The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-24 00:00:00

Child Murder in the City-road.

A respectably-attired young woman, who ap-
peared to feel her position very acutely, and who
gave the name of Selina Kent, aged 18, a domestic
servant, was charged before Mr. Barker, yesterday,
at the Clerkenwell Police-coart, with wilfully mur-
dering her new-born infant, in the Cityroad.
Mr. Beard, of Baeinghall•street, attended for the
defence, and Inspector Judge, N division, watched
the case on behalf of the police. _

Mrs. Theresa Lavey, of 341, City-road, said—
The prisoner was my servant, and had been so for
about 8 months. On Friday three weeks I left my
house about a quarter-pest 12, and returned home
about 4. I knocked at the door twice before I was
admitted, and then I was much frightened at seeing
the prisoner looking very ill. She then went into
the kitchen, and I asked her what was the matter
with her, and she said it was nothing but natural
causes. I asked her for the address of her mother,
but she would not give it to me, saying that she did
not want her mother. Feeling dissatisfied I sent
for my medical man. She said she would go to her
mother the following day. When the doctor came
she was still very obstinate,but when I said I would
send for a police-constable she gave me the ad-
dress of her mother. I went to the mother,
who said that she had no room for her daughter, but
after a great deal of persuasion she came to see her
daughter. The prisoner said she knew nothing was
the matter with her, and rather insulted her.
Cross-examined—l was not aware what was the
matter with her, nor was I aware that she was ill
in the morning. I did not refuse to let her go
home. The doctor saw her at my request.

Police-sergeant Taylor, 33 N, said—On Friday
night, the 29th of January last, about half-past 10,
I was called to 341, City-road. From what I heard
I went into the kitchen and saw the prisoner sit-
ting there apparently very ill. I sent for Dr. Powell.
I assisted her upstairs. I then made a search for
the child. I went to the privy in the backyard,
and after wrenching off the seat I found the body of
a male child nearly covered over with soil, with a
piece of old stocking tied tightly round its neck. I
then washed the child and called the doctor to see it.

Mr. Joseph Taylor Powell, M.D., 325, City-road,
said—l was called by Mrs. Lavey about half-past 5
on the 29th of last month. I went downstairs, and
saw the prisoner in the kitchen, with her hand upon
her face, with a great many marks of blood about
the place. I asked her what was the matter, and
she said "Nothing at all." She did not want any
doctor. I tried some time to find out what was the
matter. She would not let me examine her, At
about half-past 8 I was fetched again, and correctly
examined her, and gave it as my opiniota that the
prisoner had been delivered of a child. She was
taken upstairs, and I then ascertained that within
a few hours she had been delivered of a child. After-
wards I was called downstairs into the kitchen, and
found the sergeant washing a dead child. I examined
it and found a piece of stuff round its neck. I have
since made a post mortem examination. Externally
I found that the naval string had been torn about
an inch and a half. The face and bead were very
much congested and the lips livid. Internally the
brain was congested. as were the lungs, which
floated in water. The lungs were full of air all
over. The hesrt contained no blood. The other
organs were perfectly healthy, and the stomach was
empty. The child had partly breathed.
Mr. Barker—What do yon say was the cause of
death ? Witness—l should say it was suffocation.
Mr. Barker—Was the piece of stuff tied tightly
round the neck ? Witness—Yes: the skin under
the ligature was white, and the parts above and
below were raised. There were indentations from
the texture of the ligature.
Cross-examined—l will not undertake to swear
there was any separate existence of the child from
!..1 mother.

mr..Deard said an inquest had been held, and the
jury returned a verdict of wilful murder, but the
coroner said he hood the magistrate would send
the case for the concealme2t of birth.
Mr. Barker said the prisoner would be sent to
the Central Criminal Court for trial,
-- ---
SAD END OF A YELVERTON.

