The Sun. — London, England, 1829-12-22 00:00:00

';;_\ • .. _~ - ,--- SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. . . Our yesterday's paper reported shortly the proceedings of a public meeting at Colchester for a repeal of the Malt and Beer Duties. ;We need scarcely reiterate our own persuasion :that there is no measure snore likely to work general good among the people of this country, thamone which shall tend to make beer an article of more extensive consumption among the labouring classes. It:is, however, sufficiently manifest that such a -measure must be one which shall effect its purpose by indirect as well as immediate pro vi.ions. It will not be enough to repeal the tax on malt and beer, unless some decisive me thod be adopted of opening the rigorous and oppressive monopoly which now subjects the consumer to the obligation of purchasing from the brewer's dependent whatever trash the latter may think fit to impose upon him under the name of malt liquor. This involves of necessity a revision of the law of licences, which, as it now operates, is little more than a deposit of power in the hands of a single set of trades men, to tax the public for their own benefit, and at their own discretion. It is obvious that any regulation limiting the price of a manufac tured commodity must be inefficient as a pro tection to the consumer, since the maximum of price is sure to be met by a degradation of quality ; and thus we find . that the promises of a Chancellor of the Exchequer that the public shall be supplied with beer at so much per pot, is in fact nothing better than a threat that the adulteration of the beverage shall have no de finite limit. Perhaps it would answer, in a financial view, to raise the amount of licence money, but to let every man sell beer who pleased ; as it might serve all moral purposes to leave the publican amenable to visits from the Excise, and to fine or loss of licence by judg ment of the Quarter Sessions. There is an other step to le taken before we can hope to tender generally useful a reduction in the price of malt liquor. A heavy tax, we are more than ever convinced, ought to be forthwith levied on ardent spirits, which, by every effort short of positive compulsion, must be thrown out of com petition- with beer, or the health and habits of the working gasses will be irretrievably sacrificed. People who talk of gin or any other spirit being a wholesome stimulus for a working man, at least when taken as part of his daily refreshment, k n ow very little of the operation of alcohol on the system, as explained by the best medi cal authorities. The secondary effect of drains is invariably to rel.ix and impair the strength, in an equal ratio to that in which they have pre viously excited it—to shatter the nerves, and destroy the stomach. We say nothing now of the vicious habits and associations which are nnected with frequent indulgence at the gin shOp. But as a mere question between beer gut,and we believe no humane and reasonable statesman CA's hesitate which ought least to be encouraged. For the country gentlemen we would reserve the argument that the tax on malt, combined with the law of licences, is a direct tax on !soiled property, and so absolute check to cultivation, as well of barley as of careen crops, which are usually the best preparation for it. if the Minister says, I cannot reduce the malt tax, because the increase of consumption would not cover the deficit of revenue," the answer ought to be, " Then indemnify yoursa ley an augmentation of the spirit duty, which, on your own principle, will not diminish the eeineumption of gin so far as it will benefit the revenue. Considering the average motives on cishish die landed interest acts, and thPit unani mity where rents are concerned, we aro ria4llY amonished that country gentlemen have nut yet succeeded in forcing on Government this reform in the policy as well as in the morals of taxa- Our contemporary, the Standard, autintains that " there is no Law of Libel in England" To the Jury (says our contemporary) belongs not merely the exposition and enforcement, but the making of the law. In the case of writings prose cuted as it or insulting to individuals, there is no Lal,v of Libel in England. Thera is no law— for what is law ? A. rule of civil conduct, pres4ibed by the chief power in the State commanding what is right, u: , d forbidding wLat is wrong. If there is a law, there must be a rule ; m man has ever yet formed a rule to fit libel prosecutions; if such a rule exist, let us have it ; it must define a libel; who will venture upon a definition? The late Lord Ellenhocough pronounced A rule, indeed, compre hensive enough, Whateveria writings or in print butte any mates feelings ;' but this r;;Je was, unfor tunately, too wide; and its necessary eonLep t uence would be to dispense with ail but the form of triji by instituting a prosecution, the man proved that his feelings were hurt—the Jury oanst find a verdict of guilty accordingly. This dictum of an able lawyer ; but of a man :vtiose disposition was harsh and over, bearing, was col, thrown aside; and men were' compelled to &dant that there is no law of libel, ac cording to the just conception of a penal law. What, Alen, is the theor'y oldie law.about libel ? It seems to be this : that, as it is impossibia to fix a perma nent rule, and as without a rule there : canoV be a law, a Jury is empanelled to sit upon the case,-.. to Prin a special nanctNative law for the particular occa.sion,i upon evidence su!imitted to them in legal form. 'The theory is supportC 4 to a great degree by the history of libel prosecution. 7; irbich were at first in stituted in the S:ar Chambe."