The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-04 00:00:00

Death of Mr, John Cassell.

We record with'deep regret the death of the well
known publisher, Mr. John Cassell, who expired at
his residence, in Avenue-road, Regent's-park, Lon-
don, on Sunday last, April 2. Born in Manchester
on January 23, 1817, he has expired at the early
age of 48. Thrown in early life by the fortunes of
his family among the working classes, he acquired
a knowledge of their character and condition, which
was the foundation of his future usefulness. He
served a hard but salutary apprenticeship to manual
labour, and so fitted himself to become the expo- #
nent of its wants and claims. Realising the disad-
vantage of the defective education common to his
class at the period of his early life, he was almost
solely indebted to his own persevering exertions for
the knowledge he acquired, and in after years so
well applied. Seeing within the range of his own
observation the evils accruing to the working class
from intemperance, he threw himself with all the
energy and zeal of his youth into the temperance
movement, which was about that time originated,
and as an advocate of the cause he obtained a wide
popularity, and exercised a powerful influence.
Arrived at manhood, he successfully established
himself in extensive commercial undertakings, and
while in these pursuits his desire to benefit the
classes, whose educational needs he was so well
acquainted with, induced him to commence, from
philanthropic motives, the publication of those well
known works designed for the intellectual, social,
and religious elevation of the people, and specially
adapted for their requirements. These works, ori-
ginating from a benevolent motive, soon formed the
nucleus of what has become, in the hands of himself
and his partners, Messrs. Petter and Galpin, a
gigantic publishing business ; and the name of John
Cassell, in connection with the literature of the
people, has become a household world. It is gene-
rally known that for some time past the active con-
duct of the extensive concern in La Belle Sauvage-
yard has devolved upon his partners, and the busi-.
ness will be carried on by them as heretofore in
association with his widow, whose interests will con-
tinue to be connected with those of the firm. In
private life he was much respected. Few men had
so long a list of friends, and it included men of all
ranks and conditions, by whom his friendship was
considered a privilege, and from whom his gentle
and noble qualities won respect and esteem.

SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE HON. MRS. YELVERTON.
—lt is with sincere regret we announce that the
deeply-injured Mrs. Yelverton continues to lie dangerously
ill at her lodgings in this city. On Friday and Saturday
last so low had she sunk that little hope was entertained
of her recovery ; last night, however, she had rallied a
little, and a more favourable impression was created among
those in attendance upon her. It was as much as she was
able on Saturday to indicate her mind as to a settlement of
her affairs to her agent, who was called in for the purpose.
Professor Simpson is unremitting in his attendance.—
Caledonian Mercury, April 3.
THE EDMUNDS SCANDAL.—The report of the
Lords' Committee in the Edmunds case will, we
believe, be laid on the table of the House on Friday, if not
on Thursday, and then ordered to be printed, so that
the whole evidence will be issued to the public during
the Easter recess. The last act of the committee, we
hear, before adjourning on Friday, was to receive a
written statement from Lord Brougham to the effect that
he knew nothing of any of the transactions until last
November, the committee having had to wait two days for
the formality of getting this document attested by a notary
at Cannes. The committee meet again on Tuesday, at noon,
to consider the report, which is then to be presented in
draught. It was at first arranged that the report should be
drawn by Lord Granville, but the task has now, we believe,
been devolved upon Lord Chelmsford, a change regarding the
reasons for which we are not informed, though it may natu-
rally be inferred that it is a change not acceptable to nor
promising for Lord Westbury. On the other hand, how-
ever, it is not impossible that the transfer of the draught-
manship may have been caused by there being no differ-
ence of opinion among the members of the committee.
We believe we are correct in saying that the report will
entirely exonerate Lord Brougham. The committee are
said to have accepted as part of the evidence Mr. Ed-
munds' " statement," in which, apropos of nothing con-
nected with his official defalcations, that person gave his
version of the 30 years old transactions between him and
Mr. William Brougham. It is understood that the some-
what abrupt though not early termination of the inquiry
was caused by the committee finding that they were " get-
ting out of their depth" by having matters brought before
them not connected with the case which they were ap-
pointed to investigate, though connected with some of the
persons involved in that case. It is said—but need not be

accepted as certain till more is known—that a statement
was made to members of the committee, though not offi-
cially accepted or dealt with by the committee, to the
effect that Mr. William Brougham imposed terms similar
to those alleged in the Edmunds' case • upon Mr. James
Brougham (son of the late Mr. John Brougham), the holder
of an office in connection with the Bankruptcy Courts, first
in Liverpool and now in London. On the whole, it seems
nearly certain that Mr. Edmunds will come out of the in-
quiry in a worse plight than when he went into it ; and
that Mr. William Brougham—though, doubtless, such
statements regarding him as have as yet received publicity
have been one-sided, and rest on tainted testimony—will
not be in an enviable or unclouded position. The chief in-
terest, however, will attach to the case of the Lord Chan-
cellor; for it would be affectation to conceal that he is the
real game flown at by Lord Derby and others. Equally in
vain it would be to try to concealthat, apart from the merits

of the question, the Lord Chancellor is in considerable
danger, owing to his unpopularity among both political
and legal men in London, whom he has overshadowed by
his immense talents and offended by his unfortunate man-
ners. But people in the provinces, or rather people in
general, who have not been made envious and have not
been snubbed, will be justly jealous of any appearance of
an attempt to treat a public man as guilty merely because
ho is unpleasant.—,notsman.