The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-31 00:00:00

T ;
THE !SU N, LONDON, SA r (MD A Y EVENING, MAY 31,

that the police should not allow prostitutes to con-
gregate in the streets.
Sir G. GREY said he had. instructed Sir R. Mayne
to see that the law was put in force against these
women, but he could not order them to be appre-
hended unless there was some charge against them.
A member of the deputation thought a short bill
might be introduced which would remedy the evils
complained of.
Sir G. GREY said the bill might be a short one ;
but he thought, considering the number of interests
which would be involved in any bill which at-
tempted to deal with the evil, it was likely to be a
long one. The licensing system of public-houses
would have to be considered, and therefore the
question might not be so simple as some persons
imagined.

After some further conversation, the deputation
thanked Sir G. Grey, and retired.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, FRIDAY.

The Report of the Queen's College, Galway, for
the session 1861-2 has been printed: It shows an
increase of nine students this session, which, added
to an increase of 26 in the previous session, gives
an increase of 35 for the last two years. The num-
ber of students who have entered since the opening
session in 1849-50 is 490 matriculated, and 69 non-
matriculated ; total, 559. Of these 196 were mem-
bers of the Church of England, 279 Roman Catholics,
70 Presbyterians, 8 Wesleyans, 4 Independents, and
2 " various." The first year does not offer a fair
ground of comparison as to the progress of the in-
stitution. Taking the second session, then, IESO-51,
for our starting point, and comparing entrances as
well as attendance upon the lectures, it will be seen
that the entrances have increased from 26 in the
former year to 40 in 1R.59.60 to 60, in 1860-61 ;
and to 62 in the present session ; while the number
of students attending lectures has increased from
63 to 118 in 1859-60, to 144 in 1860-61, and to 153
in the present session. Looking at the religious
denominations, we find that the Roman Catholic
students have increased from 28 to 91 ; the mem-
bers of the Church of England from 22 to 39.
The success of the Queen's Colleges may be esti-
mated by a comparison with the Dublin University.
lu 1845 there was but one University in Ireland,
with a Roman Catholic population of 6,500,000;
yet in that year not more than 120 Roman Catholics
were entered on the rolls of the Dublin University,
of whom but a small portion were in attendance at
its lectures. The number of Roman Catholics is
now only 4,500,000, and yet there are 91 Roman
Catholic students attending the Galway College
alone—nearly as many as formerly attended the
University from the whole of Ireland. Since the
Queen's Colleges Commission made its inquiries the
number of entrances in the three Colleges has in-
creased from 169 to 309, and the number attending
lectures from 454 to 752. Of those 207 are of the
Established Church, 204 are Roman Catholics, 247
Presbyterians, and 94 of other persuasions. " How
far the Colleges have succeeded as seminaries of
united education," says the President,
" May be judged from the numbers of the differ-
ent persuasions united in their class-room, while
the fact that in no one of the colleges has a single
dissension on the score of religion ever marred the
harmony that exists among the students sufficiently
attests the possibility of uniting in the bonds of
mutual affection the youth of our people, and of thus
laying the groundwork of the future prosperity of
our country." _ _

Mr. Berwick calculates, from admitted data, that
the numbers of Roman Catholics and Dissenters
that entered Trinity College in the last seven years
are 112 and 85. In the same year 430 Roman Ca-
tholics and 598 Dissenters have entered the Queen's
Colleges. He justly remarks that "no higher pa-
negyric on the wisdom of those who founded the
Queen's Colleges can be required than that which
these last statistics afford.
With reference to the " rich lures" which it has
been said attract students to these colleges, the Pre-
sident of Galway Collcgo =marks that there ar© 48
scholarships, averaging £22 each, tenable for only
one year, to be distributed between 309 who en-
tered this session for the first time ; that is,there is
one small prize for about seven students. Again,
there are 135 scholarships of about the same average
value for students of the second and third years, and
tenable for the same period ; these are to be distri-
buted among more than 700 undergraduates attend-
ing the college lectures, giving prizes in something
like the same proportion.
The Protestant Dean of Residence reports favour-
ably of the attendance of the students on the reli-
gious instruction, but the President laments that h•
"cannot yet announce the appointment of a Roman
Catholic Dean of Residence, but he is delighted to
bear testimony to the excellent conduct of the Ro-
man Catholic students. The report concludes with
another earnest appeal for salaries to the Dean of
Residence, who have neither station nor pay for
duties prescribed by Act of Parliament.
At the annual meeting of the Royal Agricultural
Society, which took place in this city yesterday,
the chairman, Mr. Naper, of Loughcrew, on his
being elected vice-president for Leinster, referred
to the appearance of Ribandism among the people.
He said it should be put down ; but at the same
time they should be kind to the poor, and above all
endeavour to improve their dwellings.
Mr. M'Farlane protested against allusions to the
state of the country from the chair. He reminded
them that on a former occasion the introduction of
political matter caused a disruption of the society,
the Marquis of Downshire being one of those who
retired.

