The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-04 00:00:00

THE SUN,

the :wind and weather on Friday morning at nine
e'ciock

- - - -
LoiEracti—Wind S.W.. calm—overcast.
IlluLutraAß—Wind S.W., calm—overcast.
KINGSTOWN ( DunuN)—Wind N.W., gentle breeze—overcast.
FOLKEsToNE—Wind S.W., gentle breeze—overcast.
LEIGHTON—Wind N.W., strong breeze—overcast.

LONDON,

position, may assault his uooffending wife, or assail
his neighbour without provocation ; nay, he may
attack a casual passer-by, when in the mood for
" running a muck,' and that without premeditation
or deliberation, the ill-humour of the moment over-
coming all prudential considerations as to the pro-
bable results. In every such case the party is justly
treated with stringent severity ; the atrocity of his
conduct is clearly pointed out ; the inexorable jus-
tice tests to the utmost the powers conferred by the
Legislature. It is true that he may merely impose a
fine, but the amount is generally something beyond
the possibility of liquidation. The most brilliant
visions of the delinquent bad never aspired to the
possession of " five pounds." The sale of all his
earthly possessions would not realize anything like
the amount. He must, therefore, perforce submit to
the alternative, and work out his three months' " hard
labour" in expiation of his offence. The worthy ma-
gistrate is well contented ; he has performed his duty.
The majesty of the law has been vindicated, and
although the culprit may have a helpless wife and
innocent children, no relaxation can be allowed, and
the stringent severity of the sentence must remain
unaltered.

Occasionally, however, cases of a very different
character are brought forward, ',where there are no
extenuating circumstances, and the rank and station
of the party implicated materially aggravate
the nature of the offence. A person supposed
to be "an officer and a gentleman," may
be shown to have coolly and with malice
aforethought planned out the general annoyance of
such of his fellow-subjects as may have the misfor-
tune to be brought into contact with him. He may
procure the most unsavoury missiles, with which to
insult and injure the passers-by, but that
is of little consequence. It is only a
little fun, and the witty individual, if detected, must
be treated with leniency and consideration, and his
peccadilloes slurred over as gently as possible. A
fine may be inflicted, but 21., or even 31., can
be a matter of but little importance to
the aristocratic jester. The payment there-
of will not unfurnish his apartments, leave his
wife without a bed, or his children without food,
None of his family will be consigned to the tender
mercies of the union workhouse, in consequence of the
compulsory absence of their provider, and his conse-
quent inability to provide their daily bread ;
a mere temporary inconvenience will be the only
result. He may think that he had enjoyed an ex-
pensive luxury, that he could have had an
excellent dinner, or a stall at the opera, fol-
lowed by a champagne supper and other
agremens, for less money ; but that is all.
He will speedily dismiss the unpleasant subject from
his recollection, and it will cease to be thought of
with bitterness or annoyance. But is this quite fair ?
Is it the equal and impartial justice which we are
desirous of seeing enforced against all offenders ?
We fear that few, if any of the community
will think so, except the parties implicated, who may
well congratulate themselves upon their easy escape.

The latest illustration we borrow from the South-
wark Police-court, where two gentlemen (! !) Messrs.
DAVID and WILLIAM EDWARDS (the former said
to be a magistrate in South Wales), were
brought up charged with smoking in a railway car-
riage belonging to the Croydon Railway Company,
and the "J. P." with having grossly assaulted a pas-
senger who ventured to remonstrate with him for
the infringement of the salutary regulatien
against smoking. As to the mere fact of
taking a'-cigar, at if agreed to by every person
present, might be a very venial offence. It is true
that it is forbidden under the general rules and
orders ''of each company, but the prohibition is en-
forced for the comfort and convenience of the entire
body, and if there was a general dispensation, and
that the assent of all parties concerned had been pre-
viously obtained, we venture to affirm that there
would be no complaint or prosecution on
the part of any company. The excellent
J. P. and his companions did not, however, think
it necessary to demand any such permission. Al-
though several females were in the carriage, they
commenced smoking at once, and when a gentleman
who had heard the unavailing complaints of the
ladies was induced to interfere, the worthy J. P.
pushed the cigar he was snacking into the face
of the party, and then struck biro ~" several severe
blows on the eyes which rendered him insensible for
some time." These gross improprieties were of
course resented, but the J. P., who seemed to think that
his position gave him the privilege of dealing with all
persons not in the commission as he thought proper,
declared that " he was a magistrate, and he defied
any b-- magistrate to interfere with him."
Mr. JARDINE, before whom the case was inves-
tigated, very properly animadverted on the dis-
graceful conduct of persons who should have known
better, and ended his lecture by fining them each 10s.
for smoking in the railway carriage, and the J. P. the
further sum of 40s. for the assault. It is unnecessary
to say that the fines were immediately paid.
Such persons are seldom driven to the House of Cor•
rection from any pecuniary failure. It must, how-
ever, be manifest how inadequate was the penalty for
such conduct, and how unfit Mr. D. EDWARDS
must be to preside on the bench of justice.
We do not blame Mr. JARDINE, but the state of the
law, that did not enable him to deal with the sub-
ject in a fitting manner. In the mean time we trust
that the attention of Lord TRURO may be called to
the subject. The army and the magistracy should
be purged of all those who do not know how to con-
duct themselves as gentlemen on all occasions.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH-COAST
RAILWAY.
Traffic—Week ending Aug. 2, 1851 ... £19,187 14 7
Traffic —Week ending Aug. 3, 1850 ... 17,016 18 0
Total of the half-year, to this date, 1851 ... 72,751 7 9
Total of the half-year, to this date, 1850 ... 64,881 18 3
Total number of Passengers—Week ending
Aug. 2, 1851 ... 116405
Passengers ... £16,960 10 5
Goods ... 2,227 4 2

