The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-02 00:00:00

THE THAMES BiIIB.ANK..4LENZ.

A correspondence has recently passed between
Mr. Cowper, the First Commissioner of Works and
Public Buildings, and Mr. Thwaites, Chairman of
the Metropolitan Board of Works, touching a claim
advanced by the latter body to initiate and carry
out the great engineering work of embanking the
Thames. At a previous interview Mr. Cowper had
stated to Mr. Thwaites that he by no means desired
to take the construction of the work out of the
hands of the Metropolitan Board, but that there
were many questions involved which rendered it
the duty of Government to legislate in the matter.
There were, for example, certain Crown rights,
which might involve controversies between diffe-
rent departments, and which admitted of more
facile adjustment by the Administration than by
any other parties. Again, that a private member
would experience much difficulty in carrying a
measure of such magnitude through the House of
Commons, which, unless promoted by themselves,
Ministers did not feel it incumbent on them to sup-
port. That, for these and other reasons, her Ma-
jesty's Government were of opinion that they should
take the necessary steps for complying with the
Standing Orders by preparing and depositing plans
and serving notices. Mr. Thwaites urged the claims
of his board to initiate as well as to carry out this
important weak, there leefug no prescbdent fiii. any
interference on the part of her Majesty's Govern-
ment in the case of a local operation, executed by
a local authority, and defrayed wholly by local
taxation ; although he felt sure the Board would
have no desire to enter into any unseemly con-
troversy with the Government, but he was most
anxious, while defending what they conceived
to be a public right, to do all within
their power, consistently with the dis-
charge of their duty to their constituents, to pro-
mote this great undertaking. Mr. Cowper explained
that the course it was intended to pursue was in no
way opposed to,- or, in his opinion, calculated to
infringe, the Board's rights ; that he would prepare
a bill for carrying out the plan recommended in the
report of the Royal Commission, and would take all
the steps prescribed by the Standing Orders; that
the bill would empower the Board to execute the
works and authorise the Treasury to pay over to
them the fund in course of accumulation from the
coal dues, to defray the cost of the embankment ;
that powers would be given to the Board to open a
line of street from Blackfriars-bridge to the Man-
sion-house, the cost of which he suggested might
be defrayed out of the 4d. dues, at present appli-
cable to improvements within the city of London.
That bill would, of course, be referred to a Select
Committee, and would be supported by the Govern-
ment in its passage through the house; after
which, should it succeed in obtaining legislative
sanction, the whole further conduct of the matter
would be confided to the Metropolitan Board of
Works, the Government having no desire to retain
any control or exercise any veto upon their acts.
Meanwhile, if they wished the insertion of clauses,
he was willing to receive and consider whatever
suggestions they might be desirous of offering. Mr.
Thwaites referred to the amendment introduced
into the Coal and Wine Duties Continuance Bill,
on the motion of Sir H. Willoughby, whereby the
new account was to be opened in the name of the
Treasury instead of the Metropolitan Board, and
requested an assurance that the Government in-
tended to make such provision in the new bill as
should insure the execution of the work to the
Board. Mr. Cowper, in reply, assured him
1 that the clear intentions of the Government were
to carry a measure giving full powers .to the
Board, and that on his part every effort would
be made in support of that intention ; but that
it would be impossible to say what it might
be necessary to do in the case of opposition to any
particular clauses. Mr. Thwaites reported, substan-
tially in the above terms, the conversation between
Mr. Cowper and himself to the Metropolitan Board,
and then, on their authority, addressed a letter, on
the 10th of August, to the First Commissioner, in
which he stated that " the Board, while anxious to
defend what they believe to be their rights, were
too deeply impressed with the importance of the
subject and the difficulties surrounding it to wish
in any way to increase them by raising controver-
sial
questions, and at once adopted the suggestion
I submitted to them, to suspend the instructions i
they had already given the engineer for the prepa-
ration of drawings and documents required to com-
ply with the Standing Orders, feeling that, after
the assurance you had enabled me to convey to
them of the intention of her Majesty's Government
to assume all legisle.tive responsibility, any present
action on their part would necessarily be either
antagonistic or superfluous."

To that communication Mr. Cowper replied as
follows :

" Office of Works, Aug. 15.
" Sir,--I have to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the 10th inst., informing me of the com-
munication you had made to the Board over which
you preside with respect to the views I had the
honour of expressing to you at our interview. Of
course those views are subject to modification when
the time comes for the preparation of the Bill and
for consulting other members of the Government as
to its provisions; but I think it right Dow to make
a few observations with a view of preventing mis-
understanding as to an expression which recurs in
your letter.

