The Principality

<f taingi ♦ THE MARK OVERSHOT.—"Yes, marm, that's a crack article," said a shopkeeper to a lady purchaser. Oh, mercy," said she "if the thing's cracked, I don't want it." A witness who was examined before a select committee of the House of Lords, respecting the manner in which a petition, pur- porting to have been signed by 19,000 of the ratepayers of Liverpool, had been got up, confessed that he had, upon one occasion, gone to a public-house, where he had sat down and written about 300 of the signatures which appeared attached to the petition. Whilst he was at that public-house three others of the agents, and himself, had dipped themselves into a water- butt, so that the committee, when they arrived at their place of assembly should believe that they had been walking about all day in the rain." (loud laughter), NEGLECTING THE ANTECEDENT. Some very whimsical instances of this occur continually, especially in the answers of witncsses when given literally as they speak. In a late assault case, the prosecutor swore that the prisoner struck him with a broom on the head till he broke the top of it!" In narrating an incident some time since, it was stated that apoor old woman was run over by a cart, aged sixty. So in a case of supposed poisoning He had something in a blue paper in his hand, and I saw him put his head over the pot, and put it in!" Another swallowing a base coin He snatched the half-crown from the boy, which he swallowed which seems to mean the boy, not the money. An old fellow, who for many years sold combustible matches in London, had the following cry "Buy a pennyworth of matches of a poor old man made of foreign wood SUNDAY AT THE AII-,T.-Solin Thomas, full private of the 190th Greens, and a Sabbath man to the back bone, thinks his a particularly hard case. Lord Ashley—(and may he never be a Cabinet-made Minister, because as I read t'other day at the Warrior's Gate tap, all Cabinet-made Ministers are to have their letters delivered to 'em on Sundays whether they will or no)— Lord Ashley has stopped Sunday labour at the Post-office, though they do say the labour's to begin again, but that's not it. Lord Ashley is asked to look at the Sunc \y labour in the army and most partic'larly at the beknighted & .,te of the loyal 190th Greens, at present doing duty at the Queen's Mint. For the last three Sundays, have I, John Thomas, full-private, and cetera, been upon'guard as sentry during the very hours of fore- noon church. Here have I been walking up and down, hugging Brown Bess—(which, if it come to fighting, they'd make me load with ball, and fire away upon the Sabbath, thick as pepper)—here have I, on Sunday, been guarding the Mint, and therefore, in a manner in which there can be no mistake about it, serving Mammon, while all the post-offices is shut, and Lord Ashley, in his Sunday pew, blessing himself for the post-offices being at church. Now, I put it to Lord Ashley whether the souls of the loyal 190th Greens are not to be cared for by Parliament House as well as the souls of postmasters and missusses ? And why should the army do duty on Sundays ('specially at the Mint, where is the root of all evil) when, as Lord Ashley can prove as well as he's proved the wickedness of Sunday letters, that on Sunday even the Army of Martyrs was made and intended to donothing but stand at-ease ?-Ilittzch. GOVERNMENTS' BROKE* SLUMBERS.—Scenc Downing- street. A Cabinet Council. Ministers reposing.—The Chan- cellor of the Exchequer (half asleep) Yaw—aw (yawns and stretches). What a bore !-The Premier (waking up). Eh! "What's the—yaw aw—matter r— Chancellor of the Exchequer O—h Why the House has voted the repeal of the Attorney's certificate duty—ya—a—oh! There goes £ 100,000 from the revenue. Ileigho —Premier Now, I suppose—yaw—aw! the public will insist on our taking off the window-tax. They'll say that the tax on lawyers—yaw !—is nothing to the tax on light.-Chancellor of the Exchequer Then we shall be dunned for the paper :—yaw—aw and stamp duties.-Premier And the m—aw—aw—the malt tax. Chancellor of the Exchequer How—yaw—aw—the deuce, do they expect us to—yaw! — make up the revenue ?—Premier Well, I'm afraid there's only one way—yaw—by revising our old systems of taxation and expenditure. Chancellor of the Exchequer That will be a terrible deal of-oh dear mp, Irm— yaw—so sleepy-trouble. Premier Yaw—aw—aw—aw I'm afraid it's what we shall have cone to at last.—Chancellor of the Exchequer: What s:v --Preniier: Hin !-Clianec-l.or of the Exchequer: Mp! [ They go to sleep again.]—Ibid, THE HARDEST WORKED MAN IN THE CITY.-A foreigner, writing of London, with the usual ignorance of foreigners, says The duties of the City Remembrancer are, to remind the Aldermen and Common Councilmen when they forget themselves." We can only say that, if these were his duties, no one man could do it.-Ibid. THE following reply to that everlasting inquiry, How do you do ?" was made by an original the other day- Rather slim, thank'ee I've got the rheumatism in one leg, and a white swellin' on t'other knee, beside having a leetle touch on the dysentery—aj.d aint very well myself D'either!" ONE OP THE RESULTS OF Sllt ROBERT PEEL'S DEATII.-A' poor woman last week went into a shop in Dudley, for her •asual batch of Hour, when she was informed by the shopman that the flour had risen in price 8d. per bushel, on which the poor woman, with a sigh, very significantly observed, Ah it's a sign poor Sir Robert Peel's dead." COUNTENANCING THE FINE ARTS.