Star. — London, England, 1816-09-19 00:00:00

~ • ILICE OF THE METROPOLIS. MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE CoM MITTRE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, ON THE STATE OP THE POWCE OF THE ME I'EOPOLIS. The Hon. Hamar Gm Bay n rr in the Chair. Mr. Sown Feercnin, a shipowner, examined You live in the perish of St. Paul, Shadwell?-1 Have you long lived there ? —About 18 years. When were you Churchwarden for that parish ? I am sn now. Have you been long in 'that situation I—Four or Ave years. The parish of St. Pail, Shadwell, is principally the residence of seamen ? Yes. Can' you state to. the Comthittee at all the amount of the resident population of the parish ?—By the last census, between ten and eleven thousand. What length is the High-street of Shadwelll—Per haps net quarter of e mile. How' many public-houses are there in itl—l really cannot tell front memory. Is it az tha rate of one public-house to every twelve other houses I—lt is. What is the 'length of New Gravel-lane?—Some thing shorter than the high-street, rather better than half the length of High-street. Are there fifteen public houses in that lane ? There are. Which is at the rate of a public-house to every -other eight houses ?—lt is. N the proportion in Lower Shadwell greater than that ?—lt is one to every six, I think; I think there were eighty-five. Are those public-houses generally very disorderly? Not generally so. Are there any disorderly I—Some of them very much so indeed. As one of the Parish-Officers, did you ever make a complaint against one or more 1-1 did. When ?—ln the year 1814. What .itr the names or the public houses against which you complained I—The Duke of York, the White Hilt, and the • viers' Arms. To whout did you c' mplain ?—First to the Magi. strates of Shadwell Plaice-office. What was the result of your complaintl—They were called before them, and admonished, several times. Was that all ?—rThe admonition was ineffectual. Of what did you complain I—Of the indecency and immorality of the scenes that were witnessed in those houses. Can you stare the particulars 1. 1 .-Each of those houses, but particularly the. Duke of York and the White Hart, contained large rooms fitted up for the porpose at dancing ; they were the constant resort of the lowest class of proititutes and precuresses ; there were some:ernes trim 150 to 2(10 women assembled in each of them, and the 011icers of the parish went several times to remonstrate with the landlords upon the impropriety of their conduct. Was the conduct of the individuals assembled with in those houses indecent and profligate, or was it merely an assemblage of men and women for the purpose of dancing 1— The most profligate and inde ' cent it is possible to conceive. fleeing laid your complaint of the conduct of those houses bAore the Magistrates, and the parties being summoned and admonished, was that conduct changed.?—lt was not. Did you expect that the Magistrates at the Police . Office would have contented themselves with admo nishing the keepers of those houses; or did !telex. pect that some other mode of proceeding would have been adopted I—We did not expect they could do more than they did; the Magistrates of the Police. office did all in their power ; the Magistrates before -whom they were summoned were Mr. Raynsford, and Mr. Markland, the resident Magistrate. This was in 1818. was it I—lt was; I stated it, by mistake, to be, in 1814. Were the Licenses. that year taken away from the three most notorious houses, the Duke of York, the White Hart, and the Paviors' Arms?—They were; a Memorial was presented to the Churchwardens by the parishioners, complainiog of the conduct of those houses, and it was made the subject of a public Vestry. Was that in 1813 or 18141—In 1813. When the licensing day came, in 1814, were the houses reopened I—They were at 'the second li ceasing day. ' - Did you and other inhabitants and Churchwardens oppose that measure, and prefer complaints against the Ling's Arms and some other houses I—We did. That was on the sth of September I—lt was the day of appeal, the first day. Were you ordered to attend' again ?..-We were or dered to attend. again on the 19th September. Did any thingg - happen between the sth of Septem ber and the 19th , relati ve to those pauses ?