The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-21 00:00:00

g VENLIG, AIARCH 21, 1862.

POLICY; INTELLIOBNCE

.—( 77d8 Day.)

BOW-STREET,

EMBEZZLEMENT BY A. CLERK.—John William Nichols
was charged with embezzling various sums of money, the
preperty of his employers, Messrs, Firmin, button-makers,
in the Strand.

Mr. Dalton, who appeared for the prosecution, said the
prisoner had up to Monday last filled the office of collecting-
clerk to the Messrs. Firmin, the extensive button-makers.
of the Shand. From circumstances that had transpired
suspicion was entertained that something was wrong in his
accounts. On being questioned by the manager of Messrs.
Firmin, ho admitted that he was back in his accounts to a
considerable sum, and at the same time he gave in an
,leentint of th,, money he had appropriated to his own use.
The embezzlement appeared to have extended over the last
18 months.

Mr. Blayney, tailor, of Charing-cross, said—l transact
business with the Messrs. Firmin. In the last year there
was an account due to them, and the prisoner called on me
for payment in the month of October. I believe it to be so,
as I find there is no date on the receipt he gave me. I
paid him L 5 14s. in cash. I knew him to be in Messrs.
Firmin's employ, from his having called upon me several
times for them.

Mr. Frederick Lach said—l am an outfitter, car-
rying on business at 90, Strand, and deal with
Messrs. Firmin. In the month of January I owed an
account to them, and the prisoner sailed upon me for it on
the 30th of the same month. I paid him a lls. 4d. He
gave me the receipt, which I produce.
Mr. Samuel Clay—l am manager to the Messrs. Firmin,
of the Strand. They are button manufacturers. The pri-
soner was in their service as collecting clerk at a salary of
7dutyHtsabk called a receipt book. The
money oo was, on receiving money out of
doors, to
Oennnutey:lioltnd in
ay last I had a conversation with him
I said there had been a
Mr. Blayne), and Mr. Lach has never been
paid
great neglect of duty on his part
in not collecting the accounts, and. also I expressed an
opinion that some of them had been paid. The prisoner
said, "lam a defaulter." I asked him to what amount,
0 pern. annum.
paidn bm. I‘'
and he replied, "£104." Ho then gave me a list of the
accounts he had received and never paid in.
In answer to questions put by the prisoner's solicitor,
Mr. Clay said—l do not re collect anything else that occur-
red on the Monday. I did not give him into custody on
that day, as I wished to see his father and acquaint him
with the circumstances.

Sergeant Holmes—l was instructed to take the prisoner
into custody, but I was informed that I need not take any
further trouble, as he would give himself up this morning.
He did so. He said "I shall not oppose the case." His
father was with him when he surrendered.
Mr. Wilson—l should like to know what course your
worship intends to adopt in this court.

Mr. Henry said the last Act of Parliament passed pre-
vented him from dealing with cases of embezzlement; he
could have done so had it been one of larceny.
The witnesses were then bound over to prosecute, and
the prisoner was fully committed for trial.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
CAUTION TO NIGHT-HOUSE BEEPERS.-Mr. Frederick
Ernest, of the Bull's Head, Great Windmill-street, ap-
peared to answer a complaint made by Inspector Charles
Bowles, of the C division,. of his permitting drunkenness
in his house.

The case was proved by Sergeant Appleton, who said
that on visiting the defendant's house he found 11 prosti-
tutes and men drinking in front of the bar, some of them
being drunk. He called the defendant's attention to the
circumstance, and then left, and on again visiting the
house, found the same conduct going on.

The sergeant being asked for a definition of drunkenness,
he had to hold the
Inspector Bowles said the defendant
sc
ao
iudn he
eer, ,e oonr sliedaenr eagainst siot nt
od rkune epk :111 hmesne 1 f up.
had kept the house
two years, and it was very badly conducted. The defendant
morning, and the persons turned
had had his attention called to it over and over again. He
(Mr. Bowles) had visited the house, and seen prostitutes
and men of a low grade drinking there. The house was
keptout
of open
other till
five
houses
theem
admitted to the defendant's.
Though no previous conviction had taken place, there were
in
were
many complaints from the inhabitants. lie wished also to
state that two robberies had taken place in the house.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said if the defendant kept a night-house
for the sake of night. house profits, he must not be astonished
at a case like this being brought against him.
Fined 405., and costs. _

