The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-31 00:00:00

should be sorry to say anything which would wound
the feelings of the directors.
The CHAIRMAN said it was quite feasible to take
the vessels round to the Indus, as scarcely such a
thing was known as a gale of wind or a strong
breeze in February on the Madras coast.
A SHAREHOLDER-Will the companies insure
them

The CHAIRMAN—They will not upon that coast.
We have tried to insure the vessels, and cannot ;
but if the shareholders do not wish theta to go
round they can be stopped.
A SHAREHOLDER—Can you tell us the distance ?
The CHAIRMAN—About 2,000 miles. With re-
spect to the proposal of Sir H. D. Wolff, I have not
the slightest objection, nor do I suppose any of my
colleagues have, to an inquiry into any arrange-
to a good
meta that could restore the company
footing. (Cheers.) I shall bo happy to agree to
his proposition. (Heir, hear.)
Mr. GUTIERREZ movid a resolution for the ap.
pointment of a committee to inquire into the ad-
visability of reconstructing the company, or forming
a new one.
Mr. MARTIN said it was his intention to propose
that all the vessels should be sold, and the company
wound up.
The SoLicnon said that resolution could not be
put except at a special meeting called for the

purpose.
Mr. TAYLOR suggested that the investigation
should be extended to the accounts. He was per-
fectly satisfied that the board of directors as at pre-
sent constituted could not carry on the aitairs of
the company with success.
After some further discussion,

Mr. GUTIERREZ agreed. to withdraw his resolution.

passage in the report
Mr. BOURNE complained of a
which insinuated that he had not given, as he con-
tended he had done, every explanation in regard to
his account. He approved of the appointment of a
committee which, from the proxies in his possession,
he knew would meet with the general approbation
of the shareholders. In his opinion it was possible
to take the vessels from the Ganges to the Indus
without much difficulty or risk.
A resolution, proposed by Sir H. D. Wolff, and
seconded by Captain Henderson, to the following
effect was then carried, with only one dissentient :
—" That a committee of shareholders be appointed
to inquire into the tetras of the negotiation initiated
by Sir H. D. Wolff for improving the condition of
the company, and to report to the shareholders at
a subsequent meeting the particulars of such nego.
tiation, and their opinion upon it."
A committee was then appointed, consisting of
Sir D. Wolff, Captain Surtees, Mr. Oakes, and
other gentlemen.
It was then agreed that the report of the direc-
tors should not be adopted until the committee had
reported, and that the meeting should be adjourned
for four weeks. _ _

The retiring directors and auditors having been
re-elected, a vote of thanks was tendered to the
chairman.
_.

---__
The CHAIRMAN, in acknowledging the compli-
ment, said it was his intention to resign his seat
at the board.
M. BESEMERES made a similar announcement as
regarded himself.
The proceedings then terminated.

Alleged inhumanity to a Lunatic.

At the Rotherham Police-court, yesterday, a
lengthened investigation took place into the alleged
ill-treatment of a woman named Mary Ann Bennett,
aged 21, who had been confined by her father and
stepmother for a number of years. The father is
the foreman of extensive ironworks at Parkgate,
and lives on the premises. The case has excited
great indignation in the neighbourhood, and the
court-house and yard were crowded with spectators.
Mr. Muscroft, a neighbour, stated thaton the 19th
inst. the alleged lunatic ran to her house for pro-
tection. Her clothing was in a most filthy state,
her hair was matted, her legs bruised and bloody,
her eyes and arms discoloured, and her lips swol-
len. She said the old lass (her stepmother) had
done it, adding that the woman had struck her
on the face with the coal-rake, and had fre-
quently beaten her with other weapons during
the preceding week. The poor creature was in
such a horrid state that witness could hardly
believe at first it was a human being to whom she
was speaking.
Police-sergeant Horne stated that in consequence
of information from Mrs. Muscroft he visited Ben..
nett's house on the 20th inst. The young woman
was called, at his request, from a back place. She
was covered with rags, in such a condition that she
had to hold them together to prevent them falling
off. The officer also spoke to the appearance of the
bruises on various parts of the young woman's body.
He noticed that the ends of her matted hair had
been burnt. The stepmother said that the young
woman had burnt it herself. The witness went
into the young woman's bedroom, which he described
as a small recess on the stairs. It was in a most
filthy state. What was used on her bed was little
else than a heap of filth. There was a blanket upon
it, but so filthy that he could only tell it by the feel,
and the stench of the place was so overpowering he
was obliged to leave. The young woman's person
was in the same filthy state as the rags with which
she was covered. Horne asked when she was
washed, and the stepmother said she had orders from
the father never to clean or do anything for her.
The evidence was given in order that the magis-

