The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-07 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

OMNIBUS CONDUCTORS' TRICKERY.—A very respectable
looking woman applied to the magistrate for redress under
the following circumstances :

Applicant said that on Sunday night last she get into an
omnibus at the Cambridge-road to ba conveyed to St.
George's Hospital. On passing Knightsbridge barracks she
gave the conductor a shilling to take her fare, and when
she got out said, "I gave you a shilling, if you remember,
and I have not had nay change," He replied, " Y es, all
right, ma'am," and then the omnibus drove oft, the con-
ductor pointing to his badge after he had gone some dis-
stance. Complainant had succeeded in getting the number
of the omnibus, and on going to the Bank on the following
morning saw the omnibus time-keeper, who gave her the
conductor's badge number.

Mr Dayman inquired whether it was a Kew-bridge or a
Hammersmith omnibus.

Applicant said it was a Hammersmith omnibus only.
Mr Dayman—What is the fare ?

Applicant—Sixpence,
Mr Dayman— Is there any difference of fare on a Sunday
or after any particular time of night ?
Applicant—There is a difference after 8 o'clock, but there
is no fare whatever amounting to a shilling, which has
been taken of me.

Mr Dayman—What is the increased fare—it must be
put upon the table of fares in the omnibus ?

Applicant—lt is stated there, " Ninepence to London
after 8 o'clock"—that is, either from Hammersmith or the
Cambridge-road, the entire distance.

Mr Dayman—You may take a summons for the over•
charge.

THAMES.
ATTEMPT TO MURDER.—Harriett Penn, a surly-looking
woman, was charged before Mr Partridge with attempting
to murder George Allen, a sailor, at his lodings, Cornwall-
street.
It appeared from the evidence that on the previous even-
ing about 9 o'clock complainant returned home, when he
found the prisoner lying drunk on the bed. He told her
to get up and get him his tea, and observed that he supposed
she intended to serve him as she did a week ago. As she
objected to do as he wished, he remarked that he would
pack up his goods and go away in the morning. He was in
the act of tying up his things and stooping down for that
purpose, when the prisoner, who was behind him, gave him
a violent blow on the head with a chopper, which caused
the blood to flow profusely.
Mr Partridge—Did she say anything when she struck
you ?
Complainant said she called him a b--, and was about
to strike him again, when a policeman came in.
Mr Partridge—Have you felt any serious effects from the
blow ?

Complainant—Yes, sir. I have not been able to work
since. I went to the station-house, where the wound was
dressed by Mr. Ross, the divisional surgeon, who said it
was a very bad wound.
K 245 stated that he hoard the disturbance, and that
when he got in the room he found the complainant covered
with blood, and the prisoner was wiping the blood from the
chopper. (The constable produced the instrument, which
had blood on it.)
The prisoner was remanded.

MARKETS—This Day.

MARK-LANE.

The arrivals Of English wheat, fresh up to our markets
to. day, were very moderate. The trade, however, was
quiet for all qualities, yet no change took place in prices,
compared with Monday.

With foreign wheat, the market was well supplied. In
most descriptions, a limited business was transacted, at
previous quotations.

Floating cargoes of grain moved off slowly, at late rates.
There was a moderate supply of barley on tho stands.
Generally speaking the trade was dull, and prices had a
drooping tendency.
The malt trade was quiet, at late rates.

The supply of oats on sale was large. There was less
activity in the demand for most descriptions; nevertheless,
prices ruled firm.

Beans and peas were in limited supply, and both articles
commanded extreme rates.

Flour was in moderate request, at Monday's quototions,

AURIVALS THIS WVEIC.
Wheat. Barley, Malt. Oats. Flour.
English .. 320 60 530 110 290
Irish
Foreign 3,110 1,670 10,990 380 brls.

BOROUGH HOP.
The supply of new hops on sale is tolerably largo, and
the trade rules heavy, at drooping prices,

WHITECHAPEL.

