The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 13, 1864.

A New Gun,

Mr. James Mackay, timber merchant, of Liver-
pool, has recently invented a new principle of
gunnery, which promises to be a dangerous rival to
all systems extant. The principle in all rifled cannon
appears to have been to allow as little windage as
possible, and to make the shot fit the grooves of the
piece, taking from them a rotation in its flight. Mr.
Mackay, on the other hand, has conceived the plan
of having the grooves so arranged that, while the
shot fits closely to their outer edge, the grooves are
left open for windage. By this arrangement the gas
has to travel some feet further than the shot, and in
doing this imparts a rapid and perfect " spin" to it.
The shot are of cylindrical form, perfectly smooth,
with conical heads, and cupped at the other end in
proportion, so that each shot is perfectly balanced
from the centre of its length. Mr. Mackay in his
patent also claims a peculiarity in the wadding,
which is of sawdust, by which at the movement of
the first ignition of the powder the elasticity of the
wadding moves forward the shot slightly ; the effect
is that the whole of the powder is burnt, and the
shock on the breech of the gun considerably
lessened. Mr. Mackay has had a gun made upon this
principle by the Mersey Steel and Iron Works Com-
pany. It is of wrought iron, weighs nine tons, has
a bore of 8.12 inches, and in other respects corre-
sponds with the general features of the ordinary 68
pounders. There are 12 grooves, and as the shot do
not enter these grooves, it allows of a much sharper
twist than in ordinary rifled guns. The velocity
has been found to be 1,640 ft. a second; the utmost
range has not yet been tested. Messrs. Laird and
Co., of Birkenhead, are now building an armour
plated vessel called the Agincourt, for the Govern-
ment, and it was agreed to test the gun against a
section of the side of that vessel. It was intended
to make the trial last Saturday, but unfavourable
weather prevented it. Yesterday morning, how-
ever, was fine and clear, and the gun was fired
against the target, resulting in a complete triumph
of the gun. The target consisted of an outer plate,
7ft. square and sin. thick of rolled iron ; next came
9in. of teak, then an inner plate or skin din. thick,
then angle iron and ribbing, and finally a backing
up with timber balks and supports 18in. thick. The
plates were stated on competent authority to be the
best that can be made of rolled iron. Messrs. Laird
supplied the whole, and expressed confidence in the
strength of the target. The gun was fired in the
presence of Mr. James Mackay, Mr. D. Mackay,
Mr. Bouek, and other gentlemen, shortly after 8
a.m. The gun was charged with 301 b. of powder
and a cast steel shot, weighing 1671 b., made by
Messrs. Thomas Firth and Son, of Sheffield. The
range was 200 yards. The shot struck the target
with a dull thud a little below the bull's eye on the
right, and in the very strongest part, where it was
backed up by the rib of the ship's side, the angle
iron, and the timber balk. At the point of impact
a perfectly circular hole was cut. The shot then
powdered the teak, passed through the inner
skin and the angle iron, shattered the
timber balk into fragments, and was picked up
82 yards beyond the target, together with a circu-
lar piece of the iron armour, about 801 b. weight,
it had carried with it through the back supports.
The sand showed that it had spun to the last
About 70 fragments of iron, bolts, and fragments of
the inner skin and angle-iron were picked up 100
yards from the target. The shot when found was
reduced from 13 inches to 11 inches in length, and
increased about an inch and a half in diameter at
the end which struck the target. The other end
was uninjured. The whole target was forced back
about six inches, and so much deranged that more
shots were not fired. Sir John Jones, Captain
Fisher, R.N., Captain White, R.N., Mr. Nicholson
(civil engineer), Captain Inman and many other
gentlemen, inspected the gun and targets during
the morning ; and ail expressed the greatest aston-
ishment at the performances of the gun. The shot
fired and the portions of the target torn away will
be exhibited at the Liverpool Exchange to day, and
the target will remain on view for some time. No
further experiments are intended at present.

RAILWAY INTEILIGENCE.

GREAT NOB,TIIERN.

An extraordinary general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the station, King's. cross, Mr. E. Denison
in the chair.