Total ... ... £19,187 14 7
Total miles open, 1851, 17314; ditto, 1850, 17114.
London Terminus, Aug. 4, 1851.

CABINET COUNCIL THIS DA.Y.—A Cabinet Counci

(the last, we believe, but one this session) was held at the
Foreign-office to-day at one o'clock. The Minis ers present
were—Lord John Russell, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the
Marquis of Clanricarde, the Earl of Carlisle, Earl Grey,
Viscount Palmerston, Lord Broughton de Gyfford, the Lord
Chancellor, Sir Francis T. Baring, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, who with Sir Francis, arrived in town to-day
from a visit of inspection to the Channel Islands; and the
Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, Sir George Grey, and Mr.
Fox Maule, were absent through indisposition.

THE SEssioN.—The annual Ministerial fish dinner,
in anticipation of the close of the Parliamentary session, was
held on Saturday at the Trafalgar at Greenwich. The com-
pany proceeded from Hungerford pier, at five o'clock, in the
steamer Waterman No. 12, and sat down to dinner at six
o'clock, under the presidency of Sir Alexander Cockburn.
The tbil,,wing members of the Government and of the Royal
household were present on the occasion : —Lord John Rus-
sell, Lord Palmerston, Lord Grey, the Marquis of Westmin-
ster, Lord Clanricarde, Earl of Morley, Lord Clarence Pager,
Admiral Duinias, General Fox, Hon. W. Cowper, Mr. R.
W. Grey, Mr. Baines, Lord Marcus Hill, Mr. Cornewall
Lewis, Mr. Hawes, Sir W. G. Craig, Mr. Bellew, Mr. Rich,
the Attorney-General, and the Solicitor-General.
PRINCE HOHENLOHE AT ST. GEORGE'S, SOUTH-
wAßK.—Yesterday morning the Rev. Prince Hohenlohe offi-
ciated at mass at St. George's. A somewhat general expec-
tation that the Prince would preach was disappointed ; but
the assistance at this celebration of so near a relative of
Royalty was of itself a great satisfaction to the very nu-
merous congregation, Protestant as well as Catholic, which
attended.

APOTHECARIES' lIALL.—The following are :the
names of gentlemen who passed their examination in the
science and practice of medicine, and received certificates to
practise on Friday, August 1, 1851 :—Frank James Wilson
Packman, Puckeridge, Herts; Henry Seatle, Ulverstone,
Lancashire ; Alexander Fraser Bayne, Reading; Julius
Wiles, Hitchin, Herts.

HEAT OF THE WEATHElL—Yesterday the heat was
excessive ; at noon the barometer stood, at the Ro7al Hu-
mane Society's Receiving House, Hyde-park, 110 1 aht. in
the sun, and 84 Faht. in the shade. It is calculated that at
least 14,000 persons bathed in the Serpentine morning and
evening. The day altogether was the hottest that has been
experienced this summer.

STEAM-BOAT TRAVELLING ON THE THAMES.—The
number of persons who travelled on the river Thames yester-
day exceeded all previous occasions, arising from the im-
mense numbers of visitors to the Great Exhibition ; from the
piers at London, Blackfriars, and Hungerford Bridges alone,
more than 45,000 embarked. The halfpenny steam-boats,
the Kew, Richmond. and Gravesend boats were crowded, and
it is calculated that at least 2J0,00J persons travelled on the
Thames yesterday.
CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION.—MT. Aglionby's Bill,
to amend an Act empowering the Canterbury Association to
dispose of certain lands in New Zealand, has been printed.
It proposes that power should be given to the association to
constitute a managing committee in the settlement having
such powers as the association should confer upon them. The
association will have power to appropriate land for public
purposes, and to prepare for occupation the unappropriated
land of the settlement, and to determine disputes respecting
the enjoyment of licences. Any further grants of land will
be made subject to prior provisions respecting the settlement.
It is proposed that the Bill should extend to the colony of
New Zealand.

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