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Leader (1850-1860), 6th December 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1157

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      Untitled Article

      fused metal fell upon him , and encircled , him tip to hia -waist . As the debris had clinkered round him , crowbara and hanamers were used in order to break the mass and to separate it from him . Half an hour , therefore , elapsed before the poor fellow could be extricated from Ms situation , by which time his clothes were almost burnt off his back . While he was being released , his cries were pitiable , and he frequently begged of the bystanders to carry him into the reservoir close at hand , and drown him . It was afterwards found necessary to amputate his right leg above the knee ; and he is altogether frightfully inj ured , and still remains in a veryprecarious condition . A child , four years old , has been burned to death at Hoxton , owing to a spark from the fire catching its clothes .

      A collision occurred on Wednesday night at the Denton station of the London and North Western line . A . passenger train was stopping there , when an , engine which was towing a" dead" engine ran into it , and shattered several carriages to pieces . Many of the passengers jumped out in time to save themselves ; but others were not so fortunate , and eight were seriouslyinjured , while several suffered slight bruises . The distance signal was not on at the time , as it should have been ; but this is said to be owing to the deep snow having rendered it unworkable .

      A fishing boat has been lost in , a gale off the coast of Banffshire , and all the crew were drowned . . The vessel ¦ was swamped by the waves , and all hands perished close in shore and in sight of their relatives .

      Untitled Article

      A PLATONIC AFFECTION . Great amusement has been caused in the Court of Queen ' s Bench by an action brought for the recovery of the sum of 50 Oh , being the arrears of an annuity alleged to be due upon a bond . The plaintiffs were the executors of a young lady named Caroline Priscilla Dignam , deceased , and the defendants were the executors of Francis Mills , deceased . The bond was executed by Mr . Mills , a rich and elderly gentleman of sixty-one , on the 1 st of January , 1853 , in . favour of Miss Dignam , his j ) rot £ (/ & , and by it he secured to the young lady an annuity of 400 J . during her lifetime .. Tho annuity was payable quarterly , on the Sth day of January , April , July , and October in each year . The defendants pleaded payment

      , and , the proof of the issue being on them , their witnesses were first examined . Mr . Edwin James , Q . C ., who appeared for the plaintiff , then stated that " Mr . Mills was a very rich old gentleman , who had died , leaving personal property sworn to be under 140 , 000 ? . Mr . Pignam , the young lady ' s father , was formerly his attorney . Mr . Mills had formed an attachment to the daughter when she was only fourteen years of age . Mr . Mills was sixtyone years of age , and the learned counsel believed it vas admitted on both sides that the attachment was quite of a Platonic character . ( Laughter . ) However , he had fallen in love With her , and it was said that love , like the small-pox , was most severe when taken late in life . ( Laughter . ) He had paid for her education , and , when

      he took the house for her at Stockwell-place , there could be no doubt that , independently of this annuity , he had treated her with every possible kindness , and had been very lavish of his money towards her . " To show the passionate fondness of the old gentleman , Mr . James read the two following letters written by him to Miss Dignam : — " Half-past 4 . — -My dearest Cary , —Thank God your letter has just come . 1 have watched my door all day , and ran to each knock of the postman . I can never bo well nor happy unless I know that you are so . Yes , your plan is excellent ; get some one to livo with you . ... . Receive me as your guardian . Get two respettable female servants . Do not mind the expense . I can Bupply all your wants , and more than all ; and I

      do know this , that unless my mind is at case about you , I shall sink into old age and infirmity directly . I breathe free now . I will come out and see you on Monday , and will be at Kennington-gate at three o'clock . My doctor has given me terrible remedies , and to-night he does so again . Thanks , dearest child , for your note . Had you not written I should havo suffered tortures . Now I do not care about being ill . I hasten to put this in the post before five , that you may get it tonight—Your affectionate Father . —Follow my advice strictly . N « ver mind the cost . Your homo may be

      mine when I come to town . But be respected by all , and to be so you must be virtuous . " ( On closer inspection , the word appeared to bo " visited . " ) ' * Go into the country for a short time . I shall do so . "— " London . — My dearest child , —a happy , merry Christmas to you ; and recollect I shall expect a Curistraas-box also—but it must bo of your own work . I do not trouble you with long letters . Pray , pray do not stint yourself for anything . If you will not use what you have got yo \ i deprivo mo of my great pleasure iu giving to you . I do love my dear child more than ever . —Your affectionate Father . "

      Lord Campbell was of opinion that Mr . James had not proved his caae . Bliss Dignam was shown to havo received money from , time to time , amounting probably , to much more than the annuity ; and this barred all further claim . A verdict waa therefore given for the defcndantB .

