The Sun. — London, England, 1840-10-02 00:00:00

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, I@4o, lon '4U RT-MARTIAL ON CAPTAIN I R. A. REYNONDS. „, THIRD DAY. tic Wl G' "fON lIIIRSDAY, OCT. I.—The Court-mer ge:salt Captain R. A. Reynolds, of Prince Albert's er.,iers,.adjourcied over last 'Tuesday at the request eievter Prisoner, was resumed this morning. About th at ; ()dock, the hour named in the adjournment on at uS Y, the members of the Court began to arrive, and hfs",tluarter-past eleven, the Court being then assein ta. the proceedings were commenced. There was the 0441,, impatient crowding on the part of the public as 511 tu_apreceding days, although the morning was not at whn'° vourable as on the previous occasions to those s e4 [ ProC the di s t ance f rom B rig h ton to t h e b arrac k s , halo ae inter es t exc i te d b y t h e case appeare d not to ir 0... ! le th e l east degree diminished by its postponement time to time, but, on the contrary, to have greatly asr eased. 8 ide(ifHercules Pakenham, K.C.8., as heretofore,.pre tiens arid Major G. Pipon discharged the arduous lune lao or J udge-Advoeate as on the former days, each St Worthily Th e - • teed , 1-443 ‘'le Prosecutor, the Earl of Cardigan, was at 55,4:4,4 his counsel, Mr. Sergeant Wrangharn ; the iia,i el, Captain Reynolds, by Mr. 'Watson, his legal k' v r .; the attorneys in the Case being for the former Ti 11.1 e, for the latter Mr. Penn. 1 ,1 1 : Court being assembled, g o l ds President addressed the prisoner—Capt. Rey- Za are you ready for your defence T, Ptzlin Reynolds —Yes. ce Pre sident—Proceed then. b ee P t aia lisynolds—Mr. President and gentlemen, elde r t 0 feel em b arrasse d i n a dd ress i ng you in an- .. the s • ° the pres en t c h arge , no t on ly f rom the novelty of incurs tesfe_ in which I am placed, but also from the e.ardi;°` the charge I am called on to answer. Lord as p s : s a n n e s a3s that he is placed in a painful situation / gust he 4 tgart How much more painful and . anxious ftotq attet:Y en si n t i ti p a lu ti::, when I am here defending myself Pro s , e "'are affecting my prospects in the army ? The P h i , s that calumnies have been poured Jest . 410 Y the public Press, and that he has been sub tevi, t° a tor rent o f m i srepresentat i on. ” I d ec l are , upon qon Part cur, that I never, directly cr indirectly, have been IrPon Y o e Privy to any publication whatever reflecting icie st tt'le conduct or character of Lord Cardigan. I fal,eho'serve that, if the Press has published any such t oil =thie e ° or misrepresentations, surely this is not the Lo r d u , ° c ornplain ; and it is impossible to suppose that Whis te ''rrligan has no means of defending himself else topic- against such attacks. Why or wherefore this (14 ceil ' . 1° „ w holly irrelevant to the charge, was intro tisclet.Yleept for the purpose of prejudice, I cannot eard - i °4 ( l . Ido not precisely know of what Lord is the onl y ,7 11 " complains ; but I must say that he beet Dan officer in the British army who has ,asee fo , s , ° , attacked. I do not consider the prose h i g h e •` Justiti e d in stating that the decision of the f ityou i t st - military authority had been pronounced in his sak, . i I cannot believe that such a decision was ever e-se " in this whilst it was in the course of help„ case tliere),°MUniitted to your judgment. If the observation, fr e d n ° re, do es not app l y to t hi s case , w h y was i t in tlefence I here at a ll % 1 was prepared as part of my tha t e With a very l arge body of evidence, as well tire of officers who have been, as of those who now tan , i° the 11th H ussars , to prove t h at L or d Cardi the; °° .ctitict towards me and to the other officers of Wesepnent had been very irritating and offensive. I Past a prepared to cross•examine the witnesses on the d e the prosecution to the same effect. The Court N ed Inadre'that such evidence on cross-examination . was Ih a issi ble. To that decision 1 most respectfully bow. i f to te still that direct evidence ready, and shall offer or no th e Court, who will decide whether it is admissible and t ßut I am bound, in explanation to the Court, %L e a's° for the benefit of the law advisers of the Crown, rea so w e il l have to rev i se t h ese procee di ngs , t o s t a t e the en reason s ant on whi c h I su b m i t, an d advised by my - that thi s ev id ence i s a d m i ss ible. Upon e eor n f "rile evid ence as g i ven eac h mem b er o f t h e I J ., • is to d eterm i ne two t hi ngs . Fi rst, w h et h er if 411 guilty or n o t o f t h e c h arge ; an d, secon dly, er th e the amount of the punishment. In a ttic s f L i. Place, as I shall show that the second Of L i. "as writt en un d er i rr i tat i ng con d uct on t h e part tati, r(l Cardi gan , i t i s o b v i ous t h at t h e d egree o f lai n materially affects the degree of my offence, if I tiffe n g ,M l tY of any. And it follows that provoking and lil ap " lv e conduct on this ocasion is to be measured and formedof lay Lord Cardigan's conduct on other ar,d rt k i .x' occasions. In that view such evidence is mast.ei tetrii,° •awarding, the quantum of punishment . , if pun i i t lis teb lais to be awarded. But this is also evidence,. sh a tli re it ed, es affecting my guilt or innocence of the ha y ac itself. The question is one as to the admissibi sas:l4t as to the effect, of the evidence. The ‘ Court 1 446 ° ,1 judge of the effect until the evidence is at (Is e 's The true mode of testing whether such es - S 4 „• ° Is admissible or not, is to put an extreme case. tr ur s 4 'irtg that Lord Cardigan had been in the habit of so e u - la m t my services in India with reproach—that 1 and - , sl i o a , a series of haughty, vindictive, offensive, s ri e ta tiog conduct on the part of Lord Cardigan— kees47ll that this is material evihnee to he con litti to with conduct in the particular transaction, hi nt I prov e tae motives which actuated him in that Lord Cardigan has in h's address s e 4l4 o t r e : rll th e a r duct • „ we were " not on terms," in order to affix %tat v -s ` l3 my conduct in writing the first letter. If this tha f e Tent Is to have any weight, it seems to follow on which former conduct will account for the terms th'ess e d lei b ' we then stood. These observations are ad to, ta, rue with the utmost deference and respect abl e ra - Court, an d are points on which I m i t! not turtl se -Ise ll to form an accurate judgment. V% ith o out tn ,ent o r n Pr ', f ace I will at once proceed to state and ccharge. 'fte the circumstances connected with the anon j a ' i ng served in India without reproach' for ten ve Years 1 returne d w i t h my regiment to L ieo ~d r the Year 1835. Lord Cardigan had succee. 05 i ° ,""land of tile regiment about three months be the ee : e n . artur e from India. From that time, with 9"trvea e `P t i°4 of a few months on half-pay, I have 4 "der his command. I returned in the middle , %Ir ti , ilt onto of August to the head-quarters of the re ,%l W e a d t B righton, from an out-quarter at Chichester. ur Pr —ne sdaY the 26th, I heard with indignation and Lord that a h iv e e ardi. report was . circulated in Brighton that t 4aia lAtt, at a private party at his own house, 1,4i0 J O h" that as l ong as h e li ve d . neither 1 nor Cap- William Reynolds should ever enter his 4 14 a I trust that I then felt as every gentle %ll.l oe ri a (l ; every atan of honour would feel upon such C t 3 's e i"n• 1 felt that such report, uncontradicted, 311een4iljeulatcd to rob me of my good name, and that g-4:T in j u re me in s• station of society. I felt, as eti aii ' ;e el, that such matter t came with double force outset rePorted as emanating front my commanding te tdra' end that commanding officer a Peer of the t ,,, d1 . 1 4 i n , lit re must pause, and call upon each indi leet rolher o f t hi s C ourt to re fl ect on th e na t u r e and hen °`. such aagainst an officer situated as I hie i w ; a/ ' Lordrt report • hadperfect right to choose 4 r v-34Mi r• but neither nan a or a commanding offi st,4les4bs: justifie t d er in as sa a ying that I should " never - ' s doors ' I that necessarily implies „• I had agaln ; °r • een guilty of some improper,dishonourable, r t ! li ght 41 conduct. A slight quarrel, or a shyness, itt le' 1, el ude me f rom L o rd Cardigan's house for a ; gai n w a tt ! to S 4 ), that I never was to enter his doors i or th at to insi nuate strong l y t h a t I was n o longer Oa t , (I ju st im eiety in which I had hitherto moved, for I ithi 4 a r rived in Brighton for the first time ; those R 7, gs le t i; 11 , 1 I was likely to associate would readily fair acquaintances among the officers of the re tesa / to the opinion of the commanding offi l ec i r e l 4, 1'641 all almost inevitably should have been exc e siee,t.s°ciety. 01 all species of defamation that of te e ter, I° l ° is the most insidious and destructive to cha -`q, ail I f it had been reported that Lord Cardigan . hact boldly I could have met it, y specific , 11. 44 ati0 Y I could have answered it ; but in a dark in efteri of this sort I had nothing to grapple with. Of i e r ., t °I such insinuations no man of the world can -411 t 14 . 