The Sun. — London, England, 1846-04-17 00:00:00

WW WAS THE BROAD GAUGE LAID ON THE GREAT WESTERN ? (Prom the Railway Chronicle.) We have already explained the leading principles on which the adopti6n of the broad gauge was recommended on the Great Western Railway. That principle, as stated in the quotation we gave from Mr. Brunel's re port of Dec. 27, 1835, was—that different circumstances, such as gradients, curves, and amount of traffic, called for different gauges ; that therefore the curves and gra dients of the Great Western Railway, being superior to those of any other railway at that time projected, re quired " a different gauge from any other railway. We demonstrated that this principle, leading directly as it does to endless diversity of gauge, is utterly untenable, and indeed ridiculous in practice ; and that no further proof of this was required than the fact that the Great Western Railway Company themselves had not applied their own principle in practice on their own line, but had actually, in order to prevent a break of gauge, intro duced the gauge which was expressly stated by them to be only adapted to gradients and curves of the best class, and to lines of great traffic, upon lines with very inferior gradient, curves, and traffic, much inferior, indeed, in these respects, to those very lines which had been cited by them as adapted to the narrow gauge, and not to the broad. This taeit acknowledgment, by the advocates, in theory, of diversity of gauge, of the necessity of uni formity of gauge, in practice we consider to be conclusive on the question of the necessity of uniformity of gauge throughotr Ergland. If the Great Western Railway Company itself does not, from motives of self-interest, carry out its own principle of the necessity . of adapting i the gauge to the character of the line, but is compelled to aopt uniformity of gauge on its own branches, in what may be called the Great Western Railway system, when that gauge, on their own admission, is . unfit for lines of the character of their branch lines, id unnecessarily expensive as applied to such lines ; for the very same reasons the country cannot, consistently with its interests, admit of diversity of gauge in the national railway system. Without, then, going into the question whether the broad guage has in any measure succeeded on its own line, the Great Western—expressly, we are told, made for it and adapted to it—it is enough for us to know, and that from the statement of the advocate of the broad guage, that the broad guage is only adapted to such a line as the Great Western (which, in point of the expense which has been incurred in procuring first-class gra dients and curves, has fortunately no equal), in order to prevent it from being extended into the branch lines and extensions of the Great Western Railway, which have far inferior curves and gradients to the main line. In such lines it is, by the principles of its own advocate, unfit : it is admittedly more expensive, and it directly leads to a number of breaks of guage—nuisances so great, demonstrated by the prac ti c e of the Great Western R a il way Company themselves, as most mate rially to detract from the value of any line of railway communication on which they occur. All the lines of last year obtained by the Great West ern Railway, whose construction is just now commenced, come under this category—the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton • th e Oxford and Rugby ; the Berks and Hantz ; the Wilts and Somerset ; the South Wales Railways—all bring the broad and narrow gauge systems together at many points, and introduce many breaks of gauge. In this argument, which we believe to be unanswerable, we do not moot die question of whether the introduc tion of the peculiarities of the broad gauge on the Great Western Railway itself has been attended with sue eess or not. We will glance at this for a moment in one point of view, and that we think the true point. We grant :that the Great Western Railway is a line of peculiar character ; its gradients (with the ex ception of two short inclines of 1 in 100) are all flatter than 1 in 600 ; it is, in fact, for 120 miles, almost a dead level. It has no curves sharper than one mile radius— very few, we believe, so sharp. To obtain these peculiar advantages, a peculiar amount of expense was required; the experiment of such curves and gradients never has been, and is not likely to be repeated. On such a line it was plausible enough, in 1838, to hold that a peculiar gauge might be advantageously introduced; so perhaps it might have been, if lines of railway were like rows of houses, having no necessary connexion with each other. But the facility of intercommunication is the very pur pose and meaning of railways ; it is the source of that vastly increased traffic which alone can support them, and which is the proof and reason of their being benefi cial to the countries into which they are introduced. Throw art impediment in the way of this facility of in tercourse, obstruct the circulation of traffic, and you cut off the heart's blood of the system ; an arrangement which isOlates a railway from its neighbours cannot be good. To return to our argument, or rather the argument of the advocates of the broad guage—to what does it lead ? In the first place, it settles the question of its being de sirable, if it were practicable, which it is not, to intro duce the broad guage on the present narrow gauge rail rays ; for, as the advocates of the broad gauge state, it is only suited to a llne of peculiarly excellent curves and gradients ; if you introduce it therefore on a line of or dinary curves and gradients, such as every line in the country is compared to the Great Western line, you are applying it to circumstances to which it is utterly un suited ; the consequence will be that you get a much worse railway than the narrow gauge now affords—a railway less safe, slower, less convenient, and much more expensive. The huge weight of the engine and train of the broad gauge causes them to be unsuited to ascend the steeper gradients of the present narrow gauge lines, the long axles unfit them for the safe passage round its sharp curves, and the enormous vehicles are ill adapted to the requirements of the traffic in goods and pas sengers., Whatever, then, you may think of the broad gauge on its own line, the Great Western Railway, it is certain that to the very extent to which it is superior to the narrow gauge (if it is so) on a line of the character of the Great Western Railway, to that extent will it be in ferior to the narrow gauge on the existing lines now laid to the narrow guage. For precisely the same reasons is the broad gauge unsuited to the branches and extensions of the Great Western Railway itself, these lines resem bling, as they do in curves and gradients, the existing narrow gauge lines, and not the Great Western trunk line. By adopting the broad gauge, then, on your extension lines, shareholders of the Great Western Company, you are actually getting a worse railway than the narrow gauge would give you on those lines, and that at a much greater cost; you are adopting a form of railway more expensive in its first construction, more expensive in its working (see Reports of Commissioners), and less convenient than the narrow gauge, a form under which the traffic can never flourish so well as under the more convenient form of the narrow guage, and one which, at the same time, separates you from the ge neral railway system of the country. It is for you, proprietors of the Great Western Rail way Company, now to determine if it is wise to attempt to keep up your exceptional gauge upon one isolated line—a gauge which, - while it confers doubtful and dis puted advantages on the traffic of the particular trunk line to which it is said to be united, brings with it many indubitable disadvantages to the extension lines from which the trunk must hereafter look for support, and to which, as its own advocates have argued, the broad gauge is utterly unsuited. The recommendation of the Commissioners to prevent the broad gauge from being introduced on the extensions of the Great Western Railway, is consistent not only with c,)mmon sense and national policy, but with the principle on which the introduction of the broad gauge was justified in 1838, and with the real interests of the proprietors of the Great Western Railway. CIVIL WAR IN THE ClTv.—lt was expected that the indictments preferred by the Watermen's Steam-packet Com pany against the corporation pier at Blackfriars, and the in dictment of the St. Paul's-wharf floating pier, by the City Solicitor, would not be prosecuted, and that. with the con sent of the Corporation, the Watermen's Company would be allowed , to retain undisturbed possession of the very conve nient pier they had thrown out for the convenience of the citizens at. St:Paul's-wharf, as well as to embark and l an d passengers at the Blackfriars - pier. pier. The Corporation, how ever, are deter miwaducago m fiv ag ery, and have not only en listed their : whole legal the Watermen's Coro t:eat of the Black, pany, but have al t.° removed thrt abutments of the Black friars-plat, plan which is erected close to tits bridge, by writ of certiorari, into the Cou u rt trae o r f k Bench. The Watermen's Company applied to the City Queen's thorities to remove the indictment again s t th e St. Paul's wharf floating pier into the same Court, which they de clined doing, and wished to have it tried in their own Co ur t, where the Recorder would preside. The directors of the Watermen's Company, on learning this determination, im• mediately applied for and obtained a writ of certiorari for removing the indictment into the Court of Queen's Bench. Both indictments will, therefore, be tried in the same Court, and will decide the alleged right of the Corporation to erect piers, wharfs, embankments, and bridges on the river without the authority of the Legislature. AN ALLEGED CASE OF MURDER AT BROMPTON.