The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-02 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE,

ACTION AGAINST A GASLIGHT COMPANY.—At the

Xingston Assizes, Mr. Astley, a coffee-house keeper, sued
the London Gaslight Company for damages, in conse-
quence of injury sustained by an escape of gas which had
taken place through the alleged negligence of the defen-
dants' servants. It seemed that there existed several
teaks in the gas-pipes, of which 'the company had been
informed, but did not take any notice of ; and the conse-
quence was, [that owing to the obnoxious smell arising
from the escape, many of the plaintiff's customers left off
dealing with him. The jury returned a verdict for the
plaintiff ; damages, £5O.
SLANDER. —At the Gloucester Assizes an action for
slander was heard, in which Mr. Smith, a butcher, &c.,
of Berkeley, sued Mr. Jones, a farmer, of the same place,
for having slandered him, by imputing that he was in
a state of insolvency. Soon after the 27th of January last
the plaintiff had an unusual number of applications for
payments of bills, and on his son inquiring the cause, it
was ascertained that the defendant had stated to Mr.
Taylor, a boatowner, that the plaintiff was " broke," and
his books were at Gaisford the solicitor's office. The
jury found for the plaintiff, with 40s. damages. •
THE VALUE OF AN AROHDEACON.—At the Liverpool
Assizes an action was brought, under Lord Campbell's
Act, by 'the executors of the late Ven. A. Masters, Arch-
deacon of Manchester, to recover compensation for his
death, which, it was alleged, had been caused by an acci-
dent on the Blackpool and Lytham Railway, the result of
negligence on the part of the company. On the 14th
June the archdeacon was travelling from Blackpool
to Lytham, between which places there exists a
steep incline, and it is usual to have two engines
attached to the train, one before and the other behind,
to assist in getting the carriages up ; but this par-
ticular train on leaving Lytham had only one locomotive,
but another was despatched three or four minutes later,
which seems to have caught up the train and caused a
slight collision. Mr. Masters, who was 73 years of age,
though a hale old man, was thrown forward, which
caused a bruise on his leg, which, it was alleged, caused
erysipelas and ultimately death. It was elicited in evi-
dence that the deceased's wife was suffering from erysipelas
of a very bad kind ; the archdeacon sat in her room and
had his leg dressed by the same servant as attended on
his wife ; and the judge left it to the jury to say whether
or not this was an act of negligence. The jury found a
mirdict for the company.

ATROCIOUS CRUELTY TO A CAT.—At the Hampstead
Petty Sessions Court, Mr. Edward Tracy Turnerelli, "a
gentleman " residing at Bell Moor, was summoned for
cruelty to a cat. It seemed, from the evidence of Ann
North, who formerly lived as cook with the defendant, that
on the 4th ult. a tabby cat found its way into an empty
hen-house belonging to the defendant. The latter impri-
soned the animal, and called for five or six jugs of boiling
water, which he threw on the cat. Soon afterwards he
released the animal, and it went home. Evidence was
given by Dobie, an officer of the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as to the condition of
the cat, which, he stated, was suffering severely from
burns, having some five or six wounds, varying in
extent. For the defence it was urged that Mr. Turnerelli
only wished to frighten the cat away, as he feared it
might find its way to some favourite poultry be'.ong:n2; to
him. •The bench fined the accused 4es. and costs, which
was afterwards increased to £2 25., to give the defendant
an opportunity of appealing against the decision if he were
so minded.

ACTION AGAINST THE MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND
LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY COMPANY.—At Leeds Assizes
a puddler, named Jessop, brought an action against the
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Com-
pany for injuries sustained by him. The defendants did
not deny their liability, and the evidence was consequently
confined to the present state of the plaintiff and his chance
of improvement. It seems that the plaintiff was married,
but had not any family, and prior to the accident earned
LI 10s. a week, and since the occurrence he had been con-
fined to his bed. The medical witnesses both for the
plaintiffs and defendants agreed to the present incapable
condition of the plaintiff ; but the witnesses on his behalf
stated that the vertebrae of the spine was actually dislo-
cated, while those for the defence swore that in their
opinion the ligamenture covering of the spine was wrenched
or strained, and would be better with rest and quietude.
The jury gave a verdict for £1,050.
A STREET MISSIONARY FINED.—At Clerkenwell Police-
court, William Edward, described as a " street mission.
ary," was charged with creating an obstruction. It
appeared that the defendant was lecturing to a crowd of
about 200 people. He was asked to desist, but refused.
The defendant said that he was a missionary in the employ
of the West London Auxiliary, to plead publicly the prin-
ciples of temperance. He gave some figures with regard
to the length, &c., of the pavement on which he was
standing. Mr. Cooke said that he had nothing to do with
the defendant's object, but with the obstruction ; and he
therefore inflicted a fine of Is. and costs.

