The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-11 00:00:00

PUGILISM,

(From Bell's Life.)
JOE COBURN AND JEM MACE—THE MATCH
MADE.

According to agreement, Jem Mace, accompanied by Mr
Abrahams, his backer, met Joe Coburn and Cusack, at our
office, on Friday, June 10, for the purpose of settling the
knotty points which last week prevented their coming
together, and we are glad to say, although matters looked
stormy at the commencement, the conference terminated in
an amicable and satisfactory manner. The question of the
amount to be fought for was first re opened, and Coburn at
first offered to fight for £3OO a side even, but finally agreed
to go on upon the terms of the original challenge, vie, for
£5OO a side, Mace giving him £lOO at the last deposit for
expenses. Then rose the point as to a referee, At start-
ing, Coburn would hear of nothing but choosing that
official on the day, while Mace wished to delegate the power
of selection to us, or else to appoint a meeting a week before
fighting to select him. By degrees, however, ;rem, who
seemed to relish his job, gave way, and Coburn making one
step to meet him, thPy agreed to meet either personally or
by deputy the thy before the fight, and choose a referee.
The place of fighting was the last point of dispute, but was
got over without difficulty, it being arranged that a meeting
should take place 10 days before the battle, when, if no
agreement can be made, the choice of place is to be tossed
for. The following articles will put our readers in posses-
sion of all the arrangements that have been made:—

Articles of agreement entered into this 10th day of June,
1864, between James Mace, of London, and Joseph
Coburn, of New York.

"The said James Mace agrees to fight the said Joseph
Coburn a fair stand-up fight, according to the Rules of the
Ring of the Pugilistic Benevolent Association ; the fight to
come off on Tuesday, October 4, above 20 and under 100
miles from Dublin, for £5OO a side. The actual place to be
mutually agreed on, or tossed for, on Sept. 22. Coburn to
receive from Jew Mace the sum of £lOO for expenses when
the whole of the money is to be made good. The referee to
be chosen the day before fighting.
.In case of magisterial
or other interference the referee to name the next time and
place, The Editor of Bells _Life in London to be the final
stakeholder. In pursuance of this agreement £5O a side is
now staked, and the remainder shall be deposited in sums of
£5O a side until the last, which shall be made £lOO a side,
at a house to be named by Mace. The next deposit of £5O
a side shall be made at Nat Langham's, the Mitre, Uppe
St. Martin's-lane, on Tuesday, June 21; and the remainder
of the money by six fortnightly instalments of £5O each, on
days to be named in time for insertion in Bell's Life of the
previous Saturdays. The expenses of the ropes and stakes
to he mutually divided. The men to be in the ring between
12 and one o'clock.

" In pursuance of this agreement we hereunto attach our

names,

"JAMES MACE.
" JOSEPH COBURN."

This document being duly signed and witnessed, the men
shook hands cordially, and took their departure, Coburn to
Manchester, from whence he will doubtless make other
starring excursions, and Mace to his usu,l routine in the
sparring world. We shall not fail to keep our readers
"fly" to the various moves of the belligerents, which will
doubtless be watched with eager interest. Coburn informs
us he is 29 years of age, having been born July 20, 1835,
in the county Armagh. Mace requests us to state that,
although born at Beeston, in Norfolk, he, too, is of Irish
descent on his mother's side, so that, alth ,ugh many ren-
sationists will doubtless talk of the match as " interna-
tional," it is real,y nothing of the kind, both men being
actually subjects of the British Crown.

Thirty-three Persons Poisoned at Bir-
mingham.

By order of the London and North Western Railway
Company, Messrs. Ludlow and Daniell, auctioneers, New-
street, were engaged on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednes-
day, in selling by auction, at the Curzon-street goods sta•
lion, a large quantity pf unclaimed goods, accumulated at

