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London, April 30.- In the trial of the case of Oscar Wilde and Taylor to-day the charges of conspiracy were withdrawn by the prosecution. Counsel for Wilde then asked for a verdict of guilty on these counts. The court refused. Counsel for Wilde began his opening address. He said Wilde would take the stand and make an unqualified denial of the charges against. He had advised Wilde to accept the verdict against himself in the Queensberry trial, because it was clear the jury would not convict Queensberry.

Wilde was called to the witness stand. He swore than his evidence given at the Queensberry trial was absolutely true, and repeated it on cross-examination. He said he had nothing to do with publishing Lord Douglas' poems nor his articles in the Chameleon magazine. Asked to define Lord Douglas' expression, "I am the love that dare not speak its name," Wilde said he thought it meant spiritual love as pure as it was perfect. Wilde proceeded to enlarge upon the subject and became so eloquent as to evoke applause, causing the judge to threaten to clear the court.

Taylor, the co-defendant, next took the stand and told his career. He absolutely denied the charges against him.

LONDON, April 30, 1895. At the opening of today's sitting in the trial of Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor, Mr. C.F. Gill intimated that the prosecution withdrew the charges of conspiracy.

Sir Edward Clarke, on behalf of Wilde, said that if those charges had been withdrawn at the outset that he would have made application to have the prisoners tried separately.

The court said that, after the evidence which had been given, the counts charging conspiracy were needless.

Sir Edward Clarke: "Then I ask for a verdict of not guilty on those counts."

The Court refused to consent to such a verdict, saying that it would simply accede to the application of Mr Gill to have the charges of conspiracy withdrawn.

Sir Edward Clarke then began his opening address to the jury for the defence. He intended, he said, to put Wilde in the witness box, where he would make an unqualified denial of the charges against him. He cited Wilde's literary works, and argued that in no instance had his client written anything that would lead anyone to suppose him guilty of the practices alleged. Sir Edward explained the ending of the Queensberry trial, saying that Wilde's counsel were entirely responsible for its abrupt termination. It became clear, he said, that the jury would not convict Lord Queensberry, and he (Clarke) therefore advised Wilde to accept a verdict against himself.

WILDE ON THE STAND.

Oscar Wilde was called to the witness stand. He swore that the evidence he had given at the Queensberry trial was absolutely true. He repeated this testimony upon cross-examination without variation.

Continuing his testimony, Wilde said he had nothing to do with publishing Lord Alfred Douglas' poems, nor had he anything to do with the publication of his articles in the Chameleon magazine. Asked to define Lord Alfred's expression: "I am the love that dare not speak its name," Wilde said he thought it meant spiritual love, as pure as it was perfect. Wilde proceeded to enlarge upon the subject, and became so eloquent as to evoke a burst of applause, causing the Judge to threaten to clear the Court unless silence was observed.

Alfred Taylor, co-defendant with Wilde, was called to the stand, and told of his career. He was educated at Marlborough College, he said, and became an officer in the militia, but abandoned military life upon coming into an inheritance of £45,000. He absolutely denied the charges against him.

A PASSIONATE PERORATION

The evidence for the defence was finished in the afternoon, when Sir Edward Clarke addressed the jury in behalf of Wilde. The only direct evidence against Wilde, he declared, was the testimony of three blackmailers. Who would believe them? He spoke in this strain at considerable length and finished his address with a peroration remarkable for its display of passion and eloquence and the extraordinary efforts of the orator to secure the acquittal for his client.

Mr. Gill, for the prosecution, contended that the witnesses against Wilde had no object in swearing falsely.

The Judge will charge the jury to-morrow.

The statement is at least premature, if not altogether groundless, that Mrs. Oscar Wilde has begun proceedings for a divorce from her husband. At all events, she certainly could take no steps in that direction pending a verdict in the present trial of her husband in the Old Bailey Court.