1 8 _ t4ri t doubt. Lord Cardigan must have known ttn gth report would rapidly circulate, and acquire : I Pitlio n , a nd addition in its course. Such were my - 4 1101 ri d feelings upon that subject ; . and acting , on t r at l e tt e ns, and under such feelings, did I write the e ° ray to Cardigan. I owed it to myself, ''°ll s har i "Y, and to my station, that such re b° r , 41 t o °u ' d be speedily contradicted ; and I ap- f. 1; 11 °4 'cry man possessed of a sense. itso tae se Whether I did not view that report inn that 40 e ' 4l e f le gitimate light ; and I feel confident . that I ° the members of this Court will even think . ale__ the i n be . ng sh it ;e 4 PUt e si on I over sensitive in the defence of and my honour. I certainly do not agree 41 4 mau is to feel or to act, on the view of Cape litts Qi..nres, according to the quantity of evidence he krt in fli cted the original slander. To my mind the re- .. toa first the the wound. I hoped that on receipti of by ue . tter common justice would have be . en b t done C ° e nur 7 . o .Cardigan. The letter I wrote is before t;ou rt , must be judged by its contents. Tl defy the no no other legitimate ground to judge of it. 1 roor e pro wit and ingenuity of man to couch a letter in that lett er er ' More ,e I. or more respectful terms than pat hwd it 4 - Al • I " Brighton Barracks, Aug. 27, 1840. l 'ues i l l ' ° r ll ).—A report has reached me that, on he t , sas):_ie',st, at a large party given by your Lordship, le n, (I why the Captains Reynolds were not pre :rhnll _oes..,re Lordship replied, ' As long as I live they thi s re 4 po ‘ rt r enter my house.' I cannot but consider coav ey an .irighlY objectionable, as it is calculated to ther e f ore HuPression prejudicial to my character, and I „altheirise trust Your L ordship will be good enough to arn l e t o contradi c t it. ' l °Y Lord, your Lordship's obedient servant, ANTHONY Tailletlyt,;lllAßD ANTHONY REYNOLDS. ... 11 :.0t Hon. the Earl of Cardigan, There Brunswick-square, Brighton." I d eclar e : 4 ,, he hut one opinion of the letter itself, and tlat I h ad hat ' no other motive in writing it than t is exPreasad It is only b the uncharitable, ex 14°r(linar • Y' arid forced reasoning of Lord Cardigan that any other Interpretation can possibly be suggested. Much, if not all, of the future proceedings depend upon the propriety or impropriety of that letter, and so the prosecutor undoubtedly felt in framing the charge, and in his opening address, from the labour he used to prove it to be improper. I might have spoken to Lord Car digan, but I submit a written communication was better, as being more respectful, and lees liable to be misun derstood, or to give rise to angry feelings. Is it de rogatory to a man in any station to do justice to an other whom he has wronged or is supposed to have wronged ? A commanding officer with any sense of justice would have denied, justified, or explained such a report according to the truth ; but this Lord Cardigan never thought of doing. It will be for the Court to judge whether or not Lord Cardigan's refusal to answer proceeded from a just and proper motive. I have the advantage, in this respect, of addressing many commanding officers of regiments, and I appeal to them, if they can imagine the possibility of being similarly situated, how they would have acted. I am sure their experience will say that it is the duty and practice of commanding officers not only to command and to or ganise their officers and men as soldiers, but also to conciliate and uphold the officers as gentlemen and men of honour. I ask, ought not Lord Cardigan to have sent for me if he douLed the propriety of my letter, point ed out its impropriety, and questioned me as to rny mo tives ? If Lord Cardigan could not trust himself in a pri vate interview, why did he not employ the services of his friend Captain Jones, or the Adjutant ? Such is the unjust suspicion of Lord Cardigan's mind that he can not conceive that I meant what I expressed in this first letter ; but he supposes first that it was written in order to obtain an answer whereon to found a charge at the Horse Guards, and lie says that it was obviously unfair to obtain from him such an admission. I could hardly believe my senses when I heard Lord Cardigan make this observation. What! does he mean to say that he will cast aspersions and make observations tending to injure the characters of his offieers, without being at all times, and in all places, ready to avow such expressions, and to defend and to justify himself before any tribunal ? Lord Cardigan puts forward a second supposition, that the letter was meant to bring him into personal, if not hostile, collision with me. What right has Lord Car digan to impute any such motive to roe'? What ground has he for drawieg such a conclusion ? None. This statement seems very strange when coupled with the evidence of Lord Cardigan, in which he says that most certainly he never used the offensive words, "to the best of his recollection." If that be so, why did he not, either by letter or verbally, or by the medium of a third person, communicate to me that he had never used such words. This could not by possibility have led him into the dreaded cor respondence, and it is out of the question to conceive that a denial of the truth of the report could have been the ground-work of a charge to the Horse Guards, or of " a personal, if hot a hostile, colllsian." If he denied the truth of the report, neither charge, nor collision, nor any correspondence could possibly have ensued. My case is this :—I, the senior captain of the regiment, respectfully solicited denial from Lord Cardigan of a report affecting my character. He now says the report was untrue. He could, but would not, deny it. In effect he says—" I can, but I will not, do an act of the commonest justice to an officer of unimpeachable cha racter under my command." This is Lord Cardigan's own case! I know of no principle or rule of the ser vice which prevenLed my writing or Lord Cardigan an swering this letter. Such a rule would be repugnant to every feeling of justice, and would be destructive of the honour and independence of the officers of the army. Surely I must now have most fully satisfied every ho nourable member of this Court of the propriety of my first letter, and the impropriety of Lord Cardigan's not answering it. I would submit to your better judg ment that the feelings of justice, ay, of duty, would and ought to have prompted him to have placed in my hands the fullest and most ample contradiction to such report ; still stronger and more urgent was such a line of conduct on his part if we were not " on terms," as Lord Cardi gan suggests ; for in that case there would be more rea son to believe the truth of the report. The Court must bear in mind that I never charged Lord Cardigan with uttering those words, but merely pointed out to him that such a report was in circulation, and asked him to be good enough to authorise me to contradict it. If I am, then to take it that Lord Cardigan never used those words, and might easily have denied the report, bow am I to characterise his conduct to me on parade on the morning of the 28th of August ? To say that it was un just and most tyrannical is using but gentle terms. With the means of contradicting that report, and removing unjust aspersions from the Senior Captain of his regi ment, without a word of advice, a word of explanation, without a word of contradiction, he tells me, where I have no power of answering, that he is my commanding officer, and that my mouth must be closed. According to Lord Cardigan's evidence, no explanation need have accompanied the denial which he ought to have given. How, then, I ask, is it possible that any correspond ence could have ensued'' It is a gratification to me that I ant relieved from, the necessity of calling before you the young lady with whom Lord Cardigan held the conversation. I did not charge Lord Cardigan with having used the words. I stated, amid shall prove, that such a repot.: was in itirctilation. The strength of my case, and my justification for writing the second letter, consists in Lord Cardigan never having used the words, and contemptuously refusing to do me the commonest justice in the world when the report was respectfully brought to his notice. It seems, however, doubtful upon the evidence whether Lord Cardigan used the words or not. He does not in his evidence give an unqualified denial thereof, but says that, to the best of his recollection, he did not use them. It seems odd that words of such a nature and import should so soon escape the recollection of Lord Cardigan, more particularly as his attention was specially called to them within three days after the event ; and his memory seems retentive as to some words he used in that conversation. It is worthy of observation that the first letter was shown by Lord Cardigan to Captain Jones after theeparade, and before the conversation at the Pavilion stables on the 28th of August. When he showed the letter to Captain Jones, with the matter quite !resit in his recollection, he does not appear to have denied the expressions imputed to hint. The Court will recollect an extraordinary expression used by Capt. Jones in his evidence, " that I could not prove the words." The Court must judge whether Capt. Jones's memory is accurate when he states those words to have been used in the conversation coming from the field. It is much more probable they were used, as I assert, at the Pavilion stables ; and if so, the just in ference is that Lord Cardigan never denied the words to Captain Jones, but merely said that the words