The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-06 00:00:00

THE LATE ELECTION AT SHEFFIELD

An extraordinary action, "Chapman v. Price," was com.
menced at Leeds Assizes on Saturday, before Mr. Justice
Hayes, which furnishes some interesting particulars con-
cerning the candidature of Mr. Price, who contested
Sheffield in the Conservative interest at the last election.
Mr. Digby Seymour represented the plaintiff, and Mr.
Overend, who has also been an unsuccessful Conservative
candidate for Sheffield, appeared for the defendant.
Mr. Chapman, the plaintiff, claims the payment of 330
guineas, unpaid balance of 550- guineas, which, he alleges,
Mr. Price agreed to pay to him and his coadjutors for
their valuable assistance in helping him to contest the
borough. Mr. Price pleads in effect that he was deluded
into the candidature by false representations, and
TM the victim of fraud on the part of Mr. Chapman.
At the trial it consequently became a great point on be-
half of the plaintiff to shew that the Conservative candi-
date had every opportunity of judging for himself what
his chances here were, that he did not lack candid friends,
and that, if deceived, be had no one to blame but him-
self. To this end Mr. Chapman' seeks to show that Mr.
Price was defeated because he departed from the line of
policy laid down for him. He alleges that he kicked
over the traces altogether. Brought down as a strong
" No Popery " man, he threw up the defence of the
Irish Church and gave in his adhesion to the Maynooth
Grant; he was to have wooed the supporters of the
Permissive Bill, and instead of that he courted
the licensed victuallers and beersellers ; he shocked
the religious public by making the postmen
work all Sunday ; and, above all, on the vital ques-
tion of trades unions, he went in for Broadheadism.
It was to these things that the plaintiff attributed the
defendant's defeat. A strong attempt was made by the
learned judge to get the case referred, but Mr. Chapman
insisted that the charges of fraud against him must be
withdrawn. Defendant's counsel would not agree to this,
so the case went on. The plaintiff's evidence-in-chief was
not concluded when the court rose on Saturday. The case
was resumed on Monday morning.

A CANOE VOYAGE IN PALESTINE,

--
Mr. Macgregor, the adventurous traveller in the Rob Roy
canoe, has given, in the Times, some further accounts of his
interesting expedition. He has visited that ancient river,
the river Kishon, but, except for its scriptural interest, ho
found it dull. Ile records a discovery of somo value to the
student of natural history in the appearance of a crocodile,
similar to these ho had seen on the Nilo years before. It
has been stated by various travellers that the crocodile has
been found in rivers of this coast, but as 3et no author
appears to have seen a crocodile on the Kishon.
'laving transported the canoe to the riverßolus, where glass
was first discovered by lighting a fire upon its sands, he
paddled across the bay to St Jean d'Acre, and landed there,
no doubt, the smallest craft that ever Came to that ancient
fortress. As a complete contrast to the scenery of the rivers
and lakes, the traveller relates what ho has seen under-
ground in Jerusalem. Four weeks spent in diligent work
among the ruins convinced him that it would take months to
investigate them properly ; but, for the benefit of now
tourists, lie explains what can be seen in a single day.
The dark promenade is commenced early in the morning,
and the explorers find themselves amid a confused heap of
arch-stones which once spanned the rocky vale between
Zion and the Temple. The Jerusalem we see to-day is not
the real Jerusalem that is buried under 50 feet of wreck and
confusion. Once down, the adventurers can scan, by a
magnesium light, a subterranean city, the real city of Jeru-
salem. Numerous difficulties have to be overcome
before an excavation can be made in Jerusalem, and
Lieutenant Warren has to deal with many diffarent
people. Few men have dared to follow him in
the amphibious tour of the Jerusalem watercourses, but
he has made some surprising discoveries. The worst of it
is that these sights are only to be seen on the spot, it is quite
impossible to bring home to England the uncovered rock of
Mariab. "Rob Roy" does not here epitomize what has been
explored above or below ground by the committee, but what
can bo seen in a brief visit to the dark ix Heath. It is dis-
heartening to be told bat some of the most interesting sights
are only temporary, as the approaches must he closed from
want of funds to keep the shafts open and the wood lining
properly renewed. It is hoped that the "Palestine Explora-
tion Fund" may receive, additional support, so that its work
may bo prosecuted, evtn if it bo left to our posterity to com-
plete the task of disclosing the buried glories of Jerusalem.

