The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-15 00:00:00

LONDON, u iA'sDAY EVENING, APRIL 15, 1856..

(N-c. 19,918)

PUBLICATIONS.

STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH AUS-

TRALIA.

Yesterday, at two o'clock, a large and influential public
meeting, convened at the instance of the General Associa-
tion for the Australian Colonies, was held at the London
Tavern, Bishopsegatestreet, to determine on the best means
to be taken to insure the immediate re-establishment of
our steam postal relations with Australia. The Right Hon.
the Lord Mayor was called to the chair, and among the
company on the platform were the Earl of Hardwieke,
Lord Stanley, M.P., Mr. Tier Seymer, M.P., Mr. W.
Brown, M P., Mr. ohn iirGregor, H.P., Mr. R. W.
Crawford; Mr. W. C. Wentworth, Mr. C. B. Newenhain,
Sheriff of South Australia, Mr..De Salis, M Lee Stevens,
Mr. O'Bierne, Mr Dakin, Mr. Ravenshaw, Mr. J. A.
Youl, and many other gentlemen of influence and standing.
The CHAIRSIAN, in opening the proceedings, expressed
the pleasure he felt in seeing So. large and influential a
meeting before him, because the subject on. which .they
weic called together to deliberate was second to none iu
importance to this country. (Cheers.) No one could have
a higher opinion of the importance of the Australian colo-
nies to the mosher country than himself, and it had been
a subject of great regret to him that so little had hitherto
been done wish the view of bringing those colonies within
a reasonable time of communication with the parent State.
(Hear, hoar.) Most of them were aware that a ship with
a large freight of gold was now considered out of time, and
although, perhaps, the period of her being out might not
be very great, yet 'the apprehension of persons expecting
remittances by that vessel. probably drove them into the
market to give a heavy premium, which, if the ship ars
rived, might be said to be money unfairly taken from
the colonists, or from their agents in this • country.
(Hear, hear.) During the last Year pspeCiallY, when
money in tLis country was very scarce, every day which
a vessel bringing the mails to this country was detained
at sea was an injury to the public and a -loss- to mer-
chants engaged in the trade with Australia. The money,
therefore, that would be saved by an improved postal com-
munication would go a long way towards the expense of a
subsidy ; and the nicotine, in coming forward to urge on
the Government, both for themselves and for the colonies,
to expedite the employment of a fleet of steamships to
carry on the intercourse between the Australian colonies
and this country, instead of sailing vessels, were doing a
great public service. Ho trusted the result would be that
a line of steamships would be-established to remedy the in-
conveniences which they had hitherto felt, and that the
communication between the Australian colonies and the
mother country would be further facilitated by the adop-
tion of some mere direct and eligible route than the pre-
sent. (Hear.) Ho cencluded by calling upon Mr. Went-
worth, an eminent colonist in New South Wales, to move
the 'first resolution.
Mr. WENT WORTH said he had passed the greater part of
his lite in Australia, and he could conscientiously say that
there was but one feeling of indignati ai and disgust in re-
ference to this question prevalent from one end of the
Australian colonies to the other. (Cheers.) Steam com-
munication was officially promised to the colonies in 1816,
and that promise, tardily made, was rcluetantly fulfilled
in 1852—six years afterwards ; and then, instead of giving
the service to one competent public company, it was split
into two parts, and the one assigned to the General Screw
Company, and the other to the Peninsular and Oriental
Company. It was predicted from the first, both in the
colonies and in this country, that the route round the Cape
could not be accomplished iu any certain time by the sub-
sidiary screw vessels which belonged to the General Screw
Company.. It was known that the vessels were too small
and that the places of coaling were too far apart. Those
apprehensions were verified by the result, for the average
time taken by the General Screw Company's ships to per-
form the voyage between this country and Australia was
84 days. The contract of the Peninsular and Oriental
Company was performed by subsidiary vessels, branching
off from the great Indian steam line at Ceylon, and one of
the stipulations in that contract was that the steamers
should go at the rate of Si miles an hour; but, in point
of fact, they only went 62 miles an hour. Still, how-
ever, they performed the voyage iu 64 days, which it
took the General Screw Company 81 days to do. That
state of things continued for about two years. In 1854 the
General Screw Company's ships employed in the Austra-
lian postal service were required for the purposes of the
war; it was said, also, that the other company's vessels
were wanted for the same purpose, and upon that pretext
the steam communication with Australia, bad as it was,
was extinguished, or, rather, he should say, suspended,
for in a Treasury minute on the subject it was expressly
stated that the contract extended from 1853 to 1861, and
was therefore still in force. The universal impression,
however, in the colony was that these companies took the
contract at too low a rate, and that they were anxious to
get rid of it, and that the alleged requirements of the war
were a pretext, and not a reality. He came to this coun-
try in one of the vessels belonging to the Peninsular and
Oriental Company just before the war broke out, and he
knew that that ship, instead of being pressed into the ser-
vice of the war, was immediately sent into the opium trade
with China. He was told that other vessels on the line
went into the smile trade. At all events, the result was
that it was decided about that time to carry on the steam
communication with China twice a month, and to drop the
Australian service altogether. (" Hear," and " Shame.")
Since that time they had had what was called a clipper
line, one of which clippers had been out 110 days ; so that,
bad as the postal communication was carried on by the
Peninsular and OrieritYfilffiltreriejs;ltsivas certainly better
than it was under the clipper service, for those clippers had
been 84i days on an average in going out, and 93i days on
an average in coming home. At last the Lords of the Trea-
sury pricked up their ears and went to the immense labour
of preparing a Treasury minute on the subject. A very
general opinion prevailed that the substance of that docu-
ment was that the steam communication was to be imme-
diately resumed ; but, in point of fact, a reference had
been made by it to the Australian colonies to ascertain the
amount of contribution or subsidy which each colony was
willing to pay for so great a benefit. (Hear, hear.) Upon
that question of subsidy, though the colonists did not mean
to make a stand upon it, he felt bound to make an obser-
