The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-01 00:00:00

WOOL.

Owing to the dearness of money the amount of business
doing in English wool is very mothrate, Prices, however,
are without material change from hat week. Colonial wool
is held at full quotations, but the demand was far from
active. The following arc the quaatities at present arrived
for the next public sales :—New South Wales and Qu4ns-
land, 7,758 bales; Victoria, 2,053; Tasmania, 306; South

Particulars. 1830. i 1851 1852. i, 1863. 1864. •
- --
Stock this aay.... 36,988 ( 72.501 48,508 , 50.767 65,624
Price of Y.C. .. c 5959 a to 59s 92 to 4753,1 to 45891 to 4 s6d to
60s Od '—s Od —s 01 I—s d 00s Od
Delivery last week 2,575 1,0 i 8 1,590 2,289 2,251
Ditto from June 1 60,764 61,052 91,187 58,612 51,672
1
Arrivals last week 144 585 526 779 1,f,55
Ditto from June 1 85,761 1116,462 83,231 1 71,070 79,449
,: ti
Price of Town ....I Gis 9dcs 31 48s Gd 46s 6d, 43s 91

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT—This Day,

OLD COURT.
(Before the R.2eorder.)

The February sessions of the Central Criminal Court
commenced this morning, there being present the Lord
Mayor, the Recorder, Sir James Duke, Sir F. G. Moon,
Alderman Carter, Alderman James Lawrence, Sheriffs
Nissen and Cave.

The Recorder, in his charge to the Grand Jury, said the
most serious case they would have to try was against John
Lyons and several other persons, for the wilful murder of six
persons at sea, and there was another charge against them
of having destroyed a ship on the high seas. The only ques-
tion they would have to consider was whether all there pri-
soners were implicated in those acts. That murder had been
committed there could be no doubt. There were two or three
cases of manslaughter, now so frequent, and as frequently
happened, the charges arose out of drunken frays at public-
houses. His lordship noticed several other cases chiefly of
larceny, which would be brought before the Grand Jury,
but said there was nothing in them to which he need direct
more particular attention.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF LIBEL AGAINST A

CLERGYMAN.

The Rev. Thomas Richardson Birch, described as a cler-
gyman of the Church of England, was indicted for having
unlawfully and maliciously ?published a defamatory libel of
and concerning Mr. Felix Frederick Taylor, of Herschel!
House, Slough. He pleaded not guilty.
The defendant was not placed in the dock, but was
allowed to stand on the floor of the court.
From the statement of Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., the prose-
cuting counsel, it appeared that Mr. Taylor, the prosecutor,
lived at Slough, and had two sons, one of whom was in such
ill-health that he did not think it advisable to send him to
a school. He, therefore, applied to Mr. Johnson, a clerical
agent, to procure him a tutor, and by him he was intro-
duced to the prisoner. After a correspondence between
them the defendant entered upon his duties on the sth of
June, 1862, and remained there until the sth of July, 1863.
Shortly after entering Mr. Taylor's family the defendant
succeeded in obtaining the appointment of chaplain to the
Windsor Uuion. About the same time Mr. Taylor had
reason to complain of the way in which the defendant edu-
cated his children,and this ultimately led to a rupture between
them. Mr. Taylor then again applied to Mr. Johnson, who
recommended a Mr. Lott, but the latter was acquainted with
Mr. Birch, and left shortly after accepting the appointment,
putting Mr. Taylor to a great deal of inconvenience. A
third time Mr. Taylor applied to Mr. Johnson, who then
recommended the Rev, Mr. Sharpe ; and while negotiations
were pending between him and complainant, Mr. Sharpe
received an anonymous letter, dated Windsor, Oct. 15. It
was to the following effect:—

" Windsor, Berkshire, Oct. 15.
"Rev. Sir,—For the present, in common justice to a
stranger, all are quite willing and ready to believe that you
do not know that you have entered into a sink of the grossest
crimes and infamy and vilest disgrace, or else are going so
to do. If you still keep your engagement, you will receive,
and deserve it too, the contempt of all decent people who
are not in the Church, and the greatest disgust of all the
gentlemen who are so ; inquire of the police of this borough,
also of Eton and Slough. If likewise you can make up
your mind and think it right, you can apply about these
dreadful things of the house at Slough to the ministers there
--viz., the Rev. .Mr. Cree, the Rev. Mr. Birch, and the
Rev. Mr. Sykes.
" Counsellors to one whom we think needs counsel,
" COUNSEL."

