The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-10 00:00:00

"A CHALLENGE FOR £5O.

"Mr J. Taylor, The Funny Little Man' (now engaged
at Weston's), challenges all comic singers in the United
Kingdom to sing six songs, each competitor to sing the
same or his own songs, and the judges (to be selected from
our best comedians), to decide as to which is the most origi-
nal, truest to nature, and the most comical."
This challenge, issuing from a place of entertainment so
near Drury-lane, was at once taken up by another comic
singer at the Middlesex Music Hall, who published the fol-
lowing reply :
" In answer to Mr J. Taylor's challenge, I, John Blan-
chard, will sing six comic songs against him for £5O a-side,
and will be at the Middlesex Music Hall on Wednesday
next, July 20, to draw up an agreement to that effect, at 12
o'clock noon,"

That everything might be in proper sporting form, the
following articles of agreement were drawn up :

"Articles of Agreenzeht.
"London, July 20, IS(A,
"We, James Taylor and John Blanchard, agree to sing
six songs each, for the sum of £5O a-side.
.‘ Each party to sing what songs he may think proper,
either in or out of character, and Ihe songs to be sang
alternately,

" Each party tc name two judges, and agree upon a third
person, who shall be referee, and his decision to be final,
" The competition to take place on Wednef day, August
24th, 1864, at Weston's Music Hall.
" The judges and referee to decide which competitor is
the most original the most truthful to nature, and the most
comical.

" We hereby deposit £lO each, and the entire sum of £5O
a-side to bo in the hands of the stakeholder seven days pre-
vious to the 17th of August, 1861. Either party failing, to
forfeit the money down. The Editor of the .Era to be the
stakeholder.

" Witnesses—

" G. H. George.

" Geo. Ware.

(Signed) " JAs. TAYLOR..
" JOHN BLANCHARD.

" N.B.— It is particularly requested that the audience on
this occasion will not applaud or show their disapprobation
on either side, but leave it entirely to the judges."
At the time and place appointed the two singing cham-
pions appeared, confident in all the tricks or "mugging,"
wearing hats stuck on the aide of the head, and pulling
down the hair over the face, which distinguish the comic
singer. The hall was crowded in every part at double the
usual prices of admission, the utmost quantity of drink of
all kinds was consumed, the bets ran high, on pretty equal
terms, upon both singers, and the audience, disobeying the
itjunctions of the chairman, were uproarious in their ap•
plause. Mr Taylor started first with a "patter song,"
called "The Seven Ages of Man ;" Mr Blanchard followed
with an English version of " Largo al Factotum ;" and
then each competitor represented in turn an old woman, a
love-sick youth, an idiot, a costermonger, a Greenwich pen-
sioner, a chilly man, a jolly man, a traveller by a Calais boat,
and Macbeth travestie. Each singer—to use a sporting
phrase--"came up smiling," perhaps a little too smiling; but
although a few good points were made by each, and Mr
Taylor showed some little capacity as an actor, their art
belonged to a very low level. The songs were old—defi-
cient, as usual, in humour and observation of life—and the
style of singing was of the very ancient grimacing kind,
clowning without the paint. In originality the real quiet
fun both singers were far inferior to Mr Mackney, Mr
Unsworth, and Mr J. G. Forde, though probably they suit
' their market even better than those gentlemen. 'lhe judges
—Messrs E. L. Blanchard, Ledger, Nelson Lee, C. J.
Collins, Elliot, and Nimmo, awarded the prize to Mr
Taylor, who was evidently the favourite in the betting. The
decision, being on a matter of taste and not a matter of
fact, of course proves nothing, except that a" singing con-
test" is as popular with a certain class as an Eisteddfod in
Wales.

Mr. Justice Williams and the Banting
System,

(From the Law limes of 70-day,)
We are happy to state that Mr Justice Williams is at last
pronounced out of danger. For weeks he has been hover-
ing between life and death, and the decision in his favour
will be hailed with delight by the public, as well as by his
private friends. It is to be hoped that those of our readers
who are tempted to try the effect of the Ranting system to
reduce that obesity which nature has given them, will think
a little of Mr Justice Williams before adopting it, for it is
said that the serious illness of the learned judge was thought
to have been occasioned by the use of that famous system,

FALL OF A SUSPENSION BRIDGE.—The suspen-
sion-bridge over the Oise, at Verberie,gave way two
days ago, and a loaded waggon with five horses and the
driver were precipitated into the river. Two of the animals
saved themselves by swimming ashore, and, what is some-
what singular one of them was the shaft horse, which in
the fall had become released from the vehicle by the break-
ing of the harness. The driver, named Bocquet, was carried
some distance down the current, where he met with one of
the other horses, which, although wounded, was endeavour-
ing to reach the bank, and he caught hold of its mane.
Bocquet's shoulder being however dislocated, his strength
soon failed him. He lot go his hold, and would have been
drowned had not some boatmen came to his assistance. The
horse to which the man had held on perished with the
other two. The bridge had been built 2S years, and must
have been in a very bad condition, as the weight of the
waggon under which it gave way was only from 5,000 to
6,000 kilogs., which is much less than the limit of weight
fixed by the engineers.
- -

