The Sun. — London, England, 1850-03-28 00:00:00

MARKET NEWS---(THIS DAY.) NENVGATE AND LEADEN ti The a tuarkets wire well suppli' d with esch kind of meat, the &mani for which ruled lo au, at barely rt.- tionery prices. Bref, from 23 4d to 3. 4d; Mutton, 2m 8d t 3s 63; Lamb, 4s 10d to 5s MI; Veal, 3s to 3s 10d; and Pura, 3* to 43 per Sibs, by the carcase. EAT MAst.E.Elea. Sturnrtr.t.o.—Meadow Hay, 21 86 to 31103; Clover ditto, 21 181 to 41 10. ; and Straw, I/ la to 1/ Ss Per load. A full average supply, and a heavy demand. CUMBERLAND.--Nievlow Hay, 2110 s to 3112.; Clover ditto, 3/ O. to 4/ 6s ; and Straw, 1/ 2s to 1/ 103 per load. Supply tolerably good, and trade dull. WarrEcriarri. Meadow flay, 2/ to. to 31 10. ; Clover ditto, 310. s to 4/12s; and Straw,ll Is to I/ Si per loaf. Trade dull, at barely late rates. MEAT MAILICETS. SOUTH ALL, Mamie 27. The supply of fat stock on sale to-day was tolerably good. The demand ruled heavy, at barely last week 's prices Beef, from 2s 8,1 t 3s 101; Mutton, 3s 4d to 4. 4d; Lamb, 5s to 6s; Vail, 3s 4.1 to 3s 8,1; and Pork, 3. 4d to 3: 84 per 81b5, to sink the off.l. ROAIFORD, MARCH 27.—Prime Beasts, Sheep, and Lambs, c9inmande 1 a steady sale, at full prices. Other wise, the trade ruled dull. Beet, from 23 64 to 3. 81; Mutton, Ss Od to 4s 41; Lamb, 54 to 6s; Yeah 3s 41 to 3. 81; and Pork, 31 4d to 31 ad per Sibs. Suck ling Calves, 18s to 24a; Quarter. old Store Pigs, 16. to 21;; and Milch Cows, v.ith their small Calf, 141 to 18/ each. lIAILSIIAM, MARCH 27. — Our market was flat to-day, hut we have no material alteration to notice in prices. Beef from 3s 01 to 4* ; Muttln, 36 4,1 to 4s 4d ; Lamb, 15. 4d to 53 8 I; Veal. 3s to 3. 61 per Blbs. ARUNDEL, MARCH. 26.-1' e had a slow trade at drooping curreue - e5 Beef from 3. 03 to 3s 101 ; Mut ton, 3s 64 to 4s 64 ; Lamb, 5. 24 to 53 Gd; Veal, 35 to 3s 6d; and Pork, 3s 2d to 3. 64 per albs. CHICHESTER, MARCH 27.—Prime Beasts and Sheep wore in moderate request, at full prices, but all other kinds of stack ruled dull. Beef from 3s to 3. 101 ; Mutton, 3s 44 to 4s 4d; Lamb, 5. 2d to 51 Gd; Veal, 3s 21 to 34 61 ; and Pork, 3s 24 to Ss 6d per 81bs. Suckling Calve., 181 to 255; Quarter-old Store Pigs, 16s to 205, and Milch Cows with their small Calf, 161. to 181. each. CORN AVERAGES. GENERAL AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN Yerthe Week en.led Mame 21, 1850, made up from the Returns et tee 1n.% odors in the different Calesanil Towne in England and Wales per imperial Quarter. WIII•T. •111 1 •ILLIT. 0/111. I ILTI. I BEANS. I PICA,. I PRICK •• 31s t‘t I 231 4d I 15s 2d 23s 5d 23s 10d 125 e 2d DUTIES ON FOREIGN' CORN. wisEAT. I 11A1L1T. I OATS. I LIP. I BRAWN. PEAS. 11 Od Is Od Is Od Is Od Is 01 Is Oi SHERIFFS'COURT.-(THIS DAY.) (Before Mr. Commissioner EnecuELL.) There were ♦ery few cases set down for trial, and undefended except one, in which Mr. M. D. Hill, Q.C., was counsel for the plaintiff, and Mr. Ryland for the defendant. Mr. RYLAND said he was placed in a very peouliar position, for ho was instructed that he could not go to trial in the absence of a material witness, who was en gaged at Judges' Chambers, and he hoped that the Learned Undersheriff would postpone the case on an affidavit of facts. The UNDERSITERITF said he had do power to post pone the case, except by consent, unless the record was withdrawn. Mr. HlLL—Then I shall be placed in a worse position than my Learned Friend, for the costs will be against sue. but on the costs being paid I will consent. The Learned UNDER-SEIERIY7—Then the case is to be adjourned by consent, on payment of the costs of the day. Mr. HlLL—Counsel's fees allowed, of course. Mr. ltmaND—Oh, dear, no. Mr. HILL—Oh, certainly yes, my kind friend. There is a golden ru!•—" Do as you would be done unto." I shall expect a " refre,sher,' and no doubt you will. We had better settle it amicably. Mr. RYLAND-With pleasure; for what can't be cured must be endured. Th• record was then withdrawn, the case standing o►er for a fortnight. The Court only sat ten minutes. MANSION-HOUSE--(THIS DAY.) Henry Gregory was brought Wore Alderman Gibbs on remand, charged with having embezzled various 'sums belonging to his employer. The prisoner is a carrier in the employ of Mrs. Philip's, grocer of King William-street, City, and was empowered to receive money from her customers in various parts of the town. It appeared from the evidence called that the prisoner had received Id. 13s. 9d. from Mrs. Morren, grocer, of Westminster Bridge-road, and for which he had sign ed a recei p t which was produced, but of which be had given no account to his employer; also Si. IF. 61., from Mrs. Drew, grocer, of Whitecross street, of which only 14 6s. had been a ccounted for. The Frisoner's defence was that the conf usion resulting from having to reeeive money from a variety of places had produced the apparent default in his accounts.—Com. misted. MARLBRO'-S'REET—(THISDAY.) ASSAULT ON A PoLIeE•CONSTABLE.—A gentleman, who gave the assumed name of George TonAins, of Tredegar-square, was charged before Mr. Bingham, with being drunk and assauiting Police-constabk 200 C while io the ex, cation cf his duty. The complainant stated that, last night about twelve o'clock, he was on duty in Great Windmill-street, when his attention was called t , ) the defendant, who was very drunk and creating a disturbance at the door of a public house in that street. Witness endeavoured to persuade him to go home quietly, but instead of following this advice the defendant struck witness in the face with great force. Witness then took him into custody. The defendant, who plead©d intoxication in extenua tion of his offence, was fined 20s. fir striking the constable. DISTURBANCE AT THE PICCADILLY SALOON.— Wihiarn Connell was brought u e fore Mr. Bingham, charged with being drunk and creating a disturbance at the saloon in Piccadilly. Burnet, 20 C, stated that about three o'clock this morning Le was on duty in Piccadilly, when he was called to the saloon, at the door of whion was the prisoner in a state of intoxication, trying to force his way, but being in liquor the proprietor refused to admit him. Defendant then became very abusive, and crested Stich a disburbance, that witness took him to the Station. Mr. Bingham fined defendant 20e.. CLERKEN WELL.—(THIS DAY.) A half•ttarved looking lad, named John Welling, was charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with stealing two pieces of bacon, four pieces of butter, some mutton, a qulntity of plum pudding, and other eatables from a sale in the area of a house in Bayham-terrace, Camden-road. The policeman who arrested the prisoner said he was passing the house shout six this morning, when his sus. Felon was excited by seeing a youth kneeling down in front of the railings. Ou coming up the youth ran away, but the policeman put his head down the area, and called out " All's right," when the prisoner emerged from a cellar with the articles of provender in his possession. and when taken into custody excused hung. if for being foun d in such a position by saying he was very hungry, and thought he was doing no harm in going down the area to partake of the good things below. The prisoner had nothing to say to the charge, and was remanded until Thur sda y , to give an opportunity for the arrest of his companion, who had managed to escape with other articles. A youngster named Dallaway, described in the charge-sheet as fourteen years, but in reality no bigger then a child of six, was charged with stealing a pair of trousers, some other articles ('f wearing apparel, and a shovel, from a house in Cambridge-place, Acre-town, and of having disposed of them to a marine-store dealer, saying they were the property of his grandfather. who had just died, and that his mother wished to gat rid of them. There being other charges against the prisoner he was ordered to be broughf up on Thursday next. TOTNES ELECTION. (FROM A C ORRESPONDENT.) TOTRES, WEDNESDAY, FITZ o'Cnocx.—This bo rough has been thrown into a slight state of elec tioneering excitement by the appointment of Lord Seymour (one of its Members? to the office of Chief Commissioner of Woods and lorests, which renders a new election necessary. Lord Seymour having stated in an address issued to the electors last evening that he would meet them at the Guildhall this day, a very nutnerout muster took place this afternoon shortly after three o'clock, to hear his Lordship's sentiments on. the principal political topics which are at present occupying the attention of the country. The Hon. Candidate, after explaining the reason of his again coining before them to solicit a continuance of the support which had been so often before given to him, briefly contrasted the condition of Great Britain with that of some of the neighbouring kingdoms. He then entered at some length into the financial position of the country, and showed that the Government had made large reductions in the naval, military, and oranance estimates. These reductions, he considered, bad been 'effected partly through the exertions of a Committee appointed by the House of Commons, over which be himself presided, and of which Mr. Cobden, Mr. Hume, arid Sir James Graham were also mem bers. He then stated his firm and unalterable attach ment to the Established Church, but strongly depre cated the, angry disputes and unseemly quarrels which had been occasioned by some of its members; and al luded to the late action of the Bishop of Exeter against the Western Tinted for the report of a speech of his delivered at Totnes, which appeared in that paper. The Hon. Candidate, after briefly glancing at the principal Ministerial measures now before Parlia ment, particularly that for the extension of the suf frage in Ireland (of which he avowed himself a warm supporter), concluded an admirable speech, which was listened to with great attention, by earnestly so liciting a renewal. of the confidence which had been on so many occasions reposed io him, and of which he had ever sedulously endeavoured to prove himself worthy. A placard has been issued by the extreme party in the borough, stating that a candidate of true Reform principles will solicit their suffrages; but there can be no doubt whatever of Lord Seymour's re-election by a triumphant majority. It is stated that Mr. Miall will be the Radical can didate. The Aominotion !1U take place on Saturday. THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH, WEDISESDA T.