The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-27 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. ERNEST JONES-

There is something inexpressibly sad in the death of Mr.
Ernest Jones, which we have to announce to-day. The
ambition of his life was almost accomplished. He was, to
all appearances, but a few weeks from the time when he
would be able to add to his name the much-coveted
letters " M.P." But just as it was in his grasp
the prize which he had so long striven for most
energetically was taken from his hand by death. His very
last speech strangely foreshadowed the event which has
just taken place. Addressing the working men of Hulme
and Chorlton, he said : " There was a personal reason
why he desired soon to get into the House of Com-
mons, and that NI as that he could not afford to
wait very long. What little work there was in him
must be taken out speedily, or it would soon be lost
altogether." At that very meeting he caught the cold
which led to his death. Inflammation of the lungs, succeeded
by pleurisy, followed, and under these diseases he gradually
succumbed. his life was really a romantic one. He was
born in Berlin in January, 1819, his father being a major
of the 15th Hussars, and equerry to the late Duke of
Cumberland. The Duke of Ctlmberbmd—stubsegrunitly
King of Hanover, was his godfather. Ernest was bred in
Holstein on the borders of the Black Forest, and shewcd
early the signs of a poetic imagination. It was this which
led him, when only eleven years of age, to leave his
home, without his father's knowledge, to go off
to help the Poles, who had just then risen.
He was educated at the College of St. Michael's,
Luneberg, and returned to England with his family in
1838. Between this time and 1844, when be entered the
bar, he occupied his time with a romance called "The
Wood Spirit," and some song-poems. His political
opinions were formed on the extremest model, and these
led him from the profession of the law to take
part in the celebrated Chartist agitation. The history of
that period need not be repeated. How Birmingham and
Monmouth first suffered, how Frost and others were
arrested, how the agitation rose to its highest point and
failed altogether in the proposed demonstration on Ken-
nington Common, are well known. Mr. Ernest Jones
was arrested for a speech at Manchester which the law
officers of the Crown thought seditious. He was sentenced
to two years' solitary confinement. While in prison he
composed an epic, published after his release in 1851,
entitled " The Revolt of Hindostan," written with his
blood on the leaves of the prison prayer-books. In
1853 Mr. Jones unsuccessfully contested Nottingham,
and in 1857 he again tried his fortunes in that borough,
but without avail. Meanwhile his name had come before
the public as the author of several poems, and amongst
these were "The Battle Day," " The Painter of Florence,"
" The Emperor's Vigil," " Beldagon ( 'lurch," and
" Corayda." After the extinction of Chartism, Mr. Jones
returned to his practice on the Northern Circuit, and his
name will be remembered in connection with the defence
of Allen, Gould, and Larkin, who were tried at Man.
chester in November, 1867, for the murder of Police.
sergeant Brett. At Manchester at the last election he
was the " minority candidate," on Radical principles,
being defeated by Mr. l3irley, who, as the " minority
member," seems likely to be unseated for not observing
a point of form as to Government contracts. Mr. Jones
has been prominent in the last few days as being connected
with the Ballot experiment. The Ballot, as one of the
" five points of the Charter," was one of the principles he
was most anxious to see generally accepted, and by this
last public act of his he certainly has not done damage
to it.

A ead accident is reported from Bradford. A man
entered a boiler in the use of an ammonial liquor manu-
facturer, and immediately was overpowered by the gas.
Another man followed to recover Lim, but he also succumbed.
A third man was more successful, aid managed to bring one
of the men out. The latter, however, is not (xpec ed to re-
cover, and the first man is dead.

An accident which occurred at the Magpie lead
mine, Derbyshire, on Friday last, by which two men lost
their lives, has raised a novel point ; namely, has the Go-
vernment Inspector jurisdiction over lead mines? The
manager of the mine expressed a decided opinion that he
had not. Mr. Evans was not present and the inquiry was
adjourned from yesterday to Saturday next, when we shall
probably hear more about the moot point.
The Maidstone Journal says:— ft affords us great
pleasure to announce that Mr. William Hart Dyke, one of
the Conservative members for Mid Kent has been agpointed
to the honourable office of Assistant Whipper-in to the Con-
servative party. Upon the recent resignation of Colonel
Taylor as Head Whip, the vacancy was filled by the Hon.
Mr, Noel, who had previously acted as assistant.
Mr. Stefanos Xenos contradicts a good many of
the statements made by Mr. Edwards in the Overend
and Gurney examination. He says that he was " com-
pelled " to pay Mr. Edwards £5OO a year, and that he
gave him a yacht costing about £2,000 "much in the
same way as the dove gives herself to the hawk." He
asserts that he has been one of the greatest sufferers in the
affair, and that he has determined to publish a book
which will disclose some of the secrets of the " Corner
House," hitherto as dark as the Dodonian mysteries.
The London correspondent of the Leeds Mercury
says :—There is a very uneasy feeling with respect to the
coming events in the Last. I hear that at the Conference
the bearing and conduct of M. Ilangabe, the Greek
representative, produced a very unfavourable impression,
even upon the Russian Minister. M. Rangabo was for-
merly Professor of Arclueolegy at the University of
Athens, and has nothing of the diplomatist in his manners
or appearance. His abrupt demeanour more than once
gave great offence to thos3 associated with him at the Con-
ference, and on ono occasion a very stormy " scene" took
place. The general impression is that Greece will soon be
without a monarch, King George having prepared for flight,
fi4cl his warlike people being bent upon hostilities.

