The Sun. — London, England, 1863-08-29 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME CIRCUIT.—CROYDON, Aug. 28. (Before Baron Bramwell and a Special Jury.) WOOLLEY V. POLE. THE CAMPDEN HOUSE FIRE.--EOURTH DAY, This trial was resumed this morning, Mr. Bovill, Q.C., Serjeant Ballantine, Mr. Mereweather, Mr. Henry James (specially retained), and Mr. Rosher, appeared for the plaintiff. Mr. Lush, Q.C., Mr. Denman, Q.O , and Mr. Garth were for the defendant. The case for the company was proceeded with. The witness Temple was further cross-examined by Mr. Bovill. He said that when the final claim was sent in by Mr. Woolley in the month of Sep+ember, 1862,it was shown him by Mr. Randall, the solicitor to the Fire Office, but this was not done until the spring of the present year, He was aware that at the end of this claim there was a state ment by Mr. Woolley referring to him (Temple) as being able to give further information in reference to the property and the value of the different articles. He was aware that Woolley also stated in the claim that the list had been sub mitted to every member of his family, and to all persons who were likely to be ,able to give information with regard to the furniture. Witness did make some written observa tions in the margin of the list in relation to the different items. Baron Bramwell observed that it would be very material that those observations should be produced, in order to see whether they corresponded with his present evidence. Mr. Bovill said he had not got the paper containing these observations, and he called for its production. Mr. Lush said that every one of the papers in the posses. sion of the Fire-office had been handed over to the solicitor to the plaintiff. They had no other papers. There waa not the slightest ground for a suggestion that any papers had been kept back. Some entries were then read, from which it appeared that Temple did suggest some alterations in the list of articles. One of these entries was, " Mr. and Mrs. T. do not believe those articles were there." This, however, it appeared, was in the handwriting of Mr. Randall, the solicitor to the Sun Fire-office, Some further discussion took place with regard to the non-production of a document, but Mr. Lush still persisted in asserting that everything called for had been produced. In answer to a question put by the learned Judge, Temple said that the observations he made at the time referred to were similar in effect to the evidence he had now given, except that at the present time he was more positive that certain articles were not in Campden House at the time of the fire than he was when he was first questioned. He said that he did not wish to give an offensive answer when ho was first questioned as to certain articles being in the house, but if he had been called upon to give his evidence upon oath he should have said the same as he did now- The cross-examination of the witness was then continued, and he admitted that some of the articles he represented net to have been in the house might probably have been there, and he said that the transaction referred to a period 18 months back, and his recollection could not be expected to be perfect. Baron Bramwell interposed and asked Mr. Bovill whether, supposing he should be suddenly asked what furniture was in any room of his own house, what would be the result ? Mr. Bovill said he :should not he able to tell, "or any other man." (Laughter.) Cross-examination continued—When he gave the infor. mation relating to the purchase of the candles he stated that they were bought only two or three weeks before the fire. Witness knew Mr. Clinch, a tradesman at Kensington, but he would swear that he did not tell him that he was frying sausages in the greenroom on the night of the fire. He would swear this positively, and that Mr. Woolley was not present when he made the statement. He might have said that he believed the fire broke out in the theatre. They did have sausages for supper, but they were cooked at Mrs. Temple's sister's. They were neither hot nor cold —a little "each wise." (A laugh) There was a fire in the room, but it was very low. Baron Bramwell—Then you ate the sausages nearly cold, although there was a fire in the room. Witness—They were not cold. Cross-examination continued—Witness remembered a beam in the drawing-room being found on fire. The beam was under the grate, and there had been a large wood fire on fire-days on the hearth, and this he believed was the origin of the fire. He always had a decided opinion as to the origin of the fire, but he had never mentioned this opinion till the present time. Mr. Bovill—l believe at one time you considered you were likely to die ? Witness—Yes. Mr. Bovill—And at that time you asked Mr. Woolley to pay your wife and child what he owed you, and confided them to his care ? Witness—Yes. I asked him to pay Them what he owed me. Cross-examination—A. similar fire took place on another occasion, but it was discovered mid put out before any mis chief was done. But for the discovery the house would in all probability have been burned down ; but it would have taken a good deal of time first. He told the Sun Fire Office of these fires. They were aware of one of them, because they had to pay for the damage. It took about 20 minutes or half an hour to put out one of the fires. They had to re move the panelling, and if they had not done this the panel ling would very soon have been on fire. One of the beams had evidently been smouldering for more than an hour at the time it was discovered to be on fire. Witness never did any varnishing to the panels himself; but one of his men was so employed in February, 1862; and when the man had finished Mr. Woolley and Crozier went on further with it. When he got out of the house on the night of the fire he knocked at the first window he came to in Mr. Egg's house, and when he was let out he found he was very much burned, and he asked a policeman to get him a cab to take him to the hos pital, and he advised him to go to Mrs. Stevens's. He heard his wife's voice the moment he got into the house, and he exclaimed, ' 0, Maria, how glad I am you are here.' He did not attempt to go to the back of the house before this to look after his wife, because at that time he fully be lieved she was dead. His wife read the account in the news paper which represented that he had exhibited lamentable want of presence of mind in deserting his wife and child at a tinge when they were not in immediate danger, and when a ready means of escape was at hand. His wife was very angry with Mr. Woolley for having made this statement, 'but witness was in so much suffering at the time that he did uot think at all about it. He remembered having a con vemation with one of Mr. Teesdale's clerks, but he denied haying said to hint that the report was correct, except that portion which charged him with deserting his wife and child. He knew this statement was not correct, and also that the report was incorrect in several other particulars. Re-examined—There was not a word of truth in the state ment that his wife and son were not in immediate danger, as a portion of the staircase between him and his wife actually gave way as they were about to pass over it. The beam that ignited in the drawing room was cut away after the fire, so that no danger remained from that source, and the other was cased over with brick and cement. Those fires took place in 1852, and there was no fire afterwards until the one in question. He formed an opinion upon the fire im mediately atter it occurred, but Mr. Randall, the solicitor to the fire office, first applied to him upon the subject, and ho told him to give Mr. Woolley's solicitor all the informa tion in in his power. By the Jury—Ha passed Mr. Woolley's windows as he was going along the leads, but he did not knock at the window, and it never occurred to him that he and Crozier might possibly be burned to death. His hands were dread fully burned. By the Judge—The beam did not catch fire by an ordi nary fire in the grate, but there hwi been a great quantity of shavings and wood burned in the grate. Baroa Bramwell—Did you suspect anything when you went to bed ? Witness—Thore was one remarkable thing, but I should not like to state f.t. Mr. Lush submitted that the witness ought to state what ho allud©d to. Mr. Bovill-11 it was a fact that could be contradicted, he had no objet tion to the witness stating what it was. The witness maid it was something he had been told. Baron Bram% vell said that would not do. Mrs. Temple deposed that she was the wife of the last witness. She gave similar evidence to that of her husband as to how the plaintiff and Crozier were engaged down to the period of the fire, and to the hanging up of the paper and the covering of the windows, &c. She said that Mr. Woolley told her he wanted her to repair the tapestry that was hanging up at the window, and she said she could not do so, and she did not understand such work, and Mr. Woolley appeared confused. On the night of the fire she brought home three cooked pork sausages from her sister's, and she wanted to warm them, but could not do so as the fire was so low. She. met Mr. Woolley and Crozier on the staircase, and she exclaimed. " How strange that we should all meet I" and then went into Mr. Woolley's bedroom to see if there was any fire, and found that it was burning. She tried to warn the sausages in a fryingpan, but could not do so owing to the fire being so low. Crozier came into the room while she was doing so, and asked for some wood. Witness .