The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 15, 1859.

to proceed any further that evening, either with that bill
or the next on the paper, than the first clause that involved
the principle of the measure.
The CHAIRMAN then reported progress.
REGISTRY OF LANDED ESTATES BILL.
In committee on this bill clauses 1 to 4 inclusive were
agreed to, after which the Chairman reported progress.

SUPPLY.
The report was brought up and agreed to.
WAYS AND MEANS.
The report was brought up and agreed to.
NAVY ESTIMATES.

On the order of the day for going into committee of sup-
ply on the navy estimates,
Mr. W. WILLIAMS moved that these estimates be
..re-
ferred to a select committee. The honourable member said
he had endeavoured to bring forward this motion when the
navy estimates were first introduced, but in consequence
of his not being able to obtain a seat in time he was
debarred from taking that course. Ho had no objection
to the number of men proposed, or to the vote for the vic-
tualling of the navy; but as regarded the estimates gene-
rally he thought the noble lord the member for Sandwich
(Lord C. Paget) had made out a strong case for inquiry. The
votes for the navy since the termination of the French war
amounted to the astounding sum of £281,000,000, and the
estimates now proposed would make up a total of nearly
£300,000,000. Did any one believe that with such an ex-
penditure during that period there had not been mal-ad-
ministration, seeing that they had now only 29 line-of-battle
ships efficient enough for actual war ? The navy of France
was a very small one; but the country had learnt to its as-
tonishment that its own navy was still smaller, whereas it
ought to be large enough to defend it againet all the powers
of the world combined. Had the money been all properly
expended, there would be at least twenty-five sail-of-the-
line more than there were. As estimates were proposed in
that house, it was impossible to pay proper attention to
them. Scarcely had one vote been proposed when they
passed on to another. Only the other nighthe left thehouse
for a short period to get his copy of the army estimates, and
while he was absent four important votes were agreed to.
(Laughter.) Now, if these estimates were submitted to
such a committee as he proposed they should be, they
would undergo a thorough investigation. What he pro-
posed was, that a committee consisting of five members
should be appointed by the Speaker. He had no doubt
that, if his proposal were acceded to, efficient men would be
selected to condult the inquiry, and as to the time which
would be occupied, he was confident that the whole investi-
gation might be completed within ten or twelve days.
Having compared the present estimates with those of former
years, all he could make out was, that every item was
doubled, and that some items were more than doubled, as
indeed must be the case when the total was £9,800,000.
Moreover, the right hon. baronet the First Lord of the Ad-
miralty had intimated that some additional votes would be
required, and these would probably bring up the aggregate
to nearly £11,000,000. The expenditure upon the French
navy last year was little more thau £5,000,000. How did it
happen that France, with half the expenditure incurred in
this country, had at that moment a navy superior to their
own ? Of the £9,800,000 only £3,500,000 was for the wages,
, victualling, and clothing of the seamen. All the remaining
expenditure came under the head of stores, and so on. If
the house would not inquire with regard to the various
items, it was in fact useless to have separate votes ; it would
be much more intelligible if the Government simply said,
" We want £9,000,000," or £10,000,000, as the case might
be, " and we propose that amount." He had obtained from
persons employed in the dockyards, information to the effect
that a great deal of timber was being sold at almost any
price, because it-had become rotten and unfit for use. The
right hon. baronet (Sir J. Pakington) dwelt the othernight
upon the fact that there were several ships waiting to be
manned. This appeared strange, as the seamen in the
navy were in many respects better off than those in the
merchant service ; but a distinguished naval officer with
whom he had conversed on the subject said he thought one
of the princiyal causes of this difficulty was the system of
flogging in the navy. Many years ago the right hon. Bart.
the member for Carlisle reduced the naval expenditure to
£4,500,000 ; it continued at that amount for seven years,
-and the navy was in an efficient state. There were at pre-
sent 341 admirals, or rather more than an admiral and a half
for every ship. In 1846-7, before this extravagant system
of increasing the admirals commenced, the number was
only 153 ; it had gone on increasing ever since, and the pay
of the admirals now amounted to £55,000 per annum.
When the right hon. bait. the member for Carlisle was at
the head of thenavy there were two generals and six colonels
of marines, costing the country £4,740 ; now there were 34
generals and 10 colonels of marines, costing the country
£24,700. He did not believe there were more than four orfive
of those officers on board ship. Some were in dockyards where
their services were by no means requisite. With regard to the
construction of vessels, there was less reason for him now to
trouble the house, because Lord C. Paget had, in a very able
speech, a few nights ago, conclusively shown that a case
existed for inquiry into the state of the navy. He believed
that if the system had been adopted of referring these esti-
mates to a committee of the house, millions of public money
would have been saved. The hon. member concluded by
moving that the naval estimates be referred to a select com-
mittee.
Sir H. VERNEY seconded the motion. The only
ground of objection, as he understood it, upon which the
Government opposed the motion was that the present was a
time of considerable change in the navy. Ha wished to
know whether there would be any objection to lay upon the
table a statement of the past expenditure in the navy. Even
if the right hon. gentleman's objections to a select com-
mittee might be valid, he did not see what objections there
could be to give this information.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY very much concurred with his
hon. friend the member for Lambeth in his views, but he
doubted whether the reference would not be too wide a one.
He took that opportunity of remarking on the unsatisfac-
tory way in which the estimates were made up. For in-
stance, in the votes there would be found an item of
£178,000 for excess of expenditure over the amount voted in
the year 1857-58. Now, the fact was that in that year
£828,000 was the excess of expenditure over the amount
voted. He could not understand why these estimates did
net appear in the votes of this year. No doubt unforeseen
emergencies must from time to time arise, but a due watch
ought to be kept over the expenditure of moneys voted. He
was afraid this was a function not exercised by the house so
strictly as it ought to be, and in order to its discharge an
improvement in making. out the estimates was desirable.
He thought it would be a very useful step to have a com-
mittee on this subject.
Mr. LINDSAY thought that the only effect of the motion
before the house would be to take the responsibility of
passing the estimates from the shoulders of the Govern-
ment, and to cast it upon those of a committee upstairs.
Colonel SYKES thought it the imperative duty of the
house to see its votes duly applied. He found that from
1835 to the present time the votes for the navy had gra-
dually increased. In 1832 the vote was £4,245,000. The
estimate for the present year was £9,000,000. Thus the
votes had more than doubled. Was not that a subject for
inquiry, and if not some reason ought to be shown why it
was not. And this increase had been accompanied by no
similar increase in our naval power. It was not until the
year 1855 that there was an actual increase in the number
of vessels, and then the increase was only in gunboats.
Admiral WALCOTT objected to the appointment of a
committee, for it would interfere with the responsibility of
the executive, and it would be very expensive, and without
any adequate result. He could not but recommend to the
house that the Surveyor-General ought to have a seat at
"the Board of Admiralty; this would enable him to advance
his views there, and would in the end prove most bene-
ficial
to the country. The noble lord who addressed the
house so effectively the other night fell into one or two
errors. He spoke of the San Fioreuzo as a perfect model
of a ship. Nowit happened that that vessel was not finished
as a ship, but turned into a screw steamer. Other errors
of this kind occurred in the noble lord's speech.
Sir F. BARING was convinced that it was desirable for
an inquiry to take place into the expenditure on the navy,
but he did not assent to any step which took the discussion
of these matters out of the hands of the house. On the whole
he thought that the estimates should be discussed in the
house, and under the supervision of the Government. But
there was another reason at the present moment for not de-
laying the estimates. They had heard statements, not of a
very comforting nature, as to the state of our fleet ; and
therefore it was expedient that the means of putting things
right should be given to the Government with as little delay
as possible. No doubt they would have inquiry, and no one
was more anxious for inquiry than himself, for it was not
agreeable for past Lords of the Admiralty to hear, night
after night, repeated attacks directed against the naval ad-
ministration of the last ten years. Sir Baldwin Walker
was also, he was assured, most anxious for inquiry. Now,
with respect to the charge which had been made of
neglect in providing screw liners and of perpetually altering
ships, it should be recollected that when that description of
ship was first proposed for the navy, there was great diver-
sity of opinion as to which was the best form. It was some
time before the proper form was decided on, and when it was
the Agamemnon was produced, and he believed every one
would acknowledge her to be a fine ship. It was next pro-
posed to take the Windsor Castle and to cut her in two, and
the Admiralty was laughed at for making the experiment.
But the Windsor Castle was launched on the day the Duke
of Wellington died, and her Majesty ordered that the ship
should be called the Duke of Wellington. That ship, which
was then altered at an expense of about £12,000, was now
the famous Wellington, the finest screw liner in the navy.
Mr. BENTINCK opposed the motion, considering that
nothing could be more detrimental to the interests of the
navy than to have a committee of inquiry into its manage-
ment, presided over by the hon. member for Lambeth.
Lord H. VANE objected to the motion as relieving the
Government of a responsibility which of right belonged to
them. At the same time he must admit that the recent dig-
cussions in that house respecting the navy had created an
immense amount of interest throughout the country.
Lord C. PAGET rose merely to disclaim any intention of
making any attack on Sir B. Walker. No man had more
respect for Sir B. Walker than himself; and, besides, he
believed that it was only within a very recent period that
Sir B. Walker had the privilege of ordering the slightest
alteration in the works.
Sir J. PAKINGTON thought that the house would
concur with the hon. member for Norfolk and the right
hon. member for Portsmouth, and refuse to accede to the
motion. He trusted, also, that the house would remem-
ber the anecdote told by the latter respecting the Duke
of Wellington' as showing that the alterations so much
complained of sometimes led to good results. The
speech of the hon. member for Lambeth had been of a most
discursive character, but there was one or two points in it to
which he must advert, The hon. member had accused him
(Sir J. Pakington) of admitting that he had discovered great
maladministration in the dockyards. He had admitted no
sack thing. What ho had said was, that on coming into
office he had discovered a gigantic expenditure, and he had
appointed a commission, which commission was now busily
engaged in investigation, and he trusted that its investiga- °
eons would lead to some very beneficial alterations. There
WWI being prepared a statement fif the expenditure of the
dockyards for the last 11 years, and khan it was prepared
he would, of his own accord, lay it on the table, The hon.
baronet the meraer for Buckingham had asked him wbe,
ther he had any objeetiiokt to giving retrospective informa-
tion. He did not mean then to
Pad4ge himself, but he could
assure the hon. baronet that be .
Oticotion. to giving
such information, or to inquiry,oyinel t kaye4 }rt airy
did not impede the public service. The Nora... naelt?dAr for
Evesham had complained of the supplereentarY estimates
having been introduced in an irregular manner. J-fia begged
!o inform the hon. member that the supplemental estimates
had been moved and noticed iu the roost deliberate and re-
ftndular manner. With respect to the statement of the hon.
gallant member member for Aberdeen, that be (Sir J. Paking-
ton)
contrary, he i3iclieaaat advocated
endeavouredour
to withoutshow thata
eChannel
were fieeh ty,
nh
oe
denied that
house whioulindwrignecsttitt!d
had ever made such an assertion. On the
means badly off in that particular.
rillgeth etrustedinquiry that
whichthe
hoped that he had
now pressed upon the Mini-
. Considering the groat additional
amount of duty which was
rajty, it was to be
unrestrictedhouse sa and unfettered
of sending these estimates to
would see the pro-
priety of leaving its action.
expediency
ythe serious charge
as possible, (Hear, hear.)
Mr. B. OSBORNE thought the house was pr tty well
ttltieee,exbpuetd
s w eha
d
been h
been brought by the noble and gallant lord (Lord C. Paget),
seaglreecetdcoasmmit°

