The Sun. — London, England, 1845-12-16 00:00:00

THE MINISTERIAL CRESIS. FROM THS MORNING PAPERS 01 YESTERDAY. CHRONICLE.—Lord John Russell has not yet nn dertaken the task of forming an Administration ; and it is not unlikely that two or three days may elapse be fore the Noble Lord can be in possession of the infor mation which would warrant him in taking that impor tant step. Upon this point we can only say what r e here said before, that the Liberal leader would not be doing justice to the great principle with the maintenance of which he is identified, nor to the party with which he is connected, nor to himself, in accepting the respon sibilities of Government at the present crisis, without a eear prospect of being able to effect an abolition of the corn-laws. In the actual state of parties it is evi dent enough that the chances of a quiet and speedy settlement of that question depend mainly on the course which Sir Robert Pee may think proper to take. We are bound to express our belief that in the proceedinge which led to the break up of Caviinet, the late Premier's conduct evinced e sagacity and a courage worthy of a statesman. lie was iiesiroue, we believe, of carrying a measure for the tete) abolition of the corn-laws, and we cannot doubt that he wishes to see a work accomplished which an everwheiming sense of public necess ity could alone hav e induced him to attempt himself. Sir Robert Peel mutt be fully aware that the discontent created by the corn laws is not to be allayed by any half measure. The ex perience of the last four years has doubtless been stall. cieet to convince him that a mere modification of thine laws would be as ex isperatieg to the landlords, lied as dithieult to carry through Parliament, as a measure of entire abolition, whilst it would not take away the ma terials of agitation, nor give to any of the various in terests concerned the slighteat feeling of security. We conclude, therefore, that Sir R. Peel is really anxious to see the principle of entire abolition adopted by Parlia ment, and that what circumstances rendered it impossible for him to do himself, he will be glad to see done by another. If this anticipation prove correct, we appre hend that a period will soon be put to the uncertainties and anxieties which now beset us. The united testimony of the heads of the two great parties in the State will be borne to the necessity of abandoning those commercial restrictions by which British industry and enterprise have been so long fettered. To such a weight of autho rity there will be nothing to oppose. Resistance will be felt by the most enlightened of the Conservative party to be as unwise as it will be odious, and Sir Robert may be able, not only to spare the aristocracy of this country humiliation and loss hereafter, but to claim a share in the credit of that mighty reform which he will haveso greatly contributed to effect. We are persuaded, too, that even those who now denounce his conduct as an act of" perfidy" and " treachery " will, by and by, have the candour to admit that it can hardly be considered as even voluntary. It is but the tardy and reluctant acknowledgment of the reality and potency of a most unwelcome fact. However sore the monopolists may feel towards their late leader, they must be aware that he would not have broken his party in pieces, and sucrificed his political position— that party and position being the creation of his own hands—but on the compulsion of a perfectly irresistible necessity-. Sir Robert Peel's relinquishment of the task a blob he undertook in 1841 is a fact the significance of which is immense and indisputable. There is no getting over it. He he surrendered his strong Government to a potter stronger than any Go vernment—to the ideas and necessities of his time. We have nothing to do with defending the late Premier's political character and conduct gene rally; but we say—and all the world will say—that in this particular act of his life he has but desisted from an impossible task, obeyed an overpowering necessity, and cast off an utterly unbearable responsibility. Nor shall we willingly- contemplate the prospect of one of Eng land's greatest men closing a brilliant career in the in glorious defence of one of the very shabbiest of human institutions. Sir Robert Pee!, in his wise and honour rub'e sacrifice of personal and party feeling, and political position, to duty and conviction, must have many fol lowers. We feel constrained to believe that a legislative change, demanded alike by the popular voice and by the declared convictions of all our leading statesmen —ap proved by the principles of economical science, and en forced by a novel and tremendous national emergency— will be effected without any extensive or permanent tin es ttlemerit of our social relations and political ideas. POST.—We exhort the Conservatives to be every where up and stirring. Apathy now were madness, There is no longer room fur self•deception. The danger is manifestly great, the necessity for exertion moat obvious and most pressing. We know that in general the partizans of change will be the most active. It belongs to their nature. The same restlessness of dis position a hich makes them impatient of order and goeertiMent, also makes them agitators. Peace and modesty ate alike strangers to the course of their lives. But there are times when it may not unreasonably be expected of the friends of settled law, that they too shall make a great exertion, and shall even disquiet themselves now, that they may have the better ( hence of peace hereafter. Such a time is the present. A new state of affairs has arisen. The trait so long looked to as the Conservative leader has consummated his career of treachery. He may not have all along intended to betray. We dare say he did not. Such weakness as his, however—such vacilla tion and unmanly fear—is, in its practical object, nothing less than treachery. He was trusted, and has betrayed his :rust. He was captain of the watch, and has gone over to the enemy. The power which was placed in his hands he has endeavcured to turn against those who gave it. Conservatives must remember that they who have trusted a traitor have much to do in order to redeem that error—in order to recover the effects of that misfortune. Let them, then, be up and stirring everywhere, to rouse the dull, to animate the slow, to strengthen the feeble, to put life into all, and to teach the traitor that his treason shall be of no avail. Let it be borne in mind, however, that great activity is perfectly compatible with sound discretion. Reasonableness may become impas sioned and be reasonableness still. There is no occasion to rave and talk wildly, or to lose sight for a moment of the ultimate object, because acting under the impulse of a just indignation. Let frantic violence be left to the opposite party. They will give us enough of it; but let us meet them with earnestness—determination— activity. Rash and scheming Russell, and dastardly deceiving Peel, and all the rest of them, must be met and coolly overcome by showing that what they want to accomplish is not for the notional interest, and does not accord with the national will. Lord John Russell says that protection is the bane of agriculture. If he really believed this, he would be more fit for Bedlam than for the Cabinet or the House of Commons. It is precisely tee opposite of what he himself asserted when he owed his teat in Parliament to an agricultural constituency. That is a fact which he cannot deny; but he says he has changed his mind. Statesmen who change their minds upon matters of principle should not continue to he statesmen; they should seek some other occupation fbr their time and talents. To promote the profitable in dustry of the people should be the object of Govern inert. It may be denied that the present sliding-scale is the best method far promoting agricultural industry. It is a peint open for discussion. But to say that there should be no protection, and that foreigners should in future do a considerable. part of the business now done by British fartnere, that is a proposition for the maintaining of which a man deserves to be shut up in an asylum for the mare. That is the proposition, however, to which men who are called statesmen would now persuade the public ks,•;;lt ! Against tie folly —the treachery—the fear, we! the craft of such men, we call upon the Conservatives to be tip and stirring. The dernagagues evidently think that tl , fa is their time, and they are bellowing furioutly. The easily-excited and exaaedingly-misled populations of manufacturing towns, will probably give their aid to detnenstrations against the law which protects the in destre of their countrymen who work in the fields. But this srror, we trust, will not long c ;ntinue, if the British Conservatives make proper exec do is to show that it is at: error. This, then, is the time for exertion—for argl nieve persueaion—tor every effort that can be made in the cause of common sense and of justice. TIM ES, —The consternation which seized some, and the surprise which pervaded all, parties in the state, have scarcely subsided. It is true, strangely true, that the 'fury Government i.e out. More strangely true is it that a Whig Government is in. Men are obliged to cal; these facts to their recollection before they begin to spcctil-zte on future arrangements or prospective changes. It is an event which baffles the conjectures of shrewd inen, and offends the sober reason of practical men. To any one who remembers England in the autumn of 1841 this catastrophe must seem almost a miracle. Then the (v.'', de grace was given to a Ministry which had long ceased to exert any vigo tr or exhibit any genuine tiymptoin of vitality. The new Premier led Parliament With a working majority of 90 to back him. People read the , iivision lists twice over before they could believe the Uhf mon mho had formerly tied up the papers of seen,, routine (Alice, rind therefore called themselves poll tniiits, crowded on the steps of the Cariton,;hugged each °the= wi h slobbering and reciprocated cordiality, and rhankel God that the good old days of the constitution had returned. In every little village and market-town abere: .was joy and congratulation. The parsons and squires out-talked one another at the dinner table in praising the new Premier, and recounting their own Pro,Pee.ts. Many e ld er l y l a di es wept outright in the extremity of their inexpressible delight. The morning sun of Conservatism had risen, never to set , g , tia in the shades of opposition. The church— the gentry—the farmers —the wealthy and comfort awe classes generally—how was a party consisting of such elements to be dissolv e d ? How could it be ov ercome ? Yet, where is it n ow ? Gone—dissolved-- dijaintt d. Without appareht cause —without a distinct warning—in no party. conflict—during the periodical political warfare--while man places had tuspension of vet to be allotted. and manyp misapprehend. promises 'WHO yet to be fulfilled-10. t blirlisttheerT,lglreeaadr csotnriskeer! ap,parently hi ihrtz--his army melts away—and votivephalanx " becomes a headless and helpiesa trunk. There is lamentation the Carlton," bitterness of heart at the ponservati, e ,e Yotint..;er hrothers innumerable moan for the fore. fore. .ra gone en j o y men t s o f D own i n g-street, and u f.alaci,-s flit b e f ore t h e eyes o f disappointed l n er this iteetants with insufferable distinctness. o class there i s p ro b a bly no very genera l commiseration. " Wby did Peel resign ?" a nd " w hy did he resign just at thi, time !" are questions asked by gone more tre gun t;). and anxiously titan by those innocent persons t whom ha used to dole out the perquisites of small offices on the implied condition that they were to do their small work without presuming to thing, advise, or net for themselves. These and such as these will indulge in the virulent invective that the bile of-dis appointment can alone discharge. But it is a question, n ,t only for this, b u t f or a ll f uture t i me, w h y di d Peel resign ?