The Sun. — London, England, 1848-03-30 00:00:00

IMPIRIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF COMIYIONS, March 29. ELECTION RECOGNIZANCES BILL. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. S. WORTLEY here proposed the addition of a clause, giving to the Committee the power of decid ing that in the cases of any recognizances which should prose void or invalid, but which invalidity was not owing to the Inches or neglect of the parties, or in the cases of recognizances which were not clearly void, then that such recognizances-should be.alloWed to be received. . • Mr. ELLIOT opposed the clause. Sir R. IN GLIS, thinking that no discretion ought to be allowed to the Committee, felt bound to oppose the introduction of the clatise also. After a good deal of desultory conversation, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the omis sion of certain words, upon which the Committee divided, when there,appeared— For the amendment . 72 Against it Majority 71),e amendment was accordingly lost, and the clause was agreed to. . . The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he should take the sense of The House on the Bill as amended on the bringing up of the report. Mr. S. WORTLEY said he intended to bring :up the report to-morrow, so that the Bill might Le printed and placed in the hands of Hon. Members in the mean time. He should more the consideration of the report to-morrow. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said all he was desirous of doing, after the Bill was in the hands of Hon. Members, was to state to the House the effect of the alterations they had made. The House then resumed. Sir R. H. INGLIS considered that further time .than to-morrow should be given for the perus3l of the Bill, the original form of which had to-day been isaterially altered. Mr. ELLIOT said many Hon. Members did not ',early understand the alterations that had been made in the Bill, and therefore ample time should be given -4er its consideration. The notice of the Hon. and Learned Member was, however, not departed from. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL. The Earl of SURREY, after a short discussion, as to whether this Bill should be proceeded with, it being a quarter to four, the understanding having been that it should not be taken after four o'clock, moved that the House go into Committee. Mr. LAW moved—first, that the other orders of the day be proceeded with ; next, that the House should adjourn, which was met with loud cries of " No, no ; ' he then moved that the order be postponed until the 19th of April. The two former motions be withdrew, taking his stand upon the last, which he submittO as an amendment. Mr. WALPOLE said he had just come from the Court of Chancery, and that he left Mr. Anstey speaking. Mr. R. YORKE said the business of the country would be neglected if it was allowed to give way to private convenience. Sir R. H. INGLIS considered that the position in which the House was now placed arose from not taking the orders and disposing of them as they stood. Sir G. CLERK hoped the House would not be forced to divide, and appealed to the Noble Lord to withdraw his motion, and to consent to the amendment. _ Lord MOV.PETH said the understanding was, that the Bill should not be taken after four o'clock ; that hour had virtually arrived, and as a long discus sion night be anticipated, the object of the lion. Gentleman with whom the Bill originated would be better answered if the motion were postponed. Mr. MONSELL said the lion. and Learned Gen. tleman (Mr. Anstey) had informed him if he had an opportunity of bringing in the Bill at a minute before four, he should do so.—(Hear, hear.) The Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY said the fact was he was fighting against his own inclination ; he would, therefore, consent to the postponement of the'Committee until the 19th of April. FRAME-WORK KNITTERS. Sir HENRY HALFOItD then rose to move fur a Select Committee, to take into consideration the report and evidence laid before Parliament, in 1844, by .her Majesty's Commissioner for inquiry into the condition of the frame-work knitters, and to make such further inquiries as may appear necessary, in order to ascertain whether any, and if any, what legislative measures can be devised for the relief of their lone-continued distress.—(Hear.) Iu the last" session of Parliament he had introduced a Bill upon the subject, but his object at the present time was to move for the appointment of a Com mittee to consider the nature cif the reports which - bad been presented to the House, and report whether any and what legislative measures were necessary to be adopted for the purpose of amelio - ratting the condition of the people.—(Hear, hear.) He did not think that the House would sanction any such mockery as that of instituting ex• *nsive inquiries into the subject, and then refuse to propose any legislative measures called for by the result of those inquiries. The parties seeking for relief had been informed by the Governinent that steps would be taken to remove the causes of their grievances. He could assure the House that grievances did exist, and all that he now asked for was the ap pointment of a Committee to inquire into these further grievances.—(Hear, hear.) He knew it might be objected that it was improper to interfere with the regulation of trade. He did not agree with that abstract principle, without references to particular cases. If the House should adopt the principle of non-interference, when would they con sent to repeal all the laws which had been passed for that object ? Would they repeal, for instance, the law prohibiting the payment of wages in any other manner than by money ?—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that the Right Hon. the President of the Board of Trade would concur with him in the opinion that it was advisable to appoint the Committee in question. Mr2HUME said he was most decidedly of opinion that masters and men ought to be allowed to make their own terms without any interference on the part of the Legislature. He thought that the Honourable Member was introducing a very dangerous doctrine ; they might take a lesson from what was going or( on the other side of the Channel, where they might see numbers of workmen demanding of the Government regulations respecting the wages of workmen, and the Government had foolishly ad ceded to their demands ; and he had no doubt within a twelvemonth the House would see the la mentable result of that interference. Masters were already leaving the country in great numbers, on the ground that they could not carry on their business upon the terms prescribed by the Go vernment. Every result that had been brought about by this interference had proved most ruinous.— (Hear, hear.) He maintained that no Act of Parliament could beneficially arrange the amount of labour and of wages between masters and work men. At the period when the frame-work knitters .were carrying on their disturbances in the coun try, the distress was as great, if not greater, than it was at the present. time. The Commissioners appointed to inquire into that subject reported that the only effectual remedy for the great distress was a more equitable distribution of labour.-(" Hear, hear," from Sir 11. lialford.) But then no act of Parliament was able to regulate that dis tribution ; there was the fallacy into which Ecipourable Members fell on this subject. Ile did not think that any further amount of informa tion could be obtained than the house was already in possession of, and he should most certainly oppose the appointment of the Committee. Sir J. WALMSLEY thought it was time they should have a full and ample inquiry into this subject. It was admitted on all hands that the artizsns in this trade were suffering great privations, and he firmly believed that the manufacturers themselves would join most cordially in the inquiry. He thought it would be dangerous not to grant an inquiry on so momentous a subject, and he trusted therefore that her Majesty's Government would not hesitate for one moment in acceding to the motion of the Ilonourable Blironet. Mr. NE WDEG4.3I3 siimortgal l ase'inotitin for the appointment of Cdmriiitte'e;lnd deprecated the re nitence that bad been made by the Hon. Member for Montrose to what had taken place in Prance, and the ease of the Luddites. He contended that what had taken place in France clearly showed that the course adopted in England was right, and that in France wrong . Dr. BOWRING objected to the motion. Expe rience had shown the impossibility of attempt ing to regulate between masters and men. He thought the motion, if carried, was cal culated to raise false hopes among the working frame-work knitters, and if it did . notliing else, be thought that was sufficient objection to it. He depre gifted holding out to the working classes that their wages could be raised by means of Acts of Parlia ment. Mr. SLANEY thought that by the means of the Committee frauds might be put an end to, and thereby the condition of the workin; classes im proved. In stating this, he begged clearly to be understood as not for one moment !supposing that the condition of the working classes could be improved with respect to wages by the passing of Acts of Parliament. He thought, if no other good could be effected by the appointment of the Committee than that of con • wincing t . hp working classes that they were willi ng t o inquire tato their grievances, Parliament would, be amply compensated for appointing the Committee. mr. LABOUCHERE said it was not without severe concern that 'he felt it his duty to oppose this motion. Lie lamented for the distress under which the large body of frame-work - knitters were labour THE SUN, LONDON, IMAGINARY CONVERSATION. BY WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR. M. THIERS AND M. LAMARTINE. look somewhat shy at me, M. Lamartine, now you are in power, and I am out. Lumartine—M. Thiers! we neither of us ever were out of power since we came to years of discretion, if indeed the poet and the public man may be said at any times of their lives to have come to them: for in poetry imagination leads us astray, in politics ambition. Thiers—l never was ambitious. - . Dynarttne.