The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-11 00:00:00

IC3 105

THE SUN, LONDOIN, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 11, . 1866

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

SHERIFFS' COURT.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Kerr.)
THE WATER SUPPLY AND TILE PUBLIC.-IMPORTANT JIMG-

MENT.-SPALDING V. THE EAST LONDON WATERWORKS

COMPANY.

This was an action of the very highest importance,
especially so at the present time, in which the plaintiff
sought to recover £5 damages alleged to have been sus-
tained through the defendants refusing to supply him
with water until he had paid a certain sum of money due
to the company by another person. The facts are perfectly
novel, never having arisen before. It appeared that when
the plaintiff took possession of a certain house the water
supply had been cut off by the defendants, and as the act
of Parliament, known as the " Waterworks Act,"
set out that the rate must be paid in advanc9, plain-
tiff waited upon th• company with s half-year's rate,
and requested that the water might be laid on.
The company declined to comply with this request
until a sum due to it for arrears by a former tenant was
paid. Plaintiff declined to pay these arrears until serious
consequences were likely to ensuo through the absence of
a proper water supply, and then he paid the money under
protest. He now sought to recover damages from the
company, and at the original hearing the question was
fully argued by himself and Mr. Philbrick for the company,
his Honour reserving judgment until to-day. This morn-
ing Mr. Commissioner Kerr delivered judgment as follows:
This is an action by the plaintiff as an occupier of a
house within the area supplied with water by the de-
fendants, against defendants for refusing and delaying to
supply the plaintiff with such water. The defendants have
admitted the refusal, and the tenders alleged by the plain-
tiff have been proved. The plaintiff relies upon the 43d
and 53d sections of the Waterworks Clauses Act.

10th Vic., cap. 17 and 43d sec., imposes upon water com-
panies a penalty of 40s. per darto be paid to every person
who had paid or tendered the water rate for every day
the refusal to supply the water shall continue. The 53d
section gives the occupier a right to demand a supply upon
the payment or tender of the rate. The defendants relied
upon the 74th section of the act, which empowered the
suppliers to stop the water from flowing into such pre-
mises as the occupiers neglected to pay the rate. The com-
pany contended, in fact, that if any tenant of a house fall
into arrears thathouse should remain without water, even in
the occupation of another tenant, so long as the arrears were
unpaid. I have given my best attention to-the words of the
section, but they do not appear to me to justify the inter-
pretation which has been put upon them. Every separate
clause 'of it may be interpreted to refer to the particular
tenant or occupier who has made default in paying his
rate. To hold otherwise would be to repeal the 53d sec-

Lion, which, as I have already stated, gives to the occupier
a right to a supply of water. It may be said that there is
a hardship in calling upon the defendants to supply water
to a person of whom they know nothing, but this is not
so, for the 70th section gives the water company a right
to payment in advance on every succeeding quarter-day of
the appropriate rate. It is entirely their own fault if they
incur any loss whatever. The verdict of the court will
be for the plaintiff.
The verdict was then entered for the plaintiff with costs.
FIVE POUNDS OR FIVE PENCE.-SINGULAR DISPUTE.-

The Drury-lane Murder.

The report current this morning, that the mur-
derer of the boy found hanging in the cellar at
Neal's-court, Drury,-lane, had been captured at
Woolwich, is entirely without foundation.
No reward has yet been offered by the Govern-
ment for the capture of the murderer.