-. asked hi m what he wanted it fcr,_ and - he replied, " He is goiAg to work late. I think he is going ' per crazy ; he is a feet eure.' " (Laughter.) The wit ness then said that Cro . .. zier told her that Mr. Woolley was going to sit — up all night. St.e knew that sometimes Mr. Woolley and Crozier used to IV steaks and chops in Mr. Woolley's bedroom for supper, teea.nee Crozier had told her so, and she had found fragments of meat in the room in the morning. There was no light in the green-room when she went to bed, and the gas in the kitchen had been put out when she met Crozier and Mr. Woolley on the stairs. When she went to bed she was quite certain there were no clothes or boots in the passage or in the kitchen, or any where about that spot. She was awoke by the smashing in of the windows of the bedroom, and she and her husband both awoke at the same time, and her husband exclaimed, " Get up, Maria, the house is on fire, follow me." She went to an adjoining room, and snatched her Bon from the bed, and attempted to follow her husband, , but could not, as a portion of the flooring gave way. She then made her way to another bedroom, and on looking out of the window she saw Mr. Woolley and Crozier walking leisurely about with their arms folded. lie looked up to the window, and said to her "Dont jump down, Mrs. Temple," She was quite sure that sho heard no screaming or cries of murder or fire. After a short delay, she thought about five minutes, witness jumped to the ground. She could not stay any longer , there were flames in the room, and her hair was scorched. When she fell Mr. Woolley took her in his arms and, laid her down on the wet grass, and she remained there for a quarter of an hour, when a policeman came and took her to Mrs. Stevens's. While she was on the ground she heard Mr. Woolley call out— By Baron Bramwell —The height she jumped down was 28 or 30 feet, and she alighted on the ground. Examination continued—lt was not true, as stated in the newspaper report dictated by Mr. Woolley, that her son pushed her from the window. She received the letter that had been referred to by Mr. Woolley two or three days after the fire. Cross - examined—Witness was outside the door of the court while her husband was under cross-examination, but she did not hear a word of his evidence. The windows over which she represented the tapestry was placed were the gal lery windows. Mr. Woolley was not confused at her saying she would not mend the tapestry; but at her asking him what he was about. Her husband was engaged in writing while she was frying or trying to fry the sausages, and she could not say whether he saw her so engaged or not, but she should think he did see her. It was not the least use crying to warm the sausages, because there was not fire enough. When Crozier said he thought his master was going crazy, and that he was a "perfect cure," she thought it was a joke on his part. When she was awoke the flames were making a very great noise, The moment Mr. Woolley picked her up she told him to lay her on the grass. Re-examined—When the candles were brought to the house she offered to assist in putting them away, but Mr. Woolley said Crozier and himself would do so. By the and that that the tapestry hz t. i did require to be mended, Campden House Henry Taylor said—l am a sergeant of p olice be longing to the T division. I was on duty n ear House on the night of the fire. The neighbourhood was very quiet at the time the fire broke ou l t, and et it one of alwaysmy is so, particularly on a Sunday morning. con stables, named Rogers, in Sheffield-terrace, e near Campden shortly t b e h f i o m r e I 4 wento'clocokh. my yt roundswanted t 2 o o vt sitminutesthe to ni en 4; House , After had I r h st o a ca lar lle g d o t h o od th y e o fi f r fi e re. by T se h e i i s n w g as a I immediately went to laailihg about t , l: n a 2 y n c i and thetminutestenr i e s nepe wasa s me t d f ot first called to the fire by seeing a light, and there seemed to four . Camp den House and found Inspector Bocking there, and police men were stationed in different places. I heard no cries of " fire" before I saw the flames, and when I got to the house the whole building seemed to be one body of flame. The witness Temple was here recalled by Mr. Bovill, and he stated that he lost property to the value of £7O by the fire. He was insured in the Sun, and half the amount of his loss had been paid to him. The property was insured in his own dwelling, and he had no claim for what he had re awiwnfoda sr tkhwi working moved to Campden House. The fire office gave him £6O. That was what he meant by being paid half his claim. He hadpaid assisted t e on d account in getting of the u p efd t o h ti t : :w m erara o . sa d kt e heH l for Tthhee Jury copan said y theyand assistingbeiiov custom,when goods were removed for a particular purpose from the fraud, for the company generally to pa e y anteush dwelling with which they were insured, and there were burnt. Joshua Rogers, the police constable referred to, proved that he was on duty on the night of the fire, and he had to hefdou plans,l atbnhesee.mn go round Campden House every quarter of an hour. He said he remembered meeting the sergeant, Taylor, soon after 3 o'clock, near Campden House, and at this time there was no sign of a fire. There was a gale of wind. He was near Gloucester -terrace when he first observed smoke coming from Campden House, apparently from the top of the house, at the back. He sprung his rattle, and went towards the house as quickly as he could, and entered the front gate, which was open, and broke down some wooden fencing, and then went towards the back of the house, and again sprung his rattle, and the moment he did so he heard a man's voice call out "fire." He heard no one call out before he sprung his rattle. He then went towards the east side of the house, and he saw a man standing on the lawn with nothing but a shirt or, and he was helloing out "fire." He was standing with his arms folded, and he called out "fire " about three times. At this time witness did not observe any appearance of fire in the front of the house, but in about 10 minutes the whole top of the house was in a regular flame. Cross-examined—When he saw the man standing in his shirt helloing fire, he did not go towards him, but turned back. (A laugh.) His reason for going back was to get more assistance. He broke down the fencing to get to the back of the house, where he saw the fire was raging, but having done so, he did not go on, but turned back. (A laugh.) He could not say why he did so. Baron Bramwell said he thought the man's account was a very reasonable one. He saw the house was en fire, and he could not do any good, and went for more assistance. The Jury said they had the same opinion.' George Woolhouse said—l am a milkman in the employ of Mr. Ridgway, of the Campden Dairy, Bayswater. I was i going to my work on the morning of the fire, when I smelt smoke, and walked to Church-lane, near Campden House, and I saw smoke coming from the top of the house. I im mediately ran to the front of the house, and went into the gate, which was open. I then saw the flames creeping through the first-floor windows, and the glass appeared to be snapping. I proceeded to the back of the house and saw two men standing in their shirts. One of them was Mr. Woolley, and I asked him who was inside, and he said he thought Mr. Temple and his son. I did :lot hear any shouts. (The witness pointed out in the model the win dows from which he saw the flames proceeding.) I went up to the house and found a door open, and I entered the house, and when I had gone a short distance I kicked against a heap:of clothes. I picked up a pair of drawers and a pair of boots, such as are worn by gentlemen. I threw the things down and was obliged to leave the house quickly, because the smoke came so strong upon me. I then went to give an alarm, and as I passed the front of the house I noticed that the fire had only increased a little at that part. In about 20 minutes I returned, and the fire then appeared to have spread all over the house. The fire escape arrived about this time, and I assisted young Temple to get down from the window, The fire appeared to me to break out in different parts of the house. At first it appeared to be at the back, and then I saw it over the the tre, and by the time the eagines arrived the whole of the house was in flames. Cross-examined -1 could not find any policeman when I first went to leek for erie, and I should say that half an hour elapsed before the fire-escape arrived, and the first engine did not come until some time after that. I do not know how the fire office came to know anything about the evidence I could give. Some one-fold me that I had better go and see Mr. Temple, and I did so, and I told him all I knew. Some gentlemen came to me from Mr. Woolley, but I told t hem I should not say anything unless I was obliged. When Mr. Randall came to me I did tell him all I knew. Several people came to sift me in an undermining way, and there fore I would not tell them anything about it. (A laugh.) My master did not tell me to tell Mr. Woolley all I knew, but I believe he did say that what little I knew would not hurt any one. I told my master that I was the first at the fire, and that I had gone into the house and brought out a pair of boats and some clothes, and threw there down about 20 yards from the house. I saw two naked men standing in the rain and yet I did not offer the clothe s t o