FRANCS, SURELY—NOT POUNDS !—Alexander
Dumas, pere, calculates his literary earnings up to this point
at only £738,544.
The greater part of the statues, bassi-rilievi, and
detached frescoes, remains of the Farness Collection, has
been purchased from the ex-King of Naples for the British
Museum for £l,OOO.
VICTOR HUGO has gracefully remarked in his
new work about " Shakspere that in many of the Great
Poet's dramas a minor plot of the came kind, like a secondary
rainbow, faintly reflects the main action. Laertes, like
Hamlet, has a father's death to revenge. Gloucester, as
well as Lear, is the victim of parricidal cruelty,

gintrt 111
..Tylt

HER MAJESTY,

BALMORAL, Sept. 8.

The Queen, accompanied by the Duchess of Saxe
Coburg and Princess Louise, drove to the Lynn of
Quoich yesterday.
Her Royal Highness Princess Helena, attended
by the Hon. Harriet Phipps, drove to Birkhall.

Probable Visit of the Prince and Princess
of Wales to Sweden.
STOCKHOLM, SEPT. 9.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales are expected here at the end of this month.
A letter of invitation has been addressed to them by
the King of Sweden; and a Swedish man-of-war
will be dispatched to meet them.

PRINCE ALFRED.—A letter from Bonn states
that Prince Alfred of England will arrive there in
the autumn, and will study for a year at the uni•
varsity, where, as will be well remembered, the late
Prince emsort passed a portion of his youth.

The Earl and Countess Fitz william and Ladies
FLzwilliam have arrived at Wentworth House,
Yorkshire, from their seat in Ireland. The nobly
earl and countess will entertain a select party at
Wentworth during the Doncaster races•

The Earl of Westmorland has left the St George's
Hotel.

The Earl and Countess of Scarborough will re-
ceive a large party at Sandbeck Park, near Rother-
ham, during the Doncaster race meeting.
The Earl de Grey and Ripon and his son, Vis-
count Goderich, are now staying at Nocton Hall.
_ _

The Earl and Countess Russell and Ladies Bus•
sell have arrived at Windermere from Derbyshire
for a tour of the lakes. The noble earl, as one of
the Secretaries of State, will, on the 12th instant
relieve the Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood, now is
attendance on the Queen at Balmoral.

Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston arrived a
Cambridge House, Piccadilly, last evening, from
Brocket Hall, Herts. The noble Premier and Lady
Palmerston, however, leave town early in the ensu4
ing week for Broadlande.
Viscountess Jocelyn and Hon. Misses Jocelyn
have left Switzerland for Turin.

Viscount and Viscountess Holmesdale, and Sir
Edmund and Lady Filmer, will remain at the
shooting quarters at Invercauld, N. 8., unt'l the end
of next month, when they leave for the south.
They intend to pay a series of visits on their waY
to Kent.

Lord Seaton has arrived at Lochnaw Castle, Wig,
townshire, the seat of S.r Andrew Agnew, Bart.,

Lord and Lady Stanley of Alderley and Hon,
Misses Stanley, who, since their return from Ger.
many, have been on a visit to Lord and Lady Wens'
leydale at Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire, intend t°
leave there to-day for Alderley Park, Cheshire.
Lord and Lady William Osborne have left Eng'
land on a tour in Germany.
The Marquis of Sligo has arrived at the St.
George's Hotel.
The Earl Cadogan is again seriously ill, but not
worse than he was in the summer. Several members of blf4
family are in town owing to his illness.
THE EMPRESS EUGENIE AND THE PROTESTANTS.
—Not long since some Protestant ladies applied to al°
Empress Eugenie for a donation in aid of a Protestallt
Orphan Society. A few days later they received a letter 13
which the Empress said that she fully sympathised in their
work, and entered into their views ; and to prove that oh°
did so she sent them for a lottery two magnificent porcelain
vases, worth 600 f. each.

CAMBERWELL WORKHOUSE.—On Thursday lasi
200 of the inmates cf Camberwell Workhouse, including
about 40 imbecile patients, were conveyed in vans to PurlV
Downs, near Croydon, under the care of Mr. and 1-‘l°:
S.mithers, the master and matron. On their arrival they se"
do ~rn to a substantial dinner of roast beet and porter; later
in the day to a good tea, with cake, Szc. Those of the aged
inmates who were too ill to bear the fatigue of the journey
were supplied with a good dinner and tea, and with a gl°s
of punch and cake at bedtime,
DESTRUCTION OF A FEMALE PENITENTIARY AT
LIVERPOOL—LIVERPOOL, September 9.—A fire of a most
alarming nature occurrei this morning, which has unfortu-
nately resulted in the entire destruction of the reformatory
institution for females called The Home, situated in Mason
street, Edge-hill. It appears that about half-past 4 a.u''
one of the inmates perceived a strong smell of fire, and:
having at once given the alarm, a messenger was despatcheu
to the fire engine stations. Half an hour nearly elapse('
after the different engines had reached the scene of the fire
before any hose could be brought to play on the buildiao
owing to a scarcity of water in the mains, and by the time
the flames were subdued the building was completely gutted'
The loss is estimated at about £2OOO, and this is covered by
insurances in the Royal and Guardian offices. Althouglz
there were about 40 inmates of The Home in bed at the
time the fire broke out, none of them were injured. The
fire was caused by the overheating of a stove in the laundry
which set fire to some clothes.

