we may hope to see a continuous telegraphic communication established between India and Alexanslria by the end of January next. The process of paying out the cable' will commence at Kurrachee. VOLUNTEER CORPS. THE QUEEN'S. Last night a public meeting of inhabitants of the district of Pimlico was held in St. Peter's school room, Wm' ve-street South, for the purpose of pro moting the formation of additional companies in connection with the Queen's Volunteer Rifle Corps, which now numbers 250 effective members. Earl GROSVENOR, M.P., commanding officer of the corps, who was called to the chair, made a state ment as to the present position of the corps, with a view to interest the inhabitants of that district of the metropolis in its welfare. He thought if it were possible for any one wholly ignorant of this volun teer movement to land in this country at present, fie would not be a little astonished on entering Westminster-hall to hear the ring of arms. He would be still : more astonished to hear that it was a peace movement. It was, nevertheless, essentially a peace movement, inasmuch as it was meant to prevent a possible invasion of the soil of England, and might tend besides to insure the peace of Europe and perhaps of the world at large. (Cheers.) When foreign countries knew that we were in such a position as to be perfectly safe ,and unassailable, we should have all the greater weight in the coun cils of 'Europe, and'be enabled to enforce the policy .'of Europe, Which was essentially one of peace. (Cheers.) At present there were 250 effective mem bers of this particular corps, not counting honorary members, and they met for drill three times a week for two hours in Westminster-hall, although many 'of them were professional men, and could ill spare the requisite time. Their progress had been most satisfactory. They had secured a practice-ground at Sydenham with a range of 300, yards, sharing the-expense with . the Scottish Volunteers, and there they would be enabled to vary with a little recrea tion in the Crystal Palace the hard work to which they were subjected at drill. Should it be found necessary to have a longer range, there was a pros pect of obtaining one near Croydon or at Wormwood Scrubbs. At first, however, the great object was to practise shooting without any ammunition at all, ac cording to the system adopted. at Hythe. The shoot ing with ball afterwards was merely a test of profici ency. On the meeting of Parliament Westminster hall would be no longer available for drill, but the Duke of Wellington had kindly granted to this corps the use of the riding-school at Knightsbridge for that purpose. (Cheers.) He (Earl Grosvenor) was Sorry to learn that it was in contemplation to form another corps in that district, for he thought such a, course would occasion confusion and impede the progress of the movement in that part of Lon don. The money subscribed for establishing this (the Queen's) corps amounted now to about £B5O ; but a greater sum would be necessary to meet the necessary expenses, and, seeing that they resided in a wealthy and populous district, he had no doubt that sum would be forthcoming when gentlemen came up to town at the meeting of Parliament. Every one•was more or less interested in the pre • servation of peace, and he therefore urged all whom age had not incapacitated to join in the honourable and patriotic duty of maintaining it. Let every man who became a volunteer remember .that he afforded in himself individually a further guarantee for the security of peace, and that he fulfilled an honourable and sacred duty in identifying himself with the volunteer movement. (Cheers.) We could no longer tolerate these constantly recurring invk •sion panics—and in order to put an end to them this velunteer movement must become a permanent institution of the country, as in Switzerland, the motto, of whose people should be our snotto — " O ne for all, and all for one." (Cheers.) On the motion of the Rey. T. J. DArxnß, seconded by Mr. 11. J. SMITH, a resolution was unanimously passed, that it was desirable to strengthen the corps as far as possible, and pledging the meeting to make every exertion to effect that object. Mr. A. W. JAFFRAY, an active member of the corps, in moving a resolution intended to pro vide for the additional expenditure of the corps in the erection of butts and otherwise, urged on his brother riflemen to devote their attention to the necessary drill heart and soul, as if an emer gency were at hand for actual service, and so give the lie to the sneer occasionally made, that they were merely playing at soldiers. If they regarded the drill merely as a pastime it would not succeed. ,(Hear, hear.) They should take a lesson from the Swiss, every .man of whom felt that the best guarantee of their national independence lay in his rifle. (Cheers.) In Switzerland all the popu lation capable of bearing arms were carefully drilled. The Swiss could not - afro - id to maintain a standing army ; 'they were too poor to divert in 'that way any part of the national industry from its regular channels; therefore the people became the army ; and so thoroughly organised were they that, by mewls of the telegraph, they could collect 50,000 men, ,at, any given point of their territory in 24 hours.. Like the Swiss, -every . Mari in England should have his rifle hung behind his door, and be always prepared to defend the liberties which we had inherited from our ancestors e and Which we in tended to leaVe unimpaired to those who came after us. (Cheers.) The:IIOn; GEORGE DENMAN, M.P., in seconding the resolution, adverted, amid the laughter of the meeting, tothe four Liverpool merchants who had been simple enough to write a letter to the French Emperor, with a view to obtain an expression of his - intentions with regard to England. The reply to_ tligletterUontained a passage which might serve as a motto for the volunteer' movement—viz., that great nations should appreciate 'and not fear one another. (Hear, hear.) It was to do away with the notion of a rupture between this country and France, and to teach the French to appreciate us as we appreciate them, that we had embarked on an enterprise which had simply for its object the pre servation of our hearths and altars. (Cheers.) He 'believed the mischief that would ensue from one single hostile Frenchman' setting foot on these r shores was inconceivable. Of that history afforded 'them an example in the landing of a French force of about 1,400 men at Fishguard, in Pembrokeshire, in ' 1797, who, after remaining there for a day or two, pillaging and plundering the neighbourhood, were dispersed by about 600 volunteers, and the sight of the red petticoats of the Welsh women who assem bled on the adjecent hills. (A laugh.) It was stated ra " Lord Holland's Memoirs," that Mr. Fox, ad verting to that circumstance on one occasion, said people Might laugh at, but the country did not re cover from the effects of that descent for 20 years afterwards. A working man named SIMES said, great as his respect was for the aristocracy, he should be sorry to Join a rifle corps which was not conducted in the most economical manner. (Hear.) He took that meeting to be a. recruiting party—(laughter)—but what he had to say was, that a corps composed of noblemen and gentlemen was not the one he should join. He should like to know the cost of joining this. particular corps. He might be able to