The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-14 00:00:00

THE E .4ST INDIA COMPANY'S HALF.
YEARLY AZEETLYG-(THIS DAY).

The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors was
held this day at the East India House, Leadenhall-
street.

The chair was occupied by Colonel Sykes.
The minutes of the last Court having been read,
The CIIAIRMAN announced that the dividends
would be paid on the 6th of January, 1860.
Mr. JONES then rose to bring forward the motion
of which he had given notice, relative to the Go-
vernment of India. The hon. proprietor said that
Parliament knew nothing of India, and was about
to enter fully into the subject when

An HoN. PROPRIETOR moved that the Court be
counted.

This was accordingly done, and there not being
sufficient proprietors present to legally constitute
a Court, the proceedings terminated, after a sitting
of twelve minutes.

LAW INTELLIGENCE'.--(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF CHANCERY.
(Before the Lord Chancellor.)

JUDGMENT-JOHNSTON V. THE EARL OP usmtownr.

The Lord Chancellor said—Although in this special case
the question is put whether the legacy of £l,OOO given in
the second codicil is cumulative or substitutional to the
legacy of £5OO given in the first codicil, it seems now to be
very properly agreed that it is cumulative, which is clearly
the meaning according to the intention of the testator and
according to all the authorities referred to. His lordship
was of opinion that these two legacies of £l,OOO and £5OO
were cumulative and payable out of the same fund. His
lordship reversed the decree of the Vice• Chancellor (Sir
William Page Wood), and ordered the legacy duty on both
legacies and costs to be paid out of the trust funds.

ROLLS COURT.
GRAY V. FALCONER-JUDGMENT.

His Honour the Master of tho Rolls said—On reading
over the evidence in this case I have come to the same con-
clusion which the evidence produced on me when it was
read at the hearing. lam of opinion that the plaintiff's
case has failed, and that these are perfectly good deeds.
They were not executed with a view to delay the creditors,
because, after the execution of the deeds, he had sufficient
funds to pay his creditors. Ho was perfectly solvent at the
date of the execution of those deeds in 184 S and 1851. His
Honour dismissed the plaintiff's bill with costs.

CRIMINAL COURT.—(This Day.)

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Watson.)
TILE MURDER IN SHOREDITCII.

James Moore was indicted for the wilful murder of his
wife.

Tho facts of this dreadful case have so recently appeared
at length in The Sun, that we abstain from republishing
them on this occasion.

The evidence having been concluded the learned judge
summed up, and gavo the usual directions to the jury to
the event of their being of opinion that the prisoner WiU3 of
unsound mind.

The Prisoner—Beforo you sum up for or against me I
wish to say a few words.

The learned Judge—l hav3 summed up, I have read
every word of the evidence.

Prisoner—Yes, I know, T dare say you are aware that
I am partly an instrument—that is, if I stand in a triangle
or circle, I am partly an instrument—you understand
that. Men eau make me an instrument—that is, if pro •
tided I can stand in a circle or triangle—men can make me
an instrument.

The, prisoner seemed disposed to continue his observations,
but the jury retired to consider their verdict.

After an absence of about a quarter of an hour, they re-
turned into court with a verdict of not guilty, on the ground
of inanity.

The learned Judge then ordered the prisoner to be de-
tained until her Majesty's pleasure should be known.
Moore did not seem rightly to understand the directions
of the Judge, and, after sulkily mumbling something to the
warder in attendance, retired quickly from the dock.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-(TRIS DAY.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

WILFUL DAMAGE AT A COFFEE HOUSE.—Edward War-
ren, a young man, was charged with breaking a pane of
glass, of the value of Os., under the following circum-

stances :

Ann Todd, sister of Rachel Todd, keeper of a coffee-house
in Bear-street, Leicester-square, said the defendant came in
with another young man, both having been drinktng, and
called for some coffee, which was served them. The defen-
dant then called for some eggs and bacon, but said he
should not pay for them, and afterwards bog-an
.fighting
with the other young man, She requested him to leave,
and as ho would not she put him out, with a struggle, and
as soon as he was outside he smashed a pane of glass in the
door.

