The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-21 00:00:00

BEIAGIUM.

The subject on the crder--,2f the day of the Bel-
gian Chamber of Representatives the day before
yesterday was the discussion relative to the elect-
tions. At Bruges, the committee having declared
through the medium of its reporter, M. Alphonse
Nothomb, that its labours were not yet terminated,
the Chamber adjourned, sine cl,e, after ordering that
all the documents referring to the election should
be related,

MILITARY JUSTICE,

Chapter xix, of' Mr. Warren's Law Studies.
Military and naval authorities are very tenacious in re-
sisting any interference, by "lawyers," wish their adminis-
trations of justice in courts martial. It has several times
been observed by officers, in the author's presence, that,
" it is rather hard to be subject to your aws, as well as our
own; and besides that, have to submit to your interfererce,,
or dictation, in administering our orders, among ourselves."
A different view of the case, however, is often taken by an
officer who finds himself ordered to stand a general court
martial on charges of a serious nature, involving his very
existence as an officer and a gentleman—his whole military
and social status : or when the destructive sentence of dis-
missal, or cashiering, has been pronounced, confirmed, pro-
mulgated, A "lawyer's" assistance is then frequently
and eagerly sought for, to conduct the defence at the trial,
or advise on the steps to be taken, in order to obviate, or
mitigate, the effect of a hostile verdict, deemed unjust or
illegal.
This is not the place for discussing the excellen-
cies or detects of the existing administration of
military law : though the author has probably had
more professional experience on the subject than
may fall to the lot of most of his readers; has
had opportunities of expressing his views in print, and was
engaged in preparing a bill in conformity with them, when
he suddenly quitted the House of Commons. All that will
be here attempted, is to give the student a general idea of
the duties he will have to discharge, if his services should
be called for by an officer, imperilled, o r conceiving himself
aggrieved, by proceedings ordered by the Commander-in- I
Chief.
Counsel, under such circumstances, when attending at
the trial—before a tribunal brilliant and imposing in ap li
-
pearance—feels, in spite of the dignified courtesy exhibited
to him on all aides, in a position anomalous, and exqui-
sitely embarassing, charged—only as the " friend of the
prisoner," not of the court—with most serious responsibi-
lity: fettered and harassed by the court's professed non-
recognition of him, and the compulsory silence he must
observe, on even the most critical and momentous occa-
sions ; when satisfied that the court is, unawares, going
egregiously wrong, and sacrificing the character and
honour, dearer infinitely to him than life, of the British
officer sitting beside him in mental agony. The stately
deliberation with which the proceedings are conducted—
questions and answers being in writing, alike in
examination in chief, in cross-examination, and re-
examination, and recorded at the time, not in
short hand, but by the pen of the deputy judge advocate
sorely tries the temper and patience of one trained to the
rapid, efficient, and at the same time decorous conduct of
proceedings in the ordinary courts of justice.
The "charges"—equivalent to the indictment, in an ordi-
nary criminal case--are framed, or examined, by the military
authorities at the Horse Guards, and, when necessary, under
high advice : in order that it may be ascertained that they
are such as should be submitted to the cognisance of a court
martial, and that there is sufficient evidence to substantiate
them. "It is well known," said a high military authority,
" by everybody, that in the case of charges brought before
a court martial, they are not bound to the technical forma-
lities which prevail in other courts of law ; but there is this
essential principle in every charge, before any court that
can exist in the civilised world : that the charge shall be
sufficiently specific to enable the prisoner to know what he
is to answer, and the court to know what they are called to
inquire into."
To this it may be added, that, in the language of the
great Duke of Wellington, " The proceedings of courts
martial are conducted on the principles of the civil law
courts, are founded on, in a great measure, and analogous
to, the proceedings of the other courts of law." The rules
of evidence are those of all the other courts of justice.
The first point to be attended to by counsel, attending on
these occasions, is to avoid, as far as possible, technical
objections, which arc, and naturally, irritating beyond
measure to officers intent upon getting at the merits of the
case, and hating and disdaining " pettifogging." He must,
however, take care not to carry his abstinence too far.
Objections founded on the hearsay character of evidence
are often indispensable, in order to protect an officer from
gross injustice inflicted on him unconsciously, by those not
aware of the grounds of the objections to such spurious
evidence. Objections, again, to questions as " leading," ce.,
a question framed so as to suggest a desired answer, are
often equal in importance to those aimed at the exclusion of
hearsay, but even in our ordinary courts of justice, these ob-
jections are too often captious and futile, though sustainable
in technical strictness. The irrelevancy of particular ques-
tions, or heads of evidence, is another frequent subject of
objection, sometimes taken inconsiderately, and at other
times overlooked, and with dangerous consequences—the
result being to obscure the real points in issue, and create
cruel prejudice. Counsel must therefore always have his
eyes fixed on the real issue before the court, and be very
vigilant in preventing, as far as practicable, divergence
from it. Before a tribunal of gentlemen unversed in such