Reform Meeting at Woolwich.
----4,-

Last night, at 8 o'clock, a crowded public meet-
ing of the inhabitants of Woolwich, Charlton, and
Plumstead was held at the Lecture-hall, Nelson-
street, Woolwich, to . promote the movement in
favour of an efficient measure of Parliamentary
Reform. The chair was occupied by Mr. Bassett,
who briefly expressed his entire concurrence with the
objects of the meeting, and eulogised the conduct of
the Lord Mayor in presiding at the Reform meeting
held at the Guildhall of the city of London. Mr.
Fludger moved the first resolution—" That the mo-
derate measure of Reform introduced by her Ma-
jesty's late Government having been rejected by
Parliament, and the present Government having
indefinitely postponed the question of Reform, this
meeting feels it its duty to declare that the great
body of the unenfranchised working classes of this
country will be satisfied with nothing less than the
speedy introduction of a bill for the amendment of
the representation on the basis of residential and re-
gistered manhood suffrage and the ballot; and that,
unless the present Government is prepared to redeem
the antagonism it has already exhibited to popular
rights by the speedy introduction of a bill for the
amendment of the representation of the people, in
accordance with the resolution, it will be the im-
perative duty of Reformers throughout the country
to withhold from such a Government all sympathy
and support ; and, finally, that the working men
and others composing this meeting pledge them-
selves
to support the objects and principles of the
Reform League by enrolling themselves as members,
and by other legitimate means." In a brief address
the speaker claimed the right on behalf of himself
and other working men to have a voice in the mak-
ing of those laws which they were called upon to
obey. Mr. Sherman, in seconding, said he believed
the present GoVernment by its conduct with regard
to the Hyde Park meeting, had done much good .to
the cause of reform, which was now advancing with
rapid strides. Mr. G. Brooke,of Leadenhall-market,
who attended as a deputation from the Reform
League, in the course of an address which was well
received, referred at length to the circumstances at-
tending the Hyde Park meeting. He denied that the
people created the disturbance ; it was entirely caused
by the arbitrary conduct of Sir R. Mayne. It was
well known that the soldiers had one ball in their
rifles, and three others ready for use; but he firmly
believed that had they been ordered to fire upon the
people they would have fired into the air. He must
give much credit to Mr. Walpole for the feeling he
evinced when he learnt the result of the mistake,and

that the police were breaking the heads of the people.
The Tinges had said that if it could be proved that
this country was not properly governed then it was
right to agitate for Reform. He denied that the
country was properly governed, and it was not likely
to be by the present Ministry. if Lord Derby at-
tempted to stem the tide of democracy by thepolice-
man's baton or the soldier's bayonet, he did not be-
lieve that the Throne itself would be worth 50 years
purchase. Mr. J. B. Langley referred to the recent
reform meetings held as a proof that the people
were in earnest on the subject. He and others went
to Hyde Park determined at all hazards to hold a
meeting, and a meeting they held. Those eventshad
given an impetus to the cause of reform, and had
produced a great influence in favour of democracy
in other countries. The resolution was unanimously
adopted, and a vote of thanks to the chairman ter-
minated the proceedings.

Liverpool Cotton Market-1 his Day.
Market quiet. Sales probably 8,000 or 10,000
bales.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

LONDON, Aug. 11.—Wind this day at noon —North-
Westerly ; moderate breeze and fine weather, but rather
cloudy.
FALmounr, Aug. 9.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Ada
Carter, from Havannah. Aug. 10.—Arrived—Warner,
from Havannah.

BRisToL, Aug. S.W.—Arrived—Margaretta,
from New York.

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

GRAVESEND, Saturday Morning.
Arrived, Aug.(l.o.Refuge, from Cronstadt ; Sophia,
from Griefswalde ; Hertha, from 'Hamburg ; Souvenir,
steamer, from Caen.

Arrived, Aug. 11.--Maas, steamer, from Hamburg ;
Ostrich, steamer, from Antwerp ; Trident, steamer, from
Tonning; Lazareff, from Kertch ; Maria, steamer, from
Stettin; City of Norwich, steamer, from Toning; Seine,
steamer, from Boulogne ; Blonde, steamer, from Udde-
walla ; Maria, from St. Petersburg; Sea Bird, from Guern-
sey ; Tonning, steamer, from Tonning.
Sailed, Aug. 11—Velocity, steamer, for Calais.
DEAL, Saturday Morning.
Passed, Aug. 10—Syracuse, from London, for Kertch ;
St. Dunstan's, from London, for Morton Bay; Lope de
Vega, screw steamer, from London, for Cardiff.
Passed, Aug. 11 —Prothesa, from London, for Salcombe;
Ann Banfield, from London, for Scilly; Trident, from
Queenstown, fur Ipswich; Undine, from the north, for the
west ; Armenia, from Queenstown, for Granton.

