The Sun. — London, England, 1833-06-27 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. Committee has been appointed after Com mittee to take into consideration the present state of the House of Commons,—its ina dequacy, inconvenience, unwholesomeness , to gether with the means of remedying those de fects or vices. We ourselves hope to see a good house of Commons substituted for the present, but still we do not see that the matter is one of great urgency, for though the present House is in many respects inconvenient, we do not think the evil so pressing that we may not wait till our finances are better. It would be an ungracious act in the first newly-constructed Parliament to tax the nation with a large sum for a new building for its reception. Mr. Hume, indeed, supersedes the dull necessity of plan and estimate, and boldly declares that a new House of Commons may be built for 25,0001. It is certain, that if we wish for a new House, it is not such a House as this that would satisfy us. The Hon. Member would do well to inquire what some of the club-houses— Crockford's, for example—have cost, and then call to mind the prove b, which forbids the he ginning to build a house till it be well ascer tained that there are funds sufficient to finish it.—Times. We have more than once alluded to the in• jury which the liberal cause throughout Europe has received from the appointment or continu ance in office, by a Whig Ministry, of Tories to represent the country at the various Courts of the continent. We are willing to make every allowance for the difficulties in which Ministers are placed in many respects, but we are not aware that there can be any difficulty in the way of a selection of Ministers able and willing to promote their own views, and to further the policy to which they are themselves attached. The people of the continent cannot believe that the Whig Government has a secure tenure of office, while they almost everywhere see that Government represented abroad either by Tories or the creatures of Tories. We are led to make these remarks from a letter which we have just received from Switzerland, written by a gentle man of that country well known to us, of whose talents and honour we have the highest opinion : " You know, perhaps (be says), that we still are, in Switzerland, in a sort of unsettled state. The Constitu tions of the greater part of the Cantons have been reformed on a democratical principle; but the Federal Constitution is the strong hold from which it is difficult to drive out the spirit of aristocracy. Austria and Prussia combine with our old rotten aristocracy to prevent every reform 3f our Federal Constitution, and the bigoted priests in the small (Catholic) Cantons preach every day that the real object of the Reformers is to destroy religion. You may say, C'est partout comme cbez nous ;' and so it is. But it is a matter of surprise that the English Minister cuts such a pitiful figure among the Foreign Ambassadors. He is a Methodist (his name is Morier), and the crest-fallen pa tricians of Berne have great hopes from him. He does not give himself any great trouble to make himself ac quainted with our affairs, and a Methodist missionary would be quite as efficient in his place. In many eases he acts with such a complete neglect of diplomatic de cency, that a private individual would be blamed for it. You have heard, I dare say, that the patricians of Berne lately conspired to overturn the new government. The conspiracy was detected, a criminal prosecution took place against several of the conspirators; but judgment is not yet pronounced. However, some of the more distinguished patricians have been released from prison, with an iujunc tion not to absent themselves : from town. Now, Mr. Morier had lately a grand party, to which he invited se veral Members of the new Government, but also at the same time several conspirators, who had been liberated on their parole dlOnneur. When the latter entered the room, the former left it, quite, indignant at the insult offered to them by the English Minister. All the Swiss papers ery shame at this conduct of Mr, Morier, and many insist that the Erigli.h 'Government ought to recall him. It is certain that, by his misconduct on the above and many other occasions, he has lost all influence with the liberal party. We hive now about 500 Poles in our country. Austria and Prussia are alarmed. France will not receive them, and we cannot keeP them for any length of time. - Several of our Governments pay a certain sum for their maintenance, and some aid is given to them by private subscriptions. What will become of them I know not." Would that we could say that Switzerland formed an exception to the rule according to which our diplomatic appointments are filled up. We believe, however, that, with few exceptions, all the appointments of Lord Palmerston are of the same description. It is but charity to his Lordship to suppose that he is himself a ge nuine convert to Whig principles; but, be this as it may, it is certain that, were he determined to select only such individuals to represent the nation abroad, as, from their principles or their imbecility, .are calculated to injure the Govern ment, he could not improve upon his present appointments. Our correspondent terms Mr. Morier a Methodist. This is not strictly cor rect. He is, we believe one of those equivocal personages termed saints—i. e. personages who would support all abuses in church and state, hut at the same time subject all their neigh bours to inquisitorial annoyances—who would abet Sir A. Agnew and Mr. S. Perceval. How this party should have influence enough to in duce a reforming Government to maintain a Mi nister at a station where a Charge d'Affaires would suffice, and cost a third of the money, is a mystery to us. It would seem, however, that the Saints have had interest enough with Lord Palmerston to prevail upon him to select Mr. David Morier for the Swiss mission, al though his only claim (beyond his fanaticism) to employment resulted from his having been Private Secretary to the late Marquis of Lon donderry, and his having been by him placed in the most