The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-28 00:00:00

LA TES T INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

ITALY.

ROME, Sept. 27.

To-day the French Charge d'Affaires in Rome
exchanged with Cardinal Antonelli the ratification
of the Treaty of Commerce concluded between the
Papal Government and the French Cabinet.
TURIN, Sept. 27, Evening.

A demonstration took place this afternoon to
present a petition to the Prefect demanding the
release of Garibaldi and Rome as the capital of
Italy. The Prefect received the petition, and replied
that he would forward it to the Ministry, whereupon
the people dispersed.

FLORENCE, Sept. 27 (Evening).

The Official Gazette of to-day says that Garibaldi
having expressed a desire to return to Caprera, and
that intention conforming with the wishes of the
Government, the Ministry at once agreed to it, and
the General left this morning for that island in a
State vessel.

The same paper also explains the circumstances of
the delivery of 21 Roman citizens to the Papal
authorities by the Italian Government.

BOMBAY MAIL.

ALEXANDRIA, Sept. 26.

The Nyanza left at 4 p.m. yesterday, and the
Ceylon at 5 p.m. to-day. The former may be ex-
pected at Marseilles on the 10th, and the latter at
Southampton about the oth October.

CIIINA AND JAPAN.

TRIESTE, Sept. 27.

Intelligence received here from llong Kong an-
nounces that the chief of the Mahometan rebels had
declared himself emperor.
The Hankow Ohamber of Commerce had publicly
entered a protest against the restrictions recently
imposed upon foreign trade by the Chinese.
The Chinese Government are raising a loan of
1,000,000 taels, a portion of the amount to be
employed in the purchase of rice in anticipation of
a famine.

The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank had declared
a dividend of 13 per cent.
The advices from Japan stated that some twenty
Christians and natives had been arrested and impri-
soned at Nagasaki on religious grounds.

THE ABISSINIAN CAPTIVES.

TRIESTE, Sept. 27.

Intelligence received here from Aden, dated 12th
inst., states that the latest dates from the captives
at Magdala were of July 27th, received at Mas-
sowah on the Ist inst. At that time they were all
well. Rains had commenced. The latest dates
from the King's camp at Debra Tabor were of the
11th of July. At that place there was heavy rain.
All the captives were pretty well, and were being
well treated. The King's conduct to them was cold
and indifferent. The country round about was in
a disturbed state. Direct communication between
the King's camp and the coast was entirely cut off,
and communications were sent via Magdala.
There were no letters from the King.

Attempt to Upset the Limited Mail near
Wigan.

Yesterday morning at the County Police-court,
Moor-balls, Wigan, Michael Flatly, a navvy, a
stranger in the town, was charged with placing an
obstruction on the London and North Western
Railway, in the township of Ince, with intent to
upset the limited mail. The charge was not gone
into, as Inspector Peters, who had only taken the
prisoner into custody at midnight, applied for a
remand, which was granted.
The offence, which was committed last Sunday
evening, was of a most diabolical character, and it
is satisfactory to know that the information in the
possession of the police goes far to bring home the
crime to the man in custody. Between 10 and 11
on the evening named Flatly and another man were
rambling with a workman named Herne in the
neighbourhood of the spot where the recent attempts
were made to throw the down mail off the line, just
outside the boundary of the borough of Wigan,
when Flatly and his companion resolved to have a
" - good jump," and with that intention they
placed one of the heavy sleepers, which was lying
in the road, across the up line, and then two others
on the top of it at right angles to hold it in its
place. llerne remonstrated with the men for com-
mitting so dastardly an acts and he removed the
obstruction, but the fellows threatened him with
personal violence if he interfered, and he left them,
moving off in the direction of Wigan, as they were
replacing the sleepers. He had not gone far before
he was overtaken by the prisoner, who informed
him with glee that he had not only refixed the
three, but added a fourth. All the men came on to
Wigan, and Herne seized the first opportunity
of writing a note to the station-master, in-
forming him that an obstruction had been placed
on the line somewhere between Wigan and St.
Helen's, information too vague to be acted upon,
and received too late to prevent the passage of the
limited mail over the dangerous spot, even had the
precise locality been pointed out. Ever since the
late outrages two men have been kept on the look
out nightly at this part of the line, and it was not
thought possible that any fresh attempt would be
made. The up mail which passes through Wigan
without stopping is due soon after half-past 11, and
on Sunday night it appears to have passed about the
usual time at full speed, and, happily, in safety,
though how it escaped must have been next to mira-
culous. The following morning the person whose
duty it is to inspect the line between Wigan and
Spring's branch was unable to explain several indi-
cations which he met with, and it was not until they
were led by the light of the letter received the previous
evening that it was discovered how narrowly a ter-
rible accident had been escaped. About 150 yards
on the south of the place where the engine was
thrown off the rails a few months ago by miscreants
not yet detected two sleepers were found lying in
the up line parallel with the rails, while a short dis-
tance away was a third sleeper, one end of which had
been chopped off, while at the other end was a mark
which had evidently been made by the life guard
placed in front of the wheels of the engine. The posi-
tion of the sleepers showed pretty plainly that the one
which had been first placed on the rails had fortunately
been the first caught by the engine, which had driven
it from its position before the firebox reached
the couple placed on the top, and these dropped
quietly to the ground harmless. Had they projected
a little further it is believed nothing could have
saved the train from destruction, as the collision
with the fire-box would have thrown the engine off
the rails at once. But Flatly mentioned to llerne
that he had added a fourth sleep-r to the others,
and there were indications along the road that this
had been carried for three-quarters of a mile in
front of the engine until at Spring's Branch it had
been caught by a wing rail, which splintered a
piece from one end and threw it over so as to
project into the six-foot, which was ploughed
up a little for some 30 or 40 yards, and then
luckily the engine threw aside the last of the ob-
struction. It is most remarkable that, so far as is
known, neither engine-driver nor passengers appear
to have been aware of any impediment to their
progress.

The police were promptly communicated with,
and, having heard Herne's statement, they kept a
sharp look out for Flatly, whom they succeeded in
apprehending at midnight on Thursday. His as-
sistant in this diabolical " fun" has, it is believed,
left the neighbourhood. Both men have been em-
ployed for a short time in the construction of a dam
at the works of the Wigan Coal and Iron Company.

Mn. POPE lIENNESSY.—Mr. Pope Hennessy has
left town for Labuan, vie Marseilles, and will commence
the duties of governor immediately on his arrival.