The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-13 00:00:00

DESPERATE ENCOUN TER WITH SALMON POACHERS.

—Since the fresh weather set in in the beginning of De-
cember, salmon have been swarming on the spawning-beds
of the Earn in the neighbourhood of Connie; as well as in
the other streams of Perthshire, and a gang of determined
poachers have been killing the fish on the fords almost
nightly, and setting the watchers at defiance. Late on
Tuesday night, or early on Wednesday morning, a party of
poachers, numbering thirteen, appeared on the ford almost
opposite the parish church, having their faces blackened,
and with torches and leisters. They succeeded in a short
time in killing seven large salmon. As soon as the poachers
left the river, they were sot upon by four watchers and
two assistants, when a serious and desperate encounter
took place between the two parties. Owing, however,
to the supoi ior numbers of the poachers, the watchers were
severely maltreated, and one of them especially, named
Guthrie, was sadly cut about the face and head, and had a
narrow escape from being drowned in the Earn. He was
attended to by a surgeon, who dressed his wounds. During
the melee, two or three of the poachers carried away the
fish, and immediately returned to assist their associates in
the scuffle. The poachers were so audacious as, after the
watchers had been rendered powerless, to enter the river
again in order to kill more salmon ; but they were not so
successful as at first. On Monday week, a party killed a
number of salmon at the bridge, some of them weighing
301 b. The pioachers, up to yesterday afternoon, had not
been discovered. The fish are so numerous this season
that the herd boys are capturing them daily from the banks
of the Earn with cleeks.—Scoesman.
The Moniteur says:—" By a decree of the Bth
inst., the Emperor, on the proposition of the Minister of
War, has conferred the military medal on Corporal Muller,
of the Sarseurs-pompiers of Paris, who has distinguished
himself at several fires, and recently got severely burnt in
both hands and the left wrist in preserving from certain
death an artist at the Opera."
The Afoniteur de l'Armee publishes a regulation
emanating from the Ministry of War, relative to the pre-
cautions to be taken in order to prevent accidents by fire.
The use of the ordinary chemical matches is interdicted in
barracks and other military establishments. The " Allu-
mettes hygieniques amorphes" are alone authorized. Sol-
diers, or other persons employed in the above places, who
infringe this regulation will be severely punished.
On the arrival in Paris of the eight • o'clock train
from Havre yesterday morning, the passengers in one of
the carriages called the attention of the railway officials to
a young woman who, during the journey, had given un-

doubted symptoms of insanity. She was accordingly taken
before the commissary of police attached to the station, and
her conduct at once convinced him that she was'insane. It'
was ascertained that she came from Ambrevilee (Seine-
luferieure) to enter on a situation as lady's-maid in Paris,
but had suddenly lost her senses. As she could not give
the address of the family in which she had been engaged,
the commissary of police sent her to the Prefecture until
her relatives can be informed of her unfortunate condition.

THE NEW DECLARATION .OF TITLE ACT.—This
act will take effect on the first day of the ensuing month.
Its object is to enable persons having interest in land to
obtain a judicial declaration of title, so as to enable them to
make an indefea'ible title to persons claiming under them
as purchasers for a valuable consideration. This act, like
the new Transfer of Land Act, is not compulsory. The
course to be adopted is by petition.
TOBACCO SMOKING IN SHAKSPEARE'g DAY.—Sir
Walter Raleigh, of whom the apoeryidial
:story ia told of
his servant believing him to be on fire, but which has long
since been given to the Marines, from his position at Court
soon made smoking fashionable Ac Shakspeare's theatre,
the Globe, at Bankside, on part of the ground on which one
of the brewing houses of Messrs. Barclay and Perkins now
stands—" the amusements of the audience," says Mr. Dyce,
" previous to the commencement of the pla3 , were, reading,

playing at cards, smoking tobacco, drinking ale, and eating
apples and nuts. Even during the performance," he adds,
"it was customary for wits, critics, and young gallants,
who were anxious to attract attention, to station themselves
on the stage,. either lying onrushes or seated on, hired stools,
while their pages furnished them with pipes and tobacco."
—Tobacco : its Use and Abuse;

The Figaro-Programme states that M. Veuillot
is about to publish a brochure in 'reply to the allusion of
which he has been the object in M. Emile Augier's
comedy.

GAROTTE OUTRAGES.--Yesterday morning,
shortly before 1 o'clock, Mr. Dickson, residing at 8, Had-
dington-terrace, Greenwich, was walking towards that town
from Peckham, and when within a short distance of the
New-cross turnpike-gate some one sprung- upon him and
seized his throat. He had neither seen nor heard his as-
sailant approach. Mr. Bickson immediately became insen-
sible, and on recovering consciousness found he was lying
in the gutter. On searching his pocke, she discovered that
nothing had been taken from them. He then proceeded to
the Greenwich police-station, and gave information of the
attack. The sergeant on duty examined his neck and found
the indentations of a person's fingers, and that the flesh was
discoloured.

