The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-14 00:00:00

STEEPLECHASES AT LA MARCHE.

Although the weather here yesterday was bleak and
cold, the attendance was still more numerous than on the
previous Sunday. The handicap, which, was reduced to
a match between Magenta and Valentino, excited the prin-
cipal interest. The latter receiving 111 b fi.om M. Lavig-
nee's horse, was made favourite, 6 to 4 being laid on
him, but before the race was half over, Magenta,
although running second, gained such numerous par-
tisans that more effcrs to take him at evens were
made than could be accommodated. A most exciting
finish took place, and although Magenta looked evi-
dently the most tired, he was so admirably ridden by
Lamplugh, who literally lifted him over the ground during
the last 200 yards, that he managed to secure the race by a
neck. The Prix de Marnes followed, and was won by Baron
Pinot's Astrolabe, this being her second steeplechase only,
she having run second to Vixen at her debut on the first
day's running at this meeting. La Chatt was favourite, but
looked out of condition, and only gained the second place.
The business-terminated by the Prix de L'Avenir, which
was contested by 11 competitors, all of which had run on
the fiat only before the present season. St. Contest, who
won a similar race on the Sunday before, was again the
winner. Cassidy, who rotle Habeas Corpus, fell heavily and
lay on the ground for some time insensible, while Lamp-
lugh pulled up Miss Clifton and alighted to assist him.
Cassidy shortly after recovered, and was able to walk back
to the paddock. Benedict, who fell while running in the
Prix d'Ouverture on the opening day, has since died of the
injuries then received. Subjoined are details of the pro-
ceedings:—
The Prix du Chateau, a handicap of 3,000 fr., for all horses.
Entry, 300 fr. ; half forfeit, or 50fr. only if declared. The
second to receive double his entry. Distance 6,000
metres (about three miles and three quarters). Nine
subs.

Mr. Lavingoe's Magenta, 6 yrs, 1441 b (Lamplugh) 1
Baron Finot's Valentino, 5 yrs, 1131 b (Harper) 2
Betting at first 6 to 4 on Valentino, and afterwards oven.
Valentino led with Magenta lying close up, until reaching
the turn at the ice-wells on the run home. Magenta then
went alongside, and the pair raced home abreast, M. La-
vignee's getting a slight advance within the last half-dozen
lengths, and winning by a neck.
The Prix de Marnes of 1,500 f., for all horses which have
not won a steeplechase of 3,000 f. Entry, 100 f.; h. f.
The second to save his entry. Weight, 1441 b., with
penalties and allowances. Distance about 3,000 metres.
Thirteen subs.

Baron Finot's Astrolabe, 5 yrs, 1401 b (M. de St. Germain) 1
Count do la Bigne's La Chatte, aged, 1481bs
(M. de Terves) 2
M. de Savignies' Magny, 5 yrs, 1441b5. (Lamplugh) 3
The following also ran :—Grabuge and Newcastle.

Betting-5 to 2 agst La Ciliate, 3to 1 agst Astrolabe, 4
to 1 agst Magny.
Astrolabe and La Chatte ran in company to the stands,
when the latter fell back and allowed Magny to take the
seeond place. The three crossed the river and ran round
the short course in this order. At the Irish bank, going
round the last time, they were all in a line, but lif,)gny
soon after tired and lost ground, while Astrolabe again
went to the front and won easily by half a dozen lengths.
Grabuge fell at the stone wall in starting and was re-
mounted, but was then too far in the rear to have any
chance, while Newcastle refused the first jump, and, al-
though eventually got over, shortly afterwards pulled up.
The Prix de l'Avenir of 1,500 fr., for horses which have
never gained a steeplechase of 1,500 fr., except at La
Marche in 1865. Entry 25fr. Weight for age, with
penalties and allowances. Distance, about 3,500 metres.
22 subs.

Count de Louvencourt's St. Contest, 4 yrs, 1281bs.
(young ) 1
M. Marion's Trufaldin, 4 yrs, 1221b5. (French) 2

The following also ran :—Julien, Pronostic, Gilles,
Habeas Corpus, Mousquetaire, Miss Clifton, Ernos, Gra-
buge, and La-Belle-Ferronniere.
Betting-3 to 1 each agst Gilles and St.-Contest. The
race throughout lay between St.-Contest and Trufaldin,
those two running in front from first to last, the former
winning by a couple of lengths. Julien and Grabuge came
in together ten lengths behind, those four only finishing
the course. Gilles fell at starting, and Habeas-Corpus
while passing through the orchard.

