The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-06-07 00:00:00

-LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY.

THE CONVICT PALMER.

The public anxiety with reference to every circumstance
that has even a remote connection with this wretched
culprit, compels us to record details we should otherwise
gladly avoid. We must, however, state that Mr. Thomas
Wright, of Manchester, whose philanthropic efforts with
refer

once to criminal reform It would be derogatory to
that gentleman to tender the offering of the highest praise,
went over to Stafford, on Wednesday morning, for the
purpose of obtaining an interview with the wretched
man, William Palmer. Arriving about twelve o'clock,
he remained with the prisoner nearly an hour, and after—
wards had a further communication with him in the
Course of the afternoon. Mr. Wright was forcibly struck
with the behaviour of Palmer, and the manner of his re-
ception, which was peculiarly indicative of a proper sense
of the awful situation iti which he stands. Having read a
portion of scripture—the 51st Psalm—Mr.Wright proposed
to offer up tt prayer, tr) which there was no objection
made, but, on the contrary. Palmer, taking tho hand of his
visitor, desired that he would, in such prayer, ask for a
blessing upon his little boy, who, we understand, is as yet
ignorant of the fearful position in which his father is
place. Palmer also expressed a hope that he might have the

prayers of that portien of society who, in spite of his pre-
sumed guilt, can yet feel sympathy for him as a miserable
man about to suffer. Being asked if a further visit would
be acceptable, he declared the consolation that it would
afford him, and further entreated that Mr. Wright would
remain with him to the end. He also stated how grateful
he felt to the governor and the - chaplin of the- gaol for
their humane consideration, and their general bearing
towards him. Palmer is younger than has been sup-
posed, having not yet reached his 26th year.

A petition, of which the following is a copy, is, we
understand, in course of signature for presentation to
her Majesty. The petition opens in the usual form, and
sets forth that

" William Palmer, late of Rugeley, in the county of
Stafford, surgeon, is now lying under sentence of death,
in the gaol of Stafford, for the wilful murder of John
Parsons Cook. Your petitioners have carefully perused
the evidence for and against the prisoner on the trial of
the case, and they feel that further investigation is requi-
site for the purpose of proving whether strychnia is or not
traceable under all circumstances where death has been
occasioned by it. That there was no proof of the said
John Parsons Cook having been poisoned ; and
the only evidence against the prisoner was purely
circumstantial and theoretical. That the most dis-
tinguished of the medical men who were examined
n othe trial stated the advance of science had been
such within the last few years that they could
not adhere to any opinions propounded and published by
them not more than six or seven years ago. That if a
reprieve be granted, the said William Palmer will still
remain in custody ; and if science or other facts should
substantiate his innocence, his life Will not have fallen a
sacrifice to the comparative ignorance admitted to exist
amongst men upon certain undefined diseases; whilst, on
the other hand, if the said William Palmer should, by the
light ofscience be proved guilty, he would still be amenable
to the laws' last penalty. Your petitioners, therefore,
humbly pray that your most gracious Majesty will be
pleased to spare the life of William Palmer. And your
petitioners will ever pray, Rze."

In the meantime the warfare, of :which pen and ink
supply the material, runs - wild and thick among
the med ical profession, on issues which are wholly
beside the question decided by the jury. Doctors
may differ ad nauseam, but the jury have concurred
in a verdict which no man in the realm disputes
on moral or technical grounds. Letters may be written
assailing the character of a particular witness ; that wit-
ness may respond in the columns of any journal that may
afford him those means of justification or of explana-
tion, but still the all-important question remains that a
jury of twelve men, weighing the evidence adduced before
them, judging from the conduct, appearance, and demean-
our of the witnesses, balancing the niceties raised by
medical science for defence, after an unexampled
and laborious enquiry, have pronounced a verdict of
Guilty, and that verdict has been universaly accepted as
a just, righteous decision. Petitions and memorials may
be got up, paid advocates may be indefatigable in raising
such points as they may imagine to be in favour of their
unhappy client, but all will be of no avail. Indeed, the
movement is only calculated to raise hopes that never will
be realised, and to interrupt that state of mind which the
interview with Mr. Wright describes.

woods.

