The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-24 00:00:00

1i Bx onittriCA4Ainriei, is.

(Before Lord Chief Judie Beelll4
rsin wraps or • OM Ur 8031.1111/I.IM
The announcement that the trial of Alexander Holmes,
'barged with the mordwr of • hey named Jahn Wilidne,
Whoa Axed for this =sluing, sassed the spesisasessirt is
be erewded long before hie lordship took hie seat open the
bash, and a number of we'se remained eargrepard in
the eat* hall sad eorris during the trial maim to
pin admission to the east. Though then is se question
--indeed the priswwr has cenfosed it—that deceased died
by the band of the aransed, and though also there appeared
to be no doubt that he was an kresponsible being, yet
there ere air- -*stances which insect it with a good
deal of ' and the tact of

interest, espeolally . a
= yam se respectably eennecied ea he is
out by his fain* in a position little better
than placede an ordinary farm labourer. The primmer
was placed in the dock at half-past nine o'clock and
Me w
general appearance was etroag VIP endo*
that he wasted week intellest. gerrither over the
anew height, of slight figure and fair complexion. The
strongest outward evidence of his want of mental power
is the extreme lowness of his forehead, his hair growing
en down to within inch of his eyebrows. When
with wilful murder, he pleaded in a firm voice "Not
Guilty." He was accommodated with a chair in the dock,
and throughout the greater portion of the trial he sat
listlessly looking upon the floor.
Mr. Bailey and Mr. Berg were counsel for the prose-
cution ; and Mr. Ulla and Mr. Collins, instructed by
Mr. 3. H. Clifton, of Bristol, defended the prisoner.'
The facts of the case are of so recent occurrence that
they will be fresh in the recollection of our readers.
Several witrimees were called to depose to them, and
Mr. &Sin addressed the jury at considerable length on
behalf of the prisoner, contending that be was an irrespon-
sible agent at the time he committed she mires with
which he was charged, and called several witnesses for the
defence.

iirsTordship summed up et great length, and the jury
Acquitted the prieoner on the ground of immunity.

ARCH 24, 1868.
ttit•-

)POLITAN DISTRICT RAILWAY.

• The report of the directors has been issued.
stint7tfris:4= tiairthatlowilpr alipsua 41
Ito the
ha been rirabl Impeded by want of &degas*,
hidnds for the y plompt palms et *And from time to time
emptied, -a wrist attribetable to the metal abeam of
sonfideneo which existed la railway undertskings. It
would be • matter of very sincere gratifiestion to the
directors woes the, able to my that °madam had been
se far restored during the half-year ending 31s1 Deessolier,
as to enable them be Item the debenture stook whisk they
were authorised to place out, to such era extent and at
such a time, as to provide for the purchase of
land required for the prosecution of the works
with uninterrupted speed; and without disputes alitigation with tie toutrasten. bush, however, from the
operation of variant cameo into which it is tinneesserry to
enter, was not the OW, and it has been only linos the
termination of the half-year that the directors have been
able to complete such arrangements for the Lane of the
mock, as have ascend the early opening of the Use for
remunerative Mafia. It has been necessary to refer a
higher rate of interest than would have beim reqaired
under ordinary circumstances, but the directors entertain
a confident expectation that the shareholders will mon-
nise in the exceptional circumstances of the times, and in
the essential impalas*, of carrying on the works with a
view to an early opening, an adequate justification for this
0001116 They may state further, as the shareholders are
aware, that in view of the necessity to the interests of
the company of bringing their line into pram ical operation
as soon as poerible, they made on the 14th day of March
• call on the original shares ; and they propose to
all up the remainder of the share capital before
the termination of the current half-year. The share-
holders will have observed that the railway company
has been charged with delaying the construction of
the Thames Embankment. This charge they have fully
met by drawing attention to the fact that the Metro-
politan Board of Works bare not yet even let their works
from Temple-gardens to Blacktnan-bridge, and in the
tenders asked for by them they allow the contractor
two years from the period of commencement for the com-
pletion of the works. Thy contractors for the railway feel
confident that a little more than ix months after the
embankment works! am in a sufficiently forward state to
allow them to enter upon the ooastructlon of the railway,
they can make and open the whole lime between West.
minster-bridge and Blackfriars-bridge. It would have
been • waste of money to commtreee an expenditure
which would not have been remuaerative, but the directors
are fully alive to the public importance of having the
railway open contemporaneously with the embankment,
and will make amngemanta with the contractors
to accomplish this. The Metropolitan Board, is-
olated by the railway company, attempted to negotiate
with the Oity Gas Company for the payment of a specified
sum in consideration of a solid embankment of 100 feet In
width being oonatmoted opposite the gas works in lieu of
the very inferior accommodation which would be afforded
by the roadway of 70 feet upon arches authorised by the
set, but they were not able to come to an agreement with
the Oss ecinpany. In order, however, to facilitate in
every way in their power the attainment of the public
advantage of • emitinuous solid embankment of 100 feet
in width from Westminster-bridge to Blaoltfrims, the rail-
way company have offered to concur with the Board of
Weeks in making the embankment mild, and leaving to
Lord Stanley, who is already named in the Railway Com-
panies Act as arbitrator between the board and the rail-
way, to apportion compensations which may be claimed
against both the Metropolitan Board and the railway com-
pany in consequence of such deviation from the original
parliamentary plans. The board and the railway company
Can by agreement adopt a solid embankment under the
terms of the railway sot.