The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-19 00:00:00

THE NEW RECORDER OF HULL.

On Thursday less, the 14th instant, the commence-
ment of the Michaelmas Sessions in the borough of Hull
was rendered noticeable by the circumstance of Samuel
Warren, Esq , Q.C. and F.R S., (and long celebrated in
literature as the author of" Ten Thousand a Year," and
the " Diary of a Late Physician,") taking the oaths aid
his seat in his capacity as Recorder. After the Grand
Jury had been formally sworn in, tho learned Judge
addressed them in an inaugural oration, very eloquent
and impressive, After a few sentiments of a simply
introductory character, ho offered the following grateful
tribute to his deceased predecessor:—" Gentlemen,"
said he, " only the last Sunday I attended divine worship
in that Temple Church. and sat in my appointed place,
within only a foot or two of the spot where your late
Recorder, my predecessor, is lying now. And I thought
of my cornino, here to-day, and I had a strong feeling of
solemnity, which, I trust, I may communicate to you.
Gentlemen, what shadows we are, and what shadows we
pursue. It is not for me to eulogise, or attempt to
eulogise, the memory of my deceased predecessor ; but
I will say that I believe he was very anxious to dis-
charge his judicial duiics conscientiously, and he had to
do so, unfortunately, under the constant pressure of as
unsound physical constitution, which sunk suddenly, as
you all know, under an apparently slight attack of india-
position. Gentlemen, he has died in the prime of life,
and, as a member of the Legislature, and as a barrister
of considerable standing, has Left behind him a character
of unsullied integrity."

DAter on in the courte of his very beautiful and effec-

tine address, the learned Recorder continued
"Gentlemen, forgive me for reminding you that the laws
with which we have to deal are based upon Christianity,
whose sublime sanctions support every portion of those
laws, and dignify—while at the same time they restrain
—every functionary, every conscientious functionary,
however humble, however limited, may be the sphere of
his action. Gentlemen, a thousand years ago, onr illus-
trious King Alfred compiled a little code of laws, which
are still extant, and which I was looking at yesterday
with a learned person whom I now see near me, in your
excellent library here. Be commenced that code with
the ten commandments, which he set forth one by one,
and then added the sanction given to them by our
Saviour in the New Testament—" Think not that I am
come to destroy the law and the prophets; I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfil." And then King Alfred
grandly added—" These, my subjects, are the laws
which Aliniglity God has given to his creatures, and
if we obey these laws, those of ours which follow would
not be necessary." Gentlemen, this is a noble and
affecting incident in our judicial history. It from the
first deeply impressed my mind, and I think gentlemen
in your positio❑ cannot hear these words without being
similarly impressed. Our laws have since then swollen
to an enormous bulk and complexity, but they still bear
the same relation to religion which we have seen in the
rude and simple elements of those laws in the days of
the great and good King Allred. And whoever realises
this fact will see a splendour in those laws which is hid-
den from those who do not. And, administering them
in this spirit, we shall best secure that mingling of
mercy with justice, each reflecting the rays of the other,
or neither is really mercy or justice, which will make
our laws respected even by those unhappy persons whom
I and my brother magistrates are compelled to make feel
the sharpest edge of those laws. Gentlemen, the ad-
ministration of civil justice in this kingdom—for I, as re-
corder, am also judge in a civil court)—l mean that re-
lating to common law and equity—has recently been
altered and amended to an extent utterly unprecedented;
and the practiccl commencement of the new system must
render ever memorable the autumn of 1852. I believe
these changes, sweeping though they may be, which
have just been effected, aro equally bold, wise, and bene-
ficial; reflecting infinite honour upon all parties con-
cerned in bringing them about, and conferring an
incalculable boon upon the country. The main objects
of these changes are to destroy the springs of technioallity
and delay; to bring litigants together promptly; and
to strip the merits of their cases of everything calculated
to disguise truth, to distort fact, and to foster fraud.
And, to a very considerable extent, the same may also
be said of our criminal law (thanks in no small degree
to one of my learned and excellent predecessors here—
my friend Mr. Baines, for whom, I am sure, you all en-
tertain an affectionate respect)—l a:y the criminal law
has latterly been placed upon the basis of plain, good
sense. The facts of a case now can, or ought to be,
arrived at easily and speedily, while the sacred prin-
ciples of liberty and justice are left wholly unimpaired,
and may now be seen more conspicuously than ever
leavening the whole lump of a humane and enlightened
criminal jurisprudence. Let us be thankful for this,
and address ourselves to the discharge of our simplified
duties with increased Efficiency."
The remainder of the address was distinguished by
similar excellence, and at its close the customary pro-
ceedings of the court were duly commenced.

CROSSING THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA.

By the Orinoco we have received the subjoined ac-
count of the state of the works on the Panama
Railway. The communication is dated Chagres,
S?ptember 21, and contains some interesting par-
ticulars :

" Through the kindness and courts?), of Mr. Center
the Vice-Prcsidsot of the Panama Railroad Company,
who had placed ono of the carriages of the train at our
disposal, we were enabled to take a trip on the rail as
tar as at press nt comple:e, which is to the village of
Barbacoas, 25 miles of the read—rather mere than half
way, arid citcidedly the wont half of the line. Out of
the 25 miles, at least 2u aro through a continuous
swamp, all of which is laid on piles ac out 6 feet apart,
and driven at least 20 and 25 feet belore a foundation
could be obtained.

