The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-08 00:00:00

BANKRUPTCY.—(THIS DAY.)
(Before Mr. Commissioner EvANs.)
IN RE J. W. SMYTH, D.D.
This insolvent, who is a clergyman, lately residing at
Erith, came up for protection. The insolvent is also
perpetual curate of a parish in Devonshire.
The schedule showed debts to the amount of 5,7841.,
and no assets.
The insolvent was supported by Mr. Cooke, and op-
posed by Mr. Buchanan, on behalf of sixteen creditors,
on several grounds, the principal of which were, that he
had been insolvent in 1840, and had not inserted his old
debts in the schedule, not having paid any dividend ;
that he had dealt largely in accommodation bills ; that
he had fraudulently obtained a carriage, plate, money,
and goods on a false representation ; that he had bought
the living of Erith for 7,000/., and had fraudulently dis-
posed of the same ; and that he had kept a clerical
agency office in Lincoln's Inn-fields, but had not filed his
books and papers.
Mr. BUCHANAN proceeded to examine the insolvent,
and he elicited in the first few questions that the insol-
vent had deposited goods, no account of which appeared
on the schedule.
The Learned COMMISSIONER said it was impossible he
could entertain the petition when a full disclosure had
not been made.
Mr. COOKE said the insolvent was perfectly willing to
pay 1004 a year, and take his protection from time to
time, so long as the payments were made. lle thought
this would be much more beneficial to the creditors
than pursuing the opposition.
Mr. BUCHANAN, having consulted several of his clients,
said that the offer was spurned with contempt ; it was
only adding insult to injury to make such an offer.
Mr. CooeE said that no doubt the creditors were very
grand people, to show so much contempt.
Several creditors said they had been shamefully vie
timised, and quite " a scene" took place, which was only
ended by the interference of the Commissioner.
Mr. COOKE said the insolvent must go to prison, and
pass the Insolvent Court.
Mr. BUCHANAN said that was the proper Court to be
applied to in such a case.
After an angry altercation between the insolvent and
his creditors,
The Learned COMMISSIONER said, as the insolvent's
offer was rejected, he must dismiss the petition.

CLERKENWELL.-(THIS DAY.)
A young man, with a strongly marked Jewish coun-
tenance, who gave the name of Joseph Miles, was charged
by George Kelt, an officer of the detective force, with
adopting the following ingenious plan for picking
pockets : '

The prisoner carried a bag, similar to that used by
Jew clothesmen, over bis right arm, and when he wished
to experimentalise on the pockets of a passenger he
spread the mouth of the bag out so as to completely
conceal his whole arm and hand, and then through a
hole in the side of it, he had an opportunity of using his
hand with the greatest ease and facility. The constable
saw him try this " move," as he termed it, upon about
twenty different persons in the City-road.
The prisoner protested, with a multitude of " flash "
expletives, that he never had a lock and key turned on
him in his life.

The constable not being able to swear to a previous
conviction against the prisoner,
Mr. ConnE discharged him, after a caution.

FRUIT BY WElGHT.—Within the present season
the plan of selling apples, pears, and some other de-
scription of vegetables by weight, instead of by measure,
has come extensively into operation in many parts of
the eastern districts of the metropolis. The plan appears
to give more satisfaction to the consumer, on account o'
its ensuring him always an uniform quantity in his
purchase. It is the usual method of selling fruit in
Scotland.

BRIGHTON, OCT. 7.—The Marquis of Camden has
taken a mansion in Kemp Town ; his Excellency the
Belgian Minister and Madame Van de Weyer have taken
No. 11, Brunswick-terrace ; Lady Joddrell has taken
No. 2, Brunswick-terrace ; Lord and Lady Willoughby
de Eresby are expected on the 15th ; the Earl of Cork
and the Countess Dungarvon and family arrived yester-
day at the Norfolk Hotel ; Lady Mary Hoare has ar-
rived at the Bedford Hotel ; the Dowager Countess of
Chichester has arrived at No. 25, Brunswick-terrace ;
Lady Lygon remains at the Norfolk Hotel ; the Countess
of Dundonald has arrived at Junction House ; Mr.
Raikes Currie, M.P., has taken No. 8, Eastern-terrace.
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN.—
The President, Vice-President, and Council of this So-
ciety held a couverzatione on yesterday evening, at the
Society's rooms, 17, Bloomsbury-square. The attendance
was extremely numerous, and among the visitors were
Professor Rose, of Berlin, Michael Faraday, Esq., and
several other distinguished chemists. The library and
lecture-room were opened for the reception of the com-
pany, and were ornamented with a selection of rare
plants and a variety of philosophical apparatus. Among
the objects which attracted most interest were several
living specimens of the coccus cacti, or cochineal insect ;
a working model of Mowbray's patent fixed-air safety
whistle ; a magnificent galvano-magnetic apparatus, and
various applications of the gotta percha, or new elastic
gum. The company did not separate until after eleven
o'clock.

