The Press.
London, England, 1854-08-19 00:00:00

778

THE TOTAL NUMBER or DEATHS registered in
London last week was 1,882, whilst the births
numbered 1,662, the return exhibiting the unusual
result of an excess in the mortality. The corrected
decennial average of deaths is 1,221; the actual
number of deaths last week therefore exceeds the
estimated amount by 611. This excess corresponds
nearly with the number of fatal cases of cholera re-
corded during the week, which was 644, while those
of diarrhoea numbered 195. In the thirty-second
week of 1849, which ended August 11, 823 deaths
occurred from cholera and 173 from diarrhoea. The
progress of the present epidemic, which slightly
manifested itself in the second week of July, is shown
by the following weekly numbers :—Deaths from
cholera, 5, 26, 133, 309, and 844; from diarrhoea and
dysentery, 51, 63, 87, 146, and 200. Of last week's
deaths from cholera, 446 occurred on the south side
of the river, 68 in the west districts, 60 in the east,
30 in the north, and 31 in the central districts.
THE NEW ACT to make better provision for the
administration of the laws relating to the public
health was issued on Tuesday last. Under this
act Sir Benjamin Hall has been appointed presi-
dent, his salary not to exceed 2,000/. a year. The
act determines from the 10th August instant the
General Board of Health, and constitutes the new
board to continue for one year next after the day of
the passing of the act (10th August) and to the end
of the then next session of Parliament, "and no
longer." The new board is to appoint officers, and
also so many "superintending inspectors" as the
Treasury may think fit. The Treasury is to fix the
salaries of the officers and the allowances to superin-
tending inspectors. All the powers and duties vested
in the board may be exercised by the president or
any two members. The powers of the General
Board of Health are transferred to the new board.
All inquiries and proceedings commenced under the
board now determined may be completed by the
new board. There is a clause in this act empower-
ing the Treasury to grant a compensation, super-
annuation, Or retiring allowance to one of the
members of the board determined of not exceeding
1,000/. a year, as the commissioners may deem just
and proper to he awarded. The salaries and expenses
of this act are to be paid out of money to be provided
by Parliament.
TilE trains of the London and North-Western
Company have been worked during the week with
their usual regularity, the places of the dissentients
having been filled with competent men from the
company's own resources. The differences between
the men and their masters have been thus far
accommodated, and there is no reason to apprehend
further disturbance. An immediate investigation is
to be made into the alleged grievances of the drivers
and firemen.
CAPTAIN MARK HALPEN SWENY has been appointed
one of the resident captains of Greenwich Hospital,
vice Dickenson, deceased. Capte.in Sweny for
several years has been actively engaged in the
managing duties of many of the naval charitable
institutions. He was born in 1785, and entered the

Wavy in June, 171)$.
THE ROYAL COMMISSIONERS FOR THE EXHIBITION
or 1951, with the view of rendering the valuable
trade collection in their possession, and now de-
posited at Kensington Palace, of practical advantage
at as early a period as possible, have addressed a
circular to the authorities of various free museums
established throughout the country, offering to
present to them collections of illustrative samples
amounting to some hundreds of specimens, and con-
sisting chiefly of raw produce taken from that trade
collection.
LIEUTENANT ROBERT ROBERTSON, who has for
several years past had the charge of the steam
department cfloat at Woolwich, has been appointed,
with the sanction of the Admiralt:„ surveyor of the
mercantile marine of this country, under the Board
of Trade.
THE accounts recently received from the manufac-
turing districts show that the late revival in trade is
well maintained. Operations are sufficiently active
to keep the hands at work at fair rates of wages, and
a healthy tone is apparent throughout.
A COURT OF DIRECTORS was held on the nth inst.
at the East India house, when Walter Elliott, Esq.,
was appointed a Member of Council at Fort St.
George ; and Sir Henry Conyngham Montgomery,
Bart., a Provisional Member of Council at that
presidency.
MR. CHARLES COMPTON and Mr. William Garner,
the accountant and deputy accountant general of her
Majesty's Post-office, have retired after the respective
services of forty-six and forty-two years.
THE NEWLY-APPOINTED SPANISH MINISTER to our
Court, the Chevalier Antonio Gonzalez, is expected
to arrive at the Legation in Gloucester-place early
in September, and to enter on his diplomatic duties
at the close of the month. The new Spanish envoy
at Paris, M. Olozngo, is very shortly expected to
arrive from Madrid to present his credentials to the
French Emperor, in the room of the Marquis Veluma,
recalled.

