The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-21 00:00:00

SIC VOS NON VOBIS.

Mr. Raphael Brandon complains that Mr. Williams
has stolen his ideas upon the subject of the manage-
ment of the railway system by the State. In 1854
he commenced his calculations as to fares, and named
his scheme to several friends. In 1804 he commu-
nicated with the Chancellor of the Exchequer upon
the subject, and in the early part of this year he
read a paper before the Society of Arts, and pub-
lished it in the formof a pamphlet, afterwards noticed
by nearly all the London papers. Mr. John Luray,
engineer, also claims to have studied the subject,
upon which he wrote a leader in the Scientific Review
for May. He shewed that by the adoption of two
sets of fares, one for short journeys up to twenty
miles, and one for all lengths of jouriicy beyond
twenty miles, great accommodation would be
afforded to the public, and the income of the
railway companies would be increased by more than
81,000,000 per annum. The rates which he
proposed were as follows :—Short journey : 3rd class,
3d. ; 2nd class, 6d. ; Ist class, Is. Long journey : 3rd
class, 4s. ; 2nd class, Bs.; Ist class, 165. The more
attention the matter receives the better it will be for
the public. Railway tyranny has long been unbear-
able, and directors will not learn that privilege should
be accompanied by responsibility. The railways
should be conducted in the interests of the public,
and not exclusively to the advantage of the share-
holders, or, worse still, a clique of directors and
promoters.

MUCH ADO ADMIT NOTHING.
The Rev. W. C. Sidgwick writes to- the Thne to
say that he did not call the Duke of .11-arlborougli• by
an offensive epithet, as his grP z.,.0 thinks; but he told
a story of hearing a mar in Italy use the phrase.
The duke was called an " infamous scoundrel." Mr.
Sidgwick now confesses that it was "an outrage on
public decency" to use the expression at all. Ile
does not charge the duke with any intention of in-
timidating Ys temmts, but considers that his letter
to Mr. Brodrick, refusing to give him any explicit
answer to his questions, was calculated to produce
an unfavourable impression. We commented upon
the letter at the time, when it appeared to us that
to rather an offensive interference on the part of Mr.
Brodrick the duke meant in a circumlocutory way
to answer, " Mind your own business," and the
explanation of his grace's agent at the time
acquitted him of any intimidation. Mr. Sidgwick
retires from the conflict of words somewhat ungrace-
fully, and not without a Parthian shot.

AN ACTRESS AT HOME.
Lady Annie Sherson, sister of the benevolent
Marquis Townshend, went into the country with an
invalid friend. She was not fortunate in her choice
of a guardian for her house and property. The
person employed had other duties. She was engaged
to perform the character of " Britannia" at the
Trevor Music Hall, Knightsbridge. She sought
relaxation from the fatigues of her profession by
wearing her mistress's best silk dresses, and assum-
ing the character of the lady of the house. Lady
Annie received an intimation of her proceedings,
and immediately returned to town, opened the door
of her house with a latch-key, and found the woman
bedizened with her finery, and in company of a man.
The house had been completely stripped, and forty
pawnbroker's tickets were found upon the girl. The
delinquent has pleaded guilty, and sentence is deferred
to give her an opportunity of tendering information
as to the stolen property. Trustworthy servants may
be very scarce, but her ladyship's carelessness is un-
accountable.