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

THE Stil4. LONDON, MONDAY EvENizie, MARCH 3 16.

SIGNATURE OF THE PRELIMINARIES

OF PEACE.

(From, the Morning Post of this day.)

We can announce positively that at the meeting
of the Congress of Paris, on Saturday last, the
Plenipotentiaries signed the preliminaries of

CRIMINAL COURT.—(This Day.)

The sittings of the above court were resumed to-day,
before the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, the Right
Hon. the Recorder, Aldermen Sir G. Carroll, Hunter,
Sir R. W. Carden, Sir H. Muggeridge, Eagleton, and
Laurence, the Sheriffs, Under-sheriffs, &c.

The first edition of the calendar contains the names of
110 prisoners.

The Recorder, on charging the grand jury, said he re-
gretted to have to inform them that the present calendar
was one of the heaviest, with regard to numbers, and to
the serious nature of the crimes it contained, that he ever
reoollected during the five years of his experience in this
court. There were no less than five separate charges of
murder, and they involved the destruction of nine
separate individuals. Nothwithstandicg that fact,
however, he said he was happy to inform
them, that by the returns it did not appear
that there was any general increase of crimes of
violence to the person generally throughout the country,
and there was reason to hope that the increase of educa-
tion and the spread of civilisation in the country had
tended to decrease crime. From returns he held in his
band that were made up to 1854, it appeared that
although undoubtedly there had been an increase of
crime, yet it was not more tha❑ would be accounted for
by the increase of population and the increase of pro-
perty in this country, and it only referred to the ordi-
nary cases of felony, there being a reduction of thirteen
per cent. in charges of murder, manslaughter, and at-
tempts to murder. It seemed that it was the same in
the history of nations as of individuals, that at
certain periods there were great calamities without any
apparent cause. During the last year, after forty
years of peace they had been suddenly plunged into all
the horrors of war, and during that period there had
certaihly been committed a series of the most serious
crimes by persons of position and rank, and also by
others of the lower orders. It was no,part of their duty
to speculate upon the causes of the sudden increase of
aggravated crimes, but they were bound to take the
matter into their serious consideration, and it devolved
upon every one to do all in his power to extend educa-
tion among the people, as the most certain means of
remedying to serious a state of things. The learned
Recorder then observed, that although the charges
were of a very serious nature they did not ap-
pear to present any legal difficulties, and if the
facts should be laid before them as they appeared in the
depositions, they would have no alternative but to re-
turn true bills in all the cases of murderand manslaughter.
In one of the cases of murder a question would possibly
arise as to the state of mind of the person accused, but
the grand jury need not trouble themselves with the
consideration of that matter which could be only pro-
perly investigated by the petty jury. lie then referred
to other cases in the calendar, and concluded by dismis-
sing the grand jury to the pelfer.nance of their duties.

HER MAJESTY THE EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH.—
PARIS, March I.—The health of hsr Imperial Majesty
is, in every respect, most sa'i factory. Yesterday the
Empress, accompanied by the Eawsror, drove to the
Bois de Thulogue. Their Mijuties descended, and
walked together for half-au-hour.

NEW PEERAGE.—It is rumoured that Richard Pem-
berton Mikes, Esq., of Fryston Hall, will shortly be
made a peer.

The next meeting of the Fox Club will be held at
Brooks's on Saturday, the Bth March.
The Princess Joachim Murat, nge Princess de Wag-
ram, was on Thursday safely delivered of a son, at the
Cltteau-de-Gros-Bois, near Paris.
The marriage of the Lady Margaret de Bargh with
Mr. Beaumont, M.P., is appointed to take place with
much ceremony on Wednesday next.
It is murmured that in case of the birth of a prince,
his ',title will be "King of Algeria," anci that Prince
Napoleon will be appointed viceroy, taking up his resi-
dence in Algiers.
The Board of General Officers appointed to inquire
into the statements affecting Lords Lucan and Cardigan,
Sir R. Airey and Colonel Gordon, will meet formally
during the ensuing week, in order to arrange the rnln-
:Tier of proceeding. It will then. a,,Tiurn for about a
fortnight, to give time for the attendance of the officers
telegraphed for the Crimea. Col. Griffiths, Col. Dourrla,,
and other witnesses are at home, and possibly the Co'irt
may deem it well to begin with their examination. The
commission will be held at the place of meeting formerly
used by the board of general officers for army clothing.
—Court Journal.