who, as a British admiral, was in a position to know some •
thing of the subject, against a public department of wasting
£5,000,000, he, for one, and he thought the house, could
scarcely be satisfied with a mere promise from the First Lord
of the Admiralty to produce certain papers. He should not
be satisfied, and he thought the house should not be satis-
fied, with anything less than a full inquiry by a select com-
mittee. Let such a committee be granted, and he (Mr. B.
Osborne) would pledge himself to controvert the statements
made by the gallant and noble admiral, and to show that
however efficient that gallant officer might be upon the
water he was a very lame duck upon the land. He would
take an instance as proving the exaggerated nature of the
noble and gallant officer's statement, the Immortalite
frigate. That ship was referred to as one of those upon
which the waste charged against the Admiralty in the mat-
ter of ship-building had been occasioned. Now, what did
the house think the cost of the alterations of that vessel had
been ? It was true that she had been lengthened 14 feet,
and at a cost of just £2OO. The efficiency of the depart-
ment was prejudiced by the attack which had been made
upon it by the noble lord, and he hoped the right hon. gen-
tleman would grant such a committee as he had suggested.
(Hear, hear.)
- - - -

•
Sir C. NAPIER considered that an inquiry was requisite
into many other matters than the estimates as they stood,
and recommended his hon. friend to withdraw his motion,
which would really be included in the more comprehensive
motion of the hon. member for Newport, which would deal
with not only the expenditure of the navy, but the constitu-
tion of the Board of Admiralty itself. At present contradic-
tory orders were constantly being issued, which occasioned
great and unnecessary expense to the country.
Mr. JACKSON was quite certain from his experience
that the Immortalite could not have been lengthened 14
feet at so small an expense as £2OO. If a committee was
granted, he believed it would be proved that in many items
of naval expenditure there was gross extravagance. Take
for instance anchors--eight different qualities of anchors
were submitted to the Admiralty for testing, and they chose
the worst. They might have the very best quality, viz.,
Trotman's anchors, at 255. per cwt., and yet under the pretence
of a contract they were paying 755. for the worst. His noble
friend (Lord C. Paget) had brought forward charges which
ho was bound to substantiate. He believed his noble friend
could substantiate them—but even if he could not, it was
essential for the efficiency of the department, which had
been seriously affected by charges of such a nature hanging
over it, that a complete investigation should take place.
(Hear, hear.) They had had a committee of inquiry upon
army contracts, and the house Imew what abuses had been
proved to exist in that department of the public service, and
he had but little doubt if they had a committee that many
Weedons would be found in connection with the Admiralty.
If the right hon. gentleman would undertake to grant such
a committee he would recommend his hon. friend the mem-
ber for Lambeth not to persist in his amendment.
Sir C. WOOD observed that he was responsible for the
lengthening of the Immortalite. She had been lengthened
14 feet, but it was by no means so serious a matter as the
hon. member who had just spoken seemed to suppose; for
it was only necessary to remove a few bolts, put in a few
timbers which were ready to hand, so that almost the whole
cost was the labour. He had seen the Surveyor of the
Navy on the previous evening, and by him had been in-
formed that as labour only had to be paid for, it was impos-
sible that the cost could have exceeded £2OO. •
Mr. W. WILLIAMS would withdraw his motion if the
Government would promise such an inquiry as had been
suggested. (Cries of " Divide, divide.")
There was no response to the hon. member's appeal, and
his amendment was put and negatived.

THE MASSACRE OF THE 26TH NATIVE
INFANTRY.

Mr. GILPIN rose to call the attention of the house to
the destruction of the 26th Native Infantry at Ujnalla, on
the Ist of August, 1857, as detailed in a work entitled
'The Crisis in the Punjaub," by Mr. Frederick Cooper,
Deputy Commissioner of Umritzur. He observed that the
subject which he was about to bring to the notice of the
house formed he believed the darkest page in that em-
phatically black book the Indian rebellion. The facts
there could be no doubt about; for he should confine
himself not to the more unfavourable statements
of the Indian newspapers, but to the account which
this Mr. Cooper gave of his own acts. Let it be borne in
mind that he was not calling in question the acts of a mili-
tary man. It was no military execution to which he was
calling attention. He stood there a civilian calling in ques-
tion the acts of a civilian—as an Englishman, drawing at-
tention to acts which as having been committed by an
Englishman he blushed for, but which he who perpetrated
them unblushingly detailed to the public, gloried in them,
and seemed to claim the approbation of the public for them.
The regiment whose annihilation—that was the word
which Mr. Cooper himself used—he was bringing under the
notice of the house had served with great distinction under
the English flag on several occasions. The first quotation
he should have to make from Mr. Cooper's book was in
proof of this. They had served, it appeared, in Affghanis-
tan, Caboul, Moodkee, Ferozeshah and Sobraon. They
were disarmed at Seehar on the Ist of May, 1857. There
was no statement of any overt act of mutiny committed by
them, but they were disarmed as a matter of precaution.
They fled from the cantonments, having killed two of their
officers, after they had been fired on by the Sikh levies.
Major Spencer, one of the officers killed, was a man of un-
usual humanity, and he, with a sergeant-major, rushed
among the men, who concluded that they were connected
with the firing upon them, and they were killed in the panic
which ensued. No wonder there was a panic, for Mr. Cooper
showed that a panic could take place among English officers,
for he described some English officers rushing into the houses
of ladies at Simla, crying out to them to save themselves, for
the Ghoorkas were coming; and one .gentleman with a won-
derful telescope was enabled to discover that the Simla Bank
was on fire. The murderer of Major Spencer was well
known, his name being given by Mr. Cooper. However, the
regiment fled, pursued by the Sikhs. The sepoys had been
employed against the Sikhs, as the Sikhs now were against
the sepoys, and they were, as it were, natural enemies. The
regiment was attacked, and 150 of the men destroyed. The
remainder crossed the river, and took refuge on a desolate
island, whither they were pursued by Mr. Cooper with a
small force. They were under the impression, if not under
a promise, that they were to have a fair trial, and they gave
themselves up without resistance, no less than 66 stalwart
sepoys allowing one man to bind them. Without a trial,
277 of them were shot, 45 were stifled in a place where they
