The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-19 00:00:00

(Before Mr. Payne.)

Harriet Mordica was indicted for attempting to steal a
cloak, the property of a linendraper.
Tho prisoner, by the advice of her counsel (Mr. Ribton),
pleaded guilty.
Mrs. Dean, who came up to speak to her character, said
she had never known her do a dishonest act before, She
unfortunately was a little given to drink.

Mr Itibton—Unfortunately that is the cause of three-
fourths of the crime of this country.
Mr Payne—lt is the cause of the jury, being kept here for
many days longer than ought b be.
Mr Itibton—Well, it is a vary trivial case, I hope you
will give her a very lenient sentence,
Mr Payne—lt has been said she is given to occasional
drinking, but when she did so I suppose she took a good
deal ?

Mr Ribton—Ot course you can assume what you please.
Mr Payne—l want to know how prisoner gets her living.
Police-sergeant Matthews—l have seen her about the
streets at all hours of the night.
Prisoner—l never was out late before.
Mr Itibton—The policeman will be sure to say to the con-
trary, so don't say any more.
Mr Payne—l don't think you ought to say that.

Dlrßibtnn—The prisoner ought to bo much obliged to
the policeman for saying what he has. Really, my lord,
this is a very trifling ease-

Mr Payne—Tell, I shall commit the prisoner for six
months, with hard labour. She will come out of prison a
new woman.

Mr Ribton—And that is a light sentence. That is what
my client gets by calling witnesses to her character. If
she had not done so you would havo heard nothing about
her drinking. It appears to we she has got an additonal
three months for getting drunk.

Mr Payne—Nothing of the kind. I have, I think,
given her a very short sentence.
Mr Ribton—Oh very, but I don't think so. It would
have been better if she had said nothing, but had abided
the result of the simple verdict cf a jury.
Mr Payne—Well, perhaps, in that case she would have
got a year's imprisonment.

I\lr Ribton—You could have given her two years; I
know that, I think, however, she has, under the circum-
stances, got a very severe sentence,

Mr Payne—You have a right to enjoy your own opinion.
Mr Itibton-, I am obliged to your lordship for the infor-
mation.

The American Debt,

The New York World, in one of its recent num-
bers, attempts an analysis of the existing debts and
resources of the United States, and confining itself
to setting forth admitted facts, leaves its readers to
estimate the probable result. In the first place, the
debt is shown to have amoarted in June last to
£520,000,000. Since that date the war has been
going on, and still goes on, at an estimated cost of
£BOO,OOO per day; and the calculation is that by
March next the Federal Government will owe at
least 1700,000,000. A large portion of the existing
liabilities, being in the shape of currency, carries no
interest; but, sooner or later, this mart be met,
and, reckoning the ultimate interest to be paid at
the moderate rate of 6 per cent., a total annual
charge will thus exist of £42,000,000 per annum,

It is then remarked that the United States have
always contemplated with astonishment the immense
debt of England, and expressed " great commis2ra-
tion for her people ;" but that the interest of the
whole English debt is only £27,000,000. And even
this comparison,
it is added, gives a very imperfect
idea of the impending consummation. It is based
on the assumption of the termination of the war in
March, but takes no account of the " immense
amount of unsettled claims to be brought in."
These will include damages sustained by loyal
citizens, compensation for property taken for Go-
vernment purposes, and the reclamations of foreign
Governments " for losses incurred by their citizens
for illegal captures ;" also the war debts, contracted
by the various counties and towns of individual
States for bounties, &a. At the least, therefore, an
aggregate national liability of £1,100,000,000 will
then have to be encountered. Tem question remains
what are the peculiar resources of the Federal
States to enable them to sustain this burden, On
that head it is shown that according to the most
favourable official and other estimates the value of
the real and personal property in the loyal States
(including Kentucky, Western Virginia, and Mis-
souri, whose loyalty is hypothetical), was in Jan.,
1862, £2,111,200,000. Hence the actual debt in
March next, supposing it to have been raised to
£1,100,000,000 by the settlement of all claims to
that date, will amount to more than half the entire
property of tho vrholo of these States, and every in-
dividual in the country will hare to recognise that
the larger portion of everything he considers him-
self to possess in the shape of wealth actually belongs
to the public creditor. And even here we do not
arrive at the climax, since it has to be borne in mind
that the valuation of the property of the various
States was made when they were at the height of
solid prosperity, and that since that period the pro-
duwave powers of all have been fatally diminished,
while such States as Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky,
end Western Virginia have been devastated and
nearly rutted. The fact is also to be considered
that the army cannot be disbanded at a blow, and
that in the shape of pensions alone a large charge
must remain. Should the South be eubjugated and
brought back into the Union, the prospect, it is
argued, would be worse instead of better. " They
have a largo debt of their own due to their own
citizens and to foreigners, which they would feel in
honour bound to pay, if able, in case the Union
did not assume it, and enormous appropriations
would be required to rebuild the lighthouses all
along the Southern coast, to repair the fortifications
and to open and render the harboars safe for com
merce." Fin .11y, the readers of the World are
asked in the face of these statements to consider the
fact.that the Customs revenue last year in gold was
only about £14,000,000, that the internal revenue
produced only /7,800,000, and that the latter,
although estimated under the new tariff to yield
£200,000 per day, is not believed thus far even to
have approached such a sum. They have here the
materials for a judgment, and the World prefers to
leave the case without comment. "Whet her, if th(
war continues, cur debt will be paid or repudiated
must depend upon the virtue of our people.', It is
admitted that the argument is available that the
debt is so distributed among the population that a
large party will thus be created against repudiation.
But (says the World) it is safer to look at the past.
Our revolutionary indebtedness was in the hands of
all the people. It was held in sums smaller or
larger by almost every one, and yet this did not
prevent its being sealed down to 40 for one,