The Express. — 1865-12-18 (London, England)

TRIAL OF MR. GORDON.—The Solicitors' Journal rye :—We do rot think that we owe any apology to our readers for drawing their attention to one of the gravest constitutional questions which could arise in the present day, viz. :—The limit of military authority in times of civil disturbance. We believe that the nature and operation of " martial law" is mach misunderstood, and that the law of this laud is is douser of being overridden, at least in our dependencies, by practically arbitrary audio. rite ; and we therefore desire, and consider it to be our duty es a legal journal to call attention as prominently as we an to what the law of England is on this subject. It la because the trial of Gordon raises this q.. .1 100 in a distinct form that we have given it so prominent a place in oar columns. We have said, and we repeat it, that the sumo Lion of a man guilty of high treasoo, by virtue of the sentence of &military tribunal, is murder by the law of England, aster the man was actually taken in arms, and even then tf it was possible to try him in the Kits courts ; and as Lord Coke says the same thing (3 lust.), we do tot feel disposed to retract a word of it ; we have said, and we repeat it, that the judicial murder of a Bridal subject, however justly: he may have merited his fate, is of graver import than the horrors of the Indian mutiny itself • for the or are but the atrocities of a lawless mob, the other is the inroad of the executive power upon the province of the law. In what respect these entinients are incoasistent with our independence of party politics we other see there is now, we believe, no party, in England which holds the crown to be above the law, but if there be we are point. tally opposed to that party. THE MAIN DRAINAGE OF LONDuN.--011 Saturday the members of the Metropolitan Board of Works, beaded by Sir John Thwairs, the chairman, paid a visit to the spot on the Plaistow Marshes where the river Lea prise through the Abbey Mills, for the purpose of laying the foundation stone of the Abbey Mills pumping station —a building which is to rival the works at Crossness, and in which will be the means of raising the sewage of the low level of London to the great high and middle level sewers. Oa arriving on the ground the party immediately de. weeded into what apreered to be the bowels of the earth, some forty feet below the enlace of the ground, sod twelve below the bed of the River Lea. In descending, some 'teeming stones and rubbish attracted attention, and on inquiry it turned out that the material—gravel and excavated at this depth was really quite hot, es hot rat; as if boiling water bad been poured upon it, and the large atones retained their heat for a considerable time after being brought to the surface. The company pared through some of the completed sewer, which in its length of fire miles from the Tower has to go under two branches of the Lea and under the river itself. The subterranean pas. twee, which is about twelve feet high, was brilliantly lighted, and led to the site of the station, lied if the pleas may be taken as any guide, it will be a building as handsome as it will be useful. Mr. Butilgette, the engineer, read a statement, which was engrossed for median in the stone, showing that the sewer of which this was the mouth would drain 251 square miles, and would have to raise about 5,000.000 cubic feet of sewage • day, and that tie engine power, about 1,140-horse, was provided for the raising of 15,000 cubic fest per minute, so that all storm rains could be safely carried off. Mr. Foilsman teen formally laid the stoma. The works are being carried out under Mr. Edmund , Cc the resident engineer. Cooper AND ST:IeIDF..--Oti Saturday an inquest was held relative to the death of Henry Pettis, aged 25 Tears, who committed suicide when charged with being concerned in • burglary at No. it, Wanes-vines, Brzmstoo. It appeared from the evidence that the der.s was a parer, lodes( at Bromptoe. He was a person of very respectable character, but on Thursday Let be was suddenly charged with being concerned in the breakieg into albs house of Mrs. Barrington, in Walton. villas, and stealing from it a quantity el jewelry and clothes valued at 1001., and belonging for the most part to Lord Seder& The edenee against h;m wu very slight. A man celled epos him at the time of the robbery, and he left his lodgings for Mn minutes, and afterwards whin he hand of the robbery he nearly fainted. When charged with complicity, however, he did not deny the fact, bat west into the wash-house. and there deliberately cut his throat from ear to ear, nearly severing his head from his body. Death was, of oseree, inreastaseous. The Corset having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity." A navigation school for Hawaiians is in successful operation in Honolulu.—Panama paper.