—not a piece of political gossipry —not as a tittle-tattle of pique or spleen or temporary re sentment, but as a most curious subject of speculation, and a no less curious i n d ex to thecharacter of a V atesman who is more remarkable for the tactics where by he obtains, than for the skill with which he retains, power, It is no trivial thing to break up the alliances THE gtTN, LONDON, TUESDAY MORNAN that have been formed in the struggle, and the friend ships that have grown up in the toils of official life ; to forego the intimacies of years and the companionship of different fortunes,—it is no slight pain to be taunted by the base, and reproached by the judicious ; but most painful of all is it, after displacing a great and powerful psi ty, to elevate into its seat a faction which has no hold on the affections of the country. and which, by its narrow arrogance, may soon lose its little power in Par liament. LAW INTELLIGENCE. ROLLS' COURT, Dec. 13. His Lordship sat at 10 o'clock, and proceeded with the hearinz of some unimportant motions, which occu pied a considerable portion of the day. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORTHERNCIRCUIT.—York, Dec. 12. (Before Mr. Justice Elms.) CHARGE OF MURDER BY POISONING.—.Iane Windsor, aged 28, the wife of Richard Windsor, was charged with the wilful murder of Joseph Windsor, her stepson, at Easingwold, in the North Riding, on the 17th of July last, by giving him a quantity of arsenic. The poisoning was vatiously stated in the indictment, as administered in tea, in treacle, and in bread. Mr. Bliss, Mr. Matthews, and Mr. Blaashard were counsel for the prosecution ; Mr. Overend and Mr. Hardy appeared for the prisoner. Mr. BLlss, in opening the case, stated that the pri soner and her husband were labouring people, and em ployed in the neigbourhood where the alleged offence was committed. The deceased was the stepson of the prisoner, and at the time of his death was about seven years of age. The boy's father and the prisoner had been married in the year 1843, and a portion of the evidence to be adduced would be to prove repeated acts of cruelty on the part of the prisoner towards the de ceased, as indicating her dislike of him. The poison was of a kind commonly known as " bug- poison," and it was supposed that the child had been killed by the ad ministering of a substance of that kind, some of which had, just before his death, been used about the house inhabited by the prisoner's family. Elizabeth Leckoaley, widow, of Easingwold, deposed that on the 17th July she went to the prisoner's house, to ask if she and those that accompanied her were to go out to work. She sent the deceased for some cream. On the boy's return, he said, "Mother, you need not go to Mr. Gill's this morning ;" when she said as they were not going to work, she would give him some treacle and brimstone, as there was a very bad smell issued from his nose, which was at the time running very much. Wit ness did not see the bread, but afterwards saw it, and she then observed that it was of a dark colour. The prisoner gave the child some tea, and witness was confi dent it was sweetened with treacle, on account of what appeared at the bottom of the utensil she drank it from. There appeared to be about half a tea-spoonful of treacle to have been dissolved in the tea. Witness did not see any treacle put into the tea, but she judged from what she saw that the quantity specified by her was what had been administered to the deceased. She left the house whilst the prisoner mixed the draught, and some time afterwards the grandmother of the deceased wished her to go and see the boy. Witness did so, and she found deceased very ill and sick ; witness then asked if they had not sent for the doctor, to which the prisoner replied that she had sent for Mr. East dale, but be was not at home. Witness said they had better send for some one, as it might turn out a dangerous case. They sent for Mr. Scaife, but he not being at home, Mr. Wylie was sent for. The child at this time appeared to be very ill. The father and the mother were standing by. When Mr. Wylie attended the deceased was laid upon some chairs, but he was afterwards removed to a bed up stairs. The father was sent for, and whilst he was embracing the deceased, the latter threw himself back as though ho was suffering much pain. Witness afterwards took deceased upon her knee, and he threw himself back as though he was dying. On the Saturday following she stated to the pri soner that reports were prevalent that poison had been found in the child's stomach by Mr. Smile, when the prisoner said that she did not care what anybody said, nobody could prove that she had either purchased or administered any poison. Witness was present when the deceased died. The prisoner laid the deceased's legs straight, and said he might be there whilst she prepered her husband a cup of tea. Witness never saw the pri soner use any send. Croes-examined by Mr. OVEREND—Witness could not say how far the prisoner's house wa ; from Mr. Gill's. The prisoner said that if the boy brought the cream they would not go to work. It was about ten o'clock when witness went to the grandmother's. The prisoner and the grandmother were on very good terms. Witness did not know who went for Mr. Setae, but she believed that the prisoner went for him. Elizabeth Barker, the wife of Robert Barker, white smith, of Easingwold, deposed that she resided near the prisoner. On the 17th of July, the prisoner came to her house and said she was going to give the little boy some treacle and brimstone. About half an hour afterwards, the prisoner called at witness's shop and purchased some mint lozenges. The prisoner gave the deceased some lozenges, and she requested him to go up the yard, and said that the sickness with which he was than attacked would soon go off. He, however, soon returned on ac count of sickness, and the prisoner washed her hands with soft water, and again desired the deceased to run up the yard. The deceased vomited whilst this was going en, and witness held his head over a grate, when the mother washed away the vomit down a sink. Witness after wards removed the deceased into a chair in the house, and he felt very cold and in a state of perspiration. Sarah Terry came in, and the prisoner would have the father sent fbr. Sarah Terry's daughter went for him. This was about half-past ten, or from that time to eleven o'clock. The deceased asked for a drink of water, and witness gave him some marigold tea, after which he was purged. Witness next deposed to the surgeons being sent for, and also to some magnesia having been sent for, but deceased never partook of any. On the day on which the adjourned inquest was held the prisoner went into witness's house, when witness said, " Oh, Jane, why do you come into my house ? The sight of you will break my heart!" The prisoner said, " What have I done amiss ?" and witness answered that she was afraid she (the accused) was guilty of the crime. The prisoner responded that nobody could prove that she had ever had any poison, and that " she still cherished a hope that they would not hang her." The witness next deposed to the prisoner having asserted that whilst the boy was upon the chairs in the house, she must provide a clean shirt for the lad, " as there would be plenty to say if he was not supplied with one." About one o'clock on the day on which the deceased died, the prisoner said to her husband, who was fretting very much, that "he might be thankful the child was deal, for she was ; and that they should now live comfortable, as they had had nothing but dif fering and fratching over him." Cross-examined—The deceased was very sick whilst in the yard, and witness had also observed the prisoner treat him with ordinary affection, and had never seen her ill-treat him. Esther Mailey deposed that she kept a school, and knew where the prisoner lived. Witness knew the de ceased, who attended her school. He had been ill about two months previous to his death, but had not been pre vented from attending school. Between eight and nine o'clock on the morning in question, the prisoner called upon witness, and said that " she need not expect the deceased at school that day, as she was goi; , r; to give him some physic." She afterwards celled upon witness and said she wanted the,deceased to take:some camomile tea, which he refused, and she consequently wished wit ness to use her endeavours in causing' him to take the medicine. Witness had seen prisoner heat the deceased with a thick stick about a month before he died. She also deposed that she (witness) had heard the prisoner state that she had flogged the boy for going to his grand• mother's, and that on the Bth of July the prisoner in ibrined her that her husband had beat her i,i conse quence of her having previously flogged the de ceased. Subsequent to this period, the prisoner stated to witness that she had put Joseph (the deceased) to bed, in order that she might keep her hands upon him," tor what he had done on the previous day. From this witness's testimony it also appeared that prisoner and her husband frequently quarrelled, upon some of which occasions she had asserted " there never would be a word if the lad was dead." About three-quarters