The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-08 00:00:00

H.E. SUN, LOND'O'N, FRIDA EVEN UN G,

b.onso and found tho complainant crying very ,
bitterly in an adjoining garden. She showed me
the injuries to her wrists and her torn dress, and,
having toldme what she has now stated in evidence,
went to the prisoner's house and took him. On
telling him the charge he coolly said, " It is a case
that you cannot interfere with, she must get her
remedy before a magistrate. It is no thoroughfare ;
I have my place on a repairing lease, I put up the
gate for my own convenience, and she had no right
therefore to pass through it."
' The prisoner now said—l have nothing to say,
except that she has told many falsehoods.
Mr. H.mmill characterised it as a very scandal-
ous outrage, and the depositions having bean taken
by Mr. Hurlstone, the chief clerk, the prisoner was
fully committed for trial.

THAMES.—Mr. Howie, the superintendent of
the K division of police, waited upon Mr. Yardley
to contradict a statement made by Inspector Griffin,
of the same division, to Mr. Selfe on Wednesday.
Mr. Howie said that upon the close of the ex-
amination of the five persons charged with being
concerned in the murder of a policeman named
Henry Morgan, Mr. Selfe asked Inspector Griffin
if pensions were awarded to the widows of police-
constables killed in the service. The reply of
Inspector Griffin was in the negative. The inspec
tor was in error. On several occasions the Secretary
of State had awarded pensions to the widows of
police-constables killed in the service, and the last
case was that of a police-constable of the M
who was thrown from his horse while on duty and
killed. The Secretary of State granted a pension
to the widow in that case. He (Mr. Howie) had
been directed by Sir Richard Mayne to furnish a
report of all the circumstances of the deceased
Morgan's case, and the widow would be recJm-
meuded to Sir George Grey for a pension.
Mr. Yardley—Very good, Mr. Howie. I 'am
very glad indeed to hear what you say. If ever
there was a case where a poor widow deserved a
pension it is this. The police-constable lost his life
in the public service, and while fairly discharging
his duty. Ido not see why the same rule should
not apply to the civil as well as to the military
service.

SOUTH WA RK. —Edward Walker, a powerful
and ill-looking fellow, was charged with breaking
into the dwelling-house of Henry John Serle, a
draper, at No. 1, Brunswick-terrace, Trinity-street,
Borough.
The prosecutor said that at 11 o'clock on the
previous night he fastened up his shop and private
house securely and retired to rest with his fathily
and servants. Between 1 and 2 o'clock iu the
morning be was roused from his sleep by hearing
a noise downstairs. He at once got out of bed and
quietly descended towards the lower part of the
house, when he saw two men in the passage. On
seeing him they bolted out of the street door.
Witness was about to follow them, when he saw
the prisoner climbing over the front railings. Wit-
ness endeavoured to seize hold of bim, but he
knocked him down and ran off. He got up in-
st•tntly and pursued him in his night drestl, and
saw htm stopped by a police-constable, who secured
him and took him into custody. After that, in
company with Sergeant Smith, ho returned to his
house and examined it. He found that the thieves
had not stolen anything, but that they had com-
menced ransacking the shop, when they wore 'sud-
denly disturbed.
Mr. Burchain asked how the entry was effected.
Mr. Serle replied that the side wall was climbed,
and the staircase window lifted up. The street
door was then opened to admit some of the thieves.
Witness securely fastened the staircase window when
he went to bed.

Lot Sawyer, police-conslable, 175 M, said tint a
little before 2 that morning he was on duty at the
end of Trinity-street, when he saw the prisoner
climbing over the iron railings in front of prosem-
tor's house, and as the prosecutor endeavoured to
catch hold of him he s►truck him and he fell on the
steps of the door. The prisoner then came run-
ning towards him, followed by Mr. Serle in hip
night-dress, who gave him into custody. As soon
as witness seized bold of him he heard something
drop, and upon locking him up at the station-house,
he returned to that spot with Sergeant Smith, who
picked up the "jemmy" produced. Witness also
searched him at the station-house and found upon
h rn a knife and a box of congr,:ve matches.
Mr. Bureham asked him whether he saw any
other men running away.
Witness replied in the neg4iva ; they must have
taken another direction.

Mr. Burcham inquired what was known of the
prisoner
Sergeant Hewlett, 29 M, said that he had known
him for many years as connected with a desperate
gang of notorious burglars, and if he was remanded
former convictions could be proved against him.
Mr. Burcham asked the prisoner whether he had
anything to say in answer to the charge ?
He replied that he had nothing to say ; he sup-
posed it was ail right.

