The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-04 00:00:00

HABITUAL CRIMINALS BILL.

Mr. BRUCE moved that the house go into committee on
this bill, the object of which was to endeavour to deter if
possible habitual criminals from crime, and to remedy a
state of things that called loudly for some change. The
bill amongst other provisions gave the power of surveillance
of the police, an arrangement that he thought would even-
tually be attended with:good results to society. Tho bon
gentleman then went into a variety of statistics to show
the necessity of the bill, which he said ho hoped the house
would agree to pass through committee, as it was very
desirable it should become law during the present session.
Sir C. ADDERLEY moved that the bill be referred to
a select committee, for the purpose of substituting a dis-
charged prisoners' aid society throughout the kingdom to
which the supervision of the discharged criminals might
be entrusted instead of the police; of adding provisions
for the infliction of corporal punishment during imprison-
ment for brutal assaults on policemen and others ;
and for carrying out the objects of the bill in
punishing for habitual disorderly conduct and drunkenness.
He would at once say that the object he had in view by
the motion he had put on the paper was to endeavour to
get some of the too stringent penalties of the bill modified.
He thought it would be most advisable to take the super-
vision of criminals out of prison out of the hands of the
police. The result of which was that criminals discharged
were looked upon by the police as their prey, and instead of
assisting the discharged prisoners in obtaining employ-
ment, the very reverse was the desire of the police, who
lost no opportunity of showing their activity by
dragging the unfortunates back to prison. It was
said that the bill would work well, but he could
not believe that punishment and education ever could
work well together, because the first was medicine and the
latter food. Ile objected very strongly to the provisions
of the bill that rendered a man convicted of two small
felonies subject to the surveillance of the police for seven
years, during which period the unfortunate creature would
not be free from the visits of the police either night
or day, however desirous he might be of getting
his living honestly. That he thought was not
the way to bring about a reformation. Then, again,
it was set out, on the part of the bill, that a third convic-
tion left the judge no alternative but to inflict seven years'
good. H©
andHo
could not see that there could be any objection to
tplei pat enal servitude.
wou T
d rhoodsuecaectesvihl erittlithoeurgitihtatoon
the motion he made, because those guilty of brutal
assaults either of the po!ice or women, ought to be
punished with the utmost severity.
Mr. G. HARD): thought it was desirable that the
house should go into counnitte3 on the bill, which he
thought could be made a measure of the most efficient
description.

[-LEFT SITTING.

LONDON GAZETTE—Last Evening.

WAR OFFICE, PALL MALI, Auo. 3.
Rifle Brigade—Lieutenant His Royal highness Princo
Arthur William Patrick Albert, K.G., K.P., from the
Royal Artillery, to be Lieutenant. Dated 3d Aug., IS6at.

ADMIRALTY, JULY 30.
Tho undermentioned officers have this day been pro-
moted to the rank of Staff Commander, with seriority of
29th July, 1869:—Samuel Libby (h), Esq., and John
Palmer, Esq.

August appears likely to be the mcst critical time, fur,
towards the dome of that week, reaping will be general, in
all probability, throughout the midland counties; the
ripening time i:i the north more nearly than usual ap-
proaches that of the southern districts. Barley is reported
in many cases to be rather short, but in most instances

will reach an average crop. Oata are likely to be a full
crop, except wt ere they hare suffered from want of rain.

3eans are also a good crop, but in some districts may turn
ut badly. rats have suffered much from scorching sun,
And insects are z oticed. Still, where already gathered, a
good yield is sported. foot crops had been severely
tried by the want of rain, but now look better, and may
after all turn out well, The pastures were lately brown
and withered, but have revived wonderfully with the firs
change in the weather."

From Ireland the reports are not so discouraging. The
injurious effects of lung continued drought bare been

removed, or at least greatly mitigated, by rain during the
past week. The wheat and oat crops look healthy, and

promise an abundant yield.

It was feared the latter

would be very stunted, and that straw would be very
scarce, but a fresh impulse has been given to vegetation
by the refreshing showers, and the crop has sensibly im-
proved in length and fulness. Turnips are also looking
better. The potato crop is sound, and the hay harvest is
saved in good condition.

