The Express.
London, England, 1865-12-19 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TT:IEBMT EVENING, DECEMBER 19, 1865

ANTIGUA IN 1858. •';

[Tb. following letter appears in the Daily Newil
Sin,—From a paragraph which lately appear
in your paper on the subject of Governor T'
antecedents. giving au extract from Mr. Sew ell's
".Ordeal of Free Labour," it would seem that at the
time of the riots in Antigua in 1858, he bad
" applied to a neighbouring French colony for
but the
military aid." It was not Governor Eyre,
writer of this letter, who was then Governor in
Chief of the Leeward Islands, who made the appli-
cation under the following circumstances :—ln
Antigua at that time there were neither imperial
troops nor militia, and the police force was come-
rically inenSicient to uphold the civil power in time
of tumult. A tumult of a serious character in
which blood was shedoccurred on the night of
Thursday, the 26th of March, in the city of St.
John's. I was then twelve miles from the city,
and when the report of what had occurred
reached me 1 rode into the town, and reached
the police-station at two o'clock in the morn-
ing of Friday. Shortly after sunrise, anti
before I had obtained further aid, a combined attack
was made on the police-station, in which I was, and
the arsenal. The police were compelled to use their
arms, and some persona were killed and wounded.
The rioters then fled, having failed to effect an
entry into the arsenal or police-statiou, although the
latter was much damaged. It was then represented
to me by the superintendent of police, by members
of the Assembly, and other inhabitants, that a com-
bined and more serious attack was to be appre-
hended, and they urgently proposed to me to send
for military assistance to the Governor of Guade-
loupe, which island is about 70 miles off. I then
felt convinced that a renewed attack on the station
by persons acting in combination might succeed ;
and although as regarded the lives of the persons
within the station any external assistance would
have arrived too late, it was certain that a
successful attempt would have been fol-
lowed by acts disastrous to the colony. I,
therefore, determined to apply to the Governor of
Guadeloupe for military assistance
and on the
morning of the following Sunday a French war
steamer, with troops on board, arrived in the har-
bour of St. John's. In the interval, however,
although the state of excitement bad magnified the
riot into a "rebellion," I felt assured that I could
maintain order with the assistance of the planters,
who had readily responded to my call, and were
formed into a troop of cavalry, and of others who
had come to my aid ; and I, therefore, resolved not
to allow the French troops to be landed. This
caused great dissatisfaction among the white inha-
bitants. It was evident to me that the tumult was
not the result of premeditated design or combination ;
but a majority of the Assembly differed from my
views on this point. A year afterwards, being
obliged to obtain leave of absence, Mr. Eyre, then
Lieutenant-Governor lyre, was appointed to ad-
minister the government in my absence, and hence
the confusion of names. —II AM, dm.,
Dec. 16. KER B. HAMILTON.

LETTER OF THE LATE MR. G. W. GORDON

The following is a copy of a letter addressed by
the late Mr. Gordon, of Kingston, Jamaica, to a
friend in this country, six weeks before he was
hanged. The original letter has been in our (Daily
News) bands. It will be remembered that a part
of Governor Byre's case is that Mr. Gordon was
plotting treason for months before his apprehen-
sion. Not a particle of evidence has yet been pro-
duced in support of this assertion, and Mr. Gor-
don's friends confidently believe that none will be
forthcoming

