The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-14 00:00:00

MILITARY PRISONS.

A report..-ion the discipline and.-management of
military prisons, from the .prolifiec,pcn ou Col. Jebb,
C. 8., the Inspector-General of those prisons, ap-
peared on Wednesday in print, forming a neat
pocket bluebook of 27 pages. :The report,
re-
fers to the year 1857, is dated from Parliament:.
street the 26th of July, 1858. Its brevity is p.c7
Cbunted for by the fact that Col. Jebb had alreddy
fully discussed the system of discipline established
in the military prisons in forme reports:—He ad.
duces the -.statistics, which we shall, presently cite,
as Well'-as the experience of anothei year, in proof
of the beneficial effects which have resulted from an.
.of • •
organised system discipline, specially adapted
for the due -correction of military offenders and
the repression of crime in the army. The great
improvement in the condition of the soldier and his'
comforts which has been gradually introduced into.
the service, and. which is in steady progress, cannot
fail to lead to the most beneficial results in raising.
the moral standard of the army. The necessity
which has arisen for enlisting so large a number in
a very short time for service in. India may have de-
,layed any marked alteration in this respect ;
.but if
the causes which have deterred many of the :best
men in a parish from enlistment .be removed, and
the army is held by the public in the honourable
estimation which is justly due to it, a better class
of recruits will eventually offer ; and it may fairly
be expected that drunkenness, which. continues to
be the parent of most of the crimes, and desertion,
which may be fairly attributed to a temporary
cause, will rapidly decrease. 1857, -5,572
:smiers were " admitted" into the military gaols
.(against 6,376 in 1856), being a proportion of 5.62
per cent. to the force. The average length of sen-
tences was 49. days ; only five endured the ignomis
nions punishment of the lash, while 12 were con-
signed to solitary, and
,three to separate confine-
ment. 723 prisoners were under .20 years of age,
4,339 between 20 and 30, 488 bet Ween 30 and :40,
and 22 above 40. 1,958 had served two years and
less, and 2,746 under seven years. 3,422 of the
culprits were English, 438 Scotch, and 1,712 Irish.
3,600 were Protestants; 338 Presbyterians, and
1,634 Papists. The prison character of 5,353 was
gbod, that of 124 indifferent, and that of 95 bad.
The number of perstins punished for minor
offences has greatly diminished, having been"
smaller than in any previous year. The crimes in
1857 included 1,888 cases of desertion, 1,734 of
absence without leave, 619 of drunkenness, 277 of
disgraceful conduct, and 1,038 of other crimes. The
expenses incurred included £18,232 for salaries of
officers, and for the maintenance of the prisoners,
while £16,008 was the amount of full pay and beer'
money of prisoners in confinement not issued, so
that the difference against the Government was
£2,224. 122 was the average number of prisoners
immured in barrack cells in 1857, being a.propor-
tion of 0.17 per cent. to the force. There were
1,548 cases of recommittal. in 1857. The snumber
has but slightly increased since 1851. •
The number of committals , for drunkenness in'
-1857 was 397, being P9B per cent..of the average
force. The health of the prisoners has improved,
and the reduced scale of diet adopted in 1850 has.
not, as a general rule, had any injurious ,effect on
the prisoners. The ordinary reduced scale, now in
operation, includes Boz. of oatmeal at breakfast,
9oz. of Indian meal at dinner, and Boz. of bread at
supper, with half-a-pint of milk to each meal. It
was found -expedient, however, to adopt a better
scale in the prisons at Aldershott, Devonport, and
Malta.

The measures for the improvement of the con
dition of the soldier which have been and stilt

are in progress, and the discharge of many of
the worst characters from the army, must be.
alloWed their due weight in judging of the
present state of discipline by the amount of punish-
ment. But a comparison of the number of sen-
tences, previous to the establishment of military
prisons, and at the present time, affords a very
favourable indication of the change that has'takcn
place. In 1843 the number of soldiers imprisoned
at any one time under. sentence by court-martial, in
civil prisons, exclusive of those-who might be in
confinement by order of commanding officers; was
in the ratio of 20 in 1,000, and at the same time the
number of corporal punishments amounted annually
to about 5.2 making 25.2 per 1,000. In the three
years from 1851 to 1854 the number of imprison-
ments was reduced to 11 per 1,000 ; and in the four
years from 1850 to 1854 the average 'number of
corporal punishments had been reduced to 2.5 per
1,000, being a little more than one-half in both
cases, and making a total of 13.5 as compared with
25-2. During the year 1857 the average number •
undergoing imprisonment at' any one time in 'the
military prisons and barrack cells amounted to
IF3 in 1,000, and the total corporal punishments
in the year amounted to 3.4, making atotal of 14.8
per 1,000 for 1857 as compared with.•2s-2 in 1843.