Tho defendant (throwing up his cap and waistcoat, both
of which were torn in pieces) said the complainant had
damaged his property also.

The complainant said all she had done was in putting
him out of the place to prevent a disturbance.
Ordered to pay the damage.

"THE BOTTLE."—John-Cushion, a miserable-looking
man, the exact counterpart of the drunkard, as depicted in
Cruikshank's inimitable sketches of "The Bottle," was
charged with being drunk and annoying his landlady.
The complainant said she had tolerated the defendant's
conduct as long as she could, but could do so no longer.
He had now been on the drink for three weeks, and just
before that had been so for nine weeks incessantly—going
in and out all day long.

It was stated that the last time he was taken into custody
he was compelled to be taken to the hospital on a stretcher.
Fined the usual fine-SH.

ip 'S MARRIAGE.—Garibaldi is still at
F in
neighbourhoodo, of Como, where on the 3d he
metiG°wA' in theinthaAnL aDcicident while riding on a restive horse. The
news at first occasioned some alarm at Milan ; but a letter
from his medical attendant, published in the newspapers,
removed all apprehension. Further evidence of the slight
nature of the injuries is found in the fact that on the 7th
the gallant general was married to the eldest daughter of
M. ltaimondi, an Italian patriot, who possesses one of the
most beautiful of the residences on the Lake of Como. In
1848 M. Raimondi was obliged to take to flight ; his pro-
perty was confiscated, and his palace used by tbo Austrians
as a barrack. Under the now regime, howo erg everything
has been restored to him. Great rejoicings took place at
Como on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter to
Garibaldi.

