matter, and may probably be so again; but I could not as a minister and as member for Oxford allow it to be debated an indefinite number of times and remain silent. One thing, however, I may add, because I think it a clear landmark. In any measure dealing with the Irish Church, I think (though scarcely expect ever to be called on to share in such a measure) the Act of Union must be recognised and must have important consequences, especially with reference to the position of the hierarchy." The letter concluded with a hope that Dr. Hannah would "see and approve my reasons for not wishing to carry my own mind further into a question lying at a distance I cannot measure.

9. While the accident on the Shrewsbury and Chester line was engaging public attention, the feeling of insecurity was again aroused this day by another alarming occurrence on the South-Eastern line, near Staplehurst. The first tidal train timed to leave Folkestone at 2.30 P.M. started with about 110 passengers, and proceeded all right for about thirty miles. At Staplehurst the line crosses a stream, which, in summer, shrinks to the proportions of a rivulet. On the bridge itself the line was under repair, the rails being lifted and an opening of some width made in the soil. Into this gap the train dashed at full speed, and eight of the fourteen carriages were thrown into the ravine-beneath. The destruction was so complete that the broken fragments did not occupy a greater space than one entire carriage. The injury to life and limb was of the most appalling charac

ter. Ten of the passengers were dragged to the brink bruised to death or drowned in the stream, and twenty others maimed so frightfully that it was with great difficulty they could be removed from the scene of disaster. The most immediate assistance was given by the passengers in the carriages which remained on the line, prominent amongst them being Mr. Charles Dickens and Mr. S. Read of the Illus trated News. The evidence produced before the coroner showed that the regulation of the company for the safety of the passengers had been neglected, and the jury accordingly returned a verdict of manslaughter against Joseph Gallimore, district inspector, and Henry Benge, foreman platelayer.

14. The French Courts pronounce a deci sion in the case of the Countess de Civery against the Duke of Brunswick. About a year ago the Countess-who represented herself as the daughter of the Duke-and "Lady Charlotte Colville" made a demand upon him for 35,000 francs for board and lodgings. Mr. Allan, who appeared for the defendant, stated that "Lady Colville" was simply a beauty of the demi-monde named Charlotte Munden, and that the Duke had met her in the green-room of Drury-lane Theatre. The Court declared the claim set up by the Countess to be unfounded, and dismissed the suit.

Bill read a second time by a majority of 206 to 190.

16.-Explosion of fire-damp in the New l'it Colliery, Tredegar, causing the death of twentysix workmen.

19.-Died, Richard Thornton, Esq., one of the most daring and successful merchants of the city of London. He left a fortune estimated at between two and three millions sterling.

Died, aged 51, George Wingrove Cooke, author of various historical treatises.

The Lord Chancellor lays on the table a bill for completing the revision of the statutelaw and expurgation of the Statute-book. The noble lord said that the statutes of the realm at present filled forty-four quarto volumes. The bills presented by him on former occasions carried the revision and expurgation down to the reign of James II. inclusive, and the bill which he had now the honour to introduce completed the entire work of revision. If it passed into a law, the new edition of the whole of the living statutes which would follow would probably be comprised in ter. volumes only, of the same average size as at present. The next step would be to arrange the statute-law in ne form of a digest, under the most appropriate heads, forming a complete analytical arrangement, and then to revise and expurgate the unwieldy and still increasing mass of the decided cases, reducing them to such as constituted the body of existing authorities, and which might in their turn be digested and arranged.

This

21. Mr. Samuel Baker, the African traveller, writes from Khartoum :-"There is no longer any mystery connected with the Nile, nor any necessity for expeditions on that head, unless it be desired to explore the great lake I have discovered-the Albert Nyanza. can only be done by building a vessel for the purpose on the lake. I shall never undertake another expedition in Africa. For the last three years I have not had one day of enjoy. ment; nothing but anxieties, difficulties, fatigue, and fever... I should not have been contented to see a foreigner share the honour of discovering the Nile-sources with Speke and Grant: it happily belongs to England."

24. The Prussian Government fix upon Kiel as the principal station for their new fleet.

26. The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs intimates to the Papal Nuncio that his Government had now determined to recognise the new kingdom of Italy, and so put an end to the isolation of Spain from other European Courts on Italian questions.

Alsen attacked by the Prussians; surrendered on the 29th.

attempts to escape to the boats. A few survivors were picked up by the Lafayette, and landed at Havre.

