The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-11 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.-(THIS DAY.)

VIOLENT ASSAULT UPON A POLICE CONSTABLE.
'John O'Brian, 24, pleaded not guilty to an indictment
charging him with unlawfully assaulting 'and beating
Thomas Pope, a constable of the metropolitan police
force, in the execution of his duty. There were several
other counts charging him with doing grievous bodily
h arm.

The facts have already appeared in the Sun. It will
be remembered that the policeman was taking the pri-
soner to the station house, when a scuffle ensued, and the
policeman's greatcoat was torn. The constable, however,
would not let'go his hold of the prisoner, when he deli-
erately kicked him in the abdomen, in consequence
of which the constable had been unable to attend to his
duty for some time. The prisoner at the time he com-
mitted the offence was drunk, but the inspector of police
said that the prisoner was not known.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of a common as-
sault ; and the Court sentenced him to be kept in the
House of Correction for nine calendar months, with hard
labour.

SURREY SESSIONS.-(THIS DAY.)

AN OLD THIEF CAUGHT AT LAST.

Ann M'Coy, alias Julia Sullivan, 19, a notorious
street thief, was indicted for stealing a silver watch from
the person of Joseph Firth.
Prosecutor said that on the night of the 3d instant he
was passing through Park-street, Borough-market, to-
wards his home in the Black-friars'-road, when the
prisoner came up and asked him to treat her. Ile
refused to do so, and while he was conversing with her
she suddenly pounced in her hand and stole his watch,
with which she ran away. Witness pursued her some
distance, and saw her throw the: watch into the street,
just as a constable came insight, when she was secured.

A constable of the M division said he heard cries of
"Stop thief" on the night in question, and on turning
the corner of Union-street he saw the prisoner running
towards him, followed by the prosecutor, who said she
had robbed him of his watch. Witness took her into
custody, and received the watch from him.

In defence, the prisoner denied having the watch in
her possession.
The jury, without any hesitation, returned a verdict
of guilty. . _

_ ..
A former conviction having been proved against her,
the Court sentenced her to ten years' transportation.

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITITTION.—A special gene-
ral meeting of the proprietors of this institution was
held on Saturday last to determine upon the new by-
laws in connection with a supplemental charter just ob-
tained, by which each 1001. share has been converted
into ten shares of 101. each, a holder of two shares
having a free admission for himself at all times, the
effect of which will no doubt be that the proprietary will
be greatly extended, and the institution proportionately
benefited thereby.

THE LAW OF DIVORCE.—A very important measure
will be introduced into the House of Lords immediately
on' the re-assembling of Parliament, by Lord Brougham,
by which the present tedious system of divorce will be
abolished, and a new statute framed, doing away en-
tirely with the enormous fees -which are now paid,
thereby bringing the law within the reach of the poor.
By the new law, the proceedings in the Ecclesiastical
Court, and also the action at law, which are now neces-
sary, will be abolished.
ST. DAVID'S COLLEGE.—The late Mr. Thomas Phil-
lips, of Brunswick-square, has left by bequest a sum of
about 6,0001. for the purpose of founding a professorship
of the physical sciences in this college. From a consider-
able number of candidates, the principal and professors
have elected to the office the Rev. Joseph Matthews,
M.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge, whose recom-
mendations are of a very high character. With this
handsome bequest Mr. Phillips closed a series 'of munifi-
cent donations, which for severs" years have testified
his interest in the colleges of the principality. To his
generosity it has been indebted for the enlargement of
the library, by the addition of more than 22,000 volumes,
including among them many works of costly price and
high literary value. A few years before his death he
also conveyed to St. David's College, by deed of gift, the
sum of 4,800/., to found six scholarships, for the benefit
of natives of Wales and Monmouthshire.
DRAMATIC SUCCESS.—There exists in Paris a firm
(MM. Louat and Co.), whose professed business is to
procure dramatic success by judiciously packing a theatre
with " claquers," who steadily applaud a piece for a cer-
tain number of nights, after which public enthusiasm is
accepted as a fait accompli. This firm recently made a
treaty with MM. Wcerner, the directors of the Ambigu,
by which, in consideration of the sum of B,ooof. paid
down, MM. Louat and Co. were to receive a certain
'number oftiekets; at greatly reduced prices, for the next
two years, it being understood that the persons admitted
by these tickets would systematically applaud the per-
formance. At the end of a month, however, M. Des-
noyer succeeded MM. Weerner in the direction of the
theatre. The new management repudiated the contract
with MM. Louat, who thereupon brought an action to
enforce it. This action was dismissed by the Tribunal of
Commerce upon the ground that a treaty, The real ob-
ject of which was to produce fictitious applause in a
theatre, must be considered illegal, and .contrary to pub-
lic order. MM. Louat then sued MM. Wcerner, and
M. Desnoyer, as their assignee, for the restitution of
8,000 f., and the French law not going so far as the Eng-
lish, which will not allow money paid for an illegal pur-
pose to be recovered, they have succeeded in the latter
suit.

AUSTRALTAN GOLD--According to Mr. Stirling, the
total annual supply of gold to be expected from Australia
and California is about 43,000,000/ ; and of that amount
he calculates that the annual consumption is about
3,240,0001., leaving a surplus of 34,760,000/. for commei-
cial purposes. Now, if the same law regulates the ex-
changeable value of gold as governs that of other commo-
dities, it is plain that so great an annual increase of the
supply must have a very great effect on prices. Taking
for granted that the ordinary estimate of the whole of
the gold circulating throughout the commercial world
is about 250,000,000/., an annual supply of 34,760,000/.,
would add upwards of one hundred per cent. to the
total amount in seven years, so that, if no disturbing
cause interfered, the prices of food and all other com-
modities might reasonably be expected to double during
that period.

THE JEWISH PRESS.—Eleven years have now elapsed
sure tue Ango-Jewish periodical press was ushered into
existence. Slender was its beginning, and great were
its struggles. The dangers besetting its infancy were
neither few nor mean. But as it was the spirit of the
age which had called it into life, . and as it supplied a
deeply-felt want of the community, its vitality was not
easily extinguished ; but the delicate, slighted, brow-
beaten nursling grew and grew, and at last lived to feed
its own power—to conquer ground for itself to stand upon
7and recognition of its right as a Jewish organ. From
a semi-monthly small-sized paper, it became weekly,
extending its contracted form into the more portly
dimensions of double crown quarto.—Sebrew Chronicle.
PARIS THEATRES.—The official return states that the
,receipts of the Paris theatres, which receive allowances
from the Government, were, for the first 11 months of
1852, 2,663,871 fr. ; those of the secondary and minor
theatres, 5,884,745 fr. The public concerts and balls
produced 1,223,849 fr., and the different exhibitions
393,8681 r., making a total of 10,166,336 fr.