agreeable and best paid sinecure under the Crown—the Consul-Generalship in France. When this delicate abstraction ceased, poor Mr. D. Morier was reduced to a pitiful pension of one thousand pounds a year ; but as he had for eighteen years been in the habit of expending his 1,6001. a year in creature comforts, it was urged that he ought not to he curtailed, and he was accordingly selected to re present the liberal Government in the reaene - rated Helvetic States. The only substantial services ever rendered by the Moriers were Hajji Baba and Zohrab the Hostage, and these were amply repaid by Mr. John Murray in money, and by the press in praise ; and yet this family is in the enjoyment of a rent-charge on the country of 4,8001. a-year. So much for the Moriers. But the opportunity is fitting for asking whether it is the purpose of Government to continue Mr. Cartwright (son of the Tory Member for Northampton) as British Minister to the Diet at Frankfurt, and Sir George Sey mour, a man of the same principles, at the Court of- Tuscany ?—Morning Chronicle. The Recorder of London, by submitting to the sentence of public opinion, and resi gn i ng his judicial office, has made it unnecessary to address the Throne on his conduct. Th e in dignant feelings of his fellow-citizens, in rela tion to the case of Job Cox, were so unequi vocally expressed in his own hearing at the Common Hall, on Monday, that he could no longer entertain any doubt that, in Sealing the document which was to authorize the execution of the pardoned convict, he had sealed the death-warrant of his own official existence. His unexplained conduct on a forther occasion, in keeping back the report of the fate of the con victs a day longer than he ought, had ben abundantly animadverted on in the public press ; but, although a notice of motion on the subject was given in the Common Council, it never came under discussion ; the thing was, somehow or other, hushed up, and never received that formal censure of the Corporation, whose officer the Recorder is, which might have had the effect of making him more careful to avoid mistakes in future—at least such mistakes as inflict unnecessary pain even on criminals, and render sanguinary law still more revolting than it is, for we never heard of his having made a mistake on the side of mercy. Although Mr. Lamb, when the case of Cox was brought under his notice in the House of Commons by Sir S. Whalley, expressed himself as if he thought the " awful mistake" must eventually have been detected, yet we still continue to hold the opinion, that if it had not been for the pub lication of the dreadful order in the press, and the vigilant humanity of Chief Justice Denman, the mistake might not have been discovered until the execution of the Recorder's warrant had made the error irreparable. It is quite clear that neither Lord Melbourne nor Mr. George Lamb were at all instrumental in detecting the mistake. As far as the activity and vigilance of the Home-office were concerned, the spurious warrant for the sacrifice of human life might have had all the fatal effects of a valid instru ment. The public in general are, perhaps, not aware of the sort of formal procedure which constitutes the legal authority for the taking of human life at the Old Bailey. It is done in this way :—The Recorder waits on the King in Council with the report of the convicts under sentence of death. It was the popular and er roneous notion that the King himself signed the death warrants of those criminals to whom mercy was refused. Not so. The Recorder takes, or is supposed to take, the orders of the King in Council with regard to the convicts whose sen tences of death, previously pronounced at the Old Bailey, are commuted or confirmed. With re gard to the latter, he writes out his warrant in his own hand (no printed formula being used on this occasion), and seals it with his own black seal. This instrument he does not despatch to the Sheriffs, whose duty it is to see it carried into effect. He merely deposits it with the Governor of Newgate. The latter, on receiving the instrument of death, writes a note to each of the sheriffs, who thereupon come to Newgate and satisfy themselves of the authority on which they are to act by inspecting the warrant lodged there. Now all this appears to us a very circuitous and clumsy mode of car rying the law into effect, and ought to be re formed. The sheriffs, having inspected the war rant, and being satisfied that it is under the hand and seal of the Recorder, attend on the day specified in the document, and demand of the keeper of Newgate the body of the offender. In the case of Cox, the sheriffs, Messrs. Peat and Humphery had received the notification from the keeper of the prison of the warrant having been lodged, had inspected that warrant and been satisfied of its authenticity, although they were exceedingly dissatisfied with the ap parent confirmation of the sanguinary sentence for a case of mere theft, and that too of small amount. But they never doubted the correct ness of the warrant until Chief Justice Denman detected and exposed the " mistake." His Lordship has, undoubtedly, the credit of saving the life of the Prisoner ; but we doubt that the public would ever have been made acquainted with the exact circumstances of the case it we had not published the fact of a death warrant having been lodged in Newgate in the usual way, although the Royal clemency had been extended to the culprit. The disclaimer of Government was so worded as to impute indirectly to the newspapers which published the Recorder's report the origin of the erroneous statement. And as to the official report from Newgate, which was sent to the newspapers on Thursday night, it was expressed in the follow ing words :—" A respite during his Majesty's pleasure for Job Cox, who was ordered for exe cution on Tuesday, arrived at Newgate, yester day evening." It is evident that this commu nication was intended to screen the Recorder, while it announced to the public that Cox was not to be executed. It did not let out the secret that there had been an " awful mistake " in the warrant—far from it. The document was