vation or two. When the steam postal line was established
by the Government in 1852, the whole cost of it, whatever
it was, was paid out of the Imperial exchequer, in confor-
mity with the universal rule in respect to the postal ser-
vice between the colenies and the mother country, that of
the East India company excepted, and he asked upon what
principle of common justice or fairness could the Austra-
lian colonies be called on to pay one-half of the expense of
the steam postal service with the parent state ; why should
they be treated differently from the other colonies of the
kingdom? (Hear.) Mr. Wentworth went on to contend
that, though the colonies were the parties moving in this
matter, it was really and truly more an Imperial question
than a colonial one, and this he sought to establish by a
reference to the statistics of the tonnage employed in the
trade between England and Australia and of the exports
and imports. He concluded by moving a resolution to the
effect that, while the long-continued interruption of all
postal steam intercourse with the Australian colonies had
been productive of serious discontent and detriment to
them, it had been in a still greater degree injurious to
the commerce and finances of the United Kingdom.
Mr. RavENstassw briefly seconded the resolution, which
was put and carried unanimously.
The Earl of HARDIVICKE, after a few preliminary re•
marks, said he would take up the subject at the point where
Mr. Wentworth had left it, and would urge upon the meet-
ingitneoyt
nee o.
no of
oat
mot
autponopni
ecco
aeao
rtopei
os
dr
nes
thattswi
thghothe theto the
eGI
oGovernment to
dtaibei
cao
inattis, iletodbeni
tnsthheciacet
ttei
ors
sts
h
len ies should be resumed by steam-vessels nAvi°en
employedsrsnbtrmeafel°inrauatnn hsdceaentdri
contract, but for some reason or another they thought
they had not sufficient information to enable them to re-
sume it with that degree of success which the Postmaster
would consider necessary. Re (Lord Hardwicke) believed,
however, that they had the whole of the information
that was necessary for action in the matter, and the
means not only of ascertaining the wishes of the colonists
in reference to it, but the degree of pecuniary assistance
which the colonies were able to afford towards the expense
of maintaining the communication in question. That be-
ing so, he asked why they should not be immediately put
in possession of it. He did not look at this communication
alone as it would affect the intercourse between the mother
country and the Australian colonies. Oa the contrary,
now that they had established between various parts of
the world that rapid means of intercommunication which
science had facilitated, it became them to urge on the Go-
vernment to promote between all the colonies of the em-
pire that degree of frequent and affectionate intercourse
between themselves and the parent State -which would
bind them together in the aggregate as one united empire.
The result of such a means of communication as was now
sought to be established between this eountry and Aus-
tralia would be, as had been well said in a printed pamph-
let on the subject, to " facilitate the investment of capital
for the gradual development of the boundless resources of
Australia and New Zealand ; establish much greater con-
fidence in all mercantile transactions with the colony, by
preventing loss from overstocked markets; obviate the in-
convenience arising from a scarcity in the supplies of Eu-
ropean merchandise • and enable the merchant shippers
in the colony to effect: insurances on their ships and mer-
chandise in England." These were really the great and
essential points in reference to the communication with
Australia. But when he looked to Australia alone, and
dealt with it as a separate colony, he must advert to its
vast mercantile importance, the extent of its resources, aid
the readiness of its people to co-operate with the mother
country in all the commercial enterprises of the colony. He
might state to the meeting, on the authority of a Parlia-
mentary return, that the population of the world—esti-
mated at millions—consumed yearly is. 2d. per head of
British exports, and that the proportionate consumption
by foreign countries and British colonies was estimated as
follows—viz.:—
FOREIGN STATES. COLONIES.
Per head. Per head.
Prussia £0 0 6 Canada £ll5 0
Russia
France 0 1 6 Cape ofGood Hope 3 2 0
United States 0 5 8 Australia
(Hear, hear.) As to the question of route, the one as far
as Aden on the Red Sea had been established as a useful
route ; but from that point a difference of opinion would
arise, and he could net understand why in the present day,
with the power of steam so thoroughly established and
understood, anything but rocks and shoals, which always
required a careful look-out on the part of seamen, was to
prevent a direct line of communication from port to port,
seeing that steam power defied winds and currents to a
certain extent. The question of propelling power was left
entirely to their own discretion and command, and he, as
THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN THE SANDWICH
ISLANDS.—Under date of December 28, the Rev,where they gained a difference between 84
caseline was the best, espe.
ada seaman,
in
a should say the shortest
Mr. Coan writes as follows :—" Every day darkens days and 48 dat
y
ss
a. That seemed to him to be an irresis-
tiblefavour of a direct line. There might be
argument
the prospects of Hilo. The stream comes in greatbetween ego Garcia
necessary to build there a
will bring it through the woods. It follows water lighthouse ,to establish a depot for coals, and a small
channels, dries up aqueous matter, and forms fiery colony to supply passing ships with other necessaries. He
cascades of terrible sublimity. It heads straight down thought that might be done in time, but he should recom-
upon us, and nothing but the hand of Omnipotence can mend that the Mauritius be first taken, with the ultimate
save our town and bay. Our expulsion seems every day view of establishing the necessary
facilities he had sug-
morethe ships should
and more a solemn reality. Molten fires are gleam-
nested at Diego Garcia ,
Melbourne,nn,l that
and there deliver the
ins, trees are falling, the jungle is consuming, rivers are
King George's Soundco to
colonists themselves to distribute those
rolls the burning deluge—slowly, sullenly, relentlessly,
boiling and ascending in steam clouds. Onward, onward
immoaagiltha
t il
mails,
leaving
ie
was
he
xe
pa ro.d)
oTth et
hno ot b
roe aordl ca ot
on csltuedpesd
bbey
ttna
ken
o-
and with resistless force. I hope to be able to give you to establish a steam postal service snitable to the vast com-
a full account in time. P.S. A man died this morning merce and
from falling into the boiling water near the fused lava i Mr. KER SEYMER, M.P. iu seconding the resolution,
stream."—Californian paper:, growing importance of Australia.
said his Arm belief was that, had the Government stated