THE FRAUDS ON THE WOLVERHAMPTON
COUNTY COURT.

-

As already reported, it lately became known that Mr.
3. D. Foulke, the managing clerk of the Wolverhampton
District County Court for the last sixteen years, had
absconded, and that his accounts were deficient to the
extent, it is believed, of about £l,OOO. This money he is
thought to have had in his possession when he left Wolver-
hampton. A few days ago it seemed that young Mr.
Grazebrook, son of the treasurer of the court, found that
there were some defects in certain of Mr. Foulke's entries
in his ledgers, and he directed the attention of his father
to the circumstance. Upon this the treasurer at once
inspected the books in Mr. Foulke's presence, and charged
him with having systematically made inaccurate entries
as to the amount of fees paid into the court. Mr.
Foulke could afford no satisfactory explanation, and when
the treasurer left he communicated what he had detected
to Mr. C. G. Brown, the registrar, who is Mr. Foulke's
employer. The next morning Mr. Foulke did not come
to the office, and it was found that he had not been home
all night. Subsequently the iron chest, of which he had
the charge, was forced open, and it was found empty of
all but nearly 25, which was left in silver and copper coin.
Amongst Mr. Foulke's duties were those of receiving from
the different clerks all the money that was from time to
time received for plaints. At the time at which the falsi-
fied accounts were detected by the treasurer, as described,
he had not banked any of the money for about three months;
and it is the money that bad accumulated in his hands
during that time that he is supposed to have taken from
the safe at the time he absconded. For the whole
amount Mr. Brown is responsible. Mr. Brcwn has the
guarantee of a guarantee society for £2OO only. At one
time the amount of security was £5OO, but Mr. Foulke's
general conduct was so excellent that Mr. Brown, to save
his managing clerk's expenses, consented to its being re-
duced to the smaller sum. Captain Segrave, the Chief
Constable of Wolverhampton, holds a warrant for his ar-
rest ; and through the Police Gazette, and by means of
circulars issued to the different police forces throughout
the kingdom, giving a description of his personal appear
ance, and stating the offence for which he is " wanted,"
efforts are being made to secure his arrest. Coming so
quickly after the time at which Sergeant, the new poor-
rate collector, absconded, this offence has occasioned un-
usual consternation in Wolverhampton.

THE NUMBER OF ATTORNEYS.—There are 58
original notices for admission of attorneys in Easter term,
besides renewed applications. The number already on the.
roll is 10,733, and only the parties who take out their cer-
tifizates appear in the Law List.

The other day Mr. Hutchison, farmer, Craiks-
land, about five miles from Ayr, lost both his hands. Mr.
Hutchison's servants had been working at a straw-cutting
machine, when it suddenly stopped, and Mr. Hutchison
was applied to to put it right. While doing so the machine
went off, dragging with it his left arm, and tearing it off a
little below the elbow. On feeling that his left arm was en-
tangled he put forward his right hand to endeavour to stop
the machine, when it too was dragged in, and so much
shattered that on surgical aid arriving it was foundnecessary
to amputate the right arm between the wrist and elbow.
SPECIAL CONSTA.BLES.—T4e following is a copy
of a circular received by the magistrates at the various
metropolitan police-courts in reference to the recent
appointment of special constables :—" Whitehall, March

31, 1868. Sir, the period of engagement of the special
constables recently sworn in having in many cases expired,
and generally being about to terminate, I am directed by
Mr. Secretary Hardy to inform you that he considers that
present circumstances do not render its extension necessary
upon general grounds. Mr. Hardy has observed with much
satisfaction the willingness with which, both in the metro-
polis and throughout the kingdom at large, numbers of
Vrsons have enrolled themselves, and the zeal with which
they have submitted to practical training under the com-
. -mand of competent officers. In many cases gentlemen who
have filled important posts in various branches of lax.
Majesty'sservice have given much pains to the organisation
of bodies of special constableS. On the whole Mr. Hardy has
reason to believe that the special constables recently en-
rolled, and in number exceeding 113,674;havebecn organised
upon a footing of readiness and effioiency never before
attained, and that the spirit of loyalty And determination
thus evinced has been of material public service. Mr.

