The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-20 00:00:00

DARING INSOLVEN2'.

An insolvent, Donald Macdonald, who applied
for his discharge, was examined on Saturday at the
Insolvent Court of Manchester, before Mr. Robert
Brandt. His proceedings before he became insol-
vent were of a peculiarly daring kind. Ile had
lately been the landlord of the hotel at No. 71,
Market-street. On behalf of the detaining creditor
it was eliciteed from, him on examination that he
formerly carried,on business as an hotel keeper, in
Liverpool,where his debts amounted to £1,200, £B5O
of which sum he paid in full, the remaining credi-
tors accepting a composition. Previously, he had
been the manager of an hotel in Edinburgh. He
came to Manchester from Liverpool without
any capital, and commenced business in No-
vember' 1858. He remained in business at
71, Market-street, about five months, and
contracted debts to the amount of £1,729. He
owed about £lOO or more when he left Liverpool.
Mr. Samuel Phillips, a creditor, said the insolvent
referred him to Mr. Daly, who told him there was
no occasion to be fearful. The insolvent told him
his wife had an income of "so much per annum,"
and that he expected remittances from his brother
sufficient to pay all accounts. Mr. Joseph Wrighy,
another creditor, said the insolvent induced them to
give him time to pay, by saying that, he owed no
one else anything. In conversation the insolvent
told him he had some Atlantic Telegraph shares,
and that they were worth so muchmoney that he had
not slept for two or three nights for thinking whether
he should sell them or not. (Laughter.) At
another time the insolvent, on seeing the collector
for the .Examiner and Times pass, said he had
paid him- scores of pounds, but on inquiry
he found that he had only paid the Examiner and
Times £4, and that they had had such difficulty in
getting the money that they had stopped his adver-
tisements. The judge (after hearing the attorneys
on both sides) said he thought the creditors had
not been quite cautious enough in trusting.the in-
solvent. The effrontery of the insolvent in con-
tracting -debts to the amount of £1,700, without
a farthing of capital, was surprising. He should
order the prisoner to remain in custody for five
months more.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT—Last evening a crowded
meeting of the inhabitants of Woolwich, Plumstead, and
Charlton was held at the Town-hall, Woolwich, to con-
sider (in the words of the handbill) what steps should be
taken to promote the abolition of the inhuman and us-
English system of flogging now practised in the army and
navy of this country. The chair was occupied by the Rev.
J. Carlisle, LL.D. (Congregational). Letters were read
from Mr. Salomons and Mr. Angerstein, the members
for Greenwich, the former denouncing corporal punish-
ment, and the latter deeming it necessary ; from Mr.
Bright, M.P., and from Mr. Bristow, M.P.„ the last gen-
tleman declaring his intention to the Secretary for War of
bringing the whole matter before Parliament. Resolu-
tions denouncing the system of flogging in the army
and navy as degrading, immoral, and unworthy of this age
of progress and humanity were agreed to, and the thanks
of the meeting were voted to the editors of the London daily
papers for the public spirit they had evinced by their late
strictures on the flogging case at Woolwich. It was finally
resolved that a petition to Parliament in favour of the object
of the meeting should be forwarded to Mr. Salomons, M.P.,
for presentation. A vote of thanks to the chairman termi-
nated the proceedings.
HEAD MASTERSHIP OF HARROW SCHOOL—The
following circular has been addressed by Dr. Vaughan to
the parents of boys now at Harrow :—" Dear sir,—The end
of this term will bring with it the completion of the fifteenth
year of my head mastership. 1 have resolved, after much
deliberation, to take that opportunity of relieving myself
from the long pressure of those heavy duties and anxious
responsibility which are inseparable from such an office,
even under the most favourable circumstances. With how
much reluctance I form and announce such a resolution it
is needless for me to say. I have no doubt the governors
of the school will elect as my successor in this important
charge some one in whose administration,, aided by the
able exertions of my present able coadjutors, you will have
reason to feel entire confidence. I earnestly hope that you
will find yourself able to allow the education of your son to
be completed where it has been begun. I shall ever re-
tain a grateful remembrance of the confidence which you
have reposed in me, and a lively iuterest in the continued
welfaie and prosperity of this beloved and honoured school.
—I
remain, dear sir, your faithful servant, C. J. VAUGHAN,
—Harrow, September 16."
FINANCIAL REFORMERS AND THE CUSTOMS.—

Mr. John Bright, M.P. had a lengthened interview
on Saturday last with the Council of the. Liverpool Re-
form Association, respecting the agitation which that body
are about to commence for the abolition of the Customs'
duties on 439 articles producing a revenue of only three-
quarters of a million. It is argued by these gentlemen tha
the duties producing so small a portion of the revenue are
not worth the trouble and cost of collection, while they tend
to impede the operations of commerce. It is intended to
make special efforts for the total repeal of the duties on tea,
coffee, and sugar, which, the association contend, are abso-
' lute necessaries for the poor, and that their total abolition is
only second in importance to the question of the corn laws.
The cheaper those three articles are obtainable, thet
gre
it is also argued, will be the sobriety of the nation. If a the
Chancellor of the Exchequer cannot do without the x reonvenrue_
produced by those duties, it is suggested
ethiTeth
mayts
perty.would meet the difficulty, so that h
contri
Bute instead of the poor. This policy, actcdtiongtothe views
d
of the Council, would give encouragement industry an
commerce by removing the impediments which now hinder
their development.
GALE ON THD DURHAM COAST.—On. Friday a
heavy gale from the east• north-east swept along the Dur-
ham coast, and raised the sea to a great height. About four
o'clock in the afternoon, when the gale was at its worst, a
pilot boat was seen nearing the sea outlet of Sunderland
Docks. There was only one man on board, and he was ob-
served to be struggling in order to keep the boat's head to
the outlet, but all his exertions were in vain, and as no as-
sistance could reach him from the shore the boat was soon
dashed on the beach stones to the south of the outlet. Don-
kin—for such was the name of the man on tledboard—
valiantly with the waves for
i nearly 10 minutes, when be
sank. His body was washed ashore n ten minutes after-
wards. Donkin was a fine young fellow, and was to have
been married yesterday. Just as his body came to the
beach, a large block was blown from the fore topgallantmast
of a vessel in the dock, and falling on the head of a seaman
on deck injured him so seriously that his recovery is
doubtful,