THE

THE HARVEST REPORTS from various districts con-
tinue to be highly favourable. Reaping has begun
in all the southern counties, and neatly finished in
the more advanced localities. Everywhere the crops
are spoken of as most luxuriant, while the damage
from storms has been partial and not extensive. If
fine weather continues for a few more days there is
every reason to believe that the product of the pre-
sent harvest will be almost unprecedented both for
quantity and quality.
THE WEATHER on the 12th of August was very
unfavourable for sportsmen. The Dumfries Courier
says :—" In consequence of the rain, some sportsmen
never went upon the ground at all ; and the more
ardent, who threaded the moors in defiance of the
elements, met with but slight reward in exchange
for a thorough wetting. In one or two instances we
have heard of some seven or eight brace having been
bagged, but a single brace or a single bird were more
common."
ON Tuesday there was no military on duty at the
Royal Mint, Tower-hill, and the entire duty of
guarding that establishment has now devolved upon
the police.
A MONSTER EXCURSION TRAIN from Maidstone
and other Kentish towns arrived at Brighton on
Monday, quite inundating the town. It consisted of
110 carriages, containing 4,000 persons, accompanied
by two bands.
TRAVELLERS returning from Russia mention that
all exotic necessaries of life, such as colonial produce,
have reached enormous prices there; sugar, for
instance, costs Is. 9d. per lb., and coffee in propor-
tion. Commercial transactions in southern Russia
are completely paralysed, in consequence of the
great scarcity of money. The accounts from the
theatre of war were beginning to circulate in the
country, thanks to Israelite hawkers, who realised
large sums of money bylhe importation, on an exten
sive scale, of foreign journals and correspondence.
THE expenses of taking the census in 1851 were
125,4871. Ils. ld., which sum is within the amount
voted by Parliament by 10,5121. Bs. Ild. Of these
expenses the charge for postage was 32,355/. Os. Ild.
The cost per 1,000 letters in 1851 was Si. 45.; in
1841, 5/. Os.
NINE AND TWENTY COLUMNS of Tuesday's Gazette
were occupied by Orders in Council closing over-
gorged graveyards.
THE SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY COMPANY have, OD
portions of their railway, placed electric telegraphic
stations at intervals along the line, and no train is
allowed to pass one of these stations until a notifica-
tion has been received from the next station that the
preceding train has passed off that portion of the
line. The Board of Trade (in a circular which we
reprint elsewhere) commends this plan to the con-
sideration of other railways.
THE new office of Inspector-General of Mails, re
cently sanctioned by the Treasury, has been filled up
by the appointment of Mr. Edward Page, who for
some years has taken a leading part in the arrange•
ments relating to the same branch of the duty in the
secretary's office.
MR. WILLIAM GATtROW LETTSOM, now paid attache
to her Majesty's mission at Madrid, is appointed Se-
cretary of Legation at Mexico.
THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL has appointed Dr.
Gavin to be Medical Superintendent of the General
Post-office during the prevalence of the cholera.
The health of the functionaries of the department is
closely watched, and, asupply of medicines being kept
at the chief office in St. Martin's le Grand, and at the
principal branch offices, immediate relief can be given
in cases of illness.
SIR BENJAMIN Hsu. transacted business on Satur-
day for the first time at the General Board of Health,
Whitehall. The hon. baronet has appointed Mr•.
Arthur Berrington to act as his private secretary, and
has continued Mr. Taylor as secretary of the board.
The staff of the office is completed, with the exception
of the inspectors. Dr. Sutherland and Dr. Granger
will be immediately employed as medical inspectors,
to act for the metropolis, and to confer with the
various local authorities in all measures for arresting
the spread of the cholera.
Sin JAMES GRAHAM, who has recovered from his
severe attack of illness, proceeded on Thursday with
a full board of Admiralty, and attended by the
Surveyor of the Navy, Captain Sir B. Walker, and the
principal officers, to Portsmouth, on the annual visit
of inspection to the Admiralty establishment. The
tour of inspection this year will be the most important
since the old war.
THE General Screw Steam-packet Company's
steamer Mauritius has been taken up by Government
to convey cut the :14th Regiment from Portsmouth to
the seat of war.
SINCE THE WAR recruitingin Ireland has certainly
not improved, if it has not decreased; whilst in Eng-
land it has increased cent. per cent., and in Scotland
more even than that. The men, now that they have
an object in view, throng to the regiments on active
service—in the words of an old sergeant—" faster than
we can clothe 0 em."