—a Cogrt of Criminal Equity, said to be subsidiary 40 the law, c,. ul, there fore, not identical with the lasv;,' and it is a cti,.:64s illustration of this severance bettveeo . what is called the law of libel and the body of )s, in truth, the law, that the only apologist of 1;04 glie" - borough's libel rule ' is the only writer at a . ieAast century who has ventured to lament the abolion of the detestable Star Chamber. But the strongest, and, in our opinion, the conclusive argument for our view on the theory of the law about libels, is the 32d George 111., c. GO, which gives to the Jury the pruvioce of deciding libel or not.--. 5 Jttdicis est Agent U there were a law, it is cite pro wince of the Judge, not of the Jury, to pronounce it. i taw cannot be supposed guilty of the prepos terous indec:ncy of saying to the Aury i n this only rage —e fi ga ll upon you to exercise a discretion, in dependent of tire advice of my living oracle, whom, therefore, you are rerired to distrust.' How much more decent the - hypothesis, that the Jury are called upon to legislate for ti,te particular case; because I legislation in species has been found ineyractlcable; that they ate assisted in this tkeir act of us the Houses of Parliament often are in more gencxal act-, by an enforcement of the known rules of evi dence, the general form of judicial proceedings, and, the suggestions of judicial wisdom and experience; ; —but that they are still legislators, not merely en-: titled, but bonnd, to take into account political con siderations, matters of provocation, pailiginn, and all the manifold circumstances which can throw light? upon the moral and political consequences - of their) verdict. That Jurors have always acted upon these' priuciples must be apparent from the differing ver- 1 diets of which the same publication has been the subject, according to the temper of the times or pbree-in which it has been tried." The law certainly hag never said what a libel is. We, are in the present day, after all the pro ceedingsln our Courts, n o l , one whit farther ativaneed_lhan we were in the time of the Star . C4mber j . -1 ' All divines a g ree th at t h e s i n against figYGliost is the great unpardonable sin ; but tio two of them have ever agreed as to what constitutes that sin. Mr. Bentham says, 'that " in point of actual law, a libel is any paper in which he who to the will adds the power of punishing fos it sees any thing that he does not like ;" and, in point of fact, the Judges of this country, with hardly one exception, have declared every thing a libel of which any one power chose to complain. From the Revolution, when the Judges became less outrageously unprincipled than they were before, there is not, we believe, an instance of any writing, either in the shape of discussion of opinions, or animadversions on public characters, having been made the subject of prosecution, that it has not been declared a libel—that word of awful import in the charge to the jury. Burke observes, that no despotism can be conceived more complete than that which the English Judges would uphold ; for there is hardly an act, which is performed in obedience to au thority, with respect to which a man can consider himself safe, if the dicta of the Judges were to be the law. Our contemporary has alluded to the late Lord Ellenborough. In the famous Judge Johnson's case, this is part of his Lord ship's charge :—" He (the libeller) admits this noble person (Lord Hardwicke) to be celebrated for understanding the modern method of fatting a sheep as well as any man in Cambridge. Now, Gentleman, what does this mean ? Does it not clearly mean to infer that Lord Hardwicke is ill-placed in his high situation, ar.d that he is only fit for the common walks of life ?" Now, as Lord Ellenborough was one of the ablest Judges who ever sat on the Bench, his dicta are of course to be looked up to with especial re verence. Well, then, taking this instance, in which praising a man in power for his knowledge of the most difficult branch of farming is deemed libellous, we may ask what is not libellous ? If we were to say the Duke of Wellington understands the science of war as well as any man in Europe, according to the above rule of interpretation, this would imply that he is only fit for war. If we were to say that the present Lord Ellenborough dresses as well as any Nobleman who takes an airing in the Park, this would imply that he is only fit for taking airings in the Park. Mr. Bentham, in his " Elements of the Art of Packing," observed that the " Liberty of the Press, de fircto, was that which being contrary to Law, proscribed by Law, has all along maintained a sort of rickety, and still maintains a momentary half existence in the teeth of consistency as well as law, by means of breach of the law in low situations, and non execution of the law in high ones." But where there is no law there is no transgression. The Legislature has never declared what shall be deemed a libel; and, as our contemporary has observed, the Act of 32d Geo. 111. cap. 60, which gives to Juries the power of determining both the law and the fact, is incompatible with any rule whatever, because the same writing may come before different Juries, who may return different verdicts ; and this is not an imaginary occurrence, for of two publishers of the same writing, one has been acquitted by one Jury, while the second has been convicted by another. Nay, pply on Saturday last, in the Court of King's B l end), ljr, Murray was twice indicted for the same libel, with a view to a double chance ; but, as the first Jury was compliant, the second indictment was abandoned. Mr. Bentham, fn his lot work, The Petition for Justice, has taken a IWW yew of the functions of the Jury—he , supposes them to have the power of applying their veto to the laws in the last stage Allusion (he observes) has been made to one good o i - rept of the power of conquest thus given to the strongest of th,e twalvo wills. The good effect is this t—A law (soppose) br a place, by which, were execution and effect given to it, rinfligeence would be