The Sun. — London, England, 1850-09-18 00:00:00

44 .NIC.RUPTCY,-(THIS DAY.) (liefore Mr. Commissioner IloutoYD.) Thill.l7 NEWTON, alias NEALE. I. s , a nd rupt was descriLl as of for cv tvenhoe, Essex, milleiN and to-day was ' pointedap ! a ting arguments on a petition to annul the fiat 1 , e ." against the bankrupt in July of the presant year. igro 'lle bankrupt had formerly carried on business •as a Ab _"r, at Eppi n ., , and was there declared bankrupt, but ha t the and was outlawed. He was apprehernled, q tlc tll( ' assignees did not prosecute. Bsnkrupt subsc tiebr,Y went into business as above, and after incurring 8 to the exVnt of nearly 4,0001. was declared bank .upt. tie r ' t y 44 'svitlizqs now appeared on behalf of the assignees pr the first fi at , to support t h e pet i t i on to annu l t h e uue.;ent tiat, as b a nk ru pt never o b ta i ne d hi s certificate ;tr the f ormer one, which was still in existence. "-, 31. - LUCA S was h ear d contra , an d after lookin at several cases, and es that " Butler and Hobson," Q. B. Reports, 11;" u 'ed that one or more fiats may exist at the same fr o _@ 1 11 , 0 _ , ,petitton was thertfJre dismissed, and the present confirmed. ar.2ets 500 t likely to be recovered are supposed to he 1,. S LCONDARIES.—(TIIIS DAY.) • (Before Mr. Secondary POTTER.) Thi PRICE V. WILLIAMS. 1110 S was an action to recover the sum of 71., for t el' Ient .TAPI ti „ IN, the plaintiff's attorney, stated that plain ff be en one of the contractors on the South-Easternsai l gaJ, /v sY, between Tonbridge Wells and Hastings, and b 0t ,. 114 e. 1848, d e f en d ant, w h o was at wor k on th e li ne , t i'Mved 71. to take his family down. Ev i dence to t h e s ad that the defendant had the money was adduced, whi a d ocument was put in signed by the defendant, in te rt e e h d. the words " borrowed for three months" were in k Nta ra . J OYCE, counsel for defendant, contended that it 41 0 — . 4 advance for wag es, and that there was a sum of it2' still due to defe ndant. " Principal evidence to show this was Mr. Smith, bt re a ci ll P.,erin . tend ent of police on the line, who remem %it t unit in November of the same year he wax . pre distwr,' keep the peace at Price's house, there being a ~uunce in consequence of plainti ff not having re- Pay ' ;", sufficient money from the chief contractors to ""e ulen, and defendant then claimed 30t, which was 'Med. Th e vi ow Learned SECONDARY said if the money had been o ont , cl to run on account of wages after the three i "" , a verdict would be for the defendant, but if tot lee ry did not find evidence of fict, they would find etid e " Plaintiff for money borrowed, for there was no The j ury of set- o ff. 14Q UrY found for the amount chimed. Clt COURT.—(THIS DAY.) 03e0r 0 fir. OLD COURT. Justice WILLIAMS and Mr. Justice TAL : FOUItD.) 44 t, -S LAUGHTER, —James Da) vill, aged 3 G, described 41 0 , 1 . 4 ,e cal en d ar as a la b ourer, was i n di c t e d for fe10".37 ".37 striking his wife, LouisaDarvill, with a scythe, h__ she died, 1 , -- g her — a mortal wound, of which she dieo. " tt err • "Yee appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. 1,,.Y defended the prisoner. kairtlias Watson, a labourer, residing at Princes Was ° „,", ° tlgh, in Berks—On the 9th of August last he 44 ( 7' Work with the prisoner in a field near his resi ' ahe W hen the prisoner's wife came to him and said "anted m one y f rom him. He offered her . 2 44 an dL she said it was of no use, as e",,,,ildren and herself had no bread or anything to they , 1 -1 -heY then went to a beer-shop at Harrow, where 4 ho' n ;ank one pint of beer. After leaving the beer _tea' a n' proceeded towards Sudbury. The prisoner kk th ,"` 3 Wife were a few yards a-head of the witness. eoel d a rti them talking and quarrelling together, but he Wee u n ot hear wh a t th e y sa id, af t er a short time the aee ; 4 ran across the road, and the prisoner followed gr he had a scythe in his ' handiwhich a as covered with tließifrte:a bridle on the edge of it. The bridle was nc . a ,„"t through as it was now. The prisoner struck is the b r ",ltn the scythe can the head, and he saw then that att ti ,, 4l e was cut through. The woman, after she was 1( ,11 ,;a With the scythe, immediately dropped on her l ia ti t O e f e li The prisoner only struck his wife once. When Elbe cries " Oh I am murdered by husband," and kaie„ — a "I have killed my poor wife." Witness re thach--'4 With the woman, who was bleeding very hhotl and the p r i soner i ns t ant ly ran for a doctor. ati,`"Y afterwards the surgeon came attended by the Itli el , l4er • The d ecease d h a d b e en taking some beer ra e — seemed to have produced some effect upon her. ltaa- d run k er also appeared to be effected by the beer he a.re lep e ,„ as 'eXamined by Mr. HORlty—The deceased had of ~,;e d lY asked the pri s on e r for money, and made use aeit n — LY had language. The deceased appeared to the Pri: Bs to be p rovo ki ng th e p r i soner very much. The itbe at -n er did not appear to have so muc h as ten shillings - ai m• tip O'Callaghan, a surgeon at Harrow, was called Ou i — ,,Ll the pri soner t o g o and see tho deceased on the Ras . v August. The prisoner when he called witness veit n -ve rY much excited and confused w , so much so, that as-- ,;" could hardly tell what he anted. He found Rhodeceased sitting in the public pathway with her cap bonnet off. Her head was covered with blood te : „7 4 ,he arrived; the blood was flowing profusely from a is the head of between four and five inches in a tt ,Rte, and extending from the fore to the back te a l' °f the head. He removed the hair, and found the N i l completely cut thfirst rough she days fcw , and the outer went on very fable of the faa also. uirably, and continued to do so for some time, for an„,_eight or twelve days, when symptoms of an unfa tearle nature appeared, and she died on the I st Sep er• A female attended her, and every attention if fis b h at her. Wit ne ss made a st-mortem examination `ge tit ua 0,1, an d was o f opinion the wound was the 11 'n ° f death , the skull having been fractured , a n d t he and oe 0 ;7 s oy . the outer fable of the skull answering to that Cr " I P. %t o 088 -exami ne d by M r . 110/MY—The hair was cut h e arth s by th e bl ow . ill) 4 ' 14 Adams attended the deceased up to the period ti me er death. Sometimes she was sensible and some le tl eh not • She attended her in consequence of a wound ever i y e ad. She repeatedly said she should never get to her' a nd was insensible the whole of the day previous death. 1 14 e ,-°;, 3 :exaceined by Mr. lionnY—The deceased was kt;" n te when sh e di e d. % nee r — „' e ttaY addressed the jury on behalf of the pH thertio,"°ll called a witness, who gave the prisoner the kr. g: °f a quiet, peaceable man. ustice WILLIAMS summed up. kjury found the prisoner Guilty. month ,Justic e W ILLIAMS sentence d hi m t o twelve tec s „ iw Prisonlent aud hard labour. *diti o ~e ta EDITIO N OF TIIE CALENDAR.—The second e etit a l i ", the calendar was published this morning; it to the tne narnea of 15 7 prisoners, being au addition of number included in the first edition. Iln NE COR 14 hi A ' ' h aYfor Was indi W T. cted tor stealing a horse, t It I t s " Property of his mistress, Hannah valued _ Pro s - i'Peared t h at the prisoner was iu the employ of the I )4t cu i l tri x, who carried on the business of a butcher at —441, }l, sex, and was in the habit of riding or torte g Out the horse daily to servo the different cus kielpt* On the 20th of May last both he and the horse b" li tt ` d ' ar ?d, and it was subsequently ascertained that : ), (1 the animal to a publican at Royston, named the p e l ic ic) r 5 0s. The prisoLer had given himself up to Th e • ce • 1, li e 3 , 11 '7 found him Guilty. " Was -ad been previously convicted at this Court, and 'sentenced to seven years' transportation. THIRD COURT. • A .21:14 t (Before Mr. Justice TALFOURD.) , 1 ,.' 4 `.1) 1. , t4 ) ,5 1 . Ledger, John St. Ledger, and Michael 4 40 13O °(4 ". were indicted with feloniously wounding e t kee - 7 8 Steed, police-constable, 30 D, while in atus,, ty,-,,, isduty, -- er h . with intent to do him some A L , ° "Ddily harm. . k ti c% . Cl arke and Mr. Parnell appeared for th_e prosecu: r : And the prisoners were defended by Mr. Parry and 1 ‘'ooper • ...` rn „, Itlfor:''' the evidence it appeared that, in consequence of ‘l , zt , •44ation c ommunicated to the police that gambling pithe t r n ri d 1 1 et a lacer shop, kept by John St. Ledger, d li e 4, 11 .., 811 ,ire• street, Lisson-grove, Steer, in company ept th otner constables, named Knight and Pearce, l' a Y, tt, ere at two o'clock in the morning of Wednes ' "are e 2 2d of August last, and while outside s Nv e ,, e the rattling of balls, as if sonic persons It Playing at bagatelle, and also . voices, the • Ilks 4 t ° ut the numbers, and others disputing 4 t the4t,,Whell they were added up. The officers knocked or or sir hoer, but it was not opened until the lapseo anv e P P o ta tia n i i ,. eu te , , during which time the parties had_ of .eapi n - " I. Y ef removing the gambling articles,. d volie e A themselves from the house. On enterinan, butt_ eeersesearehed the lower part of the premises, d on lUsltiu retied not discover any of these articles, .au taie l l. w here the men were who had been drinking and . the k w le ,g, the landlord replied, " Oh, you may find i the I) i - s re You cn " Not being at liberty to search `ltostive-%ah,ie_r,oo_ms inthe house, the officers were aboutjto I,' t e . vu John St. Ledger knocked down Knight, and -00eiteciraWas coming to his assistance, thishe was also ts withinwn, his h ea d l ay i ng on t h e d oor step, and his the passage. While 4eterer'seers clamor d the door in onlys leg, position . , .th . e , whi" ith n e rei ttiLii Y liteerated, and kept the door closed, notiv _. t ee (, tB n zi r g ...9 l ° Pit . ous cries of Knight. His brother om ' re et r ;:ing their rattles, and, on obtaining assistance, Who f ai tut door open, and liberated the unfortunate man, s °ll 4 atr il ., ted way, and was obliged to be carried home %..nig a no ..11 dety - l b er- Y•ht h d t since been able to g 1 :th o ' TA was now scarcely recovered. a who E t ' cie gh t ill 4 e l ie . ll .ea h lattended Knight stated, that ki o la.d .thiurles were very severe, scarcely any blood „ ted. e 3 appearance. ige evi ',l' these circumstances the Learned JUDGE said, I.veeltCeace did not go to prove a woundin . g, whic h h Posed ~,ru, °tint to felony and that they could only e Th, s 6l : lll tY of a common assault. 