The Sun. — London, England, 1865-11-22 00:00:00

Treatment of the Cattle Plague, A number of .gentlemen, among whom are Mr. James Caird, the Earl of Albemarle, the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Burghley, Lord Bury Lord Elcho, the Earl of Essex, Sir Edward Kerrison, Bart., the Marquis of Lansdowne , Sir William Miles, Bart., the Duke of Richmond, and others, have formed an association for the trial and preventive treatment of the cattle plague by the homoeopathic method. In the memorandum of their association they observe that while in this country the general impression seemed to be that all remedial measures against the cattle plague were unavailing, and that in order to limit the extension of the disease the only resource was the destruction of the affected animals, a report arrived from Holland that a certain amount of suc cess had attended preventive and curative treatment by the administration of homoeopathic medicines. On investigation this report appeared to be so well founded as to make it desirable that this method should receive a fair and full trial here. With this object certain noblemen and gentlemen, not all of them homoeopathists, have formed themselves into an association together with the officers and council of the British Homoeopathic Society in London, with the view of affording assistance and advice to those who might be desirous of obtaining informa tion as to the mode of putting this treatment in practice. The great mortality which has charac terised the disease in this country, and the admitted want of any authoritative guidance as to treatment, appears to offer a fitting opportunityfor suchinter vention. The directions now issued are not put forward as a certain cure for the disease. They are founded upon a knowledge of remedies the action of which has been, as observed in man and animals, both in health and disease, and which in Holland and in this country had already proved beneficial in the treatment of the cattle plague. The disease may alter its type and require a change of treatment, and more exact information may induce the medical body of the association to modify their directions from time to time. In order to judge of their effects it is of the utmost importance that accurate returns of the result should be sent to the association. With this object blank forms will be distributed with these directions, and all who make trial of the method are earnestly requested to fill up the forms, and send them to the secretary, Mr. Ralph Buchan, at the offices of the association, 6, Adelphi-terrace, Strand. The following directions are intended chiefly for the guidance of non-professional persons :- 1. Preventive Medicine.—Arsenicum album, dose 10 drops of the 3d dilution daily, given in a table spoonful of water. If a large herd is to be treated, mix 12 drachms in two quarts of water, and give one tablespoonful of the mixture for a dose. This should be given to all cattle in the infected district and its neighbourhood, and to all cattle which have been exposed to infection. 2. In case of an attack, send for the nearest vete rinary surgeon practising homoeopathy, or one who will undertake to carry out the treatment. If neither of these is within reach—it being of the utmost importance to lose no time--as soon as the ! I animal shows the first symptoms, which generally are swelling and redness of the nostrils, hanging the head, alteration of the natural heat of the ears, horns, and skin, diminished appetite—and in cows, redness of the vulva or bearing, and diminution of the milk, give belladonna, 10 drops of the third dilution in a tablespoonful of water every two hours for 24 hours, and if the animal gets no worse, con tinue this medicine for two or three days or longer, only giving the dose every four hours, or, as the symptoms decline, every eight hours. 3. If the attack increases in severity.—Should unfavourable symptoms appear after this medicine has been given 24 hours, then give arsenicum album (3d dilution) ten drops every three hours. These symptoms are as follow :—Great and irritating dis charge from the nostrils ; shivering with alternate cold and heat of surface, great thirst, feeble pulse, loss of muscular power, inflammation and swelling of the eyes, with great secretion of tears ; dribbling of mucus from the mouth, with red spots on the gums and roof of the mouth ; foul breath, with or without great looseness of the bowels, slimy evacuations, with very offensive smell ; tenderness and indica tions of pain in the belly. 4. Supervention of other Symptoms..--If, during the course of the disease, the muscles of the shoulders and hind quarters twitch and jerk, the animal has a staggering gait, and a paralytic appearance of the limbs on getting up, with vesicular spots, like small blisters, in the mouth and nostrils, give rhus toxico dendron, 3d dilution, 10 drops in a tablespoonful of water every three hours, and if improvement sets in, continue the medicine ; if no improvement, after 24 hours, return to the arsenicum. 5. When the Lungs are affected—lf the lungs appear to be more affected than any other organ, the breathing quick and difficult, with wheezing and rattling in the windpipe and frequent cough, give phosphorus, 3d dilution, 10 drops every three hours, for 24, 36, or 48 hours ; after which return to the arsenicum. 6. Symptoms like " Hove" occur—lf the animal appears as if " hove," with oppressed breathing and groaning as the chief symptoius, give ammonium causticum, 10 drops, 3d dilution, every two hours, till these symptoms abate. 7. For Weakening Diarrhoea--Sometimes al though the animal is recovering, a weakening diar rhoea continues or sets in—give phosphoric acid, 3d dilution, 10 drops three times a day. 8. External Bathing and Washing—The nose, mouth, oyes, and vulva to be washed three or four times a day with tepid water. 9. Diet—ln the Acute Stage—Abstain from giv ing ordinary food, and give only gruels of oatmeal or other farinaceous substances. Grains and distillers' wash on no account to be given during any period of the disease. In the Convalescent Stage—Return very gradually to ordinary food. Hay and green food to be sparingly given. 10. Supplementary Directions—The greatest cleanliness, careful attention and nursing of the sick animals are absolutely necessary. Litter and dung to be frequently and carefully removed—the use of Al.‘Dougal's disinfecting powder is • strongly recom mended. The farmer or his bailiff should superintend the giving of the medicines at the proper time, as cattle are often lost from inattention to this point. Great care should be taken to prevent any commu nication between the sick and healthy animals. Ani mals that are recovering shouldbekept separate from the healthy, as the discharge from the nose, mouth, and eyes continue for some time, and may convey i n f ec ti on . The office of the association is open daily from 10 to 4, where all communications may be addressed. The accounts from the provinces generally are to the effect that the plague continues its ravages on an increased rather than a reduced scale. We learn from the Surrey Standard that on Friday last four beasts were washed ashore in front of the town of Seaford. The local authorities appreciating the daiger of allowing them to remain one moment longer than possible, at once gave orders for their disposal, and they were buried six feet deep and covered with quick lime. On the following day in formation was forwarded to the police by the coast guard authorities at Newhaven that between 12 and 1 pan. a cow and a calf had been washed ashore near the harbour, but before they could be secured the calf had washed. away by the tide. Pre parations were made for burying the cow, but in the mean ti me some over sharp fellow cut her open rI and secured about George Bravery, f oat, which he carried away and sold to a marine store dealer for 6s. 6d. It was feared the calf was washed into the river with the tide and searched up towards Lewes, but the river has been as Lewes without its being see,. N U p as high ow, the ques tion naturally occurs to us, how came the beasts on the sea shore ? And the only reasonable answer which presents itself is that they must have been thrown overboard from some vessel passing in the channel. There has been no weather such as would warrant the idea that they had been cast over from a vessel in distress, and bad they floated from a wreck, fragments of the vessel would probably have accompanied them to shore ; therefore, there is too much ueor hreason to think that the animals were intended the English market, that they were found to be diseased before they reached their destination, and were consequently disposed of in the sea. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. LEAMINGTON AND WARWICK HUNT MEETING. TUESDAY. From Lincoln Spring in February to Warwick Hunt in the closing days of November is, it will be acknowledged, a tolerably long racing year. Our forefathers would have stared at the modern Calendar that gives such little rest to the followers of the Turf. But we have altered all that, and for good or evil these late races are established facts. The Tally-Ho Stakes, won by the fit and good. looking Tiger, did not pass off without the customary objection, and Monitress, a good outsider for the ring, carried off the Nursery Handicap very cleverly. The Donnington Handi cap prOduced a good race at the finish between the favou rite, Attaché, and Skirmish, the latter having a little the the best of it from the stand, and winning by a short head. The Autumn Welter Cup was a good thing for Pearl Diver, who, rather preferring dirt, found no difficulty in disposing of his horses in the very heavy ground on the other side of the course. The hurdle race, run nearly in the dark, was landed in hollow style by Benazet. The weather was delightfully fine, though the ground was anything but good going. The attendance was rather scanty. Following the prevailing fashion, Mr. Merry has determined on adding a fourth day (Friday) to his pro gramme. The Welter Handicap of 5 sovs each, 3 ft, for 3-yr-olds and upwards, to be ridden by gentlemen. Professionals extra. Three-quarters of a mile. 8 subs.' Mr. T. V. Morgan's The Plover, 5 yrs, 12st (Mr. Edwards) 1 Lord Uxbridge's Arkansas, 8 yrs, lOst 101 b (Capt. Little) 2 Lord Poulett's Wild Thyme, 4 yrs, list ...(Capt. Hunt) 3 Capt. Moseley's Balornock, 4 yrs, lOst 121 b (in. 61b ex (J. Land) 4 Mr. Coventry's King Arthur, 3 yrs, lOst (Mr. W.Beville) 5 Mr. H. Wells's My Cob, 3 yrs, 9st 91b (in. 6lb extra) (J. James) 6 Betting-2 to 1 agst Wild Thyme, sto 2 agst Arkansas, 4 to 1 agst Plover, and 8 to 1 agst any other. My Cob was the first away, and with King Arthur, Ar kansas, the favourite, and Plover lying up, came on with the running into the straight, where Arkansas headed My Cob and led to the distance, when Plover came upon their right, and obtaining a clear lead to the enclosure won in a canter by a length anda half; a length separated the second and third; Balornock, who ran past the pulling up horses, finished a bad fourth ; King Arthur was fifth, and My Cob last. The Tally-ho Stakes of 5 sovs each, with 25 added, for hunters, for 3-yr-olds and upwards. Weight for age. Winners extra ; to be ridden by gentlemen. Two miles on the flat. 14 subs. Mr. E. P. Wilson's Tiger, G yrs, 12st 31b (Owner) 1 Mr. Prank Toynbee's Charley, 5 yrs, 12st 71b (in 71b ex) (Mr. Holland) 2 Mr. C. Gregg's Ely, 5 yrs, 12st (Owner) 3 The following also ran :—Cleopatra, Little Nell, Maid of Lorn, Disgrace, Black Swan, and Idle Girl. Betting-5 to 2 agst Idle Girl, 4to 1 agst Tiger, and 5 to 1 agst Black Swan. Little Nell jumped away with the running, followed by Tiger, Charley, and the favourite, the others headed by Black S wan and Cleopatra to the mile post. Here Tiger, in company with Charley, headed Idle Girl, followed in a few strides further by Black Swan, the four running in close company into the Star close, where the latter was beaten and dropped into the rear. As they entered the straight the favourite was out of it, leaving the issue with the two, who came on locked together to the end, Tiger winning easily at last by a length, a bad third. Idle Girl was fourth, Maid of Lorn fifth, and Cleopatra next. Diligence, who slipped up in taking her preliminary canter and unhorsed her rider, was last. After the race an objection was made to the winner, on the ground of being thoroughbred, and not carrying his correct weight. The Nursery Handicap, of 15 soya each, 10 ft, and 3 if de clared, with 100 sovs added, for 2-yr-olds; winners extra. The second to save his stake. Three-quarters of a mile. 43 subs, 24 of whom declared. The highest weight ac cepting being 7st 121 b, it has been raised to Bst 101 b, and the others in proportion. Mr. Saxon's Monitress, 7st 31b (Clement i 1 Mr. P. Price's Belmontine, ist llb (C arro ll 2 Captain Gray's Warwick, 7st 12Ib (Morris 3 The following also ran :—Chicken Hazard, King Maker, Vigorous, and Master Shutt. Betting-- 5 to 2 agst Vigorous, 4 to 1 each agst Warwick, Chicken Hazard, and King Maker, 5 to 1 agst Belmontine, and 6 to 1 agst Monitress. Chicken Hazard, with a slight lead of Warwick, Moni tress, and the favourite, made the running into the dis tance, where she was beaten, leavingMonitress with a slight advantage of Warwick. The latter, however, was passed by Belmontine halfway in the distance, but the latter failed to reach Mr. Saxon's filly, who won cleverly by a length ; Chicken Hazard was fourth, Vigorous fifth, King Maker sixth, and Master Shutt last. 'The Racing Stakes of 5 sovs each, with 25 added, for 2-yr olds ; colts, Bst 101 b ; fillies, Bst 61b ; maidens allowed 51b, with selling allowances. Five furlongs. 7 subs. Mr. F. Fisher's Novice, 2 yrs, Est 511, (£3O) ... (Murray) 1 Mr. Cliffs Cantharides, 2 yrs, 7st (£30)...(J. Grimshaw) 2 Mr. Wood's North Hill, 2 yrs, 7st (£3O) Mr. Jay's Lady Isla, 2 yrs, Est alb (£3O) (Grace) 4 Mr. 'l'. Dawson's Full Bloom, 2 yrs, Est 51b (Z. 30) (Cameron) 5 Betting—Even on Cantharides, and 4 to 1 each agst No vice and Lady Isla. Immediately the flag was lowered Novice jumped away with the running, was never after approached, and won in a, canter by three lengths. Cantharides, who was caught half way in the distance by North MB, finished second, a neck in advance of Mr. Wood's colt. The others were boaters off. The wiuuor was bought by Capt. Hawkesley for 130 guineas. The Donnington Handicap of 10 toys each, 3 ft, with 50 added, fur 3-yr-olds and upwards; winners extra. Three quarters of a mile. 39 subs. Mr. A. lleatheoto's Skirmish, 3 yrs, fist 21b ...(G. Sopp) 1 Mr. G. Angell's Attache, 3 yrs, 7st 31b (Heartfield) 2 Mr. Maund's Wild Bee, 3 yrs, sst 71b (Konyon) 3 The following also ran:—Reindeer, Lady Abbess, Rose, Liston, Mongrel, Tilt, Jupiter, Squire Hearty, and Aline. Betting-100 to 30 agst Attache, 4 to 1 agst Reindeer, 6 to 1 each agst Mongrel and Wild Bee, and 100 to 15 agst Skirmish. Skirmish, with Mongrel at his girths, got away with a slight lead of Wild Bee, Tilt, and Attache, who ran in close company, followed by Reindeer, Liston, and Squire Hearty at the head of the rear lot, the last of whom being Rose. On reaching the T.Y.C. post, Mongrel and Tilt dropped back and Attache joined the leader as they made the turn into the straight, and came on with the run ning to half way in the distance, when Skirmish again resumed the lead, which he retained to the end, and won a fine race by a short head. There were three lengths between the second and third ; Reindeer was an indifferent fourth, Mongrel fifth, Liston sixth, Aline seventh, and Jupiter next. The last lot comprised Squire Hearty, Rose, Tilt, and Lady Abbess. The Great Autumn Welter Cup of 200 sove, by subscription of 20 sous each, 10 ft. and sif declared, &c. Winners . _ _ _ _ extra. To be ridden by gentlemen. Professionals extra. 1 mile. 43 subs., 27 of whom declared. Mr. Brayley's Pearl Diver, 5 yrs, 10st 111 b (Capt. Little) 1 Lord Westmoreland's Sidewind, 3 yrs, 9st 71b (Mr. Edwards) 2 Marquis of Hastings's Catalogue, 3 yrs, 9st 81b (Mr. Wickham) 3 The following also ran :—The Clown, Desdemona, Fat Jack, Columbia, Peewit, and Contraband. Betting-3 to 1 each agst Pearl Diver and Sidowind, 4 to 1 agst the Clown, 7 to 1 each agst Contraband and Catalogue, 100 to 8 agst Columbia, and 100 to 7 agst Peewit. Columbia got away with the lead, baying the Clown, Catalogue, Sidewind, and Peewit as his immediate fol lowers, in the rear of whom were seen Desdemona, Fat Jack, Contraband, and Pearl Diver. They retained these positions to tile threequarters of a mile post, where Capt. Little attempted to get through his horses, but was disap pointed, and then waited until they neared the turn, when driving his horse through on the inside, came on with a clear lead, closely attended by Catalogue. Sidewind, and The Clown, to the T.y.c., when the latter was beaten, leaving the issue with the three. Pearl Diver increased his lead as they neared the distance, and cantered home the winner by five lengths ; Sidewind, who headed Cata logue at the Stand, finished a neck in advatice of the latter. The Clown was a bad fourth, Peewit fifth, Colum bia *si • xth, Contraband seventh, Desdemona eighth, and Fat Jack last. A Handicap and asi3ns_noyevrrs_soeleatxicstl,i.r,3 winnerf t F , i v with 25 soya added, for 100 sovs. Winners Lord Westmoreland's 11 T r a s in . 