were confined, and 41 were blown from guns at Lahore, and
thus in 48 hours 500 human beings were ruthlesslyand mer-
cilessly murdered. He would read the statement of Mr.
Cooper himself, which would bear out the awful history
which he had related. The bon. gentleman then read from
Mr. Cooper's book to the following effect :—" The 26th Na-
tive-Infantry, stationed under surveillance at Meean Meer,
was, as previously narrated, disarmed on the 13th of May
last. Whether there had been any preconcerted scheme
among the disarmed regiments for a general attempt to
escape from their unpleasant position is not known, though it
has been generally understood that lots had actually been
drawn, and that had the 26th succeeded in any measure, the
16th Grenadiers had engaged to follow in their wake. Some
say that the noon-day gun was to be the signal of a general
rise. Society, on the 30th of July, was, however, shocked to
hear of another foul murder of a commanding officer, Major
Spencer, and the rise of the 26th Regiment. Lieutenant
Montague White narrowly escaped. He was enticed into
the lines by some sepoys, who affected sorrow at the mur-
der, and was about to dismount, when a warning voice in.
his ear told him to beware. He galloped off; but not before
some hand had aimed a felon stroke at him, and wounded
his horse. The sergeant-major was also killed, and the re-
giment precipately fled ; a dust storm (as was the case at
Jullundur when the mutiny arose) raging at the tjme,
favouring their immediate escape, and concealing its exact
direction. They were, however, 'Unmolested; and it is
feared that the ardour of the Sikh levies, in firing when the
first outbreak occurred, precipitated the murders and
frightened all, good, bad, or indifferently disposed to flight.
From subsequent statements, since- taken down, it is con-
currently admitted that a fanatic of the name of Prakash
Singh, alias Prakash Pandy, rushed out of his hut, brand-
ishing a sword and bawling out to his comrades to rise and
kill the Feringees, selected as his own victim the kind-
hearted major. suffice it to gay, that it was reported at
midday, on the 31st of July, that they were trying to skirt
the left bank of the Ravee ,but had met with unexpected
and determined opposition from the Tehseeldar, with a
posse of police, aided by a swarm of sturdy villagers, at a
ghat 26 miles from the station. A rapid pursuit was at once
organised. At 4 o'clock, when the district officer arrived
with some 80 or 90 horsemen, ho found a great struggle had
taken place • the gore, the marks of the trampling of hun -
dreds of feet, and the broken banks of the river, which,
augmented with the late rains, was sweeping in a vast
volume, all testified to it. Some 150 had been shot, mobbed
backwards into the river, and drowned inevitably, too
weakened and famished as they must have been, after their
40 miles' flight, to battle with the flood. The main body
had fled upwards, and swam over on pieces of wood, or
floated on to an island about a mile from the shore, where
they might be descried crouching like a brood of wild fowl.
It remained to capture this body, and, having done so, to
execute condign punisnment at once." Mr. Cooper went
on to state that several mistakes were made as to the direc-
tion which the regiment had taken, and when the district
officer (Mr. Cooper himself) arrived he found that a struggle
had taken place between the regiment and the Sikhs. " There
were but two boats, both ricketty, and the boatmen un-
skilled. The presence of a good number of Hindostanees
among the sowars might lead to embarrassment and ' acci-
dental' escapes. The point was first how to cross this large
body to the main land, if they allowed themselves to be cap-
tured at all (after the model of the fox, the geese, and the
peck of oats). This was not to be done under two or three
trips without leaving two-thirds of the mutineers on the
island under too scanty a protection, and able to escape,
whilst the first batch was being convoyed to the main bank
—nor also without launching the first batch, when they did
arrive, into the jaws of the Hindostanee party who in the
first trip were to be left ostensibly ' to take care of the
horses' on the mainland. From the desperate conflict which
had already taken place a considerable struggle was antici-
pated before these plans could be brought into operation.
The translation of the above fable to the aged Sikh Sirdar,
who accompanied, and to the other heads of the pursuing
party, caused intense mirth, and the plan of operations
after this formula elicited general approval. So the boats
put off with about 30 sowars (dismounted of course) in high
spirits • most of the Hindostaneo sowars being left on the
bank. The boats straggled a little, but managed to roach
the inland in about 20 minutes. It was a long inhospitable
patch, with tell grass ; a most undesirable place to bivouac
on for the night, with a rising tide; especially if wet, dis-
pirited, without food, fire, OF dry clothing, The sun was
sating in golden splendour, and as the deemed men with
,joined palms crowded down to the shore on the approach of
the boats,
uatss,ndry ease whichtri,cloevolveysm t bristledpislotow, t 4
with about
l
aibouo r, s
t6O musketsiwos
besides
were flung far athwart the gleaming wafers- fu litter de-
spair 40 or 50 dashed into the stream and disappeared, rose
at fe distance, and were borne away into the increasing.
dAi es
ci 460 v e
r3aod
gr
h4OO
nesowyparyrs
prwiettih4rin4satevii4ilouck4usmabpseed-
gcluloeonmtiy
into the shallow water, and luVested the lower side of the
island, and being seen about to take pot.shots at the beads of
the swimmers, orders were given not to fire. This accidental
in‘ttu.ctienproduced an instantaneous effect on the mutineers.
They evidently were posgessed of a sudden and insane idea
that they were goina. to be tp4 9Olirt,mattial, after
some luxurious refreshment. In consequence of which, 66
stalwart sepoys submitted to be bound by a single man
depiltq for the purpose from the boats, and stacked like
slaves in a kiojcl Into one of the Ave boats am ties} for the
purpose. Leaving some 40 armed sowers on the island, and
feeling certain that after the peaOeful submission of the first
hatch (or peal; of oats), the rest would follow suit and suit,
orders were given to p 1.164 elf. 414 PG4°IIIIIR 019 44qvfl, one
by one, as they stepped out of the boats, all were tightly
bound, their decorations and necklaees ignominiously cut
off, and WO' a Kurd of a posse of yillagerS, who had
begun to assemble, and seine Sikh horse, they were ordered
to proceed slowly on their journey back, six miles to the
police-station at Ujnalla. Meanwhile, the Hindostanees
(the geese) hod been despatched to the island haft, in the
boats with att oyerawing number of T9wtina sowars ; and
it was gratifying to see the next detachment put off, safely,
though at one time the escorting boat got at a great dis-
tance from the escorted, and fears were Pntcrtained that
premeditated, However, by dint of hal-
looing,4reats of a volley of musketry, the next invoice
came
p e
withasaheldybtetohe
land,
0.44
were
sub
jectel
to the same proecas

