Who would have thought that in 1856, men bought ear-rings for themselves! See the Falmouth Police Reports; that's what the thief asked to be shown. WEST BRITON AND CORNWALL ADVERTISER 11 JULY 1856 MARAZION - The celebration of peace, and of her Majesty's birthday, took place at Marazion and St. Michael's Mount on Wednesday the 2nd instant. The celebration had been postponed in consequence of the absence of the Mayor, Mr. R. R. MICHELL, who was from home; and on his return, the death of Lady St. Aubyn was the occasion of further postponing the rejoicings until after the interment of her remains. Some very fine arches were erected, and decorated with flags, and a procession was formed, with a band and banners, after a royal salute had been fired from the guns of the St. Michael's Mount batteries. The procession was a very gay one; there walked in it the Mayor, aldermen, town clerk, and corporate body, the inhabitants, &c., and the rear was brought up by a number of children from various schools. A conspicuous object in the procession was the St. Aubyn barge, drawn by two gaily dressed horses, containing a crew of six bargemen in their livery of the sixteenth century - scarlet coats, petticoat trousers, large shirt frills, and the St. Aubyn Arms on their badges. After the return of the procession, about 170 adults and 370 school children were provided with cake and tea; and the committee, and a great number of ladies and gentlemen of the town, and from Penzance and the neighbourhood, took tea under the presidency of the Mayor. Addresses were afterwards delivered; the flora was danced by the young people; and about half-past nine there was a display of fireworks. A ball took place in the evening at the Commercial Hotel, and every thing passed off in a most satisfactory manner. The inhabitants of the Mount celebrated the peace at the same time, and Mr. EDWARD ST. AUBYN gave a donation of ten guineas towards the united festivities. SINGULAR PERFORMANCES OF DOGS AND MONKEYS - We understand that some very curious performances will shortly take place at Truro, on the occasion of the visit of M. Do...'s Parisian troupe of performing dogs and monkeys. These animals have been so trained that amongst other amusing performances, the dogs, saddled and bridled, and ridden by monkey jockeys, will join in a small steeple chase, jumping over gates, &c. Further particulars of these singular performances will shortly appear. DEATH OF THE COUNTESS OF ST. GERMANS - The Countess of St. Germans died on Wednesday at the family mansion in Dover Street. Her ladyship had been confined to her room about a month, but no serious apprehensions were entertained until Tuesday last, when her medical advisers gave up all hopes of her recovery. She was the third daughter of the second Marquis Cornwallis by the fourth daughter of the Duke of Gordon, and was born in 1803. Her ladyship married in 1824 the Earl of St. Germans (then Lord ELLIOT) by whom she leaves five sons and one daughter, married to the Hon. and Rev. WALTER PONSONBY. THE CUSTOMS - The vacancy of searcher, &c., in the customs at Penzance, which has been so long vacant, has now been filled by the appointment of Mr. JOHN CURNOW MILLETT, late clerk in the Legal Quays Department, London, who, after passing a creditable examination before the Civil Service Commission, and undergoing the usual period of instruction at the port of Plymouth, was admitted to the office on the 1st instant. MR. A. G. MALLETT has been appointed principal coast officer at Penryn. CORNWALL COUNTY COURTS - St. Austell – This court was held in the Town Hall on the 3red inst., when seventy-two new cases were entered, and two cases adjourned from the previous court. Twenty-two cases were heard in court, and judgment by consent was given in five; the others were settled out of court. The protection of the court was given to ANN GILLIES, insolvent, formerly of the Globe Hotel. PENZANCE QUARTER SESSIONS - The Midsummer Sessions for this borough were held on Monday last, before Mr. BEVAN, the Recorder, and the borough magistrates. There was only one case for trial. THOMAS HAWKE, age 25, a butcher's assistant, was charged with stealing, on the 19th of April, at Penzance, two bags and GBP 8.12s., the property of ROBERT BARNES, butcher's assistant. Prosecutor and prisoner slept in two beds in the same room, in a lodging house kept by CATHERINE NICHOLLS, in a court near the Market-place. The money was kept in bags in prosecutor's box, and in his absence it was stolen, and the niece of the landlady found prisoner in possession of the bags, with money scattered about the floor. The whole was recovered except GBP 1.2s.6d. The defence was that the prisoner was intoxicated, and had no felonious intent. A witness was called to show his previous good character. Verdict guilty, but recommended to mercy. Sentence, one month's hard labour. EXCISE PROSECUTION - At Penzance, on Monday last, before the Mayor, and Mr. CARNE, Mr. J.J.A. BOASE, and