The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-28 00:00:00

R UGELEY THE POISONINGS. TRIAL OP PALMER AT THE CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT TWELFrH DAY (FROM OUR OWN REPORTER) , ?. o • h c e . trial was LONDON, TUESDAY NIGHT. 7112,_ k, the court being proceeded with this morning at ten Bi.. lval of uered to t he again crowded long before the Public wastejudges As the investigation was cen drawing. to a close, the excitement - o t the B eribabi e d this morning heightened to an almost inde• afternoon egree. From the latter part of yesterday th, %ami ne ' when the opinion became general that again s t of the Lord Chief Justice was decide t t aPpeeseiase`!e prisoner, the Old Bailey,. and all eon ' _ p urse 0 ,7 3 thereto , was crowded with . an immense _ a spectators who remained during the entire c,as d e t a ts , the a arr f nau . iring the latest appearances of the Niel s e a Chief Justice proceeded with analysing the Thi s of the various witnesses for the prosecution. to ha ; morning the excitement of the populace seemed ha ; shrto'clock,be, if possible, still greater ; for before ai the holders of tickets were in attendance, aPen. le a rush into court the moment the doors were 01 4 Morbid taste on the part of several, to have a Il ls tri a i the prisoner in the dock, on this, the last day of sev ere . was evinced by the tact that, as much as a. atheisr was many instances offered for a ticket of coe s i der e it ! and we are informed, that in this respect, a lia • le . ot u e le amount of "business " was transacted. the com e '"e Judges entered the court, accompanied by h t Le e hat r and Sheriffs, the prisoner was at ?nee placed . a 'fir s t at' He made his accustomed bow, ana then looking the j the es, judgf . es a - nd subseauently casting a glance at few sort', ,s.tstecl'upon the fr - ont of the dock, and for a dee e - ue,tts buried his face in his hands. He betrayed th e ie ;Mu restless anxiety. During the continuance Dr 3t runa llillrei ng up to-day, however, notwithstandlng the tiatna'giretnarks of Lord - Campbell with reference to the "eine ( ' n s g, Points of evidence against the prisoner, he pre ekhieitaa! coolness and indifference he has all along tl3 aene a most remarkable and extraordinary • h t r h' e repeatedly took notes of the summing up, trainass deliberate and systematic manner of a p . erson Pains interested in the case, and when any particular %tuts Stre et . him he communicated it in writing to his all ai It was done in a quiet easy manner, devoid of i ng th e " „.3/ display, and not with the intention of attract s'etice of the nublic e Jury • e• s,having been called over and answered to their 4, 0 d ,"ezti„,, Campbell, who was aain very inaudible, said last e ; e 7t l of the ury,-At the adjournment of the Court the e sae l ing I finished the task of laving before you all tl lt e doe s ' a e li t a en the part . of the prosec . iition, and certainly "Maw Ares en serious case against the prisoner, if ere& " arrars that in the middle of November tbas,Plisoner wir ate ewee ,w . Ps involved in pecuniary difficulties of the a 6 meeeate nature. He had engagements , to perform .rr Was unable to meet without the most extra . ordi a•a;:Xertie irs• He had to make payments for which . he s'enerePared, and an action had been brought against to ote d his mother on a forged bill of exchange. He lead te s i se ' t, and he had no property on which money could ' L ee d ee d• It so happened that on the 13th of November .no. 'of h is heased became possessed of . .1,900 by the winning orse Polestar, and there is evidence from which tlea ig the il e fe e r e ellee may be drawn that the prisoner framed the C 1. 411 a PPropriating the money of the decease . d to his 3 ' cal 10-71; He took means to accomplish that object, for hem sett find that he appropriated Cook's money to the . als o „,,,`, e t of debts of which he alone was liable. There is es,;'luence from which it may be inferred that he drew • fora ue in the name of Cook upon Weatherby which . was tool,—Ye; in order to obtain part of the money belonging to l esti ls „ This was in Weatherby's hands, and you have the move evidence that he employed Fisher to collect Cook's 'EN % Y e at i s ti apply it to his owu use. It also appe h ars a eolest Cook ' s death he would become possessed of the horse ° Med ar ' and You have the evidence of his having ab . that e a do.ennseas, which was to be produced, to the effect . l iable ert am bills of exchange on which they were jointly / Thica l : i s er a negociated for Cook's advantage only and from i Wa il e sSS'e prisoner derived no benefit, was brought . or that after Cook's death. If, however, Cook had survived, Pani e l; ra ad must have been exposed, and the prisoner . 131 14 ett It is said that, with respect to the joint Ba be ter , Cook and Palmer,hat by Cook's death it must all If p a p a% on hi m . That rather a distant object, for . se ean mer got possession of all Cook's property by this the i S ' ia e would not be a sufferer by his death. As to 1 30 8- ta l ie rtant question, whether Cook might be lsuo oisT to have died from natural disease, or from iaa4 l, You have heard the evidence of Sir Benjamin and other most honourable and able men in Proe es - m 41 ut a; on, who said that, in their opinion, he did 'dig": of natural disease-that they knew of no natural avai ei ; e r lhat wo u ld account f or th ose s y m pt oms under sonar Cook laboured previous to his death ; but, on the Ve e ,; a rY, that th ey b elieved that the symptoms d esc ribed sine a i n i eh as might be expected from the use of strych tetaa-'iat, comparing those symptoms with natural ba el fts, they did not correspond, but they did with those atat e g4 htl by strychnine. Then with regard to . the etui r i e l rnt that no strychnine was found in the bod on o e la w vs for your consideration but there is no point ade ! eessST which poison must be found in the bodyof pois(7?erson, who has died from the administration of bee e ' and respecting poison not being found in Cook's coet",,h3' Professor Taylor and Dr. Rees, who analysed the You l i nt s Of that part of it which was forwarded to h t r he s m t them, 4304 a aye W itnesses of great reputation, and Dr. Ci certaini leireorneng the number, who stated that under h Ased.prnstances strychnine cannot be found in the human andij e a lli You have the evidence of Professor Taylor stem tikes, Who experimented on animals destroyed . by 1 2 1 th o lilh e, that they were unable to find it in the bodies . "ete e C e animals by resorting to the same method of eook:° 11 that they employed in examining the body . of i Nate" in which no strychnine was found. With 'rati on `,., 0 the length of time between the alleged adminis 44ear " e t . the strychnine as the time the symptoms that „ s e u, the evidence seems to lead to this conclusion, is sgle!te.h depends on the state of the person whom it teeedlhistred, aud the manner in whic it is a r t in me e atate a 4 t that in many instances a great s space o i ' h ssisa hetsveen the ingestion of the poison anddeath in hie, bsings than in animals L o • Serga nt Shee That's not in evidence, my lord. 'euue s r e d 9ampbell : e l't was agreed on both sides in the Nit np : (3 ' the trial that reference might be made . by the ze e gaes to known cases of medical writers bearnig on as - a re and in the works referred to that principle . itienowledged, and I therefore am justified in kr, Lord esQ'rgeant Shee shook his head. Heart o,;'aetnPbell : There being no blood found in the V r e e d on - i L ie Post mortem examination appears to be re- • Lieata - ey the prosecution, and the result is this, t . ha teryo be produced by the obstruction of the re . spi t r i a : he art,t regans producing asphyxia, blood is found in e blood is if by spasms of the heart it contracts, the i. °theasee seexPelled and none is found in it. And th ' i tk n ws that in two instances it has proved to la c e e t v he h un human subject. Under these circumstances . Whi c h a 've to look at the evidence of the prosecution With eFhes to show that the prisoner first tampered his b ran victim by administering to him something . in t Was p r ,a ll : l Y and water and in broth, the latter of which • li e - " a ken of by the n female Mills, and, accordin . g Ared u re evidence and that of Lavinia Barnes, it have Cod the same symptoms on her as it did on Cook. You hady, " N cl h e ree of antimony being found in the deceased's von :k i th, v eeh shows that tartar emetic, which produces had s ourc e been administered to him, but from what hav e th a n ti for what purpose you are to say. Then you the a evidence that the prisoner procured strychnine on 11 01 b : 11 ,, d a L Y and Tuesday nights, but for what purpose . has I)eaeheti; shown; neither had the prisoner attempted to im "Was ,474 e evidence of the witnesses in respect to it. What 110 eip u i e a i ntention ?