The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-03 00:00:00

rHE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY. EVENING, NOVEMBER 3, lEEe.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
(Before Sir J. P. Wilde.)
The Court sat for the first time this day since the end
of the long vacation.

BUSINESS OP THE COURT.
From an analysis of the list of cases for the current term,
it appears that there are a large number of probate causes,
and 69 new and 24 standing-over cases set down for

hearing.
The amount of divorce causes is rather under the aver-
age. There are 17 set down for hearing by common juries ;
the remainder are to be heard before the learned Judge
Ordinary without juries.
The Court was occupied during the day in hearing a
disputed will case, which was of no interest.

The judges in the other courts, in consequence of at-
tending the funeral of the late Justice Crompton at Wil-
lesden Churchyard, did not take their seats until nearly
two o'clock. The greatest inconvenience was occasioned
to the jurors who had been summoned for the_day, as the
jury cases were adjourned until to-morro

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Registrar Winslow.)
IN RE SIR R. NICHOLSON.

This bankrupt, whose case has been before the Court for
some time, and who has made repeated unsuccessful at-
tempts to obtain his order of release, applied again this
morning io Mr. Registrar Winslow.
Mr. Lawrence, in support of the application, urged the
length of time the bankrupt had been in prison, and pointed
out that he really had, in spite of all obstacles, endeavoured
to furnish satisfactory accounts. The debts were all trade
debts, and there could be now no reason why the bankrupt
should be any longer kept in prison. He had been adju-
dicated a bankrupt by the Registrar at the usual monthly
clearances some five months ago, and he had been in prison
ever since.

Mr. SargoOd opposed for two creditors, and his Honour
remarked upon the absence of detailed accounts.
Mr. Lawrence observed that the bankrupt had prepared
such accounts as he was able.

His Honour said that the bankrupt had applied, unsuc-
cessfully, to himself in the first instance, to Mr. Commis-
sioner Holroyd, them to Mr. Commissioner Goulburn, and
now to himself again ; but he could not be released from
custody until he had filed proper accounts. There were
two statements pled by the bankrupt upon which the cre-
ditors were entitled to be informed. In the first place, he
claimed property worth £3,000 per annum in Scotland, and
on the second property in Van Diemen_ 's Land, valued at
£2OO per annum. Upon these items the bankrupt must
furnish a full statement, after which he could apply again.
Application again refused.

SHOREDITCH COUNTY COURT.
(Before Mr. Dasent.)
SMITH V. JACKSON.
This was an action to recover a sum of money as the
balance of an amount to be paid upon the transfer of a
certain beershop.
The plaintiff stated that when the house was transferred
to the defendant he paid for everything but the gas and a
cask of beer.
His Honour asked defendant what he had to say ?
Defendant—l admit owing for the gas, but not for any
beer, as the brewers managed all that.
Plaintiff—Oh ! dear no, for the brewers do not recognise
the beer I mean.
His Honour—What beer was it then ?
Plaintiff—A cask of black beer.
His Hohour—Black beer ! What is that ?
Plaintiff—lt is what all beershop-keepers use for colour-
ing the beer.
His Honour—Colouring the beer, indeed. In my opinion
it is used for adulterating it.
Plaintiff—lt is always used.
His Honour—Well, if it is always used I shall not allow
for it, and certainly will not for one moment uphold adul-
teration in any shape. I shall find a verdict for the amount
claimed as due for gas, but no more, as it is clearly a fact
that this black beer is used for an improper purpose.
Verdict for plaintiff for gas only.

