The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-03 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

A DISGRACE TO A RIFLE Conrs.—Thomas Stephenson,
18, Keppel-street, Chelsea, a private in the Ist Middlesex
Engineer Volunteers, was charged with wantonly dis-
charging a rifle, to the danger and annoyance of passengers
at Lower Belgrave-place, Pimlico.

William Rollingson, 399 B, said—At 12 o'clock last night
1 was in Chelsea-place, and heard two caps snapped on a
rifle in Lower Belgrave-place. I went there and saw the
prisoner with a comrade in uniform. Both had rifles, and
were not quite sober. When they got about 20 yards past
Chester-place I heard the report of a rifle, and ran after
the prisoner, catching him at the corner of Eaton-square.
He at first :said ho did not fire the rifle. His comrade's
rifle had the muzzle-stopper in it, and therefore accused
the prisoner of it. Colonel Baring, of No. 1, Chester-
place, then came up, and prisoner acknowledged firing the
rifle, saying he was very sorry for it ; it was a blank cart-
ridge.

Prisoner said when he left Brighton there was some-
thing the matter with the nipple of his rifle, so he put saps
on and fired them, until, at the third attempt, it went off.
Mr. Arnold asked him if he hadn't got sense enough to
know that the street was not a proper place to try a rifle in.
Prisoner—lt was a forethought of mine. I didn't deny
it. lam very sorry.

A comrade proved that they had been using blank cart-
ridge at Brighton ; the prisoner said the vent of his rifle
was foul and he tried four caps to clear it.
He was ordered to find a surety in £5, to be of good
behaviour for three months.

MARKETS,—This Day.

HAY.

SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs ; clover,
£5 5s to £6 12s 6d ; and straw, £1 18s to £2 4s per load,
Trade very slow.

CUMBERLAND.—Moadow hay, £4 4s to £5 lOs Od; clover,
£5 5s to £6 15s Od; and straw, £1 18s to £2 5s per load,
A slow demand.

WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 10s; clover,
£5 5s to .£6 12s Gd ; and straw, £1 18s to £2 4s per, load
Trade inactive.

Liverpocl Cotton Market.—TLis Day.

The Market opens quietly. Sales probably 4,000.
or 5,000 bales.

THE "ECONOMIST" ON THE REFORM BILL.—SOmO
Liberal mealb.rs of Parliament have been satisfied with
the promise by the Government that they would during
this session lay their supplemental reform bills on the
table of the house. But no such promise can satisfy the
country—out of doors nobody cares what is on the table
of the house. We only know what is proposed. Who can
tell what may happen before these deposited and ante-
dated bills come on for discussion ? The proceeding is
fatally like that so common in the money market of late.
The manager of a finance company says, " Sir, your bills
arc capital, excellent paper ; I shall be very glad to dis-
eount them Of course you won't object to take the com-
pany's acceptance. We are short of cash just now." Just
so the country is asked to consider what government will
propose, because it is not convenient to propose it now.
But we do not even know that the government will be in
existence when it is called on to perform its engagements.
We should be worse than the holder of the acceptance of
finance companies, for an administration has no corporate
character when it has ceased. It has no lasting unity to
blame or to punish.—Economist.

_
Court
Crintit