The Sun. — London, England, 1865-07-27 00:00:00

Railway and other Companies. METROPOLITAN. The directors of this company have resolved to recommend to the proprietors a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum on the ordinary stock and new ordinary shares df the company for the half year ending the 30th of June last, carrying forward a balance of £3,400 to the next account. LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE. The directors of this company have decided on recommending to the proprietors, at their next meeting, to declare a dividend for the half-year ending the 30th of June last, out of the net revenue, at the rate of 5} per cent. per annum, less income tax. MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, Sr LINCOLNSHIRE. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yesterday at Manchester ; Mr. Watkin, in the chair. The report, an abstract of which has ippeared in The Sun, was held as read. its adoption, explained The CHAIRMAN, in moving the causes of the diminution of dividend since this time last year. The locomotive expenses had in-_ creased solely owing to a larger expenditure in ma terials for repairs and renewals, and not from increase in fuel or wages, or other ordinary current charges ; the increased cost of the traffic department arose mainly from a larger amount of work having to be done for the same or a less amount of money. An increase in law and parliamentary charges had been unavoidable ; but the most important item of in creased charge was on the interest on new capital invested in the new line to Liverpool, and other works at present unproductive, but which would yield a large profit when developed. He reminded the shareholders that he had atprevious meetings warned them that this state of things must come upon them. For two or three half years, unless something ex traordinary happened in the increase of prosperity, there would not be very satisfactory accounts to lay before them. It must not be forgotten that during the past half-year they had to meet the consequences of the settlement of the great American question. I It injured to a great extent one of their best trades, the outward trade of Sheffield, which largely went to different parts of America, and it entirely stopped the export of cotton yarns and goods from Grimsby and Hull to the north of Europe and elsewhere. The passenger traffic, as a matter of comparison with last year, was also affected by the windfall of nearly £7,000 extra receipts arising at the time of the Sheffield inundation. As to the South York shire lease, by the recent- assimilation of the ac counts with those of the Sheffield, the whole of whatever loss had arisen was charged to the current account instead of being deferred, as formerly. The total South Yorkshire Railway and Canal traffic of the half-year had been £92,870, and the working expenses were about £39,005, leaving a balance of £53,865, and the amount of interest and dividends which the Sheffield Company were liable for and had paid was £59,182, so that the loss to the Shef field was £5,317. In return for that they got a most valuable connexion, and traffic was sent upon their main line which flowed from the South York shire ; and he did not think, looking at all the cir cumstances, and considering the generally disturbed state of trade which there had been in the colliery districts, that this was a very unfavourable result. He then explained the advantages to the trade of Grimsby which would flow from the Anglo-French steamers. He then adverted to the Great Eastern agreement named in the report, than which he be lieved no more important arrangement had been made in the recent history of railways for the com mon good of all railway property. He was one of those who foresaw, when the Great Eastern system was amalgamated into one, three or four years ago, that it was impossible to keep back so large a system of railways from these northern dis tricts. Ile regretted that his views on the subject were not at that time adopted by the Great Northern Company; but after the successive defeats of the Great Eastern and Lancashire and Yorkshire com bined scheme for a line from Lincoln to Askerne he had again urged upon the Great Northern directors to negotiate terms with the Great Eastern to take their traffic upon fair terms, instead.of compelling them to undertake a competing line, which they would ultimately obtain. At last the three parties had come together and made an agreement. Instead of making their own line, the Great Eastern were to run over the loop line of the Great Northern from Spalding to Lincoln, onwards over the new line northward by way of Gainsborough, in order to get over the Great Northern to Doncaster. The Great Eastern were also to become joint proprietors with the Great Northern of the whole of the line from March to Doncaster, and they were to run over the West Riding and Grimsby (which the Sheffield had to guarantee ill per cent. upon) in order to get to 'Wakefield and other Yorkshire towns beyond. As far as the Sheffield were concerned, they gave the Great Eastern running powers from Lincoln to Retford, and the two parties were to be at liberty to exchange traffic for all places by way of those two points within a certain radius, that radius involving the principle that wherever the Sheffield had the short est route that should be the road for the traffic, and wherever the Great Northern was the shortest route that should be the road. He had also made the suggestion—and it was cordially received by the Great Northern and Great Eastern—that wherever the Lancashire and Yorkshire route was the short est the Great Eastern should be at full liberty to arrange if they chose to send their traffic by that route. He considered this a just and honourable baSis for the settlement of a question involving more peril to railway property than any which had been raised since the original construction of the London and York Railway. (Cheers.) Ile concluded by urging the shareholders to look at the general and permanent prospects of their entire concern, and, like a farmer who encountered an adverse season, not to be overwhelmed by the difficulty, but to re member their business was not the adventure of one bad year only, but to be continued from year to year when circumstances would certainly become more favourable. (Hear, hear.) Mr. S. J. ROBERTS made some severe comments upon the policy of the company, which he thought suicidal both as regarded the South Yorkshire, the Great Eastern, and the Liverpool and other schemes. The ClianataN having answered some questions, the motion (seconded by Mr. Fenton) was adopted, Mr. Roberts being the only dissentient. The various preference dividends were then de clared, also a dividend at the rate of 1 per cent. per annum on the ordinary stock, and the proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman and.directors. COLCHESTER, AND STOUR VALLEY. The half -yearly meeting of this company - was held on Tuesday at Colchester ; Mr. T. L. Ewen in the chair. The report was adopted, and a dividend at the rate of £3 6s. per cent. per annum free of income taxp was declared, and the proceedings c l ose d w i t h a vote of thanks to the chairman and directors. NONMOUTHSIIIRE. A special meeting of this company was held at the offices, Newport, on Monday—Mr. Gratrex in the chair Mr. Harrison having read the notice convening the meeting,: resolutions were passed authorising the directors to - raise 'any sum or sums not exceeding in the whole £200,000 additional capital by the issue of new, ordinary, or preference shares or stock, the same to be first offered to the original shareholders ; also to convert the existing paid-up shares in the company into capital stock. SAN PAITLO (BRAZILIAN). The llth ordinary general . meeting of this Com pany was. held "y,:sF.,crday at the London Tavern ; Mr. R. A. Heath in the chair. Mr. Hillier, the secretary, having read the notice eonyening the meeting, the report, an abstract of which appeared in The Sun was taken as read. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said it informed them that the progress of the works was extremely satisfactory. The con tractors had a great deal to gain by- the completion of the works, and it Wail to the interest of the share holders that the line shout I be opened as soon as possible for traffic, and to develope the resources of the country through which the line passed. The progress of the works had been very considerable, and it was expected that the railway would be opened to San Paulo, a distance of 50 miles, by the end of the year, and in a few months afterwards the whole line would be opened for traffic to Jundiahy, which was so far satisfactory. The directors had looked into the estimate of the traffic returns, and they believed that the figures in that statement were below the actual amount of traffic passing along the route. The article of coffee was taken at 20,000 tons a year which passed through the barrier in the day-time before entering the shipping port, but as some passed through it at night the whole was not recorded, and there was at least an equal amount of other goods from the interior to Santos over the 85 miles, which at 9d. per ton per mile would together amount to £134,583. The number of passengers by steamers was 16,000 per annum. Most of them were from San Paulo, and about 6,000 passengers travelled the whole distance to Jundiahy. Taking the passengers at 2d. per mile would amount to £B,l66,iwhich, together with the receipts for goods, would give a gross traffic of £142,749. The present cost of working the traffic on the Pernambuco railway was about 7s. 9d. per train mile, but as they might be at greater expense in having to ascend inclines by means of stationary engines, he would say 10s. per train mile on their line, which, for only two trains each way during 365 days, would amount to £62,050, leaving a balance in their favour of £80,699. He believed that this estimate of traffic would be exceeded, and that so far their prospects were good. The traffic was likely to increase, as large districts had recently been set with coffee plants, which would be made valuable by the railway. He then explained that £lOO,OOO had been advanced by the Brazilian Go vernment towards the payment of interest on capi tal during construction. The representative of the Brazilian Government had acted towards them in the most friendly and considerate manner. The new government had come into operation in Brazil, and he had no doubt that suitable provision would be made for the remainder of the interest on capital during construction. He was very glad to see by The Times of that morning that diplomatic rela tions would be very shortly re-established between this country and Brazil. Mr. WILLIAMS wished to know the amount of the interest already paid during construction. The CHAIRMAN said about £292,000 had been paid, in addition to which there would be £70,000 for the past half-year, £BO,OOO next January, and say £50,000 more up to the opening of the line throughout, making together about £500,000. Mr. NICHOLSON remarked that the difference be tween the Bahia Railway and the San Paulo Rail way with regard to the traffic was that the former was a considerable distance from the producing dis tricts, and there were no roads of communication yet opened to it, while the latter had populous places on the line, and was not far from the producing districts. The report and statement of accounts were unani mously adopted, and, on the motion of Mr. Alder man Dakin, the proceedings concluded with a vote fo thanks to the Chairman. GRAND TRUNK OP CANADA. The traffic receipts on this company's lines for the week ending the Bth inst. amounted for local pas sengers to £7,266; for foreign passengers, to £3,030; for emigrants, to £383 ; for mails, &c., to £829 ; for local freight and live stock, to £9,336 ; and for foreign freight and live stock, to £2,741 ; total, £23,589 against £21,635 for the corresponding week of last year, showing an increase of £1,954. LANGHAM HOTEL. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yesterday at the Hotel, Langham-place, the Earl of Shrewsbury in the chair. Mr. J. A. GRANT read the report. It congratu lated the shareholders on the commencement of the business of the company under the most favourable auspices. The business since the opening of the hotel on the 12th of June had been most satisfac tory. The receipts had far exceeded the highest ex pectations of the directors, taking into consideration the unfinished state of a - large portion of the ` The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the re port, congratulated the shareholders upon being seated in one of the handsomest rooms in London, and also on the success they had hitherto met. The hotel, he hoped, in course of time, would be second to none in the metropolis. It was a most extraor dinary thing as fast as hotels were put up they all seemed to fill. lie not only looked upon the hotel as a commercial speculation, but as supplying a want long felt in the metropolis. lle trusted in future the directors would be enabled to give the shareholders a handsome dividend. Mr. HALL seconded the motion for the adoption of the report. A DIRECTOR said the hotel had been full from the time it was opened, and when it was furnished it would be the best in London. Mr. RENDELL, a director, said that the hotel had been opened 44 clays, and during that time the amount received from visitors was £6,302. The number of visitors who had slept at the hotel was 6,025, and casual ones 1,166, making 7,189. The average amount received per day was £143, and the number of visitors per day 163. The gross amount received for apartments was £2,051; when the hotel opened the number of roomsfurnished was 128 ; at the present time the number furnished was 236, and there remained 49 to be furnished. A long discussion ensued, in the course of which the report was adopted, the retiring directors were re-elected, and a vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings. SERIOUS RIOT IN NORTH LEICESTER.--The polling for North Leicestershire took place on Monday. Dis turbances took place at Loughborough, Syston, and Ishby-de-la-Zoucla, and at the latter place the row was so great that it was necessary to adjourn the poll until the following day. At Syston the disturbance was con fined to brawling and fighting, and at Loughborough nothing further occurred than the smashing of the windows of Mr. Moron, draper, a supporter of Lord John Manners and Mr. Hartopp. The mob also broke the window of the Bull's Head committee-room of Lord John Manners and Mr. Hartopp. At Ashby-de-la- Zouch the rioters may be said to have been in pos session of the town for several hours. The disturbance began about noon, when a large number of colliers and others from adjacent villages assembled in front of the Tovyn Hall, where the polling booth was erected, and insulted the voters as they went to vote for Lord John Manners and Mr. Hartopp. The Rev. Mr. Greasley, of Colverton, was one of the persons attacked, and he had to seek refuge first in an adjoining house, where he hid his valuables, and afterwards he made his escape to the workhouse. The mob was for a short time dispersed by Inspector Ward, with about ten of the Leicester borough police and a few " specials," but a crowd of several hun dred persons soon collected again, and an attack was made on an empty waggonette belonging to Mr. Worthington, of Newton Park, near Burton-on -Trent. The carriage was drawn by four horses, and the postilions being attired in blue jackets, were pulled from their seats and assaulted. In the scuffle one of the horses broke the gearing, and dashed off at full speed iu the direction of Smisby, but it was fortunately caught at a distance on the road. The mob then returned into the Market-place, and threw a shower of stones at the police, striking several and injur ing them. The police charged the mob, and a regular fight then took place between them and the rioters, 'many of whom, occupying positions at public-house windows, hurled down stones and glass bottles and tthherewhesatdosnes and ofth o e th po e , s • il o e t s h a e s rs th w ey en p t as u s p ed en a t l ri on es ; the street. I n the n meantime information was sent to the Leicaster, and flora thpenicewaso Chief Constable L o u ghborough, who telegraphed to Derby. On theirvva" Others a body of 20 mcn of the borough e rr e i r va s l ent lb f e o u r t fr fl o v m e 'Wooden Box and o'clock, another serious melee took place. One of the mob charged upon an officer with.epitchfork, but fortunately he simply tore the man's clothes.