The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-18 00:00:00

The Price of Gold.

The quotation of gold at Paris is about 2 per pm., and
the short exchange on London is 25.174 per £1 sterling. On
comparing these rates with the English Mint price of £3
178. 1014 per ounce for standard gold, it appws that gold is
about 2-ICths per cent. dearer in Paris than in London.

By advic from Hamburg the price of gold is 423 per mark
and the short exchange on London is 13.4 per -el stcrlint
Standard gold at the English Mint pric•a is, therefore, at
aho t the same price in London and Hamburg.

The oourse of exchange at New York on London for bills et
60 days' sight is about 249 per cent., and the premium on
gold 121 per cent. At these rates there is Roman profit on
the importaion of go d frJm the United States.

THE POST MAGAZINE ALMANACK AND INSURANCE
DIRECTORY FOR 1865 is an exceedingly useful pub-
lication. It contains a vast amount of intelligence respect-
ing Life and Fire Insurance Offices in general, in addition
to the information usually found in best commercial alma-
nacks.

TESTIMONIAL TO DID. JOHN CAMPBELL.—Yester-
day morning Lord Shaftesbury, who was supported
by a considerable number of influential members of the
Nonconformist party, and admirers of the Rev. J. Camp-
bell, D.D., presented to that gentleman, at Radley's Hotel,
a testimonial amounting to £3,000. The presentation was
accompanied by several speeches, expressing the highest
respect and admiration for the character, long labours, and
services to the Nonconformist body of the rev. recipient.
The occasion chosen was Dr. Campbell's 70th birthday.
The amount was contributed by several hundreds of ad-
mirers, scattered over Europe, America, and Australia, as
well as in Great Britain.

AN ENGLISH DWARF.—The Lyons journals state
that a diminutive lady, of English birth, calling herself the
Countess Gayton, has just made her appearance at the Cafe
de Paris in that city, where she takes part in the concert by
singing English songs. The editor of the Salut Public,
whom the countess honoured with a visit, states that she
is 20 years of age, of a good figure, and shorter than Gen.
Tom Thumb. He adds that she looks very intelligent, but
that their ignorance of each other's language did not allow
him to test her conversational powers.
STRIKE AT MESSRS. LAIRD BROTHERS' YARD.—
The shipbuilders of this neighbourhood have resolved to
reduce the wages of their shipwrights from 7s. to 6s. per
day. In consequence of this 200 of Messrs. Laird's men
struck on Friday. We believe this is only part of a gene-
ral movement amongst the-men on both sides of the Mer-
sey to resist the reduction.—Liverpool Courier.
THE APPROACHES TO OLD PALACE-YARD AND
THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.—Yesterday workmen were
engaged in laying out the approaches from Parliament and
Bridge-streets to the Houses of Parliament. A carriage
and footway are being run diagonally from the corner of
Bridge-street to the entrance at Westminster Hall, thus
superseding the former inconvenient detour to that point.
A portion of the intermediate space between Bridge-street
and the cab-stand will, it is understood, be formed into an
ornamental inclosure.

TOTAL Loss OF THE ELLEN SOPHIA—LOSS OF
ALL ON BOARD.—LIVERPOOL, Jan. 17.—A tele-
gram received in this town to-day, states that the ship
Ellen Sophia, under command of Captttin Birkett, bound
from Demerara to Liverpool, was totally lost off Dingle
Head, near Cork, early on Sunday morning. When last
seen, the Ellen Sophia was scudding before the wind, and
had signals of distress flying. She was evidently endea-
vouring to enter Smewick harbour, but missing stays, she
ran full on to the rock near Dingle, and went down almost
immediately. Not a soul on board, so far as we can at pre-
sent learn, has been saved.

LONDON, BRIGIITON, AND SOUTH COAST RAIL-
WAY.—The board of directors of this company have de-
cided upon recommending the payment of a dividend for
the half-year of £3 per cent. on the consolidated stock of
the company, making the total dividend for the year amount
to 5/ per cent.

