The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-19 00:00:00

El SUA, Loi:NWOr*il FRIDAY EVE.NING, AUGUST 19, 1864.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.-Aug. 18,

-o ---

(B t.ire Mr Justice Byli:rs.)
Edward Pope, 22, a welt-dressed young man, whore an-
riefirance indic;led that he was of unsound mind, wit,:
chart; - ii, feloniously and uoiliciously sending a letter
to Wu.,nw Lhapman Bezky, thie.fa‘ning to kill Lim, and
also to kill Sir G. Grey.
When the prisoner was called upon to plead he replied,
" I wrote that letter."
Mr Gifford, who with Mr Besley was instructed to prose-
cute, said that he did not propose to go into the specific
charge against the prisoner, but should ask the jury, upon
the evidence he should lay before them, whether he was in
a condition of mind to plead to the indictment.
Dr Gibson, the surgeon of Newgate, was then sworn, and
he stated that he had seen the prisoner every day since he
had been in Newgate, which was the 22d of July, and he
was of opinion that he was decidedly of unsound mind and
that he was incompetent to understand what was going on,
or the nature of the evidence that would be produced against
him.

Dr Bexley, one of the physicians of Hanwell Lunatic
Asylum, gave similar evidence to that of Dr Gibson, He
said that he had seen the prisoner in Newgate, and had had
full opportunity of arriving at this conclusion.
In answer to questions put by the learned judge,
Dr Bexley said that the prisoner was under his care at
Hanwell from July, 1863, to May, 186-1, when he was dis-
charged, cured. While he was under his charge he con-
sidered him a dangerous lunatic. He was under nervous
delusions, one of which was that he was the real Prince of
Wales. The witness added that the letter that was the
subject of the indictment was addressed to himself.
The learned judge then briefly explained to the jury the
nature of the inquiry, and they at once returned a verdict
that the prisoner was of unsound mind and unfit to plead.
His lordship then gave directions that the prisoner should
be detained during her Majesty's pleasure.
The prisoner, who, during the proceedings, had gazed
wildly round the court, and who appeared quite unconscious
of what was going on, was then removed from the bar.
Mary Blake, 30, a miserable looking creature, was charged
with the manslaughter of her child, Sarah Blake.
Mr Bexley prosecuted. The prisoner was defended by
Mr Cooper.
This was a case of a very distressing character, there
being a second indictment against her for causing the death
of another of her children, by, as was alleged, gross inhu-
manity and neglect. It appeared that the prisoner was a
married woman, but her husband was convicted of some
offence at the eJlerkenwell Sessions in April last, and sen-
tenced to penal servitude, and the prisoner had since taken
up with another man. She went into St. James's work-
house, Cletkenwell, on the 26th of April, being at the time
in the family way, and she was delivered of the child in
question about a fortnight afterwards, she having at this
time five other children of various ages, the eldest being 12
years, all dependent upon her, in consequence of the posi-
tion of her husband. She discharged herself from the
workhouse on the 20th of May, taking with her the whole
of her children, the evidence being that she herself was in
good health, and with a full breast of milk at this time, and
that the b ,by, whose death was the subject of the inquiry,
and the other children were also healthy. It seemed that
she then went to several miserable lodgings in St. Luke's,
and at length, on the 22d of June, took up her abode with
her six children in a room in Peartree-court, at which place
the neglect was said to have occurred which resulted in the
death of the child. According to the evidence the prisoner
left the unhappy children almost entirely alone for three
days and nights, and when the persons living in the house,
who were attracted by the cries of the children, went into
the room they discovered them in the :nost wretched condi-
tion, and there was nothing in the room but some bread and
water ; the wretched infant had a piece of dirty rag in its
mouth, in which was wrapped up a small quantity of sugar.
The whole family were removed to the workhouse, where
every attention was paid them, but two of them died shortly
afterwards, and under these circumstances the present
charge was preferred against the prisoner, it being alleged
that it was owing to her having left the deceased child and
passed the night with her paramour that its death was
occasioned. In the course of the case it was stated that
during the period the prisoner was in the workhouse she
behaved very kindly to her infant, and appeared very fond
of it. Mr Harris, the medical officer of the parish, who
made a post mortem examination of the deceased, stated
that in his opinion death was occasioned by want of
proper nourishment, but at the same time said that the in-
fant was suffering from mesentric disease, and that distress
and misery were very likely to have affected the prisoner's
supply of milk, and have rendered her unable to nourish
the infant.

Mr Cooper made a very feeling appeal to the jury on be-
half of the prisoner, and he argued that the unhappy event
was more to be attributed to the state of misery and desti-
tution in which the prisoner was placed than to any cul-
pable neglect on her part.
Ths learned judge having summed up, the jury, after a
short deliberation, found the prisoner guilty, but strongly
recommended her to mercy on account of the painful cir-
cumstances in which she was placed.
The prisoner was sentenced t 3 nice months' hard labour,
his lordship observing that the sentence would have been
much severer but for the recommendation of the jury.
Vincent Marune, 29, an Italian, was charged with at.
tempting to murder John Smith.
Mr Besley prosecuted; Mr Best wee counsel for the
defence.

