The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-24 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY KTENING, APRIL 24, 1857.

JOINT STOCK BANKS.

•
The following letter furnishes a useful statement
of the condition of the law as regards the-question
of limited liability in connection with joint-stock
banks
" Sir,—As many shareholders are much perplexed re-
garding the position of banks professing to be carried on
under Royal charter, and as the Examination of the
directors themselves of the late Royal British Bank
proves how lamentably ignorant even they are on the
state of the law, the following summary concerning
joint-stock banks acting under the hew as it now may be
acceptable to many of your readers, and perhaps may
also save them much uneasiness caused by the recent
disclosures in connection with the British and the
London and Eastern Banks :
" Within the last 100 years, and previous to 1844,
the Crown, by virtue of the Royal prerogative, and in
exercise of that right, has granted several charters with
limited liability to banks for carrying on business in
Great Britain and Ireland, such as the Bank of Eng-
land, Bank of Ireland, Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank
of Scotland. the British Linen Company and Commer-
cial Bank of Scotland, in all of which the liability is
limited to the amount of the shares held.
" In 1844 Peel's well-known Banking Act was passed,
by which the Crown gave up and abandoned the Royal
right or prerogative to grant charters for home banking,
and that Act provided that henceforth it should only be
lawful to commence business under letters patent,' and
that the; Crown might, with consent of the Lords of
Privy Council for. Trade, issue such letters patent in
terms of the various regulations, restrictions, &c., men
tioned in the Act itself. One very important orris ion
in that Act is the absence entirely of any clause restrict-
ing or empowering the Crown to restrict the liability of
shareholders, and the consequence is that no banking
company incorporated for home banking since 1844
could obtain limited liability.
" By a confusion of ideas and an improper application
of terms, the banks for home banking so incorporated
have invariably advertised themselves as acting under a
Royal charter,' that term is used over and over again
by the, directors of the Royal British Bank, whereaq
the Queen had no power to grant, and no Royal
charter ever was granted to that bank, the docament
being the more modified and less Comprehensive
thing called letters patent ;' ' and it is by this
mi-application of the right name to a wrong sub-
ject that much of the existing ignorance on the liability,
of shareholders has been fostered, and perhaps even en-
couraged.
. "Peel's Aet left-the Royal prerogative perfectly un-
touched and unfettered in so far as the colonies and
foreign States were concerned. The consequence has
been that the Queen by right of-that power inherent in
the Crown has granted real 'charters' with limited lia-
bility to various colonial companies since 1844 for bank-
ing in India, China,' Australia, and Canada, and also to
various English companies for banking in and with
foreign countries, but having their head-quarters in Lon-
don, for the promotion of the trade and commerce of
Great Britain.
"In these latter companies so incorporated by Royal
charter,' the liability of shareholders at the time of the
dissolution of the company is limited to double the
amount of the shares held at the time of winding up,
should there be any deficiency to meet the obligations of
the company ; and the benefit of a charter' under the
Royal prerogative is such that all shareholders whose
ehares have been duly transferred previous to that date
—viz., the date of the dissolution—are thereby relieved
from all liability whatever. Such is the inherent power
of a Royal charter.'
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
"Lnx."

THE GREAT ATLANTIC SUBMARINE

TELEGRAPH CABLE.

