The Sun. — London, England, 1829-04-27 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF TIM LONDON JOURNALS. . _. M THE TIMES.) Every day bri e as letters indicative of the powerful and spr g hostility to the continuance - • of the - India Corn y s Charter in its present form. ,cr.' We are ourselvevwell pleased to learn, that Liver '---,-, pool, Glasgow, Bristol, and other great commercial emporia throughout the kingdom, are proceeding with energy and unanimity, to concentrate their efforts for the general release of this industrious and over-burdened empire from the grievous weight of the monopoly imposed upon it by the charter of 1813. At Liverpool a meeting took place on the 20th instant, where most satisfactory communica tions were made from several manufacturing and trading districts. At the close of it a deputation to London was resolved upon, and the early period chmen for the adoption of this decided measure was justified by the following reasons :- 1. That it is most desirable to secure the attention of his Majesty's Ministers to the subject, in time for in quiring and obtaining full information, as well at home as from the proper quarters in India and Chia:a, prior to th it period when the three years' notice of an intention to discontinue the charter ought to be given. 2. That such promptitude will be the best means of satisfying the merchants of London, the great built of whom are very, anxious upon this question, that the country is determined effectually to co-operate with them, if they will take a manly and steadfast part against the renewal of the monopoly. 3. That it will facilitate the establishment of a central London Committee, in correspondence with the respective provincial Committees, and aided in its exertions by- the intelligence and activity of Mr. Cranford, who represents, in thiscotantrv, the interests and feelings of the affluent commercial inhabitants of Calcutta. The merchants of Liverpool, comprising gentle men of every class and shade of politics, who are in perfect harmony on this grave national question, have combined their measures with those of their near neighbours at Manchester, and possess a power ful support in both Houses of the Legislature, for the overthrow of so oppressive an incubus upon the country, a; is the system of exclusive privileges, which the Company has abused eves since it was permitted to enjoy them. We publish a letter, .signed " Nler:!ator, ; ' which enumerates a series of Detailed disadvantages and vexations which are in flicted upon the London merchant by improper practices of the Company itself, or of its oificers. If it be true that India Directors at a also Directors (and therefore Proprietors) of the East India-docks at Black wall, and have hired, in their character of East India Directors, warehouses front themselves 1n their cap'ieity of Blackwall proprietors, at prices most improvident for the India Company, and there fore most profitable for the Blackwall-docks, why it is time for Leadenhall-street to look about it, and be on the watch for collusions. We deem it necessary to draw public attention once more to the very serious subject of the water companies. Some active Members of Parliament, if those who represent the two great divisions of the metropolis (viz. Westminster and London) should fail to do their duty, will, we trust, be ready to re vive and proceed with that most important and lir geut question before the close of the present Ses sion of Parliament. Against the manoeuvres and insatiable cupidity of one or more of the above com panies it now, in an especial manner, behoves the public to be well on their guard : it comes within our own knowledge that one of them, not a thou sand miles from Chelsea, has made an attempt to raise the price of water to their customers not less than seventeen per cent.; - and in the teeth, too, of a positive agreement, the charge, if acquiesced in, would be made to have an ex post facto operation. On being questioned as to the pretence or excuse for such conduct—which some people might term fraud, but which we describe only as extortion—the collector's answer was, that the company had " put themselves to great expence by filtering" the putrid paddle from the Thames, with which they have hitherto supplied the inhabitants of the west end of the capital. Now this bare-faced and most impudent pro ceeding ought to be resisted at the outset by every housekeeper who knows his own rights, and feels for those of his neighbours. The extra charge mani festly assumes it as a principle, that any given com p.iny, havng wormed itself into a monopoly over an entire district—containing, perhaps, two or three hundred thousand people—is privileged, as a matter rf course, Ist, to supply dirty and unwholesome water, loaded, as the official record proves, with every species of impurity, which no process of filter ing can get rid of, because of its being in chymical combination with the stream w;hich feeds the Dol phin; and 2d, to represent as a favour and bounty to the public, for which an immense additional charge ought to be made, whatever humbugging demonstration the company's engineers or agents may exhibit, as means of rendering salubrious by the filter that which nothing but the retort, or other chymical power, can duly qualify for the beneficial use of man. Even if the filtering process were effectual towards the amelioration of that shocking liquid (miscalled Thames water) which has been above referred to, the company would have no shadow of right to lay on a single extra penny by way of indemnification to themselves. Their original undertaking is to supply clear and whole same wafer; if they do not, they ought to be severely punished; and in fret some description of medical police might with great justice be esta blished for the superintendence and coercion by fine and penalty of these monopolists, on the same prin ciple which has long been recognized for the punish ment of butchers who sell diseased and pestiferous Meat; though we ought to demand a more stern application of the principle against the dealers in the water-nuisance, because a customer is at liberty to turn away from