The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-01 00:00:00

LAW INT:

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
(Sittings in Error.)
TARNER V. WALKEE.—THE CORNHILL BURGLARY.
The hearing of the point of law reserved by the judge
who tried the case at Guildhall was resumed this morning
before the seven judges sitting in error. The plaintiff in
the case was a tradesman, formerly carrying on the busi-
ness of a watchmaker in Wilderness-row, and the defen-
dant was the watchmaker whose premises were burgla-
riously broken open and robbed to an alarming extent by
the gang of burglars, headed by two men named Scotty
and Caseley. A large reward was ( ffered by Walker for
the discovery of the thieves and the restoration of the pro-
perty, and the plaintiff claimed to be the person who was
entitled to the whole of the reward in consequence of
certain information given by him to the police.
The defendant denied that the information given
by the plaintiff was that which led to the apprehension
of the thieves, whereupon an action was brought by the
plaintiff against the defendant for the amount of the re-
ward, and the per contago upon the value of the property
recovered. At the trial which took place at Guildhall evi-
dence liras given to show that the police acted on informa-
tion teceived from other persons and not from the plaintiff,
but the plaintiff alleged that he was the first person who
gave the police any positive information which led to the
apprehension, and therefore he was entitled to the reward.
The plaintiff's case was that, some timo after the robbery,
a man named Roberts entered the plaintiff's shop,
and prbducing a watch, asked the plaintiff to make
certain repairs. The plaintiff, on a close examination of
the watch, found marks on the name plate of the watch,
which led him to believe that the name of Walker had
been filed out, and, acting on that suspicion, he took the
watch and told the mau to call for it the next day. Im-
mediately after this the plaintiff gave information to the
police, and the next day the police attended and remained
in waiting in the plaintiff's parlour until Roberts arrived,
when he was apprehended, and two other watches,
found to be a portion of the property stolen from Cornhill,
found on his peason.Roberts was taken before the presiding
magistrate at the Mansion-house, where, having undergone
an examination, he was removed to Newgate. Whilst
there Roberts sent for the- police, and then gave more
information; in fact, he what is vulgarly termed "split,"
and very shortly afterwards the burglars wero appre-
hended, with a large quantity of the property on them, in
the Whitechapel-road, in a house. of one of themwas about