-what was the application of it . Th) t to nation had been given of it, and it was impossible at th e Pay attention to the conduct of the prisoner sii t i ati bar, in reference to Cook's death, without c:n bond n g t Whether it was such as was consistent with the t age "- v, °f a guilty or innocent man. He was most eofe n r t " at the body should be fastened down in the hav e ' es , a , ll ,c l with regard to the deceased's betting-book . you ho o k '''Lnence from which you may infer that the betting tsyin Was abstracted by the prisoner. Tuen, in was lito bribe the postboy to overturn the fly in which aati n n l • a jar containing the parts of the body for analy- Nyhe 4 a nd we mi g ht c ;twe l ve th e ev id en ce of his guilt . RU N . We find hi m tamper i ng w i t h th e p os t mas t er o f Tas,h ) ;rl and getting him to open a letter from Dr. a fter he had examined the contents of the . jar, to also eatdiner, the attorney for the prosecution. We Indee e ll e it , t he prisoner tampering with the coroner, to 'that w - „`",n l _, to procure a verdict from the coroners jury, Inatt er , al c u t amount to an acquittal. These are serious moat for Your consideration, and you, and you alone, t h en; 81 ,: v e what inf e rence is to be drawn from bl' th e e , -14 they are not answered satisfactorily if prisoner they present a serious case against him ; fiad ° lt ale satisfied that they are, you will, of . course, The e at the prosecution has failed to make out its case. co nsisqs ils o sv f er which the prisoner has given to the charge . "den,. two parts ; the first consisting of medical to and the second as to the fact. With regard t ho "' ri fler, a number of gentlemen of the high , s: Isoowit, unsullied integrity, and of profound scientific spe a k ed g; have come forward with a sincere desire to a p r , the truth, and to bring the investigation to th e i r 'Per issue; but it is for you to say whether, from man ner in the w it ness -b ox , e i t h er o f t h em h a d sate d the character of a witness into that of an advo extre„r, if so, s uc h con d uc t was repre h ens ib le i n the seed s The :ea rne d j u d ge th en procee d e d , and read the I e e`- n ee of the defence, commencing with Dr. Nunnel3's. vva:lB eviden ce he stated that in the case he had seen there flo ot n , °t !Lore than the ordinary amount of rigidity; steel Was, t important pirt of the statement of Dr. Nunnely , vari , that on the post mortem examinations he had in st, 41)1 Y found the heart full after death. This circum _ differs from the state of the heart of Cook, as it was she, "hats!. At th e conc l us i on of the ev id ence hi s lord 'juts "aid—i am sure you will give your most serious atten „, it to the f acts mentioned by this witness, as they differ iretesrfially from the medical evidence for the prosecution. of r . 'ate3 there was no more than the ordinary amount It_lgidity after death, and he also attaches great import come to t tis the heart of Mr. en Cook bsing found empty is . I now he evidence giv by Mr. Herepath. H lordship THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY. having read it at length, said—Mr. Herapath is a skilful chemist, and he diffeis with Mr. Nunnely as to the rigidity itf the body after death. In the cases he had seen the bodies of the animals were found perfectly rigid, and he .. also was of opinion that had strycli:nine been administered it ought to have been discovered. But he gave an opinion even in this case to the effect that there might have he'n strychnine present, and Dr. Taylor and br. Rees might not have taken the proper means to dis'oover it. But they had it in evidenie in the two cases where Dr. Tay lor and Dr. Rees had adthinistered strychnia to the animal experimented Upon the poison had not been found. We next have the evidence of Dr. Rogers, a professor of chemistry in the St. George's School of Medicine, who had experimented upon decomposed animal matter and had discovered the poison, as the jury would recolleCt When they heard his evidence read to thenft. According to this evidence, where the strychnia had been mixed with imuure matter it ought to have been discovered. The ss was Dr. Henry Letheby, a bachelor of medi ine in the London Hospital. This gentleman said that ext Witne he had paid great attention to the action of poison on living bodies ; and in his evidence he stated that in the acccunt he had heard of Cook's death there was nothing which dif fered from death by tetanus caused by strychnine ; and he further stated that the symptoms of Cook's death were quite irreconcileable with anything he had ever heard. Dr. Letheby no doubt spoke sincerely. Ha was a skilful, sci entific, and honourable man, and he stated that w 1 Pre strych nine had been administered he should expect to find it, and it would he for the jury to say whether proper means had been taken to discover the poison. Then Dr. Gay was called, and he detailed a decided case of tetanus. It was that of a labouring man. He stated it was a cave of idiopathic tetanus. The man was kept alive till the 14th day, when he died. Here is a case of idiopathic tetaturs, and it would be for the jury to infer What analogy there was with the case of Cook. The evidence that had been given, 1 think, goes to show the case of death was no mere idiopathic tetanus than traumatic. Then they had the evidence of Dr. Brown. [His lordship here read the evidence, which went to show that the case spoken to was one of tetanus in which there had been syphilis, but there were wounds of old standing in different parts of the body.] It will be recollected that there was none of these wounda, according to the evidence for the prosecution, on the body of Cook. At the conclusion of the reading of the evidence of this witness, his lordship said—Here is a case of tetanus, but I don't know why it is brought forward, but in this case it will also be for you, gentlemen, to draw your own conclusion. There were wounds of old standing on the body of this man, but this was not the case with Cook ; there were no wounds on the body, and in this case the symptoms so nearly represented those pro duced by strychnine that its presence was actually suspected. They had the evidence of the house suraeon in the same point, and then Mr. Wrightson, a pupil of Liebig. The evidence of this witness was then read, and it stated that the witness had been employed by the Crown to mike several analyses. He was of opinion that strychnine ought to have been detected, as he had himself discovered it both in a pure and impure state. The witness also stated that he had discovered the poison in the blood of both cats and dogs that had been killed by the poison, and he was of opinion that strychnine did not de compose in the act of poisoning, or in the entering into the circulation; and in that opinion, he stated, he was decided. The witness went on to say it might possibly change into some substance, but he should still be able to detect it. The most minute portions of strychnine, in the opinion of this gentleman, ought to be found. At the conclusion of the reading of the other portions of this gentleman's evi dence, his lordship said—This gentleman says that strych- nine does not undergo deconi;:osition, and he gave his evidence in such a manner as to merit the highest commen dation from the Court; at the same time it was important to observe that when a full dose was taken he could not tell if it was finally deposited in the blood or ti-sues upon reaching the point at which it kills. The evidence of Dr. Partridge, a gentleman of the highest ability, went to show that death was produced by an attack of arachnitis. The evidence was read at length by his lordship, who observed : It appears to be the evidence of this gentleman that Cook died in a spasm, but that spasm did not arise from arachnids. Dr. Gay was then examined. This gentleman detailed a case of tetanus which he had under his care. It was of a boy in whom tetanus was caused by the smashing of the second toe. I do not