poisoned meat, to the next shop or stall, where good may be purchased, whereas the filthy water is forced upon us by a dealer who takes care to have no rival, and from whom there is no escape. Even, however, in appearance, the water furnished by this modest company has-slot been sen sibly improved, as we have been 'assured on compe tent authority ; and if it had, we repeat, it would not alter the merits of the question. Whether a Committee has been appointed to do more than re port upon the state of the water consumed by the population of the capital, without suggesting effec tutl measures for replacing it by same less injurious liquid, and breaking up the present insupportable monopoly, we cannot positively say ; but we know that the Legislature will not have done its duty, if this session should be suffered to expire in irreso lute and empty discussion upon a -subject on which the public safety points out the necessity of imme diate action. (FROM THE MORNING CHRONICLE.) A country Paper (the Manchester Advertiser) ob, serves with regard to the. Police, that " the radical error of the system is, that from the' Magistrates inclusive, down to the lowest civil =boric/ under them, r.ll are passive, when they ought to be all active, in fulfilling the public duty devolved on them. A Justice at Bow -street, or any other office, is, at present, a mere recipient ; and he only fulminates law and punishment against transgressors, after he has been duly charged with information by the par ties aggrieved and seeking redress. When a robbery or murder is committed—but not till Men—a Md.- gistrate puts on his power—and not of course to prevent what has already occurred, but to bring the offender to justice, or otherwise to dispose of the enormity to the best of his judgment. The subordinates, in his department, shape their course according to the same principle, their general rule of duty being passiveness—the exceptions activity against those of whom they have received information, o: whom they chance to see engaged in the perpetra tion of crime. Knowing it to be a maxim of law, that every man should be considered innocent till ad judged guilty, they improve on the idea, and seem to think it right that thieves should be at large an,4 unmolested, till they happen to be convicted." There is much truth in these ob,ervations. The principle of the present sys tem is no doubt radically vicious, inasmuch as these is nothing preventive in it. It might do well enough for Alfred's day, when the industry of the country was confined to tilling the ground and tending cattle, to go on with such a system : but our Contemporaries, who contend that any attempt to organize a plan for the prevention of crime, would be an invasion of the Constitution, and refer us to the days of King Alfred, are not perhaps aware of the extent of our departure from the practices of those times in police matters. For instance, the execu tion of the following enactment would be found not a little embarrassingto some of our friends of con stitutional purity :—" Si peregrines vel alienus extra viam per sylvan vagetur, et non vociferet, neque cornu insonet, pro fure sit judicandus vel percutien dus vel redimendus. v. LL. hue § 20."—What ‘vould our contemporary of the Standard say, were he, on diverging from the strait road, to be obliged to shout out or blow a horn to put people on their guard against him ? The moment a poor fellow bawled himself hoarse, or took breath a while to renew his performances on the horn, he might be bastinadoed without mercy by any one who might come across him. But we do not apprehend much opposition to a reform in our Police. This is matter that comes home to men's business and bosoms. There are few men whose prejudices are so stubborn that they are not to be overcome by obvious interests. The rogues form yet, thank God, the minority ; and those who possess pro perty will easily be persuaded to approve of measures for giving additional security to it. A great stir is now making every where on the subject of opening the trade to India. On Wed nesday last there was a Meeting in Glasgow, nu merously and respectably attended, at which reso lutions were adopted, expressive of a determination to claim the entire abolition of the East India Com pany's commercial monopoly in every branch of the trade to and China, and appointing Deputies to represent the interests of Glasgow at the Gene ral Meeting to be held in London. At this meeting Mr. Kirkman Finlay exposed with much ability the inconsistency of those who conceived it possible to export to a country without reference to the returns which such country can make. "No country on earth," he observed, " can long expect to be able to export a greater quantity of commodities than the countries to which they are sent can take in ex change for their own." We cannot export to India without importing from India. But the traders of the country must prepare for a rigorous opposition to their claims. The West India Monopolists will join the East India Monopolists, and taken together they will be a formidable enemy. The first great step towards making India a profitable possession to this country, is to admit of colonization. Were the West India monopoly abolished, and coloniza- don allowed in India, capital and skill would work wonders on the banks of the Ganges. The natives themselves, without European aid, will make very slow advances in improvement. (FROM THE MORNING HERALD.) When we stated in a recent article that' the only ...._.. _ _ just mode in which the Revenues of the Church can he meddled with would be a more just distribution of them among those for whose general benefit they were originally designed," we ought to have added, " and to such other religious and ecclesiastical pur poses as they are strictly applicable." In their ori ginal institution in this country, tithes were appro priated to three objects :—the maintenance of the Clergy, the relief of the poor, and the repair of churches. At present, such of them as remain in religious hands are applied, for the most par, but to the first of these, and that, as we have shown, in an unjust and unequal manner, while the