THE WEEDON INQUIRY.

The Commissioners transferred themselves to Weedon itself on Tues- day, and continued their investigations on the spot. They inspected the wliole of the departments and witnessed the processes of receiving, test- ing, inspecting, storing, and issuing goods, and looked into the plan of keeping the accounts so far as that is practicable. After this survey they proceeded to take evidence from the men employed in the place, and to test the truth of the stories of bribery and corruption in circula- tion. The allegations of Witham, a person formerly employed at Wee- don, that bribes were given, goods rejected by one inspector passed by another, the clothes packed in damp cloths, were denied, and with re- gard to packing, none was done at Weedon, it was all done by the army packers in Mark Lane. On Wednesday, Commissary-General Adams, appointed to make up the arrears of Mr. Elliott's ledgers, and aided in the work by eight com- missariat officers, gave an account of the vastness of the task. The number of vouchers to be posted is supposed to exceed 20,009, many are imperfect ; the work is impeded by the necessary course of with- drawing vouchers for settlement before they are done with ; and much remains to be done. They have been nearly four months engaged in this labour. Mr. Adams said he could not see that there had been any accounts kept at all at Weedon in Mr. Elliott's time ; and any private business conducted on such a system must certainly result in bankruptcy. Mr. Self°, the Chairman, said that the Commissioners would not be satisfied with the dictum of the War Office as to the suffi- ciency or validity of Mr. Elliott's vouchers. Mr. Turner also remarked that he could have no confidence whatever in the system of accounts kept by Mr. Elliott until they were properly verified. He added, play- fully, that the witness seemed to be engaged in a laborious task, and he wished him a safe deliverance from it. The Chairman said, it looked something like a life appointment. Henry Crutchky, a viewer, contradicted Sergeant Brodie's statements respecting the sheepskins. They were rejected for defects in the dye. Captain Smith, inspector of saddlery, examined, said that Sergeant Brodie is a discontented man. Brodie had misrepresented his conversa- tion about Palliser's lassoes. What he said on that occasion was pro- yoked by an observation of Brodie himself, enjoining him to observe caution in any dealings he had with Mr.:Palliser. The lassoes were deficient in weight and he had no option but to reject them. Gibson's sheepskins were rejected for defects in the dye. It is not true, as Brodie said, that some of the rejected skins passed on a second inspection.

He admitted' as stated by Sergeant Brodie, that he had, at his request, countermanded an order he had previously given for the sale of certain saddlery. It was damaged saddlery that had come from the Crimea, and as well on that account as from a change in pattern it could not have been made available for the service. But he was induced, at the suggestion of Sergeant Brodie, and, after consulting Mr. Elliott, to forego the order for sending it for sale. It was, therefore, allowed to remain in store and had never since been issued, and he was still of the opinion that it could not be made available for use in the army, and that it would have been better to sell it at that time. By Mr. Turner—He was at one time inspector, store-keeper, and issuer all at once, in the saddlery deparament.

The Chairman—" Three single gentlemen rolled into one."

Ey the Chairman—He once dined with Mr. Gibson, or rather had some- thing to eat with him—for it was after dinner—when wituess was at his house on the occasion of an illumination. He never received any compli- ment or bribe, or douceur, or anything of that sort from Gibson or any of his people. He did receive a present from Mr. Cuffe, the saddler in Cock- spar Street, a contractor, and he would explain the circumstances. He had known Mr. Cuffe for twenty-five years, and had been, until witness went to Weedon, in the habit of both making presents to and receiving presents fram him. On August 27, 1857, he received a hamper containing three dozen of wine, which he knew had come from Mr. Cuffe, though there was nothing in the shape of a note accompanying it to show that it had. That wine Captain Smith felt it his duty to pay for to Mr. Cafe, considering their relative positions after witness had gone to Weedon had been altered. tit for that lie might have felt himself at liberty to accept Mr. Cuffe's kindness. In reply to a question from the Chairman, Mr. Dew, the Secretary to the Commission, said, the official letter discharging Sergeant Brodie from Weedon, was dated the 19th September 1857. The Chairman said, there r8 a suspicious circumstance, that just at the time there was a difference etween the witness and Sergeant Brodie, which resulted in Brodie's dis- charge, the Sergeant was suggesting to Mr. Cafe the propriety of making witness a present of wine. The disclosures on Thursday were somewhat remarkable. It was I°11nd that 1600 pairs of boots had disappeared. The contractor de- li!nds payment ; receipt of goods is denied : nevertheless it is proved. nat ha ii become of the boots? It seems there is no check to deceptions

