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

court,

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
This triumph encouraged the clique to a brilliant
stroke of busines.:. On the evening of the 'nth Mr.
Dougherty, whom Judge Barnard had appointed receiver

of the AtlanCc and Great Western Railway, went to the
office 40 and 42, Broadway, the door of which his men com-
menced breaking open. As he persisted, notwithstanding
the order to desist, all of them were carried off to the

police head-quarters. They were, however, soon released

by Judge'Barnard, but during the alarm, before the police
could interfere, the books and piles of pipers were trans-
ferred to an Erie waggon at the door, and driven rapidly

to the Opera House. Next day Mr. Dougherty returned
to the charge, and overcame the resistance of the janitor'

wife and a small boy, who kept guard, who were informed
by Captain Garland that these acts were in accordance with
law. Then they packed up the remaining books and papers,
transferring them also to theOpora House. The clique allege

in justification that Mr. M‘Lienry had carried off the keys

and some of the most important books, and that he had
sailed for Europe iu the last Cunard steamer, and that
this action was necessary to save the property from

being thus despoiled. The reporters failed in getting
a copy of Judge Barnard's order, and there are grave sus-
picions that this trans.tction represents another of the law-
less outrages which have given to the Now England ped-

dler and his coadjutors the extraordinary but discredit-
able fame to which they have attained. We may here state
that an account in Fraser's Magazine for this month an tLe

great gold gamble asserts that the Erie clique made money,
as they purposely employed two sets of brokers, the
one to make bogus bids, and the other to make
genuine sales, and when the smash came they repu-

diated all the former transactions, but insisted on the

latter holding good. This view is confirmod by an
injunction granted by Judge Barnard to Smith, Gould,
_ _

Martin, and Co., to restrain the Gold Board from arbitrat-

ing certain claims against Smith in particular, and expel-
Hug him from the Board. The firm asserts that Speyers was
not authorized to buy any gold for them, while it is noto-
rious that that house was deep in the "corner," and that
its most active broker was Speyers, whose
"Doleful knell in the storm-swept mart,"
bidding 160 for $5,000,000, or any part, is FO well known
to our readers.

A circumstance has just occurred which shows
the power officials of the United States can exercise when
they deem it necessary in the public interest. The mail is as
useful to swindlers as to honest men, to illegitimate as to

legitimate business, and the U. S. mail bags have lately been
tilled with the letters of the victims of Logua lotteries, gift

enterprise thieves, and sellers of prize brass watches. Mr.
Creswell directed General Terrill's attention to the sub-
ject, and he as third Assistant Postmaster-General sent
the following telegram to the Postmaster at New York :

—"Send all letters addressed to Wogan and Company,
and to all other swindling-, and fictitious firms, to
the Dead-Letter Office as fast as they are received. The
department will assume the responsibility in all cases
which you may be satisfied aro of the above class."
immediately the New York Postmaster seized matter
amounting to tons, and the clerks of the Dead-Letter
office had suddenly an inundation of work, sorting and
returning the letters and their contents to the writers. In
a week the remittances to one firm amounted to $5,000.
Among the thousands were a heap of photographs of men
and women, posted by an imposter, who for fifty cents
undertakes to send to the applicant a portrait of a future
wife or husband. Of course there is a row, the swindling
firms, as they are called, having sent their agents to Wash-
ingto❑ to threate❑ the Postmaster-General, and they have
brought a tremendous pressure against General Terrill,
who, however, stands firm, so legal proceedings against
the Postal Department have already commenced.

Vincent Colyer, of New York, presented the
memorial from British Columbia on the 29th December.

It is dated November, 1869, and is said to bo signed by
many property holders and business men of Victoria.
Another is to follow containing the names of all who
favour the transfer. It is needless to reproduce the me-
morial, as all it says, and more, was anticipated in our
article last week. It Las excited much interest through-

