The Sun. — London, England, 1858-12-08 00:00:00

THE _ROYAL COMMISSION ON ARMY CONTRA CTS. Yesterday, at 12 o'clock, the Royal Commission met agi Lin in one of the committee-rooms of the House o.f Commons and continued their investiga tion—Mr. Selfe acting as chairman. Mr. C. S. Elliott, who has bean superintendent of inspectors at the Tower since Feb. 1856, was called, and adverting to the rumour mentioned by Mr. Lardner in his evidence given before the com missioners on the previous day as to his (Mr. El liott's) having received a commission on stores sup plied d.uring.the Crimean war to the Tower, said he wished to give an unqualified contradiction to it. He altogether denied that any individual responsibi lity in making contracts for stores supplied to the department ever devolved on him, or that he :ever received auy remuneration in respect of any con tracts which had been entered into with the de . partment. Mr. Acland stated that Mr. Boylan, who had mentioned the rumour in question to Mr. Lardner, had informed him (Mr. Acland) that morning that he was prepared to give evidence before the Com missioners on the matter, should they summon him to do so. The Chairman thereupon directed Mr. Dew, the secretary to the Commission. to summon Mr. Boy lan accordingly, which he did, and he will pro bably appear as a witness to-morrow (this day.) Mr. Seife added that it was an extraordinary thing, seeing that this Commission had been sitting from time to time for more than four months, that Mr. Boylan should have taken no opportunity of com municating with the Commissioners ; for, if Mr. Lardner had spoken the truth, Mr. Boylan was in a position to give them information as to the charge in question against Mr. Elliot. Mr. Elliot then related in some detail the mode of inspection pursued at the Tower, since it was reorganised in the early past of 1856. He added that since the reorganisation of the inspect ing branch there had been complaints from con tractors as to rejections of stores sent in by them, but he did not know one case in which a con tractor had established a charge of undue severity against the inspectors. By Colonel French—Some of the swords and cutlasses supplied to the army are inspected and approved at Birmingham, under the superintend ence of Colonel Dixon, and some at the Tower, under that of Captain Jarvis. The test to which they are subjected is a very severe one. By Mr. 'ruiner—Before being appointed superin tendent of inspectors he (witness) was a clerk in the requisition branch, acting immediately under the storekeeper (Mr. Stacey) and the deputy-store keeper (Mr. Hodson) now deceased. Mr. Turner said he held in his hand a Parlia mentary return of stores sent out to the Crimea from Ist October, 1854, to 23d February, 1855, which included -another return, dated from the Tower on May 3, 1855, and signed by the deputy storekeeper, Mr. Hodson. From that it appeared these were procured by special contract of Messrs. Almond 40,000 waterproof hoods, at 4s. each ; 40,000 leggings, at 6s. each ; 55,000 capes, at 235. 6d. each ; and 20,000 pairs of gauntlets, at 2s. Bd. each. He wished the witness to state what was meant by a special contract. Witness said a special contract was to deliver stores within a certain time without competition. The contract to which Mr. Turner had alluded was entered into by Sir T. Hastings or Mr. Monsell, and the only knowledge he (witness) had of-it was the delivery of the stores at the Tower for inspec tion. It was considered at the time a very large order, but the contract was made with the view of procuring the stores in question, which were greatly in requisition, in the shortest possible time. Mr. Turner said there were 195 special contracts made at the Tower about that time, and Messrs. Almond obtained about 58 of them, comprising in value more than one-third of the whole. He asked if it was good policy, when the stores were so urgently required within a specified time, to in trust one firm with so many contracts ? Witness thought they obtained the stores in a much shorter time that way than if they had put the supply up to open competition. He added that the storekeeper at the Tower entered into many special contracts about that time, but not for the stores mentioned by Mr. Turner. He (witness) had nothing to do with the contracts which were given to Messrs. Almond. They were cap and ac coutrement makers, but, like other persons in the trade, they supplied warm clothing also. Mr. Turner remarked upon so large a number of articles of warm clothing having been got from Messrs. Almond, who were in reality ac coutrement makers ; and he thought some of the city houses might have been asked to supply the warm clothing in the emergency. Besides, Messrs. Almond supplied 15,000 pairs of brown boots at 235. a pair, when other firms would have supplied them at 20s. ; 30,000 cotton hand kerchiefs at fild .each, when other firms would have supplied them at 4d; 3,000 privates' red jackets at 10s. 7d., when they could have been had at from Bs. Bd. to 9s. ld., and 30,000 pairs of worsted socks at 12s. 6d. a-dozen, when it appeared the de partment obtained 38,000 pairs from Kynaston and Co. at 10s. 4d a-dozen. The Chairman said it was very easy to put down certain figures and assume the articles could be bought at those assumed prices. Mr. Turner said he must be permitted to pursue his own course of examination, and remarked that the whole of the articles of clothing provided at the Tower, according to the Parliamentary return dated the 3d May, 1855, upon a rough estimate he had made, were valued at upwards of £450,000, of which sum Messrs. Almond appeared to have been paid upwards of £165,000 for the portion supplied by them under special orders from the Tower. Witness said if the waterproof capes and hoods were included in that the contract as to them was not given by the authorities at the Tower at all. The storekeeper at the Tower had authority from the Board of Ordnance in a time of emergency to purchase stores at his own discretion, and both the then storkeeper (Mr. Stacey) and the deputy-store keeper (Mr. Hodson) did so to a large extent. By the Chairman—He (witness) had nothing at all to do with the purchases to which Mr. Turner had referred. He had no power to make contracts. The discretion to purchase was with Mr. Stacey, but soon after the commencement of the war Mr. Stacey was taken ill, and that discretion practically devolved on Mr. Hodson, his deputy. The special contracts were made to meet the exigencies of the service, and for that purpose a large discretion was given to the storekeeper at the Tower. He (witness) did not enter into any contracts on behalf of the department, or derive any pecuniary benefit what ever from any such contracts. He had no connexion with the house of Almond, though on friendly terms with the partners. By Mr. Turner—Sir Benjamin Hawes, the Under-Secretary of State for 'War, stated to him on one occasion that a representation as to his (witness) having favoured Messrs. Almond had been inatle to him, and asked him whether there was any foundation for it, when he assured him there was not. Witness added incidentally, that Government had taken Messrs Cubitt's pre mises in Grosvenor:road, Pimlico,_ at a rental of £l,BOO a year, and that they intended to convert them into a military clothiug depot, of which he was to be the superintendent on the discontinuance of the establishment at Wcedon Mr. J. Fessey, inspector oileather and accoutre ments at the Tower, and who was previously in the employ of Mr. Bramston, accoutrement maker, Parker-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields, said, in reply to the chairman, that about 14 years ago he heard of Mr. Bramston, who supplied articles to the Tower, havin g given a viewer named Cuffley a sovereign on one occasion ; and had no doubt Mr. Bramston did so. The some viewer got a hat on another oc casi.en from Mr. Oliphant, another accoutrement maker ; and he believed Mr, Oliphant made Mr. Bramston pay half the price of the hat. From the case he had mentioned lie believed that bribery did take plac e rsion e at_ the Tower at that time. It was the impes thef trade generally, and it was wit ness's own knowledge it impressi onalso ; but he did not know of his was so. He did not believe that bribery was n ess . could be, practised at the Tower under the prese n t sys t em B y the Chairman.