country at large is taxed to an enormous amount for the main tenance of the poor, and the repair-and bull ling of churches. We have guarded ourselves, as above, from its being, we trust, for a moment imagined that we mean to lay this to the fault of the Clergy. The tithes in lay hands are, probably, nearly, if not quite, as great in amount as those possessed by the Clergy; and therefore it is due to the latter, in common justice, to declare that when the country at large complains of being taxed for objects which the tithes used formerly to supply, it is not because the Clergy, but because the laity possess the means thus misappropriated. How the evil thus perpe tuated, principally at the time of the Reformation, can now be remedied we do not profess to be able to su,►gest. But that it is an evil and injustice wherever it exists cannot, we think, be denied; and our laws teach us in theory, though not always very truly in practice, that there is no wrong without a remedy. What remedy can now be applied without an inva sion of purchased and vested rights we know not ; and it is rather to clear away facts, and set ourselves right against misapprehension, that we have rem red to the subject, than in any hope of unravelling any intricacy of such long and established endurance. (FROM THE MORNING ADVERTISER.) It is now said that. Parliament will not be I ri rogued so soon as was expected, and that the Ses sion will continue until the third week in June, if not until the beginning 'of July. fhe Bill for im• proving the Police of the Metropolis will require great consideration, and will occupy much of the time of both Houses, as toeing a measure in which the personal safety and the property of the public are deeply interested. We know nothing, also, as yet, of the intended financial arrangements in con templation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but they are supposed to be such as will require consi deration, and give rise to delay ; and it is also un derstood that Lord Holland in the House of Peers, and Sir James Mackintosh in the House of Corn- mons, will call the attention of Parliament, before it separates, to otir foreign relations, with a view particularly of obtaining information with respect to the intended measures of Ministers towards Por tugal, and whether it is the intention of Govern ment to - acknowledge the Usurper, Don Miguel, as the legitimate Sovereign of Portugal, or to send a military force to that country, to support the rights of the young Queen, conformably to the an cient alliance between the Governments of Great Britain and Portugal. The affairs of Russia and Tiiikey, there can be no doubt, will also come under consideration ; but on this point it is not ex pected. that his Majesty's Ministers will be pressed; nor would it be fair to press them. Their declara tion, us recorded in the King's Speech at the close of the Session of Parliament last year, that the em pire of Turkey must remain entire, is before every one ; and with the re-affirmation of that declaration every one ought to be satisfied. The Duke of Wel lington is, no doubt, exerting all his influence to procure an accommodation between the contending parties; but in the present state of the negotiations, it would assuredly be improper to press the Go vernment to any further disclosure than the reitera tion of the principle that " Turkey is not to be dis membered." (FROM THE NEWS.) The two Houses of Parliament recommence their labours on Tuesday. Some are of opinion that the Session will be short ; and this may be the case if Ministers are content to leave half of their duties un performed—there is, however, plenty to do to oc cupy them to the close of summer. The Corn Laws need revisal—our whole judicatory system calls loudly for amendment—the mode of collecting the taxes ‘Nith a view to economy, should be altered —in fine, the general slate of the nation should be taken into consideration by an open Committee of the House of Commons. The cry of distress arising from the badness of trade and the want of employ ment, reverberates front one end of t he empire to the other—and are our rulers to sit with folded bands, and patiently wait the storm %%ilia must eventually burst over them ? On the contrary, the causes of this universal misery should be searched out, and the interests of no one class of the com munity, whether Clergy or Laity, should be alluwed for an instant to stand in the way of the general good. It is plain, among other evils of Tythes, Corn Laws, &c. &c. that the expenditure of the country is on too large a scale ; and Ministers may rely on it, that if it is not reduced voluntarily, it will in the end be reduced forcibly. And here we can not help recollecting that some years ago the in comes of the Royal Family, the salaries of the Judges, Officers of State, &c. &c., were augmented on the plea of the high price of every article, arising from a depreciating paper currency. This depre ciated paper currency is now done away ; and the average prices of articles are as low as they were forty years ago--why then not replace the salaries, &c., on the old footing ? It is clear that matters are hastening to a crisis ; and it Nvi 11 behove those at the helm not to confine their reductions to the annual pittances of a few subordinates—but to com mence at the top of the tree, and lop off or reduce every unprofitable sucker down to the very root. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. MR. ESTCOURT'S LICENSING BILL.