The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-25 00:00:00

TUESDAY,

OVEHRER 25, 1856
•
THE DAY'S NEWS.

The Rev. Mr. Spurgeon has again appeared at
the Surrey Gardens. His presence on Sunday, as
usual, caused a concourse of thousands of people,
who, nothing daunted by the late appalling catas
trophe, sought admission to hear the rev. preacher
hold forth. It is said that some twelve or fourteen
thousand persons, of both sexes, were forced to
remain a considerable distance from the grand
entrance. We are happy to say that proper pre-
caution was taken for the preservation of the lives
of the several thousands who had congregated on
the occasion. The reverend gentleman referred to
his former appearance in that place. It is to be
regretted that such large numbers should assemble
to hear Mr. Spurgeon's theological discourses, and
that the Sabbath should be a day requiring the
presence of a large police force, to preserve order
and decorum at a place where the glad tidings of
the Gospel are- delivered to thousands of immortal

beings

Every day adds to the dark catalogue of crime
throughout the country. To-day, our paper con-
-tains the records of shocking cruelty, the immoral
doings of a clergyman, and the unusual offence of
a daring highway robbery by two women, in Lon-
don. These, together with our usual police re-
ports, clearly demonstrate the imperative necessity
of immediate steps being taken to stem the torrent
of iniquity which appears to deluge the land. Our
Orisons and our workhouses are evidently made
too c3mfortable for their inmates. We, therefore,
indirectly encourage a transgression of the law ;
andzinetead of reforming our criminal population,
whilg tinder prison discipline and control, we are
only affording them an opportunity to acquire
additional dexterity in committing offences against
life and property. At the Old Bailey, yesterday,
the Recorder of London, in his charge to the Grand
Tury, referred to the prevalence of crimes of this
description. These was, he regretted to observe,
an increase in crimes of a serious description, which
called for the most serious consideration, and such
a circumstance was to be exceedingly regretted.
One of the offences that seemed particularly on
the increase was that of highway robbery with
violence. Whilst on these topics, we may
further remark that the gold dust robbery
was again the subject of a magisterial
investigation before the Lord Mayor. of London,
at the Mansion House. The prisoners, Burgess
and Pierce, on being placed at the bar, were both
as cool and collected in their demeanour as on the
previous occasions, though they looked somewhat
paler. Burgess still retains his dress-as a guard of
the South Eastern Railway Pierce anxiously
looked round the court, and both prisoners
evidently appeared surprised, after what was said
at the last examination, that Seward and Tester
were not placed in the dock beside them. A deal
of evidence, all of which criminated the prisoners
in a great degree, with the crime of which they
stand charged was gone into, when another remand
was granted, and the prisoners removed back to
their cells.

The Vice-Chancellor, Kindersley, gave judgment
yesterday, on the question in whom the right to
distribute the funds of the British Bank vested,
the creditors or the depositors. The judg-
ment of the learned judge was lengthy, and
amounted to this : That Mr. Hardinge
deliver up all monies received by him to Mr.
Lee, the Official Assignee of the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. The matter, it appears, is not to drop
here, for recourse is to be had to the opinions of the
Lord Justices of appeal. The judgment created
great interest, and the court was crowded during
its delivery.
There is not any additional intelligence respect-
ing the murder of Mr. Little, but from our private
advices from Dublin, we learn that the police still
entertain sanguine expectations of being able to
discover the whereabouts of the foul assassin, and
ultimately effect his capture.
The coroner's jury empannelled to investigate
the recent railway collision near Waterford have
unanimously agreed to a verdict, setting forth that
the deceased persons were killed at Dunkitt-siding,
on the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway, by the
Kilkenny mid-day mail to Waterford coming into
colligion with the ballast train in such siding, in
consequence of the points of the siding having been
nlawfully and improperly left open ; that such
oar,
ts were in the particular care of Michael Brien,
r
gauger, in charge of the ballast train, who neglected
to see them closed. The finding
ot
through
r o:gi
man-
slaughter against the said Michael aßte
that
Brien,
whose wilful and unlawful neglect the deaths have
occurred ; that no blame can be attached to any of
the officers of the traffic department on the line,
whose driver and fireman used every effort in their
power to prevent the catastrophe. The prisoner
Brien was removed in custody; and will be com
mated to Kilkenny Gaol for trial at the ensuing

fs s sizes .
The Southampton election continues to become,
every day, the object of a fierce and determined
contest. The address of the Governor of the Bank
of England has been issued. He declares himself
a Liberal and a free trader ; he would support the
Abolition of church rates, and the admission