__ fit the beginning of this year heinspected four h a t s for the metropolitan police, Commissioners at the instance of the ss of Police, Messrs. which were furnished by .gebbert. None tof the four hats were equal to spaled pattern, inspected 313 two. but two of them were better thanthe heof which About a fortnight afterwards he ins the metropolita n p olice hats, in P were was standard rrile sealed assisted by aall rejected, a.; not v e being w n equalaned Phillips.to the pattern. He had never been a hatter, but he had handled a good many hundreds of policemen's hats. He pledged himself that they were not equal to the sealed pattern by 30 per cent. 1,700 more were sent to the Tower early in Feb., and after undergoing fair inspection rejected also, as not being up to the mark. No damage or violence was done to the hats while they were at the Tower. The manufacturer who was present at the inspection, complained of the hats having been unfairly treated, but witness de nied it, and still maintained that the hats were bad. Mr. W. Phillips, a viewer of the Tower, corrobo rated the evidence of the preceding witness as to the inferior quality of the hats. Mr. Peter Tait, contractor for army clothing and general draper at Limerick, was next called. He said he became a contractor with the Government towards the end of 1855, and had furnished 120,000 suits of clothing in three years for the line. His contracts had all I.:s e i under the system of open competition, but he had reason to believe that his ._ was not the lowest tender sent in. He used sew- ing machines (Thomas's), and machinery for cut ting, both driven by steam power, largely in his lusiness. rHE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 8, 1858. delivered to Mr. Nuttall, but that they did not de liver the whole of it in time, and some 2,800 cubic feet were left upon the plaintiff's hands. He al lowed it to remain, however, at the station until April, 1856, when he sold it all, except 869 cubic feet, which he directed should be sent to the Rib chester station of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, consigned to himself. The station mas ter at the Ribchester station said the timber was delivered to a person named Halliwell, to whom the invoice was made out ; but some days after Halliwell had taken it away, another invoice was received, in which his name was struck out, and that of the plaintiff inserted. It was too late, how ever, the timber having been previously taken away by Halliwell, and no notice of the fact was given to the plaintiff, who remained in ignorance of it until some six months afterwards, by which time Halliwell was in prison. After a good deal of correspondence, an action was brought by the plaintiff in the county court, which was removed to the superior courts, and has since 1857 been in abeyance. The plaintiff swore positively that he directed the station master at Elsback to make out the invoice in his own name, and that he never authorised its being delivered to Halliwell. The station master has since died; and Halliwell, having taken advantage of the Insolvent Debtors' Act, had absconded. In his schedule he included the value of the timber in the amount of his debt to the plaintiff, and Mr. Hartley, although he had been appointed assignee, had taken no formal steps to get the amount of his 'debt as scheduled reduced. The defendants relied a good deal upon this fact, but the plaintiff stated that he had never noticed the amount mentioned in the schedule, although he told the judge who heard the insol vent's case that his claim was £7O, and not £l2O. The jury, after a very short deliberation out of court, found a verdict for the plaintiff—damages, £4B. ss. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—Dcc. 7. Before Mr. Pashley, Q.C., Assisttint-Judge, at • Clerkenwell.) THE QUEEN v. CAPRON. This was a case in which an indictment had been found against the defendant, Mr. Thomas Wm. Capron, for an assault upon Mr. Morris. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine, on the part of the pro secution, came down specially to apply to the court to fix a day for the trial. The Assistant-Judge said he thought it was a case for exhibition of articles of the peace, not indictment, anything, but the officer found the purse in her hand when she was taken to the station-house. The prisoner was remanded. BOW-STREET.—George Philp, a letter carrier, who had been twenty-three years in the service of the Post-office, appeared before Mr. Jardine, on a summons cnarging him with having removed two postage stamps from a letter, substituting other stamps which had been previously used, andthereby defrauding the Post-office. He pleaded guilty. Mr. Peacock stated that the defendant had for some time been employed to take letters from the box at the Borough branch office,'and to obliterate the stamps in the usual manner. It had been for some time suspected that he was in the habit of removing and appropriating the stamps, for which old ones that had been used on other letters, and already obliterated, were substituted. In order to test him five letters were prepared and posted at that office, one with two penny stamps and the others with one stamp each, all of which were marked. He was then watched and was seen to substitute old stamps in the manner suspected, and on being searched. the stamps which had been taken from the letters were found on him. The summons related to the letter from which the two stamps were taken, as it was not thought neces sary to proceed in every case. The Post-office authorities much regretted to see a man, who had been so many years in their servico, placed in such a position, but they had reason to:believe that this practice was carried to a very great extent, and they felt it their duty to make an example. Mr. Jardine (to the defendant)—You are liable to a penalty of £2O, but you have punished yourself to an extent far beyond any penalty that I could inflict. You lose your character, your situation, and your superannuation, because you chose to steal a trumpery twopence or threepence. I can not conceive how a man's understanding can be so deficient—even if he had no sense of right and wrong—that he can be fool enough to do such a thing. Ido not make these remarks to add to the pain you must suffer with the prospect of starvation or the workhouse before you and your wife and family, but in the hope that they may possibly in duce others who may be about to commit some simi lar act to pause, and consider the serious conse quences of such paltry dishonesty. You are liable to a fine of £2O. I know you cannot pay that, but I cannot mitigate the penalty lower than 405., for it is right that others, in mercy to themselves, should be deterred from such offences. Charles Field, the cabman, on whose behalf nume rous charitable persons have lately forwarded sub scriptions, waited on Mr. Jardine, who pain him the balance of the money received on his account. Previous advances had been made to him according to his requirements, and he had been enabled to establish himself in a small business, from which he hopes to derive a comfortable subsistence. He de sired to express in the newspapers his heartfelt gratitude for the bounty of the public. The total amount received for him was £l4 16s. sd. Mr. Jardine has received for the poor box one half of a £5 note from Lord C., who requested an acknowledgment. The Chairman reminded the witness that Colonel Horne, in command of the 2d battalion of the 13th Regiment at Winchester, had stated to the Com missioners that the clothing furnished to the bat talion by witness was unsuitable, from the cut of it, that he complained to the War-office, and that, on witness being sent down to Winchester to inquire into the matter, he (witness) suggested that the men should fit the tunics instead of the tunics being made to fit the men. (A laugh.) Witness said he had not wished to do anything so absurd, On the occasion in question he received a telegram from tha War-office relative to some complaints made by Colonel Horne about the clothing supplied by witness to his battalion, then stationed at Winchester, and he went there and had an interview with the colonel on the subject. The colonel ordered the battalion to be paraded for witness's inspection. The complaint of the colonel was that the clothing was made on defective principles. Witness knew that was incorrect, and he told Colonel Horne that it was made upon an im proved pattern, which, after experience, had been approved in the service. If the tunic had been made after Colonel Horne's idea, as soon as the soldier put on his knapsack or