stand half a guinea. (A laugh.) He knew there were ' plenty of young men of his own cldss ready to join this movement who had as great an interest in the • country as the chairman himself had. He himself had as great an interest in his little home, whether .it consisted only of a kitchen or a garret, as a man had in his who lived in Grosvenor-square, and he felt it was his duty to stand up and :protect that home. (Cheers.) For those reasons he had not yet made up his mind what corps to join. (Laughter.) He 'eaa'nted to see these rifle corps made up of the bone and sinew of the country, and not of men like some in the Crimea, who, as soon as they saw smoke, wanted to go home " on urgent private affairs." (Laughter.) The CHAIRMAN, after entering into some details 'as to the cost of uniform, &c., with the view to satisfy the last . speaker, put the resoliitioa, which was adopted. At the conclusion of the proceedings a further donation of £5O from Mr. J. R. Jaffray was an nounced. ST. JAMES'S, WESTMINSTER The committee for this corps met yesterday, and• a satisfactory report of progress was made. • Up wards of 80 effective members had enrolled film'. selves, and the amount of the fend was found to be abode - x40o:, A sub-committee was appointed to make arrangements for the immediate commence ment of drill. E LLINGTON. This corps is progressing so ttvourably that the council have thought it expedient to establish them selves in permanent head- quarters at Arnold-house, Richmond-road, Hackney. Drill has commenced, Capt. Bond, 85th King's Light Infantry, having kindly volunteered his services gratuitously for that purpose. BRADFORD. Constant additions are being made to the number THE SUN, LONDON FRIDAY EVE of rifle volunteers at Bradford. A third company is in course of tirmation, and the expectation is held out that there will soon be a fourth company, when the corps will be entitled tb receive a major and adjutant frOm the authorities of the War Depart ment. BURLINGTON. The movement for the forraation of a corps of v6luntcer artillery, to be called the East York Artil lery, goes on well' here. Upwards of 80, the fUll complement for a company, have given in their names. CAMELFORD. A meeting has been held at. Camelford at which it was agreed to form a rifle corps within the hun dred of Lesnewth. ASSIZE INTELLIGENOR. NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—YouN., Dec. 14. (Before Mr. Justice Wightman.) Frederick Holmes Johnson, aged 23, was indicted for, the manslaughter of John Fletcher at the borough of Leeds, on the 14th of November last. Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Bruce prosecuted.; the prisoner was undefended, but after one or two witnesses had been examined, his Lordship passed the depositions to Mr. Campbell Foster, and re quested the learned counsel to defend the prisoner. The circumstances of this case were such as to involve the inquiry in very considerable difficulty. The only witnesses who could speak with certainty to the cause of the death of the deceased were the 'prisoner himself, his mother, Mrs. Johnson (with , whom the prisoner resided, and who kept a brothel in Templar-street, Leeds), a girl of the town called Rhodes, who lived at Mrs. Johnson's, and another unfortunate girl who Was there with the dece ased on the night of the occurrence. All these (includ ing the prisoner himself) had been examined before the coroner, and their statements were extremely contradictory and inconsistent. So suspicious, in deed, were the jury with regard to the evidence that, as will be seen, they refused to believe them on the one point on which they.all agreed. According to the evidence it appeared that the deceased left his house on the morning of the 14th of November quite well ; his course during the day was not traced ; but in the evening he was found, partially intoxicated, at the Templar publichouse, in Templar-street. Annie Green, a girl of the town, brought him, shortly after 12 o'clock, from the tavern to Mrs. Johnson's. The deceased was then asked to provide drink for those present, Mrs: Johnson, Annie Green, Elizabeth Rhodes, and. prisoner. He refused, and then pri soner took him by the shoulders, lifted him out of his chair, and turned him out of the front door, which the prisoner then closed. Five minutes after wards the deceased was found lying senseless at the door. Prisoner brought him in and laid him " half on the carpet and half on the hearthrug," where he lay all night before the fire. They did not seem, according to their own account, to have sus pected that he was hurt, and he was believed to be only drunk ; but in the morning Rhodes took him home in a cab. He was examined that afternoon by a surgeon, who found on the left side of his head a large fracture of the skull, and another distinct bruise over the right eye. He died the same day from pressure on the brain resulting from the frac- ture. • The widow of deceased was called to prove that her husband was brought 'home insensible and with empty pockets. Hawksworth, a waiter at the Tem plar Inn, spoke to having seen the deceased in com pany with Rhodes and another girl of the town about 12 the night before. Annie Green, Elizabeth Rhodes, and Mrs. Johnson gave accounts of what took place at Mrs. Johnson's, which agreed pretty well together. Caroline Bennett, a neighbour, spoke to hearing a great quarrelling at Mrs. Johnson's backdoor at 12 at night. Mr. Brass, also a neigh bour, severe that he heard a great disturbance in Johnson's house shortly after 12 o'clock that night, throwing about chairs, and a fall as of a table knocked over, and male and female voices elevated to a high pitch, and finally, a great scream as of a woman in fright. Cromack, a policeman, proved that he was called to the house by Elizabeth Rhodes about a quarter to 1 o'clock, because she had been struck in the face by the prisoner. The de ceased was lying on the floor. Mrs. Johnson said he was drunk, and her son hadbroughtlim in andlaid him there to come to himself. Mrs. Butler, a neighbour, swore that she was called in the next morning by Mrs. Johnson. She described the appear ance then presented by the deceased. He was snoring very badly and in a stupor. Mr, Price, surgeon, described the injuries received by the de ceased ascertained by him on a pest mortem exa mination. On the left side of the head • there was a serious fracture of the temporal bone, part of the skull was detached and driven inwards, and there was a bruise over the right eye. Both of these in juries could not have been caused by one blow, but the fracture might have been made by a heavy fall down the three stone steps of the front door if the side of the head came in clntact with the edge of the bottom step, and a convulsive attempt to rise might have caused the deceased to "flounder" for a minute or two, and to fall on his face and cause the other bruise over the right eye. Mr. English, the chief constable at Leeds, de tailed. a statement made to him by the prisoner, and Mr. Blackburn, the coroner, verified a voluntary statement .which he made on the conclusion of the inquest. The learned counsel for the prisoner objected to the introduction of this evidence, on the ground that it was a statement made at an adjourned inquest ; that, being an adjournment, it related back to the commencement, and was, in fact, part of one and the same inquiry, and that, as the prisoner had been