think that this case bears the slightest analogy to Cook's case. Dr. M'Donald was next examined. [The evidence given by this gentleman was then read ; it is stated that he had been called to a case, that of Catherine Watson, in one of the hospitals in Edinburgh, in which strychnine had been taken by mistake. In that case he found the body arched and rigid, but the patient, however, recovered. He also attributed Cook's death to epileptic convulsions with tetanic complications. He had also, he stated in evidence, seen two cases of idiopathic tetanus ; and, in answer to questions put to him, he said he never knew a person dying of epilepsy retaining his consciousness till death actually took place. He further states that it was within the range of probability that mental or sensual excitement might have caused Cook's death, or that the white spots spoken to might have also caused death. He stated that he had known cases of epilepsy where the patient was well the next day, after an epileptic attack.] The reading of the evidence having been finished, his lordship remarked—you tee, gentlemen of the jury, the length to which this witness goes—he adopts a new term of disease, epileptic convulsions with tetanic complications, and, according to his opinion, the disease might arise from mental or sensual excitement, and it will be for you, gentlemen of the jury, to say what amount of importance you will attach to this part of the case. Dr, Robinson was then examined with a view of showing that Cook's death might have arisen from epi lepsy; but, befare the gentlemen could give such an opinion, he sta' ed it would be necessary to ascertain the absence of strychnine. Now, the symptoms in Cook's case did not bear out the inference that he died from epilepsy, as h.e retained his consciousness to the last. Dr. Richardson was the last medical witness examined, and this gentleman thought that death might have been caused through angina pectoris, and he stated that in the cases he had seen they so resembled the symptoms of strychnia, that had he spoken to this examination, — that, if at the time he had known as much about strych nia as he did now, he might have been led to sus pect strychnine being present in those instances. Now, gentlemen, continued his lordship, if you should come to the conclusion that strychnia was not given to Cook, of course you will give a verdict in favour of the prisoner, but if on the other hand you should be of 'a contrary opinion, and you think that the deadly poison was administered by the prisoner to the deceased, it would become your bounden duty to return a verdict of guilty. I have now gone through the whole of the medical evidence, and think it will be better if the court at this point adjourn for a short time. By way of episode, it may be remarked that up to the time of adjournment, and as Lord Chief Justice Campbell disposed of case after case brought forward by the defence, and showed how they failed to tend in any respect to the prisoner's advantage, Palmer buried his face in his hands, and when he resumed his original position, his countenance bore strong indications of the violent emotions with which he was contending. He seemed to be labouring under the impression —an opinion indeed which was shared by every One in the court—that the observations of the judge were producing a marked effect upon the jury, and lessening every moment the chance of the prisoner's acquittal. Strange as it may appear in the face of this statement, it is perfectly true that, as Palmer was stepping out of the dock on the adjournment of the court, he dropped a note to Mr. Smith, his solicitor, stating that he felt perfectly certain of an acquittal. At a quarter past one, the learned judges returned into court. The Court re-assembled after an adjournment of about twenty minutes, when Lord Chief Justice Campbell resumed his painful and arduous task. His Lordship said—l have now gone through the whole of the medical evidence for the defence, and shall proceed to that portion of it that relates to the other part of the defence, and went through the evidence of the police inspector as to the time the train left London for Rugeley..and also that of the publican. who spoke of Cook belonging to a cricket club, and his hunting, which proved deceased to have been in good health at that time. The learned judge then went into the evidence of the witness Sargent, and asked them if they thought that Cook was in bad health. He now came to a most impor tant witness, that was Jeremiah Smith—he was most material in determining one part of the case, "and it would be for you to say what faith can be placed in what he has said. His lordship then went through the whole of the evidence, which spoke of the pills, upon the Monday night, and about the state of deceased's throat when dressed by Thirlby. Gentlemen, you have heard the account which this witness has given of his handwriting to the documents upon the subject of Walter Palmer's life. He admitted to you that he received 51., and it is for you to say whether he did not receive that for having attested the policy upon Walter Palmer's life; if you believe this, you will say what reliance you can place upon his veracity. You can find that he knew that for six years Walter Palmer had been a penniless man. Again, the transaction he was engaged in with the life of Bates. He knew the condition of the man, and yet he tried to effect an insur ance for £lO,OOO upon his life. Jould they doubt that he got himself made an agent for the purpose of for warding that view. It will be for you to say whether you can believe a man whom you find engaged in such transactions. His evidence was most important as it pro ved, if believed, that the pills made by Dr. Bamford on the Monday night could not have been interfered with by Palmer, as they were taken by Cook before Palmer could get at them. His lordship Ulm read the letter upon racing matters which had been put in at the close of the defence, to show that the prisoner and deceased were connected in business matters. He had now gone through the whole of the evidence, and it was for them to say how far it affected that upon the part of .the Crown. The important question was, were the symp toms of the deceased's death consistent with death by strychnia, and if so, was it changed by the medical evidence given for the defence. Prisoner's witnesses agreed that Cook's symptoms were those of strych nine, although they could not account for its absence after death. Then with regard to the facts, there was a difference about the brandy and water supposed to have been dosed, and the evidence of Jeremiah Smith respect . ing the return of the p r i soner to R uge l e y upon the Monday night, and it was for them to say whether that altered•the opinion which the previous evidence would have upon their minds as to the prisoner's conduct. There was the fact of his eagerness to get the body disposed of. No answer had been given to that; nor yet with regard to the absence of the betliti; book and the prisoner tampering with the coroner, and bribing the post-boy. Then, above all, there was no explanation as to what had becnnie of the strychnine purchased by.the prisoner. The case was before them, and unless they thought that clear couv . ction was brought to their minds as to the prisoner's guilt, it was their duty to acquit him. They were not to proceed upon suspi cion, or even strong susp'cion, but there must be strong conviction in their minds, and if there was any reasonable doubt, give the prisoner the benefit of the douht ; but if they came to a clear conclusion as to his guilt, they were not to allow any suggestion made by the defence to deter tE6'd from doing their duty. They were to remember the oath which they had taken, and upon that act. The learned judge, who was moved to tears, added, in conclusion, " And may God direct you to a right verdict." Mr. Sergeant Shee submitted to the Court that the ques tion whether the symptoms were consistent with strych nine ought to have been submitted. _ . . _ rd V Campbell : I have told the jury, unless they think jmptoms described agree with the supposition that the deceased died from strychnine, and, consistent with the facts, that they ought to acquit the prisoner. Mr, Baron Alderson said that had been stated in the summing up by the Lord Chief Justice. After a me further remarks from Mr. Sergeant Shee, Lord Campbell told the jury that not only must they be