The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-26 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

A DISCREDITABLE CASE.—In the Vice-Chancellor's
Court, on Saturday, in the case of " Johnson v. Ham-
mans," Sir R. Malins expressed his strong disapprobation
of the suit. It had been going on for seven
years, to raise money for a child 13 years of
age, who had, on coming of age, repudiated it.
For raising £B5O, £5OO costs had been incurred, and
the father being dead, the widow, who knew nothing of
the matter, was called upon to execute a deed to charge
property worth £2,450 with £1,350. Such a suit was a
scandal to the court. After some observations from the
counsel, the Vice-Chancellor said he should investigate
the whole matter, and see if there was not some
means of preventing these poor people from being beg-
gared by these proceedings, and making those pay the
costs who had taken such an improper course.

A DIFFICULTY RESPECTING AN INVOICE.—III the Court
of Exchequer, on Saturday, an action was brought for the
non-acceptance of twenty parcels of hops, in which a
verdict had been found for the plaintiff for £l3O, leave
being reserved to the defendant to move for a rule, which
had been obtained accordingly. Two questions were dis-
cussed : whether an invoice of the hops, which contained
the words " that the hops sold were to await orders," and
which was returned by the defendant on account of the
price, formed part of the contract declared upon ;
the second question was whether a subsequently-
signed proposal of the defendant to take the hops at £9
instead of £9 95., would, with evidence of a verbal assent
by the plaintiff, form a good memorandum of the bargain
within the Statute of Frauds. Their lordships decided
both questions in the affirmative, and discharged the rule.
THE MERCHANTS' COMPANY.—Messrs. Lane, Chapman,
and Ilelbert, three directors of the late Merchants' Com-
pany, again appeared before the Lord Mayor on Saturday
' to answer the charge of having made a false statement
with intent to defraud the shareholders. The
counsel for the prosecution took occasion to deny the
statement made by Mr. Lane at the last hearing, that
an attempt bad been made to compromise the case, and
that the court was being used as a vehicle of extortion.
The proceedings were further adjourned to Friday next,
when it is anticipated that the evidence in support of the
charge will be completed. The defendants were allowed
to go upon their personal recognisances, each in the sum
of £l,OOO.

INEFFICIENCY OF THE LAW.-At Marlborough-street,
on Saturday, Mr. Knox convicted three nighthouse-
keepers in penalties of £5 each. The defendants intimated
that they should appeal, and it was stated that the
cases could not be heard at the sessions until
the 24th July. The magistrate then said that as at
such a late period of the parliamentary year it would be
impossible for the Legislature to deal with the matter,
the object of the question being raised at the sessions
would be defeated. He therefore cancelled the con-
victions and dismissed the summonses, telling the police
that under the circumstances they might as well give up
their supervision.

In our report of the charge against the directors and
ollicers of the National and Provincial Union Assurance
and Loan Society, it was stated that Winks and Jones
were bailed, and Reid and Kiddie remanded in custody.
It should have been Winks and Kiddie were bailed, and
Reid and Jones remanded in custody.

Immediate steps are about being taken to test
the validity of the rival claims to the Wicklow peerage
and property.

Mrs. Dr. Mary Walker, after several applications
for office, has received an answer from President Grant
that she might have an interview when dressed as becomes
her sex.

The velocipede mania has reached the distant
Highland village of Braemar, where the country black-
smiths are diligently engaged constructin,M, /machines to
rival in speed the light and airy French vehicles.

The Asiatic understands that in all probability
Sir Ilenry Durand will be the next Lieutenant-Governor
of the Punjab. Mr. George Campbell and Sir Richard
Temple are also named.

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress propose to
entertain her Majesty's Ministers at a grand banquet on
Wednesday, Juno 30. Prior to th*t date they propose to
give a banquet to her Majesty's Judges, and another to the
bishops and clergy.

THE MAHARAJAH DHULEEP SINGH.—His High-
ness the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh has been adding con.
siderably to a noble collection of rare and foreign birds
which he has formed at his seat at Elvedon, near Thet-
ford, Norfolk. The Maharajah has also been forming a
menagerie, and a herd of antelopes has just been added to
it. A member of the Barr family is still with the
Maharajah as falconer.
CABINET COUNCIL.—At the Cabinet Council held
at Downing-street on Saturday, the Ministers present
were the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, the Lord Chan.
cellor, Earl de Grey and Ripon, the Earl of Kimberley,
the Right Hon. 11. A. Bruce, the Earl of Clarendon, Ear,
Granville, the Right Hon. E. Cardwell, the Duke of
Argyll, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Hon.
Hugh Childers, the Right Hon. J. Bright, the Marquis of
Hartingtun, and the Right Hon. C. Fortescue.

ESCAPE FROM GAOL IN IRELAND. —Either gaolera
just now are ve►y lax, or the prisoners are more than
ordinarily " cute." Another clever escape from gaol at
Queenstown is reported in an Irish journal. A mar
named Clarke having had his breakfast brought to him
by the wife of the gaoler, forced her into the cell he had
occupied, taking her keys from her and locking her
With these he unlocked other doors, and made his way tc
the street before the loud cries of the imprisoned womar
had attracted the attention of the officers of the prison.
Clarke was in prison for theft. Ile has not since beer
heard of.

DISCOVERY OF NATURAL GAS. —Some workmen,
while boring for water ;it Middleton Ifail,
observed that gai escaped from the bi.re. They applitd
light, and instantly the gas blazed up into a beautiful whit,
flame, and continued to burn with increasing force until ii
was extinguished by the workmen in order to resume boring
After the men had finished their " shift," the gas had con
siderably increased in volume ; it was again ignited, and •
pail oficold watersuspended over it, which was boiled in thirty
minutes. The strata from which gas evolves is well knowr
to mineralogists as the marl which overlie the rich hitt'•
urinous shales of this district. Judging from the extent
of the source of supply and the richness of the gas, if
might be profitably employed for oil•makinF, heating, ai'
klumivatiPg purpossergotitnan,