infused into the whole frame of Government: absolutism, for example,with all itsattendant miseries. Jpdividuals at the same time are not altogether wa,uti,qg,,e,attli of whom,. if in his capacity of Jury man, the iaw SP-FP4iestion were brought before him fur eteautioP, oppse tp Jr this irresistible will, would, in ; word, apply his ye/9 tp ii. 14y the King and the Lords tint; "veto is applicable to the laws in the first stage of their progress,,the stage o: Legislation : by Juries in the last stage—the stage ofjudicature. " In the case of ,offences styled political, and in these perhaps alone, is pplultiess indispensible, 49 itJ9 eQncent ration; meaning by poiiticel offences, those by which the effective power of the func tionaries exercising lu chief the powers of ,Oovern ment is struck at treason, for eFimple, and political defamation : meaning, in this ia.st c;-ge,t,lpts striking at the reputation of men in otlieial situations, pen : - Aidered as such, in which class of cases, constituting as it da, s the main, not to say the sole security against absolutis,: e 7, better it were to endure much more than the evil it all other cases. . . . 11 To this generous self-devotion i ‘ i i . ,7gs the country appeaw to be altogether indebted for such peiimci; Ff actual, tLongh imasoctioned, and even precarious liberty, sole security fp,r 14; 9ther salutary liberties' the press is in possession of, " That but to too great an extent toe abo7e-Focnu tioned disastrous supposition stands verified, is but too undeniable. Under the existing system take awg,y this irregular power of the Jury, neither are laws va,o4;,:jr, ;tor power conjoined with will to give execution and ,ege 4 ct ,1„o them, sufficient to convert the (01111 of CiOveiramen,t, s,ycb ys it is, into as per fect an absolutisiii as any body Co k dd " Determined instrumaots 'of absoligitsm, uncl, tea such, with scarce an exception, riutwolioed and' in exca;ble enemies of the press, have at been—aii Z4lisli Judges: accordingly on every oc- 1 casion of a proseetit.:;;;l for a so called libel, in which , ensure in any shape imaz ;-,e,e,n applied to the con duct iny public functionary, in lame propor tian,has tb ; een 4,4: constancy of the directions K;y ram t'y -diem to J,ttr r ies, IA) o f icupunce for their verdictl the wort? eyery yo,# ) then, has an English Jury refused to render itself wigther sense guilty, by the utterance qt that same g otnent-i ous word. " Now then, admitting time effect to be pod , ; what way, iy what means has this same determined will been prodi;z:;ye of it ? By contributing to give execution and effect tw ;h,e body of the law ? No; kot by successful obs:r u etlou frustration to . _ Our ,contempoiwy the Standard, says there is iio law but that which is it; ,:..,'.r, breasts of the Jurors, who, ,after hearing the facts of the case, make a law for it. Mr. Bentham admits the existence of a law, such as it is, b;t that it is: the k lqtli pf the Jury to frustrate it. While we. adlikit the i.c.rg,e pf what Mr. Bentham says, with regard to .the necessity fur the Jury, in all cases of prosecution ,fur libel, seiailig tkei,nselves against the J udgss, as a class' who in all tinie.F, jiay. keen hostile to ail ;f r ee discussion, 'we: ,thiiik the theory of die ,itaittlarti i; he more correct, that there is 11,4, jg:,y, and that the bushier,;, Rf the Jury is to make a lax 4CW Or ,occsion . . A man 1111g4,1 , wade through all the Itepori;spf Libel Cases ever Irie4 in England, and not find in one of them a principle A.? serve as a rule pf ,conduct to him, like that laid s ckcwn by the Cour lioy,al,e ,in ,the case of the trial () i f the Courrier Francais.— Every thing is special in gti g land ; we know that a man is convicted or acquitted- 7 444the Judge charged for or acrainst; lout theralikef o an approximation to generalization. We hare no security in England, but in a Jury in poli tical cases. Whether, in case we were altoge ther dependent on Judges, they might feel them selves bound to be more honest, is a question on which we shall not enter. We have occasionally had independent Juries. In all cases of Crown prosecution, there should be a leaning to the individual under prosecution ; for even allowing that the language used may hare been indiscreet, who shall say that it is not better that indiscre tion should escape, than that 'precedents should be set, which would tend to secure an impunity to men in office ?—Morning Chronicle. The time is approaching when it will be seen whether the House of Commons represents, as it ought to do, the real feelings of the country upon public affairs, \ and whether public opinion guides, as it ought to do, the measures of Go vernment. We cannot disguise our apprehen sions that neither of these results is likely to be apparent ; and we are _the more anxious, should such be the case, that the blame .should fall "here it is deserved, that neither Parliament.nor the Government may have any pretext for plead ing ignorance of the real state of things as their apology for a continuance in error. But why, it will be asked, if its distresses are us appalling as they are represented to be, is the country in general so backward in making them known through public meetings, and other proper chan nels? We would fain hope that we err in the reply which we must give to that .question ; but we fear that the apathy of the people but too much wises from a want of confidence in the tribunal to which its wants should be made known. They have witnessed but too often the accommodating pliability of the assembly in question ; and they, more especially, cannot forget in what a manner their representations were received and treated on the last subject of vital interest which came before it ; in fact, that the mandate of the Minister is the talismanic wand which guides and governs the delibera tions of Parliament. If we err, if this be not so, the