of an hour after the death of the deceased, the prisoner remarked, " they should now live comfortably, as they had never had a day's peace since they were married, on deceased's account," and did not appear at all concerned. About a week previous to deceased's death, witness heard prisoner say that she disliked her son (the deceased) worse than ever, on account of him telling so many falsehoods ; she, however, never heard her wish the boy dead, but proved that she invariably manifested a bad feeling towards him. Ann Williamson, wife of Williamson, of Easing. wold, cartwright, was next examined, but gave no ad ditional evidence in corroboration of the crime. Mary Sturdy stated that she was at the prisoner's house, and found the deceased vomiting. Witness sug gested to the prisoner that she ought to send for a surgeon, when she replied that she required none of their advice. The last time she saw the deceased he appeared in great agony. Mr. Robert Gill, solicitor, of Easingwold, deposed that he had some conversation with the prisoner on the day when the deceased expired, and he charged her with having put arsenic in the tea given to deceased. The prisoner's mother also charged her with the murder, and said, 4. We must have blood for blood, but Wind2or is innocent" The prisoner at the time was making great lamentation. Witness inquired when she had given the deceased the treacle and brimstone, and she replied that she had administered it before breakfast. She protested her innocence of the crime or all knowledge of it. _ Sarah Remmer corroborated the evidence of some of the previous witnesses. Sarah Terry deposed that on the 17th of July she was at prisoner's house. The boy complained of his inside in the presence of the prisoner. Berore he died she did not appear to fret, but she did a short time after wards. Mr. Williatn Teasdsle, surgeon, of Easingwold, who usually attended the family, deposed that the day de ceased died, and after his death, he went to the pri isoner's house, in consequence of hearing that he had been sent for. l ie went up stairs by the invitation of the prisoner, 503 when he was coming down she said, ~ p e ople say I have poisonet.: the child." Witness asked her if he had given the child anything, and he under• stood her to say that she had given him some treacle and brimstone. Prisoner allowed witness to take it with him, and he placed it in his surgery. Cross-examined —Witness had attended the child, and he had been struck with the prisoner's kindness and at tention to it, he knowing that she was the mother-in law. she W appeared a he e e d wentt o be the r house t in ea distress. Jane Todd, wife of Isaac Todd, of Easingwold, labourer, gon the day i n ques tion deposed that she was a neighbour of the prisoner's, and was called, but her evidence was not material. Mrs. Elizabeth Bearpark deposed that her father was the landlord of the house occupied by the prisoner, and that the prisoner, had stated about five or six weeks be fore the deceased's death that there were bugs in the house, and if somethit was not done at it she could not stay. Mr. Joseph Barker, father Cf last witness, proved the occupancy of the house in questi,en by the prisoner and her husband, which commenced some time in May last. The house was stoved before they enteNred it. In conse quence of receiving some information from his daughter, he went to the prisoner's house, and she told him she had got bugs ;n the house. He said thee was Robert Reacher, who was used to such jobs, and het would send him. Witness after wards saw Reacher, and c:i.rected him to go there. George Douthwaite, a druggist at Easingwold, &pose(' that he had frequently sold an article to Reacher for de stroying bugs, and that was composed of arsenic. T;'e article commonly called mercury is arsenic. Henry Potter, apprentice to the last. witness, proved that he had frequently sold arsenic to Reacher. Ho sold him, at different times, a pound of arsenic each time, in June last. Robert Reacher, wheelwright, of Easingwold, deposed that on the 20th of June last he purchased some arsenic at the shop of Mr. Douthwaite, for the purpose of mix ing it with water and washing the house of the prisoner. lle did to, and cautioned her not to let her boy go into the room for three or four days or a week, and she had better not go in herself till the room was cleaned out. He afterwards said to the boy " Now my little man, I hope they will not let thee sleep in that room for a few days," and stated that be should go on the follow ing night to clean the room out. He was going away when the prisoner said " Reacher, you have had a deal of trouble in coming down ; I will take the trouble and wash it off myself." He said " then what you do wash off you will promise me to dig a hole in the garden and bury it," and she said she would. He used a pound of arsenic on the occasion. He did not take particular no tice whether there was any sand on the floor. Cross-examined...He told the prisoner there was a whole pound, which was enough to poison a whole street. George Wood, butcher, of Easingwold, and a con stable there, searched the house of the prisoner on the 18th of July, but he found no arsenic on the premises ; he found some brimstone. He searched the person of the prisoner, and found nothing. He saw the deceased after death, when the prisoner was present. Witness said the child was poisoned, and some persons in the house said "No such thing." Witness went to the house last Wednesday, and he took a besom and swept the back bed room up stairs. lie collected a quantity of dirt, wrapped it up in a paper, brought it to York, and gave it to Mr. Barker and Mr. Procter, surgoons. Mr. Scaife, surgeon, of Easingwold, was summoned on the Friday to attend the inquest. He made a post niortern examination of the body. From the appearances, exter nally and internally, witness was of opinion that influm illation of the stomach was the cause of death, and that such appearances as he saw are generally produced by arsenic taken internally. Mr. T. 11. Barker, surgeon, and lecturer on chemistry at the York school of medicine, deposed that he made an analysis of the contents of the stomach of the de ceased as he received it from Mr. Scaife. Mr. Procter, surgeon and chemist, and Mr. Scaife, were present at the time. He described the tests which he applied to a portion of the stomach and its contents, after they had been boiled for a few minutes in distilled water; the result was that he detected the presence of arsenic. Mr. William Procter, assistant lecturer on chemistry at the York school of medicine, corroborated the evi dence of the last witness. He made subsequent exami nations of the contents, and detected arsenic combined with white sand. The sand was one-third in weight in proportion to the arsenic. The most common adultera- iiori of arsenic is with gypsum. Witness made an analy sis of the contents of the paper brought to him by Wood, the constable, and he found it to contain a great deal of dust, arsenic, and sand. lie subjected them to the same tests which Mr. Barker had described. The sand he found in the paper appeared to be more like red sand. The sand he detected in the contents of the stomach ap pearedto him to be Calais sand. _ Mr. 0 VEREND, for the prisoner, addressed the jury, and contended that the circumstantial evidence offered in this case was far short of sufficient to justtfy a conviction, and that such acts of harshness towards the child were not enough to show any such feeling of malice as would induce a person to commit so dreadfal a crime. The Learned Counsel concluded by calling a number of wit nesses, who bore testimony to the uniform kindness of the prisoner's disposition. His LORDSHIP, in summing up, observed that the tes timony which had been adduced on the part of the pro secution was entirely of a circumstantial character, but in such a ease, where there were so many chains of evi dence all tending to one great point—that of the convic tion of the guilty party—it frequently happened to lead to a result more firm and conclusive than the evidence afforded by one or two witnesses. There were two ques tions which the jury would have to consider in this case ; first, whether the deceased had died from the effects pro duced by poison, and, secondly, whether the prisoner at the bar was the person who had administered the poison. It had been unquestionably proved in evidence that up wards of fifty grains of arsenic bad been discovered in the stomach of the deceased, and consequently the first question was at once established. In regard to the other question, the facts of the case would require more atten tion and discrimination in the minds of the jury, but he hoped that they would be enabled to return such a ver dict as would be in entire coincidence with the testimony they had beard. His Lordship then proceeded to recapitulate the evidence, making suitable observations thereon. He also remarked that, from the statements which had been made by witnesses who had been called on the part of the de fence, that the prisoner had received the most une quivocal testimonials relative to her kindness of disposi tion and general character up to the time of the present melancholy transaction. The Learned Judge concluded by saying, that should the jury appear perfectly con vinced that the guilt of the prisoner had been fully es tablished, then it was their duty, in justice to the pro secution and to:the public at large, to record a verdict in accordance with that just conclusion. If, on the con trary, any doubt should exist on the minds of the jury, they would then discharge their responsibilities by al lowing the prisoner the benefit of such doubt. The jury retired for a few minutes, and on again en tering the Court, returned a verdict of Not Guiity. The Court rose at nine o'clock, the trial having occa pied its attention for twelve hours. (Before Mr. Baron PLATT.) George Garton, a youth of 17, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with having, on the 22d of Oct. last, at Hull, feloniously forged a cheque upon the Hull Banking Company, with intent to defraud Benjamin M'Turk. Several individuals were called, who gave the prisoner a most unexceptionable character for honesty and general attention to business previous to the present occurrence. Sentence def.rred. December 13. The Court was occupied with cases of no public in term. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. (Before the Right Hon. the LORD MAYOR, the Resonneß, &C.) The grand jury having retired to choose theirforeman, on their return they were sworn, and The RecoaDee, addressing them, said—Gentlemen of the grand jury, the interval which has occurred between the last and the present session is much less than a fortnight. There are, however, in the calendar the names of lee prisoners, and that number will be augmented by the riaines of a great many more hefere your duties are completed. Gentlemen, aLhaugh the calendar is not so numerous with regard to the cases of parties charged with crime, still, in prieportion to the time which has elapsed, it will probably bear comparison with any other calendar we have had this year. I lament to say, how ever, that some of those cases are of the most fearful description. There are two charges of murder, mid there is also a third case, the particulars of which were only laid before me this morning. I shall have occasion to refer very shortly to the two first cases, which, I can not entertain a doubt, you will feel it your duty to place before a petty jury. You will, perhaps, come to the conclusion that the third case requires also a course of investigation. With regard to the crime of murder, I shall only have occasion to observe that the fact of the killing being first proved, then all circumstances of accident, necessity, or infirmity, are to be proved by such evidence as either occurs in the case for the prose cution or in defence of the prisoner. You will have to say in these cases whether it is proved that the death was the wilful act of the party charged; and if that ap pears to be the case, you will, unless the prisoner, as I have before raid, can refer to any accident or necessity, tied a true bill against him fur the crime of murder. The third charge is against a young woman who is ac cused of destroying her illegitimate child by drowning it ; and I should not have referred to the case did I not feel it my duty to warn you that, whatever circumstances of compassion or other circumstances come before you, it will not be your duty to inquire into them. Neither will it be your duty to ascertain whether she was of sound mind at the time of the commi ss i on o f t h e act. All our butter feelings necessarily lead us to believe that when an act of great wickedness is done by a person of sound mind, or apparently of sound mind, who before the commission of the offence manifested the greatest attachment to a child, and that child her own offspring, that the person must have been under the influence of some aberration of mind to deviate in so great a measure from her ordinary conduct, tenderness towards the child. That question, however, must only be a matter of supposition and hope to you, for it will not be your duty to inquire ieto it, If it shall appear, therefore, that this young person occasioned the death of the child by drowning, it will be your imperative and bounden duty to place the case in a course of further inquiry, and to leave the ques tion of her sanity to those whose duty it will be to inquire whether she was in possession of all her faculties. There are two cases cf a nameless offence on the calendar, and it would be useless for the Court to go into the particu lars of these charges. They are supported en the evi dence of persons who made the discovery, under circum stances which render them almost eye-witnesses. A charge of misdemeanour almost amounting to a similer offence, and a charge of carnally knowing a girl under ten years of age, I dismiss to you with the like remark, as the evidence will render it your duty to send the cases for further inquiry. You may possibly feel some little — I was about to say astonishment, but that is too strong a word—you may feel some surprise that in cases of such moment the Court does not dwell on the particulars, but it is far from the intention of the Court to anticipate the final determination of these cases. There is also another reason for my not troubling you—viz., that these cases present no legal difficulty or any peculiar point of law for your consideration. Gentlemen, there is anokl er case a little o u t of th e ordi na ry way ; and there i s a case of demanding money with menaces. In these cases, generally speaking, there is a degree of mystery in the conduct of the parties offending, who assume that mystery in order to screen themselves more effectually. This case is described to be obtaining money by threatening to charge persons with an infamous crime. The facts will be placed before you, arid they will be enough to cause you to send the case to another jury. The case which I was about to refer to you is a case of having in possession an engraved plate of the half of a foreign note. That is the form of the charge ; but the various steps taken by the parties e e. cused render it a charge that can be presented in ninny forms. By the Acts of 11 Geo. IV. r.nd let Wm. IV., sec. 19, it is provided, that with regard to having is vas in salon engraved plates of foreign bills or notes, or th e uttering any engraved paper purporting to be tie e note of any person, bank, or corporation, is an offence for which the parties so offending are liable to not more than fourteen or less than seven years transporta tiou, or raore than three or less than two years imprisonment, unless they can show au authority from t"e person, bank, or corporation, whose note or plate they' to c ha cin ve tle i m m e it n a , t t e i c i l at o i r nfi u n tt i e t r e ed. misc l hie w f il n 1 li o g n h ly t • b r e e d ni o a n r e it b N, ou, parties vv! , o are well acquainted with the form of foreign notes coming over to this country, and passing for, ed instruments and notes of their own country, as if they were genuine. In all probability, tke persons who are engaged in foreign trade would be the sufferers to e. great extent, and commercial interests would be ria terially affected. I will now refer you to the Acts I hare mentioned, and which especially provide for such offences. (The Recorder here read that part of the Act referring to this crime.) I have troubled you with the section of the Act at some length, because, in con sidering the facts of the depositions, it appears to me, that there are circumstances applicable to more than one branch of the clause, the particulars of which I have read to you, as the possession of any paper, or plate en graved, and purporting to be s good note or plate, ap plies to all the provisions of this Act. It will be a matter of no consequence whether the party ulti ma t e ly de frauded be a foreign prince or any other foreign power or person, as the guilty parties—if proved to be so—are quite amenable to the laws of this country. There dues not appear to me to be any other cases on the calendar worthy of particular notice, and I will now dismiss you to your labours. The Recorder having made a few re marks to the grand jury on the nature of their duties, then dismissed them to their duties. Caroline Cummins, 23, spinster, and Mary Cummins, 21, were indicted for feloniously stealing a silver coffse pot, value 141., the property of Sarah Hunter Taylor Cathcart, in the dwelling-house of Charles Shaw. In another count the property was said to belong to Mr. Shaw. It will be remembered that the prisoners were ar raigned upon an indictment, charging them with being concerned with other persons in a very extensive rob bery from the house of Mr. Shaw, in whose house the prisoner Caroline lived as servant, at the last session of this Court, but upon the Counsel for the prisoner making a suggestion that Mrs. Shaw, the wife of the prosecutor, had sanctioned the pawning of the property, and that lady being too ill then to attend to contradict the insinuation, the prisoners obtained an acquittal, and the other indictments were then ordered to stand over to the present session, in order that Mrs. Shaw might be en abled to attend. Mr. PARRY having briefly stated the circumstances under which the charge was brought against the pri soners, and alluded to the nature of the defence set up on the former occasion, proceeded to call the witnesses. From their testimony it appeared that the prosecutor, Mr. Charles Shaw, is a solicitor on Fish-street-hill, and his country residence was No. 11, Walwortlaterrace, where the prisoner, Caroline Cummins, was employed as servant in his establishment. It seems that a lady named Cathcart had left in Mr. Shaw's care a box, containing a large quantity of silver plate, which was corded and i placed under his bed for security. In the month of October it was discovered that the box had been opened and a great deal of the plate abstracted, and the pri soner, Caroline Cummins, upon being taxed with the robbery, then gave her mistress seventeen duplicates, and admitted to her master, who afterwards questioned her, that she had taken the property at the instigation of her sister Mary, and that she had given her the articles to pledge. Mrs. Shaw, upon being cross-examined by Mr. BAL LANTINE, said that in the previous January she hail dis covered that the plate was pledgsd, and the prisoner Caroline then also admitted that she had pledged it ; but on her going upon her knees and entreating her forgive ness, she consented to advance the money to redeem the property, and kept the circumstance from the knowledge of her husband. She said that the prisoner had ben many years in her service, and she acted as she did solely from a feeling of kindness towards her, and she declared that she had not the slightest knowledge of the fact of the subsequent pawning until the prisoner pro duced the duplicates. Mr. Shaw confirmed the testimony of his wife, and added that when he questioned the prisoner Caroline, she said that her sister Mary would come to the house, and that she had compelled her to give her the plate to pledge, and she begged him to have mercy upon her. Christopher Greeves, the shopman of Mr. Turner, a pawnbroker in the Walworth-road, proved that the pri soner Mary Cummins pledged the coffee-pot at his master's shop on the 30th of March, in the name of Mary Back. The cofte-pot was produced, and identified by Miss Cathcart as being her property. Mr. BALLANTINE having briefly addressed the jury, after a short deliberation they returned a verdict of Guilty against both prisoners. The RECORDER said the Court would be glad to have some information with regard to the prisoners, in order to guide its judgment as to what sentence ought to be passed upon them. Mrs. Shaw informed the Learned Judge that Mary Cummins had been in her service several years ago, but she had discharged her, and forbade her to come to the house. She had very good reason to believe that she had become acquainted with some very bad characters, and that she had instigated her sister to rob them. The RECORDER then ordered Mary Cummins to be brought up for