of the front and back windows, without sustaining any injury. Within a very short time after, the flames caught the barn at the back of the mansion, and subsequently extended, notwithstanding every possible exertion to prevent it, to the granaries that adjoined, and afterwards over the whole farm. In less than two hours not a vestige remained; all the buildings were levelled to the ground, and nothing remained of old Riley-house but its blackened walls.

MURDER IN TIPPERARY.Another victim has fallen by the hand of the assassin; the name of the murdered man was Laffan, and he met his miserable fate on the very day that a meeting of the peasantry was held at Dunkerrin, which was attended by several Roman Catholic clergymen, who addressed the multitude on the evils of Ribandism, &c. But the truth is, that wherever this for midable conspiracy has taken root, the influence which the priests had heretofore exercised over their flocks altogether ceases; and there have been more instances than one in which the Roman Catholic priest has been taught by experience that his life depended on as frail a tenure as though he had been the most grinding landlord or "tithe-gathering parson" that ever rendered himself obnoxious to the bloody code of Ribandism. Government have offered a reward of 100%. for the discovery of Laffan's murderers; but with the wellknown disposition of the lower orders of the Irish to screen of fenders against the laws, it may be long indeed before justice shall have her due.

26. MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT. This afternoon a most melancholy accident happened on Milnthorpe

Sands. Mrs. Crewdson (the lady of Mr. G. B. Crewdson, banker, Kendal), with her children and servants, was staying at Mr. Saul's, Ivy Cottage, to enjoy the sea breeze during the summer months. On the day in question, the lady, along with her children and servants, wandered about a mile down the sands to allow the two children (the eldest daughters) to bathe, along with one of the servants. By some unforeseen occurrence, the oldest child and one of the servants fell over some rocks into a place with twelve feet depth of water. Mrs. Crewdson seeing their perilous situation, told the nurse to go to their assistance, and she followed over the same rock. Last of all, Mrs. Crewdson herself following, the second child fell into the sea. We are sorry to say, that the two children, along with their nurse, disappeared, and met a watery grave. It happened, providentially, that a small boat, which was going out with the tide, just came up in time to save the lady and the other servant from sharing the same fate. They were conveyed back to their lodgings, when medical aid was sent for. It was a long time before the servant could be brought round, but she and Mrs. Crewdson are doing as well as can be expected. The bodies of the unfortunate children and nurse were picked up about three or four hours after the accident occurred. Strangers should be extremely careful in wandering upon the sands without some one to guide them, as the channel is continually changing its course.

28. CORONER'S INQUEST ExTRAORDINARY. The coroner of Liverpool was startled by the receipt of a letter, stating that it was the duty of the writer to in

form him, that at the office of a gentleman in Lord-street in that town, a dead body was secreted, and he (the writer) believed, that evidence could be given that the deceased had met his death by assassination. The coroner's beadle was immediately dispatched to the office in question, to ascertain if he could obtain any clue to the truth of the writer's assertion; no one, however, was in the office but a young man, who, on being questioned, appeared to give rather evasive answers. In one corner of the office the beadle perceived a box about six feet long; and, on further questioning the young man, no doubt remained upon his mind but that the body of the murdered individual was secreted therein; and he immediately proceeded to summon a jury at the coroner's office, previously noting down the length of the box, the situation in which it stood, and the half admissions of the young man in the office. The coroner's jury being assembled, the beadle was again dispatched" to request" the attendance of the owner of the office, the young man, and all parties of suspicious appearance. He there found the young man and Dr. J. S. Thorburn of Liverpool; and the doctor was requested to walk up to the coroner's inquest, which he did, and there stated to the coroner, that he should be very happy to see him and the jury to view the body at a lecture he was about to deliver upon mummies, as the body in question was nothing less than a Peruvian mummy, or embalmed body, recently brought into the port of Liverpool in the ship Oberon from Peru, and there was no doubt but the [coroner had been hoaxed, to plague his friend, the owner of

the mummy. The jury were of course immediately discharged without viewing the mummy, the coroner observing that if the writer of the letter could be identified, he should fine him heavily for his joke. The mummy in question, a few weeks ago, was brought to this country by Captain Woodlass, of the Oberon. It is unlike the Egyptian mummies, being a perfect embalmed body, without wrappers. It was discovered at Pisco in a chalk tomb, and found with it were a wooden idol, a comb made of porcupine's quills, and a distaff on which was a quantity of very fine thread or cotton; the latter on being rubbed crumbled into dust.

30. ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE THE QUEEN.-This afternoon a second attempt on the life of the Queen filled the town with astonishment and indignation; which augmented as the report spread from mouth to mouth. A little before six o'clock, the Queen was returning to Buckingham-palace, down Constitutionhill, in a barouche and four, with Prince Albert, when a man, who had before been leaning against the wall of the Palace-garden, advanced close to the carriage, drew a pistol from his pocket, and fired at the Queen. He was so close to the carriage that the smoke from the pistol covered the face of Colonel Wylde, who rode by its side; Colonel Arbuthnot riding on the other. The Queen was untouched, and seemed at the moment unaware of her danger; but the assassin was observed by Prince Albert, who rose from his seat and pointed him out to one of the outriders. The servant dismounted; but the man had already been seized. The carriage was going at a rapid rate; and it at once proceeded to the palace. Count Mens

dorff immediately went to the Duchess of Kent, at Clarencehouse, to announce at once the Queen's danger and her safety; and the duchess returned with him to the palace. On meeting the Queen, she was deeply affected, falling upon her neck with a flood of tears; while the Queen endeavoured to reassure her with cheerful words and affectionate caresses. There was to have been an evening-party at the palace, but it was put off: the usual dinner-party, however, took place. The assas sin had been watched for a short time before his attempt by Trounce, a policeman; who, seeing him present the pistol, rushed forwardthough too late to prevent his firing and seized him as he thrust the weapon back into his breast. A soldier of the Scots Fusileer Guards also fastened up n him, and he was hurried to the Palace Lodge. Here he was searched; and besides some trifles in his pockets, were found the pistol, a small and common one, the barrel still warm-some loose powder, and, according to one account, a bullet. He was then taken in a cab to the Station-house in Gardiner's-lane, and thence in a very few minutes to the Home Office. At the Station-house, he was recognised by a person who had followed him, as John Francis, the son of a machinist at Covent Garden Theatre. A meeting of the Privy Council was hastily summoned at the office. Prince Albert, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel, and nearly fifty Privy Councillors assembled; and there were in attendance the Attorney-general, Mr. Maule, the Solicitor to the Treasury, Colonel Rowan, the Police Commissioner, and Mr. Hall, the Chief Magistrate VOL. LXXXIV.

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at Bow-street. The examination of the prisoner was strictly private ; and when it was over, he was lodged for the night in Tothillfields Prison. According to the custom of the prison, he was stripped and carefully searched; but nothing of a suspicious character was found about him. His manner was cool and unconcerned, and he answered questions as to his name with perfect composure; but when he was asked if his father was a scene-shifter, he exclaimed in an indignant tone-" Scene-shifter ! no, he is stage-carpenter." being asked if he had money to purchase food, he replied with some bitterness, that he had none. He was again brought up for examination before the Council next day; and was finally committed to Newgate for trial at the next session of the Central Criminal Court, on a charge of "Shooting at our Sovereign Lady Victoria the Queen, with a pistol loaded with powder and ball." The most important fact which was proved, was, that the same person presented a pistol at the Queen yesterday (Sunday). The details of the evidence on that point are rather obscure; but it seems that as Mr. George Pearson, a youth of sixteen, was walking in St. James's Park at two o'clock, he saw the Royal carriage, containing the Queen, Prince Albert, and the suite, returning from the Chapel Royal to the Palace; and as they approached the little gate which leads from the drive into the Green Park, a young man, who was standing near him with his back to the rails, presented a pistol at the Queen's carriage, but drew it back again-presently exclaiming, "I wish I had done it!" From agitation and inexperience, PearH

son suffered the young man to depart, without taking steps for his apprehension; but after his return home, his elder brother, communicated with a Mr. Dousbery, who took him to Sir Peter Laurie, at his private house; and Sir Peter Laurie at once wrote to the Hon. Augustus Murray, to tell him of the fact. Mr. Murray, however, had just sat down to dinner with the Queen, and he could not get the letter till bed-time; but Mr. Dousbery saw him next morning, and he sent him to Sir James Graham. Between two and three o'clock he saw Sir James at the Home Office, in company with Mr. Murray and Colonel Rowan; and he received for Messrs. Pearson the thanks of the Home Secretary for their discretion. The Queen was made aware of the threatened danger, but she would not remain a prisoner in her own palace; nor yet would she allow the needless exposure of others to the peril which she braved, and therefore she did not permit her female attendants to accompany her in the usual drive. John Francis, it appears, will be twenty years of age in November next. He is dark, good-look ing, with rather a placid and agreeable countenance, than otherwise; about five feet five inches in height, stout, and well-proportioned; and he was respectably dressed in a dark frock coat, and dark checked trousers. He had lately lodged with Mr. Foster, a tailor in Great Titchfield-street; and had worked as a journeyman carpenter. On Monday week, however, he engaged a shop and parlour in Mortimer-street, and set up as a tobacconist; and the same night he robbed Elam, a fellow-lodger, of 51. 10s., which he coolly gave up to his landlord, on being taxed

