The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-31 00:00:00

t
~ti

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.--This Day.

The Pearl Fishery.

MARL BOROUGH-S TREE T.

After a fishery has been determined upon, and
the boats have been engaged, licensed—for which a
small fee is charged—and numbered, the commence-
ment of active operations is often delayed on account
of unsuitable weather, generally because of a north-
east wind blowing from the shore, whilst the proper
wind for the fishery is a breeze blowing from the
sea, sufficiently powerful to carry the boats to the
shore. This is ascertained by the experiment of
making a boat go out once or twice. When the
wind is strong enough to blow her right inshore,
then the fishery begins, a lucky day being selected
by the natives for the commencement. The start of
the fishery is usually the beginning of March.
Before the time the bank which is to be fished is
marked with flags. At the commencement of the
fishery a sign al gun is fired at midnight, when the
fleet immediately sets sail—the ardapanars, or head-
men, of the fisher caste leading the way with a light
shining, as a guide to those who follow ; a light is
also shown at intervals by the Government guard-
ship. Starting at so early an hour, the boats reach
the vessel long before daylight, and they are re-
quired to anchor till they can see to fish. Soon
after sunrise a signal gun directs the fleet to proceed
to the fishing grounds, and at half-past 6 the hoist-
ing of a flag permits the divers to begin
their labours. Immediately 500 or 600 naked
swarthy figures plunge into the tranquil
water. Active operations are usually car-
ried on for six hours, the divers descend-
ing into and rising from the water with great regu-
larity. Each boat is furnished with five diving
stones, with a complement of two divers to each
stone. The divers belonging go down time about ;
while one is down the other is breathing and resting.
. . The shark-charmer, a cunning person, who
is considered so indispensable to the fishery that he
is paid by Government, is constantly in attendance
at the fishing-bank. At one time the charmer used
to be allowed a percentage of one oyster per day
from each diver, but this has been commuted into a
money payment. Accidents have never been known
to occur on the pearl-banks from sharks, which is
of course attributed by the superstitious natives to
the wise charming of the charmer ; but it is quite
easy to suppose that the noise made by so many
divers frightens away these ferocious monsters.
Exaggerated stories have been told of the time that
a pearl-diver can remain under water, two minutes
and even three having been mentioned as the com-
mon time, but 50 seconds is the usual period when
the men are regularly at work ; instances have,
however, been frequent of an immersion lasting for
80 and even 87 secs. The divers enter strenuously
into their work, and a good hand will, when the
mussels ale plentiful, send up as many as 3,000 in
the course of the six hours he is on the pearl-ground.
At a given signal the fishery ceases for the day :
then the crews which have been lucky shout for joy,
others who have obtained but a scant supply linger
on the bank till driven away by the guards. If the
breeze be not strong enough to carry the boats to the
shore, the men have to take the oars and row them
home. Meantime the boat-owner has been in utter
anxiety to know what luck his boat has had,. and
the moment the little vessel reaches the shore
he springs forward to ascertain the result of the
day's diving, and to look over and fondle the wealth-
giving shells. Others, all who are speculating in the
fishery, are quite as anxious about the day's take ;
and the fact is, that the thousands of people who
gather on the coast—and they are so numerous that
it looks as if a large town had suddenly been set
down by the sea-side—are more or less speculators
in the fishery : it is one great lottery. All kinds of
people are assembled, and they are from all coun-
tries, and are of all colours, of many castes and of
very different occupations; they erect with great
rapidity tents, huts, bazaars, and shops ; there are
sutlers, jewellers, and merchants of all kinds on the
scene, the grand idea being there, as everywhere
else, to make money. Everybody speculates, from
the wealthy Hindoo merchant, who buys the right
of fishing down to the humblest outcast—for there
are questionable characters of all kinds to be seen
around, monks, fakirs, beggars, and the like.
Strokes of luck are constantly being announced; a
poor roan may buy a fanam's worth of shells, and
find himself in consequence of his purchase in pos-
session of a little fortune. One person at a recent
fishery bought three shells for a sum which could be
represented by tIN °pence of our money, and in one
of the shells he found the largest pearl of that year's
fishing.—Cornhill Magazine for August.