were incapable of proof. And I ask again, why on that occasion, why, if Lord Cardigan had riot used the words, as a man of honour and a gentleman, did he not state so to Captain Jones? Had he done so, Captain Jones could scarcely have failed to communicate that to me, and then there would have been an end of the nut ter. It is not material to my case that Lord Cardigan should have used the words. If Lord Cardigan did use the words imputed to him, even in his " ordinary tone of voice" it was very improper conduct on his part ; and still more improper was it in him, when invited by a temperate and proper letter, which he might have used officially or not, as he thought fit, not to avow them, and refer me to the Horse Guards at once, and then none of that dreaded correspondence, that " per sonal, if not hostile, collision," could have ensued. That such should have been the conduct of Lord Car digan I doubt not will be the opinion of every unpreju diced mind. Instead of that the scene which has been detailed to you on the parade on the morning of the 28th of August took place. I was indeed much surprised at the line of conduct of Lord Cardigan. It seems like wise to have astonished both Captain Jones and the Ad jutant, for the former tells you We looked the other way, and the Adjutant galloped back to his place as quick as possible. I ask, why was the parade selected for this communication ? It is the practice of Lord Cardigan since he has conarnanded the regiment to compel the silence of officers upon any observations made by him to them when called out of the ranks in front of the regiment. Although I felt the tone and manner of Lord Cardigan to be offensive and irri tating towards me, I could not offer a word of ex planation. Can Lord Cardigan for that reason have selected that place ? If not, why did lie not, either before or alter parade, at the orderly room, or some other place, in the presence of those officers, make the communication to me, where I might have explained and justified that first letter ? But Lord Cardigan's conduct was unjust to me, be cause he denounced the first letter as of a " very im proper nature," without hearing my reason for writing it. Without the opportunity of hearing me, and hav ing pronounced the first letter to be of a " very inn proper nature," he then ordered that in future all communications from me to him should be " strictly official." This I submit was at once to order me not to address him at all on the subject of this report. How could I address him "officially," even if ho had pri vately spoken disrespectfully of me ? It was impossi ble so to do on the mere report then in circulation. The report which attributed to Lord Cardigan the words in question was emphatically of a private nature. My inquiries on that head must, I conceive, have been private or not made at all. This report concerned not the public service or military discipline. The decision of Lord Cardigan on parade was to condemn me un heard to submit to the ruinous consequences of that re port. This line of conduct necessarily bad the effect of wounding my feelings. Here the reguletiors of the service are explicit, for they provide (p. 103) " That every officer who has had the benefit of experience in the service must be sensible of the effect produced upon the inferior by the mode in which eiththeer reproof be or encourag e ment is conveyed. Whenever former co mes indispensable, the co mmanding-officer should bo cautious of unnecessarily wounding the feelings of the individual by the use of harsh language, or a severity o f unle sr thh tone which the circumstan ces or exteourt obftheexfaouslitnorhthime bererinorrecohiinsminitreterlorm,,,aoyr ni,ovtencallilise for, q y p s u ractee of the fault shall call for public reproof. e ca- An admonition conveyed privately will always have more ! effect Upon the individtiel who has a proper feeling and a due regard for the maintenance of his own character; and if he ceases to have that regard for it, or if he feels it to be wantonly lowered in the estimation of others, he will become reckless, and will cease to en tertain for those who are set over him the respect which he no longer feels for himself. Approbation, on the other hand, should, when it is merited, be expressed, without reserve, and the individual receiving it should not only be gratified by such open manifestation of the approbation and good-will of his superiors, but it should have the effect of encouraging others to adopt the conduct which has obtained it." Such are my ob servations which I present to you on the subject of Lord Lord Cardigan. Whether his eulogy on his own ' judgment was deserved or not is a matter for your deci sion. I then considered, and do consider, and always shall consider, that Lord Cardigan's conduct to me in this matter was most arbitrary and tyrannical. Under these feelings I wrote the second letter. This does not depend upon my statement ; for Captain Jones has al ready told ycu how grossly I felt myself insulted. Much is due to subordination on the part of an inferior to a superior officer ; but there are extreme cases when submission ceases to be a duty. If my superior officer attempts to stab me am I to submit, or to raise my hand to disarm him ? If my superior secretly attempts to stab me in that which is dearer to me than my life, am I not justified in disarming him, by expressing in a strong and forcible manner the opinion I entertain of such conduct, provided I do so at a time, and in a manner not to excite other officers or men to act with insubordination ? And now I beg the Court to carry in their minds throughout this case that on parade, and when put in arrest by the Adjutant, I never uttered an expression or in any way acted improperly or offensively towards Lord Cardigan, which is fully proved by the futile attempt made by the prosecutor to take advantage of au un guarded expression which might have escaped me when the Adjutant conveyed his orders to me, In the letter which I wrote there are strong and what, under other circumstances, might be considered offensive expressions; but whether " insolent " or " offensive," under the parti cular circumstances, must be judged by the aggravating conduct of Lord Cardigan. Each case must stand or fall by its own circumstauces. There is no general rule by which to judge whether a particular letter !se objec tionable or not. I fully and freely admit that there are words and expressions in that letter which I never would have used to Lord Cardigan or any other man excepting stung as I was and goaded by the injuries heaped on me by Lord Cardigan. There is no sugges tion made in the charge or in the opening address that the two circumstances mentioned in the letter did not happen. The concluding words of the letter arc alone difficult to justify ; but surely no man can say that a commanding-officer who refused to do the justice to one under his command of denying or justifying the report of an aspersion like this holds that rank by his merit or capacity to com mand others, for little indeed is a person able to com mand others who cannot govern himself. The Court will judge whether the words of the letter arc too strong or not. If they consider them too strong they will still have to say, in their honest judgment and opinion, whether they arc not excused under the peculiar and aggravating circumstances under which they were writ ten. 1 shall call before you several officers who served with me in India in the I Ith Light Dragoons, some of whom are still in the I 1 th Hussars. They will prove to you that during the time they have known me I have ever been an attentive and active elTicer in the discharge of ray regimental duties ; that I have been subordinate and ever respectful to my superiors ; that I have been upon excellent terms with those of equal or junior rank to myself. Some of them will tell the Court that I have been the cause of allaying their feelings when irritated. They will prove to you that up io the time of the return of the regiment to England the greatest harmony existed between the commanding officer and the officers at large. I use this evidence for the purpose of showing that if for nearly fifteen years passed in the regiment, and in my younger days, when 1 was more likely to err than now, 1 had never been guilty of insubordination, or what Lord Cardigan calls " disre spectful and insolent conduct, unbecoming the character of an officer and a gentleman," my act on this occa sion proceeded, not from an insolent or insubordinate spirit, but from the goading and oppressive conduct of Lord Cardigan. In addition, I shall produce very warm and strong testimonials fro% my former commanding officers and others, whose personal attendance I cannot obtain. When, amongst others, I mention that I have testimonials from Colonel Childers, and from Colonel Bruton, I may safely defy any officer in the British army to have stronger or better testimonials. I shall, in ad dition, by the solemn oaths of several as honourable men as any in the service, prove that Lord Cardigan's conduct at the head of the regiment, since his return to s England, has been irritating and insulting in the extreme. I shall now advert to the charge itself. So much of it as relates to the first letter is untenable, as I to test I have shown that that letter was not improper, and that indeed it was the only preceding I could take under the