If about two or three o'clock on the morning of Saturday
last any one had chanced to wander down Barrack street, one
of the vilest of the many vile back slums in Douglas, Isle of
Man, he would have found, lying in the gutter, the stinking
half-frozen refuse water flowing over and around her, the
body of a woman, literally half-naked, and actually frozen
to death, the night being piercingly cold, with a hard frost.
If the wanderer had been an inhabitant of the town he
would, immediately on looking at the face of the dead female,
have recognised the depraved, besotted, bloated countenance
of the drunken and dissolute Hon. Jane Yelverton, alias
Jenny Keefe, by which name she was better known, the
widow of the Hon. Augustus Yelverton, brother of Lord
Avonmore, and fellow uncle with that nobleman to the noto-
rious Major Yelverton, whose celebrated marriage and law-
suit have for the last five years occupied the attention of the
public. At an inquest held on the body of the woman on
Saturday it was stated that the Hon. Augustus Yelverton,
the husband of Jenny Keefe, to whom he was married about
25 years since, died in Liverpool about two months ago;
that he left her a considerable sum of money for her mainte-
nance, which was to be paid to her in instalments by a
lawyer in Liverpool, from which town she had arrived
in Douglas on Tuesday last, her fare to the island (accord-
ing to a statement she made to a woman in a low
public-house on the night before her frightful death)
having been paid by the lawyer in question. The in-
quest was held by James (Tell, Esq., high bailiff of Castle-
town, and during the proceedings he stated that the
Hon. Augustus Yelverton and the deceased had lived
in Castletown for many years, and so dissolute and
depraved were they in their habits that he had committed
them to prison fully a hundred times for being drunk and
disorderly. At this time they were allowed by Lord Avon-
more, it was understood, an ample income to keep them
comfortably, but they were in the habit of spending it in
drink as quickly as they got it, and they scarcely ever had
on them sufficient rags, let alone clothing, to cover their
nakedness. Jenny Keefe, who was a
Ylow-born woman, was
the thiri wife of the Hon. Augustus elverton, he having
previously been married to a Spanish lady and an Irish one.
He had no children by his last wife, but he had several by
his former wives, In consequence, however, of his depraved
habits, they were taken from him, and they now occupy re-
spectable positions in life. Although in rank and in educa-
tion also there was such a difference between Jenny Keefe
and her husband, yet they were greatly attached to each
other; they invariably accompanied each other, and if one
of them was sent to gaol for some outrage against the peace
committed during a drunken fit, it was the practice of the
other to smash some shop windows, or make a disturbance
in the streets for the sole purpose of getting committed to
gaol also, in order that they might keep each other company.
They scarcely had ever a place to lay their heads in, and
they lived the greater portion of their titre either in the
streets or ie. prison. Such were the Hon. Augustus and
Jane Yelverton; and their dissolute lives and frightful fate
—one dying in a low lodging -house in. Liverpool, and the
other frozen to death in the streets of Douglas—convey a
striking lesson of the evils of intemperance. All the cloth-
ing that Jenny Keefe had on when sho was foutd dead was
an old gauze frock which did not reach to her knees, and
was no thick, r than a piece of paper, an old pair of socks
which just reached above her ankles, and a pair of thin
slippers. A few hours before her death she was seen stand-
ing in a house door close to where she was found dead, and
was heard trolling out, in a voice husky with drink, a street
ballad called " True blue for ever."
The jury returned a verdict of—Death from exposure..—
.Liverpool Mercury.