Mr. Oakley, the secretary, having read the notice con-
vening the meeting,

The CHAIRMAN explained that the object of the meeting
was to authorise the directors to raise £1,046,300. He said
the auditors had examined the money powers in the various
Acts, and had found that the total sum would not exceed
the amount he had mentioned. For some considerable time
past they had gone on raising additional capital by the issue
of preference shares, bet the directors thought the additional
capital should now be raised as a part of the ordinary capi-
tal stock. The original capital stock of the company now
amounted to £1 796,737, which added to the various pre-
ference stocks made a total share capital of £9,244,818. It
appeared to them that it was undesirable to add any more
at present to the preference capital, and that by raising the
additional capital as part of the original stock the public
would consider the property more stable and valuable.

Mr, V. KNIGHT wished to know whether the proposed
new capital included the £300,000 proposed to be lent to the
Chatham Company for making the coal line across Ludgate
hill.

The CHAIRMAN said the proposed capital was for other
lines, and did not include any portion of the £300,000 pro-
posed to be lent to the Chatham and Dover Company. It
was entirely for the shareholders to decide on what terms
the new capital should be issued. He concluded by moving
the following resolution :
That such an amount of ordinary stock be created as will
produce £1,046,300, that being the amount of capital autho-
rised to be raised by the following acts, viz., the West Che-
shire, the Edgware, Highgate, and London, and the Hat-
field and St. Albans Railway Acts, 1862, and by the Great
Northern (Cheshire lines and Spalding to March) Acts,
1863.

The motion was seconded and carried unanimously,
After some conversation the following resolution was
also carried unanimously

That the said stock be allotted rateably to the proprietors
of all descriptions of consolidated and preference shares and
stocks of the company, and of the Leeds, Bradford, and
Halifax Company, at the rate of £125 for each £lOO of stock;
not less than £lO to be allotted to any one proprietor ; and
and that the amount to be paid for the same be divided into
five equal instalments, payable at intervals of not less than
three months each, the first payment to be made on the 2d
of May next, and any stock not taken up may be disposed
of at the discretion of the directors for the benefit of the
company.

The CHAIRMAN said the third resolution was to the effect
that interest would be allowed on calls paid in advance at
the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, which was agreed to.
The fourth resolution, which was carried unanimously,
entitled the holders of the new stock to receive the same
rate of dividend on the several instalments as might from
time to time be declared upon the consolidated original
stock of the company, and when fully paid up the new stock
would be incorporated with and form part of the consoli-
dated original stock of the company.
The proceedings then terminated.

AWFUL EXPLOSION.—On Monday night an ex-
plosion occurred in the schoolroom below the chapel
used by the Free Methodists, Park-row, Nottingham. On
the above evening a prayer meeting was being conducted %)y
Mather, recently a prize fighter, known by the name of the
Runcorn Novice, 500 or 600 people being present. The
proceedings were most excited, at times rising into frenzied
fanaticism. Mr. Mather entranced his audience to an ex-
traordinary degree, and exhibited a beautiful Bible, which
had that day been presented to him, remarking that that
was his bexingglove now he had thrown aside the unsightly
appliances of the ring. His congregation were in raptures,
and the feelings of all were in the highest state of frenzy,
when suddenly a tremendous explosion was heard which
shook the entire building and could be felt some distance
away. Instantly all was confusion ; the women screamed
and cried, the men raved and shouted in the most terrible
manner, and the mass of people, panie•stricken, made a
simultaneous rush for the doors and windows. Hats were
lost, coats were torn, and skirts were ripped into shreds and
tatters. In vain one or two of the calmer spirits endea-
voured, with voices pitched in the highest tone, to still the
tumult which prevailed. All reason was useless. Women
were pitched through the windows, frames were broken in
all directions, and as a proof of the eagerness of the crowd to
escape from the place, some iron railings outside, an inch
and a half square, were broken. Eventually the school-
room was cleared, the gas meter having in the meantime
been turned off. An examination of the building was then
made, and it was discovered that a portion of the roof of
the schoolroom had been completely blown down. Shortly
before the explosion a smell of gas was perceived, and the
chapel keeper took a lighted candle into the chapel, and
placed it to a nick in the floor, with the intention of finding
out where the gas escaped, when in a moment the explosion
occurred. He was knocked down insensible, and many
other persons wore severely scratched and bruised in at-
tempting to escape. Dr. Marsh, on hearing of the explo-
sion, went to the spot and rendered all possible assistance
to the sufferers. The fire brigade and engines were in im-
mediate attendance, but their services wero not much
required.