A Stockholm journal mentions that the King and
Queen of Sweden, the Queen Dowager, and other members
of the Royal family, were present at a ball given in honour
of the new year at the Stockholm Exchange. It is the
custom at this annual ceremony for the citizens to invite
the Royal family. The ball is: by subscription, and any
person of the middle class may obtain tickets. The ladies
are all dressed in black, even those of the Court ; the latter
have, however, a white satin insertion in the upper part of
their sleeves to mark the distinction. The proceedings
commence with the singing of the national hymn, after
which the King walks about conversing with different
persons, and finally dancing commences.

LORD PAL3IERSTON'S HINDWRITING.—Our octo-
genarian Premier is not above enlarging on the ad-
vantages of cultivating a plain, large, legible hand, " with
good thick up-strokes as well as thick down-strokes." It
cannot be said that Lord Palmerston does not practise
what he preaches on this occasion at least. In a complete
collection of franks of a Parliament some five-and-twenty
years ago, which lies before us, the handwriting of his
lordship is, if not the very boldest, at all events one of the
boldest in the entire volume, awl the envelope of a letter not
many weeks old which fell into our hands a few weeks
since, with " Palmerston " in the corner, serves to show
that his " up-strokes" and " down-strokes " are as bold
and thick as they were then, though perhaps a trifle more
shaky.—Guardian.

THE IMPROVED OMNIBUS.---4 am bound to say
that in many respects the omnibuses and their men
are greatly improved during my experience. The thirteenth
seat, that awful position with your back to the horses and
your face to the door, where, in a Mahomet's coffin-like
attitude, you rested on nothing, and had to contemplate
your own legs calmly floating before you, very little below
the faces of your right and left-hand neighbours, has been
abolished ; a piece of cocoa-nut matting is generally sub-
stituted for that dank straw which smelt so horribly and
clung to your boots with such vicious perseverance ; most
of the windows are, what is termed in stage-language,
practicable, and can be moved at pleasure ; and a system of
ventilation in the roof is now the rule, instead of, as in my
early days, the singular exception. Thirdly, by the salu-
tary rule of the General Omnibus Company, aided by the
sharp notice which the magistrates take of any impro-
priety, the omnibus servants, the coachmen and conduc-
tors, from insolent blackguards have become, for the most
part, civil and intelligent men, while the whole " service"
—horses, harness, food, &c.—has been placed on a greatly
improved footing.—Dickens's " All the Year Round."
A curious incident took place on Saturday at the
sitting of the Court of Assizes of the Seine. M. Lachaud
was speaking in defence of a woman named Paul, accused
of having abstracted certain securities belonging to the suc-
cession of a person named Pauhnier, by whom she was
employed as attendant, when one of the jury-
men, who had several times shown his feelings by
significant gestures, said in a low voice, but distinctly
enough to be heard by the learned counsel, " That
circumstance is of no consequence 1" M. Lachaud
immediately stopped, put on his cap, and declared
that after such an improper manifestation he could not con-
tinuo the defence. On the President asking M. Lachaud
what course he intended to pursue, the latter replied that,
considering the words used by one of the jurymen as an
expression of feeling hostile to the prisoner, he requested
the affair to be put off to another session. That course was
accordingly ordered, and the case will come on again to-
wards the end of the month.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,—This Day.

WESTMINSTER.

DISGRACEFUL CASE OF ILL-TREATING A WlFE.—Chas.
Morris, a man about 35 years of age, was charged with the
following disgraceful ill-usage of his wife:— •
Elizabeth Morris, a very respectable-looking woman,
said the prisoner is my husband ; he has been so 14 years ;
we have four children. He is constantly coming home ill-
using me, threatening me, and endangering my life. His
ill-usage, which brings us here now, commenced at 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon, and continued until 1 in the
morning.

Mr. Arnold—What was the ?
Prosecutrix—Taking knives and threatening to cut my
throat, and trying to strangle me, besides which he
kicked me.

Mr. Arnold—How did he try to strangle you?

Prosecutrix—Seizing me by the throat he kicked me, and
swore he would have my life before the night was out.
He got a sword, and threatened to cut my head off. .
Mr. Arnold—Where did he kick you ?
Prosecutrix—ln the stomach and side, and I am in very
great pain.

Mr. Arnold—Was he intoxicated ?
Prosecutrix—He was not sober. He is in the habit of
drinking. _ _ _

Mr. Arnold—This ill-treatment has occurred before?