Foreignßlail Packet List.
MAILS DUE.
Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton., A.ug. 19.
Ditto, via Marseilles Aug 13.
Brazil and Cape Verde, by British packet ...... Sept. 3.
Ditto, by French packet
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Aug. 21.
China, Penang. and Singapore. via Southampton Aug 19.
Ditto, via Marseilles Aug 13
Faikland Islands
Gibraltar, via Southampton
Aug. 13.
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.— Au,g. 19
Ditto, via Marseilles .................. . —....Aug. 13
India (Bombay), via Southampton. Aug. 12.
Ditto, via Marseilles . Aug. 2 .
hialta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Aug. 21.
Ditto, via Marseilles Aug. 13.
afauritius, via Southampton Aug. 19
Ditto, via Marseilles. Aug. 13
Newfoundland , , Aug. 15.
Portugal .................. .. .................. " Sept. S.
Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon. . ...
United States and British North America, by Bri-
tish packet Aug. 15
Ditto. by United States packet, via Southamp-

ton ...........
Ditto, via
C0rk.......

Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry ..Aug. 17.
West Coast of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe ... Aug. .0.
West Ind'-^_s and Pa 0111.3 (except ilainunas and

Honduras)
Cuba and Mexico - . Aug. 13
Aug. 28
Bermuda, via Halifax
Bahamas, via New York. ~ , * ' .. Aug. 29.
Aug. 15.

MIL GLADSTONE AND THE REORM LEAGUE.--The
following letters, says the Manchester Guardian, have been
handed to us for publication: —" Manchester, 38, Cannon-
street, 6th August, 1866.—Sir,—As one who had the hon-
pardon me with the proceedings of
our of voting for you at the last election, I trust you will
fMr. Bealea or asking h
if
friends you agree
during the past few weeks. It
is possible that I am mistaken, but I cannot help thinking
that the language used by those gentlemen has materially
injured the cause of Reform. Mr. Bright may think they
a
have been engaged in noble work,' but I should be sorry
to find that you entertain any such opinion. Mr. Beales
and the Reform League cry for 'Gladstone and liberty,' and
their scheme of Reform includes manhood suffrage. I should
not dare to dispute your right to advocate manhood suf-
frage, though I feel confident the people of South Lanca-
shire are opposed to such a measure. With the deepest
gratitude to you for the services you have rendered to your
country, I remain, sir, yours very respectfully, Wm. HORS-
PALL. The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P." " 11,
Carlton-house-terrace, S.W., August 8, 1866. Sir, —ln re-
ply to your letter of the 6th, I beg respectfully to express
my desire that my views respecting Reform in Parliament
should be gathered from my own acts, and from my lan-
guage, in which they have been amply stated. I do not
agree in the demand either for manhood or for household
suffrage ; while I own with regret that the conduct of the
opponents of the Government measure of this year has
done much to encourage that demand, which, but for such
opposition, would scarcely have been heard of. You are
at liberty to make such use of this letter as you may think
fit, and I remain, sir, your very humble servant, W. E.
GLADSTONE. William Horsfall, Esq."
THE HYDE PARK RIOTS.—SUBSCRIPTION FOR
THE POLICE.—Lord William G. Osborne has forwarded to
Sir Richard Mayne a cheque for £5OO, the amount of a
voluntary subscription, to assist those among the police
who have been injured or disabled in the recent disturb-
ances at Hyde-park.
The office of the U.S. Revenue Collector at
Nashville was recently robbed of $2,300 in U.S. Trea-
sury notes and somo $4OO in cheques. The burglars used
[ false keys.

An American National Bank in London.

A printed circular has been forwarded to us, ably
commenting on the present dead-lock of the English
money market, and suggesting the establishment in
Europe of a Great National American Bank to
regulate the exchanges with the United States. If
an unfavourable exchange arises,- says this docu-
ment, from the fact of the balance of trade being
against us, and gold is exported merely as the
cheapest mode of paying our debts, then a supply
of bills will soon check the exportation of gold. To
obtain this supply of bills it strikes us Uncle Sam
should try the experiment of becoming his own
banker in London rather than be dependent on the
Bank of England. On an average the balance of
trade is not against the United States, though
the balance of exchange may be so at given pe-
riods. Gold is the natural product of the soil,
and we need not fear a drain, or devise means to
prevent its exportation. But let us keep control
of the gold, and not subject ourselves to rules and
enactments of British bank directors. If the
Bank of Englnd increases or decreases her cir-
culation by reason of injudicious legislation, it
is pretty evident that the rate of exchange be-
tween the United States and England is subject to
fluctuations wholly at variance with the require-
ments of the balance of trade. The fluctuations arc
brought about by the see-saw fashion of the Bank
of England. We entirely agree with the writer,
and we regret that the author has not forwarded his
name and the steps taken to bring the matter to the
consideration of American merchants. We will be
prepared to enter more fully on this subject if the
writer will communicate further with us, for we
hold with him when he says—" British merchants
fail to set the house in order, and after a long, reck-

less locking up of capital in bubble schemes, and
over-nursing of cotton speculations, they find them-
selves involved in endless financial difficulties. The
United States should not be ma-de the sufferers
under the circumstances."—Anglo-American Times.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE--Last Evening.