A £2O Frxx FOR AN ASSAULT.—Wm. Johnston, gentle-
man, of No. 29, Arlington-street, Islington, was charged
before Mr. Knox with assaulting Margaret Taylor, of 107,
Winchester-street, Pimlico.

The complainant, who bad a black eye (after being dis
charged for being drunk and incapable) said—l went to
supper at Clarke's, near Leicester-square, shortly before
one in the morning, and a lady coming out struck me, and
then the defendant struck me.

Mr. Knox—You have a black eye ; is that the effect
of the defendant's blow ?

Complainant—lt is, sir.
M. Knox—Had you any quarrel with either the female
or the defendant ?

Complainant —Not at all, sir. They are both strangers

to rue ?

Defendant—l deny striking her altogether.
Henry Hill, a clerk, residing at 36, Old Compton-street
—I saw the complainant and another female fighting, and
afterwards the defendant struck the complainant three
times.

Mr. Knox—Was the defendant sober ?

Witness—l do not think he was. I should not think a
sober man would do such a thing. The defendant after-
wards tried to get away in a cab, but I had him brought
back.

The defendant— She knocked my hat off.
Mr. Knox—But you don't mean to say that that is suffi-
cient provocation to strike the complainant three times.
Dickenson, 165 o—On being told by the last witness
that the defendant was trying to get away, I stopped the
cab, and the complainant, who had a fearful black eye,
gave the defendant in charge for assaulting her, and I took
him into custody.
Kr. Knox—Was the defendant drunk or sober ?
Constable—Drunk.
The Defendant—She took my hat off and trod on it, and
assaulted the female with me without any cause.

Mr. Knox—What are you?
The Defendant—A gentleman.

Mr. Knox —I do not wish by my decision to do that
which may ruin you for life, although your conduct has
been brutal. Be the complainant what she may she is en-
titled to protection. I will not send you to prison under
the Common Assault Act, but I will deal with you under
the Aggravated Assaults Act, under which the penalty may
be £2O, and will give you the option of either paying that
sum or going to prison for a month with hard labour.

NEEDLE GUN.—Count Henry Krasinski, in his
political pamphlet entitled " Coup d'CEil sur l'etat
actual de l'Europe," published in 1854-5 in London (Jeffs,
Burlington Arcade), devoted a small chapter to the descrip-
tion
terribleof thinefanneterdyle gun, and pronounced it to be the most
urged upon the war authorities its adoption for the British
weapon in the world. He repeatedly
army, and received a letter of thanks for some of his sug-
gestions, which were taken up and acted upon. The com-
mittee of Trinity officers, rather strangely, did not, how-
ever, give an equally favourable opinion.
TERRIBLE AFFAIR IN ARKANSAS.—On Satur-
day, the 2nd inst., a man arrived in Fayetteville in the
stage, and informed the Sheriff and two other persons that
there were four men who would bo in town shortly from
Missouri, who had killed an old man, robbed a store and
grocery, and that he had raised a company and pursued
them, but failing to overtake them, he had taken the
stage and come on ahead. Pretty soon the four men came
into town, gotoff their horses, hitched them, and one went
into the store of Mr. Stone, and the three others went into
a grocery to take a drink. Before they had time to take a
drink, the sheriff, clerk of the court, Mr. Reed, Mr. Wing,
postmaster, and Colonel Gunter, went into the grocery to
arrest them. Mr. Wing said to them, " Gentlemen, you
may consider yourselves prisoners." With that one of
the men called out to the others to "shuck themselves,"
and with that each of them drew two revolvers, and com-
menced firing. Mr. Wing, the postmaster, was shot dead,
and the man who came in pursuit was shot under the chin
in the throat, and he died in a few minutes ; and Colonel
Gunter was shot in the arm, shattering the bone. The
three men retreated out of the door, still firing as they
went out ; and by this time the citizens had collected,
and an attempt was made to arrest the desperadoes, but
as they were armed, and most of the citizens were not,
they all made their escape. A posse of men immediately
started in pursuit of them. They found one of the men
ti leaning against a tree, having been shot through
the abdomen. The party told him they would bring him
an ambulance and take him to town, but when they re-
turned they found him dead, he having cut his throat and
stabbed himself in several places. The other three men
were heard of in the neighbourhood of Elm Spring, one
being badly wounded in the knee. Our informant did
not state who shot these desperadoes, but we presume
some of the party must have been armed, and fired on
them, or perhaps someof
the
acirintizeisnsehfiartetdereads tbheeloywwtehree
retreating. Colonel Gunter's
elbow, and it is thought will have to be amputated.—Fort
Smith Herald, June 12.

