The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-04 00:00:00

TUB LA

MURE.

In Colonel William Mure, of Caldwell, the ac-
complished historian of the "Literature of Ancient
Greece," the nation has lost one of its deepest and
ablest scholars. lie was the head of an old and
respectable landed family, who have been settled
for some ages in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, of
which latter county the gentleman now deceased
held the honorary office of vice-lieutenant, as his
father had done before him. The son of the late
Colonel Wm. Mure, of Caldwell, by Anne, eldest
daughter of the late Sir James Hunter Blair, Bart.,
of Dunskey, and grandson of another Wm. Mure,
who represented Renfrewshire in Parliament from
1742 to 1761, was born at Caldwell in 1799 or early
in 1800, and having received his early education at
Westminster School, he passed thence to the Uni-
versity of Edinburgh, and finished the curriculum
of his studies in Germany, where he imbibed that
taste for criticism for which he eventually became
so famous. About 20 years ago he first came before
the public as an author, having; published "A
Journal of a Tour made in Greece, &c., in 1838,"
which was followed, after an interval, by a more
strictly learned and very elaborate disquisition " On
the Calendar of Ancient Egypt." In 1841 he was I
an unsuccessful candidate for Renfrewshire against
the late Mr. Patrick Maxwell Stewart, but ob-
tained the seat on the death of that gentleman
shortly before the close of that Parliament. HQ
was again returned in 1847 and in 1852, on both oc-
casions without opposition, but retired from public
life in 1855, when he accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
He was a moderate Conservative in politics, sup-
ported the free trade measures of the late Sir R.
Peel. He held the office of Lord Rector of the
University of Glasgow during the year 1847-8, an
honour which could not have been more worthily
and more appropriately bestowed. Colonel Mure
took the greatest interest in Scottish agriculture,
and, indeed, joined heartily in promoting every
movement which had for its object the improvement
of the condition of his fellow-countrymen. Among
other matters we may mention that he took great
pride in the efficiency of the Renfrewshire militia,
of which he was for many years colonel-comman-
dant, thus proving, like Xenophon, that the charac-
ter of a scholar is not incompatible with that of a
soldier. It is, however, as the author of the
" Critical History of the Language and Literature
of Ancient Greece" that Colonel Mure's name will
be longest remembered, if not by the public at large,
still by scholars of every rank and of all shades of
opinion. The first instalment of that admirable
work, as grand and comprehensive in its outline as
it is elaborate in its details, was given to the public
just ten years ago, and only five volumes of the
entire work have as yet appeared. The name, there-
fore, of Colonel Mure must, unhappily, be added to
those of Niebuhr, Arnold, and Macaulay, as one who
has not been permitted to see the fruit of his labours,
and to add " Finis" to his last proof sheet,
" Atque opere in medio defixa reliquit aratra."
Some idea of the depth and learning which
characterise the work may be formed when we
add that the three first volumes are exclusively
devoted to the mythical period of ancient Greece,
including sketches of the epic, cyclic, and lyric
poets. The fourth volume (of which a reprint is
now at press) treats of the early Greek historians,
ending with Herodotus. The fifth and last volume
comprises the remaining historical writers of the
Attic period, including not only Thucydides and
Xenophon, but about twenty other authors of whose
works fragments only, more or less extensive, have
come down to us. In what state of forwardness the
remainder of Colonel Mure's treatise may be we are
not aware ; but we fear that the " History of the
Literature of Ancient Greece" must and will long
stand, like Arnold's " Rome," as a mutilated me-
morial of its amiable and accomplished author.
Colonel Mure, as We learn from the " County
Families," married, in 1825, Laura, second daughter
of William Markham, Esq., of Becca-hall, York-
shire, and grand-daughter of the late Dr. Markham,
Archbishop of York, by whom he leaves issue. His
eldest son and heir, who is a lieutenant-colonel in
the Scots Fusilier Guards, was recently married to
the Hon. Constance Elizabeth Wyndham, third
daughter of Lord Leconfield.

TlllB DArs MARKETS.

CORN EXCHANGE.

To-day's market was ♦ery scantily supplied with home-
grown wheat, in, for the most part, middling condition. For
most kinds we had a fair demand at Monday's currency, and
at which a good clearance of the stands was effected.
Very little foreign wheat has come fresh to hand. Im-
porters generally were very firm in their demands ; but the
transactions were wholly confined to small parcels on former
terms.

For floating cargoes, off Falmouth, the demand was some-
what restricted. Prices, however, were very firm.
The barley trade was somewhat active, at prices fully
equal to last week. The show of samples wee small.
There was very little business doing in malt; neverthe-
less, prices were supported.
The oat trade was firm at fully last week's currency.
Beans sold slowly, peas steadily, at full quotations.
There was a moderate business doing in flour, on former
terms.
No market will be held here on Friday next.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK
Wheat. Barley Malt. Oats. Flour.
English 1,460 i 810 i 1,580 ' 1,030 i :1,040
Irish
Foreign 3OO , —) 600 f '3O sks
I I 100 bls.