27.-The Committee on the Leeds Bankruptcy Court Inquiry present their report to the House of Commons. So far as the Lord Chancellor was concerned, they entirely exonerated him from any intention of appointing his son to Leeds; they were also satisfied "that no imputation can fairly be made against the Lord Chancellor with regard to the appointment of Mr. Welch; and they further consider that no improper motives are to be imputed to the Lord Chancellor in connexion with the resignation of Mr. Wilde and the granting him a pension, although they believed the pension was granted hastily and without due examination." In the debate which ensued on the presentation of the Report, Lord Palmerston said he thought the Lord Chancellor had not got fair play.

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The Russians in Central Asia make another advance towards Bokhara, by seizing the important stronghold of Tachkend.

28.-Discovery of the Nile-source Albert Nyanza. Earl Russell causes intimation to be made to the Geographical Society that letters had been received from Khartoum, dated 10th May, stating that Mr. Baker had succeeded in discovering the second great source of the Nile -second not in importance, but only in the order of discovery, to the Victoria Nyanza of Speke. Mr. Consul Stanley, from Alexandria, spoke of the discovery as that of "The second and main source of the Nile, at Lake Albert Nyanza, north latitude 2° 17'."

Died at Stanford Rivers, aged 77, Isaac Taylor, member of an old literary family, and a contemplative essayist of great reputation.

29.-Fire at Sotheby & Co.'s auction rooms, destroying literary property of great value, including the Biblical portion of Mr. Offor's library, then being disposed of

30.-The Derby won for the first time by a foreign horse-Count Lagrange's Gladiateur.

July 3.-Disaster to Mr. Coxwell's balloon Research. Ascending with a party from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Belfast, the balloon continued its course with success, till an endeavour was made to effect a landing on ground which turned out not to be suitable for the purpose. Here the car got a good deal knocked about, and at Mr. Coxwell's suggestion a leap was made by the voyagers for their lives. Three reached the ground, bruised and frightened, when the balloon, lightened of its weight, shot up with great rapidity, before the other two

could escape. One of them was subsequently thrown out, and fell a distance of about twenty feet; while the other was again borne upwards and carried through the clouds for hours, vainly endeavouring during a portion of the time to pierce the silk for the purpose of letting the gas out. Ground was at one time neared, at Glengariff, but the balloon again ascended with velocity, and shaped a course towards the Irish Channel. Seizing an opportunity when it was bumping along the coast, the solitary occupant of the car, Mr. Runge, threw himself out, fortunately at a spot where the fall was broken by a hedge. The balloon was found torn to pieces on the shore of Islay.

3.-Commenced before the High Court of Justiciary, Edinburgh, the trial of Dr. Edward William Pritchard, Glasgow, charged with poisoning his wife and mother-in-law, in the course of the months of February and March last. The apprehension of the prisoner on his return from burying Mrs. Pritchard, in Edin burgh, excited an interest which increased in intensity as step by step the complicated succession of cruelties came to be unravelled. The leading facts brought out in evidence by the Crown were, that Mrs. Pritchard was seized with illness, the symptoms being constantly recurring sickness and vomiting. la November last she went to Edinburgh, on a visit to her parents, and while there recovered tolerable health. On returning to her husband's house, a few days before Christmas, she had a relapse of the old complaint, which continued at intervals with greater or less severity down to the day of her death. On the 10th of February Mrs. Taylor came from Edinburgh to nurse her daughter. Two days afterwards that lady had an attack of sickness on eating some tapioca which had been prepared for her daughter; and on the evening of the 25th was suddenly seized with an illness which terminated her life within four or five hours. Dr. James Paterson, who had been sent for to see the old lady on her death-bed, declined when called upon to grant a certificate, and sent a letter to the Registrar, intimating that in his opinion the death was sudden, unexpected, and mysterious The Registrar took no action in the matter beyond applying to Pritchard, who forthwith gave a certificate, falsifying at once the cause of death and the duration of illness. Three weeks later Mrs. Pritchard herself died, her symptoms having been the same as those she had exhibited throughout. The examination of her body showed that the illness which Pritchard described as gastric fever was in reality due to the oft-repeated administration of tartarised antimony, which the prisoner was known to have purchased in large quantities. It was shown, too, that throughout his wife's illness he had been in close attendance upon her. The poor woman's food had sometimes been taken to her by his hands; sometimes it had been prepared under his supervision; and at all times he had had easy access to her cup and platter. The servant girls, on tasting food

prepared for their mistress-but which in some way or other had passed through their master's hands were seized with sickness; while other inmates of the house suffered in the same way, probably in consequence of using dishes in which poisoned food had been served.

