The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-20 00:00:00

this proposed progrt =me was not carried out was a
source of severe dis: appointment to many. But Gen.
Lee had expressed his wishes contrary to the choice
and determination. of the college trustees and the
multitude, and his. -wishes were complied with. The
installation took place at 9 a.m. in a recitation room
of the college. I n this room were seated the faculty
and the students, the ministers of the town churches,
a magistrate and. the county clerk, the last two offi-
cials being necessary to the ceremonial. Gen. Lee
was inducted into the room by the Board of Trustees.
At his entrance mid introduction all in the room
rose, bowed, and then became seated. Prayer by the
Rev. Dr. White, pastor of the Presbyterian church,
directly followed. To me it was a noticeable fact, and
perhaps worthy of record, that he prayed for the Pre-
sident of the United States. Altogether it was a
most fitting and impressive prayer. The prayer ended,
Judge Brockenbrough, chairman of the Board of
Trustees, stated the object of the coming together to
install Gen. Lee as President of Washington Col-
lege. He felt the serious dignity of the occasion,
but it was a seriousness and a dignity that should be
mingled with heartfelt joy and gladness. Passing a
brief eulogy on Gen. Lee, and congratulating the
board and the college, and its present and future
students, on having obtained one so loved and great
and worthy to preside over the college, he said he
could say a great deal more, had it not been voted
against speech making. During the delivery of
these few words, Gen. Lee remained standing, his
arms quietly folded, and calmly and stedfastly look-
ing into the eyes of the speaker. Justice William
White, at the instance of Judge Brockenbrough,
now administered the oath of office to Gen. Lee.
Forithe benefit of the curious to know the nature of
this new oath to which Gen. Lee has just subscribed,
and as it is brief, I give it entire. It is as follows
—' I do swear that I will, to the best of my skill
and judgment, faithfully and truly discharge the
duties required of me by an act entitled, " An Act
for Incorporating the Rector and Trustees of Li-
berty-hall Academy, without favour, affection, or
partiality. So help me God.' To this oath Gen.
Lee at once affixed his signature, with the accom-
panying usual jarat of the swearing magistrate ap-
pended. Those inquisitive enough to seek further
light than that revealed in the copied oath can look
at the act therein referred to, and when found make
a note of it. The document in the form stated was
handed to the county clerk for safe custodianship,
and at the same time the keys of the college were
given by the rector into the keeping of the new
president. A congratulatory shaking of hands fol-
io Ted, and wound up the day's brief but pleasing,
impressive, and memorable ceremonial. President
Lee and those of the trustees present with the faculty
now passed into the room set apart for the former's
use—a good-sized room, newly but very plainly and
tastefully furnished. General Lee was dressed in a
plain but elegant suit of grey. His appearance indi-
cated the enjoyment of good health—better, I should
say, than when he surrendered his army at Appo-
mattox Courthouse, the first and only occasion be-
fore the present of my having seen him. His looks
and bearing have been often and minutely described,
and I will not dwell upon them here. Most pictures
of him on exhibition come up to the average of
fidelity of this class of likenesses."
At the monthly meeting of the New York Cham-
ber of Commerce, held on the sth, the subjoined
letter of acknowledgment from the family of the late
Mr. Cobden was read by the secretary :

"Danforth, Midhurst, Aug. 25.
"Mrs. Cobden and her children beg to return their warm-
est acknowledgments to the members of the Chamber of
Commerce of tho State of New York for their kind and
genuine 'manifestations of sympathy with them in their be-
reavement.

" Such a. recognition of the character, talents, and ser-
vices of one who had always the alleviation of the suffer-
ings of humanity nearest his heart is especially soothing to
their afflicted spirits; and coming as it didafter the struggle
for liberty to the slave had been accomplished in the States
rendered the resolutions o: the Chamber of Commerce of
New York peenliarlygrateful and valuable to Mr. Cobden's
family and friends in this country ; 'and though he was not
permitted to see the close of the struggle, yet his mind was
blessed by a prescient knowledge of the final triumph of the
Union."

On motion, the letter was placed on file.

