THE SEPTEMBER MAIL..

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 8, Issue 457, 30 November 1864, Page 3

THE SEPTEMBER MAIL..

(from oub own correspondent.) London, 26th September, 1864. In my July letter I informed you of the 5 murder of Mr. Briggs, on the North London Railway, and mentioned that evidence had-been obtained, pointing to a German named Muller, as tho perpetrator of it. I also stated that Mul’er had sailed for New York in the packet ship Victoria, ind that the police sailed subsequently in one of the regular steamers to await his a -rival at New York. I have to announce the complete Buecess of the measures taken and the arrival in this country of Muller, under custody to await his trial. The whole circun.-’ stances of the case have excited the intanQjst interest hero, and while London ik literal!’/ throbbing with excitement on the subject, it can scarcely be expected that I should not participate in it, and make the event the chief theme of my letter.

The police who went to New York consisted of two Inspectors, and they took with them Mr. Death, the jeweller of Cheapside, with whom Muller had exchanged the chain of the murdered man, and Matthews, the cabman, from whom the first clue to the discovery originally came. On Muller’3 arrival off New fork harbour, the detectives went on board and at once arrested him. He turned ghastly pale, and said, “I' did not do it, and can prove that I was not. there.” His box was at once opened and in. it was found the missing watch of the murdered man, and also his hat, which it may be remembered, had disappeared from the scene of tho murder, the murderer’s hat being left in its place. This, of course, was formidable additional evidence to that which the police already had, and on the strength of it they claimed the surrender of Muller .. from tho 'New York authorities under the provisions of the extradition treaty subsisting between England and tho United States. Their claim was heard before a commissioner in open Court, and Muller was aided by counsel A good deal extraneous matter was introduced in tho course of the pleadings by Muller’s advocate, a Mr. Chauncey Shaffer, who appealed to the prejudices of the American public in a burst of anti-British bunkum, anent tho doings of the Alabama, of all things in the 'world. But it was of no avail. The Commissioner decided on giving the criminal up, and he was forthwith handed over to Ii - spector Tanner, and brought safely aero; s the Atlantic. The preliminary examination at Bow-street commenced on Monday last and was resumed to-day, and ho will, cf course, be committed for trial. A good deal cf unpleasant personal or rather national feeling has been aroused in connection with the case. It so happens that at the time the discovery was made implicating Mulkr in the crime, the anti-German feeling in this country'on account of the Danish war waß at its height. Some rather injudicious expressions were let drop in private and even in very pullic quarters of relief that the supposed murderer was a German, and not an Englishman. This naturally culled, into play corresponding feelings on the opposite side, ancl a German society in London took up Muller’s case, professing not to • prejudge the cpiestion, but merely a wish that he should have justice done. Even in New York the feeling among the German population was so strong that it was anticipated an attempt at Ins rescue would bo made. Here the feeling is getting up very' distinctly, and some leading newspapers, while proclaiming their perfect impartiality, make no scruple of advocating his cause as if he were a much maligned and injured individual. It is much to be regretted that the case should be so canvassed, and that we should be threatened wjth a repetition of the same sore of perverted sympathy, excited to a great degree by sensation writers in the cheap papers, as distinguished the notorious Sandyford murder case in Glasgow. The difficulty will be increased if Muller uses his privilege as a foreigner to elect to be tried by a jury partly composed of foreigners. Unanimity in the finding of the jury is ne:esiary by r English law, s> tbit one obstinate native of Dutehland might cause a miscarriage of justice. Meanwhile, if celebrity can give the prisoner a ly s -tisfaction, 1.0 line enough to satisfy the most morbid yarnty. H:s name is in every r one’s mouth, his portrait in tho windows of almost every print shop, tho ’papers are filled with trumpery details of iiis doings and speakings, aud the greedy seekers after sensation are informed- wbathe ate to breakfast, when he laughed, when he blushed, when he went to bed and got up, what books he read, and such lika twaddle. It is earnestly to be hoped that no time may be lost in bringing on his trial,, and so terminating one way or the other this vicious and unwholesome excitement.

