Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-17 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Amongst the promotions 'consequent on the
death of, General French, is that of Major-
General the Right Hon. Jonathan Peel, Lieut-
Colonel 'on half pay, unattached, who' is 'to have
the rank of Lieut-General.

gr-
A Cabinet Council was held yesterday after-

noon.

The following appeared in a portion of our im-
pression of yesterday :

FRANCE. '

[REUTER'S TELEGRAM.]
PARIS, Friday, Dec. 16.—The Moniteuer of to-day
announces that, last night, the health of Prince Jerome
continued to improve.
The goniteur also publishes an article explaining the
law on the Press, the wisdom and necessity of which, it
says, has been proved by eight years% exercise.

. ,
THE CONGRESS.. _
TURIN, Dec. 15.—The choice of the Sardinian repre-
entative at the Congress is not yet officially known.

EXTRA HOLIDAY, AT CHRISTMAS.
All the leading Manchester houses in the city, and
retail firms at the West-end, have arranged to .keep
holiday on Monday, the 26th, Christmas-day falling on
Sunday.

NAVAL PREPARATIONS.
The greatest activity prevails in Portsmouth Dock-
yard. Two line-of-battle ships, Prince of W'ales 181,
and the Royal Frederick 91, are nearly ready for
•
launching.
The keel of the Royal Alfred, 91, is being laid down,
and an improved 51 gun frigate is to be commenced.
Workmen are engaged on a number of other vessels.
It is stated that the Government alone are paying
weekly at Portsmouth yard nearly £7,000 as wages.
, •

THE SUEZ CANAL:
The Times city article says it has'been supposed for
some time past that the English Government are not in-
clined any longer to stand in the way of such Continen-
tal capitalists as may be disposed"to'venture five or 'six
millions in this undertakifig, while the removal of diffi-
culty in this respect, • will free •our own hands for
el.,- development of the indispensable route via the
E:lphrates.

•

' = THE FRENCH IN THE RED SEA.
`Vie correspondent of the Tiore,,, gives an
account of active movements of the Preach Government
to acquire influence in the Ited Sea. France has re-
cognised the independence of . a 'chief, *ho has long
been desirous of throwing off allegiance •to the empire
of Abyssinia, who obtains, in return, certain concessions.
A port has been acquired, and a French settlenient has'
been formed.

•
THE MONEY. MARKET. -
The Funds to-day were firmer, and closed at a recovery
of a to I per cent. Attention was again, however,
diverted from consols to British railway :shares in
which a good deal of animation prevailed, and •a further
decided advance took place.- The' demand for money
is decidedly below the average of this period of the year,
and the terms' for best bills are 21 to per cent.—
Daily News

The English funds opened this morning with much

TT-77-!

firmness at an advance of 1, and were well maintained
to the close, when the market presented a very steady
appearance. The demand for discount to-day was about
the same as yesterday; and the rate :in open market
occasionally a fraction under 21 per cent. In the Stock
Exchange supply was abundant at 11 to 2 per cent.
There were again no bullion operations at the Bank
to-day.—Times.
The railway market has again been firm ; the pro-
gress of the settlement showing a marked increase in
bona fide purchases in this' department. Midlands are
especially scarce for transfer, and have advanced 1 per
cent. South Eastern, Great Western, and Lancashire
and Yorkshire have also been in demand, and in nearly
all the leading stocks an improvement has taken place
averaging nearly per cent. The present prices are,
however, for the new account at the end of the month.

Dr. Donnelly, an Trish physician, well known in
Paris, died on Tuesday.
A Swiss newspaper pretends that Napoleon 111. re-
fused permission before. Marshal McMahon to, accept
the Irish sword of honour, and that this course had pro-
duced a very favourable impression in England.

COMMISSION ON THE REV. S. BONWELL.

RENEWAL OF THE INQUIRY,

Yesterday morning Dr. Twiss, the Archdeacon of
London, Canon Dale, the Rev. Mr. Kempe, and the
Rev. W. G. Humphry, the commissioners appointed by
the Bishop of London, renewed the inquiry in Doctors'
Commons. 'Mr. Best, the counsel (of the Oxford
Circuit), attended on behalf of Mr. Bonwell.
Mr. Joseph Nethercliffe said he had taken facsimiles
of the advertisement and a letter sent to The Times.

He had compared them with the, original letters of Mr.
Bonwell. He believed the handwriting of both to be
that of Mr. Bonwell. .

Mr. Best severely cross-examined the witness as to
the grounds on which he proved his opinion as to the
writing, taking letter by letter, a course of proceeding
to which the witness strongly objected.

