The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-30 00:00:00

THE CATASTROPHE AT BIRMINGHAM

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The following are copies of a letter received by
Mr. Charles &urge, mayor of Birmingham, written
by command of the Q..teen, in refere .ce to the late
catastrophe at Aston-park, and of his worship's re-
ply thereto:—

Osborne, July 25, 1863.

Sir,—The Queen has commanded me to express to you
the pain with which her Majesty has read the account of a
fatal acciaent which has occurred during a fete at Aston-
park, at Birmingham.
Her Majesty cannot refrain from making known through
you her personal feelings of horror that one of ner subjects
—a female—should have been sacrificed to the gratification
of the demoralising taste, unfortunately prevalent, for exhi•
bitioni attended with the greatest danger to the performers.

Were any proof wanting that such exhibitions are demo-
ralising, I am commanded to remark that it would be at once
found in the decision arrived at to continue the festivities,
the hilarity, and the sports of the occasion atter an event
so melancholy.
The Queen trusts that you, in common with the rest of
the townspeople of Birmingham, will use your influence to
prevent in future the degradation to such exhibitions of the
park which was gladly opened by her Majesty and the be-
loved Prince Contort, in the hope that it would be mad.
!,erviceable for the healthy exercise and rational recreation
of the people.—l have the hon..ur to be, air, your most obe-
dient bumble servant, C. B. PrirFrs.
The Mayor of Birmingham.

Borough of Birmingham, kfayor's office,
July 28, 1863.

Sir,—l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 25th inst., written by command of her
Majesty the Queen.
Li the first place, I beg you will convey to her Majesty
my humble assurance that there is not in the kingdom an
individual who laments more sincerely than myself Lot only
I the melancholy accident to which you rater, but the de-
praved taste for a barbarous species of amusement which
unhappily has become popular not only in the metropolis
but in all parts of her Majesty's home dominions. It is
only a short time since, and during my mayoralty, that it
was proposed to exhibit a similar performance within the
borough ;
but, though I was not empowered by law to in-
terfere, I ventured so far to interpose my authority as to
prevent it. In this unfortunate instants my name appeared,
in conjunction with those of the Lord Lieutenant and seve-
ral magistrates and members of Parliament, as patrons of
the fete, which was for a charitable purpose ; but I believe
not a single gentleman whose name so appeared had any
idea that a dangerous exathitiort would be attempted. For
the future, I have every reason to hope that, notwith •
standing Aston-park is beyond the jurisdiction of the
authorities of Birmingham, their influence and that of their
fellow-town-m.n will henceforth limit its use exclusively to
the healthy exercise and rational recreatiou of •the people,
so that the gracious intentions of her Majesty and nor re-
versed Consort may not he frustrated but realised.
In the meantime I trust exhibitions of so dangerms and
demoralising a character may be interdicted by Parliemen
iary enactment.—l have the honour to be, sir, your obedi-
ent servant,
CHARLES STURGE, Mayor.
Colonel the Hon. Sir Charles B. Phipps, &0., Osborne.

DEATH BY FALLING DOWN A PRECIPICE.—A
frightful accident has just occurred near Battws y
Coed, North Wales. A party were on their way to the lake
to fish. One of the number, Mr. John Coracle, of Tawrallt,
being lama, was driven in a car. Wheu approaching the
Ship Hotel, the horse took fright at an artist's tent close to
the road; the animal turned suddenly back and upset the
oar down a steep precipice. It appeared that concussion of
the brain and fracture of the spine resulted, and the de-
ceased was killed on the spot.

Ftv-,
fAis y
tinni

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, July 29

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Helena and
Prince Leiningen, drove out yesterday. The Han.
Mrs. Bruce and Colonel the Hon. A. Fitkhardinge
were in attendance.

The Prince and Princess of Wales cruised yester-
day in Lord Alfred Pagl2t's yacht, and siiled to the
Nedles.

Viscountess Jocelyn has succeeded the D )wager
Connless of Mount.Edgcumbe as Lady in Waiting.

