The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-26 00:00:00

DR. BERNARD AND 2HE QTATE TRIAL.

From eight o'clock until near midnight on Satur-
day evening there was a large muster of people at the Café
Chantant, fa Leicester-guars, it having been publicly an-
nounced. as wall in a conspicuous part of one of the morning
ppaaper of that day as by a placard outside the evil, that Dr.
by Mr. Edwin James, his counsel,
would rusks thetarpearanoe in the course of the evening.
On the previous night Mr. James and a friend had droned
. .

into thii place of pith& entertainment in a casual way as
they were passing through the square. They had hardly
entered the building when the well-known person
of the popular advocate was recognised by several
of the company. He was introduced to the pro-
prietor, a Frenchman, who expressed himself u flattered
by the visit and showed his guest some civilities. A fell of
the people present, and these chiefly French, approached Mr.
James and tendered him their oongratulstions for the Ric-
cessfal efforts he had made on behalf of their compatriot
during the recent state trial. These be politely aow-
ledged, and expressed his admiration of the French nation.
By this time the name of the distinguished viaitor had
spread through tho room, and thence until his departure he
became an object of general interest. During his stay,
whether by chance or design, the Marseillaise Hymn wee
'rang by the professional vocalists present with great en-
thusiasm. On Saturday evening, however, the 'whence
were disappointed, for neither Mr. James nor
Dr. Bernard made their appearance. At whose
instance the announcement was made that they

were to attend does not appear; but that it w sot
at Dr. Bernard's—still lees, perhaps, at Mr. James's—fa
certain from the fact of the former having expressed great
displeasure when be wu informed of the matter, adding that
he was not a Nana Sahib or a hippopotamus that snyone
should presume to exhibit him for money, and that he had no
ambition for a niche In the Walhalla of Madame Tossaud.
Within the Isat few days a fact has crime out extremely
creditable, we think, to the jury by whom Bernard was tried.
A committee, of whom Mr. Nichotay, Mr. E. T. Smith, of
Drury-lane Theatre, Mr. Beata, of Piccadilly, and others,
aro members, has been embodied at the news-room of Mr.
Wyld, in Leicester-square, at which, for the last few years,
Bernard hail been a constant visitor, for the purpose of ar-
ranging a Untrue at the FreemasOns' Tavern in the begin-
shag of May to the Jury and the counsel and solicitors
engaged on the trial *sr the defence. The jury were asked
if they would be disposed to receive such a token of public
approbation ; they met to consider the matter, and
the result is that theyVare respectfully declined the in-
tended ovation. They have Mated, through their foreman,
that on the occasion in question they sought to discharge
the important duty which devolved on them to the best of
their ability, and that for the manner in which they per-
foinred that duty they have the testimony of their own
consciences, then which they desire no higher reward.—
Times.

FIRE IN VIE FIR PLANTATIONS NEAR WOKING.—
A fire which wee burning here throughout the whole of
Friday night and uring Saturday hart destroyed plantations
on an extent of oreees than 5,000 or 6,000 acres. The tract
over which It has spread extends front the village of
Pirbright over the steep picturesque eminences known as
the Mitchet hills and towards the Frimley ridges. It
seems to have cemmenoed near Pirbright, on a lonely road
a large Sr plantation, and which leads from the
tZlrrcl•road. From the fact of its having evidently
command here on the wayaide, it seems as probable as
not that its origin was accidental. It commenced among
the furze and gorge and heaps of pine cones that lay
about. Fed by theee roost inflammable materials, it
memo to have spread very rapidly, advancing simultaneously
along the old Guildford marl and towards the Mitchel bal..
The views to be got from them, steep heights into the °nun-
try below were pictureviun beyond description, end the little
glens and shady dales that lay between the ridges were ex-
ceedingly beautiful. Now nothing can exceed the desolate
and weird-like aspect of the whole scene. All except the
largest trees have been consumed, and the scorched and
blasted appwanre of these only makes the desolation still
more striking in its appearance. The whole of the
extensive range of the Mitchet heights appear like so
many huge mounds of charcoal, the black look of
which contrasts most sadly with the rich green hills and
plantations to be seen around. The intense silence, too,
that pervades the great extent of hill and dale over which
the lire du raged is ant the least mournful of its many im-
pressive features. Not the sound of a bird, nor a stir of any
living creature• or even the rustling of • leaf breaks a still-
ness that is actually painful, and, in plan of a thick bloom-
ing plantation, redolent of the scent of wild Sowers. there In
only the smell of burning wood. It le, in fact, difficult to
imagine anything more mournful and desolate. The Sr.
was still burning actively on Saturday evening, but the
wind had 'hanged and the Santee were being turned back
over the tract they had already devastated, so that it we
likely to go out for want of fuel during Saturday night or in
the mune of yesterday.
MURDER OF A WIFE ET HER HIISRAND.—A
correspondent has supplied us with the following amount of
• melancholy event On Monday last the town and
neighbourhood of Rathfriland, in the county of Down, was
cast into great excitement, from a current report that a man,
named John Cubbison, had murdered his wife. The report
proved to be too taw On the following due of Tuesday
and Wednesday an inquest was held no the body, before
Dr. Tyrrell, the coroner. The following are the circum-
stances attendant on this sad use as appeared in evidence .
The unfortunate man lived in the tnwnland of Grellough-
greenen. in the perish of Drurnbellynney, his family con-
sisting of • wife (his victim) and two young children. He
was • men of violent temper, and had been in the habit
of treating Ms wife cruelly. On Monday last he returned
from his employment at the usual dinner boor. The
repast not pleasing him be consmeoced beating his wife.
Her cries, and those of her children, attracted some
neighbouring women to the hone, who heard screams
as if of a person receiving a beating, accompanied by horrid
expressions from the husband. In a few minutes, however,
the cries =bolded ; and, after a little time elapsed, Oubbbson
went into • near neighbour's house, requesting she miner,.
to come and see hies= who had Gated and was dead. On
going in she sew a quantity of blood on the kitchen•floor,
and, on goiter into the bed-room, saw the poor woman lying
deed on the Boor. Ste then raised en alarm. Mr. Robert
Swan and ethos sent for the constabulary, end kept Cub-
bison in custody till their arrival. A post-mortem examina-
tion of the body was made, sad a wound was found on the
back pert of the bead of the deceased penetrating to the
skull. A large quantity of armed blood wns detected. The
medical opinion was she died from thia cause, and that the
wound was effected with some blunt instrument wielded with
greet force, and that death was almost immediate. The jury
returned tevenliet in acoordenoe with these facts. The un-
fortunate run was sent alto the county gaol, to abide his
trial at the next eatiree."—/firthern Wltv.
PANIC IN TELE FLAX TRADE.—In consequence of
the aboard rumour that Lord Reese bad predicted an un-
usually hot and dry mummer the flax trade has been seriously
affected. Farmers have made up their minds to sow less
flaxseed than they would °Marvin have dons, and, it
appears. persist in that determination, notwithstanding the
contradiction given by his lordship to the indiscreet rumour.
—Armagh Guardian.
SPALDING AND HOLDEACTI RAILWAT.—Ths line
from the Oast Northern stinks at Spalding le Holborn=
is expected to be opened for traffic is about mix weeks, the
ails bring laid and the Alai= buildings pregreesag rapidly.
Evans, the coschman to Mr. Hollingsworth, of
Liverpool, who was brought beton the magiettnee on Friday,
charged with brutally filtrating his daughter, was on
Heturday bound over to keep the puce towards her.