- The police were drawn up in line at the top of High-street, and as most of the windows of the Town Hall were broken, another charge was made upon the rioters and the streets were gradually cleared. An nine o'clock more police arrived by special train from Syston, and by 11 o'clock quiet was restored, though police continued to come into the town up to early in the morning. Nine or ten policemen were severely wounded on the head, ono of them dangerously. Many of the rioters were also injured. About 100 borough and county police were present in the town at the adjourned polling. Though there were a few noisy demonstrations, the peace was not broken. The polling did not affect the return of Lord John Manners and Mr. Hartopp. A num ber of tha rioters wero brought before the magistrates yes terday and remanded. Naval and Military Intelligence. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty will arrive in Chatham this morning for the purpose of commencing their annual inspection of the dock yard, the vessels of war, and the naval establish ment at the port. The first supply of the eight-inch rolled armour plates for the ironclad frigate Bellerophon has been received at Chatham Dockyard from the establish ment of Messrs. Cammell and Co., of the Cyclops Ironworks, Sheffield, the firm which has undertaken to prepare the whole of the plates of the above de scription required by the Admiralty. The eight-inch plates are intended to cover the reconnoitring tower which is now being erected on the fighting deck of the Bellerophon, slightly abaft of the mainmast. This tower, the iron framework of which was con structed in the dockyard, and afterwards removed and fitted on the upper deck of the frigate, is very mas sive, and far surpasses in strength and capacity any of the reconnoitring towers hitherto constructed. It is elliptical and of sufficient size to allow several persons to stand within it during action. The inner portion of the tower is formed of the same plate-iron as was used in the construction of the Bellerophon, riveted to the ordinary iron framing. Attached to the framing will be the timber backing, to which will be bolted the armour-plates, which latter will be of a thickness of eight inches on the port and star board sides of the tower, where the chances of shot striking are the greatest, and six inches in thickness on the fore and aft sides of the tower. The entrance to the tower will be from the gun-deck, and com munication will be carried on from the tower to the engine -room and steersmen by means of the electric telegraph, the upper deck during action being en tirely clear, and the whole of the officers and crew within the protection of the gun battery. Rear-Admiral Edward Fanshawe, Gunnery Lord of the Board of Admiralty ; Mr. E. J. Reed, Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy ; Capt. Astley C. Key, C. 8., and Lieut. Charles D. Saunders, cap tain and first-lieutenant of her Majesty's gunnery ship Excellent, at Portsmouth, yesterday attended at Woolwich, by previous appointment, and in spected the working of Commander Scott's new iron gun-carriage intended for heavy armament at sea. They were met in the dockyard and accompanied in the inspection by Commodore-Superintendent Hugh Duncoinbe, C. 8., Capt. Connolly, appointed to the Fisgard, for command of the Pallas ; Com mander George Towsey, Commander Biddlecombe, Master-Attendant ; Commander Lake, Comman der Scott, Mr. Trickett, who superintended the con struction of the carriage in Woolwich factory, Mr. Turner and Mr. Henwood, master-shipwrights, and other officers of the yard. The carriage was mounted with one of Mr. Anderson's 121-ton guns (smooth bore), placed in front of a wooden section of a ship's broadside, in order to illustrate the working of the carriage in various manoeuvres as at sea. After pointing out the principle on which the carriage is constructed (which, it is stated, is adapted for the fighting- deck of the armour - clad ram Pallas, in course of completion at Woolwich), Com mander Scott gave the word for training and run ning out the gun for action. This was done by the simple working of the machinery in the hands of four men only, instead of hauling at the blocks and tackle as formerly by 10 or 12 men. The compressor was worked by a single man, and the transporting gear by two. By this means the gun can be removed to any part of the deck required with extraordinary facility. The running-out gear is worked by an endless chain, and the elevation and depression of the gun was carried out with ease by a single man. The committee, who spent a considerable time in the inspection of the new gun-carriage, appeared perfectly satisfied with the result. Her Majesty's paddle steam storeship Dee, Master Commander Raymond, laden with engines and boilers for the Mermaid, building at Cowes, ma chinery for the Amazon, and stores for the western yards, sailed yesterday from Woolwich. The Lords of the Admiralty have issued instruc- tions for a second trial of the breech-loading carbine on Terry's patent, tobe made on board her Majesty's ship Excellent, at Portsmouth, under the supervision of Captain Astley C. Key, C. 8., with a view to its further adoption in the army and navy, the 18th Hussars, Cape Mounted Rifles, and other regiment., being already supplied with this weapon. The first trial of the carbine took place on board the ExCellent in 1858, when 1,800 rounds were fired from it without cleaning, and its efficiency appeared, by the official reports, to have been fully proved by the result of the trials. The Royal Sovereign, 5, turret ship, Capt. F. A. Herbert, has been directed by the Admiralty to re main for a short time after the departure of the French squadron in Plymouth Sound to enable the seamen gunners of the gunnery ship Cambridge to become acquainted by a course of drill with the principle of working guns of exceptional weight in turrets. We understand that on the Royal Sove reign leaving Spithead for Plymouth Sound to meet the French ironclad squadron, Capt. C. P. Coles requested permission from the Admiralty to accom pany the ship on her cruise, but that the request was refused, on the ground that the ship was not proceeding on a cruise in the Channel or to Cher bourg, but was merely going as far as Plymouth Sound and back thence direct to Spithead. 'This appears to have been the answer of some subordi nate, as no member of the Board would be likely to have framed such an absurd reply to so reasonable a request. The Helicon, paddle, new despatch vessel, 837 tons, 250-horse power, is in the Warrior dock at Portsmouth, having a metal facing on her stern, preparatory to her trial of speed over the measured mile in Stokes Bay. To inquiries made yeste . rday from the Admiralty as to the time when the Helicon will be committed and ready for trial the dockyard authorities were unable to return a positively defi nite reply. The metal facing for the vessel's stern will weigh about nowt. It measures eight inches in breadth, where it clasps the stem with its inner mos)s part and tapers of to about 11 inches at its apex, where it will cut the water. The new description of boom constructed at Chatham Dockyard, under the direction of the Floating Obstruction Committee appointed by the Admiralty, has been removed to the entrance of the harbour, where it is moored in readiness for the trials to be made with it in the presence of Vice- Admiral Sir C. Talbot, K.C.8., Naval Commander in -Chief, and under the superintendence pf the members of the committee. The paddlewheel steam frigate Gladiator, 6, 430 horse-power, Capt. E. D. Aplin, has been specially appointed by the Admi ralty to be used in the trials to be made against the boom. The iron-cased cupola ship Royal Sovereign, 5, Capt. F. A. Herbert, left Plymouth Sound yester day morning for the eastward. The squadron of the 17th Lancers hitherto sta tioned at Ipswich has been removed to Colchester. Lieut. Smyth, of the 63d Regiment, Ensign Burnell, of the 97th Regiment, two sergeants, two corporals, and six privates from the 4th and Bth Depot Batta lions, are ordered to proceed to the Hythe School of Musketry to-day, for the purpose of undergoing a course of instruction. Lieut. Whyte, of the 2d Bat talidn 6th Regiment, is ordered to join the depot of his corps; and Lieut. Skey, of the 38th Regiment, is to remain with the depot until further orders. Three sergeants, one drummer, and 25 privates of the depot of the 41st Regiment have left Colchester for Dublin, to join the service companies of the corps ordered to India. Capt. Boyce, Lieut. Leason, Lieut. 