Hardy believes that the good arrangements made at this
time will not be lost, as they will be easily available should
any similar occasion present itself. The staves and badges
issued to the constables should be recalled at the expiration
of their engagement, and be stored atsuch convenientplace
as the local authority may direct.—(Signed) Jeffs
V A4%18801'0

AMERICAN MARKEL

(From Beldiny, Keith, and Co.'s Circular.)

NEW YORK, March 13, 1868.
Our friends report as follows :—The money stringency
has relaxed materially, but the rate remains firm at seven
per cent. The exposure of the parties engaged in locking
up funds successfully foiled the scheme, and investors
gained confidence upon discovering that the pinch re-
sulted from such purely artificial causes. Government
securities made a strong reactionary movement from the
low :quotations reached during the activity in funds,
and some other descriptions of bonds have also been
in good demand at advanced prices, but the ge-
neral share market is dull and apathetic, the
more prudent or timid of the Wall-street speculators
being held aloof from stock operations, while so much
doubt exists as to the effect the great Erie war will have
upon the general market. A rumour was current at one
time to-day that a much larger extra issue of Erie shares
than formerly reported had been discovered, producing
some little flurry, but which, however, soon subsided
when the story failed of confirmation. The gold premium
has fluctuated between 1371 and 1394, closing rather weak
at the latter figure; the transactions have been limited,
and the abundance of gold its such that in many cases
double the legal rate of interest has been paid to have it
carried. There is no demand for exchange.
United States 6's of 1881 ... 1111 to
5-20's of 1862... 110+ to
17 „ 1864... ... 107 i to 108
17 17 1865... ... 1081 to
tt 1866... ... 106; to 107
1867... 1074 to
1, 10-40's 101•4 to 2„
7-30's, second series ... ... 106 to
71 „ third series ... 106 to *
Comp's May 6,8
••• ••• 118 to
American gold ...
... 1391 to
London 3 days 1091, to 1104
60 days ...
... 109 to
Paris 3 days ..• 5.124 to 5.13-I
71 60 days... . 5.184 to 5.174
Pacific Mail ... 1111 to
New York Central... 123 to 1
Reading ...
... 934 to
Michigan, South and North Indiana... 894 to
Chicago and North-Western Company ... 67 to -
„ Preference 73/ to 74
Rock Island and Pacific ... 951 to
Fort Wayne ...• look to
As there are but two topics of interest all-absorbing-
-Ist, Impeachment; 2d, Erie Railroad combination and
speculations, with regard to which there seems to be but
little ground to form an opinion as to the course
of events—we devote the most of our space to
what we deem as fully an important a matter,
viz., the Bonds, and what is to be done with them—as
to which we annex a letter from Messrs. Jay Cooke and
Co., who, having had the issuing of the greatest portion of
the loans, ought to be a good authority, and we believe
they represent the case fairly ; and, if so, any course like
Paying them off in greenbacks would be so shameful, we
will not believe it ever can be carried.

The following letter was sent by Messrs. Jay
Cooke and Co., in reply to one addressed to them
by S. B. Howell enclosing copy of the resolutions
offered in the Assembly by Judge Balcom, and his
published "reasons" for the payment of United
States Bonds in new taxable coin bonds, or green-
backs, in case the holders refuse to convert them
into the proposed new issue :
"Banking House of Jay Cooke and Co.,
Corner-wall and Nassau-street, New
York, Feb. 26, 1868.
__

