July: "It is known to many of our readers that
the Whig-Radical faction in Shrewsbury, despairing (as the event has
proved) of winning the election by fair and honest means, have resorted
to the infamous trick of publishing anonymous slanders against Mr.
Disraeli, one of the Tory Candidates. He rebutted the slanders so
promptly and effectually, that, at last, the opposite party resolved to
try the desperate expedient of publishing them with a name attached, as a
sort of guarantee. Accordingly, a letter, repeating these slanders,
"with additions," appeared in the _Shrewsbury Chronicle_ on Friday,
signed by a barrister, who had been employed by the Radical candidates to
manage their part of the contest. Mr. Disraeli, without any loss of
time, issued a handbill commenting on conduct which appears to us at once
ungentlemanly and unprofessional, and plainly designated the barrister's
statements as 'utterly false.' This handbill appeared early in the
forenoon of Friday, and, at an advanced hour of the afternoon, a
gentleman waited upon Mr. Disraeli with a hostile message from his
calumniator. He found Mr. Disraeli in company with his lady, and
communicated that he had business of importance to settle with him. A
challenge from the barrister was then handed to Mr. Disraeli. About an
hour afterwards, Mr. Jonathan Sheppard having learnt that such a
transaction had taken place--and it is certain that the information had
not come from the challenged party--waited upon the Mayor, and, upon his
information, our worthy Chief Magistrate called upon both parties to
enter into recognizances to keep the peace. How far Mr. Disraeli would
have been justified in meeting a person who had acted as the barrister
had acted, is a question which need not be discussed here."

CHAPTER XVI.

Story of an Irish informer--Steam Cars--Sale of Vauxhall Gardens--First
Jewish Baronet--New Railways opened--High tide--Fire at the Tower--Birth
of Prince of Wales--His patent as such--The Thames at length
tunnelled--Antiquities found in Royal Exchange.

We have known something about Irish crime, but the following true tale
takes a lot of beating. On the last day of the Clonmel Assizes, in July,
Judge Torrens heard a case of arson, in which the prisoners, who were
four in number, were all acquitted, after a trial which lasted eight
hours.

The principal witness for the prosecution was an approver, named Lysaght;
and, in all the annals of in