The Sun. — London, England, 1827-07-19 00:00:00

~---- SPThIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. It is with great regret that we have observed the recent proceedings in the King's Bench Prison. Is it by mock elections, and the ex eesees attendant on such scenes, that the persons removed to that place of confinement mean to satisfy their honest creditors, and (in many cases, we fear) make compensation to those whom they have wronged ? We have always supported a lenient system of legislation on the subject of debtor and creditor towards the former; but there is a want of moral feeling in the prisoners who joined voluntarily in the late festivities—for we will give them no harsher a name—that is truly shocking. In what state were their wives, or children, or other relatives out of prison, (luring the mock elections ? Were they engaged in unmeaning merriment and stupid buffoonery ? If the inmates of a prison have the heart to mingle in such revels, there let them pass their days, and be for ever forgotten by their kindred abroad, many of whom have neither the will nor the power to purchase for themselves similar amusements. But let not the Marshal suffer those who are duly sensible of their state to be pressed, e'en by example, into the excesses of the shameless and callous : for if there is one tyranny more grinding than all the rest, it is that which imposes fictitious mirth and the semblance of enjoyment upon the sorrowful and broken hearted. What has the inside of a prison to do with elections ? Mr. Jones acted prudently in suppressing the riotous mockery, from its pro bable consequences and result ; he acted wisely in suppressing it, as an indication of such profligate hardness of heart in those who were the volun tary actors in it, as is disgraceful to the human character. But why was it encouraged ? Why was it suffered to commence and proceed ? Is there no improper gain derived from the indis creet indulgencies of the prisoners ; and is folly then only suppressed when it begins to deviate into riot, and inspire terror for the consequences? But, above all, why was the military called in ? This is a most reprehensible act. If a disturb ance had Of.curred at the Horse Guards, it might have been in character to quell it by a detach ment from Knightsbridge-barracks ; but does the Lord Chief Justice of England allow his deputy to preserve peace, or merely prevent a breach of it, in the prison of which his Lordship has the government, by soldiers ? Are fixed bayonets and halberts to be used instead of constables' staves, in a case 'where no resistance is offered, and where half a dozen men were all that were required to give the fullest effect to the Marshal's orders, were they just or unjust ?--Timer. Since the publication of our account of the beet method of establishing parish clubs or friendly societies, we have received various let ters on the subject. One presents us with the rules and go7ernment of a club of this nature established and managed by a Mr. Armstrong, the late curate of Cl:eshunt. \%e are ourselves convinced that the whole secret of rendering these clubs useful consists in the word " ma nagement." After all, what provision is to be made for the aged, who are in health, but only able to perform half a day's work 1 Anciently, such men had the right of some contiguous common, and could there tend a cow or two ; but the indiscriminate rage for enclosing has robbed them of this right, and in how few places have cottages with gardens been substi tuted? The alleviation, also, of the burden of the poor's-rate, sought directly and exclusively, is an illegitimate object. The relief of the poor, and the bettering their condition, are the first points to be aimed at : the lowering the rate is but a contingent or incidental advantage. We confess we do not approve the process according to which the land proprietor or cultivator is , al lowed to give low wages, and the labourer forced to make a saving out of them for his club money, in order to protect the said land pro prietor or cultivator from making up from the rates the scantiness of the original wages.—Bid. Though the forms of society have greatly ap provArt;,ated in England and France since the peace, theme still remain certain distinctive pecu liarities ; nor are any more remarkable than those which, in the upper classes, regulate the inter course between man and man. The fiery tem perament of the Frenckman often takes offence at an expression, a gesture, or a glance, which would pass unobserved or disregarded by his more phlegmatic neighbour. aiisfaction is angrily demanded, and haughtily refused : no letter-writing,—no mutual friend,—no hack se kond,—no amicable adjustment,—no Lord CL ief Justice : they rush furious to the field ; the 1 - Anguished sprawls in the Bois de Boulogne, and the victor breakfasts at Tortoni's, applauded by his comrades, and unmolested by the law. The blood of the Englishman is less easily roused, though his courage and his spirit are at least as high, perhaps of a higher quality, from being more deliberate and resolved : having more to lose, he sets a greater value on existence, nor cares to leave before his time " the warm pre cincts of the cheerful day." He is the more wary of entering into a quarrel, as, in addition to the hazard of by a bullet, he stands a c hance—a remote one, if you please, but still a chance—of suspension by a halter. It is an undoubted result of this differ ence of character and laws, that a man who in England - would be shunned as guar relcom.e, in France would be excused as sus ceptible ; and that forbearance on this side of the Channel would be Timidity on the other.— Both systems have their dii:.Advantages ; that of France leads to frequent and fatal duels,—that of England to a licence in manners And conver sation, which often interrupts the harmony of society. 