The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-21 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE ENGRAVINGS IN "GOOD WORDS" TO DR.
M'LEOD's " EASTWAIM."—The Lord Chancellor has had
before him an appeal from the decree of Vice-Chancellor
Malins, in the case of Strahan v. Graham. It was an
application by the well-known publisher of Good Words
for a declaration that he was entitled under a verbal
agreement to the use of the engravings of certain photo-
graphs taken by the defendant. When Dr. M'Leod's
" Eastward " appeared in Good Words, an agreement was
entered into with the defendant for the use of certain pho-
tographs he (the defendant) had taken in Palestine.
Engravings of these photographs were published in Good
Words, and the, plaintiff now sought to publish them in
connection with a separate edition of " Eastward." This
the defendant would not agree to. The Vice-Chancellor
had decided for the defendant, holding that the practice
of the trade was that unless there was a special agreement
the engravings could not be republished. The Lord
Chancellor now confirmed that decision, giving costs
against the plain 'sin%

THE CONSERVATIVE CLUB.—RICIIT OF A CLUB TO EXPEL
A MEMBER.—The Master of the Rolls ha 3 had before him
the case of Hopkinson v. the Conservative Club. It was
an application on the part of Mr. Hopkinson for a decla-
ration by the court that he was entitled to the rights,
effects, &c., of the club so long as he conformed to its
rules. Mr. Hopkinson, who at first was a Conservative,
was expelled at a meeting of the club for voting for the
Liberal candidates at the election for Berkshire. Mr.
Hopkinson contended that they had no right to do so,
because there was no rule for giving them power. There
was a rule, however, that a meeting should be called if
there were any circumstance likely to endanger the welfare
and good order of the club, and that two-thirds of that
meeting might expel a member. Lord Romilly agreed
with the latter view, and thought that no one could appeal
against the decision of the members.

MURDER BY A CHILD.—At the Worcester As sizes, be.
fore Mr. Justice Mellor, Fanny Brown was indicted for
the murder of Ann Maud Hickton, at Halesowen. The
prisoner, a child of 13, was employed as nurse at Mr.
Hickton's, a nail manufacturer, and in July last was sent
upstairs by a fellow-servant with the child, in the absence
of her master and mistress. Ten minutes later, when asked
where the child was, she said she did not know. Syarch
was made, and it was found dead in a water cistern. She
had been taxed with causing its death, and after denying
any knowledge of its death at last admitted that she
had put it into the cistern head first, in the expect4ti(,n
that it would go to the bottom and never be seen
When asked for her reason for putting the child in the
cistern, she said she " went to the Foresters fee and it
spoilt her best frock." It was suggested that the death of
the child was the result of accident, and the jury found
her not guilty.

X 350 DAMAGES AGAINST THE LONDON AND NORTH
WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY.—In the case of Robinson
V. the London and North Western Railway Company
the plaintiff was formerly a clerk in the Liverpool County
Court, earning from £2 to £3 per week. On the 29th of
June he left Liverpool for Wolverhampton by the de.
fendant's line. An accident occurred near Warrington, by
which the defendant was greatly injured,causing spitting of
blood, &c., and he had been obliged to leave his situation.
The company admitted its liability, and the only question
was one of damages, which the jury assessed at £550.

FENIANISM AND THE GASWORKS.—At the Bow-street
Police-court Michael Finity, a coal loader employed at
the Imperial Gasworks, was charged with uttering
seditious words and expressions of and concerning her
Most Gracious Majesty the Queen. Mr. Charles South,
landlord of the Duke of Clarence, St. Pancras-road, stated
that on Saturday night the prisoner was in his house, when
some people were talking about the explosion. The
Prisoner said, " That is not a quarter of it ; that is only
the beginning ; we mean to blow up all the dockyards,
gasworks, and prisons, and the first time the -- Queen
goes to Parliament she will be shot." He also said he was
a Fenian, and would spend his last shilling to blow up
every gasworks in England. The prisoner now said he
was drunk ; and the chairman of the gas company in
which he was employed said they had taken every pre•
caution. The magistrate remanded the prisoner for
inquiries.

FORGERIES BY A MANUFACTURER.—At the Stafford-
shire Assizes yesterday, before Mr. Justice Keating,
Elijah Hughes, who had pleaded guilty on the previous
day to two charges of uttering forged acceptances to bills
of exchange with intent to defraud the Manchester and
Liverpool District Banking Company, was brought up for
sentence. The prisoner had occupied an influential posi-
tion in the Staffordshire Potteries, where he carried on
business for many years as an earthenware manufacturer.
The sum represented by the forged acceptances of the
prisoner amounted to about 4,500. He was sentenced to
six years' penal servitude.

AN ILLICIT DISTILLER FINED £2oo.—Yesterday
man named John Hoyle was summoned before the borough
magistrates, at Bolton, on the charge of having in his
possession, for use, apparatus, &c., for illicit distilling
purposes. The Excise officers and several policemen broke
into some premises in Back School-street, occupied by the
defendant, and found a 25-gallon still at work, with all
the necessary apparatus for carrying on the business on a
most extensive scale. There was no one in the house,
defendant having escaped whilst the entrance was being
effected. The magistrates thought it was a bad case, and
imposed the full penalty of the law, L'2oo, with no miti-
gating reeDmmendation. In default of payment,
defendant will be confined during her Ma j&-sty's pleasure,
the magistrates not having any power to fix the period of
imprisonment.

