wrapped in a cloak and wearing a mask, fired a pistol at him, the ball lodging in the upper part of the left breast, close to the shoulder. He fell and instantly expired, but owing to what followed was not removed for nearly an hour. The assassin then went to the servants' entrance to the right, passed through the passage across the building, met the butler, whom he forced by threats to retire into the pantry, and proceeded onwards to the turn of the passage, where there was a dark recess, with a door opening into another passage leading to the back of the premises. Mr. Jermy's son, alarmed at the report of a pistol, left the dining-room and passed to the door opening into the back passage; here the murderer fired and shot him through the right breast, killing him on the spot. Mrs. Jermy hearing a noise went to the same place, and, while she knelt over the lifeless body of her husband, the assassin fired a pistol at her, the shot shivering one of her arms and wounding her in the breast. Her maid, Eliza Chestney, more courageous than the other servants, went to the same spot to see what was the matter; and, while clasping her mistress, the murderer discharged another pistol at her and seriously wounded her in the thigh. The female servants, now thinking they would all be murdered, hid themselves. The man-servant, who was in the stables, hearing the firing, and supposing that the place was attacked by a number of ruffians, swam across the moat which surrounds the house, and set off to Wymondham, where he gave the alarm, and caused a telegraphic message to be sent to the Norwich police-station. The murderer, therefore, had no difficulty in making his escape. Two female servants who had gone Wymondham returned with two young men, and while they stood outside of the moat talking they heard the report of a pistol and saw the flash. Suspicion pointed to a man named Rush, a farmer and auctioneer, living in the neighbourhood, with whom Mr. Jermy had frequent disputes, and he was immediately arrested. Mrs. Jermy and the servant retained sufficient recollection to declare that, though disguised, they were certain he was the assassin. The most important evidence at the inquest, and at the examination before the magistrates, was that of Emily James, whose real name was Sandford-a young woman who lived in Rush's family, first as a governess, latterly as his housekeeper or mistress; she described herself as a widow, but afterwards admitted that she was unmarried, and far advanced in pregnancy. Reporters were not allowed to be present at her examination, but the following was the substance of her testimony. At first she said: "Mr. Rush came home to tea at six, and took off his boots for the night; went out of the room at about nine, for ten minutes only; returned then, and did not again leave the house." quently, under a more rigorous examination, her story changed. She deposed that on the night of the murders Rush came home at about six, to Subse by appointment, to take her to a concert, given by Madame Dulcken, at Wymondham; but he asked her if she desired to go, as he was unwell, and it was agreed they should not go. They took tea together and remained in the room till eight. He then said, "I want to go out for a short time." She endeavoured to dissuade him on account of his cold; but he went to the back-kitchen, where the boy Savory was, and thence to his own bedroom, and in a few minutes after he came down and went out. As Rush passed out he observed that the door would not fasten; so she rose and shut it, while he held it close from the outside; it was dark, and she did not see how he was dressed. She took a novel to read. Rush returned about nine, and knocked at the door Iwith his hand. She went and unfastened the door-latch, saying "It's undone," and returned without seeing him. He waited outside a minute or so, then entered and passed upstairs. As he went he called from the passage, "You had better go to bed." He took no candle, as he had wax tapers in his bedIn a minute or so he came down stairs in his shirt sleeves, and looked in at her. He said, "What a large fire you have got! Put it out and go to bed." There was something in his manner that caused her to look at him more attentively, and she then observed that his face was deadly pale, and he appeared much agitated. She said, "What is the matter with you?" He turned from her, and said "No." After a short pause, he added, "If any one asks you about me, say I was not out more than ten minutes." He then went up stairs to his bedroom and locked the door. In the course of a few minutes the door of Rush's room was opened so as to make as little noise as possible, and she heard the prisoner groping his way down stairs without his shoes. Two or three minutes afterwards she heard him return up stairs in the same manner, and re-enter his bedroom. She then went to sleep and did not awake until the morning, when she was aroused by the information that the police were in the house. room. 29.-Died, at his residence, Chester-place, Pimlico, aged 42 years, Charles Buller, M.P. for Liskeard. The Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel intimates his secession from the Church of England. December 1.