The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-24 00:00:00

THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF
CONSPIRACY.

At the Marlborough-street Police-court, on Thursday,
Mr. Robert Gordon Hope Johnstone,• and Mr. John Hay
Smallpage, the latter described as a tailor, of Maddox-
street, Picadilly, appeared on an adjourned summons issued
by Mr. William Harry Vane Milbanke, for alleged conspi-
racy to obtain from him £2,500. There was
another summons against Mr. Johnstone, charging
him with fraudently converting to his own use

bills of exchange valued at £B,OOO, of which he was
bailee. The prosecutor is a young gentleman of large
expectations, and Mr. Hope Johnstone was formerly in
Her Majesty's service. Mr. Milbanke came of age in
December, 1863, an in October last he met Mr.
Johnstone, who gave him to understand that 'he
possessed the means of negotiating bills. At the time
Mr. Milbanke came of age he had large expectations, and
at an interview with Mr. Johnstone, who professed great
friendship for him, nine pieces of paper were placed before
him to accept, which he did in blank. Some time after-
wards seven of these bills were found to be in the

hands of a person named Schweitzer, the remaining
two for £5OO each being in the hands of Mr. Small-
Some of the bills had, it was stated,

been presented for payment, and proceedings had been
taken on them, but Mr. Milbanke had never received a
single sixpence from Mr. Johnstone for the bills. Mr.
Milbanke parted with the bills for the sake of having
them discounted, and not having received the money, he
asked Mr. Johnstone to return the bills. The latter said
it was difficult to get them discounted, and promised to
return them. In January Mr. Milbanke received a
letter asking for payment of the £5OO bills, and requested a
call at 43, Maddox-street. He went there and found it was
the shop of Mr. Smailpage. He saw Mr. Johnstone
there, and the latter told him that Schweitzer had dis-
counted the bills. Subsequently he had inter•
view with Mr. Johnstone, who advised him to buy
American bonds, and said that if Mr. Milbanke gave his
acceptance, he would buy them, and have some money
after, besides getting back the bills held by
Schweitzer. Mr. Milbanke parted with £4,500, to
get these bonds with, but this Mr. Johnstone had never
done. Mr. Knox still expressed a doubt whether Mr.
Hope Johnstone could be proceeded against under any
charge of false pretences. He did not think, moreover,
that he was a bailee according to the meaning of the Act.
Serjeant Ballantine proposed at_this stage to go into
. .

the case of the conspiracy,, and Mr. Milbanke on being
called into the witness box said he had never

seen Smallpage till he saw him in that Court.
Mr. Milbanke then stated his negotiations with Mr.
Johnstone, whomhe had called " Bob " during their
friendship. He would not undertake to say he did or did
not suggest that Mr. Johnstone should get his bills dis-
counted. He remembered in March, 1870, he had a con
versation with Mr. Johnstone about getting some paper
discounted in their joint names, could not recollect
whether the sum to be discounted was £lO,OOO. A Mr.
Byfurst refused to discount any bills of his until his debts
were paid.
Mr. Knox expressed doubt as to whether there was any
evidence proving that there was an understanding between
Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Smallpage.
The case was again adjourned.

