The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-09 00:00:00

Jeffreys' Phrenological Developments.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—When Muller was executed a reporter for
a morning paper stated in his report that no cast of
the culprit's head was taken, and added that such
nonsense—or some like term—was no longer per-
mitted by the authorities. The 'gentleman was
doubly in error. Whilst he was penning his report
(probably) I was, by special permission of the
Sheriffs, taking a cast of Muller's head, and I well
remember the expression of Mr. Sheriff Dakin when
his permission was asked—that he deemed it his
duty to give every aid in his power to scientific
researches. In a like spirit I have been answered
on recent occasions by the Sheriffs of Essex and
Kent. To throw dirt at a new science is much
easier than to try to understand its principles.
Buller was legally guilty of causing the death of
Mr. Briggs, and was justly executed. But Muller's
cerebral organisation stands .out in broad relief from

that of the type now generally recognised as the
unduly animalised. And if phrenology can be
taken as a guide iu so intricate a question its evi-
dence is on the side of Muller's innocence of pre-
meditated murder, or, indeed, of actual murder by
his own hand. His confession was not of guilt in
this respect. " I did it" can be taken to mean
only the commission of a criminal act, but not of
murder. The doubt in his case makes the cast of
his head doubly interesting.
With ready courtesy I have been permitted to
take a cast of the head of Jeffreys after his execu-
tion, and beg to offer you the following report :

The head of Jeffreys has no resemblance to the typos

that presented themselves so plentifully when Phrenology
was first broached in this country. Then witnesses came
forward with obtrusive frequency. Messrs. Burke, Hare,
Williams, Bishop, cum multis allis, presented their cere-
bral organisations, and left to anti-phrenologists only
a wordy warfare. Neither has the face of Jeffreys any-
thing of a ferocious, coarse, or pugilistic expression. His
features were regular, proportionate, and nicely chiselled,
giving an appearance of breed, and ancestral decency,
and such refinement as education tends to bestow.
The head is small, being only 2l inches round This,
and a great defect in the reflective organs, are its chief
faults. There is no lack of height in the coronal or moral
regions, no basilar coarseness, no marked disproportion
between the animal and the specially human regions. The
moral arches, particularly that of conscientiousness, are
not well developed; but there is none of the flatness—
little of the Gothic straightness of line in these arches, so
obvious in the heads of what may be termed the chroni-
cally criminal class. The student of Phrenology must ever
.
keep in mind the hardening, soul-deadening in-
fluences amidst which but too many of the lowly-
born are surrounded, from childhood to adult
years. Original type and development of brain go a
long way in the constitution of mental character; but
Jeffreys spent his earliest years probably, and certainly
many years of his manhood, under the most unfavourable
circumstances. His "unlucky deeds" no one would seek
to extenuate. Ho seems to have loved " not wisely, but
too well," and, like Othello, became " perplexed in the
extreme." His last days were not impenitent. He prayed
frequently and fervently, and spent his latest hours be-
comingly. Jeffreys' intellect was quick, clear, and prac-
tical. He could not have failed to be a very clever work-
man. The fact that he was prone to commit excesses in
drink is of itself sufficient to account for any amount of
gradual demoralisation and of ultimate recklessness and
brutality. He was one of the millions of victims to
King Alcohol.

C. DONOVAN, M.D.

School of Phrenology, 111, Strand,:
9th October, 1866.

Great Eastern Railway.