attemped to walk it would have burst across the shoulders. (A laugh.) Col. Horne, on fitting a tunic on a soldier, took him by the elbows and pulled his shoulders ever so far backwards, so that, placed in such a position, he could not walk either with or without a knapsack. At the time witness got the order to make the clothing there was not a single soldier in the battalion. (A laugh.) -The men all joined it afterwards. When witness made up clothing for a regiment where, as in this case, no size roll was supplied, he made 45 different sizes, to fit men varying from 5 feet 4 inches in height to 6 feet. At the time of witness's visit to Winchester Col. Horne's master-tailor had deserted, and witness discharged some duties for the colonel in respect to the clothing supplied which would have devolved on the moster-tailor. After leaving 'Winchester witness reported to the War-office that the cloth ing was not cut on defective principles, and that he saw no reason for altering it. Col. Horne had rejected 42 suits, the first instalment of 800 suits which witness had contracted to supply ; and on the 26th Oct. last, a few days after the colonel had given his evidence before the Commissioners, he (the colonel), with Col. Faunce and Col. Cathcart, signed with his own hand a certificate that " they had that day seen and inspected 143 tunics sup plied by Mr. Tait, army contractor, for the 2d bat talion, 13th Regt., and were perfectly satisfied with the make and fit, little or no alteration being re quired." Those 143 tunics were cut from precisely the same pattern as the 42 which Col. Horne had rejected. The truth was he (witness) would not make army clothing on any consideration according to the ideas of Col. Horne. His (witness's) business returns amounted to £200,000 a year, and he was quite independent of Government contracts. The Chairman reminded Mr. Tait that Colonel Horne had stated that he (witness) had sent to the battalion 200 blue forage caps instead of green ones. (A laugh.) Witness said, in the first instance he sent 200 blue forage caps instead of green ones by mistake. Colonel Horne's regiment being a light infantry one, 200 green caps were sent to replace the re jected ones. Previously, however, to the complaint being made witness received a second order for 200 green caps from the War-office for the same re giment, which were immediately forwarded to Winchester. The two lots of green caps were rejected by Colonel Horne and returned to Lime rick. On their arriving there witness carefully compared them with the sealed pattern, and finding them to be equal in every respect, he immediately returned the same caps to Winchester, when they were approved, and issued to the men f the batta lion. (Laughter.) The CHAIRMAN expressed his regret that the witness was not present to give evidence before the Commissioners at the time Colonel Horne did so, for they would have heard both sides of the question. Witness showed the Commissioners a private soldier's coatee and two tunics of the patterns which had been in use during the last six years, and proved to their unqualified satisfaction that the tunic now supplied by him by open contract was much supe rior in quality to the other two, and furnished at a lower price to the country. The whole of his clothing, he added, was cut and sewn by machinery, driven by steam, and capable of making 4,000 suits a week. It was owing to the encouragement he had received from Sir Thomas Troublidge at the War-office that he had carried the practical appli cation of machinery so far. He could now clothe the whole of the British army, assuming that 250,000 suits would be required annually ; and, on an emergency, with the steam power at his com mand, he could furnish 10,000 suits a-week to the Government. Ha employed about 1,100 people, and no man at wages lower than a guinea a-week. The CHAIRMAN said that all his brother police magistrates in the metropolis as well as himself had long been of opinion that nothing could be worse than the condition of the people who worked for army clothiers in London, owing to the low rate of wages which were paid them. Witness said he paid his workmen at least 30 per cent. more than the army clothiers in London pay theirs. He added, partly as an illustration of the value of steam power in this purticular trade, that on the evening of Monday, the 22d of May lastAhe received an order in Limerick from the War Department to supply 800 regimental suits with the greatest expedition. He had not all the neces sary materials by him at that moment, but he tele graphed to England for what he wanted, and had it brought to Limerick the greatest part of the way by an express train, and on the morning of the fol lowing Friday he dispatched by express train from Limerick to London the whole 800 suits complete. By . Mr. Turner—There were grave ebjections to the ,Government manufacturing the whole of the army clothing, though it would be well for them to keep up a small establishment for making part. Competition was the life of business and of enter prise in this country, and it was desirable to depend on the manufacturing and commercial industry of the people for the supply of clothing to the army. As to regimental boarc.s for testing the soldiers' clothing if they were all conducted in the same way as Colomel Home's they were a perfect farce. (A laugh.) But, from his (witness s) knowledge of regimental officers, he was happy to state such was not the case. At Winchester the two senior officers comprised the board, along with Colonel Horne, but, in point of fact, Colonel Horne was the board himself. (A laugh.) Mr. Ludlow, a sub-contractor of army clothing, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness as to the desirability of applying machinery to the trade. The Com Missioners then adjourned to this day (Wednesday) at 12 o'clock, at No. 11 committee room of the House of Commons. THE EXMOOR MURDER.-DISCOVERY OF THE BODY. , The body of the little girl who was supposed to have been murdered by a man named Burgess, now awaiting his trial on that charge in Taunton gaol, has just been discovered. It will be remembered that about four months ago Burgess suddenly dis appeared from Exmoor Forest, taking with him the child, his daughter, who was about three years old ; and that when Burgess was next seen the child was not with him, and no clue could be found to her. He was apprehended on suspicion at Swan sea, where he was working, and made a desperate attempt on the life of the constable while he was being conveyed from the Welsh to the Devonshire coast. Since then the police have been searching Exmoor Forest for the body of the child. At length it was suspected that it must have been thrown by the prisoner into a disused copper mine in the Ex moor Forest, called the " Wheal Eliza." This mine was full of water, and as it was of a depth of 216 feet, it was at once felt that to empty it would be I a work of very great labour and difficulty. The duty was submitted to Mr. Superintendent Jeffs, under whose direction an engine and various pumps were erected. After prosecuting the work for some months the water was got out, but it was then found that the old workings were so charged with foul air that to attempt to:enter them would inevi tably be attended with loss of life. Further delay ensued, and the water again began to accumulate. The police, however, renewed their efforts for its reduction, and as their reward they have succeeded in recoverinc , the body. It was in a sack, and was found on th e ° platform of the great shaft, at a depth of 209 feet, orwaansdlw,eirt3h,illit9tled l e o eo fe m et po o s f ed i . he I b t ot m to u m st . The body have been in the water for . more than four months, but the water havebeinghem tshaletsb,otdhyeywerefly charged with mineral some remains her of the poor little girl's preserved it from putrefaction. On clothing, and others of apparel were known . to found wrapped in an oilskirw a h ri i n c t is have belonged to the father. In the sack with the - corpge were some small bags full of s t ones, placed evidently for the p ur p ose of sinki ng it. One of hasm water been deposited e those bags has also been reco g nised as having been inthep risfoonreprr'sespeons,saetsio si n o D in . soThmeeofbtoh sa d e y and notice has been given to tho coroner, Mr. Munekton. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME CIRCUIT.