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the evidence which they now gave. It appeared from their testimony that the deceased had been very far advanced in pregnancy; that the prisoner had had some dispute with her -being a most violent man, they said -and knocked her down, her head falling against the sharp corner of a chest of drawers, which cut it open, and the wound bled profusely; and that, while she was thus prostrate and insensible, the prisoner furiously kicked and struck her repeatedly-death, on the same evening, or the evening after, I forget which, being the consequence. As far as this evidence went, nothing, of course, could have been more brutal than the conduct of the prisoner; but, on cross-examination of the first witness, a little ill-looking old woman, the mother of the deceased, and who gave her evidence manifestly under the influence of the most bitter resentment towards the prisoner, the case began to assume a very different aspect. It was wrung from her, after great prevarication, and also was established by other witnesses, that she had herself, on the evening in question, been drinking gin with the deceased, at the residence of the latter, a miserable cellar; that she had herself fetched five quarterns of gin for the deceased on that occasion; that the deceased, and the witness, at her request, had frequently pawned all her husband's clothes, and those of her children-whom she had once or twice sent to bed early in the afternoon, to enable her so to dispose of their clothes! That the prisoner was a pilot, a remarkably steady and hard working man, and earned amply sufficient to enable himself and family to live in very comfortable circumstances; but this accursed propensity of his wife's had beggared them, and driven them from their former comfortable dwelling to the wretched cellar in which had occurred the catastrophe then the subject of enquiry. That on the evening in question he had come home from the sea wet and wearied, but found that every article of his clothing had been pawned by his wife, and that his children were lying in bed almost naked, their little clothes having shared the same fate; and that his wife was drunk, as was also the first witness. Furious words very naturally ensued; and it was under these truly exasperating circumstances that he had struggled with his wife, so as to occasion-but, it was

clear, unintentionally-her fall; and it certainly did appear that, either while she was falling, or immediately afterwards, he had more than once struck her with some violence, but not in a way to have alone caused her death, which the medical evidence showed to have been occasioned by the injuries which she had received upon her head, in falling upon the drawers, added to the effects of violent excitement and excessive liquor upon a person in her situation. The third witness brought forward against the prisoner wasalas! his own daughter, a little girl about five or six years of age, decently dressed in black. When her name was called, the prisoner, with an agonized countenance, looked away from the spot where she was to stand; his lip quivered, his chest heaved; and, in spite of his efforts, the tears forced themselves from his eyes. Mr Justice Pattison observed his agitation, and seemed himself not a little affected when he beheld the little thing that, in obedience to the summons of the loudvoiced officer, was brought into court, and placed close beside him, to give evidence which might seal the fate of her father. She was so very short, that he handed over to the officer the footstool he had been using, in order that she might stand upon it; and even then the head of the little witness did but just come above the top of the witness-box. She was rather a pretty-looking girl, and her face was very sad and pale. She did not, however, cry, though her eyes seemed glued to the figure of her miserable father, who never once ventured to look towards her, and whose tears, silent evidence of the anguish he was enduring, fell frequently. In all other respects he preserved a stern composure throughout the proceedings.

"My child," said the Judge, as I thought with a little emotion, as he bent down his ear to her," do you know that you have come here to speak the truth?"

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"The Bible, sir." "Have you ever been at school?" "Yes, sir, at the Sunday school." "She may be sworn,' ," said the Judge; and the oath was immediately administered to her.

Was not this, dear Christopher, a grievous sight to see? The little daughter called to give evidence against her father, on his trial for his life, for the murder of her mother! Though in a melancholy tone, and with a sad manner, she gave her evidence with great propriety, clearly and firmly. Her tiny voice could be heard distinctly in all parts of the crowded but silent court. She evinced, as was to be expected, a strong leaning towards her father; but she admitted that he had twice struck her mother when she was lying bleeding on the floor. She also stated that her mother had several times actually taken her-the little girl's-shoes and stockings off her feet, that she might pawn them for gin; and that she and the other children had been often obliged to lie in bed, because their mother and grandmother had taken away their clothes for the vile purpose above mentioned! Who could listen to all this without feeling the deepest commiseration towards the unhappy prisoner? Till he had been hurried into the act with which he then stood charged, he had always borne an unblemished character as a quiet respectable man, who laboured hard to support his family, and who could have kept them in comfort but for his wife's ruinous propensities to drink. His counsel addressed the jury on his behalf with much earnestness, contending that, on the whole of the evidence, the prisoner was entitled to an acquittal, or, at least, to a verdict of manslaughter. The Judge, however, directed the jury that there was no evidence to support the charge of murder, but that the prisoner had been clearly guilty of manslaughter. He then recapitulated the evidence; and, after a quarter of an hour's consideration, the jury pronounced a verdict of manslaughter. He was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment, with hard labour; which, I must confess, seemed to me, under the circumstances, a somewhat severe sentence.