—At two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, J. Hinde, Esq., coroner, held an inquest at the Golden Lion Inn, High street, Brompton, near Chatham, on the body of a married woman, named Ann Allpresse, whose death, it was alleged, was caused by her husband beating and kicking her on the night of the 4th inst. The evidence, which was very voluminous and contradictory, occupied the court for nearly five hours. It appeared that the husband and wife lived in lodgings in Broad-alley, Brompton, and that he is an excavator, em ployed under Mr. Kitt , the contractor for forming the drain opposite to the Dockyard. The deceased was represented to be a well-conducted industrious woman. On the night in question, the husband was out drinking at the Dolphin public house. The deceased and Jane Chaney, at whose bouse they lodged, about half-past eleven o'clock at night, went to the Dolphin, to fetch the husband home, but they returned too - ether without him, and in a few minutes the deceased agaia went out alone to fetch her husband. When she returned she was covered with dirt and could not speak, and blood was running from her face. The deceased next morning was found to be so ill that Mr. I Weeks, surgeon, was sent for by a neighbour, who found the deceased in bed, and she complained of being very 'sore all over her, with violent pains in her stomach and back, and also her head ; her left eye was much swollen and blackened ; and she had a severe contusion on the lower part of her back, which she said were the effect of blows from her hus band given at the Dolphin l) üblie house. The deceased re peated the same tale a few hours t before her death, which last. took place on Monday e ven i ng Weeks said that death was caused by the blows received, mortem examination nothing was discovered to cause death, as upon a post the inside being perfectly healthy. The injuries had so worked on the nervous system that they caused death. Xared the The Coroner, after consulting with some of the jury, court. On its being opened, the Coroner ordered the husband of the deceased into custody, and adjourned the inquest Friday. The prisoner was taken to the lockup-house. until The office of Clarencieux King of Arms, in the Herald's College, is vacant by the decease of Joseph Hawker, Esq., F.S.A., who eairtkog the .both blatant, at thkad waxed age of sr: SERPENTS. (From a New York paper.) We consider the following views by M. Raspail to pcs seas much scientific as well as popular interest. Ser pents are divided into two grand classes, of which the one bite without poisoning the wound, while the others have a venomous bite. The adder, the boa, &c., belong to the first list ; the viper, the rattlesnake, &c., are in the second ; and these species, fearful from the accidents consecutive to their bite, owe this property to two teeth of the upper jaw, which are moveable, of a crooked figure, and perforated by a canal, which communicates with is glandular reservoir, in which the poison is elabo rated. When the animal closes its jaws, these two teeth lie flat against the palate ; when, on the contrary, the animal opens its mouth, these teeth standing upright again, and the play of the muscles, by compressing t he secreting organ of the poison, causes the liquid to pass into the dental canal, which thus deposits it in the wound. In the adder, and other non-venomous serpents, this apparatus is replaced by a second row of commo n teeth. Still, as there is n othin g abru p t in nature, it is very possible that we may meet with intermediate states between these two forms, and which thus tend only to confuse and embarrass classifications. We have no direct experience to show that those various influences which preside over the specific transformation or cross ing of the animal races may not clothe the one of these species with the character of the other, or, at least, pro duce a modification in the forms of both. Yenensous serpents acquire a greater virulence ac cording to the elevation of the temperature. The viper of our climate is much more dangerous in the height of summer than at the commencement of spring, in gravelly and arid plains than in shady positions ; the rattlesnake of the Indies is more venemous than the viper of the north of Europe. The irritation of the animal may render the wound more dangerous by infiltrating the poison more deeply into our tissues ; it is under such circumstances that the viper, biting twice, and thus leav ing four traces of its gripe, has led - some ancient authors to believe that the females have four venemous teeth and the males only two ; the female serpents, in fact, at the period of leaving their eggs, or of incubation, are more irritable than the males. The ancients were perfectly aware that the poison of the viper, so subtle when introduced by puncture, is in offensive in the stomach ; they were in the habit of in troducing the viper, frequently the head as well as the tail, as an ingredient in their electuaries. But it is espe- cially by the experiments of Redi Fontana and Charms that this previously popular belief has been rightly de monstrated. There are many other substances which we digest with impunity, but which become so many causes of poisoning if infiltrated into the blood by means of a puncture:: is not pus, even when of good character, to be reckoned among this class ? In the various syniptoms of this kind of poisoning, as well as in the means which serve as its antidotes, every thing seems to indicate that the poison of the viper acts by an acid property, and by coagulating, after the manner of acids, the albumen of the blood ; for since the time of Fontana it is generally admitted that the best of antidotes is ammonia, applied externally as well as taken internally. The whole becomes swollen, red, and ecchymosed. Sometimes it is surrounded with small vesicles of watery bladders ; every part becomes congested—the head, the lungs, the abdomen, the limbs, the face ; vertigo and stupor take place, to be shortly followed by delirium and coma. The pulse falls ; the circulation, at first irregular, grows weaker and weaker, for at every point it meets with an interruption from the coagulation of the blood. It is a frigid poison ; the paralysed stomach rejects the nutriment, which acts upon it as a dead weight. The patient commences to vomit, but falls off into a state of dozing : his agony is a mortal sleep. The actual or pot en ti a l cautery made upon the placeimmediately after the accident prevents all those disorders. Ammonia taken internally and ammoniacal frictions dissipate them at a more advanced period. Abandoned to itself the disease is cured spontaneously ' only in those cases where the dose of the poison has been infinitely small. Serpents are fond of milk ; they are also greedy of wine, which intoxicates them ; they have occasionally been seen to milk the cow, and they have been found drowned at the bottom of vats. From persevering inquiries, I have become convinced that the power of fascination, which has been attributed to serpents, vipers as well as adders, is not a fable or vulgar fiction. It has frequently occurred to persons travelling through forests to witness the poor little birds, while uttering a plaintive cry, descend from branch to branch, attracted as it were by some occult power, and yield themselves up within the jaws of a serpent lying hidden among the boughs of the tree—obedient victims to the glance of their executioner. The thread of this charm is broken by simply whisking a switch through the air ; no doubt, from the fact, that the whistling of the air frightens the serpent, and thus paralyses its mag netic effluvium. What is the mechanism of this incre dible fascination, which so perfectly recals to one's mind the fables of the Sirens? There is undoubtedly here a physical cause, an emanation which envelopes the bird in an atmosphere of asphyxiating gas, in the same way as the spider envelopes the fly in its gauze-like net. To explain the phenomenon in a perfect manner, let us suppose that the serpent has the power of emitting (one on each side of its mouth) two streams of a poisonous and stu pifying gas, which proceed to unite above the head of the bird. If the bird attempt to fly the danger, it can only do so by descending, for it is there only it will find a free space ; in proportion as it descends, the two jets will continue to unite and to follow it; and it is thus that to escape asphyxia the poor bird drops within the jaws of the serpent; it falls into Scylla in avoiding Cha rybdis. The power of fascination being common to vipers as well as adders, it is evident that these latter have the faculty of regaining, in certain cases, the cha racter which alone makes the difference of the two spe cies. The venom of the serpent partakes of the nature of all organic poisons; it does not lose its venemous qua lities by drying; and the prick from the tooth of a dead viper or rattlesnake is as much feared by those who are in the habit of making preparations of these reptiles as that of the living animal. The salamander is a lizard without scales, the skin of which, speckled with yellow, exhales a fluid which some persons have regarded as poisonous. This fact needs confirmation ; yet it does not seem destitute of foun dation. The toad, that degenerated species of frog, which is found in ruins and miry places, exudes from its whole body, in the same manner as the salamander, a viscous ' fluid ; but this is not its true poison. All country peo ple are well aware that when pursued the toad ejaculates an acid and corrosive liquid as if to obstruct its persecu tors. The poisonous quality of this liquid has been often questioned by writers who have never observed its effects ; but there are so many evidences as to the truth of this assertion that it would be presumptuous not to admit it as a demonstrated fact. Matthiolus attributes to the poison of toads the sudden death of persons who have eaten of strawberries, mushrooms, or other legumes which the toad has besmeared with its venom. Ambrose Pare cites, among other facts, a case of poisoning proved before the legal tribunals, and which had been produced by pieces of sage over which a toad must have passed. According to Christopher Franc Paulini, a man, while throwing stones at a large toad, took hold of one which the reptile had polluted with its venom. His hand swelled up from the violence of the pain ; it became covered with phlyetartrae and visicles filled with an ichorous sanic's the inflammation extended up the arm, ,and gave him the most acute torture for 14 days. At the end of the three years, and on the exact anniversary of the day on which he