The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-05 00:00:00

RAILROADS ON THE CONTINENT

The Railway system, whiCh has excited so much interest in
England and America, is now beginning its progress through.
out the Continent of Europe; in Belgium they are already in
highly profitable operation, and in France and Germany many
projects on an extended scale are matured, and
,will be shortly
carried into effect.

The International Railway, by which it is proposed to form
a line of communication by way of Calais or Boulogne to Lille,
Paris, and Brussels, is that which more immediately interests
the British public. _ _

This work is brought forward by a union of English, French,
and Belgian capitalists, and with the sanction of the Govern-
ments of the countries through which it will pass. It is ob-
viously a work of the utmost importance to England, not only
as connecting it with Paris 'and Brussels, but ultimately with
the other privcipal capitals of Europe. The improvements
which are in progress in the harbour of Dover, and the South-
Eastern London and Dover Railway, for which an Act has
just received the Royal Assent, will combine to render Dover
most important as an outport. If the journey from London
to Paris be reduced, as it is predicted that it will be, to thir-
teen or fourteen hours, and that to Brussels to eleven or
twelve hours, we may readily believe the number of travel-
lers will be prodigiously increased. The intercourse with the
Continent, by way of Dover, is already great, and has rapidly
augmented within the last few years; but when these new
facilities shall be given on both sides of the Channel, Dover
will probably become one of the greatest thoroughfares in the
world.

A. CHILD DRO WNED by its MOTHER

( Abridged from the Essex Herald.)
On Thursday last an Inquest was held at the Ship public-
house, Maldon, before W. CODD, Esq., Coroner, on the body of
Mary Ann Prentice, a child about five years old, which had been
found drowned in a pond in the Hilly Field, in the parish of St.
Peter's. The case excited much interest in the neighbour-
hood, it being evident that the child had been drowned by its
mother, the widow of a hairdresser in the borough, about
thirty years of age, who was taken from the pond at the same
time, under circumstances which led to a suspicion that she
was insane-

Peter Lodwick Burchell, apprentice to Mr. Tomlinson,
surgeon. I was called yesterday about four o'clock from Mr.
Tomlinson's hay field, which adjoins Mr. Pettit's Hilly field ;
Mr. Ashley asked me to go down, for there was a woman
drowned. I went down to the pond and saw a child lying
on her back on the ground, and on the left hand side of the
pond. The woman was sitting further on towards the river.
I partly undressed the child and used pressure on the chest
and stomach, for the purpose of inflating the lungs : the
body was icy cold. I said, on putting my hand to the
heart, " there is no pulse." I considered the child quite
dead ; if the bellows had been used it would have
killed the child, as there was duck weed in the trachea;
a great deal of water escaped from the mouth on laying the
head sideways and using pressure. The child was taken awalj,
in about a quarter of an hour. I asked the woman wherel;er
clothes were ? She said she did not know. I asked her why
she did it—(meaning putting the child in the water)—she
did not answer. She was of very wild aspect, but made no
reply. Nothing more was done for the child, it was certainly
dead. The mother is not in a situation to be sent for here, she
is in a very low way, her nerves have received a great shock.
Gave her medicine. I should not say she is very ill, but she is
not fit to come here.

Thomas Phillips, hair dresser—l am in the service of Mrs.
Prentice, as assistant; I have been with her two months on
Saturday. She had been in the house the greater part of the
morning of Wednesday; between twelve and one she called
the child to her and went out. She said, come Mary Anne,
lam going fur a walk; the child seemed very pleased and
highly delighted. Mrs. Prentice had been in tae house about
an hour and a half; she went out of the house and turned to
the right ; she had been in a low nervous deplorable way all
the morning, and for several weeks, often saying, what would
become of her and her children ? Mr. Prentice has been dead
about ten weeks.

Rachel Tabor, widow_l saw Mrs. Prentice when she was
brought into the workhouse, between five and six o'clock on
the Wednesday' night ; she was in bed and appeared to know
me, but she did not speak. I saw her again on the Thursdays
between three and four o'clock • when I went in and saw Ira.
in a state I never beheld her before, and I said, who wrz.uld
have thought of seeing you in this situation. She relied, " I
am a wretch—a miserable wretch." I then said " Oh, dear 1
where is poor Mary Ann ?" (meaning the chiht.) She said
it was dead - on which I asked her how it came about ? She
said "we both went into the water together." I said, not
with the intention of destroying your child. She replied,
" Oh, yes—that the Lord had kept her !" I then said to her
again, " you did net intend to drown her—she only slipped.
in?" To this she replied, " Yes, I took her in, and the
greater will be my punishment."

It was stated that there was no doubt Mrs. Prentice was
insane—to prove which five or six witnesses could be.
produced. Her mother and sister, it was added, had berm
insane.

The Jury aga;n consulted, and eventually returned with, the
following verdict, which 12 of them had agreed to sigrj, but
three would not—
" We are of opinion that Mary Prentice caused thf.: death of
Mary Ann Prentice, by drowning her in the r,ond at the
bottom of the Hilly Field,—the said Mary Vrentice not
being in a sound state of mind when she committed the
act."
The Coroner said in his opinion this amounted to a verdict
of acquittal, but finding that it was the determination of the:
Jury not to recede from the principle of this decision,, he con—
sented to receive it.

