The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-05 00:00:00

THE STATE OF ITALY.

There is reason to apprehend that the new Italian
Ministry, which will shortly meet the Parliament
and submit its pro,gramme, will not have much of
value to offer. The signs are not promising. Italy
is at present burdened with an army far in excess of
its requirements or means of support. The one great
necessity is an extensive reduction of this force, which
causes a deficit of several millions a year during a
period of peace. But the new Government promises
no great reduction. Worse still, there is not the slightest
prospect of any diminution in the inordinate
expenditure of the Court, or any clearing away of the
parasites who eat up the revenue. A few clerks
have been dismissed, and the cards have been shuffled
in other ways so as to save a few thousands. The
frightful deficit, however, remains substantially
intact. All that the Ministry can suggest is another
loan and fresh taxes. Great retrenchment or in-
creased revenue is undoubtedly a necessity ; but
as the taxes imposed a few mouths ago
led to very serious rioting, the result of
further imposts may be very awkward. The
disorders consequent upon the levying of the grist
tax last year amounted almost to an insurrection.
The peasantry maltreated the collectors; in one case
they nailed two to a barn door like bats, and another
they put into a mill and fairly ground him.

THE GREAT NORTHERN EAU, wAy.--Au action has been
brought at the Hertford Assizes against the Great
Northern Railway by a farmer named Bowman, who
had received injuries in the accident at Welwyn Junc-
tion. He founded his claim on a charge of negligence
and laid the damages at 22,000. Lieutenant-Colonel Rich,
the Government Inspector, gave evidence, as well as Mr.
Johnson, the chief engineer of the line. Colonel
Rich said that in railway accidents the car-
riages frequently had " f reaks" which it was impossible
to explain by scientific reasons. The company
resisted the claim on the ground that there had been no
negligence. However, the jury returned a verdict for the
plaintiff ; damages, £5OO. Many other actions arising
from the same accident, which was a very serious one, will
be tried. A curious fact was stated in the course of the
evidence. After the accident, several carriages were found
to have completely altered their position, one of those
behind at first being in front afterwards, and no explana-
tion could be given of the change.
NEW CAB LAW.—The cabdrivers who were semmoned
at Hammersmith Police-court for disregarding certain
regulations have been informed that the fares not being
fixed by the Secretary of State, they could not be con-
victed. A summons against another cabman was ad-
journed, to give the Commissioner of Police an opportunity
of stating a case for the opinion of a superior court. At
the Southwark Police-court a cabman from the stand at
Waterloo Station was fined 40s. for having refused to take
a fare.

ROBBERY BY A BANK CLERK.—Joseph Nelson Warner.
aged 22, a clerk in the service of Messrs. Robarts, Lub-
bock, 'and Co., bankers, of Lombard-street, has been
charged, before the Lord Mayor, at the Mansion House,
with embezzling the sum of 2124. The prisoner was a
collecting clerk, and on the 18th of January last he was sent
out to collect cheques, bills, &c. to the amount of 218,641
He had not since returned. On the afternoon of that day
he gave his bill-case to a fellow clerk in the vicinity of
the Bank, and went away under the pretence that he
wanted to get some lunch. As he did not return, his bill-
ease was examined, and found to contain bank-notes and
securities, but no money, and there was a deficit of £124.
The prisoner had absconded to Exeter, where, being in
great distress, he gave himself into custody, and was
brought to London. He was committed for tr;aL

THE COCNTESS D'ALTETRAC AND HER JEWELER-IL —A
dividend meeting has been held under the bankruptcy of
Gunia Maria d'Alteyrac, alias the Countess Willoughby
d'Ereeby, of Grosvenor-square. Monsieur Hubic, a
jeweller, of Paris, claimed a sum of /1500, which the
Countess disputed. However, as the dividend, which was
3i. 10d. in the pound, could not be allowed to remain open,
tin COMIS A for the claimant W thd rc.-v- Lis proof for the
present. A resolution to take the proceedings out of
bankruptcy was presented.
THE CitANCZItY SCAN; )AL CASI7.-71s hearing of the
suit of Mrs. Weston to enforce the payment of £I,OIJO
annuity by her hu.-.band, has been concluded before th;
Ma-,ter of the Ti.c parties resided in Dorset:shire,
and on account of certain Chi:lieu:ties Mrs. Weston had fax
annuity of J-21,000 granted her by her husband under a deed
of separation in It,oo, on condition that it should be re-
voked if she c:,mmitted cr sought a restitution of
conjugal rights. One quarterly instalment was paid, but
further payment was refused on the ground that
Mrs. Weston has since committed adultery. _Mrs.
Weston denies the charges, attributing them to a desire
to get rid of the payment of the annuity. Mr. Weston
cros-examined his wife and her alleged paramour at great
length. It was submitted on the part of the lady that it
was for the husband to satisfy the Court of the, truth of
his charges, and he would do it better by instituting a suit in
the Divorce Court. The Master of the Eons, at the close
of tho case, said he should read over all the affida,vite
before n4vinr, tictrrnaent.