The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-01 00:00:00

neral in Egypt, giving the assurance that no forced labour
was being employed, or will be employed, on the works of the
Suez Canal ?

Lord PALMERSTON said that the report had been re-
ceived on this subject, and it appeared that the workmen
had been employed to carry out the works in question by
the authorities to whom these works were entrusted. He
believed they were well paid, but whether they worked
according to their own wishes or not he was not in a posi-
tion to state. (Laughter.)

MAYNOOTH COLLEGE.
In reply to Mr. WHALLEY,
Sir R. PEEL said that he could not afford the hon. mem-
ber the information which he required.

The " MONUMENT" AND THE DUKE OF YORK'S

COLUMN.

Mr. C. BENTINCK asked the First Commissioner of
Works whether the Board of Works could obtain power to
remove the iron cages which are at present placed upon the
respective summits of the Monument and the Duke of
York's Column; and, if so, whether such cages might not
be replaced by some other protection against accidents ?
Mr. COWPER said that the cages had been placed upon
the statue and column in question by the commissioners in
consequence of the suicide of a musician from one of the
monuments ; but they ha i no objection to substitute for
them other means to prevent the recurrence of a similar
event, which would not present any disfigurement of these
monuments.

THE GALWAY CONTRACT.
In reply to Col. FRENCH,

Lord PALMERSTON said that he would endeavour on
the part of the Government to make some statement in refe-
rence to the subject before the prorogation of Parliament.

THE MEGIERA. TRANSPORT.—THE CASE OF
THOMAS CARTER.
In reply to General BUCKLEY,

Sir G. C. LEWIS said that he inquired at the War
Department relative to the Mega ra, but there had been no
intelligence received in respect to that vessel. He availed
himself of that opportunity to make a statement in reference
to the man, Thomas Carter, who had been committed to
prison as a vagrant at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight. He
said on a former occasion that the committing magistrate
had informed him that a copy of the evidence against the
person had been forwarded to the Home-office, and it had
since been received. On reading it, he considered that the
imprisonment which Thomas Carter had already under-
gone was sufficient, and he had directed his release. (Hear,
hear.)

PAROCHIAL BURGH SCHOOLS (SCOTLAND)
(No. 2) BILL.
The Lords' amendments to this bill were considered and
agreed to.

OFFICERS OF RESERVE (ROYAL NAVY) BILL.
On the motion for the third reading of this bill,

Mr. LINDSAY said that he had received communica-
tions from France to the effect that the statement on the
part of her Majesty's Government relative to the
alleged increase of the navy in France was totally
unfounded, and that the Emperor of the French had ex-
pressed a strong desire that there should be an amicable
understanding in reference to this matter.

Lord PALMERSTON said that in December last the
French Government took the resolution of constructing 10
iron cased ships of war in addition to th 3 four they already
possessed. There was some doubt as to the most efficient
mode of their construction until experiments hal
been made in reference to La Gloire, and it was not
until May that the ships were proceeded with. With
regard to the suggestion of the honourable mem-
ber (Mr. White) as to any agreement with other
Governments relative to the limitation of the naval or mili-
tary armaments of this country, it involved a question of
great importance. He thought the British Government
should not enter into any negotiation of that nature, and
that the naval and military armaments of this country
should be regulated without reference to any other govern
ment than that of the Executive of this country.
The bill was then read a third time and passed.
MARRIAGE (IRELAND) BILL.

The order for the second reading of this bill was dis-
charged, and the bill was withdrawn.

MEETING OF THE HOUSE.

Lord PALMERSTON stated that it was arranged tho
house should meet at two o'clock to-morrow.
(I.EZT SITTING.)