Elm is

In speaking on this painful topic the Globe of last night
remarks:—" There is something rather audacious in the
attempt to make out a case for the murderer on grounds
no better than those we have adverted to. There is some_
thing morbid in the desire to prevent the due execution
of righteous judgments, arrived at after full, solemn, and
impartial trials. Although a petition is circulating in

favour of the prisoner, although there is a talk of laying
siege to Sir George Grey with a battery of what is

grandiloquently called ' au-important fresh evidence,'

we are satisfied that the Home Secretary will not allow
himself to be hood-winked by special pleading beside the
merits of the case; and that upon the 14th of June justice

will be done

Within the last few days, the prisoner has :shown that
he is far more sensible of the solemnity of his position,
and of the folly of indulging hopes which it would be
cruel to raise in the mind of a person in his condition.
He is visited every day by the Rev. Mr. Goo acre, the
ordinary of the prison, and by Captain Fulford, the
governor, to whom he .is communicative on all subjects

except those connected with the crime for which he is

to suffer

Since the conviction of the prisoner, a great number of
letters, directed to him, have been delivered at Stafford
jail, from persons who appear moved by a vicious sym-
pathy for his fate. Some of these communications
contain " poetry," supposed, by the authors, to be
applicable to a person in his condition, and the writers, for
the most part, conclude by expressing a hope that their
favours will be acknowledged "if possible." The object
of the writers is, in all probability, to obtain the culprit's
autograph, but in this they will be disappointed, as the
letters never reach his hands.
Arrangements have been already commenced at Stafford
for the execution, which is to take place at eight o'clock on
Saturday morning. This early hour was fixed by the
sheriffs in order that the execution may interfere as little
as possible with the ordinary business of the day. Satur-
day is an unusually busy day at Stafford, and it is antici-
pated that an immense number of persons will be attracted
to the town to witness the spectacle. The gaol, which
is situated in the centre of the town, covers a consider-
able area, from which a number of small streets radiate.
It is surrounded by a curtain wall, about 18 feet in
height, and the space in front of the principal entrance,
on which the scaffold is to be erected, is extremely
limited. Applications have already been made for
almost all the hotel accommodation in the neighbourhood,
and special trains will run to and from all the principal
towns within a circuit of 50 miles.

THE MISSING STEAMER PACIFIC

The following appears 'in the Quebec Colonist, of May
24th, received at this port yesterday, by the steamer North

America :._

Mr. R. K. Haight, of New York, has received a letter
from a London friend, under date of April 22nd, express-
ing the belief that the steamer Pacific has been blown on
the Greenland coast. We extract a portion of the com-
munication :

"Your letter of sth April conveys to 'us the painful
apprehension under which you labour of the loss of the
Pacific and your son. It is very remarkable that my son
in China, now a partner in a large mercantile house, should
have sent home a ship load of tea in the Swallow, Captain
Tacker, who saw the Pacific drifting before a terrible
gale—he thought, disabled; in her machinery. Now,
Captain Tucker is a most intimate friend of the Captain
of the Pacific, who said to him often: am a Northern
bird ; 1 find the degrees less.' On Captain Tucker
arriving, he said to some of his consignees that he had
every reason to believe the Pacific was disabled and
drifting before the gale, and would be found in the
northern point of Greenland. Lord Palmerston sent
for him, and he stated his opinion, when two men of
war steamers were instantly despatched to search every
part of the coast—one was the Tartar, in which was my
nephew, Mr. Hartford. They have returned. Captain
Tucker does not now give up the ship as lost. He says,
in such a gale what could a disabled steamer do ? He
brought us home 19,000 packages of tea, but for ten days
he said he believed his ship would not ride it out, and
such a storm prevented his once taking off his clothes.
Capt. Tucker says the gale would have blown a disabled
steamer three hundred miles in twenty-four hours out of
'her course, for they could set so little canvass. Now,
look at the chart—a gale of wind of nine days' duration,
a ship like a log on the water, why, where should she be
blown to? I cannot help believing, and really hoping,
the crew are yet safe with the ship on the inhospitable
shores of Greenland, and may any day be heard of, or as
soon as they can construct a vessel from the wreck to
bring them away*"

CANADA.