•
Professor Agassiz says that the strip of ,4 high
lands which divide the waters flowing into the St. Law-
rence from those flowing into the Atlantic," is the oldest
land in the world. It was once a lonely sea beach,
washed by a universal ocean.
The Athenxunz says that the contents of a large
cemetery—probably that belonging formerly to the Abbey
ofSS.
railway station in the town named.
by
the Pete v
r workmen engagedandkPleaul—atSh in reivsbul7 have been
constructingdisco-
veredthe new

[ADVERTISEMENT.] Dyspepsia (Indigestion), constipa-
tion, debility, consumption, and all nervous, bilious, stomach
aggravated and
health-restoring Itevalenta Arabica
and liver complaints in every stage, are only
accelerated by drugs of every description, but perfectly cur-
able by Du Barry's
Food, as proved by thousands of cases which bad been con-
sidered hopeless, such as—cough, asthma, also diarrhoea,
tta complaints,
inorrhoids, liverflatulency, nervousness,
biliousness, fevers, sore throats, diphtheria, catarrhs, colds,
influenza, noses in the head and ears, i h eurnAtism, gout, Ira-
purities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleepless
ness, acidity, palpitation, heartburn, headache, debility,
dropsy, cramps, spasms, nausea and sickness, even in preg-
nancy or at sea, sinking fits, bronchitis, scrofula, tightness of
the chest, pains in the pit of the stomach and between the
shou'ders, &e. We vote a few :—Cure No. -16,276. Dlr James
Roberts, timber merchant, of lerimley, Surrey,
of 30 years'
diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement, and p ar-
tial deafness.—Cure No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth Jacobi, of ex-
treme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings; low spirits, and
nervous
fancies.
—Cure 1,771. Lord Stuart de Decies, lord
lieut. ot 15 aterterd, of many }ears' dyspepsia. —No. 19,832.
Fifty years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness,
asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms, sickness, and
vomiting—Maria Joly —Cure No. 51,816. The It av, James
T. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, of indigestion and torpid-
ity ot the liver, which had resisted all medical treatment.—
In tins, fib, 2s 9d; 21b, 4s 61 ; 51b, lls ; 121 b, 223 ; 241 b,
10a.—Barry Du Barry and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London;
also Phillips, tea dialers, 8, King Wiliiam-street ; likewise
at 61, Graceehureh-stre..t ; 4, Cheapside ; 19, Bishopsgate-
street Within; 63, t5O, and 298, Oxford-street; 830, Strand;
54, Upper Baker-street; 103, 'Tottenham-court-road; 96,
Upper-street, Islington, N.; liarveY; ; Close
Brothers, 65, High-street; and Stubbs, Queen's-terrace, St.
John's-wood, London; and all respectable grocers and che-
naists.—Beware of spurious imitations.

THE SUN, LONDVN, TUESDAY EVENIING, JULY 31. 1866.

GERMANY.

Ti ilt EDIT

SUN OFFICE, 7 o'CLocK.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)
FRANKFORT, July 31.
Civil Commissioner Madai-is about to proceed to
'the headquarters of the army of the Maine.

BERLIN, July 31.
Burgomaster Muller, of Frankfort, arrived here
last night, and will remain. in Berlin until the ar-
rival.of the King and Count Bismarck. He was
received to-day by Count Euleuburg, Barons
Werther and Von Heydt, and Herr von Savigny.

THE FRANKFORT CONTRIBUTION.

