The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-08 00:00:00

PRACTICE AND PREACRING:RUGRES V. WALSHAN.

This was an action for £2O, money lent. A solicitor, for
plaintiff, proved an admission.

Judge—l don't like admissions. They are vague. They
are given in evidence before me, and I am a judge from
villom in small debts there is no appeal. It is a very
onerous place, and what would be my feelings as I left, the
court, if I thought I had been harsh or unjust to a de-
fendant?

Ultimately a verdict was obtained.
SHARPE V. CLARKS.---ROUTINE.

not Upon
v e this case being called, it was reported officially

miMtsrs.eJrviaye—e.The woman is in court and has it. She ad-

Judge—But we have it upon oath not served.
Mr. Jay—l don't know how that can be. Why, she
says her husband has had it. Here it is (producing it).
Judge-4 can't help it. It is reported not served, and
must be struck out. The plaintiff must be at the expense
of another summons.

CHELMSFORD COUNTY COURT.
(Before D. C. Macrae, Esq.)

IN RE JOHN FELTON.--SINGULAR CASE OF INSOLVENCY
AND BENEFIT OF THE COUNTY COURT JURISDICTION.
This insolvent was described as of Hadleigh, Essex, agri-
cultural labourer, and now applied for his discharge, sup-
ported by Mr. Weston, from the offices of Mr. Wells,
Moorgate-street, City. It appeared that the insolvent was
arrested on a disputed debt of £3O, alleged to be owing to
a person named Carte, who had made an assignment for the
benefit of his creditors.

Mr. Weston urged that the insolvent only admitted
owing £5, and as he had been arrested for £3O he was
obliged to apply for the protection of the Court, as his earn-
ings were only 7s. a week, on which he had to support a
wife and five children.

His Honour granted an immediate discharge.
This case shows the great advantage of the extension of
jurisdiction in cases of insolvency to the County Courts, as
the insolvent had only suffered a month's imprisonment,
and obtained relief at a small expense.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE--(THIS DAY.

BOW-STREET.

STEALING A GOLD RlNG,—Bridget Mahony was placed
at the bar charged with stealing a gold ring, the property
of Mr. Hawley, jeweller, High Holborn.
Henry Salmon, shopman to Mr. Hawley, said—Last
night the prisoner and another woman came into the shop
to look at some gold keeper rings. I asked them what
price they would go to, and they said they did not mind
the price as they wanted a good one. I showed them some,
but they kept upsetting the tray. I asked which of them
wanted the ring, and the woman who escaped said she did.
I told the prisoner she had better leave the tray alone,
when she again upset them, and on putting them back I
found one missing, and I then accused her of stealing it. I

knew the other woman had not got it, and I told her I was
certain she had it in her possession. After a short time
she produced the missing article and placed it on the
counter. I sent for a constable to give her in charge, when
she threw herself down on her back in the shop and pre-
tended to be drunk.

Police-constable F 162 said—On taking the prisoner into
custody she declared she was drunk. She refused to give
her address.

The prisoner said she was drunk, and did not know who)
she did.
She was fully committed for trial.

MARLBOROUGII-STREET.

THE SOCIAL EVIL AND THE POLlCE.—Gabrielle Duclos,
a French prostitute, one of a large number frequenting
Regent-steeet, was charged with annoying gentlemen in
Regent-street.
Mr. Edward Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street, attended
on the part of the prisoner.
Dodsworth, 333 A, said that at 5 on the previous after-
noon he saw the prisoner stop a gentleman in Regent-street,
seizing him by the arm. Having been repulsed by him,
she left, and shortly after he saw her stop another, and he
then took her into custody.

In answer to Mr. Lewis, the constable said he was not
aware the prisoner had just left her home. First saw her
at 5, and took her at a quarter past. The gentleman was
not talking to her. He had not taken any othei, and had
not singled the prisoner out, nor been told to take her by
other women. No gentlemen complained of her. She had
been locked up since 5 o'clock on the previous day. Had
had her in custody before, three months ago. She was
then discharged.
Mr. Lewis said when complaints were made against per-
sons of the prisoner's class he considered the police were

PRUSSIA.

A letter from Berlin of the 3d says :—" A part
of the suite which accompanied the King and
Queen to Meran have returned to the capital.
General de Gerlach soon after waited on the Prince
Regent and delivered a letter from the Queen.
Different versions were in circulation as to the
contents of this letter. It is said by some that
the Queen complains bitterly of the changes
which the Regent has effected among the high
functionaries of the State, and particularly of the
speech made by the Prince to the ministers, and
in which, it may be remembered, he alluded to the
faults committed under the preceding Government.
The Queen, it is said, observed in her letter that
it was rather premature on the part of the Prince
to pronounce such an opinion while the King was
still alive, and might at any moment resume the
reins of Government."

THIS DAYS MARKETS.

CORN EXCHANGE.

Malt was in moderate supply, and sluggish request, on
former terms. Good sound oats supported Monday's cur-
rency; but damp parcels were the turn lower. Boan2,
peas, and flour were very dull, but we have no change to
notice in their value.

