The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-09-08 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, MONDAY

being sent with arms, were watching their move-
ments.
New Brunswick papers to the 25th, and Halifax
to the 28th August, are to hand. The St. John
Morning News announce that railway operations at
the Bend are more pretence than reality, and that
at the rate the works are going on, the " branch
line" will be finished in about ten years. The
country on the Upper St. John has suffered much
lately from heavy and almost incessant rain, and
large quantities of hay have been lost.
The Halifax journals contain no news of interest.
On the Eastern coast the fishery had been a
failure.

THE BRAZILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, SATURDAY,

The royal mail steam-ship Tamar, arrived here
this morning at eleven o'clock, with advices from
the following places, to the dates appended :
Buenos Ayres, August 2; Monte Video, 5 ;
Rio de Janeiro, 14 ; Bahia, 17 ; Pernambuco, 19;
St. Vincent, 26; Madeira, 31 ; and Lisbon. Sept.
3. The Tamar brings 109 passengers, 7,4821. in
specie, and 33,3001. in diamonds. Among the pas-
sengers we observe the following :
Mr. Hughes, Mr. Cosave, and fourteen or fifteen others,
from the River Plate ; kir. Repschan, Mr. Moufoot, Messrs.
Stockmeyer, and Mr. Johnston, from Rio de Janeiro : Mr.
Goury, and Mr. Greucheux, &c., from Bahia; Mr. Segueira,
&c., from Pernambuco ; Mrs. Yea, Mr. Williamson and
three children, Miss Lang, Mrs. Meiz'es, Mr. March (U.S.
Consul), Baron San Pedro and family of seven (Portuguese
R.:es) Mr. Temple and family, and others, from Madeira;
Rev. Dr. Isley and Mr. Moeedo, from Lisbon.

The French packet Lyonnaise sailed from Rio on the
10th of August, and Pernambuco on the 17th. Off the rock
of Lisbon, 3rd instant, the Tamar passed a screw steamer,
outward bound, apparently with troops on board, signalled
Brittania, but showed no colours, supposed to be English.
H.M.S. Star and Rifleman were at Monte. At Rio do
Janeiro : IT,M S. Indefatigable, Madagascar, and Virago ;
the Harrier arrived on the 6th August from England ; the
Sharpshooter sailed on the 11th Angust for England. H.M.
brigantine Spy was at Bahia.
The intelligence brought by this arrival is of an interesting

character

we learn that matters were in an

unsatisfactory Et.tt

A revolution bad broken out in the
Province of Santa Fe. It was headed by Juan Lopez, who
deposed Governor Gillen and assumed the reigns of govern-
ment. The people had approved of the change.
Another minis4erial change has taken place at Monte
Video, Daroles Garcia having resigned.

•
Our advices from Rio Janeiro are destitute of any political
news of interest. The proposed changes in the tariff, it was
expected, would not receive the sanction of the legislature.
The Chambers were to be dissolved on the 3rd or 6th
instant.

At Pernambuco the investigation of the landing of slaves
there in October last, continued to occupy the at!ention of
the authorities ; and, owing to further disclosures, they have
dismissed the naval chief of the station, J. E. Vanduholk,
from his post, and imprisoned Colonel Drummond, previous
to putting him on his trial for supposed complicity in the
abstraction of missing slaves, This last step had lead to an
unpleasant correspondence between her Majesty's Consul and
the President of the province, inasmuch as Colonel Drum-
mond had received the thanks of the British Government
for his conduct in the affair.

From Bahia there is not any news of moment. The new
president of the province of Cansancao de Sirrimber was
elected on the 17th day of August. The choleia had made
its appearance at St. Vincent on the 25th ult., and up to
the sailing of the Tamar at noon on the 26th, twelve deaths
had taken place at Porto Grande. Teneriffe was healthy.
At Maderia, Funchal was comparatively healthy, two or
three cases only of ch,)lera occurring a day; hut, in the inte-
rior of the island, it was still very prevalent. The estimated
number of deaths from its commencement is upwards of

MOCK AUCTIONEERS CAUGHT AT LAST.