judgment, and after observing that her case was a very aggravated one, as there was every rea son to suppose that she had brought her sister into her present situation, he said he felt it his duty to pass upon her a sentence of transportation for ten years. There were several other indictments against these prisoners for stealing other articles of plate, but they were not proceeded with. The prisoner Illaty Cummins was then indicted, with a woman named Elizabith Clayton, for stealing a coat, the property of Mr. Shaw. The article had also been pledged at Mr. Turner's shop, but Mr. Turner, jun., who took the pledge, could nut identify the patty who made it. • A verdict of Not Guilty YrRS accordingly returned. The same prisoners were then arraigned for stealing a pair of trousers, and upon this indictment a verdict of Guilty was returned against Clayton. They were then charged upon another indictment with stealing a gold ring, the pr property brotaosreocbluieitloe o sr f o,Cm A u l em r s . ami S di h n, a w . The jury returned a verdict of Guilty aga i ns t b o th . They were called up for judgm en t, an d t h e Re corder, after remarking that it was ev id ent t h ere had been a complete conspiracy t o p l un d er t h e groundst hadhathat for as been sup posing pr o therepe property that the appear, r ht o s i eowneevre, made the dupe of older and more designing persons the Court would feel itself justified in passing a coin partitively lenient sentence, which w as , t h at s h e b e imprisoned and kept to hard labour for one year. Th e other prisioner, Clayton, he senten ce d t o e i g h teen months' hard labour. receiving some articl es t h at h ad been with An f n e e lo ß ni e o u u c s /i l) n , an was then placed at th e b ar, c h arge d stolen by the prisoner Caroline Cummins. Mr. leeenv said, that in this case he did no t p ropose to offer any evidence, because, although ny t g h u er il e ty w h ei n s ISO doubt that th e p r isoner had received th e property in question, the prosecutor considered it very p ro b a bl e she might ha ve d une so without having a ledge. A verdict of Not Guilty was accordingly returned. Mr. PARRY then applied for the Court to order the pawnbroker to give tip the plate in his possession. He ai; the same time stated that, during a few months, plate had been pawned with him to the amount of 5001., wi t h. out, as it appeared, any observation being made. The RECORDER said that he could only observe, th a t if the same charitable conclusion bad not been put up on the conduct of the pawnbroker as had been extended t o the last prisoner (Henchman), he might have f oun d him self in a very awkward position. The only atonement he could make, was to give sip the whole of the property. Mr. Turner, jun., said he believed Mary Cummins was the wife of a respectable person, and that the plate was her property. Mr. PARRY said the greater part of Mr. Shaw's plate, that bad also been stolen in addition to Miss Cath cart's, bore his initials, and some part of it his crest. the RECORDER said he hoped tin Turner would be more careful in future. Ile was not at all prepared to say what view the jury might have taken of his conduct if he had been placed in the dock. At present, he must understand that the Court made an order for him to deliver up the whole of the property. The plate was then giveu up to the prosecutor. William Harding, 23, a very well-dressed young man, described as a shoemaker, but who is believed to be one of the gang who are in the habit of prowling about the different banking houses for the purpose of com mitting felonies, was indicted fur stealing a pocket-book, nine 104 Bank of England notes, two 51. notes, tw o cheques for 1,0004 each, and other securities, altogether of the value of 2,7001, the property of Robert Vaughan Wynne Williams, from his person. The prosecutor said he was a solicitor, residing in the Temple, and o n th e 27th N o vember he had occasion to go to Messrs. Morti mer ' s bank, where he changed a cheque for 1001., and placed the notes he received in his pocket-books, which at the time contaized the other securities mentioned in the indictment. He put the pocketbook into the hind-pocket of his body coat, which bed a wrapper over i t, an d proceeded on his w ay back to th e T em pl e . A s h e w as passing by Bucklers bury, he felt a very slight touch at his coat, and inane. dieeely put his hand to his pocket, and feeling a packet of letters in it, he imagined that his pocket- book was safe, and thought no more of the circumstance ; but when he got to his chambers he found that his pocket-book was gone. It had since been shown to him, with its contents perfectly safe. John Coram, a sergeant of the City police, deposed, that from some information he received about the time the robbery was committed, he went into Gutter-lane, and saw the prisoner walking along with his hands in his pockets, and the moment 'he observed him he ran off. Witness pursued him, calling " Stop thief," and he saw him take a pocket-book out of his pocket- Ile then turned up a court, and ho lost sight of him for a minute, but he stopped him directly afterwards, and the pocket book was picked up close by him. Mr. BALLANTINE said it would be useless for him to attempt to struggle with this evidence, and he must leave the prisoner in the bands of the jury. The RECORDErA having briefly addressed the jury, they at once returned a verdict of Guilty. The L es - ..ned JUDGE, in passing sentence, said there was ver y little doubt that the prisoner was one of a e g 'of persons who were in the habit of hanging about "%king-houses for the purpose of committing plunder t it this description, and it was very evident that he was it skilful hand at these matters. The sentence, therefore, Was, that he b. transported for ten years. .NEW COURT. (Before Mr. Commissioner BIILLOCC) CAUEZZY ON THE HIGH SlCAS.—Alexande- Gordan, captain of the barque Nathesis, and John Cummins, mate of the same vessel, were charged with having cruelly assaulted William Scott, one of the apprentices on board that vessel, about the 20th of June last, while the ship was near the line. Mr. PAYNE, the counsel for the prosecution, said the case was one of a serious character, and if proved would exhibit a very cruel mind in those who have been in - dieted-on the ch . arge. The charge was made against the master and mate of the Nathesis of assaulting and cruelly treating Scott, the apprentice. One day, after crossing the line, the boy had been rather tardy in getting up out of bed. Cummins, the mate, went below with a rope's end, and flogged him up on deck. When the boy came on deck he was sent aloft to tar the royal rigging, with nothing on him except a blue shirt. The mate followed him up, and struck him while aloft, but the boy, to escape the flogging, leaped to lay hold of the stays, which be missed, and fell into the water. But the main part of the charge was—when the boy was brought upon deck, after falling into tho water, the mate pulled the shirt over the boy's head, and the master himself gave him two dozen of strokes with a cat made for the purpose. The mate wished to give him another dozen, bat the master refused to allow him then; but a short time after the boy was brought again on deck, and the mate gave him a down more. The boy was then taken down into the cabin, and was placed on his knees on the cabin floor. The master and the mate then said they would pour vitriol on his back. The master re quested the mate to put it on the boy's back, as he was afraid of burning his fingers. The mate had the same fear, and hesitated to use the liquid, but he afterwards poured what both called vitriol out of a bottle on the back of the apptentice Scott. Mr. PAYNE then proceeded to call the witnesses to prove the charge. The first witness called was the boy William Scott. He said he was an apprentice on board the Nathesis barque. Gordon was the master, and Cummins the mate. The day aft er cross i ng the line, he was late in getting up. lie was flogged up on deck, and then sent up the foremast with the tar barrel to tar the royal rigging. He had nothing on but a blue flannel shirt. W hen he refused to tar the rigging, the mate, who was aloft, struck him. Mr. BALLANTINE here interrupted the evidence, to say that his Learned Friend had so conducted the case as to make the acquittal of Capt. Gordon a matter of justice. He had already proved an assault against the mate. There was but one count in the indictment. The assault proved against the mate satisfied that count ; the captain, therefore, he argued, must be acquitted. It had been settled so long ago as the time of Lord Ellenborough, in the case of ‘• Stant v. Prickett." More than one assault had been cemmitted in that case. The counsel for the prosecution had proved one assault, and was proceeding to prove another, when Lord Ellenborough stopped him, and said he might have detained th e Court and the jury all day going; through the different charges in order to select the one on which to rely ; his Lordship said that must be done by counsel previous to coming into Court ; enough in that case had been proved to satisfy the count. On this ground he (Mr. Ballantine) held that enough had been proved to satisfy the single count in the ineictment in the present case, and as that was proved against the mate alone, he held that Captain Gordon should be acquitted. Mr. HunneEsroste, Counsel for the mate Cummins, objected against the Counsel for the prosecution tend , ring evidence of any further act in which the mate might have been concerned. The case in the present instance was analogous, he said, to the case 'f a declaration. There, if there was but one count put in, and a justifi cation proved by the accused for any one of the assaults committed, that justification was held to apply to the single instance of assault proved. The prosecutor was at liberty to pat any number of counts he pleased on the indictment, but if he had put one only, he must choose that act on which he will rely and prove that. He said his Learned Friend wouid argue that the charge in this case was a joint charge, but it was joint and several. Mr. PAYNE said the charge was a joint one, and the evidence put in was not intended to prove the act of as sault, but only an incident leading to it. Mr. BALLANTINE, in reply, said an assault was an assault by whatever name it might be called. Mr. HIIDDLESTONE, for the mate, said if his Lordship was prepared to admit the charge was a joint charge, then he must be prepared to follow his principle out, hir if the charge were a joint charge, one being acquitted, both must be acquitted. The Learned COMMISSIONER retired to consult with the Learned Recorder. On returning into Court, he in timated that the opinion expressed by the Learned Re corder coincided with his own, and that no further evi dence could be brought against either of the accused. The jury was then directed to find Captain Gordon Not Guilty. The testimony of the boy Scott was continued—He said that the mate came up with the intention of flogging him. When he saw this he jumped off the yard-arm, and attempted to lay hold of the backstays, but, missing them, fell into the water. He was a quarter of an hour in the water. Mr. lIUDDLESTONE objected to evidence of anything more that might have happened ; enough had been brought forward to satisfy the Court. The objection was allowed, and Mr. Huddlestone proceeded to cross-examine the boy Scott. He said it was his watch that morning. 