The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-15 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE ORIENTAL AND COMMERCIAL BANK (LIMITED).—
FURTHER PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE MANAGER.-At the
Mansion House on Monday, Demetrio Pappa, the former
Inanager of the Oriental and Commercial Bank, who stands
committed on a charge of embezzling five cheques belong-
ing to the bank, was examined by the Lord Mayor on a
further charge of embezzling a bill of exchange for
£5OO. It was stated for the prosecution that the defen-
dant had received £5OO as part payment of two bills drawn
by a gentleman at Constantinople for £646. Payment
had been entered in the bill-book, but it went no further,
as M. Demetrio Pappa pocketed the money, and applied
it to his own uses Evidence having been called to the
above facts, the defendant was told the formal charge on
which he would be committed for trial. He reserves his
defence.

PENNY GAFFS IN MANCHESTER.—A case which excited
great interest in theatrical circles has been brought before
the Manchester magistrates. No less than twenty persons,
including nineteen itinerant actors, musicians, and scene
painters, were charged with taking part in an
unlicensed performance. It appeared from the
evidence that the performance was held in a disused foun-
dry, with a regular stage, scenery, foot-lights, &c. The
charge for admission was Id. and 2d., and there were
about 500 persons present at the time of the officers' visit,
most of them being boys and girls from 7 to 18
years of age. A number of. persons present
were unfavourably known to the police, and were appre-
hended. A number of police officers stated that the place
was habitually resorted to by convicted thieves.
Simpson, the proprietor of the music hall with
which the theatre was connected, addressed the
bench in a serio-comic strain, and declared
that if the officers had waited a little, they would
have seen the triumph of virtue and the downfall of vice.
The actresses, musicians, and two others were discharged,
the proprietor was fined £5, another man, who carried on
gaming, 405., and the rest of the prisoners, 10s. 6d. each.
Eight men and women, who had formed part of tho
audience, were discharged with a caution.

APPEALS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS.—The House of
Lords has begun hearing appeals for the present session.
There are 63 set down, the business of last session having
been very much obstructed by the Shedden case.
The first appeal was in the case of the Hon.
Mr. Sackville West v. Viscount Holm esdale and
involves a question respecting the construction of
the will of the late Countess Amherst and the
possession of the estates of the barony of Buckhurst.
The appeal is from an order of the present Lord Chan-
cellor, made in November 1367, when holding the office of
Vice-Chancellor.

A PATENT CASE.—In Vice-Chancellor James's Court,
a suit has been instituted by Mr. Whitehouse, who claims
to be the inventor of improvements in the manufacture of
box irons. The defendant (Mr. Cross) contended that another
inventor had registered a design under the Copyright
Designs Acts at the date of the plaintiff's specification,
which differed from the plaintiff's in very trifling particu-
lars. The Vice-Chancellor said that any one who had
invented a process for diminshing the labour of ironing
was entitled to gratitude, but the plaintiff had been
anticipated in all the essential improvements of his manu-
facture, and the slight difference spoken of was not suffi-
cient to sustain the suit. The bill must be dismissed with
costs.

THE TIMES ASSURANCE COMPANY.—A policy-holder in
the Times Assurance and Guarantee Company, which was
amalgamated with the Albert in 1857, has petitioned Vice-
Chancellor James to wind up the order. The Vice-
Chancellor said the case was entirely distinct from that of
the Family Endowment Society, as the old contract had
been abandoned, and a novation with the Albert fully
established. The petition must be dismissed, with costs
against the Times
THE NEW Cnoss ACCIDENT.—Three more actions for
compensation in respect of injuries received in the New
Cross collision have been tried in the Bail Court and in
the Common Pleas. Verdicts for £525, £4OO, and £173
were returned against the Brighton Company.

