The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-03 00:00:00

" deed of shame." Lieutenant

called to corroborate that
it. Other witness; may
Lieutenant MILDYLY warn 1,000

time alleged, or that Mlll. CODRINOTON was not in
Malta at the alleged period. Ary evidenos, however
indirect, mesy,bn produced to ahoy that the state-
ment of Mrs. WArson is inaccurate, or that
Mrs. Copal:taros' slated that which never occurred.
But Mrs. CODZIROTON herself cannot be called.
Her mouth is closed. One of the two persons who
mast know the fact—the individual to whom any
reasonable inquirer would first address himself—is
excluded from the witness-box by the rules of
evidence.

Strange to say, this illustration of legislative
wisdom is of a very modern date. The Act which
contains it was passed in the year 1851. Ac-
cording to that Act all parties are compellable to
give evidence except in two cams. The first is in
cases of adultery, the second is in cases of breach
of promise of marriage. It is difficult to deter-
mine which is the more absurd case of the two.
If • father brings an action for seduction, the
daughter who has been seduced is • competent
witness. But if the same daughter brings an ac-
tion against her seducer for breach of promise of
marriage, she is not a competent witness. These
two actions—for seduction and for breach of pro-
mise—may go on aimultaneoualy, and yet the
very same witness who is called to prove the one
case is excluded as incompetent when called to
prove the other. As to the seoood case,
any witness is admitted to make the
most serious charges against a married woman
accused of adultery—nay, by means of alleged
confessions, as in Mrs. CODZINOTON'EI case, she
may be made to bear witness against herself,
and yet the rules of evidence are so craftily con-
trived that the married woman is sternly for-
bidden to insert her innocence, or even to submit
herself to cross-examination. Greater cruelty or
injustice is scarcely conceivable. It is too much
even for judges or for counsel to bear. The re-1
peal of • single section in the Act of 1851 would
remedy the evil, and that remedy ought surely to
be applied without delay.

Or Court.

°MORNS. Afoot's': 2.

The Prince of Wales and Prince Louis of Reese
went to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Net*, yeaterlay,
where the Prince of Wales laid the find stone of the
monument about tabs erected loth° memory of the medical
officers who died in the Crimean war.,

Major-0,04nd Seymour and Cspiain von Wasterwaller
were in .Mindanao.

Sir Jame Clark also accompanied the Prinoe of Wales
from Osborne.

the R. C. Grey and Lieutenant-

Colonel Da Plat a•n seceseded Yajoe•Geaeeal Seymour
aid Colo•el the Hoe. A. Hazdiege ea Equerriem is
Waiting.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer left town yesterday, for
Haws:deo °esti*, Chester.
Detpateles were remised at the Colonial-office, yester-
day, from t►e Gormless of Naha end Wean.

The Duke of Somerset, with Lord Clarence
Paget and other members of tie Board of Admiralty, left
town yesterday for Pembroke Dockyard and Milford Haves,
on the casual tour of inspection. From Millard Haves
the duke and other lords oommissioners go to Queenstown,
and after their Tait to Ireland will all at Holyhead to
inspect the harbour works.
The Duke and Duchess cf Northumberland
arrived at Northumberland Howe yesterday from a week's
!sojourn at Hastings. The noble duke and dasher leave
to-day for Sion House, lsleworth.
The Duke and Duchess of Manchester leave town
at the end of the week for Kirobolton Castle, Hunte,where
they will entertain a distinguished circle during the Hunt-
ingdon room
The Duchess (Emily) of Beaufort and Lord and
Lady Loadesborough have left town for the Isle of Wight,
in order to meet bis lordship's yacht.
The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon left town
on Monday for Higbclsre Castle, near Newbury. It is
said that the noble earl and countess shortly intend I.
make a tour in Germany.

The Earl and Countess Delawarr were expected
to trays Bournemouth yesterday, after visiting Mr. Hast-
ings Romell, M.P.. and Lady Elisabeth Russell, for their
temporary resideoce at Cowes, Isle of Wight. The noble
MA and countess go to Backhzust Park, SWIM; at the close
of the month, for the autumn.
The Earl of Cranford and Balcarres left town
yesterday far Haigh Hall, Wigan, and will shortly go to him
seat in Scot and to pass a few roostbs.