"You speak of your Board being anxious to
defend what they conceive to be their rights, and
as I am one of the last men who would wish to in-
fringe, even inadvertently, any of their rights, I am
anxious to ascertain what those rights can be.

" In considering whether the Metropolitan Board
of Works possess unyiright to construct an embank-
ment of the Thames out of the funds accruing from
the coal duties, I am met by the following circum-
stances :

" 1. The Metropolitan Board has no right or
authority, except that which it derives from the
Act of 1855 and subsequent Acts ; and the Act
which empowered it to raise ratesgavo it no autho-
rity over the coal and wine duties.

" 2. These duties are levied, not by them, bat by
the corporation of London.

" 3. These duties are not received by them, but by
the corporation and by her Majesty's Treasury.
" 4. The area over which the coal duties are
levied is larger than that which is represented by
the Metropolitan Board.

5. The application of these duties to metropoli-
tan improvements has been intrusted to the corpo-
ration and to my predecessors in office.
"6. The foreshore and bed of the Thames are
under the jurisdiction of the Board of Conservancy.
"As, therefore, your board has now no power over
the coal and wine duties, and no power over the fore-
shore of the Thames except in regard to their espe-
cial business, the main drainage, I cannot understand
how the introduction of a bill to confer upon them
such powers could be treated as an aggression upon
their rights. I do not see any force in the argtroont
that because such a work would have to be autho-
rised in a provincial town by a local Act, promoted
by local commissioners or by the corporation, a simi-
lar course should be followed in respect of the
metropolis.

" In every civilised country the metropolis re-
ceives aid, protection, and co-operation from the
national Government which is not extended to other
towns ; and I am sure that Londoners cannot wish
that their town should in this respect cease to be
treated as a metropolis, and be reduced to the level
of a provincial town.
tt !` AM OA principle otlyoogehr ortonaiDl4

more fully and satifactorily in the metropolis the
action of municipal presentative institutiops, and
the till which I pro?ose to introduce will have a
tendency to promote that object, and I am quite
sure that it will not'i any respect infringe a right
now possessed by the detropolitan Board of Works.
—I have, &c.;
" J. Thwaites, Esq.

" W. COWPER."

In a subsequent letr to Mr. Thwaites, dated the
20th of Sept., Mr. Copper states he considers the
proposed bill should 4 one to empower the Metro-
.s to make such purchases of
Pe
such works as may be ne-
pprooliptearntyßaonarddtoofeWxeoc
cessary for an emba ment, with a roadway upon
it, from Westminster Blackfriars•bridge, and for
a new street thence t he Mansion-house, in accord-
ance with the plan ecommended by the Royal
Commission, and out f the fund provided for that
lo
purpose out of the.pr eeds of the coal dues by the
Act of last session. control or interference with
the Metropolitan Bo d of Works will be created
by the bill in regard the powers conferred upon
them by its provisior . He adds that, inasmuch as
the foreshore to be re aimed from the river is vested
in the Crown, or the oard of Conservancy, and the
surplus land along t e shore may be required for
public improvements, r for a public promenade, or
as sites for public buidings, he thinks it should be
1
so vested as to secure'or Parliament a control over
its future destination; nd he believes the best course
would be to vest it i the Commissioners of Works
and Public Buildings) on behalf of the Crown and
nt
the public, and to provide that the proceeds of the
sale of such surplus land shall be paid into the
Embankment and Mei•opolitan Improvement Fund,
from which the purchase was made. This, he states,
should apply only to iurplus land on the shore of
the river not required for works on the roadway,
and should not apply to surplus land obtained in
making the street Iran Blaukfriars-bridge to the
Mansion-house.

The correspondencchas since been referred to the
Main Drainage Committee of the Metropolitan
Board for consideratim as to the course to be pur-
sued, and there the matter rests for the present,

(From me Times.)

