The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-18 00:00:00

in its lavishness because it has not the defence o
poverty—or than the vulgar impertinence of its poor
waning satellites, which merely illustrate the say-
ling of Franklin that it is difficult for an empty
sack to stand upright. I only ask them to show the
understr ippers of criticism that betterness and pun-
gency and point, and the most telling critical dissection,
are not inconsistent with good language ; and I should
prefer that they would add the further illustration that
severity is not incompatible with that courtesy which
one gentleman thinks it for his own dignity to observe
towards another.

And now, having filled my space, "Heigh Presto !
Begone ! " I dismiss my critical assemblage.
Our contemporaries are quite able to take care
of themselves ; and we shall he amused to see how
their " north side batteries " will return the fire
from tho "inside of Sebastopol."

THE LOSS OF THE POLYPHEMUS.

Safety of the Missing Portion of the Crew.

ADMIRALTY, FEB. [B.

The following intelligence bas this day been re-
ceived at this office from H.M. Consul-General at
Hamburg :

" I have great satisfaction in reporting that the
Quartermaster, Samuel Fletcher, and 15 seamen
of the late Polyphemus, who were in the two boats,
have been saved by a Danish vessel, and have just
arrived from Hgerting.
They will go in charge of the chief engineer, Mr.
Wood, with the other men to London this evening.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—(I`his Day.)

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.
Sittings at Guildhall at Nisi Prius.

(Before Lord Chief Baron Pollock, and a Special Jnry.)

WATEINSON V. RONALD.

This was an action brought to recover of the defen-
dant, one of the directors of the Australian Freehold
Gold Mining Company, the amount of the deposit paid
by the plaintiff on a number of shares in the above
company, on the pleas of alleged fraud and no consi-
deration. The affairs of this company have alreadybesa
the subject of investigation in the Court of Chancery.
It appeared from the evidence of the plaintiff that, in
January, 1852, he was induced, from a perusal of the
company's prospectus, to believe that this was a bona
fide concern, and that it was a golden opportunity of
speedily becoming rich, without the risk, labour, and
anxiety of a trip to the gold diggings. He consequently
applied to a sharebroker of Halifax for one hundred
shares. In due course he received the allotment,
paid 30/. on account, and received scrip to that
amount, purporting to come from the company. The
prospectus stated that the capital of the company was
to consist of 100,0001., in shares of 1/. each, and the
undertaking to be worked on the cost-book principle,
and each shareholder to b 3 liable only to the amount he
subscribed for. The mine was stated to be situate on
500 acres of freehold land, abounding with quartz. The
plaintiff had neither heard anything of the proceedings
of the company nor seen any person connected with it
from that time till about four months since, when his
attention was attracted to it by something which he
read in a newspaper.
The Attorney-General, who appeared for the defen-
dant, took objection to the admission of certain letters
purporting to be signed by W. Palsford, secretary of
the company, on the ground that the directors of a com-
pany were not liable for the contents of letters written
by their secretary without he first obtained their autho-
rity to do so, proof of which it was necessary for the
plaintiff to give.
The case was proceeding when our report left. '

THE MURDER AT ISLINGTON.

Examination of the Prisoners—(This Day).

This afternoon the two 'persons charged with being
concerned in the above murder were placed at the bar
of the Clerkon well Police-court, and gave the names of
Carl Sommers and Celestine Sommers,

The first witnesses examined were Inspector Hutton,
of the N division, and the sergeant who took the pri-
soners into custody. Their evidence was to the effect
that from circumstances that came to their hearing they
proceeded to the house, 18, Linton-street, New North-
road, Holton, and there they found the body or the un-
fortunate girl in the coal-cellar with her throat cut, and
that they tben took the two prisoners at the bar into
custody.

The principal witness examined was the girl who acted
as housemaid to the woman. This person, from ques-
tions put to her, stated that on Saturday night last
she was sleeping in the kitchen of the house, 18, Linton-
street, when the female prisoner entered the place and
asked for the lucifers to light the candle. Having found
the matches and procured a light she then heard her call
the deceased downstairs: The girl said she did not
like coining down stairs in the dark, as she was a stran-
ger in the house. The prisoner said, in reply, that she
need not be frightened as she had a light. After this
conversation she distinctly heard the prisoner go
into the back kitchen and got a knife, and from
the back kitchen she heard her go to the coal-cellar,
under the pavement, and shortly after she heard the
girl cry out, "You want to cut my throat," and the
female prisoner said, in reply, tbatit didn't matter whether
she cut it or anybody else. A struggle then seemed to take
place, as she heard the woman say, "Keep your hands
down ; you shall not tell any more lies about me or any.
body else." After a short time all was quiet, and prisoner
re-entered the kitchen and came close to her bedside and
asked her questions about some money she had had in the
early part of the evening. She looked before she spoke
to her to see if she was asleep, and finding her awake
and trembling violently, she made itie of the words
she had related. After pacing backwards and forwards
for a short time in the passage of the kitchen, her
mistress bade her good night and went up stairs.
Mr. Coward, a surgeon, residing at 6, St. John's-ter-
race, New North-rosd, deposed to the nature of the wounds
upon the body of t'.e unfortunate girl. There was an
extensive wound which occasioned death on the left side
of the neck. It had been male by a sharp instrument,
and it extended from the bapk of the neck to the front.
There must have been some violent struggling, and the
person inflicting the wound must have knelt on
the girl, as the tight side of her person was
covered with coal and dirt. It was impossible that a
person committing suicide could inflict such a wound.
The evidence confirmatory of the above has ing been
given,

The magistrate orderod the man to be discharged,
and fully committed the `NOMAD. to take her trial for
wilful murder.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.—(This Day.)

Lormoig, Feb. 18.—Wind this daf ‘..`.-• noon, N.E. ;
fresh breeze and hazy.
PLYMOUTH, Feb. 17.—Wind E.S.E.—Sailed—Royal
Charter and Kent, for Port-Philip.
PILL, Feb. 17.—Wind S.E.. strong.—Sailed—English-
man, for Africa; British American, Crimea.
LIVERPOOL, Feb. 17. The Don Antonio, hence to Car-
diff and Surinam, and the brig Success are ashore on
Burbo.
BELFAST, Feb. IG.—The Queen from Troon to Belfast,
struck on the South Macedon Rock on the 13th inst., and
sunk—crew saved.
GRIMSBY, Feb. 17.—The masts and yards (appnreutiv
new) of a shin of about 500 tons were passed on the Bth
instant, by the Winecales, from Sunderland to Monte
Video.
Cinlz, Feb. 7.—The Edith (screw), of Dartmouth, from
Seville to London, was wrecked on the coast near Cartaya,
daring the late severe gale on the 10th instant—vessel and
cargo lost.
ItamsuATE, Feb. 17. Wind E. by S. to E.N.E.—Sailed
.—Magnet, for West Indies ; Arethusa, Cape do Verd.
DEAL, Feb. 18.—Wind S.S.E.—Arrived from the river
and sailed.—Deane, for Cape of Good Hope.
COWES.—Sailed—Peterhof, for Havana.