tance to the telegraph station, the wires were continued from that place to the Royal Clarence-yard. By this addition, however, although the inconvenience was lessened, it was far from being removed, for the harbour yet intervened, leaving a distance of upwards of a mile to the Admiral's house unconnected. Notwithstanding the desire of the authorities, both at Portsmouth and London, that the telegraph should be extended to the dockyard, no attempt had hitherto been made to do so, because it had been considered impossible to convey it under water. An offer, indeed, was made to the Admiralty to lay down a telegraph enclosed in metallic pipes, which were to be fixed under the water by the aid of diving bells. This scheme, however, was thought to be impracticable. Whatever difficulties may have hitherto interfered to prevent the establishment of submarine telegraphs, they appear now to have been easily overcome, for the time occupied in conveying the extension wires of the telegraph from shore to shore, to the transmitting signals, did not occupy a quarter of an hour. The telegraph, which has the appearance of an ordinary rope, coiled into one of the dockyard boats, one end of it being made fast on shore, and as the boat was pulled across the telegraphic rope was gradually paid out over the stern, its superior gravity causing it to sink to the bottom immediately. The telegraph consisted of but this line, and, unlike those along the various railways, requires no return wires to perfect the circuit. The electric fluid was transmitted from the batteries in the dockyard, through the submersed insulated wire, to the opposite

was

shore, the fluid returning to the negative pole through the water without the aid of any metallic conductor, except a short piece of wire thrown over the dockyard parapet into the water, connecting it with the batteries. The fact of the water acting as a ready return conductor has been established beyond question; for to test this most thoroughly, repeated experiments were made in the presence of some of the principal dockyard authorities, including the heads of the engineering departments. There can no longer be any doubt that, without reference to distance, the water will act as a return conductor in completing the circuit. In 1842 Mr. Snow Harris, when proving the efficiency of his lightning conductors in his experiments from this dockyard to the Orestes, exemplified that water would serve to complete the electric circuit; on that occasion, however, the distance traversed by the return current through the water was but trifling compared with the space accomplished in the present instance. Independent of the simplicity of this submarine telegraph, it has an advantage which even the telegraphs on land do not possess— in the event of accident it can be replaced in ten minutes. The success of the trial here has, it is said, determined the inventors to lay down a line across the Channel

from England to France, under the sanction of the respective Govern

defendant and the complainant at the theatre on Monday night, principally through the misbehaviour of the complainant towards a couple of young women, who were seated near the defendant. The constable on duty was appealed to, and he threatened to remove the complainant from the theatre if he persisted in his improper conduct. At the close of the performance the dispute was renewed between the parties. The complainant aimed a blow at the defendant, which was returned by a blow on the head that knocked him over the low railing of the gallery, causing him to fall into the pit. The complainant was taken up in an insensible state, and removed to Middlesex Hospital, where he was examined by a surgeon, but no bones were found to be broken. It appeared that notwithstanding the terrible fall sustained by the complainant he was in a very short time enabled to get up and to walk home from the hospital. He presented himself in court to make his complaint, apparently little or none the worse for his descent, although the height he fell from was not less than twenty-four feet.

As the occurrence was quite accidental, Mr. Long ordered the defendant to be discharged.

THE WEATHER.-The winter began early in December, and after a partial return of milder weather set in with intense frost about the 8th instant. At eight o'clock on Monday morning, the 10th, the mercury was fourteen degrees below the freezing-point.

A number of venturous persons began skating and sliding on the waters in the Parks on Monday. Many got a ducking by the breaking of the ice; and during the afternoon a fatal casualty occurred in St. VOL. LXXXVIII.

James's Park: three persons were immersed by a breakage, and one, a young man, perished before he could be got out. Three accidents happened on Tuesday: a man and a boy knocked each other down while sliding, and the man's arm was broken, while the boy suffered a fracture of the skull. A man fell while skating, and broke his collarbone. Many accidents resulted from the slippery state of the streets. A barge was found in the river drifting without any one in charge: it had left Chelsea with a lighterman on board, but marks on the gunwale seemed to indicate that the man had slipped off, from the vessel's edge being covered with frozen snow. By Wednesday morning the Thames presented a continuous stream of ice in the midchannel.

