The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-19 00:00:00

NITRO-GLYCERINE.

In consequence of the Newcastle explosion, much
interest is felt in that terrible agent of destruction—nitro-
glycerine. The following information respecting it is
entreated from the new edition of " Ure's Dictionary of
Arts, Manufactures, and Mines :"
" GLYCERINE, 111TRO.—" In 1847 a pupil of M. Palouse
—M. Sobrero—discovered that glycerine, when treated
with nitric acid, was converted into a highly explosive
substance, which he called nitro-glycerine. It is oily,
heavier than water, soluble in alcohol and ether, and acts
so powerfully on the nervous system that • single drop
placed on the top of the tongue will cause a viiihmt head-
ache, which will last for several hours. This liquid amnia to
have been almost forgotten by chemists, and it is only
recently that M. Nobet, a Swedish engineer, bas
succeeded in applying it to a very important
branch of his art—namely, blasting. From •
paper addressed by him to the Academy of Sciences, we
learn that the chief advantage which this substance—com-
posed of one part of glycerine and three parts of nitric acid
—possesses, is that it requires • much smaller hole or
chamber than gunpowder does, the strength of the latter
being scarcely one-tenth of the former. Hence the miner's
work, which according to the hardness of the rock repre-
sents from five to twenty times the price of the gun-
powder used, is so short that the cost of blasting is often
reduced by 30 per cent. The process is very easy ;if
the chamber of the mine present fissures, it must be
lined with clay to make it water-tight ; this done, the
nitro-glycerine is poured in, and water after it, which,
being the lighter liquid, remains at the top. A slow
match, with a well-charged percussion cap at one end,
is then introduced into the nitro-glycerine. The mine
may then be sprung by lighting the match, there being no
need of tamping. On June the 7th, 186-5, three experi-
ments were made with this new compound, in the open
pert of the tin mines of Altenburg, in Saxony. In one of
these, a chamber, 34 millimetres in diameter, was made
perpendicularly in a dolomitic rock, GO feet in length, and
at • distance of 14 feet from its extremity which was nearly
vertical. At a depth of 8 feet a vault filled with clay
was found, in consequence of Which the bottom of the
hole was tamped, leaving a depth of 7 feet. One litre
and a half of nitro-glycerine was then poured in ;
it ounipied five feet ; a match and stopper were then ap-
plied, as stated, and the mine sprung. The effect was so
enormous as to produce a fissure 50 feet in length, and
another of 20 feet ; the total effect had not been sneer.
tabled, because it required several small blasts to break
the blocks that have been partially detached by this. In
18..5 M. Nobet made a series of experiments with this ex-
plosive fluid, at Falmouth, and in Nome of the Cornish
mines and granite gunnies. Its explosive powers were
found to be enormous. Its tendency to change, and spon-
taneous combustion, from which some most disastrous so-
cidents have arisen, appear to place it out of general use."

The two Princesses d'Albe, nieces of the Empress,
with many young ladies belonging to the most distinguished
families in Paris, are following regularly tho classes of
secondary instruction fur girls at the Sorbonne.
_ .

Prince George of Prussia, nephew of King
William, has just had the tragedy of Electra performed
with success before the court. lie is about to publish two
new dramas, one entitled The Marquise de Brim-Wier',
and the other called Ph,drc.

At the first Conservatoire Concerts at Paris
last Sunday, Schumman's symphony in B fiat wu played
and favourably received. Two fragments of a symphony
by Schubert were also played for the first time at the fifth
concert of Paedeloup. These concerts, attended by some
four or five thousand persona, are crowded to suffocation.

Signor Campana is in Paris, on his way to Milan,
with a new opera in his portfolio, entitled Noire Dame de
Paris. The libretto, in four acts, is from the pen of Signor
Cimino.

Admiral Tegethoff, according to the Gazette de
Frana, paid, before quitting the city of Mexico. all the
claims on the late Emperor Maximilian, comprising those
which were notoriously overcharged.

