The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-31 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1857.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1857.

[*** The dates under which each item appears are those
of the impression publishing the intelligence, and not
those on which the several events referred to occurred.]

JANUARY.
1. Railway accident : Three horses Hied and one
dangerously injured, by a coal train running into the
horse van, near Hayford Railway station.
Sisk, the woul.l.be assassin of the Duke of Wel-
lington, in 1830, died in Bethlehem Hospital.
Roms.notf Menechikoff, the Russian pilot, died in
Greenwich Hospital, aged 86.
2. Dover murders : Execution of the murderer of
Maria and Caroline Back—Dedia Redanies—at Maid.
stone.

8. John Britton, F.S.A., the celebratad antiquary,
died, aged 86.
6. Dreadful gale in the Channel.
7. Many marine disasters during snow storms, loss of
packet ship Nev York, &c.
Assassination of the Archbishop of Paris, by
Verger.
8. Mr. Brotherton, M.P., died of apoplexy.
Submarine cable across the Channel, accident to,
during the late gales.
Vi let mail steam packet lost, with every soul on
board.

Wreck of the Northern Belle, American barque, Ste.
9. Sir Edmund Filmer, Bart., M.P., died.
14. Rochester Bridge, demolition of the old, by the
Real Digir eery.
15. Shipwreck of the Royal mail steam-packet Tyne.
16. Great bullion robbery : conviction of Pearce, Bur-
gess, and Teeter.
17. Wreck of the Briton steamer.
Wreck of the American ship Kilby on the Good-
win Sailds.
Great Northern Railway frauds : Leop,ll Red-
path sentenced to transportation for life. Kent tried as
accomplice, and acquitted.
19. Mutiny in the Mersey.
20. Smithfield, second great meeting of the unem-
ployed in
Holjbead Harbour, great blasting operations at,
to the extent of many hundreds of thousands of tons.
21. Banquet given by the Queen of Gude to the chair-
ma❑ and directors of the East I❑dia Company.
Duke of Rutland, K.G., died.
22. Wreck of the Lloyd's steamer Asia.
-- Royal British Bank : Petition of Humphrey
Brown, M.P., in bankruptcy.
Lambeth double murder : Confession of the pri-
soner, Martha Bacon.
Murder on the high seas, committal of Hugh Orr
for, at Plymouth.
23. Miss Nightingale's visit to Haslar and Portsmouth
Hospitals.
24. Terrific gales in the Mersey.
Bank of Ireland, fire at the.
28. Baron Alderson died.
Princess de Lieven at Paris.

30. Bushire captured by the British troops.
-- Australia : Frightful tragedy in her Majesty's
40th lt,giment—three officers shot, one killed immedi-
ately, by Ensign Periefather, who afterNards killed
himself.
31. Verger executed at Paris for the assassination of
the Archbishop of Paris.
Common Sergeant of London, T. Chambers,
elected.
FEBRUARY.
3. Imperial Parliament opened this day by Royal
Commission.

17. French Chambers, opening of the, by the Empe•
ror of the French. •
21. Colliery accident. near Batasley, 170 lives lost.
23. Ellesmere, the Earl of, died. •
Harewodd, the Earl of,•died.
24. "Tabernacle," Tottenham-court-road, burnt down.
27. Terrific conflagration in Whitechapel.•
Ship wreck : Loss of the St.. Andrew screw steamer,
with cargo valued at 100,0001 , off Latakia.
28. Great fire in Bishopegate-street.
MARCH.
3. Railway accident : Eastern Counties—Dreadful
explosion of fog signals ; several lives lost.
5. Persia, treaty of peace with, signed at Paris.
10. The Speaker of the House' of Commons (Shaw
Lefevre) intimated to the house his intention to resign
at the close of the Parliament,
11. Terrific fire in Whitefriars, at the Government
Stamp factory ; 30,0001. damage done.
13. rue Ty❑e steamer stranded/ on the Kicveredge
Lodge on the 12th bfd-anuary, floating into Southarnp.
ton amidst great rejoicings.
16. Chinese rebellion. The Eastern Prince declared
that the Bible should be substituted for the sacred books
of Confucianism as the text book in the public service
examinations.
20. Charter House Schools (St. Thomas's), opening of
the, by his Royal Highness Prince Albert.
21. Palmerston, Loth, grand political barquet to, at
the Mansion House.
Dissolution of Parliament this day.
20. Royal British Bank : Re-examination of Mr. Es-
daile ; extraordinary disclosure,.
27. General elections commenced. Nomination of
candidates for the City of London, &•.„

APRIL.
2. Murder of Lieut, Carroll, 44th Regiment, at Deal.
Verdict of Wilful Murder against Samuel Baker.

