The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-13 00:00:00

TTIE SIM, LONDON;

and favour, and it will cement more closely the bonds
by which the MONARCII of the United Kingd.sm is
united to her loyal an (l devoted people of Ireland.

Two cases of more than ordinary atrocity have been
tried on the Western Circuit during the past week,
Two further illustrations have been afforded of the
hairible crime that has recently become so prevalent
in this•country, in addition to those to which we have
already directed the public attention. Two new con-
victions have been obtained, the victim in one instance
being the husband, and ill the other the child of the
wretched murderer—the instrument of death in both
cases being poison. It is indeed difficult to conceive
the deep depravity of those who, influenced by some
trivial and paltry motive, could be induced to destroy
the persons whom they were bound to guard with the
utmost vigilance from every danger, and thus to add
the basest treachery to the most shocking murder.
We are told that " fact is stranger than fiction," and
the criminal records of the present Assizes afford the
strongest proof of the adage. What novelist would
dare to depict guilt like that of the woman who
poisoned her husband and children, against whoa;
she entertained no hatred or dislike, who had
never injured, or given her cause of com-
plaint, but on the contrary were supporting her.
and the remaining members of her family, by the
wages of their industry, merely to obtain the trifling
sums payable by a burial club, on the death of its
members? Who could suppose the possibility of a
woman s sacrificing her young and affectionate hus•
band, with whom she had lived in the greatest har-
mony and comfort, on the speculation of managing a
septuagenarian more than forty years older than her
former partner; or how could the most vivid ima-
; gination conceive a case like that of the unnatural
parent who habitually destroyed her innocent off-
spring, not for the sake of pecuniary gain, or to
avoid the shame and disgrace that falls upon the
anwedded mother ; but to save herself the trouble
of attending to their little wants? Yet such crimes
have been committed in Merry England during the
' present year, and the wretched criminals are at this
moment awaiting the execution of the last dread
sentence of the law, that affixes the penalty of death
upon the scaffold; as the only adequate expiation of
the enormous guilt of which they respectively have
been convicted by juries of their countrymer.
1 The case of CHARLOTTE HARRIS, otherwise MAR..
CHANT, is perhaps the most inexplicable of any that
has as yet been brought to light. Her deceased
husband, HENRY MARCHANT, was in the very prime
of life, 28 years of age, a faithful and affectionate
partner, who earned comfortable wages, and made her
a liberal allowance for household expenditure. She
herself added to the general fund by selling orange&
in the market-place of Bath, by which she realised
' fair profits. They had lived together very happily
and respectably for seven or eight years, and were
respected and esteemed by all their neighbours. There
had been two children of the marriage, one of whom
is still living. Such was the position of the parties.
No words or disputes had occurred between them ;
no cloud had arisen to disturb their domestic felicity,
when, in an evil hour, she met a man, named
HARRIS, a pensioner, more than 70 years of age, but
supposed to be possessed of some property, who paid her
some attention. On the 22d of March she took tea with
Mums at his house, where she retrained a consider-
able time. The result of this visit, and of subsequent
interviews, appears to have been that she conceived
that HARRIS would marry her if at liberty, and she
resolved to make away with her unfortunate husband,
who was the only bar to her union with her anti-
quated admirer. She did not long postpone her fatal
determination. On the following Saturday (March
31st), HENRY MARCHANT returned from his work in
excellent health and spirits, anticipating a day of rest
and enjoyment. But bow vain were these expecta-
tions. The deadly cup was already drugged for hi&
life. He partook of tea with his apparently loving
spouse, and his death warrant was sealed. In a few
hours he became exceedingly ill, exhibiting the
symptoms attendant upon having taken arsenic, and
continued so during the entire of the following day.
On Monday he endeavoured to continue his labour, but
was almost immediately obliged to relinquish the
effort and return home. The parish surgeon waf-
called in, but the wife gave a false account of her
husband's illness, stating that he had strained himself
by lifting heavy stones, and bed been spitting blood
for some weeks. The doctor was easily satisfied, no
suspicion was excited. `ome medicines were sent,
but even these were withheld by the prisoner, who
looked without remorse or concern on the fearful
sufferings of the father of her children. On the
fourth day of his illness she left the room, where her
suffering husband lay dying, to inspect a house which
her aged inamorato thought of taking, when she in-
formed his servant " that she was about to be married
to Halters, that she was a single woman, but could
not be married for a short time, as her sister was vet-)
ill." • The story of her sister's illness proved to be an
absolute fiction, as well as that which she told to the
parish doctor respecting her husband. This visit
strengthened ber determination, and the uhfortunate
husband lingering in his agony longer than she ex-
pected, an additional and larger dose of the fata:
mineral was administered, which completed the
deadly work. HENRY MARCHANT died on Saturday,
the 7th of April, and the prisoner spent the greater
portion of her time during the interval that elapsed
previous to his burial in company with HARRIS. On
the very day of the funeral she obtained the marriage
licence, which was not long permitted to remain
unused. In three days the wedding was celebrated,
and