. _
THE CHARGE AGAINST THE DIRECTOR
OF THE MERCHANTS CO.MPAIVY

At the London Mansion House, the Lord Mayor yester.
day proceeded with the adjourned inquiry into the alleged
fraud byCertain of the directors of the Merchants' Company
(Limited). The inquiry was opened last Monday week,
and was adjourned. The court was crowded to excess,
and considerable interest was manifested in the pro•
ceedings.

Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Taylor appeared for the
defendant Mr. Chapman, Mr. Lewis for Mr. Lane, and
Mr. M. Williams for Mr. Helbert.

Several witnesses were called but did not answer to
their names, when it was discovered that the summonses
had been issued for 12, not 11 o'clock.
Mr. Capes, the official liquidator, residing at 8, Old
Jewry, said that he was the official liquidator of the City
Merchants' Company. He was appointed under the
order of the Court of Chancery, and it was either in
December 1866 or January 1867.
Mr. Humphrey : Can you tell me whether, on the Ist
May, 1866, Colonel Daubeny transferred any shares to
Mr. Lane ?
Witness: On that day Richard Stuart Lane trans-
ferred to Colonel Daubeny 250 shares, on which only
£l5 had been paid. Edwin Fox, 25, Leadenhall-street,
applied for 50 shares, and 25 were allotted to him. This
was on the 7th October, 1865. Alexander Gordon,
Winchester-buildings, applied for 40, and 20 were
allotted to him, on December 10, 1865. On the 27th Sep-
tember, 1865, Henry Edmund Gurney applied for 500
shares, and 300 were allotted to him.
Mr. Lewis said that his lordship must know that this
was the case in all companies, and surely Mr. Humphrey
was not to waste the time by going through these details.
Mr. Humphreys said that he must proceed step by step
to show that there was a fraud in these transfers. He
would ask the question whether the shares of Mr.
Albert Grant were transferred.
The Lord Mayor said that he could not allow any
questions about these gentlemen to be asked.
Witness: They were transferred to Edward Chapman.
Mr. Lewis challenged Mr. Humphrey to shew the
tranfers, and they would shew the money that bad been paid
for them. Ire was sure that his lordship would not allow
anything to go forth to the world against these gentlemen.
If they liked to increase their holding in the market, what
had that to do with anyone ?

The Lord Mayor said that nothing relative to any other
person but the defendants could be asked about these
transfers unless it could be shewn that he had any connec-
tion with them.

Mr. Humphrey said that as the books were in evidence
he should say that everything contained in them was
evidence. He should shew that Mr. Heritage was solicitor
to the company.

Mr. Humphrey said that the best plan would be to see
whether the shares were transferred to the directors first.
The witness said that in October 1805 Mr. Heritage
applied for fifty shares, and had that number allotted to
him. On the 11th December they were transferred to
Mr. R. Stuart Lane, and approved on the 12th December,
the directors present being Lane, Chapman, Childs, Pem-
broke, and Gotheimer.

Mr. Humphrey : Now, just tell me, and find the appli-
cation of Mr. IL Stuart Lane ; but I think that there is
one before that.

Witness : Mr. Lane's application is dated 2Sth Oct.,
1565, and it is for 500 shares ; 450 were allotted.
Mr. Lewis : Does it say there is anything paid on
them?

Witness: Yes; there is £1 on application and £4 on
allotment.

Mr. Lewis : .£5 paid altogether?
Witness : Another allotment was made of shares
in May 1866 to Mr. Lane, and £lO was paid on
them. This transfer was made on the 22nd May, and the
approval of it took place on the same day. The directors
present were Lane, Daubeny, Chapman, and Pembroke.
The latter applied for 200 shares, and 200 were allotted ;
and he made a similar application afterwards, and it
was granted. On the Ist December, 1.66,5., the question
of advance on GOO shares bought in the market
was gone into, and it was agreed that a part purchase for
six months of them should be made on the guarantee of
Messrs. Lane, Hankey and Co. The particulars were in
the minute-book, folio 9. The proposal of Messrs. White
and Co. to advance at 6 per cent., taking 1,000 shares in
the Merchants Company, was considered and acceded to
by a minute of 9th October, 1865, as entered in folio 9.
Mr, Humphrey : Is there not a resolution as to a call
upon the shares?

