The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-08 00:00:00

the other gentlemen so rashly accused by the War
Department and the President, any guilty know-
ledge, or anyknowledge whatever, of Wilkes Booth
and his plot. If there be such evidence in the pos-
session of the authorities they owe it to themselves
not to conceal it, in order that they may justify to
the public theirunretracted charge of subornation of
murder against political opponents, who in all the
private relations of life have hitherto conducted
themselves without reproach. Mr. Jefferson Davis,
it appears, is not treated in prison as if he were a
mere rebel, but is submittedto worse indignities than
are reserved for the most brutal murderers. A state-
ment in two Philadelphia newspapers, published this
evening, not only confirms the previous reports that
he is confined in a dark dungeon inFortress Monroe,
closely guarded day and night by two sentinels, who
are forbidden to exchange a word with him, or to
allow him to speak if so inclined, and denied the use
of light, or the solace of books and writing mate-
rials ; but adds that he has been manacled, and his
legs secured by a chain three feet long; that he re-
sisted the outrage, and was violently thrown on his
back while a blacksmith performed the work, and
that he piteously requested to be put to death
rather than be so degraded. It is to be hoped, for
the honour of the American Government, that this
story is not true, and that President Johnson
will not suffer his Administration to be guilty
-of such dastardly treatment of a man who
was for four years the chief magistrate of six
millions of people. America cannot afford to treat
Mr. Davis in this manner. The whole world will cry
shame if the story be true. There are courts of
honour and of conscience outside the limits of Fede-
ral America, and in those courts Mr. Johnson will
be tried and condemned if this indeed be the con-
duct which he authorises or permits towards a fallen
adversary, once so high and now so low, and who
has yet to be proved guilty of a single act that
should render him unworthy of the companionship
of gentlemen.

Bath and West of England Society's
Meeting.

HEREFORD, Wednesday.

Beaming weather and cheap railway fares have
brought an influx of visitors sufficient to insure the
financial success of the meeting, though numbers
like those last year at Bristol are not to be looked
for in this rural district. There are yet two days re-
maining for the million, or, more correctly speaking,
for the 20,000 or 30,000 persons who, with the shil-
ling fee, or with children's at 6d. each, or school-
children's tickets at 3d. each, are expected to throng
the show ground ; and on all sides we hear congra-
tulations addressedto the zealous volunteer managers
and to the stewards of the nine different-depart-
ments, all acting independently of each other and all
with special ability and public spirit meriting the
confidence which the western counties have placed
in them.

The judges of pigs, Messrs. J. Turner and J.
Wippell, found an excellent though rather short
collection. Mr. Duckering's first prize Lincolnshire
boar is remarkable for a tremendous frame and
great weight ; the young large breed boars make a
very good class, Mr. Yells' Berkshire being a perfect
beauty. The large breed sows form an uncom-
monly fine class, Mr. Duckering's sow being wonder-
ful for size, thickness, and depth, combined with ex-
treme fineness of offal. Among the small-breed
pigs, Mr. H. Beevor's black boar is of rare form and
splendid quality. The breeding sows comprise some
very choice animals, and the Earl of Radnor's young
Coleshill sows are splendid for their age.
The poultry judges, Messrs. Hewitt and Ballence,
report an unusually good show of birds, every class'
being good. The Spanish fowls are magnificent--
indeed an incomparable class. Among them may
be mentioned the birds of Viscountess Holmesdale,
Capt. Heaton, Mr. Wright, Mr. Beldon, and Mr.
Fowler. Coloured Dorkings are fully up to the
mark, Viscountess Holmesdale, Capt. Lane, and Mr.
Fowler exhibiting pens of exceedingly fine and
heavy birds. The white Dorkings are few but meri-
torious, Coloured cochins make a grand display,
Mr. Tomlinson's and Capt. Heaton's being uncom-
monly fine specimens, of tremendous size and per-
fection in feather ; and the white cochins are in no
way inferior to their coloured relatives; indeed, Mr.
Zurhorst's first prize birds are, perhaps, the best
ever seen. The strength of the game fowls is with
the black-breasted reds, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Slatter,
Mr. Lee, and others, showing splendid birds in a
particularly grand class. Brahmapootras are grow-
ing in public favour; and the pens shown by Mr.
Lacy, Mr. Fowler, Mrs. Hargreaves, and Mr. Boyle,
are specially good specimens of what may be made
of this noble breed. The Hamburg classes are very
beautiful, the greatest merit lying with the golden
and silver spangled. The Polands, always brilliant
and attractive, are in comparatively small force, the
best being the black with white crests.

