The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-30 00:00:00

AUSTRIA.

Smolka, who presided over the Austrian Diet, at
Vienna, during the month of October, has been again
elected President at Kremsier by a large majority.

PARLIATWEN T iRY COMMITTEES.

EXAMINERS' COURTS ON STANDING ORDERS.
On Saturday this department of the Parliamentary
business of fre- e-eaion was proceeded with, in Com-
mittee-rooms N(.s. and 26, the investigation consist-
ing of inquiries oh the part of Examiners appointed by
the Speaker, as to whether the promoters of applica-
tions to Parliament in the ensuing session for railways,
joint-stock, and other undertakings, had so far complied
with the requirements laid down by the standing orders
of the House as to entitle them to enter on the ulterior
stages. There are two courts, as was the case last ses-
sion, the one presided over by the Chief Examiner, Mr.
Smith, and the other by Mr. May, late librarian of the
House. Both Examiners are barristers, and do what
was formerly the work of eight and forty Members. Their
sittings for this session are considerably earlier than in
past ones, although the business before them is about one-
half its former extent. Indeed, it is fully expected that
they will be able to get through it with facility before the
middle of next month. The total number of petitions for
Bills, set down to undergo the ordeal of inquiry, is 147, of
which number sixty are in connexion with railways, the
remainder being for works of a miscellaneous descrip-
tion, such as docks, harbours, and navigations, with
plans for the internal improvement of the country.
There are no applications for new lines. That for the
Brentwood, Southall, and Pinner Railway, the object of
which was to unite, by carrying a rail to those points,
the Eastern Counties, Great Western, and North-Wes-
tern Railways together appears to have been withdrawn
by the promoters, or, at any rate, it does not appear in
the list before the Court; and the same may be said of
two other new lines for which Parliamentary notices
were given, namely, for a railway from Faversham to
Chilham, and to fall into the South-Eastern Railway at
the latter place, by a route of some ten miles;
and the Belfast and Ballymoney Railway, to unite
with the line from Belfast to Ballymena. The busi-
ness, therefore, mainly consists of applications for
"amalgamations." These will form the chief fea-
ture of the railway legislation of the session, and
from the important considerations involved, it is
expected that the question will be referred to a
higher tribunal, and that the Railway Commissioners
will report to Parliament their views upon the subject.
The majority of applications are for branches, exten-
sions, deviations, and abandonments of lines already
granted. Of applications for amalgamation, lease, and
purchase, there are upwards of twenty; and although
the necessary Yarlireaentary notices were given by the
London and North-Western, Great Western, and South-
Western, of their intention to proceed with their pro-
posed amalgamation, there is no entry to that effect on
the E xaminers' list, thus confirming the fact, already
perhaps sufficiently well known, that for the present the
projected alliance is abandoned. The generic feature of
all the applications is that of future economy in
constructive works, and of internal mutual arrange-
ment. Of the entire number there are not many
of what are termed opposed cases. Amongst
the applications are two in connexion with railways
:n India. The notice of the East Indian Railway
Company is " for making one or more railways in the
East Indies" (incorporation), and the other runs as fol-
lows, " Great Indian Peninsular Company (registered
provisionally), for making a railway in India from Bom-
bay to or near Conan, with branches or extensions to
other places." Another noticeable application is one
from " The Universal Railway Casualty Compensation
Company," for insuring passengers in the event of acci-
dent. Of applications to Parliament of a miscellaneous
character, there are 10 for water-works, 6 for improve-
ments of navigations, 6 for improved drainage, 5 for gas