If we desired to give Continental statesmen a
correct idea of what Englishmen understand by
" self-government," we could hardly find a better
illustration than is contained in the correspon-
dence between Mr. Cowper and Mr. Thwaites—
one representing the Administration and the other
the Metropolitan Board of Works. It has been
decided at last to embank the Thames, and thus
at one and the same time to facilitate the execu-
tion of the main drainage scheme, save the Strand
and Fleet-street from a permanent blockade, and
relieve our thoroughfares of some of the traffic
which is now choking them. This resolution having
been adopted, it becomes necessary to provide
authority and instruments for carrying out the
work. The instruments are at hand in the mem-
bers and officers. of the Metropolitan Board ; but
the Metropolitan Board has no authority in the
matter. The funds applicable to the undertaking
are levied and received, not by the Board, but
by certain ether departments, and are raised from
districts over which the Board has no jurisdiction.
The shore of the Thames along which the Embank-
ment is to be carried is under a Board independent
of the Board of Works; and, besides all this, there
are many conflicting claims which Mr. Thwaites
and his colleagues would find it exceeding diffieult
to satisfy. So, as the Board of Works could neither
enter upon the ground nor touch a'sixpenco of the
money provided for the enterprise, the First Com-
missioner proposed to bring in a bill under Govern-
ment sanction, and invest the Board with a Parlia-
mentary authority for proceeding in the business.
It is hard to conceive any proposition more natural.
Parliament alone can confer the powers required,
and Parliament can seldom be moved to good pur-
pose except with the, support of the Government.
Mr. Cowper, in short, offered to provide Mr. Thwaites
in the most efficient and expeditious manner, with the
very authority which he needed, and without which
he could not stir a step. Little, however, did the
Minister think of the " rights" which he was vio-
lating, or the resentment with which his overtures
would be received. The Metropolitan Board rose
in arms; like a corporation in defence of its charter.
The liberties of the subject had been attacked ;
" self-government'' had received a severe blow ; oen
tralisation had been insidiously promoted, and the
citizens of London ought to stand up for their pri-
vileges. How such a view of the case could pos-
sibly be taken it would puzzle most people to com-
prehend.; in fact, we doubt if the subject could be
made intelligible to any but Eaglsh readers. But
it is a fact, nevertheless, that Mr. Thwaites fought
stoutly against the Ministerial proposition. and
only yieldd in the extremity of responsibility, and
then against his will.
The "right" claimed by the Metropolitan Board
was the right of initiation. Of course, they wanted
powers; and, of course, application must be made
to Parliament before those powers could be ob-
tained. But what had Mr. Cowper to do with
that ? The Board could apply to Parliament itself,
and intended to do so. The Board's engineers had
been making designs ; the Board's surveyors had
prepared drawings; the Board was going to comply
with the Standing Orders of the House ; the
Board's agents would draw the bill, and the Board's
bill would be duly introduced. Why should the
Board be interfered with ? What business had a
Minister to meddle with the matter ? What was to
come of it if Englishmen could not manage their
own Parliamentary affairs without Government in-
tervention ? Hero was a purely " local" under-
taking, to be executed by a " local" authority, and
paid for by " local" taxation ; how could the inter-
ference of Government be justified in an operation
like that ? The First Commissioner replied to these
expostulations with considerable effect. He re-
minded the protesting chairman that this Board
had really no " light" to construct the embank-
ment at all, seeing that the work was to be exe-
cuted on ground which they could not touch, and
with money which was beyond their reach. He
admitted that they could go to Parliament
themselves, but gently hinted that they might
fail to carry a measure of no common magnitude,
and involving a good many debatable -points,
unless her Majesty's Government should decide
on supporting them. He further stated that
her Majesty's Government might, perhaps,
decline to give their support to a bill,, pre-
pared without their assent, and that in any case,
as the bill must ultimately owe its success to the
Ministry, it would be better that the Ministryshould
introduce it. There was work to be done which
Mr. Thwaites would find it very hard to do. No
hands but those of Government could deal with the
knotty questions which were sure to arise, and the
Metropolitan Board would find it best to accept the
intervention of the Ministry, and take the powers
which would be given them. When the requisite.
powers had been granted, Government would leave
the work in their hands without further inter-
ference.