'l'h© immense difficultiPs and apprent impotsibili-

ties that have by kgenuity and perseverance been over-
come surpass all that I have ever seen in any part of the
world. Too much prai,e cannot be accorded to Colonel
Totten, the excellent superintendent of the works, in ac -
complishieg so much with so many difficulties to contend
with—his perseverance, his courage to overcome every
obstacle, and his unremitting exertions in every depart-
ment of the undertaking.
" During the past wet season the sickness which has
prevailed on the isthmus has been a great drawback to
the prosecution of the works, the mortality being greater
than in any previous season—no less than two-thirds of
the labourers employed ou the line having fallen victims to
the fatal swamp fever. However, the greatest difficulties
are now surmounted, and happy will be the day to Colo-
nel Totten and his associates when the whole line will be
finished. It will be decidedly one of the greatest achieve-
ments in railroad making, and the benefits to the world
are at present incalculable.
" We arrived at the village of Barbacoas in an hour
and a half, stopping at two station& for the convenience
of workmen employed on the line. Hence you have a
, fine and picturesque view of the Chagros river, as
you
stand on the left bank, at an elevation of
Fromaou this
hundred feet from the edge of the river.
spot a bridge is to be thrown across a
space
n daorfrt ir2vatvoeflfrleoeermts.
From here you also see tho river boats
Cruces with the Californian adventurersa
from the Pacific. These boats co
antnadtn as they from thirty
turn
to forty porsons, a motley group,
a bend on the opposite side of the river, a little die.
i them in sight of their friends
tance up, which hr.llo
who havein arrivedgled
wt
thhe
the
no
dischargethem,
pistols, carbines,
whoops, and
yells. m
and revolvers, made a din surpassing description. This
village consists of a few hurs in the rude Indian style,
formed of bamboo end covered with palm leaves. Hero
are refreshment shops, retailing of spirits, with their
accompanying gambling-rooms. Next to these are the,
slop shops for the sale of ready-made clothes, of which
many stand in need on their arrival, not having changed
since their departure from Californa, at least 10 days;
new clothes are bought, and the old ones are thrown
away in heaps, as the travellers change them in the open
air. These heaps have accumulated in the last four or
five days to an amount which would take three mules to
Y
carry them away. Directly on the opposite bank have
a splendid prospect of a beautiful level country,
astn
ssres:tuumddnerde
with fine lofty trees, which, with the p
wilderne in
resembles a park in Englund than s
tcnev
erri
ev
de r w the
South America. Further to the left of h
s
country rises gradually for milerso,fuse foliage of the
all the gorgeous trees and p

tropics. -
eioarg,s Ohio, Falcon,
etosiccaortirtyaittihiening
400" Wp
assesWe r e tuerrnse, df
for
wr itthwpheesaAtpti
Imrneagei
.rnicAoaaflip2loBntwec
aaarmiri
at Navy Bay (now named
abnydthUeuninteg
idtedSstatotet%
to New York and New Orleans.
"The number of passengers conveyQd by the railway
in the last five days has been upwards of 1,800, besides
the specie destined for New York, making a total return
that the whole line will be complete
aonf 1
openedd'loanu
oadsosflol arrerasdl I traffic in 18
imstohnth s from the present
time, the journey across the
ac-
complished; in fact, has been performed,
ay
expressnow bein
t;
hours; it formerly was a tedious and over-fatiguing one
of six days; when complete it will be done in less than
as many hours."

NE W POTATO MARKET AT THE GREAT NOR..
TIIERN RAILWAY. —Yesterday the old station in Maiden-
lane, lately occupied by
h
Railway as a temporary peadssireenctors of the Great Northern
opened as a potatoe market. Thereg
e r awnads gao ogdrse
astt antni onni
h, :ire sof;
salesmen and dealers present, and a rather twist trade Was
done at good prices.
THE FRENCH PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO ROCHEFORT.
—The Prince President passed in review on the I lth, at
nine o'clock in the morning, the marines quartered at Roche-
fort, and the deputations of the communes from the
country around. The Prince passed through the ranks
amidst cries of " Viva l'Empereur," from the men reviewed
and from thespectators, of whom not less than 100,000 were
present. He then paid a visit to the spital, and next
went to examine the port and arsen where he was
received by Admiral INlontagnies ../ la Ronne, the
Maritime Prefect, and all the functionaries employed at the
port. The Prince went on board the Constantine corvette,
about to sail for the Chinese Seas. The crew who manned the
yards gave him seven cheers, concluding with cries of
:'. vive l'Empereur." The Prince then entehryedtahesplEenmdpidelryn-r
examine the va-
dseacponrlaeteend
ibnoatlBowBh, icahnd hapdreebeeedeneaustead
othersile of
which will soon
the Louis XIV.,
rhieouslanvneeshseelds, oanndthaerrisetnogcskts, se
of 130 guns; the Turenne, of 100 guns; the Ulm,
of 100 guns ; the Alexandre, of 90 ;guns ; the
Semiramis frigate, of 66 guns; the Flore frigate,
of 66 guns; the Lucifer steamer, of 200 horse-power; and
the illeduse steamer, of 120 horse-power. The Prince also
visited the other parts of the establishment, such M the
foundry, the 1110da-rOOlll, the woilignsoic.