To-day's market was fairly supplied with English wheat,
the quality of which was by no means first-rate. For all
kinds we experienced a slowi nquiry, at the late decline in

value.

Only 2,820 quarters of foreign wheat have come fresh to
hand this week. Nevertheless the trade was in a depressed
state, and prices were nominally unaltered.
In floating cargoes of grain very little was doing.
For all kinds of barley the demand ruled heavy at late
rates.

Flour.
690

ARRIVALS THIS 'WEER.
Wheat. Barley Malt. Oats.
English BBO 1,140 1,670 ' 2,320 j
Irish
Foreiga 2,820 1 8,410 i 5,560 f
; 700 sks
bls

LITERATURE.

Stephen Langton. By Martin F. Tupper, D,C.L.,
F.R.S., author of "Proverbial Philosophy," &c.
2 vols. Hurst and Blackett.

These volumes are pre-eminently qualified to
attract a considerable share of attention both from
their-peculiar style and their great ability. This
author has before been celebrated for his attainments
in literary creation, but the present work is incom-
parably superior to anything he has hitherto pro-
duced. There is a life and a reality infused into
the characters and scenes which cause the reader to
forget occasionally that he is reading of what oc-
curred some seven centuries ago. Not but what
the tenour of the narrative is strictly in accordance
with the olden time, and an additional attraction is
to be found in the fact that the epoch here repre-
sented is one of no ordinary importance in the
annals of our country's history. It is justly re-
marked that " the acorns just then sown have since
grown up to be the gnarled and strong-limbed oaks
of our present English liberties, and the fruitful
vines and fig-trees under which we now sit happily
at peace were spreading in those early times as
tender plants out of a dry ground." The records of
the career of Stephen Langton are very interesting,
and there can be no doubt that the general reader
will derive pleasure and profit from the perusal of
his singularly useful and brilliant existence. He
was a statesman, arch-prelate, and chief champion
of our common liberties against the tyrant John,-
who was one of the worst kings who ever disgraced
the British throne. It was not until after many
long years of painful preparation and strenuous
efforts, and great endurance, that Stephen tri-
umphed in his high emprise, and, with the assist-
ance of the bold Barons of the realm, forced from
the unwilling monarch his signature to that famous
parchment which is among the most precious pos-
sessions of the land, of which it is here testified that
" Englishmen claim Magna C'harta as the very root
of their spreading tree of liberty." Hallam has
declared, in his work on the Middle Ages, that the
Great Charter is " still the: key-stone of English
liberty." There is a peculiar interest attached to
all that concerns so momentous an achievement, and
it will be found that the writer is animated with the
true spirit in which alone such deeds should be re-
counted. None but those who can enter with a
congenial mind into the patriot's labours, whether
of peace or war, are worthy chroniclers of that
country, whose glory and whose crown is
that her soil is the refuge from tyrants, and
that her sons are the champions of the op-
pressed, whose immortal claim to the respect of
posterity is not that "on her empire the sun
never sets," but that on " her shores the slave is
free." There were many vicissitudes in the life of
Stephen Langton ; one of the most painful was the
solemn termination to his acquaintance with Alice,
who is introduced as a young maiden, fresh as the
spring at whose coming all were rejoicing, fair as
the flowers with which she was bedecked when--
"Beneath the hawthorn on the green, they crowned her
Queen of May."
These revels and pastimes were soon exchanged for
bitter trials and sharp afflictions ; the dreams of
love and the gay prophecies of hope were never
realised, or fulfilled. But Stephen and Alice were
not to pass away unnoticed, among the crowd who
disport their brief hour and are gone ; they had a
mission to fulfil, and through tears and sacrifices it
was to be performed. The conflict with powers
and principalities was before him, and it was hers
to stand and wait. There is something mournful
and touching in the meek serenity of her patient
life, something beautiful in the holy calm of her
death. She expired at the altar, and hers was
indeed rest for the weary. Among the many
diversified scenes to which the reader is intro-
duced, perhaps none is so refreshing and delightful
as those in which he meets the far-famed monarch
of the woodlands, bold Robin Hood, and his
merry company. He proved of essential service
to the oppressed of every rank and age, and in his
free and generous nature offers a striking contrast
to the subtle and cruel tyrant whose court might
have envied the spirit that ruled the conduct of the
outlaws. Some of tho passages that occur during
the sojourn of Stephen abroad are related with
skill, and demonstrate the striking changes that
have taken place since that period. Among the
records of the evil actions of John, the tale of the
Sleepers in the Silent Pool is powerfully told.
Although no avenger was powerful enough then to
vindicate their wrongs, the voice of justice seemed
to cry for redress from the depths of the still waters
where they found their eold grave. The character
of Hal is a good specimen of a bold English yeoman.
If he did not exhibit the " mettle of his training"
on foreign fields of renown, he worked for his dear

native land in the harder warfare of civil contests.
At the commencement of the work the author
remarks : "I will concentrate my pictured fancies
in a framework of real scenery round characters
of strict historic fame," and it will appear to most
readers that he has redeemed that promise in the
compilation of these volumes, in which the light of
historical romance seems to cast a lustre on the life,
and shed a grace ()ter the actions of the great
man whose chronicles have been garnered from the
historic rolls of antiquity, to reproduce before us a
sketch of a noble character, an ornament to the
church in which it was his glory to worship, and
an honour to the country that it was his delight
to serve. It is not often that so much excellence
of purpose is so eloquently executed, as in these
pages, and there seems no reason to doubt that the
effort will fail to be appreciated, for if the careless
pass it heedlessly by, the thoughtful and reflective
must acknowledge its claim on their attention,
alike from the skill which has fashioned it, as the
spirit which fires its recital.