treated as a valid one, by saying that a respite, during pleasure, had arrived to stay its execu tion. There could be no need of a respite to stay the execution of a warrant which was in it self a nullity. But this supposed respite was necessary to cover the sad work which the Re corder had made with the decision of the King in Council. Are we not, therefore, justified in saying that there is. a great probability the mat ter would have been hushed up,if we had not pub lished all we knew respecting the warrant and its black seal ? The next thing to be consi dered is the choice of a successor to the late Recorder. We presume the Hon. Mr. Law, the present Common Sergeant, will be ap pointed to that office, more especially as the election, we believe, is in the Court of Alder men. It has happened, unfortunately enough for the judgment and discrimination of the civic body, that several of the Recorders of London have been among the most sanguinary of the administrators of the criminal law that this country ever produced. An Evening Con temporary connects the name of Mr. Newman Knowlys, the late Recorder, with the melan choly fate of Eliza Fenning, whose case excited so much public sympathy several years ago, and who, upon strong grounds, is believed to have perished innocently. It was, however, under the jurisdiction of the former Recorder, Sylves ter, that she suffered, and a more merciless Judge than Sylvester has not in modern times gone before the tribunal of an Omniscient Judge. His manners were as coarse as his heart was inexo rable. We have not heard of Mr. Law rendering himself obnoxious to public opinion by any harsh or oppressive, or partial exercise of his ju dicial authority since he became Common Ser geant. He had before him the admirable example of the late Common Sergeant (now Chief Justice) Denman, whose dignified con duct and courteous manners formed so exalted a contrast to the judicial deportment of some late Recorders of London. Mr. Law can make no mistake if he carries into a higher office the advantages of that example. Then comes the question as to the choice of a Common Sergeant, which is in the gift of the Common Council. We observe that the Committee to manage the election for Mr. M. D. Hill, the Member for Hull, are already in the field. The professional character, legal attainments, and liberal prin ciples of Mr. Hill well qualify him for the satisfactory discharge of the honourable and responsible office to which he aspires. If we recollect right, he lost it by only two votes when a competitor for the situa- ion with Mr. Law. In addition to the othe r qualities which recommend him to the choice of the enlightened electors, Mr. Hill is a firm, earnest, and uncompromising advocate of the thorough reform of our sanguinary criminal law. The Hull and Rockingham Gazette lately bore the following testimony to his valuable services in this field of beneficent improvement In the previous part of the evening a debate ensued on a Bill taking away the punishment of death from the offence of breaking into a house in the day-time (Mr. Leonard's Bill); among the speakers on this humane• measure was our ex- cellent representative, Mr. Hill, who most ably advocated the cause of humanity—the due ap propriation of punishment to crime, and the in efficiency and multiplicity of capital punishments. So powerful, and to the purpose was his speech, that some of the friends in London of the re vision of the criminal code have felt it their duty to congratulate their friends in Hull on possess ing such a Member." With such principles and sentiments to recommend him to the suf frages of the Corporate Body of the first city in the world, we cannot anticipate any other result than that which will render justice to the merits of Mr. Hill, and reflect honour on the electors. —Morning Herald. We have lately thought it our duty to notice the growing dissatisfaction that has sprung up throughout the country at the arbitrary and ob noxious conduct of the Post-office. Nearly all the large commercial and manufacturing towns have had meetings; and we understand that prosecutions to a frightful extent are at this time in progress. We have reason to believe that solicitors' parcels have been opened with a view to detect letters of instructions for the executing of the deeds they contained, and in cases in which such letters have been found that the parties have been threatened ; that whilst invoices without letters are charged as letters, letters with invoices are charged double ; that whereas Bd. additional is paid on letters brought to the post-offices at the outports by foreign vessels, which was understood to be in lieu of 6d. extra paid on their going out, these letters are, now made liable also to sd. additional charge on going out, and this although they are transmitted by foreign vessels neither at the expense nor under the power of the Post office. But what is worse than all the rest, the secrecy - of private correspondence is said in many instances to have been broken, in order to find out the address of the writers. In all this there is undoubtedly much that requires investigation. Possibly the petition to the London newsmen, to the House of Commons may lead to some useful hints upon the subject. We shall not go into the grievances complained of in that petition, but merely express our hope that all the income de rived from office fees and privileges in the Post office department may be brought into the na tional treasury.