The Sun. — London, England, 1830-04-09 00:00:00

• SPIRIT OF THR PUBLIC JOURNALS. Among the numerous official returns printed by order of the House of Commons, is one of " The rates of pay and allowances to the Officers and men of the navy, in the priecipal naval and civil branches, In the years 1792 and 1829, in classes, stating the dates of any increase or decrease." A comparative 'etiolate of this nature may be fitly judged on three several grounds—lst, the difference between the cost of articles of the first necessity at the respective periods; 2d, the difference between the rates of wages throughout England among the working classes generally; 3d, the increase or decrease in the wages of seafaring men in other countries. The subsistence of seamen is not included in the charge for "pay," but forms the subject of occasional con tracts, the terms of which have not, of late years, we believe, been considered unfair as against the public. It is obvious, however, that they must dr pend on the price of provisions, and conform to the occasional fluctuations of the market. Articles of cloth have not, we are told, much risen in price, if at all, since 1792 ; and, as they may be supposed to constitute the great bulk of a seaman's necessary expenditure, there seems no reason why, on that account at least, an augmentation should be made to the pay. With re gard to the general rate of wages throughout the country, it is clear that if they have been increased materially since 1792, those of merchant-seamen will also have risen, so as to create a successful compe tition against the navy, unless that competition be met by a rise of wages in the King's service also. - Whether the wages of labour collectively have re ceived any real addition whatsoever since the year above alluded to, is another question—perhaps a doubtful one; but there is probably no reason to dise pute that the seamen employed on board our mer chant vessels are better paid than before the war of the French 'Revolution : and if so, the crews of British men-of-war must be treated with propor tionate liberality, or the nary will be at a loss for hands. So, also, if the wages of foreign seamen have risen sensibly during the same period, the King's service becomes exposed to another, and not less serious, competition. In the former of these cases the best sailors flock to English merchantmen, and leave his Majesty the refuse. In the latter they go abroad, to navi gate the ships and instruct the seamen of our neigh bours. In both cases the British navy is left un manned.—We cannot conscientiously say that the ratings, and so forth, contained in the above return, have been established without a view to economy —that is, so far as oflicers, sailors, mid marines, the fighting force of the navy of England, are concerned. But we are not so certain about the civil augmen tations, not merely as to the pay of each indivi dual, but as to the additional number of persons (non-fighters) employed ; and if we extend our sur vey to the dock-yards, &c., we shall find the mul tiplication of brown-coated functionaries not only unquestionable but immense. These things we need no further press upon the attention of his Majesty's Government, than just to remind Ministers how deeply they are pledged to hunt out the means and facilities of economical reform.—Times. It is likely to fare but ill with the " landed-inte rest" speech-makers, when farmers take to telling truth, and arguing rationally upon the corn-law sys tem and its effects on the occupiers of the soil. We have some pride, as well as much satisfaction,, in publishing the letter of a Surrey agriculturist, in condemnation of the monopoly of corn. To us the idea is not new, that the farming interest would gain by a general reduction of prices consequent upon the diminished price of corn ; but our Croydon corres pondent makes it clear from figures, that the fall of wages and other sources of expence would fully indemnify him for the change; nor does he put the case as favourably as it appears to us it would turn out to be in practice. He evidently under rates the reduction of poor-rates which must follow from a more general employment of hands in manufacture as well as husbandry ; and in his calculation, he says nothing, though he refers to it in the letter, of the profit to be derived from converting second and third-rate soils to pasture, and thus increasing the quantity of butcher's meat at home, in the same degree w ith that of foreign corn imported ; meat, if we are to judge from butchers' prices, not having even a tendency to fall to the level of the reduction in grain A few more such specimens of agricultural honesty and intelli gence would produce no mean impression in favour of Sir Francis Burdett's proposal to relieve the country from that monopoly which, of all others, is the most barbarous and overwhelming. " Siz,—Although t am a farmer on an extended scale, and with the rest of the cultivators of the soil am suffer ing from the times, still I take a very different view of the relief required. I believe that the free importation of wheat wcnld benefit the farmer as much as any class; his expenses are principally in wages, and the fall that would take place from the low price of wheat, would return to him as direct as to Any manufacturer: be would receive the benefit in the growth of his green crops for pasture, where he can meet with no foreign competitor, and if the growth of wheat were rather discouraged (which I doubt), his attention would be directed to keeping more stock, and thereby cause a snore plentiful supply of meat; I have found very frequently a larger produce of corn in conse quence, although from a less number of acres. " The return enclosed you may depend is made from ac tual experience. I have merely rounded the amounts for the facility of calculation. You will find the proportions coincide with the experience of Arthur Young, Lawrence, So. and I shall be happy to explain in detail any particular required. Yours's obediently, a Farmer, " Croydon, April I. H. D." " I hold a farm of 1,000 acres, of which 500 are arable, aad 500 grass. " 150 acres come yearly into wheat, and which pro duce 450 quarters of wheat, and my selling price averages about 60s. " I should lose by foreign wheat being admitted free of duty, about 12s. per quarter £270 0 0 " But I should gain by the fall of 20 per cent. in bread, and consequent fall in the price of labour ; " 7 per cent. on 3,000/. (the amount I yearly expend in wages) £2lo 0 0 7 per cent. on 3201. (being the amount of my p oo r rates, highway-rateQ, and church- rates) 22 8 0 " '7 per cent. on 140/. (being my family's ex pane for brew' and flour). 