The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-04 00:00:00

THE FORGERIES AT WIGAN.

On Tuesday morning John Pollard, proprietor of
the 'Wigan Examiner, and also of the Colliery
Guardian, published at Crane-court, Fleet-street,
London, was brought up, on remand, at the Wigan
Police-office, on a charge of forging certain scrip.
transfers, and of tampering with other documents
connected with the Wigan Union Benefit Buildirig
Society. The magistrates were J. Ingram,
Park, and J. C. Leach, Esqrs.
Mr. liilton said he appeared on behalf of the
Wigan Union Benefit Society, and he had then to
ask for a further remand, as they were not in a
position to eater into the ease as fully as they
could wish, in consequence of the books being in
a much worse state than could have been antic',

pated. They might go into one or two cases, but
he hoped the bench would think it best to remand
the prisoner for another week, when they wouldie
able to lay before them evidence such as to warrant
his committal on several charges. An accountant
from Manchester had been going through the books
but had not yet completed his investigation. He
could not mention the extent of the defalcations,
as they were not quite certain as to the correct-
ness of the figures.
Mr. Marshall, on behalf of the prisoner, said
that he had objection to the application. Ho
had to ask the magistrates whether they would ad-
mit the prisoner to bail, as they had the power to
do so ; and if they thought fit they had only to
name the sum.

Mr. Hilton certainly could not agree to that.
He thought the magistrates ought not to admit him
to bail, as a:very considerable amount was involved.
He thought that under the circumstances, and until
there had been an investigation as to the number of
the cases (for there were a great many), the prisoner
ought to remain in durance. If this were not the
case the ends of justice might be defeated.
The Bench stated it as their impression that they
were hardly justified in taking bail:
A further adjournment to Tuesday next- was
then agreed to, Mr. Hilton considering that it
would be that time before they would be able to
lay a complete account before the magistrates;
Since the examination on Tuesday last the 'com-
mittee have been engaged in making an examina-
tion of the books of the society, which they found
in such a disordered state as to take a considerable-
time before they could report upon them. • Up to
Saturday evening it was, however, confidently as-
serted that, as far as the examination went, the
amount of forgeries and defalcations was near
1,400, several hundreds more than was at-first
anticipated.—Manchester Guardian.

CHE.RBOURG ; ITS ADVANTAGZS .ND

DEFECTS.

The real requirements of a military port and
arsenal are building space, facility and power of
equipment, and harbourage, either as shelter for a
fleet, as a station for its preparation, a starting
point for its operations, or a depot for its reserve.
In building space Cherbourg exceeds any one
of our great dockyards. It has altogether eleven
building slips, all available, and within a certain
concentric distance. Building space does not, how-
ever, imply building power. The great dispropor-
tion betwixt the space, the construction, and the
edifices, and the activity, the work, the artisan
power, evident therein, is one of the most striking
and noteworthy features of Cherbourg. In the work-
shops and the docks, along the quays and arsen4.;
in the stores and the bureaux, there is nowhere evi-
dent that movement and action which characterise
our own yards. This may be said to be caused by
a greater concentration of meansand a better orga-
nisation of labour. The great flux of man-power and
the great masses of material so associated with our
notions of a naval arsenal arc wants which cannot,
however, be reconciled with a great resource of
means, or a great command of artisans. This build-
ing power is a point, however, which need concern
us little. We have outbuilt ourselves—could, with
the aid of our mercantile yards, outbuild all the
navies of the world. For equipment and repairs
there are seven docks, and the bassin-delot might be
made entirely available for fitting or laying up
vessels. We come next to the harbourag3. Accord-
ing to some English authorities, 60 ships of the line
might lie in the three basins. This, however, is an
over-estimate, at least," if they arc supposed to be
rigged, equipped, and ready for service. The French
say 38 ; but even this number, if all ataunto, would
be very crowded and difficult to move. And here
appears the great deficiency of the port. There is
no intermediate space, as in our harbours, betwixt
the basins and the roadstead, where vessels, when
despatched from the docks, might have a spacious
and sheltered rendezvous, and where those in re-
serve might float secure, and ready for future need.
Our fleets at Spithead or in the Sound might,
if necessary, run into the . harbours of Ports-
mouth or Hamoaze, and find sufficient anchorage,
without disturbing one of the hundred hulks lying
there, or in any way interfering with the fair egress
d
and ingress of the docks. This could not
be done at
Cherbourg. If the basins were made a depot for a
reserve, they would no longer be available as a
harbour of refuge for a fleet, if the rude
should from any circumstance become un-
tenable ; and if kept for that purpose, Cher-
bourg could only- be used as a station for an active
fleet and as a building port, and could never possess
a relay of ships. which, when one squadron had
started forth, might be fitted and despatched in
reinforcement.—Bhekwood.