—The Lily, 12, Com mander Bedford, was inspected yesterday, and her crew mustered and paid in advance at Shithead, by Captain Blackwood, of the Victory. She sailed to day at noon for lleyonport, to ship the mail and re ceive final orders. The Electra, 14, and Rapid, 8, were taken into the basin yesterday, ready for docking ; they were taken in to-day to be refitted for re-commission. The Fantome, 14, was undocked last evening, and taken under the shears ready for masting, as she is to be fitted and rigged for commission. The Sharpshooter iron steam-vessel, Lieutenant- Commander J. C. Bailey, together with her Ma jisty's dispatch yacht Elfin, Acting-Master Balliston commanding, were removed from the steam-basin to. day refitted. The Sprightly steam-tender, Acting-Master Allen commanding, proceeded last evening to Plymouth with supernumeraries. The Dauntless steam-frigate is progressing fast with her rigging. She has topmasts up and lidded, topmast rigging fitted, &c. ArrOINTMENTS. WooLwicit, Mucci 27. Master Frederick IL Sturdf e (1843), from the Centaur, flag-ship on the coast of Africa, to thy Tortoise, 12, store-ahip at the Island of Ascension. Master William Bayford, to the Centaur, vice Sturdee. Assistant-Surgeon John N. Ryder, to the In• trepid screw steam-vessel fitting for the Arctic ex pedition. Commander J. 0. Johnson (1849), Commander William F. Barnett (1846), and Lieutenant J. W. Vaughan (1848), have been appointed to-day to study steam at the Factory at Woolwich Dockyard. The Myrtle steam-vessel went up the river yester day from Sheerness to Blackwall with masts and spars for the Assistance, fitting at Mr. Green's shipbuilding yard for the Arctic expedition. It has been decided that the present masts of the Intrepid, Lieutenant-Commander John Bertie Cator, are to be taken out, and other masts, ten feet longer each, are to be substituted. The Dasher steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Parks, was taken out of the basin to-day, after hav ing been thoroughly refitted. The Magicientie steam-sloop has had her ballast and weights, with which she was tried between the Nore and Mouse Light, taken out, and a party of riggers have been selected to take her round to Chatham on Saturday next, to be made ready for sea at that port. The Megarse steam-vessel is taking ballast on board, preparatory to being tried down the river. The Cygnet sloop, 8, Commander Robertson, just returned to Portsmouth from the Coast of Africa, brought home one sergeant and four gunners of the Royal Artillery from St. Helena, and they joined head-quarters at Woolwich garrison yesterday. DUTCH RHENISH RAILWAT.—The alterations in this company's statutes, suggested by the Liverpool com mittee, have received, by royal decree, the approbation of the King of Holland, and wilt be imported into the laws and regulations. The company's staff is to be re-organized, which, it is expected, will effect a saving of 31 per cent., and ne gotiations have been received for a junction of the line with those of P 1.1235111. CAPE OF Goon Hors.—Two days' later papers have arrived from the Cape, but they do not contain a single fact of interest. TORQUAY.—We had several showers of snow and hail us Saturday last, between the sunshine, which is a great rarity in this place, even in the depth of winter. STEAM-BOAT LABNCHES.—Yesterday (Monday) no fewer than three steamers were launched in succession at Dumbarton, from the building-yard of the enterprising firm of Messrs. Denny, Brothers. The following is a note of their respective dimensions ;-1. The Queen ; length 135 feet, breadth 17 feet, depth of hold 7 feet. 2. The Lunar; length 105 feet, breadth 14 feet, depth of hold 7 feet. 3. The Nep tune ; length 160 feet, breadth 19i feet, depth of hold 9 feet. The Queen is intended for the Arrochar trade, and the two latter are to be employed at St. Petersburgh. The Luna is built especially to act as a ferry, being built with two sterns and two rudders, i❑ order.to save time. The day being fine, although piercing cold, there was a numerous attendance of spectators to witness the series of launches, all of which went off in excellent style.—Glasgow Daily Mail. CORONER'S INQUEST.—SUICIDE Its WESTMINSTER. —Yesterday morning an inquest was taken before Mr. Bed ford, at the Northumberland Arms, Charles-street, West- , 'Muster, on view of the body of Thomas Evans, aged 53 years, who committed suicide by shooting himself. The evi dence went to prove that the deceased was a carpenter by trade, and had for some time past lodged with his wife at the house of Mr. Whitmore, a fruiterer, &c., Charles-street, to whom he was nearly related. about seven o'clock on Tuesday morning a load report of firearms was heard by Mr. Whitmora's porter to proceed from a loft at the rear of the premises. Ile quickly hastened to the place, and to his great astonishment found the deceased lying upon the ground a corpse—blood was flowing copiously from his clothes, and smoke, as if from a recent discharge of powder, Was curling upw.ads from his body. A large horse pistol was found lying by his side, and upon au examination of the body it was ascertained that the deceased had shot himself through the heart with a charge of small shot. The deceased for merly held a responsible situation in the works of Messrs. Cubitt, the extensive builders, but be had latterly been out of employment. He had been unable to get another situa tion in consequence of his advanced years, and it was sup. posed that circumstance had caused Irian to be ♦ery low and desponding, which he had been of late, and which resulted In his connnitting the determined act. The jury, without any hesitation, returned a verdict of Temporary insanity. GOOD FRIDAY.— To-morrow being Good Friday it will be observed as a close holyday at the Bank of Eng land, the Stock-Exchange, Lloyd's, South Sea-house, East India-house, and the different Docks, the Custom-house, Ex cise, and all the Government departments, with the excep tion of the Post-office, which will be open as usual for the receiving of letters and newspapers, and also the receiving houses throughout the metropolis; there will, however, be no delivery in town after 12 o'clock. The chief money order office, Aldersgate street ; the branch-offices—Lombard-street Borough, Strand, Charing-cross, and Old Cavendish-street-- as well as the other places, will be closed both for paying and granting orders; also, all the courts et law, and police offices. Bills of exchange becoming due to-morrow will be paid this day, as all places of public business will be closed. NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.-RESIGNATION OF THE ENCANEIIEN AND STOKIRS.—We understand that on Monday last the enginemen and stokers of this company gave fourteen days' notice of resignation, in consequence of certain reductions which the directors have determined to make in the amount of their remuneration. The pay of the enginemen, who are divided into four classes, is about an average of 6i. per diem, and we believe it is intended to re duce their pay on those days they are not traversing the line, but arc only in the shed cleaning or repairing their en gines, to 4s. a day, a proportional reduction also to be made in the case of the firemen. In ordinary cases we understand that the in-door work seldom requires more than one day a week, unless the engines have sustained serious damage. in which case, however, the reduction on the weekly income of the men would be very considerable. In these days, when economy is on all hands pressed on the directors of railways, retrenchment had been made pretty extensively on most lines in this quarter. but on the reduction in question being proposed, the men determined in a body to quit the service rather than submit to have their pay curtailed. Wo under stand that the matter still remains in statu quo, the directors as well as the men holding out; but as another week of their notice has to elapse, we trust the directors will be able to make such arrangements as will preserve the public con venience and security.---Edinburyli Courant. IMPORTATION OF HOPS.—A parcel w of hic h h ops, place i be lieved to be of British growth , having been returned to this country from ono of the European ports, to had been previously sent from this country, application was made to the authorities for delivery of the hops duty free, as there was no difficulty in proving that they had been so ex ported from hence as stated, but it appearing to be a legal enactment that hops having once been exported from this country, are on reimportation liable to be considered foreign equally as those actually of foreign growth and produce, and to be leviable with the duty due on hops imported into this country from abroad, it was decided that the request could not be allowed. TESTIMONIAL TO BRITISH SEAMEN.