The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-23 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

A Cotoszr, AND HIS BUTLICR.—CoIoneI Rich, of the
Royal Engineers, the Government Inspector of Railways,
and his son were summoned for having assaulted Michael
Givast, butler. There was a cross summons taken
against the butler for assault. The colonel
Stated that the defendant had been his butler
for some time, but had had notice to leave in
consequence of drinking. On Sunday, at luncheon,
he seemed in an unfit state to wait, and at
dinner time became very violent. He complained of not
having had a proper dinner in the kitchen, and the colonel
ordered him to leave the house, and with the aid of
his son, he was put out after a scuffle had taken place. It
was proved that the butler had quarrelled with his wife in
the course of the day, and was very violent. Michael
Givast, in evidence, said that the food was not sufficiently
good in the kitchen. Mr. Woolrych said that the butler
had given sufficient cause for his master ti ccmplain. and
was not master of his faculties on the day in question.
Under all the circumstances, he should dismiss both
summcnses.

AN ELECTION ACCOUNT.-At the Liverpool Assizes the
landlord of the Queen's Hotel, at \mbleside, brought an
action against the Hon. Charles Howard and Mr. Mrshall,
the candidates at the last election for East Cumbeland, to
recover the balance of an account for hire of horses and
carriages used during the election. The account
was £63 and the amount in dispute only £l7 Bs.
The counsel for the plaintiff stated, however,
that more than £l,OOO was at stake, other claims being
pending. The allowance fixed by the committees was
two guineas a day per carriage and pair, the plaintiffs
charging three guineas, 10s. for the driver being allowed
in both cases. The ordinary charge is one guinea the car-
riage and ss. the driver. The plaintiffs said the carriages
were wanted for very long journeys over some cf the
steepest roads in England, and the jury held that the
charges were reasonable, and gave a verdict for the amount
claimed.

FISH FOACHIVIS.-At the Town Hall, Brentford, two
fishermen and a beerhouse-keeper, were brought up on
remand charged with the unlawful possession of a quantity
of carp. The prisoners borrowed a van late on Wednes-
day evening, and at six o'clock next morning were
observed coming towards Brentford with the van. A
constable noticed a wooden cistern in the van, and took
the men into custody. It was found at the statian
that 200 carp were in the wooden tank. No
witnesses were called for the defence, and the Chair.
man said the Bench had no doubt of the fish having
been obtained unlawfully. They should inflict a fine of
£5 each, or one months' imprisonment for unlawful posses-
sion.

COMMERCIAL SLANDERS.—A case of some interest to
commercial men has been tried at the Liverpool Assizes.
The plaintiffs are the proprietors of the large drapery
establishment in that town known as Compton House,
and the defendant a haberdasher in Liverpool, was
charged with asking two commercial travellers if
they had heard the news that Compton House bad
stopped payment. For the defence it was said that the
travellers themselves had used the words. It appeared
that at the time there were mischievous rumours afloat
which had no foundation, and the plaintiffs were only
anxious to give them public contradiction through the
press. The jury found a verdict for the plaintiffs who
said they would be satisfied with an apology. Damages,
one farthing, Mr. Justice Hays refusing to certify the
plaintiff's special jury.

THE ROTHERHAM STEEPLE CHASE.—At Liverpool, on
Saturday, an action was brought by Mr. Dale, a fishmonger,
at Manchester, to recover damages for injuries received
through the falling of a stand at the Rotherham steeple-
chases, of which the defendants were the committee. Mr.
Dale went to Rotherham to see the races there, on March
25th, and paid for admission to the stand, which fell to the
ground, injuring him severely. Mr. Manisty, for the
defendants, contended that the stand was properly made,
but that stays which had been placed there were taken
away by sonae persons unknown to the committee. The judge
therefore ruled that unles sit could be proved that the defen-
dants knew that the wrongful acts had been committed
they were not liable, and, under these circumstances, the
plaintiff was nonsuited.

CONVICTION OF A CONSTABLE.-At Marylebone
Yolice-
court, a constable, named Keely, 102 D division, was
charged with violently assaulting another constable in the
execution of his duty. It appeared that the prisoner had
been drinking, and that his conduct was outrageous, and
that he had previously been transferred from another division
for a similar offence. The magistrate said he must deal
severely with the case, and sentenced the prisoner to three
months' hard labour.

Eminent engineers have pronounced the Niagara
Falls Suspension Bridge unsafe. Timid travellers, in eon•

sequence, are avoiding, passing over it.
ANTLIUD FLOOR AT OXFORD. A curious
dise...very has been made in one of the ti ree old houles in
Et.4ul street, between .Kettall Hall and Trinity College,
now .undergoing repair. Upon the removal of the flooring
boards, in a room on the ground floor, having underneahh
them a considerable depth of earth and loose rubbish,
the original ffoor of the room, which is ten feet square,
was brought to light. It was laid with "trotter bones,"
in a pattern of squares arranged angle-wise, within a
border. The pattern was defined by bones about two
inches square, rubbed or sawn to an even surface, and
filled in with the small bones of sheep's legs, the knuckles
uppermost., closely packed and driven into the ground to
the depth of from three to four inches. It has been
hastily and needlessly destroyed. Floors thus composed
full two centuries since are now not unfrequently dis-
covered during the alteration of the timber and plaster
edifices of -the early part of the seventeenth century.
Oxford has 'upplied several example®.