matters, it may be difficult to explain the point and force of
such objections, as the differential calculus, or the digamma
and to advise an (filler to insist, except on the best grounds,
upon such objections before his brother officers, is danger-
ous in the extreme, When an objection to evidence, or a
particular course of procedure is taken, by either the pri-
soner or the prosecutor, counsel should be prompt, terse, and
plain, in his written statement of objection or answer, so as
to be easily intelligible to a body of laymen, on its being read
out to them. For this purpose he must use his utmost efforts
to preserve calm collectedness throughout, and may safely
act on the assurance, which is hereby given him as the
result of personal experience, that the members of a court
martial, though its proceedings may be disfigured occasion-
ally by irregularity and illegality, as many a judge Adva-
cate-General can testify, mean to act fairly, honourably,
and in accordance with the very letter and spirit of their
oath. And here let it be said, with sincere and cordial
regard and respect for the British officer, that he is but
too apt, when called on to act as a member of a court
martial, to entertain Use notion of administering criminal
equity. which, however pleasing to his mind, is nevertheless
to be sternly shunned and repelled, as, in the words of Ed-
mund Burke, " in truth, a mistake in jurisprudence." The
student may hereafter be called on to cope with this ten-
dency on occasions most deeply affecting the honour, the
status, and even the life of a British officer. We are told
that Dr. Johnson, talking of a court-martial sitting on a
very momentous public occasion, "expressed much doubt
of an enlightened decision; and said that perhaps there was
not a member of the court who, in the whole course
.of his life had ever spent an hour by himself in balancing
probabilities."
Counsel, again, must be exceedingly careful net to put
questions of an offensive or derogatory character to wit-
nesses, or indulge in comments of that kind, in framing the
prisoner's defence—unless it be absolutely unavoidable ;
and questions should be couched in courteous terms. It is
vain to deny that a legal "friend" is too generally looked
at with jaundiced eyes by members of all courts martial, and
regarded as an unwelcome intruder, come to dictate to
officers and gentlemen—to teate, perplex, and mislead
them, by quirk and quibbles. It is necessary, therefore, to
disarm them—to melt away their prejudices by candour,
courtesy, and straightforwardness, alike in reality and in
manner. Let counsel, beware of resorting to anything like
a threat, either directly or indirectly—such, for instance, as
an allusion to what may be,thereafter done at headquarters
—or, "by the proper authority reviewing the proceedings."
The desired object may be obtained without acting thus
offensively, and laying himself open—or rather the anxious
and harrassed client sitting beside him—to the indignant
charge of "dragooning" the court. He should never for-
get that that client is responsible for what his " friend'! is
doing, and if that client, himself a military man, strongly
object to the course taken by his " friend," he should pause,
and not persevere, unless perfectly satisfied that he ought
to do so, or sacrifice the precious interests intrusted to him.
He must be firm, in that case, though his client may be
importunate, and even in the anxiety and excitement of the
moment, irritable—nay offensive. Verbum sapienti.
In framing the written defence—a critical duty, and for
the discharge of which a reasonable time is always freely
granted by the Court, great discretion should be exhibited
in both selecting the topics, and the mode of deal-
ing with them. Brevity should be studied, and facts and
reasonings conveyed in language as plain and simple as
can be employed. The writer of that defence must not beat
about the bash, or bewilder the court with refined distinc-
tions, but ge to the true points in a frank, straight-
forward manner. If it be absolutely necessary to arraign
the conduct and motives of the prosecutor and witnesses, it
should be done with due courtesy and temper. Great cau-
tion should be observed in commening on the propriety
of instituting proceedings—it being borne in mind that
they have had the sanction of the supreme mili-
tary authority, under whose notice the issue will
come, and by whom every word of the writ-
ten
"defence" in particular will be calmly and care-
fully weigleed. The judge-advocate-general, who usually
is, and always ought to be, a lawyer, and one too of
superior professional knowledge and discretion, reviews
the proceedings immediately after the transmission of
them, sealed, to the Horse Guards. It is consequently im-
portant to have placel upon record all legal objections
taken by the prisoner, and for this purpose respectful
application must, as such objections arise, be made
to the court. Another circumstance worthy of attention
is, that the handwriting of the defenee should be as dis-
tinctly and readily legible as possible; for it is to be de-
livered, not by the writer, but his excited and anxious
client, or some equally embarrassed military friend.
In addition to assisting an officer at the trial, counsel
may be called upon to advise him beforehand, as to the
conduct of his defence, the validity of the charges, and the
i
evidence requisite on the part of the prisoner. Counsel
may also he required to advise a prisoner against whom
the court has decided, and who conceives himself entitled
successfully to impeach the legal validity
ings, whether the trial took place at horns. or°.feahbtrlF:aide.s,Gfirealt
difficulties have to be contended with;
administering
' inistering mili-
the very nature of the present
tary justice, and its undoubtednddeefe°cts and hardships on
prisoners. Two recent decisions of the Court of Queen's
Bench may be advantageously referred to by the
.student as
showing the extreme diamity of impging the demons of