Mr. Charles T. Bright, engineer to the Atlantic,
Telegraph Company, in writing to the editor of the
Times, Pays .
Will you allow me to assure the writer of the article
under the above heading in your impression of to-day
that his apprehensions in regard to the Atlantic line are
groundless, and that the form of cable now being manu
factored hae not been hastily adopted.
I will not remark upon the kind of cable which he so
earnestly advocates, for the columns of a scientific
-journal are more suited to such a discussion, but I must
say that I de not wish any antagonist so certain a loss
as the endorsement of Mr,-Ailan's theories by an experi-
ment of their value upon a large scale.
I de not know upon whose authority he ventures to
rush in upon us so boldly with the assumption that our
0-,..4.latittrr,"'wtre is 4424elfeeteludy .smsl-1/4—l have had
some practical experience for some years in working
tclegraphic, lin' s, and have had, as engineer to the Mag-
netic Telegraph Company, the charge of the greatest
length in the world of subterranean wires, the con
ditions of which are electrically the same as those of sub-
marine wires ; and Mr. Whitehouse, the electrician to
the Atlantic Telegraph Company, has been engaged for
a long, time in experiments upon submarine conductors.
We are not oppressed by any fears as to the electrical
success of the cable ; and, to my mind, the alteration in
the conductor, by using return wires, which your, article
alludes to, would be (to follow up the writer's simile)
like laying an additional pair of rails over a long line of
railway, when a modification in the form of locomotive
employed would answer every purpose.
It would be more graceful for those who are without
that knowledge of telegraphic matters which practical
experience alone can teach to pause before they thrust
forward their theories so positively.

THE LATE EXPLOSION AT LUNDIIILL.

LUNDHILL, THOESDAY.
Daring yesterday and to-day five more bodies have
been recovered, making a total of nine which have been

got out of the pit.
We have previously stated that upwards of 100 miners
had volunteered to assist in the work of recovering thot
bodies and restoring the pit. From this number 72 of
the most experienced and intelligent men were selected
to take part in the work. On Tuesday evening these
men were assembled at the Lundhill Coal Company's
. .

offices and divided into six parties, each party consisting
of 12 men. An experienced colliery 'viewer was deputed
to direct the operations of each party, and, as from the
confined space in which they are at work no more than
one party could be employed at the same time, it was
arranged that they should work in sbifts of four hours
each. The six superintending viewers are Mr. W.
Madison, of the Wombwell Main C.illiery ; Mr. R. C.
Webster, of the Hoyland Collieries ; Mr. Brown, of
Barnsley ; Mr. Potter, of the Barnsley Collieries; and
Mr.
,Palmer, a gentleman from the north. Mr. Coo, the
viewer at Lundhill, is deputed tie superintend the opera-
tions of the three day shifts, and Mr. Peace, the former
viewer at Lundhill, those of the three night shafts. Char-
coal respirators are provided to be used when necessary,
disinfectants are supplied in abundance, and all other re-
quisites are furnished. A surgeon is also in constant
attendance at the pit, to be ready in case of illness or
accident. The first relay of volunteers commenced their
operations during Tuesday night, and one of their first
proceedings was to explore the immediate locality of the
shafts, for the purpose of removing any bodies which
might be lyifig there. Within the short distance the
very partial ventilation enabled them to penetrate they
speedily found four bodies, which were brought to bank
at an early hour yesterday morning, placed in coffins,
and conveyed to the reception shed. They were all
somewhat mutilated, and in such a state of decom-
position as to be beyond the possibility of re-
cognition, so far as the bodies themselves were con-
cerned. Two of the bodies had no clothes on which
could be recognised, and they were conveyed in a hearse
to Darfield church yesterday evening, and there interred.
It was thought possible that the other two might be
identified by their boots or clothes ; they ,were conse-
quently kept with that view, and have been. seen by a
considerable number of the bereaved, but without being
satisfactorily identified. After the removal of the few
bodies they could find the volunteers commenced the
work of removing the debris of the fallen roofs in the
neiglebourhood of the shafts, as an essential preliminary
to the reventilation of the pit. As the falls of roof
caused by the fire are more extensive than had been an-
ticipated much labour will be involved in their removal,
but the relays are proceeding vigorously with the work.
The fifth corpse was found this morning by the men on
the shaft, commencing at midnight and ending at 4 o'clock
a.m., in the course of their excavations.. Like the other
bodies it wasmutilated and decOmposed, and has not yet
been recognised, if indeed it be recognisable, which is
very doubtful. At the time the parcel left is was still
lying in the reception shed along with the other two not
interred on the previous day, that full opportunity might
be given for recognition.
Thus far the operations of the volunteers have been
confined to the south workings of the pit, the removal
of the carcases of three horses which are lying near the
shaft on the north side, and emit a very offensive stench,
having prevented operations on that side. Preparations
are being made for the removal of the carcases. Mr.
Coe and some of the viewers have been able to penetrate
Lear 200 yards on the levels and enter some of the board-
gates for a short distance. So far as they have gone
not the slightest appearance of fire has been discovered,
but until the ventilation has been further restored it is
impossible to fully explore the parts where the fire raged,
so as to ascertain with absolute certainty that none re-
mains, although it is confidently believed that the fire is
wholly extinguished. Mr. Coe has penetrated as far as
the ventilating shaft, but from the extent of the falls
around it was unable fully to examine it.
The examinations that have been made show that the
fire had raged even to a greater extent than had been
supposed, and furaish an additional evidence of the pro-
priety of the course adopted in closing the mouths of the
down cast shafts to cut off the current by which the fire
was fed, a few hours after the explosion.
It is expected that the engineers will meet again on
Saturday. The recovery of the bodies will proceed but
slowly, until the fallen air currents near the shaft are
restored. No serious inconvenience bas been expe-
rienced from the noxious effluvia in the pit.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY Momma.
• THE IRISH CHIEF SECRETARY.
The Evening Mail states that, after all, the re-
signation of Mr. Horsman an accomplished fact,
and that the responsible office of Ir:sh Chief Secre-
tary is at the disposal of Lord Palmerston. Ex-
cept Mr. B. Osborne no other name has been men-
tioned as Mr. Horsmau's succemor. According to
the Mail the appointment of the member for Dover
has ben all but protested au tinst by Lord Carlisle,
and the Freeman's Journal' of this morning, for-
getful of Mr. Osborne's past energetic services in
the cause of Liberalism and- progress, denounces
the choice as highly objectionable in consequende
of the lion. gentleman's scathing speech in re-
ference fo the Iriih Court when the question of ins
abolition was last under the consideration of Par-
liament.

