The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-18 00:00:00

MBEP.

Hampton .....21, 22
Western (Ayr)........22, 23
Hendon 23, 24
Monmouth... -,.. 23, 21
Newmarket ist Oct 28, ezc.
Lanark... 2O, 30

MARKE7 S-7 Ills DAY.

LIVERPOOL COTTON.
February 18.—Sales probably 6,000 or 7,000 bales.
Market flat, and downward tendency.

METROPOLITAN CATTLE.

Wo have a few more boasts than on Thursday last ;
there is, however, a demand for them, and prices aro
about the same as on Monday. There are also a few
more sheep, but they arc for the most part disposed of,
and prices are scarcely altered. Good calves are still
scarce, and dear.

ADMIRAL .ROUS AND LORD COVENTRY'S
, PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS.

Lord Coventry writes to the Times in answer to Admiral
Rous's letter stating that he cannot support the noble
lord's resolutions which are to be brought before the next
meeting of the Jockey Club. Lord Coventry points out
that he wishes to raise the minimum weight from sst. 71b.
to 6st., to which the gallant admiral objects, " because
the maximum weight in a great handicap is under
10st." The writer says : " I am not aware that
there is a rule of racing which fixes the
maximum weight to be carried in any race ;
therefore, if the alteration is agreed to, the Admiral
would only have to begin his handicap 71b. higher, and it
is surely no hardship to inflct 10st. 71b. on a horse over a
listance which never exceeds two miles and a half." He
goes on to say that it is very difficult to find an efficient
lockey who can ride as light as sst. 71b., and this fact
alone is, in his opinion, a strong argument in favour
of the alteration he proposes. " For my own part," he
concludes, " I should gladly see the minimum weight
raised to seven stale. Light, shelly, weedy mares would
then be consigned to the cab-rank instead of the stud, and
breeders would endeavour to produce animals of size and
power which would be available for other purposes if they
were found too slow for the racecourse."

The Hon. Percy Wyndham also writes to the Times
an the subject. Referring to the statement of Admiral
Rous that the Alexandra Plate, the distance of which
is three miles, and the weights 10st. and lOst. 81b., breaks
clown one-fourth of the winners every year, he says that
",in the last century and later, three-miles would have been
:onsidered a short distance. Four miles, and even six,
were more usual, and lOst. and 10st. Blb. would not have
been considered a heavy weight. Under these conditions
we have it on record that the horses of that day
remained on the turf four, five, and even seven years ; it
is true they were not trained at two years old. The truth
is that, given a race of thoroughbred horses, the exigencies
a modern gambling and the improvement and perfection
of that breed are two things diametrically opposed to one
another."

The Hon. F. W. C. Villiers states that his lather's
(Lord Jersey's) horses generally made their first public ap-
pearance at Newmarket in the Craven Meeting, as the
records of many Riddlesworth Stakes will testify. The
Craven Meeting used to be held about two months only
before the Derby.

THE SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

The charge against the two Government officials of
Having accepted £3O for a corrupt purpose, or, as the
Indictment puts it, of having conspired to obtain the sum
et £3O by false and fraudulent pretences, occupied a long
time at Bow-street on Wednesday. The two prisoners are
named Thomas Gambier and William Rumble, and the
person from whom the £3O was obtained is called Max-
well. The facts as stated by the counsel for the prosecu-
tion are these :—Mr. Maxwell is one of the persons who
lately tendered for the supply of timber to the Admiralty,
and was waited upon last January by the prisoner Rumble,
who told him that he could "get him the contract," or, in
Ither words, get the tender accepted, but that he would
•equire some pecuniary consideration. Mr. Maxwell,
• ctuated obviously by a very laudable motive, called on
the Registrar of Contracts, Mr. Antonio Brady, and told
lira what had occurred. Mr. Brady was surprised and
shocked at the statement, and took immediate steps to
discover the origin and details of the conspiracy. It
turned out that the prisoner Rumble alleged that he
hzd friends high in office in the Admiralty Department at
komerset House, and that from them he could get the
necessary information and could get tenders for contracts
ccepted ; and that when goods were supplied under a
contract he could get the goods accepted. Gambier was
not referred to by name, but when Rumble was asked
how he got his information and influence, he said he had
friends high in office ; and in order to impress that on Mr.
Maxwell, he brought him a few days afterwards the
letter accepting his own (Mr. Maxwell's) contract. The
authorities, in the exercise of their discretion, and in order