Tho accounts from France are also good. The harvest
is being prosecuted everywhere on the best possible
conditions, and if fine weather only continues for
another week or two wheat and rye will be secured
n all parts of France without having experienced
ny of those fatal deteriorations which sometimes

crawly compromise crops at the Lust moment. As

nothing is occurring which is calculated to lessen thequan-
... _ _

'Ay or quality of the crop, confidence is on the increase,

....nd there seems a tendency to forget the unfavourable

weather of the spring and early summer. At the same
time the disasters then sustained by the growing wheat

crop are not likely to be altogether obliterated. Notwith-

standing that the prosecution of harvc:it work has reduced
the supplies of wheat brought forward on the French

departmental markets, they bare she►rn a, downward ten

dency with the exception of Bordeaux, where there has
he( n rather a considerable amount of business. The stock

on hand at Marieilles has become rather small, and this
fact has sustained prices, notwithstanding the appearance
of new wheats on the market.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers is now
holding its annual meeting in Newcastle. Papers are
read each day descriptive of modern engineering works.

Sunderland on Monday kept high holiday on the
occasion of the presentation and laurehing of a new life -
b^at, the gift of the Foresters, to tho National Lit*boat
In-
stitution.

The Wicklow peerage case was again More the
Committee of Privileges of the House of Lords on Tuesday.
Evidence was taken tending to show that the infant claim-
ant of the estates could not Le the son of Mrs. Howard.

The stipendiary magistracy cf Salford is rendered
vacant by the death of Mr. H. L. Trafford. It will be re-
membered that it was not long since the same offiw W 33
vacated in Manchester by Mr. Fowl r.

Dean Stanley has caused a series of notices to be
affixed to several parts of Westminster Abbey, in
which is given an epitomised history of the structure to-
gether with references to the surrounding records of the
entombed.

President Grant has replied to the Emperor's cable
message of congratulation with a very cordial response, in
which he looks forward "to the creation of numerous
means of communication of the same sort between the
United States and her most ancient ally and friend."
A gentleman who attended divine service at the
Foundling Chapel on Sunday mentions the following fact :
He saw a respectably dressed man enter and put a penny
upon the plate as his contribution, when it was imme-
diately returned to him with the remark that "No coppers
were taken."

Sir Shafto Adair is to stand for the vacancy at
Antrim county, under the auspices of the Ulster Liberal Re-
gistration A ssociation. Lord Claud John Hamilton is spoken
cf in the Conservative interest; but it is tail that Captain
Hugh Seymour, of the Grenadier Guards, is likely to stand
in the same interest.

Lord Clonbrock, who has received a letter threaten-
ing his life, has assembled his employes, and said he
-was convinced they knew the author; and pledged himself
that if the slightest attempt were made to carry out the
throats he would at once, with his family, leave the country,
and never set foot in it again.

TAKING THE CENSUS IN CHEYENNE.—Our frontier
females do not seem to understand the necessity of taking
the census and naturally resist such things. To one Mr.
Pierce, the collector, said, " What is your age ?" and she
replied, " That is an impudent question, and I won't tell
you." "Well, I shell put you down at thirty," said
Pierce. " I'm only twenty-seven," indignantly ex-
claimed the now thoroughly enraged lady. The re-
cord was corrected accordingly. " Madam," said Mr.
Pierce) to another lady, "I have been at your house
twice to take the census." " You had better not let
cAtch you there taking anything," answered the in-
dependent woman. "1 want to know how many children
have ?" asked Pierce, walking into a house. " What's
that your business ?" answered the dame, "so long as we
don't ask you to keep them." "I am taking the census
and must know," pursued Pierce. " Well I guess some-
body has been a takin' yours and you'd b tter be hunting
them up young man," vociferated the (lame. " What is
your occupation here?" asked Pierce of the ladylike keeper
of a house, the character of which was already sufficiently
-tvell known. "We toil not, nether do we shin," archly
replied ilia damsel, " yet you can safely set us down as
public benefaetors."—Letterfrom Cheyenne.
Among the curiosities of America is an Illinois
gentleman who, believing he is destined to re-enact the
part of Noah, has constructed an Ark in anticipation of
another Flood, in which he designs to save himself, the
few he considers worthy to perpetuate the race, and such
animals as in his eyes seen good.

