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

SPIRIT OF TITE PUBLIC JOURNALS, About a fortnight ago we found an absurd parade made in the Tory papers of a foolish protest on the part of the Norwich Corporation against giving their testimony, or producing their accounts, before the Municipal Commissioners. The silly persons who, like children walking through a churchyard in the dark, whistled out this ridiculous protest to keep their courage up amid the Tory gloom, thought, no doubt, that they could thus deter the Commission from opening its Court at Norwich. In making such a calculation they forgot two things—namely, first, that the Commissioners do not limit their investigations to those facts alone which the Corporators are willing to supply; and secondly, that in the case of Leicester, they continued to take evidence from the inhabitants after the Town-clerk had actually declared the contumacy of his employers, and locked up his books in the sane strong box with his precious elec tioneering mortgages. In the case of Nor wich, the Corporation, knowing too well the iniquities which the investigation would bring to light, would perhaps have been wise in ad.liering to the Old Bailey plea of " not triminating themselves," but, as the Mayor, notwithstanding the protest, allowed the Com mission the use of the Town-hall, and the Corporation permitted their accounts to be exhibited, the inquiry has advanced with as much success as if all the Magistrates and Council had been its zealous promoters. Some of them, indeed, have been examined, and others have volunteered explanations ; so that we are not even deprived of corporation light, notwith standing the threatened imitation of the Mer chant Tailors' Company in London by their swaggering brethren in Norfolk. We may thus congratulate the public that respect for a Royal Commission, recommended by a vote of the House of Commons, when that Commission, like the present, has been clearly directed towards the laudable aim of collecting evi dence for the purposes, not of spoliation, but of reform, has in general superseded the necessity of the more extended or more formal powers of a Board appointed by Act of Parlia ment. It is plain that, if its objects had not met with the general support of the people, and if its labours had not tended to pro mote municipal improvement, its alleged defects would have been almost immediately discovered, and its pretensions universally resisted. The foolish, boobies, who have at last resorted to legal opinions against the necessity of submitting to its compulsory process, might have saved themselves the trouble, if they had reflected that the investigation had nearly been completed before they began to move, and that the inquiry was of such a nature as in few cases to require for its successful conduct any means of compul sion. There has been no Act of Parliament for the Commission on the Poor Laws, and yet we may venture to say that no person, or class of persons, whether clergy, overseers, or magistrates, have declined to give evidence on their administration, when applied to for the purpose. In the case of the Factory Commission, the King's seal, without any statutory authority, was the only warrant of the Commissioners, and yet every factory was thrown open for their inspection, and every witness in vited or summoned attended at their call. And what has been gained at Leicester—what has been gained at Norwich, or what can be gained anywhere, by refractory corporators, when the general feeling of the country is favourable to inquiry into municipal abuses ? The Mayors, and Magistrates, and Councils, may indeed be silent, but will not the injured or insulted inha bitants who have petitioned for municipal re form, and who are best informed on corporate abuses, speak out ? Let any one read the _Norwich Mercury of Saturday last, and tell us what the corporation has gained by protesting against giving evidence. In the eight days' exa minations recorded in that paper, we find as am ple a foundation laid for municipal reform as if the books of the corporation, with all the fasti of corruption for the last forty years, had been willingly and ostentatiously laid on the table of the Commissioners. Undisguised bribery, not only at the election of Members of Parliament, but of magistrates and municipal officers, is proved and admitted. This is not all : not only was money distributed to buy votes, but those whose votes could not be bought were kidnapped and carried away till their opposition was unavailing. We are shocked at the picture exhibited of the election proceedings of that city—proceedings which would disgrace a tribe of savages, and probably cannot be paralleled among any civilized people of the present age. Some of our readers, un acquainted with the mysteries of Norwich elec tioneering, may not know the meaning of the word cooping, as the means of returning a good magistrate or electing a Tory Member of Par liament. The -following deposition, confirmed byr" a cloud of witnesses," will make the matter plain to the meanest capacity : " Robert Alden offered himself as an evidence, and stated that at Alderman Angell's election he was in Ber street two or three days before the election, and saw about 160 men, who carried him to the Orford Hill, against his will, put him in a post-chaise, and drove him to Panzworth Lion ; there were half a dozen others with him. They put him into a room with some more, who were also voters in favour of Alderman Alarshall. I was kept there a night and a day, and about twelve o'clock the next night a coach and four came and took us away. I saw Houghton there, with Mr. Bell, the Coroner ; at the time the windows were driven out they formed a guard, to prevent us from running away ; we were taken to Ranworth, with seven others ; the sober were put in the inside of the coach, and the drunken (meson the outside. Houghton seemed to be with the