VIENNA, July 31.

The contribution imposed by Prussia upon the
City of Frankfort has been reduced to 15,000,000f1.,
of which 6,000,000 have already been paid. Con-
sequently 9,000,000f1. only remain to be con-
tributed.

MUNICH, July 31.
The Prussians continue their advance upon Upper
Franconia.

IMPERIAL PARLIAIdENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—THIS EVENING.
The Loun CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed:—
Manchester-Division Petty Sessions Court, Millwall Canal
Company, Newport Pagnell Railway, Caledonian Railway
(Lanarkshire, &c., Banches), and Caledonian and Scottish
North-Eastern Railway Companies.
FEDERATION. OF. THE BRITISH NORTH
AMERICAN PROVINCES. • •
Lord LYVEDEN asked if Government had made up
their mind in respect to the question of the proposed fede-
ration of the British North American colonies, to which
the representatives of public opinion in those colonies were
favourable. He availed himself of the opportunity of pass-
ing a high eulogium on the loyalty of the inhabitants of
the colonies in question.
The Earl of CARNARVON said that delegates from
Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland,
New Brunswick, and Prince Edviard's Island, assembled
at Quebec in October, 1864, to consider this very question.
The colonies were in favour of the federation, and the
Government felt disposed to give due effect to their feel-
ing, but having succeeded so recently to office they did
not feel justified in bringing forward any measure on so
important a subject, particularly at the close of the
session.

The Suburban Commons Bill went through committee.
Several other bills were forivarded a stage, and their
lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THis DAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair shortly after 12 o'clock.
LORDS' AMENDMENTS.

The Lords' atnendments to the following bills were
agreed to : —Eltham Valley Railway, Halesown and Broms-
grove Branch Railway, South Eastern, and London, Chat-
ham, and Dover (London, Lewes, and Brighton)•Raiiways,
and Thames River Purification.
HAMILTON ESTATE BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.

BILLS CONSIDERED.
The Downpatrick, Dundrum, and Newcastle Railway
Bill, and the Waterford, New Ross, and Wexford Junction
Railway Bill were considered and ordered to bo read a
third time.