the station during the past 22 months or more. Amongst
these unclaimed goods were threb or four sacks of a poison-
ous nut called jatropha nuts—sweet and pleasant to the
taste, but poisonous, They are useful in some branch of in-
dustry—we believe an oil is extracted from ttlem. These
nuts were allowed to be scattered about the floor, and yes-
terday some boys employed in the sheeting department ad-
joining the place in which the sale was carried on obtained
access to them and carried quantities of them home in their
pockets. These boys ate the nuts themselves, and treated
their friends with them, and the consequence was that
above 30 persons were taken so ill that they were brought
to the General Hospital yesterday, some of them quite in-
sensible. The scene in the surgery as so many persons suf-
fering from poison presented themselves at once for treat-
ment may be more easily imagined than described. Dr
Russell, Dr Anderson, and the whole medical staff of the
hcspital were engaged in administering emetics and such
other remedies as were deemed expedient. Some of the su -
ferers had eaten so freely of the nuts, and were consequently
so much affected by them, that fears were entertained for
their lives, but vie are glad to be able to state that it is now
considered they are all out of danger; 20 of those who were
most ill were put to bed in the hospital, the others were
discharged after the proper remedies had been administered
to them and they had received advice for their own guid-
ance afterwards. When there was time for making leisurely
inquiries it was ascertained that the boys and the persons
whom they treated had the nuts and were eating them from
time to time between 12 and 1 o'clock. Some of them ate
only three or four when they were taken ill, others experi-
enced no ill effects till they had eaten two handfuls. The
first symptom was vomiting, accompanied by some, but not
much pain in the region of the stomach. This came on in
two hours or more after the nuts had been swallowed; they
were eaten between 12 and 2, and it was a quarter after 4
when the patients were brought to the hospital. Purging
and depression were the next symptoms. This applies to
an adult who had eatten only four. The boys who ate large
quantities became drowsy half an hour at'terwarde; their
pupils were dilated, they became, quite pale, and they suf-
fered from great depression.

The total number treated at the hospital up to last night
was 33. Several of the patients were then still in a critical
condition, but it was hoped that they would recover during
the night.—Birmingham Gazette.

Serious Accident on the Midland Railway,

A serious accident, by which about 30 persons were in •
jured,
.occurrei on the Midland Railway, at the Lawley-
street station, Birmingham, at about half-past 9 o'clock
yestet day morning, The space in front of the Lawley-street
station is an intricate mass of shunting ground, to which
the Derby (Midland), the Worcester and Gloucester, or
West Midland, the Grand Junction (going to Aston and
Walsall), and the London and North-Western lines all con-
verge. All the trains stop at the platform at that station,
that the tickets of the passengers may be collected there.
Yesterday morning a passengertrain was despatched as usual
from Derby at 7 o'clock. It was due at Lawley-street at 20
minutes after 9 o'clock, and it arrived in a few minutes after
that hour. At the same time a Derby goods train was mak-
ing its way over the shunting ground to leave its waggons
in the London and North-Western goods stet ion, at Curtion-
street. The goods train, instead of being sent in its right
direction, was accidentally shunted on to the Derby liele just
as the passenger train came up. The engine of the passel.:-
gir train struck the tender of the goods train, but not very
violently, as neither of the trains was going at a great speed.
The shock to the passenger train, however, was so great that
the passengers were thrown from their seats in the car-
riages, and more than 30 of them were more. or less hart,
many of them severely, but none of them dangerously. A
large number of business and professional men, coming from
their suburban or country houses to Birmingham for the
day, wise in the train. Amongst them was Mr Standbridge,
the town clerk, who received a severe shock, and several
contusions about the head and face. Other gentlemen,
about 30 in number, had similar injuries inflicted on them.
Fortunately there was no fatal accident.
Neither the engine nor the carriages were at hil seriously
injured. The pointaman, through whose mistake the acci-
dent occurred, has an excellent character as a steady, trust-
worthy, and experienced man. His name is Vines. He
has been employed as pointsman in his present position for
seven years. What caused him to make the blunder is not
very clearly ascertainable. It is suggested that he was
cleaning the machinery, and was taken by surprise by the
trains coming up,

FIRE IN DRURY-LANE.—Last night a fire broke
out in the premises belonging to Mr. Robert Smee,
a cabinetmaker and japanner, No. 5, Parker-street, Drury-
lane. Owing to the inflammable nature of the stock in
trade the flames extended with more than usual rapidity,
and in less than half an hour the whole of the six floors
presented one tremendous sheet of flame. The Royal
Society's fire-escapes, with the engines of the parish and
several of the London Brigade, with two of Shand and
Mason's land steamers from Chandos-street and Watling_
street, promptly attended, and a bountiful supply of
water having been procured, the whole of the engines
were set to work. Owing to the indefatigable
exertions of the firemen, and the judicious direc-
tions given, the fire was entirely extinguished by
midnight; but, judging from external appearances,
Mr. Smee's property must be entirely or nearly destroyed.
Several of the adjoining houses are also severely damaged
by water, &c. The origin of the fire is unknown. Mr.
Smee informed the reporter that two of his men were at
work in the factory at the time, and that they knew nothing
of the disaster until one of the workshops was in flames.
Fortunately the principal sufferer was insured in the
Phasnix Fire Office.