Startling Accident at the Great Northern

Terminus•

The King's-cross Terminus of the Great Nor-
thern Railway was last evening the scene of a start-
ling accident. Shortly before 6 o'clock a loaded
coal train without an engine dashed through the
station on the London side metals, which were for-
tunately clear at the moment, and bursting over the
" blind buffer" at the end of the platform, lodged
five of the trucks on the platform level, the end
truck being brought to a stop in the middle of the
public road.
Two explanations are given of the manner in
which the accident happened. One is that the driver
of the goodS train, which consisted of about 30 trucks,
all loaded, stopped at Holloway, and detached his
engine for some purpose, " spragging" the trucks
meanwhile, and on going back with the engine he
unspragged" the train, but forgot to couple
the engine to it, so that when he started for the
London goods department the trucks followed by
reason of the incline. Hi 2 entering the Holloway
tunnel prevented him from seeing that the train
was not behind, and when he came out of the
tunnel, and had passed on the goods line, the points-
man reversed the points in time to allow the follow-
ing train to go on the passenger line, which it did
at full speed, there being only the brake van in the
rear, the guard in which vainly endeavoured to
break the speed of the trucks. The other explana-
tion is that the train uncoupled in the tunnel, and
the foremost part having passed on the goods line,
the points were reversed, and the other portion of
it ran on as described.
It is a most fortunate circumstance that the line
was at the time quite clear. A train had only been
shunted off 'the station about three minutes before
the accident happened, and the chances were that
an unexpected train would have come into collision
with an unloading passenger train. It is stated
that only one person was injured, and that a little
boy, the son of one of the officials, who was knocked
over by the leading truck.
The accident created a very great excitement in
the neighbourhood, and attracted a great number of
spectators, who were kept out of harm's way by a
large body of the Y division of police, under In-
spectors Frazer and Barber. The men were at work
last night until a late hour in removing the trucks,
which was found a dangerous and difficult work,
the wheels of the five which mounted the platform-
level being broken off, and the ponderous vehicles
had to be dragged in over the torn-up ground, An
official inquiry will be made this day into the cause,
of the accident.

POLICE INTELLIGENCES—This Day,

BOW-STREET.

Charlotte Thompson, the daughter of a boarding-house
keeper in Norfolk-street, was charged with stealing some
wine, the property of Mr. Mackie, who lodged in the
house.

Mr. Mackie said in September last he went out of town,
and on his return he found a bottle of port had been taken
from his cheffionier. He was told the prisoner had stolen
it, and out of consideration for her mother he forgave her.
On Wednesday morning last' he again found the cheffionier
had beeti forcibly opened and another bottle taken, and-as
it was the wish of the mother he prosecuted in the present
case, as it appeared to be the only way to cure her of her
propensity for drink.

Mr. Vaughan—When did you give herinto custody ?
Witness replied, when he returned last night. She
went out in the morning and returned drunk in the even-
ing. When she was accused of stealing the wine she, with
an oath, denied it.

Elizabeth Arnold, housemaid at No. 5, Norfolk-street,
said she found Mr. Mackie's cheffionier broken open on
Wednesday last, and some wine had been taken away. At
that time the prisoner was in the kitchen with her mother,
the worse for drink. She went down to get the key of
Mr. Mackie's room, to lock it up. She did not speak to
the prisoner, but told her mother. Yesterday morning,
when she got up she found the prisoner absent from her
bedroom, and she must have got up early and gone out.
On the bottom of the flight of stairs she found an empty
wine bottle concealed amongst some brushes. She
recognised it as one of Mr. Mackie's bottles by the seal.
When tho prisoner came home she was the worse
for liquor, not so bad as drunk, but not sober. She told
her she bad been at Mr. Mackie's wine, but she denied it.

Mr. Vaughan—What do you know of the former case ?
Witness said she saw her on the Wednesday morning
coming out of her bed-room tipsy and partly undressed.
She had a bottle which contained wine, from which she
was drinking. She went up to her and told her she had
been at Mr. Mackie's wine, but she again denied it.

Mr. Humphries, the second clerk—How did you know it
was Mr. Mackie's wine ?

Witness said she knew it by the seal. The prisoner's
room was next to Mr. Mackie's, both being in the front
and top of the house. She had got out of the window,
crawled along the parapet, and entered by the window of
Mr. Mackie's room. After returning to her own room she
had washed her soiled garments, in order that witness
might not see the marks of her progress along the parapet.
Mr. Humphries reminded the magistrate that the prisoner
had been promised forgiveness.
The prosecutor said ho only meant to convey that he
had not condoned the matter by saying ho would forgive '
her.