men who had the sticks. He saw them at three or four o'clock, and several times in the afternoon. Once out of the room. Some of the men had pokers. I asked Houghton if he could net get me away, knowing he was a Sheriff's officer. He said he would have nothitn; to do with it. Do you sincerely believe, in your conscience, that he was one of the party who kept you there against your will ? Yes, I really believe he was. I am confident I asked him to get me away. I was put into a wherry on the river. There were about fifty stavesnien, ano about eight of as. They took one man home, who they thought would vote for them, but he voted against them. The wherry was moored in the middle of Ranworth Broad. I tried to get them ashore in the morning. There were six watertnen, or maltsters, to guard us. They gave som e of the men liquor, with something in it to make them drunk, and they were drunk all the time. They kept som e of them moving about, because they had taken laudanum. I was perfectly sober all the time. We had rum, brandy, gin, wine, or anything. When he got into the boat, and tried to get away, the people in the wherry weighed anchor, chalet: him, and took him back again. About two hours after that another wherry, with a posse of friends, came to take us away again. Our wherry sailed away with u. into the North Riv e r. When the wherry neared the shore I jumped upon the bank, and got away to my own friends. The men told me they were employed by Mr. Hanker, jun., who was a friend of Mr. Angell. Mr. Bell, the coroner, was there, talking to the posse. I broke some of the windows of the room we were in, and, in consequence, iron bars were put up. I thought Houghton and Bell ordered tire men, as they were talking to them, when they took the windows out. I have before deposed to three facts on affidavit." Hire we have coroners' and sheriffs' officers t employed as the illegal instruments of violatin g the liberties, defeating the privileges, and out raging the persons of their fellow-citizens, whom th e y were bound to protect. That the Alder men promoted such scenes of violence, or con nived at them, is proved by the testimony of several witnesses. " The man at the house," says one of these witnesses, " sent to Mr. Hankes for a pair of shoes, and they brought him a pair of Alderman Hankes's. Young Mr. Hankes was with the man when he was put on board the wherry. .When he got home he was obliged to have his stock ings cut off his feet ; he was ill for a fortnight after, and was attended by Mr. Nicholls. When he got home he applied at the hall, but no magistrate was there." It would be need less, after such outrages, to enter into details on the minor crime of bribery. This was so com mon, or so nearly universal, among the bur gesses of Norwich, that all sense of its danger or enormity had been obliterated. One witness stated that he could tell so much of this base corruption that he scarcely knew where to begin. He did, however, begin with the election of an alderman, who being a Whig, and not wishing at first to bribe, was driven to the practice by the example of his antagonist. "We then went," said the witness, " into a regular system of buying their " men and they ours." The usual scenes of treating and cooping took place, and the honour of being an alderman of Nor wich was on this occasion bought by 1,534/. It is no wonder, after hearing the.abominable details of which this is only a specimen, that one of the Commissioners exclaimed, " The members of the corporation take so much pains to destroy the morals of the poor, it is really a wonder that so many resiat the tempta tion." Mr. J. J. Gurney, the well known banker, having been accused by one of the wit nesses of having contributed a sum of money towards these corrupt electioneering purposes, appeared before the Commissioners at their next sitting, and, in clearing himself, thus bore testimony to the extent, enormity, and perni cious consequences of the existing system of bribery : " I have the deepest impression of the guilt, the sin, and misery in which my fellow-citizens are involved by these municipal elections, and I would far rather have an arm cut off than promote them in any way ; it encourages a system of demoralization which has been long going on to a fearful extent, in bribing, treating, cooping, and every species of iniquity; I am satisfied that the object of the commission is to do an immense degree of good to the city, and will be a means of preventing much mischief. The Commissioners have no notion of the sin, misery, demorali zation, and guilt, wretchedness, and poverty which this system of municipal election inflicts on this city. I was informed by one of the most powerful manufacturers in the city, and one who has large dealings with the poor, that he believed one single ward election did more harm than all the preaching in all the churches and meeting-houses did good in one year. I make no distinction of parties, both in my estimation b-ing equally guilty; whenever the m angers find a purse, they fly to that purse, as an eagle does to a carcase." Another witness stated that he had known 30/. given for a vote for a Common Councilman in ahard-run contest,—that he had himself stood openly in the market-place with money to buy votes,—that at every contested election bribing takes place, though sometimes not above 2/. or 3/. are given for a man,—that both sides resort_to it, and that " nothing but poverty of purse makes purity of election at Norwich." Sometimes the public charities of the city are converted into election bribes by the Magis trates, and notes for admission into the hospi- tals are offered in exchange for votes. The same witness stated that " he had himself given such notes for votes, as you would give 2d: for a cabbage." Other testimony made it evident that the magistracy sometimes attempted to ruin a refractory party by sending him to an upper Court, in order to increase