FARM 1101?SES.

At a meeting of the Agricultural Club of Argyle,
Bute, and the Western Isles, held at Rothsay on
Saturday last, Mr. Finlay; M.P., spoke as follOWs
upon the relative merits of -Scotch and English
horses used for agricultural purposes The sub-
ject which has been selected for discussion at this
meeting is the Rearini, and Management of Farm
Horses,' a subject so large and important that I
have been unable to compress it within the limits
of one address of ordinary length. I shall, there-
fore, to-day confine my observations to the first 'part
only—viz., the Rearing. In addressing you off this
subject, my object is not to 'surprise you with new
theories, or to amuse you with- interesting 'anec-
dotes, for I hardly expect to state a single. fautthat
is not known to most of you already.' My; only aim
Tis to-induce you to put into practice the knowledge
which so many of youpossess4articularly those of
Our own country, not only 'because • I believe farin
horses are bettermanagedin ScOtlandthan in.:Eng-
land' generally, bdt because the experience of our
own near neighbours is more likely to be useful
to us than the experience of those residing at a dis-
tance, where the climate, soil, and food are in 'many
respects different from our own. Although for many
years I have kept from six to 12. farm• horks, 'my
own experience is not so•great as it ought to' have
been. I have, therefore, trusted • more to such
men as Messrs. Gibson, of Woolmet ; Binnie,
of Seaton Mains ; Stedman, -of Boghall ; -Fin-
nie, of Swanston ; Professor Dick, of Edinburgh ;
Professor Stewart, of Glasgow; Mr. Spooner (an
able-writer in the English AgrioullUral Journal);
Stephens, and others, to all of whom I am much in-'
debted for my facts. Allow me, first, to observe
that it is comparatively easy to write, and speak
upon such subjects, but it is exceedingly difficult to
apply the information practically to every-day use.
Example is better than -precept, and more difficult.
We are so wedded to 'habit, to established customs,
so averse to persevering action in.' a new direction,
that after hearing and reading discussions, and - re-
solving to introduce necessarrreforms, we go home
and either forget them altogether, or, after a few
languid attempts, we abandon them in despair, in-
stead of perseveri:-)g in the experiments until suc-
cessful. `Ye are all of us too like idle carters, who
allow their, horses to follow in the tracks of those
who went before them, satisfied to jor, on in the
ruts made by our predecessors. Mr. Finlay here, at
some length, impressed upon his auditory that
theory was of little value without practi6e, and
that the practical man was the really valuable man;
and invited gentlemen present to discuss and criti-
cise with the utmost freedom all • his observations,
stating that a good Contradiction was a valuable
thing, though not always .pleasant in such a club
as that. We would (he said) be the better of amern-
her or two like the man, of whom you have all
heard, who, when he was arcked one evening where
he was going to, replied, " I'm jest gaup doon to
the club to contradick a wee." It has always ap-
peared to me surprising that in England, where so
much money, time, and ability have been expended
in improving.. live stock, farm horses should be so
comparatively neglected. Farm horses in England
are a disgrace to the country; and even-in Scotland,
where we have a finer stock, the necessary atten-•
tion has not beendevoted to the rearing •and
inlmagement. We frequently hear of some £3OO or
£4OO. being -given for a short-horn ebw; but never
heard of an instance for which such a sum was given
for a work-cart mare. Some farmers say that, tak-
ing price .into. account, there was little difference
between, the value of -the-work got out of a worn-l-
out horse and- that obtained out of a vigorous
one. Here Mr. Finlay, at . great length, com-
bated, the soundness of this doctrine by 7calmila
tions rektive to carting and field work. Speaking
as- to the, latter, he said—l have often : -seen two
horses and one man do more and 'better work in
Scotland than- four. horses and a man and boy:do-in
England. .In England 'you. see four horses to a
plough, driven, by a lad.' These horses-, get little
grain,-,but an ample •supply of straw, a.d some-,
tunes clover and meadow hay.; they are potbellied;
ill-shaped, slow-moving. animals, and they work
only six or seven hours a-day.• Two- good, well-fed
horses would do as much work as five of them ;
their owners will tell you- they cannot do 'more-- •
and why ? Because they are a bad- sort to :begin
with, and secondly, because they are badly fed and•
badly treated. If we wish to have vigorous work
horses we must have the horses of a good breed,
enduring in action; secondlyi -we must manage
them with care and judgment. These two points
comprehend the whole question.- First, as to
getting horses of a -good breed Since the old
Highland fashion of cattle-lifting - has gone
out of practice, there are only two methods----
rearing or buying. Here Mr. Finlay gave at some
length his reasons for recommending farmers to
breed their own horses, giving the points and cha-