—A commu nication has been made to the authorities of the Customs' department, by Mr. Halter, the Secretary of the Treasury, signifying that Mr. May, the Consul-General of the Nether lands, having made a further representation to their Lord ships, requesting the delivery duty free of a package for warded to him from the Government at the Hague, by a ateam-vessel from Rotterdam, containing a silver cup and two snu ff -boxes, intended as presents to Captain Moir and part of the crew of the English vessel Minerva, for services rendered to the crew of the Dutch ship Gertrude, which was lost in August last off the Cape of Good Hope, he (Mr. Halter) was to desire, on the part of their Lordships, that the authorities would give the requisite directions for en suring a compliance with their Lordships' wishes in this matter, by granting the request; and the necessary direc tions have therefore been given for the free delivery of the articles for the purpose mentioned. We have very great pleasure in thus recording this appropriate testimonial on the part of the Dutch Government to British seamen for gallsnt services rendered to its subjects at sea, in addition to some former presents to the same deserting individuals from parties more immediately concerned in maritime affairs. The same vanity which leads us to assign our mis fortunes or misconduct to ethers prompts us to attribute all our lucky chances to our own talent, prudence and fore thought; not a word of the fates or sten when we are get ting rich, and everything goes on prosperously.—Eliza Cooh's Journal. As IiBURTON. now at the close or March;ernw winter has again visited us heavy showers of snow have fallen since Saturday, accompanied with sharp frosts. LicEassn VICTUALLBRS.—There were on the 10th of October last, according to a return to Parliament, which was yesterday printed, as many as 34,800 licensed victuallers in England; besides which there were 2,697,757 persons licensed to sell beer to be drunk on the premises, and 330,200 persons licensed to sell beer, but not to be drunk on the premises. Baawaas IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. --Yesterday a return to Parliament was printed, showing that on the 10th of October last there were 2,507 brewers in the United Kingdom, comprising 2,257 in England, 154 i n Scotland, and 96 in Ireland. They consumed in t he year 19,658,052 bushels of malt. SUNDERLAND TIDE SIGNAL —A new tide signal has been recently erected at Sunderland, designed by Mr. Mtik, which appears well adapted for such purposes. It consists of a tower carrying a dial, on which is exhibited the height of the tide. The figures are painted on a web of copper wire gauze, mounted on two copper rollers, on which it is wound and unwound by the motion of a float, acted upon by the rise and fall of the tide. In order to increase the scale of the figures, to make them visible at a great distance, the motion of the float is multiplied by a wheel and pinion, as four to one; the wire web will, consequently, pass over four feet while the tide rises or falls one foot. At night the dial is strongly illuminated; and as the letters are about 21 inches high, they can be seen, and the height of the tide ascertained, at a considerable distance. — Durham Ad vertiser. LITERAT URE. PEOPLE I HAVE MET. By N. P. Will's, Author of " by the Way." The maxim which affirms that truth is stranger than fiction has been very forcibly elaborated in the preface to this volume. "Real life is not so common place as it is represented," says Mr. Willis, " the contrasts, surprises, combinations, and novel situations, which some say are only found in plays, occur in every-day society—with the difference, that those in a play are published to the world, while those in private life are known only to one or two. The dread of misrepresentation conceals from us most of the machinery of life. . . . The freedom to draw truly in fiction gives a fidelity to portraitures in a story which would be almost impossible even in a literal biography. It is not from his imagination, as is commonly supposed, but from his store of private observation and knowledge, that the author draws his must effective pictures of character and human events. . . . . It is one of the rewards of the over-envied and under-paid profession of literature, that the world is led unaware through the author's heart, and sympathises with all that has moved him." After perusing these and other e qually , truthful and beautifully expressed sentiments in the preface, we turned with pleasurable antici pations to the work itself, in the full assurance that we should meet with copious revelations of that inner world of thought and feeling which so greatly exceeds in interest the superticial world of adventure. At first, we must confess, these expectations were con siderably disappoisited. The preface had hinted to us that, mutate notable, each character and incident had reality for its foundation, and lot the first of the nineteen sketches here collected is "a revelation, of a previous life," of the original truthfulness of 'Which Mr. Willis will find it a hard matter to persuade even the most credulous. Twenty-five years before the commencement of this narrative, we are informed, that a Viennese painter had suddenly died, leaving a be trothed widow to deplore his loss. A n English traveller, aged twenty-five (and gifted from infancy with an intuitive faculty for drawing) by chance meets with An Austrian baroness, some twenty years his senior, and, nsirabile dicta, is recognised by her as her dead lover in a new form. She writes to him a letter truly eloquent from the mingled emotions of peeaion ate tenderness, joy, and sorrow, with which it over flows. The astonished but believing youth peruses it with " exquisite pain." lie tells us (and here again Mr. - Willis will have few believers) that " love tests till death, but it is mortal. The affections, how ever intense and faithful, I now know," he proceeds, " are part of the perishable coil, forgotten in the grave. With the memory of this love of another life, haunting me through my youth, and keeping its row of visitation, I had given the whole heart of my second youth to another. Affianced to her, waited for by her, bound to her by vows which death had not divided, .1 had but one course to pursue. I left Gratz in an hour, never to return." The twice-be reaved heart of the constant Baroness soon ceased to beat. This history, regarded as a melodramatic ex travaganza, and narrated as it is in a deeply pathetic and passionate strain, possesses a certain attraction, and excites the interest of the reader, but, after the promises held out by the preface, its perusal is not quite satisfactory, and the story which succeeds it, and which we shall not re capitulate, " The Phantom Head upon the Table," possesses similarly unnatural, without the same at tractive, characteristics. But there are nineteen of these sketches of " People I have Met ; or Pictures of Society and People of Mark, drawn under a thin Veil of Fiction ;" and many of these nineteen chap ters are so individually excellent as to render the whole volume generally agreeable. Neither is the promise of the introduction unfulfilled. The sketches of character are, for the most part, characterised by as much truthfulness as the incidents of the two first stories were for improbability. In the third tale, " Getting to Winnward," we meet with the following reflections. They have been quoted before, but we cannot be too often reminded of their truth, for it is a truth which if generally acted upon would make the current of society flow more smoothly, and the lives of individuals pass more happily than at present. Truly has Tom Hood exclaimed-- "Evil is wrought By want of thought, As well as by want of heart." And truly has Mr. Willis written in the passage re ferred to:— " How little we know what is in the bosoms cf those around us! How natural it is, however, to feel and act as if we knew—to account for all that appears on the surface by the limitsd acquaintance wo have with circum stances and feelings—to resent an indifference of which we know not the cause—to approve or condemn, with out allowance for chagrin, or despair, or love, or hope, or distress—any of the deep under-currents for ever at work in the depths of human bosoms. The young [ran at your side et a dinner party may have a dael on his hands for the morning, or a disgrace imminent in credit or honour, or a refused heart, or an aceeptA one nearly crushed or nearly made happy nr(lemecessoenoson still and less allowed for) he may feel first the impression of disease, or the consequences of an indigestion ; and I,r his agreeableness or disagreeableness you try to account by something in yourself, some feeling towards yourself —as if you, and you only, could affect his spirits or give a colour to his mood of manners. The old man's thought of death, the mother's overwhelming interest in her child, the woman's upspring of emotion or love, are visitors to the soul that cons unbidden and out of time, and ou can neither f sat nor mourn secure aceinet their interruption. It would explain many a coldness cou'd we Icok into the heart concealed ff OM us. We should cf ten pity where we hate, love where we think we cannot even forgive, admire where we curl the tip with scorn and indignation To judge without reserve of any human aotion is a culpable temerity, if all our zinc the moat unfeeling and frequent." Independently ofsuch reflections as the above, which would redeem even a dull book, Mr. Willis's mare, tions are given in a style which is always interesting and is often remarkable for an almost epigrammatic terseness, as, for' example, when speaking of the alteration ffected in a naturally noble-minded and excellent man by an intercourse with refined so ciety, he says—" He seemed perfect, but he