" The funeral baked meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage table."

These extraordinary proceedings necessarily at-
tracted attention. The body was exhumed, but the
surgeons, not having any suspicion of poison, did not
investigate for the purpose of finding any. An in-
quest was, however, held; the coroner was not quite
so easily satisfied. The contents of the stomach
were analysed, and two grains and a half of solid
arsenic and one grain in solution were found in it. The
solid arsenic could not have been taken
more than twenty-fours before death, repeated doses
must, therefore, have been administered at intervals
during the illness, the last of which proved effectual.
The wife was committed for trial, and, as we have
already stated, was convicted.
REBECCA SMITH (whose case was fully reported
in our impression of Saturday), was tried at Devizes
the preceding day, for the murder of her infant
child, IticuAßD SMITH, aged only twenty-six days.
Evidence of the usual character was adduced to
ahow the purchase of a pennyworth of arsenic by
the prisoner on false pretences, of the subsequent
sickness and death of the unfortunate infant, and of
its exhumation, when suspicion was at length excited,
and the discovery of arsenic in its remains. She had
previously had eleven children, all of whom, except
the eldest, had died when between three and four
weeks old, exhibiting similar symptoms to those
of the last victim—and, although no proof
was given of the fact, it not being
legally admissible, traces of arsenic were discovered
in the remains of several of those children, so that no
moral doubt could exist that it had been her custom
to administer poison to her chilaren, one only, the
eldest, being spared. This wretched woman was also
convicted on the clearest and most satisfactory
testimony, and MARY ANNE GEERING, CHAR-
LOTTE HARRIS, and REBECCA SMITH, now re-
main under sentence of death in the gaols of
Lewes, Bridgwater, and Devizes, to expiate their
awful crimes, and afford examples cf the fearful
punishment that awaits the wilful and deliberate
murderer.
These cases show the fearful extent to which this
species of crime has been carried in consequence of
the great laxity exhibited in the sale of arsenic and
other deadly poisons in small quantities, on the most
frivolous pretexts, and also the carelessness and
apathy of medical men, who behold persons dying
under all the symptoms of poison without calling for
any investigation, or interposing any difficulty as to
certifying a cause of death to the registrar of
buriels. It is manifest that strirgent regulations
must be introduced as to the sale of poisons, if we
desire to check the growing evil. Pennyworths of
arsenic must no longer be sold across the counter to
that
any applicant. It is not sufficiet that
'°
poison" be legibly marked on the article, or
purchaser should be cautioned as to its deadly atprothe
perties. Such precautions may possibly guard in
some degree against the poison being administered by
mistake, but it can afford no protection against the

wilful and deliberate poisoner, nor in a case like that
of MARY BALL, whom the D-arned Judge believed
" to have purchased the arsenic innocently, aid then
suffrrecl her mind to become familiqrized with the
idea of using the deadly instrument." Arsi-nie
only be sold in large quantities, to persons duly
authorised to purchase it, and known to the vendors ;
and returns should be made every month to the office
of the registrar of deaths in the district, who should
closely look to any sudden or unexplained deaths in
families in which it had been procured. Medical
practitioners should also bestow greater care in
ascertaining the cause of death before they authorize
the burial, and in any suspicious case a stringent
investigation should take place. Every means should,
in fact, be adopted to check a crime of which so many
melancholy instances have recently been brought, and
which we fear has been even more extensively prac-
tised than can ever possibly be ascertained.

rHE FREINCH REPUBLIC.