BOROUGH HOP.
There is a moderate business doing in good and useful
hops, at full prices ; but all other kinds are vory dull.

WHITECHAPEL.

The supplies of meat are good, and the trade generally
rules inactive, as follows :
Beef, from 2s 6d to 4s 2d ; mutton, 3s 4d to 4s 4d ;
lamb, 5s 4d to 63 4d ; veal, 4s 2d to 5s Od ; and pork, 3s
6d to as Od per 81b., by the carcase.

MANCHESTER, April 3.—Messrs. R. Irving and
Co., in their circular, state that the advance in the rate of

discount.on Thursday naturally contributed to increase the
inactive tone which was noticeable in Manchester on this
day week. To-day the market was very dull and inani-
mate, and although prices of either goods or yarns were not
quotably lower generally, owing to the heavy contracts in
the hands of producers, and the consequent scarcity of im-
mediately available supplies, the prevailing feeling was in
favour of the buyer.
THE VOLUNTEERS.—Yesterday, at 8 a.m., nearly
100 members of the 26th Middlesex (her Majesty's Cus-
toms) Rifle Volunteers, formed a guard of honour, under
the command of Capt. Ogilvie, the senior officer present,
near the Spur Gate of the Tower, on the departure of the
Coldstream Guards for Windsor. This compliment was
paid by her Majesty's Customs corps as a grateful recogni-
tion of the assistance and encouragement received from the
adjutant and other officers of the Coldstream Guards.
THE AFRICAN Ex PEDITION.—Mrs. Livingstone,
the wife of Dr. Livingstone, our celebrated traveller, has
just arrived from the Cape, per Mr. D. Dunbar's ship Vit-
toria. At the railway station the name of Dr. Livingstone
on the luggage having caught the eye of the bystanders,
she and her sable attendant were soon surrounded by a
orowd eager again to see the groat geographer. Upon being
informed, however, that he was still in the centre of Africa.
they warm-heartedly inquired respecting his health, and
shook hands with her. Mrs. Livingstone having pro-
irthffa t to
see
pro-
ceeded from the Cape on a visit about 800 miles into the
interior to her
caerfapteh,eur,pothn heriesujoowurnneedyminigssaiognalanrynllo , re-
turned
to th
Moselekatse, where he hoped to hear of his
missionaries from the London society had already
onwards to Sekeleta and the Makololo. Mrs Livingstoneproceeded
has brought with her an interesting addition•
in the person of another little daughter, to her family
born •
and has come with the hope of proceeding in Africa ;
with the steamer
about to be sent by Government to te Zambesi, and of at
length rejoining her heroic husband.
THE SOCIAL EVIL—STARVATION AND DEATH.
—On Saturday Mr. WakleY held an inquest at the Elephant
and Castle, Camden-town, o F rances Bennet, aged 36. The
evidence in this case was a painful exhibition of the career of
an unfortunate. The deceased, who was a native of Derby,
of respectable parents, was found in a dying state in an un-
furnished room in Wilstead-street, Somers-town, where she
had managed to crawl for shelter ; and the police being in-
formed of it she was conveyed to St. Pancras workhouse in a
cab, but died whilst being lifted out to be taken to the infir-
mary. Evidence was given by the police, showing that in
her earlier years she was a very handsome woman, kept by
a baronet, and had a splendidly furnished house of her own
in the vicinity of Euston-square. She had, however, been
discarded, and became gradually reduced to the most abject
state. Mr. Carter, surgeon, gave evidence that he had made
apost morteni examination, and that the cause of death was
disease, coupled with starvation and destitution. Deceased,
before she died, stated that no food had passed her lips for
three days previously. The jury returned a verdict of death
from exhaustion, produced by disease and destitution.--
Oiserver.
PARTIAL DESTRUCTION OF A RAILWAY STATION.
—Allah, before 10 o'clock yesterday morning a portion of
the iron roofing over the Victoria Station of the London and
North-Western Railway, at Manchester, fell in, through a
train coming in contact with and breaking one of the cast-
iron pillars supporting the north-west corner of the roof.
This pillar was exceedingly near to the line of rails, and,
in shunting.a train, one of the carriages got off the rails,
and came in contact with it. About 16 or 17 yards of the
roof, by about 30, fell in upon the railway, and a carriage
cleaner was severely cut across the forehead by a bar of
iron, but though the unfortunate man was sent to the in-
firmary, it was believed his life was not in danger. The
other railway servante escaped uninjured. Fortunately
there was no train taking up or discharging passengers
under this part of the roof at the time, or the consequences
would probably have been more serious. The loss to the
company, it is believed, will not exceed £l,OOO. Until the
fallen materials had been removed work of some hours,
no trains could enter the station, and departing trains had
to be despatched from outside the station, so that plum.
gore were necessarily put to some inconvenience.
Two BOATS LOST.—On the 17th ult. two boats,
with fourteen men on board, were blown from the coast of
Lewis during a very severe gale, and no hope is entertained
of the safety of their crews. This great calamity has com-
pletely paralysed the fishing in the neighbourhood, as the
men are exceedingly superstitious, and weeks may elapse
ere they again proceed to sea,—Greenock Advertiser.