'Walker, Ensign Cowslade, one sergeant, and 86 rank and file of the 34th Regiment have left Colchester to embark for Calcutta, to join the ser vice companies of their corps. A draught of the 82d Regiment, _consisting of Ensign Collum, 3 ser geants, 3 drummers, and 29 rank and file, has left Colchester for the purpose of embarking for India. Capt. Evans, of the 38th Regiment, has been with drawn from the draught of his corps, under orders for India, at the recommendation of the Army Me dical Board. Capt. lla.ssell, Capt. Maxwell, Ensign Stanton, and 30 rank and file Ist Battalion Ist Regi ment; Ensign Price, 3 sergeants, 1 private, and a number of women and children of the 103 d Ikgi - merit; and 4 rank and file and some women and children of the 16th Lancers, will leave Colchester on Saturday for embarkation to India. The following engineers and assistant-engineers, belonging to the Sheerness!Steam Reserve, have re ceived second-class certificates of efficiency for having successfully passed the half-yearly examination from a series of questions prepared by the Rev. Dr. Woolley, LL.D., one of her Majesty's inspectors of schools, recently held in Sheerness Dockyard : William Dark, engineer, to her Majesty's ship Fear less ; William Ross, engineer, to her Majesty's ship Icarus ; Richard E. Taplin, engineer, to her Ma jesty's ship Pigeon ; S. J. Bird, first-class assist.- engineer, to her Majesty'sship Collingwood ; George Sullivan, first-class assist.-engineer, to her Majesty's ship Bellerophon; J. Bell, first-class assist. -engineer, to her Majesty's ship Orestes; 0. T. V. Forster, first-class assist.-engineer, to her Majesty's ship Cumberland ; James Mutter, first-class assist.-en gineer, to her Majesty's ship Thrasher; James J. Conway, first-class assist.-engineer, to her Majesty's ship Cumberland ; and J. W. Dupen, second-class assist.-engineer, to her Majesty's ship Adder. There were 31 candidates for examination. The following naval engineer students yesterday received their examination tickets at Woolwich from Dr. Woodley, by order of the Board of Admiralty : —Mr. J. T. Trickett, Mr. J. M'Garahan, Mr. Robert Madge, Mr. 'William Milln, Mr, William Giles, Mr. Peter Baldwin, Mr. Thomas Parker, Mr John Mather, Mr. William Hardee, Mr. William Nicholson, Mr. William Stewart, Mr. Thomas Hat ton, Mr. Joseph Jefferies, and Mr. William Harris. The examinations were conducted with great se crecy. The questions were transmitted to each can didate under a sealed cover, and the answers were returned to Dr. Woodley in a like manner. The following apppoihtments have been made in the Royal Naval Reserve ;—To be Lieut., William Gardiner ; to be Honorary Lieut., James Seward Field. SUMMER ASSIZES. HOME CIRCUIT.—MAIDSTONE, July 26. (Before Mr. Baron Pigott.) THE STAPLEHUEST TRAGEDY.-1101117 Benge, a man having the appearance of a labourer, and Joseph Gallimore, the former of whom was in custody, and the latter surren dered to take his trial, were charged upon a number of coroner's inquisitions with the manslaughter of divers per sons at Staplehurst, on the 9th of June last. The grand jury ignored the bill that had been preferred against the prisoner Gallimore, but returned a true bill against Benge. Both prisoners were arraigned for the manslaughter of Hannah Cunliffe. Serjeant Ballantine was Specially retained (with Mr. Poland) to conduct the prosecution on behalf of the South- Eastern Company ; Mr. Ribton defended Benge. Serjeant Ballantine, in opening the case for the prosecu tion, said that the two prisoners were chargedwith having by negligence caused the death of a number of persons who were travelling upon the South-Eastern Railway, on the 6th of June last; but as the grand jury had ignored the bill that had been presented to them against the pri soner Gallimore, and he considered that they had exercised a very sound discretion in doing so, he did not propose to offer any evidence against that prisoner, and the attention of the jury would be directed solely to the question whe ther the offence was established against the other man, Benge. Tho case was undoubtedly ono of a most painful character, but ho was quite sure that the jury would not entertain any prejudice that must almost naturally be created by such a terrible accident as the ono that was the subject of inquiry, and by which so many people lost their lives, and that they would come to a conclusion upon the evidence that would be brought before them as to whether the prisoner Benge was guilty of the offence that was imputed to him. It appeared that he was in the service of the company, and that on the day in ques tion he was engaged in superintending some repairs at Staplehurst, and that he had directed the removal of some of the rails, and while the line was in this imperfect condition the express train from Folkestone came up, and in conse quence of the state of the line the train toppled over a bridge into a brook beneath, and a large number of persons were serious injured, and eight or nine lost their lives. It was not necessary for him to say that, upon such an ac cident occurring, it became the duty of the company to in stitute the most rigid inquiry as to the cause of it, and the result they arrived at was that the melancholy occurrence was entirely to be attributed to the neglect of the prisoner Benge. The case, notwithstanding its very serious cha racter, appeared to him to be in realitya very simple ono. They were allaware that there were upon the South Eastern Railway certain trains every day that were called tidal trains, and the time at which they started from Folkestone depended upon the tide and the time of the arrival of the boat, and the time was changed almost every day. It was obvious under these circumstances that it was the duty of every person connected with the railway, or who had any thing to do with the repairs of the line, to take care that there should be no such obstruction or impediment at any period when a train was expected to come up, and to make himself perfectly well acquainted with the hours at which a train might be expected. With this object a variety of rules had been framed by the company, giving the fullest information as to the arrival of the trains ; and it appeared to hint that these rules and regulations wore amply suffi cient for the purpose of preventing any accident, and that it was entirely owing to the prisoner having neglected to conform to these regulations that this melancholy accident had taken place, and if he should establish this fact to their satisfaction it would be their duty to convict the prisoner of the offence of which he was accused. It appeared that on the day in question the tidal train left Folkestone about half-past 2 o'clock, and was duo at Headcorn, which was the previous station to Staplehurst, at 3.15 p.m., and it was due at the spot where the accident happened at 3.19 ; and it seemed that at this period, owing to the state of the tide, the hours would be the same on the Bth and 9th of June for the arrival of the train, but on the following day the train would not have arrived until 5.20 p.m. A book containing the hours of the starting and arrival of the trains was given to every person who had anything to do with the working of the line, in which not only the days of the month but the days of the week were distinctly stated. This book was given to the prisoner Benge, and it was found in his possession when lie was apprehended ; and ho believed there would be no doubt that the accident arose from the prisoner having carelessly looked at this book, and seeing that the tidal train had passed on the previous day at 3.15, he had looked to the following column without looking at the date or day of the month, and imagined that the train would not arrive until 5.20, and, acting upon this impression, he ordered the work to be commenced, and so caused the melancholy accident. The learned sergeant then read the rule to which he had referred, and said that, as an additional precaution for the safety of the public, this rule directed that before any of the rails were removed, or the lino rendered unsafe, it was the duty of the person engaged in such a work to send a man up the line with a signal to a distance of 1,000 yards, and that he should also place fog or detonating signals, as they were termed, on the way, at every interval of 250 yards. These were probably all the precautions that could possibly be taken for the pre vention of accident, and ho should show that the prisoner had neglected to comply with any of them. He did not think that the slightest doubt would arise as to the cause of the accident or manner in which it occurred, and also that it arose from the prisoner having mistaken the hour at which the tidal train would arrive, and that he expected it would not arrive until 5.20. He thought it was due to the prisoner to state that he did not appear to have made any attempt at