The Sun. — London, England, 1856-05-21 00:00:00

~........,....'''' TA.L. this no • xxisi; Rua:llT-, • POISO:i.VINGS. TRIAL OF WIL LIAM PALMER. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT (THIS DAY). SEVENTH PAY. The interest excited by this important trial has in- Creased in an extraordinary degree. This morning the crowd, both inside and outside the Court, was greater than it has ever been during the whOle of the previous proceedings. Palmer this morning looked exceeding dull. The jnry having entered the Court, Mr. Wetherby was called—He said on the 21et of November I received a letter from the prisoner, enclosing a cheque for 3001. I was not asked to produce the letter during my first examination.- I produce it now.—[The letter directed that the cheque should be cashed, and that a portion of the money should be sent to Prattl— On the 23d Nov. -I received another letter from the pri soner, and on the same day I wrote an answer telling him I had no mosey of Conk's te pay the cheque with. Mr. Hatton, of the Staffordshire police, said he had not discovered aiming the nrieoner's papers any of the correspondence. On the 24th a notice, signed by the priSoner, was left at our office. It was a request that all moneys e tbat might be or had been received for ls:Parsons. Cook would be sent to him. On the: 23d I had sent a letter to Cook at Itugeley o —it was returned to me through the dead letter office. I knew the handwriting of Cook. The cheque for 350/. was signed, as far as I recollect, by him. I cannot recollect whether it was signed I. or J. Parsons Cook. - I cannot say whether the body of the cheque was written . by Cook. By Sergeant - Shee—When that cheque arrived we had' not funds enough of Cook to meet it. Mr. Frail did not send any money from Shrews bury. It was a week after Mr. Cook had won the race, and he might have thought the money was trans mitted to u'. I informed Mr. Palmer by letter that the Money had not been received. Mr. J. Butler said was at Shrewsbury races, and had an account to settle there with Palmer. I had to receive from him about 7001. ; and it was in respect to the Liverpool races, on which I bail paid bets for him. I bad no money to receive from him for the Shrewsbury races. I endeavOured to get my money at Shrewsbury. I got cy. The reason Palmer gave for not paying any more was, that he had not received any more. He did not tell me how much he had to receive. H 14- afterwards gave me a cheque on the Rugeley Bank for 2501. It has never been paid. • I know Mr. Cook's Pole star ; after she Won the Shrewsbury races she was worth 700/. Mr. Stevens Was here recalled, and stated that Pole star. was sold `en. the 10tn of March last by public auc ';' tien- She fetched 750/. 4uineas. This closed the case for the prosecution. Mr. Sergeant 'Sbee then rose amidst intense interest to address the jury for the prisoner, but he spoke so inaudibly that it was with difficulty he could be heard by the reporters, who, by the bad arrangements of the court, are placed at a considerable distance behind the counsel. He said—ln rising to perform the task that devolves on me to defend a fellow-creature for his life, I cannot but be everwheliaied with a sense of the onus which rests on - me, and in discharging that, duty lam afraid it must necessarily oc -upy 4 considerable time. If, under ordinary circumstances, it is a difficult task both for an advocate and a jury to perform, how much more so must it be when after six long days my unhappy client has been standing on the brink of the scaffold, and any error of-judgment on my part mustannsign him to a mur derer'sdoom. It cannot be denied but the prejudice of the pubic has imperilled the calm administration of justice; and it is useless for me to conceal what you know per fectly well, than with all your endeavours to keep your minds free, from prejudice von cannot wholly efface it from your recollection. Yon know that for six long Months, that under the sanction or upon tile authority of science, an almost unanimous opinion had prevailed on the ease throughout the country, and there had hem n an almoetuniversal cry fir blood to avenge the death of J ohn Parsons Cook, and that it was made under the i mPrCesion 'and cc:Menet:On of the guilt of the prisoner. It is not to be doubted but that you have entered on Your duties with the endeavour to efface from your Memory all . that you have read and heard of this case, it ° 4 uninfluenced by that cry which has been raised with reference to the guilt or innocence of the prisoner, arid that you know that whatever opinion you may have formed on it, it fir now, your duty to attend only to the evidence of both sides of the case, and upon it form ,Your opinio n . Th e cireunastanaesninder which we meet in this place are of a character to excite mingled feel ilife of encouragement and alarm, and those whose duty 't is to watch over the safety of the Queen's subject felt t hemselves so much apprehensive lest in this case the course of justice might be • disturbed by the popular pre judice th at h as b een exc it e d against the prisoner, and that an unjust and adverse verdict might thereby he , Passed against him, that they resolved on the passing of " Act of Parliament to prevent the possibility of the ordinary form of law being affected by • t hat popular prejudice and which received the u nanimous consent of the Legislature a short time since. The Crown, under the advice of the responsible Minister, . resolved also that the conduct of this prosecution should not be left in private hands', but that its own law officer, the learned Attorney-General, should take upon himself the responsibility of conducting it in a proper manner, and cbtisistent with his duty to the public ; and that learned gentleman, when the duty was intrueted to him, did what I must say, in my opinion, will ever redound to his honour—he resolved that, in a case in which so I rauch4injudice had existed, all the evidence which it 'was the intention of the pnsecuter to call against the -' Prison " should, as s :on as he bad seen it, be com municated to the prisoner. Everything I =et say (turning to the prisoner) and I must tell my u nhappy client. that the constituted authorities of the land, everything which the Legislature and the law officers of the Crown could do to secure hr him a ' fair and impartial trial in this plaue, has been done by , them, and the responsibility of any injustice being done to•him must rest alone on the law and the jury. One of t he greatest calamities that could have befallen any man, cireum tanced as my unhappy client is, has befallen ulei In being d e prived o£ the services of the able advocate by illness, who weeks since was engaged to defend him, and I have endeavoured by my humble ability to supply that loss, and the circumstances to which I have already referred relative to the conduct of the Government that . t he prisoner should have a fair trial, is to me a cause of g r eat encouragement. I cannot for a moment 4 , ° °3' that -I am a w e d and almost overcome with b e grea p t imortance and magnitude of the case, but at the same time I am not discouraged, an d I have this further came for not being altogether o vercom e . by the duty I have to discharge in defending t he prisoner and i n di scussin g th e mass o f ov id ec c e th a t h as been laid before you, and which assumed a different character to that loose inquiry at Rugeley before the !_ononer that after reading it I fermed no opinion omit,wlth regard to the guilt mar innocence of the prisoner, and 113 y mind was consequently free to form on the evidence t ° w produced what I trust will be declared by you to f t ) a right indgment on his case. I commence his de el'ee, and Instate it in all sincerity, with an entire con- Ziction o f hi s i nnocence an d I b e li eve th ere never W ere truer words pronounced by any man than those pro nouncede by, him ,_ethen he said "Not guilty" to t . indictme n t on which he was now being e rle d ; and if I fail in establishing the p ri soner's innocence, I shall be under very grave misgivin gs th at t h at f a il ure i s t o b e a tt r ib u t e d more to oniy of my inability to d o justice to his case than to any weakn ess of hi s case i tse lf .. A n d a s a proo f o f my sin ceritycon.iictien of his innocence, I will state to • Yo n that it is, my intention to meet the case for the pro 'ecution foot' ley foot, and at every stage grapple with b yte lea difficulty that has been presented to you so ably - by the learned- Attorney-General, that e youshall see that I avoid no point because I fear to approach it ; apd if You l find that I deal fairly with the beginning, •I °Pe I may be sure—pay, I know lam sure—of obtain ' l ug your approval. The propositions which the Crown U ndertook to establish in this case against the prisoner, a nd which they have endeavoured to support entirely by circumstantial evidence, might be shortly stated to be ee this. They say that the prisoner, in the second week in November, made-up his mind that it was to his interest "° get rid of John Parsons Cook, and that he deliberately Perpetrated his death by the deadly aid of poison —first, by the slower po i son o f antimony, and afterwards that he de stroyed him- by the more rapid and deadly poison of lit rYchnia. No juryn'l feel satisfied, would venture to convict a man of the crime - imputed to the prisoner by t he Cro wn , un l ess , iri the first place, it was made clear t hat r th e person so comm i tt i ng t h e act b ad some mot i ve the commission of the offence—some strong reasons I _,t wishing to get rid of the person ; and; secondly, une nes it - wer e ma d e cl ea r that the sympt o m s o f th e d ecease