The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRILI 30, 1869.

LAW AND POLICE.

OVEREND A.N7) GURNEY.—In the Court of Chancery, on
April 29, an appeal by the official liquidator of the Land
Credit Company of Ireland, against an order made by the
Master of the Rolls in last July, admitting a claim made
by the old firm of 0 verend Gurney and Co., to prove against
the estate for a sum of £158,000 and interest, was heard. The
claim is made upon bills accepted by Lord Fermoy, the chair-
man of the company, on their behalf, for the late David
Leopold Lewis, and by him handed over to Overend,
Gurney, and Co., to whom he was indebted for £500,000.
The questions raised were whether the bills were fraudu-
lently obtained, and whether the company was bound by
the act of Lord Fermoy. The evidence is veryvoluminous,
and the case only partially opened.
OVEREND, GURNEY, AND CO. (LIMITED) V. GURNEY
AND OTHERS.—In the Vice-Chancellor's Court, on Thurs-
day, Sir R. Malins said that upon this demurrer,
which he overruled the day before, he had reserved the
costs. lie had since considered that question, and thought
that the demurrer ought to be overruledsimply.
TILE CONFEDERATE ARMY.—In the Court of Queen's
Bench, on Thursday, the case of the " United States v.
Tait" was heard. The -United States sought to
recover a sum of about 24,000 from Sir Peter
Tait, the army clothier, in respect of cloth
supplied to him by the Confederate States to be made up
into uniforms for their army. The motion was, on the part
of the defendant, that the plaintiffs might be called upon
to answer interrogatories. Mr. Justice Mellor said that
as it appeared to be entirely a matter of discretion as to the
nature of the interrogatories to be allowed, the better way
would be to grant the rule, and then discuss and settle the
principle upon which the interrogatories in such a case
should be allowed, leaving it to a judge at Chambers to
settle the terms.—Rule nisi.

THE CANDIDATE FOR CAMBRIDGESHIRE.—III the Court
of Queen's Bench, on April 29, an appeal was heard from
Mr. Young, the unsuccessful candidate for Cambridgeshire
at the last election. it will he remembered that a person
at Wisbeach had had his windows broken, and obtained
damages against Mr. Young at the local county court,
on the ground that he had tacitly sanctioned the riot.
After hearing the arguments of Mr. Young's counsel, Mr.
Justice Mellor said that it was proper that there should
be a rule nisi to remit the case to be restated, in order to
afford an opportunity for seeing if the case was as sup-
posed.

METROPOLITAN GOSSlP.—Thursday.

I believe there is no doubt that the Lords have decided
not to divide upon the second reading of the Irish Church
Bill. The truth is, the unanimity of the Liberal party—
the determination on their part that no differences of
opinion on minor points shall endanger this measure—has
taken the Conservatives by surprise. It was but a
few months ago that Mr. Bouverie declared that
the Liberal party consisted of leaders who could not lead
and followers who would not follow, and yet now Mr.
Gladstone is at the head of a majority, not only larger
than any Minister has had since the Reform Bill of 1832,
but infinitely more compact. All chance, therefore, of
serious modification of the bill in the Lower House is
hopeless, and the work of resisting it en bloc in the Upper
would now be so perilous that their lordships have
wisely resolved to let the bill pass a second reading,
and to modify it so far as they dare in
committee. How far they will dare, is at present a
question which remains to be solved. There are indica-
tions of Adullamy in the Upper House. Lord Grey,
who keeps a Cave permanently for his own special use,
Lord Grey, the hermit of the Legislature—the Troglo-
dyte of politics—is now seriously distressed at the thought
that he may have to make room for other persons ; that
there may be two or three peers who will agree with him.
Clearly there roust be, in his lordship's opinion,
something very wrong when he finds himself at
the head of a party of as many as three or
four peers. There is need of great searching of
heart, of strict examination to see if he has not fallen away
from his creed, if he is not in danger of holding the same
opinions as other persons hold. And then, too, the
company in which he finds himself ! Lord Westbury,
the hero of such reputable adventures; the Duke of
Somerset, whose zeal for the Church is so conspicuous ;
the Marquis of Clanricarde, whose admission to the first
Palmerston Cabinet added so greatly to its stability;
these are allies of whom Lord Grey has such
reason to be proud. Proud of them, or not, they are
evidently bent upon mischief ; evidently resolved
that as they have not been consulted in the
matter they will give opinions which shall be as
unpleasant as possible. Lord Westbury has already
taken up the banner which Mr. Disraeli waved for a
night or two and then cast contemptuously aside. He
has already spoken of Mr. Gladstone as making Ireland a
province of Rome ; so you may be sure that when their
lordships go into committee on the bill there will be some
lively fighting.

