The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-10 00:00:00

COLONEL TULLOCH.

The following 13 a copy of the certificate of Sir James
Clark and Mr. Martin, as to Colonel Tulloch's state of
health : Eaton-square, May 6.

\Vo certify that we were called to Oolone]lloch
yesterday afternoon, and have visited him again this morning.
We find him labouring under such a degree of bodily and
mental exhaustion, arising from long continued mental
exertion and anxiety, as to render him totally unfit to
att;nd to any business. We are further of opinion, that
complete bodily and mental repose is necessary for the
recovery of his health. JAMES CLARK, M.D.
J. R. MARTIN.
The gallant colonel has been thoroughly exhausted—an
exhaustion as complete as that of the overworked men and
horses in the Crimea—in the performance of a task too
arduous for any one man's strength.

THE MURDER or Mats. KELLY.—An action for defa-
mation of character, claiming damages to the amount of
£5,000, has been instituted by George Streyens, Egq.,
against Mr. Christopher W. Campion, the late Mrs. Kelly's
confidential solicitor, for having charged Mr. Strevens with
being concerned in the conspiracy to murder that lady.
The plaintiff has retained Mr. M‘Donough, Q C., Mr.
Whiteside, Q C., and Mr. Heron, as his counsel. The
action having been instituted in the Court of Exchequer,
will be tried before the Lord Chief Baron at the sittings
after next Trinity Terra.
AWFUL FIRE—SEVEN LIVES LOST.—A most destructive
fire occurred in Strabane, during the night of Tuesday last,
the Deat and Dumb Institution there bsing almost entirely
consumed. The most terrible circumstance connected with
it is, that Ito fewer than seven children belonging to the
establishment lost their lives. It is stated that six of the
children have been burned to death, and that the body of
the other is supposed to he buried in the ruins.
DEATH OF Sia WILLIAM HAmiLxox.—This celebrated
scholar and philosopher died at his residence, Great King-
street, Edinburgh, at seven o'clock on Tuesday morning.
He had been in precarious health for several years ; but the
attack which carried him off, and which was, wp believe,
of the nature of panget.tion of the brain, was of about
ten days'Auration. By this melancholy event, the chair
of logic and metaphysics in our University, which Sir
William Hamilton filled for twenty years, becomes vacant.
z--Bent.rnan.

I H ~,
i P REGianms wilt CANApi.—Five regiments in the
Crimea have received orders to hold themselves in readiness
to go direct to Canada. They are the 9th, 17th, 39th,
62nd, and 63rd Regiments. Several of these were serving
in the Mediterra-lean, previously to coming Eastward. It
is understood that Lieutenant General Sir William Eyre is
to go in command of this force.

An investigastion took place in the Sessions House,
Prescot, yesterday, before the Land Tax Commissioners,
into certain frauds charged upon. Mr. Thomas Hughes,
collector for Everton township. The commissioners
were the following magistrates—Mr. Thomas Edwards
Moss, presiding, Rev. W. James, S. R. Evans, and
Mr. Spencer James Steers.
The witnesses summoned to give evidence in support
of the charge, were Mr. Charles Edward Macqueen,
Mr. Richard Shaw, Mr. Thomas Kirk, and Mr. Thomas
Bird, all of Liverpool.
Thomas Hughes was then put forward, charged on in-
formation under the Land Tax Act, 38 George 111., with
having, while being a collector of land tax for the
township of Everton, on the Ist of October, 1853, 4th of
October, 1854, and sth of November, 1855, received
from Thomas Kirk Is as land tax fraudulently, and
having at other periods received like sums from the
other parties named.
The defendant stated that he admitted the charges
contained in the informations.

Evidence was, however, gone into, to show the extent
of the frauds, with a view to determine the amount of
punishment. The extreme penalty provided in the act,
was £4O. .

Mr. William Mayne, surveyor of Everton, stated that
he had received about fifty receipts from different indi-
viduals in Everton township for land tax, whose names
were not mentioned in the duplicate at all.
Mr. Thomas Kirk deposed that he lives at 109, Salis-
bury-street, and had paid to the defendant the sums
mentioned in the information as land tax. On examin-
ing the duplicate, he found no entry of his name, Fro:n
enquiries he had made, he found that several parties
living in Everton-crescent, Fox street, Everton-brow,
and Great Homer-street, had paid sums as. land tax, and
had receipts, whose evidences were not included in the
duplicate at all. In many cases the parties gave him the
receipts, but in other cases persons declined giving up
the receipts, lest they should be brought into court, and
also because they were afraid of the collector.
Mr. Macqueen deposed that he lived in Salisbury-
street. In 1853, he paid Hughes is ; in 1854, 9d ; and
in 185:3, 9d, Mr. Macqueen's name was .not in the
duplicate.
Mr. Richard Shaw deposed that he was several
times applied to by the defendant for land tax,
but had always refused to pay, even when Hughes
threatened to put bailiffs into the house. Mr. Shaw
stated that he made enquiry, and obtained receipts
from several parties, whose names were not in the dupli-
cates. Among the rest was one from the late Arch-
deacon Brooks, for his house in Everton•road, 2s 6d. He
had also seen a receipt for land tax paid by the
Collegiate Institution, but there appeared to be a reluct-
ance to give up the receipt. None of the houses
mentioned were liable to land tax.

Mr. Charles Pemberton, solicitor, said he had been
acquainted for some years with Mr:Hughes, as collector,
when he resided in Shaw-street. He had only just
come into court, and had been requested by Mr. Hughes
to. give him any assistance he could. With the per-
mission of the magistrates he would comply with that
request, if he could, although he did not see how, not
having beard the whole of the case, be did not see what
assistance he could render. Mr. Hughes stated to him
that he thought, on coming here, it was a private

court, and, therefore, he did not provide himself with a
professional adviser.
Rev. Mr. Evans asked why Mr. Hughes considered it
was a private court ?
The defendant said appeals had always been heard in
private, and such he considered should be the case oa
the present occasion.
The Rev. Mr. Evans said the hearing of appeals was
quite a different matter. It was the wish of the com-
missioners that in cases of that kind the hearing should
be as public as possible. This' was fair towards the
defendant, as well as for the interest of the public.
The case for the prosecution having closed,
The defendant requested permission to make a state-
ment to the court in his own behalf, and permission
having been granted, he proceeded to read the following
statement, although more than once advised by Mr.
Pemberton to leave the case in the hands of the
court :