The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-10 00:00:00

EVENING, MAY 10, 1852

purpose and uniformity of plan will prevail throughout
the building, both externally and intereally, the character
of an hospital being completely preserved, ornament being
sparingly used, and the desired effect being obtained by
variety of outline and happy disposition of the masses of
the building. The out-patient department, with the great
theatre and chapel above, which will form a very con-
spicuous object from the new thoroughfare, shows some
novel treatment, and promises to be highly effective. The
interior arrangements are deserving of the highest com.
mendation, and have evidently received the most care-
ful study. The fault, if any, is certainly on the side of
extreme liberality of space; and it is obvious that,
though built for two hundred patients, it would be quite
possible, without endangering in any degree the health
of the inmates, to accommodate twice the number. The
soil is gravel, and the facilities for drainage good. The
new building, therefore, promisee to be a very creditable
addition to the many noble buildings devoted to pur-
poses of charity, and to the architectural structures
which already aiorn the central part of the great
metropolis.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
The following is an extract from a letter from Mr.
Alexander Robert Wallace, principal light keeper at
Cape Wrath. to his father. Mr. Wallace, in eharge of
the Messenger coal &rot afloat at Woolwich:—
"Cape Wrath Lighthouse, April 29, 1852.
'I am happy to inform you that we had the plea,ure
of at eing the squadron of ships that are in f e Arch of Sir
John Franklin. They passed the lighthouse this morn-
ing, at 8 A M , going west with a head wind, light bret Z 9
from the S.W. 'rho first vesiel, a steamb oat, towing
two barques; the second, a steamboat, towing ono bat quo
and a steamboat; the third, a steamboa'. We ex•
changed signals with the ships,
" P.S.—Before clo,ing this, at 2 P N., the squadron
are steering N.W."

IRELAND.
QUEENS BENCH, Dublin, May 8.
(Sittings in Banco.)
LIBEL.--TFIE QUEEN AT THE PROSECUTION OP ELIZA-
BETH FRENCH AGAINST JAMES BIRCH, PROPRIETOR
OF THE " WORLD" NEWSPAPER.
At the sitting of the Court this morning,
Mr. Birch (the traverser) made an application in
person, grounded upon affidavit, for the postponement of
his trial; which was listed for the after sittings, com-
mencing on Monday next. He read the affidavit, which
was made by himself, and stated that in November last
he proceeded against Sir William Somerville, the then
Chief Secretary for Ireland, to recover what ho con-
ceited be a just demand for services rendered to the
late Irish Government in the publication of various arti-
cles in his newspaper in support of " law and order;"
that upon the occasion of the trial of that case he (the
traverser) was vilified, abused, and grossly slandered, in
the most unmeasured terms, by Mr. Brewster, Q.C., the
defenclan,'s counsel, and father to the prosecutrix, and in
such a way as to deter suitors from asserting their just
rights; that the report of Mr. Brewster's speech ap-
peared in all the newspapers, which had since held him
up to public opprobrium; and that Lord Naas, the pre-
sent Chief Secretary for Ireland, in a motion of censure
on that Government, on the 19th of February last, in
his place in the House of Commons, alluded to the case
of " Birch v. Somerville," and described his (Mr.
Birch's) conduct as being of the most gross and horrible
description—vilifying the character of merchants and
others to extort money, and not even abstaining from
making attacks upon female chastity for the same pur-
pose. The traverser proceeded to read his affidavit,
which was of great length, and contained extracts from
Lord Naas's speech en the occasion in question from the
Times and Nation newspapers, &c., to show that he
could not at present have a fair trial, as the public mind
Was prejudiced against him.
The CHIEF JUSTICE—Does your affidavit state that
you are apprehensive you will not have a fair trial, in
consequence of prejudices relating to the subject matter
of the present indictment?
Mr. Birch admitted that it did not, but said be could
amend it in that respect; and then wont on to say that
Lord Naas was either a liar or something worse, and
that his Lordship must be a little prtjudiced in the
matter, or he would grant the application at once. He
next read passages from his affidavit, to the effect that,
owing to negotiations that were pending, he had not pre-
pared for his trial; that he purposed conducting his own
defence; that he intended examining a great number of
witnesses of rank and high in office; and that, in con-
sequence of ill health, it would be but a matter of jus-
tice to postpone the case.
Mr. 111ARTLEY, Q C., on the part of the prosecution,
opposed the motion to postpone the trial, and in doing
so said he would refer to two misstatements which ap-
peared in Mr. Birch's affidavit. In the first place, it
was totally untrue that Mrs. French had ever entered
into any negotiations directly or individually with the
traverser to settle the case, and she had made an affida-
vit to that effect; and, in the second place, it was not
true that Mr. Birch bad surrendered to take his trial as
he alleged.
Mr. Birch observed that, as to his surrendering, al-
though he was nominally arrested, he came to town to
surrender, after tendering bail, and the arrest was a
burlesque; and as to the negotiations he spoke of, a pro•
position was made to Mr. Brewster, who said he would
not interfere in the matter, but no refusal was ever made
to accept the proposal to apologise which was offered.
He (Hr. Bitch) was very timid, and although he had a
high opinion of their Lordships' honour, he could not
but say that the opinion in the hall was that their Lord-
ships were so prtjudiced against him that they would
convict him of libel for reading the Lord's Prayer—
(Laughter)—and ho was almost disposed to think so,
when he found that the jury against him was packed by
a son of one of the judges, who was at one time known as
" honest Louis Perrin."—(Laughter.)
The CHIEF JUSTICE said that the application should
be refused, as none of the grounds relied on were sus-
tained. The case of a pending negotiation was contra-
dicted, as unfounded, and all the other grounds—namely,
the difficulty of having a fair trial on the ground of pre-
judie and the difficulty of obtaining witnesses, and ill-
health, were equally unsustained, and such as would not
warrant the Court in granting the applicatioa, which
should be refused.
On the application of Mr. Martloy, the Court then
fixed Thursday next for the trial.
With regard to Mr. Birch's sworn allegation that his
case had been " prejudged" either by the Times or its
correspondent, the troth will be best ascertained whea
the nature of the libel is made public in a court of
justice. At the time of its first publication in the
egaiQnsuteetnh,es
Bench, however, must p
World newspaper the common
decencies of life precluded even the most remote allusion
a sense of what is duo to
efoiunndthse
matter, and then it-
tha
to the substance
cocfmti
ge cphraoregeeesd
ipn rgesfe rirne d
put an ei,nhdattoall
reasonablereser
plaintiff'. The
founda-
tion there was for the complaint of prejudgment.
still be