his expense,—a fact which called forth the following just ex pression of indignation from one of the Com missioners :—" I must say, that if any mischie vous demon had invented a system on purpose for the destruction of the city, he could not have devised anything more horrible." We have not yet seen the end of the inquiry, and shall probably have some further remarks to make on the evidence when it is completed, but in the meantime we must not omit to state that a part of the worshipful corporators, who al first protested against the authority of the com• mission, have, on the disclosure of the ahomi• liable corruption which it has brought to light, thought proper to publish in the Tory papers a document which they are pleased to call " a complaint and remonstrance" against the conduct of the In this case the majority of the corporation is not concerned, the Mayor and several of its other members having as sisted the inquiry with honesty and zeal. The names of the dissentients who have subscribed the paper are not given in the journals to which we have alluded, but they are probably those implicated in some of the transactions which the investigation has exposed. Whoever they are, however, they have proved themselves to be very wise and deeply read persons, by comparing an open inquiry before two commissioners, whose authority they profess that they themselves had it• in their power to resist with perfect impunity, and whose object was information only, and not vengeance or punishment, to the secret and arbitrary proceedings of the tribunals " of the Star Chamber and Ecclesiastical Commission" in the time of the Stuarts. What more could they have said if Commissioners Long and Buckle, to whom they address their remon strance, had, as of old, ordered their noses to be slit and their ears nailed to the pillory, instead of hearing the testimony of respectable witnesses to the existence of their malversations which are destined only to establish the necessity of cor porate reform ? Times. The Conservatives must labour under great delusion or depression of spirits, and be at a sad loss for working men, when they strive so hard to obtain a spurious political reputation for Mr. Sadler. The ex-nominee of the Duke of New castle was one of the mushrooms of the Bo roughmongers and Ultra-Tories. He was " brought into Parliament," as the phrase was, to " talk" against Catholic Emancipation, at a period when no man of common sense of any party could resist the necessity of that measure. His debut was so far effective, that he deli vered the funeral oration over the legislative in terment of the last remains of civil disabilities, unquestionably in florid language, and to the great consolation of the small body of mourners who attended to the grave the dead body of reli gious bigotry. All his subsequent senatorial ex hibitions were ridiculed by the Unreformed Par liament, and in the new House of Commons his quackery failed to procure him a seat, or even the confiden ce of any Nobleman retaining " borough influence." In Leeds he was signally defeated—a borough where his merits as an old inhabitant (if any) ought to have been best appreciated. No vacancy has occurre d s ince th e e l ect i on o f the new Parl iament for which Mr. Sadler has I not been " put. forward." Every species of vulgar popularity has been in vain sought by him as a passport to the favour and prejudices of a popular constituency, but in vain. The " poor factory children," and now the " Trades' Unions," have been espoused by this versatile political courtier. Anti-Free Trade—Currency anti-Malthusian doctrines of population—every circulating medium of error, have been enlisted in his service. He is the Harlequin of political parties, and appears on the " saw-dust" in an infinite variety of character. The friends of the worthy gentleman have now provided him with two strings to his bow ; he is to be started for Leeds and Huddersfield, anti it seems by the Standard that " twelve cities" will contend for the honour of such a dis tinguished representative. Indeed we shall not be surprised if our good " business actor" should be also launched as a candidate for Berwickshire. The Tories and the Radicals, it is said, will unite to support this Proteus-like individual. But the political imposter will not succeed. Mr. Sadler was generally viewed by all parties in the last Parliament as an active enthusiast, and many doubted his political sincerity. His speeches were notoriously the signal of empty benches ; and if the Ultra-Tories were wise, they would not send into the Reformed House of Commons a man whose orations were voted a bore, and who never did, and never will, influence a vote in a British Legislature. Such is the public individual whom the Standard, with simple partiality, terms " the most popular and de servedly the most popular man in England." Is our contemporary in jest ? He cannot surely believe in the imposition, however convenient at this particular moment to dress up a large doll. The Leeds Mercury, well-informed at the last election, pronounces the cause of Mr. Sadler hopeless in both boroughs ; and we sus pect that the sensible portion of the Tory con stituency feel much perplexed by the proposition of a candidate whose notions on commercial subjects are wild and dangerous, and whose po litical opinions are obsolete.