It will be seen from the statement in another
column that Mr. Thwaites did not yield even to
these reasonable representations without saving
protest as to the " rights " which the Board was

anxious to defend ;" but what these rights are it
would puzzle anybody to discover. There is nothing
really "local" about such a work as the Embank-
ment of the Thames, if by that term is meant an
undertaking in which only a limited interest is
taken by a small community. London is something
more than a town in the county of Middlesex. It
is the metropolis of the British empire; while, as to
the area from which the funds for the work are to
be raised, that is certainly extensive enough to
justify more than local superintendence. The truth
is that the Beard had no " rights " in the matter,
and it had just as little power. It could not have
moved a step without the aid of that very agency
which it was anxious to repudiate. Except with
the sanction and support of Government, it could
never have carried its measure through the house,
and it was preposterous to expect that Government
should find all the power while the Board exercised
all the discretion. There was hardly a department
of the State which might not have had its say in
such a business as the Board would be undertaking,
and Government alone could deal effectually with
controversies like those. If Mr. Thwaites had
secured the " initiation" of the affair, he would have
wanted the First Commissioner al ways at his elbow,
and convenience and propriety alike suggested that
authority and responsibility should go hand in
hand. As the work must be done through the Go-
vernment, it was better it should be done by it.
We must now touch upon another point, and
suggest to Mr. Thwaites that it would be imprudent
in him to count upon much support or sympathy
from the community of metropolitan ratepayers.
His board is by no means a corporation that we are
inclined to stand up for. We are not at all anxious
to see his authority increased or his powers extended.
The agency of the Board may be beneficially exerted,
but it is not agreeably felt. It is perceptible mostly
in enormous rates and oppressive taxation. We
suppose the main drainage scheme will be actually
completed some day or other, but at present we
know little of it beyond its cost. 'The Metropolitan
Board is certainly not popular enough to hold its
own against all rival authorities, and we would
far rather see it under some salutary control than
confirmed in a despotic authority over our thorough-
Wei Aud Foos no WA thing Mr, whyfate§ ALA

his colleagues can do is to attend to the work which
they have already in hand. They have not made
such progress with the drainage of London as to
establish their title to all such business for the
future, and if they are to execute the Embankment
we hope it will be under conditions of wholesome
restraint. Of one thing we are certain, and that is,
if the First Commissioner can introduce economy
and expedition into the general administration of
the Board he will find few Londoners objecting to
his interference. Such intervention will be all the
better for us, and we shall not be in the least degree
terrified by any talk about centralisation. The long
and short of the matter is that the business is actu-
ally in the hands of Government, and Mr. Thwaites
could only get hold of it by Mr. Cowper's permission.
The Board could not move without Parliament, and
Parliament could not be moved without Govern-
ment support. Government is willing to give its
support and provide the authority which is neces-
sary for the action of Mr. Thwaites and his col-
leagues. In return it will acquire a command over
the draught of the bill, and we trust that in exer-
cising this power it will consult rather the interests
of the public than the pretensions of the Metropoli-
tan Board.

DANGER TO FOREIGNERS IN MEXICO.