pursued the toad, the disease returned with. all its original symptoms, and the man was cured only after considerable difficulty. Leeuwenhoek speaks of an amateur angler, who, being in the habit of baiting his hook with frogs and toad, one day received the fluid ejaculated by one of these batracii upon the surface of his eye, and in consequence was attacked with acute ophthalmia. He speaks also of a dog which could not catch a toad without afterwards falling into paroxygms of fury and madness. I myself have often seen a fluid ejaculated by toads which I have pursued; the stream was thrown out to a distance of 80 centimetres, it was of a greenish colour and nauseous odour; but I had nothing at hand to experiment upon these animals. And even had we not so many evidences in support of its nature, analogy alone would point out to us that this liquid, ejaculated as a means of defence, must be of a nature similar to that which the viper introduces for the same object into the flesh of its aggressor. We must then admit that this venom has a great share in the production of those cases of poisoning which seem to depend on some doubtful cause, and which arise after haying eaten without precaution fruits or creeping vege tables, t and rs even would m b u e s h a r a o s o s m e d s , a m w h o n i c g h , t h f e r o m m o s t h t their o general accidents eigur pe r w h h a i ps ch c b o e ul re d f n e o r t re b d e t t o ra t c h e i d s o s pe ci es . a y e w n cause ay kind of infection! How many people, who ha ve up ill and stupifi e d f rom the sleep th a t they laaveevrtaall('eed on the gra ss , h ave pro b a b ly been indebted for their Mil ness to this species of- accident! scientificTtiE P pe r r N soo T: aAnDdE t.—hosTehteorwe ho i ns t m h u e ch welfare talk oof ouramongst manufactures is of interest, respecting the improvements recently made in pin makin g — improvements which h ave already caused preparations for closing many large works upon the continent. The machinery by which the new pin, to which Mr. Kirby, of Newgate-street, the holder of the pafent, has given the na me o f th e R egina, is made, is of the most extraordinary character. • Strings of wire enter it upon he one side by thousands, and al mos t immediately appea r a t the other as pins of the most perfect form, literally headed and pointed to a degree of perfection defying microscopic povrer to detect a fault in shape or finish. The sticking of the, pins into paper is likewise completed by the same machinery, in as incredible a regular and rapid order, and it is a gratifying fact, that although the latter operation is ac complished by this invention, the great demand caused by the enormous reduction in the price of the pins necessarily calls together three times the number of female assistants for their preparation and "making up," &c., at more remunerative wages than by the old system. The price of potatoes in Ennis is now 6d. per stone, and as none are offered that are not diseased, an additional penny may be added for waste. Oatmeal is 2s. 3d. a stone, or at the rate of 181. per ton. The Clare Journal calls on the Relief Committee of the town at once to make an effort to reduce the price of provisions, and says they can easily do so if they please. '1 he greatest distress prevails, the articles of food being altogether out of the reach of the tradespeople and working classes, most of whom are unemployed. The same journal also recommends the bakers to introduce house hold bread into the shops.—Cork Examiner. THE MURDER OF Mn. MODBB.—After various re mands, the magistrates have decided on committing Sheriff and Biddle to Oxford gaol for trial, for the wilful murder of Mr. Mobbs. The evidence of the accomplice Skerry is straightforward, and appears very conclusive, and in addi tion there are evidence of a circumstantial character strongly corroborative of Skerry's evidence. It appears that the pri s-mers murdered Mr. Mobbs because he was watching them ; that Skerry was near at hand at the time ; that he objected to it; that they robbed Mr. Mobbs after they had beat him and pulled him off his horse ; that on the following morning Sherry had ss. of the money; that he was threatened with d . am. ath if he split ; an d th at t h e a ff a i r so p re yed on Skerry's r ete t rmin hat ned u ow o , at the all h expiration ka ratio e n w o . f , about three years, he TEL SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 17, 1846.! THE PENINSULAR MAIL. --- SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY MORNING.—The Penin sular and Oriental Company's steam-ship Queen, Capt. Russell, arrived this morning at half-past ten o'clock, from the Peninsular, bringing all the usual mails. Her dates of departure are as follow:—Gibraltar, April 6th; Cadiz, 7th; Lisbon, 10th; Corunna, 13th. Specie, cargo, &c., on board—Six packages of specie, a full cargo of oranges, dates, potatoes, &c. Ships of war lying at Gibraltar—Her Majesty's brig Fantome. At Cadiz—Two French war steamers. At Lisbon—The usual Portuguese fleet. At Corunna— War steamer Isabella 11. The Queen steam-ship brings confirmatory intelli gence of the disturbed state of Spain, although up to the moment when she left no actual collision had taken place, and consequently no blood has been shed. The worst, however, is anticipated. A pronunciamiento had been declared at Vigo, on the 10th, by the whole of the officers and soldiers, in favour of Prince Don Enrique. It was generally responded to. ,The Governor of Vigo and Military Commandant were furnished with passports for Cadiz, and were to leave by the next packet. No blood had been shed. Her Britannic Majesty's Consul had been officially in formed by the Political Chief of Corunna, by order of his Excellency the Captain-General of Galicia, that in consequence of martial law having been pronounced, the British mail steamers would not be allowed to land the mails and passengers at Corunna except during the day time. They would not be allowed either to touch at Vigo. Martial law had been declared at Corunna. The Go vernor is determined to fire on the town, in the event of a movement in favour of the young Prince. Other parts of Galicia were in a very distracted state. Nearly all the troops had marched from Corunna to Vigo to suppress the revolt, if possible. LisnoN, APRIL 10.—The Bill conferring the Regency upon the King Consort, in the event of the Queen's death during the infancy of the heir apparent, has passed the Chamber of Peers by a very large majority, there having been only 10 dissentient voices. The Duke of Paltnella, after arguing against it, voted for it. As the Revolucao remarks, his motives must be respected, but they cannot be misunderstood. No other business of any interest is going on in the Cortes at present. The session, however, has been prolonged to the 30th instant, and will probably be still further extended in order to give time for the discussion of the badget, which has yet to commence, as well as of the report of the Commissioners recently appointed to revise the tariff of import duties. The Commissioners, it is expected, will be enabled to lay their report before the Chambers in a fortnight or three weeks. Meanwhile their proceedings to a certain extent are no secret ; and it is already pub licly known that, except as regards some few articles of trifling importation and consumption, the duties are to be raised instead of being lowered, and that on the ground that Sir Robert Peel's free-trade measure will enable England to manufacture cheaper, it behoves Portugal to afford additional protection to her own native industry. I learn from a sure source that it is proposed to raise the duty on calicoes from 60 to 90 reis per pound weight, and on most other cotton goods in the same proportion, and that the duty on fine woollens is to be raised consider ably ; as for coarse woollens they are completely shut out as it is. The articles the duties on which it is pro posed to reduce are malt liquor, some kinds of hardware, and a few other odds and ends, the total importation of which would not amount to 5,0002 a year, were they even admitted free. It is evidently not to this country that Sir Robert Peel must look for anything like free trade reciprocity. The Portuguese are determined to take whatever advantage they can get, and give as little in return for it as they can; or according to one of their own proverbs, " to eat the bait, and upon the hook." There is a gentleman at present in this city commis missioned by the house of Laffitte, of Paris, to make proposals to this Government for lighting the streets with gas, and conveying water into the houses by means of pipes. The latter of these improvements is certainly a great desideratum, but the former is, I fear, imprac- ticable with any prospect of success, owing to a variety of local circumstances, amongst which are to be reckoned the earthquakes which now and then take place, and the first of which would probably snap all the gaspipes, and cause explosions in every direction. Several highway robberies have recently been com mitted on the road between this city and St. Übes, a town only 24 miles distant. Amongst others an Eng lish gentleman, of the name of Trevelyan, was plundered about six weeks ago. Three of the robbers hare since been captured.