The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-28 00:00:00

THAMES.

CAUGHT NAPPING...-- William Stunt, 19, Cottage-
street, Poplar, costermonier, who is well known to
the police, was brought before Mr. Benson charged
with stealing a silver watch from the person of
Francis Ward, a mechanic.
Last night the prosecutor, overcome by the heat
of the weather, fatigue, and a little drink, fell asleep
on the steps of an ancient public-house called the
Mulberry Tree, on Stepney-green. He was aroused
by a police-constable named Skeates, who produced
his watch and chain, and said, "Is this yours ?',
Prosecutor said it was. The police-constable had
the prisoner in custody, and saw him over the
prosecutor.
On leaving he asked the prisoner what
he had been doing,
to which he replied nothing
The constable said, "you threw him on the ground
and before he could recover from his surprise took
the watch from Wm.,'
The prisoner, in defence, said he picked up Ward's
watch and chain close to the horse-trough, opposite
Mulberry Tree.

Police-Sergeant Briden, 4 K, stated that the
prisoner was a well-known thief, but a very luck
one, and that he had been twice tried for highway
robberies and on each occasion acquitted.
Mr. Benson did not think the prisoner was
likely to escape
trial. again, and committed him for

A MALICIOUS SCOUNDREL.—George French, a
cripple, aged 23 years, and who was described as a
costermonger, of No. 29, Catherine-street, Lime-
house, was brought before Mr. Benson charged
with wilfully and maliciously breaking a large
sheet of plateglass, valued at £4, in the Devon-
shire Arms public-house Brewer-street, Limehouse.
The prisoner is a very disorderly fellow, and after
taking advantage of his great misfortune by enlist•
ing the sympathies of the benevolent in his favour,
he launched out in a career of disorder, brutality,
and violence. lie has been convicted for assaults,
and several times prosecuted by that excellent in-
stitution the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, for beating horses and donkeys
in a savage manner. His convictions have had
no effect on his temper. Last night, without
the semblance of provocation, he took up
a stone as he was passing the Devonshire Arms and
burled it at a plate of sheet glass, which he destroyed.
He afterwards cut some grotesque capers, and
gloried in the mischief he had done.

Mr. George Leftwich, the laudlord of the Devon-
shire Arms, said the glass was valued at £4 in the
police-sheet. Its real value was actually £5 12s.
It would cost that to replace it,

Police-sergeant Briden, a< K--The prisoner has
been here repeatedly for assaults, beating animals,
and other offences. The Royal Society has prose-
cuted him.
The Prisoner—l don't care.

Mr. Benson said the prisoner was a malicious
and dangerous scoundrel to be destroying the pro-
perty of respectable tradesmen. He should not
fine him, but send him to prison without the option
of paying any penalty. lie sentenced him to one
month's imprisonment and hard labour.

The Prisoner gave a malicious grin, and ex-
claimed, " Go it ; this is not the first time."

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

GRAVEEND, Tuesday Morning.
Arrived, July 27.—Devon, from Barbadoes; Daring
'rom Nassau.

Arrivfd, July 28. Onward, from Trinidad ; Flying
Foam, from Grenada ; Christian, from Dram ; Charles
Howard steamer, from Vigo; Azof, steamer, from Bremen;
Michael Picasso, from Valparaiso ; Vigilant, steamer, from
Jersey ; Fleetwing, from Barbadoes ; Bessie Stanton, from
Havannah ; White Eagle, from Colombo ; Alwynto, from
Adelaide ; Constance, from Frederickstad ; Reigate, from
Melbourne.

DEAL, Tuesday Morning.
Passed, July 27—Webfoot, from Madras (in tow); White
Eagle, from Colombo (in tow)--both for London.
Passed, July 28 —Kawo, bark, front the West, for Lon-
don.

THE TEA TRADE, July 27.—The deliveries in
London estimated for the week were 2,324,0641 b., which
is an increase of 486,5271 b. compared with the previous
statement,