proceedings of the approaching Ses sion will convince us of an error that we shall be but too happy to retract. In the mean time we call upon the people to speak out. Though past, and especially their most recent experience, may have but too undeniably shaken their confidence in the hope of being patiently heard anti effectually attended to, yet they ought, on the other hand, to remember that their silence may be construed to imply an acquiescence in their fate, while the very record of their sentiments, even should they fail in pro ducing their immediate and due effect, will stand as their justification to themselves and their pos terity that it will not have been their fault should the impending ruin not have been averted. This duty, on the part of the people at large, becomes the more necessary, when we consider that the main evils under which the country labours are not difficult of removal, and are rather retained by false pride and obstinacy than by any thing like an unavoidable necessity. The evils of the country have been mainly, if not wholly, brought about by Parliament having unhappily lent itself to a mischievous tampering with the currency, and the absurd theories of free trade. Neither of these errors (and errors their very authors almost allow them to be) were the exclusive work of the present Government or of the pre sent Parliament ; and why, therefore, the one or . the other should be unwilling to retrace the steps of ethers, when they are so evidently wrong, is what we cannot comprehend. It is an instance of mistaken pride more characteristic of narrow. ness of mind than of intellectual power. It is only men of superior understanding who know how to acknowledge and retract an error without any loss of high reputation or of moral dignity. To be obstinate in the wrong, and to brave the consequences of a:bad course of politics, rather than reform it, is not consistent with the high, minded sense of duty and comprehensive wisdom which ought to be expected from those who are competent to wield the destinies of a great etripire r --Morning Herald. We beg one 'lmre tp point the attention of our readers to the shamelessl3 unprotpcte4 statp, in which the Legislature has been pleased, in its wisdom, to leave one of the most numerous and benevolent bodies of men in the kingdom, as evidenced tiff reports from Hatton-garden and queen-ssnare poliee : pf i fices, Jt npt too much ro s4y ? that by the mode in which Mstice i s dealt tliptm the Licensed Victuallers of the Metropolis are wifely at the mercy of the most infamous of all classes of so.;iet-y— -common informers —that their property is not for an instant safe from spoliation—and that they iiwrs no help, highly as they are taxed in every respect ate Legislature, but pay an additional tax for libertyto tt asty their b;.;siness, and that tax entirely at the)nerd ! aF the i ini:orrers I Such a state of thin g s ought ript, a f ,t;4 tn . wt not, exist ; and we trust that the ensuing Session Of PHrlhiment will be marked by a general petition against that part pi the Act, which makes it the interest of informers to bring such groundless charges against Licensed Yiettni.llers as are frequently heard at the dif fe'rent-P9 - If they are to continue . 4( t:°-4 cP Y . ,9,44 yet ;() knformai i i(ws, brought by those who Nye ,t?o pleres,t them beyond the discharge of their duty, IR every one will be satisfied, be the result What it may ; but according to the present system nothing is ,trident than that while the testimony of commOn interrqr; must always be liable to suspicion, the i- systeiii . itself is • ki i :2 o 7nt with gross ;niustice, and is a direct encourageMent to 4dvertue!.. HORIMM !pit"? on Monday morning last, Aeinhai? . itants of Penzance and its neighbourhood we're flioacittd with th e MT.? *4f ty(;ttiurder of a new-born infant, which W. 15 found ill a rasid-W4Y ‘.el l ! near Castle Ilorneck, by a lad named PottiNS:.''.Li tt -g t ' d eleven yea,.,. pf Penzance, on his way to Tregavara, au adjoining village. In wet; ' ;i,7g he observed something in a corner of the field, not two feet ;ion; :he path-way, which he at first thought was a little pig, hut on mov - ,:i?; sonic grass with which it was partially covered, he dis covereil jt to bp a young child, with its throat cut on one sine and stabbed on the other, and dreadfully I icerated on the chest. Jr.Z surgeon, was called to examine the child, and he 7lerlareti is. to haye been born alive and not many hours old when found. A CUroner's inquest haying sat on the holy, the Jury returned a vet diet of " Wilful mur ilprog,,inst some person or persons unknown. Not many b,eforf strong suspicions were entertained of a certain fem de in rlr , t,•e.ryite of Mr, J. Ct:allow, at nolog;us, ,In'Tiittirj her it:M - i . e.ss ;44 siale time sines. charged her with being e ' which, hotiaever, elty always denied. It appears Ole' left her niasteiN lause'on Smithy afteriiaog lot with a large bundle, which site tepid her mistress consisted of i inv. clothes for her sister to mend. She did not return till very late thit evening, and rose to her work 'as' tumid on Monday inotllll%. J r le tress now chargedherwith 'had W deli she denied. MI s. Cull N Ow, however; to keel) liCr any longer as as,rvant, and She was shortly 'afierwatrils taken into custo , iptiuspicion o f h av i ng c omm itted the dy" abova-stated Itotrihie crime.