SATURDAY

THE DISC OVERT or SOME NEW GUANO DEPOSIT
has been made in the West Indies. A letter dated
St. Croix, the 28th July, says :—" Her Britannic
Majesty's steamer Devastation was at Frederickstad
yesterday. Commander de Horsey mentioned that
he had been up to the Isles of Ayes, south-east of
Saba Bank, and bad there found three American
vessels with large crews loading guano. It is strange
that this valuable deposit has remained thus so long
undiscovered." In consequence of the present un•
precedonted price of Peruvian guano, several private
expeditions of discovery, it is stated, have been fitted
out both from England and America, with orders to
survey carefully various isolated isles in various parts
where it is either known or supposed that sea-fowl
resort as places of habitation. The habits of these
birds are sufficiently well known to point out as
places where it is likely guano exists those that are
not frequently visited by man. It appears expedient
that the extent of the deposit and the quality and
value of this guano be immediately inquired into.
THE new act repealing the usury laws has just
been printed. It repeals at one swoop eleven acts
from the reign of Elizabeth to the 13th and 14th
Vic., and several of the Parliament of Scotland, and
also of the Parliament of Ireland of very early dates.
Legal or current rates of interest is to mean the same
as if this act had not been passed.
THE senior lieutenant, Mr. Annesley, of the flag-
ship Conway, at Queenstown, on hearing a report by
the gun-room steward of a boy being overboard, made
the best of his way from the breakfast table, gallantly
dashed into the sea, and succeeded in saving the Loy
as he was sinking.

Yabr an Value.