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top 01,

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at once that they would stand aloof in reference to this
matter, the spirit and private enterprise of the people of
this country and of the colony would long ago have esta•
blished a line of steam communication,for themselves.
Mr. RIDGWAY suggested that, now that a treaty of peace
had been concluded, it would be well.for the toverumont
to send some of the steam-ships of the navy to try and de-
termine the best and shortest route to Australia. He
hoped, at all events, that Lard Hardwicke's idea of pass-
ing by the door of South Atstralia. would not be carried
into effect.

The resolution was then put, and, like its predecessor,
carried unttniicoußly.

Lord S 1 A L M.P., who was reccitvecl with loud cheers,
T;)hi,
been
eteinlatlatihd!
hinetoesrtArihteerreifteleftaicntgs
aretl
seetifitn g.
stoaitallitte appearedquestion
had
cimt length and with sufficient clearness; and he should
therefore trouble them with only' few; wards on the gene-
ral subject. He would say,. in the first place, the', uncon-
nected as he was personally either with the colonies or with
commerce, nothing would have induced him to appear in
this matter, except the conviction, which had been reluct-
antly forced upon his mind by' the Circumstances of the
else, that there had boon, toe say the least of it, culpable
carelessness on the part of those in power in a matter deeply
affecting the interests of an important portion of the empire.
(Cheers.) With the delay of six years, between 181'i and
1S5"1, ho had nothing now to do. Neither could ho, in fair-
ness, find fault wi!h the Government of the day for having
in the first instance adopted the lino by way of the Cape,
for it was the line in favour of which e committee of the
House of Commons reported. Indeed, he-was Perhaps an
interested party in that matter, for he was a lnember of that
committee, who took pains to oollece Whatever evidence
was accessible to them, and who entered upon the inquiry
with a sincere desire to do impartially that which they thought
best for the interest of the country and the colonists. But
tlesy were mostly landsmen, anti had no practical experience
to guide them. They could therefece ourY go on uncertain
and doubtful information ; and, in eioinVesitd fect, the-lies
which was now proposed, and which seemed to have been
generally adopted a ndapproved by practical men, was not bo-
f 're the commit tee at all. They had before that committee
three lines, one of them being by Panama, which was rejected
almost unanimously. The lines moat debated were the
one by way of the Cepe, and that to Ceylon by tee Red Sea.
He remembered well that the question was fully and care-
fully considered ; and he thought the argument which
at that time most prevail° was that by the lino by the
Cape passengers and goods might go from E 'gland to Aus-
tralia without trans-shipment. Tue complaints now made
by the colonists and by people at home were three-fold—
first,of,nits):ehtt,:cuciotrotnr:dnn leet(thy:
,cilhia,y:tapdisiotrshetinbttaheehytewaeed.tnnabeonsfienct.,
colarto;e:sgtdpiigi.eeteet
when
seiestTenohwimeia:
et
taneyishi
beet
siwaeianensiii cation between the colony
and the mothercountry was superseled without necessity;
restoration
rtl
conditionofiiaa
first
etsi taken nant twh(ol
necessity,u:
atr
inhe
uats
proposal,hst
louev ras
and
unusual, and,
r nldwn
com-
munication ohnti
inhie(
ns-ti
and South American lines were maintained during the
whole.pressure of the war. Whether they considered the
amount of traffic or the amount of personal intercourse,
the line to Australia equalled, and perhaps outweighed,
in importance not only one of those three, bat, perhap,, all
the three pot together; for our exports to China, with its
300,0)0,000 of population, were just 1.16 th of those to Aus-
tralia, with its 700.000 people. He would only ask who
ther, if preparations had boon commencqd earlier, the whole
of the routes would not have been supplied without inter-
ruption. He would not ask how many steamers were lying
idle in the harbours of Balaklava and Constantinople when
the suppression of this postal communication with Aus-
tralia took place. ( A laugh.) At that time, the Duke of
Newcastle—and he wished to speak of him with all cour-
tesy as a gentleman eminently fitted for private life— (a
laugh)—was in office; and it was rather remarkable that
at that time, when every order that emanated from that
department of the public service went to the wrong person
or tho wrong place, and when every act was either left un-
done, or, if done, was done six months after it was di-
rected to be put in force—(a laugh)—the one act that
was well and effectually done was that of stopping the
Australian postal service. (Hear, hear.) They next
complained that, that communication having been in-
terrupted, no pains were taken to restore it. In a moment
of emergency the Government might require the services
of every steamvessel on which they could lay their hands ;
but tho war, though it lasted two years, might have lasted
ten, and durine its continuance no single step was taken
,for replacing that which in a moment of temporary exi-
gency they had taken away—(hoar, hear)—a fact which
could only be explained by a reference to that inveterate
habit of politicians of the old school of giving a dispropor-
tionate share of attention to questions affecting foreign
Courts or questions of diplomacy, and overlooking the