Juries, Sept. 8, 1861
Dear Sir,—l presume that you are still engaged in the
enterprise of reform on Jamaica matters. There have been
great Worksop's to which, more or less, measures of urefol-
sees and mercy are generally subjected. If the ditEculties
mod to quicken our zeal and to direct us is
therees
course their ultimate tendency must be good. lof
your friends here have mat you the Jamaies pipers you
will have perceived that 1 have had a great deal to do with
meetings convened to consider Dr. IJadechill's letter, and a
wade: sent by Mr. Cardwell to Mr. Eyre, the governor
here, end which the latter has issued as "the Queen's
advice." This document is extensively circulated, and sent
to all ministers of religious. By several it has been
eccopted, and read in the churches for effect, so that
the poor people begin to think that there is
no hope for them. The planters rejoice over it,
and seem delightfully encouraged in their unreasonable.
near and oppression. The condition of the people continue'
deplorable, especially in the sugar distriete, and nowhere
that I have been more so than in the parish of Vete, where
• meeting was held on Monday, the 4th instant. The state
of matters here is really serious—children naked and starv-
ing, and coolies too ; adults in misery end not having
raiment even to come to the meeting, and from these causes
the places of worship are nearly empty, and the schools
badly attended, so that in point of fact the
meal fabric is fast giving way. The lock-up
at the "Alley" (a small brick building about 8 to 10 feet
square, an old magazine) is tilled with prisoners. Oa Monday
there were 13 (but often 20), who remain in a wretched
state, to be tried for some trifling offence, sometimes for two
or three weeks. This time it will be two weeks certain, if
then disposed of. Next Saturday will be the court rley.
The magistrates are principally all overseers, of a very in-
ferior class of men, and they sit in judgment on
the labourers employed by themselves, and it becomes
the law of tenor end oppressioo. Lately, without the last
provocation, not even • word, one of these said planter-
magistrates threatened the coroner of the parish in a meet
ruffianly way, and abused him. So strong was the case that
he was convicted by the court and fined 3d.. and costs.
This was reported to the Governor, who ought to consider
yet such a person should not be entrusted with her

MUSIC. • •
TOXIC SOL-FA. CHORAL SOCIETY.
Last night a performance of The Creation was
given at the Music-hall, in Storeetreet, by this society. It is
a newly-formed body—an offshoot from the great associa-
tion which has dome such great things to popularise vocal
music in this country by means of the method of notation
invented by the Rev. Mr. Cameo, of Plaistow.
The hall was crowded, and.the performance wan warmly
aid (we must add) indiscriminately appbuidsd. But the
society must aim at satisfying a severer taste. In perform-
ing the oratorios of the great muter', they mut engage
solo singers of a higher class, and provide a well-organised
band of competent performers. Unless tkey do this, their
coucerts may be applauded by zealous sol-fs-ists, but will
never attract the musical

LAW INTELLIGPICE.

COURT Or Queszcs BENCH.—Dee. 18.
After Tend 2fisl itius Ifiedapp at Galdhal.—(Beere the
Lord Chief Justice and Spewed Juries.)
tint, v. FINNEY.
The plaintiff was examined at some length in continua-
tion of his evidence in chief, and was cross-examined by
Mr.
iag Kandake. A statement of the aintiff eoneerion and
marre with Kiss Clark. which hepl sees tos the defeedant,
was put Is sad reed. and the further haulm) wee then ed.
Owned to this morning.
COURT OF EXCHEQUER.—Dec. 18.
Sithep at Nisi Prim at Guildbell.—(Before Lord Chief
Baron Pollock and a Special Jury.)
cruzir SOUTH EARTIRS RAILWAY COMPANY.
The plaptiff In'this motion
in
the defendants on behalf
of himself and four children in oonsequinice of his wife hay-
ing been killed Cu their railway. The defendant, pleaded
not guilty.
Mr. fluddlestoe. Q. 0.. and Mr. Henry Matthews were
for the plaintiff ; and Mr. Serjeant Salentine, and Mr.
Underdown for the company.
The plaintiff wee a gardener. in the employ of Mr. 'Tho-
mas Hotter, of Sydenham. About 10 in the morning of
the 20th April last, the plaintiff's wife went to the Lower
Sydenhamstetion for the purpose of proceeding to London
with a female friend who had a sick child, for whom she
wished to have medical advice. It appeared that at this
station there is only one booking-office, which is on the dews
side of the line, and persons arriving by the upf aide and
wanting ticket+ must cross the rails. There is no bridge nor
tunnel, and only a wooden platform on a level with the line
The plaintiff's wife crossed the line and procured two third-
sibiss tickets. When she got out of the booking-oaks a
down train had arrived, and limiting behind it she was about
recrossing to the opposite platform, when an express train
from Beckenham came along end killed bra neon the spot.
It appeartid that it was the duty ot the statics master to
sane the tickets, to keep the acconote, to me ;weepier,
safely across the line, and to put them into the proper
cerruiges and close the doon. On the monde' in q_asstlos
be was only waisted by a junior porter, who was 17 years
old, and the only other °Meer at the station was the sigma
man. As many es 1411 trains had passed through the stalks
in kder, but sometimes the number of trace did Pot ex-

amid 40.
Oa behalf of the company. the station-mister was called,
awl he swore that he said to the deceased. " Dods cress—
up express train corning.' The signal-malt also said that
alma he saw her on the line he called oat, "Stead hea—
-1 the up express is close." The junior porter corroborated
the station-muter as to his warnimg the deceased.
The Lord Chief Baron expressed the opinion that the
children could not sue the defendante, as they had sustained
no pecuniary loss.
The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff. damages 1100/.,
to be divided ss the parties might agree or the wart direct.
They recommended that the company should make better
arrangements at the stetion for the wifely of passengers.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