CARDINAL WISEMAN was the defendant in an ac-
tion for libel tried at Guildford Assizes on Saturday
last. A Popish priest named Boyle was plaintiff,
and the damages were laid at 10,0001. The publica-
tion of the alleged libel followed a series of proceed-
ings, in which the plaintiff complained that he had
been very tyrannically treated by his ecclesiastical
superiors, and especially by the cardinal. His case
was thus stated by his counsel, Mr. E. James :
Mr. Boyle was a native of England, and educated at Pula as
a an Hom Catholic priest. In 1825 he was what was called fi
postulant of the order of the Jesuits, and was appointed by Dr.
Gritlithe, who at that time tilled the office to which Cardinal
Wiseman succeeded, to the curacy of 'lslington in 1847. Betore
he approached the question at issue, it wan, perhaps, necessary
that he should state the actual position of a Roman Catholic
priest, in order that the jury should be able to appreciate the
deep injury that he might sustain if be incurred the enmity of a
person in the position of Cardinal Wiseman, and also the condi-
tion of the Roman Catholic religion in England at this period.
The persons professing that faith were. it appenred, divided into
two parties, known as the ultramontane party and the cisrnon-
tane party. Of the latter, there were a great number of the
English Catholic gentry who would not go the lengths proposed
by Cardinal Wiseman, who espoused the ultramontane party.
The journal in France which supported the opinions of this
latter section was the Univers, and to that journal lie believed
Cardinal Wiseman was a constant contributor wetly years, and
gave it considerable support. The Anti de In licligion was the
organ of the more moderate party of the Roman Catholics, of
those who thought that the ultramontane party had been carry
ing things too far in England. Much excitement prevailed in
this country in 1850, when Cardinal Wiseman returned, after
having been raised to that dignity by the Pope. The plaintiff
and the moderate portion of the Roman Catholics were of opi-
nion that he was going much too far, and that the arrogance of
Cardinal Wiseman, and his assumption of the title of Archbishop
of Westminster, were calculated to shook the feelings of the
Protestant people of England, and that the interests of their re-
ligion would suffer by his proceedings. These feelings were en-
tertained by a large number of the English Catholics, and they
gave vent to this opinion in the Anti de La Religion, and articles
upon the subject were from time ti time inserted in that journal.
These articles were written by a gentleman of great attainments,
the Rev. Mr. ivory, but, in accordance with the law in France,
were signed by M. Coguet, the principal editor; and it appeared
that the defendant took upon himself to answer ono of them that
was published on May 25rd, and he accordingly inserted a letter
in the Catholic Standard of the 27th of May. if he bad confined
himself to merely answering the article that had appeared in the
And de in Religion, there could have been no complaint; but,
under the pretence that the plaintiff was the author of the arti-
cles that had appeared representing the state of feeling in Eng-
land, the Cardinal had made use of the opportunity to publish a
foul libel, with the intention evidently of crushing a poor
Catholic priest, whom he bad years before attempted to destroy
by other means. He would show that Cardinal Wiseman knew
at the time be published the libel that the plaintiff did not write
one of the articles, and he now pleaded not guilty, and had not
even offered an apology. In the original artielesthere bad been
no personal attack upon Cardinal Wiseman- all that was com-
plained of was his proceedings, which they said were calculated
to irritate the English people, and that the domineering, tyran-
nical conduct of the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster was
calculated to excite the manly feelings that existed in the breasts
of Englishmen. In one of these nrticles, as tending to show the
domineering tyranny of Cardinal Wiseman, hie treatment of the
plaintiff on a former occasion, and to which he would presently
call their attention, was certainly alluded to, but this could not
be any justification for the subsequent conduct of the defendant
The libel, which was read in the course of the trial,
contained no allegations against the plaintiff's morals,
nor even mentioned him by name. Hie identity was,
however, sufficiently pointed out,
and various charges
of negligence in his duties, caballing in his district,
and disobedience to his spiritual rulers were made
against him. It was stated also that he had been
deprived of his functions in Islington, and that, as
the letter in question had been extensively repub-
lished in Ireland, and even at Rome, the future pros-
pects of the plaintiff, either in his priestly careeri,
sed.
c.r
any other walk of life, were heavily comprom

.r---w'

AUGUST 19, 1854

Various witnesses were called to prove the plaintiff's
case, but the point of difficulty was to establish the
fact of " publication," so as to bring home the author-
ship to the defendant. The letter was signed in his
name, but it appeared first in the Univers in Paris,
and the original manuscript could not be produced,
not lying within the jurisdiction of the English tri-
bunals. Two Irish papers, the Tablet and Catholic
Standard, had republished the letter, but merely as
a translation from the French journal. At last it
was sought to obtain evidence on the point from the
defendant himself, but the question then arose whe-
ther the court should allow him to be examined for