The only case in the Civil Court which possessed any thing worth noticing here was a very interesting pro

secution for a NUISANCE, instituted by the Corporation of Liverpool against a Mr Muspratt, the proprietor of some extensive works for the manufacture of alkali within the town of Liverpool. The alleged nuisance was thus described by the counsel for the prosecution (Cresswell):-"The works carried on by Mr Muspratt are for the manufacture of alkali, in the course of which two processes are necessary: they first of all manufacture sulphuric acid; and, using it together with common salt, they manufacture salt-cake, for the purpose of converting it into what is called black ash, or alkali, that being employed in the making of soap, as a cheap substitute for kelp, or Spanish barilla, which were formerly imported from foreign countries, and used in the manufacture of soap. I understand that the process by which this article is manufactured is so conducted as to discharge into the air, from the lower part of the works, more or less of sulphuric acid gas, and from the high chimney, in which the other part of the process is carried on, is discharged a large quantity of muriatic acid gas. No person can pass within sight of these works without observing, not only a quantity of black smoke escaping from the chimney, but also a white vapour, looking like a cloud of steam, which is carried along a considerable distance from it in clear weather, still remaining a compact body, not mixed with the air on either side. I understand that this vapour comes originally from the chimney in the form of muriatic acid gas, but, speedily combining with the moisture of the atmosphere, it assumes the vaporous state, leaves the gaseous state, and is driven along in the state of vapour, as a stream, whichever way the wind may blow, and, being heavier than the atmospheric air, soon descends, producing the consequences which I will describe to you. In the first place, with respect to vegetation, I am told that it withers and destroys vegetation whereever it falls; that the leaves become shrivelled up and embrowned by it, and ultimately fall; and, if it continues in that direction for a sufficient length of time, they will crumble into powder. Upon metals it has a very peculiar action. Brass is speedily tarnished by it, and a rust, or rather a bright red rust, is produced by it, upon all metallic articles-fenders, fire-irons, and all

polished metallic articles, are speedily rusted by it; so much so, that in half an hour after any metallic article is submitted to its action, you will find that it is entirely rusted. To the senses it is particularly disagreeable. There is a pungent, acid taste; it is extremely irritating to the lungs; it produces a coughing as soon as it is inhaled, and a smarting about the eyes. In short, it irritates wherever it comes in contact with the mucous membrane. You may easily imagine that all this is a source of great annoyance and of loss."

It was impossible to mix in Liverpool society without hearing complaints on all hands-whether well or ill founded-of the injurious effects here alluded to; and the greatest interest was excited by the trial; during the whole of which, lasting nearly three days, the Court was excessively crowded. Society, in short, took up arms against Mr Muspratt, and you may guess the result. He fought stoutly, however, desperately contesting every inch of ground. The prosecutors brought forward a host of witnesses to support the statement of Mr Cresswell; to prove that their health had suffered sensibly, grievously, in consequence of these hated "works;" and their property, of al. most every description, had been also injured thereby to a very great extent. Pawnbrokers said this abominable gas played the mischief with their various deposits; nurserymen and gardeners, that it utterly blighted their fruit, flowers, shrubs, vegetables, and trees; dyers, that it discharged all their colours, and frustrated and confounded all their doings; cow-keepers, that their cattle languished and died—both their grass and their water being contaminated by this execrable gas. There was, in short, a "whole army" of sufferers, if not of martyrs. What a singular conflict of testimony there was, to be sure! One class of wit