with the robbery. The latter told him never to return; and he had since lodged at a coffee shop in Oxford-street. The accounts as to his past life differ, some representing him as more irregular in his courses than others, but no one seems to have suspected him of ferocity; and searches at his lodgings and his father's house elicited nothing which would show that he had any political motives, or any confederates. A vast concourse assembled before the gates of the Palace the next afternoon, in the expectation that the Queen would take her accustomed airing. At five-and-twenty minutes before five o'clock, the side-gates near Constitution Hill were thrown open, and the Royal carriage-an open barouche and four-appeared, containing the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, The postilions and outriders in front were all dressed in scarlet liveries. Following on horseback were Count Mensdorff and his four sons, Colonel Arbuthnot, and Colonel Wylde. One long loud shout of hurrahs, with waving of hats and handkerchiefs, saluted the Queen, who, with Prince Albert, bowed and smiled. She was calm and collected, though somewhat flushed; but it was afterwards remarked that she looked pałe, and not as well as on Saturday. Constitution Hill, Hyde Park Corner, the open space before the statue in Hyde Park, and the drive, were thronged with people, on foot, on horseback, and in carriages; and the Queen's drive was a triumphal progress, In the evening the Queen and Prince Albert went to the Italian Opera; where the audience, with tumultuous gratulations, called for the Na

on

tional Anthem, bursting into cheers at almost every line. The Royal pair looked well, and repeatedly acknowledged the cheers of the audience. 30. CORONER'S INQUEST.-Today an inquest was held the body of Mr. Gorges Hely, of Violet-hill, near Johnstown (Ireland), one of the richest commoners in the county of Kilkenny. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased was of rather eccentric habits, keeping only one old woman in the house, and having the doors and windows open during the entire night. The latter practice, however, had been abandoned, the doors having been regularly bolted for some time. Deceased had retired to his room on Saturday night, or rather, yesterday morning, at one o'clock. At about three, two or three men, who had been passing to perform some labouring work before the people should be stirring, found the old woman screaming at the garret window, and smoke issuing out. She told them that the house was on fire, and implored them to rescue her from destruction; and that she could not descend through the house, on account of the smoke. After a short delay, she was taken out with difficulty and danger, by means of a ladder. The men then proceeded to the hall-door, and found it standing wide open. On reaching the room where the deceased lay, they found it enveloped in flames. The alarm having been given, other persons had by this time arrived, and among them the police. The fire was at length subdued, when to their horror, they beheld Mr. Hely nearly burnt to a cinder, lying in his bed, with his arms stretched upwards, the bed and bed clothes, and the greater part of the furni

ture in the room having been burnt in whole or in part. But what was the most extraordinary fact of all, a barrel of gunpowder was found open within three yards of the corpse, being only partially covered with a piece of brown paper! It was a source of astonishment to all that it was not ignited by a spark from the flames. There was another barrel of gunpowder in the adjoining room. The snuff-box of the deceased was missing, but drops of silver were found on the floor, as if it had been liquefied by the intense heat. It appeared that Mr. Hely had been in the habit of reading in bed, and having his candle burning even till ten o'clock in the morning. It was suggested that the candle fell and set fire to the bed clothes. The evidence was of a very conflicting character, and left the matter in considerable doubt. The verdict was as follows:deceased was found dead in his bed on Sunday morning, the 29th inst., but whether his death was caused by accident or otherwise, we have no means of ascertaining."

"That

-FOURTEEN PERSONS DROWNED. An awful occurrence took place at Beaumaris this forenoon, about half-past eleven o'clock, by the upsetting of the ferry-boat, which had been accustomed to convey a considerable number of persons across the channel to the Lavin Sands, to gather cockles. When on her return at the begining of flood-tide with fifteen persons on board, the boat, a small one, shipped a quantity of water, and several of the passengers went suddenly to the opposite side, causing her to capsize, when all on board were precipitated into the water, and only one individual escaped, by means of swimming