—Falmouth Packet. SECOND EDITION SUN OFFICE, Seven o'clock, THE LONDON GAZETTE OF THIS EVENING. DECLARATIONS OF INSOLVENCY. William Scot, Bristol, ship-builder. David Page, Epsom, horse-dealer. John Budd, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, m deter. BANKRUPTCY SUPERSEDED. N. H. Sparkes, Godalmin, Surrey, paper-maker. BANKRUPTCIES ENLARGED. George Rylatt, South Kyme, Lincolnshire, victualler, from Dec. 25, to Jan. 5, at eleven, at the Court of Com missioners. John Dudley, London -terrace. Hackney-road, chemist, from Dec. 25 to Jan. 8, at eleven, at the Court of Com missioners. John Waterman, Rotherhithe, merchant, from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1, at eleven, at the Court of Commissioners. Richard and Henry Field, Queen -street, Cheapsidc eolourmen, from Jan- 1, to 5, at eLven, at the Court o Commissionils. Samuel Spyer, Northampton-place, Islington, from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5, at eleven, at the Court of Commis sioners. James Penny Hillman, Lower Thames street, dealer in glass, from Jan. 1 to Jan. 8, at eleven, at the Court of Commissioners. John Edwards, New Bond-street, shoe -maker, from Dec. 25 to Dec- 29, at ten, at the Court of Commissioners. Miguel Maria Calafat, St. Martin's-street, Leicester square, from Dee. 25 to Dec. 29, at tee, at the Court of Cammissiuners. BANKRUPTS. George Campbell, Half-Moon-street, Piccadilly, coal merchant, to surrender Dec. 29, at twelve, Jan. 12, and Feb. 2, at ten, at the Court of Commissioners. lll‘Dtiff, Castle-street, Holborn.- - John Lacey, Norwich, plasterer, Jan. 6,7, at five,'and Feb. 2, at two, at the Angel Inn, Norwich. Coaks, Nor wich ; Ashurst, Newgale-strate, London. Joseph Singleton, Halifax, Yorkshire, linen-draper, Jan. 8, at six, 9, at ten, at Messrs. Alexander's offices, Halifax. Etnmett,New-Inn, London; Alexander, Halifax. William Gant, Gosport, Southampton, silversmith, Jan. 20, at twelve, 22, at three, and Feb. 2, at twelve, at the Crown Inn, Gosport. Bogue and Lambert, Gray's Inn, London; Hoskins Gosport. Heptzibah Thomas, Bath, newspaper-vender, Jan. 4, 5, and Feb. 2, at twelve, at the Castle and Ball Inn, Bath. Hale, Bath ; Jenkins and Abbott, New Inn. Arthur Bowry, East Monlsey, Surrey, cow-dealer, Dec. 29, Jan. 8, and Feb. 2, at ten, at the Court of Conunis sioners. Orlebar, George-street, Hanover-square. William Ellison Wormald, Leeds, manufacturer, Dec. 29, at ten, at the office of Mr. Hargraves Leeds, 29, and Feb. 2, at eleven, at the Court-house, Leeds. Bettye, Fisher, and Sudlow, Chancery-lane ; Hargreaves, Leeds. John Thompson, sen., Howden, Tot kshire, and Robert Thompson and William Thompson, Barnby, Yorkshire, sacking-manufacturers, Jan. 5, at five, 16, and Feb. 2, at ten, at the Boothferry inn, Ilowden. Bell, Redford-row, London; Capes, lluwden. John Sparks, :Shrewsbury, china dealer, Jan. 6,7, and Feb. 2, at one, at the office of Mr. 11. Brown, Solicitor, Hanley, Staffordshire. Hicks ann Braikenridge, Barlett's Buildings, Holborn, London ; Brown, Hanley. Ambrose Bridgman, Linton, Camln idge, victualler, Dec. 28, 29, and Feb. 2, at one, at the Eagle Inn, Cat bridge. Lythgoe, Essex-street, Strand. Christopher Rogers, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, linen draper, Jan, 2,4, and Feb. 2, at twelve, at the White Hart Inn, Gainsborough. Dawson and Hawkins, New Baswell-court, Lincoln's.inn ; Codd and Sleaton, Gains borough. Thomas Shapley, Beth, grocer, Jan. 4,5, and Feb. 2, at ten, at the Christopher Inn, Bath. Makinson and Sanders, Middle Temple; Hellings, Bath. John Fletcher, Binbroke St. Mary, Lincolnshire, vic tualler, Jan. 7, at six, 8, and Feb. 2, at eleven, at the Crown and Wool Packs Inn, Louth. Eyre and Cover dale, Grey's Inn-squ are, London ; lugoldby, Louth. George Wallis, Newclatle upon-Tyne, painter, Jan. 7, 9, and Feb. 2, at eleven, at the George Inn, Newcastle upon-Tyne. Bruokshank and Fern, Gray's Inn-square, London ; Brown, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Samuel Arrowsmith, Manchester, victualler, Jan. 4,5, and Feb. 2, at eleven, at the York Hotel, Manchester. Makinson and Sanders, Temple, London; Hadfield, Man., cheater. Michael Collins, Bromptnn, vidtualler, Jan. 5, at eleven, 8, at twelve, and Feb. 2, at ten, at the Court of Commissioners, Cunard, Suffolk-street, Pall-mall East. Mathias John Collins, Berwick-street, Soho, sperma citi-refiner, Dec. 29, at twelve, Jan. 12, at eleven, and Feb. 2, at ten, at the Court of Commissioners. Brown and Marten, Mincing-lane. John Conway, Staining-lane, Cheapside, builder, Jan. I. at twelve, 5, and Feb. 2, at eleven, at the Court of Commissioners. I)ignum, Little Distaff-lane, Old Change. William Payne Barnard, Albion-place, Was!worth, Stgrey, vietntilfer, Dec. V, Jan. 5. and Feb. 2, at nine, at the Court of Commissioners. Hubert, New Clements inn chambers, Matthew Waller, Lad-lane, warehouseman, Jan. 1, at twelve, 5, and Feb. 2, at eleven, at the Court of Com mis,ionera. Fisher, W din.° di-buildings. John Winterbottotn, Oldham, cotton-spinner, Jan. 6, 7, and Feb. 2, at two, at the Star Inn, Manchester. Ifitrtl and Johnson, Temple; Seddon, Manchester, John Plage, Nattingha►p, fladdier, Jan, 4, 7. and Feb, 2, at eleven, at the White Lion Inn, Nottingham. Hurd and Johnson, King's Bench-walk, Temple ; Greasley, Nottingham. William Jackson, New Mahon, Yorkshire, coal-mer chant, Jan. 4, at six, 5, and Feb. 2, at ten, at the New Talbot Inn, New Mahon. Wilson, Southampton -street, Bloomsbury ; 4llen, M:►lton. POLICE 4f4RLpRONV, On Saturday night 11. man of genteel appearance, who described himself to be Pcfri. Grinning of No. 205, Bermondsey-street, gentleman, was charged before Mr. RAWLINSON with unlawfully taking and retaining an outside seat upon the Stanmore stage coach, and culljccting the proprietors of it to the pains and penzdties attached to dip offence of carry ing a greaser number of passengers than is allowed by stage in lnestion is drawn ly two horses and is licensed to cawq p; - ;?y five outside passengers when there is luggage upon the roof; and loaded ijf this way William Doery, the driver, pulled up at the half-warhouse that afternoon, on his road to Lon don. While his back was turned, Doery informed Mr. Ilawiinpri, the defendant took a seat in the dickey, Skate H.; remonstrance, insisted on retaining it. Por t ld l erOle tim, - ; was lost, and the other passengers were . impatient, and Doery determined to drive on, and charge the first peace-officer he might meet, to take Mr. Gunning into custody. He met Gould Knight, a police nsta,' cf division D, in Paddington, and Knight b o d e Wii.,liiruninig pis vii: - .41p.9r. Mr. dvimitig did kitrtlehY 3tutamonr. Mr. itAWLINstA •said . Mr..'Guniiihk•Nliught to ;14e Doeiy Sortie compensation • for the trouble he Ida giver! pint. 