courts martial, however erroneous, under review by the
civil courts.

It is not very frequently that counsel are called on to
advise and assist in cases of this description ; but when
they are, it is on occasions which attract public attention ;
sometimes to a great extent ; and counsel should be all the
more anxious to acquit himself satisfactorily, and maintain
the credit of his own profession, whose watchful eyes are
fixed upon him.
The Queen's regulations, the articles of war, and the
Annual Mutiny Acts, which have recently received con-
siderable modifications, must be referred to as the reposi-
tories of existing military law. The two excellent little
manuals of Mr. Prendergast, "On the Law relating to
Officers of the Army and of the Navy; " Simmons "On
the Constitution and Practice of Courts Martial ; "
and Hickman's " Treatise on the Law and Prac-
tice of Naval Courts Martial," will afford the
student and practitioner much useful information on the
subjects. Since, however, they appeared, important
changes in the law have been effected, rendering it neces-
sary to read them cautiously.
The great interest which the author of this work has
always felt in military jurisprudence will, he hopes,
be his excuse for here placing on record, in the
nature of an appendix to the present chapter,
certain suggestions for the improvement of the law
and practice relating to courts martial, which have
received the emphatic approbation of very high authorities,
both judicial and military. The work written by the author,
in which they appeared, is not now accessible to the public.

It is gravely questionable whether the interests of the
public service do not require the office of judge-advocate-
general, which is one entirely judicial, to be held by the
same tenure as other judicial offices, and thereby rendered
independent of political or other disturbing influences.
The course of procedure would then be consistent, uniform,
and satisfactory, superintended by one thoroughly expe-
riencectin such matters.