Mr. Sharpe took the letter to Mr. Johnson, who communi-

cated with the complainant, who immediately recognised

Mr. Birch's handwriting. Another letter was sent to Mr.
Sharpe speaking in strong terms of the immoralities otMr.
Taylor's household, and commenting on proceedings in the
Consistorial Court in which Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were con-
cerned. Notwithstanding this Mr. Sharpe entered Mr.
Taylor's service, and on the 25th of March Mr. Taylor re-
ceived a letter which he put in.
Mr. Collins, who with Mr. H. Palmer appeared for the
defendant, objected, and a legal argument arose, Mr.
Collins stating that the letter now proposed to be put in
being an answer to one addressed by the prosecutor to the
defendant, he requested the recorder to look at the prose •
cuter's letter to the defendant.

The Recorder did so, and said it was evident that Mr.
Birch had had much to provoke him.
Mr, F. F. Taylor was called and examined by Mr. Ser •
geant Ballantine for the prosecutor. He said he had been
in basiaess as a wine merchant, but retired in 1858. He
formed a connection with the lady who was now his wife.
Some proceedings took place in the Divorce Court, as soon
as the law would permit him he married his present wife,
by whom he had two sons. For these he required a tutor,
and Mr. Birch was introduced to him. An arrangement
was made, by which he was to have a furnished cottage, and
£lOO a year. For some time Mr. Birch went on satisfac-
torily, but afterwards became remiss, and witness spoke to
him on the subject. (The whole of the circumstances con-
nected with the engagement were gone into )
Cross-examined by Mr. Collins—He had been in partner-
ship as a wine merchant with his father and brother. He
had known a gentleman named Barlow, in about 1848 or
1850. He was not in partnership with him. Mr. Barlow
occupied the upper part of the house in which his business
was conducted. He became acquainted with his wife about
the same time. He knew the husband first. At the time
Mrs. Barlow had two children 10 or 12 years of age,—girls.
He visited them about two years. She left her husband
under his protection. He committed adultery with her
while she was under her husband's roof. Subsequently he
took her away from the roof of her husband and lived in
adultery with her several years. The two children to
whom Mr. Birch was the tutor, was the result of their
adulterous intercourse. In March, 1861, Mrs. Barlow
was divorced from her husband. He married her in
March, 1862. He did not tell Mr. Birch that
the children were illegitimate. He never told Mr.
Birch that he was an " Oxford man," or that his wife
was a lady of high family, the daughter of a colonel. He
did not tell him that his wife was so virtuous that she could
not associate with the people round Windsor. No ladies
living in the neighbourhood visited at his house. Mr,
Birch never complained that the children had stated that
Mr. Taylor had used improper language with regard to
a governess residing in the house. He knew a man
named Hearne at Windsor, but ho had no dispute with
him. He had leant Hearne a pony and he injured it, for
which he paid £2, He had never charged Hearne with
writing the anonymous letter.
By Sergeant Ballantine--It was his own wish that no
acquaintances had been formed by his family with the ladies
about Windsor.

Mr. Johnson, clerical end scholastic agent, proved the
oireumstanoes under which Mr. Birch was engaged. Mr.
Sharpe brought him the anonymous letter. He believed it
to be in Mr. Birch's handwriting.

The Rev. Mr. Sharpe said he received the anonymous
letter and showed it to Mr. Johnston.
This closed the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Collins addressed the jury for the defence.
The jury, after a long absence, found the defendant
guilty, but added that he was excited at the time.
The Recorder deferred sentence.

STATISTICS OF BRITISH LITERATURE. The
number of titles for 1863 present a remarkable similarity to
those of 1862—in the former year 4,291, and the past year
4,286. _ _ _ ...

THE SOANE MUSEUM, in Lincoln'a•inn-fields, will
open this season on the Wednesday in each week in the
months of February, March, July, and August ; and on
tho Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays in April, May,
and Juno. _ _

A BRONZE STATUE OF ROSSINI, by Baron Mare-
chetti, has been presented to the town of Pesaro, in Italy,
the composer's birthplace, by the Marquis de la Salamanca
and M. de la Haute, directors of the Roman railways.

ROSSINI, MEYERBEER, AND AUBER.—A dinner
was given two days back, says the Paris Presse, at the re-
sidence of M. Rossini, there la-ing present the three greatest
composers of the day—the host himself, M. Meyerbeer, and
M. Auber. The " Africaine" was spoken of, and the
author declared that ho bad not yet found the female singer
he lad been so long in search of to suit that work. He
added that another opera of his, " Judith," would most
probably be brought out before the " Africaine."
DANIEL MACLISE, R,A., is painting a picture
representing the scene described by Sir Walter Scott, in
" Ivanhoe," of the meeting of King Richard the First with
Robin Hood and the outlaws. This will probably appear
at the forthcoming Royal Academy Exhibition.