Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Week.
It appeared that the prisoner had worked himself into a violent passion on account of suspicions he entertained respecting the chastity of his wife , which he now admitted to be quite unfounded . He held out the pistol in a threatening manner , swearing he would shoot both his wife and the policeman , when one of the body struck up his arm , and the pistol went off
without hurting any one . The prisoner was acquitted , on the ground that lie did not discharge the pistol , but that it went off in the scuffle . He afterwards pleaded guilty to a common assault , and was bound over to keep the peace . There was a curious scene at the Maidstone Assizes on Wednesday . Robert Alexander Burton , a lad of eighteen , was indicted for the murder of
a boy named Houghton , in July last , at Chatham . Houghton , it may be remembered , went to play on the Chatham Lines , and was found shortly afterwards cruelly murdered . Burton gave himself up as the murderer , averring that he wished to be hung . In due course he was committed for trial , and should have been tried at tho winter gaol delivery . He , however , declared that
he should plead guilty , and on the application of Mr . Ribton , who had been engaged to defend him , his trial was postponed that inquiry might he made into his state of mind . Those inquiries failed in detecting any symptoms of insanity , and when placed at the bar , Bnrton pleaded guilty . He was asked if he understood the nature of his plea , and declared that he
did . Mr . Justice Wightman then urged that it would be much better that the prisoner should plead not guilty , not as denying the crime , but as expressing a wish to be tried . Yielding to these solicitations , the prisoner , whose sole desire was said to be that he might be hanged , withdrew his first plea , and pleaded not guilty . AVitnesses were then called and examined , and cross-examined , and ic was made clear that the prisoner had committed the crime with which he was charged . Mr . Ribton ,
iu addressing the jury for the defence , did not deny Burton's guilt , but pleaded that Avhen he murdered the boy he was insane . The jury , however , found a verdict of guilty , and the prisoner was sentenced to death . He treated the matter with the greatest coolness , and on leaving the dock said , " Thank you , my lord . "
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —Langiewicz has been proclaimed Dictator of Poland . . The resignation of the Archbishop of AA ar-SEIW is confirmed . The Dictator has issued a decree constituting the Civil Government by the nomination of four directors and two secretaries . He has also appointed the insurgent leaders Jezioranski and AValigorski to be generals . If we may believe
•» Posen correspondent of the Times , an agent of the Russian government recently visited the camp of the Dictator Langiewicz for the purpose of proposing that the Poles should lay down their arms , or should at least assent to a short armistice , and that in return the Grand Duke Constantine should urge . the Emperor Alexander to grant an amnesty , and to give the
kingdom of Poland a constitutional and administrative independence . The Dictator , we are told , declined the proposal ; and it is added that the leading citizens of Warsaw , who had been privately requested by the Russien police to petition the Emperor for the Constitution of 1815 , refused to sign any memorial of the kind , on tlie grounds that the Constitution of 1 S 15 would no longer
appease the fury of the Poles , and that their personal safety would be endangered if they gave their signature ? . The telegram brings news of an important engagement , on the 16 th , between the Polish insurgents and the Russian troops at a place within three miles of Kallach , in which the Russians were compelled to retreat . The number of insurgents engaged is stated to have been 3000 . On the 17 th reinforcements were sent to tbe Russians from Kallach , but we have not yet heard whether the engagement was renewed . Private letter received in Berlin
from Warsaw assert that the Grand Duke Constantine , acting upon the advice of a council of war , h . as abandoned his idea of proceeding to any of the theatres of the insurrection . A AVarsaw telegara states that large quantities of artillery and prouisions have just been discovered to be missing from the Government stores there , and that great embezzlements have taken place . The French Senate's Committee , appointed to report on
the petitions presented in favour of the Poles , has reportedas everyone knew that it would do—that " the government of the Emperor has done , and will continue to do , all that is just , and possible , and politic in favour sf Poland . " The Committee has consequently recommended that the petitions should not be referred to the Ministry , bat that the Senate should
"leave the matter to the decision of the Emperor's wisdom . " The diplomatic documents laid before the Senate by the French Government confirm the reports that the English and Austrian Cabinets had refused to remonstrate in concert with the Emperor Napoleon respecting the Russo-Prussian convention , and had taken thhir own course separately . The Paris Patrie says that Lord Russell has despatched a circular note to all the European Governments , requesting them to support at St .
