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Leader (1850-1860), 20th August 1859, Edition 2 of 2, Page 6, Tiuq Giieat Eastern.—Our readers are pro...

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      Naval Axd Military. Vice-Admiral Harvey,...

      marine telegraph , and their lordships ordered further trial to be made at sea . Their lordships afterwards inspected the ships under construction , and went on board the magnificent steam screw frigate Ariadne , which stretches across the whole length of the basin . They likewise went on board the Mutine , which vessel , like the Ariadne , has recently arrived at Woolwich from Deptford to be fitted for service . Letters from Naples mention that the English fleet , consisting of fire liners , under Vice-admiral Fanshawe , was about to leave for Palermo . Acts of

      mutiny had been committed by a number of the crew Of the Marlborougb , bearing tlie admiral ' s flag , commanded by Lord Frederick II . Kerr , when solid shot were not merely rolled about the decks , but actually cast at one of the mates and some of the warrant officers . The admiral ordered them to put their grievances in writing , and we are informed that some complained of interrupted rest , others of unnecessar } ' duty , and most of refusal of leave . Some of the ringleaders have been put in irons and will probably be tried by court-martial .

      The following significant announcement appears in the Memorial de Lille : — " We learn from a good source that Lille is shortly to be selected as the seat of a great military command , to be held by a marshal of France . Marshal Niel is mentioned as the first to fill these high functions . " Some experiments have been niade at Woolwich dockyard in order to test M . Ferdinand Salis ' s indestructible fire , and have been reported as most successful , and important to the naval service . The

      principal object of the invention is to enable the crew of a boat or vessel to obtain information as to the position of the fleet of an enemy during a period of warfare . The composition is encased , in tin , which is provided with tubes , and the tin case is attached to a float of wood . Contact with water causes ignition , and a strong light proceeds from one ofihe' tubes . The apparatus , being attached to a boat or vessel by means of a rope , will enable those on board to see distinctly at a distance of half a mile . _

      A correspondent of the Daily News says— " Lord Palmerston ' s boast that an invader would have to meet 200 , 000 men must be a subject of amusement to French colonels , for they say * hat 60 , 000 trained men would soon , destroy a iriob of disemliodied militja and rifle corps . In the meantime broad hints are given us . Every Frenchman tells us that we are to be the next , and the best of the French fleet is being brought round to Cherbourg to be armed with the rifled cannon . We are talking about rifling our cannon 5 the French have got hundreds ready .

      954 The Lea Dee. [Ho. 491. Aug. 20, 1859...

      954 THE LEA DEE . [ Ho . 491 . Aug . 20 , 1859 .

      The Volunteers. 3iu J. T. Coleridge Has ...

      THE VOLUNTEERS . 3 iu J . T . Coleridge has published an energetic Letter upon this subject , in which , he asks : — " Supposing a war to break out , can any man suggest any . other enterprise on the part of an enemy so probable as an attempt to invade England ? We are now an unarmed people , of all nations perhaps the least ready for effective service . Why should we not become familiar with the use of the rifle and with the charge with the bayonet ? . General Siincoe , in 1800 , by making tho volunteers act with the lino and the militia in inarches , encampments , and sham fights , had prepared them for actual service .

      by London alone , was 5 G , 272 trained infantry and cavalry . "Allan in the Streets" writes to a contemporary , " I will venture to remind all parties interested in the matter of volunteer corps that speeches are not practising grounds . Cheers are not rifles and bullets . Uniforms are not expert sharpshooters . Members as fust as enrolled should procure their rifles and learn to use them , so that , when their smart uniforms are sent home and worn they be not only riflemen in appearance but in reality . "

      All this , I suppose , might without difficulty be practical noAV . A general order issued by General Siuicoe , in , 1800 , says , Tho Major-Gencral desiros that the volunteer in tho charge may bo exercised to increase his pace by degrees , so as to arrive with rapidity at tho distance of 300 yards without any disorder , and in perfect breath and readiness to grapple with any opponent . The closing with . onemy becomes tho courage of ' tho country , and is firmly supported by that activity in which tho Englishman participates with the southern nations of Europe , and the strength in which ho equals those of tho north . A combination of these qualities and a due exercise tlieroin must insure victory . '"

      Tho movement in the country is gathering strength in some parts , but in London and many 3 thcr places we hear too much of smart uniforms and but little of practice or drill . At Bristol and Cheltenham we mark favourable oxceptions to this charge At the formor place , in addition to tho corps furnished from tho city residents , another has been formed of persons employed about tho dooks . Tho members do not wear any distinctive uniform ,

      but being oaoh provided with a rifle , their attention is to be directed towards complete oflloioncy in tho use of that arm . At Cheltenham tho dress consists of grey blouse and cap to nmtoli . Notwithstanding what has boon done at present , it will bo long at tho present ruto of proceedings , before the volunteers mustor in force . Lord Pulmoreton speaks of uinoty companies enrolled throughout the country , which at tho outside would give 10 , 000 men . Compare this to tho public spirit of tho year » 803 , when tho oflbotive voluntoer foroo furnished ,

      Law, Police, And Casualties. The Trial O...

