The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-18 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.—(This Day)

OLD CO URT.
(Before Mr. Justice Caleridge.)

Mary Eliza Minikin, alias Mary Eliza Minckin, 44, a
well-dressed woman, having the appearance of an Indian,
was indicted for unlawfully obtaining money by false
pretences.

Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Moule conducted the prosecu-
tion; Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and Mr. C)oper were
counsel for the defendant.

This was a prosecution instituted by the East India
Company under the following circumstances :—lt ap-
peared that the prisoner, who is a native of Pondicherry,
was married to Mr. Archibald M'Nair, who was at the
time a captain in the Fifteenth Regiment of
Madras Native Infantry, in the year 1824, and they
lived together until 1838, when Captain M'Nair
died. The prisoner, it appeared, came to England, and
under the regu:ations of the East India Company ehe
was entitled to a pension of 451. 12e. 6,1. per annum
from a fund called Lord Clive's Fund, but which pen•
sion, it appeared, she could no longer claim if she mar-
ried a second time. The pension was regularly paid to
her until the close of last year, through Messrs. C vid
and Co., army agents, and it appeared that about that
time, in consequence of some information received by
these gentlemen relating to the prisoner, and
which was to the effect that she had married, and
was no longer entitled to the pension, they declined
to act any longer on her behalf. When the subse-
quent quarter's pension became due in March,' 1856, it
appeared that the prisoner herself went to the East
India House and presented a certificate that she was
Eliza Mary M'Nair, and also a declaration made by her-
self that she was the widow of Archibald M‘.Neir, who
had been a captain in the Indian army, and that she had
not married a second time, and was still entitled t) the
pension ; and upon this a warrant was given t) her an I
she received the amount. The case on► the part of the
prosecution was that on the 28th of May, 1346, the
prisoner was married at Bow to a person named Jos,-;ph
Charles Minikin, and a certificate of tho marriage ef
Eliza M‘Neir and Joseph Charles Minikin was put
in, and the signature to it was proved to be
in the handwriting of the prisoner; and evidence was
also given that the prisoner and a man who sometimes
passed by the name of Minikin and sometimes under
that of Gray, had occupied differeet lodgings as man
and wife. It appeared in the course of the case that
Minikin had deserted the prisoner, and there was good
ground for believing that he bad given the information
which led to the discovery of the fraud, and it ale° ap-
peared that many of the documents upon which the
money had been obtained were filled up in the hand-
writing of the prisoner's husband.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine made a very earnest appeal
to the jury on behalf of the prisoner.
The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to
twelve months' hard labour.

No official confirmation existed yesterday in Paris
that the Russians have de,troyed the fortifications of
Kars and Ismail, but they have certainly blown up
several forts in Bessarabia.
FUNERAL of THE LATE CAPTAIN HENRY LANGHORNE
THOMPSON.—The remains of tLis gallant young officer
wi-re attended yesterday morning to their last resting-
place in Brompton Cemetery by his sorrowing relatives,
and, as the funeral was of a strictly private character, on'y
by a few mourners in addition, among whom we noticed
General Sir William Fe iwick Williams, and his com-
panions in arms and pi- rate secretary—Colonel Lake,
Captain Teesdale, and Mr. Churchill ; also the Right
Hon. Lord Paumure, Colonel Mundy, Right Hon, Sir
Bsnjamin Hawes, Colonel Graham, Mr. Gilpin, &c.

