assembly at Peter's-hill, and taken part in the wrecking of the dwelling-house of one Gordon O'Neill. The prisoners, who were fine, respectable-looking young men, pleaded "Not Guilty." Mr. Whiteside, Q.C. (special), Mr. Falkner, and Mr. John Norwood appeared for the defence. The Attorney-General stated the case for the Crown. The facts were very simple. It appeared beyond all doubt that on the morning of Monday, the 16th of August, between two and three o'clock, a mob of persons came up Boyd-street, towards Peter's-hill, where O'Neill lived. They shouted, "To with the Pope!" and commenced a violent attack upon the house. They threw stones at it, broke the windows, and fired shots at it. They made such a noise that the police heard them from a distance, and interfered. They were able to identify the prisoners in the dock as having formed part of that riotous mob and having been engaged in the work of injury to this dwelling-house. The witnesses for the Crown were cross-examined by Mr. Whiteside, who addressed the jury for the prisoners. Evidence for the defence was produced. The Solicitor-General then addressed the jury for the Crown. The jury retired at a quarter to two o'clock, and returned into court at half-past five with a verdict of Guilty on the counts for injuring the dwelling-house and being concerned in the riot. Sentence-twelve months' imprisonment, with hard labour. Another jury was empanelled to try Henry Laverty for the murder of John Gorman. The Attorney-General briefly stated the case. John Gorman was shot at a place called Brown-street, in Belfast, on the 10th of August last. The occurrence took place about half-past six o'clock in the morning, in broad daylight. Gorman, after being shot, was carried to the hospital, where he lingered for a few days, and then died. A woman named Catherine Devlin, who had slept the night previously in the house of a Mr. O'Rorke, in Millfield, was proceeding to work a little after six o'clock. In order to get through Brown-street she asked Gorman to escort her. He did. As they turned into Brown-street they saw a crowd. A man came forward from the crowd, went down on his knee, presented, and fired a pistol at them. The shot took effect on Gorman, and, as was stated, caused his death. Catherine Devlin would swear it was Laverty who fired the shot, and that she cried out, "Laverty, you will rue this!" or some expression of that kind. Another witness would also be able to identify Laverty as the party who shot Gorman, and evidence would be given proving the use of the expression by Catherine Devlin, "Laverty, you will rue this." There was some rioting at the time in Brown-street; but if the circumstances relied on by the Crown were proved, the offence could not be reduced below the crime of murder.

Catherine Devlin was then examined by the Solicitor-General, and cross-examined by Mr. Whiteside. Several other witnesses were examined for the Crown, and cross-examined by Mr. Whiteside, who addressed the jury for the prisoner. Numerous witnesses for the

defence were examined by Mr. Norwood and Mr. Whiteside. From their evidence it appeared that the fatal shot was fired while the two mobs were engaged in fighting. They contradicted the witnesses for the Crown as to the time of the murder, and deposed to circumstances to show that the prisoner could not have fired the shot. Both he and the deceased were brought to the same ward in the hospital, and they seemed to be on friendly terms. The Solicitor-General having replied for the Crown, Baron Deasy charged the jury, who retired at six o'clock, and remained in consultation till half-past seven. The foreman then stated that they had not agreed. Again at half-past nine they were called in, when the foreman stated that there was no probability of their agreeing. At half-past eleven o'clock his lordship again returned to court. The jury having again appeared in their box, they reiterated the assurance that there was not the slightest chance of their agreeing to a verdict. His lordship stated that as the jury were now for so many hours in consultation, and as he saw no probability of their agreement, and as it only wanted a few minutes of Sunday morning, he saw no possible use in keeping them locked up without refreshment during Sunday. He would, therefore, on his own responsibility discharge them. They were discharged accordingly.

