The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-16 00:00:00

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The Sunday papers contained a great quantity of supposi-
tious matter relative to Oxford, whose puerile insanity was
so near convulsing the country. Many things are said, of
which even the must credulous (if they would give them the
slightest consideration) must detect the improbability.
Oxford was on Saturday visited by his mother, who is a
respectable looking person, about 40 years of age. The in-
terview took place in the presence of the governor, Mr.
Cope.

Since the statement which appeared in our paper of Friday
last, relative to Oxford, the intended regicide, having held a
situation as barman at the Shepherd and Flock, High-street,
Marylebone, where he remained, with some intermission,
about a year and a half, many incidents have been related
by persons who have been in the habit of using the douse,
which tend to show that at that time the misguided youth
had a very strong desire to see the Queen, and it is stated,
that amongst those persons who had witnessed his conduct
was Inspector Tedman, of the D division, who had frequent
opportunities of noticing the same, And was, therefore, able
to give some important information to the effect that Oxford
was occasionally labouring under a strange hallucination of
mind ; he has been frequently heard to express a wish to see
her IVlajecty (or, as he called her, " Little Victoria," on the
occasion of her opening or proroguing parliament. At the
commencement of the last session Inspector Tedman, through
the interest of a friend, obtained places at a front window,
near to the House of Lords, for Mrs. Minton (wife of the
landlord of the public-house above alluded to) and her
family, and from which spot they had a good view of the
Queen. On that day Oxford seemed particularly anxious to
go, and upon being refused he seemed much excited, and
remarked, that he would not, on a future occasion, be
baulked. Many persons in the neighbourhood have from
time to time been witnesses of his extraordinary demeanour.
and would willingly come forward to give all the evidence in
their power. When not engaged in his business, and while
sitting down in front of the bar, he has been observed by
Mr. Minton and the barmaid, a respectable young woman
named Evans, to be for a few minutes absorbed in deep
thought, and then, without any apparent cause, he would
burst into tears and conceal his face with his hands. On
being spoken to and asked what had affected him, he would
stare at the inquirer, and, suddenly starting up, giving way
to a fit of laughter, and proceed with his employment as
usual. He was also remarked at the above house for his
almost constant habit of laughing, and was particularly apt
to indulge therein when he had the misfortune to break a
glass, or when mischief of any other kind came under his
notice ; on this account he was by many persons who
regularly drank at the bar, designated as the " laughing
hyena." It has furthermore been stated to our informant,
and who believes it to be the fact, that Inspector Tedman,
who is now and has for some time past been in charge of the
late Lord William Russell's house in Norfolk-street, can,
if required to do so, relate many other facts respecting the
intended regicide which may have the effect of completely
setting at rest the question as to his (Oxford's) state of mind
during the last 12 or 18 months.
The same reserve and the same disposition have always
been noticed at each of the situations he has held, nor was
there any alteration in him when at home with his family in
West-place, where he has shut himself up in his room for a
whole week, and so retired has he kept himself, that he
would not even leave to take his meals, which were occa-
sionally carried up to him by his sister. "While so secluded,
he was accustomed to occupy himself in reading, and the
books he was most fond of were those relating to nautical
affairs. His sister, Mrs. Phelps, understood from him that
he was going to sea, and that it was upon that account that
he bought the pistols, respecting which many particulars
have already been given. Oxford's temper is stated to have
been most violent ; and, as an instance thereof, it was related
to our informant, by the son of Mr. Packman, landlord of
the house in West-place, that, a short time ago, while he
(Oxford) was in his room, his sister went to him, at which
he was so enraged that he flung an ink-stand at her with all
his force, but it fortunately missed her, and struck the door.
It has been thought extraordinary that Mrs. Oxford should
have gone to Birmingham about the time that her son went
to Lodge with her at West-place ; but the reason why she
did so was, that a very violent quarrel took place between
her daughter and son-in-law, Phelps, and she remained there
(Birmingham) until she heard of the horrid attempt of her
son upon the lives of her Majesty and her illustrious consort
Prince Albert.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.—WEDNESDAY, June 10.

_
THE QUEEN V. THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY
COMPANY.
It appears that in this case a rule had been obtained to
show cause why a writ of mandamus should not be directed
to the Eastern Counties Railway Company, calling upon
them to complete the entire line of railway, for making which
they had obtained an Act, and not to carry it the whole
distance from London to Norwich and Yarmouth. The
defendants had made a return to this mandamus, stating,
amongst other things, that they had not sufficient funds to
make the entire line ; that the money in their hands at the
time of making such return was only £9,892, which was
wholly inadequate for the purpose of carrying on the line.
Sir John Campbell (the Attorney-General) said—l consi-
der the return to be altogether insufficient. The Company
has not raised more than one half of the money which they
had the power of raising under the provisions of the Act.
The original capital of the Company was to be £1,600,000.
and they had an additional power of raising by mortgages a
further sum of £533,300. They have the power of raising
more than a million beyond that which they have expended.
As respects what amount of money they require, that can
only be a matter of estimate. It is impossible for them to
say that which they at present have in hand is insufficient,
and it does not lie with them to say that with a million of
money in hand, that the alleged want of funds was a sufficient
reason for their not going on with the line. Having obtained
this act, they have to perform a duty to the public, and if
they neglect that duty this court can issue a mandamus to
compel them. They have, by their act, obtained many pri-
vileges, and as a compensation they are bound to give a bene-
fit to the public. It would be altogether unjust and disho-
norgable to declare that they will only do a portion of what
they had undertaken to complete. If the return had been
that they have expended the whole of their money, they must
at their peril fail to find funds for the accomplishment of their
promise made with the public.
In reply, it was urged by Sir Wm. Follett, in behalf of the
company, that the act of parliament under which they were
incorporated empowered them to construct a line of railway
for the whole distance, but it was by no means compulsory
upon them to do so. That the funds which they were em-
powered to raise under the act were totally inadequate, and
even those funds it would be impossible to raise if the man-
damus applied for was granted. The learned counsel argued
at great length against the issue ofthe mandamus, and showed
that the compulsory power sought for against the directors
was not contemplated by the act, and that its establishment
would be destructive of the progress of the undertaking.
Mr. Cresswell, in the absence of the Attorney General, re-
plied to Sir William Follett, and the case stands over.