The following facts are taken from the News
Letter, issued from the office of the Mexican Ex-
traordinary, of August 28 :
On the 3d of this month the stage coach from Pachuca
arrived here with one victim stretched dead and another in
great agony—the spark of life gradually waning. The
former was a beautiful young Englishwoman of four-and-
twenty summers, and the other a Frenchman of about forty
years of age. Both of these unfortunate people were on a
trip of pleasure to this city, and both have fallen victims of
the general anarchy of the times and the well-grown hatred
to foreigners.
The facts of the case are these :—The diligence from
Pachuca on the 3d was exclusively occupied by foreigners
—Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chawner, M. J. Delaporte, and
two Germans. Messrs. Chawner and Delaporte had with
them pistols, and Mr. Chawner, fearing robbers, advised
his wife that in case of an attack she was to throw herself
on the floor of the coach. Nothing happened to disturb
the journey until the diligence had passed Ozumbilla. A
short distance this side of that post eight robbers suddenly
came up, and, without using any of their usual menaces,
fired into the coach. Mrs. Chawner, who was in the act of
following the instructions of her husband, received One of
the balls in her back, and fell wounded on the knees of her
husband. Another ball struck M. Delaporte in the breast.
Mr. Chawner, with his bleeding and dying wife on his
knees, extricated his pistol and firedone shot, which brought
down one of the cowardly assassins. The cries of his wife,
that called for his attention, prevented him firing again;
and M. Delaporte was too much stunned by his wound to
offer any resistance. The robbers, nevertheless, fired some-
thing like a dozen shots more, but fortunately without doing
further damage, and then abandoned their murderous at-
tack. Mrs. Chawner expired some two hours before the
diligence arrived in this city, and M. Delaporte on the
morning of the sth, and both are now gathered with the
numerous population of the dead at San Fernando.
This now cold-blooded butchery would be sufficiently
horrifying could it be accounted for in any common
manner—that resistance had been offered, that the pas-
sengers had dared to oppose themselves to one of the hal-
lowed usages of the country, or that they had even re-
fused or offered to refuse to obey the m ders of a few of
Mexico's peculiar population. Nothing of the sort can be
urged in extenuation of this most foul and cowardly as-
sassination. 'We have heard it stated that the passengers
fired first; but this is a falsehood emanating from persons
as base as the assassins themselves. 'We have taken the
trouble to investigate as fully as has been possible the facts,
• and for the present can only answer for the exactness of
those we have before stated.. A confession, or further
developments at a later day, may prove our present convic-
tion, that this is another manifestation of the general
• hatred entertained for foreigners by a considerable organised
party in Mexico, and we cannot but repeat our well-
grounded fears, that if foreign governments do not change
their mode of protecting their subjects and citizens, foreign
life will be the sport of high-road and street assassins.
The Government have imposed a property tax of one per
cent. en all persons living in the district of Mexico, em-
bracing, we hear, foreigners who have applied for advice to
her Majesty's Minister, who, in a letter dated August 23,
has recommended them only to pay it on compulsion and
under protest. This was the same advice given in October,
ISSB, to Mr. Worrall, by Mr. Otway, who was in conse-
quence expelled from the republic at 12 hours' notice. But
this gentleman has hitherto had no redress; the indemnity
awarded him has not boon paid. Other foreigners have in
a like manner suffered, and notwithstanding an able report
on faced loans was sent to Lord John Russell over a year
ago, and obtained the assurances that the British Govern-
ment would exact redress for these infringements of the
treaty, nothing has been done, and this indifference has
made bold the Mexican authorities to enforce now acts of
oppression.
'We learn with great satifaction that a number of our
fellow-countrymen, resident in this city and -Vera Cruz,
have raised a subscription for the purpose of presenting a
suitable tribute of gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Legrand for
their kind attention to Captain W. C. Aldham, of H.M.S.
Valorous, daring his lengthened stay in thciir house after
the wound he received from the cowardly assassins who so
wantonly attacked him in the diligence. This considerate
act, whilst it will show to Mr. and Mrs. Legrand the warns
hearts of our fellow-countrymen, will be another proof of
the high esteem in which Captain Aldham is held by all
who know him.

A very respectable and worthy English workman, named
Mathews, was set upon a few nights since in the Calle de
la Providencia by two persons well dressed, and who were
at first suspected by Mathews to have been gentlemen.
They made several attempts to kill their intended victim,
and did in fact deal him several severe blows, and no doubt
thought they had accomplished their purpose. Mr. Mathew,
however, managed to escape, and we hear is now entirely
out of danger.
Wo learn from persons lately arrived from the Pacific
coast that a considerable emigration from California is now
pouring into the States of Sonora and Sinaloa. In the
latter State, and on the confines of Chihuahua, rich gold
placers have been discovered, and miners are doing well.
The discoveries already made have induced several persons
to return to California for their families and friends, and it is
expected that large numbers of emigrants will pour into
Sinaloa. and Chihuahua in the next few months. If the re-
ports we have be correct —and we consider they aro well
founded—the gold discoveries on the West Coast of Mexico
are likely to surpass those of California and Australia. If
so we shall soon have the corresponding revolution here,
and Mazatlan will become the second, if net the first port on
the West Coast of America.

It is stated in a journal of Ciudad Victoria that the metals
now being extracted from the mine of Revillagigedo, near
that city, yield from six to eight ounces of pure silver per
carga of 12 arrobas, and that as much as 25 ounces have
been taken from some of the metals. The mine can be easily
worked, but want of capital embarrasses operations, and
little is doing with a mine that might produce an enormous
amotint of silver every year. Want of security is the great
drawback to every good enterprise in the country at the
present time. With a foreign intervention capital would
not be wanting to work many rich mines that are now
abandoned in different parts of the country.
On the night of the 11th, early in the evening, a French-
man was assaulted by an assassin in the First San Fran-
cisco. The assassin struck a fearful blow with a long
poniard at his intended victim, but the Frenchman warded
the first blow with his umbrella, which was cut nearly
through the stock. A second blow left a considerable wound
in the wrist of the assailed, who then made his escape. The
night was dark and rainy at the time, and it was impossible
to tell whether the assassin was alone or accompanied by
others. It is needless to add that no arrests were made.
Isidro Diaz, ex-Minister of Miramon and accompliace in
the robbery of the British Legation, fur which crime he
has been for some time undergoing trial, has been declared
innocent I Perhaps this trifling incident mar lead to an
idea of how other judgments have been obtained.