The Gazzetfa del Popolo of Florence has just
opened a subscription to present a medal of honour to 111.
Jules Fevre in recognition of the manner in which he
pleaded the Italian cause in the Legislative Body.
Advices from Caprera state that the health of
General Garibaldi has much improved.
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN.
—The following candidates yesterday passed the major
examination as pharmaceutical chemists:—Ernest James
Agnew, Southses ; William Bulgier, Blandford ; Silas
Daniel, Holsworthy ; Edward Dunkley, Northampton ;
Thomas Jefferson, Cambridge ; Freak William Steel,
London._

THEGOVERNMENTAND TUE LATESERGEANT BRETT.
—The Rev. W. Richardson, the rector of Miles Platting,
has received a communication from Mr. G. H. Hamilton,
of the Treasury, Whitehall, dated Dec. 14, to the follow.
in` effect :—" Sir,—l am commanded by the Lords Com-
missioners of her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you that,
upon the recommendation of the Bari of Derby, the Pay-
master-General has been authorised to pay to you, on be-
half of Mrs. Brett, widow of Charles Brett, the policeman
recently murdered at Manchester, the sum of 251."—Man-
dater Courier.

Twenty years ago Melbourne, the capital of Vic-
toria, had a population of 8,000. Its population is now
128,000. In 1848 the province of one of the nine
provinces into which New Zealand is divided, bad a popu-
lation of 620, and in 1864 its population was 61,000.
Twenty-three years ago the population of South Australia
was 19,000, sad in 1866 it was 176,000.

LAW INTZLLIGENCE.
(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

After Term Nisi Prins Sittings at GuildhalL-(Before
the Lord Chief Justice and Special Jurors.)
WILSON C. WALTER.
The further hearing of the case, which was an action for
libel against the Times, was resumed this morning.
The plaintiff appeared in person. The Attorney-General,
Mr.endant. Coleridge, Q.C., and Mr. Wood, were counsel for the
def

The plaintiff, in continuation of him statement of yester-
day, commented on Lord St. Leonardo speech. He said
his lordship's remarks contained such glaring ab-
surdities that Mr. Helene must have known
not only that the statement of other noble lords
were false, but that Lord fit. Leonardo thought
Sir Fitzroy Kelly guilty. In five minutes Lord
St. Leo contrived not only to make six falsehoods but
he misquoted some of his (plaintiff's) statements, which
was no • more or less than moral forgery. There was
nothing in petition which approached what Lord St.
Leonard, stated in his speech.' His lordship's notion of an
inquiry into the charges was the withdrawal of the
petition, and when he asked Earl Russell to with-
draw it he knew that Sir Fitzroy Kelly
was guilty. Earl Rummell, after answering the absurd pro-
position of the Lord Chancellor, that he ought not to have
' presented the petition, acted in a most despicable manner
in not making him (plaintiff) acquainted with Sir F.
Kelly's reply. Fair play was, if he might say so, Indio,-
IMUII in Englishmen, and his lordship, by not referring
that answer to him, had sold his petition. No man sold
another without • remuneration in meal or malt.
Earl Rummell did sell his petition, without doubt,
and as no man did a dirty trick without
being paid for it, his lordship inert have been
paid for selling the petition in meal or in malt. The noble
lords were privileged in what they said in parliament, and
as he could not proceed against them he had taken the
only person in his powerthe accomplice in their guilt. Mr.
Watson then came to the editorial comments, which, he
said, there was prima facie evidence to show must
have been written by Mr. Helene to gratify mo-
tives of personal hostility against him (plaintiff) or
friendship for Sir F. Kelly, for with the exception
of one daily paper beside the rime, not one of them
had an editorial article on the subject the following
morning, although its public importance was beyond all
question fully admitted by Mr. Deane is the °eminence-
ment of the article, and by Eariptussell in his statement
in the House of Lords, and the only answer was that they
saw distinctly by the reports that it was impossible
the noble lord's statements could be true. In the
article Mr. Delano had mixed up falsehood with
truth—what was called one of the devil's pet
lies, containing • sprinkling of truth. 'When a person
of bad disposition took upon himself to decide
between • good or • bad act he invariably selected the bad
one, because in similar circumstances such would be his
own conduct. There were four instances of Mr. Delane's
baseness is changing what was in his (plaintiff's) petition
as quoted in the article, and Mr. Helium did it because it
was impossible to give a true reply to the petition.
A newspaper conducted as the Times had been in
this case ought to be trampled under foot as
a pest to .t.ty. Information must have been
given to Mr. Delane by Sir Fitzroy Kelly or by • friend.
It was false that he was called on ten years ago by the
Premier to substantiate him charges, and that he shrank
from doing so, as stated in the article. So far from his
entertaining • rancorous feeling against Sir F. Kelly,
the latter applied to him not to press for judg-
ment in the proceedings in the Queen's Bench. It
was known at the time that the learned judges
were divided in opinion, but their judgment would have
been fatal to Sir F. Kelly's reputation if delivered, and
when he was applied to not to pram for judgment, he
replied, "He has had enough of it ; let him go. I'll not
apply to the court for judgment," nor did he. The second
article was published about two months after the first,
and the receipt of his contradiction is relation to the ap-
plication at Guildhall, and that article was in aggrava-
tion of the libel contained in the first article.
At the close of Mr. Wason's address he entered the
witness-box and was sworn and crou-ciamined by the
Attorney-General.
[The case was proceeding when our report left.]

