The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-08 00:00:00

tically substituted for silver as the exclusive standard
of value." So, from WILLIAM to ELIZABETH, our
" ancient polity" recognised, NOT the pound of gold,
but the pound of silver, as the standard of value.
From a period not a century after the close of WIL-
LIAM'S reign ti 111567, say about 300 years, even this
pound was of greatly debased silver ; and from 1567 to
1719, or for 150 years, the enhanced value of the pound
remained unaltered. Farewell, the "ancient prac-
tice " by which our gold standard of value is said tobe
sanctioned ! Well ;—"for a certain period afterwards,
both gold and silver constituted the standard of value;
and in 1717, it having been determined that the value
of the guinea should, be 215., in 1774 it was enacted
that no legal contract should be discharged in silver
for any sum of more than 251." Adieu! most con-
sistent, unbroken, venerable, presumptive "custom of
the country," only chequered by these trifling
changes !—" That" (measure of 1774) " therefore
made gold substantially the measure of value in this
country." Sir ROBERT'S " therefore" is about as
good a sequitur as his definition of "certain definite"
(that is, unchanging and unalterable) quantity.
One more citation, and we will leave Sir ROBERT
for the present. He supposes himself to be arguing
against any change in the existing standard of value.
" There is no more reason," he says, " why a pound
should not be bound by all transactions—notwith-
standing our increase in wealth—there is no more
reason why you should change your pound—than
there is to say that a foot shall be a foot and a half."
The difference between the two cases, the reason for
such a principle of adoption in the one—the utter
absurdity of its application in the other—are things
so self-evident, that we will not waste one word of
commentary on such a preposterous analogy. Had
the Premier proposed his own " foot" for the standard
of Parliamentary symmetry in that member, it would
have had not one tittle less of relation to the matter
in hand, or been one iota less inefficient as a measure
of comparison !

Madrid journals of the 30th ult. have been received.
One of them, the Correspon.val, publishes the condi-
tions of an offer made by five Spanish capitalists, to
raise a loan of a thousand millions of reals (about 250
million francs) for the Government. The chief con-
ditions are that the Government shall give 100 reals
stock for 40 in money, and that the payment of the
interest shall be secured on the tobacco monopoly.
In one of the articles the Government engages not
to contract any new loan until the above be paid off,
and shall engage to fulfil all the above conditions.

The Funds had recovered alittle from the depression
caused by late events. Three per Cents. were done
31 for cash, and 30i, at 60 days ; the Four per
Cents. at 20i- at 59 days; and the Five per Cents.,
at 24.

The Paris papers of Monday published a telegra-
phic dispatch, dated Bayonne, May 4, announcing
the capitulation of Almeida on the 29th ult., from
which we learn that Count Bozarist and a number of
officers, who raised the standard of rebellion, had
made their escape into Spain. The intelligence in
these papers possesses little interest. The Duchess
of KENT was much occupied in visiting all the public
places of note in Paris and the neighbourhood. On Sun-
day she went to Trianon, with the QUEEN and several
members of the Royal Family, and after the conclu-
sion of the water-works returned to the Tuileries
with the Royal party. The KING did not accompany
her Royal Highness, having to preside at a Cabinet
Council. On Tuesday there will be a fete at Fon-
tainbleau, at which the KING and Royal Fa-
mily, with the Duchess of KENT, will be pre-
sent. Her Royal Highness will remain at
Fontainbleau until Thursday, when she will leave
for Switzerland. The Constitutionnel has an ar-
ticle on railroads, attacking with much severity
the backwardness of the Government and the
Chambers in adopting any plan for carrying out
the proposed new lines. " The railroads," it states,
" were expected to be the great business of the ses-
sion. However, the Chambers have been sitting for
four months, and not a single report on all the diffe-
rent Bills presented by the Minister of Public Works
has been made. M. TESTE was accused of incapacity
and supineness, and it was hoped that his successor,
M. DUMON, would find means for getting out of the
dilemma in which the law of 1842 had involved the
railroad question. This was a misconception ; for
M. DUMON still drags on in the ruts and sloughs of
incertitude and sluggishness. He takes up every
system, but holds to no one. The new Minister of
Public Works, since he decided upon amending the
law of 1842, ought to have emancipated himself from
Parliamentary influence and the exigencies of local
interests ; but he has wanted the courage. He
has neglected the main lines, to favour those of a
minor order. Has not the law of 1842 classed the
lines from Paris to Strasburg, and from Paris to the
Mediterranean ? Do not these two lines predominate
by their importance and utility over all others ?
Are they not equally connected with our internal
Inztry as to its grounds
prosperity and our foreign commerce ? These ques-
tions have long ago been answered by all men who
regard with judgment the general interest. Could
any doubts on this subject remain, it willsuffiocuds
suffice to
to these Ministry
oer
rfi
oe
presenting
tte
yos
nhs t
ng reportyet
the
law of
two lines, and also to the in which a decided
p
report of the Committee to which the Bill was re-
ferred. All the other roads form but the small veins
to these two great arteries. Well ! what is M.
DUMON doing ? He seems to have completely aban-
doned the Paris and Strasburg line, and cuts short
the communication between Paris and Lyons, by
proposing at first to carry the work no further than
Chalons-sur-Saone, and by choosing afterwards a
direction which cannot fulfil all the conditions of a
line crossing the kingdom from north .to south. In
compensation, he gives us the roads between Orleans
and Vierzon, and between Tours and Bordeaux.
This certainly is not what the country expected ; and
this arrangement will satisfy but very -few localities.
The Chambers, we say it with regret, do not show
more ardour in coming to a resolution than the
Cabinet itself. Two months have elapsed since the
Bill for the North railroad was presented, and not a
glimpse of a report upon a matter so urgent has
escaped. If the same drawling system goes on, we
shall come to the end of the session without any
other means of action than the deplorable* law
of 1842."

