The Sun. — London, England, 1833-12-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS• We call the attention of our readers to our Report of some proceedings yesterday at the Old Bailey. They will perceive that war is now regularly declared between the Judges, Functionaries, and Barristers, at the Old Bailey, and the Middlesex 'Magistrates. The former complain that they are kept in idleness, while the Grand Jury are finding bills for trials to be proceeded in before the Middlesex Magistrates. The Barristers accuse the Chairman and Ma gistrates of an inordinate desire of usurping on the Judges. The evil might partly be remedied by having two sets of Grand Jurors—one at the Middlesex Sessions, and the other at the Old Bailey. The Barristers also suggest the re medy of a new Commission in which none of he old Magistrates shall be inserted. These exhibitions will tend in time to shame the peo ple of England out of their apathy in all that regards the absurdities of their judicial practices. In the first place, Grand Juries are now alto gether a nuisance. * * * If a length of tune elapsed between the inquiry of the Grand Jury and the trial, the Grand Jury might be of be nefit in preventing the oppression of an innocent man by unnecessary imprisonment. But the trial follows immediately the inquest of the Grand Jury, and the innocent gain no thing by the latter. But rogues gain by it ; because it adds to their chances of escape. It is notorious that the inquiries of Grand Juries are often exceedingly partial, and that a bill is thrown out on the hurried examination of one or two witnesses merely, though, were the evi dence carefully gone into on a trial, a verdict of guilty would be found. It is not for the interest of the community that facilities for the escape of guilt should be multiplied. Grand Juries, like many other institutions, have had their day. In former times, when it was dangerous to acquit in the face of power, a Grand Jury was, no doubt, a beneficial institution. It is now merely a mischievous incumbrance. Attention was drawn by Mr. Charles Phillips to the circumstance of an accessary being now under transportation, while the principal was acquitted. And it was observed that it was new in the judicial annals of the country for Justices of Peace to assume to themselves the trial of such important cases as were now tried by the Middlesex Magistrates. It is no doubt true that Mr. Minter Hart has the opinion of the Judges in his favour, and the opinion of the Judges must be presumed correct. The Criminal Law of England being altogether without any connecting prin ciples or classification, and in as barbarous a state as that of the laws of the Visigoths or Repararians, every conceivable Criminal Act must he committed before the law can be perfect. We remember the difficulty in which the lawyers were when a child was stolen. The stealing the clothes alone made the act an offence ; so that if the child had been carried away naked, the act would have been no crime. The child was of no value, and the stealing of it was nothing ; but a calf or a pig being of value, the stealing of it was a heinous crime. The consequence of this want of classification in the English law is, that a clever rogue, at any time, by paying a little attention to the particular acts of villainy which have been prohibited, may easily discover many others not in that predicament, and he may thus enrich the catalogue of crimes at the ex pense of the community. This evil will remain without remedy so long as country gentlemen and retired merchants and bankers, ignorant of the first principles of legislation, are suffered to occupy themselves with it, while lawyers degrade their profession to a mere mechanical trade. With respect to the complaint of an undue wish to extend jurisdiction by the Middlesex Magis trates, we have only this to say :—ls it not a mockery to boast of the qualification of our .Judges, while nearly the whole criminal busi ness of the country is in the hands of Justices of Peace, men not chosen on account of any qualification, but merely because they are possessed of an estate ? Justices of Peace may now transport his Majesty's subjects, and do transport them in great numbers. This is worse than the Patrimonial Jurisdictions of the Con tinent ; because the owner of an estate possessing such a jurisdiction is never allowed to exercise it himself, but is bound to appoint a Judge who has properly qualified himself. The whole ad ministration of justice in England is really_dis graceful. Nothing is fixed—everything is left to discretion. The very first principles ofcriminal pro cedure remain yet uncertain. The last Lord Mayor, a man ofsagacity, frightened the lawyers, by pro ceeding in his examinations in such a way as to diminish the chances of escape to felons and swindlers. The lawyers dread nothing so much as that it should not be generally believed that innocence is a less safe defence than their craft, and they made a regular set against Sir Peter Laurie. We prophesied that it would be long before another Chief Magistrate would turn up, possessed of courage to think for himself. The present Magistrate is as obedient to the Bar as the profession could possibly desire. It will astonish us much if any gang of swindlers is broken up during his mayoralty. But he will have a peaceable time of it, and he will have the good word of the lawyers.