" S. B. Howell, Esq., Painted Post, N.Y. :
" We have your letter of the 18th including Mr.
Balcom's resolutions. The sale of the first Five-
twenty loan was undertaken by our Mr. Jay Cooke
at a time when the Government had utterly failed
to find a market for the bonds through the oidi-
nary channels, and the necessities of the Treasury
were immediate and pressing. The bonds were
offered directly to the people, and sold to them at
prices which could not possibly have been obtained
but for the distinct understanding that they were
payable, principal and interest, in coin.
" That this was the spirit and intent of the au-
thorizing act, it is only necessary to refer to the
sinking fund clause (sec. 5, Act February 25, 1862),
which specially appropriates the coin duties on im-
ports to—first, payment of interest on public debt ;
second, to a sinking fund for the payment of prin-

czpal. All of the funded debt of Ile- United States
that has heretofore matured has been paid in coin,
notwithstanding the fact that the authorizing Acts
did not so specify in words, and three such loans
have matured and been paid in coin since the issue
of the Five-Twenties of 1862.
" These bonds, then, were advertized and sold in
good faith as gold bonds; and that they were so
payable, see the letters of• Secretaries Chase, Fes-.
senden, and I.l4Culloch, all of whom have repeatedly
affirmed it.

The 5-20 s of 1862 will not mature until 1882,
when they will be due and payable in coin. The
Government's option only has matured, but the
Government is not ready now to pay.
" If, as Mr. Bale= urges, the Government
should pay in greenbacks, what is a greenback but
a promise to pay a dollar, and if 500,000,000 of
greenbacks should be issued to pay the 5-20 s must
we not afterward pay them, and, if so, in what but
gold ? Such an issue of paper money, every think-
ing man knows, would totally unsettle values and
indefinitely remove the resumption of specie pay-
ment. But, on the other hand, without any in-
crease of currency, in a reasonable time, specie pay-
ment will be resumed, gold and greenbacks will be
in equal value, and to pay the bonds in gold will be
no hardship.

As to exemption from taxation, refer to the
last clause of section 2, of the same Act—' And all
stocks, bonds, and securities of the United States
held by individuals, corporations, or associations
within the United States, shall be exempt from taxa-
tion, by or under stated authority.' fhis is clearly
enough a contract the value of which was consi-
dered by purchasers, and entered into the price
paid. Similar provisions appear in the Acts autho-
rizing subsequent issues of bonds, and they have
been sustained by decisions of the Supreme Court
of the United States.

without entering into any laboured argument
to meet Mr. Balcom's 'reasons' for taxing bonds,
it is enough to say in answer to the idea of a ' bond-
holding aristocracy' that it is iu the power of any
man to become a bondholder by purchase in the
market, if he regard the exemption from taxation as
a sufficient inducement to sell taxable property and
so invest the proceeds. If bondholders are a
favourite class,' no man possessing any property is
excluded from that class except of his own choice,
and no such idea can be made a justification for
violation by the Government of a contract which at
the time it was made was indispensable to the sup-
ply of the Treasury.
4, It is not generally known how large a propor-
tion of the securities of the United States are held
by people of moderate means for the investment of
their savings. We have not at hand the precise
figures of the denominations in which the several
series of Five-Twenties were issued, but the follow-
ing statement shows the number of notes of each
denomination embraced in the issue of Seven-Thirty
Treasury notes, which are now being converted by
the Treasury into Five-Twenty Bonds. In these
conversions the Treasury has never been able to
supply enough small bonds to adequately meet the
demand :

962,580 50s
1,474,940 100 s
147,494,000
436,792 500 s
219,896,000
370,376 I,ooos
370,376,000
8,821 5,000 s
44,106,000

3,256,609 $830,000,000
These figures will give an approximate idea of the
amount in which all of the Five-Twenty Bonds of
the Government are held.

" They show that one-half of the loan in amount
was taken in 50s, 100 s, and 500 s ; and further, that
as 2,877,813 pieces of these three denominations
were issued against 371,107 pieces of the large de-
nominations, the capitalists are in very minority,
and any legislation repudiating. In whole or in
part, the obligation of the bonds of the Government
would fall most severely upon widows, orphans,
and people of small capital, who invested their money
in those securities in perfect reliance upon the re-
presentations made to them by the Treasury De-
partment, directly and through its agents at the
time of their issue.