-A tragedy only paralleled in horror by the Black Hole of Calcutta occurred this evening on board the Londonderry steamboat, trading between Liverpool and Sligo. She left Sligo in the evening with nearly 200 passengers on board, a large number of whom were emigrants, intending to proceed from Liverpool to America. The night setting in dark and stormy, the Captain (Johnstone) considered it necessary for the proper working of the vessel to send the whole of the passengers below. They were for a time unwilling to obey this command, but coercive measures being resorted to, they were all driven into the steerage cabin, a confined space about 18 feet long, II wide, and 7 high. The hatches were then closed, and as some of the poor creatures attempted to free themselves from this den, a tarpaulin was thrown over the entrance and nailed down. The most horrible results now followed. The air was insufficient to maintain existence beyond a few seconds. Sinking from exhaustion or trampled down by others in the madness of despair, a large portion of the wretched passengers were suffocated amid a scene which no survivor could adequately describe. One, more fortunate than the others, succeeded in freeing himself from the hideous charnel-house, and gave the alarm of what had taken place to the captain and mate. The hatches were at once taken off, and a few of the survivors crawled on deck. Within the cabin there lay in heaps the living, dying, and dead-one frightful spectacle of mingled agony and death. Men, women, and children were huddled together, blackened with suffocation, and bruised and bleeding from the desperate struggle for existence which preceded death. The number of victims amounted to 72-23 men, 31 women, and 18 children. The steamer put into Derry, where most of the survivors were landed, and every necessary attention paid to their restora tion. The inquest resulted in a verdict that "death was caused by suffocation in consequence of the gross negligence and total want of the usual and necessary caution on the part of Captain Alexander Johnstone, Richard Hughes, first mate, and Ninian Crawford, second mate; aud we, therefore, find them guilty of manslaughter and we further consider it our duty to express, in the strongest terms, our abhorrence of the inhuman conduct of the remainder : of the seamen on board on the melancholy occasion." The captain and mates were tried and acquitted at Donegal assizes on the 21st March ensuing. 2. In the Exchequer and Common Pleas two cases were prosecuted to a successful issue under Lord Campbell's Act (9th and 10th Vict. c. 93), making masters and companies liable for the negligence of servants in their employ. In the one case damages of 600/, and in the other of 100/, were recovered by the plaintiffs. Abdication of the Emperor of Austria in favour of his nephew Francis-Joseph. "The pressure of events and the immediate want of a comprehensive reformation of our forms of state which we, in the month of March, endeavoured to meet and promote-have convinced us that more careful powers are needed to complete this grand work."” 6.-The Fanny Kemble divorce case tried at Philadelphia. The libel was filed by the husband, Pierce Butler, and alleged wilful desertion from her habitation for a period of two years. The respondant denied the charge of desertion, and averred that her husband's treat ment of her was so cruel as to make life burdensome. She further alleged that her absence from time to time during the period spoken to was with the knowledge and consent of her husband. The inquiry was protracted over many months, and resulted in judgment being given for a divorce. 7.-Upsetting of a ferry boat crossing from Kingston cotton mills to Hull, and loss of seventeen lives. 12. Dr. Trower, Episcopal Bishop of Glasgow, intimates to the Duke of Argyll his intention of refusing him the Holy Communion at the ensuing festival, on account of the bitter and contemptuous spirit which his Grace had exhibited towards Scotch Episcopacy in his recent work on Church Government. 15.-Storm in Scotland, felt with greatest severity in the Frith of Clyde. The floating lighthouse at Garmoyle filled and sunk. Two Chartists named Ratcliffe and Constantine were tried at Liverpool assizes for the murder of the policeman Bright, during the riot at Ashton, on the night of the 14th August. A number of witnesses testified to the fact of Ratcliffe thrusting a pike into the policeman's thigh, and others swore they saw him fire the shot from which the constable died. The jury acquitted Constantine, but returned a verdict of guilty against Ratcliffe, with a recommendation to mercy. On further inquiry being made, suspicion was found to attach to the evidence of some of the witnesses, and Ratcliffe was reprieved. 18. Mr. Denison, the Conservative candidate, carries the West Riding election against Sir Culling Eardley Eardley by a majority of 14,743 against 11,795. 