of Jews into Parliament. The appearance,
of the address has caused increased - excite.
inent, and speculations are rife as to -who
shall be the lucky candidate. Mr. James, it
appears, will have up-hill work in gain;ng
anything like a respectable position on the poll,
the Liberal electors preferring a practical commer-
cial gentleman to the special pleader or the full-
fledged, . Nisi Prius lawyer. Meantime, the new
Chief JUstice of. the Common Pleas has taken
leave of his We constituents. He declares that,
had he followed his own wishes and inclination, he
should still have remained member for Southamp-
ton. To be the Attorney-General of England, and
to represent that country in Parliament, was the
utmost object of his ambition, and left him nothing
to desire.. But he had become conscious that he was
less able than heretofore, in point of health and
strength, to meet -the calls of a position which
combined -Parliamentary and official with profes-
sional duties, and had yielded to the advice of
friends interested in his welfare, and exchanged
those cares for duties which, though arduous and
laborious, were of a less exactinc, and exciting
character than those which he had' hitherto sus-
tained.

Our Continental advices are rather interesting in
character. It appears that one step more has been
taken in the Neufchatel affair. Her Von Sydow,
the Prussian Ambassador, has remitted to .the
President of the Federal Council a note demand-
ing the unconditional release of the prisoners ; and
the representatives of the other states of the
German confederation have expressed the assent
of their governments to this note. The President,
Herr Staempfli, is said to have replied, that the
Neufchatel question, forming the subject of nego•
ciations on the part of the Great Powers, he could
not, for the moment, revive the proposition of
Prussia. The Prussian Government is said to have
been very desirous of securing the release of the
prisoners before the 29th of November, when the
Prussian Landtag meets, to be enabled to use con-
ciliatory language in the speech from the throne;
but this desire is most probably now frustrated.

A despatch, from Constantinople, states that
Aali Pacha, who had been appointed Minister of
Foreign czffairs, has resigned. The electors of the
department of Cher are convoked for the 20th of
December, to elect two deputies to the Corps
Legislatiff.

Our Paris advices inform us that M. Emile de
Girardin has sold his interest in the Presse to M.
Milhaud, the banker, after a negotiation of only
three days. M. de Girardin was the founder and
principal proprietor of the paper. He possessed
40 100ths of the shares, and had a salary of
30,000 f as redoeteur in chief. The terms are, for the
40 shares, 800,000 f, and for the editorship, 150,000 f,
making together the very handsome sum of
950,000 f, which M. de Girardin will put in his
pocket. After the example of persons in meaner
callings, he enters into a covenant not to exercise
his trade of a journalist in Paris, Many of the writers
on the paper, who fancied they were as3ociated
in a mission of principle, are,--to say the least of it, •
a good deal annoyed at being sold in this manner
to the Money-ocracy. The Siecle will now be the
only remaining liberal journal in Paris. The
Charivari-has a caricature- representing the Times
in the shape of a huge partition wall between a
Highland soldier and a French one. The Scotch-
man—the invariable type of the British soldier,
according to -French notions—drives his fist
through the broad sheet, and leaning across, says,
while suiting the action to the word, " A sheet of
paper.shall never .prevent-u43-from shaking hands."
The latest Spanish intelligence shows the asser-
tion of the ministerial newspapers at Madrid, that
the outbreak at Malaga was intended to cover a
emugglina transaction, to be a ridiculous and de-
liberate falsehood.h The severe measures of re-
pression which the Spanish government has resorted
to proves this.
In Lisbon the elections have turned against the
Government, for the Radical party, which calls
itself the party of regeneration, has obtained a
decided majority. It is, however, presumed that
in the provinces of Portugal the result will be
different. The Miguelites have, on this •occasion,
taken part in the elections, but not one of their
candidates has succeeded. The defeat .of the
Cabral party is complete.
According to late advices from Vienna, we are
informed that Russia still insists on retaining pos-
session of Bolgrad, and the policy of France is just
as equivocal now as it was ten days or a fortnight
since

It is well known that M. de Persigny, on
his return to England, gave tranquilising assu-
rances to the British government, but any
change of measures in France must be preceded
by a change of men. M. de Walewski still insists
on a resumption of the Conferences, but Austria
positively refuses, and will continue to refuse, to
accede to the wishes of the French Government,
'until 'France; England, Austria, and Turkey have
come to a complete, understanding in regard to
Bolgrad and the Isle of Serpents. When the four
Powers are able to agree, the Conference will meet
to settle certain matters connected with the Treaty
of Peace. but itis possitively asserted that the Em-
peror of Austria will-net again permit hid repre-
sentative to share-in a discussion on any • matter
which is foreign to the Oriental question.
We are informed that the differences between
the Porte and Prince Danilo of Montenegro have
been settled for the time being by Austrian
mediation. The settlement is said to consist
simply in the -maintenance'
.of•the. status quo,
with the promise, however, on the part of the
Porte, not to assert its 'claims of suzerainty,
except in case of a new rupture -of the peace by
the Montenegrins.-

,
Reports cosine from Naples which represent the
King as entering upon a course of clemency, and
it is expected that an amnesty
.will follow those
special acts of grace that
.have already been
granted. But it is added that the amnesty will
only be extended to those who will leave the
kingdom for ever, or will allo* themselves to be
put under the supervision of the police. Some
little administrative reforms are likewise expected
in -Naples, and-the-King at-- least thus- hopes- to
satisfy France without surrendering his inde-
pendence.