The judge-advocate-general, and deputy-judge-advocate-
general, should be gentlemen of rank and station at the
bar, whose practice had been in the common law courts.
The president of, at all events, every general
court martial should, wherever practicable, be the
judge-advocate, or deputy judge • advocate- general,
or a member of the bar, appointed pro hdc vice,
of standing and experience sufficient to ensure fitness for
the discharge of such responsible duties. If it be deemed
advisable, however, to continue an officer as president, then
a gentleman properly qualified should attend the court in
the capacity of assessor, or official adviser, to whom, in all
matters of law, the court should be bound to defer.

No one should prepare, or be responsible for, charges, and
also officiate at the trial, as president or assessor.
Nc one should discharge, at the same time, the incompa-
tible duties of prosecutor, and official adviser of a court mar-
tial.

Every general court martial should, when practicable,
be attended by a sworn shorthand writer, who should be
bound, immediately after tho close of the inquiry, to furnish
a copy of the evidence to the accused, on his demand, and
paying for it.
The examination of witnesses should be viva voce.

These two alterations would at once insure accuracy ;
greatly abridge the time at present occupied by courts
martial; save expense to the accused, and to the country;
and prevent the inconvenience to the service, occasioned by
their absence from their duties of so many officers, kept from
their respective spheres of duty for so long a period. At
present every question is first written down, then considered
by the deputy judge-advocate, and perhaps, also, by the
president; then read over to the witness; then recorded
by the deputy judge-advocate; then put to the wit-
ness ; whose answer is in like manner recorded. This
insufferably wearisome and preposterous procedure
is calculated, by totally defeating the legitimate objects of
cross-examination, grievously to obstruct the development
of truth.

The prisoner should be allowed the free assistance of
counsel during his trial. _ _

All rulings of the president, or deputy judge advocate,
on matters suggested by the court, the prosecutor, or the
accused, should be given openly, in the presence of the
accused.

The president, or deputy judge advocate, or assessor,
should sum up the case to the court openly ; and if such
duty should be performed by the deputy judge advocate, he
should retire, while the court deliberates on its finding and
sentence.

In case of a conviction, the prisoner should be privately
apprised thereof immediately, and be at liberty forthwith,
as he may be advised, to offer any reasons for impeaching
the validity of the proceedings, provided that such objec-
tions could not have been made at the trial, or were made
and overruled.

In case of acquittal, the result should be communicated at
once to the prisoner, and he should be forthwith released
from arrest, and ordered to return to duty, as is the practice
in the navy.

The 18th section of the Mutiny Act prohibiting a second
trial of an officer or soldier, and more than one revision of
the finding or sentence, and the reception of additional
evidence on a revision, should be repealed, and power vested
in the superior authority to permit any of these things to be
done once, if justice should appear to require.
A copy of the judge advocate .general's reasons for ad-
vising a confirmation of the finding and sentence, should
be furnished to the prisoner, a reasonable time before they
shall have been submitted for her Majesty's pleasure.
One of many existing grievances, and of surpass-
ing unreasonableness and cruelty, in the case of
military courts martial would be at once removed, if the
above suggestions were to be carried into effect. As the
Mutiny Act at present stands, and has long stood, all is
sickening mystery and suspense to the unfortunate ac-
cused, for many weeks, sometimes months, and he is kept,
during all that period, in arrest, a marked suspected man,
equally whether he be guilty, or, in fact, have been most
honourably acquitted.
The author was counsel for an officer who was acquitted
after a protracted trial; and the excitement and suspense,
occasioned by the lengthened period which elapsed before
he was apprised of the result, placed hlm in a position
justly occasioning the most vivid apprehensions of his
family and friends.

