The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-11 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.-NEW COURT.

TRIAL OF THOMAS PILGRIM FOR Fo RG ER Y.—A
witness, who described himself as a stockbroker, was
asked if he was a licensed broker. He replied, " No."

. -
Sir FREDERICK PoLLocn addressed the Court—There
is no doubt in the profession that the stockbroker need
not take out a license from the City, as the public funds
are not goods, wares, or merchandise over which the
City has any control.
When we find Sir Frederick Pollock in open Court
declaring the opinion of his profession generally to be
that the Lord Mayor and Aldermen have only a right
to grant brokers' licenses for the purpose of buying and
selling goods, wares, and merchandise, and the Lord
Chief- Baron and Mr. Baron Parke ruling that railway
scrip is neither goods, wares, nor merchandise, where is
the probability of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the
city of London recovering the penalty of one thousand
pounds from Mr. Rochas on the • bond given by him on
his admission as a stockbroker, he being licensed as a
broker in public st ck, funds, shares, and other securities
for money, over which Sir Frederick Pollock says the
City has no control?
By the report on Mr. Rochas' case we find one of the
points on which the penalty of the bond is sought to be
. recovered is, that Mr. R. allowed his son to act for him
as broker without having been duly admitted; but I 6o
not find that any prosecution of Mr. Rochas, jun., was
ordered for acting as a stockbrolo,r, not being duly ad-
mitted and licensed by the Court of L.)rd Meyer and
Aldermen of the City of London. How did this hap
pen? If the City authorities have no power to prose-
cute Mr. Roch.ts, jun., how can they reasonably expect
to recover the penalty under Mr. Roches, stn.'s bond,
he having allowed his son to act as a broker in a way
tho,e authorities have no power to forbid?

In the ob,ervations I have made I have no wish or
desire to be considered either as the apologist or
advocate of the Messrs. Roches, and in point•
ing out the probability of the failure of the
City prosecution, I do so under the hope that the
members of the Stock Exchange will ccme forward and
assist the City authorities, in case of need, to procure
Legislative sanction to the City bond and license, which
have hitherto tended to place in public confidence and
give respectability to the stockbroker of the city of
London; and perhaps it would be desirable that a ge•
neral measure should be adopted to license all share-
brokers in the kingdom. Why should they escape more
than bankers or auctioneers?

I am, Sir, yours, &c.,
Ilfracombe, Nov. 6th, 1846. D-N.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

request the favour of your attention to a Par-
pl aiernt
oe nretsa ryp
oßreehtausrend (fporri nttri
ed IN7atltitoonfitlAaaglul esrty' •
n Iv3t4t6h, )t
the
sums paid for the same. Generally speaking, they
appear to have been bought at very extravagant prices.
,
But let us take the last mentioned, No. 65, " Susanna
and the Elders," out of Mr. Penrice's collection, for
1,2601. Now, Sir, I happened to be present at this sale
by Messrs. Christie and Manson, on Saturday, July 6,
1844, when this identical picture was knocked down for
the sum of 900 guineas to a gentleman of the name of
Grimshaw. It is charged to us (the public) 1,2601.
Will you, Sir, be so obliging as to inform us into whose
purse or pocket this little difference (3151.) between 900
guineas and 1,260/. has found its way? The preceding
lot ("Lot and his Daughters") was purchased for the
National Gallery at the sum specified in the Parlia-
mentary return—namely, 1,600 guineas—and a most
splendid picture it is; as far superior to " Susanna and
the Elders" as a sovereign to a shilling.
Hoping you will be pleased to favour us with the ex-
planation requested, and tell us the circumstances which
at present appear a little suspicious, I remain, Sir,
YOUR CONSTANT READER.
London, Nov. 10, 1846.

ROBBING FROM THE TEMPLE LIBRARY.--On
Saturday it was discovered that, the following audacious
robbery was perpetrated in the library of the Middle
Temple. About a week ago a person presented an
order from the Queen's printer to the Rev. Mr. Rowlett,
the librarian. for certain volumes of the statutes, which
were given him ; but some suspicion being excited, an
inquiry was set on foot, and it was ascertained that the
order was a forgery ; and further, that a similar and
equally successful forgery had been perpetrated upon the
Inner Temple and the library of Bow-street Police-court.
A correspondent strongly requests attention to a
regulation on the South-Western Railway for closing
the electric telegraph on Sundays, which may not on'y
operate disastrously,• at it appears to have done in his
own case, in personal matters, but also in cases where
general interests are directly involved. The great use
of the electric telegraph is to announce accidental events,
which are just as likely to happen on a Sunday as on
any other day ; and it is difficult, therefore, as the ne-
cessity in there instances is beyond control (a plea
which cannot be urged in the majority of travelling ar-
rangements, for which the company make ample provi-
sion on Sundays), to recognise the motive for prohibit-
ing its employment. To the mercantile public the
matter is of great interest, since there are instances in
which the summoning of a partner to town in the case
of the sudden death of one member of a firm, or, under
other circumstances of emergency, might be the means
of averting the stoppage of a house and the ruin of
parties connected with it. The exposure of fradulent
combinations of the most extensive kind may not un-
frequently depend upon similar means • and it will also
be seen that individuals absconding with property may,
by selecting Saturday night for their operations and the
South-Western line for their route, rely on a start of
several hours. Our correspondent suggests many strik-
ing instances in which the regulation might likewise, in
the ordinary affairs of life, be productive of the most fatal
results ; but we have only to do with the point as it
bears upon commercial safety, and in this respect it is
clearly of sufficient importance to call for immediate
remark.
ASTONISHING FEAT.--On Thursday evening a most
extraordinary feat was performed by a man named
Irvine. A rope was stretched from the lamp at Stone-
house-bridge to a pole on the opposite side, a distance of
about 400 feet. The rope was about 80 feet from the
water, and be engaged to walk across it, executing his
task amidst the cheers of at least two thousand specta-
tors.—Falmouth Packet.
We have to announce the serious indisposition of
the Earl of Portsmouth. His recovery is exceedingly
doubtful. The Noble Earl, it is well known, has long
been subject to aberration of mind, Ills Lordship is at
present at his country residence, Ilurstbourne Priory,
Huts.