9 16 0 .£212 4 0 " And surely the prices of clothing and every other necessary would fall sufficient, in conse quence of the low price of bread, to enable me to save out of my and my labourers' expences 27 l 6 0 £270 0 0 " And I give my landlord the benefit of the fall in prices, or I might calculate a reduction of rent in proportion."— Times. Mr. Peel is going on in a career of usefulness in rofoiroing the criminal law which entitles him to the praise of the public, and s‘ ill hand down his name to posterity among the benefactors of mankind. The friends of humanity would rejoice to see the punishment of death abolished in all cases, eleept ing murder, burglaries accompanied with terror, and robberies attended with personal violence. They hail, therefore, with satisfaction, the mitigation pro posed in many instances of forgery; while they re gret that the time is not yet arrived when it may be extended to all. It has long been the disgrace of ttis country that its laws are more sanguinary and the executions more frequent than in any other part of the world. This has arisen from two causes,,- the remains of the old feudal severity, when every Baron was authorised to erect a gallows upon his manor and hang up almost whom he pleated ; and the idolatry with which property is viewed here, in comparison with which the life o f a h uman b e i ng i s held in low estimation. That our laws should be so savage is the more extraordinary, as t h e people of this country abhor the sheddi ng o r blood. Popular commotions in England are rurely attended with loss of life ; while in other coun tries, where the laws are infinitely milder, they seldom happen without it. This kind feeling i n Englishmen, it is strange to say, in one respect, has cootaibuted to prevent any very material relaxation in our Criminal Code; because it has diminished the number of prosecutions, which, in spite of the gib bet, have borne no proportion to the offences commit ted: had it been otherwise, the frequency of the inflic tion of death would have been too horrible tohave been endured, and would, long ago, have put an end to the punishment in a great majority of cases which are now• capital. Of late years Judges have sympathised with the popular sentiment, and there are very few now on the Bench who are not even astute in discovering, plausible pretences for yielding to it. The execu zions in the times of Lords Thurlow and Lough borough, and those ordered by Justice Buller and Justice Heath, and one or two others which swell the black catalogue, as stated by Mr. Peel, in part of the late reign, would in the present day, in most instances, be considered in no other light than as , to many legal murders ! Still, as the law stands, if prosecutors and Judges think fit to put it in motion, and carry itk,sentences into effect, there is nothing to prevent them, in hundreds of cases in which the voice of humanity and reason would condemn the punishment as more wicked than the crime intended to be prevented.—Morning Chronicle. In the debate on Thursday last, on the subject of the Scotch Law Reforms, the Solicitor-General ob served, that " though he was not able to discover it, there must, nevertheless, be some reason for that astonishing disproportion between the Scotch ap peals and those from other parts of the United Kingdom." The Lord Advocate, in his reply, significantly observed, that " some of them might arise from the circumstance of an appellant, con scious of a bad case, desiring to have it tried by Judges not acquainted with Scotch Law." A case, decided in the House of Lords on Tuesday last brought this observation of the Lord Advocate for cibly to our recollection. On this occasion, in the House of Lords, was Lord Wynford, who, if he knew anything of Scotch Law, must know it by inspiration. He is a mere Nisi Prius lawyer, who never was employed in Scotch Appeals, and who has little experience in those branches of English law somewhat analogous to the law of Scotland. If it had been proposed to appoint Mr. Justice Best to the Bench in Scotland, what an outcry would have been raised. It would have been at once admitted that he was a skilful advocate with a Common Pleas Jury, but it would have been urged, that independently of his want of Scotch legal learning, he did not rank high as an English lawyer, and in every point of view the appointment was unjustifiable. But Lord Wyn ford, representing in his own person the House of Lords, has a hundred times more power over Scotch litigants than he could have as a single Scotch Judge, where he might have been over-ruled by his brethren. w w o Scotch Magistrates Allardice and Boswell, appealed from a decision of the Court of Session. Robertson, the respondent, having been convicted of poaching in a Court of Jos-. tice, urged that he was the only support of two aged parents. Upon this, one of the Justices said he was a notorious poacher. Mr. Allardice said, " I do not think the defender deserves any mercy, as I am informed that besides being a poacher, he is a thief; that he has been known to steal bee-hives and leather, and that Mr Boswell (the other appellant) knows this to be true ;" upon which Mr. Boswell said, " I cannot say as to the bee-hives; but I was informed by a respectable farmer, now :dead, that he stole a quantity of leather." Robertson brought an action against the appellants in the Jury Court, and obtained 2001. damages against the two Jus tices. On a