Royal British Bank: Examination of. Mr.. Apsley
Pellatt ; extraordinary disclosures.

Lambeth : Debtruction of Darby'B great firework
factory.

4. Kidderminster election rioters brought before the
magistrates for an assault on Mr. Lowe, M.P.
9. Royal British Bank disclosures. Examination of
the Hon. Mr. Stapleton, M.P.
11. Covent-garden. Fall of five houses in Russell-
place, attended with loss of lives.

13. Hounslow Powder mills, dreadful explosion at.

14. Her Majesty : Birth of a princess.
15. Murder in the Caledonian-road, committal of
Tripp for.

17. Shipwreck : Wonderful escape of the Martin
Luther ; many lives lost in a huricane ; the ship towed
into Plymouth by the Tagus, Peninsular and Oriental
steamer.

African traveller, Dr. Vogel, intelligence received
of the murder of.

24. Legion of Honour—France : Nominati, n of offi-
cers, non-commissioned officers, and privates in the
English army to the rank of officers of the orle-.
27. Launch of the Roy:4l Sovereign, of 101 guns, at
Portsmouth.

30. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester
died.

The Grand Duke Constantine of Russia arrived at
Marseilles.

MAY.

1. Imperial Parliament, meeting of the new. Election
of Speaker.

4. British Museum. The new reading-room opened to
the private view of distinguished personages.
6. Art Treasures of the "United Kingdom Exhibition
at Manchester formslly opened by H.R.H. Prince Albert.
7. Salford : Inauguration of the Queeb's Statue in
Peel Park, Salford, by his Royal Highness Prince Albert.
8. Imperial Parliament, the new, formally opened by
her Majesty's Speech (by commission).
9. Funeral of her Royal Highness the Duchess of
Gloucester.

15. Rail way accident : Derry and Enniskillen—A man
killed by the mail train running over his legs.
Acquittal of Bacon and his wife, tried for the
murder of their children.

16. Secondary Punishments Bill, great meeting at the
Mansion House in reference to Sir Geo. Grey'R.
General Sir James MacDonnel, G.C.8., colonel
of the 71st Foot, death of.

20. Henry Kemble, late M.P. for East Surrey died.
23. Princess Royal: Debate in the House of Commons
on marriage portion or settlement for her Royal
Highness.

26. Joseph Somes, Australian passenger ship, destruc-
tion of the, by fire ; crew saved.
27. Fraudulent Trustees : Text of bal introduced into
parliament respecting.

14. India: Mutiny of native troops • continued
assassinations of European officers and their families.
Prince Frederick William of Prussia : Presenta-
tion of the freedom of the City to.
16. Indian mutiny in : Massacre at Delhi.
17. The King of the Bdgians' visit to Manchester.
18 Branger died in Paris.
21. Duke of Wellington's monument in St. Paul's ;
Exhibition of designs for, in Westminster Hall.
23. The Emperor of the French; plot to assassinate.
Attempted, assassinatfon in the Queen's Bench
Poison.
24. Execution of Michael Crawley for the murder of
his wife at Chelmsford..
27. Conviction of Bacon at Lincoln assizes for poison-
ing his mother, •
31. Transatlantic telegraph: Arrival of the Agamem-
non at Queenstown, &c.
India, mutiny in : Panic at Calcutta ; Delhi in
possession of the rebels ; further spread of the mutiny.
AUGUST.
1. India, mutiny and revolt in : Particulars of horrible
massacres, &c.

3. Muntz, M.P, Mr. E. F., died.
Chinese fleet destroyed ; operations at Canton.
5. Indian mutinies :.Outbreak at Benares; continued
assassinations of Europeans, &c.
7. India : a form Of prayer issued by the Bishop of
London far our countrymen in the East.
10. Spol'en, trial of, for the murder of Mr. Little,
commenced.

11. Departure of the Emperor and Empress of the
French from Osborne.

13. Spollen, acquittal of, on the charge of the murder
of Mr. Little (Broadstone murder).
14. Transatlantic cable: Accident to ; nearly 300
miles of cable lost.
15. Transatlantic cable : Return of the squadron.
India, mutiny in: Further details.
17. Hydrostatic propeller; the invention of Mr. Ste-
phens, of Southampton.
19. Lady Lyttelton diet):
22. De &hi, trial of, torttn attempted murder in the
Queen's Bench Prison.
African travellers, Vogel and Maguire, assassina-
tion of.

