The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-26 00:00:00

THE DIPLOMATIC DUEL,

A duel has lately taken place at Madrid, between the Mar-
quis de Turgot, the French ambassador, and Mr. Soule, the
American minister at Madrid, in which Lord Howden acted
as second to the Marquis do Turgot. Another duel had pre-
viously taken placebetween the Duke of Alba and Mr. Soule,
jun., son of the minister, arising out of the quarrel which
took place some time since at the French ambassador's ball.
It will be remembered that the Duke of Alba was overheard
by Mr. Soule speaking disparagingly of the dress of Madame
Soule, whom he compared to Mary of Burgandy. At the
time the Duke of Alba declined the cartel sent to him by Mr.
Soule, on the ground that the quarrel was a political one ;
but since then he seems to have reconsidered the matter.
The parties fought with small swords. The affair lasted
three quarters of an hour. At length Mr. Soule fell, when
the duke, with the point of his sword to his breast, forced
his opponent to retract. It appears that the duel between
the Marquis de Turgot and Mr. Soule, sen., originated in
the same affair; so that the Duke of Alba, by one joke dbout
an American lady's style of dress, has contrived to get up
two duels.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.
An account of a duel between the Dec D'Alba and the
son of Mr. Soule has been going the round of the papers,
but, according to a letter in the Paris Constitutionnel, a duel,
attended with more serious results, has taken place between
Mr. Soule, United States ambassador, and M. Turgot, the
French ambassador. It is stated that Mr. Soule, in conse-
quence of the fracas which took place, as already known,
at a ball given by the French ambassador, thought it neces-
sary to demand satisfaction from M. de Target, as master of
the house. A meeting took place with pistols, and we regret
to say that M. de Turgot received a ball in the thigh, about
four inches above the knee. The ball, which was lodged in
the tendons and muscles, had not been extracted when the
account left.
. There was even a rumor yesterday in Paris, that this affair
had led to another duel between the same Mr. Soule and the
Duo D' Alb a.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.
(Sittings 'at the Nisi Prius, before the LORD CHIEF
BARON and a Special Jury, at Guildhall.)
HUNTER V. MILNE.
Mr. Bramwell and Mr. Manisty were counsel for the
plaintiff : Mr. Sergeant Shee and Mr. Willes were counsel
for the defendant.

This was an action to recover £lOOO, alleged to be due to
the plaintiff under the following circumstances : In 1851,
the plaintiff chartered a vessel called the Satisfaction (then
on a voyage to Suez), from Suez to ports in the eastern
Archipelago, and thence to Londbn. The defendant was
the broker, by whom the charter was negotiated for Mr.
Michael, the owner • and application having been made to
the plaintiff for an advance of freight, he accepted two bills
of £250 and took from the defendant an undertaking that
the ship should be 'further insured, and that the policy
should either be deposited with the:plaintiff or kept in the
defendant's hands on account of the plaintiff, as a security
for such advances. The policy in question was effected,
but was not deposited, and the ship having been lost, the
plaintiff demanded his policy, but was met by a statement
that the defendant and his principal expected he had him-
self insured, and a refusal to indemnify the plaintiff,who had
renewed ;.his original acceptances, and given orders, by
which his original, liability was greatly increased.
The defence in .the action was that the plaintiff had dis-
charged the defendant from his undertaking, on the occa-
son of his soliciting the option of changing the course of
the voyage, in consideration of which he agreed to insure
the vessel himself.
The case occupied the greater part of the day, and some
hours of to-day, and eventually terminated in a verdict for
the plaintiff for £750.

THE ARMY.
It has been finally determined to reduce the leviathan
standing army at present held in Ireland, and the infantry
regiments now under orders for foreign service will only be
relieved in most instances by depots, or at most a troop of
cavalry. The cavalry will, however, be kept up to its pre-
sent strength, although of consequence they will be more
dispersed.
(,Colonel Roberts, of her majesty's 98th regiment, has been
before a court of inquiry,:cousisting of Colonels Gough,
Brooke and Stewart, upon charges which arc not published
to the world, but which report gives out to be connected
with having intercourse with the wives of men under his
command. The result of the investigation has been, that
Sir "William Gomm has allowed the colonel to retire from
the service by the sale of his commission. The charges
against Colonel Roberts were contained in a letter addressed
by private Haggard, of the regime:A, to the commander-in-
chief in India.