of this kind. Mr. Wetherell, a Northampton bentmaker, examined a "scaled pattern" and found great fault with it. Mr. Randall, another bootmaker, said it was not a fit boot for a pattern. Mr. Furness was of a like opinion. Mr. Nicholls, 'a bootmaker and contractor, was asked to sort five pairs of boots, presented to him, in the order of merit. He se- leeted as the best, and second best, boots that had been set aside as bad and sold at the Tower ! Another pair was shown to him—an old sealed pattern.

Witness—" You do not mean to say that any nian ever sealed that pat- tern on behalf of Government " The Chairman—" Yes ; not only sealed it, but had it sent as a pattern." The Witness (rising from his seat) —I can stand it no longer." (Laughter.) Mr. Turner—" But you must sit a little longer. Now compare the last pair, the fifth rejected pair, with the sealed pattern, and tell us which is the worst " itness—" Talk about bad- ness! There is no goodness in them." Mr. Turner—" Is the ti fth pair equal to the sealed pattern :" Witness—" I should say it is." Mr. Tur- ner—" Then we DITW infer it was not fair to reject it Witness (with energy)—" Who could seal it " Mr. Turner—" The witness does not be- lieve it yet."

The sealed pattern was obtained from Sir Thomas Troubridge. Three or four officials were examined, and gave most discordant evidence. One said boots sent to the Tower for sale were reinspected; another, that they were not, but taken indiscriminately, storage being scant ; another, looking at the specimens of the condemned boots, said he should not have condemned them. Finally, the Commissioner requested that part of the Tower goods should be brought up. Other goods were brought, and the Commissioners were indignant. The Chairman said—" We seem to be getting into as great a mess as the Weedon accounts."

Tuesday's Gazette contained the announcement that the Queen, by a special statute, has conferred on the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine the Grand Cross of the Bath.

Captain William Cornwallis Aldharn, TiN., Captain George William Preedy, R.N., and the Honourable Frederick William Adolphus Bruce, her Majesty's Agent and Consul-General in Egypt, are made Companions of the Bath.

In supplemental despatches published on Tuesday, Admiral Seymour does justice to the conduct of Captain Roderick Dew of the Nimrod, and further justice to Commander Saumarcz of the Cormorant, in forcing the boom and attacking the forts at the mouth of the Peiho.

From the statistics of shipwrecks published by the Board of Trade, it appears that in 1857 no less than 1143 ships of sizes varying from 50 to 1200 tons burden, were wrecked off our coasts ; and 632 persons were drowned. One half the wrecks occurred between Dungeness and the Pentland Frith. Of the persons saved from the man of the sea 398 were rescued by the life-boats of the National Life Boat Institution, 512 by huggers, coast-guard boats, and small craft, 507 by ships and steam- boats, 243 by aid of ropes fired from the shore, and 8 by the bravery of individuals. The Board of Trade very properly recommends the plenti- ful establishment of life-boats by extending the excellent system of the National Life-Boat Institution. This can only be done by augmenting its funds.

It appears it is the intention of the Government to fortify Valentia Harbour. Several officers of the Royal Engineers have been down here surveying the surrounding heights, for the purpose of choosing the most eligible positions for the forts. One battery is, I believe, to be placed on Doulas Head mountain, at the right-hand entrance of the harbour ; a second on the Island of Begennis, which divides the entrance ; and a third on the Island of Valentia, to command the left hand or lighthouse side. Other redoubts and batteries will no doubt be distributed among the hills which command the interior of the harbour. The Port Magee, or third entrance at the back of the island, will also doubtless be pro- perly protected. While the engineers arc down here executing these works ; it would be as well for the Government te turn their attention to the improvement of the harbour. But a very little labour and outlay would remove the few obstructions that now exist in it, and enable ships of the largest tonnage to sail in and out with the greatest ease in any wind or in any state of the tide.—nnes Valentia Correspondent.