— Mornina Chronicle. In our City Article some retnals are made on the present state of our trading relations with the island of Java, which are well worthy of at tention. In 1811 we captured that island from the Dutch authorities, acting under the sove reignty of the French empire, or rather from the Emperor of France, who had usurped the domi nions of the commonwealth of Holland. In 1815, on the restoration of the Dutch power, we agreed to restore that part of the Dutch co lonies which we had captured in the east, and therefore gave up Java with all its dependencies to the King of the Netherlands. In becoming again a Dutch colony, Java was of course sub jected to all the rules of colonial adminis tration. One of these is, that the colonial trade is limited to the mother country, unless the latter choose to admit as a favour, or to receive for an equivalent, the ships of other maritime Powers on equal terms. We have not before us the conventions made for theregu lation of British intercourse with Java subsequent to our surrender of that island to the Dutch, but we have no doubt that they bear manifest evidences of the school in which they were framed. In our City article it is stated that the e ffect o f the convention in 1824 was to impose alien duties to a large amount on British com pared with Dutch shipping. It was stipulated to demand from the former doubl e t h e amount of duty on the cargoes imported in British bottoms in cases where those in Dutch ships paid any duty at all, and to require a duty o f . 6 per cent. where the imports of the Dutch mother country were entirely freed from custom house exaction. Nobody could dispute the right of the Dutch Government to make such a convention ; but when once made, it ought to have been strictly observed. Yet we are told that the Government of the Netherlands, before the revolution of 1830, had infringed upon its stipulations, by raising the alien duties on cargoes imported in English ships to 25 per cent. above those imposed on manufactured productions imported from the kingdom of the Netherlands in Dutch vessels. The cottons of Ghent, and the woollens of Verviers, had thus a pre ference in the market of 25 per cent. over simi lar manufactured products from England. Both those manufacturing districts are now in the possession of the Belgic Government (for which his Dutch Majesty professes no benevolent re gard), but still the unequal tax, or rather the infraction of treaty, remains unexamined and unredressed. In such circumstances, we freely own that, in our opinion, we have a just right to complain of our Dutch ally, though, in all but the infraction of a treaty, we pursue a similar policy ourselves respecting the supply of our own colonies. The idea of continuing to encourage the fabrics of Ghent and Verviers, at the expense of those of Manchester or Leeds, is now quite preposterous in his Dutch Majesty, and the hope of raising a substitute for the manufactures of either in the Dutch provinces might be taken as the dream of insanity. We therefore hope that the markets of Java will again be opened to British enterprise on the old footing, and that having transferred this magni ficent island to the Dutch, we shall not be the only sufferers by our disinterestedness and ge ' nerosity. We claim nothing as a right from the Dutch but the due execution of their own stipulations. " The state of the trade with Java is a subject of considerable anxiety with some of our leading mer chants, who earnestly desire that the attention of the Ministry should he called to it. It is too late, they feel, to complain of the improvident policy wh ch, at the close of the last war, led to the ces sion of that island to the Dutch, but they consider that they have a claim to he supported in such treaties and engagements connected with the trade of the island which were entered into subse quently to such cession. It should be borne in mind that with a view probably to compen sate as far as practicable for the sacrifice then made on the part of this country, Mr. Canning, then Foreign Secretary, concluded a treaty in 1824 , with the Dutch Government on the follow ing terms :—lt was stipulated that in no case were goods imported in a British vessel into Java to be charged with more than double the duty le vied when conveyed in a Dutch ship ; and in all cases where goods were imported duty free under the Dutch flag, the maximum of duty by a British vessel was not to exceed 6 per cent. This treaty however was, as it appears, only made to be broken. It was soon after discovered that the manufactu rers of Ghent and of Verviers would be greatly benefitted by having in some measure the exclusive privilege of supplying Java with their cotton and woollen cloths, and these were accordingly sdmitted into the island free of duty, while twenty-five per cent. was at the same time levied upon all such foreign manufactures, and British goods under the British flag have been subjected to this impost ever since. " Various representations have been made from time to time by the merchants to procure redress for this gross infraction of the treaty, but without effect, and the abuse threatens, to all appearance, to be perpetuated, unless Ministers take up the question and act with a vigour corresponding with the occasion. It is true that the manufacturers of Verviers and Ghent no longer enjoy this privilege of sending their goods free of duty to Java, but the King of Holland is now, it seems, intent on trans ferring this benefit to his Dutch subjects, and al ready there are several manufacturing establishments forming in Holland with that view. The fulfil tnent of the treaty is, therefore, an object of real importance, and will be considered of much more general interest when it is understood that Java contains 5,000,000 of inhabitants, capable of con suming very large quantities of our manufactured goods."