more important interests of the British colonies. (Hear,
hear.) The third complaint was that in this case alone
the colonies of Australia had been required to pay a share
of the expense of this communication. He was not going
to pledge himself to any opinion with reference to the
question of subsidy. He would only observe that, if Eug-
laud and Australia obtained a mutual benefit in this mat-
ter, it was only fair that the colonies should pay their share
of the expense ; but it was remarkable that such a rule
should have been adopted in this solitary instance, espe-
cially after the colonies had actually offered 70,0001. for
the purpose of maintaining this communication, He
thought if the object of not losing time had been duly ap-
preciated it would have. been no difficult matter for the
Government to say they' Would aceelitathat offer, add an
equal sum to It, and make a provisional arrangement now
and a permanent one hereafter. (Cheers.) But there was
no doubt that in the management of the Colonial De-
pertinent the Government of the day—and he did not
speak of any Government in particular—had been too
much in the habit of acting towards the colonists as
though they were negotiating with a hostile people,
instead of dealing with them as friends and fellow-
countrymen, whose interests were indissolubly bound up
with our own. (Cheers.) One word as to Australia
itself. Seventy years ago that vast continent was hardly
laid down on any existing map. It was now the recipient
of one-eighth of our commerce, the hope of our labouring
population, who have but small prospects of advance-
ment or amelioration at home, and the residence of
nearly 1,000,000 of industrious citizens. (Hear ) It was
no figure of speech to say that the future of England in a
great degree eepended on her colonies. We had, as they
all knew, many difficulties to impede our national pro-
gress. We had our hereditary pauperism and our heredi-
tary debt, and we had to maintain at vast cost large mi-
litary and naval armaments. He imagined that every
thoughtful statesman must feel that, vast as were our re-
sources and gigantic as were the energyof the English race,
still that in the race of industrial competition with other
and younger nations we were fearfully overweighted.
(Hear.) Let them take a simple statistical fact. The po-
pulation of this country doubled itself in half a-century ;
population of the Anglo-Saxon colonies, as a general rule,
doubled itself only in 23 years; and ho believed it was a
wise expectation—looking forward a century from this
time—to say that one of the greatest sources of our na-
tional strength and our national glory would then lie in
our connexion with the independent States of America,
Australia, and Canada. (Cheers.) It was therefore our
duty and our interest to keep with them. The principle
of self-government was not much a fashion at the present
period of the world ; but self-government had been the
wholesome characteristic of the English race ; and they
might depend upon it that every English colonist who lo-
cated himself in any of our distant dependencies, and every
acre of land that he reclaimed from the wilderness and the
waste, would he a guarantee to Europe for the recognition
of that principle and for the ultimate triumph throughout
the whole of the British dominions of free speech, free
thought, and free action. (Cheers.) The noble lord then
moved a resolution to the effect that it appeared to that
meeting that, provided the usual postal speed of 10 knots,
or nautical miles, an hour could be obtained, the transit •I
letters between London and Melbourne might be easily
effected in 44 days.
The resolution was seconded by Mr. H. GORDON.
tSr
aTIEi
a7aNnSd
wassai d
wheel
lh
acquaintad just c orw
ittoh t
thhi se
fceoeul
et
gr ye
r.
ferfoMtmt
Ee
cl Australia,
on this question. Ho wished to say that he
did not believe it possible to get to Australia in 44 days,
nor did the colonists themselves desire to see such a coo -
summation. They had but one simple request to make in
this matter, and that was to have no more experiments in
reference to it. (Cheers.) They were sick of delay and
had plenty of money to pay for steam
of route he contended that Diego Garcia was a terra incog-
psvioecrsket aotelfecceohtmatmnegucene;ei tcchaetediyoent t
taon
td tehme ya
ta asked he t
almperial
tGt
eon.
nita to the British sailor, and they would lose one ship out
of four if they sent them by that route. (Hear, hear.)
After a few words from Mr. DAKIN and a gentleman in
the body of the meeting, whose name did not transpire,
the resolution was modified and passed, with scarcely a
dissentient, in this form :
'de meeting
Australia
that the
he per
of letters.
formed at an average rate of not less than 10 knots an
hour ; and that this should be effected by the most eligible
That
it
between a
route and in the shortest possible time."
ppeareEdetzolatn h
Oa the motion of Mr. It. W. CRAWFORD, seconded by
behalf of the meeting, and founded on the preceding rose-
Sir M. FARQUIIAR, petitions signed by the chairman on
lutions, were agreed to be presented to both Houses of
Parliament ; and a deputation was appointed to wait on
the Government and press the subject on their immediate
consideration.
The meeting was also addressed by Mr. W. Malin, Mr.
Do Salle, Mr. L. Stevens, and other gentlemen.
On the motion of Sir W. M'Anniun a vote of thanks
tenderedwas
the
proceedings
by
acclamation
terminated.to the Lord Mayor ; and
withthat