On Monday the Three per Cents. closed at 84f. 60c.,
and the Fives at 122 f. 15c.

THE BOURSE-MONDAY, MAy 6.
First Highest Lowest Last
Price. Price. Price. Price.
French Five per Cents 121 65 .. 121 90 • • 121 65 • • 121 85
Four per Cents.
Three per Cents B4 55 .. 84 60 .. 84 55 .. 84 50
Bank of France....... 3lOO • • 3100 . 3100 ..3100
Laffitte Bank,ls,ooof. Sharessl6o ..5165 ..5160 • • 5165
Belgian Bank...—. ..... 692 50 .. 692 50 .. 692 50 .. 692 50
1841.... •• 1110 ..1110 ..1110 —lllO
Belgian Fives,lß3l.
1840
1842...•..•. 1081 .. 1081 .. 1081 .. 1081
Spanish Active 321 .. 321 .. 321 .. 321
Threes • • • . .... 35 .. 35 .. 341 • . 341
Passive 6 .. 6 .. 6 • • 6
Portuguese Five per Cents.. 451 .. 46 .. 451 • • 46
Neapolitan •••.. lOl 85 .. 102 05 .. 101 85 .. IN 05
Roman, e*iv lO4 .• 104 .. 104 .• 104

RAILWAY SHARES.
Versailles, L. 8... • • .• .. • . .. 255 .. 253 75 .. 251 25 .. 252 50

Rouen

.. 96

Rouen to Havre.. • . • • • • .• • . 73i
Orleans .....

•• 737 50 •• 735 737 50
•• 975 .. 972 50 975

Strasburg to Bale .:.. .. • • 276 25 .. 276 25 .. 273 75 .. 275

Avignon to AtarseLUes• • . • 770 .. 770 .. 770
RAILWAY SHARES, FOR THE ACCOUNT.

.. 770

Verailles, R.B. • • 375 .. 375 375 .. 375
L. 8.• ••. • • •••• •• 255 .. 255 .. 252 50 .. 252 50
Rouen ...... ..... . 972 50 .. 972 50 .. 967 50 . 967 50
Rouen to Havre.. •• ••• • 737 50 .. 740 .. 737 50 .. 737 50
Orleans ..... . ..... •• 977 38 .. 977 50 .. 975 .. 975
Strasburg to Bale.
. .

