MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Southland Times, Issue 1156, 10 May 1869, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

f « A young tffart for money had murderec a magistrate and a ne&f neighbor of Mi Trench's. The informer and chief Wltnesi againat the prisoner was his accomplice and was under cross-examination by the prisoner's counsel. " One Bcene," say* Mr Trench, " struck me much." Aftei the witness had detailed how he ha<3 himself undertaken to be the murderer and had twice stolen behind Mr Hall foi the pappose of shooting him in the back, and had only given up his design because he fancied it was " unlucky," the prisoner's counsel asked :— iJt Then it was not your" conscience that smote you?" " Not a bit," said the itfan. " And you stole up behind the pdor old gentleman to shoot him for money ?"—" I did/ " I suppose you would do anything for trio'riey ?"— *' I would," replied the man, quite unapplied, but growing desperate. The lawyer still continued to excite him. " You would shoot your father* for money, I suppose ?"— " I would," exclaimed the man furiously. "Or your mother?" — " 1 would." Or your sister ?" — " I would." "Or your brother ;" continued the counsel.—' 1 Ay, or yourself either !" cried the infuriated ruffian, almost leaping from his chair, and turning round so suddenly within a few feet of his crossexaminer's head that his usually undaunted nerve seemed appalled by the ferocity of the savage. . • The effect upon the jury was the very reverse of what had basn intended by the counsel The unblushing effrontery of the witness convinced the jury of the triith of his statement, and a verdict of " Guilty was returned—From Trench's * Ireland. The two volcanos, Etna and Ves-ivius, have nearly always seemed entirely independanfc of each Other, but the recent eruptions indicate that a Unity of action has been established between them. The cooling of one seems to have been the signal for an eruption of the other. On the night of the 26th November, the last current of molten fluid descended from Vesuvius, and on the 27th a dazzling crest appeared on the Sicilian volcanos. The Calcutta correspondent of the 'Ti ares' gives us some information repecting the cost of the Abyssinian expedition. The Government of India, he says, has advanced in all £6,589,100, of which no less than £3,089,100 is still due by England to India. If to this «x millions and a half be added, the expediture on the European side of Suez, we shall have the total cost of the expendition. The Indian Government, it appears, were told that they would haye to supply only three millions, and in order to obtain the six millions and a half required, they had to borrow of the Bank of Bengal. A.s the money was, however, obtained at very low rates, the banks is anxious to be repaid, as it can now employ its funds much more profitably. The order that was issued respecting the reduction of the Royal Marines,, we believe, is at present in abeyance; and iustead of any reduction in the ranks, Mr Childera will no doubt turn his attention to the curtailing of the expenses in the staff appointments, and other trifling details, which will in no way tend to the detriment of a force of which our country is so justly pr»ud. The ' Delhi Gazette' calls attention to the fact that while the attention of the public in India has been fixed upon Afghanistan and Russian Progress in Central Asia, another nation haa stolen a march upon us, and taken a step in reality infinitely more threatening than the much talked of policy of Russia. The ' Saturday Review,' in the course of an article on Central Asian affairs, did refer to it a short time ago, but the matters has not attracted the attention it deserves. I The matter alluded to is the annexation I of Seistan by Persia, which has been recently accomplished. There can be no doubt, from the remarks of our contemporary on the subiect, that the subject is one which, at the present time, deserves especial notice. We may add for the information of those among our readers who are not familiar with Eastern geography, that Seistan, formerly Saghisfcan, is a. tract of country near a large lake of that name, about 200 miles, as the crow flies, from Candabar, and not more than 300 from Quetta. In remote times it was connected with Persia, but for many years it has been a sort of debateable land between tha natives of Candahar and independent tribes of Belochees.