The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-28 00:00:00

THE LATE THOMAS ATT WOOD.

A meeting was held yt-sterday at Birmingham, con,
vaned by the mayor (T. R. T. Hodgson, Esq.), for the
purpose of devising the best means of commemorating
the public services of the late Mr. Thomas Attwood, the
fatleer of political unions. The following extract from
the circular issued by his worship explains in terse and
graceful sentences his own views on the subject :
" I venture to hope for the co-operation of all parties
and all classes inthis attempt to do honour to the memory
of our late townsman. Whatever difference of opinion
may exist as to the policy of the measures he advocated
and was instrumental in carrying, there can be no doubt
that at a time of great peril to the institutions of the
country, and to public liberty, he exercised the immense
iniaence he possessed over the people in such a wise,
temperate, and patriotic manner, as to avert anarchy,
and, amidst all the political excitement of which he was
the centre, to maintain a due respect for law and order.
I hope, therefore, that this consideration will induce
those who differed with him in politics to join with those
whose opinions he reflected, and who I hope require no
stimulu 4 in doing honour to the memory of our illustrious.
townsman."

The MAYOR presided at the meeting, which was at-
tende I by many of Mr. Attwood's old friends, his co--
leagues in the Political Union, and who, not alone for
his public spirit and disinterestedness, but for his kind-
heir t-dness and true generosity of nature, held his name
in affectionate remembrance. Amongst the speakers
were Mr. Muntz, M.P. ; Mr. John Betts, a veteran re-
former (who seconded Mr. Attwood's nomination at his
first electinn) ; Mr. William Matthews ; Mr. Alderman
Cutler ; Mr. Gorge Edmonds, the Clerk of the Peace,
&c. The following resolution was adopted :----
"That a committee be formed for the purpose of pro-
moting. and convening a meeting of the inhabitants of
this borough and the midland districts of the kingdom,
for the purpose of deciding upon the character of a suit-
able memorial to the memory of the late Thomas Att-
wood, Esq., and that they be empowered to invite the
attendance and co-operation of representatives of the
people from all the boroughs of England and Wales."
An influential committee was appointed to carry out
the above resolution.

THE TRIAL OF W. PALMER.—The trial of William
Palmer will not take place at the April sittings of the
Central Criminal Court as is generally supposed. The
indictments in the several cases cannot be brought up
from Stafford into the Court of Queen's Bench until the
9th of April, and at this point a technical difficulty will
occur, preventing their being returned for trial imme-
diately to the Central Criminal Court. The jurisdiction
of this Court is limited by statute to cases occurring
within certain counties adjacent to the metropolis, and
the power of the judges cannot override a statute. Hence
the indictment,: in the Rugeley poisoning cases must re-
main in the Court of Queen's Bench until after the pois-
ing of the new bill, introduced for the special purpose
of enabling the judges to transmit criminal cases, brought
before them from the country by certiorari, either to the
assizes of distant counties, or to the Central Criminal
Court, at their discretion. It is, therefore, considered
as settled that the trial of Palmer will take place at the
sessimis of the Central Criminal Court on the 15th of
May. It is also understood that the three Chief Justices
will preside on the occasion.

MARCH 28, 1856.

LATEST NE WS.

TREMENDOUS EARTHQUAKE

IN JAPAN.

NEW YORK, MARCIE 13, 11 P.M.

Japan dates, via California, report that the
city of Jeddo was destroyed by an earthquake
on the 12th November; 100,000 houses in ruins,
and 30,000 lives lost.

THE PARIS CONFERENCES.
(From Secoiq Edition of the Times of this day. )

The following is the letter of our Paris corre-
spondent, dated yesterday, 6 p.m. :
The Congress met again to-day for " despatch of
business ;" I presume so at least, as these consecu-
tive meetings clearly imply a determination to get
through the work, and with an industry which does
not flag. The question of the admission of Prussia
being once arranged, by compromise or some other
manner, 'every one believed that no further difficulty
of a serious character remained behind, and that
the remaining two or three days would be devoted
to the drawing up of the protocols. We all con&
dently.counted on the Congress concluding its la-
bours towards the close of the week, and on the
official organ of the Government announcing
on Sunday, if not on Saturday next, the glad
tidings to the popkilation of Paris. I believe
that more than one Plenipotentiary was in the
beginning of -the present week of the same opi-
nion. Various circumstances gave indication of
the fact; and a few employes in the Ministerial
departments, who excel most in caligraphy, re-
ceived an intimation to be in readiness for special
and secret service at an hour's notice. The order
not to recommence hostilities without further
instructions, which I mentioned yesterday as likely
to be transmitted to the Generals, was, I am as
sured; sent to the Baltic yesterday. The precaution
was necessary, as time is passing away rapidly, and
it would be cruel that blood should be flowing at
the moment the Plenipotentiaries were in the very
act of signing the treaty of peace, though the sig-
natures might not be affixed for two or three days
after the term originally assigned to the armistice.
If what is said to-day be correct, the precaution of
sending off' in time such an order was properly
adopted. It is affirmed, and I have heard it in more
than one respectable quarter, that at the sitting of
1 the Congress yesterday other difficulties arose, not
of course insurm•untable, but sufficient, at all events
to retard the moment of a definitive settlement.
Tke nearer the Congre <s approaches its end the
closer and more secret its proceedings are kept ;
nevertheless, it is whispered that the difficulty now
before us relates to the question of the Principali-
ties, on which the Porte is not so yielding as was
supposed. The Sultan does not appear to view
the change in the administration of these pro-
vinces in the same light as we do, and however
provoking any new delay may be, I hardly think
that we can Venture to reproach him, the circum-
stances not being before us, when we remember
that it was the resistance of Turkey which on a
former occasion prevented us from accepting an ar-
rangement which would have been all to the advan-
tage of the Emperor Nicholas. But whether the ob-
jections raised by the Porte be well or ill-founded
it is not supposed in some quarters that they can
be settled before Monday, or even the middle of
next week. My informant, however, only speaks
from the impressions produced by what he heard
of the sitting of yesterday. Nothing has as ye t
transpired of what passed to-day, and after all this
tantalising uncertainty it may be brought to a close
sooner than is expected.