satisfied that the symptoms described agreed with the sup position that the deceased died from strychnine, but that it was administered by the prisoner. It was then twenty minutes past two, and the jury retired. AUSTRALIA. the strtival of the new ship Hogue. Captain Neatby, which arrived at Plymouth on Monday, we have adt'ices fi•orn Sydney to the 4th March, on which day the ship left that port. The Hogue brings gold dust valued at .elOO.OOO, 2,800 bales of wool, 40 adult passengers, and 20 children. Sir Charles Nicholson, speaker of the council, has come home on two years' leave of absence. The excitement regarding the election: was increasing as the day of polling (the 121 h), approached. Trade was improving. Ex , hange continued at 3 per cent premium; gold, £3 18s per Os. ; &Jur, £25; beef, 5d per lb ; wool, Is to is (11 ; freight, hi per lb. The diggings in the flew French settlement at New Caledonia are not prosperous, the natives being verj , troublesome. . . From Melbourne under date of March 4, we learn that the quantity of gold found in the preceding weelswas in excess of the quantity of any previous week since the discovery. The detailed list is as follows : —The escorts have brought from Mount Alexander and Bendigo, 25,843 ounce;; Balla rat including Geelong, 24,132 ditto ; the Ovens, 12,690 do; Fiery Creek, 5,581 do; Maryborough, 2,552 do ; Daisy= hill, 1,526 do ; Mllvor, 1,049 do ; Avoca, 742 do • Mount Blackwood, 663 ditto. Total amount this week, 74,778 ozs., and total for the year, 462,152 ounces. The gold shipped up to the 29th of February—i.e., for the first two months of this year, amounts to 530,999 oz• value, £2,123,596. Hitherto we have been dealing with the official accounts, but there is good reasan to believe that a considerable quantity of gold finds its way out of the colony without finding its way into the collector's books, A large seizure of 2,000 ounces has just been made, and the way it chanced was this : —lt appeared from returns collected by Mr. Kuhle that some 6,000 or 7,000 ounces had been exported from Hobart Town, whereas our exports to Hobart Town appeared all the while almost nominal. This put the Custom-house people on the qui vine, and they found the gold concealed in a package of other goods shipped by a Jew house of Mellmrue and Hobart Town. The Commissioner of Trade and Customs affects to ignore the existence of smuggling, but I believe a considerable quantity goes over the border to Sydney, where it is coined into Australian sovereigns. The Council has increased its vote of £50,000 to £75,000, Bo as to induce New South Wales to joi❑ Victorid in taking the whole risk of the colonial contingent in the first instance (to save time), endeavouring to recover a fail' proportion from Tasmania, South Australia, and New Z3aland hereafter. o,le of the mast striking features in the population return of this colony is the very small excess of births over deaths, owing to the great disproportion of the sexes. If it were not for immigration our increase would be under 1,300, or less than per cent. per annum (accurately . 0467 per cent). The Council, in voting £lOO,OOO for imigra tion, required that half should b e sp en t in bringing out single women. Labour is now becoming scarce, and building has risen about 40 per cent.; so also have road c'ntracts. The colony could abs3rb 50,000 people a year, without a decline in the condit'on of the working classes. We continue well supplied with moisture—grass green, harvest good, trade improving. SELECT VESTRY.-YESTERDAY, The usual fortnightly meeting of the select vestry was held in the parish offices, at one o'clock yesterday. Tho Rev. Rector Campbell occupied the chair. The following gentle men were present—Messrs Bold, Crillin, Syred, Denton, Metier, Udine, Vairstow, Critchley, Jackson, Woodruff, Taylor, Satchell, Lunt, Smith, W. Jones, V . /bitty, Owen. Cook, Hastings, Brancker, and Wise. WORKHOUSE COMMITTEE. The proceedings of this committee were read. It appeared that the numbers admitted' into the vagrant sheds last week were 232 males, 109 females, and 47 children, in all 328. The number ot skit caFes in hospitv.l on the 17th inst was 628 including 44 fever and 41 itch. The total number of paupers in the house on the 21st inst, was 2,257 The mir contained an entry to the effect that in consideration of several reports submitted by the outdoor inspectors of inattention and negligence regarding sick cases, on the part of Dr. Thompson and Dr. Newton, the medical officers of the house, and these gentlemen having been called upon to resign, and having refused to do so, the committee recommended that the appoint ment of these officers be determined at trace months' ❑otice. Mr. Shaw moved the confirmation of the proceed ings. He referred to the recoMmedation regarding the medical officers, which he spoke of as a matter serious and painrul to tha committee• as well as to the whole board. A very large meeting of the committee entered upon the matter patiently and quietly, and unanimously came to the canclusion that the medical officers had grossly neglected their duty, and had not paid the attention they should have done to the cases they were bound to attend. To show that the board had the power of carrying out the recommendation of the committee lie would read an extract from the proceedings of the board at the time the appointment was made, which would inform the meet ing of the terms on which the medical officers were engaged. Mr. Shaw read the following extract : v " The board proceeded to the appointment of medical officers, Pursuant to Mr. Fairhurst's notice of motion at the last meet ing, and upon the following terms and conditions, viz : Each of the candidates to possess the double qualification prescribed by the poor law board ; to devote his whoie time to the ser vices of the select vestry in attention as well to the sick cases as to the dilligent performance of vaccination ; to reside in his district, or at a short distance therefrom if approved by the select vestry under special circumstances. The appointment to be determinable upon three months' rnic° from any date. Salary, £2OO per annnm, with vaccination but nd other foes. Medicines to be provided by the parish." Mr. Shaw said from the nature of the appointment it was perfectly clear that the board had full power to give notice to determine it. Having been called upon to resign, the medical officers had refused to to so, and the only course the com mittee had left was to call upon the board to put aleir recom mendation into operation. The committee had no longer any confidence, he was sorry to say, in those two gentlemen, and they therefore called upon the board to confirm their oceedings. On the suggestion of the Chairman Mr. Shaw_ consented to . . give notice of motion as regarded the dismissal of the medical officers, and merely moved that the remaining proceedings of the workhouse committee be confirmed by the vestry. The Clerk stated that a letter had been just received from Mr. Newton which he would read. Ile accordingly read the following letter 13, West Derby-street, May 24, 1856. Sir,—With all possible respect for the select vestry, I think have much reason to complain of the recent proceedings of e medical relief committee. If they had wished for my •esignation they should not have had to ask twice for it, nor toed they have resorted to the d'sgraceful mode in which they have recently attempted to get tip a case against me. I have been for more than three years surgeon to the worst district in Liverpool, crowded at all times with pauperism, filth, and disease, For tho last 18 months my weekly average of new cases has been over 100. In one single day last spring I had 67, or more tha❑ all the new cases that whole week at the Royal Infirmary. During the visitations of cholera and fever my dis trict has invariably been the worst in the town, and no one but myself knows the risks I have run or the fatigue I have endured. Besides these, as the parochial vaccinator, Ido more in this way than any other surgeon in Liverpool. With such a mass of duties (far more than one man can adequately per form) I have always felt that there must be many shortcomings, many omissions, and looked to the medical relief committee for indulgent consideration. Nor had I been charged by them on a single occasion with any neglect of duty whatever until last Thursday. It is true I had heard, a month or six weeks before, that Bowe man was