It is said that Lord Panmure will shortly retire from
the War Denartnaent, and that the laborious duties of
that office will be undertaken by the Duke of Somerset.
It is also rumoured that Mr. Monsell and Mr. F Peel,
neither of whom have shone with gnat brilliancy in
Parliament this session, will also be moved to other
offices.—Court Journal.
Mr. Panizzi has been nominated to succeed Sir Henry
Ellis at the Britih Museum. —Court Journal.

NATIINAL REFORMATORY UNION.—A. numerously
attended meeting was held on Saturday, at the offices of
the Law Amendment Society, for the purpose of for-
sally organising an association bearing the above title.
RAILWAY COLLISION.—On Saturday morning a colli•
sion took place at the Woodhouse junction on the Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Lincoln,hire Railway. Several
carriages were smashed to pieces, but fortunately no per-
son was ii,jured.
Orders were sent to Southampton on Saturday to
place one flat-bottomed horse-boat on board the Hy-
daspes and one on board the Queen of the South. The
boats are sent for the purpose of landing hones from the
various transports how bound for the Black Sea.
EXTENSIVE BURGLARY.—On Saturday morning infor-
mation was given to the police of an extensive robbery
at Mr. Bridgman's, Cambridge-place, Westbourne-park.
The property abstracted c insisted of a quantisy of silver
plate, marked with a griffin's head, upwards& 100 yards
of various-coloured silks, and many other articles.
MADAME JENNY GOLDSCHMIDT LIND.-1 second
and last performance of Handel's oratorio of "The Mes-
siah " will be given at Exeterlall, on Tuesday evening,
March 18, at which Madame Goldschmidt will sing for
the last time in London previous to her return from a
provincial tour. The grand miscellaoeous concert of
Mr. and Madame Goldschmidt, for the benefit of the
Nightingale Fund, will take pace on Tuesday, the lltl%
THE BUILDING OF THE PARIS UMVERSAL EXHIBI-
TION.—Worktnen are now employed in removing the
wood flooring of the ground fl.-or of the Exhibition
Palace, and replabing it by a slightly slanting floor of
tho Agricultural earth and asphalte, is preparation for
Exhibition which is to be held there at the commence-
'ent of June next.

THE MATFEN MURDER.—The six parsons charged with
being concerned in the murder of Dorothy Ilewicke, at
Matfen, Northumberland, on the 21st of October last,
were tried before Mr. Justice Willed, on Friday last, at
Newcastle, and acquitted.
WIDOW OF THE LATE JOSEPH HAYDN.—The pension
of 251. per anurn, which was granted to the late Joseph
llayd,,, previously to his death, has been best ,wed upon
his unfortunate widow. The fact is significant of a con-
sciou.mess that the merits of the deceased were, during
his lifetime, but ill requited.
The Count Medeno, who has been named as likely to
be the Russian Minister in London in the event of peace,
is at present the Czar's representative at the Court of the
Brazils.

MEDICAL OFFICERB.—We regret to hear that some
difficulty exists is the issue of the new warrant for
giving an increa.,e of pay to the medical officers of the
army. It seems that a bigb authority in the Government
has made an objection to the proposed augmentation
of income to that branch of the service.—United Service
Gazette.

A Vienna letter of the 26th ult., in the German Jour-
nal of Frankfort, says :—" In order not to destroy Ni-
colaieff, Russia intends to make the town its principal
place of commerce.in the Black Sea. The thing, in fact,
is decided : a Russian Lloyd's is to be established at
Odessa, and its dockyards are to be at Nicelateff; the
vessels to be constructed there are to navigate the Bug,
the Dnieper, the Black Sea, and the Meditterean. Thus
Nicolaieff will no longer be a war port or a maritime
arsenal, but its establishments will not be destroyed."
ART IN FRANCE.—A statue in marble of Baron Larrey,
the famous army surgeon of the empire, from the chisel
of M. Robinet, was last week conveyed to the Academy
of Medicine. It is to be placed in the Salle where the
sittings are generally held. A statue, by Rude, of
Godefroy Cavaignac was inaugurated at the cemetery
Montmartre a few days back. The editor of the Tribune
and the National is represented lying on a sepulchral
stone, enveloped in his cloak, holding in his hands a pen
and a sword.