racteristies of a good stallion, as also that of a farm
horse. The treatment of mares in foal, and colts,
traininecolts,-was next spoken of--As to-train":
ing 'CO stated that the_ most Celicate'
operi#iimsV?as.that of- haltering and leading a foal,
and quotedl4arey's advice on the subjeet. llr. F.
cencludes Very interesting lecture in 'the follow-
, .- in werds:—"l have attempted to convince yen
that all 110 employ work horses will find that good
horses, well fed and well treated, will do more work
at a cheaper rate than inferior horse.; badly- fed, and
triS—their interest to procure the
Lest animals within their reach. I have also recom-
mended 'farmers to breed heises, in preference to
-buying them, and to breed none but the hest..l have
likewise given Some general rules for the guidance of
breeders, and for the treatment of colts. I propose
still.to offer some remarks on Vac proper construc-
tion cf stables, on grooming, and 'attendance.; but
specially on the. most approved modes of feeding.
Thishradeli; boWever, is so very haportant, and I
have already taken up sb.Much of your time, that I
shall Consult ycin-Convenionce bye postpiniing the
.discussion of these points until. the next meeting of
the club, possibly. your secretary will read
my remarks, as I shall be unable to attend myself."

PRESII.DENT- 'MONROE AND HIS

DOCTRINE.

(From the .21.'elv York Tlitzps.)

If there be any sense of earthly things in souls see
free, the late President Monroe must look with
'mingled scorn and surprise upon the scene of his
mortal labours: With scorn;•certainly, as finding
that the lapse'of 30 years .has made men .nO wiser ;
that grave national .questions are. handled now, as
his time they were, in the spirit of sixpenny
partisan passion; and that the highest office in the
land has become a mere Court Of Appeals for Tam-
many-hall, in which the squabbles of New York
wire-pullers take precedence of the most important
debates of war and peace as between the nations of
the world ; and surely with surprise, to find that
he himself is playing a part he never dreamed of in
his country's history ; that his venerable ghost (left
sleeping quietly so long within the borrowed grave
to which his country's prudent economy consigned
her chief's remains) has been invoked to stand be-
fore the Secretary of State's office and warn all
foreign intruders off these premises, doing a kind
of mystical policeman's duty towards the kingdoms
of the earth.
In the year 1823 Mr. Monroe, then President of
the United States, was advised by Mr. Rush, then
our Minister at London, that the Holy Alliance of
Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Trance, having re-
' solved to set the European house in order by knock
ing Riego and the Spanish Liberals on the head,
had also deter Mined to bring America to reason, to
re-establish the Castilian sway in the New World,
and to strike-, down, in every place within their
reach, whatever Power dared assert itself as founded
on the right of the people to self-government. This
determination, however veiled, was a virtual denim-
ciatien of the tenure by which the HOuse of Han-
over helitEngland,
.as well as of the claim of the
United States to an' independent existence Eng-
land had, therefore, abstained -from and protested
against the joint
.action' of the 'other Powers, and,
through her Premier, Mr. Canning, she advised
Ameiica to do likewise. Inspired by his Secretary
of State, ,Tohn 'Quincy Adams, who was always
ready to take up the, gauntlet of despotism, when-
ever he found it thrown down on either side the
• Atlantic' Mr. 'Monroe responded to the appeal of
England, and gave the ruleyS of EUrope to under-
stand, in the mildest terms Compatible with truth,
'that "we shOuld consider any attempt on their
part to extend their syStem, :to any portion of this
heinisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety."
• "With the existing colonies or dependencies of any Eu-
ropean Power," said Mr. Monroe, "we have not interfet ed
and shall not interfere. But.'with' the American Govern-,
'meats who have .declared their 'independence and main-
tained it, and whose independence we have on grave consi-
derations and on just principles acknowledged, we could not
view any interpositionfor the purpose of oppressing them
or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any
European Power; in any other light than as the 'manifesta-
tion of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States."
. . . . "It is impossible," he continued, "that the Allied
Powers should extend their political system to any portion
of either continent without endangering our peace and
happiness : nor can any one -believe that our Southern bre-
thren, :if left, to themselves,. would adopt of their own accord.
It is equally impossible, therefore, that we shoUld behold
any such interposition in any form with indifference." .
Again„ in December, of the, ensuing year, 1824,
Mr. Monroe alluded to this subject, for the purpose
of asserting the completeness of the organization of
the New World, The old " open ,territories" of
the Americas, over which, with a sublime disregard'
.of the heathen aborigines and their disgusting rites,
the Pope had exercised so absolute an authority—
giving them away to his, faithful sons. were now,
said Mr. Monroe, to be considered as closed. No
Power was henceforth to take with the colonists of
Europe.such liberties as those colonists had taken
with their tawny predecessors. We had either
exterminated or, suppressed the natives to that de-
gree that we, with our Spanish friends to the south
of us, had ourselves become the genuine natives.
Henceforth we should require to manage our own
affairs, and to settle our own waste lands in our own
way. This was a discrete, decisive, and authoritative
proclamation. In fact, it opened a new era of his-
tory. It announced the formation of an Anierican
system, which might undergo many modifications,
but uhich must find its own law, and be within
itself what Europe was and is—a self-administered
self-controlling world of diverse interests, balancing
an d balan Cod under the operation of influences native
to the general states. It was in this way the corol-
lary-of the. declaration made the year before, and,
as will' be seen, had less 'reference to America be-
yond our liniits than to Europe. It had nothing to
do with " manifest destiny," as now commonly
unierstoed--with the extension of the area of free-
'dom.--With annexation, or With Filibusterism. ' .