A party of brigands have been for some time plying their
trade within the walls of this city by robbing the diligence
for the interior. The other morning an ambuscade was set
for them and resulted in a skirmish, in which one of the
passengers was wounded and a sleeping watchman killed.
No harm was done to the actual combatants.
The Padre Celestino, a Spanish friar, who has distin-
guished himself in the last few months, as chief of a small
party of cut-throats and robbers in and about the Valley,
has been arrested in this city. The probabilities aro ho
will be pardoned, through the venality of some judge and
the indifference of the Government.
Tho custom house of Vera Cruz is reported to be filled at
present with foreign merchandise, and for the accommoda-
tion of the importations, now on the sea, new storehouses
must bo taken. The want of demand in the interior, the
insecurity of the roads, the late extra impost of 15 per cent ,
and the scarcity of money in the port to pay the duties, aro
the causes of this anomalous state of affairs. The Indians
near Ixtniquilpan have raised the cry of " Death to the
Whites," and a few days ago entered that town and mur-
dered some 20 persons. The priests have induced them to
believe that the whites are opposed to their religion. The
town of Atotonilco el Grande, near Pachuca, has been
burned by one of the clergy bands. The bands of Galvan
and Cagtillo lately sacked the post on the Cuernavaca road,
known as the Guarda. They robbed the people down to their
clothing,.crud ;_hot one unfortunate person because he could
not give them a sum of money. M. Paul Dairo, a French-
man, was assassinated a few days ago between this and
Cuernavaca. A discussion is going on in the
papers about the establishment of a dictatorship.
According to the past chronic changes of govern-
ment in Mexico, it is about time for us to
have another trial of this style of government.
The prefect of Yautepec, Don J. M. Lara, has been assassi-
nated by the Plateados, a party of bandits who ignore all
political distinctions and rob without any mask. The ex-
tensive property of Mr. Freda, an American citizen, situ-
ated near the Llano de Salazar, and comprising a glass fae-
WY: altilicrYt § tOWCrYi WNW ItIWX

establishments, has been burned by one of the political'
bands. Olavarria, a Spanish clergy chief, has been taken
and shot, On the night of the 14th a shot was fired at the
French minister, bT. de Saligny, which came near doing
serious injury. The object of this attack is not known, and
many rumours aro afloat. Some say it is another demon-
stration of the general hatred for foreigners. Others think
the attack was for some personal reason.

THE MURDER Al BIRIIIIiVGH,IM.
THE MrQUEST.

BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY.
This evening an inquest was held on the body of
the unfortunate woman, Anne Walker, who was
murdered on Sunday last by John Thompson, with
whom she had cohabited. The inquiry took place
before J. B. Davies, Esq., at the Hope and Anchor,
Coleshill-street. The prisoner was present.
The first witness examined was Sarah Berrisford,
who deposed that she was a single woman, living
in Tanter-street, and several young women lodged
with her. Deceased was a married woman, and had
three children ; but having parted from her hus-
band she had lately lived as housekeeper to the
prisoner Thompson, at Sutton Coldfield. On Satur-
day night last deceased asked her (witness) if they,
meaning herself and prisoner, could have a bed, as
it was too late for them to go to Sutton. After hesi-
tating some time she consented. The following day
deceased and prisoner went out twice for a walk
together. The second time the deceasedreturned at
three o'clock alone, and asked witness if she might
go and lie down for half an hour, and she appeared
rather the worse for liquor. Deceased then went up
to bed, and in a few minutes after the prisoner en-
tered the house and said, " Where's Anne ?" Wit-
ness replied that she had gone to lie down—upon
which the prisoner walked out of the house, but
returned in five minutes, and went up to the bed-
room in which deceased was lying. Witness, in a
quarter of an hour jafterwards, had occasion to go
upstairs, and when she went into the room occupied
by the deceased and the prisoner she saw the latter
on his knees rubbing deceased's arms, which had
been hurt by a fall. Prisoner said to deceased, in a
kindly tone, " Will you go home, Anne ?" when she
replied, " No, I won't yet." -Witness then left; the
room and went down stairs, but, hearing a scream,
she returned again, and saw deceased lying on her
back, blcce.ing, and heard her say " I said would
go with him" two or three times. The prisoner
was standing about a yard off with a knife
in his hand, and it was covered with blood, and he
Said, several times, " I have dello it." Witucco thon
ran down stairs crying " Murder," and went to look
for a policeman, and, having found one, she went for
a doctor. The deceased was pregnant at the time
of her death.