ME FRAUDS IN THE AUSTRIAN COM-
MISSARIAL

A I.etter from Trieste, dated March 29, says :
The engrossing topic of the day is the gigantic
frauds discovered in the Commissariat Department,
which, no doubt, were in no small degree influen-
tial in bringing to so sudden a termination the
recent hostilities between the Austrian and Franco-
Italian armies, and which drag to light, despite
most powerful influence, a series of disgraceful facts,
involving a multitude of names, some of them hold-
ing positions so high as to render even allusions
hazardous, in charges of the most flagrant political
and moral turpitude. The accounts in the Vienna
and other Austrian newspapers are meagre in the
extreme and, but for the suicide of General
Eynatten on the 7th-Bth inst., which admitted of
no concealment, these frauds would probably never
have been alluded to. The deficit amounts to the
astounding sum of no less than 17,000,000 florins,
or £l, 700,000 sterling, of which 3,000,000 florins,
( or £300,000, is laid to the charge of some of the
leading. capitalists of this city. One was impri.
soned, two have fled, and others are undergoing
forced examinations of books, papers, documents,
&c. The strangest part of the tale is, however,
that which is certainly the least known. It is said,
and from the sources from whence I hear it I
believe it is true, that at the celebrated meeting of
the rival Emperors which led to the armistice, and
subsequently to the preliminaries of the treaty of
peace at Villafranca, when Napoleon and Francis
Joseph were left quasi alone for nearly three-
quarters of an hour, the former, addressing thelatter,
said, " Your Majesty would do well to listen to
friendly and well-meant counsels. You are sur-
rounded by traitors. Your Majesty believes that
your fortress of Mantua is provisioned for six
months ; I tell you," emphatically raising his finger,
"it has not food for as many days. Test my intbr-
mation, and act accordingly." And so it proved,
and afforded another lesson also of the infinite supe-
riority of the French over the Austrian system of
espionnage.
To give some idea of the bare-faced effrontery of
the fraud, and the number of accomplices necessary,
one instance will suffice, though, if needful, I could
adduce many others. Mantua is a walled city, and
the bullocks which were driven in at one gate
passed through the town out at the opposite, and
then, making the half circuit of the walls, re-entered
at the first gate, and every bullock made this
parade five times ! The richest part of the tale in
connection with Mantua is yet to come. A firm
in Trieste made a contract with the Austrian Go-
vernment for the hides of the bullocks supplied for
the use of the troops. Now, although each bullock
did duty living for five, still he could only be killed
once, and supply one hide. The contractors, there-
fore, called upon and actually received from the
Government the forfeit, as stipulated by contract,
of one florin upon every hide short delivered ; thus
profitting to the extent of 30,000 florins for the non-
delivery of the skins of animals which had never
been killed ! Solferino and Magenta might each
have told another tale had not the hunger caused
by Austrian fraud weakened, if not paralysed, Aus-
trian valour. Enough of this for the present.
A good on dit is getting an extensive under-cur-
rency, and is believed by some ; I do not aver that
I am of the number, nevertheless the tale tells well,
and it may, therefore, be prudent not too closely to
test its accuracy. It is said that the Emperor
Francis Joseph, being disquieted by the triple re-
currence of a dream, had recourse to the counsels of
his mother, the Archduchess Sofia, who at once
summoned to her aid a " weird sister" in whose
mystic talent she had herself confidence. Intro-
duced to the august presence, the crone demanded
what visions of the night had startled the Imperial
slumbers. The Emperor informed her he had
dreamed of three mice ; the first perfectly blind, the
second so immensely bloated and fat it could scarcely
walk, and the third weak, poor, and almost dying
from starvation. The beldame appeared alarmed,°
and at first professed her inability to afford any
solution ; but, on being reassured and informed
that under any circumstances she might rely not
only on protection but reward, she took heart, and,
much to the astonishment of her Imperial interro-
gators, replied, " The blind mouse is your Majesty;
the fat mouse, your Ministers ; and the worn-out,
starving, and exhausted mouse, your people." Be
the tale well or ill-founded, it is sufficiently
analogous to the present state of the empire; but
the worst part of it is that the blind mouse does not
at present appear to have opened his eyes, and, if
he continues to persevere in his present course,
bids fair to realise the warning prophecy
of the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, when
nine months ago he gave deep umbrage to his Im-
perial brother by saying, " If your Majesty goes
on thus, you will not stop till you have lost your-
self and your empire." Apropos of the Archduke
Ferdinand Maximilian—a young man of education,
genius, and talent far beyond the common order,
and universally esteemed and beloved, except by
one or two exalted personages—there is no doubt
that his voyage to Madeira and the Brazils, from
whence he is now on his return, was in reality an
honorary exile. The advice which was once re-
jected is now sought, and his return is anxiously
expected, as he possesses more brain than all the
rest of the Hat.sburgs concentrated. He is gene-
rally expected here about the middle of April, but
I believe the commencement of the month is more
probable. His steam yacht, the Fantasia, left at
midnight very recently to meet him, on the ex-
pected arrival of the Elisabetta frigate at an island
which he bought a few months ago on the Dalma-
tion coast for the purpose of erecting another
marine residence; and I know positively that on
the same day a telegram arrived from Vienna for
•
the purpose of hastening his departure for the
capital to attend a Council.