44 EiseatilltrY, accordingly, found the prisoners Guilty of Se ri , ‘• hio r , s nee was dan.red, there Lein g other charges of a 64 e11 3 ,711°Ils nature against the psisoaers, fm. violent as en the same eceasion. ..........._ 0,411 ei, XRAORDINARY GIANT.—Tbe Cincinnatti hei n , k e givts the Of.ctb'aVirig been f ou j n l d l cor o itaining sil times the nunab e e . a ce - i!, t f the thirrh-bone of a human ,. Iltratel,e inches that the thigh:bone of a man in these (le 1. 444 tr , m aYB can furnish ! Ago a human collar-bone and other_ m K ul be4teh. Physicians' say that the person to who Ned Ultibt 11 4Y0 been 10 feet /412." THE SUN, BOW-STREET.-(THIS DAY.) James Fullar, whose face was covered with bleeding wounds, was placed at the bar, before Mr. Henry, charged with abduction. Mr. Duncombe was engaged by the prosecutor, a gipsy hawker, to conduct the case on his behalf. From the evidence it appeared that the prosecutor had a little girl, about fifteen years of age, with whom the prisoner had eloped. They met at a lodging-house iu Church-street, St. Giles's, and as the child wag seen to be continually in the prisoner's company, and he having no money, suspicion fell upon them when a sovereign was stolen from the wife of the prosecutor. The father on bearing of the theft, beat the little girl so unmercifully that she ran away from him, and meet ing with the prisoner in 11 ungerford- market, they both set off together, and walked for the past five weeks nearly throughout the whole south-east of England as field-labourers. On their return they were seen by the prosecutor, who followed them and had them captured in Seven-dials, but not before the prisoner had been severely cut about the face by a gang of ruffians specially hired by the prosecutor. Tile prisoner was discharged, there being no case of abduction against him. MARLBRO'-STREET-(THIS DAY • THE BETTING-OFFICE NUISANCE.— William Stevenson and Charles Stevenson, two we!l-dressed young men, were brought before Mr. Hardwick, charged with as saulting Robert Campbell, under the fulloring circum stances:— The complainant stated that he was managing clerk to Mr. Berrien, who keeps a betting-office at No. 28, Cranbouria-street. About five o'clock yesterday after noon he was much annoyei by two men, with plaoards before them, who paraded before the door. The pla cards were to the effect that Mr. Berrien had failed to pay his bets. As the men persiste 1 in their annoyance he sent for a constable aed had them removed. About ten minuses afterwards the defendants came into his office, and William, who was formerly employed by wit ness as clerk, at a salary of three pounds per week, demanded to know what ho (witness) had done with the two men with the pLcards, and how he dared to call him a thiec. Witness, not wishing to have any disturb ance in the office, told them to leave peaceably, and on their refusing to do so he went to the door for the pur pose of calling a constable, when he was struck on the breast with great force by Charles Stevenson. Ho then rent for a constable and gave them in charge. The defendant Charles Stevenson did not deny strik ing complainant, and William Stevenson, in defence, de nied ever having been a clerk to complainant, nor had he ever received any money from him, with the excep tion of 305., being part of a bet. He (defendant) now held tickets for 80C/. on the St. Leger, which would be run to-day, and it was enough to wake any one excited when he knew that complainant had not a far thing to pay with. He denied assaulting the complain ant; he (defendant) merely want to his office for the purpose of asking him to rake his money. Mr. flaanwicx said these betting places must bo ex ceedingly profitable to pay such salaries. The existence of these offices was bad and prejudicial in every sense of the word, acid something ought to be done to put them down. In those places there were always something like the present case occurring, and to prevent a repetie tion of such scenes he would put a stop to it, as it not only encouraged a paltry system of gambling, which ought to be repressed, but it was au inducement for many young men to resort to dishonest means to raise money to bet with. With regard to:the keepers of such places, they must bear their own responsibility, and not come to the magistrates fur protection. As to the defendants, he should order them to find one surety each in 101, and to enter into their own recognisances in the like amount, to keep the peace for three months. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. MR. HUDSON'S EVIDENCE AT YORK. POST.--When any man demands from our coun trymen the justice that is emphatically expressed in those words that are household words of old England, " fair play," he makes an appeal that is certain of meeting with a response from Englishmen. Such an appeal is now made to us, in common with the pub lic, on behalf of a gentleman who has proved all the vicissitudes of public feeling, from a blind and un reasoning worship to a blind and still less reasoning hatred. There is scarcely any man in this country whose name has been coupled with so much adulation at one period and so much vituperation at another, as has fallen to the lot of Mr. George Hudsen, the Member for Sunderland, whose power and popularity in the railway world were scarcely exaggerated in the title universally conceded to him of the "Railway King." On his behalf it is that an appeal is now made by some of his friends to the public for fair play. At a trial which took place in the city of York at the last assizes, this gentleman was produced as a witness, under circumstances that entitled the party producing him to endeavour to establish out of his own lips the delinquencies which the statement of counsel hail freely imputed to him. In order to convict him of fraud and mismanagement in any matter connected with those railways in which he had taken an active share, it was the privilege and duty of the cross-examinin g counsel to sift every trans action in which he had been engaged—to assume his guilt in his questions—to extort from him his most confidential secrets—to lay bare the most minute de tails of his railway life—to probe everything that was suspicious—to drag to light everything that was con cealed. All this, we say, it was the privilege and the duty of counsel to do, and to do it in the presence of persons able and ready to convict him of inaccuracy or mis-statement if he sheltered himself behind any prevarication. It was equally the privilege, we will not say the duty, of counsel to do all this, if necessary, with all the assistance of browbeating and bullying, or the milder aids of insinuation, sneering, and per plexing, which make a hostile cross-examination by an expert advocate the most terrible instrument of moral torture by which truth was ever extorted from a reluctant deponent. In addition to all this, Mr. Hudson was, at this trial, without notice of the points; that would be inquired into, with out documents to refresh his memory, or re fl,exion to suggest forgotten facts, called on to explain every transaction which his cross-ex aminer chose to select as suspicious. He was called upon to do this at the moment ; while his questioner, on the other hand, had all the advantage of preparation—of deliberating on the line of his exami nation' on the very frame of each question, and of full and minute consideration of all the facts of each Case,. It is impossible to conceive any man taken at greater disadvantage than the man whose conduct was subject to such an ordeal as this, yet this is just the position of the deposed railway potentate when he was placed in the witness chair at York in the libel case of " Richardson v. Wodson." It was, no doubt, an interesting and exciting scene to both the enemies and friends of the man who was submitted to the process, from which, if he deserved one-tenth of the obloquy flung upon him, it was impossible for him to escape without utter and damning ruin. What more could his enemies desire ? The delinquent in the witness-box, compelled to disclose every secret, to parade all his private dealings, to confess to an inqui sitor who would show him no mercy and tolerate no re serve, to answer without hesitation inquiries as to trans actions comparatively remote—without hesitation, for hesitation would have been conclusive evidence of guilt—the witness who, under such circumstances, deliberated was lost. The assistance of a scrap of paper and a pencil to calculate the exact amount of his gains upon