The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-06 00:00:00

A Lady Refusing to be Sworn,

At the sitting of St. Alban's County Court, last
week, a person named Crisp brought an action
against a Mrs. Sarah Pitkin for the recovery of Xl5.
As the defendant was in the service of Lady Glamis,
the plaintiff's solicitor proposed to call that lady,
who was seated on the bench to the left of the judge,
to give evidence as to the amount she paid the
defendant. When Mr. Earle—the solicitor—
mentioned the name of Lady Glamis, she said :
What Mrs. Pitkin has said as to what I have
paid her is quite correct. Mr. Earle required
her ladyship to be sworn to give evidence on
the point. Lady Glamis—l decline to take
an oath ; what I have said is right. His
Honour—The law prescribes a certain form in giving
evidence, and all ranks of society, from the Queen
upon the throne to her most humble subject, are
expected to conform to the law. There is a previ-
sion made to meet the case of the people called
Quakers and others who object to oaths on reli-
gious grounds. Do you belong to the Quakers ?
Lady Glamis (smiling)-oh, no, I am not a Quaker,
and I do not object on any religious grounds; but
I shall not take an oath on such a frivolous matter.
His Honour—My lady, now be advised by me and
be sworn. If you know nothing more on the mat-
ter than has been said, you can be sworn, and then
say so. Lady Glamis—l am very firm ; 1 shall
take no oath; my word is as good as my oath. I
think it would be a desecration, and taking God's
name in vain in such a case. His Honour—Cer-
tainly the word of every good man ought to be as
sacred as his oath ; but the law requires that evi-
dence should be given on oath, and I cannot take it
otherwise. Mr. Earle—l certainly require that
Lady Glamis should be examined in the way the
law prescribes, and I am greatly surprised that she
refuses. His Honour—l am not only surprised but
grieved that your ladyship refuses to do what the
law requires of you. You set a sad example to
those in more humble stations in society, and I must
beg of you to leave this court. Her ladyship imme-
diately left the court.

A RAILWAY ACROSS THE SOLWAY.—The initia-
tory steps have just been taken in a railway project
that may prove one of vast importance not only to Annan
but to the nation at large, and one that, if it is ever accom-
plished, will be as great a triumph of engineering skill as
this age of wonders can boast of. We allude to a survey
which is now making for a railway designed to cross the
Solway from near Annan to Bowness, thence to proceed
along the shore to Morecambe Bay—the estuary of the
rivers Waver and Wampool—which it will cross, and be
the means of reclaiming about 600 acres of land, and will
thence continue along the shore to Meryport, where it will
form a junction with the Whitehaven and Maryport Railway,
and thus become a portion of another trunk line from the
midland and Lancashire and Yorkshire districts to Annan,
where it will be placed in connection with all the railway
systems which traverse Scotland. A section of the Solway
at its narrowest part, immediately opposite Annan, was
taken on Monday, when it was found that, at a few feet
below the overlying sand, there was a level plateau of tile
or clay admirably adapted for the erection of works similar
to those by which a railway has been successfully carried
across Morecambe Bay on the Westmoreland and Lanca-
shire coasts, and other places, by Mr. Brunlees,:the engi-
neer, who is the projector of the proposed railway across the
Solway.—Annan Observer.
OLD ABE'S LAST.—A few weeks since a colonel
was dismissed from the service by order of the Pre-
sident, upon charges of disloyalty. The colonel, feeling
that he had been grossly misrepresented by malicious
enemies, secured papers from a number of our Generals and
other influential men, refuting the charges and requesting his
reinstatement, and repaired to Washington to submit his
case to the President. The papers were examined, an inter-
view was appointed, and the colonel found himself cordially
received by the President, and informed that injustice had
been done him, and that he should be reinstated. The Pre-
sident then added, " Now, colonel, I know you to be one of
my most bitter political opponents, but I propose to promote
you to a brigadier-general provided you will allow me fully to
test your loyalty beyond what papers you have produced. If
you are a loyal man and a war democrat you can surely have
no objection." The colonel, as a matter of course, felt highly
elated at this unexpected favour, and earnestly stated that ho
was prepared to submit to any requirements calculated to test
his loyalty, and expressed his delight in complying with the
demand, since his Excellency has shown such confidence in
him as to honour him with such an enviable position.
cg Well, colonel," replied Old Abe, as a merry twinkle
danced in his eye, " I promote you to the command of a
negro brigade, and I hope you will prove yourself as loyal
as you are represented, and do honour to the high trust to
which you are assigned." The democracy of the colonel
was violently jarred at this announcement, and, stretch-
ing himself to his full length, he replied—" Mr. President,
I thank you for the tem7orary pleasure you have conferred
upon me of building up an air castle of such extraordinary
dimensions, and thus sweeping it dbwn with one stroke.
While I admire the joke, I most respectfully beg leave to
decline serving in any such damned capacity."—.New York
Ilerald.

The French Academy of Fine Arts held its public
annual sitting on Saturday, M. Jouffroy presiding.
After the execution of an overture composed by
M. Guiraud, pupil of Messrs. Halevy and Barbareau,
and the reading of the report on the works of the students
of the French Academy at Itome, M. Beule, perpetual
secretary, read a notice of the life and works of Horace
Vernet, which was loudly applauded. The President next
produced the names of the pupils who had gained the grand
prizes for sculpture, architecture, engraving, and music, and
the sitting terminated with the execution of the scena com-
posed by M. Massenet, pupil of MM. Ambrose Thomas and
Reber, for which the grand prize of musical composition
hal been awarded.

The Ironclad squadron which left Cherbourg on.
the 27th ult., arrived in the Brest roads on the 3d inst. All
the vessels have, up to the present time given good results,
and although they have experienced heavy weather, have
not met with the slightest injury.
LORD CAITIINESS A WORKING ENGINEER.—MaIeor
Earl of Caithness, whose practical knowlendingforoo:
the steam engine is so well known, was going by train
to ot-
Edinburgh to London, to accompany her
Maiitich his
g
lord-
land, an accident happened to the train,
ship's acquaintance with steam engine::v:ft:a.:lna°
Tyne the train
account. Shortly a`ter leaving Nevccilisuquiring the cause he
came to a dead stand, and on the ea
dale
engine had given
was informed that an essential partets.ine.d till the necessary
repairs and that the train must b;
repairs were completed..
and,lll_,..ine as if he were the working
Ills lordship immediately jumpedry
less than a minute was hammer •
out of the carriage,
fingers, greased clothes, nd
ing away at the disabled en
chi* the injured member, formed
engineer of the line.
awkward position
nhodobstacle to Lord i Caithness, ft7iahness, who, in less than an hour,
everything to rights, and returned to his carriage
put eveLl
to prosecute the journey not quite so lordly looking in his
fingers as when he first started. Of course, the
faceengi and
engineer was all gratitude, and was proud to know that his
fellow-workman in this unlooked-for emergency was no
less than an earl,—Xor thorn Zesign.