111-natured and overbearing individuals presuming upon the patience and good humour of others, establish privilege upon impunity, and annoy their fellow-creatures by disagreeable re marks and painful allusions, or offend them by supercilious and arrogant demeanour. Such persons rank high among the minor nuisances of hie ; they exercise a continual piracy upon the ease and comfort of the peaceful member of the community, who hates to have his bile set in motion, and his digestion deranged, by a flippant attack or contemptuous regard. It is no conso lation to him to be told that he ought not to mind, for that it is only this man's way, or that man's manner: from that moment he abhors the offender, though he may endure the offence, and secretly delights in any mortification or chastise ment that may befall him. This gratification he not unfrequently enjoys. Though the licensed tormentor selects, with instinctive caution, such victims for his sport as are least likely to kick, he sometimes stumbles upon a restive animal, who, with horn or heel, retorts a salutary correction. Of this an instance recently occurred at one of the minor theatres, which created general satisfaction. A Noble Lord, who carries into private life all the loftiness of senatorial hn portance, and who has laid down for himself a system that it is beneath his dignity to treat male acquaintance with the bow or smile of ordinary recognition, went to Sadler's Wells, for the pur pose, probably, of studying the action of some favourite performer in the melo-drame. He sal lied into a box, under an impression that it was retained for him, but which, in fact, belonged to a party of gentlemen. Though they yielded to him the place of honour, he took offence at their remaining in the box at all: measuring them superciliously from head to foot, he thrice shook the bushy honours of his head, and darted on them such withering glances, as the basilisk, only, or Medusa, are fabled to command. Hav ing vainly attempted to frown them from their seats, he indignantly withdrew, but with glances of such ineffable contempt, and gestures of such portentous import, that if report says true, the next morning an explanation was deemed indis pensable, the result of which was ample assur ance, both verbal and epistolary, that no offence was intended,—it was only his Lordship's man ner.—lbid. The struggle which is now going on between the Press and the Justice of the Country will form an important era in our domestic history. The most inattentive observer must have per ceived, that in this struggle a principal part has been played by Chief Justice Best. The Court over which he presides has, in fact, been generally selected by those ardent lovers of the liberties of the Press, the Attorneys, as the arena on which, in their opinion, the struggle could be most bene ficially carried on. These patriotic gentlemen must, no doubt, have been greatly moved by the ardent attachment which the venerable Judge has always manifested for the liberty of the Press, -and their confidence in his peeuliar ability to dis criminate impartially between Liberty and Li centiousness. Every effect has a cause, and we have no hesitation in attributing the comparative frequency of prosecutions for libel in the Court of Common Pleas to the confidence entertained by plaintiffs and their advisers, in the partiality of the venerable head of that Court for the duly regulated liberty of the Press, and their firm conviction that he has nothing so much at heart as the endearing that liberty (which, as our pa triots are in the habit of toasting it at their meetings, is " like tile air we breathe ; without it we die"), to the people of England. The example we have in that venerable Judge proves, in a striking manner, the importance of allowing no consideration to weigh with those who nomi nate to seats on the Bench, but acknowledged judicial fitness. Warmth and energy may re commend a man as a partisan, but the Judge ought to have little in common with the partisan. The Stuarts were pleased with the zeal which the celebrated Jeffreys displayed in their cause ; but James the Second (according to the extracts from the Stuart Papers which have been pub lished) repented bitterly that he had ever yielded to the appointment to so high a judicial situa- tion, of a - man, whose indiscreet zeal could not be moderated, and of whose actions the odium had to be borne by himself. They who recom mend themselves by a readiness to go farther than other men in the furthering of particular views, will often go much further than it is wished they should go ; for the diseased energy of an ill-regulated mind, governed by 'im pulse and not by fixed principles, can with difficulty be restrained when prudence requires moderation. In the time of Judge Jeffreys, however, the Government possessed a power which is not possessed by the Government of the present day. It could avail itself of the services of a Judge for a time, and when his unpopularity became troublesome, dismiss him. But the Judges since the Revolution have been appointed for life, or good behaviour—that is, they are irremovable. A Judge appointed in a time of political agitation, from motives of expe diency, remains as an affliction to the country in times of tranquillity, andcarries with him into the adjudication of cases between man and man the passion and intemperance which recommended him as a partisan. There is no evil of such magnitude in a country as judicial partiality ; for the constant view of this spectacle corrupts, by the indifference to right and wrong which it begets, that public opinion, the sensibility of which to all deviations from rectitude and pro priety forms the best guarantee for the proper conduct of all functionaries. When men are familiarized to the sight of what is odious, their abhorrence of it is diminished. We had all a proof of this in the obtuseness of the public feeling with regard