THE GREAT CATTLE SHOW.
The annuli show of the Royal Dublin Society
was held yesterday; but, 'owing' to the unfavour-
a`ble state of the weather—the rain scarcely ceasing
during the whole day—the attendance of visitors
was-very meagre. Lord Carlisle, and the Viceregal
suite arrived at 3 o'clock, and stayed in the yard
for fully two hours. The exhibition of stock and
farming implements was m:t inferior to that of any
previous year, and everything, it may be said,
passed off well. His Excellency was again present
at the evening meeting, and the Earl of Clancarty
having proposed a vote of thanks, Lord Carlisle
responded - i•Va graceilit speech, in the course of
which he th'us toucjed upon a topic of painful in-
terest just now to the agricultural classes :
" We cannot. bear of such congregations of herds of
cattle without having our attention perhaps less agree-
ably attracted to the possible—l trust not probable—
course of the visitation from that cattle murrain which
has inflicted such ravages over a great portion of eastern
and, I fear I must now add, of central Europe—l trust
that all that can be done by the authorities on that sub-
ject will be done ; but the laws of contagion and the
operation of contagious and epidemic influences are still
so obscure that it would be impossible to dogmatise on
the subject, and the contrast between the healthy and
flourishing appearance of these breeds of all classes
which.we have seen on the lawn and in the courts of
this society to-day, with the probable altered aspect
which they must present under the visitation of such a
pestilence, must teach us in what close and immediate
dependency of our most cherished hopes and our best
organised precautions must rest "upon the Almighty
blessing. '(Hear, hear, and applause.) I took the li-
berty just now of referring in a rather light strain per-
haps to the great electoral contest which has been going
on through the country. To adopt, however, for one
moment rather a graver mood, incloeing these brief re-
' marks, I may be permitted to mention that this consti-
tutional process which is now brought to a close must
inevitably, perhaps, have engendered on certain occa-
sions some bitterness of feeling—some interruptions of
good humour—some alienations amongthose who ought
to be good neighbours. Bat Ido trust that the laud-
able pursuits which it is the aim of this society to en-
courage by these annual meetings will have their due
effect in reconciling and uniting all classes and all
parties in the furtherance of objects which tend so much
to the common good and undi, puted benefit of all. Con-.
fident I feel that the dregs and sediment of party busi-
ness cannot be carried by any more wholesome method
of effervescence than in the healthy, useful, and honour-
able calling of agriculture. (Applause.) Parties and
Gdvernments may be subject to vicissitudes and change;
but you, my lords and gentlemen, have the green soil
of Ireland lying fresh beneath you—firm and fresh be-
neath you. There it is—io justice to it, cultivate it,
enrich it, adorn it-rfor you vielt find it ever ready to re
ward and repay the skill and industry which shall best
develope its abounding resources. (Loud applause.)"