—Early in the morning of the 12th of September. I was inform . ed by the resident Magistrate, Mr. biarkland, whom I met casually in the street, that the Magistrates were • that day coming down to view those houses, the Duke of York, the Paviors' Arms, and the. White Hart; my answer to him was, Nit is impossible, it was the 19th we were to see you, and not the 12th ;'. be said, el you are mistaken, we are coming to-day ; you had better send up to the Ceurt.house and know the truth." I sent the Vestry-clerk up, to know whe ther the Magistrates were coming down that day, sod his answer was, that they were com'hg down to view new houses; immediately the Parish-Officers, to whom I sent round to attend, assembled, and were in waiting at the house of ore of the Officers, which is directly opposite to the Duke of York ; they pro mised, immediately the Magistrates came, to send for me, which they did. When I came there was a great crowd of persons assembled, and the Magi. skates in the middle of the street; the first I saw was Mr. biarkiand : said he, 66 Did you not tell me that you had Mensorialled the Magistrates against the re. opening of these houses ?" I said, " Certainly I did, and it is true, so far as we could do it with any propriety." 44 Then," said he, 64 go tell Sir Daniel V.?Gams so, for he will not believe me." Sir Daniel was in the Middle of the street; I went up to him and took my hat off, and stood with it off ; I said, e. tfie Office's of our Parish did not expect to see you here-to -day, 1 believe they were ordered,to attend on the 19th, but they are in attendance, and we shall. be very happy to state to yon what we have to say." I;)attiel said, .0 4 Sir, you are too late ; the Magi-, mutes We determine to re ..opep the bpeses., Do you know that the Memorial which you and I . • the other parishi4ners Ilia Written S M IA this ' sure wail presented to the Magistrates do. What was your answer to Sir Daniel Williams, when hoz told you the Magistrates had determined to grant Basses to those Ir•usest—l said, " Sir Daniel, may we not be permitted to attend you personally at the Court-house ?' At that moment Mr. Thurwell came up, and he immediately exclaimed, " Mr. Fletcher, you are acting a most indecent, improper, and unbecoming part what right have you to inter fere with the Magistrates You are not a Magi strate!" I immediately said to Sir Daniel, without at all replying to Mr. Thurwell, " Sir Daniel, have I acted an indecent, improper, or unbecoming pant I" He replica. "Certainly not to me, Sir, certainly not." He appeared very much agitated, a nd crossed the street, and put his hand against the door of the Duke of York, as if*he was going to open it. Mr. Merce- Ison took him by the hand, and said. " Come along. we have determined the case." This passed in the public street, where we were surrounded by prosti tutes and the pesiple wham we were endeavouring to check. The landlord of the Duke of York came out, and said to one 4.f our Overseers, " We have settled the business very pleasantly, hope." The Magi strates walked on. On the 19th of Septemb-r, did the Parish Officers attend the Magistrates I—They did. Who were present on that day of the Magistrates? 7 -Many more than I knew; but Sir DanieliVilliams was in the chair ; Mr. Merceron was there, Luke Flood, Mr. Markland, Mr. Storey, and I think Mr. Raynsford was present, and a number of others, about 18 or 20 in the whole. Did you tequest to be sworn as to the facts you were going to state did. Were you sworn ?--Sit Daniel Williams said," we do not choose to swear you." Was any thing said about your memorial ?—Yes. Did they acknowledge the receipt of that menus tial I—They did : when Sir D.4niel Wiliimns had said that the Magistrates did not see fit to swear me, and desired me to state what I had to allege against the boosts in question. What houses were those ?—The King's Arms, the Black Horse, the Angel, and the Ship. * • Did you memorial against ti,ose houses for their bad conduct ?—We did, and we were desirous of connecting their conduct (which was quite as bad) with the houses which had been shut up, which were the same pasties truing under different names. How do you ktiow that -- By the communication that was made to the Churchwardens And the Com• mittee ; the detail would be long. or else it would clearly elucidate the connexion. Were you and the otner parish officers satisfied in your own minds, that they were in p 'inc of fact the same parties as kept the twiner houses ?