The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-15 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WLVDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—Her Majesty and his Royal
Highness Prince Albert took their accustomed early w&
this morning.
The Royal Family were taken an ag in the forenoon,
and were also taken out in the afternoot.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent dined last even-
ing with her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince, Albert
at the Castle.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge left town at
twelve o'clock yesterday for his residence at Kew.
His Excellency the Turkish Ambassador transacted busi-
ness at the Foreign-office yesterday.
Sir Robert Peel has issued invitations for a grand Parlia-
mentary dinner on Saturday, the 24th instant, at his resi-
dence in Whitehall-gardens.
The Secretary-at-War transacted business yesterday at the
Home-office.

Dispatches from the Governors of Ceylon and Western
Australia, and also from the Lord High Commissioner of
the lonian Islands were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office.

Sir James Graham had an interview with Sir Robert
Peel yesterday.

Dispatches were sent off last evening from the Colonial-
office for the Governor of Gibraltar.

The Judicial Committee of her Majesty's most Honourable
Privy Council, had a meeting yesterday in the Council
Chamber, to hear an appeal from the Prerogative Court of
Canterbury, " the Right Hon. John Wilson Croker v. the
most • Honourable Richard Seymour Conway, Marquis of
Hertford, and also the Right Hon. William Baron Lowther,
E. Hopkinson, Esq., S. H. de Horsey, Esq., and R. Meynell,
Esq.," relative to a codicil of the will of the late Marquis of
Hertford, dated 28th October, 1838, at Milan.
Sir Charles Wetherell and Mr. Kindersley, Queen's Counsel,
were heard for the respondent.
Lord Brougham, on the part of the Lords present, ap-
pointed 'Wednesday next, the 21st inst., to hear the Solicitor-
General in reply.
The Lords present were the Lord Chief Justice of the Court
of Queen's Bench, the Lord Chief Justice of the Common
Pleas, Lord Brougham, Lord Abinger, Lord Campbell, Mr.
Baron Parke, the Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, and the
Judge of the Admiralty Court.

WILL OF THE LATE MARQUIS OF HERTFORD.--The
Judicial Committee of the Queen's Privy Council sat
yesterday to hear an appeal respecting the will of the
late Marquis of Hertford, being an appeal by the Right
Hon. J. Croker against a decision of the Prerogative
Court, affecting a codicil for 100,000 dollars left to the
Right Hon. Gentleman. Lords Brougham, Denman,
Abinger, the Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, and other
Judges, were present.

The Navy Estimates for the years 1844-45, laid upon
the table of the House on the Bth instant, have juit been
printed. As compared with the last vote for the finan-
cial years 1843-44, they result in an aggregate unusually
approximate. The "grand total "to be voted for the
current year, is 6,250,120/. ; the grand total for the last
year, was 6,382,990/. ; so that there is a reduction in
the present estimate for the navy, from their amount for
1843-44, of 132,8701. For the current Year the total
for the Effective Service is estimated at 4,004,7581. ; for
the Non-Effective, 1,398,651/. ; total for the Naval Ser-
vice, 5,403,409/. For the services of other departments,
846,711/. ; together, 6,250,120/. The chief items of
these estimates are—Wages, 1,170,4761. (Service afloat,
23,500 seamen, 2,000 boys, 4,500 Royal Marines ; ser-
vice on shore, 6,000 Royal Marines); Victuals, 544,9601.;
Admiralty Office, 126,826/. ; Registry of Merchant
Seamen, 2,980/. ; Scientific Branch, 38,076/. ; her Ma-
jesty's Establishments at Home, 127,927/., an Abroad,
22,426/. ; Wages to Artificers at Home, 649,104/. ; Ditto
Abroad, 42,080/. ; Naval Stores for Building and Re-
pairs of Ships, Docks, &c., 1,053,965/. ; New Works,
298,866/. ; Medicines and Medical Stores, 20,1651. ;
Miscellaneous Services, 61.6301. Half-pay ; namely,
to Officers of the Navy and Royal Marines, 742,296/. ;
Military Pensions and Allowances, 495,6261. ; Civil
Pensions and Allowances, 162,959/. The Estimates for
" Services of other Departments of the Government"
comprise, Army and Ordnance Departments (per Con-
veyance of Troops), 160,890/ ; Home Department
(Convict Service), 96,5271. ; and Post Office Depart-
ment (Contract Packet Service), 432,5411.

