The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-05 00:00:00

CAnIDATE3 FOR MARRIAGE.

At the Sheffield Town Hall, on Monday, three Young
men, named respectively George Herd, silversmith,
Joseph Fidler, silversmith, and Arthur Harrop, of Broom-
hall-street, were charged by John Wilmer Lambert, auger
filer, St. Mary's-road, Sheffield, for " that theydid unlaw-
fully, maliciously, and knowingly, and with intent to pro-
yoke a breach of the peace, cause to be inserted in a certain
public newspaper called the Sheffield Independent a certain
false, scandalous, and defamatory statement of a libel of
and concerning one John Wilmer Lambert, and against
the peace of our Lady the Queen." The advertisement
complained of was as follows :
"To single young women,—A young man wishes to
meet with a partner for life.—Any young lady feeling dis-
posed, apply by letter, William Lambert, auger filer, St.
Mary's-road, Sheffield."
Many answers had been received to the advertisement,
and those given below are average specimens of their
spelling and diction :
" Aperil 5, 1869. Sir—seeing Advertisement In the
' Independent' that you are in Wants a partner for life
so i hoffer-myself as a Caudate But Befoare there Is much
More caresspondence I should like an intearew with you.
Note the adress

The next young lady one would think is a very nice in-
vestment for an enterprising young man. She says :
"I write to say that I should be very happy to form an
acquaintance with you. I hope money will be no object,
as I have only the small sum of £2OO a year. If you wish
to see me, will you please to come over to Roche Abbey
to-morrow, and meet me by the old abbey at
three o'clock. Will you please wear a green tie, and a
cane in your hand, and you will know me by wearing a
blue dress. I shall have a friend with me, but I can dis-
perse (sic.) with her when I meet you. Sir, I hope you
will not decline the offer, as I shall be there if all is well.—
I remain yours, though unknown,—"
The next lady writes a very passable hand, and com-
mences thus :
" Wilmer Lambert : The under signed quite feel dis.
posed as you call it. lam considered by my friends good
looking, and they think I shall make a good wife. I am
the age 22 and dark. If W. L. answers this pleas send
carte de visite. Address by letter."
The next letter is couched in "characters uncouth and
spelt amiss," but is very explicit notwithstanding :
" seeing your advertisement in todays paper seeing that
you ar wanting a partner for life, and as i am wanting the
same my age is eighteen more pitcelars when we meet if

it will be convenient to you to meet me Sunday the fourth
at halfpast two at Ecclesall Church the top gate at the
west end I shall have on a violet dress black jacket velvit
bonnet black and blue if you cant come will you pleas to
write."

The lady next on the list writes very determinedly, and
evidently meant to secure the luckless Lambert for her
family if she could not get him personally. She says :
.. __ _

" Sir,—l with pleasure saw it advertised in the Inde-
pendent' to-day you was in wants of a partner and would
be obliged if you will acpt Miss A.M. A—, tall, dark
hair, dark eyes, and what the world calls good looking
(age 23. or my sister who is (24) good looking. A widdow
no children. A fortune at her own disposal willed to her
by her late husband Mr. R. —, or if you would prefer a
light young lady my friend Miss C. M. C—, who is at
present residing in Sheffield, but is scotch, light hair, blue
eyes, and affectionate will accept you please to answer in
Tuesday ' Independent,' and you shall hear fearther
from me—Please not delay as I shall be ancouse to know
which you prefer."

The next letter betrays a scornful and characteristic
disdain for orthography and punctuation. It iq as
follows :

"My dear fren Iv Sean in to Day IN-use Paper you
Wanting A wife I shall be glad for a good husborn But I
should Be very Glad to now you age firs 2 I should like to
now Whether you are Gccd temper My age is 24 years
and a little Incom for Life and if you are Really in Wants
of A Wife I should be happy to seay you after you Have
Sent you Likenes and then I will meat you at my sisters
and then We Will talk the Matter Over. Short aquantress
Som times makes Long Repentue [Repentance]. But I
Would Mak you Comforable While I Liv and A Little
After I am Dead Weakly Incom--P.S. Excuse my Biting.
PS Anserr by Next Post."

Other letters are from " a publican's daughter twenty.
three years of age and as no objection to be a Partner if
bouth sides sues tegether ;" from " the daughter of a
respectable farmer who will be glad to make you welcome
any time you come if we can make things right," and
several which hear the appearance of having been written
for the purpose of hoaxing the supposed advertiser.
Mr. Lambert, the complainant, was called, and was
being examined, when a conversation took place between
the legal gentlemen and the bench as to whether some
arrangement could not be come to between the parties.
Eventually an apology was accepted, and the defendants
got oil on paying the costs, amounting to :3 s .