seemed to have arrived at perfection like a statue, not like a picture—by what had been taken away, not by what had been laid on." Similes and expressions of this character, more or less happy, add Hut a little to the forcefulness of the descriptions, and impart to them a somewhat unusual charm. Replete as it is with beautiful, because natural portraits, lively scenes, re flections worth pondering over, and remarks worth listening to, we have not perused with un mixed satisfaction the whole of this volume. The story of Lady Rsnelgold, for ex ample, we would gladly have omitted. The unfeminine heroine and her voluptuous boudoir are most repulsive to our taste. On the other hand we were charmed, as all win read it must be, with a rural sketch bearing an unromantic title (all Mr. Willis's sketches have strange titles), "Born to love Pigs and Chickens." Here we read of Miss Margaret PifHit, a country damsel, betrothed to a young farmer, hut by no means contented with her unfashionable lot. Scorn ing the abbreviation of Meg, the delicate Margaret adopts the name of Margerine, copies the fashions from the magazines, &c. A city maiden, as elegant and graceful as Margaret would fain be, collies to pay a visit to her country friend. Poor Margaret with great pains prepares a " boudoir" for her fashionable friend, but the gentle Julia prefers the farm-yard and the hay-field. Notwithstanding her personal and mental attractions, the town-lady has a natural heart, she is, in fact, as the title informs us, " born to love pigs and chickens ;" and as she watches the young farmer at the humble labour so looked down upon by the ambitious Margaret, she recognises the native dignity of man's first employment, and she thought "how much more finely a man looked when malting hay than a dandy when waltzing." The sequel of the story we shall not tell, but we com mend it to the attention of all rustic Margerines. Another tale, entitled " Two Buckets in a Well," is most interesting and most excellent ; but we have already dwelt at such length on this delightful volume that we must now content ourselves with very cor dially commending it to our readers. Ere we take leave of Mr. Willis, however, we would briefly hint to him that (the sketches being partly American and partly European), we have been, generally speaking, better pleased with the American scenes—they are endued with a greater freshness and vitality. Com plaints have been made of the perversions of English painters to American portraits. We would gladly see more of transatlantic brethren pourtrayed by native pencils, and judging from the sew specimens already familiar to us, the study would be both pro fitable and delightful. So we bid Mr. Willis not " farewell," but "an revoir." COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, WEDICEIDAT. The Queen and Prince Albert took their usual early morning walk. The Royal Family took their accustomed airings in the Slopes and Windsor Park. His Royal Highness Prince Albert rode out on horseback this morning, attended by Colonel Bouverie. The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening included her Riyal Highness the Duchess of Kent, Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, and Mr. Birch. A deputation, consisting of Mr. Alderman Hum p hervM.P., M essrs. R. Archer and A. Christie, churchwardens of St. Ge.rge ; Mr. Bailey, church warden of Christchurch, Spitalfields; Mr. Vousley, churchwarden of Bermondsey ; Mr. Messer, secretary, St. Marylebone ; Messrs. Overseer Lloyd, Thomas Parr, Pepperill, and Cottle, guardians, St. Andrew, Holborn; Mr. May, churchwarden, .St. Saviour'.; Mr. Tarplee, churchwarden, St. Luke's; Mr. Healy, churchwarden, St. Pancras ; and Mr. Day, vestry clerk, Sr. George the Martyr, transacted business yesterday at the Home-orrice. A WIFE KILLED by her HUSBAND. Yesterday vt 2 o'clock, Mr. Bedford, the coronor fur Westminster, and a jury of 15 highly respectable inhabitants of the pariah of S'. Paul, Covent• garden (of whom Mr. ex• Churchwarden Ashcroft acted as foreman), assembled at the Old Drury Tavern, oppo site the pit entrance of Drury-lane Theatre, for the purpose of inquiring into the circumstances attending the death of Mrs. Susan Moir, aged 39 years, wife of Mr. Alexander Moir, carrying on business as a baker at 24, Brydges-street, Covent-garden. The proceedings excited unusual interest in consequence of a very generally circulated rumour to the effect that the deceased had for some time pest suffered ex cessive ill-treatment from her husband, and that her death had arise❑ from blows inflicted by the latter in the course of Friday and Saturday last. The appre hension of Mr. Moir, arid his subsequent examina tion at Bow-street police-court on Monday last, tended to increase the excitement referred to, and before the inquiry commenced the room where the jury assembled was inconveniently crowded with per sons anxious to hear the evidence. Mr. Mosely, the vestry-clerk of St. Paul's, Covent garden, with Mr. Churchwarden Wilkinson, and Mr. Israel, one of the overseers, attended to watch the case on behalf of the parish. After swearing the jury the coroner complained of the smallness of the room in which they were assem bled, and directed the summoning officer to obtain a more suitable apartment, to which the jury might re turn after viewing the body. This painful duty was then performed, the coroner and jury for that pur pose proceeding to the late residence of the deceased, where the body was found lying on a table in the back kitchen. When the sheet with which the re mains were covered was thrown aside, an expression of horror escaped from all present, the body, from head to foot, being literally covered with bruises and wounds of old and recent date. The inspection com pleted, the jury re-assembled at the Two Spies Ta vern, Brydges-street, where a room of somewhat larger dimensions had been obtained. The first witness called was Mary Anne Bryant, wife of Charles Bryant, of No. 7, Middlesex-street, Somers-town, who said she was second cousin of the deceased woman, and had been frequently in the habit of visiting her. She called upon her on Satur day last, about half-past one o'clock, when deceased complained of having been very much illused by her husband. While his back was turned, deceased beg ged witness to ask him to allow her to go to bed, as she had been up all the previous night. She said to witness, " You might say to him Let Susan go and lie down.' " Witness asked her husband, as requested, and he refused to allow her to go to bed, and said she must mind the shop. Witness remained with deceased until half. past three o'clock, and during that interval her husband frequently boxed her ears as hard as he could with his open band ; and once, when she got up to serve a customer in the shop, he kicked her behind with great force, because, as he Said, the did not move quick enough. The deceased and her husband frequently quarrelled, and he very often struck her. She never struck him again, but used to remonstrate with him and say, " Man alive, don't touch me." Witness mentioned the deceased's com plaint of ill 'usage to her husband, and he requested witness to examine her head, remarking that he knew he had hurt her. Witness did so, and found her left ear and all that part of the head dreadfully bruised. There were also cuts upon the bead, and the hair was matted with congealed blood 'that had issued from them. Witness told deceased's husband how much she was injured, but he did not appear to take any notice of it. Witness left the house about half-past three o'clock, having first given deceased some warm water to bathe her head. 'Witness returned about six and found deceased apparently tipsy. Her husband had just returned home from delivering some bread, and he asked her whether she had supplied certain cus tomers. She replied that she had not ; upon which he swore at her and boxed her ears us hard as he could. He then directed her to put some bread in the shop window, and while she was in the act of doing so she fell insensible on the shop floor. Witness ran towards her and saw that the blood was spurting out from a wound on her temple. Witness then called out, " Oh, good God I uncle, cousin is in a fit ; pick her up." He replied that he would not. Deceased presently revived a little and walked with witness into the back parlour. While doing so she said, "lam in a fit, and a very bad fit. Don't leave me ; for God's sake don't leave me, Mary Anne." These were the last words she ever uttered. 