. THE MOUNTGARRETT PEERAGE CASE.
Eleven of the twelve judges sat in error yester-
day for the purpose of giving jud2ment on the ap-
plication for a new or third trial in the now 'his-
toric case of "Butler v. Mountgarrett" There
having been a disagreement of opinion, their lord-
ships delivered judgment seriatim, Mr. Justice
Keogh, as junior, commencing, and at the adjourn-
ment of the court four out of the eleven had still
to speak. Let the issue be what it way, it is not,
of course, in the nature of things legal that the
decision will have any other effect than that of
hastening the "beginning of the end" of all such
protracted and expensive suit, namely, the final
appeal to, thii4iighe4 and most costly tribunal in
the land. The facts of the case are briefly these :

"The action was an ejectment on the title, brough
by Mr. Pierce Somerset Butler against the Right Hon,
Henry Edmond Butler, Viscount Mountgarrett, to re
cover possession of certain lands worth several thou
sands of pounds per annum, and situate in the county o:
Kilkenny. The declaration in ejectment was filed in
July, 1853, and, defence having been t•-iken, the case
went to trial at the summer assizes of Kilkenny in 1854,
-before Judge Ball and a spedial jury, and, after a pro-
tracted investigation of several days, terminated in a
verdict for the plaintiff, the fact of the defendant's
legitimacy being the only question to be decides., In
Michaelmas term in the same year a conditional order
for a new trial was granted by the Court of Exchequer,
and subsequently made absolute, on the ground that
illegal evidence was admitted at the trial, &c. The case
then went down for trial again, and was re-tried before
Mr. Sergeant Berwick and another special jury at the
spring assizes of 1855, when, after another very pro-
tracted inquiry, there was .a verdict the other way,
namely,lor the defendant. The plaintiff then came be-
fore the Court of Exchequer and asked for a third trial
on the same ground that the second trial was granted—
viz, that illegal evidence was admitted ; but that Court
was of opinion that the verdict in favour of Lord Mount-
"garrett. should stand ; and. it was from that decision
that the present, appeal proceedings 'were instituted.
The questions raised for argument and the facts in
relation to them were shortly these :—The late Earl
of Kilkenny having died seised of the extensive
estates in question, the plaintiff claimed them as
heir-atelavr, and adduced his title in the following
manner, viz., as the youngest brother of the
deceased earl, and the legitithate heir to the property,
the defendant being, as he alleged, illegitima.e. The
deceased Earl of Kilkenny died unmarried, and had three
brothers, Somerset, who also died unmarried, Henry,
the father of the defendant, and the plaintiff, who was
the youngeot. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant's
father's marriage to his mother, Miss Harrison, was
illegal, as he had a wife alive at the time—a lady named
Colebrooke ; and the only questions in the case were, in
fact, was there a marriage with Mrs. Colebrooke, and
was it a legal marriage, and such as invalidated Henry
Butler's marriage with Miss Harrison ; for, if so, it was
admitted that the plaintiff would, be entitled to the title
and estates in question. Upon the last trial it was pro-
fposed by the plaintiff to cross-examine the Dowager
Marchioness of Ormond, who was examined for the de-
fendant, to show that the representation of the family
was that Henry Butler had formed a marriage with Mrg.
Colebrooke before his marriage with Miss Harrison, but
the evidence was objected to by the defendant's counsel,
and the objection being allowed, and the evidence ac-
cordingly rejected, the present application for a new
trial was made. That was the principal point in the
case; but there. were some other exceptions taken to the
charge of the learned judge for the exclusion of other
evidence, which were of minor importance.
" Mr. Justice Keogh having entered minutely into
the facts of the case, and reviewed the arguments ,of
counsel on both sides, his lordship considered the autho-
rities bearing upon the questions at issue, and concluded
an elaborate judgment by giving his opinion that the
first and 'principal exception, that relating to the rejec-
tion of the Marchioness of Ormond's evidence, should
be allowed, and a. venire de novo granted accordingly ;
the other exceptions to be overruled.
" Baron Greene followed, overruling all the exceptions,
none of which he held could be sustained in law.
"Judge Jackson and Barons Richards and 2611116-
father also gave judgment overruling all the exceptions.
"Judges Moore and Ball allowed the first exception,
and overruled the rest.
"The Court then adjourned to 11 o'clock this day,
when the other members of the Court will severally pro-
nounce judgment.
"As the case now stands there are three members of
the Court for granting a venire de novo, and four contra."

