The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-13 00:00:00

THAMES.

THE SCOTCIIMAN IN L;;;N.-3.1r. John Dickson, a
Scotch shipowner, aged 50, with a rubicund face, which
indicated, in a most unmistakeable manner, his devotions
to Bacchus, was brought before Mr. Partridge, on a warrant,
charged with refusing to pay a cab fare.
James Goodwin, driver of the cab 2,979, and wearing
the badge 3,916, stated that he took up the prisoner at the
St. Katherine Dock Hotel, Upper East Smithfield, on the
evening of the 20th of April, and drove him to Wardrobe-
place, Doctors'-commons, back to the Minories, Aldgate,
and St. Katherine's then westward to the Argyll Rooms,
in Windmill-street, Haymarket, where he made a short
stay, and then visited the Holborn Casino. He finally
drove the prisoner back to his hotel and demanded his
fare. The prisoner said he had "nao siller," and
could not pay him. He took out a summons, to
which the prisoner did not appear, and he then
obtained a warrant. He had lost two days at the police-
court, and this was his third appearance.
The prisoner said the cab-driver took his pocketbook
from him, and he wanted it, for it contained papers of im-
portance and value.
Goodwin—The prisoner gave me his pocketbook, and
told me to keep it until he paid the fare. Here it is.

The pocketbook was handed to the prisoner, who said
the contents had not been disturbed. He never refused to
pay the fare. (A laugh.)
Mr. Partridge—Then pay him now.
The Prisoner—Nae, mon ; I hae nae money this side the
Tweed.

Mr. Partridge—Do you expect the cab-driver to go to
the other side of the Tweed for the money.
The prisoner said if the cab-driver would accompany him
to his hotel he would pay the money.
Howland, an officer of the court, No. 89 H, said there
were eight or nine other cab-drivers who had similar de-
mands on the prisoner, who could not pay them, and that
he had been riding about London for several days, and had
pretty well nigh exhausted the bounty of his friends. The
prisoner was a master mariner, and called himself a ship-
owner, because he had " two halves" in a vessel. The
prisoner denied riding in the complainant's cab at any time.
Mr. Partridge said the prisoner had no right to indulge
in the luxury of cabs if he had no money to pay the fares.
He ordered him to pay 12s. for six hours' cab fare, ss. for
the complainant's loss of time, 2s. for the summons, and 2s.
for the warrant. In default the prisoner must be impri-
soned in the House of Correction for seven days.
At the prosecutor's urgent request the Scotchman was
permitted to leave the Court with Sergeant Baker, of the
police van, who said he would accompany him to the St.
Katherine's Hotel.

HOW VERY AFFECTING !—All eyes which intend
to be present at the drawing-room on the 18th inst., says
the Queen, are anxiously turned towards Brussels, as every-
thing depends on the issuo of the King's illness as to what
toilettes will be worn on the occasion.
JOHN GEORGE PHILLI3fORE7 Q.C.—To under-
take an important historical work would seem to he
attended with fatal consequences. Fox, Mackintosh, and
Macaulay were all struck down before the " Histories of
England" on which they were engaged had been nearly
completed. To these honoured names we must now add
that of one whose qualifications were nearly as great as
any of them, but whose performances have not attracted
the attention excited by the achievements of each of them,
the name of John George Phillimore. The instalment we
have of his history is of a character to make us desire to
see it completed. In one respect he was unfitted for writ-
ing a comprehensive history. Whatever had not been
done by Tacitus, should not, he thought, bs attempted by
any other historian. Because Tacitus know nothing of
some of the " ologies" which are now supposed to be in-
cluded in every educational programme, therefore, Mr.
Phillimore argued, such knowledge was to be despised by
modern historians. Moulding his style on that of the
classical writers, Mr. Phillimore hoped thereby to produce
some of their effects. The result was failure and conse-
quent disappointment. Nevertheless, he showed so ardent
a desire to eliminate truth from fiction, so much courage in
stating opinions opposed to those which are fashionable, so
strong a determination to uphold what he believed to be
true against all gainsayers, that he commanded our respect
when he did not gain our approbation. We are glad to
learn that, when death overtook him, another volume was
nearly ready for publication of his " History of England."
—The Reader.