THE NEW BANKRUI'TCY BILL.
.7'

At the meeting of the Society for Promoting the
Amendment of the Law, on Monday, Mr. Edgar
read the first instalment of the report of the com-
mittee appointed to consider the provisions of the
new Bankruptcy sill. The following are the re-
commendations of the committee :

" That the Court of Bankruptcy in London should
consist of a chief judge and three assistant judges,
one of whom should sit in Portugal-street, and that
the assistant judges should determine all questions,
administrative and judicial, and that the chief
judge, with one or more of the assistant judges,
entrust
Bankruptcy
tnsaLranual
okasnntrrddyut
ophdontei
fes
administrative
to
olut
ant cahoio
soebut rerr
at
per
trge.
erivdsTeatuhrnbcaaneurtauss i
tti
eTsstaswhei nohao
of
should form a court of appeal on all questions both
o
m
ghoiaupst the other three should be released from
ttaattohhhnt eeedttihhrreCeetdLu
ot ineds ,0
no r
doi oner
joort
cmo more oofr tthoetmh
eb
pe
riorva
innscfiearlr eo dr
county courts. That it is expedient that the Court
of Bankruptcy in London should continue to be
held in the City. That two messengers should be
retained, but that the scale, as well as the amount
of remuneration, should be lessened. That all estates
in which the liabilities exceed £5OO should be ad-
ministered in the chief court in London and in the
district courts ; and that the transfer to the county
court of estates not likely to exceed £l,OOO is ob-
jectionable. That it is not expedient that the offi-
cial assignee should be divested of the estate on the
election of the creditors' assignee. That solicitors
should not appear and plead in the Court of Ap-
peal, but should be allowed to appear and plead, as
at present, before any judge or commissioner
exercising original jurisdiction."
On the motion of Mr. E: LAWRANCE, the report,
after a brief discussion was agreed to.

(From the Times' City _Article.)

Certain points on which it Was thought the new
Bankruptcy Bill would require alteration were
mentioned in the Times of Monday last. The
Mercantile Law Amendment Society have since
been in communication with the Attorney-General,
and it appears that the modifications in question
will be effected. The provisions making the seizure
and sale of a debtor's goods under an execution an
act of bankruptcy from the date of seizure are to
be followed by a proviso that a petition for adjudi-
cation shall be presented within a month of the
cases
wherewhy
sale. The clauses making the non-payment of a
bill of exchange by the acceptor after a 12 days'
notice an act of bankruptcy are to be struck out, as
th in
ea a
debt suffi-
cient to sustain an adjudication is
both useless and inconvenient. Power is to begiven to the judge and commissioners to issue s,
ou nad
nga
eaddebtorffi d a
sit to showbankrupta
I
ths
hue
ems hin o
creditorounl ds cn
ao
ltl imbn
eg uP
a kaed I
due, and that he
verily believes that his debtor is in insolvent cir-
cumstances, and disclosing hie reasons for that
belief. After the summons has
issued, however,
the creditor is not to receive payment of his debt
until the debtor has been
fied the Court of his ability to meet his engage-
ments with his creditors. The majority competent
to bind a minority in cases of trust deeds or private
arrangements is to be a simple majority in number,
representing three-fourths in n value, instead of
three-fourths both •
m number and value. The
debtor in cases of trust deeds is to have 14 days
instead of seven to get the required majority of his
creditors to assent. Provision is also to be made
for the punishment of debtors vexatiously defending
actions brought against them.

A pheasant, pursued by a hawk, dashed lately
at a plate-glass window in dinburgh, and such was the
velocity the bird had then attained—probably fifty miles an.
hour—that it passed clean through the glass, falling dead
instantly.