nesses swore that their fire-irons, &c. were constantly corroded; another, that theirs, though subject to the same influence, were "always bright and fair." One, that their furniture, the papering of their rooms, and clothes hung out to dry, &c. were immediately discoloured, and presently rotted; another, that though next-door neighbours, no such effects had been experienced-or, if any had, they were easily referable to other causes. One, that whereas, before they and their families had resided within the sphere of this pestiferous influence, they had been healthy, plump, and ruddy, they soon after became, and still were, diseased, lean, and sallow; another exactly reversed it, and swore that, if any thing, their health had improved, and they had become fatter and ruddier since they had come within the magic circle of Mr Muspratt's influence. One scientific chemist demonstrated, by analysis and experiment, the deleterious properties of the gas; another, the well known Dr Thomson from Glasgow, contradicted him. The one referred all the injurious effects which had been detailed by the witnesses clearly and unequivocally to the muriatic acid gas; the other denied it, and accounted for them by reference to the agency of simple atmospheric air and carbonic acid gas.

Forty witnesses were called for the prosecution, and forty-five for the defendant. It took two whole days to collect this enormous heap of contradictory evidence; and on the morning of the third, Mr Justice Coleridge summed up the whole to the jury with great judgment and perspicacity. I do not think that either party could have gathered from his address to which side his opinion inclined, so nearly did he hold the scale. The jury-a special one-retired, and after an absence of two hours and a half, returned into Court with a verdict of GUILTY; the con

Nay, a Dr Pip-or some such name-from London, came down specially for the purpose of proving to such of the gude folk of Liverpool as chose to pay a shilling for it ('tis an ill wind that blows nobody good) that muriatic acid gas, so far from being a noxious agent, was an infinitely salutary one, corrective of disease, promotive of health! Nay, positively-I saw it in his handbills-that it was, besides, or might be made (I forget which) a powerful agent in the abolition of negro slavery!!! Whether or not this philosopher came down ex moris motu, or at the instance of Mr Muspratt, I know not. I saw him in Court, ostentatiously taking notes of the evidence; but he was not called upon for his own.

sequence of which has been, and will be most serious to the defendant, who must now give up his expensive works, and either pull them down, or convert them, if possible, to other purposes. This seems, however, but fair and reasonable; for why should one citizen benefit and enrich himself at the expense of his fellow-citizens, their comforts, property, and health? My own judgment, or that of an impartial listener, was satisfied that the case was made out against the defendant. The case was exceedingly interesting, and repaid the attention with which I had listened to it. It commenced on Thursday, and terminated on Saturday, April 7, and as soon as I had heard the verdict I quitted the Court, to make arrangements for returning to town on the ensuing Monday.

Monday was the day appointed for opening the railroad between London and Birmingham, all of which had been completed except the middle thirty miles, which was to be passed in omnibusses; and the question with us was, whether we should avail ourselves of that opportunity, or content ourselves with the railroad to Birmingham, and then go on to London by coach. The latter was the course we determined upon adopting, for there were divers objections to the other, both speculative and practical; and we therefore took our places for Monday morning at half-past six, paying down on account L.3. Most of our brethren had either preceded us, or dispersed to various sessions, which I had made up my mind not to attend. I had promised to dine with some relatives at Chester on the Sunday, purposing to set off by the eight o'clock steam-boat, and return, of course, in the evening. Would you believe it?—my usual luck attended me, most excellent and experienced traveller that I was! for when I got down to the quay, I had the satisfaction of seeing the steam-boat hissing away nearly a mile off, having started precisely at eight, and I reaching the water-side about five minutes after eight. There was no other boat starting till half-past eleven, so I gave it up, and was obliged to write a letter

