most curious document was said to be bought for the duke of Rutland. A copy of Voltaire's tragedy of Tancrede, with the author's manuscript notes, and additions, evidently corrected for a new edition, went off for 11. 5s. A letter from Charles I to the prince of Orange, dated May 24th, 1630, was sold for four guineas. A letter from Oliver Goldsmith to Mr. Nourse, the bookseller, offering the copy-right of his History of the Revolutions of Denmark, was sold for five guineas; this high price arose from the circumstance, that letters and autographs of Goldsmith are extremely rare. Charles Mathews purchased a note from lady Denbigh to Garrick, respecting his performance, and the original draught of his answer, written from the Adelphi, for 2l. 7s. 6d.; and four other theatrical letters from Garrick, Foote, Barry, and Mrs. Yates, for six guineas and a half. A note from Pope to Dr. Oliver, at Bath, was bought at 1. 7s.; and Addison's signature to an official letter, at a guinea. Queen Elizabeth's sign Manual, dated Richmond, July 26, 1564, brought two guineas and a half. A letter, entirely in the hand-writing of Charles I, addressed to his only sister the queen of Bohemia, and dated September 3, 1647, from Hampton-court, where he was then confined, was sold for 5l. 2s. 6d. It was in the most perfect condition, and written throughout in a fine Italian, or court hand, the letters being almost perpendicular. Autographs of the following persons were sold: of Falconer, Shenstone, Warton, Shelly, Moore, Scott, and Crabbe, one lot, for 11. 16s. of Guy, the founder of the hospital, for 12s.: of the great duke of Marlborough, 1702; John : : duke of Argyll, 1711; the duke of Wellington, 1814, in one lot, for 11. 6s. of Sir Cloudesley Shovel, 1698; lord Hood, 1808, and Nelson and Bronte (dated on board the Medusa, August 7, 1801), one lot, for 18s.: of lord North, marquis of Rockingham, Mr. Pitt, and Mr. Jenkinson (afterwards lord Liverpool), in one lot, for 12s.: of C. J. Fox, Edmund Burke, and J. Curran, in one lot, for 1. 1s.: the Signs Manual of Charles II, 1663, William III, 1690, queen Mary, 1692, George II, 1727, and George III, 1793, in one lot, brought 27. 14s. ; those of James II, under his signature "York," dated at St. James's, 8th September, 1666, another signature, as King, 1688, and the signature of William III, when prince of Orange, January 7, 1688-9, in one lot, were sold for 31. 5s.; an order written by his present majesty, in his own hand when prince of Wales, concerning his box at the Haymarket; a similar one from the late duke of York, dated April 19, 1796, to admit prince Ernest to his box at Drury-lane; and a letter by the celebrated Mrs. Clarke, in one lot, brought 30s. A letter of Louis XIV to the queen of James II, on the birth of his grandson, dated Versailles, September 19, 1682, with two fine impressions of the Royal Seal, upon the blue flos silk with which it was tied, sold for 31. 15s. The autographs of Louis XIV, and Louis XV, 1l. 2s. Wentworth earl earl of Strafford, brought 15s.: that of Prince Rupert one guinea; of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, 1l. 8s. of Charles II, George II, and George P. R. (1814), countersigned Sidmouth, 17. 3s.: of George Canning, Robert Peel, G. Rose, a R. W. Horton, G. Tierney, W. periment of the usefulness of the Grant, and J. Mackintosh, one lot invention was some time since tried 78.: of Buonaparte, David the paint- in London ; and it was then so far er, Guerny de Maubreuil who re- found to answer the purpose recently assaulted M. Talleyrand, quired, that the Admiralty directed and lady Holland, one lot, 19s. the apparatus and a set of hoses WATERING OF SHIPS.—Captain to be supplied for the use of his William Fisher, R.N. has succeed- majesty's ship Barham ; as that ed in inventing an apparatus for ship is now at Spithead, the inwatering ships, which does not re- ventor solicited that an experiment quire that the water casks should should be tried here, which was be removed from the boats, and by done yesterday morning at the means of which they may be filled at Dock-yard, in the presence of the rate of a ton of water in four admirals sir George Martin and sir minutes. The apparatus consists, Thomas M. Hardy, all the captains simply, of a forcing pump with a in commission, and a number of five-inch cylinder, which may be naval officers, of considerable excarried by two men in a hand-bar- perience in the service. A report row, to a well, river, pond, or of the usefulness of the machine any reservoir of fresh water, and has been sent to the admiralty, the water is then forced through drawn up by sir Michael Seymour, some newly-invented hoses to any strongly recommending its general distance. The chief merit of adoption. These hoses are parthe plan lies in the hoses, which ticularly useful in breweries and are manufactured under captain mines, and most particularly for Fisher's directions, and were the fire engines. The invention is result of a long, expensive, and secured to captain Fisher by a arduous application to the subject. patent.