Many visitors linger with curious pleasure about
the pens of " any other variety," including white
Spanish, silky negroes, magpie tanfans, and other
oddities. The classesfor Spanish, Dorking, and game
chickens are very scantily filled, as might be ex-
pected from the time of year at which the show is
held. There is a capital competition in the game
sweepstakes class, and also in the cochin sweepstakes
class. The bantams are not very numerous, but
many of rare merit, particularly the gold lace and
game varieties. Mr. Fowler, Mr. Woods, Mr. Rod-
bard, and Mr. Boyle, exhibit grand pens of Ayles-
bury and Rouen ducks, and Mr. Kellaway's East
Indians are extremely good specimens of the breed.
There are only two pens of geese, both very good.
Turkeys are in force ; Mr. Fowler, Mr. Zurhorst,
Mr. Norman, and others contributed very fine birds.
Guinea fowls are not often so numerous at shows
as we find them here, and these are nearly all good
specimens.

Messrs. Cottle and Harrison Weir, who may be
considered our standard judges of pigeons, had
nearly a hundred entries to inspect and value. The
carriers are fine, though not very numerous ; the
almond tumblers of unusual merit ; pouters good ;
runts very heavy and not too coarse ; jacobins ex-
tremely handsome. The fantails seem more prettily
grotesque than ever ; the pouters are particularly
good, both owls and the feather-footed trumpeters
are in large numbers, and barbs of great value are
shown. There is no lack of merit either with the
turbits, nuns, dragoons, or little archangels, and,
then, in the class for any other varieties, we find
some charming lace-fantails, with a few Swiss, Vic-
torias, and swallows. Altogether the feathered
classes are by far the best yet seen at one of the
Society's shows.

A novelty in this day's proceedings (as the com-
petitive sheep-shearing was on Monday) has been
the horse-shoeing at portable forges, and if it be
true that nine out of ten cases of foot lameness
arise from bad shoeing, the Society has done well
in thus attracting public interest to the question.
When will the village smith understand that, in-
stead of paring and rasping a horse's foot to
fit a shoe, the iron shoe should be made to fit the
foot, with an equable bearing all round from heel
to heel, just as he likes a leather shoe to sustain and
accommodate his own sole with ease and comfort ?
When will he admit that an elastic hoof requires
the placing of the nails so that the inner heel may
expand under weight? The trial was conducted as
follows :—The smiths drew lots for the number of
the forge, the number of the horses, and the foot to
be shod. Each man then made his shoe and the
requisite number of nails, the time occupied being
from 20 to 30 minutes ; and after inspection by the
judges the shoes were fitted and nailed on, the time
occupied by each man being noted. The principal
points of the performance consist of the time taken
to construct the shoe, the level form of the shoe,
the situation of the holes, and what is called the ful-
lering, the proper and even seating of the shoe, the
preparation of the foot, the fitting of the shoe, the
nailing on, and the time occupied in each of the
several operations.

Looking round the implement stands before pro-
ceeding to the trial fields, we observe large assort-
ments from almost all our principal makers, except-
ing Burgess and Key, whose grass-mowers and
reaping-machines have been reserved at home to do
honour to the Brentwood show yesterday. The
most important improvements are to be found in
the long line of portable steam-engines, driving all
sorts of barn machinery with ceaseless hum, amid

