The Parliamentary Committee on the Sale of Beer
Act has had several sittings. The witnesses have
consisted principally of the Magistrates of the London
Police Courts, the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan
Police, and the Commissioner of the City Police.
The general purport of the evidence given by the
commissioners is, that there has been a decline in the number
of cases of drunkenness brought up for adjudication on
the Monday; and, on the other hand, there has been
a slight increase in Saturday and Tuesday cases. Sir
Richard Mayne remarked that the police cases indicate
the proportion of one drunkard in 32,000 persons; so
that to enforce a restraint upon the one drunkard the
inconvenience is imposed on the 32,000 persons. It was
stated that there had been two cases of drunkenness from
the House of Commons—no reason for punishing the
656. The question as to who is a bonâ-fide traveller
was not much elucidated. Almost all the witnesses
were in favour of largely modifying the bill—probably,
of extending the time of opening from one to eleven
o'clock p. m. on Sundays. Among the few witnesses
who favoured the bill was Sir Robert Carden—a member
of the Maine Liquor Law Association, though not
himself a Teetotaller. He would close the houses at
ten o'clock, as no honest man ought to be out of his own
house after that hour. Nine out of ten that go to a
public-house later, he said, are robbers, thieves, prostitutes,
and bad characters. Another witness was Mr.
George Cruikshank, who would close the public-houses
all day on Sundays, and would go beyond the Maine
Liquor Law. He denied that there was any
inconvenience occasioned by the act: "it was all a disgraceful
fuss about drink." Mr. Cruikshank handed in some
pictorial sketches, representing the effects of drinking
in beer-houses, but they were not received as evidences.

A return has been issued of all Pensions granted
between the 20th of June, 1854, and the 20th of June
1855, and charged upon the Civil List. The total
amount is £1,200. Mrs. Montague receives £300 in
consideration of her husband's services in the penal
settlement of Van Diemen's Land from 1824 to 1842;
and Eleanor Philippa Ward, Horatio Nelson Ward, and
Caroline Mary Ward, the three daughters of Mrs.
Horatia Nelson Ward, the daughter of Lord Nelson, the
same sum. Georgina Hay Fullarton, widow of the
late eminent Scotch judge, Lord Fullarton, receives
£200, and Mrs. Moore, widow of Colonel Moore, who
recently lost his life in the Europa transport, £100.
Thomas Keightley, £100, in consideration of his services
to historical literature. Mrs. Maria M. Crafer, widow
of the late E. T. Crafer, Esq., of the Treasury, £150;
and Annabella Kitto, widow of Dr. Kitto, £50, in
consideration of the services rendered by her husband
to Biblical Literature.

A Royal warrant has just been issued, regulating a
new grant of Pensions and Allowances to the Widows
of Officers of the Army. It abolishes all previous
warrants upon this subject, and came into operation,
regarding the relatives of officers who do not die on
active service, upon the 15th instant. With respect to
officers killed in action, or dying from wounds or from
"illness brought on by the fatigue, privation, and
exposure incident to active operations in the field before
an enemy," it is applicable from the date of the
declaration of war against Russia. The pensions granted
in consequence of death in action are, in a few instances,
left at their former amount; but in several they are
moderately, and in a few cases considerably increased,
chiefly in the lower ranks. If an officer killed have no
widow, but a widowed mother, she will be allowed the
"ordinary" pension; if no widow, children, or mother,
but sisters, they will be collectively allowed the ordinary
widow's pension. The new class of pensions created by
the Royal warrant relates to the widows of officers who
die from illness contracted in the field, and who, being
hitherto considered of the ordinary class, received only
the amount payable in case of death during time of
peace; they will henceforward receive a yearly sum
midway between the ordinary allowance and that in
cases of death in action. We specify the amount
according to rank—Colonels, £150; Lieutenant-Colonels
and Majors of the Foot Guards, £145; Lieutenant-
Colonels, £140; Majors, £100; Captains and Paymasters,
£65; Lieutenants and Adjutants, £50; Second
Lieutenants, Cornets, and Ensigns, £40; Quartermasters,
£40, £50, and £65, according to length of service;
Veterinary Surgeons, £50, £55, and £70, according to
length of service; Inspector-Generals of Hospitals,
£150; Deputy ditto, £140; First-class Staff-Surgeons,
£100; Second-class ditto Regimental Surgeons, £65;
Purveyors, £40, £50, and £65, according to length of
service; Assistant-Surgeons, £50.