20. At a public meeting at Liverpool Mr. Cobden submits the details of his scheme of financial reform and economy in the different departments of the public service. Louis Napoleon Buonaparte proclaimed President of the French Republic by the National Assembly. The Secretaries of the Election Committee announced the votes to be, for Louis Napoleon 5,534, 520, the next highest on the list being General Cavaignac, with 1,448, 302. M. Marrast said: "In the name of the French people, whereas citizen Charles Louis Napoleon Buonaparte, born in Paris, possesses all the qualifications of eligibility required by the 44th article of the Constitution; whereas the ballot gave him the absolute majority of suffrages for the Presidency; by virtue of the powers conferred on the Assembly by the 47th and 48th articles of the Constitution I proclaim him President of the French Republic from this day until the second Sunday of May 1852; and I now invite him to ascend the tribune and take the oath required by the Constitution.' We have," said Louis Napoleon in reply," a great mission to fulfil it is to found a Republic in the interest of all, and a government just and firm, which shall be animated by a sincere love of progress without being either reactionary or Utopian. Let us be men of our country, not men of a party, and by the help of God we shall be able at last to do some good, if we are not able to do great things." The Prince was afterwards escorted to the palace Elysée National, which had been assigned as the residence of the President. On the same evening the following names appeared in the Moniteur in the list of the new Ministry : -Odillon Barrot, President of the Council and Minister of Justice; Drouyn de Lhuys, Foreign Affairs; Léon de Maleville, Interior; Hippolyte Passy, Finance; Léon Faucher, Public Works; Bixio, Commerce; General Rulhières, War; and De Tracy, Marine. By a decree of the President Marshal Bugeaud was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Alps. 23.-Abd-el-Kader presents a petition to the President of the French Republic, praying that the conditions of his surrender might be fulfilled by sending him to Syria, near the sacred tomb of the prophets, that I might enlighten myself with new light, and my days be wholly devoted to the happiness of my family, far removed from the hazards of war, the theatre of which I abandoned for ever to the domination of France, in execution of the will of the Almighty, who,lowers or raises empires as He pleases." 26.-Prince Windischgrätz issues a proclamation from his head-quarters at Nicola: -"Any inhabitant who is taken with a weapon of any description in his hand will be iminediately hanged. If the inhabitants of any place shall, united, dare to attack any imperial military courier, any transports, any or single commanding officers, so as to injure them in any way whatsoever, such place shall be made level with the earth. The authorities of the different places shall answer with their heads for the preservation of the public peace." 27.-The President of the French Republic to M. de Maleville, Minister of the Interior :"I asked the Prefect of Police if he did not occasionally receive reports on diplomatic affairs. He replied in the affirmative, and he added that he had addressed to you yesterday copies of a despatch from Italy. These despatches, you will understand, ought to be directly forwarded to me, and I must express to you my displeasure at this delay in their communication. I request you likewise to send me the sixteen boxes I had before demanded. I must have them on Thursday. They contain documents relative to the affairs of Strasbourg and Boulogne. I do not intend either that the Minister of the Interior should prepare the articles personal to myself. This was not the case under Louis Philippe, and should not be the practice now. Besides, I have not received for some days my telegraphic despatches. On the whole, I perceive that the Ministers I have named wish to treat me as if the famous Constitution of Sieyes was in vigour, but I will not suffer it." 30. In the course of the siege operations before Mooltan the British troops explode the principal magazine in the fort, containing, it was rumoured, 16,000 lbs. of powder. Many of the principal houses and temples were blown up at the same moment. Moolraj caused intimation to be made in the British camp next morning that he had still enough powder and shot to hold out for twelve months. The summons to surrender he indignantly rammed down his largest gun and fired back to General Whish. The King of Prussia issues a general order wishing a happy new year to his glorious war-army-line and Landwehr," and thanking them for their services during the year 1848. 2. Calamitous outbreak of cholera at Drewet's Infant Poor Establishment, Tooting. In one week the deaths amounted to 112. 3. Fire at the Caledonian Railway Station, Edinburgh, and destruction of the set of goods sheds. 5.-Pesth surrenders to the imperial force, under Prince Windischgrätz. An attempt was made by the Chamber to obtain conditions, but the Prince refused to listen to the proposals and took undisputed possession of the capital. Buda was entered at the same time by Baron Jellachich. M. Kossuth and the greater part of the Magyar troops retired to Debreczin, carrying with them the iron crown of Hungary and a machine for printing paper money. Revival of old Christmas gambols in the Free trade Hall, Manchester. 