The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-08 00:00:00

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Goulburn.)
IN RE PEPPER.
This bankrupt was an actuary, and came before the
Court with heavy liabilities in connection with public com-
panies, in one of which the Life Assurance Treasury for
£28,000, that company being under proceedings for wind-
ing up under the Court of Chancery.
The bankrupt obtained his order for discharge.
IN RE

This was an application for release from custody.
His Honour said that on referring to the Copy Causes
(a list showing the cause of the debtors' detention), there
was one for contempt of Court in not paying a large sum
of money into the Court of Chancery, whereupon he was
taken under attachment.

His Honour said it was a case in which he could not in.
terfere to relieve the bankrupt.

Mr. Sargood said that Mr. Commissioner Holroyd had
held that an attachment merely for the non-payment of
money was a mere debt, and in the absence of any other
allegation of contempt he granted the release.

His Honour said that every case had its peculiar facts.
The court had a discretionary power, and in this case he
would exercise it by refusing the application, but the bank-
rupt, if advised to do so, might appeal.

:Before Mr. CommissionerHolroyd and Mr. Commissioner

Fonblanque.)
IN RE ALFRED GURNEY.

This bankrupt, described as of Upper-street, Islington,
wine and spirit merchant, came up and passed his exami-
nation on accounts by Messrs. Hart Brothers and Hayles.
The debts, unsecured creditors, amount to X 17,383; to ditto
holding security, £19,287. Cr., good debts. £991; pro-
rerty, £1,275; other in►erests, £4.50; property in hands of
creditors, £19,915; deficiexcy, £14,039.

THE LONDON AND PROVINCIAL DISCOUNT COMPANY,
A pro forma dividend meeliag was heid today, and a
few proofs admitted. The debts are stated at £7,000, assets
£1,600.

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.—An inquiry was
held on Wednesday, at the Fulham. bridge Tavern,
by Mr. James Bird, coroner for West Middlesex, respect-
ing the death of a child, the daughter of a medical 1,-cturer,
named Rowbotham. Mr. Rowbotham was examined, and
stated that, though a member of the medical profession,
he was not in practice; he had for some time travelle,.
and lectured. The deceased child was his, and aged
two years and five months. She was a delicate child
from her birth, and he had administered medicine from
time to time, and about three months ago the child had a
tall, and became gradually worse. He still treated her,
and did not then send for any medical man. On the
28th ultimo he sent for Mr. Fyfe, of Brompton, who at
tended her; but she died two days afterwards. Mr
Francis Goderich, registered surgeon, of Onslow-square
who had, by direction of the coroner, made a post-mortem
examination, depo.ed that the child had died from serous
effusion of the brain, which was a purely natural cause of
death. It appeared that Mr. Rowbotham had given a cer••
zificate as to the cause of death, Mr. Fyfe having declined
to do so, on which account the inquiry was considered
necessary. The relatives of the child, it was explained, be-
lieved that it had been ill-treated, and threatened to bring
the matter before a court of law. The coroner told Mr.
Rowbotham that if the child had been buried upon the faith
of the certificate given by him, he being a non-registered
practitioner, it would have been necessary for the body to
be exhumed. The inquiry then terminated.

THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY.—I wonder how often
the ensuing conversation has taken place, word for
word, during the last twelve months? "Lord Duodreary
—oh yes, delightful, is it not ?" "Yes, capital—very
amusing." " I wonder what he's like off the stage. Did
you ever see him ?" "Yes. I met him once at dinner."
" Yes ? How very nice. And what is he like ?" "Oh,
well, you know, he's a quiet, gentleman-like man."
"Really. How very delightful. I'd give anything to see
him. They say that acting the part so often has quite made
him stammer." " Oh no, not at all. You wouldn't know he
had ever acted the part. He doesn't look the least like the
character," &c. Can anything be more monotonous, again,
than the conversation of that wonderful class of semi. dip-
lomatic wiseacres who get together at conversational clubs
and other places of male resort? The man who knows for
certain that on that particular question Government must
go out—there is no help for it ; he, again, who "has it
from a source that he musn't mention, but wnich leaves no
doubt of the correctness cf the report, that Pilgrimstone
was sent for in the middle of the night to Windsor in con
sequence of the expressions let fall by the Secretary for
Peace in the house, the night before last, and that on his
return a cabinet council was called to consider," &c. And
is it not remarkable that these same political prophets in no
wise lose caste or fall in the estimaven of those who listen
to them, in consequence of the failure of their predictions?
When one of these individuals, for in-taut, announces that a
certain noble lora is going out of office on a certain question,
and when he noble lord does not go out on that question
or any other, one would suppose that this gentleman's
next prophecy would be generally disregarded. Not in the
slightest degree. Oh, Society ! what sacrifices do peopl,
make to thee; sacrifices of health, of comtort, of money, f
sleep, of digestion of temper, of inclination. And all for what?
Apparently that they may have the opportunity of stand-
ing upon a landing place, and asking Mrs. Worldly Wise-
man whether she has seen The Duke's Motto, and what she
thinks of it—which, after all, does not matter much—or
whether she has attended Professor Pepper's lecture at the
Polytechnic, and what she thinks of that—which, if pos-
sible, matters still less. They get, too, the chance of ex-
changing defiant stares with several gentlemen who are
possessed of a good command of eye, whom tt ey know per-
fectly well, and who know them perfectly well, but who are
as determined as they ara, not to bob first. And these pas-
times indulged in to the full, and a due amount of iced
coffee swallowed, they are at liberty, being very hot, to cool
themselves by attending Mrs. Worldly Wiseman to her car-
riage, bare-headed, with a keen north-easter blowing into
the hall, and then, at last, to depart. The next morninre
their brains feel as if they had been boiled, and their eyes
as if they had been roasted, their legs ache, they have a
cold in the head, and rheumatism in the tendon Achilles.-
44 the Year Round.

THE AMERICAN BLOCKADE.—NEW YORK, April
25,—The British prize steamer Gertrude, of Lon•
don, from Nassau, New Providence, arrived at this port
yesterday. She was captured on the 16th inst , off Har-
bour Island, by the United States gunboat Vanderbilt,
tafter a chase of several hours. She was bound to Charles-
on, South Carolina, and on arriving off that port, and find-
ing it so closely blockaded, was on her return to Nassau
when captured. Her cargo consists of gunpowder and
military stores, Liverpool, May 7.—The Pet, which left
this port on the 10th of January, has successfully run the
blockade of Wilmington, North Carolina, arriving there on
the 16th ult. She left Nassau in company with the steamer
Flora, keeping company during the passage, and running
the blockade together. The Flora is the screw steamer
with double screws whose trial trips on the Thames some
months ago were so much spoken of by scientific men
This is theWilmi first time the Pet has succe, ded in ruuning the
blockade, ngton being tried after an unsuccessful
attempt to enter charloatou,