At STRALASIAN GOLD.—The value of Austra-
lasian gold imported into the United Kingdom to March
31 this year w a5£1,000,420, as compared uith 1:934,.009 in
the corresponding period of 18€8, and £1,168,150 in the
corresponding period of 1867.
France, though we buy her literature to tho
amount of more than £60,000 a year, only sent us £385
for the few English works she required ; while Turkey
paid us £3,193, and Chili £1,594 for English publications.
Germany also despises English printed matter; she pays
us not £4OO a year for all she imports.
THE .WILTES PEERALGE CLAIM.—The House
of Lords' Committee of Privileges,, under the pre-
sidency of Lord Redesdale, has just decided a case
which had been before the House for several
years. Simon Thomas Scrope claimed tho Earl-
dom of Wiltes, which was created by letters patent
in the 21st of King Richard 11. Their lordships, after
entering minutely into the details of the case and the law
and usage bearing-on the cla'rn, decided that the claimant
had not made out. his title to the Earldom of
Wiltes.

COSTLY DELAY. Unfortunately the " law's
delays" are not among the things that were. A curious ex-
ample of this comes from India. A Hindoo widow, who
had been left the sum of £20,000 by her husband, had her
right to the bequest disputed by the other members of the
family. In order to defend herself in the courts she was
compelled to borrow money, and while the law proceedings
dragged their tortuous lentil slowly on, she had to keep
borrowing, until, when, at length the case was ripe for trial,
it was found that the parties from whom the poor widow
had borrowed had become lawful possessors of the £20,000.

A WEEKLY RETURN OF WORK IN BIR3IINGHA3I.
—A week's work in Birmingham in its aggregate results is
something wonderful. It comprises the fabrication of
fourteen millions of pens,- six thousand bedsteads, seven
thousand guns, three hundred millions of cut nails, one
hundred millions of buttons, one thousand saddles, five
millions of copper or bronze coins, twenty thousand pairs
of spectacles, six tons of papier-mache ware, £30,000
worth of jewellery, four thousand miles of iron and
steel wire, ten tons of pins, five tons of hairpins,
hocks, eyes, and eyelets, one hundred and thirty
thousand gross of wood screws, five hundred tons
of nuts, screw-bolts, spikes, and rivets, fifty tons
of wrought-iron hinges, three hundred and fifty miles
length of wax for vestas, forty tons of refined metal, forty
tons of German silver, one thousand dozens of fenders,
three thousand five hundred bellows, a thousand roasting
jacks, one hundred and fifty sewing machines, eight hun-
dredwoe
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humanity,si
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ande
tone of brass and copper wares, besides an almost
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MINCING.—At a meeting of the Free Synod of Argyle,
last week, the Rev. Mr. Ferguson, Knapdale, proposed
that " 'Whereas it was the duty of the Church to testify
against, and by all suitable means to check, prevailing
evils ; and whereas balls and promiscuous dancing,!
indulged in by so many, and even by professors of religion,
Lave been repeatedly denounced in the best times of the
Reformation Church, on the ground of such practices being
condemned by the Word of God,most irrational and incon-
sistent with the state and destiny of man, and most unl,e.
coming the profession of religion ; and whereas, notwith-
standing, there is cause to fear that a laxity exists
in regard to the unrepealed law of the Church and the
authority of the Word of God on this subject ; and whereas
balls and promiscuous dancing are prevailing evils highly
destructive to, and inconsi;:tent with, the profession of true
religion, and are increasingly indulged in : It is htimbly
overtured by the Free Synod of Argyle to the venerable
the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland that
they take this subject into their serious consideration, and
adopt such measures as to them may seem fit for checking
this growirg evil." A long, amusing, and animated discus-
sion took place, several members strongly urging Mr.
Ferguson to withdraw his overture, hut he declined. The
Rev. Mr. "Whyte, Innelle.n, tin I) proposed :—" flat the
Synod of Argyle, Laving heard Mr. Ferguson in support
of his overture, resolve : " That while there is no differ.
ence of opinion in this synod respecting the evil of promis-
cuous dancing, and the evils connected therewith, and the
v:ews which have always been held in the Church on the
subject, and also the duty incumbent on all members of
esis Church to testify in all suitable ways against these
evils, they deem it inexpedient in the present circum-
stances to transmit this overture." Mr. D. Robertson,
elder, seconded the motion. After some discussion, a
division took place at 2.45 on Thursday morning, when
the amendment of Me Whyte was carried by a majority.
- - -
—Sc2tsman.