'I 1 r. 7rAMINsoN ashed if the gentleman had paid f ar his fits” Obett 'he 'could nit tie rOliSt Hot f??o " cam tain.)Al at thti prqpriely of Mr.- Mr. RAWLINS°, . , stAtte btivEAbOX, Gunning putting something into Bast Mr. Gunning did not take the hint, and 'Mr. required him to enter into a re cognizance to appear and indemnify the coachman against any information Which, in consevepce of hi; c onduct, may be laid against him. WORSHIP-STREET. Two AFFECTING CASEs.—Yeterday two females, of woe-worn appearance and: attenuated forms; were placed at the b,7.): before Mr. RipUGHTON, and, although they were clothed in rags and pliing . ed i n 4v ps , ,T;:t wretchedness, still there was a dignity in their deportment Tniblie sympathy, ant, the vivid hue that occasionally flushed across withered, and emaciated cheek, at once dttenote have been the former seat of beauty. They said they we r e sisters, and were porn' in W e xford, in I re l an d . Th e c h arge aga i nst them' was a s folio w s denoted t to John Gerrard lived in Gardeit.court, Hoxton. markeilAce, 'and on the 19th of May last' the prisone took u furnished r tom frri him at 4s. They paid him some rent, but there was then due to him 51., and on last Saturday he missed some articles out of the room, which they admitted they had pawned for 9s. He then sent for an officer. Pilkington, an officer, was sent for on last Satur day by the last witness. I found the prisoners sitting in the room, and on questioning them as to the property they instantly said that distress alone obliged them to pawn the articles, but they would release them as soon as possible. They gave him the duplicates. The prisoners being called upon, the first stated that her name was Catherine Sloane and was the wife of surgeon Sloane, of Noble-street, in the city, and of Argyle-street, Soho, and was married to him fourteen years ago at Liverpool, in the sixteenth year of her age, according to the rites and ceremonies of the Catholic Church, which was the religion of her's as well as his ancestors; that they had lived together for ten years, during which time she gave birth to several children, three of whom are now living. About four years ago he turned her away without any reasonable cause, upon an allowance of 1/. per week, which he afterwards reduced to 108., and for the last eleven months he gave her so allowance whatever; and that he was in the habit of visiting her lodgings occasionally while he was paying her the weekly allowance; and in six weeks after his total desertion she gave birth to her youngest child, nine months old. She then handed a car tificate to the following e ff ect : " January Bth, 1816, wete married Alexander Sloane and Catherine Petit. Present—John and Elisabeth Warnock." " Taken from the hand-writing of the Rev. William Turleton, Seal -street, Liverpool, August 10th, 1826." " V. GLOYEa." Eliza Warnock—Said she was sister to the other prisoner, and was present at her marriage, in Li verpool, with surgeon Sloane. Her husband was a native of Belfast, and was the captain of the Echo, a trading ship, in the timber trade, between St. John's, New Brunswick, and Liverpool. On their last voyage hence (20th October, 1827) the ship, in a heavy gale, struck upon Sable island, and, in a few hours, became a complete wreck. The pas , sengers and crew all reached the island in safety, with no other property except their clothes. Sable island is visited every six months by a government ship with stores from Halifax, and to carry away the crews and passengers of such vessels as may be lost off the island. The government ship had sailed a few days before they reached the island, and her husband, becoming intemperate at the idea of being locked up there for six months, formed the desperate resolution of rigging and deck ing the long-boat, and he and six of the crew sailed for Halifax, but none of them were ever heard of since. (She here burst into tears.) She remained on the island, at the house of Governor Hudson, whose wife treated her with great humanity, and in six months after she reached Halifax, from which place she was sent by the Honourable Michael Wallace, one of the Commissioners, on board one of the East India Company's ship:, called the Astel, Capt. Levy, and she landed in London last October twelvemonth, and found out Mrs. Sloane, her sister, with whom she has since resided; and to questions from the Magistrate she said her husband had some of his property insured, and site signed the neces sary papers before the proper authorities at Halifax; but as the owners of the ship reside in St. John's, that accounted for the delay, and she every post ex pected 49/., and assured his Worship there was no fraudulent intention in pawning the articles. Mr. BROUGHTON (in astonishment)—Let Gerard stand forward. He then asked him if he believed one of the w omen at the bar was the wife of surgeon Sloane, or was there any truth in her statement ? Gerard—l believe every word she states to be true, and I know her to be his wife, for ,when I Wm.. moiled him to Guildhall for 4/., a debt contracted by her, he defeated me, upon the point that he was married by a Roman Catholic Priest. Mr. BROUGHTON (in increasing astonishment) — Pray, Mr. Gerard, since she has lodged at your house have you seen any thing in her moral conduet that could excite even suspicion in the mind of her husband ?