A deputation from the Fisheries Preservation Society,
consisting of Mr. P. L. Simmonds (secretary of Sanitary
Committee, Society of Arts), Henry B Bicknell, Lord
touu, Mr. Martin T. Smith, M.P., Dr. Waller Lewis, Dr.
Peter Hood, Chevalier de Caplin, M.D., Lord Llsnover,
the Hun. Col .nel Keane, R.E , and Francis Francis, had
an interview with Viscount Palmerston yesterday.
The Right Hon. T. Miner Gibson lett town yesterday.
The Right Hon. W. Hutt and Mrs. Hutt left town yes-
terday for Gibside, near Gateshead, Durham.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat yester-
day. Lo.d Kingsdown gave juigniPnt in an appeal from
Bengal, "Kaajah Gout Ali v. Ashruffounissa and others,''
and in an appeal, " the seine parties v Atoned Khan."
An'appeal trout the Al miral y Court—the Corinthian (part
heard), was concluded, and judgment given by Luro
Chelmsford. An appeal from the. Admiral Court—the
Falkland and Navigator, was heard. The lords present
were—Lord Chelmsford, Lord Kingsduwn, and Lord
W.:nsle) dale.

Deqatclaes were received yesterday at the Colonial-office
rum toe Governors of the West India Islands.

PRINCE ARTHUR AT DoLGELLY.—His Royal
[-Lgtiness ascended the lot y Caner Idris, and tth
view from the top was all that could be desired. On Mon-
uay the Royal party visited the Can.brian and Clogau gold
and were suown the process of crushing and amal-
gamating, and some beautiful specimens of gold in guar z
were presented to him. Atter extending their journey to
the little seaport town of Barwouth, they scrolled to the
Precipice .walk and Nannau park. On luesday the High
Sheriff of the county, Mr. H. Morgan, called on his Royal
Highness. The high Sheriff was attended by his splendid
retinue of javelin men. The Cader Idris Rifli Volunteers
mustered on the green in front of the Lion Hotel, and were
inspected by his Royal Highness. The Royal patty de-
parted in the High Sheriff's carriage for Carnarvonshire,
via Bala and Festiniog.
Their Serene Highnesses Prince end Princess
Edward of Saxe Weimar are entertaining, during the race
week et Goodwood, a select and distinguished company at
Molcomb Lodge. The circle includes his Serene Highness
Prince Herman of Saxe Weimar, the Duke and Ducuess of
Manchester, tue Earl of Derby, the Earl or Coventry, Lord
Duukellin and Sir Henry one Lady Sol his des Vcenx. Mete
was a dance last night at the lunge, o which the visitors of
the Duce and Duchess of Richmond at Goodwood House
and a brilliant circle received invitations.

The Duke of flutnit(on acid Lora Charles Douglas
left town yesterday to juin the Duchess of Hamilton (nee
Princess Marie of Baden), and Lady Mary tiamilton, al
Baden Baden.

Toe Marquis of Exeter has been detained it,
town by indi,position, otherwise the noble marquis would
have joined the company visiting the Duke and Duchess Lit
Richmond at Goodwood during the race week.

Tne Earl 5f St. Litrmaus leaves (013.11 tc-day lot
his seat, Port Eliot, in Cornwall.

Tile Countess of Dunmore and ',idles Murra3
have left tcwn for the family seat in Scotland.
Viscount and Viscountess de Vesci and Hon.
Misses Vesey left Carlton-house-terrace, on Tuesday, for
their seat in Ireland.

Lora Stanley, ALP., has retsrned to town from
visiting the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury, at ILA-
field Huuse, Herts.
'foe Mdrenloness of SAlisbury end family intend
to leave Haifiel i H-use, Herte, to•morrow, to pass a few
weeks at Bournemouth,

Toe E ,r 1 and Couutes, of Y,rborough have le
town for 13.ockiesbury Park, Lincolnshire.

The American Iliad in a Nutshell.

BY THOMAS CARLYLE.
(New Number of Macmillan for August)
PETER ot the North (Lo PAUL ot the Suu h)—" Paul,
you uuaceruntable cnouudrel, I hod you hire your servant..
for life, not by the month or year as Idu Yuu are going
,traight to Hell, you ! "

PAUL —" Good words, Peter I The riA is my own;
am w.iling to :ake ihe risk. Hire you your sk-rvauts by tbr
month or the day, and gets raight to Heaven, leave me to
my own method."

