The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-29 00:00:00

SPAIN.

Thspatches from Madrid announce that General
Lersundi, who is appointed Captain General of the
Island of Cuba, will sail in the course of September
for his new destination, and that he will tr.ke with
him the final instructions of the Madrid Govetn-
ment with respect to the dispute with Mexico. The
papers say that Senor de G.ifregua, instead of coming
to Paris, has gone to Cadiz, and it is added tha' he
was to embark there for his own country. Nothing
more is heard of the mediation of England and
France in that quarrel ; but there is not the slightest
doubt that it was accepted, however teluctantly, by
Spain, and that the Conference Was fixed to be held
at Paris.

Intelligence has been received from Berlin, Aug.
27, of a terrible fire having reducea n considerable
part of the important town of Magilehurgh to ashes.
The bridge of tho Wittenburgh R tilway and the
military storehouses have fallen a prey to the flames.
The feeling that these numerous fires are the acts
of criminal incendiaries is scarcely opposed in official
circles.

Lieutenant-Colonel Brine (with reference to a
leadimr article in the Times of Thursday, attacking
Sir William Codrington for being in attendance on
the Prince of Wales instead of serving his country in
some military capacity) writes to say :—" Sit Wil.
Liam Codrington, anxious only for any share in active
operations in the fleld. and waiving all considerations
of his military rank and former position, has already
earnestly tendered his services for employment in
India. Sir William is within a few hours' call
should he be wanted ; and meanwhile his present
charge is a mark of confidence from his sovereign of
which he may justly feel proud."

DEATH OF JAYE% PLATT, Esu.„ M.P.—We regret to
have to record the death of Mr. James Platt, the lion.
member for Oldham, by accident, yesterday after-
noon, whilst on a shooting excursion on the mo ira
of S.addleworth. Yesterday morning, about eleven
o'clock, Mr. Platt, with a shooting party, amongst
whom were Josiah Radcliffe, Esq., mayor, and
Joshua Ratcliffe, Esq., left Ashway Gap. Mr. Platt's
hunting box—which is situated about two miles from
the Greenfield railway station—for a shooting ex-
cursion. About a quarter past one o'clock, the party
were proceeding through a gull), Mr. Platt being
foremost, and Mr. Josiah R tdcliffe about six yards
behind him, when the latter unfortunately stumbled,
and his gun went off, the shot being discharged into
the calf of Mr. Platt's right leg. The wound was
immediately bandaged, and the unfortunate gentle-
man was conveyed to his house at Ashway Gap, but
he never rallied from the shock ; and, althougn be
bled but little, lie exr;red between two and three
o'c.ock.—Manehester Guardian.

THE CONGREGATIONAL. UNION will hold their
autumnal meetings this ear in Cheltenham. The
meetinp. are fix, d to the brccnd week in OctoLer,
when re' reset wives from all the great towns of
Eng•and and Wales will be I resent, including some
three or four hundred of the most eminent minis.ers
of the Church, and a large number of lay mem ben.

THE PRESS, AUGUST 29,1857.

glttraualitan.

MANSION-HOUSE MEETING.

AN influential —meeting was held at the Mansion-
house ou Tuesday at the Egyptian-hall, for the pur-
pose of expressing sympathy with our suffering fellow-
countrymen in the East, and also with a view to
devise means of affording immediate relief to those
who are enduring the calamities consequent on the
rebellion of the native army.