new trial he obtained 1504 against each. The Justices appealed to the Court of Ses sion, where the judgment was against them. And when the people of Scotland see that two verdicts, and a subsequent solemn decision of the Judges of the Supreme Court of that country, can be set aside by the House of Lords, represented by Lord Wynford, are we to wonder that appeals should be frequent ? The Judges of the Supreme Court of Scotland considered the allegations of the two Jus tices altogether foreign to the question before them, and that to charge a man, who was merely before the Court for an offence not considered criminal, and subjecting him only to a pecuniary penalty, with a heinous crime, was a calumny for which their judicial situation ought not to protect them. It was maintained by the Scotch Judges, that the latitude to Judges could never be, with any propriety, so far extended as to allow the in troduction of a graver matter into a case than that for which an individual was upon his trial, be cause this would be allowing a Magistrate to ruin without remedy an individual who might he before the Court for the most trivial offence. Let us sup pose, for instance, that a man, not aware that sitting on a cart passing along the street was penal on one side of London•bridge (as it is not on the other), and that on being summoned before a Magistrate, and urging a mitigation, he should be told. " 0 you are deserving of no compassion, you are one of the fellows who are in the habit of going every night to Hyde-park for a certain purpose, on which some recent proceedings at Queen-square throw a light." The consequence of this declaration would be the utter ruin of the man. Mr. Mill observes that, "If an Indian Brahmin,were known to have eaten, even when starving, a morsel of food which had been prepared by a Christian, the consequences would be dreadful." If a Judge of one of our Zillah Courts in India were to state, when a Brahmin was before him for some trifling peccadillo, that he was a fellow undeserving of any regard, aslhe had committed the enormous crime of eating a morsel of food prepared by a Christian, he would utterly destroy him. If we were to allow a Magistrate to use this language to a Brahmin, we might as well allow him to put him to death at once. The range of judicial observation should never exceed judicial propriety; and all propriety is violated, when a Judge urges a crime in the consideration of a venial offence. The Judges of the Court of Session held, very properly, we think, that a Magistrate so exceeding the limits of propriety, ceased to be entitled to protection ; and that, where there is an injurious tendency, malice is to be inferred, Lord Wynford, however, declared, that " unless malice was alleged and proved, the action in this case was not maintainable." This amounts to declaring that Justices of Peace may slander in the most atrocious manner all who are be fore them. How is malice to be proved ? Can we look into the hearts of Justices of Peace ? In any other case in which a man should be called a thief malice would be inferred, and why should it not be inferred here ? Malice is always inferred in a libel from the tendency. "No man admired the institu tion of Juries more than he (Lord Wynford) did, but he thought that it would be dangerous to permit them to raise themselves up into arbitrators of causes without evidence. We lived under laws, arid our property was protected by laws; but we should have but a bad security for both our lives and property if they were to be left to the arbitrary dis cretion of tweiwe men, uncontrolled by any rule. Juries would become an intolerable nuisance if not regulated by some law. Who would act as a Ma gistrate, if he were not protected by the Judges i❑ the honest discharge of his duties ? If Juries re turned one thousand verdicts against Magistrates, he (Lord Wynford) would set them aside, if given con trary to evidence." But his Lordship not only sets aside verdicts of Jtu les, but reads a lesson on Scotch Law to the Supreme Judges of Scotland, who are taught by him that their construction of judicial latitude, founded on the maxims of their own and the Roman Law, is altogether erroneous. Let us no more wonder that the people of Scotland should he fond of appeals. We often hear in debates the Treaty of Union introduced without much occasion. Could the framers of the Treaty of Union have ever anticipated such a state of things as we have alluded to ? Lord Kames, however, in stating the good for tune of the Scotch in his day, in having Lord Mans• field to decide their appeals, lamented that his nation should be beholden to mere accident for the circum- xtance of having a Judge acquainted with their laws. The frequency of appeals proves the frequency of reversals, and the frequency of reversals proves either that the Bench of Scotland is wretchedly filled, or that the law i 9 uncertain, and that the Judges in the last resort know little of the law.—Morn. Chronicle. In our report of the proceedings at the 'Monmouth Assizes we observe the case of a girl, about ten years of age, tried for stealing coals, said to he of the value of one farthing ! The poor little culprit was of such diminutive stature that the Governor of the gaol had to hold her up in his arms that the Court, and Jury might have a view of her while she pleaded to the indictment. During the trial she was placed standing on the seat appropriated to the solicitors, 13 her person was lost sight of in the dock. Her Counsel took an objection to the prosecution, on the ground that she was of that tender age from which a want of guilty knowledge was to be infer red, where there were not strong circumstances to prove it. The Judge was of opinion that the pre sence or absence of guilty knowledge was a question for the consideration of the Jury. Die Jury ac cordingly exercised their judgment upon the case, and not being satisfied, we presume, that the child, when taking the coals, had a criminal consciousness of the act, returned a verdict of Not Guilty. The expence of the prosecution