concealment, and that he expressed the utmost sorrow for the accident ; but when the number of lives that might be endangered by neglect of this kind was taken into consideration, and the terrible consequences that must neces sarily occur from any neglect of duty on the part of persons connected with a railway, he was sure the jury would not allow any feelings of sympathy to operate upon their judg ment, and that if they believed tbat the prisoner was proved to have neglected those precautions which the rules re quired him to exercise, they would perform their duty to the public by returning a verdict of guilty. A numberof witnesses were then examined for the prose cution, and their evidence in the main supported the case as it had been stated by the learned counsel for the prosecu tion. A man named Wills, who was employed as a signal man, stated that he went with a signal up the line to a dis tance of 550 yards for the purpose of stopping an approach ing train ; but in cross-examination he said that he did not do this by the order of the prisoner Benge, but on his own account, and he also stated that, in his opinion, if the per sons in charge of the train had paid attention to his signal, or had seen it, they might have stopped the train before it arrived at the spot where the accident happened. It also appeared that although the prisoner Benge was a sort of superior officer in the operation that was going on, he was only paid a guinea a-week, while those to whom he gave the orders were paid 30s. per week. A man named Crombie, who was engaged as the driver of the engine of the tidal train, but who had been discharged since the accident, ad mitted that he saw the danger-signal, but said that it was not more than 150 yards from the spot where the accident happened ; and although he immediately gave a signal to put on the brakes, it was impossible to bring the train to a stand-still at that short distance. It was also elicited that when the train passed the Headcorn sta tion the all-right signal was displayed, and they passed that station at the rate of 40 or 50 miles an hour, but it appeared that even at that pace if a signal had been given at a distance of 1,000 yards from the bridge the train might have been stopped, and the accident prevented. It also appeared that when the prisoner was asked by Mr. Eborall, the manager of the railway, how the accident happened he replied, " Why, to tell you the truth, sir, I mistook the time and looked at the Saturday train instead of the Friday." The book referred to in the opening by Sergeant Ballantine was found in his pocket. Evidence was also given that the prisoner had been formerly employed as a signalman, and that he was well aware that it was his duty'to have sent a man with a danger signal a distance of 1,000 yards at any time when he was engaged in repairing the line. Ur. Ashcroft, the engineer of the line, said that he had been acquainted with the management of railways for 25 years, and that the work that was to be performed on this occasion could have been completed in an hour and the line would have been perfectly safe. He also expressed an opinion that if the danger-flag had been exhibited at a die tance of 550 yards, the engine -driver ought to have seen it at adistance of I,oooyards farther off, if he had kepta good look-out. He also expressed an opinion that at this distance the train might have been stopped, but he said this was a question that depended upon the brake power and the state of the line. Mr. Ribton, at the close of the case for the prosecution, submitted that there was no evidence for the jury to show that any act of the prisoner caused the melancholy accident that had taken place, and that according to the evidence of Mr. Ashcroft and some of the other witnesses, the accident would not have happened if the engine -driver had done his duty and attended to the signal. Baron Pigott said it was no answer to a charge like the present to say that other persons than the one accused had contributed to the fatal occurrence. The principal point against the prisoner was that he had ordered the rails to be taken up at a time when he ought not to have done so, ac cording to the time-table that was furnished to him, and that this was the cause of the melancholy occurrence that had taken place. Mr. Ribton, in the course of a most able address to the jury, said he could not deny that the railway company by the regulations they had made, appeared to have done all in their power to endeavour to protect the public, but the question was whether the prisoner had been guilty of a criminal act which had rendered him amenable to a charge of manslaughter; and he should contend that all that had been proved against him was, that he had by an accident made a mistake and looked at the Saturday's time for the arrival of the train, instead of the Friday's. He then pro ceeded to argue that it was clear from the evidence that if the signalman had done his duty in going the distance of a thousand yards, and if ho had placed the fog-signals upon the line, and the engineman had kept a good look out, that the accident would not have happened. The learned counsel went on to say that the prisoner had a good ground for complaining that he alone had been singled out as a scapegoat, after the evidence that had been given with regard to the conduct of the signalman and the engine driver, who, he said, as it appeared to him, were quite as much involved in the transaction as the prisoner. Ho next proceeded, at considerable length, to argue that the acci dent was just as much to be attributed to the neglect of the signalman and the engine-driver, and to the guards not having used the whole of the brake power that was at their disposal, as to any act of the prisoner ; and that, upon all the facts before the jury, it would be very unjust to make him alone responsible. Baron Pigott, in summing up, said that the prisoner was charged with causing the death of Hannah Cundliff, by negligence, and the first question was, how that death was occasioned. She was a traveller in a railway express train, going at the rate of 50 miles an hour, and the train came to a spot where a portion of the rails had been removed and there were no rails to go upon ; and the consequence was that the train was thrown off the line and the deceased thereby met her death, and the jury would have to say who was re sFonsible. The learned counsel for the prisoner had endea voured to argue that other persons had contributed to the event, but he could not at all subscribe to such a doctrine ; and if it were allowed to prevail in a case like the present, if the signalman was accused he would say it was not his fault, but the fault of the person who had caused the rails to be removed, and each would throw the blame upon the other. The real question was, who was responsible for the act which was undoubtedly the cause of the calamity. His lordship then proceeded to call the attention of the jury to the facts of the case, and said that it was clearly the duty of every person who was responsible for such an operation as the removal of a portion of the iron rails to take care that ho had sufficient time for the completion of the work before any train came up. The book in which the time for the arrival of the trains at Staplehurst was, appeared to him to be as distinct as possible, and under any circumstances it was the duty of the prisoner who had charge of such an important operation as the removal of a portion of the rails not to be satisfied with a cursory glance, but to take proper care that he read the time distinctly. The learned judge then observed that the counsel for the prisoner had attempted to create some prejudice by observations as to who were the prosecutors ; but such observations, as it appeared to him, had nothing to do with the case. He would, however, observe, as a set-off, that it would be a very lamentable thing indeed, when such a calamity as this had taken place, if some one or other had not come forward and taken steps to institute an inquiry into the causes of it. The jury, after deliberating for some time, returned a verdict of guilty against Bongo, and acquitted Gallimore. The jury at the same time expressed an opinion that some person of better standing than the prisoner Benge ought to be employed in such a responsible duty, and also that some means should be devised to inform the drivers of trains when such repairs wore going on. Sentence was deferred. The Poisoning Case: ASllBtrawr, Wednesday. After the dispatch of our parcel last