circumstances. It is obvious that Lard Cardigan cannot stand right be fore the Court unless he shows that first letter to be improper. In that 1 trust he has, in your opinion, most signally failed. With regord to she rest of the charge, hope 1 have shown to the satisfaction of every intelligent and impartial man that it was not "a most disrespectful,. insubordinate, or insulting letter." What the n.caning of Lord Cardigan is in the charge that the letter im puted to him conduct calculated to excite him to de pat t from his duties as commanding officer is so extremely vague as to convey no precise or de finite accusation. If it means that it was to excite Lord Cardigan to a " personal, if not a hostile, col lision," that matter was out of the question, for be had already debarred we from taking any such steps. My letter was a comment—no doubt a strong one, as the occasion required—upon his conduct throughout this transaction. I therefore trust that the Court will come to this conclusion, that, on the one hand, had I left the report unnoticed, my conduct would have been most properly considered unbecoming the positio n in I society which I am entitled to hold ; and, on the other, in noticing it as I did, I was not " guilty of conduct unbecoming the character of an officer or a gentleman, prejudicial to the interests of the service, or subversive of good order or discipline." I have gone through the whole of my case. I hope that 1 have established the propriety of my first letter, the crying injustice of Lord Cardi gan's conduct, and the tyrannical proceeding which produced the second letter. Although looking to a favourable decision, yet, at all events, I have the con solation that my conduct throughout has been that of a man of honour and a gentleman, whilst that of my o v ion e i r p yd e , : e it pl l y s avir il e l a n s ot ti a le ga i i i n on c o l u ia r ra a e n t d eri in sz pe A r ' d o e u n r e s e le o c.s of the officers of the British army. An officer compelled to leave unnoticed such an aspersion would necessa rily lose his station in society, and would soon be obliged to abandon the army. If he attempt to ward off an in jury is be to be charged with impropriety of conduct ? Must he be sent before a Court-martial? if he exer cises the privilege of every sufferer is he to be deprived of his rank ? If under such difficult and maddening circumstances he happens to use some very strong ex pressions towards his persecutor is this the justice which is to be the lot of the'officers of our brave army ? Is the laurel of our veterans, won by a life of honour and of danger, thus in a moment to be blasted for ever? Scan not my letter too closely—that was the offspring of excited feelings ; but look carefully at the conduct of Lord Cardigan, for that, according to his own statement, was the result of reflection. The army looks with intense anxiety—the public also take a lively interest in your proceedings, for they watch over the conduct and character of those who have been their defenders against foreign aggression, and their protectors in times of civil commotion ; and they will look with a vigilant eye to the result of this case, for all mankind are united on one point—in the horror of op pression. Up to this time, whatever annoyance I had suf fered et the hands of Lord Cardigan I had borne from a sense of duty ; but when his oppressive conduct was pushed to the extreme my patience • teas exhausted, my feelings overcome, and 1 hope by your verdict of " Not guilty" you will prove to Lord Cardigan that wealth and rank do not license him, although the commanding officer of a regiment, to trample with impunity upon honourable men, who have devoted their lives to the ser vice of their country. At the conclusion of this address, which was delivered in a clear manly manner and with great firmness throughout, there seas a general cheering and clapping of hands among the audience, with which the Court wns crowded almost to suffocation ; whereupon The President at once called them to order, and said —1 shall clear the Court this moment if order is not kept. I will have no such ebullition here. The Judge-Advocate—The speech of Captain Rey nolds has been handed in, signed, and marked " F." Lieut. Cunningham (of the 11th Hussars) was then called. The Judge Advocate here read the charge against Capt. Reynolds, for the information of this witness. The witness, having been sworn, was examined as follows: Are you a Lieutenant in the Ilth Hussars ?—I am. Did you hear a report on the 26th of August relating to me ?—I did. What was the report you heard ?—When I was with the band a young lady asked me if I heard any conversation at the Earl of Cardigan's party the night before ? 1 said no ; and I naturally asked what it was? She said she had heard a lady ask Lord Cardigan why it was the Captains Reynolds were not at his house ? that she asked him twice, when he replied, " They should never enter my house as long as they lived." Did you communicate this report to me ; if so, when ?—I told you of it when you came into my room on the evening of the same day, being the 26th of Au gust last. Cross-examined by Lord Cardigan—Wes any one present at this conversation with Captain Reynolds?-- Yes, my brother-in-lave, Mr. Lewis. Was any ono else there?—There was nobody else there then. Have you stated the whole of what you have heard from the young lady, and repeated to Captain Reynolds ? "—Yes, to the best of my belief. Did not the young lady say that she thought the lady must have known that Lord Cardigan was not on terms with Captain Reynolds ?—Yes, she did. Did you tell Captain Reynolds that she said so ?—I cannot say that I did. What did Captain Reynolds do when you told him of this report?—He went out of my room. Did he appear much concerned or excited ?—Not at the time. Did he not laugh ?--I cannot remember if he laughed or not. Did Captain Reynolds say any on the following day ?—Y es. h e sa i d he shou ld wr i te to Lord Cardigan and ask hi m to a ll ow hi m to contra di c t the report. more on this subject Have you never stated that Captain Reynolds made no remark, but laughed, when the report was first com municated to him ?—I made some remark to Major Jenkins, but I do not recollect what it was. I made the remark about this matter ; but I do not remember what it was. Was your remark to Major Jenkins about Captain Reynolds having laughed ?—No ; I went immediately and told the whole story to Major Jenkins. Did you not give your statement in writing to Major Jenkins and sign it ?—I did Here, a question having been handed in, the Court consulted together for a few moments, and then ordered the room to be cleared. After a consultation of about half an hour the public were again admitted. Major Epon—On this question being put a written statement was handed in by Captain Reynolds, which stated—" I object to any written statement being put in by Lord Cardigan at this stage of the proceeding," The Court ruled that it could. This was the query objected to : "Is this paper the one which you signed. ?'' Answer —" Yes." Here the Judge-Advocate read this statement, which was to the effect that a conversation ensued in wit ness's room on the 26th of A ug u s t la s t, which re• peated the conversation already detailed in his exami nation while he was with the band. It ran thus : " I was sitting in my room with Mr. Lewis, the day after Lord Cardigan's ball, when Captain A. Rey nolds came in. The conversation turned on Lord Car digan, and I said, He is not over fond of you ; for when I was at the band a lady said, ' What a very curious woman Mrs. Cunningham is.' I said, Why?' She replied, I heard her ask Lord Cardigan twice why the Captains Reynolds were not at the ball 2 He gave her no answer for some time ; at last he said, ' They shall not come into my house as long as I live.' Then the lady said she thought Mrs. Cunningham must have known that Lord Cardigan and the Captains Rey nolds were not on good terms. This was at half-past six in the afternoon. Captain Reynolds made no remark, but laughed. On the following day Major Jenkin ssaid I - must take notes of what I said the day before. I merely mentioned this in the way of conversation, not expecting it to go further, as Captain Reynolds did not seem to take it originally in an offensive light. (Signed) "JOHN CUNNINGHAM." Having heard that paper, do you think it is a correct. account of what passed ? Here the Judgc.Advocate read over the cross-exami nation. The written statement of Lieutenant Cunningham was handed in and marked " G." • Re-examination—When (lid Major Jenkins ask you this question ?—When I was in his room on the 27th of August, the next day. Had Major Jenkins more than one conversation +sith you on this subject ?—Yes. How many, when, and what were they ?-lle told me he was desired to ask me to give a written state ment of what passed. Major Jenkins had one more conversation with me two or three days after the first ; he said he was desired to ask me for a written statement of what had taken place. Did Major Jenkins tell you he was desired by Lord Cardigan to ask you these questions ?—He did. By whom was the statement written ?—lt was writ ten by Major Jenkins. Were you told that the statement was to be used publicly ?—No. Did Major Jenkins give any reason for asking of you this statement?—None. What is your age ?