The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-07 00:00:00

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day.

Sales probably only about 1,000 or 2,000 bales, at
-13. to V. below Laursday. Impart, 2,403 ; previ.
ously, 8,416.

Mr. Bright and the Pirate,
(From the .Birmingham Post.)
Those of our readers who remember the bankruptcy of
Mr. J. Rubery will no doubt remember also that Mr. J.
Rubery had a brother, younger than himself, who, being
sent out to New York to " settle accounts" with a Mr.
Hill, wandered off to California with, it was stated, certain
moneys in his possession. The young man was the object
of a great deal of discussion and evidence in the Bankruptcy
Court, and if we remember rightly the case was adjourned
once, or more than once, for his production as a witness.
He never came, but in his place Hill made his appearance,
remarking, when asked what brought him here, " The
steamship Europa." Hill, if our recollection serves us as it
should do, stated that young Rubery had called on him,
settle ,f accounts, and set out for California. As to the
" settling accounts" we know nothing—but it was agreed
on all hands that California was the destination of Mr. J.
Rubery's brother. It now turns out that the young man
has, through the influence of Mr. Bright, narrowly
escaped hanging. So far as we can make out, Rubery (of
Califorr ia), getting money somewhere, became part pro-
prietor of a steamship, which set out from New York with
supposed supplies for California. At all events, whether
part proprietor or not, he was supercargo ; and the "cargo''
of which he was " super" seems to have consisted chiefly of
arms and ammunition, with a great deal of quicksilver
thrown in as ''a blind." The real object of the journey,
however, seems to have been a piratical one, the plan being
to lie off San Francisco until an outward bound gold vessel
should fall into the clutches of the crew of the " supply"
steamer, in which case there is little doubt that the crew
of the gold vessel would have been murdered, and their
cargo stolen. Two of Rubery's sailors, however, got
ashore, and divulged the whole business, whereupon
the supply ship was seized, and Rubery and his compa-
nions were in imminent danger of being hanged, if, indeed,
they were not already sentenced; we do not know how
this was. This, however, is pretty certain : Rubery wrote
home explaining that he had an objection to being hanged,
but stating that he did not care ranch for a term of impri-
sonment, his apartments at the gaol being the most comfort-
able he had occupied for some time past. As was natural,
his friends here were greatly concerned ; and feeling that
Mr. Bright and Mr. Cobden were about the only persons
in this country who had influence enough in America to
get a commutation of the young scapegrace's sentence,
they applied to the friend of both gentlemen, Mr. Charles
Sturge, ex-mayor of Birmingham. Mr. Sturge, a strong
advocate for the abolition of capital punishment, at once
wrote to Mr. Bright, and Mr. Bright at once communicated
with the Federal Government at Washington. The result
was a commutation of Rubery's sentence to 10 years'
imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 dole. Hero Mr. Sturge's
efforts ended. The crime of which Rubery was convicted
was, as he took it, a very serious one, and the only ground
on which be had been induced to interest himself in the
young man's behalf was his belief that capital punishment
was simply judicial murder. Mrs. Joseph Sturge, how-
ever, together with certain members of the Society of
Friends in Birmingham, looking at the young man's
youth, his previous good conduct, and the influences by
which he was surrounded, moved Mr. Bright to obtain,
if possible, a full pardon. Mr. Bright, it would seem, com-
' plied with this request, and by the last mail received a
letter from a high authority in Washington—at all events
such a letter has been communicated to Rubery's friends—
containing the following passage :—" Rubery's pardon
will issue as soon as the papers can be prepared. There
is much feeling in California against the crime of Rubery
and his associates ; but the judge who tried him, and both
senators say, that everybody will be satisfied if it be known
that Mr. Bright, the good friend of our country, desired
the pardon."