Prosecutrix—Frequently. He always ill-uses me when
he comes home drunk. I have never charged him before,
but have threatened to bring him to a police-court, and he
has declared, if I did, he would kill me. Igo in great feir
of him. He flourished this sword (produced) over my
head last night.

Prisoner-II am very sorry. I met with some shopmates
yesterday and got too much to drink.
Mr. Arnold—You are in the habit of ill-treating your
wife. In one of your fitl of drunkenness you will be the
death* of your wife, and will have to take your trial for
wilful murder.

James Ellar—l live in the same building as this man
and his wife. For the last three months he has been con-

tinually in the habit of beating her and very much ill-using
her. She is a quiet, respectable woman. I have often
seen her with black eyes and other marks of violence, and
I have often heard her cries for help. She was crying

" Murder" when I went to their room last night, and saw
him standing over her with a drawn sword in his hand.

Prisoner was remanded for a week.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

WHOLESALE ROBBERY BY A SERVANT GIRL.—A
DAUGHTER CHARGED WITH ROBBERY, AND HER MOTHER
WITH RECEIVING.—Sarah Sidey, a girl about 14 years of
age, servant to Mesdames Barttens and Vignard, dealers
in lace, &c., No. 18, Maddox-street, Regent-street, was
charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt, with stealing three gold
crosses, some rings and earrings, a quantity of ribbons
and laces, and 150 f. in gold in 10 and 20f. pieces, and
other property belonging to her employers; and Mary
Ann Sidey, the mother, residing at 27, Upper Charlotte-
street, Fitzroy-square, was charged with receiving a quan-
tity of the property, well knowing it to be stolen.
Madame Fanny Barttens said the prisoner, Sarah, had
been 'in the service of herself and partner for some time.
Having for some time past missed a quantity of property,
she yesterday taxed the prisoner with robbing her. The
prisoner denied doing so at first, but afterwards took some
of her property from her pocket, and some more property
was found at the prisoner's mother's lodgings.
Mr. Andrew Fenet, a friend of Madame Barttens, said
that on being spoken to yesterday by Madame Barttens,
and, on speaking to the prisoner, Sarah,. she denied
taking any of the property, but, on being given in charge,
she said, " I have done so, and if you go to
my mother's place she will give the things up."
He then went with the prosecutrix, the prisoner,
and the constable to the lodgings of the mother, at 27,
Upper Charlotte-street, and found in a box belonging to the
prisoner Sarah several articles belonging to Madame Bart-
tens and her partner. On asking for a pair of earrings the
daughter said her mother had sold them for Is., but she did
not know where. The mother was drunk at the time. A
diamond ring was also missed, and the prisoner Sarah said
that her sister had pledged it for a sovereign, but that she
did not know where her sister resided. quantity of coins
were given up by the prisoner Sarah-150f., in 10f. or 20f.
pieces, being taken from Madame Barttens and her partner.
Lazarus Howes, 95 C, said that, on being called in, the
prisoner Sarah took from her pocket two brooches and
some charms, and said, " That's all I have taken to-day."
On asking her if she had any more property, she said that
if he went with her she would give it up. He went to the
mother, and found her very drunk. On looking in the pri-
soner Sarah's box he found some handkerchiefs, ribbons,
brooches, and charms. The mother said she did not know
her daughter had the things, but on looking in a box be-
longing to the mother he found 17 yards of lace and other
property. He also found on the mantelpiece eight dupli-
cates relating to silk, also a silk umbrella, all identified by
Mme. Barttens. The prisoner Sarah also said she had given
her mother a pair of earrings, which she had sold for a
shilling.

Mme. Barttens identified all the property produced, but
said a good deal more was missing. _ •

Mr. Tyrwhitt remanded the prisoner for a week.

THAMES.

DEFALCATIONS OF A RATE COLLECTOR.-Mr. Walter,
solicitor, and vestry clerk of the parish of St. Anne, Lime-
house, who was accompanied by the churchwardens and
overseers, applied to Mr. Paget for a warrant to apprehend
Edward Dudd Skilled, collector of the poor, general,
sewer, and main drainage rates, for feloniously embezzling
divers sums of money he had received for and on account
of the parish.