—On Satur day a Licensed Victualler of the first respectability, stated to the Lord Mayor, that he had seen an ac count in the newspapers of Friday, asserting that the Licensed Victuallers of the city of London were, together with the city magistrates, in a state of confusion on the subject of the new Licensing Bill, and that an alteration would be necessary before the Act could be made available. It was further stated in the article, which was certainly calculated to excite no small degree of curiosity, that every publican, who now sold beer, &c. in the city of London, was not authorised to de so, and was liable to a penalty for every drop he should sell, the licenses granted on thelast licensing day being quite incompatible with the Act brought in by Mr. Est court. This representation had been made by some individuals who were not acquainted with the real feelings and opinions of the great body of the publi cans and tavern-keepers. Some inquiries had been made upon the subject of the reported alarm, but the publicans who were within the range of the ac quaintance of him who addressed his Lordship, en tertained no such apprehension as had been de scribed. They considered, that having been duly licensed by the city magistrates, they had the ut most confidence in the decision of these magistrates, should any complaint be made against them; and were also of opinion that the Legislature would not countenance informers in taking advantage of any error which might have crept into the Ac!.. The LORD MAYOR said, that he had looked into the Act with great care, and he believed that the licenses granted at the last sitting of the Bench, could not be made available under the Act. The City Solicitor and Mr. Hobler were of the same opinion, and thoughrthat the publicans were selling at their risk upon such an authority. In fact the licenses would not, he believed, come into opera tion until October next This intelligence did not at all abate the confi dence of the gentleman who was communicating with the Lord Mayor. He did not, he said, fear the consequences for the labour of informers. He did not, however, speak as the organ or representa tive of the tavern-keepers and publicans of the city of London. Some of them might have different notions on the subject. For his part he should not hesitate to meet an information or prosecution in whatever shape. The LORD MAYOR declared that he never saw an Act which appeared to want revising more than tl►e one alluded to. It was really extraordinary how an Act could have been passed, containing, in a small compass, so many capital defects. His Lordship's communicant said, that when he saw the article in the newspapers denying the effi cacy of the Act, he immediately sent to his solicitor to ascertain the meaning of it, and he received an answer which was calculated to quiet any fears which might have been entertained as to the liability of those who sold beer, &c. upon the authority of the usual licences. The solicitor assured him that the licences were as good as they could be under any circumstances. The LORD MAYOR said, that the opinions of those whom he had consulted being so strongly in the negative, and those opinions being in complete uni son with his own, he had considered it necessary to summon a Court of Aldermen to take the matter into consideration. Upon that occasion the City Law Officers would attend, and it would be then discussed whether the Bill as it now stood was suf ficient to answer the purposes intended,or whether it would be expedient to apply to Parliament either to alter and amend the existing Act, or to introduce another of a temporary nature which might counter act any bad consequence between this and Octo ber, the time at which it would appear the ques tionable measure would come into operation. The Recorder and Common Se►jeant would of course be consulted. The Licenced Victualler repeated, that notwith standing what had been just stated l►e should rely upon the strength of the licence which he had ob tained in the usual manner, and he believed that the majority of the trade in the city were under no stronger apprehensions. BO W-STREET. A young man named William King, was charged by Captain Miles with stealing a silver cigar-case, value .51. his property. Captain Miles stated that he went to Drury-lane Theatre on Friday night, and as it was a fine even ing he smoked a cigar on his way thither. He called at a tobacconist's shop in Holborn, and pur chased cigars and filled his case, which be estimated at more than its intrinsic value, because it was a gift of a brother officer, when he was on service in India. When he entered the theatre he was posi tive that the cigar-case was in the side pocket of his top coat. The prisoner stopped him as he entered the Rotunda of the theatre, on his way to the boxes, and asked him if he would leave his coat in his came till the performance had terminated. He took off his coat, and received a ticket from the prisoner. When the performance concluded he went down stairs and asked for his coat, which the prisoner produced on receiving the ticket. Witness put his hand to his side pocket to feel if his cigar case was safe, and found it was gone. He taxed the prisoner with having abstracted it. He denied it. Witnesa ascertained that the prisoner was employed to assist bas father (a very:iespectahle old man, who is employed at the theatre to take care of eoats, cloaks, &c.), and that after he had received witness's coat, he had left the theatre for a considerable time and, believing that he had taken that opportunity of disposing of the cigar -case, hegave him into custody. Sir R. BIRNIE asked the Captain if he was quite positive that the cigar-case was in his coat pocket whey he left it with the prisoner. The Captain replied that he was quite certain. Sir RICHARD BIRNIE observed that he thought gentlemen, when they left their coats in the care of the porters of the theatre, ought to take care there was no property left in the pockets, because it was a strong temptation to dishonesty. Mr. Thomas, the constable of Covent-garden, said that the system of Drury-lane Theatre was acted upon at Covent-garden Theatre ; and he assur ed the Magistrate that not a single robbery had been committed for seven fears in the latter house; and the only mistake that had.occurred, was in one gen tleman taking another's coat for his own, which was afterwards exchanged. Sir RICHARD BIRNIE, having ascertained that the prisoner was not a young man of very regular habits, regretted, on account of his father, whose honesty was unimpeached, to be compelled to commit him for the offence. The prisoner declared that lie had not seen the property, but he declined stating where he lodged. He was committed. H ATTON-G A RDEN. LAMBETHSTREET. James Dobbin, an Irishman, was brought before the magistrates