of spoliation, disrobement, and pinioning. At any moment,
had they made an attempt to escape, a bloody struggle must
have ensued. But Providence ordered otherwise, and nothing
on the side of the pursuing party seemed to go wrong. Some
begged that their women and children might be spared, and
were informed that the British Government did not conde-
scend to war with women and children. It was near mid-
night before all were safely lodged in the police-station. A
drizzling rain coming on prevented the commencement of
the execution, so a rest until daybreak was announced. Be-
fore dawn another batch of 66 was brought in, and as the
police-station was then nearly full, they were ushered into
a large round tower or bastion. Previously to his depar-
ture with the pursuing party from Umritsur, the deputy
commissioner had ordered out a large supply of rope,. in
case the numbers captured were few enough for hanging
(trees being scarce), and also a reserve of fifty Sikh
levies for a firing party, in case of the numbers demand-
ing wholesale execution ; as also to be of use as a reserve in
case of a fight on the island. So eager were the Sikhs, that
they marched straight on end, and he met them half way,
23 miles between the river and the police-station, on his
journey back in charge of the prisoners, the total number of
which, when the execution commenced, amounted to 282 of
all ranks, besides numbers of camp followers, who were left
to be taken care of by the villagers. As fortune would
have it, again favouring audacity, a deep dry well was dis-
coved within one hundred yards of the police-station, and
its presence furnished a convenient solution as to the re-
maining difficulty, which was of a sanitary consideration—
the disposal of the corpses of the dishonoured soldiers. The
climax of fortunate coincidences seemed to have arrived
when it was remembered that the Ist of August was the an-
niversary of the great Mahomedan sacrificial festival of the
Bukra Eed. A capital excuse was thus afforded to permit
the Hindostanee Mussulman horsemen to return to cele-
brate it at Umritsur ; while the single Christian, unembar-
rassed by their presence, and aided by the faithful Sikhs,
might perform a ceremomal sacrifice of a different nature
(and the nature of which they had not been aware of) on
the same morrow. When that morrow dawned sentries
were placed round the town to preveat the ingress of sight-
seers. The officials were called ; and they were made
aware of the character of the spectacle they were about to
witness. Ten by ten the sepoys were called forth. Their
names having been taken down in succession, they were
pinioned, linked together, and marched to execution, a
firing party being in readiness. Every phase of deportment
was manifested by the doomed men, after the sullen firing
of volleys of distant musketry forced the conviction of
inevitable death—astonishment, rage, frantic despair, the
most stoic calmness. One detachment, as they passed,
yelled to the solitary Anglo •Saxon magistrate, as he sat under
the shade of the police station performing his solemn duty,
with his native officials around him, thathe (the Christian)
would meet the same fate ; then as they passed the reserve
of young Sikh soldiery, who were to relieve the executioners
after a certain period, they danced, though pinioned, insulted
the Sikh religion, and called on Gungajee to aid them; but
they only in one instance provoked a reply, which was in-
stantaneously checked. Others again petitioned to be
allowed to irfake one last c salaam' to the Sahib. About 150
having been thus executed, one of the executioners swooned
away (he was the oldest of the firing party), and a little
respite was allowed. Then proceeding, the number had
arrived at 237, when the district officer was informed that the
remainder refused to come out of the bastion, where they
bad been imprisoned temporarily a few hours before. Ex-
pecting a rush and resistance, preparations were made against
escape; but little expectation was entertained of the real and
awful fate which had fallen on the remainder of the muti-
neers—they had anticipated by a few short hours their doom.
The doors were opened, and, behold I they were nearly all
dead I Unconsciously, the tragedy of Holkar's Black Hole
had been re. enacted. No cries had been heard during the
night, in consequence of the hubbub, tumult, and shouting
of the crowds of horsemen, police tehseel guards, and ex-
cited villagers. Forty-five bodies, dead from fright, ex-
haustion, fatigue, heat, and partial suffocation, were dragged
into light, and consigned,in common with 211 other bodies into
one common pit, by the hands of the village sweepers. One
sepoy only wastoo much wounded in the conflict to suffer the
agony of being taken to the scene of execution. He was ac-
cordingly reprieved for Queen's evidence, and forwarded to
Lahore, with some 41 subsequent captures, from Umritsur.
There, in full parade before the other mutinous-disposed
regiments at Meean Meer, they all suffered death by being
blown away from the cannon's mouth. The execution at
Ujnalla commenced at daybreak, and the stern spectacle
was over in a few hours. Thus, within forty-eight hours
from the date of the crime, there fell by the law nearly 500
men. All the crowds of assembled natives, to whom the crime
was fully explained, considered the act ' righteous,' but in-
complete ; because the magistrate did not hurl headlong into
the chasm, the rabble of men, women, and children, who
had fled miserably with the mutineers : they marvelled
at the clemency and the justice of the British." This
was the statement he (Mr. Gilpin) had to bring before
the house, which he was sure would thrill the heart of every
hon. member who heard it, and no one, if that statement
was correct, but would wish to say that he had no part in
those atrocities. According to military law, he knew that
the punishment of mutiny was death. Now, he had many
friends who were military men, and he had taken the
trouble to ascertain from them what was the usual course
in reference to mutiny. He had in his hand an extract of
a letter from a Polish officer who served in the Hungarian
war of independence, who said that " the execution of the
26th Native Infantry as detailed by Mr. Cooper was such
a cannibal affair that he was glad it was not directed by a
military man; that such deeds would be a stain on any
army, it was wholesale murder, inhuman and unjustifiable."
More than this, Sir F. Currie, recently chairman of the
East India Company, and now a member of the Indian.
Council, speaking of these acts, called them a cruel mas-
sacre. He (Mr. Gilpin) had looked into the accounts of
the recent war, in Hungary with reference to mutiny, and
he found that a Hungarian regiment mutinied, killed their
major, cast his body to dogs—a court-martial pardoned the
men and punished the officers. Again, a Wallachian regi-
ment, during the struggle in Hungary, where all the pas-
sions of those engaged were strongly excited, and where as
many atrocities were committed by the Austrians as had
been committed by the Sepoys, mutinied : they were sur
6 rounded and disarmed, and by sentence of a court-martial