either of them. I picked up the boots and the drawers at the same time. The place where I threw them down was 20 yards from the house, and where the flames could not reach them, but the ruins might have fallen upon them. Mr. Bovill asked the witness whether he intended the jury to understand that he represented that on a wet morn ing in the month of March Mr. Woolley and Crozier were deliberately walking about with nothing but their shirts on. (A laugh.) - The witness said that was what he saw. Cross-examination continued—He saw young Templ e standing at the window, but he did not hear Mr. Woolley tell him not to jump down. The first time he made this statement to Mr. Randall was about a month before the trial was to have come off in London. Temple did not tell me to go to Mr. Randall, but after I had told this story to Temple some one came to me. Re-examined—When Mr. Randall first called upon me I refused to give him any information, and I did not say any thing about the (natter until my master told me that I ought to do so. By Baron Bramwell—l am sure I brought the drawers and the boots out of the house, and the place where I threw them down was not far from where Mr. Woolley was stand ing, but I cannot say whether he saw what I did. George Nicholson, a police constable, proved that he was on duty near Campden House about four o'clock on the morning of the fire, and he heard no cried nor any alarm of fire. In a very short time he discovered that Campden House was on fire, and he heard a woman scream. When he got to the house he said it appeared to him as though it was in flames all over in the space of three or four minutes. He saw the lad Temple standing on the balcony, and the flames had nearly reached him when the fire escape arrived. Wit ness stopped at the fire untill6 o'clock, and at this time the whole house was burned down, and nothing was left but the outside walls. Cross-examined—The first thing he heard was a cry of "Fire." Before that he saw no appearance of fire. He was not aware that any inquiry had taken place at Scot lafid-yard with reference to the alleged misconduct of the police on this occasion. He believed that Rogers was the first person who was at the fire ; at least he told him that when he got there be did not see any one but himself. (A laugh.) In answer to a question put by the learned Judge, the witness said that he did not see Woolhouse at the fire. He saw nothing of any clothes or boots lying about near the howie. Miss Dell said—l live with my mother at No. 7, Glou cester-terrace. I remember the fire at Campden House. I was sitting up with my mother, who was out of health. I heard a rattle spring, but before that I had not heard any .icrea m. I looked out and saw that Campden House was oa five. It seemed to burn very quickly. I should expect an oild house would. The flames at first appeared to be on the g round-floor, and they very quickly showed themselves in the first-floor. The fire seemed to come out of all the windows almost at once. Mr. Bovill said he was very sorry this witness had been brc ough-t from Kensington to state what she had done, but he, 'had nothing to ask her. mi s s Tudor, the daughter of, Captain Tudor, who also re. . THE SUN, LONDON. SA.TURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 29, 1863 sides in Gloucester-terrace, gave similar evidence. She also expressed an opinion that the fire seemed to burn with fear ful rapidity. Captain Tudor was examined and deposed to the same effect. He said that the flames appeared to spread through the whole house almost instantaneously, and the whole house was burned to the ground in a couple of hours. At first he only saw a large quantity of smoke, and then the whole house appeared to burst into flames. General Cotton gave similar evidence, and said that when he was alarmed by the cry of " Fire " he looked out, and almost every window in the front of the house presented the appearance of being brilliantly illuminated with gas. He said that this was the only fire he had seen in England, and therefore he was unable to state whether this fire burned with greater rapidity than any other. A police-constable named 0 tley deposed that he saw the fire, and he said it appeared to him as though the flames did nog spread through the ceilings but as though every room in the house was on fire. Green, the fire-escape man, proved that he was at the fire with his escape a few minutes after four. At this time the house was entirely alight except three or four windows. He saw that a life was in danger, and he therefore saw no more than that the house was " well alight," and he directed his attention to assist in recovering young Temple. William Swanton, superintendent of the fire brigade at Watling-street, said that he arrived at the fire at about twenty minutes to five o'clock, and he at once saw it was useless to attempt saving Campden House, so all his atten tion was directed to the house of Mr. Egg. He had phe examined the ruins since, a n d h e saw not hi ng to induce him expect to come to the conclusio n th a t th e h ouse was one that would b m e u ti c u h rn le e s d s downfreely than eas deal or Thereine. were H e some e il y. uld ve n ry ot massive timbers in the hous e , an d b e i ng of oak they would burn a house like this could have been burned down in the short period it was. It would, in his opinion, be a difficult thing to cause such a h ouse to be on fire all in over such a short time, even i f every room had been specially prepared for burning. He saw nothin g in the appearance of the flues that would lead him to form the conclusion that they were the cause of th e fi re. When a beam was ignited by means of a flue it would smoulder for many hours, and he had known them to do so for weeks. C ross - examined—He did not remember ever having seen a fire at such a place as Campden House, which was pecu liarly constructed, having a large staircase in the centre and corridors on each side. He remembered the fire at Sir W, Watkins Wynn's mansion at Wynnstay. That was a build ing of the same description as Campden House, and it was entirely consumed in a very short time. Mr. Ellis, a plumber and glazier, living at Kensington, deposed that about 20 minutes to 2 o'clock on the morning of the fire he was in Sheffield-place, near Campden House, when he met Mr.Woolley and Mr. Crozier walking together towards home. This witness gave a very confused account as to the precise spot where he represented that he met the plaintiff and Crozier, but he said he was positive they were the persons he saw,ut the time he mentioned. He said, how ever, that what he meant to convey was that they were ahead of him, and he did not see them until they turned round. The witness, in cross-examination, was asked to mark upon the plan the places where he was himself, and where he saw Mr. Woolley and Crozier ; and he accounted for the form of one of the letters he had made by saying that his hand shook. Hc denied that he had had delirium tremens two or three times, or that he had ever said that when he came home on this night he was " slewed." He remembered one of Mr. Teesdale's clerks coming to him, but he denied having said that he saw two people on the night of the fire, but he did not know who they were, as he only saw their backs. He swore that he did not say this in the presence of Mr. Woolley. Mr. Woolley did call upon him, and inquire whether he was subpoenaed to prove that he saw him with Crozier at 2 o'clock on the morning of the ire, and he at the same time said that he had better be careful what he said, for if he swore that he was in bed soon after 11 o'clock it might be very awkward for him. He did not recollect whether he said, when he was questioned by Mr. James, that he did not see the faces of the gentlemen. The witness answered the questions that were put to him in such a flippant and unsatisfactory manner that he was , more than once reproved by the learned judge and requested' to conduct himself in a becoming manner. In answer to a question by the learned judge, The witness said he would rather not state where he had been on that night. Several police-constables were then examined, with a view to show the different appearances they observed at the fire. Their evidence, however, did not differ in any material re spect from that which had been given by the other wit nesses, and they were not cross-examined by the counsel for the plaintiff, and the learned judge expressed his opinion that it was quite unnecessary to give any further evidence upon this head. Mr. Denman said a gross attack had been made upon the police by the other side, and suggestions were made that they had neglected their duty. One object, therefore, that ho had in view was to show that there were plenty of police at the spot immediately an alarm was given. Mr. Swanton, superintendent of the Fire Brigade, was then recalled by the learned judge, who put several ques tions to him. In answer to these questions, he stated that if the staircase of a house was ignited the fire would run up it very rapidly, but a good deal wauld depend as to the course the limes would take upon different circumstances. If. for instance, the doors upon the landings were open, the fire wouid pro bably run into the rooms and set them on fire, and the mischief would be increased if any windows were open. He did not think it was probable, supposing the fire had gone up the staircase of Campden House, that all the rooms would have presented the appearance of being lighted up at once in the way that had been