The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-28 00:00:00

THE BITER BIT.

A circumstance has taken place within these few days
which has formed a very general subject of conversation.
From the reports in circulation, we learn that a gentleman
who was staying at a fashionable watering place, having
more plate than he required, resolved to sell some of it, to the
value of about 3001.

For this purpose he, applied to a certain silversmith, who
made the purchase for the above sum. The plate was ac-
cordingly sent to him, and the following morning the gentle-
man called for the money. The' ail versmith declared that he
hail had an unexpected call fur money, and asked him to
take two bills, 1501. each, at a short date. The gentleman
expressed himself somewhat surprised, but, after some hesi-
tation, he took the bills, waited till they became due, and
then presented them for payment. Again an excuse fur non-
payment was made, and the gentleman was requested to
hold over the bills. In this, too, he acquiesced, thinking
more, however, as it subsequently appeared, on the matter
than lie said. _ _ _

He held the bills sometime, and the matter slept.
One day, however, 'another gentleman, quite a stranger to
the silversmith, called upon him, made some purchases to a
considerable 'amount, and then asked very coolly whether
the silversmith could supply him with some silver goods of
a certain pattern ? " Certainly, Sir," said the silversmith
very blandly, " and to any amount." A pattern was ac-
cordingly sent to the silversmith, and goods were ordered to
the value of about 150/., with orders for them to be sent to
the same hotel as soon as finished. The silversmith ac-
cordingly hurried up to London, had the goods made per
pattern, and when they were finished he took them him-
self to the gentleman, No. 2, at the hotel; saw him ; pre-
sented the goods, and the bill for them. " Very well,
Sir," said the gentleman, " and now, waiter, take the goods
to my room, and I will pay you for them," turning to the
silversmith. • The bill amounted to 3041. odd, and he told
the silversmith to give him a receipt for the amount and the
balance out of a 51. note, which the silversmith having
done,the gentleman handed him over the odd sovereigns and
silver, and two long strips of paper. The silversmith exa
mined them. In an instant his jaw fell—his face assumed as
many hues as a peacock's tail—his eyes flashed with fury—
his hands trembled—his whole frame shook with rage.
" What are these, Sir ?—Why ! Why! They are my
own bills !" •

" Yes, I suppose you will not object to your own bills ?"
"What do-you mean, Sir? -They are of no use to me."
"If not to you to whom else?"
" Sir, you are a rogue—a swindler. I will see whether
there is no law for you, Sir."
Those who witnessed the scene say that Shylock, when
done out of his pound of flesh, was far less furious than his
descendant on this occasion. The bills were, in fact, the same
that he had given the gentleman No. 1 for his plate, which
now made their appearance in this horrid form and shape.
He went otf like a cnlverin to fetch a lawyer. One came,
and on introducing himself to -the gentleman No. 2, he very
coolly referred him to his 'solicitor, in the adjoining Poona.
They had an interview, and the silversmith's lawyer, fineing
that he could make nothing of such a case, abandoned the
field. The silversmith fetched another, and he, too, had an
interview with the gentleman's solicitor, but who, after some
conversation with the second lawyer, quitted the room,
placing the tip of his right-hand thumb to his nasal promon-
tory, and spreading his fingers in a very significant manner,
as urchins do in the streets, to intimate to the silversmith's
lawyer that it was " no go."
The circumstance getting wind brought the silversmith's
creditors, it is.said, about his ears, and the shop is closed.
It seems to have been a well-concerted plan between the
gentleman No.. 1 and No. 2 to recover, at least, a. portion of
the value of the plate sold to the silversmith. We say a
ortion—as the goods bought by No. 2 could not be worth
300/., and then there was the expense of the lawyer, and his
journey down and up, to bring the transaction to a climax.—
Blighton Herald. .

SMALL DEBTS ACT.—In pursuance of the resolu-
tkn agreed to by the Commissioners for the Court of Re-
quests for the-hundreds of Blackheath and Little and Less-
ness, in the county of Kent, and Wallington, in the county
of Surrey, the Messrs. Parker, the clerks to the court, duly
forwarded the memorial to the Lords of the Privy Council,
praying her Majesty's -sanction for an extension of the pro-
visions of the• Act 8 and 9 Vic., cap. 101, to this court, to
debts not exceeding 20/. A favourable answer having been
received, a circular has been issued requesting the attendance
of the Commissioners at the Court-house, on Wednesday,
Nov. 5, for the purpose of proceeding to the election of a
judge for the court. The appointment, it is assumed, will be
about 1,2001. per annum, the district extending to about
twenty parishe:i. An active canvass on behalf of the respec-
tive candidates has been going on for some time, and some
little betting has taken place as to the result. There are five
candidat s in the field, viz., three barristers, R. J. Corner,
Esq., D. D. Keane, Esq., and Charles Harwood, Esq., Re-
corder of Shrewsbury, Frederick W. Meymott, Esq., special
pleader, and Robert Suter, Esq., solicitor of Greenwich. The
election is in the hands of about two hundred Commissioners,
some few of whom have not yet qualified.
THE ANDOVER UNION.—The election of a master'
to succeed Mr. Price took place on Friday, when Mr. I3lyth,
of the Isle of Wight, was chosen. There were twelve votes
in his favour, the next candidate on the list having nine.
The new master of the union is Mr. James Blyth, one of the
senior wardens of Parkhurst Prison, Isle of Wight.—Hamp-
shire Advertiser.

OPENING Or THE PORTS.-THE FIRST MOVEMENT
IN GLAIGOW.—On Wednesday the Lord Provost, magistrates, and
Council of Glasgow, unanimously resolved to memorialise her
Majesty's Government to open the ports for the admission of grain
duty free ; and a memorial to that effect has already, we believe,
bap transmitted to Sir Robert reele—Scotch liOnner'a GrAwite.

111'
London: Printed and Published by MURDO Y0(114%,, -
ri 0 0'
Strand, Printer, at The Bun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the
ge Pr owv-
the Savoy,
in the Ceunty of Middlesex. Toted

ISO.