—Morn. Chronicle. The Norwich Corporators have issued a pro test against their exhibition before the Corpora tion Commissioners, but " a day after the fair." They object, it appears, to the publicity of the inquiry—its great merit in the eyes of the country. The Corporators give themselves a most excellent character ; but. their reputation, out of doors, appears on their own showing to be somewhat equivocal. They proclaim that whatever share they may have taken individually —in their private relations—in the corrupt muncipal and Parliamentary elections of their city, they have never appropriated the " public" funds to the purposes of corruption ; a back stroke at their Leicester and Cambridge brethren, who resisted the Corporation Commission, be cause it laid bare the scandalous perversion of municipal revenues to these purposes. The Norwich papers are filled with reports of the investigation, which appears not yet to be com pleted. On the termination of the inquiry, we shall exhibit the real merits of the gross muni cipal government of this notorious city, and our readers will then judge how far the Corporators deserve the eulogies they have thus unblushingly bestowed on themselves. Can they not procure a more disinterested and unsuspicious testimony to their public characters, and municipal virtues ? —Morning Chronicle. We point the attention of our readers, with great pleasure, to an advertisement in this day's paper, of the intended publication of a magazine, the sole object of which is the abolition of the greatest, as well as the most disgraceful, monopoly which exists in this country—that of the corn laws. The object of the society which has been established for putting an end to this grievous lax, is in every respect as legitimate as it is moderate in its pretensions. It does not advo cate an immediate and total abolition of the duties now levied on foreign corn, but simply, we believe, that foreign grain should be always admissible upon the payment of a fixed duty, whereby the foreign grower would be enabled to judge, one the on hand, of the extent to which he might cultivate for the British market—and the British cultivator, on the other, of the pride which he would re ceive for his grain, and the rent which, in the course of a long lease, he could afford to, pay to his landlord. At present both the foreign and he home grower are completely at sea upon the subject. The corn trade is neither more nor less than a gambling lottery, in which both the home and the foreign merchant are alternately great sufferers ; but a fixed duty, commencing at a rate which, for the present time, would be allowed by all parties to afford sufficient pro tection, and descending gradually until the first necessary of life should be wholly free from taxation, would remedy the evil at once, and, by remedying it, confer an especial benefit, not only upon the foreign grower, but also upon the British farmer. That such is the object of the society we are very confidently informed ; and it shall, in consequence, be a special object with us to promote its views, and to advocate its interests. In order to be successful, however, it must be supported by the public ; and we would, in consequence, invite every one who deems the corn monopoly to be obnoxious, to lend his aid to the society, by subscribing liberally to its funds. The Committee have already, we under stand, received the most favourable communi cations from the manufacturing towns and cities in the north upon the subject ; but the metro polis, which suffers the most of all from the monopoly, ought to take the lead in a matter so important, in every respect, to the comfort of its inhabitants, as well as to their general welfare.—Morning Advertiser. lhe Memorial Bordelais of the 6th inst. announces that the Duchess of Berry is again pregnant. A young man, about nineteen or twenty years of age, middle sized, very clean in his appearance, dark yes, thick lips, and very black hair, cut short behind, and curling in front, was found, a few days ago, not far from Lutterworth, nearly naked, and apparently dead, being stiff and cold. He was taken to the inn, and a doctor sent tor, who stated him to be in that state from cold and hunger. Every care was taken of him by the overseers, and on Monday he was taken to the House of Industry at Lutterworth, to he taken care of until an answer could be received from a person in London, who m h e ca ll e d his re tow Iwfiaagentleman bad wr i tten to make irmorning of the day on w hi c h the answer ti ,e inquiries. and The was expected, lie scaled the spiked gates, and made his escape, and was afterwards seen on the road t o L e i cester . Ho spoke broken English, and stated himself t o h e a P o l e from who h,:,hndebeceenhe wenteducatedto Copenhagen, at the English coll ege at L i s b on, and fr om t h ence , nine months ago, to Portsmouth. He stated that he bad gained his livelihood in London by playing the harp at Drury-lane Theatre, and told an extraordinary story of having been stripped and robbed in a lodging -house in Leicester of three sovereigns and 17s. and his harp. The same trick of feignin4 illness at Coombe Abbey hod been played by the some, or some other iiepostor, the day be • fore, but in that case a cure was effected by a hoserwhip. after the due administration of which the fellow jumped up, swore, and run away.—Northampton Mercury, POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-110 USE. The LORD MAYOR has of late received many letters, recommending to his charitable considera tion the cases of poor persons. Several of those communications were from gentlemen well able to relieve their distressed fellow-creatures by just dipping their hands in their own pockets ; but, in stead of accomplishing the work of charity in that way, they take the trouble to write long details of misery, and conclude with an appeal to the Jibe- F rality of the Lord Mayor of London on behalf of wretched applicants, whom by such humbug acts of compassion they contrive to get rid of. Amongst these munificent correspondents his Lordship has recognized some acquaintances, and he yesterday took the opportunity of thanking them and other economical distributors of relief for giving to him the monopoly, and of begging them, at the same time, as his fun ls were rather low, and the claim , ants who could not be refused were numerous, they would be so good as to share tl'e expense, and spare themselves the labour of endeavouring to work upon his sympathies by long letters of commise ration. Mr. Hobler informed his Lordship that his pre decessors often received similar favours at the hands of gentlemen who were well able but extremely un willing to do anything but give their own pity and recommend the objects to the pecuniary sympathies of others.