' ordered to be decimated. Mr. Cooper would no doubt have
executed them all. They were marched to the place of exe-
cution, and their sentence was about to be carried out, when
an order arrived granting them a free pardon, and they re-
turned to their duty, and ever afterwards remained true and
faithful. He had little further reference to make to Mr.
Cooper. He had never heard of him until his book was
put into his hand, and he had unfortunately read it. He
would now take leave of him, recommending him to build
a pyramid of skulls in imitation of his great rival Tamer-
lane, and with his Christian feelings he would no
doubt inscribe on the ghastly structure the words, " Non
noble Dwaine." It was, however, due to Mr. Cooper to
quote what had been said by persons above him. Here was
the approval of Sir John Lawrence, which he (Mr. Gilpin)
could not believe was given with a full knowledge of the
facts. Sir John Lawrence said, " I congratulate you on
your success with the 26th Native Infantry ; you and the
police acted with great energy, and have done well by the
state," There was another letter which, looking to the cha-
racter of the hon. gentleman who wrote it, gave him (Mr.
Gilpin) deep pain,.for if such was the spirit in which Bri-
tish power was exercised in India no wonder that there
had been a rebellion in that country. Mr. Montgomery
wrote to Mr. Cooper to the following effect :—" All honour
to you for what you have done, and well done ; it is a fea-
ther in your cap for -ever. The executioners, the Sikhs,
should have a good round sum given to them. If there are
any stragglers send them to me. You have done enough ;
but we want a few here as an example to our troops. Three
of the regiments have been shaky, but I do not think they
will go now; I wish they would, for they are a nuisance,
and not a man of them will escape if they do." If there was
any meaning in the language of Mr. Montgomery, he
wanted 2,000 men to flee, in order that he and his soldiers
might have an opportunity of murdering and butchering
them. It was a common and not unnatural feeling that
these atrocities were exceptional in India, and he had been
asked why he did not let the matter rest, and a noble lord
who had much to do with India had said to him, " Let the
matter rest—the less that is said about it the better." His
(Mr. Gilpin's) answer to the question why he brought
this forward was this.. It was not that he claimed any par-
ticular character for humanity ; but he appealed to the
Government, represented by the noble lord whose head and
heart were now so full of India—he appealed to the noble
lord to declare on the part of the Government that they had
no sympathy with such atrocities. Sucha deolaration would
do more towards the consolidation of our power in India than
any number of troops. Those 500 men had trusted to the
honour of England and had been deceived, and he called
on the noble lord to declare that such a deception met with
no approval from him or those who acted with him.
They had been told of the interest which that house felt in
the successful teaching of Christianity to the heathen, but
he would maintain that one such atrocious act as this would
create more undying hatred in India towards this country
than all your missionaries multiplied a hundredfold could
undo in a century. As he believed that a throne eonld net
be established on injustice, and as he wished the throne of
the Queen to be established in the hearts of her subjects in
India, as it was established in those of her people here, he
wanted a declaration from the noble lord that that throne
should be established in justice, and on the principles of
truth, justice, and humanity.
General THOMPSON said that much conversant as he
was with public debates, it had been his boast that he could
follow any man. But he could not follow this statement, he
could not add a word to what had been said by his pacific
friend, except by adding a few snore facts. Neither he nor
his hon. friend were present, and the only ground on which
they could go was the evidence of the public papers, to which
they appealed. He gathered from them What had been
stated by his hon. friend, The regiment in question was
disarmed. It had been stated that small bodies of men could
be destroyed by the hostile population, and an order was
given that these men should be sent out in small bodies. He
did not charge the Government of India with this, but thoae
who usurped all the power of the Government. The men
were sent to indiscriminate slaughter, It had happened to
him (General Thompson) to be present when an infuriated
populace broke in and attempted to murder a number of pri-
soners, of whom he was one. A quarter-master of the Herite
Artillery, drew his sword and cried out, " Let As have a
tussle for life ;" and the men seized =brickbats, staves, and
anything they could lay their hands on, as anyone, the
Speaker—(leughter)—and he. (General Thompson) would
have done, in order to have a tussle for life. In this case
there came a man armed with the power of the magistracy
to hound on the Sikhs to murder. The honourable and
gallant general went on to say that 140 aeasien, when he
spoke in that house of the murder of the Prince's of Delhi,
he had a glimpse of hope that the man by whom that
act was conurlittecl might perhaps have been suffering at the
time under the infliction c4f insanity; and so he charitably
hoped, that the same might have been the case in this affair,
and that England and mankind might thus be oleo of this
stigma, if it could be proved that the Wretch('for Sei he could
not avoid IlinA) hal acted
,Wider s deprivatiqn of
reason, and was net reslxalathie for leis acts, HQ now waited
to see who would stand up and defend this horrid massacre.
Ho had read that when the massacre of St. Bartholomew
occurred iu France, there was one officer who, when he re-
ceived the King's orders, replied, " Your lgtkiestx 4a here
many brave soldiers and faithful anhiects, but nod one Vie.cutioner," Ile Mer-crel Th°lllP,s9Po must new say that he
was barn, to, 'e'p' epaulettes since they had been worn by
hangmen, and haci the Speaker's invitation to
dinner because he ciici not wish to wear them, at least until,
after Sero time had intervened to sweeten them. (Ml,,iricaura
.) I
It was true that there was one officer of f„ba rauk-ox. tr,"`•
who had boasted that he hane•e? y, • -`" • • Icw
W. 4 kixkl'.s Mat is
own hands, and tie 4 tha „kr himself: •
„ .
LorA, I:III4DfLEy.-„,s,
-Neii he reason to complain of
the coßr-IC which 1114 110 h. member who brought on this
disenaillis bag taken, and I cannot help regretting; that the
honourable and gallant general who followed him has
thought fit to mix up with what is a serious and painful
subject statements taken from old newspapers, of which
there are no proofs, and which, if proved, are utterly irrele-
vant. It is impossible to deny that the transactions to
which rofbrozwe has been made are such as cannot be heard
of or read of; even at this distance of time, withoutep
pain and regret ; and I will go further, and I will say that
that •
pain is greatly increased by the tone and the spirit in
which those transactions have been described both in the