      Untitled Article

      STATE OF TRADE . The trade reports from the manufacturing towns for th week ending last Saturday contain nothing of importance-At Manchester , notwithstanding tie receipt of further favourable advices from India , the markets have been very inactive Consequent upon the contraction caused by the rates of discount . The Birmingham accounts describe a tendency to firmness in the iron trade , which would be more apparent but for the underselling induced by the pressure for money . At Nottingham there has been a moderate business in lace ; and in hosiery , owing to the stocks being unprecedentedly light , a very active spring demand is relied upon . In the woollen districts , the operations have been to a full extent at firm prices , and the Irish linen-markets are unaltered . —Times .

      In the general business of the port of London during the same week there has been diminished activity . The number of vessels reported inward was 176 , being 104 less than the previous week . These included 34 with cargoes of corn , flour , and rice ; 7 with fruit of all sorts ; 13 with , sugar ; and 6 with tea , the latter comprising the . very large number of 88 , 732 packages ; 40 , 950 of which were brought by the American , ship Spitfire , The number of vessels cleared outward -was 110 , showing an increase of 7 , the number in ballast being 6 . —Idem . The Excise statements for the first nine months of the present year have been published . There has been a cor iderable increase in paper and spirits . The decline observable in malt is attributable to that article having , in August , 1855 , been made free foT distillery purposes .

      A large meeting of the depositors and shareholders of the Royal British Bank was held on Tuesday night in FreemasonsVhall , for the purpose of considering the course pursued by the official manager in appealing against the decision of the Vice-Chancellor , and thereby preventing the declaration of a dividend . Mr . James Wyld was called to the chair , and speeches were delivered and motions carried , denunciatory of the litigious opposition to the depositors , and to a speedy and comparatively cheap settlement of the affairs of the bank , exhibited by Mr . Harding , who .- was accused of prolonging legal proceedings with a view to putting costs in his own pocket . ;

      The order for preparing the balance-sheet of the Royal British Bank was agreed upon in the Court of Bankruptcy on Tuesday . On the same day , Mr . Lawranee applied , for leave to give notice of motion for Friday , to compel the assignees to apply to the C ourt of Chancery to appoint a receiver under 28 th sect . 7 and 8 Viet ., cap . iii , for the purpose of protecting shareholders against individual creditors . Tic Commissioner declined , to accede to the application .

      Untitled Article

      THE ORIENT . ¦' . ¦ . ¦ . . ' India . ' ;¦ ¦ . ' ¦ '' . '' : The account of the revenue of Pegu up to May , 1856 , has reached England from Calcutta . It shows a revenue of thirty lakhs of rupees , while tlie expenditure is less than twenty . The exports from Pegu last year amounted altogether to 660 , 000 / . sterling , and the . imports to 1 , 260 , 000 / . Several rumours have been current with respect to a contemplated insurrection inOude ; but they appear to have no better foundation than one of those panics which sometimes seize upon the public .

      CHINA . There is scarcely any political news from China . Admiral Seymour has returned from Japan to Hongkonf , and will shortly depart for India ; and her Majesty ' s steamers Sampson and Barracouta have gone up to "Whampoa ( where the Sibylle is already stationed ) : in , consequence of some outrages committed by the Chinese authorities on the crew of a vessel flying English colours . In Hongkong , a public meeting has been called , to take into consideration the state of the colony as affected by the misrule of the present Governor , whose

      late acts have been of a most startling nature . The American Consul at Foochow , failing to obtain the satisfaction he desired for the death of Mr . Cunningham , has declined to enforce the payment of duties by American vessels , and several have been despatched accordingly . The English Consul Las , therefore , intimated that , until the Chinese insist on the payment of duties by American vessels , English slips must share the same exemption . A man has been brought to confess to the murder of Mr . Cunningham , and he vrill be executed . Trade , on tlie whole , is in a prosperous condition .

      ¦ ¦ ¦; .: - . ;¦ . , -siam-v . . ; . . ¦ ••¦ . ; . ¦ . - . ¦ , ¦"¦ An attempt has been made to kill the King- of Siato . The story is singular , and very Oriental in its features . The king was invited tea banquet by one of his richest subjects , and he consented to go , though such condescensions are very unusual in that country . But his Majesty ' s brother suspected something wrong , and suggested an expedient like some of those resorted to in fairy tales . He proposed that a courtier should go disguised as the king , the monarch not choosing to exhibit any feeling

      of distrust after having accepted the invitation . This was done . The courtier ( who was very like the king ) made his appearance at the appointed place , was conducted to a throne , and sat down . Instantly , there was ' a '' tremendous ' explosion , and . the ill-fated courtier -was blown into fragments , together with seven other persons who stood by . And thus was the king ' s life saved . Hia existence is said to be valuable , as he is " very enlightened for an Asiatic , and can write a letter in English , " to quote from tlie Madras AtherKcum , from which paper the details of this story are derived .