The prisoner, on being asked if he had any ques-
tion to put, said, " ; but she has said a good deal
that is true, besides a good deal that is not true."
Elizabeth Green said she lived in the house be-
longing to the last witness, and on Sunday after-
noon last was sitting in the kitchen when she heard
a noise upstairs. She went up a few steps and met
Sarah Berrisford coming down, exclaiming " Good
God' the man is killing the woman." "Witness
went up into the room from which the noise and
screams came, and saw the deceased lying on her
back on the floor, and the prisoner kneeling over her
passing a knife across her throat several times.
There were no other persons in the room but Thomp-
son and deceasel. She had not heard any quarrel-
ling between them during the time they were in the
house. She saw the prisoner enter the house and
go upstairs the last time, and he did not appear to
be drunk. She (witness) slept in the next bed to
prisoner and deceased on Saturday night, but heard
no altercation between them.

William Carless deposed that he was passing
along Stafford-street on Sunday afternoon last when
he heard a cry of murder proceeding from a house
in Tanter•street. He went to the place, when two
young women directed him upstairs. He went up
to the bedroom where he saw the prisoner standing
and the deceased lying on the floor bleeding. Wit-
ne:•s said to the man " What have you done this
for," at the same time catching hold of him by the
coat. Prisoner replied " I have done it," and then
handed him a pocket-knife stained with blood. A
police-officer then entered the room, and took the
prisoner into custody. Could not say whether de-
ceased was alive or dead at the time.
Other evidence having been given, the jury,
after deliberating an hour, returned a verdict of
wilful murder against the prisoner.

THE BILSTON MUBDER.

EXAMINATION OF THE ACCUSED.

Yesterday the five men who have been arrested
on suspicion of being concerned in this murder
were brought up at the Bilsten Petty Sessions, be-
fore the Rev. H. S. Fletcher and Mr. J. N. Bag-
nall. Their names are William Jones, alias Mul-
ligan, Thomas Lilley, Thomas Jukes, Samuel Bills,
and Ezekiab. Webb. None of them are more than
25 years of age. They have all been under the
ban of the police, and Jones was sentenced to four
years' transportation for a burglary in Bilston
about seven years ago. He he been home about
three years, but in Bilston only about a fortnight.
There is no doubt about his being the wan who was
convicted on that occasion under the name of Mul-
hghan, and that he is an Irishman from the county
Mayo. Lilley is of a slender but wiry frame, bas
red hair, and has a black eye. This is the man who
describes himself as a hawker, of Birmingham.
Ever since his arrest he has expressed much indig-
nation at being in Custody, and yesterday he mani-
fested much violence of tempo/ while in the dock.
He entered the court smiling, and in the dock
cracked jokes, and looked round to the general
audience in the court for approbation. The police
have reason to believe that he has been in the Royal
Artillery, from which corps it is thought to be not
unlikely that lie has deserted. The other prisoners
seemed somewhat more impressed with the gravity
of their position. The men are all of low stature,
and do not look older than they have represented
themselves to he. Bills was defended by a barrister.
Major M'Knight, the deputy chief constable of
Staffordshire, informed the bench when the case
was called on that he proposed only to show that
Jones had been apprehended with property in his
possession belonging to the murdered man, and
that the other prisoners were in company with him
on the night of the murder.
Lilley, in an impertinent tone, said that he wished
his case to be gone on with, for he could show that
he had nothing to do with the offence, and, although
he was informed that he would probably be re-
manded with the rest, continued to interrupt the
magistrates.
Police-constable Harrison then deposed to seeing
three men walking along the high road from Daisey
Bank. Jones was one of the three, and was walk-
ing behind the other two. One of the three, but
not Jones, had some clothes across his arm. He
attempted to arrest them, and they ran off, the man
who was carrying the clothes throwing them down.
He knew one of the other men. After following
them a short distance he returned to the spot where
the things were thrown down, accompanied by
another officer. After removing the clothes to a
place of safety they watched the spot. Presently
Jones returned, and he and the other officer arrested
him, and with some difficulty got him to the station.
The clothes were new from a clothier's shop, and
there was also a coat that had been worn, and had
a pair of gloves in the pocket. All these had been
identified as the property of the deceased. Jones
also had in his pockets Ss. sd. and a set of studs
that it could be shown had not long ago been sold
to the deceased. When he asked Jones how he
could account for the studs he said he did not know.