It appeared that the prisoner and the prosecutor were
both seamen on board a vessel called the Danube, which at
the time the occurrence took place was lying in the St.
Katherine's dock. It seemed that a quarrel had taken
plate between the prisoner and the prosecutor, and the
former got hold of a carving knife and made a rush at the
prosecutor with the knife. It happened, however, fortu-
nately, that M. Fowler, a custom-house officer, who was
on board in his public capacity, saw what was going on and
he tripped the prisoner up and got the knife away from
him, and the learned judge complimented this gentleman
very much for his conduct. The prosecutor, it appeared,
had gone to sea, and there was, therefore, no evidence as to
the origin of the quarrel, or under what circumstances the
prisoner had been induced to act in the manner described.
The jury, six of whom were foreigners, under these cu.-
cumvances returned a verdict of not guilty.
The prisoner was then charged upon a second indictment
with a common assault upon the same prosecutor, and of
this offence he was convicted, and sentenced to twelve
months' hard labour.

William Leach, 48, was charged with feloniously shoot-
ing at Ann Leach, with intent to murder her, In other
counts the intent of the prisoner was laid to be to do the
prosecutrix grievous bodily harm.

Mr W. Williams prosecuted. The prisoner was defended
by Mr Sharp.

The prosecutrix, who gave her evidence with vary great
reluctance, it appeared was the wife of the prisoner, and
they had been married for eighteen
years. The prisoner, it
seemed, had for some time been a teetotaller, but on the day
in question, the 30th of July, he appeared to have drank
'revy freely of brandy, and he went home about three
o'clock in a very excited state, and shortly afterwards went
to bed. While the prisoner was supposed to be asleep one
of his eons seemed to have called out, " Where is the pistol 2"
and the moment he did so the prisoner jumped out of bed,
went to a drawer and took out a pistol, aimed it at his
wife and discharged it. The weapon appeared to have been
loaded with shot, some of which lodged in the wall of the
room, but the prosecutrix did not receive any injury, and
the prisoner at first seemed to have endeavoured to explain
his conduct by saying that what he had done was only in a
lark. When the police were called upon to take him into
cust3dy the prisoner appeared to have been very violent,
and he threatened to blow out the brains of anyone who
touched him, and when he was before the magistrate he
said that he had been aggravated to do what he had done
in consequence of his wife having pawned his clothes,
and his having discovered a large quantity of duplicates re-
lating to property wh ch she had made away with, and upon
being told he was charged with shooting at his wife, he re-
plied, " never mind ; I dare say she won't appear agaimst
M 0 to prosecute me." It also appeared the prisoner had
said to one of the witnesses that when he came out he meant
to have his wife's life.

The jury, after a short consultation, found the prisoner
guilty, upon the second count, of shooting at his wife with
intent to do h3r grievous bodily harm.
Mr Justice Byles said that if the prisoner had been con-
victed upon the first count of the indictment, he should have
felt it his duty to sentence him to penal servitude for life,
and he would have been in the condition of a slave for the
remainder of his days. The offence of which the jury had
convicted him was, however. one of a very serious character,
and the sentence he must pass upon him was that he be
kept in penal servitude for ten years.

(Before Thomas Chambers, Esq., Q,C., Common Sergeant.)
Rosa M'Dernzott, 21, spinster, a morose-1, oking woman,
of the CladB designated unfortunate, was indicted far felo-
niously wounding Mary Ann Hays, with intent to do her
grievous bodily harm.

The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to seven
years' penal servitude,

John Verender, a middle-aged min of decent appearance,
was indicted for having unlawfully, wickedly, and mali-
ciously published a scandalous libel of and concerning one
Henry Nathan.

Mr Metcalfe conducted the prosecution ; and Mr Harry
Palmer appeared on behalf of the defendant.

Mr Metcalfe, in opening the case to the jury, stated that
the prosecutor was of the Jewish persuasion, carrying on,
in partnership with his sons, an extensive business as
drapers, in Whitechapel, and defendant carried on the busi-

ness of a chandler's shop next door but one to the prosecu-
tor's warehouses in Great Garden-street, Whitechapel.
The defendant had been summoned before the magistrates
of the police-court of the district for obstructing the foot
pavement by the exposure of his goods, and the defendant
seemed to imagine that these summonses had been issued
at the instance of the prosecutor, whereas they had, in fact
been issued on the application of the police. On a second
summons for the same offence, the defendant refused to pay
the small penalty of four or five shillings inflicted upon
him, and, instead of paying, went to prison for an equiva•
lent number of days. He no sooner came out of prison than
the defendant placarded the front of his house and premises
with the libel complained of, and to which he (Mr Met-
calfe) would now call the attention of the jury, The first

ran in these terms, " Notice I Owing to the envy and malice
of the Jew draper, who bribed the Peelers to iuterters and
'else ewe r, I gto an.3.,unce to the public that I shall
curry on toy business as usual." The next placard was to
this eft. ct—" Snake, the inspctor, the fat. on his bones
being rank poison, did say at the police court that it was
the Jew draper that employed and bribed him to lake swear
for the sake of the women that come to his father's tally
shop, as they wear such large hoops that they cannot gat
by my premises." The third libel was—" Whore is the
low-bred, ignorant Jews ? No, Bobby, Ido not want to
have anything to do with the cut- throat Jew, or any of his
family. In defiance of the Jew draper and his Bobby Peeler,
my business will be conducted as usual.