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
(Before the Judge Ordinary.)
1 OUNG V. DENDIr.
This tedious caw still continues to drag its slow length
along, and the much-enduring jury are not likely to be
released before Saturday. For the last two or three days
evidence has been given in support of the plea of insanity,
but it does not seem to differ very materially from that
tendered at the former trial, and at the time sufficiently
reported.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Winslow.)
IN RI JAIIIIS HI'TTON—" THE DAT " NE%%SPAPER.
The bankrupt was described as of 49, Essexatreet,
Strand, newspaper proprietor, and be attributed his failure
to losses incurred by him in connection with the Day
newspaper, which he states he was unable to carry on by
reason of insufficiency of capital. The case has been
before the court on several occasions— various
questions hating arisen in reference to the amount
for which certain of the creditors should be allowed to
prove. The point mainly involved was that of " notice."
namely, whether the contributors and other gentlemen
composing the staff of the Day newspaper were entitled to
receive a month's salary in lieu of notice. The matter
was argued and decided iu favour of the parties
seeking to prove, and the various claims having
been adjusted, the accountants to the estate have
at length been enabled to prepare the accounts, which show
the following results : Creditors unsecured,
Ilia. 11d. ; creditors, as per explanation on folio 17, 3,9001.;
liabilities on accommodation bills, 1537. ; and creditors to
be paid in full, 50/.• against property given up to
the assignees, 1321. Bs. 5d.; and good debts. 3021. 14s.
At folio 17 of the accounts the following entry
in reference to the item of 3,9001. appears
"Lord Elcho, 23, St. James's-place, 1,5001. • Lord
Grosvenor, 28, Prince's-gardens, 1,500/. ; and Ba;1 Lich-
field, Shegboro' Park, near Stafford, 9001.—total, 3,900/."
The bankrupt goes on to explain :—" I received the
first and second above-mentioned sums as loans to
furnish me with capital to start the Day newspaper,
and such sums were advanced for such purpose,
and upon the condition that if the paper was
successful the amounts were to be repaid within a year,
and if the newspaper failed within a year the above
amount, were to be treated as gifts and no claim made for
the same. The third above-mentioned sum was advanced
upon similar terms after the paper had started to assist in
carrying it on." The Day, it will be remembered, was
started on the 19th of March last as the organ of constitu-
tional liberalism, and in order to advocate the views of that
party of politicians known as " Adullaniites," who consi-
dered that their opinions had been much misunderstood
and misrepresented. The last number of the Day appeared
on the 4th of May, so that the debts appearing in the ac-
e:4ll2U were incurred during the short space of 47 days.
This was an adjourned sitting for examination and
discharge.
Mr. Bagley appeared for Mr. Wintle, the assignee. He
said it was the case of a proprietor of a newspaper which
had come to a very sudden termination. The assignee
had examined the accounts, and could see no objection to
them, and consented to the bankrupt passing his examina-
tion. It was also considered that the failure was at-
tributable to a misfortune, and the assignee did not oppose
the allowance of the order of discharge.
Mr. Brough, who supported, said it was very satisfac-
tory to be able to state that the creditors would be paid in
full by the noble lords (Earls Grosvenor and Lichfield
and Lord Elcho), who had undertaken so handsomely to
discharge the debts. It was due fo Mr. Hutton to say that
he had given ever assistance to the assignees, and had
exerted himself with more than ordinary diligence.
Mr. Reed appeared for Messes. Ranken and Wilson, the
printers of the Day newspaper, and asked that their claim
might be determined, in accordance with the recent deci-
sion of the court; but, it being statei that the matter was
under consideration, the learned counsel expressed himself
satisfied.