despatches written at the time and in the book subsequently
published by Mr. Cooper. There is a tone of flippancy,
and an air of levity, there is an appearance of exultation at
that great sacrifice of human life—a sacrifice of life made
not in the heat of action nor 'after a judicial process
which are utterly at variance with good taste and good
feeling, and which, after making all allowance—and great
allowance must be made—for the circumstances of the time
and place, it is impossible not to blame. But what the house
has to consider is, not the style in which Mr. Cooper has
written of those transactions, but the circumstances wider
which they occurred. Now what were those circumstances?
The regiment in question, tho 26th Native Infantry, was
stationed at Meanee—disarmed, I admit, only as a measure
of precaution, but still disarmed under strong suspicion of
intended mutiny and placed under restraint. It remained
under restraint for about six weeks. On the 30th of July an
attempt was made, which is' described in the papers which
had been alluded to. It has been said in vindication of that
attempt that it was merely an effort on the part of those
troops to escape, and that that effort was prompted by a
species of fear, because they were afraid of being sent away
in small parties, and knowing that the population of the
country was hostile to them, they apprehended that their
being so sent away would be their inevitable destruction.
Now I apprehend that is simply a mistake in fact. It is
quite true that at a later period these disarmed regiments
were sent away in small parties, but no such sending away
had taken place at the time when this outbreak arose, and
escape, therefore, is not the term to apply to the movement
which took place. It must be remembered that these single
movements of mutiny, which possibly might have escaped
the reach of justice, were yet the escape of a large body of
men who unquestionably were prepared to resist force by
force, and to escape from the place where they were kept
wider surveillance, which would in fact be an attempt to
cut their way through any force that might resist them. It
is undoubtedly the case that at the time these troops were
disarmed ; but any one who knows India.knows that arms
are not difficult to obtain, and probably they would have
been obtained if these troops had succeeded in making their
way to any great distance. I say, therefore, that these men
were not mere fugitives—they were insurgents against the
British Government. (Hear, hear.) And . where were
they going ? Why, at that time Delhi was not taken.
(Hear, hear.) It was in the very crisis of the rebellion.
Every man of them who had reached those districts where
the war was going on in Hindostan. and Central India,
would have gone to swell the ranks of the insurgents, and
to add to that already enormously disproportionate force
which was arrayed against the Imperial Government.
Why, then, I say, that whatever may have been the in-
spiring motive at the time of this outbreak, it was impos-
sible to consider it but as a mutiny, an insurrection at a
most critical time. Well, then, it is said that the Sikhs
fired upon those troops before the murder was committed.
Now we have not, and probably never shall have, any full
and circumstantial evidence of what occurred at that time,
but we know that an outbreak actually took place on the
30th of July, and it was only reasonable and probable to
suppose that, under the circumstances, an English officer
being present at no great distance, any attack made by the
Sikhs upon those men was an attack provoked by a previous
outbreak on their part. But then was this outbreak a mere
blunder from panic, and from an instinct of self-defence ?
If that be the case, how came those two European officers
to be murdered as they were ? It may, of course, be said
that the murder of Major Spencer was the work of an in-
dividual only, but we do not find that there was any at-
tempt amongst the others to give up that individual, or take
part against him in any way, and I cannot myself discon-
nect them from the crime. But, admitting that the mur-
der of Major Spencer was an individual act, the other officer
was enticed into the line by some of the men, who offered
to show him the body of Major Spencer, and then when he
was brought amongst them and in their power, an attempt
was made to take his life, and he very narrowly escaped.
The object in that case could not have been to get rid of an
incDnvenient witness, or to resist any immediate danger, for
at that time there was no immediate danger to which they
were exposed. These appear, if we can judge from the in-
sufficient evidence we have, to have been premeditated and
atrocious murders, and the acts of the regiment. I will not
dwell on the painfuli scenes that ensued. tis unfortunately
true that out of 700 men nearly 500 suffered death, some on
the spot, and some afterwards at Lahore. Sir J. Lawrence,
then chief commissioner, ordered some of these executions,
or gave his sanction to them ; and here I will remark that
he did not give them his sanction in ignorance of the true
nature of Mr. Cooper's acts. The facts undoubtedly were
known to him at the time, because Mr. Cooper had related
them in more than one despatch, and he expressly states in
a despatch to the Government of India that " Mr. Cooper
deserves much credit for his exertions." Lord Canning, in
a despatch of the 11th September, " highly commends the
energetic measures taken for the capture and disposal of the
26th N. I." We have it then that every authority in India
regarded
this punishment as inevitable—that the command-
ing officer and another officer had been murdered, and need-
lessly murdered by these men; that the object or at least
the result of their escape, would have been that they would
have joined the insurgent force elsewhere, and that a severe
examyle appeared to be necessary in order to prevent similar
risings elsewhere. Reference had been made to the note
addressed to Mr. Cooper by Mr. Montgomery. I agree with
the hon. member that it is couched in hasty language, and
language probably such as would not have been deliberately
employed ; but I submit that whatever vindication the case
allows of is furnished by the terms of that communication,
because in that note it appears, as indeed we know from
other sources, that there was at the time at or near Lahore,
stationed in various parts of the Punjaub, a large force of
troops of the same character, and similarly disarmed and
placed under restraint, exposed to the same temptation, and
not unlikely to yield to that temptation. Probably, there-
fore, the feeling of Sir J. Lawrence and those who were
there in command was that a severe and signal example in-
flicted upon those who first rose against the British Govern-
ment, might prevent similar outbreaks among these regi-
ments, and in the end be the means of saving more lives.
(Hear, hear.) I have now endeavoured to state that which
I apprehend may be fairly stated in vindication or in pal-
liation of the course which was taken. I cannot but wish
—and I state in this my sincere conviction—that this indis-
criminate execution should not have taken place, but
that some selection had been made, and some punish-
ment short of death inflicted on the mass of those con-
cerned; but it is one thing to wish an act of this kind had
not been done, and it is another to pass a formal censure
upon it. It was only by great exertions, by signal examples,
and by inspiring terror as much as by employing force, that
Sir John Lawrence saved the Punjaub; and if the Punjaub
had gone, all India would have gene. (Hear.) Sir John
Lawrence has declared this act to be allowable ; the Gover-
nor-General has confirmed his opinion ; and taking all these
circumstances into consideration, and remembering that we
at this distance of time and place, are hardly fair judges of
the feelings of men engaged in such a struggle, I hope the
house will—l do not say approve—but pass over this trans-
action with that silence which is sometimes the most judi-
cious comment that could be passed. (Cheers.)
NAVY ESTIMATES.
The house then went into committee of supply on the
navy estimates.
The first vote, namely, £142,957 for the Admiralty-office,
after a few words from Mr. WILLIAMS and Sir C. NAPIER,
Isms passed.
On the second vote, being £186,057 for the Coast Guard
Service and Royal Naval Coast Volunteers,
Sir C. WOOD expressed his opinion that measures should
be taken to secure the services of these men as a reserve,
being the most valuable and steadiest men in a ship's com-
pany. When the coast guard was transferred to the Admi-
ralty they took 8,000 men the first year, and the following
year they took ci vote for 9,000. That they were right in
increasing this class of men as much as possible was clear
from the thct that the commission for manning the navy
recommended this force to be increased. This year there
was substantially no increase in the number of seamen and
reserve in the coast guard. He hoped there was no inten-
tion to interfere with this most valuable reserve of seamen,
and that the three would be increased to 12,000 men as soon
as possible,
Sir J. PAKINGTON did not dissent from the policy
which the right hon. gentleman had just laid down. If ho
had made the increase this year it would have been only a
nominal increase. There were now 700 or 800 less in the
coast guard service than were voted.
Sir C. NAPIER observed that though it had been said
that some ships had been commissioned they had in fact
been manned by men who had volunteered from the coast
guard ships.
Sir .1, PAIUNG TON said it was true a few men had
been allowed to volunteer from the coast guard ships, but
they were very few. They had manned two ships of the line
-and two frigates recently with a rapidity which was very
uncommon.