—I shall be twenty the 4th of December next. Lord Cardigan here put in a paper, which we suppose was the following question, which was then asked : By the Court—Who corrected the written state ment ? My brother-in-law, Mr. Lewis. Examination by the Court continued—Were these corrections made with your concurrence, and when ? Yes, they were made with my concurrence, at the York Hotel, the same day I sizned the statement. Did you, in your first conversation with Major Jen kins, consider that conversatioa official or private ? Private, as there was no one else in the room. Was any opportunity given to you of refreshing your memory by the statement being shoen to you at any time ?—No. Did you repeat the report respecting him to Captain Reynolds on the did. Did-yakatva-Majoys CTlk:lab taut - va Was:Latted tleet. conversation private ?—No. Hero this witness's examination closed. Major Mosse Cooper was next called, and the charge having been again read over, he was sworn. The Judge-Advocate—You arc on half-pay, I believe? —I am a Major unattached. Major Cooper examined by the prisoner—Are you -a Major unattached, and were you in the army since the battle of Waterloo ?—Yes. Were you any part of that time in the 11 th Light Dragoons ?—Yes, twenty-one years. During what part of that time did you serve under Lord Cardigan ?—About eighteen months. Here a paper was banded into the Court, on perusing which the room was again ordered to be cleared. After a delay of about three-quarters of an hour the public were again admitted. The Judge Advocate—On the fourth question being put to the last witness by Captaia Reynolds, the Court have thought proper to consider whether it should be put, and on the Court being re-opened they declare the following to be their decision The Court have • fully considered the question which has been put by Captain Reynolds, and they are of opinion that it can not be admitted, and cannot therefore be recognised. They With to convey their desire to Captain Reynolds that he would in his examination confine himself to the aerra,ntthte Court not being authorised by her o carry their investigation into The C ourt f urt h er sa id, t h at t h ey were co il lt si re r l\gr o le u tanjb s ace o tsit f t.oe: g r'es i: ''c i 'hm u g the prisoner every latitude consistent with their duty under the Royal w arrant by virtue of which they were now assembled. Examination resumed—Hol,v long have you known me ?—I first knew Captain Reynolds when he was under my command on board ship in 1831. Ile was then a lieutenant. During the time you were in the regiment had you an o pportunity of examining my conduct as an o f ficer and a gent leman ?—Frequently. What is my character and conduct with reference to my regituental duties, and to subordination and respect to my commanding and superior of fi cers ?-1 have every reas on to think C iptain Reynolds is a ma n of the hi g h e s t honour, strictest integrity, and gentle manl y bearin g as an tfl'ieer ; most active and zealous in doin g all that could be required of hint, and, in my esti mation, a man incapable of an iusubordinate act , un less under some pe culiar circumstance s. Have ) u 'eroakincoe,rss,n the totry to allay the irritabl e feelings in of other regiment,‘ and p ersua d e them from acts which would be r e g arded as insubordi nateo ?—Yes, I know two r e markable instances, one of which was when a lie had been given from one officer to to the other-- Here the witness was stopped, and the Court con sulted together, when the President observed that the Court had already decided that they could not en t er upon any extrarmons matters, liTid they should not travel out of the immediate charge before them. The room, however, was again ordered to be cleared. The Court then adjourned to 10 o'clock to-morrow, reserving their decision 00 this question, it being four o'clock. r. TRIAL OF PRINCE LOUIS NAPO LEON AND ACCOMPLICES. SITTING OF THE 2.9T11 CONCLUDED. Rinck, a sergeant of the 42d, said—Lieutenant Ala denize entered the barracks and cried out several times " Aux arnies I" I placed myself near the soldiers of my company, and several of the Prince's officers shook hands with me, as did also the Prince. I replied that I would remain with my chiefs. The Prince offered to the other sergeants and myself to make us officers, which we declined. Aladenize—All that this witness says is false. He put the soldiers in order of battle himself, and made them cry " Vive l'Empereur 1" • Geoffroy, a grenadier of the 42d, deposed to the attack upon the barracks, and stated that he had been wounded by the pistol which was fired by the Prince. President—Prince Louis, have you anything to say ? Prince Louis—l have to say that I sincerely regret having shed the blood of a French soldier. Captain Col-Puygellicr gave evidence to the follow ing effect :—About hall-past five in the morning of August 6, I was preparing to get out into the forest of Boulogne, when one of my grenadiers came to inform me that he had met with a number of soldiers, headed by several general officers. I advanced to the barracks, and seeing a grenadier with the number 40, I told him they were leading him to treason. On entering the arched door of the barracks, a person, wearing the uni form of a General, advanced towards me and said, " I am Prince Louis, Captain. Be one of us, and you shall have whatever you can desire." I answered, " Prince Louis or not, " Napoleon, your predecessor, destroyed legitimacy, and you are wrong to come for ward now and make a claim under it." The Prince ap peared to be intimidated, but they pressed upon me more closely. I exclaimed, " You may kill me, if you please, but I will do my duty." They said they did not wish to kill me. At this moment Lieutenant Made nize covered me with his arms, and said with animation, " Respect the Captain, lam answerable for his life." I then advanced further, and several of my non-commis sioned officers came to release me from my enemies, who then withdrew into the street. I then turned to my men with the intention of giving them orders to act if the Prince did not withdraw. I heard the report of a fire-arm, but did not see by whom or at whom it was discharged, being too much pre-occupied. M. Alexandre Adam, the Mayor of Boulogne, repeated the facts stated by him at the time in his official report. Colonel Sansot, of the National Guards of Boulogne, confirmed the deposition of M. A. Adam, and having done so, complained of the charge brought against the National Guards of Boulogne by some of the Paris Journals, of having fired on unarmed men, and having assassinated a man who was in the act of surrendering his sword. He said that Colonel Voisin acknowledged that the National Guards had done their duty. Colonel Voisin—l did not acknowledge that all the National Guards had done their duty. I do not think that the National Guard which fired upon us, without our having acted on the offensive in the slightest degree, did its duty.—(Murmurs among the Peers.) President (with war►eth)—lt is impossible to allow these words to pass. What, were not the landing and the invasion of the barracks hostilities? The National Guard were right in repressing crime and punishiog the authors of it. There is also another fact proved. A pistol was fired from the boat as it left the shore. Coluncl Voisin—l affirm, upon my honour, that no pistol was fired at that time. The President—Ti►e aggression came from the men whom we have the misfortune to see before us, and it is not for them to make it a crime of the National Guard to have used means to repulse their criminal attempt. M. Ferdinand Barrot—l render homage to the he roism of the National Guard of Boulogne.—(Violent murmurs.) I admit that the National Guard did its duty when it fired, when my client was struck behind as he was retiring, after having thrown away his arms. —(Prolonged murmurs.) The murmurs of the Court having cut short the words of the defence, 1 declare that the defence is no longer free, and I sit down. The President—lt is I only who can permit or pre vent the Court from being addressed. I declare that I have not interrupted the counsel ; he can continue if he pleases. M. Ferdinand Barrot said nothing more. THIRD DAY.—SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30. At a quarter past twelve the prisoners were intro duced into Court in the same order as on the two pre vious days. They all appeared cheerful, nor was there any visible alteration in their dress. Bernard Pierre Maguan, Marechal du Camp, com manding the department of the North, and provision ally the 16th military division. His evidence went principally to inculpate the prisoners Lombard, Meso nan, and Parquin. lie delivered his evidence as if he was addressing a mob, instead of the highest Court of the realm, and was exceedingly vehement in his language. On the conclusion of this evidence Mesonan got up and denied la Coto the correctness of the evidence of this witness. The evidence for the prosecution having been gone th i ough, The Plocereur-General, M. Franck Carve, then pro eeeded to deliver his requisttoire, and addressed the Court. He stated that, after the evidence that had been adduced on the part of the prosecution, there could be no doubt as to the charges with which the prisoners stood implicated, and which was a project that would cause them to be visited by the severest penalty of the law. The Procureur-General then recapitulated all time facts and details as connected with the insur rection on Aug. 6, specifying minutely the degree of crime which was attached to the various individuals who were now before this Court. Ornanocamenext in rotation; m But, observed the Procureur-Gcncral, what language can depict the guilt of the principal actor and conspi rator' in this affair, Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, wile ought to have been bound by the most sacred in violability of a promise, who had experienced the indul gence of the King, and whom the dictates of honour and of his conscience ought to have restrained from ever making another attempt to overturn the Govern ment and the institutions of the country ? He was bound to state, that though the Prince seemed to dispar age the justice of the country, justce would not be withheld from him, and the Court would therefore re quire that the law should take its course. M. Berryer then thus proceeded to address the Court on behalf of Prince Louis Napoleon and General Muntholon :—" Gentlemen, when I heard the Procu reur-General exclaim, with regard to the Boulogne at. tempt, ' These are deplorable crimes ! ' I could not re press the sad reflections which were stirred up in my heart. It is to be lamented that during so short a course of years this country should Lave fallen a prey to so many successive revolutions, each in its turn violating and overthrowing the chartered and esta blished rights of the n ation. These, gentlemen, are misfortunes which have left appalling uncertainties in the minds and hearts of the people. What ! can we successively have been under a Republic, an Empire, the Restoration, and a July Royalty—can we have been under these rapidly-changing Governments without our dignity, consciences, and, I may say, the majority of our laws, having suffered heavy detriment ? As long as the house of Bourbon reigned in France there was an order of succession regularly established. But as in 1830 the Chamber of Deputies thought fit to change the dynasty, this principle was overthrown. The Prince Louis thought that he was justified in attempting the restoration in France of those rights which his uncle obtained from the constitution of the Empire—rights which had been consecrated by the vote of four millions of 17renclneen. I do not see before me judges and men to be judged. Observe the inconsistency of the Government in calling upon you to judge the Prince Louis. In 1836 this maxim was applied to the Prince Louis, that no judgment could be recorded against a Prince who had reigned. When, in 1836, it was acknowledged that the Prince was without the pale of the law, how can he this day ap pear before you ? A law forbids him to set foot on the soil of France—this was the law of 1831. I opposed this law at that period. I demanded that the Napoleon family should enjoy the same rights with ourselves ; but you repulsed my application ; you made this law, and shortly atter you expelled this Prince from Switzerland, from the bedside of his dying mother. I say, therefore, that he is a man without the pale of the law. If you wish to sit in judgment upon him let us cast a stray glance at some recent facts. A splendid mausoleum is being erected to the memory of the hero of the Empire ; a squadron has been scut forth to fetch his remains ; his memory is resuscitated, covered with laurels, and now you wonder that some men who had shared the glories of the Empire should have been car ried away by the same illusions which have now brought this young Prince before you. This young Prince has said,' It is my province to make this glorious name re echo across the frontiers. I should be the chief mourner in the forthcoming funereal ceremony, for I are the Em peror's nephew. I will go to his tomb, and there will I lay his arms, and exclaim, ' France, I offer myself to you, will you accept me ?' —(Great sensation in the Court.) If there be any crime in this it is your men of the Govern ment who have caused it. You will not allow the name of Napoleon to appear at the same time on a tomb of glory and on a scaffold. You will not associate the name of Napoleon with the punishment awarded to in famy. It cannot be possible that you should do this. Cease to be judges, and become men. You are called up en to pass sentence on Napoleon's nephew. You— who are you if we pry into the secrets of your fortunes —yori, Counts, Dukes , Barons, ye who were Marshals ?" M. Berryer, whose speech was one of the most mag nificent pieces of elocution ever uttered within these walls, then sat dawn, and, after the cheering and im mense sensation excited by this gorgeous display had somewhat subsided, General Montholon attempted to read his speech, but, being unable to continue it on ac ' count of his infirmities, one of the glrefers read it for tw in , It merely reiterated his assertion thaftPe thoughtance the Prit:Ce was going to Bel g ium instead 0 M. Berr;er spoke in favour of General 111rontholon and concludeei by laying on the tabl e several leittters, which clearly pro d that the Gene ral thought was merely a party of pleoure. The sitting then closed at a quarter past four, THE EARL OF CARDIGA.N. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sul—ln Tke Sun of this evening I observe a letter on the subject of the " Black bottle" Nobleman whose name is at the head of this communication, and I fully coincide in the opinion of the writer of that letter, app li e d to the Earl of Cardigan for "that every fact illustrative of the character of the Earl to . Lo i nd i on, to consult a surgeon of Cardigan is interesting to the public" at this moment, wl'erince Albert's Own" having been ill I forward you the following anecdote, which, I think, ; P a rticularly ar y desirous of obtaining. speaks s oso v iffipo o i l nen u ei rt tor : o s cfh ;:-- s g u a h a a l d in the regiment for some weeks, o r n n e g s q h u ei s e n s o t uu , answerwi' ewhen to pressed,such s u r his f i e s e i observed,Lorcl Ca tts "them refused ai. : et isi to attend to you ;'' applications. Now, Sir, withou t in the remotest deg ree w i s hi ng to reflect on the talents of the medical gentlemen con nected with this regiment, I would ask you, and the public through you , if any could be more heartless, or more strongly illustrate the natural tyranny of the man than his condu ct on this occasion ? I shall content myself with relating t h e "facts," in the hope that you w ill dilat e on my text. I am , Sir, your's obediently, London, Oct.], 1840. AN OBSERVER. [The time for dilating on the text will come by and bv.l _________ still occupied with the tria a i re ofmadarno Inc I c h o e . 1 euai Paris p Laffarge. M. Raspail has published a letter, impugning the testimony of M. Or fi la, who deposed to the presence of arsenic in the l'ody of the deceased husband; and goes into &detailed statement, to show that the experiments of that gentle.. , man were not conclusive as to tho main vim, that arsenic I had been given to the deceased. ----art journa l i sts of th e EVEN ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF MR. BIDDULPII. " DUBLIN CASTLE, SEPT. 29, 1840.--Whereas it has been represented to the Lord Lieutenant, that on the morning of the 24th instant, about the hour of ten o'clock, a.m., F. M. Biddulph, Esq., J.P., while riding towards Frankford, and within about 200 yards of his own gate, in the townland of Rathrobbin, parish of Kil loughey, and King's County, was fired at and wounded by some person, aided by two others, unknown : his Excellency, for the better apprehending and bringing to justice the perpetrators of this outrage, is pleased hereby to offer a reward of 200/. to any person or per sons (except the person or persons who actu a lly fi re d the shot) who shall, within six months from the date hereof, give such information as shall lead to the appre hension and convictionisof.allor Excellency's a n ymtrpunrdsons eon. of cern A c theD ON . eTdhtel3ab ereoivne.—rie3wd will b e p a id b y h ar Esq., the resident Magistrate at Tullaneal Browne, a N oore, to those w ho may become entitled to it under the c on diti ons of this proclamation." A sa N y K s r s o , a n e o t , hi T n g U E h S a D s AY . A Corr es p on d en t o f the command, N. H. i‘ s ALD occurred since I last wrote you, to throw any light upon the recent attack on Mr. Bid dulph, or to lead one to suppose that evidence will be forthcoming to bring the deed home to the men who are at present in custody." --- THE HAGUE, SEPT. 28.