2 furlongs n o sold s . b y 19s auction.ub subs for „. yrs, Est 51b ...(Kenyon) 1 Mr. Wadlow's Sahara, 3 Mr. F. Fisher's Acto r , 2 y rs ', 4 6 5 , t t 7 6 1 1b b (J. Grimshaw 2 Mr. Saxon's Bishopt on , 3 yrs, 7st 81b (S. Mordan) 3 (Clement 4 Mr. Warrington's Flyaway geldi ng, 3 yrs, 7st 51b Adams)S,4 t o 1 0 Betting—G to 4 agst Sahara, 3t o 1 agst 13(eg.nnI agst Bishopton, and 5 to 1 agst Actor. The favourite, in company with Begum and Actor, made the running to the distance, when Begum obtained a slight lead, and won a fine race by a neck; Actor finished a bad third. The Flyaway gelding jumped round the moment the flag was lowered, and was left kicking at the post. The winner was not sold. Free Handicap Hurdle Ewe of 5 sous each, with 30 added, for all horses ; winners extra ; two miles, over five flights of hurdles. 13 subs. • Lord Poulett'sßenazet (late Gentilhomme), syrs, lOst2lb • (Page) 1 Mr. Brayley's Antoinette, 4 yrs, 9st 71b (Martin) 2 Mr. Bilham's Equinox, 5 yrs, lOst 21b (W. White) 3 The following also ran :—True Heart, Ace of Hearts, Cestle Hill, Cartouche, Cutler, Camillus, and Brown Bess. Betting—Even on Benazet, and 4 to 1 each agst True Heart and Antoinette. After two failures they left the post in close company, True Heart having a slight lead, followed by Antoinette, the favourite, and Castle Hill, Brown Bess, and Cartouche bringing up the rear. In these positions they cleared the hurdles in front of the stand ; but on entering the Lammas land Antoinette ran up to the leader, and raced with him up the hill for the lead, Benazet going on third, Castle Hill fourth, close up to whom was Ace of Hearts. On reappearing at the mile post the favourite gave way to Equinox and Cut ler, who followed the leaders into the straight, where Page brought Lord Poulett's colt to the front, and cleared the last flight of hurdles side by side with the two, Antoinette landing slightly in advance, but half way the latter gave way to Benazet, who won, with hands down, bythree parts of a length. Equinox finished a bad third, Cutler was fourth, Ace of Hearts fifth, True Heart sixth, and Castle Hill next. The last lot were Cartouche, Camillus, and Brown Bess. For this he received the usual thanks and, honours of the Humane Society, and the Duke of Cambridge also expressed his approbation of the brave conduct of Mr. Large. The following appointments have been made at the Admiralty :—Sub-Lieut. Francis F. Liardet, to the Defence ; Mr. John S. Harper, to be naval and victualling storekeeper and accountant at Trincoma lee, vice Cooper, appointed to Chatham ; James Trimble, assist.-surg., to the Oberon ; Valentine D. J. Rickcord, assist.-paymaster in charge, to the Supply; Robert Dillon, engineer, to the Oberon ; John Mather, engineer, to the Fisgard, for the Vixen ; and Frank Scott, first-class assist.-engi neer, to the Oberon. The Charge of Poisoning at Clyst Honiton The adjourned inquisition respecting the death of Wm. Ashford, a master boot and shoemaker, who resided at Clyst lioniton, near Exeter, was resumed on Monday by Mr. Deputy Coroner Brent, in a large room at the Duke of York Inn, Clyst Honi ton. Mary Ann Ashford, the wife of the deceased, who was in custody charged with having poisoned her husband, was present, and evinced great inte rest in the proceedings, though she maintained com parative composure. Mr. Gerald De Courcy, chief constable, and Mr. Maxwell, deputy chief constable, represented the police authorities on the part of the prosecution, and Mr. Friend, of Exeter, watched the case on behalf of the prisoner. A large number of persons occupied the lower end of the room. The prisoner appeared pale and weak on her entrance, and was assisted to her seat. William Pratt, journeyman shoemaker, who has been pointed out as the paramour of the pri soner, stated that the letters marked 1 and 2 (these have already been published) were in his handwriting, and that of the accused respectively. Witness also stated that No. 3 letter was in his handwriting. It was sent to Mrs. Ashford, and was of the same amusing character as the previous letters. Another letter was handed to witness marked No. 5, which he admitted was sent to him by the prisoner, and was in her handwriting : " Clist Honiton. " MyDear frank, this comes with my keind love to you and I was so glad to hear from you and I hope you will soon get better to come home again. lam almost broken hart. I should like to see you My deer frank. I thought you had quit xorgototon mo in not wrighting to mee before I have shaed manny tears since you been home then for money yore and no one to tell my troble to your in my mind all the day long and I hope you will right to me as soon as you cann and tell me how you are Getteing on fc r I shall want to know I am in so much troble a bout you. My Deer frank when you right to me derick to Mrs, Cowley and I shall be all right.—M. A. ASHFORD.—You will laugh at my righten." The Coroner here cautioned the witness not to criminate himself in his answers, as the court ex pected him to answer the questions put to him. In letter No. 1 what did you mean by "I hope he will not die, as you were speaking to me about the old man ?" Witness—l do not recollect anything about that, nor do I know what it means. By the Coroner—Did you ever have any com munication about Mr. Ashford dying ? Witness—Yes ; a day or two previous to Mr. Ashford's death I said, in answer to Mrs. Ash ford, "If master lives over to-night I think he will recover." Mrs. Ashford replied, "No, Frank, he is very ill indeed." The witness here stated that he had assisted in getting the deceased into bed once or twice during his last illness, having been sent for to do so. On one occasion he said he could not go, as his master looked so fierce, and he did not like to see him, He had had some conversation with a lad, aged 14 years, named Blackmore, who said to him, when talking about his master, " Oh, he'll never live to die." He did not notice anything par ticular in the expression. When he heard of Mr. Ashford's death he was frightened, and stopped work. He was a journeyman shoemaker, not an apprentice, and had worked for the deceased more than four years. His wages were Bs. a week with board in the house. He went to live at Dawlish at Christmas, 1863, and stopped there for eight months. Whilst staying at Dawlish he visited Clyst Honiton two or three times, and stayed at his late master's house, and did so by invitation. Deceased had called upon him three times at Dawlish. Was alone once with two young in= named John Reynolds and Ar thur Pearce, and once with Mrs. Ashford. On all oc casions witness and deceased asked him to return to Clyst Honiton. Mrs. Ashford also asked him to come back ; but witness replied to both that he had a very good situation where he was and the work was lighter. Witness refused to return as long as Mr. Ashford lived in the same house, when deceased rPplied he would change houses if witness would go and live with him. On one occasion witness replied he did not like to return as things had been said about him and Mrs. Ashford. Deceased replied "Never mind, Frank, if you come back with me people may say what they like, it shall make no difference to you. You may come with me, and I'll behave as a father to you, and you may live with me for life if you like, Frank." (The witness here became affected.) He was always on good terms with the deceased, and never had three angry words with him during the four years. During the past few months he had not been on such good terms with Mrs. Ashford as he had been some time previ ously, as she objected to his keeping company with a young woman. (Sensation.) He did not like to name the person. He broke off correspondence with Mrs. Ashford in