some questioned transaction was the ut most extent of deliberation that could be conceded. What expected disclosures of criminality must those who have heard of him as the great railway delin.. quent have gloated over in anticipation as he ascended the witness table ! With what confidence must his enemies have calculated on complete ex posure of something gigantic in illicit spe culation ! Subject to this ordeal, Mr. Hudson was closely questioned upon very many transac tions of his railway life. His evidence, we have heard, from more than one faithworthy quarter, produced a manifest revulsion of feeling in his favour. We can easily understand from the printed report that it did so. Same friends, believing entirely in his integrity, and anxious to do him justice with the public, have published an authentic'report of that evidence, vouched for by a member of the bar. It is accompanied by a modest and unassuming preface, which makes that appeal for fair play which never, as we have said, is made to Englishmen in vain. Finally," says the editor, " these pages are offered to the public in the conviction that those who desire to do justice to a deeply-injured individual will form their opinion of the transactions which they detail, not from the uncertain representations of rumour, but from the unquestionable facts established in a court of justice, under the solemn sanction of an oath, with all those aids to the investigation of truth which the most certain and minute cross-examination could supply. "Inner Temple r August 21, 1850." We were not among the number of Mr. Hudson's adulators in the days of his power, neither did this journal lend itself to run him down when the reverses in railway affairs evoked the curses of every disap pointed speculator Upon his head. To this appeal we ought not, however, to decline to respond. Neither do we, on public grounds, profess ourselves indifferent to the reputation which Mr. Hudson's share in the railway transactions of 1845 may ultimately bear. The railway spe cu l a t ors of that period are a chapter for good or evil is the history of the national mind. In that chapter the position of Mr. Hudson forms no obscure, unimportant section. As national property, then, a just estimate of his character is a matter of national interest. If he be as described in the sen tence we have quoted, a deeply-injured individual, it is but an act of public justice to set him right. And when men are only asked to listen to the facts of his conduct, as unquestionably established in a court of justice, and judge of him by those facts, common honesty demands that this appeal should not be in vain. Mr. Hudson, we presume, was questioned as to those parts of his conduct which, in the eyes of his evidently most hostile and well-informed accusers presented the most plausible grounds of impeach ment. They had the advantage of selecting their own ground of attack. His evidence offers to us his own explanation, attested by his oath, and sifted by the power of a most searching c ross•examination. In endeavouring to do the justice for which we are asked, we purpose to take ,each of the charges that is con veyed in the questions of his cross-examiner, and sub mit it, with the reply conveyed in the answers of Mr. Hudson, to the judgment of our readers. That judg ment will thus be formed, not, indeed, upon the entire of hie railway life, but upon those passages of it which were deliberately and carefully selected as supplying the strongest materiels for his accusation. It is for public opinion —often an intemperate, frequently a prejudiced, but generally, in the long run, a just tri bunal to decide whether there be anything in these passages to justify the attempts that have been almost incessantly repeated to associate the name of George Hudson with those mal-practices by which, in the days of the railway madness, too many railway speculators took ad van t age o f that madness to enrich themselves by dishonourable means. The transac tions which were made the subject of inquiry were so many that within the limits of a single article it were impossible to glance at them all. To-day we select one which has, perhaps, been more pressed to Mr. Hudson's disadvantage than any other. We will state the charge, and then give from the evidence his reply. It has been said, and the ac cusation has been repeated in every variety of form, that, in the month of March, 1845, Mr. Hudson, being chairman of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway Company, purchased a quantity of iron for that company at the price of 61. 103. a ton, but charged it to the railway company at the price of 121. This is the substance of the accusation, conveying a charge of fraud and breach of trust of the most dis reputable kind. The facts of the case were these : In October, 1844, when the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway Company were not in existence, Mr. Hudson, on his own private account, entered into a speculation in iron. He contracted with eminent ironmasters to sell to him 10,000 tons of iron, at the price of 61. 103. In the following spring, the price of iron had nearly doubled, from the demand created for it by the many projected railways. Mr. Hudson was, therefore, in the position, in the month of March, ttoraccatleldutpoosnutphpoisy him, t masters with who m he b a d con at the price of 6/. 10s. with iron which he could sell in the market without difficulty for at least 12/. To the full benefit of his fortunate specu lation Mr. Hudson was beyond all question, solely and individually entitled. The Berwick Railway had just as much right to the benefit of it as bad the pro prietors of the Morning Post. Mr. Crawshay, who wanted iron in the month of March, 1845, offered Mr. Hudson 50,000/. to assign his bargain to him ; and if Mr. Hudson had thought fit to accept that offer, Mr. Crawshay would have received the ten thousand tons of iron, paying the sellers at the price of 6/. 103., and handing over to Mr. Hudson 50,0001., which that gentleman would have pocketed without the possibility of question or imputation. But it so happened that the 13erwick Railway Company, in that very month of March, thought it their interest to secure,'at the then market price, a large quantity of iron. The same' iron masters who were under this engagement to Mr. Hudson were among those who made a tender for supplying that iron to the railway. This tender was at 121. 10e ; it was beaten down to 12/., a price the very lowest at which a large quantity of iron could be obtained, a price below that paid for it 14 other rail way companies at the same time. Mr. Hudson had it thus in ins power to c ill on these iron masters to fulfil their contract with him. He had it in his power to accept the offer made by Mr. Crawshay, and compel them to supply the iron to Mr. Crawshay, And pocket LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 18, 1850. his own 50,000.1.4 but if he had done this, Thompson and Forman could not have supplied the railway, and they would have been driven to obtain it at a higher price, .Mr. Hudson, therefore, said to Thompson and Forman, " Keep your engagement with the railway company, but you must at least partially fulfil your contract with me, and on 7,000 tons you must pay me the difference between 61. 10s. and the present market price. To this, by all mercantile usage, he was clearly entitled. It is difficult to see what pos sible imputation can rest upon Mr. Hudson in this transaction. We assume that the facts are truly stated in the evidence, as we apprehend there can be no doubt. Most of our readers will probably agree with the Learned Judge who tried this case, that of this the most perfect explanation has been afforded. No one in his senses will say that Mr. Hudson was under the slightest obligation to give the Berwick Railway the benefit of his own pri vate speculation—:a speculation which, it it had turned out a losing one, he, and he alone, must have borne the loss. The railway company purchased their iron at the fair market price of the day on which they bought it. Mr. Hudson made nothing more in con• sequence of the sale to them than he would if it had been effected by Thompson and Forman to any other purchaser. It appears, indeed, that he made less. It is impossible for us to forget that this very iron transaction has been made the means of exciting more prejudice against Mr. Hudson than perhaps any other act of his life—that it is that upon which those who accuse him of malversation have most frequently and most constantly relied. That the facts are trulystated:in the evidence we have quoted, no controversy whatever has been raised. If he can as satisfactorily answer every other charge against him, there are few who will give him a fair hearing who will not admit that he has been, in the words we have quoted from the preface to the pamphlet, " a deeply injured man." STANDARD.