CANDIDATES FOR THE MINIUM FLITCH.--The follow-
ing applications for the Dnnmow flitch, to he presented
on the 24th June by W. Harrison Ainsworth, Esq ,
have been received ; and it is evident that as the claim-
ants appear to be eqlaily eligible—all meek and mild;
submissive and loving, and only one prize is offered, two
of the couples must return baconless, unless some gene-
rous donor will augment the gammon. The wife of one
of the Claimants has been married three times, and says
that by experience she finds a waqied life much Kapp or
than a single one :

" Staffordshire, April 9, 1857.
" Sir—We are both prepared to substantiate our claim
for the ditch of bacon, and are now enjoying the pleas-
mg thoughts of our anticipated visit to Durarnow, to go
in and win the prize of our ambition. "T. J. 11.
M. H."
"Saffron Walden, 31st March, 1857.

" Sir—We hereby claim the Dunmow flitch of bacon,
and are quite willing to take the oath required, and go
through the necessary ceremony in order to claim ; and
hope we shall be fortunate enough to gain the prize, as
we have never quarrelled since our marriage took place.
"W. S.
R.P. S."
" Colchester' April 6, 1857.
" Sir--I am happy to inform you that my wife as well
as myself are most willing to go through the ceremony,
of obtaining the Dunmow flitch, as the honourable prize
of cur conjugal happiness ; and we shall be there, unless
prevented by sickness or other unforeseen accident.
" J. 0. B."

GENERAL THE HON. THOS. ASEIIiUBS

HAM, C.B.