PETER -" No. I won't. I will beat your brains ou
first 1" (And is trying dreadfully ever since, but canno
ytt manage it )

CRYSTAL PALACE —FIVE SHILLING DAY
WEDNESDAY, July 29.—Admissions on payment, 2,532,
ditto by sea.on ticket+, 4,237 ; total, 6,819.
DEATH OF LORD MACDONALD —After a pro-
tracted illness, Lind M .cdonald died on Saturda3
tast at Bessingby flail, Yorksl-dre. From his impaired
health, the mournful eNent has been no surprise t' his
friends. The fate Right Hon. Godfrey Wm. Wentworth
Macdonald, Lord l‘la,:donAld, Baron of Slate, county An

•
Irbil], in the peerage of Ireland, and a bat net of Nova

Scotia, wAs the eldest of the two sons of Godfrey, thin,
lord, by Louise Maria, daughter of Mr. Farley Edsir. He
was born March 7, 1809, consequently he was in the 55 11
year of his age.

SUICIDE- WITH CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM.—A
determined suicide was 'found to have been com-
mitted by a young married woman, named /*lien Harri 4,
this morning, at No. 11, Circus-road-east, Kentisn-town.
From what could be gath.red by our reporter, it appear..
that the husband of the d ceased had bought a photographic
apparatus and some chemicals, including the cyanide tn
potassium, intending to commence business as a photo.
graphic artist. The wife last even ng had been out drink-
ing and returned home about one o'clock this morning and
laid down on the bed. About three o'clock she got up, and,
without distu, bing her husband, went to the cupboard, took
out the bottle containing the cyanide, and drank a large
portion—so large a portion, ind..ed, that it made her very
sick. This art.used her husband, who, finding what she
had done, called for his sister, who was sleeping in
an adjoining room. The) at once gave her copious draughts
or water, which made her vomit still more, and seemed
somewhat to allay her suffe ings. The sister then made her
up a bed, and placing her therein, requested her husbano
Co. to disturb her. Both of them then left her, without
having called in any medical assistance, and went to res
again. On toe husband, about seven o'cioca this morning,
going to where his wife lay, he was s faded at finding her
quite dead and very much discoloured. He knocked vio-
lently at the street door, arousing the whole neighbourhood.
at the same titue shouting " She dead I she's dead I"
Medical assistance was at once called in, but of course of ne
avail. Information has been forwarded to Dr. Laukester,
the coroner, of the occurrence.

THE Mit"JEERS FOR MARYLERONE.—Lord Fer
tarry and M r. Ha, ve3 LrN is,' he• members for Mart
kbune, attended the vestry meeting at St. Prancraa yester.
day, and gave an account of their conduct during the ses-
sion that has just come to a close. BJth gentlemen dealt
principally on ;oral topics ; but Lord Fermoy, glancing for
a moment at general politics, deprecated the idea of our
going to war on behalf of Poland. The meeting, by reso-
lution, expre,sed their approbation of the conduct of the
members.

SUICIDE BY PIIoSPHORUS.—An inquest was helo
on Tueed ey evening at the London Hnspitat, before
Mr. John Humphreys, upon the body of Eleanor L igb,
aged 27 years. From the evidence adduced, it appeared
that the deceased had been in domestic service up to the
previ. us Friday, but that sho had given way to drinking.
On that day she became so mad that her mistress dhcharged
her, giving her 10s., five or six of which she spent in drink.
She then w-nt lo the house of a relative, and said, "I have
done fur myself. I am poisoned." Assistance was precut ed,
and she was convey, d to tae hospital, where she died. Mr.
N. Hickford, resident medical cfficer, said that deceased ha',
swallowed a quantity of liquid phosphorus. Every remedy
was administered, but without avail. It w.s stated that
inquiries had been made with the view of ascerteining how
ill, deceased had possessed herself of the phosphorus, but
without success. No bottle was found wi,h her. The
coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of
" Suicide while of unsound mind."
THE ARCHDUKE MAXIMILIAN of Austtia is
again talked of as a probable candidate for the throne of
Mexico. What will ba said to this, however, by the
Prince Napoleon ?
bEA MO:,STERS. The Sedirdlle Toulonnaisse
seater that the fi,hermen of the lava of errs have
been astonished during the last two or three weeks by the
disappearance of flab from their usual haunts off toe coasts,
and attributed the fact to the presence of sharks, which fre-
quently visit those waters in summer. The real cause, how.
ever,s,
who
was ,
havingaccidentally discovered by a vine-grower of Pert
Cr
observed tiat his vines in a field on the
coast had been ravaged during the night determined to keep
watch. He accordingly went about 2 the following morn.
log, and was astonished to see a number of marine monsters
wallowing in the vineyard. Panic- struck at the sight, he
threw down his gun, and ran away as fast as he could. The
next night several persons watched, and they soon ascer-
tained that the monsters were a herd of seals which appear
to have taken up their abode in the Bay of Hyeres.