Amsterdam Short. 11 171 11 181
_ _

3 Months. 12 if 12 2 2
t
12 it •12
25 57} •25 6' I
25 57f 25 621
13 10f 18 101
Short 25 20 • 25 30

Ditto..
Rotterdam
Antwerp
Brussels •
Hamburg
Paris

Ditto 3 Months. 25 47} 25 55
Marseilles
Frankfort on the Maine 120} 1211
Vienna — 13 50 14
Trieste — 13 50 14
Petersburgh
Berlin. — 6 :27i 6 28
"

Madrid , -
Cadiz

Leghorn
Milan

27 28 10
27 85 28 10

Genoa
Naples

27 85 " 28 10
27 85 28 10

A very satisfactory meeting has been: held by the
Royal Insurance Company (Fire and •Life.) The
results declared for the year were highly favourable,
notwithstanding the adverse experience in fire
business during the last few years, which this com-
pany admits in common with all others. Neverthe-
less the Royal shows a small profit for 1865, and de-
clares its usual dividend, amounting to 17i per cent.
to the original shareholders, after payment of which
there will
.be A. credit balance of £62,076 in the
profit and loss account, besides a sum of £116,913
as fire reserve. The net fire premiums of the year
amounted to £414,733, and the new policies issued
in the life department were for £886,663, exclusive
of proposals to the amount of £189,947 which were
found inadmissible. The directors likewise report
that the accumulated life funds had been increased
during the year by £103,146.
GREAT RIOT BETWEEN FRENCH AND ENGLISH
NAVVIES AT EDENBRIDGE.—The village and neigh-
bourhood of Cowden was, on Saturday night, thrown into
a state of great excitement in consequence of an alarming
riot between the English and French navvies employed
in the construction of the Surrey and Sussex line of
railway. It appears that the French engineers em-
ployed by the contractors, Messrs. Waring Brothers, have
engaged some 500 French navvies to compete with the
English navvies (about the same in number), who were
earning 6s. a day, the Frenchmen engaging to work for 4s.
per day, and some even as low as 2s. 4d. In consequence of
the Frenchmen working for so much less money than the
Englishmen, the Englishmen came to the determination on
Saturday of driving every foreigner off the line. At about half
past ten o'clock in the evening they went to a farmhouse
at Blowers-hill, occupied by the Frenchmen, and put their
threat into execution, turning them out, and smashing the
windows at the same time. When they went to the house
they found the occupants, men, women, and children, all
in bed. The English navvies rapped at the door for some
time before the landlord would open it, but as soon as he
did so they struck him down with a bludgeon, and turned
the Frenchmen, with their wives and children, out of the
house in their bedclothes, and one poor woman, who had
been confined about a fortnight previously, pleaded hard
that she should remain in the house, but they turned her
out also with the rest. No policemen were present at
this time, but a man rode off to the police-station at
Tonbridge, and Superintendent Dance soon dis-
patched a body of police, headed by himself, to the spot.
Their arrival stayed further damage, except that in the
meantime several huts had been pulled down by them, until
Monday morning, when the English navvies, armed with
bludgeons some 2} feet in length, drove the Frenchmen in
herds before them to the Edenbridge station, where the
police were already awaiting them. The French-
men had drawn their knives, and were brandishing them
about, and no doubt the riot would have resulted in a
general slaughter had it not been for the interference of
the police, numbering about 60.. When at Edenbridge
station the English navvies were kept in the village,
and the Frenchmen above the, station, the pOlice being
stationed between them, arrangements being made for
other bodies of police, together with a detachment of
military to bo in readiness when called upon. Several of
the French navvies proceeded to Oxted, in Surrey (on
another line), but the greater portion remained at the Eden-
bridge station, under the protection of the police, until
orders are received from the Home Secretary bow they
are to be disposed :of. On Monday morning all the beer-
shops wore closed in Edenbridge, excepting two, in con-
sequence of the riot, and business was to a certain extent
at a standstill. The greater portion of the English navvies
resumed work on the line on Tuesday morning, and the
town was generally quiet. An Englishman was brought
before the Tonbridge magistrates and remanded.
NEW MODE OF CORRECTING COMPASS VARIA-
TIONS.—Few things are more annoying to the
mariner than the compass variations which, especially in
the navigation of iron ships, he has to provide against. An
extremely simple and ingenious mode of ascertaining the
deviation has, however, been devised by a naval com-
mander connected with the Naval Academy at Annapolis,
Maryland, U.S., which will remove all difficulty in the
matter. It is proposed to take an ordinary compass card,
and erect upon its centre a fine copper wire, from 4 to 6 or 8
inches in height, and perpendicular to its plane, at the moment
of the sun's meridian passage, as indicated by the noon ob-
servation of latitude, note the direction of the shadow cast
by the wire on the compass card. The angle contained
between this direction and that of the north and south line
of the card will give the variation and local attraction com-
bined. Small errors are involved in this method, but the
approximation is close enough for the purpose for which it
is intended. As there would, of course, be no diffi luny in
making this wire a permanent fixture-to the card, it will
be obvious that this arrangement would enable the devia-
tion of the compass to be daily tested.—Mining Journal.