While on the subject of criminals I may hero state that old Mr. Fleming, whose name was so painfully' associated with the Sandyford murder case, and who was accused by the t ’real murderess of the crimes died lately' at Dunoop, in his 20th yeas’. Theold man on his death bed declared that he believed he had made his peace with God—that he had been a sinner in his day, buff that of one great crime of which' he had been accused, God knew he was innocent. The event has greatly increased the feeling; of sympathy for him, and the tone of the Glasgow' journals reflects the popular feeling, and indicates a little remorse. Of other home news I have not much-to communicate. The British Association has been holding itß meetings at Bath, honored

by the presence am mg other distinguished visitors of Dr Livingstone and Bisbon Colenso. The b’shopunade a short speech on his own spacin'ite in study, arithmetic, a subject which ho understands much better ifthan the Pentateuch, and which, indeed, probable suggested his work on the Pentateuch, if it did not form the groundwork of most of the perplexing problems in that orthodox production. Ha also at the banquet, given by the'Mayor of Bath, proposed the health of Dr. Livingstone in terms "highly eulogistic, and doing great credit to Lis own liberality and candour. Dr. Livingstone gave an address on Africa, and was the lion of the occasion: He announced his unabated resolution to go on in his course of exploration in Central Africa, whether with or without Government aid, being determined to open those vast regions to trade and to civilisation, and also to root out the slave trade. A melancholy incident, however, occurred during the meetings of the Association, which cast a gloom over them, and deprived them of an attraction scarcely inferior to Dr. Livingstone —an attraction too of the same nature, namely, an African lion. Captain Speke, the discoverer of the source of the Nile, while out shooting in neighbourhood of Bath, on the morning of the day on which an interesting discussion was to have taken place, on the subject of • African discovery, by accident shot himself while crossing a fence with Ills gun loaded, and died almost instantaneously. His death is regarded as a calamity, and unless his project of future exploration is followed out by hie former fellow labourers, Captain Buxton or Captain Grant, much about the source and couraejof the Kile will remain In obscurity. The Duke of Cleveland is just dead. He succeeded to the title only a few months ■ago enthe death of his brother. Another brother, Lord Henry Vane, M.P. for Hasti igs, now succeeds. The different. members of this family seom to have a peculiar gift of dying childless, and the direct line threatens to become extinct. The new peer is liberal in politics, and hia-influence will ■ probably cause the Conservative party the loss of two seats they now hold in the County Durham. The registration courts are now sitting, and the revising barristers are . busy. going over the list of voters. They will be fiercely contested, as on the result of this registration will depend the next Parliament. Botn sides are very active. In the countv of Lancashire alone no less than 14,000 objections are said to have oeon taken. Here, in London, the Conservatives threaten to start four candidates for the city, a course they have not adopted for seventeen years. The Queen i 3 now at Balmoral. On her way north she inaugurated a statue at Perth, to the memory of the lato Prince Consort, and knighted the worthy Provost, Sir David Ross. I dare say the worthy man will do honour to his accolade, but this is the second instance within two. years of Siotfcish magistrates being so distinguished for the same reason, and th 9 chief magistrates in England and Ireland have Eome reason to grumble, and do grumble, at the manifest partiality. The Queen was accompanied on her journey north by the Duke and Duchesa of Saxe-Cobnrg, who have since returned to Germany. . The Crown Princess of Prussia (our Princess Royal) has just given birth to another son. The Prince and Princess of Wales have been in Denmark for the la3t fortnight on a visit to the King and Queen. Some unpleasant remarks were made in some of the Copenhagen journals when their visit was first spoken of, and it was feared that the Danes, resenting our conduct in not giving them aid in- their war with Germany, might •vent on the really innocent head of the Prince of Wales the outpourings of their anger. But all such fears proved groundless. The sweetness of the Princess and the manly frankness of the Prince carried all before them, and they were received with enthusiasm. They are about to take a journey to Swedenand would have extended the trip to Russia, but for the lateness of the season. The young Cesarewitcli, of Russia, heir to the Imperial throne, has also lately been a visitor to Copenhagen, and he met the Prince of Wales on his first arrival there. The object of the young Grand Duke’s visit is asserted to have been to see and woo the pretty Princess Dagmar, the younger sister of the Princess of Wales, and it i 3 believed the betrothal has now taken place. Thus ■the King of Denmark, though shorn of half his dominions by his ruthless despoilem, is likely to make his family one of the-most powerful in Europe by marriage alliances. In sueh extraordinary favour personally are » this king and his family, that it is even now made matter of speculation that the young Prince Imperial of Prance is the destined husband or another sister of the Princess of Wales, if all goes well, and the children arrive at maturity. The Prince Imperial is a broth of a boy, of about ten years of age, and the Princess Thyra, the child in question, a little rosebud of nine ! However, there is plenty of time for all such- arrangements, but the idea of one sovereign being father-in-law to the monarcli3 of Great Britain, Prance and Russia is a most brilliant dream, if nothing else. Prince Humbert, of Italy, the eldest son of King Victor Emmanuel, has been in England for some time on a visit. He, too, went to Copenhagen before coming here, and rumour that the fame of the Princess Dagmar’s beauty drew him to Denmark. But, if so, nothing came of itOf Continental news the most important item is the conclusion of a convention between France and Italy, stipulating for the evacuation by the former of Rome at the end of two years. This promised settlement of the annoying Roman question is not, however, in all its details satisfactory to the Italians. The French troops are to be withdrawn gradually, and, by the close of two years, during which time the Pope will have leisure to organise an army of his own, they will be entirely withdrawn. But as a set off to this the* Italian Government undertakes to watch over the safety of the Papal authority within its remaining dominions, and neither to execute nor to permit in others any aggressive movement against them. This is, of course, directed against Garibaldian movements. It also .assumes five sixths’ of the debt of the Papal States in consideration of the large territories it appropriated four years °ago. Besides all this it transfers the Italian capital now from Turin to Florence. This last proviso has already Excited so-much hostility in Turin . as to lead to a popular uprising, accompanied by bloodoh d. Rut tue other clauses in the convention, as far as known, have also excited a good deal of disappointment and dismay. Th transfer nee of the seat of government to Florence, and the guaranteeing of the Pope against external aggression have very much the look of an abandonment of that cherished desire of the Italians h# obtaining of Rome as their capital. But