—Yesterday being the fifty-ninth anniversary of the birth-day of his; Majesty the King of Wurternhurg, who happened to he here, the day was kept w i t h great festivity b y t h e R o yal family. Sei-I , :iiieTrplay of illaster ,Clarke continues t 6 attract crowded audiences at this tfi - etTtie. It is a-- drama which improves upon acquaintance, and should be seen twice to be properly appreciated. It possesses beauties of a high order, and although somewhat heavy, is a sterling good play. It was followed last night by a new farce, entitled, as if the spirit of prophecy, The Unfbrtanale Foul . Never was more summary justice executed upon any piece, and never was summary execution more richly deserved. Witless, pomtlers, and plot less, not even the rich and unctuous humour of Rees, the excellent acting of Strickland, or the light gaiety of Mrs. F. Matthews could make the thing tolerable. The actors did their best, hut the material they had to work upon was so wretched, that a very good humoured audience became first impatient and then angry, and at length in answer to repeated calls for the manager, Strick. land stepped forward, and said—" Ladies and gentlemen, I am deputed by Mr. Webster, to an nounce that as the farce has met with your disap probation it shall be withdrawn." THE OPENING OF BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE. Yesterday the ceremony of opening Blackfriars bridge which, from the immense improvements and alterations made in the structure, may be called a new bridge, took place between four and five o'clock, in the presence of a great multitude. At four o'clock the Lord Mayor, Sir James Shaw, the City Chamberlain, and several of the Aldermen, Mr. Prior, the Chairman of the Blackfriars-bridge Committee, Mr. Walker, the engineer of the new re pairs, Mr. Montague, the surveyor of the Bridge, the City Solicitor, Mr. Secondary James, Mr. Secondary Potter, the City Remembrancer, the Comptroller, Mr. Firth, of the Town-clerk's office, and the members of the Blackfriars-bridge Committee., left the Guildhall in tbeir carriages, and proceeded at a slow pace to the Bridge, at the foot of which ; on the City side, they alighted. A large body of the police were in attend ance to keep off the crowd. Having walked over the Bridge, his Lordship, the Committee, and civic officers got into their carriages and returned, and thus ended the simple ceremony. To the Chairman and Committee the most grateful thanks of the public are due for the unwearied exertions which they have been making to render the alterations worthy of the high character to which the Corporation entitled itself by the erection of London-bridge. The Lord Mayor, as the organ of the Corporation, congratulated the Committee upon the termination of labours so productive of benefit to the community of this vast metropolis, and so creditable to the taste and skill of those who projected and superin tended a work which appeared to be made " not for an age, but for all time." The efficient proceedings of the present Committee are strongly contrasted by the coutemptible patchwork of former experiments to procrastinate the expected fall of Blackfriars-blidge. Before the noble structure of London-bridge was raised, endless were the attempts made to stop up the gaps which exhibited themselves to the trembling boatmen, but when that admirable piece of architecture was completed, the Corporation saw that it was impossible to check the march of im proveroent, and they naturally turned their eyes to Blackfriais-bridge as an object which required their immediate consideration. Still the hand of art was slow in its operations there, although the subject formed a standing dish in the Court of Common Council, and it was not until Mr. Prior was, upon the motion of Mr. C.'Pearson,constituted Chairman of the Committee, that the plan was adopted, to the accomplishment of which the public owe the present most admirable accommodation. In the prosecution of their labours the engineers, Messrs. Walker and Burges, had to contend with no ordinary difficulties. Tney naturally expected to be furnished with some plans or other information as to the construc tion of the bridge. 'rimy were disappointed in that expectation. The bridge was built under the direction of the city of London, but there did not appear to be any plans or documents in the possession of the Corpo. ration that gave the smallest assistance in any of the objects of the inquiry. An engraved elevation was pub lished in 1 7(16, the year the bridge was opened, and some of the engravings of the caissons and machinery used iu the building, were published in 1787 ; these were ob tained, but their authority was too questionable to be depended upon. A thorough survey was therefore made of the foundation and seperstructure by Messrs. Welker and Borges, and a specification was drawn by them, which formed the basis of the beautiful repairs which have been just completed. The timber which formed the foundation of the piers was in a sound and perfect state. The specimens when first cut, appeared as bright and fresh coloured as new timber. Leery part of the bridge, so far as could be as certaiiied, was built of Portland stone, which is of e soft c ticarenus nature, and subject to decay from exposure to the weather ; but the stone-work from the foundation up to low-water mark was as good as it could have been on the day it was laid ; the mortar was entire in the joints, and the tool marks were reniaining on the faces of the stones. As respected the state of the bridg e still more mi i o t itself, removal etil:foldedn, damaged, m t f‘.oi,ia might 10l i gt i ti g eni l g i absolutely protect of the e t be safely affirmed that up to low water mark it was perfect, and that the imperfections of die stone work began from that level. From the level of low water, before the renewal of London-bridge, to nearly the high water mark, the whole of the stone work, forming the front of the piers and abutments, was in so very dilapidated a condition, as to make new facing w ith better stone the only prudent and safe plan of re p a i r . The ends or cutwaters of the piers being m ore expose d a t o shakenro n m ec eabargesssnecessary. to render a andi Previouslyc e, were renewaltsot London-bridge, the low water ma r k e t was seldom under the greattopproportion of p o t r h ti e o n o ff o s i et tiies courses stil o l h f ig t i le i a 7r, pi s e o rs a , and the first course above the footings, which was in a much hatter condition than those above it. The result of the removal of the old bridge had been to reduce the level of low water about twenty-two inches at Black friars-bridge. From the very dilapidated state of the cutwaters of the piers, the columns which rested upon them were endangered, particularly towards their bases, which the high tides had reached and decayed the stone. Some of them had besides been struck by barges which had displaced the lower stones of the shafts, so that the columns were in a dan gerous condition. A heavy blow on the disturbed stones might have been the means of throwing down the column altogether, and the recess over it would have followed ; the consequences of which might have been very serious, both with reference to the lives of the persons in the barge and of those in the recess at the time, who would probably have been precipitated faith the falling column into the river. The finish of the cutwater, which formed the foundation on which the columns stood, have been raised two feet eight inches, the low level having been the cause of the decay near the bases referred to. This was the more necessary when the addition to the rise of the tides is con sidered. The columns, no doubt, originally stood level with the 'high water of spring tides, and they were so shown in the engraved elevations ; but the standard of ordinary spring tides, as fixed by the Trinity House in 1800, was ten inches, on the average, above the foot of the columns, so that the London-bridge dam being removed, the bases were generally covered with water at spring tides. The alteration improves the appear aace of the columns, and this is the only point in which Mr. Walker has interfered with the architecture of the bridge. The broken and defective arch stones were measured one by one, and all taken out and replaced with new arch stones. 'File whole of the facings and soffits of the arches were thoroughly cleaned , the joints pointed with p in o ozzesotl streets tpisna upon ele sketch n mortar r ; and generally, in addition to w h a t has been stated, every part of the bridge has been thoroughly repaired. The foot paving on both sides has been made good with new granite, and the steps of the watermen's stairs are of new granite. We have al ready stated that the bridge has been lowered in th e centre, and gradually raised at each end, to the grea t accommodation of all persons engaged in traffic, and to those who ride and drive, and we have s p o k en o f ot h er advantages to the public from th e c o mpl e ti on o f t h e work ; but the improveme n ts i n th e b r id ge are muc h whencreditei t e or f vieweddus e what has s ed o. e ideaab above from tho the %‘ b, he oeop r , done,oj. e cti will h e a d n s uf give from t he r re. some oi . intended, and aided in the operations. The estimate of Messrs. Walker and Burges was os follows : Tile cost of the repairs above low water The piling and otherwise securing the founda tions, done in cofferdams Making together 90,000 Mr. David Mackintosh took the contract included in the specification as above at .................. £6.1,000 And for making solid parapet, and lowering 10 foot and carriage-ways ..................... ,035 Making together 74,035 By which it is calculated that the contractor must have been a loser. The 'Accession, after having finished the ceremony, went off at a very quick pace to celebrate the occasion with a dinner. . ,--- ----- , S UICIDE IN THE REGEN T S PA RIC—O n Wednesday morning, at an early hour, some w or k men _ gaged in the Regent's Park, discovered the body `''" gentleman lying in one of the plantations, near the villa of a e of the Marquis of Hertford. They immediately conveyed the body to the Marylebonc Infirmary. On searching the de ceased's pockets a phial which contained la laudanum was found; also papers which proved the deceased to be st g entleman of the name of Darby, 17, j