formally sworn at an earlier stage of the proceed ings, that oath must be consislered as covering all that the prisoner said at that adjourned inquest ; and he referred to Smith's case (1 Stark.), River's case (7 C. and P.), and Pikesley's case (9 C. and P.). His Lordship, however, ruled that the statement was admissible as a voluntary statement, and it was accordingly put in and read. :Mr. C. Foster, for the defence, complained that this police-officer should have been called to repeat what was afterwards to be put in as evidence in a much more authentic form, and expressed his opinion that it had all been done with a view to get in the words " I should have been off in three days if you had not come." But the real question was, what was done, and not what was said, by the prisoner. The facts proved in evidence were that Mrs. Johnson, the mother of the prisoner, was the owner of the house—a disreputable house,certainly, but that did not affect her dominion over the house, or alter her legal rights and privileges as its mistress. Elizabeth Rhodes (who came into the box evidently with no friendly feelings to the prisoner, who had struck her on the mouth that very night) had con curred with all the witnesses in showing, what was, indeed, further corroborated by the prisoner's own statements—viz., that Mrs. Johnson requested the deceased to leave the house ; that the others joined the mistress in . that request ; that when deceased refused in a half-drunken stupor to go away she insisted on his doing so ; that the deceased became obstinate. and doggedly refused to move; that then she directed her son to turn him out, as she had a perfect right to do, and the deceased accordingly, without any unnecessary violence, was lifted up by the shoulders, walked across the room, and put out of the front door., No one at the time perceived that any injury had been done to him. The law required.that in order to convict the prisoner of man slaughter it should be shown that homicide had oc curred in consequence of some unlawful act of the prisoner's. Where was the unlawful act in this case ? A drunken man came out from the light into the dark, he forgot the steps or missed his footing , and then falling with hif head against the corner of the step he received the injury of which he died. But all this pointed to accident and not to manslaughter. It had been suggested that there were more wounds than one, and the inference which the jury were in vited to draw was that there had been a previous fight, but this had been altogether disproved; and the evidence of the surgeon established that all the injuries might have been caused by a heavy fall first and then by a floundering fall on the flags. Several of the neighbours had been called to support a sug gestion that there had been a fight heard in the house, but the cross-examination had shown that that was after deceased was turned out, and was not at the door at which the fatal event really occurred. The high words to which Bennett swore evidently referred to the quarrel between the prisoner and Elizabeth Rhodes, and not to what took place be tween the prisoner and Fletcher, and all which was substantiated by the evidence of the policeman who was called in consequence of it. The evidence of Mr. Brass was all in the same direction, and was farmer° easily explicable on the hypothesis that the dis turbaece was among the ienaates of the house, and net an attack on Fletcher. Further, there was no motive for the crime. Some suggestion of a robbery had been thrown out, but it had altogether failed in the attempted proof'. But with that the learned counsel and the jury had nothing to do. The real point at issue was, did the deceased person receive his death wound at the hand of the prisoner There was no proof of anything of the kind. It was shown that he had been treated with humanity and consideration after his fall, and that he had been neglectfini e n eag a t i l l e ly : at sentcathot counsel n h h soeem prisonere,cooirnn te l a uodw e ue a alabds. oshown, Nothing and further for t than at responsible.a li p o r t arCdd efece T b h 3 e ' reviewing the arguments ho had used in the course of it, and referred his lordship for the confirmation of the law he had ventured to lay 'down for the lordship guidance of the spoke j u t His its a very complimentary manner of the defence, which the learned counsel I had made, under circumstances of peculiar diffi culty, and - finally requested.. the jury in returning their verdict to prepare a special answer to the fol• lowing question :—Did Fletcher receive the fatal in juries in the house, but not in putting him out of th 3 house, as represented. The jury retired for consideration, and on their return into court very shortly afterwards said they were of opinion that the deceased received the fatal injuries in the house, and not in being expelled :rom the house His Lordship—Then you can have no difficulty in returning a simple verdict of guilty of man. slaughter. Foreman of the Jury—That is our verdict, my .oro. The learned Judge expressed his firm opinion that the verdict was correct, and sentenced the pri- soner to - penal servitude for 15 years. John Hart was charged with having, at Leeds, on the 12th Nov. last, stabbed Edward Reid, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. Mr. Wheelhouse and Mr. Maule prosecuted ; Mr. Middleton defended the prisoner. It seemed that the prosecutor went to the house occupied by the prisoner and a woman named Mitchell. When he arrived there he found the prisoner in the act of striking the woman, and on her appealing for protection to the prosecutor (whom she knew previously) the prosecutor was struck by tie prisoner on the head with the fire poker. A scuffle took place, and the woman made her way up fan stairs, the prisoner immediately following her. The prosecutor, fearing some foul play - towards the woman, instantly followed her and the prisoner upstairs, and passing the man on the stairs arrived in the bedroom before the prisoner got there. 01 the instant after the prisoner came into the room he made a blow with his knife at the prosecutor in the lower part of his body, and wounded him very seriously. The rrisoner's knife • was su bsequently found, covered with blood, at the bottom of the staircase by a policeman. Mr. Middidon addressed the jury, contending that the prisoner was justified in using the knife at the moment in self-defence, and that therefore there was not even an unlawful wounding. After a eareful summing up the jury found a ver dict of Guilty, end the prisoner was sentenced to be kept in penal servitude for three years. There remains but one case, the charge of the murder of Mr. Broughton at Leeds, which is fixed for to-morrow, and is scarcely expected to be con cluded in one day. LIVERPOOL, DEC. 15. (B)fore Mr. Justice Willes.) Mr. Justice Wines has arrived here from Ches ter, and this norning, assisted Mr. Baron Martin in the trial of irisoners. James Hassel was indicted fct attempting to murder Ameliaßrown. Other counts charged other felonious intents. Mr. Charles lopwood appeared for the prosecu tion ; Mr. Torrdefended the prisoner. It appeared hat the accused was a lodger in a house in Sackaille-street, Manchester, where the prosecutrix and her sister, Mrs. Story, and her sis ter's husband lied. He was married, but had se parated from hi; wife, and had for some time past employed Mrs. 