Mr. Burcham committed him for trial at the
next Old Bailey Ses3ious.
Mary Meek, a young girl about 14 years of age,
was brought before Mr. Burcham for final exami-
nation, changed with stealing a gold watch from
the person of Jules Frei., near the railway ter-
minus, London-bridge, and Mary Carey, a brothel
keeper, was charged with receiving the same, well
knowing it to be sto!en.
Mr. Solomon appeared for Carey.

The prosecutor said that- on Saturday evening,
the 26th ult., he passed from the railway down the
steps in Duke-street, fur the purpose of proceeding
to his residence in St. Thomas-street. As he was
turning under the archway in Gower-street he was
surrounded by about a dozen orange girls, among
whom was the prisoner Meek. One of them asked
him to give her a Christmas-box, and to get rid of
her he gave her 2d. As soon as he had done that
the other came up and asked for money. The
prisoner pushed against him, and put her hand
towards his waistcoat pocket, but he had no ido t at
that time that he had been robbed. Seeing a con-
stable approach they all scampered off, and he wont
home. As soon as he got indoors he missed his
watch, and gave information to the police. The
watch had since been found at a pawnbroker's.
A young girl who was selling oranges near the
root said she saw the prisoner Meek take something
from the gentleman's waistcoat pocket. She of er-
wards saw the watch produced in her hands. Sho
took it to Carey, and she gave her ss. for it.
Reid, 235 M, said he. apprehended Meek a few
days after the robbery, when she at first denied all
knowledge of the watch, but afterwards she told
him that she sold it to Carey. Witness found the
watch pledged at Mr. Dempster's, in Queen-street,
in Carcy's name, when he went to her lionso and
apprehended her. . _ .

'The pawnbroker produced the watch, and said it
was pledged by a woman, but not by Carey.
Mr. Solomon made a very ingenious defence for
Carey, contending that she knew nothing of the
watch, and what the girl had stated was false.
Mr. Burcham said it was a case for a jury, there-
fore he should commit them both for trial.

L kMBETH.—A visa which has been frequently
before the Hon. G. C. Norton, and which has
been postponed from time to time in consequence
of the serious nature of the injuries susttineil by
the parties who were the complainants, and their
being unable to attßnd, was brought to a conclu-
sion by that magistrate. 'The defendants were
Mr. Wm. Combes, a tradesma.n in the city, and
Daniel Crump, a groom to Mr. Hodglzinson, of
the firm of Hocigkinson and Roll, printers and s' a-
tioners, Benet's bill, Doctors'-commons, and the
complainants are Mr. Scott, a butcher, and a Mr.
Minartl, a zinc manufacturer.

From the evidence it appeared that about seven
weeks ago Mr. Hodgkinson sent his groom and
chaise to take Mr. Combes, who was at the tine in-
toxicated, to his residence, and the groom, ma-
naging to get more intoxicated than his charge,
allowed Mr. Combos to drive. The consequence
was that while proceeding at a rapid pace they ran
into a cart in which the complainants were seated,
and threw them out of the vehicle with such vio-
lence that one of them had received a severe con-
cussion of the brain, and the other was seriously
hurt. The medical and other expenses in the case
were extremely high, and such as no amount of pe-
nalty imposed by the magistrate would cover, and
actions and serious litigttion appeared inevitable.
The complainants, however, wisely consented to
leave the case in his Worship's hands to arbitrate,
and Mr. Hodgkiuson having as pruaently consented
to submit to the magistrate's decision,
Mr. N6rton, after mature consideration awarded
251. to Minard and 17/. to Scott, a decision which
appeared to give much satisfaction to all the partie.,
excepting), perhaps, the lawyers engaged pro and
con., who reasonably looked forward to at le Est two
actions at law. As it is, Mr. Ho lgkinson is a se-
vere loser, for, independently of the 421. and 5/. or
a very good chaise had been sma died
valuablea6.l.u.dexaperse,
mare rendered almost worthless by
the

William Cope, Gil'. alias Anderson, and Josh
rott, alias Arne, were fi xa c nally . -
l tuined on a charge
of attempting to break into the dwelling-house
of Mr.
by `Guire, an aged gentleman, residing in
f
Westmorland-row, Camberwell. The prisoners
-
-M
male an attempt to obtain an entrance to the house
th t e orcing tho b Lek door open ; .And it was forr,:cl
a ach was armed with a formidable lifc-prey rv, r
and a "ieratnY." ThAa prisoners were recognisei
l9y the detectives as convicted and desperate thieves
and housebreakers, and
were fully committed for
trial,

LONDON GAS AND WATER MONOPOLIES '

(From the Engineer.)