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—William Augustus Fitzwii-
liam, who was charged with having in the house of Mr.
Sucker, of Mitre-square, Ald,gate, desperately assaulted
one of the servants of the establishment, upon the at-
tempt to plunder the.house, was brought up for final
examination. The prosecutor, who had been desperately
wounded in the head, appeared to dive evidence.
Richard Martin said—l am, servant to ,Mr. Seeker.
01 Sunday night, the 6th inst., I was in We countinw-
house on the, firs 4 floor at the back of the house. I wal
minding the house while time manager and his wife and
servant went to church, about half-past 6 o'clock, leav-
ing me alone in the house. I closed the front door
after them. The back door was left open. It leads to
an enclosed yard. I then'vvent into the counting-house,
'and was reading there, I think, about an hour. I then
went into the front room, which is over the ground
floor, where there was a fire, and was, reading, for about
five Minutes, and then put down the book. I lay down
on the sofa and dozed about five minutes, and then
opened my eyes and saw the prisoner in the room, stand-
,ing opposite to me, looking at the candlestick on the
I sideboard. I rose up and said " Hallett?" believing it
Was a Man belonging to the house: The prisoner then
rushed towards me with the candlestick in his hand
and struck at my head with all his might with the
candlestick. I held my hand up to protect my
head, and received the blow on the palm of my
hand, and my arm dropped powerless from the effect
of the blow. He .then struck me , over the head,
and my eyes seemed to . strike fire, and all in the
room seemed to v round with me, and tha blood flowed
into ny eyes from the weand.in my head, so that
coltld 'hardly see anything. If then stepped a pace' or
two back towards the fireplace to'get the poker, and the
prisoner stepped rather away from me, and wade another
desperate blow at my head with the candlestick. He
hit me two or three times more over my head, and the
candlestick flew out of his hand and rolled under the
table. He then turned round and ran out of the room.
I threw up the window, and, seeing a little boy passing,
I told him to go and call the police. I was then all over
blood, and the boy went on looking at me, as if in terror.
I was calling out " Murder !" and "Police!" while the
prisoner was striking me. The prisoner did not speak a
word. While I was calling at the window several per-
sons Came to the door. I told them there were thieves
in the house, and that I would go down and let;them in.
The prisoner is quite a stranger to me. I let the people in.
The prisoner—Are you sure that I am the man who
struck you ?
Witness—Quite positive that you are,
The prisoner—What ! In the dark ?
Witness—lt was not dark.