'Witness wished to put her to bed, but her husbapd said she should never go into a bed of his again. Deceased was then standing over a sink, and presently her strength appeared to fail, and she sank down upon the floor, with her head resting on the kitchen steps. She lay there insensible for more than two hours, at which time witness's husband came, end he succeeded in persuading Mr. Moir to allow deceased to lie on the children's bed. She remained perfectly insensible up to midnight, when witness and her husband left horn,. At eight o'clock on the followin g deceased in morn the same state. At her earnest instigation a medical man was then sent for, but deceased never rallied, and died at five minutes after eleven o'clock on the fol lowing Monday morning. Joh■ Johnson, a journeyman baker, in the employ of Mr. Moir, said that on the night of Friday last his master called him as usual, at 11 o'clock, shortly after which he heard a great noise over head, as of two persona quarrelling, and a cry of distress from the deceased woman. The noise was similar to that of one perso❑ dragging another across the room, and it continued up to three o'clock, to such an extent that witness could not get any sleep. Witness did not hear any words distinctly, but he could tell that his master was speaking in a very "ferocious" man ner. On the Saturday afternoon witness saw his master knock deceased about, and shortly afterwards she fell down insensible. Deceased's cousin asked wit ness to assist in raising her, but his master would not allow him. lie said " her, let her get up her self." Witness had seen deceased intoxicated once during the f)rtnight he had lived with her husband. Amelia Meredes proved having lodged in Moir's house during the last two months. She had fre quently seen deceased with black eyes in that time, and on Saturday, about five, hearing a dreadful noise of quarrelling, she came down stairs into the passage, and while there heard deceased scream out, and cry " Oh, oh ! you'll kill Inv—you'll kill me I" husband replied, " Yes, I will kill you ; I will murder you before I have done with you." Witness also heard deceased's little boy call out at the same time, " You'll kill my mother, father.' Mr. Joshua Watkins, surgeon, of 11, Chandos street, proved having been called in to see deceased on Sunday morning. She was then perfectly insen sible—her head, face, and neck enormously swollen, and her features greatly distorted. He saw at•once it was a case that would terminate fatally, but en deavoured to avert the mischief as long as possible. The deceased continued i n a sta t e o f complete insensi bility until Monday mo rn i ng, a t e leven o'clock, when she died. Witness had s i nce ma de a post mortem ex amination. On stripping the body, he found it co vered with bruises and contuse d wounds, from the crown of her heft(' to the l owes t part of the back. On opening the head and removing the skull cap, witness found considerable extravasation of blood on the outer covering of the brain, and upon the right hemisphere of the brain there wer e fi ve or s ix ounces of c•agu lated blood. The brai n it se lf was perfectly healthy and unusually firm, and there was not the slightest effusion in any of th e cav i t i es . On opening the chest the lungs were found highly congested, but otherwise free from disease, and the heart and great bloodvessels were in a-state of perfect integrity. The stomach, altogether, was h ea lth y , an d , did not emit the slightest smell of spirituou s li qu id. Cortosten—Wh at d o you consider to have been the immediate cause of death ? Witness—Compression on the brain, arising from an effusion of blood on its right hemisphere. CORONER—How was the effusion produced ? Witness—Without doubt by the external injuries de ceased had received. The integuments and muscles of the bead were con t use d in a manner I nev e r saw before. In f ac t t h ey were a perfect jelly.—(Sensation.) CORONER—By w bat means could these contu s i ons have been caused ? Witness—By blows or falls. Centinual blows, even with the open hand, would be n sufficient to c ause them. Other evide nce o f an unimportant character having been adduced, The CORONER charged the jury, remarking that the points for them to decide were, first, how the de ceased came by her death ; secondly, if by any in juries, how they were caused ; and, lastly, what degree of responsibily attached to any individual so causing th em . The lesarned Gentleman read over the depositi ons a t l e ngth, and, after pointing out the legal difference between murder and manslaughter, left the case in the bands of the jury. The court was then cleared, and the jury, after re tnaining in deliberation about half an hour, agreed to a verdict of " Manslaughter against Alexander Moir." The Coroner made out his warrant for the com mittal of the accused, and the various witnesses were bound over in the usual manner. The accused formerly occupied a very large house in the Strand, now the Lancet-office, and be is at present one of the leet jury of the district in which he resides. THE ROYAL VISIT TO ITOLYRoOD.--We learn, from a source on which the utmost reliance may be placed, that, according to present arrangements, her Majesty and Prince Albert will, in visiting Scotland in August next, reside at Holyrood Palace for either two or three nights; but whether this will take place in going to, or returning from, Balmoral, is not yet decided upon. We understand that extensive re pairs are in course of being made upon Holyrood Palace; and we may mention, as one of the chief causes why larger water pipes are being laid along the High-street and Canongate, that it is the intention to introduce, for the use of the Royal Family, a much greater supply of water than at present ex ist: in the Palace.—Scotmax. MARCH -28, Cttrb btftert CALEDONIAN RAILWAY. (THIS DAY.) The usual half-yearly general meeting of the pro prietors of the: Caledonian Railway was held this day in the Freemasons'-hall; tha Honourablej•Captain E. Plunkett,U.N., chairman of the board of directors, in the chair. The advertisement convening the meeting having been sea I, and the minutes of previous meetings con firmed, the report of the directors, which has already appeared'in The Sun, was submitted to the proprietor,. The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report and accounts, but before he made any observations upon them he called upon The SECRETARY to read the following note of the au ditors, which had only befit received this morning:— "The time allowed by the statute will only permit of a very superficial examination of these voluminous ac counts, but the b dance•sLeetitruly represents the whole of the ledger balances, both capital and revenue. In the course of auditing the accounts my attention was at tr,,cted by the large sums paid by the treasurer to the share-office for stamps, the vouchers if which are very imperfect. The periodical movements in the purchase end division of stuck, as recorded in the share transfer book, for the purpose of voting in the meeting, would also appear to dernsnd the attention of the shareholders, and the adoption if some resolution to omit the votes for stock only, which has been in the hands of the possessors three months." The CHAIRMAN then proceeded to observe that it was due to the reputation of the board to state what really did happen with reference to the amalgamation of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, which hat recently formed the subject of a discussion in the House of Com mons. The overture for an amalgamation came from the chairman of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company, in a letter addressed to the chairman of the late London committe, and! when this board came into office, it saw fit to adopt the principle of the proposed amalgamation, which was that the gurantee stock of this concern should be so reduced, as to place the company in a solvent condition. He should mention, however, that the board were in perfect ignorance of the provision! of the Amalgamation Bill, so far as they re lated to the manner of dealing with the preferential shares. They could not have approved of these provi sions any more than they could sanction a manifest fraud, but though it was not right to force the holders of , pre ferential stock to abandon some of their claims, that end might be attained by negotiation, and it was to be re gretted that the doors of Parliament had not been left open to the company. In the language of a celebrated French diplomatist, bad the board agreed to that Bill as it stood they would have committed something worse than a crime—they would have committed a blunder; bat that Bill, if it had been'oarried to a further stage, might have paved the way to a settlement of this much vexed ques tion of preference shares. Many of the remarks of Honourable Members upon that occasion were most un just as reflecting upon the existing boarkand in penis cuter the speech of an Honourable-Meniber who was attached to the defunct board displayed very bad taste, knowing as he must have done that many of his former colleagues had not only :advocated but practised re pudiation. With regard to the question of amalgama tion, the directors were decidedly of opinion that it was . . or the interest of this concern that they should be on good terms with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company, and, accordingly, in a single hour's good-humoured chat with that board, they had attained more then their pre decessors had done after long and tedious contests, and an expenditure of a million of money. An agreement bad been made with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Com pany, by which the passenger traffic was to be divided fairly between the two lines, the one takingtho north and south, end the other the east and west traffic. They were still, however, to compete for the goods traffic, but upon equal terms, and he need not assure the meeting that everything wefuld be done on the part of the directors to sewe the faithful and effectual carrying out of that agreement. Now, with reference to the existing state of the company, he was rather afraid the report would be considered as too candid, but he was one of those who thought that there ought to be -no concealment. between the shareholders ' and the directors. The position of affairs, then, was realty very serious, and Muck caution 'would •be required to get the company out of its difficulties., The pressing debts of the com pany were estimated at 800,0001., of which 137,000/. was represented by debentures, .and it was greatly to be regretted that the only. remedy which creditors of rail way companies had for the nonpayment of their debts was that ruinous one of killing the goose which laid the golden eggs. An interview bad therefore been sought and obtained with the Board of Trade, on the subject of placing 