—MAIDSTONE, DEC. 7. The commission for the county of Kent was opened in this town on Monday, by Mr. Justice Wightman, and to-day business was proceeded with at 10 o'clock. The calendar contains the names of 34 prisoners, and there is one charge of murder and several other serious cases to be disposed of. William Chalklin, 35, pleaded guilty to an in dictment which charged him with uttering a forged certificate, with intent to defraud. Mr. Bodkin, who appeared for the prosecution, informed the court that the prisoner was the secre tary to a benefit society at Tunbridge, and that he had taken advantage of the fact that it was neces sary to have the certificate of Mr. Tidd Pratt that every such institution was framed according to law, to represent that a fee of 30s. was required for such certificate, and he produced a receipt for that amount, which he represented he had paid. No fee at all was required for a certificate of this descrip tion, and the prisoner, by the representation he had made, had defrauded the society of the amount. Sentence was deferred. William Preston, 21, was charged with stealing a post letter containing a 20 franc piece, the pro perty of the Postmaster-General. Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Hurrall conducted the pro secution ; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Ribton. The prisoner was engaged as a letter carrier at Sheerness, and it seemed that in consequence of complaints that had been made of letters being lost Mr. Jeffrey, a gentleman connected with the head office, was sent down to make inquiries, and on the 7th Sept. a test letter containing some lace and a 20 franc piece, addressed to a Miss Lee, at Miletown, Sheerness, was handed to Mr. Rigg the postmaster, to be posted, and he placed it in the letter-box, and then went into the office and took it out and kept it in his pocket until the following morning, when the letter was stamped and ?laced among aquantity of other letters for the prisoner to deliver. The prisoner, it, appeared, did not deliver the letter in due course, and when he handed it to Miss Lee he said that he had forgotten it, and had brought it back from Victory-street, which was another por tion of his delivery. Upon the letter being opened the coin was found to have been abstracted, and the prisoner was taken into custody immediately and searched, but the missing money was not found. Mr. Rigg, the postmaster, was very severely cross-examined by Mr. Ribton, who elicited from him that there had been previous complaints of irregularities in reference to the manner in which the business of the Post-office at Sheerness was performed, and that upon one occasion the prisoner had brought back a shilling which he said he had found in his bag, and which had slipped out of a letter that had'by some means or other become open. Mr. Rigg also stated that upon another occasion a money order had been paid without being signed by the party who was entitled to receive the money, and the Post-office authorities disallowed the amount in his accounts in consequence of the omission. Mr. Ribton made a very earnest appeal to the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and lie contended that after the admission of the postmaster as to the careless manner in which the business was con ducted, it was extremely probable the coin had got out of the letter by accident, and that at all events there was an utter absence of evidence that it had been stolen by the prisoner. He also took an ob jection in point of law that under the circumstances in which this letter came into the possession of the prisoner, and it having been merely put into the letter box, and then taken out again, and kept in the - ,postmaster's pocket until the following morn ing, that it did not constitute a poSt letter within the meaning of the statute. Mr. Justice Wightman said that, if it should be come necessary he thought the question of law raised by Mr. Ribton was worthy of further con sideration. He then proceeded to call the atten tion of the i jury to the facts of the case; and, after a short deliberation, they returned a verdict of not guilty. The prisoner was then charged upon a second in dictment with stealing a letter containing a half crown. The same learned counsel were engaged for the prosecution and the defence. In this case it appeared that a letter had been sent by a.Miss Barnes, who resided in London, to her mother, at Sheerness, which letter contained a half-crown. The letter was posted in London on Sept. 7, andin due course should have been de livered by . the prisoner at Sheerness on the follow ing morning, and it appeared that he did deliver two other letters that were addressed to Mrs. Barnes, but the third that contained the half-crown he kept back, and it was found in his possession when he was taken into custody upon the former charge. lie •accounted for having the letter in his possession by saying that he had forgotten it, and that he intended to deliver it as he returned. Mr. Ribton, in his address to the jury for the prisoner, said he believed there could be no doubt that but for the former case the Post-office autho rities would never have thought of bringing such a charge as this before a jury, and that there really was no evidence whatever to support the accusation that was made against the prisoner. He then ar gued that there was nothing to show that the pri soner had not really forgotten to deliver this letter, and that if he had intended to steal it, nothing, he said, would have been easier than for him to have torn it up and put the half-crown in his pocket, and that the fact of his not having done so showed clearly that he had no dishonest intention. The jury retired to consider their verdict, and in about half an hour they returned into court and gave a verdict of not guilty. NORTHERN CIRCUIT.-LIVERPOOL, DEC. 7 CROWN SlDE.—(Before Mr. Justice Hill.) MANSLAUGHTER AT MANCHESTER. Jonathan Brompton, aged 41, was indicted for the manslaughter of Henry Mellor, at Manchester, in September last. Torr appeared for the prosecution ; Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Roberts defended the prisoner. From the evidence of a number of witnesses, it appeared that ttout one o'clock on the morning of the 28th of September last, a drunken quarrel took place in a public-house in Deansgate, Manchester, in which the prisoner took part. The prisoner, who had been suffering from rheumatism, carried a large walking stick in his hand, which, during the quarrel, he threatened to run through the head of the deceased, and suiting the action to the word, darted it at the face of Mellor. The point of the stick entered the deceased's left eye, and wounded the brain. Mellor was conveyed on a stretcher to the Royal Infirmary, but expired before he.arrived there. _ _ _ _ _ _ Mr. Wheeler, for the defence, admitted that the deceased had come by his death at the hands of the prisoner, but urged that he had fallen accidentally against the point of the stick, which the prisoner had raised in his own defence. _ The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the prisoner was sentenced to imprisonment for six calendar months, with hard labour. EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF SHOOTING AT LIVER- POOL. A coloured man, named Nathaniel Hitchin, aged 49, was charged with having feloniously shot Francis Cowes, another coloured man, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. Mr. Tindal Atkinson appeared for the prosecu tion ; Mr. Little for the defence. Mr. Atkinson said the prosecutor was steward of a vesssel trading to Liverpool, and the prisoner was also a seafaring man, being the cousin of the prosecutor's wife. On the 9th of September last, about half-past 10 o'clock at night, the prisoner went to the prosecutor's lodgings in Regent-road, Liverpool, and sat moodily down on the sofa. After threatening the prosecutor with a sword, he seized a pistol belonging to Cowes, which was lying on the table, and although cautioned that it was loaded, and that it was on cock, he fired it, the two slug shots with which it was loaded entering the pro secutor's thigh, causing two wounds, each four inches in depth. Francis Cowes, the prosecutor, stated in his evi dence that after the prisoner had fired the pistol, he said " It was lucky that he did not get his brains blown out." The prosecutor, in cross-examination, admitted that he was willing to compromise the charge if the prisoner would pay him 25 dollars. Mr. Little, for the defence, contended that the prisoner had no intention of shooting ,the prose cutor, the pistol having accidentally gone off. The jury found the prisoner guilty of unlawfully wounding, and he was sonteneed to three months' imprisonment with hard labour. CIVIL SlDE.