The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-05 00:00:00

THAMES.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT BY A HUSBAND ON MS WIFE.—
John Sweeney, an Irishman, about 35 years old, a strong,
broad-shouldered fellow was brought before Mr. Paget
charged with violenty assalting Ellen Sweeney his wife.
The complainant, a slender, delicate,. pale, and consump-
tive-looking woman, forming a striking contrast to the
burley frame of her husband, said she had been married to
him 13 years, and he had been very cruel to her. Ho
could earn plenty of money, but ho spent it in the indul-
gence of bis own sensual participations, The burthen of
supporting his children principally fell on her. When sho
was well she did a little washing and charing. She Ml ill
a month ago, and he left her. She was compelled to sell
many of her things to procure bread, and for the last fort-
night sho had obtained assistance from the parish. On
Saturday night her husband returned home drunk, and ho
swore at her, and struck her on the side of the head, caus-
ing the blood to flow. Ho then seized her by the throat,
and attempted to strangle her. He compressed her throat,
and she was growing faint and insensible when assistance
arrived.

S. Nichols, 433 K,
said that he took the prisoner into
custody on Saturday night. The woman was bleeding
copiously from a wound on the head, and was very weak
and faint.

Mrs. Sweeney was recalled,: and said that her husband
had often beaten her before ; he left her a month ago.
Mr. Paget said the prisoner had committed a very sa-
vage assault on his poor wife. It was a dastardly thing to
beat a sickly woman, who could not defend herself. He
sentenced the prisoner to two months' imprisonment and
hard labour.

The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon had a
dinner party on Saturday at their residence in Grosvenor-
street.

MISS BATEMAN.---An action has been brought in
the New York law courts against Miss Kate Jose-
phine Bateman by Mr. Augustus Daly, the author of "Leah
the Forsaken," for $4lO, for literary services rendered.
The defendant pleaded that she was under age when the
alleged services were rendered. The plaintiff was accord-
ingly non-suited.

TRAFFICKING WITH pmsONEßS.—Another in-
stance of the disreputable system of " trafficking"
between the warders and the convicts imprisoned at Port-
land, which, however, is happily of unfrequent occur-
rence, has just been brought to light. A warder, named
John Walker, who had only been employed in that capa-
city about seven months, was brought before M. R. H. 0.
Swaffield, at the Portland prison, on Friday last, charged
with being in unlawful communication with a convict
named Thompson, for whom, it appears, Walker had been
tempted to convey certain letters with a view of obtaining
money. It seems that suspicion had rested on the prisoner
for some time past, and a watch was set over him, which
led to his being searched on Thursday last, and one of the
letters in question was found in the prisoner's left stock-
ing. 'Walker pleaded guilty to the charge, but in conside-
ration of his having borne an excellent character while a
soldier, as well as hitherto during his employment as a
warder, he was sentenced to the mitigated penalty of only
two months' imprisonment with hard labour. This is the
second case within the past few months. Not long ago a
man named Turner was sentenced to six months' hard
labour for similarly trafficking with the renowned convict
Roupell.

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John's-wood, London; and all respectable grocers and ohs-
mists.—Beware 91 spurious imitations.

"Dear Brother,—With nine packages of clothing I re-
ceived that splendid lot of English blankets. God bless
the donors of that rich gift, which will very soon warm
the bodies of two or three hundred shivering freemen. It
will do more than this. These gifts, in many instances,
inspire the most grateful devotion to God, as well as love
to men. Last evening L hurried away to a distant portion
of the city with three of these blankets under my arm. One
old man, crippled in the cotton field, two aged women and
three children, lived in the shed to which I directed my
steps ; the little girl was reading the Testament by the
fire-light to the rest of the family. I knew how they
shivered and huddled together these cold nights, for I had
often been there. Dese yere blankets,' said the choking
voice of the old man, ' will warm soul and body.'

