LATER ENGLISH NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4023, 9 January 1875, Page 6 (Supplement)

LATER ENGLISH NEWS.

The steamer St. Osyth, which arrived in Hob-, son's Bay. on December 24th, brought English papers to the 9th November, from which the following extracts are taken by the Argus :— - THE PHINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES,. Fine weather was enjoyed by the people of Birmingham yesterday, on the occasion of Ihu visit of tho Prince and Princess of Wales to that town i'neir llo};al Highnesses drove from Lord •A ylestord s mansion to the borough boundary, where they wore received by the Mayor. Thence they passed m procession through the streets of Birmingham to the Town [fall, and were there presented with an address by the Corporation. After having been entertained at a luncheon, tho and Vrincess visited successively the electro^ !._;•" works of Messrs Elkington,' the pen mannfact'e.^ '.f Jlessrs Gillott, and the coinmaking establishment of Messrs Heaton. Having inspected the various processes, ■ their JEcyal Highnesses left Birmingham and returned to Packiugton Hall. Tlie town was splendidly illuminated in the evening, and the day's proceedings passed off without disorder or accident. THE COLLISION BETWKEN THE, CANDAHAR AND THE lUXGSBIiItIGE.-. The official inquiry instituted by direction of tlie Board of Trade, and conducted at the Greenwich Police-court before If r Patteson, the Ala»iatrate, and Captains Scales and Nicholas, nautfeal assessors, has been concluded. The Court held upon ihe evidence that the Candahar at the time of collision was close hauled on the port tack, with the Lizard light clearly visible some 14 miles broad on the lee starboard bow -The Kingsbridge was at the moment reachin" to "the south-east, close hauled likewise, but °on tho starboard tack. On theso points the evidence is clear, and.no conflict of opinion exists Respecting both ship's lights, the Court is of opinion that they were properly placed, lit, and burning well. The cause of the collision the Court almost entirely attributes to the unpardonable deficiency of look-out on the part of the Candahar which, being on the port or yielding tack, should have taken every precaution on a dark night, and especially in the vicinity of the Lizard, where vessels must have been expected to be met. Ihe judgment of the Court was that Mr Nelson, the first officer, was guilty of default. His certificate was ; therefore suspended for twelve months. The conduct of C. VV. Laird, A.8., the look-out man, was stroagly condemned, and the Court regretted that it had no power to deal with his culpability. Tho Court could not wholly exempt tho Kingsbridge from blame. In this important inquiry the Court has been placed at a great disadvantage owing to the absence of both captains, one-Captain Symonds—bavin* been unhappily drowned, and the other—Cap =- tain Jonghin—having been seized with paralysis since the lamentable disaster, which has prevented the Court fiom receiving their respective explanations. DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT TIIE HOUNBLOW I'OWDEIt MILLS. On the 3rd November, a shocking accident occurred at '.Messrs Curtis and Harvey's gunpowder mills, near Hounslow, by which four men were killed, and a man and a boy seriously injured Amongst the numerous buildings on theso extensive works is a brick and slated structure called the "mixing-house," and it is here that the three ingredients of which gunpowder is composed—charcoal, saltpetre, and brimstone-arc brought separately to be mixed. For that purpose they are emptied from small | )W into a cylindrical machine, or barrel, culled the "monk,"and then stirred until theynre thoroughly amalgamated. The next process is the taking of the compound from tho mixer, and placin° it in bags for the purpose of its being conveyed irto the incorporated mill ; and it was whilst this operation was being performed that the four unfortunate men lost their lives. According to law, no more than 12 charges, or Iws each containing 501bs of powder, are allowed°to be mixed at one time in the' building; and yesterday, as the nwn were engaged in removing the mixture from the "monk" to a cart ouisidtf and when eight of the charges remained in "the house, by some means or other at present unknown, one of them caught fire, and the rest being instantly ignited, a terrific conflagration ensued, from tho effects of which and the dense and deadly fumes there was no escape. There waa no explosion, but a gradual burning of the mixture, accompanied by cloiuls of suffocating smoke and