Curious Astronomical Discovery.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—It has been recently announced, on the part
of the Astronomical world, that they have hitherto
been in error as to the distance from the sun to the
earth. The error amounts they say, to four mil-
lions and thirty-six thousand miles ; and it seems
that M. Le Verrier now adopts the idea that the
sun's horizontal parallax is 8 min. 95 sec.; and
that, therefore, the true mean distance of the sun
from our earth is only 91,328,600 miles, instead of
what Professor Eneke has hitherto taught, viz.
95,364,400 miles. Now, if these gentlemen had
only considered that the all-wise Creator has made
all the universe by " weight and measure," and
that it is, therefore, impossible that our earth,
the moon, and the sun, should have been
made at haphazard, and without any de-
sign in their constitution and proportions, they
might have determined the true distance of the sun
long ago. A conviction that some definite relation
must exist between the dimensions and distances of
these glorious bodies has led me to the discovery of
the true distance of the sun, without any reference to
those doubtful observations on parallax which have so
long misled the great astronomers of Europe. I
have discovered this relation between the moon, the
earth, and the sun, viz„ " that the diameter of the
moon is to the mean distance of the moon's surface
from the earth's surface, as is the diameter of the
sun from the mean distance of the sun's centre to
the earth's centre." Also, that the diameter of the
earth is to the diameter of the sun in exactly the
same ratio, or proportion. From this I find that
the true distance of the sun from the earth is
exactly 91,493,000 miles; which distance differs
from that now given by M. Le Verrier, only by
164,800 miles. And whereas that astronomer
gives the horizontal parallax at 8.95 sec., I find it,
as above, to be 8.94 sec.

I think this discovery is undeniable evidence of
the existence of design in the creation of the sun,
moon, and earth.

To satisfy persons who may desire to examine the
evidence of these facts, I here beg to append the
data, on which my calculations aro founded, as tol-
ows :—The diameter of the moon is 2,159.3 miles;
the mean diameter of the earth is 7,91.24 miles.
The mean distance of the moon's centre from the
centre of the earth is exactly 237,231 miles =
59.9643 mean radii of the earth. This gives the
distance of the surface of the earth from the surface
of the moon--=232,195 miles. And this, divided by
the diameter of the moon, gives the rati0=107.532;
which, multiplied by the mean diameter of the
earth, gives the diameter of the sun =850,842 miles.
And this again, multiplied by the same ratio, gives
the mean distance of the sun from the earth, as
distance
above stated. The apparent mean diameter of the
ss
ec. fotrakreefnracattiol:),
grniivneustetshe
( which is
allowing
only
88,0
3.30
miles less ; differing from LeV •
errier 76,600 miles.—
Yours, &e.

R. S. MORRISON, Commander R.N.

MADAME DE LAMARTINE,—It is stated that the
will of the late Madame de Laraartine, which left all
her property to her huband, has been declared void in
England, owing to an intormality in the execution. It
will be remembered that she was an Englishwoman.

HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 20.

The Queen, accompanied by her Royal Highness
the Crown Princess, walked and drove in the
grounds this morning.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Nemours
and Princess Marguerite of Orleans arrived at the
Castle yesterday. _ _

The dinner party included their Royal High-
nesses the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia,
Princess Helena, the Duke of Nemours and Princess
Marguerite, the Prussian Ambassador and Countess
Bernstorff, Lady Caroline Barrington, Lieutenant-
General the Hon. C. and Mrs. Grey, Dr. Holzman,
and the Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting on the
Queen and the Prince and Princess of Prussia.
Count and Countess Bernstorff left the Castle this

morning.
Eirl Russell had an audience of the Queen.

The Prince and Princess of Wales.
SANDRINGHAM, Nov. 20.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, with
Major Teesdale, Sir Charles Phipps, Sir Henry
Keppel, and Mr. H. Villebois, went out shooting
yesterday.

Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, with
the Hon. Mrs. F. Stonor and the Misses Phipps
drove out.

The Hon, Mrs. Francis Stonor has succeeded the
Countess of Morton as lady in waiting en the
Princess of Wales. The Countess of Morton has
left Sandringham.
The Prince of Wales joined the meet of the West
Norfolk hounds to-day at Sussex Farm, Burnham.

