of the French and English armies, which, together with
the position which Austria had then assumed, made the
case so entirely hopeless that the foe was compelled to
retire across the Danube. Here, then, we have the
blocking up of the ships of Russia in their ports, and we
have the failure in their operations of the Russian army.
Immediately after the siege of Silistria was raised, it
became a question both with the governments at home
and with the generals, what should be done on the
shores of the Black Sea. The government at home
thought the time was come to occupy the Crimea and
to capture Sebastopol. The instructions of the governments
of England and France were received at Varna
about the middle of July; a meeting of the generals of
the Allied forces took place, and the expedition was
resolved upon. It may seem to some that a long period
elapsed before the operations had taken place; but we
at home do not know—we cannot know—all the various
obstacles which had to be combated and overcome.
Before any landing took place, Lord Raglan , with General
Canrobert, General Burgoyne, and two French officers,
went and personally examined the whole of the coast,
and fixed upon the place for the landing, where it
ultimately took place. That landing took place without
any resistance on the part of the enemy, and without
the shedding of any blood; and the two armies marched
to Alma, where they gained a glorious victory. That
victory was clouded by the death of a Marshal of France,
who had shown in his last days a vigour and energy
which could not be surpassed by a man in the first
energy of life. We have also had to lament, both among
rich and poor, high and low, members of our families
who fell in that great battle, and more who have fallen
from disease, and who were not less worthy, who have
as much sacrificed their lives for their country as those
who have fallen by the sword of the enemy and in the
front of battle. While we celebrate those who have
fallen by the sword, we should render all honour to those
who, when called upon by their country, have consented
to take their share in defending an ally, and opposing
the insatiable ambition of Russia. As it yet remains to
be decided by the fate of war, I will not say what the
result may be: all I can venture to say here is, that,
having prepared all these means, having sent out such
an army and such an artillery, and seeing also that our
allies are acting in the same spirit with us,—having
endeavoured to provide all these means, and it being the
opinion of all that there never was a cause more just
than that in which we are embarked, as was admitted
the other day by Sir John Trollope—one to whom I am
politically opposed, but who holds the same views with
reference to this matter,—with these arms, and this
opinion with respect to the justice of the cause in which
we are engaged, and having such an ally as we have, I
trust we shall bring matters to such a termination as
that we shall be able to insure a peace which will be
just and honourable, and a peace which will be put
upon a lasting foundation. The people of England
dread, and justly dread, the ruler of millions half-
civilised and half-barbarous. The result of this war
will be to put a check upon that power and circumscribe
that ambition. It is no use at present to speak of
peace, until in the course of war we have the means of
a peace which will be lasting and safe. However long
we have hesitated, and however we may have been
anxious to avoid the dreadful evils of war, it is on
account of those very evils that we must so prosecute
the war as to make it conducive to a peace that shall
endure."

At the annual meeting of the Farrington Gurney
Agricultural Association, Mr. William Miles, M.P.,
an eminent conservative, made a speech on the Same
Topic. He vindicated the course taken by the government,
in staving off war as long as possible: they were
bound to try and preserve peace, and people must not
bear too hard on what they have tardily done. Whatever
might have been the bickerings in parliament in the
last session relative to the war, the case is altered now,
for the country is actually engaged in prosecuting a
terrible war, in which the nation has heartily embarked;
and to bring it to a successful issue, the strings of the
public purse must not be closed, but means for a free
expenditure must be provided. He warned his hearers
against impatience; told them to trust to the
commanders; and vindicated the Baltic campaign against
complaints of insufficient results. At the close of his
speech he touched on another subject which he hoped
would come before parliament next session. "There is
(he said) a large body of representatives who are
determined to assist any government, or any men, who will
bring forward a sound practical measure of general
education."

NARRATIVE OF LAW AND CRIME.

On the 7th inst. no fewer than 114 "sporting" men
were brought before the Bow Street Police Court,
charged with having assembled for Betting Purposes at
the Sun public house in Long Acre, kept by a Mr.
Morby. The police have long watched this house; it
was known that a regular system of betting on horse-
races was carried on there, each person paying sixpence
for the privilege of admittance. After evidence had
been given by policemen, Mr. Jardine adjourned the
matter for a week; holding the accused to bail in their
own recognisances. On being again brought up they
were discharged. Superintendent Pearce (who had
taken them into custody) thought it was sufficient to
find them in a place where betting was going on to
warrant their capture; but Mr. Jardine said it must be
proved who were actually betting to warrant infliction of
penalties under any circumstances, though the police
had been right in seizing these people: under the Police
Act a fine of £5 could be imposed on bettors, but the
Betting-house Act did not refer to the Police Act—
the object of it was to punish "managers" of betting-
houses. The case of Robert Ryan, a waiter, was then
taken: he was "managing" a room when arrested; so
Mr. Jardine fined him £50, with three months' imprisonment
in default. Notice of appeal was given.

Mr. Elliott, the Lambeth Magistrate, has fined Henry
Simmonds £20 for Keeping a Betting House in High-
street, Newington. Notice of appeal was given also in
this case. Three other men apprehended in the shop
were set at liberty, as they were not engaged as
managers in the betting.

A Town-and-Gown Riot, more than usually serious,
has taken place at Cambridge. A person attempted to
give a lecture in the Town-hall, on the 3rd, against the
use of tobacco The under-graduates mustered in great
strength, provided with pipes, cigars, squibs, and
crackers. They soon interrupted the lecturer by calling
for "Three cheers for Sir Walter Raleigh;" they
smoked their pipes and cigars, set fire to crackers and
squibs and threw them about, and created such a
disturbance that the lecturer could not make himself heard.
The Mayor and the police were sent for; the lecturer
retired; and the under-graduates passed a resolution
"that tobacco was anything but pernicious." The riot
would have ended here probably, had not a scholar
begun to destroy a seat; the police interfered, a general
combat ensued, and some of the gownsmen were
apprehended. The senior Proctor now arrived, and the
disturbance was quelled. Two under-graduates have since
been fined for assaulting the police.

A dreadful Murder followed by Attempted Suicide has
been committed in the little village of Hook, near
Swindon. On the 18th inst., a smith named Wright
cut the throat of a married woman, with whom he had
lived for the last four years, and then cut his own.
The woman was found by some neighbours lying on the
floor in a pool of blood quite dead, and Wright beside
her with his throat bleeding. The wretched man was
able to speak, and said that the woman had lately given
him cause for jealousy, and on remonstrating with her
while sitting at breakfast, she used irritating language
and threatened to cut his throat with a razor, and was
in the act of proceeding to get one, when he got up,
went behind her, and cut her throat with a clasp knife
with which he had been cutting his breakfast. An
inquest has been held, and a verdict of "Wilful Murder"
returned against Wright.

An important decision respecting the Right of a
Wife to Contract Debts for Luxuries was given in the
Bankruptcy Court on the 21st inst. A claim for about