There will unquestionably be another sharp fight about
the site of the new law courts. There is a very prevalent
impression that Mr. Lowe is taking the wrong course in
this matter. In the first place, his courts sill, if he adopts
the Howard-street site, he buried out of view so far as the
Strand side is concerned. In the next place, the ground
is of such a character that an enormous expenditure will
have to be incurred in digging out for the foundations.
Then, again, it is believed that a large sum will have to be
paid for " approaches," or else the narrow streets which
now lead down to the proposed locality will be completely
impassable by reason of the large traffic that will
he brought into them. It is argued further that even if
a smaller building than • that originally contemplated
is adopted, that is no reason why it should
not be erected in Carey-street, but all the more reason, as
the present vacant ground will then prove sufficient.
Moreover, it is contended that we have so few ornamental
buildings in London that it is too bad of Mr. Lowe to
deprive us of the opportunity of getting one worthy of
England's capital. Finally, it is pointed out that economy
in this matter, if carried beyond a proper financial
vigilance, is a great mistake. It may be well enough for
us to economise our income, but the money to be spent
upon the law courts will come out of capital, and there
can never be a time at which the expenditure would he
more judiciously made than at the present, whin money is
so " cheap " and labour so superfluously abundant that
we are compelled to send it to the colonies.
That Mr. Lowe hates spending money there is no
question. It is notorious, for instance, that he
would like to throw up the scheme for the Government
purchase of the telegraphs. Indeed, it is believed in
well-informed quarters that he intends to ask the House
of Commons to concede a telegraphic monopoly, in the
belief that the House will refuse to do so, and thus give
him an opportunity of abandoning the purchase. I cannot
reconcile this with the fact that the arbitration is still
going on, and that Mr. Scudamore has made arrangements,
which seem to imply that the matter will be carried out.
Another matter of the same kind has arisen to
vex the equable Chancellor of the Exchequer. The
strongest pressure is being put upon the Government to
make them buy up the Irish railways. This is a very
big matter indeed, and both Mr. Lowe and Mr. Bright
are resolved not to have anything to do with it if they can
help it_ lint when pretty nearly a hundred members of
Parliament (commoners and peers) unite to memorialise
the Government on the matter, it is clear that the idea
cannot be treated with contempt, especially as that emi-
nently logical people, the Irish, have a disagreeable habit
of opposing Ministerial measures which they approve,
they cannot get that which they want.

The Marquis Townshend's bill for extending the pro-
visions of the " Contagious Diseases Act 18C6 " to London,
is causing a great deal of discussion in " sociological circles."
As I anticipated, it is looked upon as the " thin end of the
wedge," and a memorial against the introduction of any
measure calculated, as the memorialists think, to import
the Parisian use into this country has been drawn
up by members of the Midnight Meeting Society, the
London Female Preventive and Reformatory Institution,
the Homes of Hope, the British Penitent Female Refuge,
and the Rescue Society, all associations in London, having
for their object the prevention of what is euphoniously
called the Social Evil. The memorialists allege that the
system of police surveillance has failed in Paris.