—Herald. BUSINESS OF THE SESSION. (From the Times.) We have now arrived at that period of the session from which custom and opinion have hitherto dated the commencement of real business. Up to this time of the year it was formerly usual to indulge Hon. Members with the prescriptive license of legislative idleness. After Easter came the tussle and contest of the session. Before this the light skirmishings of awkward questions, and the showy feints of threatened motions, amused the public and animated the House ; but the real conflict did not begin till after the holidays. This practice has been modified within the last few years. Last year, in deed, the principal measures of Government were as good as settled before Easter. This year the most im portant commercial scheme of modern times has been already twice fully and stoutly contested in the Lower House; and another proposition of great moment has received the sanction of the Lords. But here we stick. Parliament re-assembles, and finds itself in the predi cament of the family coach in the Journey to London. It is just passing the corner of Cut-throat-lane, which typifies the Assassination Bill ; the more generous steeds, emblematical of the Whigs, who have been yoked with the heavier cattle, begin to turn restiff ; the insides feel an unusual oscillation ; the par rot screams, the monkey scratches, and the flunkieM faint. How to get out and how to get on become ques tions of equal gravity. The leaders will shy at that lane ; the wheelers can't drag the carriage without them. If the coachman lashes the Flemish horses, the thorough breds rear ; if he coaxes the thoroughbred s , th e h eav y cattle stand still. Meanwhile, night is coming on, and the footman tells the coachman in confidence that there is a fatality about that place, that the last man that got fast there was stripped and turned loose, and that unless they can get off before nightfal, they will be lost men. Lash goes the whip, up rear the horses, down tumbles the coach, and out fly monkey, parrot, and maid, all jabbering, scratching, and screaming together. We do not wish to institute a comparison between the fate of the coach and that of the Ministry. At the same time it will be within the recollection of the world that less formidable matters than an Irish Bill hare upset a Cabinet before this. But unquestion ably there is a fatality about all Irish Bills, especially those savouring of coercion. Our wonder is that any Ministry has the courage to meddle with them. Where a Government cannot import food without the imputa tion of importing poison, it seems unaccountable how it should venture on the introduction of martial law ; but perhaps it originally presumed upon the illogical cha racter of the people with whom it had to deal. But whatever its designs or its notions may have been, the consequences of them are serious enough. We are in for a long debate on a Coercion Bill. Any body who re members the debate on the Arms Bill knows what this means. It means that, if it so please Messrs. O'Connell and O'Brien, nothing whatever shall be done, spoken, or thought of, from this time to the end of the session, ex cept the Coercioti Bill—that corn, tariffs, church, edu cation, law, Oregon, India, shall all be in abeyance till the end of August, if the Irish Bill is pressed by Minis ters. Now this is no joke. It is a serious calamity. It affects every class, every interest, every trade, every business. It condemns the life of the country to a temporary paralysis. It disjoints and dis organises the whole mechanism of commerce ; it blights speculation, cramps industry, destroys the hopes and occupation of thousands. And all for what ? Who are to blame for a threatened delay which, to our sor row and disgust, may be realised to-morrow ? The Minister has, it is said, acted only according to prece dent in introducing the obnoxious measure. Whether according to precedent or not, there are many who affirm that the condition of Ireland left him no option but that of taking the sense of the House on this ques tion. He could not, it is argued in justice to his own character and the feelings of the country, have refused or delayed to consult the House of Commons. If this ho so, the blame does not rest with the Cabinet or its chief. But, if not there, where then ? There is but one other party to the question—that is the Repeal party in the House. Are its members answerable for the perplexity and dismay which the postponement of the commercial questions has produced and is producing ? Clearly they are, if their opposition is irregular, un usual, and unnecessary. We do not of course call in question the constitutional right to resist to the utter most any Bill on its first reading. But the exercise of a constitutional privilege may degenerate into a most un constitutional tyranny. And the fact of its doing so must be determined by the custom and law of Parlia mentary discussion. Now, we believe that it has always been the admitted and undoubted rule to allow every Bill of importance to pass through its first reading. This stage is considered merely a formal introduction to the debate on the merits, which is reserved for the second and third readings. This has been .the case with, we believe, every Bill of any c onsequence which has been brought forward within the last ten years. Occaiion ally, indeed, individual Members have carried their ad hesion to a principle so far as to oppose a first reading ; but there has not been an example of a party—except, indeed, an Irish party—carrying their resistance so far. And when we recollect how long debates on second and third readings have been, and how obstinately clauses are generally and with perfect propriety contested inCom mittee, it seems but reasonable that no time should be urnecessarily wasted on proceedings purely preliminary. Moreover, every inducement to prompt and vigorous action is now ten times increased by events, which one would think can hardly be lost on the minds of the most pertinacious in the minority. Already the distress be gins to be more severely felt, and the crimes which we prophesied would accompany distress are committed. Every day which is now frittered on the mere stubborn .'ess of discontent is not only retarding the settlement of this Irish question, but that still more momentous ques tion which affects the future supply of food to both countries. As long as trade remains in an uneasy state, and the admission of grain is only proportioned to a temporary emergency, so long will the towns and dis tricts of Ireland be disgraced by the scenes which have occurred in Tipperary and Clonrnel. Whatever good and solid objections Irish Members may bring 6irward against the Coercion Bill, they may rest assured of this, that they will not carry the sympathy of this country with them, if their opposition assume a character of factious fretfulness. The English people and the English Legislature will be alike disposed to give their most serious and attentive reflection to any proposal which so intimately affects the interests of their Irish fellow-subjects.. A Coercion Bill e i r n en th fo o r ir si mila xco d u is nA l e i s T o o li T l3 . 7, as u t o hi e s ja m e t i e p n i d es ed w t ? li t h e, 1 would belong to an enactment of a more comprehensive kind; and will, therefore, not be hurried through the House with any indecent precipitation. But if it appear to be the object of those who arrogate to themselves the title of Irish patriots to impede the progress of pub lic business and thwart the operations of national com merce, then the sympathies of England will be against, and not with, the opponents of a rigorous policy ; and men who would otherwise have looked with a lenient eye on the errors or omissions of Liberal politicians, will begin to ask one another what is the value of that pa triotism which in England is so active in obstructing legislation, but in Ireland was so cold and sluggish in rebuking MURDER? LAW INTELLIGENCE, ROLL'S COURT, April 16. IN RE SMITH. Mr. KINDERSLEY presented a petition on the part of Mr. Smith, praying for the payment of certain sums of money in Court to the credit of this cause. This case, which occupied the remainder of the day, has been before the Court at least a hundred times, and had reference to the taxation of a bill of costs. The facts of the case have already appeared at such consider able length in The Sun as to render unnecessary any detail of its peculiar features. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, April 16. THE QUEEN V. PELHAM. The defendant in this case, Mrs. Harriet Eleanor Pel ham, was convicted some time back, before Mr. Justice Williams, upon the second and third counts of an indict ment, which charged her with cruel and wilful neglect, and close confinement of her illegitimate son, Brent Spencer. The case again part-heard yesterday must still be fresh in the recollection of the public from the disgusting and filthy state in which the young man was found, and from its many other strange and peculiar features. The prosecution, it will be recollected, was instituted by the parish officers of Chelsea, who discovered that the defendant had her son confined in her own house in the manner laid in the indictment and obtained a magistrate's warrant at Queen -square Police-court to make search into the matter. The officers of police thus autlezirised entered the defendant's house, where they found defen dant and another son of hers, who were indignant at the officers entering the house, and questioned their au thority. On entering the room where Brent Spencer was confined, they (the officers) were disgusted with the state in which they found the young man, repre sented by his mother and brother to be a lunatic. He was stretched upon a litter of the most filthy descrip tion. He sat up and stared wildly at them when they entered, his whole appearance indicating that of a ne glected idiot. His mouth and chin were thickly covered with beard. The bed covering was thick with vermin, and the mattress on which he lay, when taken up by the officers, fell to pieces, being thoroughly rotten from soil, &c. The room in which this scene of misery was exhi bited, and which was most offensive in smell, was almost dark, the window, which was secured on the outside with iron bars, being so thickly covered with dirt, as to ;really exclude the light. The floor of the room was also covered with a caked layer of dirt, defying the officers to tell what it (the floor) was composed of. In this melancholy state the young man had been confined for a space of ten years. There was a night-chair in the room, but it did not appear that he at all made use of it. The officers removed him to the workhouse, where the necessary care was taken of him. The testimony of the medical officer of the work. house was somewhat in farour of the defendant, the young man, Brent Spencer, appearing to him to be in good health and plump in flesh ; and it further appeared that he did not, after the first night, use the night chair placed in the ward for his accommodation. In the ward, however, he was occasionally heard to exclaim, as he stroked his beard, " What a shame that a young man, such as I am, should be kept in confinement as I have been." He was understood to be the illegitimate son of the late General Spencer, and to be indirectly connected with a