SOUTH AMERICA:

We have received by the French mail steamer
Guienne our fortnightly advises from the Brazils and
River Plate. Theßuenos Ayres Standard of Sept. 10,
in its " Review for Europe," says :
" The Paraguayan war continues ; nothing of
importance in a military point has occurred since the
sailing of the English packet. The Paraguayan
vanguard under the command of Estigarribia is still
hemmed in at Uruguayana, and would have proba-
bly succumbed ere this, but for the urgent solicita-
tions of the Brazilian commander to Gen. Flores
not to destroy the town by a bombardment. Gen.
Mitre has gone in person to superintend the attack
on the town, and we all anxiously await the arrival
of the steamer from Concordia with news of the fall
of Uruguayana. Since the victory. of Yatahy the
Paraguayans seem to have halted in Corrientes, and
it is generally believed that when the allies reduce
Uruguayana the invaders will at once retreat to the
frontier line of Paraguay. A small body of Para-
guayans is said to have penetrated the Gran Chaco
with the object of entering the province of Santa
Fe, but the governor of that province, aided by
Gen. Emilio Mitre (the president's brother), has
displayed such activity that we feel confident, be-
fore the Paraguayans enter that province, the Ar-
gentine government will have a powerful force ready
to meet them. As the winter is now past and the
fine weather has set in, we look for more active
operations on the part of the allies, who, with a
splendid army, a fleet commanding the rivers, and
the most unanimous support from the whole coun-
try, have as yet done, comparatively speaking, no-
thing. The Emperor of Brazil has crossed Rio
Grande, and is now close to the banks of Uruguay,
where he will shortly hold au interview with Presi-
dent Mitre and Gen. Flores. The war has as yet
had little effect on business in the River Plate ;
articles of consumption for army purposes have of
course increased in value, but the public securities
of the country have not suffered. The credit of the
national government was never better ; our paper
currency is steadily improving, and our agricultural
interests were never mire prosperous."
Under date of August the 25th General Flores
sums up the casualties of the victory in the battle of
Yatahy as follows :—Paraguyans—six officers and
359 men wounded ; 1,300 prisoners ; killed not told.
Orientals—three officers and 58 men killed; 25 offi-
cers and 136 men wounded-222. Argentines—
three officers and 12 men killed ; 11 officers a.A.,a '7l
men wounded-97. Brazilians—one man killed ;
one officer and 13 men wounded-15. Total of
allies hors de combat-334.

Before crossing the Uruguay Flores sent a Para-
guayan prisoner, a lieutenant, to summon Colonel
Estigarribia to surrender. In a short time the lieu-
tenant returned with Estigarribia's reply, which was
to this effect :

" Uruguayana, Aug. 20.
" Yesterday night, very late, I received the note
dated on that day, delivered to me by the prisoner
Lieutenant Jose Sorilla, who will deliver to your
Excellency my answer. I read the said note atten-
tively in order to reply to yours as should a soldier
of honour, to whom the supreme Government of his
country has confided an important post. And in
consequence I must declare to your Excellency that,
as a Paraguayan, as a military man, and as a sol-
dier who defends the cause of the institutions, of the
independence of his country, and whose Government
is resolved to maintain by every effort the integrity
of the Republics of the Plate and their equilibrium,
I cannot and ought not to accept the proposals of
your Excellency. Even supposing that, as your Ex-
cellency says in your note, I am lost, and should not
expect protection from the armies of Paraguay,
honour and obedience to the orders of the supreme
Government of my country command me to die
rather than deliver the arms that his Excellency the
Marshal-President of the republic confided to us to
defend the sacred rights of so noble a cause against a
foreign enemy.
upon e-
he chiefs, officers, and all the
t cridooed to falle of my
pon
the
ps ar
mannerfieldo f
before thinking,accepting a n d area
pro-
posal that would dishonour and would cover with
eternal shame the name of Paraguayan soldier.
position which Content with the modest pos •
I occupy in
my country, I do not seek honours nor glory that

would be acquired at the cost of my country, and
with profit to some Paraguayan wretches vowed to
the office of foreign conquest. Like myself, all the
division under my command sigh for the moment of
proving to your Excellency that the Paraguayan
soldier neither counts the number of his enemies nor
parleys with them when he defends such noble and
dear interests.—God preserve your Excellency many
years. " ANTONIO ESTIGARRIBIA.