—l always was. The love of fame, in other words, of approbation, drew me forward not unwillingly. Reflection comes down to us in the deep recesses where imagination rests, and higher and more substantial forms rise around us and come nearer. The mind, after war dering in distant and in unknown regions, returns home at last and reposes on the bosom of- our country. Her agitations render her only the more inviting and the dearer to us. We love her in her tranquillity, we adore her in her pangs. Ido not rejoice, nor do I repent, that the voice of the people has called me to the station I now hold. Thiers—lt is an elevated and a glorious, bet it is also an uncertain and a dangerous one ; take my word for it. Lamartine—Pardon my frankness ; I would rather take your word than your example. Tlgiers—My example in what ? Lamargne—May I without offence to you speak my mind at large ? Tlgiers—Speak it unreservedly, as becomes a repub lican in all his freshness. Lamartine—First, then, I should be sorry to grow rich among the spoliations of my country. Secondly, I scorn to countenance the passions of the vulgar, and more especially in their madness for war. Thiers—We may put method into this madness. Be sure, M. Lamartine, that no earthly power can withhold for a twelvemonth an agitated army of three hundred thousand mea, smarting under past disgraces. We must, whether we will or no, send forty thousand from Algiers to Triest, and seventy thousand from our southern departments to the Gulphs of Genoa and Spezzia. lam a moderate man; I would leave the duchy of Austria to its ancient duke ; Bohemia to whomsoever the nation shall elect as king. Hungary was already free and independent from the moment that Metternich in the frenzy of his dotage consented to accept the in tervention of Russia. She rises both against the hungry and wolfish pack of Russia, and the somnolent and swinish herd that rubs her into intolerable soreness from over-gorged Vienna.* Whatsoever was once Poland must be Poland again. She must extend from the Baltic to the Black Sea; from Dantzic to Odessa, and inclusive. Anything short of this will only cause fresh struggles. Men can never be quiet in the cramp: they will cry out and kick until the paroxysm is over. Lamartine—l am afraid you are too precipitate. Thiers—There are many good men who are afraid of hearing or even of thinking the truth. They may lie in a ditch with their hats over their faces, nevertheless the light will come in upon them somewhere. Lamartine—Probably the King of Sardinia will de mand our aid against Austria, and insist on the evacua ation of Modena and Parma: we may then, with policy and justice, interfere. Why do you smile? Thiers—l was thinking at the moment that some laurels grow best on loose soil, M. Lamartine, but nei ther that laurel which crowns the warrior, nor that oak which crowns the saviour of a citizen. It is our duty not to wait for danger, but to meet it : not to parley with insolent and stupid despots, but to bind them hands and feet with their own indigenous plants. Lamartine—And yet, M. Thiers, you are a royalist I niers—ls any man a royalist when he knows he can be greater ? I had other means of serving my country, or (let me speak it frankly) myself. Kings have worn down their high-heeled shoes by their incessant strut and swagger. People would have only laughed at them if they had merely told common lies and practised only ordinary deceptions. But when the sleights-of hand emptied every man's pocket, the whole crowd became vociferous ; up flew the benches, and the con juror took to his heels. At first we were tickled, at last we were triturated. Lamar:jaw—Not quite into dust, nor into mud, but only into a state, I trust, in which, with some new elements and combinations, we may attain greater solidity and consistency. Democracy is always the work of kings. Ashes, which in themselves are sterile, fertilize the land they are cast on. Thiers—You remind me of what happened in England at the commencement of oar first revolution. The beautiful Duchess de Pienne was solicited too amorously by the Prince of Wales. " Sir," replied she, "it is Princes like you who make democrats." lie never for- gave her ; indeed he never pardoned any offence, espe cially when it came from the intelligent and the virtuous. Lantartine—Having lived all his life among cheats and swindlers, he would probably have received with courtesy and amity Louis Philippe; and having broken his word until there was not enough of it to be broken again, and having deceived his friends until there was no friend to deceive, perhaps he would have naturalized the good Protestant Guiaot, and have given him a seat in the Cabinet. At the present day there is a Guiaot Administration in England. The same reckless expenditure, the same deafness to the popu lar reclamations, the same stupid, self-sufficient, subservient, and secure, majority in Parliament. It is well for England that in the most vulnerab!e and unquiet part of her dominions there is a chief magistrate of con summate wisdom, temperate and firm, energetic and humane. Such a functionary is sadly wanted to preside over the counsels of Great Britain. niers—lie is best where he is. Tile English are so accustomed to a shuffling trot, that they would grow impatient at a steady amble. They think that the roadster must be wanting in spirit and action unless they see plenty of troth upon the bit.—Examiner. * It is due to Mr. Lando!. (some of whose opinions in this paper the reader will find not a little at variance with our own) to state that we had received and printed this fjonvereation before the intelligence of the revolu tion in Vienna had reached England.—ED. Ex. ing, and if he was convinced that this Committee would be the means of alleviating their distresses he would be the last man in the House to oppose its appointment. Inquiries had frequently taken place before a• Committee of the House on the subject of the distress of the frame-work knitters, and he be lieved the House had now before it all the materials that could be collected on the subject ; and such being the case, he thought the appointment of such a Committee as was now proposed would only have the effect of holding out hopes to the hand loom weavers which never could be realised, that their condition might he improved by the in terference of Parliament between themselves and their masters. All the evidence that had been brought forward clearly showed that it would be impossible by direct legislation to improve the condition of the hand-loom weavers.—(Hear.) Frame-work knitting was open to all classes of un skilled labourers, while women and children could always find employment in this description of work, and he put it to the House whether, under these circumstances, it would not be dangerous to hold out the delusive hope that in a trade like this they could safely legislate for the regulation of wages ? —(Hear, hear.) - The Honourable Gentleman the Member for Shrewsbury, although he did not advocate the principle of direct legislation upon the subject, drew attention to the defects which he represented as existing in the savings' bank system, and to certain frauds which prevailed in this particular trade. For his part, he had no hesitation in telling the Hon. Gentleman, that if he introduced any measure for remedying these defects, it should have the best consideration of her Majesty's Government; but, although he regretted that he felt it was his duty to do so, he was convinced that in the end it would be found that he had acted for the best interest of those poor people in resisting the motion of the Hon. Gentleman opposite.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. PACKE regretted to hear the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade, for it would go far to confirm the feeling of the humble classes of the midland counties that it 'wits hopeless for them to look to this house for help. No Tess than 100,000 men were employed in the frame knitting trade, and he knew of his own know ledge that they had long been subject to great injustice and oppression. It was seldom indeed that they ever obtain a fair day's wage for a fair day's work, and it was perfectly ridiculous to tell him, who lived amongst them, that there were periods of the year when they were in the receipt of high tide wages. So far from that being the case, they had always to struggle most severely to obtain even a paltry livelihood, and he trusted that ere long Government would be made to feel the necessity of taking up the question.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. GARDNER said it was absurd to apply ab stract principles of political economy to this question, and he hoped the Government would take heed in time and see the folly of non-interference.—(Hear.) Colonel SIBTHORP trusted the Hon. Baronet who had introduced the question would carry it to a division, and then the country would see who really were the friends of the working•classet. There were a good many Members in that House who made a point of talking largely of their sympathy for the working classes, but they took good care not to do• anything practically for their benefit.