'I he watch began at 7 bells, that is half an hour before eight o'clock. When he came up he found all the watch on deck. He did not know what time it was then. (Th e capta i n h ere was o b serve d b y a juryman making use of means to intimidate the boy in giving his evidence, and was ordered out of Court.) Scott said there were four men and two boys in the watch ;he was one of the boys. All the sails were set except the flying-jib and the spanker. At that time he (witness) *as dozing in bed, when the mate came down and gave him two or three blows on the back with a rope's end, He then ran up to the deck. Ile was ordered up to tar the ropes with nothing on but a blue woollen shirt. He asked the mate to allow him to put on some clothes, a pair of trousers at least ; but the mate refused this. He refused to tar the ropes in this condition, and was struck by the mate while on the yard-arm, which he jumped from to catch the stays, but tell into the water. William Morris was a seaman on board the Nathesis and remembered Scott having been in the water. He, saw the mate go down below with a rope ire his hand. On the deck he saw the mate give the boy two or three blows ; the boy then had no trousers on. When aloft he saw the mate in chase of the boy. The boy ran along the yard-arm, where the mate struck him twice or thrice. The boy then jumped off the fore lee yard-arm to catch the back-stays, but he missed them and fell into the water. The boy might have been a quarter of an hour in the water. He could swim a little. The ship was put about, and the boy was picked up. He, witness, was then at the wheel. Harris, another seamen, was called into the witness box, but proved nothing. The Counsel for the mate then addressed the jury. The Learned COMMISSIONER said that an assault had been admitted ; the jury were to consider whether that assault had been justified, and if they should find so they were to acquit the prisoner. The jury, after consulting, found the mate Not Guilty. The mate is, however, still in custody. The case will be tried on a new indictment on Thurs day next. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL. Mr. Alderman Wilson gave the opinion of the Court upon a novel question which had been started, as to the right of a passenger by an omnibus to shift from the out • side to the inside without paying double fare. The conductor of one of Giles's Stratford and Chel sea omnibuses was summoned for demanding more than the legal fare from a gentleman named Cox, who rode from the Mile-end•road to St. Paul's. Being told the omnibus was full inside, he got upon the box, telling the conductor he should get inside as soon as there was room. A passenger alighted at the London Hospital, and Mr. Cox then got in, but was told by the conductor that he should require a fare for riding outside and one for riding inside, which two fares he paid. Mr. Alderman WILSON said that, in the absence of any direct provision for this case in the Act of Parlia ment, he must be governed by the general policy of the law. Omnibuses, like public-houses, were licensed to afford accommodation to the public. The publican was bound to open his house and afford accommodation to the traveller at any hour of the night, and, in return, certain exclusive privileges of selling spirils, &c., were secured to him. The omnibus proprietors had privileges accorded to them, and they were, in re turn, to afford certain accommodations to the public. One of the principles of the Metrop.litan Carriage Act plainly was, that the convenience of the public was not to be sacrificed to the profit of the omnibus owner. The profit of the owner would be sonsulted by allowing him to blow a horn and call hi■ customers from afar, and by allowing him to wait at the top of every street, or to loiter on his journey till he had filled his carriage ; but the law did not allow the public convenience to be thus sacrificed to individual profit, and so he held in this case the right of a passenger to shift to any more con venient unoccupied seat inside or outside the omnibus was not to be fettered merely for the profit of the pro prietor. In the present case the legal fare for the half distance was fixed at sixpence. This was painted within the omnibus, and to demand more than the legal fare was an offence by the statute ; and while the mere changing of a seat added no weight to be carried, and did not diminish the number of seats to be let, he saw no ground for doubling the fare. Conductors were in the habit of asking gentlemen to ride outside to accommo date a lady, without (saving over the sixpence obtained b 7 that accommodation, and the conductors must give as well as take accommodation. He saw nothing ill the Act to warrant him in deciding that a passeu ger was bound to keep to the first seat taken. H e thought the passenger might shift to any better unoccupied seat, and he ought not to be kept out of it upon a speculation that somebody unknown might take it, which somebody might not be picked up at all. He did not mean to decide that an outside passenger might claim a single unoccupied place inside after a stranger had hailed the conductor and to the loss of that fare. If the proprietor had no other means to test the honesty of his servants but by counting the outside passengers at DEC AMBER 16, 1845. P different points of the journey (which was not the fact), still he held this to be an insufficient ground for exact ing double fares from the public for a reasonable accom modation. The fares were laid down, not as for travel ling inside or outside, but for riding over a certain space, and the inside and outside fares being the same, he could not hold that two fares were legally chargeable on one person riding over that space without leaving the omni bus for any purpose. He decided that the conductor had demanded an illegal fare, but as it was a new case he would allow the defendant to pay the costs only, if he would proalise not to repeat the offence. The defendent readily promised this, and was dis charged. Mr. Hodgson, the superintendent of the City police, then appeared to answer a complaint for neglecting to attend before the Magistrate on Monday last, being warned to do so by two inhabitants of Lambeth-hill, who were preparA with evidence against a disorderly house on that hill, and required the constable to be bound to prosecute the house on that evidence, at the expense of the parish. Mr. Hill, the ward clerk of Queenhithe, said he did not press for a penalty, but to obtain a decision for their future guidance. The statute of 25 George 11., c. 36, required that the constable to be bound should be the "constable of the parish or place, or other peace officer of the like nature." By the Police Act, the election of parish constables was suspended in the City, but all their powers were transferred to the City police, Ile consi dered, therefore, the chief officer of the police was the fittest person to be summoned to be bound, being the most likely to perform such a duty properly. It was said he should have summoned the beadle of the ward instead ; but it appeared that, from one of the Corpora tion blue books, a report of the Trader s ' F ree d om Com mittee, that the ward beadle was not one of the con stables of the parish, but a servant of the Alderman, lie referred to an extract relating to the mode of conducting a wardmote in the time of Henry V., to show the duties of a beadle and of a constable. Mr. Alderman WiLsoN drew his attention to the word " place." Was not a ward a place, and a beadle an officer of aylaceof like nature to a constable ? Mr. Hill thought a constable of the City better an swered the description, and where the proper party had not prosecuted, it had been held to be illegal. The City Solicitor said the decision in that case was decidedly against Mr. Hill, for it showed why a con stable of the parish, and not of the county or any other place, was the proper person to be bound. It was be cause he was under the control of the overseers, and would incur no extravagant charges in conducting the prosecution. Now the police superintendent was not under that oontirol of the overseers. Mr. Hill thought the City police better qualified to make the necessary inquiries. Mr. Alderman WILSON saw no reason for passing by the ward officer and going to the officer of the whole City. The local officer would be better with locality, and better able to say who were residents in the house and who wore visitors. The 95 parishes in the City would have each an equal right to bind the superinten dent of the City police to prosecute bad houses, and he would have no time for his other duties. Mr. Hill said if the law cast the duty upon him he must do it. Mr. Alderman WILSON decided that Mr. Hill had summoned the wrong officer, and dismissed the com plaint. - Mr. Farrar announced that the house objected to had been abandoned by the late occupant. The City Solicitor mentioned that he had taken an opinion on the question raised by Mr. Hill, and it coin cided esectly w:;11 that which had been given by the magistrate in the outset. Mr. Hill should have selected the beadle of the ward. CLERKEN WELL. Two fellows, named While and Mussum were charged with the following brutal conduct : On the previous night, two unfortunate girls were standing on the City-road-bridge, when the prisoners, who were perfectly sober, came up, and, without having received any provocation, struck one of the girls, Maria Barwood, on the head twice. She shouted " Police," and police-constable Walker, 88 N, came to her assist ance. He took the prisoner into - custody, but he im mediately turned on the constable, and with a blow felled him to the groun d. Walker bad just got upon his legs, when Mussum knocked him down again. Both prisoners ran away, but were finally. captured. White