The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-07 00:00:00

. .
7- -
•
•
• " - N.. .'':
.. s., - '7'• .. ,
•*•;JV alba'
...........N.,,,..
of a r
~ -•-•-.... t..- ~,,,e
P:' , :i. -I'l. " ''''‘'''i .-&•,-a-,(/.. '/.....----:-Pl'-dL----
* f.
-Z) 1;
. y IA .
, 6.
,•,,-7,-e-K -4,4\111-;,,,, ',• k''-',.-4- -,
4if1.4 •, II ,-
~...- .
,- - . ' •-•':'' "rt",
it--
- - Atc• v.
it
~..,.... ...,, ~. 4.34 le-____—.l KA, . • , a .
. '111)
, .:(zt ,
1 t -1
~..4„ ,/
mot. 1 „,
4--7 ~,,- - --'
I&- V. '''' 'ta 4'.
~,,-,,,,,„-.,. tk it ..*.- _,..0,, +0 ... 1 id, - '
',----'--10/1. ,A- -.6" t‘
,t,.....,,,t : ,c, ((Ia: ~0,,
,:`,,.41:1-, .1i.................„-----7,„.)
....;,4:-.." t 4 ---ii., i hf;,741,, DIES 4 !t: --, ,/,/,fieb.w. , 1.- -- , —,orri .."-
eooOr ' (dii*" - -14, K• , ... . .

{RICE SD.

MISSISSIPPI REPUDIATION.

The New York Journal of Commerce contains the fol-
lowing article on the repudiation practised by the State
of Mississippi, which furnishes the latest information
regarding the position of her entire debt. One portion
of that debt, called the Planters' Bank bonds, was never
repudiated, but it has shared the fate of the rest as re-
gardsonaotfeinbt,adtE:atsaliia.
II
or.
oteyritilsdri
cesuebi
bmiennyteheoi
rawtna
(hn
uth-1 non-payment
ibca:
stily(
jetennsati
hotoae
eoindln stulotheeblntendoe
tfael
ahabndipsel
ei
apart
original
rvidprtdeeiaozge
ilriandilisn,adecroasdealvnb;
esyft ars!
tloielfdalookelorci
of-these
Government,
appearsugtlinlo:rveorveifweestup(herinrnbeidtno,
netinduianstee
in defiance of a mandamus from their own High Court
o
n
English creditors :
historyofMisAssippi repudiation. Let us promise, fur the
information of persons not familiar with the facts, that in
1830 and 1833 the State of Aiississppi issued bond 4 to the
amount of $2,000,000, and loaned them to the Planters'
Bank of that State, then recently established. Of this
amount $1,500,000 were issued with coupons attached,
and $500,000 without. Not long after, say in 1835 or 1836,
she issued bonds to the amount of 4,000,000 more, for
the establishment of the Mississippi Union Bank. 'The
bonds for the Planters' Bank sold at a considerable pre-
mium, out of which a sinking fund was established,
which was eventually to redeem them. These Planters'
Bank bonds were never in form repudiated, but the in-
terest on them ceased to be paid in 1838, and not a
farthing has since been received from them by the un-
fortunate holders, most of whom reside in England.
" The bonds for the Union Bank were thrown upon
the market at too late a date to bring the highest prices.
Money was not so plenty, and a portion of them at least,
if not the whole, were sold for a trifle under par. The
act of the Legislature authorising their issue contained
a proviso that-they should not be sold under par; and as
a preteit_was not w-40d tßoco},the odium of repudia-
_
tion, it was found in the neglect of this proviso, although
at the date of the repudiation most or all of the bonds had
passed into the hands of third parties, who knew nothing
of the restriction, and had no agency in disregarding
it. At best it was little more than a technicality, on
which no stress was laid when the issue of the bonds was
authorised ; and the Governor's recommendation to re-
pudiate on that ground, or on any ground, was at first
resisted by the Legislature, who, on the other hand,
passed a resolution declaring that Mississippi would
' preserve her faith inviolate,' and that any insinuation
to the contrary would be a calumny upon her justice,
honour, and dignity.' She, however, made no attempt
to pay either principal or interest, and in 1842 the in-
famy of a formal repudiation was consummated.
"We now go back to the Planters' Bank bonds. In
1848 there remained of the sinking fund set apart for
their redemption, 94,000 dollars. The Legislature of
that year passed an act requiring this money to be
applied to the payment of the first of the overdue
coupons of these bonds. As 500,000 dols. of the bonds
had no coupons, they were excluded by the wording
of the law from the benefits of the appropriation ; al-
though no such discrimination was probably intended.
As yet, however, nothing has been gained or lost
by' either class of bondholders in consequence of the dis-
crimination, the State auditor having evaded the law
which required the payment to be made.. Under these
circumstances Mr. Weiss, an agent of the English bond-
holders, being then in Mississippi, obtained a mandamus
against the auditor, commanding hiss to pay over the mo-
ney acccording to law. The latter thereupon appealed to
the 'High Court of Errors,' the highest tribunal in the
State, which, towards the close of last year, confirmed
the mandamus of the lower Court. The sinking fund
was by this time reduced to $45,000, the Legislature of
that year having appropriated it to defray the ordinary
expenses of Government ; and we infer from the recent
article in the Natchez Courier, that this $45,000 h.s
since been expended in the same way, the auditor pro-
bably regarding the authority of the Legislature as
superior to that of the Court of Errors. However this
may be, it is plain that there is a collision between the
Courts and the Legislature, and that the latter body has
trampled under foot the authority of the former.
"Nor, is this the only point of collision between the
Government of Mississippi and her Courts. For her
Court of Chancery has recently decided that she is
legally and constitutionally bound for the redemp-
tion and payment of the Union Bank bonds. This
case will go up to the highest Court, which, there
is reason to believe, will sustain the Chancellor's deci-
sion. The New Orleans Bulletin, anticipating this result,
says This will place the people of Mississippi in a
very awkward predicament—they voting that they will
not pay certain obligations, and the high tribunals of
their own creation, specially authorised to pronounce
upon such subjects, declaring that they are legally and
constitutionally bound for their redemption and payment.
"All honour to the Mississippi Courts. They have
done what they could to vindicate outraged justide' and
blot out the infamy which must ever attend and follow
the repudiation of just debts. That those under consi-
deration are just debts nobody doubts but the debtors.
The country and the civilised world have pronounced
upon the case a unanimous verdict. Mississippi stands
before mankind a fraudulent debtor--able, but refusing
to 'pay. Being an independent State she has the power
either to pay-or not to pay ; but this fact makes her re-
fusal still more discreditable to her, if possible, than it
otherwise would be