Indian mutiny : Deaths of General Barnard and
Sir H. Lawrence.
Loss of the Transit steamer.
24. Surrey Gardens Company : Meeting at the Court
of Bankruptcy respecting, and meeting at Walworth.
27. Indian mutiny : Defeat of the rebels at Lucknow
and Sealkote.
29. Peiliament prorogued by Royal commission.
James Matt, IMP., died.
31. In lia, mutiny in : Battle at Agra ; massacre at
Cawnp, re, &c.

SEPTEMBER.
3. Royal Albert Bridge to span the Tamar : Raising
end floatirg of the first tube.
4. Middlesex Election : The Hon. Geo. Henry Chas.
Byng returned without opposition.
5. Sardinian war medals, official list of recipients of
the.

10, China, Admiral's Koppel's exploits in.
Henderson, K.H., K C., Lieut,•General G. A.,
death of
11. Mediterranean telegraph : Successful layirg of
the cable.

Prince of Wales's visit to Cainouni : Intelligence
of his Royal Highness.
12. Medijdie : The order of the official.listof persons
upon whom conferred.
14. Execution of Captain Rogers, at Kirkdale, for the
murder of a seaman on board his ship.
16. Lima, assassination of the British Minister at.
17. Indian mutiny : Havelock's marvellous victories ;
various successes of European troops ; new mutinies at
Dtuapore, &c.
21. Indian mutiny : Temporary retreat of General
Havelock to Cawnpore ; intelligence from various
places.
24. Royal British Bank in Bankruptcy :—Meeting for
examination of the directors.
28. Fast-:ay—Proclamation for a day of national
humiliation, fasting, and prayer, on 7th proximo.
29. Indian mutiny : Government Dispatches—Delhi
not taken ; Nana Sahib before Lucknow ; distress:of the
besieged ; General Havelock waiting for reinforcements ;
several defeats of the rebels ; extension of the mutiny.
30. Havelock, C. 8., Colonel Henry, promoted to the
rank of major-general in the army, for his operations in
India.
Allen, Rear Admiral John, died.
Humiliation-day—Form of prayer to be need,
published.
OCTOBER.
1. Stnttgardt—Meeting ofthe Emperorof the Frei*
and the Emperor of Russia, &e. •, •
Indian mutiny—Overland mail dispatches, re-
ceived.
5. Humiliation Day, the Jews' service for the, .
6. Esrl Fitzwilliam died.
7. Fast-day and day of national humiliation,
9. Russian frigate lost, 526 souls on board.
10. Waterloo Bridge, discovery of the mutilated
hotly.
12 Irdian mutiny : Ninth victory of Gen. Havelock.
Forthr mutinies.
26. New York, commercial panic at. Suspension of
specie payments by the banks.
Indian mutiny : Delhi taken with the loss of 600
men, including 40 officers ; loss of the native troops
immense.

Waterloo-bridge tragedy : Verdict of wilful murder
against some person or persons unknown.
30. Siam, arrival of the Princes of.
31. General Cavaignac, death of.
NOVEMBER.
4. Great Eastern steam ship partly launched, and
named " The Leviathan ;" terrible accident occurred to
five men.
5. Cambridge, H.R.H. the Duke of : Presentation of
the freedom of the City of London to, together with a
magnificent sword. Banquet at the Mansion House
afterwards.
Mr. Mackay, death of : The " B tilie Nicol Jarvie"
of Sir 'Walter Scott.
9. Commercial failures in Liverpool, &c.
Loss of the English ship Frances ; 20 lives lost.
12. Indian Mutiny . Confirmation of reiief of Luck-
now ; capture of Delhi ; deaths of Generals Niu'aolson
and Neill ; capture of the " King of Delhi" and his
chief wife ; his sons and a grandson shot.
13. Commercial Panic : Important communication
from the government to the directors of the Bank of
England, authorising an increased issue of bank-notes.
Bank crisis in Scotland.
20. Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Banking Com-
pany, deputation from, refused the assistance sought for
from the Bank of England of 100,0001., to sustain the
firm.

21. Frightful explosion at Mayence.
23. Royal British Bank, proceedings in the Court of
Queen's Bench against the directors.
DECEMBER.
1. Polish revolution, 27th anniversary of, celebrated ;
the 29th of November, having fallen on a Sunday.
3. Charles Hindley, Esq., M.P., death of.
8. Commercial failures, &c.
12. Worcester Bank failure.
17. The Jeuffosse remarkable trial at Evreuz.
19. Koenig, the celebrated cornet-a-piston player,
died

24. Lucknow relieved by Sir Culin Campbell, &c.—
Brilliant succession of victories by the several officers in
command.
26. Dowager Countess Nelson died at Paris on the
22d inst.
28. Rear-Admiral Edward Le Cras Thornborougb,
died.

