A PRECISE SUICIDE.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 503, 13 May 1869, Page 3

A PRECISE SUICIDE.

Last week, George Brown, alias Childs, aged 85, lodging at Mount Pleasant, Liverpool, was found dead in bed, having poisoned himself. At the inquest on Thursday the following remarkakle letter, found in his room, and addressed to the American Consul, was produced:—"Sir,—My name is George Childs, and I have a brother at 98, Pearl-street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, America, who you will please to write to by steamer and have me sent the same day, Saturday. Have me put in a sealed coffin, and that in a handsome rosewood one. They are not to be opened at Boston. You will see the enclosed receipt is for 1500 dols in 5-20 bonds, on which two years' interest has accrued. All the coupons are there with the bonds, and my brother can get the whole, as the receipt is made payable to him or me. You can keep the receipt till he sends the amount of the expense you will be at. Tell him the remainder of the bonds I want divided equally between my sister Susan's children. My bible is for Martha Bowditch; my accordeon for Annah Lancaster; my trunk and coutents for Galen Bowditch, jun. My brother's name is Albert Childs. I owe Miss Fletcher ten week 'srent up to last Friday, the sth, £2 10s., which you will not pay her, as she haß imposed upon me ever since I have been here. Sell my hat and give cr. for it. There is nothing of mine in the bureau, the locked drawers are hers. You will remove my trunk at once, and send it to my brother. The key is in my vest pocket, which you will send by a separate conveyance. Please carry out my requests explicitly, and oblige yours truly George Childs. P.S.— Have me put in my coffin just as you find me, and don't have me opened on any account. You will make no more of this public than you are obliged to. The jury, having heard the whole of the evidence, returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity."

POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. (Erora the Wanganui HCerald.) If the Stafford Ministry is to be saved, it will be by the " outlying districts." The anti-provincial policy will go a long way in redeeming it from the consequences of the war management. Westport demands separation, and Mr Stafford encourages disaffection with his heart; he will present the petition. "Wangauui will follow suit, and if necessary another petition will be got up, and Mr Stafford asked to present it. The hopes held out to districts unfairly dealt with by provincialism, will obtain for Government a large number of votes. A change of government would, perhaps, perpetuate the same miserable and helpless dependence upon "Wellington, which has too long been the case. "We may obtain local government if Mr Stafford remains in office; and that is the first consideration with us at present. A dissolution will probably take place before the House has been long in session, if the forebodings of Mr Richmond are to be relied upon, and the Government will proclaim to the Colony local self-go-vernment, colonial unity, and self-re-liance as the principles upon which they will take their stand. A sounder policy could hardly be enunciated, and the weak point with the Government will be their want of administrative capacity in native matters. The fears that they had already exceeded the votes are unfounded. The Colony is still solvent, and likely to remain so.

The crowded deck of an American packet. A Californian to the skipper of ditto: ' I should like to have a sleeping berth neow, if you please.' ' Why, where have you been sleeping these last two nights, since we left ?' said the skipper. '"Wal,' said the Californian, 'I havo been a-sleeping a-top of a sick man; but he's got better now, and won't stand it no longer.' M. Tardieu, the celebrated chemist, has made some interesting and important experiments with the red stockings imported from England. After extracting the coloring matter, he introduced a certain quantity of it beneath the skin of a dog, which died in twelve hours. A rabbit similarly treated expired in eight hours, and a frog in four. Opening the animals, M. Tardieu extracted the red coloring matter from their bodies, and with it died a skein of silk.

A South Sea Islander has just been ordained as a clergyman. His history is a singular one. At the outset of the mission, many years ago, he was one of three boys whom Bishop Selwyn had with great difficulty induced to come on board his vessel, on their way to New Zealand. The newness and strangeness of everything on board created some misgivings; but when at the conclusion of evening service a hymn was sung, the boys became so alarmed that they all rushed on deck and jumped into the sea. Two of the three were never seen again, but one of the boys clung to the chains at the side of the skip, and was at last induced again to come on board. That boy has lived to be ordained as a minister of the Church of England.