noble family. Since the conviction of defendant, Mr. Edwin James (with whom was Mr. Phinn), obtained a rule nisi, for arrest of judgment, and for a new trial. In support of the application for arresting judgment, it was contended that the second count of the indictment was bad, be cause it did not allege in terms any duty which obliged the defendant to take care of her grown up illegitimate son after he had reached the age of 21 years; nor any facts from which the law would infer the existence of any such duty; and the third count was bad, because, though it alleged the duty, it did not allege any special injury as the result of the neglect of that duty. There was also no proof that there had been an imprisonment of Brent Spencer by any restraint cruelly and unneces sarily exercised by the defendant. Mr. WATSON, Q.C., yesterday showed cause against the rule, and in support of his arguments cited a num ber of authorities. In the course of the Learned Gentle man's arguments, it appeared that the defendant received 491 per quarter, payable through Coutts's Bank, for the care and maintenance of the lunatic—a noble family di recting the payment. The Learned Gentleman urged that if, during the imprisonment, the lunatic (who was not capable of taking care of himself), had lost his life by the exercise of neglect of the duties which the law imposed, such as not feeding him, or other indirect in jury, the case would be one of manslaughter against the defendant, who had undertaken the proper care of him. He considered the decision of the jury good ; and, therefore, hoped the verdict would not be disturbed. Mr. PuniN was yesterday part heard in support of the rale for arrest of judgment, and for a new trial, and this morning resumed and concluded his arguments. Ho was followed by Mr. James ; after which their Lordships looked into the indictment, and conferred together for some time. The CHIEF JUSTICE then said it was better to take time to consider the matter. Their Lordships' decision was consequently deferred. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. A young man nan named Samuel Lea was charged wirh having embezzled various sums of money, the pro perty of Messrs. Morley and Co., lace manufacturers,.of Manchester, and of Friday-street, Cheapside. Mr. Humphreys attended for the prosecution, Mr. Wolfe for the prisoner. William Perry, a person in the employment of Messrs. Smith and Watkins, stated that on the 11th of June, he paid to the prisoner a cheque for 45/ 9s. for goods furnished to the firm by Messrs. Morley on the day be fore, as appeared from the invoice annexed to the cheque. Mr. J. R. Smith, one of the firm of Smith and Wat kins, stated that on the 11th of June he paid to the pri soner a cheque for 321. 133., in payment of goods re ferred to in the invoice produced. On the 24th of June the firm recived goods by a porter from Messrs. Morley and Co., and an invoice for 16/. 7s. was brought with the goods, from receiving which witness gave to the porter a note containing a cheque for that amount. The three cheques produced for 451. 95., 321. 135., and for GI. 7s. had been duly returned to the firm as paid. Joseph Stammers. a porter occasionally employed by Messrs. Morley and Co., was the bearer of the goods to the amount of 161. 7s. referred to in the evidence of the last witness, and delivered the note containing the cheque for that sum to the prisoner. Mr. Edwin Newby, Goldsmith-street, warehouseman, stated that on the 14th of August, 1844, he purchased goods of Messrs. Morley and Co. to the amount of 211. 125., and he paid to the prisoner on the same day the cheque produced for that sum. That cheque had been duly returned to him by his banker as paid, and the prisoner wrote the receipt at the foot of the invoice. Mr. Samuel Morley, a partner in the house at Man chester a-id in Friday-street, stated that the prisoner conducted the business in Friday -street as sale.man to the firm, and it was his duty to receive moneys on ac count of the firm, to furnish a weekly account on paper of the sales, and to enter in the book at Friday-street all sums of money received by him. Witness produced the prisoner's account of • the week's sales, comprehend ing the 14th of August, 1844, and he stated that he had searched the books, but found no entry of the sale of the goods, or the receipt of 21/ 12s. from Mr. Newby. He also produced the weekly accounts, comprehending the dates mentioned on the other cheques. The receipts produced at the foot of the invoices were written by the prisoner. On his cross-examination the witness said there was no entry of a payment of 121 12s. from Mr. Newby that he could find, but there was an entry of some of the same sort of goods to another person, on another date. Alderman CHALLIS refused the application to accept bail for the prisoner's appearance to take his trial at the Central Criminal Court, and committed him to Newgate. The prisoner, it was stated, had maintained an excel lent character for many years. Florence Collins and Albert Collins, his son, was charged with having committed violent assaults upon William Leedham, City-policeman, No. 586. In this case the tables were turned upon the police man. The following is an outline of the matter, which was detailed at considerable length :—The complainant, at half-p as t t en o ' c l ock in the morning of Wednesday, was what is called "larking" with another policeman, who r es id e d next door, and one of them threw a slipper at the other. The slipper, it was supposed, struck a child, who was playing in the court, and the mother of the child, who seemed to have sustained some injury, bitterly complained of the conduct of persons from whom protection against offences ought to be expected. The indignation of the complainant was strongly roused a is a ds en iee g orgsn a e tas i deae, n sdbu thes oho t wfeo t. him,tpu ih ee abspartypye odmost et h dwo foullyi d ht a he r e wf d e vhr i t tit o chu hwp q ei u htr e hai question i hdn o egr n ge. sa h s n i ti a noo u dn t ns h she o tre r a i wf fc t y oihn t : ns not reli s hi ng the language used towards the woman, wh o h appened to be his wife, expostulated with the com plainant, b u t rece i ved the compliment of a violent knock- Id haveand if h his e eson, completely Albert Collins, overpowered. complain ant received in theconflict what he very well deserved —_a black eye ; and he was aided in his offen sive conduct by policeman, No. 552. _ J. Green, ward-beadle of Queenhithe, stated that he was present during the whole of the affair, and he bore testimony to the highly reprehensible conduct of the.two policemen. The complainant was evidently in hwehs Inspectora investigatedt hesitate o s a W y °° that dtrh° down stairs and entered the apartment of the defendants, and he came pulled out Florence Collinschallenged him to fight, and punched him most violently. he added, had determi ned of Police, before whom an decidedly in error in the transaction. The defendant, case shrewdtaotconsidered complainte a nthd station-house,e in t intelligent l complainanti theg e n Commis sioner t did officer, weaest take place. The Alderman Alderman CHALLIS said he was happy to find that the case was to be brought before the Commissioner, who, investigation was to he had no doubt, would do justice upon the occasigii, then discharged the defendants. BOW STREET. A young man named John Dowker, a medical student at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, was charged with steal ing a silver fork from an oyster-house in Vinegar-yard, kept by a Mr. Perks. The niece of the prosecutor deposed to having served the prisoner and a gentleman who accompanied him with oysters, &c., in a room up stairs, from which the fork was missed directly after their departure. Witness noticed the hurried manner in which they left the place, and was for that reason induced to send her brother to the room to see if the property was safe It was found that one of the parties had left an umbrella behind, and in about half an hour afterwards the prisoner returned for it. He was then charged with the theft and given into custody. He denied all knowledge of the robbery, but offered to pay the value of the fork until he could produce his friend, whom, he said, he had only known a few hours, having met him at Moncrieff's, a tavern close by. Subsequently he stated that he met him acci dentally in the street, and that their acquaintance arose from the one having inquired of the other the way into Catherine-street. He paid for both at the oyster-shop. Chadwick, a police-sergeant, took the prisoner into custody. He said, on his way to Bow-street, " I did not take the fork; but I will give you half-a-sovereign to let me go." He said he was a medical student, and lived at King's College. Witness went and inquired there re specting him, but he was wholly unknown. This he com municated to the prisoner, who replied, "Not know me! the devil they don't. Did I say King's College? Ohl I meant Bartholomew's, at Smithfield. I'm drunk, and shall be sick directly. " Witness thought he appeared confused, but did not think him too drunk to know what he was about. The fork had net been found. The prisoner appeared equally incomprehensible in the dock. He gave several different accounts of the transaction, first saying that his friend was a stranger. and then that he was a fellow student. We could not understand what he either said;or meant. Mr. Clark, landlord of the Artichoke, in Hare-street, having been sent for by the prisoner, stated that he knew him very well, that he was a highly respectable gentleman, a student at Bartholomew's, and quite in capable of a felonious act or intention. The prisoner dined at his house with some friends the previous even ing, and witness heard him say he should go and have some oysters. He went out, apparently for that pur pose, with one of his friends and fellow-students. He presently returned, and, discovering that he had left his umbrella at the oyster-house, went out again to fetch it. Witness saw no more of him. Mr. HALL thought that it was a case for further in quiry. The statement of the young woman who served the oysters was a very strong one, and it was neces sary that the person who accompanied the prisoner should be discovered. The fact of his returning for his umbrella, after the alleged theft, was a circumstance in his favour. Still there was suspicion enough in the case to justify him in remanding him to Monday next, but he would not object to take bail for his appearance. Mr. Clark tendered the requisite bail, and the prisoner was accordingly remanded. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. John Long, son of a former proprietor of Long's Hotel, Bond-street, was brought before Mr. Hardwick, charged by Lord Lisburne with having annoyed him in the fol lowing manner : Lord Lisburne said he was at present residing at No. 30, Bruton-street, and he had to complain of tne de fendant, who brought a note to him, which he begged to hand to the Bench. The note appeared to contain a demand on Lord Lis burne for the payment of tavern bills, amounting to 621. 10s., incurred by the late Lord Lisburne, at Long's; and the note endod by the writer offering to get a person to discount a bill for 2001, or 3001. at three months' date for good interest. The note was signed, " John Long, No. 66, New Compton-street." Mr. HARDWICK inquired if his Lordship knew any thing of the prisoner? Lord Lisburne replied he had known the prisoner some years ago as a waiter at Long's. The practice of the defendant was to annoy him with applications when ever he came to town. The defendant would send him a note, and continue to walk before the house or hotel at which he was staying until his object was accomplished. He (Lord Lisburne) had written to the defendant, say ing that the defendant had no claim on him; that it was his father who had kept the hotel, and if his father had any bill against the late Lord Lisburne he ought to have proved his claim against the late Lord Lisburne's estate, and shared the fate of the other creditors. The de fendant, however, would lot cease his importunities for payment, and as this conduct has lasted for three years, it had been found necessary to take the present step against the defendant. Mr. HARDWICK inquired if his Lordship had cautioned the defendant against annoying him ? Lord Lisburne said he had repeatedly received begging letters from the defendant, and had often warned him to cease his system of annoyance. The defendant, when called upon to explain his con duct, said—" With due - submission to your Worship, I only applied to his Lordship for payment of the balance of tavern bills owing to my father by his Lordship's father, principally for dinners of which his Lordship there was in the habit of partaking. Lord Lisburne has given me at times 1/. and 21. in part payment of the balance of 65L 10s., and has promised to pay the rest." Lord Lisburne—l gave you the money, not as pay ment of the alleged debt, but as charity. Defendant—Your Lordship stated, when I saw you last, that you were very short of cash, but as soon as you returned to the country you would send me some money. Here are my sister and myself in it state of great destitution, while there are noblemen at this moment owing us thousands for bills run up at my father's hotel. I have never annoyed Lord Lisburne in any way. I only asked him to pay for dinners which he had a share of. I appeal to him as a man, as a peer of the realm, as a man of honour, to say whether he did not promise to send me some money when he got into the country. There are thousands and thousands of pounds owing to me and my sister, and yet we are in a state of great privation. Lord Lisburne—l do not owe you anything. You have no claim on me; otherwise I would discharge it. Mr. IlAnDwicK told the defendant if he had any legal claim he must pursue it in a legal way. Unless the defendant promised to cease his system of annoyance it would be necessary to attend to the application of the complainant. The defendant said he would not apply to his Lord ship any more, he would trust to his Lordship's sense of honour to pay him. Lord Lisburne was satisfied with this promise, and the defendant was liberated. CHARGE OF FORGING A WILL. WORCESTER, APRIL 14.—A very unusual charge was brought for hearing to-day before the Mayor and Ma gistrates of this city. The accused parties are Richard and Hannah Farley, husband and wife, in business at Gloucester, who were charged with uttering a forged will, with intent to defraud the heir-at-law of a certain estate in the parish of Aston Ingham, in the county of Hereford, of the property. The case excited a good deal of interest. Mr. Daniell, solicitor of this city, ap peared as attorney fur the prosecution ; and Mr. Lewis, of London, for the accused. The facts may be thus briefly stated:— In the year 1841, William Welsh, died in the county of Monmouth, being then possessed of the Aston Ingham estate, and it is alleged by his eldest son William, that he died intestate. William Welsh, the son, accordingly entered into possession of the farm and received the rents, but the accused, Richard Farley, set up an ad verse claim to the property in behalf of his wife, who was a daughter of the deceased, and alleged that a will had been made in her favour. The heir-at-law denied the existence of such a will, and made repeated attempts to get a sight of it, but without success. At length the accused, insisting on the validity of their claim, effected a sale of the property to a client of Mr. Lewis, who thereupon set about investigating the title, and yesterday was fixed for a meeting at Worcester, for the purpose of producing the will for the inspection of the heir-at-law and his attorney. Accordingly the document was then produced. It purported to bear date in September, 1830, and to devise the estate in question to Mrs. Farley. There were three attesting witnesses, of whom only one is now living. The first witness examined was William Welsh. the eldest son of the testator, who deposed to his father's death some five years ago, at which time he was pos sessed of the Aston Ingham farm. Soon after his father's death he entered into possession of the farm, and the tenants attorned to him ; but the accused, Richard Farley, distrained upon some of the tenants (there were three) for rent, on the ground that the old man had made a will leaving it to his daughter Hannah, whom Farley had married. The original will set up by the Farleys was then produced in Court, it having been taken possession of by the police superintendent who took the accused into custody, and the witness swore positively that neither the body nor the signature to the will were in his father's handwriting. The will on inspection proved, as before stated, to bear date in September, 1830, and the water-mark on the paper on which it was written was of the same year (1830). Mr. Daniell said, he had been instructed that the date of the will was anterior to the date on the paper made by the paper-maker. It appeared on Welsh's cross-examination that prior to the death of his father the Farleys had been in pos session of the property in question for some fifteen years. The next witness was James Welsh, a brother of the heir-at-law, and of Mrs. Farley, who being examined as to the signature to the will produced, said he did not believe it to be in his father's handwriting. He also s p oke to a determination which he said his father had repeat edly expressed not to make a will, but to let the pro perty descend to the heir-at-law. Cross-examined—He (witness) could neither read nor write. He remembered attending at the office of Mr. Jackson, solicitor, of Ross, some time ago, with Mr. and Mrs. Farley, but he had not then seen the will, nor given any opinion as to the signatures. These were the only witnesses who were examined for the prosecution, but Mr. Daniell intimated that he had others which he should produce if allowed time to co so. Mr. Lewis then addressed the Bench, and alleged that the will was a bona fide document, and had been duly executed by the testator, William Welsh. He then pro ceeded to call witnesses to prove his statement. Ann Jones was first put in the witness-box. She stated herself to be the wife of Benjamin Jones, of Newent, in the county of Gloucester, and deposed to the execution of the will by the testator. The testator then lived at Newent, and asked witness to "see him sign something." Accordingly, she went with him to Mrs. Farley's, where she found Benjamin Grubb and Charlotte Farley. After the old man had signed the paper, it was witnessed by herself, Grubb, and Charlotte Farley, all of whom signed their names as witnesses. The witness did not at that time know what was the nature of the document which she signed. It was written out by a carpenter named Nurden, who, before it was signed, read it over to the deceased. It was about six teen years ago when this Wae done. Cross-examined by Mr. Daniell—She had never seen the paper or will again until yesterday. She had been examined at Cheltenham relative to this w ill by Mr. Augustus Newton, barrister ; and also by Mr. Wyse, attorney ; but the will was not produced then. Hannah Yend, sister to the deceased, was also exa mined as to the handwriting to the will, and she believed the signature was in her brother's handwriting. On her cross-examination she admitted that she had not seen her brother for ten years before his death. nor had she been in the habit of receiving letters from him. The possession of the will having been by the neces sary evidence traced from the accused by the wife of the police inspector, to whom it was given up by Mrs. Par ley, when she and her husband were taken into custody, the caie was remanded for a week, and the will im. pounded in the meantime. The prisoner's attorney intimated his intention of taking immediate proceedings in Chancery for proving the validity of the will. The prisoners were liberated on their personal undertaking to appear when called upon. THE RECENT HORRIBLE DUEL IN AMERICA. (From the New York Commercial lave' tiser.) The horrible affair at Richmond, of which we spoke on Friday and Saturday, has terminated fatally to one of the parties. Mr. Pleasants died of his wounds on Friday morning. The Washington correspondent of the Balti more Patriot gives the following account of the combat : The quarrel had gene on in their newspapers to such an extent that Mr. Pleasants thought himself called upon to bring the matter to a crisis. He therefore sent a request to Mr. Ritchie to meet him at a specified place and hour across the river from Richmond, with side