--------
INTERESTING TO BRIDESMAIDS.—The following
rather singular project has just been presented to the Cham-
ber of Nobles of the Swedish Diet. Baron Creutz proposed
that from the age of 15, young girls should be allowed to
answer of their own accord, yes or no, to any suitor for their
hand. M. Montgomery opposed the project, declaring that
at the age of 15, love, though strong, was too blind, and that
the age of 25 was indispensable to be able to see clearly on so
important a question. Baron Alstroemer treated such an ob-
jection as madness, and proposed to the Chaniber to decide
who was in the right—Baron Creutz or the Apostle Paul.
The baron replied that the words of the apostle applied to pa-
ternal authority, which was very severe among the'Jews and
andcould not now be invoked when inanners and
customs had so changed. Baron Alstroemer said that if the
Chamber were to adopt the project Mormonism would the Romans
be-
come general. Baron Creutz replied warmly that it was
ridiculous to talk of Mormonism, that this project was a
serious one, and calculated to have a salutary effect on man-
ners and ideas. The project was referred to a committee.
FRIGHTFUL SUlClDE.—Yesterday morning a
frightful suicide occurred on Wandsworth-common. It
appeared between four and five o'clock police-constable
Chapman, of the V division, was walking upon his beat on
Wandsworth-common, when his attention was drawn to
the body of a respectable-looking man lying at full length
upon the ground. He at first supposed that the man was
asleep or intoxicated, but upon moving
the body he was
horrified at seeing a frightful gash on the left side of the
throat, and a razor in the right hand. He immediately
raised an alarm, and Dr. Connor was 80011 on the spot, and
pronounced life to be quite extinct, although the body was
warm. Upon searching the clothes of the unfortunate
man, the following letter was found written in pencil :
omy poor, dear wife,—Whcn you receive this I shall be
lost to you for ever. It is far better that I should go be-
fore all is gone. I want to write a long letter, but my hand
shakes so much I cannot. May God bless you and make
you happy. Pray for me, pity me, and try to forgive me.
Good by. You poor lost husband, Charles Bowerman."
The letter was addressed to Mrs. Bowerman, 16, Bouverie-
street, B.C. ,The body of deceased was removed to the
Wandsworth and Clapham Union Workhouse, to wait an
inquest. The son of Mr. Wright, a builder,
of Battersea
Rise, subsequently identified the deceased as his uncle. It
also appeared that the deceased was unfortunately, addicted
to drinking, but had been a teetotaller for some time, and
latterly had broken out again into his old way. It is sup-
posed that he came down to Wandsworth by a late train,
and wandered about the common until he committed the
dreadful act of suicide. He was about 46 years of age.
THE COAL TRADE.—During the month of Novem-
ber the total quantity of coal and coke exported from the
various coal ports of Great Britain was 436,044 tons of coal,
Liverpool, 38,702 tons
quantity Newcastle
"Cliirditf, the great Welsh
salniidpple2dsls242,3t7toanfs coffikceo.al andOf 6t,h6i280 tons of coke; Sun-
derland, 59,222 tons of coal and 1,327 tons of coke • Hai tle-
pool and West Hartlepool, 26,238 tons of coal and 1,569 tons
shipping port, 75,951 tons of coal and 939 tons of coke ;
Swansea, 23,225 tons of coal and 229 tons of coke. In
oo
ff
coal coke ;
andH 1312,
11931
Scotland, Glasgow exported 5,282 tons of coal and 70 tons
tons 9 tons
sc
coke; e c;
of coke ; Alloa 6,338, and Troon 8,263 tons of coal. The
total quantity of coal and coke shipped to various ports
in the United Kingdom during the month was 719,193
tons of coal, and 6,745 tons of coke; of which New-
castle shipped 217,268 tons of coal, and 2,056 tons
of coke ; Sunderland, 174,483 tons of coal ; Sea-
ham, 52,341 tons of coal ; Hartlepool and West Hartle-
pool, 125,618 tons of coal , • Cardiff, 51,480 tons of coal, and
846 tons of coke ; Newport, 42,524 tons of coal, and 160 tons
of coke; Swansea, 13,955 tons of coal; Maryport, 30,306
tons of coal ; and Troon, 16,466 tons of coal. Compared
with the returns for November, 1858, those for last month
show a large increase both in the coal and coke exported
and in the shipments made to home ports. The number of
vessels engaged in the oversew coal trade during the month
was 1,811, of which 683 were British, 221 French, and 108
Danish vessels.

BRITISH COLUMBIA.