'the debenture holders upon a more equitable footing than they were at present, and from the manner in which they were received ho had no doubt that something. would be done for the relief of railway companies in that respect. The invested capital in railways. amounted to 300,000,0001., of which the deben tures covered a third, or 100,000,0001., and it was clear from these figures that it was of the utmost importance that the interest of the debenture holder should be more assimilated to that of the ordinary shareholder. Nevertheless, the directors had made such arrangement as RIC empty treasury would admit of for meeting the debentures as they became due, upon terms that would be advantageous to the company and pres.erve good faith with the creditor. He came next to guaran teed, flaps, and at once he had no hesitation in telling /he inetiing that all the guarantees could not be main t ;Ina - ITirdtel Worerewneseeesayeettat sepadiaticalicau,l4lo_, the order of the dsy, because there w as a ditTerence-be tweee terming a Man the money or property he had surrendered nett denying to him any partieipstion in it. benefits or any right to reclaim it. The holder of Pen slyvauian bonds would not consider it au act a re pudiation to have his money flung back into his face, anal yet that was precisely what this board pro posed to do with regard to several of their guaranteed lines. They proposed to restore them into the safe keep ing t f their original holders, and when they looked at the manner in which the transfer had been made to this company, the original holders ought to feel themselves lucky that they could recover possession of their property' on' such terms. Many of tbo leases and guarantees were carried by the creation of shares one day to be cancelled the next, and seeing that these guaranteed lines must sink or fall with the Caledo nian line it was clear the best policy for them to adopt was to fall in with the ideas and terms proposed by the Caledonian Board. Most of the guarantees were grossly exorbitant; and whatever parties might say about the threats of litigation which the Caledonian Board held out to these guarantees, there was no blinking the mat ter, paradoxical as it might seem, that it was their duty to resist just and undeniable claims. They could not give one creditor a preference over another, and if any one of them attempted to enforce his claims with the machinery of the law, the attempt must be resisted, in order to secure a fair and equitable distribution of the assets of the company. To come, then, to a practical solution of their difficulties, it appeared to him to be hardly likely that an arrangement satisfactory to all parties could be entered into by those who were personally in terested in arty of the lines, and ho would suggest that some disinterested party of influence and station, and having no interest whatever in the dispute, should be called in to act as an arbitrator between all the parties. If this plan did not succeed, then the matter would become a very proper one for legislative inter ference, and indeed there would be nu other alter native but to institute a Parliamentary investigation. It was ridiculous for debenture holders or guarantee proprietors to think of enforcing their extreme rights, as such a course of proceeding could only result in further loss to themselves, and utter ruin to the Caledonion Railway, while, if the matter were fairly and tempe rately treated, elements could be found which would ul titnately yield a return to all parties. He sat down by stating the simple fact that the Caledonian line pos sessed elements of a far greater traffic than it already possessed, and all that was wanted was increased accommodation for developing it, but, if some of the threats of litigation which had been held out to them wet e carried into effect, he very much feared that the working stock would bo so reduced that the traffic must be abandoned altogether instead of increased. Mr. COLQUIIOUN entered the following protest against the proposal for dealing with the guaranteed stock:— " We, the undersigned members of the London com mittee of holders of ' Caledonian Railway (Clydesdale Junction) guaranteed shares,' for ourselves, and those whom we represent, as well as for all those who may adhere to us, hereby declare— " Ist.. That with reference to the directors' report we hypo means acquiesce in, but, on the contrary, strongly protest against, the adoption by the meeting of the statements contained in it respecting the Clydesdale Junction lino and Clydesdale Junction guaranteed stock, as well as the adoption of the leading principles on which such report is founded. • " 2d. 'With reterence to the resolution in which it is proposed •To empower the board of directors to negoe tiate and Enter into interim arrangements for such modi fication and reduction of the preferential and guaranteed dividends as shall bring them within the limits of the company's annual free revenue, pending application to Parliament,' we do hereby protest against the basis on which that negotiation is proposed, and although we do not object to the directors being empowered to nego tiate, it must not be understood that we thereby assent, either directly or impliedly, to any modification or re duction of the dividends deliberately guaranteed by the Caledonian Company and sanctioned by Act of Parlia ment, nor to any application to Parliament for such mo dification or la duction. " 3d. With reference to the resolution in which it is proppsed, ' That the expenses incurred by the London committee of Caledonian shareholders be defrayed out of the company's funds,' we hereby protest ageinst the application of the company's funds in payment of expenses not being debts of the company, and especially at a time when the Clydesdale dividends and other un , doubted claims are due and undischarged. " London, March 28, 1850." (This protest was received with derisive cheers.) The lion. Gentleman as<ured the meeting that Parlia ment would never sanction the abandonment of the guarantees upon a basis of force, but if the Caledonian proprietary were rrepared to make an amicable arrange ment, which should secure the interest of ell parties, he for one was not opposed to it. In that state of things let the. matter be refred to the Board of Trade, to settle the principle and decide the basis upon which that arraegeinent should be made. Betore, how ever, they could be in a position to go to the Board of Trade the directors must reduce the working expense?, and intro duce economy ioto every department of the company. Mr. Dame insisted that the principle which ought to actuate all parties interested in this concern was that of co-operation. Mr. Splint doubted whether the pressing liabilities amounted to as much as 800,000/. Mr. 110IIQU, 0 prefvreetiel ehareholder, thought the 1850 best plan to go upon, now that the facts were bofore the world, was that a deputation from all parties should be• p pointed to confer with the directors on the present diffi culties of the concern. Mr. WILLIAMS understood that the defunct direction had purchased shares for 359,0001 which were now not worth 10,000/., and he called for some explanation on that subject. He was for enforcing the parties to refund. Mr. Deputy CORNEY was ready to join any other shareholders in trying the right to recover. It was quite clear that a good deal of the money borrowed on the preference shares was raised by fraud; the late di rectors knew at the time that they never could fulfil the terms of the contract, and he therefore maintained that the contract was invalid. Mr. lima reminded the meeting that the Chairman had told them that the books of the company contained preofs of the guarantees having b. en carried by means of fictitious shares. Fraud, therefore, had been practised by the late directors, and they ought to he made amenable for their malpractices. Morally sad legally their shareholders were entitled to a thorough investigation into these preferential and guarantee con tracts, and he called upon the meeting to support him in demanding it. Mr. MaczeratAri gave the following results of the earnings of the guaranteed lines:—The Glasgow, tiarn kirk, and Coatbridge line earned 51. 14.. 2d. per cent. per annum; the Parliamentary guarantee was 8 per cent. The Wisbaw and Cohness exrued 31. 13s. 7d. per cent.; the Parliamentary guarantee was lei per cent. The Clydesdale Junction earned 3 Bths per cent. without making any allowance for the use of the rolling stock of the Caledonian Company; the Parliamentary guarantee was 6 per cent. In reply to a question, The CHAIRMAN stated, that since the present board had come into office they had reduced the salaries by 3,0001. pct. annum. The contract for maintenance of way was for 12,0001. a year, and it had to run six years yet. The directors were not at all responsible for the present accounts, as they wero made up by the late directors to the:3lst of December last. The resohlticn for the adoption of the report was then put and carriedN4animously. A resolution, , confirming the forfeiture of 275 shares upon which cells'.were in arrear, was then agreed to. A resolution empowering the directors to negotiate and conclude with parties or companies holding or claiming guarantees any arrangements for a modifica tion or a reduction of their preferential or guaranteed dividends, was next proposed from the chair. Mr. ALSTER moved as an amendment that three shareholders be selected from the three companies named by Mr. Mackmickan, and a similar number from the pri ference holders, to confer with the directors on the subject of a reduction of their guarantees, with the view et reducible them. The CHAIRMAN had no objection to incorporate the amendment with the original resolution. 