The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-01 00:00:00

and storm ; but should the weather henceforth prove
favourable, quality will be obtained this season,
however the quantity as a whole may prove. Our
previous accounts of a short yield in I ranee are
fully confirmed this week ; and those from America
are of a less favourable character in some extensive
districts as regards the wheat crop ; prices as well
as rates of freight having simultaneously advanced,
so as to render the execution of British orders for
the moment impracticable." From the East Riding
of Yorkshire it was " The weather still continues
very hot, and harvest is now rapidly approaching ;
with a continuance, reaping will commence in this
district in about a week from this present time on
some of the earlier patches, but in the southern
counties farmers are already at harvest work."
From Lynn : " The weather to-day is hot and
forcing; on Saturday we had a heavy rain. Harvest
will be general in from seven to ten days." From
Newcastle : " The weather was wet on Tuesday
night, and on Wednesday afternoon some more rain
fell ; since then it has been fine and hot. Wind
south and south-west ; to-day north-east." From
Liverpool : " In the early part of the week we had
some rough weather, with occasional heavy rains,
yet these have been considered more beneficial than
otherwise to the grain and root crops generally.
Brilliant weather is the reason of small operations
to-day." Wednesday was a splendid day—hot and
very forcing. Wind, N.E. ; thermometer, 75 de-
grees ; barometer, 30.50 inches. Further advices
state " Through West Lancashire and West
Cheshire the farmers are busy cutting oats, barley,
and wheat—rather early for us." From Glouces-
tershire our advices say : " The weather is all that
can be desired for the growing crops. Wheat cut-
ting has commenced, and will be very general in the
district by the end of the week." The weather on
the east and west coast of Scotland was re-
reported to be remarkably fine for the
crops, which were progressing favourably.
Two or three samples of new wheat appeared at
at Bury St. Edmund's, but from the incessant rains
of Friday and Saturday last, followed by the intense
heat of the past three days, they appeared to be
much injured in colour. On that day it was re-
marked from Nottinghamshire :—" The weather
during the past week has been hot and forcing, and
the growing crops are being pushed on rapidly to
maturity. Reports respecting the wheat crops are
for the most part satisfactory; indeed, upon the
heavy soils it is looking very well, while on thelight
and thin soil it varies. Barley is coming on exceed-
ingly well and will soon be ready to cut. Oats will not
produce an average. Beans and peas are very well
spoken of. The root crops and pastures have been
greatly benefited by the late rains." Ttiesday was a
hot sultry day, the thermometer at one time regis-
tered 80 degs. in the shade—was thick and threaten-
ing; but towards the evening a little wind sprang
up, and blowing from the north it became cooler and
clearer. Most probably a storm had been experienced
at no great distance, of which, however, we have not
seen any account. From the east part of Berkshire
our information runs—" The harvest progressing
favourably with this splendid weather, and now I
give you what I consider a fair statement of the crops.
Wheat nearly an average quality variable. Several
pieces have ripened too quickly, and consequently will
be thin and hard. Barley a fair crop, but of very
inferior quality. Spring oats very bad, but winter
oats good. Beans and peas good. Mangel-wurzel
fair. Swedes have been much eaten by the grub and
other insects, consequently theplantis thin. Turnips
promise fairly." Friday was a fine day, not so hot;
wind _N. W., thermometer 74 deg., barometer 30.20 in.
From the West Ridingit was observed, "Since Tues-
day the weather has continued dry, but the tempe-
rature is much lower to-day. Reaping of oats has
commenced where the crops are light, and will soon
be followed by the cutting of barley and wheat, if
the weather keep dry and sunny." From Devonshire
it was observed :—" Harvest is progressing favour-
ably ; cutting corn is general, and in another week,
with settled weather, cutting will be general. It will
require another week or two to speak with confi-
dence as to the yield and quality ; but I am inclined
to think it will be fair, if not heavy." Saturday was
a very fine harvest day, and on the whole during
this week much work has been accomplished, while
iLerlin°.eral 'LMa XplWlMtetiototarilehaVON,°,l4n7 111;(‘;
machines will forthwith be in great requisition.—
Mark-lane Express.