A Wbarncliffe meeting of the Midland Great
Western Railway Company was held yesterday to
take into consideration a bill now pending in Par-
liament to enable the Great Northern and Western
Railway Company to construct a line to Ballina.
The object of the bill, as defined by the chairman
(Mr. John Ennis, M.P.), is to compel the Midland
Company to enter into partnership with the Great
Northern and Western in carrying out this exten-
sion.. The shareholders present were unanimously
of opinion that any such connect: on would be pre-

judicial to their own interests, and a resolution dis
approving the bill was adopted.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GRAND TRUNK OF CANADA.

It appears that a meeting of the Board of Trade in Mon-
treal, on the 15th inst., was held for thepurpose of opposing
any farther aid to the Grand Trunk Conpany, and, after a
long discussion on the motion of Mr. li. Lyman, seconded
by Mr. W. Workman, it was resolved, '` That the bill now
before Parliament, entitled An Act b amend the Acts
authorising the union of certain railway companies, as re-
spects the Grand Trunk Railway, the Great Western Rail-
way, and the Buffalo and Lake Rural Railway,' would
create a huge monopoly highly dangercus to the trade and
prosperity of the people of Canada ; that the mode proposed
to establish the amount or ratio of conpensation for postal
service is extremely objectionable; ad, inasmuch as in
said bill it is proposed to confiscate the property of various
classes of credibrs of the several companies under certain
conditions, which, if carried into effect, would inflict seri-
ous injury upon innocent persons, and You'd damage the
oputation of the province generally—tterefore this Board
protests against the passing of the sail bill, or any other
act conferring greater privileges or immtnities on the above
named railway companies, or any powers interfering with
the rights and property of the bondhollers and other cre-
ditors. That the Council prepare petiions in accordance
with tho above, for transmission to tie branches of the
I Provincial Parliament."

186.

THE GREAT FLOOD IN THE FENS.'

LYNN, FRIDAY NIGHT.

To day has been a time of great anxiety. The
tides have rushed up the cut with terrific force,
threatening to carry away every obstacle except
those of leviathan strength which might oppose
them. The natural consequence is that the water
has risen to a greater altitude on the fens than it
had before attained. Fortunately, the various efforts
of cradging the banks, and other measures of a simi-
lar preventive character, have prevented any greater
extension of the area of inundated land. Upon to-
morrow morning's tide depends the safety of the
entire fens that are not at present inundated. The
hole in the east bank was not filled up to-day when
we left, nor was any attention being paid to pud-
dling the banks, an operation the necessity of which
was felt on all bands. It is feared that the present
heavy rain, which has been failing for hours, will
help to swell the body of water on the land, and
render more liable an extension of its bulk and acre.
The framework of the coffer dam is expected to be
completed on Saturday night, by which time 52
piles, of a length of 53 feet each, will have been
driven to a depth of 20 feet into the earth. To
accomplish this about 10 engines have been used,
and it has taken seven days to do it, which, it will
be observed, is not a pile per engine per day. All
these piles are girded together by iron bolts, fixed
into the bed of the river, by an expert diver from
Portland and Spithead, and similar stays at the sur-
face of the water. The piles are 7ft. apart, and in
the groove are to be fixed panels of wood, Sin. thick,
cased with an inch of sheet iron. This work is ex-
pected to ba commenced to-morrow, and the centre
is to be filled up with clink and puddle. It is in-
tended to make the coffer dam a sold piece of work,
and not to have a sluice through it, as has been
stated before. The question of getting rid of the
water before the dam is completed (should that for-
tunately occur) is exciting much attention. We
aro enabled to state the plan which is intended to
be adopted by the engineers is to lift the water
over the coffer dam, which will be made as strong
as possible, by means of powerful machinery, which
is shortly to be erected. 50,000 sacks of earth has
been thrown into the river, and 12,000 more have
arrived for the same purpose. We believe it is pro-
posed to strengthen the coffer dam by laying a quan-
tity of clink and earth at the foot of the piles.
The land that is under water was let at about £3
an acre, and a loss of £26,000 will be sustained,
without taking into calculation the value of the
cropping and the deterioration of the land. Alto-
gether, it is questionable if a million sterling will
cover the whole expense.
We are informed that Mr. T. M. Wilkins, solici-
tor, who has some property under water, has served
more than 20 writs upon the Middle Level Com-
missioners, so there will be some fighting in the
law courts.

THE FORGERIES UPON THE IMPERIAL

BANK OF .RUSSI4.