—The sons of genius are frequently obliged for the loan of a face, and this fact recently received a singular illustration in the case of a gentleman well known in Liverpool and Birkenhead for the Oriential cast of his features. Being lately in London, he was strolling up and down tne Strand, when he was accosted by a gentleman, who after apologising with the utmost politeness for his familiarity, begged Mr. —— to allow him to take a sketch of his face, as it wore the exact expression which he wished to introduce in one of the characters of a grand historical picture. Our townsman consented, and accompanied the artist to his house, where his visage was quickly traced on canvass. A friend was sub. sequently anxious to know what the grand painting was in which the gentleman was to appear so conspicuously. He called upon the painter, and requested to be allowed to see the picture. This the artist strongly objected to alleging that it was against etiqueite to show a work of art unfinished, &c. But all his attempts to put off Mr. were unavailing. At length the aitist consented, took him to his studio, and there he saw himself figuring in a large Scriptural piece as Judas Iscariot. This is strictly true.—Liverpool Times. CHARITY MADE EASY.—Lord John Russell would not accede to Mr. Hume's amendment of £ 8,000 a year to the Duke of Cam- bridge,—the Duke must have f 12,000, because he is expected to be charitable. Jth. Punch-upon his own responsibility-offers to tied any number of individuals who will be twice as charitable as the present Duke upon exactly half the grant. How droll charity may be You give a Duke a heap of money that he may be benevolent, and then laud him to the skies for this paid philan- throphy.! -Punch.

]1rm5. NEW LIND OF SCREW STEAM SHIPS BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND NEW YORK.—It is the intention of the owners of the British and North American Royal Mail steam ships to commence a line of screw steam ships, of great size and power, for the conveyance of goods and passengers to and from New York and Liverpool, in- dependent of the splendid ships now employed under contract with the British government for the conveyance of the inails.-Liver- pool Chronicle. FOOL-CATCHING.—A correspondent of the DailyNetcs says:— A very large number of letters have lately passed through the Dead Letter Office, each containing a shilling's worth of stamps, addressed to a person who called himself a professor, and who for some reason or other, was non est when the letters arrived for him. These letters were addressed to the professor, in con- sequence of his advertising that he would for a shilling, give plain directions to enable ladies and gentlemen to win, by a sim- ple but captivating and enthralling process,' the devoted affec- tions of as many of the opposite sex as their hearts may desire., From the handwriting of these letters, it was evident that they came from old, middle-aged, and young persons of both sexes, in every rank and station of life. Such a fact as this enables an estimate to be formed of the almost marvellous extent of hu- man credulity in this enlightened age and country. LAKKS OF KILLARNEY.- Never have the arrivals at the hotels in Killarney amounted to half what they have numbered this season. M. THIERS received X24,000 for The History of the Consu- late and the Empire," several volumes of which are yet unwritten. The publishers are anxious to insure his life, and have tried the London offices for that purpose, but the risk was declined. Mr. CHAPMAN, an executioner from the United States, has ar- rived in paris for the purpose of studying the French guillotine system, and examining the machinery employed in the work of decapitation used in other parts of Europe.- Times' Paris Correspondent. SHIPPING OF THE GREAT BULL FROM NINEVEH.—The lovers of art will be pleased to hear that the Great Bull and up- wards of 100 tons of sculpture, excavated by our enterprising countryman, Dr. Layard, are now on their way to England, and may be expected in the course of September. DEATH FRON THE BITE OF A RAT.—John Williams, a clerk in the employ of Mr. Leader, Wood-street, died on Friday last, under the following singular circumstances :-Last Tuesday fortnight a number of rats were being killed in the stables at- tached to Mr. Leader's premises. The deceased, who was present, caught hold of one of the rats by the tail, upon which the animal turned and bit him in the thumb, The wound bled very much, but no danger was at the time apprehended. The deceased went home as usual, and mentioned the circumstance to his wife, but as the wound appeared to be only trivial, no further notice was taken. On the Thursday following the arm and thumb began to swell, and were very much inflamed. Mr, Norris, surgeon, was sent for, and he administered the remedies which the nature of the case appeared to require. As the in- flammation continued, and the symptoms became more alarming, Dr. Bickerstath was called in, and he attended the deceased up to the time of his death, A HAPPY COUNTY.