Judge, then, whether we are not right in saying
that the Shade'. of President Monroe would indeed
be startled from its propriety (if there be propriety
hi shades!) on' finding what the Monroe doctrine
has become on the lips and from the pen of Gen.
Cass. For Gen. Cass appeals to it as his authority
for declaring that we could not peacefully behold
>the exercise of a protectorate by a European Power
over'any independent State of this continent, even
at the request of that state. The appeal is idle.
Not to speak of the stultification which such lan-
guage reCeivQs from the fact that we have looked
peacefully on at least two such, protectorates—one
in Honduras' and. one in Nicaragua—at any time
these last 10 or 20 years, the doctrine of Mr. Mon-
roe will bear no such construction. It was conceived
in a different spirit and for a very different end.
We ourselves hold that Gen. Cass has merely mud-
dled a clear and sound idea. We believe ardently,
and firmly that the time must come, and will, when
'any protectorate but that of the United States over
an American nation will be impossible; and when
the flag of this country will be recognised through-
out the continent as the symbol Of peace and the gua-
rantee of order. But we look forthe advent of that
time to a policy as-unlike thatof Mr. Buchanan and
Mr. Cass as any policy can be ; to a policy of jus-
tice abroad'and law at home ; to a policy constitu-
tional at once and progressive, clearing away the
incumbrances of the past by reforms in the sense
of freedom, and opening the vistas of the future by
bold assertions of absoluteright.
Meanwhile, let us forbear, if but for very shame,
to trouble the ashes of our dead President. We
have his family among usits sad remnant at least
—ill-cared for, wasting away. While we leave them
to' their lonely want and silent endurance, let us
not flaunt the name of Monroe upon banners that
he knew not of, nor bear it in the van of enterprises
from which his patriotism and his loyal good sense
would have recoiled with indignation.