" He that will a Bobby feed
Can in the street do as he pleased.
It's knr wn that half a pint of beer
Will buy a Bobby anywhere."
(Loud laughter.) Though the doggrel and rigmarole might
cause a laugh, the placards attracted large mobs of people
to the front of the defendant's premises, and occasioned not
ocly a great annoyance but a considerable hindrance to his
business. The defendant had been frequently expostulated
and remonstrated with, but he refused to displace the °lien.
sive placards until he had been committed for trial on this
charge. The prosecutor of this indictment had no desire bat
to protect himself and remain in peace and quietness, and
with that view the defendant had been communicated with
by Mr Mitchell for the prosecution, but without effect, and
hence the prosecutor had been compelled to come to this
court for protection and redress. Even now he would accept
a plea of guilty on the defendant entering into sureties not
to repeat his offensive conduct,

The facts thus stated in the opening speech of counsel
were fully proved by the prosecutor, Mr Nathan, a venerable
gentleman, who proved that he had lived on the spot for the
last 40 years, by Mr Mitchell, his solicitor, and by Police-
sergeant Moriarty, 20 I, who had in vain expostulated with
the defendant.

Mr Harry Palmer addressed the jury on behalf of the
defendant, contending that his client had no malicious
motive, but had merely put up the placard by way of joke.
lif the prosecutor had sought satisfaction his course ought
to have been to bring his action for damages, and not put
the machinery of a criminal court into motion. If he had
taken the former course the defendant could himself have
been examined on oath, but here the law closed his lips. In
a civil court the prosecutor might have obtained a farthing
damages, and he (Mr Palmer) trusted the jury would deal
with the prosecution at the lowest estimate,
The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of
guilty.
Mr Metcalfe intimated to the court that there were two
other similar indictments against the defendant for libelling
the two sons of the prosecutor in the last case, but still they
were willing to take an apology, with securities that the
annoyance should not be repeated.
Mr H. Palmer held a conference with his client (the
defendant), but he obstinately persisted in not making any
concession.

The Common Sergeant, in passing sentence, said he could
not but regard this as a most serious offence. The defendant
stood convicted of a most cowardly assault upon the cha-
racter of a very respectable man, and to the last moment he
has persisted in it. At first conciliatory arrangements were
offered to him, and he had been allowed to go at large on
bail. This session and the last he had failed to surrender,
and at last his appearance to-day has only been secured by
the estreatment of his recognisances, and the issue yesterday
of a warrant for his apprehension. These slanders were
worse than if the defendant had knocked the prosecutor
down and personally injured him ; and this slander was cal-
culated to inflict serious injury to him in the estimation of
the prosecutor's friends and neighbours. Under all the
circumstances the sentence was that for this offence the de-
fendant be imprisoned for the space of six months, and that
at the expiration of that term he enter into recognisances,
himself in £lOO, and two sureties in £5O each, to keep the
peace towards the prosecutor and all the rest of her ItLjesty's
subjects.

(Before Mr Commissioner Kerr,)

Richard Wybourgh, 32, labourer, and Catherine Cronin,
32, spinster. were indicted for feloniously assaulting, toge-
ther with another person, Edward John Sac,,ett, and steal-
ing from him a gold chain, a pin, and half a sovereign in
money.
Mr Kemp prosecuted, and Mr Daly dcf'ended Wybourgh,
The female prisoner was undefended.
The prosecutor in this case is a young man, and on the
day in question, the 29th July, he had been to a boat race
in the vicinity of Horselydown. After the boat race he went

with two friends to different public-houses, and remained
drinking with them till lo'clock, when he wended his way
home alone. While passing along Tooley-street he was
accosted by the prisoner Cronin, with whom he got into
conversation, and while talking to her the man Wybourgh
and another came up, and while the latter threw his arm
about his neck the male prisoner robbed him.
The jury found the prisoners Guilty, and having been
both convicted before, the Commissioner sentenced them—
Cronin to five, and Wybourgh to ten years' penal servitude.
Henry Paxman, 39, victualler, was indicted for stealing a
phaeton, value £2O, the property of William Glover.
Mr Platt prosecuted ; Mr M. Williams defended.
The learned judge stopped the case, and under his direc•
tion the jury returned a verdict of acquittal.
Dennis Ryan was indicted for feloniously and maliciously
causing grievous bodily harm, to his wife, Julia Ryan,
Mr Collins prosecuted.
The prisoner, who had observed a most stubborn mein
since his incarceration, on being called upon to plead re-
fused to open his mouth either one way or the other. Mr
Jonas, governor of Newgate, was called, and stated that the
prisoner could speak it' he chose, but he had pursued this
kind of conduct several times since he had been in New-
gate. A surgeon was likewise sworn, and he, having pre
viously seen the prisoner, stattd it as his opinion that he
was quite sane and capable of the powers of speech.
On the question being put to the jury, " Whether the
prisoner was mute through the visitation of God, or whether
he stood mute of malice ?''
The jury replied that they considered he stood mute of
malice.
The Commissioner then ordered a plea of not guilty to
be entered.
The facts of the case were of a very brutal character. The
prosecutrix was the wife of the prisoner, and resided at the
time of the assault at No. 30, Old Pie-street, Westminster.
On the 9th of July, about 9 o'clock in the morning, the
lodgers heard a dreadful noise, and the proaccutrix ran into
the room, her fac3 cov,rect with blood. The prisoner rushed
in immediately afterwards armed with a ginger beer bottle,
with which he struck her several more violent blows on the
head. The poor creature Was so frightened that she ran
under the bed, but the prisoner stooped down and struck
her several farther blows with the chamber, which he broke
to piecs4s, and had not the lodgers interfered there would
certainly havo been murder committed.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of unlawfully wound-
ing,
Sentence deferred.