—A pamphlet has been published within the last few days which will, we doubt not, have the effect of recalling public attention to a sub ject to which, in this publication, it is distinctly challenged by the friends of the party most inter ested in the result. It appears that at the last York shire assizes Mr. George Hudson—better known by his former title of the Railway King—was produced as a witness in a libel case, to sustain a plea of j us tification, grounded on his own alleged misconduct in the management of those railway companies which for so many years he governed with absolute sway. A witness thus produced to give evidence in fact in his own condemnation is, we need scarcely tell our readers, treated with all the searching severity of a cross-examination by the party producing him ; and when we say that Mr. Sergeant Wilkins was the counsel, to whose lot it fell to put Mr. Hudson " to the question," we give the best assurance that every thing was done that skill and power could effect to extort from the questioned the anticipated confession of guilt. The evidence of Mr. Hudson has been deemed so satisfactory by his friends that they have published it for circulation in a separate shape. It is but justice to Mr. Hudson to say that even the skill of Mr. Sergeant Wilkins failed to establish out of his own bps any case of malversation against him. On the contrary, the examination elicited in many instances complete and satisfactory explanations of some of the transactions in relation to which much obloquy has been cast upon him. The effect of the evidence upon the bystanders may, perhaps, be best expressed in the phrase used by a member of the northern circuit, a Member of Parliament, not one of the counsel engaged in the case. This gentleman, not much predisposed in Mr. Hudson's favour, either by political or Parliamentary recollections, when asked what he thought of the evidence of Mr. Hudson, replied, that " he never saw so much dirt wiped off any one in the same space of time." To fling that dirt upon Mr. Hudson appears to have been almost the amusement of some parties for the last two years. No epithet was too strong to apply to him ; no condemnation too severe to pro nounce upon his conduct generally. The essence of all railway frauds appeared to be supposed to be con centrated in his conduct. That he was gnilty of peculation, misrepresentation, almost embezzlement, appeared to be assumed as axioms of railway science. Those, indeed, who like ourselves are unwilling to condemn any one upon mere general abuse, looked sometimes for tangible and specific charges to justify this wholesale condemnation. One or ,two instances however of assumed misconduct, vaguely but posi tively stated, were always at hand to answer this demand. Mr. Hudson, too, and his friends appeared to let judgment go by default. If the charges were general, they seemed to be acquiesced in ; and public opinion accepted as proved the very vaguest accusa tions, which there seemed no vigorous effort to refute and scarcely to deny. There was, indeed, one point which, throughout the entire of the fierce storm of popular odium that raged against him, ought to have to any mind sug gested reflections strongly in his favour. He con tinued under all these accusations a Metnber of the House of Commons. If one-half, or anything like one-half, of the vituperations heaped upon him was deserved, he richly merited expulsion from that House. Those Members of the Lower House of Par liament who were implicated in the South Sea scheme were expelled the House of Commons in the days even of Sir Robert Walpole. If Mr. Hudson had been implicated in railway frauds, it was due, even to the House of Commons itself, not to permit him to hold his seat. His accusers, too, were men of influence— a petition to the House of Commons would have insured as inquiry into his alleged misconduct. But at the bar of that House he must have been heard in his own defence. Facts alone would there have sustained accusa- tions ; and when we found this plain and obvious course not resorted to—the course which, if his ac cusers really believed their charges to the extent to which they made them, they were bound to pursue— we confess we thought the system of general vitupe ration and newspaper abuse by which it was sought to run down Mr. Hudson, by which unquestionably a formidable amount of popular odium was excited against him, unfair, unmanly, and unjust. 'Thos e who will take the trouble of remembering the extra vagant hopes of the age of railway speculation, and the reverse in which those hopes were doomed to disappointment, will not wonder if the unlucky speculators found themselves in a mood of mind in which it was a relief to them to discover any object, animate or inanimate, upon which to vent their rage. Men rushed upon the purchase of scrip, in the belief that they were grasping princely fortunes, and awoke from their dream of un told wealth, to find themselves ruined. The instinct of human nature was to seek any object upon which to shift the blame from their own folly. Hudson be came the scapegoat upon whom every man laid the sins of his own imprudent avarice. There is no animal so unreasoning as the disappointed gambler, and gamblers the greater number of dealers in rail way shares unquestionably were. Mr. Hudson was the most prominent object connected with the system against which they had wrecked themselves—cursing the whole railway kingdom, they almost of necessity directed their imprecations against the Railway King. It was this temper of the public mind that made it so easy to excite against Mr. Hudson a storm of popular odium. To men smarting from their losses, to prefer an accusation was equivalent to proving it. To ask of such men to pause to investigate was an insult ; they knew that they had lost, where they thought to make, fortunes. This must have occurred by fraud, this was enough to sustain any charge, especially against any man who had speculated more luckily than themselves. There was added to this; too, much of that vulgar passion that cannot brook the prosperity of others—the desire to pull down whatever is above themselves that marks the Liberal school of the present age. Men were envious of the supposed greatness of the aristocratic associates of the self-elevated Yorkshireman. Multitudes were, from this motive only, ready to exult over his fall. It is debasing.to human nature to acknowledge the general existence of such a motive; but that it does exist we have had too - many painful proofs. It was, after all, however different the manifestation, the same vulgar and malignant intolerance of the prosperity of others that could gloat over the dismantling of Stowe, and hunt down the deposed monarch of the railway throne. Besides, it was but too manifest that political motives contributed largely to swell the tide of obloquy that set in so rapidly and so strong. Mr. Hudson had been for years an active and consistent Conservative. He had been faithful in the great defection. He had given to the enemies of the Protectionist cause addi tional reason for hating him in the fact that he was the personal friend of one whom meanness and trick ery instinctively, and by the necessities of nature, hated and feared. We confess that the knowledge that, up to the last moment of the life of Lord George Bentinck, Mr. lludson had enjoyed the confidence and friendship of that great and good man, had we no other reason, would have compelled us to refuse credence to the unproved accusations by which he was so unspar ingly assailed. We confess, then, we were pleased when at last in this trial at York we had the oppor tunity of grappling with some definite and specific issue. Oar readers who peruse this pamphlet report of the evidence, will probably share our surprise at discovering the character of the charges upon which, when reduced to matter of precise fact, all the vitu to the give reportour opinion of the upon vitu peration of Mr. Hudson appe a r s t o rest. W e must content ourselves f or th e present by referring our readers evidence tho i a t e sel e f ilar l g V e e can only s that were made the subject of Mr. Sergeant \Yil kins's cross-examination. We have no sympathy with Mr. Hudson beyond that produced by the belief that in the mode by which he has been assailed he has been - unfairly and intemperately run down. There may be, for aught we know, transac tions not alluded to at this trial, which may furnish matter of grave impeachment ; we have no reason on the other hand to believe that there are. All the pro babilities are that his accusers selected those matters upon which they could best rest their charges against I hioa. Upon these he has given his sworn gnawer, in his reply to the questions of Sergeant Wilkins, and we believe that there is no fair and candid reader of that evidence who will not close its perusal with the same conviction that we do, that these transactions must have been monstrously and cruelly misrepresented before they could, to any mind, supply the slightest reason for the obloquy with which Mr. Hudson has been assailed. CHRONICLE.