Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1868-02-21 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF THE REV. MR SPEKS —We are informed that up to a late hour on Sunday night the police officers to whom the task of investigating the circumstances connected with the disappearance of the rev gentleman has been assigned, had no satisfactory information with regard to him. They know nothing which confirms a rumour that he has been traced to a lunatic asylum in Germany, and militia find that he called at his sister's house in Queen's-square, Westminster, on the evening of his disappearance. That house has, it is said, been searched, and from the character of the persons who are in charge of it it seems very unlikely that they know anything of foul play. The finding of the hat in Birdcage-walk of course led to the suspicion that the missing geutieman committed suicide by drowning in the adjacent ornamental water, but it has been dragged several times, and it is indeed so shallow in every part that a discovery must have been made immediately if the body had been there. All that the police know has been already told—namely, th it after Mr Seeks left the hatter's in Warwick-street no one has been able to give them the slightest information concerning him. The relatives have, it is said, been strictly examined (if such a word may be used in such a ease), inquiries have been made at every hospital, lunatic asylum, prison— everywhere, indeed, fines which there might be the slightest hope of obtaining a clue. Mr Williams, as the chief detective who has charge of the case, has had a vast number of visitors, and received many hundreds of suggestions, all of which, as far as desirable and practicable, have been promptly acted upon. Only those which were absolutely useless, on account of their outrageous absurdity, have been rejected.—Daily News. EARL DERBY AND THE GriVERNSIENT.-Wrhing on Saturday night, the London correspondent of the Scotsman, usually a well-informed authority, says: —The rumour that Lord Derby's last attack of gout would be followed by his resignation never obtained any acceptance in well-informed circles. It was hoped by his friends that the attack of gout would pass off as on former occasions, and the singular awkwardness of the visitation consisted in its occurrence just when it became necessary to hold the Cabinet Councils usual before the sitting of Parliament. The acute pain which accompanied the attack has passed away, but it has left the patient in such a state of lassitude and nervous prostration that his physicians have recommended him to defer his journey to town for a fortnight. Matters are therefore more serious than they were in a political sense; and if Lord Derby did not conceive his honour to be concerned in standing by his colleagues during the present session, he would hardly wait until the state of his health enabled him personally to place his resignation in the hands of her Majesty. It it certain that communications of great importance have been received from Knowsley during the last few days; and the rumour that Lord Derby has expressed his willingness, if not desire, to resign, if the inconvenience clawed by his absence appears to his colleagues in the Cabinet sufficiently great to call for such a step, is on the face of it so reasonable, and so much in accordance with all that is known of the feelings and wishes of the First Minister, that it may be accepted without reservation. . . . .