i"ln thinking and speaking on this subject, we must
be careful to discriminate between the numerical majority
which has hitherto refused to make any effort to pay the
bonds in question, and that large and respectable mi-
nority who for years have bean struggling to redeem the
credit of the State. We said years ago, and we say
now, that Mississippi will yet regard it as a privilege to
pay her repudiated bonds, and all her bonds. Recent
demonstrations encourage us to hope that her regenera-
tion is near. Not only the decisions of her Courts, and
the increasing zeal of the party in favour of bond paying,
encourage us, but also the fruits of her dishonesty, which
she is beginning to reap. These are bitter, like the
apples of Sodom, and will become more so the longer
they are kept."

crews deserting on . _al, and the difficulties and
Tenses attending lighterage and ballasting. It is to
,e feared that much of the splendid shipping in the bay
11 continue to be delayed by the same adverse causes.
aving rapidly touched some points of interest, let us
hasten to glance at the prospects of the new year opening
upon us, which is likely to prove interesting not only to
this community itself, but to the world at large. We
shall soon find a list of vessels making their way here in
numbers beyond anything hitherto experienced ; it will
include a gathering from all nations and languages, and
altogether form a spectacle engaging alike to the Chris-
tian philanthropist, the statesman, and the philosopher.
First, as to the Government. It is the fashion to
abuse the " powers that be," but it should be rather a
matter of surprise that so much has been effected by so
young a legislature ; it is, however, found expedient to
increase the number of members of the Council to 64,
and when important measures come before them it will
be time enough to make comments. The estimates
have liberally granted additions to the stipends of the
officials in some accordance with the altered circum-
stances of the colony. The simple tariff on imported
commodities affecting only five, viz., spirits, wine, to-
bacco, tea, and coffee, is worthy of remark, and leads one