In the metropolis only a small quantity of snow fell, but there was a good deal throughout the country. Newcastle was so cut off from its communications by a heavy fall of snow, that it resembled a besieged city. The Carlisle trains were brought to a stand-still near Hexham, and six remained blocked up on the line from Saturday to Monday, the passengers, after enduring intense cold, making their escape on foot. The trains from North Shields and York suffered the same fate, the passengers in one instance having to walk between four and five miles to the nearest village through the trackless snow, in the middle of a dark and intensely cold night, The London mail train due at Newcastle at eleven o'clock on Saturday did not arrive until Monday night. An attempt was made to clear the lines from the snow, by the united efforts of six engines yoked together, but without effect; and 0

it was not until several hundred men had been set to work, that the communication was reopened. Several deaths from the inclemency of the weather have been reported. Two people, an old man and a child, who were deck passengers in a steamer from Londonderry to Greenock, perished from the inclemency of the weather.

An inquest was held at the Grapes Tavern, Fulham Road, New Brompton, on the body of Anne Boyce, aged 56 years, whose death it was alleged had been caused by the want of the common necessaries of life. The deceased was the widow of a soldier in the Life Guards, who died about two years ago, and usually obtained her living by washing and charing. She had latterly had 1s. 6d. per week from the parish of St. George's in the East. On Saturday, the 5th inst., she rented the back kitchen of the house No. 3, Yeoman's Row, Fulham Road, for which she agreed to pay 1s. 3d. per week; and it was in this apartment she was found on Tuesday last, by her landlord, stretched upon two boards placed across a couple of chairs, without anything under her or over her, and in a state of complete nudity. She appeared to be very cold and faint, and nearly insensible. There was a bit of fire in the grate, but not bigger than could be held in the hollow of his hand, and there was neither food nor a farthing of money in the room. As soon as her wretched condition was discovered, she was helped to a cup of tea, and some bread and butter, but she gradually sunk, and was found lying dead on the floor on Wednesday morning, at five o'clock, having it is supposed fallen off the boards. The deceased was never seen to have

food all the time she was in the lodging. On a post mortem examination of her body there was not the slightest particle of food found in her stomach.

On Wednesday, the 23rd instant, a woman named Elizabeth Sefton, aged 66, who, with her husband, received a scanty support from the Droitwich Union-half-a-crown a week each-left her cottage at Wardon, about four miles east of Worcester, to walk to Cotheridge, about the same distance on the west side of the same city, for the purpose of seeking a participation in the charitable alms given out at this season at Cotheridge-court, the seat of the Rev. J. R. Berkeley. After wandering about the country, however, it appears that the poor woman, who was of weak intellect, lost herself, and, having been for several days subjected to the severity of the weather, was at length found, on Sunday, five days after she left home, frozen to death at the parish of Hallow, situate about half-way between Worcester and Cotheridge.

A labourer at the farm of Mr. Rimell, of Callister, where the deceased was found, states that he met the deceased on Thursday night, the 24th, in the middle of a field, apparently wandering about, having lost her way. Witness accosted and asked her if she had lost her way; but she replied that "she had put some tea-things down in the field and could not find them." He thought the woman was out of her mind, but he left her there, as he had a pig in his care to drive to another farm, and the animal had been wander

ing while witness was talking to the deceased. the deceased. The woman had a basket on her arm, with a few chips in it. On Sunday he was

returning from Hallow Church, when he was accosted by a beggarman, who told him that there was some one lying dead in a field. Witness accompanied the beggar, who led him to a spot by the side of a cart-road, about 200 yards distant from where he had last seen the deceased, and there he found the same woman lying on a heap of short hop-poles, and quite dead and frozen. When the deceased was found her shawl was under her head, and her cloak by her side. Her gown was wrapped round her legs. Several mice ran from her clothes when these persons approached, and some of them had bitten her in the arm.