described without the ceilings being burned. Mr. Randall, the solicitor for the defendant, was then called to prove that in 1856 Mr. Woolley executed the bill of sale upon the whole of the furniture in Campden House to Mr. Edmund Robins to secure a loan of £l,OOO. He also proved that a second bill of sale was executed to Miss Cope in 1859 to secure the sum of £8,000; and he stated that he had examined the schedule of the furniture attached to the two bills of sale, and that the one executed in 1859 did not contain so many items as the one of 1856. Mr. Wynn, cabinetmaker, proved that in 1857, while Colonel Waugh was occupying Campden House, he, by his orders, made fifty packing cases for him, and he saw them filled with antique articles of furniture, paintings, and other things of that description. Mr. Woolley came in while the packing was going on, and he ordered it to be stopped, and said that Colonel Waugh had no right to remove the pro perty. On the following- day, however, he received a letter from him authorising the property to be removed, and the whole of the cases were subsequently taken to Branksealto Colonel Waugh's residence. Among the property that was so removed were two crimeon and gilt sofas, and these same sofas he knew were afterwards sold under Colonel Waugh's bankruptcy. (These sofas were the articles particularly alluded to by the witness Temple in his evidence as not being in Campden House at the time of the fire, although they were claimed by the plaintiff.) The following witnesses were then called by Mr. Bovill, in reply to the defendant's case Mr. Cross, a surveyor to the Sun Fire office, proved that House, and that theinsurance ultimately effected upon it i in 1855, and again in 1859, he made a surve y of Campden was a special insurance, at a doable hazardous. higher rate of premium than Mr. Cope and Mr. Duncombe were recalled, and they stated positively that the sofas removed by Colonel Waugh were not the same articles claimed for under the insurance, and that the latter were in the house when the fire occurred, and were destroyed. Mr. G. C. James said that he was a solicitor, but for two years he had been assisting Messrs. Maples, the solicitors for the plaintiff, in their business. On May 26, in conse quence of something he heard, he went to the house of the witness Ellis, accompanied by Mr. Woolley. He told him that he had heard that he had Stated that he saw Mr. Woolley and Crozier walking together on the morning of the fire between 2 and 3 o'clock. Ellis, at first, seemed disin clined to say anything, but he ultimately said that he had seen them on that niorning. Witness asked him where he had seen them, and he replied in S heffield-gardens. He put some other questions to him, and he said that he only saw their backs, and he seemed to be uncertain whether it really was Mr. Woolley or not. C ross - ear/mined—He believed that something was said to the effect that if Mr. Woolley swore he was in bed soon after 11 o'clock on the previous night to the fire, and he were to represent that he saw him out with Crozier at the time he stated, it would be a very awkward thing for him, and he was advised to go and make some inquiries of Temple to ascertain whether Mr. Woolley really did go to bed at the time he stated or not. Mr. Clift, one of the former witnesses, was recalled, and he stated that he was acquainted with Ellis, and a few days after the fire he had some conversation with him about it. During the conversation, he stated that when he came home on the night of the fire, he was rather " slewed." This concluded the evidence on both sides, and the Court adjourned until this (Saturday) morning, when Mr. Lush will sum up the case for the defendant. ADVERTIS EMENT.]—Avoid medicines; they always ag•gra- R echronic en evcaolmptalaints, but D tt Barry's Delicious Health Restoring at Arabica Food, which saves fifty ti mes v its cost in other remedies, invariably cures them, restoring perfect digestion, strong nerves, sound lungs, healthy liver, pure blood, refreshing sleep, functional regularity, and energy to the most disordered or enfeebled. We extract a few out of 60,000 Cures :—Cure No. 58,216 of the Marchioness de Brlhan, Paris, of a liver complaint, wasting away for seven P al pitation all over, bad sness,tb e most i ntolerable nervous digestion, on, debility, const a n with i s t i h e e p a l e nervous s agitation, and dreadfully low spirited.—Cure No. 1,771. Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord Lieut. of Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia.—No. 49,832. "Fifty years' i ndescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms, sickness, and vomiting.—Maria Jolly." —Cute No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derange mand partial d eafness.—Cure N o . 47 ,121. Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, ent' of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure No. 64,816. The Rev. Jas. T. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, "of indigestion and torpi dity of the liver, which had resiste i all medical treatment.'' 21b., 4s. 6d ; 61b., 11s. ; 225. ; 241 b 40s. t —Barry 2 u s. 9dßar ; r 3, and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London ; also Fortnum and Mason ; and all Grocers and Chemists in every town of the United Kingdom. witness explained to the jury, and expressed an opinion that the cause of the accident was the wooden beam breaking. The metals - of the tramway are laid in the same way as in the railway. Mr. J. W. 'Woodford, C.E., deposed that he acted for Messrs. Peto and Betts. The works were erected under his superintendence and from his design, and were properly constructed, and in his j udg meat. from practice andexperience, the timbers were sufficient to carry the weight of the traveller and an addi tional weight of 50 or 60 tons. He had watched the progress of the work, but did not see it after it was finished.. He has since examined the timbers, and the iron tie beams, and they appeared to be sound. The beams are jointed, and the fracture took place about a foot and a half from the joint; the bolts are sound, and not bent ; the wood was not rotten in any part. He could not account for the accident except it arose from a sudden jar or strain. It would have been the duty of the workmen laying the tramway to gauge and level the, rails. In his judgment the tramway was properly constructed, and he could give no reason for the accident. He had had great experience in such works, and had been engaged in the works of the bridge over the river St. Lawrence, in America. By Mr. Fowler (a juror)—The traveller was con structed to carry from 50 to 60 tons. The trusses wore independent of each other, and were not sup ported by others; that was the usual course. By the Coroner—Tae traveller was being removed from one pile of works to be worked on another, the stage only being for communication. By Mr. Fowler (a juror)—The jar he spoke of was a sudden weight being put on the lower part. By Mr. Freshfield —The plans were approved of by Messrs. Peto and Betts, and were intended to carry a much heavier weight than the traveller. W. Rayner, carpenter—Assisted in laying the metals. They were tested, after being put down, by the gauge to the wheel, and they appeared to be correct. He could form no opinion or give any reason for the breaking of the timber. The timber broke first, and carried with it the ironwork. The timber was, in his judgment, quite sound, and the work was properly done. There were two flanges to the wheels of the traveller; a railway had only one. He did not examine the levels of the strutt except by the eye. There was packing under each of the beams about three inches thick, but where the beam broke it was about 41 inches; that is done to make the level. IThe Coroner asked if there were any scientific person present who could give the jury any idea how the accident took place, and the cause. Mr. David Selby Sherman, C.E., then came for ward, and said he had examined the plans for the construction of the works, and they appeared to be sound in principle. His opinion was that the acci dent arose from one of the trusses getting out of gauge, a circumstance which is not easily foreseen. It might have arisen from want of proper and due care on the part of the workmen. The effect of the strutt getting out of gauge would be to throw the wheel of the traveller off the rail. So far as he could judge, the works were properly constructed, and he could not account for the accident, .except from some negligence in moving the traveller. By Mr. Fowler (juror)—The trusses were formed in the usual way, and he did not think it was ne cessary to erect tranverse strutts to support the upper strutts. He thought the strutts were suffi cient to carry the weight it was intended they should bear. They certainly would be stronger with cross strutts. In answer to various questions by the Coroner and the Coroner and the jury, the witness said that the gauge had got out of order from some deflection of the ironwork, and that in his judpnent, from all he had seen or heard, the accident arose from cir cumstances which could not have been foreseen. The Coroner briefly summed up, and explained there was no doubt as to the cause of the death, and the only question was whether the works had been constructed in a proper manner, and the evidence was sufficient to show that they had. If the jury were of opinion that some greater precautions should be taken in the erection of the works by means of cross strutts or other appliances, he had no doubt the company would give due weight to their suggestions. The Jury retired to consider their verdict, and after an absence of ten minutes returned a verdict of " Accidental death," •by a majority of twelve, there being several dissentients. The Coroner said he was instructed by Mr. Fresh field to say that, for the future, when the traveller was being moved a danger signal would be hoisted. SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS, TlmEs.