St. James's Hall is to witness some stirring meetings
next week. On Monday there to be " a great demon-
stration" against the Irish Churcn sill. Lord Harrowby
will preside, and the Dukes of Marlborough and Abercorn,
Sir Joseph Napier, the Hon. D. Plunket. and Mr. Cross,
M.P., are expected to be present. On the followingday the
supporters of the Permissive Bill will have their innings.
Archdeacon Sandford will take the chair, and among the
speakers will be Archbishop Manning and the following
M.P.'s :—Sir %V. Lawson, Dr. Brewer, Mr. Dalway, Mr.
Whitworth, and Mr. Morgan.
Apropos to the liquor traffic there is a rather curious
story going about in upper circles, At \Vest-end dinner
parties a handsome dashing girl has been noticed by
the people who " know everybody," but who don't
know her. They, especially the men, are curious
to learn who she is. Her name is Miss W—, is the
reply. " Who is Miss W--?" they ask ; and if they
get hold of the right person they will learn that she has
inherited from her father a large amount of public-house
property in the East-end of London, and, being very
wealthy, has paid a needy dowager £2,000 a year to intro-
duce her into society. Many more stories of the kind
might be told of men getting "shamefully rich"
at the West-end on the misery and the crime
of the East-end. There are two men well
known in Pall Mall for the splendour of their attire and
their equipages, These men draw their revenues from the
gin-palaces and the brothels of Shoreditch. Here is a
third case. A clerical friend of mine was called to see a
dying woman in one of the low public-houses of Hagger-
ston. After attending to her, he spoke to the woman
who kept the house, and made some remarks upon
the sad scenes that she must witness. She replied
that all which he said was true enough, that
the trade caused a vast amount of misery among
the poor ; " but what are we to think of those who get rich
upon it? This very house, and a number more in the
neighbourhood, belong to a gentleman living in E—
square," naming one of the largest and most fashionable
squares in Belgravial.

. - -
The Tones has a curious piece of antiquarian lore in one
of its leaders today. It says that the " Checkers," which
are the frequent sign on a country inn, " represent the
arms of the ancient family of Fitzwarren, the head of
which house, in the daysof the Henries, was invested with
the power of ' licensing ' the establisments of vintners and
publicans." "The Henries"is rather a vague term, consider.
ing that it applies to 450 years. But let this pass, for there
is another point on which an explanation is desirable. The
same sign is to he seen outside the taverns in ancient
Pompeii. Were there Fitzwarrens, and "Henries" 1800
years ago, and did they live under the shadow of Vesuvius?
The difficulty with respect to the Roman Catholic
cathedral which is to be erected in honour of Cardinal
Wiseman has been overcome. The contract for the pur•
chase of the site had to be completed before May Ist, and
it was signed by Archll'ishop Manning this week. It was
doubted at first if the Board of Works had power to sell
land for the erection of a building which would not con-
tribute to the poor rates, so counsel's opinion was taken,
and it was favourable to the sale.

__-
The marriage banns of the Bev. Benjamin Speke,
whose disappearance caused so much commotion a year
ago, were read for " the first time of asking " last Sunday
at the little church of Cersham•Side, near Chippenham.
Mr. Speke is about to marry Miss Fuller, of that neigh-
bourhood, a lady who is well known fcr her works of
charity.

If women may not teach in public, there is no reason
why they should not read. Many of them are well quali-
fied to do this. At the present time two ladies, the
Misses Lisle, are attaining considerable reputation in Lon-
don by their readings of poetry. Among other pieces are
the sleep-walking scene from " Macbeth," Mr. Morris's
poem, " Atlanta's Race," foe's "Bells," and "The Maid of
Bregenz." I believe these ladies are willing to make
engagements to give readings in the provinces.
Ail walk; lottdi Isiiick I live,Moccive4 MG 1446
•