—((fear.) The Corn-law League and those who supported them, could plead most eloquently about the rights of landlord and tenant, but when the rights of master and servant were brought under discussion, they took good care to pooh pooh it, and to tell the House and the country that agitating the rights of the working man was mere delusion, for their rights and privileges— nay, their daily bread—was dependent upon and regulated by the abstract principle of supply and demand.—(Hear, hear.) Let the House act honestly with these poor, patient, suffering people, and if they could not afford them a legislative remedy, prove it to them by inquiry, and not refuse to hear their case stated by those whom they believed to be their friends.—(Cheers.). Sir H. HALFORD replied, remarking that he regretted to hear that it was the determination of Government to resist the inquiry because it would lead to misapprehension out of doors. He did not want to interfere with the principle of demand and supply ; all that he wanted was, that certain frauds which prevailed in the frame-work knitting trade, and demoralised those who were engaged in it, should he inquired into, with the view to their removal, and he hoped that ere long Government would be induced to grant the inquiry. The House then divided, when there appeared— For the Committeee 5l Against it Majority The motion was therefore lost. SCOTCII SC EIOOL MASTERS. Mr. COCHRANE then rose !or leave to introduce a Bill to facilitate the removal of schoolmasters in Scotland. At present the removal of those persons, on account of immoral or other improper conduct, could not be brought about without the greatest difficulty, on account of the ambiguity of the Act, the 43i of Geo. 111. lie did not propose to do away with the jurisdiction of the Presbytery,but he proposed when a schoolmaster proved inefficient, or was guilty of misconduct, that one or more of the heritors should apply to the Lord Advocate, who should act as a grand juror, and investigate the charge ; or he might remit the case to the Sheriff-Substitute, who should try it, his decision being final. He had fully investigated the subject, and believed that the Bill would meet the object he had in view The LORD ADVOCATE admitted that there was great difficulty in removing an objectionable schoolmaster, and that the law en the subject required alteration. As the matter was an important one, he did not consider he should discharge his duty if he threw any impediment in the way of the introduction of the Bill. He did, not, however, wish it to be un derstood that he should give his support to the Bill. After a few words from Mr. MACKENZIE and Mr. FORBES, Mr. HUME inquired if the Government intended to bring in a Bill on the subject ? No reply having been given, he gave notice that he should ask the question to• morrow. _ . . Leave was then given to bring in the Bill ; it was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday, the 17th April. HORSHAM. • In reply to Captain PECHELL, The Earl of MARCH intimated that he had given notice that he should move, to-morrow, that the writ be issued. Mr. HUME said, in the event of the Noble Lord doing so, he should submit that the issuing of the writ ought to be deferred. RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS. Mr. BAN KES gave notice that, on Tuesday next, he should move for leave to introduce a Bill to repeal the Act under which the Railway Commissioners were constituted. TILE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS. Mr. HUME gave notice that he should to• morrow call the attention of the House to the va cant office of Sergeant-at-Arms, and suggest the propriety of instituting an inquiry with a view to consider the expediency of separating the office of housekeeper from that office, with a view to the better accommodation of the House. The Heuse adjourned at five minutes to Six o'clock ELECTION COMMITTEE. BODMIN. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. Wonnsworan, on the part of Mr. Wyld, then entered into n long and elaborate argument, with the view of show ing that the Committee had the power of deciding whether the recognizances were good or bad. Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM, on behalf of Mr Lacey, followed in the same line of argument, contending that the 7th and Bth of Victoria, the last Act passed upon this subject, did not deprive, but reserved to the Corn mittee the jurisdiction of determining these preliminary points. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE replied for the petitioners, insisting that the decision of the Examiner of Recog nizances appointed by the House was final, and in the face of that officer's certificate on the back of the recog nizances the Committee had no power whatever to re open the question. It was the House that delegated its authority to the Examiner, and it was the House alone that could recal it, or alter or revise the decision which the Examiner had arrived at in his official capacity, and it must therefore be taken for granted that this was not the tribunal to decide upon the validity or invalidity of the recognizances entered into in the case of the present petitioner. The arguments had not closed when the Committee ailjourued. TUE ARMT.—Desertion is prevalent to a great extent from the rank: of the 20th Regiment of Foot, at present stationed ut Kingston, in Canada. On Sunday, the 27th of February last, twelve men left the garrison during the night, and made their way across Long Island, trusting to get over the main channel of the Saint Lawrence to the American side, but owing to a heavy gale from the westward the ice there was broken, rendering it difficult to cross by a boat, and impossible to accomplish on foot. In the attempt four of the de serters were drowned, and the remaining eight were cap tured and brought back to the barracks. I n t h e i r com pany was an American, said to be a sergeant in the Unit, d States army, and some of the men accuse him of having enticed them to desert. The members of the Provisional Government have become ten years older during the month they have been in power. M. Ledru Rollin, who had a head of fine black hair, is become perfectly grey. M. Flocon has been at the point of death. M. Louis Blanc, who had a fresh juvenile countenance, is no more recognizable. MM. Lamartine and Garnier Pages spit blood. M. Cremieux has lost his voice. M. Marrast seems worn out with fatigue. In fine, there is only M. Arago, who appears formed of Pyrennian granite, who supports the weight of the Provisional Government, the weight of two ministerial offices—the direction of the Academy of Science,' and the 04ervatory. lle alone has not quitted his post.--. Parts Paper, PLYMOUTH CITADEL. Orders have been received for the immediate increase of the armament of this fortress. 35 18-pounders, newly cast at the Carron foundry, and weighing each on an average 2 tone, 4 cwt., 841 b., and supplied with the mo dern sights, are to be added to the artillery; 18 of these were, on the 23rd of March, sent from the gun wharf at I)evonport, and the same day drawn from Fisher's Nose, with the assistance of horses, by about 60 ar tillerymen, and mounted on the ramparts, under the in spection of Captain Graydon, Royal Artillery, the resi dent officer, and Mr. Anderson the master gunner. 13 more were received on the 25th March, and the re mainder will shortly follow. These pieces are intended chiefly for the land facing, and the main entrance to tho fortress—the sea facing being already provided. Every embrasure throughout the works is to have a gun. At the south-east acute angle of the ramparts, over Fisher's nose, preparations ate making for the erection of a ;56-pounder on a tra versing platform, and a similar piece is Jo be mounted on the west sallyport, hitherto used as the minister's garden. A sufficient quantity of balls enclosed in new coronets will be placed near each gun, and 525 rounds of ammu nition, each cartridge containing 101 b. of powder, are made up ready for the 32-pounders; 60 rounds of the same weight for the 8 inch guns is also prepared. These rounds are placed in barrels lying on their bilges in the powder magazine. The barrels are fitted with bung heads, hung on hinges, and so contrived that the con• tents can be easily taken out where the barrels lay stowed in the magazine; thus obviating the necessity of moving them from their places. Two new powder magazines have been built near Fisher's Nose, and one is now constructing between the Lower and Upper Ligonier batteries in the lower fort. The following will be the disposition of the artillery at Plymouth Citadel when the present arrangements are completed:—Commencing at the eastward point above Fisher's Nose there will be a traversing 56-pounder commanding an extensive range over the land and sea; at Cumberland Battery, to the westward, five 32-pounders facing the breakwater and cover ing the Ligonier Batteries ; at the Old Saluting Battery, eight 32-pounders facing the Sound, with two on the north flank and two on the south flank; at King Charles's Curtain, eleven 32 pounders facing St. Michael's Island; at the south or sea-facing of King Charles's Bastion, four 32-pounders, and two 13 inch mortars, capable of throwing balls of 2801 b. weight into the Sound; on the left flank, two 18-pounders command ing the ditch to the eastward; on the land-facing of King Charles's Bastion, five 18-pounders and one 9-pounder ; at the Western Curtain, four 18- pounders, facing the Hoe ; at King George's Bastion, ten 18-pounders and two long 9-pounders, facing landward or covering the west aide of the inner drawbridge; at the main curtain, four 18-pounders over each side, and in a line with