—Sir Roderick Murehison's address to the British Association describing the progress of geo graphical discovery is almost too triumphant. There will be very soon little left to discover. The im mense area of Australia has been cut across by two great diverging lines of discovery, from Adelaide to Van Diemen's land, and from Adelaide to the Gulf of Carpentaria; and when Stuart and M'Kinlay had thus opened a view through this vast continent in the north-east and north-west respectively, the angle of search turned round a g ain under Lands borough, and bent southward from the Galf of Carpentaria to Victcria. The two Gregories have actually surveyed and mapped large portions of Norther!), Eastern, and Western Australia. We have discovered the watershed of North Australia ; we have found vast regions of fine pasture land in whet was till lately a terra incognita, and the interior of this new world promises boundless agricultural wealth. The grazing grounds of the colony of Queensland alone cover a space twice as large as Great Britain, and large tracts, under the active encouragement of Sir George I3owen, promise excellent cotton. We turn to the Old World, and to the most ancient site of empire and civilization there. The source of the Nile has been discovered. Can anything remain un discovered after the Nile has been disclosed ? Captains Spoke and Grant reversed the line of search, and instead of going up the. Nile to its source cut right across from Zanzibar to it. They found themselves on the margin of a great lake, and proved its parent a l re l at i on to the great river by gett:ng into the Nile out of it. Solvitur ambulando, or rather navigando ; they first found the source, and then obtained the evidence of it by the result ; they let it prove itself by conducting them to a wide stream, which took them past Karnac and landed them at Cairo. It was what logicians call proof by deduction, as distinguished frcm analysis—the discovery of the source of the Nile by descending it instead of ascending it. What is so remarkable, and so calls for our self-congratulation, is the race of new travellers that has sprung up of late and is springing up every day. The new names are almost driving out the old ones. The Mitchel's, the Eyres, the Stuarts, and the Leichardts, of Australian geo graphical renown, have been succeeded by those whom we mentioned above. Even the great African Barth has now his successor in Baron C. von der Decken, who has ascended the lofty snow clad moun tain of Kilimandjaro, the monarch of Eastern tropi cal Africa. The master is not jealous, but proud of his disciple, upon whom his mantle has descended, and is translating his book. The great Island of Formosa, upon the coast of China, till late'y an unknown inhabitant of the ocean, has had its geography laid bare by Mr. Swinhoe, who has made us ac quainted with the rich natural productions of the island—its camphor forests, the habits, costumes, and peculiarities of its Chinese occupants, as well as those of the mountaineer aborigines, the Malays. Capt.Biakiston has charted the course of the mighty Yang-tze-Kiang for 1,000 miles beyond the highest point previously reached. Mr. Osbert Salvin has ex amined the physical geography of Guatemala—its virgin forests, volcanoes, lakes, and Indian remains. And what shall we say to the Great Central Argen tine Railroad of Mr. Wheelwright, which cuts across from Buenos Ayres on the Atlantic to the port of Caldera on the Pacific—a railroad, which having reached Cordova and raised itself 1,300 ft. above the river, plants itself at the foot of the Cordilleras, at a height of more than 5,000 ft. above the Pacific, then ascends the eastern aide of the Andes, till it reaches a height of 16,000 ft. mounting for 136 miles 80ft. per mile, from which height, by a descent cf 246 miles, it reaches the shore of the Pacific ? With the exception of one inclined plane of five or six miles this whole ascent and descent is to be accomplished by locomotive power. We are describing what is in prospect and is not yet actually achieved, but Mr, Wheelwright's railway from the Valley of Copiapo to the mineral district of Charnaacella is now working at an ascent of more than 200 ft. per mile, and runs its trains at 12 miles an hour. It might have been thought beforehand that the civilisation, comforts, and re finements of the age would have unfitted men for a rough and venturous life. But the heroic virtues evidently flourish now as much as ever, as much as they did in the age of Columbus, or even fur ther back in the Herodotean age of geography. War is embraced as a field of action now as ardently as ever; discovery is as great a passion as ever. Our Captain Cooks have not left us ; they rise up so thickly that we begin to tremble for the existence of " the unknown"—that source of romance and mystery; for the continuance of any undisclosed,unvisited,and secluded spots in the world which may serve for the domain of imagination, to picture according to her will and people with her own creation. The Nile is no longer a mystery and a grand obscurity; no dark supernatural mist gathers round it as it approaches its source, no cloud en velopes us, no dream frightens us, and no invisible anger of Heaven involves our path in intricacy as we go presump!uously to violate the sanctuary of its birth ; the Nile is now an ordinary river like the Thames—it rises in Lake Nyanza, and it runs into the sea at Alexandria and Damietta. Human THE DERBYSHIRE MURDER At the conclusfon of the examination on Monday the prisoner, who continued to manifest great self control, was placed in a fly drawn by a pair of horses, and conveyed to Derby Gaol. He was accom panied to Derby by Mr. Morgan, Mr. Superinten dent Burton, and Mr. Leech, his solicitor, the blinds of the carriage being closely drawn. Soon after he had passed the county gaol, his father, who had been anxiously waiting for him for saveral hours at the Derby railway station (it having been stated that he would be brought by train from Cromford) arrived and had a long interview with his unfor tunate son. The interview was most distressing. had st 30 been The murde rer i s sa i d to be an accomplished scholar circle. Goodw ins His tort and lingui s t. H e has one brother and a sister, and when at hom e was the life and joy of th e soc i a l rears a , c familyhe part q un u d ain i) te r d ,, with Goodwin,the of Manchester (Captain Goodwin's brother) had been the Townlcys' physician for years. Some further particulars of the tragic affair which were not brought out in eaidence have been gleaned. It appears that Townley arrived at the Midland Hotel, Derby, on Thursday evening, slept there, and proceeded by rail to Whatstand well cn Friday morning. He called at the Bull's Head Inn there, opened his carpet-bag, took out a morphia pill, swallowed it, had a glass of brandy, left his bag, and went away. Ho then proceeded to Wirksworth, and at the hotel there had more brandy, and wrote two letters in the commercial-room. .After seeing the Rev. Mr. Harris, he had an interview with the unfortunate girl, when she consented to give him a final meeting in the evening. She did so, and they walked together until they got to a gate by the roadside, against which they leaned, and Townley then pulled out of his pocket a spring back clasp knife, and commenced whittling it on the top of the gate. He begged of Miss Goodwin to go away with him, but she refuted, and he then put his arm round her neck and thrust the knife into her throat. In turning the knife round the end of the blade broke and remained in the wound. He declares that he had no intention of committing the dreadful act one minute before its execution, and that in a moment after he had accomplished it he was sorry for what he had done. He had three knives in his pocket. The murderer was not in business himself, but acted as confidential clerk to his father, who is in an extensive way of business. Mr. Moran, at the prisoner's request, wrote to his parents, informing them of what had taken place, and, his father being at Harrowgate for the benefit of his health, the letter was opened by his mother. Townley says that if a million of money had been offered him to break off his engagement with Miss Goodwin he would not have accepted it, as he loved her to distraction. He said that for the last three weeks he had been unsettled, owing to receiving a letter from Miss Goodwin breaking off the match. He said that if Mr. Moran could save Capt. Good win's or his own family a single pang he wished him to do so; and for himself he could only count the moments and anxiously wait for that time when his life would be forfeited and he should ba re• united with his victim in a better world. Townley had recently contemplated leaving England, as he wrote to Miss Goodwin a few days ago a letter, in which he says, " It never rains but it pours ; I've had a strange run of ill luck lately." He then goes on to say that he regards Miss Goodwin'a conduct in discarding him as the crowning act in this cata logue of misfortunes. He