The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-27 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMMVI.—A serious charge of
embezzlement was made before the Lord Mayer, at the
Mansion House, against a person named Von Waterford,
the London agent of the Netherlands and Rotterdam
Marine and Fire Assurance Company. The sum he was
charged with misappropriating was 2140, but the solicitor
for the prosecution stated that his defalcations amounted
to £9OO. The Lord Mayor remanded the accused, but
consented to take bail.

CHRISTMAS CAROL SINGING IN THE LONDON STREETS.—
At the Marlborough-street Police-court, Mr. Joseph
Moger, the schoolmaster at the Newport Market Refuge
School, was charged before Mr. Knox with behaving in a
disorderly manner, and causing a crowd of persons to
assemble in Greek-street. Sergeant Lees said that on the
morning of Christmas Day, at a quarter to one, he saw
the defendant surrounded by boys, singing. The boys
were pushing each other about, and used bad language.
There was a large number of persons collected. He asked
the defendant to desist, so as to clear the street. The de-
fendant made no answer, but continued and encouraged
the mob to hoot and yell. Corroborative evidence was
given. It appeared, however, that Mr. Moger had seve-
ral of his boys at his own door singing a Christmas carol.
The constables, acting in excess of their duty, took the
schoolmaster into custody. Mr. Knox commented in
severe language upon the conduct of the police, and said
all the blame rested with them. They had no right to
take any one into custody for singing a carol on Christmas
Eve. He therefore dismissed the charge of assault on
the police against the sister of one of the schoolboys in
question.

Row IN A WORKHOUSE.-St. Pancras Workhouse was
the scene of a row on Christmas Day. It has until new been
the custom on Christmas Day to allow the:male and female
inmates to mingle. This, however, was discont:nu3:l this
year. The result was that some thirty of the-men stormed
the women's ward, knocked down the porter, and 'nada a
great noise. Five of the ringleaders have been charged
with the offence at the Clerkenwell Police-court, and re-
ceived sentences of four months, one month, and fourteen
days.

JENKINISM. —One of the reports of the recent Royal
carriage accident contained the following passage :—" A
mail!phaeton, drawn by a couple of spirited horses, with a
postilion, which followed in the rear of the Queen's
equipage, and contained General Sir T. M. Isiddulph and
her Majesty's luncheon basket." In the cause of consistency
the paragraph should have been headed " Narrow escape
of her Majesty's luncheon "—sinking General Sir T. M.
Biddulph altogether.
SUPPLY OF WATER TO PARIS. The works for
bringing the waters of the Vannes to Paris are about to
be immediately commenced. The course they will have
to follow will be nearly the entire department of the
Yonne, and a portion of the Seine-et-Marne, in the neigh-
bourhood of Moret, to reach the great reservoirs of
Montrouge, whence they will be distributed through the
quarters of the capital on the left bank of the Seine. The
cost of this undertaking is estimated at 20,000,000 f.
FAMINE IN TUNIS.—A sad state of affairs con.
tinues in Tunis. A correspondent says :—" The desolation
in which this country is plunged has been increased by
the cold and rain. A number of Arabs, driven from the
country districts, have come to the city, where they are
dying of want and exposure. Every day as many as fifty
or sixty bodies arc taken from the Morestan for interment.
In every house are to be found families of the refugees to
whom the citizens have given shelter ; the readiness to
assist the necessitous is, however, daily decreasing, in con-
sequence of the great number of the unfortunates. The
rain, usually so valuable for the crops, has been quite use.
less this year, the population not having had the means
of purchasing seed. All their money has been sent to
Europe to buy food. The Government is taking no steps
to relieve this misery, but remains quite inactive aria
apathetic."

THE IRON TRADE.—The following is from Mr.
rhornburn's twenty-third annual report of the Scotch
iron trade :—" After a cycle of six prosperous years, we
have had one year without buoyancy in the iron trade.
When we reflect on the high price of corn, arising from a
deficient harvest over a great portion of the world, and
the disorganised state of the cotton trade—the most im-
portant branch of enterprise in the United Kingdom— the
cause of the present depression in iron is sufficiently ex.
plained. According to the ironmasters' returns, the
quantity of pig iron produced in 1867 is 1,031,000 tons,
shoving an increase of 37,000 tons, when compared with
last year. The deliveries by railways, the shipments,
foreign and coastwise, combined with the local consume=
tion, are 1,068,000 tons, and shew a falling off, when com-
pared with the preceding year, of 68,000 tons. The stock
of pig iron.in Scotland is 473,000 tons, thus exhibiting a
decrease of 37,000 tons as compared with 1866. During
the year the price has fluctuated from 51s. 6d., the lowest
point to which it fell in July, to 555. 6d., the highest at-
tained in October—giving an average for the year of
535. 6d.; per ton. The malleable ironworks, the foun-
dries, and shipbuilding yards, have felt increasing langour.
Next year will surely manifest a healthier condition in the
cotton trade, and we may reasonably expect a lowerrange
of prices for grain. Should these anticipations be
realised, there is no doubt the iron trade will show an
improvement."