HEALTH OF THE METROPOLIS.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)

In the week that ended last Saturday the deaths in Lon-
don were 1,601. In the 14th week of tan years 1854-63 the
average number was 1,257, which corrected for increase of
population becomes 1,383. The present return thersfore
shows an excess of 118 deaths.

There were 197 deaths from bronchitis, and 104 from
pneumonia ; the corrected averages being respectively 152
and 102. The oldest person registered in the week was a
widow, 96 years of age. The wife of a file-cutter, aged 42,
died on the 2d inst., at 12, Plumtree-court, Holborn, from
"effusion on the brain, accelerated by want of nourishment;"
and a razor-strop maker, aged 50, died on the 4th inst., at
13, Devonshire-street, Mile-end, from "bronchitis, accele •
rated by want of necessaries." A gardener died at Plum-
stead of " tertian ague ; engorgement of the lungs (two
weeks) ; apncea." A child of "erythema nodosum ; pneu-
monia."

Last week the births of 1,018 boys and 995 girls, in all
2,013 children, were registered in London. In the ten cor-
responding weeks of the years 1854-63 the average number
(corrected) was 1,966.
In the first 13 weeks of the year the deaths in London
were very numerous; they were 22,733. In the same quarter
of each of the four previous years 1860-63 they may be stated,
as an approximation, to have been 19,000, Hence it appears
that nearly 4,000 lives were shortened, which would have
been prolonged, some perhaps for months, others probably
for years, if circumstances had not been more adverse than
those which attend an ordinary winter.
The weekly deaths rose to their highest point in the second
week, when they were 2,427 ; they fell to their lowest point
in the 12th week, when they were 1,397. Twice they rose
above 2,000; ten times above 1,600. In the first week the
mean temperature of the air was as low as 261 deg. The
mean temperature of the quarter was 38.2 deg.
That inclement weather was the source from which sprung
so great a mortality is proved by the Table of Diseases,
Cold weather gives increased returns under many heads,
but bronchitis is, more than any other disease, the mea •
sure of its intensity. The deaths from bronchitis scarcely
exceeded 2,200 in the warm winters of 1862-63 ; they rose
to 4,023 in the winter now past. Those from pneumonia
rose from about 1,000 to 1,425. Phthisis increased from
about 2,000 to 2,436 ; heart disease from nearly 800 to 1,027 ;
whooping-cough from about 800 to 913,
17 deaths were ascribed to privation in the quarter. The
average is 12.
The districts on the south side of the river returned more
than their due proportion of deaths from zymotic diseases.
Of 413 deaths from measles, 147 occurred in the south dis-
tricts; of 749 from scarletina 245, and of 172 from diarrhoea
70 occurred in the same districts. Though diarrhoea does
not prevail in winter, there were not few cases of it in
Lambeth and Battersea.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,

NEWMARKET CRAVEN MEETING.

The non-appearance of any of the Derby " cracks" for
their engagements in the Biennial this afternoon robbed the
card of much of its interest, and caused speculation to be
languid in the extreme. The Scottish Chief, Cambuscan,
Forager, Blair Athol, Ely, &c., were all absentees, and
nothing of any great note remained in. On some of the
favourites this non-fulfilmenc of their engagements had a
prejudicial effect, driving them back in the betting. People
are generally suspicions of the " bottling-up" system, and
apt to think something is amiss when a horse declines a
good stake. Only six events were on the card, commencing
with the Sale Stakes, which the favourite, Master Richard,
carried off in the commonest of canters. The 50 80V4
Sweepstakes saw a great favourite discomfited in Crisis, on
whom the talent laid 6 to 5 ; but Young Rapid proved too
much for her, winning, after a very game race, by a length
and a half. The 100 sovs Sweepstakes again saw Goater's
stable running first and second, Rouge Crosse repeating her
yesterday's victory, with Rigolboche well up. Battaglia,
one of the best looking among the 2-yr-olds at Lord Stam-
ford's sale last year, ran very unkindly. 12 runners came
to the post for the Biennial, Privateer, Acolyte, and Echo
being trusted with most money; but they were squandered
by Masquerade, a stable companion of the first favourite for
the Derby, not mentioned in the betting. The issue of the
race brought Scottish Chief to 6 to 1 for the Epsom event.
The Newmarket Handicap was won by the favourite,
Guerilla, The weather has been magnificent.
The Eighth Sale Stakes of 50 sovs each, la ft ; colts, Bst
101 b ; fillies, Bst 61b; those by stallions or out of mares
never bred a winner allowed 31b, and those bought
than qOO guineas allowed 31b ; for less than 100
for less than .
12 subs.
t guineas, 61b. A.•.
(91b), Sat 11b.... (Judd) 1
Mr John Day's Master Itichat, (Challoner) 2
Mr Naylor's Quarantine (61b), 85t.... • Bst 71b
Duke of St. Albans' Cosur de Lion (31b),
(t Adams) 3
Betting-5 to 2on Master Richard, sto 1 agst Cosu: de
Lion, and 7 to 1 agsc Quarantine.
The favourite, lying in the centre of the three, jumped
away with a strong lead, which he increased as) he reached
the " Bushes-hill," where he had both his horses beaten,
and cantered home the winner by 30 lengths, Cesar de
Lion was pulled up some distance from home.