lam

. _

that purpose :
Sergeant SHIM (who appeared for Cardinal Wiseman) contended
that he ought not to be called. The defendant was charged with
having knowingly published a false and malicious libel; and if
then bject of calling him was to make him admit that he had
been guilty of an indictable offence, he was clearly not bound to
answer. There could be no other object in calling him, and it
was the first time he ever recollected such an attempt to have
been made. If this had been a criminal proceeding, which it
might have been, instead of a civil one, the law would most cer-
tainly have protected the defendant; the object was to evade the
law, and compel the defendant to answer in a civil proceed-
ing. The learned sergeant referred to several cases in sup-
port of his argument.
Plaintiffs counsel argued that the cardinal was a competent
witness. He referred to the statute, wherein the only persons
declared to be incompetent were the parties in actions for adul-
tery or breach of promise of mart a;e. The defendant on the
present occasion, he submitted, was clearly a competent witness,
and no question could arise until he declared on his oath that to
answer the question put to him would tend to criminate him.
The CHIEF BARON said that the only question with him was,
whether it was necessary, as a matter of form, to put the de-
fendant into the witness-box and have him sworn. He was clearly
of opinion that he ought not to be called merely to answer the
question that was suggested.
After much further wrangling of the counsel, Car-
dinal Wiseman was called and came into the witness-
box. The Chief Baron, however, noted that he
could not be called upon to take his oath in order to
reply to the questions proposed by the plaintiff's
counsel. The defendant, therefore, was dismissed
unsworn. Dr. Grant, titular Bishop of Southwark,
and the Rev. G. Spencer, otherwise called Father
Ignatius, who were intimate friends of the Cardinal,
were called and questioned touching certain expres-
sions they had used with regard to the letter in the
Univers. Both admitted having spoken about it to
the defendant, but, of course, could not remember
to have said anything which implied a knowledge on
their part, or an admission on his, that he was its
real author. When all the evidence within the
plaintiff's reach had been given on this point the
Chief Baron decided that the fact of authorship was
not sufficiently proved to justify his sending the case
to the jury. The plaintiff was accordingly non-
suited.
AN ACTION OF CLUTTERBUCK V. BURNETT to recover
damages for an assault in which damages were laid
at 2,0001. was tried at Guildford on the Home Circuit
upon Monday last. The plaintiff was a medical man,
and the assault complained of was alleged to have
been committed at sea, on board a vessel on a voyage
home from Australia. The defendant pleaded a jus-
tification on the ground that the plaintiff had made
use of insulting and mutinous language. After the
trial commenced the defendant consented to retract
his plea, and a verdict was entered for the plaintiff—
damages 1501.
AT MARLBOROUGH-STREET POLICE COURT On Monday
last a striking exemplification was witnessed of the
effects of the New Beer Bill. The number of cases
on Monday, which includes Saturday night and
Sunday night offences, has varied, before the new act
came into operation, from sixty to about one hundred.
Last Monday, the act having come into operation on
the previous day, the whole number of charges, those
of drunkenness included, was only twenty-five ; and
not a single drunken case was brought to the station-
house from twelve o'clock on Saturday night up to
Monday morning inclusive, thirty being the average
previously. On inquiry among the publicans how far
the act affected their takings the police were informed
that in many districts it made no difference at all,
and in others ss. would cover the loss.
.JOHN BRYANT, described as a " shrewd-looking
Irishman," was charged at Worship-street Police
Court with having, in concert with another man not
in custody, hocussed and robbed a young woman
named Ellen Haynes. The girl lived with her mo-
ther in Plumose-court, Holborn, and seems to have
allowed one cf the men who afterwards plundered
her to obtain a singular degree of influence over her
mind :
A clandestine acquaintance had been carried on for some time,
when the man proposed that she should leave her home to ac-
company him to America. She demurred to the proposal, on the
ground that she had no money, to which he coolly replied that
he understood her mother had a considerable sum of money in
the house, a portion of which might be appropriated without any
fear of detection until they were beyond the reach of pursuit.
Witness ultimately yielded to his importunities, and it was ar-
ranged that sbe should commit the robbery that night, and meet
Donohue at the prisoner's lodgings on the following morning.
itnees accordingly got up at an early hour, while her mother was
Weal), and abstracted from one of her drawers a purse containing
141. los., with which she made her way to the lodging in Thrawl-
street, where she found Donohue and the prisoner waiting her
arrival. On entering the room she apprised them that she had
taken the money, which she had secreted in the bosom of her
dress, and, after breakfasting with them, both the men left the
apartment, but returned with some rum, a portion of which they
poured into a tea-cup and invited her to drink. She noticed at

-ae~-

THE PRESS.

the time that the liquor had a peculiar appearance, but was in-
duced to taste it, and had no sooner done so than she feU into
• state of complete stupefaction. The narcotic effects of the
draught were so powerful that she remained insensible for
eighteen hours, and on recovering consciousness, at six o'clock
next morning, found herself lying on the bed, with the upper
part of her dress torn open and her purse and money gone.
A police-constable stated that after considerable difficulty he
traced the prisoner to a house in George-alley, Holborn. The
man Donodue had not since been heard of, and there was every
reason to believe that he had sailed for America.