d before death, and the ""appearance presented by the body 4tter death, were inconsistent with the theory that death ar ea t ee 2 3 frOm other and ;lateral causes ; and, thirdly, it was quite clear that the circumstantial evi- I Once was su c h as he indisputable on the supposition t a. e itl e d own- Now it is under these three heads that I in trodisceni t h e ev id ence th a t you h av e heard; and it lust te perfectly, clear to you that if I adhere to that p i er and method of treating the vast amount of evi qtfei than has been laid before you, I must exhaust the argument and leave myself no chance without ini t&ediate detection of avoiding any difficulties in the case. in'oeriore, however, I proceed to grapple with the case the Crown, allow me at once to say to at will 4a the whole scope of my addreaS ,rnlne - -‘tez,, to restore to its proper place be the discu ss i on th e f ac t, w hi c h h as b y no .. means Q.;° concealed from you by the learned Attorney inizleral, in that address of his, by which he at once 80 en upon your juilginnnts by drawing your attentien ein °lnch to the details of his - case—the fact that strych are was not found in the body of the deceased John d• "us k If tee deceased died of strychnine :he iee • 0 'AitLia two hours of the adenirderetion to him of a Nv7ristrong dole of it and it was stated that lie died afe„ n a Onanter .pf ..an hour er twenty minutes • the effect' the dose was said to become visible in • 4 o Rix claysih.°dtoookf Place, and death a post moitem xaminatien of the and never leers there circumstances, so a r t i o urable, unless the science of chemical analysing is stregolth,er a lanlore - in the detection of poisoning by „i„ws not t tested. n 'nn in which it nu cht to have been so easily de- Is p o es, the fact beiond all question that it nenlor' einieurnlatist:ut‘thate °lnd e nuil whatevr we may think of Dr. A. d judgmeet and eat a' ility there can be no is a skilful g and practical ' analytical fe et, ne n We have not the least reason to suppose—in , a. , s. w know to the coLtrar y, that he and Dr. Rees, who " ted him, did Out de all that the science of chemical teattreis could enable them to do to detect etrychnia, yet they (IA riot detect it, hut that they did antimony. From the .inforreati6n which they received from the relations of the deceased, and from his solicitor, their attention was called to the suspicion that existed of the cause of Cooler; death being by poison, and yet in December, a few weeks after death, they were unable to find, -any - poison but antimony. Having, how ever, attended the inquest, -and heard the evidence of Mr. Jeres, the female Mills, and others, and that 1 of the witness Roberta, who spoke to the purchase l of strychnine by Palmer on the morning.of the deceased's ' 'death, Dr. Taylor came to the conclusion that the pills that were administered to Cook on the Monday and T ue sday contained strychnine, though he had previously given his opinion in writing that the deceased must have died from antimony, from traces of it having been found in the body and no traces of strychnine. I am not about to discuss that point of the case now, but I call your attention to it. It will claim a proper place in the dis cussion, and I mention it now that you might know at the commencement of my address what the course is I I intend to pursue, and that you may not be under the impression that I don't under the three heads to which I . I . have directed your attention refer to it, and that con sequently I intend to pass it over. I have, therefore, told you what the case for the defence will be with 're ference to strychnine not being found in the deceased's body, and the medical gentlemen who have come to the conclusion that strychnine might have been there, though they did - not find any, have arrived at those 'conclusions by experiments of a very partial kind indeed ; and they contend that the poison of strychnine is of that nature that when once it has done its fatal work, and becomes absorbed in the system, it ceases to be the thing which it was when it was taken into the sys tem, because it became decomposed, and its elements separated 'from each other, and therefore it was no longer caPaLle of responding to the tests which, ac cording to them, would certainly detect the presence of undec Imposed strychnine. They can't, however, vary the fact that it was not found in the body, but they still retained the belief that Cook was destroyed according to that hypotheeis, which was an hypothesis unsupported by any eminent toxicologists but them selves. But it was fair to them to say, and to Dr. Tayl r in particular—because it is out of my power to speak of Dr. Christison except with the respect due to a man of his eminence and high standing—it is due to Dr. Taylor to say that he had propounded his theory in a book he had published- on that subject. • After refer ing to'the experience. of. Dr. Taylor and to this poison on a number of rabbits, the learned gentleman said, I will call, on this point, before you many gentlemen of the highest eminence in the profession,--analytical :Chemists, who Frill state to you their utter reinicia lien of that opinion. I will call before you Dr. Nuunely, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, a profensor of surgery 'at three schools of medicine, and who attended the late strychnine case at. Leeds; Dr S- Williams, professor of Alateria Modica in Ireland, ' and surgeon for eighteen years at the Dublin Hospital ; Dr. Letheby, one of the ablest and :nest '_distinguished men of science in the great city, a professor of chemistry and toxicology in the medical school of the London Hospital,. who rejected the theory of Dr. Taylor as a heresy, and:'eneworthy of the:belief of scientific men ; Dr. N. Parker, peefeesor of medicine at the London Hospital ; Dr.. Robinson, of the College of Physicians ; Dr. Itoeers, professor of chemistry at St. George's School ; and, lastly, I will call befornyou probably the most eminent chemical analyst in the country, Mr. W. Herepath, of Bristol, all of whom reject the theory of Dr. Taylor as totally unworthy of belief, and are ready to prove that not only could half a grain of strychnine, or the 50th part of a grain of strychnine, but the sth, 10th, or 20th part of that quan tity, if it had entered into the human fraine at all, it could aid must be detected by the proper tests, and that no•degree of putrefaction or ferinentation of the human body c mid prevent its being found. I now apply my self to what in my judgment is of equal importance to the above in the case, if nut a more important question, and which I approach with no diffidence whatever, except tee distrust which I have, under the circumstances which I have s ated, cf myself ; and if it were possible fit me to write what I think of it, and then read it to you, •.I don't entertain the smallest doubt myself but that you would he convirced of the innocence of the pri soner; ' And.that is the question whether in the second week in Nevember, 1855, he had a motive for the com mission of, the murder—any strong reasons for desiring that Cook should die, and unless it is made clear to you thateit t was his interest to get rid of him, I never will believe you will come to the conclusion that lie com mitted the act. It appears to me, by the evidence laid before yoti, that it is abundantly clear, that not only was it not the interest of Palmer that Cook should die, but that his death was the went calamity that could happen to him, and that he could not possibly be ignorant that it must immediately be followed by. his own ruin. At the lime of the death of Cook he (Palmer) was in extreme embarrassment, but that state was in some de gree remitted by the person whose name he had forged —his own mother, a lady of very large fortune. The Attorney-General stated that the case against the pri soner was this, that the prisoner, with ruin staring him in the face—when Cook was in possession of a large sum of money—did wilfully destroy him. I beg the jury to carefully scrutinise the evidence, and then to say whether it was the prisoner's inter e st, in the seco n d week in November, to destroy Cook ; it not, they would decide accordingly. A great number of letters had been read yesterday, but although it was thought that this did not in the least affect the case, I firmly believe .in that correspondence the in nocence o: the prisoner lies concealed. Allow roe to call your attention to the state Of friendship, which existed between thc. deceased and the prisoner. They jointly owned race-Lhorsesi, or were al ways seen together on the race-course. lt had been remarked by Cook, before the witness Jones, that they (meaning 'himself and Palmer) hastiest a good deal of money together of late. That would prove they were in the closest intimacy. In May, 1855, Palmer wanted 2001. to pay some debts, and he epplied to Pratt for the surio, but it was refused without be gave sonic good security, and he accordingly offered his friend, John P. COO:. Nuw Cook was not possessed of a very large fortunn—such a fortune as, he heard, might have been thrown down in a week. It was not likely that anybody would'go to Doei;ors' Commons 'to ascer tain what sum Cook received on his graudfatlser's death before the sum of 2001. was advanced to him, for the position he bad attained seemed of itself quite sufficient security for the repayment of the money. As long as there Was a vestige of property Pratt continued to lend the prisoner money at a rate of about GO 'per cent. A person paying such .a sum fur interest could have nothing but utter and irretrievable rein staring him in the face. I beg the jury to. observe that I am not defending the prisoner against the charge of forgery ;that has, nothing to do with the present pro ceeding. I shall read a certain number of letters that have been put in evidence, which will show that Palmer and Coek.were jointly benefitted by the money received from Pratt on certain occasions. The learned counsel bore read some of the correspondence, which went to show that in November he (Palmer) was being pressed in such a manner by Pratt for money, that at that time Cook's life was of the utmost importance to him ; and also a letter from Cook to Fisher, telling him to pay 500/. to Pratt; it was of the greatest importance that he should do so, and he (Cook) had sent up . 