GENERAL GARIBALDI.—The Mayor of South-
ampton (Mr G. S. Brinton) has received a letter from the
illustrious ItalLn patriot, of which the following is a copy :
—" Caprera, June 1, 1864.—My dear Sir,—l will never
forget the time I stayed in your house, where I was re-
ceived so kindly by your family, and also your amiable
company on my entry into the great metropolis. Please
salute the people of Southampton—precursor of my fortu-
nate visit to free England—for me, and them for the way
in which they received me. Believe me, I will always feel
for you and for your family the deepest gratitude and

Failure of the Bankruptcy Law Reforms

(From the Law Times of to-day.)

Lord Westbury possesses the great virtue, cha-
racteristic of minds conscious of their own capacities
of candour to confess a mistake and a willingness to
learn what may be said against its own views, and
willingness to be convinced. Creditably ambitious
to achieve a reputation as a Law Reformer, he has
laboured zealously to link his name with changes
for which much was premised, but which have
proved in practice to be unproductive of the antici-
pated advant-Tes, while they hare wrought certain
mischiefs. The reform of the Bankruptcy Law is
fouTid to be no reform at all; on the contrary, the
law is in a state fur worse now than when it was
sought to be improved. The Transfer of Land Act
as yet has wrought bat a friction of the ser-
vices that w're prophesied of it. lArd. Westbury
:rankly confeste3 the failure of the Bankruptcy
Law Amendment Act, and but for the appoint-
ment of the select committee of the House of
Commons, would doubtless have tried to remedy
some of its most patent defects. It will be seen
by an extract from the report of an interview with
a deputation, which appears in another column,
that he is willing to deal with this latest law reform
in the same liberal spirit of concession to the objec-
tions of the trading community, echoing those which
had been previously published by the lawyers.
Himself proposes to abandon the prof act for confis-
cating debts under £2O if not sued for within one
year. He has adopted that which we ventured to
suggest as the fair compromise between the existing
inconvenience of six years and the threatened ruin
of the tradesman by reducing the term to a twelve-
month. Having fixed upon three years, we trust
that he will not confine its operation to debts under
£2O, but extend it to allsimplo contract debts. Three
years is quite long enough for the voluntary keeping
alive of a claim, If the creditor cannot pay in that
tiime, he is not likely to pay at all ; and even if
it were not so, there is no reason why the whole
community should be compelled to keep their bills
and receipts and be subjected to possible harass, for
the sake of a few creditors who choose to give ex-
orbitant credit. On the other objectionable provi-
sions of the bill Lord Westbury expressed himself
with equal candour. He desired to receive the sug-
gestions of the traders; he was by no means wedded
to his particular plan ; he was willing to make any
alterations that would accomplish the object. This
is as satisfactory to the public and the profession as
it is creditable to the sound judgment of Lord West-
bury. The bill contains much that is to be com-
mended and which receives universal approval. Not
the least meritorious is the provision which so inge-
niously discourages those speculative actions so often
denounced by the Law Times, by requiring the plain-
tiff in the Superior Courts to give security for costs.
The proposed equity jurisdiction is likewise worthy
of all praise. Possibly it might be more prudent
to exclude some of the suggested jurisdictions at
first, until the capacity of the County Courts to
deal with them satisfactorily shall be proved by
experience, and the judges and officers shall have
mastered the new law they will be called upon to
administer; but the outline of the scheme is ex.
cellent.

If to these be added a limitation of imprisonmen

0 once for the same debt, and the reduction o

the Statute of Limitations to three years for all
simple contract debts, subject of course to
the same exceptions as at present recognised,
Lord Westbury will have won the reputa-
tion not merely of desiring and designing
law reforms, but of accomplishing them. We
despair of receiving a good bankruptcy law from
his hands, for he hill continue, we fear, to base
it upon a false foundation, and unless there is a
solid base there can be no firm structure. No law
of bankruptcy can be successful that does not take
for the principle of its entire construction that not

to pay a debt is prima facie a wrong, for which
some penalty is due, and which thnefore throws

upon the insolvent the burden of proof that he has
become such by reason of unavoidable misfortune,
and not through any fault of his own. In ell cams
he should be bound to prove substantively, first,

that when he contracted the debts from which he

seeks relief he had just grounds. for believing tha

he should be enabled to pay then; ; and, secondly,

he should be required to prove the particular mis

fortunes that afterwards prevented him from doing

as he had then reasonably expected to be able to do.

