The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-30 00:00:00

failed. If they were misled by trusting the intima-
tions of the Government, any other body of Eng-
lish gentlemen would have been misled in the same

way.

The discredit incurred is of a character too

plain to involve any risk of it being placed in a
wrong quarter :
" Sir,—ln your City Article of to-day, in com-
menting on the Draughts on Bankers Law Amend-
ment Bill, you cunclude by saying ' that the man-
ner in which it has been carried reflects discredit

upon all concerned.'
"As the bill was introduced by this society, who
have bestowed upon it much labour and money,
will you permit me to make a few remarks to ex-
plain the part we have taken, and to absolve our-
selves from any discredit in connection with its
passage through Parliament ?
"In the month of May the attention of the com-
mittee was directed to the unsatisfactory state of
the law relating to crossed cheques, and requesting
us to seek an amendment. Being at the time in fre-
quent communication with the Attorney-General,
who was then engaged in preparing the Government
Bankruptcy Bill, I took the opportunity of mention-
ing the subject to him. Sir Fitzroy admitted th at the
state of the law was not satisfactory, and very kindly

offered to bring in a bill to remedy the grievance
complained of. On the 31st of May he presented
to the House of Commons a petition we had pre-
pared, and which was signed is a few days by some
euifereds of the principal merchants in the city,
praying that the crossing of a cheque should be
deemed a material part of it. The next day a bill
was brought in to alter the law to meet the views
of the petitioners. I submitted this bill to the con-
sideration of a vast number of the most eminent
merchants, to the committee for managing the
affairs of Lloyds, and to the Chairman of the Stock
Exchange. Certain alterations were suggested,
and afterwards adopted by the Attorney-General,
and in its amended form the measure was approved
by every person we consulted on the subject. On
the sth of July Mr. Hawkey presented a petition
signed by 35 private bankers and eight joint-stock
banking companies, praying that the bill might not
pass. We obtained and placed in the hands of the
Attorney-General another petition in favour of the
measure, signed by nearly 1,500 of the leading
merchants in the metropolis.
" Mr. Boville having placed his amendment on
the notice paper, seeing the mischievous conse-
quences that would arise from its adoption I at once
waited upon the Attorney-General, and asked him
to oppooo if. g;t• o-trproaeoci hie clictarprrwal
of the clause, and promised to resist its introduc-
tion in the bill. I attended for many nights at the
house, saw a great many members, and obtained
promises of support for the Attorney-General,
when he should wove the rejection of the clause,
and I felt assured it would not be allowed to be in-
troduced, and I am at a loss for language to ex-
press the astonishment I felt when I discovered
that it had not only been introduced, but that it
was actually unopposed. We were at once inun-
dated with complaints from all quarters. Our sub-
scribers thought their interests had been betrayed.
Members who had been canvassed to resist the
clause on my assurance that the Attorney-General
would oppose it, considered I had deceived them,
and my position will not be envied. Measures
were then taken to defeat the bill unless the clause
was withdrawn, as we intended next session to
renew the attempt to place the law on a proper
footing. On Saturday last it was distinctly under-
stood by the House of Commons that the fourth
clause should be expunged in the House of Lords,
and on that understanding it was allowed to pass.
" You have described what followed, but I may
mention that so strong was the feeling in the city
against this clause, that in two days I obtained the
signatures of 545 influential houses against its being
retained.
"I know not who is to be blamed for all this,
but I do know that many independent members,
who have hitherto given Government support, con-
sider that a gross breach of faith has been com-
mitted in respect to this measure, in which they
felt deep interest, and who now make no secret of
their utter want of confidence in the Ministry, and
of their intention early next session to endeavour
to turn out the Government. It would be ungrate-
ful in me not to state that I believe the Attorney-
General has been blameless in this affair, and that
he has been forced, by a pressure he could not re-
sist, into a very unpleasant position.
" It is our intention at the earliest opportunity
to endeavour to place this subject upon a more
satisfactory footing, but I hope I have said enough
to show that no discredit attaches to this society
for the part they have taken.
" Apologising for the length of this letter,
" I am, Sir, yours obediently,
"J. RUSSELL, Secretary.
" The Mercantile Law Amendment Society,
35, Parliament-street, July 29."

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as British vessels, making a total amount since 1820 of
1.075.7031.
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POLICE INTELLICENCE.-Julv 29.