to artifices for raising money in Joint Stock Companies, which, in many cases differed in nothing from swindling, but yet which, from their frequency, came at last to be so much disregarded, that the names of numbers of Meiners Of Parliament ceased to excite atten tion when their participation was mentioned. — The same tricks which passed unnoticed a year or two ago would, five years before, have driven from decent society any one suspected of them. It is well for us that the learning, moderation, and impartiality of our Judges, secure us against the calamity of witnessing passion sporting with the rights of parties on the judgment-seat. We have no Chief of any of our courts, of whom Government and people have not cause to be equally proud. There is no such thing ever witnessed in any of oar courts as a Judge dis playing, in his charge to the Jury, as much ar dour and eagerness to gain them to his opinion. as if he were a party to the cause. There is no such thing in any of our Court? as a Judge dis playing all the sycophancy to Jurors, to captivate their suffrages, which would recommend a Coun sel to the attorneys as a knowing one. Happy the conductors of the Press in England, that their struggle has been carried on under such favourable auspices. -A time may come when that moderation and impartiality and dignified conduct on the Bench, which so much distin guish the venerable Judges to whom we have so often alluded, shall no longer be enjoyed by them. They are, however, secure against any such calamity, so long as that venerable Judge retains possession of that strength which has not been exhausted in the service of his country.- 0 may he economise that precious strength, so dear to the Press and to English liberty ! Morning Chronicle. We are not at all sorry that the very first object to which the Marquis of Lansdowne ' s at tention has been drawn, on his receiving the Seals of the Home Department, fs the state of that wretched receptacle of misery and vice, the King's Bench Prison. It would not be fair, nor is it at all our wish, to judge too severely or hastily of the conduct of Mr. Jones, the Marshal, in the execution of the ticklish and responsible sur veillance which he has to exercise ; but we must say, generally speaking, that the introduction of troops into a prison to check any temporary in subordination, seems (prima facie, at least) to be one of the most unwise and unnecessary pur poses to which their services can be applied. On the present occasion it does not seem that the usual means adopted on similar occasions by the civil power—such as employing Special Con stables, reading the Riot Act, &c..—had been resorted to. Besides, we doubt very much whe ther the Marshal, though he may happen to be a Surrey Magistrate, is exactly the person who can with the greatest prudence and propriety act as such in what may be called his own cause, especially in having recourse to that " ultinza ratio" of gaolers as well as Kings, which has been adopted upon this occasion. We do not mean to say that an officer would have been justified in refusing to allow his troops to act under the orders of Mr. Jones, the Magistrate ; but if any lives had been lost in consequence of Mr. Jones, the Marshal, having ordered the troops to fire, we should not like to have stood in the shoes of Mr. Jones, either in his one capacity or other. But it will naturally be asked, where was the harm of this Tom-fooling of a mock election ? If wrong, why was it suffered to go on ? And who has the profit upon the beer and spirits which, as at other elections, flowed, we have no doubt, so copiously upon the occasion ? We repeat, however, that we are glad that the attention of the new Home Secre tary must necessarily be drawn to the state of this prison. The Whigs out of power have always been talking of Reform ; and here is an ample space in which the head of the party may exercise his taste, so long repressed. Next to the abolition of imprisonment for debt altogether, nothing would do more credit to the humanity and good sense of a person holding the situation the Marquis of Lansdowne now occupies, than an immediate reform and mitigation of the evils of various kinds which exist in the debtor prisons in and about the metropolis.—Morning Herald. When the Earl of Eldon was Lord Chancel lor, every puny railer who had wit enough to string together three sentences of snarling accu sation, shot his arrow at that venerable and illus trious Judge. He was the fountain head of all that was grievous and oppressive in the system of the Court of Chancery—he encouraged every abuse—he caused all delays—he opposed all im provement. The John Williamses, the Joseph Humes, and the Michael Angelo Taylors, while they denounced his fatal influence, sighed aloud for the millenium of a successor. In due season, their aspirations were heard, and the Noble Earl made room for the present Chancellor. We know not what hopes may have been formed of the immediate renovation of the Court of Chan cery, by the appointment of Lord Lyndhurst ; but this we know, that his Lordship has too much manliness of character, and too much of honourable candour, to countenance, by any official empiricism, the senseless clamour di rected against his predecessor. The following conversation, which took place yesterday in the Court of Chancery, is a fine practical comment upon all the ignorant chattering which has been heard respecting the delays of that Court : _ _ " Mr. HEAL]) applied for leave to bring on a motion for a new trial in the case of the King v. The Corporation of Huntingdon.' " Mr. SWODIN said, lie did not see any reason why the motions for new trials should have precedence of the regu lar business of the Coutt. He had a number of motions which required immediate attention ; but, in consequence of these matters taking up three or four days, he found it quite impossible to bring any of them