The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-08-31 00:00:00

wanting,'

' But there is not much time or much strength required,'
replied the Chancellor ; it is yes or I have no
strength to reply.' The interrogatories which took place
in the prison of the Luxembourg may be summed up in

these lew words

He made no avowal, he replied

,ecided

t is onl

le afternoon

symptoms of poison again appeared with fresh intensity.
The same night the evil gained ground ; dreadful suffer-
ings tortured the prisoner, convulsions came on, and the
next day it was evident that his death was approaching.
The Grand Referendary went to him, it is said, and
called on him to declare at what moment he took the poi-
son, and who prepared it for him. The prisoner replied
that he took it at his hotel, but he did not say who pre-

pared and gave it to him. It was the cure of the parish
du Haut-Pas who administered the last sacrament to the
prisoner, near five o'clock ; and in a few instants after the
duke appeared before another judge."

The same journal says : -
" Doctors Pasquier (first surgeon of the king,) Tardieu,
Canuet, Simon, and Boys de Loury, ascertained, on the
18th, in presence of the Procureur du Roi, different traces

of wounds and contusions in the person of the Duke Pras-
lin, viz., a scratch on the right arm, two bites on the left
hand, a scratch on the left hand, a wound which had re-
cently been bleeding on one of the fingers, and on another
marks of nails, which had torn away some of the skin ; on

the left leg a long excoriation and a superficial wound on
the calf—all these marks and contusions were of recent
date. The autopsy of the body was performed yesterday
by MM. Tardieu, Canuet, Simon, Boys de Loury, and
s I Orfila. By the use of Marsh's apparatus a large quantity

of arsenic was discovered

The bOdy remains at the pri-

son in the hands of justice."
Private letters state that the Peers would declare them-
selves incompetent to entertain any charge against Mdlle.
de Luzzi in respect of the murder of the Duchess of
Praslin, and that there being, in fact, no evidence whatever
against her, she would be discharged without trial before
any tribunal. It is said that, bating the imputations of
improper intimacy with the Duke of Praslin, and which it
was said she could successfully rebut, the character of
Mdlle. de Luzzi was that of a woman of superior abilities
and distinguished manners.

SWITZERLAND.—In Switzerland there is every proba-
bility of recourse being had to hostilities. Extensive pre-
parations are daily being made by the Sunderbund and the
antagonist states. Horses are bought up, and hired, all
the saddlers in Berne are engaged in fitting up saddles,
and batteries are being erected. The nation of innkeepers,

notwithstanding, may contrive to postpone the decision of
their dispute till later in the day, for no people know bet-
ter the value of money.
A great sensation is created :among the Paris journals
by the recent seizure of four of their number, namely, the
Reforme, the Gazette de France, the Union Monar-
chique, and the Charivari. It appears that these papers
have fallen under the reprobation of government for hav-
ing published some strong remarks upon the murder of
the Duchess of Praslin, by her husband, and connected
that event with the general state of corruption into which
society in France has fallen.
THE RIVER PLATE.—By the arrival of the Rattler
steamer at Falmouth on Friday, intelligence has been re-
ceived from the River Plate to the sth of July. At Monte

Video terms of armistice had been proposed by the minis-
ters of France and England to Oribe, to which terms Oribe
" NATURAL DEATH OF THE DUKE DE PRASLIN. added others, and accepted them, on these terms being
"We had foreseen this conclusion, and we had been sent to the Monte Videan government, they refused them ;
prepared for it two days since. Nevertheless, it appears in consequence of which, after the mails had been re-
.to us, that the event ought to have occurred a little ceived on board her Majesty's ship Rattler, instructions
sooner or a little later. The Duke de Praslin died to-day had been sent to Mr. Hood, her Majesty's consul, to notify
(Tuesday) in his bed in the prison of the Luxembourg,
to the British merchants that he had just received instruc-
and the following are the terms in which the official even- tions from Lord Howden, that, in consequence of the re-
ing journal announces the fact : fusal of the Monte Videan government to accept the
"M. de .Praslin died to-dav about five o'clock in the armistice proposed by Lord Howden, he (Lord Howden)
prison of the Luxembourg. The cause of his death has had given orders to Sir T. Herbert, K.C.B. to raise the
been ascertained and accounted for by men of science. blockade of both sides of the River Plate. The terms pro-
It was with arsenic, taken in a large dose that the Duke posed by Orbie was, "
that during the armistice, the town
de Paslin poisoned himself, at the -moment when he saw of Monte Video should be supplied with 1,500 head of
that the charges had become so serious as to render ne- cattle per month, to be decided as to price hereafter, and
cessary his arrest and trial. The copious vomitings which that all the ports then under blockade should be raised."
he experienced on Wednesday afternoon and during the ITALY.—HOSTILE DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE _
day c Thursday, appeared alone to have retarded the ef- TRIANS AT FERRARA.—Extract of a letter from Bologna,
fee <. poisan, which, after having ceased on Friday Aug. 14 ;—" A courier has just arrived from Ferrara.
an ~,,v, resumed its entire force on Sunday." He left a dispatch for Cardinal Amat, and then continued
..is intelligence and the remarks of the Paris jour- his journey to Rome. This dispatch announced that the
in+ ~ the notes of Friday makes the following remarks, Austrians, on the 13th. occupied all the posts and the
licli, from all accounts, are in accordance with the gates, with the exception of the residence of the Cardinal
only rational conclusion that can be arrived at : Legate and the prison. This fresh outrage on the ponti-
The Due de Praslin has committed suicide in the cell fical authority was executed in great haste, and with all
of his prison in the Luxembourg. The necessities of the appearance of war. Cardinal Ciacchi was onlSr
justice and the indignation ot th I
e people have been equally enabled to issue a second protest. All the garrison, in-
defrauded of their legitimate desire. How, or :when, or fantry, cavalry, and artillery, at first showed themselves
where the wretched murderer obtained the poison which on the esplanade, and then spread themselves over the
enabled him to escape from the indignities of a trial that City, leaving at each post from thirty to forty men with
an officer. The artillery was'then drawn up on the Plaza,
could have no result but the scaffold for himself, and
infarly for the children of the unfortunate lady whom he , and the streets were patrolled by strong detachments, so
so barbarously put to death, the French journals give us that the city may be said to be under military occupation.
no satisfactory account. The palpable insinuations how- Several waggons with ammunition have arrived here from
ever, of the auti-dynastic party and the flimsy excuses of I pants Lagoscuro, and have entered the fortress. Bridges
toove crrote.,, Po, and several
the organs of the Chateau, seem equally to point to the of boats have been
iscosanid, readystnieted
point at the same conclusion—that it was not without battalliow are, it