The facts of the case need not be given, as they
are fully recapitulated in the judgment.
Mr. Bodkin gave judgment as follows:—This
case comes before us in consequence of a complaint
made by the vestry of the parish of St. Pancras
under the 7th section of the Metropolis Local
Amendment Act, 1862, against Mr. Lake, for that he
being the owner of a certain buNing and erection,
known as No. 1, The Grove, Highgate, did erect
there a certain building beyond the general lino of
building without the consent of the Metropolitan
Board of Works, the distance of such line of build-
ing from the highway not exceeding Oft. We have
given the best consideration in our power to what
was urged on either side upon the hearing of this
complaint ; and it appears to us that the case on
behalf of the complainants was established without
question. It was proved by them, or admitted by
the defendant, that The Grove is within the Metro-
politan district; that the general line of building
has been decided by the superintending architect
to the Metropolitan Board of Works, as set forth
in a certificate duly made and signed by him,
which, with a plan annexed thereto, 'ess laid before
us at the hearing—that the general line of build-
ing is within 50ft. of a high way—that the erection
which is the subject of complaint projects be-
yond such general line, and that it has been
erected without the sanction or the consent in
writing of the Metropolitan Board of Works- The
defendant objected firstly that the road in front of
the houses in " The Grove," and within 50 feet of
the line described as the general line," is a private
road, and not a highway within the meaning of the
75th section of the act in question, and he referred
to section 80, which repeals the proviso of section
106 of the Local Management Act of 1855, as tore-
pairing streets not being highways, and to sections
105 and 108 of the act of 1862. Secondly, that
" The Grove," is not a street, row, or place within
the meaning of the act. Thirdly, that the buildings
complained of is erected on an old substructure, and
are raised on walls previously existing ; that there
is no prohibition in the act as to raising a building
except in cases specified in section 89 of the act of
1862, which does not apply to the buildings in
question, but he admitted that a part of the more
projecting portions of those buildings is not erected
on any -previously existing wall ; and fourthly,
that the Metropolitan Board of Works have no
jurisdiction in this matter; that they have no power
to deal with an application to erect in his case; that
it is not necessary to have their consent in writing
to such erection, and that the application alleged to
have been made by him to th 3 board, was made
really in consequence of a notification from the
builder whom he employed in reference to the struc-
ture itself, and not in relation to any consent re-
quired for the erection beyond the alleged "general
line." Upon a full consideration of Mr. Lake's
objection, and after inspecting the premises, we
consider that "The Grove" is undoubtedly a high-
way within the meaning of the act. It has been for
many years a footway, freely used by the public as a
general and unrestricted thoroughfare ; and as to
the roadway running parallel thereto the inhabi-
tants appear to us to have lost any control which
they may have once had over it by their failure
for more than one year to claim the right of
closing it. Mr. Lake's argument, that the
parish cannot repair it without notice under sec-
tion 106 of the act of 1855, and that no notice of
such intention has ever been given, appears to us to
lean the other way, sines it would tend rather to
show that the p rich doomed itself liable to repair
without the notice which must be given were it a
private road. But there is really no force in this
argument, since it is not contended that the parish
has ever zcpaired the road, or intend to do so; the
parochial authorities have asserted their right over
the road in another way, namely, by cleansing and
lighting it ; besides these two, both footway and
road are, in our judgment, undoubtedly streets or
highways, within the meaning of the into pretation
clause of the act of 1855, which (sec. 25e) defines
the word " street " to apply to any highway, road.
footway, passage, whether a thoroughfare or not,
&c. 2. That " The Grove" is a " row "of houses
within the meaning of the act, although the houses
are not attached one to the other. The words of the
75th section of the act of 1862 are ample to include
suei a row of houses as " The Grove." These houses
are not semi-detached villas, or are at a considerable
distance from each other, and from the road within
their own grounds, and which in that case it is pre-
sumed might be altered according to the tastes of
their respective owners, without prejudice to the
public interests. 3. And with reference to the only
substantial objection by the defendant, that the
buildings are not sew buildings, but the alteration
of existing ones, we consider that the projections
complained of are manifestly separated into two
distinct buildings, and must be separated, as they
are differently circumstanced. There is first the
projecting portion of a three story building, adjoin-
ing the house, the ground-floor story of which has
been built a considerable time, probably for many
defendantysueparesr.st'rruhcetureoftwo floors, hasthereto, addedconceived
that a or raised,
he was fully justified in doing this without the con-
sent of the Metropolitan board of Works, the os asd,
juris-
diction of the board being limited to new buildings
only, it appeared to us that the word " raise,"
used in one part of the 75th section of the act
of 1862 must be construed to mean " erect," and not
"heighten." The other part of the projection, viz.,
the two buildings in front of the three-storied
erection stands in very different circumstances.
This is entirely a new building, erected, except
very small portion, on the north side upon an en-
tirely now foundation, and covering ground the
greater portion of which was previously uncovered.
We are of opinion, therefore, that the present is se
building within the meaning of the act, and that it
has been erected beyond a "general line," within 50
feet from a highway, and without the consent in
writing of the Metropolitan Board of Works • and
that the defendant's fourth objection is untenable.
We therefore determine that the said complaint, so
far as it relates to the low buildings
projecting be-
yond the three storied portion, is proved to our sa-
tisfaction, and we order that the defendant do demo-
lish so much of the buildings tomcomplained of which
are beyond p
the " general line," and is comprised in
the projecting low buildings in front of the three-
storied building, and that he do pay
the costs in-
curred.

THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON has commuted to
imprisonment for life the sentence of the soldier Caci,
re-
cently condemned to death for desertion to the enemy during
the siege of Sebastopol.
Persons who have been in the habit of paying weekly as
borrowers of Sewing Machines will do well to apply at once
and become members of Messrs. Watts and Co.'s Sewing
Machine Clubs. By so doing they will not only save the
money they now foolishly throw away, but at the same time
secure to themselves the possession of one of the best and
most celebrated sewing machines in the world. Every in-
formation given on application; or by letter addressed, with
a stamped envelope, to Messrs. Watts and Co., 12, Beaufort-
buildings, Strand, London, W.C., where members arc en-
rolled daily between 10 and 4 ; Saturdays, 10 and 2.

[ADVERTISEIIIENT.)—COMUMptiOII, all nervous, bilious,
ag-
gravate
perfectly
Arabi 1 eca .
Food,
curablen d a accelerated
as
bl
reyrraDotveueddßbbayryrdysgs
thousandsof healthevery r o
liver, and stomach complaints, in every stage, arc only
ef tcdoa ringessecs r
ri voc
hna ebbn::tilt
hi
been considered hopeless. We quote a i OM —Cure No. 62,914.
Miss Lange, 18 years of age, cured after the medical mere had
abandoned all hope', of her recovery from the last stage of
pulmonary consumption, with fearful coogli, expwtoration,
exhaustion, spitting of blood, perspir.itions, hollow cheeks,
emaciated to a skeleton. She is now, thank God, a perfectly
healthy, blooming, fleshy girl.—N. Commissaire
dA
Police. Cure, No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Primleyi
Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver
derangement, and partial deafness.—Cure, No. 47,121. Mies
Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion,
gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure, No.
54,816. The Bev. James T. Campbell, lakenham, Norfolk,
of indigestion and torpidity of the liver, which had resisted
all medical rcatment. In tins, Ilb, 2s 9d ; 21b, 4s dd ; Sib,
115; 121 b, 225; 241 b, 40e. .Barry du Barry and Ca., No. 77,
Regent-street, London ; also Fortnum and Mason; and all
grocers and chemists in every town of the United Kingdom.

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA,
COVENT-GARDEN.
Under the Mana.v,•ement of Miss Louisa Pyne and
Mr. IV. Harrison.
THIS EVENING (12th time' a new Opera, founded on
Goldsmith's Comely, and to be called SH STOOPS TO
tONQUER. Miss Louisa Pyne and Mr. W. Har
After which, the Burlesque Opening of the Grand National
Pantomime,
HARLEQUIN ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON.
Doors open at half-past Six—',:ornmence at Seven.

•
rHEATRE ROYAL DRUR NE.
Managers, Messrs. Edmond Falconer and
F. B. Chatterton.
THIS EVENING, the Performances will commence
itwled
ith
the N(w Serlo-Comic Drama, by Performances will ent
NIGHT AND MORN. Principal characters by Mr. Phelps,
Messrs. Barrett, FP zjames, Miss Atkinson, Miss It. Le;.dercq,
and Miss
To conclude with the new Grand Christmas Comic Panto-
mime of SIN BAD TILE SAILOR ; or, The Seven Wonders
of th- World. Clowns, Messrs. 11. Bolen°
le ; Pan and C. Ltaloonsauri .
Darlequins, Messrs. J. Corrnack and S. Savil
Blessrs. W A. Barnes and J. atorris ; Columbines, Madame
Bolen() and Misses Gunniss.
Prices as usual. Box Office open from 10 till 5 daily.

ffiIEATRE ROYAL 11A.YNIARKET.-
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr, Buckstone.
THIS EVENING, THE LIT LE DAISY. Miss Maria
Barris.
Followed by BUNKUM MULLER. Mr. Sothern.Messrs.
Atter which. OUR AMERICAN COUSIN :
Sothern, Buckstone, Chippendale, Braid, Gordon, Messrs.
Clark, Cullentord, &c. ; Mesdames Angel, Snowden, Harris,
Lindley, Hill, &c
And A KISS IN THE DARK.
Commence at 7.