—Up to last week, not a single prisoner p 11 had been committed for trial at the Rutland Assizes, which took place on Saturday, before Chief Justice Wilde and Baron Platt; and there being no business at Nisi Prius, the county will again have a "maiden assize. "-Li?tcolitshii-e Chronicle. OPENING OF THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.—The im- portant portion of the Great Northern system of railway com- munication, extending over seventy-six miles between London and Peterborough, is now completed and ready for opening to the public by the 7th of this month. LONDON PENNY BANK., COMMERCIAL-STREET, WHITECIIAPEL. This bank commenced business on the 30th January last, 1850. and the results up to the 23rd July, 1850, were :—Deposits, 41,681 depositors, 6,643 receipts, £1;549 18s. 8J. SWINGING THE SHip.-Arrived in the Reach, we find five floating buoys anchored in the stream, one forming a centre, and four being disposed at equal distances about it, just as the five pips are placed upon a card-say the five of spades. The good ship to be operated upon is already fast by the head to the centre buoy, and Captain Johnson having mounted her deck, and his assistant, Mr. Brunton, having been rowed ashore, a rope is run out from the ship's stern and made fast to one of the corner buoys, The standard compass being fixed in the proper position which it is to occupy in the ship, neither too high or too low, and the guns and other iron being round about it, as they are to remain during the voyage, the mooring ropes are adjusted, and the ship's head is put due north, Meanwhile Mr. Brunton has set up a compass ashore, and all being ready, Captain Johnson, at a given moment, observes the bearings of a distant object-the tower at Shooter's-hill, noticing the bear- ing of the needle on board, At that instant the pennant that floated at the mast-head is hauled down from the truck. This being the concerted signal, at the same second of time the assistant ashore observed the needle of his compass. The two instruments vary, and the deviation of that on board, com- pared with that on shore, is due to the iron of the ship. The stern ropes are haulied from one boy to another, and again made fast, the ship's head now pointing in another direction. The observations and the signals are repeated, Each deviation of the ship's compass is carefully noted upon a card previously prepared for the purpose. The ship's stern is then hauled round to the third outside buoy, and the compasses being again ex- amined, she is next hauled round to the fourth buoy. Her head by this time has been north, east, south, west; on each point the deviations of her compasses have been tested, noted, and the card shows their character and proper adjustment. The ship has been swung. Science has done its best for her, and the word is given to heave anchor, for she is now truly Ready for Sea."—Dickens's "Household Words." LADY PEEL has greatly improved in health within the last ten days. It is stated the late Sir Robert Peel has bequeathed the family mansion in Whitehall-gardens, and all its appur- tenances, to her ladyship for life, as well as a yearly income of £ 6,000, afterwards to revert to the present baronet and his heirs. BIRMINGAAM, MONDAY. — FORGERY ON THE AUSTRIAN Gov EN.NLAI -This afternoon, a man, who gave his name as James Hill, was apprehended at one of the most respectable, hotels in this town by Mr. Stephens, the chief Superintendent of Police, and upon searching him, forged notes to the amount of £ 15,000 were found upon him. He is a native of England, but resides in Vienna. Various other foreign notes were also found upon him. He has been under the surveillance of the police for the last fourteen days. The notes forged (which are upon the Austrian government) are so well imitated, that it is scarcely possible to distinguish them from the originals. DISSENTERS' MARRIAGES.—A scene is related to have occurred last week in the Wesleyan Chapel, at Wellington, Oxon. The minister refused to grant the wishes of a couple to be united by other than a regularly appointed Wesleyan minister. The re- gistrar claimed a right by law to say who the ceremony should be performed by, irrespective of the minister, the chapel having been gazetted as a licensed marriage house. The minister per- sisted in his refusal, and placed an additional padlock on the door this was broken and the ceremony performed, the regular minister protesting and threatening an action for trespass. THE New Sunday Postal Regulations have ingeniously mul- tiplied human labour on the Sabbath day. All the common carriers sending their goods by railway were in the habit of having duplicates of their bills of parcels by post, and it often happened that half a dozen of these duplicates were delivered, in various towns in the kingdom, by a single postman. It is necssary that these bills of parcels should be delivered on Sunday in order that carriers may commence work at five or six o'clock on Monday morning. Since the late postal regulations, the carriers have had these duplicates sent by rail, and every Sunday all the carriers are obliged to send each a man to fetch them, so that it often happens that where one postman was formerly employed on Sundays, six carriers' servants are now employed instead. SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.—It is said the experiment of con- veying messages by a submarine telegraph from Dover to Calais will take place in the course of ten days or a fortnight.