The prisoner denied the charge, and said things were
often missed from the house, but she did not take them.
What she had taken to drink she had paid for.
Mr. Vaughan remanded the prisoner for further evi-
dence.

The Correspondence of Voltaire•

.(From the Paris Correspondent of' the Times)

It would seem that the correspondence of Vol-
taire is inexhaustible, and that letters of his will
continue to be discovered in some corner or other
to the end of time. The Revue Francaise publishes
25 epistles addressed by the " Patriarch of Ferney"
to the Margravine of Brandenburg-Baireuth, Fre-
derica Wilhelmina, sister of Frederick the Great,
and which the writer in the Revue affirms have been
lately discovered " among the papers of a rich and
noble family.." These letters, supposing them
genuine, contain, however, nothing remarkable.
One, written while on his way back to France after
the rupture with his royal friend, runs thus
The Duchess of Gotha has just filled me with
surprise and gratitude by telling me that she has
charged M. de Gotha to speak to the King, your
brother, and to implore your protection in my
favour with his Majesty. Your Royal Highness
knows that I never desired any other than yours.
But for the fatal circumstance, and the unlucky
journey of my niece, I should have gone from Leip-
sic to Baireuth to throw myself at your feet. The
evil is done; but is it without remedy? Can the
philosophy of the King, your humanity, your coun-
sels, your prayers, do nothing ? Who can speak the
truth to a great man, if it be not you ? I admit, I
have said, I have written to the King, and I shall
say so all my life, that I was wrong to be obstinate;
but, Madame, is this an affair of State ? It is but
a puerility of literature, a quarrel about algebra, a
minimum—and it is for that that I have been kept
six weeks a prisoner at Frankfort, that I have
missed the season of the waters with my frightful
malady; that my niece has been dragged by soldiers
through the streets of Frankfort ; that a wretch
sent away all her servants, and attempted to out-
rage her. These acts of violence were committed
by one Freiatag, who calls himself the King's
Minister. The King does not know that this
same man was condemned to an ignoble punish-
ment in Dresden. All these frightful circumstances
are known in every Court, but perhaps his
Majesty does not know them. And as for me,
Madame, what is my situation ? lam old and in-
firm, I sacrificed to the King the last years of my
life, and I lived for him alone three years. All my
time was divided between him and my work. I
abandoned everything for him and he knows it; and
does he only bear in mind an unlucky literary quar-
rel ? I must tell you the truth ; your royal high-
ness is worthy of hearing it. All the evil comes
from The letter which the King printed against
Kcenig and myself at a time when he was not
rightly infofmed of the dispute. Ido not say this
to extenuate my fault. I shall always admit that I
was wrong in not holding my tongue, and in being
obstinate ; but 15 years of the most tender attach-
ment ought surely to weigh something against a mo-
ment of ill humour. I leave your royal highneseto
judge of the matter. I ask you if there is not glory
in so great a man forgetting one fault, and bearing
in mind so many services ? Shall so many monu-
ments of the correspondence with which the King has
honoured me, and of my idolatry for him, go down
to posterity, only that posterity should say, All
has ended in a prison, and in outrages on an inno-
cent woman ?' Ah, Madame, is there no glory but
that of having a fine army ? The King, your
brother, loves true glory, and he merits it. He
loves you, and he should believe what you say. It
is for you, Madame, to prove the greatness of your
soul, and to touch his. Do whatever you please
I place myself entirely in your hands. Ido not
speak to your Royal Highness of all that is said at
Versailles, Vienna, Paris, and London ; it is only
your heart that you must listen to ; and it is only
to the heart of the King that you must speak. You
cannot but touch him, since you have resolved to
do so. My heart will be for ever penetrated with
the profoundest and most tender respect for your
Royal Highness.
" Will your Royal Highness permit me to place
at the feet of Monseigneur,