making himself very busy poking about in my district, dogging my footsteps, calling upon former patients of mine, and telling them that he was employed by _ _ the parish to get up a case against me. But I did not believe these reports, though I heard them on all sides, until last Sunday week, after nineolelock in the evening, I received aletter from Mr. Hart, requesting my attendance at the palish offices on the following morning, to meet charges of netzlect brought against me by the " out-door inspector." I saw .Mr. Hart accordingly, and told him that if he would furnish me with a copy of the said charges I should he prepared to meet them. This ho promised to do, as well as to give me twenty•fo•ir hours notice before expecting me to attend. Day after day passed, and I heard no more of the matter. Then I received :a note, simply requiring my attendance at a meeting of the medical relief committee, without stating for what purpose. I called on Mr. Hart, and reminded him that I had received no copy of the charges against ne. This, he said, was ❑ot his fault; the matter had )een taken out of his hands. Well, I attended the meeting, hone) completely in the dark as to what I was wanted for. this" inspector" was present, with his " cases" all ready against me. He had been six weeks preparing, and I had not been allowed a single diy for my defence, nor the slightest glimpse than discretion. There is no man at this board who is mot" accustomed to sounding his own trumpet, and a very foolish although a very loud one j than himself. (Laughter.) If Mr. Denton's remarks are intended to apply to me, and to deter me from giving any information I know to be correct, through the press or in any other way, thenl deny his authority ; or that of any other portion of the board to deter me. I approve of every line of what was written in the) Mercury, whoever the authority may have been, excepting; i deed, the latter part regarding myself and my colleague. here is nothing there which is not every word of it true, nd if you do not wish to have amateur reporting, move at mice that reporters he admitted, and then you will not have ough I deny in this instance that there if you sir (to Mr. Denton) zeal, you would have arbh d repo. had as tnuch discretion known it. (Laughter.) The proc all, and a you 1: gs Were then confirmed INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL f this committee contained a resolution grouch as the committee had been greatly ng as to the religion of certain children is, and as the embarrasment chiefly arose in consequence of irregular applications made by the Roman Catholic clergymen attending the schools, the committee resolved that the religious designation of all children attending the schools, remain as established before by the governor d the workhonse, until a formal and per,onal demand to hand the designation altered, were made he any person or persosing legilly entitled to make such a dem:l,i, the demand to bel reported by the governor to the board, and decided on by them. _ _ Mr. W. Jones moved the confirmation of the proceeding, ' and urged at considerable length the necessity of adopting the resolution mentioned, in consequence of the continued ember rvsment and loss of time occasioned to the committee by application from the Ronan Catholic clergymen, to have the religious designation of children altered. He also stated that the clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Doyle, had been, although he would not say it was intentionally done, illegally communicat- ing with Protestant children. Mr. Whit ty strongly opposed the resolution, and contended that its effect would he to give an undua power to the governor of the house. He accordingly moved an amendment to the effect that the resolution be referred back to the committee. Mr. Satchell supported the recommendation of the coma mittee, and sated that he could prove in one instance ge least that the Roman Catholic priest had on a recent occasion, had one of the boys in a closet at the end of the school-room, with the door closed, and shut out from every human eye. He did not know what this meant, but if it were confession, he had a horror of confession, and of the darkness of the closet, and he contended that such proceedings should not be allowed by the board. Mr. Owen seconded the amendment, on the around that there was only a majority of one in the committee for the resolution, and that a recommenda'ion so important, tying up the hands of the board, should be more fully considered before it was adopted. A lengthened discussion followed, in which several gentlemen took part. The Chairman expressed an opinion that the only parties who had a legal right to make applicatfon for the change of al child's religious designation wore either the parents, the god• father, or godmother, or the nearest relation; and, in the absence of any of these, it should rest with the guardians themselves. The vestry finally divided, when there appeared five` for the amendment, and fourteen against it. The amendment sass, therefore, lost, and the proceedings were confirmed. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The proceedings of this committee were read, and, on the motion of Mr. Woodruff, confirmed. THE DAY OF REJOICING. Mr. Woodruff said he had been requested to state what the board intended to do on Thursday, that day being fixed as holiday, and day of general rejoicing. Under the present circumstances of the board, they were not able to dd much, but they would do some little. They intended to give the poor people in the workhouse a dinner of roast beef and plumb pudding at twelve o'clock. (Hear, hear). The industrial school, with their band, and such other children as were in the workhouse would join the general procession in London road. These children, preceded by the band ; and such portion of the vestry as thought the matter of sufficient impot , tance to deserve their astendance, would leave the schools at ten o'clock in the morning, and come to the workhouse, whetel they would get a good dinner, and there, as he had stated, join the general procession at one o'clock. It had been sug gested that the public buildings should be thrown open, and among them were the industrial schools. He believed there could be no objection to this, and, consequently, it was recom mended that the industrial schools should be opened to the public on that day. (Hear, hear). Mr. Shaw gave notice that at the next meeting he would propose a member in the room of Mr. Jardine, who was dis qualified for non-attendance. The vestry soon after adjourned. THE DOCTRINE OF INSPIRATION TO TAE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES Sir,—My attention has been drawn to a letter on the above subject, which appeared in the Courier of the 21st inst., signed by the Rev. J. B. Lowe, and although a simple layman, and one who must therefore be at a manifest dis advantage in a theological argument with such an adversary, it is most probable that I may, nevertheless, trouble you at the close of his disquisitions with a short reply to his lengthy, but to my mind not very convincing, arguments, which, I think, must on all sides be admitted to characterise a jealous and splenetic disposition, rather than that of a clergyman, and a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus, whose teaching was certainly in total contrariety to that breathed from beginning to eud of Mr. Lowe's vituperative two-column letter. May not the fact of Mr. Macnaught's book, driving at the root of our rev. friend's favourite hobby t viz., the " Millenium and the New Jerusalem," be the cause of this manifestation of angry feeling ? T, too, Mr. Vditor, have also read Mr. Macnaught's book, and although I may not be prepared to agree with him in all the conclusions he comes to, I do not intend for the present to trespass upon your columns with any remarks respecting it, my sole obJect being to remind your readers that if they would judge impartially of a most important subject, they must not form any opinion of the work, reviewed in the half and half and injust manner in which it has been by Mr. Lowe, who, to suit purposes of his own, appears to me to quote small portions of the book, and stops short at the noints where the author advances his arguments in proof of his position. If Mr. Lowe wishes to place before the public an honest and straightfirward reply to Mr. Macnitoghtts book, let him take up the various points in