night the examina tion of Mr. ilerapath was continued as to the presence of the poisons alleged to have been administered, but the learned professor could not identify the existence of any deleterious admixture in the flour. At the request of Mr. Carter, the solicitor for the defence, Mr. Tucker, jun., produced the will and marriage settle ment to show that tho whole of the property of the wife of the prisoner was settled on her, and the prisoner's interest would cease if she died before her mother, Mrs. Chalker, as her property would go to her brother. Mr. Carter, for the prisoner, urged that there was not sufficient evidence to show the guilt of the prisoner even to justify the bench in sending the case to another tribunal The prisoner was not shown to hav9 been in the house at the time the pie was made ; no poison was found in the flour, and no evidence had been produced to show that the poison (if any) had not been put into the pie by some other person. He (the accused) would lose all chance of pecuniary benefit by the death of his wife, and therefore no motive existed for the commission of such a crime ; but if the bench thought that there was a prima facie case made out he (Mr. Carter) should not produce that which he had, a most triumphant answer to the charge, which charge was entirely without foundation. The magistrates withdrew for some time, and after some consultation with the clerk, the chairman said :—We have consulted together on this most painful case. We feel that it is a matter that must be referred to another tribunal. As for ourselves, we decline to give any opinion on it. We are not called on to do so. Therefore, without expressing any opinion, we fec lit to be our duty to commit this charge to the consideration of a jury of the country at the assizes. They begin to-morrow, and therefore their decision will soon be obtained. The usual caution was then read to the prisoner, who finally said in reply, " I am not guilty." _ _ _ On the application of Mr. Carter, the Bench agreed to accept bail for the prisoner's appearance at the assizes, personally £l,OOO, and two substantial sureties of £5OO each. As the two bails were not forthcoming the Bench agreed to accept Mr. Chalker as responsible bail to the amount of .£1,000;for the prisoner's appearance. SALE BY ROUP.—lnstead of its being announced that the queer dwellings, or the strange land, will be offered, as is usual with us, for sale at public auction, it is somewhat unsettling to find that the property will "be exposed" for sale "by public roup." At our first meeting with that phrase we felt a little ignorant alarm lest a "roup" meant something akin to a riot; and the other phraseology carried with it an equivocal sound, that about "exposing" estates for sale ; but the advertisers indicated no embarrassment on their side, for they occasionally sti pulate that it shall be open to "the exposers" to do sstch and such things. One or two other variations of auc tioneering phraseology may be given. What with us is the "reserved bid," is, in Scotland, the " upset price ;" instead of the abbreviation " inst." in describing the month present, the Scotch say " current ;" and the old familiar phrase in reference to quantities, as four acres, and three roods, "be the same more or less," with them become s four acres and three rood; "or thereby."—Once a Week. ATTEMPTED MURDER AT PRESTON.—At the Pres ton Police-court yesterday, a labourer named John Snape was charged with attempting to murder a widow, named Rachel Taberner, living at 14, Stanley-street, Pres ton. Snape, who is about 45 years old, has a wife and four children in Blackburn, but he has not been living with them for 13 or 14 years, and latterly he has been cohabit ing with the woman Taberner. At the inquiry before the magistrates, Mrs. Taberner said that on Sunday afternoon she went into the Stanley vaults in Stanley-street, and had a glass of ale with a man named Simpson. The prisoner came in afterwards, and she refused when he asked her to go and sit by his side. When about having a second glass of ale, the prisoner got behind her, threw his left arm around her, and drew a table knife across her throat. He cut her, and she:screamed out "murder." The man Simpson seized him, and she afterwards fainted and fell. John Simpson, a millwright, deposed that he saw the prisoner draw the knife across Mrs. Taberner's throat, that he knocked the prisoner down, and that he believed if he had not done so the prisoner would have murdered the woman. When charged with attempting to kill Mrs. Taberner, the prisoner said, "It was all through jealousy ; I might as well do it as hang myself." Dr. Moore deposed that he examined the woman's throat on Sunday afternoon, and found a slight cut along the front of it, about six inches long. John Grantham, an old man living in Stanley street, deposed that he went up to the prisoner, after he had been using the knife, and herd him say that he rued he had not cut the woman's throat.—William Forrest, of Back Stanley-street, said that on Sunday, about noon, the prisoner borrowed a table knife, from him, for the purpose of cutting some tobacco; that after he got the knife he sharpened it twice ; and that he then went out of the house with it. The prisoner offered no substantial defence. He was committed for trial. When the prisoner left the dock he had to pass the woman whose throat ho had attempted to cut. As he approached her he held out his hand, and she slightly smiled and then shook it. SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TI s.—The literature of our elections has now changed its character ; we have no longer to deal with the fervid aspirations of candidates, with all the hopes and fears of a desperate and uncertain contest before them. Hope and fear have taken flight together. It is curious to watch how the cer tainty of victory or defeat operates upon the minds of different men—how in some it evokes the better, and in others the weaker and meaner parts of human nature. We are alternately surprised by the cor diality' and good humour with which men will sustain a crushing and mortifying defeat, and by the bitterness and ill-temper with which they will welcome a hard won and gratifying victory. It is only just to those who have been conducting elec tion contests for the last fortnight to record that upon the whole the exhibition has been very credit able to the good feeling of English gentlemen, and has exhibited the national character in one of its most favourable aspects—the love of a fair stand-up tight, and no malice borne on either side after it is over. There are, as it will be seen, exceptions, but we cordially acknowledge the great predominance of good feeling over bad, the very considerable im provement in the demeanour of the candidates to wards each other, and the abeence in general of those bitter altercations which have so often dis credited the upper classes in the eyes of their infe riors. There is, probably, no occasion where a gentleman is so imperatively bound to act worthily of that character as when brought into collision with other gentlemen in the face of a large assembly. Example is more powerful than precept ; improve ment of society travels downwards,and if the coarse ness and brutality with which the lower class of English may still be reproached are to be removed, it must be, we are convinced, by the spectacle of the self-command and respect for each other's feelings afforded by those who are their superiors in wealth and education. Perhaps the most exciting contest, the one giving most triumph to the victors, and most regret to the vanquished, was the election for Berk shire. In this instance a signal change in fortune seems to have had an excellent influence on every one's mind. Col. Lindsay can regret that his senior, Mr. Benyon, is not at the head of the poll, and Mr. Walter can afford to give his antagonists the satis faction of seeing how a defeated candidate looks, and can console himself with the reflection that he carries with him the good wishes of his'political opponents. It has been reserved for Col. Lindsay, however, to give a new reading to the history of the question of Reform ; it is not a happy one. The Conservatives, he says, have had thrown on them the work of de fending the Constitution. They have thrown out the measure which the Government of Lord Pal merston " came into office to carry, and in the course of the struggle they have so educated the public mind that on the final decision of that ques tion a much better informed public opinion