Cht 311ttrufn1is.
London streets are subjected to repeated obstructions by authorities and public companies, obstructions productive of great inconvenience and expense. The subject has provoked the attention of the journalist often, and was on Tuesday brought under the notice of the City Sewers Com- missioners. Mr. Ross moved "That it be referred to the General Purposes Committee to consider the expediency of making regulations with reference to the taking up the pave- ment, or otherwise disturbing the surface of any street to enable gas and other public companies to make alteration in their works."
In support of this he made an interesting statement. Great incon- veniences, he said, have been suffered by the neighbourhood in which he resides through the pulling up of the street three times in a year, in one instance to enable the commission to lay down sewers, and in two others for the purposes of Gas Companies. Everybody must be convinced of the necessity of regulations being made to prevent the frequent pulling up of the streets. No official register is kept of the period when the streets are opened or closed. Last June twelvemonth Fleet Lane was opened for several months during the construction of a sewer. At the expiration of nine months a Gas Company opened the street, and put down new mains, and they had hardly finished their work when another Company came and laid down mains also. Some regulation ought to be made by which companies should be required to do law works of that kind at the same time. The Commission ought not to allow the present wanton system of injury to continue. Some of the public companies, through the influence they possess in the House of Commons, have re- cently obtained powers overriding those of the Court of Sewers, and can disturb the pavement of the street at their own will for their own private interests. He did not want to place unnecessary restretions upon them, but it was right to look into the Acts of Parliament, to ascertain what the reepeetive powers of the Commission and of these Companies are for the purpose of framing regulations to keep companies in proper order for the future in carrying out their work. He suggested that when sanction is given to a company to put down new mains a letter should be written to other companies' telling them that a particular street is open, and that if they wished also to lay down new mains they should do so then, other- wise they would not be permitted to disturb the surface for a certain number of months.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Barkley, and carried unanimously.
A meeting of the inhabitants of St. Giles's, Camberwell, was held at the Rosemary Branch Tavern, Southampton Street, on Tuesday even- ing, for the purpose of opposing the claim of 20,623/. made by the Metro- politan Board of Works on the parish for sewers-rate. Mr. R. A. Gray, a resident Magistrate for Surrey, occupied the chair. A letter was read from Mr. W. Williams, M.P., apologizing for his absence but explaining that he had made inquiries into the subject, and found that, although the Metropolitan Board of Works admitted there was a discrepancy betwen the amount levied and the sum expended in the parish, still the Board contended that they were obliged by the Act of Parliament to levy the amount of debt equally on all the districts. He advised them to re- sist the demand, and, if necessary, have recourse to a court of law. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Rushton, Mr lessee, Mr. H. Doulton, and other parishioners. It was stated that St. Giles's parish was as- sessed at 210,000/., and paid 11,1271. to the Metropolitan Board of Works, while 350/. only had been expended on sewerage in the dis- trict. Ultimately a memorial was adopted calling upon the vestry of St. Giles's to contest the claim in a court of law, and if necessary before Parliament. On Tuesday, St. Matthew's day, the usual ceremonies were observed in connexion with Christ's Hospital—morning service in Christchurch, and the delivery of orations ivy the senior scholars in the hall of the hoe- pitaL The Lord Mayor and city corporation were present. The speaker of the English oration, Mr. Pnincis lianbury, took the opportunity to declaim- against a project much debited for removing the London Schools, sueh as St. Paul's and Christ's, into the country. "Where is there supported debility ? ' Where, there, [pointing to hie schoolmates] the finger of pale disease ? Shall, then, this hallowed Spot give place to the busy ring of commerce which encircles it ? Shall not London, the queen of cities, preserve at least one home for the queenly studies of the mind ? Thus, then let us hope it will ever stand to ehare and adorn, together with the other 41.11 hospitals, the fortunes of this greet and ancient metropolis and the privileges of its renowned magteteatm, who are among the foremost guardians of its fame. May it stand, with its ancient character untarnished, its bounty undiminished!, The Central Criminal Court has been sitting this week. The general run of cases are of no great interest. Mr. Angel Hyam Cohen, marine- storeacaler, accused of receiving a quantity of metal stolen from Plymouth Dockyard, and stamped with the broad arrow, has been acquitted by the direction of the Judge. There was not sufficient evidence to show that he was aware that the casks he received contained the property of the Government.
Otto Homeyer, a Prussian, was convicted of uttering a forged accountable receipt for goods. He represented that he had shipped a quantity of wheat, when he had done nothing of the kind, and drew bills on the security of the cargo to the extent of 2400/. The defence was that the forged docu- ments being sent in a letter from a foreign country, there was no uttering of the instrument that would amount to an offence against the law of this country. Mr. Baron Watson, in summing up, said, he thought it right, in the interest of commerce, that it should be understood that the defencethat had been suggested on the part of the learned counsel for the prisoner mu no answer whatever to the present charge ; and it was obvious that it would be a most dangerous proceeding if it were allowed to be so. The only question for the jury to consider was whether the prisoner had put forth a forged instrument representing that a large quantity of valuable property had been shipped on board a certain vessel, and if this were made out the offence was complete! Verdict, Guilty ; sentence eight years' penal ser- vitude.
Wilhelm Steinthal, a German fortune-teller, has been accused of oh. Mining about 18/. from Andreas Mag. A German midwife told Mag she knew a man who could get riches for him, and took him to Steinthal. The latter prophesied luck to Mag if he played in a lottery. Mag paid 24 and the wizard showed him a number. Then there went on a series of ma- nceuvres and incantations of the most ludicrous description, ostensibly "to make the number lucky," really to draw advances of 21. each from Mag. Each advance was made in coins differing each from the other; that was part of the spell. The cards were used on every occasion ; prayers were said ; jugglery was performed in Victoria Park ; when the money bestowed upon Steinthal wherewith to practise his art was finally charmed away. Mr. Yardley, the Thames Street Magistrate, showed Steinthal that he was liable to three months' imprisonment, and advised him to refund the 18/. Steinthal was brought up on remand on Thursday ; when he subjected Mag to a severe cross-examination, but did not shake his evidence. Stein- that, at the same time, played the simpleton and tried to make Mr. Yardley
believe not only that he put faith in the necromancy, but that he had lintmoney by the transaction. It came out that both prisoner and prosecutor
were well-educated."
A batch of omnibus drivers and conductors have been fined by the Bow Street and Marlborough Street Magistrates for racing and obstructing the public way. These omnibus tacticshave reached a shameful pitch. In one case a woman was severely hurt in alighting, by the haste of a driver in rushing on before she had got down. In another an omnibus was damaged by a rival driving into it.
Two old houses in Pilgrim Street, Ludgate Hill, fell with a thundering crash into the street, at midnight on Wednesday. They were used as a depot for furniture by a Jew, and fortunately no person was in either. The debris blocked up the street, and several persons were imprisoned in their homes. The police rescued thirteen ; the conductor of a fire escape, one. An investigation will take place.
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