The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-02 00:00:00

ALARMING OCCURRENCE AT
NEILSTON, NEAR PAISLEY.
(From a Glasgow Paper.)
At the end of last week the Messrs. Cochran, who
have a very extensive establishment for bleaching and
finishing muslins at Kirkterdield, mar Neilston, gave
notice to their workers that a reduction of wages would
take place from that day. This gave rise to consider
able dissatisfaction, particularly among the female
workers, who form the great majority of the individuals
females reside in the village,
ern were lodged in what is
called the " Women's house," a building of three flats
and garrets, the upper portions being occupied as dor
bennitplltki3We•'adr. dsl‘olafnlsoo toirteh
mitories, while the loner flat was used as rooms for the
workers taking their meals. It is, We understand; the
custom at Kirktenfield that the workers rise to work at
rather an earlier hour on Monday morning thation the
other days of the week, and a signal is usually given
when the proper hour arrives. This, from the feeling
which had spread among them at the intimated redue7
Lion of wages, was, on Monday last. unattended to by
the women in the " women's house," and they pretty
plainly intimated a determination to strike work.
It is stated that an individual connected with the esta-
blishment, in order to compel the Women to go to work,
directed a quantity of bleaching-powder to be taken to
the passage on the under flat, and at the bottom of the
common stair to the whole of the premises, and sulphuric
acid to be poured upon it, so as to smoke the women out
by the noxious fumes of the chlorine lens evolved. This
was accordingly done by one or the men employed at the
field, who, after pouring on the vitriol, stirred up the
mixture, of which he hal taken a large quantity, and
having shut the outer do the 'result was that the gas
began to fill the whole i 'wrier of the building, and to
spread its noxious inf sem° over every individual within
it. A rush was now made from every flat to obtain
egress, but no one could get out without coming through
the passage in which the mixture was Owed, and
where, from the density of the gas, its noxious and
suffocating influence was proportionally increased. Mr.
John Cochran ran into the passage, and seizing the dish
in which the deadly gas was generating, passed out by
the back door of the passago, and threw the whole into
the burn which runs through the premises. In the mean-
time the poor women were striving to make their escape
into the open air, tdmostall of them under the most op-
pressive sense of sulllication, of intense head-ache, ex-
coriated throats, and irritated lungs. On getting into
the air the utmost alarm and confusion prevailed. Sur-
geons were sent for, and in the interim, urged to do
something for the relief of the sulibrers, their friends
were led, in their zeal to alleviate the pain, in some cases
to add to it by the medicines administered. Some had
fallen to the ground immediately on reaching a purer
atmosphere, as if struck by electricity ; some rolled
about giddy, as if suffering under sea-sickness ; while
others were more or less rendered incapable of knowing
what they were doing or ought to do.
When the medical gentlemen of Neilston arrived,
which was with the utmost alacrity, the proper antidotes
were applied ; and shortly after it was found that, with
regard to many, terror was the worst they had suffered;
but on 70 or 80 the gas had taken effect to some extent.
These were carefully attended to, and an express was
sent to Paisley, by the Messrs. Cochran, for the autho-
rities, and additional medical assistance.
rLheergeri (Procuratortleinn
Mackay, of the rural police, arrived before 12 o'clock,
and everything was done to aid the sufferers by them
etr from
Fiscal),lilsly, Sheriff Campbell, Mr.
)r. Wylie, and Captain
Paisley,
Dodger
and the Messrs. Cochran.
By the afternoon all of them had greatly recovered,
with the exception of six or eight, whose eases %sere con-
sidered more serious ; but these also were yesterday
(Tuesday) afternoon rapidly recovering.
We understand the individual in question was yester-
day required by the Renfrewshire authorities to give bail
for his appearance, in case of further proceedings being
deemed necessary.

CREDITON.—Many of the inhabitants on returning
from church on Sunday morning last, were much alarmed
cn passing the house of Mr. Pollard, ironmonger, by
hearing the report of a pistol. It was soon made known
that Mr. James Pollard, aged. about 22, and third son of
the late Mr. Jonas Pollard, had shot himself. An in-
quest was held on the body .at the Ship Inn, on Wodnes-
day last, and it appeared that the deceased, %when young,
met with a severe scald which much disfigured his face,
This of late had appeared to prey upon his mind, and
for the last fortnight he had been In a very desponding
state.
_

LONGEVITY.—Mr. R. Harris, registrar •of births
and deaths at Totnes, registered in the month of De-
cember last, the deaths of four persons 'successively,
whose united ages amounted to 335 years (viz., 76, 90,
90, 79,) and in the presentmonth of March, registered
four other persons successively, whose united ages
amounted to 313, (viz., three of 77, and one of 82 years.)
—Plymouth Journal.