NARRATIVE OF LAW AND CRIME.

THE case of the late bankers, Strahan, Paul, and
Bates, is before the Court of Bankruptcy, and likewise
before the Bow-street police magistrate. In the
Bankruptcy Court, on the 25th of June, a meeting was held
before Mr. Commissioner Evans, for proof of debts and
choice of assignees ; the petitioning creditor being Mr.
Tatham, proctor, Great Carter-lane, who claims £1594
balance of account. Several counsel appeared: Mr.
Chidley for the Marquis of Clanricarde, Lord Galway,
and other creditors. the aggregate in amount being about
£250,000; Mr. Linklater for Sir Lucius Curtis and other
creditors; and Mr. Cooper for several noblemen. The
balance sheet showed that the gross debts against the
firm, irrespective of securities, amount to £680,000. The
assets were estimated in round numbers at £150,000 or
£160,000, without reference to the large sums advanced
on foreign railroads, and which would represent an item
of £276,000. Through Mr. Parry, Mr. Bates, the other
partners consenting, laid before the court a complete
list of all the securities disposed of by the firm. It
contains forty names, many of them the names of ladies;
the total value of the securities being £113,625. Mr.
Barwis, navy-agent, New Boswell-court, Mr. Charles
Appleyard, solicitor, of Lincoln's Inn, and Mr. Edmund
Waller, stationer, Fleet-street, were appointed to act as
trade assignees. Messrs. Lawrance, Plews, and Boyer,
are solicitors to the assignees; and Mr. Turquand, of
Old Jewry Chambers, is accountant to the estate.
Among the creditors are—Lord Palmerston, the Duke
of Devonshire, Earl of Carnarvon , Viscountess
Melbourne, Earl of Dysart, Sir A. Ashton, Sir. C. Coote,
Sir Charles Young, Lord Lisburne, Wadham College,
Lord Cavendish, Earl Burlington, Mr. W. Spottiswoode,
the Queen's printer, the Duke of Rutland, Lord J. R.
Manners, the Right Hon. C. C. Manners, Lord Galway,
Countess of Craven, Countess of Verulam, Marquis of
Clanricarde, Sir Lucius Curtis, Lieutenant-General
Thompson, Lord Muncaster, Lieutenant-General Buller,
Sir B. Macnamara, Lady Manners, Earl of Bradford.
At Bow-street, the three partners have been repeatedly
brought for examination on the charge of fraudulently
disposing of securities belonging to the Rev. Dr. Griffith,
and have been as often remanded, bail being refused.

On Sunday, the 1st inst., there was another
Demonstration aqainst the Sunday Trading Bill in Hyde
Park. At three o'clock, an immense crowd had
assembled, and had occupied both sides of the carriage-
drive from Apsley-house to Kensington-gardens. Here
and there men were speaking against the Sunday Trading
Bill. One man told a crowd that he had been invited to
accompany Lord Robert Grosvenor to church, but that
instead of going to church, Lord Robert had gone out of
town, in a hired carriage, lest his own should be recognised.
When the police appeared the orators
disappeared. The mob hooted, cried "Down with the
crushers!" and threw stones; and the police, charging
them and using their truncheons, knocked down and
captured considerable numbers. At four o'clock seven
cabs filled with prisoners drove to the Vine-street
station. Still the riot continued. Some soldiers
mingled with the crowd, and took the part of the
multitude. One man, pursued by the constables,
jumped into the Serpentine; but, showing signs of
weakness, the Humane Society's men rescued him from
the water, and the police claimed him as a prisoner.
Comparatively few horsemen and carriages had entered
the drive; but those who did ran great risk, for the
mob frightened all the horses with a horrible uproar;
then the police made an onslaught, striking and capturing