      " Russia , says the Chinese correspondent of the Times , "has concluded , at Pekin , a treaty with China . Three thousand acres of land and a safe harbour upon the west coast of Chusan are ceded in perpetuity by the ' Son of Heaven' to the Czar . A Russian Consul General , with ample diplomatic powers , has been nominated and accepted , and will reside at the fort , which is to be immediately commenced oil that site . He is authorized to appoint , without needing confirmation , three other consuls and diplomatic agents for other provinces of the Chinese Empire . "

      steam-ships , the Chusan , Singapore , and Pottingerbesides three lesser vessels of the Bombay Steam Navigation Company , of an aggregate burden in all of thirty thousand tons , at a freightage charge of above a thousand pounds a day . The men of war are nine firstclass steamers—the Punjaub , Assaye , Feroze , Ajdaha , Semiramis , Victoria , and Hugh Lindsay ; the steam tenders Napier and steam yacht Goolanar ; the sloops Elphinstone and Clive , and the brigs Euphrates and Tigris—or twelve vessels in all , the total fleet

      amounting to forty sail . A portion of these have been sent to Vingorla , to take on board her Majesty ' s 64 th and 20 th Native Infanty from Belgaum ; to Porebunder , to receive the 3 rd Cavalry from Rajkote , and to Kurrachee to ship the Belooch battalion , the 2 nd European ' s , and Brett ' s Battery . The fighting men in all amount to about six thousand , with about double this number of camp followers . Admiral Sir Henry Leeke , Commander-in-Chief of the Indian navy , has been authorized to take the command . "

      " The Government of Bengal , " says the Times Calcutta correspondent , " has just published a report on a new iron field examined by Mr . Smith , a viewer sent out by the Court of Directors . It is at Barrool , a place about ten miles bej-ond Raneegunge , the last station on the existing railway . It is close to tbe coal mimes , and the means of carriage both by rail and water are close at hand . The quantity of ore Mr . Smith estimates at about 6 , 400 , 000 tons to the square mile , but the limits of the field remain to bo ascertained . " We rea . 4 in the

      same letter : — " Dr . Balfour , an uble surgeon at Madras has just published a curious volume of reports on cholera . He started some years ago a theory that there were many places absolutely exempt from the scourge . Investigation has confirmed his opinion . In Madras alone there are thousands of villages which have never felt the visitation , though surrounded by infected districts . Minute lists are supplied , and each place is to be separately examined . At present , tho only facts known arc that places in very exposed situations , or very well drained , are comparatively favoured . "

      The fall of Herat before the Persians is vory generally contradicted in India . It appears probable , however , that an engagement between the besiegers and the besieged took place on tho 29 th of August ; that the Persians for a time succeeded in establishing themselves in some of tho outworks , but that they were ultimately driven forth by Esa Khan at tlie head of the besieged , who slaughtered great numbers of tho enemy , and chasod tliem back upon their main body . On the other hand , the LaJiora Chronicle still declares its belief timt Herat has yielded .

      Of tho Persian expedition , it may be stated that it has probably by this time arrived off Buabire . Tho Bombay Times reports that " the expedition consists of twenty-six sailing transports , ot an aggregate of 24 , 000 tons ; of three of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's

      Untitled Article

      IRELAND . The Education Question . —The ceremony of distributing the prizes awarded to the successful students at the examinations held in June at the Queen ' s College in Cork , took place on Thursday week in the spacious examination-hall of that institution , and in the presence of a numerous a ssemblage . At tlie conclusion of the ceremony , tlie President ( Sir Robert Kane ) read , amid loud applause , ft long address , in which lie indicated , and enlarged on , tlio progress which the college has made during the seven years in which it has been in existence .

      Tit us Catholic Ukivisrsitv . —An Irish priest , writing in the Tablet , mentions some circumstances which , in his opinion , account for the admitted failure of the Catholic University . He states : —" While Dr . Cullen acted merely as one of tho body , and bofore his translation to Dublin , Ireland contributed 23 , 000 £ , Meatli and Dublin contributing nearly 4000 / . each . After his translatior and his evident change of policy , tho falling off in th < collection was most remarkable , tho metropolitan parisl of Dublin contributing scarcely 30 / . Up to the tinv indicated , several bishops used to attend the committd in Dublin . At one of those meetings , a venerablo bishoj offered some suggestions in reference to tlie university when tho Archbishop of Dublin is reported to have flai < that disobediences or a refusal to adopt hia viowa wa disobedience to Rome ! *¦ That , in this matter of tk >

      Untitled Article

      Decembeb 6 , 1856 . ] THE LEADER . 1157

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 6, 1856, page 1157, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2170/page/5/