We understand that almost every infantry regiment now
stationed in the land are under orders for foreign service,
whilst orders have been sent to every corps at home, cavalry
and infantry, to have the whole of their subalterns examined
as to their eligibility and fitness for promotion. This savours
much of 2d battalions, and 10 troops to a cavalry regiment.
The following regiments are held in readiness to embark,
as, follows : —l2th regiment, Ist battalion, at Belfast, and
the 46th regiment at Dublin, for Van Diemen's Laud, to
relieve the 99th ; the 21st fusiliers, and the 63d regiment,
both stationed in Dublin, to embark for the Cape of Good
Hope to relieve the reserve battalion of the 12th regiment.
The 27th regiment now at Enniskillen is to relieve the
22d, the 82c1, at Stirling, to replace the 96th, and the 90th
light infantry, in Dublin, to relieve the 98th regiment in
the Bengal presidency. The 35th, royal Sussex, at Ports-
mouth, to replace the 25th or King's Own Borderers in
Madras.

The Renfrewshire Road Trustees have made arrange-
ments for causing all the bridges through that county free
Of toll.

The Barnett Theological premiums to be "awarded, or
rather to be written for in the ensuing year, in Scotland,
will be £1,600 for the first, and £BOO for the second. It is
supposed that the adjudication will be necessarily postponed
fo a year and an half.
LErcEsT ER TRADE

—There is rather more doing, and more
disposition to purchase goods. The high price of food, it is
feared) will lessen the demand for goods for home consumption.
'When bread is dear, .the Leicester trade always suffers, the
middle and working classes being the chief purclia.sers.of worsted
and woollen stockings.—Leicester Chronicle.
HIGHLAND WIT.—A Highlander, having lately observed
in the newspapers that the Prince of Wales was styled pre-
sumptive heir to the crown, was struck with astonishment.
He might well enough be called a presumptive monkey,"
says Donald, "for I hae seen him mysel', and he looks a
presumptive monkey frae the sole o' his foot to the tap o'
hiS head. But a presumptive heir, that I canna sec."—
Banphire Journal.
A. Facr FOR ORNITUOIOOISTS.—The salubrity of the
Enzie and the geniality of the climate in:this quarter, and at
this season, is again verified by the fact that another curi-
osity has to be added to the chronicles of this district, in
the shape of a bird's nest, containing one egg, namely,
that
of a robin, which was found in the beginning of this week
deposited beside a turnip in a field belonging to Mr. Turner,
at Arradoull. When found, the egg was perfectly fresh
and warm. The boy who found it, with a desire to pre-
serve poor robin's untimely wish to produce its like, pulled
none of the turnips around the nest; but for all his care,
the poor bird forsook its nest, the next day the egg was
found to be destroyed by the frost. The nest has been pre-
served, and also the egg, by Mr. T., with whom it may be
seen by those curious in such matters.
MAILS FOR HELIGOLAND.—GENERAL POST OFFICE, DE-
CEMBER, 1853.—1 n consequence of the withdrawal of the con-
tract mail packets between London and Hamburg, the mails for
Heligoland can no longer be forwarded by those packets, as
hitherto. The correspondence for Heligoland will therefore be
sent in future by private ship diirect, or via Cuxhaven. Let-
terg will be liable to a postage of Bd. the half ounce, increasing
according to the scale for charging inland letters. Newspapers
will be chargeable with a postage of one penny each, if sent by
private ship direct to Heligoland, and with a rate of two pence
each if sent via Cuxhaven, Upon both letters and newspapers
thepostage must be paid in advance. Books, magazines, re•
views, and pamphlets cannot in future be sent to Heligoland,
except at the ordinary sates of postage chargeable for letters.
GOLD MINE IN ENGLAND.--A discovery of gold is re-
ported at East Wheal Russell, near Tavistock. It is said that
a series of experiments have proved that the gossan contains
from ono to two ounces of gold per ton, and as the lode is a
very large one (about 35 feet wide), and the gossan holds down
to the present bottom of the shaft (72 fathoms), the length of
the sett being also several hundred fathoms, an enormous
quantity of the auriferous mineral is said to exist at the mine.
It is calculated that 630,000 tons of the gossan are already dis-
covered, or laid open, which, at an average of only half an
ounce per ton, would give 315,000 ounces, or £1,260,000, and
the expenses being taken at £1 per ton, although it is said they
will not exceed 155., the clear profit would appear to be
£630,000.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT NEAR BEIM —Ol the night o
Friday last, Elizabeth Paterson, a young woman, who acted in
the capacity of domestic servant at the farm of Highgate, near
Bcith, went out about seven o'clock. At ten she had not re-
turned ; and, supposing her out with a sweetheart, the place
where the keys of the different out-houses hung was examined.
when it was found that the key of a house connected with a
thrashing mill, which stood by itself a considerable distance
from the dwelling-house, was wanting. Two servant men
belonging to the establishment, who had just returned from
spending the evening in a neighbour's house, proceeded to the
building, which they found locked ; but groans were heard
from the inside, and, on obtaining entrance by a window, they
found the girl lying insensible, with her skull dreadfully
smashed. The perpetrator of the horrid deed appears to have
locked the door afterwards and thrown away the key, as it was
found a few yards distant. A cast metal iron bar, about two feet
long and of a peculiar form, with which the murderous assault
had been committed, was found on the outside of the door.
The bar was covered with blood and hair ; and at the first blow
it appears that the da,tarilly assailant had pattly Arm]: the
wall and hriikeii a pie. se fin' the bar. NN hitch