to expect that by some future means a revenue will be
raised without the expense of a custom-house or a
temptation held out to the smuggler. The riv..mue for
the year has augmented to 1,700,0001.
The prospect of the yield of gold must be a pure mat-
ter of opinion, but from the most careful inquiries as to
the auriferous regions, it is likely that with the increase
of diggers and the intelligence and experience now at
work a much larger aggregate yield of gold will be forth-
coming. Continual fresh localities are being discovered,
and there is no assignable reason why deposits equally
as rich as have already been found should not exist in a
vast number of spots equally favourably situated.
It is not thought that labour will recede in value for
some time to come, as the yearning for the diggings
among all the working classes is too general, and while
the chances of success at the golden lottery are held
out, there will be a restlessness among the brawny-
armed population which will deter them from the old
routine of steady labour.
As the inflated prosperity and high prices of every*
thing depends on the golden harvest as its main spring,
we will leave this part of the subject, and turn to the
shadows of the scene, whence arise some gloomy
thoughts for consideration. One evil is unavoidable,
viz., the overcrowded state of the greater part of our
city, and this is coupled with very bad drainage. A case
of cholera of an Asiatic complexion occurred yesterday,
and any spreading of such a calamity is too dreadful to
contemplate.
Another evil is chargeable to those who have furnished
England with such glowing descriptions of the climate
of this colony ; and it is a gross deception practised on
the poor emigrant to tell him that this is so delect-
able ' a climate. We have people from all regions
arrived at this time, uninterested in colouring any
report, and who readily pronounce these glowing de-
scriptions unfounded, and should never have been pro-
mulgated. For instance, yesterday morning the ther-
mometer stood at 102 deg. indoors, and 128 deg. in the
sun, with a violent gale of blinding, burning dust, as
bad as on a Nubian desert, and ere sunset the tempera-
ture fell 40 deg. ; this is a frequent occurrence during
the summer months, and should suffice to prevent such
glowing reports of the excellence of the climate. Dysen-
tery has been a prevailing complaint among all classes,
of all ages, and in many instances rapidly fatal.
Money-making is chArm enough to bring multitudes here,
but they should not be deceived regarding the climate,
which is more adapted to vigorous constitutions than to
those labouring under infirmity, who should pause ere
they venture to come to this distant land, where the
usual comforts of life are not obtainable, except at an
exorbitant cost.

The immigration includes all classes of a civilized
people, and as society becomes cemented thereby, the
present year bids fair to present to the world such a
rapidly-formed community as the world has never wit-
nessed. The population of the province is now estimated
at 200,000 souls, and it is to its rapid augmentation
that Great Britain is indebted for its supply of wool,
which is now shipping to the usual extent.

SELF-CONFESSION OF THE MURDER OF A
WOMAN BY HER HUSBAND IN SCOTLAND.

Yesterday much excitement prevailed in the neighbour-
hood of the Marylebone Policec-ourt, arising from a know-
ledge of the fact that a man was in custody and about to
be examined upon the serious charge of murder. At 12
o'clock, by which period a number of cases of minor im-
portance had been disposed of, the prisoner was placed
at the bar before the sitting magistrate, Mr. Broughton,
charged on his own confession with having caused the
death of his wife, Mary. at a house in Edinburgh, by
throwing her down stairs and breaking her neck, and
afterwards concealing her body under some flag stones
in the cellar.

The prisoner, who had the appearance of a labourer,
and seemed to be about 35 years of age, had at the sta-
tion-house refused to give any other name than that of
" Robert ;" he was very much dejected, and, resting
upon the .bar, covered his face with his hands during the
greater part of the investigation.
Mr. Broughton (to the prisoner)—What is your sur-
name ? Prisoner—l have given my name as' far as I
mean to tell it. Ido not want my friends to know of
this affair.
Sergeant Battersby, 4 D, on being sworn, said—At a
quarter past three this morning I saw the prisoner out-
side of the Marylebone station-house, and he said to md,
"I ,want to speak to you about my having killed my
wife."

