The Express.
London, England, 1868-10-26 00:00:00

TO TIIE EDITOR OF TUT LITT.E3B.

Sig, Tito insertion in your journal of an amount.
of loseeproceidiugssiow being taken aguiust mein Wessels
induces me to !espied that you will allow me to state
shortly the cireunistaLces upon which these proem lingo
Lase been founded. About three years since I became
one of the tosses: ionaaren for important works in Bras-
ails, having for their object the sanitary improve:flint of
that city, and in the obtaining of which concision I us-
re-eerily incurred very many heavy pocauiary
liabilities. As conceesiouaire I in the first instance
sought for competent contractors in England to
execute the wombs at the estimated am mut ; fail-
ing in this I entered into proclaimed arrangements
with Belgian contractors, who undertook the ezeiiution of
the contract for 48,tealt., being considerably less than any
louder 1 had been able to obtaiu from au English con.
tractor ; they agreeing also to contribute such a sum as
would enable me to discharge the beforenamed liabilities.
Subsequently to this an English company was formed to
purchase the concession and contract; and I was requested
to occupy an official position in connexion therewith.
This I accepted; and at the same time, and before the
assignment of the contract to the company, informed the
baud of directors (they having had a claim made upon
them for a large amount by one of the parties to whom I
considered myself liable) that my arrangements with!
the contractors would tumble me to meet all claims in con-
nection with the obtaining the concession, whereupon the
following resolution was passed:—•• Revived, that upon
Mr. Doulton giving the company a complete indemnity
against all claims whatever, excepting as set forth in the
articles of association, that he be at liberty to make any
arrangement with the contractors which he may think tit,
provided that the terms of the contract above referred to
be in no way affected thereby." This indemnity was
Own, and the contract sealed with the contractors.
`o sooner, however, had the works commence I
with vigour, and the exceptional value of the con-
cession become apparent, than attempts were made to
injure the company, with the evident object of getting
the concession rescinded, by circulating charges aguiust
myself and the more prominent members of the city autho-
rities, with whom it was alleged I had a corrupt agree-
ment. This attempt, however, collapsed, by the preneu-
tion of the journal which originated the report, the editor
of which was mulcted in heavy damages. the attempt to
injure the company then took the form of the present pro-
on dings agaiutt myself, on the ground that the arrange-
ment made with the contractors for payment of the
liabilities before alluded to was contrary to Belgian law.
Lustily this question arose, I, although assured that my
position could be neither legally nor morally assailed, but
with a view of removing all proceedings that might in any
way injure our enterprise, made an offer to Nut board of
directors to toter everything in connexion with or re-
lating to the formation of the company and the contract
to arbitration, the arbitrator to be appointed by them-
selves ; and to this the board assented, appenting as
arbitrator the eminent barrister, John Horatio Lloyd, Es-j.
I farther offered to deposit, pending his decision. the whole
amount I had received, together witn an account of my dis-
bursements. Accordingly, I did deposit this sum with the
company, to await his award. Beyond this simple state-
ment of facts, Ido not desire, at the present time, to
occupy your space, especially as, although the in•luiry is
closed in Brussels, no decision has yet been arrived at.
%then that is given I may, if necessary, asa your indul-
gence to lay before the public evidence which will reveal
as groan a cake of persecution as few have bad to encounter,
but which, as the largest shareholder, I am glad to say, has
not had the effect contemplated, viz., t) dam ere one of
the most valuable concessions ever obtained by English
eutelprise.—l am, &c., FILED. DOULTON.
Oct. 24.

DEATH PROM ACCIDENTAL POISO,NLNO.—On
Saturday, Dr. Diplock, the coroner for West Middlesex,
held an inquest at the King's Heed, Providence-terrace,
Brampton, on the body of a child named Frederick Au-
gustus thedeling, who died at his parents' house, 5,
Wallgrave-read, Easl'a-court, ou the evening of Thursday.
It appeared that the father of the child was under msdicsl
treatment for sore throat, and the child for ophthalmia.
A gargle and powder were sent for the father—a powder
and lotion being also sent for the child. By soma aid
mismanagement the wrong powder was given to the child,
and as it was eight pains of Dover's powder, coutaiuiug a
very large proportion of opium, death ensued very soon
afterwards, though emetic and injection's ware need freely
and almost immediately. It further appeared that the
family are in great confusion and tribulation, having
scarlet fever in the hour, and two other children having
d.cd therefrom. The July returned a verdict " that the
deceased died from the effects of poison administered by
misadventure."

SEVERE SF.NTE.NCE.—At the St. Albans petty
sessions, on Saturday, before Lord Vorulam, Mr. 11. 'foul-
min, and the Rev. S. W. Wade, a poor, miserably-clad
hibouier, said to be out of work, was charged with steal-
ing 13 carrots, growing iu a field at Wheathampstead,
tie property of Mr. George Upeun Rogers. The defendant,
when asked his name, raid that it was Edmund Slough,
and be further added that he was very cold, and had been
very hungry. The charge against the prisoner was proved
by Police-constable Hill, who stated that a few d.sye ago
Mr. Robins's head gardener had complained to him about
some of the carrots being missed from the field. In con.se-
queues of that information he was induced to watch the gar-
den and fields in the neighbourhood, and on Friday morning,
about half-past 3, ha saw the prisoner in the field apparently
pulling up carrots. He at once went towards him, and as
he was approaching him he turned round and was run-
ning away. Witness permed and overtook him just as
be was dropping something from under his arm. He
asked him wt right be had in the Reid, and what he bad
been doing. Ile said "Nothing," but at lest ridtoittcd
that be had pulled a few carrots out of
itAbejfniutid, and
bded the thirteen (produced) tb witueni. e Bien took
him into custody! The chairman ((VeMam)—
What, in youroy is the value of the carrots P Wit-
ness—l should guesstlsgwereworth, at tlbs 1404, 2d. The
B....h—wbat lave you to say to the charge P Prisoner
—Being out of vrbrk Arad very b • did not think
there was mayhem in taltng a handled of carrots. The
Loch-7 You must he taught to know !pothole ; yolk are
abed 31. Is. Bd. for the offence, width includes costa.
Prisoner—l have no mosey; what caul do Y The Beath
—Then you Inuit be imprisoned for 21 days, with bard
labour. The prisoner was then sent away to gaol.

TWCERDIARIB/1 AT lIIORGATX.—The Bremen of
Use Metropolitan Brigade were engaged for several hours
risbaday m extinguishing a fire on the homestead below
lisg to lb. B. Jobsaus, Manor f arm Highgate. There
seems little doubt that the Are was the work of an Moen-
diary, for when the disarmer, Was made It was found that
fear Meets of hay, mataking 323 "awe loads, had beam
ignited in different plasm.
CRYSTAL PALACE.—ITALP-A-CROWX DAY.
SATURDAY Oar. 21. Admissions b 7 meson tickets,
3,1 W ; ditto on payment, Ca—total visitors, 3,723.

LISBON, Ocr. 24, 11.4.1 P.K.
It is stated on undoubted authority that Data
Ferdinand of Portugal has never been offered the
Spanish crown, and that he is resolutely deter-
mined to decline it under any circumstances.