—(A laugh.) These observations had scarcely been made,when in walked a young man with a letter to the Lord Mayor, recommending the bearer as an object of charity. The LORD MAYOR—The writer says he is a friend of mine. I don't know who he is. Applicant —He is a Squire, and lives on Clapham-common. The LORD MAYOR—He has written a very long letter about you. Did he give you any money ? Applicant—Not a halfpenny, my Lord. The LORD MAYOR—Nor any thing to eat ? Ap plicant—Nothing. The LORD MAYOR—I thought so. I dare say he gave you most excellent advice 2—(Laughter.) Applicant—Yes, my Lord. He always advises me for my good. The LORD MAYOR—WeII, that is very kind of him ; but do you go back to him, and give him the Lord Mayor's compliments, and say the Lord Mayor agrees with him that you are an object of charity, but hands you over to him. I have looked into the lists of our charitable institutions often for the names of those pious persons who are so fond of investigating and recommending, and I never yet have seen one of them down as a contributor. But perhaps that arose from the neglect of the printer. —(Laughter.) A man named Duval, who was about nine years ago tried for having attempted to murder his wife, by shooting at her with a pistol, and who was ac quitted upon the ground of insanity, was drought before the LORD MAYOR. A constable of Shoreditch stated that he had re ceived information that he had escaped from Suf folk, where he had been confined in a lunatic asylum as a criminal lunatic, by the authority of the King. The prisoner had been apprehended at Clerkenwell. The prisoner was justified in leaving such a place of confinement, as he was in as sound mind as ever man enjoyed, and he did not wish to continue to be a burden upon the parish, who were obliged to pay for his support in the madhouse. The vestry-clerk of Lambeth stated, that the pri soner belonged to that parish, and that he had been, in the first instance, sent to Hoxton, where he per fectly recovered from his malady. The authorities of the parish thought proper, under such circum stances, to apply to Mr. Capper, of the Secretary of State's office, to procure his liberation ; but they were informed that persons handed over as criminal lunatics were never allowed to be at large. Prisoner—l have got my faculties now, my Lord, and am disposed to make a proper use of them; but if it pleases his Majesty to keep me confined, why I must go back and stay there. I admit that I escaped, but my object was, to get into work for myself. The LORD MAYOR asked how it was ascertained that the prisoner had escaped ? The officer said that his (witness's) brother happened to have been in the same place, and sent word that the prisoner had escaped, and that there was a reward of 201. offered for apprehending him. The vestry-clerk knew that none was offered by the parish. The officer—Oh yes, there is. The LORD MAYOR—If you did not think so, we should not have the man here. The officer—Certainly I should have brought him here, my Lord. I didn't go after him for gain. The LORD MAYOR-Oh, nonsense; you took him for the 201. Where's the use in pretending to all this disinterestedness ? It won't do here. The prisoner was then ordered to be taken to the place from which he had escaped. He has, it seems, been perfectly sane for years. BO W-STREET. Yesterday James Mayhew Underwood,alias James Wood, the begging-letter imposter, after serving 12 weeks in Reading gaol as a rogue and vagabond, for endeavouring to obtain money under false pre tences from Sir Herbert Taylor, at Windsor Castle, was brought in custody before Sir F. ROE, by Fall, the °facer, on a charge of a similar description. The prisoner has been known to the Mendicity So ciety since 1821, as the most accomplished and suc cessful begging-letter writer they ever had to deal with, and it is supposed that during that period he has been in the receipt of at least 5001. a-year, from the contributions which he contrived to levy on the purses of the humane and charitable. Mr. Tooke, M.P., the honorary solicitor to the Mentlicity Society, in the absence of his friend Mr. Gambier, the honorary counsel, was instructed to charge the prisoner under the provisions of the sth of George IV. c. 83, with endeavouring to procure charitable contributions from Earl Amherst under false and fraudulent pretences. Earl Amherst, in September last, received the two letters now produced, one of which was signed " Martha Cromwell," and the other " William Hands," together with a writ for 131., directed to the former, and he had reason to believe from what he had since learned, that the letters in question were not genuine. The letter signed " Martha Cromwell" was then read by the clerk. It was dated " London, Sept. 11, 1833." It stated that the writer, a young, inex perienced, and unfortunate female, had walked from Greenwich to London that day, with the intention of waiting on the Earl of Plymouth, who was related to the noble person she had the honour to address, when she was grieved and shocked to hear of the sudden death of his Lord ship, who was well acquainted with her family, and to whom she intended to have made known her melancholy situation. The letter then proceeded to state that she was descended from a respect able family, who lived at Bromsgrove, in Worcester shire, and that while on a visit last Christmas at the house of a friend of her father, she became ac quainted with a person calling himself a gentleman, who solicited her hand in marriage, and although she declined to favour his suit, she was prevailed upon to accept an invitation to visit his friends for a single