800/, towards that sum. At this moment, therefore, it was clearly evident: Cook was doing all ho could to assist Palmer, and it was not at all to be supposed that he would at that moment destroy him. ,In the spendthrift way in which Cook and Palmer were living, it clearly showed that Cook was doing all he could for Palmer, and on the 16th of November, when it was alleged Palmer was poisoning him, he was. acting towards him with the eseateet kindness. The evidence of Fisher, who was , no friend of Palmer's, stated that on the Monday as well us the Tuesday Cook was comparatively well, and the inference was that that was so because Palmer was absent . It would presently be shown how very gross and simple that inference was. It was the interest of Cook . that Palmer should not he arrested by Pratt, and it was to prevent that circum stance bappeping that Cook desired Palmer to go to London and - arrange the matter with Pratt himself, Cook died on the morning of the 21st, and if we want to know anything further about Palmer we' must get it from Pratt, as Cook had never passed from the scene. It has been 'proved that Palmer had acted in the most affectionate manner to Cook, and the circumstance of his wishing to secure the horse Polestar went for nothing, and he would show that the five hundred pounds obtained from Pratt was obtained for Cook alone, but on his death Palmer was saddled with the payment. The learned Sergeant went on to say that it was to the highest degree. improbable that Cook did not have that money upon that transaction of 5001. with Pratt. Would Cook, who knew he had executed a bill of sale, and wanted the money, and wanted that immediately, have waited for two days ? The signature of Cook to the cheque was not even an. imitation of Cook's handwriting. It was probable that from the correspondence, and the state of Palmer's banking account, that as Pratt had sent a cheque which could have been cashed through a London house, that Cook wanting the money, Palmer let him have the money. Was it likely that Cook would have let the matter rest for the time he did before his death, when it was shown that he hal wanted money ? Was it likely that Palmer desiCed Cook's death ? Cook • had signed the cheque upon the day before his death for 3501., and had to be sent up - to be paid Now, if the news of Cook's death reached be fore,- which it was more.. than probable it would, where would be Palrner's chances of getting the cheque paid ? - Cook had no effects to meet that cheque, and it was most likely that Cook's executors would dispute any claim. What would be 'gain by Cook's death ? No thing. A 1 the evidence showed that Cook was his only resource, and what would Cook's death bring him pro perty that would-now clear him of his forgeries upon his mother ? bring Would about it not an ii de ,v pri et e tig h a i him investigation a f o t fc a o . ~ s ) k, i sts a a Dc e ! of Cook, and counts witliihe executors. Was it likely that Cook was aot a close-fisted, penurious man ; and yet the theory of the Crown was, that Palmer killed Cook because lie thought lie .could better settle with the executors, N hom he would.find shrewd men of butiness. Such a theory was an absurdity. Would not all the forgeries have then fallen, upon himself? The man ua l upon chemistry which had been put in, bearini the pr'moner'e notes made upon the margin, clearly showed that he well knew what n effects the poison would have had, upon 1 . Cook. - Lord CampbelFsaid that the prosecution had not made any great point of that fact, but admitted that the pri soner was studying to qualify himself as a practitioner: The learned Sergeant knew that, - but it would show that the priSoner knew well the effacts that strychnia would produce. What did the note fix attention to ? Why, that the death of any one dying of strychnia would be a most f , arful cane, and he (the learned Sergeant) put it, tl the jury whtther a man (who knew well what would result fromstioh poison); and was in the position in which the prieoner was, wont(' have run the which such a death would have created ; and with regard to the evidence of that stupid fellow Newton, he should speak at a future tine. What was Palmer's position at the time, both with regard to his affairs and the extrica tion from them which the prosecution say led him to cora -1 mi.; this act? The prisoner's posithin was this—why at that very time, be was in the expectation of a claim which he had against the prisoner of bills with relation to the insurance upon his brother being settled, and was it likely that the prisoner, who knew that such a death as that which be was charged with causing would, in a place like Rugeley, lead to - much specu lation, have done that which would cause the utmost discussion and lead to enquiry, which, if it went no farther, would prejudice those claims from which he anticipated to clear himself from his difficulties. He refused the offer of the premium from the Prince of Walesinsurance Office, which was a strong fact in favour of the prisoner, and had he hal the least fear OR the sub ject he would not have acted in the manner he had done. It Was not until the office had disputed the policy on Walter Palmer that Pratt began to move in the matter. That circumstance Pratt said entirely altered the posi tion of Palmer, and at the same time he intimated to the prisoner that he must be prepared to cover the accept ance of hid mother fir the four thousand pounds. A. great deal had been seid about the policy of insurance on the life of Walter Palmer, but he felt convinced that, as sure as the prisoner was saved— and saved he would be —that policy • would be paid. He had not the slightest doubt but that would be the the case, and the effect of such a proceeding would he the payment of the whole of the prisoner's debts. The comprny hal no defence, and immediately the prisoner was acquitted the office must pay the money. It was not to be supposed that Palmer would endaeger the likelihood of his receiving the 13,0001. by putting Cook to death, as it was the only means he had of meeting his liabilities. * He respectfully submitted to the Court and jury that that portion of the case had entirely failed. He would now proceed to the symptoms of Cook before death and his appearance after. Under this head he should contrast the medical evidence, and, in order to do so, he should for a short time refer to the evidence that bad been given during the course of the trial. The learned counsel then proceeded to allude to Mr. Stevens' evi dence, and mentioned the sheeting of him and the pri soner, when Stevens told him that ho euspected him, and that he was determined to have the matter probed to the bottom. He (the learned counsel) then described the symptoms of Cook previous to hid death, and stated that his father died about the age of 30, his mother also died at a comparatively early age. He then went on to state the appearance of the body when it was opened for the post mortem examination, and all o the state of Cook's throat at death, and alluded to the circumstance of the deceased as to health, and said he thought that without being an utterly depraved person he had led a very loose life. He stated he should show that Cook was in the habit of appearing on the race course with large spots about hint which plainly indi cated disease. The state of Cook was only partially discovered at the first post mortem examination, which was not of the most satisfactory nature. The interior of the body was therefore sent to London to be analysed and tha result of the analysis was, that death might havebeen caused by antimony, but after hearing certain evidence at the coroner's inquest Dr. Taylor had altered his opinion and instead of antimony being stated a • 4 th e cause of death, that was said to be a mistake, and he. had the immens e imprudence to state in his evidence before the jury that the pills which Palmer delivered to Cook con tained strychnine, and that that was the cause of death. Upon that evidence a verdict of wilful murder was returned, aed Palmer was consigned to a prison. If the opinion of medical men upon certain doubted points was to consign persons to prison, he trembled for the safet eof society.. No person would be safe in whose family a sudden death occurred. The medical man who attended Ceole attributed death to apoplexy, and yet upon the statement of a gentleman with a very imperfect knowledge on the subject of strych nine, this testimony was set aside and death declared to result from that powerful poison, strychnia, ai ministered in pills by the prisoner to deceased. Great trouble hail been taken to shoW that Cook had die i from tatanus, arising front strychnia, and a great deal of iliscosion followed about the meaning of idiopathic tat anus, felt be denied that it was proved that it was tetanus, or that it was otherwise than cOnvu'sians. Evidence from medical men seeks of the deceased's attack as convulsions. We are not called upon to show the exact cause of death, but we are only called upon to