myriads o"f sparks, anil it is sad to relate that the four poor iellows who were unable to escape met with a perfectly horrible death. They were suffiocated and literally roasted before their bodies could be extricated. It seems that in order to prevent accidents at this particular, part of the works, the proprietors had carried out every precaution recommended by the authorities, and had caused the whole of the building to bo thoroughly lined with wood, in order that no gritty substance should get precipitated on the floor, and in tins instance the precaution seems to have been a means of adding to the danger, or, in other words, of increasing the fury of the fire, for before aid could ho given the whole internal lining became iguiled, and in less than five minutes the building presented the appearance of an immense furnace, and all endeavours to stay the progress of the flames, so as to save the lives of the men, were futiio. Powerful steam and manual fire-pumps, witli an abundant supply of water, were constantly kept on tlie works, and thexo v,-ero brought into play us soon as possible, but tho fire burned itself out, and when an entrance was effected, there was nothing- remaining but the maciiin«rv and the charred bodies of the victims. Medical aid was procured, but of course it was useless, except in t!ie case of the man and boy who were injured, snd who happily were sufficient]v near to the door to escape from death, fu the case of tne four men, it is believed their fate w.s instantaneous. Their names were Aroher, Tod-1, Butler, and Day, the kst-named having left a widow and one child. The two injured are Goddard and Chapman. THE ATTEMPTED AKSASStXATION OF PRINCE BISMARCK. Wurzburg, October 20.—0n tlie Court resuming the trial of Kullmann for the attomqtud assassination of Prince Bismarck, yesterday," the foilowiiiß- evi'loiioo was given : — Police-sertreant . lues, who guarded Kullmanu in prison, saiJ the accused told him he regretted not t:tkiu«- b"tteaim at tho Prince, and if ho had loaded th ■ pistol with another bullet be sliould VK-rlviiis have succeeded. Being sisked how he. a vw-wJ.s man, could attempt tho life of. n human boinivUilmnnn. replied, '■' Oh, nonsense'; it servos tno cause. Are not our bishons and areabishops imprisoned ?" Prisoner sni.l ho did not recollect uttering tho words afci: Jbiitcd to him, i'ne schoolmaster, j-lerr Funkell, described ivullmann as moderately intelligent, of a th.> roughly ordinary character, but as having been an obstinate and unmanageable scholar in every particular. Ho never perceived any si»ns of ecutntripifcy or mental disturbance in Knllmaim dunug liis youth. Several witnesses were O - a vnnnert, w.io related various ambiguous phrases used by Kullmann in conversation to conceal, as the sequel showed, an ulterior design. District •Judsn Pebvpr, t]enosf(Hi!,it ?t t first eviimination ot ,\cuuseii Prince Bismarck was present. The Prince asked Kuljmaiiii why'he sought to kill him. 'On account of the JSJay tows," liy replied. Prince Bismarck ivjoinetl, '■' It was not fair for teliow-citixens to shoot at one another." Kullmaim made no reply. On Bismarck asking him whether lie had not bean taught unyiliiu" of his duties to constituted authority, Kullmaim without the lease emotion, gave tin account of tne manner in which he matured his plan of assassination, and the steps he had taken to carry it out, displaying throughout the utmost caliu and never contradicted himself, or betrayed the least mental confusion. The police doctor, IJorr labrice, said HuUmann was responsible for his actions. Dr Vogfc gave corroborative evidence, saying ICiillmaun was not a fanatic, but a " fanatioisod " man, and of violent disposition. Theie should be taken into account his unfortunate inheritance from his parents of sudden passion and revengeful dispositinn. District Judicial Councillor Wtrosenreuther, from frequent intercourse. Considered Ivullrmvnngiitedwitlipromptandapjurate judgment, Accused had never been guilty of self-contradiction, and at ths time of the attempted assassination was fully responsible for his acts. Wednesday, October 30. —The trial of Kullmann was resumed this morning, at noon. Pro fessor Kienecke gave very full evidence to the errect that he did not consider Knilmiuin to be a, leligious or a political fanatic ; neither had ho a natural piedisposition to crime; nor was he a common murderer. His powers of comprehension were unimpaired, but, on tlie other hand Kullmaun was hereditarily afliicted with a moral defect. His maternal grandfutlu r was a suicide, his mother died deranged, and his