ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 575, 25 April 1873, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

*-c- * At the Stafford quarter sessions, held some two months ago, one of tho magistrates (Mr. Elwell) expired in his seat on the bench. the publicans of Kingstbn-upon-Thamc| have complained to the War Office authorities against the low scale of billettmg allowances. They aver that for a soldier’s meals, which cost them Is. Ojd a day, they receive only lOd, ; that for forage, which costs them, at the lowest estimate, 25.; they have to accept Is. 2d.,' and that, while soldiers quartered in towns pay 4d. for a bed, when on tho march they only pay 2.) d. The ■expenses of the last Lord Mayor’s Day were .“5,006'. os. 3d., out of which the dinner cost 1436k 10s. « A Parisian chemist has been "astonishing his neighbors by exhibising a supposed “ Siren, ” said to have been caught in the sea of Okhotsk. On investigation, however, the Siren was found to he of Japanese manufacture, consisting of the skeleton of tho head and shoulders of a monkey, artistrcally joined to the body of a fish. Criminal informations have been filed in the Court of Queen’s Bench against the Governors of Millhank and Chatham Prisons for alleged cruelties to the French convicts. The most extraordinary statements are made. , An amusing action for damages for slander has been heard in the Common Pleas. Tho plaintiff, a member of Messrs. Coote and Tinney’s band, was engaged, with other musicians, to play at a ball given by Sir Gilbert East, and when paying the hill, Sir Gilbert complained to Mr. Coote that the band played disgracefully, got drunk, and stole some champagne. The verdict was that though Sir Gilbert’s words»were slanderous, they were spoken in the heat of the moment, and not maliciously, and that the plaintiff’s honesty was not impeached; The charge against Mr. Robert Bowles, tho American banker, of fraudulent conversion of securities to his own use, has been tried at the Old Bailey, and a verdict of Not Guilty returned. In summing up, the Deputy Recorder said that there being no evidence of criminal responsibility, the accused having always hold aloof from tho financial department of tho business,[which was established by Mr. C. Bowles. The Coroner’s jury Lave returned an open verdict in the Coram-stroct murder i inquiry, and Dr. Hosscll, the German clergyman, has boon acquitted of tho charge, having proved, perhaps tho clearest alibi that ever was proved in a court of justice. Whether wo shall ever now discover the murderer of Harriet Buswcll seems very doubtful indeed ; tho keen interest felt in the horrible story has now somewhat palled and a fresh subject for discussion, arid sympathy is afforded in the treatment of Dr. Ilcssel. We have no hesitation in pronouncing it disgraceful. Tho English Law assumes tho innocence of every man until bis guilt is proved ; but this theory is practically reversed by our police regulations. No sooner does a man, guilty or innocent, get into the clutches of these “ myrmidons’ of the law, than ho is treated as though he had -already been convicted of the most heinous offence in the calendar. A delicate gently,nurtured man or raomau (for it is tho system, and not inove’y tho particular instance to which we would call attention) is kept day and night without a fire, fed upon the ■commonest food, even though willing to pay for better, made to clean and scrub the dismal stone cell in which he is confined, and, in short, treated as if there could bo no doubt whatever that ho deserved punishment. We are glad to see that the Government have to some extent reimbursed Dr. Hesscl for his pecuniary losses, and that the country generally has shown so much sympathy with Ifim. Dr. Hesscl has our best wishes for his success in the new colony to which ho is going. But while doing and sajing all we can by way of sympathy with Dr. Hesscl, we must not forget that to morrow his case may ho our own, or that of our dearest friend. Wc cannot avoid mistakes in identity, but wc can easily alter our prison rules, so that a suspected person, while effectually prevented from escaping, may be subjected to as little inconvenience as possible until proven guilty. Tho German papcis arc naturally indignant at the treatment Dr. Hessell has received. Tho conduct of the police is declared to be unpardonable.