The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-09 00:00:00

THE PEN LAN TRIALS.

DUBLIN, llosorr NIGHT.

James O'Connor, book-keeper in the Irish People
newspaper office, was convicted to-day and sen-
tenced to penal servitude for seven years.

Tin Quitize.—Of course no loyal American can
fail to be gratified at the prospect of her Majerty's complete
resumption of her royal duties. The 4tieen has, all throogh
our contest for national existence, manifested a sympathy
with, and regard for, the welfare of the Union, which have
endeared her to us AIL We know how far her direct inter-
position has been exerted in our behalf, and we have heard
bow prominent a place the works of William Ellery Chan-
ning hold is her library. The lady who, by her domestic
life, has become a pattern to English women, sod by her
public career proved her wisdom and foresight, by her resto-
ration to public life, gladdens the hearts of her subjects no
less than those of our countrymen who know her beet.—
New York Times. _ .

- -
Tai GRIAT BANK ROBBERY.—With regard to
the cue of Augustus Georg* Fletcher, charged at the
Justice-room of the Mullion-house on Seatuday, on his
own confusion, with stealing securities to the amount of
10,000/. from the Melbourne branch of the Union Bank of
Australia, where he was chief cashier, some natural surprise
has been occasioned that the prisoner, who had deliberately
given himself into custody and stated that he committed
the robbery, should have been allowed to leave the court
for want of it. jurisdiction to detain him, and to go at large
main, with so serious an accusation impending over
bon. From the prisoner's statement to the police-
constable into whose charge he gays himself it seems
that he committed the robbery some time in the summer of
1864, and, according to Mr. Mewburn, the secretary to the
went bank in London, the prisoner had returned to &gland
in the autumn of that year. The robbery, however, bad been
committed a year before the bank antbonties knew by whom
it had been perpetrated. From this country, when he
probably disposed of the sscurittes, he went to New York,
thence to France, and thence to Buenos Ayres, finally, on
the advice of the British authorities there, and possibly also
stung by remorse, returning to England. On arriving in
this country he went on Friday last,
Bank
before the close
of bath hours, to the Union Bank of Australia, in
Old Broad-street, sew the secretary, stated who he was,
and said be had come from Buenos Ayres expressly to
surrender himself. The secretary, however, after hearing
that statement, made no charge against him, nor did the
solicitor to the bank who had been called in, and the pri-
soner left the bank, giving himself immediately into the
custody of the first policeman he met, to whom he stated
he had committed a robbery, and begging to be taken
to the nearest police-station, which was done. There the
prisoner deliberately stated, in the presence of some gen-
tlemen from the bank who bad gone to the station and
of the police, that he had stolen the 10,000/. worth
of securities from the bank in Melbourne, but no one
charged him but himself. Upon that state of facts be was
detained over night and taken to the justice-room next
morning, where he underwent an examination, as reported
is oar impression of Saturday, sod was eventually allowed
to go at large for want of jurisdiction, on his own recogni-
sance, in 1001., to appear again on a future day, Mr. Alder-
man Finnic stating again and spin that he had no power
to detain him. This anomalous state of things has arisen
entirely from the peculiar wording of the Colonial Extra-
dition Act, the 6th and 7th Victoria, cap. 34, passed in
July, 1843, which loft the magistrate no discretion in the
matter.

