The Sun. — London, England, 1849-11-29 00:00:00

'4 i me that he has off , red the girl's father 20/. He has never said anything about that, or aay oth , r sum. I know a man named 11,Ann.y. I have not heard from the defer) lant that ho g rit Romney to offer the 20/. I will swear he has tievrr said anything about the offer, on any ono occasion. I never said I had had connexion with the girl down to Sept. or October, IS4B. I never told Mayne that. Re-exureinetiiby Mr. BRAMWELL—A great many peo ple, at different times, have asked me what cvidience I was going to give. Davy. the postboy, is not employed by. the plaintiff ; he ptCs his 11, , rse up at the plaintiff's Cable. By the JUDGE—It was part of my duty to go to clean the church, and it wa% on these occasions that I had connexion with her. When I had connexion with her, her sisters were in the church, and the little Gar mands. There are four of the Garmands. They were there on some of the occasions. These transactions with me and her occurred is different parts of the church.• Mrs. Diamond was also very often in the church at the time. She was generally occupied tr in,the gallery. By a Jura man—Mrs. Dismond could not see from - the gallery to the pew where the connexiontook place. _ _ Elizabeth Diamond called and au fined by Mr. BRAMWELL —She said, I live at 1 1ottenhant, and was employed in the church there down to the latter end of 1 847. I know the young man who has ju4t left the box. I know Frances Elisabeth Colyer. 1 hare frequently seen her in the church when young Chalkley has been there. I saw no improper conduct between them. I have frequently told her to go out of the church, as I did not wish the church to be dirtied. but I had no idea of what was being transec:ed there. I have seen her there with other children playing, and I have turned them out. I remember a Mr. Stringer, Who died suddenly in August of last year. I assi.tt d to lay him out; and I charr.d there for some weeks, six or seven. I remember a young man, named Ben jamin Perkins; he was there keeping the shop open for the trade until the shop was let. I saw the young wo man several times in the shop; and I have told her it Was not proper for her to be there so many times among the young chaps; she could not be buying always. This Perkins was about seventeen or eighteen. I saw the young woman there once or twice. I never saw her in any other part of the house than the shop. Cross-examined by Sergeant BYLES—I have known Tottenham Cnurch ever since it was built—sixteen or seventeen years. I know the gallt ries of that church; I have cleaned them many times. I think there are pews in the gallery, from which the altar is not visible. When the clergyman is at the altar he can be seen from every pew in the gallery. I never turned her out on account of any indecent conduct in the church. I have known the girl for eight years. I never saw anything indecent or improper in her conduct at Perkins' shop. Sometimes there were other girls with her at Perkins' shop, and I used to turn them away. I have seen her there alone more than twice, on one such occasion she said she had come to buy a pair of scissors. Mr. Stringer's shop is right opposite the church on Totten ham-green, facing the public road. Mr. Stringer was a oleakt r. This was the defendant's case. Frances Elizabeth Colyer was recalled by Mr. Ser geant BYLES to be interrogated with respect to Perkins. She said—l know old Mr. Stringer's shop. There was never any familiarity between me and the young man Perkins there. Cross-examined by Mr. BRADS WELL—I went once there alone to settle a bill for my father, and I went alone to buy a pair of scissors. I have been there, too, with other children. I don't remember seeing Mrs. Diamond there, but she might be. I don't think she ever spoke to me about my being there. I ?lever remember it. I never heard her say it was Improper for me to be in that shop. She may have Si,done and I may have forgotten it. I might have .eett five or ten minutes at Perkins' shop at the t i ne- I might have been there a quarter of an hour, h ut I wont swear it. I will swear 1 have not been there a ll an hour at a time. By . the JUDGE—I had not known Perkins before I went to Stringer's shop. He did not live in Tottenham before that; he was quite a stranger there. I don't re- Illetaber Mrs. Diamond speaking to me when I came to 'IV a pair of scissors. The R9v. John Brewster Twining was next called, " n u examined by Sergeant RYLES—IIe said, I am the r4 hliater of th e c h urc h a t T o tt en h am . I t h as b een b u ilt TQBtY years. I know the construction of the church. • gallery i s a t th e wes t en d o f th e c h urc h, an d f ac i ng altar, and with the exc e ption of the pews under e gallery, I can see the altar, and every other part of the church from the gallery. Cross examined—There is a partition down the gal• l erY• At the back of the north division of the pews there is a low passage. There is a small chancel in Which the altar stands. About eight feet before the altar rails there is an open space. The pulpit stands en one side of the apace, and the desk on the other, and there aro side aisles round the church as well as a taid,ile one. Mr. BRA3IWELL replied upon the additional evidence given for the plaintiff. The object of the examination ,Of Mr. Twining, and of the cross . examination of Mrs. uilmond, had been to show that the church was so con- structed that the transactions in question cculd not have t aken place in the church, without being se en by any Person who might be in the church. He submitted that that evidence was perfectly consistent with the statement 1 5 f Chalkley that the intercourse on one occasion had ta ken place at the bottom of the pews. Mr. Sergeant BYLES then addressed the jury for the raietiff. Equally with Mr. Bram ?Tell he regarded the /r u e of this trial with the great( st anxiety. Mr. r amwell had said the verdict of the jury, if against the I,etendant, would ruin him. He (Mr. Sergeant Byles) !nought the conclusion of the jury would be warped by t such c ons id erat i on. lie k new t h e y w ould look only ;0 ce' (the evidence. Nothing was easier than to put a per bre • ts Witness into the box, but it was for juries to ring - -e met a l and decide which was true and which was e r o terfeit. A grievous injury had been inflicted on the P o 4 t ill ,tiff by somebody. His daughter had had a Wha t and th ere it was living at this time. was he to do ? His main witness hersted by ... 3 ine young woman herself. She not be corro any other witness, for no e i ther person was b efore present. Therefore he presented his daughter uelfore the jury—his innocent daughter, as he said; and th:jurY had seen the demeanour of the child in going th 'cligh the croEs-exatnination of the astute Counsel for th e der enc'. Let them judge from the deportment of I , Fitness herself, whether her testimony was credible. ano t tt Was h er ev id ence ? She was sent to the defend -68 by her father, with some pickles. She was a per %f t ' st ranger to him. She is sent again a few days th-erwarde. He then asked her to go into his rcom; he leL n ' as she swore, effected his purpose by vio -1 hi She threatened to tell her father, bat he - „'r " No, you wont." She went home ruined ir s e _• and her amily r articipating in her %remediable ruin. She i f a child only fifteen years off te l s he is ashamed, but she is not yet fully aware of 41; e xtent of her ruin. With the shame that accompa tell! an innocent ingenuous nature, she shrinks from r ear , it ig her friend what had happened; but the facts h inil `.i, e r Concealment impossible. She is found in the Wi t h i l h Way, but she never divulged what was the matter 4 e r- Shortly after the defendant knowing what he n ot O ne, remarked to the mother that her dau;hter did fea look 'well. well. The unhappy mother replied that she w fta re u her child was in a decline; but it was not till she e ll - % t aken to Dr. Frampton that tha painful truth came tended hat was her story. He (Sergeant Byles) con that the child which the girl bore could not have been ;;elferable to her connexion with the defendant, fa rnuch as da i ly exper i ence i n suc h matters h er l ued such a sugges ti on . Sh e did no t t e ll e t , parents what had happened from a feeling of shame. at had b een use d aga i ns t h er b y t h e d e f en d ant ' s e 4 lln2 elt but the jury would remember that they were at then trying the defendant for a rape, when such a tl ggestion might have been made available against the r° t. , The defendant was not content with destroying I' person, but he must ruin her character. With re- Peet to the witness Chalkley, the counsel for the de '"rldant told one thing and the witness another. The C ounsel for the defendant had said that he could prove that Chalkley had had connexion with the girl in bein g or October, 1848, so as to account for Ls the father of the child she bore; but when Chalk :7 gotinto the box, in the prt Bence of the clergyman of t he parish, he swore he had not had connexion with her after October, 1847. He would call on the jury to look at 1 disgraceful position a man placed himself in by coming do ne a court of justice and telling the story Chalkley bad _elan today . He first ruined her, according to his state mitt ent, and then cam into court and published her shame 0, 4 his own. They might sit long in a court of justice Tore they heard a man swearing that he had connexion w r u lt h 1 1 young woman before the altar of a church. He (fir ' Sergeant Bvles) had never before heard such a in alt his experience, and be hoped he would never St e " anything so disgraceful again. He submitted the tin or y ef . Chalkley was of a nature so improbable and ilP.recedented as to justify the jury in utterly