falls, of course, on the county; and thus, where the zeal of committing Magistrates overruns their judgments, the public burdens are increased, without any advantage accru ing to the cause of public morality or the inte rests of justice. No doubt the Magistrates sent this case before a Jury from the best motives; but we say it is not judicious to encourage pro secutions of this nature, as they create as much expence ns more serious matters, while they throw an air of melancholy mockery over the pomp and ceremony of a Court of Criminal Law. It is not long ago since two infants, under seven years of age, were put on their trials, at the Middlesex or Westminster Sessions, for- stealing a pair of stockings hung out for sale before the door of a hosier. One of the ministers of preventive justice— a new police-man—was the principal witness against one of the children, the other having pleaded guilty. He stated that he saw the little culprits preparing to steal the stockings, and, no doubt, in the execu tion of his office for preventing crime, watched, and interposed not until the theft was complete. Then came the prosecution; and next came the expenses incurred for proving, before a Bench of grave and worshipful Magistrates, and twelve considerate men, that these almost sucking babes, who yet, in point of age, were to be numbered among the " inno cents," were felons by the English law ;—yet this trial took place, although Sir Matthew Hale and Justice Blackstone, as well as other writers of au thority, have laid it down, as established law, that no infant under seven years of age is criminally re sponsible for his or her actions ; consequently can not be legally made the object of committal by a Magistrate, or of prosecution before a Jury. This is the Common Law of England, which remains in full force until expressly abolished by statute ; and Magistrates, as well as those whom they commit, ought to keep in mind the maxim " Ignorantia legis neminem excusat."—Morning Herald. We cannot help thinking that it would be a great improvement in the present law and practice, in cases of lunacy, if no man, whether rich or poor, were al lowed to be placed under duress, as an alleged idiot or lunatic, for a longer period than six months, with out his state of mind being brought to the test of a Jury. We mention six months as a period till the expiration of which such an inquiry might be de layed—not that we like the principle of a human being having his liberty and comfort broken in upon for any period without better authority than the mere will sometimes of interested relatives, but be cause it seems to be a period just sufficient to try the effects of what, unfortunately, we fear, is gene rally- so little tried,—a curative system; the favour able result of which will spare both the individual and his family the painful circumstances attached to a public investigation 9f the case. But if it be fit that no more than six months should elapse, in any case, without a solemn inquiry of this kind, what must be thought of the present state of the law of lunacy, which makes an inquiry of this sort one of mere property; and that, unless what is called a Committee is wanted, to take charge of what the Commission calls the alleged lunatic's " manors, messuages, lands, and tenements," he may be con fined all his life upon mere medical will and opinion, controuled alone by that happy change in the law which has appointed independent and competent persons as visit ers of lunatic asylums ? Indeed it may happen that, where the rents and profits of the alleged lunatic can be got at without a formal au thority from the Great Seal, the alleged lunacy of the party may never be judicially heard of, as ap pears to have nearly been the case in the instance of an individual whose insanity was tried before a Jury only a few days ago, who, it appeared, had been '23 years an inmate of a lunatic asylum before the alleged state of his mind, which brought him there, was submitted to the test in question; e a i n a d t probably would not have been so brought, e this late period, had there not been a demur as to the payment of his rents by those from whom they were due. We allude to the subject in general, and upon principle, not with reference to the merits of any particular case; and cannot but consider it a strange anomaly that the law should throw a pro tection round property in this respect which it does net afford to personal liberty. At a period when the public attention has been called, and, i n d ee d , excited in a more than ordinary degree, to wards the subject of imputed insanity, we do not know that a better use can be made of the interest which has been excited upon the occasion, than to this radical improvement in the system— that in.all cases of alleged lunacy, in which personal liberty is to be circumscribed, an inquiry before a Jury should invariably take place.—Morning Herald. COURAGE OF A YOUNG GIRL. On Wednesday evening, between seven and eight o'clock, a daring attempt at robbery, followed by the commission of gross violence upon a young and de licate female, took place in the shop of Mr. Fox, a hair-dresser in the Strand. His daughter, who is 16 years of age, and in rather precarious health, was sitting alone in the parlour at the back of the shop, when she heard a noise like the rattling of silver in the shop. She went out immediately, and saw a man on his knees behind the counter, with both his hands in the till busily employed in emptying it of its contents. She ran up to him, and seizing him by his shoulders, called loudly for help. The thief, seeing to whom he was opposed, endeavoured by a jerk to loosen himself from her grasp, but she held him fast, and the ruffian swore a desperate oath that he would murder her if she did not let go her bold, and at the same moment gave her a heavy blow with ilis fist upon her face, which had nearly brought her to the ground. Still, however, the courageous girl kept her hold and redoubled her cries, until a shop man of her father's, named Unierhill, who happened to be at the top of the house at the time, came down to her assistance and seized the assailant, who made another desperate effort to escape, but was prevented until a police constable came in and handcuffed him. On searching him seven half-crowns and other silver were found in his pockets, and on examining the till, a sovereign, seven half-crowns, and a few shillings. were missing. The sovereign was not found. The policeman took the robber to Bow-street, where be gave his name Thomas Jones, and was recognized as a well-known character. He was fully committed to Newgate for trial for the robbery, Mr. Minshull complimenting Miss Fox very highly upon the ex traordinary degree of courage she had displayed. SHOCKING ACClDENT.