THE STEAM-BOAT EXPLOSION AT BRISTOL, On Tuesday afternoon week an inqueit was commenced before the city coroner, J. B. Griudon, Esq., and a respectable jury, on the bodies of such of the sufferers as died before they could be re". moved from the scene of the accident. These were Robert Pavey, Isaac West, Samuel Jefferies, Henry Styrr, and Susan and Mary Ann Fulford, the two last children of a groom, whose wife and eldest daughter lie seriously hurt at the Infirmary, and not, as was at first supposed, the children of a hackney car driver named Jef- feries. The inquest was held at the Commercial Hotel, Hotwells, and excited much interest, The coroner having sworn the jury, and explained to them the nature of the duties they were called upon to discharge, they pro- ceeded to view the bodies, which lay under a boat-shed at Mr. Rawlins's, Novo Scotia wharf. They were all of a row, and being all mutilated, some of them in a very horrible manner, they presented a shocking appearance. The first four or five witnesses called were the relations of the deceased persons, who were required to identify the bodies, and to state the periods at which they last saw them alive, and the circumstances uncier which they first found them dead. This species of testimongy, although required for the purposes of legal exactness, and occupying a considerable time, was not of a cha- racter calculated to interest the public. The only evidence given bearing upon the accident was the following:- John Leonard, of Frogmore-street, waterman, sworn. I belong to the wherry Why Not? Last night, just after eight o'clock, I was in my wherry at the Novo Scotia ship, and the Red Rover steam boat was lying at the wharf alongside of the lock, She was taking in passengers, and appeared to have from 45 to 50 on board. I believe the captain was on board, but I did not see him. The young man present, Wm. Lowther, was at the helm, and appeared to be going to steer the boat. Mr, Anderson, the owner of the boat, and his wife were in the after cabin. I saw them there before she went into the lock. The Red Rover had backed from her regular landing place to the lock, for the purpose of taking in pssengers who were coming down that side, and she had not been there five minutes when she exploded. I saw the explosion. Her boiler and part of the wooden houses, both for- ward and after, went into the air in fragments, and were thrown with violence in all directions to a distance from the vessel. Some of the coals came into my boat. Many of the passengers were thrown into the water by the explosion, and some remained in the hull of the steamer. I and another wherrymen endeavoured to save the passengers, and I saved the fireman, two men, and a woman. The fireman was four feet under water when I caugt him. The fire- man's face was black, and his eyes appeared out, and the other men was also hurt, but the woman was not. The water was about 26 feet deep there. When I had put the people safe on shore, I went and got the creepers," and assisted in getting up the bodies. The Coroner said, in the absence of many necessary witnesses, and the present excited state of the mind apparent in those pre- seut, he thought that little good would result from continuing the inquiry at that period, and he should therefore adjourn it till to-morrow so as to give an opportunity of informing himself more perfectly and summoniug the requisite witnesses, The enquiry was then adjourned. The adjourned coroner's inquest before J. B. Grindon, Esq., on six of the sufferers by the recent dreadful accident-Samuel Jefferies, Henry Starr, Isaac West, J. Pavey, and Julia and Mary Ann Fulford was resumed on Wednesday afternoon at the Commercial Hotel, Hotwell-road, and the inquest-room was again crowded by persons eager to hear the proceedings. After some delay in procuring the attendance of some of the witnesses, the following testimony was adduced Mr. Lowther deposed that he was by trade an engineer, and had been in the habit, in the evenings, of going up and down the harbour in the river boats, the owners of which allowed him to do so gratis. On last Monday night he was on board the Red Rover, and was at the helm. The boat was at the lock' taking in passengers. The owner, Mr. Anderson, and his wife. were on board in the after cabin. At about half-past eight the captain was standing by the steam chest of the engine, the engineer (Nicholas) in the engine-room, and the boy Green along side of witness when the explosion took place. Had noticed the safety valve about five minutes before the accident occurred. The steam was blowing off, and the valve weight was about three inches from the lever. There was nothing to prevent its free operation. Never saw it tied by any string. The captain had just asked if all was right, when an explosion took place, accompanied by a noise like the report of a cannon. Witness was knocked overboard, but got on shore. Afterwards saw many persons in the water, and the captain, the engineer, and