dis elieving to l l „he Loren CnrEs JUSTICE, in summing up the case en 'tie jury, told them that the judicial history of this bintr then that there were no cases that came i o si tire tribunals of the country so difficult of s _ t estigation and of arriving at a righteous conclusion sthose to which the present belonged. It was of the nature C ommitted and essence of those cases that the offence was inlositted in private, the parties to its commission being , r epresent, and it was the rule of the law that while the female was admitted to tell her story in a court o Justice, the defend ant c h arged with the ff such privilege, whilst, in addi t i on to that, etheenteraenhi transaction was n was necessarily so private that he could call no witness either to contradict the state ment of the female or to Prove his own innocence. Th e d e f endant, could only depend for the establiehment of his innocence, if he was i nnoce nt, on the c r oss exam i nation of the wo man herself, and his only re source was in the calm d dispassionate consideration of an Engli s h jury. It, s the present case, the story of the yo ung woman was t r ue, au outrage a moat unparalleled nature had been Itiflicted upon her feelings uutl reputation, an d upon the fe elings of her family; but if, on the other hand, her 6 , tat ement was false, had added the crime of pbrjury in her other, delinquencies by charging an innocent man Wi th a grave offence. Was it within the range of human tsxPericnce, that a girl of the tendsr years of the plain 's daughter would not tell her p treats immediately after an outrage such as the defendant was charged with t t ll been committed upon her? The jury would have , C onsider whether this child had been the result of a WPe committed upon the mother by tho defendant, or ot tether it was the issue of her cuune xion with some Jury man. In fact, was this a case in which the e r3' could Come to the conclusion that a rape had been ramitted? h a T he jury retired to deliberate upon their verdict, and ziCol returned into Court whoa we went to press. THE SUN, LONDON THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 29, 1849. SURREY THEATRE. A new nautical drama, called A Life on the Ocean Wave, and founded on the popular son , of that name, has been produced at this theatre. The hero is Jack Hawser, cockswain of en Indiaman, and, as a matter of course, he is d,!stined to encounter an extraordi nary succession of " hairbreadth 'scapes," fur the purpose of displaying his prowess ns a British sailor. The usual style of nautical language is indulged in by the Jacks and the Sallies, the captains and the mates, the boatswains and the tars who constitute the dramatis pvrsona ; and there is an amusing variety of land fights and sea fights, storms, hurricanes, affrays with pirates, love scenes and scenes of peril, and every description of incident which is generally made use of to pourtray a life on the ocean wave. The spectators are one moment entertained by a dialogue in the unknown tongue of " stage seamen," and, at the next, they are introduced to a pirate's cave, where one sailor is valiant enough to overcome some ten or a dozen black bearded fellows who attack him while ccmpara- tively unarmed. The piece concludes with the exhibition of an Indiaman in full sail,rigged and manned, showing, at one view, the upper deck, the state cabin, and ship's hold. "To realise this (as the bills state) it was necessary to construct a ♦easel upon a scale of magnitude never before attempted at any theatre." Whether this statement be strictly correct we need not inquire, but it must be admitted that the gentle men who did the waves, and those who scuttled the ship, performed their Herculean task with great skill and dexterity. There was much " shouting' through. out the piece, both on and off the stage ; and, in the end, both auditors and actors appeared perfectly satisfied. QUEEN'S BENCH.--(THIS DAY.) Tile causes tried during the morning were utterly de void of intertst, exu,pt to the parties immediately concerned. SHERIFFS' COURT.--(THIS DAY.) (Be fore Mr. Under-Sheriff BuncuEu..) rLocrciroN AND CTHERS Q. HALL AND OTHERS. This was an ac ion to recover damages for the in fringement of a patent known as "Lowe's Patent for propelling Ships by means of a Screw-propeller." De fendants pleaded by special contract, denying the plain tiffs' title, &c , but they did not support the pleas, ,-and their solicitor had signed an admissic,n, acd had con sented to a verdict for 75/. Mr. AIASSEY llawsort stated the case. the patent had been granted as long back as 1838. lie complained of the conduct of the defendants, who were owners of a vessel to which the invention had been applied, in put tieg in such vexatious pleas, as plaintiff.' right had been tried in two actions, in each of which verdicts had been given in their favour. Notwithstanding this, however, several persons had made use of the invention and con tested plaintiffs' righr, endeavouring to set the machinery 0# the law in motion to rein others. In this case, the defendants having admitted all alleged in the declaration, the jury had only to assess the damages at the sum agreed en. Proof was given as to the admission. The jury gave a verdict for 75/. BONSOR V. GARRETT. The plaintiff is a meat salesman in Newgate Market, and defendant a farmer near Wellingborough. The action was brought to recover 51. on a dishonoured cheque on the Northampton Bank. There being no deft nee, a verdict was given for 5/. WHITMORE V. STEVENS. Plaintiff it the official assignee of a person named Ridge, formerly a corn-dealer at Pimlico, but now a bankrupt. Mr. Cox, for plaintiff, called a witness to prove the delivery of goods to a considerable amount to defen dant, but the sum chimed was 41/. 11s. Bd. There being no defence, the jury gave a verdict for that amount. A long list of undefended causes was speedily dis pozed of. CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.) OLD COURT. Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON and Mr. Justice CRESSWELL ) MURDER AT MILBANK PENITENTIARY. John Francis, 33, described as a watchmaker, was placed in the dock immediately on their Lordships en tering the court, charged upon an indictment with the wilful murder of Thomas Hall, a warder in the Milbank Penitenti try. Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Clark appeared for the Crown, and Mr. Ballantine and Mr. Robinson defended the prisoner. The prisoner is a slightly made man, having altogether a miserable appearance, but he exhibits a determined expression of countenance. He has a low, retreating brow, and is possessed evidently of very little intellec tual capacity. lie was attired in the usual convict dress. Mr. I3oDEIN briefly stated the nature of the fearful crime with which the prisoner was charged, observing, with reference to the probable defence which would be set up, that he was coevicted in August, 1845, and sen tence d to be transported ten years, and in pursuance of the sentence he was, in the early part of 1846, put on board a convict ship going to the colonies. When the vessel was about to leave England he ex hibited symptoms which appeared to be those of in sanity, and on that occasion he was visited by Dr. Baly, who pronounced him insane, and he directed him to be removed from the ship to the hulks. After remaining at the hulks until August the symptoms disappeared, and he was again removed to the Milbank Penitentiary, where he remained until the present unfortunate occur rence; and during the whole time he was more or less under the observation of Dr. Baly, but no symptoms of insanity had since made their appearance. Mr. Henry Murray, an acting warder in Milbank prison, said—l knew Thomas Hall, the deceased. I also knew the prisoner Francis, wh ) was a convict confined in Milbank prison. To my knowledge he had been there a fortnight before the 7th inst. lie was confined in cell No. 19 D. On Wednesday afternoon the 7th, Thomas Hall had the charge of that ward. I was in an adjoin ing ward, and about half-past three I heard a shouting. I suppose it c.me from the ward. I immediately went to it. I had to unlock two gates, and when I got into D ward, I saw the prisoner in the passage which runs in front of the cell. The ward was locked up at the time, but I had pass-keys. There were no other persons at large in the passage. Ile was nearly opposite 18 cell. Warder Sage entered the passage immediately after me from the whet end, and Beim , d the prisoner. I tried the gates of every cell in the passage, and they were all locked, the prisoner's cell included. I went into the officer's ward, and there I saw the deceased Thomas Hall, hying in a pool of blood, which surrounded his head. He was lying on his left side. The door of this room was open. No one could have got to this room but the prisoner and the deceased. Sage had the prisoner in custody, and he was immediately taken away from the ward into the refractory cell, where he was searched, and we found a pair of scissors upon him. They were unrivetted. (He too witnessed them.) They are of the same kind used in the prison, but have been sharpened at the point. On locking him up he went back to Ilall, and Mr. Baly, the surgeon, came in five or six minutes afterwards. Hell was then living. He found the prisoner's earthenware pan lying about two yards from the door of the warder's room. The:e was blood on the bottom and on the side. The lid of it was in the water-closet. The pan produced is the one in question. It is broktn, but we have not found the piece which is broken off. The piece could not have gone down the pan of the water closet in a whole state. While the prisoner was in the passage opposite No. 18 cell a convict named Chroly said, in the prisoner's hi aring, " Seize the scoundrel, he, has mur dered Hall, 'or I heard hiin groan." Chroly was then locked up iu his cell. The prisoner made no observa* lion. Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—I cannot say whether Chroly said " I think he has murdered Haiti" he might have said so, but I am sure he said " I heard him groan." The cells of all the prisoners are of the same size. The width of the entrance to each is about two feet. There is a solid door, and a grating door to the cells ; the solid door is kept open during the day time, so that the prisoners can see through to the passage. A person could put his arm through the bars. The prisoner would have properly an hour's exercise in the airing yard during the day. They are not during exercise allowed t 9 have any communication with each other. A whole ward is allowed to have exercise at the same time. They are required to walk about 5 or 6 yards apart. They wear no masks, and they are not allowed to address the warder unless they wish to ask for anything they want. They are punished, if they speak, when it is not absolutely necessary. When they want to go to the water closet, there is a signal attached to each cell in order to let the warder know. They are not to speak unless spoken to. The feet of the deceased were laying towards the door, end his head near his bedstead. The doctors are Dr. Baly and Dr. Randall. J. Sage, also a warder, said, on the 7th, the day in question, I was in F ward. I have been six months in the prison, and I thick the prisoner was there before me. I heard an alarm when I was in F ward, and I went to D ward. I found the gate of D ward locked, and I unkcked it. I saw the prisoner standing in the centre ward, between the warder's room and the water closet. Hs was neither saying nor doing anything. I heard a groaning, which proceeded from the warder's room. I did not go in, but I seized the prisoner and took him to the refractory cell. I returned to D ward, and went into the warder's room. I was away about eight minutes. I found Hall on the ground of his room. There was blood round his head, and he was insensible. The prisoner appeared in a very excited state, and I noticed a spot of fresh blood over his right eye. There was no mark about his person which made it possible , that it was his own blood. He was searched, and the scissors produced were found upon him. I attended the deceased until seven in the even ing, but he was never sensible. He died on the following day. I heard Chroly say on going in, " For God's sake seize the prisoner," or, " Francis, I think he has murdered Mr. Hall." Ile said that loud enough for the prisoner to hear, but he made no observation. I saw the pan produced ; it was in the water-closet. I remember being examined before the Coroner. The prisoner was then present. He put some questions to mo, and he did so also on his ex. amination. Cross-exatninated by Mr. BALLANTINE.—The pri soner was standing quite still, and appeared very pale and white, as if he had done something very wrong. the blood over the eye at peered to be that of another person. i did not examine it particularly. Next day when exr mined before the Coroner there was no mark of a wound on his nice. , William Charley, the convict, in cell 18 at the time of the occurrence, examined, said—That cell was next the one in which the prisoner Francis was confined. To the best of my knowledge ho had been there about three weeks. I was in my cell before him. On the afternoon of the 7th I delivered water into the cells of the ward, and among others that of Francis. About halt•past three I was locked up in my cell, and I saw Hall, the warder, there about that time, for he locked me up. After be locked me up he went to lock up another prisoner at No. 1, and I then heard Francis call out for Hall. I told him it was no use to call out f or hi m as h e had gone to fasten up a prisoner, but he kept on calling. Hall afterwards came back, and asked Francis what he was calling for, and he said " I want to empty my pot." Hall asked him if he had not a signal stick in his cell, sayii g, "You are not allowed to call out, fir if the Governor had come by at the time he would have punished you; mind yt u don't do it any more." Francis said he would not, and then Hall opened the cell door and let him out to go from his cell to the water•eloset. Ile must pass my cell, and I can see the entrance to the water-civet , : from my door. I did not see Francis go into the closet, but I saw him come out. I had got up to ask Hall as he passed for some bread, and I was waiting for the bread. Hall kept the bread in his room While I was standing at the door the prisoner came out of the closet, and I then saw Hell leaning on the trough near the water closet door. The prisoner had the pot in one hand and the lid in the other. Ball rose up and walked along, as if he was going to 19 cell, and while so walking I saw Francis strike him with the lid of the pot. Hail screamed and fell. Ido not know whether he had anything on his head, butt saw a cap afterwards lying on th e ground. Hall might have carried it in his hand. The prisoner then rushed upon the deceased and kicked him, and I said, "For God's take do not kill the poor old man." Tho prisoner then got up from Hall and walked away towards Hall's room, and I heard two blows after that. I then called out for help, and Francis came running out of Bali's room and stood by the cheek gate, which was ope n . H e h a d t h e pot i n hi s h an d, b u t not the li d, and there Wila blood on the outside of ii I said, Francis, do not, for God's sake, strike 1 Hall any more ; you'll kill him." Be made no sewer, but ran ecross the centre to the other side of the p'ssage. He then went again to Hah's room and I heard two more blows, and I kept calling for the officers. The officers, Sage and Murray, then came and asked tr e " what's the metu r?" I told them I thought Francis had killed Hall, for I had not heard him groan since he knocked him down. I saw him taken into cus tody by Sage. I cannot say whether the pot and lid were whole when he came out of „the closet, but they were whole at half•past two, when I. took in the water. I heard the lid fall and break when he struck Hall with it On the day before this occurred I had a conversa tion with Francis, and it was carried on between cell and eell through the doors. It was about Dr. Baly. He said he wanted to see Dr. Baly. I asked him why he did not see him, and he replied that they had said ho had put his name down in the book, but he did not believe them, for,in another part of the prison he applied for him at night and saw him in the morning. The de ceased came down immediately afterwards, and he asked to see Dr. Baly, and he told him, "your name is down in the books, but yon cannot see him at a minute's notice, as he has other prisoners to see as well as you. You have seen one more doctor, what more do you want, but I have no doubt you will see him to morrow." He did not say why he wanted to see Dr. Baly but he said something about having some mare diet at the Hulks, and he would get more diet. In reply to Hall, be said that he had been: at Milbank prison eight weeks, end Hall told him that he ought to have applied for more diet before. The prisoner asked for a sheet of paper to write to his priest, but Hall said he could riot give it to him, but would put his name down to see the governor. He said he was a Jew. and could not see his priest unless he wrote to him. Hall said,he would put his name down to see the governor, and that was all he could do for bun. When Hall came up for his dinner afterwards he told him that he must see the chaplain as well as the governor, and that he would see the governor next morning, and the prisoner said " very 'civil." On the Monday or Tuesday before the 7th Francis wrote to me on his slate, desiring me to a.le Mr. Hall whether they were going to send some prisoners to the New Model Prison, as there were six picked out of the worst characters, and he wished to know if he was qualified. I wrote back, saying I would do so. Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—I have been in the prison seven weeks. My sentence is for seven years. I was kept in solitary confinement except when I went out with the officer. I heard no words before the blow was struck. After the blow was struck I did not see the prisoner go to the closet. John Westbury, another convict, who was in cell 16, next to the room of warder Hall, at the time of the oc currence, said—l heard some one quarrelling ; then some heavy blows struck, and afterwards Hall cry out "For God's sake have mercy." Four or five blows were struck before Hall called out. I heard Hall say " you will kill me," and then some one say, "yes, I will, you ----." I heard some blows after that. The prisoner then came up to my door, and saw me, and he said, " keep quiet." He had a large pot in his hand. Mr. James David Randall, resident surgeon in the prison, said, on the 7th of November last, I saw the warder Thomas Hall at four o'clock in the afternoon. He was then insensible. I observed a large bruise on the right side of the head, running down to the right ear. It was bleeding, and the scalp was very much lacerated. I again attend, d him on the following evening, when he died. ' After death I examined the head, and found an extensive fracture of the skull. I should say the wounds were inflicted by many blows, and by the larger vessel which has been produced. I have seen the prisoner many times. I saw him on the day of his admission. Ho had been in the prison on a previous occasion, in the early part of the year. Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—I never said to him, ".I have just come from Woolwich, and if I had my own way I would have you flogged well." lam sure I did not say that, but I won't swear. positively. Ho had a disease of the rectum—a prolapsus of the rec tum. I don't mean a rupture. It is painful when the bowels act; it is not a very irritating disease. I at tenchd him for it. He had no inflatnination of the bowels during the time he was in the prison. I did not know he had been confined as a lunatic. If I had known that he was a lunatic a few months before he came I should not have kept him in solitary confinement. Solitary con finement is calculated to make lunacy return. If an in terval of a year had elapsed from prisoner's lunacy, I should treat him like the other prisoners without mahsng any distinction. Lunacy would be more likely to return if of an hereditary character. Re examined—There is no solitary confinement in Millbank Prison ; it is separate confinement. The con finement to which the prisoners in this ward were sub jected would not make insanity return, unless they had been insane within two or three months. Dr. Baly, visiting physician at Millbank Penitentiary, said the prisoner" came to the prison in August last. I first saw him about a fortnight after he came, arid it was inquired of me whether he was only fit to undergo the ordinary work in the prison, or pumping, which was hard labour. I said be was able to work at a trade but not at pumping. I believe he was so employed while in the prison. He had a disease of the rectum, and, in ad dition, he was not a strong muscular man. I recollect seeing him on three occasions. The first occasion I have mentioned, the second was at a general inspection of the prisoners, when nothing particular passed; and lastly, when I examined him to see if he was fit to be sent to Norfolk Island. He was then suffering from dyspepsia, and a lowering of the rectum ; and he said he had passed blood. I went to his cell to examine his stool, and the result I came to was that he was not fit to be transported to Norfolk Island. I did not notice any thing else the matter with him. Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—I must have examined him in 1846, in order to see if he was fit for transportation. I call the treatment at the prison a modified separate system. In February, 1816, I certified he was fit for transportation. He was well then in body and mind. On sth March I was sent specially for to the ship to examine his state of mind. I believed him to be insane at the' time, and certified accordingly. Mr. Blyth was "the medical man who attended him there. I believe that the fear of transportation operated upon his mind there and made him insane. I have seen frequent cases of persons becoming insane under the same circumstances. If a person was predisposed by birth to insanity, such a cause would undoubtedly have more effect upon his mind. He was then rather in a weak state of body, and thought that the people about him were going to do him an injury. Ido not recollect that he broke out with any uct or violence. - There was then no apparent danger of his attacking any one. It was in February, 1846, that I passed him as fit to go to Norfolk Island, and he was seized wick this state of terror in March following. Bc.pxamined—ln cases of convicts seized with insanity at the prospect of being transported, some have been sent to Bedlam and some to the Hospital, and I have known some of them to have recovered and to biz trans ported afterwards. The prisoner's was temporary in sanity, and I have never known after an interval of two years that the temporary insanity has returned. This closed the case for the prosecution, and the Court adjourned for a brief interval. NEW COURT. (Before the RECORDER.) The Court was occupied • the whole of the morning trying cases of petty larceny, none of which presented any feature of public interest. Two women, Diana Ring and Maly Ann Dodd, were indicted, Ring for stealing in the dwelling-house of Frederick Turner, two shirts and other articles, ♦alued at 501., his property, and Dodd for feloniously T.( ceiv ing the same, well knowing them to have been stolen. The prosecutor was a solicitor, and the prisoner Ring had acted in the capacity of bis laundress, which had enabled her to become possessed of the missing property, but the evidence failed to make out any guilty knowledge against Dodd, and she was therefore Acquitted. Ring. however, was found Guilty, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment in the House of Correction. REGISTRATION ALMANACS OR 1850.—" This new candidate for public favour, which is compiled by Mr. W. H. Butterfield, registrar of Islington, and pub lished by Messrs. Whittaker and Sullivan, contains every information on the subject of the law of regis tration of births, marriages, and deaths, that can be required. Parties desirous of being married under the provisions of the new Act will here find given in a plain and understandable manner all the information on the subject that they can possibly desire, and a list containing the names and addresses of all the officers of the metropolis and its environs, to whom it may be necessary to apply. There is also much useful infor mation on the subject of registering births, and against every day in the year will be found the last day for registering a birth without the payment of a fee. On the right hand side of the calendar will be found plain instructions respecting the registration of a birth or death, and the effecting of a marriage. It is in a form calculated for the vestries of Dissenting chapels, insurance, or other public offices. Excessive fear opens the door to desperation.— Eliza Cook's Jotmtal. THE MERCHANT SEAMEN'S ACT.— SEAMEN'S ADVANCE NoTEs.--Yesterday a meeting of tradesmen and other inhabitants residing in St. George-in-the- East, Ratcliff, St. John's, Wapping, &e., who are ac customed to deal with seamen arriving in the port of London, was held at the Albion Tavern, St. George's. road, Ratcliff, for the purpose of taking into considera tion the propriety of applying to Parliament to obtain a clause to be inserted in the Merchant Seamen's Act, which will be brought in during the ensuing session, in order to make seamen's advance notes a legal tender. Mr. Grumbage having been appointed to preside, stated that since they last met he and Mr. Golding had seen some influential gentlemen in the shipping trade upon the question of making seamen's advance notes a legal tender, and that they were all of opinion that the only security for those who received such notes was that they should be made a legal tender by the Act of the Legis lature. Mr. Golding. solicitor and secretary to the Merchant Seamen and Tradesmen's Protection Society, said he had sn Sir D. Le Mer c h ant upon t h e su bj.. ct, G I who aas of op inion that the tradesmen receiving seamen's advance notes ought to have legislative protection. He was of opinion that the owner or agent of a ship ought to be responsible for the payment of the notes after they were molted. Several gentlemen were then named as a committee to carry the object of the meeting into effect, and the proceedings ended. STATE OF ST. STEPHEN'S, WALDROOK.—More than two years ago we pointed out the miserable condition of this church, in an article which excited some attention at the time, but led to nothing, iu consequence of the involved state of the parish accounts. Since then, how ever, if we understand rightly, the differences have been arranged, so that there seems less reason why the church should be suff-red to go to ruin or remain in dut and de gradatiou.—lmildr. MARYLEBONE THEATRE. A new comedietta, entitled the Hooded Bride groom, was produced here last evening with the most complete success. The following is an account of the plot :—The Duke de Ribera (Mr. G. Cooke), a Spanish nobleman, who piques himself on his skill in diplomacy, andi "in never being deceived," has a daughter, Donna Isabella (Miss M. Oliver), and a niece, Donna Sylvia di Lerma. These young ladies are too beautiful to be without admirers. Don Alphonzo (Mr. Belton), gains favour in the eyes of Donna Sylvia, while Don Fernand (Mr. J. Howard), is equally fortunate in acquiring estimation in those of her cousin, Donna Isabella. The diplomatic policy of the Duke ordered affairs otherwise, and arranges that Don Alphonzo shall marry Isabella. For some reason of state, we may presume, the cavalier is to marry Isabella in a hooded 'cloak, which conceals his face and figure; as, however, he has no mind in the match, he allows Don Fernand to assume the cloak, and thus to get married to his mistress, who, however, is entirely ignorant of the device. The marriage cere mony is performed, the festivities celebrated, and the lady and gentleman conducted, in due course, to the nuptial sleeping-room. It may be easily conceived that the scene is embarrassing to both. The intrigue of the bed-chamber often frustrates the policy of the cabinet. Alarquita (Miss J. Beaufort), Donna Sylvia's waitingmaid, true to her vocation, accom plishes this result by her contrivances, and the good will of the gentlemen. It is stipulated between the contracting parties, that a window in the chamber is to be left open, through which the supposed husband is to go out, and the real husband is to get in. Just as this transposition is effected, the outgoing tenant, in his descent, breaks a glass frame in the garden with a crash which alarms the Duke, and brings him to his daughter's chamber to learn the cause, where he finds Don Fernand, where, according to all propriety, Don Alphonzo ought to be. The old gentleman upbraids the young pair, as a good and prudent father ought to do ; an explanation reveals the deception practised upon him; but, as " he is nsver deceived," in order to sustain his diplomatic reputation, he declares he knew it all