The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-16 00:00:00

DEATH FROM FIRE.

An inquiry was held at the Compasses Tavern,
Dalston, by Mr. H. Raffles Walthew, the deputy
coroner, on Monday night, respecting the death by
fire of Mrs. Esther Hackett, aged 27 years, a lady
who had been recently married.
Mr. Richard Hackett, No. CO, Hedger's-grove,
Hackney-wick, said that the deceased was his wife.
On the evening of Monday week the deceased met
witness and his nephew at the Fenchurch-street
railway station. She then returned home by train
to Hackney-wick. Witness and his nephew walked
on to the house. When they reached the corner of
Hedger's-grove they heard a cry of " Fire." They
saw a great blaze of light through the windows of
his house. It was his wife that was in flames.

Witness burst in the front door, ran upstairs,
and took off his coat, and threw it around her. Be-
fore that time a Mr. and Mrs. Goddard, who lived

in the house, had been trying to extinguish the fire,
two blankets having been burned in the attempt to
put it out. Deceased was then got downstairs, and
a doctor that was passing was called in, and he
ordered her instant removal to the German Hospital.
Before her death, which occurred the next day, sbe
stated that on her return home she had taken off
her cloth cloak, bonnet, silk dress, cloth petti-
coat, and silk-quilted petticoat, and nearly
all her clothes, with the exception of two
very large crinolines. She turned aside for the
purpose of settling her bonnet, and was:at the same
time in the act of taking off one of her crinolines,
whe❑ it caught fire through coming in contact with
the bars of the grate. She stood a minute
frightened, and then ran from the room in which
she was up the stairs to Mrs. Goddard, The de-
ceased wore two large crinolines twice before and
had been twice on fire from them, but on those oc-
casions she had not been hurt.

The Coroner said that the death of the deceased
lady was the most dreadful one that had come under
his notice.

The jury returned a verdict that the deceased was
accidentally burned to death while wearing crino-

IMPERIAL VOLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—This Day.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. SIIRTEES took the oaths and his seat fcr Hert-
fordshire, The hon. gentleman was introduced by Sir
Edward B. Lytton and Mr. Abel Smith.
THE BRADFORD RESERVOIRS.
Mr. FERRAND gave notice that to-morrow he should
ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether
he would have any objection to communicate to the house
the answer he had received from the Mayor of Bradford, to
his letter, and also, if he could inform the house whether
the other reservoirs at Bradford were not in as equally
dangerous a state as that which had just burst at Sheffield,
and also whether the Store Reservoir at Bradford and that
which had caused the calamity at Sheffield were not con-
structed by the same engineer.
THE ORDERS OF THE DAY.

Mr. F. PEEL moved the pobtponement of the orders of
the day until after the two Consolidated Fund Bills were
read a third time, in order to allow of their receiving the
Royal assent on Friday next.
The motion was agreed to, and
The Consolidated Fund Bill (£4,500,000) and Consoli-
dated Fund Bill (£584,650) were read a third time, and
passed.
JUDGMENTS, &c., LAW AMENDMENT BILL.
Mr. HADFIELD moved the second reading, the object
of which was to put an end to the vexatious practices of
making researches in every case in the transfer of land.
Sir G. GREY said he bad no objection to the second
reading of the bill, provided it was referred to fa select
committee.
The bill was then read a second time, and referred ac-
cordingly.
TESTS ABOLITION (OXFORD) BILL.
Mr. DODSO N moved the second reading of this bill, the
object of which he said was to abolish the religious tests
for the degree of Master of Arts, embracing submission to
the 39 Articles and the whole of the Prayer-book. He
denied that the abolition of these tests would at all injure
the universities or cause religious discussions in them. If
the bill passed the effect would be that the degree would
be open without any religious test whatever, and which
was now the case both in the Dublin and Scotch universi-
ties. The tests were imposed in times long gone by when
religious opinions were looked upon as a part of a political
creed, and as the times had now become more tolerant he
trusted the house would agree to the second reading of the
measure. It might be said that the Lill would place Dis-
senters in universities in a position to become members of
the governing bodies ; but if they went into committee the
objections could be most fully and freely discussed.
A petition had been presented from Oxford, agreed to
unanimously in Convocation, against the bill, but he could
not assent to the prayer of the petition, because it would be
absurd to say that religious harmony existed in Oxford.
He earnestly assed the house to give the bill a second read-
ing, and thus affirm the principle that education was really
free at Oxford. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. NEATE supported the bill, but he could not say it
was with pleasure that he did so, because the circumstance
of so doing would place him in opposition with many per-
sons whose friendship he estimated most highly. It was
true that Dissenters were not excluded from the University
at Oxford, but they could not get further than the degree of
Batchelor of Arts; but that, in his opinion, could not be
called admission at all. (Hear, hear.) No spirited young
man would enter public life with the knowledge that he was
not to aspire higher than a Lord of the Treasury--(hear,
hear, and laughter)—because that was about the position
certain gentlemen were allowed to attain at Oxford. He
did not think the unfavourable results anticipated by gen-
tleman opposite would result from the passing of this bill,
and therefore he should vote for its second reading.
On the Speaker putting the motion,
Sir W. lIEATHCOTE moved that the bill be read a
second time that day six months.
Mr. G, DUFF supported the bill.