Mr. Broughton—Was he the worse for drink ? Wit-
ness—No, sir •he was quite sober. A constable who
was outside 'brought -him into the room where I was
doing duty as acting inspector, and after I had cautione
hinv with regard to what he might say he made this
voluntary statement :—" I and my wife went into a
lodging-house in Blair's-doss, Old Town. Edinburgh,
at half-past twelve on the morning of the Ist of
last January. I gave her 55., and told her to
get mo some supper. I then went out and re-
turned in the course of half-an-hour, when I found
that my wife had not provided supper, as I ex-
pected she would have done. I asked her what she had
done with the money, but I received from her nothing
more than abuse. I sat down and smoked my pipe for
an hour or so, and let her go on as long as she liked. She
got so enraged at my not saying anything to her that
she cried out, " Speak to me, speak, or I shall burst !"
She then flew at me, and scratched my face. I seizecl
her by the wrists and held her down on the seat, and
said to her, "Now, Mary, this is the last row you and
I will have," and I told her that I would go and leave
her. She still went on, thinking that I was not in
earnest about going. I reasoned with her a long while,
and on my at last leaving the room she followed me. By
the time I had got to the bottom of the stairs she
reached mo, and laying hold of my arm, said, " Where
thou goest there will Igo too." She clung to me, and
I shook her off, and she fell down the stairs --in fact I
threw her down. I did not know that the stairs were
there ; it was quite dark. She gave a scream. I rus'ied
down stairs, and spoke to her, but she gave me no
answer. I then went up and got a light, and on my re-
turn I found her senseless. I dare say there was life in
her, and that's all. I carried her up stairs, and laid her
on the bed. She was then quite dead. I was afraid
of being taken up for the murder, so I took the
light down stairs and found in the t cellar, a help
of up some of the flag-
stone, and having dug a hole about three feet deep,
I fetched my wife down and put her in the hole aftet
which I covered her up, and put the stones down
again in their proper places, I then mixed the
earth with the ashes and rubbish, which I threw over-
the stones:- I left the house at six in the morning and
went to a public-house, where I remained till daylight:
I pawned my watch, and went to Leith, from which
place I came back by steam-boat to ,Hull, and from
thence to London. lam satisfied that I could point out
the precise spot where the body now lies."
Mr. Broughton (to the prisoner, who seemed lost in
thought, and scarcely raised hie head from the bar in the
course of the inquiry)—Have you heard all that the ser-
geant has said 1--Prisoner (carelessly)—Yes ; I have heard
it all.

weisaehlilnalontinsillediatel
ge
Mr. Broughton (to Battersby)—Have you been able
to get any information about the prisoner as to who he
is or where be has been living since ho has been in Lon-
don ?—Battersby—l have not, sir. He told me that thB
maiden name of his wife was Miaren ; further than
that I could get nothing from him, with the exception of
his telling me that when he did the deed all the other
lodgers in the lower part of the house were out for a
holiday.
Mr. Broughton—The idea of the hole dug under the
flagstones, seems to have been borrowed from the Man-
nings' case.
Inspector Jackson, D, said that hienhtehaerdustlulealpmriasonnueerr
say that he had not been long in London. He (the
aWiladenees"dallyianierx'st,
by
iuTt The prisoner,
Bmraoguigs
magistrate,
Broughton remanded
statementeh
re' °let
oamdvraanns
jodocatii:duki
tntshhigooeininntmoetduosradye.
.ghm.-as suethill
cause a copy of the
close,inspector) Can oknngeawte,thEatd itzileurei
to the madesuperintendentrof
the
Edinburghby th e
a strict idnuiry into all the
opca
fi
onrlcdci
ouc r
duem strsoebt directed
murder of the female would,
circum-
stancesTheprreislaotnivere
wtoasth
y and strictly instituted.
alleged
nieremoved from the bar by Addey,
the gaoler, and lockteehdae
up.

IVITSTERIoUSAFFAIR.—Five Weeks a°' a
g navvie named Barratt arrived at Kentchurch, and met
with
former companion (John Letts), who had
worked on the
London and York line at Newark, and who treated him
kindly. The same evening, Saturday, Feb. 26, they
went together to the Bridge Inn, Kentchurch, where
"forfeit money" had to be spent, and there the stranger
fought for a short time with another navvie. Late at
night. the parties left, Barratt (who had arranged to go
to Lett's lodgings) having been observed to go out pre-
viously. From that time nothing was seen of him until
Thursday last, when the landlord of the Bridge Inn
found his body (the face having come to the surface) in
a cesspool or privy on his premises. H. Underwood,
Esq., held an inquest on Monday last., when Mr. Ltne,
surgeon, thus described its appearance :—" I 1..0 ind the
man quite dead, and covered with filth. I examined
the face. I then gave orders for the body to be cleaned
iu order to its examination, and on the following morn-
ing I proceeded to make a more careful examination. I
found a mark en the eye and nose, as though some Wong
had been given to the 1 ,eased when alive. The bru.iesr
and blows were of a trifling kind, certainly nqt sffi u
to produce death. There was no mark whatever I b
body. I am of opinion that the d:.-easedeea
must have
on o
the
fallen headlong into the cesspool, an d
_eb
instantly in the wire of the cesspool,rdict,""ffYoc:UtUe4d