The Moniteur publishes a circular, extending
over six columns of the official journal, from the Minister
of the Interior to the Prefects of departments, explaining
at great length the extended attributes of the councils-
general, in consequence of the bill which received the
Emperor's sanction on the 18th July last.
THE MOORS.—The prospects of sport for the
opening of the grouse shooting next week on the vast range
of hills running from South Yorkshire into Derbyshire
and Cheshire are anything but encouraging to sportsmen,
and the season promises to be one of the worst which
has been experienced for some years past. On Boardhill
Flats, and on the adjoining grounds of Sir Lionel
Pilkington, there are only a moderate number of
young birds, whilst at several of the other shootings not far
distant but few birds are to be seen. This is more apparent
from the number of old birds running in pairs, showing
that they have no brood. On the extensive range of
moors belonging to Mr. Stanhope, and which is generally
well stocked, there is a great dearth compared with
former years. Higher up, at Holmfirth, where there is
rather more shelter,'and where the herbage is much earlier
than in the more open plains, birds are slightly more
plentiful. Tho scarcity of birds in all parts of the country
has no doubt been caused by the heavy snow which lay on
the ground so long, and which not only caused the de-
structions of a largo number of eggs but also of the Lird
after being hatched.
PROROGATION OF CONVOCATION._(
TIIIS DAL)
The Convocation of the prelates and clergy of the pro-
vince of Canterbury was this morning formally prorogued
by the Archbishop, at the Jerusalem Chamber, until Fri-
day, the 26th of October.
The Earl and Countess Granville have left town
for Studley Park, Yorkshire, on a visit to the Earl and
Coutoo de Gre7. _

MARKETS.---This Day.

COVENT GARDEN.

With both fruit and vegetables the market is well sup-
plied. The trade is steady at our quotations
FRUIT—Pine apples, 5s to 6s; grapes, 2s 6d to 6s ;
cherries, Os 3d to is Od; filberts, 6d to is per lb ; apples,
is 3d to 2s 6d ; pears, is 3d to 2s Od ; gooseberries, is 6d
to 2s 6d ; plums, 2s 6d to 3s 6d; greengages, 4s to 4s 6d ;
currents, 2s Od to 5s Od per half sieve • oranges, lOs to 14s;
lemons, 3s 6d to 8s per 100 ; strawberries, 4d`to is ; rasp-
berries, 4d to is per punnet ; foreign pines, is to 3s each.
VEGETABLES—Red cabbages, is Gd to 2s Od ; white do.,
9d to is 3d ; cauliflowers, is to 2s Od ; horseradish, 9d to
is 6d per doz heads; greens, 2s Od to 2s Gd ; turnips, 2s
to 2s Od ; carrots, 3s Od to 3s 6d ; onions, is to 2s Od per
dozen bunches ; cucumbers, 3d to is Od each ; peas, is Od
to la 6d ; French beans, is Od to is Gd per half sieve ; cos
lettuces, 8d to is per score.