The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-17 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT .7a-------"ERiDoz,OII
EARN.

-
The Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary resumed
its sittings on Monday, for the purpose of taking up
the case of Alexander Murray, charged with the
murder of his grandmother. On the bench were the
Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Ardmillan, and Lord
Neaves.
The prisoner is a young man, 23 years of age, by
profession a sailor. The murder he is charged with
was committed at the Bridge of Earn, Perthshire,
the residence of his grandmother, at whose house
he had gone to stay a few days after his voyage,
and before starting on his next. His vessel arrived'
at Greenock in the early part of the week, and on
Thursday, the 19th August, he arrived at his grand-
mother's house. Then he was the worse of liquor,
and stated, in reply to a question, that he had been
drinking very hard for two days previous.' On the
Saturday afternoon, while apparently suffering
under an attack of delirum tremens, he seized a
common dinner knife, and stabbed his grandmother
in the throat. She died almost immediately, and
for this murder he was to-day called upon to
answer.
The Lord Advocate, the Solicitor-General, and
Mr. Blackburn, advocate depute, conducted the
prosecution. The defence was sustained by Mr.
George Young and Mr. Alexander Moncrieff.
The Prisoner, in answer to the charge, pleaded
not guilty, and it was specially alleged on his behalf
that the offence was committed while he was under
the influence of insanity.
Several medical witnesses for the defence were accommodated with seats in the court, and pro-
vision was also made for medical 'witnesses retained
by the Crown.
The principal witness was Isabella Campbell,
daughter of the murdered woman, and aunt of the
prisoner, who said—When prisoner arrived at our
house from Greenock he was in a state of delirium
tremens, from drink. He was very violent and
restless in the house. He remained mostly in the
house on the day of the murder. I heard a noise
in the back bed-room where my mother and the
prisoner were. I heard screams. I went to the
back bed-room, and saw my mother lying on the
floor. The prisoner was above my mother, striking
her on the head. Her feet were near the door, and
her head away from me as I went in. The
prisoner's back was towards me. I caught hold of
the prisoner, and tried to pull him off my mother.
He knocked me down. He pulled me down in the
scuffle. I don't remember whether he threw me
down on the top of my mother, but it was near her.
He struck me repeatedly when I was down. I
managed to get up, and cried for assistance as loud
as I could. I heard my mother say he had cut her
throat, and I observed that there was blood. My
mother was covered with blood, and blood ran on
the floor. I raised her up, and attempted to take
her into the next room. One of the maids came, in
answer to my call, and helped me to take out my
mother. I had her out in the lobby, when the pri-
soner seized her and knocked her down again.
He struck her several times with his hands, and
knelt down on his knees beside her, and struck ber
on the head. I pulled him away again, pushed him out
at the front door into the road, and locked the door.
I returned to my mother. She was still alive, but
died almost immediately.
The Court adjourned the trial till Tuesday.
The prisoner sat the whole day with his head
drooping and turned to .the side away from the
jury, and looking very abject and melancholy,

PARLIAMENTARY STATISTICS.

