at Peterborough, where the venerable Bishop, the tutor of Her Majesty's youth, was in waiting to receive her; a kindly interview took place. Thence the train proceeded on its route, stopping at Boston and Lincoln, where the Corporations attended and presented congratulatory addresses; and thence to Doncaster, where the Corporation was also received, and where the Royal party passed the night at the Angel Inn. On the following morning, at 8.45 A.M., the route northwards was resumed. At York the Royal party were transferred to the Berwick line. The train, after short stoppages at Darlington and Newcastle, reached Edinburgh at 3.30 P.M., and Her Majesty and the Prince occupied the state apartments in Holyrood Palace, and drove through the city for an hour in the evening. Her Majesty was pleased to confer the honour of knighthood on Mr. Johnstone, the Lord Provost. The following morning the travellers started at 8 A.M., and reached Stonehaven by rail; here they found carriages awaiting them, and then proceeded post to Balmoral, which was reached at 6.30 P.M. The castle and domain of Balmoral have hitherto been only rented by Her Majesty; they have now become royal property. The estate extends fully seven miles in length and four in breadth. The sojourn of the Royal family at their northern retreat was not marked by any adventures which are proper subject of record. Her Majesty rode, drove, and walked; Prince Albert stalked deer, shot, and made pedestrian excursions. The Queen's residence at Balmoral terminated on the 7th October. On the journey to Edinburgh the Royal party had a slight ex perience of railway accidents. Soon after leaving Forfar, the axle of a carriage truck became heated by friction, and the train had to wait until the truck could be disengaged; and between Glasgow and Edinburgh, while the train was proceeding at the rate of 30 miles an hour, one of the feeder pipes from the tender to the engine burst with a loud explosion, the carriages were enveloped in steam, and the train came to a stand in a cut and curve at Kirkliston. The non-arrival of the train at Edinburgh caused uneasiness, and a pilot engine was dispatched, which rendered the necessary assistance, after a stoppage of an hour. During the misadventure, it is duly chronicled that Her Majesty exhibited the greatest composure and patience. The royal party reached Edinburgh at 8 o'clock P.M., and passed the night at Holyrood Palace. The route southward was resumed at an early hour the following morning. At Lancaster the train stopped while luncheon was served, and the Queen, Prince Albert, and the children, viewed John of Gaunt's ancient castle. Croxteth Park, near Liverpool, the seat of the Earl of Sefton, was gained about 5 P.M. It had been arranged in the programme of Her Majesty's homeward route, that Liverpool, now the first shipping port of the kingdom, should receive the honour of a Royal visit. Accordingly, the following morning (Thursday), Her Majesty and Prince Albert-passing on the way through Knowsley Park, and graciously acknowledging the Earl of Derby and family-proceeded on a Royal progress through the town, where the Corporation and inhabitants had made magnificent preparations for her reception. fourteen tiers of galleries round the Peel Park; a broad carriageway was left through the ranks, leading to a pavilion, where an address was presented. Her Majesty returned to Worsley Hall, and received a distinguished circle of visitors. In the morning Prince Albert visited the celebrated spinning mills of Messrs. Gardner and Bazley, at Barrow Bridge. The royal party left Worsley Hall about 11.30 A.M. The journey through Rugby by rail was a continued festival; the banks, bridges, and houses were crowded with holiday folks in tens of thousands, flags waved, bands played, and voices struck up "God save the Queen," as the train came in sight and dashed by. At Watford the Royal family transferred themselves to their carriages, and arrived at Windsor at 7.0 P.M. (Saturday). The Queen's proverbial favour with the elements had now deserted her-the weather was disastrously unfavourable, the rain poured down in torrents, and all objects were concealed in a deep mist; Her Majesty and the Prince, notwithstanding, went through the whole programme of the inspection with the most imperturbable perseverance and courtesy; these consisted of a progress through the eastern and southern districts of the town, an inspection of the docks by land, then an embarkation on the Fairy yacht, a voyage of inspection down the river and asea view of the docks, and a return progress through the central and northern streets. Notwithstanding the badness of the weather, the crowds in the streets were immense. Her Majesty then went to the Town Hall, where the Corporation were in attendance, and presented their formal congratulations; in reply to which, Her Majesty expressed her satisfaction with her visit, and knighted the Mayor, Sir John Bent. From Liverpool, Her Majesty proceeded by the novel locomotion of the barges on the Bridgewater Canal to Worsley Hall, the seat of the Earl of Ellesmere. The weather now cleared up, and the loyal inhabitants of Manchester had a grand gala day; Her Majesty's reception was most enthusiastic, and the multitudes who cheered the Royal cortège in its progress were innumerable. The Corporation address was presented in the Exchange Rooms; Her Majesty made a most gracious reply, and knighted the Mayor, Sir John Potter. The grand feature of the Manchester display was an illustration of its Sunday School system; nearly 80,000 children, of schools of all enominations, were arranged in 30. CASE OF THE BARONESS VON BECK.