the main entrance; at Prince Edward's Bastion, eight 18-pounders and two two long 9-pounders, facing landward or cover ing the eastern side of the drawbridge; on the curtain, between Prince Edward's Bastion and Prince Edward's Battery, three 18-pounders facing Lambhay-hill ; at Prince Edward's Battery, four 18-pounders facing Sut ton-pool ; one at the south flank, facing Mount Batten, and three at the north flank, covering the ditch of the fortification. This completes the circumference of the ramparts, which are nearly a mile in extent. From Prince Edward's Battery to the Old Saluting Bat tery the turf on the parapets has been removed, and the whole rebuilt with asphalts brick, and covered with asphalt composition; and the banquettes between the ramparts and the parapets have been raised to within 4 feet of the edge of the latter. These and other exten sive works have been performed under the superintend ence of Colonel Oldfield, Royal Engineers. On the Queen's Saluting Battery, about 80 feet below and out side the main fortifications, there are 21 9-pounders facing the Sound, and on the Lower Fort Royal Battery 13 32-pounders, nearly on a level with the sea. At Wilkinson's, 2 32-pounders; at Frederick Battery, 4 32-pounders; Upper Ligonier, 5 32-pounders; and Lower Ligonier, 6.8 inch guns. The last 17 guns protect the rocks and beach under the citadel. The traversing 56- pounder at the west sallyport commands the entire sweep of the Sound. On the western ravelin, near King Charles's Bastion, are to be 7 18-pounders, covering the glacis; on the ravelin over the outer entrance 6 18- pounders, protecting the outer drawbridge ; and on Piper's platform, at Fisher's Nose, 4 18-pounders facing Sutton-pool and Lanabhay-hill. While it is hoped that the efficiency of these defences may never be tested by any hostile movement, still the due preparation for such a contingency reflects credit on the Government, and gives great confidence to the in habitants of Plymouth; a town which, without such protection, would, by its proximity to the shore, be in a perfectly defenceless condition. Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial office from the qqTerg9ka,9f INlaßitilis,,gambia 2 ,ll;td Sierra Leone. THURSDAY EVENING, LAW INTELLIGENCE. JUDGES' CHAMBERS, Sergeant's Inn, March 29. (Before Mr. Baron PARKE ) GOUGE( V. ROSS. In this case Mr. Baron PARKE gave judgment on a matter of some importance, respecting the discharge of a prisoner. The defendant, who is connected with the Heir-at-Law Society, was heard in the Insolvent Debtors' Court on Wednesday last, and his petition was dismissed. He had applied under the Protection Act, and when outside the court was arrested at the suit of the plaintiff, one of the opposing creditors. An applies tion was made for his discharge to the Chief Commis sioner, ;but be declined to interfere, and hence the application to a Judge at Chambers. The point was argued on Saturday. It was submitted that the appli cant was; entitled to return home after attending court on his hearing, and, in reply it was urged that inas much as the application was a voluntary one, the case did not come within the general principle, besides which his protection ceased on the dismissal of his petition. The question was considered by his Lordship an im portant one, and he reserved his opinion to the present occasion. Mr. Baron PARKE now decided that the defendant must be discharged. Ile was entitled to protection on his return after attending the Commissioner. An application was made for costs, and for the plain tiff protection was asked against an action. His LORDSHIP gave costs on the consent of the plain tiff, binding the defendant not to bring any action. The defendant was ordered to be discharged from Whitecross-street prison. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME ClRCUlT.—Kingston, Marsh 28. Th• commission for the county of Surrey was opened on Monday. There are 70 causes entered for trial, 12 of which are special jury cases; and on the Crown side there are 32 prisoners, but all the cases are of the ordi nary description, with one or two exceptions. Mr. Justice COLERIDGE, on charging the grand jury in the Crown Court, expressed his great satisfaction at the numerous attendance of magistrates, and the anxiety they had evinced to perform the duties of grand jurors, and he said he hoped that country gentlemen would always continue to feel the importance of the duty they were now called upon to perform. In some places, and particularly in the metropolis and its neighbour. hood, a feeling appeared to exist that grand juries were not useful, but were, on the contrary, detrimental to the interests of justice; but he must say the argu ments which had been adduced in support of such an opinion had failed to induce him to entertain a similar view regarding the institution of a grand jury, and ha must say that he looked upon them as part of that great scheme which had placed the country gentlemen of England in a very different position to those of any other country. He did not merely look at the service which was performed of ignoring or returning bills against the parties accused, but he considered it of equal importance that country gentlemen should be called to gether at certain periods, in order that they might obtain that information with regard to the law and to criminal jurisprudence which it was so necessary for gentleman in their situation to be acquainted with. Perhaps in London, where there were so many facilities to tamper with the witnesses in support of a charge, and where also the cases underwent very strict investigatio❑ by the magistrates, some inconvenience might occasionally arise, but he could not help thinking that it was very muck exaggerated ; even admitting there was occasionally some inconvenience, be thought tho advantages that were derived from grand juries more than equalled any of the disadvantages which had been suggested as arising from them. The Learned Judge then said it appeared to him that there were only two cases in the calendar which required any observa tions from him. The first was a charge against two prisoners for cutting and wounding the game keeper who attempted to apprehend them. I❑ this case, he said, there might be a doubt whether, under the particular circumstances, the keepers were legally justified in endeavouring to take the prisoners into cus tody, but it was his duty to tell them that the mere fact of a keeper laying his hand upon a person in the situation of the prisoners was no justification for their resorting to the use of such deadly weapons as they appeared to have made use of. Even if a blow was given by one person to another, it would not justify that other in resorting to any act of deadly violence. A person was bound to retreat from his assailant as far as he possibly could, and it was only when he had done so, and his own life was actually threatened, that he would be justified in killing his assailant. In this case, therefore, he should recommend them to find the bills in the form in which they would be presented to them. The other case was a charge against the persons having the care of a goods train upon the railway of having caused the death of the engineer of another train, which had been stopped in consequence of some defect or accident to the engine, by the negligent manner in which they conducted their own train. The law required that every person who under took to perform a particular duty should exercise the proper care and caution which that duty required, and in proportion as it was onerous or dangerous, so in pro portion was that care and caution expected to be exer cised; and the only question, therefore, which the jury would have to decide was, whether the accused parties had exercised that caution which would be required of them under the circumstances in which they were placed. His Lordship then proceeded to express his regret at observing, that out of 32 prisoners whose names appeared in the calendar only one was able to read and write well, the whole of the remainder being utterly unable to do either, or only possessing an imperfect knowledge of those rudiments of education ; and he concluded by impressing upon them the importance of extending education among the lower orders of the community as the most effectual means of preventing crime. John Hordy, 42, labourer, was indicted for a misde meanour, in being unlawfully in company with two other persons, and armed with a gun, upon certain land in pursuit of game. ➢ir. Clarkson prosecuted, and Mr. Charnock appeared for the defendant. _ From tie evidence it appeared that on the night of the 7th of January two keepers, named Mansell and Fitchell, who had the care of some land called the Witley-park Estate, hearing the sound of fire-arms, proceeded in the direction whence it proceeded, and they found the defendant and two other men in the wood. One of the keepers came up with the defendant, who pointed a gun at him, and told him to stand back, but did not proceed to any act of violence ; and when the keeper went towards him he ran off', and was not taken till some time afterwards. Mr. CIIARNOCIL, in addressing the jury, said that this prosecution arose out of those game laws which had been the source of so much crime, and which, he believed. it was the general wish of the community to see abolished. The defendant, he said, although only charged with a misdemeanour, would, if convicted, be liable to a sentence' of transportation for fourteen years, and although it was not likely that such a sentence would be passed upon him by the learned and humane Judge who was now presiding, yet ho felt it his duty to make the jury ac quainted with what might be the possible result of a conviction . Mr. Justice COLERIDGE, in summing up, told the jury that they had no right to cons id er t h e po li cy or impo hey of any particular law, an d so l ong as t h e Legisla ture thought fit to continue any law, it was their duty, and it was his also, to see that it was carried out. He then adverted to the facts of the case, and said the only question the jury had to consider was, whether the evi dence made out the charge against the accused. The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a ver dict of Not Guilty. March 29. CROWN SlDE.