day, and after dinner she became so stn , pified with wine and water, in which she was con vinced something poisonous was mixed, that she became insensible, and remained in that stave until next day, when she found herself shut up in a bed. room with the insidious wretch by whom her ruin was effected. Afraid to return to her parents, she reluctantly consented to accompany her seducer to London, and thence to Greenwich, where they took l o d g i ngs . He had previously sworn in the most solemn manner to marry her, but he falsified all his promises, and he at length wrote to her, stating that he had been arrested for debt, in consequence of a gambling transaction ; but, or► inquiry at the offices of the sheriffs for Kent, Essex, Mid dlesex, and the City of London, she found that no such person was in custody, and that the story was fabricated to furnish her seducer with an excuse to get rid of her. To add to her miserable situation, she had lately been turned out of her lodgings, and her trunks seized for an arrear of rent, so that she was actually without a change of linen, and she expected every day to be incarcerated in prison, having been served with the copy of the writ which she enclosed for 131., being a debt incurred for the necessaries of life, the greater part of which were supplied before her heartless seducer had left her to her fate. Being thus without home or support, she was entirely depending for existence on the sale of the few articles of jewellery which she had brought from home, and all that she had now left was a gold ring. The wretch by whom she was seduced was 35 years of age, very accomplished, and with a person and address well calculated to effect the ruin of the young, virtuous, and inexperienced. She was herself only 19 years of age, and she hoped his Lord ship, in mercy to her youth, would excuse the step she had taken in eloping with a man who had proved himself so utterly unworthy of her attachment or respect. She could safely say, that up to Christmas last her character was free from the slightest blame, a fact which could be verified by a gentleman residing at Bromsgrove, who was ac quainted with the late Earl of Plymouth, and to whom she meant to apply to intercede on her be half to her father. She implored his Lordship not to reveal her situation, for the disclosure of her imprudence might injure the future prospects of her dear and innocent sisters, as she feared it would almost break the hearts of her kind father and mo ther, who were, as yet, unconscious of her fate. In conclusion she earnestly entreated his Lordship to pause ere he negatived her application, for on his answer depended more than the human mind could possibly imagine. It was signed " Martha Cromwell, Post-office, Greenwich." The letter from the supposed seducer, which ac companied the above, was to the following effect : "My dearest Martha—lt is really most revolting to my feelings to be obliged to tell you that through sf , me gambling transactions in which I have hren unfor tunately engaged, I have been arrested, and am now locked up in a sponging -house for a debt I am wholly unable to pay. I care but little for myself, my dear gill, but for you I feel most deeply, and am wholly at a loss how to advise you for the best. I know well that I merit your anger for what has passed, but the re proaches of my own conscience are, I assure you, sufficient punishment for the injury I have done you. If fortune should ever shine upon me I will acquaint you with it, and fulfil all my pledges. Pray endeavour to console yourself, my dearest Martha, and lose no time in endea vouring to return home, in order that no greater evil may happen to you. Ple.tse give the bearer my pocket-book, which contains some memorandums and a bill of exchange which would be of no use to you. In my portmanteau you will find a new case of surgical instruments, which you can convert into a little money for your immediate use. " I have the honour to remain, my dearest girl, " With unalterable truth, your unfortunate " WILLIAM HANDS. George-street, Blackrriars-road, July 11. " P. S. Don't ask the bearer any,questions respecting me. ' Mr. Tooke then called forward William Sturgeon, an officer in the employment of the Mend city So ciety, who gave the prisoner in charge on the 17th of September last, in the Kent-road, and on search ing him took from his person a paper, on which was written " Miss M. Cromwell, P. 0. Gh. K.— Amherst." 'Witness judged that the letters stood for " Post-office, Greenwich, Kent," and following this clue Lord Amherst was written to, who imme diately forwarded the letters he had received from the supposed Miss Cromwell. Sir F. RoE—I commit you to Maidstone gaol for three months, as a rogue and a vagabond. It appeared, that a short time before his appre hension in September he addressed a letter to the Duchess of Kent, stating that he was a jeweller, who bad unfortunately failed in business, and that he had had the honour of being employed by his late Majesty George IV. and the lamented Princess Charlotte. Having parted with his valuable stock, all that he had sand out of the wreck of his fortune was a very beautiful armlet, which he implored her Royal Highness to purchase from him for the Prin cess Victoria, adding, that he would do himself the honour of waiting on her Royal Highness in order that she might inspect it. The Duchess of Kent, on the receipt of the letter, had it forwarded to the Mendicity Society, who, on seeing the handwriting, immediately recognized it as the prisoner's. There are several charges still pending against him, and it is intended to indict him when he has served his time in Maidstone gaol for obtaining money from Lord Skelmeredale ender similar cir cumstances. MARLROROUGH-STREET. A question of some importance to tradesmen in the parish of St. James was yesterday decided by Messrs. DYER and CHAMBERS, the sitting magis ---- 'rates. Messrs. George