ROME ClRCUlT.—Ulanorrotrik Die. 18.
The busloar of the assizes for the county of Kent corn•
mewed this morning.
Mr. Justice Mellor, in charging the grand jury, said' that
he was sorry to find on thia, his first visit to the county of
Kept, that the number of caws and the quality of the
offences contained in the calendar wee greater than usual,
bat et the same time there appeared to te en absence, with
Thor two exception& of crimes of a very heinous character.
calendar soistaiaed two charges of wilful murder, the
first of which was against • woman named Sarah Elise
Drew, who was accused of the murder of her newly-born
child by suffocating it. In this case he thought it very
likely that it would turn out when it came to be invests-
pied that the prisoner wee not in a wand state of mind at
the time she committed the act. 11, would appear
that during previous confinements the prisoner had been
'HOW with inswity, and on the present *wades abe
appeared to have taken the very first opportunity that pre-
sented heel( to destroy her child, and she appeared to have
afterwards admitted what slushed done, and stated how she
had accomplished her object. With the question of
es in-
sanity, however, they had nothing to do ; bat if the facts
were tabliehed to their satiefsction, it would be their
duty to nature a true bill against the prisoner, and the
other question would be properly disposed of by the petty
jury. The other owe of murder was ow in which • pri-
soner named Stephen Forward was soceseed of murdering
his wife and daughter. The owe was a most simple one so
fares the eircumetanoss were concerned. The prisoner Re-
newed by the depositions to have almost been seep to
oommit the acts imputed to him, and there was so oubt
that his wee the hand that ceased the deaths of the
parties, and he therefore did not consider that its ne-
osswary for him to do more than to uprose opinionhat
upon the evidence that would be laid before them it would
be their duty to return a true bill. Hie lordship then re-
ferred to • charge of manslaughter against a [cosign airman
named Vincenzo Dawdle, and said that it appeared to
him that they had no juriedictios in this country to try
the prisoner, and he was tether surprised that the coroner
should have sent the ease for investigation at thew emizes.
His lordship then esplaised that the trawection appeared
to here taken place ou boerd a foreign vessel upon the high
sou, and that the prisoner and the deceased were both
foreigners, and, under these eircomenteces, he said is
appeaed to him that the prisoner was DOt amenable to the
law ofr Fogland, and that thia court had no power to try
such a ease.
George Gray, pleaded guilty to • charge of anion, and
George Parkins, 16, and William James, 31, also pleaded
guilty to charges of the same kind.
Sentence was deferred.
In the coarse of the day the grand jury returned true bills
against Stephen Forward, alias Ernest Walter Southey,
for the murder of his wife and child.
Mr. Poland, who with Mr. Philbrick is Instructed to
prosecute on behalf of the Treasury. applied to big lordship
to appoint a day for the trial, and he suggested that Wed-
nesday would be • conveoieot day, not only to himself, but
to Mr. F. T. Smith, who is retained foe the defence.
Mr. Justioe Mellor said he thought that, having regard
to the nature of the business, all be could say was that the
trial should not coma on before Wednesday.
The pri goner seems to continue to wadies, himself in the same
extraordinary manner that has characterised him throughout.
He has brought with bin, a bundle of written statements,
made since he bas been in custody, which he says are sa-
fer his defence, and the reeding of which, if he
.1447111.1 be allowed that privilege, will occupy • week. His
object evidently is to make it appear that be ia insane ; and
upon every occasion wheal hie crimes are alluded to he pro-
tegees to justify his conduct, and eedeavoure to show that
be had a right to kill the parties who suffered at his bands.
The defence that will be set up for him will be that of
insanity.