The supply of meat on sale is moderate, and the demand
rules inactive, as follows :
CBeef, from 2s 10d to; 4s 4d; mutton, 3s Bcl to 4s 8d;
veal, 3s 6d to 4s 4d; and pork, 3s 6d to 4s 6d per 81148 by
the carcase.

WESTMINSTER-BRIDGE IMPROYEMENTS.—Yes•
terday, by order of the Chief Commissioner of Public Works,
the removal of the whole of the houses required to com-
plete the approaches to Westminster-bridge was commenced
in Parliament-street, New Palace-yard, and Bridge-street.
A STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATE FOR BIRKENHEAD.

—At the monthly meeting of the Birkenhead Commis-
sioners yesterday it was agreed to appoint a committee to
take into consideration the question of providing a stipen-
diary magistrate for Birkenhead. The commissioners gene-
rally are in favour of the appointment of a paid magistrate,
and the committee's chief business therefore will be to fix
the salary, &c.

THE BIRKENHEAD STREET RAlLWAY.—Birken-
head, which resembles many American cities in having the
advantage of an extensive street railway system, is to be
subjected to law for this reason. Mr. Gough, hotel pro-
prietor, and Mr. Evans, omnibus proprietor (whose traffic
the street railway interferes with), have intimated that un-
less the line of rails in Bridge-street are at once taken up,
they will take such steps to enforce their removal as the
solicitors acting for them may advise.

PREMATURE SMOKING.—Like many other pro-
found thinkers, Mr Punch is fond of smoking, and
he naturally entertains a sympathy for smokers, To have
his sympathy, however, smokers must smoke sensibly, and
not commit excesses. Mr Punch likes moderate drinking,
but he hates to see men drunk; and he regards immoderate
smokers as only a shade less to be despised by hina than
drunkards. Smoking prematurely is, to 111 r Punch's think-
ing, the worst form of excess, and the one which moves in
him most hatred and disgust. Smoking prematurely
is a selfish, snobbish practice, and it is matter for re-
gret that there are not more means to stop it. Clearly it
is nonsense to pretend that boys can really have a need or
liking for tobacco, or be a whit the better or the happier for
using it. Boys who prematurely smoke do so not because
they like it, but because they think it manly to be seen able
to smoke, Such smokers are, in fact, mean, silly little
snobs, and all right-minded people jus4 hold them in con-
tempt. Nature does her best to act as their tobacco stopper ;
but by practice they acquire the power to smoke without
being made sick by it, and this done they delude them-
selves by fancying that tobacco has become a vital need
to them, and when they smoke they try to think
they really relish it. This, however, is sheer
nonsense, for the true taste for tobacco comes alone
with age, like the appetite for turtle, and it is not to be
acquired by those who prematurely seek it. Moreover, bojs
who take to smoking have not the sense to put due bounds
on their indulgence, and they are apt to smoke at times when
it does them the most injury, and is to others the worst
nuisance. Unable to control themselves, they smoke in
business hours and in going to their business; and when
going out to dinner they take a furtive pipe, and even come
into a drawing-room with coats that stink of stale tobacos,
Now, tobacco is a good thing, and good things ought not
to bo wasted. Smoking prematurely is a worse than
waste, for it annoys people about him and only harms the
smoker. One cannot well doubt this, if one but sees
the pimply cheeks and tallowy complexions of the young
short-pipe sucking fools who meet us everywhere. Every
whiff they take up helps to blow their brains out, and put
out of tune their organs of digestion. Few men can smoke
sarly‘in the day w thout hurting them, and any boy who
does so must assuredly be weakened both in body and in
mind by it. A boy (which word applies to all youths under
20) who goes to business daily with a pipe between his teeth
has put an enemy into his mouth, that will steal away his
brains, and it is well that his employer should be warned
against the rubbery. Smoking prematurely is a habit as
injurious as taking early morning drams, or drinking port
wine before dinner ; and as the evil has increased to really
serious dimensions, .21/r Punch may be excused for making
serious remarks, and not making a joke of it,— TuncA,