The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-20 00:00:00

rim CO:LIVICT.S IN NEWGIVIE,

TO TTIE EDITOR OP THE SUN

SIR,—So great and universal has been the odium
which has fallen upon the whole of the unhappy
men now awaiting the extreme penalty of the law
that I would have hesitated to address one word to
you on their behalf were I not authorised to do so
by the possession of special information, acquired
through the daily and confidential intercourse which
in the course of my duties, I have held with them.
This has convinced myself, beyond the shadow of
doubt, that, should the law be allowed to take its
course without discrimination, there will be a allure
of justice, and that a more satisfactory conclusion
would have been arrived at if' in this instance the
usual forms of the law could have been departed
from, and the declarations of the accused them-
selves been admitted as available evidence.
It is erroneously asserted that they have all con-
fessed their guilt. This is very far from the truth;
three only have made admissions to any extent,
and these with the solo obj cot of clearing from blame
two others of their number—Marcolino and Basilio
do los Santos. I must repeat that it is most unfor-
tunate that exceptions due to the peculiarities of a
case like the present cannot sometimes be allowed,
and therefore that our judicature, usually so benig-
nant in its operations, should at times press so
unequally. Several mysterious circumstances
might thus have been explained more equitably
than by the sweeping conclusions of the presen-
t tion, or the indiscriminate malignity of popular
clamour.

The men could neither understand their officers
nor make themselves understood by them, and their
delay in obeying orders was interpreted as laziness
or insubordination, and punished accordingly.
Short allowance of food and water is an intolerable
punishment in the tropics.
Against Juan Loon (Lyons) the weight of evidence
has been allowed to prevail with peculiar unfair-
ness. Being the only foreigner on board able to
interpret intelligibly ho was employed by the cap.
tain, and afterwards by the mutineers, as the chan-
nel through which orders were convoyed. This
circumstance was certainly not sufficiently borne in
mind during the trial, and the orders transmitted
through Loon, as the mouthpiece of others, were
taken as emanating from himself. His own account
of his conduct was confirmed by the evidence of
Taffir, the second mate. It is, that being seriously
wounded in the darkness by tho knife of ono of the
assassins ho had gone to the cook's berth to have
his wound dressed, when ho was ordered down by
the mutineers, who, being themselves unable to
converse with the second mate, than afraid to
come out of his cabin, called him to assure
Taffir that his life should ho spared, and to ask him
to navigate the ship. Taffir at last came out, and
clung for protection to Leon, who induced the
others to pledge themselves to do him no hurt. This
they readily did, for the second mate, unlike the
other officers, had always treated the other mon
kindly, and had at times shared his rations with
them. On a second occasion Leon saved Taffies

life, when some of the crow, and especially Frank
Paul, suspecting the mate of having betrayed them
to a passing ship, wished to kill him at once. This
is apparent in the evidence given on the trial, where
not only the mato, but Canderean, Anderson, and
Early declared that their safety was duo to Loon,
who was, moreover, ill during the whole voyage.
It has been rashly assumed that the witnesses
and all who have perished were innocent, and that
the accused were all equally guilty. It is far more
probable that two, at least, of the former and as many
of the latter were as guilty as any of the con-
demned. According to the convicted prisoners' in-
dependent but accordant declarations, indeed, Tali r,
Anderson, and Early were the only members of the
crew who can bo justly declared innocent.
It is somewhat strange that no motive has been
sought for the apparently wanton acts of pelting the
steward until he was knocked into the sea, and leav-
ing the cook and lamptrimmer to go down with the
vessel. The truth, however, appears to be that on
the scuttling of the ship the boats were got along-
side, and the steward, cook, lamptrimmer, Taffir,
and others, wore ordered into one (an act cer-
tainly not implying malice aforethought) while
the others wero engaged in scuttling the
vessel. Tho steward out loose the boat and at-
tempted to got away, leaving those on board to
perish, and the boat was brought back by others
against his will. Those in the ship then ordered
all oat of the boat, and irritated at the steward's
refusal to come on board they throw bottles, &2., at
him, and he either leapt or was knocked into the
sea and was drowned. It should bo remembered
that at this time all the men, Taffir included, wore
intoxicated. The cook and lamptrimmer refused to
leave the ship, preferring to take their chance of
swimming ashore upon the loose spare.

