The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-28 00:00:00

THAMES.

A DETESTABLE SCOUNDREL.—Edward Johnson,
aged 30, and described as a lighterman, was
brought before Mr. Paget, charged with uttering
counterfeit shillings, at the Royal Sovereign public-
house, in Bluegate-fields, Shadwell.
The prisoner uttered two base shillings at the
house through the means of twO young girls named
Mary Miller and Mary Ann Quick. He gave each of
them a counterfeit shilling, and directed each to fetch
a half-quartern of gin from the Royal Sovereign.
The base coin was received by Ann Jones and
Jane Jones, daughters of the landlady, without
suspicion, and each child received 90. change,
which was given to the prisoner. He gave a half-
penny to each child, and netted a profit of is. 6d•
and a quartern of gin. He sent a third girl with
another spurious shilling to the same house, and
with the same bottle, for another half quartern
of gin. In this instance the piece was examined/
and the imposition discovered. The child wee
followed to where the prisoner was waiting for
her, and he was given into custody. The tw°
young women named Jones said the only two
shillings in the till were those received by them ni
the girls Miller and Quick.
Mr. Paget said this was a proper case to report
to the Mint Solicitor, and remanded the prisoner
till Tuesday next, when' Mr. Pollard, clerk to the
Solicitor to the Treasury, will attend to prosecute
the prisoner.

THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.—A genar3l
meeting of the renters or debenture holders was held oe
Wednesday in the saloon of the theatre for the purpose et
receiving the usual official reports and statement of
counts for the past year. Dr. Beaman presided. Tile,
financial statement submitted by the trustees showed:
balance brought forward from former account of Pc.
9s. 2d.; interest on deposit account, £l4 3s. 10d. ; ess';
received from the committee of proprietors, £2,250: totail
£2,327 13s. From that a dividend has been declared °,
£7 ss. per debenture, or £2,175 ; and deducting secrete&
salary and disbursements for the year £62 10s. 6d.'ls
balance of £9O 2s. 6d. is carried to next account. The rem
port stated that proposals have been made for sub-lettieP
the theatre for the purposes of an Italian opera, and
th
negotiations are still proceeding. Additional precautiougile
measures are about to be taken against fire, including
telegraphic communication with the fire stations. l
was explained that the additional cost would be main
for another fireman. A proprietor having refert 0
to the public statement that Mr. Mapleson
about to join Mr. Gye at the Royal Italian OPero
asked what were the actual prospects of her Majestic •
Theatre company coming to this house ? The chair°oo
said the negotiations were still pending, but the Vo°,o
had not been finally settled. A certain sum had I'd
paid by way of deposit, and he thought there were go
erg
prospects of the opera coming to Drury-lane. Sorael3id
riment was caused by the reading of the prospectus a'el.A
share list of a proposed company to establish au °P„.9,9
elsewhere, and the chairman repeated that there "to
every probability that Mr. Mapleson would COeoo,o
Drury-lane. The committee was re-elected with eo..
addition of Mr. James _Bowyer, and the usual corePli6l
tary votes were passed. , pill
ECCLESIASTICAL TITLES BILL.—Mr. APEvor
consists of one short clause. After a brief preamble pr
daring it to be expedient to repeal certain laws, it Poiog
poses to enact as follows :—" From and after the Pas
of this Act the Act of 14 and 15 Victoria, cap. 6,C1,,jj
section 24 of the Act of 10th George IV., cap. 7, s'Act4
and are hereby repealed." The former of these two
see° •
is the Ecclesiastical Titles Assumption Act, 113' .ort 113
consequence of what was termed the Papal aggrel lb d
1850 ; and section 24 of the Emancipation Act °,orie
imposes a penalty of £lOO on any person not alit s'l
alb
by law assuming the title of archbishop or bishel) clod
province or bishopric, or dean of any deanery in
or Ireland, -'