it, seriatim, in a pamphlet, and not in such a disjointed and unconnected form as a series of letters in a public journal. " A clear stage and no favour" will then be accorded to both parties, which every one, I am sure, is most anxious each should have. _ It is, Mr. Editor, the glorious privilege of an Englishman (even if he be a common criminal) to have evenhanded justice meted out to him, and surely the man who has the manly and honest courage to avow his conscientious opinion in the way Mr. Macnaught has done, and to peril his position as a minister of the Established Church (if he be in error), by advancing arguments in contrariety to the generally received notions of the day, is entitled at our hands to every consideration and respect, however in the long run we may find it needful to differ from him. It is, sir, therefore on the principle of justice that I would, in conclusion, say to those of your readers who may take an interest in the s ubject (and what Christian does not ?), to read the book calmly, patiently, and carefully, and then judge for them selves. And to Mr. Lowe, I would, as a friend, say, let that Christian charity, which is so strongly inculcated in the New Testament, be your guide in any future lucubrations you may feel inclined to make on this subject.—Your obedient servant, A ClinacuarA.x. P.S.—Since the foregoing was written I am happy to find that Mr. Lowe has had the sting of his argument treated with a proper antidote at the hands of a brother " Layman," as published in your impression of this morning, and to which I shall patiently wait Mr. Lowe's reply THE OVERLAND MAIL. The arrival at Malta of the Borysthew, French steamer, on the 22nd instant, brings us intelligence in anticipation of the mail. From the summary of the Bombay Times of the 28th April we cull the following items of news :—A little physical commotion has saved our columns from present ing the total blank of intelligence to which our profound political tranquillity would otherwise have reduced us. On the 6th and ith instant, a succession of shocks of earthquake was experienced over nearly the whole of the Puojaub, and so on to Simla; the mischief occasioned by them does not seem to have been at all considerable. Casual storms begin now to make their appearance in anticipation of the south-west monsoon. Heavy rain fell on the 4th all over Lower Bengal, and about the same date there were sharp thunder-storms at Madras and Ceylon. On the 18th a violent storm was experienced in the Arabian Sea, and serious apprehensions are enter tained for the fate of the Queen steamer, which has since then been missing. The only single case of disquietude within our domin ions we Kaye heard of for sbrne months past is another outburst among the Moplahs in Malabar. With this triflinfr, exception, the most profound peace prevails through every part of India. The latest news from Burmah is to the 2nd inst.; every thing was then quiet. Some of the local authorities had paid a visit to Bassein to examine the proposed site for the new town of Dalhousie, and the result is said to have been its entire condemnation. Fires had been very prevalent, and so much rice had been destroyed that it was feared the price of this article would be raised. A soldier of H.M.'s 84th Foot had been murdered, and two Burmese have confessed to having participated in the murder, and offered to point out others implicated in the bloody deed. The King of Oude has got so far as Benares, on his way to England, in quest of the redress of his wrongs, urged to the measure. much against his inclinations, by a band of grievance-mongefs proposing to plunder him. Oude meanwhile enjoys the most perfect tranquility, not the slightest appearance of discontent on the change of mas ters have manifested itself. General Sir James Outram has been suffming so much from indisposition t hat he is about to start on six months' leave of absence to Europe, Ali Moorad, chief of Khyrpnor, is now in Bombay, on his way to London, like the King of Oude, in quest of redress for his wrongs. The ship Clairvoyant, from Calcutta for Madras, struck upon a reef to the southward of the Seven Pagodas. She made so much water that it was deemed prudent to run her ashore to prevent her from sinking, and it is feared that with the first rouch weather she will go to pieces. The ship Cairngorm, from London, in coming into Bombay harbour last Monday morning, got upon the Prongs, near the light-house, about daybreak ; it was nearly low water at the time, and she was safely towed off by the Hon. Company's steamer Gulnare. Seen as the sun rose, she presented an appearance singularly similar to that of the ship Castlereagh as she stuck fast on the same point on the 19th of June, 1840. Luckily for the Cairngorm, she had the north-west in place of the south-west monsoon to deal with, and so escaped pretty nearly scatheless. The Castlereagh was dashed to pieces where she struck. In the market, business in imparts is dull, and prices de clining. Exports are quiet, and prices of cotton steady, with a fair amount of transactions going forward to China Freights are firm, and looking up. Exchange is declining rapidly, our money market belng easier, with a slight im provement in all descriptions of securities. COMMEItIAL INTELLIGENCE BOMBAY MARKETS FROM 15TH TO 27TH APRIL, 1856. Our money market during the fortnight has beeome deci. dedly easier, and although the banks have made no further reduction in their rates of interest, we are still of opinion tha a reduction in present rates must take place soon. IMPORTS. The state of the import market during the past ten days has not been encouraging, and the sales have been moderate, the demand for goods being very languid. -- Grey shirtings of all desciiptions are dull, and scarcely main tain their last value. G ra y madapollams aro but slightly sought after, and have declined in value. Gray j 'collets are generally l ower i n va l ue th an at t h e d a t e of our last report. Gray T cloths of all descriptions have declined, and prices have fallen t to 1 anna per piece. Gray longcloths are very much neglected, and remain almost without inquiry. Gray domestics are not inquired after, and remain in a very depressed condition. Bleached Goods : Shirtings only of middling quality are in inquiry, other descriptions are dull, as also are madapollams and jaconets. Twill of all descriptions are scarce. Cotton Yarn : A fair amount of business has been done. Coloured yarns are much depressed in value, Turkey red an( dyed orange being very difficult to put off. Metals generally are difficult of sale, being little inquired after, and only at reduced prices. English bar iron—nail rod, square and round, and sheets—are dull and have declined, as have also Swedish bar and steel. Hoop remains as last quoted. Lead, 'pig, has declined. Sheets are scarce. In tin plate there is no change. Spotter is in moderate inquiry. Copper sheathing has declined. Nails are dull, but bolts are scarce and in demand. Hemp, with :he exception of Calicut, which has advanced a little, remains as last nnoted. Exports : Sheep's Wool : We have no change to note in our quotations--the demand is good. Cotton wool is being received in large quantities, and the market for all descriptions is very steady, large purchases having been made both for the English and China markets. Opium : During the past week there has been some slight inquiry for the drug, and purchases are beginning to be made, the quotations being, for Mundlesier, 1,130 r to 1,140 r, and for Indore, 1,125 r to 1,135 r. Freights have an advancing tendency, tonnage not being abundant. We quote for cotton, to London, £4 to £4 2s 6d, and to Liverpool, £4 5.. Exchange : Only a small business has been done for this steamer in first-elms paper at 2s 1-1-4, and in local credits and documents at 2s 2td to 2s 2d. THE MINISTER OF WAR AND THE EARL OF LIICAN.— A correspondence of rather a serious nature has, we hear, taken place between Lord Panmure and Lord Lucan, regarding some of the proceedings before the Chelsea com mission. It may be remembered that Lord Lucan stated before the board that the Crimean commissioners' report bad been " manufactured" between the commissioners and the Secretary of State for War. Lord Panmure, it is said, has called upon Lord Lucan to retract the offensive expres sion, while Lord Lucan in reply justifies and refuses to qualify it. In consequence of this reply, Lord Panmure, it is also sa•d, has replied to the effect that the matter must come before the military authorities, for the considera tion of what steps arc necessary to vindicate the authority of his office. In short, unless well authenticated rumours are quite in error, the affair is one which must be fought out to the uttermost, and which will seriously try the skill and integrity of the Horse Guards..