MONEY AND COMMERCIAL NEWS
CITY, WEDNESDAY EVENEsZO.

Consols closed rather heavily this afternoon, but there have
been no sales of importance. The rates were 974 to 4. The
New Three-and-a-Half per Cents. were 102 ; and Exchequer
Bills, 68s. 695. premium. India Stock brought 2774.
The news of an insurrection in Portugal, caused a decline
of 2 to 24 per cent. in the value of the Converted Stock, viz
to 344 to 44. Spanish Active Bonds were 224 4 ; and th
' Three per Cents., 32 to 314 • Colombian were 124; Chilia:
Deferred, 51 ; and Peruvian for Account, 274 to 28.
The additional transactions in Railway Shares have been
these :—Birmingham and Glouceater were 30, Bristol and
Exeter 24 to 1, Great North of England 74, Greenwich 74,
Manchester and Birmingham 4,-;:and South Eastern 164 to
154 discount. Eastern Union have been 4 to 4, Great
Western Fifths 7 to 4, Guildford Junction 2, South Western
354, Manchester and Leeds 434, Ditto Quarter 8, Paris and
Rouen 114, Rouen and Havre 54 to 6, Tamworth and Nor-
wich 6, and-York and North Midland Scarborough Branch
174 premium.
(From The Sun of Last Night.)
The sales of Cotton at Liverpool, yesterday, were 5,000
bales, 2,000 being on speculation. Prices were without al-
teration, and the market was quiet. A fair business was
done in Railway Shares, but they had still a downward ten-
dency. Eastern Counties, Registered, were 12 ; Grand Junc-
tion, 227 ; Great North of England, 91 ; Great Western,
110; Liverpool and Manchester, 224; Birmingham, 2364;
Brighton, 434 ; South Western Eighths, 3 9-20 ; North Mid-
land, 924 ; Paris and Lvons, 2/. 17s. ; Paris and Orleans, 324 •
South Eastern, 344 ; Ditto, Scrip, 344.
The Exchange from llamburgh comes over at 13 84, and
the price of gold at 4334.
As the foggy state of the atmosphere, and according to
the advices received from the outports, the rather tempes-
tuous character of the weather has prevented a large number
of homeward-bound vessels from arriving within the last few
days, it is probable that some may require aid or supplies
which steamers .would be usefully employed in conveying to
them.

The West India steamer, it has been suggested by some,
may have been detained at Vera Cruz, for Government
dispatches, seeing the rather involved state of our political
relations with Mexico ; but it should be borne in mind that
the contract with the Royal Mail Company does not justify
any lengthened detention, as this would disarrange the whole
service.

The position of affairs in Spain still engrosses a good deal
of attention here, and the accounts periodically arriving are
expected to bring intelligence of further insurrectionary
movements. There are, indeed, few Spaniards in the City
who can venture to predict where the matter will end, and
for the moment the vaunted financial projects that were to
resuscitate credit: are no more thought of. The Bonds have
been fluctuating, the Five per Cents. at from 23i to 23i ;
and the Three per Cents. at from 31* to 32.
The English Funds have been quiet to-day, but prices are
Sustained. Consols ,have realised 97i to 97* for Money, and
97i to a for Account. Bank Stock has been firm at 193 to
193 k. Exchequer Bills have been 695. premium ; and India
Bonds 83s. to 84s. pretniuin. The New Three-and-a-Half per
Cents, have been 102 to a ; and the Reduced 103 to a. The
Three per Cents, are 98 to
The Foreign investments are also dull. Portuguese Con-
verted at 46 to 46* ; Mexican at 34i to ; the Deferred at
1 ; and Columbian at 12i. Brazilian have been dull, but
firm at 79*. Danish Bonds are 87* ; Russian, 1184 ; and
the Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 55 to
Businessin the Share market has been very restricted, and
the quotations below will. show that the Railways are all
lower. •

MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, FEB. 13.—Considerable
business has been transacted in ourmarket to-day, and (with
the exception of Manchester and Birmingham) at a slight
reduction in .price.—Eastern Counties, registered, 12 to
12 1-16 ; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 593 ; Manchester and
Birmingham, 393 to 40 ; Manchester and Leeds, Halves, 503 ;
Paris and Lyons, 23 ; South Eastern, Scrip, 343 ; Sheffield
and Manchester, 64 ; Ditto, Quarters, 7 13-16 ; Manchester
Assurance, 10 1-16.

