The Sun. — 1846-06-30 (London, England)

BAHIA STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.—The annual meeting of this company took place yesterday at the George and Vulture Tavern, Cornhill. Mr. Saunderson in the chair. It appeared from the report, that the directors had endeavoured to make arrangements for the transfer of the company's property to the Brazilian Steam-packet Company on favourable terms, but had not succeeded. From the last advices they had learned that some of the Brazilian capitalists had started another company, many of whom were shareholders in this company, and had been successful with the provincial Government, se that this company was looked upon as having forfeited its claims to protection. The directors had sent in a memorial, but no reply had as yet been received. Under the present circumstances, the directors were unable to advise the shareholders how to act, but he hoped to do so in a short period. It appeared from the accounts, that the paid-up capital in this country was 46,4404 and in Brazil 7,783/., making together 54,2231. There was a trifling balance at the bankers, and considerable property abroad which could not be exactly estimated at present. After some discussion, •  the report was received, and three directors were re-elected, when the meeting adjourned. A horrible case was ,brought before the Court of Assize of Chartres on the 20th. The circumstances, as proved by the evidence, are as follow :—At the end of 1844, Louis Clairet, a soldier of the 2d Regiment, obtained an indefinite congd, and returned to the house of his brother, a labourer, but with a property of his own, at La Plesse. Louis Clairet was well: received by his brother Jacques, although his conduct had been very bad, and he had been detected in adultery with the wife ofJacques. This crime had been forgiven, and the two brothers worked together as labourers on a neighbouring farm. One evening, in January last, as they were returning home from labour, Jacques in front, and Louis some paces behind, a pistol, loaded with small shot, was fired, and the charge struck against the head and shoulders of Jacques, but, the shot being of small size, no mortal wound was inflicted. Jacques turned round, and, not suspecting that his brother was the criminal, called to him for aid, but Louis Clairet ran off. Jacques recovered, and still pretended to have no suspicion of his brother, but the authorities made inquiries, which convinced them that he only could have fired the pistol, which was subsequently found near the spot, and which belonged to Louis Clairet, and had been purchased by him only four days before the attempted murder. It was also ascertained, soon, after the arrest of Louis, that he had previously endeavoured, but in vain, to purchase some arsenic, and failing in this mode of getting rid of his brother ha resolved to shoot him. Not long before the attempt, Jacques Clairet had been induced by his wife to make a will, leaving to her the whole of his little property; and there was reason to believe that this was done by her in anticipation of his death. Several witnesses were called, and amongst them Jacques Clairet, who did every thing in his power to exculpate his brother, bat the proofs were too strong for his generosity to be of any avail. The prisoner could say very little in his defence, for he could not bring a witness to disprove that he had purchased the pistol, and was compelled to admit that he had endeavoured to obtain arsenic; but this, he said, was at the request of his sister-in law, and for the purpose of destroying iats. He was found guilty, but with extenuating circumstances (the verdict of nine Janes out of ten, from the increasing dislike to the infliction of death, no matter how heinous the crime), and was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for life.—French paper.