arms, Mr. Ritchie sent word back that he could not con sent to settle the affair in that way. Mr. Pleasants then sent him word that the matter must be settled, and in that way. Mr. Ritchie then prepared himself with a revolver uf six barrels, two duelling pistols, and a horseman's short sword, and repaired to the place designated at the time named. Mr. Pleasants arrived, with two (or four, there is a doubt about this) common pistols and a sword cane. A friend of Mr. Eleasants' approached Mr. Ritchie, and said to him that he thought the difficulty' might be settled if the latter would do one thing—acknowledge that he believed Mr. Pleasants to be a brave man. Mr. Ritchie replied that once he could have done this, but now, Mr. Pleasants having called him there, he could not make such an acknowledgment. Soon after this Mr. Pleasants approached Mr. Ritchie, considerably in advance of the two friends who had ac companied him to the spot. As he approached at a rapid pace Mr. Ritchie fired smeessively his two duelling pistols, resting each on his left arm, drawn up in an ankle for that purpose. He then presented his revolver and fired either four or five of its barrels. After he had fired first upon Mr. Pleasants the latter drew and fired thrice without effect, all the time rushing up t ,- ) Mr. Ritchie, and when near enough he struck him with his sword cane, when the scabbard flew off, and Mr. Ritchie struck up the blade or spear with his short sword, in doing which he received the point in the cor ner of his mouth, cutting upward a slight gash. Mr. Pleasants then fell, having received five wounds —one ball raked across the back of his left hand, carry ing away all the muscles and tendons leading to the fingers—another passed through the fleshy part of his left arm, half way up from the elbow to the shoulder. Another entered the left breast, and ranged round under the arm. A fourth entered the left groin, and proved mortal. The fifth wound was in the right high—either by a ball or thrust from the short sword. So has ended the earthly career of the gifted, the high-minded, the generous, whole soulk d John Hampden Pleasants ! His loss to the community in which he moved, to the editorial fraternity of which he was ever a sparkling, brilliant member, and to the thousands of his ever-delighted and instructed readers, will be most deeply felt, as his sanguinary exit will be sadly mourned. For many years he has been one of the most vigorous, original, and brilliant political writers in the country. He was a man of strong impulses, and, in the excite ment of the moment, sometimes committed editorial errors, or did his opponents injustice ; but that man lived not who would more readily or amply atone fur indiscretions or injuries of this nature. SOCIETY OF ARTS. The eleventh ordinary meeting of this society was held on Wednesday evening. Thomas Webster, Esq., M.A.V.P., in the chair. The first communication made was "on Mr. Rand's inventions for the manufacture of metallic collapsable vessels for preserving paints and other matters," by Mr. Carpmael. This invention, cer tainly one of a most important character, is extremely simple. Mr. Rand was led to the invention by the ex treme inconvenience and loss he suffered, in common with all artists, from the small bladders commonly used for putting up artists' colours ; the moment a portion of the colour confined in them was removed for use, the air introduced itself and the remainder soon became unfit for use. It rarely occurred that more than half the colour was really used. The use of metallic vessels sug gested themselves to his mind, and after many experi ments, he succeeded in fermi►:g metallic tubes, so thin that they should be able to collapse, and in collapsing should shut out the air. The tubes are made of tin, the 150th of an inch thick, furnished at one extremity with a nozzle and screw-cap, and perfectly closed at the other extremity. The tube is then filled and screwed down. As the fluid which it contains is forced out, the bottom of the vessel collapses, and precludes the possi bility of the entrance of the air—in fact, as will be readily understood, the vessel itself always remains full. These tubes are formed out of solid metal by one blow in the following way. A very small disc of metal is placed into a cylindrical recess of a die, and a punch whose diameter does not exactly fit the diameter of the die is forcibly brought down upon it by machinery. By the great force applied the soft metal gives way, oozes out as it were, runs up the side of the punch, and so forma the tube. By the same blow the nozzle is formed ; by another machine a screw is formed on its external surface. The screw-cap is likewise 'formed by a single blow from a third machine. The rough ness being taken off in a lathe, the tube is filled, and the lower end perfectly closed with a pair of plyers. The applications of those tubes are already extremely numerous ; thus various sized tubes were exhibited filled with ready-prepared mustard, castor oil, cold cream, butter, essence of anchovies, volatile chemical preparations, perfumes, &c. The specimens of per fumes were extremely beautiful, being externally deco rated with paper covered with gold and coloured figures of flowers, &c. It is almost unnecessary to say that as the air cannot enter, the contained fluid or semi fluid cannot by possibility suffer deterioration. The ma chines by which these tubes were formed, as well as the whole process, were exhibited. A second communka tion, " On the cotton produced in Honduras and Yucatan, and the practicability of introducing free-labour cotton from Africa and other countries into the British market,'g was read by its author, Mr. J. Banks, so inaudibly that we cannot profess to give even an outline of it. Messrs. E. Highton, C.E., and Mr. Samuelson were elected members of the Society. LONDON INSTITUTION. The fourth and last Conversatione for the season was held at this institution on Wednesday evening. The at tendance was as numerous as on former occasions. The lectnre on the occasion was by E. Cowper, Esq., the professor of manufacturing art at King's College, " On self-registering instruments." Perhaps there tire no in struments which more fully exhibit the great triumph of science and persev,rance in the nineteenth century than those which were on Wednesday evening described by the professor. Amongst them were the anemometer and rain-guage of the Royal Exchange, and the count ing machine of the Bank, both of which are so well known as to require no lengthened detail. Three new instruments—a pyrometer, a thermometer, and a fire alarm—were exhibited, the action of all of which de pended on electro-magnetism. The pyrometer con sisted of a metallic bar, which, when it expanded to a certain extent, made connexion with a voltaic battery, which, by a mechanism similar to that in the electric telegraph, struck a bell. In the same way the thermo meter caused the striking of the bell when the fluid con tained therein had expanded to a certain extent. The fire-alarm consisted of a small metallic apparatus which, when heated, act in the same way upon the voltaic ap paratus and the electro-magnetic bell, and thus gave notice of danger. The other apparatus described, such as the dry gas-meter, are in ire familiar to the general reader. They were clearly described by Mr. Cowper, who, by the aid of models, diagrams, and the instru ments themselves, succeeded in gratifying his audience. Amongst the excellent and interesting objects of art and science laid ou t i n th e Library for the inspection of the members and visitors, ou r attention waiparticutaLloyf attracted to the following Geor mosaiccopy g the Fourth. Sir T h o ni T a h s i s s Lawrence'ssuperb work .portrait of consists o of e some s tl a i (h o:usaanwdsayoafspiteocesgivoof vthaertocuhsaraccotleoruorefdanst(o)inlepsailnatitilngin, s a h n a d d t e. to The representcompl m o o s t t io c h or o r f e s c a tl e y h e a ve w ry o - r d k eg m r u e s e t o h f a l v ig e h t t ah an en d years of labour som e ; it veryis valued fih e specimensa t the high d s a u g in u e o r r f 0 l t) , , O p O e o , guineas. the productions of Messrs. Claudet, Lereborns, and Egerton, were also exhibited. A beautiful model of the Portland vase, of the same size as the original, manufac tured by the electrotype process by Mr. 11. Cox ; and some specimens of wood-carving by machinery, ny Messrs. Turner were much admired. A new form of ap paratus for the exhibition of the magnetism of light at tracted much attention. In this apparatus, which con sisted of a glass tube, fitted at each end with a tmurina line, placed within a soft iron core, surrounded with a copper wire helix, the light is polarised by the first tourmaline, and analysed by the second. When the po larised ray is perfectly invisible through the tourmaline, which acts as the eye-piece, connexion with the battery immediately renders it visible. This modification of Farraday's apparatus we deem an excellent one. SINGULAR ACCIDENT.—On Thursday a young man, named Archbold Donaldson, undertook for a trifling wager, to carry two sacks of flour at one time for a distance of 20 yards. Donaldson was possessed of great personal strength, and when the sacks (which were tied together) were lowered by means of a crane upon his shoulders, he walked off under his burthen. Before, however, he had gone many yards, he suddenly fell, and on his companions raising him they found blood gushing from his ears, eyes, n , ,se,land mouth. He was removed to a surgeon's, when it was ascertained that some internal vessel had been ruptured, causing an injury from which there are no hopes of his recovery. We annex an account in full fr , m the Emigration Office of the number of passengers which sailed this month for Quebec, from this port, viz —Borneo, 310; China, 209 ; Ninian, 243; Jane Black, 386 ; Primrose, 361; Nerio, 140 ; Mary of Milford, 28. Total, 1,772. For St. John's, New Brunswick, Hornet, 40 passengers. The following ships are _yet to sail, and all the berths are engaged :—Governor, Thetis, Energy, Ann Moore, Bryan Abbs Ellen Forestal, Sarah, and stadaconda.—Limerick C7tronicle. DUTCH MAIL. THE HAGUE, APRIL 15.