'Mr. Munn suggested that the Barrhead line ought to be included in the list. Mr. DURNFORD protested against any reduction of the 71. per cent. in the 101, preferential shares, which were issued at a time when the company was hard up for money. Several. preferential shareholders, one of whom com plained that b had been duped into purchasing his shares, dissented from this protest, and agreed to the appointment of a committee to negotiate a compromise. The CHAIRMAN stated that legal advice had been taken on the•aubject of the preferential shares, and they appeared to be perfectly legal. A PROPRIZTOR asked in what position the guarantees stood as to priority. _ The Casinavert replied that they stood thus:—The Garnkirk, the Clydesdale, the Greenock, the Preferential Stock, the Whiten, and the Barrhead. Ultimately the resolution, modified as proposed by the amendment, wee put to the rote, and carried unani mously; after which, a resolution was passed, authorising the directors to increase their number to ten, and Mr. James Grey; of Portland-place, Clapton, was elected to fill the office so created. On the motion of Mr. DEAN, the directors were au thorised to defray the expenses to the extent of 4004 in curred by the London Central Committee of Caledonian shareholders out of the funds of the company. Mr. MIME, of Glasgow, was then elected auditor by a show of bands, in opposition to Mr. C. Borthwick, of Glsigow, promed by Mr. Dean, and recommended by the cbstirtnao. After some squabbling, a poll was demanded by Mr. Dean, but Mr. blure baying, in deference to the opinion of 'the "board, declined to terve, the election was left open till the next meeting. A short discussion then took place on the motion to the effect, " That the existing arrangements by which third-class passengers are carried from Edinburgh and Glasgow to London by the mail train .on Saturday evenings be die continued, and that no systematic or predetermined work be done on the Sabbath-day on the Caledonian Rail way." The motion, however, was negatived, and thanks having been voted to the Chairmen, the meeting tenni- noted actor a sitting of upwards of four hours and a half. BOW-STREET.-(THIS DAY.) A WIFE KILLED BY HER HUSBAND. Alexander Moir, who carries on the business of a baker at 24. Brydges-street, Covent-garden, was placed at the bar before Mr. Hall, charged with having mast d the death of his 'wife, Susan F The court was crowded with visitors. It wilt be renollected• that a verdict of manslanithter rourrek-"vgalirres-waiss priadmaf coroner's j up , which sat upon the body. The prisoner is a man of thin stature and very meagre appearance. John Johnson was the first witness called—He said I em a journeyman baker, in the employ of the prisoner. On Friday night my master called me at eleven o'clock to go to work, and shortly afterwards I heard my mistress screaming, and my master speaking in a very loud and angry manner. I did not hear any blows, but I heard a " tusselling" on the floor. The noise lasted more than half an hour. The noise was similar to that of ono person drag ging another across the room, and it continued up to three o'clock. I listened on the stairs to the noise, but did not 'bear anything distinctly, At that hour I knocked on the ceiling to call my master down to the bakehouse. The occurrence I speak of took place in the parlour above me. On Saturday morning I saw the deceased and the prisoner together in the parlour, but I did not hear her make any charge against him in my presence. At six o'clock in the evening of the same day she was taking some bread out of the window, and while doing so fell down in a fit, and I and her niece helped to pick her up. The prisoner was present, and he said, " Let her wait there and be d—d, until she recovers herselt;" or " Let the d—d b— lie and bed—d." I saw my maser next day, Sunday, and I asked him how Mrs. Moir ens, and he said he was astonished it had not happened before now. That was all that passed. I was examined before the Corouer, and this is all I know of the transaction. When I saw the deceased in the morning her eyes were black and cut, and her head very much swollen. Cross-examined by Mr. J. Robinson, 'oho appeared for the prisoner—l never saw iss) mistress drunk but once. I cannot say whether she was tipsey when she fell down on Friday. She spoke very sensibly to me, and to the best of my belief she was sober. I had been in the service of the prisoner about a week, and when I first went I noticed that she had a black eye, but no cuts such as I saw in the morning in the pat lour. By the MAGISTRATE—I did not say before the coroner that I saw the prisoner strike her on Saturday afternoon, Mary Anne Bryant, wife of Charles Bryant, of Middlesex-street, Suniers Town, called on the deceased on Saturday from ono to halt-past in the afternoon. I was her second cousin. I saw Mrs. Moir in the parlour, and shortly after I entered the prisoner came in. She appeared to be very poorly, mad asked me to request the prisoner, whom I call uncle, to let her lie down, adding she bad not been to bed all night, and if she had an hour's sleep she would bo better and lit for the shop. I asked the prisoner, but I did not say that she told me to do so. and he said " This is Saturday, and she must mind the shop." She remained about the place after that and did not lay down, and I left her about half-past three. I saw the prisoner box her ears; he said the reason he did soovas because he found a bottle containing about half a pint of gin under the pianoforte, which he knew had been hid from him. lie then said, addressing himself to me, that his wife said to him the night pre viously that she was glad he had come ie, as she bad got some soles for his supper, and immediately after wards he discovered the bottle, and asked her where she had got it from, and she replied the " Cheshire Cheese." He then said be asked her why she had not shut up the shop as he had requested her, to which she replied she had tried but could not. He also added that he had been out two hours, and was very vexed at finding the shop not shut up and the goods in the window. This was said in the presence of the deceased, and she denied having got the gin from the Cheshire Cheese, but said she got it from Middle-row,:tlolborn. I said, "You could not have gone there for it, therefore you had better admit who did bring' it to you." She said she was positive she had got it from there. I said my opinion war, that a Mrs. Dow had brought it in with the soles. The prisoner was in a passion at the time. and I saw him box her ears. He then pushed her and kicked her behind. It was not done in a gentle manner, as ho was very angry. (Wit ness was here cau ti one d b y the magistrate to speak the truth.) After that she went into her room to dress herself, and I went with her, and saw several bruises on her head and face. She was black and blue, and sore all over, and bait' her bead was very painful. She asked me to wash her head, and 'called the man to bring up a quart of water for the purpose; I gave her the water, and said I could not wash it, as I could not bear to see such a sight, and I asked her to do it herself. I then went to the prisoner and told him of the wounds, and he said, Ott, go and look at her, for I am afraid I have hurt her." I said to her you ought to let her lie down, but I don't recollect if he gave me any answer. When I was going away she raid " Oh, don't leave me." I re turned between 5 and 6. and found her, as I supposed, moat dreadfully tipsey. I saw the prisoner go in about a minute or two before me. lie said to her, " Here's a dreadful thing—a lot of bread hss been brought up, and none (lit has been put in the window or sent to the cus tomers." I saw him then box her ears:two or three times with his open hand, and tell her to put the bread in the shop window, but in attempting to do so she fell down. As she fell she cut her eye. against some brass in the window, and the blood gushed out dreadfully. I asked the pri sqner to pick her up, and he said he would not, and that she might lay there. She recovered for a few momenta, and said, am in a fit, and a very bad fit too, and far God's sake do not leave me Mariann e ." I then left her in the parlour, and did not see her again until a short time afterwards . wheu she wee 'tending by the sink. I I saw her fall gently down by the side of it, and rest her head on the ledge. She remained in that position 'about two hours. It struck me that bed wonld be the best place for her, but I did not say so to the husband, as they lived so .. unhappily and I did not think it advisable to interfere betweem them. Sbe was then placed in bed in the kitchettiltist Ido not know who assisted her to it. I remained till near one o'clock on Sunday morning, and she remained insensible during the whole time. I saw her the next morning about eight o'clock. I was sent for, and I found her in the same insensible state. I asked the priso ner if any medical man had :been to her, and he said ne. A Mr. Watkins or a Mr. 