—Gerard—None whatever; I believe her a virtuous, industrious, and heart-broken woman. Mrs. Sloane (in tears)—Your Worship, 1 wrote to my husband, saying, if he would give me the means of getting some clothes, I would go to ser vice to earn bread for my infant; arid I protest to God I had eaten no food for forty-eight hours before I was brought to the watch-house. Hale, an officer, said, he that morning waited on Mr. Sloane, who acknowledged he married her at Liverpool, when she was only 16 years of age, but it was by a Catholic priest; and if a shilling for a rope to hang her was of any use he would give it, but no more; He (witness) understood he was clearing 4,0001. a-year, and was living with his ser vant girl. Mr. BROUGHTON—Whatever private opinion I may have of the conduct of the hu,band, poverty cannot be pleaded as an excuse for crime. She ought to have applied to the parish authorities. Mr. Staines (the beadle)—Upon the same prin• ciple he defeated Mr, Gerard at Guildhall, so he would defeat the parish. Mr. BROUGHTON—But she is one of your casual poor, and you ought to relieve her first, and then let us try the validity of the marriage at er. Mr. Staines—Your worship don't seem inclined to commit them this night, and here is an order for the workhonse for them both. Mr. BitpuptyrciN—But I must have security for their appearance to-morrow. Lam, u watchman, with that true openness which characterises John Bull in his genuine colours, in stantly threw his hat upon the floor with violence, and exclaimed (strikini , his breast with his hand) " I will bail them, and will bail Mr. Gerrard for the return of his goods at 2s. per week." The poor fellow's feelings here got the better of him, and he was obliged to retire. In the mean time, Curtis, a headborough, gasye them ?s, The Magistrate ordered them refreshments, and they left the office to return the following (this) day. Williartt Sfrgr, the young . man charged with at tempting to hang his" wife in Crown-street, Fins bury, was again brought before Mr. I4Nt:TT, and the prosecutrix not answering her name the poisoner was admitted to bail. LAMBET H.STRfET. Not less than 14 informations were laid on Satur day at this office against intermediate beer-sellers. — The informations charged them with having retailed inferme'di4le lieer 'add' ‘4ilowing it to be drunk on the premises. The first case called on was that of John Save//, residing in the Commercial-road. The informer's witness stated that he went to the defendant's shop on the 2d of December. He was serV;(l c,pt of the window with half a pint of beer. Then coveting over tI.Q window, to keep people from el& A The Magistrates' (Messrs. WALKER and HARD. WICK) s[l ; d-that it was impossible to 'eall this " a l. lowing beer to be drunk on the premises"-- , it was tqr' tip th r rendatift to drive per:ons away yitl 1t Slit* iiiqoffiige , ; f q pfevela liriiikiiiit.Orko;=-401p1411it dimiss4d, - . a~+bt i att~ ihareo the same Six or seven other fate, and the rest were withdrawn. The Magistrates said they were determined never %vim, oa to convict, unless there wa s g ood p roof of the p lace where the beer was drunk being the Property of the ,) individual complained Of , an d of its iSeing only used 0 • for that purpose. named rea A de l r i s tt :s e, ill fel t i •e o c w ollect , ./ohn Clement, was brought up last week to this office, charged with having been found in a doe kennel, where the rats had . peg,o , , ? g;-,„ys,hid iip; n ain brought up on &tiurthty ' ''tefore WALKER. 4 . 4 Mr: Bates, a seedsman, residing at 12q, White chapel-rohd, on - Fiiday ‘Vent into his shop abOut nine o'clock in the evening, siadi was greatly sur prised at 'hearing some person snoring under his counter. lie looked under the counter, and found the prisoner fast sleep under a sack. Mr. WALICP really did not ; know what t' do with the prisoner; if he sent him to P ri l would only come out worse than he Walker order e d hi m to b e l oc k e d up, and meantime said he wo u ld cons id er what to him. we nt Kit LONDON MARKETS. PRICE OF BREAD. pi The highest price of 'Bread in th e M e t ro polis is J. 41b. Loaf. There are others who sell froral 3 d. W that price. PRICE OF SEEDS. .....59 New English Red Clover Seed (per Cwt.) 429. Us. P", A Old Ditto Ditto —6 Au oy ....... ~....* —4. ~ 0 New Foreign Ditto-- 4ls 50s 0 A Old Ditto -- - sog. .10. fixed New White Clover. . 40r. Ric. W. Old Ditto Ditto-- 60 4 70A. A pe ° led , New Trefoil --1 2 s. Vs. A.,...4 Old Ditto — s . --s. .nI3::A English Carraway Seed. Foreign Ditto . coriander.. I 6: 29 5 : tin, u e jln —B. 46. —B. 148. gie St. Foin —*(per Rye Graas 20s. ire, new. Pacey Ditto • 365. 455, Pr"' Linseed, for feeding -- SgA. One 6 , Ditto, for crushing Canary Seed, Ditto Old White Mustard Seed —(per Bush "-- el)--7 7 05 -4-3 764 :. Brown Ditto 96, ll.' Turnip Seeds, Rounds l Green and Red Ditto •••••11. Tares, Old . 0 Ditto New.-- —a. —a. 6n4 Itare Seed, English, fine (per Last) 301. Foreign' Kent Pockets Sustex Ditto PRICES OF HOPS.—pec. I. 9 1 6t. '7l. 106. to ei cic Ytaex I)it to Fetch= Ditto, Fine 0/. Seconds O&. 61. 1 61. 64. Tt. Os. to 1 , 0.. Ot s. to 0.. 03. 71. 7s W 15s. 61. 64 to . d Us.'. 71. Od. tP. Kent Essex Ditto.. Sussex Ditto PRICE OF YOTATOKS.7,Dec. 21. Kidneys Os to 01 (. Po t `" _ 4 l. 0 . , Scotch Reds 4/. 4s. to Of. 1; 11 . $1..,,"" - Oznobles and Shaws £4 ss. to 111., •OF 011- •,;• Ed 11 Rape Oil, brown ........—. Bea u •9 Linseed Oil Linseed Oil Cake at the Mill, per thousand Itape Cake, per ton Plll CES OF Per lb. 11. to d. to 5111 b..... 18 1 1 19i Ditto to 681 b.— 21 22 Dressing Eiidea 14 18 Fine Coach Llidos 18 10 Crop Hides. 35 to 40lb. 14 18 Ditto 45 to 50lb Id 18 Ditto _ 18 20 LEATHER. Per lb. Tanned Horse Hides.. II Spanish Ditto Pee doon. Calf Skina...% to 4tlib. tt Pato to 701 b. Ditto 70 te Small Se-71Z Groulaud 2( WHITECHAPEL HAY DIARKET.—INac. I ? in 1 - I,y 455. Od. to 00s. Od. I Clover .