trates might grant summonses for the attendance of
the parents. Other Witnesses were in waiting, and
a paper was put in signed by a number of men em-
ployed under Bennett, offering to give evidence as
to the cruelty he and his.wife had practised towards
their daughter.

Dr. Hardwick, the union surgeon, who had been
instructed to examine the young woman as to her
sanity, some days after she had been seen by Horne,
denied that she was bruised, or that there was a
filthy room in the house. She was evidently a
person of feeble intellect, but he was unable to say

- .
from one interview whether or not she was insane,
but he thought she was not.
The Bench, after hearing the evidence, decided to
grant summonses against the father and stepmother.
The young woman was present, and upon being
asked if she would return to her fathts's house, she
said, " No, my mother has threatened to knock my
The
brains out." She was removed to the workhouse.
The case will be gone into next Monday.
crowd were so indignant that the P Brenta narrowly
escaped severe handling as they left the court-house.
an has been strictly
It is stated that the young cc
bedqer by the witness
confined in the place de-
gancliester Exa»iiner,
Horne for many years.--

THE RUSSIAN
DrAvr..—Several of the for •
largo og
f a iron
en
-
journalscontain the following paragraph ;—.«;—.«elgn
k sub-
marine vessel, of colossal dimensions, is now beilig built at
Cronstadt, in tits construction of which 2,000 tone
w two
with a power-
and steel will be used. She is to be moved
by
gines,worked by compressed air, is to be armed
ful spur, and will carry every accessory for fixing to the
hulls of vessels large cylinders of Powder to be fired
by, electricity. Large glass covered
openings will enable
the crew to direct the course of the vessel ; they will be
also able to regulate the depth at which she is to swim,
Will
but in general the vessel be near the surface. The
Emperor recently signed a
decree appropriating 673,000 fr,
for the construction of
this sea monster. The house of
Krupp has received ark
immense order from the Russian
artillery department
for steel cannon of the largest
calibre. A foundry
was
some time since esta-
blished at Colpino
for vessels
, near St. Petersburg,h, to turn out iron-
casingels ; but already the establishment proves
insufficient. .
A second foundry is about to be built. The
iron-clad frigate Sebastopol has just been launched. She
will carry two engines of 100 horse-power each,
be a and will
"nod with 38-pounder rifled cannon. Another frigate
of f the same size, to be called the Emperor Nicholas, will bo
launched in the spring.
THE " TIMES' " GRIMES !.—What has really been
the threat (asks the London .Review) hurled at a
gentleman who, by common consent, is at the head of his
profession ? . You ride in the Park. You are well known
in society. You attend the 'receptions' of the leaders of
politics and fashion. You visit at the country houses of
the nobility. J 3 ut I will raise a hue and cry
you.
after
youyoaure.
You have offended me, and I will unmask
nothing but a newspaper editor. Ladies and gentlemen.—
Mr. :O. if; nothing but a newspaper editor. I know his
handwriting. I can tell you, moreover, the name of the
proprietor of his journal, and the
ought to be tabooed in every decent
They are persons received in
society. It's disgraceful. They
ncoammpeanoyfil,t, manager.