THE STORY OF A LOST SOVEREIGN.—HILL
GLINDLE AND ROGERS.—An action was brought
the Bristol County Court on Tuesday, to recover the KO
of £5, the value of a clock belonging to the plaintiff, whiell
ho alleged the defendants had improperly and illegally pod
sessed themselves of. Mr, Roper, for the plaintiff, said the
action was brought to recover the sum of £5, the value si
a clock, which the plaintiff alleged the defendants had 1113"
lawfully taken away from his house. It appeared that til°
12th May, 1863, was the first day of Bath races in that
year, and on those occasions it was usual for persons t°,
assemble upon Lawrence-hill to see the vehicles going an
returning from the races, and gentlemen on their way' tc:
and from the races were in the habit of throwing coPPel;
to the boys who there assembled. The plaintiff's son, aufoll°
other boys, was on Lawrence-hill on the evening in clues'
Lion watching the people return from the races, and wi'6,ll
near the Carriers' Arms he saw a coin lying upon the roils?
which he picked up, and conceived it to be a new W#
thing. lie carried it home, and then his mother did
covered that it was a sovereign which he had fouls'
The plaintiff told all his neighbours of the fact, but no 08
appeared to own it, and he determined, after the expiratfeil
of ten days, that it should be expended in providing ttl°
little fellow who had picked it up with a new suit of clothe°.
The fact of the sovereign being found subsequently
got to the knowledge of Grindle, one of the defendant`'
who sent for the boy of the plaintiff, and stated t()
him that the sovereign which he had found was his Pr();
nerty. He locked up the boy in a stable, and threatene-
him that if he did not state that he had found the
sovereign in the place indicated by him he would send I°f
:
a constable and give him in charge. That intimidated the
boy, and he said whatever they required of him. Grind°
and the other defendant then went to the plaintiff's hooset
where they saw his wife, and said that if she did not giV:
them the sovereign, or some compensation, they would Bic„
the boy in charge. The wife said that she could nct ,
anything in the matter, and that they had better wait utiti
her husband returned. They, however, said they were n°,
to be put off in that way, but that they must have some
thing to hold as security for the payment of the sovereie
and they took away an eight-day clock, which had been 041
property of the family for some time, and which the plail3t),
valued at £5. The action, Mr Roper said, would not lls%
been brought if in honour the defendants had returned
clock, and made the plaintiff some little compensation
,f°o
the trouble and annoyance they had occasioned him. nd
plaintiff, his wife, son (who picked up the sovereign)'
another boy were called in support of the plaintiff's c 3!„,
The wife, in her cross examination, denied that she slcho
gested that the clock should be taken as security for
~
sovereign, to prevent her son being locked up, 11',
threatened her and said she would be locked up as well
her son if she did not give them the money or the. raottelt,
worth. She admitted having assisted the defendanOho
carry the clock to the house of Mr. Burrows, who was
father-in-law of Grindle, and with whom he lived• She
also stated that Sergeant Porter was present when
defendants told her she must give something as 8001'4
and she also alleged that sergeant Porter had
sho must, and she therefore thought that it must 'O,
right. Mr Beckenham, on behalf of the defendants, c°o
tended that the clock had been given by the plaintiff's `° e.
and at her own suggestion, and was by her and others ce,
veyed to a publichouse in the neighbourhood, there to.ro.
main as security for the repayment of the sovereigo.
Grindle and Rogers, the defendants, were examined' tl,O
the latter stated that he missed the sovereign frool
pocket of his waistcoat, which he had hung up !ill
e„ jitl
stable at the time the plaintiff's boy was there. P.ojo
not, however, suspect him until he heard some 'l,"
afterwards that he had found a sovereign, and
Of
he went to his mother, who offered him a band
duplicates as security rather that her son shonluot
to the police-station. lie told her that he dicl,ereet
know anything about them, and then she Off 009
him the clock or anything that was fn the 120118viere
security. Mr 'Weston, farrier, and Mr Barrovcsvoper
examined in support of the defendants' case. Mr
eov
replied upon the defendants' case, and his Honour
hard s
summed up the evidence, the jury immediately returri:itej
verdict for the plaintiff as against Rogers, but 12010
the plaintiff in respect to Grindle,