was fined 11., or seven days' imprisonment ; Mussum lOs., or five days. HAMIVERSMITH. A retired licensed victualler, named Wm. Bolton, living at Hammersmith, appeared before Mr. G. Clive, *he sitting magistrate, to answer a summons for assault ing his wife. _ The case disclosed circumstances which excited much disgust in all who heard the evidence. It appeared that the defendant and his wife had been married upwards of twenty years, during which period she had borne him nineteen children. Of late years defendant had treated his wife very unkindly, by beating her, and more parti enlarly by cohabiting with a niece of his, who had lived with them from two years of age, and by whom he has had four children, the youngest of which is eight mouths old. The defendant denied most positively the truth of his wife's statement, declaring that he treated her with the greatest kindness, although she had continually rol,bed him ; that she was insane, and had been in no less than 16 madhouses, and he called two witnesses. One of the witnesses was his own son, a boy 14 years of age, who acknowledged that the niece had a child eight months old, and that she was living with his father. Mrs. Grant, a friend of the wife's, said, in answer to questions by the Magistrate, that the wife was not insane, but that a sense of the o rongs she had received had driven her to drink. Mr. CLrvE said, although the assault complained of was a slight one, he had determined on fining the de fendant in the full penalty of 51., and he would inflict a similar fine every time that he appeared at that Court under the same circumstances. The defendant declared that he would not pay the money. He would appeal. Mr. Clays said he then stood committed to the House of Correction for two calendar months. Defendant was then locked up. MARKET NE WS.-(YESTERDAY.) C OILN-EXCSAN 0 E. During the last week the arrivals of all kinds of grain of home produce, but more especially those of Wheat,.Barley, Peas, and Flour, were somewhat extensive. Owing, however, to the variableness of the weather, a large portion of the snpplies come to hand greatly out of condition. From Ireland the receipts of Oat were small, while the im ports of Foreign Grain was on a very moderate scale. Fresh up coastwise, as well as by land carriage and samples, the supply of English Wheet was very small; nevertheless, the stands were somewhat heavily supplied with samples of both red and white, left over from last week. The same uncertainty existing as was the case this day se'nnight, respecting what change will be effected in the corn-laws, buyers held off purchasing; hence the de mand for all descriptions of home produce was evcessively dull—so dull, indeed, that, in some instances, prices were almost no m i na l. H owever, to effect vales, an abatement in the quotations of from is to 2s per quarter was :submitted to by the factors. At the close of the markets a large portion of the supply re mained unsold. The supply of free Foreign Wheat was small, but fully equal to the immediate wants of the trade. Selected parcels were held firmly, at quite as much money ; but other kind s mus t b e cons id ere d c h eaper. Corn under lock commanded very little attention, yet holders would not sell, in anticipation of future events, except at extreme rates. Notwithstanding the supply of I3arley was large, the best malting samples very few of which were on offer moved off steadily, at full prices. Other descriptions must be considered quite is per quarter cheaper. The best town-made Malt supported last week's rates. In all other kinds, which might have been purchased on somewhat lower terms, next to nothing was doing. The show of Oats was but moderate, yet the inquiry for that article was in a very depressed state, and quotations had a downward tendency. We had a full average supply of Beans on offer. Selected parcels supportediprevious currencies, but other kinds were somewhat cheaper. Peas were in good supply, and heavy inquiry, on somewhat lower terms. Flour dull, and cheaper to sell. CURRENCY PER IMP - Wheat—Essex k Kent, Red, New • . 56s to 65s Ditto,White, Old.. 583 695 Norfolk and Lin coln, Red • • 54s 58s Ditto, White...... 56s 60s Irish, Red. . Ditto, White • • 56s 608 Rye—Old New. .. ••. • • • 348 36s Barley—Grinding .•• • . 26s 29s Malting . .. • ... 32s 3.5 s Chevalier .. .. •• • • 355 rs Malt—Suffolk and Nor folk ........ .... 56s 588 Brown ..... 518 54s Kingston and Ware 62s 64s FOREIGN GRAIN A] Wheat—Dantzic s4s to 658 liamburgh Barley Oats- —New 261 28e ee d •.. • .. 225 24s 8 ECITEPID LD. THE GREAT CHRISTMAS MARKET. This being the day appointed for holding the great Christ mas market, the attendance of both town and coun try dealers was numerous at a very early hour. AN was to be expected, the arrivals of beasts, from nearly every part of England were large, though not quite equal i n num b er to those at ie corre sponding day in 1844, when 5,713 head were shown. Notwithstanding that falling off, the supply was by far more extensive than that shown in 1842, and in many preceding years. I n re f erence to the quality of the various kinds brought forward on this occasion, we may observe that it was never excelled. It is true there were not quite so many large animals on sale as last season, but their general weight and condition were finer than we tVer remember, scarcely any breed coming. to hand bentath the middle quality. This to some extent—the choice for the butchers being so great—operated against any great advance in prices, and, on the whole, the Beef trade must be considered inactive, at currencies vary ing from 33 6d to 4s 8d per 81bs, and at which a total clear ance was not effected. In particularising the Bullock show, the Devons, as to their peculiar points, were the most numerous and best exhibited. Next we may place the Here fords, which valuable breed was greatly admired by all present. The Sussex Beasts never came to hand so well, while the North Devons were in full force. The Scots, too, were ex ceedingly good, and amongst the best disposed of were twenty-four, the property of Mr. Cartniele, by Mr. Vorley. Toere was scarcely a great breeder in England that did not for ward animals to-day, Sir Charles Knightley had some most wonderful beasts, which, for symmetry and weight, have been seldom equalled. The number of foreign beasts imported into London in the past week, has amounted to sixty-three, forty being received from Rotterdam, seven from Har lingen, and fourteen from liamburgh, The imports of Sheep have consisted cif two hundred and ...,oxty.two head, in, for the most p ar t, goo d condition. To-day we had on offer 40 foreign Beasts and 190 Sheep, which sold at fully last week's (potations. At the outports about 60 Beasts and 180 Sheep have arrived from Holland. From our northern grazing districts we received 2,300 short horns ; from the eastern counties, 500 Scots, short-horns, &c. ; from the western and midland, 1,600 Herefords, Devons, runts, &c.; from other parts of England, 1,000 of various kinds ; from Scotland; 2)0 Scots; and from Ireland, 120 blatitg. The numbers 'ERIAL MEASURE Malt — Chevalier... — . • . Ms to 37i Oats Yorkshire and Lincolnsh., Feed. 24s 27s Potatoe .. 30s 32s Youghai - and Cork, Black . ... •• . 27s 2!, Cork, White . 293 31., Scotch, Feed. • • 28s 3?, Beans—Tick . ..... 36s 40 9 Pigeons ..... 44s 49s Pease—Grey. Maple White ••• • • • 53s 58s Boilers Flour—Town-made .• • 56s 60 s Suffolk .. Stockta & Norfolk 48s 52 9 ID FLOUR IN BOND. Beans . Pease.. ..... Flour—American ... • • 28s 30s Baltic ----- mad " of Sheep were somewhat en the increase, unusually prime quality ; indeed th e o ld es t mall living o o saw so splendid a collection o f tlist description of 6t p ori was the case here this m orn i ng . As t o we i g ht, the etsi were in admirable order ; whil e th e Kents, Leic Gloucesters, and all other bre e d s , were in el ‘ ce sif condition. Although the M u tt on t ra d e w as not t° brisk, a full average amount of bolos. le i doing, and last week's quo t a ti ons were supported',oil instance. Tl:ere was only a mod e r a te number of Ca l Tot offer. Best qualities of Veal were in demand , a t s jil. rates; but other kinds h ung on hand. o f. the whole of the supply was disTes e ",.. fit thf The show of Pigs was extrem e ly goo d i n quality, "." number was by no means large. Ea c h kind ofF orl ; c eo readily at fully, but at nothi ng quo t a bl e b e yond, last oil prices. Considering the vast supplies of stock be re c or morning, every thing passed off extremely well ; the 1,14 modatious being of the same character as those proVl year. Per,ilbs. to sink the offal. a. 0, ts : ' 4 ' s. s. d. Inferior Beasts • 3 6 3 8 Second quality ditto 4 0 4 Second quality ditto. 310 4 0 Coarse-woolledtiltto 4 Prime large Oxen.. 4 2 4 4 tioutlaloAvn Wethers 4 10 Prime Scots •• • 4 6 4 8 Ditto out of the wocl -- , g , 4 `, Large coarse Calves 2 4 8 Large Hogs •••••• 3 , i P:imc small ditto .. 4le 4 2 Small Porkers •• • • Stickling Calves ..18 0 30 C Quart er e ld Pigs •• 1 . inferior Sheep • • . 3 4 316 Lai. be •••••• • • • • ° - SUPPLY Al MARKET. I Sheep. 1 . Calves. I 2.5,240 190 Beasts. b,326 IZEWG.CITE ./1.17111 ft From various distant parts of England, as wel aiirj Scotland, the arrivals of s l aug h tere d meat u p to Il!`" - e id° kets during the past week have been on the incressel le or somewhat improved q ua lity. Wi t h meat killed in ;d e b , / tropolis we have been well s uppli e d, ye t t h e g eneral tr a y if ruled firm, and prices hare been w e ll supported in eve il stance. .Afew carcases of for e ig n Beasts and SheeP been disposed of at fair quotations. At per stone, by the Carcase. A •• to o R. d. to s. I 1 Beef, inferior...... 2 B 210 M u tto n , i n f er ior •• : 4 - middling .. •• 3 0 3 2 iniddling•• 4 4 - prime large .. 3 4 3 C prime •• •• 0 4 - prime small •• 3 6 3 S Pork, large.• • • • • • • '; b Veal— •• •• .. 4 5 0 •• • " Lamb. es Od to Os Od. ARRIVALS DURING THE PAST WEED* rigg• Beasts Sheep CAlv« 400 50 380 800 GO 450 70 150 90 40 60 1 0° 30 SO ..- 50 70 ""-- 60 150 97 00 80 300 1 30 • 79 0 100 gO6 325 Scotland ..... Yorkshire Lincolnshire Norfolk .......... Suffolk .......... Cambridgeshire Essex . .. Surrey ...... Devonshire ....... Wiltshire ......... Other parts 100 Total .... • ... 515 2,190 Previous week's arrival.... • • 450 1,320 — 4lO Difference since our last .... 