The following is the Report made by Mr.
Leach, the Clerk of the City Works on the
Thames Navigation, on the important subject of
embanking the Thames, to undergo discussion in
the Court of Common Council on Tuesday next :
" The Conservancy of the River Thames, as
vested in the Mayor and Corporation of the City
of London, the consideration of which subject
has been the immediate occasion of this Report,
extends from Staines, at the extreme boundary
• of the county of Middlesex, on the bank of the
river,' as denoted by the so-called City Stone
placed thereon, bearing date A.D. 1280, at a dis-
tance of 37,1 miles westward of London Bridge;
and continues down flit-liver eastward to Leigh,
in Essex, on the north shore, a distance of about
42 miles, and on the south shore through Yantlet
Creek and up the river Medway, a distance of
about 54 (below London Bridge), at both which
places similar stones are erected.
" The navigation of the river westward of
London Bridge having been many years seri-
ously obstructed, and in dry seasons nearly im-
passable for loaded barges, without constant re-
course to the injurious practice of drawing flashes
of water from the upper districts of,,tlie river,
which occasioned both delay and expense, from the
want of those improvements which have since been
effected, .Acts of Parliament were obtain" 3y
the Corporation in the years 1774 and 1777 (14th
and 17th Geo. 1II.), by the former ofwhich powers
were obtained and carried into execution at
the expense of the Corporation, under the di-
rection of Mr. Robert Ay itworth, civil engineer,
for making a horse towing-path, with the neces-
sary bridges and works, from Putney to Rich-
mond, a distance of nine miles, where previously
the towing of barges had been performed by
large gangs of men, who were loitering about
from tide to tide for that employment ;—for re-
pairing and improving the towing paths in other
places or parts of the district, by building
bridges, &c.; digging new and more convenient
barge channels; stopping breaches; improving
time river by contractions where necessary, and
other important works. .
" The • second Act of Parliament above men-
tioned, namely, that of 1777, was passed for:
completing those. improvements, and for enabling
the Corporation to purchase several private tolls
imposed, where the original towing-paths had
been washed away for want of repairs or pre-
servation, and new paths had been set out by
the proprietors of the adjacent lands. The Act
also authorised the Corporation to collect a small
toll in lieu thereof, for the purpose of making
timber improvements in the navigation of the
river, keeping the works in repair, &c.
" Although great ameliorations were effected