Petersburg a despatch on the Polish question sent to the English Ambassador there direct ; but the answers given to this request are not yet known , only Prussia is said to have expressed an opinion that the step was full of inconveniences . The Sultan of Turkey , accompanied by Fuad Pasha , is about to undertake a journey to Egypt , and will be absent from Turkey some
fortydays . The National Assembly at Athens has elected a committee to discuss the question of the succession to the throne of Greece with the Minister of the Interior . In Sparta and other places demonstratians in favour of the ex-King Otho hive taken place . The Committee of the Prussian House of Deputies has resolved to recommend that the numbers of the army
ghall be fixed by a special law , and that the military estimates shall he specially and separately voted . The Government Commissioner declared that such a proposal would not be accepted by the Administration , and would only embitter the conflict between the Crown and the Lower House . 'The Turin Gazette announces that a conspiracy to establish the Sicilian
Government upon Mazziuian principles has boon discovered at Palermo , aud that several arrests had been made . AJRICA . —The West African mail steamer brings us the news that Commodore Wilmot had returned to the coast from
Abomey , where he had been sent by the British Government for the purpose of persuading the King of Dahomey to cease his slave trading wars , and to abandon his horrible " customs , " with their attendant sacrifices of hundreds or even thousands of human beings . The King receixed Commodore AVilmot with great respect , and made fair promises , which will no doubt be
broken , that after the lapse of six months he would endeavour to comply with the English Government ' s wishes . A horrible mark of honour shown to the Commodore was a public sacrifice . Eight men were selected as victims ; but , as an extraordinary distinction to a guest of such high rank , one of them , by the King's order , was flung alive from the platform to the
Commodore . The man thus saved from slaughter was brought down to the coast , and is now serving on board the Commodore ' s ship . INDIA , CHINA , AND JAPAN . —The intelligence from India is not marked by any exciting topic , everything progressing in a calm and peaceful manner . The Viceroy had left Calcutta on
his tour to the Upper Provinces , and had arrived at Benares , where he had held a durbar . Sir C . Trevelyan had fairly entered on his duties , and it is reported that one of his first measures will be the repeal of the income tax . From
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Week.
It appeared that the prisoner had worked himself into a violent passion on account of suspicions he entertained respecting the chastity of his wife , which he now admitted to be quite unfounded . He held out the pistol in a threatening manner , swearing he would shoot both his wife and the policeman , when one of the body struck up his arm , and the pistol went off
without hurting any one . The prisoner was acquitted , on the ground that lie did not discharge the pistol , but that it went off in the scuffle . He afterwards pleaded guilty to a common assault , and was bound over to keep the peace . There was a curious scene at the Maidstone Assizes on Wednesday . Robert Alexander Burton , a lad of eighteen , was indicted for the murder of
a boy named Houghton , in July last , at Chatham . Houghton , it may be remembered , went to play on the Chatham Lines , and was found shortly afterwards cruelly murdered . Burton gave himself up as the murderer , averring that he wished to be hung . In due course he was committed for trial , and should have been tried at tho winter gaol delivery . He , however , declared that
he should plead guilty , and on the application of Mr . Ribton , who had been engaged to defend him , his trial was postponed that inquiry might he made into his state of mind . Those inquiries failed in detecting any symptoms of insanity , and when placed at the bar , Bnrton pleaded guilty . He was asked if he understood the nature of his plea , and declared that he
did . Mr . Justice Wightman then urged that it would be much better that the prisoner should plead not guilty , not as denying the crime , but as expressing a wish to be tried . Yielding to these solicitations , the prisoner , whose sole desire was said to be that he might be hanged , withdrew his first plea , and pleaded not guilty . AVitnesses were then called and examined , and cross-examined , and ic was made clear that the prisoner had committed the crime with which he was charged . Mr . Ribton ,
iu addressing the jury for the defence , did not deny Burton's guilt , but pleaded that Avhen he murdered the boy he was insane . The jury , however , found a verdict of guilty , and the prisoner was sentenced to death . He treated the matter with the greatest coolness , and on leaving the dock said , " Thank you , my lord . "
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE . —Langiewicz has been proclaimed Dictator of Poland . . The resignation of the Archbishop of AA ar-SEIW is confirmed . The Dictator has issued a decree constituting the Civil Government by the nomination of four directors and two secretaries . He has also appointed the insurgent leaders Jezioranski and AValigorski to be generals . If we may believe