By. Mr. Buller,--He was sorry to say he was quite
convinced that the handwriting was that of Mr. Bon-
well, because he did not like appearing againsta clergy-
man of the Church of. England.
Mr. David Faulkner produced the original inquisition
sent into the magistrates by Mr. Humphries, the
coroner, with the condemnatory verdict of the jury.
Mr. Collis, clerk • of the court, said he went to. 33,
Thornhill-place,- and saw. Mrs. Bonwell.
Cross-examined by Mr. Best—He knew it was Mrs.
Bonwell, because when he asked her if she was the wife
of the Rev. James Bonwell she said she was.
Mr. Buller said this was the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Best proceeded to address the court in defence
of Mr. Bonwell. - He first dwelt upon the conduct of
the undertaker, who, to save the fees, put the child into
a woman's coffin, and so buried it without Mr. Bonwell's
knowledge. It was clear from the evidence. that Mr.
Bonwell did all' he.. could to: have the child buried
decently, and he had in that respeet .not brought any
scandal upon the Church. He next proceeded to argue
that all the evidence which had been adduced applied
•to Mr. BonwelPs conduct while he was at Margate
and. Newport, places which were not comprised
within the diocese of London. He showed from
Rogers' :Ecclesiastical Law that the bishop of one
diocese could not inquire into circumstances which
occurred in another. He ridiculed the idea of Miss
Ames's letter having been put in evidence, and con-
sidered that the commissioners ought to reject it. If
young ladies' letters were to be put in against a man,
courts of justice.wouht be a Tame. With regard to the
non-appearance of Mr. Boawell or Miss Yorath, he said,
that if the commissioners were of opinion that there was
a prim} facie case against Mr.' }bowel', it would be
quite time enough for him to appear when the case
came before the .bishop. If. the commissioners were of
opinion that there was no case against Mr. Bonwell,
he must be acquitted. As to the paternity of the
child, everybody well knew that no one ()fluid prove it
but the mother, and it was a presumption on the other
side that Miss Yorah had been .got out of the way. ~,Ile
confidently submitted to the' commissioners that there
was no 'cafe against Mr. Bonwell, and that cry -ryhich
was always raised against a clergyrnan of the Church
of England when there was anything the matter.
The commissiiiiießagriCaired to consider, their deci-
sion. Having been absent- an hour and a quarter,.the
,commissioners returned into court.
Dr. Twiss proceeded to state the- cooclusion at which
the commissioners had arrived. He said they had had
ample opportunities of considering the evidence- which
had been taken before them very carefully, . and had
been greatly assisted by the arguments of counsel.
They- were unanimously of opinion •in regard to the'
substance of the report- which they should present
to the bishop. But' before proceeding to • state
what would be the substance of their report; they
had thought. proper ,to, express the view, which they
took of the duties which devolved upon them under

the statute in virtue of which the Commission was
appointed. In this respect they thought they
could not do better _ than to make use of the
language which was adopted by. his (Dr. Twiss's)
learned _predecessor, Sir. Herbert Jeuner Fust, in
the case of the inquiry respecting the Hon. and
Rev. Mr. Monckton. In that case Sir Herbert Jenner
Fast said that with regard to the inquiry itself it was
unquestionably in the nature of a preliminary investiga-
tion. They would have to consider whether, under all
the circumstances, the Rev. James Bonwell ought to be
put, upon his trial before another, tribunal in consequence
of sufficient evidence being adduced to convince the
commissioners, that if a trial should be had, there
would be ,a reasonable probabilitity of a verdict, and
of such a verdict being founded on, justice. The words
in the statute under which the commissioners acted
provided that if, after due consideration of the deposi-
tions, they shall openly and publicly declare the opi-
nions of the Commissioners present, or the majority of
them, whether theie is 'sufficient to constitute a prima
facie ground for further proceedings.. He (Dr. Twiss)
thought it was clear that the words meant not merely
the consideration of such evidence as would justify a
grand jury in finding a bill, and for this plain reason,
that if it had been the intention `of the legislature,
they never would in the preceding clause of the Act
have provided for evidence being taken on both sides.
Therefore he conceived the duty of the Commissioners
to be this, under such a' preliminary investigation as
they had naw held, thoroughly to sift the matter, for the
purpose of seeing whether theevidence was satisfactory,
and whether there was a reasonable probability, and not
merely a reasonable probability, but with justice,
and on the ground of truth, that a verdict against
the accused would, be 'returned if further proceed-
ings were taken. The Commissioners, keeping this
object in view, had considered very carefully the
depositions which had been laid before them on Thurs-
day and also yesterday morning. They therefore hereby
expressed their opinion' that, in respect to the scandal
and evil report concerning .the Rev. James Bonwell, of
having offended, against the laws ecclesiastical, by ad-
mitting and causing to be received on a certain day in
July or August, 1858, in an upper' room in the school
house, and, there harboured a certain unmarried female
named Elizabeth Yorath, then far advanced in preg-
nancy, and who was, on Or about the 11th of August,
there delivered of a Male child, there were sufficient
prima facie grounds for instituting further proceedings.
That was, in other words, that the conduct of the Rev.
Jas. Bonwell prior and subsequent to the confinement of
Elizabeth Yorath, and in respect to Mr. Bonwell being
the father of the child so delivered, there were
sufficient grounds for further inquiry. But in re-
spect to the adulterous intercourse alleged to bare

NORTHERN DAILY 1131Ez,