and Bradley, silkmercers, 192, Regent-street, appeared to a summons, obtained by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, for the purpose of deciding the right of tradesmen to place their names or devices, emblematic of their trade, on portions of their premises raised above the level of the first floor balcony. The summons in question charged Messrs. George and Bradley with having, since the passing of a late act, put up a board, with the names of the firm thereon, over the level of their first floor balcony, and that, after having re ceived due notice to remove such board, they bad refused to comply with the order. Mr. a'Beckett, on the part of Messrs. George and Bradley, observed that it was very hard his , clients, who were but young tradesmen, and had been but a very short time, comparatively speaking, in Regent-street, were selected in preference to those who had violated the act for a number of years unmolested. The gentleman for the Woods and Forests said, the only object the Commissioners had in bringing forward the present proceedings was to vindicate the provisions of the Act of Parliament on which the summons had been founded. The Bench were of opinion that a v'olation of the Act had occurred, and imposed the mitigated penalty of 40s. and costa. Some demur was made as to the payment, and an intimation was thrown out that it was probable this decision would not be considered for the pre sent as final. MARY LEB ONE. Thomas Preston, John Slough, George Allum, and lllary Ann Jones, alias Preston, were yesterday brought before Mr. RAwLINSON, the three former charged with burglariously entering the premises of Mr. Samuel Howard, a dealer in timber, residing at No. 10, Dorset-mews-west, and stealing therefrom two watches, together with various articles of plate, wearing apparel, &c., and the latter with having re ceived a portion of the said property knowing it to have been stolen. Sergeant Horsford, of the D. division, No. 6, having received information of the robbery, pro ceeded on Tuesday evening to the lodgings of the female, Jones, at No. 3.1, Little North -street, Mary lebone, and, in the presence of another officer, Futzey, searched her apartments, arid found between the bed and the sacking thereof no fewer than twenty-seven skeleton keys in a bag ; search was then made in other parts of the room, when fourteen duplicates for property of various kinds pledged in the name of Preston, with whom she had been cohabiting, were discovered; as also a handsome decanter-stand, an elegant work-box (in which were some cards en graved" Mrs. Stafford Smith," to whom the box in all probability belonged),- a gold ring, silver thim ble, and other articles of no great value, together with some dice, a chisel, a file, two packs of cards, 3s. 6d, in silver, and a letter, of which the following is a copy : " Dear Mdry,—l tak this opportunity of riting this fit lines, hop you're in gud held]. Fine sorry to think you ha left yur mother. Dear Mary, hay the kindness to look my doss out, and bring them to me at the gate nor Sue day 8 weeks, 24th Nov., an pay you when I gets toy libhurty. Jack Roach is in the seventh yard, and I s it the eixt ; if you can spare time convenent call Wensday' Yours, dear Mary, " THOMAS PRESTON• " House of Correcktion." Horsford then went on to state, that ha' given the female Jones (who cried much, and dents all knowledge of the business) into the custody' another policeman, he went directly to the Hero l. public-house, in Devonshire -street, accompanied ,5 Furzey, where they found, in the tap-room, Prest°, l , and Slough, and co nve y e d t h em to t h e sta til house. On searching Preston a duplicate for aO4 handkerch'ef, pledged with Mr. Trail, 17, NO Church-street, Lisson-grove, was found on his P0V . ,., son, in consequen ce o f w hi c h h e (witness) 110°. further inquiry, and ascertained that one of the Pr!_ j , secutor's watches had b een pl e d ge d at t h e abr, shop the previous day, in the name of Preston. Various articles of property found having beS produced, and examined by the presecutrix...°± whom all (with the exception of the work-14 supposed to have been stolen from the lady who!! cards it contained) were identified, the prisoner! who made a very lame defence, and who, thereM good reason to imagine, form part of an externsil and well-organized gang of burglars, were remand! for further examination on Friday next. A separate charge of embezzlement was go.° into by the pros e c utor aga i nst All uni , upon whirl' he stands committed. HATTON-GARDEN. Tuesday evening Mary Smith, a young woms° of rather interesting appearance, was brought before Mr. SELLON, charged by William Roupel, Esq., reverend-looking gentleman, with powdered hair, &iota 60 years of age, residing in Great Ormoo street, Queen-square, and said to be a Master. ill Chancery, with having annoyed him under the fol' lowing circumstances :-- The prosecutor, on Tuesday evening, about half' past six o'clock, was walking along Holborn, when he was accosted by the prisoner, who asked him fat money, and challenged him with being the father of her illegitimate child. She pursued and annoyed him for a considerable distance, until he was neat' sitate:l to enter the shop of a tradesman, in order to avoid her insults. He remained there for some time, when, thinking that the prisoner had g one about her business, he quitted the place; but he was again met by her and another woman, and he was followed and insulted in the grossest rnannfr possible by both of them until he arrived at his residence at Great Ormond-street, where the prt' goner and her companion continued their reproaches and abuse until Mrs. Roupel drove up in her car' riage, when a policeman was called, and the prisoner given into his custody. The policeman proved that the prisoner was making use of violent language, near the proseetr tor's house. Mr. Rqupel, after giving his