under these Acts of Parliament, the navigation
continued in a very imperfect and unsatisfactory
state, being still passable. only by means of
flashes, in low water seasons, and was attended
with great delay, uncertainty, and expense, both
in times of high and low water, to the parties
who made use of the extensive districts orthe
Thames navigation. Repeated attempts were
made to obtain Acts of Parliament, to avoid the
navigation of the river altogether, on account, as
was alleged, of its imperfect state, by the forma-
tion of separate canals. These attempts were
resisted Successfully by the Corporation, with
difficulty and at great expense, until, in the years
1810, 1812, and 1814, powers were obtained
under three Acts of Parliament by the Corpo-
ration of London, for more effectual improve-
ments of the navigation within its jurisdiction
westward of London Bridge, and new tolls
granted to defray the expenses thereby incurred.
" These powers were immediately carried into
execution under my direction, by the erection
of six pound locks, at the following places:
namely, at Teddingtoni Moulsey, Sunbury, Shep-
perton, Chertsev, and Penton Hook, with move-
able or opening weirs at the five first-mentioned
locks, by which. about 21 out of the 32 feet of the
natural ftill of the river between Teddington and
Penton Hook, a distance of about 15 miles, is
penned up; facilitating the navigation of barges
laden to the.depth of 3 feet 10 inches, as restricted
by Act of Parliament, during the low water sea •
sons. This 'pain, removed or taken off in times
of flood or high water, has the effect, when shut
in, Of slightly retarding the downward passage of
vessels -by checking the velocity of the stream ;
but thereby, as well as ,by increasing the depth
of water over the shallows, materially facilitating
the progress of the vessel on her upward passage.
During the execution of these works, and
sufnequently, the towing-paths were generally
raised to provide for and secure the safe passage
of horses and craft in high-water seasons ; new
and more convenient barge channels were exca-
vated towing-path, pat
made o
h ,t
rbouguth
deep
a quarter
waterof a
rules, L a new t
length, (at
Staines, where the towing had previously been
effected by means of a long and heavy line hired
"jv
;for the purpose, occasioning much inconvenient
delay and expense. Several other extensive
improvements have been made, whereby certainty
and dispatch for the navigation have been ob-
tained, the duration and ill effects of floods dimi-
nished, and the extensive drainage connected
with the River ThameS 'assisted : this last being
an effect which may generally be expected to '
follow the Improvement of the river navigations.
" On account of the severe wear and tear of
the works above noticed, in such a river as the
Thames, large and expensive repairs are con-
stantly necessary to keep them in an efficient
state; and it would seem that the duties of the
conservancy (except, of course, as regards
the fishery) cannot better be discharged than by
so doing; and in this part of the river, namely,
between Staines and Putney, a distance of nearly
thirty miles, where the towing-path occupies one
bank of the river and the other bank is required
to be continually watched and kept in the state
most favourable for the, navigation, little more
remains to be done or recommended than a dili-
gent perseverance in the same system of improve-
ment and preservation, as the means best calcu-
lated to promote the public benefit in connexion
with the river navigation, its extensive and im-
portant drainage, and the other valuable interests
dependent thereupon.
Below Putney and Fulham Bridge the river,
although so capable of improvement for the pur-
poses of navigation, has for want of funds been
allowed to remain nearly in its natural state,
with irregular banks, inconvenient channels,
and formidable shoals. The first obstructions

to be noticed are the tii'd wooden bridges
uniting, Putney- and Fulham, and Battersea
and Chelsea. Each of these bridges is in-
conveniently constructed and situated with re-
gard to the navigable stream, occasioning a
cross set of tide through the navigable open-
ings, which are themselves also of insuffi-
cient width for the safe passage of all, but parti-
cularly of steam-vessels, whether employed as
passage-boats or for towing loaded barges. To
remedy these inconveniences would be neither
difficult nor expensive, and should be done with-

. _
out further delay, more especially when so great
an improvement as the removal of the present
shoals is accomplished, as it has been proposed,
above and below these bridges.
" To compensate for the Want of an useful ap-
plication of steam power for towing vessels as
well as on other accounts, the continuation of
the towing-path from Putney to Chelsea would
he a manifest improvement to the navigation of
this part of the river. Great delays and expense
are not unfrequently occasioned tbr want of such
an accommodation, particularly during land
floods and adverse winds;. while the improve-
ment of the channel consequent upon regular
contractions of the width of the river, the re-
moval of shoals, and the uniformity of the
banks, would all be assisted by the exe-
cution of the proposed towing-path, in a part of
the river where sufficient interest does not at

present exist, to induce the landowners on the
banks to carry into execution, or even contribute
towards, such an improvement. The length of
the river between Fulham and Battersea bridges
is about two and three quarter miles, and

its improved average width 713 feet. 'Those
portions of the banks not occupied by the
proposed towing-path, including part of the
shores of Fulham, Wandsworth, Battersea, and
Chelsea, would in all probability be gradually
improved by the owners and occupiers,
agreeably to the plan which accompanies this
Report, and which has been carefully surveyed by
James Walker, Esq., President of the Institu-
tion Of Civil Engineers, Captain Bullock of the
Royal Navy, the Waterbaitiff, the principal Har-
bourmaster, and myself. By this plan an ample
water-way is provided for the navigation, and by
the excavations from the shoals necessarily