consequence. Mrs. Ashford had quarrelled with him about his courting, but wit ness said it did not alter his determination. He had never heard the deceased and the prisoner quarrel about him, but within the past few months he had heard them disagree between themselves about a will that was drawn up unnkown to Mrs. Ashford, for Thomas Ashford, a brother of his master, and Nicholas Ashford, the father. He believed each one had a will. Since that time deceased made another will, which was in favour of Mrs. Ashford. He had never heard Mr. and Mrs. Ashford threaten each other. Theft of £9OO in Edinburgh. By the Jury--Did Airs. Ashford alone ever visit you at Dawlish ? Witness—Never. By the Coroner—Did you ever visit Mrs. Ashford at Clyst Honiton when her husband was not at home ? Witness—Not that I am aware of, sir. Agnes Ashford, widow, sister-in-law to the deceased, described the symptoms of the deceased when suffering from the fits on the 4th instant. His eyes, she said, appeared wild, his head was thrown back, and his hands were clenched. He took very small quantities of gin and brandy and water to wet his lips. Mrs. Ashford prepared the gin and water in the bed room. When deceased had no fits he complained of great pain. Mary Brewer, a widow, employed as a nurse by the prisoner during the deceased's illness, described the symptoms she noticed, which were similar to those noticed by Mrs. Butt, related at the previous inquiry. Selina Ann Ponsford, a little girl, nine years of age, deposed to fetching, on two different occasions, some jalap for the prisoner about a week before the deceased was taken ill. The inquiry was here adjourned for half an hour. William Herapath, sen., professor of chemistry and toxicology, residing at Bristol, stated that on Nov. 8 he received portions of the remains of Wm. Ashford for chemical analysis, which he was in structed to make by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. He found the stomach tied at the two extremities. There was but a small quan tity of contents, which were mostly of a bloody character. The stomach itself was in the highest state of inflammation. He cut out a portion of it, washed it, and put it on a piece of glass. The ap pearance showed him he had to seek for an irritant poison. He • first sought for arsenic by Riensch's process, and discovered it to be present; a specimen of the deposit he now produced. He described various tests he applied to the solution to prove the presence of the poison. He also tried Marsh's test, which also showed a deposit of metallic arsenic. Supposing it to be possible that the irritant now more frequently resorted to, strychnine, might be present,. he t r i e d strychnia, and by tests wh i ch he applied to the fl u id contents of the stomach he saw unmistakeable indications of strychnia. He had, THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 22 1865. therefore, no doubt from the inflamed state of the stomach that the person died from the effects of one or more irritant poisons. (Sensation.) Arsenic and strychnia were the poisons in this case. He could not bring the proofs of the presence of strychnia, owing to the colour of the tests being of a vanishing character. Having found poison in the stomach, he wished to discover whether it had entered the system. He therefore took from jar No. 3 a portion of one of the lobes of the liver. He treated for arsenic, and found undoubted proofs of it. He took a larger portion of the lobe, and treated for strychnia, and found undoubted evidence of that poison. As he therefore had found both poisons in the stomach and in the liver, he did not think it necessary to analyse the smaller intestines or the kidney. He then proceeded to analyse the last vomit, and in the sediment he found arsenic, and on eva porating it down found strychnia. In No. 6, marked " Hunter's vermin powder," on which was a printed label describing it as poison, he found starch and strychnia, slightly coloured with Prussian blue. The next packet contained the sediment from a wine glass in deceased's bed-room. The sediment he found to be white arsenic with a small quantity of black colouring matter. The next packet was the bed sheet, which he did not analyse, as he thought it unnecessary. The packet No. 5 contained some powder given to constable Butt by Mrs. Butt. The powder contained a very small quantity of white arsenic coloured by Prussian blue. Another parcel, no number,was composed of white arsenic and Prus sian blue. The other packets were numbered in a fresh series. The first was a purse taken from Mrs. Ashford's pocket by constable Butt. Under the catch he saw a little dust, andthemicroscope showed him the starch grains of the same character as he afterwards found in the pocket. The next packet contained a pocket and a pocket-handkerchief, but nothing could be seen on the surface of either. On introducing each separately into a conical glass con taining water, and allowing deposition to take place, he found in the sediments arsenic and strychnia. After describing other articles which had been for warded to him, but on which he found nothing suspicious, Mr. Herapath said that No. 8 contained four pills of about a grain each, in which he found a metal that he could not yet identify, but certainly it was not arsenic. No. 9 was marked " Found in Mrs. Ashford's house." In the packet he found a vermin powder, composed of strychnia, starch, and a black powder. The other package was sent by post from the police authorities, and con tained the powder that Mrs. Butt found in the room of the deceased on Nov. 10. It was marked outside by a printed label " poison," and was entirely white arsenic, coloured with Prussian blue. By the Coroner—Did you find enough poison to destroy life ? Witness—That is another matter; in all the cases I have had I have not found enough poison to de stroy life, but the effects of poison. lam confident that the man died from an irritant poison. The symptoms described by Agnes Ashford and Mrs. Brewer arethose attendant upon poisoning by arsenic and strychnia. Police-constable Butt, who resides at Clyst Honi ton, gave evidence of various conversations which he had had with the accused concerning the illness of her husband. The Coroner having carefully summed up, The Jury retired, and on returning into court, after a quarter of an hour's consultation, said that they had decided unanimously to return a verdict of " Wilful Murder against Mrs. Ashford." The prisoner on hearing this announcement fainted away. A farmer who had come to town on Friday to draw money from the bank was robbed in St. Andrew-square of about £9OO, by apparently an organised gang of thieves. It appears that the farmer bad called at the National Bank during the day, drawn £497 in cash, and procured a cheve for £4OO. His intention was to leave for home by a train leaving Waverley-bridge station at 6 o'clock, but he was too late to catch it. On leaving the station he was accosted by a woman, who enticed him into an entry in St. Andrew-square. Shortly afterwards a man came down a stair in the entry, who ordered the woman away, and then entered into conversation with the farmer. In a few minutes he also left the entry, when the farmer discovered that the money and cheque had been stolen. He immediately lodged information of his loss at the Central Police-office. From a description of the woman and a report of the conversation that passed, detectives Golan and Stewart, who were on duty at the time, suspected two parties already well known to the police. They were accordingly ap prehended and brought to the police-office. Their names are Mary Hepburn and Wm. Scott, a habit and repute thief. Hepburn was identified as the woman who enticed the farmer into the close, but owing to the darkness when the man appeared at the entry, Scott could not be sworn to as the same party. The money was not recovered, but payment of the cheque has been stopped. It is believed that Scott kept the unwary farmer occupied until the woman had got time to hand over the money to a third accomplice. Hepburn and Scott were charged with the theft at the police-court on Satur day, and remitted to the Fiscal for further exami nation.