—Morning Post. We alluded, yesterday, to an intended in termeddling on the part of the Post-office, with a practice which has prevailed for many years past, and has been found not only exceedingly convenient, but exceedingly necessary, to the mercantile world—we mean that of making up mails at the North and South American Coffee house for the United States, and other parts of America. This practice, like all other practices of a similar kind, grew out of the necessities of the public, and the inadequate arrangements of the Post-office ; and why, after having been found most convenient, and most useful, it should be now done away with, it is not very easy to understand. The Post-office has not as yet signified that it will provide an equally efficient substitute ; and we may venture to add, that it neither will nor can, without entailing an expense upon the country, which the making up of the mails would not defray. The original design of the establishment of a Post-office was to for ward communications between foreign countries, and all parts of the empire, more certainly, more regularly, and more expeditiously, than could be done by private means ; but in so far as respects either the northern or southern states of America, it never has accomplished these ob jects ; and why then, we would ask, should it intermeddle with those who accomplish all of them, and that too without any expense to the public ? The subject is one which deserves even parliamentary investigation. In the mean time, however, we understand that Mr. Davies, the landlord of the North and South American Coffee-house, still continues to transmit letters and parcels by the London line of packets.— Morning Advertiser. COURT OF CHANCERY, JUNE 26. LORD PORTARLINGTON V. GRAHAM. Mr. KNIGHT was heard to oppose the motion in this cause, which was before the Court on Saturday. He in sisted that the order of the Vice-Chancellor, by which the plaintiff was ordered to pay the sum in dispute into Court, or that the injunction, restraining the proceed ings at law, should be dissolved, was proper and ought to be supported. Lord Portarlington was sued at law by the executors of Mr. Moberly, for a debt due on his bond ; to that action he pleaded a release by Graham, the origi nal obligee, and it was decided that he could not avail himself of such a plea, as well by reason of his own letters promising payment, as because the bond had been trans ferred to the executors previous to the date of the release. It was not until after this decision that Lord Portarlington thought of the ground on which lie now disputed the pay ment of the debt. He, however, Sled his bill in this Court to stay proceedings in the action, alleging that the bond was given to secure money lost at play, and that it was therefore void, although in the hands of parties who had no participation in the transaction out of which it arose. This fact, it was contended, gave him no equity against the executors under the circumstances of the pre sent case. Mr. PEPYs replied. The LORD CHANCELLOR differed from the Vice-Chan cellor, and reversed his order, at the same time offering the defendants an issue to try the question as to the gamb ling debt, if, upon consideration, they chose to adopt that course. Considering the proceedings which had taken place, he should not give the plaintiff the costs either of his appeal or of his original motion. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, JUNE 26. COURT OF ADMIRALTY, JUNE 26. SALVOR-THE HECTOR. The vessel in this case, on her voyage from Ceylon to Lo.,don, with a valuable freight, es►imated with the ship at 16,5001., had lost all her anchors except the bower, and on arriving off Dover employed the lugger Catherine with five boatmen, to procure a heavy anchor. Some de lay took place in consequence of a misunderstanding as to the part of the Dawns in which the vessel was to wait, hut eventually the anchor was received on board. The commissioners under the Act awarded 601. for the service rendered. The owner refused to consider this as an award, and tendered 30 guineas, which were refused. Sir JOHN Nicuom. was of opinion that, under all the circumstances, the salvors had fully performed the service they undertook, not without peril. He should pro. flounce for the claim of 601., and condemn the owners is the costs. If the suit had been of long standing, he should have been disposed to condemn the owners also in the interest on the sum awarded. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, JUNE 26. KEYS V. SMITH. In this cage, which was not concluded yesterdey when we went to press, the Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. Benjamin Bailey, a young man formerly in the service of Messrs. William and James Morley, wholesale ware housemen, in Gutter-lane, Cheapside, was brought up for re-examination yesterday, on a charge of having plundered Messrs. Morley of a large quantity of property, consisting of cambrics, shawls, &c., while in their employ. A well-dressed young woman, his wife, was charged with having received the property well knowing it to have been stolen ; and a man and his wife named Hughes were also charged with having, at various times pledged some of the articles. Upwards of forty pawnbrokers were in attendance for the purpose of producing property which had been pledged with them, and which had been identified by Mr. Morley. Mr. CONANT inquired of Mr. Morley if he was pre pared to go into the evidence against the female prisoner. Mr. Morley intimated that if he were to do so just at present, it would perhaps prejudice the case which he ex pected to establish against her. The robbery was of con siderable magnitude, and therefore it would be advisable to afford as much time as possible to the officers, to enable them to collect all the evidence, additional circumstances coming to light daily. Clements and Goddard, the officers who have the busi ness in hand, stated to the Magistrate that they expected to be able to bring forward evidence which would fix the wife of Bailey as a principal, as she had taken an active part in plundering Messrs. Morley, with the prisoner Benjamin Bailey, before she was married to him. It would be necessary, therefore, to have another week to complete the evidence. Mr. CONANT agreed, under these circumstances, to remand the prisoner for a week, and then requested the pawnbrokers to hold themselves in readiness to come f►rward on that day. The charge against the two prisoners Hughes being only for pawning under the direction of the female, Mr. Morley said, in consideration of the anxiety evinced by Mrs. Hughes to afford the officers all the intelligence in her power, he had no objection that she should be discharged, and her husband detained for the present in custody. Mr. CoxAwr agreed to this, and she was