MR. JAMES MII.LER. SHAIN'S pamphlet, entitled
Laurie versus The Merchants' and Trademen's Mutual
Life Assurance Company, has drawn out a reply
in the shape of an original article in the Courier of
Wednesday last ; and it will haVe been observed
that our cotemporary takes as much pains to mis•
represent our views on' this. occasion as it has in
msny former instances.• It charges us with having
espoused' Mr. SHAIN'S case with great warmth.
Now we simply, ask . who is Mr. SHAIN ? What
is he in the assurance world that we should pass
by the millions at stake in the life assurances of
this country ? Are we to be charged with weighing
the reputation of an individual against the vast
sum the frugal and needy classes of the community
have depending on the honest administration of
insurance affairs, and the selection of contracts
proposed to them by insurers ? Mr. SHAIN comes
before the PUblic to defend 'his - character, by
explaining his connection with a ease in which a
policy has been disputed after death, and to advo-
cate a principle in life insurance which his expe-
rience as a Medical Examiner of lives induces him
to believe is, the only one which gives security to
the insured. His statement is a brief recital of
facts, and since he proves that he acted the part
of a man of honour, throughout Mr. LAURIE's
affair, and that he has been grossly misrepresented;
we certainly do not shrink from saying
.that he is,
entitled to great praise, and we confess that vie
have advocated with some warmth the principle he
recommends—namely, the indisputability of all
life policies, after a proposal has been accepted,
and a policy issued. , •
There would be 'no safety for the. insurer, if
medical men were to make their reports " a little
" stronger," at the bidding of zealous insurance
agents ; and no security for the insured, if pro-
posals are to be interlined by the agents to make
them "It little stronger" also. Mr. WEBSTER did
ask Mr. SHAIN to .make his medical "report " a
" little stronger." He did interline Mr. THOMAS
LAURIE'S proposal, and he swears he wrote the
words which defeated the claim of Mr. LAURIE'S
representative in Court, at -the request of the

insured ; but the reader._ has., only Ur- WRBsEER'S
word for the truth-of this assertibn, whereas Mr.
SHAIN has Mr. WEBSTER'S letter, to prove that,
while WEBSTER wished the medical officer to
report strongly in favour of Mr. LAURIE'S life, be
was at the same time interlining the proposal
with the very words which were, after the death of
the insured, held to constitute a " gross fraud" on
Mr. WEBSTER'S Company, or his employers. The
writer in the Courier does not pretend to deny this.
He, in fact, brings to light some pocket repo of the
trial, which took place at the last I.Aerpool
Assizes, to prove that all Mr. SWAIN charges Mr.
WEBSTER with is quite true. This report was not
published, however, until Mr. SHAIN refuted the
imputations cast upon him' by the Merchants' and
Tradesmen's Society, and their agent. It is then
paraded as a most accurate version of the investi-
gation which took place in court. But, unfortu-
nately for the society, many of the allegations
which they seem to rely upon ire shown to be
incorrect by the statements contained in the
documents published by Mr. SEAtrt._

By a little adroit warping of facts, and very
skilful transposition of names, our cotemporary
makes white appear black, taking special care to
leave out of sight the principle involved in the
diScussion, No attempt is made by the Courier,
the Company, or their .agent, Mr. ROBERT
-WEBSTER, to show that Mr. THOMAS LAURIE'S life
was a bad one when his proposal was accepted.
They only attack the insured's statements with
regard to the health of his family. The Industrial
and General Life Office would not accept Mr.
LAURIE'S life when the directors heard that
there was consumption or " chest disease" in
the proposer's family. They wanted to add
twelve years to his life. This Mr. LAURIE
declined, and, therefore, the proposer was
not either accepted, or "refused in another
" office," as our cotemporary has had the hardihood
to state. They woul d have taken Mr. LAuan's
life on certain terms. And when Mr. LAURIE sent
in his propOsal to the Merchants' and Tradesmen's,
Office, in answer to the usual request—it Give a
" reference to a very intimate friend for the state of
" health"—he furnished them with the name of
Mr. T. S. PATERSON, the agent of the Industrial
and General Office—the very 'gentleman who had
proposed Mr. LAURIE'S life to the office which is
now said to have refused Mr. LAURIE. The writer
in the Courier will excuse Mr. SHAIN, if his
pamphlet has enabled us to place him on the
horns of a dilemma. Aid with regard to Mr
SHAIN'S knowledge of the health of Mr. LAURIE'S
family, our author states that he knew nothing
Whatever of the proposer's family, except what he
had heard from the proposer himself. When
asked, therefore, " Has any part of his family ever
" suffered hereditary disease ?" he very prudently
answered, " Not•to my knowledge." All he knew
was from the insurer's own lips._