•» Posen correspondent of the Times , an agent of the Russian government recently visited the camp of the Dictator Langiewicz for the purpose of proposing that the Poles should lay down their arms , or should at least assent to a short armistice , and that in return the Grand Duke Constantine should urge . the Emperor Alexander to grant an amnesty , and to give the
kingdom of Poland a constitutional and administrative independence . The Dictator , we are told , declined the proposal ; and it is added that the leading citizens of Warsaw , who had been privately requested by the Russien police to petition the Emperor for the Constitution of 1815 , refused to sign any memorial of the kind , on tlie grounds that the Constitution of 1 S 15 would no longer
appease the fury of the Poles , and that their personal safety would be endangered if they gave their signature ? . The telegram brings news of an important engagement , on the 16 th , between the Polish insurgents and the Russian troops at a place within three miles of Kallach , in which the Russians were compelled to retreat . The number of insurgents engaged is stated to have been 3000 . On the 17 th reinforcements were sent to tbe Russians from Kallach , but we have not yet heard whether the engagement was renewed . Private letter received in Berlin
from Warsaw assert that the Grand Duke Constantine , acting upon the advice of a council of war , h . as abandoned his idea of proceeding to any of the theatres of the insurrection . A AVarsaw telegara states that large quantities of artillery and prouisions have just been discovered to be missing from the Government stores there , and that great embezzlements have taken place . The French Senate's Committee , appointed to report on
the petitions presented in favour of the Poles , has reportedas everyone knew that it would do—that " the government of the Emperor has done , and will continue to do , all that is just , and possible , and politic in favour sf Poland . " The Committee has consequently recommended that the petitions should not be referred to the Ministry , bat that the Senate should
"leave the matter to the decision of the Emperor's wisdom . " The diplomatic documents laid before the Senate by the French Government confirm the reports that the English and Austrian Cabinets had refused to remonstrate in concert with the Emperor Napoleon respecting the Russo-Prussian convention , and had taken thhir own course separately . The Paris Patrie says that Lord Russell has despatched a circular note to all the European Governments , requesting them to support at St .
Petersburg a despatch on the Polish question sent to the English Ambassador there direct ; but the answers given to this request are not yet known , only Prussia is said to have expressed an opinion that the step was full of inconveniences . The Sultan of Turkey , accompanied by Fuad Pasha , is about to undertake a journey to Egypt , and will be absent from Turkey some
fortydays . The National Assembly at Athens has elected a committee to discuss the question of the succession to the throne of Greece with the Minister of the Interior . In Sparta and other places demonstratians in favour of the ex-King Otho hive taken place . The Committee of the Prussian House of Deputies has resolved to recommend that the numbers of the army
ghall be fixed by a special law , and that the military estimates shall he specially and separately voted . The Government Commissioner declared that such a proposal would not be accepted by the Administration , and would only embitter the conflict between the Crown and the Lower House . 'The Turin Gazette announces that a conspiracy to establish the Sicilian
Government upon Mazziuian principles has boon discovered at Palermo , aud that several arrests had been made . AJRICA . —The West African mail steamer brings us the news that Commodore Wilmot had returned to the coast from
Abomey , where he had been sent by the British Government for the purpose of persuading the King of Dahomey to cease his slave trading wars , and to abandon his horrible " customs , " with their attendant sacrifices of hundreds or even thousands of human beings . The King receixed Commodore AVilmot with great respect , and made fair promises , which will no doubt be
broken , that after the lapse of six months he would endeavour to comply with the English Government ' s wishes . A horrible mark of honour shown to the Commodore was a public sacrifice . Eight men were selected as victims ; but , as an extraordinary distinction to a guest of such high rank , one of them , by the King's order , was flung alive from the platform to the
Commodore . The man thus saved from slaughter was brought down to the coast , and is now serving on board the Commodore ' s ship . INDIA , CHINA , AND JAPAN . —The intelligence from India is not marked by any exciting topic , everything progressing in a calm and peaceful manner . The Viceroy had left Calcutta on
his tour to the Upper Provinces , and had arrived at Benares , where he had held a durbar . Sir C . Trevelyan had fairly entered on his duties , and it is reported that one of his first measures will be the repeal of the income tax . From