THE rERWFORMING BEAR -EXTRA-
WINARY SCENE.

On Saturday last tho Brentford Bench of Magistrates
were engaged for some time in investigating a charge

against the two Frenchmen, Lo Trim Salim and Joseph
Jerant, of creating an obstruction with a performing
bear and dog, and also of assaulting and wilfully en-
dangering the life of a police officer in the execution of

... _
Lis duty. W hilbt the prisoners were under examination
the bear was secured to the stout railings in front of the

Town-hall, and carefully watched by four policemen. In
the course of a low minutos, however, Master Bruin, after

giving one or two tugs at his chain, showed signs of
making a fight for liberty, and Jerant was
.sent down by
tho magistrates to quiet him. It appeared from the evi-
dence that the prisoners were found performing with the
bear in the streets at Hounslow. A. constpble interfered,

telling them the law did not allow them to obstruct the
streets in the way they were doing. They pretended not to
understand E❑glish, but moved on at a sign from the con-
stable. Shortly afterwards they were again found performing,
and instead of moving on this time they assumed a threat-
ening aspect towards the officer. Jerant threw down the
drum which he had been playing, and drew a large jack-
knife, which he floarished over the constable's head. The

latter, however, procured assistance, and the prisoners
were taken to the station, where a singular scene occurred.
When they found that they were to be detained Jerant
seized the heavy polo with which the bear performs and
knocked ono of the constables down. He next gave a
sign to the bear, and the animal, rising on its hind legs,
struck a second constable to the ground. The offioers then
resorted to their truncheons, as the prisoner Salim was
attempting to unmnzzle the bear. When Jorant found him-
self effectually subdued he gave a sign which caused the bear
to make its way up the staircase,and as it commenced a deter-
mined effort to snake its way into the rooms the female occu-
pants were so terrified that they throw open the front win-
dow and screamed for assistance. The policeman seized
the pole used in the bear performance and made an attack
upon him with little or no effect, but eventually suc-
ceeded in compelling one of the prisoners to control
the brute, and it was ultimately locked up in the patrol's
loose-box. During the night it tore down nearly all the
fittings in the loose-box, and broke the scabbard and
sword of one of the patrols. lt, however, quietly fol-
lowed the prisoners to the Town-hall at Brontford. The
Chairman of the Bench, addressing the prisoners, said
they had promised the police-magistrates in London that
they would leave the country, but they had ot only not
done so, but they were now found committing the very
- offence with respect to which they had been cautioned.
They exhibited their bear to tho danger of horses and
alarm of women, and when they were told to desist acted
with violence. They must now be taught that such things
were not tolerated in this country, for they would go to
the House of Correction for one mouth's hard labour. A
difficulty arose as to what should be done with the
bear during the incarceration of its owners, and on the
suggestion of Superintendent Fisher it was resolved to
make application for its reception into the Zoological
Gardens. Sanction having, iu the course of the afternoon.
been obtained from the authorities of the gardens, the
next difficulty was how to convey the bear thither, for it
would follow no one but the prisoners. Ultimately it was
decided to pack them off in an omnibus, and after a great
deal of trouble the trio were on their journey, followed for
some distance by a m owd c f Before they arrived
at Kew Bridge, how, ver, the bear smashed the window and
made its way out of the omnibus, to the terror of the spec
tators. The animal seemed to be more frolicsome than r--
thing else, and was soon captured, and led on foot to
gardens.

A correspondent, writing in the Birmingham Post,
says that Mr. Lowo bee put on the screw at the Treasury
as it has never been applied before, in order to get the
figures and returns necessary for the Budget. The accounts
aro made up to the Ist of April, and former Chancellors
of the Exchequer have thought they used sufficient prompti-
tude in being ready with their Budget in the third week in
April. Mr. Lowe, however, will make his financial
statement within a wcok from the termhuttiou of thQ Mum-
_
vita yilx,