—(Before Baron ' Bramwell and a Special Jury.) HARTLEY V. THE MIDLAND RAILWAY COMPANY This was an action to recover the value of 869 cubic feet of timber, which it was alleged the de fendants had wrongfully detained and converted to their own use. The defendants denied that they had either detained or converted, and they also denied that the timber was the property of the plaintiff. Mr. Hartley is an innkeeper. at Colne, and has a timber-yard at Skipton t , in Yorkshire. In the spring of 1855 he purchased at a sale in the country a large quantity of round English timber, and very soon after Wards he sold the whole of this timber to a gentleman named Nuttall, whose places of busi ness are at Manchester and Bolton. Mr. Nuttall stipulated that the timber should be delivered within a specified time, in default of which the bargain was to be null and void. Mr. Hartley seat the timber to Elsback, where the defendants have a station, with instructions that it wati to be Mr. Metcalfe, on the part of defendant, asked that the case might be postponed until the next session. Mr. Capron had been held to bail to answer any charge that might be preferred against him at the sessions, not any specific charge, and this indict- ment having been preferred and found, he was not yet prepared for the defence. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine opposed the application on the ground that the defendant perfectly well knew the nature of the charge. He assaulted Mr. Morris, and the magistrate bound him over in two sureties of £5OO each, and his own recognisance of £l,OOO to appear here. He asked that Thursday should be named for the trial. Mr. Metcalfe handed in an affidavit sworn by the defendant, stating that he had not had sufficient time to prepare his defence, and ultimately it was arranged, on the suggestion of the learned judge, that the case should stand over until next session, on the first day of which a time for the trial would be fixed, if necessary. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine said h;s client desired to be placed in the witness-box, and his wishes in that respect perfectly and entirely coincided with his (Sergeant Ballantine's) o wn opinion. Mr. Metcalfe said there was no intention of ar ranging the matter. The case was then ordered to stand over. John Centerdon, 20, and George Jones, 23, were indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Mary Passey, and stealing therein six silver spoons and other articles, her property. The prosecutrir was a widow,living at 27, Eagle street, City-road. On the night of the Ist Nov., before she retired to rest, she secured all the doors and windows in the ordinary way; but during the night the panel of the shutter of the front parlour window was taken out with a chisel, and an en trance effected by a thin knife being inserted between the sashes, and the catch slipped back. The contents of the cupboard, a time-piece, and some money were carried off by the thieves. The prisdners endeavoured to sell some spoons to Mr. Lewis, refiner, of Old-street, but he would not purchase. The police, from information, received, took Centerdon into custody, and after being cau tioned, he said, " Well, I may as well tell you all I know about it. I did not break into the house, but me and Blewy (the other prisoner) went with the stug to Lewis's in the morning; we left it there, and were told to call again in an hour. When we Went back he would _zot buy it. Blewy then said, We have another market for it,' and took me into Golden-lane. He carried the silver into a shop—a wardrobe shop, on the left-hand side, and I waited at the door. He got 17s. for the spoons, and showed me the money when he came out." The policeman then apprehended Jones, in whose pos session they found a knife, with which the window could have been opened. Centerdon's boots corre sponded with some mortar marks on the premises. The prosecutrix said the spoons she lost were marked " W.M.P." Mr. Lewis stated that those offered by Jones to him for sale were plain. Jones assured the jury that he merely went to sell the , who when his turn came ress„contendin g that spoons m a for de tahne ingenious other the discrepancy in the description of the spoons offered to Mr. Lewis and those stolen was fatal to the charge against them, or at least infused so much doubt into the, case that they ought to have the benefit of it, and be acquitted. As to the boot marks, he submitted that there were hundreds of thousands of boots of the same size and description in wear ; and the spoons which Jones sold for him were in his possession the day before the robbery took place. An alibi was pressed in favour of Jones. The Assistant-Judge summed up, and the jury, after some deliberation, found the prisoners Not Guilty, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Jones said the policeman had stated that he (Jones) had been convicted at this court in January 1856. That was a lie; and it was very important to him, as he bad his living to get, that such a statement should be contradicted. The Assistant-Judge said that was a matter between the prisoner and the constable. (Before Mr. Creasy.) William Arnold, 37, carman, was indicted for stealing nine bushels of mixed corn, the property of William Sturge and another, his masters, and James Bean, 56, and Thomas Bean, 27 (father and son), were indicted for feloniously receiving the same, knowing it to have been 'stolen. Mr. Cooper prosecuted. Mr. Metcalfe appeared for the receivers. The prosecutors are coal merchants in the City road, and the prisoner Arnold, as one of their car men, had been entrusted with food for the horses when he was sent out with coal. This, it appeared, he had sold, or disposed _of in some other way, in stead of feeding the horses with it, and he was watched. The other prisoners were seen to drive after him in a cart, and he handed them three sacks, containing nine bushels of mixed provender, with which they drove off. The younger Bean was a carman in Macclesfield-street South, and his father worked for him. The jury retired to consider their verdict. Ulti mately they found all three Guilty, and recom mended the younger Bean to mercy. Arnold was sentenced to six, Bean the younger to five, and Bean senior to ten months' hard labour. A great number of ordinary cases of simple lar ceny and larceny from the person were disposed of in the two courts. They were of no interest. POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—Dec. 7 MANSION-HOUSE.—John Freeman was charged with havi ng b een .d run k, and wholly unable to drive his cab. A policeman said—About one o'clock in the morning I saw a cab and horse standing near the London Tavern, unattended, and soon after the de endant, who said he was the driver, came up, and was so much in liquor that I considered it necessary to take him to the station-house. We had a great deal of trouble with him. The defendant said he was no more drunk at the time he was taken into custody than he was at the moment he appeared before the magistrate. He thought it too bad that he should be dragged away from his cab, which he had only left for a moment in order to go into the London Tavern, where he had a fare waiting, so that he not only had to pay the expenses of the Green-yard in which his cab was detained, but he lost his fare. Sir R. W. Carden said he considered the punish. ment already suffered was sufficient, and discharged the defendant, after having admonished him against the disgraceful habit which led to his punishment. The defendant—l shall never expose myself again, my lord. Ellen Smith w is examined charged with having stolen a purse containing £6 Bs., the property of a gentleman unknown. The police heard a cry of " Police," and upon going up to the spot saw the woman with a gen tleman who gave her into custody on a charge of robbery. The woman denied that she had stolen THE ANDOVER MURDER. After our report of the examination of Thomas Alexander Banks, accused of the murder of Mr. William Parsons, was despatched on Monday Mr. Poland cross-examined the witness John William Young, who further deposed as follows :—The pri soner turned down Millway drove • it would lead to his cottage. /Any one going to 'Banks's cottages could come out again in the Weyhill-road, but they must get over a hedge ; there is no road there. The land on -which the new buildings are was formerly Banks's; some of it, I believe, is his now. When I left the Railway tavern I drove round Bishop's-court-lane by the station and back to the tavern. I went into the tavern, and stopped there until about 10 minutes to 11, when I drove home downthe Weyhilr-road. I saw Banks and his wife about 11 'o'clock at my house, after my arrival home. I do not know if they had anything to drink. They remained there about half-an-hour, when they left. Banks sometimes gets up early and takes his dog out for a run. I have known him to do so on several occasions. • Re-examined by Mr. Poulden—l did not see Banks at the Railway Tavern when I returned there through the station yard. I was absent about a quarter of an hour. I have never seen the prisoner out in the morning. I only know it by his telling me he had been out. John Preedy, jun.