3rown tb clean up his room for him. It was suggested for the defence that the two had been for some tine criminally intimate. She had been a widow for the past three years, but strongly denied any impro?er intimacy between herself and the prisoner. Amelia Brown—l was taking., breakfast with Hassell. As he vas going to leave his lodgings I asked him if I should clean them that day. Ho sai d I might, as he would not go before Monday. This happened on Saturday. He asked me if I would go to clean for him at his new lodgings. I said no. He said he had heard I was to be married. I said it was a lie. I then got up to go. He got hold of me and slammed the door. I said, " Leave me loose, let me go." He dragged me to the other side of the room, and got hold of an axe from the shelf. I be came insensible from for, and was ill nearly 12 weeks, and am not well /et. I did not throw the pots at him. I did not threaten to stab him wit a knife. I did not say I would sclald him with the kettle, or dash out his brains with the axe. • Cross-examined by Mr. Torr—l had not been drinking. I had not been on improper terms with the prisoner. I knew he had a wife. • Eliza Story—l am siacr to Ani2lia. Brown. I heard her cry, " Let me go," and ran upstairs. I found the prisoner beating my sister over the head with this piece of wood. (The handle of the axe.) I tried to defend her, but he would not give over. I • ran down to the door, and criod " Murder." Pri soner came down and waited to get out. I put my self in his way, shut the door, and bolted it. He said, " I will go with yen to the police-office." John Birch—l am a surgeon. I was called to Amelia Brown. She was insensible. I found many contusions on the face, seven er eight wounds on the head, all to the bone, one of them a deep cut from the back to the frost of the head, eight inches in length. There was a fracture of the skull. Deep marks on the arm and wrist showed great violence —probably in a struggie. The handle of the axe might have caused the wounds and contusions; it is rather sharp. I found the axe-head in the room. It has a splinter in it which fits the handle. It had no blood on it when I saw it. The statement of the prisoner before the at him, threatened to stab a p ntseized the axe, and swore magi strate was put in and read. In it he stated that oa sh it e n, h a a n d d th h i a •o d w g n on tl e le !she would dash out his brains with it. Mr. Torr addressed the jury strongly on behalf i to n fr g el setisshstr enormity, convictionnu the i. ty bu facts, uptothe a on d c o , no f Lit t gpo rfthat ne he indictment er, fcould S ng o o nts tending that the evidence would justify the jury in acquitting of any intent to murder. He called wit nesses who proved the quiet character of the pri- Boner. The learned Judge summed up the case, calling attention to the fact of the axe-head not being wet when found, and the medical evidence that the in juries might have been inflicted with the handle. He 'read the material parts of the evidence, and pointed out to the jury that, if not satisfied either of the prisoner's intent to murder or the grievous bodily harm, it vas open to them to find a verdict of 'unlawful wounding. Verdict—Not guilty of intent to murder; guilty of intent to do grievous bodily harm. The prisoner niade again a long statement, re peating what he had said before the magistrates. The Judge characterised the act as a wrong, cruel, and savage one —not a single blow, and alto gether without acequate provocation, and sentenced the prisoner to fear years' penal servitude. OXFORD CIRCUIT.--WORCESTER, Dec..ls, Criminal Court.—(Before' Mr. Justice Williams.) James Lowe, 3), labourer, was charged with com mitting wilful and corrupt perjury, on the 28th of November, 1859, at Dudley. Mr. Kenealy appeared for the prosecution ; Mr. Best and Mr. Byrne defended the prisoner. This was anindictment for perjury, assigned upon evidence given by the prisoner before two justices of Worcestershire, upon the 23th of Nov. last. It appeared that on the day in question an informa tion came on to be heard, before the justices, in which the overseers of Tipton charged one Robert Lakin with deserting his wife and family, and leav ing them chargeable to the parish. Lakin appeared to defend himself against the charge, and called the prisoner as a witness, to prove that his wife had committed adultery with a man named James Att wood, and so justifying his withdrawal of an allow ance of £1 a-week, which he had for some time made her. The prisoner then swore that one Satur day night he sawthe woman and Attwood drinking together 'at a publichouse called the Violin ; that ke saw them go together to the house of a Mrs. Bagley ; and that he then watched them go toge ther to Mrs. Lakin's house, hcardthe door locked, saw a light go upstairs, and then, looking through the keyhole of the door, saw the parties commit the adultery in the hause-place. The magistrates dis believed the prisoner's evidence, and this indictment being preferred, Mrs. Lakin and her two daughters, who were in the room at the time alleged, gave a distinct contradiction to the prisoner's statement. Mrs. Lakin said she was the mother of eight chil dren, and that about a twelvemonth ago she sepa rated from her husband, in consequence of his ill usage, but that h. 3 had regularly allowed her .£1 a week until the occasion now in question. She ad mitted she was in the Violin publichouse where Attwood was, but she was in company with Mr. and Mrs. Bagley, to whose house she after Wards went. Attwood was of the party, and left Bagley's house in her company, and, as she was informed that her husband was watching her about, and she was afraid of him, she got Attwood to see her safe home. As soon as she and Attwood entered her house, she heard her husband's and the prisoner's voices outside the door, whereupon she bolted the door for safety. She' said she then sat down and took her youngest child, who was three years old, and held it in her lap till Attwood left, and that both' her daughters, who were 14 and 16 years of age, remained in the room all the time Attwood 'was there. She denied that any itnpropriety what ever had taken place between them, a statement which was confirmed by Attwood, as well as by the two daughters, who were examined as witnesses. Four other witnesses were examined who spoke to statements made by the prisoner which were incon sistent with his sworn testimony, and it was sug gestedh nsb husband that (Lakin)t t e p i n r i o s r o d n e e r r t hado assist e n in hi gettingm s el ft r d t h o e f the burden of supporting his wife and children. On the other hand, Mr. Best contended that the prisoner was sought to be made a victim of a conspiracy of the wife ana the other witnE;sses, to save her from losing the allowance made by the husband. Mr. Justice Williams summed up the evidence commenting upon the absence of Laki n , w h o w a s also said to have looked through the'kev-hole. The jury found the prisoner guilty, and his lordship sentenced him to 18 months imprison ment with hard labour. The trial_of this case brought the Assizes for7the county to a close, at a little after seven last night. At the sitting of the Court this day, the little boy, named Wm. Osborne, who had been convicted of setting fire to two ricks, was brought into court. Mr. Justice - Williams said ho had made inquiries into the case of the prisoner, and he thought