—Scotsman. of his charges, Probably there was reason, for I am told the man cannot spell half-a-dozen words together correctly, and that these charges are full of the most absurd errors. A man was y brought forward as a witness against me whose child died in the beginning of last November, and I was expected, at a moment's notice, to defend myself trom a rambling charge of inattention to it. How was this possible or likely? I had only seen it-a few days before death, and since then I find I have given 172 death notes. In fact, had entirely forgotten the case. I knew, however, that the man was a notorious bad character—a drunkard and a liar ; that he had boasted to many of having got is out of the inspector for telling tales against me, and that this precious " inspector" had striven hard to get him more parish relief, though he knew him to be in full work at the time. This could have been proved by the uvidence of the relieving officer, and of half-a-dozen other people. But I was taken to task for calling the man a vagabond, and told that, as to the " inspector," it was sufficient for me that he was obeying their orders. A case was then brought forward on which I had bestowed the utmost care whilst under my charge ; yet the poor patient had been got to sign with a cross a paper she didn't know the contents of, and full of mis statements (partly by threat). Nay, I can prove that this " inspector" threatened her with handcuffs, that she should be dragged through the streets, &c., and even took down one of the parish officers dressed as a police officer, the more effectually to terrify her into compliance. The poor woman, however, would not answer the committee one way or the other, and they would not allow me to question her, or I could have got some racy things from her as to the way in which this " inspec tor" gets up charges. A woman was also brought forward who said that she sent for me to attend her in labour and that I was out. The fact was, it was in the middle of the afternoon, and I was on my rounds. I could not be in two places at once. But I was told by the committee that I ought to provide a legally-qualified assistant to do the extra work. I was then told to retire, and being recalled soon after, the chairman said the committee wished me to resign, or they must try to compel me. Though for what reason, or what were the charges they con sidered proved against me, he forgot to say, and I am still quite in the dark about the matter. Now, I will just add that such evidence, so obtained, from inch witnesses. was not worth the paper it was written on ; and that if the committee choose to pay a fired spy to dog the footsteps of their medical officer, and to give ls. and parish pay to every tale-bearer, why the result may be easily guessed. For myself, feeling that after so pain ful an occurrence I could not retain my present office, I shall have the honour of giving the stipulated notice of my resigna tion at the next meeting of the select vestry. With my hearty thanks to them for previous considerate forbearance and kindness under many difficulties, I have the honour to remain, sir, your very obedient servant, JOHN NEWTON. Mr. Denton said he quite agreed with every word which had fallen from the chairman of the workhouse committee. He thought the committee came to a just conclusion, that they had performed their duty, and performed no more. But he objected to a proceeding which he feared had of late increased. Tho system of amateur reporting of the proceedings of the different committees, was the matter to which he objected— the carrying out from the commi.tees of their proceedings, and reporting them without any sanction in the public papers. Such reporting, he feared, would in time be injurious to the board, as in this way ex parte statements without the knowledge of the chairman or the committee in general. If they were to have their proceedings reported at all, let them invite the reporters to come and give a proper report of the proceedings of the whole of the meeting, so that both sides might be properly put before the public. He referred to an article which appeared in the Mercury of last Saturday. That article appeared to have been reported by a vestryman, a com mitteeman, or one of the churchwardens themselves. If it were a committeeman, he should object to any committeeman making such statements, without having the sanction of the chairman or the committee. He considered that the com mittee did no more than their duty, and if they did it with any intention of gloryfying themselves, h 3 thought that was a very improper feeling. The punishment of the indivi dual concerned should have been guile sufficient with ou t torturing before death. If the article in question proceeded from the churchwardens, he contended th a t suc h a course of Self glorification ought not to have proceeded from these gentlemen. He agreed in a great portion of what was stated in the article in regard to the churchwardens themselves. They were fit and proper persons for their places, and they needed not to glorify themselves. If it were so, he would recommend that the vestry put them under a glass, and keep them as specimens of churchwardens for the future. (Laughter.) Mr Wo,Atuff: I am afraid, sir, Mr. Denton has more zeal THE VERDICT. At a quarter before four the jury returned into court amid breathless silence. The prisoner was immediately placed at the bar. He appeared calm and collected, although by the twitching of his lip it was evident his anxiety was at the highest pitch. The names of the jurors having been called over, Mr. Straight, the clerk of the arraigns, said, Gentlemen, are you all agreed upon your verdict ? Mr. Mayor, the foreman : We are. Do you find the pris , mer at the bar, William Palmer, guilty or not guilty ? The Foreman : GUILTY. Mr. Straight then addressed the priioner thus Palmer, you stand convicted of wilful murder. Have you anything to say why you should not receive judgment to die according to law ? The prisoner made no reply. THE SENTENCE The crier of the court (Harker) then made the usual proclamation commanding si:enee to be kept whilst the sentence of death was being passed. Their lordships having put on their black caps, Lord Campbell, in a voice that at times was scarcely audible, said—William Palmer, you have, after a long and impartial trial, by a jury of your oxn countrymen, been found guilty of the crime of wilful murder, and with that verdict my learned brothers, who have watched the trial with the utmost anxiety throughout, and myself, entirely agree. A case like this is attended with such circum stances that it is doubtful whether this is your first crime or not—that is known only to God and yourself. There can be no doubt that you were, from long experience, inti mate and familiar with the means of death. For this offence you must prepare to die. You must not look for or expect any mercy in this world, but by prayer seek to obtain it from another tribunal. You have, at your own rcquest, and by an act of Parliament passed on purpose, been tried as this Court; and this Court has the power to order you to be executed either at the place of execution pertaining to this gaol, or remove you to the county al here Your crime was committed. We think for the sake of public example that it ought to take place in the county of Stafford, and I hope that the terrible example will deter others from such atrocious crimes, and show that whatever art, caution, or experience is exercised to prevent the discovery of such crimes, and that however secret and destructive such poisons may be, it is ordained by Provi dence, for the safety of its creatures, that there should be means of detecting those using them. I again implore you to prepare for the awful change which you are about to undergo. I do not wish to harrow your feelings by entering into the details of this , 1 horrid case, but shall content myself with passing upon you the sentence of the law, which is, that you be taken hence to the jail of Newgate, and be thence removed to the county of Stafford, being