The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-26 00:00:00

tion of a policy of assurance on the life of one of the
firm's clients, and an acceptance of 44,00,0 by the joint
adventurers iu an Australian Investment Company, which
had been blank drawn and accepted by the whore of the
joint adventurers, inoluding J, and A. Blaikie. In the
palms of that adventure, John had inserted in his own
handwriting, instead of his own name, that of the firm
of J. and A. Blaikie, to which alteration Anthony had
not consented. £lO,OOO was raised from the partners for
payments in connection with the station. Anthony
stated that it was intended that a LBOO acceptance, part
of the £lO,OOO, should have been delivered to one of our
clients, who gave 4540, on the understanding that he
was to get the bill; and our daybook and ledger are so
written. He did not get the bill. My brother ought to
have got it out of the hands of the bank, where it now
is, in order to deliver it to him, but he failed to do so."
The advance of £16,500 by friends was intended
to put the firm into working order, but it was
not then known how far John was behind. The books
were not examined, so as to ascertain. Between
1858 and 1860 it appears, from certain brokers' accounts,
that John's operations in shares exceeded £1,800,000,
on which he had lost above £32,000. The liabilities, so
far as yet ascertained, exceed £150,004 and the assets,
set down at £50,911, are to a large extent worthless.
Anthony stated that he di,d not consider the bankruptcy
inevitable until a day or two before it was declared, and
he attributed it entirely to the large losses sustained
through his brother. He gave further evidence which
went to show the reckless manner, to use no stronger
phrase, in which the business of the firm has been trans-
acted. At the close of his examirration the Sheriff
administered the statutory oath—'which in effect is that
the bankrupt in his examination has given a complete
and truthful statement of his affairs. We learn from
the 4407(leaa,Iferatd that nothing is as yet known of the
whereabouts of John Blaikie.

The Duke de Grammont, Freßd, Ambassador at
Rome, has arrived in Paris, a,s already stated, on leave
of absence.

Lord George Lennox will have teen returned for
Lyraington by a majority of 25. One disputed vote is
substantiated.

.....
One of the effects of the late treaty of commerce with
England is already visible in Paris. Several shops are
crowded with English porcelain of very superior quality
to that hitherto used in France.

A Belgrade letter of the 16th instant, in the Press of
Vienna, says:—Prince Milosch had yesterday, at Top-
schider such a violent attack of his old malady that all

the physicians of Belgrade were summoned to him. His
life is now despaired of.
The Prussian journals are engaged in a discussion as
to the means whereby the contents of a despatch from
the Prince Regent to the Prince Consort of England have
been brought to the knowledge of the French Govern-
ment, and an interview has taken place between the
French Ambassador at Berlin and the Prussian Minister
of Foreign Affairs on the subject.
The last bit of ice has now quitted the Neva, which
once more, in summer blueness, glides onwards to
Cronstadt. The navigation is entirely open, and the
atyy,—,4ade 9,Q,l,teeoA wezas4;‘tirail-cdutineni—'-ana
those who have not, to the islands. Lady Crampton—
recently Miss Balfe—has left us for England. It is said
Sir John will soon follow on temporary leave of
absence.
THE SCREW STEAMER CALCUTTA.—This steamer,
which grounded on the Arklow banks, has become a
total wreck. She had worked so fast in on the banks
that it was found impossible to move her, although
the most powerful tug steamer was applied to her, her
own weight, being constructed of iron, caused her to
settle down most rapidly in the sand, and she is now
completely under water. Her cargo was valued at
about 415,000, of this about £lO,OOO has been saved.
, SPLENDID APPEARANCE OF THE PLANET VENUS.—
The planet Venus, which a short time ago passed its
perigee, is just now to be seen in unusual brilliancy in
the cloudless western sky, where it occupies a position
very close to that of the moon, which considerably adds
to the striking effect of the phenomenon. Looked at
through a glass it will beautifully show its crescent form.
The occasions on which this nearest neighbour of outs
in the universe, beside the moon, will offer such a
spectacle, are but rare, at least as far as the evening
sky is concerned.

SHOCKING OCCVRIMNCE.—A few weeks ago, a sad
occurrence happened to a poor fellow, a pilot, who fell
overboard from a pilot-boat engaged with the British
mail steamer Karnak, coming out of Nassau harbour ;
and although assistance was speedily rendered by throw-
ing overboard an oar, to which he laid hold, he, after
piteously crying out to his mates, "For God's sake save
me!" was, with the oar, carried down by an enormous
shark, and never seen again. A few days after the fatal
occurrence a shark was captured in Nassau harbour, and
on being opened, the right hand and wrist, with a
portion of b,is shirt (by which the hand was identified),
a goat's head with horns nine inches long, and a turtle's
head, were found in the belly. The hand, &c,, have been
given to the poor fellow's relatives.

TUE LATE LADY BYIION.—The late Lady Byron is
too much spoken of in her unfortunate connectioa with
the poet, and too little in respect to her own distin-
guished virtues. TT IQ,I,
..,ysutp's life for many years
past has beer.. full of good deeds. I have had the
privilege of witnessing her interest in many philan-
thropic movements, and have listened with delight to
her schemes of enlightened benevolence. One of the
most animated dialogues I ever heard was between
Lady Byron and an eminent American author, who was
advocating the old doctrine of the laissez fare sect of
economists. Amongst others to whom her patronage
extended were the fugitive gavesfrom America. Several
of these were placed by her in situations. Two, who
made a remarkable escape, Wm. and Ellen Craft, were
r' .-educated by her, and placed in the way of maintain-
ing themselves in comfort. The striking features and
figure of the deceased were well known to those who
take an interest in "social science," for she was con-
stantly to be seen at places where plans were to be
cussed, though she had an intense dislike of being stared
at. The first time I saw her was about twelve years
. ago at a lecture given by Ernersal), the American
essayist, (who is not the author previously referred to,)
before a select audience assembled ou invitation b,y
private note. well remember, at the close of the lee-
rub of gentlemen to her ladyship's side, each
, claiMing the honour of escorting her to her carriage.
This was not to her taste, aad she often complained of it
to her friends. A gentleman who dined with her at Sir
Walter Scott's at Edinburgh, tells me Sir Walter was
much pleased with her, though he was possessed by an
ikcliairAtiQn Which Way 441190 f444t4i0,1 fyr her 19ril,