To the Lord Mayor—l have regained the use of my
arm, which was paralysed by the first blow. I have
been under the hands of the surgeon since.
Cross-examined by the prisoner—I do not know where
the prisoner made his entrance to the room in which I
ww,—whether he came in at the window, or at the
door, or through skeleton keys, or how.
The Prisoner—lt is useless for me to say anything.
I say that I did not strike the man ; but it is all useless.
My fate is sealed, and therefore I wish your lordship to
bring the thing to a conclusion. I was not within a
hundred yards of the house. The man is misled by the
police. Ido assure your lordship that I never saw the
man who accuses me till I saw him this day in the chair
in which he sits.

The Lord Mayor—Have you, prisoner, any question
to ask the witness ?

The Prisoner—Not at all, my lord ; but I trust that
he will recover, fur my sake.
The Lord Mayor (to Martin)—Are you quite sure
that the prisoner is the man of whom you have spoken
Witness—l am quite sure.

A policeman (of the metropolitan force) said—l was
present when the prisoner, whose real name is William
Burgon, was convicted at the Clerkenwell Sessions of
having stolen a chest of tea, and sentenced to transpor-
tation for seven years, and upon that occasion he so
desperately assaulted a policeman that the officer was
unable to perform any more duty, and has been pen-
sioned off.

The depositions were then ordered to be made out,
and the prisoner was ordered to be committed for trial.