—l live with my father in the Weyhill-road. Hawkins's-buildings are close to my father's garden wall. On Monday, November 22, I left Andover at 25 minutes to 10. I passed Clacey's, house ; there is a cloclt there, and it was a quarter to 10 by that clock. Mr. Davis and a lad named Williams went with me. When we got to my father's gate Mr. Davis and Williams re mained talking. I saw a man standing by the pier of the wall, near Hawkin's-buildings ; there is a slight bend in the wall, and we were sitting within the bend. I saw the man first at Mr. Hawkins's gate, and when he got to the pier he stood still ; he could see us ; he did not do anything, bat stood quite still. We remained there about three minutes. Mr. Davis and myself went in and Mr. Williams went running down the road. Mr. Davis's back was towards the man at the pier. There is an elder tree against the pier where the man was standing, and we left him there when we went in. It was not light enough for me to see who the man was, the shade of the elder tree prevented that. Cross-examined by Mr. Poland=4 was in the road, and not in the curve of the wall, when Mr. Williams and Mr. Davis were talking. It would take me about seven minutes to walk from Clacey's to my father's house. John Williams—l was in company with the last witness and Mr. Davis on the evening of the 22d of November last. I did not observe the time by Clacey's clock, but it was about 20 minutes to 10 when we lea the town. Last witness took no part in the conversation. They went into Mr. Preedy's, and I ran down the road. John Smith—l occupy Little Park-farm, about two miles from Andover, beyond the Railway Tavern. On Monday night, November 22d, I left the Star Hotel at Andover to return home •, the clock struck 10 when I was a little on the Andover side of the Railway Tavern. On going past Clacey's house I met a young man running towards Andover; he had a parcel under his arm, which I thought was books. After pas sing I went from 80 to 100 yards, when I met Thomas Banks, the prisoner. He was walking on the footpath. There was a woman with him. I know prisoner very well, and he has always spoken L to me when we met. He did not speak to me that night, and when he passed he turned away : from me apparently to evade me. The spot where I met him was on the Andover side of Mr. Footner's en trance to his house, and the clock struck 10 about three minutes afterwards._ _ _• _ Cross-examined by Mr. Poland—l am positive as 'to the identity of the prisoner. I noticed the moon that night, but do not know in what direction it was when I was going up the Weyhill-road. I went past thq railway-bridge and crossed the fields home. I frequently meet Banks, and generally speak. I will not swear that he has passed me on several occasions without speaking, but my belief is that he has not. I was in the road, and prisoner was on the footpath. I have no doubt it was a woman I met with the prisoner. Charles Keele—l work at Waterloo foundry, and on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 23, I was pro ceeding there to my work at about half-past five o'clock in the morning. I met the prisoner near Mrs. Cross's corner. I said, " Good morning." He had a dog with him. He asked me which way I was-going, and I said, " Up the Salisbury-road and he said he would go too. We went on until we got through the turnpike gate, when I saw my partner on before. We overtook him, and all walked on together until we came to the gate leading to Mr. Footner's lawn in front of his house. Banks then lifted his dog over the gate, nearly opposite the field where the body was found. The dog came out of the field about 70 or 80 yards fur ther up the road, and prisoner called him in to the side of him, when we proceeded along the road until we got just past the Millway drove, when we parted. Prisoner went across Mr. Woolfe's field, where I told him I saw a hare on the previous Friday. Cross-examined by Mr. Poland—lt was a beau tiful morning. When first I met the prisoner he said he . was going to take his dor , for a run. Nothing was said about the hare until we passed Mr. Lamb's cottages. I told him so in consequence of seeing a hare there on the Friday previous. George Hammond—l work at Mr. Tasker's foun dry, but reside in Andover. On the morning of 23d Nov. I was going to my work, when th e pri soner and ,the last witness overtook me. The prisoner had a dog with him, which he put over .w a e gate into a field belonging to Mr. Footner. went along a short distance, when the dog came out into the road again. Banks then called d thedog to him, and we proceeded along theroadtatn passed_ the field where the murder was coma m t d then passed on and he sent the dog o M e r._L eed ° ham's field. We proceeded until just beyon . d Mill way drove, when he wished . us good morning, and right hand side, and we went into a field on the went to our work. Cross-examined by Mr. Poland—Before the dog was lifted over the gate Keele said he could show him where there was a hare. Mr. Poulden here informed the Bench that at present he should not offer any further eyidenee. The prosecution were in possession of many facts that would prove the guilt of the prisoner, which at present it would be advisable, for the furtherance of the ends of justice, not to bring before the pub lic. He would, therefore, ask their worships to remand the prisoner until Tuesday, the 14th inst., which was accordingly done. FROM THE GAZETTE OF YESTERDAY. WHITEHALL, DEC 7. The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. Wm. Dobie to the church and parish of Ladykirk r in the presby tery of Chirnside, and county of Berwick, vacant by the death of Dr. John Stevenson. BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL, DEC. 6. The Right Hon. the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade . and Plantations have received, through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a despatch from her Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at Guate mala, enclosing a copy of two decrees of the Government of that Republic, by one of which the importation into Guatemala of tobacco is prohibited, except cigars, cigarettes, and snuff, which articles will be admitted at a duty of four reals per pound. By the other decree, the exportation of unwrought silver and of silver coin is prohibited. Persons leaving the Republic will, however, be allowed to carry with them silver coin to the amount of twenty-five dollars. WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, DEC. 7. 62d Regiment of Foot—Major-General William Thomas Knollys to be Colonel, vice Lieut.-General Thos. Light foot, C. 8., deceased. Royal Engineers—Lieut.-General Griffith George Lewis, C. 8., Colonel Commandant, vice Lieut. - General Edwa rd Fanshawe, C. 8., deceased. ..WAR-OFVICE, PALL-MALL, DEC. 7. 2d Regiment of Dragoon Guards—Lieut.-Colonel C. Pyn der I. Walker, from half-pay 'Unattached, to be Lieut.