CURRENCY AND BANKING.
Mr. WATKIN rose to move that an humble address be
presented to her Majesty, praying that she will be gra-
ciously pleased to issue a royal commission directed to the
investigation of the causes which have led to the late se-
vere and protracted pressure in the money market, and to
the continuance, for a long period, of a minimum rate of
discount of 10 per cent. at the Bank of England ; and also
to investigate the laws at present affecting currency and
banking in the United Kingdom, and to report what (if
any) alterations have become expedient therein ; and fur-
ther, that it be an instruction to the commissioners to pre-
sent their report and the evidence taken by them on or
before the Ist February, 1867. In doing so he remarked
that the Chancellor of the Exchequer the other day in-
formed his hearers that all that was required to restore the
money market to its former condition was time, peace, and
a good harvest. Peace had now been brought about, and
there was every prospect of a good harvest; yet, notwith-
standing these circumstances, the minimum rate of discount
was still 10 per cent., while kr Paris it was 3i per cent.,
in Brussels 6 per cent., in Amsterdam 7 per cent., and in
Vienna 5 per cent. Whether the cause might be found in
defective legislation, or in rash speculations .of individuals
under legislation in itself good and satisfactory, he con-
tended that in either case those who made the laws ought
not only to make them but to watch over their working, to
fathom the difficulties, in order to see what further legisla-
tion was necessary, and, if possible, next year to carry it
into effect. Replying to the question why he had not
moved for a committee instead of for a commission, he re-
marked that they had arrived at such a late period of the
session that a committee would simply mean the shelving
of the subject till next year. The committee would then
occupy the whole of next session, and instead of legislation
in 1867 the whole thing would be shelved till 1868, when
a period of prosperity may have set in, and be delayed and
forgotten till 1876 or 1877. Consequently they ought to
inquire now, and, as they could not inquire by a com-
mittee, they ought to do so by a commission. Since he
gave notice of his motion he had received letters from
many persons in England and the Continent, and he must
say the whole tone of them was in favour of inquiry. The
language of the public press was also in favour of inquiry,
in proof of which he quoted from the Economist, which re-
presented the monetary classes, and other newspapers. He
deprecated the pressure which had been put upon Mr.
Gladstone from half-past two till twelve o'clock at night
on the day when the panic was at its height to suspend
for the third time the Bank Charter of 1844. The letter
which was issued in consequence of that pressure held
out a prospect which certainly gave great encourage-
ment, but it was followed by a most remarkable
letter from the noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign
Affairs. (Hear, hear.) The noble lord did what he
believed no Secretary for Foreign Affairs ever did before.
He wrote a letter representing all over the Continent the
position of England. In that letter, which was certainly a
very able document, he stated that the inhabitants had been
for some time over trading,that they had been endeavouring
to amass fortunes without sufficient labour, and that the
failure of Overend, Gurney, and Co. culminated the dis-
aster. Well, now, he thought one question in any inquiry
should be, under what circumstances was it, upon whose
prompting was it that a letter nat calculated to allay
alarm, but calculated to excite alarm—(hear, hear) - should,
for the first time, he believed, in the history of the
Foreign-office, have been written. Reviewing recent
panics he stated that within the last 20 years we had had
three periods of pressure—in 1847, 1857, and in 1866, and
if the house would remember, every succeeding panic had
shown a greater severity in regard to the rate of discount,
and a longer continuance of the minimum rate. It was
contended that these severe pressures were sometimes
salutary, that they repressed a disposition to undue specu-
lation. There might be some truth in that, but it was
admitted by a committee of that house, that the labouring
population suffered most from such panics; and would
any man contend that a system was sound which,
in order to correct itself, threw a large number of the
people out of employment, and put a stop to the pro-
duction of wealth ? He did not think such a system could
be sound. The hon. member next alluded to the statement
of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that the present crisis
was the result of a want of capital. It appeared to him
(Mr. Watkin) that this country never owed so little, or
had owing to it so large an amount of money; that the
country was never so wealthy as before the issue of the
Government letter of the 25th of May, and that it was
never before producing wealth so rapidly. If then we
were richer than ever we had been previously, how could
we, he asked, be short of capital ? In his opinion, one of
the causes of the crisis was the present system of con-
structing railways, which surely presented a reason for in-
quiry. There was another cause, and that was the action
of individuals, under powers given by that house, to form
limited liability companies. Everybody admitted that these
powers had been grossly abused. Taking Overend, Gur-
ney, and Co. as an example, it was well known that that
company had been transacting a class of business which
did not pertain to banking. That was a sample of many
such unfortunate departures from the strict rules which
ought to have guided them ; the list was a long one. He
wanted to know why the precedent of 1857 was not fol-
lowed by the Bank of England on the present occasion.
At that time the Bank transferred two millions from the
issue to the banking department, and afforded accommo-
dation to those who were in want of it ; but in 1866 —a
period of greater difficulty—they made no transference
from the issue to the banking department, and had not
given that accommodation which might have been ex-
pected under the Government letter. What right had they
to keep that letter a single day unless they intended to use
the power given them ? In 1857 the reserve was only
£1,654,000. On the day before the crisis in 1866 it was
£5,000,000, but it was reduced: aceording to their own
statement, to £3,000,000 on the night they got the authori-
sation to break to Act of Parliament. The hon. member
concluded by referring to expressions of opinions against
the working of the Bank Act by the present and late Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, Sir Gerge Cornewall Lewis, the
heads or large private firms and others..
Mr. ACKROYD seconded the motion.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE said the Government had r ob-
jection to inquire into this question, but they did not think
that the issue of a Royal commission would be the best
measure that they could take. (Hear.) The Government
did not believe that the want of confidence that had been
engendered would be removed, or was capable of being
removed, by any tampering with the currency and bank-
ing laws. The cure, he said, must be gradual, and he im-
pressed upon the house the necessity of taking caro not to
indulge in over speculation.
After a few words from Mr. FAWCETT, and Mr.
HUBBARD,
Mr. GLADSTONE accepted, as far as was due to him,
the portion of responsibility of not ha., ing issued a con-
mission of inquiry into this subject. Therewa
the failuresnoi
doubt that au inquiry into the causes of
of the Money Market involved principles as well as
fact, and if a commission combined different schools of
distinguished men they would receive not one report, but
two or three reports. It would he a great innovation to de-
liver over the prosecution of this subject into other hands
than that of the Government. The Government had saidthey would consider the subject on their own responsibi-
lito, and, on the other hand, that they would not make, any
objection to referring it to a select committee. Ho even
thought the Government had promised too much ; but