7.-Sanguinary engagement between the Spanish troops and the insurgents, with Cabrera at their head; the latter defeated. 8. The Roman Assembly formally depose the Pope as Sovereign of the Papal States. 9.-In New Orleans the cholera makes frightful ravages, the deaths per day averaging from fifty to eighty per cent of the population. Latterly the place presented the appearance of a deserted city. Opening of the new Cattle Market, Islington, designed to give accommodation to 8,000 cattle, 50,000 sheep, besides horses and pigs. 10.-Fifteen persons swept off the pier at Peterhead and drowned. 10. At a meeting in Manchester Mr. Cobden proposed a resolution pledging himself to co-operate with the Liverpool Financial Reform Association in its efforts to reduce the expenditure to at least the standard of 1835, and to secure a more equitable and economical system of taxation." 13.-A sanguinary conflict takes place at Chillianwallah between the British and Sikh forces. Lord Gough reported his troops to be victorious, but the triumph-such as it waswas dearly purchased by the loss of 602 men, and about three times that number wounded. Fire at Hampstead Water Works; loss estimated at 8,000/. 14. The West India mail - packet Forth wrecked on the Alacranes reef, where the Tweed was lost two years since. The passengers and crew, 126 men in number, were saved mainly by the efforts of the officers of the ship, directed by Captain Sturdee. The people were landed on a small island, and as many as could find room embarked in a brigantine, which landed them at Campeachy on the evening of the 18th. Fire at Lincoln's Inn, destroying the whole of the chambers forming No. 2 on the east side of the square. 15. In the Court of Queen's Bench the Attorney-General moved for a writ to be directed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, calling upon him to inquire into the conduct of the Bishop of Exeter, in refusing to induct the Rev. Mr. Gorham into a living within the diocese of the Bishop. The Bishop alleged that, on examining Mr. Gorham, he found he held unsound doctrines, in so far as he believed that spiritual regeneration was not given or confirmed by the sacrament of baptism, that infants were not thereby regenerate, and that, by reason of the maintenance of these doctrines, Mr. Gorham was unfit to be inducted into the living. The replication affirmed that he was not unfit, and did not hold unsound doctrines. It was, said the Attorney-General, a question to be tried by Lords Spiritual, and it was customary for that Court to direct a writ to the Primate, to examine the clerk, and make the return to the Court. If the clerk accused of unsound doctrines should be dead, the question must be tried by a jury; but if alive, by the Metropolitan himself. Rule granted, on the presumption that the Bishop would not appear to oppose. 16. The Chief Justice of Ireland gives judgment in the cases of O'Brien, Meagher, M'Manus, and O'Donoghue, against the writs of error brought to reverse the judgment pronounced at Clonmel. 17. Heroic conduct of an Irish peasant girl at Ballylenahan, near Belfast. Suspicious of an attempt to set fire to the stackyard, Grace M'Veogh with her sister kept watch till past midnight, when she saw one of a party of incendiaries apply the match to a haystack. Taking such aim as she could in the darkness with an old blunderbuss, she discharged the contents at his head, and had the satisfaction of seeing him fall badly wounded in the yard. One of his companions approaching to see what had happened, she attacked him with an old bayonet fastened to the end of a pole, and though armed with a pistol, which he fired in her face, he was compelled to retreat to a car occupied by some others of the party, when they all fled in haste from the farm. An alarm was instantly sent to the police at NewtownBreda, but before they could arrive to make a search the body of the man first wounded had been removed; his cap and part of his clothing covered with blood were found near the spot where he fell. 19.-Coroner's inquest on the bodies of four children, who had died in the London Free Hospital after removal from Drewet's pauper establishment at Tooting. The jury found that the children had been attacked by virulent cholera at a time when they were suffering from insufficient food, defective clothing, and impure air, and censured the guardians of St. Pancras for not obliging Drewet to perform his duty to the children committed to his care in a more efficient manner than was brought out in evidence. The average number of pauper children in Drewet's establishment was 1,500, clothed, fed, and instructed at 4s. 6d. per head per week, and the number who died of cholera this season exceeded 150. The Holborn Union obtained from another jury a verdict of manslaughter, and Drewet was placed at the bar of the Central Criminal Court on the 13th April. The jury returned a verdict of Not guilty. 20. Conclusion of the sale of the first portion of the Stow Library. The total amount realized was 4,5817. 11. 