•—Scotsman. SCULLERS' RACE FOR £lOO. Yesterday afternoon a magnificent race took place over the metropolitan course. One of the men is acknowledged to be one of the very best that everrowed on our river, and has never hitherto been beaten, while the other has never previously rowed a scullers'race, save in regatta . s. In these, however, his prowess was so great and pace so fast that the backers of Randolph Cook, of Oxford, sought a customer for him long since, but as little men would havenothingto say to the Oxonian, he was at length brought out against the almost invincible Thos. Hoare, of Hammersmith, and they were matched to row from Putney to Mortlake for X5O a side. The race accordingly came off yesterday, when both men appeared in good condition—Cook having trained under the care of the champion, Henry Kelley, at the Bells, Putney, while Hoare had taken his practice at Mr. Will cox's, the White Hart, Barnes. Three steamboats had been engaged to accompany the race, and on board one of these was Mr. Willcox, as umpire for Hoare, and Mr. Stephen Salter, of Oxford, for Cook, and Mr. John Ireland, of the London Rowing Club, as referee. Cook was taken up by Kelley, and Hoare by George Drewitt. The Oxford man having won the toss, they went to their stations and were off at about half-past 3, Cook immediately taking the lead. This he increased rapidly until he had cleared his man, rowing at a rapid pace, in very fine form. At Simmond's boat-yard Cook led by half a clear length, and by another at the London Boat-house, Hoare laying out all his powers and exhibiting his very best form, but being as yet unable to diminish his opponent's lead; so they rowed past the Willows and round the Point, when Cook spurted and led by a clear length, still further increasing the gap higher up. Hoare, however, was rowing in that careful and artistic manner for which he has always been celebrated, and, eying his man now and then, seemed on such occa sions satisfied with the scrutiny. Past the Dung-wharf they kept the same positions, but as they made the open water opposite the Dung-wharf and came into the lumpy stuff Cook faltered in his stroke, and catching a crab Hoaro immediately reduced the lead to half a clear length. Cook got away again, but again was collared, and a succession of beautiful spurts followed to within a short distance of Hammersmith-bridge, when Cook, who had latterly been boring his man, suddenly ceased, and Hoare's boat run ning up his quarter they came into collision. Cook righted himself first, and, Hoare backing astern, Cook passed un der the bridge, holding a lead of a clear length again. Shortly afterwards, Hoare drawing up, Cook again bored his man out; Hoaro gave way and went wide of him, still leaving Cook with the lead, till they were within a few yards of the bottom of Chiswick-ait, where the wind ruffled the water. Cook gave in, and Hoare was left to win as ho pleased, which he did, occupying 27min. 30sec. City Commission of Sewers. The weekly meeting of the Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London was held yesterday ; Deputy De Jersey, chairman of the commission, presided. Mr. 11. L. Taylor brought forward a motion of which he had given notice, that it be re ferred to the improvement committee to consider the expediency of serving notices forthwith to take the premises of Messrs. Corbyn on the south side of the Poultry for the purpose of widening and improving the said street. Mr. Taylor, in proposing the motion, remarked upon the great inconvenience that was occasioned to the public by the present narrow thoroughfare of the Poultry, and said that as there appeared to be considerable and almost insurmount able difficulties in getting possession of the property on the north side, and so widening the street in that direction, it appeared to him that it was their duty to see whether something could not be done on the opposite side of the Poultry, and it was with that object that he had brought forward the present motion. A short discussion then took place, in the course of which Mr. Chaplin and one or two other of the commissioners inquired of Mr. Taylor whether it was to be understood that the motion would in any way bind the commissioners to a particular course. Mr. Taylor, in his reply, said that the motion, if agreed to, would not in the slightest degree bind the commissioners to any plan of widening the Poultry on the south side, and, in point of fact, it would rest with the improvement committee whether any steps at all should be taken in the matter. The motion was then agreed to. Dr. Letheby, the medical officer of health, reported that during the week 41 births and 53 deaths had been registered in the city of London, and that the rate of mortality was much below the average (63), although at the same time the amount of mortality appeared to be gradually rising. During the week 2, 9991b5. of meat had been seized as unfit for human food, namely, 11 sheep, 2 pigs, and 24 quarters of beef. There also had been seized 18 carcases of beef—cattle that had died of the cattle disease— which had been sent from Scotland, and the seizure had taken place in consequence of information that had been afforded by the police authorities from that country. Dr. Letheby suggested, with reference to this matter, that inquiries should be made with a view to ascertain whether legal proceedings ought not to be taken against the parties who had been guilty of so flagrant a violation of the law. The court then adjourned. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. Commodore D unlop, Superintenden t of Woolwich Dockyard, yesterday received instructions from the Board of Admiralty to be in attendance to-day at Gravesend and superintend the embarkation of the Prince and Princess Louis of Ilesse (Prin cess Alice Maud Mary of England) and their family for Germany. The Royal yacht Osborne, Staff Commander D'Arcy, has arrived at Gravesend for that purpose. The paddlewheel steamtug vessel . Bustler, Second Maste r D ra p er , w ith C ommo d ore Dunlop and officers of the dockyard, will go down this morning from Woolwich, the Bustler towing down the Admiralty barge used on similar occasions. Her Majesty's 22-gun frigate Endymion, launched on Saturday from Deptford Dockyard, will leave her moorings in the river this morning for Sheerness. She will be towed to her destination by the Monkey, Widgeon, and Locust, attached to the Woolwich, Deptford, and Sheerness yards. The Locust went up to Deptford yesterday from Sheerness, conveying a number of seamen riggers from the Naval Bar racks there, in command of Capt. George Hodges, R.N., Assist.-Master-Attendant of the yard, and will navigate the Endymion to Sheerness, to be fitted for service. Yesterday being the 25th anniversary of the birth of the Princess Royal, the Royal Standard was hoisted on the flagstaffs at Woolwich. Her Majesty's 6-gun paddle-wheel sloop Spiteful, Commander A. W. D. Fletcher, having shipped her guns from Woolwich Arsenal immediately after her official trial in September last, yesterday received her shot and ammunition at the powder buoy, and will be inspected in a few days by Commodore Dunlop, preparatory to her departure. _ _ _ The hired transport Richaid Wilson yesterday arrived at Woolwich and commenced shipping guns and other war stores for the ships at Portsmouth. The War Department vessel Lord Raglan, Mas ter-Commander Wilkins, yesterday hauled alongside the wharf at Woolwich Arsenal, and disembarked a number of Armstrong guns brought up from Ports mouth to be repaired and re-sighted for service, and the Lord Panmure, steam store vessel, Master- Commander Moore, yesterday commenced shipping 200 tons of shot and shell for Portsmouth, and will sail in a few days. The Turkish paddlewheel yacht Fuad went down the river on her official trial on Monday, and made the prescribed run at the Lower Hope. She was built by the Millwall Company, under the direction p chu a o l l adrdimensions ledx a tir r ,e e om7 : of Mr. Ch ar l es L ung l ey, and i s of i ron. Her princi pal ije to breadth , n n s g t speed was reg i stered at 16k knots per ho▪ ;• eurdre.rpattlhe'hoof of engines, of 300-h orse power nominal, are on the oscillating pri nc i p l e, with feathering paddlewheels, h b r:2 be ef t n w t between pe rn e n di _ made by Mess rs . R avenhill, llodo.son During the trial, whi c h was g y successful, they i made 41 revolutions per minute . The builders were represented by Mr. Lungley ; Mr. Trickett was in attendance from Woolwich Dockyard by order of the Lords of the Admiralty, and