His Honour then granted the order of discharge.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
(THIS DAY.)

(Before Mr. Justice Lush.)

John 'Winder, 4.5. a singular looking man, was indicted
for • libel upon the Common Serjeant of the City of
London.

Id;.1;oland conducted the prosecution on behalf of the
Corporation.
The circumstances under which this charge was preferred
against the defendant will be fresh in the recollection of
the public. He was tried in August, 1864, for publishing
a libel upon a person of the Jewish persuasion named
Nathan, who resided close to the defendant, who
carried on the businems of an oil and colourmsn in
Great Garden-street, Whitechapel, and he was convicted
of the charge. He ref mini to make any apology or promise
not to repeat the act, and the learned Common Serjeant
ultimately sentenced him to six months' imprisonment,
and also ordered that he should find sureties to be of good
behaviour and to keep the peace towards the prosecutor.
The defendant was unable to find the required sureties,
and the consequence was that he was kept in prison alto-
gether for a period of 13 months, when, in consequence of
• communication that was made to the Home Secretary by
the Common Serjeant, he was released. This was at the
end of the year 186.5, and during the present year the de-
fendant seemed to have published the most extraordinary
and incoherent placards concerning the learned commis-
sioner, charging him with being a murderer, and
with being bribed by the Jews to persecute him,
and that he had caused the death of four of
his children. The defendant was remonstrated with,
and told that if he would desist from his system of aanor.
slice no proceedings would be taken against him ; but he
declared that he would persevere until he had obtained
what he cooeideued to be justice. Tb• learned counsel

for the prosecution, at the conclusion of his opening
address, intimated that the prisoner had been closely
watched since he had been confined in Nergate and there
appeared to be good ground for believing that he was not
of sound mind.

Mr. Justice Lush said if that were the cue the better
course would probably be to decide the question at once De
to the prisoner's sanity or insanity.
Mr. J. R. Gibson, the surgeon of Newgate, was accord.
ingly examined, and he stated that he had watched the
prisoner carefully since the 27th of November, when he
was brought to the prison, and he was of opinion that he
was of unsound mind. He had the mast extraordinary
delusions, believing that he had a special mission to put
down Judaism, and th►t the Jews were the cause of au
the troubles that took place in this and every other
country. He told him upon several occasions that the
Jews were the occasion of the war in America, the Abys-
sinian war, and the Fenian insurrection ; and he also said
that he had seen the Virgin Mary in a vision, and that she
had encouraged him to persevere in his endeavours to
destroy the Jews. He had a variety of, other delusions,
and in witness's opinion the prisoner WAS decidedly
insane.

The jury expressed themselves satisfied upon this evi-
dence, and at once returned a verdict that the prisoner was
of unsound mind, and he was ordered to be detained
during her Majesty's pleasure.
The priaoner, who had brought with him a large bundle
of papers which he had carefully arranged before him on
the top of the dock, coolly folded them up again when the
jury had returned their verdict and walked away without
saying a word.
THE HAMMERSMITH MURDER
John Thompson, 35, a tall powerful wee, described Al a
labourer was charged with the wilful murder of George
Frederick James.