—(Before Mr. Justice COLERIDGE.) William Jones, 28, and Lewis Fleming, 22, the former an engine-driver, and Ike latter a stoker, in the service of the South-Westera Railway Company, were indicted for the manslaughter 0 'David Markland. Mr. Sergeant Gsaaelee and Mr. Helps conducted the prosecution. Mr. Ballantine was for the defence. It appeared from the testimony of the witnesses for the prosecution, which it will be unnecessary to give in detail, as the whole of the facts were given very fully upon the different proceedings that were held by ad journment before the coroner, that on the 14th January, the deceased, who was an engine -driver, in the service of the same company as the prisioners, started with a train from Southampton at six o'clock in the evening, and when he arrived within a couple of miles of the Woking station, in consequence of something going wrong with the engine, it was found necessary to bring the train to a stand still, and the deceased, who, it ap peared, was a clever ingenious fellow, set about perform ing the necessary repairs which the engine required, and it seemed that to enable him to effect this object he was obliged to get underneath the engine. While in this position it appeared that a luggage train, composed of 31 carriages and an engine and ten der, upon which were the two defendants, came up, and ran into the passenger train, crushing the car. riages together, and driving the engine ever the unfor tunate deceased, who received such injury as to cause immediate death. In order to establish that the de fendants had sited with negligence, it was shown that the stationary train had three red lamps at the rear, which would be visible at a very considerable distance, and it appeared that the front lamp of the luggage train was seen by the passengers of the other train for a con siderable time before the collision took place, and a man n a a s m se ed nger Brownsmith, who acted as under guard to the p train, was sent down the lino to signal the ap proaching train to stop; but, according to his evidence, he could not nee either the engineer or fireman belonging to the luggage train in his proper position, and his signal was altogether disregarded, and thus the collision and its fatal result was alleged to have been occasioned by the negligence of the defendants, in' not keeping a proper look-out. The witnesses were subjected to a searching cross examination by Mr. Ballantine, and there appeared a good deal of discrepancy in their testimony with regard to the state of the atmosphere at the time the accident happened, some of the witnesses stating that it was clear night, and others that it was foggy, and in the result it appeared that the ground in the neighbourhood of the line being marshy, it was possible that there were patches of fog in different places, which might have prevented the lights of the passenger train being seen, and the witness Brownsrnith, who was sent to stop the defendant's train, admitted that he had been charged with neglecting his duty, because he did not place deto nating balls upon the rails, the explosion of which would have been an effectual signal of danger to the approaching train, and would, in all probability, have prevented the accident from taking place. It was ad mitted that the defendants were men of excellent cha racter, and it appeared that they had been in the service of the company for several years, and that they had never before been charged with any act of mis conduct. Mr. BALLANTINE made an energetic appeal to the jury on behalf of the defendants, and in the course of MARCH his certainly very able address, he urged that the evi- • deuce would not warrant the jury in convicting the de fendants of manslaughter, for he said, from all the facts that were before them, it appeared quite as probable that the accident had arisen from the under guard not hav ing placed the detonating balls, or fog signals, upon the line, and thus given the proper warning of danger to the defendants, as that it was occasioned by any negligence on their part, and under all the circumstances he called upon the jury to return a verdict of acquittal, Mr. Justice COLERIDGE, in summing up, said that al though no doubt the law required all persons having the charge and management of powers of this description should use the utmost care in that management, still, even if they should be of opinion that the persons hav ing the charge of the passenger or stationary train had not done all that was required of them, if they were satisfied from the evidence that the defendants might have seen the lights at the rear of it, and that it was owing to their negligence, and not keeping a proper look-out that the collision and consequent fatal result happened, they would under such circumstances be still amenable to the charge of manslaughter. The Learned Judge then went carefully through the whole of the evi dence. The jury, after deliberating for about a quarter of an hour, returned a verdict of Not Guilty. There was an attempt at a manifestation of applause, when the jury gave the verdict, but it was, of course, promptly repressed. The defendants wore ordered to be immediately dis charged. CIVIL SlDE.—(Before the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE STRONG V. CLAYTON. This was an action to recover damages for slanderous words spoken by the defendant, of and concerning the plaintiff. The case having been briefly stated, The jury found for the plaintiff—Damages 401. NORTHERN ClRCUlT.—Liverpool, March 27. (Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON.) Richard Jackson, a wretched looking man, about 44 years of age, was indicted for cutting and wounding his step-daughter, Catherine Harrison, with intent to do her some grievous bodily harm. Mr. Wheeler conducted the prosecution ; the prisoner was not defended by counsel. It appeared from the statement of the prosecutrix that her mother, the prisoner's wife, led a very miserable life with her helpmate, and that especially when he was in toxicated his ♦iolence was so great that she always endeavoured to escape from the house when he came into it. On the day when this occurrence took place he was coming into the house, using frightful threats and saying he had a razor in his pocket, with which he would finish them. The prosecutrix's mother was the chief object of his anger, and on the prose cutrix interfering for the purpose of protecting her from his violence, he seized the poker, gave her several severe blows on the legs and shoulders, and finally struck her twice on the head, inflicting a very severe wound. The prosecutrix fell to the ground, and was so found by the neighbours, perfectly insensible, and was for some time, in rather a precarious condition. The prisoner, on being told he had killed her, said he had done for her and he was sorry he had not done for his wife. The prisoner is his defence entered into a statement of his domestic quarrels, and alleged he had been very cruelly treated by his wife and her children ; that they had turned him out of the house, and on that very morning had thrown his clothes out of the window, and intimated an intention of serving him in the same way. The prisoner was found Guilty of an assanit. Sentence deferred. John Jackson, Thomas Williams, and William Swift, were indicted for robbing Henry Hardy, at Manchester, on the 27th of December last. Mr. Monk conducted the prosecution. The prisoners Jackson and Williams were defended by Mr. Atkinson, anvl Mr. Pollock appeared for the prisoner Swift. It appeared from the statement of the prosecutor, who is a medical student, that he had in the course of the evening in question been attending a lecture at the School of Medicine, in Manchester, and afterwards spent part of the evening at an hotel. Betwee❑ 12 and 1 o'clock he went with a groom, with whom he had been in treaty for the purchase of a dog, to see the animal at the stables whore it was kept, and they were coming back with the dog, and had passed the end of Ducie bridge, when he was assailed by three persons, who, he said, were the pri soners at the bar, who threw him down, dragged him across the street, and attempted to rifle his pockets. One of them put his hand into his trousers pocket and got some money out, and they then attempted to get his watch. The man who accompanied him, however, and who was some paces in advance, struck a staff which he had repeatedly on the pavement, and called for the police, upon which the robbers ran away. The prosecutor then found he had lost two sovereigns, which, with other moneys, were in his trousers pocket. It appeared from other evidence, that the prisoners had been seen together at the spot in question a few minutes before the time named in the indictment, and when the alarm was given were observed running away. Mr. POLLOCK and Mr. ATKINSON addressed the jury for the defence, contending there was not sufficient evi dence of any robbery having been in fact committed, and that even on the question of assault the testimony as to the identity of the prisoners was not to be relied on. Verdict—Guilty of an assault. His Lonnsme sentenced Swift to be