The Lord Mayor in opening the proceedings read
an abstract from the requisition he bad received.
It was from Mr. James Stewart, of the film of Messrs.
Gordon, Stewart, and Co., agents, in Calcutta, dated
Ju•y 4th, 1857, stating that "a great number of
women and children, many of than widows and
orphans, utterly destitute, who have lost everything,
are arriving in Calcutta. A few of us are doitg our
hest to relieve them. lip to this time 18,000 rupees
have been collected, and I doubt not we shall have a
large subscription."
Colonel HENDERSON, in moving the first resolution,
expressing sympathy with the refugees, stated that
a committee had been already farmed at Calcutta
for the purpose of affording relief and to collect
general subscriptions, that Lord Canning hall sub-
scribed 10,000 rupees, and that, in anticipation of
further support and sympathy, the acting committee
had at once engaged commodious houses and fur.
niched t:►em with the required absolute necessaries
for the reception anal maintenance of the unhappy
sill rers, thereby incurring a heavy liability, and
depending on the forthcoming contributions of the
public at large for their reimbursement and sup-
port :
The meeting might wish to know who were the classes
requiring relief' from such funds. It was scarcely possible
t'or them to conceive that there could be so many suddenly
thiown into the extreme necessity which he had described.
But there were many of a class which they in England
knew little about• who had been in comfort and many in
affluence on the different branches of the river and at out-
posts not very distant from where the calamities had taken
plaice. They were composed chiedy 4.f the wives, widows,
anti children of public employes—military officers forming
the leading classes—what hail been driven from their
homes by the mutiny, within an area of many miles from
Allahahad and Cawnpore. Many of the ladies had escaped
at a llVJUtent's warning, leaving their husbands, if still
alive, in the dangerous performance of their public duty.
lui ad lit►on to these, there were also the missionary and
educational departments, and also the families of a great
number of East India Company's clerks, of whom there
were hundreds at all the principal stations, and who,
having Leen treated by the mutineers the same as the mili-
tary, had nut been able to escape with the same facility,
in consequence of the station of life they occupied net
affording them the means of so readily moving. Of that
class the majority were without clothes, or the means of
present support. Many refugee families had come down,
of European tradespeople and shopkeepers at the different
upcountry stations, also Amides of the employes at the
indigo factories above Allababad, of European sergeants
and pensioners, and the wives and children of European
soldiers. That enutueratiqii, would give the meeting some
idea of the vast numbers that were. never in a position to
require the assistance that it was now proposed to place
at the disposal of the commiuee in Calcutta.

.•
Further resolutions in support of the objects of the
meeting were proposed by Sir Stephen Lushington,
K.C.8., Mr. Theobald, Captain Lynch, C. 8., and
Judge Raliburton.. In seconding the resolution
proposed by Sir S. Lushington, the Rev. J. LEIFCEILD
said :
He could not believe that India would be lost to us;
that was impossible. No Englishman would ever consent
to lose India; and he prophesied that it would be recovered
in duP time. He biped that while they were in course of
recovering that empire, that they should not repay atrocity
with atrocity, or employing cruelty as the repayment of
cruelty. Though some severity might le necessary in
warfare, he hoped that the examples or them would be as
few as possible, and that they should hear very little more
of helpless sepoys being blown front the mouths of cannon.
Such punishment might be necessary, but be hoped it
would not be too frequent.

Judge HALIBURTON replied to the hope expressed
by the re r. gentleman :
The reverend centlemsti who has just addressed us so
eloquenth•, and with so much feeling, also introduced a
subject which perhaps it is not necessary here to consider,
that is, the dehrer of punishment which ought to be
awarded to these conspirators. Perhaps as an old judge,
and accustomed to vindicate the criminal law of the land
M which I lived, I might perhaps say that throughout my
judicial life I have considered that crime should be
followed with punishment ; and that the eertainty of that
punishment in a great measure renders unnecessary the
infliction of punishment. I might also say that I have
acted upon that principle, and if it please Goil ever to call
me again to the judicial bench, from which I have now re-
tired, I wou'd again act upon that maxim, that'' whoso
sheilileth man's blood by man shall hie blood be shed." I
have no mawkish sensibilities, and I do not cry " shame"
far the punishment of those wretches whose conduct has
Burtlassed all that history can produce. I am myself by
birth and educati,in a British subject, a nauve of North
America. lam acquainted with the hietury of that couutrt
from its first discovery by Columbus to the preigit ann. &