A debt contracted without such reasonable ex-
pectations of payment is only another and safer form

of robbery, and should be punished accordingly.

A debt honestly incurred, but of which the
debtor has deprived himself of the means of pay-
ment by some subsequent folly, should be punished
in proportion to the character of that folly.
Only the debtor whose debts were fairly incurred,
but of which unavoidable misfortune has prevented
the payment, is entitled to pity, to forgiveness, and
to favour.

On these principles it would be easy to construct
a good law of bankruptcy ; on no other could a law

be framed that will not b© mischievous—morally,

socially, and commercially.

The World's Highway.

" A Templar," in a letter to the Times, writes :
Al:ow me to call your attention to the disgusting
state cf Fleet-street and the Strand about 1 a.m.
Some virtuous person—who no doubt is also beau-
tiful, irissmuch es he is always in bed by 10 o'clock,
and so never misses his beauty-sleep--will say,
" What business have you in Fleet-street and the
Strand at 1 a.m. ?" Well, that is just what I have.
Business it ads me along Fleet• street and the Strand
six nights out of the seven at hours varying from
1 to 3 a.m., and I must say I wish many of these
"virtuous and beautiful" people were compelled
sometimes to take the same walk. They would then
see troops of women of the vilest and lowest class,
who pe.rsist in thrusting their foul companionship
on every passer-by. If their advances are repelled,
the; cover the unlucky object of their attention
with the Ithiest abine. " Well, cries some "
rate-
payer, wirer.
are the police ?', To this very
natural question, EN.:OI
in the Strand,,, at least, at 1
a.m., generally answers• Where ? rake my own
case last night, for instance; as a quarter past 1
I was accosted by one of these women just
on the west side of Temple-bar, I told he, to go
about her business, and not to spzak to people
did not wish to apeak to her. She then followed
me along the Strand, abusing and reviling me in
every way. Between Temple-bar and the Savoy
I counted 28 women of her order, all plying the
same disgusting trade, but not a single policeman.
At the corner of Savoy-street I met a constable,
whom I requested to go back with me that I might
introduce him to my persecutor. His number was
F 38, and a very civil, well-spoken young fellow, I
am bound to say, he was. He has my best wishes
that he may soon bean inspector. We speedily found
the woman, who had halted at the corner of Welling-
ton-street—that being, I presume, the end of her
" walk." Having pointed her out to F 38, I left
them, and I sincerely hope that I may not have to
give her into custody again.
Now, I have no wish to speak ill of the police, who
in the Strand at night are far too few to cope with
this evil, and whom I have, with few exceptions,
found extremely well behaved ; nor do I desire to
be too hard on tLis unfortunate class of women; but
I am sure that London streets at night have lately
become much worse in the nuisance to which I refer
than they used to be, and I think the autheritie
s
might do more to protect those who are compelled
to pass through great thoroughfares than is now
the case.

• ACCIDENT TO VISCOUNT CLlFDEN.—Yesterday
afternoon, shortly after 5 c'etook, Viscount Circlet]
was leaving his residence at noehampton in his brougham
and pair, when ono of the horses shied, wilich alarmed the
other horse, and both started off at an uncontrollable pace.
Lord Clifden, seeing the danger, opened the door of the
carriage, and had the presence of mind to jump out. The
driver lost all command over the horses, and they pursued
their course until they came to a dyke on Wimbledon-
common, where the brougham was upset, the coachman
was thrown off, and unfortunately his left leg was broken.
One of the high-spirited horses atso broke its leg, and had
to be shot. Lord Clifden, whose health is far )roin satis-
factory, showed much kindness and presence of mind
to the injured coachman, to whom no blame could be

SECOND EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, HALF-PAST 4 O'CLOCK.

TURKEY,

CONSTAN TINOPLE, JUNE 8, 7.30 p.m.
Prince Conza arrived here yesterday and wag
received by the Sultan to-day.
In consequence of this visit the concentration of
Turkish troops on the Danube has been counters
manded.
Tae Circassian emigration ail continues. The
migrants are dying by hundreds.
A

Charming Tribute to Ernest's Genius.