28. Captain Sir Alexander Dixie, Bart., R.N., died.
29. Earl Spencer, K.G., died.

CHRISTMAS DINNER.—On Tuesday Miss Burdett
Coutts gave an excellent dinner to 300 poor parishioners
of St. Stephen's, Westminster. Miss Coutts addressed
the poor people with a few kind words of advice and
encouragement.
RIOT WITH THE MILITIA..—On Friday night several
soldiers of the regiment of the Staffordshire Militia, at
present stationed in the Castle of Edinburgh, appear to
have been drinking in a publichouse in the Cowgate at
the foot of Blair-street, and a fracas ensued among them
and several civilians who had assembled there. A very
large crowd speedily collected, and information of the
disturbance having been sent to the Castle a picket of
about a dczen men, under a sergeant, was despatched to
the spot, but by the time they arrived the disturbance
seems to have been over. A crowd of many hundreds of
people, however, still thronged Blair-street ; and in com-
ing up that street, after having been in the Cewgate,
some of the men belonging to the picket attacked a
mechanic, and following him into one of the stairs lead.
ing to the South Bridge, threw him down, and struck
him with their belts and feet. His cries brought Lieut.
Milligan of the city police' to his aid. The moment he
appeared some of the crowd called out that he was a
police ifficer, on which the picket, leaving the other
man, at tacked Mr. Milligan, and, dra wing their bayonets,
stabbed bim in the head in several places ; fortunately,
however, the cuts are not serious. A young man, named
Hugh Bald, who interfered to protect Mr. Milligan, was
also set upon, but both escaped with comparatively slight
injuries. Oa Monday the various
Parties connected with
the above fray, consisting of John Sheratt, John
Tacker Young, Thomas Lawless, (rather an appro-
priate name), and :limes Killeau, all private soldiers
in the Staffordshire Militia, and Solomon Day, Lance-
Sergeant, were brought before the police bar, and
remitted to a higher court. We'are glad to learn that
Lieut. Milligan is recovering, though slowly, froisa the
effects of his injuries. Fortunately, the wounds are
only flesh cuts, and, although severe enough, are not
likely to be attended with dangerous consequences. In
addition to the cuts on the head, Mr. Milligan has sus-
tained several severe bruises about his arms ; and, to
show the dastardly nature of the attack, we
may state
that, on inspection, it is found that his top-coat in more
than one place has been pierced by a bayonet. We trust
that the result of the trial of the live parties above:
named will be such as, in some measure, to insure the
citizens against the outrages of armed men, whose duty
it ought to be to protect instead of endangering the
lives of the inhabitants.—Scotties Prem.

MERCANTILE MORALITY.

(From the Atlas.)

The close of a year is the season for retrospects. The
merchant makes up his books--the tradesman sends in
his accounts, and the householder reviews the effects of
his expenses on his yearly income through the medium
of his Christmas bills. When we greet our readers again,
it will be to wish them a happy new year. This week,
then, just a word on one of the lessons, at least, which
the occurrences of the one fast passing away teach us,
before we bid it good bye for ever.
Though the subject to which we would call attention
has, to sensitive minds, been thrown into shade by the
monster convulsion and harrowing scenes of the Indian
mutiny, it touches our national prosperity not one whit
the less closely. Every class of society is busy with
schemes to correct the errors which caned that disaster.
India is to be evangelised—its Government reformed—
its great resources to be turned to good acconnt, and to
God's glory. Would that the subject of which we are
about to speak would teach us a similar lesson—one
nearer home. Our children will assuredly have reason
to regret it some day if it does no'.
The last few months have proved to demonstration
that the standard of our mercantile morality has stiff-zed
a fall, which has fiat(' far-seeing persons with dismay.
It is not merely the gigantic failures as failures,
which have recently occurred, that indicate thie. The
loss of such sums as two millions of money on the
whole transactions of the Western Bank of Scotland—the
stoppage of the great firm of De Wolf and Ca. for
200,000/., showing 2a in the pound for its creditors—
the Eastern Banking Corporation swindle, in which a
single shareholder contrived to absorb 243,0001. (more
than two-thirds of the paid-up capital)--t lie failures of
the Liverpool Borough and the Northumberland and
Durham Banks—awful as they are, as instances of reck-
less trading, and disastrous as,tbay bate .turned out :to.
the thousands whom they have- brought to ruin and
thrown out of work, would be comparatively harmless in
their national effects, were it not for the almost hope•
less-want of principle with which these falls have been
attended, anA which bas been exhibited in attempts to
bolster rome of them up when falling, and to palliate
or hush up practices which led to their fall after they
had gone. It is to this taint of disinkenuotisness running
through the, whole mercantile system, and from which',
we fear houses still standing and of high posit7on cannot
be held free, that we desire to call attention.
Take the Western Bank of Scotland. But a few weeks
ago, after that concern stopped pay wen", the most
powerful influence which wealth and position could sup-
ply was brought into the field to uphold it, integrity, or;
as the Times expresses it, " to restore an equilibrium in
the affairs of the company." To what extent the public
were deceived by these representations, we knOw not.
This week it was announced that "every penny em-
barked in it by the shareholders is hopelessly gone ;"
and it is difficult to see how the parties who thus came
forward could all of them have been ignorant of the
fact