Admiral DUNCOMBE observed that if they were 700 or
800 short ef the coastguard service, they were not making
touch progress in the object they sought, to render it more
easy to man the navy.
Mr. CALDWELL' said there was no difficulty in filling
up the coastguard service, which seamen looked forward to
with ambition. He trusted that when the First Lord of
the Admiralty brought the question before the considera-
tion of the house, they should find that he proposed to fill
up the coast,guard to the full number of 12,000.
Mr, CORRY explained that the crews of the revenue
cutters were formerly taken from the coast guard on shore.
Now they were manned from the coastguard afloat, and the
number actually en shore was as great as it was last year.
That xiutoher was complete, but the coast guard afloat was
TN short.

•
Sir J. ELPHINSTONE said that the evidence taken
before the commissioners, showed that the coastguard
volunteers were not likely to be a force on which much per-
manent reliaues could be placed, and that the better part of
them would probably be absorbed into another force which,
00 commissioners proposed to create. ,g
Mr. W. LINDSAY had come to a different conclusion.
It was true that the volunteers were not to go more than 100
leagues from the 'shore, but there were many services in
which they would be able to supply very important aid.
Still there was one great defect in the volunteer system—out
of 7,000 men not more than 4,000 or 5,000 attended the
drills.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said that one •seventh did not ap-
pear when they were called upon. He thought that with
some slight encoura,genaent a very fine class of men, called
"wreckers," wha at present were idling about the coast,
might he xoade very efficient crews for the gunboats.
Sir 4., 1.4P1-111siSTONE had omitted to state that the
estalalishment of the volunteer force had been productive of
very good effect by accustoming sailors in the north to the
discipline of men-of-war.
Mr. CARDWEMA was of opinion that when it was well
understood that the old system of impressment would not be
again resorted to there would be no limit to the number,• of
volunteersk that the country might obtain, It woul,'„ how-
ever, be better to discuss the whole subject on another occa-
sion, and in a more formal manner. (Hear
The vote was then agrek.l to, and tli,l chairman reported
progress.

MUTTINTY TIILL.
On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair,
Mr. COWAN who had a notice on the paper with regard
to billeting,, said that when he contrasted the experience of
tk last three months with what had taken place under the
late Government, he should be acting most ungraciously if
he pressed his motion, especially as the increased remune-
ration proposed to be given to innkeepers would remove a
great part of the grievance. (Hear, hear.)
General PEEL said that when the innkeeper was called
upon to provide a hot meal to men on the march it was in-
tended to add an additional 2d. to the allowance, making it
thus Is. Old. (Hear.) He hoped that the hardship which
had hitherto been experienced would in a great measure
cease ; for several respectable
_private persons had agreed to
build barracks in London, in Edinburgh, and other towns,
and to take in any number of recruits at the rate of 4d. per
night. He had no doubt that the arrangements which would
be made in the course of the present year would be found to
give perfect satisfaction • or, if they did not, he should be
happy to, hear any further suggestions on the subject.
E. JAMES bore testimony to the extremely kind and

courteous manner in which the gallant general had always
received those who had had representations to make to him.
Mr. BLACK corroborated the remarks of the last mem-
ber ; and expressed an opinion that the proposals of the
gallant general were perfectly just and fair. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BOVILL, having called the attention of the house
to this subject about two years ago, wished to express the
gratitude felt by those persons who had been aggrieved by
the old system.
After a few remarks from Sir W. CODRINGTON and Mr.
Cnxivronn to the same purport,
The SPEAKER left the. chair.
In answer to Sir W. CODUINGTON,
Gen. PEEL said.that with every desire to adopt the pro-
posal that the payment should be made by the billetmaster,
it had been found necessary to postpone any alteration in
that respect till it had been seen how the new system
would work.

