The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-23 00:00:00

THAMES.

EMBEZZLEMENT BY A MILLER.—Robert Nether-
cott, a miller's foreman, about 30 years of age, was
brought before Mr. Benson charged with embezzling
divers sums of money he had received for and on
account of his master, Mr. W. B. Hammond, of the
Crown Mills, Yarrow-street, Ratcliff.

The prisoner had been in the service of Mr.
Hammond for five years at a good salary. The
prisoner kept the retail cash book. It was his
duty to enter every purchase in a book and
to hand that book weekly to his master,
and account for all the receipts. Mr. Hammond
gave the prisoner a holiday to Yarmouth, which
lasted eight days, and paid all his expenses. While
he
e
wasaway he discovered that the prisoner had
been cheating him, and had not accounted for all
the money he had taken. The prisoner's defalca-
tions were stated to be very heavy, but two cases
only were gone into. The prisoner sold 4 cwt. of
n.i ldlings and 1 sack of winnow dust to Mr. James
Wratte. a tradesman, for 135., and only ac-
counted for a portion of it. Mr. Hammond had not
received the money for the 4 cwt. of middlings, and
the prisoner had not debited himself with it in his
book. On the 10th inst., Mrs. Thorpe of No. 49,
London-street, Ratcliff, purchased two sacks of
middlings,been accounted whichfaocrcn ted shepaid him £1 is. That had
never for. The prisoner was appr e-
end ed by Donald M'Kay, a police-constable, No.
275 K. On the way to the police station in a cab
the prisoner began to cry, acknowledged a good
master, and asked forgiveness. Mr. Hammond re-
plied, "No, I cannot forgive you ; I don't know the
ewxatrednst
tyouold haveAl,Kraoy that Mr. Hammond had beenb bed me." The prisoner after-
the best of masters to him, and had given him £2 to
enable him to spend his holiday comfortable.
The prisoner, in defence, said—l own I have
done wrong. A publican living near the mill
asked me to lend him £5. I did so, and he never
repaid the money, and I could not replace it in the
desk.

Mr. Benson—That is not a legal defence to the
charge. You had no right to lend your master's
money to any one. You are committed for trial.
COMMITTAL FOR MANSLAUGHTER.—Dorothy Ver-
denhalver, landlady of the Wellington public-house
in the Cannon-street-road, adjoining the church of
St. George-in-the-East, surrendered on bail to an-
swer a charge of killing her husband, Conrad Ver-
denhalver, by stabbing him with a table knife in
the course of a quarrel a few days ago.

Mr. Charles Young, solicitor, again defended the
prisoner.

Mr. Benson asked if an inquest had been held on
he body of the deceased.

Inspector Gee, of the K division, answered in the
affirmative, and said the coroner's jury returned a
verdict of manslaughter against the prisoner, who
was admitted to bail by the coroner.
The medical evidence clearly proved that the
wound which the unfortunate woman inflicted on
her husband in a moment of passion was the cause
of death.

Mr. Benson committed the prisoner for trial for
manslaughter, and accepted bail.

If any warning were needed against the reckless
employment of Royal Commissions as a shift for
relieving the Government from the embarrassment
of taking a decided course on questions of domestic
policy, it would ba supplied, says a contemporary,
by a recent return of the cost of the Commission on
Irish Railways. The total expenditure on this pre-
cious inquiry has been no less than £22,500. Three
commissioners and a secretary shared £3,225 ;
office expenses, printing, and that beautifully com-
prehensive phrase, " incidentals," cover £2,298 ;
travelling expenses arc set down as £5,255 ; and
the allowances of engineers and accountants,
£11,726.
THE TEA DUTY IS REDUCED—Horninzan's Pure Tea is
sold Bd. per pound Cheaper. This interesting fact will, when
fully known, even further increase the demand for these
Choice, long-approved Teas. They are not sold loose, but
°WU in Packets, signed " 11Grstrilan," Lndon.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(rnom OUP. OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, WEDNESDAY, July 21.

The statement that negotiations have been entered into
with a view of establishing a Customs Union between
France, Holland, and Belgium continues to find believers.
Some are even of opinion that the matter will not end
with negotiation, but that a military confederation as
well as a Customs Union is- an immediate probability.
The opening of negotiations is quite possible ; but in
their successful termination I cannot bring myself to
believe. France may have offered terms, because she has
everything to gain and nothing to lose by the change. The
smaller countries are, however, pretty nearly in the reverse
position. The only danger to which they are exposed is
the danger of incorporation by France. Are they likely to
annex themselves voluntarily, to guard against the chances
of being annexed by force ?

