"compression of the abdominal viscera, and the congestion of
blood-vessels in the hinder extremities, and the extravasation
of the peritoneum," that he should certify that
they were in good health. The compression and congestion
of the blood-vessels would injure only for a time;
for as soon as the cause was removed they would resume
their pristine form. This witness, it appeared, was a
friend of Mr. Simpson's, and had spent the evening
with him, whilst he knew that this case was in preparation
against him. A policeman deposed that he saw one
of the horses when it descended at Wimbledon: he
passed his hand over the horse, and it felt very hot;
the perspiration was dropping down its shoulders; but
the horse stood perfectly quiet; the eyes appeared wild,
and like anything in terror—like a horse that had run
away. For the defence, it was stated that the exhibition
was not to be repeated. A commission had
been appointed by the French Government to experiment
on the suspension of horses by slings before M.
Poiteven ascended: the commission pronounced that the
suspension was not cruel. If it were considered cruel,
it would be difficult to conjecture what might not next
be deemed cruelty. The fairies and angels that flitted
across the stages of our theatres might be embodied in
the catalogue; they were suspended in a far less
comfortable manner, by a mere band. A number of
witnesses, including the Poitevins and several veterinary
surgeons, declared that there was no cruelty in the
suspension. The magistrate deferred giving his decision;
and, on the 13th, he gave judgment. While condemning
such exhibitions, and stating his opinion that it was
really, though not legally, cruel to place animals in a
position where they were helpless if a mishap occurred,
he dismissed the summonses: it had not been proved
that the ponies had been cruelty treated by the defendants
—that the animals had suffered either pain or fear.
The same parties were charged, at the Ilford petty
sessions, with Cruelty to a Heifer, Madame Poitevin having
ascended on its back in a balloon from Cremorne
Gardens. The magistrates inflicted a fine of £5 on each of
the three defendants, refusing, when urged by counsel,
to remit the fine on Madame Poitevin. Mr. Simpson
addressed the bench, earnestly declaring that he never
would have sanctioned any exhibition in which cruelty
was inflicted on animals; and he announced that no
more ascents with animals are to be made from Cremorne.

Outrages, usual at this season in Ireland, are taking
place by tenants, in Resisting Distraints for Rent. Among
other cases, the papers contain the following. On the
night of the 9th inst., about 12 o'clock, a party of men
unknown, about ten, arrived on the lands of Carrigaae,
in the parish of Lisgoold, and seized James Ryan and
Patrick Buckley, keepers in charge of a distress for rent
due of John Murphy and James Terry, tied their hands
and legs, and then tied the men together, in which state
they were found in a field by a female at an early hour
next morning, who untied them, the corn and hay
under seizure having been removed off the land during
the night. The property, when the distress was made,
was in the Court of Chancery, in the suit of W. Morrogh,
Esq., against G. S. Barry, Esq., and has been lately
sold in the Encumbered Estates Court. The seizure
was made by receiver Edwary Barry, Esq., of the
Court of Chancery, for the last March rent, and it is
supposed the offence in question had occurred under the
idea that all power of the receiver ceased on the property
being purchased. The keepers cannot identify any of
the party, who had no arms, neither was there any
violence done more than tying them together.

On the morning of the 14th instant, a party unknown
broke open the barn of John Bagott, of Castletreasure,
and carried away a great quantity of oats which was
seized for rent duo by Daniel Whelan, of the same place,
and placed in the barn under the charge of Daniel Sullivan,
a labourer, who said the com was carried away
on cars whilst he was asleep.

Mr. O'Callaghan Ryan, a gentleman much esteemed
in his neighbourhood, has been Murdered in the county
of Waterford. Mr. Ryan resided in Clonmel, and possessed
some property in the parish of Newcastle. Having
occasion to take legal proceedings against some of his
tenants, the necessary process issued to enable him to
evict them. Mr. Ryan wished to give them one more
trial preparatory to executing the ejectment; and with
that view, proceecded to Clashganny, to endeavour to
come to amicable terms with the parties. About seven
o'clock in the evening, as he was returning home, he
was fired at, near Kilmanahan, a few miles from Clonmel,
and afterwards dragged inside the ditch; and, lest the
gunshot-wound should prove insufficient for the accomplishment
of the bloody deed, his head was battered with
a bill-hook, or some such instrument. A policeman
hearing the report of the gun, at once hastened to the
spot; where he perceived Mr. Ryan's horse standing
without its rider, and also marks about the ditch which
induced him to enter the plantation, which skirts the
road at either side; and, being guided by traces of
blood, he soon discovered the mangled corpse. A
coroner's jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder
against some person or persons unknown." On the
following day two men, named Hackett and Norman, were
arrested on suspicion. There were spots of blood on
their clothes; and they had a hatchet with them also
bloody. Three other men have since been arrested. The
government have offered a reward of £100 for the
conviction of the murderers.

A recent inquest on the body of an old woman, who
died in a state of intoxication in a filthy den in Clerkenwell,
gave occasion to some remarks by Mr. Wakley,
the coroner, on the mischief done by those Charitable
Institutions which support Vagrants in a state of Idleness.
Mr. Wakley said: "The charity of the metropolis is
too indiscriminate; and thus the deserving poor are
unheeded, and drunken, reckless characters, are well
provided for, either by private munificence or workhouse
relief, which enables them to lead an idle merry life.
The money they get is squandered in drink, and at
night for a few pence they obtain a bed in a wretched
stinking hovel, where all ages, both sexes, and all diseases
are crowded together, forming so many plague-factories
and disease-depots. By such means these hovels are
supported and kept up. I was much pleased at reading
in the Times of yesterday, an ably-written article condemnatory
of the system of administering indiscriminate
charity; and I hope that it will be put down, for so long
as a vagrant can live without working he will do so. So
convinced am I of the consequences of the evil, that I
have ceased to be a Vice-President to the Soup Kitchen.
In fact begging has become a regular trade. A few
years ago, one of the fellows who followed that avocation
was examined before a committee of the House of Commons,
and stated that he had travelled over the kingdom
for nine years as a beggar; that he was treated as a
gentleman in prison, but most 'disgracefully in workhouses,
especially in Lambeth, where he had to work
before breakfast; that a slouched hat and a smock-frock,
with a bundle of herbs in his hand, formed the best garb
for a London beggar; and that there were not ten out
of one hundred vagrants worthy of relief. Such are
the disclosures made by him regarding the begging-trade.
I am, however, happy that the press has taken up the
subject, and trust that it will not cease its efforts until
this monster evil is completely put down, and thus
prevent charitable institutions being abused, and their
funds wasted upon lazy worthless characters." The
jury concurred in the justice of these remarks, and
the foreman promised to lay before the Vestry and
the Board of Guardians of the Holborn Union the result
of the inquiry, with the view of having immediate
measures adopted to improve the sanitary condition of
the neighbourhood; as he deemed it most important,
at a crisis when a frightful epidemic was desolating not
far distant countries.

Mr. Solly's Indiscriminate Charity has given rise to
further police proceedings. Three women were charged
before the Lord Mayor, on the 1st inst., with being
common beggars and impostors. They formed part
of the numerous crowd of vagrants who dog the steps
of Mr. Solly. It was considered useless to call that
gentleman as a witness; but his steward was examined,
and said—"My lord, it is quite impossible to give
you a correct idea of the scenes I witness daily. Our
persecution begins in Great Ormond-street, and master
is besieged by all sorts of beggars, from the tip-top
begging ladies in silk stockings and shawls, down to
the lowest poor creatures without any stockings at