The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-02 00:00:00

LAW AND FOLICE.

A CURIOUS POINT OF LAW IVITH REGARD TO SEDUC-
TION.—In the case of Terry v. Hutchinson, which came
before the Queen's Bench on Monday, a curious point of
law was raised. It was an action for seduction tried by
Mr. Justice Hannen a few days back, when a verdict was
returned for plaintiff for £l5O damages. A motion was
now made to enter a nonsuit, and the question for the
court was whether the father was entitled to the girl's ser-
vices, seeing that she was not at the time of the seduction
living under her father's roof. The girl (who was under
20), being in the service of a milliner, was dismissed,
on account of her being seen in company with the
defendant (a military officer), and on her way home—
according to her story—was seduced by him. If she
had reached her father's house there would (the learned
judge said) have been no difficulty, and the action would
have been maintainable. Was it so in the present case ?
The court thought that the father had a sufficient interest
in the girl's services to sustain his right of action, and the
evidence on the merits was sufficient to support the
verdict. The girl's service to the milliner was terminated,
and the girl was on her return to her father, who had a
right to her services, The motion for a nonsuit, there-
fore, fell to the ground.

CRIMINAL INFORMATION AGAINST " ECHOES FROM THE
CLUBS."—Echoes from the Clubs, a few weeks hack, pub-
lished an " echo" in which certain " officers and gentlemen,"
whose names were withheld, were severely censured for
getting hold of the private letters of a brother officer
deceased, and for using the information contained in the
correspondence to the prejudice of a captain, who was
compelled through their persecution to retire from the
service. An application has now been made to the Queen's
Bench, on behalf of Colonel Shute, Captain Macdonald,
and Lieutenant Harran, for a rule nisi fora criminal
information against the printer of the Echoes for pub-
lishing the said article, which was said to be altogether
false and scurrilous. The application was granted.

Is THE OWNER OF LAND LIABLE FOR DAMAGE DONE
BY RABBITS ?—This was the question raised in the Common
Pleas by an appeal from the Shropshire County Court.
The judge of the county court adjudged the defendant
liable for damage done by rabbits breeding on his land.
Their lordships, however, reversed the judgment, on the
ground that rabbits were ferce naturte, and therefore the
defendant could not be held liable.

There is 1 Jew to 7 inhabitants in Poland ; to
33 in Austria ; to 42 in Russia ; to 52 in Holland ; to 61
in Turkey' ; to 105 in Germany ; to 333 in I3<loiuni ; to
412 in Italy ; to 440 in England ; to 463 in Franco ; to
stis in Switzerland ; and to 604 in Scandinavia.

FATAL ACCIDENTS ON TIIE RIVER THAMES,—On
Whit Sunday the river between Putney and Kew was
covered with small boats, loaded with holiday makers, and
several accidents took place, terminating in more than one
case, we regret to say, fatally. In one instance a party of
ten were upset by the swell of a steamboat passing near
Chiswick Eyot, at low tide, Five of the party were saved
by the steamer, but it is reported that three were drowned.
Only one of the bodies has been picked up, The other
accident occurred a little higher iip the TiVPA

On Sat,...day a lire occurred at Banks' Mill, Honley, near
Huddersfield,-the property of Mr. W. Haigh. Damage was
done to the amount of £2,000, which is fortunately covered
by insurance.

Mr. Marcus Keane, a gentleman of property hi tin county
of Clare, is spoken of as a Conservative candidate in that
quarter; acid an "ox-Indian judge, Mr. Johk Dunbar," has
alao had his name put forward.
The son of the Viceroy, and heir to the throne of Egypt,
was decorated on Saturday, amid great ceremony, with
the order of the Iron Crown.
The Bristol election petiton is appointed to be heard on
the 15th of June. The lists of witnesses, &c., are to be
delievered in on June the 9th (Tuesday next).

A great demonstration was made in London yesterday.
The Temperance Societies of the metropolis, meeting in
Lincoln's-inn-fields, marched off to the 7th Surrey Rifts
grounds, in the south of London, where open air meetings,
&c., were held.

