3tiort1lautuut

Some new information affecting the "Handcock and Delacour " case came to light in the Times of Monday. In his recently-published affidavit, Lord Clanricarde mentioned "a Mr. Francis Langan, as, in his belief, "the person referred to in the speech of the Attorney-General in this cause as the spy of Mrs. Handcock" ; and admitted that he remonstrated with Mr. Handcock on the imprudence of appointing Mr. Langan, a per- son "without means or position," "sole guardian of the fortunes of his daughters, and sole executor and trustee.' Mr. Langan, writing from "Crotched Friars, City, March 24," states his share in the transaction.

"A short time before Mr. Handcock'a death, while residing in furnished lodgings at Islington, finding himself seriously ill, he sent for me ; and, on my arrival, I found him in bed, and very dejected. He entered at once on the subject of his affairs, and entreated of me to allow him to appoint me his executor, while he named his wife guardian of his daughters. I at first de- clined the responsibility ; but after consulting some of my friends I ac- cepted it.

" I wrote to his wife, then in Paris, to inform her and her daughters of his danger. In a few days afterwards, she arrived with her eldest daughter in London, and took lodgings in S. James'a Street ; an1 there I frequently met Lord Clanricarde and other gentlemen.

"O the recommendation of Lord Clanricarde, I called on Dr. Paris and requested of him to call and see Mr. Handcock at Islington. On the Doctor's suggestion, he was removed to Brompton. At Lord Clanriearde's request, I accompanied him in a cab to Brompton; where I with great difficulty in- duced Mr. Handcock to see him for a short time.

On calling to see Mr. Handcock the day before his death Dr. Paris in- formed me that he found him very much better,—so much so that he h d great hopes of his recovers. Poor Mr. Handcock seemed in very good spirits; but on the following day, when I chanced to call again, I was greatly surprised to find Lord Clanricarde, Mrs. Handcock andMiss Hand- cock with Dr. Paris, in the sick man's apartments. Dr. Paris was hastily writing a paper, with which he went into the bedroom ; in a few minutes he called Lord Clanricarde, who, on going in, closed the door. As soon as I could gain access, Mr. Handcock reproached me for not calling earlier in the day, and complained bitterly of Lord Clanricarde's intrusion. In about a quarter of an hour afterwards the poor man died. The widow refused to bury him unless the will was given up to her. This I did not do •' but at a considerable expense, I had it proved, and established its validity. I also defrayed the funeral expenses, and of those disbursements I have not received more than one-tenth.

"Of the existence of Mrs. Handeock's reputed son Mr. Handoock was not in any measure aware ; and had I been cognizant of it I should not have written to her, norshould I have allowed either her or the Marquis to ap- proach that injured deathbed.

"Poor Mr. Handcock had scarcely breathed his last when the widow carried off his watch from under the pillow, and the ring from off his finger ! "In conclusion, I have to express my regret that compassion for a hapless gentleman, who placed implicit confidence in me, has mixed up my name with transactions in which figure the most noble Marquis and the late Mrs. Handcock."

This letter has been followed by one from Dr. Paris, dated March 27, in reference to the passage in the above statement describing the Doctor as "hastily writing a paper, with which he went into the bedroom."

"After the lapse of so many years," says Dr. Paris, "is it extraordinary that I should not retain the slightest recollection of any such written paper ? It might have been a prescription, or, more probably, a summons to call the Reverend Mr. Irons, the Rector of Brompton, as Mr. Handcock had ex- pressed a wish to see a clergyman ; but, whatever it might have been, I do most solemnly declare it had no reference to any testamentary arrangement, or to anything regarding his worldly affairs. I must add, that my inter- course with an the parties was strictly and solely of a professional character, and that I never transgressed the bounds implied by such an obligation."

The Globe has "reason to believe" that the Honourable James Ken- neth Howard will succeed Mr. Kennedy in the office of Coiiimissioner of Woods and Forests.

• The Globe also states that Sir John Herschell will be succeeded as Master of the Mint by Professor Graham, of University College, now one of the Assayers.

Lord Dundonald has forwarded the following letter to the journals, on the course he has adopted with regard to the alleged secret destruc- tive agencies which he has at his disposal.

"Sir—The perilous duties to which our fivefold decimated army is still exposed by rival cooperation in the desperate act of storming Sebastopol, or by the continuance of the siege until pestilence or other causes shall com- plete its ruin, induce me thus singly to encounter all the ridicule antici- pated by those who avoid compromising their judgment,. even by conde- scending to inquire if my plans are absurd, or whether in truth they are capable speedily, certainly, and cheaply, to surmount obstacles which our gallant, persevering, and costly armies and fleets have failed to accomplish.'

"I therefore, as a faithful subject of her Majesty, and for the interests of humanity, now declare my intention, without further delay, to communi- cate to the wise and energetic ally of her most gracious Majesty, the means not only to spare the remnant of the British army, but to insure that of France, by the speedy destruction of the defences of Sebastopol. "Am to the fortresses in the Baltic, time does not so press. I have offered to annihilate them ; the acceptance or rejection of which offer rests with her Majesty's Government.

I am, Sir, your obliged and obedient servant, DUNDONALD. "London, March 24."