--Hampshire Telegraph. They are made of canvas, in lengths CONDEMNATION FOR MURDER of fifty feet, fastened to each other ON INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.by brass nozzles, which are secured Hannah Russell, and Daniel by a moving screw collar; therefore Leany were convicted at the Lewes in screwing them together, the Summer assizes, for the supposed hoses need not be turned over. The murder of Hannah's husband hoses are made without seams, and [See vol. LXVIII, p. 26*]. are perfectly air and water-tight, Leany was executed the capable even of holding gas and Thursday after the trial, protesting ardent spirits, and are thoroughly his innocence to the very last; but saturated with a composition in the woman was respited on a point which common Indian rubber is of law. The evidence against the the principal or sole ingredient. prisoners was merely circumstanThey are rolled to the size required tial ; yet it was deemed conclusive over a cylinder, and, by a peculiar by the court and Jury, although press, and slight heat, are formed some individuals, who were present into a compact pliable tube, in- at the trial, were of a different capable of injury, not liable to opinion. The medical evidence wear, proof against the effect of rot was deemed very strong, that the arising from damp, resisting the man was poisoned by arsenic; and attacks of all vermin, and requir- the witness was complimented by ing no oil nor cleaning. An ex- the Court for the decisive and un on hesitating manner in which he memorial to the Secretary of State. gave his evidence. An eminent After encountering many diffisurgeon of Lewes, well known in culties which local ignorance and the literary world, Mr. Mantell, prejudicies threw in the way, the who happened to be in Court, did affidavits of the witnesses were colnot, however, consider the appear- lected. These, together with Mr. ances of the body of the deceased, Mantell's, stating his opinion and as described by the witness, or the objections to some parts of the tests which he stated he had em- medical evidence, and Mr. Ellis's, ployed, as conclusive and satis- which went to prove that it was factory; and while the examina- impossible, from the shortness tion of the surgeon was going on, of time allowed him (only two he handed a note to the prisoner's hours before the trial), to make a counsel, suggesting the propriety of proper defence for the prisoners, or other questions; but, unfortunate- to obtain any evidence in their ly, this suggestion was not attended favour, were transmitted to Mr. to, and Mr. Mantell being called Peel. The result was, the free out of Court, and hearing after- pardon and discharge of the poor wards, from the highest authority, woman. In the affidavits alluded that the prisoners were convict- to, it was alleged that the aped upon the clearest evidence, pearances on dissection were equivoconsidered that any interference cal, and more likely to have been in their favour would be im- the effect of disease than of poison ; proper and unavailing. Finding that the tests employed were unthat the woman was respited, satisfactory, and that metallic (Leany having been executed), and arsenic ought to have been re-prothat the more he reflected upon duced by a process thereindethe case, the more improbable did scribed ; that the time in which it appear that Benjamin Russell's the death of Benjamin Russell took death was the effect of poison, Mr. place was too short to be the effect Mantell communicated his doubts of arsenic (and in support of these to the high sheriff, and they were conclusions the very first medical immediately laid before Mr. Baron authorities in this country were Graham, who paid great attention brought forward, viz., sir Astley to the communication, and en- Cooper, Dr. Armstrong, Messrs. couraged Mr. Mantell to investi- Brodie, Stanley, Brande, &c.); gate the case in the fullest manner that the deceased had en for possible, with the aid of Mr. Ellis months previously to his death, the solicitor who conducted the subject to an affection of the heart, woman's defence. Mr. Mantell was, which was likely to have produced at length, enabled to obtain such a sudden death after any violent exmass of evidence, that the learned ertion, and yet might have left no Judge expressed his conviction, appearance of disease in the heart that there were grave and serious after death. doubts whether Benjamin Russell CONVERSIONS FROM POPERY.came to his death by arsenic or On Sunday the 4th, four inany other poison, and directed habitants of Bandon, county of Mr. Mantell to obtain this ad- Cork, publicly read their recantaditional evidence in the form of tion of the errors of popery in the affidavits, and transmit it with a church. On Sunday the 11th, persons, three men one twenty-two persons joined the and Jockey, Reading, to get it Protestant communion at Cavan; taken to Colnbrook. Her brother, seven persons, viz. four men and instead of booking the parcel, dethree women, at Kells; two men livered it to the waggoner, and at Newtonbarry ; one man at Kin- promised him something to drink. negad ; and six persons at New- Mr. Shepherd, for the defendant, castle, in the county of Wicklow : allowed it was a great hardship for on Sunday the 18th, at Cavan, ten the plaintiff to lose her clothes, persons ; in Killeshandra church, but said, it would be a much county of Cavan, one ; at Arvah greater hardship, if a person not church, in the same county, four liable should be compelled to pay and the loss; and he contended, that no woman : at Newcastle, county of contract to carry was entered into Wicklow, two persons, a man and with the defendant. his wife, the man had