crowds of earnest spectators. Here we have some
recent inventions for saving fuel, and thus lessen-
ing the outlay upon the farmer's best horse. Allen's
patent expansion engine, with single cylinder and
only one eccentric, is designed for this purpose,
and Messrs. Tuxford have just introduced a new
form of slide valve into the common portable en-
gine, by which simple change, without any addi-
tional moving parts, they declare that they are able
to save one-half of the coal ordinarily consumed.
The value of this extraordinary improvement can
hardly be estimated, seeing that the consequent re-
duction in the heat of the furnace relieves the fire-
box from its present rapid rate of destruction, thus
conferring upon the engine a much greater degree
of durability, a point of more moment to the agri-
culturist than even the wonderful economy of fuel.
In the trial fields, very conveniently accessible
from the yard, we found the grass-mowers noisy
and busy, those of Hornsby, Picksley and Sims,
Samuelson, and Wood making beautiful work. The
grass was afterwards turned and tossed by Nichol-
son's, Ashby and Jeffery's, Howard's, and other
haymakers. In a field of tall unripe rye the reap-
, ing-machines were at work, not including, however,
the large three-horse machine of the Beverley Iron
and Waggon Company, which has recently been
much improved in general form, as well as in details,
rendering it a most effective implement for cutting
and delivering a great acreage of cropping per day.
The hand delivery sheafing machines were those of
Picksley and Sims, Burrow, Samuelson, and Woods,
all constructed with the tipping platform. Barber's
combined reaper and mower has two seats—one for
the driver, the other for the raker-off who delivers
the cut corn out of the way of the next track ; and
there is an arrangement for lowering the reel as well
as the cutter-bar without slackening the band which
drives the reel. The great novelty in this department
is Hornsby's self-delivery sheafing reaper. In this
ingenious machine the cut corn, guided by hand
rake, falls upon a tipping platform made of parallel
slats ; and when this is depressed by the work-
man's foot the corn is caught by fingers upon end-
less chains which traverse between the slats, and
so delivered upon the ground in a neat squarely-
laid bundle or sheaf. As the chains are arranged
in a diagonal position, upon a fixed horizontal plat-
form, and the slats of the upper tipping platform are
also diagonal to match, the corn is delivered behind
the machine, and completely out of the way of the
next track.

In an adjoining field we saw Carson and Toone's
horse-hoe, cleaning a piece of very thistley swedes ;
and a neighbouring lea ground was the scene of per-
formances with Hunt and Pickering's plough and
cultivator, Ball's plough, Eddy's turnwrest plough,
Ransomes and Sim's prize ploughs and jointed
harrows, and Howard's champion ploughs, the latest
improvement being a digging breast to shatter the
soil, in imitation of steam husbandry., leaving the
graceful mould board, to be used only for a few
special purposes.
Steam cultivation, which has attracted great num-
bers of spectators both yesterday and to-day, is re-
presented by Messrs. Fowler's eight-horse engine-set
of apparatus, with three-furrow plough and digger,
and Messrs. Howard's ten-horse engine, with three-
furrow plough and cultivator. Bo.th have accom-
plished very deep and perfect tillage upon a hard
loam soil, to the great satisfaction of west-country
farmers, and, we suppose, with good business results
to the exhibitors. Messrs. Aveling and Porter'srope-
carriages, travelling with the wire rope and uphold-
ing it off the ground, are valuable improvements upon
the old stationary porters, and they are attached and
removed as required in the easiest possible manner.
A large concourse of listeners gathered round the
two military bands this afternoon. The Fine Arts
Courts were well filled, and everybody found vast
comfort at the admirable refreshment booths of Mr.
Mountford, the Society's purveyor. The annual
banquet is to be held at 5 o'clock in the large pavi-
lion, the president, Lord Taunton, in the chair.
Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Royal Sovereign, turret-ship, started at an
early hour yesterday morning from Spithead on the
first day's experimental cruize off the Isle of Wight,
under the supervision of Capt. Astley C. Key, C.B.
She returned to Spithead in the evening.
Commander Charles G. Nelson, late of the Ga-
latea frigate, and the Rolla training brig, has been
appointed by the Admiralty to the command of the
Ranger, 5, screw gun-vessel, on the west coast of
Africa, vice Commander W. E. Gordon, invalided,
and not to the Torch, as erroneously stated in The
Sun of yesterday.