A numerously attended meeting of the Royal
Geographical Society was held on Monday evening
at Burlington House, Sir Roderick L. Murchison,
vice-president, in the chair. The MS. trigonome-
trical survey of Kashmir, by Captain T. G. Mont-
gomerie, F.R.G.S., under the direction of Lieute-
nant-Colonel A. Scott Waugh, F.R.G.S., Surveyor-
General of India ; sketches illustrative of Hima-
layan scenery, by Captain Austen and Mr. Purdon;
numerous sketches made in British Columbia, in-
cluding St. Yuan Island, by Mr. Bedwell, R.N. • a
map of the Fraser River, by Captain G. H. Richards,
R.N., F.R.G.S., her Majesty's ship Plumper; a
plan of Tieu-tsin-ho, showing the Chinese defences,
by Major Fisher. R.E. ,• and a model of the largest
nugget hitherto found, from Ballarat, by Professor
Tennant, F.R.G.S; were exhibited. The papers
read were-1. "On the Trigonometrical Survey
and Physical Configuration of the Valley of Kash-
mir," by Mr. William Purdon, F.R.G.S., Executive
Engineer, Punjab; communicated by Sir Charles
Wood, India Office. Previous to commencing the
above paper, the chairman read a letter from Lord
Canning, expressing his approbation of the map of
Kashmir, and alluding to the difficulties against
Which the surveying officers had had to contend. i
The paper gave rise to a discussion, in which Col.
Everest, the former Surveyor-General of India,
Captain Austen, and others took part. 2. British
Columbia—" Journeys in the District, bordering on
the Fraser, Thompson, and Harrison Rivers," by
Lieutenants Mayne, R.N., and Palmer, R.E., and
Chief Justice M. Begbie ; communicated by the
Duke of Newcastle, Colonial Office. Lieutenant
Mayne's report contained much interesting topo-
graphical information. It described the character
of the soil, the vegetation and productions of the
districts traversed, and pointed out the course of
the rivers and the general geographical features of
the country. Lieutenant Palmer noticed the exist-
ence of gold in the Upper 'Fraser River, but ob-
served that the great drawback was the scarcity and
enormous price of provisions. Chief Justice Begbie
observed that two Indian chiefs paid him a visit
while at Cayoosh, and complained of the conduct of
citizens of the United States ; while; on the other
hand, there were many cases of cattle-stealing
alleged by thewhites against the Indians ; this was
said to be caused by want of food ; the Indians,
many hundreds of whom had died of absolute star-
vation during the winter, stating that the salmon
had failed them now for three years altogether.
They were said to be very lazy and improvident, but
the Chief Justice had found them almost everywhere
willing to labour hard for hire, and bargaining,
acutely for wages. The amount of wages for carry-
ing burdens was Bs. per day. His impression of the
Indian population was that they had far more na-
tural intelligence and honesty than the 1 west classes
of any European country. The chief points which
struck him were, first, the ready submission of a
foreign population to the declaration of the will of
the Executive ; secondly, the ()Teat preponderance
of the Californian element of the population and the
paucity of British subjects ; thirdly, the ()Teat riches
both auriferous and agricultural, of the country ;
fourthly, the want of some fixity of tenure for agri-
cultural purposes ; and, fifthly, the absence of all
means of communication except by foaming tor-
rents in canoes, or over goat-tracks on foot, which
render all productions of the country except such as,
like gold, could be carried with great care in small
weight and compass, practically valueless. The
chairman, in proposing the thanks of the society to
his Grace the Date of Newcastle for sending the
papers, as well as to the authors, said that he was
much struck with the fact that vessels of large ton-
nage could navigate the rivers, thus affording ac-
cess to the auriferous regions. The plan of the
Island of St. Juan, about which the Governments
of the two countries were in dispute, was before
them. It was obvious that it would be of the
highest importance to have the distinct line of the
Fraser River for the transit of their auriferous

products. He had specimens of the nuggets found
in the Fraser River ; they were all of small size,
but it might turn out that some would yet be found
as large as in any of the Australian gold regions.
Br. Hodgkin had been struck by the observa-
tions made respecting the Indians. It had been
noticed that they were improvident, but he believed
that if proper care was taken of them they would
prove of great service to the European population.
Sir E. Belcher said that whatgavahim most con-

cern was the boundary line. lii 1838 he had sailed
up the Columbia River below the 46th parallel, and
had not found one American located there, but on
arriving at Fort Vancouver there were some Arne•
rican missionaries who had been provided by the
Hudson Bay Company with seed, sheep, and every
facility for settling ; and when a certain number
had arrived, they called on the United States Go-
vernment to establish American rights there, and
that was the way England had been ousted from
the Columbia river. An insurrection soon after
broke out in California, and the American governor
told him that if the British Government gave up
to the United States the southern boundary of the
Columbia, she would allow England to take Cali-
fornia for the Mexican debt. He had seen the
Mexican Charge d'Affaires and told him that he
had sent a despatch to England containing that
proposition_; but, as ho was a sailor and had tra-
velled out of his strict province in writing direct to
the Foreign-office, no notice was taken of the com-
munication, and the result was that England lost
California, the Columbia, and was "fleeted" up to
the 49th degree. Had the British Government
adopted the proposal made in 1838 there would be
no occasion for the " San Juan difficulty" of the
present day. After some observations from Mr.
Crawfurd, denying that the influx of gold would
sonsibly affect the relative value of metals and pro-
visions, the meeting was adjourned to the 9th of
January.