The metropolitan gas and water companies as-
suredly have their delight in war. No sooner are
ended those great conflicts between themeelvee, in
which they have for many years indulged, and to
carry on which they have squandered an amount
of money sufficient to do all their work twice over,
than they are preparing, or indeed have already
prepared, jointly and severally, to carry on a con-
test with the public at large. It is not enough, after
tearing up all our streets and monopolising the
whole of the ground under us, forsoveral feet or yards
in depth, as they may require, that they should be
permitted to give us bad gas and ba I water for the
Lest of prices—prices that have enabled them to
pay handsome dividends even upon the enormous
capital they have squandered in litigation, but now
they must needs combine their individual strengths
to compel the public to deal with just that section,
and no other, of the great monopoly into which
they have formed themselves, which that monopoly
itself may determine. The British put lie is indeed
no stranger to monopolies ; it has had considerable
experience in that sort of thing with railway com-
panies, who have done pretty much as they liked,
although they have not always profited by the
powers they have possessed, not unfrequently hav-
ing, by somewhat complicated but imperfect ar-
rangements, given the public some advantage from
their combinatiiens. Whatever has been the result,
these railway monopolies have never assumed so
formidable an aspect as that now presented by the
respective combination of several of the metropo-
litan gas and water companies. The public has,
in the case of railways, never been compelled to
travel by any one line at the discretion of the com-
panies, whenever there have been two, three, or
four in existence, by which any particular place
might be reached. All that has been dune has re-
lated to the fares charged, and sometimes, perhaps,
to the speed at which the trains have been worked ;
but in most cases the fares have net been exorbi-
tant, especially for long distances, and the speed of
the trains has been quite as great as the require-
ments of the great majority of the public demanded.
Not so, however, have the wants of the great body
of gas and water sonsuinera been supplied. Teo
charges made by the purveyors of those necessaries
of life hive generally been most exorbitant, and cot
justified by the expenses of manufacture pr supply.
Even so long as the several companies were enemies
to each other, and consequently were individually
subject to much competition, they at all times
managed to keep up protection prices, and were
only brought to their senses by the occasional start-
ing of rival concerns emanating from a body of con-
sumers who could endure their treatment no longee.
Uuder the present arrangement, however, as long
as it lasts, the position of these companies will be
materially improved, for by a union never before
attempted they have lately laid out the metropolis
into districts of their own, which it is their good
will and pleasure shall be supplied from one branch
of their mighty joint establishment, and that upon
any terms chosen by that branch ; so that, although
the m eins of three or four companies may be running
past one's door, you must necessarily buy of that
particular company selected by the great monopo-
liets to supply you. Thu seems to be carrying com-
bination too far. Had some judicious arrangement
been made by which the unnecessary and extrava-
gant ouelayi ncurred by laying several mains along
the same thoroughfares would have been saved, it
might have resulted in some benefit to the public ;
but now that all the evils arising from competing
companies are upon us, in the shape of heavy
charges both for gas and water, lot us retain the
privilege of selecting from amongst the number
that with which we prefer to deal ; unless it can
be shown that we benefit by a combination such as
that now entered into. If any parish or district
can be better or cheiper supplied by one company
than another, of course there would be an advan-
tage in that company only being dealt with ; but,
instead of this, we find—from what cause it is diffi-
cult to determine—that the arrangements lately
made actually apportion certain districts to certain
companies that are apparently in a worse position
for supplying them than others. Added to this,
the prices charged to the parishes appear to be re-
gulated by the longer and unnecessary distance
traversed by the mains.
In a pamphlet just published by Messrs. Stan-
ford, of Charing-crozs, Mr. T. Hughes, C.E , the
author, draws attention to the protect position of
the local boards and the public generally in refer-
ence to the gas and water companies, and offers
some suggestions tor the future which, if carried
out, he believes, would' put a stop to the evils of
which we have been complaining. The most flag-
rant case would appear to be that of the Chartered
Gas Company charging for lighting each of 765
lamps in the Westminster district, with common
gas, 41. 145., whereas the Equitable Company agreed
to light fifty of the lamps with the same gas at 41.
2s. 6d. The two companies having arranged to
tender for these respective numbers of lights, and
only for them, tfao Westerlinster Board is oorapelied
to accept these unequal terms, and the result is
that its expenses for lighting will be 3531. per
annum more than before the combination. It is
ale;) stated that the Chartered Company, while
lyaltho charges V. in Marylebone for
ugh
claiming 41. 14s. for each light of ten candles in
thep%V, eisstanmeileis t
thing, although
the lights in the latter
parish aro the most distant from the works, and
there are only 260 lamps to light instead of 765,
as in Westminster.