describes the visit of the Ameer of Affghanistan to Lahore
My correspondent describes the Ameer as a tall, large
man, of much lighter complexion than that of the native
Indians, with a hooked nose, and a somewhat Jewish, not
to say evil, expression, Ile despises the gay clothing
in which the rajahs and great men of India
delight, and appears in a long brown coat,
and a tall sheep-skin helmet-shaped hat. He
said, " I am not a woman. I do not want fine
clothes." His idea of women is not favourable. Noticing
all the ladies assembled to see him as he entered Lahore,
he said, "We like our wives as well as you do ; but if
they were to come out as your ladies do, we should cut
their heads off." This, however, was not nearly so
severe as the remarks which he made on his first
crossing our frontier at Peshawar. Observing the
ladies there, he said, " I suppose you do as
we do, keep your pretty women indoors." The
procession into the capital of the Punjab was very pic-
turesque. At the bridge of boats the Ameer alighted
and took his place in the carriage of the Lieutenant-
Governor, who had gone to meet him. These two digni-
taries, together with the two officers who had accompanied
the Ameer since he entered British India, drove in a car-
riage and four. They were preceded by the band of the
7th Hussars, on white horses, and who were greatly ad-
mired for the skill with which they held their instruments
in one hand, and held the music and guided their steeds
with the other. In the second carriage and four was the
Ameer's son, a child of seven years old, and in the third
were divers great British functionaries. They were fol-
lowed by aprocessiou on horseback, and between every two
Englishmen rode a grand native in the most picturesque
costume. The durbar in the Montgomery Hall has already
been described in the Indian and English papers, and my
correspondent speaks of it in very high terms. About MO
persons had to be presented to the Ameer by the Secre-
tary to the Government, and while the latter got hoarse, the
former looked decidedly bored, until the pipers belonging
to a Highland regiment marched past. At sight of these
the Affghan's eyes lighted up, he became greatly interested,
and the chief piper had to explain the construction of his
instrument. The ceremony concluded by the Secretary
sprinkling the company with attar of roses, a native
custom on state occasions. After the ceremony he com-
plimented those who had conducted it, but spoke
contemptuously of the Indians, saying, "They are
a poor set ; they look as if the sun had burnt
all the energy out of them." Then came the ball
and the illuminations, which the Ameer took very quietly,
as though determined to be surprised at nothing ; yet I
doubt if he bad ever read Horace. He was then escorted
to the railway, en route to ITtnritsur. At the station he ,
was unable to maintain his nil admirari rule. It was the
first railway he had seen, and he was greatly delighted.
After lie had departed he was pretty well criticised. The
general impression was that he was a savage, an
intelligent one, no doubt, but still a savage. Very
shrewd and observant he certainly is, and everybody
believes that he had some great object in visiting India ;
but he took very good care not to betray it. Of course it
is important to both parties that there should be friend-
ship between him and us ; but the impression seems
to be that he would not give us his without ample con-
sideration.

The Water Colour Society has a capital exhibition this
year. It surpasses that at the rival Institute, just as the
Institute's winter exhibition surpassed the_ Society's.
The place of honour is given to Birket Foster, who has a
large and admirable picture of "A Meet." Holman
Hunt, who was recently elected an associate, has two
small, but remarkable, pictures, " Moonlight at
Salerno" and " Interior of the Cathedral at Salerno."
Branwhite has six pictures ; several of them snow
pieces, one parlicularly good, and a really nobal
sunset scene on a mountain river. There is
but one other landscape which will compare with
this—" The Shades of Evening," by Alfred Newton.
Carl Haag has one very fine picture of a Samaritan
High Priest reading the Pentateuch. Burne Jones is
unusually strong, and has actually learnt that curves are
more beautiful than angles in the human body. There is
scarcely one of his figures requiring surgical aid for a dis-
location.

The publishers complain that this is one of the very
worst seasons ever known. Consequently they are holding
over their books, and very few new works are announced.
Everyone, of course, will read " George Eliot's " poem in
the new number of Blackwood. The June number of the
Churchman's Shilling Magazine will have an article by Mrs.
Broderip, the daughter of Thomas Hood, and another by
Miss Pines, the botanist. The Victoria Magazine, just out,
has one by Mr. Spender on the Temperance question.
Messrs. Hurst and Blackett are bringing out a novel by
Lady di Beauclerk, sister of the Duke of St. Albans. It
is called " True Love."

111MCELLANEOUS NETTS.