Mr. Ravenhill at tended in charge of the engines. Mr. John Large, R.A., master gunner, Thorn Island fortress, has been pensioned, after 28 years' service. On the 19th of February, 1861, during a dreadful gale of wind, Mr. Large, at the risk of his life, rescued three men from the brigantine Har mony, which was wrecked in Freshwater West Bay. Cobden's Opinion of American Claims. While it was generally known that our late statesman, RICHARD COBDEN, was strongly impressed with the justice of the claims made by the United States for the damages suffered at the hands of Confederate cruisers fitted in English ports, yet the following extracts from letters written by him to the London correspondent of the Chicago Tribune cannot fail to be read with great interest, as affording additional evidence that at least one great Englishman thought it a proper subject for arbitration. The correspondent alluded to is an English gentleman, who has for the past two years interested himself in placing before the people of this country the question whether a neutral power was responsible for acts of destruction caused by vessels of war which were built and manned, if not partially armed and equipped, in its ports. In January, 1864, Mr. COBDEN wrote to him as follows: " I entirely agree with you as to the consequences to be apprehended from the operations of the privateers. But I do not see how I can interfere now with advantage. I stated in the House last spring, when it was difficult to get a hearzegdp that side, what I feared could be the cense quencer of our lax proceedings at Liverpool, (fc. * * But I confess I think the money amount of the cap tures the smallest amount of the future penalty we shall have to pay. It is the loss of productive' value inflicted on the whole of the United States mercantile marine which is the most pregnant fact, for it shows what half-a-dozen swift steamers would do to our merchantmen. * * * With such a prospect I hardly see how we can go to war with even Brazil. I have marvelled at the short-sighted ness of so many of our shipowners and merchants, who ought, the moment there was even the hint of privateers being fitted out in our ports, to have risen en masse against it, and to have called on tho Government to apply for fresh powers if they had not sufficient for the purpose. Instead of this, too many of them have, I fear, chuckled over the destruction of a rival. For English shipowners and merchants to be found encouraging such a mode of warfare upon and through foreign commerce is on a par with the intelligence which the proprietors of the Crystal Palace would exhibit if they were to invite a game of stone-throwing with their neighbours living in stone and slate houses." The following is extracted from a second letter, dated February 24th , 1864 , on the same subject : "You are acting a patriotic part in endeavouring to give a serious aspect to the operations of British built cruisers on American commerce. I regard it in every point of view as the most serious question so affecting our interests which has arisen out of the war. I do not mean merely the dis puted money claim, though that may be serious —but the lesson we have given and the example we have sot to be applied some day on ourselves. I think Lord Russell verb injudicious in refusing the offer of arbitration. We may not have another President so peaceful as Lincoln, or another Minister of State so pliant and conciliatory as Seward to deal with." BREAKFAST BEVERAGE. —Homccop athic practitioners, and the medical profession generally, recommend cocoa as being tl.e most healthful of all beverages. When the doctrine of homoeopathy was first introduced into this country, there were to be obtained no preparations of cocoa either attrac tive to the taste or acceptat. le to the stomach ; the nut was either supplied in the crude state, or so unskilfully mann factored as to obtain little notice. J. Epps, of London, homoeopathic chemist, was induced in the year 1839 to turn his attention to this subje t, and at length sue:ceded, with the assistance of elaborate machinery, in being the first to produce an artiste pure in its composition, a id so refined by the pert et trituration it receives in the process it passel through, as to be most acceptable to the delicate stomach. For general use Epps' cocoa is distinzuished as an invigo rating, grateful breakfast beverage, with a delicious aroma Dr. Hassan in his work. "Food and its Adulterations," says—" Cocoa contains a great variety of important nutritive principles; every ingredient necessary to the growth and sustenance of the body." Again, "As a nutritive, cocoa stands very much higher than either coffee or tea." Direc tions —Two teaspoonfuls of the powder in a breakfast cup, filled up with boiling water or milk. Secured in tin-lined 1-Ib., i-lb , and lib. labelled packets, and sold at ls. 6d. per lb. by grocers, confectioners, and chemists. SPIRIT OF - THE PUBLIC JOTJRNALS. -~-r►--- TIMES.—The new experiment in Law Reporting is now in active operation, under the superinten dence of a Council, representing the three principal Inns of Court and the Incorporated Law Society. Two statements recently issued by this Council, the one addressed to the Judges, the other to the legal profession, explain the nature of the proposed reform; and the degree of encouragement which its ' authors have received. For some time past the increasing bulk and expense of law reports, the utter want of uniformity in their compilation, and the extreme irregularity of their appearance had overtaxed even the patience of practitioners. At last a meeting of the Bar was called, in December, 1863, and the whole subject was, as usual, referred to a Committee. The Committee duly entered on their labours, and, as usual, differed among them selves not only on details but on principles. They succeeded, however, in producing a Report, after wards adopted by a second meeting of the bar, re commending the formation of a Council, with power to organise a staff of reporters, to contract with publishers, and to make all other necessary arrange ments for the establishment of one complete set of Reports, under independent yet authoritative con trol. It was an essential feature of the system that it should be governed by professional and not by commercial interests, and the advantage expected from it were greater care in the selection of cases, with less prolixity and greater promptitude in pub lication, at a very moderate cost. The Council believe that they are now in a position to realise these promises. Although the number of sub scribers and the amount of subscriptions have fallen far short of their hopes, and although they have neither obtained a Government guarantee nor con ciliated the law publishers, they speak confidently of their prospects. They have already secured the assistance of the " authorised reporters" in ten at least out of the fourteen Courts whose decisions are to be recorded, have procured the general sanction of the Judicial Bench, and have overcome their financial difficulties in a manner which is said to be perfectly satisfactory to all concerned. We shall soon possess a specimen of the results, and if it should justify the expecta tions of the Council, the public, as well as the lawyers, will have much reason to be grateful to them. Of course such a scheme could not fail to excite much jealousy and hostility amongst those whose monopoly is thus invaded. Four eminent law publishers have forwarded a formal remonstrance to the Council, setting forth their grievances. They resent the intrusion of " a new series of law reports, to be based upon the ruin of all existing ones," and " implying the annihilation of a considerable por tion of their incomes." They submitted that, as prudent men of business, they could not lend them selves to an enterprise " which seemed to be de ficient in the elements of financial success," and threaten to glut a market already overstocked. They claim the credit of having been the first to issue " regular " Law Reports, and cast the whole blame of " their subsequent decline, arising from protracted appearance and lengthiness," upon the reporters themselves. They consider it a great hardship, therefore, that the council should have enticed away nearly all the gentlemen in their em ploy by the offer of higher and fixed salaries, and should have arranged with