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

LAW AND POLICE.

A PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION.—An action for libel
has been brought by a bankrupt, named Church, against
his -assignee, for posting a placard and inserting an
advertisement containing defamatory statements. I
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 ludo:l:ca-
tion on the subject, as the bankrupt was lelieved to be
selling part of his stock in-trade. The plaintiff
WM, 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 CHARGE.—In the Court of Queen's Bench,
en Saturday, an action for an alleged libel, published in
the Cornhill Magazine, was brought by George Henry do
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 had attracted some attention
in not very complimentary terms, quoting ar
injurious statement that had been made about him.
The plaintiff, whose list of names and titles excited some
amusement in the court, explained that he had acquired
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 had induced
him to assume some of the names. The jury gave him a
verdict for £5O.

A GUARANTEM—In the Second Court of Common Pleas,
on Saturday, the case of " Laurie, P. 0., v. Schofield" j
was heard. An action had been tried before Mr. Justice '
Mellor on a guarantee, when the plaintiff had a
verdict for £1,057. It was now sought to
reduce the damages by £ZOO, 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
held that the Etioo 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 defendant paying the costs.
ACTION AGAINST MADAME RACII EL'S DAUGHTER. —At
action was brought at the Maryleboue County Court by
Mr. Wilding, a solicitor, against Aliss 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 .wi,died the case to be adjourned, but 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 he paid
within fourteen days.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has been
elected an honorary member of the Boeidt6 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 papeibag.
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
Laving read in the papers that the governors of St G eorge's
Hospital bad been obliged to sell £45,000 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 I,oooshillings
into as many guineas—that is, he will send a cheque for
£l,OOO more.

STRANGE SUICIDE IN A. PRISON.—A strange
suicide has just been committed at the Fort of Bicetre by
a clerk named Paria, 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 bands
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 BISHOPS. —Four
new bishops are to be consecrated, and Tuesday, the 29th
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. E. Marsden, MA., 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.
THE 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 glimmering of
hope that it may be possible that the first intelligence re-
ceived was not in every respect trustworthy. It will be re-
munberea that in the two accounts respecting the 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 Donald, a Scotch game-
keeper, whom Mr. Powell had taken. with him. The
intelligence just to hand appears to contradict OIL*, a
telegram having been received by Mr. Walter Powell,
tlir. ugh the Foreign (Xlico, to tl:e following
t ;feet Mr.

:--" I.alp!, . Powell's gamekeeper, is
ieported to hare escaped, and to be at Massowah.
So 'possibly other parts of the first story may have been
eyaggerated." 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 tho Viceroy of Egypt
has directed that every possible assistance should be ren-
dered to Mr. Henry Powell arid Mr. Jenkins, who
hare gone out to Alexandria and Cairo, in order to "
ascertain whether there is any hope their relativesbeing
alive.