Thomas Beehow, 28, musician, Margaret Broughton, 41,
Susan Seymour, 19, spinste-. and limy Dempsey, 23, em-
bosser, were indicted for a robbery with violence upon
John Smith, and stealing from him a watch and the sum of
£2l es.

Mr Cooper and Mr Wood prosecuted ; the prisoners were
defended by Air Daly, Mr Montagu Williams, and Mr
Thompson.
In opening the case to the jury, Mr Cooper said this was
a most extraordinary case of robbery, the prosecutor, who
was undoubtedly a weak-minded and timid man, having
submitted himself like a lamb to be the victim of the pri-
soners. It appeared that on the 10th of August the prose-
cutor, who was barman at a public-house in Kennington-
lane, received a holiday from his employers, and resolving
to enjoy
£2l into his pocket and started in search of pleasure. After
himself, and attired in his best, he put the sum of
sojourning at different places and traversing various portions
o f the town, he found himself about 5 o'clock in the evening
in the vicinity of King-street, Soho. While passing down
that Street he saw the prisoner standing
at one of the doors
with a jug of bear in her hand. She invited him inside, and
he accordingly accompanied her into the parlour. In a few
minutes Dempsey came in and swore at prosecutor, saying
he was with his wife, and declaring he would make him
pay for it, While the discussion was going on, the other
prisoners came in, and Beehow said that Dempsey owed
him £2 sa, but if the prosecutor would pay that sum he
would let him go without any further proceedings. Prose-
cutor said he had no money, when Dempsey seized him by
the throat, and held him very tightly. Prosecutor said,
" Don't hurt me, and I will give you what money I have."
He then took out his
purse, when Dempsey snatched it
from him, and told him he must have more ; and afterwards
the prosecutor took out his snuff box containing 19 sove-
reigns, and delivered it up. They afterwards took his watch,
spectacles, and other property, after which Dempsey wrote
a paper, which he asked the prosecutor to sign, but he
could not, he was so nervous. Ultimately he directed an
envelope addressed to his employer at Vauxhall, enclosing
a paper asking him to pay the bearers £2O. Dempsey and
Beehow then lett, and left the prosecutor in the room with
the two women, and they kept him there until :he men re-
turned about an hour after. They had been to the publican,
but he had repudiated the whole concern, and refused to
pay the £2O,

The prosecutor was then called, and gave his evidence in
a very simple manner, seeming to think that it was to his
credit that he had allowed himself to be gulled. In his own
words, he knew he ]lad submitted like a lamb throughout
the whole proceedings. In cross-examination by the different
counsel, which created considerable amusement in the court,
the prosecutor admi;ted that during the time that he was
left alone with the women he had not asked to be allowed
to go away. After getting out of the house he went into a
publichouse with Lempsey and had something to drink.
Never called out, as hp was irightened, nor told any one in
the publichouse. Was at the house five hours altogether.
Bade the prisoners good night when he left them.
Several witnesses were then examined, after which the
court was addressed by the different counsel for the defence.
The jury found tte whole of the prisoners guility.
An officer proved that both Benchow and Broughton had
been previously convicted, Dempsey had also had 6 months'
imprisonment for assaulting the prisoner with whom he was
living at the present time.

They were eenten3ed, Dempsey and Beechow to 10 years'
penal servitude, Brcughton to 7 years' penal servitude, and
Seymour to 18 mouths' imprigoament.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