It was then understood that Mrs. Prentice shilult remain in
custody at the workhouse till the legal effect of this verdict
had been ascertained, when, if necessary, the Magistrates
should examine witnesses, and commit her on suspicion or,
the murder.

Mrs. Prentice when taken from the water, had 11. Ms. in
her pocket. She remains in a wretched state of mind.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT.

The Matters of the Petitions and Schedules of the Prisoners
hereinafter named (the same having been filed 'ln the Court)
are appointed to be heard, at the Court-house, in Portugal..
street, Lincoln's Inn-fields on THURSDAY, July 7, 1836, at
Nine o'clock in the Forenoon.
Coates, W., Thorpe Cottage, Devonshire-street, Globe-road, Mile;
end-road, horse-dealer.
Channon, C. G., Little White Lion-street, Seven Dials, broker
and appraiser.
Blits, L., Sclater-street, Spitalfields, general dealer.
Betts, G., Windmill- street, Gravesend, Kent, gardener.
Parnham, G., Bedford-street, Bedford-square, Commercial-road,
potatoe-dealer.
Pitt, J., Crown-street, Finsbury, watchmaker.
Samuel, D., Middlesex-street, Spitalfields, chandler sllop -keeper
Little, R., Dorking, Surrey, grocer.
Greetham, J., Queen-street, Portsea, ensign in the 4th regiment.
of foot.
Fox, G., sen., Chapel-street, Westminster, fishmonger.
Johnson, 8., Lyon-street, New Kent-road, Surrey, undertaker..
Adjourned.
Mills, J., Fisher-street, Red Lion-square, Holborn, coach-lace-
Weaver.

On FRIDAY, July 8, at Nine o'clock in the Forenoon.
Stamper, J., Chertsey, Surrey, carpenter.
Sawyer, D., Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, dealer in fruit.
Grist, R. Worpelston, near Guildford, Surrey, labourer.
Penny, W., Homer-street, Crawford-street, Bryanston-square,
Cooper.
Clark, J., Rotherhifhe-wall, Rotherhithe, Surrey, labourer.
Fairfax, J., Friday-street, Cheapside, sadler.
Moorwood, T., Greek-street, Soho, dressing-case manufacturer..
Jennison, A., Lisle-street, Leicester-square, out of business.
Bloodworth, H., J., Vauxhall-row, Lambeth, retailer of beer..
Venzano, N., Queen-square, Bloomsbury, merchant.
Home, W., Spring-grove, South Lambeth, gardener.
Symes, G. 8., High-street, Whitechapel, receiver of the Thames
Association.

Adjourned.
Skinner, F., Grove-place, Brompton,

SALMON FISIIING.--The season has hitherto
been far from productive, and particularly in comparison a rith
the last, must be considered nearly a failure. The s sme
complaint is general, we understand, in all the rivers in the
north, and in consequence prices are high for the season ; sal-
mon retailing at from ls. to ls. 2d. per, lb., grilses. 10d.,
and trout Bd. —Perth Courier.
HERRING FtstuNG.—The herring fi, shing on the
west coast of Caithness, and towards the Capes
very successful, but those caught arg of a superior h
qnot beenu
ality.—
Inverness Courier,
IRISH CATTLE.---The, following is the number e,
cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses imported into Bristol from T;re_
land during the months. of April, May, and June last :—P
25,143; Sheep, 1,i)33 ; Cattle, 238; Horses, 61.
utol
Mirror.

111.,
T 0 FLORICULTURAL and HORTICULTU RAL
SOCIETIES.—The Die for a Prize Medal, beautifully ex( ctxted,
has been lately cut, with a Design suited for either Floricul'atral or
Horticultural Prizes. The Medals may now be had either in sib.
as
ver, Bronze, or White Metal.
Watchmake
T. CO X SAVORY'S, Working Silversmith, Gold Amith, and
r, 47, Cornhill,•London.
The whole of the First and Second Floors are fitted, u
ROOMS for the Display of Plate, Plated Goods, &r:p .
eze. SHOW
N. B. A pamphlet, containing a Detailed List 4 -Prices of Silver
Spoons and Forks, Silver Plate, Plated Goods, Watches, Clocks,
Sce, may be had gratis.

BIRTHS.
On the 26th ult., Mrs. W. Mard,:n, of Ileatheote-street, Meek-
lenburgh-square, of a son.
On the 29th ult., at Southaltopton, the lady of Mr. Joseph. Lobb,
of a son.
On the 4th inst., Mrs. 'Wm. Goode, of Lansdowne-place, Iva son.

MARRIED.
On the Ist inst., at Clapham Church, John Fra'Jcis Buissom,.
Esq., to Dorothy Jane, eldest daughter of Mr. John Smither, Clapham-rise. afi

DIED.
On the Ist inst., at Rvde, Isle of Wight, Emily An nn Cover& infant daughter of the Rev. Charles Pritchard, of Clapham, aged!
nine months.
aged 69.
On the 3d inst., in Gloucester-place, Ann Cecil, relict of the
Rev. T. Salusbitry, Rector of Gravely, Herts.
On the Ist inst., in the Strand, aged 71, Mary, relict of Mr.,. .c.
W Kll4lf, of Dalston.

LeMtlo7rl Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of No
1 1
MStraesexnd, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in th'
e count)
of iddl.