The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

FALLING OF THE HOUSE IN THE STRAND.

Mr. Abrahams, the surveyor, surrendered to take his
trial on an indictment charging him, at the instance of
the coroner's inquisition, with having caused the death
of the parties who were killed by the falling of the house
in the Strand. He pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Ryland, who appeared for the prosecution, inti-
mated to the court that he was afraid the evidence in
this case was wholly insufficient to convict the accused
of the charge contained in the indictment. It disclosed
no act or omission on his part ; while it proved, beyond
all doubt, that not only was he absent from the spot
when the unfortunate accident occurred, but that he had
left a competent person in charge of the work to super-
intend its progress.
Mr. Justice Cresswell said he had looked over the
depositions, and he perfectly agreed with the view taken
of the case by the learned counsel. The evidence dis-
closed three difficulties. In the first there was a great
contrariety of opinion as to whether the accused had left
anything undone which ought to have been done ;
secondly, there was a great difference of opinion as to
what ought to have been done supposing there had
been an omission of any sort ; and thirdly, there was
the absence of the accused on the morning of the acci-
dent.

No evidence was therefore offered against the accused,
and he was accordingly discharged.

THE COLLISION ON THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.

Richard Partington, engine driver, and Joseph, Wood,
a fireman, surrendered to take their trial on a charge of
misdemeanour, arising out of the collision which took
place some time ago on the Great Northern Railway.
The prisoners pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Chambers, Q.C., having opened the case to the
jury,
Mr. Justice Cresswell said he had no difficulty in
saying that the charges contained in the first, second,
and third counts disclosed no offence at common law of
which the Court could take cognisance, but he thought
railway companies ought to lose no time in ascertaining
whether the omission, by an engine driver or stoker, to
see a signal, came within the 13th section of the act,
which related to parties doing anything whereby any
one was, or might be, injured or endangered. If it did,
the omission would not be to see the signal, but to keep
a look out ; and if that was an offence, it was an offence
whether any mischief occurred in consequence or not.
With regard to the count which imputed neglect of duty
to the defendants, that was a question which this Court
could not, go into. It should have been remitted to the
Court of Quarter Sessions.

The defendants were then discharged.

MI LYING INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Mining Journal of this day.)

There is very little alteration to remark upon this
week in the share market, which continues in a dull,
inactive state, and many shares which a few months
since were selling at high premiums are now offered at
heavy discounts. The continued " calls" during the
depressed state of the money market are tiring out the
patience of speculators, and it would, as we have often
advised, be expedient to limit the operations of non-
paying mines as much as possible, until the times bear
a more favourable aspect. By this means labour would
become cheaper and more abundant, and a cessation of
calls would would tend to give a better tone to the mar-
ket, which has been completely overdone with new
mines. At the Wheal Robins meeting, a call of 2s. 6d.
per share was made ; to reduce the cost, the operations
at this mine are to be confined to driving the 20 and 40
fm. levels towards the cross-course, near which, in
Wheal Sisters, upwards of 9,000/. of ore was raised.
In the Bullion Market, Mexican and South Ameri-
can dollars, ss. per oz. Bar silver containing gold, all
gold above 5 grains in the pound to be paid for, ss. lid.
per oz. standard. Bar silver without gold, ss. lid. per
oz. standard. Bar gold, 775. 9d. per oz. standard. The
remainder of the bar silver brought in the steamer La
Plata has been taken, chiefly for India and China, at
the price last reported—viz:, ss. lid. per oz. standard.
Very large amounts of silver have for some time past
been forwarded to London, as the produce of the Eng-
lish silver-lead mines, and are then dispatched to the
East. There are also very heavy imports of the poorer
ores from the silver mines of South America and else-
where, which, although hitherto regarded as unworthy
of the cost of transport, are now smelted to a consider.
able extent in London. In fact quite a new branch of
business is springing up this way. The British and
Colonial Smelting and Reduction Company, lately es-
tablished, is carrying on a large business in the smelting
of these ores.
The Gold Mining share market this week has been
generally steady, without, however, any marked increase
in business. The enquiries have been chiefly for Agua
Fria, Nouveau Monde, and Colonial Gold; but in no
case is there any decided improvement in prices. The
less accredited descriptions, in which category must now
be included the Anglo-Californian, are scarcely saleable
at a heavy discount. On Monday Colonial Gold im-
proved 55. per share, Agua Fria was to prem.,
while Port Philip, was 7-16ths to 5-16ths dis. On
Tuesday, Nouveau Monde was better, and Colonian
Gold weaker ; and up to the close of the market,
yesterday evening, all descriptions were flatter.
The accounts which have come to hand from
the Australian colonies state that the yield of gold is
unabated ; nevertheless, it is to be regretted that the
lawlessness which prevails there renders both life and
property insecure. The arrivals of gold this week have
been very large ; on board the Egle, one passenger had
a nugget of 40 lbs. weight ; and Mr. William Harrison
brought home, by the Argo, 3,000 oz. of gold-dust
The arrivals of gold have been—
Eagle
Charlotte Jane
Pelham

Ozs 63,952 10 value £256,000
34,485 0 „ 137,000

4:421. 0 -,-,

17,600