onade to fill up the embankments, a suffi-
cient receptacle would be reserved for such
quantities of tidal water as are indispensable for
scouring-effect throughout the pools, and for
preserving, by a slightly increased velocity and
properly regulated course, the improved navi-
gable depth.
"Between Battersea and Vauxhall bridges, a
distance of about two and a half miles, the river
as it increases in magnitude does so in importance,
on account of the multipled population and the
value of the property on its banks. The
contractions described on the plan would
doubtless be beneficial, both to the navigation
and the land owners, by many of whom,
there is little doubt, the improvement
would be gradually executed. The pre-
sent width of the river varies from 1,010
feet to 640 feet, and it is proposed to be embanked
to an average width of 7:10 feet, which would
be effected with the same results and advantages
as before described, and probably likewise afford
facility, on one shore or the other, for a
carriage or foot road, conducing both to the
benfit and enjoyment of the public.
" From Vauxhall-bridge to London-bridge the
necessity for
..the improvement of the river, by
means of contraction and embankment, increases
in proportion to its magnitude and importance.
In this length of about two and a half miles
t re s c.fit-v -atitiortooo,-A=et
just below Vauxhall-bridge, and nearly 700 feet
water-way at London-bridge, to a width, above
Westminster-bridge for instance (before the em-
bankment for the Parliament houses), of 1,085
feet; at Hungertbrd market of 1,490 feet, at
Waterloo-bridge of 1,245 feet, and above
• Blackfriars-bridge of 1,000 feet. The con-
sequence of such prodigious irregularities, as
may be naturally expected, is the existence
of shoals in the river, and large accumu-
lations of mud on the shores ; the latter receiv-
ing constant additions from the filth poured into
the river from the common sewers throughout
the extensive drainage of such an enormously
populous district. This accumulation of mud
cannot but be most injurious to health and no-
, favourable to navigation, particularly to that
part of the latter which is effected by steam
power, and which passes up and down
at all times of tide. These evils, although ex-
isting before, were not so apparent as they have
been since the removal of the old and the build-
ing of the new London-bridge : indeed, a state of
things more requiring alteration and improve-
ment than the present can hardly be imagined.
" The most effectual remedy for these incon-
veniences, one which would simplify and render
more efficacious the duties of the conservancy,
the proper discharge of which is now attended
with difficulty and uncertainty, would be
the execution of the improvements des-
cribed on the plan prepared by Mr. Walker,
and lately re-surveyed and corrected, and which
was submitted to a Committee of the House of
Commons, in the Session of 1840.
" When the Committee which sat relative to
the re-building of the Houses of Parliament, of
which Lord Granville Somerset was chairman, re-
quired to have the utmost possible quantity of
ground that could be spared from the river to be
appropriated to the enlargement of the site for the
said buildings, and which has been since so oc-
cupied, the line of embankment in that part of
the river was at once determined, ranging up-
wards with the former embankment at the
Penitentiary, and proceeding downwards in a
line nearly parallel with the low-water mark.
This embankment may be executed as may be
most convenient to the wharf occupiers, either
by low wharfing to admit of loaded barges being
floated over it at the proper time of tide, and so
to load or unload at the present wharfs,
draw-docks, &c. ; or, by higher embank-
ment, sufficiently above high-water mark to land
and load from and into vessels laying outside the
line, and moored to the wharfs within certain and
well-defined litnitationt;.