been a Mr. Baron Garrow observed, schoolmaster, and was for some that the case, though of small time in the employment of a neigh- amount, was of great and general bouring priest; this couple were importance. It was not necessary accompanied by their four chil- to call upon the master waggoner dren: at Bally bay, three persons, fe- to render him liable. The act of males; nine persons in Calry church, any of his agents made him so, if Sligo ; and ten persons in Rath- such act were within the scope of barron church, in the same county ; the agent's duty. But the quesin St. James's church, Dublin, two; tion was, whether this act was so in the church of Charlestown, within his duty ; whether it was county of Louth, one; being the ever intended that the defendant third who had conformed in that should reap any benefit for the parish within a short time. On carriage of the parcel, or whether Sunday, February the 25th, twenty- the waggoner engaged to take it seven persons presented themselves for his own personal benefit. at the parish church of Askeaton, The jury, after a short deliberain the county of Limerick. Nine- tion, found a verdict for the deteen only were received, the other fendant. eight not producing the necessary 3. DAMAGE FROM DETONATING certificates of having been duly Powder. SECONDARIES OFFICE. prepared for so important a change –Westbrook v. Jones.—This acin their religious doctrines. tion was brought by a letter-stamp er, for compensation for the injury and loss sustained by him, in conseMARCH quence of the maliciousness or care2. LIABILITY OF CARRIERS. lessness of the defendant, in sendREADING Assizes. - Butler v. ing, enclosed in a letter addressed Basing. — This was action to Mr. Allen, Barnett-street, Lambrought by the plaintiff, a maid beth, a large quantity of detonating. servant, against the defendant, a powder, which, when the plaintiff common carrier, to recover a com- was occupied in the discharge of pensation for the loss of a box of his duty, as stamper, exploded, and clothes. It appeared from the lacerated his hand, and inflicted on evidence, that the plaintiff sent her him other serious injury. The brother with the box, to the Horse damages were laid at 1,000l. an a Persons from the Post-office proved the receipt of the letter so addressed, and the discovery, after the explosion, of the defendant's having addressed it to Mr. Allen. Mr. Rees Price, surgeon, who attended the wounded man from the time of the accident until his partial recovery under his care, proved the extent of the injury which he had received. The right arm was lacerated to the extent of thirteen inches, from a little below the elbow to the extremity of the fingers, the tendons and bones of which were completely laid bare. The left arm was no less dangerously wounded; both his eyes were inflamed so much, that he could not open them for five days. The defendant read a written statement, in which he expressed his contrition and regret for the consequences of inadvertence on his part of malicious or wicked designs, he could not be accused, as he had no knowledge whatever of the plaintiff. The jury returned a verdict of 2001. damages. DEATH IN A SNOW STORM.— On the afternoon of Saturday the 3rd Mr. Jamieson, farmer, of Craigton, near Largs, left Greenock, in company with his two sons, young men, under seventeen years of age, on their return home. They had with them an empty cart and two horses. Notwithstanding the severity of the night, they proceeded till they reached Kelly Toll, where they stopped a little, and were urged to remain. However, they only unvoked the cart, and leaving it behind went on with the horses; but, from the increasing rigour of the storm and accumulation of the snow, when about a mile and a half from Largs, they left the main road, for the purpose of seeking shelter at the farm of Knock, which was not more than a gun-shot distant; but they sunk under the inclemency of the storm, when a very short way from the house. On Sunday morning, about eight o'clock, they were found by a servant belonging to Knock-Mr. Jamieson in a state of insensibility, and his two sons quite dead. They were immediately removed, and, by using proper means, Mr. Jamieson revived.-Greenock Advertiser. and 4. EXPLOSION OF A STEAMBOAT IN FRANCE.-At Lyons, on Sunday the 4th, a new steam-boat had been prepared to proceed up the Rhone. The boat was constructed on the plan of Mr. Raymond, and a number of persons, curious to see the experiment, went on board. The fire was increased until the power of the steam was raised to a one hundred and ten horse power; and the vessel had scarcely begun to move, when the boiler burst, and she was torn transversely into two parts. Fragments of the wreck killed wounded a number of persons on the adjoining quays of Monsieur and l'Hopital. So great was the concussion, that the houses on the quays were shaken, and the windows shivered to pieces. When the boat blew up, there were on board twenty-two men and a child. Of this number seven sailors remained unhurt; a journeyman cabinetmaker, and a child he had with him, also escaped; of the other fourteen persons, two Frenchmen, a sailor, and a carpenter were severely wounded on the deck. The third, an Englishman, Thomas Fort, was thrown into the Rhone: though his leg and thigh were broken, and almost his whole body burnt, he had the presence of mind |