out the Union, where the transfer was fre,Ay discussed as
a set-off to the matters in dispute with England. Indeed so
general was this feeling that we presume it led to•
the resolution reported by cable as introduced last
Tuesday in the Scnate, and referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations, instructing the Secretary of State to
inquire into the expediency of proposing the transfer of
British Columbia to the United States as a condition of a
treaty for the settlement of the differences betwee❑
America and Great Britain. The preamble states that
the inhabitants of British Columbia desire such a transfer.
Thus, it appears, that even the Senators will persist in mix-
ing up affairs wholly distinct from each other, though net
with the intention, we suppose, of making a muddle of all.
England will never sell any portion of territory,or by such a
cession, purchase exemption from the consequence of any of
her acts ; and those who imagine that she will are grossly
ignorant of the British character. But she might gladly sur-
render, in response of the general wish of the colonists, all her
sovereignty over a colony, leaving the inhabitants then to
vote themselves into the Union. Such action could not
fail to produce a profound impression in America, and the
consequence would be the favourable settlement of all
pending disputes, and a revision in the interests of com-
merce of the International Code. This has always been
our view, and unless a bungle is mail() of the twitter at
Washington, it is already in train for accomplishment.
Governor M•Dougall regards the Red R,iver insur •
ruction as a small matter in itself, but deriving importance
from other causes. The employes of the Hudson Bay Com.
pany,who are reserved in giving information, aro said to be
at the bottom of the whole affair. The American residents
advocate annexation, and the insurgents border on Min-
nesota, the citizens of which State sympathise with them.
There is, however, asether way of viewing the ques-
tion—What right had Governor M‘Dougall to organize
a Government in the settlement at all ? It belongs to the
Hudson Bay Company until coded, as agreed to, by
purchase. But a thing cannot be said to belong to
a buyer until he has paid for it, and Canada has not
yet paid a penny for the rights it sent an emissary to
exercise. It may prove, on examination, that Governor
ll‘Dougall was discharging an illegal order, and was
neither justified by British nor any other law in atte•npt-
ing to organise a new Government over the Red River
settlers.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE-IHIS DAY

CITY BETTING.—This DAY.
WATERLOO (COURSING) CUP.
4 to 1 agst Lord Lurgau's nomination (wanted)
100 to 6 agst Mr Brocklebank's nom. (taken)
100 to 6 agst Mr Spink's nomination (taken)
16 to 1 agat Mr Blanshard's nom. (taken)
20 to 1 agst Mr Bland's nom. (taken)
25 to 1 agst Dr Richardson's nom. (taken)
80 to 1 agst Lord Bunning's nomination(taken)
LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL.
1600 to 10u agst The Lamb (taken)
LOJ io 25 agst The Colonel (taken)
25 to 1 agst Q.C. (offers d—take 28 to 1)
1000 to 30 agst Nuage (taken)
1000 to 30 agst David Copperfield (offered)
1000 to 35 agst Schiedam (taken)
300 to 9 agst Doctor (taken)
500 to 15 agst Snowstorm (taken)
500 to 15 agst Fertullagh (taken)
200 to 6 agst Little Rogue (taken)
35 to 1 agst Lymington (offered—take 40 to 1)
200 to 5 agst Costa (taken)
40 to 1 agst Scipio (taken and offered)
40 to 1 agst Count Horn (offered)
40 to 1 agst Fan (offered;
1000 to 20 agst Roving Maid (taken)
250 to 5 agst Harve3ter (taken)
500 to 71 agst Summertime (taken)
1000 to 15 agst Tathwell (offered)
1000 to 10 agst Casse Tete (offered)
TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
4to 1 agst Kingcraft (offered)
9to 2 agst Sunshine offered (5 to 1 taken)
Bto 1 agst Camel (offered)
9 to 1 agst Astolfo (offered)
1000 to 70 agst Sunlight (offered)
20 b 1 agst Normanby (taken)
25 to 1 agst Asterope (taken)
1000 to 30 agst Alaric (offered)
40 to 1 agst Macgregor (offered)
40 to 1 agst Bay Rosalind (offered—take 500 to 10)
1000 to 15 agst Kingcraft winning the Two Thou-
sand and Sunlight the Derby (taken)
1000 to 800 agst Mr. Merry's lot and Kingcraft coupled
(offered)
7 to 4 agst any two (offered)
DERBY.
625 to 100 apt Sunshine (offered—take 7 to 1)
Bto 1 agat Kingcraft (offered)
14 to 1 agst Camel (offered)
200 to 11 agst Bridgewater (taken)
20 to 1 agst Astolfo (offered)
500 to 25 agst Sunlight (taken)
1000 to 28 agst Asterope (offered-40 to 1 taken)
40 to 1 agst Macgregor (taken and offered)
40 to 1 agst King of Scots (offered)
40 to 1 agst Alaria (taken to £5O),
200 to 5 agst Exciseman (wanted)
1000 to 10 Blue Stocking (offered)
5000 to 1000 Sir Joseph Hawley's lot bar on! (taken)

RACING FI:
F EB

;TURES-1870.
UARY.

Lincoln l5, 16 I Derby .. 22, 23
Barrow 17, 18 Nswtou 25, 26

MARCH.
Nottingham . l, 2 1 West Somerset l6, 17
Liverpool B, 9, 10 I Warwick 92, 23, 24
Pontefract 14 15 j Epsom 29, 30
Cambridgeshire ......14, 15 t Bromley 31 and April 1
. .._._