BEHIND-THE-COUNTER THIEVES.

Ar a late meeting of the Court of Aldermen, a report was presented by MR. ALDERMAN COPELAND, showing the rascalities committed by certain thieves in the City. We do not mean the miserable, unlodged robbers, who skulk about with the fear of the police, and a vision of Newgate ever haunting them: but of the cosey, householder thieves, who, as "respectable tradesmen " behind the counter, pillage their unsuspecting customers. Here is a statement enough to call blushes into the faces of the City dragons. Domine, dirige nos! cries the City legend. The Dominus of these gentry is assuredly Mercury :

"Four hundred and six tradespeople, all of whom sold to the poor, had been convicted and fined, some for deficient weights and others for deficient measures. Of these individuals, many he was ashamed to say had been more than once convicted; and he also was sorry to be obliged to state that the fraudulent dealers detected in their iniquity in the past year exceeded in number those of the year 1843 by one hundred and sixtyfive. The amount of fines inflicted upon the defendants for the last year was 2261. 78. 6d., while that levied in the preceding year was 1431. 58."

Four hundred and six thieves have compounded their moral felonies with the law for 2261. 7s. Gd.; many of them being old offenders!

MR. BECKETT DENISON, not being in a very pleasant frame, pulled up the glass of the railway-carriage he was sitting in; thus shutting out all explanation from MR. HUDSON, who feeling himself misunderstood, was anxious to set himself right on the subject.

For our own parts, we don't like to see Members of Parliament dabbling in railway speculations, which they themselves have the opportunity of unduly favouring in the House of Commons. We hear that MR. BECKETT DENISON's dabble is a very timid one; and we do not say he would use his position as M.P. to further his own railway; but those should not take shares in lines, who have to take a share in legislating concerning them. We are averse to undue influence of any kind; and we would not stand by and see even the beadle throw his cocked hat and cane into the scale, which he might do, supposing he were to keep a shop for the sale of lollipops, and exercise his severity on those boys who purchased their sweets at any other establishment. Power is an instrument either for good or evil, and whether it be in the shape of a gold-laced coat, or a membership of Parliament, it ought not to be used in matters of personal interest.

Now, what a poor brainless fool is the wretch who takes to the highway, or by the ingenuity of a delicate finger obtains the pocketbook or purse of the wayfarer! If caught, he is sentenced it may be to seven years' transportation; and, if he have been previously convicted, very often to the slavery of a whole life. What a fool, we say, is this blunderer! Why does he not rob respectably? Why does he not take a shop? The benignity of the law smiles with tenderness upon the shopkeeper robber, who steals by means of false scales and weights. If he be caught in the fact, he endures not the obloquy of Newgate; not he-he is free as air, if he can pay the fine to offended Justice, bleeding as she always does for the wrongs of the poor. The shopkeeping thief may rob once, twice, thrice: still, money is the healing balsam: he pays the fine, and stands with his character as white as his Monday's apron, ready to rob again.

Thieves of London, wherever ye lurk in court or alley,-coming stealthily out like wild beasts for your prey, give up your perilous trade; be respectable, be secure in your robberies, and keep a shop! There is, it seems, no thief so safe as the thief behind a counter.

THE BATTLE OF THE RAILWAYS.

THE railway mania is committing the most frightful ravages on the senses of the people, and the most deadly feuds are springing up between the various supporters of the different projected lines.

Every man who has got a ten-pound-note is rushing into the market to purchase an interest in some thing or other which he don't understand, but he is satisfied with the fact that an advertisement has appeared calling the concern a railway. People are going about purchasing little bits of scrip, as they would take a quarter of a pound of tea, just to see how they like it, and every one is mad for a share in something-with the name of railroad attached to it.

Even our boy has consulted us as to laying out his accumulated pocket-money in the purchase of a Tours and Nantes, which is temptingly offered at only seven-and-sixpence; so that this cheap little line may be considered as a railroad for juveniles.

Between those who don't understand railway matters and those who do, the feud just now appears to be rather violent; for the meddling of the latter is calculated to mar the efforts of the former to provide those lines by which the public and the shareholders will equally benefit.