— Times. The Corporation of Maidstone has resolved not to submit to the authority of the inquisitorial prerogative Commissioners. An abstract of the discussion in the Common Council of that borough will be found in another column. We noticed some days ago the sudden and unex pected postponement of the proceedings of the Commissioners i❑ the city of London. It was announced that they were to begin on Tuesday, the 26th of November, and numerous sum monses or requests were issued, at the sugges tion, it is believed, of a Committee of Radicals, to individuals who were supposed to be ready to give their irresponsible evidence against the Corporation and the various Trading Companies of the City, inviting their attendance on that day. Why, we should be glad to know, did the Commissioners shrink from their task ? Why did they disappoint their eager and expectant friends ? Why did they change their mind only two days before they should have commenced their inquisitorial labours ? Why, above all, have the Whig and Radical press been so extremely silent upon the subject of this mysterious and indefinite postponement ? The truth we believe to be, that the Commis sioners saw grounds for expecting a reception in the city which would have exposed the whole affair to contempt and ridicule, and given a tone to the corporations throughout the country, which was in their judgment anything but desirable. It was much better to lay still while their more fortunate coadjutors, in the task of illegal inquisition, were working their unresisted way, among the timid and foolish corporations of the provinces. We thank the Corporation of Maidstone for defeating this mean and cun ning policy in their own case, and for thus showing to the world, so far as their own con duct could show, that all the corporations of the provinces are not timid and foolish.—Morning Post. The Corporation of Maidstone have decided to resist the Commission by a majority of 73 to 49. Of course, they declare themselves to be as pure as snow, notwithstanding the suspicious circumstance of refusing to let their purity be seen. It is perfectly ludicrous to hear those people vaunting of their loyalty. If they are loyal, we can only say that they have an odd way of showing it. But it is not of disloyalty that either we or the public suspect the recusant Corporations. There are other offences which regard the pocket more nearly, and it is of those that we venture to suspect those pure and indig nant personages.—Morning Herald. Scarcely had we completed the translation of the passage from the fourth number of Le Polonais, when the fifth was laid upon our table, abounding in tales of persecution and cruelty even more atrocious and revolting, if possible, than any which we have hitherto enu merated. A letter dated from Warsaw, the 25th ult., mentions, that besides Dziewicki,who poisoned himself, three of his companions have been shot on the place where malefactors are executed. They all fell, says it, with that cou rage, and that disregard of 'death, which they hoped would one day prove beneficial to their country. Olkowsko, above all, exhibited the most admirable heroism and presence of mind. When they were leading him t o th e p l ace o f execution, he took up a handful of earth, and exclaimed, " Look here—it is for this we have fought—it is for this that we are now going to suffer !!" The graves of these youthful patriots and heroes have, not unnaturally, become objects of religious regard and veneration, and are daily covered with flowers and strewed with garlands. A great number of women have compromised themselves, and suffered in consequence. Mademoiselle Helen Nowakowska has been condemned to be beaten with two hundred stripes of rods, on account of having sent victuals to some unfor tunate insurgents who were dying of hunger in the woods ! This brutal and atrocious sen tence was actually carried into effect in one of the barracks of Lublin, accompanied with mi litary music, and in order that the martyrdom of this young woman might be rendered more horrible, her head was ordered to be shaved, and herself to be shut up in a convent. Madame Orlowska has also been condemned to receive 500 stripes ! on account of having given an asylum to some of her relatives. She prayed to be allowed to undergo the punishment at Warsaw, in order to keep up the courage of her countrymen ; but this slight favour was refused to her, and the day which was to have witnessed her punishment found her bereft of life ! In the absence of every other means of inflicting death she pierced her bosom with pins ! Is it necessary to make even one observation upon such unheard of inhumanity and brutality ? Morning Advertiser. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, DEC. 4. CROOK V. JADIS. In this case, which was not concluded yesterday when our paper went to press, the Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff-1,0801. KING V. BAKER, KNT., AND OTHERS. This was an action in replevin brought against the Treasurer of the county of Middlesex, and others, forming the Committee for carrying into effect the Act for building Staines Bridge. The plaintiff, who some time ago kept the Bush Inn at Staines, alleged that his goods were seized by the defendants when no rent was due to them. The defendants, in answer, said at the time the goods were distrained there was a debt due to them from Messrs. Ramsbottom and Lee, the brewers, and that they seized for 931. The question was whether the plaintiff had been let into possession of the Bush Inn as the nominee of Ramsbuttom and Lee, or whether he was a tenant under the Com missioners for making the road to the bridge, with a previous knowledge that he was to get out at any time when the Commissioners gave him fourteen days' notice that they wanted delivery of the pre mises. Several witnesses having proved the plaintiff's case— Sir J. SCARLETT, on the part of the trustees, said there was no foundation for the action, and The Jury, under all the bearings of the case,found a verdict for the defendants. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, DEC. 4. TAYLOR V. MOSELEY. This was an action brought to recover 1251., the amount of a bill of exchange. The plaintiff was holder of the bill in question, of which the defendant was the acceptor. The plain tiff, a solicitor, received the bill, with four others, from Mr. Knight, as security for 7001. which he advanced to Mr. Knight. The defendant refused to pay the bill, asserting that it was a forgery. It ap peared that a Mr. Thorn, a surgeon, had drawn the bill on the defendant, who admitted the acceptance and signature to be in his hand writing, but denied that the sum of 125/. was written by him, or that the words making the bill payable at Messrs. Cock burn and Co.'s were in his hand-writing. Several witnesses were examined to prove the defendant's hand-writing, but none of them could positively swear that the sum mentioned in the bill, was the same as that on the acceptance and signature. Mr. FOLLETT, for the defence, contended that, even thou 4 h the bill had been duly accepted, and that all was correct, yet as an alteration was made in the bill without the concurrence of the acceptor, this action could not be maintained. The plaintiff's counsel was accordingly nonsuited. JENNINGS 9. BLACKBURN. This was an action brought by Mrs• Elizabeth Jennings, a widow lady to recover from the defen dant, a gentleman of large fortune, certain arrears of the rent of a furnished house, situated in Regent street, hired by defendant of her, about November, 1828, for one year, at the rent of 4401. When tak• ing the house, the defendant agreed to make good any damage done to the furniture, and, in addition to the arrear of rent, the plaintiff sought to recover on that account. The entire sum received by the plaintiff on account of the rent was 2201., paid by two checks on the bank of Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smith, and it was now sought to recover what ever balance it might be the opinion of the Jury still remained due. To account for the length of time between the occurring of the cause and the bringing of the action, the learned counsel stated that the defendant had left the house before the full period of a year had expired, and during the last five years had resided entirely on the Continent. Mr. FOLLETT (for the defendant) proposed to admit to the fullest extent the occupancy and the agreement. Mr. ALEXANDER—In that case I have nothing more to do. That is the plaintiff's case. Lord LYNDHURST—Now then, Mr. Follett, what is your defence ? Mr. FOLLETT—SimpIy, my Lord, that my client has paid to the utmost farthing the entire demand the Plaintiff alleges to have been due to her. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to state the de ' fendarit's cas.l. He commenced by observing that the present was the most barefaced attempt at swindling' he ever remembered to have heard of. The plaintiff had admitted that two quarters' rent had been paid. She was prudent in so doing, for his client chanced to have receipts in her own hand writing for the rent of two quarters, namely, the se cond and third of the defendant's occupancy. He had not the receipt of the first quarter, but he would be able to produce a check of the defendant's on his banker, dated in February, 1829, just the month after the defendant commenced his occu pancy, and draws in the name of the plaintiff. By the production, then, of that check, of course coupled with proof that it was paid at the banker's, and by the production al,o of the plaintiff's receipts for the second and third quarters of the year, he pro posed to prove that for nine months of the stipulated term his client had faithfully discharged his obliga tions to the plaintiff. Then with regard to the last quarter his defence was this :—At the time the de fendant took the plaintiff's house he found it neces sary to purchase certain articles of furniture to the amount of 941. When quitting it, not having any further occasion for these articles, he proposed to the plaintiff to take them off his hands. This the plaintiff, after much bargaining, agreed to do, at the sum of 401., and on her doing so the defendant handed her a check on his bankers for 701., thus making up the sum of 1101., being the quarter's rent. This check for 701 . he would produce, and at the same time give evidence of its having been t p h a e id fu a rn s i s t s n 'e r i e l at h u' s tofe theplaintiff's agre ement to ta k e price of 401. Three checks for sums of 1121 . each, drawn by the defendant upon his bankers, Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smith, and in favour of the plaintiff, May, and Aug u st, d l a s t 2 e 9 d , respectively similari check, dated i n S eptem b er February, the same year, for 701., were produced and proved to have been paid. Lord LYNDHURST—What do you say to those documents, Mr. Alexander ? Mr. ALEXANDER-1 am instructed to admit that my client received the checks dated in February and May for 1121. each, and also the check dated in September for 70/.; but my client denies altogether having been paid the check alleged to be drawn in her favour in August, and we rest our case upon that denial. Mr. FOLLETT—Then I beg to hand my Learned Friend a receipt in the hand-writing of the plaintiff for 1181., being the amount of rent due by the de• lendant for his third quarter's holding, as well as the cost of certain articles broken while in his use. I trust that will satisfy. Mr. ALEXANDER (after reading the document) It is a clear case. The plaintiff has not a claim for a farthing against the defendant. She has been paid her demands to the fullest extent.—The plaintiff was accordingly nonsuited. ALGER V. WATTS. This was an action for money lent. The plain tiff and defendant, together with Captain Stanhope and Baron Sternberg, were the original proprietors of the Town newspaper. It was agreed on the starting of that paper, that each of the proprietors should put down a sum of 2501. The defendant Watts not having paid the money, applied to the plaintiff, who agreed to advance it for him, on the unders'anding that until Watts paid it he should reimbursf. himself out of Watts's share of the pro perty. Watts subsequently paid plaintiff a sum of 150/., and it was now sought to recover the balance. The Jury, after hearing evidence, found for the plaintiff in the full amount claimed, namely, 1001. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. TVINTER CIRCUIT.—CHELMSFOXD, age- 3. Charles Hall was placed at the bar, charged with having administered, or caused to be administered, to William Pyman poison, with intent to murder him. William Pyman sworn and examined—l am a publican. The prisoner is a farmer. On the morning of the 17th of July last the prisoner came to my house in company with another man, who soon after left. They had some porter. I then told my servant to get me my dinner. This was at half-past twelve. Hall said he should like to have some too, and we both sat down. I told the ser vant to bring me half a pint of porter, on which Hall said she might make it a pint, and we could drink together. When we had done dinner there was about half a pint left. The mug wus at the prisoner's side. He placed it there. I went to the cupboard for some pie. When I returned Hall had changed his place, and was sitting near the fire his head resting on his hand. I took the mug, and was about to drink, when I ob-erved something white in the mug. Drank some of the beer. It had a horrid taste. Swallowed a little, and spit out the rest. It burnt my throat. I told Hall some ' thing had been put in the mug since I drank before. Ott which he got up, put the mug to his mouth, pretended to taste, and then said, " There was something hot." Did not think by what was left he drank any. He said, " How could it come there ?" I said, " There is only me and you in the room. I did not put it there." During this conversation the mug was in my hand. Shook it, and saw it was very much corroded at the bottom. It turned the porter very thick, and it was quite in a ferment. I said to the prisoner, "If I live I will send this to Mr. Turmin at Colchester, to find out what it is." I poured it into a small glass, and then into a phial, and gave it to George Jay be tween seven arid eight in the evening. Cross-examined—ls a married man. Prisoner is a widower. On the day in question my wife was out in the prisoner's chaise. Had some tares of him. Bought them as [ should from any other per son. Has had dealings with him. Never quarrelled with him. Does not think the prisoner wishes to be on better terms with my wife than he ought. She is about three-and-twenty. There has been a good deal of talk about my wife and the prisoner, but newer observed any thing wrong. The prisoner in his defence called several wit nesses, who contradicted the prosecutor's story in several points. Verdict—Not Guilty. OLD BAILEY, DEC. 4. THE BUSINESS OF THE COURT.-•MIDDLESEX MAGIS- TRATES. The COMMON SERGEANT shortly afrer two o'clock came into the Court, and communicated to the Re corder that he had finished all the business in the other Court ; but in consequence of the Grand Jury being still sitting at Clerkenwell, he could not dis• charge the Jury in attendance, who were most anxious to be liberated. He was at a loss how to act, and was desirous of knowing whether there were any bills ready, or likely to be soon sent down. The RECORDER said it was really shocking the confusion and inconvenience arising to the public, the Judges, Juries, and Counsel in attendance on this Court, from the manner in which the business was arranged and conducted at Clerkenwell. Mr. C. PHILLIPS said it entirely arose from a recent departure from the old system on which the business was formerly conducted, and by which, if now followed, the present Session would terminate in an hour or two at the farthest. By the course now followed the Session might be protracted, with no business before the Court, until Saturday next, for until the Middlesex Grand Jury were discharged the Sessions could not terminate, nor could the gaol be delivered. The COMMON SERGEANT said that if no more bills were presented, the Grand Jury would of course be discharged immediately. Mr. C. PHILLIPS said that the Magistrates con- tinned, as it were, feeding the Grand Jury with and the system, if persisted in, would have the effect of creating a perpetual Session. The RECORDER concurred with Mr. Phillips in thinking the evil of the prevailing practice at Clerk enwell a very serious one in every point of view, and was of opinion that some means ought to be , , airoptea for the purpose of putting an end to it. He thought if some representation were made by the gentlemen of the bar to the Secretary of State, it would have some effect in redressing the evil. Mr. C. PHILLIPS remarked that the Secretary of State was already well aware of the inconvenience arising from the course pursued by the 'Middlesex magistrates, but nothing had as yet been done to amend the system. It ought to be known, and publicly known, that no confusion or inconvenience arose during the time Mr. Const filled the chair, and that it was only within the last six months that anything of the kind had occurred. The new sys tem had arisen solely from a gra , ping attempt, on the part of the Middlesex magistrates, to increase their jurisilic. ion. The RECORDER observed it was quite notorious into what an extent of inconvenience and confusion this Court had been plunged, by the alteration in the mode of business with respect to bills sent up before the Middlesex grand jury. Mr. C. PHILLIPS repeated that this had never occurred in Mr. Const's time. It was some proof of the manner in which business was now done by the Middlesex magistrates, when the fact was remem bered that there were now in Newgate eleven per sons who had been tried illegally, and had been brought back to be retried, but in consequence of the refusal of the magistrates to return the records of the former convictions, they must remain in prison until after the next term, before their trials could