uithillll.d. No trace of the guilty jarty nt, 1...c0
hot the authorities are actively engaged in hying to unravel
the mystery.—N. B. Mail.

GREAT FIRE AT A PAPER MANUFACTORY. AT

ESHER,

Information reached London at a late hour on Saturday,
that a most tremendous conflagration had taken place at Esher,
on the premises of Mr. W. McMurray and Cel, about 18 miles
from London.

The first intimation given was from a drunken min, having
called at the Watling-street station about three o'clock in the
morning, but after repeated questions put to him, his authority
was, as a matter of course, doubted.

However, as is usual on Saturday, the foremen of the four
districts of the London Brigade met at the chief station, when,
from the intelligence received by that time from the London
warehouses of the firm in Queen-street, Cheapside, the dread-
ful destruction previously announced was proved to be too true.
It appeared that the engines from Richmond, Teddington,
Twickenham, Esher, and others from private resources, were
sent to the scene of the fire, and fortunately, there being large
tanks of water at hand available for the use of those attending
the engines, every effort was attempted to stop the progress of
the flames; but such was the inflammable nature of the pro-
perty that had ignited, and the fearful progress made by the
flames, that it was very improbable any portion of the great
establishment could be saved.
_ _

Mr. McMurray's establishment is insured, but notwithstand-
ing this ho will have to sustain great inconvenience and loss for
himself and workmen, as they had many orders on hand at the
time of the outbreak of the Jim.

It is stated that the fire was seen at Putney this morning at
four o'clock; yet, strange to say, no authentic information
reached the London establishment and West of England autho-
rities till about midday, and then only by the mere casual ob-
servation of a passenger by the South Western Railway. The
lose is supposed to be about t 10,000.—London Paper.

TRADE AT BELFAST.-SATURDAY

YARN TRADE.—The demand for yarn this week has con-
tinued brisk, as is usual at the present season ; no change in
value.

