The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-01 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

COMPENSATION.—The Court of Queen's Bench has been
occupied in an interesting medical discussion. Mr. Allan,
manager of the Worcester Engine Works Company, was
hurt in January 1867 by a collision on the London and
North-Western Railway, and the company's liability
was not denied. Plaintiff had not been able to attend
to his business since the accident, and a formidable array
of medical men was called. Sir William Fergusson and
the other witnesses for the plaintiff were decidedly of
opinion that the brain and spine were injured ; while, on
the other side, equally eminent testimony was as decidedly
of an exactly contrary opinion. The doctors disagreed,
but the jury decided with Sir William, and gave the
plaintiff £2,650.
STABBING.—Mr. Justice Byles has sentenced John
Henry Morris, at Birmingham, to ten years' penal servi-
tude for using the knife in a quarrel. The plea of insanity
was set up for the defence.
ROBBERIES WITH VIOLENCE. —The winter appears to be
setting in with its usual amount of garotting and highway
robberies with violence. A case of singular daring and
atrocity has been brought before the Lord Mayor.
The other night a gentleman was passing along Alder-
man's-walk towards Old Broad-street, when an arm was
suddenly put round his neck. He became insensible
from the effects of chloroform, was thrown upon his back,
and robbed of his scarf-pin and ring. This was done in
sight of a man standing in front of an adjacent public-
house, and, fortunately for the ends of justice, he pursued
the aggressor before paying attention to the victim. The
thief was captured, and a new Prayer-book, with " Hymns
Ancient and. Modern," in a case—evidently the proceeds
of another robbery—were found upon him. The mouth
and lips of Mr. Fillingbam, the person robbed, were
extremely sore the next day from the chloroform. Prisoner
was committed for trial.
CONSPIRACY TO DESTROY AN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.—
Three boys, from 14 to 16 years of age, named William
Burnside, Edward Morley, and Charles Simpson, have
been brought up at York on the charge of conspiring with
others to set fire to and destroy the Industrial School in
that city, of which they were inmates. It appears that
during the temporary absence of Mr. West, the superin-
tendent of the establishment (in which are confined about
75 boys, and half that number of girls), some of the older
boys succeeded in holding communication with some of
the girls, and between them it was agreed that, at a fixed
time, they should set fire to the two parts of the build-
ing. Opportunity was to be taken for accomplishing this
on the previous Saturday, and during the whole of that
flay several of the male ringleaders exhibited considerable
insubordination ; but, fortunately, before night one of the
girls disclosed the plot to Mrs. West, who at once com-
municated with the governors of the school. The
prisoners, as the ringleaders, were at once taken into
custody, and they had since been confined in prison.
That had brought them to a state of contrition for their
act, and in the hope that their punishment might prevent
any further plotting, the magistrate discharged them with
a caution.

Two men have been severely burnt by an explo-
sion of fire damp at Ashton-in-3.laclierflehl. The colliery
where this occurred—Pew Fall Pit—has always been con-
sidered a very safe one, and has been worked with naked
lights. Since this accident, however, safety-lamps have
been introduced, and that portion of the pit which caught
fire has been stopped off by a brick wall.
The shareholders of the Royal Bank are determined
that the resolutions passed at the recent meeting, wjth the
object of fnstituting legal proceedings against the directors
of the company, shall not lie dormant. They have applied
to the Court of Chancery for an order directing a legal
meeting of the shareholders to decide whether or no prose-
cutions shall be commenced. The Chief Clerk, to whom the
application was made, has postponed his decision until the
(minim of col §9l pad beeu taken (31 tlaq 6ubiect.

T,.OREIGN NOTES.

SPAIN.

The Spanish Republicans, not content with the severity
of their struggle against the Monarchists, are agitating in
favour of the abolition of slavery. The Democratic Com-
mittees have again requested the intervention of Victor
Hugo to aid in the solution of the difficulty. What
great assistance towards abolishing slavery in Cuba
can be afforded by Victor Hugo is . not evident,
but it appears that the illustrious French writer
thinks his aid of some moment, for he has responded
to the appeal of the Democrats by a second letter,
misty, and full of notes of admiration. The burden
of this epistle is that slavery must be abolished, hut M.
Hugo offers no single suggestion as to the means by
which that desirable end should be effected. Common
sense may, however, readily supply the deficiency. Before
the Republicans can put D;it end to slavery in Cuba, the
ascendancy of Spain in that great island must he con-
firmed. This is not the case at present. Our cable tele-
grams show that the Government snakes progress against
the insurrection, but it is evidently not yet suppressed.
The insurgents are receiving assistance from without, and
may greatly prolong the struggle. Spain must be mistress
Cuba before she can free its slaves.