THE TIPPERARY BANS FAILIIRE.—We are given to
understand that of the 99 shareholders in this Joint
Stock Bank more than 30 are from the town and neigh-
bourhood of Leighton Buzzard. Their claims range
from 2001. up to, is one instance, 5,000!., and the stop-
page of the bank will necessarily cause a great deal of
distress to a number of shareholders, a few of them
having invested their all in this scheme, in the vain hope
of receiving 9 per cent. for their Meney.—Bucks Ilci•ald.
THE CHILTON•MOOR COLLIERS.—On Saturday nearly
4,000 men employed in the collieries on Chilton•moor,
near Durham, the property of the Marchioness Dowager
of Londonderry, assembled to partake of an excellent
dialler. The dinner, to which the men had been invited
by the Marchioness, took place in a large build►ng, tha
property of Mr. Hopper, formerly in the employment of
the Marquis of Londonderry, but now a manufacturer.
Earl Vane occupied the chair, having his mother ❑pon
his right hand, and the Countess Vane upon his left.
After the accustomed toasts to the Queen, Prince Albert,
and the Royal family, which the pitmen received with
great applause, the Marchioness of Londonderry ad-
dressed the alseinbly in very touching and emphatic
terms, assuring them that she should always take a
deep interest in their welfare. The Marchioness ad-
verted to the bend of union which had existed between
her ancestors and the pitmen, and exhorted them to Ire'
quent reading-rooms, mechanics' institutions, and tem-
perance societies ; to avoid public-houses, and to bo
orderly, industrious, and religious. This address was
received with vociferous cheering, as was the toast to
the health of the Marchioness, for which she expressed
her acknowledgments. The health of the Countess
Vane, prapcsed by Mr. Mowbray, M.P., was received
in a similar manner, and after other toasts appropriate
to the ocJasion, Lady Londonderry retired amid long-
continued cheering,

LATEST NEWS.

BERLIN, AlAllan 2.
On the 29:h of February the Samson, the
Falcon, and the Pylades arrived at Elsinore.
The screw-frigate linperieuse sailed through the
Belt.

Turkey permits the export of corn to the
ports of the MeditErranean, of the Archipelago,

and of the Gulf of Venice.

Orders have been sent to Marseilles to prepare
shipping to convey 10,000 infantry and a battery
of Artillery to the Crimea, to replace the troops

that have returned to France.

OUR ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.

CAMP, SEBASTOPOL, Feb. 16.—The nTo Ntim por -
tant incident in camp since the departure of the
last mail has been the arrival of General Sir Colin
Campbell. lie came from Constantinople, in the
Earl of Aberdeen steamer, on Wednesday, thel3th
inst., accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Ster-
ling, who, from being Assistant Adjutant-Gene.
ralof the Highland Division, is to hold the same
position in the new corps d'armee which Sir Colin
is to have under his command. The general is stay-
ing, for the present, with the Commander-in-Chief,
at head-quarters. Nothing certain has yet been
promulgated respecting the divisions to form the
corps de armee, but it is understood that the Light,
Fourth, and Highland Divisions will compose this
force, the selection having been determined by the
relative standing in seniority of the generals com-
manding. '

There is scarcely anything going on in the camps
beyond the usual routine of drills and parades.
The health of the army continues excellent. The
amount of scurvy and fever in the French army
has attracted the attention of the authorities in
France, and various measures have been adopted to
arrest its increase.

The branch line of railway which runs towards
the hill known as Canrobert's-hill, in the Balaklava
plain, has been opened, and the engines are now
at. work upon it. It is said that the whole of the
Crimean railway materials, including all the en-
gines, carriages, and stores, have been sold to a
comp:l.lly, who intend to transport them to the
neighhourhoDd of Heracles. The railway is to be
used in connection with the coal mines.

The expected execution of the soldier convicted
of murder has not taken place. It is supposed that
General Codrington has referred the case of the
unhappy criminal for decision to the home Govern-
ment ; and in the belief of many, as well from the
youth of the prisoner as from consideration of the
general good conduct of the army, and the stigma
which would attach, though undeserVedly, to the
regiment to which the man happened to belong, a
commutation of the sentence of death is not un-
likely to take place.
The weather has been very variable during the
past week. The prevailing winds have been
blowing from the westward. A small amount of
rain has fallen. The temperature on the whole has
been mild, and in sheltered places in the valleys
several of the early bulbous plants may be now
seen in flower. The yellow crocus is conspicuous
in all directions.

The mail arrived early on the morning of the
14th instant. Loudon newspapers of February 2
were received, only twelve days being thus occu-
pied in the transit. Newspapers from Paris were
received, as usual, a day later.