The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-14 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The annexed memorandum, dated the 4th inst.,
has been just issued from the Horse Guards, by
General Sir G. A. Wetherall, the Adjutant-

General :

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" The General Commanding-in-Chief observes
that, among the pecuniary embarrassments of young
officers, which too often form the subject of com•
plaint to his Royal Highness, debts due to mess-
men form a considerable portion—not for the mere
ordinary mess expenses, but generally for money
borrowed to pay sudden and casual demands—until,
in the aggregate, the amount becomes considerable.
" His Royal Highness has also reason to believe
that debts to messmen aro sometimes increased by
their consenting to charge the messing to the
officers' private accounts; and that the certificate
required weekly, that all mess debts have been paid,
is not always strictly correct.
" It is incumbent upon commanding officers and
upon general officers, at their half-yearly inspec-
tions, to ascertain, by personal inquiry from all
parties, whether any officer is in debt to the mess-
man, not only for messing but on any other ac-
count.
" His Royal Highness strictly enjoins command-
ing officers to prohibit as a breach of good order
the reprehensible and unworthy practice of bor-
rowing money from messmen, and recommends that
in all mess contracts a clause may be inserted, ren-
dering nugatory all such transactions, and binding
the messmcn with penalties for any infraction of
the rule."

A.N ELOPEMENT AND ITS RESULTS.

A case of considerable interest is now pending
in tne shape of a charge of perjury against Mr,
Edwin Dawson, recently of West-street, Sheffield,
pianoforte tuner. The circumstances of the case are
somewhat curious, involving as they do a romantic
attachment, an elopement and marriage, a suit
in Chancery, and finally a charge of perjury.
The young lady who has been the innocent cause
of these events is Miss Frances Blanche Jessett,
daughter of Mr. Jessett, surgeon, who at the time
of her marriage was only 17 years of age. Up to
June last she was at a boarding-school at Scar-
borough, and on her return to Sheffield she went
to live with Mrs. Dawson, the mother of the lady
whom her father, Mr. Jessett, has married since
the death of his first wife. Here she became ac-
quainted with Mr. Dawson, who is a son of Mrs.
Dawson, the lady with whom she went to reside.
Very quickly Mr. Dawson found favour in the
eyes of the young lady, proposed, and was
ac-
cepted. But they had every reason to believe that
Mr. Jessett would not consent to their marriage,
and they, therefore, determined upon a clandestine
union. Early in September theyleft town to-
gether, and proceeded to Birmingham, where they
were married before the registrar. As soon as Mr.
daughter
Jessett discovered that his had gone to
Birmingham, he went in searchof her, but was too
late to prevent her marriage. Alt hoagh, however,
theirrevocable vow had pronounced, pro-
ceedings were taken not at all pleasant to the bride-
groom. Under the will of the late Mr. J. Sander-
son,.
£4,300 was left to Miss Jessett, . payable upon'
her marriage. Mr. E. Tozer, one of the trustees
under the will, had, some time previous to the mar-
riage, obtained
his from Miss
Jessett the Court of Chaneery a
release from
Jessett thenbecame a ward in Chancery.
Upon hearing of the marriage, Mr. Tozer moved
the Court of Chancery in the matter, and Mr.
Dawson was cited to appear before the Master of
the Rolls, and. show cause why he should not be
committed for contempt of court in having married
the ward of the court without its consent. When
the ease came on, an affidavit was read from Dr.
Thompson, stating that the young lady's state of
health was such that any excitement, such as that
likely to be caused by her husband being sent to
prison, would be seriously injurious to her, and
miht even s:ndanaber her life. Under these cir-
cumstances, and as the case was not pressed against
Dawson by the friends of the young lady, the Mas-
ter did not order him to be imprisoned • but he is-
sued a decree for the settling upon the lady. herself
of the £4,300 to which the youthful Mrs. Dawson
was entitled. So far all went smoothly for the
. , new married couple. But Mr. Dawson's troubles
• I were not ended. Some statements made by him
before the registrar to fulfil the requirements neces-
sary before the marriage could take place, and
which were stated to be false, were laid before the
court. These were that he and Miss Jessett had
lived in Birmingham 15 days (whereas they had
only been there t wo) ; and that the consent of Miss
Jessett's father to the marriage had been obtained.
There were also some alleged false statements as to
the ages of Dawson and Miss Jessett. The Master
of the Rolls intimated that he should lay the fact,
before the Attorney-General, and leave it to him to
decide whether a prosecution for Friary should be
instituted I gainst Dawson. The Attorney- Genera °mu- ueneral
has decided to proceed with th,,e. prosecution, and
LA
the trial is expected to come on the ensuing War-
-11,4 A§§i4C§,—Viefflq4 Tithes.