—As kept the former house. the Duke of York. certainly ; and we told the Magistrates we had evidence to substan tiate our charge. Did you offer that evidence to the Magistrates ? We did.—Did they take it ? They refused U. Did they assign any reason for so refusing it, and what reason ?--Sir 1) laid Willi . ams said 1 could be heard. unless I confileJ mvscif strictly to the me morial diets before them, that the other business had been disposed of. Did you understand theM to say by that, that the Duke of York having been already licensed, no evi dence could then be received against the conduct of the keeper of that house ?—I understood they would Trot suffer us to connect the Duke of York with the King's Arms, which Was the subject we bad to bring before the Magistrates, sad they seemed desirous to prevent it. Are the Duke of Yr).lc and Paviours' Arms now kept by the same persons against whom the original complaint was made, and for whose misconduct they were shut up ?--They are, and have been from the time of their being opened. Those houses, then, in ISIS were ihnt up for mis. conduct ?—They were. They were opened again, and kept by the same parties, in the year 1814 ?—They were. What has been their conduct since ?—As bad or worse than before. The Duke of York has been changed in appearance ; the dancing•rooin has been shut up, and changed into a gin•shop, and the prosti tutes are going in by shoals all day long. Are scenes of drunkenness, riot, and debauchery, constantly practised ?—I cannot speak to what has been done in the house, because on the former occa sion we received insults and ill usage, and have been thus deterred by menaces and threats from going there again. Did you make any complaint on the Sth of Sep. ten*: 18 la, against those houses ?—We did not. Why did you refrain, knowing that the same scenes against which you had before complained, at that time existed ?..-Knowing it externally, and hav ing every evidence of it, the true reason why we did not complain was, that our former complaint sad ourselves had been treated with so much contempt, that we considered any further application useless and unavailing. Can you state to the Committee any reason for this conduct on the part of the licensing Magistrates? ....No further than as matter of opinion that there is that which perhaps I am hardly justified in saying, a conviction which cannot be proved, that it appears to me there was some connexion between some of the Magistrates and the Brewers who were connected with those houses. Can you state to the Committee what brewers and distillers either served or were proprietors of those houses ?—Meux and Co. served the Duke of York, and Calvert's house the White Hart, I think; I really do not know who served thrPaviour's Arms, but we had a variety of communications with the representatives of Messrs. Meuz and Co. To what effect ?—They came down to request that we would sanction the re-opening of the Duke of York ; first, that we would sanction the re-opening of the King's Arms. The persons who presented themselves before us were the bar-maid of the Dike of York, and an uncertificated bankrupt. Can you state whether the principal officers of the parish, and all or most of the principal inhabitants, consider those' houses neither more nor less than public nuisances 3—l de ; and a great number of the most respectable inhabitants were attending the Ma. gistrafes on each of the days above mentioned ; and *re is likewise, which could be laid before the Committee, the paper which was printed and circa fated by the ditection of thelfestti.—(To is coitinasi) OLD -,BAILEY, Tbest • Senior* yesterday . nommeneet , a ft er us ual vacation, before Baron GRADAM, Mr. Justice HOLROYD, and Mr. Justice BORROUOIL, Jolt" Awns was capitally indicted for assaulting John Millard on the King's highway, and forcibly taking,from his person a silver watch, two 030 bank notes, a 420 bank note, and other notes, to a consi derable amount. The prosecutor lived at Limehouse at the time of the robbery. On the night of the 16th of July, be tween the hours of eleven and twelve, he beard some men walking in his master's lime yard. He went into the yard, where,he saw five men standing :—he asked them what they were doing ? and one of them said, with an oath, " Where is your money P' John Warren was at that time about sixteen feet distant. Witness had worked with the prisoner for two years upon the same spot. One