The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-06 00:00:00

ITALY.

-
The death of the Marquis Ludovico Potenzianif,
who was one of the most enlightened members (;'
the Roman aristocracy, and who made himself
conspicuous by advocating the principles of free
trade, has caused among all classes feelings of sin"
cece regret. Marquis Potenziani belonged to the
Liberal-Moderate party, and in 1848 had a Seat
in the Roman Parliament.

Accounts from Naples say that the relation°
between the French envoy there, M. Delacourt
and the Neapolitan Government, are daily be'
coming less cordial. At Gaeta the fortification
and provisioning of the fortress continue with
unabated vigour, as the king looks upon Gaeta 0.5
his best place of refuge, in case the much-dreaded
attack of -French and English forces should ever
occur.

The Opinione of Turin states that four canilig
for military evolutions are to be formed this year
in Piedmont.

The Official Journal of the Two Sicilies, of the
`22nd ult., publishes a decree of the Supreme Board
of Health, directing that arrivals from France!,
Algeria, and Corsica shall undergo a quaiantine
ten days, voyage included, in consequende of the
cholera having made its appearance at Avignon;
Vessels having passengers or merchandise on board
from that or other infected places, are to be con"
sidered as coming directly from them, unless it be
shown that they had left such places ten days b°
fore they embarked. No passports are to be granted
to persons having been less than ten days out of
France.

ILL-TREATMENT OF A CHILD BY A SCHOOLMISTRESS'
—On Saturday the Brighton magistrates were occupied
for some hours in investigating a charge of aggravate'
assault, preferred under Mr. Fitzroy's act, against Mrs'
Emma Smithe, who keeps a school for children at I`l"°'
10, Osborn Villas, Cliftonville-house, and who, si3
alleged, had cruelly ill-treated a little girl three years
old, named Browne. The evidence went to show that
the little girl had offended the governess by dirty habits
in bed. The governess rubbed the dirty blankets on
the child's face and made her lips bleed. By the orders
of the governess, the child was then placed naked in
coal-cellar for some time, with very little food, and, on s
succeeding day, having repeated the offence, the child
was placed naked in the washhouse, and Mrs. Smithe
poured four pails of water over her until her breath
seemed stopped. It was alsO stated that Mrs. Smiths
had beaten the child very severely. The magistrates
ordered the defendant to be imprisoned for two months-
POOR WIDOWS.—From a return just published there
were, it appears, on the Ist of January last, as many as
44,900 widows in the receipt of the poor-law relief.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Creswell.)
BRUTAL MURDER OF A CHILD,

Mary Anne Alice Seago, 30, was indicted for the wilful
murder of William Seago.
Mr. Payne conducted the prosecution. The prisoner
was defended by Mr. Parry.
The circumstances of this case were of a very distressing
character. It appeared that the prisoner had been married
to her present husband about twelve months, and that the
unfortunate deceased was a child five years old, the son of
the husband by a former wife. It would seem that the
prisoner aud her husband were in the habit of getting drunk,
and that they frequently quarrelled, and lived very un-
happily together. On Sunday, the 21st of May, the prisoner
and her husband had been out together, and the former
came home about four o'clock, and she commenced prepar-
ing tea for herself and family. While she was so engaged,
one of the children, named Thomas, told the pi isoner that
his brother Billy had got him into "such a row," and that
his father had struck him. Immediately upon this it ap-
peared that the prisoner seized the poor little child, and
threw it with great violence upon the floor, and then
put him into a tub of water. At this moment the
husband of the prisoner came in, and when she saw him
she made use of a filthy expression towards him, the effect
of which was that he said he would not stop in the house
any longer, and as he was going out the prisoner exclaimed
to him, "Go, you -, and take your -- children with
you." The moment the husband was gone the prisoner
commenced another most brutal attack upon the child,
and continued to beat it and ill-use it until it ac-
tually died under her hands. When the child was
seen to be motionless and speechless, one of the other
children called out to the prisoner, "Oh mother, you
have killed Billy, and you will be hung." The prisoner
upon this told the child not to say anything of what had
happened, or else she should be hung. She then sent
out for some brandy and tried to administer it to the de-
ceased child, but she found he was unable to swallow, and
she then wrapped him up in a cloth and carried him to the
London Hospital, where he was found to be quite dead.
When the prisoner overheard that the child was dead, she
expressed great sorrow for what she had done, and said that
she had loved the child. Upon her being taken into cus-
tody, she again expressed her regret for what had hap-
pened, but said that the occurrence was the result of acci-
dent, and that the child fell forward while she was washing
it, and that its head struck against a tin box that was in
the room.

