The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-23 00:00:00

THE BARON DE VIDIL'S SON.

It will be seen that the young man has refused
to giTe evidence against his father, and he has
been sentenced to the mild punishment of a month's
imprisonment in the Queen's prison. It would
seem from this that he is aware that if he told
the truth the consequences might be very painful
to his father; and, atrocious as the act of the
latter might be, public opinion, concurring with
that of the judge, will doubtless view leniently
what in other relations must be regarded as one of
the most serious of offences against society. The
punishment is, undoubtedly, very light ; justice
demands that the Baron, if of sane mind, should not
escape ; and yet, probably, every father and every
son feels compelled to sympathise with the young
witness who refuses to aid in bringing down
penalties on a most unworthy parent. If a good
father could forgive his " prodigal son" the worst
he could do, a good son will be allowed to show the
extreme of forbearance towards an unnatural
father.

The Austrian Ambassador and the Countess
Apponyi have left Chandos House for Austria. During his
excellency's absence Count Wimpffen will act as charge

d'affairs.

FRENCH LAW ON WILLs.—A case relative to the
wills of the late Lord Henry Seymour was yesterday sub-
mitted to the Civil Tribunal. By a will made the 19th of
June, 1856, he " gave and bequeathed to Frederick Sey-
mour 200,000 f., and is the event of his death to his eldest
daughter, Mary Seymour," and all his property not other-
wise specified to the hospitals of London and Paris. Ho
made another will, dated the 22d of June, 1858, which was
almost the literal reproduction of the first one, but which
made no mention of the bequest to Frederick Seymour or
his daughter. Mr. Frederick Seymour being dead, his
daughter, now Mrs. Biddulph, and her husband, yesterday
brought an action against the executors of the deceased
nobleman, and also against the hospitals of Paris and Lon-
don, his residuary legatees, to obtain payment of the
200,000 f., and they based it on the ground that, as the
legacy was not expressly revoked in the second will, it must
take effect. But on the part of the hospitals counsel con-
tended that the omission must by law be held to prove that
the testator did not mean to make the legacy ; and, besides,
they stated that he had left a written declaration to the
effect that he annulled all bequests made previously to the
22d of June, 1858. The tribunal decided that the suit o
Mr. and Mrs. Biddulph must be dismissed with costs.
Galignani' s Messenger.
STATE OF THE IRON AND COAL TRADES.—In
the iron trade in this district there is more stirring; the in-
creased demand is principally for merchant bars and sheets;
for the last named some fair orders have come in during
the week. In the coal trade the demand is increasing,
and large quantities are now being sent off by rail and water
into the midland districts as well as the London markets.
Since the introductim of railroads into South Staffordshire
and East 'Worcestershire a vast impetus has been
given to this trade. It is now no longer depen-
dent upon home consumption, and generally speaking,
colliers have little to complain of as it regards
shortness of trade. Collieries which have no branch rail-
roads connecting them with the main lines find some diffi-
culty during the summer months of keeping their pits
fully in gait, but this is only of comparatively
short duration. First-rate samples of white iron-
stone and gubbin, the produce of the district, are in good
request, and are realising from lls. to 15s. per ton. Life •
rior sorts of ironstone are being sold at lower rates ; these
serve as a mixture with the richer ores, and are found very
useful. A considerable quantity of surplus labour has bet n
drained off into the agricultural districts during the last
week, but when harvest operations are over, and the vari-
ous parties return, they will not, we fear, find the labour
'market much improved.—Wolverhampton Chronicle,