SOUTH WAILIC.—In The Sun of yesterday al)•
peared a report of a charge against John Lawton,
46, a discharged soldier, for breaking a street lamp.
He gave a very plausible history of his services in
the 3d Dragoons and 16th Lancers during 18 years
in India, stating that he had fought at Ramnug-
gur, Sobraon, Pesbawur, and Chillianwallah and
was discharged in 1853 with a deferred pension of
6d. a day, to which he would not be entitled
until he was 50 years of age. He told his worship
he belonged to Hull, whence he had come to look
after a situation under Government, that he was
in great distress, having sold his four medals to
get food before he left Hull, and that he was
starving. Mr. Combe sent au officer to the Tower
and ascertained that he had been discharged as
stated, when he recommended him to attend the
court at 12 o'clock on Thursday, so that further in-
' quiries might be made respecting him. He quitted
the court with that promise, but he hung about the
avenues until he saw our reporter leave, when he
went to the chief clerk and begged that he might
be sent down to Hull that day. Mr. Edwin accord-
ingly provided him with the means, and he left the
neighbourhood as quickly as possible. On the open-
ing of the court, our epurter was made acquainted
with the circumstances, and the public will now
perceive that this ' " old soldier" has victimised
nearly all the police courts in the metropolis.
As soon as Mr. Combe took his seat on the bench,
Mr. Munday, one of the warrant-officers from
the Mansion douse, attended from the Lord May
to put his worship on his guard respecting this al
soldier. Mr. Goodman, the chief clerk, perceiving
in the newspapers that be bad made an application
to be sent to Hull, was certain he was the same
man who had been relieved four times by the Lord
Mayor, on his making a similar statement about
his services in India. Mr. Munday said that in-
quiries had been made about him at the time, and
his story so far was found to be correct, but there
could be no doubt he was a cheat in other respects.
In Jan. last he was relieved and sent to Hull. On
the 16th of the same month he obtained ss. from
the Lord Mayor, and on the 14th of the present
he was relieved again and sent to Hull. He ap-
peared, therefore, to have taken two pleasure voy-
ages to Hull and back at the expense of the Man-
sion-house poor-box.
Mr. Combs said that unfortunately he had gone
after victimising their poor-box. There was no fear
of his making his appearance in court that morning.
Soon atter Mr. Munday had departed, Captain
M`Niel, 3d Dragoons, waited on Mr. Combo, and
said he had just seen a report of the case in the
papers, and from the apparently straightforward
statement of John Lawton he felt great commisera-
tion for him, and was willing to assist him in his
distress. He was in India with the 3d Dragoons,
and returned to England in 1853. He did not
exactly know the man, but he knew that several
were discharged with a deferred pension of 6d.
a-day.

Mr. Combo observed that he hardly understood
that the man said that he had such a pension.
Captain M'Niel told him that such pensions were
frequently granted, and he had no doubt Lawton
was entitled to it. He, however, attended the
court thinking to meet him, and if this story turned
out true and he had been deserving, he should have
assisted in keeping him from want.
Mr. Combs said he had no doubt the man's story
was correct as far as his being in India, as he seat
to the Tower and ascertained that, but he now
seemed to get his livelihood by victimising the pub-
lic. He had three times imposed on the authori-
ties of the Mansion-house by the same tale during
the present year. Ile (Mr. Combe) had just re-
ceived a sovereign for him from Mr. Leo Schuster,
the chairman of the Brighton Railway Company,
through seeing the report in the newspapers. He ,
had sent to Mr. Schuster informing him of the
cheat, requesting to be allowed to transfer that
sum to the poor box.
Captain M'Niel was very sorry that the public
should be so imposed upon by a man who had
served in India.
Miller, 118 L, an officer attached to the Lambeth
police court, here came forward and said that be
had been sent by Mr. Norton to state that Lawton
was supplied with 10s. by him on Friday last to
enable him to proceed to Hull.
In the latter part of the day several gentlemen
waited on Mr. Combe, expecting to see the." old
soldier." Finding they were disappointed, they
complained of being cheated in a similar way.
Mr. Combe told the whole of them that he had
his suspicions of him at the time ' • consequently he
told him to attend to-day (Thursday) ; but he ap-
peared to have been artful enough to get money to
go to Hull from the chief clerk, knowing that it
would not do for him to make his appearance in
this court after the publication of the report. He
had no doubt that the reporter would give a full
exposure of his system of fraud, and that through.
the medium of the press his further cheating career
would be stopped.
Mr. Combe informed our reporter that in the
course of the day he had received several sums in
postage stamps for Lawton, from various benevo-
lent individuals, which would be paid over to him
on his attending and giving a satisfactory account,
of himself.

Country Markets.

MANCHESTER -JULY 29.

Our market this morning was well attended, and more
firmness prevailed. Wheat, both English and foreign,
sold to a fair extent, at about the extreme rates of last
week. Flour not so much in request, but recovered the
decline during the week. Oats brought full prices, whilst
oatmeal must be quoted 6d to is per load dearer for choice.
qualities. Other articles unchanged.