The Press.
London, England, 1855-04-07 00:00:00

atth Oftbuts.

ACCOUNTS reached Dublin on Thursday of a me-
lancholy accident, resulting in the loss of four lives,
which occurred on the previous morning on Lough
Gonna, between the counties of Cavan and Longford.
A boat, in which was a party of eight gentlemen,
was by some mismanagement upset, and four of
their number drowned. Their names are—Mr. John
Popping, stipendiary magistrate for the county of
Cavan ; Lieutenant Levin, of the revenue police ; and
Messrs. Fox and White, both in the Longford
Militia ; the former is the son of the county mem-
ber, the latter the son of Colonel White, Lieutenant
of the county of Longford. The remainder of the
party were with some difficulty rescued from the fate
of their companions.
ON Thursday morning, at eleven o'clock, a dread-
ful fire happened at a large timber yard, in Feather
stone-street, Bunhill-row, which consumed many
thousand pounds' worth of property, and more or
less damaged several adjacent tenements before the
conflagration could be subdued.

THE DUKE OF ARGYLL'S stables at Roseneath
were destroyed by fire yesterday week. It is said
that 300 bolls of wheat, 300 bulls of oats, and 300
bolls of seed potatoes were completely consumed.
THE MANUFACTORY OF MESSRS. CROOKES, AND
Co., at Sheffield, was the scene of an explosion, not
the result of accident, but of design as malicious as
it was cunningly executed. About nine o'clock in
the evening Mr. Richardson, while alone on the
premises, heard a smothered explosion at the base-
ment of the building which shook the edifice to its
foundation. The authors of the mischief had taken
care to retire, hut their work was sufficiently appa-
rent. The instrument used to effect the explosion
was a sort of hand-grenade, a very strong steel
canister firmly and elaborately bound together with
wire, and having the remnant of a fuse attached.
The size of the canister was eighteen inches deep,
and the same in circumference, the capacity being
sufficient to hold a very formidable charge of powder.
Apparently the vessel had been tied to the iron
stanchions of an unglazed window at the front
of the building. 'Trough this aperture the
fuse had projected, so that it could be ignited at
the outside, after the person had deposited the
powder and got safely off the premises. Had the
apartment been a confined ono the destruction would
undoubtedly have been very extensive. But for-
tunately the expanded air obtained vent at two
windows, and another outlet was afforded at the
door, which was blown open. Nevertheless, so
great was the force of the explosion that the wooden
floor of the room above was lifted up several inches
towards one end ; while at the opposite end, imme-
diately over the canister and powder, an anvil and
stock, weighing about half a ton, was dislodged and
lifted out of its place. All the goods in this ware-
house were thrown into confused heaps, the doors
were forced open, or twisted out of the pt-rpendicular,
the door-frames disjointed, and the walls cracked
here and there, as though the foundation had been
shaken by an earthquake. Still, by reason of the
powder not being tightly pent up, there has been no
extensive damage to the building or other property.
How the perpetrators obtained access to the premises
is not known. It is supposed in Sheffield that this
is a trades union affair.

A FEW days ago, at Manchester, Major Ffarington,
of the 51st Regiment, fell down in the barrack-yard,
and expired almost instantly. The cause of death
was the rupture of a bloodvessel near the heart.
He had but recently purchased his majority, his
commission bearing date 18th of February last.
LETTERS FROM SIDNEY state that a vessel, name
unknown, has been wrecked on Bampton Shoals,
and five hundred Chinese passengers and a portion
of the crew were lost. The master and eight men
only were saved. These made for Cape Dennis in a
boat, and on landing were attacked by the natives,
and five of them killed.
AN EXTENSIVE ROBBERY of gold watches, gold
rings, diamond pins, and other articles of jewellery,
took place at the residence of Mr. A. Stewart, N 0.13,
13elgraveaquare, last Saturday week. It appears
that Mr. Stewart, who holds an official appointment
at the Irish Viceregal Court, was in Ireland, but
Lady Isabella Stewart, his wife, remained at the man-
sion, which is at the corner of Halkin street West.
The property stolen consisted of nearly one hundred
different articles, packed in two separate boxes,
which were seen by the butler about half-past eight
o'clock. Shortly after ten o'clock, on some of the
articles being required by Lady Stewart, it was found
that the boxes were missing. The value of the pro-
perty stolen is estimated at about 1,0001. The police
state that no admission was obtained into the house
by means of skeleton-keys,
and that the only entrance
conld have been by the area steps, or through tho
trapdoor at the roof of the house, if, in fact, the
thieves came from without. None of the property
has been traced.

16113111

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

confidence, but wants official confirmation. Prince GORTSCHAILOFF has
assumed the command in the Crimea, and the defence of Sebastopol
is certainly cairied on with greater vigour than ever.