19. STEAM BOILER EXPLOSION. -Bristol.-Shortly before nine o'clock in the morning, a dreadful explosion occurred of the boiler of a steam engine, on the works of Messrs. Stothert and Co., ironfounders and locomotive enginemakers, Cheese Lane, St. Philip's, by which it appeared that two men were killed, and several severely injured. Notwithstanding there is a printed rule in the works to the contrary, the men, in consequence of the severe weather, have been in the habit of going into the different engine-houses, and sitting upon and by the boilers of the steam-engines, for the purpose of the heat while taking their breakfast. Upon this occasion a boy, about sixteen years of age, named Thomas Thatcher, and four men, went into the engine-house, and were taking their breakfast, when suddenly an explosion of the boiler took place, and the steam and boiling water rushing out, they were all most severely scalded. As soon as the place became clear of steam assistance was given, and the five sufferers, all of whom were scalded

21. MURDER AND SUICIDE.—A shocking discovery was made by two boys, who obtain a living by dredging along the water-side, who, whilst passing along the bed of the river, nearly opposite to Waterloodock, were astonished at finding the body of what they at first believed to be a man. They immediately repaired to the coroner's constable, who sent a number of men with a shell to the spot to take possession of the body. It being firmly embedded in the mud, some difficulty was found in disengaging it, when a horrible scene presented itself. Instead of finding, as they at first imagined, the body of a man, they discovered that it was the body of a woman, with her child tied round her waist by means of a piece of rope yarn. The arms of the woman were both pressed round the neck of the child, leaving ground for supposing that in the agonies of death she was firmly pressing the infant to her breast. The two bodies were immediately removed to the vaults of St. John's Church, Waterloo Road, where a more minute examination was made. It was then found that the child was a boy, apparently about eleven months old; the woman seemed to be about thirty years of age. They were very meanly clad.

An inquest was held on the bodies, when it appeared that the unfortunate woman had been a servant, had been seduced and deserted, and that the child was the fruit of her illicit intercourse.

A letter was produced, written by the deceased to her brother, complaining of harsh treatment by her relations, and threatening to destroy herself and her child. It appeared that for some time past the woman had been almost entirely dependent for support on a poor couple who had given her a refuge, that she had pawned every thing she had, and that oppressed by her misery, she had more than once threatened to destroy herself. The jury's verdict was, that Hannah Reid had wilfully murdered William Reid, and destroyed her own life, she being at the time of unsound mind.

24. LAW OF COPYRIGHT.-An interesting case of copyright came before the Jury Court of the First Division of the Court of Session, at Edinburgh. The late Archibald Constable, publisher, applied to Professor Dugald Stewart, the eminent writer, to furnish preliminary Dissertations on Mental Philosophy for the Supplement to the fourth, fifth and sixth editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica; and at completion paid him the sum of 1600l., being a sum equivalent to double the rate at which Sir Walter Scott and other distinguished contributors were remunerated. On the failure of Constable, Adam and Charles Black purchased the property of the Encyclopædia; and after some years issued a seventh edition, in which the Dissertations of Stewart were included, besides being published in a separate form, in common with other treatises furnished to the work; but in the latter form, when the complainant objected, they were withdrawn from sale. The action was brought by Professor Stewart's son, on the ground that his father had only disposed of the Dissertations

for insertion in the Supplement ; and he craved damages from the Messrs. Black for the copies "piratically" sold by them in the subsequent edition, as well as in a detached shape. The Jury found for the defendants, a verdict that was received with a burst of applause in court.

26. STATE OF IRELAND.-While the condition of the people of Ireland, their destitution and misery, have excited the utmost compassion, and millions are freely spent in an attempt to preserve them from starvation, (nearly half a million of labourers being at this time employed on the public works,) a state of things has arisen calculated to create great alarm, and to destroy all feelings of sympathy. In several parts of this Chronicle there are statements of the crimes and outrages committed in every part of the country, by which an impression is conveyed, that the whole country is in a state little removed from insurrection. In the midst of the most horrible starvation, a universal mania has arisen for the possession of fire-arms; to so great an extent, that the gun trade at Birmingham has experienced a great revival, and the old store shops have been cleared of their entire stocks. The peasantry are mostly to be seen armed, and instances have occurred of men bringing pigs to market, armed with a gun, and with a cartridge box at their side. At night volleys of musketry are heard, and groups of peasants have been seen practising shooting at a mark. In Clonmell, it is stated, that 1138 stand of arms were disposed of in a few days. A large number of the purchasers of these were persons employed on the public works; and the arms were paid for in the silver