—The Europa steamer, which brought the last American mails, left the people of the United States, particularly the inhabitants of New York, in a perfect phrenzy of excitement—dis tracted by conflicting emotions, like Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy, or (if they will pardon the simile) like the donkey of the metaphysicians, who was unable to make up his mind w hi c h o f the two bundles of hay to begin upon. Jenny Lind had ar rived, and Professor Webster had been hanged. If Lord Brougham (as was once anticipated) had cotem poraneously lauded with his new pamphlet in his hand, they would have gone mad outright, and Mr. Disraeli would no longer have been able to boast that he is the only living politician in either hemisphere whose warmest (if not most discriminating) admirer is shut up in a lunatic asylum. But the ind-fatigable ex-Chancellor richly merits a triumphant entry to himself amongst a people who have so largely benefited by his enlightened labours in his own pecu liar field of Law Reform ; and, for the moment, they have enough, and more than enough, to occupy them. Mr. Cooper's last novel, "The Way of the Hour," was composed for the avowed purpose of reforming the administration of the criminal law in the United States ; and he draws a startling pic ture of the mode in which juries are alternately tam pered with through the instrumentality of professional agents, and misled or prejudiced by the lowest class of newspapers. Webster's case, however, had at tracted too much attention in the old world to admit of the employment of these indirect influences, even assuming them to be in constant operation as de scribed ; and the greatest pains appear to have been taken by the tribunals and authorities to impress the European public with a favourable opinion of Ame rican justice. The verdict, in our opinion, was fully supported by the evidence ; but the Governor and Council are said to have hesitated as to the execution of the :sentence until the second confession, in which the accused admitted the act of killing, but declared it to have been entirely unpremeditated and the result of sudden passion. In the first confession he had maintained his entire innocence, and a strong feeling had been got up in his favour upon the strength of it. Yet all who are conversant with the workings of the human mind under analogous circumstances, will agree with us, that very little r e li ance i s t o be placed upon self-exculpatory revelations at any time, and that the hope of inspiring belief in a pretended con fession will often cling to the hardened offender to the last. If a manslayer, to whom the fact of killing is brought home, could shake off the guilt of murder by a frank acknowledgment of all except the premeditation or the motive—to convict by presump tive or circumstantial evidence would be an impossi bility, for it would b e a l wa y s o p en to the all ege d mur derer to say that the pre-existing intention to kill had been given up. The execution was what is called private. It took place in the yard of the gaol, in the presence of two or three hundred spectators, police officers and others, required or invited to attend. But the Boston correspondent of the New York Herald (whose letter we printed at length yesterday) states, that several of the neighbouring houses commanded a view of the yard, and that the windows and roofs of some of them were packed with persons of both sexes and of all ages. "It grieved me," he adds, "to see ladies and young girls manifest their morbid curiosity in this way." On the other hand, it gladdened him to be able to say th a t thr ee of the houses so situated were shut up, and that on - thedor of one of them was posted a bill to this effect : "Not at home. Opposed to capital punishment." Whets some tender-hearted moralist once requested the interference of the late Lord Ellenborough to stop an assize ball, and alleged the impropriety of dancing whilst trials of life and death were actually pending, he growled out, " Why should not any fools who like it dance and fiddle now as well as at otber times ? There are always people going to be hanged somewhere." The inhabitants of New York are entirely of the Learned Chief Justice's opinion, and they differ, moreover, very materially from Lord Ashley as to the degree of strictness with which the Christian day of rest should be observed. So soon as the Atlantic steamer, known to carry the Swedish Nightingale and her fortunes, was descried LATEST OF THE SEA SERPENT. A writer in the Cork Examiner furnishes a long account of a roving excursion in Blllycoton-bay, un dertaken with the pleasurable view of falling in with the sea serpent. The daring of the adventurer was not, it seems, without its reward, for on a certai n fi ne day last week, while sailing about in a "fine broad bottomed yawl," with a couple of hands on board, he came across the object of his search. A shot was of course levelled at the monster, and, says the narrator, " no sooner was the peculiar whiz of the bullet heard, as it skipped over the wave, than the black object stirred, gave a convulsive shudder, and raised some what that portion which was turned to the eastern shore ; it lying at the time almost across the harbour from cast to west." Resolved not to lose sight of the stranger, the boat " luffed up in the wind," and `• at the moment up darted in the air the head and neck of what seemed an eel of monstrous insgni tude, while at regular distances along the water there appeared some half-dozen polished black sub stances, very much like harl2our buoys, though some what smaller towards the end. The monster was not now more than a quarter of a mile from our boat, a little on the larboard, and was as plainly visible as if it were within an oar's length, owing to the ex treme clearness of the day. It kept its head erect for at least two minutes out of the water, waving it to and fro with an oscillating movement; it then gave a violent snort, at the same time sending out two tre mendous jets of water from each side of its head ; opened an enormous mouth, as if to yawn, and rushed along the surface of the ocean with a beautiful undu lating motion, leaving a track after the last black hump as clearly defined as that after a screw steamer. Before I proceed to tell the rest allow me to describe the appearance of the head and neck of this gigantic visitant. Imagine a creature at once like an eel and a serpent—the head like a serpent in its formation— the neck more like that of a conger eel, thick and covered with a mane. The eye was immense, and partook more of the reptile than the fishy brightness. It consisted of a jet black pupil, encircled by a dull white rim, and an outer circle of flaming red, as red as the gills of an ordinary fish. Its mouth was not only furnished with a formidable row of teeth, white as the whitest ivory, but two tusks protruded, one on each side, that glittered like silver in the sun, and measured somewhat from two to three feet in length. In the latter particular it reminded me of the wal• rug, which is similarly furnished. Its mane resem bled that of the leonine seal, or common sea lion,. each hair of which, as some credible authorities assure us, is so stong and thick as to answer as toothpicks. In spite of the flaming outer circle of the eye, and its formidable tusks, the appearance of this marine mons ter was not by any means ferocious ; on the contrary, its aspect was rather benevolent and indolent than otherwise. But scarcely had we put the boat round on the other tack, in order to follow the movement of the serpent, which shot across our bows at a pro digious rate, than it turned round, and directed its course right towards our boat, which I confess I thought was doomed from that moment. Darby was now on his knees, thumping his breast with terrific energy ; but Sullivan, though he looked a s h a d pa l er, sat like a rock, the helm firm in bis grasp. The gun, sir,' he whisper e d—' a goo d s h o t i n t h e nose w i ll make him sheer off.' I coked both hammers, and brought the barrels to bear as steadily as I could full upon the soft blunt nose of the monster, when with the rapidity of light he darted past our little bow sprit, but not before he flung out of his enormous mouth a literal shower of small fish, more than a dozen of which fell into the bow of the boat. Bsfore I could pull a trigger ho was gone. I was slowly putting the hammers of the gun down, when I heard a sudden cry from the fore pert, Ma ther, I'm kilt.' The voice was that of Pat Fennessy. I at once scrambled over the tauts, and came to where poor Pat sat, the image of perplexity and fear. What is the matter, man ?' said I. ' Oh, masther, the fish, the fish What fish, you fool ?" Thim little fellows, yer honour,' said Pat, pointing with one hand to the fish that lay in the bottom of the boat, while his other hand seemed as rigid as one of the masts. I stooped towards one that lay near me, and I took it in my hand ; but no sooner did I lay my finger on it than I received a tremendous shock along the arm, just as if I had touched the wire of a galvanic bat tery of immense power. The fact was, they were possessed of the power of imparting electric shocks. I induced each of the men to touch others of the fish, and the same phenomenon always followed. What was I to think of all this ? Why, that the sea serpent was nothing more nor less than a gi gantic creature of the species known to science as the Gymnotus electricus of Linnmue. It is true, the species is only common to warmer countries and fresh rivers; but there is no reason ,that I know of why an animal possessing the same wonderful property may not be found in our •colder clime and in salt waters. I was further strengthened in my opinion that the animal not only possessed the electiie power itself, but was capable of imparting it to others, for, floating on the sea, w e saw several fish, large and small, that it had either stunned or killed by the electric shock, and that when touched produced a violent result to the person touching. It is well known that the common electric eel first stuns or kills its prey, and then leisurely devours it. May not this enormous monster, which I have had the good fortune to see, be a salt-water species of this most extraordi nary eel ? I shall now conclude by stating my belief that the whole length of the animal did not exceed 150 feet, of which some fifteen or twenty feet were raised high out of the water. People may affect to dis believe this, but it is well known that the sperm whale commonly measures ninety feet; and it is a well ascertained fact in history that the march of Regulus's