,‘ Brigadier General-in-Chief D.
Venancio Flores."

The Paraguayans commenced at once fortifying
Uruguayana, working also at night by the light of
huge fires fed from the furniture and timber of the
houses. The fortifications consisted chiefly of a
brick wall and a ditch. Their cannon was only five
4-pounders of moderate range. Flores crossed his
troops between the 22d and the 29th of August, and
formed a junction with the Brazilians under the
Baron de Porto Alegre, who Ind arrived and had
taken the supreme command of the Rio Grande
forces. As the allies had so great a superiority in
cannon, it was determined to use this arm as far as
possible to reduce the Paraguayans with the least
less of life to the allies.

The following is from the Anglo-Brazilian Times
of the 24th of September :
"The news from the seat of war is this fortnight
of a most uninteresting character, the 7,000 Para-
guayans shut up in Uruguayana declining to sur-
render, although the terms offered permitted all
the officers and ' distinguished persons' to betake
themselves whithersoever their will would lead
them, while only the ' ignoble vulgar' of the rank
and file would become prisoners of war. Meanwhile,
in the camp of the blockaders, nothing had been
done in the way of a formal siege up to the 9th, ex-
cept to issue orders upon the Bth to make gabions to
construct a battery. This inaction of 10 days since
Flores completed the crossing of his force is ascribed
to disputes asto the command-in-chief,which should,
by treaty stipulations, belong to the Brazilian com-
mander, the Baron de Porto Alegre, and to this it is
also ascribed that Gen. Mitre was in haste coming
to Uruguayana from Concordia with 1,500 Brazilian
and Argentine infantry, after a short interview
with Admiral Tamandare, who had come from the
town to confer with Mitre, and who was returning
with him. It is also said that Flores and Paunero
wished to assault at once, but that the Brazilian
commanders naturally were unwilling to adopt a
course which, besides unnecessarily causing a waste
of blood, would yield all the credit of a victory on
Brazilian ground to their allies, whose infantry and
artillery so much outnumbered theirs; and that they
preferred to wait the coming of 5,000 infantry and
16 pieces of cannon that were two or three days'
march off, whose coming would not only place the
Brazilian infantry on at least an equal footing with
that of both their allies, but would likewise render
an assault more certain, even if it did not induce
the Paraguayans to abandon a hopeless resistance.
It was also hoped that the Emperor, with his sons-in-
law, would reach Uruguayana to be present at the
operations or surrender, but the state of the lands
and rivers he had to cross had delayed him greatly,
and he was not expected before the middle of Sep-
tember. On the other side of Uruguay the allied
cavalry were scouring the country in search of scat-
tered parties of Paraguayans, and a body of 1,500
cavalry had marched towards S. Thome and S.
Carlos to attack some Paraguayan bodies there, and
also to watch any advance in that direction.
Another body was stationed at Curuzu Cuatia to
serve as outpost against a Paraguayan army march-
ing on that side to aid those in Uruguayana, while
the main allied army under General Osorio, Gene-
ral-in-Chief pro tern. in the absence of Gen. Mitre,
was taking up a fresh position on the frontier of
Corrientes, at the river Mandisori. Caceres was on
the north-western side of the Corrientes with his
irregular cavalry, others were at Goya, and between
all these outlying bodies and the main army lines of
estafettes were maintained to carry at a gallop in-
telligence of movements of the Paraguayans. These,
as far as known, remained stationary, waiting, it is
said, the coming of Lopez, who was looked for soon
from Humaita, with reinforcements. They were
reported to be strengthening their position at the
village of Santa Lucia, on the river of that name,
some 50 miles above Goya, and to be fortifying all
the best points on the Parana. The Brazilian fleet
upon that river remained in state quo, and the water
was so low that nothing could be done, even were
it advisable to attempt to pass above the batteries
at Cuevas. The Uruguay had also fallen, and the
steamer Uruguay, which had gone down with
wounded, could not get up again, thus reducing the
Brazilian flotilla before Uruguayana to two small
steamers and several armed launches, which, how-
ever, sufficed amply for the blockade on the river
side. From the provinces there is little to notice.
Troops still continued to arrive in Rio Grande do Sul
and were pushing on in haste to the Uruguay. The
expedition for Matto-Grosso still hung at Überabo
organising, but the danger in that direction seemed
passing away with the pressure on Lopes in the
south. An unconfirmed report was current on the
Plate that the Brazilians had retaken all their
territory in Matto-Grosso, and a flying rumour
at Rio talks of a slave insurrection in Minas-Geras,
and, as it seems, not without grounds. The pro-
vinces generally are hurrying forward conscript and
volunteers, and about 3,000 of these are now at Rio
awaiting transports, besides those forwarded already
during the fortnight to the south. An accident oc-
curred on the San Paulo Railway on the 6th, near
San Paulo, upon the occasion of an excursion made,
by request of some distinguished personages, along
the newly finished part of the line. One of the two
engines and a truck attached to it ran off the line
and overturned ; the enginedriver was crushed be-
neath the engine, but the passengers on the truck
escaped generally with slight injuries. In Rio all is
quiet and dull. The ironclad Tamandare left for
the Plate upon the night of the 15th inst. Mr.
Thornton, the British Minister to Brazil, was pre-
paring to leave Buenos Ayres to go up to Urugu-
ayana, to pay his respects to the Emperor, after
which he would make his residence in Rio. Consel-
heiro Bernardo de Souza Franco has resigned the
presidency of Rio de Janeiro, its possession being
incompatible with his other public employments."