The training brig Ferret, Lieut, Commander
Mansell, tender to her Majesty's training ship Bos-
cawen, in Southampton Water, sailed yesterday from
the Solent on a cruise to the western ports.
Her Majesty's ironcased ship Research, Captain
Arthur Wilmhurst, returned to Woolwich on Tues-
day, after testing under seaway Commander Scott's
iron gun carriage and slide, which were worked
with simple mechanical appliances by nine men, in
competition with the proposed new pattern wooden
carriage worked by 19 men. The old service pat-
tern carriages, which are likewise of wood, were
taken as the standard for comparison. After firing
60 rounds the new pattern wooden carriage showed
signs of weakness and one of the service pattern be-
came disabled, while Commander Scott's carriage,
which was worked with greater rapidity, and fired 68
rounds, exhibited no signs of weakness or defect.

The iron screw steamship Achilles, 20, Captain
Edward W. Vansittart, was placed alongside the
sheer hulk in Hamoaze on Tuesday, and had her
bow mast taken out. Yesterday morning she was
taken to Keyham-yard, preparatory to going into
the basin to be docked and have defectsmade good.
It is understood that she will be tried first with her
remaining three masts in their present position.
Should it be found necessary to shift them consider-
able time must be expended in that operation.
The screw steamship Urgent, which left Ports-
mouth on Monday, arrived at Plymouth on Tuesday
afternoon, and was appointed to embark the 71st
Regt. yesterdayafternoon for conveyance to Ireland.
The screw steam sloop Amazon, 4, launched at
Pembroke on the 23d May, left Milford on Tuesday
afternoon, in charge of Commander Paul, and in
tow of the paddle-wheel steam sloop Sphinx. She
was expected last evening at Plymouth.
A number of Capt. Rodger's patent, indented,
small palmed anchors having been ordered by the Ad-
miralty to be supplied to the Channel fleet the test
was yesterday commenced under the hydraulic ma-
chinery at Woolwich. One of the anchors, weighing
59cwt. 3qrs., was proved with a strain of 72 3-16
tons, which is equal to 24 1-16 tons, or 50 per cent.
above the usual Admiralty test of 48k tons. The
permanent set of the first arm was of an inch, and
that of the second 1-16 only. The whole of the
anchors are manufactured by the North Field Iron
and Steel Company at Rotherham, in Yorkshire.
The Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief has ap-
proved,Capt. Brookes, of the 41st Regiment, joining
the service companies of his corps on completing a
course of musketry instruction at Hythe. One ser-
geant and 120 rank and file of the 41st Regiment
are under orders at Colchester to join the service
companies of the regiment for the purpose of em-
barking for India. Lieut. Halahan, of the 44th
Regiment, has joined the depot at Colchester.
The following appointments were made at the
Admiralty yesterday :—Com Ralph P. Cator, to the
Pelican ; Lieut. Andrew J. Kennedy, to be Lieut.
in command of the Spider, vice Nott, promoted ;
and the Hon. Richard Hare, to be Lieutenant
and to command the Sharpshooter, vice Claver-
ing, promoted ; George Gilpin, master, to the
Constance ; Henry P. Ward, master, to the
irethusa ; Thomas Pounds, master to the Octavia ;
Henry S. Gibson, paymaster, to the Formidable ;
Robert H. Bullen, paymaster, to the Octavia ;
Thomas A. Thomas, paymaster, to the Constance
T. W. S. Meane, paymaster, to the Arethusa ;
George Wooldridge, assist.-paymaster, to the
Octavia ; William A. Westaway, assist-paymaster,
to the Frederick William; Corbet C. Edwards,
assist.-paymaster, to the Constance ; William W.
Blayney, assist-paymaster to the Arethusa ; Henry
A. Scrivener, assist.-paymaster, to the Constance ;
Thomas Seccombe, surg., to the Constance ; James
J. Martin, surg., to the Arethusa ; William Richard-
son, Burg., to the Octavia ; Stephen Sweetman,
assist.-surg., to the Constance ; Henry A. Close,