of the men said, Ido not think it is him ;" but John Warren replied, 66 am sure it is Millard," and told the men to seize on him. Immediately the men took witness up by the legs, and threw him among some lime ; two men were on his throat and three en his legs, and they cut off all his pockets. He saw t:•-in take his watch, and tobacco box containing a 420 note, a 430 note, and aAI note. From his right hand breeches pocket they took seven 410 notes and on • £3O note, and from hits left hand waistcoat pocket two tgl notes. — The yard at the time was as light as day from the foe of the lime kiln. The reason witness assigned for having so much money about him was, that he had worked almost night and day for it for seven years, and he thought it the sarest way to carry it all about him. The men were about twenty minutes robbing him ; and after they had taken every thing l away from him, were going out of the yard, but re turned to consider whether they should kill him, and one cif the men said, ". Let us take out a knife and cut his head clean off," the prisoner said, 66 He de serves, to be killed for what he did to me," and tied him cross-legged with a handkerchief, and threw him on the lime. Mr. Crauch, clerk to the yard, then threw up the sash • window, and asked witness— g• What is the matter ?" but witness could hardly .peak. One of the men said, It 'is all right enough." and immediately they all went over the wall. Witness had no doubt but that Warren was one of the men by whom he was robbed. The pri soner and another of the men were lurking about die premises the day Wore. Crass.examined.....Warren did - not beat him, as the others did, and so witness told Mr. Cranch. The yard was enclosed by a wall and a double gate. Re.examined. —The prisoner knew that witness wss possessed of a good deal of money, as he had seen it many times. About six weeks before the pre ent robbery Warren attempted to rob him, but he r esisted hint with a broom stick, and the prisoner *ran away. William Cranch, on the 16th of July last, lived on the premises in question. `Between 11 and 12 at night he heard a noise in the yard t he threw up the waiting , and asked what was the matter ? but hear mg no answer, he went to bed again. In about five or ten minutes after he was disturbed by the cry of murder r he got up a second time, and called out three times, who was there ! no answer was received, ..nd he said, if no answer was given, he would fire.— He did not fire, but in a few minutes the prosecutor sa id, 44 It is me, I have been robbed." He found Millard in the yard, very much beaten. and all over blvd, after he had called two watchmen to his assis tance. Being told by the prosecutot that he believed the prisoner and one Dean had robbed him, witness went next morning in search of them. Both Warren and Millard had worked for witness, and he had fre quently changed ten and twenty p'iund notes for the latter in presence of all the men ; and the prisoner was one of those men In consequence of what Millard had said, the prisoner was apprehended in one of the fields near Bow, and was delivered over to a constable and the night beadle at Limelionse, to gether with a bundle which was found in Warren's possession. John Lymes, night beadle at the parish of St. Anne's, Limehouse, between twelve and one o'clock, in consequence of information he had received, went to the prosecutor in a room in Mr. Cranch's house ; he was lying on the carpet, and seemed to be dread fully hurt.' He said that Warren was one of the per sons that robbed him ; and, in consequence, at about 10313 f o'clock in the morning of the 17th of July, he went after the primer to his owls house on Bow. eominon, but did not find him at home. After a di. ligent search, about twelve o'clock the same day, Mr. Crouch delivered the prisoner over to his hands, together with the bundle which was found in his pos session, and it contained some wearing apparel.