the best course he could adopt would be to sentence him to two years' imprisonment in the common gaol, where he would receive goad instruction. Sentenced accordingly. The casts in the city calendar were then taken. William Watkins, 20, sweep, and Edwin Mow bray, 31, laboarer, were charged with breaking into the counting-house of William Price, at Wor , cester, on the night of the 2d of December, 1859, and stealing Bs. - in silver and 7s. 6d. in copper money, the property of William Price. Mr. Best appeared for the prosecution ; and Mr. V. Richards defended the prisoners. It appeared that about half-past eight on the night in question the prosecutor left his shop and counting-house quite safe, but on going there at between two and three in the morning ho found that an entry had been effected by removing an iron grating which led into the cellar, and that they had then broken through various doors into the counting-house. The desk had been broken open and ransacked; and Is. 6d. in copper was missing. The iron safe, weighing between two and three cwt., had been removed from the counting-house to 'the warehouse, and from it Bs. in silver had been taken, which had been seen there a few days pre viously. The younger prisoner, who passed by the name of Tiny Watkins, was taken into custody the same morning, and some copper coins were found in his pocket, and some silver and copper coins in a teapot on his mantelpiece. Four of these copper coins were clearly identified by the prosecutor's brother, one of them being a Jersey halfpenny with a hole in it. Evidence was given to show that the other prisoner had been seen in company with Watkins at about eleven o'clock on the previous night, when they made an agreement to meet again at from half-past two to three o'clock in the morn ing. They were seen together again at ten.minutes to twelve, and when Watkins was taken into cus tody in the morning Mowbray was coming out of his house. Mr. Richards, having addressed the jury for the prisoners, called two showily-dressed prostitutes, who swore that the prisoner Mowbray spent the night of the burglary in bed with both of them in a brothel kept by one of them. The jury acquitted Mowbray, and found Wat kins guilty. Mr. Justice Williams sentenced Watkins to ten years' penal servitude. George Farrell was char g ed with burglary in the house of Mrs. Stillingfieet, and stealing a silver sugar basin and tongs , on the night of the 14th of September, 1859, at Worcester. Mr. Byrne appeared for the prosecution ; the pri soner was undefended. It appeared that the prisoner had been dis charged on the morning before the burglary from Woycester Gaol, and two days after was taken into custody by a Birmingham detective, in a pawn broker's shop in that town, while in the act of pawn ing broken metal. He was taken into custody and searched at the station, and in his pockets was found the silver basin, with one of the handles broken into three pieces, the basin itself being beaten together- The crest by which it was iden• tified was distinctly visible. The jury found the prisoner guilty, and Mr. Justice \Viliams sentenced him to three years' penal servitude. The trial of this case brought the assizes tr., a close at about 12 o'clock. MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—LiNcoL*,:f, DEC. 15. (Before Mr. Justice Crompton.) • The following case occupied the attention of the Court during the latter half of yesterday, and did not conclude until after our despatch left : Eliza Thacker pleaded not guilty to the charge of setting fire to an outhouse at Hainton, in the possession of Thos. Cooke, on the 13th Oct., and to a further charge of setting fire to a stack of straw at the same place, the property of the same person, on the 14th October. Mr. Boden conducted the case for the prosecution; the prisoner was undefended. The facts relating to the two charges being so intimately connected as to render inquiry into the whole of them necessary to enable the jury to arrive at any full understanding or reasonable con clusion on either ease, the learned judge perinitted the counsel for the prosecution to adduce the evi dence immediately relating to the first 'charge in • support of his case upon the second, upon which alone he directed that the prisoner should be tried. The facts proved were these :—The prisoner was a servant of Mr. Cooke, a blacksmith, and her mis tress had ea . the 13th October complained of her having gone out with a man named Robinson, and threatened to turn her way if She did so again. On the morning of the same day Mrs. Cooke after breakfasting below went upstairs, leav ing the prisoner sngaged in washing the break fast things, and remained above for about half an hour • on going. down she heard an alarm of fire in the cow•shed, and on going thither, some 14 yards from the house, she found that a quantity of straw placed on a tub that was in the crib had been on fire, but was extinguished by Mr. Cooke, who then removed the straw from the crib, placed it on the floor, filled the tub with water, and left all apparently safe. The prisoner followed Mrs. Cooke when she went to the cow-shed, and returned wit'a her to the house, where she remained ti l dout an hour ; she then told the prisoner to go wad see that all was safe; The prisoner went out, tine, had but just come in again when Mrs. Cooke I :,.earda second., cry of fire raised by Mr: Cooke ; she, pumped water for the men who brought bucket's to her, and going again to the cow-shed found that the straw which had been thrown out upon the floor had been burn ing, and was extinguished. On the following day the prisoner told her mistress that she had seen a boy going along the riarden, and that she noticed the mark of a boy's footstep where she had seen him. She took her mistress to the place, and pointed to a footmark, which Mrs. Cooke did not particu larly notice at the time, but which was subsequently compared with the impression made by the pri soner's own boot, with which it corresponded as nearly as possible. On the same morning she re lated to some men who were at breakfast in the kitchen that she had on the night previous seen two men cenie from the shop end to two who stood against the front gate ' and that she had upon that endeavou re d t o k noc k them up, and asked , them if they had not heard her, which they said they had not. Shortly before 6 p.m. she accompanied her mistress to feed the pigs, and afterwards to milk the cows, and while going about this occupation, Mrs. Cooke saw the straw stack, which was then all right, and went back to the house with the pri soner. Mrs Cooke's brother, William Smithson, came in to tea, and while he was taking it the pri soner told him the same story as she had told the two men in the morning, and asked him if he heard her knock him up, which he said he did not. She then went out, partly closing the outer door, from which to the blacksmith's shop was about 14 yards, and thence to the straw stack - 14 yards more. She remained out about five minutes, and was in that interval seen by a person in the blacksmith's shop to look in at the door, which was only a step or two out of the direct way from the house door to the stack.' On coming back into the house she partly closed the door, and stood behind it, and directly afterwards, hearing a man named Ma y cr y " Fire." Mrs. Cook ran to the door and saw the straw stack in a blaze, which consumed the greater part before it could be extinguished. Subsequently, about 8 o'clock, on the policeman arriving, and asking to speak with Mrs. Cooke, the prisoner, who was told to get to her . work, left the house , but was fo ll o wed by two men ; and. she was on the next morning found by her mistres s lying on her bed, fully dressed, and.with her baots on. The learned Judge having summed u p the evi denoe, the jury returned a verd ict of guilty. The prisoner was sentenced to four years' penal servitude. 