The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-13 00:00:00

THE STN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13, 1860.

REPEAL OF THE PAPER DUTY.-
Association for promoting the Repeal of the
Taxes on Knowledge, 10, Ampton-place,
Gray's-inn-road, 11th February, 1800.
RESOLVED,—That the Excise duty on paper obstructs
literature and education, interferes with foreign trade, wastes
capital, harasses in iustry, and neither is nor can be col-
lected without violating the laws of the land. That the
friends and correspondents of the association throughout the
country be urged to lose no time in writing to their Members
and forwarding petitions to Par lament in support of the pro-
posal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to repeal the duties
of paper and foreign bOoks, to abolish the newspaper stamp,
and: to equalise and extend the book postage.
Signed, by order of the Committee, and in their behalf,
RICHARD MOORE, Chairman.
C. D. COLLET, Secretary. •

CARTER, Mayor.—ln a MEETING or
ASSEMBLY of the MAYOR, Aldermen, and Livery-
men of the several Companies of the City of London, in Com-
mon Hall assembled at the Guildhall of the said City, on
SATURDAY, the 11th day of February, 1860,
Resolved unanimously,—That the bill introduced into the
House of Commons intituled "A. Bill for the better Regula-
tion of the Corporati,n of the City ot London," establishes a
principle of confiscation; and is opposed to the true spirit of
reform, as it disfranchises ten thousand of the most influen-
tial citizens of London, ignores livery companies, and deprives
them of the right of meeting in their own Guildhall; and this
Common Hall pledges itself to give a determined opposition
to the passing of the said bill.
Resolved,—That the attempt to wrest front the Livery of
London their rights and interests, granted by royal charter,
and confirmed by acts of parliament, and this not on the
ground of misconduct, but simply under the pretext of expe-
diency (as recited in the preamble of the bill), is opposed to
the spirit of the law of the land, and should be resisted by all
who are opposed to the introduction of a principle ot legisla-
tion whin is utterly subversive of the rights of property.
Resolved naanimously,—That the Petition now read be
adopted, signed by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor,
four Aldermen, and twenty Liverymen on the behalf of this
Common Hall, and presented to the House of Commons ; and
that a similar Petition be presented to the House of Lords, to
be signed by the Livery as numerously as time will permit,
and that the members for the City, together with the Right
Hlnourable the Lord Mayer, William Cubitt, Esq., Alder-
man, Edward' Ball, Esq., and other members of the House
of Commons connected with. this City, be requested to sup-
port the Prayer of the Petition to the House of Commons.
Resolved unanimously,—That the Masters and Wardens of
the several Livery Companies be respectfully requested to
facilitate the.siguing of the Petition to the House of Lords ;
and that they also be requested to present the Petitions to
both. Ilcollßtf4 of Parliament,* defence of the rigida and pri.
vileges of their respective Liveries.
Resolved unanimously, --That this Common Hall approves
of the proceedings of the Committee of Liverymen appointed
the 28th day of October, 1856, to watch the progress of any
Bill which might be brought into Parliament affecting the
Corporation ; and that such Committee is hereby requested
to continue their exertions en behalf of this COMMOR Hall, in
taking all such steps as they may deem advisable to uphold
the rights and privileges of the Livery of Loudon.
Resolved unanimously,—That this Common Hall desires to
express its thanks to the Right Honourable John Carter,
F.A.S. and F.R.A.S., Lord Mayor, for the promptitude with
which he complied with the requisition for calling this meet-
ing, as well as that of the Masters and Wardens of the several
Livery Companies of this city, at the Kinston House on the
10th inst., and for the courtesy with which he has presided on
the present masion. WOoranourE.

of the complainalit and cabman, but the circum-
stances were of a most extraordinary and mysteri-
ous character, and appeared to him to involve much
doubt and suspicion. The complainant herself did
not come into court with clean hands. A woman
who stopped till 6 o'clock in the morning in an in-
famous den, where she picked up a drunken man,
a perfect stranger, and went to ride with him in a
cab, did not seem to be a respectable person OM]
for the class to which it was admitted that she
belonged. It was strange, too, that she should
allow her own friend to be bundled out of the cab,
which, according to her evidence, he had hired,
and that she should remains deprived of his pro-
tection, in the cab, at the mercy of a violent man
of whom she knew nothing: After commenting
to a similar effect on othte circumstances, Mr.

Woutner observed that the prisoner had already
suffered something. He had been several days in
custody, and he-had lost a valaable ring. Under
all these circumstances he hoped the magistrate
word consider a fine of £oAufEcient to meet the
justice of the case.