Renewal of the Sweepstakes of 50 soya each; for colts, Bst

10;b, and fillies, Sat 71b. D. M 6 subs.

Mr Craven's Young Rapid, 83t 10lb (J. Goater) 1
Mr Merry's Crisis, Sst 71b
Baron Rothschild's Evelina, Bst 71b
Mr T. Stevens's Faith, Bst 71b (Fordham) 4

Betting-6 to son Crisis, 7to 2 agst Evelina, and 4 to:1
agst Yuung Rapid.

Crisis cut out the work, having Young Rapid on his
right, with Evelina and Faith on the lower ground. They
ran thus into the cords, when Young Rapid drew away
and won very cleverly by a length and a half, a like dis-
tance separating the second and third. Faith was a bad
fourth.

Sweepstakes of 100 sovs each, h ft, for 3.yr-olds ; fillies,

Bst 91b. D,M. 6 subs.

Mr Henry's Rouge Crosse (Y. Goater) 1
Mr Savile's Rigolboche
Mr W. Robertson's Battaglia (ti. Noble) 3
The betting opened at even on and closed at 7 to 4 agst
Rouge Croese, 2 to 1 agst Battaglia, and 5 to 2 agst Rigol-
boche.

The three ran abreast for a short distance, when Rigol-
boche, in the centre, drew slightly in advance, and came
on with the running to half way in the cords, where
(boater brought up Rouge Crosse, and won a good race by
half a length ; Battaglia finished a bad third,

First Year of the Sixth Newmarket Biennial Stakes of 10
goys each, with 100 added, for yearlings of 1862 ; colts,
Bst 101 b ; fillies, Bst 61b. The owner of tho second horse
to receive a sum equal to 10 per cent, on the whole stake,
and the owner of the third horse a sum equal to 5 per
cent. R.M. 60 subs,

Mr Merry's Masquerade, Bst 6113 (11. Covey) 1
Lord Westmoreland's Signalman, Bst 101 b (S. Adams) 2
Mr Starkv's Izsak Walton, Bst 101 b...... (A. Edwards) 3
Mr Night's The Count, Bst 101 b ................ (Judd) 4
The following also ran : —Echo, Woodcraft, Verger,
Washington, Calista colt, Privateer, Acolyte, and Skef-
fington.

Betting-2 to 1 agat Acolyte, 4to 1 each agst Privateer
and Echo, 10 to 1 agat Verger, 100 to 8 each agst the Calista
colt, Izaak Walton, and Signalman, 100 to 6 agst the Count,
and 25 to 1 agat Washington.