CLOSING PRICES.
BRITISH FUNDS.
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Red.
3 per Cent. C0n5...... 97/ Ditto Old Annuities -
3i per Cent. Red IO3A Ditto New Annuities..
New 3ip per Cent lO2 Ex. Bills, 1,0001. lid. 69 pm
New 5 per Cent — Ditto 5001....... 69 pm
Long Annuities to expire Ditto 5ma11..... 67 pm
Jan. 1860
Oct. 1859
Jan. 1860 Consols for Acct...... 971

FOREIGN FUNDS.
A totrian, 5 per cent. — Portuguese, 5
per cent.
Be!gian, b per cent — Ditto, New Ditto
Brazilian ...... 79/ Prussian, 5 per cent
B :enos Ayres 6 per cent Russian, 5 per cent...,
Onilian, 6 per cent — Ditto, Metallic ...... .
Colombian, 6 per cent — Spanish, 5 per cent 22,
Ditto 1824 — Ditto, 3 per cent... 3ll
Cuba Bonds, 6 per cent 93 Ditto, Deferred.... . .
Danish, 3 per sent French, 5 per cent. —f. —e.
Greek, 1825, 5 per cent Exchange........., —f. —c.
Heaican, 5 per cent 341 French, 3 percent. —f. —c.
Ditto, 6 per cent. 1837 iDutch, 21 per cent. 55i
Peruvian, 1825,6 per ct. 271 Ditto, 5 per cent.... 1011
SHARES.
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway (100 pd) 70
Bristol and Exeter (70 paid) .... 69
Great North of England Railway (100 pd) 921
Great Western (75 paid) ... 110
Ditto Fifths (12 paid) l9/
London and Greenwich Railway (12115 s 4dpd) 5/
London and Guildford Junction ( 5 paid)... 7
London and South Western (41163 10d pd) 77i
Manchester and Leeds (70 paid) ...... 113*
Ditto Quarter Sharos ( 2 paid) lO

