The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-26 00:00:00

MADRAS IRRIGATION AND CANAL.

The report of the directors states that since the
half-yearly meeting of the company, held in No-
vember last, the general operations in India have
been prosecuted with great energy by the chief
engineer and his executive officers. The Anicut
across the Toobuddra at Soonkasala, and the
main canal thence to the Hindry at Kurnool, a
distance of 171 miles, with its head sluices of
masonry, are so nearly completed as to justify
a belief that irrigation will be supplied to some
portions of the adjacent land in the course of
the coming month of July. The sufficiency of the
original rough estimate of £1,000,000, made by
the chief engineer, as the cost of that section of the
company's project which commences at .Soonkasala
and terminates at or near to Kistnapatam, on the
east coast, has been practically confirmed by the
actual cost of the work hitherto executed, and by
the fact that contractors readily come forward to
undertake, at the rates upon which that estimate
was founded, the whole of the further portions of
the works, and, this even in anticipation of the
sanction of Government being given to the plans
and estimates. The supply of labour has been and
promises to be ample for all purposes. The local
population have shown themselves keenly alive to
the advantages they may derive from the works,
the landholders in the vicinity of Kurnool having
made already preparations to receive the water ex-
pected soon to be available for the irrigation cf
their lands. The price or rate to be paid by the
cultivators is now under the consideration of the
Madras Government, and the directors have ground
for a reasonable hope that a satisfactory arrange-
ment will be speedily arrived at upon this most im-
portant question. The usual audited accounts of
receipts and expenditure up to Dec. 31 last, show
that £591,327 had been then received, and £105,786
expended, leaving a balance of £485,541 in hand.

TAE THAMES EMBANKMENT.—On Friday Mr.
Pennethorne, the architect, was examined by the
committee on behalf of the Crown lessees, Sir R.
Peel, Mr. Horsman, and others, the occupiers of
houses and lands in Whitehall-gardens and Rich-
mond-place abutting on the route of the proposed
embankment, and which they allege will interfere
with their hitherto free access to the river, deprive
them of their privacy, and be a nuisance to the
neighbourhood, without any corresponding public
advantage. The Duke of Buccleuch was examined
in support of the allegation against the embank-
ment as affecting his property, and the Hon. C.
Gore upon the question generally. Mr. Tite, M.P.,
gave evidence in favour of the embankment, and
was of opinion that the Metropolitan Board of
Works were perfectly competent to carry out its
construction, having to deal with works of equal
magnitude. The question was mainly one of money.
He had to suggest, as president of the Institute of
British Architects, that architectural features and
arrangements might be combined with the embank-
ment that would greatly conduce to its beauty and
usefulness as a national work.

_POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—May 24.

MANSIONHOUSE.—Jane Wood and Rebecca
Isaacs were brought before the Lord Mayor, charged
with stealing twelve shawls and mantles, together
of the value of about £1,4 or £l5, from the shop of
Messrs. Morgan and Scott, 82, Bishopsgate-street
Without.

•.
The prisoners, who both refused to give their
address, were exceedingly well dressed, both wear-
ing immense cloaks and crinolines, by the aid of
which they nearly succeeded in escaping detection.
Mr. Thomas Seott said—The prisoners came into
my shop on Friday afternoon, between three and
four o'clock, and asked to be shown some lace
shawls. I gave them a seat near the counter, and
the parcel of twelve shawls produced was on the
counter near where they were sitting. The prisoner
Wood reached over the parcel to look at some mus•
lins, and when she withdrew her arm I immediately
missed the shawls. I showed them some black lace
shawls, and then went to the window to get some
more. I observed that Isaacs looked rather agitated,
pm' I looked at them through the back of the
window, and observed that they were looking at
some mantles, and when I brought the shawls to
them they objected to them, and Wood then
asked to see some mantles. Isaacs got up and
walked out of the shop, and I observed to Wood
that her friend was going away, and she said,
" Oh, she's only going to see if she can see a
mantle in the window that she would like." I said
I would go with her, and if she saw one that she
fancied I would take it out of the window for her.
I followed her, buy as soon as she got outside the
door she crossed the road. I went after her and
stopped her, and she immediately gave me two
mantles and said, " Here's your property, take it."
I took the mantles in one hand, and with the other
I laid hold of the prisoner, and took her into an-
other shop of Mr. Morgan's, and she there dropped
the parcel of 12 shawls from under her crinoline.
An officer was sent for, and she was given into cus-
tody. I then went back to the prisoner Wood,
whom I found still in the shop, and tolti her her
friend wished to speak to her, and took her to Mr.
Morgan's shop, and she there dropped a shawl,
which was my property; the value together is about
£l4. . _ _

Charles Ratcliffe, police-constable 635, said—l
was called to the shop of Mr. Morgan yesterday
afternoon, and saw the prisoner Isaacs there. Wood
was afterwards brought in, and I saw her drop a
mantle from under her clothes. I picked up this
bundle of shawls from under the clothing of Isaacs;
they were partly out when I saw them. They both
refused to give their address.
The Lord Mayor then asked the prisoners if they
wished to say anyt)ing.
The prisoners both replied that they did not; and
His Lordship intimated his intention to commit
them for trial.

The prisoners, upon hearing this, both dropped
down upon their knees, and implored him, amidst
aprofusion of tears, to dispose of the case summa-
rily.
His Lordship, however, said it was too serious an
offence for him to deal with, and ho should not be
furthering the ends of justice if he did not send the
case before a jury.
The prisoners were then removed from the bar,
shrieking, and imploring that the case might be
settled at once.

GUILDHALL.—POVERTY TREATED AS A CiumE
AT THE WEST LONDON UNlON.—Margaret Long,
a young woman, who has been an inmateof the
West London Union, and whose children are ft
:t the
caultsdtAlderman
edy
Harwell Schools, was brought up in
Alderman Abbiss, the Chairman of the
City ofl,
Phillips,on don
ch Unionarg
e;
dA
withldci deserting
eCr
toipneal Copeland,
children under,
;of the West London
,i nt gh
ec
ri recl ui
emv
isnt
ga nocffie sc :e
the
ll followec
u e tt
Union, said—A van was hired
purpose of taking the female°n Friday for the
to see their children at the paupers in the Union
schools at Harwell. I
had them in my charge.
Alderman Copeland—W '
they prisoners ? hat do you mean? Were

Beckett—No, sir; but they were placed under my
care to bring them all back together, ao that none