imprisoned for nino months, and Jackson and Williams, on whose cha racters there was a previous stain, to be imprisoned— Jackson fur two years, and Williams for eighteen months. Liverpool, March 28. CROWN;COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON Thomas Harrison, Adam Gillibrand, aged 30, John Afawdsley, 55, and Josiah Eales, 21, were inflicted for shouting at Robert Cookson, with intent to murder him, at Tarloton, on the Ist of February last. Robert Cookson said he was gamekeeper to A. L. Keck, Esq., of Bank Hall, between Ormskirk and Pres ton. On the morning of the abo►e day, about two o'clock, being in bed, he heard a gun fired in the plan tation, and got up and sent his son for assistance. While in a lane near he saw five men coming from the direction of the plantation, and some of them began throwing stones, one of which knocked witness down, and as he was rising another hit him. However, witness and his party followed 'them for 550 yards, saying they would follow them till morning. The poachers then turned, and witness heard a gun cocked, and as he turned his back the gun was fired, and he was shot. He received about 127 pellets into his back and side, and some in his hand. He could not identify any of the prisoners. He was taken home, and put to bed. Robert Holliday, au accomplice, said he was a pavior at Preston. The night before the above affair he, Gilli brand, Harrison, Eales, and Mawdsley, were at one Pearson's house, and they agreed to go out into the Tarleton plantations. They had three guns and sticks. They shot one pheasant in one plantation, eight in an other, and four in a third. I heard a gun go off, turned round, and saw it was Gillibrand who had fired. One of the other party called out murder, and we all ran away. The other party fired at us three times, but did no mischief. Gillibrand said we have stopped him from running after us. Pearson said it would be a good job if he were neither killed nor blinded. We all said we were sorry it had happened, except Gillibrand. Pear-on had said, my man, you had better keep back; there will perhaps be some damage dune. We all then got away. Adam Churchbank was called to corroborate the ac complice, but he could not fix the day, and addressing Mr. Pollock, Mr.:Baron ALDERSON said, if you could have shown the accomplice, and the others going to or coming fro m th e place at the time mentioned, that would have been some corroboration, but you only show them together about that time, not showing the day, and that is in fact no corroboration. Had you been able to corroborate the ac complice, a question would have arisen whether any one was guilty of the offence charged besides the man who fired the gun, and that would have depended on the question whether or not the prisoners had a common purpose. his Lordship then advised the jury to acquit the prisoners, on the ground of there being no evidence in fact to corroborate that of the accomplice, and they acquitted them accordingly. Titus Slater, 26, and who had been committed with John Hunt and William Lightfoot, was indicted for a burglary at Widness, in West Derby, in the house of Robert Sutton, and stealing therein cheese and divers other articles, and 265. in money, on the 9th December last. The prosecutor was a farmer, and kept a provision shop, which was properly secured on that night. On the following morning it was discovered that it had been broken into by opening the shutters, breaking out a square of glass, and so opening the window. William Lightfoot, a young man, a maker of watch movements, said that he met the prisoner at Hunt's workshop at nine o'clock at night by appointment, where they remained till eleven, and then left, and wont to the prosecutor's. The prisoner opened the window shutters, which he believed were not fastened. He then broke a square of glass and opened the window, and witness got into the shop and reached out to him the articles mentioned. He got also out of a drawer 265. in money, and then came out, and they went and concealed them in a haystack at Green Haughs farm. They then returned to Hunt's workshop. The prisoner and witness bad changed clothes during the preceding day. Job Hughes, a farm bailiff, said he saw the prisoner and the witness Lightfoot near the haystack at Green Houghs, and saw the things found in that stack on the 6th of January. It was in a public footpath ho saw them. The prisoner addressed the jury, and especially denied the policeman's evidence was true, and said that a person in Kirkdale could, if there, prove it was false; and his Lordship, therefore, suspended the proceeding while that person was sent for. On his arrival, however, his evi dence did not help the prisoner's defence, Mr. Baren ALDERSON summed up, pointing out the necessity of corroboration as to Lightfoot 's evidence, and what evidence did corroborate it; and the jury at o n ce found the prisoner Guilty. His LORDSHIP then sentenced the prisoner to be im prisoned for eighteen calendar months. MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Warwick, March 29. (Before Mr. Commissioner BALGUY.) Thomas Burke was indicted for uttering a five-pound forged note, purporting to be of the Warwick and Lea mington Banking Company. Mr. Waddington and Mr. Mellon prosecuted. It was proved that, about twenty minutes past seven P.M., on Wednesday, the 22d, prisoner called at Sim monds's, a watchmaker at Warwick, and bought a watch for five pounds, and paid in a note resembling one of the Warwick and Leamington. Bank. Suspecting the note was a forgery he set a watch upon the prisoner, while he himself went to the Bank, when ha found it was a forgery. He then proceeded to the railway station, where Burke had not arrived, but shortly after he came up, and was taken into custody. Upon his person was found four forged notes, also Ofteen soTereigas, six 30, 1848. half-sovereigns, fifteen half-crowns, thirty-one shillings, eight sixpences, &c., and a flag-basket, in which were two packets of tobacco, a pair of stays, a bottle of brandy, pound of tea, &c., all which things he had paid for in forged five-pound notes, and got the change. Guilty.—To be transported for te❑ years. David Bullock and John Tumulty were also charged with a similar offence. These parties were part of the same gang of utterers. They went to the King's Arms at Kenilworth, and had gin and sherry, and paid for it with a forged note. The landlord suspecting them, sent for a constable and charged them with passing bad notes. Bullock !ex pressed his surprise. Turnalty went to the tire, from which was subsequently taken some burning paper, which proved to be forged notes. They had previously passed and attempted to pass several others. They were found Guilty, and sentenced to be trans ported for ten years. There are others of the gang lying in gaol at Coventry on similar charges. NORFOLK CIRCUIT. Bury St Ed , nonds, March 27. CROWN COURT.—(Before thg CIIIEF BARON.) Robert WeThum, aged 32, was indicted for wounding Michael M‘Dermott, on the 7th of July last, with intent to murder him. Mr. Prendergast and Mr. Worlledge were counsel for the prosecution ; the prisoner was not defended. The prosecutor is an Irishman, in the habit of fre quenting the markets in this and the adjoining counties. where he was well known to be an extensive cattle dealer. On the 7th of July last he attended Bury market, and, as usual, made large purchases of beasts, which he retained the prisoner to assist him in driving to Lavenham and Colchester. Having paid for his purchases from a canvass bag, in the presence of the prisoner, the prosecutor deposited the bag and its contents, about 701., in an inner pocket of his waist coat, after which be and the prisoner commenced their journey towards Colchester. At this time, about nine o'clock at night, the prosecutor, who bad been on foot for the two preceding nights driving beasts to the mar ket, was not only tired, but also tipsy, though not so much so, to use his own expression, as not to be " able to make a good guess at what he was after." A few miles out of Bury, on the road to Lavenham, is called Chapel hill, and at the top of that hill the prosecutor and the prisoner met a man in a gig, who was thanked by the former for driving quietly through his cattle. At that time he appeared to be rather tipsy, so much so as to be supported by the prisoner along the road. This was at nine o'clock, and beyond that spot and hour the two men were not seen together, though the prisoner was traced with the beasts along the road to Lavenham, where they rested for the night at the premises of Mr. Baker, while he went to his own residence, and pursued his journey towards Colchester. At six o'clock in the morning, a labourer going to work saw the prosecutor lying on the side of the road at the top of Chapel-hill, a few yards beyond the spot at which he had last been seen in the company of the prisoner. lie was then speechless or in sensible, for he put his hand to his head, w hich bore marks of several blows, and was covered with blood. In the road were his hat and three large pools of blood; and about a yard from the place where he lay was a round flint; about the siae of a cricket- ball, on which were two spots of blood and two human hairs. He was immedi ately taken to the hospital, where he remained in a most critical condition,butultunately recovered though the blows he had received had fractured his skull, and produced a pressure on the brain, which in one part actually pro truded through the fracture. As soon as the bone was removed, he became conscious, though still speechless, and being unable to give any account of the transaction, the prisoner was brought into his room. As soon as the prosecutor saw