16. EXECUTIOn for Murder.-REVOLTING SCENE ON THE SCAFFOLD.-Matthew Atkinson, convicted at the last assizes of the murder of his wife at Spen, under circumstances of great brutality, was executed at Durham. The wretched man appeared on the scaffold at eight o'clock, and walked steadily to the drop. The hangman speedily adjusted the rope and drew the fatal bolt, but the rope being too long, broke, and Atkinson fell. Apparently unhurt by the fall, the wretched culprit was removed until another rope was procured. This occupied about twenty minutes, and all this while an immense mob kept hissing and groaning at the executioner, which tokens of disgust were redoubled when the executioner again appeared on the scaffold to fix the new rope. Atkinson was led out a second time, and once more the drop fell. The wretched culprit struggled violently before his crime was expiated. At one time it was feared that a riot would have taken place, so dissatisfied were the mob with the bungling of the hangman.

25. DESTRUCTION OF THE SHEFFIELD THEATRE BY FIRE. - The Surrey Theatre at Sheffield was burnt down about half-past two o'clock this morning. A small fire had been discovered in Burgess-street half an hour previously, and the fire-engines had been called out. The firemen belonging to the Royal Fire Insurance Company's Brigade were in the act of backing their engine into the station, when a bright light was observed in the direction of Westbar. How long the theatre had been burning it is impossible to say, but when discovered the flames were blazing through the roof, illuminating all the neighbourhood. The fire spread with

frightful rapidity, threatening to destroy the entire square formed by Westbar, Spring-street, Hick's-lane, and Workhouse-croft. The flames had spread from the rear towards the front of the building, destroying the least hope that any considerable portion of it could be saved. Immediately on the fire being discovered, the Royal engines were quickly on the spot; but the flames had obtained such a hold of the building that it was quite impossible to do any thing to arrest their progress. The fire-brigade, therefore, directed their energies to throwing immense columns of water on the adjoining property, in the hope of preventing the flames spreading beyond the walls of the theatre, in which they were pretty successful. The whole of the roof of the building fell in about three o'clock, and nothing but the walls and the tower in front were left standing, in a threatening condition.

The building, of which Mr. Youdan was the sole proprieter, was built in 1851, at which time it was used for the purposes of singing and dancing. A museum and a picture gallery were afterwards added, and subsequently, in 1855, the establishment was enlarged to the proportions of a first-class theatre. It had frequently, since that period, been further enlarged, and last summer was re-opened with great éclat, the entire construction of the interior eliciting the encomiums of all who entered its walls. It was in this theatre that the Social Science Association was to have held their principal meeting this year, the proprietor having offered the use of it for the occasion. It was stated that the building, with its contents, including the elaborate fittings and scenery, the museum, picture galleries, &c., had cost the proprietor from 20,000l. to 30,0007.

29. LAUNCH OF THE "AGINCOURT."-This monster armourplated ram, of 6680 tons burden and 1350 horse power, was floated at the ship-building yard of Laird, Brothers, Birkenhead, in the presence of about 30,000 spectators.

APRIL.

4. OPENING OF THE SOUTHERN OUTFALL OF THE MAIN DRAINAGE WORKS.-The important sanitary work which, for the last five years, had occupied more or less of the attention of the public, was brought to a final and successful close, and London, covering its vast area of nearly 120 square miles, might now be said to be the best and most thoroughly drained city in the world. All that was required to complete the work on the south side of the metropolis was that the huge steam engines should be started, and that the pumps attached to them should commence their work of lifting the many millions of gallons of sewage which, by the series of the upper, middle, and lower level sewers, is brought