      LAW , POLICE , AND CASUALTIES . The trial of Dr . Smethurst for the murder of Isabella Bankes has occupied the Central Criminal Court throughout this week . The prisoner is charged with administering to her constantly small doses either of arsenic or antimony , or some other irritant poison . He was a married man ; but he had gone through the ceremony of marriage ' with the deceased shortly before her death , and he had induced her to make a will in liis favour , under which he would have come into possession of about 1 , 800 ? . Mr . Serjeant Ballantine opened the case for the prosecution on Monday . On Tuesday the witnesses examined

      ¦ were Dr . Julius , the . medical man who attended the deceased lady till her death ; Dr . Bird , his partner ; Dr . Wilks , of Guy ' s ; Dr . Todd , of King ' s College Hospital , and one or two other medical men of repute . The gist of the evidence was , that in the opinion of the witnesses Miss Bankes died of small doses of irritant poison , incessantly administered . Dr . Julius deposed that no poisons were contained in any of the medicines dispensed from his establishment for deceased during her illness . The evidence for the prosecution was continued the next day , when Dr . Taylor was examined at great length . He ascribed the death of Miss Bankes to the administration of

      some mortal poison , and he gave the jury to understand that the poison was either arsenic or . antimony , or both . But the remarkable feature about his evidence was his acknowledgment that he and Dr . Culling had been guilty of a mistake in affirming'that , they had found arsenic in the contents of a bottle marked-No . 21 , which had been handed over to them for analysis . This was one of the bottles found in the prisoner ' s .. room , and which contained chlorate of potass * the ingredient which , as assumed , was employed by Smethurst to prevent the discovery of arsenic after it had been administered . It seems that Dr . Taylor , in this instance , used a test which was itself arsenical , and upon making the discovery

      that he had committed a mistake , which was done after he had sworn that arsenic "was found in the bottle , he communicated this circumstance to the prisoner . Mr . Serjeant Parry , in his speech for the defence , did not fail to take advantage of this discrepancy . He submitted that this was nothingbut a case of suspicion , and he remarked that the broad , patent , and unmistakable fact -was that neither antimony nor arsenic had been traced to the possession of the prisoner , and few indeed were the traces of such poisons in the body of the deceased . The first witness he called ( Dr . Richardson ) maintained that the symptoms under which Miss Bankes laboured were not reconcilable with . slow arsenical

      poison . This witness stated tho result of . cortain experiments he had made with poisons on dogs . The impression seemed to be , ^ however , tliat from the mode of carrying out those experiments they had not much bearing on the present case . On Thursday the evidence . for tire defence was concluded . This was entirely medical , and a number of doctors and surgeons camo forward to depose that all tho symptoms , sworn to as having boon shown by tho docoascd Miss Bankes hright have been the rosult of pregnancy , and of certain diseases under which it was proved she laboured . Mr . Rogers , of Grosvonor-place School , said that several of the' symptoms distinctive of slow arsenical poisoning wero absent in the case of Miss Bankes } this opinion was also given by Dr . Tyler Smith .

      Other medical men examinod agreed in opinion that death was caused by dysentery . Mr . Sorgoant Ballantino having ropliod upon the case , tho Lord Chief Baron went on with tho summing up , which was not concluded until yesterday . On Thursday Joseph Castle , a maltster , of Warei Hertfordshire , was committed for trial at Luton , for tho murder of his wife , a young woman 21 years of age . Tho prisoner , it seems , had lived unhappily with his wife , who loft her homo and proceeded [ to tho roflidonco ofarolutivo . She was traced by tho prisoner , who oxactod from her a promiso to accompany him baok to tholr housp . She left Luton for the purpose , and a few hours afterwards was found with her throat out and hor body frightfully mutilated . She expired a few minutes aftor she was discovered .