The prisoner was remanded.
APPLICATION was made to Mr. Elliott, at Lambeth
Court on Saturday last, by a gentleman whose name
did not transpire, to interpose his magisterial autho-
rity to procure the release of a young lady, his

daughter :
It appeared that some time ago her father placed the young
lady in question at a highly-respectable boarding-school at Clap-
ham, where he paid 1001 per annum for her education. From
letters recently received from her, expressive of much discontent
and unhappiness, he applied at the school to see her, but was met
by a peremptory refusal. This, together with sentiments ex-
pressed in her letters, confirmed his suspicions of what he had
otherwise heard, namely, that it was the intention of the pro-
prietor of the school to get her married to a poor relative as soon
as she was of age and could legally contract a marriage. On the
following Monday, be added, she would be of age, and entitled to
a fortune of 12,0001.

Mr. ELLIOTT: You had a right to demand her, and
take her by force ; but I can give you no authority to
do so ; you should at once apply to a judge, who can

. .
grant a habeas.
It was replied that there would not be sufficient time
to procure an act on a judge's authority ; but, Mr.
Elliott having again stated that he could not inter-

fere, the applicant left the court.
Two YOUNG GENTLEMEN, Francis and William
Newton, residing in Curzon-street, Mayfair, have been
examined several times at Lambeth Police Court
during the week on a charge of seriously assaulting
Mr. Stewart Ker, of Brompton-crescent. The attack
took place at the Beulah Spa-gardens, and seems to
have been of most outrageous character:—
Mrs. Emily Ker deposed that she accompanied her husband
and a party of friends to a plc-nic party at Beulah Spa, and
while walking throc.gh the grounds she heard a violent screaming,
and on going to the spot found her husband covered with blood,
and the two defendants standing close to and beating him The
defendant Francis was armed with a heavy whip, the thong of
which was twisted round his arm, and with a stick, both of which
be used on the head of her husband, and with ouch effect that
the blood was streaming down his face, and his appearance was
such as to cause several ladies who saw him to faint. She (Mrs.
Ker) endeavoured to get to her husband, but the defendant
William put up his hands and prevented her, saying, " Go away,
madam." She requested that the defendants might be secured,
but they ran away and got off. Her husband was at once at-
tended by a medical gentleman, who dressed the wounds on his
head, and he was taken home in a carriage In a very dangerous
state.
At the first hearing Mr. Elliott admitted bcth pri-
soners to bail; but, subsequently, the state of Mr.
Ker was stated to have grown more alarming, and
the defendant Francis was ordered into custody, the
bail being renewed for his brother. The case lies
over until the result of the injuries sustained by the
assaulted gentleman can be ascertained.
A BREACH-OF-PROMISE CASE was tried at Bristol,
on the Western Circuit, upon Tuesday last. The
plaintiff, Mary Milsom, was a girl of humble circum-
stances, formerly living in the village of St. George,
in Gloucestershire, and the defendant was exten-
sively engaged as a horse-dealer. His name was
Withers, and be appears to have followed the cus-
tomary course of proceeding by paying attention to
the young woman for some time, promising marriage,
and even going so far as to have banns published,
but in the end seducing and then deserting her. He
had absconded from Bristol to avoid her importuni•
ties, on the results of legal inter:erence, and did not
appear at the trial, though he had pleaded to the
action. The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff, with
3001. damages.
MR. WILLIAM O'KEEFE occupied lodgings for some
months last year in Southampton-street, Fitzroy-
square, opposite those of Miss Priscilla East. He
paid much attention to the lady, and promised her
marriage, until he had persuaded her to advance him
money at different times to the amount of 5401. It
then turned out that he was married already. Miss
East has reluctantly appeared to charge him with ob•
taining money on false pretences, and Mr. O'Keefe,
who bad given her a wrong name throughout, has
been remanded by the Marlborough-street magis-
trate. His son, whose name is Turenne O'Keefe, has
also been charged and remanded for assisting his
father in the fraud. He called himself nephew of
the elder O'Keefe, and paid addresses to Miss Pris-
cilla's sister, and in various ways showed himself
cognisant of, and abettor in, the false pretences
which resulted in defrauding the lady to so serious
an extent.