1111 U. aatur

The preparations for the Central Station and general
meeting of railways in Birmingham are now very palpable
in many parts of the town. Houses in all quarters are
razed, or being razed, and at present the aspect of the
nothing streets affected is desolate enough.

he outcry a

railway-making on the money market, the reports made
to the half-yearly meetings show that the calls have very
generally been well met. Thus the Leeds, Dewsbury,
and Manchester have received between £300,000 and
£400,000, leaving a balance due of only £lBOO.
Two men stopped a railway train on its way to Bristol,
the other day, by waving a red handkerchief on a stick.
They requested to have a lift to Bristol. The guard good-

naturedly complied, took them to Bristol, gave them into
custody, and they were each fined 40s. and costs, and in
default of payment committed to prison fora month.

From official returns, it appears that the amount of
traffic for the last week, on upwards of 3154 miles of rail-
way, was £205,232, thus accounted f0r:—£117,`246 for
the conveyance of passengers only, £44,397 for the car-
riage of goods, and a remainder of £43,589 for passengers

and goods together, not respectively apportioned ; being
an increase of £30,014 over the corresponding week of
last year, when the mileage was about 2290.
RIGHTS OF SHAREHOLDERS.—SharehoIders cannot be
too often reminded that, by the decisions of the Courts of
Chancery in the Exeter and Crediton and in the Birming-
ham and Oxford cases, they have power to direct and con-
trol their directors ; and that the Courts of Chancery will
give effect to such directions and control, and expression
of --;ninn—in other words, that they are not the tools of

OptLuvls _
directors, but that directors are their servants, and are
bound to obey their orders, given at a general meeting.—
Railway Record.
AMBERGATE, NOTTINGHAM, AND EASTERN JUNCTION
RAILWAY.—On Tuesday, the half-yearly general meeting
of the shareholders of the above company was held in the
Exchange Hall, Nottingham ; W. F. N. Norton, Esq.,
(chairman of the board of directors) president. The
chairman said that before the report was submitted to
them, he begged to inform them that Sir James Duke,
M.P. for Boston, Mr. Braithwaite, Mr. Plant, and Mr.
Robertson had retired from the direction ; and he thought
it his duty to return his best thanks, and the thanks of all
the directors, to Sir James Duke, for his kind attention
to the interests of this company, and more particularly for
the very efficient and excellent assistance which he ren-
dered them in the House of Commons in the hour of need.
(Cheers). He (the chairman) also begged to return
thanks to the other gentlemen who had retired, for the
aid which they had given upon all occasions in transacting

the business of the company. (Cheers.) An opportuniti
would this day be afforded of replacing those gentlemen
by other gentlemen, who would undertake the business
which they relinquished. (Hear, hear.) He thought it
was a just and true principle that those who found the
money should have a full and efficient voice in conducting
the business. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He was happy
to say that some difference which had existed between the
directors and some of the shareholders had been adjusted
in a friendly manner. The views that had been proposed
to the directors, respecting the management of the line,
were precisely their own—namely, to carry it out with the
utmost prudence and economy, and with the least possible
inconvenience to the shareholders. (Loud cheers.) The
chairman then entered at considerable length and in a
very clear manner into the circumstances under which
this line of railway was undertaken, showing that with
respect to the Grantham and other canal shares no under-
hand or fraudulent compact had been entered into, and
that the only question now respecting them was, as to
when the stipulated engagements with the canal com-
panies should be completed. After stating that the
directors were anxious that a call upon the shareholders
should be delayed as long as possible, the chairman con-
cluded by requesting the secretary to read the report, and
sat down amid applause. Tele secretary (John Gough,
Esq.) then read the directorereport, which will be found
in our advertising columns. The report was adopted.
Sir James Duke was much pleased with the manner in
which his services had been acknowledged by the chair-
man, and took that opportunity of assuring the directors
and proprietors that he should render the company all the
service in his power, because he thought the undertaking
was one that they would not only be proud of, but that
would be exceedingly remunerative. Mr. Gee severely
the gentlemen forming the deputation from the
' committee, and expressed a strong desire
nature of the negociations that had taken
Le directors. A long and exceedingly turbu-
ensued, the result of which was, that the
e interviews were read. It appears the
d, in consequence of the representations of
tt information required by the share-
shall at all times be freely furnished,
)e increased from thirteen to sixteen ;
d• by the deputation. In

the deputation, tl
holders' committe
and the directory

seven of them to be
accordance. with this arrangement, the retiring directm
were displaced by Benjamin Badger, William Durham,
Herbert Ingram, and Richard Septimus Wilkinson,
Esquires, after much skirmishing. Francis James Alliott
was then re-elected auditor to • the company ; after which
the meeting dissolved, a ,vizte of thanks being passed to
the chairman,.