the county within which the offence of which you stand convicted was committed; and that you be taken thence to a place of execution, and be there hanged by the neck until you be dead ; that your body be afterwards buried within the precincts of the prison in which you shall have been last confined before your execution, and may the Lord have mercy upon your soul ! Amen. During the whole of his lordship's address the prisoner retained the same composure which he has evinced through out the whole of these proceedings, and did not seem in the slightest degree moved. At the conclusion of the sentence he gave a glance at the bench, which wps occupied by several of the nobility, and walked down the steps leading from the dock into the prison with a firm step. After the prisoner had been removed, Lord Campbell eulogised the jury for the great and unwearied pains they had taken in the case, and having thanked them in the name of the country for their services, he dismissed them. The Old Bailey was throughout the day thronged by persons anxious to hear the result, and it was with great difficulty that access could be obtained to the court. Of the conduct of the prisoner, the following narrative is pregnant with painful interest : Extraordinary as it may appear, after the summing up of Lord Campbell, so clearly against him, and with a full conviction of its terrible importance and effect, the spirit of William Palmer remainsunaffected, and his courage as undaunted as before. He shows no wincing or faltering in his bearing, and met his brother George and his soli— citor, Mr. John Smith, of Birmingham (not Jeremiah Smith, of Rugeley), on Monday night. with the same firmness and unblenched look. To his brother, who was visibly affected, and shed tears on seeinT, him, William Palmer spoke cheeringly, and said, " Don't take on, George : there is a God above us that will stand between me and harm. lam innocent of the crime imputed to me. Let that be a consolation to you, my mother, and my boy. Act upon my word ; I have never deceived you yet ; and, however guilty I have been in other things, to destroy life has never entered my head." He then tapped his brother on the shoulder and went on, " May you sleep as sound as I do. I have had a good tea, with halt' a pound of steak. May you have as good a night's rest as I shall. Tell my mother and my boy that Newton and Mills are false, and that I fear the grave as little as my bed." With that he shook hands with both. He then entered into a desultory conversation, enquirin. , how his boy was, saving, "Tell Willy his father has had many tronbles, hut the least of all has been the accusation of murder against him." He then said, " Good night, God bless you! May your mind be as easy as mine is now. Don't feel low. Jerry Smith's evidence was very bad. It has left the case just where it was, and leaves Newton's evi dence only open to the suspicion that attended it before Jerry came." He then exchanged a few words of parting as he bade his brother and solicitor good bye, to all appearance himself the least concerned of the party. REMOVAL OF THE CONVICT TO STAFFORD The operations of the law, when sentence is once pro nounced, are speedy and certain. The dread sentence passed by the Lord Chief Justice Campbell, arid recorded above, directed the convict's removal to the gaol of the county of Stafford, within which the crime was, perpetrated and is to be expiated. The wretched man, divested of his heretofore accustomed habiliments, and wearing instead the convicts garb, with fetters from one arm and I'g, was removed, last night, from Newgate, and conveyed by the e i g ht o ' c lock train to Stafford, thre to await the execution of his sentence. THE HOLIDAY—CAUTION TO HOUSE K EEPERS.—We would strongly impress upon all housokeepers not to leave their domiciles totally unoccupied to-morrow, the great general holiday, and for this reason. We understand that the town is literally full of thieves and burglars from London and all quarters of the kingdom, and that calculating on the houses being left unprotected by the owners, they will make " hauls" wherever an opportunity offers. This, we trust, will be a sufficient notice to the inhabitants to look sharp after their houses to-morrow, and we would point out to the police the necessity of the utmost vigilance on their several beatq. ALARMING FIRE NEAR G-Llssor.—On Saturday after flood last,a fire took place at the naphtha and asphalte works, situale about midway between Dinting Vale and Hadfield. The works were erected by Mr. Samuel Horrock, of Stone Clough, near Bolton, who had sold them a few months since to Messrs John and William Mills, of Wardleworth. At the time of the occurrence, Mr. William Mills and three men were on the premises, one of whom was d raw i n g some gas-tar from a large tap in the boiler, the tap being only about three feet from the fire place, when a portion of the liquid fell upon some hot cinders, which in a moment burst into a flame. The fire spread with such rapidity that the whole premises were in a blaze almost as soon as the men could make their escape. The only building that was covered in was speedily demolished. In the yard there were from 50 to 60 barrels of combustible material, which soon became a prey to the filmes. It is computed there were about 150 tons of asphalte in the yard. This took fire, and ran down into a brook, which was all of a blaze for more than 100 yards from the works. The brook course is filled by immense masses of the concrete, and at one time there would be about 1,500 superficial yards of ground covered with one vast sheet of flame, which sent up a dense volume of pitch black smoke, that was seen for many miles round. The men were so completely paralysed by the sud denness of the catastrophe, that they were unable to form any plan of putting a stop to the destruction, and it was not until the fire had been raging about three hours, that the constables, with others, set to work with spades and earth, and literally fought the fire inch by inch until, in about an hour, they mastered it. The asphalte and mineral oil belongs to the late owner, Samuel Borrocks, who had lately commenced removing it. All else was the property of the Messrs. Mills, whose loss must be heavy, the works being of such a nature that no insurance office will undertake the risk. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES Sir s —l have, this moment, had my attention called to a letter, in your paper of this morning, signed " A Layman ;" and hope you will permit me to say that, as I have never written anonymously. so I will never reply to an anonymous letter. I have honestly put my name to my article in the Courier, to which he refers, and shall continue to do so to a few more which I shall have occasion to send to the same patter, If the "Layman" will do the same, his letter (its personalities excepted) shall have all the attention and all the indulgence due to an unpractised hand,—l am, sir, j our obedient servant, St. Jude's, May 27, 1856. Jos, B. Lows. COUNTY COU RT.-YESTERDAY (BEFORE J. POLLOCK, ESQ., THE JUDGE.) AVOY V. DERRY. —In this case the plaintiff was a poultry-dealer, and the defendant the proprietor of some supper-rooms, in Lime-street. This action was brought to recover the sum of .£3 9s. 5d., for goods supplied to the defendant, and also to a man named Harrison. The account was disputed, the defendant alleging that the plaintiff, Mrs. M'Avoy was indebted to ,the defendant. His Honour decided that the defendant was liable for the amount claimed, and gave a verdict accordingly. GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENT. -- The Honourable Edwin Berkeley, Portman, son of Lord Portman, has been ap pointed private secretary to the Right Mon. Sir Benjamin Hall, chief commissioner of public works, in the room of Mr. A. D. Berrington, resigned. M R . LAYARD.-Although Mr. Layard has taken advan tage of the vacation to run over to Constantinople to orga nise the initiation of the Ottoman bank, of which he is chairman it is said that a t e l egrap h h as been sent after him, offering him his former place of under secretary for foreign affairs, vacant by the appointment of Lord Wodehouse (said in all quarters to be a good one, nobody knows why), to the embassy at St. Petersburg. Judging from certain little coquettish symptoms, it would not be very surprising if Mr. Layard accepted, The proceed to the eff ct that 'I embarrmed frequenting