A MAN WORRIED by a LEOPARD.
On Sunday morning last considerable excitement was
caused in Bolton by a report that the keeper at the me-
nagerie and museum of the Star Inn, had been worried
by one of the leopards. It appears, that the unfortunate
man, whose name is Matthew Ferguson, was seen going
up to the menagerie, about half-past seven o'clock on
Sunday morning, by one of the waiters. About half-
past eight another man, who assists in cleaning the
room on a Sunday morning, went into the menagerie,
and was alone for a considerable time. The keeper not
making his appearance he went down stairs with the in-
tention of looking for him, but was informed by the
waiter that he saw him come in about half-past seven
it was now about half-past nine o'clock. The waiter
went into the menagerie to look for Ferguson ; he found
his jacket and hat in the usual place ' - and, his atten-
tion being called to the cages of the leopards, by the
female jumping from a ledge at the top, he observed
the unfortunate man lying dead in the den of the male
leopard, and literally weltering in his blood. He imme-
diately gave an alarm, and Mr..§harples and other assist-
ance were instantly on the spot. The leopard, which is
one of the finest in England, was driven into the adjoin.
ing cage to the female ; and Mr. Watson, surgeon, was
sent for ; but there were no signs of animation left,
the poor man having evidently been dead for some
time. The body was fyund to be dreadfully man-
gled about the throat, and the scalp of the head
was nearly torn off. He must have been seized by
the throat, end killed almost instantaneously ; for,
had he given an alarm, he must have been heard by the
waiterin the room below. How he came to go into the den
to the leopard can only be conjectured. The animals
were purchased at the sale of the Manchester Zoological
Gardens, where Ferguson was their keeper; and being
in the habit, for a long time, of caressing the male, it
is thought that he must have gone into the cage with
the intention of teaching the animal some tricks, after
the fashion of Carter and Van Amburgh, as he had a
whip with him, and had carefully fastened the door on
going in. He had been strictly forbidden by Mr. Sharpies
to go into the cage when the animals were in, and he
had, therefore, probably taken the opportunity of doing
so clandestinely when no person was near.
THE INQUEST.
At twelve o'clock, on Tuesday, an inquest was
held at the Star Inn, before -Mr:Taylor, the borough
Coroner, and a highly respectable jury, when the ICA-
lowing evidence wrs given :
John Wardle said:---I am employed as a waiter by Mr.
Sharpies. The name of the deceased is Matthew Fer-
guson. He is thirty-six years of age, and has been
employed by Mr. Sharpies as a keter for about twelve
months. I never saw him in the leopard's cage when
alive. The door is fastened by a.screw at the bottom,
and another at the top, and by a chain and lock. I
saw him go past the bar about half-past seven o'clock
on Sunday morning, and going up to the museum
to his work. He did not appear to me at all the.
worse for liquor. I heard no noise afterwards. Sutton,
who was cleaning the museum, came down stairs at
about half-past nine or a quarter to ten, and said that
Matthew had not come. I said he had come in about
half-past seven, and went up to look for him. I could
not find him, and was coming away again, when I heard
one of the leopards move, and, on turning round, saw the
deceased lying on his back, in the den, with his head
towards the top. The leopard was lying at his feet,
with its head to the bars, and its legs crossed, After the
leopards are fed they generally go upon the shelf. The
leopard's neck was marked with blood. There was a great
quantity of blood in the den. I gave an alarm, and Chas.
Sutton went up with me, and we drove the leopard into
the other den. The deceased was quite dead. Mr.
Watson, surgeon, was immediately sent for, and ex-
amined the body. I could see that he was wounded bn
both sides of his neck, and the scalp of his head was
much torn. He was removed out of the den. He had
taken the chain off, and put it upon the squirrell's cage,
unloosed the screws, and, when he got in, he had
screwed them up again. I have heard that the previous
keeper had been in to the leopards ; and I remember
Mr. Sharpies forbidding him, and saying, that if he went
in again he would dismiss him. I never heard him say
anything to the deceased. The whip used by the de-
ceased in the room was lying at the bottom of the cage.
Mr. William Wolfenden, agent, said—l knew the de-
ceased as keeper. I heard him say, in the month of De-
cember, that he had been in the cage. There was a ru-
mour in the town, that Mr. Carter had been in the cage,
and I asked him if it was true. He said it was not, but
that he had been in himself several times, though Mr.
Sharples did not know it, or he would be very angry
with him.
The CORONER said, it appeared to him quite un-
neccesary to go further, if the jury believed
the witnesses already examined. There could not be
the slightest blame to Mr. Sharples, even if he knew
that the deceased was in the habit of going into
the den. The man was in his service as keeper
of the animals; he had experience of, such duty, and
ought to be better able to judge of their temper and
disposition than his employer, as he had been a keeper
in the Manchester Zoological Gardens before lie came
to Mr. Sharpies. The probability was, that he had an
idea that it would be a profitable speculation, if he could
train wild beasts to exhibit like Carter and Van Am-
burgh; and, like them, he must take the consequence
in case of failure in such dangerous employment.
It appeared that he had gone into the
cage with a whip, when no one but himself was present;
screwed the door fast after him ; and, if that were so, it
was his own act, and their verdict must be that of ac-
cidental death. If a man even worked in a factory, he
was subjected to accidents by the machinery ; but a man
who foolishly hazarded his life by going into the cage of
a wild beast, and perhaps to force it to do something
foreign to its habits and its nature, did that which was
likely to lead to his death.
The jury unanimously agreed in the opinion_ of the
Coroner, and immediately returned a verdict of " Ac-
cidental death."

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT•

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 14.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
Mr. L. BRUGES took the oaths and his seat for the
borough of Devizes, in the room of Mr. Sotheron, who
has accepted the Stewardship of her Majesty's Chiltern
e Hundreds.
Mr. PAKINGTON brought in the County Coroners'
Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read
a second time on Friday next.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET brought up the
Report of the General Committee on Elections, stating
that the 4th of March next had been fixed to ballot for
Committees to try the merits of the petitions against
the returns from the city of Durham and the borough
of Athlone.
Sir G. CLERK laid upon the table returns relating t°
the Post-office, the Ordnance, and other public depart'
meats.