forward. "Mr. SHADWELL observed, that he had been endea vouring for some time past to bring on a motion for a new trial in a case of WILLIAMS v. BACON, which had stood over for some months ; and as it was a case of a very press ing nature, considering the Assizes were fast approaching, he trusted, as his Learned Friend, Mr. Mama, who op posed him, was then in Court, that his Lordship would give precedence to this case. " The LORD CHANCZLILOR said, that, from the little ex perience he had in this Court, he found it was a very diffi cult thing to bring on motions, in consequence of some cases extending to such an immoderate length ; but as the mat ter mentioned by Mr. SHADWELL seemed to have been pending for a considerable time, he considered it entitled to precedence." Every man who had any knowledge upon this subject, with honesty enough to confess his knowledge, could have said as much as was said by Mr. Sugden, Mr. Shadwell, and Lord Lynd hurst ; but there were, (and are) fools and knaves—(they who reviled in ignorance, and they who knew full well for what they reviled) — who delighted to identify with a defective sys tem, the blameless conduct of the individual who presided over it.—New Times. THE MARKETS. COAL MARE Adair's 325. Od. Heaton 31 6 Hebburn Main -- 33 3 31 U Killingworth 32 0 Pontop Windsor- 90 0 Shipccte » 30 6 31 6 Willington 33 6 Wylam 32 0 Ditto Bell Robson & Co. 33 0 Ditto Burraten 32 6 Ditto Crarnlington-- 30 0 Ditto Northumberland 31 3 Ditto Russell's 95 U Ditto Walker 31 6 Ship. at market, 493,4-Shii .ET.—.laly IS. Walls End Newmann— 34.5. Od . Tanfieli Trader...,... 32 6 Londonderry small -- 18 0 Larnbton small 17 0 Eden small 1.1 6 Culin ( ox 0 Elgin Main 34 Hartley -... 20 0 Stone Coal Barrington,- 46 2 Inverkeithing Splint 19 Lambton's Primrose 3 2 Russell's Lyon's 32 6 Walls End Helton ..„.„ 37 6 Ditto Stewart's 37 6 Russell's Hetton'sW. E. 3 6 g )s sold, 294-Unsold, 20. LIVERPOOL CORN EXCHANGE.—JuIy V 7. Several parcels of British and Irish Wheat have arrived during the week. The supply of Flour has also been con siderable; but cf Oats and all other Grain exceedingly light. —There was less animation in the Wheat trade at this morning's market, but a moderate business was trans acted at a decline of 2d. to 3d. per 701 b. on the prices of last Tuesday. A few parcels of fine Oats were sold at a reduction of about Id. per 451 b. ; but the inferior qualities were quite neglected. Barley was sought after, at a decline in value of 2d. to 3d. per 601 b. We reduce our quotations for Beans Is. to 25. per quarter ; and for Flour and Oatmeal Is. per sack. OLD. S. d. s. d.I 0 0 a 0 o a 0 ) 0 O a 00: 0 0a 0 0; . 0 0a 0 01 0 O a 0 0 . 0 0 a 0 0 0 aa Wheat, English, per 701 b. Irish (red) Ditto (white).,.... - Scotch - Canada (free)--.. ----- Foreign (free) - Foreign (in bond),,, Barley, English, per 601bs. Irish Scotch strff• d. d. S• 6a 0 3 8a 1 1 0a 0 0 2a 8 9 2a S 6a 9 0 0a 5 3 it a 5 0 o Oa i O; 9a 5 0 -- F --- Beans, English, 0 6 a per Imp. qr.— 0 0 a -- -i P Oats, English, per 451 b .- ~,,,, -- - 0 0 a 0 ; 13 :;' 4g 0a 5i 0 0 (-) 3 10 a 4 0 _—lrish-----.. -- 0 0 a 0 o'3 5 --- Scotch --------- 0 0 a 0 01 3 10 a 4 0 Malt, Fine, per Imp. qr. ~.,. 0 0 a 0 06! 0 a 67 0 0 0 „,„„.....,,,,,. 0 0 a a 0 0 0_... —.- 2,1ida1ing....--..- ...--.....---- 0 0 a 0 o'4-6 0 a. 56 0 6 0 0 a 35 0 1— 0 a 0 30 Flour, Amer., duty paid, per br1...--- 0 0 a 0 sour ..- 7 ....... , . , , ,, ----- Canadian ._... 0 a 0 Indian Corn, white, per qr. of 4801 b. 0 0 a 0 p .... 0 a— 0 --.... red .••••••••.....r.,..........vwe.* 0 0 a 0 0 0 a— 0 Pease, English white, per Imp. qr..- 0 0 a 0 041 0 a 46 0 Rye. ., . ,--- 0 0 a 0 036 0 a 40 0 Oatmeal, English, per 2401b5. ..... 0 0 a 0 on 0 a n 0 Irish ---- Sec-tch .—..--.. ....... 0 0a 0 0 a _ e IMPORT OF GRAIN for the WeeK ending July 16. Wheat. Oats. Barley. Malt. Beans. IPease. Rye. lOatml.I Oatml. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. Lo a ds. 4,951 1,251 10 1,435 L,04 135 -- 724 Flour, 1,129 sacks, --- barrels, iNlNEmoracs.—Every time a certain artisan went to confess, he failed not to prepare himself for this act of devotion by beating his wife. " What barbarity! what cowardice !" said one of his neighbours to him, who had often been a hearer and spectator of this periodical broil; why do you beat a woman, who assuredly is not worse than another ? You are a scandal to the whole neighbourhood !"—" Neighbour," said the unfeeling husband, " I have my reasons for acting as I do, and when they are known to you, lam sure you will approve of them. I have a very short memory, and do not recollect one-fourth of my sins when I am on the point of going f to confess, so that there remains for o me but one way of remembering them, which is, to beat my wife, who then takes a great care to recall them all to my memory in the most glaring colours," POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUlLDHALL.—Yesterday Mr, Thomas Wood was brought up for further examination. Our readers will recollect that he is the alleged proprietor of the perpetual little auction shop in Cheapside, and that he was charged with having obtained a quantity of French toys from M. Gottheimer, of Aldermanbury, by representing himself to be the proprietor of the said little auction shop, when, ac cording to his own subsequent admission, lie had no con. troul over it whatever—he having been ousted of his pro prietorship, as he alleged, by certain Hebrew auctioneers ; and consequently M. Gottheimer complained that he had been " chous'd " out of the French toys aforesaid, by the aforesaid false representation. When Mr. Wood was placed at the bar yesterday, the constable who bad him in charge, addressing himself to the sitting Magistrate, said—" Your Worship, I have seen M. Gottheimer this morning ; and he says he is so very busy that he can't awhile to prosecute his complaint any further, and he does not mean to attend again." "Yes, I understand it perfectly," observed Mr. Alderman VENAILES let the prisoner be brought up again to morrow, and M. Gottheimer be summoned to attend." Charles Church, the driver of one of the Chelsea coaches, appeared upon summons, charged with furious and improper driving. A gentleman named Harrison deposed to the facts.