RACING FIXT

JRES FOR 1865.

Warwick Spring
Vincennes
Chelmsford Spring ......

Grand National Hunt 29
Barham 3O
Lewes Spring 3O

Vincennes
Northampton 4
Croxlon Park 7
Newmarket Craven l7
Durham

Canterbury Spring
Abergavenny 2O
Thirsk 2l
Cardiff 25
Epsom Spring

Newmarket let Spring 1
Chester 9
York Spring
Salisbury lB

Bath 23
Harpenden 26
Epsom 3O

GCTO:

Northallerton 5
Newmarket 2d Oct
Vincennes

Vincennes
Chelmsford 7
Blanchester Summer 7
Ascot l3
Beverley l4
Liverpool
Alexandra Park 2O

Newmarket July
Carlisle
Worcester
Abingdon
Stamford l3
Winchester lB

Newmarket Ho. M
Vincennes

Hampton 2l
Newton
Newcastle
Odiham.
Bidbury
Stockbridge

Nottingham
Southampton l9
Chesterfield
Goodwood
Down Royal Corp

AUG
Brighton- 1
Brighton Club
Lewes 4
Huntingdon
Wolverhampton
Reading
Egham l5
Royal Windsor l7

[UST.
York
Plymouth
Lichfield ..
Devon and Exeter 29
Derby Summer 30
Weymouth 3l
Baden 3l
Stockton., '

SEPTEMBER.
Leicester 7 Monmouth 2l
Doncaster
Brecon lB Newmarket Ist Oct 26
Richmond .„ l9 Walsall

HOVEN
Liverpool Autumn

MR.
Shrewsbury

AQUATICS.

CAFFIN AND KING, FOR £25 A-SIDE.

The above match took place this afternoon, and resulted
[II one of the finest races we have ever seen. King was

the favourite at starting, as much as 2 and 3 to 1 being
laid on him. The race from the commencement was
never in doubt, as Caffin won all the way, coming in an
easy winner by upwards of six lengths. The winner was
trained by Robert Bain, of Lambeth, himself one of the
finest rowers on the river.

THE NEW BILL TO ABOLISH ARREST ON FINAL
PROCESS.—This evening the Lord Chancellor's bill
to abolish arrest on final process, and for the amend-
ment of the law of bankruptcy in certain particulars, is
appointed to be read a second time in the House of Lords.
It recites that it is expedient "altogether to abolish arrest
upon final process in England except in cases where the
debtor is in the possession of property or in the receipt of
an income which cannot be taken in execution." There
are eight sections in the bill, and it is proposed that the
law shall take effect on the 20th June next. No order of
discharge is to be granted, " nor shall the same, if granted,"
release any estate, property, income, or salary which the
bankrupt may acquire until ss. in the pound is paid, unless
three-fourths of the creditors consent.

By advica from Hamburg the price of gold is 425 per marl
and the short exchange on London is 13.51 per .£1 BU/lin,.
Standard gold at the English Mint price is, therefore, about
2-10ths per cent. dearer in London than In Hamburg.

The Stoppage of Attwood, Spooner, and
Co.'s Bank.

BIR3fINGHAM, Monday Evening.
There is little if any abatement to the consterna-
tion-caused in this town by the disaster; every hour
seems to reveal some fresh instance in which the
consequences will produce the utmost conceivable
amount of mischief, and to many of absolute ruin.
In this town the smaller manufacturers will feel the
pinch very severely, and there are probably hundreds
of instances in which the better class of artisans
had deposited their all at Attwood's, waiting the
opportunity to lay a portion of it out in building, or
until sufficient had been scraped together to coth-
mence business on their own account. These are
among the cases in which the calamity will be most
severely felt.

All the other banks have issued a joint notice that
" each has made arrangements to open credit ac-
counts, and to assist as far as practicable the various
customers of Attwood's." This prevented much
inconvenience on Saturday.
As usual in such cases people continue to speculate
upon the probable dividend, and rate it at a very
high figure. It is greatly to be feared there will be
much ultimate disappointment on that account ;
but while abstaining from giving any estimate at
present, it is well to call attention to the results in
all previous occurrences of this kind—how little the
ultimate realisation justified the early and sanguine
anticipation.

