of June, 1860, murdered at Road-hill-house, Wiltshire, one Francis Saville Kent." Sir Thomas Henry.-Have you any objection to sign the statement you have here made? I must again remind you that it is the most serious crime that can be committed, and that your statement will be used against you at your trial. I have had the words written copied upon this charge-sheet, but I do not wish you to sign it unless you desire to do so. Miss Kent.-I will do so if necessary. Sir Thomas Henry. It is not absolutely necessary. There is no occasion for you to sign the charge unless you wish it. I will have your statement attached to the depositions, and I will again ask you if you have made it by your own desire, and without any inducement from any quarter whatever to give yourself up? Miss Kent.-Yes. The Rev. Arthur Douglas Wagner was then sworn, and deposed as follows,-I am a clerk in holy orders, and perpetual curate of St. Paul's Church, Brighton, which is a chapel of ease to the parish church. I have known Constance Kent nearly two years-since the summer of 1863. Miss Kent.-In August. Sir Thomas Henry.-About twenty-one months? Witness.-Yes. As far as I can remember, an English family wrote to me, asking for her admission to St. Mary's Home, or Hospital, in consequence of her having no home, or of some difficulty respecting her. The "home," or rather "hospital" as it is now called, is a house for religious ladies, and is attached to St. Mary's Church. She came about that time as a visitor, and has been there up to the present day. Sir Thomas Henry.-Now, Mr. Wagner, it is my duty to ask you if any inducement has been made to the prisoner in any way to make this confession? The con Witness.-None whatever has been made by me. fession is entirely her own voluntary act, to the best of my belief. It was about a fortnight ago, as far as I can recollect, that the circumstance first came to my knowledge. It was entirely her own proposition that she should be taken before a London Magistrate. She herself proposed to come to London for the purpose. The nature of the confession she made to me was the same, in substance, as the statement produced in her own writing, and copied upon the charge-sheet. Sir Thomas Henry here read the paper again. Witness.-Yes, it is the same. Sir Thomas Henry.-She made this statement to you? The Rev. Mr. Wagner here observed that in speaking of "confession" he wished to be understood that it was not a private, but an open, public confession. Sir Thomas Henry.-I will not go into that point here. It D may be gone into at the trial, perhaps very fully. (To the prisoner.) I hope you understand that whatever you say must be entirely your own free and voluntary statement, and that no inducement that may have been held out to you is to have any effect upon your mind. Miss Kent.-No inducement ever has, sir. Sir Thomas Henry.-I am anxious that you should most seriously consider that. Mr. Wagner. I wish to mention that many are in the habit of coming to confess to me as a religious exercise, but I never held out any inducement to her to make a public confession. Sir Thomas Henry.-Yes, I think you ought to mention that. Did you in the first instance induce her to make the confession to you? Mr. Wagner. No, sir. I did not seek her out or in any way ask her to come to confession. She herself wished to do so. Sir Thomas Henry.-If you think that the confession she now makes has been induced in consequence of any thing which she has said to you, or which you have said to her, you ought to say so. Mr. Wagner.-I never even recommended it. I have been simply passive. I thought she was doing right, and I did not dissuade her. Sir Thomas Henry.-But do you say that you did not persuade her? Mr. Wagner.-I do say so. She thought of it herself, without my ever suggesting it. Sir Thomas Henry.-That must be added to Mr. Wagner's depositions. The chief clerk then added the latter observations of the Rev. gentleman to the deposition. Sir Thomas Henry, holding up for Miss Kent's inspection the written paper already referred to, said,-This is the paper you wish to hand in as your statement, is it? Miss Kent.-Yes, sir. Sir Thomas Henry.-It is not too late even now. I wish to tell you, once more, that this is a very serious charge, and that whatever you write or say may be used against you. You are not bound to make any statement unless you desire to do so. The chief clerk then again asked the prisoner if the document in question was in her handwriting. Miss Kent replied, with a slight emphasis,-Yes, it is. Sir Thomas Henry asked if Mr. Wagner knew Miss Kent's handwriting. Mr. Wagner could not possibly tell, never having seen her write. Of course, he had no doubt as to this document having been written by her. The confession was then read by the clerk. It was as follows: "I, Constance Emilie Kent, alone and unaided, on the night of the 29th of June, 1860, murdered at Road-hill-house, Wiltshire, one Francis Saville Kent. Before the deed was done, no one knew of my intention, nor afterwards of my guilt. No one assisted me in the crime,. nor in the evasion of discovery." Sir Thomas Henry.-Do you wish to add any thing to this statement ? Miss Kent.-No, sir. Sir Thomas Henry.-The offence was committed in Wiltshire, and the trial must be in that county. It will therefore be necessary to send her to be examined before the magistrates in that county. The warrant was then made out and handed, with the depositions, &c., to Inspector Williamson, who removed the prisoner in a cab to the railway station. Mr. Wagner and Miss Green (the Lady Superior) accompanied her. As they were entering the vehicle the quaint attire of the latter lady (in the costume of a Lady Superior) excited considerable curiosity among the persons outside the court. The prisoner having been removed to Trowbridge, was brought up on the following day before the magistrates sitting in petty sessions, charged on her own confession with the wilful murder of her step-brother, The magistrates present were Messrs. H. G. G. Ludlow, C. F. D. Killard, J. H. Webb, John P. Stancombe, and Thomas Clarke. Captain Meredith, the Chief Constable, and Superintendent Harris, of the county police, were also present. The prisoner was undefended. The business was delayed for some time in consequence of the absence of the Rev. Arthur Douglas Wagner (of Brighton), and upon his arrival the prisoner was brought into court. She was accompanied by Miss Green, and in charge of Inspector Frederick A. Williamson and Sergeant