ROYAL GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION.—Mrs. T. G.
Reed (Miss P. Horton) who was, on two occasions last
week, prevented by indisposition from giving her popu-
lar entertainment, has nowresumed her agreeable duties
and the following are amongst the distinguished per-
sonages who have lately witnessed her attractive per-
formances:—The Earl and Countess of Devon, Lord de
Tabley, Lord Clermont, Lord Delamere, Lcrd Yalentia,
Lady Stanley and party, Lord Greenock, Lady Naas,
Lady Mohsov, the Hon. Mrs. Mildmay and party, Sir
Charles Lyell, Lady Harriett Dunlop and party, Sir
John Rennie, the Hon. Mr. Cholmondeley, Lady Mar-
garet Stuart and party, Sir James Maokenzie, Sir Wm.
Chalk, Sir A. Larpent, Sir B. Reynolds, Lady Eliza-
beth Watham, Lady Anne Dashwood, the Hon. Mr.
Howard, Lady Easthope, Miss Hindley and party, Ad-
miral Yates, Captain Bing, Mrs. Boothby and party,
Mrs. Alleyne and party, General Wymer and party,
Mrs. Beresford and party., Lieutenant-Col. Dyke, &c.
PRICE OF GOLD.—The qu,itation of gold at Paris is
about 2 per mills premium (according to the last tariff),
which, it the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 104 d. per
ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25.22 ;
and, the exchange at Paris on London at short being
25.35, it follows that gold is about 0.50 per cent. dearer
in London than in Paris. By advices from Hamburg
the price of gold is 423 per mark, which, at the English
Mint price of 3/. 17s. 10d. per ounce for standard gold,
gives an exchange of 13.31 ' • and, the exchange at Ham-
burg on London at short being 25.51' it follows that
gold is about 0.88 per cent, dearer in London than in
Hamburg The course of exchange at New York on
London for bills at 60 days' sight is 1091 per cent., and,
the par of exchange between England and America being
109 23 40 per cent., it follows that the exchange is nomi-
nally 0.1.7 per cent. in favour of England ; and, after
making allowance for charges of transport and difference
of interest, the present rate leaves a trifling profit on the
importation of gold from the United States.
CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION REFORM.—Yesterday
at a special Court of Common Council, the London Col,
poration Bill Committee presented a report, recommend-
ing that authority be given to prepare the draft of a bill
for the enlargement of the constituency for ward elec-
tions. The report was adopts Iby a large majority.
THE SHERIFFS FOE THE YEAR ENSUING.- —We un-
derstand that the following gentlemen, notwithstanding
many other rumours to tho contrary, will be nominated
for Sheriffs, and that they will be most probably elected
for the year ensuing, namely,—J. S. Mechi, Esq,, of
Tiptree Farm and Leadenhall street ; and Alderman W.
Lawrence, Esq., of Bread-street Ward.
TRIAL OF WILLIAM DOVE.—The trial of William Dove,
charged with poisoning his wife with strychnine at Leeds,
is fixed for the 16th of July.
Advicos from Constantinople state that Mr. Layard,
M P., was endeavouring to organise an Oriental Bank,
and the agents of M. Rothschild were employed in
similar efforts. The Porte had not decided who was to
have the concession.

The Town Council of Cambridge intend to present a
testimonial to Sir J. Pattison.

An imperial decree, dated June 16, proloirp the see-
sion of the French Legislative Body to 21July.
CRICSET.—OXFORD V. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITIES.—
This match, which was commenced at Lord's on Mon-
day, was brought to a conclusion last evening in favour
of Cambridge by three wickets, a result not anticipated
generally.
The town of Turin is again filling rapidly with pro-
vincials, an-I especially Lombards, who have come in
great numbers to witness the ceremony to-morrow of
giving the decorations for the Crimean campaign to the
army of the East.
OPENING OF THE NEW CITY CEMETERY.—Yesterday,
at a court of the City Commissioners of Sewers, a letter
was read from Sir George Grey, approving of the table
of fees for interments in the cemetery at Ilford, as pro-
mulgated by the Burial Board. The cemetery will be
opened for interments forthwith.
A PoTTER's DEVICE : MAN IS OE &Y.—At the Brank-
sea Pottery and Clay Company's premiees, on the "re-
joicing night," the device exhibited showed a drain-pipe
within a ribbon, inscribed " The Branksea Pipe of
Peace," with n wheatsheaf below it, and this motto—
" May we may never want for a Pipe nor a Drain 1"
The Builder.
Advices from Turin of the 14th inst. contain the in-
telligence that the arrangement by which the depart-
ments of War and Marine were to be divided, General
Della Marmora taking the War portfolio, and General
Durar.do retaining that of Marine, has not been entirely
carried out. General Durando leaves the Ministry, and
retires to the country. General Serra is to be placed at
the head of the Marine.
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL.—
The 155th anniversary of this venerable society was
celebrated yesterday in St. Paul's Cathedral. Under
the direction of Mr. Goes, the organist, there was a
very effective musical service, in which the choirs of her
Majesty's Chapel Royal, St. Pam's, and Westminster
Abbey, assisted. An eloquent sermon was preached by
the Lord Bishop of Chester.

Mr. Burton Bindon, the proprietor of the well-known
oyster shop in Dublin, and who died suddenly in

D'Olier-street on Monday, though in his 80th year, was
one of the best horsemen in Ireland, and within a faw
weeks twcame master of a pack of superior hounds in the
county Galway. He was formerly pssessor of (Honey,
and other estates in the counties of Clare and Galway,
which changed proprietors in the Encumbered Estates
Court.
A letter from the Lower Danube of the 4th instant
mentions that an English officer of rank was found mur-
dered and plundered, about two miles from Baltehik, a
few days previously. In consequence of this murder
official orders have been forwarded to the civil authori-
ties in Bulgaria to form bodies of cavasses, and to distri-
bute them along the high roads under the oommand of
officers, to discover the miscreants.
SUICIDE NEAR TEMPLE BAR.—Yesterday morning the
coroner for Westminster received information of the
death of Mr. J. Prince, aged 35 years, of Shipyard,
Fleetestreet, who committed self-destruction by taking
a quantity of opium. It appears that the deceased was
found lying on the bed in a state of insensibility, and it
was ascertained that be had taken opium. Without
loss of time be was taken to King's College Hospital ;
where Mr. Probert, the house surgeon, used every
means that medical skill could suggest to save bin], but
be gradually sunk and expired!