— Witness searched the prisoner, and found upon him eleven ,el notes, one 410 note, Ss. 6d. in silver, and 73d. in copper, besides a leather bag containing the notes, and a case knife. -- Jones, a constable at Limehouse, went with the last witness to the prisoner's house to search for him, but could not find him. He produced the notes and property found on the prisoner, and in all other respects corroborated the statement of the last witness. George Moore was on the 17th of July last in the employ of a Mr. Swift, a woollen draper, residiag at Houndsditch, when, about eight o'clock in the morning, the prisoner and another young man, came into the shop and bought some clothes. They ten dered a as() Bank note in payment, and change was got for it, and given to the prisoner. Witness then went out of the shop, but was called in again to get change for a 020, and which was given to hint by the man who accompanied the prisoner : change was obtained for that note also. The clothes bought by the men were the same as were contained in the bundle found upon the prisoner. Patrick Dalton, another shopman of Mr. Swift, confirmed the depositions of the last witness. Charles Green changed the 430 upon the request of George Moore, and endorsed it with the name of Swifr. The note was sent. to the Bank of England. Thomas Whitelake also changed a ASO note for Mr. Swift's shopman, and endorsed it with his name. The evidence for the prosecution beinggencluded, Mr. Animism, for the prisoner, raised an objection to the framing of the indictment. Under the statutes of Henry VVI. and lit Edward VI. the benefit of clergy was inthheki from the prisoner ; and the eg ression used in thooe statutes/ as well to in the in, ~,. c!cotintnkr near the King's K4.6irngm:sbi);M:li'Ah‘tlri-nl42:tca.it°h:i t apPeid, how idt yard eovpeern, place, t be he c e at v i i s d e en it c and had a double gate by which it was entered, and which was always locked at night, and was at 150 yards from the King's !iighway , ea % Mr. Justice Hobrovn, ho.vever, overruled objection. He conceived, t!.at although the ytt , was enclosed by a w.ll, yet that, as it miel d h a ,, been easily got over, it was an open place that -- yet cestary place. ll after by the Richard 91st the street, day wht the the assay Kin) wat r Ntr , t 1 easily got over, It vraa au vlicii pace ; ... A , a even if it were not considered as an ore ' , D IZ Mg. A3l it was near the King's highway It was . n r o b ia. CLINE nary to prove both facts ; it it were not an std SURGICAI ce, at least it. was contiguous to the high rhere being no defence on the part of the Driv en? er the summing up, a verdict of Guilty Was f oun i NOBLEIs the Jury ,i. idormee Richard Cooper was convicted of havinr, on th 0 ,„,,,,i, oa tett st of March last. stolen two i t coppers, - -notes 6 , hotd, LeaarbolJ ! house of John Hooper. 11, keetyy.tow, esritscrar" is . IA uni other property. eet. The prosecutor, who saw the proper ty t fier „„,, t wee yor two before they weee stolen, the brickl a y t; snodall°"9 w ith so fi xed them, and the O ffi cers who appre!.eod e d — Wel Ilidall''' e prisoner, clearly proved the facts of the cue "' fib street ' I _l l ............------- e most satisfactory manner. William Player was capitally indicted for havi at '- ibis dal ' : saulted Mr. Tyndal Thompson lVelmsiy on ' ing's highway, and taking from his person a g l , - /ABSEIL'S/ atch and seal. V of scRII The prosecutor stated, that about ten o'clock a ut"ka oronfin t the 14 ' os i r mai aturday, the 20th of July, while going th roe ( • she Rae I'HI rown-street, Finsbury.square, he was run agai at j o natioaod in., r a young . man, and he believed the prisoner an 1,.. 101 "ftb a ie Man : immediately he missed his watch, a t, ' s o of „ 1 ,74 pon crying out 4, Stop thief," the prisoner teat ' tine may be a opped by some person. The prosecutor, about lei • sraprovhat an sinutes afterwards, saw his watch agate at d n . gewriet ion of I dal task, and ratcli.house. v ery man wt James Kersly was at his own shop door, near Mate to Ori% :rown.street, and saw the prisoner running. H t . i nplaiii diem icked up the watch in an alley, and touk it to ti work, but u ch as tatch.house. ~ Without "s s t Several other witnesses proved the stopping of the 16° r i m aiit yea risoner. More comer The prisoner, in his defence, called his lath % wide' the E 4 rho proved, that on the night of the '2oth of Jill, " ID m Vtls e n ietween nine and ten o'clock, he sent his son out ta twists due ; 1 In errand. The prisoner worked with !vim as acm e the anke 4(1 old gilder, and had, up to this time , been aluant oit basses which in its I :boil. sober, honest lad.—Not Guilty. which had In Daniel Styr: and Daniel MarPn were : pitally is. die abilities 1 iicted for stealing a wether sheep, the prop my printed ft George Kelly. 