The North being the great seat of railway enterprise, is in a perfect ferment on the subject; and we see by advertisements in the Times, Herald, and other papers, that the interest of the contest now going on is centred in a dispute between MR. HUDSON and MR. BECKETT DENISON. The latter, who appears to be at the head of the class of know-nothing-at-all-about-its, is much offended with MR. HUDSON, who stands very high in the railway world, for speaking somewhat too plainly.

MR. BECKETT DENISON is, however, a Member of Parliament, and thinks he ought to know something about railways, because he will have to legislate concerning them. We, also, think he ought to know something about them, but perhaps he would show his individual wisdom-as part of the collective wisdom-in having nothing to do with them.

MR. HUDSON, it seems, spoke his mind through a window, when

ANGLING IN A THIRD CLASS CARRIAGE.

BONE-CRUSHING.

IT appears that in certain Unions, the paupers-compelled by the local board-crush bones. SIR JAMES GRAHAM objects to the practice; LORD EBRINGTON defends it. WAKLEY, with indignation denounces it. He exclaims:

rottenness and decomposition? Such a poisonous, odious, filthy, abominable occupation "What, sir, the paupers to be employed in crushing and grinding bones in a state of (cheers and laughter); and that, too, to be defended by a noble lord (hear, hear), in hi place in this House! (Hear, hear.) He surely can't have spent any time in a workhouse (Laughter.)"

Now, we have much admiration of MR. WAKLEY. He gives to things their proper names. He calls a rogue a rogue, and a fool a fool; we like his out-speaking (whatever Mn. ROEBUCK, that bit of blighted notoriety, may think of it). Nevertheless, we cannot side with MR. WAKLEY in this matter of bones. We think there is a fitness of purpose-a felicity of idea-in compelling paupers to crush bones. Their bones are crushed, and wherefore should they not crush the bones of other things?

66 FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE, &c."

THE Thermometer has dreadfully disgraced itself within the last few days, for it had sunk so low at one time that people almost despaired of its recovering from its degraded position. The severity of the weather has been such as to induce a belief that its coldness towards us was intended to favour Russian interests. The Serpentine turned crusty under the frost, and though the river proved itself able to bear a great deal, it was in some cases rather too much put upon.

The usual fancy fair was held upon the ice, and there was a brisk demand for brandy-balls. The business, on the whole, was not steady. There were several speculators for the fall, and a few were let in to an extent that must have been very disagreeable.

"HOLLO! TOMMY PRICE, HERE'S A LARK-HERE'S A COVE HIN THE HICE!"

"DON'T BE AFEARD, SIR, IT'LL BEAR!"

The skate market was on the whole dull, and the northern bank was particularly cautious in its issues, in consequence of there having been two or three defaulters in the course of the afternoon, in the shape of persons who having tried on the skates, skated away without paying for them. JACK FROST gave a series of quadrille parties on the Serpentine, and several parents joined in a

MISCHIEF FOR THE MILLION.

IN consequence of the state of the law, allowing a person to walk into the British Museum and smash the Portland Vase for three pounds, it is possible that this sort of amusement may supersede the hitherto aristocratic amusement of breaking windows and wrenching off door-knockers. A morning's lark in the National Gallery would be cheap at thirty pounds, if half-a-dozen were to club together for the purpose, and the sum would include the privilege of running walking-sticks into six of the best pictures the collection contains. We presume the law is left in this state for the purpose of allowing the luxury of mischief to those who are disposed to pay for it. Three pounds were all that the law demanded for the amusement of breaking the Portland Vase, or rather for breaking the shade, the latter being the only article charged for, and the Vase being, of course, thrown in gratis. It is not often that the law is so very particular to a shade as it has been in this instance.

We should like to know where the three pounds came from that were sent anonymously to pay the fine for the misIchievous donkey who smashed the precious article. No doubt, if the money could be traced, it would be found to have been supplied by one of the "vulgar rich," who would be happy to demolish the Elgin Marbles at so much a yard, or take the Museum all round upon a reduced scale of penalties.

The Mud in the City.

THE Royal Humane Society has given notice that drags, for the future, will be kept in readiness the whole length of the Strand, Fleet Street, and Cornhill, as several persons have narrowly escaped drowning by venturing on the woodpavement after a frost, and getting out of their depth in the mud in the middle of the street.

SYNONYMOUS TERMS.

The WE have heard nothing lately of the "long range." reason is, the same thing is now so much better expressed by the INCOME TAX.