WORSHIP-STREET.---- IVnt. Anderson was charged
with being concerned, with four others who have escaped
apprehension, in assaults and highway robberies.
A young gentleman named Mace stated that while
passing through Shoreditcb, in company of a friend,
between 11 and 12 on the preceding evening, the prisoner
and four other fellows advanced towards him, and the
former, without the slightest provocation .on his part,
ran willingly against him, exclaiming " Which way are
you going I" Witness tried to get clear of them without
observatiogi, but that did not snit the purpose of the pri-
soner, who immediately struck him such a terrible blow
on the head with his fist that he dropped to the ground
perfectly senseless. How long he remained so he did
not know ; but on coming to himself be found that be
had been robbed of his hat, walking-stick, handkerchief,
and all the money he had in his pocket.
John Melbuish, friend of the prosecutor, described the
attack in the same terms, but could not 83,y which of the
men robbed the last witness, the attack, robbery, and
escape of the men scarcely occupying a minute.
Prisoner said—l did hit him, it's true, but not till he
had struck me, and did not rob him at all.

Mr. D'Eyncourt—Well, it appears to me very much
like a purposed assault with intent to rob, and if you
was known I would send you for trial.
A sergeant of the N division—Why, your worship,
there is another person present on other business who
has just recognised the prisoner as having robbed and
violently assaulted him the same evening.
This prosecutor, Henry George, then stood forward,
and stated that while passing through the Hackney-road
at 10 o'clock he noticed that he was being dodged by
five men, including the prisoner, whose dress he parti-
cularly marked, and who followed him till he reached
Pownall-road, when he heard a quick step behind him,
and was immediately seized by the throat by the priso-
ner. He plaled his hand on his waistcoat to save his
watch, upon which the four other men came up, and
while two struck him violently upon the head and chest
two others held his legs, dragged him along for several
yards, and then flung him down so heavily that he lost
his senses, and on recovering them he found himself in
the arms of a woman, and that his guardchain had been
broken off and stolen.

The prisoner declared that he was not out of Shore-
ditch the whole evening ; but
Mr. D'Eyncourt intimated his intention to send him
for trial on both charges, and committed him for the
completion of the evidence.

SOUTHWARK.—Richard Pitts, an elderly man,
was brought before 11r. A'Beckett, charged with com-
mitting a most murderous assault oa Catherine Pitts,
his wife.

The complainant, whose head was bandaged up, and
who appeared to be in such a weak state from the inju-
ries inflicted on her that it was with some difficulty she
gave the following evidence, stated that she had been
married to the prisoner nearly 20 years, and had three
children to support by her own labour, as she was com-
pelled to live apart from him, owing to his grossly M-
using her. On Saturday night last, about 9 o'clock, he
came to the house where she was living with her
children, fin Market-street, and as soon as she opened
the door he made use of an oath and knocked her down.
After that he strack her over the head with his walking-
stick until she became insensible. She was positive
that bad not assistance arrived ho would have murdered
her.

Mr. A'Beckett asked her whether she had ever charged
him before for assaulting her ?
She replied that she had, and once ho was committed
to prison, but she forgot how long. She was now in
such a weak state from his violence on Saturday that
she could hardly stand.
Mr. A.'Beckett said it was quite clear from the evi-
dence that he had committed a murderous assault on
his wife, and there was nothing to justify such brutal
conduct. He had been once punished for assault upon
her, and he should not be doing his duty unless he in-
flicted the full penalty allowed by act of Parliament.
He should therefore sentence him to six months' hard
labour in Wandsworth House of Correction.

The prisoner was then removed by the gaoler; and
locked up in one of the cells at the rear of the court.
Shortly afterwards Downes, the gaoler, had same sus-
picion of the prisoner, which induced him to go to the
cell, when he saw him in the act of cutting his throat
with a small clasp-knife. Downes, with the utmost
alacrity, rushed into the cell, and fortunately wrenched
the knife from his grasp before he was able to accom-
plish his object. However, the wound was so severe
that a medical man was called in to attend to him.

Mr. A'Beckett, on hearing the facts from Downes,
ordered the prisoner's immediate committal to prison,
so that he might be prevented from repeating the at-
tempt.

On the door of a certain parish church not a hundred
miles from Wycombe was recently affixed the following
notice :—" The churchwardens will hold their quarterly
meetings onoa in six weeks instead of half-yearly as for-
merly."
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