accordingly discharged. A lad named Hall was charged with having brought a begging letter to the residence of L idy Stanley, 21, Curzon-street, May-fair, for the purpose of obtaining a charitable contribution. The boy was remanded in order to give time to the Mendicity officers to find out the father, who is well known to then►. MAR YLEB ONE. Yesterday Francis Martin, William Schofield, James Flynn, James Porter, and Henry Wilson, all labourer, were placed at the bar before Mr. ilawurrsoN and Mr. Gamin-is, charged with having been the principals engaged in a brutal and terrific outrage on Saturday last, at No. 8, Union•street, Lisson-grove, under the following circumstances : The office was crowded in the extreme to hear the evi dence, the affair, which was of the most sanguinary and dreadful description, having caused an unusual sensation in the neighbourhood. Mr. Flower, of the firm of Alderman Harmer and Co., Hatton-garden, attended for the prisoners, many of whom, as also the witnesses, appeared with their wounds covered with adhesive plaister, and their heads bound up with handkerchiefs, so serious was the injury which a great number of them sustained during the conflict. _ The first witness called was Thomas Nedall, who rented a shop and parlour at No. 8, Union-street, of Mr. West, a builder, of Aldersgate-street. On Saturday morning he sent in a broker for arrears of rent, and all the property was seized. He (witness) had occasion to leave the house for a short titne after the broker's arrival, and on his return home found a number of labourers there, and that his wife and every other person living in the house had been bundled into the street. He then came to this office, when he was informed by the Magi strates that be might get rid of the intruders who had trespassed on his apartments while he was in actual pos session, but that he must eject them in as quiet a way as possible. He then went back, at which time Mr. West was at the door, and forced himself in, when one of the men who had been sent in to whitewash the room seized hold of the back part of his (witness's) head, and poured, in the most deliberate manner, a quantity of lime over his face and eyes, which nearly blinded him. (Witness here lifted tip the shade by which his eyes were covered, when it was fully apparent that he had been very severely in jured.) He was after this dreadfully beaten by the work men with sticks and other weapons. _ _ Mr. Flower cross-examined this witness at considerable length, but did not succeed in shaking his testimony in any particular. Charles Foster, a lodger in the house, said that Nedall on Saturday morning went out, leaving his wife, a child, and a young woman on the premises. Soon after this the broker came, and slid—" What do you intend to do about this rent ? What things have you got ?" Witness said he knew nothing about it, when the broker placed all the articles of furniture in one corner of the room. Pre sently the prisoners entered, and began making up their lime, which having done, they threw a quantity of it into his (witness's) face. One of them exclaimed, " them, we will soon have them all out," and in art instant witness was seized by the leg, lifted from the floor, and an eff irt was made to throw him headlong out of the win dow; but not succeeding in their attempt, they thrust him with much violence into the street. The broker then went away. Presently after, Mr. West, who had sent in the men, came up in a cab, when witness and several others outside were forced in at the door. The prisoner Schoteld, as soon as he (witness) entered, took up a poker, and knocked him down. As soon as he could recover him self he was again attacked by another with a crowbar, and was once more felled to the ground. He again sprang up, and saw one of the labourers with a knife in his hand, which was uplifted, and in the act of striking at him. He, however, succeeded in rescuing it from the fellow's grasp, when a quantity of lime was poured over him. One of the men then attempted to strike a woman (who was attracted by the cries of " Murder" to the spot) with a bludgeon, when he (witness) pushed him on one side, at a time when, in all probability, but for his interference, she would have been murdered. Ann Johnson, 9, Union-street, heard the cry of "Murder" at No. 8, and ran in, when she was immediately struck down with a broom, and was afterwards desperately assaulted by the prisoner Wilson. Thomas Taylor, 40, Stafford-street, butcher, as be was passing Union-street on Saturday afternoon, saw Mr. West, the builder, get out of a cab. There was a great crowd collected at the door, and the tenants were pushed in by those outside. He saw Schofield and another pour lime over one or two persons, and after they were on the ground the pail was forced over Foster's head, awl in that position a hammer was applied with great force to the bottom of the pail. They afterwards struck indis criminately, in a most brutal manner, every person who approached them. John Orgar, 13, Union -street, who was violently as saulted, gave similar evidence to that previously adduced, confirmatory of the sanguinary character of the conflict. John Davis, the broker, SO, Stevens-street, Lisbon grove, said that he was employed by Mr. West, on Sa ttird,,y morning, to seize on the goods and chattels of Nedall for arrears of rent, and that he saw Nedall's wife handing what articles of furniture there were left through a sky-light, and that he interfered, as a matter of course, t o prevent it, but did not take any part whatever in the disturbance. Mr. RAwiaxsoN, addressing Mr. Flower, said that he (Mr. Flower) would see with him that a most diabolical outrage had been clearly sworn to, and that it was his duty to bold all the prisoners to bail. Mr. West expressed his willingness to become answer able for their appearance. At this staie of the proceedings, a young woman, named Mary Butler, forced her way through the crowd, and begged to be allowed to address the Magistrate, for the purpose of stating what she new of the affair. She was then sworn, and said,— I live at No. 14, Union street, and hearing the cry of " Merder," I ran in at the time when a woman had just received a dreadful blow with a p , ,ker, Mr. West, at the same moment, saying to the men " Never mind about law—do as I bid you." They were all cuttiog away with crow-bars and sticks. Mr. IlawuNsos said that this evidence altered the complexion of the case materially, sad he had his doubts whether Mr. West himself ought not to be indicted with the rest. Mr. Flower said, that when the case was brought le fore a jury, he should be enabled to rebut the evidence given. The prisoners were then ordered to find bail, each of them in his own recognizance of 301., and two house keepers in 151. each. Mr. West became responsible in the sum of 1501. for their appearance. Robert Dickens, a well dressed man, of most deter rnin.d a.pect, was yesterday placed at the bar, charged with having violently and maliciously assaulted Charles Burgess, a police constable of the C division, 97. Mr. RAWLINSON—You must find very good bail. The prisoner was then bound over, himself in 50/., and two sureties in the sum of 251. each, to answer the charge At the sessions HATTON-GARDEN. Mr. Joseph Silvester, tin attorney of Furnival's Inn, who was committed to the House of Correction in default of heavy bail, charged with defrauding Mr. Burgess, solicitor, of Nantwieh, of nearly 2,0001., was again brought before Mr. LAIN yesterday, when he had another private hearing, and was again committed. We did not hear the nature of the examination. Mr. LAING, after he had quitted the office, inquired whether he was locked up, as he was not to be treated differently to other prisoners? Lloyd answered, that Waddington had taken him back to the House of Cor rection. Mr. LAING — It is not unlikely that he would take ad. ►antage of an opportunity to escape, and whoever has him in custody must be responsible, and shall stiffer for it if he escapes. Waddington shortly returned, and said he was safely lodged in prison. The prisoner was met in the passage by a dashing female, who shook hands, and said " I thought you were out." LEWIS V. HAMBLIN. The plaintiff, who is a confectioner and pastry cook, at Islington, had, in June, 1832, purchased from the defen dant the good will of his business, stock in trade, and uten sils, lease and fixtures, for 300/., upon a representation of the defendant, that his receipts behind the counter averaged from 15s. to 1/. per day, and that the out-door orders he received were so considerable as to enable him to support his family, and lay by 100/. a year, alth oug h h e was not well acquainted with the business, and had employed a journeyman to make and cook the pastry. Th e pl a i nt iff paid 100/., and gave a bill for 20/., in part of the purchase money, and had also given a mortgage upon some freehold property for the remaining 180/. The present action was brought to recover damages in consequence of the misre presentation of the defendant, by which he was induced to purchase the businue. Mr. Sergeant BoxrAs was for the defendant, but, at the close of the plaintiff's case, Lord LYNDHURST interfered, and strongly recommended both parties to refer to an arbitrator both the present ac tion and the Chancery suit, as they would otherwise, in all probability, be ruined by the expense of the proceedings. The parties took hie Lordship's advice, and the cause was referred. LAMBETH-STREET. Yesterday Mr. William Maitland, a respectable tradesman residing at L aytonstone, Essex, appeared before the sitting magistrates, Messrs. WALKER and Nowrox, to answer a charge of assault preferred against him by Mr. William Whitaker, an extensive market-gardener, residing at Stratford I'oint. Mr. Whitaker stated, that on Friday night last Mr. Maitland called at his house, and without the slightest provocation on his part, knocked him down, and gave him a black eye. Mr. Maitland, in reply to the charge, said that some time since be had taken a cottage from Mr. Whitaker, tin the residence of a young lady and her mother. A few months since the latter died, and from that time the young lady had been subjected to the greatest insults through the importunities of the complainant. On Friday evening Miss Webster (the lady in question) caked on him, and informed him that she had been grossly insulted by Mr. Whitaker on the day before, and he in consequence called on Mr. Whitaker, to know his motive for insulting an unprottmed female. Oa seeing Mr. Whitaker, and speaking to him on the subject, he, without giving him any explanation of his conduct, collared and knocked him down. He, however, with much difficulty, disentangled himself from his grasp, and subsequently in his own defence struck him. In support of this statement he requested that Miss Webster might be called. Miss Webster, a well dressed female, on being sworn, corroborated the statement of Mr. Mait!and. In reference to the conduct of thecomplainants, she said that on Thurs day he came into the wash-house where she was, and before she was aware of his approach he threw her on the ground, and endeavoured to take improper liberties with her, but she reeisted, and be abandoned his object. Mr. Whitaker, who is a grey-headed old man, appeared much confused at this exposé, but still he denied acting in the manner stated. Miss Webster—You know it is not the first or the twentieth time you have acted so; you know how often you have importuned the to act improperly, and have you not more than once attempttd to come in at my window? Mr. Whitaker—l deny it, your Worship. Mr. Mait land, in the first instance, took my cottage for his wife and her servant, but instead of that, it was occupied by Miss Webster and her mother while she lived ; and had I know■ it was intended for such goings on, I should not have let it to the parties on any account. Miss Webster indignantly repelled the insinuation, and said that Mr. Maitland paid her honourable addresses, and would, but for circumstances, ere this have made her his wife. Mr. NORTON remarked that, as far as the assault went the complainant appeired to be the first aggressor, and had brought his troubles on himself. lie should, there fore, dismiss the warrant. With respect to his