The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-21 00:00:00

LAW AND _POLICE.

A PRIVILEGED CommuNic.iTioN.—An action for libel
has been brought by a bankrupt, named Chnrdit against
his -assignee, for posting a placard and, inserting an
advertisement containing defamatory statementJ.
The action was tried in the Second Court of •
Queen's Bench. The plaintiff had been selling
goods on commission after his bankruptcy, and
the advertisement complained of which appeared in
the London daily papers offered .£:5O reward for imforma-
tion on the subject, as the bankrupt was lelieved to be
selling part of his stock-in-trade. The plaintiff
was, in consequence of the libel, several times
arrested and was obliged to give up his employment.
Mr. Justice Hannen, however, nonsuited him on the ground •
that the communication, being by order of the Court of
Bankruptcy, was privileged.
A SINGULAR CLTARGE.—In the Court of Queen's Bencl],
on Saturday, an action for an alleged libel, published i:;
the Cornhill Magazine, was brought by George Henry de
Strabolgie. Neville Plantagenet Harrison. The article
complained of was entitled " Don Ricardo," and was of
a light and lively character. It described General Harri-
son, whose eccentricities bad attracted some attention
iu not very complimentary terms, quoting rr
injurious statement that bad been made about him.
The plaintiff, whose list of names and titles excited some
amusement in the court, explained that he had acquireg_i
the rank of general in the wars of South America, and
that he believed himself to be descended from the Earl of
WestmOreland and the Plantagenets, which bad induced
hiin to assume some of the names. The jury gave Lim a
verdict for 17;0.

AG UARANTEE. —ln the Second Court of Common Pleas,
on Saturday, the case of " Laurie, P. 0.- v.- Schofield"
was beard. An action had been tried before Mr. Justice
Mellor on a guarantee, when the plaintiff bad a
verdict for £1,0:7,7. It was now sought to
reduce the damages by k. 500, that sum having been
previously paid by one of the -guarantors, though it
had not been pleaded at the time of the trial. The court
btld that the £5OO having been paid, that sum must be
taken to have been pleaded in bar to so much of the claim
but on the terms of the dt-fendant paying the costs.
ACTION AGAINST 'MADAME RACHEL'S DAuuirrEn.—At
action was brought at the Marylehone County Courti,y
Mr. Wilding, a solicitor, against Uiss Leverson, daughter
of Madame Rachel, to recover a sum for profes-
sional services. A letter was read to shew that the
defendant and her solicitor were at the Bail Court
and wished the case to be adjourned, Lot Sir
J. 'Wilmot said he could not act on the letter, and the case
must proceed. After hearing the evidence, his Honour
gave judgment for the plaintiff, the amount to be paid
Within fourteen days.

Ills Royal Highness the Prince of `yaks Las been
elected an honorary member of th© Soci6t6 des Agriculture

de France.

A patent has been obtained in America for the
Manufacture of water-proof paper. It will be no un-
common thing, by-and-by, to carry a quart of milk home
in a paper bag.

The Kent Herald says that the following is a
literal copy of a document forwarded to an unsuccessful
Conservative candidate at one of the Cinque Ports at the
late general election :—" Mr. Dr. to —. To wear-
ing your colours one week and attending at the poll
at and voting for you . . . £10."
A MUNIFICENT OFFER. —Mr. E. Mackenzie
having read in the papers that the governors of St George's
Hospital had been obliged to sell £15,000 of the invested
capital of the company to meet the deficit in the finances
of the institution, has sent to the secretary a cheque for
1,000 shillings, and states that if the £45,000 are raised by
the 15th of July next, he will then make the 1,000 shillings
into as many guineas—that is, he will send a cheque for
£1,003 more.

STRANGE SUICIDE IN A. PRISON.— A strange
suicide has just been committed at the Fort of Bicetre by
a clerk named ;"aria, aged 45, one of the persons arrested
on the Boulevards during the late disorders. Since his
detention he bad been labouring under great excitement,
and had at length become so violent that it bad been
found necessary to confine him in a cell with his hands
bound. He was found on Thursday morning lying dead,
on the ground ; he had succeeded in freeing his bands
from the cord, with which he had made a running knot,
and had then strangled himself. He was a married mar
and father of a family.

CONSECRATION OF FOUR NEW BISIIOT,S. —Four
new bishops are to be consecrated, and Tuesday, the 20th
inst., being the festival of St. Peter, will probably be fixed
for the ceremony in Westminster Abbey. The new pre
lates are the Rev. Arthur Bender, M.A., rector of
Pluckley, Kent, who has been elected Bishop of Montreal
and Metropolitan of Canada ; the Rev. W. C. Cowie, D.D.,
rector of St. Mary's, Stafford, who has been elected BishoT
of Auckland in succession to Dr. Selwyn (who held the
general title of New Zealand, there being no other bishop
in the islands at the time of his consecration) ; the Rev.
S. B. Marsden, M.A., vicar of Bengworth, near Eves-
ham, who has been nominated to the new Australian
bishopric of Bathurst; and the Rev. Walter Chambers,
missionary to Borneo, who has been appointed to the
Bishopric of Labuan, vacant by the resignation of the
Right Rev. Dr. M`Dougall.
Tun REPORTED MURDERS IN ABYSSINIA.--
Additional information has been received respecting the
reported murder of Mr. Thomas Powell and his party, in
Abyssinia, which seems to give some slight gliinmering of
hope that it may be possible that the first intelligence re-
ceived was not in every respect truawortby. tt will be re.
membered that in the two accounts respectingthe murders,
one from Kerim Bagos, Abyssinia, and the other from the
French Vice-Consul at Massowah, mention is distinctly
made of Mr. Powell's servant having been killed. This ser-
vant was generally supposed to be I>onald, a Scotch game-
keepr-r, whom Mr. Powell bad taken with bite. The
intelligence just to hand al pears to contradict this, a
telegram having I rev received by .2t: r. Walter Po veil,
thrtaigli the Foreign Olen', to the follow ing*
:--" Dunald, Mr. Powell's gamekeeper, is
reported to have escaped, and to be at Massowalz.
So possibly other parts of the first story may have been
exaggerated." It is impossible to judge from this whether
there is any probability of Mr. and Mrs. Powell being
alive, but the intelligence at least throws discredit on
the first information. The locality where-the rePorted
murders took place is believed to be about 150 miles from.
Massowah, consequently it will not be so difficult as.was
first anticipated to obtain a reliable account as to the
fate of the party. His Highness the Viceroy of Egypt
has directed that every possible assistance slionid be ren-
kfered. to Mr. Henry Po,veit and Mr. Jenkins, Who
, ..;..
e cope out to Alexandria anti Cairo, in order to •
ascertain whether there is any trope, of their relativesbeing
alive.