A Parliamentary document was published yes-
terday, consisting of reports received from British.
Secretaries of Embassy and Legation on the manu-
factures and commerce of the countries in which
they reside. These have been furnished in confor-
mity with a request issued by Lord Clarendon at
the beginning of last year, with the view of encou-
raging the junior members of the diplomatic service
to turn to account the opportunities of observation
afforded them. The consuls at the outports of fo-
reign countries already send periodical statements,
but it was considered that valuable opportunities of
a more general character would present themselves
to her Majesty's diplomatic servants residing at the
various capitals where the course and motives of the
commercial legislation of each country would be
more apparent. The dates at whicn the reports are
recommended to be made are the Ist of January
and the Ist of July of each year, and they are in
all cases to be handed to the head of the Embassy,
who is expected to t-ansmit them, with any additions
of his own, to the Government. The present publi-
cation contains 13 report., all from European coun-
tries. The first is on Sardinia, from Mr. Erskine, at
Turin. Statistics in that country are not much cul-
tivated, but Mr. Erskine has compiled a number of
tables and collected many facts with regard to its
general industry which possess much interest.
There is likewise a summary of the railway under-
takings of the State, with a description of the efforts
in progress for tunnelling Mont Cenis. Also full
particulars of the State debt up to the Ist of Jan:,
1857, when it amounted to £27,000,000. On
Belgium the report is from Sir T. W. Waller, and
states that the foreign trade of the country has
nearly doubled itself in the last ten years, the im-
ports in 1855 having reached £27,160,000. Of
Bavaria it is stated by Mr. Bonar that so rare and
imperfect is the statistical information imparted by
the Government that it is next to impossible to
obtain, otherwise than by personal observation,
detailed and accurate knowledge of its annual
foreign commerce. In various parts of the
country coal has lately been discovered in veins
promising to be of considerable extent and of ex-
pellent quality. This may give an impulse to trade,
a costly wood fuel, or an inferior peat turf, having
hitherto been alone used. A very full and favour-
able account of the commercial progress of Switzer-
land is given by Mr. Herries. Some of tie figures
are striking, and the general prespe ity is attri-
buted to free-trade principles, coupled with political
liberty. The falling off of the soldier traffic, which
in former times drew away a large
.portion of the
population from industrial pursuits, is cited amorg
the minor causes of advancement. The present
value of British exports to Switzerland, which
mostly take place through France, is roughly esti-
mated at £2,400,000. More business is supposed to
have been done of late years by Switzerland with
the United States than with any other country, and
the crisis at New York last autumn was conse-
quently severely felt. In railways the country is
behind most others, and the lines that exist are
are "not greatly to be admired." The total of nomi-
nal capital thus invested is about £12,000,000, of
which a large proportion is foreign, the Paris Credit
Mobilier being a great holder. In telegraphs there
has been much more progress, and the charges for
internal messages are extraordinarily low, amount-
, ing only to 2s. 6d. for 100 words, irrespective of
distance. The report of Mr. Howard, the Secre-
tary of Embassy in France, relates exclusively to
the silk trade of Lyons. From Denmark
Mr. Orme describes a steady improvement which
has been going on during the last ten years,
assisted by the breaking down of old restrictions.
In a report from Frankfort it is mentioned by Mr.
Edwardes that a company formed in that city about
four years ago for preserving and compressing
'vegetables for naval, military, and other purposes,
has met with singular success. It was established
with a capital of only £lO,OOO, and is now doing
much business with almost every part of the world.
The first year it made a return of 13 per cent.;
the second, in consequence of enlargements,
it paid only 8 per cent., but then advanced to 15 per
cent. It began by employing six workpcople, and
has at present 120. From Prussia Lord A. Loftus •
gives encouraging prospects, her progress being
partly due to the growth of intelligence and scien-
tific knowledge among the manufacturing classes,
owing to increased facilities of communication with
foreign countries, and to the great development of
the iron and mining interests. It is believed,
moreover, that publie feeling. is working towards
a greater development, of the principle of free
trade.' From Vienna Mr. Elliot sends a report,
in which he traces the causes of the low rank
held by Austria, with her population of
38,000,000 among commercial nations, to the system
of " guilds and trades" having been one of the
principal. Much general information is also
given. As regards Russia, Mr. Fane has trans-
mitted an elaborate review of the, progress of her
commerce for 30 years up to 1853, at which date,
owing to the confusion created by the war, the sta-
tistical tables became for a certain period almost
valueless. The slow development of Russian com-
merce, looking at the fact of the population num-
bering 60,000,000, Mr. Fane attributes to serf
labour, defective means of transport, and vicious
legislation, coupled with the low social status of
the merchant. Each of these, however, is in progress
of amelioration,:the first of the recent edicts decree-
ing the gradual emancipation of the serfs ; the
second by the projected system of railways; and
the third by the tariff of 1857. Of the general com-
mercial system of Turkey an analysis is furnished
by Mr. Alison. The advantages derived by that
country from her system of virtual free trade are
shown to be greatly counteracted by the pernicious
duties levied on the transmission of goods from one
[province to another. The fact is that no produc-
tion of the soil or manufactures of Turkey can be
transported by sea between any two towns with-
out paying 13 per cent. on being shipped and
1 per cent. on being sold for consumption,
while as regards the tributary provinces an
average duty of 15 per cent, is levied on goods
merely passing and repassing the frontier. As the
country is totally devoid of roads, the tax on sea
carriage virtually applies to the only means of cheap
transport at command. It is also shown that as re-
spects all the ordinary methods of collecting revenue
those of Turkey are file most wasteful and barbarous.
The absence of roads, canals, or railways is, how-
ever, the grand evil that explains the low rate of
progress the nation has hitherto made, " compared
with other producing countries possessed of far
inferior natural facilities for the production of raw
produce in excess of the wants of the country
itself." A paper from Mr. Grey gives, in connexion
with details of the commerce of Sweden, a narrative
of the distress which fell upon the trade of that
country last autumn, and some useful remarks on
-her rather tardy railway legislation. The final
document is from Mr. Paget, on Portugal, and
here, again, we have a repetition of the story
always heard in countries where the people look to
the Government to do everything, that the want
of roads and transport is creating universal
impoverisharnt. From this cause there is a con-
stant emigration to Brazil. "At present," it is
said, "there is barely sufficient corn grown to
supply the wants of the population, for the reason
that, owing.
to the want of roads and theimpracti-
cability or expense of transport, the farmer merely
cultivates sufficient land to supply his ownimme-
diate neighbourhood, anything b,eyond that femain-
kde lossd t
that
autptohne an
ohleofd .
the r Finally,eportsi
it
h uss
rteo-
binegreamdacia.
ferred to will be found to contain interesting in-
formation, stated in a clear and unpretending
manner, and that the volume is a creditable speci-
men of the ability of our young diplomatic officers
to handle commercial and financial topics.