The delay in the sailing of our Baltic fleet will be golden news
for the enemy. We hear that the Russians have established two for-
tified camps of 30,000 men each for the defence of the Baltic provinces,
and all their sea forts have been greatly strengthened. The death of
the Emperor NICHOLAS, therefore, so far from impairing the vigour of
the Russian Government, seems to have been the occasion of diffusing
greater energy into all its departments. The Sacred Synod of the
Russian Church has issued (dated St. Petersburg, March 19) a kind of
" fiery-cross " appeal to the people ; " the defence of Russian soil," it is
said, " calls for new sacrifices and new feats, as God required by the
" mouth of his anointed, now entered into the mansions of heaven."

Every day brings new proof of the deplorable mismanagement
of the Militia force. Men are leaving their regiments by hundreds,
and this withdrawal is the more to be regretted, as in some cases a
considerable proportion of those now leaving had volunteered for
foreign service, their offer being most unwisely rejected because the
number did not reach the arbitrary amount fixed on. If the war is really
to be continued, it is evident that an entire change of system will be
required, as the military resources of the country are to a great extent
disorganised, and require the most prompt and vigorous measures for
their reconstruction and development.

The revenue returns for the year and quarter ending 31st March
last are tar from sustaining Mr. GLADSTONE'S calculations. The great
deficiency is in the malt duty. By raising the duty from 2s. od. to 4s.
per bushel, Mr. GLADSTONE calculated that he should derive an in-
creased revenue of 2,450,0001. The fallacy of his calculation was
exposed in THE PRESS at the time. We wrote, May lath, IN54:

The attempt to raise between seven and eight millions from this commodity alone,
may perhaps push taxation to that oppressive point at which it ceases to be productive.
Itis a much larger sum than we raise from any single article of consumption. Already
the duty presses so heavily as to prevent any expansion of the revenue. Mr. Gladstone
may not improbably overload his camel.

The increased duty took effect from the Bth of May last, and has
therefore extended over forty-seven weeks out of the fifty-two of the
financial year. The increased sum realised, therefore, should, accord.
ing to Mr. GLADSTONE'S calculation, have amounted to about 2,200,0001.,
while the actual increase has only been 800,0001. Never did financier
make a greater blunder, or one more inexcusable, as practical saga-
cious men announced, in the debate of the stli of May, what the
result would be. Yet, in the face of this " great fact," the Times, pre-
suming on the ignorance of its readers, and their forgetfulness of
events, trumpets forth the success of Mr. CrtAnsToNE, and audaciously
proclaims that " the revenue responds to the demands made upon it,"
and that " the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER has only to indicate the
" tax to be raised, and it rises at once to his call!" The Conserva-
tive party, we hope, will make a determined stand against the reim-
position of a duty which has proved so burdensome to the revenue
and so little productive to the Exchequer. The value of our exports
for the month ending March 5, shows a great diminution over the
corresponding period of last year. The decline is nearly two millions
and a half ; it may be partly accounted for by the contraction of our
trade with Australia and America, but still it must indicate great
languor in all the staple branches of our trade and manufacture.

Several singular trials have occurred during the week. The
" Hopwood Will " case can have hut one result, yet the numerous
instances of late in which scandalous family intrigues have been
exposed, suggest the expediency of imposing some limit to individual
caprice in the disposition of property, and of lessening by so much the
chance of family dissensions. Another trial,—that of " Evans v. Robin-
son," as reported in the Times, has excited the strongest disgust.
We question if ever before such revolting details polluted an English
print. Societies for the Suppression of Vice must act in vain, if
reports of this character are to gain a world wide circulation
through the columns of the Times. The infamous publications
which the vigilance of our police occasionally drags forth
from obscure dens in holes and corners of the metropolis,
that the dealers in the vicious traffic may be convicted and justly
punished, contain nothing viler than the particulars which, through
the agency of the Times, have been laid on every table in the kingdom.
The publication in this case calls emphatically for reprobation, as it
has been usual in reporting evidence to suppress whatever was offen-
sive to decency. The trial of " Boyle v. Wiseman" is a curious com-
mentary on that boasted unity which is said to prevail in the Roman
Catholic Church. The artifices which were attempted to screen the
defendant were not successful, and a verdict of 1,0001. damages fixed
on him in a substantial shape the responsibility of the libel. Two
other trials—" Waldron v. Bates " and " Clarke v. Richmond "
suggest grave doubts of the expediency of that alteration in the law
which permits principals in a cause to enter the witness-box them-
selves. In both these cases the plaintiff and defendant flatly contra-
dicted each other, and the painful conviction is of course forced on the
mind that one or other of the persons concerned must have committed
perjury. The dictum of Baron ALDERSON in the action against the Art-
Journal for libel has excited universal astonishment. According to
the Learned Judge, public prints acting under " a sense of what they
" choose to call duty," in the exposure of abuses and frauds, must
expect to be visited with the severest penalties of the law. Perhaps
the verdict of 405., instead of the "full compensation ".he demanded,