The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-27 00:00:00

LAW- AND _POLICE.

BABY FARMING.—At the Middlesex Sessions, on Satur-
day, a woman, named Annie Cummings, was sentenced to
five years' penal servitude for abandoning her infant child
in Glocester-road, Brompton. It appeared that the defen-
dant was in communication with a baby-farmer, and the
manner in which the children were provided for was by
putting them on the high road.
ARBITRARY CONDUCT OF THE POLICE.-At Worship-
street, on Saturday, a respectably-dressed man, named
Mackenzie, was charged with obstructing the police
in the execution of their duty. It seems that two police-
constables who were catching stray dogs, under the order
of Sir Richard Mayne, which is still in force, seized a dog
belonging to a woman in the crowd. She claimed it, but they
refused to give it up, unless she produced herlicence,or went
to the station. The prisoner coming up, declared they should
not take the dog, and a scuffle ensued. For the defence
six witnesses were called, three of them being tradesmen
living near the scene of the affray. They gave evidence
that the policemen, when seizing the dog, used it most
cruelly, putting a string round its neck and swinging it
round to keep off the crowd. The prisoner interfered to
save the dog from being strangled. The owner of the dog
produced the license, but the constables would not sur-
render it till she went to the station. The magistrate
commented on the conflicting nature of the evidence and
said he should send the case for trial. The constables
ought to be careful how they performed their duty.
Low LITERATURE.-At the Worship-street Police-court,
Frederick Meek, an errand boy, was sentenced to six
weeks' imprisonment for stealing a sum of money, his case
being another instance of the demoralising effects of low
literature, of which he was a patron.
THE WIFE MURDER AT HOUNSLOW.-011 Saturday,
William Smith, a stonemason at Hounslow,who is charged
with the murder of his wife, was committed for trial. The
unfortunate woman had given him great provocation by
her drunken habits and improper behaviour, and h
appeared to have acted without premeditation. The
defence wat that the deceased fell down stairs, and died in
consequence, but it was proved that she was struck with a
hammer first. The bench expressed themselves with great
severity against the deceased's sister and her husband, who
allowed the dead body to lie at the foot of the stairs for
three hours without sending for either a doctor or a police-
man, while they went on drawing beer and serving their
customers as if nothing had happened.
POACHING AFFRAY NEAR PRESTON.—TWO cases of porch-
ing were brought before the Preston magistrates on
Saturday, both having cceurred early that morning
The keepers of Mr. Cross, of Alston Hall, found a middle-
aged man with three nets set in the preserves, and captured
him. He was sentenced to three months' im2risonment.
The other affair was more serious. It occurred in the
grounds of Mr. Johnson, at Lalmesbury, where a ff3ht took
place between five keepers and six poachers, only one of
whom was captured, and sentenced to three months'
imprisonment.

MR. SIIF:RIDAN, M.P.—.l r3qui3ition, callin2 upon
Mr. Sheridan, 31. P., to place his resignation is Cie hands cf
his constituents, is in CC 1`.13C of signature in Dudley. The
document states that the subscribers have " no confidence"
in their lumber.

NEW BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE.—The whole of the
roadway and footpaths cf the bridge which overlay the
arches have been paved, and the lower portions of the
lamp-posts have been erected. At the ends of the bridge
the roadway is being constructed and paved to join Far-
ringdon-street and Blackfriars-road, which will require a
considerable amount of labour. A portion of the balus-
trades near the centre of the bridge still remain unfinished.
Labourers aro engaged removing scaffolding, and part of
the tcanpora.ry wooden bridge at the Surrey side. The
wgic s bcing c4,giecl on wiitt great vigoW,

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

THE LATE LORD JUSTICE CLERIC.

The finding of the body of Mr. George Patton
(as announced in a Central Press telegram on Saturday)
clears up the doubt which existed for so many days
as to the whereabouts of the missing judge. The
body was discovered at twenty minutes past three on
Friday afternoon, in the river Almond, at a
little below the bridge of Buchantry, and about 100
yards from a pool in which it was at first supposed
the deceased would be found. The body, which was
dressed in a suit of black clothes, was drawn up by
means of a creeper, which had caught hold of the
palm of the right hand. There was a deep
gash across the throat, evidently inflicted by
a razor. The Procurator-Fiscal and Dr. Absolom
arrived at Glenalmond in the course of the evening,
in order to make a post-mortem examination of the
corpse, which had been immediately removed to
Glenalmond House. Mrs. Patton left the last-named
house for the Cairnies about noon on Monday ; and
on Thursday, in company with her mother, she re-
moved from the latter place to Mountwhannie House,
Fifeshire.
Rumours are already rife-as to Mr. Patton's succes-
sor. Both the Times and the Daily IVews believe
that Mr. Moncreiff, the present Lord-Advocate, will
bo raised to the bench ; and that Mr. George Young,
the present Solicitor-General, will be appointed Lord-
Advocate. In the event of Mr. Moncreiff's accept-
ance of the office, a vacancy will be caused in the
representation of the Glasgow and Aberdeen Univer-
sities. At the general election the present sift*.
membor defeated Mr. Gordon, the Lord-Advocate in
Mr. Dieraelfs Government, by the narrow majority f
67 votes.