The Paris journals of Saturday and yesterday have
been received.

They all of them comment more or less strongly
on the deplorable scene which occurred in the Legis-
lative Assembly during the sitting of Friday.
Both of the principals in the incident (M. GASTIER,
who insulted M. PIERRE BONAPARTE, with the Bil-
lingsgate of the Mountain by calling him " a perfect
imbecile," and M. PIERRE BONAPARTE, who so far
"orgot the dignity due to himself and to the Assembly
as to strike M. GASTIER in the face in that moment
of supreme irritation), were shortly after the first
adjournment liberated by order of M. Durix.
Unfortunately for the cousin of the PRESIDENT of
the Republic, M. GASTIER is upwards of seventy,
being old enough to be his grandfather, so that more
sympathy is excited for the latter than would have
been accorded to him otherwise.
The following is the account of the occurrence as
given by the Opinion Publique, showing certainly that
a PIERRE BONAPARTE was excited by the gravest pro-
vocation. "M. PIERRE BONAPARTE, says the organ,
" was sitting with the Mountain, was manifestly
importuned by the continual marks of approbation
given by M. GASTIER, who sat behind him, to all
the abuse directed against his relative. 'But, sir,
you say that it is true; I maintain that these are
wretched calumnies.'—'l maintain that it is true, and
I will prove You cannot prove it, for it is false,
it is stupid!'—' You are an archi bete !'—' Ah ! I am
an archi-beter Here a slap in the face, vigorously
applied, terminated the conversation." The word
used was positively imbecile.
Another report of the incident, still more precise,
is as follows :--
"It appears that when the part of the article was come
to which speaks of the President of the Republic gloat-
ing over his 600,000 f. a year for balls and pleasures,
whilst the most violent measures were in dreparation,'
'el. Gastier, an elderly representative, belonging to the
Left, had exclaimed, It is quite true!' M. Pierre
Bonaparte, who happened to be sitting near him (though
it was .not his usual place), immediately addressed him

and said, Oh! you do not know my cousin, or you would
not say so! It is not true!' the other retorted—' Oh, I
know better, it is quite true!' M. Pierre Bonaparte
then said:—' No, I say it is not!' On which M. Gastier
hastily exclaimed, 'You are as imbecile!' (a fool!) which
was replied to on the instant by a slap in the lace (a
souSht) from M. Pierre Bonaparte. All this had passed
in a few seconds, and then arose the scene of contusion
which we have described. A glass of water was brought
to M. Gastier, who appeared quite overcome; ho bathed
his face in it several times."

The Pays publishes the following letter, addressed
to its editor, by M. PIERRE NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
•` Paris, August 11.

" Monsieur le Redacteur,—l am about to ask of )uu to
rectify some part of the recital of what took place in the
Assembly, on Friday. It is not correct that a repre-
sentative of the Mountain advanced, cane in hand, on M.
Pierre Bonaparte, who opened his waistcoat and bared
his breast, as if to present it to menaces of death.' I
never saw any representative, armed with a cane, ad-
vance towards me. All those who are acquainted
with me know that I am not a man to tolerate such an
attitude against me, from whoever it may be. My
custom, when attacked, is not to expose my breast,
but to put myself in an attitude to defend myself. I did
not, therefore, expose my breast, and I did not antici-
pate any serious danger on the part of men who do not
hesitate to put themselves twenty against one. I am
convinced that, even had not my friends and the ushers
of the Assembly surrounded me, none of those who
threatened me from a distance, would have dared to have
approached me. I must beg your permission to declare
that it is not true, as asserted by M. Gastier, that I im-
mediately disappeared. Every one must have seen that
I remained long enough near him. Neither is it correct
what the ushers led me away not without difficulty. The
ushers did not lead me away, for the moment I received
rbe written order of :the President, I went to the ques-
eeur with General Le Flo. Finally, the ushers did not
conduct me when I came back to the tribune. Neither
do I think that I was very pale; but, under any circum-
stance, that would not have prevented me from giving
vigorous reception to any aggressors, as I am ready to
do on every occasion and in any manner. Accept, &c."
Upon this subject also the Constitutionnel exclaims:

" What a deplorable spectacle did the sitting of yes-
terday present! Outrage was pushed to its utmost.
limits; the provocation and the insult led to assault, and
it was necessary to suspend the sitting in the midst of the
general emotion caused by a fact unheard of in the annals
if deliberative assemblies. May this at least serve as a
lesson, and be of benefit to those who, by their aggressive
interruptions and by their insulting exclamations so
,I,eply degrade our Parliamentary habits. Tilt se at-
ticks, which we shsll not attempt to qualify since they
tare the subject of judicial proceedings, these attacks
iirected against the President of the Republic, against
the Chief of the Executive Government, against hits
whom a recent law has protected against the aggressions
of the press, have met with approving voices in the
Assembly. There have been found representatives who
nave not feared to give this detestable example of want
,f respect towards the Constitution, and towards the laws
of their country."

The proceedings of the members in their bureau is
thus mentioned by the Patrie :
" Atter the painful incident which occurred in the
course of the sitting of the National Assembly, the
epresentutives withdrew to their bureaux, according to
the rules of the Assembly. Very animated conversa-
tions ensued, in which the Mountain supported M.
tastier; but the great majority justified M. Pierre Bona-
parte, on the ground that M. Gustier appeared to have
applied to him a very unparliamentary epithet. The
...;ouncil of Ministers assembled in the cabinet reserved
ter extraordinary cases. The President, in pursuance of
the regulations, invited M. Pierre Bonaparte to proceed
to a bureau."
Subsequently to this miserable affair a number of
general officers placed on the retired list by the Pro-
visional Government were restored to active service,
►nd shortly afterwards the Assembly was adjourned
till the Ist of October. As the members were re-
tiring the Left cried out " Vive la Republique !" a
voice from the Right responding. "Not yours, we
hope !"

An extraordinary and alarming division of interests
and of opinion appears to have sprung up among the
•'najority—abandoning the country again to the most
terrible anxieties, and affording the Mountain
tnother chance for the resumption of some degree of
authority.
M. TIMES has openly broken with the Legiti-
matists and the parti pretre, at the very time when
ne has been selected the reporter of the committee
)f public assistance by a majority of one over M.
BEREYEE.
The majority, in fact, is now split up into the fol-
sowing sections :-
1. Moderate Republicans.
2. Legitimatists.
3. Orleanists.
4. Parti•pretre.
5. Bonapartists.
The Moderate Republicans recognise for leaders,
General CAVAIGNAC, M. DUFAURE, M. DE TOCQUE
VILLE, and others, whose names are sufficiently

The Legitimatists look to M. DE FALLOUX, M. BE.
NOIT D'AZY, SEC. _ _

The Orleanists require M. THIERS as their leader.
-- - - - - -

The parti-pretre look to M. DE MONTALAMBERT.
So that M. Timm is at his old game again in ear-
nest ! Let him beware. The precedent of M.
GUIZOT'S fate in February, 1848, should have some
meaning for his consideration. It seems that M.
MOLE at first intended to act as mediator, but the
split is too decisive, and baffles all his influence and
ingenuity.
Among other causes of anxiety to France is the
growing discontent against the new taxes, especially
the projected taxation of incomes.
The Moniteur does not yet contain the promulga-
tion of the law for raising the state of siege; it
records, however, the fact that General RULUIERES
has demanded 37,967,360 f. supplementary credit for
unforeseen expenses. A somewhat similar demand
is expected from the Minister of Marine—both these
supplementary credits having reference to the Roman
expedition.
By a decree of the PRESIDENT of the Republic, the
Minister of War is charged with the portfolio of the
Minister of Marine, and M. DUFAURE with that of
the Minster of Public Works, during the absence Of
those Ministers with the PRESIDENT of the Republic.
The Council of State has decided against M.
DE LESSEES, and a severe censure is inflicted upon him.
The penalty of death pronounced against Captain
KLEBER was commuted into that of ten years' impri-
sonment and degradation.
AM. LEVAY, the author of a song entitled " The
Ball and the Guillotine," was sentenced by the Court
of Assize of Paris, on Saturday, to six months' impri-
sonment and 300 f. fine.
M. EUGENE BARESTE, principal editor of the Re.
publique, whose arrest has been announced, was
yesterday set at liberty.
Lieutenant and Mrs. HEALD (LoL4iNiorrEz) have
arrived in Paris,