The Alleged Charge of Poisoning a Lady at

Greenwich.

Yesterday Mr. C. J. Carttar, the coroner for West Kent,
resumed, at the Ashburnham Arms, Ashburnham-grove,
Greenwich, the investigation into the circumstances at-
tending the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Reeve, aged 40 years,
th 9 wife u/ hlr. Wm.

residing at No. 52, in The Grove, who it was alleged died
from the effect of a certain deadly poison, known as vera-
tria or white hellebore, on the 15th of August last.
Although the facts have appeared so often before the
public in detail, it may be necessary to state that the de-
ceased lady wp.s taken ill with convulsions on the afternoon
of the 14th of August, and died on the following morning
from the effects of a rupture of a vessel of the head, caused,
in the opinion of the medical man, by excessive vomiting.
Imthe analysis Professor Rodgers found the presence of an
alkaloid known as veratria, or white hellebore, the admi-
nistration of which would produce the vomiting and con-
vulsions. For some time suspicion rested upon the husband,
who was entitled to £1,050 on the death of his wife ; but
evidence on the other side was given to show that the un-
fortunate lady had taken the white hellebore herself with a
view to procure abortion, as she was approaching her con-
finement, and had to several persons expressed her dread of
it, and fear that she should never recover, hoping that the
child might not live.
At the sitting of the Court yesterday the learned Coroner
inquired if there was any further evidence to offer.
Sergeant Digby, 11 R, produced Mr. Baldwin, herbalist,
of the Greenwich-road, who detailed a conversation which
ho had with a customer as to the case, but nothing of im-
portance resulted from the evidence.

The Coroner then proceeded to sum up, and said that
the case was one of considerable mystery. The question
which they would have to decide—of course admitting that
the jury agreed with the medical evidence that the death
had arisen from the effects of the voratria or hellebore, was
whether the poor lady had taken the poison herself, either
with a view to commit suicide or to procure abortion. He
considered that there was no evidence to support either of
these suppositions, and, that the poison must have been
administered by some other person.

The Jury, after an hour's consultation, returned the fol•
lowing verdict :—" That the deceased died from the effects
of a certain poison known as veratria or hellebore, but
how, when,_or by what means the said poison was admi-
nistered there is not sufficient evidence to show ; and the
jury further say that the administration was not the act or
the deed of the deceased herself."
This protracted inquiry then terminated.