The Daily Post of to-clay contains the following :
"The assets consist, first, of £250,000 of advances made
to customers, against which the bank, in many cases, holds
security. In addition to these balances owing to the bank
there is something like £70,000 of bad or doubtful debts,
against which there arc securities and probable dividends
that will realise, say one-third of the amount. A large
estate near Halesowen, belonging to the firm, is valued at
£167,000 ; indeed that sum has been offered for it. Thera
are also two estates, one near Worcester, and a small one in
Herefordshire, worth £22,000; and properties in New=
street and Broad-street estimated to realise £17,000. The
bills of exchange and cash amount to about to about
£200,000, and there are a few shares in public companies.
These assets represent a total of say £600,000, or about
12s. in the pound. Making, therefore, an allowance for
contingencies, there is some probability that the estate, if
taken out of the Bankruptcy Court, may pay 10s. in the
pound."
The same paper adds that 14 or 20 years ago one
of the partners, Mr. George Attwood, drew out be-
tween £300,000 and £400,000, but that just prior
to his death the Halesowen estate, in which part of
that money was invested, was conveyed to the bank.
On that point explanations will doubtless be offered
at the meeting on Thursday ; also as to moneys
rumoured to have been withdrawn by Mr. Matthias
Attwood.

About a score of the public institutions of the
town kept their accounts at Attwood's, among them
the Birmingham Union Club.
The whole of the coin in the bank at the time it
stopped has been lodged with the Birmingham Bank-
ing Company.

MONDAY NIGHT.
A meeting has been held this evening of represen-
tatives of the various clubs whose deposits were in
this bank. The amounts were only a little short of
£lO,OOO. An adjournment took place, but the feel-
ing manifested showed that 10s. in the pound would
gladly be accepted. The meeting of the Joint Stock
Bank (limited), for the confirmation of the agree-
ment with the different firms, will be held on Tues-
day (to-day).
Of course, so far, that will be null and void, but
it is quite certain that more than one of the banking
companies here is prepared to pay the creditors of
the late firm off at once on far better terms than will
be obtained under bankruptcy.

This, we learn, is the result of the board meetings
held yesterday.

Mysterious Affair at a Gentleman's House

Mr. Wm. Carter, the coroner for East Surrey, held a
painful inquiry at the Red Cow, High-street, Peckham, on
the body of a newly-born child found under the following
circumstances.

Mrs. Elizabeth Ruddeforth, of 6, Gunnersbury Villas
Peckham, said that she had a young woman, who had been
in her service for two years and a quarter, of the name of
Eliza Bullock. On Monday (yesterday) week, Mr. Lenton,
a surgeon, came to see witness professionally as she was ill,
when she asked him to see the servant as she had complained
of being unwell. After he loft she found something which
she showed to the doctor on his visit the next morning.
Upon seeing which he said he had no doubt the young
woman had been delivered of a child. Upon his taxing
her she admitted that she had prematurely been delivered,
and that if took placea month before the expected time and
upon further interrogation, said the child was under the
bed in her closet. Upon looking there the doctor found
the child in a chamber utensil. She had no clothing pre-
pared for the child, and she told witness that she had in-
tended to have left her service to avoid any disgrace being
brought upon the house, but owing to the fact of her being
ill she had stopped longer than she intended. She also
said that, being taken suddenly ill in the night, she made
a noise for her to come up stairs, but as she did not she
jumped out of bed, and the child fell upon the floor. Wit-
ness nor her husband heard the least noise during the
night. She had never noticed any difference in her bodily
appearance. She was in the habit of wearing crinoline
She saw no marks of violence upon the body, and having
put some clothes on the child she sent to Mr. Brown, the
undertaker, who took it away, with a certificate the doctor
had written.

Mr. Charles- Sheffield Linton, surgeon, having given
similar evidence, said, that by the coroner's order, he had
made a post mortem examination of the body, and found no
dangerous matter in the throat or trachea. There were no
external marks of violence upon the body. lie tested the
lungs and found that they floated in water and crepitated,
showing that respiration might have taken place. In his
opinion the child had not respired more than once or twice.
The statement she had made might have been true, and by
losing all consciousness, have let the child fall in the man-
ner she had stated. He had a similar case that morning,
where a lady, who had her nurse present, was suddenly
seized with labour, and the child was born 10 minutes before
he could get to her. The respiration he had spoken of
might have taken place during the act of parturition,
and he was unable to say whether the child had
actually been born alive or not. Ho had given a certificate
in which he stated that he thought the child had been
stillborn.