(From the Queen.)
Ernest, the violinist, is universally liked anJ respected as
a man, and honoured everywhere as a first rate professor.
His reputation is European, and be Was the first player
who broke down the prestige of Paganini ; for it was
' a long time after the Genoese fiddler had disappeared
from public life that anything like faith could be at-
L tached to his successors. In 1837, Ernest was playing at
a concert in Toulouse, and there happened by mere chance
to be present a roving "special correspondent," on his
way to Spain, who was struck with the extraordinary execu-
tion of the young German virtuoso, and who immediately
wrote off his impressions to his London morning paper, and
for the first time here the name of Ernst became known
When he arrived in this country there was full confirmation
of the enthusiastic eulogium of the correspondent, and it
required but a short stay for Ernst to take his stand as one
of the leading violinists of any age. Indeed, in one speci-
ality, Ernst has been unapproachable—in poetry and passion
he has never been excelled ; in an adagio Ernst seemed
always inspired; he extracted such tones from his vio-
lin as rendered it like Niobe, all tears, and it may be
therefore readily assumed that his organisation was of
the most sensitive kind, that his sensibility was acute,
and his susceptibility, like that of all truly superior
artists, was great. With such a nature and tempera-
ment, his playing was uncertain, or, as the French would
say, journaller. But like Viardot, if is the right cue he
was sublime. We remember well on one remarkable occa-
sion—it was a joint benefit concert he had with Moscheles,
at the Hanover-square Rooms—something, occurred to dis-
turb the nervous system of Ernst, and he fell on the ground
in the artists' room in a kind of epileptic fit. He could not
play, of course. The concert was financially productive, but
such was the honourable sensitiveness of Ernst that he
handed over his share of profits, amounting to nearly £9O,
to the Royal Society of Musicians. For son.° years he
has now been a severe sufferer, and he has wandered
about from country to country seeking a restoration of his
shattered health. In his rambles abroad he meets with Sir
E. Bulwer Lytton, who, appreciating the intellectual quali-
ties of the invalid artist, with kindred sympathies invited
him to his country seat, and has been indefatigable in secur-
ing for Ernst the best medical advice of this country. The
progress to a cure has been slow, but there is yet hope as
to a restoration. Did the immense auditory in the St.
James's Hall, on the 6th, at the 153 d of the Monday Popu-
lar Concerts, notice the dark screen, looking to the left of
the orchestra? Were they aware that whilst they were
listening with breathless attention to the impassioned
strains of the " Elegie" of Ernst, as poured forth by Joe-
chim—that whilst the soul of the composer was in their
heart of hearts—the body of the man was extended on a
couch behind that sombre screen, in suffering drinking in
the sounds of his own inspiration, and gasping perhaps
with agony at the notion that he was there helpless and
useless; but, thank Heaven, not alone, for there were the
friends of his youth around him. There was, above all, a
devoted wife near him, and there was the Elite of distin-
guished professors, native and foreign, listening with
tense interest to his exquisite creations.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day,

LONDON, June 11.—Wind this day at noon—South-
West; moderate breeze and fine weather.

CLYDE, June 10.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Britannia,
from New York.

CARDIFF, June 10.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—Richayal,
for Beylore—Massalvite, for Havannah—Julius, for Bal-
timore.

OSP SALCOM3E, June 9.—Wind W.—Arrived—Lizzie,
from Nassau.

PLYMOUTH, Jane 10.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Bragg,
from Rio Janeiro.

OFF FALMOUTH, June 10.—Arrived—Sophia, from Rio

Janeiro.

SWANSEA, Juno 10.—Wind S.—Sailed—Robert Bright,
for Valparaiso.

NEWPORT, June 10.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—Stella, for
Antwerp.

SWANSEA, June 10,—Arrived—Queen of the Isles, from

Antwerp.

LONDON GAZETTE.—Last Evening.

INDIA OFFICE. JUNE 7.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint John Budd
Phear, Esq., barrister-at-law, to be a Judge of the High
Court of Judicature at Fore William, in Bengal.

-
WHITEHALL, JUNE 9.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint Richard James
Lane, Esq., one of her Majesty's Counsul, to be one of th©
Special Commissioners for Irish Fisheries, in. the room of
William O'Connor Morris, Esq., resigned.