The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-25 00:00:00

THURSDAY EVENING,

THE MAURITIUS.

A dispatch from the Governor of Mauritius, with a re-
port en the state of the rural districts in that colony, has
recently been printed, and gives a very sanguine picture
of its condition and prospects. The quantity of luxuriant
canes on lands redeemed within only a few years from the
forest or the rock, the increase of steam machinery, and
the general improvement in the processes of manufac-
ture, coupled with symptoms of activity, self-reliance,
and industry on the part of all classes of the popula-
lation, are strongly dwelt upon. The habits of the
imported Coolies having become better understood, their
relations with their employers are now, it is said, highly
satisfactory, and complaints on either side, which were
once so numerous, are comparatively rare. The means of
furnishing them with educator, even in the most elemen-
tary shape, appear however to be " beset with such formi-
dable difficulties" as to admit at present of little hope
of progress. The great disparity between the sexes
which resulted from cupidity and want of foresight at
the commencement of the Indian immigration stilt con-
tinues, but is in course of being mitigated. With re-
gard to the emancipated negro population, it is re-
marked that they still abstain almost totally from
plantation labour, and thus continue to exemplify the
curse which follows slavery, of causing all field
work to be looked upon as degrading. They re-
main either in the towns or in straggling hamlet?,
where they derive an easy subsistence by rearing poultry
and other stock, or by a traffic in fire. wood and charcoal.
Intermarriages between Indians and Creoles are very
rare, but more frequent than formerly. A conviction of
the great resources► of the island is, it is said, universally
entertained, and it is unquestionable that the present
large production of sugar falls far short of what may
ultimately be anticipated.

PRICES of WHEAT, FLOUR, and BREAD.
Annexed is a comparison of the present prices of
wheat, flour, and bread in London and Paris:—

" The 13ightest price of wheat of the first quality in
Paris is 30f, per 1 hectolitres, which is equal to 455.
10d. per quarter; and the highest price of white wheat
of the first quality in London being 495. per quarter, it
follows that wheat is nearly 7 percent. dearer in London
thsn in Paris.

" The highest quotation of flour of the first quality
in Paris is 37f. the 100 kilogrammes, which is equal to
375. per sack of 2801 b. English; and the highest quot!t-
tion of !bur in the London market being 40s. per sack,
it follows that flour is about 8 per cent. dearer in Lon-
don than in Paris. The highest quotation of the
second quality of white flour in Paris is 34f. 40c., which
is equivalent to 34,. sd. per sack of 2801 b., and which,
as compared with the quotation in London of 31s. for
household flour, shows that this description of flour is
about 11 per coot. dearer in Faris than in London.
" The price of bread of the first quality in Paris is 31c.
per kilogramme, which is equal to about 54d. the 4!b.
loaf English weight; and the price of bread in London
at the inn-priced &hops being 7d. per 41b., it follows that
bread is about 33k pr cent. dearer in London than in
Paris. The second quality of bread is quoted at 24::. per
kilogramme in Paris, which is equivalent to nearly 40.
per 411,. loaf."

