The Press. — 1858-02-13 (London, England)

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GENERAL COMMANDING'S-CHIEF held a levee on Thursday at the Horse Guards, which was most numerously attended, between 100 and 170 oftl.:ers having paid their respects to his Royal Highness.  COLONEL HENRY EYRE, now in command of the depot battalion et Walmer, has been appointed Commandant of Chatham garrison, in the room of Major-General W. H. Eden, who resigns on promotion.  THE GOVERNMENT have issued a citcular announcing that the bounty to recruits is raised from 21. to 31. with a free kit.  BY the death of Vice-Admiral the Hon. William Gordon, late Cominander•in•Chief at the lore, and brother of the Earl of Aberdeen, Captain Lord Clarence Paget obtains his flag, by which promotion a good-service pension falls to Government.  SO; anb  A CLERGYMAN AND HIS WIFE, the Rev. S. and Mrs. Smith, who conduct a collegiate academy at Clifton, have been arrested on a charge of " felonious maiming," under the most singular circumstances. The evidence adduced at the preliminary examination on Thursday disclosed some curious particulars. It appeared that a Mr. Leach, living in Surrey, and who had known Mrs. Smith before she was married, and when she was a kitchen-maid at Swan and Edgar's, on the 23rd of last month received a letter from her, stating that she was a widow, expressing a hope that he had not "forgotten the promise" be had made " on the night " when they were together at the seaside in 1849, and giving an address at Bristol. Mr. Leach replied, and on the 28th he received a second letter from Mrs. Smith, appointing a meeting near Bristol, and proposing to spend the night at Wapley, " to talk over matters together," but intimating that there must be nothing improper. Mr. Leach kept the appointment, coming from town for that purpose. He met Mrs. Smith on the 3rd inst., on the Bristol and Birmingham platform, went off to Yate with her, and while crossing the common was suddenly knocked down and beaten by a man, whom he recognised, but could not swear to, as Mr. Smith. A struggle ensued ; assistance arrived ; Mr. Leach was rescued, but much beaten ; Mr. and Mrs. Smith walked off together ; and a six-barrel revolver, loaded and capped, and which was proved in evidence to have been purchased by Mr. Smith in Bristol the day previous, was picked up off the ground. Conclusive evidence was also given to prove that Mr. Smith had sent -one of his pupils to receive Mr. Leach's letters at the address given to Leach by Mrs. Smith ; and a parcel of clean linen, brought down from town by Mr. Leach, has been discovered in Mr. Smith's house. Both prisoners have been fully committed for trial. THE HALL BANKRUPT CASE came on again on Wednesday, when Mr. Rivington asked the court, on the evidence before it, to refuse any certificate or protection to the bankrupts :  Lady Rushout's case brought them within the third division of the penal section (the 256th) which related to contracting debts, or obtaining the forbearance of debts, by fraud or false pretences; and Sir Charles Rushout'a complaint brought them under the second division, relative to keeping false accounts, or making false entries, with a view to conceal the state of their affairs. Also, under the ninth head, they were chargeable with having omitted to keep proper books of account, and with having kept them imperfectly, carelessly, and negligently, with the view to deceive. Besides their general conduct, the course of dishonesty and falsehood which the evidence had disclosed disentitled them to any certificate whatever. Further peering was adjourned till Wednesday next. CHRISTIAN SATTLER was hanged on Monday in front of Newgate. Settler, it will be remembered, was convicted of the murder of Them, a detective officer.  THE TRIAL of the British Bank Directors commences this day before the Lord Chief Justice at the Guildhall. Sir Frederic Thesiger is leading counsel for the prosecution ; Sir F. Kelly for the defence.  -------AN ACTION FOR BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE, brought by a gentleman against a lady, and in which the damages were stated to have been laid at 30,0001., to be tried yesterday, was withdrawn. A large lumber of persons attended the court, attracted by the curious nature of the defence, and they appeared much disappointed at finding it had gone off. A