THE DWELLINGS OF THE POORER CLAseBs.—The
following oircular letter has been addressed to the clerks of
the various beards of guardians in the metropolis by the
clerk of the Strand Union :—" I am directed to forward to
you a copy of a motion carried at a meeting of the board
of guardians of the Strand Union, on the 2nd inst., sod I
am to request that you will lay the same before your board
at the first convenient opportunity, and inform me as to
their views upon the subject. In this district the dwellings
of the poorer classes are overcrowded, highly rented, and in
other reepectsio• far from satisfactory state. Our workhouse
is full, or nearly so—the number of casual or honseless poor
applying nightly for shelter is great—sod the applications
for out-door relief are, and have for some time past been,
very considerably incresse,L Ito thought probable that
the poor of your district are somewhat similarly circum-
stanced, and that among the many bills to be introduced
into parliament next session fur new railways, or other
metropolitan improvements, some may affect you. Even
should such not be the case, your district way be affected
in itself by the necessary migration of those who are re•
moved from unions or parishes more or less remote from
your own. It would appear that this evil has now reached
such a pitch, that it is time the various municipal
authorities, and especially the guardians of the poor, began
to consider whether anything can be done to palliate the
effects of a system which is adding to their responsibilities
and difficulties. The wholesale destruction of the homes of
the poor, and the consequent overcrowding, necessarily
increases the number of those who fall upon the rates,
and diminishes that of those who pay them. It lowers the
habits of a large class, and saddles us with a fresh load of
destitution. The committee appointed by our board will be
happy to confer with deputations from such other boards
of guardians se may be willing to co-operate in this matter.
It is thought that the first step to be taken would be to
form an influential deputation to wait upon the President
of the Poor-law Board, and urge upon him the necessity of
some governmental precautions being taken, before any
further demolitions were sanctioned by parliament." The
following is the resolution referred to and carried at the
meeting of the Strand Union board of guardians, on Tues-
day, January, 2, 136.6 : "That a committee be appointed to
inquire into and report to this board upon the existiog
house and lodging accommodetioo for the labouriog and
poorer classes within the Strand Union district. The sa-
tes% to which the immediate demolition of small house
property for the new law courts in St. Clement Danes—for
the railway about to be constructed from Charing-cross to
the Hampstead-road, and for other contemplated improve-
ment., will deprive the said labouring and poorer classes of
their present inadequate and yet highly-rented lodgings.
After taking all necessary evidence, the committee to con-
eider and report to the board their views as to the expe-
diency of this board communicating with other boards of
guardian, of the poor of the various metropolitan unions or
parishes, memorialising the president of the Poor-law
Board, the Home Secretary of State, the Lord Mayor, the
chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works, and the
several metropolitan members of the Hones of Commons,
with • view to this urgent public question being at once
brought ueder the notice of the proper authorities by the
guardians of the pour, in order that the government may
have time carefully to consider in what way suitable pro-
visions should be made far dwellings for the poor before
the parliamentary committees sit upon the very many bills
for divers new metropolitan railways and other schema
that will be laid before them during the coming session."
A LEAP FROM • TRAIN AT FULL SPEED.--TbOrnite
Williams, • sailor, who booked from Liverpool to Gersten
on Saturday evening, when the train was midway and at
full speed opened the door of a carriage and leaped out. It
was dark, and the passengers (who were unable to prevent
his exit in time) oonld not see what became of him. When
the train arrived at Gersten a man was sent along the line,
stud Williams was at length found lying snugly in • ditch
fast asleep. He was not in the least injured, but his clothes
were covered with mud and filth, as he had rolled over and
over in his drunken stupor. He wes taken back to Canton,
and yesterday was brought before the county msgistrates at
Liverpool and fined Mr., which was immediately paid, as
Williams was required on board, his ship being on the point
of sailing.
A Ton or AFFECTION.—The Limerick Southern
Chronicle vouches for the following romantic incident as
haring occurred in • " neighbouring couuty." " A certain
young lady, possessing more than ordinary accomplishments
for her class of life, being the daughter of poor but respect-
' able parents, on the deato of • wealthy relative recently,
became entitled to 8,0001. When the glad tidings reached the
ears of her neighbours, many warm admirers flocked around
the hitherto neglected beauty, and there was no end to the
overtures of love. Previous to the turn of fortune's wheel a
young man of bumble pretensions had been the young lady's
only suitor, but the knowledge of her wealth at once placed
a formidable barrier in his way, and he contacted himself
with being a silent worshipper at • distance. Matters ulti-
mately came to • crisis, and is order to test the affection of
her devotees the young lady caused a report to be wea-
-1 lated that the supposed fortune was is reality only • sham,
. the mistake having occurred through a similarity of name.
This intelligence had the effect of causing the visits of the
lovers to become lees frequent, and filially cease altogether.
. The humble youth rejoiced at the change, and at once took
an opportunity to console the mistress of his heart, who, to
the salmi's of all, rewarded his sincerity with her hand,
and made him sole master of 8,00 W."
The committee of the Hartley Institution, at
Southampton, haveannoueced that the Reverend Dr. Hook,
Dean of Chichester, will deliver • lecture at the Institution
a Monday Rest, "Oa Marlborough and his wars."