CHEVALIER CLAUSSEN'S FLAX COTTON.
The Illustrated Exhibitor and Magagine of Art, in an
article descriptive of Chevalier Clau.sen's flex-works at
Stepney, gives the following account of how tke dis-
covery of flax-cotton was made by M. Clausen, and of
its valuable properties. We may add that a specimen of
the raw material and of the flax-cotton, prepared by the
Chevalier's process, may be seen at the office of Messrs.
Rennie and Gordon, here. A greater contrast than the
two substances present can scarcely be imagined; and
the beautiful quality of the cotton at once conveys an
impression of the very great value which it will be found
to possess as a raw material for the manufacturer:—
" The Chevalier was wandsrieg along the luxuriant
banks of one of the Breelien rivers, when his attention
was attracted to a white down-like substance adhering
to the branches of trees overhanging and touching the
stream. On obtaining a quantity of it, he was so
pleased with its character, that thinking ho had dis-
covered some vegetable product hitherto unkovrn he
determined to trace it, if possible, to its source,
and to ascertain the plant which produced it. Pur-
suing his task with great ardour, he eventually found
that the substance had bean washed from a bed of flax-
straw, the produce of some of his own land, and which,
long before, he had caused to be thrown, as useless,
near the banks of the river. As swollen waters had occa-
sional access to this heap, fermentation and the decom-
position of a portion of the plant had taken place; and in
time the influence of natural chemistry had so saturated
the filaments of the flax-fibre as to give the mass a
cotton-like appearance; and some of it having been
washed by the river, had been arrested by the over-
hanging branches. On the facts thus brought before
him, M. Claussen proceeded carefully to reason, and
the processes now to be described are, therefore, the re-
sult, not of mere accident, but of inductive research.
The flax, brought from the breaker,' is boiled for four
hours in hot caustic soda, or steeped in a cold solution
of it for twenty-four hours. It is afterwards washed in
water containing one per cent. of sulphuric acid, and
then in pure water, when it is dried, and subsequently
treated by scutching, heckling, &c., according to the
universal practice in the linen manufactures. Here,
then, we have au immense improvement, by the long and
difficult process of fermentation, which occupied six
weeks, being entirely avoided. Yet the process is most
effective and profitable, as twenty per cent. of long flax
may be obtained instead of seventeen, while the cub-
stance is far more silky and soft. It is a popular
error that Claussen's process is merely to turn flax into
cotton, which people say is like ' turning gold into
lead;' whereas he obtains by it a much larger proportion
of the long and valuable flax, and renders the refuse—
ordinarily considered comparatively worthless—by a
process now to be explained, capable of being worked
into cotton, wool, or silk fabrics. According to the mode
long adopted in the linen manufacture, and immense
quantity of tow is made, which can only be used for twine
and similar coarse purposes. But the chemical process
employed by M. Claussen effects a change which is
highly important. A series of vats are put in requisition.
The first vat holds a solution of carbonate of coda; and
in this the fibres, previously boiled and washed, are
saturated for a quarter of an hour. It is then removed
to the next vat, in which there is five per cent. of
sulphuric acid, the effervescence causing the carbonic
acid gas to separate and divide the fibres, thus rendering
them more flocculent, and completely altering their spe-
cific gravity, as they rise now to the top of the vat, while
before they sank to the bottom. The next process is to
place them in another vat of soda, to neutralise any re-
being effected, they are trans-
seater of the fourth vat, composed
of a i
lime and sulphate of mag-
fmneerasri trans-
ferred sotgtieuh atut
eduforming
this
ieachloride
h s
,p of e r
chlorite of magnesia. In
this preparation they remain for two hours, during
which they aro perfectly bleached, requiring only to
diluted sulphuric acid, and
fibres, on beirg withdrawn
atmospheric or steam-heat,
ftbrbeoemn transferredttohepure
vats. water.
are t o a
d bath
rieTdhoe byf
or hot air, They are then taken to a machine similar
to that used in chaff cutting, where they are cut
thsallatdbaraeddvafnotr spinning or cotton machinery.
ages secured by these processes
irnet o
specifylcng
would far exceed our limits. It must, therefore, suffice
to observe that the following arc a few out of many:—
Any cloth made from flax cotton-yarn may be readily
printed, dyed, and bleached by the erdinary cotton pro-
cesses. The flax-fibre, from its milling properties, is
capable of being made into common felt hats with or
wit'iout an admixture of wool. Cloth in which fins is
mixed with wool is reduced in price from twente-five to
thirty per cent. may be
any useless
ewl
eiste flax h sill;ex can be
on the
existingichnrmachinery;itl and u
article for the paper-maker.
Frsltax a
ted are opened to our view
at a critical period.
thus presented
Our supplies of cotton from Anse-
reached their maximum, and crTo ev eve
ads i
il
tknat
goesativl
fi
a appearadtn
to have
a
conse-
quently an efficient substitute is required; while our im-
portations of flax from Russia have suffered a decrease
of about twenty per cent. And why, it may be asked,
should we thus continue dependent on continental
Europe for the flax which the United Kingdom is per-
' fectly capable of producing? Why should not the sums
we spend annually for oil-cake and flax-seed go into the
pockets of the employers and the employed of our agri-
cultural districts?"
or

EXPLOSION OF GUNPOWDER IN A
WRECK.