In

the case of Mrs. Taylor, it was proved that she too had been dosed with antimony, but the symptoms manifested just before her death were shown to be the effects of aconite, a poison which the prisoner had in his possession, and which was discovered by Dr. Penny to have been introduced into a bottle of Battley's mixture used by the old lady. At the time all this slow poisoning was going on in the prisoner's household, his circumstances were in a state rendering the removal of his victims in the highest degree advantageous to him. Another feature brought out in evidence was the unparalleled combination of consummate hypocrisy with relentless cruelty shown by the prisoner's letters and diaries.

In a letter to his father-in-law, dated 3d March, the prisoner wrote "We found dear Mary Jane (his wife) had been very sick between two and three o'clock. . . . . No sleep came to her longing wish last night; and oft she woke me -to know why no slumber came. This is very trying to her, and more heartrending to me. Again, on the 6th of the same month : Mary Jane has had no sleep-still I am in great hopes she is somewhat better otherwise, not being so sick, and feeling more strength. In a letter to his daughter, dated 13th March, he wrote: "I am so sorry to tell you dearest mamma is too weak to write to-day, and did not like you should have no letter." Then, in subsequent letters to Mr. Taylor, occurred such expressions as the following:-"I am vexed and grieved deeply that dear Mary Jane seems making little progress," and "We are all in grief at Minnie's wretched nights-no sleep, and the sickness has been worse yesterday and to-day." Still more significant were such entries as the following :-"March 2, Th. Buried Mrs. Taylor, poor dear grandma, in Grange Cemetery ;" or, "18th, Sat.: At I A.M., Mary Jane, my beloved, passed away;" or again, 18th, Saturday: Died here, at 1 A. M., Mary Jane, my own beloved wife, aged 38 years-no torment surrounded her bedsidebut, like a calm, peaceful lamb of God, passed Minnie away. May God and Jesus, Holy Ghost, One in Three, welcome Minnie. Prayer on prayer till mine be o'er, everlasting love. Save us, Lord, for thy dear Son."-The principal witnesses for the Crown were servants in the prisoner's family, with one of whom he had formed an improper intimacy-and chemical experts, who revealed with exactness and clearness the manner in which the crime had been accomplished. An attempt was made in cross-examination to weaken their testimony, but no scientific witnesses were called in the prisoner's favour.

In sum

ming up the Lord Justice Clerk commented in severe terms on the carelessness of Dr. Pater

son in not making known his suspicion as to the poisoning of Mrs. Taylor. On the fifth day of trial the jury returned a verdict of Guilty on both charges as libelled, and the prisoner was thereafter sentenced to be executed at Glasgow, on the morning of the 28th instant. Between the date of his conviction and execution Pritchard made a variety of confessions with reference to his crimes-first that his wife's death was the result of an overdose of chloroform which he wilfully administered in a moment of excitement; and that Mrs. Taylor's death was the result of an overdose of Battley's solution of opium, with which he had nothing more to do than placing the aconite in the bottle after death to prevent suspicion, should any inquiry take place. A second confession was so untruthful that it was never made public; a third, given out ten days before his execution, admitted the perpetration of both crimes, and the justice of his sentence. He was hanged in front of Glasgow gaol in presence of an immense crowd.

3.-Censure of the Lord Chancellor by the House of Commons. After a lengthened debate, in which various attempts were made to modify its terms, Mr. Ward Hunt carried the following resolution in its original form as against "the previous question," by a majority of 177 to 163 :-" That the evidence taken before the Committee of this House on the Leeds Bankruptcy Court, discloses that a great facility exists for obtaining public appointments by corrupt means; that such evidence, and also that taken before a Committee of the House of Lords in the case of Leonard Edmunds, and laid before this House, shows a laxity of practice and a want of caution on the part of the Lord Chancellor in sanctioning the grant of retiring pensions to public officers over whose heads grave charges are impending, and in filling up the vacancies made by retirement of such officers, whereby great encouragement has been given to corrupt practices; and that such laxity and want of caution, even in the absence of any improper motive, are, in the opinion of this House, highly reprehensible, and calculated to throw discredit on the administration of the high offices of State."

death of the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, the control of the Hospital and School should be vested in the Admiralty, who should appoint an officer of rank, not lower than a vice-admiral, to act as visitor, and a comptroller of the Greenwich Hospital estates to exercise a general superintendence over the lands and other property. When the Act took effect on the 30th September, a considerable number of the pensioners passed out to reside with friends or relations.