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL.

Fnctitmno,
nNdoaiy ~
nnext,ln a convocation to be holden on
the 22d inst., at ten o'clock, the name of Mr. Francis
Kewley, M.A., of Jesus College, whose nomination
to the office of Moderator in Schola Literarum
Grmcarum et Latinarum, has been approved by congregat ion, will be submitted to the house
Whereas Mr. Stevens, of Holy-well, the lessee. for
about five years of the land in the Parks belong
in reversion to the University, has liberally g
usi,neng
up the immediate possession of one acre of land at
the north of the Museum, to the University, in a
convocation to be holden on Thursday next, the
18th instant, at two o'clock, it will be propos z.d
that the Museum delegacy be empowered to plant
the said acre of land out of the funds voted for
laying out the ground adjoining the Museum.
In the same convocation the names of the follow-
ing gentlemen who have been nominated to sac eed
to. the office of select preacher at Michaelmas, 1859,
will be submitted to the house, viz. :—'fho Rev.
Francis K. Leighton, D.D., Warden of All Sou's
College ; the Rev. S. Shergold Boone, M.A., Christ
Church ; the Rev. William Hedley, M.A., Univer-
sity College; the Rev. Charles P. Chretien, M.A.,
Oriel College; the Rev. William Ince, M.A.,
Exeter College.
Members of convocation are informed that a copy
of the general accounts of the university from Nov.
6, 1857, to Nov. 6, 1838, is now deposited in the
registrar's room for their inspection, by the authority
of the delegates of accounts.
F. JEUNE, Vice-Chancellor.
FIRST PUBLIC EXAMINATION.—The Junior Proc-
tor, the Rev. Charles W. Heaton, M.A., of Pembroke
College, has this day issued the names of the can-
didates for the first public examination under
moderators, arranged alphabetical order, and
m
numbering 184.