alluded to the wish ex pressed by his friends that he should go abroad, Out desired to see her first. It should be stated that after Townley had assisted in carrying the dead body of his victim to the hall, he proceeded with Captain Goodwin into the drawing-room, where he had tea with the Captain, and had also some brandy and water given him. The Captain, being very old and infirm, in the absence of the po.ice, adopted this course for his own personal security and that of his domestics. Townley left four sovereigns on the drawing -room table, which Captain Goodwin handed to the police. The prisoner, under ordinary circumstances, will not be tried until next 'March, but it is probable that there will be a winter gaol delivery. The following is a copy of the letter received by Miss Goodwin from the prisoner, and given up by Captain Goodwin :--- " Gelnow Mills, Bolton, Wednesday. "My dear Bessie —I will only say here that I will arrive by the train you mention (11 37 a.m., Friday morning) and that I hope, dear Bessie, you will not bother yourself unnecessarily about all this as far as I am concerned ; for my own peace of mind I wish to see yon, which I hope you won't think selfish. Du reste, I only repeat what I have already said. I have hut to hear from you what your wishes are and they shall be complied with. You can write to the Midland Hotel, Derby, where I shall stay to-morrow night, or leave a note at the Whatsandwell- bridge for me. Don't let me be the cause of any row between you and your G. P. 1 you like to call at the Inn I will not stir out til you come, but I leave all this to your judgment. 'G: V. T. "Miss Bessie Goodwin, %Vigwell-grange, Wirksworth, Derbyshire." The Accident at Blackfriars-bridge. Yesterday afternoon Mr. W. J. Payne, the deputy coroner for the city of London, opened an inquiry, at the Board-room of Bridewell Hospital, Bridge street, into the cause of the death of James Ellis, one of the labourers employed in the construction of the bridge across the Thames in connexion with the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. The de ceased was one of the men who fell into the river on Saturday, in consequence of the falling of one of the travelling cranes used in the construction of the works. Mr. Fresbfield said he attended on the part of the company as well as the contractors, and as there had been some misapprehension with regard to the construction of the works, he had caused a number of witnesses to be in attendance beyond those sworn. John Robert Chapple, of New•court, Deptford, lighterman, deposed picking up the body of the deceased, which was floating in the river, opposite Somerset House, on Wednes lay Thomas Wild, a labourer, said he was employed on the same works as the deceased, and was work . . . ng with him on the same traveller or crane. The traveller worked on cross-beams, from the upright piles. He was in the traveller with the deceased when the accident took place, and fell into the river with him. The underneath timbers upon which the rails were supported gave way, precipitating the traveller and the meta into the river. There was no weight on the traveller at the time; it was only being moved, and he believed that the breakage . took place about the middl e o f t h e cross b eams o f the stage. There were seven men moving the tra veller by the winch chain slowly. He believed that was the first time the traveller was on the stage, and when in the middle of it the whole of the seven men, including himself, fell into the river. John Smith, also a labourer, deposed that he was on the traveller at the time of the accident. He corroborated the evid ence given by the previous witness, adding that the stage had been erected about a week before. Four of the beams across the stage broke in th© centre. Mr. William Paynter, foreman over the labourers on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, elm ployed by Messrs. Peto an d B et t s , deposed th at the beams of the stage wh ere t h e acc ident to o k p l ace were about the centre arc h o f t h e b r idge. Th e span of the stage was about 71 feet. The beams on which the traveller ran were about 16 feet wide. There was nothing under the beams. There were four beams and four lines of rails. All of them were The traveller had eight wheels. It was abou t 14s 15 tons i n we i g h t , an d wa s b e i ng moved by seven used. t men at the top. It was capable ofcarry ing 50 or 60 tons weight. At the time of the acci denton the lower beam, nea res t t o ' n he beam that broke was on t h e He d c i ould not say whether it was th e timber that first gave way. Th e beamsntad Surreyl °1 ne or was the l. sib p r o d:gs ve et ra. standing i r the stage about nine feet on each side ; that would make 89 feet in the whole length. The beams were joi ne d t oge ther, and were two feet wide and sixteen inches thick. He believed they broke in asound part o f the timber, but h e h a d not ex amined it since the accident. He fully believed that the tramway was perfectly safe, and was con structed in the usual way. By the Coroner —He understood that the beams were so constructed as to carry more than double the weight of the traveller itself. The beam broke about nine feet from the Surrey side of the span. George Perkins, foreman of the carpent ers , sa id he assisted in the construction of the tramway under his superiors. The st age was co m pl ete d on M onday The beams o f the tramway were composed of pieces bolt e d toget h er, there being also an iswreoevneekrta.rint-s rod from one stage to the other. There were two rods under each beam, there being truss brackets underneath. The first truss bracket from the Surrey side was about nine feet from the bridge. The beams. were two f e et an d a h a lf w id e b y lnin. thick. After the tramway had been constructed he could not say that it was tested. When the traveller went on to it it was the first time it had been used. The beams were constructed of new Baltic timber. The beam that gave way was nearer to London bridge. The lower beam broke first, breaking the other three. He had since examined the beam, and it appeared to him to be sound, there was no flaw whatever in it. The beams were not braced toge ther, as it is considered unnecessary. The rails re main at the bottom of the river. The iron tie beam below did not break, The truss beneath the tram way was about four feet in depth. A plan was produced of the tramway, which the nature, then, we say, is the same as ever; there is as mush adventurous blood as ever; there is as much thirst as ever for uncurtaining the mysteries of geo graphy, and new travellers are rising up every day. But what is to be done when no more mysteries of geography remain for disclosure, and when the no ble appetite for discovery in the present generation has left no food or material for the same passion in its successor ? Present discovery is cutting the throat of future, or rather s t arv i ng it ou t by with drawing its subject -matter. Yet human nature will be the same then that it is now. What shape will the passion then assume, when it has no longer the wide and solid earth for its domain ? There will always be material to gratify the principal of curiosity, the appetite for finding out a secret, because there will always be secrets to be dis covered. There will be secrets of physics, secrets of metaphysics ; the former to reward research, and the latter to baffle it. But these will give a poor substitute for the present rough out-of-doors employment. Even now we begin to feel this earth rather too small, to feel ourselves too near each other. When distance is destroyed we begin to feel the absence of it. We are cloyed with miracles of speed and triumphs over time and space. We meet our friend who dined with us the other day— a few weeks ago, we should say, at a first guess— and find that he has been to Hongkong and back again. The remotest skirts of earth are brought close to our side, and a man is living with savages at the Antipodes and in London society at once. His savage only lends a certain charm to his fashionable life, and the fine gentleman gains by the heighten ing effect of the contrast. But we need not in dulge in barren prophecy or gratuitous apprehen sions, for the world is sure when the time comes to meet its own wants in its own way ; and in the meantime there is something more to do, and something yet undiscovered here and there on the earth's purface. There are new rivers and lakes, and gulfs and creeks, and harbours, still left. Let us do our work in our own day, and let us con gratulate the scientific worid that there is so much adventurous and daring spirit which still survives the civilisation of centuries, and that we have not lost with all our new light the best and most valuable characteristics of old times. DAILY NEws.