On Saturday, at the morning sittings in the police
court, Michael Nicholson (auctioneer), Robert Maxwell,
Hugh Kirby, and Ellen Duff, were brought before
Alderman 'foliate, by John Scott, one of the detective
officers, charged with a conspiracy, and also with having
swindled Mrs. Jones, a lady of respectability, who
resides at Monmouth, out of £lO. Mr. Snowball
defended the prisoners. The details of the case
generally, preserved all the features of the old swindles
resorted to by mock auctioneers and their atrocious
gang, and in this instance some new features were
added. The history of the present swindle may he
collected from the evidence of the lady. She and her
daughter are on a visit to Liverpool, and on Friday they
were passing by the corner of Lime and Ranelagh-
streets, when they were induced to enter a mock auction
room, where the prisoner Nicholson was acting as
auctioneer. He put up what appeared to be a gold
watch and chain, and recommended them highly, saying
they were the property of an officer who was killed in
the Crimea, and that the widow of the lamented brave
man, who fell in defence of his country, had sent it in
to be sold, as she was in deep distress. lie asserted
positively, that the articles were a dead bargain for 30
guineas. The prisoner Maxwell bid for the watch, and
the prisoner Kirby urged her to bid also, saying it was
a pity to see the officer's watch and chain sacrificed.
She refused, saying she did not want it. Maxwell bid
9 I7s 6d, when the prisoner Nicholson said he could
not sell a 30-guinea watch and chain for such a sum,
and it would be a sacrifice of the poor widow's property.
Maxwell became very angry, and insisted on having the
articles, as he was the highest, fairest, and best bidder,
according to the terms of sale. Nicholson refused to
give up the articles, and then some shawls, cloth, and
other things were put up, and the female prisoner and
Kirby tried several times to make Mrs. Jones bid for
such things, but she refused. She was then going away,
when the watch and chain were put up again, and
Maxwell ran to snatch it, saying be bad purchased, and
must have it. The woman Duff wanted her to bid, and
not have the poor officer's widow's property sacrificed.
but still she refused, and the woman asked if she should
bid for her? but still she Ohs. Jones) refused. Maxwell
still claimed the watch, and there followed an apparent
quarrel between him and Nicholson about it, and then
Kirby solicited Mrs. Jones to go into the office, in order
to have the property of the widow of the officer preserved.
She agreed, saying she would do the widow any service
she could, but totally refused to purchase or bid for the
watch, not wanting it. Nicholson, Kirby, and the
woman Duff then told her, the only way to save the
watch for the widow was, to bid £lO for it, and that
would be more than was bid by Maxwell, and it would
be knocked down to her, and she could just leave a
deposit of .f. 2 10s in Maxwell's presence on the purchase,
and that would settle all square for the widow. She did
so, when Maxwell said, he was not to he done that way,
as he had come more than twenty miles for the sole
purpose of buying the watch and chain. In this strait,
the other prisoners induced her to pay down the £lO at
once, and take the watch and chain with her, to prevent
its being sacrificed, and when Maxwell would have gone
away, she could return and get her money. They then
gave her the following:—

" Liverpool, Sept. 4, 1856.
" Mrs. Jones bought at 61, Ranelagh-street, one gold
patent lever watch and gold chain, warranted as
represented, at £lO. P. WMARON CLARKE."
She went away, and called at a respectable watch-
maker's and showed the articles to him, when he told
her she had been taken in and swindled. She then went
back, and on approaching the door, a fellow who stood
at it cried out to the people inside, " Look out there !"
and in an instant the place was closed up, and all
vanished. She then told the police, and as Scott knew
the prisoners well, he soon arrested them, In reply to
the Alderman, the lady said the female prisoner wanted
her to bid, got her a chair, and asked her to sit down.
Mr. Snowball asked the lady a few questions, but the
answers did not at all alter the above statement. Scott,
in reply to the bench, said he knew the whole of the
prisoners to be swindlers and conspirators in mock
auction rooms, and when he arrested them, the only
money found on the three male prisoners was one
farthing. (Laughter.) Inspector Kehoe said the
valuable (?) watch and chain, that did not belong to an
officer who was not killed in the Crimea, were worth
.£3 10s. Mr. Crompton, a watchmaker, was examined,
and said the utmost value of the watch was £3 18s ; he
could not tell the value of the chain ; there might be
some gold in it, but he doubted it ; he was not a judge
of such things, but he was of watches. A gentleman,
who said he was a pawnbroker, examined the chain, and
stated that it was worth 7s 6d ; there was no gold in it;
it was merely plated on German silver. Inspector
Kehoe said there was not a town in England where
there were so many complaints of swindling by such
blackguards, as in Liverpool. Mr. Snowball: Of
course fools will always cry out. He contended that
there was no conspiracy iu the case, as regarded the
prisoners. If there was a conspiracy in the case, Mrs,
Jones was guilty as well as the prisoners, for she had
conspired to keep Maxwell from getting the watch.
(Laughter.) She could proceed in the County Court
for the difference of the value, but could not proceed
criminally against the prisoners. He cited some recently
decided cases on the point. Scott said ho would
procure more evidence in the case by Tuesday, and
asked for a remand to that day. The prisoners were
then remanded, generally, for seven days, to be brought
up, in the meantime, on Wednesday, if the evidence
could be forthcoming by that day. I
[As Mr. Kehoe justly observed, there are innumerable 1
complaints of swindlers by such persons, we will give I
him the following piece of information for his guidance,
and we think he will take the hint. In London and
Dublin, the moment the police discover a mock auction
shop they vi alk in boldly, hurl the auctioneer and his
pals into the street, and fling their va4table goods after
them. The writer of this has witnessed the operation
in both cities several times, and it always proved more
effective that) fifty prosecutions. He does not advise
IMr. Kehoe to do so, but he tells him an interesting fact,
and no doubt the sagacity and ability of the officer will
see the meaning of it.]