ACTION FOR FALSE IMPRISONMENT. —An action for
false imprisonment arising out of the recent police raids
upon betting-houses has been tried in the Bail Court. The
plaintiff, who is a hosier in North Audley-street, named
Scott, stated that he was passing a shop kept by Mr.
Hawkins, a tobacconist, whom he knew, and met him
outside. Mr. Hawkins gave him a folded piece of paper,
and while he was looking at it the police seized them
both. He swore positively that he had not been in the
shop for three weeks before his arrest, and also that he
was not in the habit of betting., though he admitted that
he did sometimes bet. The police gave evidence directly
at variance with the plaintiff's, but the jury, after two
hours' deliberation, found for the plaintiff damages 40s.
CHARGE AGAINST IRON MERCHANTS.-john and Alfred
Clay, large iron and copper merchants have been brought
before the Sunderland magistrates to answer a charge of
misappropriating money, the property of Messrs. Muntz
and Co., of Birmingham. The defendants, who
have recently become bankrupts, were agents for
Munzt's patent metal, and did a large business with ship-
builders. An adjournment was asked for, but opposed by
the defendants, who had voluntarily attended to meet the
charge. The magistrates considering there was no case.
allowed the defendants to leave the court.

The command of the Channel. Squadron will, it is
stated, be vacant in the month of April by the expected
promotion to the rank of full admiral of Sir Thomas
Symonds, K. C. B.
THE BRIDGWATER ELECTION PROSECUTION.—
Mr. Henry James, Q.C., member for Taunton, has been
specially retained to defend Mr. Vanderbyl,. at the Somer-
set assizes against the charges of bribery at Bridgwater
election, preferred by the Attorney-General.
THE LORD CHIEF BARON.—WO are enabled to
contradict the report that Sir Fitzroy Kelly is so seriously
indisposed M to render it necessary to refrain from going
on circuit, as arranged. The hon. and learned gentleman
is quite well.—Daily New.
SHADOWS OF COMING EVENTS.—The list of revo-
hitionary measures which are announced for the present
session is unprecedently long, and if only half of them are
passed they will utterly change the face of society. If they
should all be passed, this will be the result—A man will be
able to marry his deceased wife's .sister, but will not ac-
quire her property, which will remain her own ; his children
will, if he pleases, be educated by the State. He may shoot
pheasants and partridges at any time of the year without
regard to game laws, which will no longer exist. He will
be able to go to a University without swearing to the
Thirty-nine Articles, and to Church without hearing an
account of the sun stopping still in the valley of Ajalon,
and very possibly without being called upon to join in
the cursing of the Athanasian Creed. If a lord spiritual,
he will be " relieved from attendance in Parliament ;"
if an habitual drunkard, he will be taken care of and
" managed;" if a homeless pauper, will be placed under
the " protection, regulation, and management of the
police ; ' if a solicitor or attorney, he will be remunerated
under an amended system; if a foreigner, he will be
able to hold real property in fee; if a consul he
will find himself under the Board of Trade
instead of the Foreign Office; if a dealer in fermented
liquors, he will get a license under improved con-
ditions ; or if the younger son of an intestate father,
a share of the paternal real estate. If a revenue
officer, he will possess equally full political rights with
other people. If a clergyman, he will be eligible for elec-
tion as a member of Parliament ; and when he has been
sant thither, which will be through the machinery. of the
Ballot, ho will receive a salary for his share in legislation.
His rating area will be larger and his taxes less ; and when,
overcome by all these changes, he sinks into art early grave,
he will be interred under a new and improved Bum' Act.
—Vanity Fair.

The failures in 1869, it has been reported,
amount to 2,799 in number, with liablities reaching
$75,054,000 against 2,608 in 1868, with liabilities of
$63,774,000. In the list, Pennsylvania has been assigned
806 failures with liabilities of $7,844,000, against 287 in
1868, with liabilities of $3,884,000. The statistics of New
York city give 418 failures for 1869 with liabilities of
$21,870,000, against 417 failures in 1868, with liabilities of
$31,654,000. In 1857 the failures were 4,932, with liabili-
ties of $291,750,000, and in 1861 they reached 6,993, with
liabilities of $207,210,000.