Avignon to Marseilles.— • . 772 50 . 777 50 .. 770

- 770

THE COURT.—Her Majesty and Prince Albert,
accompanied by the Prince of Wales, the Princess
Royal, and the Princess Alice, and attended by the
Royal suite, are expected to arrive at Buckingham
Palace, about three o'clock this afternoon, from
Claremont. A grand dinner will be given in the
evening, at Buckingham Palace, to the Noble Direc-
tors of the Concert of Ancient Music, the Prince
being the Director for the evening. The Illustrious
party will afterwards proceed to the Hanover-square
Rooms.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN SHOE-LANK.----This morn-
ing, at half-past three o'clock, a dreadful fire broke out in
the lower part of the house of Mr. Lescombe, a glass manu-
facturer, Shoe-lane, nearly opposite the London National
Schools. The police ran instantly to Farringdon-street,
where they procured fire-ladders and hastened onward to
rescue the inmates ; and in three or four minutes the engines
were on the spot, followed by the West of England ; but
the firemen, although well supplied with water, could save
but a small portion of the stock. The ;premises of Messrs.
Pontifex and Co., as well as several small houses at the back,
were alone saved through the instrumentality of the assist-
ance rendered by the neighbours. The family all escaped,
but saved not a particle of clothing. The fire was not ex-
tinguished till half-past four, when several of the engines
left for another fire in Pall-mull,

THIS DAY'S NEWS.

CHANCERY.-(THIS DAY).
This was the last day of Easter Term, and the Court took
appeal motions, none of which possessed the slightest interest.

VICE-CHANCERY.-(THIS DAY).
Motions of no interest, this being the last day of Easter
Term, occupied the Court the whole day.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY
OLD COURT.

(Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON.)
THE MURDER AT MARYLEBONE.
At ten o'clock this murniag the prisoner, William Crouch,
who was described in the calendar as " a groom, aged 28, re-
manded from last session, standing indicted for the wilful
murder of Frances Elizabeth Crouch," was placed at the bar.
The prisoner is rather boyish in his appearance, with a
somewhat pleasing expression of countenance.
Mr. Parry prosecuted, and Mr. Clarkson defended the
prisoner.
Mr. Parry having stated the case, called
Mrs. Elizabeth Haynes, who said, I am the wife of Samuel
Has nes, who resides at Chesterfield-street, Marylebone. I
have known the prisoner since September last, at which time
he resided in the same house that I did. His wife was re-
siding with him. I remember the morning of Saturday, the
30th of March last, and saw the prisoner on that morning
between seven and eight o'clock. He went out that morn-
ing- about half-past ten. I saw him again about four o'clock
the same afternoon, when he came home with a man. I went
outside the door to him. I asked the prisoner If he had seen
my husband, and he said he had not. He then left the
house again and returned in about an hour afterwards. He
was alone then, and I told him he had been drrnking, but he
denied it. His appearance was that of a drunken man. He
sat down in the room and said, "It must be done—it must
be done—l can't wait." I said, " What is that, Mr. Crouch,
are you in a hurry ?" and he repeated the words three or four
times. He then fell asleep, and I said nothing further to him. He
was asleep for some time. When he woke up, I told him that
Mrs. Lynes had sent his clean clothes ; and he said, " I shall
never want them ;" and he got up and opened the bundle of
clothes, and, pulling out a shirt which was torn, said, " There
is a pretty thing for a fellow to put on his back." He said it
had been lying in the box for six weeks, and " she " was too
lazy to mend it, or sew any buttons on it. I told him I could
sew buttons on it before the morning, and he said he should
never wear it any more He sat down for a few moments,
and then get up and looked for a pair of stockings, and, not
finding them, he said, " I have not had a pair of stockings
for these six weeks." He said, " Why the b— h— could
she not mend my stockings?" He remained for a few mo-
ments, and then left the room, and went into my bed-room,
where his own box was placed. He unlocked the box, and
locked it again and then came into my room, and put the
box key into his waistcoat pocket. He sat down for about
five minutes, and then left the house. I did not see him
again until seven o'clock, when an alarm was given, and on
looking out of the window I saw him running. The prisoner's
wife had left him about a fortnight before. Until that time
she had lived with him, and after that time she used to
come backwards and forwards. The night the prisoner's
wife left he said, "I will lie wait for her, and give her a good
hiding ; and if I had her here I would cut her throat with
a razor."
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—The prisoner's wife
lived about forty yards off. The night this happened the
prisoner was tipsy.
By the COURT—I heard the alarm given al: out five minutes
after he left the house.
By Mr. CLARKSON—The conversation about the razor oc-
curred about a fortnight before. His wife was very kind to
him. He had a little girl about nine months old. He was
proud of the child. Mrs. Lynes used to take the child while
the mother went to work. When the prisoner's wife came
to see him, she brought the child with her.
Mary Lynes examined—l am the wife of Charles Lynes. I
knew the prisoner and his late wife. They had been married
a year and eleven months. She had a child about nine
mouths old, and I used to take care of it. I have done so
since the child was a fortnight old. I remember Saturday,
30th March, when I saw the prisoner at about eleven o'clock
in the morning. He was going down Marylebone-street.
He said, " I think she has cut me, for she has not been to see
me this morning." I said she is at work, and he then passed
on, and I did not see him again until twenty minutes to seven
o'clock, when I saw him at my own house, No. 4, Little
Marylebone-street. The prisoner's wife was in my room, she
had come up to suckle the baby. There was a little girl
named Sarah Simpson in the room with her. The prisoner
was about to pass me on the stairs, and I desired him to stop
until I had dried the stairs, for I was then cleaning them.
He said, " Is my missis up stars." I said, " Yes, she is." I did
not notice anything particular in his manner. When I had
finished the stairs he passed up into the room. His wife was
singing, " Fare thee well, love, I am going," and as soon as
he put his foot into the room the song ceased. I heard the
little girl Simpson cry out "mother, mother !" and I instantly
went into the room. The prisoner was standing with the
razor in his hand by the side of my chest of drawers. He was
wiping a razor. His wife was lying against the wainscoting.
She was bleeding from the neck, and was quite dead. I took
the prisoner by the shoulders and asked him how he dared
to treat his wife in that manner, but he made
me no answer. The child was under the deceased.
The prisoner said, if one man was not enough, twenty were
not too many. I thought he addressed this to the corpse.
He then went hastily down stairs. I ran after him, and
called out " Stop him !" I overtook him in the street and
stopped him, and said, " Mr. Crouch, how could you do so ?"
but he did not answer. I left him with Robert Davies, my
landlord. When he was brought back he asked if his wife
was dead, and I said " Yes, she is, you villain." He said
" Well, well, I did it, and I couldnot help it." He was asked
what he had done with the razor? and he said "I threw it
away," but I said " No, no, it is in his pocket," and there I
believe it was found.
Cross examined—The deceased bore a most excellent cha-
racter. She was a very moral, well-conducted woman. When
the prisoner came to my house on the Saturday he seemed to
me to be in a good temper. The door of the room in which
Mrs. Crouch was sitting was open. I could hear everything
that passed. Nothing was said but what I have stated. I
did not see the infant taken out of the room.
Sarah Simpson, a little girl apparently about five years of
age, dressed in deep mourning, was then placed on the bench,
and questioned by the Learned Judge, who informed the jury
that from her answers she was evidently unacquainted with
the name of her Creator, and was therefore incapable of cal-
ling upon him to attest her truth. She was consequently not
examined.
Charles Bennett was then called, and said I am a police-
man, D 18. I was on duty on the evening of 30th March,
and was called to take the prisoner into custody. I took him
by the collar, and he said, " You need not collar me, I will
go quietly." As we were going along he said "Ah, well, it
served her right ; why did she leave me ?" I then took him
to the room in which the body of the deceased was lying.
The room was full of blood. I asked Mrs. Lynes what he had
done with the instrument, and she said he had got it about
him. I asked him first, and he said he had thrown it away.
I searched him, and found the razor in his coat pocket. On
the road to the station-house he said, "I don't care anything
about it ; you may hang me and be d—d." Further on he
said, "Ah, that cursed drink, it is the devil." I then took
him to the station-house, and on taking off his neckerchief I
discovered a cut in his throat. It was a small cut; it had
bled but very little. A surgeon saw him afterwards.
Cross-examined—He repeatedly said, " Oh, my dear wife ;
I love her." He was taken over to Dr. Clarke's, and his
neck was stitched up, and he was afterwards taken to the
workhouse. He there said, " Oh, that cursed handkerchief,
if it had not been for that I should have finished myself; for
if I was dead I should be as happy as she is."
Mary Anne Smith—l am the sister of the deceased, Frances
Elizabeth Crouch. Her maiden name was Frances Elizabeth
Downing.
Mr. Joseph was then called, and said—l am a surgeon re-
siding in Great Marylebone. On the evening of the 30th of
March I was called to No. 4, Little Marylebone-street, where
I saw the body of the deceased lying on the floor. I found a
wound in her neck which had divided the windpipe, the left
jugular vein and right jugular vein, ard part of the spine.
That which kept the head on.was the spine. I was also called
to examine a wound in the prisoner's neck. It was not at all
a serious wound ; it was quite superficial. It had been sewn
up when I saw it. The prisoner, when I saw him, was in a
state of stupor, but he rapidly got out of that state ; that was
about a quarter of an hour after the murder was committed.
I saw the prisoner afterwards several times. I asked him if
he had any pain in the head, and he replied, "No." His
head was lying on his breast. I saw him the next day, and
on asking him how he was, he said he wished that he was
dead, and was crying very much. He asked to see his child
I saw him again on the Monday, in order to ascertain whe-
ther he was fit to go before the Coroner, and I found that
he was