TIMES,—.MIIe talent for otaanisation and for logi-
cagy- deduced and c'e dtgined ideas is the torte,
hut is also the foNe of the French. The doctor
explain to you lour eenaleaint Cleartie,
d teletticuess that you experience almost a feel
lug of pleasure at finding that nature has gone
wrong in so scientific a manner. The lawyer can.
not speak for five minutes without showing that he
refers to first principles with a knowledge and a skill
unknown to his English compeer. It is, therefore,
by no means surprising that the art of war, which
engages so large a part of the genius of Conti-
nental nations, should be brought to a theoretical
perfection among our neighbours and those nations
whom they influence. Belgium and Switzerland
are in some reepeets more French than France.
The ideas which are restraint d by the firm hand of
aolitical power, or diecour tged by the indifference
and vanity of Paris, often find their first expression
in these two States, which look up to the great
nation with awe, and offer it the sincere flattery of
imitation. Brussels is the traditional city of hu-
manitarian congresses ; and Geneva, scarcely less
French, and even more free, vibrates to every wood
of the master mind. The latter city is about to give
the world some new doctrine of the laws of war
which we may easily trace to the teachings of a
French school of reformers. An " International
Congress"—that is, an assembly of gentlemen, in-
cluding, probably, every body who chooses to come—
is sitting for the purpose of ameliorating the prim•
tices of war, and a most amiable series of resolutions
has been put forth to be the basis of their delibera-
tions. The delegates of the human race who meet
on the shores of Lake Leman have discovered that
war is a very inhuman proceeding. When two
nations quarrel they send out certain thousands of
men dressed in gaily-coloured cloth and armed
with deadly weapons, and these people inflict on
each other severe wounds, of which some instantly
die, and others linger in pain and confinement for
weeks and months. There are in use for this cruel
purpose large tubs of iron called cannon, and also
smaller ones called rifles and pistols, besides sharp
instruments for cutting and stabbing which go by
many different names. When two bands of the
madmen who carry these machines meet together,
and use them it is called a battle, and the conse-
quences always is that several hundreds or thou-
sands of the number are stretched helpless or
maimed, gashed or shot through, in certain illcon.
trived receptacles called military hospitals. From
time immemorial the horrors of these adjuncti to
a campaign have been described. The sufferings
of wounaed men after a battle have pointed the
moral against war for generations, and the coldest
and most callous generals are reported to have been
moved with pity at the sight of their followers lying
in fever and misery long after the day of victory had
gone by. The dreadful accompaniments of war ap
pear to have had such an effect on the leaders of this
Congress that they now propose to lessen them by
regulations of a novel kind. They are sorry to find
that not only do the armies fire at one another and
inflict hurts by lead and steel but that the victors
actually advance, capture the wounded who are lying
on the field, take possession of the enemy's hospitals,
use them for their own purposes, make prisoners of
all whom they find in the en, and, in short, postpone
the consideration of curing their adversaries to
that of advancing their own interests and making
the best c.f whatever victory they may have gained.
If the Congress adopt the regulations offered to
it, it will demand that every ambulance and every
military hospital shall " be regarded as neutral" and
respected by the belligerents•as long as it shall con-
tain any sick or wounded. Not only this, bat " the
whole sanitary staff, including doctors, surgeons,
apothecaries, attendants, &a., are to be regarded as
neutrals." Ail such persons are to be allowed to
fulfil their duties so long as their services are neces-
sary, and " will then be allowed to leave without the
slightest hindrance or molestation" in order to give
their help to other parts of their own army. Fur-
thermore, soldiers severely wounded are not to be
made prisoners, but shall be allowed to return to
their homes on the condition that they shall not bear
arms during the campaign. They shall receive a
free pass, and, " if necessary, means for their jour-
ney when well enough to leave their place of treat-
ment." The army in possession, too, shall provide
articles for the sick and for the persons in
attendance, the cost to ba repaid by the army
to which the sick and wounded persons and doctors
belong. Such is the schk me for making war truly
humane aad polite. To wound men in order to
send them home ; to support doctors on credit, and
when their work is done send them back to doctor
others of the enemy ; to supply whatever is wanted
by the enemy's hospitals, and to keep a book of the
expenses with the intention of seeding in the bill
at the end of the campaign,—these are the measures
recommended by the philanthropists of the day for
making the killing of human beings a more gentle
and civilised practice, With the utmost respect for
these gentlemen and a full belief that they are ami-
able and sincere, we must declare our conviction that
little moral good comes from attempts to make artifi
cial rules for the conduct of war, aod, as they would
phrase it, to humanise international strife. Humane
war is "hot ice and wondrous seething snow,"
and for men to take the practice of international
destruction as inevitable, and give their minos to
the elaboration of expedients for preventing it from
tieing what it must always be, is a perversion of
talents and a waste of labour. Undoubtedly great

and gifted men have wri►ten of the laws of war, and
have influenced Christendom so much that certain
practices are praised as honourable, and others con-
deinned as ferocious and cowardly. But beyond
the custom of not butchering prisoners in cold blood
there is hardly one of these rules which has not
been continually violated by contending armies,
and in the latest hostilities which have cursed the
globe the departure from the chivalrous principles
of war-making has been most marked. The

Americans, both Federals and Confederates, have
made war more like the wild Indians who possessed
the country before them than men who have in-

herited all the maxims and practices of Christian
- . _

Europe. Tue Federals began the outrages, and
their adversaries seem likely to better the instruc-
tion. The notion of making elaborate rules for the
conduct of war, stipulating for the repayment of
what each side advancer, for the perfect freedom of
every one connected with the medical staff of either

army, and the sacredness of every building in which
there shall be sick asd wounded, is the mere
pedantry of organisation. Can any one believe that
in such a campaign as General Grant has been car•
rying on in Virginia,where each commander's whole
taculties have been concentrated on the weakening
and outwitting of his adversary, any such rules of
courtesy would be observed ? Would the two