evidence, took his seat by the side of Mr. Sellon, who asked the pri" sorter what she had to say for herself ? The pri' soner, in a violent manner, did not deny having followed the prosecutor, and said that he was the father of her illegitimate child. He knew it, sod he,had given her money before then, and she mer ely followed him to request money for its support. Roupel—l declare to your Worship that what she asserts is entirely false. I have not seen the woman for the last 12 months, and this is the first that I ever heard of the baby. Prisoner—You know that you are the father of my child, and no one else, and I am determined that you shall support it. Mr. Roupel (rising from his seat, and thumping the table)—On my oath, your Worship, I declare that lam not the father of her baby. All that I know of the woman is, that about three years ago she called on me at my chambers, and represented that a family named Connor had some property in Chancery, and requested me to lend my exertion. and influence to get it for them, which I did. Knowing them to be in distressed circumstances; I frequbntly advanced them money, but I know no more about her. Prisoner (violently, and crying)—Ob, don't sal so, Mr. Roupel. I always thought you were a gen tleman; you can't deny being the father of the child. You must recollect well the time when caled upon you at your chambers in the New Inn, where you gave me a sovereign and a half (shaking her head earnestly at Mr. Roupel). Now can you deny it ? Ah, no you can't, you know you can't. Mr. Roupel—l certainly cannot deny having had connection with her, but that was three years ago, and I never heard of a baby before this. Prisoner—Yes, you knew it; you remember when I called at your chambers, and you came ill with your gown and wig on, don't you ? Mr. Roupel again denied being the father of the child, and said that himself and his family had been seriously annoyed by the prisoner. She was kmar ried woman. Prisoner—Yes, I am married, but still the child belongs to you. I have been married these two y e ars. Mr. SELLON—Even so, you have no right to an noy the gentleman in the manner you have done. You have your remedy, and ought to pursue a pro' per and legal course. Mr. Roupel—Certainly. Prisoner—And I will do it. I will have support for the child. She was proceeding in a violent strain, saying that nobody else was the father of the child, a nd she was determined to have money for its support, when Mr. SELLON ordered her to find bail. Waddington, the gaoler, was about to lead her from the bar, when she resisted in a violent mminer, exclaiming," Don't handle me; I will have support for my child; I will have money;" and it was with considerable force and difficulty that she was taken w the lock-up cell at the beck part of the office.. Mr. Roupel shortly afterwards quitted the office, and the prisoner waseeventually taken to prison. JOSEPH ADY.—This worthy has turned his attention to the interests of the highest people in the com munity, of late he has been troubled with so many farthing customers. The Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel were favoured in the latter eud of the week with letters from him, informing them that open payment of a pound a-piece, he should make them a communication which would he advantageous to them. His Grace Attd Sir Robert immediately transmitted Ady's letters to the Lord Mayor. A few days ago Joseph Ady was summoned to the Court of Requests for 1/. paid. ,t 9 him . by the plaintiff for the information from which the latter re ceived no advantage. The Court immediately ordered the same to be refunded. It is believed that all who have b.-en lately induced to give money to Ady fo , bamboozling them in this way will resort to the same means of re dress. 818 THS. On the 10th inst., at Sussex-house, Hammersmith, the lady of Lieutenant-Colonel A. Robertson, of a son. On the Ilth inst., in Albion-street, Hyde-park, Mrs. Philip Melvill, of a daughter. On the 11th inst., in Eaton-place, the lady of Sir John Ogilvy, Bart., of a daughter. On the 10th inst., in Torrington-square, the lady o f John Duncan, Esq., of a daughter. On the 10th inst., in Bedford-street, Bedford-square, the lady of Captain David Frazer of the ship City of Edinburgh, of a daughter. MARRIED. At Lanstmne, Switzerland, J. Adams, Esq., to Julie, widow of the late William E. Nembhard, Esq. On the 9th inst., at St. Peter's, Isle of Thanet, Mr. Robert Wood, of New Bond.street, to Mary Ann, eldest daughter of Mr. Masson, Great Portland-street. DIED. On the 9th inst., Fanny, the wife of Richard Reath, Esq.,; surgeon, of Goswell_strcet. On the 23th ult., at Soleure, in Switzerland, Hampson Pre- . vost Thomas, Esq., Colonel in his Majesty's service. On the 10th inst., Olivia, third daughter of Sir George Pigot, Bart., in her 28th year. On the 9th inst., Louis Jacob Jacob Lewis, Esq., of Dorset street, Portman.square, aged 68. On dd, the wife of Francis Hearle Ro Ann, Cornwall. On the 21st ult., in Belgrave- s t ree t S ou th, Belgrave.s q u ar e, James Douglas Coster, E sq., age d 71, 4 1 years i n hi s M a j esty ' s Household. the e a h r a y h; a Esq B.h of b a inst., lsrlt PRINTUD ANU PUBLIrif CD BY M U ItDO YOU N“, ATTlis evx Orrics, 112, 14Tit&Nir, tr OPFICE H E P 1 . MAJI lee, that the TOWI 18th, and tven o'clock OLD ST( qls Steel °thing, Gr Buntini Lead tic irons, t 'carious des ,Ickaxes, PI ' l l ineß, a ] "Riga Barrel Screer Fenders and tully Tin, ula, Plies, rYthee, Sci 411 1, Old Ir itith flannel bond, and a Ilishich ma' Vooley-atree *Pik previt ion applici ? t otes, whet Sale w I Pply for a BY THE TI q►tr of Loi The Sot Wheel; ea £l5 £lO £5 The Via !Is soon as M A] 4ECOI4i tontainin 1 0,000 b 400 L,: 'rile HOI of the In the No. 404 looney as tiley will they full; bISTRI The day HALL, tent. on ()mkt duly attl Half. Quar N. B. Was soh ipA Alaker, and at Paris. SHAD' suited hive a thy of 1 AR' fash Pete liar Sax, Mac Suit