— On the day named in the summons, he saw the defendant driving a pair horse coach into St. Paul's Church-yard.— He was evidently drunk, and was driving very furiously— ten miles an hour, at least; and by so doing he knocked down a child which was crossing the top of Ludgate-hill. In his defence, he said he was very sorry that any thing should have happened ; and that he pulled up as soon as he saw the child. His master (Mr. George Child, of Chelsea), said he had been in his employ many years, and was a remarkable steady young man ; but unfortunately on the present occasion se. veral of his fellow-servants had " got him into a snare" and made him drunk. Mr. Alderman VENABLzs asked whether the parents of the child were in attendance. The street-keeper replied that they had notice to attend, but they declined coming forward. He added, that the child was very slightly hurt. Mr. Alderman VENABLES said they ought to have at tended nevertheless, for their child might have been killed by the defendant's misconduct, and it was a duty they owed to themselves and the public to assist in punishing that misconduct. Defendant was then fined in the mitigated penalty of Forty Shillings. BOW•STRET..—COACHEE AND THE COUEDIANS.---. Yesterday, three heroes of the sock and buskin, named Blanchard (not the'veteran of Covent-garden), Cooke, and M' Gibbon, were brought from St. Clement's watch-house, before THOMAS HALLS, Esq., charged by the driver of a hackney coach, No. 959, with having abstracted from his vehicle the plates affixed to each door. The coachman stated, that the defendants hired his coach in Bridge-street, Blackfriars, at a quarter of an hour before twelve o'clock on Tuesday night, and he drove them to Exeter 'Change, where they alighted, and paid him eighteen pence for his fare. When the defendants got into his coach the plates were safe, and immediately after they had dis charged him he discovered that the plates were missing. He pursued the defendants along the Strand, and stopped them near the English Opera House. They denied all knowledge of him, or his coach, or plates, or of any other coach ; and he called the watchman and gave them into custody, he being positive as to their identity. Cousins, the night constable, said that the defendants were brought to the watch-house at half-past one o'clock, and they denied having taken the plates. Eikie, a night patrol, pointed out to him a piece of tin which he had picked up near to the spot where the gentlemen stood while they were being examined in the watch-house. The tin was identified by the coachman as one of his coach plates. The coachman said, that he had been that morning at the hackney-coach office, and was directed on no account to compromise the matter with the defendants, and there fore he rejected the offer made by Mr. Blanchard to receive a sovereign to withdraw the charge. Mr. Blanchard—Oh dear, Sir, I assure you, Mr. Halls, I did no such thing. I certainly offered him a sovereign to keep our names out of the newspapers. Coachee—Pooh, pooh, that is a likely thing, is'nt it now? Why bow was it possible for me to keep your names out of the Papers ?—the thing speaks for itself. Mr. Har.Ls—lt certainly does. Mr. M'Gibbon said it was impossible they could be guilty of the conduct imputed to them—quite impossi ble. The coachman had said that they got out of , his coach at half-past twelve, and the night-constable could prove that they did not arrive at the watch-house till about an hour after that tinte. It was evident that the coachman had mistaken them for other persons, and he could assure the Magistrate they were never in his coach at all. Mr. HAILS—Were you in any coach ?—Mr. bon—Yes, Sir, we were. Mr. HALLs—Where did you hire it ?—Mi. M'Gibbon —At the bottom of Ludgate-hill. Mr. HALLS—The thing is perfectly clear. Mr. Blanchard.—ls it not much more likely that the coachman himself took off his plates, for the purpose of trumping up this false charge, than that we should have done so? Mr. M'Gibbon.—l hope, Sir, that you will ask the coachman if we acted at all improperly while we were in his coach. Mr. HALLS (addressing Mr. M'Gibbon).—Pray, Sir, what are you ? Mr. M'Gibbon.—We are professional men. Mr. HALLS.—What profession ? Mr. 14PGibbon.— Why, Sir, we belong to the Histrionic Art—that is, Sir, we are Comedians. Mr. HALLS (addressing Mr. Cooke).—Are you a Co median also ? Mr. Cooke.—Why, sometimes I am. Mr. HALLS.—This last night's part, which you enact ed, partakes more of farce than comedy ; and I think, as relates to the whole Dramatis Personae before me, the whole was a very foolish enactment, and that you added disgrace to folly. You should not have denied the accusa tion, when it is as clear as possible that you were guilty. —You, perhaps, were not aware that the coachman was liable to a heavy penalty, if he had taken another fare without his plates. The gentlemen made no reply, the observations of the worthy Magistrate having completely dumb-founded them ; and every particle of the vis comica vanished from their lengthened faces. Mr. M'Gibbon took courage, after some time had been taken for cogitation, and proceeded :—The fact was, Sir, that on our arrival at the watch-house, we were all charged with felony at first, and so serious an accusation quite in timidated us—the thing which, in reality, was merely a joke, assumed a serious aspect. Mr. HALLS.—As you are comedians, I am inclined to treat the matter as a farce rather than a tragedy; and you will, therefore, pay for the damage, and for the coach man's loss of time. This was computed at about a guinea, which they paid, and exeunt cranes. MARYLEBONE.