LINEN TRADE.—Sales in the linen trade during the week,
but especially this day, were rather dull. Stocks of light yard-
wide cloth are getting heavy; the demand, however, for coarse
goods, adapted for drying and brown finishing, is much better.
At last Ballymena market, the supply of cloth was fair, and
was well bought up.
_

FLAX TRADE.—Supplies during the week at the different
flax markets of the provinces were not large, the general quality
being inferior. At Belfast market, on Saturday morning,
about ten tons milled ; prices 10s. to 16s. per 241 lbs. A
cargo of Riga flax was offered for sale by public auction, yes-
terday, but was withdrawn for higher prices.
PROVISION TRADE .—Supplies of pigs for this week have
considerably fallen off—the number being 4962 against 7557
carcasses last week ; and, although prices of bacon and other
cured meats have given way generally 2s. per cwt we must
quote green pork at Is. 6d. per 120 lbs. higher.
HOME PRODUCE.—Grain supplies small. Prices of wheat
higher ; those of other kinds of produce stationary, at late high
rates.

FLAXSEED. —A few sales have been made of Riga flaxseed
since our last—of course on speculation—at 40s. per barrel
We quote Dutch seed at 68s. to 70s. per hlid. The importa-
tion of Riga seed into this port was never so large at this period.

The London law courts offices have closed until Tuesda
next.

THE LARGEST ASSORTMENT OF WINTER
GARMENTS in LIVERPOOL, of Superior Cut and
Workmanship,
At Wm. EARP and CO.'S, 59 and 61, LORD STREET.
The hon. Henry. Elliott, now secretary of legation at the
Hague, has been appointed secretary of legation at Vienna.
Mr. Niven Moore, consul at Beyrout, has been promoted
to the rank of consul-general at Syria.
Txn OLINDA.—ThIS much prized vessel has put back to
Liverpool, after her recent mishap iin the Channel. It is
rumoured that there has been some difficulty between the
crew and, the officers. The Olinda is now in the Bandon
Dock.
There is now a project broached of laying down a tele
graphic system by the Orkneys, Faro Island, Iceland,
Greenland, Davis's Straits, and Labrador, to America. We
question whether this scheme shall ever be carried out.
700 tons, outer-bound with cargoes of great value.
Her Excellency the Countess of St. Germains distributed
pblaarniskhestsofacnasd waeanrm cockalontdhicnhgaptoel2izoood
apto.tohre j;erirsceognals
.Lfroodmgetohne
yesterday.
The King of Hanover has sent £5O to be distributed
amongst the poor of the parish of Kew, to-day, to enable
them to enjoy the pleasures of Christmas.
THE DUKE Or NEWCASTLE.—We understand that his
Grace the Duke of Newcastle has contributed no less than
£BOO during the present year towards the restoration of
various churches not immediately connected with his own
estates.—Nottinghant Review.

~ --- - --
LITERARY GENIUS.—It is said that Mr. Warren, Q.C.,
has recently declined an offer from an eminent publisher, of
2,500 guineas, for a new novel.
AGES of EUROPEAN SOVEREIGNS.—The following are
the ages of the principal reigning sovereigns : —Her Majesty
Queen Victoria, 34 ; the King of Wurtemberg, 71; the
King of the Blgians, 62; the Kin,g of Prussia, 57 ; the
;artkh,e4R4i.ng ,of SwedtehneanEdmpNeorrowr aoyf,
sE3m;ptehreorKoifnitgusofsiaD,esn6m
King of the two Sicilies and the'
King .of Hanover, 33 ; the Sultan, 30 ;
Austria, 28 ; the Pope, 60. K i
no ugi s 0 Napoleon, apol
Bavaria,eon, 44 40 ;; tt hh the
HONESTY REWARDED.—An elaborately finished silver
medal, made by Mr. Chapman, of Essex-quay, has been pre-
seated to Mathew Whelan, car driver, on account of the
honesty evinced by him in returning a sovereign given him
in mistake for a shillinc, by a foreign gentleman during the
Great Exhibition of 1853.'

3649 marriages were celebrated by the late Mr. Shultz in
three years, eight months, and eighteen days. Mr. Shultz
was a German in holy orders, who resided in Dublin, and
earned a livelihood by celebrating clandestine marriages.
LORD CAMPBELL AND Ms TENANTRY.— 111 r. Booker, Lord
Campbell's local agent, has just called upon us and stated
that Mr. Kincaid, who was sent over to value Lord Camp-
bell's Irish estate, has not increased the routs, and that, on
the Barna property, a considerable reduction will be made.
We are very glad to find that such is the case; but as we
had our information as to the raising of the rent from what
we considered undoubted authority we felt bound to take
cognizance of the matter.—Galway Packet.

