Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-22 00:00:00

LOSS OF THREE LIVES BY FIRE.

On Saturday morning between three and four o'clock, a fire,
attended with serious loss of property, and fatal consequences to
three persons, happened in Anchor-street, SpitalAelds, London. The
house in question belonsed to a Mr. J. A. Harman, silk manufacturer,
and the unfortunate persons who lost their lives wore soundly
sleeping when the police•constahlo first perceived the smoke issniog
through the shutters. Before they cold be awakened the flames
had taken possession of the staircase, and made escape by that means
impossible. Under these circumstances the inmates made for the
second floor windows, whence they called loudly for help. Police-
sergeants Egerton and Purchase endeavoured to enter the top of the
house, but to intense was th, heat, and so strong the smoke, that it
was found impossible. At tide moment the flee escape conductor from
Shoreditch siation iitrivial with the parish engine and fire escape,
both of which 115 had charge of. He pitched his machine against
the wrong house while he was getting the parish engine t) work—
hence the loss of three lives. With as little delay as possible several
other engines which arrived got to work, but by the time the hose
were fully ctiiirged, the shop and tower part of the hours were
wrapped in flames. By dint of great exertions however. by six
o'clock the fire was extinguished. As soon as the ruins were
cooled, Engineer Cole, the firem n, went in search of the
persons who were eueposed to have perished, when the bodies of
John Metcalf, aged 42, Ann Metcalf, aged 0, and Julia Metcalf,
aged 11, were found all huddled together. The unfortunate family
had been sutricated. Every means were resorted to to restore anis
matiozi, but without oneness. Shells having been procured, the
bodies were rem -,ved to Bethnal-green Workhouse, to await a
coroner's inqaest. A most searching investigation is being insti-
tuted as to t origin of the fire, but nothine satisfactory can be
ascertained. The premlses ware insured for £3OO.

New Qcxee's COUNSEL,—Eight gentlemen of the
Chancery bar are, it is believed, to be raised to the rank
of Queen's Counsel. The promotion is to fall on Mr.
Shapter, Mr. Greer, Mr. Amphlett, Mr. Bazelgett, Mr.
Fleming, Mr. Bird, Mr. Goldsmid, and one other who is
not yet certainly known. These announcements, appearing
every now and then, must give unlearned laymen an idea
either that her Majesty is perpetually involved in an
increasing number of actions and suits, or that the change
from a junior barrister to a Q C. imports little else than
doffing the stuff gown and robing with tie silk, with some
undefined increase of rank of no consequence to any one
but the owner. But there is a working difference. The
junior in a cause frames the written pleadings, hunts up the
law, advises on the evidence, and so co-operates in his
department with the solicitor in his, to make the cause
ready for the judge. In this stage the papers are furnished
to the Q.C., or " leader," as he is practically termed, with
the endorsement, " With yon, Mr. Brief full." On the
eve the morning of hearing, a consultation ialheld at the
leader's chambers, when the junior andlthe solicitor attend
The plaintiff's or defendant's case, as it may happen, is
passed in review, and the attack or defence in its
strong and weak points is discussed, and concerted. In
Court the leader takes upon himself the
conduct of the cause; opine it, presents it in the most
favourable light, with a greater or less supply, and perhaps
rectification, from time to time, as need requires, facts
and authorities from his junior, who sits behind him. The
junior, who reads the evidence, follows his leader, picking
up such crumbs and fragments of arguments as may be
left for him ; or displaying his oratory on his own private
account, so as to say one word for his client and two for
his own advancement. The change, then, from stuff to
silk—from the back benches to what may be called the
stalls of the court—is a crisis in a barrister's practice.
Many a junior—perhaps a grey-haired junior—distin-
guished for cever pleading, sound law, and unwearied in-
dustry, fails in the peculiar tact necessary to put his case
in the best and strongest light, according to the constitution
of the judge's mind ; or, what would often be of more
avail, he cannot mould himself to the temper of the bench.
Thus sometimes a lucrative business, with a room full of
pupils, is exchanged for the empty honour of " silk ;" for
silks do not take pupils, Queen's counsel must not be
employed in any cause against the Crown without special
license : but as a license may be obtained, as a matter of
course, for about £9, the public are not deprived, through
a Crown monopoly, of the services of the moat eminent
advocates. The first of the order seems to have been Sir
Francis North, afterwards Lord weeper of the Great Seal
to Charles IT