The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-17 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

NOCTURNAL Amu SEMENTS. - Mr. William Ridge, ap-
parently about 45 years of age, described as " a gentle-
man," was charged with ringing bells and knocking at
doors without lawful excuse.

James Hill, 212 T, said that at two o'clock this morn-
ing he found the defendant drunk ringing bells and knock-
ing at doors in Gunter's-grove, Brompton, and took him
into custody.
Mr. Selfe—What have you to say to this?
Defendant-- Quite correct.
Mr. Selfe— Very incorrect, I think.
Defendant—l believe I was so ringing at my own
house.

Mr. Selfe—Why, you have given your address on the
police-sheet at Paddington.
Defendant—Yes, but I live in Gunter's-grove as well.
Mr. Selfe—How many houses did he knock and ring at ?
Policeman—At three.
Mr. Selfe (to defendant)—Do you live in three houses in
Gunter's-grove ?

Defendant—Nest door is a friend, and finding I could
not get into my own house I knocked there.
Mr. Selfe—And the other house?
Defendant - That's unfinished.
Mr. Selfe—Then it was not much use knocking or ring-
ing there.

Policeman—Why it was the other side of the way, sir.
Mr. Selfe—This is hardly an amusement of persons not
over young. I thought it was confined to suckling medi-
al students and those sort of people. As you are a gen-
tleman yon are fined 20s.
The fine was immediately paid.

MARRIAGES, BIRTHS, AND DEATHS.--A. return
showing the number of marriages, births, and
deaths registered in England during the year 1866 has just
been published. There were 187,519 marriages, 753,188
births, and 500,938 deaths. The excess of births over
deaths was 252,250. In the year there were 16,296 more male
children born than females, and the number of deaths of
male persons was 12,766 in excess of the number of
deaths amongst females. It will also be seen from- the
figures given that there were 252,250 more births than
deaths. More marriages took place in the quarter ending
on the last day of December than in auy other quarter of
the year; end more children were born, and more persons
died, in the quarter ending tho last day of March than in
the thiee quarters of the year.
THE SHIP BROI)ERLANDET.—A letter reached
Shields on Wednesday giving some details of the loss of
the Norwegian full-rigged ship Broderlandet. She sailed
from the Tyne last month for Bombay, laden with coals, coke,
and bitter beer, and was going north about to the Atlantic.
At the time that sho was 200 miles off the Shetland Islands
she was caught in a heavy gale, which swept her decks.
The vessel shifted her cargo, and having damaged her rud-
der, she became unmanageable. The mate and eight hands
got into a boat, and one that the master and the other por-
tion of the crew should have got into broke adrift. While
the mate and his crew were looking after the drifted boat
the vessel foundered, and the master and 18 hands were
drowned. The mate and the other eight men, after knock-
ing about the Atlantic two days in the open boat, were
picked up b)' a Danish schooner and were landed on the
Fame Islands.

THE DERBY.—Yesterday Epsom Downs pre-
sented the first sign of the forthcoming races by the large
number of persons congregated at the letting of the ground
for booths, stabling, and stands. The sites near the win-
ning post were actively competed for, and the right to erect
victualling booths, &c., was sold at very high prices. The
grand stand has been renovated, and active preparation is
being made for the great Surrey Carnival next week.