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
80111-STREET.
_ _

A tnmsn: named JohnHenry,iddleton, a native of
Sligo, a
brought before Mr. the sitting ms-
g the custody Ylcustody of Inspector Biker, A di
a elderlys
nt
SIOD
on a ,
warrant ohargitir him with sending a threatening
letter to Earl of Derby, in consequence of which a
breDi ach
of
prosecution.
peace was apprehended.
r. le
the solicitor to the Treasury, attended
for the
ilinn.op holds, the
Patrick Talbot, private secretary to his
Lord hip, stated that on the 211 of April last he re•tthhee
The
ceived the letter produced at his Lordship's official re-
sidence in Downing-street. It was inclosed in an enve-
lope directed to the Earl of Derby.
The following letter was then read:—
"My Lord,—l hope you will act wiser. You will
pardon me, a feeble subject, for telling you that you are
not acting wisely in refusing to examine into the justice
of my case, which is now before your Government, and
which you well know cannot lei contradicted. While I
live, my Lord, to you I shall look for justice, and where-
ever you are I will stand beside you to demand my
right. Feeble as I am, it is in my power to expose the
iniquities of the case, and to show my afflictions; and
woe betide those who refuse me justice. I pray, my
Lord, you will give me an answer to this.
(Signed) " JoHN MIDDLETON."
The prisoner—I signed that letter, and I will never
deny it.