The principal and superintendent harbour-master
hating received directions trom the Lord Mayor to blow
up the wreck of the Itpsolution, lying at the bottom of
the Thames, in Northfleet Hope, that officer and his
men have been making small explosions, within the last
few days, in the wreck, and a preparation for its complete
destruction with gunpowdor is appointed to take place
to-morrow (Friday) morning, at half. past ten o'clock.
The boats of the harbour-master are daily surroanded
by wherries and skiffs, and the curiosity is very great
to see the ingenious system of diving, and the effect
of the galvanic battery in the explosion of the gun.
powder.
It has been found necessary to publish placards, con-
taining the following notice to master, pilots, and others,
in charge of steam-vessels navigating up and down the
River Thames:—

" The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor has given direc-
tions for the removal of two wrecks in Gravesend Reach;
and to prevent accidents and loss of life, persons in
charge of steam vessels are required to slacken the
speed to the lowest possible amount during the time of
passing the wrecks. The working hours will be notified
by the display of a large green flag, with the word
• wreck' iu tha centre.
" CHARLES ROWLAND,
" Principal and Superintendent Harbour-master,
Port of London."

The spectators of the interesting experiments to-
morrow will, it is expected, be very numcreus. The
grand explosion will take place certainly before) eleven
o'clock.

THE GAME-Laws.—The amount of crime, misery,
and cost, resulting from superabundant game-preserving and
game-laws, which is shown during the present assize cir-
cuits, calls forth grave refl_ction. That noblemen and
squires, by their infatuation for suparabundarice of game
(which amounts to a sort of mania or madness), should
bring upon the community all the ills and evils which they
do, is truely disgraceful, and it is impossible that it can be
much longer endured. Nu reasonable person would begrudge
tern of rational sport and diversion, but the contrary
at the
; yet
their game preserving has grown to such a bight hat
country justly condemns it, and because.it beget injuries and
consequences most serious. It is, also. t
abgarthing for
atdhetyhaotugthlite
public should have to pay, in any shape, one f
prosecutions arising out of the :game-laws. The time is
litoasteningt n
have,
e
; and they ought to be at the expense of maintaining
entirewh en
costsoi of preservest hose
h prosecutionsav to defray them-
selves
e
he
the prisoners, and exonerating the ratepayers from charges
of the convicts' wives and families. Tnis being ace", i._,
P Isned,
" My Lords and Gentlemen" would then act difivle .1
what t bey uoT cl 9.—( Irvin Ccriespoident,) yto

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

ROME ClRCUlT.—hingston, March 23.
The commipsion for the county of Surrey wat.. ()Flied
at this place on Monday, and to-day business was pro-
ceeded with in both courts, Mr. Baron Park:: presiding
on the Civil Side, and Mr. Justice Coleridge in the
Crown Court. There are 33 prisoners for trial on the
Crown Side, and 44 causes are entered at Nisi Prins,
six of which are special jury cases.
CIVIL SlDE.—(Before Mr. Baron PARSE and a Com-
mon Jury.)
JENNINGS v. caocKER.

This was an action to recover damages for a breach of
promise of marriare.
Mr. Chambers, Q.C., and Mr. Bovill appeared for the
plaintiff; and Mr. James, Q.C., and Mr. Wordsworth,
were counsel for the defendant.