father was a habitual drunkard. These facts, the professor argued, produced in Kullmann a certain want of independence in forming opinions a susceptibility to external impressions, coldness of heart, and a tendency to violence and vanity. .Therefore, although Kullmann must be held i>ocountable, there was yet present in his nature a certain hereditary morbid disposition, calculat< d to affect his fiee will. The president summed up the medical testimony to the effect that Kulimar.n was account; ble, but in a limited degree. The jury found Kullinann guilty, and tho Couit condemned him to fourteen years' imprisonment in the House c»f Correction, ten years' deprivation of civil rights, and subjection to Police surveillance for the same period. The public prosecutor had demanded that the sentence of imprisonment should be for fifteen years. In accordance with the decision of a general Ministerial order, dated 21st May, 1874 Kullmann will undergo his sentence at the House of Correction at St. C4oorgen, near Bayreuth. THE CEHUAN BUDGKT. 'pi -p- ■!■,■,•„ Berlin, November 3rd. The Financial Bill of the German Empire for the year IS7o has been submitted to the Reichstag to-day The ordinary expenditure is estimated at c90,023,40;> reiehsmarks, and the extraordinary expenditure at 125,277,081 reiehsmarks forming a total of 521,801,139 reichsmaiks which is balanced by the estimated revenue. The Imperial Chahpellor is also empowered to issue lreasury notes to an amount not exceeding twenty.four millions of reicksmarks, as. a, pro.

visional augmentation of the funds of the Imperial Central Treasury required for current os> penses. The Chancellor is likewise empowered ' to issue Tioasury notes to the amount of thuty ' millions of reichsmavks, to be employed in the , neces-ary measures for effecting the reform of ' the coinage of the Empire. SICILIAN BRIGANDAGE. I Iv .answer to representations contaiued in a letter addressed by Colonel Angus Croll, as chairman of the Anglo-Sicilian Sulphur Company, to the Earl of Derby, Secretary of State fof Foreign Affairs, the -Italian Foreign Minister, Siguor Visconti-Venosta, has informed Her Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at Home that the complaints made by Colonel Croll as to the condition of public security in the Province of Caltanisetta shall be" inquired into. At the same time the Italian Minister saj's that a new organisation of the service for the repression of brigandage is about to be put into execution in the whole of Sicily, j by means of a considerable development of the military forcp, with unity of purpose and of action. His Majesty's Government trusts that these measures will have, as their result, the return of public security in the province of Caltanisetta and elsewhere; and that, the interests of tho English company in question will thus be benefited. Even more radical and energetic measures will be adopted should the existing ones, in spite of every precaution, prove to bo insufficient to attain the desired end. ■^ MISOEIiLANEOUS. After an unsuccessful season, ,the International Exhibition at South Kensington was finally closed on Thursday, December 31. Poitions of the building are, however, to be used in future for the display of various works of art and science. ' Relics of the Prince Albert have just been brought home by a whaling vessel from the. Arctic regions. They include a record which was placed in a oannister .i»a left by Captain Kennedy in August, 1852, stating that he had been in winter quarters since the previous autumn, and lhat the ice had been broken, and liberated his vessel. Five of the crew of the schooner Jame3 Leed, of Preston, have been drowned, owing to their vessel sinking after having been in a collision with the steamer Norma, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Norma has arrived in Liverpool. There has been an election riot in Infanta, in" Alabama, originating with the negroes. Seven of the latter were kille;!, and fifteen wounded. Five whites were wounded. Inquiry has been matte respecting the death of a sailor from Borneo, who had been stabbed and mortally wounded by a shipmate at Plaistow. It was said that the man had been kept for sor.se hours m a dead-house while he was' still alive, and the jury, in returning a verdict of wilful murder against the person aocusail, censured the medical man who attended the deceased. A skoletou has been found in a strange situation at I'ohuan. A landslip occurred there, and a wall at the rear of son.c houses fell, and exposed to view the complete skeleton of a man. Ko one can tell how it came there.