The Express.
London, England, 1859-08-24 00:00:00

BALE OF POIBOII AND 178 RESEILTS.

A striking ease occurred here on Wednesday last.
It appears that • men named Francis Duncan, a ship
belonging to Dundee, called at the shop of Mr. Burnell,
mist, about midday. and inked for some pranic mil he
killing rata. He was Informed by Mr. Darrdl that the article
was not usually applied to such • purpose, and was re-
' fused. Duncan then went to a mooed shop of Mr. Burrell,
at the High-eireet Port, where he coked for oil of vitriol
(sulphuric add) from Mr. John Clark, the young man in
Mtendance, who questioned him as to the Intended um of
II it, and who, in answer to a question, Informed his
customer that it was poisonous, but that it wee a very
cruel and torturing method of killing vermin. This ap-
peared to excite doubts in the man's mind, for hams-
timely he inquired for prussic add instead, and
Mr. Clark retired for • minute and returned with
a bottle duly labelled with the article required
hut which meantime he had filled with pure water anti
• few grain, of Rochelle salts to give it • flavour. A small
bottle being filled therewith, the man caked if it would kill,
sad was informed that such a phial of acid would kill half a
doses people. Raving dipped hie linger in the liquid, and
applied it to the tongue, be expressed himself satisfied, as he
need it often to cure hotbeds's; and, on being cautioned as
to its use, he left the shop. Meanwhile information had
been lodged at the police office of the theft of • silver watch
from diatoms of Md. Reid, lodginghoues-iseger, Shore
Wynd, the property of one of her lodges, and it was sus-
pected that Duncan, who had been lodging there, was the
thief. The polioe, after an active sear* bad succeeded
he recovering the watch in a pawnbroker's ; and,
having their suspicions confirmed as to the guilty
party, set out in his track, and succeeded in apprehending
him. Just, however, before the officers seized him he
drew forth the fatal phial, and instantly swallowed its
coalmen, and then placidly informed the officers that he had
take pekoe, and would in • few minutes be beyond the
reek of human law. The consternation imam* was imme-
diate, and • medial gentleman was promptly teat for, who
had the eallefection of finding emetics and other appliando,
onigeeted by the probable nature of the supposed poison,
followed in • few minutes by the revival of the poor nun,
who, under the impression that he was really dying, was no
lemadonished himself at being so easily roomed from other-
wise teedtalge death. He has since been examined and
committed to gaol, and Is none the worse of the does, TM
Vtaar=t.and dienetion shown by Mr. Clark in this
the highest commendation. as unqueetton
ably, bed be not dumbed the tact displayed, tbe poor man'e
life, la all probability, 'add have been seenficed.—.Mostross
Standard.

A STEAMER DFATROTED ST FIEF..—The James
Yeo, which arrived et New Yea on the 4fit August,
swing, oat the 28th Jane, is lat. 47.30 N., tang. 2firre,
steamship on fire, whkh tree afterwaids found to be burnt to
the water's edge end stuadosed. Sr same was burnt off,
hut a easpest figure-bead wee sees, and she appeared to be ea
Americea-built vessel.

jalylcAD-BAND PLOMFORTILL—CRAMER,
Wierasi=====ibmsom-Ilt

else OxpreiglS•

oMMIMAP~ We
freidiEnii. .11te azLirssed.
,lig Pm, Ewa be at the CM" 14
Witte e ea the So et pthilswica.

Two Swam. ?ig mama? DAT OT IT LITT. Kr.
Ormirsa• sod lin CONTEST/1D lILBOTIOII. AIL
riod Ira C. lailk••••-01..lt Or 1110 LIT Orr OP gr. 0.
liarilion.—AM MALLOWS U.

P•INONOWN.
Tar trinle,lllß SWOT. Kr. IN len C. Kam—
erl • 111D•1:11111 flour" 10113•11.—Virminor se 1.

Tin IMense. wrilairdall.—TWlßD CL*M AND
Min CLUS-11ad JACK AND JACIII DILOTRIUL Maws
A. Weed sod W. Oirshrt

a wimp 11110116.

alell wasis

-h- iz.