to discover the nature and extent of a system which, if it
bad' any ramifications at all, must be tested to the bottom,
allowed matters to go on, and Mr. Antonio Brady, the
Registrar, gave Inspector Clark a cheque for £3O, with
certain instructions. The inspector accordingly delivered
to Mr. Maxwell three £lO notes, which the latter gave
to Rumble. Two of those notes had been traced, one to
Rumble, and the other to Gambier.
Mr. Maxwell himself being called, than gave a history
of how he became acquainted with the prisoner. lam
(said he) a mining engineer and timber merchant. I sent
in a proposal to the Admiralty for a contract for elm
timber for several of the dockyards about the 12th January
last. On Friday, 15th, the prisoner Rumble called upon
me at my office. I said, " What can Ido for you?" He
said, "That depends on yourself." I said, " How so ?" He
said, " You have tendered for elm timber, but you won't
get your contract unless you use influence at the office."
I said, "I consider this to be a matter that should rest
on its own merits, and if my own brother were the
person to decide it I would not ask him to do so."
He replied, " Well, you won't get the contract unless you
give a small consideration. It is at present between you
and another person who has tendered, and unless you
make terms with me you will certainly lose the contract.
Even should you get it, you will certainly find that a great
portion of your goods will be rejected." I replied, " I
cannot help that. I shall not use or pay for any
influence. I am not sufficiently anxious to get the •
contract to induce me to give a bribe to any oue to
use their influence." Rumble replied, " Very well ;
I will do the best I can for you, and aft'er you have
got the contract perhaps you will do something for me."
I soon afterwards received a note from Rumble, in which
Rumble prophesied that I should soon get the contract
letter. I asked him when next I saw him how he knew
about it. He said, " I find out from my friend." I said,
" Your friend is not Mr. Childers, I presume ?" He said,
"Not very far from him. He is pretty high up." 1 further
learnt from him that if he received any money from me
he would divide it with his friend. Not long afterwards
he brought to me the letter accepting the contract, saying
at the same time that it was obtained by his
influence. When he called later on I handed
him :three bank of England notes for £lO each,
which I had received from Inspector Clark. The next
day he called again, and said, " Well, you can go up and
sign the contract, and send in the wood as soon as you
like, and you will get your money in four days afterwards.
He (meaning the friend) is much pleased, and will give
you some large things when he knows what line you would
like."

Inspector Clark, the next witness, said he had watched
the prisoners, and had overheard the conversation with
Mr. Maxwell. He found that Rumble and Gambier were
continually together. Acting under instructions it was he
who arrested them.
Mr. Antonio Brady, Registrar of Contracts and Securi-
ties, Admiralty, Somerset House, said the prisoner Gam-
bier was a clerk in the Storekeeper's Department, at a
salary of over £5OO a year, having been fourteen or fifteen
years in the service. In consequence of directions from
the Lords of the Admiralty, and from information
received from Mr. Maxwell, he gave Clark a cheque for
£3O on the 29th January, with certain instructions. The
iheque was on the Bank of England, where witness keeps
is account. In the regular course the letter accepting the
.ntract would go through Gambier's office, but should
be posted to Mr. Maxwell. It was marked for post, but
had not been posted.
Mr. Henry Childs Hinds, clerk to the Church of
England Insurance Office, King-street, Cheapside, :Anted

that a man named James Thomas Gambier, a clerk in the

Admiralty, Somerset House, was insured in that office,
and had paid his premium on the 9th February with the
£lO note produced, No. 24,974, oth May, 1867.
At this stage of the proceedings the defendants were
remanded.