swurigl
seoonn:
fo 27, sliciNnneewrl
with being drunk, dia-
.
Mr. Theodore Francis EasaHtregeoentdtry,
(lc lards eteelretl :ys,Et r
anduees tt
anBs-terraoauanlddt nand
.T wereol‘hienrh. Dodsworth, 338 A.
D odsworth said that a little after two the defendants
were in Oxford-street drunk and making a noise. He spoke
to them and left, and directly after a dog came up to him
and bit his trousers. He took out his truncheon to drive
the dog away, when Eastcott struck him en the breast and
Wilson poked at him with his umbrella, and at last the
defendants were obliged to be taken into custody.
One of the defendants said it was a little dog.
Mr. Tyrwhitt asked whether he supposed because it was
a little dog that it was to be allowed to bite people.
Dodsworth having been corroborated,
Mr. Tyrwhitt fined Eastcott 10s. or 14 days, and Wilson
ss. or 7 days.

TEE PROTECTOR ENDOIPMBET, LOAN, AND
ANNUITY COMPANY.

The ordinary annual general meeting of the
shareholders in this company was held yesterday
afternoon at the offices of the company, 34, King-
street,Cheapside-_-WilliamSmee, Esq., presided.
The manager (Mr. Beadnell) having read the report
(Which will be found in out advertising columns),
the chairman lOW to MOW its adoption. He re-
marked upon the great benefits that had been
accomplished through the instrumentality of the
company, which held out to those who stood in
need of immediate pecuniary assistance the greatest
facility of having their 'wants supplied. The re-
payment of the money lent by the company was
spread over one, two, and three years, and the
interest paid for accommodation was as low
as possible to afford remuneration to the
shareholders. The company possessed the confi-
dence of the commercial world, and was then in
a position to make immediate advances to those
who required them. There was no expensive ma-
chinery to be set in motion previous to a borrower
getting that which he required ; on the contrary,
all he had to do was to lay his proposals on the
counter of the company, and if the representations
contained were true the money was immediately
advanced. The report was unanimously adopted,
the retiring officers re-elected, and the proceedings
terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman_

A FISH A WITNESS 'IN A COURT OF
JUSTICE.

A singular incident occurred at the Stafford
Assizes, last Tuesday, in the cause " Timmins v.
the Birmingham and Staffordshire Gas Company,"
in which the plaintiff sued the gas company for
damages caused by them in allowing the tank gas
water from their gasometer to flow into the plain-
tiff's well. Dr. Letheby, the analytical chemist,
and officer of health of the City of London, being
engaged as one of the scientific witnesses on the
part of the gas company, he sought to prove that
gas water could not have entered plaintiff's well
because he found animalcules in the water. Mr.
W. M. Williams and Mr. Bird, the chemical wit-
nesses for the plaintiff, suspecting that the learned
doctor would advance the theory that animal life
cannot exist in water tainted with gas, determined
to give a flat contradiction by producing in court
a live fish, swimming in a mixture of half an ounce
of the gas task water with 25 ounces of pure water,
having about the smell and taste of the water in
plaintiff's well. Accordingly a fine healthy gud-
geon was caught in the river at Stafford, put into
a basin, the basin filled with the above mixture,
and slipped under a seat in court, ready for the
doctor, should he advance his theory, which upon
his examination he soon did, asserting most posi-
tively that the least taint of gas water would de-
stroy animal life, when, to his evident surprise, and
amidst a general roar of laughter, in which the
learned judge heartily joined, the basin with the
fish swimming in it was lifted up and placed on the
centre of the table, full in view of both judge and
jury, and proving by his healthy movements that
though the water was not agreeable, animal life
was still possible in it. When the trial was over
(which was in favour of the plaintiff), the fish was
taken back to the river, and returned to his native
element apparently none the worse for his short
visit as a witness to the Stafford assizes.

THIS DAY'S MAREBTS.

CORN EXCHANGE.

Fresh up to this morning's market the arrivals of Eng-
lish wheat were very moderate ; nevertheless, owing to the
bad condition of the samples, the trade was in a sluggish
state, and late prices were with difficulty supported.
The show of samples of foreign wheat was large, and all
descriptions met a dull inquiry, at barely Monday's quota-
tions.