WEDGWOOD'S RELATIVES.—It has been hitherto
assumed that Wedgwood was born in a mean hovel,
surrounded by the rudest associations, and whilst yet
,a
child consigned to the coarsest drudgery. The facts, as we
find, were essentially different. His father, as we have
seen, was a man in easy, if not in affluent circumstances.
His relatives, Aaron Wedgwood and Dr. Thomas Wedg-
wood, jun., were persons of position in their native place.
The latter was a man of the nicest skill in his art, and for
those days extremely well educated. His handwriting is
that of a gentleman. John and Thomas Wedgwood, the
sons of Aaron, who commenced business in 1740, and
in 18 to 20 years from that date had acquired a for-
tune and built the handsomest house in Burslem,
where, when Josiah Wedgwood was a child, active
and intelligent young men, busy in improving their
staple, and as keenly alive to the commercial needs, as to
the intense spirit of industry then taking growth through-
out the country. A few years later, when they had erected
their conspicuous dwelling, and earned comparative leisure,
g
their hospitable hearth became a gathering-place for men
of keen and active intelligence. Here Brindley, Thomas
Gilbert, the Duke of Blidgewater's agent, John and Hugh
Henshall, father and son, met to discuss the various plans
then afloat, for eonstructin
and improving roads and flint
mills, and the first surveys for canal navigation. Other of
Josiah Wedgwood's relations held an equally influential
position in their native place ; and as to a simplicity of
habits and manners, such• prevailed everywhere. It is also
certain that the worthy and substantial class from which
Wedgwood sprang were, generally speaking, as well edu-
cated as the greater portion of the gentry.—Meteyard's
Life of Wedgwood.

A TIGER ANECDOTE.—I believe that face to face
a tiger will not attack a human being, unless he
displays a thorough want of nerve ; the Malays are also of
this opinion, but express it differently. They say that "if
you will only speak to a tiger, and tell it that it can get
plenty of food in the jungle beside you, the animal will
be persuaded, and leave you unmolested. Unfortunately,
few get the chance to speak to the tigers in this way,
because, as I have stated, they almost invariably steal
up behind those they intend to attack. I have, how-
ever, heard the following account told by an old Malay
of an attack which he prevented by an appeal to
the better nature of the animal. He was returning home
after a visit to town to his house at Selita, along that part
of the road which I have described as being the most
thickly surrounded by jungle. He had his little child, a
boy of seven or oight yearn old, slung behind him, and
both were contentedly chewing away at jagong, when
the father on lifting up his eyes saw a tiger crouching
down right in front of him, and apparently preparing for
Calling to mind the old saying, he gasped out
a spring
a faepwsgelands, and found that they appeared to arrest the
tiger, but being anxious not to risk the life of his son, he
moved slowly backwards to a tree which he remembered
to have passed a few yards behind. The tiger advanced
upon him step for step as he retreated. When the old
man's back touched the tree, he told his son to climb up.
This the boy did, and the father, relieved of anxiety on
his account, drew his wood-knife and commenced an ad-
vance, arguing all the while with the keenest logic—
sharpened no doubt by the occasion—that it would be
infinitely better for both to part without quarrelling.
This advance and retreat continued for about fifty yards,
when the tiger, either persuaded by the logic, or daunted
by the bravery of the man, turned tail, and bolted into
the jungle.—Our Tropical Possessions in. Malayan India,
by J. Cameron.
MILITARY SUBORDINATION IN THE UNITED
STATES.—The Avenir National of yesterday says :—" Since
we are to receive our great lessons from America, there is
one which we must record ; it is the respectful subordina-
tion of the military to the civil authority. Sherman, so
brilliant in his recent campaign—Sherinan, to whom so
much homage has been rendered for his incomparable
merits—Sherman is publicly disavowed by the civil Govern-
ment, and he accepts this disavowal with respect and obe-
dience, faithful to democratic discipline, and showing as
much eagerness to submit to the decisions of the chiefs who
have given him the law as to advance against the enemy.
We have rejoiced to see American events contribute so
powerfully to enlighten the publiclmind of Europe by these
teachings."