prove our denial of the theory laid down by the prosecution, but it will be enough for us to prove to you that out of the numerous variety of convulsions with which the human fra:ne may be attacked, asphyxia might have taken place from ordinary disease. it is enough for us to prove the possibiity of such a cause of death, wi h out proving that it is irreconcileable with the evidence of poisoning by strechnine. The learned Sergeant, said, that he would go through the medical depositions upon the • state of Cook, as it was only fair to those gentlemen whose opinions he disputed, that they might know upon what they formed these opinions. [The learned gentleman had not concluded his address whoa we went to press.] TUESDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. [The following appeared in part of our impression of yesterday.] The court this morning was again densoly crowded, and a large concourse of people were waiting outside, most eager to obtain the slightest information. At a few minutes before ten the prisoner was placed in the dock. He looked extremely pale, his features having a smaller appearance, and altogether bearing a most anxious and Miguel expression. The usual preliminaries having been gone through, the proceedings commenced with the examination, by Mr. Edwin James, of Dr. John Jackson, who said— -I am a member of the College of Physicians. I have been in pracace in India, and for 25 years in this country. I have made tetanus, both idiopathic and traumatic, my study. The idiopathic is rare in this country, compared to India. It is far more frequent in India. I have seen about 43 cases. Traumatic and idiopathic are equally fatal in India. The latter class is more frequently found in children in India, both in natives and Europeans. It takes place shortly after birth. In infants it is more marked in its symp toms of lock jaw than in adults attacked with the trau matic class of the disease. I have always seen premoni tory symptoms precede an attack of idiopathic tetanus. Lord Campbell—What are they ?. Witness—A. peculiar expression of the countenance, and a peculiar stiffness of the muscles of the head and jaws. In infants it will prove fatal in from four to eight hours. When it attacks adults from cold, it is of longer duration, and may last many days—the idiopathic going through all the same grades as the t!autnatic. Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shee—The patient is uncomfortable before the premonitory symptoms come on. He complains of stiffness of the back and front of his neck, but may take his f 'od until 12 hours before it. During the 12 hours after his attention is more drawn to the stiffness of his neck and mouth. I never -heard of any complaint of want of appetite for 12 hours before the attack. I have heard of the first attack coining on in bed. I have known cases of women after miscarriage ; there is sometimes a difficulty in swallowing, as pre monitory symptoms. Re-eianiined by the Attorney-General—The intervals between the premonitory symptoms in an infant are not more than six hours ; a male adult, from 12 to 24 hourp, and sometimes more. The duration of attack was from to 10 days. Both symptoms and disease are alike in each class of tetanus. Death may follow in two days. I was not in Court to hear the description. given of the attack and death of Mr. Cook. Tetanus will• arise from ex posure to cold. I never knew a case where death en sued in so short a space of time as from ten minutes to half an hour. . Mr. Berger examined by the Attorney-General—l am chief superintendent of the police at Rugeley. I was present at the inquest upon the body of John Parsons Cook, after which I went upon the 15th of December to Palmer's house to make a search. I found a quantity of papers. I had them taken into the drawing-room from the surgery, where I found the principal part of them. I took some out of Palmer's bedroom. I searched every part of the house, and put all the papers in one place in the drawing•room, after which I locked the door and put the key into my pocket. Upon the next day I endeavoured to make a selection from the papers. George Palmer was present. Lord Campbell—ls that the prisoner's brother ? Witness—lt is. Attorney-General—And he is an attorney, at Rugeley ? Witness—Yes. I cannot say whether I gave him notice of my intention to search the prisoner's house and papers. He was present part of the time. Inspector Crisp and some other gentlemen were there. I first made a selection of the papers, but after wards gave up the idea ; and upon the Tuesday tied them all up. George Palmer , was there upon the Monday, but I cannot say that he was upon Tuesday. I put all the papers into a black leather bag and took them to Stafford, where I gave them to Capt. Hatton. I believe it was upon the 24th that the bag was ag ain opened in my presence. The papers were then gone through, and classified by Mr. Dean for the prosecution, and he copied some of them. During the search which I made of the papers I saw what' they all of them were e and I saw no cheque purnorting to bear the signature of Cook drawn upon Mr. Wetherley. The witness further said, I found no document purport log to bear the signature of Cook relative to bills of ex- I change. Some of the papers were afterwards taken. to Mr. G. Palmer. The letters, private accounte, and documents selected by Mr. Dean were de livered to Inspector Crisp, and he was directed to deliver them to that gentleman.. The prisoner was arrested on the night of the 15th of December. By Sergeant Shee—The inquest was held at the Talbot Arms. There were several meetings, and before it concluded more than a fortnight elapsed. The pri soner was arrested by the sheriff on a civil process two or three days before the verdict was returned. He was at his house at Rugeley the whole of the time the in quest lasted ; but he was not present at it, nor was there any person to act professionally for him. I did not know there had been a police officer previous to the death of Cook in Rugeley; but I heard a person of the name of Field was there. Mr Henry Dean atten'led the inquest on Ann Pal mer on the part of an insurance company. The first time I saw Palmer's papers was on the 24th of Deceniber in the custody of the last witness. I selected and classified them. They were in a black bag. It was nagetled in my presence. Mr. Hatton and another person was present. I examined the whole of the con tents of the bag for the purpose of selecting those Papers which were material. The rest, a con , eiclerahle citlaritity, were returned to Mr, G, Palmer. I did not find a cheque upon ttie Messrs,. Wether ley, signed by Mr. Cook for 3501. I heard the witness Cheshire examined relative to a certain paper, bet I did not finclAliat paper, or any other, which stated that Palmer had signed a document for CaOk's accommodation. . • Cross-examined by Sergeant Sliee—l knew Inspector Field had been at Rageley at the time of the inquest._ My firm were solicitors to the., Prince of; :Wales- Life ASsiiraithe Office, and Field went there upon. their em ployment, but he was at Rugeley 6roy part of a day. He was at Stafford for three or four days; but he did not see the prisonei while there. .His visit bad been preceded by that of ano th er o ffi ce r . named Simpson. . Simpson I saw one day at Regeley. He went frotn Itugeley to StatTord with myself and Field. He said be had seen Palmer. He was first retained in our service on the first week in October. ' • • By Mr. E. Jaines—Field was sent down to make in quiries as to the habits and life of Mr. Walter:Palmer, of whose death the (ale bad shortly before received no tice, and also t inquire into the circumstances ,of a person'tiamed Bates, with reference to an insurance on his life. Mr. E3pin, Belle:tin. for Mr. Padwick, said—l pro duce a bill for 2,0001., which was-placed in my hands by that gentleman to enforce payment from the pfisoner's mother. Ido not know whether it is the handwriting of the prisoner. (Mr. Strawbridge 'was: here called and he stated that the bill was in the handwriting of the prisoner.) The words " Sarah Palmer" were:not - in t'le handwriting of that lady. The bill was due three months after date, but 1,000/, had been paid off, and the bill was p!aced in my hands oli the 12th of Dec. to enforce the payment of. the remainder. I had not Made application for the payment of the bill in Nov: myself.. I received two letters fram the prisoner. The letters were here put in and read, and con tained the cheque for 1,000/.., with a request that it might not be presented till the 28th of Nov. ; and the other related to a sum of money, 300/., about which there was some mistake about the remittance, and in which Palmer stated he would shortly be in London. Witness continued--I produce a cheque for 1,0001., inclosed in the above letter of the 12th, dated the 28th. I presented it on that day and payment was refused. I also produce a cheque for 6001., dated Bth Dc , ceinber, to prisoner's handwriting, payable to Mr. Pad wick or bearer, which was also dishonoured. It was forwarded in consequence of tha cheque of 1,0001. having been die. honoured. 1,0001. still remains due on the 2,0001. bill. Execution was issued against the person. The prisoner was taken on the ca sa. Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shee--Tfitut saw the cheque's, day or two before the date of the 12th. Re-examined by Mr. James—Au action was brought against the mother fur the recovery of the 1,000/. due on the bill. Mr. Bamford, surgeon, of Rugeley, who bad been suffering latelyfrom ill health, which prevented his earlier examination, having greatly recovered, was led into court by Mr. Gardner, the solicitor for the prosecution. and examined by the Attorney-General. He said—l am a surgeon and apothecary, of Rugeley. I first saw the deceased Cook on Saturday, 17th November, at the' request of Mr. W. Palmer. He called on me and asked me to attend a friend of his, who was ill at the Talbot Hotel. He said he had dined with Cook the day before, and that he had taken too much champagne. I walked with Palmer to the Talbot and saw the deceased. I asked C )ok if he had taken too much wine the day before. He assured me that he had taken but two glasses. He was constantly vomiting, but I saw no bile thrown off. I prescribed a saline effervescing draught for the deceased, a six-ounco mixture. Lord. Campbell said that the witness need not be examined on this point, bec3u , e it was stated in his deposition that had been read to the Court. If it was persisted in, ho Inuit have the whole of the medical witnesses re-examined. The Attorney-General said he bad no intention to go ,nto it. • Witness examined—On Monday I prescribed and prepared some pills for deceased. The medicine I pre pared on Monday I took myself to the Talbot Arms, and gave it to the servant maid. I saw her take it upstairs. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, I prepared the same sort of pills for deceased: I saw Palmer on Tues day morning on tuy Way down to see the patient. He met tne, and I asked him if he saw Cook the night be fore. He said he saw kim between 9 and 10 o'clock, and was with hini Italian-hour, and requested me not to see deceased that morning to disturb hitri. I did not see him then. Between 11 and 1 o'clock that day I was met again by Palmer, on my way to see Cook. He begged I would not go to see Cook. as he was still quiet, and he did not wish him to be disturbed. About 7 o'clock that night Palmer sent. a request to my house that I would see Cook again. 1 4 :went and saw him for the first time on that day. After that, I left the room with Mr. Jones and Palmer, and had a conversation with him. Palmer rather wished" Cook to have his pills again, and he walked with me to nay house for them ; and stood by me whilst I 'prepared them in my surgery. I have strychnia in a private room, but I keep none in my surgery. Palmer saw me weigh the ingredients of which the pills were composed. I put them in a 'hex, And labelled them "Night pills—John Parsons Cook," at the request of Palmer. He took the pills away with him, between seven and eight o'clock. I never saw Cook again alive. I wrapped the pills and directions up in a paper, and fastened each end with seal- iog-wax. The directions were ; written on a paper folded square, placed under the box of pills, and both were afterwards wrapped in the paper that was sealed. There was nothing written on the outside paper. I saw Cook dead as near 20 minutes past 12 o'clock as could be. I learned from Palmer that de ceased had been dead about five minutes. I found the decease t stretched out as straight as could be on his heels and back of his head and stiff. His arms were in a rigid state by his side and fists ,clenehed. I gave it then as my opinion that deceased died of apoplexy, and gave a certificate accordingly. Palmer asked me to,fill up the certificate. I had the form with me. I told Palmer it was his place to fill up the certificate as Cook was his patient, but he said he would much rather I-did it, and 1 c - oasented. I was present at the post mortem examination. After it was over Palmer said to me "we ought not to have let that jar go." Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shee--My house is about 200 yards from Paltnei 1 ,8 house. Mr. Thomas Pratt examined by Mr. James—l am a solicitor, practising in ICing.street, Mayfair. I am acquainted with the prisoner. I commenced in Nov., 1853, when I obtained a loan of 1,0001. for him. That was afterwards paid. In Oct., 1854, I was employed by him to make a claim on two policies, both on the death of Ann Palmer. I received 5,000/. from the Sun, and 3,0001. from the Norwich Union. The money ‘;'as applied in pay ment of three bills amounting to 3,5001. or 4,0001., and 2,0001. of it was doe on acceptances and loans obtained subsequently to the claims on the policies, the remaining 1,500/. was not so applied. In April, 1855, he applied to me for a loan of 2 0001. ; hut he did not state for what purposes he wanted it. I obtained it on an accep tance drawn by himself and accepted by his mother. On Clint my Pg tn. 1 ,1 *dab+. bills that I h2oadthdN November 1 andedforPlmer. I held four of them wyse f. There were two .Thera then overdue. The bills are as fol lows: —June 5, 1854, for three months after date drawn by Mr. Pal mot% and accepted by Ssrah Palmer for 5001, and endorsed by him ; Aug. 2,1854, a similar bill for 1,0001., payable three months after date ; July 22, 1855. for 2,000/ , three months after data; July 24. 1855, for 2,000/., three months after th,. date, endorsed by Palmer to Twos. Pratt ; Sept. 27, 1855, for 1,0001., for three months after date ; Sept. 29, 1855, for 2,000/., for three months after date; Oct. 2, 1855, for 2,000/., for three months, indorsed by Palmer to Thos. Pratt; and one, Oct. 12, 1855, for 2,000/ for three months after date. The whole of the bills purported to be drawn by Mr. Palmer, and accepted by Sarah Palmer, 6,0001. had been renewed, and. would become due in b p y aya h b i l e e l. to T . , o w rd h e o r le o January ; two bills were only overdue on the 20th of f amounted Pal m e r, a t n o ' I i l n 2 d , o s r o B o ° I d . November for 2,000/. One bill for 1,000/, and another for 500/. was held over from month to month, as was the interest. The interest charged for discounting the bills was about 60 per cent. In August, 1855, Walter Palmer died, and I made an application to the Prince of Wales-office for 13,000/„ the amount of the policy. Sarah Palmer, as the acceptor of these bills, had fre quently received. ntlybeenwrittento at Rugeley, but no replies had been Some letters from Pratt to Palmer were here pro duced, which were found by the Superintendant of the Smfford police amongst the prisoner's papers after his arrest, and during the investigation before the coroner respecting Cook's death. They related to, the overdue bills, and also to the policy effected on the life of Walter Palmer; also letters from Palmer to Pratt, in, reply to one of which he stated he bad been requested by his mother to reply to the communication. Examination continued—Palmer called upon me and paid me 2701. upon the account of the bills thQn due. He said he would send another sum of 2501. before the following Wedoes lay, and that he was to pay the prin- cipal, by instalments, ns soon as possible. Lord Campbell said he was glad to see that the jury were taking a close note of this part of the evidence, as it would save him much trouble during the summing up A . letter of the 28:11 of o,tober was then put in and read. It runs thus : "Dear Sir,—l will send you 2501. Do not think of the writs; I will g e t y ou th e money if I pay 1,0001. for it. Give we a chan ce o f paying. Do not send to the proctor." The letter, after referring to some other matters, was signed " Win. Palmer." " I must have Polestar again. If any one asks you about what money Cook has bad of you, do not say anything about it until I see you." Prisoner pro mised to send more money upon this'. Pratt wrote an• other letter upon the 22d, which was put in and read. After alludingto Cook's death the writer told Palmer that, as Cook was dead, he must see and look about him for the 500/. bill ; and it also stated that Pratt had sent down the bill of gale to Crabb. This letter having been rend. the 'Court adjourned. On the resumption of the Court the further reading of the letters was continued. One stated that on the 23d of November the prisoner would be iu town. Examination of witness continued—On the 24th of the month I saw him and he signed a paper for the pay ment of 1001. Another letter was read from Palmer to Pratt, marked " strictly private and confidential." It contained a re quest" by the prisoner to Pratt, to the effect that if any questions should he asked of Pratt respecting the money received by the prisoner on account of C : nok that he would refuse all information until he saw the prisoner. The witness proceeded --I_ held-a. bill of sale respect ink two racehorses mentioned in September, 1855. The ,prisoner :transacted the loan ; it was for the sum — of -500.. Ido not know Cook. The. hexes were Siring and Polestar. The bill of sale upon which I advancedthe 5001. was siened by John ParsonS Cook. The money given was - 3751. - a-nd a wine warrant. In compliance with a letter. from the prisoner, I enclosed 3001. in notes, and a cheque for 751. in a registered letter directed to the prisoner at Doncaster, and a letter was received from the prisoner aeknowledging the receipt of the money. had another transaction with Cook ; it was a bill drawn by Palmer and accepted by Cook. Cook paid the money? Mr. Stevens, father-in-law of the deceased, was hero recalled. Mr. E. James—Xr. Stevens, look at the endorsement on the bill for 37N. Is it in the handwriting of Cook I Mr. Stevens (looking at the bill)—No. Mr. E. James—The signature is "J. Paraons Cook." Mr. Stevens—l never saw him write his name other- Wise than -" J. Parsons Cook." Mr. Strawbridge was then called, and the Attorney. General directed him to look at the acceptances, and see if they were in the handwriting Sarah Palmer, and he declared that none of the acceptances were in her hand writing. Mr. W. Cheshire—ln the month of September last I was clerk in the National and Provincial Bank at Rugeley. Mr. Palmer had an account there, and the cheque in question was paid in to his credit by his groom, Cockaigr. The cross examination of Pratt was then proceeded with by .34r. Sergeant Shee—Previous to May, 1851, I had no knowledge of the prisoner. I knew nothing about Mr.