will be brought to bear." In this sentence " defending the Constitution" means opposing Reform, and the way that the Tories did that was by bringing in a Reform Bill themselves. They did not throw out Lord Palmerston's Bill, which they were willing to read a second time, but they sat still and allowed it to be talked out by the Liberal members them selves ; several among them, Mr. Walpole, Mr. Henley - , and Mr. Gerard Sturt, for instance, being in favour of a reduction of the borough franchise below £6. But the strangest assertion is that the Conservatives have educated the public mind on the question of Reform. Having deserted their old principles, and finding their new ones meet with little acceptance, they were during the last Parlia ment very shy of the subject, and, so far from taking up a position opposed to Democratic change, it has been a common remark during the present elections that the Conservative addresses to con stituents have been much more sweeping in their advocacy of Reform than those which have ema nated from Liberals. A member of Parliament is not necessarily a professor of history, and we dare say at the next general election Colonel Lindsay, who seems to be labouring under the delusion that all Liberals are in favour of Democracy, will not only know the history of the Parliament in which he has sat, but will have extended his studies into the proceedings of its predecessor. In 'Vest Kent, where the contest has been exceedingly sharp, the election at first seemed likely to pass off with much good humour. The Liberals, finding themselves thoroughly beaten, wisely abstained from troubling their successful adversaries with their presence. But this fair prospect was overclouded by an unforeseen circumstance. It appears that some one had recourse to the shabby and miserable device of sending round a circular to the elec tors announcing that a compromise had been entered into, so that their presence would not be required at the poll. The paper purported to be signed by the Chairman of the Tory Committee. The successful candidates expressed their firm con viction that their defeated competitors knew nothing of this shameful trick. But Sir John Lubbock, the defeated Liberal, while entirely acquitting his ad versaries, stated, as a good Blue, that, whoever was the author of the circular, he did not believe it was any member of his party. This statement, at such a time, and from such a man, not unnaturally gave great offence to those who had come to celebrate a triumph, and not to encounter aspersions on their character. At an election everybody is either Blue or Purple, and he who denies a thing of the Blue asserts it of the Purple. After a scene of infinite confusion and uproar Sir John Lubbock was under stood to say that, though he believed the forgery was not the work of a Blue, neither was it the work of a true Purple. The Kentish yeomen need not have been so indignant. It is evident that their own agents think little of the matter, for they have only . offered £2O to discover the offender, while the Libe rals, against whom they discharged the vials of their wrath, have offered £lOO. Whichever side forged this document ought to be ashamed of itself, but the ' anxiety to discover it is so far much more evident among the Liberals than their antagonists. We should be glad also to know what answer the Con servatives of West Kent have to make to the letters which we have published showing that they, on more than one occasion, personated Liberal voters. In North Yorkshire Mr. Milbank, the' Liberal candi date, who has been returned at the head of the poll, seems to have been elevated to something like poetic fury by the completeness of his success. His two competitors are his intimate friends, and he will be glad to extend to them the right hand of fellow ship. But this is the way in which he speaks of one of them, and if such can be his friendship we wonder what his enmity is :—" I have shaken to its foundation," he says, " the House of Duncombe" (his intimate friend) ; " I have torn down the blue flag that floated from the towers of Duncombe- park—mind you, the symbol of the degradation and the thraldom of the North Riding. I have broken the neck of Conservatism in the North Riding of Yorkshire." Who would not be happy in the possession of a friend like this, who, though * driven by an imperious sense of public duty to oppose his friend politically, can console him for any trifling reverse that may occur by such comfortable words as these ? We confess that we prefer the modera tion of Mr. Duncombe to the high dithyrambic tone of Mr. Milbank. He confessed he was disappointed with the speech of Mr. Milbank, because he thought it would have been better taste at least to show some moderation in language after having been so triumphant in action. He admitted the triumph, and he congratulated. Mr. Milbank personally. Mr. Morritt could not understand the feeling of any gentleman who after he had beaten him still kept hitting °at him. We must confess that in this in stance victory did not declare for the side which bore away the palm in good manners and good feel ing. All the seats except the cases of double return are now filled up ; the great battle is decisively lost and won • the elections will make, as near as we can calculate, a difference of fifty odd votes on a party division. The turmoil has died away, and people are probably themselves astonished at the heat and ;vehemence iiito which they have been transported ; but the bickerings and ebullitions of the disappointment of defeat or the presumption of success will soon be forgotten or forgiven, till at an other and, we trust, a distant day, the country is again summoned to go through the fiery ordeal of another election. We can only trust that the next time rival parties confront each other things will be carried on, upon the whole, with as much good taste and good feeling as have characterised the very lively, and, upon the whole, very creditable pro ceedings of the contest of the present summer. POST.—Although the obligations which men and women respectively undertake towards each other on ehtering the marriage state remain theoretically un changed, it is unquestionable that they have of late years, at least in this country, practically undergone very scrims modifications. In the eye of God, as also in that of man, husband and wife continue to be regarded as one flesh, but the necessities of a higher order of social existence have rendered it ex pedient that, under particular circumstances, the " one flesh" should be resolved into its component elements. The man, as any one who is called upon " to assist" at a wedding discovers, still assures the woman that, irrespective of all possible contingen cies, he forsakes the entire female sex for her during her lifetime ; and the woman having on her part entered into a correlative obligation, the priest pro nounces them to be indissolubly united.. As a mat ter of fact, however, both the man and the woman know better, and each is perfectly well aware that the union will only subsist so long as both the con tracting parties desire it. It is not our intention now to inquire whether the Divorce Act works well or otherwise, but simply to remind our readers that the entirely differint complexion it has given to matri mony renders it scarcely possible even for those who have devoted the most careful attention to the sub ject to ascertain the real position in which imsband and wife respectively stand to each other, and to be come familiar with the circumstances as well as the conditions under which a bond which is found irk some may be sundered. Formerly, when people took each other for better for worse, the only matter left for decision was whether an individual was pre pared to enter into a life-long contract ; but under the existing regime the considerations which present themselves to the minds of reflecting people are so manifold that every thoughtful person would do well to weigh them with great care. In the words of the proverb, no one ought to buy a pig in a poke, and every man and woman who has a due regard for his or her happiness ought, before marriage, to ascertain what they ought to do and what they ought to avoid, if they should be desirous of returning to a state of what may, for want of a better designation, be termed single blessed ness. It is remarked that there has been of late a growing disinclination towards matrimony on the part of our aristocratic youth, and we cannot avoid thinking that this unwillingness has been