Hav

of excuses and explanations. ing heard a good deal of the beautiful and affecting service at the Church for the Blind, I determined to attend the morning service there. I shall not soon forget it. As I entered-having first deposited a trifle in the plate at the door for the asylum-sweet voices, blended with the organ, were chanting the Psalms; and through pictured and stained windows fell a "dim religious light." The window over the altar had a large painting of Christ rising from the dead; near it was another-most appropriate !-of Christ healing the blind. My feelings were completely subdued by the scene. I have reasons for feeling peculiar sympathy towards the blind; and it went to my heart to hear their melodious voices, clear and soft, engaged with cheerful energy in devotional service. I was particularly struck with the simplicity of their style the distinctness and precision of their enunciation. There were evidently some superior voices, male and female, among them; and I turned round to look-the sight almost overcame me. The gallery over the entrance was devoted to the blind people and to the organ; and, standing in a row, along the front of it, were about fifteen or eighteen women of various ages, neatly and uniformly dressed behind being the men, several of whom were grey-headed-the shape and appearance of their eyes too plainly indicating the grievous bereavement they had suffered. They were all singing-poor souls!-with the utmost energy, as if their hearts joined in the act. I could not restrain my feelings, which were painfully excited. As 1, from time to time, glanced at the touching spectacle they afforded, and listened to their thrilling voices, I could not help thinking of old Homer's simple and beautiful description of the blind Demodocus:

Τὸν πέρι Μοῦσ ̓ ἐφίλησε, δίδου δ' ἀγαθόν

τε κακόν τε,

Οφθαλμῶν μὲν ἀμερσεδίδου δ' ήδιναν ἀοιδήν. *

But, dear Christopher, you are familiar with the whole of the beautiful

For want of a better (Pope's not being at hand), the ladies will accept the following literal version:

Him the Muse loved, and gave both good and ill;
Of sight, indeed, deprived-but gave sweet song.

passage-recollecting the tears shed by the simple-hearted warrior, as he listened to the song of the blind bard, and endeavoured, hiding his head in his mantle, to conceal his emotions from the beholders. So, indeed, after a sort, was it with me. My feelings were differently excited, however, when, between the prayers and the sermon, the anthem was sung by two of the blind, a gray-haired man and the chief of the female singers. Imagine the feelings with which I listened to these fearful and sublime words from the Revelations, sung with admirable effect, both chastely and powerfully, sometimes both singing together, at others alternately :

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

"Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.

"And I turned to see the voice that spake with me; and being turned, I saw one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

"His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

"And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters; and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

"And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last;

"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore."†

It may be questionable whether this sublime passage be calculated for music, at least for any one's music but that of the glorious Handel; my intense interest in the anthem was derived, not from the character of the music, but from the feelings excited by the occasion-the scene, the place, the singers above all, the awe-inspiring nature of the words themselves. I shall not soon forget that Sunday morning.

Q. and I took a very long walk immediately afterwards, along the seashore-say seven or eight miles, the

* Οδυσσ. Θ, 63-96.

wind blowing fiercely in our faces all the way we went, and the sun shining which had been rather a rarity during our stay at Liverpool, the weather having been wretched beyond description-an almost constant succession of rain, sleet, snow, hail, fog, windcutting north-easterly winds, such as gave almost all of our brethren and ourselves rather severe colds. We dined at six. Q. lay down on the sofa, tired with his walk; I went out to do what I am in the habit of doing whenever I spend a Sunday at a strange placenamely, go to the various places of worship, and see-I trust with a curiosity not entirely unjustifiable or irreverent-the mode in which different sects of Christians carry on public worship. You know, dear Christopher, that I am too sincere a Christian in my heart-detesting, however, fanaticism to think of presumptuously attempting to turn any thing into ridicule, or present it under a droll or exaggerated aspect, that is manifestly the result of sincerity, however erroneous or delusive I may consider it to be. Yet I fancy it to be perfectly warrantable, and not entirely uninstructive, to describe accurately such scenes as follow, and to give a faithful description even of the painful and monstrous scene which will follow last. The result in my mind of much enquiry, and experience, and observation through life, has been to fill me with thankfulness for the existence of such an establishment as the Church of England, of which I am, and may I die, a member.

A little way down Mount Pleasant, on the right-hand side, was a good-sized building, which I found to be a Wesleyan Methodist chapel. It was crowded even to the door; for it seemed that one of their favourite preachers—a Mr Newton-was preaching "a missionary sermon," i. e. a sermon in aid of a society for sending out missionaries to the heathen in foreign countries. With some difficulty I got into the gallery, which was perfectly stuffed with people-scarce an inch even of standing-room to be had. I had a pretty good view of the preach. er, who, in his plain clothes, stood in the pulpit, using abundant gesticulation and emphasis, turning fully

Rev. i, 10-18.

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