—The Staats Courant of this date publishes a royal message to the Second Chamber of the States-General, accompanying six projects of law, and an explanatory testimonial presented in the sitting of the Bth of April. These six projects of law are for increasing the second, third, fourth, and eighth chapter, and the ninth chapter, letter B, of the budget, for the years 1846 and 1847, on account of pensions which are at present assigned on the general fund for civil pensions. ZIERIRZEE, A PRIL 10.—We hear that the owners of packet boats between this place and Rotterdam have the intention, as soon as they can obtain permission, to em ploy steam-boats between the towns, which shall leave the ports at the same time as the packets. The emigration to North America from this town and islands, appears to be more extensive than we imagined; several families have lately emigrated to that country, and will be shortly followed by several others. BOIS LE Doc, APRIL 11.—The water is rising in an alarming mariner, the quays of our port are again over flowed, and if the water rises only a few inches more, it will inundate the houses. About two o'clock this morn ing an immense break was made in the dyke between Orthen and the English mill. It is 200 ells in length, and becomes larger every moment. The lands of Eupel and Eigen are inundated to such a depth that all prospect of even a moderate harvest on those fruitful lands is vanished, beeauf.e it is very probable that all the drains will be choked up with sand, and consequently the best parts of the summer will pass away before they can be cleared to let the water flow off. GRUTE, APRIL 11.—The Meuse again overflows its banks to-day, for the third time. All efforts that have been made to prevent it, have proved fruitless. MAESTRICHT, APRIL 12.—The continuance of heavy rains has caused the Meuse to rise to such a height, that the steam boats from this place to Liege sad Venloo were obliged to suspend their voyages. Since yesterday, how ever, the water has fallen, and the ships have been able to proceed t• the places of their destination. FLANDERS MAIL. BRUSSELS, APRIL 14.—The distribution of the in flammatory pamphlets of which we have spoken, shows that many agents were employed, and much money spent. This distribution was not confined to Ghent and Brussels, but was made at the same time among the workmen employed on the railway from Liege to Namur. This we know for certain. We are assured besides that copies of the same pamphlet have been seen at Ande naerde. His Majesty's Attorney-General went to Ghent on the 12th, in order to cause several persons to be ar rested. M. Parys, printer at Brussels, has been set at liberty, because he at once delivered up from whom he received the pamphlet, which he printed, and by whom he was paid for so doing. In consequence of the declaration of M. Parys, M. Pellerin, the shoemaker, has been arrested. We have received the following particulars from Ghent, which may be considered as authentic : " The author of the pamphlet is a young man, twenty six sears of age, named Labiaux, a merehant's traveller, who lives at Molenbuk-Saint-Jeon. He went to dis tribute the pamphlet at Ostend, Bruges, and Ghent, where he was arrested. lie had employed the printer Verblyir, who has been arrested at the same time as himself. " Four other persons of Ghent, to whom Labiaux had given quantities of his pamphlets to be distributed among the people, are also arrested. These six persons, es corted by some gens d'armes, were immediately conveyed from Ghent to Brussels by a special train. The same train brought back the Attorney-General and the Ver bike Commissary of Police at Ghent."—Moniteur Beige, April 14. BRUSSELS, APRIL 14.—L'Argane des Flanders con firms the information which has been transmitted to us respecting the arrests which have taken place at Ghent on account of the pamphlet. " Our working classes would certainly not have suf fered themselves to be taken in the snare which misera ble agitators laid for them. At the head of these agita tors is a person whom the Court of Assize of Eastern Flanders has been for some time in search of, and who has hitherto escaped by flight the search that was made for him. This is Labiaux, a merchant's clerk, who was accused before that Court as accomplice in the fraudulent bankruptcy, imputed to M. Stalins- Vermeulin, of Renaix. lie was arrested yesterday in our city. It was soon afterwards ascertained that he was the author of the pamphlet in question ; his own confession has confirmed the suspicions that were enter tained of him. GHENT, APRIL 12.—The Messager de Ghent says.— " The appeal to the people which was distributed in im mense numhers in our city on Friday evening, invited the workmen to a general meeting a Sa Plan de Von dredi, on Easter Monday, at 10 o'clock in the morning. At the hour when we are going to press this place is crowded with curious spectators. All is quiet and it 0 hoped that the day will pass over without any blameable excesses, the only result of which would be fatal colli sions, which our population, always so calm, have the greatest interest to avoid." - We find the following passage in the Journal des Fla ndres " At the time of our going to press some suspicious looking persons are beginning to take up the pavements in the Place du Vendredi. We hope that the authorities will promptly interfere to do justice to these wretched disturbers of public tranquillity." The King arrived from his seat at Ardennes, on Saturday afternoon, at the Palace of Laeken. BELGIAN FUNDS.—Baussais, APRIL 14. Actual Debt, 234 per Cent • • • • Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent .. Loan of Thirty Millions, Four per Cent •.. • Ditto Three per Cent Ditto Thirty-seven Millions, ditto ••• • .• Ditto, ditto, 1840............ •• • • .• • • 100% Ditto, ditto, 1842 ........... 102% Ditto, 1844.... ..... ......... • • • • • • • • 100 8 Ditto, 183 ..... ......• ••• • • ..... 74% Ditto,D t to of the 10 City,.. .1 . 8 . 3 . 2 . .. .. .. .. .. • Bank of Belgium ..• ..... • • • 905 —Brussels Papers. April 15. DUTCH FUNDS. — AMSTERDAM, APRIL le. Actual Debt, 2 Money. Bills. 34 per Cent....... •• . • 6034 60% Ditto, 3 per Cent .......... •••• • • • . 72% 73 Ditto, 4 per Cent........... •• • • .• 9434 95 Amort Syndic, 4% per Cent • • .... •• • • 99% 100 Ditto, 334 per Cent • • •• • • 90 904 Commercial Company, 434 per Cent .• 16734 168 East India Loan, 4 per Cent...—. •• • • 94% 94% Exchange on London, at sight • • •• • • 12 30 Tw• m0nth5......... • ..... 12 22 On Hamburgh, at sight • • 35 75 Two months... ...... •• • ... 35 75 --Dutch Papers, April 11. PRUSSIAN FUND S.--..,T , ERLIN, APRIL 7. St. Schuld Sch., 3 , A percent Bills. Honey. . 2 ••. • • • 97% 98% Pruss. English Bo n d s, 1830, 4 per t ' ent•• •• • • Foreign Exchanges .............. • • • • • • •• Exchange on London, £1 Sterling, 3 Months. 6 25% 6 24% Ilamburgh, 300 Marks, 2 Months. 1493 log Paris, 300 fr., 2 Months •• •• ••• • . 80 1-12 79 11-12 On Paris ••••••••• • • • • • • • Two — Universal Prussian Gazetttmonhs. .. .. —•• • • • -- e, April 8. • • • AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIENNA, Aram 8. 5 per Cent. Metalliques • • ••• • • •••• • • • • 112 4 per Cent. ditto• ••••••• • • •• ••••• • • • • • 101 3 per Cent. ditto... ••••••• •• • • ••••• • • • 7432 Loan, 1534 • ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • 154 Ditto, 1839 •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 122• X Bank Shares • • • • •• • • •• • • • • • .. Estirhazy's Loan • • • • •• • • • • • ••• • • RAILWAYS. The Northern, or Ferdinand • • • • ......190 Gloggnitz ••• • • • •• • • • • •• • . • •• • • ........ 137% Vienna—Milan •••••• • . • . . Leghorn •• • • •••• • • • • • • ....... ..... „... 1 11% Grosetto •••• • • • • ••• • • ••••••• • • • • • • • 911 q Oldenburg Pestoja •• • • .• • • Apennines .............. ?esth Bridge -111gemeine Zeitung, April 11. •••••• • • • • •• 91134 AGRICULTURE.—A public meeting took place at the Town-hall, Macclesfield, on Tuesday, preliminary to the for mation of an association having for its object the diffusion of u=eful knowledge on agricultural subjects. A society was formed, and a large number of members were enrolled. BIRTHS On the 10th inst., at Randolph Cliff, Mrs. J. H. Mac kenzie, of a daughter. On the 9th inst., in Grove-street, Mrs. Lang, of a son. On the 9th inst., at Spylaw House, Colinton, Mrs. Words worth, of a daughter. On the 9th inst., at Tynefield, Mrs. ?ark, of a daughter. On tho 10th inst., at Torquay, the lady of William A- Woodcock, Esq., of a daughter. On the 11th ult., at Brooklyn, New York, the wife of David M`Haffle Melliss, Esq., of a son. On the 12th inst., at Woodley, Hampshire, the lady of the Lion. and Rev. T. Skeffington, of a daughter. On the 14th inst., at Fitzwilliam-place, the lady of T. G. Wills, Esq., of a daughter. On the 14th inst., at the Lodge, Lion-hill, Bath, the lady of W. B. Gibbons, Esq., of a daughter. On the 15th inst., in Upper Seymour-street, Portman square, the lady of George Mackintosh, Esq., of a daughter. On the 15th inst., at Manchester, the wife of Dr. M'Lean, 76th Regiment, of a daughter. On the 15th inst., at Bayswater, Mrs. J. Earle, of a son. _ MARRIE. On the 13th i ns t ., at St. Paul's D Episcopal Chapel, Edits burgh, Lieutenant Robert Ferrie, 13th Bengal Native In fantry, to Helen, (laughter of George Ogilvy, Esq., o f Kirk buddo, Forfarshire. On the 13th inst., at Hope-park End, Mr. James Noble, Dumfries, to Jessie, youngest daughter of the late Mr. W. Hunter, Biggar. DIED. On the 12th inst., in Upper Berkeley-street, Portman' square, Captain E. Margoty, of the Indian Navy. On the 14th inst., at Chertsey, Surrey, Susanna, relict of the late Charles Pembroke, Esq. On the Ittli inst., Joanna Aldworth, only daughter of T. W. Laroche, Esq., of Bolton-row, May-fair. On the 15th in s t., in St a nhope-pl ace , J ane S ara h, w ife of Edmund Packe t Esq. On the 15th inst., in Montagu-street, Russell- equor e ' Samuel Dendy, Esq. On the 10th inst. ; at Cupar-Fife Andrew Jameson, Esq. On the Gth inst., at the Manse of Elie, Mrs. Milligan, On the 4th inst, at Cowden, Mrs. anet Dudgeon, wife of Mr. David Thomson. On the 4th inst., at Odell Castle, Lady Elizabeth per ceval, aged 88. London: Printed and Published by IkrURDO YOUNG, of No. 112 • .9trand,Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, la the rreCinet or the gam - , in the Connty of Middlesex, Friday. App 17, Me.