SPECIAL MEETING.—THIS DAY.
A special general meeting of the shareholders in this
company was held at the London Tavern for the purpose
of considering the propriety of raising additional capital.
Mr. Turner occupied the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said he regretted to have to appear
before them that day to advocate a line of policy which he
did not approve, but lie was compelled to advocate that
policy front sheer necessity, and not with a view of
annihilating the ordinary stockholders in that great com-
pany. The metropolitan extensions of the company have
been fully considered, and is had been found that the cost
of abandoning them would be greater than that of
proceeding with them. The lines originally proposed
amount to 28 miles, but it had been determined to postpone
the consideration of proceeding with 17 miles of railway
and thus reducing the new lines to be constructed to 11
miles. Amongst the new lines to be proceeded with was
that from Liverpool-street to Bishopsgate-street, from
Bishopsgate-street to the coal depot, and from thence to
Hackney. The Winch:l43re Hill lino was amongst those
which had been postponed. With this object it became
necessary to raise a large addition to their capital, and in
order that they might know exactly the amount, and that
there should be no raising of money by a sidewind
he
would communicate to them the exact amount to be created.
It was proposed to create new capital to the amount of
£3,210,423, in addition to which it was proposed to raise
in bonds and preference chares .£1,810,960, making in all
£4,295,383. The 3i millions was required for extensions
and other purposes, and £1,000,000 was required to repay
private loans. The charge against capital, therefore, for
the future would be 21- millions for metropolitan exten-
sions, and one milion against revenue more than existed at
present. It, therefore, became his duty to move a formal
resolution to embody the propositions lie had made in his
speech, at the same time intimating that it was proposed
to allot the shares amongst the ordinary and preference
shareholders of the company. Before he resumed his seat
he must tell the meeting that the debts of the company
were of such a pressing nature that additional capital must
be at once found. The resolution he had to move was as
follows :
"Resolved, That pursuant to the resolution of the extra-
ordinary general meeting of the shareholders held on the
9th October, 1866, and the powers conferred by the Great
Eastern Railway (Additional Powers) Act, 1866, and the
several other undermentioned Acts, a capital or sum of
£3,210,423 be authorised to be raised and issued to bear a
preferential dividend out of the profits of the company, in
priority to the ordinary shares and stock of the company,
at the rate of £6l per centum per annum, subject to
redemption by the company at any time after the end of
five years from the date on which the same shall be issued
on payment of £llO for every £lOO of such capital."
lie hoped they would adjourn the meeting for a fortnight,
and in the interim a committee of reference, composed of
such men as Mr. Chadwick and Mr. Rowley, and see
whether the stock had been properly put out and properly
expended.
The resolution having been seconded,

Mr. BEVIs, a director, asked the shareholders to pause
before they assented to such a resoiution. The board of
directors, as at present constituted, was not constructed for
the welfare of the company, and therefore he asked the
meeting to wait till next August, when they could put the
right men in the direction.

A somewhat personal discussion ensued, in which Mr
Bevis, the chairman, and several proprietors took part.

Mr. LEGGE said he should like to know where the income
was to come from to meet the proposed increase of capital.
He should also like to know whether the preference share-
holders would take the new issue. The increased charge
upon the company would be £lO,OOO a week, for which
they were to have 11 additional miles of railway. He
wished to know how much it was estimated they would
earn.lThey were to cost over three million, and he felt cer-
tain they were not worth that sum. It would in his
opinion be better to lose a million than incur a new re-
sponsibility at such an enormous expense.
Mr. HOYES moved an amendment to the effect that the
proposal of the chairman be postponed for a fortnight.
Mr. WRIGHT seconded the amendment.
A SHAREHOLDER asked the chairman whether a proposal
to issue the new stock as ordinary stock at a large discoun
had been made ?
Mr. SMITH, a director, said it was next to impossiblehop t o
present
stop, as was proposed by some proprietors.
directors when they came into office found were
suddenly
in numerous instances signed, and if theye
at
least: 500
to come to a standstill they wouldeolinasvidere
• d to be very
Chancery suits to defend. the contracts
would take the new capital. t‘hreeesllida.reholder,
objectionable. It had been askedl'adt vbe3hifetie..tt
hhieerio•
The CHAIRMAN said he hoped
stop short now, as was pro-
yes would with-
draw his ainenduieut,lf the lines were
millions of money,
Ivces he thought the policyadvocated
pnoesteide,
and u n der such circutsinsth•
only one calculated to save the
by the directors cir,
awdeouthldeybeworuulidn
tiitoas'etlti:eo
epatnwyo.
If it was possible to retreat ho would say do,
ccquPanleY.e had already said, to do so now would be death
bet, as • The matter of issuing the new stock as
and destruction.
ordinary stock at a large discount had been decided not to
do so. Ile hoped the shareholders would come forward
and support the directors in taking up the new stock, be-
cause if they did not do so they could not expect the public
to:do so.
Mr. IfoyEs then withdrew his amendment, and the
motion of the chairman was agreed to with but three or
four dissentients.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings.

A PARTIAL ECLIPSE of the sun occurred} esterday,
beginning in London at 25 minutes past four in the after-
noon, and attaining its maximum just about sunset, namely,
at 21 minutes past five, at which time rather less than 411
the sun's disc was obscured.

Mr. MA.GUIRE, M.P., has embarked for America
at the instance of Messrs. Long-mans and Co., the pub-
lishers, with wheel he contracted for the publication of a
history 91 tilt 164 ill Olitt country.