Mr. Parry made a most earnest and feeling address to
the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and after observing that
it was clear she had caused the death of this poor child,
he submitted that they might, under the circumstances,
come to the charitable conclusion that she was not actuated
by malice aforethought, and that she might, therefore, be
convicted of the offence of manslaughter only.
The Learned Judge having summoned up, the jury, after
a short deliberation, found the prisoner guilty of man-
slaughter, and she was sentenced to be transported for life.

NEW COURT.
(Before Baron Martin.)
THE MURDER AT NEWINGTON.

Henry Murray, 26, agent, was indicted for the wilful
murder of Rose Murray.
Mr. Ryland and Mr. Clark were for the prosecution, and
Mr. Clarkson defended.

Mr. Ryland briefly opened the case, and in so doing ex-
pressed an opinion that there could be no doubt but that
the unfortunate prisoner was of unsound mind.
The first witness examined was Alfred Buxton, who
stated that he lodged in the same house as prisoner
and the deceased. Upon the morning of the 7th of
June, at about half-past five, he was alarmed by
the cries of Mr. Larkin, another lodger, and upon
going down stairs he saw the deceased, who was bleeding,
trying to crawl up stairs, the prisoner was standing near
her. He was dressed, and had his hat on. In his had
was a clasp knife, and before the prisoner could get up to
the unfortunate deceased the prisoner drew the knife across
her throat, and cut it again. He then closed the knife
and came up to the deceased, whom witness had by that
time picked up, and said the Great Bear had done it.
Witness left the dying woman in the care of Mr. Larker,
and went for a surgeon and the police, and when he came
back she was dead.

Ann Larker gave testimony corroborative of the first
witness, and added that, as far back as Christmas, she had
noticed his manner to be so strange that she told deceased
it was not safe to let him be about.

Mr. Baron Martin, after hearing this evidence, said he
thought it unnecessary to proceed further, but the jury
expressing a wish to hear the counsel,
Mr. Clarkson then briefly stated that prisoner was not
in a state to be accountable for his actions. In 1848 he
had received a hurt upon his head, on board a ship where
he was a seaman, and from that time down to the present
had been subject to fits of insanity.
Evidence having been given of the fact, the jury acquit-
ted him upon the ground of insanity, and he was ordered
to be detained.

SHERIFFS' COURT.-(THIS DAY).

(Before Mr. Undersheriff Burchell.)
LIBEL.—BADMAN V. VISCOUNT DRUMLANRIG.

This was an action to recover damages for libel.
Mr. Robinson appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Edwin
James, Q.C., for the defendant, who suffered judgment to
go by default.
The case was called in, and Mr. James addressed the
jury, and said that they would be relieved entirely
from any trouble, as it had been arranged between him and
his learned friend that they should be discharged without
giving a verdict. The action was brought by the plaintiff,
who is better known by the soubriquet of Johnny Walker,
for a libel published in Bell's Life in London. It was not
until after judgment had been entered for default of plea,
that defendant knew anything of the matter, but he now
openly said he did not cast any imputation on the plain-
tiff's conduct. Viscount Drumlanrig was unconnected
with any of the subsequent letters
Mr. Robinson sail after what had been stated, he was
satisfied, as the plaintiff's sole object was to vindicate his
character. Had the case been gone into, he should have
called witnesses who would have completely refuted the
slanders which had been repeated in every way to his
great injury. He would have called unimpeachable medical
witnesses, who would have proved that the only cause of
plaintiff not fighting was severe illness, and not from the
motive imputed to him in the libel.
The jury were then discharged.
The damages were laid at 1,0001.