0 The learned Judge took his seat this morning at 9 o'clock and tried the only two eases that remained to be disposed of, the details of which are unfit for publication. In one of these the jury acquitted the prisoner, in the other found a verdict of guilty of the misdemeanour only ; the third case was disposed of by the grand jury ignoring the bill. Sarah Ann Bellamy, against whom. the bill for murder was ignored, pleaded guilty to the charge of concealing the birth of her infant, and was sen tenced to two months' imprisonment with hard la bour. The 'Court rose to-day a little after one, having disposed, of all the business. WESTERN CIRCUIT—EXETER, Dec. 14. (Before Mr. Baron Channell.) Wm. Taylor was indicied for administeri n o. to Mary Ann Hector a noxious drug with intent' to procure abortion. Mr. Bere prosecuted, and Mr. Carter dofended the prisoner. It appear:?d that the prisoner filled the situation of clerk to Mr. Badeo3li, a wine merchant at Crediton. 14Q was a married man with four children. At the end of the last year Mary Ann Hector, a girl a 1,44- years of age, was in the habit o f goin{.7 to assist in the house. Soon afterwards Mrs. Taylor died and Mary Ann Hector was taken into the horse as the only servant, Two or th ree weeks after Christmas 1 the prisoner seduced the girl. In the early part of August the prisoner discovered that the girl was pregnant. He then induced her to take some pow ders which he gave her. She left his house, but went there occasionally, and he gave her four pow ders to take. She said she could not take them. He then - asked her if she would like to have a child. She said that would be worse, and she took the powders. On other occasions he gave her other medicines, but no effect was produced. Th e p r i soner then told her he would go to Exeter and would get something that would set her to sights. On his re turn he gave her a bottle of stuff, which he said had cost him 255.; but he added that he would bet a pound she would not take it, but would rather bring disgrace upon him. She then took the stuff, but no effect was produced. On the 2d of October the girl's brother saw her writing a letter. He snatched it &pm her, found it was a dd resse d t o the prisoner, and - then discovered the whole secret. The prisoner was apprehended. He told the officer he wished him to go for Mrs. Hector, as he would give anything to settle the matter, for he knew he had done wrong, although he was not guilty of that which the .warrant charged him with, as he had only given • the girl salts and senna. The prisoner admitted being the father of the child. Two highly respectable surgeons of the city of Exeter (Dr. Warren and Mr. Arthur Cumming) stated that they had been in court during the trial, and had paid great attention to the evidence, and in their opinion from the operation of the powders they must be of a noxions character—in fact, they were a noxious drug. Mr. Carter submitted that there was no case to go to the jury. In the first Place, there was no evidence to corroborate that of the girl, who was, in fact, partieeps criminis. In the next place, it was not proved that the powder, if taken, was a noxious thing. The learnedludge said that, as to the first point, it was clear that ,the girl, although morally, was not legally an accomplice. In the next place, there was, in his opinion, clear evidence for the jury that the powder was a noxious drug. Mr. Carter then addressed the jury at consider able length for the prisoner, in whose favour he called several witnesses to character. The learned Baron then summed up. This trans action was said to have occurred on the 18th of August, and it was in respect of what was then administered that they were, if at all, to convict the prisoner.. What he might have administered afterwards had - no bearing upon the case, except to show the prisoner's intent. In the next place the jury were to see that he administered it. It was not necessary that he should have administered it with his own hand ; it was quite sufficient if he gave it her with directions to take it. There was another element in which he wished not to be mis understood. It had been contended that 'what was proved to have been administered on. the 18th of August must be wade out to be a noxious drug. The learned counsel must not 'understand him as laying down any law short of this, that it must be proved that it was a noxious thing. The jury must be satisfied according to the evidence that it Was a noxious thing. If the evidence did not satisfy them of that fact they must acquit the pri soner: But ho thought there was evidence upon which they might come to the conclusion that that which was administered was noxious. It must not only be proved to be noxious, but It must be proved to have been administered with an intent to pro cure a miscarriage.. The jury retired for orAne time, and then returned a verdict of Guilty be the attempt. The Judge asked if they found it a noxious thing ? The Fore thing. Plan—We cannot prove it was a noxious Judge—Then you say Not Guilty. The Foretnan—No, my lord, I can't say that. The Judge—Then you must go back again. The Foreman—By a noxious thing we mean poison. The Judge—l can't hear any reasons ; you must go back to your room. The jury went back to their room, and in a short time came into court and returned a verdict of not -guilty. • Thomas Thorn was indicted for setting fire to a tar barrel and pUttinc , it against the door of the police-station at Tormoham (Torquay) on the sth of November, with intent to burn the building. Mr. Bere prosecuted, and Mr. Carter defended the prisoner. It appeared that on the sth of November last a great number of persons, about 600, assembled to gether, throwing about fireworks, rolling lighted tar-barrels, and conducting themselves in a riotous, disorderly manner. The police interfered. A tar barrel was lighted, and was rolled about close to the steps of the door of the police-station ; there were three granite steps leading to the door. The prisoner caught hold of the lighted barrel, and tilted it against the door. There was a proposal to burn down the station. The prisoner was very active in the front row of the mob. 'The learned Judge said there must be an overt act to burn the building, and he did not consider that was shown. It was a wicked act, no doubt, but he did not think the evidence sustained the indictment. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty. The same prisoner was then indicted for a riot on the sth November. The same evidence was adduced as in the other case. The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and he was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. TILE PRINCESS ROYAL. --- The following letter appears in a contemporary: Sir,—Two facts in the history of England, temp. Viet., 1859, aro indisputable ; viz., first, our ships are daily bringing home from India hundreds of men who have literally set themselvs in battle array against their officers, who instead of punish ment are receiving considerable sums of money as bounty at your expense and mine, and who, more over, are greedily snapped up by recruiting ser geaßts to join the Queen's service ; and, secondly, that 108 sailors, who have been tried in a batch, and have received sentence in a manner much re sembling the sentence on a litter of puppies pre condemned to the horse-pond, without reference to individual merit, are spending their Christmas in Winchester Goal. Let one of these 108 men tell his own story:— "My dear Mother and Sister i write theas few lines to you in Answer to your ki-id and welcome letter in hopes of finding you quite Well as thank God it leaves me at Presen t you tell me you see in the papers about the Riot on Board of our ship you ask me if i am one of them and I must tell you yes iam accused with 107 more as Being in it But thank God. i am not guilty of the charge laid to me i shall nat tell y6u what punishment i have got But i shall see you in march and then i will tell you all about it the Ship is not paid off yet and iDo not know'When she will Be you Ask me how 1 spent my Birthday i had a very happy Birthday under the state of things at present if you see any thing more in the papers you must not take any notice of it as there Will Be a Great Deal Put in them my Dear Sister Do Pray tell mother not to put herself in such Bad sperites about it as i do not if she does when i come home i shall not like it you will get my likiness and all the news next week By one of my shipmates owe lives Close by you is name is * * * * i wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year i expect my half pay is stopt By this time till i conic home now my Dear Sister you know that march will-not be long acomming so keep mothers Sprites up and Do not let her fret so much do not write to me till you hear from me again if you Do i shall not get the letter so now i must conclude Beliovins me to remain your affectionate Son and Brother." Now let the writer of the above and a fellow prisoner telt their joint story to a shipmate : " Dec. 5, 1859. " My dear Friend,—We wish you a happy Christmas and many of them we see you was paid off on Monday morning and we hope you arrived safe at home wo received your last letter and was very glad to hear from you we thousht you would have come to see us but I suppose you wanted to see your friends you said in your letter you was going to hang on in the but -- thinks you had better join a ship that will be 3 months before she leaves England then he will have a chance to conic with you as for myself I shall say good bye to -- before you return off leave leave a note at House for him so ho will be able to find you tell our friends we shall be home in three months time you must take care of this paper for -- as ho wants to keep it I think visitors are allowed to see us about Christmas time, so perhaps you will have a chance to see us but (minus of our hair and whiskers) we will write again if I have any opportunity tell our Mothers we are quite happy tell thern it is not so bad their as' in a man-of-war tell them as if we did not care a fig for it dent' tell them we shall have our hair cut if you write immediately perhaps we shall got it but dont be surprised if we (lent answer() it please to drink our health on Christmas day tell our friend wo cannot write. " From your ever affectionate and well wishing friend and late ship mates." And now, sir, let the mother—a hard-working laundress with two sickly daughters—speak (second hand) through me, and I pledge myself that the report is accurate: — Mother was the best son that ever woman had, and never gave me a moment's trouble. He always allowed ine 15s. a month. Poor fellow, he sent me his portrait, and here it is. It is hard not to see him at Christmas after four years' absence. And it is hard, sir,. to lose the los. a mouth, but it is harder to fancy that he is in gaol with his hair cut off, poor fellow. And now (through the mother) let his old ship mate. speak, and I will remark here that I have every reason to believe that the mother is a truth telling woman : Mother log.--, his shipmate, who came on purp - so to sec me, said; " He "was too good a lad, and we sever could get him to take a glass, and lao never was in troullo of any kind • he had been in the dockyard all day. and had no more to do with the mutiny than you have. He was on watch, and had run down to change his clothes, and when he heard 'the pipe to quarters,' he ran up, but some of the men called out coward,' and tripped him up, and before ho got to the ladder it was taken away, and the hatches were battened down. I had only just time myself to get on deck, ar:ii Mt for an accident I might now be in Winchester gao. tatteld of here.'.' Perhaps SOlllO sceptic may remark---` : a! this is a very pretty story, but why did not this all come out on the court-martial P" The answer is, "Sailors are just like schoolboys ;" and if such a sceptic will go to Winchester Col!ege, which is within a mile of the gaol, the authorities will tell him that when 20 or 30 boys arc iu a scrape the innocent prefer suf fering with the guilty to turning against their companions ; such, at any rate, was the case in my time. In the name of justice all England has aroused to reverse the sentence of Smethurst, a man who had forfeited the sympathies of the world. Is there no one with power, money, and influence who will ad vocate the reverse of the sentence on these hundred and eight men ? If there be such an one, and he has not the wi!l, let not that man join in the prayers of the Church for all prisoners and captives. • To suggest a practical remedy for the punishment of the mutinous conduct of the crew , let me su g gest that the 108 men be mustered, and let the offer be made that on titre?, men confessing themselves guilty the rest shall be pardoned and discharged before Christmas-day. If more than three step out ! as guilty men; let them draw lots for the pardon. Justice will be satisfied, without the hecatomb which has been made. The fact of 108 men being condemned in a lump in an offhand court-martial may be a good story •to tell to the Marines, but is a proof that a court martial is not a court of justice. The original letters and my card are at the service, of any one .who passes his word that no use will be made of the names against the interest of the pri7 soners.—Yours obediently, F. G. COUNTRY MARKETS. . BIRMINGHAM—DEC. 14. A moderate supply of wheat, and at an advance of 8d to is on late quotations. Barley the turn cheaper. Oats wers scarce, and in request. New beans offering, but not maul wanted; and peas firm. ... , . • , ..