three or four other persons lying on the ground at a little distance from each other. Could not guess what had caused the explosion. Just before the explosion I saw the engineer try his guage cocks, and he said he had plenty of water in the boiler. Wm. Green, of Whittaker's-buildings, rigger, deposed that he was on board at the time of the accident, standing near the last witness. There was nothing before the occurrence to excite apprehension. I Wm. Cook, foreman of the boiler makers, in the yard of G. Lunell, and Co., proved that on the 10th of May, the boiler of the Red Rover was brought for repairs. Witness put rivets and stays in it, and strengthened it, after which it was proved and replaced in the vessel. Had done nothing by way of repairs to it since, but had heard that something was done to it at Rawlins's yard. The boiler was proved by filling it with cold water so as to see that there was no leakage. Thomas Evans Reynolds, of Avon-crescent, ship painter, deposed to having been present at the explosion. The fragments of the vessel were scattered into the air in dark masses, and a great number of persons were thrown into the water. Witness jumped in and assisted in getting them out; and just before the boat sunk got a body out of the after-cabin. It was dead, and its leg smashed, as if it had been passed through a rolling-mill. The boat sunk almost immediately afterwards. Samuel Bowden deposed tlial he had intended coming up by the Red Rover, but did not like to do so, as he thought her too full, and felt assured that her steam was dangerously high. He thought this from the shrillness of the whistle, and from the fact of there being no steam escaping from the safety valves. The witness then went on to describe the accident, and said he witness then went on to describe the accident, and said he saw six persons who sunk before they could be extricated from the water. Thomas Clements, engineer and manager at the steam ship- yard of George Lunell and Company, stated that he first knew the Red Rover when she came to Bristol from Waterford two or three months ago. Had often been on board her as passenger, but not professionally. She had two direct acting high pressure, engines apparently in good order. About the 10th of May the boiler was taken out to be repaired, put in good order, and proved, all of which was done. After it had been thus repaired the boiler did its work well for two or three months, and was quite safe. Witness had heard that they had subsequently been repaited, but did not know. By the jury—When first she came here some watermen wished to buy her, and I was requested to examine her, which I did, and she appeared to be in good order. I could not examine the inside of the boiler as it was too small. I found fault with tne boiler, as there was leakage in two or three plates when pressure was on it. I advised the owners to have it out and overlooked, and it had rivets and stays put to it to strengthen it. Frederick Laverton also deposed to having been on the shore when the explosion took place. He had intended going in the packet with his two little boys, but considered her too full and had scarcely got his foot off the plank when the vessel was blown up. Henry Green deposed to having been employed on board the Red Rover as a boy. At the time of the accident the steam was not very high. Knew that fact because it was not blowing off, and because the boat had not come down the river fast. The boat did not work as well as usual on Monday, nor did she go so fast. Did not hear the captain or engineer say anything about it, or make any complaint at all. John Cherry, of Horton-street, engineer, stated that he assisted the week before last in repairing the boiler of the Red Rover. There were two cracks in it, one behind and one at the side. One was about 6 inches long, aud the other 14. The boilers were proved afterwards to a pressure of 25lbs. to the square inch. That boiler would have worked to 50 lbs. to 60 lbs. pressur6 with safety. A Juror-I would have you be cautious in answering the question. Now I ask you again on your oath, have you never said to any one that the boilers were unsafe ? Witness—I told Mr. Anderson so on Saturday week. I told him that the boiler was no good. I was employed by the captain as engineer at a pound per week, and went on board for three quarters of a day on Saturday week. Mr. Anderson, the owner, was on board with me. We went up and down. I was to have gone the next day (Sunday), but did not. I had no particular reason for not going. I have told persons that I could not keep water in the boilers, I could not do so, the small tubes were leaking so. There were 16 tubes of three inches in diameter, and six of them leaked. The jury and coroner proceeded during the sitting to insprct the hull of the vessel, which had been raised, and an effort was made to find the boiler, but without success. The inquiry was then adjourned, and resumed on Thursday, when the following evidence was taken ;— John Nicholas, engine boilers-maker, of Alfred-street, St, Phillips, deposed that about three weeks ago he was called upor; by the Captain of the Red Rover to inspect the boiler of the Red Rover, which lay at Rawlins's wharf, Mr, Anderson was pre. sent. It was an old boiler, the stays had j ti.,it gone into the sides by the pressure of the steam, There was also a crack at the end where the stay goes in of about eighteen inches in length- Mr-. Anderson asked witness if he could not mend the boiler ? lie told him no that it could never be made safe upon which Mr, Anderson said he would have a new boiler. Afterwards, witness's son put a new patch over it. Witness told him that he ought to have known better than to have mended such a boiler-lhat it would never be safe to trust a cat with. Witness remonstrated with him, and begged him not to go in the packet, upon which he was angry, took up his hat, and left the house, saying he knew what a boiler was, and would not stay there to be made a fool of. Had he listened to witness's advice, he would have been alive now. The boiler appeared to have been made of old iron. The witness and jury then went to inspect the remains of the boiler, which lay in a barge in the floating dock, and, ou their return, hi'! examination was resumed. lie said he had seen the remains of the boiler, and it was in pieces, having been parted by violence, Considered the explosion to have been caused, tirst, by the want of thickness in the plates, and next by there being an insufficient number of stays. In such a boiler there ought to have been nine stays, and there are but three. Tim plates, when new, were5-16ths of an inch, but it is thinner by wear it ought to have been 7-16ths or I of an inch thick. The boiler had exploded at the sides, and the nuts of the stays we, a drawn through. I consider the accident to have arisen from the thinness of the plates, and from there not having been sufficient ftays to strengthen them. With a boiler of proper thickness witness had ueTer seen the nuts sink. The boiler, he knew, used to leak sometimes so as to put the fire out. Albert Brain deposed that he was on board the Ited Rover, nnd heard Afr. Anderson come and speak to the engineer. The engineer tried the gauge-cocks of the boiler, aud Mr. Anderson asked him if he had not better give a few strokes at the pump, and told him to be particular in pumping in sufficient water. About a minute before the explosion the captain tried the safety valve. James Tamlin, waterman, deposed that in April last he was in treaty for the purchase of the Red Hover, and rejected her, as he did not consider her in working order, some of her tubes leaking. Samuel Cherry deposed that he had looked over the remains of the exploded boiler, Her injuries were at the sides and top. Witness was on board the vessel before she exploded. Mr. Anderson tried the safety valve, and the steam was half up. Oil the lower gauge cock being tried there was no water, and tho pumps were worked for two or three minutes. John Gough, engineer, deposed that he looked at the Red Rover a week since, with a view to a purchase, and was satisfied with her engines and boiler. He should not have been afraid, with care, to have worked them for twelve months but a new boiler was contemplated. Witness thought that the explosion had been caused by an excess of steam, Mr. Lowther, engineer, said he had seen the boiler a week ago and considered it in good condition. He thought the accident had been occasioned by some power other than steam probably, the generation of some explosive gas, but he could not tell what. Mr. Payne, engineer, had seen the boiler and considered that it had not sufficient stays for the extent of its heating surface. He thought the accident arose from excess of steam. Dr. Fairbrother proved that the death of Samuel Jeffries was caused by the injuries received from the explosion. John Roberts deposed that some weeks ago he was engaged to clean out the boiler. He took out a barrow-full of horse-dung which a previous engineer had put in to make steam and stop the crack. The coroner then commenced his charge to the jury. He remarked that the occurrence had been one of an unusually serious nature, and one which, having occasioned so large a sacrifice of human life, demanded the careful anI prolonged attention which the jury had paid to it. They would have to enquire, in the first place, had the parties whose bodies they had viewed, come to their deaths by accident secondly, had there been any negligence or misconduct on the part of any person having command of the vessel at the time of the explosion, so as to warrant his being charged with a crime. Other questions might also arise, as whether, steam-vessels differing materially from sailing vessels, the engineer or the captain was to be considered the responsible party and also, whether, in a river boat of the description of the Red Rover, the owner being on board and interfering, he rmight not be con- sidered to have