" In consequence of the removal of the long-
existing dam of the old London•bridge, such
an alteration has been and will probably
continue to be made in the bed of the river, as
already to have rendered new foundations neces-
sary to 'Westminster and Black friars-bridges,
and has, in a more or less degree, alThcted the
foundations of nearly all the buildings (the heavy
pile of Somerset House, for instance) and wharfs,
on the banks between London and 'Westminster-
bridges. The new embankment would there-
fore afford an opportunity to give, to all build-
ings requiring them, secure foundations.
" From the beneficial effects to property on
the banks of this part of the river, connected as
it would be with the removal of shoals and of
offensive mud banks, it is reasonable to suppose
that the strong prejudices existing in favour of
the present modes of transacting the business on
the river, arising from long usage and custom,
would give way to a better, affording such
facilities for the dispatch of business at the
wharfs, and ample space fbr the deposit of coals,
timber, deals, and other goods requiring room on
shore, as to render no longer necessary the present
numerous and expensive floating warehouses,
which arc a positive nuisance to the navigation.
The excavation from the bed of the river, for the
purpose of filling up the embankments, whether
low or high, would make the requisite ameliora-
tions in the navigable channel. The ends
of the sewers may be carried through the
embankments, and deliver their contents as
nearly as possible at low water-mark, and thus
remove the great nuisance arising from the pre-
sent mode of discharge. It is hoped that all these
advantages, with deep navigable channels and
clean and well regulated shores, are so manifest
as to render the execution of the work, either
by owners or occupiers (every practicable facility
being afforded them) within a reasonable time,
scarcely to be doubted.
" Much has been said, in Parliament and else-
where, in favour of a road from Westminster to
London-bridge, connected with the formation of
the new embankment on the Middlesex side of
the river. Such a work might, no doubt, be prac-
ticable, but would be attended with great ex-
pense, and perhaps interruption to tile wharf
business. If this be the case on the Middlesex
shore, it might be possible /o constract such a
road upon the new embankment of the Surrey
shore, similar to the present quay-road in front
of the Penitentiary at Millbank. The new road,
being united to London by means of alt
the bridges, would afford facilities for re-
creation or business, communicating as it would,
by the shortest line, with all the southern rail-
ways, &c. Whatever else, however, may be
done in this matter, safe and convenient piers for
landing and embarking steam-boat passengers
(projecting as little as possible into the river),
at all the bridges and other most accessible
public places or thoroughfares on both banks,
should form an essential part of the new arrange-
ments, and the present most objectionable struc-
tures be removed as the proposed safe and con-
venient piers could be provided.
" Below London-bridge the principle of the im-
provement of river navigation by means of con-
traction has been fully exemplified. But for
which, together with the proper tiering of ships,
which is but another application of the same prin-
ciple, and the excavations continually made by.
the Trinity Corporation,it could not have been pos-
sible for ships of such draught of water to have ac-
cess to the London and St. Katharine's Docks, and
throughout the port, as is the case at present. As,
however, these contractions and embankments
have not been systematically constructed, they
admit of considerable addition and alteration
in several places, such as are described on the
plan, and may be connected with the neces-
sary removal of shoals and mud banks, laying
down additional moorings (such as fbr colliers or
other vessels at New Crane, where numbers of
West-Indiamen were formerly moored, which
has been proposed but not executed, for want
of funds), and various other essential improve-
ments, which will, no doubt, be much better
detailed by the other professional gentlemen
engaged in this important survey. I beg
leave, however, to add my firm belief;
founded on long experience and local know-
ledge of the River Thames, and the shores at
Greenwich, Woolwich, Gravesend, and several
other places, are very capable of the alteration
and improvement pointed out by the lines which
have now been laid down, and which would be
equally advantageous to the owners and occu-
piers of the frontages, and to the navigation of
the river."

Sir R. Peel will leave Brighton to-day for London,
by one of the early rail-road trains. The Right Hon.
Bart. is expected to arrive in Whitehall-gard6ns
shortly after one o'clock.