Mr. Rib on and Mr. Flood conducted the prosecution.
The prisoner was defended by Mr. Daly and Mr. Houston.
Although the charge against the prisoner was one of so
serious a character the facts lay in a very narrow
havecompose,
and as they have been fully given very recently, it will be
unneosieary to give the evidence in detail on the present
occasion. On the night of the 23rd of November the de-
ceased and two friends went into the Swan public-house,
at Hammersmith, one of the last-mentioned pawns cony-
lug a hare and a bunch of turnips, and at the time they
went in the prisoner and a man named Webb were stand.
ing at the bar. The prisoner appeared to have inquired
whether they had caught the hare, and the person who
was carrying it said that they had not caught it, but they
bad bought it. The prisoner then seemed to have
made use of • very &Inane expression towards the
doomed and his companions, who, fearing some
act of violence, appeared to have left the
house. When they had gone a short distance
they stopped for the puma*e of bidding each other good
night. At this moment the prisoner and Webb came up,
I and after some violent language, Webb knocked down both
the companions of the deceased, and the prisoner was seen
to give • blow to the deceased, who fell to the ground.
Upon his being picked up it was ascertained that be had
been stabbed through the heart, and he appeared to have
died almost instantly ha consequence of that injury. Upon
the prisoner, on being taken into custody, a penknife
covered with blood was found, and the waistcoat in which
he had placed it was saturated with blood, which was quite
wet, It was elicited, during the inquiry, that the prose-
cutor and his companions had been to sevens! public-houses
during the evening, but the witnesses declared that they
were perfectly sober. The man Webb was originally com-
mitted with the prisoner for murder, but the grand jury,
ignored the bill against him.
[The trial was proceeding when our report left.]

THE POLICE COURTS.
(THIS DAY.)

GREENWICH.

_Gerxr

Henry Lee, aged 24, of 27. Maynard-road, Rotherhithe;
Wi/liani Wilkinson, aged 17 ; and William Smith aged
50, also of Rotherhithe ; were charged on remand, the two
former with breaking into a fowl-house and stealing four
geese, the property of Mr. Joseph Lee, of Croft-street,
Deptford, and the latter with receiving the same well
knowing them to be stolen.
Inspector Warren, It division, said that acting upon in-
formation obtained, he went to the address of the pri-
soner Lee. the house being in the occupation of the
prisoner Smith, and asked the latter for Lee, who was
suspected of having stolen four geese and brought
them home the previous night. He afterwards saw
Lee, who denied having had any geese, and on
witness pointing to some blood on his trowsers,
he said that the blood was from some meat he
had bought. Smith was present, and heard what
he said, and be then told them that he was satisfied the
geese were in the house, and that he meant to have
them before he left. He then proceeded to search,and asked
Smith how he accounted for feathers lying in the pas-
sage, and be implied that they were the feathers of
ducks he kept, and which were accustomed to walk
into the house. He next noticed feathers up the
stairs and remarked to Smith that he supposed
the ducks were not in the habit of walking up
stairs. (Laughter.) He next asked to be shown into Lee's
bedroonf ; and there found some more feathers of geese,
which Smith said had come from the bed on being shaken
by his wife. (Renewed laughter.) Witness afterwards
went into an adjoining unoccupied room, in which there
were also more feathers and marks of undried blood on the
floor, and at this instant a constable whom he had left
below called out that three of the geese had been found in
the water-tank. Lee and Smith were then taken into
custody, and on the way to the station he obtained further
information, which led him to go to the house of the
prisoner Wilkinson, 5, Riches-01w, Rotherhithe, where
he found him and other members of the family seated at
the table dining off • goose, which he took possession of,
and the prisoner Wilkinson also.
The prosecutor said that although of the same name he
and Lee were not related, but Lee had been in his employ
four days. The geese Isere killed in the fowl house, the
heads being left behind and one of the wings found in
field.

The prisoners Lee end Wilkinson pleruled guilty, but
Smith declared he twos innoceet.

The i;nateorderedfiniiiii to be discharged, and Lee
and Wilkinson were each sentenced to sic week►' impriwa•
meat with hard labour in Wandsworth GaoL