The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-31 00:00:00

DISCOVERY OP A GOLDEN HOARD. —An old lady
named Evans expired last week in the town of Swansea,
and on removing the furniture from her cottage for the
purpose of disposing of it by auction a box, containing
1,600 sovereigns was discovered. As the deceased left no
will, the next of kin claims the well-kept hoard.

KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE ELECTION.—This election
took place on Thursday. Mr. W. H. Maxwell (Liberal)
Was proposed by Mr. Oswald, of Auchencruive, and
seconded .by Mr. Cowie, of Southport. There. being no
other candidate he was declared to be duly elected. In
his address returning thanks he said he was a Liberal,
but would support the present Ministry in any good
measure.

FINANCIAL REFORM. —A preliminary meeting has
been held at 10, Bridge-street, Westminster, of gentlemen
favourable to a reduction of the national expenditure and
taxation. The first resolution adopted was as follows :
" That in order to secure the full benefits of Reform, there
must be a large reduction of expenditure, an extension of
trade and manufaCtures and employment, and that
any , surplus thus obtained shall be applied to the
reduction of duties on articles of general consump-
tion, especially those on tea, corn, coffee, sugar, and
other • necessaries." It was also resolved that public
meetings'should be held throughout the metropolis, one
at least in each parliamentary borough, in aid of the ob
jects of the association ; and a committee of influential
gentlemen was named to make the necessary arrange-
ents.

FENIANISNI IN CHATHAM GARRISON.—The
tense passed by the general court-martial which recently
assembled at Chatham for the trial of Privates J. Molloy
and P. Daley, of the 2nd Battalion of the Ist Royals,
having been submitted to her Majesty for approval, was
promulgated to the troops in garrison at a general parade.
Both prisoners were arraigned for using seditious and
Fenian language in the public streets at Chatham. At
the time the prisoners were arrested Daley was very
violent, and assaulted the noncommissioned officer in com-
mand of the escort which conducted him to the guard-
room. The court sentenced Daley to five years' penal
servitude, and Molloy' to two years' imprisonment with
hard labour, both prisoners to be marked with the letters
"B. C.," and to be dismissed from her Majesty's service
with ignominy.
The Conservative party in Bristol have at length deter-
mined to bring out a candidate to contest the seat soon
to be made vacant by the resignation of Sir Morton Peto.
They have selected Mr. John Wm. Miles, of Kingsweston
Park, a brother of Sir W. Miles and of Mr. P. W. G.
Miles. who formerly represented the city, to stand as their
champion. Mr. Miles is a member of the eminent banking
firm of that name, a director of the Great Western Rail-
way, and of the Great Western Cotton Works. He is
also a member of the Municipal Council. The Liberal
Association has issued an address, asking the electors to
withhold their promises, "as a gentleman of undoubted
'ltness will solicit their suffrages." Sir Morton Peto's
oankruptcy took place nearly eight months ago, and his
party is still unprepared with a candidate.
Amongst the speakers at the annual meeting of tho
Manchester Chamber of Commerce, on Thursday, was
Mr. Bazley, the senior member for the city. The hon.
gentleman said the prospects of the cotton industry were
brightening. There had been an ' immense ' depreciation
In the value not only of the raw material but also of
goods—the losses in Liverpool alone from this cause during
the past year having amounted to little less than five mil-
lions—but the solvency of the district had upon the w'hola
teen well maintained. He urged the chamber to con-
tinue their efforts to obtain permanent supplies of cotton
at moderate prices, for, " instead of depending upon
America and India alone, they ought to have twenty im-
portant sources of supply." Among the other subjects
touched upon in the hon. gentleman's speech was that of
the bankruptcy law. He pointed out the gross injustice
which creditors suffered under the existing system, and
urged the importance of pressing for a thorough reform of
the law.

Mr. 'William Howitt writes again to the Star on the
subject of the National Debt. It will be remembered that
in a previous letter Mr. Howitt shewed that during balf a
century, for the most part of the highest national pros-
perity, the debt had maintained itself against all attempts
to reduce it. Mr. Howitt now lays down that
peace, prosperity, and developing commerce cannot
arrest taxation or reduce the debt ; and he proves
proposition by statistics. Pitt, he says, per-
suaded us to spend 1,000 millions of money, but
the man who shall persuade us to discharge the debt will
perform a far more glorious task, The writer lays the
odium of our alleged loss of prestige in certain trades on
the National Debt, for he says we want to sell our goods
as cheap as we can, while our workmen require greater
wages than those of other countries, simply because they
have more taxes to pay.

Several eminent clergymen and doctors met on Thurs-
day at the town residence of Mr. Mitford, M.P., for the
purpose of taking steps to prevent the spread of contagious
diseases. It was urged that as these diseases were com-
municated to innocent persons, society ought to use means
to prevent the misery thus spread. Rules were drawn up
.and an association formed, the object of which will be to
press for the extension of the Contagious Diseases Act,
1866, to the civil population of the United Kingdom.
Further, they will promote refuges and hospitals for those
who desire to leave their previous mode of life, and oppose
every shape of what is known as the " continental
system." Dr. Skey sends an earnestly-written letter to the
Times arguing the case of this new-association.

Mr. Gladstone has been speaking at Chester on a subject
upon which he holds somewhat pronounced views--the
finances of public charities. The occasion was the annual
meeting of the Royal Infirmary, and the Marquis of West.
minster was in the chair. The right hon. gentleman said
he was by no means sure that a deficit, provided it be me.
derate, was not to be regarded as a healthy and useful
-feature in such anlinstitution, because it was not, liko
others, depending upon a limited fund. The rule for a con-
siderable standing surplus of income, so as to be con.
tinually acquiring invested property, would be a mistake.
It was well to pursue a liberal course, to meet, to the
best of their power, all demands made upon the institu-
tion, and trust to the benevolence of the community for
supply.

One of the parishes in the borough of Leicester has
furnished a striking illustration of the manner in which
the ratepaying clauses of the Reform Bill work. The
select vestry, finding that to summon defaulters would
lost the parish over £2OO instead of 20s. and less hereto-
fore, applied to the bench of magistrates sitting at the
town Hall, with the view of obtaining a reduction in the
cost for summoning. It appears that in this one parish
alone there are no fewer than 2,250 persons who have not
paid their rates during the past quarter ; that rate col-
lectors are treated with the greatest contempt ; and that
were the people summoned it was extremely likely that
many would be found in such a state of poverty that they
would have to be excused payment. In as many instances
arrangements have been made with landlords to pay the
rates, but in the cases in question the tenants have had
their week's rents reduced in order that they may in, k
:the payment themselves ; still they refuse to comply wit'
the provisions of the Reform Bill. It has been decided
to summon a few of the defaulters at first, as an example.