of this office by Hall, the beadle of Aldgate, charged with refusing to maintain his wife and children, whereby they had become, burdensome to the parish. The magistrate asked why it was that he had abandoned his family, and left them dependent upon parochial relief? The defendant replied that he had good reason for doing so ; his wife was an adul tress, and the children with which they wanted to encumber him were all bastards. He had been parted from the mother for 12 years, and during that inter val had had no intercourse with her whatever. The magistrate asked the wife if such was the fact, and she admitted that it was. She said that all the children were illegitimate, and begotten by a person named Dawson, with whom she cohabited. One of them was born in Peter-street, Westminster; another of them in St. Martin's, and a third in St. Sepulchre's. The magistrate asked Hall how it was, if this was the case, that they had became 'chargeable to him. Hall replied that the prisoner resided in their parish, and that the wife and children were passed from St. Sepulchre's to them. The magistrate said, that under the circumstances, the wife confessing that she had committed adultery, and that the children were llastards, he could not think of making the husband responsible for their maintenance. In adopting this resolution he was guided by the decisions of the Coasistory Court, where it was determined that the wife's adultery precluded her claim to alimony. The children might be affiliated in the several parishes where they were born ; and should the defendant Dobbin become burdensome, the parish had it in its power to pass him to Ireland. A gentleman, named Wells, residing at No. IS, St. Chad's-place, Gray's-Inn-road, gave information at this office of the following singular robbery : On Friday night his family went to bed about twelve o'clock. When the servant got up yesterday morn ing, it was discovered that the kitchen and pantry had been plundered of a large quantity of plate, consisting of silver table, tea, and dessert spoons, forks, &c. marked " J.N.W. ;" also a dozen and a half of wine, some bottles of spirits, and other things. The door of the back kitchen, and also another door, which had been locked and bolted the preced ing night on the inside, were found wide open, the bolts having been undrawn without the slightest paid, he hoped the Magistrate would apportion the mark of external violence, and how admission was moiety to the poor-box in the office, or any charity. obtained was to him a perfect mystery, there being MARLBOROUGH-STREET. no person in the house in whom he could not place A young German, of fashionable appearance, was the greatest confidence. I charged with having attempted to violate the per- Read, sett., the chief officer, was i n con sequence son of a young female, the daughter of a tradesman directed to examine the premises, and from his ex- in Vine-street, Piccadilly, in whose house the de amination it appeared that marks of footsteps were fendant had resided. The defendant was in the traced from a fence across two gardens, t o a window service of a Noble Lord, and that morning was to in the back kitchen, which was secured on the out- have embarked with one of his Lordship's suns for side by strong iron bars, about four inches apart. Holland. On inspecting the interior of the kitchen , the Win - The complainant stated that she went into the de dow of which had been found open, the dirty mark fendant's room with some linen, which he was goinc, of a very small foot was found on the ledge of the to pack up in his portmanteau ; that he then offered window, on the floor, and on a chain which had evi- her a shilling to consent to his wishes ; and, on her deafly been stood upon to reach the fastenings of rejecting his proposal, he threw her on the bed, but, the doors. The immediate conclusion was that a owing to her violent struggles, he did not accomplish very small and well-tutored child must have been, his purpose. by some extraordinary means, forced betwixt the The defendant said he was a married man, with a large family, and had committed no further offence iron bars, and having obtained admission, opened the doors to ; the depredators, who thus succeeded in their work of plunder wi;hout giving the slightest than kissing the young lady. Mr. CONST said he was bound to believe, from the alarm. girl's statement, that he had committed a gross out- rage : and the Magistrate added, he believed that fureigners were addicted to such practices. The prisoner ►vas then remanded for further exami nation. WORSHIP-STREET. On Saturday, Fletcher Young, a baker, one of the headboroughs for the liberty of Norton-falgate, was placed at the bar before Mr. BROUGHTON and Mr. WALKER, charged with a violent outrage and assault upon Thomas Bright, a young man of re spectable appearance, who described himself as a veterinary surgeon, residing in Cooper-street, City road. Mr. Bright had been brought to the office on Thursday, from the Norton-falgate watch-house, where he had been locked up all night. No charge was established against him, however, but, on the contrary, he appeared to have been so exceedingly ill-treated, that Mr. TWYFORD, the Magistrate then on the Bench, advised him to proceed against the officer, either upon assault-warrant at this office, or by action, for the serious injuries he had sustained. He applied on Friday for the assault-warrant, taid the bearing of the case furnished ample proof, if proof were wanting, of the absolute necessity for a reform of the parochial police. The complainant stated, that on Wednesday he went to the Black Boy public-house, in Sun-street, where a dispute took place between him and the waiter, who had improperly executed the order given to him ; and the landlady (Mrs. Durant) sent for an officer, the present defendant, who took the com plainant eff to the watch-house, and locked him up. He was discharged some time afterwards, however, with.the landl idy's consent, and the defendant then told him that he ought not to have been sent to the watch-house at all. The complainant and a friend now present then treated the defendant with drink, and