ROYAL LYCEUM. THEATRE,
Under the Sole Management of Mr. Fechter.
BEL DE MONIO ONlOTriumnhant Success) will be repeated
Every
Evening during the Week.
THIS EVENING, the performance will commence with a
New and Original Farce, entitled THE LOST CHILD:
Messrs. 11. Widdicombe. Shore, Garden, F. Charles Collett,
Mgreland; Misses Fercy, Pauline Le;.lerca, Wood, Mrs. Lee,
and Miss E. Lavenu.
Alter which. at Eight o'clock, BEL DEMONIO, a Love
Story, in Twelve Tableaux, taken from Stendlial's " Italian
Chronicle'," by Mr. John Brougham. Principal charac
ter by Mr. Fechter, supported by Messrs. Jordan, Charles,
Brougham, Emery, Raymond, Moreland, Smith, Clifford,
Collett, Sims ; Miss Kate Terry, Miss E. Lavenu, Mrs. Lee,
and hiss Elsworthy.
The Public are entreated to take notice that No Charge is
Made to the occupants of Boxes, Box-nlacea, or Stalls, either
fr play bills or for the safe keeping ot hat' and cloaks, an
teats the attendants in all parts of the house are forbidden to
receive any gratuities whatever.
Box-ofllle open daily from 11 to ti. Commence at 7.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.--.
Sole Lesee and Manager, Mr. Geo. Vining.
THIS EVENING, PAUL'S RETURN.
After which, HARLEQUIN LITTLE TOM TUCKER;
or The Fine Lady of Banbury Cross, and the Old Woman
who Lived in a Shoe and Had so Many Children she didn't
know what to do.

MEW THE ATRE-RO YAL, ADELPHI.—
Bole Proprietor and Manager. Mr. B. Webster.
2'st Week of Miss Bateman.
THIS EVENING, THE PRETTY HORSEBBEAKER.
Min Woolgar and Mr. J. L. Toole.
to Eight, the New Drama of LEAH Miss Bate-
Sian, supported by Messrs. Arthur Stirling.. Phillips ,
and
,fn on, Stuart, Stephenson, Ebiume; aH. Simms
Mrs. Billington.
To conclude with LADY BELLE BELLE; or, Fortunio
and his Seveu Magi, Men. Messrs. J. Clarke, it. Phillips,
Stephenson ; Miss Woolgar, Miss lielly, Miss Patti
dOeo.ihs, Miss L. Laidlaw, Miss Seaman.
Commence at 7.

LEAII.-EVERY NIGHT.
3IISS BATENIAN.

ISS BATEMAN.—LEAH.—TiIIS EVENING'
IVA_ the 125th appearance of the great Tragic Actress, Miss
BATEMAN, in the character of LEAII. In consequence of
the unbounded success with which Miss Bateman's imperso-
nation of the principal character in the new Five Act Drama
of LEAH has been attended. Mr Webster begs to announce
that it will be performed EVERY EVENING until further
notice.

ROYAL ST. JAMES'S THEATRE, under the
Management of Mr. B. WEBSTER.
Crowded with rank and fashion.—The New Comedy of THE
SILVER LINING every Evening.—Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Mathews, Mrs. Stirling, Mrs. Frank Matthews, and Mr. J.
L. Toole every evening. The following eminent artistes are
ngaged :—Mr. Benjamin Webster. Mr..J. L. Toole, Mr. Paul
Bedford, Mr. Frederic Robinson, Mr. Ashley, and Mr. Chas.
Mathews ; Mrs. Stirling, Miss Iferbert. Mrs. Frank Mat-
thews, Miss A. Cottrell, Miss Fanny Josephs, Miss Went-
worth, and Mrs. Charles Mat:aews.
THIS EVENING. and during the Week, at 7 o'c'ock,
an entirely new Comedy, in 3 Acts, by Leicester Bucking -
hatn,'Esq., entitled THE SILVER. LINING: Mr. Charles
.alathews, Mr. Frederic Robinson, Mr. Ashley, Mr, John-
stone. Mr. Montague ; Mrs. t harles Mathews. Mrs. Frank
Matthews, Miss Cottrell, MissWent‘vcrth, and Mrs. Stirling.
To be followed by Mr. Charles Mathews just translated
from the French), in his characteristic character of Un Anglais
Timide, entitled COOL AS A CUCUMBER.
To conclude with THE BIRTHPLACE ;OF FODGER3.
Mr. J. L. Toole,

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. W. 11. Swauborougn.
THIS EVENING, ON AND OFF.
To be followed by UNLIMITED CONFIDENCE. Mr,
)elforti, Mr. Porsche ; Miss Marie Wilton, Miss Thorne.
After which, the Grand Chrictmas Thirlesque, 01-trIIEU3
IND EURYtHCE Messrs. Honey, Wood, James Fenton,
Xsclames Swanborouah, Marie Wilton, Hughes, &c.
Concluding with MARGATE SANDS.
Commence at 7.

