The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-10 00:00:00

LIGHT SOVEREIGNS.

The following letter has been addressed to the editor of
the Times :
Sir,— Some twelve months since a great stir and bustle
was made about the light sovereigns, and, as I presumed, they
Ivei 0 all called in; and I had a hope, therefore, that an end
was put to further weighing them. Strange to say, it is not
so, for hundreds of light sovereigns are still in circulation;
and it is no more strange than true that they flow from our
banking-houses in town. I had a cheque change.' a few
days since at the London and Westminster Bank, and, out of
twenty sovereigns, I had eleven light ones. Some of them
I took to the Stamp office to pay for duties, but of course
they were weighed and were found wanting. This put me
to very great '::convenience, such as you can hardly antici.
pate ; however, I have no redress, and must only wait
patiently for a better state of things. Will you kindly give
the public a caution not to take light sovereigns? They are
chiefly to be found amongst those coined in the reigns of
George 111. and George IV. They should be refused by the
public when presented to them ; this would make the bankers
take them elsewhere, and thereby probably rid them from
being sent into circulation

Yours,

A SUBSCRIBER.

SAVINGS' BANKS.

Mr. John Tidd Pratt, the barrister appointed to certify
the rules of savings' banks, has addressed the following cir-
cular to the trustees of these institutions :
" London, March 6, 1847.
" My attention having been called to an observation said
to have been made by one of the Barons of the Exchequer,
as to the operation of the Statute of Limitations on deposits
in savings' banks, viz., that a great many people who
lodge their money in savings' banks would be rather asto-
nished to learn that if they allowed their money to remain
for six years in the hands of their banker, without receiving
any portion of their money, they were barred by the Statute
of Limitations, and could nut recover it ; I am quite sure
that if such an observation were made, bis Lordship could
not have been aware of the provision contained in the Sa-
vings' Bank Act (9 Geo. IV., c. 92, s. 17), which expressly
prevents the operation of that statute, by enacting, ' that it
shall be lawful for the managers and trustees of any savings'
bank, if they shall so think fit, to direct that all interest
which shall become due and payable to each depositor, on
any sum of money deposited in such savings' bank, shalt
yearly, or twice in each and every year, be calculated
and computed by the trustees, and shall be carried 'to
the credit of the person depositing the said sum of money,
and shall become principal, and shall thenceforth carry inte-
rest in all respects as other principal money deposited in the
said bank ; or, as if the said sum of interest so calculated
had actually been paid to the said depositor, and by him re-
paid to the said trustees, any law, statute, or usage, notwith-
standing ;' and as the rules of every savings' bank provide
for the computation of interest, yearly or half-yearly, in
compliance with the above enactment, it is quite clear that.
as the interest so added is declared to carry interest in all re-
spects as if the same had actually been paid to the depositor,
and by him repaid to the trustees, the Statute of Limitations
cannot apply to depositors in a savings' bank."

A LONG WORD.—The Allgemeine Zeitung informs
its readers that a society has been established in Hull for dis-
couraging tight-lacing. The German editor pleased to inflict
on this harmless association the following formidable title:—
" Jungefrauenzimmerdurchschwindsuchttoedtungs-gegenverein."
Otherwise the " Anti-killing-young-women-by-a-lingering-
death-society.
CANTERBURY ELECTION. Yesterday Mr. H.
Plumptre Gipps issued an address to the electors of Canter.
bury. Mr. Gipps put up in 1837 with Mr. Bradshaw, on the
Conservative interest, but was defeated. The nomination is
fixed for Saturday next, and the election for the following
Monday.
Colonel Sir W. R. Clayton, Bart., has issued an
address to the electors of Great Marlow, declaring himself a
candidate on the first vacancy.—Bucks Advertiser.
THE HULKS AT Woor,wicm—Among the Parlia-
mentary papers recently printed was one obtained by Mr. T.
Duncombe, in reference to the hulks at Woolwich. It ap-
pears that since the Ist of January, 1844, 122 prisoners have
died at the hulks, and the verdicts returned show that many
died of consumption. In the period embraced by the return
it seems that 59 corpses have been removed for anatomical
examination, on each of which a sum of 21. 10s. was paid
to Mr. Dix, undertaker. The corporal punishmenetsf
pro:,
andthe
Ist of January, 1843, to 12th February last, numbered 44.
The punishment awarded in some cases was by stripes,
in a few instances by lashes.
COUTTS v. DUNN.—The defendant in this case
removed immediately after the trial in a coach to the Queen's
Bench Prison, and was placed in the receiving ward, with an
intimation that the Governor would oulv allow him to remain
in that part of the prison for two days. Ihe defendant, how-
ever, remained until four o'clock onThursday afternoon, when
Cady: ell, the turnkey, entered and informed the defendant that
the Governor's orders were for him to_ leave immediately. Mr.
Dunn replied that be could not, as_ he had hitherto been unable
to get any furniture. Besides, as Lord Denman had not ordered
him to be placed in any particular part, he objected to be
placed in that portion of the prison, which would amount to
what might be termed solitary confinement. There was another
ground why he wished to remain. lie intended to issue a writ
of error, and until the error was settled he was entitled to be
bailed. The turnkey, however, said his orders were impera-
tive, and Mr. Dunn was at once removed to that part of the
prison which is set apart for misdemeanors, which is three
stories high, and separated from the other portions by a dead
wall on one side, and a high iron railing on the other. The de-
fendant was conducted to what may be termed the best room,
No. 1, at the top of the staircase, where a fire was burning
and a chair was placed. The defendant wanted to know
whether he was to be allowed a bed, or was he tosleep on the
boards. Subsequently a bed and a bedstead were sent in,
with a message that he would be allowed this convenience
for ten days, by which period he must find his own furniture.
Mr. Dunn again protested against being in almost solitary
confinement, and has since written to the Secretary of State
on the subject, but at present no answer has been received by
the defendant from Sir G. Grey.-- Sunday Paper,