- - -PATERSON, the agent -Of the-Industrial and
General Offic, seems to have known more about
Mr. LAURIE ; for, in his report, he says :—" Mr.
" LAURIE had a brother and sister who died froni
" consumption." The proposal also stated that two
members of the LAURIE family died of " disease of
" the chest,". and that there was "a tendency to
" phthysis, either in the paternal or maternal side."
Mr. SHAIN, in his confidential report, also says :--
" There is no doubt but some members of the
proposer's family
.have died from phthysis.'
Here it will be seen that the medical officer speaks
with great caution. He uses the words "no
" doubt," which shows that he did not know it of
-his own knowledge--He- did know,_however, that
all the information he had given to the Industrial
and General Office was. accessible to Mr. ROBERT
WEBSTER, and to the Merchants' and Tradesmen's
Company; for the simple reason that Mr. LAURIE
had himself referred .Mr. 'WEBSTER and his
employers to Mr. PATERSON, the agent of the
Industrial Company. If this had_ not been done
it is more than probable that Mr. WEBSTER'S'
Directors would have called for a second report
from their agent and medical referee.
But they did nothing of the kind. They were
satisfied it appears with the words interlined in
-Mr. WE-as-rites own handwriting. Mr. SHArs
evidently reported with great-caution to both the
Companies to whom Mr. LAURIE'S proposals were
made ; and that he should have redoubled his
caution when dealing
_with the Merchants' and
Tradesmen's Office, can scarcely be wondered at,
after he had been asked by its agent to make his
report " a little stronger." The letter which con.
tamed this very unaccountable request, was only
shown to the Judge at the trial. Had it gone to
the Jury, we are inclined to believe that the advice
of the presiding Judge would not have had so
much- weight as it is supposed to have had. But
here we may safely leave Mr. SHAIN out of the
discussion. The public are much indebted to
him for the light he has thrown on the whole
affair. The Courier puts Mr. WEBSTER'S case for.
ward as the cloak for a most dangerous system of
life insurance. It makes its champion say that
" he never knew that LAURIE had made a proposal
" to the Industrial, and that SHAIN had reported
"upon it, till after the death of LAURIE." This is
rather a lamentable disclosure for the Merchants'
Office, as it will leave the public to infer that its agents
do not apply for information to the referees named
in their proposals. If Mr. WEBSTER had gone to Mr.
LAURIE'S referenee—the Agent of the Industrial—
he would there have obtained the information he
now declares he ought to have had before the death
of the insured, and which, we think, he ought to
have obtained before the proposal was submitted
to his directors. It would have been well, also, if
he had obtained it before he called on the medical
officer to make his report" a little stronger."
The Courier seems to see these things in a very
different light. It would have Mr. WEBSTER to act
as he likes in such matters. - It says,- that gentle-
man "had no motive whatever in recommending the
`` life, except a conscientious conviction that it was a
" good one." This brings us at once to the danger
of the principle for which our cotemporary is
contending in the person of Mr. WEBSTER—the
danger of leaving policies open to be disputed after
the death of the insured. In this instance the
insurers knew that there was consumption in the
insured's family. This is proved by Mr
WEBSTER'S letter, for he says his directors
" would boggle at it." He forwarded the proposal
because he entertained a conscientious conviction.
- The truth of this conviction has never been ques-
tioned up to this day, " the life was a good one,"
and' yet, when the life drops, the Company are
suffered to travel back into the proposal as inter-
lined by their agent} :and they actually succeed in
defeating the claim of the representative of an
also e
insured person, whose life theyet admitwhich they to
b
unquestionably good ; because, forsooth, there was
consumption in his family, a fact
well knew. What class of insured persons are
safe, vchen such a system as this is in vogue? The
Merchants' office dial not insure the LAURIE
family, box and dice. They guaranteed the
payment of 5001. on the death of Mr. THOMAS
LAURIE. They have never attempted to dispute
his life ; but, instead of paying the sum agreed
upon, they have disputed the claim, on the