Messrs. Clowes, the printers, for the publication of the new Reports upon terms " which must utterly exclude the law publishers, and all others, from the usual trade allowance." " The retailer's profit," they say, "is an institution of great antiquity," older even than the Year Books, and always heretofore respected. Having thus protested against-these infringements of their own rights, they conclude, somewhat in consistently, with a tender of their services to the Council, proposing "to become, as a united body, the publishers" of the obnoxious work, to secure the widest possible circulation for it, and to ." discourage whatever opposition may exist now and hereafter." In other words, having done their best to suppress competition, and having, as the Council believe, mainly contributed to pre vent the subscription list being filled up, they are now alarmed at the progress made by an enterprise " deficient in the elements of financial success," and want to cast in their lot with it. A more unreason able request never was made, and the arguments by which it is supported would be rejected by the most bigoted Protectionist. The law publishers deserve no thanks for establishing the so-called regular Reports. It was a mercantile speculation of the most ordinary kind, and the reason why a new series is demanded is that they have supplied a bad article, at an exorbitant price, and often too late to be of use, out of a shortsighted regard to their own profit. The Council express much regret that no law publisher would come forward to co-operate with them ; and it would be monstrous, indeed, if under these circumstances they were to be precluded from making their own bargain with another firm. As for any deviation from the rules under which they are empowered to act, this is obviously a question between them and the subscribers, just as the scale of remuneration is entirely a question between them and the reporters. The law publishers have no locus standi in the matter, and the fact that, as they contend, they are " the only parties prejudicially affected" is one that it would have been more dis creet to conceal. There are other obstacles, however, quite independent of vested interests, which may tend to defeat the sanguine anticipations of the Council. Their scheme is, after all, a compromise between two conflicting theories of Law Reporting. A report may be intended to preserve the essential points of a case for the purposes of future citation, or it may be intended to furnish the public with a continuous account of what actually took place in Court. The latter is the primary object of such Reports as appear daily in this journal, but it is not the primary object of those reports which purport to embody our Case Law. A perfect collection of precedents would consist mainly of considered judg ments in which the material facts should be recited with the utmost possible brevity. The first condi tion of such a publication would be that all import ant judgments—that is, all that are worth register ince—should be written, and this obviously depends on the hearty support of the Bench. Until Judges can be induced to undertake an amount of addi tional trouble which might perhaps involve an in crease in their number, even regular law reporters will encroach on the province of the newspaper or the legal periodical by endeavouring to give a tole rably complete history of each case. Besides, con densation notoriously takes a great deal more time than reporting in full, and no salary that can be offered by the Council is likely to secure the undi vided services of an experienced barrister. Private practice is a dangerous rival of law reporting, and the same motives which have hitherto delayed the preparation of reports will continue to operate more or less until the reporter becomes an officer of the Court. Nothing but an exclusive privilege of cita tion would place the new system altogether above the deteriorating influences of competition, and nothing but exclusive devotion to the business of reporting would ensure unfailing punctuality. At the same time, this is a step in the right direction, and bids fair to effect a considerable improvement in the neglected art of Coke. It will be a pure gain to the legal profession if a complete set of reports, superior to any now published, can henceforward be purchased by a five-guinea subscription. It will probably hely to " simplify and purify the sources of the law," by exercising an insensible pressure on the Judges and subjecting reporters to proper control. It may thus indirectly facilitate the pro cess of digesting, which, as most reformers admit, must precede that of codifying, while it can hardly fail to diminish the glorious uncertainty which pro ceeds alike from the unscientific spirit of our Com mon Law and from ambiguities in the judicial expo sition of it. HERALD.—The decision of the Court of Comthon Pleas in Wigan v. Strange, has, let us hope, put an end to the prolonged dispute between theatrical lessees and music-hall managers. The latter, in the person of the defendant Strange, have obtained a triumph, but " without costs," so that the former may still consider they had some reasonable ground of complaint. We can, therefore, only " hope" that the question is settled ; but we do so in the full belief that lessees of theatres will think twice before they again embark in a crusade against a form of enter tainment proved to be strikingly popular with those easy-going classes of society who like to vary the close confinement of the theatre with the freedom of the music-hall. The decision in the Common Pleas is but a further development of the feeling that abolished patent theatres; it tallies with the tendency of modern times to do away with idle restrictions upon the amusements of the people, and to make the market for public caterers of entertainment an open one. Besides this, the public was justly sick of air drawn distinctions between ballet d'action and ballet divertissement, between dancing with a plot and danc ing without one ; and it could see only in the dis pute a desire on the part of one set of men to put down another, by taking advantage of a sumptuary law of questionable value. It was impossible to do anything but smile at the histrionic researches of counsel in the cause of their clients, at the endea vours of the theatrical witness to prove that the brandishing of pasteboard daggers and palm-leaves was a stage play, and the struggles of the music hall witness to show that it was not. Naturally enough, perhaps, these opposing witnesses each took the colour of the food they lived upon. The " artist" employed at the theatre saw plainly the infringement which was completely invisible to his fellow engaged at the music-hall ; and pos sibly had their relative positions been reversed their opinions would have been reversed also. This state of things demanded a remedy, and certainly the only good remedy in these days is to take away an absurd restriction, and let the theatre compete with its younger rival upon the simple # ground of excellence. In the end the public must determine what it ought to see, and what it ought not to see, and to the public should be left the choice of ballet at the music-hall or ballet at the theatre. The pipe and grog consideration should be omitted altogether, for nothing can be more ab surd than to maintain that because a man desires this indulgence he should be debarred from anything but a low or inferior claSs of entertainment in the place it pleases him to look for it. In effect, this is the obstacle the theatrical managers would put in his path. So long as he was content with the regu lation comic song,the unmeaning Irish dialogue, the contortionist, and the Ethiopian serenader, they were undemonstrative. But hen he was found to patronise a more rational or picturesque form of entertainment they stepped in to deprive him of it. If anything be wanted to show the absurdity of the whole matter the pleas of defendants in such cases as Wigan v. Strange may be put in evidence. Thus we find the music-hall manager resting his defence upon the fact that he has only provided an imper fect entertainment. Hampered by legal restrictions, he has carefully avoided representing anything which has plot or coherence. " The ballet in ques lion," says Mr. Poland, " was only a ballet divertis sement containing neither plot nor dramatis