companies, 6 for docks in connexion with railways, 3 for
insurances, 2 for iron companies. There is also a rather
remarkable one for " the sale or lease of the Royal Pa-
vilion at Brighton," and for vesting its edifices, stables,
coachhous, s, riding-houses, lawns, roads, pleasure gar-
dens, and appurtenances, the property of his late Majesty
William IV., in the Queen's most excellent Majesty, her
heirs and successors in fee simple, and as parcel of the
possessions of the land revenues of the Crown, under
the powers and authorities of the Lords Commissioners
of Wcods and Forests.
In order to facilitate the progress through Parliament
of the various measures, and to save expense to the par-
ties, some ameliorative alterations hare been made in the
standing orders. The most important one relates to the
service of notices on owners and occupiers of land. For-
me ly it was necessary that every notice given by the
railway companies for purchase of land for the line
should be personally served upon the occupier; and the
fixed professional charge for this was, in every case of
service, 11.; so that, as was frequently the case in pre-
vious sessions, where 10,000 or 20 000 notices had to be
served, the cost of this process alone was 10,0001. or
20,0001. In addition to this, in a multitude of cases
there was the extra expense of sending clerks into the
various counties, to Ireland and Scotland, and of the
payment of their travelling expenses. Heretofore a notice
sent through the Post-office was rejected as inadmissible,
and as a non-compliance with the standing orders; now,
however, by the 17th standing order, it is sufficient to
forward the notices by post, in a letter registered by the
Postmaster-General, the production of whose receipt
and written acknowledgment of the party applied to, is
to be sufficient evidence. It is estimated that some hun-
dred thousand pounds might have been saved to the rail-
way interest, and the public, during the last few years,
had this simple method been adopted. Another amend-
ment is the abolition of the troublesome process of pre-
sentation to the House, by Members, of petitions, who
were constontly besieged in the lobby by agents and
others. Now the Private Bill-office is to be the recep-
tacle for all these petitions, and through this channel they
will be brought before the House.
The Examiners have already disposed of the following
cases, illustrating the improvements proposed to be
effected in various parts of the country, and in all of
which the standing orders have been declared to be
complied with :
Alford and Boston Road.
Shrewsbury and Chester Railway (Dee branches).
East Lothian Central Railway.
Blackburn Waterworks.
London Hospital Incorporation for incorporating and
regulating the affairs of the London Hospital, and
giving further power to the Governors).
Brierly Hill District Gas Company (for
incorpo-
rating).
Kingston upon-Hull Dock Company-
New North Read (continuation Act).
Surrey and Sussex Roads (Amendment of Act and
alteration of tolls).
Sunderland Dock Act and River Wear Commissioners
Act (Amendment).
Sheffield and Tinsley Road (Extension of the Tinsley
and Doncaster Turnpike-road to Sheffield).
Sunderland Waterworks.
Ashton-under-Lyne Police, Markets, Improvement
Acts, Extension and Amendment, and transfer of Gas
and Waterworks, and other Property to the Corpo-
ration.
Dublin, Ashbourne, Slane, and Drogheda Roads con-
tinuation.
Nottingham Gas.
Grimsby Corporation and Freemen's Arrangement.
Dublin Consolidation, Improvement; Waterworks and
Sewers.
London Incorporation (for extending the right of
voting at elections).
Thames Conservancy.
City of London Sewers (Incorporation of the Com-
missioners for Lighting with Gas the City and Liberties
and authorising them to purchase the mains and pipes
of existing companies).
Eastern Counties Railway Company, and Newmarket
Railway Company Amalgamation.
Bury St. Edmund's Gas Company.
Longton (Enlargement of Market).
Epsom Rates.
North-Western Railway (Extension of Lancaster
Branch), Abandonment of Vililliamland's Branch, New
road to Settle Station, Extension of Time for Purchase
of Land, and Construction of Works.