. . .
' [ADvmmsEmENT.]— Stcan, AND linAurso. SPEC.
' TACLES".—POWEItrUL TEI,EkDPESt—OPERA, RACE, AND
pEnsrEenvr, GLASSES. MOWS. S. and B. Solomons,
• opticians, 39, Alberinarle-Street, 'Piccadilly. Observe—
opposite the York Hotel, W.—Opera, Race-course, Field,
and general Out-door Day and,Night Perspective. Glasses,
very small, for the waistcoat pocket, each containing 12 and
18,1enses, constructed of; Gerinan glass. Will show dis-
tiiktly a person to know' them at two-and-a-half and three
miles, anti an object from eight to ten miles distant. Her
Majesty's .Coast Guards are, making use of them as day and
night glasses in preference to all others ; they are also pre-
ferred for deer-stalking by' sportsmen, gentlemen,
.and
gamekeeper S..• Telescopes 31 inches long, by whieh.a per-
Kra may be clearly seen and. known at 31 miles' and an
Object at .12, to 11 miles' distanee ; and with an extra astro-
noinical eye-Piece,' Jupiter's-moons, Saturn's rings, and
the double stars are distinctly seen,
,All the above can be
had of larger and all sizes, with increasing ;powers, and
are secured by s her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent.
The Royal Exhibition, 1851. A ,valuable, newly-
inventetl, 'very small powerful WaiStcoat-iiiieket ' Glass,
the size of h walnut, by -.which a -person can •be seen
and known: uric' and. a -half utile distant. • They, answer
every purpose on thc,...,Bace-course and at the Opera-
houses. 'Country scenery and ships aro clearly seen
at four to six miles. They are invaluable for shooting,
deer-stalking, yachting, to siiortsmen,. gentlemen, groa-e-
-. keepers, and tourists. Price 30s.—Spectaclo .Lenses of the
greatest transparent.-power.: The great. advantage deriVed
froMlhis-invention is, that vision, becoming impaired is
preserved' and strengthened, and very (tied persons are
enabledlo employ their sight at the most minute occupation
—can see.wit'W-thoselenses of a much less magnifying.
power, ana.they do not require the frequent changes to the
dangerous..effeets of further -powerful assistance, Persons.
eau be Suited at the.mest.remete part. of the world by send-
ing one of the glasscis out of thiiir spOtaeles in a letter, and
stating 'the distance from the oyes they can read 'small print
with It; rind those WhelitiVe not made use a spectacles by
stating theinage. Tioafnosa.--7lOWDiscovery.—The Organic
Vibrator, an extraordinarily powerful small newly-inventsd
instrument for Deafness, entirely _different from all ethers,
of the
.kind-that has been, or probably
surptsses anything
ever can be, produced, Being of the sanie colour as the
skin, is not porOptible, It 'enables" Veal persons to hear
distinetlrat ehureli and at public assemblies; the unplea-
sant sensation. of singing noises in the ears is entirely re •
moved, and it affords all,the assistance that possibly could
be desired.-39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly. Observe—.
opposite the Ybrk

LA TV INTELLIGENCE.—Jan. 13.

• 4 , - - - - ‘-

BAIL COURT.
SWAYNE Y. Dr: \'.'DENY.

• Mr. Sergeant Parry and Mr. T. Jones were
conriel flit the plaintiff; and Mr. Overend and Mr.
Image fer the defendant.
This was an action to recover £6O for the use
and occupation of a furnished house, being No. 2, •
Inverness-place, Bayswater. Thedefendant pleaded
never indebted- and payment.
The plaintiff is a house agent at Nottinghill ;
the defendant is a lady of fortune and respectability.
The plaintiff, having a house of his own, being the
house in question, which had been previously
occupied, f,y Lord Cottenham, agreed to let it to
the defendant at a rent of £l2O, payable quarterly,
•and with a payment in advance of £lO. The
defendant entered into posseSSiOn on the Sth of
March; The defendant afterwards, on the 12th of
March, .complained that the house .was in a very
diry state, and that the carpets sent did not fit.
The.. plaintiff 'then :sent an upholsterer to put
everything right.. The. defendant's nephew called
and coMplained of the drains smelling: A Mr. Coles
acted for-Mrs. Dewdeny. A complaint was made
of bugs. The plaintiff sent his managing porter,
who attended to those matters. Hadhad no
complaint before of bugs or of bad smells. • The
defendant left on the 3d of April. •
The plaintiff, having given evidence to the above
effect, was cross-examined. Lord Cottenham was
in the house three months, and left on January 19,
1858, and, a woman remained in possession until
the defendant entered. Coles was a house agent,
living about half a mile from the plaintiff. He
sometimes let houses for plaintiff. Coles applied
to plaintiff for commission for letting this house to
the defendant, but plaintiff refused to pay him.
He believed everything had been done that he had
undertaken to do. He did not go to the house
once a year. Did not know that the rain came
through the roof upon the beds.