from the beginning, and claims credit for the admirable manner in which he pretended to know nothing about it. The lovers are too well pleased to dispute the point with him, and a treaty of peace concluded to the entire satisfaction of all parties, a supplemental clause being introduced, by which Don Alphonzo is united to Donna Sylvia. It is a pleasing trifle, the principle merit being worked out in the chamber scene, which elicited great laughter, and was well acted. LONDON WEDNESDAY CONCERTS. The sixth of these concerts took place last evening, and Ernst, as usual, was the great attraction. The " Carnival of Venice" was performed for the third and last time, and the marvels of the playing of Herr Ernst elicited the rapturous applause of the audience. He was, of course, encored in the " Car nival," and after having played it a second time he was again called forward to receive the applause of his auditors. His performances of the " Notturno," and of the " Rondo Papageno," were exquisitely beautiful, and elicited enthusiastic plaudits. Richard• son appeared here for the first time this season, and received a hearty welcome. Ile played a beautiful solo on Siccama'a diatonic Huta in the most charming. manner possible. We can say with Sterne—" they were the sweetest tones vi e ever heard." He was rapturously encored as a matter of course. The per formances consisted of a selection from Balfe's Bohemian Girl, and of various other popular corn• positions, which were admirably rendered by Mrs. A. Newton, the Misses Cole, Eyles, Isaacs, and Alicia Nunn, Herr Formes, Mr. George Tedder, ant Mr. Land. MISS CLARA SETTON'S FORTHOOMING MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT ON THE POETRY AND MINSTRELSY or HUNGARY.—The literature, manners, customs, and poetry of the heroic Magyars, are, perhaps, the most interesting in Europe, but they have hitherto been comparatively unknown in this country ; not withstanding the labours of Dr. Bowring and of Miss Pardoe, they have never been popularized in Eng land, and yet the interest of the Magyar minstrel poetry is unsurpassed. We are delighted, therefore, to find that Miss Clara Seyton, the celebrated lee turess, whose entertainments on English comedy, English opera, and on the Bards and Minstrels, have been so popular, has devoted her attention to this sub ject, and that she intends presenting, at the 'Western Literary Institution, Leicester-square, on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 1 1 th, a literary and musical enter tainment upon the descriptive poets and minstrels of Hungary. The entertainment will be under the immediate patronage of Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart, M.P., and from that circumstance, we should opine, that many of the distinguished Magyar refugees at present in this country will honour it with their pre sence. The characteristic popular airs have been arranged by Mr. T. Harries Wilson, who is already so favourably known to the musical world by his arrangement of the rira which illustr2ted Miss Clara Seyton's former entertainment of the Bards and Min strels. We are delighted to find that the subject of Magyar minstrelsy has fallen into such excellent hands, and, from the great talent which Miss Seyton has displayed, in treating subjects of a similar nature, we anticipate a high treat on Tuesday evening. THE WINSTON MANUSCRIPTS.—The unique and matchless collection of the late James Winston, Esq., who was at one time proprietor of the Haymarket Theatre, and for -many years manager of Drury-lane Theatre, is we perceive about to be sold by auction. Among the many very curious papers will be found the following, viz.:-102:Autogragh letter, and other collec tions relative to Mre. Mary Ann Canning, who assumed the name of Reddish, 1774, and was the mother of the late distinguished Minister, George Canning. 221. Col leetanea relative to Thomas and Charles Dibdin. jan. 229. Drama—Histotia Dramatics et Hiatoria: Manu scripts and printed collection, A to Z, relative to the first performance or revivals of plays and dramatic represen tations, with critiques on their merits, and the perform ance of the players; this lot is exceedingly curious. 262. Player's We(kly Salary Book, 1804 5. Bannister, Oscar Byrne, Mrs. Bland, Miss de Camp, Elliston, Johnstone, Mich Kelly, C. Matthews, Miss Mellon (Duchess of St. Alban's), Dickey Suett, &c. 267. Salaries for the season, 1807-8, with signatures of Bra ham, J. Johnstone, C. Laurent, 81., Mrs. Jordan, Miss Tidawell, E. Kean signed for her salary occasionally. 291. Drury Lane Theatrical Fund—proceedings from Jan. 1790 to Feb. 1807. 305-312. The Elliston Papers. 352. The Garrick Papers. 384. Manuscripts and newspaper cuttings, playbills, &c. relative to Nell Gwynne. 451. The Kean Papers. 533. The Macklin Papers. 583. Munden's " remembrance " umbrella. 672. Rejected Addresses. The original manuscript ad dresses forwarded to the committee of Drury lane Theatre in September, 1812, in accordance with the advertisement of August 8, 2 vols. 705-746. The Shakespere Papers. 767. Stanfield'a working model of his panorama, painted for the spectacle of Zoroaster. 789. Autograph letters of Francois Joseph Tahna. We have selected the above few items at random from the catalogue, but it is impossible to convey to idea in a limited space of a hundredth part of the curiosities to be found amomg the 1,076 lots of which the sale is com- posed. Do not all that you can do • spend not all that you have; believe not all that you hear; and tell not all you know.—Eliza Cook's Journal. LONGENITY.—A venerable old lady, the oldest inhabitant" of this parish, has just been relieved by death from the cares of this world. Iler name was Sarah Newling, and she expired on Sunday last at the ripe age of 100 years, minus a month only. For a large number of p ars the only sustenance of the deceased was bread, which she was i❑ the habit of carrying with her continually, and as continually munching, after cut ting it into small pieces with a shut-knife which was her constant companion, being, like bread, scarcely evtr absent from her hand. The deceased bad five sons and daughters, but of these thue only are now living, although their descendants are almost innumerable. The deceased, at the time of her death, had forty grandchildren living, and great and great -great grand children in such numbers, that no member of the family has been bold enough to attempt tha task of reckoning them up. it may be stated, without the alighte exagge ration, that she has left 150 great and great-great grand children. Most of the latter branches are resident i❑ Cambridge, and the wife of one of the grandchildren, residing in Botolph-lane, in that town, was but a short period back confined with twins.- - Bury 'Herald. LITERATURE. 'NATIONAL EVILS and PRACTICAL RE. UNDIES, with the Plan of a Model Town. Ac companied by an Examination of some important Moral and Political Problems. By James S. Buchineam. du n sb f n o gu r l name t n u That portion of his work to whi c h it i s ev id en t M r . Buckingham attaches the grea t es t i mpor t ance i s th e one to which we believe the publi c w ill b e i nc li ne d t o attach the least—we mean his plan f o r a mo d e l t own . The model town of Mr. Buckingham is th e Phalan ' stere of Fourrier, with the addition of the prohibiti on of the use of all stimulating drinks, of tobacco, of gunpowder, and of all weapons of offence or defenc e , within the sacred limits of the model town, on pain of expulsion of the persons off e nding from he town, and from all participation in the profits made by the association, such expulsion including, we take it for granted, forfeiture of all payments made to the gene ral fund by the offending individual. The whole scheme is one too much calculated to deprive those engaging in it of liberty of ac ti on , t o make them wheels in one vast machine, mere slaves of the governing power of the community, ever to be very popular with an Englishman, who prefers the en joy went of his individual liberty of action, even alt hough it n occasionally th a t is t o s ay, a bye, for a c accompanied pdaenf defence e n d o e by f poverty, to becoming the mere slave, however well fed, of any man or of any set of men. Mr. Buckingham is so wedded to his pet S o cialist theory that he makes it a matter of reproach to the State that possess it o d d ysut does stg, cn n ii 000 tn its funds fstuhtne tm tafiay a l l , a advance capital for the purpose of trying the experiment of the organi s ati o n o f labour. W e hsoefyc s uch I jhu State.sa t s i c i t e p , iueT a rt . g poi eo a e n efvr s . y t o mT t f h uh e naeld StatelSs t he ftraot mei n c e d m ll pprosoaa l I for the service of I, all against external enemies, for the administration of justice to all, for the defence of the just li ; ve t s he a r n e d fo t r h e e iptrois perty of all against thieves, is just that taxes should be levied for th e support o f t h e army and navy, the administration of justice and of the police ; but it is clearly a robbery to levy taxes • upon all for the benefit of a few (and this was one great argument against the corn-laws), and therefore I Mr. Buckingham reproaches the State because it refuses to commit a robbery. It is true Mr. Buck ingham may quote cases in favour of the course which he would fain have the State adopt, but the result of the experiment of State advances for private objects has beenlin every instance so disastrous, that such cases ars to be considered rather as beacons to be avoided than as precedents to be followed. On the other portions of Mr. Buckingham's book we can be stow (always excepting his proposal of an additional advance of money to Irish landlords) our almost un qualified commendation. His plan of