him he sprung up, seized hire by the hand, and examining his p-cket, went through a panto mimic action—a scene which was evidently meant to convey to the persons assembled a history of the attack on him. When speech was restored to him lie directly charged the prisoner with having attacked, robbed, and knocked him down, soon after the gentleman had driven through the beasts; after which he became unconscious till he came to himself in the hospital. When the prose cutor was found on the road he had only a few shillings in one of his pockets, his bag and notes being nowhere visible, ❑or was there any of the missing property traced to the possession of the prisoner, who, when he was taken into custody, stated that he had left his master drunk on the road at the bottom of Chapel-hill, the spot pointed out by him to the constable being a mile nearer Bury than the top of the hill where he and the prosecutor were seen by the gentleman. The pri soner also stated that when he last saw his master he was lying on the roadside, and a strange man went up to him, after which he went on with the beasts, and saw him no more that night. The prisoner having repeated this statment when called on for his defence at the conclusion of the case for the prosecution, The CHIEF BARON summed up the evidence to the jury, leaving it to them to say whether they were satisfied that the prosecutor had accurately described the occurrences of the night to them, and had spoken correctly when he attributed the injuries to the prisoner. The jury, without hesitation, found a verdict of Guilty, and sentence of death was recorded against him. It was understood that a liberal subscription was made in court amongst the bar for the "poor Irishman," at the head of which stood the name of the noble High Sheriff. (Before Mr. Justice COLTMAN.) John Potter, aged 22, was indicted for cutting and wounding Golding Cousins, ou the 28th of August last, with intent to prevent his lawful apprehension and to disable him. Mr. Dasent conducted the case for the prisoner ; Mr. Prendergast that for the defence. It appeared from the statement of several witnesses called by the Learned Counsel in support of his opening statement, that the prisoner had formerly been in the service of Mr. Runsome, of Ipswich, who has a country house at Rushmere, attached, to which is a large and productive garden. In this garden the prisoner had formerly worked, but in August last he had employment at Mr. Ransome's foundry its the town. The garden having been constantly pillaged, the prosecutor and another man were employed to watch it on the 27th of itugust, and having set up a bell with a " spider's web" of twine about it, they watched till half-past one. At that hour they heard the bell go, and rushing forward, they saw a man in the act of making the bell " hold its tongue." As soon as the watchers came up they called out, and the intruder took to his heels, but not till the moon had disclosed the well known features of the prisoner to the prosecutor, who seized his coat as he got over a hedge, and told him " it was no use running, as he knew him." The prisoner, however, thought otherwise, and, taking a spring knife, called in these parts a " snick and yer," deliberately cut at the fingers of the prosecutor, one of which he severed the bone of. Had he withheld his knife a moment longer he would have owned his escape to a less objectionable course, for his coat parted, and the skirts remained in the hands of the prosecutor, while he fell over the hedge, where ho dropped his cap and then made off. In the pocket of the skirt so re tained by the prosecutor was a tobacco-box, which, together with the cap and skirt, were handed over to the gardener, who forthwith repaired to the police station and gave information against the prisoner by name. At six o'clock the police apprehended the pri soner as he was going to his work, and he then had on a cap and a coat, in the pocket of which was a spring knife, while his shirt bore marks of recent blood, which appeared to have been partially obliterated by the appli cation of a damp cloth. In addition to the direct testimony of the prosecutor, all the other witnesses deposed to having seen the pri soner wear such a coat and cap, and to his having pos sessed such a tobacco-box, as those which remained in the custody of the prosecutor, on the night in question; but it appeared that they could not be exactly identified as his property, while the cap and coat in which lie was arrested almost as much resembled his ordinary dress as those now produced, and his counsel adroitly pro duced a tobacco-box, which was put forward indirectly as that which the prisoner was in the habit of using. Mr. PRENDEROAsT, in addressing the jury, commented on the inability of the witnesses to identify the property produced as those of the prisoner, who was not likely to have two coats, and whose conduct evidently showed that he was unconscious of guilt. The only circumstance against him was the evidence of the prosecutor, who might well have been mistaken in the hurry and confu- sion of the rencontre, and whose oath ought, therefore, not to be adopted by the jury without confirmation, which was not only not shown in this case, but had actually been disproved to a certain extent. His LORDSHIP left the ease to the jury to say, first, whether they thought the prisoner was engaged in steal ing the fruit in the garden. If so, he might lawfully have been apprehended, and the first count would be sustained. At the same time it was competent to the jury to negative the following part of the charge, and to convict the prisoner of a common assault if they were satisfied of his ideatity, a question which was certainly open to the remarks of the Learned Counsel. The jury not being able to agree, retired from court, and after a lengthened absence returned with a verdict of Guilty on the first count. His Lonnsure, taking into c9nsideration the fact th a t the prisoner had already been in prison seven month s , sen t e nced him to three months' imprisonment, with hard labour. With this case the Suffolk assizes terminated. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS. (Before the ASSISTANT JUDGE.) Yesterday William 11. Warre n , ag e d 22, an d J ane , his wife, were i ndicted, charged with having assaultrd and ill-treated Margaret 'Warren, their infant child, only two years old. From the evidence of Mary Ann Brock, who stated that she kept a school in James street, Finsbury, it ap peared that about a month ago the female prisoner placed the child Margaret Warren under hercare. From the child's uneasiness one day she thought something was irritating it, and on undoing its clothes, to see what was the cause, she found its back and loins one mass of bruises. On this occasion she said nothing to the child's mother, but on a subsequent day she found on examina tion, that there were fresh marks of violence on the child, and then asked the mother how the marks were occasioned. The latter replied that the child had cer tainly been beaten, and merely remarked that the child's flesh "bruised so easily." A day or two after this the child went to school again with a black eye, and when Mrs. Brock directed the mother's attention to it, she excused herself by saying that " tho child was naughty, and passionate, and as she (the child) had had a black eye before, she would be satisfied now." The next Wed nesdav the child did not attend school, and on inquiring the cause, the witness was told that it was ill. follew ing morning, however, the child did attend, and as it had a sickly look, witness again proceeded to examine it, and found that it had been cruelly beaten, being bruised nearly over the whole body. She then took the poor little creature to a surgeon, by whose direction the witness took it to a magistrate, who granted a warrant' under which the prisoners were taken into custody. The prisoners' landlady proved that she had heard , the child continually screaming. This was corrobo rated by several witnesses who lived in the house, and it was also stated by a man who lived in the adjoining, house, that he had frequently heard them beating the" child, as if with the open hand. Police-constable N 140 deposed that on taking the • prisoners into custody both of them said that they bed a right to do what they liked with their own. It was their own child, and they had a right toibeat it if thef chose. On examining the child witness found several marks on its body, as if caused by pinching with the finger-nails. The child was altogether in a frightful state, and exhibited strong proofs of the cruel uiage, which had been inflicted upon it. • I It `the shown that, when before the committing maps' trate, male prisoner admitted having flogged the child' with a piece of knotted whipcord, which the constable new produced, having found it in a cupboard in the room. B resembled a double• thonged whip, but more torturing in its application, as it was closely knotted on both lashes. Ite production in court caused a thrill of horror to pale through the court, and those present could scarcely sup'' press their indignation at the prisoner's cruel and in' human conduct. The surgeon who examined the child in the first in' stance, stated that its body presented the appearance of having been severely flogged, and was of opinion that the cords produced would inflict such bruises as those found on the child's person. When called upon for their defence, the male prisoner admitted having beaten the child, that she was very ob stinate, and was continually screaming without provoca tion. In chastising it he did not consider that he had,. used more violence than was necessary, or that he bee gone beyond the limits a parent was justified in adminis tering to his own child. The female prisoner did not say anything in her defence. John Warren, the male prisoner's father, was called, by the prisoner. lie said that his son was a very kind and humane young man. lie had been married about six months, and he (witness) did not know that there was a child living until a fortnight ago. The child Ilse an illegitimate one. The — AsstsTANT JUDGE said that the jury were to eel, whether the punishment inflicted exceeded the due &nu proper correction which a parent was justified in ! Willi' nistering. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty. The ASSISTANT JUDGE, in passing sentence, said that this was what he expected, for no jury of Englishmen could come to any other conclusion. It would be absurd to imagine, that the prisoners considered they were justified in so cruelly illusing their own child, and it was impossible that they could conceive themselves that they were acting properly. They could not expect, that bf such a brutal mode of chastisement, the child's temper or habits would be mended. The evidence of Warrens father showed, unfortunately, but too well, what were the motives that induced the prisoners to use the poor little creatures so cruelly. It was clear as the noon deli chat they wished to get rid of it altogether. The sea' fence on each was imprisonment, with hard labour for the space ofitwo months, in the House of Correction. Mrs. Brock, the witness who first discovered the chill's unhappy position, brought the little creature into the court, and in reply: to the judge, the witness esid that it was but two years and two months old, and that it was as sweet-tempered and well-disposed a child 0 ever lived. The ASSISTANT JUDGE expressed his entire approent of the line of conduct pursued by Mrs. Brock, and di rected the child to be taken to St. Luke's Workhouse. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL. Samuel Smith, Fredeiick Jones, and George WiMes• were again placed at the bar, charged with stealing be tween 40/. and 501., besides a quantity of jewellery, !0. , from the Red Lion public-house, King Edward.stre . eti Newgats-street, and M a tild a an d M ary Ri c h ar d s , Wal l having tendered a 101. note, part of the proceeds of the robbery, well knowing it to be stolen. Mr. Humphreys said he should apply for a remand . , for a fortnight, as it was a very i mportant case , and the police were anxious to have as much time as possible . All five prisoners were remanded accordingly. Mrs. Lloyd then gave h er servan t s J ane W a lk er an Mary Smith into custody, and they were immediatelf placed at the bar, evidently much astonished at the turn affairs had taken. Mr. Humphreys said, his application now was that the prisoners should be remanded for a similar period. Alderman CHALLIS remanded them also, but directed that at the Compter they should bo kept apart from the other prisoners. They were then removed, both of them crying, and wanting to know why they were to be locked up. MAI?YLEBONE. Yesterday the court was much crowded in consequent © of its having been the day appointed for the re-examillir tion of William Jones, a corporal in the Ist Life Guards. who on Monday last was brought up by Inspector Haines, of the detective police, on the charge of having broken open a box in a room in the Regent's Park Bar' racks, and stolen therefrom 141. in sil ve r, t oge th e r wit', six sovereigns and four half-sov e r e i g n s , th e p ro p e rty 0' Troop Corporal-Major Henry Jones, a part of who# o duty it is to pay the men composing his own troop. Upon the application of Mr. Jarman, Mr. BROUGIITON consented to accept bail for the pri soner's appearance on Monday next, himself in 100/. and two sureties in 1001. each. The prisoner, who was not immediately prepared to comply with these conditions, was then locked up. THAMES. Mr. Charles Polka, of 4, Sidney -street, Commercial' road Eist, clerk, whose case was noticed in the House of Commons ou Monday night, and who, it will be recol• lotted, was subjected to the treatment of a felon while as incarcerated in the House of Correction for five day• under an execution from the Whitechapel County Court for not being able to pay a debt of 21., applied to Mr - Yardley for relief. The poor man has been for some time without em' ployment; he has a wife and six children, who are in $ starring condition, to maintain, and the degrading Wet' ment to which he was subjected in the House of Cor• rection because he was unable to pay a debt of 40s. ha l nearly broken his heart. He stated to the officers of the court that his incarceration in such a place as the House of Correction, and the fact of his hair and whiskers be ing cut close were a bar to his obtaining employment' lie handed one of his circulars, containing an appeal to the public and a statement of his case, to the magistrate in the first instance, but Mr. Yardley could not cep' sistenily with the rules of the court receive any private application for a subscription while sitting as a magle trate, and the paper was handed back to him. SO lO6 hours afterwards M r . P o ll e tt ma d e a pu bli c app li ca tion for relief, and said he had not the means of procuring meal for himself and his children. Mr. YARDLEY" regretted that he had no funds With which he could relieve the applicant, who then lett the court, apparently much dejected, observing that poor debtors who owed a few shillings were treated wore* than the fraudulent who owed thousands. RAILWAY SHARE 'MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, DlAlacu 29. STOCK EXCHANGIL—The sales are—Birkenhead, Lanca shire, and Cheshire Junction (late C. and B. ), 14 B.—Grsoi Northern, 814 dis.—Lancashire and Yorkshire, Fifths, 114 dis• —Dittos Halves (late L. and B.), 11 dis.—London and North-Western, 126 1 / 2 —Ditto, New Quarters, 2 1 /s p. Quarters (C), 2/. Bs. 9d. p.—Midland, 99►4—Ditto, Halvefi, 5% dis.—North Staffordshire, 1 1 , 2 dis.—Ditto, Preference/ 21—Royston and Hitchen, I ,h dis.—Shrewsbury, Oswestrit and Cheshire, Preference, 2% p.—South-Eastern and Dover. No. 4, Thirds, 68s. 9d. dis. MANCHESTER, MARCH 29. _ _ _ _ STOCK Excitation—The sales are—East Lancashire, Now' , 74 dis.—llitto, Quarters, 1% dis.—Lancashire and York shire (West Riding Union). 31 dis.— London and North" Western (Manchester and Birmingham), Quarters (C), 2 p.-51anchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire (Grimsby), ‘ 0 " bhares, 19 1 / 2 dis.—Ditto (Sheffield and Lincolnshire), 7) . .-- dis.—North Staffordshire, 1 9.16 disShrewsbury 19, Chester (late N. W. M.), Preference (guar. 8 per cent.), 2 7 4 p.—South-Eastern and Dover, No 4,3% dia. BIRMINGHAM, Dlaacif 29. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales'are—Birmingham, Wolver hampton, anti Stour Valley, 605. dis.—Chest er ai d H o lyhead, 235. dis.—North Staffordshire, 355. dis.—Shrewsbury sPd Birmingham (B), 60s. dis.—South Stafford s hi re , 60 s . c . LEEDS, MARcit 28. STOCX:EXCHANGE.—The sale s are -,A m b erga t e , Notting ham, and Boston, 2% dis.—East Lancashire, New, 7/. 3s. 6 dis.—Ditto,: Quarters, 1% dis.—Great Northern, 8% dis. 7 -- Lancashire and Yorkshire (West Riding Union), 641. dui- Leeds and Thirsk, New, 19 dis.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Preference, ss. n. dis.—North British, Thirds. 345. 6d. dis. Ditto, Quarters, 335. 6d. n. dis.—North Staf fordshire, 13 n. die.--Sheffield, Rotherham, and Goole, 5 dis. —South-Eastern and Dover, 23 3 A —York, Newcastle, and Berwick, No. 2 ( New Berwick), 6s. 3d. n. p.—York And North Midland, Preference, 24 p. YORE, MARcit 28. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The following were the quotations this day : —Great Northern, 41. 9s.—York, Newcastle, 12d Berwick, No. '2 (late New Berwicks), 10%—Di t t o (G. N. E. Purchase), 8/. 38. c. EDINBURGH, Kincil 28. STOCK EXCIIANGE.—The sales are—Edinburgh and North ern 161.—Ditto, Newport, 61.—Ditto, New, 6d.—North Bri tish, Quarters, 783.—Ditto, Thirds, 278.—Edinburgh and Glasgow, 761.—Ditto, Halves, 81. 153. GLASGOW, MARCH 28. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Dundee and Perth, Quarters, 3.ss.—Glasgow General Terminus, 71.—Glasgort Dumfries, and Carlisle, 6 1 / B —Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ayr, 811.—Ditto, Halves, No. 2, 91. 1 ls.—North British , Thirds, 265. 6d.— Ditto, New Quarters (scrip), 4e. 6d. SIRTILS. Oa the 25th inst., in Arlington-street, the Lady Caroline Duncombe, of a son. On the 21st inst., at Bay's-hill-lawn, Cheltenham, the 12dy of Major Bolton, sth Dragoon Guards, of a son. On the 23d inst., at Lordine, Ewhurst, Sussex, Mr& V. W. Dews, of a son and heir. On the 24th inst., Mrs. James Bowden, of a daughter. On the 26th inst., in Gloucester-place, Portman •square, the wife of the Rev. Henry S. Eyre, of a daughter. On the 27th inst., in A lbany -street, the lady of Henry C. Barfoot, Esq., of a daughter. On the 27th inst., at Camberwell. the wife of J. P. Man sell, Esq., of a son. fA IRU ED. On the 13th of January last, at Belize , Honduras, Alfred Crocker, Esq., Stair Assistant-surgeon, to Emily Frances, daughter of William Gough, E.N. DIED. On the 24th inst., at Plymouth, Captain Sir William George Parker, Bart., R.N., aged 60. On the 27th inst., at Charlton-grove, Kent, Major-General Sir William Gosset, K.C.11. and C. 8., Royal Engineers. On the 26th inst., the infant daughter of Altred W. Weasel St. James's-place, llatcham, Surrey. London : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, It No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Offiee, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county 9 6 Middlesex, Thursday, March 30, IE4B. of t not wil trai nig Pal