—Yesterday Evan Lloyd, of No. 52, London -street, Fitzroy-square, a milkman, was held to bail, himself in 100/., and two sureties in 50/. each, to answer the charge at the sessions, of assaulting and beating his son, John Lloyd, aged 10 years. The bruised features of the child, and a deep wound in the back of his head, bore dreadful testimony of the father's severity, whose. anger was excited by the circumstance of the boy having lost the key of the beer-tap, and having a fterwards absented himself from home. The bruises and cuts were inflicted on Sunday, with a walking-stick, which the boy said was not very thick, and his shirt collar was soaked with blood. Thomas Davis, of No. 1, Little Store-street, Bedford square, the uncle of the boy, arid brother to his mother (who is dead), said that a daughter of the prisoner was frequently subject to similar treatment, and Mr. Rawlinson sent an officer to fetch her. Mary Lloyd, who appears two years older than her brother, answered Mr. Rawlin son's questions with reluctance. She heard her brother's screams on Sunday, but as he and his father were in another room, and the door was shut, she (lid not like to go to him. She said, that her father beat her with a walking cane occasionally, but not so hard as he did her brother. The prisoner confessed, that being in a passion, be beat his son too severely ; and having bail in readiness, he was liberated. Henry Smith, of No. 22, Mitcham-street, a footman out of place, was fully committed for trial, on suspicion of having stolen 13 yards of silk, the property of Mrs. Sophia Street, of No. 9, Brvanston-street. The silk and other articles were lost by some means un known to Mrs. Street, from her house, on the sth inst., and she never saw the prisoner to her knowledge before she was called to confront him at the Police-office. Mr. Gideon's shopman, of No. 19, Stafford-street, pro duced the silk : it was pawned by the prisoner at his master's house, on the sth instant, and notice having been given of Mrs. Street's loss, he caused the prisoner to be apprehended on Monday, when he came to pledge a coat. The prisoner not being able to give a satisfactory account of how the property came into his possession, and having deceived the officer as to his address, was sent to Newgate. George Churchill, a young man of extraordinary ap pearance and good address, wearing only the fragments of a shirt and pantaloons, underwent a second examination as a vagrant. He was seen begging in Oxford-street, on Monday morn ing, and asked alms of the street-keeper, who took him into custody. He said, his father was a Magistrate of the county of Kerry in Ireland ; that he was agent to the Earl of Listo wel for 20 years, and that his death was occasioned at the last election, by over-exertion in canvassing for Mr. Hare, the Member for Tralee, the shire town. Mr. ItAwuttson caused inquiry to be made at the Earl's town house, but his Lordship is in the Isle of Wight, and all that could be learned was, that the porter, an old ser vant, knows nothing of his name. When the prisoner was informed of the result of the in quiry, he said—" If I was let go, Muter (a word which he substituted invariably in a singular manner for Sir, and your Worship, during both examinations), I can prove the truth of what I have asserted ; my father was the gen tleman I have described him to be, and the Earl will admit it. Mr. RAWLINSON.—You have all the appearance of a deserter. Prisoner—l am no deserter, master ; and if you will but let me go, you will be convinced of it. Mr. RAWLINSON—For your own sake I cannot let you go ; I shall send you to the House of Correction, subject to your being discharged, if you can be disposed of to your advantage. He was committed. I%IEETINGS OF CREDITORS. LONDON DIARY.—FRIDAY, JULY 20.--(At the Court of Commissioners, Basinghall.street.) Barker, S. and Co., Billiter Eddison, T., Romford 9 square ll Gates, P., Stanground, near Burn, A., Love-lane lO Peterborough Carpenter, T., East-ham ... 10 Hillier, C., Salisbury l2 Corbyn, J., Tokenhouse-yd 11 Thompson, L., Great St Dowding, C., Shadwell l2 Helen's COUNTRY DIARY.—Momtv, JULY I. Blogg, W., Norwich—Norfolk hotel, Norwich 4 Corbett, J., Austrey—Queen's Head, Ashby ll Field, J. and Co., Skelmanthorpe—Court of Requests, Hud dersfield ll Jones, T., Shrewsbury—Red Lion, Chester 2 Knill, H., Cheltenham—Commercial rooms Bristol 2 Skyrme, W., Woraester—Rummer, Bristol Spencer, R., Liverpool—Mr. Prest, Liverpool ll INSOLVENTS APPLYINI Petitions to be heard at Pertug JULY 21, Bygrave, T., Spitalfields Franklin, R., Brentford Fraser, J., Shadwell High, C., Hoxton Larkin, 8., Tarling-street, Corn- i mercial-road Ledien, J., Richmond-build ings, Sohe Longstaff, W., Newton Castle, Dorsetshire Luckie, J., Oxford-street Mansfield, J. and Co., Bethnal G TO BE DISCHARGED, al-street, Lincoln's Inn Field*, AT NINE. Moorey, G., Ratcliffe Palmer, C. Oxford-street Pilsbury, T., Chelsea Rich, T., Cheltenham Shaw, E., Coburgh-street, Cler kenwell Skene, J., Streatham Tayler, J., Salisbury Tilner, J., Kent-road White, E., Bishopsgate-street White, S., Kensington COUNTRY.