The Coroner said such a certificate was an improper one,
and, if the child had been buried, it would have had to be
exhumed, as the cause of death could only be settled by a
public inquiry-. Medical men, by giving such certificates,
placed themselves in very unenviable positions.
Ebenezer Dunn said that he was sent for by the lady of
the house to take the child away, and when he saw the
nature of the certificate he took the child back again.
Mr. Woodman, the summoning officer, said that from
certain information he received, he went and took posses-
sion of the child.

The learned Coroner having summed up, the jury re-
turned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

Fatal Accident on the North Kent railway.

-

Yesterday afternoon Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West
Kent, held an inquiry at the Crown Tavern, Erith, into
the circurnstanus attending the death of Richard Miles, a
gateman in the employ of the South Eastern Railway Com-
pany, who was killed on the previous Thursday night by a
passing train, at a level crossing near the Erith station of
the North Sent line.
Mr. Freeland, solicitor to the South Eastern Railway
Company, attended to watch the proceedings on the part
of the directors of that company.
Joseph Sayer, a corn-dealer, residing at Plumstead, said
—On the previous Thursday night, at a quarter to eight
o'clock, he was at the railway crossing, under the care of
deceased, with a horse and cart. The gate was shut, and
witness' called out " Gate," when deceased came out of
his residence, and opened the gate nearest to witness on
the up side of rails, and he then crossed over and opened
the other gate. Ile said to witness, " Make haste, for the
train is coming," and witness then passed over the line at
a trot. Immediately after he heard the train came up, and
the gate smashed. He got out of his cart, and when on
the line he found the mutilated body of the deceased lying
about 40 yards from the gate on the up side.
Thomas Butcher, signalman at the Erith station, proved
that ho signalled to the deceased that the up train had left
the Erith station at 7.45.

Mr. R. C. Taylor, station-master at Erith, said the whole
of the crossings over the line at Erith were under his con-
trol. The deceased was a sober, well-conducted man, and
witness could not account for his conduct on this occasion,
as he:had acted in contravention to the rules three times
—viz., he had opened the gates when he ought not to have
done so, he had opened the wrong gate first, and he had
also shut the wrong gate first. If he had shut the up-gate
first he would have left the red er danger signal on the
down gate exposed, and thus the accident would have been
prevented.

Other witnesses were examined, whose evidence went to
prove that the accident resulted from want of caution on
the part of the deceased.
A Juryman observed it cost the company about £l5O per
year for attention to one of those crossings ; and a good
bridge might be constructed for less than £l,OOO.
Mr. Freeland said the cost was a secondary consideration.
Engineering difficulties prevented the construction of these
bridges in all cases.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, with a
recommendation to the company to substitute bridges, in
lieu of those level crossings, where it was practicable to
do so.

ThIPERIAL PAIIIIADLEITT

HOUSE OF LORDS—LAST EVENING.
The Lon]) CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Reading, Newport, and Yarmouth Railway Bill was
read a second time.
THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

Earl STANHOPE said that he had given notice of his
intention to bring forward a motion on the subject of the
British Museum, and Mr. Walpole had given a similar
motion in the other house. It appears, however, that the
Government had devised a plan that would remedy the
deficiencies in the present system of the management of the
British Museum. Such being the case, it was considered
advisable by the trustees of the institution that no discus-
sion should at present take place on this subject. His
friend, Mr. Walpole, had withdrawn his motion, and he
would follow his example.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS BILL.
On the motion of the Earl of CLARENDON this bill
was read a third time.
BRITISH KAFFRARLA. BILL.
The Duke of ARGYLL, in moving the second reading of
this bill, explained the circumstances which led to its being
deemed advisable for the legislature to interfere. The
Government of the Cape of Good Hope had impressed upon
the British Government the necessity of dealing with the
question of annexing Kaffraria to the Cape, and the object
of the bill was to enable the Governor of the colony to
take that course in the event of the legislature of the Cape
of Good Hope not undertaking it themselves. However,
before vesting that power in the Governor, it gave the le-
gislature of the Cape the authority to make the annexation
themselves.
Lord LYVEDEN approved of the bill in some particu-
lars, but he strongly objected giving the power proposed
to the governor,land he believed the effect of annexing this
military frontier would be to drive the Haffirs further
into the country, and eventually lead to another Kaffir
war.
Earl TAUNTON also objected to the bill.

The Duke of ARGYLL, in reply, said the time had
arrived when legislation on this subject had become indis-
pensable, and it was impossible that matters could be
allowed to remain in their present state.
The bill was then read a second time.
ELECTION PETITION ACTS (1848) AMENDMENT