down to the reservoir at Crossness Point, in order to be pumped up to the outfall, which will discharge the sewage into the Thames shortly after the time of high water, when it will be carried down to such a distance in the river as will prevent its return by the next tide. The Prince of Wales had, with his usual kindness, acceded to the wish of the Metropolitan Board of Works that he should himself perform this crowning act in a great national work, and due preparations were accordingly made for the reception of His Royal Highness and the noble and distinguished party of guests who were invited to witness the ceremony. The great bulk of the visitors went down by special train on the North Kent line to Plumstead, whence they were conveyed over the contractors' line to the outfall. The Prince of Wales went down the river by the "Oread" steamer, which started from the stairs of the new palace at Westminster. The Prince was accompanied by Prince Alfred (attended by Lieutenant-General Knollys, Major Grey, Major Cowell, Mr. Fisher, and Dr. Bernhardt), the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Duke of Sutherland, the Bishop of Oxford, Lord Clarence Paget, Viscount Sydney, Lord J. Manners, and a few other noblemen and gentlemen who were invited to accompany the party. Their Royal Highnesses were received by Mr. John Thwaites (the chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works), Mr. J. W. Bazalgette (the engineer-in-chief), and the members of the reception committee. The Prince in the first instance visited the northern outfall works at Barking, one of the reservoirs of which was lighted up for the inspection of his Royal Highness; and Mr. Bazalgette briefly explained the principles and mode of construction. After a brief inspection, the party proceeded to the opposite side of the river. The great reservoir was here brilliantly illuminated, and the wharfs and terraces above ground were put into trim order. All the ugly and disagreeable features of the place had been hidden. Thick layers of gravel concealed banks which a week since were bogs of muddy clay. Culvert and reservoir, workshop and engineroom, wore a holiday aspect. In all the long lines of sewers there was nothing but neatness and cleanliness to be seen. The great traps and valves in the walls, restraining as they did for the time the repulsive flood, looked bright and trim as iron safes in merchants' counting-houses. From the ceilings hung no foul festoons; from the arches dripped no feculent moisture. There was plenty of light. The "fifty thousand additional lamps," were here multiplied, seemingly, by fifty. The effect produced by the illumination of the reservoir, to which the guests proceeded after they had minutely examined the culvert, was remarkable. Yet very little craft had been necessary to produce it. It was simply the effect of the fortuitous and inevitable picturesque. So many hundred columns and arches arranged in parallel lines, with others crossing at right angles, and stretching away into a perspective whose prolongation baffles the keenest vision, the outline of each arch

and cornice defined by rows of lamps, were all that was needed to bring about the grand consummation.

The engine-room-in itself a marvel of massive construction and mechanical combination was next visited, and this department merited special eulogium from an artistic point of view. The great engines, the cylinders, and wheels, and piston-rods, are all there; but, by the mere conversion of what might have been a hideous well into a tasteful octagonal court, with Byzantine arches supported on slender columns, with highly ornamented capitals, and, especially by the judicious introduction of colour, the whole place was made to wear a cheerful and refined aspect. The colour is at once brilliant and subdued. It has as yet been applied to the iron work experimentally; but it is intended that the capitals, cornices, and spandrils shall be permanently enamelled in colours; and the effect of this, added to the exquisitely beautiful bronze scroll work in the octagonal court, will give the whole interior of the edifice an appearance certainly unique in the annals of engine-rooms. Numbers of the visitors had gathered on the floor of the building, others occupied the galleries, and looked out from every available point. At that moment all the massive machinery was still. But approaching one of the engines, the Prince of Wales had only, under the instruction of Mr. Grant, to turn a small handle, which worked so easily that a child could have moved it, and the ponderous beam began to move, amidst the cheers of the spectators. The Prince went round in turn to the other three engines, and similarly started them all. The work was fairly completed. In regular stroke the pumps moved up and down, and the engines began a course of duty that nothing will in future interrupt. This ceremony over, the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, and the other royal and distinguished personages were conducted to another of the workshops which had been tastefully fitted up by Mr. Webster, the contractor, as a dining-hall. Flags of all nations hung from the roof. At the further end the door was covered with heavy curtains of red cloth, surmounted by a trophy. The walls on either side were covered several feet high with scarlet cloth, while above this, at regular distances, were designs in crystal and other decorations. Over the entrance-door a gallery covered with scarlet cloth had been erected, one end of which was occupied by ladies and the other by the band of the Royal Marines (light infantry), under the direction of Mr. W. Winterbottom. Along one side of the room ran a platform, on which was placed the table at which the royal party sat. Mr. Thwaites presided, having the Prince of Wales on his right and Prince Alfred on his left. The Duke of Cambridge, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Oxford, Earl Stanhope, the Duke of Sutherland, the Duke of St. Albans, Lord Alfred Paget, &c., were also seated at the raised table. When the collation was over, and grace had been said by the Archbishop of York, Mr. Thwaites briefly proposed "The Queen," making allusion, in doing so, to the gratification it