House, might pass a bill by a majority of a single vote, and in that case a fraction more than onefourth of the people of the United States would be represented by those who voted for it. It might happen that the same bill might be passed by a majority of one, of a quorum of the Senate, composed of senators from the fifteen smaller states, and a single senator from a sixteenth state, and if the senators voting for it happened to be from the eight of the smallest of these states, it would be passed by the votes of senators from states having but fourteen representatives in the House of Representatives, and containing less than one-sixteenth of the whole population of the United States. This extreme case is stated to illustrate the fact that the mere passage of a bill by Congress is no conclusive evidence that those who passed it represent the majority of the people of the United States, or truly reflect their will. If such an extreme case is not likely to happen, cases that approximate it are of constant Occurrence. It is believed that not a single law has been passed since the adoption of the constitution upon which all the members elected to both Houses have been present and voted. Many of the most important acts which have passed Congress have been carried by a close vote in thin houses. Many instances of this might be given. Indeed, our experience proves that many of the most important acts of Congress are postponed to the last days, and often the last hours of a session, when they are disposed of in haste, and by houses but little exceeding the number necessary to form a quorum.

"Besides, in most of the states, the members of the House of Representatives are chosen by pluralities, and not by majorities of all the voters in their respective districts; and it may happen that a majority of that House may be returned by a less aggregate vote of the people than that received by the minority.

"The power of the Executive veto was exercised by the first and most illustrious of my predecessors, and by four of his successors, who preceded me in the administration of the Government, and it is believed in no instance prejudicially to the public interests. It has never been, and there is but little danger that it ever can be abused. No President will ever desire unnecessarily to place his opinion in opposition to that of Congress. He must always exercise the power reluctantly, and only in cases where his convictions make it a matter of stern duty which he cannot escape. Indeed, there is more danger that the President, from the repugnance he must always feel to come in collision with Congress, may fail to exercise it in cases where the preservation of the constitution from infraction, or the public good, may demand it, than that he will exercise it unnecessarily or wantonly.

"Invoking the blessings of the Almighty upon your deliberations at your present important Session, my ardent hope is, that, in a spirit of harmony and concord, you may be guided to wise results, and such as may redound to the happiness, the honour, and the glory of our beloved country.

"JAMES K. POLK "Washington, Dec. 5, 1848."

1. MURDE

URDER AT NAILSEA.A coroner's inquest was held at West Town, near Nailsea, Somerset, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of John Wall. The murdered man, who bore the character of being a sober, industrious, and inoffensive man, was about 42 or 43 years of age. It appears from his statement, that, at between three and four o'clock in the evening of the 17th Dec., while it was quite light, he was in his cottage, engaged near the fire preparing some food for pigs; he was stooping down, and while in that position he heard the crash of a pane of glass in the window. He rose up, and saw a gun pointed through the broken glass, but before he could move the gun was discharged, and he received the contents in his thigh. In an instant after he saw a man looking in, evidently to see whether the murderous deed had been accomplished. The wounded man rushed out of the cottage and saw some young men running across the fields, but could not recognise them. He then contrived to reach the surgery of Mr. Bisdee, at West Town, by whom the wound was dressed; but, after lingering nearly a fortnight, he expired from VOL. XC.

lockjaw, arising from the wound. From the description given by the deceased, a youth named Manfield was on the following day apprehended by the constable of Nailsea, who also found the gun with which the crime was perpetrated, and traced it to Manfield's possession. The prisoner, when taken before the deceased, was at once recognised by him as the man whom he saw looking in through the window. He was subsequently taken before a magistrate of the county, and when about to be conveyed to prison he said that he ought not to be taken alone, but that his brother, Charles Manfield, and a relative named Robert Jakeways, ought to be taken with him. It appears, from a statement which he made, that the prisoner himself, his brother Charles, another brother, quite a boy, and Robert Jakeways, were out shooting in the neighbourhood of deceased's house, and, not being very happy in finding game, Jakeways said, “Come, let us shoot the old fellow." This was agreed upon; but either not wishing to implicate the boy, or probably from the fear that he might betray them, they sent him away under the pretence that he should gather some "Christmas"

B

in a neighbouring wood, they say. ing that they were going to shoot a wild duck down by the drain. Jakeways then took the gun and fired in at the window at the deceased, and the prisoner looked in to see the effect of the shot. These statements were corroborated by evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Charles Manfield, and against Robert and Anthony Manfield as accessories.