-A case of alleged imposture was investigated at Birmingham, which was attended with circumstances of painful interest, and the real facts of which remain a mystery. The public office was crowded with persons anxious to hear the examination of a woman who represented herself as an Hungarian lady of distinction, bearing the title of the Baroness von Beck, whose husband, she said, was killed on the barricades of Vienna at the time of the Hungarian revolution; and also of Constant Darra, a prepossessing and accomplished young man, who acted as the Baroness's agent and secretary, and is connected by relationship with one of the most respectable families in Hungary. The prosecution was stated to be at the instance of an association formed in London, of which Lord Dudley Stuart is the president, for the protection and support of the Hungarian refugees. Mr. Toulmin Smith, barrister, from London, appeared as counsel for the prosecution. When the proceedings were about to commence, and the prisoners were expected to be placed at the bar, Mr. Stephens, chief superintendent of police, hurriedly entered the court, and exclaimed, "She's dead." The inquiry was, "Who?" Mr. Stephens replied, "The Baroness." This announcement produced a great and painful sensation. The deceased was lying upon the floor of an ante-room. She appeared to be about 54 years of age, and was attired in black silk. The Court was, as might be expected, thrown into much confusion by the shocking event. The deceased had during the night complained of serious illness, and upon her removal from the cell to the court was apparently much exhausted. Upon her arrival at the room in which she subsequently died she was accommodated with a chair, and almost instantly expired. Constant Darra having been placed at the bar, Mr. Smith stated the case against the prisoner and his deceased companion. They came to Birmingham about three weeks ago, when they instantly gained admission into the houses of respectable families residing in the neighbourhood, and were by them most kindly and hospitably entertained. Among others, of whose intimacy and friendship they availed themselves, was a Mr. George Dawson. The woman represented herself as an Hungarian lady, named "Baroness von Beck," who was distinguished at court in the reign of Ferdinand V., and who subsequently became the inti mate friend of Kossuth. Her husband had commanded in the Hungarian forces, and was killed at the barricades in Vienna. The Baroness had published a work professing to be a history of her adventures, and issued a prospectus to publish another under the title of The Story of my Life. Mr. Dawson was known to be deeply interested in all that concerned the struggle in which the Hungarians had been engaged in defence of the laws and liberties inherited by their fathers, and, finding that gentlemen in Liverpool and Birmingham had entered their names as subscribers for the work which the lady proposed to publish, he gave his name also, and paid 17. 4s., the amount of the subscription, to the male prisoner, who acted as the Baroness's agent and secretary. He subsequently paid him 47. 16s. for other subscriptions. The prisoner and the woman were at this time staying at the Clarendon Hotel, but, in consequence of the interest which Mr. Dawson took in the circumstances of the lady, they subsequently removed by invitation to the house of a gentleman residing in Edgbaston, where they remained until the previous night, when they were apprehended on the present charge. Mr. Smith said that he should be able to prove that the statements made in the Baroness's published work were fabrications that there was no such person as Baroness Von Beck residing in Hungary during the late war, that no officer of that name was killed at the barricades, that the woman who represented herself as the Baroness Von Beck was nothing more than a paid spy in the Hungarian service, that she was a Viennese, not an Hungarian woman He would produce before the Court as a witness the gentleman who acted as Home Secretary during the governorship of Kossuth. That gentleman identified the deceased as a person of low origin, whom he had twice seen in the ante-room of Kossuth, but who was employed by another woman, her superior in office, as a spy, during the Hungarian war. He could also prove, if it were necessary, that many of those occurrences which in her published book were stated to be facts were physically impossible, and that the work was a tissue of falsehoods. He now came to a very painful part of the case. He should prove by the production of a letter from Mr. Charles de Soden, interpreter to the London police force, to Madam Pulsky, the lady of the late Hungarian envoy, that the socalled Baroness had lately been employed as a spy by the recentlyestablished foreign branch of the English police force, and that she received 57. 