1.1.11 S DA Y'S MARKETS.

211 E NAVY.

Prince Alfred arrived at Corfu on the sth inst.
in the Euryalus, and has joined Admiral Mundy's
squadron at anchor in the bay.

The screw line-of-battle ship Donegal, 101, got
up steam at Portland on Tuesday morning, and left
the harbour, steering to the eastward. The Royal
Albert, 131, is expected to leave Portland in a few
days for one of the dockyards, to effect repairs. The
other vessels in port are—Algiers, 91 ; Aboukir, 91;
Trafalgar, 91 ; Mars, S 0; Blenheim, 60; Mersey,
40 ; Diadem, 32 ; Fawn, 17 ; Partridge, 6 ; and the
Biter gunboat.
The launch took place at Portsmouth yesterday
of the Duncan, 101 guns on two decks. This vessel
was laid down on the 27th of April, 1857, and has
been built from designs furnished frcrn the office of
the Surveyor of the Navy, Admiral Sir B. W.
`Walker, K.C.8., under the superintendence of Mr.
Abethell, the master builder of Portsmouth yard,
and, like the Victoria three-decker launched ft cm
the shed adjoining on the 12th ult., has been built
from her original designs as a steam line-of-Lattle
ship. The gates of the dockyard were thrown open
to the general pubic at neon, but all those in pos-
session of tickets for the gallery erected under the
bows of the ship, were admitted at .11 a.m., and all
the preferential places were soon filled up; suffi-
cient space, however, remained on the platforms
on either side of the vessel for some thou-
sands more than were really present. On the
platform from which the ceremony of christening
the ship was performed were the Surveyor of the
Navy, Sir B. W. Walker, K.C.8., Admiral IV. '
Bowles, C. 8., Admiral Sir T. Cochrane, Capt. the
Hon. J. Denman, Messrs. R. Harris, C. F. Hillyar,
G. Hancock, &c., with the officers of the Prussian
men-of-war in the harbour. Mrs. Farquhar, the
wife of the gallant flag captain of the Commander-
in-Chief, performed the ceremony of naming the
Duncan, and the shipwrights immediately com-
menced splitting away the blocks, the last of which
was ISo sooner released than the noble ship, without
any recourse being had to screw or hydraulic,
which had been placed in position for service, if
required, started on her way, and, amid the plaudits
of the assembled crowd, glided nobly and grandly
without check of any kind into the water. ller port
bower, as soon as she was clear of the shed, stopped
her further progress astern, and the launch was
complete. Nothing could have been carried out in
a more successful manner. The band of H.M.S.
Victory was in attendance and played a variety of
airs during the proceedings. Tne Royal screw
yacht Fairy arrived from Osborne, but, as no flag
was hoisted, it was not known whether her Majesty
or any of the Royal family were on board.
The following are the principal dimensions,
horse-power, and armament of the ship :—Extreme
length, 288 ft, 4in.; length between perpendicu-
lars, 252 ft. lin.; extreme breadth, 58ft. lin.; depth
in hold, 25ft. 64-in. ; burden, 3,727 tons; height of
figure-head from keel, 52ft. sin. ; height from taff-
rail, 5611. 4in. The figure-head of the ship is a bust
figure of the celebrated Admiral Duncan, in the
uniform of his period, with the Camperdown medal
suspended on the breast. Messrs. Hellyer and
Sons, of Cosham and Southampton, are the artists.
The machinery of the ship consists of a pair of
horizontal trunk engines by Penn and Sons, of
400 horse-power each, nominal. The ship's arma-
ment will comprise, on the upper deck, one pivot
gun of 95 cwt:, 10 feet long, and 24 32-pounders,
of 42 cwt. each, eight feet long ; main deck,
38 32. pounders, of 56 cwt. each, 9 feet 6 inches
long ; lower deck, 38 eight-inch guns, of 65
cwt. each, 9 feet long. The Duncan will receive
her machinery in the steam basin at Portsmouth,
and be completed as fast as possible for sea ser-
vice. A 51-gun frigate, to be named the Dryad,
will be laid down underneath the shed which has
been vacated by the Duncan. At the conclusion of
the launch the workmen in the yard were granted
the customary half-holiday.
The Himalaya screw troopship, Comm.ander J.
Seccombe, at Portsmouth, was detained at that port
yesterday just as she was on the point of starting
for Halifax by Admiralty orders. It is reported
that Commander Seccombe has received his post
rank.