The Earl de Grey, the Secretary of State for War,
left Cltlton•gardees yesterday for Milford Haven, on a tour
of inopectiou of the fortifications now in progress on the
western comet. The °minters has goes on a visit, during the
shame of tbe earl, to the Counter of Ripon, at Putney.
The Countess (Trauma) Waldegrsve and the
Right Hon. Chichester Porten= have bee. entertaining at
Sirawberry•hill the Austrian Ambensdor and Coasters
Appaayi. the Maronis and Ma:chimer De CS(10111, the
Duke end Duchene of Somerset and Lady G weadoline St.
Maur, Maria Marchioatee of Adesbney, the Earl and Coun-
tess of Morley and Lady Katherine Parker, the rincrint
and Viaconntees Sfensford de Radcliffe and Mime Canning,
Lord Houghton, Lady Georgina Grey, &e.

The 6uotesa (Dowager) of Lichfield and Lady
Geared°leas Lam left Hilletreots BerkeleYeaaars, yes-
terday for a toar is Gennaoy.

Lord and Lady Colchester left their house in
Berksler•gasrs youtsrtlay for Tunbridge Wells.

Lord Clinton and the Hon. Misses Trefusis have
kft town for the family neat is Devonshire for the antnms.
Lord West has arrived in Upper Grosvenor-street
from the Continent.

The Right Hon. Thomas M. Gibson, M.P., has
haft town on s yachting excursion.

A marriage is said to be arranged between Miss
Rowley, the eldest daughter of Colonel the Roo. Richard
T. Rowley, M.P., and Mrs. Rowley, and Captain Fitzpatrick,
late of the 2nd Life Claude. It is said the marriage will
take plate about the waddle of pert month.
. _ _

We (Meriting Herald) understand a marriage is
arranged to take place between Colossi Farquhareoe, of
Inverreuld, sad Mies Elizabetti Oswald, tilde* daughter of
Mr. Oswald, of direhenernies.

MCNIPICISS? DONATION.—A benevolent lady has
through Messrs. Hoare, the bankers, of Fl-mt-mtreet, for-
warded to the National Lifeboat Institution the very mu-
nificeut donation of 5.0001., in aid of the general purposes
of the society. This large sum will suable its °committee to
place eight or nine additional lifeboats on the meet. Tbe
institution bee already under its management about sae
hundred sad forty lifeboat establiehmeata, which require
about 7,000/. miaually to keep in an effective state, arena.
log 301 per lifeboat station. The institution's large life
saving test rescues on an average between 400 and 500
shipwrecked persons every year, and it grants rewards to this
crews of &bin and other boats for meaning about the same
number of shipwrecked ram.

THE LATE AIL A. W. HARNIITT. —We learn that
the friends of the late Mr. Harnett, considering his per.
easel virtues, his literary attainments, and the long and
severe sufferings of the latter months of his life, have
resolved to raise by subscription a provision for his widow
and children, and to that end the following gutlemen
have farmed themselves into a committee :—Mr. John
Brady, M.D., M.P., Mr. Patrick M'Maboa,
Mr. Richard Quids, F.R.&, Mr. W. H. Twestyman,
cad Mr. Charles Russell. barriaterst.kw. Mr. Harnett
was concerted with the press both in London and Dublin.
and was endeared to all who knew him by the amiability of
his manors sad the purity of his life. He wu for many
years in impaired health, and daring the last fourteen
months of his life paned through extreme suffering., en-
bandies during this lug illness whatever provision he had
made for his family ; and on the 6th ult. be died, leaving
them totally unprovided for. A case of misfortune so
severe, so patiently borne, mid hearted without any trace
of blame attaching to himself, will. it is hoped, appeal
effectually to man, beyond the immediate cirele of his
friends. Subscriptions will be received by Mr. Alfred
bon. see., IS, Sendford•plaon Stoke Newington.

4111
• ..
The Nuremberg Correspondent regrets that like
secondary states have not come to a common un-
derstanding far selling out a Federal army capable
of overawing Prussia and saving Slestrig-Holstein,
which that journal now considers as lost to Ger-
many. " After Sleswig-Holstein," says the Cor-
respondent, "it will be the turn of Hanover ; a
charming morsel for Prussia." The same danger
threatens Hesse, and the Correspondent concludes
its gloomy forebodings by this ominous inquiry :
"Who can tell what the Prussian flags which float
over Rendsbarg contain in their folds 1"

THE EWEiltito WEDMIDAT
tenant MILDMAT . Jut INTELLI4NCI,
t rtatement or to
be called to show ibai PRDEILL AND THE MEW* STAUB
1,000 miles off et the GERMANY.