It is understo.3d that the Prince and Princess of Wales will
visit Killarney next August, and not September, and will bo
the guests of Lard and Lady Castlerosse, at Killarney
House. The royal couple on landing in Dublin will proceed
direct t) Killarney, and after remaining there some time will
leave for Belfast, where they have been invited to open the
new docks.

Mr. A. M. Sullivan, of the Weekly News, was liberated yes-
terday, on entering into special recognizances required by
the Court, to be of good behaviour for two years. The term
of imprisonment to which ho was sentenced would not ex-
pire until the 10th of August.
A young man has met with his death at the Highbury
Station of the North London Railway, under singular cir-
cumstances. It appears that the deceased was standing on
the platform waiting for the train to stop, when suddenly the
door of one of the compartments was thrown open, knocking
him down between the carriages and the platform.
The rumour that Lieutenant-General tho Hon. Sir James
Yorke Scathtt, G.C.8., will contest the borough of Ports-
mouth at tho next general election has been contradicted.
The Sheffield indpendent says that the Trades Unionists on
strike in South Staffordshire are being gradually defeated.
They have never (it says) had the remotest prospect of suc-
cess, and after seven weeks' idleness and privation, their only
alternative is to submit unconditionally to the terms of the
rasters. This the men in the Wolverhampton district are
doing, and there is every probability that the men in the
oth. r districts will follow their example.

Sir Edwin Lands;eer has alone, perhaps of living artists,
et joyed the satisfaction of seeing one of his works fetch,
at a public auction, the great sum of £1,160. This was
the pr:co given for Sir Edwin's " Braema" at a sale in Lon-
don on Saturday. In the same collection was a Stanfield,
which was knocked down for £2,164.

As preparatory to Reform, in the matter of endowed
schools, a bill has passed the Lords, and has been brought
into the Commons, which seeks to Pnact that any person
appointed to any position or emolument, in the schools
which possess endowments, shall be appointed, subject to
such provisions and enactments as may hereafter be
enacted. This will prevent the plea of private property
being set up by masters, who, appointed to the position of
s^hoolmasters, refuse either to teach or to resign, still
taking the moneys provided by the endowments on their
school.

John Shea, farmer, of Inveragh, county Kerry, who
pleaded guilty at the late assizes for that county to the
charge of endeavouring to seduce soldiers from their alle-
giance, and was then sentenced to twelve months' imprison-
ment, has been discharged from custody. Shortly after his
ial be was transferred to the county of Dublin jail, Kil-
mßinham, where he remained until Friday, when, on a
memorial to his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant, the re-
mainder of his sentence was commuted, and he was ordered
to he discharged from custody, on entering into security for
Lis future conduct,

The Eastern Morning Noes reports a melancholy occur-
rence which took 'lace at Hull on Saturday. A private
named Benton, belonging to the 17th brigade of the Royal
Artillery, was in the act of showing a clerk called Hudeon
the principle of his carbine, when the weapon went off, and
the bullet entered Hudson's abdomen. The poor fellow lies
in a dangerous state. }Teuton was taken into custody, but
was afterwards discharged.

A telegram from Oxford states that a requisition to Mr.
W. Vernon Harcourt, soliciting Lim to stand as a candi-
date for the representation of the City of Oxford, in the
place of Mr. Neale, was being signed yesterday morning.
Mr. Neate Las not yet notified his intention to retire,
but his agents have intimated that he will do so on the
dissolution of Parliament.

On Saturday, Jacob Wolf and Napthali Blasebuck, jewel-
lers and cbeh merchants, at Leeds, were charged before the
magistrates with a conspiracy to defraud, and with perjury.
On the Bth of January last the prisoners executed a deed of
composition, their debts amounting to £3,640 15s. sd. They
then made an affidavit, representing two-thirds of their
creditors had signed the deed and consented to take ls. Gd.
in the pound. In the deed they put down certain merchants
ns being indebted to them, who, as it turned nut, had dono
no business with them whatever. The accused were com-
mitted to the assizes, bail being allowed to the amount of
£l,OOO each.