Jones, who had before frequently interrupted the
witness by impugning his accuracy, remarked,
" You arc a liar ; I never spoketo you about them."
The landlord of the' King's Arms Hotel deposed
that he could identify all the prisoners but Webb
as being in his spirit shop up to within a few mi-
nutes of 12 on Saturday night. When he attempted
to put them out one who was not present made a
violent threat to murder him.
Miss Lewis also identified Webb.
Mr. Clay-don (Bills's barrister) asked to be allowed
to tender evidence showing that Bills, on leaving
the King's Arms, went home, and remained there
till he was arrested.
The Magistrates remarked that an opportunity
for calling this evidence would be afforded after the
remand, but at present there was sufficient evidence
to justify a remand, and they could not therefore
receive it.
The prisoners were then formally remanded,
and the police were about to remove them from
the dock, when Lilley shouted out, " Hold hard;
take your time ; here, what am I to be sent
back for ? I want to produce my witness."
Then addressing himself to one of the policemen,
he said, " Here, you give me that waistcoat you
took from me." The officer had to take him forcibly
from the dock, and as lie was being removed down-
stairs he struck at one of the officers, and made a
desperate effort to escape. Jones also stoutly resisted,
but he was in the clutches of Major Plisight,where
he was held as in a vice.

The effort of the men to escape created great ex-
citement in the court. They were evidently despe-
rate fellows.

THE EASTERN FISHERIES.—The herring 11,11e7 y
is now being actively prosecuted off the eastern coast. Two
or three boats have come into Yarmouth with about eight
lasts of their own catch, but recent heavy weather at sea
has caused some boats to seek harbours nearer the fishing
grounds than Yarmouth. Prices havo ranged from £lO to
£25 per last, according to quality. Some of the long shore
boats have landed at Yarmouth several tlnuaalatl With
qilii&A t 4 1; 100,

DREADFUL AIiURDER AT NEWCASTLE-

ON- T Y NE.

Mr. Prater, the collector of income tax for the
borough of Newcastle-on-Tyne, was murdered as
he was proceeding to his office in Blacket-street,
yesterday morning. The facts of the case are as
follows :--

Just as ho was going into his office a man ran up
to him with a long bright knife in his hand, and
before he could escape or take any precautions what-
ever for his safety, the assassin thrust the weapon
with great violence into his face. The blade touched
the right cheek near the mouth, then, slanting off
from the bone, plunged into the neck, where it
severed the jugular vein. The victim of this dia-
bolical deed did not seem at first to comprehend the
fatal nature of his injuries. He walked upstairs to
his room, when he suddenly exclaimed, "I fear I'm
done for," and fell upon the floor, and in a few
minutes expired. Medical attendance was at once
sought for, but life was quite extinct, a great quan-
tity of blood having flowed from the frightful
wounds inflicted upon the neck.
The murderer, George Clark, 45 years of age, a
cabinet-maker, was secured. The knife with which
the fatal deed was committed was found on his
person. It is a common table knife, but it has re-
cently been ground down to a very sharp point ; it
is also rather jagged at tho sides. Upon being
seized Clark exclaimed, " He sold me off, and now
I'll be tried for murder ;" and a few minutes after-
wards he said, "This will be a grand business for
the penny papers."
On inquiry we find that some three months ago
a seizure had been made upon Clark's premises,
under Mr. Frater's direction, for a dog tax, which
he would not pay. He seems ever since to have
cherished a feeling of deadly revenge against the
deceased.

The murderer, a middle-aged rap, meanly dressed,
and of sullen appearance, was subsequlntly ems-
mined at the police-court. He did not seem to be
excited. His hand was still stained with blood.
On the application of Mr. Sabbage the presiding
►magistrates remanded the prisoner for a week.
When arrested he was searched, arid a document
relating to the seizure of his goods, above referred
to, was found upon him. There seems to be no
grounds for suspecting the sanity of the prisoner.