ARRIVAL OF THE STEAMER NORTH

AMERICA

The steamship-North America, the first of the
line between this port and Quebec, belonging to
Messrs. Allan and Gillespie, arrived at this port
yesterday, after an excellent passage of eleven days,
bringing advices from Quebec to the 24th ultimo
inclusive. We quote the following summary of
news from the Colonist :

The most interesting item in the news by the steamer
which leaves Quebec for Europe this day is the fact that
we are entering upon a new era in the commercial affairs
of this country. The establishment of the Cunard and
Collins line of steamers, with large government subsidies
from the governments f their respective countries, gave
to the trade of New York and the 'United States an impe-
tus, which, while it tended to do our enterprising neigh-
bours good, assisted to place us, Canadians, in a very
secondary position. Many of the passengers and a great
part of the goods intended for Canada found their way to
us by way of New York and Boston, and we were fast
becoml*commercially speaking, an outport or tributary
to the Atlantic cities of the Union. The Canadian Royal
Mail steamers have restored us to a footing of perfect
equality; and the North American, as well as the Cana-
dian, have brought to Quebec, and from thence by the
agency of the geetrie wires, to every part of the Conti-
nent the latest news finin Europe, up to their respectivd
days of sailing. We expect the North American to reach
Liverpool next Wednesday week, bringing with her to
Europe, besides a large cargo of Canadian produce, and
a full compliment of passengers, the Quebec Colonist,
several days later news from all parts of America.
We are now in Canada involved in a ministerial crisis,
of unusual duration. It has hitherto generally been found
easy to get a new set of men to take the places vacated
by their predecessors; but although the resignation
of the administration, presided ever by Sir Allan
`M'Nab, has been in the hands of Ins Excellency
since Monday, no new ministry is yet formed, at least
we have, at the time Iwe write, received no intimation
that Mr. Tache, the leader of the Lower Canadian por-
tion of the late Government, and who was sent for by his
Excellency on Wednesday night, has succeeded in patch—
ing up an Administration. The general opinion, seeing
the impossibility of reconciling the various sections of the
late opposition is, that the ministry, with the etception
of Mr. Cayley, who is not supposed to be equal to the
position of financial minister, and Sir Allan M'Nab, who
is unable to attend his parliamentary duties from sick-
ness, will return to office, taking iu one or two new men
from the ranks of the Liberal Conservative party.
The United States news is barren of importance. The
apprehensions of difficulties arising out of the Crampton
enlistment affair, and the Central American question,
appear to have died away; altogether, though the news-
papers dontinae to comment upon these topics.
From all parts of Canada, we have encouraging accounts
of the agricultural prospects and operations. The dry-
ness of the season has not been however favourable for
the operations of the lumberers, and much of the timber
made last winter, will have to be left in the woods till
next year.
QUEBEC TIMBER TRADE REPORT.
QUEBEC, May 24.—We have delayed issuing our Prices
Current longer than usual, owing to the lateness of our arrivals
from sea, and the consequent inactivity of our market. Within
the last few days, however, our spring fleet has been dropping
in, and our market begins to show some signs of animation,
although the transactions are not yet on any extended scale.
An uneasy feeling has for some weeks been entertained by
many, in consequence of constant and continued drought, and
the fear that large quantities of timber would remain in the
The late rain has partly dispelled this fear, but the
accounts we receive from above are very contradictory.
Holders of stocks, however, manifest a , good deal of

firmness ; and our future prices will, in a great 'measure,
be affected by the tonnage coming out, as well as the state of
the weather for the next two or three weeks. Few fresh rafts
have yet arrived. A sale of a small one of sixty-three feet
has been made at 7d, and a fine lot of last year's was
placed some weeks ago at 9d, of eighty feet average.
For lots in shipping order our quotations aro demanded,
and we question if much, or any, deduction would be
submitted to. Red pine is held at is for forty feet in

shipping order.
Oak has been sold at 20d measured off for large avera;e,
and this price is asked in shipping order. The stock wintering
has been large, but little has been made the past winter; this,
with what remained over last year in Upper Canada, will be
about one half of the supply of last season, and if the export