LONDON. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 24.

Ins anticipations we recently expressed have
proved but tee well founded. Open war has been
declared by the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland
against the system of National Education so long
established there. We have no desire to disguise
from ourselves the width or depth of the abyss that
lies between impartial and enlightened education,
conducted ~by the State on neutral prin-
ciples, and any systems of instruction guided and
governed by exclusive and intolerant ecclesiastics.
Nor are we disposed to dispute the accuracy of the
allegations made by an evening contemporary, re-
a?ecting the designs long harboured against the
inability of the National Board. Bat we cannot
help expressing our regret that want of are and
foresight on the part of those who were bound to
exercise superintendence and control over the work-
ing of so valuable an institution, should have allowed
defects to go unamended and inconsistencies to
spring up which now afford its enemies just sufficient
ground whereon to base plausible arguments for its
total re-construction. Sooner or later we have no
doubt the trace of toleration established in 1832
between hostile sects would have been broken; and
the passionate desire of exclusive clerical control
would have broken filth. Bat the amend duty of
Government in a mixed community is not to exor-
cise the principle of evil, for that is beyond it, power,
but to check and modify its influence, and if it can
do no better, to postpone its overflow to the latest
possible hour. In times of progress every day saved
from the returning flood of clerical fanaticism is a de]
gained. Eight and twenty years, happily for
the laity of Irelsad, have thus been secured ; and
who will say how much of the improvement
of that country as It now stands, compared with
what it was in 1831, is referable to the beneficent
influence of a humanising and liberalising system
of Primary schools ? Looking at its intrinsic value,
and to the latent enmities with which it was beset
from opposite quarters, we are compelled to say, we
think it was unpardooable in those who have held
responsible office in Ireland of late years to suffer
the balance of opinions in the Central Board to be
lost, and deviations from the original rules of nen-
trality,on which the system was hued, to become
permanent and habitual. Considering the repug-
nance and contumely shown from the outset by a ma-
jority of the Established Church, nothing could be more
unwise or unfair than the large proportion of Commis-
sioners selected from that communion. It was but
natural and just that the Presbyterian body having
given in its adhesion should be fully represented in
the Board; but regard being had to the numerical
proportions of the population whose intellectual
wants were to be supplied, it has long appeared to
us sheer infatuation to allow any jest ground of com-
plaint to exist mute( the number of Roman
Catholics taking part In its deliberations. It is no
use to tell us now that three or four noblemen and
gentlemen were kept upon the list for ornament long
after it was ascertained that they either could not or
would not take any active part. It was the business
of the Government of the day to see that the in-
stitution was in heathful working order, and
to that end to replace ciphers and nonentities
with active and influential men. If, after
the advent of Archbishop CULES, it became
evident that no Roman Catholic bishop would
be allowed to sit at a mixed board, it was all
the more essential to supply their place with an
adequate number of enlightened and influential lay-
cue, whose names and whose numbers would have
been a guarantee against all suspicion of partiality,
and a practical answer to the sinister imputations too
likely to be circulated. Instead of this the Roman Ca-
tholic minority of the Board has unhappily for some
time been suffered to consist of persons one-half of
whom notoriously seldom took any pert whatever
in ito proceedings ; and the consequence has been
the gradual accumulation of a set of petty grievances
and alleged partialities, not one of which, desperately
investigated, may have been really worthy of senses
consideration, but the a4gregate of which has pro-
duced a state of feverish irritation net easily allayed.
Still more to be regretted, we think, have been
the gradual sononsione made to prejudice and impor-
tunity with regard to religious instruction. At first
all was to be rigorously neutral and colourless within
the walls of the Government schools. By degrees
religious teaching came to be permitted out of Mega
Dour to the ehildn n of various sects by their re-
spective pastors or persons acting for them ; and at
last the schoolmaster war authorised to teach their
various catechisms to his pupils of various denomi-
nations. It is not surprising that a scheme so utterly
devoid of every semblance of reverence and
earnestness should have encountered serious
objections. The only wonder is how the ex-
periment should ever have been made. It now
affords the eltremoodanist party on one side,
and the ultrs-Anglican clergy on the other,
common ground for usaalt and invective, which
neither of them am slow to occupy. Both demand,
see that an end should forthwith be put to all
possibility of teaching children of one faith by mas-
ters belonging to another. Both demand that the
denomination prine:ple, which admits of specific and
exclusively sectanso teaching in every Khoo!, should
be substituted for the Neutral or Mixed principle.
Both require that the inspection of their schools
should be strictlj sectarian, as well as the choice of
books and of musters ; and both, with a strange mis-
apprehension of the facts and possibilities of the elm,
ask impatiently-11 by not deal with education in
Ireland as in England? We desist from entering
here Into the details requisite for a suitable reply to
that question ; but the answer to it, as everyone
knows who has taken the trouble to camper* the
circumstances of the two countries, is conclusive and
complete.