Floating cargoes of grain were in heavy request, and the
currencies had a drooping tendency.
Malting barley was firm in price, otherwise the barley
trade was dull, at about previous rates.
In malt sales progressed slowly, on former terms.
The show of oats was tolerably extensive, and the demand
for all descriptions was in a sluggish state, at rather lower
currencies.

Both beans and peas sold heavily, at fully tho late decline
in their value.

The flour trade was very drdl, and prices had a downward
tendency. Brands sold heavily, at fully the late fall in the
quotations.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flour.
Enz1i5h........ 660 ( 810 i :3,060 1 1,720' 490 saclu.
Irish
F0reign........,10,560 8,230 ; 26,810 ; 210 swim
17,930 brie.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—YESTERDAY. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his eeat on th© woolsack
at five o'clock.

TIIE REVISED CODE.
Lord ST. LEONARDS presented petitions against the
revised code,
Lord CRANWORTH presented several petitions against
the revised code.
Lord BELPER presented 26 petitions against the
revised code.
The Bishop of CHICHESTER also presented similar
petitions.
Petitions were also presented to a similar effect by the
Earl of Derby, Lord Chelmsford, Lord Redesdale, the
Bishop of London, the Marquis of Salisbury, the Earl
of Chichester, Lord Colville, Lord liingsclown, the Arch•
bishop of Canterbury, tho Marquis of Normanby,and seve-
ral other peers.
THE INSOLVENCY COURT OFFICERS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he felt obliged to
mention a sulject which ho would willingly have let pass.
The Bankruptcy Bill was read a second time in the House
of Commons on the 14th of Feb. It went into committee on
the 18th, and was fully discussed on the 21st and 25th, and
the consideration of it was adjourned until the 18th of
March. The bill was reported on the 22d, and the bill was
finally read a third time on the Bth of April, so

it was not the fact that the return moved for
by Mr. Hunt was on the table at any time during which

;he bill was under discussion.

The Earl of DERBY regretted that the noble lord should
have referred to the subject. The retum cutainly was on
the table, but that did not alter the case. It was moved
for immediately after the i-itroduction of the bill, and it

was produced before the bill was read a third time. It was
well known that the return was to be made, so there had
been plenty of time to remedy an error that might have
been discovered in the bill.
WRITS OF HABEAS CORPUS INTO HER
MAJESTY'S POSSESSIONS ABROAD.
This bill went through committee.
OFFICERS' COMMISSIONS BILL.
On the motion of Earl DE GREY the house went into
committee on this bill which was reported without amend-
ment.

CONSOLIDATED FUND (£l8,000,000) BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
THE REVISED CODE.
The Bishop of OXFORD having presented a number
of petitions against the code, proceeded to put a question
to the Lord President of the Council as to whether in the
new minutes it was inteuded to provide that scholars in
night schools were to be examined with the day scholars.
The right reverend prelate dwelt with much earnestness
on the advantages of the night schools to grown-
up youths which were calculated to draw forth
the apparently forgotten, but only dormant know-
ledge formerly acquired in the day schools. He
thought that it was a very hazardous arrangement to sub-
ject youths who came to these schools of their own accord
to a strict examination.

Earl GRAN VILLE expressed his full concurrence in
the opinion expressed as to the value of night schools, and
stated that when the Revised Code came into operation the
Government would be bound to devise a plan providing for
the examination of the children in those schools, which of
course must take place at a later hour in the day.than the
examination of the other scholars. The noble :earl then
commented on and replied to some general criticisms on
the Revised Code which had been made by the right rev.
prelate.

Lord OVERSTONE expressed his hope that their lord-
ships in dealing with that question would steadily bear in
mind the value of annual examinations as the surest test of
the excellency of the schools. He felt confident that the
people of this country would take it as their simple guide in
all the mystifications and complifications of this question
that no system of instruction cou'd be safely relied Ivan
as essentially sound which would not bear the test of indi-
vidual examination.

Lord WODELIO USE cordially agreed with the remarks
of Lord Overstone, and supported the principle of examina-
tion.

After a few words from several noble lords the papers
were ordered.

Their lordships adjourned at half-past 7 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS._

The Great Northern Railway (No. 1) Bill was read a
third time and passed. The following bills were consi-
dered and ordered for third reading :—Bollingthn (Prest-
bury) Improvement and Light;ng, &e., and the Faringdon
Railway.