Witness : It was resolved on the 19th, 1865,
that there should be a call of £5 per share, payable 15th
January 1866. A letter was here read stating that the
Company was very flourishing, and that they did not
expect to make any further call at all events that year. It
also stated that this was done by the desire of some of the
shareholders. On 26th May 1866, a resolution was
passed that there should be another call of £5 per share on
all those shares that had not paid up £l5, payable on sth
June, 1866. On this occasion Lane, Daubeny, Helbert,
Childs, and Pembroke were present. (Another circular
was read, which stated that though there had been great
losses in the money market, that company had ma le
none. But for the security of the company it was thought
necessary to make another call.)
Mr. Humphrey: Where did you get those two mr.
culars from ?

Witness : From the papers of the company when I
ook possession of them.

Mr. Humphrey : How much did Horace Edward Chap-
man pay on his 450 shares which were allotted to him ?
Witness : £2,250.
Mr. Humphrey : I suppose neither of the two calls
were paid by him ?
Witness: No; when he had another 100 shares he
would be debited £lO on each. In folio S 2 there was the
account of D. W. Chapman, and it appeared that he had
paid £1,250 on 250, and he had paid neither case. The
account of James Daubeny shewed that he had paid
£1,250 on 250 shares, and there was owing one call £1,250.
The other was transferred to Colonel Daubeny. He found,
on referring to Mr. Helbert's account, that 22,250 was
paid on the 450 shares ; that was deposited on the first
call, and he was debited with £9,250. It is deposit and
allotment on 450, the first call on 450, the second call on
700, and the transfer of 1,250 shares'.
The Lord Mayor : Do I understand that when the
transfer took place that amount was owing by Daubenv?
Witness : Yes, my lord.
The Lord Mayor : Could that transfer be made
properly ?

- Witness : Of course not.
Mr. Lewis said that the articles of association did not
prohibit it.

Mr. Humphrey said that they had proved that it could
not.

The Lord Mayor, on reading the articles, said that he
supposed they relied on the word " may."
Mr. Lewis said of course they could transfer, but the
directors had power to investigate each case. He thought
the articles said nothing of the matter, because Mr.
Humphrey said so. (Laughter.)
Mr. Humphrey : Now turn to Mr. Lane's account.
The witness did so, and said that it was folio 441.
On the debit side, October 1665, on 450 shares
there was £2,250. The second debit was on 750, and
amounted to £3,550, and, in June, interest £l5 123. Gd.
His account was accredited by shares forfeited, bills re-
ceivable, and cash to the amount of £9,365 12s. Gd. The
cash, putting aside the forfeited shares, would amount to
£6,615.

After some further evidence, the court adjournea.

An arrest has been made in connection with the
murder of Mr. 13aker, at Bansha, county Tipperary. The
man taken into custody on suspicion is named Patrick Pyne.
The Church Association, who were the prosecutors
in the case of Martin v. Mackonochie, have determined on a
course of addresses in London, which will commence in a
few days, on the subject of Ritualism.

A Cabinet Council was held on Tuesday, at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, in
Downing-street. The Ministers present were—the Right
Hon. \V. E. Gladstone, the Lord Chancellor, Earl De Grey
and Ripon, the Earl of Kimberley, the Right Hon. H. A.
Bruce, Earl Granville, the Right Hon. E. Cardwell, the
Duke of Argyll, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the
Right Hon. Hugh Childers, the Right Hon. J. Bright,
the Right Hon. G. 3: Goschen, and the Right Hon. C.
Fortescue.

PUGILISTIC LAWYERS.—The amenities of the
American bar are not always of the highest kind. The
defending attorney in a murder case at Nashville under-
stood the Attorney-General of Tennessee to say that he
lied, whereupon he struck him at the back of the head.
A hand-to-hand fight ensued, and the parties were finally
separated. The Attorney-General then explained that
his learned friend had misunderstood him, and that he had
intended no insult whatever. The judge smiled serenely,
related an anecdote appropriate to the occasion, and
trusted that the little incident would be forgotten.
A. CLERGYMAN BECOMING LAYMAN.—The Mel-
bourne Argus states that the Rev. Mr. Macartney, of Rose-
dale, has "left the Ministry of the Church of England
with a view of devoting himself to public life." In taking
leave of his congregation and friends at a farewell soiree he
stated that a clergyman in Australia is in a highly unsatis-
factory position, being chained down by popular or vulgal
prejudices, and regarded too much in the light of a gentee
mendicant or dependant. He was not in the necessity 01
remaining in that position, intending to devote himself to
politics and the bar, and hopes soon to procure a seat in