The Right Rea. the Secretary of State for Ireland,
Mr. Manta. M.P. ft ♦teeadce ke., woos nisetolobsel by
Juno. MonedL &q.. at Caltaita, at tamer, as Viands,
”olutit last. The parry ccenprieW 'easy of the civic audio-
n nee asd saddest, .4 Oohed, which city the tight bcn. pr
llama& WM

cts court.

OSBORN', Atom 22.
Her Majesty, the Prince Consort, Prince Alfred,
Pthc Hakes, GO Risers Louisa, left Osborne to-day
balli-past iss &eine is, Aliandeott Canty.
Ms Oa im Oohs= omit= of the Marchioness CI
Ify, Om Moe. Lads Ilisplord, My or-Omni the Hon. C.
Om Goma MPhil. Ms* Cosell, and the Muter of tbs
Basta-old.

Royal Pavilion, Aletrahott-csaap, Angora 23.
Her Majesty, the Priem Casson, and the royal dmity,
'Mild at the ?mem yeiterdty at half-past ose d'elech.
At a little before Wee o'clock her Majesty left the Pavilion
as amigo ea four, secoespaniei by Priecem Hakim mid
Prisms Leaks, sad drove to the migkbeenhood of Caws
Camp, to Meuse the owed= whirl were anted ea there
by the divirke =dor Lleat.-Gesural Imam.
The Prime Cowart, with Priem Alfred, ateemmeiad her
Majesty en hambeek, weeded by Coped' Du Plot sad
Major Cowell. TM Qum wma attameltd by the Msechimeate
of Ely, the Roe. Ramis tkoyderd. th• Ectarriso-ta-Witt*
beg, the Quartarmeler-Gmeral of the Foram the Reply.
Adjamet.Omeral, sad the Staff of the Camp.

Nat Majesty reSideed en the roma tiff pest 6 eidock,
end Imported the works carried on, whisk consisted of the
Ilerseeke of so intreoched map, made by inching parties
eneeneles from the different brigades.
The Mowing had the honour of dining with bee Ma-
jesty is the evening Llenteeant-Gentral Kielty', Melor..
GUMMI en Richard Atrey, Ceertermanter.Owawrel ; Major-
Genetel Former, Depetty Adjutont-Neerel ; Colonel C.
Kennedy, Aenetsat Quartermeeter-Genenil ; and Colonel
Chersen, B.E._

The bend of the Royal Eatbreere played daring dinner.
Hr blikieety end the Prince Consort, Prince Alfred, Prin•
one Heins, end Prioress Louisa, left the Pavilion this
manias at a quarter before ten, and again visited the
leireiched ersap.

The Qum ;ad the Prince were attended as yesterday,
std temslaed till age **sleek inspecting the deism thrown
up, endwise pseud dewing the manoeuvres executed.
The Queen, Pries, r• royel Leerily left the Royal Pavi-
llon at hal-past thres o'clock, and returned to (reborn,.

Demotefro were mot from the Coleolel-.lice yesterday to
the Governor of Comte, reel the Gomm:lei of Ur Settle-
mato so the Welt Cant of Africa.