--.4 MANCHESTER—Dm. 14. Holders of wheat firmly demanded last week's rates, al!' sales were consequently effected with difficulty. Flo" little demand, but quotations unaltered. Oats and oatmeal steady, and in request. English beans 6d to ls cliatiP er ' Indian corn firm, and in rather more request. '" BOSTON—DEc. 14. We had a fair supply of wheat from tho growers to, the demand for which ruled active, at fully .the last week. Spring corn a steady inquiry, and prices" fore. Beans and peas as dear. PLYMOUTH—DEC. 13. . This market was dull to-day, and prices for wheat new' nally unchanged Holders declined to take lower rar it ; Flour was unaltered. The quotations are—Englis h w 43. wheat, 46s to 48s ; red, 43s to 45 s per qr ; French do., to 455; grinding barley, 2rs to 28s; oats, 22s to 255; flour, fine, 338 to 345; seconds, 31s to 325. LOUTH—DEC. 13. • 6 11• • •' There was a dull business done in wheat to-daY , red ,, prices were at fully last week's quotations, Nil. white, eatl 49B. • and mixed, old and new, 4 0 s to 448 pe r qr. ; Oats, 188 to 22s ; beans, 40s to 44 s ; barley, 298 to 33° ' .e Li .4 • - MELTON MOWBRAY—DEe. 13. ra•oderiM There was a fair show of wheat to - day , with a business at the annexed prices :—White wheat, now, Od to 48s Od ; red, 40s Od to 453 per 36 atone - bariel__;" fair supply; at 33s to 43s malting, and 28s to ' 323 Odr: qr. for grinding ; oats, 233 to 33s Od per 24 stone ; 42s to 52s for ad ; new, —s per 38 st. EDINBURGH GRAIN—Mc. 13. The supplies were large to-day at market, again rather heavy. ova. Wheat on the top 2s Od up average Os ld d Barley on the top Os 6d down average 6d dovau Oats on the top Os 9d down ..... average Os la up. Beans on the top Os 6d down average Os 9 a u p' Averages per Imperial quarter. Wheat.... Barley 1 16 11 5-12ths Oats -12ths Beans and 'sales WI 2 4 9 j5-12th , Total Supply and Sales. Wheat.. ...•.. 983 qrs .. „ 3 Sold 78 W I 8ar1ey........2177 qrs. ..... :. ... sold 1740 Vs Oats .2274 qr5.......' Sold 1480 cire Beaus 134 qr 5........ So ld 85 clrg GLASGOW_DEC. 14. ...pry da• In the market to-day tho busines s doing WO • ea rl Flour at late rates. Barley and oats were rather eh ea rl 0 . but little business doing. Beans and peas were easier. DERBY SMITHFIELD —D.O. 13. ughwith a There was a good supply of tat stock tA ) . ; price.' full attendance of buyers ; a good demaud, ail,,_ :,.7 ill were asked for .best quality and realised. Sheep Werli good supply, and well sold. Fat 'pigs plentiful. 7ii A to Beef T- la to 6 4 Mutton .. _. .. • •_. .. " tot& Lamb Od to Od Rough ..... ... 3d per a ~ . Hides, 3icl to 5-.ld ; calf skins, 6d to 60' . ''''' I /. "V ;- „I, .MAIL PACK:ET LIS. In the following table E signifies that letters are despat°ll4lo by evening* mails from London, and 31 by morning nisi _ , by evening mails from London, a nd M by inty•.•—•• % gi e sil DzwriztATioNs. 22_e_sla:.1._.. rort, 0 1 . ................. due. Australia and Mauritius, via ----DelfesMPanitlesh. 10 ,0 Southampton ,Tan. 12,11 Southa.tnP• Jo:L.,* Ditto, via Marseilles . , Dec. 19, E ........... 50 ' Bahamas and Havana via York Uanaaa, eke. (b ) . c.......a... pokt ) D ri e e c e. 2 2 3 l ' . EElLlAivveerPrprOli:: vlrerdr Cape of Good Hope, Ascen sion, and St. Helena China, Penang, and Singa- Jan. 5' pore, via Southampton Ditto, via,Marseilles Gibraltar, via Southampton Honduras and Biewfields E Deyonport Ja il ' t India (Calcutta) and Ceylon, 1)0 0 : via Southimpton Dec.2o , M Southain9. ,Tan. IS Ditto, via Marseilles India (Bombay), via •South- pee. ampton Dec. 27, MiSouthaMP• De o. 10 Ditto, via Marseilles Lisbon, Brazils,Buenos Ayres, Jial• II and F. Islands Jan. 9, M Southanl9. neo.ll Lisbon, Vigo, and Oporto Dec. 17, M SeuthanaP• "" Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via De , 19 Southampton Dec. 2 0, M SouthaniP• ~,c. 19 Ditto, via Marseilles ,fexico and Havana Jan. 2. Al SouthaniP• ' -- Newfoundland Dec. 17, E Galway •• .• United States and British N. PCO• 2$ i America (by British packet) Dec. 17, E Liverpoo•* --- Ditto (by U. S. packet) De 6 10 16 West Coast of Africa, Ma- D . dcira, and Teneriffe Wiest zite India,la, Chili, California,Peru, Grey-e town, New Granada, &c. 17 3 1 , 2 31 Southa lLiVerf'°° . . r Agti ' [ADVERTISEMENT.]—EPPS's (lloraceopathic -_--°,44114 rh 0 0 COCOA.—This esteemed preparation is sold bY tl"'d r Ob cipal grocers at ls. 6d. per lb., in 11b. lib., and 1110' packets. Each packet is labelled " James ' EPP °, - pathic chemist, London." I. vileas' ir. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—We have read with 1 110— • e dieill • Du Barry's report on the cure of diseases without autules,q, by Du Barry's Food, of indigestion (dyspepsia),•fla op constipation, constipation, nervous, bilious and liver complaints, ski: asthma, cOnsumption, and debility. The followiu_Ly few extracts which appear to merit the attention 0f710,10% Cure No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth Jacobs , °L e rollr Vicarage, Waltham-cross, Ilerts, a cure of extrerag li ne rvoll ness, indigestion, gatherings, low spts, au' — tees °' fancies." Cure No. 52,612.—The Dowager Coall ie _ 4 Castlestuart, of many years nervous irritabilitp lieigeta indigestion.. Cure No. 54,812. —Miss Wier d s bolv cured of consumption, after her medical adviser ha 4 ,,,,it5a doned all hopes of recovery. Cure No. 180.—" T wen ' apti years' nervousness, constipation, indigestion, faidi debility, from which I' have suffered great nliac r i; besia which no medicine could remove or relieve, 111 ' / '" owl! effectually cured by Du Barry's Food in s yeri ndo .o time.-'--W.. B. Reeves, 181, Fleet-street, ,1 14) . 1211 m En tins, at Is. 6d. ; 11b., 3s. ; 21b., ss. 9d. ; 51b., 14 rf post' 265. The 101 b. and 121 b. tins carriage free, office order. Du Barry and Co. 77, Regent-street, .I.asau'ro, Fortnum, Mason., and Co., 'lB2, Piccadilly , 150, Avoijo so t . e! Gracechurch-street ; 4, Cheapside ; _63, and on receiP 2 ,-...• street; 330 and 451, Strand • 49 and 61 13 _ igi ltiW ° street ; 85, Tottenham-court-road. Also u. d OA Bewley and Draper ; at Edinburgh , Ra in ' i _ es ;1110 I tr at Liverpool, Nixon and Thew • at Mancheswro t p l isse Scott; at York Raimes, Blanchard,. and.C°' ; 14 ampton. Randa l and Son. ------- DAMS.—On tsAehr i i : rDes,tai;:hlibse: the 14thBinIstR.,TatilSurS•biton, the 1 " --46 °f 1414 of a daughter. LLOYD.—On the 11th inst., at Dudmaston flail' g i t l l 3: l r b a n ' d s . cl y " of John Charles Lloyd, Esq. , 15f $ n MANDERS.—On the 12th inst., at g ar lborour,hy t he Wife (4 Captain Manders, of a son, wulttlf WHirry.—On the 13th hist , the w ife of Joh 1. LL.D., M.A., 35, Parliament-street, of soon. MARRIAGES. ' 5 Ahrshilltr ABRAIIAM—PHILLIPS.-011 the 14th inSt.., _. , so u. Esq., of Tavistock-place, Tavistock-square, '. 0 %, ei Bloom, second daughter of Laurence Phillirlf '''''''.° Russell-place, Fitzroy-square. Mura l + COCKS—NEWTON. —On the I4th inst., a Trinity -- Cheltenham, Philip Reginald, the second Hon. Philip James Cocks, of Stopple s°l °f th lo a Pt Aint: Camilla, only daughter of ' the late Rev. Wi n ' S° vicar of Old Cleeve, Somerset. Dell, Ss woo, Awritvg.—On the street, city, aged 46 D . 14th inst., s A t 1 T o a t H u S p . p Arthur, Esq., of the film ' f Arthurer BATESA souk, . —On the 14th inst., at tho 13orouot-reau, -- . wark, Mr. Charles Bates. ,-, A eel BLOMF• .FIELD.—On the 13th inst., at Pontefract, J- , Aw, Wil • i v. 1310 1 liam, second son of the Rev. Sir T. E. field, Bart. . nici of BONIIAM.—On the 12th inst., Mr. Richard Bcil'fi" ' Tanudisoj-hill, iy.trreeosZ Church-street, , Hackney. !Tett BICKNELL.—On the 12th inst., at 22, Upper L oser To Pimlico, William J. Bicknell, Esq., late of Lower ing, Surrey, aged 77. TATS.—On the 10th inst., at t h e Shrubbery,,t.utro: Colonel 'Ruff o u- Hants, Jane, wife o f Lieut.- lOLA., aged 35. 0 LONDON : Printed and Published by DITJB,DO Y 21114119, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, I'l°' of Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the e° l3llil Middlesex, Friday, December 16, 1859. ori pal Or any (del ail is i vm 'CI tit