The reason of this failure is readily explained.
The resent law on the subject involves two main
provisions. The first is that Boards of Guardians
are permitted to send children to certified schools
of their own religion ; the second is intended to
meet the case of unwillingness on the part of the
Guardians to exercise this power, and provides
that, upon a requisition by parents or kinsmen,
the Poor-Law Board may interfere to compel the
removal of children to such schools. The fact of
such a power of compulsion having been granted
at all proves that the Guardians cannot be left to
themselves in the matter. In fact, four years ago
application was made to twenty-seven Boards, re-
questing them to exercise their powers under the
permissive provision we have mentioned, and to
transfer the Roman Catholic children in their
charge to duly certified Roman Catholic schools.
Out *of the twenty-seven Boards twer.ty•three
absollutely refused, and four. did not even answer
the application. After such an experiment there
can be no doubt of the temper in which the
Guardians deal with this question, to whatever
cause their perversitymay be ascribed. To remedy
this defect, a Committee of the House of Com-
mons, in 1864, recommended that the Poor-Law
Board should have power to require the guardians
to transfer children to schools of their own reli-
gion, " on application made and sufficient evidence
afforded." When, however, an attempt was made
to embody this provision in the Bill of 1866, an
amendment was successfully carried which pre-
cluded any one except parents or kinsmen from
making such an application to the Poor Law
Board. But 60 per cent. of the whole number of
children are either orphans or deserted ; and under
the peculiar circumstances of the Irish population,
to whom they chiefly belong, they have generally
no kinsmen at hand to make applications for them.
Very possibly their parents are new-corners from
Ireland, and have no relations in this country, and
when they die, or emigrate, or simply run away,
there is no one to claim relationship with the ,
children. The law, consequently, still remains
inoperative with regard to more than half of the
Roman Catholic children. These are still depend-
ent on the religious liberality of the guardians,
and, under such circumstances, the statistics we
have quoted above are not surprising.
An amendment now stands for discussion in the
Poor Relief Bill designed to remedy this defect,
and to enable the law to effect its evident design.
It simply embodies the recommendation of the
Committee of 1864, and allows the Poor-Law
Board to interfere on behalf of a child on the pro-
duction of sufficient evidence, even without the
application of a kinsman. Combined with the
clauses passed on Monday, according to which a
" Creed Register " of the religion of every inmate
of a workhouse will be open to the inspection of
ministers of religion, this amendment would enable
the Roman Catholics to watch effectually over the
children of their own persuasion, and in all cases
to obtain charge of them. Mr. Newdegate makes
formidable demonstrations against these portions
of the bill, but we are at a loss to see what rea

_ .
sonable objection can be raised to the amendment,
and we cannot doubt that it will be accepted by
the 'louse. In the first place, as we have said, it
simply renders effectual the recommendation of a
committee and the design of the existing law.
There is no reason to fear the power being abused,

-
since the Poor-Law Board will, of course, require

sufficient evidence in each case of the religion of

the child's parents; and, this danger being

avoided, it is difficult to understand how any one
can wish to hinder these poor children from being

brought up in their own faith. Both English law
and common justice require that the expressed or

presumed wishes of a parent should be supreme in

the education of children. What in the world is
to be gained by manufacturing these little half-
starved proselytes we are at a loss to conceive.

But it is done, and that, too, in many cases with

numerous circumstances of petty tyranny. The
complaint having been substantiated, it is our

duty to interfere, and we may expect that now the
facts have been made known, a keen sense of in-
justice will be roused among the Roman Catholic

and Irish poor if we fail to protect them. We

hope, therefore, that the next time this bill comes

on the Amendments in question will be placed be-

pond the reach of danger. The result will simply
be—first, that all children known or proved to be
Protestants will bey brought up as Protest tuts ;
secondly, that all children of whose religion no
proof can be had will be presumed to be Protest-
ants ; and, lastly, that all children who are known

or may be proved to be Roman Catholics, will be
brought up Roman Catholics. No arrangement
could be fairer; and we may add that the Roman
Catholics have establishei a right to have these
children intrusted to them by the anxiety they
have shown for their welfare.

DUNABLIIIG AND WITEPSK RAILWAY.—The traffic
receipts on this company's line for the mouth of June
amounted to 103,368 roubles, against 72,417 roubles for
June, 1867, showing au increase of 30,951 roubles, or
nearly 30 per °out.

B LL.
This bill was considered in committee, and some verbal
amendments having been agreed to, it reported, received,
and read a third time and passed.
WEST INDIES BILL.
The Lords' amendments to this bill were considered, and
on the amendment of Mr. R. Gurney to increase the pay-
ment of money to the Archdeacon of Midilesex (Jamaica),the house divided, when there appeared—
Ayes 29
Noes 3O

Majority
The proposal was rejected, and the Lords' Amendments
were agreed to. _

MR. G. F. TRAIN.

Mr. BEARDEN then called the attention of the house
to the case of Mr. Train, an Ain,3rican citizan, now iu pri-
son for debt in the Four Courts, Marshalsea, Dublin, and
moved for a select committee to inquire into the whole of
the circumstances connected with the case; but there not
being a seconder for the proposition, it was net put from
the chair.

The other orders were then disposed of, and the house
adjourned until four o'clock to-morrow afternoon.

THE VICTORIA CROSS.

(Front the London Gazette of this Evening)
WAR OFFICE, JULY 28.

Tho Queen has been graciously pleased to signify her
intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria. Cross on
the undermentioned soldiers, whose claims to the same have
been submitted fur her Majesty's approval for their gal-
lant conduct in Abyssinia, as recorded against their names,
viz. :

33d Regiment—Drummer Michael Magner, No. 3,691,
and Private James Bergin, No. 949, for their conspicuous
gallantry in the assault of Magdala on the 13th April last.
Lieut.-General Lord Napier reports that, whilst the head
of the column of attack was checked by the obstacles at the
gate, a small stream of officers and men of the 33d Regi-
ment, and an officer of Engineers, breaking away from the
main approach to Magdala, and climbing up a cliff, reached
the defences, and forced their way over the wall, and
through the strong and thorny fence, thus turning the de-
fenders of the gateway. The first two men to enter, and
the first in Magdala, were drummer Magner and private
Bergin, of the 33d. Regiment.