6d. The vellum "Junius," supposed to be unique, was sold to Mr. Rodd for 91. 21. About 100,000 tons of chalk fall from Shakspeare's Cliff, Dover. The Tigress, East Indiaman, was wrecked off the cliff the same day. 22. The lengthened and disastrous siege of Mooltan brought to a close by the unconditional surrender of Moolraj. This was the day fixed by General Whish for blowing up the citadel. 24.-Explosion at Darley Main Colliery, near Barnsley, resulting in the loss of 75 lives. The calamity was supposed to have been caused by an accumulation of gas preventing the usual passage of ventilating draughts through the workings. Twenty-seven of the workmen were recovered in an almost insensible state and brought to the surface. H.M.S. Dido arrived at Portsmouth from New Zealand in eighty-one days, being the quickest passage on record up to this date. 25.-Destructive inundation at Inverness, caused mainly by an unprecedented accumulation of water in Loch Ness, and partly by the bank of the Caledonian Canal giving way at Dochgarroch lock. The river Ness came down with alarming force, spreading desolation along its course, and sweeping away the old stone bridge which had withstood the floods of a century and a half. A great many streets of the town on both sides of the river were submerged, and the inhabitants to the number of about 500 escaped with difficulty in open boats. A number of small bridges at Glenmoriston and Glengarry were also carried away. 25.-Fire at the Canongate Gas Works, Edinburgh, and destruction of the gasometer. The immediate cause of this occurrence was the failure of a guide-rod on one side of the gasometer, which caused it to tilt against the frame, driving the standards outward at the same time and deranging the works of the water-lock. The gas then escaped in huge quantities and became ignited by some means never very clearly ascertained, but conjectured to have been from the friction of the masses of iron as they fell from the frame. About 300,000 cubic feet of gas were consumed. 26. Came on for hearing, in the Court of Chancery, the case of Prince Albert v. Strange, in the form of an appeal motion to discharge the injunction granted by Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, to restrain the defendant, a publisher in Paternoster-row, from publishing a descriptive catalogue of etchings or engravings wrought by her Majesty and the Prince, and which etchings the plaintiff alleged to have been surreptitiously obtained by Strange, or by Judge, another defendant. On the 8th of February the Lord Chancellor gave judgment confirming and continuing the injunction granted by the Vice-Chancellor. The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland urges upon the Home Secretary the necessity of further suspending the Habeas Corpus Act, to secure for Ireland that continued repose which is so vitally essential to her prosperity, to protect the country from the renewal of an agitation for objects that cannot be attained, and which for many years has disturbed its tranquillity, scaring away capital, destroying confidence, and rendering impossible the steady application of industry.' 31.-Final abolition of the Corn-laws. The event was celebrated at Manchester by a banquet protracted beyond midnight, to welcome in with rejoicings the first day of free trade. February 1.-Parliament opened by the Queen in person. An important paragraph in the Speech commended to the attention of Parliament the restrictions imposed on commerce by the Navigation-laws. "If you find that these laws are, in whole or in part, unnecessary for the maintenance of our maritime power, while they fetter trade and industry, you will no doubt deem it right to repeal or modify their provisions." Amendments on the Address, moved in the House of Lords by Lord Stanley, and in the House of Commons by Mr. Disraeli, were withdrawn after debates in each House. 2. Fracas in the Court of Exchequer between Sir Frederick Thesiger, on the one side, and Chief Baron Pollock, with his son-inlaw, Mr. Martin, Q.C., on the other. After some altercation between counsel as to the relevancy of certain questions put to a witness, Sir Frederick said: "My Lord, I cannot but feel that my learned friend is allowed a discretion in this case, and in this Court generally, which would not be extended to myself or other counsel in this or any other Court." Mr. Martin threatened to give up practising in the Court, but was persuaded by the Attorney-General, next morning, to continue. The Lord Chief Baron then made an explanation to show that his words had been misapprehended by both parties. 5. On the House moving to vote the sessional orders, Lord John Russell consented to withdraw the 14th and 15th resolutions, which proposed to give precedence to orders of the day over notices of motion after the 1st of May, and to limit the duration of all speeches to one hour except in the case of a member introducing an original motion, or a Minister of the Crown speaking in reply. Lord John Russell, Sir Robert Peel, and Sir H. Inglis spoke in opposition to the motion, and Mr. Hume and Mr. Cobden in its favour. division it was lost by a majority of 96 to 62. On a |