—Yesterday, about two o'clock, a grain store attached to Mr. JaussoN's brewery, in Not th Anne-street, fell suddenly towards the street, and we regret to state, killed a man named DANIEL qA of Townsend-street, w h o was at wor k i n o ne lof g"E the floors. Another of the men has been seriously, but we believe not dangerously, injured, he is at present lying in Richmond Hospital, where he was conveyed imme diately after the accident.—...Pub/in *lowing Register of Tuesday. POLICE INTELLIGINCE. MANSION-HOUSE. A notorious Jew pickpocket was brought before the LORD MAYOR, charged with having exercised his trade in Bishopsgate-street. He was seen slip ping a silk handkerchief from a gentleman's pocket. He ran off, but was stopped in his gallop by a per son who flung an umbrella after him, and actually tumbled him over head and heels in the mud. An officer instantly took him into custody, and requested that the gentleman who had been robbed would be so good as to attend at the Mansion-house, the prisoner being an old thief, against whom it was necessary to defend the public. A hackney-coach man, however, who saw the robbery committed, was more persuasive, and having said that the pro secution would be attended with a great deal of trouble and expence, and that the poor young man was to be pitied, he was so very poor, prevailed upon the gentleman to go away and leave his pocket handkerchief behind him. Mr. Hobler said that some of these hackney coachmen possessed, at intervals uncommon sensi bility. They were, in fact, quite amiable when they saw a poor thief detected, and showed a strong propensity to " the forgiveness of injuries." The LORD MAYOR agreed in this opinion of the brothers of the whip, who were so often calumniated as hard-hearted fellows. The gentleman who was robbed had shown some sensibility too. His Lord ship asked whether there were any other witnesses. The officer replied that the gentleman had a lady with him at the time. The LORD MAYOR—Very well. Can't we have the lady's evidence here? This fellow ought not to be allowed to escape, notwithstanding the sym pathy he has excited. He'll go to work again the moment he's let go. The officer feared the lady could not attend, for she had unfortunately fainted.—(Laughter.) The LORD MATOR—Dear me! What sensitive people they all are.—(Laughter.) Mr. Hobler—Yes; and - all on account of an ex perienced pickpocket, who would rob any one of them the next minute. One of the officers--Yes, Sir; all, except the hackney-coachman. His Lordship directed the officer to collect as many as possible of the interesting persons who wit nessed the robbery, and expressed a particular wish to be introduced to the hackney-coachman whose advice had made so deep an impression. For the sake of the unfortunate prisoner himself, it was ne cessary to proceed with the case. Mr. nobler said, that many humane, but unre fleeting persons, allowed thieves, and old thieves too, to escape, to have " another chance," as they called it. This was a premium for robbery. Every escape was a fresh source of triumph. The case of a person new in crime, and still liable to the support of friends, was quite different. The prisoner was remanded for a few days. One of the Alarshalmen informed the LORD ALtYoR that a drunken gentleman was below stairs, in the custody of a hackney-coachman, who drove him to the Mansion-house on account of his refusing to pay a three shilling fare. Mr. Hobler asked whether the drunken gentleman was so drunk as to be unfit to appear before his Lordship ? The Marshalman said, " I think he may be allowed—he is very well able to speak, and per fectly good humoured." Mr. Hobler then desired that the hackney-coach man and his " tossicated customer" should be pro duced. In about five minutes they appeared, and the con trast between them, as they stood at the bar, made the spectators laugh heartily. The coachman was a very fat fellow, with a fiery visage, and the cus tomer a thin, meagre, sallow faced man. " Well," said the LORD MAYOR, " coachman, what have you to say to the gentleman ?—" Vy, your Lordship, I don't vish to say nothing if the gemrnen will only pay me my fare. My reglar de mand is four shillings, but as the gentleman's a little drunkish, I'll take three."—( Laughter.) " Drunk I you rascal, you lie," said the gentleman. The LORD MAYOR—Pray, Sir, what is your ob jection to pay this man ? He has devoted his coach and horses and his time to you, and he ought to be paid. " Why you see, my Lord Mayor," said the gen tleman," I don't like to pay him, because 1 paid him before. Did'nt I pay you, you scoundrel of a jarvey ?"—The Coachman—He gave me a bob (a shilling) your Vorship, but I'll tell you how it was. I tuck him up, and gave him a shilling drive, and he made me stop at a public-house, and he told me to wait for him. So, my Lord, I vaited, and vaited, and I told him that his wehicle bill was running up, but he my eyes. At last the landlord would'ut give him no more to drink, and so a'ter lushiug for four hours, he gets in, and now he von't pay me nothink."