—lt is evident that nothing now can come of the Congress of Princes at Frankfort. The Emperor of Austria's spirited attempt to carry by storm a new Confederation, with himself at the head, has failed. For the idea of forming a Ger man Confederation without Prussia, placing all Germany in the hands of the two Southern Catho. lie Monarchies, is too great an absurdity to be thought of seriously. To constitute a German Con federation with Prussia at its head, and putting Austria into the second rank, would prove equally impracticable. The attempt, pushed to an extreme by either monarchy, would soon overstep the limits of diplomatic controversy, and end in an appeal to the sword. The two contending parties would pro bably not demur to this kind of decision, but the Germans would not permit it. They have no idea of allowing themselves to be offered up as a holo caust to the pretensions of two rival families. But though the Germans are strong and unanimous enough to forbid a civil war, they are not yet strong, united, and clear-sighted enough to stand up as a third party on a par with the contending Sovereigns, and with power to make them submit and agree. That time is fast coming. And the Con gress of Frankfort has made a great stride towards it by awakening the German people, and display.. ing the two great German monarchs in attitudes which neither of them would have chosen had not circumstances forced their position upon each. The Emperor of Austria has come forward as the cham pion of unity and reform, to be achieved in a conser vative sense, by tic Princes, and by the aristocracy of the country dominating in the local Chambers. That such a reform will not satisfy the German people every one knows. But still it is a great thing to have the m os t conserva ti ve sovere i g ns in Germany —conservative from their position and antecedents —committed to the necessity of reform, to the expe diency of a German Parliament, and of a represen tative system for the whole Fatherland, however restricted and at second-hand this representation may be. If the Austrian Emperor has been forced to this degree of Conservative Liberalism, a stronger degree of coercion has been applied to the stubborn necks of William I. of Prussia and his Minister, M. de Bismaik. Here are two choice spirits who have been not only professing the doctrines cf Divine Right, but practising them, setting their Chambers at defiance, declaring they will have the number of soldiers which pleases them, nay, will make war, if it suits them, without caring what the national Parliament may think or vote. These stuffed specimens of royal and feudal insolence have been obliged to come forward and profess the sentiments of German patriots, and actually to entrench them selves against the attacks of Austria behind the popular claims and principles of the national party. For this the Prussian Liberals owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Emperor of Austria, who seized the moment when his rival had placed himself in a false and weak position by his unconstitutional conduct to strike a b'ow which the lesser Sove reigns would have been glad to see taking effect. They hesitated, however, to support it ; and the King of Prussia, escaping the momentary dan ger, is warned how vulnerable he is if separated from his people, and how invulnerable he is with them rallying to his side. No other sentiment than this caused the summons of the Prince Royal to Gastein. But whatever the effect of these events upon the domestic affairs of Prussia, the Government of that kingdom, in despite of its present colour or tendency, has been obliged to look to the German Liberal party for sapport. No other, in fact, can defend it against Austrian pretensions. And if the House of Hohenzollern chooses to persist in a retro grade policy, the House of Hohenzoll ern goes to the wall. The King of Prussia has, ind ee d , no time to lose. We need not criticise too closely th e earnest ness with which the ?Austrian Emperor has flung himself into constitutional ways and plans for Ger many. A genuine Representative Assembly for Germany would reduce Austrian influence to very small dimensions. But Count Rechberg and his master might allow themselves to be carried so far in their present diplomati c campa i gn against Prussia as to sanction the calling o f a G erman Parliament without Prussia. Although a re f orm reorganisation of the Band without Prussia is impossible, still a Frankfort Parliament wi t h out P russia is possible, andits existence would pr ove a ser i ous o b struct i on in Prussia's way. It would sorely interfere with any efforts to reconstitute the Zollverein. It would in a manner supersede the Diet, and by taking into its hands the conduct of the military proceedings of the Confederation, it would sensibly add to the present humiliation of Prussia. Against such antagonism Prussia can find no efficient support save in its own Parliament and people. And this support is only to be had either by the monarch retracing his own steps, or abdicating, and allowing his eon to do so in his place. A new King in accord with his Parliament might at once become the champion of liberal opinion in Germany in a way far different from the shuffling and forced liberalism of a Bis mark. And such an appeal would be answered, not by Prussia only, but by the majority of Ger mans. If Austria should go so far as to hold a Ger man Parliament of Delegates without the adhesion of Prussia or sanction of the Bund, it would be open to Prussia to call a Parliament, not of Delegates of Chambers, but of deputies of the German people, to meet anywhere, say at Erfurt. This would be a serious move, no doubt, but one quite warranted by serious provocation. And should it come to that, we should have the great German revolution accom plished by the rivalry cf the great Princes, without the people doing more than lending a willing hand, and rising at their call. With such events as these in prospect, such contingencies possible, the contest i going on in G ermany assumes paramount mport. ance. The Sovereigns of that country have well nigh exhausted the patience and long-suffering of their subjects. They have how some compunctions, and begin to show some wisdom. Let it be hoped that when monarchies fall out honest nations wi come by their own. HERALD.—The important business of reforming the Federal constitution of Germany has certainly been advanced a stage by the proceedings of the august Conference of Princes at Frankfort. It is something to find that t the potentates, whose inte rests must be so various, are able to arrive at an agreement on the many complicated matters that have been presented for their consideration during the last few days. Each article of the proposed reform has been discussed and put to the vote among them. In some instances there were many dissentient voices, but these were overruled by the majority, and bit by bit the details of the scheme were accepted. Only one modification of importance seems to have been made, and that concerns the con stitution of the chief governing body. It was deter mined, we are told, that the Directory should con sist of six instead o f fi ve mem b ers. Thi s w ould give greater influence to the minor States. Three places being filled by A ustr i a, P russ i a, an d Bavaria, the fourth would be for the Kings of Saxony, Hano ver, and Wurtemburg, the fifth for the Grand Dukes, the sixth for the Dukes and Free _ - Towns. The important proviso in the Imperi a l scheme—that Austria should preside in the Direc tory and in the Federal Council—has also been accepted by the Conference. The Emperor of Aus. tria represents the head of the old German Empire, and the Act of Confederation provides already that Austria is to preside in the Federal Assemb'y. B ut we must not lose sight of the fact that this proposed plan is essentially an Austrian scheme, drawn up Austrian statesmen, and brought forward by an Austrian Emperor. It is mainly bY the p ersona l influence of Francis Joseph, backed by his eloquent persuasiveness and conciliatory m anners, that the ► plan has been recommended to the Princes at Frankfort. It is in this, however, that its weak ness consists. It is rejected by the democrats, cen sured by the professors, and found unpalatable by Young Gera.any generally on account of its aristo cratic features_ The Princes in person are to rule in the Confederation. The Federal Council is only an adjunct to the Directory of six. The Assembly o+: Popular Delegates is to be simply a deliberative, not a legislative body; it is to be chosen by the Diets, and not by direct election from the people ; it is only to meet once in three years, and its reso lutions must pass through the ordeal of an Assembly of Princes. To give the chief power to such an assembly would be to place the German people over the German Sovereigns, a proceeding in every way inexpedient, and one which those Sovereigns are certainly not inclined to sanction. The great objec tion to this plan of reform is its onesidedness, its being an Austrian scheme, and giving greater influ ence to the South than to the North of Germany. The rivalry between Austria and Prussia is now more pronounced than ever, and so long as Prussia refuses her adhesion to it, it is difficult to understand how any such alteration of the constitution of the German Bond can pass into law, and be accepted by Germany. If all the states but Prussia should agree to tit would be tantamount to a splitting'of Germany into two halves, instead of promoting anything like political unity. All the voting and all the resolu tions at Frankfort are null and void in presence of the stubborn fact that the King of Prussia, although twice invited to the Conference, refuses to attend it, or to have anything at all to do with its deliberations. The memorial presented on the 3d of August by the Emperor of Austria to the King of Prussia at Gastein, after urging with much force the necessity for a federal reform, admits that the will of Prussia may legally and in fact prevent it. But the other Princes, it is maintained, may cause such a reform to be accepted in their states, and may "give the most extended application to the right of free union." If by this it is meant that the smaller states