The clauses of the bill were then agreed to without
amendment.

MARINE MUTINY BILL.
On the motion for committing this bill,
Sir C. NAPIER expressed an opinion that a system of
ship courts-martial should be established, and that the cap-
tain should not be present during punishments. In making
this remark he did not wish it to be thought that the amount
of flogging at present in the navy was at all excessive.
Sir J. PAK INGTON said that the subject was under the
consideration of the Board of Admiralty.
The bill was then passed through committee.
COUNTY COURTS BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
REMISSION OF PENALTIES BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
PETITION OF RIGHTS BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
AFFIDAVITS BY COMMISSION, &c., BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
EVIDENCE BY COMMISSION BILL.

This bill was read a third time and passed.
The house adjourned at a quarter to one o'clock.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—March. 14.

GUILDHALL.—James Davies, described as a
beerseller of 16, Stephen-street, Tottenham-court-
road, was charged, on suspicion, with stealing a
gold watch and chain from Eliza Thompson, of
Albion-buildings, Bartholomew-close.
Mrs. Thompson said—My husband is Mr. Charles
Thompson, of Finsbury, but I have not lived with
him since 1853. On Saturday last, my landlady,
Josephine Price, who keeps several houses of the
kind which I frequent, as I am on the streets, took
me to a wine-cellar in James's-street, Oxenden-
street, where I met three thieves. I there saw the
prisoner, who got into a cab with me to go to 6,
Albion-buildings. We called at several public-
houses, where we had something to drink. He
said he was good for half-a-sovereign, and my land-
lady told me to take him home with me. I had
my watch and guard safe when I got into the cab,
and when I got home the servant asked me where
my watch was, and I missed it then for the first
time.
After some further evidence had been given,
Sir It. W. Carden said—l have heard quite
enough of this case • as there is no evidence to show
that the prisoner had the watch, or that this woman
did not pawn it. I discharge the prisoner.
Prosecutrix—Will you postpone the case till to-
morrow, sir, so that my solicitor may attend ?
Sir It. W. Carden—lf you can get further evi-
dence you can bring your solicitor here, and charge
the prisoner again.
Mr. Hope—l am now instructed; on behalf of
this young man, to apply for a summons against
this woman for perjury.
Sir It. W. Carden—l cannot grant you a summons
under all the circumstances.

Prisoner—lf this gets into the papers, sir, it will ,
be the rnin of me unless I am allowed to prosecute
this woman.
Sir R. W. Carden—Are you a married man ?
Prisoner—l am, sir.
Sir R. W. Carden--Then your conduct is only
the more disgraceful, and I hope your wife will
give you a severe lecture for acting as you have
done.

Mr. Hope--The wife is present, sir, and although
the prisoner has been indiscreet his conduct has not
been criminal.

Sir R. W. Carden—lf he will get into such com-
pany he must expect to get into the papers. It is
only what he deserves. The case is dismissed.

BOW-STREET.—Mr. Haynes, the solicitor,
whose name is included with those of John Gibson
Bennett and others in a bill of indictment for con-
spiracy to defraud, obtained at the Middlesex
Sessions by the informer Thomas Stowell, attended,
accompanied by his solicitors, Messrs. Lewis and
Lewis, to put in bail for his appearance to take his
trial.

Mr. Lewis, jun., addressing the magistrate, said,
—Sir, I attend here in order to put in bail on the
part of Mr. Haynes, against whom a most infamous
charge has been made behind his back by a notorious
common informer, who has himself been several
times convicted. Mr. Haynes has brought his
sureties with him, gentlemen of the highest re-
spectability, and he is anxious to enter into recog-
nisances, because, though there has been a refusal
to grant a warrant, Stowell has obtained a certifi-
cate which would enable him to apprehend Mr.
Haynes.

Stowell, who occupied a seat at the 'attorney's
table, here stood up and said, " That ain't true. No
warrants was refused. They warn't applied for."
Mr. Lewis, jun.—lt is exceedingly unpleasant to
be told that one's statements are untrue. This man
is the prosecutor in the case, who is well known to
be a common informer, and who has not long been
out of prison. I say that he is not a person who
ought to occupy a seat in the attorney's box, and
that gentlemen ought not to be subjected to the
humiliation of sitting beside him.
Mr. Jardine (to Stowell)—l really don't know
what business you have there.
Stowell—l am clerk to an attorney, Mr. Govett.
Mr. Jardine—Have you a note from him autho-
rising you to act for him ?
Stowell—l ain't got one to-day. I showed one
on Saturday in another case, and I can get one in
half an hour. lam not here as solicitor to-day ; I
am prosecutor in the case.
Mr. Lewis, jun.—This is not a box for prosecutors.
Mr. Jardine (to Stowell)—You have no business
there ; you must leave immediately.
Stowell then proceeded, unwillingly and very
slowly, to gather up his papers, muttering comments
all the while. One of the officers of the court ap-
proached him for the purpose of expelling him, and.
he gradually gave way without being actually
pushed out. He continued all the while to ad-
dress to the Magistrate observations on the case,
mixed with expostulations with the officer, whom
he requested "not to hurry him, as he was a-going
as fast as he could." As the door of the attorneys'
box closed behind him he wound up by saying that
he should not object to the bail. The whole of this
scene had a most ludicrous effect, and createdmuch
diversion among the auditory.
Mr. Lewis, jun., then continued his observations
on the case. The indictment charged. Mr. Haynes
with having conspired with the Benndtts to defraud
various persons by representing themselves as the
British and Foreign Ear Infirmary. Mr. Haynes
was a most respectable solicitor, and. his only con-
nection with the Bennetts was that of attorney and
client. This absurd charge was preferred by
Stowell, in conjunction with a man against whom
Mr. Haynes was conducting a prosecution on the
part of the Bennetts. The prosecution against Mr.
Haynes was an infamous proceeding, got up by in-
famous persons. Mr. Haynes was, of course, rapst
anxious to bring the matter to an issue by having
the charge investigated at once.
Mr. Haynes was then bound over in his own re-
cognizance of £lOO and two sureties of £5O each to
appear to the indictment.

CONTINUED ILLNESS OF AIR. COMMISSIONER HOL-
ROYD.—The leave of absence granted by the Lord Chau-
oellor to this learned and much esteemed gentleman expires
on the 15th of this month; but it is to be regretted, from
his continued painful and distressing indisposition, that he
will be unable to resume his Fittings. The Lord Chancellor
has granted'two months' further leave of absence. The
learned commissioner is at present at Brighton.