he went with them to an eating-house . in Wor ship-street, where they all dined together, and the ' complainant was about to pay for the dinner, and to go home; but the defendant swore that he would pay fur his own dinner, seized him by the collar, beat his head against the table, and after beating and: knocking him about in the most violent manner, dragged him to the watch-house, where he again struck him several violent blows; and having shoved him into a cell, and locked him up, went away. The defendant was sentenced to pay .5/. fine, or be imprisoned two months. He was locked up for an hour, and then paid the penalty. UNION-HALL. Elizabeth Warren, the woman who has been so long in custody, charged with assaulting Mary Howard, was brought up again on Saturday. The poor woman who was sn dreadfully mal treated and taken to the hospital, died in the course of the last week. An inquest sat on the body, and the verdict returned against the prisoner was " Man slaughter." She was now committed to Hozse monger-lane, to take her trial, on the Coroner's war rant, for that offence. Henry Conly, the driver of the cabriolet No. 125, was summoned by Mr. L. Williams, fur charging more than his fare, and for abusive language. Mr. Williams stated that he hired the cabriolet in Cornhill, and took it from place to place, and finally discharged the driver at the Coburg theatre, having had the vehicle about an hour and three-quarters. The man demanded 10s., then Bs. 4d., and at length took ss. 6d. This sum, however, Mr. Williams was satisfied was considerably more than the legal fare; but he would rather have paid it, he said, than trouble a Magistrate. After Conly had taken the .ss. 6d. he went out, but presently returned, bringing with him a Bow-street officer, and desiring the officer to take Mr. Williams into custody. As soon as the latter had related the circumstances of the case, the officer declined interfering, and walked away. In addition to this piece of shameful conduct on the part of the driver, he abused Mr. Williams very much, using epithets and expressions of a dis graceful character. Mr. HONE, the Magistrate before whom the com plaint was urged, now called on the defendant to state what he had to offer in extenuation. " Please your Worship," replied the driver, " I am only young in the business, and I did not know the distance." " You understood very well," observed the Ma gistrate, " how to demand more than double to what you are entitled." " By the hour I can charge, Sir," said the man, " as much as a hackney coach." " But you demanded twice that sum," said Mr. Williams, " and I believe your fure was not above 2s. 6d. or 35." " I am very sorry for what I did," said the driver, " and I hope you will forgive me." " Your conduct has been £0 shameful," said Mr. HoNE, " that I feel it my duty to punish you, and I shall impose a fine of Si. and expences, which if you do not pay, I shall commit you to prison for one month." " I have not half as much money," continued the driver, " and I have a wife with a large family of children to support ; 1 hope, therefore, that you will not require me to pay the money." " You should have considered your wife and family before you attempted to extort money from the com plainant," said the Magistrate, " I shall enforce the judgment I have pronounced." The owner of the cabriolet was in attendance; but he declined advancing the fine, saying that he hoped the driver would be punished. Conly not having the amount of the fine, was taken away by the gaoler. Mr. Williams said, in the event of the fine being MOST AFFLICTING SUICIDE. On Saturday evening an inquest was held at the Southwark Arms, Tooley-street, on the body of William Judd, aged 60, a respectable tradesman, who destroyed himself under the following melan choly circumstances : John Judd, a respectable-looking young man, son of the deceased (who, during his examination, was deeply affected), deposed that he lived with his late unhappy father in Magdalen -street, Horsley-down ; for several months past he had been in a low de jected state of mind; a few years since he carried on extensive business in the copper-plate printing line, employing a number of men, and realizing be tween 3001. and 4001. a year; about three years back he was unfortunately persuaded to give up his concern by the members of a firm carrying on the business of copper-plate printers, who agreed to en gage him ever after at a salary of two guineas and a half per week ; having sold his presses and other articles necessary in the trade, he entered into the service of these gentlemen. After the lapse of a short time his employers told him that in conse— quence of their business becoming much reduced they had no further occasion for his services, but, as they did not wish him to be without employment, offered him the paltry consideration of a pound a week, if he chose to stay with them. His unfortu nate father, having a large family to support, was compelled to accede to their hard terms, although he felr severely such ungenerous treatment ; and from that period, his spirits became depressed, and his employers shortly after discarded him altogether. The shock occasioned to his poor father by such unmerited conduct deeply affected him, and he be came quite an altered man ; for several months past he had suffered severe pecuniary embarrassment, which increased his unhappiness. On Friday morn ing last he got up unusually depressed ; after break fast he was missed, and search being made, witness discovered him suspended by a piece of rope to one of the rails of his bedstead, and life was quite ex tinct. In the room witness discovered a letter, which he knew to be his father's handwriting; the letter in question was read by tha Coroner, and was as follows : " This is to let all my friends know that about three years back, at the instigation of Messrs. -, of I gave up my business, and sold all my presses, on condition they were to engage me per manently at the 'salary of two guineas and a half a week; that, notwithstanding, they subsequently re duced my salary to the pittance of one pound per week, and ultimately discharged me from their ser vice