5.-Royal assent given to Earl Granville's bill based on the Report of the Royal Commissioners for relaxing the subscription to certain clerical oaths. In lieu of the old form

pledging his "assent and consent to everything contained in the Book of Common Prayer, the Declaration proposed by the Bill to be made before Ordination was as follows:-"I assent to the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion and the Book of Common Prayer, and of the ordering of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. I believe the doctrine of the United Church of England and Ireland as therein set forth to be agreeable to the Word of God; and in public prayer and administration of the Sacraments, I will use the form in the said Book prescribed, and none other, except so far as shall be ordered by lawful authority." An attempt was made by the Archbishop of Dublin to postpone the bill till Convocation in Ireland had been consulted; but the measure, as proposed, passed through both Houses.

Resignation of Lord Chancellor Bethell. He took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock, and proceeded at once to make his statement. "I have deemed it my duty," he said, "out of the deep respect I owe to your lordships, to attend here to-day that I may in person announce to you that I tendered the resignation of my office yesterday to her Majesty, and that it has been by her Majesty most graciously accepted. My lords, the step which I took yesterday only, I should have taken several months ago if I had only followed the dictates of my own judgment-(cheers)-and acted on my own views alone. But I felt that I was not at liberty to do so. As a member of the Government I could not take such a step without the permission and sanction of the Government.

With regard to the opinion which the House of Commons has pronounced, I do not presume to say a word. I am bound to accept the decision. I may, however, express the hope that after an interval of time calmer thoughts will prevail, and a more favourable view be taken of my conduct. . . . I may add, in reference to the appellate jurisdiction of your Lordships' House, that I am happy to say it is left in a state which will, I think, be found to be satisfactory. There will not be at the close of the session a single judgment in arrear, save one in which the arguments, after occupying several days, were brought to a conclusion only yesterday. In the Court of Chancery, I am

glad to be able to inform your lordships, that I trust there will not remain at the end of the present sittings one appeal unheard, or one judgment undelivered. I mention these things simply to show that it has been my earnest desire, from the moment I assumed the seals of office, to devote all the energies I possessed, and all the industry of which I was capable, to the public service. (Cheers.) My lords, it only remains to thank you, which I do most sincerely, for the kindness which I have uniformly received at your hands. It is very pos sible that by some words inadvertently used, some abruptness of manner, I may have given pain, or exposed myself to your unfavourable opinion. If that be so, I beg of you to accept the expression of my regret, while I indulge in the hope that the circumstance may be erased from your memories. I have no more to say, my lords, except to thank you for the kindness with which you have listened to these observations." (Loud cheers.)

5.-In consequence of the refusal of the Prussian Chamber to vote supplies, the King issues a Royal decree, countersigned by all the Ministers, intimating that he placed at the dis posal of the Minister of Marine a sum not to exceed 500,000 thalers for the construction of heavy cast steel guns for the fleet, and the Minister of Marine and Finance would require to account to him for the employment of the sum used at the end of the year.

6.-Parliament prorogued by Commission At twelve o'clock the Lords Commissioners entered the House. Sir Augustus Clifford having summoned the Commons to be present, Earl Granville read the Royal Speech. The House was then prorogued to the 12th instant. The two Houses having formally saluted each other, the Commons returned to their own chamber, where the Speaker, standing at the table, read the Royal Speech. The members present, headed by Mr. Brand, then advanced to the table, shook hands with Mr. Denison, and exchanged congratulations upon the term nation of the Session. This Parliament (the sixth of Queen Victoria) was dissolved by a Royal Proclamation made public the same day.

