The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-06 00:00:00

hand be looked very wild and agitated. I shook him
and asked him what he had done or what he meant to do.

E.lward Bruton—l am an optician, in Church-street,
Minories. I remember prisoner and his wife being at
our house on Christmas-day. I saw the prisoner the day
after Christmas-day, and be was in my company
from six o'clock
.on Christmas night till nine in the
morning. He had had some drink, but not more than
would be found in the mast rational society. Prisoner
breakfasted hurriedly, as he had to get to business. He
did not appear intoxicated then. He looked remarkably
strange ;at times" during the night, after the ladies had
retired. After be had left in the morning I saw him
again (about half-past twelve). He then said " Where
is my mistress ?" I said, in the other room. He then
left my house, and I saw no more of him. Later
in the afternoon the prisoner came into the sit.
ting-room where I was, and almost immediately
run out again. I then heard screams and I rushed into
the bed-room, and there saw my wife holding the pri.
soner in a lying position. I assisted my wife in getting
the knife away from the prisoner. I saw Mr. Corrigan
afterwards at Mr. Cook's surgery. I never saw him in
such a state as he was then in my life.

Cross-examined .by Mr. Ballantine—l have seen him
intoxicated and his appearance then was different to
what he seemed then. He had a wild glaring of the
eyes, and I never saw him look so strange. All the
right that he sac up he seemed lost, and not as drunk.
I have known him nearly 16 years, and have associated
with him intimately. lam sorry to say I have seen his
wife provoking him. I never saw him attempt to strike
her in my life, but I have seen her strike him. I led him
down stairs after the transaction, and gave him into cus-
tody.

Sarah Brown, servant to Mrs. Burton, gave similar
evidence.

Atter some further evidence merely corroborating that
which has already appeared, the case closed when Mr.
B allan tine addressed the jury for the defence, and the
learned judge having summed up the jury retired.
[We shall give the verdict in our later edition.]

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day.)

THE NEW ORDER OP VALOUR.

(From Last Aright's Gazette.)
WAR DEPARTMENT, FEB, 5,185 g.

The Queen has been pleased, by an instrument under
her Royal Sign Manual, of which the following is a copy,
to institute and create a new naval and military decora-
tion, to be styled and designated " The Victoria Cross,"
and to make the rules and regulations therein set forth
under which the said decoration shall be conferred.
VICTORIA, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of
the Faith, &c.,
To all to whom these presents shall come,
greeting,
Whereas we, taking into our Royal consideration that
there exists no means of adequately rewarding the indi-
vidual gallant services either of officers of the lower
grades in our naval and military service, or of warrant
and petty officers, seamen, and marines in our navy, and
non-commissioned officers and soldiers in our army : and
whereas the third class of our Most Honourable Order
of the Bath is limited, except in very rare cases, to the
higher ranks of both services ; and the granting of
medals, both in our navy and army, is only awarded for
long service or meritorious conduct, rather than for
bravery in action or distinction before the enemy, such
cases alone excepted where a general medal is granted
for a particular action or campaign, or a clasp added to
the medal for some special engagement, iu both of which
eases all share equally in the boon, and those who by
their valour have particularly signalised themselves re-
main undistinguished from their comrades. Now, for
the purpose of attaining an end so desirable as that of
rewarding individual instances of merit and valour,
we have instituted and created, and by these pre-
sents, for us, our heirs and successors, institute and
create, a new naval and military decoration, which
we are desirous should be highly prized and eagerly
sought after by the officers and men of our naval
and military services, and are graciously pleased to
make, ordain, and establish the following m IlLis and ordi-
nances for the government of the same, which shall from
henceforth be inviolaOly observed and kept :
Firstly. It is ordained that the distinction shall be
styled and designated " The Victoria Cross," and shall
consist of a Maltese cross of bronze, with our royal crest
in the centre, and underneath an onscroll bearing this
inscription, " For Valour."
Secondly. It is ordained that the cross shall be sus-
pended from the left breast, by a blue ribbon for the
navy, and by a rod ribbon for the army.
Thirdly. It is ordained that the names of those upon
whom we may be pleased to confer the decoration shall
be publishedinthe London Ga:cttc, and a registry thereof
kept in the office of our Secretary of State for War.
Fourthly. It is ordained, that any one who, after hav-
ing received the cross, shall again perform an act of
bravery, which, if he had not received such cross would
have entitled him to it, such 'further act shall be re-
corded by a bar attached to the ribbon by which the
cross is suspended, and for every additional act of bra-
very an additional bar may be added.
Fifthly. It is ordained that the cross shall only be
awarded to those officers or men who have served us in
the prasence of the enemy, and shall have then performed
some signal act of valour or devotion to their country.
Sixthly. It is ordained, with a view to place all per-
sons on a perfectly equal footing in relation to the eligi-
bility for the decoration, that neither rank, nor long
service, nor wounds, nor any other circumstance or con-
dition whatever, save the merit of conspicuous bravery,
shall be held to establish a sufficient claim to the ho-
nour.