Passing on to the subject of water supplyand the
evils resulting from want of a wholesome commi-
tion, we find the most extraordinary discrepancy
betwixt the amounts charged by the different come
pante , . 3 especially for watering the streets, and alio
in the quantities of water sail to be necessary. MI.
Hughes, in the pamphlet before alluded to, gives a
table of the quantities of wa'er allowed by the seve-
ral metropolitan water companies for twice water-
ing a mile of street per day ; these quantities vary-
in"fromless
than 9,000 gallons te 20,000 ; the
price charged varying from 371. to 75/. ; the price
per 100 square yards ranging from 4a. 24. to Bs.
4d. TO arrive at some knowledge of the actual quan-
tity of water required for watering a given area, the
Westminster Board very wisely directed experi-
ments to be made by their surveyor, Mr. Arntz.
The point desired to be ascertained was, wh-ther
the
o
price paid by large
consumers taking their supply by meter. One set
of experiments showed that a little less than 21
gallons sufficed to water twice a day 100 squ ,re
fch!ea per rsgeealso,°fol7lso :0 was 9
ga l ions,
yards ; and another set showed that a little less
than 26 gallons were sefficient. At 6d. per gallon
the charge for watering 100 square yards should,
according to this be 3s. instead. of ss. 9d., and a
in the
csse of the Westminster district, he the result.
saving of upwards of 300/. per annum would,
Mr. Hughes suggests certain plans for reme'ly-
ing the irregular dealings of gas companies, which,
if adopted, would
foremost of wooleusledisd,otuhbattless
the
localdo boards should much good. The
combine to erect gas works cf their own on the
outskirts of the metropolis, or that they should in-
troduce a bill into Parliament to bring all the Lon-
don gas companies under the imme(Bate operation
of the London Gas Works Clauses Act, and to give
a power of arbitration to the Board of Trade, or
some similar authority, in case of dispute betweeu
the local boards and the gas companies. As an
encouragement to those who are inclined to start
independent companies, the results of the Man-
chester Corporation Gas Works may he named. In
this case, after paying all expenses and interest on
capital, some 30,0001. a year is left for public im-
provements ; the price charged at the Manchester
Corporation Gas Works, for gas from ba.t cannel
coal being, nevertheless, only Gs., as against Gs.
charged in the western part of London, per I,oooit.
With respect to any plan for remedying the evils
of overcharges being made on the part of the water
companies, the ute of meters in every case is the
most obvious ; and now that the quantity of water
required for watering the street 4 is accurately
known, it must be the local boards' own fault if
they are cheated. One other point claims our at-
tention, arid that is the question of " constant
supply." It would hardly appear, judging from
what has b3en done, that occupiers of En uses al-
ready have the power of insisting upon their water
supply being constant. It is only necessary that a
householder get four-f.
—fan of his neighbours sup-
plied from the same main to join him in making
the demand for coast rat supply in order that his
wishes should he attended to. The penalty for not
complying with them being 2001. • in the first in-
stance, and a fur her penalty of 1001. for every
month aker, during which the company owning
the main shall fail in giving what is thus asked for.

STATE OF EMPLOYMENT IN MANOIIESTER.—The re-
turns of employment in the mills of Manchester 'show a
gratifying improvement. The number of bands Working
fu'l time 14st week. was 16,253, whilst it has irkreased
this week to 18,594. There is au increase Of 1;688 01
those working . f
-u-- time, and a decree
by 649 df those
wholly out of emp oyment. In Salford, out of 16,794
persons usually employed, there are on shore time,
5,949 ; and out of work, 3,116.
THE TOLL QUESTION.—A general conference of dele-
gates from the various metropolitan vestries i under
consideration, for the purpose of discussing the pfopriety
of resi,ting the attempt which is to be made initbe en-
suin?,-mssion of Parliament to abolish tolls in thp neigh-
bourhood of the metropolis—a course which it is thought
would have the effect of throwing the expense of the
roads upon the parishe-, thus Increasing to a very serious
extent the parochial rates, particularly in poor districts,
where frequently the traffic is the greatest.