army was disputed in Africa by a serpent 120 feet long, the skin of which was afterwards dis played for some days in the Capitol of Rome." in the offing (on - Sunday, September Ist), they forgot the Professor, and deserted both church and chapel to hurry by thousands towards the port. She landed amidst the acclamations of the crowd, who attended her, shouting all the way, to the hotel, in which apartments fit for the Queen of Song, or the Queen of Beauty, or a real Queen Regnant (as a New York contemporary expresses it), were prepared for her ; the hotel itself being surmounted with the Swedish colours. In less than half an hour every street and alley in the city resounded with cries of "Extra Heralds! Arrival of the Atlantic I Jenny Lind ! The great Jcnny Lind"—to which many added " The good Jenny Lind"—for her reputation for munificent charity, gentleness, and kind-heartedness had pre ceded her, and added not a little to the enthusiasm she called forth. As her admirers could not sleep thoy were resolved not to let her sleep. It was past midnight when the New York Musical Society, con taining two hundred members, arrived in front of her hotel, escorted by twenty fire companies, where they played "a magnificent serenade"—at least so says ouicorrespondelt, who computes the number of persons present at thirty thousand, " including " a great number of carriages filled with ladies," When the serenade was over, a select band of the performers were introduced, and delivered an address The tender of fraternal love, sincere admiration, and profound respect." Her btief reply was marked by her characteristic diffidence, simplicity, and good taste. " The sight there," she concluded, pointing to the window--" was the most beautiful I ever saw." In an audible aside, she murmured to a friend, " They are all firemen," which was explained to allude to the warmth of their enthusiasm, rather than to the nu merous fire companies assembled in the street. We have been wont to believe that the boundless enthu siasm excited by Madame Rossi (then Mademoiselle Sontag) some twenty years since in Berlin, would not be outdone in our time. One of her shoes, pro cured by bribery from a treacherous waiting maid, served as a drinking cup, on festive occasions, to a club of officers, so long as it lasted ; and a half finished glass of wine, captured by a body of students who forced their way into a room she had just lefr, was actually put up to auction and bought by one of them for seventeen dollars. The Yankee amateurs, however, are running the Germans hard. The hall of Jenny Lind's hotel is filled from morning to night with crowds pressing to see her autograph signature in the arrival-book; and it is said that the tickets of admission to her first concerts are to be disposed of by auction. All this time there are questions of no mean importance under discussion in Congress ; but. what avails it to refer to " alarming differences be tween North and South," to new laws for aggravating the horrors of slavery, or to the budding seeds of communism. Murder and music, horror and har mony, are the all-absorbing topics of interest in New York. COURT CIRCULAR. ' BALMORAL, SEPT. 15. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert attended Divine service this morning in the parish church at Crathie. The service was performed by the Rev. A. Anderson. The ladies and gentlemen of the household were in attendance upon her Majesty and his Royal Highness. Tne dinner party this evening will include her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, his Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen, Lady Augusta Bruce, Baroness Spetb, and Lord James Murray. A meeting of directors and managers of railways, with the members of the Royal Commission for the promotion of the Exhibition of all Nations, to be held in the year 1851, took place yesterday, in the new Palace of Westminster, Colonel Reid, R.E., chairman of the Executive Committee of the Com mission, being in the chair. Captain Boscowen Ib betson, F.R.S., Colonel Lloyd (on a special commis sion), Mr. Redgrave, A.R.A., and Mr. Dilke, were also present. The subject of the conference was to decide on the trains to convey artisans to the Exhibition. The following gentlemen attended on the part of railway companies :—Captain Huish, London and North-Western ; Mr. Saund e r s , Greats Western ; Mr. Frederick Slight and Mr. George Hawkins, Brigh ton ; Mr. Wyndham Harding, South-I'Vestern ; Air. George Richardsun, Eastern Counties ; and Mr. Cornelius Stovin, London and South-Western. Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial office from the Governor of St. Helena. RETURN OF THE COURT FROM SCOTLAND.—Her Majesty and the Court will return to Osborne, Isle of Wight, on the 7th proximo. HUNTING PROSPECTS IN SOMERSETSUIEB.—Mr. Theobald and the gentlemen of Bath, it would appear, have completed their arrangements for stag hunting in the neigh bourhood of that ancient city—the latter having undertaken to contribute 7501. towards the expenses of Mr. Theobald's establishment during the hunting season. • We congratulate the inhabitants of Bath, as they could not possibly have se lected a better master of hounds than Mr. Theobald, whose absence from Cheltenham during the ensuing winter will be sincerely regretted by many of our sporting characters.— Chtlelnham Looker-on. LICENSED VICTUALLERS' SCHOOL. The annual election of children into this admirable institution took place yesterday. At half-past three o'clock exactly Mr. Findley, attended by his col leagues on the committee, entered the boys' school room, where the parents and friends of the youthful candidates were assembled to hear the result of the poll. Mr. SMALLEY then, by the direction of Mr. Find ley, read the following list : BOYS. Votes Votes at former at present Total. Elections. Election.. George Osmond 17,711 Thomas John Mobbs Richard Robert Davies William Cantrill Gollings 3,934 Robert Draper Frederick Martin James William Codriogton Charles Richard Hutchings Thomas George Thorpe Geo. Thos. Byron Cousins Thomas Walker Penny John Edward Burrows 6,549 Adam Southcombe Frederick Fancy Benjamin Richard Peacock Edwin Mark Carrier Edward Fancy GIRLS. Elizabeth Emma Brasier Catherine Sophia Kirk 14,511 Mary Jane Midiam Louisa Mason 12,373 Sarah Ann Blaekwa!l Elizabeth Penney Julia Ann Ninham Elisabeth Wells Eliza Helen Weeks Emily Cousins Rowley 7,334 Julia Upperton 7,242 Elizabeth Maria Stiff 6 985 Louisa Elizabeth Barlow Elizabeth Chance Coombes Emily Day 2,375 Clara Ann Hutchin s 977 Sarah Walker Penny Mr. FINDLEY then declared the first twelve boys, and the first thirteen girls on the list duly elected, who, he stated, would be receivel into the Institution on the first of October next. The business of the day having been then con• eluded, the meeting separated. [We shall give a faller report to-morrow.] THE ONE THOUS.A.ND MILES MATCH.—Searles, of Leeds, still continues his walking match of one thcuisand miles in the same number of hours, at Tranmere. He has begun each mile at the commencement of each hour, and yesterday appeared as free from fatigue as when he started on Monday week. Owing to difficulty of watching him during the night on the round course enclosed near Tranmere Hotel, he walks along the turnpike-road in company of two men, one of whom is engaged to watch his progress, and see that each mile is performed. He lives well, is in robust health, and sleeps well, especially in the night, when not en gaged in walking. He performs each mile in nearly- the same space of time, generally twelve minutes, though some have been accomplished in ten minutes. The odds are, how ever, against him by two and three to one, and several wagers have been at two to one, taken by himself within the last few clays.—Chester Chronicle. THE FRENCH ADMIRAL, BARON MACKAIL—Spe cial orders from the Admiralty have been received at Wool wich,lChatham, Sheerness, and other ports, directing t h e authorities to allow the gallant ex-Minister of the French Marine to view the dockyards, and to pay every attention to this distinguished officer. Admiral Mackau, we believe. is the only French officer living who, in a fair fight and on equal terms, captured an English brig-of- war.— Herald. E WE AT HER.—At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean reading of the barometer was above 30 in. on every day of the past week; it was highest on Sunday and Monday ; the mean of the wer , k was atm 71 in. The mean temperature of the week was 35 . 3 deg., and less than the average of the same week in seven years by 4..1 deg. The mean temperature was less than the average during the whole week. The wind blew generaliY•from the north east. TrIE Ex-HUNGARIAN GENERAL GUYON.— We are requested to correct an erroneous statement going the round of the press, to the effect that the gallant General Guyon, late of the Hungarian army, "has forgotten his faith, and has become a Moslem to gain a pachalick." This is not true. The General, in accepting an appointment in the Ottoman service at Damascus, was not compelled to change his faith, and he is living at that place, with his wife and family, after the manner of an English Christian. Moreover, we may state, that he is a native of Bath, and has nevez been in ire 1411d at any period Of 145 life.—Herald. Lord John Russell was one day last week observed in front of Mr. Maule's house at Birnam,- enjoying himself with his children in sending up paper balloons into the air, and chasing them over the lawn.