65 870 181 BOROUGH AND SPITALPTEIe O7 ,:gr 1r The arrivals of Potatoes at the waterside sin" - e de r l have been on the increase, and of somewhat imprq cei ,b 9 lity. The best parcels have sold steadily at full Pri 90 16 all other kinds have been a mere drug. y York 8 1 16 0 // 120 s; ditto Regents, 1005 to POs; ditto Blues, t dy Scotch Reds, 75s to 80s; Jersey Blues, 70s to 7591"' BOROUGH HOP 117.6.1110EZ _. ;; ; 1 1: 11 Although the supply o f H ops on offer is contP'" small, the demand i s in very inactive state, at 11 71 9 L; quotations. New Hops:—Suss ex P oc k e t s 61 10 9 t° Weald of Kent ditto, 61 10 5 to 71 lOs ; M i d K en t ditty 1Y ; to 91 10s. Yearlings :—S•tssex Pockets, 61 6s t ° Wealds, 61 8s to 71; Mid Bents, 61 15s to 7110 s. • 0 11 WOOL. htfe In the past week the impoits of foreign Wool unusually small. In the private contract markets nothing is doing, and prices are almost nominal. TALLOW. I f ! e ' This market is firme r th an on th i s d ay seinnigh-teAl for delivery, in all this month, may be sold at 411 u - 'OlOl on the spot, Y. C. is worth 425. The price for th e ifsol t months is 42s 6d to 42s 9d, but there are very fe W jossr d ready sellers. The quan ti ty now to arrive is ver 7 s issori about 1,000 casks only, and the stock on the Ist of:,d:rt next will not exceed from 26,000 to 27,000 casks, smallest for many years. Town Tallow is not abort it can be had at 42s 6d net cash. t , new 111 " MART HOWITT'S NEW NOVEL.—T h e im ott2 l , entitled " The Citizen of Prague," edited by Maii„l - t P r o p 3 vols., is published this day by Mr. Colburn, of ‘ T ,Th'es borough-street, and may now be had at all the liol;; Colburn has also just published the following ae ca ll' lo- 1 of fiction : —2. The Queen of Denmark, an Histori edited by Mrs. Gore, 3 vols.-3. Dunster Castle, o st bsc o the Great Rebellion, by J. T . Hewlett, :ILA' , a fan Peter Priggius," &c., 3 vols.-4. Pomfret; or, pt i Opinion and Private Judgment, by H. F. Cborlefco!b vols.-5. The Attra c ti ve Man, by Mrs. Trollopes ' l Ol,l The Master Passion, by T. C . G rattan, E s q., a .1411;/ Highways and Byways," &c., 3 vols.-7. Love , a, S,K, Venice, by Horace S m ith, E sq., 3 vo : s. ; an d 8., - Am " Edition a " The White Sl ave an d t h e R us sian -"'"" the author of 'Revelations of Russia," 3 vols. fi MR. DISR AELI ' S T wo R OMANCES . ---ph -- e fr w• will be glad to learn that Mr. Disraeli has p e rmittedAitli publication of his two e xt raor di nary r omances,. 1", 4 Contarini Fleming " and "Alroy." If the one or it guished by an ai r o f w ild ness an d exaggeration via1).%71/15 scarcely compatible with the se ma tt er - o f-f ac t times a , the incidents are bid, it abounds the more in 511 ,71,00" vigour; and it posses ses a t wo - t old i nterest f r om s pot with the imaginary history of the hero the veritable , 0 1/3 tures and observations of the author during his ststi Spain, Italy, and the E as t. H ow much he has lowl information so acqu i re d i s manifest in " Alroy," ta le ling in richness of invention and gorgeousness of d the startling marvels of Oriental fiction. Nothing could be better dcvit-.Pd than icol l e tasta gistered Paletot to suit the ever - var i ed nature cf our o f O . forming, as it now does, not on l y t h e s i ne qua; uo i t i a ti A o; railway traveller, but is equally so adapted for any g e11 ,,,00 7 , 4 taking out-door exercise. It may be slid distinctly w a sp the costume of the nineteenth century, if that is tej oi called marked which is only conspicuous for an Wr e st /0 and graceful bearer, the wearer feeling se much 0:5 Certainly as an over-coat it is patronised highly, 1 % 3 , a general public favourite, being so peculiarly Eul: l 7 be avoiding all foreign extravagance of style. It maeo dsti knowledged as a vast improvement over the old bbl;(, associated in our remembrance with an uncomfor ta ,„oo; tion of tight butto n i ngs , w hi c h , from i ts very 'isrisuft defeated its object, th e warmt h o f the person, as 1 ,,L a l b,a r " with the proper circ u l a ti on o f t h e bl ood. The p!in`"r o Ltwit are black, blue, bro wn , an d o li ve ; a l so the c l eri cal s a, called Oxford, and can be had of the patentee 4 .,„ r the most respectable clothiers out of London. EL' i l i g psletot is three guineas, and is stampted in the LI . s ea the words, " Registered 6 and 7 Vic., cap. 65. fl• Nicoll, 114, Regent-street, London. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—SIGHT AND HEAR IS 2'OO° 4 Albemarle-street, Picc a dill y , an d 25, South Co'roperrif Edinburgh—Newly -invented Spectacle', TeleseoP aa ' l .o 5 glasses, Microscop es , &c.—Patroni see! by 6101 RO;r _o Edward Paget, Si r E van Ll oyd Maiston , • Goodfellow, Clayton Grosvenor Morrison, Dyott aw fv" son, Alackenzie, Galway, Biggs, Woolf, Murray, W a lk Price, Lindsay, and Thaekray,Major-General Sit ll ,' „ stone, P. Fyers, D. Maclead, Hamilton, Turner, Wel fit Cock • Lieutenant-Generals Sir Henry Bouverie, S ll. o lo o `' clonal' ' , Sir R. Barton, Sir T. Dallas, and Sir W. ' l o,liv - a: Admirals Lord Joh n H ay , Si r G. Cockburn, Sir DI T Y ,,, n I es Sir George Mo n d a y, S ir G eorge Martin, S i r Whitshed, Sir D. Gold, Ross, Alexander, CuriortioarS kinson, Hollis, P r i ce , & o. —Me ssrs . S. an d B. °", Opticians, have invent e d S pectac l e Lenses ulst ifor, a ; construction. Immediat e ly t h ey are placed befis' thstro feet vision, th a t m i s t an d d u ll ness which appear before. tin e, is at once removed ; every object becomes clear and that the most aged and imperfect sight becomes boa brilliant, and is brought to its youthful, natural, and Sid: state. Also, Achromatic Telescopes, Opera Olas lea ' n th scopes, Invisible and all kinds of Acoustic Instraio e- si ts% relief of most extreme deafness. Caution—Not in col f olir netted with a person of the same name in their i: bo re,':, neighbourhood. To prevent mistakes, be cautions, o il ir o.- Only to be had at 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly , , the York Hotel, and 25, South Castle -street, Edioborg o ol [ADVERTISRAIENT.]—BOTANIC WATER ANPAi p g GREASE. —When the hair is becoming thin, and, f % tha" . the only effectual remedy, besides s h av i ng t h e hea d,- tile rw of the two a b ove - name d art i cles, applied alternatelrtolo_4'' tanie water to clean se th e roots from scurf and as a a" itlea'i and the bea r ' s grease as a nourisher. If any further ef sa was required of the virtues of bear's grease for renOl ti4ol4 preserving the hair, Mr. Catlin's account of the ta Lu , i h tl e. t i : and the length of hair obtained by some of the 2 10 `;jn rican Indians, would be a sufficient answer. Roo _, l B- tbs 119, and 120, Bishopsgate-street, who first introdun e of bear's grease in this country, and who fat and ki ll t t el' mats, recommend th e p u bli c to purchase none other be go their names and add ress pr i nted on the pot, or the ch ap lid ° their obtaini ng a spur i ous article. All vegetable Dili PP the hair are worse than useless. , [ALWEItTISEM t tv . ENT.]— Dr. B r i g h t , o f oi Holborn, and Holloway's Pills and Ointment —C°P ;sel l l letter from thi s ce l e b rate d P hysician to Professor He l l o oat " Sir,--I think it but an act of justice to inform you of have tried y our Oi ntment and Pills in several old cool ° l . ef ift"' rated sore leg s , w hi c h f or a considerable time hau,,ottill every kind of tr ea t men t, b ut w hi ch were afterwar d s ea o s cured by the use of your medicines. In cases of bad have also found them of great service. Indeed, flu° "'ase° . tteal knowledg e , I thi n k t h em most invaluable in west c ffl ist* (Signed) " Richard Bright, M.D." To be bad of all 'Lode and at Professor Holloway ' s Establishm en t, 244 , Strands "'" pre A RECOMMENDATJO N ._A d ramatic author, o'lolo ,renting a co me d y to t h e manager of one of the_ „t ,°„ assured him that it was a pro d uct i on not to be laugaqui On Monday l as t, a sp l en di d white woctictoslo shot in Harehope Wood, by O. A. B. Creaswell. Eark;rder so rare a bird has seldom or ever been seen.---Berww Aleer, BIRTHS. ass e On the 11th inst., at Jlolkham, the Countess of r—i of a daughter. if On the 11th i ns t., at lianeroft's Hospital, the We ef Rev. R. Thomas, of a son. MARRIED. ibourl On the 13th of June, at St. James's Church, w e- v . , - a 4 t - Port Nev South Wales, John Sealy Griffin , " 4 ;i1, 11 ' Emma Coltman, third daughter of J. Bowling, Hanun e 7 l ,o On the 11th inst., at St. John's, Paddington, C b t o s4; Nelson, son of the late John Wood Nlson, Esq., of flYu r ' d . ` c or gardens, to Jane, daughter of the late Rev. George ox, Rector of Hinxworth, Herts. lED. tbe y, At 312, Regent-street, D Langham-place, on Sstu rdit VP 13th inst., after a short illness, Mary, the beloved wo e Benjamin Smith, in her 53th year. On the 29th ult., at Foyers House, near Inverness, m ob, Augusta, the wife o f Th omas B roa d wood, Esq., of No lo, ' Crawley, Sussex. 501 116 5 On the 21st ult., at Middle Chi nnoc k , Crewkerne,ctor setshire, Frances, wif e o f th e R ev. F . P. Vou l es , _ that parish. gal& On the 2d inst., at Radnor-pl ace, H yde-par k, Janet relict of the late Patrick Haden-ay, Esq., aged 89. of 0 8 On the 10th inst., at Ashford, Kent, Sarah, widow late Rev. Benjamin Davies, Rector of Newchurch, Kei lt i e et, On the 10th inst., Ann, w if e o f C harles Law, E sq ., 5" of Artillery-place, Finsbury -square. l iyl On the 10th inst., in Hart -street, Bloomsbury , Frances, relict of the late James Hooper, aged 61. eot On the 11th inst., at Camberwell, Charles Edward, you" son of the Rev. Robert Martindale. t 1398* On the 1 1th l is t ., at Fittleworth, near Petwortk, S Ann, the wife of Mr. J. Salter. London: Print&l and Published by MURDO YOY N No. 112, Strand, Pri n t er , a t Th e S un Offi ce , Strand, in the Precinct of the :Savoy, in the Coen* Middlesex, Tueeday, December 16, 1845. VA I HEATIt' The COI ins to a I , EAGUE, iaIEXCE GEORCI tisely„ Mei ohll lirtgl Tickets " 6 7, Fleet seats wi Alication a of Meeting tree Trade ICO appli F Sliir, N are 11 A.A1111j krid Sat tu - d ItOTTEI very ANTWE tt Ten, Mo HAVRE 80t11, at Eli %TENT 3 01/LOC CALAIs. AULL— dirt six en, Event li en it t G .. -W c l n C l lr e A "Lftern oo . boy Eß ' To accuro ‘ Le .parture, t 1-11 TE That a qi M l l be h ehl Decem .1: 1 1 P E . • Ixi) tb :gnat a IT at the C Ilfrto held at If t I nstant, tittenant-t statem e "srabe same 4:at the 171rly G, ~_oeptertmei i t 7h med I li ntga 4•Andrrht Itia t s 4 411 Y of the fol] " i to rs : ,„` Your tine to:We ha I N ti e , °l' Your e‘ t ec, sitth 4 4 : 4, count Ip tit kild *h e n s , utift hkr e ktt ui zkn:lnroact srae a kV in ex 4 14_ and Drin ces 70,0 hatio n a' 4 4 ; I mpress t I ndia c, Ivl . o hyen and* 1%.40f theit r v lt ea h - "t in dept , „ t , th at t urd, of Iris eajebri.j i 4cl 2 ityld 48 411 4 :thei 44 1 4 4'; ` ) 1 ‘1 , ICox f eell~tldolks , qUa hv . u zz ,: 16%114 4