armies struggling in the depths of Georgia, would
the fierce partisan:: of the Western States, allow
any huildiog or set of men to be considered neutral,
and to set up an independent authority in territory
held by them P Such artificial regulations would
never survive the first shock of real warfare between
embittered nations; and it is for such contests that
rules of war must be made, if they are made at all.
Fighting is likely to be less frequent than in past
ages, but sharper and fiercer, and with less of
formal chivalry. The laws of the duello, the spirit
of which these Genevese humanitarians seem in-
clined to rival, are not calculated for the earnest
purpose of men in the present age, who when they
fight will use every effort to destroy their enemy,
and fancy they are most humane when they du this
most quickly and effectually. If there were no
other reason against these proposals, it would be
enough that in a campaign they would be almost
certainly nugatory. But they have a positive hurt-
fulness, since they tend to encourage the notion that
war can be made less a scourge of mankind by the
adoption of a certain artificial procedure. It wars
are to be waged at all, it is for the benefit of the
world that they should be as short as possible. The
sooner the victorious army disperses and rains the
army it has beaten, the sooner is the final arbitra-
ment given and the eispete brought to an end. It I
is better, therefore, to hamper war with as few re-
gulations as possible, and to give no encouragement
to any practice which would allow the worsted
party the means of delaying the necessary conse-
quences of its defeat. After all, the only safeguard
for the wounded or the prisoner is the humanity of
the conqueror; to that trust must be given, and
we hope and believe that in no recent war has the
plain duty of succouring wounded enemies been
forgotten. It is better to confide in unenforced
humanity than to set up pretended laws which
would be continually and inevitably set aside.
POST.—It appears from a statement made by
Mr. Lindsay, in addressing his constituents on
Monday, that since the commencement of the
American war the Federal Government have called
out two million three hundred and seventy thousand
men, in addition to four hundred and fitty thousand
militia,and have contracted liabilities to the amount
of eight hundred millions sterling, As a matter of
fact, it is known that the armies these numbers
represent, and the vast sum of money that has been
expended in bringing them into the field, have
effected literally nothing. There is not, as Mr.
Lindsay says, any appearance even of the Union
being restored. It is fair, however, to admit at
once that if the war had succeeded, if the South
had been subjugated, if the Union had been re-
stored, and if slavery had been abolished, all civi-
lized nations would still have insisted, as they do
now insist, and as history will emphatically declare,
that the full attainment of these objects could not
possibly be held to justify this frightful sacrifice of
human life. Great objects do undoubtedly some•
times call for great sacrifices, as, for example,
recently, in the resistance of Russian aggression,
and in the liberation of Italy ; for in both those
instances A principle of the utmost importance was

involved, and war was necessary to maintain the
steurity and the peace of Europe. Bur, t,:king the
F'deral ease in any way in which it can be put
:limit favourably for Mr. Lincoln, there is not vie

shadow of a detetice, not :he sem hlence of an excuse,
=Jot a tittle of evidence to exteeuate what melt be
deserihed as a giaantic crime. In no owner country
in the world would such a war have been tolerated
under no other form of government would it have
been possible. Monarchical England surrendered
her American colonies, not, as was proved a little
later, because she had not the means of continuing
the struggle, but in. deference to public opinion, and
in compliance with the dictates of reason and huma-
nity. But Mr. Lindsay has not stated all, nor nearly
all the liabilities of the Federal Government; for,
in summing up the account for which Mr. Lincoln
is morally answerable, it will be seen that his esti-
mate, incredibly large as it seems, falls considerably
short of what will have to he scheduled; and things
are come to such a pees and misrepresentation has
risen to such a height of effrontery, that it is abso-
lutely necessary—not in the Confederate interest,
but in the interests of truth and justice—to wholly
tear away the mask which conceals the hideous
features of this sanguinary and abominable war.
England, as we have said, recognised the indepen-
dence of the United States on principles which re-
gulate the policy of Christian nations, and when it
was proposed to employ savage tribes against the
colonists, the infamous suggestion was instantly de•
nounced and extinguished in the British Parliament.
One of the greatest orators of any age gave his latest
breath to save his country from that foul dishonour.
But in this war Mr. Lincoln has, in so far as he
could, armed the slaves against their masters, and
thereby virtually encouraged them to the commission
of unspeakable atrocities. It is not in the barbarous
treatment of Polish ladies, but in the indescribable
horrors of the Indian mutiny, that we have
to seek a precedent for outrages, which, in mercy
to the unhappy victims, are only partially revealed.
Sincerely do we hope that these barbarities have
been exaggerated, but they are indirectly confirmed
by the Federal accounts of the assault on Peters-
burg, where, we are told, the Confederates were
" maddened," as well they might be, at the sight of
the black troops. They are also, to some extent,
corroborated by official documents in which Federal
officers unblushingly describe how they deal with
ladies who are suspected of harbouring Southern
sympathies. Wives who, after being rudely inter-
rogated by a provost marshal, boldly refuse to take
the oath of allegiance to the Federal Government,
because they will not disgrace their husbands, are
sent to the South as " disloyal woman ;" and
General Sherman arrested and transported four
hundred factory girls for no ocher offence than
that they were, in their own State, which he had
invaded, engaged in manufacturing canvas for the
Confederate army. Ot course the result is precisely
that which was witnessed in Maryland the other
day, when the women welcomed and aided the
Southern troopers. But what it is essential to have
understood is that this parody of Muscovite warfare
Is deliberately ordered by the Federal Government,
and more especially that in arming the slaves Mr
Lincoln must have been aware of their brutal pro-
penalties. Moreover, another secession, if not im-
minent, is coatemplated. The North Western States
are preparing to follow the example set them by
their bouthern sisters, and Mr Lincoln is not only
responsible for the cost of a useless war, but also
for having sown broadcast the seeds of disintegra-
tion. He has irretrievably broken up the Union,
and it is difficult to say whether, even in the North,
nis Government is more hated or scorned. While
his own senators have charged him with usurpation
of power and a design to secure his re-election by
unfair means, his chief army will in all probability
have to retreat over ground it has encumbered with
its dead, and, abandoning an object for which it has
poured out its blood in one continuous stream, en-
deavour to save Washington from the sword and
brand of the exasperated Confederates. By sheer
force, by coercing the Northern people with
bayonets that have proved powerless against the
Southern hosts, Mr Lincoln can perhaps carry his
re-election, and call again for vceunteers. But, put
it off as he may, the day of reckoning will come,
and if we add to a debt of £800,000,000 the value
of all the ships and cargoes that have been destroyed
by the Confederate cruisers, and if in the tale of
slain and disabled we include the widows and
orphans of the war, and those who have suffered
worse than either death or bereavement, there will
be a bill to pay which, if justice and courage are to
be found in the laud that has been wasted, cannot
be repudiated with impunity. We must, however,
say now, as we have said all along, that this coun-
try is not called to intervene in the only way in
which her intervention could, as it appears to us, be
made at all availing. The interference Mr Lindsay
proposes would hardly, we fear, tend to strengthen
the hands of the peace party in the North ; nor can
we think that they ought to expect foreign support
in the discharge of a clearly indicated duty. But
we do entirely agree that every one amongst us who
can make his voice heard is boand to protest against
the extension of any sympathy to a Government
which has written out its doom in the blood of its