assumed the command. With regard to tho quality of the boiler, the evidence was undoubtedly of a very conflicting nature. Some witnesses considered that the boiler was in very good condition, and would have borne a much greater pressure than was applied to it; while others described it as being old and too thin, and as not being sufficiently stayed to secure its safety. This contradictory testimony they would have to weigh and balance in their minds, together with the evidence generally. The coroner then proceeded to read through the depositions of the different witnesses pointing out their bearing on the case. He said it appeared to him that the fair inference to be deduced from the evidence was that the deaths had resulted from the explosion of the boiler that that explosion was caused by an excess of steam pressure, and not by any deficiency of water in the boiler that the excess of steam was produced by tampering with the safety valve. It had been proved in the course of the evidence that a minute or two before the explosion the captain of the boat tried the safety valve, which acted well, and the steam blew off. Directly afterwards Mr. Nicholas, who was now dead, pulled the weight on the safety-valve lever out to the end, thereby increasing the pressure. After this no more steam blew off, and almost instantly the explosion, from which so many deaths had resulted, took place, The coroner then again pointed out the nature of the points which the jury would have to consider, and left them to decide upon their verdict. The jury deliberated for some time, and eventually returned the following verdict: That the deceased persons were accidentally killed by the explosion of the boiler of a steam. engine on board the Red Rover, and that the boiler at the time was unfit for use." The inquest on six other of the sufferers, William Cooper, dancing master; William Nicholas, the engineer; Charles Keat. ing, professor of music; William Brewer, tobacconist; Thomas Venn, an infant; and Eliza Halford, the wife of a horse-keeper, whose two daughters were killed also, was pro- ceeded with in the board-room of the Bristol Infirmary, on Friday evening. The witness Nicholas (who gave such important testimony on the first inquiry), and several of the former witnesses were examined, but their testimony, of course, was substantially the same as that previously given by them, and reported. The following were the only two persons examined who gave any new evidence calculated to throw light on the cause of the dreadful calamity:— Albert Braine, a corkcutter, residing in Redcliff-street, deposed that he was on board of the Red Rover, on Monday evening, at the time when the explosion took place. He had gone down in her from the Stone-bridge, at Bristol, for pleasure, and his intention being merely to go up and down the river, he did not go on shore when the down passengers were landed, but remained on board, sitting upon a rail at the after part of the packet. After the passengers were out, and while the boat was preparing to start again, the engineer, William Nicholas, tried the guage-cock of the boiler, and the owner, Mr. Anderson, who was on board with his wife, spoke to him, and asked him if he had not better give her a few strokes of the pump. Nicholas replied 11 Oh, no; she will be going on directly, and then she will soon fetch her water up." Mr. Anderson said, when there was a pressure of steam, he ought to be careful to keep plenty of water in the boiler. Mr. Anderson then sat down in the cabin, and the captain of the packet, William Puddy, went and tried the safety valve to see that it acted properly. It acted very well, and the steam blew off. The engineer, Nicholas, then went to the valve and pulled the weight out towards the end of the lever, so that no more steam could blow off. No more did blow off. He then" ent into his engine room and began to take some coal from his baulk, and opened the fire door, and the explosion immediately took place. Only half a minute elapsed between liis removing the weight and the explosion. There were about fifty persons on board of the vessel at the time. They were mostly knocked overboard, and the vessel appeared to be knocked quite abroad by the force of the explosion, When witness was recovered from the water he saw the engineer lying on his back close to the Quay wall, wounded and bleeding. Edward Beach, 46, of the city division of police, deposed that, he was one of the constables who on the the night of the acci- dent assisted in removing the wounded persons from the scene of the explosion to the infirmary. When in the ward of that in- stitution he saw and spoke to Nicholas the engineer, and remained with him till his death. Witness asked him whether he could at all explain the cause of the accident, and he said it was owing to his not turning off the steam. Witness understood him to mean by that his having kept the water too tight in the boiler.

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