The Vigilant, 4, screw steam sloop, Commander
W. Armytage, arrived at Spithead yesterday
morning from Malta and Gibraltar. Her dates
are :—From Malta, Nov. 27, and Gibraltar, Dee. 6.
She brings home the second master of the Supply
screw storeship, under arrest, and five supernume-
raries, and goes into Portsmouth harbour this

morning;
A somewhat ancient piece of ordnance has just
been accidentally discovered in the river Medway,
near Chatham Dockyard, a short distance from
Upnor Castle. The cannon was found embedded in
the mud at Gillingham-reach, by a dredger named
Robinson, when it was with somo difficulty raised
to the surface and removed to the Gun-wharf, for

the purpose of being examined, in order to dis-
cover any marks upon it indicating its age. The
gun is of iron, and its weight 21cwt. 2qrs. Gib.
When discovered it had three shots in it, believed
to be 12-pounders. The discovery of such a large
cannon in the situation where it was found has
given rise to much speculation, an opinion being ex-
pressed, which is somewhat favoured by its appear.
ance and shape, that the gun formerly belonged to
one of the men-ef-war burnt in the Medway at
Chatham in the reign of Charles 11., when the
Dutch fleet, under I Ruyter, sailed up the river
as far as Upnor Castle, opposite the dockyard, and
burnt the Royal Oak, the Loyal London, the Charles
V., the Great James, and several other English
vessels of war then lying in the Medway. The
gun has been carefully cleaned and scraped in
order to ascertain the date on it, but the only marks
which have yet been discovered arc the Admiralty
broad arrow and some figures showing its original
weight.
The following naval cadets passed their exami-
nations at the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth,
yesterday :—Over 14 years of age—Htnnah, *Mo -
sey, Dugdalr, Milman, Cole, Greufell, *llickeL
Hyman, Ducat, Carey, *Eyres, Browne, Ballantine,
Booth, *.Mandeville, King, Riddle, Gissing,
Linde-
man, Watson, *Clark, *Gatacher, Codrington, Ban-
croft, *Steavenson, Bolton, Patton, and"*l.an
Under 14 years of a ge—Luckral4:liralker, Hough,
*English, Wilmot, Shalt°, Gilbert, Beresford,
*Tyler, *Greenwly, Campbell, Aylen, ,Forbes,
*Ranking:, *Wood, *Burt, 413•ereton' Harrison,
Hallett, Ward, *Wallace, and Francis. Those with
* affixed to their names have" passed from North
Grove-house, Southsea. Forty-one candidates en-
tered for examination over 14 years of age, and 29
under.

Commander D. M. L. Mackenzie, Commander J.
Seccombe, and Commander his Serene Highness
Prince Victor Hohenlohe Langenbcrg, were yester-
day promoted to be Captains.
M. Lowther, Lieut. G. H. Parkin, and
Lieut. P. Brock were yesterday promoted to be
Commanders.

The following appointments were made yeter
day at the Admiralty :—Capt. J. Seccombe to the
Himalaya; Commander W. Jones, to the Scourge;
vice Prince Victor Hohenlohe Langenberg,

Commander C. L. Waddilove to the Edgar; Com-
mander S. T. Douglas to be Inspecting Commander
of the Coastguard, vice Jones, appointed to thellEd-
gar ; D. Maclagan, acting assistant-surgeon, to the
Icarus; Wm. Noble, assistant-paymaster, to the
Welleely; and I. S. Striven, clerk, to the Victory.