3tioullturun.

A Cnitions SCENE.—The bankrupt, B. W. Wells, was an oil-cloth manufac- turer at Camberwell. This was the last examination meetiug. The balance.

sheetnot being filed, an adjournment was necessary. Mr. George attended on behalf of the assignees, and objected to the admission of a proof tendered by Mr. Brough, on behalf of Mr. Aaron Smith, on the ground that the transactions

between him and the bankrupt had not been satisfactorily explained to the 885ig. nees. Mr. Aaron Smith was examined by Mr. George as follows:—You call yourself a gentleman, I believe ?—Yes, I am a gentleman.—The Commissioner: It's no use saying you're a gentleman. Everybody is a gentleman.—Witness:

Well, I have thirty-two horses, a freehold mill, money in the funds, moneys in

various establishments, and am not obliged to do anything for a living.—Mr. George: But are you not known as Captain Pirate Smith ?—Witness: Well, I

am called that name sometimes, but I don't think you'd call me so outside this

Court.—The Commissioner: What is a pirate?—Witness: Why a pirate would hang him (Mr. George) at once if he caught him upon the high seas—his coun-

tenance is enough to hang him. I was taken prisoner by some pirates, was tried

and honourably acquitted; and yet this fellow has the impudence to call me Pirate Smith. If he was to do it outside this court I would give hint something

that he would not like. Pirate Smith, indeed: Why what does the ill-looking

scoundrel mean by it? His looks alone would hang him.—The Commissioner thought the matter was a question of accounts that should be arranged in the

office of the official assignee, and directed the proof to be admitted as a claim to be turned into a proof absolute if satisfactory evidence were given of the validity of the claim.

SINGULAR PROCEEDINGS OF A Corivicr.—Among the prisoners who have just been removed from Newgate to the Penitentiary at Millbank, was a man

named Thomas Quitter, who was sentenced to four years' penal servitude for stealing letters. It will, perhaps, be recollected that at the trial at the Central Criminal Court the prisoner was twice placed at the bar to plead to the indict- ment, but on each occasion he refused to do so. A jury was consequently em- panelled to try the question whether he stood mute of malice, or through the visitation of God. Medical and other testimony was adduced, and the verdict returned was that the prisoner was mute of malice. The trial was accordingly proceeded with, but the prisoner did not utter a word, or take any part in the proceedings. tAfter his conviction and sentence, for a considerable time he en- deavoured to make it appear that he was mad ; but at length, finding that the au- thorities of the prison were not to be imposed upon, and that he had no chance of succeeding, the prisoner resumed his ordinary demeanour, and admitted that the whole of his conduct had been a sham. In order to prevent any chance of

the prisoner doing himself any mischief, he was closely watched, but it appears that, notwithstanding the surveillance to which he was subjected, he, upon one

occasion, attempted to suffocate himself by placing his head in the pan of the water-closet in his cell ; and it appears that he held it in that position until he became insensible, and rolled to the ground; and when the warder entered the cell he had only partially recovered his consciousness. It is stated that since, the prisoner has been at Millbank he has conducted himself very well, and appears resigned to the inevitable result of serving out his sentence.

GAS Olt IVersa.—The consumption of gas now is at least doable what it was ten years ago, and the annual quantity manufactured in London is about 8,000,000,000 cubic feet. One-fourth of this quantity, according to reliable

estimates, is lost by leakage, condensation, dishonesty, and bad debts; and at least one-half of this fourth, or 1,000,000,000 cubic feet, escapes every year into the I.ondon street earth. Mr. Spencer, an analytical chemist to the New River Company, has traced this escaped gas in its destructive action upon the 4700 miles of metropolitan gas and water mains, until underground London appears to be one vast grave of iron rotting into plumbago. The 12 gas-mains, with

their 80 joints, which lie side by side with water-mains and telegraphic-wire pipes over the sewer in Cocksparstreet, Charing-cross, are not such a happy

family as their appearance would lead us to suppose. They are crowded together

like tramps in a threepenny bed, and there does not seem room for a rat to run between them; but there is no real friendship for all this shaking of hands. The

defective joints of the gas-mains lead to the enormous leakage just described, and the escaped gas, by its action on the street-earth, destroys water-pipes in a few years that ought to last for a century. Apart from the foul con- dition of the London-street earth, we are all interested in saving this es- caped gas and this destroying pipeage, for our gas bills include the cost of the one, and our water bills the cost of the other. While the water pipes are softened and the gas penetrates the tubes, the water is also adulterated with an undrinkable mixture. I have heard of a letter addressed to a leading water company, which ran somewhat in this form:—" Mr. Blank presents his compli- ments to the Blank Company, and wishes to know whether they supply gas or water. Mr. Blank is led to make this inquiry because one of his servants went to the cistern with a pitcher and a candle, and Instead of procuring water she blew up the roof of a washhonse."—.411 the Year Round.

Are ENEMY OFF Pouresiours.—On Tuesday evening a party of naval cadets from her Majesty's ship Britannia were bathing, as is their custom, on the beach

between the harbour's month and Hasler Hospital, when a peculiar object was observed on the surface of the water, at no great distance from the bathers, by some seamen and the watermen of a boat which was coming into the harbour under sail from the ships of war at Spithead. On drawing near the object it was discovered to be the dorsal fin of a huge shark, which, with his head towards the bathers, was apparently engaged in watching their proceedings with great interest.

The close proximity of the boat, however, appear.d to disturb his cogitations, for the brute, with scarcely any perceptible effort, sheered off at great speed into deep water. Shortly afterwards he was seen cruising off the bathing machines at Southsea. Measures have been taken to effect his capture if possible.