NEWS OF THE WEEK.
DR. JAMESON and his fourteen companions arrived at Plymouth, prisoners on the 'Victoria' troopship, on Monday. The Government, it is said, were anxious that they should be first arrested in London, so that the application for committal might be heard before a trained Magistrate, and they were, moreover, desirous to baffle a plot which they suspected to give them a popular welcome. Their custodians were therefore ordered to preserve secrecy as to their destination ; the Victoria' left Plymouth under sealed orders, and when she arrived off Purfleet the prisoners were transferred to a police-steamer, which landed them at Waterloo Bridge in the -evening of Tuesday. Thence they were taken to Bow Street, where Sir John Bridge heard the charge against them under the Foreign Enlistment Act, and granted them a remand of a fortnight to prepare their defence. The accused were loudly cheered at the police-office, the audience feeling the schoolboy interest in a wild adventure; but the Magistrate expatiated on the magnitude of the offence charged—which is, of course, morally treason, though technically a much lighter crime—and would have refused bail but that they were certain to appear when called on. He accordingly released them on their own recognisances of 21,000 each. The prosecu- tion will be conducted from the first by the law officers of the Crown, Sir E. Clarke will be counsel for the defence, and great debating is expected on points of law. There may also be some difficulties as to evidence, as those who know most of the facts are all among the accused, and there may be a long delay before the final trial. Sir J. Bridge charged the accused not to show themselves much in public before they surrendered to their bail ; and Dr. Jameson, who was, it is declared, met, on landing, by many offers of marriage, has disappeared into a resting-place in Southern England.