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.—The first meeting for
the autumn season was held on Tuesday afternoon, at
the rooms of the Society, in Regent-street, when the
chair was taken by R. W. Burchard, Esq. The exhibition
was particularly rich in fruit, there being no less than nine
distinct varieties of pines from Mr. Wilmot, of Isleworth,
the smallest of which, an Antigua pine, weighed about
41b. 9oz. Amongst other specimens there was a Queen
from the Rev. Mr. Thorneycraft, weighing 91b. 140 z.,
and so successful was this department of the collection
considered, that a silver gilt medal, the prize, the highest
in value which these meetings can confer, was given to
Mr. Wilmot, and a large silver medal to Mr. Hewitt,
besides two other prizes. From Mr. Hardy was also a
singular exhibition of a new melon, called the boa con-
strictor melon, a hybrid between the snake cucumber and some esteemed variety of the former species. Ong
interesting
9f the most subjects brought before the meet-
ing was the exhibition of grapes, of which no less than
six sets were exhibited, and on which it was observed by
Dr. Lindley, that were the seasons to be as congenial as
the last, the extensive cultivation of this fruit would be
an object of consideration in this country, the specimen
in question having been obtained in the open air. The
plants from the gardens contained several new and in-
teresting specimens, the result of the society's recent ex-
plorations in China. In addition to the prizes previously
announced, a large silver medal was given to Mr. Ray,
and a silver Knightian medal to Mr. Rollison, for their
. collections of orchidaceous plants ; addition to which
seven Banksian medals and three certificates of merit
were distributed.

The Cobden Tribute Fund now amounts to
74,3451. At the meeting of the committee on Tuesday,
it was stated that a day or two ago Sir Charles Tempest,
of Broughton-hall, Skipton, was in a shop, when the
proprietor, Mr. Agnew, said he would show the portrait
of " a great man.' This was Cobden; and Sir Charles
admitted that he was indeed a great man, and said he
was glad the country was doing something for him. He
Ras willing, he said, to contribute his mite, and begged
Mr. Agnew to accept a 501. note for the fund, observing
that Mr. Cobden had rendered great services to agricul-
ture. He (Sir Charles) was an agriculturist himself,
but he did not care who knew his opinions. Mr. Cobden
has left the Pyrenees for Spain. He would proceed in
the first place to Madrid, where he intended to remain
about a fortnight. He proposes, it is said, returning to
the Pyrenees, and it is not improbable that he may after-
wards proceed to Italy.
BIRMINGHAM, WEDNESDAY.—For some time past
the want of a mechanical engineering institution having
been greatly felt, it was suggested by a number of influ-
ential men in the profession, that an institution devoted
to mechanical pursuits should be established. In accord-
ance with that suggestion this afternoon a meeting, con-
vened by circular, took place at the Queen's Hotel, to
consider the expediency of forming a Mechanical
Engineers' Association, with a view the better to enable
mechanics and engineers engaged in the different manu-
factories, railways, and other establishments in the
kingdom, to meet and correspond, and by a mutual in-
terchange of ideas respecting improvements in the
various branches of mechanical science, to increase their
knowledge, and give an impulse to inventions likely to
be useful to the world. Shortly after two o'clock Mr.
M'Connell, superintendent of the locomotive department
of the Bristol and Birmingham Railway, was called to
the chair. Resolutions tending to carry out the object
of the meeting were then unanimously carried, after
which the company separated.
AFFRAY WITH SMUGGLERS.—On Tuesday after-
noon last a bailiff, in the employ of Mr. John Drew, of
`Vold Farm, West Haddingfield, on entering a rustic
lodge, situate in the midst of the extensive plantations
known as the Welthorpe Fells, discovered six nine-
gallon kegs filled with some description of liquor, stowed
faowramyatitnona cornertothepolice,
ofthe building. The bailiff gave in-
and Sergeant Walters, of the
local force, attended by a constable and an excise officer,
accompanied the bailiff to the place indicated. On
broaching the kegs, the exciseman pronounced the con-
tents to be foreign brandy, and, from the appearance
of the kegs, no doubt existed of their having been smug-
gled. The constables and excise officer determined upon
watching the lodge, and took their measures accordingly.
Towards midnight they heard a vehicle approaching,
and shortly afterwards three men entered
whichred
thelosdegrgeeaanndt
commenced carrying out the kegs, upon
Walters and his two assistants rushed from their con-
cealment and endeavoured to capture the party. The
smugglers attempted to escape, but the officers closed
with them, and, after a sharp struggle, two of the men
w ere secured, but the third escaped. During the strug-
gle the vehicle brought by the smugglers was driven
off, and on entering the lodge after the affray, the
officers, to their surprise, discovered that the whole of
the kegs had been removed. An attempt,, was made to
trace the vehicle without success. Ihe captured men
were examined yesterday by the district magistrate,oon and
fully committed. One of the men is well known
the otherkw in the
neighbourhood for his poaching propensities;
is a stranger.
We find the following,3sitie fir, Aoatithe
floating about
l whatou have tthe grveaet
yseeea
of newspapers : ii
done ?" said a little fellow with protruding eyes, to a
greenhorn, who had just tied his horse to a Spruce pole,
as he thought, on the street. " Done !" said the fellow,
" what do you mean ? I haint bin doin' nothin' as I
knows on !" " Why, yeth you have, thir ; you'v,e.
hitched your both to the magnetic telegraph, and you 11
be in Bothton in leth than two minutes if you don't look
out !" The man untied his horse with nervous anxiety,
and, jumping into his waggon, drove hastily down the
street.—American paper.
Ax UNSOPHISTICATED WITNESS.—During the
sessions at Wakefield, a witness was asked if he was not
a husbandman, when he hesitated for a moment, then
coolly replied, amid the laughter of the court, " Nae, sir,
I'se not married."