thr. George Baxter, a chemist, carrying on business
at 198, High Holborn, said he had known the prisoner
for a long time, and was acquaintsd with his hand-
writing. He (witness) wrote the letter which had just
been read from the prisoner's dictation, wbo signed it
in his presence. The prisoner, after it was directed,
posted it himself.
The prisoner, in a very excited manner, exclaimed,
" That he would have justice ; ho demanded it in the
name of the living God, and of her Majesty; justice both
for himself and his family."
Mr. Talbot said he considered that a portion of the
letter which had been read was calculated to lead to the
conclusion that an assault of some description was medi-
tated on the person of Lord Derby.
The witness Baxter, in answer to questions from Mr.
Henry, said he understood the prisoner had been
en-
gaged by the late Sir Robert Peel to give evidence
a Committee of the House of Commons respecting
disnles before
some
s
Irish fisheries, and it appeared that from the
considered that he
effect very great savings. He
which he then made the Government was enabled
h,tdo
been unfairly, or rather harshly
dealt
been twice sent to America with
hafambiyi)..,
and
dvinong
suffer-
ings, discovered that hifsoirntthereeds
theto borrow
purpose
his return from whence, after utndehragdoinhgengnrenaetgsleueffteedr:
first time about for years
h°ilchWi'hie.
lage,e iwhentni: (witness)
ansclaeewsi d ehhniaryl
apsaihr eoartastecdc, oftrte;:editnimgea
accidently
erloestihnitsoohwisn,shfo°rP
slaetidterthforomvestsheel Dinukwe
lington. He a
anystarted from America had been wrecked, and lie was in
very reduced circumstances.
Prisoner—The
njurvyegeance cf God await: me if ever I
intended to the Earl of Darby, who has be
haved molt courteouidy towards me; but I feel pained
that Henry Goulburn should have employs .d parties to
induce ma to go to America upon two o,:casions, pro-
mising me situations for my sons, and rafter All de-
ceivingme-

Mr. Baxter said the prisoner only TV is.hed that his
Lordship should hava an explanation .of his eircum.
stances.
The prisoner prayed Mr. Talbot to tell his Lordship
that his family had been ruined, and tha no person
was engaged in the inquiries with regard tt.
fisheries except Middleton, the Government co 'per, who
was Amy without a home. Ile was not, howevt, r, Co-
ward, much less an assassin. the b ish
Mr. HENRY observed that the course which the
pri-
soner had pursued was not calculated to oward his
views, however just his claims might be.
The prisoner said ho knew Lord Derby would d2.l;ire
every justice, hut there was a hungry muna
Treasury called Trovelyan, of whose condv ic4 ho hack.
ovraplain.

lir. HENRY said that the witness Baxter had acted in
a very indicrept manner in taking so active a part in
the prisoner's aff►irs. The prisoner, however, Waii the
responsible person, and as he had some doubts as to his
sanity he should rt mand him until %Vednesdsy, in order
to obtain the opinion of a medical man with regard to
him.

ANOTHER PRISONER CHARGED WITH A LIKE OF-
PENCE.—Before Middleton had been removed from the
bar ten minutes, a young man named William Stuart
Sheridan was brought up on a warrant, charging him
with a similar cffenee.
Mr. Reynolds said that the prisoner some yrars ego
held an appointment as a clerk of Excise. His
mother having died under circumstances of a very
suspicious nature, he was apprehended, tried at the
Central Criminal Court, in at; Old Bailey, but was
acquitted of the charge of murder, hut in conse-
quence of certain facts elicited on that occasion
it was deemed advisable to dismiss him from his situa-
tion. Since that time he had written several threaten-
ing letters to Lord John Rissell, who considered it ne-
cessary that ha should be given into custody, and he
was examined at this court and held to bail. He (Mr.
Reynolds) would now read a letter which the prisoner
had written to the Eail of Derby, and ho hoped the
Magistrate would agree with him a ter he had heard the
evidence, that he ought again to be held to hail:—

"Harrison-street, Gray's Inn•read, May 4.
"My Lord,—l had the honour some tin e since of ad•
drer.sing your Lordship on the following subj,c!:—
Having been placed in an unfortunate position, from
which I was honourably releastd, I sae most unjustly
deprived of my station in the revenue. As my misior-
tunes are of such a nature that I ought to be restored to
the rights and privileges of a gentleman, I most ear-
nestly appeal to your wisdom and goodness and humbly
hope you will cause an inquiry into the matter. The
fate of the lamented Mr. Perceval was a❑ instance of
the danger of disregarding claims. I need not press
upon you that redress should be afforded. It will at
once appear evident to your Lordship, from your high
qualities.—l am, &c.,

" W. S. SHERIDAN."