After two or three failures they got away nearly in a
line, Privateer with a slight lead; but after running 100
yards he was pulled back, and the running was taken up
by Signalman, closely attended by Masquerade, Skeffing-
ton, Izaak Walton, and the Count, Echo and Washington
on the extreme right lying next, with Acolyte next, Ver-
ger and Woodcraft acting as whippers in. They ran thus
with little or nu alteration into the Abingdon Mile bottom,
where Masquerade drew slightly in advance of Lord West-
moreland's colt, and came on in advance to the cords, Sig-
nalman wide on his left, being second, followed in the
centre of the course by Izaak Walton, The Count, Acolyte,
Skeffington, and the Calista colt. Half-way up Adams
came with a rush, but failed to reach Mr Merry's filly,
who won very easily at last by two lengths; a length and
a half between the second and third ; a neok separating
the third and the fourth; Acolyte was fifth, close up, Skef-
fington sixth, the Calista colt seventh, and Echo next.
The last lot comprised Verger, Privateer, Washington, and
Woodcraft.

Plate of 50 sous, for 2-yr-olds ; colts, Bst 101 b ; and fillies,
Bst 71b; winners extra.. First half of Ab. M.
Mr Savile's La Blechanto (J. Mann) 1
Mr C. Alexander's Cordelia (Challoner) 2
Baron Rothschild's Sister to Breeze (Wells) 3
The following also ran:—Pam be Civil, Conjuror, Ve-
dette colt, Wicket, Prairie lien colt, and Whisky.
Betting-5 to 2 agst La Mechante, 7to 2 agst Sister to
Breeze, and 6 to 1 each agst Wicket and the 'Vedette colt.
Sister to Breeze, with Cordelia and La Mechante in close
attendance, made the running for the first 200 yards,
when the favourite drew slightly in advance, was never
after headed, and won in a very easy manner by a
couple of lengths, Sister to Breeze finished an indifferent
third. The cthers pulled up past the post at wide in-
tervals.

The Newmarket Handicap of 25 sovs each, 15ft, and 5 if
declared, with 100 sove added, and 50 from the Town
Fund, for 3.yr-olds and upwards ; winners extra. From
the starting-post of the R.M. to the end of B.C. (Im.
6f. 67yds.) 54 subs., 19 of whom declared.
Mr Savile's Guerilla, 3 yrs, sst (J. Grimshaw) 1
Lord Wilton's Wandering Minstrel, 3 yrs, Sat 91b

(Herbert) 2
Mr. E. Brayley's Outlaw. 3 yrs, 6st (S. Mordan) 3
The following also ran :—Echo, Asteroid, Magnum
Bonum, Fantail, Oscar, Odine, Aclason, Farce, and Bay
Celia filly,

Betting-7 to 2 agst Guerilla, sto 1 agst Asteroid, 7to
1 each agst Outlaw and Actaeon, 8 to 1 agst Bay Celia filly,
10 to 1 ag4t Odine, and 20 to 1 each agst Wanderizg Min-
strel and Farce.

Oscar, with Guerilla and Wandering Minstrel on his left,
was the first away, and came on with the running, followed
by Magnum Bonum, Asteroid, Outlaw, and Odine, the
others lying wide on their right, being headed by Actaeon,
Fantail, Farce, and Echo to halt-way across the flat, where
Magnum Bonurn took second place, and followed Oscar to
the turn of the lands, where the two wore beaten, leaving
Guerilla with a clear load, followed by Lord Wilton's colt,
Actaeon, Farce, and Asteroid, the latter looking as well as
anything as they came up the hill. On reaching the site

of the Old Duke's Stand the weight told upon the latter
and he dropped back, Outlaw taking his place in attend-
ance upon the leaders to half way on the rails, when the
two leaders singled themselves out and finished the race
home, the favourite winning in a canter by three lengths,
twice that distance separating the second and third ;
Actaeon was a bad fourth, Echo fifth, and Farce sixth;
then came Magnum Bonum and Asteroid, Fantail, the
Bay Celia filly, and Oscar last. On returning to scale
Herbert, the rider of Wandering Minstrel, made a com-
plaint against the rider of Guerilla on the ground of a
cross, when, after hearing evidence there by the stewards,
the objection was overruled.

LATEST BETTING ON THE COURSE.
DERBY.
6 to 1 agat Scottish Chief
14 to 1 agat Cambuscan
14 to 1 agat Coast Guard
15 to 1 agst Paris
15 to 1 agst Birchbroom
22 to 1 agst Prince Arthur
1000 to 15 agst King John
1000 to 10 agat Privatcer (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Planet (taken)
1000 to 6 agst Veterinarian

MIDNIGHT BETTING.
THE TWO THOUSAND GUTNEA. STAKES.
sto 2 agst Fille de l'Air
Bto 1 agst Paris
20 to 1 agst Master Richard
25 to 1 agst Durham

DERBY.
100 to 15 agst Scottish Chief
14 to 1 agat Coastguard
16 to 1 aget Cambuscau
20 to 1 aget Forager
25 to 1 agat Paris

University College Hospital.