EXTRAORDINARY FEMALE LONGEVITY. The
obituary of the Times of the 18th insta lit contained .-2.3 me
rare instances of prolonged existence in ten ladies, whose
united ages amounted to 868 years, giving an average of
more than 86 years and 9 months to each : the eldest had
arrived at the great age of 93, and the youngest at 80 years
of age. The same obituary contained a record of five
gentlemen, whose united ages amounted to 414 years,
giving an average of 82 years and more than 9 months to
each ; the eldest had reached 86. and the youngest SO
years of age. Taking the united ages, then, of the ten
ladies and five gentlemen, they amount to 1,282 years,
giving an average of more than 85 years and 5 months to
each.

THE FIELD-LANE RAGGED SCHOOL. The fol,
rowing figures give some idea of the work done by this
charity in relieving the distress and reclaiming the out-
casts of the metropolis. Ths suffering of the poor during
the past year is stated to have been without precedent.
One thousand three hundred and ten poor children receive
gratuitous edneAtion in the day and night schools. During
the year nearly 7,000 men and women have passed through
the Refuges, who have received 55,000 lodgings and
112,000 loaves of bread. 1,105 of this number have been
reinstated in their former positions in life, 230 young
women were placed out in domestic service, 43 friendless
boys were rescued from begging in the streets and placed
out in industrial homes. 29,000 persons attended the reli-
gious service provided for the homeless on Sunday morn-
ings. Upwards of 39,000 persons have benefited by some de-
partment or other during the year. By the kindness of several
City firms 100 poor children are daily supplied with a good
meal from kitchen-scraps, which would otherwise have
been thrown into the swill-tub. The annual outlay is
£3,000, for £2,000 of which the charity is dependent upon
the voluntary offerings supplied at this season. An earnest
appeal is therefore made for help.

THE LATE EDITION of " TIIE SUN" at
W. SMITHS, " Camden Stores," 78, Park-street, Camden

town.

LONDON, SATURDAY, DEC. 21, 18G7.

It is satisfactory to find that Austria and Hun-
gary seem to understand one another much better
than they have done for a lengthened period, all
the accounts that reach us confirming the favourable
impression already entertained. In the Upper
House of the Reichsrath the public debt bill, with
the alteration of the paragraph that was agreed
upon between the Austrian and Hungarian Minis-
ters, has passed the third reading. Some other
measures of importance have also been passed, so
that upon the whole considerable progress has
been made. From Pesth we learn that
the Upper House of the Hungarian Diet has been
engaged in considering the bill for fixing the sum
that Hungary is to contribute towards the expenses
of the empire. The result of the elections to the
Croatian Diet has been of a majority of two-
thirds in favour of union with Hungary, and this
again looks well for the happy result of the present
changes. We may regard the attitude of Austria
and Hungary with the greater complacency
because of the disturbing influences which
combine to render the position of France and
Italy uncertain. In these countries, unfortunately,
there is at present no chance of a satisfac-
tory settlement being come to just yet; and in the
meantime, of course, a great deal of excitement
necessarily prevails. In Florence the Chamber of
Deputies continue to be occupied with the discus-
sion on foreign affairs, and the last debate on the
subject was distinguished by a very acrimonious
tone throughout. Signor RATTAzzi's speech was a
very vehement one throughout, and he seems to have
set moderation at defiance, which was a very ill-
judged thing to do at the best under the peculiar
circumstances of the case. We said that he re-
signed because he could not carry out that line of
policy which was essential for the dignity of the
empire. The KING consulted others who were op-
posed to his views. Not content with having
openly avowed his intention of sending the Italian
army to Rome, Signor R..iirrAzzr went on to insult
the French by every means in his power. He
actually went so far as to declare that if the asser-
tions first made in the French Chambers were correct
-it would be necessary to withdraw the Italian
Ambassador from Paris. This is a very awkward
way of deciding the question ; and all we say is
that, to take Signor RATAZZI at bis own estimate,
the country has had a very good riddance of him,
for if lie had been permitted to remain in power he
would have infallibly have compromised the peace
of Europe with his mischievons notions and uncer-
tain line of action. General MENABREA made
a very good reply to the attacks made
upon his Government, and announced his
intention of producing certain documents which had
previously been withheld out of consideration for
RATTAZZI. A very significant fact was also adverted
to, namely, that the report of the committee of in-
quiry to investigate the measures taken to prevent
GARIBALDI'S escape from Caprera last October had
declared them to be illusory and useless. After a
discussion of considerable warmth, it was deter-
mined upon that the said documents should be
published. This is a satisfactory result, for
it is just as well that the matter should
be made as public as possible. So many insinua-
tions have been made that it is important the Ita-
lians should be enabled to see the rights of the
affair, and form their own judgment upon it.
In the Corps Legislatif at Paris the subject of the
Army Bill has been brought forward and discussed
with more freedom of expression than we ordi-