Financial Reform is admirable. As he truly observes--- " The only efficient, remedy fee all the evils resulting from our existing mode of raising the national revenue, is to make at once, or with as little delay as practicable, a change from the system of indirect to one of direct taxation: and to let that taxation be confined to one object only, the incomes of the inhabitants of the country. In the assessment of such incomes, however, it would be essential to make a clear distinction betweea incomes derived from trading, professional, or precarious sources —incomes derived horn annuities fixed and certain for life—and incomes from heritable or permanent property descending to heirs;—and to fix the rates of assessment on each of these in a progressively increasing scale, lightest on the first, heavier on the second, and heaviest of all on the third. " The reason of such distinction is self-evident. If at any time these several incomes had to be capitalised, or turned into a given sum by a payment made for the whole of either of the three, there would be three broadly distinct valuations for each. The trading, pro fessional, or precarious income, being liable to cessation from illness, incapacity, or falling-off in receipts, might sell perhaps for seven years' purchase; the annuity for life, depending in each case on the age of the individual, might, on an average, sell for 14 years' purchase; while the income from heritable and perpetual property in land, houses, or funds, would sell for at least 21 years' purchase. The proper ratio of taxation for such incomes would therefore be in the same proportions of 1,2, and 3 per cent., as representing the exact relations of 7, 14, and 21 years of relative worth." This plan solves the great problem which has for cen turies puzzled Chancellors of the Exchequer; it secures the maximum of revenue with the minimum of expense in the collection of it, and while the revenue may be increased to any extent, the expense of collection remains stationary, whilst at the same time that distinction is drawn between temporary and permanent income, without which any income•ta x is a gross injustice. After explaining at le n g th the principles upon which he justifies the imposition of this income-tax, to the exclusion of any other sources of revenue, Mr. Buckingham adds : To make this income-tax as light as possible on all classes, and at the same time as productive as the national expenditure would require, it should be spread over the widest surface. Not only all England and all Scotland should contribute to it, but all Ireland also; for 501. a year of income in Ireland could better afford to pay a tax of IL per cent. than the same sum in England, as it would go much farther in the purchase of necessaries there than here;—and the same would hold good of all higher incomes. The Channel I.l3nds of Guernsey, Jersey. Alderney, and Sark, end the Isle of Man, ahciuld all be brought within its operation; as there can be no good reason why the subjects of the same realm, merely from their living in these isolated spots, should be entirely exempted, as they are at present, from their fair share of the burden of taxation; they paying no . _ duties on tea, coffee, sugar, wines, spirits, or tobacco, all so heavily charged with duties to their fellow subjects elsewhere. For the same reason—the equitable distri bution of these burdens among the whole of the subjects of the crown of England wherever they are scattered— the income-tax should be paid by all the British-born residents of India, who pay no taxes to the Indian Go vernment, and all our colonial possessions, from the governors down to the humblest individual who possessed an income of 501. a year. So long as these distant pos sessions are maintained and protected by British fleets and British armies, British governors, and British officers of various grades, paid out of the Treasury of England—so long ought the dwellers in them, who enjoy this protection, to contribute to the fund out of which it is paid for; and if this be thought a hardship, let those among them, who are able and wil ling to support themselves, without any :aid from the mother-country, be permitted to do so, and save us the cost; while to all who contribute to the payment of the income- tax in the same ratio with those living at home, it would be perfectly just to grant the privilege of hav ing their representatives in Parliament, in conformity with the well-known maxim of Magna Charta, which makes taxation and representation co-equal. "It may be added, as a collateral advantage, which this system of personal taxation would present—that if the Legislature saw fit to extend the electoral franchise, and wanted to establish a broader :and surer basis of qualification than now exists, here would be one ready to their hands; as few would be disposed to deny the franchise to the man of full age who should pay his annual tax on 501. of income: and in that case the only proof of his qualification, as a voter, would be the pro duction of his receipt for the same, duly signed and attested." With regard to the collection, Mr._Buckingham is of opinion that— " It would be sufficient for this purposo to have one register (Ace in each large town of each county; at which, one Receiver-General, and half-a-dozen clerks, would be all the machinery r( quired. The payment should be made every quarter-day; and the persons re quired to make their returns, should either go to the office themselves, or send their documents and cash through their bankers, without requiring to be waited on by the officers of the Government. And if, at the close of the payments made for each quarter, a List of De faulters was published, in the iccal as well as metropo litan papers, as the game list certificates now are; and each defaulter not paying within a defined period, were made liable to double payment for such default, and to , be deprived of his electoral qualification for a year, with I power, as at present, to distrain on the defaulter's property if necessary, there would be very few omissions. To avoid even the expense of these register offices and their attendants falling on the State, a small fee of a shilling to be paid for each quarterly receipt—making four shil lings in the year, on at least 5,000,000 of payers—would realise 1,000,000/. sterling, and pay the coat of 200 such register offices, at 5,0001. a year each, so as to save all expense whatever in the collection, and make the whole revenue come into the Treasury without a single shilling of deduction." The plan propounded by Mr. Buckingham for the equitable liquidation of the National Debt is the only one that is at the same time practicable and just that we ever remember to have seen proposed. It is as fol lows : " To create a new stock, to be entitled The National Annuity,' which should begin to pay an interest of 5 per cent., or 100 shillings is the first year, and gradually ex tinguish both principal and interest in 100 years of time, by the diminution of is. per annum only on the interest, till it came to nothing. "To convert all the existing Stocks of Consols, Long Annuities, Exchequer-bills, and every other kind of Go vernment Security, into this new Stock, at the fair mar ket rate of value for the day, say with the Three per Cents., at the par of 1001,, and without loss to the individual holders, paying off, of course, as usual, the dissentients, if any. " Thus, for every 1001. so invested in the National Annuity,' the holder would receive 51 interest for the first year, 41. 19s. for the second, 41. 18s. for the third year, and so on—diminishing by Is. per cent. only in each succeeding year, till in 100 years the principal and interest would both expire. " That this would be an equitable mode, no one can doubt, as it proceeds upon the recognised principle of sinking perpetuities at small interest for annuities at a larger rate. That it would be popular could be hardly disputed, because it would take twenty years to bring down the interest to 4 per cent.—and forty years to bring it down to 3 per ctnt.—by which time probably all the present holders would be in their graves. Even after this, it would take another sixty years to bring it down gradually to extinction, in which time other generations would have passed away. " While, therefore, the yearly diminution would be so small as scarcely to be felt by any one in his income, there would be one-hundredth part of the National Debt wiped off every year, and consequently so much less taxes required to pay the interest. And if the genera tions after the present should find the funded property of their great-grandfutheu extipot, thi4 would be only the oommon fate of third and fourth generations in almost all property except land, but with this great ad►antage to our potty rity, that if there were no longer a Debt of 800,000,0001, in which they had some share, there would be t.o longer a Revenue of 28,000,0001. required to pay its interest, from the burden of which they would be ac cordingly relieved. It at the same time all the supp!ies required for the use of the State were raised within the year, and no further debts contracted, there would be a degree of economy introiuced into every branch of the administration, without impairing its efficiency, which never did and never can take place under the reckless and extravagant system of public loans, by which the income of the future is anticipated and spent, leaving those that come after to bear the chief weight of the burden." The adoption of this plan would do more to secure the peace and the permanent prosperity of the country than all the eloquence of all the orators who ever spouted fustian f rom a p l a tf orm . M r . Bucking ham's suggestions on the subject of Emigration and