Cross-examined—l have never found that concussion of
lie brain has resulted in madness. I have never known
concussion happening to a madman produce sanity ; nor
have I ever known concussion of the brain to a sane man
produce madness.
Re- examined—The usual effect of concussion of the brain
is insensibility. Concussion is a curable disease generally.
There were other witnesses, but Mr. Clarkson thought it
was not necessary to call them, and they were therefore not
examined.
This was the case for the prosecution, and
Mr. CLARKSON rose to address the jury for the prisoner.
He said that in fact the only question they would have to
consider was, whether the prisoner, when he committed the
crime with which he stood charged, was or was not disor-
dered in his mind, insomuch as to preclude the posssibility of
his being responsible for his own act. The Learned
Counsel then adverted to the evidence which had been
adduced, from which he said it would appear that the
prisoner was devotedly fond of his wife, and proud of his in-
fant child. He would ask the jury whether such a man,
being so proud of his child, would, while in a sound state of
mind, seek to smother that child in the blood of its mother ?
He (Mr. Clarkson) was in a position to show that the priso-
ner ad, for a very considerable time prior to the com-
mission of this act, as far back as 1838, been looked upon by
his relatives and friends with doubt respecting his sanity.
This was the ground upon which he stood up in defence of
the unfortunate man at the bar. (Here the prisoner apppeared
to be overwhelmed by an agony of grief, and for a consider-
able time kept his face buried in his handkerchief. The
Learned Judge directed that he should be accommodated with
a chair.)
Mr. Thomas Jolliffe Tuffnell was then called by Mr.
CLARKSON, and said—l am assistant-surgeon to the 3d
Dragoon Guards. In 1838 I was in Devonshire. On the 17th
December in that year the prisoner was brought to the Devon
and Exeter Hospital. He was at that time in the service of
Sir Lawrence Palk. He was perfectly insensible. The
symptoms were those of concussion of the brain. I was told
that it had resulted from a blow on the temple. I treated
him for concussion of the brain. He was perfectly insensible
for three days. He did not answer any question until three
days after that. He underwent the discipline of a person
who had received severe concussion of the brain. He was
under my care for at least a month. I saw Sir Lawrence
Palk, and told him that after the accident I did not think the
prisoner would be a capable servant. He was a groom in the
service of Sir. Lawrence Palk. I thought the injury which
he bad received was likely, if he took the smallest quantity of
liquor, to prevent his being able to take care of a pair of horses.
I have had experience in these sort of cases. I had to treat
a soldier in India for concussion of the brain, and the result
was, that I was obliged to invalid him and send him home,
for he was entirely unfit for subsequent service. After con-
cussion of the brain a person is very liable to excitement.
They are easily excited. A person, after having received
such an injury, might become disordered in his mind. That
is my opinion, from works which I have read on the subject.
The prisoner, after the accident to which I have referred, was
taken, by the direction of Sir Lawrence Palk, to a place
called Kenton. It was my opinion when he left the hospital
that he would ultimately become unsound in his mind.
Cross-examined by Mr. PARRY—The soldier to which I
have referred was quite unfit for the duty of a soldier, as he
would frequently lay down his musket when on ihnpertant
duty, and walk quietly away. I would not have trusted the
prisoner with a valuable horse of mine. I think the effect of
his taking ardent spirits would be to cause him to ~rim
muck." A person having received concussion of the brain
would, in taking alcoholic liquors, exhibit great excitement.
Re-examined-.-I have semi sucb, after taking liquor, sullen
and raervee,