The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-16 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

Dr. F. R. Lees, who is leaving England for a
twelvemonth's tour in America, was entertained at a public
breakfast in the Trevelyan Hotel, Corporation-street, Man-
chester, on Wednesday, previous to his departure, by anuniber
of the friends of the temperance movement connected with
the different associations in Manchester and other towns.
The Chancery Bar has lost one of its most pro-
mising m, tubers by the untimely death c f Mr. G. Druce,
Q.C., which sad event happened this morning at his re-
sidence, Kenton-hall, Clapham. The learned gentleman
on Wednesday evening was out riding, and was thrown
from his horse, and died at six o'clock on Thu: dav

morning,
The oldest of the Austrian generals, Baron de
Lebzeltern, has just died at the age of 83. The distin-
guished veteran served in the campaigns of 1811 and 1813,
and the Archduke Charles confided to him the military
education of his sons. After sixty years of active service,
the baron became governor of the military school and
president of the high military court of Austria. He was
a personal friend of the Duke of Wellington.
An extraordinary fatality was reported to the
Live-pool borough coroner on Wednesday. On Tuesday after-
noon George Nicholl, a sampler, in the employ of Mr. Ben-
jamin Sykes, wine and spirit merchant, was sampling rum
in the vaults under the Temple, in Dale-street. By some
accident he spilled a quantity of rum over his clothes, and
though he was seen to enter the vaults with a covered lamp
he caught fire, and was so sever ely burnt that ho died the
same evening in fearful agonies.
A telegram in theStandardsays that 'M. Gressier, the
French Minister of Commerce, handed to M. Rouher
the project of a settlement of the Franco-Belgian
dispute,' drawn by M. Frere-Orban. That draft
was on Wednesday submitted to the Emperor. It is con-
fidently asssrted that the difference is in a fair way of being
satisfactorily settled, and that M. Frere-Orban will be able to
leave Paris for Brussels in two or three days to lay his
amended draft before the King and his colleagues.
A great agricultural congress is to take place at
Copenhagen nt xt July, from the 6th to the 10th. Besides
the congress proper, at which papers will be read and dis-
cussions engaged in upon agricultural subjects, there will be
a show of cattle, an exhibition of agricultural implements,
an exhibition of agricultural products, including under that
term butter, cheese, bees, and fish; and a flower shop. The
prizes, which are very numerous, are open to universal com-
petition.
Sir Henry Lytton Bulvver has fixed Tuesday, May
4th, as the day on which he will call attention to the
relations between Great Britain and the United States. On
Friday, the 23d inst., the hon. baronet intends to ask
the Undet Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whetl er
her Majesty's Government intends to prolong its present
unsatisfactory position with respect to the Government in
Spain, and he will also call attention to the absence of
official relations with that country.
DR. LIVINOSTONE.—We are glad to see that
our well-known traveller, Dr. Livingstone, has been
elected corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences
of France, in the section of Geography and Navigation.
No worthier representative of English energy and perse-
verance could have been selected; and we tssist, lie lives to
the huneur.— The Lancet.
THE TRIAL OF THE DIRECTORS OF OVEREND,
GURNEY, AND Co.—At the approaching trial of the direc-
tors of Overend, Gurney, and Co. (Limited), in the Comt
of Queen's Bench, Westminster, it is the intention of Dr.
Adam Thom, the prosecutor, not to appear by counsel,
but to conduct the proceedings on his side in person.
Though the defendants have retained the leaders
of all branches of the law, against this array
of legal talent he "confidently pits his case in all the sim-
plicity of its undeniable strength, while the technical
question of guilt or innocence—the only matter at issue--
he calmly leaves to the judicial representatives of God and
the country." Those who have had much experience of
the manner in which suitors of any kind handle their own
law cases, will probably think that Dr. Adam Thom is
not well advised in the determination at which he has
arrived.

A NEON MALIBRAN.—One of the musical journals
of Paris makes a startling announcement with reference
to a young American lady, who is at present under
the tuition of M. Wartel, the professor who enjoys the
honour of having trit'wd Mdlle. Nilsson, the first can-
tatrice of the day. The young lady is described as 14,1
years old, and as having been introduced to M.
Wartel by Mr. Benedict. She is named Violette Col-
ville. " Wartel,'' says our contemporary, "speaks of her
with the enthusiasm of a true artist, and with the com-
petent appreciation of a professor who thoroughly under-
stands that of which he speaks. 'ltis a Malibran I shall
produce,' be cries. 'She has the sacred fire. She always
overcomes me. She apprehends too quickly. She has
the most beautiful musical organisation I ever met with
In my life. I shall bring her out at 18, and I only ask
Providence to bless me will life till then. In three years
we shall have a Malibrar.'" Miss Violette Colville is,
we believe, the niece and adopted daughter of Miss Mary
Provost, who, during a brief career in Lt-,n,10n seine years
Ago, left in the minds of PlaYZoerts many aad
touchin,z souvenirs. "^

MR. BRADLAUGH.—In the Court of Exchequer, on
Thursday, Mr. Bradlaugh, proprietor and publisher of
the National .Reformer, Secular Advocate, and Freethovght
Journal, obtained a rule nisi, on the ground that the
►erdict against him for not having registeredhis publica-
tions at the Stamp Office was incorrect, as they we
not newspapers within the meaning of the Act.
A COUNTY COURT CLERK.—At Bow-street, on Thurs•
day, Samuel Foulkes, late clerk to the registrar of the
Wolverhampton County Court, was charged with embex-
zlement. His defalcations were said to amount to about
£l,OOO, and he was committed to Wolverhampton for
examination.