own subjects, and in that sense we have accepted
the invitation Mr Lindsay's speech offered to point
to facts which speak for themselves,

The Accident on the North London Railway

Yesterday afternoon
.Dr. Lankester, coroner for
Central Middlesex, and a jury of eighteen inhabi•
tants of St. Pancras, assembled at University Col-
lege Hospital, for the purpose of opening an inquiry
as to the (loath of Witham Davis, aged 22, the fire-
man or stoker of the locomotive engine, which ex•
ploded at the Camden-road Station of the North
London Railway, on the morning of Tuesday last.
A number of the officials of the North London
Company and scientific gentlemen were present.
John Franklin, of Fairfield-road, Bow, said he
was half-brother of the deceased, and identified

the body. Deceased was a fireman on the Nurth
London Railway, and worked on engine No. 4.
Witness was a driver on the same line of railway,
and had driven the same engine eighteen months,
having only left the night previously. There was
a double shift on that line of railway, and had not
this accident happened he should have resumed his
duties as driver of that engine at one p.m. on the
day on which the accident happened. Be.,
sieved the engine was about nine years old. It had
been stopped a week together for repairs, and was
under repair about a fortnight ago for a new piston.
Had reported tubes leaking, but not as to any
weakness or detect in the stays of the fire-box, and
although they had a book to make entries in, had
never made a report about the fire-box.

Thomas Pett said he was guard in the employ of
the North London Railway, and at about 9,35 on
Tuesday morning was standing on the down plat-
form at Camden-road Station. The train to which
No. 4 engine was attached was the Chalk Farm
train, It had stood at the station about a
minute and a half, when witness, who was about
20 yards off, heard a noise like the bursting of
a boiler tube. In an instant after beard and saw a
rush of steam, and then heard a heavy crash, as if
something had fallen over into the street. Ran
through the steam, and on looking over the parapet
of the railway saw the engine lying below, Then
saw t►he deceased, William Davis, lying in the six-
foot. He was groaning very much. Witness picked
him up and sent for a doctor : he carried him to the
platform, and then put him on a board to carry him
to the hospital. They put him in a van, as the
doctor would not allow him to be put in a cab.
Robert Grey said he resided at Clarendon-
cottages, Bow, and was foreman of the locomotive
shop of the North London Railway. The engine
No. 4 was about ten years old, and the company
had ten engines of the same class and of the same
age. There were some other engines older tha❑
this. No, 1 was several months older. This engine
had not been often under repair. Since the accident
had examined the engine, and had found no defects
in the structure. The fire-box seemed good and
sound, and the stays all sound. The inner copper
fire-box had given way. The top stays were
broken,and the rest were blown through the copper.
By the Coroner—Could not say the cause of the
accident. I have never seen an accident of this kind
before. This engine was thoroughly repaired and
tested two years ago; they are not examined more
than once in two years. There was a small star
crack at the back of the fireabox, and it was repaired,
and a copper patch put on it, Nhich is theme now.
The stays were examined two years ago, and were
then sound, and so they are now,
Mr George Cox, house-surgeon of University
College Hospital, proved that the deceased died
from concussion of the brain and other injuries.
Mr William Adams said he resided at Carlisle-
terrace, Bow, and was locomotive superintendent of
the North London Railway, Was well acquainted
with the exploded engine; was not aware of any
defects in her. Had examined the engine since the
accident; one side of the fire-box was torn away
from the back and top side. Could not see any
thinning of the metal to account for it. The thick-
ness of the flre•box plates vary from three-eighths
to half en inch. This was originally three•eights,
and was worn away about one-sixteenth.
By the Jury--There was nothing to show that
shortness of water and high pressure caused this
accident. If the firebox gave way the water would
nigh in and cause the accident.
The Coroner—Has the Government yet sent down
any one to inspect the engine P
Witness—No, but it has been reported.
By the Jury—I deny that the engines on the
North London Railway do double the amount of
Work of engines on any other line. The average