A lecture on Mesmerism and Braidism was delivered
at the Waterloo-rooms, Waterloo-street, on Monday
evening, by Mr. H. Brookes, a gentleman who, we under-
stand, has devoted much attention to the subject of ani-
mal magnetism. Mr. Brooks read an introductory paper
to the audience, in which, after briefly glancing at the
history of Mesmerism, and some of the more striking
facts in relation to the science, passed on to a con-
sideration of the more immediate subject of the even-
ing's lecture, namely—somnambulism or sleep-waking.
The lecturer next referred to the class of phenomena
known by the name of clairvoyance, or transference of
the senses, by which individuals were enabled to per-
ceive not only the objects by which they were imme-
diately surrounded, but things at greater or less distances;
and notwithstanding the intervention of numerous opaque
objects, in the dark as well as in the light, and all this
without the aid of the ordinary organs of visien. In
support of these facts, Mr. Brookes quoted numerous
cases recorded in the works of M. Chardel, Dr. Elliot-
son, and others, as well as some extraordinary experi-
ments detailed by the Rev. Mr. Townsend, and pro-
ceeded to say that a patient upon whom he had experi-
mented himself, was able, with her eyes completely
closed, to see objects placed on the pit of the stomach,
although entirely out of the line of vision. Another
extraordinary faculty possessed by mesmeric sleep-
wakens was that of perceiving their own internal or-
ganisation, and that of the mesmeriser and such others
as might be placed in communication with them. The
firmer of this class of phenomena—namely, percep-
tion of their own internal organisiation—he had veri-
fied by a long and patient investigation on the subject
whom he should introduce to the notice of the audience
that evening. He now passed on to another class of
phenomena, equally if not more extraordinary than those
which they had already considered : he referred to the
sleep-waker's perception through the mesmeriser. It
was asserted that though the sleep-taker had no percep-
tion of impressions made on his own organs of sense,
yet lie perceived those made on the senses of hearing,
smelling, taste, and touch of his mesmeriser. This se-
condary sensation, as regarded hearing, smelling, and
taste, he had himself verified, but had not been able to
succeed in creating a secondary sense of feeling ; but
it did not follow, because he had failed, that it could not
be produced by others. The next phenomenon to
which the lecturer called the attention of the audience
was that of the attraction of the mesmeriser. In the mes-
meric sleep, that state which immediately preceded sleep-
waking, the head of the patient slowly followed the hand
of the magnetiser, as iron followed the magnet ; and in
sleetmivaking,ulen.the,patisaltJaad.aasinixed.isoksaisaand
over the voluntary muscles, this singular power: became
more marked; for if the mesmeriser moved -a short
distance from the patient, the latter experienced a strong
" drawing," as they expressed it, towards the place to
which he had moved, and this impulse they found it im-
possible to resist. The lecturer concluded hiS paper by
describing some of 'the extraordinary phenomena exhi-
bited in a state of sleep-waking, by the attraction and
influence of metals. The contact of silver, nickel, and
glass, produced on the sleep-waker a painful sensation,
while gold produced a much milder effect. Of this
he had witnessed many interesting proofs, sonic of
which he would be enabled to exhibit to the audi-
ence in his subsequent lectures. A young girl,
about twenty years of age, a servant of Mr. Brookes,
was then brought on the platform and placed in a chair.
She appeared to be in a state of high nervous excitement,
At the request of the lecturer and the audience Mr.
Levison, surgeon- dentist, ascended the platform, and
tested the state of the patient during the various stages
•of the proceedings. - Baying taken her seat in a chair,
Mr. Brookes placed himself behind his sujet, and com-
menced his experiments by making pasSes from the bead
downward and along the arms and limbs, and, after ope-
rating in this manner about three minutes, mesmeric
sleep was produced. The girl remained in this state
about a quarter of an hour, during which time, although
a percussion cap was discharged close to tier ear, she ap-
peared to be totally unconscious of its sound. The organs
of speech, as was explained, were then demesmerised, by
mesmeric passes, and the state of sleep-Waking ensued.
The mesmeriser having now retired to the end of the
platform, the girl arose slowly from the chair, '
turned gradually round, and began to move with great
caution towards him until she was stopped by coming
in contact with his person. On being asked where she
was going, she replied " she did not know." She was
then led to the chair, and desired to sit down. when the
mesmeriser made a few passes on each side of the fore-
head, over the organs of time and tune ; -and, after the
lapse of a few seconds, she exclaimed, "Hush ! hush
I hear beautiful music," and forthwith began to sing,
" The Troubadour," with much judgment and expression.
The song was stopped, by the mesmeriser passing his
hand over the same organs, in a different direction.
The lecturer again retired to another part of the platform,
and was followed in the same manner as before by his
patient ; and, on being asked why she did not sit down,
she replied " Something draws me." These experiments,
in illustration of the extraordijary power of attraction
exercised by the mermeriser oar his patient, were re-
peated several times with the Alt m e results ; and, as a
considerable time had been occupied •in reading the in-
troductory paper, Mr. Brookes deferred his further ex-
periments until the following evening. On Tuesday evening
Mr B. delivered his second lecture, after which he proceede d
with his experiments, of which the following account has
been furnished us by a correspondent :—" The young
woman who was operated upon on the previous evening
was again brought on the platform, and was thrown into
a mesmeric sleep by the methods before employed, in
about two minutes. Her insensibilty whilst in this state
was satisfactorily tested, after which her hand was de-
mesmetised, and on being pricked with a pin she exhi-
bited the usual indications of pain. Her sense of hear-
ing was next tested, by discharging a percussion cap
close to her ear without startling her ; but, on one of
her ears being demesmerised, the report caused her to
scream, and hysteria ensued. This having been allayed,
the attraction exercised by the mesmeriser was proved
by a series of expriments, after which Mr. Brookes
invited Mr. Wilson, the phrenologist (who is at pre-
sent lecturing in Birmingham), to step on the plat-
form, that he might investigate certain experiments
which the mesmeriser proi_ osed to snake on indi-
vidual organs. The organ of benevolence was first
excited, and, on the suggestion of the lecturer, Mr. Wil-
son put various questions to the girl, for the purpose of
eliciting the state of her feelings : her answers were in-
dicative of a state of mind under the influence of bene-
volent thoughts, but on the organs of combativeness and
destructiveness being excited her benevolent impressions
manifested a marked change. The organs of self-esteem
and love of applause were next put in action, and produced
corresponding manifestations. On being asked to sing,
the girl refused: but on the organ of tune being excited
she said that she heard music, but that it was
very bad. The organ of time was then acted upon,
when the face of the patient brightened up with an ex-
pression of delight ; and, after an exclamation for silence
she commenced singing " The Warrior's Death Song,"
and other airs, in a very pleasing and effective style. On
the suggestion of Mr. I'ahner, the organ of colour was
next excited, and the patient proceeded to describe
beautiful flowers which she saw, of "all colours, and in
heaps," and on the organ of individuality beingoporat•ed
upon the flowers were named, although 'previously she
could give no description of their character. These ex-
periments, which were continued for a considerable time,
appeared to give great satisfaction to the audience, as
affording a perfectly novel and interesting. illustration of
the phrenological organs.—Birminghant Paper.

