The Press. — 1857-07-11 (London, England)

MRS. SPOLLEN, the wife of the man arrested for the murder of Mr. Little, continues in a very weak and depressed state. She has repeatedly denied any participation in her husband's alleged guilt, and avers that she knew nothing of his intentions either to rob or kill Mr. Little.  THE ADJOURNED INVESTIGATION into Mr. Little's murder took place on Thursday at Capel-street Police-office. The evidence elicited went to prove the finding of the razor and the hammer in the canal basin in December last, and also the finding of a second razor near the same place on the let of the present month, with the name " Spollen " scratched on it. A cutler named West, residing in Dame-street, deposed that he wrote the name " Spollen" on the razor, which was left with him to be ground or set some time before Mr. Little's murder, but whether six months before or seven years before he could not say ; neither would he undertake to swear whether it was left with him by the prisoner, or by a man, woman, or child. Another piece of new evidence was that a small brass padlock was found in the vessel containing the red lead on the top of which some of the money was found, and that a key which fitted into it, and also another padlock, were discovered in the drawer of the prisoner in which the eight sovereigns referred to on the previous day were found. The only other additional evidence brought forward on this occasion was the testimony of the station-master of Athlone' to show that he had forwarded certain specified sums of money, called " surplus money," rolled up in dockets, to Mr. Little, within a few days before the murder; Ind the books of the deceased were produced to prove entries in his handwriting, admitting the receipt of those sums which formed a portion of the money found adjoining the Castle platform. The further hearing of the case was postponed to Monday at eleven o'clock. PRINCE LOUIS NAPOLEON and suite arrived in Kingstown Harbour before nine o'clock on Thursday, and shortly afterwards proceeded to Dublin. His Highness is at present stopping at the Gresham Hotel.  THE PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION OF AFRICAN NEGROES TO THE FRENCH COLONIES has excited some discussion in our daily papers. It is generally regarded as an attempt certain to lead to the revival of a modified slave trade. The Assemble Nationale this week, just before its suspension, published the following statement The Council-General of Martinique, having been core salted by the Government with respect to the project of introducing into that colony of 10,000 Africans, engaged as labourers for a certain number of years, /has replied : That it opposes in principle this emigration of Africans, but that it nevertheless accepts the consequences of the contract made by the Minister of Marine with the firm of Regis, of Marseilles, for the introduction, as a trial, of sOO Africans, inasmuch as that contract is definitive and irrevocable. The council begs that the Minister will annul the contract concluded with the firm of Regis, in virtue of the right reserved to him, so that the introduction of Africans may not exceed that number. It desires that in order to remedy the actual recruitment of labourers amongst Asiatic races the monopoly granted to the company, styled " maritime," should cease, and that every vessel bringing Indians to Martinique, in conformity with the laws and re. gulations concerning emigration, shall receive the usual premium. It proposes, moreover, to grant a higher premium to those Indians who at the expiration of their five years' engagement may consent to contract a new one. These resolutions are eminently prudent, in our opinion, and they prove that the .-Ixsemblee Nationale had well understood the interests of the colonists. One of the members of the council who opposed the Ministerial project with the greatest warmth is of African origin. He regarded the question in its most elevated point of view, and proved that nothing could be more injurious to the most numerous portion of the colonial population than this introduction of uncultivated savages.