- Colonel, paying the difference between Infantry and Ca valry, vice Hylton Brisco, who exchanges, receiving the Ensign John Harris, absent without leave d. 7 firing the :late training, is removed from the strength of f' ae Regiment. BANKRUPTCY ANNULL RD. William Mills, watchmaker, Tamworth. BANKRUPTS. William Ellis, jeweller, Halesworth, S ufrolk, to surren der, Dec. 16, at half-past twelve, and Jan... 13, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Uriah Neville, shoemaker, Northampton,. Dec. 17, at half-past twelve, and Jan. 20, at two, at the Gourt of Bank ruptcy. Richard Thomas Fitehett, tailor, Efanov er-street, Hano ver-square, Dec. 17, at eleven, and Jan. 18, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. John Gostling, saddler and harm %s maker, East Dere ham, Norfolk; Dec. 17, at one, and J an. 18, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. John Thompson, carrier, Hadlow , Kent, Dec. 17, at twelve, and Jan. 18, at one, at the Col IA of Bankruptcy. William Greenacre and George Roberts, drapers, Ox ford-street, Dec. 17, at eleven, and Jan.. 20, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Samuel Cullingford, draper, Woodbridge, Suffolk, Dec. 18, at half-past one, and Jan. 18, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. William Cornish and Andrew Cornish, 'builders, Bir mingham, Dec. 20, and Jan. 10, at half-past ten, at the Bir mingham District Court. Benjamin Tonics, jeweller, Birminghom, Dec. 18, and Jan.ls, at eleven, at the Birmingham Distrie t Conrt. Henry Greatorex, hotel keeper, Llanrwst, 1 knbighsbire, Dec. 17 and Jan. 11, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Charles Barlow, hatter, Cleveland- square, Liverpool, Dec. 20 and Jan. 10, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. _ _ _ William Hunt, silk and cotton manufacturer, Mancl iGs ter. Dec. 16 and Jan. 13, at eleven, at the Manchester District Court. SCOTCH BANKRUPTS. James Brown, shipowner, Dundee. William Wright, general agent, late of Manchester, now of Portree, Isle of Skye. A. King and Co., merchants, Glasgow. COUNTRY MARKETS. same. 6th Dragoon Guards—William Jamds Hessey, Gent., to be Riding Master, vice Llewellyn, deceased. 7th Light Dragoons—Captain the Hon. Augustus H. A. Anson, from the 10th Light Dragoons, to be Captain, vice Coates, who exchanges. Bth Light Dragoons—Cornet Parry de Winton to be Lieu tenant, by purchase, vice Sawbridge, promoted. 10th Light Dragoons—Captain Frederick Coates, from the 7th Light Dragoons, to be Captain, vice the Hon. A. H. A. Anson, who exchanges; Cornet Crofton Toler Van deleur to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Fife, promoted. 13th Light Dragoons—Lieutenant Reynold A. Clement to be Captain, by purchase, vice Chamberlayne, who re tires. 16th Light Dragoons—Cornet James Henry Corballis has been permitted to resign his Commission. Grenadier Guards—Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel, and Brevet-Colonel Frederick W. Hamilton, C. 8., to be Major, without purchase, vice Brevet-Colonel the Hon . Augustus ' Frederick Foley, who retires; Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel and Brevet-Colonel the Hon. J. Lindsay to be Major, without purchase, vice the Hon. R. Bruce, who retires upon half-pay Unattached, vice Brisco ; Lieutenant and Captain Cameron Neville Hogge to be Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel, by . purchase, vice Hamilton ; Lieutenant-Colonel Hylton Brisco, from half pay Unattached, to be Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel, vice the Hon. J. Lindsay ; Lieutenant and Captain John A. Digby to be Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel, by purchase, vice Brisco, who retires ; Ensign and Lieute nant Reginald J. Buller to be Lieutenant and Captain, by purchase, vice Hogge; Ensign and Lieutenant A. H. D. Pennant, to be Captain, by purchase, vice Digby; Ensign Henry Walter Hope, from the 19th Foot, to be Ensign and Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Buller. 4th Regiment of Foot—Richard Annesley Knox, Gent., to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Billing, promoted. 9th Foot-f Charles George Kane, Gent., to be Ensign without purchase, vice Cox, appointed to the 27th Foot' The appointment of Ensign Dunn, on 29th October 1858, was vice Bradshaw, promoted, and not vice Lynne, as then stated. 12th Foot—Edward George Hibbert, from the 50th Foot,• to be Major, vice Hamley, who exchanges ; Ensign Selwyn Valentine Page to be Lieutenant by purchase, vice J. F. Napier Hewett, who retires ; Ensign William Albany Featherstenehaugh to be Lieutenant, by pur chase, vice Wilkie, promoted. 18th Foot—Ensign William F. Thaker to be Lieutenant,by purchase, vice Baker, promoted. The Commissions of Lieutenants William Thomas Le Brun and Malcolm J. R. Macgregor to be antedated to 23d April, 1858. 19th Foot—Ensign Frederick George Frith to be Lieuten ant, by purchase, vice Webster, who retires. 22d Foot—Ensign Loftus Nunn from theWexford Militia to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Plunket, promoted. ' ' 23d Foot—Paymaster Thomas Newton Young, from the 22d Foot, to be Paymaster, vice Aston, removed. 24th Foot--Ensign Thos. Pierce Butler to be Lieutenant, by p ur chase, vice Godwin-Austen, promoted. 37th F oo t—Lieut. Frederick John Nash Ind to be Captain, by purchase, vice Harrison, promoted ; Ensign Michael Andrews Borthwick to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Ind. 44th Foot—Lieut. A. de Montmorency Fleming to be Captain, by purchase, vice Daubeney, who retires. 50th Foot—Major Francis Gilbert Hamley, from the 12th Foot, to be Major, vice Hibbert, who exchanges. 54th Foot--Brevet-Colonel Chas. Herbert, C. 8., from the 75th Foot, to be Lieut.-Colonel, vice Moffatt. who retires upon half-pay Unattached, vice Lieut.-Colonel Radcliffe, appointed to the 75th Foot. 56th Foot—Thomas Durell Sullivan, Gent., to be Ensign without ,purchase, vice Swinhoe, promoted in the 15th Foot. 63d Foot—The appointment of Bernard Hermon, Gent., to an Ensigncy, by purchase, as stated in the Gazette of the 9th Nov., has been cancelled, 65th Foot—Lieutenant F. Stansfield Herries to be Captain, by purchase, vice Meyler, who retires; Ensign George Ponnefather to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Herries; Ensign George Robert Chevalier to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Leonard, whose promotion, by purchase, on the 24th September, 1858, has been cancelled ; Ser geant-Major William Alexander to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Chevalier. 75th Foot—Lieutenant-Colonell William Radcliff, from half-pay Unattached, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Brevet- Colonel Herbert, removed to the 54th Foot. 78th Foot—Lieutenant George Digby Barker to be Adju tant, vice Bogle, promoted in the 13th Foot. 81st Foot—Ensign Michael Curry to be Adjutant, vice Lieutenant Walter Musgrave, who resigns the Adju tancy only. 82d Foot—Charles Worthy, Gent., to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Lock, promoted. 85th Poot-LLieutenant Waller Ashe to be Captain, by pur chase, vice Coussmaker, who retires ; Ensign Chester Doughty to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Ashe. Ist West India Regiment—Ensign Cornelius O'Callaghan to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Murphy, pro moted, without purchase, to an Unattached Company. HOSPITAL STAFF. TO BE INSPECTOR-GENERALS OP HOSPITALS UNDER THE ROYAL WARRANT OF OCT. 1, 1858. Local Inspector-General A. Fergusson, M.D. Local Inspector .General A. Melvin. Local Inspector-General William Bell, M.D. The undermentioned Officers having retired upon half pay, to have a step of Honorary Rank under the provisions of the Royal Warrant of Oct. 1. TO BE INSPECTOR-GENERALS OF HOSPITALS• Deputy Inspector-General Dr. James Henderson. Deputy Inspector-General Dr. John W. Holahan, Royal Artillery. TO BE DEPUTY INSPECTOR-GENERALS OF HOSPITALS. Surgeon-Major Stewart Chisholm. Surgeon-Major James Connell. Surgeon-Major James McGregor. Surgeon-Major Edward Bradford. Surgeon-Major William Lucas. Surgeon-Major Thomas Fox ' M.D. Surgeon-Major Thomas Mostyn, Surgeon-Major John Stewart Graves. TO BE ASSISTANT-SURGEONS TO THE FORCES. James Joseph McCarthy, M.D. Henry Harrison, Gent. James Martin, Gent. Wilton Everet, Gent. James Winterscale Lougheed, Gent. Andrew Thomas Carbery, Gent. BREVET. TO BE COLONELS IN THE ARMY. Lieut.-Colonel C. Lawrence D'Aguilar, C. 8., Royal Artillery. Lieut.-Colonel Julius Angusfus Robert Raines, 96th Foot. Lieut.-Colonel A. Inglis Lockhart, 92d Foot. TO BE LIEUT.