Mr. BATTEN, magistrates, a prosecution was instituted by the Inland Revenue Commissioners (through Mr. PHILIP FRANCIS, supervisor of the district) against Mr. EDWARD DINGLEY, who formerly kept the Royal Hotel at Falmouth, and recently a boarding house at Penzance. The excise sought to recover three penalties, amounting in the whole to GBP 120 - GBP 20 for selling beer, GBP 50 for selling spirit, and GBP 50 for selling wine without a license. Mr. CORNISH, of the firm of Messrs. Rodd, Darke, and Cornish appeared for the prosecution; and Mr. HILL, of Helston, for Mr. DINGLEY. The principal witness in support of the prosecution was Mr. ROBERT WILLIAM BONE, an excise officer residing at Chacewater, who went to Penzance on the 18th of March, in pursuance of instructions from the board, and with the special purpose of detection, and in the character of a commercial traveler was accommodated at Mr. Dingley's boarding-house. Arriving in the evening, he ordered supper, and afterwards a glass of brandy and water of the servant, and was supplied with it. After breakfast next morning he had a glass of ale, and at dinner the servant asked him what he would take, and he ordered half a pint of sherry. Mrs. Dingley came into the room, and told him she had no license, but could supply him with what he wanted. He repeated the order, and said, "Oh, indeed, give me half a pint of sherry" and he was then supplied with it. Next morning, before leaving, he had the bill, and paid for what he had had. The witness on cross-examination was pressed very hard on the point whether Mrs. Dingley had not given him notice from the beginning when he asked for brandy and water, that she was unlicensed; but he asserted that no reference was made to the subject until the sherry was ordered. In reply to Mr. CARNE, witness said, I requested a second time to have the wine, after Mrs. Dingley told me she had no license. Another witness, Mr. T. PRITCHARD, inland revenue officer at Penzance, stated that the liquor could not have been brought from the Turk's Head, the nearest house, within the time Mr. Bone stated he had received it after giving the orders. Mr. Hill ably addressed the Bench in behalf of the defendant, first objecting that one of the charges was for selling half a pint of beer; it was proved that ale had been sold, and therefore that charge must fail. He cited cases in support of his objection, and the Magistrates held it to be fatal. Remarking on the merits of the case, he denied positively that his client had evaded the law. He had established a respectable boarding house, which was much needed at Penzance; he supplied meals at hotel charges, and if any customer required wine, ale, or spirits, it was sent out for, which practice was pursued at all such establishments at the most respectable watering places and cities in the kingdom. Unfortunately the law did not permit him to call Mr. and Mrs. Dingley, but he was instructed in the most positive, emphatic, and solemn manner to assert that on the evening when the excise officer arrived, Mrs. Dingley informed him that she was not licensed. It was totally opposed to the spirit of the English Laws, that men supported by the public purse should go about inducing persons to commit an offence, as Mr. Bone had done. Mr. Hill hinted that other parties in the town were interested in the prosecution. The Magistrates dismissed the first part of the information with regard to the beer, as before stated; as to the third, they said undue solicitation had been made by the officer to supply the sherry, and they strongly disapproved of such a course, and should dismiss that part of the information; with regard to the second charge, for supplying brandy and water, they held it to be proved, but mitigated the penalty of GBP 50 to as low an amount as the law allowed, namely one quarter, or GBP 12.10s. TRURO POLICE - On the 3rd instant, before Mr. SPRY, borough magistrate, JANE DOWELL, a woman of colour, who keeps a lodging-house in Charles Street, was fined 5s. and expenses for being drunk and disorderly in the street at two o’clock in the morning. On Monday last, before Mr. NANKIVELL, WILLIAM HARVEY, beershop keeper, Campfield Hill, was summoned for having his house open on Sunday morning last, for the sale of liquor, and refusing to admit police-constable WOOLCOCK. The policeman knocked at the door three times, and heard a bustle inside, as of parties going to the back of the house. He went round to the back of the premises, and saw Mr. HARVEY letting persons out of the yard into the road. It being the landlord's fourth offence, he was fined GBP 5 and expenses. On Wednesday last, EDWARD WILLIAMS, a mason, and JOHN HARRIS, alias "Probus Jack," were each fined 5s. and expenses for being drunk in the streets on Sunday forenoon last. On Wednesday, before Mr. NANKIVELL, GEORGE DOBB, landlord of the Seven Stars Inn, was summoned for having his house open, with persons drinking therein, at twenty-five minutes to one o'clock on Sunday morning. Mr. Dobb