altogether. Such conduct I always considered most ungenerous, and it has ever preyed heavily upon my mind. I had a good business and should have done well; I sold all my presses at a grievous loss. I had worked for - twenty years before I went into business for myself, therefore I feel his conduct the more; it has been the ruin of myielf and family, and I shall never get over it." Another of the deceased's sons stated that he saw his poor father write the letter about six months back; but he (witness) did not know at the time the nature of it; he (deceased) had kept it about his person ever since. The Jury, after commenting on the aMicting na ture of the case, returned a verdict of" Insanity." --- - - - LADIES IN INDIA. The practice of sending young ladies to India to be married is productive (said Mr. B.) of so much good that the prejudice which, very naturally, exists against it is to be regretted. Great numbers of the young men who fill civil _and military situa tions in the East India Company's Service, not being provided with suitable companions, are fre quently driven to the expedient of taking to themselves native females, a practice which is sometimes attended with pernicious and unfortunate results. The paucity of ladies increases, if that be possible, their value, and no event is held so im• portant at Calcutta as the arrival of a ship from England. The anxiety to ascertain what ladies are on board supersedes every other consideration ; a change of Ministry, the most important Parliamentary discussions, sink, said Mr. B. into insignificance till this curiosity is satisfied. A Newspaper is published every morning, vet if a ship arrive in the course of the day, the Editors, aware of the impatience that exists for information, do not wait till the next morning, but immediately publish what they call a " Gazette Extraordinary," containing solely the in telligence that " The Honourable Company's ship Mary has just arrived; sailed from England on such a day; the following is the list of passengers," &c., subjoining a list of names, ut the head of which, of course, stand the ladies. On the next morning the Course,, or Hyde Park of Cal cutta, presents an unusually gay aspect, every one appearing to the best advantage, and many who may not have visited the Course for months putting forth their most attractive graces. The next ball is also more brilliant and the attendance more numerous than usual. Though the young men are extremely cautious in making advances, many letters are received by the ladies in the course of a week. By a curious cus tom, however, which prevails in these cases, they are never distressed by the necessity of giving a direct refusal. The understanding is, that if the answer be written on India paper, the applicant knows that all his hopes, as far as regards the lady he has addressed, are at an end. Nothing is more grotesque than the Indian dance, or the Indian mode of singing. In the dance per formed by females called Nautches, on which they particularly pride themselves, the feet are never more than six inches asunder. It consists, in fact, in merely knocking together the ankles, which, being armed with bells, produce music at the same time. As to singing, Mr. B. had an opportunity of hearing a female esteemed the Pasta of India, whose principal feat was a most brilliant shake, performed by closing one nostril and tapping the other with the finger ! Yet such is the extraordinary prejudice of the natives that they will frequently observe to an Englishman :—" We ac knowledge that your country is very superior to ours; you are more clever, more wise, more opu lent; you excel us indeed in most respects; but as to music, there you must admit that you do not come any where near us !"—Buckingham's Lectures Last Saturday was one of the most disagree able days we have for a long time witnessed. Drifts of hail, rain, and snow, accompanied by cold high winds, ushered in the morning, and continued till the afternoon, when the rain, &C. subsided, but the air continued as cold as at Christmas. The thermometer fell du ing the night to 86. LATE DUEL AT BOULOGNE. LIEUT. CROWTHER AND CAPTAIN GEOR ,GE HELS HAM. A statement of the transactions that led to the duel in which the late Lieutenant Crowther, of. the,' Royals, was killed by Captain George Helsham , the Irish Militia, at Boulogne, on the Ist of AP', has been published by Mr. Molony, Lieutenant C• 44! second. Mr. Molony states, that Lieut. Crowthe r had been proposed as a member of a Society 4s. Pigeon Shooters, at Boulogne. Some days be a t! the ballot, he called on Mr. Molony, and info re l him that Captain Slegg had been with him to ten him that Colonel Conway had objected to his being admitted into the billiard-room, in consequence d i " having been reported by Captain - Helsham that he had been horsewhipped at Cheltenham, and had ra t ., resented the insult, and that he (Captain Slegg i had, in consequence, taken down his name to Er i e " vent his being black-balled, and he asked Mr. mr lony's advice how to proceed. Mr. Molony au: vised him to write immediately to Colonel Conway to know whether he had made the objection to 11 !' being admitted to the billiard-room ; and to Car ° Helsham, to know whether he had asserted that he had been horsewhipped and had not resettle' it. Shortly after the delivery of these letters, Captain Helsham and Captain Slegg called Lieutenant Crowther, when the former admitted thi: facts stated by Colonel Conway and kirese 4 ?, and added, that Mr. Crowther must not expect e „ 111 ,' satisfaction from him in the way of apology or int • field, unless he disproved the whole of the aectl: Lion. Mr. Crowther maintained that the onwlP'" . bandi rested with the accuser, and wrote Whit Mr. Molony's advice, to Colonel Conway and , Olg r : Helsham, requiring a written answer' to his fool letters. Both gentlemen replied, that they h ad given their answer in the verbal communicatieth and declined any further correspondence. 