imminent.
It will, however, be interesting to detail the
movements of the expedition from the time it left
Chefoo on the 11th of October till its final depar-
ture from the Seoul.
The expedition consisted of the La Guerriere, flag-
ship, Primauguet sloop of war, Tardif, Le Brethon,
and Desronledes gunboats, and Laplace despatch
vessel. Apparently the Coreans did not anticipate
an attack this year, as the batteries defending tLe
entrance to the river were not manned, and the
fleet ascended to Kang-hoa without firing a shot.
This, apparently the second city in the kingdom, was
also abandoned after a very trifling resistance, and
large quantities of warlike stores fell into the hands
of the invaders. Muskets, swords, daggers, cui-
rasses, bows and arrows, helmets, cannon, and, it is
alleged, no less than 250 tons of gunpowder were
taken here, confirming apparently the report that
Kang-hoa is one of three strongholds.on which the
King relies for a safe retreat in case of insurrection
or invasion. The Royal domain here ;s described as
exceedingly spacious and handsome, comprising pa-
godas, pavilions, gardens, &c., which, however, afford
a strong contrast to the wretched buildings of the
inhabitants. After they had been here a"few 44-s,
the French received a deputation from the Corean
authorities, requesting that the Admiral would
either go himself or depute some one to the capital
to negotiate. But this was declined, from a very
well-founded apprehension of treachery, and an in-
timation given that a visit from a Corean Embassy
at Kang-hoa would be preferred, and that what was
required was the punishment of the Ministers who
had instigated the massacre of the missionaries.
The fact that no further overtures were made from
Seoul and the known rejection by the Government
of the Chinese Emperor's advice to yield to the
French demands, confirm the report that prepara-
tions had been made to entrap the Admiral and
suite en route, if the invitation had been accepted.
In the meantime, the French made various recon-
naissances in the neighbourhood of Kang.hoa, which
they at first found denuded of troops. But, gra-
dually, Corean soldiers began to show themselves
in villages which had, at first, been deserted ; one
or two skirmishes took place in which the French
were uniformly successful, and bodies of troops
attempted to interpose between Kang-hoa and the
sea, but were repelled by the ship's shell. Finding
matters look thus threatening, the Admiral deter-
mined to destroy the stores and arms which he
had found in Kang-hoa, and burnt a large fleet
of junks which were lying in the river. The events
which finally decided his retreat took place
a few days subsequently. A body of 150 men
were despatched to take a fortified post on the op-
posite side of the river. Spies had brought in word
that troops were assembling in this neighbourhood
with a design of attacking the French, and this
force was sent out as a sort of reconnaissance en
force, to ascertain their strength. In the words of a
local correspondent, " the boats advanced to within
30 yards of the landing place, when the wall became
alive with men, and a galling fire was poured down
on the assailants, wounding 25 of their number be-
fore they could get on shore." As soon as they did
so the remainder charged and drove off their adver-
saries. The next day another reconnaissance of
equal strength was ordered in the direction of a
fortified post where a number of troops were said
to be lodged; and here again a stubborn resistance
was . encountered. About 500 Coreans suddenly
manned about 100 yards of the fort, and poured in
a volley which at once put 35 men hors de combat.
Having no field pieces, the French could not perse-
vere in the attack against so heavy odds, and com-
menced a retreat, which tempted the Goreans to
follow up their success by a sortie. In the open
ground, however, they were, of course, repulsed,
though they are said to have stood the French fire
with much coolness.
Thus, in two days, Admiral Roze had lost 60 men
out of a disposable landing force of some GOO, and,
as matters were evidently getting hotter, he adopted
the wise resolution of abandoning the expedition for
the winter, and retreating southwards. After the
very unnecessary preliminary of burning the city,
the destruction of the munitions of war was a pun-
ishment on the Government, but to burn the city
was to inflict a useless injury on a number of poor
wretches who, probably, were ignorant of the very
existence of the priests whose massacre it was de-
sired to avenge. The carrying off the library of
the city, too, as a present for the Paris Library was
rather a harsh proceeding. However some allow-
ance must be made for theleeling of disappointment
at having failed to attain their object. The destruc-
tion of Rang-boa and its valuable stores will, no
doubt, have impressed on the Coreazis that French
subjects could not be killed with impunity. But the
actual object of the expedition—to, exact punish-
ment of those concerned and to place future relations
on a more satisfactory footing—is further from at-
tainment than ever. If the French return in the spring
to complete the task they have undertaken, they will
find an enemy encouraged, by the impression that
they have repelled one attack, to more vigorous re-
sistance ; and, what is more, they will probably
find them prepared. The batteries defending the
passage of the Seoul will be manned, and the walls
of Kang-hoa defended. Of course, the result is cer-
tain. Corea cannot resist France; but greater loss
of life will inevitably be entailed on both sides, and
a small war become necessary when more judicious
action at first might, perhaps, have attained the de-
sired end. It cannot be held judicious to have un-
dertaken an expedition into the interior of a strange
country, through an unknown river, so very near the
cold season that little margin was left for any opera-
tions that might be necessary.
Regarding the Coreans themselves not much ap-
pears to have been gleaned except that, judging from
the arms, breast plates, helmets, &c., which were
found in Kang-boa, they are no mean artificers in
metals. The houses of the inhabitants in this city
are said to be very poor, but the king's residence
strikingly handsome, and the grounds well laid out.
Many articles of curiosity showing very ingenious
workmanship were found ; among others an original
breech-loading cannon of the most primitive descrip-
tion. The men are spoken of as much superior in
point of courage to their neighbours the Chinese,
and even to the inhabitants of the neighbouring
kingdom, whom they much resemble.
The viceroy has returned to Nankin, after a su c-i
cessful campaign against the Shangtung-Nienfei,`
who, according to native accounts, are now com-
pletely crushed and dispersed. The arsenal which
Macartney had established at Soochow has been re-
moved to Nankin, where it is likely to be carried
out on a still larger scale. The preponderating in-
fluence in the empire exercised by Li-hung-Chang
appears to have excited the jealousy, not oily of the
Court, but of his brother satraps. Whether
prompted from Pekin or of their own initiative, the
viceroys of the southern coast provinces have en-
tered into a coalition, evidently intended as a
counterpoise to the power of Li and `.Caen. Cheh-
I keang and Foh-kien, Kwangtung and Kwangsi
have combined to establish an arsenal and dockyard
.
at Foochow, which shall furnish them muni-
tions of war that Li now exclusively derives from
his arsenal at Nankin. Two Frenchmen—Messrs.
Giguel and D'Aiguebelle, the former of whom has
just resigned the post of Commissioner of Customs
at Hankow, the latter late commandant of the
Franco-Chinese troops who were instrumental in
pacifying Chekiang, both lieutenants in the French
navy—are to be intrusted with the execution of the
scheme, to which about one million sterling is to be
appropriated. It is hoped to construct an arsenal
and to build several gunboats, which are at first to
be officered.and worked by foreigners, but which at
the end of nix yearn it is assumed the Chinese will

be able to manage without their aid. There are
one or two flaws in the scheme, which on the whole
merits the support rather than the jealousy of
foreigners. In the first place, the sum allotted will
not suffice for the attainment of the desired result,
• and, in the second, it is improbable that the Chinese
will find themselves able to shake off their instruc-
tors when they desire. But it is,Lo our interest that
the hands of the authorities should be strengthened,
and in no part of the empire do they reauire this
more than in the neighbourhood of Foochow, Swa-
tow, and Amoy. The popul ttion in this part of the
country have a pleasant way of going out armed
to till the fields ; villages being divided against
villages, and district against district. A man going
out to plough deposits his gun and sword in a corner
of the field, and recreates himself between whiles by
a pitched battle with the man in the next plot, who
belongs to another family with which his own is at
feud. Naturally, the local authority amid such a
turbulent class is next to powerless. Possibly the
acquisition of some goad guns may enable the
maintenance of something more nearly approach-
ing to, order than has yet been attempted. The
fear which has sometimes been suggested lest we
should be teaching the Chinese to make and use
weapons against ourselves is very vain. Our supe-
riority lies in morale and physique, quite as much as
in materiel. One cannot help noticing, in connec-
tion with this subject, how the history of India is
slowly and gradually being reproduced in China.
An Englishman has charge of an arsenal at Nan-
kin, and other Englishmen are teaching the vice-
roy's troops the rudiments of drill. An English-
man commands a small disciplined corps at Ning-
po, and now Frenchmen are about to establish an
arsenal and gunboats at Foochow, under the au-
spices of a coalition prompted by jealousy of the
power of Li-hung chang and Tsen-kwo-fan. Officers
of the same two nations disciplined the troops and
officered the guns of rival satraps. in India. Is
the result to be the same ?