-Cook, but I had a sum of money due to Mr. Pal mer, andhe wished me to add 1901. to it. Mr. Cook never complained to me by letter that he did not receive the mortgage money of the race horses. I had not the slightest knowledge how Cook and the prisoner stood as to the winning on the Shrewsbury races. John ArnashaW—l am an attorney practising at Rugeley. Oa 12th Nov. last I was applied to enforce the payment of a debt of 601. by some gentlemen in Ittiieley 'on the 19th of the month. I sent to London for a writ, and the next morning I went to the prisoner at his house and he paid me two fifty pound notes. One was a Bank of England and the other was a local note. I took the money to my client and told him to take a receipt and settle about the costs. By Mr. Sergeant Shee—lt was about nine o'clock in the morning. Mr. John Wallbank—l am a butcher, residing at Rugeley. I remember the nonday in Shrew.bury race week. I was fetched to Palmer's house. I saw him, and he said, " Wallbank, I want you to lend me 251," I said, "Doctor, I am very abort of money, but I will try and get it." He said, "Do, that's a good . fellow, . and I'll give it you on Saturday morning." He said be should receive some money that day. I met him on the Saturday morning, and he paid me the money. I think it wAe by a bill. By Sergeant Shee—Palmer had lent the money on occasions when I required it. Palmer's mother lived in a large house near the church. I have often seen him visit there. John Spilsbury, farmer, residing at Rickerscott—l, have had - dealings with Mr. Palmer. Cto Thursday, the 221 of N0v.,1 called upon him -and received payment• Ern' a debt. , It was by a 501. Bank of Kr.gland note., I cal ed casually that day. I did not have an appoint ment. • By Sergeant Shee—That was the only transaction I had with him. Mr. Strawbridge ' the manager of the bank at Rugeley, said on the 19th of Nov. his account showed a balance of 91. 6s. in his favour. Nothing had been paid in since. The last payment he had made to his credit was on the 10th Oct. It was 501. Mr. Herbert Wright, a solicitor, of Birmingham, said, I.bave known' the prisoner since July. 1851. In Nov he was icdebted to my brother 10,4001. We had a bill of sale on his property ; it was dated May 5, 1855. It was for 6,5001., and comprised bills of Exch ange d rawn by Palmer, and purporting to be accepted by Sarah Palmer. The sum of 2,3004 was further advanced, for which all his. personal property, race-horses. and also a policy for 5,0001. on his life was taken as further secu rity. The bill,of sale was subject to redemption. The whole sum advanced amounted to 10,4001. During the early part of Nov. I was pressing Palmer for payment. The money was considered to be due on the first or sr cond week in Nov., but before the 22d of the month we were urging for payment, The bill of sale was put in force after the verdict bad .been returned. I neither took nor found any of his papers. Cross•examined by Sergeant Shee—A good deal of pr,perty was taken. I don't think if the interest had been forthcoming I should have objected to put off the seizure. By the Attorney-General—Me bills were di/counted at 60 per cent. per annum—(sensation)—and the bills would not have been renewed under that amount. Mr. Strawbridge proved that the acceptances to the whole of these bills were not in the handwriting of Sarah Palmer. Cross-examined by Sergeant Shee—l have none of the handwriting of Mrs. Palmer with me. The imitations were very faint ones, and I should not pay such if they were presented at the bank. Mr. Weatherby was recalled, but be not being pre sent, the Attorney-General saiii that the question which he proposed to ask could be put in the morning before the learned sergeant commenced hi, address to the jury. This having closed the case for the prosecution, the Court adjourned until a quarter to ten to-morrow morn ing. Upon the 31st of October Pratt wrote to Palmer, to tell him that in consequence of the promises in that letter, that with the exceptions of the writs against the brother of prisoner, no steps should be taken. The letter pressed for further payments, and also alluded to the necessity of further steps being t tken about the policy of Walter Palmer's life. Upon the 6th November I issued writs for 4,0001. upon prisoner and his mother, and sent them to Mr. Crabb, a solicitor at Rugeley, upon the 6th. Upon the 10th Palmer called upon me, having written that he would come. He paid me 3001, upon the 10th. That sum, with the 500/., made 8001. 2001. was de. ducted for interest, and he was credited 6001. off the account. I think that I mentioned at that time to him that the writs had been sent down to Rugeley. A. letter of the 13th was put in and rea d. It was from Pratt t 3 Palmer about the prospects of obtaining the policy, and pressing for the payments, Upon the 16th November I had another letter promising 200/ , and upon the next day some one called and paid ms a cheque for 2001. had another letter, and upon the following Monday, being the settling day after the Shrewsbury Races, prisoner called and paid me a sum of 500/., making in the whole a sum of 1,3001. paid up to that day upon account of the 2,0001. bill. Upon the 21st I had another letter from the prisoner. The letter was put in and read. It stated that Cook had died and that prisoner was very much fatigued, and added STAMP DUTIES PAID BY FIRE INSUR ANCE COMPANIES. A statement was given on Monday of the amount of stamp duties paid during the pat year by each (f the I,,ndon fire insurance offices, arranged in the order of their respective amounts. Sabjoined is a similar table with regard to country offices : DUTY PAID BY THE COUNTRY FIRE INSURANCE OFFICES DURING THE YEAR 1835. Norwich Un ion West of England Manchester Royal Liverpool & London 21,057 Yorkshire Lancashire Leeds and Yorkshire L 8,144 Birmingham , 14,193 Kent 14,0:16 Birmingham District 7,942 Essex and Suffolk Newcastle on-Tyne 6,008 North of England Essex Economic Salop 3,833 Nottingham & Derby 3,735 Sheffield Norwich Equitable 2, 693 Rent Mutual Provincial ...„ 2,583 Hants, Sussex, and Dorset Shropshire and North Wales Midland Counties Lincolnshire ..618 Durham and Nor thumberland Of the value of the farming stock insured at each of the country offices, and which is exempt from duty, the following are the totals : VALUE OP FARMING STOCK (EXEMPT FROM DUTY) IN SURED BY COUN iRY OFFICES. Norwich Union 9,652,715 Shropshire Yorkshire 3,276.085 North Wales ... 362,590 West of England 1,352,278 Essex Economic ... 349,325 Essex and Suffolk-1,332,682 North of England.. 332,797 Sent Midland Counties 993,951 trict Manchester 13irmingliam 726,520 Norwich Equitable 262,916 Provincial Leeds and York- Hants, Sussex, and shire Salop 524,918 Lancashire ... ..... 108,262 Newcastle-on : Tyne 450,829 Sheffield .. 79,068 Nottingham and Durham and Nor- Derby 447,736 thuLaberland 4,450 The totals of the entire returns thus furnished show that the duty paid by London offices during the year 1855 was 860,38 C/., being an increase of only 8,9031. on the previous year ; whil e - by country offices it was 346,3971., being an increase of 10,117/., the business of the latter continuing to exhibit relatively the greatest augmentation. The value of the farming stock insured, and which is exempt from duty, was 37,951,8281. in London, and 24,334,1481. in country offices, N howingau increase of 1,925,9191. in the former offices, and of 1,457,700/. in the latter. With respect to Scotch and Irish lowing is the return both of the duty insured on farming stock exempt froi and SCOTCH OFFICES, Scottish Union .. North British•• ...... .............. Northern Caledonian .,•••••••• Scottish Provincial National ......... ••• ....••..•• •• Forlarshlre and Perthshire........ . insurances, the fol paid and the sums a duty : Day. 26,040 19,583 10,080 9 814 6,330 5,341 2,260 79;502 5,609 4.9' 4 6 48,171 ium Insured on Farm ing Stock. 1,572,240 1,015,132 740,199 708,948 £75,750 4 t 1,507 190,730 5,224,507 39,4R5 69,078 539,947 58,766 648,510 Subjoined are the aggregate figures : Art ACCOUNT OF THE GROSS AMOUNT OF RECEIPTS FOR INSURANCE DUTY IN YEARS 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855. Years England. Scotland. Ireland. Total. £ s. d. s. d. s. d s. d. 1350 1,042,396 15 1 65,875 12 7 51,258 10 0 1 ,159,530 17 8 1851 1,070,727 16 2 67,229 16 2 42,543 2 411,190,505 14 8 1852 1,094,457 13 11 68,099 1 2 53 ,824 14 9 1,210,381 9 10 1853 1,141,346 17 ' 1 71,600 18 1 56,478 15 11 1,269,426 10 3 1854 1,178,016 10 1 76,782 1 0 4 54 , 42 4 3 91 1,313,223 4 9 1855 1,203,861 11 0 78,613 5 9 58,766 10 01 1,341,242 12 9 TILE SUN, L01ND01 4 4,--- WEDNESDAY EVE-14..i.Ne, --- 24 - Xlr -- 21, 1856. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(This Day.) Toe SrEAKER took the chair a, 12 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Cork and Yougbal Railway Bill was read a third time and passed. , The Ely Tidal Harbour and Railway Bill and the Vale of Clwyd Railway Bill were respectively amended and ordered for On third reading. Sir J. BULLER. presented a petition from .a place in Devonshire, praying thai; women who had property might be compelled to take care of their husbands. (Laughter.) • IRISH OFFIcEs. Patriotic...... .............. ............ In English Offices THE SLIGO ELECTION. Mr. G. BUTT brought up the report of the com mittee appointed to inquire into the Sligo election, re porting that Mr. Wynn was duly returned to serve in Parliament, and that the petition of Mr. Somers was frivolous and veiatious. The committee further stated that they believed ten of the witnesses bad been guilty of wilful and corrupt perjury. . . Mr. J. PHILLIMORE brought" in his bill for vest•_ jug in the Lord Chancellor the power of s-ppointing the - Ju:l,gei of the Ecclesiaetical Courts. The bid was read a first time. Mr. LOVE presented a petition from the coal dealers of London iu favour of the continuance of the Coal % flippers Act. Some petitions veers preceeted against the So(itch and Irish Pauper Removal Bill. Several hon members presented petitions against the abolition of church rates without an equivalent: Sir J. DUKE presented a petition from the joiners complaining against the City of London Corporation Reform Pill. 1 Mr. CHILDE moved the second reading of the Ad- VOW'Sons bill. Mr. KENDAL second the motion, and the bill, was accordingly read a second time. CHURCH RATES BILL. Mr. PACK moved the eccond reading of this bill. He did not for one moment wish to compel a man to worship his God contrary to his conscience, but iu his opinion a man had no more right to refuse paying to wards the Established Church than he hal to decline to pay towards the country in which he was born. The house must be well aware that members of the Esta blished Church hal to pay towards dissenting places of worship, and yet there was no complaint upon their part. With respect to one of the clauses, he would say he believed there were very few rural districts in the kingdom in which the poor could not afford to pay Church rates, and in his ' opinion the government by their measure would not provide for !the exigencies of the poor. Again, it would be the height of it:justice to pass an Act of Parliament which would have an effect upon those pri-, vete places of worship which were supported by the pew rents. With regard to the question of rent charge it was involved in endiess litigation. The rent charges might fall into the bands of executors. One might say that be was a conscientious Dissenter, and he could object to the rate with quite as much justice as any of those whom the Government proposed to relieve. The great principle of this bill was to absolve every Nonconformist from paying towards the ser vices of the Church, but with every feeling of tole rance towards those who did not agree with the Established Church, he could not see that Church crumble into dust. There were churches con tinually falling into dilapidation, and whenever such was the case, the par sh who was too poor it self wrote to the bishop for his assistance. How could the bishops with the limited income to which they had been reduced meet such demands ? He had been anxious in every way to meet the con scientious scruples of Dissenters, and he still thought that they were entitled to be redeemed Iron paying towarls any service to which they ehjected—(hear, bear)—but he could not believe that any right-minded Di-center, when he looked at the , venerable structures throughout the land, would allow them to fall into ruin because of the very small pay ment of Church rates being abolished. (Hear, hear.) He , trusted that the house would give his bill a favourable consideration. Sir WM. CLAY moved an amendment that the. bill be read a Second time that day six months, and said he did not wish to enter upon the diauses of the hill, as it was so directly at variance with that measure, which had been adopted by a very large majority of the house. Mr. HADFIELD said he could not conceive that the richest church in the world was reduced to the ex tremity of forcing a rats upon a poor Dissenter. The present bill WA3 a caricature. [LEFT SPEAKING.] LLOYD'S STIIPPING.—(This Day.) LONDON, May 21.—Wind'inld Lt ay at noon, S.E.; light breeze and fine. Amongst the vessels which grounded on the eastern beach at Gibraltar, previous to the sailing of the Indus (e.) on the 15th, were the Countess of Durham, from Malts to Quebec, and the Victor Jacquetnont, from Marseilles to the coast of Africa ; both got off at high water wi thou, damage. The Mary Wilsou, from Alexandria to Liver pool, wait extricated from the rocks at Europe Point, in very leaky state. PORTSMOUTH, May 20. —Wind S.—Arrived.—Margaret Evan, from London, for Now York. SAiled--H.M7Str. Slmpson, fur the East Indies; H.H.Str. Euryalus, West Indies. PLYMOUTH, May 20.—Wind S.S.E.—Arrived—East Anglian (tpt. IS2), from Woolwich. Sailed—Victoria, for Quet)ec ; Augusta, Paimbceaf. CARDIFF, May 20.—Wind S.—Sailed—Catharino, for Singapwre ; Matt span, New Orleans. YARMOUTH, May 20.—The Isabella, of Colchester, from Hartlepool, for Loudon, sprung a leak between Cromer and the Dudgeon on the 18th iast., and was abandonoil ; crew lAnded here. DARTUOUTEI, May 20.—Wind S.S . W.—Sailed — Scout, for L?brador. SWANSEA, May 20.—Wind S. W.—Arrived.—Juanita, from Rive da Sella. Sailed—Albert .Franklyn, fur Sin gapore. (PEE ELEOTRIO TELEGRAPH.) LIVERPOOL, Wednesday Morning. Wind S.S.E. Arrived—Domerara Empire, from New York. QUEENSTOWN, May 19. Wind S.S.W. Arrived—Thetis, from Buenos Ayres ; Basileia, Ichabo. bailed—Albert, for Barbados. WATERFORD, May 19. Wind W.N.W. Arrired—Eos, from Baltimore. (BY eIIBMARINE &N 1 HRITTSIn TELEGBAP3.I GRAVESEND. Wednesday, 10.15 A.M. Wind W., tile, two hours' flood, fine. .Are iyed, May 20.—Excelsior, from Santa Cruz ; Mel bourne, Aalborg : Era, Bremen ; Matilda, Aalborg; Ame rica, Grenada ; Victoria, New York ; Crown, Memel. Arrived, 2 L.—Lively, Joseph, Marshall, and Lightning, all from Guernsey. Sailed —Lord G. Bentinck, for Antwerp. DEAL, Wednesday, 10 a.m. Wind S.W. ; light, and fine. Passed, 20th— Camilla, from Sunderland, for Ports mouth. Sir Henry Bark ly is to be the new Governor of Vic toria. After having passed seven years in the West Indies and conducted the government of two important colonies with eminent success at a critical period, he will almost immediately return to England and receive his appointment to the charge of the new and wealthy so::iety which has lately sprung into existence on the shores of Australia. 'rasa CONSOLS MINING COMPANY.—In this concern, undergoing the process of winding up, Master Litton gave judgment on Monday, deciding that Sir Charles Chatterton, Sir James Dombrain, and Mr. Macartney are to be held liable to the full extant, and Mr. Perrier to the extent of 630 of the shareß, The town of Dunse (Scotland), which contains a popu lation of between 3,000 and 4,000, does not possess a single public-house ! THE REPRESENTATION OF CLIEE.—We understand that a strong popular desire exists in Clare to return NV, Smith O'Brien, Esg., as one of the representatives at the next opportunity. A gentleman of influence in the county infornied us yesterday he was offered 80 votes in one local:tv, in behalf of the distinguished Irishman. — Munster News. GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE IN IRELAND.—The salary of each of the three new Crown solicitors for the North West Circuit is fixed at 8001. per annum. Two of the situations have, it is said, been already di-posed of. Mr. Geale, a connexion by marriage of Earl Fortescue, gets one of the appointments, and the second goes to Mr. D. Fitzgerald, brother of the attorney-General. THE SUNDAY BAND QUESTION.—MEETING IN WEST MINSTER.—Last night a public meeting of the inhabi tants of Westminster was held in the Great Hall, Broad way, for the purpose of taking into consideration the discontinuance of the music in the parks on Sundays. Sir John V. Shelley, M.P., presided. The large halt was crowded. A resolution expressing the regret and indignation of the meeting at the withdrawal of the bands was almost unanimously adopted ; as was a reso lution in favour of a proper organisation to carry the , wishes of the meeting into effect. ROTATORY STORMS.—On Monday evening last t.!meet ing of the members of the Unite d Service Institution was h ld, when Captain Fishbourne, R.N., read a paper on " Rotatory Storms in the C hinese Seas. After de scribing the well-known phenomena of the trade winds, he explained the now well-accTted theory that burti ca,aes, typhoons, and other such storms move in a cir cuit, the centre of which advances on a tract general l y well known in differ ent seas and different latitudes. In each such case there was a centre or vortex of greater dal iger, of a diameter in the China Seas, o f a b ou t 250 mil t s. The influence o f this revolving centre extended in wi fening circles to about 1,200 m il es. I t was most dangerous for any ship to get into the centre, while, by le aching the outer edge of the circle, she might have ti no weathi r, sail round the storm with a fair wind, and r ,ctually make her passage quicker than if the cyclone o• storm had nit occurred, and with no inconvenience. From ignorance of this rotatory character of storms. sowever, a ship would often run into the very focus of Sanger, or else heave-to and wait for the danger to ap proach her. The indications of the barometer were of reat impottance—the fall of a quarter of an inch in the f itrcury was sufficient to warn the seaman of approach , 'Mg danger. By attention to other phe n om e na , the veering of the wind and the presence of a swell, he ' tinight easily ascertain in what direction the ttcrm was unoying, and avoid the dangeroos centre and ascertain which was the path of safety. A discussion followed, . in which Mr. Martin, Professor Tyedal, Admiral Sir George Sartorius, Captain Ingram, R.N., and others took part. The chairman (Colonel Lindsay), in con ' cltieiou, announced thet at their next meeting Mr. Oliphant would read a paper " On the Battle of tLe Ingour, gained by Omar Pasha over the Russians." - 17 : : 4 Iti 11, 's I, ILATU IcE. The Sorrows of Gentility. By Geraldine