The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough will
entertain company at Blenheim Palace, near Woodstock,
Oxon, during the ensuing week; and on Thursday her
grace will give a large party, to which the principal fami-
lies in the county have been invited.
The Earl and Countess of Cawdor and the Ladies
Victoria and Muriel Campbell left town onWednesday last
for Nipton, Lincolnshire, on a visit to the Hon. Archibald
and Mrs. Campbell.
The Earl and Countess of Wilton will entertain
a succession of visitors at Egerton Lodge, Melton Mow-
bray, during the hunting season.

The Earl and Countess Craven, who have arrived
in town, accompanied by the Ladies Craven, will shortly
leave Charles-street, Berkeley-square, for Ashdown-park,
Berks.

The Countess Dowager of Cawdor has arrived in
Tilney-street, from Burwood, Kent.

The Countess Lordolf has left Claridge's Hotel
for Paris.

Viscount Curzon left Curzon House at the early
part of last week for Gopsall Hall, Leicestershire, for tho
hunting season.

Lord and Lady Dacre, accompanied by the
Dowager Lady Chesham, have left Grosvenor-square for
the 800, Herts.

Lady Macdonald Lockhart and Miss Macdonald
Lockhart have left Farrance's Hotel for Lee Castle, near
Lanark, N.B.

Oa Thursday last the Hon. T. C. Bruce, youngest
son of the late Earl of Elgin, was married at Riddlesworth
to Miss Sarah Caroline Thornhill, eldest daughter of Mr.
Thomas Thornhill, of Riddlesworth Hall, Norfolk. The
ceremony was peformed by the Hon. and Rev. A. Phipps. 4

Sir Henry Keppel, who has been on a visit to
the Prince and Princess of Wales, has left Sandringham for
Quiddenham.

Sir William and Lady Maxwell have arrived at
Claridge's Hotel from the continent.

Sir Edward and Lady Synge have arrived at the
Alexandra Hotel, St. George's-place, Hyde-park-corner,
from Paris. .

Sir Charles Phipps and the Misses Phipps have
arrived in town from Sandringham.

His Excellency Sir Henry Bnlwer, G.C.8., her
Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople, has arrived in
town.