•
GRACE EGERTON (Mrs, Genrge Case),
at the POLYGRAPHIC HALL, King William-
street (her THIRD SEASON in London), in her New and
hig•hly suclesstul Charalteristic and :Musical Entertainment
entitled "A DRAWING ROOST TO LET." EVERY
EVENING, at Eight (except Saturday).

Saturday Mornings at Three.
Stalls. 31. ; unreserved seats. 2s. ; area, Is. Will continue
positively for a month only. Last performance March 12.

I.IIIE THIRD EDITION OF " THE SUN,"
Containing the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,
pn be had Every Evening of
G. R. GLItNIE, NEWS AGENT,
No. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park.

COALS.—The LILLESHALL COMPANY'S
COALS.
Direct from their own Collieries.
Marquis'. 283. per ton. Double.. 2ls. per ton.
Top 25g. „ ... 19s.
Deep 225.
Well screened and delivered within five miles of their De-
pots, Westbourne Park-road, W., and 17, South Wharf,
Paddington, W.
Best Coke
Terms cash.
JOHN SCOTT, Sole Agent.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. •
TINS DAY.—Morning, 3h. 21m.—Afternoon, 3L.33m,
To-sroitno-tv.-Morning, 312. 50m.—Afternoon, 4h. 4m,

The Weather--Sun Office, Feb. 24, 1864.

THERMOMETER.

This day at Two-o'clock

Barometer-3 0.30.
Wind—ME. ; moderato breeze, and fine.:

'T
,s

~~ ~C

SUAL

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 1864.

While the immediate result of last night's discus- I
Sion in the House of Commons cannot but be in the
highest degree satisfactory to the Government, the
ulterior effect produced upon public opinion by the
arguments put forth during the debate which led
to that Miniaterial triumph upon the division, may
be regarded with complacency by the nation at
large as moat salutary, even in anticipation. That
effect will become manifest more and more-as the
session advances, It is already appreciable. It is im-
t
posssible to look through those arguments this day,
as it was impossible to listen to them last night,
without feeling that good has been done already
by the mere fact of the discussion. It may have
appeared hitherto, for some considerable time past,
that almost everything that required to be known
in regard to the arbitrary seizure of the two ironclad
vessels, El Tousson and El Monassia,while yet in the
building yard of the Messrs. LAIRD Brothers, was
known already. And doubtless, to a certain extent,
that "flattering unction" might even now be laid
to the wounded sense of honour of the nation,
rs a Great and Independent Power. Every-
thing that. needs to be known in regard to
the actual seizure is known—but not so is it in
regard to the correspondence and negotiations that
led to that mest extraordinary interposition on the
part of her MAJESTY'S Government. It was for the
production of that correspondence—hitherto denied
to the House and to the Country, with so many other
important decuincuts—it was for the tardy expla-
nation of what really constituted those very dubi-
ous and still unoxplaleed negotiations, that the hon.
gentleman moved last evening, and moved, as the
event proved,' in vain. Tint 153 supporting Mr.
SEYMOITR FITZGERALD'S motion, while 173 voted
against it—thereby enabling the Government to tide
over that difficulty, as it seems, bent as long as pos.
sible upon tiding over others, by maintaining an
obdurate silence and a resolute determination to
combine Reticence with Non.latervention (that
opuricua, left-h Anded kind of Non-Intervention