COUNTY RATES (IRELAND).
Sir R. FERGUSON moved for a return of *e several
counties, counties of cities, and counties of towns in Ile;
land, of which the valuation, under the Act 6 and '
Will. 4, c. 84, has been completed ; specifying the nuns
of each barony or half barony, the acreable contents
and the valuation thereof ; stating also, the sum ordered
to be levied by the grand jury warrant of Spring Assize*
1843, for each such barony or half barony, and
the rate per centum which each such sum bears t°
the valuation; also the sum ordered to be levied by the
grand jury warrant of Summer Assizes, 1843, for each
such barony or half barony, and the rate per cent
which such sum bears to the valuation •, stating also th°
name and acreable contents of each such county, county
of a city, and county of a town ; the annual value
thereof, according to the valuation under that Act ; the
amount of the expense of such valuation, the cost Per,
acre of such valuation, and the rate which the cost 01
such valuation bears to each 100/. of the valuation
(being in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. SYO
of 1843).—Ordered.
Mr. FEFSRAND said, he must request the indulgelle.
of the House for a few moments whilst he made one 01'
two remarks on a subject which was somewhat person"
to himself. It would be in the recollection of the House'
that in the answer he had received from the Right Heat
Baronet (Sir James Graham) the other evening, on the
subject of what had fallen from Lord Chief Justice
Denman in the Court of Queen's Bench, on the subject
of the separation of mother and child, that he (Sir
James Graham) had stated that such words es
those attributed to him had never been used by
his Lordship. He (Mr. Ferrand) had stated in that
House that, in giving judgment in a case in the Court of
Queen's Bench, Lord Denman had delivered it as the .
unanimous opinion of the Court that there were some'
cases in which it was necessary to break in upon an'Ae
of Parliament. Now the House might conceive that?
before he brought such a dictum as that • before th.g:
House, he had taken every precaution to be satisfied
that it had been so laid down by that Learned Lord-
He begged to say that, since the denial by the B'
Hon. Baronet (Sir James Graham) of the utter-.
:Ince of the words in question by Lord Denref
he (Mr. Ferrand) had referred to his authority for whit
he had advanced to the House, and that that authoriti
had re-asserted and confirmed his original staternear^
Referring, too, to the Morning Chronicle, to the 72104
to the Morning Herald, and to the Post, he found the
same judgment in substance, and almost in the yell
words in which he (Mr. Ferrand) had brought it befall
the House. All these papers, generally so accurate
faithful in their reports, an of them agreed in attributing
to Lord Denman almost the very same words he had
quoted to the House. He hoped, therefore, he
fully justified himself to the House for the colt/
he had taken.—(Hear, hear.) And now, having
this statement, he wished to ask the Right Honourable,,,
Baronet (Sir James Graham) whether the denial of the,
words in this judgment were persisted in, and whetbl
also the remaining words which he (Mr. Ferrand)
put upon the notice paper had not likewise been used? t
Sir JAMES GRAHAM was understood to say
he was not fully prepared to re-enter upon this subjet
but he would give all the information in big'.
power. The Hon. Gentleman said,
the words asserted to have been used by Lord Denni.„lt
that he had made every inquiry to ascertain that they'
had been uttered, and it was evident he had done
The morning papers, too, confirmed the version that ",„
private authority had given to him, and this, taken D.
together, he freely admitted constituted strong testimal
in its favour. But he (Sir James Graham) could affal
assure the House, and that from the highest
rity, that Lord Denman had been misunder;
before quoting
stood in what he had been asserted to h.ga
uttered—that he did not utter it; but that what he 'lO
say was exactly the converse of what he was reported
have said. What Lord Denman had stated was thiero
that it was sometimes necessary to break in 11,c,,
general principles in order to get at a rig a;
rule of conduct and maintain the strict administratio
of justice and the law.—(Hear.) It was a monstrous'
doctrine to suppose that a Chief Justice, or any Jude
whatever, could, under any conceivable circumstance.
or in any conceivable case, lay down the doctrine thatit
was necessary in any matter or thing to break throngi;
or set aside the law, or infringe upon rules which be"
existed from: all time.

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