The party which was about to be given by the
Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth has been postponed,
owing to the demise.of his grace's uncle, Lord Cheaham.
THE EMPRESS AND THE PRINCE IMPERIAL.—
Sunday, being the Empress's birthday, or rather
fete, for it was the St. Eugenie, there was a grand dinner
at the Chateau, illuminations in the Park, which was
thrown open to and thronged by the public, and later in
the evening amateur theatricals, in which two or three
short one-act pieces, composed for the occasion,were played
by some of the guests present. In one LI these a part had
been reserved for the young Prince Imperial, who performed
it very creditably, although evidently struggling against a
certain amount of timidity, which is a feeling he appears to
throw aside completely whon riding on his little pony 111
the woods of Compeigne. Some very pretty verses, set to
music by two of the guests, in honour of the fair heroine of
the day, were sang with much entrain, all the amateurs
who had taken part in the evening's performances, stand-
ing on the little stage, and joining in the chorus at the end
of each couplet. The Empress seemed greatly pleased, and
was looking on that evening younger and more lovely than
usual. She wore a transparent white muslin dress spangled
with silver, on each breadth of which ran, from the waist
downwards, a narrow band of green velvet ending in knots,
fastened with diamonds, A small toque, or cap of green
velvet, embroidered with diamonds, and ornamented with a
diamond aigrette, was placed on her head, and a string of
pearls fastened round her throat, a locket and cross, com-
posed of emeralds and diamonds. Simple as this dress was,
it attracted universal admiration, and did the grace and
kindness with which the Empress did the honours of the
fete. The Princess Anna Murat, who is remarked to be a
special favourite with the Empress, was dressed in white
muslin, trimmed with blue, with bouquets of forget-me-
nots, and a parure of turquois and pearls.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The
ing gentlemen, having undergone the necessary
examination for their diploma, were admitted members of
the College at a meeting of the Court of Examiners on the
20th inst.—viz., Messrs. Frederic Nash, Royston, William
Godfrey Watermeyer, Cape of Good Hope, and Ebenezer
Diver, M.D. St. Andrew's, Yately, Hants (students of Uni-
versity College; William Gallimore Hayden, L.S.A., High
Wycombe, Augustus Reeve Senior, Richmond, and James
Fuller, L.S.A., Rectory-place, Woolwich (of the Charing-
cross Hospital) ; Francis James Ryder, L.S.A., Green•
wich, and Richard Edward Cooke, L.S.A., Southwells
Notts (of St. Thomas's Hospital) ; William Henry Vipans
Ely, Cambridgeshire, and Vincent Richards, Charlton (of
Guy's Hospital) ; William Snowden Hedley, M.D., Edin.,
Alnwick, Northumberland, and Ralph James Forbes
Leith, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire (of Edinburgh) ; George
Philipp Justus Ludwig Lichtenberg, M.D. GOttingens
Finsbury-square; Alexander Murray Bligh, Liverpool ;
James Gwyther, M.B. Lond. and L.S.A., Manchester; and
Emil Julius Baeteke, M.D. GOttingen, Finsbury-square.
MAUDSLAY, THE MECHANIST.—As the con-
noisseur in art will exclaim, at sight of a picture,
"That is Turner," or " That is Stansfield,'' detecting the
hand of the master in it: so the experienced mechanician,
at sight of one of his machines or engines, will be equally
ready to exclaim, " That is Maudslay ;" for the character-
istic style of the master-mind is as clear to the experienced
eye in the case of the finished machine as the touches
of
the artist's pencil are in the case of the finished picture.
What Oxford and Cambridge are in letters, workshops
such as Maudslay's and Penn's
aseinmecohfantiheesi.r Norcan Oxford and Cambridge men be prouder
con-
nexion with their respective colleges than mechanics such
as Whitworth, istasmyth, Roberts, Muir, and Lewis are of
their connexion with the school of Maudslay. One of Mr.
Maudslay's old workmen when informing us of the skilful
manner in which he handled the file, said, "It was a.
pleasure to see him handle a tool of any kind, but he was
quite splendid with an 18-inch file; '--Samuel Smiles.
ATTEMPTED MURDER AT LDERSHOTT.—Ort
Thursday a plasterer, a native of Exeter, Darned-
Bartlett, came to Aldershott, by his own statement, to Nava
an interview with his wife, who has been livinz, there as
prostitute for some time. He found her at the house of n
Mrs. Niel, and appeared to be on pretty good terms
with
her. lie had been in the house about two hours when iV
was suggested that she and several other persons who we:o
there should go and have something to drink at the Tra"
falgar beerhouse. They accordingly proceeded there, and'
three of them entered the beershop. Bartlett, his wife, anti
another person remained outside. Suddenly, and without
any remark, Bartlett seized his wife and threw her down'
She cried "Murder I" and on the bystanders raising her uP
a pool of blood was discovered on the ground. It was found
that her throat was frightfully cut. Medical men were im-
mediately sent for. The first who arrived was Dr. School-
braid, a surgeon residing in the town. Shortly afterwards
Dr. Fortieth, of the Royal Dragoons, was in attendance•
It
was then found that the woman's throat was cut in three
places; one wound had partially severed the jugular vein;
and also the windpipe. The medical men succeeded in
tysnn
one of the principal arteries, but there appears, from the con-
dition of the woman at 9 o'clock yesterday morning, to
d.!.
not the faintest hope of her recovery. Bartlett was imme
ately secured, and a razor stained with blood was for:.
within a few yards of the spot where the woman had fallen-
On On the way to the police station the prisoner said if his avelie
.
died he should die happy, as be came down with the inter'
tion to do for her. lie also said be should ask the favour f
being allowed to go back to Devonshire, his native counils
to be executed. lie is about 27 or 28 years of age.