reseet, Man. a c heater-square, and who quitted his ames.r last. The body lies to await a idence on Monday Coroner's Inquest. IRELAND. DcBLIN, SEPT., SO. Owing to the dreadful gale of Monday night the Liverpool mail due yesterday morning, did not reach Kingstox n until seven o'clock last night. The mail due this morning did not reach until two o'clock this afternoon. LORD LBRINGTON AND REPEAL. This being the day appointed by charter for swearing in the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs for the ensuing- year, the corporation, agreeably to ancient practice, met at the City Assembly House, William-street, and pro ceeded in procession to the Castle. At half-past 2 o'clock, his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, accom panied by the great officers of State, having entered the throne-room, the Corporation were introduced into the presence, when The Right Hon. the RECORDER, on presenting Sir John Kingston James, Bart., as Lord Mayor elect, to his Excellency, delivered an Address. After which the oaths were administered, and the Lord Mayor elect having been invested with the insignia of his office, Judge BURTON proceeded to address the new Lord Mayor upon the duties he would have to fulfil, and after passing a high eulogium upon his predecessor in office, concluded by remarking upon the introduction of a system of poor-laws into Ireland, with a recommen dation that his Lordship would use his influence as much as possible in diffusing a tone of moderation and forbearance among his fellow-citizens. The LORD LIEUTENANT then spoke nearly to the following effect :—He commenced by observing—The Lord Mayor elect having already performed the duties of the office in a most efficient manner, I have no doubt, of his competency to discharge them again with equal benefit to his fellow-citizens. The Learned Recorder, his address, dwelt somewhat in detail upon the Le- gislative changes which have taken place in the consti tution of the Municipal Corporations in this country, and which will come into operation next April. As in the course of the lengthy discussions which for many Sessions of Parliament took place upon this question I have had repeated opportunities of making known my sentiments upon it, I do not feel it necessary to express them upon the present occasion. Even if it were not so, this is certainly not the opportunity I should take to pass sentence of comdemnation upon that which has been by law established. Neither is this the oppor tunity upon which I should think it fit to dwell upon the satisfaction which, as a constant advocate for Aluni- cipal Reform in England and Ireland, I may be allowed to feel at having seen its accomplishment here. But I cordially respond to the call made by the Learned Recorder, in the expression of my approbation and praise of the manner in which the civic chair has been tilled by the two gentlemen who held the office during the time I have been intrusted with the Government of this country. The Learned Recorder has referred to another topic, which, as he said it involved matter in some measure personal to himself, he approached with reluctance. I can assure him, that from the high re spect I entertain for him, if he experience feelings of pain in approaching that subject, I experience them no less. As, however, from the manner in which he intro- duced them, I feel in some sort as if en appeal were made to me for an expression of my op pion, I must say, notwithstanding my great respect for him, that in my opi nion more frequent gaol deliveries would be more condu cive to the satisfactory administration of justice in this city. I say this, as I have stated, with sonic unwilling ness and reluctance, from the great personal respect I entertain for the Learned Recorder, as well as from my experience of the able, impartial, and admirable manner in which he has performed his judicial functions ever since I had the opportunity of knowing anything of them, more than by common report, and which cer tainly fully confirm what I have now said. But Ido not feel I should have been fully justified in withhold ing this my opinion upon the subject, thinking it possible that silence upon my part, after the appeal which had been made to me, might have been construed into ac quiescence and concurrence with the views and argu ments of the Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman. There is another topic which has not been touched upon either by the Learned Recorder or the Learned Judge, but to which, under all Inc circumstances of the present time, I feel it my duty to refer : I feel it my duty to ad vert to this question, fi em the importance which has been attached to it both by its supporters and oppo nents—from the attention which has been called to it both in this and other parts of the United King dom—from the support it has received from va- rious parties in this city, and from the change which, I know not .how truly, is reported to have taken place in the opinions of the Corporation of Dub lin on this subject. You may guess that I allude to the meetings which have taken place in reference to a repeal of the Union. I feel it my duty to declare for myself, and every Member of her Majesty's Govern ment, both in Ireland and Great Britain, that we hold the maintenance of the union between the two coun tries, which has now existed for 40 years, to be indispen sable to the security and permanent stability of the United Empire.—(Hear, hear.) I believe, and am con vinced, that a repeal of the Union by those legal and conAitutional means which the advocates of that repeal declare to be ti e s only ones they will ever resort to for the attainment of that measure-1 believe that by such means the attainment of the repeal of the Union is utterly impracticable ; and if, which God forbid, an at tempt were made to force it upon the Legislature by any other means, I am satisfied that that attempt would recoil with discomfiture and disaster upon this country. I believe further, that even if it were., possible to attain it, its attainment would mise rably disappoint the expectations which have been formed in some quarters of the benefits to be derived from it ; and I believe that many of those who are the most prominent of its advocates would be the first to feel the effect of that disaster to which I have referred, and that it would be necessarily followed by a separation between the two countries ; whilst that separation would be fraught with the deepest calamity to England, I be lieve it would be fraught with still greater calamities to this country. Need I say, then, that, entertaining those opinions, I feel it my duty to discountenance and discourage, by all legal and constitutional means, the agitation of this question. I shall withhold all the Go vernment favour and patronage which administrations are considered entitled to confer on their supporters, From those who take part in this agitation, who will thereby lose the good will of the Government. If I have not any stronger or more active means for the suppression or prevention of the agitation of this question, it is certainly from no sympathy upon my part either with the object or the feelings of those who are embarked in it, but it is from that respect which I have always felt for the constitu tional right of the subject openly and fairly to discuss all acts of the Legislature by which the people may consi der their interests or the interests of the country affected, provided those discussions are carried on in a proper manner in endeavouring to obtain, by legal and consti tutional means. the assent of the Legislature to the alte rations of such acts. Disapproving, as I do, of the ob ject of those meetings, disapproving still more of some of the sentiments which have been expressed at them, particularly those having reference to our foreign policy, I at the same time, have not considered the danger likely to arise out of those meetings, or the sentiments ex pressed at them, to have produced such an effect upon the general tranquillity of the country as to justify in my mind the interference of the Legisla ture for the forcible prevention of those meetings, which interference, I conceive, if not justified by grounds of paramount necessity, frequently tends to foment the spirit which it is intended to allay. If, however, I should feel that the manner in which these discussions are car ried on should be likely to create any interruption of the public peace, or that they should afford just or rea sonable grounds for alarm to her Majesty's subjects, I trust I shall be found as ready to exercise the powers of the law with vigour and energy, as I have shown my self hitherto disposed to evince respect and forbear ance towards the constitutional rights of the subject. I trust also that in that course I be supported by an overwhelming majority of the people, by a great majority of even the Repealers themselves, rho, what ever opinions they may entertain upon the subject, will, I am sure, feel with me, that it is all alike the duty of the Government and the people to uphold that obe dience to the law, without which there can be no se curity or perminence to any of the institutions of the country, or indeed safety or comfort to the people them- selves. The Corporation then withdrew, and proceeded to Green-street, where the High Sheriffs were sworn into office before the Recorder. SG EDITION. HAYMARKET THEATRE,- r