1 4 . j etir. Crowther immediately wrote to Captain Helet k l; requesting him to appoint a gentleman to meer - P friend Mr. Molony, to make the necessary . ormat ments for what must follow, and the Captain or pointed Mr. Grady. Mr. Molony, in tonseque oce ' called on Mr. Grady at Holt's Hotel ; when,_o l "-:4 tering, he was taken into a private room by Colon r Conway, who proposed to him that Lieut. Crowd*, should write to his friends in England, and prooti l evidence to disprove what Captain Helsham said, and then the Captain would make him an te logy. This Mr. Molony refused, saying, it re s on Captain Helsham to prove what he had asse rted Colonel Conway and Captain Helsham then n i s e every argument to induce Mr. Molony to ah ol l the cause of his friend, and finding him detertriin i. . not to do so, Colonel Conway proposed that tie should fight for Mr. Crowther. Mr. Molontra. plied, that he should not fight the battles °Lel man, but if Capt. Helsham wished to fight bil":4 other grounds he might do it. Mr. Molony sta, t . e b that he came as the messenger of peace, vi' ll. lie was most anxious to establish betwee4 tt o parties ; but finding that no apology would made, lie at length delivered a hostile message,. eleven o'clock the next morning was fixed for meeting, Captain Helsham having previously. f air i ;to him, in a loud voice, " Then I warn you, 4 7 ) that if .1 should be forced to meet him, it shalt an affair of business." Before Mr. Molony Jetta hotel, he proposed to Mr. Grady, that Captain sham should express his regret for having wolt!! . . 0 !.'• the feelings of Mr. Crowther, without any ill! ap jg to the truth 'or falsehood of what he had advaln: leaving that for cooler deliberation. Mr. ,Y l ;l ic thought the proposal reasonable; but said Cape:n a sham would not hear of it. Mr. Molony re ceifel: u t letter from Mr. Grady the same evening, stating. i f; it was to avoid the alternative stated by Mr. g a ,,,,; l° " t „, of Mr. Crowther either assaulting or posting: "w t Helsham, that Capt. Helsham *condescended' to w' t o Mr. Crowther, and requiring a written docurient `,„ that effect from Mr. •Molotty. To this Mr. IVln i t replied, that he did not understand what , iss r t li e j! nature of the document wished for. that be not stated any alternative; but only w h a t he though t. likely to take place, if Captain H e lshamt meet Mr. Crowther. The meeting took place the time appointed, Mr. Crowther and Mr. Molony were first on the ground. Mr. Grady sa id tbo, Captain Helsham would 'not agree to any mode 11 firing, but allowing each gentleman to fire in turn. Mr. Molony objected to . firing in that liberate manner; and it was resolved that the e l : , ties should take the ground at twelve paces the pistol arm down by their side; till pronounced the words—" Now, Gentlemen." V ''' .: they should then present and fire as nearly togeta.7 as possible—no second aim to be taken: MI: fired first, and Captain Helsham's fire didnot - w - h od till after an interval of four or five second / 1;0cl.! lie fired, Mr. Crowther fell dead, and CAPta"" sham went off as fast as he could. During a liminary discussion that took place about the pist° Mr. Molony observed that it was contrary. to' rules 1i.,, rules to have the principals interfere. Captai n r' sham answered with great rudeness, " Sir, 1; 1 4, care a for your rules." Mr. Molony: " Sir, you appear to wish to quarrel with IL** " I do, Sir," returned Captain Helsham; Molony only replied by a nod. It is related of the celebrated BoErtoit7: that whenever be saw a criminal ,led out to exeaut ,l ''; . ll would say, 4 , May not this man be better than . 1 i , otherwise the praise is due not to me, but to t he gra ce AC Cl'' FURIOUS DRIVING, AND SERIOUS od • a,' DENT.-011 Saturday, betueen eleven and twelve o 0 a serious accident occurred in TOttenhazir-court.rort ae ,- JAMES JENNINGS, Esq., an elderly and very infirrogen man, who resides at Hampstead, from his gig being irregit turned. A butcher, who was driving a horse and cot' a most furious rate, endeavoured to pass Mr. Jaturit gig, and struck the,wheel with such violence as to turn it. The unfortunate gentleman with his se":4, were thrown out with violence. The servant est...er.*:, with some slight bruises, but Mr. J. received contusion on the head, and his left arm was brokenstnii, above the elboiv. The butcher escaped by turning-It Goode-street, driving at a most furious rate. It 1. • constant practice of these fellows to ride and driv Oro the most crowded streets of the metropolis in. thi s' S. Tale of W 1 On the 18th inst., at Sha BIRT nkli H n parsonage, the lady of the Rev. Archdeacon Hill, of a daughter me Mrs. Rogers, of Horton-hall, near Leek, of .14 5 0 daughters ; one is since dead, the other two, Iv' mother, arc doing well. 4" On the 22d inst., the lady of John Gamma Morrigt r 4 of the Madras civil service, of a son. 06 t" On the 25th inst., in Bedford-place, the lady of r F. Rougt moo, Esq., of a daughter. de On the 24th inst., in Chesterfield-street, the 1 $ John W. Bowden, Esq., of a son. of On the 24th inst., the lady of William Wild, PrO Martin's-lane, of a son. MARRIED. On the 23d inst., at Shenley, George Anderson , of to Susan Anne, eldest daughter of P. Hadow, EAT' Colney-house, Ilerts. 14 0 On the 21st inst., at Edinburgh, Lieut.-General tof Deputy-Governor of the Castle, to Mary Elizabeth , l e daughter of the late Dr. Guthrie, of St. Petersburg h• On the 21st inst., at Edge-bill, near Liverpool, . 1 1 , %, second son of Richard Willis, Esq., of Clapton, to Betty, eldest daughter of the late J. T. Swainsoa , formerly Secretary of his Majesty'S Customs. DIED. oef On the 25th inst., at his house in Bedford - sq nsre, a severe illness, James Carden, Esq., in the '7oth le i his age. • Roh r° On the 21st inst., at his house in Edinburgh, - Keith, E-q., formerly of the island of Grenada. _ rief icl 4 On the 23d inst., Sarah, the wife of Mr. Fr Duerr, of Bermondsey, Surrey. On the 24th inst., Mary, widow of the late laft,el. Maze, Esq., of Dovegate=whari and Aldborotigh Gri" t - te On the 24th inst., at her father's house, 3 9 , Chat s 4 street, Portland-place, Fanny, wife of H. N. Noble, 'wet, On the 23(1 inst., at her residence, the Salisburt I.° 'indsor Castle, Miss Roberts, aged da P RINT ED and PUBLISHED by MURDO , GIME, 112, STRAND, LOP D 01216