conduct towards the young lady, there could be no doubt that he had acted improperly ; and to protect her from his future importunities and insults, he should bind him over to keep the pence towards ber. The gay Lothario not being prepared with the neces sary sureties, was locked up. THAMES OFFICE. Robert Watson, a seaman, was charged with stealing a box containing money, trinkets, a gold medal, and other articles of considerable value, the property of Mr. Joseph Pouchin, on the high seas. The prisoner, in his defence, complained that be had been " shockingly wctllopped to get the truth out of him." Mr. BALLANTINE committed him to take bis trial at the next Admiralty Sessions. THE GYMNOTUS, OR ELECTRICAL EEL. Nothing excites so much interest am ong tra vellers at Calabozo as the animated electrical machine, the gymnotus, or American torpedo, on which M. Humboldt made a series of highly satisfactory experiments. These electrical eels inhabit the Rio Colorada, Guarapiche, and several small streams which cross the Chayma missions, as well as the Orinoco, the Meta, and the Maranham ; and in the lanes, particularly in the environs of Calabozo, the - pools of stagnant water, and the streams which fall into the Orinoco, are filled with them. They are at once dreaded and detested by the natives. The muscular part of the flesh is tolerably good eat ing ; but the electric organ, which fills more than two-thirds of the body, is slimy and disa greeable, and is accordingly carefully separated from the lest. The presence of the gymnoti is considered as the principal cause of the want of fish in the ponds and pools of the lanos. They kill many more than they devour ; and all the inhabitants of the waters, lizards, frogs, and tortoises, dread and endeavour to escape their society. The Indians sometimes take young alligators and gymnoti in the same net, and the latter are never found in that case to display the slightest wound, having evidently disabled the alligators before they could attack them. It was found necessary to change the direction of a road near Uritucu, because these electrical eels were so numerous in one river, that they killed a great number of mules every year as they forded the water. Desirous of making some experiments on these remarkable fish, the learned traveller re paired to a stream in which they abound, and where the Indians offered their services in fishing for them with horses. Having caught about thirty wild horses and mules, they forced them to enter the pool. The extraordinary noise caused by the horses' hoofs makes the fish issue from the mud, and excites them to com bat. These yellowish and livid eels, resembling large aquatic serpents, swim on the surface of the water, and crowd under the bellies of the horses and mules. A contest between animals of so different an organization furnishes a very striking spectacle. The Indians, pro vided with harpoons and long slender reeds, surround the pool closely ; and some climb upon the trees, the branches of which ex tend horizontally over the surface of the water. By their wild cries and the length of their reds they prevent the horses from running away and t i , PPI( f i fe; ken dividedj ~ ,014111-1 E reaching the bank of the pool. r r,. !.',14 the . . A fAji stunned by the noise, defend themselves i r i e s.4it th ey al repeated discharge of their electric be lt c to-I li nlaY he w During a long time they seem to prove, kpee ASS an. rious. Several horses sink beneath they 0 0,10 (8 1 4 1 of the invisible strokes which they recei all sides in organs the most essential 1° f the lo n the i and, stunned by the force and frequencgi s of itZ anee S shocks, they disappear under the water. v i , eye s, vl au , ; to panting, with mane .erect, and haggsru- aer !it , fl expressing anguish, raise themselves and 0 , ire!tretary , 4 your to flee from the storm by which th e) g i airle or an overtaken. They are driven back by the Iljiti-'•!.° 1 : 1 )fror into the water ; but a small number suc t ett. i s'?. . eluding the active vigilance of the fish' it p, t " , t---....._ These regain the shore, stumbling at everi t ol l R OYAL I i r and stretch themselves on the s a nd, elcht' ' t he! HE with fatigue, and their limbs benumbedll electric shocks of the gymnoti. In less than five minutes two horses drowned. The eel, being five feet Joni pressing itself against the belly of the I makes a discharge along the whole ext' its electric organ. It attacks at once the the intestines, and the plexus creliacus abdominal nerves. It is natural that the felt by the horses should be more p o werful that produced upon man by the touch same fish at only one of his extremities. horses are probably not killed, but only stt . They are drowned from the impossibilll rising amid the prolonged struggle between other horses and the eels. We had little doubt that the fishing terminate by killing successively all the al engaged; but by degrees the impetuosity unequal combat dimiuislicd, and the gymnoti dispersed. They require, a long and abundant nourishment, to repair what have lost of galvanic force. The mules horses appear less flightened; their mar no longer bristled, anti their eyes express dread. The gymnoti approach timidly the of the marsh, where they are taken by m' small harpoons fastened to long cords. the cords are very dry the Indians feel no in raising the fish into the air. In a few ra we had five large eels, the greater part of were but slightly wounded. It would be temerity to expose oursel the first shocks of a very large and st: irritated gymnotus. If by chance you ree l stroke before the fish is wounded, or weara• a long pursuit, the pain and numbness ar e violent that it is impossible to describe the ' of the feeling they excite. Ido not re: having ever received, from the discharge large Leyden jar, a more dreadful shock that which I experienced by imprudently 1 , both my feet on a gymnotus just taken °of the water. I was affected the rest of the olo il with a violent pain in the knees, and in al every joint. ti sl Gymnoti are neither charged con ductors , t y batteries, nor electro-motive apparatuses , s o shock of which is received