---At the Court at Ten Buford, J., Loughborough Bryan, J., Mountsorrell Ilude, J. St. Margaret Glover, C., Leicester Horspool, R., Bardon Runhain, Market Harbo rough .house, at Leicester, July 24, o'clock. Revill, W., Loughborough Shenton, T., Leicester Sarson, R., Quorndon Smith, S., Leicester Turner, IL, Loughborough Warden, J., Leicester At Salisbury, . Banks, 1., Trowbridge Banks, J., Trowbridge Blanford, J., Fisherton Anger Bryant, J. Bradford Eyers, S., Trowbridge Freeman, J., Box Hawkins, J. Jun., Keevil Long, S., Bradford Parrish, J., Trowbridge At Newcastle-upon-1 Brewis, R., Morpeth Cook, \V., Shields Elliott, T., Toddlewood Fenwick, G., Morpeth Huntley, J., Howden Peaps, G., Shields Riddle, T., Woodburn At Winchester, Batchelor, J., Cosham Blanchard, J., Gosport uly 21, at Nine. Perry, J., Colingbourne Posey, G., Bishopstone Pruce, E., Highworth Redman, J., Milford Richards, J., Devises Rosier, W., Easton Piers 'Skilton, W., Salisbury Stonall, G., Box Wasphare, M., Salisbury 'yne, July 23, at Ten. Spence, J., Shields Stevenson, G., Warburton place, near Durham ,Swinbunie, J., Durham 'Ward, R., Staley Weddell, G., Newcastle July 14, at Nine. I Heslop, R., Portsea NAVAL PROMOTIONS. One of the last acts of Lord Melville was the promotion of Percy Hall, a relation of the late Dean of Durham, and a very young Lieutenant in the Navy, who was sent, as usual, previous to his being promoted, to a foreign station. He remained on that station a few months, not re lishing the climate, and retired on half-pay. Having interest with the First Lord of the Ad miralty, he applied for promotion, although the period of his active service was inconsiderable. The application was immediately attended to : his Lordship stated to his correspondent, that the promotion could not be effected if Mr. Hall re mained upon half-pay ; but to remove that im pediment, his Lordship very kindly undertook to appoint his applicant to the Victory, a flag-ship, which was commissioned on the Ist of May, and is stationed at Portsmouth ; so that this young and inexperienced Officer received his appoint ment, and having walked the decks four or five hours, was presented with his commission as Commander. The most experienced and worn-out Officers in Portsmouth are totally at a loss for an excuse for this sudden and unmerited elevation of a per son so much their junior, except, indeed, the in. fluence of the Dean, who had so much patron age, with which he could retaliate, might be considered the cause. What renders this waste of patronage and power, on the part of Lord Melville, more de serving of animadversion is, that about this very period an old and experienced Lieutenant was induced to relinquish an appointment in the pre ventive service, which produced 3001. a year, under the assurance of the First Lord of the Admiralty that he should be promoted: This promise was broken, but the situation could not be recovered by the unfortunate defendant, upon the word of his Lordship. The contrast which now exists in the department is so marked, that the naval veterans loudly exult in the appointment of the Lord High Admiral, who had no in fluence whatever under the late system, but who had a thousand times expressed his determina tion, if ever he came into power, that he would reform the abuses which abounded in the naval department. The following circumstance will prove that his Royal Highness's recommenda tions had but little effect indeed upon the late Board :—An old Lieutenant, of eighteen years' standing, who had lost his health in the service, the son of an Admiral, and who had received repeated refusals at the Admiralty to do justice to his services, had given up all hope of the re cognition of his hard-earned claims. His aged mother petitioned the Duke of Clarence, solicit ing his Royal Highness's interference with the First Lord of the Admiralty on behalf of her son. His Royal Highness wrote several recom mendatory observations upon the petition, for warded it to the First Lord of the Admiralty, and begged that attention might be paid to it. To the great surprise, however, of his Royal Highness, not even an answer was sent, nor was the slightest notice taken of the application. It is needless to remark, that the officer alluded to, who was actually in an hospital at the time of the appointment of the Lord High Admiral, was amongst the first of those veteran officers who have been promoted. SINGULAR PHENOMENON.--011 Thursday last, at mid-day, a whirlwind suddenly took up a large quantity of hay from a field at Shelf, near Bradford. A considerable number of people witnessed its ascent, and subdivision into innu merable parts, resembling a flight of crows, which finally attained a degree of elevation the eye could not reach ; but in about fifteen minutes the largest portions re-appeared, slowly descending into the field which they had quitted at the com mencement of their aerial excursion. It was half an hour before the lighter portions of hay, thus taken up, reached the ground.--Leeds illercurg. BIRTH. On the 18th inst. the lady of W. Ainsworth, Esq. of Sussex-place, Regent's-park, of a daughter. MARRIED. Yesterday, by the Rev. Dr. Barneby, M r . D . Thorn hill, of Mile-end, to Sarah, daughter of the late W. Yooght, Esq., of West-ham-abbey, Essex. On Tuesday, Thomas Moulden Sherwood, Esq., p ar . liament-street, to Anna, eldest daughter of R. Ray, Eq. of Montagu-place. On Tuesday, at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, W. El r id ge . of the Haymarket, to Catherine, daughter of Mr. AsßuithA of Oxendon-street. ISLANDS OF GUERNSEY AND TFRSSSV• These islands have of late years taken a won derful start, and the resort to them of settlers from England is truly astonishing to those who do not calculate en the diminution of expenses, arising from the absence of taxes on the luxuries, as well as necessaries of life. From the Ist of January, 1826, to November 1, 1826, it appears. from the Custom-house Returns, that 39,350 persons landed in Guernsey alone, some as visi tors, and others as settlers. Of ships there have arrived ill Guernsey, during the same period 1,896. The estimated value of property in this small island is three millions five hundred a nd thirty-one thousand seven hundred and forty pounds sterling ! ! The quantity of land is about eight thousand English acres, and the popula tion about twenty-four thousand. This is at the rate of three persons to an acre of land. In Eng land our political economists are in perpetual dread of our being over-peopled, and the cause. assigned for the distresses of the poor is, exces sive