‘‘ rrig-etity- throe of thA frAsclmon woro carried to the,
pesthouse with the smallpox within the last ten days.
These blankets will cover all that survive of them when

their few rags they now possess are committed to the
flames.

" Every one of these blankets will go into cheerless
cabins, where slavery has robbed and war desolated.
" Let me repeat the oft-repeated expression of the freed-
men, ' God bras dese yere men dat come to open our prison
doors, and cover our nakedness.'
"Rev. George Whipple." "H. S. Bps.

THE PRESIDENT MASTER OF THE SITUATION.--
The New fork Herald rejoices over the late re-
sponses of President Johnson to the delegations.
The great mass of the American people, it declares,
cares nothing for obstructions ; they look at the
general situation, and act upon sentiment rather
than mere special pleadings. To this peculiarity
of the people the addresses of the President very
effectually applies. They realise, in the first place,
that they have just gone through a long war for
the preservation of the Union, and that the Presi-
dent is trying to secure to the country all the benefits
of that struggle by cementing the victories gained
in battle, and making them permanent and endur-
ing. They also see that his policy leads to the
immediate adjustment of all foreign complications,
the debt, the currency, and all tie evils which they
now desire corrected, and, at the same time, adding
to the glory and increasing the power of the
republic. With this picture before them, in all its
vivid colours, what will the great mass of the people
care for the numerous abstractions daily presented
in Congress or elsewhere ? All that kind of talk
will be accepted and considered as a mere dodge to
delay restoration and prolong difficulties at home
and abroad for selfish purposes. Members of Con-
gress will find that the only question that they will
belcalled upon to meet will be, Are you for or against
the plan proposed by President Johnson ? All
efforts to shirk this direct question by side issues
and long essays on some abstract question about the
bravery of a negro soldier, the bitterness of this or
that Secessionist, will amount to nothing Andrew
Johnson has presented to the people stronger and
clearer arguments than any that have or can be
brought against him. At the best those on the
other side cannot rise above the title of special
pleading, while his have come in a solid mass. The
longer Congress persists in opposing his policy the
greater will be the unpopularity of those who com-
pose that body, and the more sweeping the re-
action against them which is sure to follow. The
President has furnished a practical mode for the
solution of the great and vital questions of the day.
Now let Congress do its duty as well, and by the
return of another anniversary of the birthday of the
nation the people, from one corner of the land to
the other, can on that day not only celebrate its
birth, but the complete and perfect regeneration of
the nation.

GENERAL WEITZEL'S FALL.—The mustering
out of service of Major-General Weitzel, who
was in command on the Rio Grande at the
time of the foray upon Bagdad, is an evi-
dence that the United States' Government is dis-
satisfied with his proceedings. Weitzel has been a
good officer. His failure at Fort Fisher is to be as-
scribed to the interference of Major-Gen. Butler,
but otherwise he has done excellent service, and he
is specially noted as being a fine engineer. His
sympathies were, no doubt, with the Republicans of
Mexico, and he has allowed them to run away with
his judgment, almost to the point of involving the
United States in a war with France. Any officer
who permits his private opinions to sway him from
the path of duty is unfit to hold a position which re-
quires fidelity and the exercise of sound judgment.
Weitzel is punished for his lack of sense very
severely. He loses the rank and emoluments of
a Major-General of iVolunteers, and goes back to
his rank in the army, which is, probably, no higher
than major or captain. The lesson was needed for
the benefit of others, who may take notice that they
must strictly fulfil the orders of Government, no
matter how high the rank they hold, and that they
will not be tolerated in the substitution of their own
policy for that which has been determined upon by
their superiors.

DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL.
The LORD CHANCELLORY in moving the second
reading of these bills, said that a necessity for an alteration in
the law of evidence had become necessary, and as regarded
the second bill, his attention had been drawn to certain
anomalies in the present law of evidence as regarded divorce
suits by the able and learned judge who presided over the
Probate and Divorce Court. At present the petitionerand
respondent could be .examined only so far as related to
charges of cruelty, whereas they were excluded from giv-
ing evidence in respect to adultery. He contended
that it was most unjust that parties who were so
deeply interested in the result of their suits should
not bo allowed to give evidence on their
oaths as to the gravest charge, and so enable the Court to
take into consideration the relative credibility of the wit-
nesses. Having referred to the opinion of the late Judge
Ordinary as to the necessity of a revision of the existing
law, he said that one of the great objections to allowing
parties to a suit being • examined was that they might be
asked as to whether they had committed adultery, would
be obviated by the provision which he had introduced into
the bill, which would prevent either party to a suit being
called upon to answer a question criminating themselves.
He proposed also that parties to a suit should be allowed
to give evidence as to the adultery, but that such evidence
was not be compellable. He explained that there were
technical grounds for introducing both these bills sepa-
rately ; and he concluded by moving the second reading
of the bills respectively.

Lord CHELISIFORIS strongly opposed the bill. As re-
garded the bill relating to the Divorce Court, although it
contained only a single clause which appeared to be purely
legal, yet it really involved a serious alteration in the present
system. He was very much opposed to any relaxation of
the existing law, and ho contended that the object which
his noble and learned friend (the Lord Chancellor) proposed
would not be effected.

[LEFT SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS—THIS EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBERS.

The Hon. G. DENMAN and Mr. MONSELL took the oaths
and their seats for Tiverton and Limerick.

THE LONDON STEAM-SHIP.
Mr. CORRY asked the President of the Board of Trade
whether, in reference to the opinion expressed in the official
report of the investigation into the loss of the London, that
a great annual loss of life might be avoided if the deep-
load line were permanently marked on all vessels, he would
bring in a bill requiring the deep-load line to be perma-
nently marked on all vessels carrying passengers and mer-
chandise.
Mr. M. GIBSON said the matter had been under consi-
deration, but the difficulties would be insurmountable in
laying down a rule applicable to all ships. Under such
circumstances the Government did not intend to bring in
a bill on the subject.
_ _ FOREIGN BARLEY.

In reply. to Mr. READ, -
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
could not furnish the house with the information of the
quantity of foreign barley which is manufactured into malt
iu this country. There was no means of distinguishing
foreign from British barley in the malt houses. All orders
for such a return would be
CHILDRENra
IN MINES.
. _

In answer to Mr. AYItTON,
Sir G. GREY said the attention of the Government had
been directed to tho matter, and the Government inspector
of the district had made a very full report on the subject.
The child was not employed contrary to the act, but the
employing of a child of such tender years in such labour
was highly reprehensible.
FALSE LIGHTS AT SEA.
- - • --

In reply to Sir H. WILLIAMSON,
Mr. M. GIBSON said his attention had been drawn to
the matter, and also to the rumour of the exhibition of
false lights, but he did not believe there was any truth in
that part of the matter. The circumstances under which
the vessels came ashore were by no means peculiar. The
Trinity had to erect a lighthouse on tho spot under consi-
deration.

EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND.
Sir A. AGNEW asked the Lord Advocate whether the
Royal Commissioners on Education in Scotland might soon
be expected to report; and, if so, whether her Majesty's
Government proposed to introduce a bill this session
founded upon the recommendations of their board?
The LORD ADVOCATE said the commissioners had
not yet reported, so it was not impossible that a bill might
be introduced.

An ex-policeman was arrested the other day in
County Clare. He, however, succeeded in making
his escape, and has not been since recaptured.
Numerous arrests are mentioned Clonmel,
Nenagh, and in Belfast, where a pensioner and an
alleged Federal officer have been taken.
The 92d Highlanders arrived here to-day in the
troop ship Simoom, from Portsmouth.
The gunboat Nightingale and the cutter Racer
were on duty in the bay Friday and Saturday nights,
overhauling vessels for Stephens.