LEFT SITTING,

LONDON GAZETTE,—Last Evening,

WHITEHALL, MARCH 12.
The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. Arch.
Buchanan to the church of the united parishes of Logie and
Pert, in the presbytery of Brechin, and county of Forfar,
vacant by the death of the Rev. Thomas Hill.
DOWNING-STREET, MARCH 12.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint John S. Moffat,
Esq., to be a member of the Executive and Legislative
Councils of the Island of St. Lucia.
CROWN OFFICE, MARCH 15.

MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THE PRESENT PAR-
LIAMENT.
County of Hertford—Henry Riward Surtees, Esq., of
Dane End, near Ware, in the said county, in the room of
Christopher William Giles Puller, E.Qq., deceased.
WAR OFFICE, PALL MALL, MAncx 15.
4th Hussars—Hugh Berkeley Griffiths, Gent., to be Cor-
net, by purchase, vice Robert Soames, promoted.t-
14th Hussars—Captain Robert Johnston Brown to be
Major, by purchase, vice Major and Brevet Lieutenant-
Colonel Richard Herbert Gall, 0.8., who retires upon
half-pay—Lieut. Edward E. D. Boycott to be Captain,
by purchase, vice Brown—Cornet John Bradney to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Boycott—Samuel Tudor
Ashton, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vico Bradney
—Lieut. Francis John S. H. Newton to be Adjutant, vice
Boycott, promoted.
4th Regiment of Foot—The promotion of Ensign Edgar
Montagu Kemp to a Lieutenancy to bear date 22d
December, 1863, and to be in succession to Lieutenant
Richard Boyce, retired—the promotion of Ensign Chas.
Frederick Hooper to a Lieutenancy to bear date Bth
January, 1861, and to be in succession to Lieut. Charles
Edward Billing, promoted.
7th Foot—Lieut. Gwynn° Orton Lewis to be Captain, by
purchase, vice Musgrave Watson, who retires—Ensign
Rowland Hill to be Lieutenant, y purchase, vice Lewis
William Wolfe Rynd, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase,
vice Hill.

13th Foot—Ensign Robert Warren to be Lieutenant, with-
out purchase, vice Charles Edwards Palmer, seconded on
appointment as Instructor in Military Surveying, at the
Royal Military College.
14th Font—Lieut. William Thornhill Blois to b© Adjutant,
vide Lieut. Alexander Gordon, promoted.
35th Foot—Lieut. William Poste to be Instructor of Mus-
ketry, vice Lieut. Thomas Lloyd, promoted.
38th Foot—Lieut. Alfred Stokes to be Adjutant, vice Lieut.
Robert Johnston Stansfeld, promoted.
108th Foot—Lieut. John Trenchard Tennant to be In-
structor of Musketry.
Rifle Brigade—Lieut. Ernest Henry Buller to be Instruc-
tor of Musketry, vice Lieut. Lord Edward Cavendish,
who resigns that appointment.
sth West India Regiment—Ensign Thomas England to
be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Albert Sharp,
deceased.