—North British Arcal, BIRKENHEAD DOCKS. ---- - The greatest possible activity pervades the whole of this important undertaking, and tenders are now invited for building up the line of the river-wall from Seacombe to Woodside, under the agreement lately made between the trustees and her Majesty's Com missioners of Woods. From the terminus of the present Morpeth and Egerton Decks, which may be called mere passage docks, up to Wallasey bridge, a distance of nearly two miles, the ground is like a bee-hive, covered with human bees, at work in building walls, excavating, &c. The first work we meet with is the railway company's wall, forming a sort of basin, where they will at all times have deep-water access for their traffic, and where the largest ship can discharge her cargo on to rail way trucks. Next comes the dock company's wall, opposite their warehouse, where vaults, sheds, and every possible convenience for trade are in process of erection. This wall joins the Victoria Wharf wall, a public wharf forming the north side of what is called the Eighteenacre Dock. Then the dock company's wall continues up the pool, in a straight line, for about eight hundred yards, ter minated by another public wharf, called Duke-street Wharf; and this forms the boundary of that portion of the great float which is on the eve of being opened, comprising some forty or fifty acres of dock space, bounded by walls, quays, &c., which are also building on the north or Seacombe side. Above Duke-street Wharf a temporary dam is thrown across the pool while the upper walls are building. This forms a new contract, and the work is proceeding rapidly; whilst Mr. Bailey and Mr. Tyrer are building their walls to complete the whole extent from Woodside-basin to Wallasey-bridge, a line of wharf walls upwards of two miles in extent ; and, simultaneously with these works, private landowners on the north or eastern side of the pool are about to build walls; so that it would appear the long talked-of great float of a hundred and fifty acres is soon to become a matter of fact. With deep water for a ship up to Wallasey-bridge, whilst the margin of the dock or pool offers unequalled sites for ship-builders, manufacturers and trades of all kinds—Paulton will, ere long, become quite a sea port, with the largest merchant ships moored alongside the quays; and there is an unlimited extent of land be yond the bridge for timber floats or yards. During the present week the Morpeth and Egerton Docks have been run dry, in order to put in the 70-feet passage gates, preparatory to penning up the water in the great float. These gates are prodigious things, each half weighing some eighty tons. The process of launching these gates into the dock, previous to shipping them, was rather a novel one, and such as, we believe, has never been attempted on this side. Each gate was launched and shipped in about forty minutes—one during the night—and the process attracted a good deal of at tention. The great characteristic of these works is their solidity—built to endure for ages, and paving the way for commerdial facilities worthy of an em porium of trade like the Mersey. The rivalship which these increased facilities cannot fail to excite must inevitably benefit the trade of Liverpool ; and we cannot but think that the spirited undertakers will eventually meet with encouragement, and an adequate return for the great outlay incurred. — Liverpool Journal. PUBLIC CONVEYANCES AND TURN PIKE GATES. TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir, —Knowing your Usual readiness to expose and put an end to any grievance that comes under your observation, I have ventured to intrude upon your valuable time to make the following statement, trust ing that even coming from so humble an individual as myself it may have some effect in putting a stop to a system that is now so rapidly spreading. Within the last few days three turnpikes have been put up in Peckham, thereby doing great injury to the omnibus proprietors of that place. If I am rightly informed, turnpikes are put up to defray the expenses of forming the various roads, and that the parish in which the roads are situated keeps them in repair from funds arising out of the highway rate. If so, by whose authority aro there turnpikes raised upon a road the expenses of forming which must have been defrayed long since ? In these days of cheapness, when the cry of anti-monopoly is sounded on every side, it is hard that the public should be called upon to pay such gross impositions as these. The Kent road and Peckham omnibuses have to pay 9s. 6d. per diem for turnpikes, and 6s. for duty, without reckoning expenses—driver, conductor, stabling, horses' keep, &c.; they must therefore carry upwards of 100 passengers at 3d. before they pay their ex penses. Every one knows that since cheap fares have been in existence they have earned but a scanty living—how much worse will their condition be now, since the new turnpikes take away the sum of 791. per annum from their earnings! The inhabitants of Peck ham cannot go to London in any vehicle but an omnibus without paying about 10d. for turnpikes. The same sys has been adopted on the other roads under the pretence of granting a boon to the public. Newington-gate was removed; at the same time the toll was raised at Kennington-gate, and omnibuses that used to pay 7d. for the two gates now pay 101. for one. The con• sequence is, the fare has been raised from 3d. to 4d., and such must be the case in all places where the toll is so heavy. Cheap fares are, without doubt, a great boon to the public ; it is therefore our duty to protect from injustice and oppression those parties whose con veyances furnish the boon, so as to enable them to continue it. If we fail to do so, we cannot expect them to ruin themselves for public convenience. I enclose my car,l, and trusting that you will ex cuse this long intrusion on your valuable time, I am, Sir, yours obediently, FAIB, PLAY. SKITTLING.—A. prominent official having rendered skittles a popular game in Southampton, we record, for the information of those interested in the amusement, that Mr. Ireland, a tradesman of Southampton, played skittles for twelve hours incessantly on Thursday last, at Mr. Woolver ston's brewery in St. Mary-street. The conditions were that the play was to commence at ten in the morning, and last till ten at night, clarityg which time, as fast as the pins could be set up, Ir. Ireland was to throw at them tilt he got them down ; for every time he knocked them down at twice ho was to pay sixpence. Five minutes only were al lowed for refreshment. The pins were set up by two men in a twinkling of time, and for twelve mortal hours Mr. Ire land kept up his. play, throwing a ball of above ten pounds weight incessantly during the time, generally getting the pius down in what, in the language of the " alley," is termed a " twicer." At the close of the play Mr. Ireland was a winner of 141. and upwards. He ate a Sandwich during his five minutes' rest, but drank nothing. Our informant describes the eenalianT present M iomease.".-gainpshire Advertiser. LITERATURE, BLACK'S PICTURESQUE TOURIST OF ENGLAND AND WALES. Second Edition. The peculiar excellence of Messrs. Black's Guide Books is so well known as to render commendation almost superfluous. One of the most excellent and most useful of a very excellent and useful series has, we are in nowise surprised to find, already reached a second edition. No traveller—and in these days of rapid locomotion the term is almost one of universal application—should be unprovided with this most agreeable companion and most serviceable guide. Whatsoever his route, within the limits of England and Wales, he will here find a mep of the country to be passed through with beautiful engravings of the surrounding scenery and memorable places, together with a very comprehensive and most convenient chart of the road or railroad by which he is to travel. This • chart is drawn out on the plan of Paterson's cele brated Road Book. The pages of this chart are di vided into three columnP. The central column con tains an enumeration of the places passed through by the railroad ; and more than this, every bridge, tun nel, viaduct, Sec., is not merely named, but its mea surement and peculiarities are particularised. The outer columns describe the country on either hand ; thus in fancy the reader of " The Guide" passes along the middle line, and notices in rotation every town, village, and country-seat on either hand. In addition to this very comprehensive chart, the volume is abundantly provided with travelling maps. To many persons the most interesting, as well as most useful portion of " The Guide," consists of its histo rical, geographical, and political descriptions of the principal towns of England, as a specimen of which we may quote the following:— BRIGHTON. "Brighton is situared nearly in the centre of the bay stretching from Selsey Bill, in the west, to Beachy Head, the eastern extremity of the South Downs. It is protected on the north and north-east by this verdant chain of chalk hill., and on the west lies a level district of arable land. The sea has made considerable en croachments cu this part of the coast. In the reign of Elizabeth the town of Brighton was situated on that tract where the chain-pier now extends into the sea, but the whole of the tent merits under the cliff were de stroyed by tremendous storms in 1703 and 1705, and no traces of this ancient town are now perceptible. The foundation of the prosperity of Brighton was laid by Dr. Richard Russell, an eminent physician, whose