—( Laughter.) The customer began to enter into a noisy argu ment with the coachman, when 'Tice LORD MAYOR told the former that if he did not pay the demand, the expenses of the additional time must be added, and he (the Lord Mayor) must conclude him actually drunk, and fine him ss. This intimation had a magical effect. The cus tomer instantly threw down the 35., and thanking his Lordship, staggered out of the room. GUILDHALL Yesterday an elderly gentleman, who gave the name of James, the venerable respectability of whose appearance was but little calculated to excite the idea of a Tom and Jerry freak in the mind of a looker-on, appeared to answer the complaint of George Bush, a watchman, for committing an assault upon his lantern the preceding night, with, intent to injure the same. The watchman then stated, that about half-past eleven o'clock on Wednesday night Mr. James came up to him, struck the lantern he was carrying, and when remonstrated with on committing such an out rage on the guardian of the night, replied, that he would smash it all to,pieces with the stick he then held in his hand. The watchman did not consider such proceedings fit and becoming, and accordingly conducted Mr. James before the night constable, to take his opinion whether an assault upon a watch man's lantern was not a breach of the peace, inas much as the lantern was then and there performing a public duty; and the night constable being► of opi nion that the said assault was a breach of the peace, more especially as the lantern being fastened in front to the watchman's person, by the philosophical prin ciple of action and re-action, the watchman's person must be a participator in the effects produced by the blow ; therefore Air. James was booked for the Compter. The parties then retired, when Mr. James's metallic arguments effectually appeased the offended digstity of the watchman. LA.MBETILSTREET. Mr. James Chapman, one of the newly-elected overseers for the ensuing year for the hamlet of Mile.end Old-town, yesterday applied to Messrs. WALKER and HARDWICK, to know if they could not excuse him from serving the office. Mr. HARDWICK had no power to interfere. Elizabeth Allumod, a respectable young woman apparently about 23 years of age, was charged with concealing the birth of her child. It appeared that the prisoner lived servant at the house of a lady in Montagu•terrace, Mile-end-road, and, from some suspicion that was excited, Dr. New, the doctor to the hamlet, was sent for, when she denied that she had been delivered of a child ; but upon his searching, the body of the child was found concealed in a box. The prisoner said she did not know she was so near confinement, and that the child was still born, and never moved. She was remanded until Tuesday. Mr. Charles HoNouse, the sugar-baker, whose house was burnt down last week in Back-lane, ap peared yesterday to answer an information laid against him by Woodroff, the street-keeper of St. George's in the East, under Mr. M. A. Taylor's act, for leaving a quantity of rubbish on the foot way pavement. h aneating from the evidence that the rubbish was only left there in consequence of the fire, the information was dismissed, with costs. SECOND EDITION SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock. THE LONDON GAZETTE OF THIS EVENING. At the Court at Windsor, the 7th day of April, 1830, PRESENT, The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council. _ _ _ _ _ This day his Grace George Duke of Gordon was, by command of his Majesty, sworn of his Majesty's Most Hon. Privy Council, and his Grace took his place at the Board accordingly. At the Court at Windsor, the 7th day of April 1830, PRESENT, The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council. His Majesty having been pleased to appoint Edward Herbert, Esq. commonly called Viscount Clive, to be Lord Lieutenant of the county of Montgomery, his Lordship this day took the oaths appointed to be taken thereupon, instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy. At the Court at Windsor, the 7ch day of April, 1830, PRESENT, The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council. His Majesty in Council was this aay'pleased to appoint John Grrdon, of Assington, Eq., to be Sheriff of the county of Suffolk, in the room of John Wilson Sheppard, of Campsey Ash, Esq., deceased. DECLARATIONS OF INSOLVENCY. Susanna Sampey, and Mary and Elizabeth Feild, New Bond-street, milliners. John Jones, Liverpool, merchant. BANKRUPTCY ENLARGED. John AleDor, Aldermondbury, Yorkshire, dyer, from April 20 to May 5, at eleven, at the Pack-Horse, Hud dersfield, Yorkshire. BANKRUPTCY SUPERSICIDED. John De Groot, Wood-street, Cheapside, merchant. BANK Rural. Thomas Clark, Dover, master-mariner, to surrender April 13, at two, 20, at one, and Nay 21, at two, at the Court of Commissioners. Rixon and Son, Jewry-street, Aldgate. Thomas Wilkins, Warmington, Warwickshire, tailor, April 21, at eight, 22, and May 21, at one, at the office of Mr. Robert Tibbits, Warwick. Chester, Staple-inn, London; Tibbits, Warwick. John Tye, Chalford, Gloucestershire, draper, April 16, 23, at eleven, and May 21, at ten, at the Court of Com missioners. Evans, Stevens, and Flower, Gray's-Inn square. _ William West Timbrell, Goswell-street, Middlesex, corn dealer, April 13, at ten, 27, at one, and May 21, at ten, at the Court of Commissioners. Bailey, Ely-place, Holborn. William Hodgens, Newgate-street, glass -dealer, April 16, at twelve, 23, at eleven, and May 21, at twelve, at the Court of Commissioners. Thornbury, Chancery-lane. William Crawford Jones, Shrewsbury, mercer, May 3, 4, and 21, at eleven, at the Fox lan, Shrewsbury. Phil pot and Stone, Southampton-street, Bloomsbury-square; Burley and Seartla, Shrewsbury. Frances Wheeler Davis, New Windsor, Berkshire, silk mercer, April 16, at three, 23, and May 21, at two, at the Court of Commissioners. Dicas, Basinghall-lane. Thomas Groves, Thames-bank, Chelsea, white lead manufacturer, April 20, at ten, 27, at nine, and May 21, at ten, at the Court of Commissioners. Pearce, Phillips, and Bolger, St. Swithin's-lane, London. James Golding, East-street, Wolworth, bookseller, April 16, a t twelve, 23, at two, and May 21, at one, at the Court of Commissioners. Todd, Gray's-inn. PRICE OF SUGAR. The average price of Brown or Muscovado Sugar, com puted from the Returns made in the week ending April 6, is 245. 