The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-07 00:00:00

A MILITARY FRACAS AT CALAIS.

The Progres du Pas de Calais relates an incident
which lately took place at the theatre at Calais. During
the performance a young officer in full uniform, who had
but recently left the School of St. Cyr, was talking with
one of his friends, when the commissary of police, who was
sitting in an adjoining box, turned towards him, and re-
quested silence. The officer replied to him in a low tone
by some words of assent, but after • few minutes re-
sumed his conversation with his friend in a tone loud
enough to be again heard by the functionary. The latter
loudly called on him to be silent, and threatened that,
if he continued, be would have him put out, on which
the officer replied that he had no right to do so. The
commissary then left his box, and went and spoke to a
superior officer of the garrison, but as this officer did not
move from his seat on being spoken to, it is supposed
that he refused to interfere. On the commissary return-
ing to his box, he held up his finger to the officer, who,
considering that movement as a menace, said to him,
" Yon will not frighten me." Between tie pieces, as
the officer was about to leave the box, he met in the
lobby the commissary, who had then assumed his scarf
of office, and two police officers. Not wishing to have
any dispute, he stepped back, but the commissary followed
him, and requested him to go out, but the officer refused,
saying that the rtommisaary had no right to order him.
The audience, particularly those in the pit, who up to this
time had taken no part in the affair. now became clamorous,
and, siding with the comm imary, exclaimed, "Turn him out."
The officer, still persisting in his refusal, the commissary
ordered his agents to do their duty, and one of them was
about to lay hold of the officer, when the officer put his
hand on the hilt of his sabre, and partly drew it, but the
movement was arrested by the other agent. The affair now
began to assume a more serious appearance, for the mili-
tary in the house began to interfere on the side of the
officer, when a gentleman of the town, • large manufac-
turer, and who, from being seated near the officer, had
heard the whole affair, rose, and exclaimed, " It is an in
justice ; the officer does not merit the rigour adopted
towards him." At this remark the face of the affair
changed; the audience no longer galled for the officer's
expulsion, the commissary ordered his agents to retire, and
quiet was restored. The affair, however, has not rested
there. The officer, thinking that the polies had no right
to lay their hands on him, has brought his case before the
military authorities, and an inquiry has been instituted,
and the commissary, on his side, has made a report to the
judicial authorities, deman.ling the prosecution of the indi-
vidual who interfered in favour of the officer.

SALE OF COPYRIGHTS, &e.—Yesterday, Mr. Hodg-
son, the auctioneer of Fleet-street, concluded an extensive
sal* of literary property, comprising nearly half a million
volumes, and the copyrights and stereotype plates of nu-
merous illustrated and other popular works. The following
may be classed among the most important: Knight's Pic-
torial Museum of Animated Nature, 2 vols. folio, 4,000 parts
and 11,000 numbers, with copyright and stereotype plates,
sold for 6001. The Pictorial Gallery of Arts, also
Knight's, 2 vols. folio, stock, copyright and plates.
brought 8501. The stock, copyright, and plates of
Kitto's Pictorial Sunday Book were knocked down
at 6601. ; ditto of Pictorial Half-Hours, 4 vols., 1051.
The stereotype plates of Mr. Knight's Shakapeare sold for
3201., and those of South's Household Surgery for 2101.
The copyright and plates of some of the most popular of
Knight's shilling volumes were disposed of at the same
sale, and realised a good market price. The copyright of
" How to Observe " was sold for 21. 10s. The sale
attracted the general attendance of the trade.

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DISAPPEARANCE OF A YOUNG LADT.—A family
residing at Bayswater are in the greatest anxiety en ac-
count of their daughter, who was sent on Friday morning,
Nov. 18, to call upon en invalid lady, whose house they
find, upon inquiry, she did not reach, and from the time
she left her parents' home to the present they have not ob-
tained the least clue to her whereabouts, notwithstanding
every exertion on the pert of her friends and the police.
She was twenty-two years of age, and went out in her
morning dress, and altogether lightly clad for the time of
year. Any tidings will be thankfully received by her
friends if communicated to the police.
HAWKING WITHOUT A LICENSE.—At the Petty
Sesaiuna, held at Tunbridge Wells, before Mr. J. Deane,
on the 12th ult., Michael Derley was brought up in custody
charged with selling mats without a license. The accused
did not deny the charge, but contended that he had a right
to do so, as he manufactured the articles himself. lie had
done the same thing in hundreds of town', and had never
before been interrupted ; he bad his mother and brother to
support, both of whom were deaf and dumb. Mr. Deane
inquired if the prisoner had been cautioned, and on receiv-
ing a reply in the affirmative (from P. C. Morgan) intimated
that he could not allow the statement of the prisoner to in-
fluence his decision. The tradesmen of the town, as well
as persons taking out licenses for hawking, must be pro-
tected, and he (the prisoner) must pay a fine of 101., or go
to prix n for seven days. The prisoner requested Mr.
Deane to inform him under what Act he was committed.
Mr. Deane declined to give the information. The Clerk,
to the prisoner : You can Bnd that out when you get to
gaoL— Sussex Express.