'tares, Pate ---- Thomas &oh was capitally convicted for a CARRIAGE glary in the dwelling.house of Henry Marshall, If ROI- or stealing ceprazors, a coral necklace, and other ', g ' i ' e , ..,-.ll' .., square, 1 Iles, his property. -- • IrMPEN 1 Wit Una MIDDLESEX SESSIONS. LI. w hite per Gallon- Yesterday Thomas Stuart, a Eviokseiler in the neigE. • adliah when bourhood of Lincoln's Inn, was indicted for bail ' Is t serene. in his possession a quantity of books, the priTerty ct vii! $ ' Houle per Mr. Colbourn, publisher, of Conduit-stiee., l.nuwiaf 4li. Sd. 'fur the same to have been stolen. F.ervble Bri Mr. WALVORD stated the case, and Men called - I. brilliant' )n the Lotte bury, the principal clerk of the prost.cutor, ss , !-0 rot. ',INCA] ed having gone to the slop of the detend.u;r, the sear Is I purchased several of his employer's pubicationeus, Lech ba - dt price much bolo ,v that at which they wer, punlisled;A, Sperm ti The ace' and further that the defendant told him Chit he nal " ,',v f ea r co k„, 1 procure him as many as he chose to carder at the to TO price. . WA! Mr. Colbourn proved, that I - A also wen: to the& •• x fendant's shop, and received the same answers ask .. r ,,,,, „,, Ilbury had done. : :he ]scathe In answer to a question put by the defendant's' - ? Lem any Counsel, Mr. Coulbourn said , he had a med.:able : ,i1 ti"na'r• number of the publications in questi on b y hime' tinfre:;:fd. sheets and otherwise, and he had not yet missed an 14 1 ltir e fie 1 of them from his stock. water-pox The defendant's Counsel then submitted, thatbet n:;• It h was no proof of any robbery, and therefore the dare against the defendant of receiving stolen goods cosi not he maintained. . . The CHabo A I RMAN considered the objection takene w% weeral , ' re trier good, and observed he couldnot hutexpr ess hisser! ' Made b at the negligence of the prosecutor, who ctado MI „ tail at . into Court and charge a man with receiving his ;in.: ekt.erdeent perry, stolen from him, and had not taken the nette —,--- ,c. —., e : sary precaution of ascertaining whether he had Eirtnieglii roVed. , ......---, t; The Jury, under the Chairman's direction, 'ion:. —, V diately found the detendant—Not Guilty. ! ,—,: • Ckelt,•t.t.a Joseph Davis was indicted for receiving a c ....—....., quantity of copper caps and brass cocks, the propel ----, 1 of Messrs. Haubury, brewers, knowing the same to she In ev, and It. tit stolen. The case having been opened by Mr. WALFORDi ...--,..-- Mr. ALLEY took an objection on the part of 1' defendant, namely, that the caps, &c. were &cgs rrHE tubed to the freehold, and therefore could not be -IL 11.. subject of prosecution for larceny. • ~, to Janie. Mr. WALFORD contended that the doct rine cos 4. ' ...4 S: It ..1 ' not hpply to copper, lead, or brass,. . . i Sal!"t n n The CHAIRMAN was inclined to decid e ag:enst K. . '...:lder 11 I Alley's objection; he observed, however, he 5C recovery st.rd I de t save the point. •.•: that all 1 Mr. ALLOY then submitted, that the articles e , Med:en e question did not come within the descriptionvf& '‘ ree:,: tnt , articles enumerated in the statute as exceptions?. e the general rule, namely, copper, lead, or brass. it, Sits— e appeared from the evidence, that the articles in qe ' 'bottle re ,• tion were made of a metal called pct metal. . luck Rt s e The CHAMMAN . expressed his re jet that this lime., and a diictment was not so drawn as to lair: the bird in ' 1 Wieds.s! 1 eye : the last objection taken by Mr. Alley waif.' 1070., I and the defendant must be acquitted. liett o'dm s The Jury accordingly found him—Not Gail/. **steel e PRICE OF STOCKS YES I'ERDAY. . . • '*llty. Bank Stock • I.cing Annuities at:ice w S per Cent. Red. -- India Stock .-- imitubn4 t, Ditto Cons. 611 62/ . India Bonds 7 8 pre. . .. 0 1. its m y i 4 per Cents.— I Exchequer Bills si 6 2 Sr- and alti it Sze Nav y 93f Cons . Xnclose if COAL. MARKE 1, SEP 1 kMBER 18. oes 'ant, f, Ships at Market. Ships sold. Pace. _, Sok! )1 . Set Newcastle 17i sins od. to Oh I.' *wan 5 sandeetand• a 365 , 6 d, t o 4101. Church : C. 1i Welsh Coal 1 ass. o d. to 00'. “1' 0 aim* berry al if 1 , 1 CUlnl I 30i• Oth In_'!l./eh Lud lo w M HIGH WATBR TO MORROW AT LON VON BRIO / • euited es Monde` • - . S min. &fla i i '. it *a, Df , Afteruoo••• -"- .' X- LONDON% Pripted by LtTsr. KIN?, Pickett ; • 11. Published sham and at the Star-Whet, Temple Ph 0 .. ... sa► Cro by the opol stop Mi, Cro Pi( whi bet , an( an 4 Vit. Geo bout it ;~