DOUBLE MURDER IN GOLDEN LANE.-Great excitement was created in this densely peopled neighbourhood by the discovery of a double murder, the victims of which were two children, Amina Blake, aged eight years, and Robert Blake, aged five years, whose father, Robert Blake, a grinder, resided at No. 3, Cupid's Court. A woman, named Harriet Parker, who had cohabited with Blake, was arrested on the charge of having committed the deed.

A coroner's inquest was held on the bodies.

The coroner and jury proceeded to view the bodies, which lay on a bed on a turn-up bedstead, in the front room on the ground floor at the house No. 3, Cupid's Court. They were in the exact position they were left by the accused. The elder child (the girl) was at the foot of the bed, with her head near the wainscot, in a position from which it was evident a struggle must have taken place. It was the opinion of the jury that the poor child had been suffocated by a pillow having been placed over its mouth. There was a scratch across her throat, about three inches in length. The other child was at the head of the bed, and presented appearances of his death having been caused in a similar manner.

The bed-clothes were in a state which showed that a most violent struggle had taken place on the part of the murdered children for the preservation of. their lives. There were no other marks of violence about the bodies.

It appeared by the evidence given by Robert Blake, the father, that the deceased children were born in wedlock, but that he had separated about four years ago from their mother; and had since, for two years and a half, cohabited with Harriet Parker, the person now accused, who is a widow. She passed for his wife. He saw his children last between five and six o'clock on Friday evening, when he put them to bed. Blake then left the house, intending to go to the theatre with a male friend. He and Parker had had no serious quarrel before, but she followed him out, intending to annoy him and to prevent him from going. She threatened to follow him step by step wherever he went; and she did follow him to several places. At the Duke of Bedford public-house he told her to go home, for he did not mean to go to the theatre. A person came in at the time, with whom she entered into conversation, and he took that opportunity of making his escape. He had not seen her since. He slept at the house of a friend in Goswell Street, and about 11 o'clock the next morning, as he was going down Golden Lane to his work with his shopmate, a person stopped them and told them of the murder.

Stephen Hewlett, Blake's companion, corroborated his statement, adding that when the woman Parker missed him she ran out greatly excited. She returned in about five minutes, and said, " It is

greatly excited.

a good job you did not go out with him. He shall repent of this before the morning. I will do something that he shall repent of, and I will die like a trump at Newgate." She then went away. Some time after he went to her house, No. 3, Cupid's Court, Golden Lane. She opened the window, and he said to her, "Mrs. Blake, what is the matter with you?" She replied, "I have something very black on my mind, and I'll stop it before long."

The Coroner.-Did she say anything else?

Witness.-Yes; she said "You will hear of me before you see me." A Juror. What induced you to go to Parker's house?

Witness.-I pondered over what she had threatened, and I thought I had better go and see her.

Jane Moore, of No. 9, Cupid's Court, stated, that on Saturday morning, about four o'clock, she heard a knocking at the door. Her husband opened the window, when Harriet Parker called out, "It is me, Mr. Moore; I want to speak to your wife, and do not hinder her; I'll not detain her five minutes." Upon going down stairs she found Harriet Parker waiting at the door. She went into the lower room and sat down, exclaim ing, "Oh! Mrs. Moore, I have done it." Witness asked what she had done? when Parker replied, "Blake came home last night to take me to the play, and on going out he met with a strumpet, who took his arm, and they ran away immediately; saying that she was Blake's mistress." Witness considered that she was greatly excited, and told her that it was not the proper time to call her up to tell her of it. Parker then got up from her seat and placed her hands

on witness's shoulders, and said, "He has not come home, and what a pretty spectacle there is for him when he does." Witness asked what she meant; when she replied, "I have murdered his two children." Witness said, "You don't mean to say that?" when she replied, "I do, and I am now going to give myself up." She then went away. her at the police-station, and heard her say that she hoped she should not be dragged through the streets to the police-office, but go in a cab, as she knew she must go to pri

son.