Numerous election addresses published from candidates for the new Parliament. To Tiverton the Premier writes :-"How long the Ministry of which I have the honour to be a member may continue to direct the affairs of this great nation must depend upon the wil of the Parliament now about to be elected; but I think I may be allowed to say for my self and my colleagues, that a just judgment of our past administration will entitle us to the same measure of goodwill which has been extended to us by the Parliament now dissolved."— To Birmingham Mr. Bright writes:-"The Administration which, in 1859, climbed into office under the pretence of its devotion to the question of Parliamentary Reform has violated its solemn pledges. Its

chiefs have purposely betrayed the cause they undertook to defend, and the less eminent members of it have tamely acquiesced in that betrayal. The Ministry have for six years held office, which, but for promises they made, and which they have broken, they could not have obtained possession of even for a day. The Parliament is about to expire-the Ministry will soon undergo such changes as will make it totter to its fall; but the question of Reform lives, and at this moment in the eyes of its opponents takes a more distinct shape than at any other period since the passing of the bill of 1832. trust the result of the coming general election will show that, notwithstanding the treachery of official statesmen and the indifference of the expiring Parliament, the cause of freedom based on a true representation of the nation is advancing with an irresistible force to its final triumph." To Cambridge University Mr. Walpole said :-"The Conservative principles which have always guided me in my public conduct-combining, as they do, a firm determination to maintain in their integrity our invaluable institutions both in Church and State, with a sincere desire to improve and amend them, so as to secure them, in their utmost efficiency, for those who come after as well as for ourselves-are, I believe and am happy to think, steadily and constantly gaining ground, and that, too, notwithstanding the efforts which have recently been made to democratize, if possible, by organic changes, our mixed form of government, and to undermine the basis of our National Church Establishment in Eng. land and Ireland."-Mr. J. S. Mill, writing from Avignon, gave a lengthy exposition of his principles to the electors of Westminster :"With regard to Reform Bills, I should vote at once both for Mr. Baines's bill and for Mr. Locke King's, and for measures going far beyond either of them. I would open the suffrage to all grown persons, both men and women, who can read, write, and perform a sum in the rule of three, and who have not, within some small number of years, received parish relief. At the same time, utterly abominating all class ascendency, I would not vote for giving the suffrage in such a manner that any class, even though it be the most numerous, could swamp all other classes taken together. In the first place, I think that all considerable minorities in the country or in a locality should be represented in proportion to their numbers. should be prepared to support a measure which would give to the labouring classes a clear half of the national representation."

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I

a bank in Vienna, obtained by the plaintiffs and assigned to the defendants. The Lord Chief Justice, in delivering the decision of the court for the plaintiffs, said they were to have been paid 10,000l. in cash and 10,000/. in shares; but as these were now valueless, it was impossible to fix an amount of damage in respect of them. Consequently, the judgment of the court would be substantially for 10,000l., and the amount of expenses agreed upon between the parties that had been incurred in obtaining the definite concession.

10. Fire in the binding department of the British Museum, destroying several MSS. of value.

11. The first election for the new Parliament took place this day. In the city of London, Goschen, Crawford, Lawrence, and Rothschild, all Liberals, were elected, over Fowler and Lyell, Conservatives. In Westminster, Mr. Mill was at the head of the poll; the numbers being-Mill, 4,384; Grosvenor, 4,379; Smith, 3,812. In Lambeth, Hughes and Doulton were successful. Walpole and Selwyn were returned unopposed for Cambridge, and F. Peel ejected at Bury. In Edinburgh the contest was unusually keen, and resulted in the defeat of the old member, Mr. Adam Black. The numbers there were-M 'Laren, 4,354; Moncreiff, 4,148; Black, 3,797 Miller, 3,721. Of the 657 members returned to the new Parliament, 367 were described as Liberals and 290 as Conservatives. In the change, the Liberals lost 33 seats, and gained 57. There was one double return for the county of Dumbarton, and Mr. Gathorne Hardy was returned for two places-Leominster and Oxford University. At Cheltenham one man was shot during an election brawl.

12. At the nomination at Birmingham, Mr. Bright made a pointed attack on Mr. Disraeli. "Five millions of grown-up men," he said, "had no direct representation in the House of Commons, in a country whose great foundation of government was a representative system and the representative principle. What was the answer made to this claim? The Prime Minister answers it by contemptuous silence. He has not referred to it in that long and carefully written address he has issued not only to the electors of Tiverton, but to the electors of the United Kingdom. But what says Lord Derby, speaking through the mouth of his prophet Disraeli? Why, he says, lateral extension of the franchise is what is wanted. He says to the great body of working men-to these five million men-It is true you are shut out; the Reform Bill was not satisfactory; the representation may be amended; your complaint is just, and we will admit-somebody else. Now, Mr. Disraeli is a man of brains, of genius, of a great capacity of action, of a wonderful tenacity of purpose, and of a rare courage. He would have been a statesman if his powers had been directed by any ennobling principle or idea, but, unhappily, he prefers a