Seventhly. It is ordained that the decoration may be
conferred on the spot where the act to be rewarded by
the grant of such decoration has been performed, under
the following circumstances :
I. When the fleet or army, in which such an act has
been performed, is under the eye and command of an ad-
miral or general officer commanding the forces. 1
11. Where the naval or military force is under the eye
and command of an admiral or commodore commanding
a squadron or detached naval force, or of a general com-
manding a corps, or division, or brigade on a distinct
and detached service, when such admiral, commodore,
or general officer shall have the power of conferring the
decoration on the spot, subject to confirmation by us.
Eighthly, It is ordained, where such act shall not have
been performed in sight of a commanding officer as
aforesaid, then the claimant for the honour shall prove
the act to the satisfaction of the captain or officer com-
manding his ship, or to the officer commanding the regi-
ment to which the claimant belongs, and such captain
or such commanding officer shall report the same through
the usual channel to the admiral or officer commanding
the force employed on the service, or to the officer com-
manding the forces in the field, who shall call for such
description and attestation of the act as he may think
requisite, and on approval shall recommend the grant
of the decoration.

Ninthly. It is ordained that every person selected for
the cross, under Rule 7, shall be publicly decorated be-
fore the naval or military force or body to which he
belongs, and with which the act of bravery for which he
is to be rewarded shall have been performed, and his
name shall be recorded in a general order, together
with the cause of his especial distinction.
-

- •
Tenthly. It is ordained that every person selected
under rule 8 shall receive his decoration as soon as pos-
sible, and his name shall likewise appear in a general
order as al.eve required, such general order to be issued
by the naval or military commander of the forces em.
ployed on the service.
Eleventhly. It is ordained that the general orders
above referred to shall froth time to time be transmitted
to our ecretary of 6tate for War, to nu laid before ns,
and shall he by him registered.
Twelfthly. It is ordained that as cases may arise not
falling within the rules above specified, or in which a
claim, though well founded, may not have been estab-
blished on the spot, we will, on the joint subinksion of
our Secretary of State for War and our Commander-in-
Chief of our army, or on that of our Lord High Ad-
miral or Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty in the
case of the navy, confer the decoration, but never with-
out conclwive proof of the performance of the act of
bravery for which the claim is made.
Thirteenthly. It is ordained that in the event of a
gallant and daring act having been performed by a
squadron, ship's company, a detached body of seamen
and marines, not under 50 in number, or by a brigade,
regiment, troop, or company, in which the admiral,
general, or other officer commanding such forces, may
deem that all are equally brave and distinguished, and
that no special selection can be made by them ; then
in such case, the admiral, general, or other officer
commanding, may direct, that for any such body of
seamen or marines, or for every troop or company of
soldiers, one officer shall be selected by the officers en-
gaged for the decoration ; and in like manner one petty
officer or non-commissioned officer shall be selected by
the petty officers and non-commissioned officers so en-
gaged ; and by the seamen, or private soldiers, or ma-
rines, engaged respectively, for the decoration ; and
the names of those selected shall be transmitted by the
senior officer in command of the naval force, brigade,
regiment, troop, or company, to the admiral or gene-
ral oiNcer commanding, who snail in due manner confer
the decoration as if tiro acts were done under his own '1

eye.
Fourteenthly. It is ordained that every warrant officer,
petty officer, seaman, or marine, or non-commissioned
officer or soldier, who shall have received the cross
shall from the date of the act by which the decoration
has been gained, be entitled to a special pension of 10/.
a year, and each additional bar conferred under Rule 4
on such warrant or petty officers, or non-commissioned
officers or men, shall carry with it an additional pension
of 51. per annum.
Fifteenthly. In order to make such additional provi-
sion as shall effectually preserve pure this most honour-
able distinction, it is ordained that if any person on whom
such distinction shall be conferred be convicted of trea-
son, cowardice, felony, or of any infamous crime, or if
he be accused of any such offence, and doth not after a
reasonable time surrender himself to be tried for the
same, his name shall forthwith be erased from theregistry
of individuals upon whom the said decoration shall have
been conferred by an especial warrant under our Royal
sign manual, and the pension conferred under Rule 14
shall cease and determine from the date of such warrant.
It is hereby further declared that we, our heirs and suc-
cessors, shall be the solo judges of the circumstances de-
manding such expulsion ; moreover, we shall at all times
have power to restore such pergais as may at any time
have been expelled, both to the enjoyment of the decora-
tion and pension.
Given at our Court at Buckingham Palace, this
29th day of January, in the nineteenth year of
our reign, and in the year of our Lord 1856.
By her Majesty's command,
(Signed) PANMURE.
To our Principal Secretary of State for War.