'Wilson was afterwards sent for, and he came and looked at her and then went away. I . remained all Sandey with her, and called again on Monday morning about eleven, when she was dead. The prisoner seemed very much cut up, but he did no; elivak to me about her. The &ceased was 39' years of age. Cross-examined—l called at the shop for the last idol weeks by the request of the prisoner, as Ms if, was very much given to drink. At the time she fell in the shop my it-pinion is that the cut her eye by failing on an upright brass rod. Elizabeth Mendes—l am a cousin of the prisoner, and lodged in his house. My husband is a general dealer. I was near the parlour door, becw ee a three and ,five o'clock on Saturday morning, and in consequence of something I heard, I was induced to stop there and listen. I heard Mr. bud Mrs. Moir Making a nqise, she wee screaming and saying, •• Ohl ymen.,kiii me!" and I heard him say, " Yes, I will murder you be fore I have done with you." I heard one of the children scream out, "Father, father, you'll kill my mOther." I did not strike at the door, or give any 'alarm, because I had heard similar noises frequently before. I have had no communication with the prisoner about the death of his wile. I heard no blows, but I did hest some scuffling in the room. Cross-examiued—l can't say that she was a sober woman. I have been in the house two months, but I never saw her intoxicuted during that time. Thomas John Moir, aged seven, and son of the pH. soner, said—l remember bein g in th e room with my fatter and mother on Saturday. They quart elled, and be took hold of her with the one hand, and with the other thumped her on the back and face, and kicked her be. hind. Before he commenced to beat my mother, be said wicked words—one of them was " D— you." My mo ther, on being beat, screamed out " Ob." I cried when I saw her beat. My mother did not strike him, hut kept crying. Before they went to bed he beat her again. Cross-examined—I never saw my mother drank. When a medical man was sent for, my father assisted my cousin to put some leeches on any mother's head. Mary Ann Bryant (re-called)—Said the last witness and his little brother were present when the priaaier was beating his wife on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Joshua Watkins, surgeon —I live at N o . 14 Ches. dos -street. I was called in to see the deceased on Sunday morning, when I found her in an insensible state in bed. Her head, face, and neck were greatly swollen, and her features were very much distorted. The prisoner was looking on when I examined her, and I told him her case was a very serious one, and I feared it would terminate fatally. I applied the neceesari reme dies, but death supervened. I afterwards opened- the body, and it was perfectly healthy with the exception of the contusions on the neck and back, at .the lowest part of which there were marks, as if blows and kicks had been used. They did not appear to have been pro duced by a fall. On opening the head, sad removing the skull-cap, I found considerable extrayssation of blood, and on the outer covering of the brain, and on the right hemisphere of it, there were five or six ounces of coagulated blood. Ibtre was not the slightest smell of spirits in the stomach. The lungs were highly congested, but otherwise free' from disease. I do not think she could have been. a drunkard. The immediate cause of death was compres sion of the brain. The brain itself was perfectly healthy. The compression of the brain must no doubt have been produced by external injuries. Cross-examined—I think the compression would not have been produced by a fall. Police -constable F 17 said, be 'apprehended the pri sm:et. at his own house about half-past four-on Monday last, but he said nothing. This closed the evidence. After the use caution was given to the prisoner by the Magistrate, he said—All I have to say is, that the whole of the evidence is false. • An application was made to allow the prisoner to give bail for his appearance, but Mr. Hall preremptorily refused the application. He was then fully committed to take his trial at the next Old Bailey sessions for murder. Throughout -the proceedings he evinced the utmost coolness, and did not appear at all affected by his perilous situation. [We regret to state that owing to the manner in which the evidence was taken it was impossible for the reporters to hear it with any degree of accuracy. Ia a case of so much importance we should have thought that the too-frequent custom of examining the witnesses in a low, conversational tone, intelligible only to the ma gistrate and clerk, would have been dispensed with, not only for the aid of the reporters, but for the satisfaction of the public who thronged the court.] TATTERSALL'S-THIS EVENING. SIX O'CWOIL NORTHADIPTONIMIRE STAKES. 3 0 1 agst Osterley 5 to 1 agst Mounseer 9 to 1 agst Mabratta 10 to 1 agst Chantrey 12 to 1 agst Bolus -18 telstat Halo ALTHORP PARK tiTAXIDS. 5 to 2 agst Prestige 5 to 2 apt Buckhound DII:THOPOLITAN HANDICAP. No change. CREFTER CUP. 15 to 1 sgst Miss Ann 20 to 1 apt Fogleman 25 to 1 agst Roland TWO TROUSAND GUINEAS. 6 to 4 apt Bee Hunter DERBY. 6 to 1 agst Bolingbroke 15 to 1 egst Voltigeur 16 to 1 agst Clincher 22 to 1 agst Mayors 25 to 1 agst Cyprus RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. BRISTOL, M►aca 27. STOCK EXCHANGE. —There was no business whaterer dou to-day. LIVERPOOL, MAscrt 27. STOCK EXCHANGB.--The share market Was extrensely dull today, the amount of business done was limited, and prices had a declining tendency. The transactions were as follow :—London and North-Western, 1044—Ditto, New Quarters, Bs. 9d.—Lancashire and Yorkshire, Coml., 84%... Ditto, Fifths, 9% c. dis.—Ditto, Preference, 1 24—Ditto (West Riding Union), BL, s c. dis. - Leeds and Bradford, 99 —Midland, 883i q —Ditto, Halves, 25 %—South-Eastern and Dover (No. 4), Registered, 41. 11a. 13d. c.—Ditto, Thirds, 47 —Dutch Rhenish, 61 Is. 3d. MANCHESTER, Manot 27. STOCK EXCHAIROIL—The market to-day was very fiat, and there was not much business done; prices, however, are almost stationary. The transactions were as follow: Lancashire and Yorkshire, 34 1 A—Ditto, Fifths. 94 die.— Ditto, 32/. (late Extension), 12 b-16 dis.—Ditto ( West Riding Union), 8 1 , E dis.—Londen and North-Western. Mastche■ter and Birmingham (C), Quarters, 9-16 c.—North Staffordshire, lON—South-Eastern and Dover, 14—Ditto, Thirds (No. 4), 4 11-16 - Ditto, Scrip, 4%- Caledonian, 8%- - Ditty, Pre• ference, s%—Great Northern, 14% c. die. BIRMINGHAM, Alsacrt 27. Srocx Excumeox.—The share market was extremely quiet to-day. Little business was done, and onl♦ trifling de viations from last quotation& North Staffordshires were done at IC I I dis. The rumoured arrangement between that CM.. pany and the London and North-Western has had a favour able influence, small though it may be, upon the price of its shares. IRISH SOUTH-EAsTBRN RAILWAY. DUBLIN, MAusii 27.—The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yesterday in their office, Kildare -street. The chair was occupied by 111 r. J. E. Redmond. The directors' report stated that stringent measures had been adopted for the reco very of calls in arrear, and a sum of 28,9371. (including . the calls paid by the Great Southern and Western Company) has bees received on that ace.;unt during the last six months. The directors have subsequently used their best endeavours to procure from Government an advance of 35,0001. to aid the completion of the line, and have every reason to believe that their application will be successful. In this event a it. miler amount of the capital of the company will be required to be called up, but which the directors will regulate with as little inconvenience to the proprietary as possible. The re port recommended that interest to the Ist March inst., at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum, be paid en all shares not then in arrear, and-warrants prepared and forwarded accordingly. The engineer's report stated there can be no doubt what ever but the line may be opened for traffic throughont by the month of September next. The report having been adopted, and the retiring directors re-elected, the meeting broke up. NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.—On the last arch of the Roxburgh viaduct being completed in a few days, there will be a passage across the I'eviot, at a height, it is etated, " hitherto only attainable by the feathered tribe." Laws are like grapes, that being too much pressed yield a hard and unwh o l esome w i ne. —Ethic: Cook's Journ a l, PROFESSIONAL LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY.--Thel annual meeting of this company took place yesterday at the offices in Cheapside, Major atones in the chair. The report stated in the year 1547 the deed of settlement was signed by 73 parties, and 7,450 shares Allotted ; in 1848, the respec tive figures were 140 and 4,035 ; in 1849, 1,036 and 94,5501 and since the Ist of January this 3 ,- ear, 272 parties had signed the deed, and had 2,515 shares allotted to them; en that the 40,000 shares of the company were nearly all absorbed. In 1 1 47, the number of policies issued was 69; in 1848, 161 • in 18 3 9, '293 ; and sinc e th e I st of January this year, 82. 'he total income of the company at the present time derivable from premiums, after deducting assurances lapsed by death, and other causes, amounted to upwards of 5.3004 the numb her of policies issued was £0.3. and the amount assured 178,3801. Owing to the prevailing epidemic last year, the losses by death had far exceeded the usual average; the total losses by death, since the c,ommelicement of the company, was 3,9721. 19s. 11d. The report was adopted, and a series of complimentary and formal resolutions having,been passed, the meeting separated. GREAT LUXEMBOURG COMPARY.—The fourth an• nual meeting was held at Brussels, on the 16th instant, The report stated that the directors were in treaty with the Go.. verument as regards the questions at issue between it and the company, and, it was hoped, on advantageous terms. Al together the directors looked forward with confidence to the renewed support of the shareholders. Resolutions Were passed giving the directors full and ample powerS. NEWPORT, MARCH 27.—Wind N.E.-81d. Imperial Alexendrio, United {Gates; Wisbesob, Weak -