The anniversary festival of the North London or Uni-
versity College Hospital, one of the most deserving and
useful of our great metropolitan institutions, was celebrated
last evening at Willis's Rooms; King-street, St. James's,
under the distinguished presidency of Mr Charles Dickens,
supported by Mr John Forster, Dr, Roget, Mr A. W.
Jaffray, Mr R. N. Fowler,tMr W. Fowler, Mr Enfield, Mr
Bischoff, Mr Julian (3-oldsmid, Mr Jas. Heywood, Professor
Masson, Mr Shirley Brooks, Mr Henry Kingsley, Mr Tom
Hughes, Mr Macmillan, and about a hundred other guests.
In order to exhibit the high claims which the University
College Hospital has upon the bounty of the benevolent,
we may briefly state that upwards of 1;200 patients are
annually admitted into the hospital, 6,000 every year re-
ceive medical and surgical treatment as out-patients, nearly
9,000 are attended to as casualties, relief is administered
in 1,600 ophthalmic cases, and 850 women in childbirth
are attended at their own habitations. The annual cost
of maintaining the hospital in its present state is £6,500.
The annual subscriptions do not amount to £l,lOO,
the students' fees for clinical instruction, relinquished
by the medical staff for the purposes of the charity,
average £1,200, and the interest of investments amount to
£320, making a total of £2,620, and leaving a yearly deficit
of nearly £4,000 to be provided for. The debt now amounts
to £6,741 (including a loan of £3,000), and there is no hope
of diminishing that debt unless the committee receive spe-
cial assistance. During the past year extraordinary efforts
were made to relieve the hospital from its floating debt.
Nearly £3,300 was collected at the dinner last June, when
Lord Brougham presided ; and the total amount of 'dona-
tions during the year was £5,600, among the contributors
being the Queen and Prince of Wales, who has accepted the
office of vice-patron. The hopes entertained by the commit-
tee when the nursery of the hospital was entrusted to the
Lady Superior and Sisters of All Saints' Home have been
completely realised. By their kind care and able treatment
the comfort of the patients is increased and their recovery
hastened.

The usual loyal toasts having been eloquently proposed
and heartily responded to, the chairman, in giving "The
Army, Navy, and Volunteers," coupled with it the name of
Lieut,- Col. Tom Hughes (of school .boy days' fame), who,
in responding, acknowledged the great assistance which had
been rendered by the University College to the regiment,
the 19th Middlesex, or Working Men's, which he had the
honour to command,