, The:plaintiff's manager swore that the house and
furniture were in a clean state, fit for the occupation
of a lady.

Mr Overend saidhis defence Would be tnat Coles
had let the house, as the agent of the plaintiff,
to the defendant, and had undertaken to do certain
repairs, which had not been done ; that the house
was infested with bugs ; and that the drains were
so bad that the house was not habitable, and the
defendant was obliged to leave at the expiration
of three weeks.

The Judge said he should not interfere, but the
defendant had signed an agreement with the
plaintiff.
Other witnesses stated that the roof and drains
were in complete repair, and the former tenants
found no inconvenience from drains or bun's. Some
bugs were found in the furniture of one bed, which
furniture was then taken away and cleaned, but
was not returned until the lady was gone. There
were not more than 100 bugs found.
Mr. Overend addressed the jury for the de-
fendant, urging that the defendant had believed
she was acting with Mr. Coles as the agent of Mr.
Swayne. Putting that aside the house was not
habitable, and the defendant had a serious illness
in consequence of the state of the drains. The whole
house so swarmed with bugs that the deceased was
justified in leaving it.
The Judge said, that no one would say that a
tenant finning one biig would write and say, instead
of sending 'the rent, " I enclose you one bug I have
found," and so evade the payment of the rent. If
the fact slioula turn out to be as Mr. Overend had
stated, le would give the defendant leave to move.
• 'The defendant said, she complained of the dirty
state of the house, which was as dirty as dirty
could be ; also of the bugs and the drains. The
smell was dreadful. She was obliged to leave her
room and throw the windows open. She complained
to Mr. Coles, who she believed to be Mr. Swayne's
agent. She complained daily. It was a continuous
bad smell. Her health was affected, and she was
obliged to have medical attendance for two months.
There was great want of water, of which she com-
plained to. Mr. Coles, who never acted as her agent.
The water closet could not be used. The bed in
which she slept swarmed with bugs. They crawled
about the room; all her person was bitten. There
were bugs in the other rooms.
Cross-examined—Could not have the bath because
there was not water. Complained of the bugs the
first morning. Has let her furnished house in May-
fair. The bugs were down stairs as well as up.
Mary Hudson, lady's maid to the defendant, said
the , drains were dreadful. There were bugs in
every bed; there were a great number. They were
in the bed and on the washhand stand. Was obliged
to get out of bed at night they bit her so. She was
obliged to have a doctor. Wrote a letter to Mr.
Swayne, making complaints, but did not mention '
the drains or the bugs, as:her mistress wished to
speak about those things to Mr. Swayne herself.
Charlotte Grant, servant to the defendant, said
the drains were so bad they could scarcely eat their
food. There were a great many bugs.
A surgeon stated that he was called in to attend
the defendant. She was in a degree of low fever,
such as would arise from living in a house with bad
drainage. She was in good health before March.
The learned Judge, in summing up, observed that
the plaintiff's case was a most ordinary one; but
after the defence set up, he should lay down the
law in order that there might not be any mistake.
If the plaintiff allowed a fair examination of the
premises and made no false representation so as to
have deceived the defendant, and in the agreement
there was no stipulation that the drains should be
sweet or that there should be no bugs, he was of
opinion that if a party after such an examination
chose to take that house the party was bound by
the agreement, although something took place she
did not expect, and made the bargain an unpleasant
one. That would not be a valid defence. But
• because there had been a question about the law, if
the jury found the proposition he should put to
them:in the affirmative he would take care that the
defendant should be entitled to succeed, provided
the Court should be of opinion that the defence was
_a 'valid one. . The question, then, he would ask
them was this :—Was there anything about the
house so noxious as to render it, in their judgmant
uninhabitable, and not reasonably fit for the defend- I
ant to inhabit P

-- •
The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff for
£5O 12s.

poLicE lATZELLIGENCE, An. 13.

MANSION-HOUSE. James George Wood,
dressed like a farmer, and Margaret Beck, a very
good looking woman, about 20, were brought before
the Lord Mayor under the following circumstances.
G. Russell, the detective officer, said—ln conse-
quence of information I received on Wednesday in
Bishopsgate-street, when in company. of Smith,
another constable, I watched a bootmaker's shop
and the two prisoners came out, Beck being in the
dress of a sailor. I followed them down Bishops-
gate, and on their going to the cab stand I said to
Beck, " What is all this disguise about ?" taking
off the hat and wig produced. A crowd collected,
and I told the prisoners they had better go with
me to the station-house to explain their conduct.
When there the male prisoner was asked his name,
and he stated it was Wood. He was then asked
what business Beck had to be in male attire.
. The Lord Mayor—Without goinc, into the rig-
marole, have the prisoners committed any offence?
Russell—Wood is a married man, with two
children, and he has left his wife in Norfolk and
come up to London with this girl, who was his
servant, and she has not given an account of these
things.
The Lord Mayor—lf it is an offence against
morality I cannot take notice of that.