Science is receiving attention just now. 'While our British Association has been at work at Leeds, the German Scientific Congress is now holding its thirty-seventh session at Carlsruhe. There are 1100 German, Rus- sian, and Swedish members present ; Italy is represented by four, and France by twelve. The Grand Duke of Baden was preseut at the first sitting, and in the evening a tragedy of Sophocks was performed by his order at the theatre for the amusement of the congress. On the follow- ing evening he gave a grand soire, and the park was brillientiy illu- minated with coloured lamps and Bengal lights. At hale past eight there was a grand supper, at which 900 of the members were present.

The Prince of Wales shot his first stag last week. It wee brought home and set before the Queen, who felicitated her son on his success. Eight gillies bearing torches danced a reel, and the Prince's health was drunk on the occasion.

Prince Alfred has returned to England from the Continent, Ile landed at Dover on the evening of Saturday. While off Ostend, the future sailor took a " east of the lead" ; not the last he will take.

The Countess of Clanwilliam, a sister of Mr. Sidney Herbert, recently died suddenly on her return from Scotland. She was in her forty-ninth year.

The Bishop of Norwich has gone to Tunbridge Wells. It is hoped that a short period of repose will restore his health. .

Sir James Hudson, British Minister at Turin, passed through Paris this week on his way to England, not to return to Turin again, soya rumour.

The Iialipende.ute, constitutional journal of Turin, in noticing the death of the late Mr. Weir, observes that in him " Italy and Piedmont have lost a tried and devoted friend."

On the evening of the 224 September, the aged Prince Metternich had an interview of sonic hours' duration with the King of the Belgians, at Frank- fort.

A letter from St. Petersburg states that the Grand Duke Constantine is about to make an excursion in the Mediterranean, in minimuml of a portion of the Russian fleet.

A correspondent of the .Nerd says that all the chiefs of the Rothschild's house—including members from London, 'Vienna, Frankfort, and Naples-

aro just now assembled at Paris, forming quite a congress of financial powers.

Prince Gregory Ghika has come to an untimely end. Driving in the Champs Elyskes he was pitched out of his carriage and killed.

Mr. Hind, writing to the Times, says that the comet will arrive at its least distance from the earth about midnight on the 10th of October, when we shall be separated from it by rather over 51,000,000 miles. Its maxi- mum brilliancy will be attained the day previous, when the intensity of light will be twice as strong as at the present time. During the absence of moonlight in the evening hours for the next tea days or upwards the comet will form a splendid object in the western heavens. On the evening of Oc- tober 5, the nucleus will make a near approach to Arcturus, the principal star in the constellation of Bobtes, which, according to the above calcula- tions, will be near the border of the tail during the early part of the even- ing, and as it descends towards the horizon may possibly be enveloped in that appendage. If the sky be clear, this close approach of the comet to so conspicuous a star will doubtless prove a very interesting phrenomenon. At 6p.m. their distance will be little more than one-third of a degree. It is not probable that the comet will be visible in this country after the end of the third week in October, unless a few daylight observations be subse- quently procured.

A "floating derrick," the second ever made in England, was launched at Blackwell oeSaturday. This is a machine for raising sunken ships. It consists of a strong hull, plated with iron, built on the cell principle, of light draught, flat-bottomed and propelled by steam-power. A gigantic mane capable of hoisting 1000 tons, is fixed into this hull. It is a Yankee invention

The public health is now in that favourable condition which it usually exhibits in London after the summer heat. The deaths in London which had been above 1100 weekly in August, and above 1000 in the first three weeks of September, declined last week (ending Saturday, September 25,) to 955. In the ten years 1848-57 the average number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with the last week was 1252; but when the deaths from cholera in two epidemics within the series are withdrawn from the calculation, it will be found that the rate of mortality that prevailed in the period now specified would produce about 1100 deaths in the present in- creased population ; and it appears from the present return that the deaths of last week were less than that number by 150.—.Registrar-General's Re- turn.