by possibility come on. The RECORDER observed that he could not see how the evil of the present system could be rerne died until regulated periods were fixed lot holding the Clerkenwell Sessions. Mr. C. PHILLIPS said the bar were unanimous in their opinion that the remedy was to revert to the course pursued in Mr. Const's time, and which practice had shown to work well. Mr. CLARKSON remarked that the issuing of a new commission for the county of Middlesex mould be another remedy. The RECORDER thought a greater part of the evil now existing might be got rid of by a short Act of Parliament, empowering this Court to summon its own grand juries. Mr. C. PHILLIPS was of opinion that it would be a great public benefit if the Clerkenwell sessions were altogether abolished, and the power taken from the magistrates of selecting what cases should be tried here. In consequence of the committal to Coldbath-fields Prison, there was now a record in Court of a party charged as the principal felon being acquitted in this Court, while the accessary was convicted at Clerkenwell for receiving that which it was no felony in the principal to steal. (The Learned Counsel was understood to refer to the cases of John Minter Hart and Henry Palmer.) He (Mr. Phillips) was satisfied that no sessions in the country, except the Middlesex sessions, would have dared to take the trial of such cases as those of Hart and Palmer, but they had been designedly taken. The conversation here dropped, but in a few mi nutes afterwards— The RECORDER had just received a communica tion from Mr. Justice Littledale, in which that Learned Judge wished to be informed whether his attendance would be again required. As the Court was kept in a state of uncertainty by the Middlesex Magistrates, he (the Recorder) must request one of the Under-Sheriffs to proceed to Mr. Allen, the clerk of the peace, to ascertain whether there were any more bills to be disposed a in this Court. Mr. C. PHILLIPS said it was monstrous that the Judges of the land should thus have to wait and be kept in uncertainty by the Magistracy of any county. Last week Mr. Sergeant Arabin had been obliged to adjourn the other Court at an early hour, in con sequence of Tuesday and Wednesday having been occupied in finding bills for the Clerkenwell Ses sions, instead of bills for offences to be tried here. The Under-Sheriff (Sandal!) was about to leave the Court and to proceed to the Clerkenwell Ses sions -house, when— Mr. PHILLIPS requested him to look at any bilk he might find there, in order to ascertain whether the offences charged were capital, " for," said Mr. Phillip, " it was but the other day they did not know a highway robbery was a capital offence until I told them." Mr. Under-Sheriff Sandall then left the Court, hut returned in about half-an-hour, bringing one bill of indictment for a simple larceny, and with the fur ther information that the grand jury were not yet discharged. Charles Blundy was capitally indicted for feloni ously assaulting, on the King's highway, Edmund John Bentham, and stealing from his person a silver watch and appendages, value 4/. The prisoner, in his defence, had found the watch in the road. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty. NEW COURT. BUSINESS OF THE COURT. The Court was at a stand-still several times du ring the day for want of bills of indictment. The COMMON SERGEANT informed the jury that the grand jury were still sitting at Clerkenwell, and therefore he had no power to discharge them, al. though they had nothing to do. Several learned counsel complained, that not only was the time of the Judges of each court, and that of the jurymen and counsel, wasted, but as long as the present system of doing business at Clerkenwell continued there would be no end to delay and con fusion. The COMMON-SERGEANT did not wish to throw blame upon any individual; as soon as the grand jury were discharged, he should be happy to dismiss the pedt juries. The Jury, after some consultation, handed up a paper, signed by them all, of which the following is a copy : "To the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Home Department. "We, the undersigned jurymen for the county of Mid dlesex, having been detained a considerable time at the Old Bailey withoet any cases before us, and having been informed by the Court that we could not be dismissed befare the discharge of the grand jury at Clerkenwell, respec fully suggest to your Lordship that some inquiry should be made as to the cause of such delay, and that measures should be taken to prevent future juries from suffering similar inconvenience. " THOMAS BURTON, JOHN GALE. Foreman. GEORGE CHAPMAN. T. BR USHFIELD. A. Filar. W. GAN DY. A. BUTLER. JAMES FELTON. H. DAVIS. W. GARDNER. THEOPHILUS CARR." S. B. GAZE. The COMMON-SERGEANT said it was a very proper remonstrance : he should certainly forward it with out delay. At 5 o'clock a new jury was empannelled, but Mr. Sergeant ARABIN informed them that from the irregularities which prevailed there was nothing for them to do at present. It was the old practice at Clerkenwell to take those bills which were intended for the Old thiley first, and then the business of the Court suffered no delay; but now he Grand Jury had adopted a new method, and hence the present inconvenience. After a pause, the Court was adjourned for an hour. Two prisoners were arraigned, but they had only been in custody one day, and were not prepared with their defence, in consequence of which the Court consented to postpone their trials until this day. The Court was compelled, for want of bills, to adjourn two hours earlier than usual. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, DEC. 4. THE GRAND JURY. Mr. Sandell, one of the Under-Sheriffs of the county, appeared on the floor of the court, and ad• dressing the Bench said he had been sent to that Court from the Old Bailey, by the Recorder of the City of London, to inquire the reason of the great delay which had occurred in returning bills to the Old Bailey, where there were three juries at that moment sitting idle. It was an evil of a serious nature to all parties concerned. He should feel happy if measures were taken to obviate it ; the remedy would be for the Grand Jury to take the Old Bailey cases first. He pressed for a decisive answer, as Mr. Justice Littledale wished to know if it would be necessary for him to attend at the Old Bailey to-morrow. The Chairman (Mr. HALSEWELL) said that a rule had been laid down on which the Grand Jury acted—namely, to take the bills in the order they stood upon the list. He believed the delay had occurred in consequence of a case of perjury having been under the consideration of the Grand Jury, which had necessarily taken up a great deal of time. He could not interfere with the Grand Jury, or dic tate to them. He would, however, recommend them to take the Old Bailey bills first. --- TheF - oreman of the Grand Jury said they found that when they took a bill out of its ordinary course the witnesses were not in attendance. The Under Sheriff requested the Court to use its authority in the matter. The CHAIRMAN said he had no control over the Grand Jury. The Under Sheriff expressed his surprise at that ; he understood the Court had directed the Grand Jury to adopt the present plan. The Foreman said he would pledge himself to take the bills for the Old Bailey first. The Under Sheriff then bowed and retired. The following is among the regular toasts at the celebration of St. George's day in Quebec, " England and the United States of America--may the Atlantic which rolls between them always be a Pacific Ocean." We regret to learn that scarlet fever is at present very prevalent in the neighbourhood of Forres, and has, in many instances, proved fatal.—Scotsman. A person was lamenting the turn out of the Paris bakers; and asked, in case their example should he followed by their brethren in England, whether we wouldn't proceed against them? "To be sure," replied a wag, " in the Rolls Court!" THE MARKETS. COAL MAR Per Tor,. s. d. k d air's 16 3 Beaumont l5 6 Graham's Main 14 6 H ilywell — 16 3 Ord's Itedhugh 15 6 Pontop Windsor.--. 17 I oilfield—. l7 (1 West Hartley . 16 0 Walls End Bell & Brown 19 0 Walls End Bewicke & Co. 19 0 Walls End Brown's_ 17 0 W ,Ils End Carr and Co. 16 0 W.E. Clarke and 16 6 Ships arrived since .ET.—Dee. 4. Per Ton. 11 Walls End Walls End Killingworth 17 Walls End Newmarch...* Ditto Northumberland • ;`, 7 Walls End ; 9 Walls End Riddell's W. E. Russell's Hetton... Ditto Russell's Lyon's...* ;6 • • •1 Walls End Urpeth ; 9 Walls End Gordon....—* a W. E South Durham* :3' Hartley last market-day, 8. COUNTRY CORN MARKETS DURING IHK WSIj Wheat. Barley. oat, Per Quarter. s. to s. s. to a. s . t o s . e. to g Abingdon---- 62 81 31 43 22 30 38 Andover..--- 50 61 24 28 Birminghain--.. 56 58 30 40 16 22 --54 Britiport 56 74 32 36 26 30 -- 69 Cirencester 40 56 24 29 18 28 baringdon--- 54 86 36 40 26 34 -- 45 Guildford 48 74 23 32 26 35 40 Henley------ 54 83 30 35 20 30 Hereford 64 68 32 34 22 28 -- Highworth 62 80 32 42 28 34 Maidenhead ---- 56 68 34 44 22 30 36 Monmouth---... 66 68 32 36 24 28 5 6 Reading 40 66 22 36 14 26 54 Salisbury 42 54 26 2.1 20 24 36 b i Southampton --- 54 58 33 40 28 32 61 Stroud Pevvkesbitry 53 37 30 38 Uxbridge 48 74 26 34 20 26 4 4 Wantage . 58 80 27 32 17 23 34 4 /I Warminster 48 58 25 31 22 26 34 Windsor 59 —I 21 22 Worcester-.. 50 57 30 32 24 32 -- NEWCASTLE CORN MA RKET —Nov. 50. New. Old. , Whet, Northumberland 40s. 52s 4Bs, 51s. - Norfolk and Suffolk..... ..... .....50g. 524. ..... Berwick and Scotch 425. 484 Foreign Rye, Norfolk and Suffolk 385. 38s --s. -4 6 4 Foreign 305. 345. —a. -4.1 1 . Barley, Malting, Norfolk and Suffolk 30s. 34s —s. -4.5. Grinding and Feeding 265. 283....... —6. -- 8 4 Malt, Norfolk and Suffolk 545. 578 —s. --s• Beans, Small 36*, 385,....., —s. 405. - Tick 345.363. —s 385 Pease, White _ e. —3 ...-6 .....4. -- Gray Oats, Northumberland, Potatoe 18s 20s 2os. 21e. Feed 163 17s 185.193. Foreign Flour, Fine (per sack) —6. —s 158 39e. LEWES MARKET.—Dc White Wheat (per quarter)-- X 2 11 Red ditto 1 8 0 18 ........ 1 18 12 0 CHELTENHAM M Barley---- Oats, New_ Pease - Oil Cake. New. Per Bushel s, d. to s. d. Wheat Barley 3 0 4 0 Oats 9 6 3 3 Beans Pease 5 0 7 0 Hay 3/. lOs 3. 0 to X 216 0 0 2 12 0 6 1 10 0 01 0 0 6o u 0 0 per thousand. A RKET.—Dec. a Per d. to d. Rt. Beef 6l 1 Mutton Veal Pork , Laud:, 0 to 3!. 15s. Od. per ton EtKETS.—Nov. 27. d , s. d. L 9 Butter, 16oz 0 8 to I ° Eggs., 22 0 0 0 Beef, per score 8 0 v 5 Mutton, per lb 0 4 94 Veal 0 4 ' l / Q artern Loaf 0 0 0 DUMFRIES MA s. d. s.d. Wheat, Imp. Bush 5 9 to 6 41 Barley ..... Oats ......... ........ Flour, 141 b. Oatmeal I 6 191 Potatoes. cwt. MEETINGS OF CREDITORS AT THE COURT, BASINGHALL-STREET. (From the London Gazette.) 0 , TO-MORROW, Dr.c. 6. t.t. .1 J. Fry, corn-dealer, Wrotham, Kent J, Jones, hat-maker, Bishopsgate_street Without 1 , J. Thompson and Co., hosiers, New Bond-street 2 i i o • J. Collier, hosier, Poultry J. Beasley, upholsterer, M a id e nh ea d, B er k s hi re 2 i, J. Wilson, distiller, Barclay House, Hackney 1 I J. Betts, cabinet-maker, Winchester I A IVIDEN DS. . st E. Martin and Co., coal-me D rchants, Regent's Park-basin ..... 2 F. J. Burnett, ship-broker, St. Mary-at-Hill T. Greatorex, hay-salesman, Albany-street, R ege nt' s Far' II .1 Gilbert, bookseller, Regent-street ll J. Jackson, mercer, Tavistock-street, Covent-garden ...... ..• 1 J. Marshall, silk-merchant, Norwich I A. Macdonald and Co., army-agents, Regent-street ...........• EXTRAORDINARY EXPLOSION OF AN Al l" GuN.