The Execution of Mrs. Surratt.

- -

(From the Time.; (orreJponflent.)

PHILADELPHIA, July 17.
Nothing at present excites deeper interest in
America than the case of Mrs. Surratt, who was
hanged for alleged complicity in Mr. Lincoln's
assassination. The people almost universally are
approaching the belief that she was innocent, and
the weight of testimony in her favour is so strong

that Secretary Stanton and his advisers, who urged
her speedy execution, and President Johnson, who
permitted it, must before this have felt the deep
responsibility that rests upon them. Even Weich-
man, the principal Government witness against her,
the man who was permitted, with the knowledge of
the War Department, to remain in her house, and
watch the gradual unfoldings of the plot which he
says was concocted there, without making an effort
to save the President, has printed a statement, for
the purpose of exonerating himself, in which he says
he had no positive knowledge of Mrs. Surratt's
guilt, that he only judged by circumstances, and

that he thinks what he heard in the house will at
least bear him out in proving Mrs. Surratt's con-
nexion with the plot to abduct the President, if she
had nothing to do with the murder. In a matter
of life and death, had the trial been in a civil court,
such testimony as this never could have convicted

Mrs. Surratt. John P. Brophy, a resident of Wash-
ington, has made an affidavit impeaching Weich-
man's testimony at the trial ; hinting that he was
paid for it, and that he coloured it in order to save

his place in the War Department, and detailing
many circumstances showing Weichman's tendency
to falsify matters. Payne, just before he was hanged,

told the Catholic clergymen who attended Mrs. Sur-
ratt that she was an innocent woman, and General
Hartrauft, who had charge of the prisoners, wrote
to the President a short time before the execution :
" The prisoner Payne has just told me that Mrs. Sur-
ratt is entirely innocent of the assassination of President
Lincoln, and of any knowledge thereof. He also states that
she had no knowledge whatever of the abduction plot, that
nothing was over said to her about it, and her name was
never mentioned by the parties connected therewith. I be-
lieve that Payne has told the truth in this matter."

This letter, with a similar one written by one of
the Catholic priests, was sent to the president by a
messenger on the morning of the execution, but it
did no good. During all the time between the pro-
mulgation of the sentence of the Court and the exe-
cution, Mrs. Surratt declared herself innocent to
every person who visited her. No less than ten dif-
ferent persons who saw her make statements to this
effect. Her confessor on the scaffold says she wished
to tell the people she was innocent, but it would
have been useless, and her last words to him were,
" I am innocent, but God's holy will be done." Mrs.
Surratt was but an ordinary woman, and had the
crime charged against her been an ordinary one, she
enous
would have left the earth with scarce a pitying tear;
but so enormous is the offence laid on her shoulders
that everything
connected with her case is of inte-
rest. 'When the passions of the hour are gone she
will most probably be found an innocent woman,
the victim of the excitement of the times, turned
with full fury against her by those in power. It is
stated that Secretary Stanton would not permit
spiritual advisers to attend her until they promised
they would not on the scaffold proclaim their belief
in her innocence, and the clergymen have prepared
affidavits to that effect. One of these statements is
that the Rev. Father Walter went to the War-office

to procure a pass to see Mrs. Surratt, but the Sec-
retary being out General Hardie, an assistant adju-
tant-general, promised to send it to Father Walter's
house. It was accordingly sent, being signed "by
order of the Secretary of War" by General Hardie.
In the course of conversation with the messenger
who brought it the Father happened to say he be-
lieved Mrs. Surratt innocent. The statement then
continues :

"In half or perhaps an hour afterwards, General Hardie
himself called at the residence of Father Walter, and after
some irrelevant conversation, said—' Father Walter, you