POCKET-PICTiING AT A RAILWAY STATION.—On Saturday,
at the Manchester City Police-court, a fellow, named
William Parker, was charged with having, on the previous
day, stolen from the person of Miss Anne Jane Barrow, a
purse containing £3 12s. in gold and silver. Miss Barrow
was called and stated, that she lived at South Bank,
Pendleton. On Friday night, about half-past nine o'clock,
she arrived at the London-road station, and whilst looking
after her luggage, she suddenly felt some person at her
pocket. She then put her hand into her pocket, and dis-
covered that her purse was gone. As she did so, a man
rushed from beside her, and she called out that he had
picked her pocket. The man was pursued by one of the
porters at the station, and caught. John Milner, a porter
at the London-road railway station, stated that he saw the
prisoner put his hand into the lady's pocket, and take it out
again. He endeavoured to seize hold of him, but the
prisoner sprang off and got away. lie pursued him, and
while he did so, the prisoner seemed to throw something
across the rails. Eventually. he caught him. Joseph Leech,
a coach-driver, stated that he got a lamp, looked round, and
found a purse, which was open, and a quantity of gold and
silver was strewed about the place. The purse was identified
by Miss Barrow, as her property. The prisoner was fully
committed to take his trial at the sessions.

CIIILISTMAS-DAY IN MArleugsmn.---Yesterday, the great-
est festival in the Christmas year, was held in Manchester
and Salford, in a manner which reflected credit upon the
inhabitants of both towns. On our correspondent calling in
the afternoon at the various police offices for information he
was told that much greater order than was usual between
Saturday night and Sunday had been observed. To-day,
(Monday) will be generally observed as a holiday in Man-
chester and the neighborhood.
SUICIDE BY HANGING.—An excavator, 56 years of age,
committed suicide by hanging himself in his own house,
Dale street, Stretford New-road, Manchester. On Thurs-
day morning, about six o'clock, the deceased got up and
went down stairs. One of the sons wont down stairs about
twenty minutes to seven o'clock, when he found that the
the fire had not been lighted, but that a candle was burning
on the table. Ho was going to get breakfast, when on turn-
ing round he found his father hanging with two handker-
chiefs fastened round his neck, the ends being fastened to the
ledge of the door. The son then wont up stairs for one of
his brothers, who cut down his father.

CLO AIDS, PONCHOS, SACS, AND PALETOTS,
of superior Cut and Workmanship, at
Wm. EARP and CO.'S, 59 and 61, LORD STREET.

•
KINGSTON .HARBOUR.— Mr. Barry Gibbons, engineer of
this harbour, says it is a mistake to suppose that Kingston
harbour is especially useful to the shipping interest of Dub-
lin, Dundalk and Drogheda. It is vastly more important to
the English and Scotch trade. Of about 70 sail that took
refuge in the last gale, more than one third were from the
Clyde and Liverpool, amongst which were ships of 900 and
FOUNDERING OP A STEAMER IN TUE CHANNEL.—lntelli-
gence was received at Lloyd's of the foundering of a steamer,
called the Perseverance, Mr. Keens, master, in the Channel,
off Dunmore, Isle of Wight. She was an iron boat, and left
London, on Tuesday last, for Gloucester. On Wednesday
night, when about six miles off Dunmore, one of the stokers
rushed upon deck and reported that the vessel had sprung a
leak, and was fait sinking. Such was found to be the fact,
and the crew had only just time to lower the boats,_ when the
vessel went down in twenty fathoms of water. The crew
succeeded in reaching Ventnor at three o'clock on Thursday

morning

Tim itocuDALE SAvulus BAsx..—On Friday evening, a
meeting of the depositors took place in the Public Hall,
About throe hundred persons' were present ;
.Ur. Etiw,trtl Taylor in the chair. The olpi,el- t.,

.C 162 had beelf l'XII•ill11.11.~ti porrt,pundener,
printing., &c. It 'ivai for theibommittee to press their appli-
cation during the approaching session of parliament.