The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-18 00:00:00

AT THE MIDDLESEX

THE LATE

SESSIONS.

Sir DE L. EVANS begged to inquire of the Secretary
of State for the Home Department concerning a recent trial
at the Middlesex Sessions, in which it is stated that Mr.
Serjeent Adams, who presided, sentenced Mary Hill to
seven years' transportation for robbery, and to three years'
additional transportation for calling a policeman a pig;
with a view of founding a motion thereon if the facts be as
stated, and if the present state of the law be inadequate
for enabling the Secretary of State t. cornet this
description of judicial administration. In doing so
he wished to refer to the facts as they ap-
peared in the journals of the 9th instant. It appeared
that a female named Mary Hill, was tried at the Middle-
sex Sessions, for stealing a watch from the person of Thomas
Unwin, a clerk in the service of the Eastern Counties Rail-
way Company. It was stated that Mr. Unwin was going
home late at night, when he was accosted by this woman ;
that he at first repulsed her, bat afterwards went up a
court with her, and having left that, was induced to go
with her into another court ; when two men came up oae
of whom struck him, and asked him whet he was doing
with his wife; on which Mr. Unwin got frightened, and
ran away, and when he got into an adjoining street he
found he had lost his watch. At the trial be swore to the
identity of the woman, and she was found guilty of the of-
ence with which she was charged. On this the fol-
lowing was stated to have occurred :—" The Assistant-
Judge asked if anything was known of her
previous character, for if there was, it was a proper ease for
transportation, as this system of robbery, with the aid of
bullies, was a very serious thing.—A polies officer said she
was the associate of thieves and had characters, and she was
with a regular gang when she was taken into custody.—
The Assistant-Judge then sentenced her to seven years'
transportation.—The prisoner, who bad gone down on her
knees imploring mercy, on hearing this, rose up, and in a
towering rage, screamed out to the policeman, with many
oaths—' Yon pig; oh, you pig; you perjured thief.'—The
Assistant-Judge—The sentence upon you now is, that you
he transported fur ten years.—The prisoner repeated her
exclamations, and was so violent that she had to he removed
by two officers." It was under these circumstances that he
wished to put the question to the noble lord.
Lord PALMERSTON—In answer to the question of my
hon. and gallant friend, I beg to say that the case to which
he has referred is, in some respects, such as he has described
it, bat not in all its circumstances. It is quite true
that a woman was convicted of a robbery committed under
circumstances which, I am told, are not now un-
sent. It appears that a system is now prac-
tisedby which " ladies" of engaging manners—
d(laughter)—induce gentlemen who walk the streets at un-
ue hours—(laughter)—to accompany them to lonely situ-
ations, and while engaged, as mtvlion. and gallant friend
Ina said, in " conversation"— eat laughter)—contrive
to extract valuable property from t eir pockets. Thereupon
there issue upon him some male confederates, one of whom
claims the lady as his a ife, and reproaches the gentleman
with interfering with his connubial rights—(roars of laugh-
ter)—and while the discussion is going on the " lady" ter
capes with the booty, and the gentleman is only too happy
te make his escape without any material personal
injury. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) This " lady" was
engaged in carrying on a transaction of this kind ; was ar-
rested by the police, rescued by her male confederates, but
again arrested and brought to trial. The magistrate,
finding the practice to which I have alluded one sf grow-
ing frequency, thought it a fitting ease for passing natant*
of transportation, and he stated that he should transport her
for seven yean. Thereupon the "lady," as my hon. and
gallant friend has stated, got into a towering rage—
(laughter)—a violent scene ensued in court, and she was
with difficulty removed from the dock by three policemen
The magistrate was apprehensive that a rescue would be
again attempted by some of her confederates, who were
said to be in court—and decided en increasing the punish-
ment to transportation for ten years, and that punishment
was provisionally recorded. He, however, has informed
me that he acted in that manner for the purpose of deterring
other persons from any violent conduct in the court, hut
that it was his intention in the exercise of a power granted
to him by act of parliament to alter the sentence during the
continuance of the session, and the sentence of seven yeah'
transportation will be carried out on the lady, as was origi-
nally intended. (Hear, hear.)
THE CANTERB URy ELECTION.—CONFERENCE