every time thelo touched with one hand, or when both hand s applied to form a conducting circle between!, heterogeneous poles. The electric action 01 fish depends entirely on its will; whether ; cause it does not keep its electric organs al! charged, or by the secretion of some fluid, ' any other means alike mysterious to us, I; capable of directing the action of its orgall an external object. We often tried, both i t 0 lated and uninsulated, to touch the fish, wi g : feeling the least shock. When M. BonP; held it by the head, or by the middle of ai body, while I held it by the t a il, an d, Wl e , on the moist ground, did n o t t a k e eac h at hand, one of us received shock s w hi c h the oth did not feel. It depends upon the g ymnotu s act toward the point wher e it finds itself the"' ,i strongly irritated. The discharge is then 19 . - at one point only, and not at the neighbon . points. If two persons touch the belly 01 fish with their fingers, at an inch distance , press it simultaneously, sometimes one, 5 9 times the other, will receive the shock. The torpedo of Cumana and of Europe,. t he not be compared, in its electric powers, with true gymnotus, although it is able to cause ,gf f painful sensations. They differ a l so , specifile in some of their characteristics. In bolhi t io torpedo and the gymnotus, however, the o6 .oo is a vital action, dependent on the will °, l lO animal. It cannot be passively dischargen , t ir a Voltaic pile or a Leyden phial, but mu!" irritated to induce the shock. The Spa° t o give them in common the name of temblad4oo iremblers (i. e. producers of trembling); 1 %40 is remarkable that the electrical fish of the 10$ is called rhadd, which is said to signify ° causes trembling. In the Court of Common Pleas, on Tue sj el / 1 an attorney, named DEAN, brought an action of $llO against two gentlemen, named I-1033 and Law's. DEAN and a friend, named WALSH, being too late f°hrefe. Richmond steamer, engaged a boat to take them On getting some way up the river, they saw the 0 Adelaide, Richmond steamer, and they got on boar Tit, afterwards appeared that a p r i va t e party had engag eu ird . : steamer, and Mr. D EAN an d hi s f rien d were defl.o,l somewhat sharply, t o l eave t h e vesse l. M r . WA16 511 $ O, he would do so if a'ked in a gentlemanly manner , of A . lr DEA N d e cl are d h e wou ld not qu i t exce pt by 01* s ol awn; on which a boat was called, and the plaintiPoit his friend thrust into it. They went to Richmond, op; instead of enjoying themselves as they had intendedt i oi. hunting about for a Magistrate, but were unsucce o / their search. Verdict for the plaintiff—D images !It?' We hear that the case of " The K0 1 g,0 4 Teynharn and Donlan" is in a train of settlertica t '. o ft that no further appeal will be made to the opinions of .3 1 4 COMMON INFORMERS INDICTED F oft elf CONSPIRACY. — On Saturday, JOHN BYERS, the id° . yr and GEORGE STAPLETON, one of his journeyroe o4 ,' tended at the Middlesex Sessions to put in bail ter 6 . 0 0 spiracy against coach proprietors. It appears thni c r Thursday list, the Grand Jury found a true bill of 0 ro d ment against them for a conspiracy. Tlie prose ° d' was instituted by a Committee of coach propriet oo oe pointed to prot e ct the trade against the tricks of CO ° 10 informers. The defendants put in bail, themsel fe, 1001 , and two sureties in 501. I \%OR: , J ,NGL, Author Rich This di By th More And i They But ti Cry L Rieha PRIVA DE • their ive cot :eft upon t ail con Itions at al tof eithe t lo i :Y nave. : 41 114 1:u ..1 t R . l e e -t' o r e bb p i ffi ' b f l : a s act i rtee n e n 2 l t : y res appli Nuet a ni s of an langu. P ro • reigners, '•' , tters 144,1 to i (ti BI OteNsrs. D' r~~lally the 4.°UCES7 1 0 be Deeret 'e in the i " I3LA( ! ka l ' il lte rl i r n a o g f t o o f j n t:l 11,tr i r i i n sin C g he a r I•O3 AY ti I 14 'noon, a \y of the 1 t o 4 , mewl .tittion ' t ,„ , wt 01?, repair, C! 1 . th e wh I n seven ''' 14 11(1 ?o:ro;1 I t o r , uted pi L Master's ci of 111 _6.2V-gard€ ; York LOll We t:r..idhenveselise7o. iii t tei, miseioE ryes li g l ', 13ne S DPP . ` . i .-- ------- "71 4 APYA e xteP - Ar k Series ; he he r „ k t ,MORR( of V Ai ng ; a t he e L , rful !To ' 0881 o f 1 " - I Edit:. l i : , coot, stool, , ....h hrteial ibiliti Tb,T , t y. lIS g ji ...orro an i O9 : ' • . ty of; iI L E OR u ' h n i w a g e t s est : 1 , : , o.ini Em : . r A ro beF ; ' , wee p ;11:6- NV : etill u e l 3 r;:aeetnifrriC ; ;Veie r elli_iedi t i l' 1 Ir . ' ' 1 l''-"Lil ni t'itt e t:B B :B l l l / 4LiDuTne e i Efit:iin : MnEcC'Y e a'( . mail!, ',, 'EN'S to 511°1 ':.i.; sc e ri g be l iv Ir e 0 01 . , a whom , ' g iSTORI g l u t . ill i ' NO ci.- I . i4i„ i Y. l p h i l ng iol al ny the , s ' One cl ; It O lh r :5 : 144111:111 1 : : ' 1411TIL Th ilhEi:Ts e ; dll: , R es, , Rich PRINTED AND PUBLISHED n MU IC 1) 0 YOUN i " aux 0117104 112, STRAND, LQI4DOI4 BIRTHS. On the 25th inst., at Deane, Hants, the lady of the Minehin, of a daughter. On the 24th inst., at Bath, the lady of Lieut. G. BeazeleP of a son. On the 25th inst., at Stone rectory, the lady of AD King, of a son. tly MARRIED. ~ IP i f On the 25th inst., at Tooting Church, Surrey, J. Lees - Aor A j te o Hills, Esq., of Albion place, to Sarah Ann, eldest daub 4e'' the late 'l'. Morton, Esq., of Grove-house, Cheshunt. frii. o ( On the 25th inst., at Great Yehlham, the Rev.W' au sli rector of North Waltham, Hants, to Mary, younges t u , of the late G. L. Way, Esq., of Spencer Farm, Essei• 6 0/ On the 25th inst., at Christ Church, Marylebone, & t' ',l i e / Esq , 12th Regiment, to Georgina, second daughter :f__ Lord C. H. Somerset. .. DIED. d On the 26th inst., at Edward-street, Hampstead.roa , e e, Harden, aged 21. r 144 On the 18th inst., at Clapham, Jemima, wife of Mr.' Ludgate street, aged 31. it t a ged , 1 , On the 25th inst., at Herne hill, T. Ramsay, Esq*, " Sy On the 16th inst., at Hollybush-hill, Hampstea d, ) 1, Kealey. la te On i„, the 25th inst., at Walworth, M ary, re li c t of the - r , Rhodes, Esq., aged 58. ,f.rYl eV7ll On the 20th inst., Sarah, w if e o f M r. J . T r eble, A , — - f lane, aged 38. ......e7;s