The prisoner—l don't deny writing the lottt r; but I
consider his Lordship ought to be present in order to
prove the case.
Mr. Talbot having proved the receipt of the letter,
and a clerk in the. Excise, formerly a col:eague with
the prisoner, having identified it as being in his hand-
writing,

The-Prisoner said he was in great distress, and that
was what induced him to make reference to the case of
Mr. Perceval. He meant no harm, and begged to
submit that there was no direct threat contained in his
letter. He did not deny that he had been tried at the
Old Bailey; but he had been most honourably acquitted.
Mr. HENRY' said that, considering the prisoner had
been held to bail for six months once before, for an of-
fence of a similar dcscription, he should call upon him
to find bail, himself in 100/., and two sureties in 501,
each, to keep the peace for twelve months.

PANAMA RAILROAD.
(From the Panama Herald)
The Panama Railroad was regularly opened for travel
on the 15th of March, and passenger trains pass daily
over from the Atlantic terminus to the Buyo Soldado,
leaving the former place at half-past six o'clock AM , and
the latter at four o'cleek r.m.
A new city, called Aspinwall, has been founded at the
gulf terminus of the road to Navy Bay.
Within the past few days we have had occasion to
make an examination of the Panama Railroad, from its
terminus at Aspinwall (late Navy Bay) to King's station,
a distance of about 20 miles by railroad, and about 40
by the river route. We left Aspinwall in company with
Mr. John L. Stephens, the president of the company,
and Mr. George Law, a prominent director and very large
stockholder, and Mr. M. C. Story, one of the largest
railroad contractors in the world. These two latter
gentlemen were on a visit of pe•sonal examination, and
we availed ourselves of their offer to accompany them in
their trio of observation.
At Aspinwall we found everything instinct with life tied
motion. Many large warehouses, three or four hotels,
and numerous private dwellings were either already con-
structed or in the course of erection. A large and com-
modious brick edifice, designed as the afice of the com-
pany, was rapidly striding upward, under the active
energy of a hundred masons, bricklayers, and joiners.
We had the pleasure of being present at the interesting
ceremony of laying the corner stone of this building.
Large docks have been constructed, so that vessels
drawing upwards of twenty feet water may be moored
safely at their sides, and another, intended solely for the
use of the United States' Mail Company's steamers is in
the course of con structicn by Mr. George Law. Several
vessels were arriving and discharging their cargoes at
these docks, and others were lying at anchor a short dis-
tance from the shore. Men were busily engaged in
" cribbing in" or filling the spaceway between the piles
on which the road runs some distance with stones, large
quantities of which were found in the neighbourhood.
Locomotives and twins of dirt and stone cars were con-
stantly in motion, arriving at or departing from their
depots. Barrow-men were trundling their vehicles,
loaded with coral rock, with which the streets are being
laid out and constructed and in fact everything, by stir
and activity, indicated more of the spirit of genuine
American enterprise than we have ever witnessed iu this
country.
Leaving Aspinwall, after having spent nearly two
do) s there with no inconsiderable satisfaction, we pro-
ceeded in cars along the road to Gatun. A large por-
tion of this section of the road his been Mid on piles, all
of which are being rapidly cribbed in with dirt and
stone by hundreds of workmen, who employ locomo-
tives and trains of box c ire for the service. This has
always been considered, an] no doubt was, the most
difficult part of construction of the whole road It passes
through the most swampy portion of the whole route,
and had, of course, to be constructed on strong piles.
The whole is being rapidly filled up by cribbing and
embankment, so that in a few days it will be as firm and
solid as the better portion of the road. Distance from
Aspinwall to Gatun 7i miles.
From Gatun we proceeded in cars along the line to
Lion Hill. The road here, with the exception of a
short distance, is laid upon sleepers without piles—the
earth being firm and compact, and the slight excavations
or embankments making a read as solid and beautiful as
can be found, in any portion of the United States. Dis.
tanco from Gatun to Lien Hill 55 miles.
From Lion Hill to Station the road is of a
very superior character, the work strong and well done,
and with no embankments or exavations of importance.
Distance from Lion Hill to Miller's Station, 14 mile.
This side of Miller's Station the road is completed,
and in running condition, up to a point between Buyo