to a great extent fostered by the erroneous impression, which our social history during the past seven years has failed to eradicate, that matrimony is in some sort a sacred and irrevocable contract. Writers on the science of jurisprudence bear unanimous testimony to the great difficulty which attends all attempts to extinguish traditionary usages by positive laws ; we ought not therefore to be unreasonably astonished if the rising generation have not completely eman cipated themselves from the prejudices of what we may still call the presentage. A decision pronounced on Tuesday last by Sir James Wilde, exposing one of the pitfalls into which a young man of wealth may drop if he should marry a woman of whom he subsequently tires, has induced us to offer a few remarks on a topic which is confessedly one of great social interest. In the suit of Sidney v. Sidney, a petition was presented by the wife, praying for a dissolution of her marriage, on the ground of her husband's cruelty and adultery. The charges were established, and the usual decree pronounced. After the lapse of the customary interval to admit either of appeal or of the intervention of the Queen's Proc tor, the Court was moved to make the decree abso lute, and at the same time the late wife petitioned that her husband shoulflbe ordered to make an annual provision for her support. This raised an extremely nice point--Ist, as to the power of the Court to accede to the wife's prayer; and, 2dly, as to the scale on which, if her petition was complied with, permanent alimony should be granted. The ecclesi astical courts were in the habit of compelling a husband to make permanent provision for his wife when they pronounced a divorce A nzensd et thoro, but as such divorce did not amount to dissolution of the marriage tie, the subsisting relation of hus band and wife constituted the foundation on which the alimony was granted. In cases of judicial sepa ration, which stand on a similar footing with the previous divorces, the new Court has invariably followed the example set it by the ecclesiastical tribunals in respect to permanent alimony. But in cases where the marriage is actually dissolved, the same precedents do not apply, and the Court is compelled to confine itself to the exercise of those powers which are granted by the statute which called it into existence. It had already been decided by Sir C. Cresswell that in those cases where the wife was the complainant she ought not to be compelled to purchase redress at the cost of being left destitute, whilst on the other hand it would be impolitic to give her a large pecuniary interest in obtaining a dissolution of the marriage tie. In the present in stance, however, the application of the principle has been extended by Sir J. Wilde, and husbands are now informed that they cannot get rid of their wives by providing them with a bare maintenance. The Judge Ordinary declares that it is a very common case indeed for a young husband to get tired of his wife shortly after marriage, and endeavour to shake her off. To such a one he says, " According to your ability you must still support the woman you have first chosen and then discarded, and so much of the duty of the husband as consists in the main tenance of his wife may be justly kept alive and enforced upon you in favour of her whom you have driven to relinquish your name and home." And accordingly, as Mr. Sidney was the possessor of realised property, a decree was made that an annual sum of £245 should be paid to his late wife whilst she remained unmarried, the Court profess ing itself unable to deal with the husband's profes sional income. The law of England is said to be made up of judicial precedents, and as the marriage law is one with which every one should be familiar, here is one which we recommend to the attentive consideration of all bachelors of property who are thinking of entering into the holy state of matri mony. We should advise such to reckon well the cost of the possibly temporary luxury in which they may be about to indulge. If they fancy a good-looking-girl as a wife for a few years, they should not forget that, although by a judi cious course of cruelty and di ss i pa ti on th ey can virtually compel her to abandon the home they have provided, they may have the misfortune of seeing an ugly slice taken out of their ancestral estates for her future support. It is satisfactory, however, to see that merchants, tradesmen, and professional men do not labour under the same disadvantages, and that the Legislature enables them to get rid of their wives without the necessity of maintaining a costly, and thenceforth a useless burden. With a man's earnings the Court cannot interfere. On the whole, however, we do not think that, with the facilities now afforded for dissolving marriages, either man or woman can complain of being needlessly hampered. As soon as the law of divorce is carefully determined, and becomes more generally understood, people when they marry will, to bor row a common expression, " know exactly where they are," and matters will run on smoothly towards that happy consummation to which one or both will look forward when they will be in a posi tion under different, if not happier, auspices to re peat the experiment. " The possibility of freedom," as Sir James Wilde said when delivering his judg ment the other day, " begets the desire to be set free, and the great evil of a marriage dissolved is that it loosens the bonds of so many others." The word " evil" is clearly a misprint for " advan tage," as it is impossible to conceive that the Legislature would maintain in existence a tribunal, the presiding judge of which dissolves some eight or ten marriages a day, and at the same time.be- Heves that each dissolution contributes in an appre ciable degree to weaken the .binding efficacy of several existing marriages. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton Aug. 18. Ditto, via Marseilles Aug. 12. Brazil and Cape Verde. by British pacset • Aug. 4. Ditto, by French packet July 22. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Aug. 21. •China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Aug. 2. Ditto, via Marseilles July 27. Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton .....Ju1y 26. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.... Aug. 2 Ditto, via Marseilles . July 27. India (Bombay), via Southampton. July 26. Ditto, via Marseilles July 26. Mauritius, via Southampton Ditto, via Marseire;. Aug. 4. Newfoundland Aug. 2. Portugal Aug..4. Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon... United States and British North America, by Bri- Ugh packet July 27 . Ditto, by United States packet, via Southamp ton • • Ditto, via Cork Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry—July 28. West Coast of Africa. Madeira, and Teneriffe Aug. 10. West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico • • • • ...July 29. Bahamas, via New 'York. July 27. Bermuda, ditto Aug. 2. Cuba and Mexico Births. FREMANTLE.—On the 26th inst., at 58, Curzon-street, the wife of the Rev. W. H. Fremantle, of a son. Horxonn.—On the 24th inst., at Roslyn Bank, Hampstead, the wife of George Holford, Esq., of a son. S'TRACHEY.—On the 24th inst., at Willenhall House, East Barnet, the wife of Colonel Richard Strachey, R.E., of a daughter. Marriages HUTTON—HOLLAND.—On the 25th inst., at Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, Crompton Hutton, Esq., to Harriet Sophia, the eldest daughter of Edward Holland, Esq., M.P. TORPHICHEN—MAITLAND.—On the 25th inst., at .Edin burgh, the Right Hon. Lord Torphichen, to Helen, the youngest daughter of the late Thomas Maitland, Esq.; of Dundrennan. Deaths. BYASS.—On the 22d inst., at Cuckfield, Level Byass, Esq• aged 80. Cox.—On the 25th inst., Mr. Philip Cox, of Richmond, Surrey, aged 63. ERASER.—On the 26th inst., at 82, Bishopsgate-street within, Finlay Fraser, Esq., aged 38. GATES.—On the 24th inst., at Brighton, Richard Gates, Esq., aged 85. lIART.—On the 10th of May last, at Melbourne, Australia , Henry George Cheney Hart, .eldest son of the late Robert Hart, Esq., barrister-at-law, aged 24. KENNEDY.—On the 24th inst., Richard Hartley liennOdi Esq., late Physician-General of the Bombay Array. LEVY.- -On the 25th inst., at 28, King William-stree t Strand, Samuel Levy, Esq., aged 76. London : Printed and Published by WIL LIAM ANDIRSNO° of No. 112, Strand, Painter, at Tuz SUN Office, No 1 12 i Strand, In the Precinct of the S avo y, I n the OquiltY Middlcaex..—Thuraday, July 27, 1865. ‘AS L Y 27, 1865.