Brig.-Geheral C. B. Norton has retired from the
Paris baukitig hou3o of C. B. Norton and Co., leaving his
late partner, Mr. Henry Cook, to wind up the business of
the late firm, and to carry it on under the style of Henry
Cook and Co.

The reports on the crops this week are vague and con-
tradictory. From some parts we are told of "perhaps an
average yield ;" in other districts the farmers are
doubtful. Some agriculturists speak of " a good chance
of a fair harvest ;" others are—but by no means dogma-
tically—predicting a bad one. Nor are any two
agreed as to what is wanted. Some ask for
much rain ; others for gentle showers. "Yester-
day, it may be remarked, the rain fell copiously in
most districts. The Mark Lane Express summarises its
report in the remark "Our crop promises to be very
various, according to soil, culture, and situation." In
another article it says, " Much anxiety is felt, and the last
accounts are nothing near so favourable as they
were a fortnight back." Other general reports are more
decidedly gloomy than this; that of the Chamber of
Agriculture Journal very much so. "Upon inferior or
ill-managed clays," says our contemporary, " the crop
is a poor one—a very poor one ; there is an absence of
plant. Upon gravels and light soils there is more
straw, but the want of rain has seriously damaged
the crop, and appearances are against an average
yield. There are signs of premature ripening, and
occasionally a field is passed denoting blight. On
both these varieties of soil the sample will be uneven,
the quality inferior, and the yield short. On the
richest and best-managed lands the crops manifest an
unusual variety. There is here and there a good
crop, and healthy in appearance, but these are the
exception ; the great bulk of these better-land crops
are very indifferent, many are very thin in plant,
others are not only thin in plant, but much storm-broken;
others are root-fallen, some irrecoverably fallen, and the
straw decaying. The green fly is doing damage in some
districts. The great deciding point now depends upon the
weather of the harvest season. If favourable—if the
weather:is quiet, free from storms, and sunny—thedifference
in yield will be considerable. The storm-broken and root-
fallen, orrather the partially fallen or "kincked," derive
great benefit bya more plump filling of the grain or berry,
as some term it. If the weather or harvest season is
decidedly unfavourable there cannot be an average yield.
The fenny districts of the kingdom are likely to produce
crops above the average. Harvest has commenced in
several districts of the country, and will be general about
the middle of August."
-Other accounts tend much in the same direction. One
correspondent writes :—" The wheat harvest has now
commenced in early districts, though not by any means
general even there ; these report in most cases a fell
average yield, so far as ascertained, though it must be
remembered that it is precisely these lands which are loamy
or clayey and well farmed, and that are now in process
)f harvesting, and these have suffered much less from
untoward weather than crops on light soils which are
generally a few days later. The balance of opinion ap-
pears to be in favour of a very variable wheat crop,
making a total below an average ; each district has some
peculiarity to report, one mentioning flies, another insects,
as doing much damage, a third complaining of short-
ness in the ear, while a fourth remarks the crop is
wanting in strength of straw, others noticing nothing
wrong, and looking for a large yield, though in no case
does this approach last year's growth, which was
extraordinary. All now depends upon the weather
experienced at harvest time, and the second week is,

MISCE.

'EWS.

THE REPRESENTATION OP ANTR/M.
Although several days have elasped since the death
cf Admiral Seymour, the late member for Antrim
county, no candidate has yet come forward for the
vacant seat. Rumours have been afloat that a brother
of the deceased Admiral has been selected to be his
successor. The Wm thern Whig wants to know
which of the two brothers has been chosen—one being
a royal equerry, and the other a youthful guardsman.
Sir Shafto Adair is mentioned as a probable candi-
date in the Liberal interest.