The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-23 00:00:00

ORDNANCE ESTIMATES.

On the motion for going into Committee of
Supply,
Colonel DUNNE commented in detail upon the
many proofs of extravagance and mismanagement
which he alleged were exhibited in the administra-
tion of the Ordnance Department.
Mr. MONSELL gave some explanations, and
Mr. RICARDO protested against the evils of the
contract system.
Lord Pau MERSTON remonstrated against the pro-
longation of so miscellaueous and purposeless a dis-
cussion, while

Sir DE LACY EvAss depreciated the haste with
which the Government were pushing on the votes of
supply.
Atter a brief remonstrance from Sir C. Wood, the
house went into commits( e, and Mr. MONSELL pro-
ceeded to move the several votes belonging to the
Army and Ordnance Estimates.

OATH OF ABJURATION.

On resuming,
Mr. M. GIBSON obtained leave to bring in a bill to
abrogate the oath of abjuration. All opposition or
comments upon the measure were by consent post-
poned until a future stage of its progress.
The house adjourned at halt-past twelve o'clock.

Her Majesty has conferred the dignity of Baron
on Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Baronet, under the .itle of
Baron Aveland of Aveland in the county of Lincoln.
R. Bickerton Lyons, Esq., First Paid Attaché to
the Legation at Florence, has been appointed Secre-
tary to her Majesty's Legation at that Court.
New camps will, it is said, be established in the
spring on Barham-downs, near Canterbury ; Penen-
deb-heath, near Maidstone; and Southsea-common,
Hants: the troops to be encamped are stated at
8,000 on Barham downs, 20,000 on Penendon-heath,
and 15,000 on Southsea-common, at all which places
the men will be under tents, and will be drilled in
field duties ready for any emergencies.
BEAUTY OF THE DEAD SEA SCESERY.--AS I stood
upon the shingle, gazing over an expanse of water so
intensely blue that I could fancy the deepest nook in
the Mediterranean beneath the brightest of June
suns would have seemed green compared with it, the
huge Moabite mountains rising abruptly from its
azure depths on one side, and the high land above Mar
Saber convulsed into a hundred fantastic shapes on the
other, the whole covered with all the various tints
that are ever seen in the changing face of Nature
between sunrise and sunset, I thought I had never
looked upon any picture deserving of such enthusiastic
admiration as the Dead Sea and its surrounding
scenery. It is true that all is scorched and barren,
that not a leaf or blade of grass is here to give relief
to the eye; yet the blue surface of the lake itself, and
the rich colouring in which the whole country round
is steeped, is quite sufficient to atone for this, and I
went away carrying with me the reminiscences of a
picture possessed of such peculiar beauty, that I
might wander where I would over the wide world,
and not meet with any spot which I could compare
with it.—Kennard's Eastern Experiences.

FEBRUARY 23, 1856.

gate anb

SUICIDE OF MR. SADLEIR, M.P.

'NE melancholy death of this unfortunate gentleman
has created a deep sensation throughout the town.
From the evidence adduced at the coroner's inquest
cn Tuesday, it appears that on Saturday evening last,
smut seven o'clock, Mr. Sadleir unexpectedly came
home (Gloucester•place, Hyde-park) to dinner.
While the butler was laying the cloth, Mr. Sadleir,
giving him a sovereign, requested him to take a paper
ti Maitland's, the neighbouring chemist in Chester-
place, and pay for what was ordered. This paper
ontained the following words :—" Get from Maitland
a bottle of the essential oil of bitter almonds. I do
not know the quantity wanted, but Kenyon writes to
me to bring 1/. worth. Pay my bill at Maitland's."
The butler went as desired to Maitland's, and left
the order. About half-past nine, the bottle of oil not
having arrived, Mr. Sadleir desired the butler to go
fa. it. The kitchen-maid was sent, and the butler
took the bottle in to Mr. Sadleir. About a quarter to
one a.m., the butler came upstairs to lock up, and
observed that Mr. Sadleir had gone out. From that
time nothing more was heard or seen of him till
half•past eight on Sunday morning, when Joseph
Bates, a labouring man, discovered the deceased
lying on his back, close to the rails behind Jack
Straw's Castle, on Hampstead-heath. On the right
side of the body was a silver cream-jug, containing
a small quantity of essential oil of almonds ; and on
the left side an unstoppered bottle, labelled, " Essen-
tial Oil of Almonds. Poison. John Maitland, 16,
Chester•place, Hyde-park Square." The hat of the
deceased was off, his eyes were open and glistening,
and a few slight indentations, marking the convulsions
of death, were observed in the turf under his heels.
Within reach was an open razor - case. Upon
searching the pockets of the deceased, a few lumps
of sugar were found, six sovereigns, one 3/. note,
some loose silver, and a pair of razors. There were
no letters or documents, but one simple slip con-
taining the deceased's name and address written in a
bold legible hand.
Elwyn, the butler, identified the cream jug at
once as the property of his late master, and the
police•co:rstable, together with the man Bates, swore
to the discovery of the body. Dr. Nicholl, of Hamp-
stead, who was immediately sent for on Sunday
morning, made a postmortem examination, and at
the inquest stated his opinion to be that the deceased
had incontestably died from the effect of essential
oil of almonds. The coroner here remarked that
nothing could be plainer than that Mr. Sadleir's
death was caused by poison, and that it was admi-
nistered by his own hand. The only question for the
Jury to decide was the state of mind of the deceased
at the time he committed the act.

Mr. Norris, a solicitor, stated that he saw Mr.
Sadleir on Saturday, about eleven p.m. He
was engaged in great commercial speculations, and
seemed borne down by the extent of his undertak-
ings. He talked about those affairs, but said nothing
that induced Mr. Norris to anticipate any such thing
as happened :
I noticed (said Mr. Norris in evidence) as I was leaving
the house that his eyes were bloodshot, and that he was
restless and not in his usual temperament. I had never
seen him in the same state before. Hitherto he was
always cool and collected.

Mr. Manning stated that Mr. Sadleir had several
appointments with Mr. James, a solicitor, on Satur-
day, but be seemed to shrink from keeping. them.
The butler, on being recalled, said that Mr. Sadleir
had left a paper in the hall, on Saturday night, with
three letters, ordering that they should be delivered
on Sunday morning if he did not return home by
nine o'clock.
Mr. Norris further stated :

Oa Saturday afternoon I had an interview with Mr. Sad-
leir, when he said :—" I would rather that yon would not
come to see me to-night, as I want to get my papers toge-
ther, but come to-morrow at eleven o'clock." lint in con-
sequence of receiving a letter from Ireland which con-
cerned Mr. Sadleir, witness went there. Mr. Sadleir was
walking about the room, which was very unusual, and ap-
peared surprised at witness going there. When witness
weni in he noticed a remarkable peculiarity about the eyes,
as though be had been weeping. On the following morn-
ing at eleven o'clock be called at the house again and he
heard that he was dead.
The CORONER : \Vas the intelligence von conveyed to him
of a distressing character"

Witness: No. It had reference to the events which had
pressed upon him since the previous Wednesday. I found
on going to the house that Dr. Nicholl had been to the
house and taken away a letter addressed to me for the pur-
pose of conveying it to my private residence.
The CORONER • Have you got it with you?
Witness : No.
The CORONER : Did you leave it behind designedly ?
Witness: No. I was so confused that I forgot it.
In answer to a question suggested by Mr. Manning,
Witness said : I made a remark to Mr. Stevens at Mr.
Gurney's office, on Saturday afternoon, relative to 3lr.
Sulkies reverses. The remark J made was. AI should not
to surprised if Sadleir were to shoot himself." Mr. Sadleir