      On Tuesday Mr . Yardloy was ongagod for a considorablo time in disposing of adjourned summonsoa against persons having manuAvctorios on 13 ow common . These works wore proved to bo a grlovous

      Law, Police, And Casualties. The Trial O...

      nuisance to . the inhabitants of the neighbourhood and measures are to be taken to have the evil abated ' A burglary was committed on the premises of Messrs . Gfreer and Sons ^ Newgate-street , when a large quantity of cultery was carried off . Subsequently upwards of 200 packets of the stolen property Avas discovered by the police , in the house of a man named Richard Tucker , a type-founder . Tucker was brought before Mr . Tyrwhitt at Clerkcnwell yesterday , ' ' but denied all knowledge of the matter . lie was remanded for a week . At the assizes at Bristol this week , great inconvenience has been occasioned by the absence of counsel ' who have undertaken the conduct of cases .

      On Tuesday , Mr . Montague Smith not having arrived to take charge of a case in -which ; he was specially retained , the solicitor , one Mr . Skynner , of London , craved the judge ' s permission . to conduct the case himself , observing that like permission had been granted by Mr . Justice Crompton , at Wells . The Judge ( Mr ; Baron Bramwell ) said , I certainly shall not admit you to do . so . There are plenty of gentlemen here . I should be taking upon myself the office of a legislator if I permitted if , —Sir . Skynner : My Lord , I retained my leading counsel three months ago , and it was only this . morning that I discovered that I should not have his services . — -The Judge : You must take somebody else , then . I shall not allow you to conduct the case when the bar is perfectly competent . —Mr . Skynner : My Lord , my briefs are very long . —The Judge : I appreciate the difficulties of vour situation , but I shall adopt my

      own course . On the same day a . juror said he could not take the oath , because he was a Christian . The following spirited dialogue ensued . —The Judge : The great majority of the world are clearly of a different opinion . You say j-ou think you can ' t take the oath ; therefore you can't do it . What do you propose to do ?—The Juror : The words of -. Scripture are very explicit . —The Judge : I am not going to argue it . What do you wish to do ; will you affirm ?—The Juror : I can't take upon me . the office of a ., juryman ; I . am a Christian , and , the

      Lord having pardoned my sins ,- The Judge : Why can't you take the oath ?—Tho Juror : According to the doctrine of grace , The Judge :, 0 f grace ? I don't think that is tenable . What has grace to do with earthly matters ? Do you say that the verdict has been predestined ?—The Juror : We are not to resist evil ( 5 th Matthew ); we are to suffer . —The Judge : You suffer the evil the law puts upon you . It is downright nonsense . The best thing I can say is , that such a man is not fit to sit on a jury . Get out of the box , but don't leave the court , because you are not to make a holyday by

      your nonsense . On Saturday morning a ship lying in the Wear , at Sunderland , was reduced almost to a wreck by an explosion of gas . The vessel was loaded with coal ready for sea , and the cargo had evidently generated a-largo quantity of hydrogen gas , which became ignited l > y a light inadvertently 'brought into the cabin * A number of perspus are also seriously injured by the accident . A little girl , named Redman , only eleven years of age , residing at Islington , committed suicide on Tuesday , by throwing herself into tho canal . Considerable alarm has been caused in a little village of South Wales by the poisoning of thirty individuals at a harvost supper , it is hoped , however , that no lives will be sacrificed . I ! ow the poison got mixed , with tho food is unknown , but it is believed to have been contained in a cortain pudding that formed part . of tho feast .

      A melancholy accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon near Putney Bridge , by . which three persons wero drowned , A young man , accompanied by a young woman and a little girl—listers—were enjoying a sail on the river , when tlioir small boat was upset , and tho whole three ; drowned . On tho same day as tho train from Thames I la von station to London was ncaring Tilbury , tho engine and sovcral carriages ran o / F tho line , severely injuring a number of tho passongcre .

      Tiuq Giieat Eastern.—Our Readers Are Pro...

      Tiuq Giieat Eastern . —Our readers are probably aware that Mr . Lover , M . P . offered to charter the Groat Eastern for her first voyage to Ainorlca , from a safe port in Grout Britain or Ireland , »» d to pay 20 , 000 Z . to the company for tho trip . Immediately after this offer was made , Mr . Lovor paid a visit to Ireland , having , ns wo aro given to understand , received an assuranco from tUo chairman of me Great Enstorn Company that nothing could bo done with tho vessel , without given him an opportunity of negotiating for hor charter . On his return no Das mado another tender , ottering to coal tho ship , aq well as to flay down 20 , 000 / , cash on tlio agreement being signed . The Company , by nccei / iinff t » ls oflur , would bo relieved from all oxponses ot com * mission j thoy have no troublo in case of a bronicdown of tho machinery , and bo in a position to clear a handsome not profit without risk .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 20, 1859, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20081859/page/6/