they had pursued a right course. He thought it admitted on
all hands that in many respects we must derive great
benefit from the Bank Charter Act. The whole method of
meeting foreign drains was so completely understood, that
so far as any foreign drain was concerned no apprehen-
sion need be felt. As regarded issue, ho believed it
to be the function of the State, and that where it was
exercised by others, it must be understood as being de-
legated to them, the responsibility resting with the State.
This led him to remark on a point that had not been
noticed in the course of the present debate. When the at-
tention of the Government was directed to this subject
he hoped they would not _confine themselves to a con-
sideration merely of the causes of the recent panic. As
Iregarded reserves, the enormous circulation of paper, and
many other matters, we wcre in a very satisfactory state.
There had been an increased demand for notes and coin, btt
it was reasonable to suppose that the circulation of the country
banks would have been increase,but at time of the crisis that
circulation decreased by a million. He thought the system
on which the issue of these banks was propounded was a
bad system and at variance_ with the spirit of the act of
1844. With reference to his letter to the Bank of Eng-
land, he remarked that it had been taken abroad as an
intimation of suspension of payment, the misunderstand-
ing being so groat that the French Government imme-
diately wrote offering a supply of bullion. (Cheers and
laughter.)
Mr. HENLEY did not see the use of remitting the sub-
ject to a select committee after it was considered by the
Government.

It being now 10 minutes to four the debate, according to
the rules of the house, was adjourned till Friday, the
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER intimating that he would
give it precedence over the orders of the day.
The houso then adjourned.
Tne house resumed at 6 o'clock, and was
[LEFT SITTING,[

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
On the motion for going into committee on the Fortifi-
cations (Provisions for Expenses) Bill,
Mr. OSBORNE expressed his objection to embarking in
a design for erecting fortresses for which they had no guns
and without knowing what the expenses might be.
General PEEL defended the bill.
Mr. GLADSTONE objected strongly, in a time of peace
and financial prosperity, to commencing a new work by
means of a loan, particularly at this period of the session.
It was in a time of pressure and alarm, he explained, that
it had originally been proposed to pay for these fortifica-
tions by loans, and the house had been then committed,
not to a precise amount of expenditure, but to certain
works, and no others; and, moreover, it had always been
the custom to lay an estimate on the table at the beginning
of the year.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER reminded
the house that the present Ministers were not liable for
providing for the fortifications by loans—in fact, some of
them had objected to it, and also that the Minister of War
was in possession of ample funds, pointing out, as to the
argument of the lateness of the period, that it was as late
in the session when Lord Palmerston made his chief pro-
posal. However, if the house objected to proceeding with
a new work in this manner, and at this time, the Govern-
ment had no wish to insist upon it.
Some further discussion took place, in the course of which
Mr. Watkin drew attention to the earthwork defences
found so effectual in the American war. Mr. O'Beirne re-
commended that the forts should be plated with iron, and
Mr. Horsman reminded the house of the circumstances
under which the first loan for fortifications was raised
Ultimately, Sir S. Northcote, on behalf of the Govern-
ment, withdrew the bill, undertaking that next session
every such new work should be brought before the house
in the shape of an estimate.
The remaining clauses of the Public Healthßill were dis-
cussed in committee, and agreed to.

The Reformatory Schools Bill passed through committee
The Industrial Schools Bill was also taken in committee
and the first 24 clauses were agreed to.
A number of bills were forwarded a stage, and the house
adjourned at 5 minutes past 2 o'clock.