Letters written during the Siege of Delhi. By
H. H. Greathed, Esq., late Commissioner and
Political Agent of Delhi. Edited by his Widow.
Longman.
Another of those mournful records of departed
heroism, which have lately become so sadly fami-
liar to English readers. Mr. Greathed and his
family had a most narrow escape from the fury of
the mutineers at Meerut. They were rescued by
the fidelity of their native servant, Golab Singh,
joined
the their burning house. Mr. Greathed
the army before Delhi, and the volume consists of
his letters to his anxious wife, showing us a pic-
ture of the dangers and difficulties of the siege and
attack. Unhappily he fell in the hour of triumph,
and added another to the long list of brave men
who purchased that victory with their lives. The
tribute of honour and regret is readily paid by their
surviving countrymen ; and though there is little
that is absolutely new in these pages, still there
will be many, personally unacquainted with the
writer, who will turn over the letters with inte-
rest. His widow has performed her mournful duty
with carefulness and credit. In her preface she
gives an outline of Mr. Greathed's career, and of
their escape from Meerut. She quotes some pas-
sages from a letter written by Mr. Greathed,
shortly before the fatal 10th of 'May, in which he
expresses his apprehensions, and in which he
remarks upon the necessity of bearing in mind the
fact, that " conversion with the Hindoos and Mus-
sulmans is not a matter of conviction, but the
passing through certain forms, or unconscious per-
formance of some act, incompatible with their own
religion." This superstition naturally gives rise to
great suspicion in the native mind, and shows the
paramount necessity of inspiring them with con-
fidence in the intentions of our Government. A
plan of Delhi and the siege operations is prefixed
to the work.

The YOUilli Debater. By Samuel Neil, author of
" The Art of Reasoning," &c. Houlston and
Wright.
This is a useful and practical handbook for the
young debater, who cannot do better than study the
principles laid down in it, which will greatly assist
him in his endeavours. The author puts his advice
in a clear and lucid manner, but he is by no means
superficial in his style. He takes a lofty and high-
principled view of his subject, and, indeed, many
of his introductory hints will be extreuable
to all young students, whether gifted extremely valuable
with the
powers of oratory or not. His remarks on the cul-
tivation of the intellect, the necessity of acquiring
self-knowledge, the logic of study, &c., are full of
instruction. His summary of the laws of debate
and outline for the constitution of a debating
society will be found well worth attention. He
gives at the end a list of subjects suitable for dis-
cussion, which includes a vast range of topics. We
cordially commend this little volume to all who
desire to develop and improve their debating and
reasoning powers.

Tales for Twilight. By Joseph Vevey.
Blackwood.

James

Some of these stories have recently appeared in
a magazine, others are now published for the first
time. They have neither great originality nor
thrilling interest, but they are pleasing and unpre-
tending, and will serve to entertain an idle hour
more agreeably than many volumes of greater pre-
tension.

The Family Frend. 1858-9. Ward and Lock.
The Family Economist. New Illustrated Series,

Ward and Lock.

The Family Friend is now a recognised popular
favourite. The summary of its production, ex-
penses, and receipts, given in the preface, are suffi-
cient to amaze the uninitiated. We are told that
during the ten years it has been in existence it hc s
sold 300,000 volumes, and 4,800,000 monthly parts.
These statistics show the success which has at-
tended one of the most useful and meritorious of

the cheap family serials. Tales and sketches,
poetry, notes and queries, household receipts,
puzzles and pastimes, and an endless variety of
miscellaneous scraps, combine to form a volume.
suited for all members of 'a. household. " The
Work Table," under the efficient superintendencet
of Mrs. Warren, offers another attraction to the
busy fingers of fair embroiderers ; and " The
Editor's Correspondence" contains many useful
pieces of information.—The Family EconomiA is a
volume of the same character, though with more
of the instructive and praCtical, and less of the
lighter portion. It has its share of entertainment
too, however, and those who wish to make an
acceptable Christmas gift of a useful and varied
character to their young friends, cannot do better
than select one of these pleasant volumes.

The Poetical Works of Armstrong, Dyer, and
Green. With Memoirs by the Rev. G. Gil-
fillan. James Nichol, Edinburgh.
This is another of Mr. Nichol's handsome and
valuable series of the British poets. We have
before had occasion to commend the style and type
of the volumes, which are in every way suited for
a library edition. Lately the poets have been of a
very inferior order, but we are to expect Spenser
and his " Faery Queen" with the ensuing year,
and need not therefore complain.