Kidderminster Union Tenements Rating.
East Indian Railway Company for making one or more
Railways in the East Indies (Incorporation).
Bradford Waterworks.
Lancaster and Carlisle (Railway from the Lancaster
and Carlisle Railway at Lancaster to the Preston and
Wyre Railway in the parish of Preston, with a Branch
to Glasson Dock, and Amendment of Acts of the Lan-
caster and Carlisle and Lancaster and P:a ton Junction
Railways).
Division of 0.7.3 'Living of Richmond and Kingston-
upon-llamas, in the county of Surrey;
Reading, Guildford, and Reigate Railway (Branch to
London and South-Western Railway).
The Examiners resumed their sittings yesterday.

THE ATTEMPTED POISONING
AT BRISTOL.
On Thursday an examination of Henry Evans, who is
in custody upon a charge of attempting to poison his wife,
took place in presence of the sick wottati. The wife was
sworn, and examined at some length, and, in addition to
confirming the statement made by the policeman at the
previous examination as to her husband having on Sun-
day last given her some pork over which a white powder
had been strewn, she detailed the following facts:—
About four or five months ago her husband came home
one night, and brought home some liquor in a tin can,
which he said was gin and beer, and asked her to par•
take of it. She sipped it, and finding it had a very pe-
culiar taste, did not drink it. He poured some out in a
glass, and she observed that, although quite clear on the
top like water, it was at the bottom of a milky white.
The next morning she asked him what he had done with
it, and he said he had drunk some and thrown the rest
away. Either on the 13th or 14th of December (a day
or two after her confinement) she wanted gruel in the
night, and he made her some. She did not like the
taste of it, and told him it was not like what his mother
or Mrs. Winter made for her. Site drunk about half a
pint of it, and in about two hours afterwards was seized
with violent vomiting and purging. She told him that
should die if he did not call assistance. He said, "Per-
haps you will be better by and bye." Mr. and Mrs.
Winter desired him to call a doctor, and he went and
got Dr. Parker, who gave her a draught which relieved
her. On Sunday the 14th of January he made ber
some tea, and after drinking a cup violent vomiting came
on. The witness was cross•examined for the prisoner,
and admitted that she was subject to bilious attacks, but
said that the sickness was not of so violent a kind. She
also admitted that her husband and little boy drank tea
poured from the same teapot, and also that he partook of
meat cut from the same joint as herself. He was further
remanded till Saturday.
On Saturday last the prisoner was again brought
up for final examination at the Council House, Bristol,
charged with administering poison to his wife Hannah
Evans, when some additional disclosures were made.
Mary Ann Winter said she was the wife of Police•
sergeant Winter, and she lived in the same house as the
prisoner. The prisoner worked for his father who made
coffins for the Clifton Union. Mrs. Evans had spoken in
confidence to witness several times of the suspicions
which she entertained of her husband. She mentioned
to her about something which he brought home in a can.
She said she would not taste it till he did, and he only
took a very little, and it made him sick. On the 12th of
last December Mrs. Evans was confined, and witness at-
tends d her. The next evening witness left her as late
as twelve o'clock, and she was quite well then, and in re-
markably good spirits. About two hours after the pri-
soner came into her room, and asked her to get up. She
asked what was the matter, and he made no reply. She
went to the prisoner's room and found his wife in a most
alarming state, with a violent sickness and purging. She
sent the prisoner for Mr. Parker, the surgeon, and after
he was gone his wife again stated her suspicions, and
said he had put something in the gruel which he gave
her between twelve and one o'clock. Mrs. Evans's
general health before her confinement was good, but
soon after she began to complain of numbness in her
limbs, and then totally lost the use of them. When Mr.
Parker came he asked to see the contents of her stomach,
but they were thrown away. It was the prisoner who
threw them away, for she saw him returning with the
empty vessel.
George Winter, police-sergeant No. 77, took the plate
with the meat to Mr. Herepath, and from what he heard
Mr. Herapath say he took the prisone2 into custody.
Witness searched him at the station-house, and found
1 the key of his workshop, which he then went and
searched, and in a hole over his workbench he found an
old cart saddle, and under this a paper parcel, which he
opened and found to contain a powder similar to that on
the plate with the meat. This parcel he took to Mr.
Herapath, who said it was sugar of lead, a poison.
Mr. Herapath, analytical chemist, sworn, said—On
Tuesday morning the last witness brought me a plate,
on which were some remains of cooked pork and pota-
toes. There was some white powder on it, which must
have been added after the operation of cooking. On
analysing it I found it to be a corrosive salt of mercury.
This substance was usually sold under the name of white
precipitate ; it was an irritant poison, and but seldom
resorted to for purposes of secret poisoning. It was cal-
culated to injure extensively, and, in sufficient quantity,
to destroy life.
Francis Blakewaide deposed that he was an apprentice
to Mr. John Buller Barge, druggist, No. 7, St. Augus-
tine's-parade. On Saturday morning last, about eleven
o'clock, the prisoner came to his employer's shop and
asked for a pennyworth of white " cippity" powder. He
said "it was for the children's heads." Witness went to
the dispensary and weighed him out one scruple. He put
a printed label on it, on which was inscribed, " White
precipitate—poison."
The prisoner was committed for trial for feloniously
and wilfully administering poison to his wife. Through-
out the lengthened examinatiot, he maintained an as-
pect of the most apathetic indifference