Mr. Jardine concurred with Mr. Wontner that

there was a good deal in the ease that was myste-
rious and inexplicable. It was a most extraordinary
thing that such an assault should be committed in
the open day in so public a place as the Birdcage-
walk, and that the cabman _should drive on while
the woman was screaming and the man beating her,
and that he (the *simian) should not think it worth
while to interfere, or to stop his cab till he got to
Eceleston-bridge. He (Mr. Jardine) had very little
doubt that complainant and defendant 'were both
drunk. Still there could be very little doubt that
she had been assaulted, and had suffered consider.
able injury. If her evidence was true the case was
one in which a £5 fine could be a wholly inadequate
punishment. Indeed, the case seemed rather to
come under the provisions of the act applying-Jo
aggravated assaults An— women, which gave hi
power4tO iiifirjrii penalty of six months' imprison-
ment, without giving the option of a fine. But he
must say that he should hesitate to take that course
in a case where the evidence was of so singular a
character. Then, it must be observed that he was
not asked by the complainant to take either of these
courses, but to send the prisoner before a jury, which
he must say was the most proper tribunal to dispose
of such a case. Ho should adopt that course, but
would admit the prisoner to bail in two sureties of
£lO each, and his own recognisance of £2O.
Mr. Lewis hoped the magistrate would take such
bail as would ensire the appearance of the prisoner
at the trial. Why should the amount be reduced
below what was required on the remand ? He (Mr.
Lewis) was led to believe that the prisoner had
given a false name and address, and that, though he
said he was a linondraper, he really held a- much
higher position.
Mr. Wontner said there were no grounds for
any such statement.
Mr. Jardine certainly saw no reason to suppose
that the defendant was anything different from
what he represented himself to be, nor did he think
it necessary to exact a higher bail than usual.
The defendant was then removed, but in the
course of the afternoon Mr. Wontner and. Mr. Lewis
returned to the court, and said that they had agreed
to a compromise, and would therefore ask his wor-
ship to discharge the prisoner.
Mr. Jardine said that under these circumstances
he had no coarse but•to comply.
The prisoner was then discharged.
It was understood that the complainant had been
induced to withdraw the charge on receiving a com-
pensation of £4O.

TILL' ARMY.

The following officers have joined their respec
live corps at Chatham garrison .—Captain and Ad-
jutant L. Sidebottom, Ist depot Battalion ; Capt.
M. P. Macqueen, 91st Regiment ; Lieut. S. T.
Sargent, 43d Light Infantry ; and Ensign B. J. A.
Monsell, 73d Regiment.
On Tuesday last Sergt.-Major Bradish, having
completed his term of service in the 36th Regi-
ment, and being about to enter on an engagement
with the 3d Royal Surrey Militia, had the high
compliment paid him of receiving from his officers,
at the hands of Lieut.-Col. Hort, commanding, an
elegantly finished and valuable silver teapot, in tes-
timony of their appreciation of his long and meri-
torious services. The teapot has the following in-
scription :—" Presented to Sargeant-Major C.
Bradish, by Lieut.-Colonel Hort and the officers of
the 36th Regiment, as a mark of their respect and
esteem, on his discharge after a faithful service of
22 years." It is a curious coincidenCe that Sergt.-
Majon Bradish commenced his career as a soldier in
1837, in Devonport, and closed it after so long a
period in the same town.

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

BIRMINGHAM RIFLE CORPS.

On Friday night the volunteers, comprising the
company raised by Mr. Charles Rateliff, brother of
Sir John Itatcliff, late Mayor, met that gentleman
at the Town Hall.

Captain J. Oliver Mason introduced Mr. Charles
Itatcliff, and congratulated the volunteers on their
good fortune in having such a gentleman to act
with them, and to be their future captain, and con-
cluded by giving them some excellent good advice
ai to their future conduct and conformity to the
discipline which would henceforth be required of
them.

Mr. Charles Ratcliff, on rising, was very warmly
received. He expressed the high gratification it
gave him to meet the volunteers now present, and
placed in plain practical language before them the
fact that they should well consider the importance
and responsibility of the step they were about to
take ; to listen attentively to the rules for the ob-
servance of the corps ; and if any one present felt
doubtful of his capacity to obey them, that he should
at once retire, and not commit himself by the oath
of allegiance, or join the movement for pastime or
display, instead of legitimate purpose, namely, self-
imposed duty. After expressing his hope that his
company would never disgrace the uniform they
were about to wear, o'r- be wanting in duty, Mr. C.
Ratcliff then read the rules, as approved by the
Secretary of War, and stated that either Major
Sanders or Captain. Mason would give any explana-
tions of them that any one present might require,
but every one present appeared perfectly satisfied,
and not a single inquiry was made.
Ninety-six volunteers were then sworn in by
Major Sandars and Captain Mason.
This is the first example in England of a gentle-
man raising a company and clothing them at his
own expense.