Another illustration of this painful truth was furnished
some little time back, when reports were rife of the
approaching failure of o:iver, of Liverpo 1. In that
case another firm took up ►he cugela in behalf of the
slandered house, and caused a ❑otice to be posted on the
Exchange, denouncing the wanton calumny. The firm
thus defended was insolvent at the time I Tne same
circumstance is recorded of another house, of which mm
eminent London firm were the. champions, with a like
result, suggesting .the unfortunate concluiion,. that in
the case of falling concerns it is not difficult to find ot'.er
houses of good repgte to uphold their cregitt while' they

are tottering, and to alliate or onc•al their raiscondaCt
when they have gone. It is the principle of these pro-
ceeding.t, which is a naoonal:calatnity, .not the failures
thernselveg, which, ,as -tho Tines proves ih its Morley
Article on Monday, can make 4he country neither richer

nor po9rer. .
So lima for firms. Our . national characler, alas I in
this respect, as displayed by' individuals, does n`ot
.sh*O9r..
a shade better. The- peeulationii of, Mr. Stephens, the.
manager of the. Eastern BankingCoeporation, in his fiye,
partner,hipi purchased with the funds of the company,
or in' the little 'transaction where ha b lught the 'shares
of a third party with the money of the blank, soil Plaoed".
them to his own account, seceiykng the dividends .hima.
self, are not excused. by.ear-Anerged ia-theisint miscon-
duct -of- himself and the directors, in-4,he.r corporate.,
capacity':' He is an 'instance of the commercialdepravity
which has this year show-U.if—self in such vigour among
individuals also, and. which should 1.-ring a blush to .very
honest English nierChant's cheek.
Such an instance also is Mr. J. C. Taylor, 'expelled
this week from 'the Stock Exchange for using telegrams
in4propetly obtained from the T,:l4;r&ph-office, for the
purposes of speculalion Thatwe.
.." ' •
Such, also, though in a srnalle;degree, is the case of
that bank clerk at Croydon, wh, gambled also on
'Change, and whose transactions, after the not unrom-

mon gradations of despondency and brandy, ended in
that awful murder of Ids nearest and dearest r, latives,

so recently before the public. Such, also—And we men-
tion this case because its denouement has come upon us
while the ink of this article is yet wet—such, also, is the
case of Mr. Stevens, the broker, wh' so strangely
charged a Mr. Silby last week before the Lord Mayor.
Kay had instructed him to sell some description of
stock fur him and to buy other—and when that was
done, demanded the balance which the latter held in his

hand, amounting to some 3001. Instead of giving this
up, although it is admitted that there was no under-

standing that he was to retain the larger sum, Mr.
Stevens would only give him a cheque for some 341.,
and a few of the shares, proceeding, in a great hurry. to
pay in the rest of the money to his own banker'e. Not
very wisely, but, as it seems to us, not unnaturally, Mr.
Kilby, seeing his money disposed of in this rattier sum-
mary fashion, made a bold move for the recovery of
his property by trying to snatch it from the other's
hands. -

For this he was given into custody for

attempting to steal his own property. Of course, Mr.
Kilby was honourably discharged ; but the result so
weighe I upon an excitable temperament, that in the

course of this week he put an end to -his Exibtence.

The term to be applied to the conduct of the stock-
broker, which resoltf,d in this tragical end, we leave

our readers to determine.

These cases, joined to the daily reports from the
police courts of embezzlements by clerks, robberies
from masters, gross frauds by bankrupts on their credi-
ditors, make up that black list which every Englishman
should lay to his heart at this season. It will go far to
show hien that there is something besides misgovernment
and revolt to be lamented in that year, which history
will hereafter mark as the year of the Indian mutiny.