it will probably be found, that there are secret clauses giving the Italians an ample recompencs for their apparent sacrifice, and besides, while the Pole is guaranteed against aggression from without, he mis no security against that which constitutes, his real danger—namely, the hostility of his own subjects. It is well known that the moment the last French soldier is withdrawn, his Holiness will be sent to the right about by his own. loving subjects, and so far as ia known there is nothing to prevent the King of Italy accepting the allegiance of the Romans which would then be offered to him as their sovereign. But the Italian .Chambers are summoned to meet on the 6th of October, when the full particulars of this important treaty will be made public. Nothing is more likely than that there exists a secret article engaging the aid of France to Italy in the event of a war with Austria next spring. At all events the Italian question is still a threatening trouble to Europe, and a war springing from it is only a Question of time. Ycruv readt rj may recollect the agitation cansed by the Polish rising last year, and the' intervention of Great Britain and France, which so nearly threatened anotherwar with Russia. We' have lately been enlightened as to the designs of Russia had that war happened. It appe.-.rs that a great part of the Russian fleet had quietly been transferred to the Pacific, and another portion at New York. Thß intention was, if warwero declared by England and France to combine . the Russian squadrons in America and the Pacific, and then swoop down on English commerce in the China seas, which, of course, would quickly have been annihilated. Then to assail Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney, while comparatively undefended, and after bombarding or capturing them, to do the same kind turn to New Zealand It was taken for granted that as one or two Confederate privateers had committed such havoc with American commerce, one or two Russian men-of-war could do at least as much with British. The idea was not a bad one, and a successful raid on the treasures of Melbourne and other Australianjports would have had a staggering effect in England. Things look unpromising in the commercial and financial world at present. Since my last the Bank of England have raised the rate of discount to nine per cent, atwhich it now stands. - Of course this tightness is beginning to tell on the weaker houses, who are giving way in all directions. To make matters worse the cotton market has been in a state ox panic, owing to the rumours of peace iii America, and to the dearness of money, and speculators in cotton are tottering. Some have failed here and many more will follow. Another unpleasant symptom has been the failure of a provincial bank in a large way of business, the Leeds Banking Company. It by by its fall has brought down many houses in Leeds and one or two m London, and so tne mischief spreads. Alarmists point out that most of our previous financial crises have been preceded or set agoing by the failure of some important bank in a leading commercial centre —as for instance, the case of the Northumberland and Durham bank, and the Western Bank of Scotland. It is things, will not get the length of a crisis, but they don’t look comfortable. The high price at which manufacturers have been buying their cotton for months past, and the low pi’ices they have for yarns and cloths, make them carry on at a loss, and the consequence is that the smaller meiflare failing, and the larger are closing their mills or working short time. Hence, an increase in*tlie number of unemployed, and of distress in Lancashire generally. I may add that the price of wool has dropped in sympathy with cotton,, and may be called threepence a pound longer than it was a month ago. News has been received of the death, at Florence of Mr. Walter Savage Landor, the poet, and author of the “ Imaginary Conversations.” He was in his 90tli year.