Russell—l have found an emigration receipt on
Vood in the name of James George. I have tele-
raphed
,to Norwich, where he said he came from,
lilt he is not known there.

Mr. Goodman (chief clerk)—As far as you are
able to gather these persons have run away from
home, but whether Wood has left children charge.
ablo to any parish you, do not know?

Russell:4le sags he has left two children
behind, and that they are well provided for.
The Lord Mayor—Will you give any account of
yourselves
Wood--I
have told the truth.
The Lord Mayor—Have you anything to say
why I should not remand you until further
inquiries are made in Norfolk. Where do you
come' from
Wood—From Moulton in Norfolk.
The Lord Mayor—Beck, where do you come
from ?

Beck—From Linwood. I have been servant to
Mr. Wood
children. who is a married man with two

n, --
111 e Lord Mayor-----Were you induced to leave
your home by his 'persuasion?
Beck (laughing)—oh, no, he, did not persuade
me.

The Lord ;flavor—Then you were willing to run
away with him.
Beck—Yes. (Laughter.)
The Lord Mayor—Who disguised. you in'man's
clothes ?

Beck—lt was my doingas much as his.

found £4l odd on the male prisoner
when I searched him.

The prisoners were remanded for further inquiry.

RETURN OF WRECKS IN LIVERPOOLTAY DURING
1853.—From a return presented yeFiterday to the Mersey
Dock Board; it appears that during the past year 25 vessels
were wrecked: Of these 12'were totally Ist, and the re-
mainder, with four exceptions, either raise, I or removed.

THE PUNJAB RAILWAY.

The follmingyelates to the important question
of the progress of the railway system in the Pun-
jab :

" Punjab Railway-office, London, Jan. 13.
" Sir,—As erroneous statements copied from Indian
papers, are in circulation, to the effect that both the home
and local Indian authorities are making official obstacles to
the immediate Commencement of the Punjab Railway, I
shall feel much obliged by your allowing me to say that
these statements are entirely opposed to facts.
"The line from Mooltan to Lahore and Umritsir may be
considered the most important in India, whether for the
defence or possession of that country, as well as for the de-
velopment of its resources, and has received, both in this
country and India, every official encouragement and fur-
therance, that could be desired. The section between
Lahore and Umritsir was commenced on the 25th Oct.
last, under the most promising auspices, and by the
last mail we learn -that several miles of embankment were
nearly finished, and that Captain Medley, the consulting
engineer to Government,- with Mr. W. Brunton, the chief
engineer of the railway, was going'over the line flora La-
hore to Mooltan, with the view to the early construction of
that portion which will connect the railway with the river
navigation where it is permanently open.
n I may add that, with the sanction of the Secretary of
State for India in Council, in addition to the staff already ill
India, '35 engineers; surveyors, and inspectors are now on
the eve of departure, and that the permanent way has been
for some time in course of shipment.
" The only real difficulty was the want of efficient means
of transport on the Indus, and this may be considered as
practically set at rest by the success which has been achieved
by the corrugated iron tug steamers built for the Indus
steam flotilla by Mr. John Hamilton, of Liverpool. One
of these vessels was launched and tried a few days since at
Liverpool, when her draught was found to be 17 inches and
her towing speed 5l miles per hour against the tide, or 81
miles in still water, with 450 tons in four barges.
" These steamers are intended for the conveyance of the
iron material for the Punjab Railway, and afterwards for
the conveyance of goods between Hyderabad, the upper ter-
minus of the Scinde line, and Mooltan, the lower terminus
of the Punjab ling, and thus establish a thorough steers
communication between Lahore and Umritsir and the sea at
Kurrachee, which, from the unprecedently rapid increase of
its commerce and population, appears destined to be to the
Indus at no distant day what Calcutta is now to the Ganges.
" I am, sir, yours, &c.,
" W. P. ANDREW, Chairman."