The plaintiff in this action, it appeared, was a cook,
and in the years 1848 and 1849 she filled a situation in
that cepacity in the family of a gentleman named Clark,
residing at Peckham. The defendant, who was at that
time not more than 18, was in the service of a butcher
in the neighbourhood, and the parties it appeared he-
came smitten with each other, and by the consent of
the mistress of the plaintiff the defendant was allowed
to visit her in the kitchen, and was received by her
and her fellow-servants as a suitor, and on several
occasions he intimated his intention to marry her,
and said he should set up in business for himself ;
and one of the other servants in the establishment was
to be taken into their service when they were married.
During the courtship the defendant tent several valen-
tines and other poetical epistles to the plaintiff, but as
she unfortunately was unable to read, a good deal of
their intended effect was doubtless destroyed. Tile par-
ties, however, continued a correspondence together until
the month of August in 1851, when the defendant wrote
a letter to the plaintiff, in which he addressed her as
" Madam," and went on to say that he was surprised
she should have said that he had left Peckham la cause
he was ashamed to stay there any longer; and that he
had done nothing ho was ashamed of, and he intended
to return very shortly. He also said that he had heard
she had been to his uncle's to complain about him, and
advised her to be very careful what she said in future.
The letter went on to state that he did not care what
she or any one else said about him. He was fond of
having "a flirt," and he would have one as long as he
lived; and the letter concluded by stating, that if she
behaved well, when he went to Peckham he would go
and see her. The letter was signed, " Yours, &c., J. 13.
C.;" and it appeared that two months afterwards the
defendant got married.
Evidence was given to prove these facts, and it ap-
peared that the defendant had stated to one of the wit-
nesses that an uncle had died and left him 1,0001.; and
after this a coolness was observed on his part towards
the plaintiff. It appeared that the latter was five or six
years older than the defendant.
Mr. JAMES made a most humorous speech to the jury
on behalf of the defendant. He said he was quite sure
this action would never have been heard of, if it had not
been for the silly boast of the defendant, that his uncle
had left him a thousand pounds, for which there was not
the least foundation; and the fact would, no doubt, have
been proved, if it had been capable of proof. The case,
he submitted, was of a most trumpery character. What
were the facts? A butcher's boy, for he really was
nothing else, in the course of his business falls in love
with a lively cook. Which was to blame it was not for
him to say, but cooks were proverbially susceptible.—
(Laughter.) Whether it was owing to the heat of the
kitchen, or to the peculiar nature of their profession, he
could not say, but certainly they did continually hear of
the affections of cooks for policemen, anal persons of that
stamp, and Life Guardsmen.—(A laugh.) In the pre-
sent instance it appeared to be a butcher's boy. He con-
tended that there had been nothing but a little familiar
flirtation, and all that the plaintiff had lost was her
butcher's boy.—(Renewed laughter.) He then referred
to the poetical epistles sent by the defendant, and ob-
served, that inasmuch as the plaintiff could not read,
she could not have been very much affected by them,
and the Learned Counsel caused a roar of laughter in
court by referring to some of the letters. In one of them
the defendant, atter talking about " foaming seas" and
loving hearts," and such matters, concluded by stat-
ing, as a postscript, "In haste, as lam going to kill."
In another letter he gave an account of his old mare
having " slipped up" as he was riding very fast down a
hill, and he said that if he had not "stuck" to her, he
must have been seriously injured, but as it was, they
both got up together, and he found nothing was the
matter with either, so that he went off again as fast as
aver. The Learned Counsel eonclnded by calling upon
the jury, if they gave a verdict at all for the plaintiff,
only to award moderate damages, as any others must
inevitably cause the utter ruin of the defendant.
Mr. Baron PARXE summed up, and the jury, after a
very brief deliberation, returned a verdict for the plain-
tiff—Damages 501.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.--Exeter, March 20.

CROWN COURT.—(B: fore Mr. Justice TALFOURD.)
William Gildon was indicted for the wilful murder of
John Finch, on the sth March, at Marychurcb.
Mr. Collier and Mr. Carter were counsel for the prose-
cution, and Mr. Cox for the prisoner.
It appeared that the prisoner was a wheelwright,
living near Torquay, occupying one of a row of houses.
In the course of last summer he married a young woman
of the name of Ann Finch, who, before her marriage,
had an illegitimate child by a person of the name of
Thomas. It was part of the arrangement that this
child should live with them after their marriage. On
the sth of March a Mrs. Stier, the former mistress of
the wife, came to see her old servant, and shortly be-
fore she left the prisoner came in, and at that time the
child was well and ceeerful; it was undressed and put
to bed. The prisoner's wife went out with Mrs. Stier,
to see her a little way on the rJad. They left at seven
o'clock. The wife returned at eight o'clock, and during
her absence the child had met with an injury, from which
it died at five o'clock the next morning. On the sur-
geon, who had been called, making a more particular
observation, he found on the back part of the head, just
behind the ear, a mark showing that the child must
have received a most violent blow, and he was of opi-
nion that that blow must have caused the death. The
prisoner accounted for this appearance by stating that
the child had fallen out of bed. , The surgeon, however,
did not believe that the injury could have been so re-
ceived. Blood was seen upon the prisoner's hand and
trousers. The prisoner had since said that, had it not
been for the long tongue of his wife, the neighbours
would have known nothing about it.