RAILWAY INTELLI&TNCE

The directors of the London and North Western Railway
are (it is publicly announced), on Tuesday, to consider the
circumstances connected with the late railway prosecutions
in Liverpool, and the absence of Mr. B. Poole, who (it is
said) was required as a witness, but was ab ent when called
upon his subpoena. It would naturally be expected that
such a matter will come under their consideration, in order
that the public may see their anxiety for the interests of
society, and that those in high places fulfil their duties in
obedience to the law, and aid its administration, which a
great body, like a railway company, c,,,u'd not afford to
slight. In considering the question of whether the absence
was occasioned by misapprehension or design, the interests
involved are too high to admit of any feeling or influence
than that connected with the matter in hand, and the
importance of the enquiry will undoubtedly exclude all other
events foreign to it. Public interests demand that no shield
be thrown round the highest more than the lowest railway
employe, and if a designed absence from the trial, to
defeat the attainment of justice be established, the
gravest reprimand will be deserved, and must be
administered ; but if the absence arose from ignorance of law
by a layman, or misapprehension, or want of precise infor-

illation, then public interests tin. only regret such a contre

temps, and that sufficient steps

re not taken, by notic

to avoid what may—however remotely and theoretically
have tended to a " failure of justice," but, in reality, has
only furnished " a peg" on which to hang "the blame of an
acquittal." It is not the mere question of whether a police
constable did his duty—which no one has doubted—by

serving a copy of subpoena to attend the trial of a case
during a three weeks assize ; few of us would be satisfied
with such an intimation to attend at such a trial, even the
humblest among us; but in a ease of importance, prosecuted
by a public bady, we should look for the interference of
roore important persons, for .the summoning of witnesses
being conducted by the solicitors, ant the notices given
from time to time, as is usual, of the probable day our
attendance would be required—,espeoially where the witness
fills an important semi-public, and certainly onerous,
position, which calls him away daily from the town--
whereby any misapprehension, as to the necessity or non-
necessity of attendance, or the importance of the evidence
would be prevented, an excuse for complaint of absence
avoided, although the evidence may be immaterial to the
actual question to be disposed of, and no pretext given
.for
making an efficient official a sacrifice to any uer. feeling
than that of justice, nor, on triflingrounds or mistakes,
,
deprive the town, or the company, of services which the
and
commcan yetercial,
value,as well as the railway worlds have appreciated

DESTITUIT Boys.—Two nice looking boys came, on
Saturday, before Mr. Alderman Holme, at the police court,
and presented him a letter. His Worship said the boys had
come about 30 miles from the country in order to get a ship
A benevolent lady who knew them had given them some
money, and vouched for their character, and that they were
quite destitute. They were anxious to go to sea, and he
requested Inspector Kehoe, to try and get them a ship. A
gentleman, named Crowder, who happened to be in court
at the time, said be would provide far one of the boys at
once in that way. The Alderman thanked him, and said he
would give the lad an outfit. The other boy was given
over to Mr. Kehoe to procure him a ship,