population, and the necessity of checking it. And yet it is calculated that we have three acres of land for one person, whereas in Guernsey three are three persons to an acre. Here, the mass of our agricultural population are paupers ; there, amongst the natives, such a thing is of rare occurrence as any of them applying t o the public for support. The farmers seldom occupy above fifty acres of land, and much oftener fit - - teen or twenty. Yet they live and acquire wealth ; and the island presents the most delightful ap pearance, being covered with gardens and orchards. The average size of the Guernsey vessels ie 133 tons. The inhabitants use the marine plant called wrac, both for fuel and ma nure, and cultivating the soil in small farms, and covering it annually with this plant, it becomes exceedingly rich and fertile. A good deal of cider is made here, although the quantity is by no means so large as in Jersey. The island is nine miles in length, and six. in breadth, and contains one town, ten parishes, and several villages.--- There is a church in every parish, and Roman Catholics, Quakers, Baptists, Independents, and Methodists, live in a state of mutual good will 'and harmony. Steam-packets pass regularly from Weymouth and Southampton, and it is now de cided that the packets shall leave Weymouth at nine o'clock at night ; so that a person leaving London in the morning of one day may reach Guernsey early the next, Jersey is the larger island, the length being about twelve miles, and breadth six. The po pulation has increased within a few years five thousand, and an immense number of new houses have been erected. In every direction new buildings are going on. In the principal town, St. Helier's, nearly half the population reside. The island contains 34,000 persons : the town 15,000. The shipping of Jersey consists of 162 vessels, total burden_l6,979 tons, which are employed in the South American, African, Newfoundland, and coasting trade. There are seven regular banks in the island. A church in every parish. Five regiments of militia (na tives), every hale man being a soldier. There are several Dissenting Congregations, and two Roman Catholic Chapels. In the poor-house there are only one hundied and fifty persons, principally Irish. A very large quantity of cider was made last year, and it might be purchased at the pound's mouth, at 10s. the hogshead. 'The price now, in consequence of there being no prospect of a crop of apples this year, is from 20s. to 255. per hogshead. Brandy is retailed. at from four to six shillings per gallon, and rasa and gin still lower. Meat is from sd. to 6d. Eer pound. Exchange 7 per cent. in favour of nglish bills. The shipping of the island gra dually increases. The land is in a high state of cultivation. Almost all the farmers are owners of farms. Pauperism amongst the natives is of rare occurrence. Manufactories there are none. On small farms of 15 or 30 acres, the proprie tors bring up their families in comfort ; and each one has a little of corn, cider, butter, fruit, and vegetables, to bring to market on the Saturday. The farmers and •merchants are, for the m ost part, well off Many of each class extremely rich, and very large holders of French and Eng lish funds ; mostly the former. The principal merchants have branches of their establishments in South America, whence they import hides and sugar, which are principally sent to Ham burgh. The Jersey butter is remarkably fine; and the little Norman cows yield an extraordi nary quantity of milk. So much as 1413. of butter per week has been produced from the milk of one cow.—The World. THE INDIGO SALE. The sale of Indigo at the India House, which cow menced on the 10th inst. closed yesterday at one o'clock. It consisted of 4,715 chests, via.: 8,48 S Bengal ; Madras ; 185 Manilla, and 420 Oude. Before the sale commenced, a great difference of opinion existed a s to prices, some anticipating a great decline, others a consider able advance ; but the sale began with spirit, and was so kept up to its termination, in consequence of the firmness manifested by the Proprietors, in giving it support. The quotations went rather higher after the first day; but they fluctuated in a trifling degree towards the close. The fine Bengal qualities may be quoted at about April sale prices, but the good and middling are generally fro l 3d. to 6d., and in some few instances even Is. per lb. higher than that sale; the Madras may be quoted from 6d. to Is., and in some few instance] even Is. 6d. per lb. lower than that sale ; the Onde on the first day was mostly bought is at about 6d. per lb. lower than the April sale, but on the subsequent days, the prices were fully equal to that sale. About 1,000 chests have been brought in by the pro prietors, of which - 150 are Oude, $OO Madras and Manilla, and the remainder Bengal, besides 98 chests refused, being put up much too high. The Export Merchants have been the principal pur chasers, very little having been bought either by the dealers or consumers, n otwithstanding the general improvement of business in the manufacturing districts. The following is a statement of the number of Cheats at each price, viz. : Per lb. Per lb. 217 Chests from 12s. a 138.6 d. 866 Chests from C. a 7s. (kl. 785 11 12 0 231 5 6 0 1,118 10 11 0 215 4 5 0 774 9 10 0 75 3 4 0 416 8 9 0 49 under 3 0 373 .................. '7 8 0 22 Bags Warehoused Sweepi fngs, from Is. 10d. a 2s. 2d. DIED. On the 17th inst., Mr. J. Snee, of Eartlett's.buildings, Holborn, aged 73. On the 13th inst. Frances, the wife of the Hon. John W. Stratford, of Stratford-place. On the 11th inst., Miss Isabella Campbell, daughter of the late John Campbell, Esq., of Charterhouse-square. On the 11th inst., at Much Nadham, Herts, in the 82d year lof his age, Mr. Thomas Mott, of that place, attorney-at-law. PaiNTED and PUBLISHED by M. YOUNG ; at the Sux,Orricx, lig. 112 ) Strauda 1