William Muller, the German who stands charged
with having in his possession a number of plates
and some paper bearing impressions of portions
of notes purporting to be Russian ten
rouble notes, and also with being concerned with
a man named Reichberg and others in en-
graving upon certain plate impressions of the
rouble notes, and with forging certain paper pur-
porting to be notes upon the Imperial Bank of
Russia, with intent to defraud the Russian Govern-
ment, was placed at the bar of the Mansion-house,
before Mr. Alderman Finnis, who sat for the Lord
Mayor, to undergo a final examination upon the
above charges.
The public is aware that at the April session of
the Central Criminal Court five Polish Jews were
convicted of conspiring together to obtain plates
for the purpose of engraving forged 5 and 10 rouble
notes, one of them, a man named Rosenberg, having
been previously convicted of a similar offence, and
they were sentenced to long periods of penal servi-
tude. There appears to be no doubt that these men
were the principal agents in carrying out a most
extensively organised system of plunder upon the
ltussian Government by means of forged notes for
small amounts, which circulate to an enormous ex-
tent throughout the empire ; and it is understood
that since their conviction they have given infor-
mation which led to the apprehension of the pri-
soner now under charge, and which will in all
probability result in putting a stop to these proceed-
ings in future. If they had been successful a vast
amount of mischief would have
,been occasioned, as
these small notes circulate to an enormous amount
through the Russian empire, and sometimes as long
a period as three or four year elapses before they are
paid into the Imperial Bank, and the Russian pea-
santry, among whom these instruments principally
circulate, are so excessively ignorant that there is
very little chance of the forgery being detected in
the first instance. It is rather a singular fact that
there appears to be an impression very generally
prevalent in Russia, and the dependencies of that
empire, that it is considered only a very slight
offence in England to obtain the engraving of
notes of this description, and this may account
for the readiness with which some of the parties
have entered into the nefarious speculation.
In Russia the offence of forging the Go-
vernment notes is a capital one, and the least
punishment that would be inflicted for it
would be one of imprisonment for life at the
miner of Siberia. It will be remembered that
some of the prisoners already convicted, during the
negotiations they had with different engravers,
upon one or two occasions expressed a desire to
" peach" upon their companions, and since their
conviction it is believed they have made a clean
breast of the matter, and the result will in all pro-
bability be to put a stop to these proceedings in
future.

Yesterday Mr. Sleigh, instructed by Messrs.
Oliverson, Lavy, and Peachy, again appeared to
conduct the prosecution on behalf of the Russian
Government.

He said the evidence that had already been ad-
duced he thought was sufficient to substantiate the
charge against the prisoner, for having in his pos-
session, without lawful excuse, a quantity of plates
for fabricating Russian rouble notes, and a quantity
of forged notes, purporting to be rouble notes ;
and the evidence he proposed further to adduce
would be in support of the charge for fabricating
the plates and forging the notes. It had been
abundantly proved that the prisoner was acting in
concert with Rosenberg and the others who have
been already convicted. He should call gentlemen
who were lithographic printers, and who, under
the direction of the prisoner and one of the other
men, fabricated the plates, and who had acted as
honourable gentlemen should in such a matter.
They had, immediately upon their suspicions being
aroused, given information to the proper parties,
and had afterwards acted with their authority. The
Russian Government had discovered, since the con-
viction of the other prisoners, that there was an
enormous amount of fabricated paper in circulation
among the poorer community of the Russian em-
pire, and a great deal of distress has been occasioned
thereby. The prisoner was undoubtedly one of the
confederacy from whom the forged paper emanated.
There were others still undetected ; but he hoped
very soon to have them placed at the bar for exa-
mination.
Mr. Thomas Rawlings, a lithographic printer, in
Finsbury, was then called, and stated that the pri-
soner, with a man named Josephson, called upon
him about May in last year, and Josephson asked
him if he would have any objection to teach the
prisoner, who he said was his brother-in-law, a
portion of the lithographic printing. He wanted
to know how to take an impression from copper-
plate and transfer it on to stone. He showed them
the process, and they came continually until a few
days before Josephson and the others were appre-
hended. They asked him on several occasions to
print some copies from a plate which they
brought with them. The witness identified one
of the plates found on the prisoner when first
apprehended as the same plate, and also identi-
fied the notes found on the prisoner as some of
the impressions which he took from the plate.
He took about 300 in all, and the prisoners brought
their own paper each time.
The prisoner also called, with Josephson, upon an
engraver named Hilliner, who carries on business
in London-wall, in the month of October last.
They produced a circular zinc plate, and asked him
if he could imitate it on copper. He said he could,
and Josephson completed the order. Josephson
called on him several times afterwards, but he only
saw the prisoner two or three times. They told
him the plate was for a label for a watchmaker's
card. This witness identified one of the plates
which were found in the parcel at Woolwich sta-
tion as the same which was given him to imitate.
Mr. Sleigh said that was all the evidence he pro-
posed to go into, and asked that the prisoner
might be committed for trial. He thought it right,
however, to state that there would be more evi-
dence forthcoming at the trial.
The prisoner, who said he was quite innocent of
the charge, was then committed for trial.