-COLONELS IN THE ARMY. Major A. D. Thellusson, 72d Foot. Major G. W. T. Rich, 71st Foot. Brevet-Major E. Thomas Gloster, 38th Foot. Major G. C. Vials, 95th Foot. Brevet-Major John Ross, Rifle Brigade. Major Charles N. North, 60th Foot. Major Wm. Drysdale,'C.B. 9th Light Dragoons; Brevet-Major J. H. F. Elkington, 6th Foot. Major Barry Blennerhassett, 71st Foot. Brevet-Major Thomas Fenwick, Royal Engineers. TO BE MANORS IN THE ARMY. Captain and Brevet-Major Pearson Scott Thompson, 14th Light Dragoons, to have his Brevet-Majority ante dated to 20th July, 1858. Captain John Augustus Todd, 14th Light Dragoons. Captain T. Hugh Cockburn, 43d Foot. Captain Francis M. M. Ommanney, Royal Artillery. Captain William Al‘Mahon, 14th Light Dragoons. Captain Charles E. Johns, 17th Foot. Captain Henry Foster, 95th Foot. Captain Clement W. Heneage, Bth Light Dragoosn. Captain Robert Poore, Bth Light Dragoons. Captain Arthur C. Parker, 71st Foot. Captain Robert Bethune, 92d Foot. Captain Sir William Gordon, 17th Light Drago ons . Captain John H. St. John, 92d Foot. The Christian name of Colonel McQueen, on half-pay Unattached, whose Commission was antedated to the 28th November, 1854, is James, and not John, as stated in the Gazete of the 26th October, 1858. The Commissions of the undermentioned Officers of the Royal Marines to be antedated to 28th November, 1854, under the provisions of the Royal W arran t of 14th Octo ber, 1858: C. 8., Aide-de-Camp d Camp to the e- e- Colonel Thomas Hurdle, Queen. Colonel Thomas P. Dwyer. Colonel Henry William Parke. Colonel Anthony B. Stransham. COMMISSIONS BY LORDS-LIEUTENANT. North Somerset Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry— Francis Haviland, Esq., to be Captain, vice Saville, re signed. Ist or Royal East Middlesex Re:iment of Militia—En sign Charles Francis Simms to be Lieutenant,- vice Smith, resigned ; Ensign William Thomas Croft to be:Lieutenant, vice Elliot, appointed to the Ist Dragoon Guards. Kent Artillery Regiment of Militia—William Stanley Dalison, Gent., to be first Lieutenant, vice Beauclerk, promoted. Royal. Carnarvonshire Militia—Captain John Vincent Hawksley Williams to be Major (as from the 25th day of August last), vice John Macdonald, promoted; Lieutenant George Sholto Douglas Pennant to[be Captain, vice John, Vincent Hawksley Williams, promoted ; Lloyd Powell Allen, Gent., to be ileatenant, vice George Sholto Douglas Pennant, promoted. Hampshire Militia Artillery—Second Lieutenant Cecil Thomas Beeching to be First Lieutenant, from the 6th Noveniber, 1858. Ittrawwwvm,--Weat dent Light Infantry BELFAST-DEC. 6. A fair supply of wheat to-day, at last Friday's prices. Barley was quite as dear. Oats met a better demand. Beans and peas unaltered. Flour in retail, at late rates. NORWICH CATTLE--/DEc. 4. Tllere was a large show of store beasts to-day, consisting of Scots, shorthorns, Irish, and Devons. Sales were very fair. The selling price for Scots was 4s to 4s 6d ; short horns, 4s Od to 4s 6d ; Irish, 3s to 3s 6d per stone of 141bs. estimated weight when fat. Fat beasts firm at 8s Od to 8s Gd per stone. Sheep—Fat sheep, 8s to 8s 6d, prime lots Os per stone. Pigs—Good store pigs, 15s to 20$ per head. Fat pork, 5s 6d to 6s, prime 6s 6d per stone. LOCAL SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL-DEC. 7. The market was very quiet at the opening, and confirmed so throughout the day, but closed firm. Birkenheads, 671 —North British, 57 I—York and North Midland, 741 1- -Eastern Counties, 12 7-16 121—Midland, 99k—Chester and Holyheads, 40 / Caledonians, 881 I—Lancashire and Yorkshire, 95 /—London and North-Westerns, 94 1-- East Lancashire, 93 931—Dutch Rhenish, 31 I dis.— Grand Trunk of Canada, 9 1 9-16—Great Western, 55 Leeds Northern; 47—Dovers, 22 5-16 I—Berwicks, 921 — Great Western of Canada, 17/ I—Blackburns, 11 /. COURSE OF EXCHANGE.—YESTERDAY. Amsterdam Ditto Rotterdam ' 11 17/ 11 17 Antwerp Brussels — 25 271 25 321 _ __ _ . Hamburgh Paris Ditto Marseilles — 25 32/ 25_ 37/ Frankfort on Maine Vienna Trieste Petersburgh Madrid Cadiz . Leghorn Genoa Naples Pr lermo Messina Lisbon Oporto Rio Janeiro New York 1181 - 119 10 42 10 46 10 43 10 47 341 341 491 491 491 49T 29 671 29 75 25 45 25 a) 40 41 A 221 123 1221 123' 52/ 52 521 531 E.I. bls: House bls. 60d Calcutta, Co.'s rupee 26 23± Bombay ditto Madras ditto — 26 23± East India Company's, Bills drawn from the 24th ult. to the Bth inst. Bonbal £1,201 5 0 Madras 0 0 0 Bombay • 0 0 0 £1,201 5 0 Foreign Gold in Bars (Standard)' per oz. £3 17 9 Mexican Dollars Silver in Bars (Standard) y; 0 5 li BIRTHS. ARCHER.—On the 3d inst., at Guernsey, the wife of F. B Archer, Esq., Deputy Commissary-General, of a son. BULLER.—On the Gth inst., at St. Mary's Vale, Chatham, the wife of W. E. Buller, Esq. of a daughter. TOYNBEE.—On the 4th inst., at Beach Holme, Wimble don common, the wife of Joseph Toynbee, F.R.S., of 0 , daughter. WILLIAMS.—On the 4th inst., at 19, Margaret-street, Ca vendish-square, Mrs. G. H. Williams, of a daughter. MARRIAGES. ROLFE—PILCHER.—On the 7th inst., at St. Pancras Church, James Rolfe, of Cheapside, to Ellen Elizabeth, daughter of William Filcher, of Gray's-inn-lane. TOLLEMACIIE—STEWART. — On the 2d inst., in the Chapel of Galloway House, W. F. Tollemache, Esq., eldest son of John Tollemache, Esq., M.P. for Cheshire, to Lady* Emma Georgiana Stewart, second daughter of the Earl of Galloway. DEATHS. ABINGTON.—On the 6th inst., at his residence, in York road, Brighton, John Frederick Abingdon, Esq., age d 51. BIDDULPH. — On the 3d inst., at Fitzroy-terrace, Regent'e park, Colonel Edward Biddulph, C. 8., late of the Ben Horse Artillery, aged 70. BROWNING.—On the 3d inst:, the Rev. Frederick Brown: ing, reetor of Titchwell, Norfolk, - and prebendary 01 Salisbury, aged 67. GIIMBLETON.—On the 4th inst., at Torquay, - John Bowt, ll G um bleton, Esq., of Fort-William, county Waterfor a t aged' 65. lIHALE.—On the 6th inst., at Aviary-hill, Eltharn, Kent, Thos. Hale, Esq., late of Bush- lane, city, aged 59. HUNTABLE.—On the sth inst., at his residence, so uth Villa, Albion-road, Stoke Newington, John Huxtabley Esq., aged 74. LONDON : Printed and Published by 3,IIJRDO YOUNG, of Np. 112, Strand, Printer; at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county o Middlesex, Wednesday, December 8, 1856. LIVERPOOL—DEc. 7. At this day's market we had a fair attendance of the trade, and wheat met with a moderately good demand for consumption, at ld to• 2d per 701 b decline on the prices of this day week. Flour is per sack and 6d per barrel lower. Oats a slow sale, and oatmeal 6d per load lower. Peas de clined fully 2s per qr. Indian corn in moderate request for feeding; mixed American sold at 26s to 26s 6d per qr. LEEDS—DEc. 7. The arrivals of wheat are more moderate than of late. A dense fog, however, interrupts business, which is limited entirely to the pressing wants of millers at about the rates of Friday. Other articles unaltered. _ _ Averages for the week : Wheat 2,841 qrs., at 41s nta 8ar1ey......... 1,127 ~ 33s 91(1 Oats lOO ~ " 25s 100. Rye l3 „ 34s 8d Beans 23 ~ 4os 6ict Peas • • 5 ~ 42s 6d SHEFFIEL 'D—DEc. 7. There was a moderate supply, and generally a dull mar ket, but prices remained without much change. White wheat, new, 16s to 20s Barley, grinding .. 28s to 32s Red do. 153 to 16s Oats, old, . —s to —s Old white —s to —s New do 21s to 82s Red do. .. —s to —s I Beans. 17s to 19s Barley, malting.— 33s to 36s Peas.. 4Bs to 54s Millers' prices for flour—ls sd, is 7d,' and is 9d per 141 b. Hay, 80s to 85s ; wheat straw, 28s to 34s ; oat straw,:2Bs to 34s ; turnips, 15s to 23s per ton. SUNDERL. D—DEc.~4. The grain market continues very quiet indeed, business being quite of a retail nature. Wheat .... 36s to 42s Oats 21s to 24s White .40s to 44s Beans 41s to 44s Barley .28s to 30s Malt ....—S to —ts Flour, 30s to 31s Od per sack. BRISTOL—DEc. 7. We have a good show of wheat, which meets an exceed • ingly slow sale at fully is below last Tuesday's rates. Bar ley rather lower. Other articles about the same as last week. RICHMOND—Nov. 27. There was a middling supply of grain to-day,- and a slow business at the annexed prices :—White wheat, from 5s Od to 6s 6d per bushel ; red, 5s Od to 6s 6d ; barley, 4a to 4s 6d per do. ; oats, 2s 9d to 4s ; beans, 6s to 6s 6d. ROCHDALE—DEc. 6. The market continues quiet, but prices are about sup ported in the few transactions recorded this week. In the provision market there was a small show of potatoes, and the trade was brisk, with lower prices at the close. Flukes, 9s to lOs ; radicals, 8s 6d ; Wellingtons, 85 per 2521 b. GLASGOW—Dnc. 6. We have to report a small supply of wheat at market, and prices ruled about the same as last Saturday. CORK—DEc. 6. The following were the quotations this morning :—Red wheat, 16s Od to 20s 6d; white, 18s to 26s Od; barley 14s Oct to 14s Od; oats, lOs 6d to 12s Bd. M.iiii exh • Toll Mod Ittod engi Thol 'rho, Ac lTt Pe addii N C,4 pit gel Creasi ulvidi ratan All lh the at e v( 24 to 4.13 T r Alfro The BOU Edna Th om Sir A Bar: Stßc] lint The The An titn lit 'the Mare of t l Neu zieu 1.412 Dy R and and Coil Con 1I Dj Nice aql; exec laxf( Di Twv o ( liar! J. K: ANI 1)1 / Vet leg t a nY ters titre( -__ till for tlai 1 10 IN