" More than once during the war resolutions
were offered in Congress looking to the payment of
the Five-Twenties in currency, but in every case
were voted down. "JAY COOKE AND Co."
We have also received a letter on " Inflated Currency,"
addressed to the farmers of the United States, by R. G.
Ilaxard, Esq., of Rhode Island, which has some strong
arguments for returning to a standard of fixed value. As
illustrations of his reasoning, which wo think will be
readily appreciated by most farmers, who by numbers
can, if they do not, control our national counsels. We
quote him thus :—" I will add one other item of national
loss, showing how the bane of inflation reaches where we
would least expect to find it. Gold is now an important
item of our exportable products, and by the change
in our currency the exchangeable value, or pur-
chasing power, even of this has been reduced
in the markets to which we send it. Wo have
dispensed with its use as a common currency, and as a
consequence the quantity of it in other countries has in-
croised, and its purchasing power proportionally dimi-
nished. If in this country we should all substitute pota-
toes for bread, our wheat would all be crowded into foreign
markets, and a fall in price would then be the consequence.
This same effect must result from substituting paper for
home use in place of gold. The difference between the
invigorating influence of a sound currency and such as we
are using, upon the business vitality of a country is greater
than between potatoos and wheat upon muscularand mental

energy. We have voluntarily adopted the potato currency,
and by its persistent use, are in a fair way to be driven to
the potato diet also. Fluctuations in the measure of value
are obviously just as inconvenient and injurious as vari-
ableness in the measures of bulk or length would be. If
a man contracts to sell his wheat at one dollar per bushel,
the result to him is precisely the same whether the bushel
is doubled in size or the dollar is reduced one-half in value.
Suppose a maker should furnish measures which would
swell and shrink with changes in the weather, sometimes
holding 3 or 4 quarts more, at others 3 or 4 less than half a
bushel. Without having learned to calculate those
changes, those who love the excitement of gambling,
and those who seek gain from the more mutations of trade
would favour these variable measures. But there would
soon be a class who, having made it their business to in-
vestigate, would prefer them, as gamblers, in the secret,
prefer certain makes of cards, for the reason that they
know them by ingenious devices on the back as readily as
by the spots on the face. The case of the farmers in re-
lation to the currency is even worse than this. For
reasons before stated, it is as though they were using
measures which, of themselves, would swell whenever
they were selling, and shrink when they were buying."
We have had our views as to what should be done in
the present state of finances, and have from time to time
given them in our American circular. We are now having
them put in a separate sheet, and although perhaps of no
particular value to any here, we shall be pleased to for-
ward it to any one who may desire on application. We
still hope that nothing like repudiation notes will be coun-
tenanced. The Journal of Commerce perpetrates this :
" The letter of a A Constant Reader' sets forth exactly
the nature of the proposition made to the bondholders by
the offer of a legal-tender note in discharge of the public
debt. He asks if it is the note that states on its back 'and
is exchangeable for United States Six per Cent. Twenty
Year Bonds,' &c., which it is proposed to give in payment?
This would be too rich a joke even for Mr. Sherman to
commit. There are plenty of such greenbacks in circulation,
and any one of our readers blessed with a roll of legal-
tenders may find a number of samples now in his pockets.
Of course the note is not thus exchangeable, although
fiction on its back so declares. But why not issue it in the
payment of the bonds, and let the currency holders accord-
ing to the promise fund it all back into the bonds if they
wish ? The reason would be obvious. Those who claim
for the immediate payment of the Five-twenties in greed-
backs do not wish to pay them at all, but only to stop the
interest. They simply propose to take away from the
bondholder the security, bearing 6 per cent. interest in
coin, and to give in its place a paper promise which bears
no interest in coin, and which has no date fixed for its
redemption. If this is desirable, we can see no object in
the useless expense of making the exchange. Let Con-
gress order the interest to cease on the day of the next
semi-annual payment, and make the bonds a legal tender
for their face. This accomplishes precisely the same ob-
ject without any circumlocution. To take away the bond
and give in its place a legal-tender promise is simply to
stop the interest on the evidence of debt, and make it a
paper currency. This may as well be done withoutprinting
any now pictures, and its true character would then fully -
appear.' •