It is the intention of the Government to erect new fortifications, and to strengthen and put into a state of defence the existing forts, towers, and batteries on the Eastern coast of the kingdom, and on the coasts of Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire ; for which purpose, the line of coast will be surveyed by competent officers of the Royal Engineers and Royal Navy, assisted by the corps of Sappers and Miners, with a view to have the contemplated forts constructed on the most commanding points. The works will be done by contract ; and it is stated that the batteries are to be garrisoned by the Coast Volunteers, enrolled Chelsea Pensioners, and Militia regiments, the men belonging to which will be instructed in the great gun exercise. In order to guard against any surprise by an enemy, a cordon of telegraphs, on a similar system to that adopted by Captain (now Admiral) Sir H. Pigot, K.C.B., when in command of the Coast Blockade, is to be established.

Lord Palmerston gave a grand entertainment on Saturday to the Duchess and Princess Mary and the Duke of Cambridge.

The Speaker's festive "season" ends early—he gave his seventh and last Parliamentary dinner on Saturday.

General Vivian left England for the East on Saturday last, to assume the command of the Turkish contingent.

According to the Tablet, Mr. Palmer, of Magdalen College, has joined the Romish communion.

Father Mathew, the Temperance apostle, is reported to be ill, and in pe- cuniary distress, at Madrid.

Mr. William B. Gurney, short-hand writer to the Houses of Parliament, died on Monday morning, in his seventy-eighth year. His death was some- what unexpected : it had been hoped that he would have been able in May next to lay the foundation-stone of the Jubilee building of the Sunday School Union, which he founded in 1803, and of which he was President. Mr. Gurney's Parliamentary appointment was a very lucrative one. He was a most liberal contributor to religious and benevolent societies, and was greatly respected.

An eminent actuary died last week—Mr. Griffith Davies, I.R.S.; a notable instance of self-advancement. His father was a small farmer in Wales: Mr. Davies began life as a quarryman, near Carnarvon ; he had almost at- tained manhood before he got any schooling. But he put himself to school, practised arithmetic with an iron pencil on the slate he quarried, and ra-

pidly increased his knowledge. He soon set off for London ; got more schooling; then himself became an usher, a schoolmaster, an author of arith- metical works, actuary to several life-insurance companies, and a "great arithmetician," consulted and employed by the East India Company end the Bank of England. He was sixty-seven when he died.

A new knapsack to be used by soldiers in future is smaller than the pre- sent one, and fewer articles will be carried in it on the march ; and there will be an improvement in the mode of carrying it and the greatcoat.

At the commencement of the war it was proposed that a floating bakery should be sent to the Black Sea to provide the army with bread : unfor- tunately, the scheme was not thought necessary. Now, however, it will be carried out. Messrs. Fairbairn have converted the Queen's steamer Bruiser into a flour-mill, capable of grinding 800 bushels of wheat per day ; and Messrs. Swaine and Bovill have fitted up another steamer, the Abundance, as a bakery, to turn out daily 20,000 pounds of bread. The vessels will soon depart for the Black Sea. The merit of this scheme be- longs to Mr. Julyan, an officer of the Commissariat.

Result of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday last.

Ten Weeks of 1845,34.

'Week of 1835.

Zymotic Diseases 215.8 .... 262 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat • 43.5 .... 60 Tubercular Diseases 200.4 .... 242 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 199.0 .... 126 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 45.1 .... 62 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 240.0 .... 285 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 66.5 .... 77 Diseases of the Kidneys, 8:c. 12.8 •••• 15 Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, An. 9.8 .... 9 Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Jointa, tte. 8.6 ••••

5

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Sc. 1.0 ....

a

Malformations.

Premature Birth 9.2 28.7 ....

ss

Atrophy 24.0

41

Age 01.6

....

as

Sudden 15.2

211 Vlolence,PrIvatlou, Cold, and Intemperance 34.6 .... . 77 _ Total (Including unspecified causes) 1.113.13

1,386

It is stated that frauds of a character similar to those recently detected in the wine business in the Docks have transpired in the hop trade. Empty packages stamped with the names of well-known planters, whose growths are of choice character, are refilled with inferior, and, indeed, almost worthless hops, chiefly the lowest description of American. The discovery of the prac- tice, which is supposed to have been carried to a considerable extent, oc- curred at a recent sale by auction; and the attention of the Excise has been called to it. Meanwhile, consumers cannot be too cautious in their pur- chases.

It is computed that, with supplies from Algeria and Spain, France will be in no want of grain till the next harvest.

By the completion of a section of the Bordeaux and Bayonne line, there is now uninterrupted railway communication between Pans and Bayonne, a distance of 500 miles.

There has been a very large increase in the receipts for customs-duties in France, in January and February.

A new kind of visiting-card is now in use by the "creme" of New York society—instead of a name, the card bears the photographic portrait of the caller.

According to "H.," who pours out his sorrows in the Times, attending a levee or drawingroom at St. James's Palace is a service of great fatigue and danger. Bad arrangements, a crushing crowd—not very courtly, apparently —no seats, "a bear-garden" confusion, great heat, and packing in "a pen" like sheep at Smithfield, are the cost at which access is obtained to the Sovereign's presence. To prevent a crush—perhaps "a rush" ?—at the door opening upon the reception-room, some fifty or sixty persons are, or ought to be, admitted into "a pen," and then "a bar" is drawn across; but as the room at the approach to the pen holds three hundred people, more than the proper number force their way into the pen, where they are jam- med together, and exposed to "a tremendous flank fire" from a large stove. "H." suggests some improvements to get rid of these disagreeable incidents of a visit to the Court of St. James's.