excused himself by saying that the servants were cleaning the house at the time, and he, being occupied, did not know that the parties were in the house. It being his first offence, the charge was withdrawn on his paying expenses. FALMOUTH POLICE - On Tuesday last, before Mr. CARNE, Mayor, and Mr. ELLIS, magistrate, SAMUEL BROWN, mariner, of Rotterdam, was charged by Mr. WHEATLEY, watchmaker, with having stolen from his shop on the day before, a silver watch. The evidence was that the prisoner Brown came into the shop and bargained for a watch at GBP3.15s., and left after saying he would go to his lodgings for the money and call again. Sometime afterwards, Mr. Wheatley missed the watch, and on inquiring found the prisoner had been offering a watch in the town for sale. He was traced to Penryn, and a watchmaker called SLADE got him taken into custody, after he had been offering to sell him the watch. The owner identified it when produced, and he was committed to the borough sessions for trial. There was another charge preferred against the prisoner by Mr. J.D. GENN, watchmaker, who stated that a silver cup, value GBP 2, produced by CADDY, the policeman, was his property, and that he could identify it by his private mark, and he had not sold it. Mrs. Genn (mother of Mr. Genn) stated that the prisoner came to her son's shop one afternoon last week, and asked to see some men's ear-rings, but he left the shop without buying anything. The cup now produced was in the shop about the time the prisoner was there. Another witness, Mrs. GOODMAN, said the prisoner came to her house to lodge on Monday the 30th of June; soon after he came in with the silver cup in his hand, and said he gave 14s.6d. for it. On hearing he had stolen a watch, she sent for Caddy the policeman and gave him the cup now produced. The prisoner is a Dutchman, and had left his ship; he was decently dressed, and understands English well. CAMBORNE POLICE - As police constable WARD was patrolling in Trelowarren Street, on Friday morning last, about one o'clock, he heard a whistle, which induced him to wait, and in a short time a man named GILBERT BENNETTS came up with a sack of corn on his back. The policeman took him into custody, and on his being taken to a constable's, named NOBLE, it was discovered that he had four ducks, alive and well, in his pockets. He was previously considered a man of good character. A week previously nearly a bushel of wheat was stolen from MR. S. EDDY, jun., miller, and no clue had been found to it. More than half that quantity was found in Bennetts's possession. He was taken before Mr. REYNOLDS, of Trevenson, on Saturday, when [it was discovered] a man named JENKIN owned the ducks, and a man named BAILEY the sack, who some time since had it stolen full of oats. Bennetts was committed for trial at the assizes, on the charge of stealing the ducks and sack; but Mr. Eddy could not swear to the sample of corn. [Please note; 'corn', as used in this newspaper, refers to 'grain' - not corn in the modern sense.] MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT AT REDRUTH - A most distressing accident occurred near Redruth, by which Mr. JOHN SYMONS, a respectable farmer, lost his life. It appears that he was engaged driving his cows away to a field near his house, and while doing so one of the cows went out of the way into a croft. He followed it, but must have missed his path and fell headlong down an open shaft to the depth of sixteen fathoms. He was discovered about sixteen hours after, at the bottom of the shaft, quite dead, sitting upright with his hand at the back of his head, which was severely fractured. He has left a wife to lament his untimely end. TRESAVEAN MINE - We are glad to hear the sufferers by the late accident at Tresavean Mine are now doing well, all the men but one being able to attend their usual duties. .. All miners were enabled to return to their work last Saturday.[the rest contained assurances that the adventurers had not lost money as only 'decayed timbers' had burned.] CORONERS' INQUESTS - The following inquests have been held before Mr. JOHN CARLYON, county coroner: On Friday last, at Redruth, on the body of JOHN SIMMONS, aged 57 years, whose death is described in a paragraph above. Verdict, "accidental death". On Monday last, at the Gregor Arms, Tregony, on the body of RICHARD DOWRICK, aged 73 years, the landlord of the above inn, who was found dead in his bed that morning. Verdict, "visitation of God." The following inquests have been held before Mr. HICHENS, county coroner - On the 3rd instant, in the parish of Sithney, on the body of MARTHA HILL, aged 74 years. The deceased was at the house of her son-in-law, Mr. WILLIAM THOMAS, a farmer, at Boscadjack in that parish, on the 29th of June last, and whilst standing in the farm yard (in which there was a bull with other bullocks) and with her back towards the bull, he ran against her, and striking her in the back knocked her down to her face. It did not appear