4d. per cwt., exclusive of the duties of customs paid or payable thereon on the importation thereof into Great Britain. MONMOUTH ASSIZES. Edmund Hayes and Henry Jones, two very ill looking men, were charged with stealing a watch, the property of Thomas James. Mr. WATSON conducted the prosecution. Martha James, the grandmother of the prosecu- tor, was called. She was a little woman, 92 years of age, much wrinkled, having a white complexion, silver hair, and small piercing grey eyes, which were not in the slightest degree dimmed by time. She walked into Court with a firm step, and gave ker evidence with the most perfect distinctness, and with a very audible voice—l am 92 years of age. I live in my own cottage. On the 12th of February two men came to my cottage. The smaller one asked charity. I told him I was but a poor widow myself. The taller one asked leave to warm his hands. I told him he might do so, although my fire was but small. The other then wished to light his pipe. I permitted that also, because I was afraid of the men, and did net like the look of them, I being alone. At this time my grandson's watch hung over the fire : place, but after they were gone I missed it. Mr. WATSON—Look round, and tell me if the men are here now. The witness—l am near-sighted, and they are not any where within the reach of my sight. Mr. WATSON—Go round the table of the Court, a little further, and then look about. The witness did so, and when she got about a yard from the prisoners, she said that she was sure that they were the men. Thomas Jones, the grandson, a man of about 40 years of age, stated that he went in pursuit of the prisoners, and took them, and that the shorter pri soner (Hayes) had pushed the watch under a door just before they were searched. The prisoners said nothing in their defence. Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE summed up the evidence. Verdict—Guilty. Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE said that he considered this to be a most serious case, and sentenced the prisoners to be transported for seven years. As soon as the sentence was pronounced, the old lady of ninety-two, who had been accommodated with a seat at the table, turned round to one of the Counsel and said, " He has transported them both, has he not ?" Elizabeth Owen, a child stated to be ten years old, was charged with stealing coals, the property of Messrs. Harford, Brothers and Co. When the child was placed at the bar nothing could be seen of her except a small portion of her bonnet, and the Governor of the gaol, therefore, nursed her in his arms while the indictment was read over to her; and, after that, to save the Governor the trouble of holding her during the trial, she was put to stand on the seat usually occupied by the solicitors. It was with considerable difficulty that the child was persuaded to say " not guilty," and she then seemed net to understand what it meant. Mr. LUMLEY conducted the prosecution. Mr. John White said, I am the agent of Messrs. Harford, at the Ebervale Works. They have rol ling-mills and forges there, and they have heaps of coal. The little girl's father is a shoemender, and is not employed in any way about Messrs. Harford's works. On the 28th of January I saw the little girl standing near one of the heaps of coal. She had a basket of coals on the ground. She put It on her head, and took it away. Mr. Charles Har ford was with me. He is the son of one of the partners. We took the coal from her, and I asked her who sent her for the coal. She said her father. There was no path in the place where she was. Her sister was coming to meet her. She is grown up. Mr. CARRINGTON submitted that the prisoner could not be convicted. Children under seven years of age could not be legally convicted of felony, nor could they between the ages of seven and fourteen, unless there was evidence of a guilty knowledge in the child at the time of the commission of the of fence, and there was no such evidence here. Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE—I cannot hold that a child of ten years old is incapable of committing a felony. Many have been convicted under that age. Mr. CARRINGTON—Yes, my Lord ; a boy of the name of York was not only convicted, but exe cuted, for a murder. He was only eight years old, but in that case there was the strongest evidence of guilty knowledge. He had concealed the body, R. had washed the blood off his own clothes, and, sides that, had tried in various ways to avoid de', taction. Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE►--I think the gu ilt! knowledge is a question for the Jury. The little girl, when called upon fir her defence said that her father was ill in bed, that her mutbi had sent her for coals to another place, but not be ing able to get any there she had picked up a fell knobs. Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE summed up the evi dence, and left it to the Jury to say whether til e child, at the time when she took the coals, had/ guilty knowledge that she was doing wrong. The Jury, after about half a minute's deliberation/ returned a verdict of Not Guilty. Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE—LittIe girl, never dc any thing of this sort again. Never touch what bt longs to other people. The expence of this prosecution will be paid 1); •the county. Magistrates send such cases as this be tried at the Assizes, and thee complain of till burden of the county paying prosecutors' expences. We are informed that at the place where this oc / curred the price of coals is from 4s. to .ss. a ton, sl it, ther e fore, s eems t h at t h e quant i ty wh i ch of ten years of age could lift up in a basket, soils t° put them on her own head, could not have greatV exceeded the value of one farthing. INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, APRIL Samuel Charles Fawcett, a printer, late of Essv road, Hoaton, was opposed by Mr. Fred. Griffith; The opposing creditor did not wish to delay th', insolvent's discharge ; all he wanted was to bi wholly released from the partnership, which Ink subsisted between him and the insolvent, in th copyl ight of the Law Chronicle and Law Gazette. To questions by the Court, Mr. Griffiths said that he now conducted the Journal in question, bull that it had belonged jointly to the insolvent s° him. Some time ago they agreed to separate' (Mr. Griffiths) paying the partnership debts, and notice of the dissolution was given, but not a C 0 1 1: elusive noti ce , as i t h a d not b een advertised in 0" Gazette. The insolvent still considered himself, or ratlie t his creditors, under present circumstances, to WM an interest in the concern. The COURT thought, that as no•legal dissolutio n had taken place, the insolvent's creditors had a i r wilily an interest in one-half of the concern, a nd Au' vised that the printing materials should be v alued , and insolvent's portion paid by Mr. Griffiths in to Court, for the benefit of the insolvent's creditors. A gentleman then applied to be appointed 05. signee, which was complied with, and he, on a con' ference with M r . Griffith,, agree d on b e h a lf o f 0,1 " creditors to take the sum of 301. from Mr. Griffith h and give him a release s This being agreed to; the insolvent was ordere d to be discharged, upon Mr. Griffiths paying that 6 11°1 into Court. DATES OF SEVERAL PUBLIC FUPI - AT ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, &C• That of Sir Francis Walsingham—he was °f an ancient and honourable family ; he was bet a in Kent ; was Privy Councillor to Queen Eli/ $ ' Beth ; died 1589. Sir Philip Sidney, son of Sir Henry Sidll e !, by Mary, eldest daughter of John Dudley, Do' of Northumberland, born Nov. 29, 1554, Penshurst, in Kent ; married the daughter Sir Francis Walsingham. He was the author c, " Arcadia," &c. &c. as is observed, in Elias golden days— " Then gentle Sidney the shepherd's friend— Eternal blessings on his shade attend." He was wounded at the battle of Zutphen, Sel 22, 1586, of which wound he died 24 days terwards, Oct. 16, at Arnheim. He was buril Feb. 16, 1587. Sir Anthony Vandyke, born at Antwel When in England he lived a Blackfriars, whe it is said, his residence was more like the pail' of a Prince than the habitation of a painter. } died Dec. 9, 1641, of the gout, aged 42, a' was buried Dec. 11. Sir Christopher Wren, architect of the pr' sent -St. Paul's Cathedral (the old one beic' burnt at the fire of London in 1666) was son the Rev. Christopher Wren, Chaplain to fit Charles the First, and rector of Knoyle, Wiltshire. He was born Oct. 20, 1632, Knoyle ; and died Feb. 25, 1723, aged 91. Sir Joshua Reynolds, the first President of Royal Academy ; buried March 3, 1792. Lectures at the Royal Academy, &c. are in g rey estimation. Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Duke ` O ,l Bronti, son of the Rev. Edmund Nelson, Vi of Burnham Thorpe, in Norfolk, was born afi Michaelmas-day, Sept. 29, 1758, at Burnlo Thorpe. This brave Admiral was killed Cape Trafalgar, near Cadiz, Oct. 21, 19°' aged 47; buried Jan. 9, 1806. James Barry, Royal Academician, born 17 4 1 at Cork, in Ireland. Some of his best pai l ' ings are at the Society for the Encouragement Arts, in John-street, Adelphi. He died Fe, 22, 1806, at his house in Castle-street, O x for' market, aged 65, and was buried March 14. John Opie, Royal Academician, son of a C penter, to which profession he was bred ; bot 1762, at the parish of St. Agnes, Cornor 3 elected R.A. in 1786. H e was patronized h Dr. Wolcot (Peter Pindar). He died at house in Berners-street, Oxford -street, April' 1807, aged 45, and was buried April 20. Benjamin West, the second President of I' Royal Academy, was son of John Nest , cooper, in the province of Pennsylvania, in N 0 America. He was the youngest of t en He was born Oct. 10, 1738, at PennsylvO:p He succeeded Sir Joshua Reynolds as Pre sitl, , e ,j e ,' He (lied March 10, 1820, at his house, ` ( 5 14, Newman -st ree t, O x f or d- s t ree t, age d 81 Ye' and five months. Henry Fuseli, Royal Academician, born al 1738, at Zurich, in Switzerland ; elected I 1790. This sublime painter died April 1325, at the Countess of Guildford's, at ney•hill, aged about 87 ; buried April 25. Barry, Opie, and Fuseli, were also Le rers on Painting to the Royal Academy. MARRIED. On the Bth inst. at St. Matthew's, Friday-street , \V. Prowse, of Cheapside, to Miss A. Kei th ' el ' daughter of Mr. R. W. Keith, of Cheapside. DIED. On the 7th inst. at Hope-house, Cheshunt, in the 4 year of his age, Captain Thomas O'Brien, late of Royal Navy. On the 4th inst. at Royal -place, Greenwich, J. l Esq., aged 48. On the 20 inst. at Bruss,ls, Thomas MtWI, Esq. of Upper Harley-street, in his 78th year. 00 , On the 6th inst. in Torrington-square, Jas. T. Sat Esq. aged 33. it On the 6th inst. in Holland-street, Kensington, Mary Ann Bruce, aged 68. tte` On th e 6th i ns t. a t B r i g ht on , o f a d ec li ne , J. ui Esq. second son of the late Win. Walter, Esq. of DO' shire-place. ... PRANCED AND PIJIILISMED lY AIURDO 7 fix SIP 4, oFileirl 11t., STRAND, LONDON* ( / CONEY AT vi that the TO TE n llil THE - C That alarm, ti lionoura tio n s on tioners h will .pros the Pohl is untie d flat th e ( . 0 ,; Perry aff t by a gr( whole ea of Years Ilon'se s eura'tha n That every re , was,as other nit tinde r wl have h et of their 1 That which I tnries--i entered . to perfor pauperis sole subs deseripti tate, an( for relief That their con to rends port of constant and so fa of their ] of the co the foatel time sub enabled sitous ai for the ei That able Hot: ing.Thir and the cannot f. their ori, the prim variably by succe and that system u for limit: Licences Honours was pre that if t Magistre great dis That 9th Geo Act), ey into the checked That license In the e] guided b sal es of habits a that sue] those, w and judg That Bill, ths trout f rc obtai n a open a] Wheneve 1) Y augi a ulnptiol dirninist qualities with wh account, City, the yoad wh That giqature gener 4 humbly preve nt in the n nonrable Laws j Would (14 creased, not only should bi Your Honours cure in c