THE O'CONNELL PAMILY.—A sister of Daniel
O'Connell died last Tuesday at Tallyroan, Kilkenny, within

a few hours of her husband, Councillor Finn, one of the
founders of the Catholic Association and formerly M.P. for
that county. Mrs. Finn, who had been several years an

invalid, died at 5 p.m., and her husband expired at 12 p.m.
His illness was of only a few days' duration. Being child-
less they had for many years led a most secluded life, and
their deathbeds were uncheered by the presence of a single
friend. Mr. Finn was 78 years old.
CHARGE AGAINST A CLERGYMAN.—At the Pewsey
(Wilts) Petty Sessions, yesterday, the Rev. Herbert Wil-
liams, curate of Tidcombe and Fosbury, was brought up
charged with an indecent assault. It appeared from the
statement of the prosecutrix, a respectable girl of 17, that
she is in service at the house of a Mr. Barnes, where the
prisoner has occasionally resided. On the 26th November
last he, the girl, and the child she was nursing were alone
in the parlour. All the inmates had gone out. The pri-
soner kissed the girl and committed an indecent assault,
Mrs. Barnes returned about 9 o'clock, when the girl told

her what had happened. She informed her father on the

following day. The latter went to see the prisoner at
dinner time, when he said that if he had done wrong he
was sorry for it, and wished to be forgiven. The magis-
trates (?dr. T. E. Fowle and the Rev. J. H. Gide) commit-
ted the prisoner for trial at the next Quarter SessionS at
Devizes. allowing bail, himself in £lOO, and two sureties in
VO each, The prisoner was removed in the custody of the
police. He is a married man with one child.

LEGAL JOBBING IN EIGII PLACES.--An extra-
ordinary instance of legal jobbing has recently been com-
municated Ito us, which ought certainly to form the
basis Of a Parliamentary inquiry. The present Lord
Chancellor, as is well known, was the author of the
Bankruptcy Bill at present in operation, and which
works so badly for ail unfortunate creditors. There
are also loud complaints from certain ex-officers of
the court under the old law, who were paid by fees,
and had no recompense; but that is not the ques-
tion_ before us. Amongst the offices created by the
new law is one of attorney to those bankrupts who make a
declaration that they have no money, and cannot afford to
employ an attorney themselves. They therefore, in fact,
come before the court in forma paupers's, and the Govern-
ment provides an attorney for them, who is paid by fees—and
a very lucrative berth it is. Now, the Lord Chancellor has
appointed a Mr. Aldridge, his son-in-law, to the office, and we
arc fissured that his fees, during 12 months, have amounted
to £15,000. This is not merely a scandal and a shame in
itself, but it is one for which the Lord Chancellor is re•
sponsibie. It is preposterous that an attorney practising
in the Court of Chancery should be able to wring £15,000 a '
year out of the pockets of the taxpayers of this country ;
d the evil becomes still more fiigrant when we find
the party dispensing th's piece of legal patronage is the
Lord k hancellor, and the receiver of it is his own son-in-
law. We hope that when Parliament meets the attention
of the Legislature will be directed towards this abominable
affair. We have had several complaints made to us of the
manner in which the duties of the office are performed, but
to enter into detail upon these would probably involve us
in an action for libel, although we might state no more
than the actual truth. We, therefore, rest content with
exi.csing this shameful naisapplication of the public money ;
and for which the Lord Chancellor is directly—and .those
who appointed him are indirectly—responsible.—Herts
Guardian.

Importing tea without colour on the leaf pre-
vents the Chinese passing off inferior leaves as in the usual
kinds. Horniman's Tea is uncoloured, therefore always
coca alike. Sold in packets by 2,280 age Ats.

~: ~_

LATES r NEWS.

-0-

VIENNA, DEC. 13.

The Parliamentary Committee, consisting of
membeis of both Houses, has come to a decision
upon the propositions made by the National Bank.
The committee has determined to vote the pay-
ment of 1,000,000 florins interest on the proposed
loan, such payment to continue only until the divi-
dend paid to the shareholders of the bank shall
reach 7 per cent.

ST. PETERSBURG, DEC. 13.

The announcement that Russia has consented to
the candidature of King Ferdinand of Portugal for
the throne of Greece is without foundation.
The Imperial Bank of Russia has reduced its rate
of discount from 51 to 5 per cent.