that the bull attempted to gore the poor woman whilst she was on the ground, or that she received any injury from his horns when struck by him, but she had a severe cut on the right side of her head, and a black eye, both of which were received, it is supposed, in the fall. She was immediately taken into Mr. Thomas' house, and put to bed, where she lingered under the care of Mr. WILLIAMS, a surgeon at Helston, until the 2nd of July, when she died. Verdict "accidental death." The bull never shewed any vice before, and Mr. Thomas caused it to be killed shortly after the occurrence. On the 5th instant, in the parish of Germoe, on the body of THOMAS HOSKING, aged 22 years. The deceased was a miner, and worked at Leeds and St. Aubyn Consolidated Mines, in that parish, and whilst pursuing his employment at the thirteen fathoms level, a mass of ground fell out and crushed him against the side of the level, thereby causing his immediate death. Verdict, "accidental death." On the same day, in the parish of St. Erth, on the body of THOMAS EDWARDS, aged 57 years. The deceased was a labourer, and worked at Reeth Consols Mine, in the parish of Towednack, where his employment was to attend to the stamping mills, and keep it supplied with tin stuff. The occurrence which led to his death was not seen by any one, but from the position in which he was found there seemed to be no doubt that he must have gone under the axle of the machine to push some tin stuff down, and in rising to come out must have lifted himself higher than necessary and was caught in one of the projecting pieces in the axle, which in turning round lift the stamp heads, and was thus jammed against the frame by which the heads were supported. He was found dead, with his head greatly injured. Verdict, "accidental death". On the 7th instant, in the parish of St. Just in Penwith, on the body of THOMAS WALLS, aged between 3 and 4 years. On the 5th instant, as he was attempting to climb up on a cart which stood on its end against a turf rick with the bottom outward, and pulled it down on himself and another child, a little girl, who was standing near to it. The deceased was dead when taken out, having, it is supposed, been struck on the head with the piece of timber which extends across the bottom of the cart to keep it on its wheels. Verdict, "accidental death." The other child received very little injury. POSTSCRIPT LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1856, from the LONDON GAZETTE WAR DEPARTMENT, PALL MALL, JULY 8 12th Foot - First Lieutenant REUBEN FREDERICK MAGOR, from the Cornwall Militia Artillery, to be Ensign, without purchase (Supernumerary to the Establishment). LETTERS TO THE EDITOR THE MINERS' CLUB FUND SIR - The purser of West Seton Mine, as reported in your paper of the 27th instant, brought under the notice of the adventurers at their last meeting some particulars respecting the Club Fund connected with that mine. In his remarks thereon, Mr. MATTHEWS no doubt desired only to manifest his kind feeling towards the working miners, but in giving expression to such feeling he shewed entire ignorance of the general working of the system of Mine Club Funds, and made statements at variance with facts. In ALL mines a separate account is kept for the club money. There may, perhaps, be a solitary instance to the contrary, but I have never met one. The purser of West Seton, therefore, has no just claim to especial merit on this head; nor for UNUSUAL KINDNESS in "sending coals and certain necessaries to the homes of disabled miners," as such is invariably practiced at all mines, although not from the funds of the club, but at the direct charge of the adventurers. Mr. Matthews is surprised at the large surplus of his club money now in his hands, which he states to be upwards of GBP 300, and imagines therefore that it must be the same with many other mines, but this is not the case, and simply for the reasons – that in all other mines more kindness (taking Mr. Matthew’s view as to motive) is shewn to the men than at West Seton, as only 7s. a year per man is collected instead of 12s. as at West Seton. But Mr. Matthews's great error is on the principle of the Club Fund, which in reality is not a contribution from the miner at all, but from the adventurers. It might as well be said that the miner pays for his candles, powder, &c., used by him in his underground operations. It is true he does so nominally, but not in fact. The case stands thus: - an agent in setting a pitch or bargain fixes his price at a rate which shall leave clear, after all deductions for materials, smith's cost, club, doctor, &c. a fair amount of wages, say 55s., more or less according to circumstances, for a fair month's working. It follows, therefore, that if no club money were taken into the estimate, the miner would not have that amount added to his wages. He would have still only his 55s. and no club to apply to in case of accident. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, A PURSER