" Formerly Brother, " VOLTAIRE ?"
The following letter appears from five of the pri-
soners confined in Sainte Pelagie :
" Some of the prisoners attacked with diarrhoea,
or colic, have been admitted into the infirmary of
Sainte Pelagie. Those who have relations here
will certainly have heard of it. As they may feel
alarmed at this moment of sickness, we think it
right to give some information, which we request
you to publish. It will serve to tranquillize that
part of the population interested in knowing the
truth. Five or six persons have been suffering for
the last three days from gastric and intestinal de-
rangements, but with none of the characteristics of
cholera. These patients, treated with the greatest
skill by Dr. Philippart and M. Patti, head apothe-
cary of the prison, are recovered or in a fair way of
recovery. One only sank rapidly. It is right to say
that this man was attacked under circumstances
most unfavourable for the treatment of such a dis-
ease. He was in an underground cell. The humidity
of such a place, the want of exercise, food consisting
only of bread and water, are not calculated to enable
the constitution to resist the malady, but rather the
contrary. The prisoners in general, not possessing
resources to improve their position, are in a condi-
tion to predispose them to gastro-intestinal derange-
ments even in ordinary weather, and they are still
more liable to contract them in a wet or cold season.
The regimen to which the most of them are subject
is in itself sufficient to explain the cause. For this
reason it would be a great mistake to attribute it to
the prevailing epidemic. In order to fully justify this
observation, and to explain it clearly, it may be use-
ful to describe this regimen in a few words. When
'the prisoners are not employed in the workshops,
they remain in the court-yard in the open
air, and without any shelter. There are cer-
tainly two heated rooms, common to all the
prisoners, and capable of containing from 20 to 30
persons each, but they are quite insufficient fo re-
ceive at least 600 prisoners confined in Sainte Pelagic.
There is no occasion to enlarge on this fact ; it is not
new for the public. The opposition members men-
tioned it in the Chamber of Deputies the last Session.
Nothing has been yet said as to the food. The ques-
tion, of first-rate importance, merits serious examina-
tion. In order to explain it it would not be necessary
to enter into minute details. It is sufficient to state
that a speculating contractor receives 16c. (lid.)
per man per day to feed him. It must be under-
stood that bread is not included. The authorities
undertake to have the bread made at the female
prison of St. Lazare, whence it is brought to St.
Pelagic. Are 16c. sufficient to feed a man, exclu-
sive of bread, especially when the profit the con-
tractor has a right to expect is deducted ? Wishing
to give this note its real signification, we declare
that we have personally no interest in the question.
The regime imposed on political prisoners is, with-
out being perfect, better than that on which
prisoners of another class are forced to live. In
order to give a proof of justice and impartiality,
we even declare that, lodged in the eastern wing of
the prison, we are in a very healthy position. But
this consideration cannot make us silent on a sub-
ject which we regard as a question of humanity.
We consider it a duty to publicly urge necessary
and urgent reforms in the prison system for the
sake of the unfortunate men who have so many
other misfortunes to support."

It was recently announced that, in accordance
with orders from the Empress, the juvenile convicts
at La Roquette were removed from that prison and
sent to penitentiary farms in different parts of the
country. Most satisfactory accounts have now been
received from one of the establishments at Vail-
hauques (Herault). The children already there•
welcomed the recent arrivals with great cordiality.
The paternal but firm system acted on, and the
somewhat military organisation established there,
has increased the feeling of self-respect of the new
corners. The lads are active and intelligent, and
show great aptitude in the use of implements with
which they were before quite unacquainted. They
besides take a pleasure in the agricultural labours,
and do not regret their former life; they also enjoy
the partial' liberty in which they live. The success
of the experiment will be a source of gratification to
the Empress, to whose generous solicitude it is due.
The Archduchess Mathilda, second daughter of
the Archduke Albert of Austria, and the Princess
Hildegarde of Bavaria, has just been confirmed by
Archbishop Rause*, in the chapel of the palace of
Burg, in presence of the whole Court.