JURY COURT, EDINBURGH.

ROBERT lIISLOP,&C. V. SIR P. C. H. DITRIIAMK.C.B.

The action was directed at the instance of Robert, His
lop, the father of Elizabeth Hislop, affil her brother and
sisters, against Sir P. C. 11. Durham, on the grounds
that on the 7th of May, 1841, Elizabeth Hislop, an un-
married woman, of about twenty-seven years of age, kit
her father's house, at Hinnybole, near Bonnyrigg, in
company with her brother and two female acquain
tances ; that she accompanied them part of their way
towards Bonnyrigg ; but although solicited to gt,
to that place with them, and remain all night, as
was both dark and wet, she declined to do so, and leA
them on her way home ; that this occurred about half-
past ten o'clock ; that she never reached home, and no
intelligence was
_gained concerning her, until, after ex-
tensive inquiries had been made, her body was
found in an old coal-pit in the lands of Polton„
situated a short distance from the high road leading
from Bonnyrigg to Rosewell. The pursuers
further averred, that neither at the period when
their relative lost her life in the said coal-pit, nor at the
time her body was found therein, was there any suffi-
cient fence around the mouth of the pit, the only protec-
tion against accidents being the remains of a " cradle"
and a few upright pieces of rotten
.fir, both in such a
state of decay that a very slight touch would have caused
them to fall down. That when the body was found, it
was seen that at the side of the pit, nearest to the cart
or carriage way leading to Polton Mains, one of the spars
was hanging by little more than a single fibre, while at
the opposite side there was a gap of about three feet in
width entirely open. That the coal-pit had been out of
use ; and, for the security of the public, it ought either
to have been properly filled up or covered over, or en-
closed by a stone wall ; but as it was not rendered se-
cure in any of these ways, and as Elizabeth Hislop had
lost her life in consequence of its unprotected state, the
defender, as proprietor of the lands of Polton, in which the
pit was situated, was liable in damages to the pursuers.
In defence, Sir Philip admitted that the deceased was
visited at her father's house at Hinnybole, on the even-
ing of the day before specified, by two female acquain-
tances ; and, after the party had partaken of some spirits
there, her acquaintances took their departure about nine
o'clock, for the purpose of going home to Bonnyrigg,
and they were accompanied by the deceaSed and her
brother. But, in place of proceeding directly to Bonny-
rigg, they went into a public-house, where they remained
drinking whisky till between ten and eleven o'clock.
Thy deceased got quite intoxicated ; and, when she left
the public-house, she was obliged to be assisted along the
road towards Bonnyrigg. Before reaching that place she
abruptly turned, and left the other two females and her
brother. She could not have entered the grounds in
which the pit was situated without committing a trespass.
After retiring for a short time, the Jury returned a
verdict for the pursuer, Robert Hislon, the father,
damages 3001.

Four of the unfortunate pilots who were drowned
in Bideford Bay, on Sunday, the 13th inst., have belie
picked up, and were buried in Northam Church-yard oa
Sunday. last. The funerals were attended by the princi-
pal merchants, ship-owners, masters of vessels, and
mariners of the port. The procession from Appledore
consisted of nearly 2,000 persons, and bore a truly me-
lancholy aspect.--Plymouth Journal.
SACRILEGE.—On Wednesday night the Chapel Of
the Holy Evangelists, lately erected by Sir Thomas
Dyke, Acland, Bart., M.P., at Killerton, was broken
into, and the burglars stole the cloth which covered the
communion table, and the velvet winch covered the
cushions, with the curtains and fringe from the desk.