The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-05 00:00:00

BOY CRIMINALS.

THERR is a horrible simplicity about the latest
attempt at murder in London. An old woman of
65 has been half beaten to death by two robbers,
who, being caught in the act of theft, proceeded
to slaughter their victim remorselessly. So
far there is nothing very remarkable in
the case. Burglarious entrance, concealment,
robbery, detection, murder, are regular
scales on the gamut of crime ; and have followed
each other in regular order in hundreds of
criminal cases. It is only the ages of these two
would-be murderers which makes their sin
stand out with a lurid significance from others
of its class. What can have been the train-
ing, what the experience of the world
which have converted "ARTHUR FORRES-
" TER SMITH, 15 years of age, and HECTOR
" AUGUSTUS SMITH, his brother, a boy of 13,"
into bloodthirsty miscreants, whose lust for gain
made the sufferings and violent death of an old
and feohle woman seem as nothing in the balance ?
They are the sons of a custom. house officer, and con-
• nexions of their victim; and on their own confession,
corroborated a■ it is by the deposition of the in-
jured woman and the strongest circumstantial
evidence, are guilty of a crime as mercilessly re-
volting as any for which men have suffered or, the
gallows or at the hulks. " I never liked him," said
the craven MANNING, "so when I saw he breathed,
" I beat in his head with a ripping-chisel." " `Strike
" her again,' I said to my brother," echoes ARTHUR
SMITH, aged 15, having previously explained with
terrible circumstantiality : "He (the accomplice
"of 13) asked me if I had got the mallet. I said
"it was in the bedroom. He ran upstairs and
" fetched it. I held her ; she tried to scream.
" My brother brought the mallet, and struck her
"on the head with it. Both Mrs.
" and I fell two or three times, until
" the bell rang, and she lay senseless, making a
" moaning noise." The poor woman, according
to the House-Surgeon of Guy's Hospital, is in
great danger, and may " go off at any moment ;"
the boys are found with blood-stained garments in
bed at an hotel, a pistol, an opera glass, a
powder flask, and some boxing gloves, purchased
by the proceeds of the robbery, being the
sole apparent motive, and reminding one of what
savages do for gat:cis and beads, for the crime.
Assuredly, as there are heights so there aro depths
in human nature unfathomed by philosophy ; and
which baffie the wisest theories both of theologian
and sage.

THE next trial of strength between the M. 'a try
and the Liberal Members will probably be in com-
mittee on the Scotch Reform Bill, when Mr.
BAXTER moves to insert his clause disfranchising
English boroughs having a population of
leas than 5,000. Tho clause runs thus :
"From and after the end of the present parlia-

" inent, every borough in England which had a
"less population than five thousand at the census
" of 1861 shall cease to return any member or
" members to serve in parliament." It remains to
be seen whether the Government will be content
to include this in the category of objectionable pro-
positions which can be met by a firm negative and
then accepted, or whether it will be one of the
Duke of RICHMOND 8 anticulties," and if adopted
create that "state of affairs" which is to necessitate
a dissolution under the existing constituency.

THE new number of the Revue des Deux modes
bears ungrudging testimony to the honourable
conduct of England in the matter of the expedition
to Abyssinia. In France, writes M. DE MAZADE,
" insufficient control permitted an expedition to
" Mexico to be undertaken, and led us to a deoep-
" tion which it is true was only preferable to a war
" with the United States. In England, under
" the open gaze of Parliament and in the
" midst of the free debates of the press,
" the Government has just conducted to the
" happiest issue an expedition which ran all the
" risks of the unknown. It was not without
" anxiety that many Englishmen saw this Abys-
" sinian expedition against a little negro
" potentate with the object of rescuing
" prisoners, set out. Some of the most
" knowing whispered that once established in
' " the country England would never quit it. Fears
" and predictions have been equally groundless.
" The English army, commanded by a prudent
" general, Sir ROBERT NAPIER, has reached in his
" last refuge, his fortress of Magdala, this little
" barbarian king, this THEODORIIS, who has had
" energy enough to blow out his brains after
" fighting like a lion. The victory once known
" the Cabinet of London hastened to announce the
" return of the English forces. There was even a
" sort of affectation in its language as though it
" feared some other intention should be attributed
" to it. Thus England, like a great nation, has in
" a few months attained its object. It has main-
" tained the ascendancy of its name without ad-
" yawing too far into adventurous projects, in
" which it would probably have found nothing but
"weariness and snares."

PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS IN PREFERENCE SHARES.
The Earl of Lump has given notice of his intention to
move in committee (on re-commitment) of the Regulation
of Railways Bill, that where it is established to the
satisfaction of the Board of Trade that any portion
of the profits of the undertaking of the com-
pany legally applicable to the payment of divi-
dends shall have been applied to the redemp-
tion of the debentures of the company, or to works of
construction, the board shall have power to sanction the
payment of dividends to the holders of ordinary stock by
the issue to them of a corresponding amount of soy pre-
ference shares or stook which the company may at the
time be entitled to bane, either as fully or as partly paid
up as may be thought expedient.
A return published this morning shows that the
quantity of proof spirits distilled in the United Kingdom
and Ireland, during the year ending the 31st December
last, was 23,323,613 gallons. The duty paid amounted
to 11,382,5941. ss. 7d.
Tan PRIME MINIM /ME IN BUCES.—Mr. Disraeli
will open an industrial exhibition at Halton, soar Trbig,
on Whit Monday. It has boat sea patronised by the
Rothschild family, who are brie Owens of property in the
MAMA.