. .... _ __
Mr. Cox urged that there was no motive shown for
the prisoner taking the life of the child, and that it was
possible it might have died in convulsions by knocking
itself about in those convulsions. _

Mr. Justice TALFOURD summed up the case to the
j ury.
Mr. CARTER suggested that his Lordship bad not
stated to the jury that if they did not think the pri-
soner guilty of murder, they might convict him of man-
slaughter.
Mr. Justice TALFOURD said he did not know how he
could suggeit such a thing.
The jury, however, appeared to have heard this re-
mark, for they returned a verdict of Manslaughter.
Mr. Justice TALFOURD, in paaing sentence, observed
that the jury had come to a decision upon a mere case
of possibility. It was, indeed, a mere possibility that
this could have been manslaughter and not murder. In
his opinion all the circumstances tended to the conclu-
bleu that the more serious crime had been committed.
He should pass upon him the most severe sentence the
law allowed—that he should bo transported for life to a
penal settlement.
BUSINESS OF THE ClRCUlT.—Notwithstanding the
judges are sitting till a very late hour every night, the
business is so very heavy that they have been compelled
t 3 postpone the commission day at Bodmin from Wed-
nesday till Thursday.

MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Warwick, March 24.
(Before the Lord Chief Justice JERVIS and Specia
Juries.)
POSTER V. PARKES.

This was an issue directed by the Court of Chancery
to ascertain whether the plaintiff was the heir at law of
Isaac Parkes, who formerly lived at Birmingham. The
property was of considerable value, said to he nearly
60,0001., and the present question arose upon the death
of a granddaughter of Isaac Parkes, the plaintiff
claiming as grandson in another line.
Mr. Edwin James, Q.C. (specially retained), Mr.
Mellor, Q C., and Mr. Hayes, appeAred for the plaintiff;
Mr. Humfrey, Q C., Mr. Macaulay, Q.C., and Mr. Field,
for the defendant.

The court was crowded from an early hour, in expec-
tation of a case of much interest, but certain mysterious
whisperings amongst the legal gentlemen gave rise to
some misgivings ; and Mr. James was shortly stating
the facts of the case, when he was interrupted by Mr.
Humfrey, and after a brief discussion an arrangement
was come to between the parties, by which the defendant,
as we understood, was to have 10,0001., and her costs,
conveying any interest she might have in the property
to the plaintiff 83 heir-at-law. Subject to that arratefaG.
ment a verdict was taken for the plaintiff; and the trial,
which it was fully expected would lait two if not three
days, thus pleasantly terminated.
London,
Messrs. Bevan and Goodeve, of Old Jewry,
were the plaintiff's solicitors; Mr. Ludlow, of
Birming-
ham, for the defendant.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—Liverpool,
_r. March 24.
I'ALDERSON.)
—mLi
Bvearprrn
"CROWN COURT.—f_Botf°
was charged with the man-
Thomas Bradley, aged ', at Manchester, on the 10th
slaughter of Jane Roberts
of
Mr January 'wt.'n Mr. Assheton Crosse appeared for the Monk ad
mr.
Cobbett for the prisoner.
prosecution; and it•appeared, resided at Manchester,
The deceased,
h. i January last was proceeding between
and on the lot
k in the morning down Pollard
';''ellompanied by her daughter, and, while
10 and 11
Manchester, "-,
riven at a rapid
they were crossing,t a cab was d • rate
down the stree
theT !tyre "were two men on the box, one
lof whom was at dale
,violently fl)gging the horse.
The dec ,9,sed was knocked down and run over by the
cab, Which Wa3 driven on without stopping, but was fol-
lowed by three men who got hold of and clung to it for
some distance, until compelled to lot go from the ra-
pidity with which it was driven. One of them, however,
succeeded in ascertaining the number of the cab to be
111, which was driven by the prisoner. The prisoner
was not identiSed in any other way, but he had been
BOSH with that cab that morning at the stand and to
drive a fare. The prosecution relied on these facts as
sufficient identification of the prisoner.
The Learned Counsel for the defence relied on the
identification of the prisoner not being sufficiently esta-
blished, and called witnesses to prove au alibi.
Mr. MONK having replied,
Ills LORDSHIP summed up, leaving it to the jury to
determine whether or no the prisoner was the man who
drove the cab, and whether or no the accident that oc:
cured was the fault of the driver or of the deceased;
his lorclohill ohoerdeS Pat be lig fteciumay re-