Jews bury, author of " Constance Herbert," etc. 2 ♦ols. Hurst and Blackett. This is an excellent production, full of spirit, energy, and right feeling. It brings life before us in a natural manner, and demonstrates successfully the varying grades of folly, affectation, vanity, and selfishness ; at the same time we are shown the bright side of the case, and some examples appear of kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity, The heroine presents a striking instance of the sin, as well as the shame, of leading the young mind astray by false notions of their station, and its merit. Gertrude was the more to be pitied, as she really possessed good qualities, and was endowed with many mental gifts, as well as personal attractions. If she had been rightly instructed, she would have been an honour, as well as a pride, to ler family, and a blessing to her immediate circle, instead of a cause of excitement and anger, now the theme of their envy, anon the subject of theifscbrn, How ' ever, the bitterest retribution that befell the proud Gertrude was her own reflection, "as she had sowed, so must she reap," and the harvests that she gathered were enough to break a harder spirit than was hers, and might have crushed the powers of endurance in any mind, not se buoyed up with youth, and unshadowed by experience. After her elopement her life was begun in earnest ; she stepped at once into' the - struggles of the world in the most uncomfortable and profitless manner. The scenes that follow on her immediate introduc tion to the family of her husband are artistically sketched, and display an insight into human cha racter, and a knowledge of the inner recesses of the domestic domain that are considerable and remark- able. The extremes were matched. — Gertrude was ashamed of her family, who bad not station to adorn their wealth, while Mrs. Donnelly was nervously susceptible as to the prejudices of her position, and ever solicitous to hide the scanty ways and means she could muster to support the dignity of her ancient family. Miss Donelly was even more supercilious than her mother, and the climax of her horror at the mesalliance was at tained, upon the first evening of the arrival of her sister-in-law. She produced a small work of her own compilation, in which she had chartered the arms of the Donnelly family. She demanded of Gertrude what was her father's crest, what arms he bore ? She did not know that her new relative was the daughter of an innkeeper. In some trepidation Gertrude answered " The Mettringham Arms-," alluding to the sign of the inn. For a moment Sophia Donnelly imagined that she was a distant' connexion of a noble family of that name ; but when undeceived, and informed that the nobleman in question was her father's landlord only, she was confounded. Augustus Donnelly, who had been struck by the beauty and intelligence of the young girl—(he had met her on a visit to a sch - ooltellciw of higher rank than herself)—had never once thought of his duties in regard to her. He was well-meaning enough if :he did not come in his way ; but as to studying her comfort in preference to his own, or in addition to it even, was not to he thought of. He uucere- inoniously left her with his mother and sister, whom she had never een till that day, and hurried sway to London to amuse himself. In the miser- Able magnificence of Mrs. Ihnnelly's house, G-er rude learned the first of her bitter lessons, but it vas not the hardest. The volatile Augustus con 'rived to obtain some appointment in London, and summoned Gertrude. She hurried up, delighted At the prospect of emancipation from the present lisagreeables of her position. For a few months The was tolerably contented. Misfortune super vened, in the shape of Mrs. Donnelly and her daughter-taking a fancy to see-a--little of London, ►ud, of course, they took up their quarters with their son. It was not likely that an experienced ;actician, as the old lady certainly was, would long be held' at hay by the weak mauwuvres of an inex perienced girl, and that a meddling disposition would be inactive while an opportunity for making mischief presented itself. Worse than the time in the country was now the life in town. The do mestic sceptre wrested from her grasp, the amuse :nents she had enjoyed put out of her reach, because A Ngustus' friends, who admired his pretty and gentle wife, would not be troubled with his over bearing mother and. canceited sister. _ Of course they would not hear of her going without them, and the result was that Augustus went alone, and the last do that kept the ill-assorted husband and wife together was broken. He became wild and reckless, she discontented and morose. Some time titer this the establishment was broken up, and the un:ongenial elements of its social structure wore dispersed far and wide. Augustus fled by nigh t from bailiffs to a foreign shore. Mrs. Donnelly and Sophia returned to retirement, and Gertrude pith her infant, was fetched away by her mother. It was not "home," however, that she went to, although under her parent's roof, and although the dreaded inn was no longer their abode. It would not have concerned her what the place was if she had been at peace within, but doubts arose, diffi culties presented themselves,. and poor Mrs. Mor ley's ideas of happiness at her daughter's return were now laid low. It was her father's invincible repugnance to her husband that induced her to leave his house for that of her brother, who was now settled at the "Metringham Arms," of famous memory. Augustus announced his intention of returning for a " change." He wished to enjoy a little of the far-famed wealth of his wife's relations. Simon Morley, jun., was well disposed towards his sister, but he had married since her departure, and Mrs. Simon was a different mistress to what Gertrude remembered in the home of her child hood. A dreary season was passed here, and a welcome change was that which removed them from the old place. A more tranquil time ensued for he distressed heroine.- Augustus, discovered by his creditors, was glad to profit by the chance of a situation abroad that ho had before spurned, and went off to Africa. It was not feasible for his wife And child to accomnany him, nor was it desirable ; and the new life that Gertrude led was, for the first time, an independent one. A kind friend, who had before promised to help her, now came forward, and bestowed upon her the greatest kind ness in her then harassed state—the means of useful employment, and of honourable support. This calm was not to endure, and the last scenes of Gertrude's suffering; are more painful than the earlier ones. It was not outward irritation now, Init inward torments that she endured, and above all was the consciousness hourly dawning upon her that she was wrong, not only in having first run contrary to her duty, but in her after acceptation of its results. Wisdom can never be too late learnt to effect some good, and thus she, as its votary, grew more con tented. After some months suffering her husband became a confirmed invalid, and thus the patience of Gertrude was fully tested. It was a satisfaction to her that they were enabled to part in peace after so stormy and chequered a career. It is not by the events themselves, so much as by the way iu which they are described, that the reader's at tention is rivetted, and interest sustained. A few of the chief persons are most admirably delineated, and the filling up of the portraitures evinces judg ment and skill. The fine shades of opinion, the minute degrees of difference, the various and tri vial points seem as nothing to a casual observer, but the reflecting mind will know, and see , that it is the influence o these lesser evils, these small be ginnings, that create dissensions, divisions, and. sorrow in a household. "The Sorrows of Gen tility" exhibits human nature in its true aspect, most depressed by petty annoyances, most hurt by small unkindnesses, and most harassed by little troubles. Its domestic drama presents various degrees o f rank, for the most part equal one thing—false pretences. The straits and. subterfuges to which they have recourse are suffi ciently absurd to be sometimes ridiculous in the extreme, while the mortification they underwent occasionally holds out a powerful warning for the would-be and the make-believe. The style which is adopted is a sparkling and brilliant one; and from its merit in design, and skill in execution, its interest as a tale, and its deduction as a moral, this novel will doubtless be welcomed as a favourite. MARKET NEWS.—(This Day.) CORN EXCHANGE. The show of English wheat in to-day's market was mo derate, and chiefly composed of Monday's unsold samples. Very few large buyers were in attendance, and the demand for all kinds of wheat of home produce ruled heavy, at Monday's prices. There ss as very little inquiry for foreign wheat; yet no change took place in the quotations.. The supply of barley was moderate, and the trade was heavy, at barely stationary prices. Malt was dull, but not cheaper. There was a fair demand for oats, at very full prices. Beans, peas, and flour realised Monday's currency. ~TheFt. I.nglish , 1,140 lash • • • • elfin 1 1,830 ARRIVALS THIS WRNS. I Barley. I Malt. 90 610 1 Oats. Vlnur; 1,3C0 2,250 4820 brig j 3,290 1,010 BOROUG] There is a moderate demand Inferior kinds, however, are a HOP. or fiuo hops, at full piece. lull sale. WHITECHATEL. Beef, from 3s 4,1 to 40 4d ; mutton, Ss 8d to 48 8d; lamb, 4s 10d to 5 s 101; veal, 3s Sd t o 4 s 8d ; pork, 3s 4d to 4s Sd per Sibs., by the carcase. CRYSTAL PALACE.—OtIe Shilling Day, May 20.—Ad• missions Olt payment, 4 ; 702; do. by season tickets, 567 ; total visitors, 5,269. I