work on the efficacy of sea water, combined with his success ful practice, brought numerou s visit. ri to the coast. But it is to his late Majesty George IV., when Prince of Wales, that Brighten is indebted for its celebrity as a watering-place. his Royal Highness first visited Brighton in 1782, after which time he passed the sum mer and autumn months here for many years in succes sion. In 1784 he commenced the erection of the Pa vilion, which was completed in its original design in 1787, and under the stimulus of royal patronage, what was formerly a fishing village, has now become the most splendid marine abode in Europe. " Brighton is not an incorporated town. Its govern ment is vested in a chief constable and twelve head boroughs, who are annually chosen at the court-leet of the Earl of Abergavenny. The affairs of the town are managed by 115 commissioners, who regulate the cleans ing, lighting, &c. fishery of Brighton was once very considerable, but has now declincd to an almost incredible extent. " Of the public buildings of Brighto:- , , the most dis tinguished is the Royal Pavilion, the architecture of which has been severely and justly censured. The Chain Pier is a light and elegant structure, erected in 1822, under the superintendence of Captain Brown, at an expense of 30,0001. It has twice suff:Ted from vio lent storms. The , marine wall, which was completed in 1838, and was eleven years in building, is a splendid structure. It is nearly two miles in length, and cost about 100,0001. The celebrated spot called the Steyne, which was formerly a piece of waste land, is now a fa,hionable promenade, and is surrounded by fashion able buildings. In the northern enclosure stands the famous bronze statue of George IV. executed by Chan trey. The Town [fall is an immense pile of building, the cost of whi( h is said to have been near 30,0001. Brighton contains nine places of worship in connexion with the Establishment, twelve belonging to the various denominations of Dissenters, a Roman Catholic chapel, cud a Jew's synagogue. In the churchyard of the old church is a monument erected to the memory of Captain Tattersal, who assisted Charles 11. in his escape to the continent after the battle of Worcester. There are a considerable number of schools in the town for the in struction of the children of the poor. Brighton contains barracks both for cavalry and isifimtry; the former af tirds accommodation for 625, and the latter for about 400 men. In the rear of the east part of the town is a pleasing rural retreat, called the Park, in which is the German spa establishment, where chemical inaitatioas of the most celebrated mineral waters of Germany aro pre pared. At Wick, half a mile west of the town, there is a chalybeate spring, which has of late years been much frequented. Brighton is well supplied with baths, acd every convenience for the accommodation of those who wish to avail themselves of the advantages of sea-bath ing. The exterior of many of the hotels are magnifi cent, and the interior fitted up with much taste and con venince. " Brighton is not a manufacturing or commercial town, but it has an extensive retail trade. Steam-boats ply regularly between this place and Dieppe,. "To the north and north-east of the town, on the summit of the Downs, is the race-course, commanding an extensive view. A number of pleasant excursions may be made in the vicinity. The population of Brighton, which at the commencement of the present century was only 7,339, is now, by the census of 1841, 46,661; but during the fashionable season it is estimated at 60,000. Brighton returns two Members to Parlia ment under the Reform Bill." SONNET—SEPTEMBER. (From the Ladies' Companion.) With stained mouth and loose luxuriant dress September comes—a reveller sure is he— And Dryads sport—for see in mirthfulness They tempt him still with gourd and mulberry. Yonder the wain rich freighted ploughs the sward, And yonder still the sun-burnt reapers toil; There champs the mill, and there the garner's stored, And there, profuse, the fowler's feathery spoil. At eve now pours the yellow harvest moon Her beams, which lend enchantment to the hours; So dews are plentiful, and at her noon Crown, as with coronals, the wakeful flow'rs. From hedgeway bowers the trailing hops are torn, Orchards are thinned, and purple paints the morn. E. E. M. K. ACCIDENT TO TILE HON. A➢IIAS POULETT, NEAR InmuisTEß.—On Saturday last this young gentleman, ac companied by his brother, Viscount Hinton, went (or a short shooting excursion, when, having enjoyed the sport ter some time, he felt fatigued, and Viscount Hinton re quested him to return homewards, which he accordingly did. • As he did not make his appearance at dinner, his father, Earl Poulett, dispatched the servants on horseback in all directions, in order to ascertain the cause of this un usual delay, as it was feared an accident had occurred to the Hon. Gentleman. The Earl himself, accompanied by others, also set out in search of him, when, after a long period, the unfortunate young gentleman was discovered lying by the side of a dry ditch, quite insensible, and blood issuing from his ears and mouth. He was immediately , removed, and messengers were dispatched for Mr. C. 11. Mules, surgeon, who attended most promptly. It was then discovered that both the bones of the right leg were broken, besides many other bruises and injuries; there was also concussion of the brain. A special messenger started at once for London for a physician, who arrived at Taunton by special train on Sun day morning, and immediately set out for Hinton Park, the seat of Earl Poulett. The sufferer still remained insensible from the injuries received, which, with deep sorrow, we an nounce, are indeed of a most serious character. The accident is supposed to have been occasioned by the horse • falling, throwing his rider, and rolling over him.— Western. Flying Post. THE EXPLOSION IN SrrrAmELDs.—The property destroyed by the disastrous accident which took place on Monday in the firework factory belonging to Mr. Clitherow, Weaver-street, Spitalfields, was, we regret to state, greater than was at first anticipated; windows and furniture as far off as a quarter of a mile have suffered, and more persons than originally supposed have been severely injured. Mrs. Slater and her daughter, who resided at No. 15, Weaver 6treet, immediately at the rear of the factory, were thrown down by the shock, and one of them was much injured. At the same instant nearly every window was shivered, and immense pieces of solid timber were hurled into the air. An iron hoop, of great weight, and a piece of bond timber, upwards of 10 feet in length, were driven by the force of the explosion upon the roof of All Saints' National School, and destroyed a portion of it. Besides the houses mentioned yesterday as having been damaged, seven in Clitherow-place have been nearly rased to the ground. A woman named Potter, living at No. 14 in that place, alarmed by the first explosion, threw one of her children out of the window, and. endeavoured to jump out with an infant in her arms, but her clothes being caught by a nail, she was suspended some feet from the ground while the two other explosions followed. Mr. Clitherow received his principal injuries through his staying to pull his servant out of the house; both were terribly burned, but they are progressing favourably. During yesterday a great many glaziers and bricklayers were em ployed in the neighbourhood, repairing the broken windows and roofs of the houses damaged. Such a demolition of window-glass, it is believed, has not taken place in London since the great storm of the Ist of August a few years since. THE LATE DRIVERS AND FIREMEN ON THE EASTERN CourriEs LINE.—The board of directors of the shove line issued a notice for such of the men who had been dismissed from their employ to leave the occupation of the houses belonging to the company, on or before the 7th instant, intimating that if they quitted possession at the time named, the arrears of rent which has accrued from the period of their leaving the company's service, would be remitted, we understand nearly or quite the whole of the men have complied with the notice. The men have issued a long cir cular setting forth what they term their grievances, and calling upon the drivers and firemen, &c., on other lines, as well as the public, for pecuniary aid oa this emergency, which will be distributed pro rata among such hands as have not obtained employment. The men belonging to the A division of police, who were stationed at the railway works, have left, and the excitement consequent upon the strike has nearly subsided. We believe there are great numbers of the men who sent in their resignations still with • out employment, while numbers of them have sought and obtained employment on other lines.—Essav Herald. HORSES FOR THIS EMPEROR OF RUSSIA.—The fol lowing valuable horses were on Saturday last shipped at Hull on board the lieleu Macgregor, St. Petersburgh steamer, for the stud of the Emperor of Russia:--Two thoroughbred stallions, Freeman and Emilian ; two coach ing stallions, Vandyke and Regulus; one Suffolk punch stallion and mare; one stallion and mare of the pure Clydes dale breed, four coaching mares, and four chargers. The purchase was effected through the agency of General Betan court, and the shipment was made by Mr. J. Jackson. Ma. LANDSEER.—It will be observed from last night's Gazette, that her Majesty has been pleased to confer thQ 1•191294 r of kuight ll 49 l 4 PPP ALE. Edwila ,LAncl§cer.