The following letter has been addressed to the
editor of the Times'i—

" Sir,—My belief is that General Ashburnham
was not at the battle of Chillianwallah, as stated in
a leading article in your impression of yesterday.
" It was at the battle of Sobraon. that Gen. Asl:-
burnham, then a lieutenant-colonel of the 62d Foot,
commanded a brigade, consisting of the 9th Foot
and two regiments of the Native Infantry.
"At the mess-table of the 9th Foot, in Marcn,
1846, it was frequently alluded to how beautifully
'the Brigadier kept the brigade in a nullab, or deep
ditch, until an officer on Lord Gough's r•taff rode
down, and with more impetuosity than politeness,
roared out, in reply to an observaion from the
Brigadier, Manceuvring be I There are the
batteries, and the Chief says you are to charge
them !' ThiS order-the:brigade received with a hew ty
cheer, and did, charge them most gal 'aptly.
" General Ashburnham is innocent of any mili-
tary experience beyo.id this. After the battle of
Sobraon he came hOme, and subsequently accompa-
nied Lord Falkland to Bombay: as ,military secre-
tary..
" The news of General Ashburnham's appoint-
ment to command the forces in China will be re-
garded in India as a whirnsidal hoax until the truth
is made known.
General Patrick Grant, the Commander-in-
Chief at Madras; an officer whose antecedents,
character, and exveriene& ,pgenliarly fit him for
the post, is the officer who ought to have been sent
to China. It is true that he is a Company's
officer, but, for tbat matter, so is General Outram.
"I am, Sir, your bedient servant.
" April 222' " PHOCION.

" Sir,—ln your leading article of the 21st inst.,
you express some doubts as to whether General
Ashburnham is exactly the man for taking sudden
possession of Canton, marching on Pekin,' &c. In
those misgivings I most heartily coincide, and you
shall judge from one little episode in the General's
services whether I have not a good reason for so

doing.
" I have now in my possession a little memoran-
dum book, in which I wrote .down a few notes on
the campaign of the Sutlej in 1845-46, jotted down
immediately after the last action, Sobraon. From
these, as3isted by the most vivid recollection of
what occurred in my cognisant,), I give you the

following details :
" That y ou may understand what I have to say,
I must premise that our chief advanced post at
Rhodawallah was about a mile from the kit front
of our camp; arid about 200 yards from the nearest
point of the Sikh intrenchments ; that at some 860
yards from Rhoclawallah, in the direction of the
shortest line to those intrenchments, was a 'Sikh
outpost termed. the Maichan (look-out stage). In
the immediate neighbourhood of this post it had
be'n decided by the Commander-in-Chief, Gover-
nor-General, and heads of departments, in council
assembled, that our battery of heavy artillery• was
to be thrown up, destined to _ subdue the first of
that portion of the Sikh intrenchment upon which
our main attack was to be made.
" Brigadier Ashburnham was in command of the
outpost of Rhodawallah on the 9th and 10th of
February, 1846, having under his orders her Ma-
jesty's 9th,-two native regiments, and a detail of
artillery. At 11 p.m. of the 9th I, then holding
the position of a staff officer, started fr.nn camp by
order of the brigadier commanding the artillery to
inform Brigadier Ashburnham that the first gun of
the siege train had got under way, and to desire
lion to lose no time in taking the Sikh outpost at the
Maichan, agreeably to the orders of the Comman-
der-in-Chief. Arrived at his tent, I foUnd the
Brigadier in his dressing-gown. • I communicated
to him the message , I was charged with. He re-
plied that his orders were to take the Maichan with
her Majesty's 62d at 4 o'clock a.m. I objected
that the regiment in question was three miles to
the rear ; that some most valuable hours would in-
evitably be lost if he insisted on having that, regi-
ment ; that our artillery was to open at daylight,
an that a battery could not be thrown up iu three
hours ; that the 9th under his command would do
the business equally well ; and that there was
evidently a great discrepancy between the orders he
had received and those my brigadier were in posses-
sion of. My reasoning was of no avail. ; the 62d,
at 4 a.m., was his ultimatum.
" 1 returned to camp. • My brigadier, his second
in command of the same rank, and the two briga-
diers of the Engineers, disgusted at the state of
affairs—a boggle in /imine—proceeded to Rhoda-
wallah to endeavour to persuade Brigadier Ash-
burnham of the . necessity of taking the post at
once. I accompanied them. They were not a whit
mote successful than I had been. He was obdrirate.
• " The whole of the officers and men attached to
the Heavy Artillery and' Engineers remained from
say, 12 o'clock till 4 a.m. kicking their hcela'
the most bitter cold night, without coveting orfire,
instead of throwing up their battery as was in-
tended by the Commander-in-Chief.
"By this time Sir E. Gough, Commander-in-
bedight in .a white blanket paletot over his
uniform, Sir H. Hardinge in his carriage, and their
brilliant' staffs had congregated at Rhodawallah.
What was said to Brigadier Ashburnham by Sir EL
G mgh on the matter I know not, but I would not
have held his position that fine morning for a good
round sum 1 However, the 621 at length made
their appearance. They loaded as I stoo i by, and,
under the command bf Brigadier Ashburnham,
started through the darkness in the direction of the
Maichan. Every ear was stretehei to catch the
faintest noise, expecting every instant to hear a
shout and a rattle of musketry. Not a. sound !
A quarter of an hour elapsed. Sir Hs• Gough sent
an aide-de-camp to ascertain what had happened.
It was dark, and he lost his way. A second was not
more fortunate. A third at length returned with
the information that the 62d, under the command
of the Brigadier, were lying in the dry nullah
(water-course), between us and the Maichan. Oh
the exasperation of that moment ! Sir H. Gough was
frantic as only Sir H. Gough could be. Ala ! what
in the world more orders would he want ? Let him
take it immediately was his Excellency's reply to
the aide-d-camp.
" The regiment, under command of the cautious
Brigadier, went up to the Maichan, and—there
was not a aoul in
" The above occurrences appear in Sir H.
Gough's despatch, as follows It was directed
that this, (the taking of the Maichan) should to
done during the night of the 9th, but the execution
of this part of the plan was deferred, owing to mis-
conceptions and casual circumstances, until near
daybreak.'
•" From the above you may perhaps gather what
General Ashburnhatn s military capacity is, and
whether he is likely to be the man for China. I
should state, however, that on the receipt of Sir H.
Gough's despatches in England Brigadier Ashburn-
ham was nominated ono, of her Majesty's aides-de-
camp for having, according to the despatches
manceavred with great coolness and success as a
reserve.'