Apropos to the question of alliances is the much-talked-
of friendship between Austria and Prussia. There is no
doubt that some leading men in both countries are endea-
vouring to bring about at least a rapprochement, if not an
alliance. The New Free Press of Vienna advocates it
strongly. The chance of a treaty between Prussia and
Russia prevented for some time any steps being taken in the
matter, but the question is now freely ventilated. It has
been seen that Russia is occupied with her designs in the
East, and bestows very little attention upon European
politics. She is not at all likely to burden herself with
the responsibility of any alliance. On the other
hand, there are some objections to a better under-
standing between the two German Powers. In
particular, the remembrance of the last alliance is not yet
effaced in Austria. The scheme has, however, its advan-
tages. It would secure Prussia against France, and would
strengthen Austria in the East. Whatever may be the
chance of these late enemies coming to terms, the subject
causes some alarm here.

It is astonishing that political ferment, in any shape,
should be possible this weather. It seems, however, that
the heat has deranged the faculties of divers individuals.
I hear that last night some sediticus placards had been
posted in the faubourgs, and that they had been pulled
down and several arrests made. Of course the report
will be denied, as is the rule in such cases ; but it
may be true or false. The Pays bas either swindled
itself, or has made a not very successful attempt
to swindle the public. It publishes a proclama-
tion, signed " The Central Committee of Action," beaded
by " Libert6, Egalitd, Fraternitd," and containing above
a column and a half of intolerable rubbish, the purport of
which is that the time for action has arrived. It is gene-
rally believed that this document was concocted by the
men of genius who edit the Pays. After all, however,
that unhappy print may have been hoaxed. It is strange
that a paper which receives Imperial support should not
be kept in better order. To publish or to invent such a
low piece of rant is alike discreditable.

A defaulter was captured in Paris on Monday, after
a curious chase, in which a London policeman figured to
greater advantage than is generally the case with your
metropolitan force. A German youth, employed in a lead-
ing commercial house at London, absconded early in the
present month with a large sum of money, including a
cheque for £4OO. This he quietly signed and then got the
money. Departing for the Continent, he steered his
course so sagely that though he was telegraphed after
everywhere he was found nowhere. While the police were
searching Paris he was at Nantes. His abode was at
length discovered, and one of the ablest of the London
police sent after him. This emissary arrived at Nantes just
in time to find that the desired one had departed, taking
with him a young Alsatian— of the gentler sex. When
the policeman got to Paris again, whither he judged the
fugitives had gone, he commenced a search under difficul-
ties. He did not know a word of French, and had no
clue to the defaulter except a photograph which the
German had left behind him. For two- days the detective
beat the pavement of Paris, accompanied by an interpreter.
His diligence was at length rewarded. The German
was arrested with his fair companion in a splendidly_
furnished house. This had been the residence of the girl,
whilst the German, the better to avoid detection, had
installed himself in a first-class hotel.

The Italian correspondent of the LibertJ continues his
assertions respecting Garibaldian enrolments in Italy, in
spite of all denials, official or otherwise. He says that
enlistments are daily occurring in Rome, and that large
numbers of young men are placing themselves at the dis•
posal of the Mazzinian " head-centres."

THE WEATHER TABLE.-THIS DAY.

11ETEOEOLOGICAL ELrOrTS.

Extreme k
Thurssday, r f
" ~5, '...2•°1 I F. I ,
July 23, I B. !T. .° W. Ito F. D. , W It.
8 a.m. I r, P-, 12 !
Nairn
Aberdeen
Leith
Shields
Scarborough 3014 r. 57 55 N. 6 2 N. !t. c o o'2o
Yarmouth 1 34'1,0r. 67 64 N.W. 5 5 S.S.E. ' c.
Helder
Cuxhaven
Skudestims !
Ardrossan —3011 r. 57 53 N. N.W. 2 3 N.W. r. o. ' o'o4'
Greencastle 33 34r. 28 55 N.E. 3 5 N. o. c.
Holyhead
Liverpool
Valentia 30 33r. 58 52 N.N.E. 6 5 N.N.W. c.rb
Cape Clear 3o'27r. 58 56 N.E. 5 3 N.E. c. _
1' ocle's Pt. 30'26r. 58 54 N. 5 5 S.S.W. b.
Penzance
Plymouth
Weymouth 30'11r. 72 65 N. 5 3 N.E. c.m.
Portsmouth 30'04r. 71 65 N.E. 4 2 S. c.
London _
C'peGris Nez 29155. 68 64 S.W. 1 o.
lirest
L'Orient ..
Rochefort 30•02r. 72 70 E. 1 4 S.W. c.f.
Biarritz - .c.f
Corunna — _ _ ...... _ _
Brussels
Paris - —.—
Strasbourg — __ _. _
Lyons —
Toulon
Heart's Con-
tent (6 a.m.
ocal time) , 30'2Cf. 56 56 S. 1 2 I S. b.