16s. 8d. per week to betray the Hungarian refugees. These were among some of the main facts which would have been adduced against the deceased woman. With respect to the male prisoner, he (Mr. Smith) believed that he was of a good and noble family. He had throughout acted with the woman, and there could be little doubt that he was aware of her character and misrepresentations. They had, however, no desire to press the charge severely against him. For some years, owing to irregularities, it was understood he had been separated from his family. It was hoped that the painful circumstances in which he was now placed would operate beneficially upon his future conduct. If so, the lesson he now received would not be lost upon him. Evidence was given of the representations made by the woman and the prisoner; and Mr. Paul Hajvik, formerly member of the Hungarian Diet and Chief Commissioner of Police of Hungary and Transylvania, deposed that the woman's name was Racidula; she had been a subordinate paid spy to the Hungarians; she was an Austrian woman of low birth, and extremely vulgar; she had no acquaintance with Kossuth, further than she could claim from having seen him twice to receive directions. There is a noble family in Hungary named Beck, but deceased did not belong to it. The prisoner, in his defence, stated that he became acquainted with the Baroness on her return from Liverpool, and that she had requested him to obtain subscriptions for her. He believed her to be what she represented herself. To him the connection had been unfortunate, and he was sorry that he had had an acquaintance with such a woman. He was, however, quite innocent of any crime. Mr. Hajvik said he knew the father and family of the prisoner; one more honourable did not exist in Hungary. The Mayor, after a few minutes' deliberation with the other magistrates, directed that the prisoner be discharged, and complimented Mr. Dawson, Mr. Tyndale, and other gentlemen, upon the kindness of their conduct. The fate of this unhappy woman excited great attention, and her cause was taken up by persons of rank well acquainted with Hungary. The matter remained in great uncertainty; but in the result there seems reason to suppose that the deceased was what she represented herself to be-a lady of rank, who had done and suffered much in the cause of the Hungarians in the late insurrection; that the narratives of her book were, upon the whole, true narratives-coloured perhaps of what she had done or heard during that struggle. It seems certain that, for unknown causes, she was persecuted with unrelenting virulence by a section of the Hungarian refugees, and that the detention, which acted so violently on her diseased frame as to cause her death, was due to this interfer ence. 31. GREAT FIRE AT HORNE'S COACH FACTORY.-A few minutes before 4 o'clock in the morning, a fire, attended with a destruction of several thousand pounds' worth of property, broke out in the coach manufactory of Mr. W. Horne, Nos. 93 and 94, Long Acre. The premises were nearly 100 feet high, about 80 feet in depth, and 50 feet wide. They were parcelled out into sundry compartments; the ground-floor was used as the showrooms, while a gallery stretched over the same formed the bazaar. Immediately over this were the body-makers', finishing, turning, and harness rooms. One part on the first floor, opposite Bow Street, was occupied as the private residence. A strong body of police immediately marched to the spot. The first thing sought to be accomplished was to take possession of each end of Long Acre, so that a great number of carriages could be pulled out and placed along each side of the road, allowing sufficient room for the engines to pass along. In a very few minutes each side of Long Acre and Bow Street was covered with carriages, broughams, &c., removed from the ground-floor. The fire, however, travelled too swiftly to allow of anything being removed from the top floors, and before an engine had time to reach the spot the flames had penetrated the flooring, and descended into the third floor. The private engines of Messrs. Combe and Delafield and those of the fire-brigade were speedily on the spot. Fortunately there was a most abundant supply of water, from which the whole of the engines were set to work; but, owing to the extreme height of the building, very little, if any, impression could be made upon the flames, and they kept rushing from the windows and casting immense pieces of blazing rafters, &c., over the houses in the neighbourhood, threatening them with destruction. Several escapes belonging to the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire were placed both back and front of the blazing pile, and by conveying the hose from the engines up them, the firemen were enabled to attack the flames at every point; but so great was the body of fire that some hours elapsed before the least mastery could be obtained, and it was nearly noon before it was wholly extinguished. COMPENSATION FOR AccIDENTS BY RAILWAY.-At the present assizes the railway companies have been punished in heavy damages for the slaughter or injuries occasioned by their mismanagement. Several actions have been brought by surviving relatives or passengers, and the juries have awarded such sums as, if they indicate the scale of compensation afforded in private to the numerous |