25 FEBRUARY 1865, Page 2

colonies for the civilization of the natives, said that the

evidence The Pall Mall Gazette of Tuesday contained a strange story.

of natives and of missionaries would be given before the committee, A gentleman, annoyed at what he conceived unfair testimony, adver- especially referring to the agent of the Basle Missionary Society, tised for some one who witnessed a brutal assault in the Marylebone who was now in this country. Lord Stanley thereupon accused Road. The assault was a fiction, but the advertisement was answered 'T.Lord A. Churchill of "improving the occasion for the purpose of by a man, evidently a broken-down gentleman, who for five.

guineas recollected all the incidents, big man, little man, cab, &c., • The inquirer was satisfied that the trade of being a witness

existed in London, and while breaking off all communication with the fellow sent him, apparently from pity, the five pounds. One -of these days we shall have to sharpen our laws against perjury and extortion, but meanwhile the English perjurer is rather a clumsy animal. He contents himself with inventing. Th3 Ben- gaIee when he wants to ruin anybody has the charge he is going to bring acted on the spot he has fixed for locale, so that when his villains are in the witness-box all their unconscious evidence is cor- xect. To hear a consistent tale, and find that all accidental remarks, such as distances, neighbourhood of trees, presence of certain cows,

▪ &c., are correct would have puzzled Solomon.