THE BATTLE FOR BREAD AT THE DOCK GATES—
But, hark I a stentorian voice shouts " Men wanted." The
effect is magical. The listless demeanour of the crowd
changes in a moment to one of bustle and activity; and it
speeds with desperate head-long haste to the dock gate,
where it blocks up the road, and renders the pavement totally
impassable. Perhaps only a dozen hands are required, bat
there are already two or three hundred applicants besaiging
the sturdy determined.looking man, to whom is entrusted
the unenviable duty of selecting the necessary mon, which is
instantly done by his practised eye. The labourers thus
picked out have—despite their energetic and sometimes fistic
remonstrances—to fight their way through the dense, heav-
ing mass, which commences a terrific clamour. Shouting,
wrestling, struggling, fighting, kicking, and swearing, the
disappointed men strive to prevent their successful compe-
titors from approaching the gate, and for a few moments
ores, curses, groans, imprecations, and hisses commingle in
deafenin g discca d. The strongest dash aside the weakest, all
friendship is forgotten, and the animal passions predominate
in the breasts of those who compose the crowd ; as they push
and grapple with each other in the frenzied, savage excite-
ment of disappointment and despair. Then the loud clear
voice of the foreman is heard threatening the foremost of the
refractory, and instantly the tempest subsides, and all is com-
paratively silent. The men with scowling, sullen looks slowly
retreat to the old nooks and corners to await another chance.
A few strive to obtain liquor on credit at the beer shop, ethers
retreat slowly homewards, while the remainder settle down
into the old attitude of listless expectancy; and the careless
pedestrian passing by would perceive few traces of the recent
agitation occasioned by the "battle for bread," as one of the
men graphically described it. So the men wait, wait, and
wait till they drop off one by one, and leave !their places to
be filled by others, who in their turn go through the same
dismal, heart-crushing routine.—Once a Week.
MYSTERIOUS ROBB ERY.—Count Batthyany occu-
pies a bed-room at tl'e New Steine Hotel during Goodwood
Races and the Brighton meeting. Yesterday morning when
he arose he miss: d from his dressing-table a scarf-pin, some
gold sleeve links, a purse containing a few sovereigns, a
blotting case, &c. An inquiry was immediately instituted,
and not one of the servants was suspected of committing
the robbery. The hotel was opened at six o'clock in the
morning, and a boy who has to rise early speaks of seeing a
gentlemanly-looking man in the passage on the first floor,
and supposing him to be one of the visitors to the hotel he
took no notice of it till after the news of the robbery obtained
circulation. Just at this period of the races the town is
usually visited by persons of loose character, and it behoves
our hotel keepers and others to be on their guard.—Brighton
Gazette of this day.

THE DEVIL AT CORFU.—About a fortnight ago
the quiet town of Corfu was startled one night by the ap-
pearance of his Satanic Majesty. Men fled in all directions,
women fainted, and children cried, but there the devil was,
and nobody dared go near him. The superstitious Greeks
attributed his arrival either as a consequence of their comet,
or else a punishment of the late conduct towards England,
or else as the beginning of the end of the world; but, as to
its being a hoax, that was out of the question. But it was
a hoax, and carried too far, for some women became dan-
gerously ill, and it is said one died of fright. The police,
who are remarkable in Corfn for their stupidity and cowar-
dice, were ordered to take him, and succeeded in surround-
ing him, on which he blew fire from his mouth, and the
police vanished in every direction. The officers of the
garrison watched in the streets for him, but he did not care
to come across them, and kept out of the way till they had
retired. This went on for three or four nights, when he
suddenly disappeared, and at the same time; an officer of
the navy who had been turned out of the service for mis-
conduct and who was waiting at Corfu for a passage home,
left the island in a steamer. There is now very little doubt
that ho personated the devil; at least he is suspected of it.
The " get up" was capital—the usual horns and tail, and
an apparatus on his feet by which he was able to increase
his height to seven feet, and diminish it again to his ordi-
nary stature. The police, although armed with swords, are
cowards. A short time after the disappearance of the devil
an officer, Capt. Douglas, 9th Regiment, and Mr. Tyndal,
a gentleman travelling in those rifts, were returning home
at 11 o'clock at night, having been playing at billiards.
Capt. Douglas was saying good night to Mr. Tyndal at the
door of the hotel, when a policeman came and stood close
to them. They told him to go away; he gave a whistle
and was immediately jeined by 10 or 12 other policemen
armed with swords, and by a small crowd of blackguards ;
they surrounded these two gentlemen, abused and beat
them, and on their attempting to run up the stairs of the
hotel, dragged them back, drew their swords, cut Captain
Douglas's lip open to the chin, and inflicted a good many
stabs on Mr. Tyndal's body. Neither of these gentlemen
was armed even with a stick, otherwise the police would
have fared badly. Having committed this unprovoked
assault they left them on the ground. Both Capt. Douglas
and Mr. Tyndal are seriously hurt. A Military Court of
Inquiry assembled, but had no power beyond giving its
opinion, which was that an unprovoked attack had been
committed on these two gentlemen by the police. The
civil authorities did not seem to think much about it as
the sufferers were English, but probably will be compelled
to do something. And so ends the story of the devil's visit
to Corfu.
BORNEO.—Her Majesty's steamer Charybdis re
turned to Singapore on the 15th of June from Muka. Mr.
St. John, the British Consul-General to Brune, proceeded
up the river accompanied by the armed boats of the
Charybdis, and delivered to the chiefs of the place, Pan-
gerans, Diepa, and Wahar, the Sultan's firman ordering
them to throw down their defences, and receive Sir James
Brooke as his representative. Mr. St. John was received
with great respect, and implicit obedience to the behests of
the Sultan promised. The forts are said not to be so strong
as was supposed, and the feeling among the chiefs, as well
as people, was in favour of submission. It was thought
that Scheriff Massahore would give himself up if he re-
ceived a premise that his life would be spared.—London
and China Tokfrarh.