An inquiry has been held at Gravesend, touching the
evath of William 'Hewett, aged 28, and Charles Thomas,
aged 23. who were killed by the explosion of ono of the
toners on board the Pilot steam-tug. It is stated there was
no appearance of danger, and all went on apparently well
until the steamer had reached near Cliffs, some three or four
miles below Gravesend, when, without any warning, the
port boiler exploded with terrific force. The deceased fire-
men were found shockingly mutilated. Hewett had his
legs nearly blown off, and was killed on the spot. Thomas
was dreadfully scalded, and his sufferings were most in-
tense. Ire was taken to the Gravesend Infirmary, but he
died shortly after he was admitted. The jury agreed to
communicate with the Board of Trade, to ask that depart-
ment to send down some officer to survey the boiler, and to
give them the result of his examination, and the inquiry
was accordingly adjourned.
The Chancellorship of the University of Edinburgh is, it
appears, little likely to fall to Mr. Gladstone, who has been
nominated to the vaearcy. Promises of support to the Lord
Justice-General of Scotland, it is stated, are being received
from all quarters, and there is said to be good reason to
hope that the canvass will eventuate in the election of the
Lord Justice-General. The election does not take place till
the next half-yearly meeting of the General Council of the
University, which will be held on the 80th October. - Glebe.
Among other robberies committed at " the Oaks" the fol-
lowing are reported, having come before the magistrate at
the Epsom Police Court :—Martha Grey and Mary Ann
Smith were charged with robbing Mr. Archibald Nagle of
.£lO, a diamond ring, and a cheque. Both prisoners were
sentenced to six months' hard labour. John
Cooper and Thomas Bowman were charged with
being on the Downs with intent to commit a
felony. It appeared that just when the Oaks was
being run for the prisoners went to a carriage then occupied
only by ladies, the gentlemen of the party being absent,
and seized a hamper and a coat, notwithstanding the resist-
ance of tho ladies. The gentlemen, returning just as the
thieves were making off, attacked them, and made them sur-
render the booty. Tho Bench gave both prisoners a month's
hard labour.

In an article on the recommendation of the Neutrality
Commissioners, the &press says :—" If the spirit of these
recommendations had inspired the conduct of her Ma-
jesty's Government some years ago, we should have
been spared the Alabama claims. They concede all
that the United States demanded. There can be little
doubt that the English Legislature will give proof of fair
and friendly feeling by adopting them. In recom-
mending these changes the Commissioners practi-
cally admit that during the American struggle Lord Russell
acted in harmony with the law as it then was. Nothing
more can be required of any nation than that it should change
its policy as soon as events and calm deliberation have
shown that such a change is desirable. This England is
ready to do."

Mr. 11PCarly F,ovruing, a Liber il, is mentioned in con-
ore' ion with the representation of t►he county of Cork-, and
in Wexford an toompt is to ho made to "rescue the repre+
seu'ation altogether from tho Conservatives."
The official declaration of the poll in East Worcester-
shire was made yesterday at Droitwitch by the high
sheriff. The numbers were declared to be—Lyttelton,
2,633 ; Laslett, 2,429 ; majority for Lyttelton, 259.
Arthur Forrester Smith, and Hector Augustus Smith,
brothers, were again yesterday before the Lord Mayor
charged with murderously assaulting Mrs. Mary Ann Nunn,
the housekeeper at 2, Catherine-court, Seething-lane,
on tl:e night of Friday, the Ist of May last, with intent to
kill her; and of stealing a portemonnaie, containing 22
and some silver, from a bedroom on the third floor of the
same house. The injured woman is still unable to attend,
but the evidence of the house surgeon and some other avit•
nesses having been tak,n, and the prisoners making no
answaw to the charge, the Lord Mayor corn/Iliac(' them
for trisi.

The India mail Lrings the news that the Viceroy had
left Calcutta ior Sinla, probably his last summer excur-
sion to the hills. Sir John Lawrence's term expires next
January, and already Anglo-Indians are busy with specu-
lations concerning his successor. They would have liked Lord
Cranhorne, but they dare not hope for the Marquis of
Salisbury. The native press thinks it so hard to let
any portion of the expense of the Abyssinian warfflall
ou India, that it nurses its resentment against Sir
Stafford Northcote, whom it takes to be the rs;n-
cirfal wrongdoer. Otherw'se, the name of
InJian Secretary has been favourably mentioned in In,lin,
and. it is now generally allowed that the training of ...the
India Office will always be. a good preparation fore
more anxious and onerous duties of Viceroy.