The proceedings appeared to excite considerable interest.
The defaulter had admitted a " failure" to the amount
of 2,3001. His family and connexions,who are of the highest
respectability, have been long settled in Limehouse and
the adjoining parish of Poplar, and his brother is a marine
artist of great ability. The defalcations of Skillett had
been attended with considerable inconvenience. A call
for £l,BOO has been made on the overseers by the guardians
of the Stepney Union, of which Limehouse forms part, and
there is a large call unpaid from the Limehouse District
Board of Works. The parish has been singularly unfor-
tunate in its officers. In the course of the last few years
the late treasurer and the late vestry clerk of the parish
have been large defaulters. The late vestry clerk ab-
sconded, and a reward was offered for his apprehension.
Mr. Walter said it was with very great regret he had to
ask for a warrant against Edward Dodd Skillett, collector,
who had acted in that capacity for thirteen or fourteen
years, and who was considered a person of great moral
worth and integrity. It was a most lamentable affair. The
defalcations of Mr. Skillett amounted to upwards of 2,0001.,
and the parish authorities considered they had no alterna-
tive but to prosecute. Uunder those circumstances he
asked for a warrant to arrest Mr. Skillett for embezzlement.
Mr. Paget asked Mr. Walter for the books.
Mr. Walter said he had not brought them with him.

Mr. Paget asked some further questions of Mr. Walter,
who said that Mr. Skillett had balanced his books properly,
and made out a large sum, 2,3001. due to the parish, but
could not pay the money.

Mr. Paget said it was not usual to grant warrants in cases
of embezzlement unless the party accused was out of the
metropolitan police district, in which case a warrant would
be necessary. The parish authorities could give the man
into custody if they pleased without a warrant if he had
embezzled the parish funds. He did not mean to say this
was not a case of embezzlement, and he hoped he should
not be misunderstood on that point, but it might be a debt,
for which Skillett would only be liable by civil remedy.
There were no books produced, and there was no precedent
for granting a warrant in such a case as this, where the
party was within the district. The police would act, if
called upon to do so, but he must decline to grant a war-
rant.

The parochial functionaries then retired with Inspector
Bean, of the K division.

THE CONDEMNED PRISONER AT CHELMSFORD.—
Since he has been in Springfield Gaol there has been
no change whatever in Karl Kohl's demeanour. He eats
and sleeps well, and spends the greater part of his time in
reading and writing. The chaplain, the Rev. G. B. Hamil-
ton, has been in almost constant attendance upon him, and
the condemned man appears to pay great attention to his
ministrations, but still persists in excitedly declaring he is
"quite innocent, and as white as snow." He is evidently
a man of great hardihood and determination, and the im-
pression of the officials is that if he does confess it will only
be at the very last. At his request a letter was written to
the Rev. Dr. Cappel, who had several times visited him
while in Ilford Gaol, requesting him to come and see him,
and on Monday morning the rev. doctor arrived at the
gaol and had a long interview with the unhappy man, but
no confession was made, and Kohl still persisted in assert-
ing his entire innocence. Yesterday morning he was visited
by his wife, and we understand this will probably be his
last interview with any of his relatives. He was seen by
Dr. Cappel, who attended Muller in his last hours. Kohl
still protests that he is innocent. The execution is fixed for
Thursday week,—Chelmsford Chroniele. •
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.—A GIRL IMPALED.—A
young girl, the daughter of keeper Lucas, of Black-
nest, was engaged in picking acorns from an oak, when her
foot slipped and she fell, but striking a dead branch, which
had been pointed by age, in her fall, the point of the
branch entered her body above the- hip bone, passed quite
through her, and came out above the opposite hip bone.
Hanging bead downwards some half minute, the weight
tore away the lower portion of the body, making a fright-
Nal gash thirteen inches long, and she fell to the ground.
The mother of the poor girl was sent for, who, on ar-
riving and seeing the horrifying sight, fainted immediately.
The patient, all but dead, was conveyed in a wheelbarrow
to her home, and medical assistance sent for. Dr. Sandford
was promptly on the spot, when he found, on examination,that the intestines, although protruding, were uninjur,teh
Ho placed about a dozen stitches an inch apart acrsusure_
wound, gradually got the parts together, and by
mitting attention and skill the patient is now out
.ohfls r
dan e
and able to walk about, with but a little contraction offf atgrahes
abdomen as the result of the accident.--Surrey an
and Guildford Times.