which Lord DERBY defined so happily as
an union of meddling with muddling) in
the carrying out of their incoherent and eccen-
tric scheme of diplomacy. Not satisfied, however,
with meddling and muddling—not satisfied with
writing a great deal and doing nothing—the
Government in its Foreign Policy appears to be
bent beyond all things upon securing itself from
anything like adverse commentary by declining to
publish despatches, or by withholding them from
the knowledge of Parliament as long as they
might prove upon trial to be in some way
practicable—leaving the chance of some happy re-
sult in regard to every one of their many dilemmas,
to work itself out somehow through the mere
chapter of accidents. From the tone adopted by
Ministers, however, and by some of those important
subordinates of theirs, who are thrust into the van in
these discussion—it would appear that the Cabinet
not only requires the House of Commons to wait
patiently for any papers that in the fullness of time
the Government may, upon deliberate con-
sideration, make up its mind at last grudg-
ingly to vouchsafe them, but that it requires some-
thing still more ! Beyond that—the Cabinet seems
arrogantly to go so far in what Mr. DISRAELI
bluntly calls its " scurvy" treatment of the
House in regard to papers relating now
to America, now to Poland, now to Den-
mark, that it actually manifests a com-
plaisant expectation that the House should meekly
wait their (the Ministers') good will and pleasure
in these matters of vital and most momentous im-
portance, that the House should actually wait,
like the cattle in a storm as described by
the Poet of the Seasons, that is to say—" in
dumb expectancy Parliament has been won-
derfully patient hitherto in conceding time to
a vaccillating and a self-contradictory Ad-
ministration.: The House of Commons especially
has evinced au extraordinary amount of patience in
reference to the long-withheld papers referring to
the Danish War—whatever may be thought to the
contrary by a fretful Chancellor of the Exchequer, a
petulant Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, or an
irritated Attorney-General. The reiterated inter-
ruptions of the debate last evening by Sir BouN-
DELL PALMER. were not easily to be paralleled for
frequency upon reference to the back volumes of
" Hansard." Not satisfiedwith having:his own "say"
himself, quite uninterruptedly, he seemed unable
altogether to allow the enjoyment of the same privi-
lege by his opponents. Point blank contradictions,
vexatious earplugs at a phrase, teasing explanations
of a parenthetical character were squandered about
him yesterday during the debate in the House of
Commons, with a petulant intolerance of
opinions in any way adverse to his own, quite nn-
befitting the First Law Officer of the Crown, from
whom, in truth, in regard to all these kinds of vexed
questions, one would rather look for the evidence of
an undisturbed equanimity. Everything considered,
in regard to the debate of lest night—while the
immediate result of it, we repeat, was naturally in
the highest degree delightful to our bewildered
Government, the ultimate effect produced upon the
public mind by the arguments (oddly terminating
in that division) cannot, we would also repeat, but
be in the highest degree salutary.

A brief debate took place in the Commons on
Monday evening, which was well worthy of public
attention, and which, had it not followed so closely
on the animated discussion respecting the non-pro-
duction of the Danish papers, would probably have
attracted more notice at the time. It concerned
the construction of the new Admiralty docks about
to be made at the head of the Marva, at Malta,
against the distinct advice of the best informed and
most competent authorities. Captain TALBOT, who
brought forward a motion on this subject, was
anxious before the Navy Estimates came on that
the House should have an opportunity of at least
hearing the facts of the case, although, from a
matter of form, he was on Monday evening pre-
vented from pressing his motion to a division. The
dock proposed, he said, wculd neither answer the
purposes of the naval service nor of the commercial
shipping of the island. The disadvantages of the
scheme are very great, and affect every part of it.
In the first place, the spot selected is
nearly two miles from the dockyard, and diffi-
cult of access. Admiral Sir WILLIAM MARTIN
sad Vice-Admiral CODRINGTON, who are both fami-
liar with the place and the requirements of the
Navy, are most strongly opposed to it. Sir WIL-
LIAM MARTIN has been Commander-in-Chief in the
Mediterranean for the last three years, and is fully
able to judge the case fairly and impartially. So
strong are the gallant officer's opinions on this
matter, that he has suggested that Admiral COD-
RINGTON should be allowed to come home for the
express purpose of pointing out the grave errors of
the Admiralty scheme, and the immense advantages
of that plan which must at once commend itself to
the approval of anyone who knows the island—i. e.,
the selection of the French Creek. This Creek,
which the Admiralty themselves are forced to admit
is vastly superior to the proposed site, has a fine
natural basin, which will with ease receive the
largest ships. The Government has gone to great
expense to get this Creek, which is only about 800
yards from the dockyard, and which possesses every
recommendation for the proposed undertaking, and
then with the ingenious perversity and wronghead-
edness so often perceptible in our naval arrange-
ments, they go nearly two miles off to construct a
dock in a place which has not ono single qualifica-
tion for it. It is not surprising that the opinions
of the whole naval service are decidedly opposed to
such a preposterous scheme, more especially when
we remember the importance of the new dock. We
have only two small docks in the Mediterranean
that are capable of receiving ships draw-
ing twenty-two feet of water, and these
it is plain would not accommodate our large line-of-
battle ships when loaded. So long ago as 1861
Admiral CODRINGTON drew the attention of the
Admiralty to this subject, pointing out the incon-
Iveniencies which might result from the delay
entailed by having to send home British vessels
that needed repair while foreign vessels can have
theirs and be at sea again in a few days. It is
absurd that we should have no dock capable of
receiving a first-class vessel without guns, stores,
and even machinery being removed. It is true that
Lord C. PAGET maintains that the Royal Oak and
the Resistance could both go into the present Dock-
yard Creek, bat this may turn out to be another of
the noble lord'a " mistakes." The opinions of
engineers sent out by the Admiralty aro worth
about as much as those of first-rate advocates

