The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-16 00:00:00

THAMES.

ILLEGALLY PAWNING.--CAUTION TO PAWNBROKERS.
—Au assistant in the employ of Mr. William Byas, a
pawnbroker, of No. 147, Ratcliff-highway, appeared before
Mr. Selfe to answer in a Antninons*.d....ut as.lacthis
~..Lac,L by a toreig,ti tailor, residing in Whitechapel, for
taking in pawn five pairs of moleskin trousers, the same
being in an unfinished state, contrary to the statute.
It appeared that the prosecutor had given the materials,
10 pairs of trousers, to a poor woman named Harriet Sim-
mons, to be made up, and the whole of them had been
pawned. The woman was taken into custody by a police-
constable named Pearce, No. 120 H, and she was ar•
reigned on the charge of illegally pawning, ordered to
leave the dock, and go into the witness box. On being
sworn she stated that she pawned the five pairs of
trousers now produced at the shop of Mr. Byas. Three
were pawned at one time on the 18th of April, and two
pairs on the 12th of the same month. She
lent her landlady five other pairs, and they were
also pawned at the defendant's shop. Mr. Byas's assistant
said he only knew of the five pairs of trousers produced,
and they were finished. The prosecutor said the trousers
were not finished—they were not pressed, and could not be
sold in the state they were in. He had been a great loser
by the system adopted by many pawnbrokers, of taking up
shop .work which he gave out to poor women to be made
up.

Mr. Selfe said if the trousers were finished it must have
been apparent to the pawnbroker that the goods did not be-
long to the woman who pledged them. It was not likely
she would buy three pairs of moleskin trousers one day
and two pairs on another in an incomplete state for the
purpose of pawning them. There was not a worse evil in
existence than the practice of pawnbrokers taking in slop-
work. It led to great misery and the ruin of many persons.
Ho would put a stop to it if he could. Ho fined the defen-
dant £2 2s. 6d., being double the value of the trousers
pawned, and they must be restored to the prosecutor.
The penalty was instantly paid.

LORD BROUGIIA3I.—'The rumour that Lord
Brougham was engaged in the composition of a complete
treatise on the British Constitution turns out to be correct.
It will, we understand, be published during the ensuing
winter by Messrs. Griffin and Co.—Ceitie.
Mr. Murray has in the ress, and will shortl
publish, p
Francis Bacon, Lord Chancellor of England,' by Hepworth Dixon, being an inquiry into his life and cha-
racter based on letters and documents hitherto unpublished.
This work, though new in form and in material, wiil con-
tain the substance of the articles which appeared in the
" Athenaeum" in January last.
CALEDONIAN FANCY DRESS BALL.—This annual
fete, in aid of the Scottish charities of the metropolis, has
been again so fortunate as to secure the Queen's especial
patronage; and from the interest it has occasioned in
fashionable circles there is every reason to believe the pre-
sent ball will prove a great success. A meeting of the pa-
trenesses took place on Thursday, at which the following
ladies were present :--The Duchess of Atholl, the Duchess
of Roxburghe, the Countess of Kinnoull, the Countess of
Eglinton, the Countess of Fife, the Lady Anne Mackenzie,
the Lady Louisa Moncrieff,:the Lady Aveland, Lady Heron
Maxwell, and Mrs. Farquharson of Invercauld. After the
usual routine matters had been considered and approved, it
was announced that three fancy quadrilles would be formed
under the several directions of the Countess of Fife, the
Countess of Kinnoull, and the Countess of Eglinton. Lady
Fife's quadrille will be danced in Highland costume. The
other " sets" are not yet designated.
THE KING OF NAPLES AND THE POPE.—It seems,
however, that the wretched King, whom the Jesuits have
trained up in superstition and bigotry, is himself so alarmed
by Garibaldi's progress as to show symptoms of the most
abject fear. It is stated on good authority that on one day
he telegraphed five times to the Pope to implore the protec-
tion of the Pontiff's blessing. Three times the blessing
was sent by the Pope along the wires ; but when the same
charm was solicited for the fourth and fifth time, the offi-
cials were directed to send the blessing without hnrassing
the poor Pope, who authorised any number of benedictions
to be sent off ready-made to the panic-stricken pupil of the
Jesuits.—Record.
EXTENSIVE TOBACCO SEIZURE.—The Hampshire
County Police made an extensive seizure of tobacco on
Thursday morning, near the New Inn, at Westend, a vil-
lage about three miles from Southampton. The prize con-
sisted of 36 bales, each containing a half
two. of unmanu-
factured tobacco, in a waggon drawn by two horses, pos-
e session of the whole of which was taken by the lucky cap-
tors, and the tobacco lodged in the Queen's warehouse in
the Southampton Docks. The driver of the waggon was
taken into custody; The name and address of "Eli Stone,
Salisbury, Wilts,' were on the waggon.
FAGGING WORK OF PRIVATE SECRETARIES.—
oU,4hAad about the easiest
"Do you mean work v thoughtservie.
berth in the whole h ! that's just the
mistake that people make. Because we don't cover whole
reams of foolscap papereaottlhe ethraintek thatoflsliwnee,sptoriavaptaege,an
five words to a hoe, people
secre-
taries, have got nothing to do. Look here," and he tossed
over scornfully a dozen or so of little notes. it I tell
you what, Mark ; it is no easy thing to manage
the patronage of a Cabinet Minister. Now I am bound
to write to every one of these fellows a letter that
will please him ; and yet I shall refuse to every one
of them the request which he asks." "That must
be difficult." "Difficult is no word for it. But, after all
it consists chiefly in the knack of the thing. Une must
have the wit from such ash trp and Waspish word as No
to pluck the sting.' Ido it every day, and I really think
that the people like it." " Perhaps your refusals are better
than other people's acquiescenees.' " I don't mean that
at all. We, private secretaries, have all to do the same
thing. Now, would you believe it ? I have used up three
lifts of note paper already in telling people that there is no
vacancy for a lobby messenger the Petty Bag office.
Seven peeresses have asked fo.r it for their favourite foot-
men. But there—there's Lord Petty Bag."
Cornhill Zagazine.