" Yours obediently,
"M. L."

" Sir,—Allow me to correct a mistake in your
leader of yesterday. Lieutenant-Generil Ashburn-
ham commanded a brigade of the army under Lord
Gough at the battle of Ferozeshuhur, on the 21st
and 22d of December, 1845, and again at Sobta,on,
on the 10th of February, 1846, he being then the
junior lieutenant colonel cf the 62d Regiment. I
do not think he could. have been at Chillianwallah,
as he was at the time military secretary to Lord
Falkland.

" Yours obediently,
" AN OLD SPRINGER.
"Rochford, Essex, April 22,"

CANDIDATES AND THEIR WIVES.—The ladies have
taken an active part at several of the elections just
ended. At Huddersfield, as most of our readers
know, Mr. Akroyd, at the close of the election, em-
braced his wife in the presence of the assembled thou-
sands in St. George's-square, to whom the lady and her
husband then bowed their acknowledgments. It is raid
that an influence that largely contributed iio Lord John
Russell's return was the admiration excited by the appear-
ance at the hustings, and active interest taken in the poll
by his wife. Lady John Russell appeared in the City with
her children, visited the different polling-booths. ad
a
smile and a courtesy ready for every voter, and coMpletely
won the hearts of the multitude. Another candidate :a
wife in the country carried matters even farther than did
Lady John Russell. Lady Mildred Hope, the daughter
of the Marquis of Salisbury and wife of Air. 1%. Hope
(who has just got in for Maidstone), by the adinisvonlof
a'l parties carried the election for her husband. She ``id
exactly canvass for him, but all through the election
she was constantly driving about the towi.i. She was
also most active at the nomination, and d?ring the poll-
ing ; and, at the close; unable to restrain herself any
which. everybody agreed
longer, she threw up the window of her hotel, and a-'-
dressed the mob in a speech
was better than her husband's delivered immediately
afterwards from the same place.—Bradford Observer.