The CHAIRMAN, next proceeded to give the toast of the
evening, " Success to the London University Hospital." He
observed that his first remembrance of a certain spot in
north-western London, and which he had reasons for re-
collecting, was of a very uninviting piece of wet ground,
and a miserable pool of water. It was encumbered with
rubbish, and looked like a barbarous place of execution,
with its poles and cross poles erected for beating carpets,
and the ground itself was covered with nettles and dock-
weeds. Associated with this place was a story, captivating
-el to his boyish imagination, concerning the
footsteps, so called, so far as he remembered,
field of Ica
and he remerabe:ed it very distinctly, because of a duel that
was traditionally suppe..
sed to have been fought upon a part
of this rank place. While the; were retreating and advanc-
ing, each with intent to wound the
_ether, the tradition was
that the grass got trodden down with forty dreadful foot-
steps on which it never afterwards grew. lie remembered
going there, accompanied by an equally adventuroti.s young
Englishman about his own age, which was then semetijng
like eleven years, with whom he had made arrangements to
seek their fortunes on the Spanish Main when they should
have accumulated a certain sum of money, somewhere, he
thought, about 405., and obtained a rile each, which they
never did. (Laughter.) He proceeded, in the company of
this young pirate, to inspect this dismal piece of ground,
and he well remembered counting 40 places on which the
grass undoubtedly did not grow, though whether it grew
anywhere for a couple of feet without a bald patoh he could
not, at this distance of time, undertake to say. This field of
the 40 footsteps was close to the site on which was afterwards
built University College, and which formed part of the open
space of ground allotted to the students of University Col-
lege Hospital. Looking over the papers of this association,
he found, oddly enough, that this field of forty footsteps had
become the field of four hundred and forty odd thousand
footsteps, for that number of brethren might be said to have
taken refuge in this hospital since its first establishment 30
years ago, and the place in regard to which this unnatural
story is still traditional was become a place for the restora-
tion of all those, their brethren, to life, enjoyment, industry,
and civilisation. (Cheers.) The present company knew
far better than he did the claims which this hospital had
upon the public. He would go so far as to say that it had a
claim upon the generosity of all England. Its annual ex-
penditure was £6,500, and he regretted to say that its income
was not nearly one half the mone.y. Moreover, a full moiety
of that income was derived from the generosity of its own
medical staff, who, with a liberality which We most praise•
worthy to themselves, and gratifying to all who hea:d of it,
devoted the whole of the fees derived from the clinical la-
struction of pupils to the support of the hospital. (Cheers )
At the present moment, however, the institution required at
least £4,000 a year more to supply the deficiency created by
its large expenditure over income, and it was manifest that
unless great exertions were made it would be impossible to
continue the charity. The institution had these peculiar
claims upon the public for support. First, it had a claim
upon the richer inhabitants of the north-western district, in
which it was situate; being naturally the hospital to which
all persons in their employment would be sent in the ease
of accident or disease. Neat, it had a claim upon the whole
country for the improved medical education which it diffused
throughout every part of the kingdom; and, thirdly, it re-
presented the largest and most liberal views in reference to
religious matters, no persons being excluded on account of
their religion. As a proof of this he might mention that
wealthy Parsees.had sent their sons to this hospital to com-
plete their medical education, and had thus been the means
of alleviating the sufferings of humanity by the spread of
medical knowledge even in the remotest regions of the far
East. In conclusion he called upon them all to support so
truly excellent and useful an institution. (Hear, hear.)
The health of the Chairman was afterwards proposed in
eloquent terms by Mr MAREIMILL, and Mr SILIRLET
Bao4ms proposed the health of the President and the other
officers of the institution.

In the course of the evening subscriptions and donations
to the amount of £1,500 were announced. The musical
arrangements, whioh were under the direction of Mr W.
Ganz, and included the efficient service of Mdlle. Enequist,
Miss Stabbach, Mr M. Smith, and Mr Adlington Wall-
worth, gave general satisfaction.

MURDER OF A FEAtALE.—On Sunday morning
last, a woman living at Westerham, a small town
in Kent, was found dead, and from the appearances which
the body presented there is no doubt that death was the re-
sult of violence. The deceased was Bridget Goodsell, be-
tween 40 and 50 years of age, who occupied a room in the
town, and who, since the death of her husband, about two
months ago, has led a rather dissipated life. It appears
that Aaron Langridge was passing down Water-lane,
which is close to the town, and is a bye lane but little
frequented, when he saw the body of the deceased lying
in the road near to a Mr. Whitmore's house. He at once
obtained the assistance of Mr. Rathill, surgeon, but the un •
fortunate woman was quite dead and cold, and it was evi-
dent, from the slight examination that was made, that she
had been most brutally used. Information was sent to
the police, and James Bachelor, a brickmaker, residing
near the Surrey breeches, and Richard Miles, labourer,
living on Limp&ld-common, both young men about 20
years of age, were apprehended. The evidence briefly against
the prisoners were that they had been drinking with the mur-
dered woman at the General Wolfe publichouse on Satur.
day night, and left there at 12 o'clock, but they were all
three afterwards seen going towards the town in the direc-
tion of Water-lane. Shortly before 1 o'clock Ann Clout,
servant to Mr Whitmore, heard screams near the house
(close to which the body was found), and the words " I have
done nothing—l have done nothing," upon which she got
up and struck a light, but afterwards hearing footsteps of
some one running away, and there being no more noise she
retired. When the prisoners were apprehended they gave
contradictory statements as to where they had parted with
the unfortunate woman, one of them having stated that he
had left her near where the body was found, and admitted
the purpose for which he had accompanied her.