Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-16 00:00:00

THE LATE ACCIDENT
AT THE WESTMINSTER PALACE HOTEL.
Upon inquiry on Saturday afternoon at the Westminster
Hospital, the reporter was informed that the seven men who
received the severe injuries described on Saturday are going
on as favourable as can be expected
A vast crowd of persons still continue to congregate around
the works, which, notwithstanding the lamentable accident;
are in full progress.
Mr. Coleman, the chief foreman of the works, has made
every inquiry with a view of ascertaining which of the work-
men, on whom the, erection of the scaffolding depended, had,
without authority, removed the lower stage, against the
express direction of Mr. Myers, and without- his (Mr.
Coleman's) consent or knowledge. The withdrawal
of this lower stage was the primary cause of
the accident, but up to the present time - nothing
positive can. be ascertained, as each of the men throw
the blame on the others. The, facts, it is probable, will
not be correctly made out until a full investigation
takes place before the coroner (Mr. Bt dford), who appointed
Saturday afternoon to open the inquest, for the formal pur--
pose of 'identification of the five unfOrtunate men
,who were
killed, and to autborige their bodies being delivered up to
their relatives. The inquiry was to be then adjourned to a
future day. The whole of the unfortunate sufferers being
of the Roman Catholic persuasion. a number of priests visited.
them on Friday and Saturday.— Mote.

AN INCIDENT IN TTIF,
MEXICAN REVOLUTION.

ALLGED IMPROPER CONDUCT OF THE ' •
BRITISH MINISTER.
On theal2th of April scouts were sent out in all direc-
tions from Tacuhaya, and all unfortunate devils who did -
not please the fancy of Government bloodhounds, were •, •
lassoed, and either _ drag,,•ed to death or shot on the spot.
All the poorer population of Tacuhaya, not protected by
wealthy friends. were thrown into prison. Amono.thest was
a poor Engligh boy, formerly servant of the ex B. itish C7bargi
d • tiffdra, named Gorge Selby. He was thrown in
with the prisoners. and barely escaped execution at the
time. He was brought to this city at the head of a pro-
cession of the pris,ners, in order to let the bloodthirsty
friends of the Church gloat over the sight of a white face -
one who could be called a " cursed Yankee." Fortunately
he was recognised by persons who knew him, and his position
was represented to the British Minister, who addressed a
polite note to the fiends in the palace, and received a reply -
that the case would be looked to. But notwithstanding this
assurance, he was ordered out to Tacubaya on the followirg
morning to he shot. This treachery on the part of Miramon
was only made known to the British Minister after
poor Selby had been dispatched from the city for
over half an hour for the place of execution. Several
persons rushed promptly to the British Minister to urge him
to action, and to his credit—for this once he it said be left
his lire ltrast and went to the Palace, and dentrided the
delay of ex:tention. •rhe order for delay was given, but it
was known that while the order was being written out the
time had already expired for the execution. By some pro-
vidential intervention the execution in Tacubaya had been
delayed, not on account of Selby, hot on account of one of
his comrades. who was a personal friend of the officer in
charge of the execution, and who therefore delayed
execution for half an hour. Just as this respite
had expired, two of the attaches of the British
legation arrived on the ground with the order for
th delay of Selby's execution. They found him tied up to
a post, and the soldiers drawn up in line to fire. The order
was promptly delivered to the officer in command of the
execution, and poor Selby yet lives, although still confined
in prison with the common thieves and cut-throats. The
only charge which can he made against this poor poling man
is, that he sold provisions to the Federalists. Many, who
had not such power:nl influence tr,,ed in their behalf. bad
committed less than this. Arnow!: the number of these inno-
cents were two American boys. of the name of Smith, one 16
and the other 18 years old. It iA impossible to give you the
exact number of victims who have already been sacrificed,
but I vonture to say they do not fall short of 100 ! Of this
number not a dozen have been in the ranks of the
Federalists. When the day of retribution does come, who
can raise his voice in favour of the clergy of Mexico?
They are the authors of all this bloodshed.
Equally criminal with them is the French Minister,
who • has constantly urged the clergy and Central
troops to show no quarter to their enemies. The
British Minister •is also stained with the blood of
foreigners, for he has recognised and upheld, by his counsel
and sanction, all of the atrocities of the Centralists, and
still continnes to treat as a government these people, who
have clearly put themselves outside the pale of civilised law.
The just curses of his countrymen, here and in England,
must sooner or later light upon his not over-intellectual
head. It is not possible that his government can keep him
here one hour after his stupid and criminal conduct is made
known.

IMITISII CLIAMS ON MEXICO.
By the Arabia, which arrived here on Saturday,
we learn that the British Minister at Mexico, Mr.
Otway, had issued a circular, dated April 4,
addressed to Mr. Frederick Giennis, commencing—
" Sir: From a despatch which I received from the
Earl of Malmesbury by the last mail, it would appear
that her Majesty's Government, wearied out by its
fruitless exertions to obtain from the government,
calling itself the Central Governme it of Mexico, a
settlement of the outstanding claims of British
subjects, and being unable to bring to bear upon
the government the influence of the British naval
force now off Vera Cruz, have determined on hold-
ing the whole government indifferently responsible
for the observance of all international obligations so
far as England is concerned. It is therefore the
intention of her Majesty's Government to take
advantage of the presence of her fleet in the Gulf,
and to hold Vera Cruz, by whatever party
it is occupied, to be, as it were, the
treasury of Mexico, and enforce there, as
far as possible, the payment of all outstand-
ing claims of British subjects in Mexico."
Mr. Otway requests Mr. Glennis to draw him up a
clear and distinct statement of all the claims which
he considers ought, in justice and equity, to be pro-
tected and maintained by her Majesty's government,
and so enable him to communicate on the subject
with the officer commanding the British naval,force
in the Gulf, and to carry, out the instructions Mr.
Otway had. received from the British Principal
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.