specially retained on one side. They are certainly
not to ba sot against men like Admiral CODRING-
pis and Admiral MARTIN, who have the require-
ments of the service iu view, and being on the
spot can surely decide upon the natural capacities
of the sites proposed. As Sir Scam :PAKINGTON
very truly said, it is not an engineer's question
but an Admiralty question, concerning the come-
nienee of the British fleet. It seems that in 1800
the Admiralty entered int, an arrangement with
the Maltese authorities by which they acquired a
large creek in the vicinity of the dockyard, agree-
ing to deepen the Mersa for the use of 4he commer-
cial 6hiPPiug. Part of this arrangemer t was that
NOM was called the north-west basin. eheuld be

constructed with a depth of 12 feet for the use of
the commercial shipping. But it will be necessary
in order to get access to the dock to shipping. Sub-
sequently the Admiralty adopted the present
extravagant scheme—that a first-class dock, capable
of accommodating the Warrior, should be cone
structed on the inner side of the north-west basin.
But to get access to this dock, it becomes neces-
sary to deepen the basin from :2 to 30 feet, which,
of course, will entail heavy expense. It is, too, to
be at right angles with the basin, so that a ship in
entering it will have to turn nearly round, thus
producing a confusion that may be better imagined
than described, when a heavy ship some hundreds
of feet in length is sent amongst the crowded mer-
chant shipping. The rock is full of fissures and flaws,
thereby entailing the expense of facing the dock
with masonry, and rendering the Admiralty esti-
mate of £50,000 for deepening the basin and con-
structing the dock simply ridiculous. There is no
detailed plan or estimate for the scheme produ-
cible, and unless it is looked to we shall probably
have a second edition of the affair at ,Alderney,
where the original estimates have been already
exceeded by a very large amount. The additional
vote was absolutely necessary if we did not wish
the whole of the previous outlay to be thrown away.
And after all that has been done there it is more
than questionable it any good has been effected at
all. Holyhead, which might have been made a
splendid harbour, has had its utility greatly im-
paired by its limited extent. We recently had an
instance of this when the Prince Consort was com-
pelled to run over to the Irish coast, being afraid
to risk entering Holyhead. Portland, which is the
best we have yet constructed, would have been far
more of had the southern arm of the
breakwater been carried out from a point further
down the island, and a larger space enclosed; ena-
bling ships to lie under the shelter of the island
itself, and not as at present be exposed to the force
of the south westerly wind blowing across the
Chesil Bank. The French greatly eclipse us in
these matters, not from superior engineering capa-
city, but from the more liberal and enlightened
views of their governing authorities. The public
had better be warned by past experience of
Admiralty bungling, and inquire into this Malta
project a little more closely, If the Government
have committed themselves to the Maltese autho-
rities they had better pay for their mistake and let
the matter end there. It would be far cheaper and
better than undertaking a work of such cost and
importance, under such serious drawbacks, when
the French Creek offering so many superior advan-
tages is lying at their disposal.