THE WAR DEPARTMENT AND THE
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
On:Saturday evening a special general meeting of
the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers was held at
the Scottish Corporation-hall, Crane-court, Fleet-
street, to hear the result of a recent correspondence
between Lord Elcho, the officer in command of the
corps, and Earl de Grey and Ripon, the Under-
Secretary for War, on the question of to what, if
any, extent the principle of popular election is to
obtain in the appointment of officers of the corps.
In one of the rules which the corps had unanimously
adopted for its internal government, that prin-
ciple was distinctly recognised, but when the
regulations came to be submitted to the Marquis
of Salisbury, as Lord Lieutenant of the county of
Middlesex, his lordship struck his pen through
the recognition of the popular element, and Earl
de Grey and, Ripon, on an appeal being made to
him in his official capacity, supported the course
taken by the Lord-Lieutenant. The executive com-
mittee of the London Scottish Volunteers, of which
Lord Eleho, as the commanding officer, is chairman,
then proceeded to elect the officers of the corps, and
the names of the members so chosen have since been
submitted to the Lord-Lieutenant for approval.
Some dissatisfaction, in the meantime, has been felt
by the rank and file of the corps—one of the largest
in the metropolis—at being deprived of all share in
the election of their officers, and the subject has
more than once been warmly discussed among
them, Saturday evening being the most recent oc-
casion. Previous to the meeting the corps had been
drilled for some time in the snow in Old Palace-
yard.
Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Elcho, who wore the
uniform of a private of the corps, addressed the
meeting. He said, at their last meeting he read a
memorial signed by 43 members of the corps, ex-
pressing a wish that a general meeting should be
convened to consider the mode of appointing
officers of the corps. He stated at that meeting
that if those gentlemen,- or any other members of
the corps, would draw up a memorial on the sub-
ject, respectfully worded, he would pre.,.ent it to
the 'War-office. It would be in the recollection of
the meeting that the committee of the corps, of
which he was chairman, drew up rules for its regu-
lation, one of which—the 11th—was to the effect
that the commanding officer should appoint persons
for commissions to the Lord Lieutenant after con-
sulting with the council, and after having submitted
the names to a general meeting of the corps, who
should be entitled to exercise a veto on each name
so submitted. That resolution was drawn up by
the eommittee from a desire that in appointing
officers they should have some means of ascertain-
ing what gentlemen would be most agreeable to the
corps ; at any rate, that they should not appoint
any who might be disagreeable to the members at
large. It was adopted unanimously, at a general
meeting held at the United Service Institution, and
he stated at that time that it would be but waste
paper until it received the sanction of the authori-
ties. When the rules were submitted to the Lord
Lieutenant for his approval, he deliberately drew
his pen through that part of them which gave to
the corps a veto on the appointment of officers. He
(Lord Elcho) did all in his power to induce the
Lord Lieutenant to retract his decision, but in
vain ; the answer being that it contained a recog-
nition of the principle of popular election, which
was not sanctioned by the Crown, and therefore it
could not be allowed to stand. He then went to
the War Department and saw Earl de Grey and
Ripon, the Under-Secretary, on the subject, but
with no better result. At a meeting of the corps on
the previous Saturday evening, a member got up
and told him (Lord Elcho) substantially that lie was
not worth kis salt, because he had not succeeded in
overcoming the objections of the Lord Lieutenant
and the authorities at the War Department. (A
laugh.) To that taunt ho replied that he was sorry
he had taken nothing toy his motion in that respect,
but that he was bound, as- a good subject, to obey
the powers that be. The member in question said
the corps was being ground down by tyranny— (" No,
no")—and that he (Lord Elcho), living in the reign
ef Queen Victoria, was endeavouring to command
the corps on principles which obtained in the time
of the Stuarts. (A laugh.) In one sense ho believed
that was so, remembering that in those days the
punishment ef the pillory was in use, and seeing
that at the meeting in question he had been pelted
for three hours—morally he meant—(a laugh)—
with eloquent denunciations for not having suc-
ceeded in doing what he had been most anxious to
do. It was said that other corps had exercised a
voice in the election of their officers, and why not
this ? He was asked to cancel the appointment of
the officers, but he said he could not do that even if
he were disposed, which he was not, for the names
had been sent in to the lord lieutenant. " Oh," said
a member of the corps, " you can get over that, be-
cause the names have been returned to you in con•
sequence of your having forgotten to add the Chris-
tian names." His answer to that was that the names
had not been returned to him in consequence of any
such omission, but, even if they had, he need
scarcely say he should certainly have declined to
take advantage of such an error. (Cheers.) The
discussion ended in the adoption of a motion, at the
instance of Mr. Robertson, that a general meeting
should be convened for the purpose of discussing
the question at issue. The subject, indeed, was one
which did not affect the London Scottish Corps
only. It was a question between the War Depart-
ment and all the volunteer corps in the kingdom.
(Cheers.) In that view of the case he had thought
it desirable to obtain, if possible, some authoritative
decision on the matter, which might serve as a guide
to all volunteer corps, present and future. He had
such an authoritative decision now to communicate,