--A little before nine o'clock yesterday moruiP s Mr. Taylor, clerk to Messrs. Bowman, Galloway, and C e :; machine-manufacturers, was sitting at his desk in th e , i _ e counting-house in Great Bridgewater street, when ", heard a loud report resembling that of a gun which bur", in discharging. He immediately run up stairs, and is room on the right hand, at the bead of the staircase , h e found the stock of an air-gun, some fragments of the butt, and the forcing-pump. He looked about the root*, and, not seeing any one, was about to descend the ste ir l f when he perceived the legs of a man projecting foi m under a bench at the upper end of a storeroom, o pposite to that in which he found the remains of the gun. o e, approaching the spot he discover e d a m an , name d Edwar d Simpson, who had been eighteen years in the employ the firtn, stretched senseless on the floor, but when medics , a'd was procured life wis found to be quite extinct. On examination of the body the mark of a severe WI: was discovered on the pit of the stomach, and the rig' . hand was severed from the wrist, to which it hung bi a piece of the skin. The weapon, of which the frail' ments were so widely scattered, was an air-gun belongi u g set to Mr. Glasgow, jun., one of the partners of the boa for whom the deceased had been in the habit of c hargieg , it. It was capable of containing two hundred pressu re of atmospheric air ; the common charge was sixty prey sures ; it had been used with a charge of eighty p ressu res ' but no more. It is supposed that the deceas e d was che r g:i ing the gun for his amusement beyond its power, e n that his imprudence in the experiment produced the me l b a choly result. The body when found was lying at t distance of several yards from the spot where the explos i l d took place, and in a situation the passage to which we d describe an angle of above forty five degrees, An Inq ue' was held on view of the body in the course of the day, e t which the circumstances above detailed transpired, so * ver ict was returned of Accidental Death.—Mancher gr Chronicle. BIRTHS. On the 3d inst., at Combe Bank, Sevenoaks, Kent, La di Templemore, of a son. On the 2d inst., in Belgrave_street, Eaton-square, the lec l l °f E. Berwick Harwood, Esq., of a son. On the 3d inst., at Milford-house, Surrey, the lady of ;►fal° r K. S. Webb, of a daughter. On the 3d inst., at Pimlico.lodge, Mrs. John Lettsorn of a son. On the 4th inst., in Hanover square, the lady of Thom as Wyatt, Esq., of Willenhall-house, East Barnet, Herts, ° f daughter. On the 3d inst., at Cobham, Kent, the lady of the Ref. Vi ‘ IL Edmeades, of a son. On the 30th ult., at Tombland, Norwich, the lady of Blake, Esq., of a son. MARRIED. On the 4th inst., at Broadwater Church, Sussex, Mr. E. C. Taylor, of Holborn, to Miss Snelling, of Worthing. On the 30th ult., at Camberwell, Gustavus Gidley, ' l l surgeon, Sidmouth, Devon, to Mary Ann, fourth daughter the late R. N. Burnard, Esq., surgeon, Crewkerne, Somerset On the 4th inst., at St. James's Church, Mr. Fownes, I. Coventry-street, to Mrs. Tesson, of Waterloo-place, widow the late V. Tesson, Esq. On the 25th ult., at the British Embassy, Paris, Richard S. Guinness, Esq., of Kildare-street, Dublin, to Katharine Frances, second daughter of Charles Jenkinson, Esq. At Little Ilford, Essex, the Rev. Charles Shrubb, Vica r of Bolden, Hants, to Charlotte Aubrey, only daughter of the late T. G. Baylitf, Esq., of Southgate, Middlesex. tis On the 30th ult., at Dieppe, Joan Antonio, Chevalie r Cunha, son of the Marquis d'lnharnbusse, Command..,r of tl' e Order of Christ, and Gentleman of the Chamber to their perial Highnesses the Princesses of the Brazils, to 3larg3ret youngest daughter of the late Samuel Brawne, Esq. DIED, of On the 25th ult., at Carisruhe, Albinla, second daught er Sir Edward C. Disbrowe, G. C. H., of Walton.hall, D er. "' a i shire, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentia ry the Court of Stockholm. On the 26th ult., at Ottery St. Mary, aged 54, Capt. -atnnel Jeffery, Royal Navy. rrel ° On the 27th ult., at Surbiton-lodge, near Kingston, -- p re Anne Elizabeth Savage, relict of the Rev. George Savage , vicar of Kingston-cum Richmond. On the 2lst September, at Yucacas, Colombia, aged ' 29 , k00 Langhorne, jun , Esq., surgeon to the Bolivar Mining ciatlon. late I ' On the Ist inst., aged 36, John, second son of th e Aleock, Esq., of Roehampton. On the 2.d inst., at Hastings, aged 18, Ashburner, son of the Rev. Wm. Penny, of Foxhall, Upminster. o f it• On the 20th ult., at Florence, aged 27, David, fifth 6 0 " Reid, Esq., tint Lionsdown, Ilerts. wife or On the 3d ~ at Peckham, aged 50, Elizabeth, Trenham Old, Esq., of Addington-place, Camberwell. oic On the 2d inst., aged 18, Jane Frances, only daughter ° Rev. Stephen Woodgate, vicar of Pembury, Kent. o re, On the 3d inst., Mrs. Duff, at her house, Queen -,4 Bloomsbury. was fie On the 3d inst., Joseph Kendrick, Esq., aged 80. r one of the founders of the New Musical Fund, an d Ti the f years, until disabled by the infirmities of age, he " flee of Trsurer to that Institution. rigb e ' on the 3 ea oth ult., at Hatton-garden, James Lock Cart 4 PRINTED AND PEBLIPIIED BY MURDO yo.- hollS :SUN OPVICE, 112, STaariD9! OFFICE I liE F 4 6, that ►he TOWJ tlBth, att o'clock , n LD ST( - ( 7 1 ,. Steel hi:3g, 9r Etuntinl Leatl Irons, .arious del .*l4 ltxes, Ps !ines, a te Barrel It, Screen tiers and thy Tin, Ythes Set a hw i n t: i m n ay el Whic ada h %letet 14,y -s t re et previo e ta applica ir 1 , 4 Sale wi I Ply for thi SA order of WEDNE One o'clo THE provt MAVEEE Ltt Peter P Et and cc ] t Yete wit * tiled Gan Ices attar tery A c( ti lo several b olldings o 1 . 4,1 11ti0n al Qucrnse 1404 The Est " L I marked 'qe time of Plans of , k 44 eondit I Plication td Jersey we, Est ' 4 e, from O TCo MJERN ° Y Order And 80l Up TUESI o'clock, VHII PE %time is 4 ;liicent t 'V!). CL 4TAi 4 -EL qL — AE street, °h °Pig IN te rnpe t itocrii kith sibilit‘ PA ehint moat C 2 .ouni ow n PL %orie l 57, 6 * 7. B. Ud. a OpE of th Ilud a Whic teign 2.