Thomas, of the Metropolitan Detective Police Force, Scotland-yard. Miss Kent was dressed in deep mourning, and wore a thick veil, but she looked very much flushed on entering the justice-room. The Chairman, addressing her, said,-You are brought on a warrant from Bow-street, where you appeared yesterday, and the evidence then taken will be read to you. The warrant on which she appeared was in the first instance formally produced. The clerk to the magistrates then read to the Rev. A. D. Wagner, who was present, the following statement: "The Rev. Arthur Douglas Wagner, clerk in holy orders, on his oath saith as follows: "I am perpetual curate to St. Paul's Church, Brighton. I have known Constance Kent about twenty-one months. She was introduced to me for the purpose of being admitted into St. Mary's Hospital at Brighton, which is connected with St. Paul's Church, and she came there about that time, and has resided there ever since. I have not in any way induced her to make any confession to me, and to the best of my belief the confession she has made has been entirely by her own free will. About a fortnight ago it first came to my knowledge, and it was entirely her own proposition, that she wished to confess and give herself up, and it was her own proposition to come to London for that purpose. She stated to me, or in words to this effect, that she had alone and unaided, on the night of the 29th of June, 1860, murdered at Road-hill-house, Wiltshire, one Francis Saville Kent. I have never said any thing to Constance Kent to persuade her to confess, nor have I said any thing to dissuade her from doing so, but I have been perfectly passive in the matter, feeling that she was doing the right thing. It is entirely her own free act. She thought of it herself without my suggesting it to her. "A. D. Wagner.' The Chairman (to Mr. Wagner).—Is that true? Mr. Wagner.-Yes. The Chairman (to Miss Kent).-Have you any question to ask the witness? Miss Kent. No, sir, I have not. The Chairman (to Mr. Wagner).-You may retire. The Clerk to the Magistrates then read over the statement which was made by the prisoner to the magistrate at Bow-street. Mr. Frederick Adolphus Williamson, who was then called, said, -I am an inspector of the Metropolitan Detective Force. Yesterday afternoon, the 25th of April, I went to Bow-street Policestation, where I found the prisoner. She was undergoing an examination before Sir Thomas Henry, the chief magistrate, and this paper (the confession) was handed to me. The prisoner was handed into my custody at Bow-street, and I conveyed her down here last night to Trowbridge. After some further evidence, chiefly of a formal kind, the prisoner was committed for trial at the ensuing assizes for the County of Wiltshire 3.: 29. BANQUET AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY.-The anniversary dinner of the Royal Academy took place at the Rooms in Trafal- • gar-square, when a distinguished company assembled, on the invitation of the President and Council, to share their sumptuous hospitality and to enjoy the opportunity of inspecting the beautiful works of art which formed the Exhibition opened to the public this day. Among the company were His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Archbishop of Dublin, several of the Bishops, the Ministers of State, and leading politicians of both parties, several For an account of the proceedings at the Trial see the Chronicle for July, post of the judges, and many noblemen and gentlemen, whose names are known in connexion with literature and art. There was also a full attendance of Academicians and Associates. Sir Charles Eastlake, President of the Academy, occupied the chair. The usual round of toasts was given-the health of the Dignitaries of the Church, proposed by the President, was acknowledged by the Archbishop of York. That of the Army and Navy by the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Somerset. The health of the President was proposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. That of Earl Russell by the President, who afterwards gave that of the Earl of Derby. In proposing that nobleman's health in connexion with the toast of the "Interests of Literature," Sir C. Eastlake said:"Many of those who deign to be our guests, and who have earned great literary success, are renowned in the Senate; others are conspicuous ornaments of the Church or of the learned professions. In the practice of the formative arts there is generally a decided line of demarcation between the professional artist and the amateur. In letters it is not so-there are no amateur writers. All literary candidates for fame come before the public on nearly equal terms; and the consequence is, that the author by profession has not only the whole world to please, but the whole educated world to contend with. In selecting a representative at once from the aristocracy of intellect and the aristocracy of rank, I am, therefore, not departing from the catalogue of public contributors to the literary attractions of our time. In connexion with the toast I have the honour to propose the health of a nobleman who has solaced the intervals of important and useful public labours by a happy intercourse with the greatest poet of antiquity. I have the honour to propose 'The Health of the Earl of Derby."". The speech in which Lord Derby returned thanks was one of the most felicitous of the evening, and was warmly applauded by the company. He said:-Sir Charles Eastlake, my lords, and gentlemen,-to the great majority of those who are honoured with invitations to attend this anniversary festival, it is not one of the least attractions that we can enjoy the company and feast presented to our eyes without being called upon to perform any part of the ceremony ourselves, and, with the exception, perhaps, of those members of the Government called on to return thanks in some official capacity, or those connected with some of those societies which this illustrious Academy delights to honour on this and other occasions, your other guests come with the happy consciousness that they may enjoy in silence that which is presented to them. It was in that happy conviction that I came here this evening, and I must say I never was more taken aback than when, immediately before we sat down to dinner, you, Sir Charles, informed me of the cruel kindness you had destined for me. I confess I had at the moment a very strong disposition to be seized with a sudden and violent indisposition; for I felt myself very |