THE DRAMATIC AND EQUESTRIAN FUND
SPEECH OF MISS AMY SEDGWICK.
The 15th anniversary festival of the Dramactic and
Equestrian Sick Fund Association, was held on Wednes-
day at Willis's rooms, under the presidency of Mr. Tom
Taylor. The general closing of the metropolitan theatres
on Ash Wednesday has, at all events, this advantage, that
it renders such an assemblage possible as that which
annually meets at Willis's, in order to promote the success
of an institution in which all connected with the profession
feel so deep an interest. On Wednesday evening,
although several well-known faces were absent, some, as
in case of Mrs. Stirling, from affliction, in which deep
sympathy was generally expressed, and others from
engagements elsewhere, the number of those present
appeared to be nearly as large as ever. The festival is one
which two exceptional circumstances have invested with
interest. The ladies dine with the gentlemen at the table,
instead of contemplating the proceedings from a gallery,
and the toast of " The Ladies " is responded to, not by
deputy, but by one of the body to whom this tribute is
paid. In proposing this toast on Wednesday evening, the
chairman alluded in pleasant terms to the manner in which
the board was graced ; adding that as public dinners were
the most fertile fields for the cultivation of the art of hum-
bug, the presence of ladies, whether they were regarded as
encouragers or checkers of humbug, was equally desirable.
Their smiles, their looks, and their sweet voices, always
winning, were never more irresistible than when exerted
to extract the base and filthy metal from men's pockets in
a good cause. In the absence of Mrs. Stirling, with'
whose affliction they all sympathised, he begged to couple
with the toast the name of Miss Amy Sedgwick. Miss
Sedgwick, whose name was received with loud cheering,
which was renewed upon her rising to return thanks,
alluded to the services of Mrs. Stirling in the cause of the
association in times past, and expressed her deep regret
that the absence of that lady should have arisen from so
sad a cause. They would not, she trusted, censure her for
addressing them that evening. Her excuse was, her anxiety
that those present should assist in relieving those whom
circumstances had compelled to ask for assistance.
The ladies she would expect to be still more anxious to
relieve suffering and distress, and while contentedly
occupying the place nature had assigned them, that of
second to man, in the great battle of life to be first
and foremost in every work of charity. It was this
desire which had enabled her to address them on behalf
of those who would acknowledge, with gratitude, the
benefits conferred upon them. In proposing the toast of
prosperity snd success to the association, the chairman
stated that the past year had been one of unusual pres-
sure upon the association, for there had rarely been less
than 12 or 14 weekly pensioners upon the fund, and a
larger amount had been expended than in former years
in other directions. There had been of late a considerable
increase in the number of theatres, but he was afraid that
increase did not betoken a corresponding increase in
theatrical prosperity. Those who were intimate with
theatrical matters had, he feared, learnt that there was
truth in the proverb that the more haste the worse speed,
and that sometimes the half was more than the whole.
They all suffered for it, and, what was worse than all,
the art suffered from it most materially, for not, only
was there a want of completeness and perfection, which
was the first condition of effective dramatic representatidn,
because of the scattering of good actors over the great
number of theatres, all of which claimed to appeal to
those particular arts by which the public were allured ;
but when that was the case the more legitimate authors
and the good actors were apt to come 9.ff second best. All
that was not encouraging to art, but it also indirectly in-
duced another evil, and that was the incre9sed precariousness
of the theatrical profession. One of its effects, too, was
the increasing tendency to engage actors for the run of the
piece. In consequence the elements of uncertainty were
becoming greater, and regular study met with less encour-
agement. Such a state of things, however, rendered the
work of this association more necessary and more impor-
tant, and the claims upon its assistance were so numerous
that it was the duty, as it should be the pleasure, of all to
minister to its usefulness as fur as lay in their power.
The appeal made lay the chairman was responded to on
the part of the company. Several ladies and gentlemen
rendered their assistance as vocalists, and a quadrille
party in connection with the festival commenced shortly
before 11 and terminated about 2 o'clock.

Mr. James Fleming, Q.C., has been appointed
Temporal Chancellor of the County-Palatine of Durham.
The elder of the two hippopotami in the London
Zoological Gardens—the one with the scar of the boat-
hook in its side—has repaid her owners by presenting
them with an infant specimen of this huge ungainly type
of beast. This, we believe, is the first birth, of the kind
in this country.
EDUCATION IN IRELAND,—A memorial has been
addressed to the Lord Lieutenant by the Protestant clergy
of different denominations, a number of magistrates, awl
other inhabitants of Sligo, praying that the mixed system
of national education be maintained in Ireland, and that
its administration be made more in accordance with the
principle upon which it was originally founded.
THE EASTER MONDAY VOLUNTEER REVIEW.—
Since the recant meeting of metropolitan commanding offi-
cers to decide the site for the Easter Review, the committee
appointed to visit Brighton have been busy with the rail.
way and local authorities in making the arrangements, and,
as far as they are at present matured, everything promises
well for as successful a display as that of last year. It is
stated that the old Bevendean site has been approved by
the committee, and that arrangements have been made
whereby all the ground will be available at about the same
cost as upon that occasion. As in former years a local
committee. has been formed at Brighton to organise rifle
: meetings and other attractions for volunteers going down
' before Easter Monday. It is announced that there is' a
probability of regular troops taking part in the review,
and that the Prince and Princess of Wales QAT to be
invited to, witness it,