--5.55. al. to Straw :iOr. Od. to 38s. Od. RAW HIDES. Per Stone. s. d. toe. d. Per Stone, 0. ( 1 ,: l Best Heitors& Stoers3 4 3 6 Ordinary V%, Middlings----2 8 3 0 Mnrket Calf 6 SHEEP SKI NS. N. Od. to N. Od. I Polled- . 2.. 4.1. to 9 COA L Nl AR' Adair's 31 6 Charlotte Clavering 32 6 Dean's Primrose. 32 6 Hepburn Slain 34 0 6 Killingworth . ,35 3 Kenton West 35 0 Liddell's Maiu— ... 31 6 Old Walker 34 6 Ord's Bedbug!' Peiaw Percy East Potitop Windsor . 31 6 Shiptote— 39 3 l'antield Tantield Lea 3l 6 .:33 0 Willington 34 3 ‘Vvlain 9 Walls End Bell and Co. 35 6 • Ditto liell Robson & Co. 36 0 • Ditto Bewicke and I 0.., 36 0 Walls End Brown's 34 6 Ditto Burraton —....... 35 6 Walls End Boundary 32 6 Ditto Brown's unser.— . 34 0 Ditto Clarke and Co. 31 6 Walls End Carr and Co. 32 .0 Ditto Crainlington.......... 30 6 Ditto Heat0n............. 36 0 Ships at market, 214---Shipi EWiti'.l-111)Eteeld'Itle.winarcb... 9 Ditto Heworth Ditto I little Ditto I Ditto Northumberland Ditto Peareth Ditto Perkins and Co.- , ; Ditto Mild( Ditto Russell's Ditto Walker Lambton's Primrose Walls End f1ett0n........ Walls End Lambtoo. , .. Walls End Stewart *, Russell's Hetton's W.kl s I I I fartley 51, Silkstone. 5 , Warde's Littaelly Wall's End Elgin Liddell's Truler•—•"*" sl Peatetb Walls End small Hebburn small Hetton small Jesmond small 7 'Ellison small c Sh rvn erifr in figt iI n Old Etherley small Dean's Primrose small I , I.ld. 1145--Unsaid, o lT T ra r dader..._ g'er MANCHES I Eli CORN M A aium—nee, :9. We have experienced a moat uncommonly dull wri the Corn Trade here. The depressed state of our PI factories, with the great scarcity of cash, caused the g! Fine Wheat to commence heavy this mot niog, sue s scriptions may be noted 2d. to 2d. per bushel c be Grinding Barley is likewise the turn lower. Date an to ld. per bushel cheaper, having had som e large an into Liverpool since Tuesday !mt. Boiling Pease m a ' noted. Beans are a trifle che a p er . The Is le exceedingly difficult. Flour i s l a . to us. per,s" than last week. Oatmeal has f ur th er receede d 6d . - per 240 pounds. Customary Bushel Wheat (701 b.) L (1. tor. d. English, Old 9 7 Yll - Fine 19 9 5 - Second Roos - 7 8 12 - Scotch & Welch 1 9 5 Irish, Fine Old 1 8 5 - Inferior 4 7 ►1 Foreign, Fr ee 6 96 3 Qu s. a o 7o r : ° to r 8 767 1 .111,41) I 3 ,i 64 2 01 9 ' I 58 2 67 9 60 0 61 9 4 } 58 2 est * 59 9 57 b 56 4 66 0 30 0 43 tp l 37 4 38 . . 3410 Si ' ilO 9 2 Barley (601 b ) English, Fine ---. Irish _ s T r i to i: th l e i :i s l li, p f er e F oe r m i ta i n a Oo se e t r e a ao P i tf e: os l o n___ ! :::: .. d l B .o3s 3 4B 4 1 4 06 8 11 Provender—. 3 3 Foreign, Old 6 5 3 0 14 3 ! 8 0 1 . 4 3 .. S a. 0 flue, (boilers) White (ditto) Jeans (Imp. Qr.) a. d. to s. d. (Par Sack 2801b4.) English, Fine—...... 45 0 46 0 Hour Norfolk and a Inferior.. 43 0 44 0 ' Stifililk, Fine 47 0 Irish . , 01d.,—........ 41 0 42 0 -- Yorks., Fine 46 „ Foreign 4O 0 42 0 , Seconds 42 v sito Malt (per load of 6 Imp:. Bush.)) 1— Irish, Fine.. -f1 ,, ,, a Nottingham, tine.. 44 0 46 0 ----Super fi ne 4v A Yorkshire .—....... 43 0 44 0 ' —.—lleated or 'tale 46 v Irish and Inferior... 38 0 3U 0 Per load or 2401 b. 0 Per Sack of 21401 b. Imp. Oatmcal, English.. iin Flour,Notts. Fine 47 0 43 0 —Scotch & I ri sh , r 1 Sup. 50 0 52 0 --Feeding 23 5 4 5 10 3 3 6 3 4 24 IS Se 23 0 23 0 2/3 24 10 r 24 3 26 20 6 .2 9 3 6 IRISH MARKETS. 1 Wheat, Barley. 'per barrel per barrel `V stone. 16 sto,ne. - Oats. per barrel 14 stone. .1 pet 14,114.. a. d. a s,cl. p. 4. acct. 106-150 90-110 100-120 89— 04 100-116196-110 II 0-140110 S-130 120-190100-130 s. d. us. Cork Limerick 124 0—! Watert'ordl24 0-4 Clonmel —124 0-3 Carlow -- 26 1 0er Ist. L is6i tl o-0...20— , 4 22 . 411 4 00t . , :( 0, 0• 00 : YO 0-25 O' I` 20 6-21 Carlow., 126 0-30 0112 oliO OW) (2l_9>r Beef, Mutton, Pork, Butter per lb. per lb. per cwt. Ist. ld. : • Id a d. d. .1 d, s. d. a s. d. s d. x d, s. d• t Cork —5l 6 220-27 t 62 050 052 0 'lO Limerick—'4 —5 4 6 33 0-30 0,60 054 0 48' 0 , t/ 0 Waterford ti —5 3 -- Xi 0-.46 0;64 0 ca 57 0 4e 0 Clontnel 41 3 —4i 25 0-28 0163 0 36. 54 14 0 Carlow.— 4 0 00— (1 0172 11 63 0 582 . >" t KlutariNv.—Huts per barrel; Flour I rel; 1341ey 10s. to to 4d. ; Pota•oes Pigs YU. to 2tis per t 'ter CO. to GEN. per cwt:; Wbot .`";,41 ISs. to Fs. per 42; Oats ge t to I lt, i `tto ; Beef 41. to - 5%51. per lb. ; d. peritonei Coals Is. 24. Per cif.' 7 cwt. HUDDERSFIELD.—On Tuesday tile r s ,, of goods sold was much greater than for s evers' past ; but without the least improvement in pric e 2, our eorreyoupt write t 4 that he cannot dile% least syrnFliointn trade, tg warrant biTri . in stilt there is 'a bona fide improvement.'--Hcilifi4 01-1' BIRTHS. the On the 17th inst. at Engletield- green, Surrey, 14 of T. R. Ward, Esq. of twin daughters, who 0 " vived a short time. On the 17th inst. at Mistley-hall, the lady of the 1 How' ths Ape'alter; - of a dau;brer. • • i, 11A On the 17th inst. at - Doneaitei,' Rola. llarribop, hanker, of Hull,' youngest eon of Lee Stecre'Steit ei of ~Tayq, .Z.Orey, 'to Mary ITarrieit, only daughterls4 4 Thomas Battle iohinkin, 'fsq., 'Of Sandtell Lincolnshire. On the 17th inst. at Beverley, the Rev. fa. to Masy Fr..nees, eldest daughter of the late Lieut. Popham, formerly Deputy Quarter-Master Gene"' West Ind Ls. DIED. of (•) inst, Sarah, t!!esecond drolght-- a Ni% Cliaffeti l ,•6f Greektisfieet, Fish4 - 6 2 .11gi - Al 14S. ..Al tLeikOth ki :cit. the iioiis4: of Lew st ni, TO"' - • ---- • . lately 4:o l°P. ' New Bridge-street, whither t. .• • 0 , Blois, for the sake of medical tidviee, Eliiabeti"jy Lionel Oliver, Esq., late of Stapleton, near - - aged . ss On the 18th inst. aged 84, J. I.usir,nan, fe`q%o • - • • - • '4l fortherly Anglo-Sixon and youngest son orthe late S.' L'iniignart,'Esti• to the King for the Tuikish and Arshij . lairiag i '''w OH the 19th inst. Tlioi. Culiitt, Esq. ut>11ooi" NUN TED AND PURLIi§IIED kIY XIIJIADO YO u' SUN OFFICE, 112, TRANI), LOND°II'