Soldado and Ague Salud, or King's Station. One of the
best specimens of work which we examined on the
whole route is the construction of a culvert of a very
hard granite rock, hewn out of the side of the adjoining
mountain, and handsomely cut, dressed, and foimed into
a culvert near Miller's Station. The work is on Miller's
line, which, together with the very superior work along
the whole of this line, rr fisets great credit upon Mr.
Miller as a civil engineer and faithful workman. From
Miller's Station to Buyo Soldado is 3i miles.
At Buyo Soldado the work is rapidly progressing, and
will soon be completed to Agua Salud. Thence it will
be rapidly carried to the crossing at San Pablo, where
arrangements are already completed for the construction
of a bridge 175 feet long, with abutments of stone and
piles, or piers of truss-work of the strongest character.
The whole length completed, over which locomotives and
cars are now daily passing, is 184 miles, reducing the
boat travel on the river to about 21 miles, instead of 60,
to Gorgona. The total number of workmen engaged on
the road is 1,200.
A road is to be cleared immediately from San Pablo
to Gorgona, distance five miles and a halt' so that by
the time the railroad reaches San Pablo, on the opposite
side of the river, mules will be ready on this aide to re-
ceive passengers, baggage, and freight, for conveyance to
Gorgons, and thence to this city.
Passengers, therefore, landing at Aspinwall early in
the morning, can easily reach this city the next day by
twelve o'clock a. M., making the ordinary
a inaryhetrlafnsilttwieithal
a
neoessary stoppages in one day d
con-
templated, and we have every renasonable assurance to
that effect, that the road will be thus opened by the
latter part of May, or on the lit
this city and st of June ensuing.
In'regard to the railroad between
Gor-
gona we have the pleasure to state that the whole work
is to be put under contract, in one body, immediately.
To that effect the contracting [Julies Messrs. Schuyler,
of New York, sent out an examining
otparty,here,ecd who, consisting
of Messrs. Cross, Wesson, and
accom-
panied by Mr. Senter, the Vice-President of the rail
road, have already examined the line, and have returned
for the purpolie of making their report and the estimates.
They arrived in this cay on Friday week last, and left
the latter part of lust week. Immediately on making
their report men will be dispatched with tools and ma-
necessary for all aura sea, obinery and a considerable
portion of the work, we have good reason to belieie, will
be completed, and other parts in progress, be-
fore a check is given to the operations by
the rainy season. Meantime extensive repairs
and improvements are ;to be made by the company
itself on the Gorgona-road; bridges are to be thrown
across the streams; the sloughs are to be well filled, and
the worst ascents and descents along the sides of the
mountains are to be changed and repaired, so that it is
supposed that all future travel and transportation will be
by this route, and that there will be no occasion at, all,
hereafter, to use the Cruces road for those purposes.
We may add, in conclusion, that one of the chief ob-
jects of t'he visit to this city of Mr. G. Law was to exa-
mine the Gorgona route, with a view to ascertain the
feasibility of so far improving the rood temporarily as to
effect the above desirable object, and that. having made
a eareful examination of et, ho returns home, with the
intention of recommending the adoption of such a course
at once, which in all probability will be fully and imme-
diately carried out.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
BRISTOL, MAY 8.
STOCK ExcifaxtlE.--The share market was quiet to-day.
The only sales reported were—South Wales, 347/s—WeA
Cornwall, 3% dig.
LIVERPOOL, MAY 8.
STOCK EXCIIANGE.--We bad a very quiet market to-day,
and prices had a downward tendency. The transactions were
as follow : Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston, and East June-
tion, 1 die.—Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire (late
Chester and Birkenhead ), 18—Ditto,Shares, 6% 9
Caledonian, 20 20.4—East Lancashire, Preference, Quarters. 9--
Lancashire and Yorkshire, 73% - Ditto, Fifths, sYB—Ditto,
Fifths (West Riding Union), 4% dis.—Liverpool, Crosby,
and Southport, 21—London and North-Western, 124—Ditto,
New Quarters, 5% p.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Linenln-
shire, 6/. New Preference,' 13 16 p.—Midland, 70%—Ditto,
New Preference, 4% per cent. par.—South-Eastern and
Dover, 215/B—York and Nottn Midland, 25% —Waterford
and Limerick, 20—North Union (A), 253.
- IidANCIikSTEK, MAY 8. •
STOCK Excrwstax.—The business transacted in our share
market to-day was very limited. The sales were—Caledonian,
2Q14-4414194,1 23/I,7_.Whittluvrea and fgrugh 6%-3144"