She afterwards saw

Lucy Matthews, of No. 8, Cupid's Court, said that Harriet Parker came to her house about eight o'clock on Friday night for a light. She was then trembling, and appeared in a very excited state. She said that Blake did not intend to go with her when he went out. The deceased Amina Blake came for another light between eight and nine o'clock, and witness heard at four o'clock the next morning the knocking at the street door. She heard Parker's voice, and asked her if she had not gone in doors yet? She (Parker) replied, "No, I have not; and I shall never go in again; my heart is bleeding." Witness got up, and heard from Mrs. Moore that Parker had murdered the two children.

Mr. F. Wright, surgeon, gave evidence as to his examination of the bodies, from which it appeared that death had in both cases re sulted from a forcible compression of the mouth and nostrils by the hand of some party, such violence causing suffocation.

After a careful inquiry of three days' duration, the jury returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Harriet Parker in both cases.

Parker was tried on the 4th of February, and convicted, the jury accompanying their verdict with a strong recommendation to mercy; but the Court passed sentence of death, and she was executed.

2. DREADFUL SUICIDES. -An appalling event occurred in Cleve land Street, Fitzroy Square, in the simultaneous suicides of a man and wife, named Williams. Williams had been a serjeant in the E division of police, and was considered a most meritorious of ficer. About ten months ago he retired from the force, and, with his wife, took the Star Coffee House, in the above street, where they appeared to carry on a very prosperous business. A coroner's inquest was held on the bodies.

Henry Matthews said, he resided in the second floor front room of the deceased's house. On Sunday morning, about a quarter to one o'clock, he was awakened by hear ing loud screams. He jumped out of bed, and on running down stairs he found Mrs. Williams standing in the passage, screaming and jumping like a mad woman. He

asked her what was the matter? and she then said, "Oh my husband has hung himself!" Witness ran up to Mr. Williams's bedroom, and, finding him hanging to the bedpost, called in the police and ran for a surgeon. Mrs. Williams went up with him; the door was fastened by a small bolt on the inside, which was forced. Mr. Williams was hanging by a black silk handkerchief to the top of the bedpost, and on being cut down was apparently dead. Mr. Hatfield, a surgeon, came to see Mr. Williams, and while he was with him a great cry was raised down stairs that Mrs. Williams had cut her throat. She was found lying

on a mat in the shop, with her head near the door, and her throat cut. A white-handled razor was lying by her side. The deceased were a most sober and affectionate couple. He believed they were tee-totallers. Mr. Williams had frequently complained of pains in his head, and latterly very much of a falling off in his busi

ness.

Martha Doig, a little girl 14 years of age, deposed to having been in the service of Mr. and Mrs. Williams from August up to Friday night last, when they dismissed her on account of the falling off in their business. She frequently heard Mr. Williams complain of his head and chest, and place his hand there.

Mr. Richard Hatfield, of No. 41, Cleveland Street, surgeon, deposed, that he was called to see Mr. Williams about one o'clock on Sunday morning. He found the man dead, and that he had been cut down previously. Whilst attending to the man, a cry was raised for him to come down stairs, as the deceased's wife had cut her throat. He found Mrs. Williams lying in the coffee-room, bleeding from a deep wound in the throat. She was not dead, and there was a guttural sound, but she could not speak. The trachea and gullet were divided, and the razor lay near her. He sewed up the wound, but she died in about half an hour.

The jury returned a verdict, "That the deceased, Susannah Williams, committed the act in an unsound state of mind; and that Alexander Toms Williams destroyed himself, but in what state of mind he was at the time there was not sufficient evidence for the jury."