All unite in exempting Marcolino from the
slightest share in the murders, and state that he was
always opposed, oven at his own personal risk, to
any act of violence. They assert that the carpenter
totally misinterpreted the three words spoken by
Marcolino when the latter was endeavouring to tell
him that ho had boon struck by Marco Watto, and
this is the solo item of evidence against Marcolino.
Basilic) do los Santos is not proved to have struck
a blow or taken any active part throughout the
affair. Conversations inculpating himself consti-
tato the only evidence against him ; and, when wo
recollect that after the murders nearly all on board
were more or less intoxicated, I need scarcely re-
mark how unreliable this must be. In point of in-
tellect this individual is the lowest in the scale, and
is going to death in the most stupid state of uncon-
scions and even smiling fatuity.

Manilla men are proverbially faithful and docile;
Spanish shipping is to a large extent manned by
them;and from many years' experience I can say that
a complaint is unheard of. While utterly incapable
of organising a plot, their low range of intellect
renders them peculiarly liable to become the tools of
othars of superior powers.
It is strange, but true, that the man who origi-
nated the plan of seizing the vessel, and who assisted
in throwing the first victim into the sea, has escaped
the extreme penalty of the law.
The conduct of these Manila men since their son•
tenco has been most quiet and exemplary. They
listen attentively to their spiritual adviser, and
pass their time in constant devotion. They have
repeatedly begged to be allowed to pray once
together, but this of course the rules do not allow.
One of the prisoners at the moment of his sentence,
and immediately afterwards, exhibited a most un-
becoming levity, but his behaviour and countenance
have undergone a striking change within the last
few days, and his mental sufferings are evidently
most intense. Ito is the only son of a widow, and
refused to allow her to bo communicated with, as
he declared it would be her death-blow to hear of
his position.
Hoping you will kindly insert this statement on
behalf of these unfortunates, I am, air, your
truly,

a. R. STEEP,
Chancellor to the Spanish Consulate.

GIG ANTIC RAIL WAY IVMM—ft= of the works
on tho Great Indian peninsular lino aro of could( r-
uble importance and magniludo. Among them, the most
remarkable is tho passago through the celebrated Bhero
Ghent, between Bombay and roontah, on the lino to Jul.ul
pore. In a distance of 15 miles the railway climbs an ascent
of 1,831 foot, the difficulties in its course being overcome by
such a series of cuttings, tunnels, viaducts, and embank-
ments as aro not to bo found within the same space, we aro
asbured by the oMoial report, in any other quarter of the
world. The earthwork alone necessary to effect these oh •
jccts amounts to 4,600,000 cubic miles. S,,veral of the em-
bankments exceed sixty feet in height, and there is a cut-
ting of ono hundred and fifty feet through bond rock.
Ono of the viaducts !a 143 feet from the snrfaee: Some idea
of the general nature of the works may bo formed from the
fact, that their construction occupied seven years and a
quarter, about four years being spent in preliminary opera-
tions. The Bhoro Ghaut, it appears, was first mado prac-
ticable for the passage of artillery by the 1)uko of Welling-
ton, when in command of the forces in the Dckhan, who,
with inbtinctivo foresight, caw the importance of improved
communication with Bombay ; and about 33 yo ma ago Sir
John Malcjlur opened the (Mout for cart traffic. But it
may be doubted if either of these two great men over
dreamed of the toilsome and difficult path through which
it was just poecible to drag great guns, or transport stores
in rude native vaiiclea drawn by oxen, being superseded by
a royal road in the shape of "Xi tin'