persona;." The ballet girls danced, but they did so undramati cally and without meaning. They brandished their daggers and. their palm leaves, but not with the slightest intention of conveying a tangible idea to the audience. The object of the defence is. to prove that the ballet was a mere piece of sana tory nonsense ; the object of the prosecution to show that the ballet was a good and perfect one. Thus we find the counsel for the theatrical lessees giving Mr.. Strange a high testimonial as to the dramatic value of the ballet he puts on the stage, while he himself is compelled, by the mouth of his advocate, to maintain that he presented a bald, disjointed spectacle, of an inferior character to that produced at the theatre. In these toils we find Lord Chief Justice Erle also struggling. He looks upon the case as one of fact, not of law ; and he gives his decision upon the ground that the plaintiff has not shown the ballet in question to have ap proached anything like completeness. He sees that the performance comes " very near" to a dramatic one ; but as it is " a ballet divertissement, in which there is no consecutive train of ideas, but in which a number of persons of elegant shapes and motions represented a number of scenes which are uncon nected, dramatically speaking," he gives his decision in favour of the defendant. It is a question of ex cellence. A mere unconnected display of pirouetting and posturing—a ballet without beginning, middle, or end—is within the aegis of a music and dancing licence ; but once make the dancing coherent, as it were, and the medium of a story, and the bounds of the licence are overstepped and the music-hall becomes an unlicenced theatre. The difficulty is to prove the exact point at which the line is passed ; and this difficulty is a grave one indeed. When does a ballet become a stage play? Mr. Poland gives us an instance in " Ondine," and possibly this is as good an instance as could be given. But the " action" of a ballet—in other words, the plot—is of so mysterious a character in most cases as to defy the shrewdest understanding. The nearest approach to a definition is to say that it must be founded upon a recognised story, and must tell that story in detail to the audience. But how many ballets do this? Of all performances on any stage ballets are the most doubtful and mysterious. A new one puzzles even the professional critics, without the friendly aid of the ballet-master, or the assistance of that odd kind of literary man,, the ballet author. If we go to acts of Parliament we find the word " ballet" altogether absent. They speak of " stage plays," and these are defined as interlude, tragedy, comedy, opera, farce, play, burletta, and pantomime, or other entertainment of the stage." Evidently the ballet was not within the purview of the act of Parliament makers, or, with other and numerous definitions of stage plays, it would have been in cluded. But enough has been said of this very doubtful motter. The great question at issue is the absurd restriction which creates dispute 'between theatrical lessees and managers of music-halls, and interferes with the rational amusements of the people. Mr. Locke's bill of last session would have done much towards settling the question, but somehow the bill was burked, or suffered to fall through in a questionable way, and so the only de cision we got is one which Chief Justice Erle ad mits might have been reversed had more graphic evidence been laid before him or had he himself seen the ballet complained of. Let us hope, how ever, that a decision even th us qua liad will make an end of the discussion, at least till it shall be raised again in the form of a case for Parliament to decide upon. We want an act that will take away such grievances as theatres labour under, and place the entertainments of music-halls upon a safe and legal footing. Nothing can be more absurd than laws which keep music-halls down to a low level and burden them with penalties directly they rise above the ordinary entertainments of the old singing-rooms with which cur progenitors were perforce satisfied. COUNTRY MARKETS ----b'-- BRISTOL-TUESDAY. Our market to-day was dull at last week's prices forboth English and foreign wheat. Barley scarce, and fully as dear. Beans and peas good inquiry. Millet attracts at tention from its relatively low price. L EEDS-T UESDAY. We have a good show of grain this week. The wheat trade is slow to-day, and all descriptions are rather easier to purchase. Fine barley the same as last week ; other sorts fully is per qr. lower. Oats and beans quite as dear. LIVERPOOL-TUESDAY. At this day's market there was a fair attendance of the, town and country trade, but only a moderate amount 0 1 business was reported. American wheats scarce and a little lower, and French may also be quoted 2d per 100 lb. lower on the week. French flour difficult to move, and a decline of is to is 6d per sack on best marks, and 2s on or dinary 'yuns. Oats and oatmeal 2d per 451 b. and 2s per load down on the week. Barley, beans, and peas unaltered. Mixed American declined is per qr. on the week. MELTON MOWBRAY.-T UESDAY. Last week's prices were generally realised for wheat' —White wheat, 52s to 56s ; red, 41s to 52s per 36 stonc Barley for malting,. 34s to 378 per qr ; feed, 29s to 318 per 30 stone. Oats. 11s to 30s. Beans, old, 44s to 50s; new, 38s to 44s per qr. • LYNN-TUESDAY. The supply of wheat to-day was pretty good ; business, however, was not active, and prices were not quotably altered. Ba r l e y a mo d era t e show, and steady. All other articles as of late. New wheat, 44s to 50s ; new red, 425. to 45s ; old white, 48s to 52s ; old red, 46s to 50s per 36 stone. Barley for malting, 34s to 36s ; secondary, 32s ; ordinary, 26s to — 5 per qr. Oats, 18s to 24s per 24 stone. Beans, large, 38 5 to 40s ; small, 40s to 42s per 38 stone. SHEFFIELD—TuzsDAy. Red wheat, per load of 3 imp, bushels 17s Od to 19s Ocl White . do do l2s Oct 21s Od New red do do l6s td )78 61 New white do do ...1 8s Oct 198 6d Beans do • do l7B Oct 19s Od Peas, per qr. . 4oa Od 42s od Grinding bay ley, per qr 30s Od 32s Od Maltinebarley, co 32s Od 3Ss Od Oats, do 268 Od 29s Od F10ur....1s 6d to 2i Od per 141 b. Captain Gronow, late of the Guards, who had seen service in tho Peninsula and at Waterloo, died on Monday at Paris. He was well known to men of the old school both in Paris and London, and had lately published some reminiscences of the men ho had met witk in his lengthened career. Births. DONALDSON.—On the 20th inst., at Aldershot, the wife of Captain Donaldson, King's Own Hussars, of a son. GRANARD.—On the 20th inst., at 4, Rutland-square cast' Dublin, the Countess of Granard, of a daughter. KAVANAGH.—On the 18th inst., at Clifford Hall, FinchleYl the Hon. Mrs. Kavanagh, of a daughter. PENNANT. —On the 21st inst., at 49, Wilton-crescent, the i llon. Mrs. A. Douglas Pennant, of a son. Marriages. BROTHERTON-11011B.—On the 24th inst., at St. Peter's, Eaton-square, General Sir Thomas Brotherton, G.C.B•' to Thomasina, daughter of the late Rev. Walter Hore. GURBINS—ROLLS.—On the 21st inst., at Llangattoci c- Nibon-Avel, the Rev. Richard Shard Gubbins, M. eldest son of the late Lieut.-Colonel Gubbins, Ellen, youngest daughter of John E. W. Rolls, Esq. , ° The Kendra, Monmouthshire. Deaths. A.LSTON.—On the 21st inst., at 52, Belgrave-road, Rowlan d Alston, Esq., aged 84. GALE.—On the 19th inst., Mr. Thomas. Gale, of Twyfordi Berks, aged 54. Lewis.—On the 21st inst., Thomas Lewis, Esq., a 7° ' Baker-street, and Upper Norwood, Surrey, aged 81. v M!CANcE.—On the 18th inst., Wm. M'Cance, Esq., late of Suffolk, near Belfast,' aged PlERsos.—On the 18th inst., at Reading, James Piersou, Esq., formerly of The Elms, Epsom, aged 75. REEVE.—On the 18th inst., at 5, Henrietta-street, Coven t garden, Mr. L. Reeve, F.L.S.; aged 51. SMITH.—On the 19th inst., at 2, Atlantic Villas, We st °11 ; super-Mare, Charles M. Smith, Esq., of Rock Vale, 03-- Dartmouth, aged 75. I e, STONE.—On the 18th'inst., at Brighton, R o derick Cl au d e , youngest son of Henry Stone, Esq., of Inner Te ni ll. e t. barrister-at-law, and Merle Lodge, Ryde, Isle 0 wig s London : Printed and Pub li shed by WIL LIAM AN DBE /Tr , of No. 112, Strand, Painter, at Tut .n; Sur/ Office , N° ,.. of Strand, in the Precinct of the Ssvov. in the Coun t] Aii:slics9lG—Wednesday, November 22, 1865. I II 1 li