The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-15 00:00:00

THEATRE-ROYAL, HOLBORN.

Tilts EVENING, at 7, THE BATH ROAD. At 7.45, LOVE'S
SA CRIFICrI: Mr. Barry Sullivan, Mrs. Hermann Vezin, &c.
And STATE SECRETS.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Sole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. Swanhorough.
Tins EVENING, at 7.30, AMONG THE BREAKERS: Mr
Clarke. With THE TOODLES. And INO. Concluding with
THE CHOPS OF THE CHANNEL.

GLOBE THEATRE-ROYAL.
THIS EVENING, at 7, A HOUSEHOLD FAI it.Y. At 7.45,
NOT SUCH A FOOL AS HE LOOKS: Mr H. J. Byron. And
LORD BATEMAN : Miss Fanny Josephs, Mr J. Clarke, &c.

CHRISTY MINSTRELS. St. James's Hall, Every Night, at 8
Wednesdays and Saturdays, at 3 and 8 all the year round.

ZOOLOGICAL QARDENS, Regent's-park, OPEN daily (ex-
cept Sundays). Admission, Is.; on Mondays, 6d. Children
under twelve, Cl..

ROYAL AL AMBRA PALACE. —THREE BALLETS
Promenade Concert. Band of 60. Begin at 8. le. Box-office
o pen from 11 to 4.

!, _
?Mt vi* Suit

LONDON, SATURDAY, JAN. 15, 1870.

THE. London and Brighton Railway Company and
the public generally will have reason to remember
the accident at New Cross on the day of the Licensed
Victuallers' Fête at the Crystal Palace. It inflicted
great injuries on many persons, some of whom, no
doubt, are ill-recompensed even by the liberal
awards which juries have given them. It
reduced the clear earnings of an unprosperous
line to such an extent that the shareholders
must be content with a miserable return of l per cent.,
instead of the very moderate 2} dividend which they
would otherwise have received. The disaster is also
noteworthy for certain swindles which have been
attempted in connection with it. It is not, indeed,
the first time that a railway collision has been
made the basis of efforts to extort money from a
company by inventing or exaggerating injuries; but
this New Cross accident aflOrded unusual facilities.
The train was a very long one and crowded with pas-
sengers, so that it was difficult to prove who was or
was not exposed to the shock. Accordingly, we find
a young woman, who was in the train at the time, but
who sustained no injuries whatever, setting up a
claim for damages. She was able to walk after the
accident; she sang songs to some sailors who lodged
in her father's house; she made beds, prepared
meals, and transacted other household duties. Un-
fortunately there are always men of the medical
profession ready to make any useful statement.
In this instance testimony was not wanting to
prove that the girl had been seriously hurt, had
endured great sufferings, and that damages, heavy
damages, alone could meet the case. By a happy
dispensation of things, however, swindlers of this
type generally overdo their part. The virtuous young
woman, who had been so brutally treated, tried to
strengthen her case by a foolish statement about a sum
of money which she lost by some mysterious
means. She likewise let fall to her neighbours some
injudicious remarks as to the good thing she intended
to make out of the railway company. And though
certain doctors are not averse to representing
black to be white, others are equally prepared
to tell the truth. The company got a verdict in
this case, and very lucky indeed was the plaintiff in
escaping with no heavier punishment than the pay-
ment of costs.

Less fortunate was a gentleman named DICKEN-
SON, who attempted a bolder stroke of roguery,
and failed still more signally. lie was not a pas-
senger in the train at all. But on the
day after the accident he took to his bed,
and seems to have had little difficulty in persuading
certain sage members of the faculty that he was
really ill. A Dr. SIMPSON, a Mr. GAY, F.R.C.S., and
a surgical instrument maker, were all more or less
convinced that the unfortunate man had sustained
grave internal injuries. An action was commenced,
which the company allowed to go against them by
default, and the Under-Sheriff's Court assessed the
damages at 250, which DICKENSON duly received,
with his costs. Shortly afterwards it came to the
knowledge of the company that DICKENSON was not
in the train, and they accordingly prosecuted him for
perjury and fraud. It was clearly shewn that his
story was false both in the main statement and the
details. The scheme was got up with the aid of a
woman of loose character for the purpose of relieving
DICKENSON'S pecuniary difficulties. Forgetting the
old proverb about honour among thieves, the swindler
omitted to give the woman her share of the plunder,
and she straightway transferred her services to
the other side. The claim was found by the jury
to have been a complete fabrication, and DICKENSON
was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard
labour. The punishment is not too severe. It is not
likely that daring frauds of this kind will become
very common ; they involve too much risk. Tho
exaggeration of injuries which are slight, but real,
will find more favour with the dishonest than the
sheer invention of claims. But both species of
imposture are not easy to deal with, and yet the public,
not less than railway companies, are interested in
repressing them. Besides being a scandalous violation
of law, such schemes must injuriously affect the whole
system of compensation for accidents, by tending to
the discredit of claims which are just. Moreover,
these sums come out of the public purse, for the
companies must reimburse their losses, either by in-
creased charges or deficient accommodation.

LOUVET, the new French Minister of Com-
merce, has made- a highly important.and satisfactory
declaration in the French Senate. The first Con-
stitutional Cabinet under the Empire does not,
as was suspected, favour the discontinuance
of the free trade compact with this
country. "I emphatically declare (says M. LouvET)
that we shall not withdraw from the Treaty of
Commerce with England. In the interests of peace
especially, it is our duty to uphold that treaty,
though, at the same time, the question of its con-
tinuance is subject to parliamentary inquiry."
Such a statement is as explicit and satisfactory as
British free-traders can desire. One of the conside-
rations which tempered, not to say lessened, our
satisfaction at the accession of the OLLIVIER
Ministry was the unquestionable fact that
several of its members were Protectionists. It
was to be feared that the agitation in the
country against the treaty with England would
have the more or less direct support of the EmpEnon's
a lvisers, in addition to a large following in the
Chamber. But it transpires that the private views
of certain Ministers have not prevailed over the free
trade policy of the remainder, and of the EmpEnon
himself. The question "is subject to parlia-
mentary inquiry "—a reservation which, what-
ever may be its abet, is quite unexceptionable.
It is true that there is a strong Protectiohist element
in the Chamber which may get the victory, though
such a triumph will be difficult in the' Taco of a free
trade Ministry. But it is clear that such matters
ought to be submitted to the representatives of the
people. The article in the new Constitution, which
provides that treaties of conuneme are in future to
be decided by Parliament, is Pig just and praise-