LA TV 11V-T.ELLIGENCE—(2L;3 Day).

SHERRIFS' COURT.
(Before Mr. Sergeant Wheeler.)
AIICTIM SALES.-CURIOUS DISCLOSLTRES.-:ACICSOIC C.

HUNT.

This was an action to recover £5O, plaintiff being a gen-
lenan of property, and defendant an auctioneer.

Mr. Laxton, for the plaintiff, said his client, having been
to Italy, brought home with him a number of very fine
paintings, which he lodged with defendant for the purpose
of sale by public auction. An agreement was entered into
by which !defendant was :to have 7+ per cent. on all sales
over £lOO, but in addition to this sum defendant had
charged most exorbitant rates, and plaintiff sought to re
cover the overplus. . _

Defendant was called to prove the set-off which had been
pleaded (Lll3 odd), and said that he was to sell the pic-
tures. Sold by auction, £l4l 12s. 6d. ; and privately, £2O.
Plaintiff removed remainder of pictures. They were to
have been sold without reserve, but plaintiff employed two
brokers to bid for him, and so keep up the prices. (A
laugh.)

Mr. Buchanan cross-examined his client as to the items
of the set-off, and as to the charge of £3l for three weeks'
hire of rooms.

Defendant said the charges were fair and reasonable, and
it was customary to charge (under certain circumstances)
hire of room in addition to commission.

Plaintiff was called, and said that he marked the cat.a
Logue with a reserve price of £960. He never sanctioned
the employment of brokers to bid on his behalf.
By Mr. Buchanan—Do not swear I mentioned the word
'reserve'' to defendant.

The witnesses as to the custom of charging for hire of
rooms flatly contradicted each other ; and upon the subject
of the £2 2s. for the "bonnets," or brokers, Mr. Buchanan
called one Asherford, who said he suggested the employ-
ment of the brokers to the plaintiff, and that gentleman
acquiesced. It was customary to employ these men in all
the rooms in London.
Mr. Laxton—To make mock bids.
Witness.—l protect the seller. It is done everywhere—
even at Christie and Manson's.
His Honour—Don't mention Christie and Manson's
name.

Mr. Lawton—It is a mock auction then.
Mr. Buchanan then contended that defendant had made
out his case, inasmuch as the charge for room hire was
warranted by plaintiff breaking his contract of sale without
reserve.

His Honour was of opinion that a charge of £ll3 for
selling £l6l worth of pictures was rather high. Defendant
could not charge for hire of rooms in addition to commission.
He had paid plaintiff £lOO, £25 was agreed for expenses and
£l2 for commission, and the verdict would be for £29 10s.
Verdict for plaintiff.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

DARING STREET ROBBERY.—George Harris, a lad from
the neighbourhood of Leather-lane, Holborn, was charged
with the following robbery.
From the evidence of Miss Jessie Davis, of 109, Sloane •
street, it appeared that on the previous afternoon she was
looking in a shop window on the north side of Oxford-
street when she requested Mrs. Geerts, a friend, to hold her
purse. As soon as Mrs. Geerts had taken her purse the
prisoner ran up, snatched it from her hand, and ran across
Oxford-street, down Blenheim-steps, when he was stopp©d
near the Marlborough Mews station by Breach, 199 C, and
the purse was found in his breast pocket.
The prisoner admitted his guilt, and was committed for
three months, with hard labour, Mr. Tyrwhitt having
ascertained that he was not known.

ASSAULT AT AN OYSTER ROOM.—Mr. John Wright
Long, of 13, Granby-street, Hampstead-road, commercial
traveller, was charged with assaulting George Haberfield
waiter in oyster rooms, 372, Oxford-street, and also with
assaulting Jesse Fowler, 154 C
Mr. Tyrwhitt allowed the defendant to recompense the
waiter, and fined him ss. for assaulting the constable.

THIS DAY'S MAREETS.