Colonic ition are well worthy of consideration. In his proposition for a new Reform Bill, Mr. Bucking ham thus sums up the evils of the present electoral system : "First: Enormous expense to individuals in every case of a contested election, whether for counties or boroughs;—immense cost to the country, for the army of revising barristers, and other machinery necessary for effecting and revising the registration; and ruinous ex pense to those petitioned against after their election has been gained. Secondly: Bribery, corruption, and intl. midation, in many instances as great as, and in some in stances even greater than, under the old system of things. And thirdly : The engendering of so much anger, ill will, and disgust, as to induce those who take part in elections at all, to use any and every means, honourable or dishonourable, to crush their opponents; and to com pel many, who cannot conscientiously stoop to this, to withdraw from political agitation altogether." As a first step in the path of improvement, Mr. Buckingham proposes to establish for the voter an intellectual instead of a property qualification. Ile says— " The five requisites that should be demanded as the qualification of a voter, would, therefore, according to this proposition, be the 1. The attainment of full legal age. "2. The possession of a good moral character for sobriety and integrity. "3. The capacity to earn an independent subsistence. " 4. The ability to read and write English. "5. Permanent residence of one year in the town or county in which the vote is to be given." We would go further than Mr. Buckingham, and would strike out the second requisite as too open to abuse. Every person who can read and write, and who earns his own living, and who has never been convicted of crime, is entitled to his vote as a right, without reference to character. Once introduce the character qualification and we should have some teetotal assessor disfranchising every one in his district who had even tasted beer, wine, or spirits, while in another district even Mr. Buckingham him self might be disfranchised on the plea of character by some wine-bibbing old East India director. Therefore we are opposed to the second requisite, as tempting to abuse. He proposes that the elector should register himself with the registrar, and himself sign his own registration. Ile proposes— " To let all persons living within five statute miles, by the nearest line, of any represented town, vote for the members of such town; and as this would be matter of actual measurement, there could be little dispute about the distance.—while all those living at a greater distance than five such miles from any represented town, might rote for the members for the county." Hr. Buckingham would have the elections take place at fixed triennial periods, and proposes that the votes should be taken in the following manner : " The registrar having a card, containing the name of the several candidates printed on it, in a clear and uni form manner, should then provide a sufficient number of those to furnish one to every elector, which, for security, should bo forwarded to him through the post-office, en closed in a printed circular, directing him to draw his pen through the names of the candidates for whom he wished not to give his vote, then to put the card in a blank envelope, seal it, and inscribe his name, with his own hand, on the outside of such envelope, so that it might give assuranca of its coming from him as a regis• tered elector; and then to put the whole in an ordinary letter-cover, addressed to the registrar, at his office, and send it, for security, through the post-office, on the fol lowing day; as the shorter the time between the issue of the cards and their return, the less the chance of im proper influence. "On the day appointed, the letters aro delivered by the post, at the office of the registrar himself—his two assistants, and an agent of each candidate being present, to see justice done to all. The outer seal is first broken, and the first enclosures, with the voter's autograph sig nature on each cover, aro arranged alphabetically, as they come out, (the card containing his vote being kept secret in the second enclosure, which is still sealed up). When all are thus disposed of, the next process will be the opening of the registration-book, the calling over from it the names of the voters, according to their alpha betical entry; the comparison of the autograph signature of each person on the letter-cover with the autograph signature of the same person in the book, to establish their identity, rejecting for future inquiry any duplicates, or forgeries, or doubtful nanses—it any of either, in ' deed, under such a system, should be likely to occur. " The verification of the signatures being completed, the next step would be, the opening of the inner sealed covers, throwing the printed cards into one box, and the written envelopes into another—which, for the perfect security of secresy, might be done by youths, under the check of the parties already acting as registrar and as sistants, or blindfolded, if that were deemed necessary, as in the ease of drawing tickets in a lottery, to prevent any one from seeing out of which particular envelope any particular card was taken. "The whole being opened, the cards would have to be assorted, according to the names of the candidates through which the pen of the voter had not been drawn; and those for whom the grcateet number of cards ap peared, would of course possess the majority, and be considered duly elteted." This plan is defective, inasmuch as it furnishes no security against bribery or intimidation ; on the con trary, it enables the briber or the intimidator to make assurance doubly sure by insisting on seeing the elector draw his pen through the name of the candi date for whom he does not vote. Mr. Grote's ballots box is infinitely preferable to the card scheme. Mr. Buckingham proposes that returns once made shall not be set aside—a plan likely, w think, to be pro ductive of dangerous consequences ; and lays down rules on the subject of the offering of candidates, one of which consists of the abolition of personal canvass ing, and the other of the prohibition to every person to enter the field as a candidate within a later period than a clear week before the commencement of the business of the election. We disapprove of this latter prohibition as a needless interference with the liberty of both electors and candidates. Mr. Buck ingham's plan for the regeneration of Ireland consists of the introduction of teetotalism, the prohibition of the export of food, and a loan of 20,000,000/. to the landlords, the interest to be paid by an income-tax, imposed for that especial purpose on the whole Irish nation. Mr. Buckingham does not, however, inform us how he proposes to enforce the collection of the income-tax, nor how, in the face of the prohibition of the export of the only articles which Ireland produces, the landlords are to obtain money to repay the loan within twenty-five years, at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum, which he proposes they shall do. In return for the loan, Mr. Buckingham says we shall have a right to compel the owners of Irish estates to disburse it in the employment of labour; but knowing from experience that every attempt at legislative in terference between employer and employed has only aggravated the evils it was intended to remedy, know ing that all advances of public money to bolster up failing concerns, whether the advances have been made to English merchants and manufactures or to Irish landlords, have uniformly ended in the loss of the money so advanced, and the involving of many persons in the crash, when it eventually does come, who would not have been included in it had it come when in the natural course of events it ought to have come, we cannot but look with feelings of suspicion and fear on Mr. Buckingham's plan for the regenera tion of Ireland. Ilis suggestions, however, on all these subjects are well worthy of an attentive study, and we cannot but consider his book as a most valuable contribution to social and politcal science. The consecration of the Bishop of Norwich (Dr. Hinds) will take place in the chapel of Lambeth Palace on Sunday next, the 2d of December, being Advent Sunday. The Bishops who will assist the Archbishop ,in the ceremony are the Bishops of London, Lincoln, Carlisle, and Hereford. The Bishop of Lincoln attends from his long acquaintance and personal esteem for Dr. Hind?, who for some years was an incumbent and rural dean in his Lord. ship's diocese. It is understood that the Bishops of Llandaff and Madras will be consecrated at the same time. GREAT COUNTY MEETING IN DEToNSHIRE IN FAVOUR or PROTECTION.—We understand that requi sitions to the High Sheriff are being numerously signed in every part of the county, begging him to call a county meeting to petition her Alajesty for immediate steps for . restoring legislative protection to agriculture. It understood that nothing but an immediate dissolution of Parliament will satisfy the country.—Herald. SUDDEN DEATH Or MR. SERGEANT LAWES.—This gentleman, who has for some time back filled the office of principal registrar at the Court of Bankruptcy, died very suddenly on Tuesday last, at his residence, in Woburn-place, Russell.square, in the 68th year of his age. Ile was called to the bar by the Hon. Society of the Inner Temple, in 1810. There are three important offices connected with the Court of Bankruptcy at pre sent vacant. DEATH OF BRIGADIER GENERAL PHILLIPS, C.B. —Lieutenant:Colonel Harry Shalispere Phillips, C. 8., who so brilliantly distinguished himself in the battles which took place in India during the campaign in the Punjaub, died on the 21st at Great Maldon, after a prolonged illness. The gallant officer entered the service in 1824. Mr. J 0. Cuffe, nephew of the Earl of Harbo rough, bus reduced the rents of his tenants on his Kil kenny estates from 25 to 30 per cent. Lady Noel Byron (widow of the celebrated poet) has arrived at Highfield House, Hants, which mansion her Ladyship has taken for the winter months. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. Some iron barges are to be constructed at Wool wich from the plates of the condemned boilers of the steam-frigate Retribution. The Indefatigable, 50, Captain Smart, K. 11., has entered her complement of 500 officers and men, within 150. The Saturn, depot and guard-ship, at Pembroke, Captain Superintendent Sir Thomas S. Pasley, has been commissioned since the 11th October. The Hound, 8, Commander Patten, received her full complement from the hulk, on Tuesday. She went out of Hamoaze yesterday to have her compasses adjusted by Mr. Walker, the Queen's harbour master. She will be mustered and inspected by Vice- Admiral Sir John Louis, Bart., on Friday, and will sail on Saturday, after the arrival of the mail, for the Coast of Africa. The Dart, 3, brigantine, Lieutenant Commander Hill, will be paid off at Sheerness from the Coast of Africa. The Terrible, 21, steam frigate, Captain James Hope, has commenced entering men at Woolwich, 50 having been placed on her books on Tuesday and Wednesday. She is only ordered a complement of 300 ; when last in commission she had 321. Her first lieutenant, Mr. Miller, took up his commission yesterday. The Sidon steam-frigate will not be complete in the engineers' department at Portsmouth, before the end of next week. The Niger screw-sloop, at Woolwich, is ordered to be sent to Devonport, to be kept there as advanced steamer. The Archer screw-sloop, at Woolwich, is ordered to be prepared for commission. The Stromboli, 6, Commander Lord A. W. Beau clerk, arrived at Devonport on Tuesday morning, with supernumeraries for the Indefatigable. After landing them, she sailed again directly for Queens town, with newly-raised men for the Superb, and is ordered to return to Devonport and wait orders. The Shearwater, 3, steam•vessel, Lieutenant-Com mander Turnour, has arrived at Galway for the pro tection of the fisheries. The Trident, 3, steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Com mander Risk, has arrived at Queenstown with provi sions from Belfast, and with men for the Superb. The Flamer steam-packet, Lieutenant-Commander Jones, is ordered to proceed to Portsmouth, from Holyhead, and to turn over her packet fittings to the Fire Queen steam-vessel, to be fitted for the Holyhead service. THE WEST INDIA SQUADRON. PORT ROYAL, OCT. 24.—1 n Harbour—The Imaum, 12, Commodore Bennett; the Persian, 16, Commander Bulman ; the Helena, 16, Commander de Courcy ; and the Plumper, 10, Commander N ol loth. The Wellesley, 72, Captain Goldsmith, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral the Earl of Dundonald, G.C.8., and the Vixen steam sloop, Commander Jenner, are at Halifax, expected at Bermuda the beginning of next month. The Sappho, 16, Commander Michell, is daily expected from the Havannah. The Viper schooner is at La Guayra. The Bermuda schooner, Lieutenant• Commander 'Jolly, is at the Gulf of Florida. The Helena has had many severe cases of fever ; the Sappho has also been sickly ; the Plumper, too, has suffered similarly. The Helena is about to pro ceed to Turk's Island, to ascertain the proper site for a lighthouse there. The Persian was about to sail for Port-au-Prince and St. Domingo. The Admiral is expected here towards the end of December. The Plumper, just before leaving this part of the station, had taken Fort Truxillo, and obtained part of a debt owed by Honduras to the English Govern- ment. Truxillo town has 2,000 or 3,000 inhabitants. Commander Nolloth landed with nearly the whole of his ship's company. The heat has been very great here lately. The inhabitants and the ship's crew generally are suffering much with large and painful boils. The Plumper has sent several cases of fever to the Naval Hospital since her arrival at Port Royal. This is not to be wondered at, considering that when her steam is up the thermometer stands as high as 126 degrees on the lower deck, an amount of heat greater than is shown when the instrument is exposed to the direct rays of the sun. APPOINTMENTS. Woormicu Nov. 28.—Chaplain—William M. Dyne (1847 ), to the Terrible, stcatn•frigate, at oolwich. Naval Instructor—Charles Osbourne (1848), to the Terrible. Carpenter—John Sowden, to the Terrible. The Vulcan steam•frigate was prevented being aken to Chatham this morning owing to the dense fog rendering the navigation of the river dangerous to a vessel of her dimensions. _ _ The Desperate steam•vessel is still in the east dock, and may be detained in it some time, as a small portion of the timber in her bottom has been found to be in an imperfect state, although she is a new vessel. Mr. Peter Rolt has obtained the contract for re pairing the upper end of the new slip on ‘shich the Agamemnon, 80 gun ship, for a new propeller, is to be built. The expense will be about 500/. PLTMOUTII, Nov. 27.—The Pandora was paid off into ordinary at this port to-day. W. S. Low has been appointed acting assistant surgeon for service in the Plymouth Hospital. Lieutenant 11. A. noleinworth has been appointed to the Indefatigable ; and Oliver Paul boatswain to the Wizard. SPANISH AMERICAN BONDHOLDERS. We have received the following ommunieaticn from the committee of Spanish American Bond holders : "The committee of Spanish American bondholders have received letters from Mexico, of which the follow ing are copies:— " FROM MESSRS. MANNING AND MACKINTOSII. " Mexico, Oct. 13, 1849. " Sir,—We annex copy of our respects of the 12th ult., and beg to acknowledge receipt of your esteemed ' favour of the Ist idem, the contents of which are atten tively noted. " With regard to what you mention respecting the em bargo placed on the funds which should have been shipped by the July steamer, you will already have heard that they went forward by the ensuing packet. " We refer you to Mr. Robertson (who goes by tle present steamer) for the particulars of all that has taken place since our last advices, and remain, &c., (Signed) " MANNING and MACKINTOSII. " G. R. Robinson, Evq , Bcc." "FROM MESSRS. MANNING, MARKOE, AND CO. " Vera Cruz, Oct. 15, 1849. "Sir,—We now wait on you with the following state ment, showing that the bondholders' proportion of im port duties at this port this day stands thus:— dolls. c. Amount recoverable on the 15th Sept. 224,222 38 Duties for September by approximation 30,400 254,022 38 92 879 15 Less collections Amount pending this day 1i1,743 23 In addition to our collections of Our collector has paid over to us 92,879 15 19,911 79 Being the bondholders' proportion of duties collectedfat tho Custom-house up to the 30th ult., making 112,790 94 which we ship by this steamer to the Governor of the Bank of England, to the joint order of yourself and of Don Francisco Facio, the agent of the Mexican Government in Londor, for whom we hand you, as usual, our letter containing advice of this shipment. " We remain, &c., (Signed) " MANNING, MABILOE, AND CO. " G. R. Robinson, Esq., M.P., &c.' ELIZA COOK'S jOURNAL.—This pleasing and popu lar periodical continues ably to maintain its character for variety, usefulness, and interest. Tho talented, poetess herself contributes a large portion of its con tents, with which the public will be sure to be gratified. Among her articles in the present number we may men tion a very nicely-written essay on " Old Tunes," and some charming verses. There are also admirable papers by Silverpen, Charles Switin, Robert Story, and among the shorter articles the " Diamo nd Dust" scattered throughout the work is bright and sometimes brilliant. Good thoughts and correct feelings are therein often. times expressed in a happy and terse manner. The Journal, indeed, altogether proceeds very satisfactorily. —Morning Advertiser. THE EIDER ( Somaleria Mollissims).—Captain Pe n ny, of the Advice, who, much to his honour, had penetrated in search of Sir John Franklin as far as Navy Board Inlet, in Lancaster Sound, discovered, upon land ing on one of Wollaston's Island, in this inlet, some few pairs of these singular birds vet remaining, together with numerous nests, the occupants of which had, with out doubt, winged their way southwards. It is always in the most dreary and inhospitable parts of the north that eiders are found in the greatest numbers, and where they may be said to be quite at home—as in Iceland, in the Fern Islands, and in other northerly places, where they serve many important purposes, and the inhabit ants would find their comfort much diminished if they were deprived of the riders; their beautiful and delicate down is proof against the most severe cold, and without very serious injury to the birds, a vast quantity of the finest down is procured from them every year. So firm and elastic is this down, that the same quantity which can be compressed and concealed between the two hands will serve to form a garment, which, while it has hardly the weight of a festher, has more warmth than the finest blanket. It would appear that the singular combination of lightness and warmth exhibited in the eider down has induced Messrs. Nicoll, the eminent wholesale woollen manufacturers and Paletot makers, of Regent-street and Cornhill, to make some eff. rt to reduce these peculiari ties to their purpose, and the result is, that they have secured their invention (a decidedly novel manufacture) by royal letters patent. A large number of forged Bank of England notes are in circulation in Limerick and adjoining counties,