working is about 16 bouts per day for ten year!.
She btis run under 300,000 miles: 291,508 wiles is
the 6Ct uai amount. It is heavy wor.lk for the woik-
iug parts of the engine. Our wo s heavi,n- thfat
on the North Western or Great Western It)itw''YF°

Mr Humphrey LAtub, of Violet-street, Devon-
( oad, Bromley, said he was rortmuu of the boiler
makers in the employ of the North London Railway,
and knew No. 4 engine. Never heard any COm.
plaint about her firebox. Had examined the nre•
box since the accident, but could not tell the cause
of the accident. Such an accident might occur to
a new engine. The copper of the firebox Was par-
ticularly good.
John Ellis said he was driver of the engine No.
4, to which the accident happened on Tuesday last.
He was slightly scalded. He left Chalk Farm at
9.32, and on reaching Camden-road was standing
on the foot-plate when the explosion took place.
He had been a journey before, from Bow to Kesv,
and had taken in water at Chalk Fain). About
a minute before the explosion took place looked
at the pressure gauge, and found it standing at
120, the pressure at which it worked. When the
explosion took place witness was blown off on to
the platform. Saw no leakage of any kind before
the occurrence. The guard was blowing his Ow
tie, and witness was in the act of turning on the
steam when the accident happened, There were
eightinches of water by the water gauge when
they started. There would be no danger from want
of water if it was as low as four or five inches.
By the Jury—Had reported the engine with
respect to her tubes being out of order, but not
as to the firebox.

A juror said he should not like to stand on an
engine which had been five years, much less ten
years at work, as this engine had been.
At this stage of the proceedings the Coroner said
he thought it desirable that the jury should vievf
the engine at Bow, and it would be better, .
order to enable the Government to send their
inspector, that it should be adjourned till that cl 6/
fortnight.
The inquiry was adjourned accordingly.

Explosion at Vauxhall Foundry, Liverpool•

A fearful explosion took place yesterday morning at the
extensive works in Vauxhall-road, Liverpool, known as the
Vauxhall Foundry. It appears that a portion of the south
wing of the foundry is us, d as a machine shop, and that for
the purpose of driving the lathes, &c., there is a powerful
engine and a boiler of 90 horse power. In order that there
may be no delay in generating steam when the men g° t°
work in the morning, the boiler fires are " banked" over
night, and a moderate pressure of steam always ready the
first thing in the morning. Yesterday morning, as
the men went to work in the machine shop at six o'clock,
Everything appeared to go on well until about ten
minutes or a quarter past six, when the boiler exploded
with a terrific crash, completely demolishing the building
in which it was situate, and causing great alarm through'
out the works and the immediate neighbourhood. As
soon as the smoke and steam had cleared, a painful scene
presented itself. The boiler and machinery were shivered
to atoms, and were scattered over the °works in B'ci,
directions. A number of the men employed lay bruised and
scalded among the debris. Oae man, named Bernard
M'Evoy, was picked up in a frightful state, and died in
few minutes afterwards, and another man named James
Rowe died in about halt an hour after he was admitted to
the Northern Hospital. Several other men were also taken
to the hospital, all more or less suffering from scalds and
wounds, Six men were temporarily attended to at the
Northern Dispensary, from whence they were removed to
their own homes. Fortunately, their injuries are of such a
nature as to prevent any immediate serious consequence!.
Five men, however, in addition to Rowe and Ivey' 1:1,1
in a very critical condition at the Northern IlosPita",
at the time of the despatch of our parcel two of them, named
Calvert and Baugh, were not expected to long survive their
injuries. '1 he damage done to the building is very exten-
sive, and will incur considerable expense to the proprietors,
Messrs. Forrester, and Co„ who give employment to about
800 men. A singular fatality seems to hang over this foun-
dry, as it is only a short time since that one portion of the
works, embracing the modelling and joiners' departments,
was destroyed by fire, and damage to the extent of £16,000
sustained. The cause of the explosion is at present un-
known, and those who saw the boiler before the explosion
occurred assert that all was right—that there was a proper
quantity of water in the boiler, and that t here were no in.
dications whatever to show that there was any fear of as
explosion. The following are the names of the poor fellows
now lying dead and wounded at the Northern Hospital
Bernard M'Evoy, aged 48, dead—James Rowe, 23, dead
George Calvert, 53—Edward Baugh, 19—Michael l'N.l'Den-
mot, 34—Thos. Goulburn, 29—and Edward Sweeney, 46.