may become confederate with Austria to the exclusion of Prussia, then cleariy this reform would involve the disruption instead of the reconstruction of the present Confederation. Nor can we believe that, even if the Princes had been argued over into the belief that it was advis able for them to bind themselves together under the leadership of the Southern power their diets or peo ples would ever be induced to take that view of their interests. Such a confederation might suit Bavaria and Wurtemburg, it would never be ac ceded to by any state in Northern Gemany. Legacy to Queen Victoria---Singular Legal Proceedings. A singular case has just been brought before the Tribunal of the Seine. It appears that a lady, a native of London, who was married first to a rich English gentleman, was married a second time to a French nobleman, Count de Silly. She died in October last, and in her will, which contained numerous legacies, was the following bequest :—" I bequeath to her Majesty the Queen of England a sum of 100,000 fr., to be employed for the benefit of the London poor." The several legatees and the executors wrote to the English am bassador to acquaint him with the fact, information of which was in due time transmitted to her Majesty, who decided to accept the legacy. One of the legatees then insinuated that her Majesty should let the relatives have the money. The English legal authorities were consulted, and they gave tho opinion that the relatives had no right to the money of which the Queen was the sovereign dispenser, unless they came under the category of the poor. The general legatees then required the royal signature legally affixed to a formal document, and they proceeded to summon the Queen to ap pear on the 2d of July, either in person or by procuration. The summons was sent on the 22d June. The case then came:before the Tribunal of the Seine, the plaintiff applying that an order should be made for the payment of the legacy to her Majesty's ambassador. The legal representatives of her Majesty proceed to contend that the money should be paid over to the ambassador, who was recognised by all legal authorities, many of whom were quoted, as representing in everything the person of his sovereign. A. precedent was cited, in which a legacy to the Pope of an estate had been given over to the Nuncio after some dispute. The ques tion, the advocate for the Queen contended, was not one of private law, but of international law. The advocate on the other side maintained that the legacy was made to the Queen as a private individual, and the intentions of the testatrix would not be carried out unless her Ma jesty became personally the almoner of the sum left at her disposal. The ambassador represented his govern ment, that is, the Chambers of his country, the ministry, and the royal person; but he could not represent one of those parties separately from the rest. The French law knew neither sovereigns nor ambassadors. The Queen ought to submit to the requirements of that law, and to P° her signature at the foot of a special and authentic procars tion. That was the only guarantee which the legatees could have that the sum left had passed into the august hands for which the testatrix had destined it. The President of the Tribunal, M. Benoist, decided in favour of her Majesty, saying that an ambassador repre sented his sovereign in a supreme degree, and that all he said and did was substantially said and done by his sovereign, COUNTRY MARKETS. . LIVERPOOL —FRIDAY. At this day's market the unfavourable state of the weather imparted rather more firmness to the wheat trade, and the transactions reported were at very full prices. Barley, beans, and peas steady, and unaltered in value from lormer rates. Oats and oatmeal as before. Flour a dos , / trade, and must be quoted in favour of buyers. Indian corn firm. WAKEFIELD —FRIDAY. To-day we have a quick sale for both new red and white wheat, at rather more money than the extreme prices of last week, and an improved demand for old sorts. Other articles sell in retail. STAMFORD—FRIDAY. A good quantity of new wheat came to hand to-day, the quality of which was very satisfactory. The demand was steady, and prices is per qr lower. Barley at top prices. —White wheat, 445 . t0 48s ; red, 44s to 47s per 36 stone. Barley, malting, 37s to 42s ; grinding, 30s to 32a per qr. Oats, 24s to 268 per 24 stone. Beans, old, 41s to —a per qr. ; new, 39s to —a. EXETER —FRIDAY. Wheat, white.. Cs 3d to 6s 4d Barley. 3s 6d to 4s 3d Ditto red. ..... .6 s Od t o 6 s 3d I Oats .........2s 9d to 3s Od Flour, fine, 35s to 36s ; seconds,l34s to —s per sack. 1 Fat beef, p sc ., 10 s 0d to 11s6d CATTLE Ewes, per as .... 51d t o 61d Pork carcases, 7s Od t o 8 s Od Wethers, d 0....,,,. 7d to —d Lamb, p 1b.......—d to —d Fat calves, d0...61d told. Rough fat, 31d per lb. BRISTOL SUGAR—FRIDAY. The market this week has been healthier than for some weeks past, and whilst importers are more firm, buyers show increased confidence. Rum heavy, and some small parcels of Demerara have brought is 6d to is 8d per proof gallon ; Jamaica, 2s 10d. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. ...... Sept. 18. a Mar ..... Jrazil and Cape Verds, by vi British ipll ea .... S ept. 12. acket. ...... . Sept. 3. Cape of Good H o p e , Ascension, and St. Helena.. Sept. 28. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton. Sept. 1. via Marseilles ...Sept. 1. ................. Falkland Island s Gibraltar, via Southampton ............ .. . .... Se 1. India (Calcutt a ), an d C eylon, via Southampton.. Sept.p p 1 via Marseilles c ep t. 12. India (Bombay), via Southampton ............ Sept. 10. via Marseilles Portugal.... Sept. 3. Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Sept. 1. via Marseilles Sept. 4. Newfoundland .. Sept. 2. 'Oporto and Vigo by U.S. packet.... U. S. and British N . America, by Brit. packet.... Sept. 2, by Canadian packet. Aug. 28. W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Tenerife .. Sept. 10. Bahamas, via N ew Y or k ........ Sept. 24. Mexico Al Cal parts of West Indies, includins Chili, Peru, Sept. 13. lifornia. and British Columbia.. ......... ) Births. ADDINGTON.-011 the 27th . inst., at W xp„ ey p m ro o m u a t t h u , r t e h ly e , wife eon, n:;V.thNeV.2A;hdlinngstto:,a at wife o f H. M. Cu E s q.), of a daug hter.mming, Woburn-square, the Ii Esq. (daughter of T. P. Cooke, c u ° s f t m t stillborn. r o . RIDLEY.—On the 26th inst., at Worthing the Rev. 0. M. Ridley, of a daugh ter. , Marriages. BARRETT—HOUNSELL.—On the 27th inst., at Bridport, Altred Barrett, Esq., of Readin g , t o E m il y, the th i r d daughter of John Hounsell, Esq., o f B r id ge H ouse , Bridport. HALL—Jowirr.—On the 27th inst.,' at Charlcombe, Somerset, Alexander "William Hall, E sq ., o f B arton 4.1.)- y, O xfordshire, to Emma G er t ru d e , second surviving dau ghter of th e ' late Edward Jowitt, Esq., of Eltofts, Yorkshire. Deaths. BoLD.—On the 27th inst., at Millbrook, Hants, Martha, wife of Captain Edward Bold, R.N. BEHREND.—On the 25th inst., at Preston, David Behrsndo Esq., of Liverpool, aged 72. GoTT.—On the 25th inst., at Patterdale, William Gott? E-q., of Wyther Grange, Kirkstall, and Bay Fort, Tor quay, aged 65. HOLLm Wonnt.—On the 25th inst., at Southsea, suddenly Horatio Weld Hollinworth, Esq., R.N., aged 40. KNoLus.--On the 25th inst., at Bournemouth, the Rev. Francis Minden Knollis, D.D., aged 47. KIRKPATRTCK.—On the 27th inst., at St. Leonard's-on the-Sea, Richard Godman Kirkpatrick, Court, near Maid s t one , age d 72. , of Barham London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDREWS, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE Sux Office No. 11z Strand, in the Precinct of the `savoy, in the County o f Middlesex —t-;aturday, August 29, mu. Makin Bon tion aciditi, Atte up po sacrith Po icy The Wheth, Act" sewed Chie: TR EXTRA The ' calha Meeting The I Close of Premiu The I Govern The the am passes commey account 5d., and rately, The v Mate tl exceeds at the 4701,427 few yea] has just was all This r watched ahareho suture ti Evide afforded amount( propose) of tnelig No an record tl all, exce stole in another. tulle,id bitlel huvxla p l a ce. °TlPBPl*m ou n t a)rsitt;inhlo:(9;* briefly t he Office vvi' to the pt N ---- 0 B The bu The di £85,062, £10,086,3: A bent parties it sums am, now hol The ra charged 1 their insi For pr street, Ni 'liars, E. It 0 (Establi Robert 111rfenry pa John Gar kark Cur /h il o lia mas m I I Alexande Fred k. al Itiversdal -Robt. Am 'Wm. Teti Jas. Stew rIRE a Coln rportheati tlcipatlon participat The R e nearly 2 r Ecluival payable b The (Hy Any su Life. This Cc Lib the 111 A r. Sociel Stock The of an The Col It the Mi rutted K THE and receive Ti flay be w of the sal, Septernbe articles of Cheese, I Pepper, F or Leeks, and Pars' ration acc apecified office of tt o'clock, w at the Bc parties tei behalf, col which Um Into consi It is to to find Se( Contract, and hour The Cot lowest Te R b DATA PRE SID: CITAI DEPUTY- The Col the begini Institutto lishments The nu Society. lor which 416,480 it Lion has Transport The . Coi the p:enez British pi has enab)l of 123 Li Deeply se res•s on t 1 state, and boats, wh: annual ini countrym great and - The Cox tributions :Fier Maje! Campbell, Clerk, Col Cuutts an, Currie, W 1 141 e, or( Fanehawc Punwiek, i larve Y I rn 9re..ll( ith, M 'horn„ E :. iloughl J ) onatic ( i 'T e iv ed b y 59 St Jurn e ,l B , told Ba - : - ieha r d o.u-etre GEO} Sir perier ~fe_ (sold a m rout and. Wed Spre Thos Thol total Th ( the When PoHet(