The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-18 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—WORCESTER, MARCH 16.
Urn Rum—Ware Mr. rerjeaat Oaselee.
This morning considerable anxiety pervaded the various
parties interested in the thirteen special and common jury
causes which, at the rising of the court at a late hour yester-
day, remained for trial, owing partly to this being the eons-
miasion day at Stafford, and to a rumour prevalent that Mr.
Justice Maule was so seriously indisposed as to be unable to
assist either in the Crown Court, or in clearing the cause
list; on the entrance of the learned serjeant into court, a
discussion took place as to the course to be adopted; at
length, however, in one cause a formal verdict for the plain-
tiff, subject to a reference was taken, the three Seleght
Ejectment& were declared remansts to the summer assizes, as
were the rest, wive two or three others in which the venue is
be be changed by consent, to enable the parties to try at the
awing Olouci 'ter assizes.
Closers COUlT.—Before Mr. &laud Allen.
HARRIS AND ANOTHIR N. ORIANIILL AND Firm—Tin
Weans oN THII BRVRRN.—The declaration was in case ter
&images sustained by the mode in which the works upon the
lama have been carried out under the orders of the de-
fondants. Messrs. Harris and Co., the plaintiff:, have ben
long engaged in the carpet trade, occupying now, as they
have done for some time past, a mill and premises, at • phis*
called Lincomb, situate between Worcester and Stourport
This mill la used for the purpose of manufacturing
yarn, and is worktd by water power derived from do
Severn and streams tributary to it. Near to this platy'
the defendants, the well known contractors, have erected fbr
the. "Severn Navigation Commission" certain works, and
constructed a weir with dams and canals for the purpose of
deepening the water in the river, and affording in the driest
season an uniform depth of six feet eight inches. in carry-
ing out the object of the company, considerable difficulties
were anticipated, which it was proposed to overcome by such
works is are above mentiened, erected at several places upon
the river; amongst Rome of the engineering difficulties to be
got rid of was the following important one:—that in the
short distance of twelve miles, viz , between Digles and
Stout-port, there is a natural fall in the water way or run of
the stream of no lees than twenty-three feet : this compelled
the erection of works of the description above referred to,
and it was contended, on the part of the plaintiffs, that their
effect was to bask the water against their mill in sack a man-
ner as to frequently stop the wheel, and generally toes dtroy
the benefit of its operations. For the defendants it
was urged that in carrying out this national benefit
great advantages had resulted to the public generally, besides
they had not deviated as alleged from the datum line or the
sections, which had been examined by the committee of the
house, been sanctioned by these, and finally legalised by the
legislature. On both sides scientific witnesses were ex-
amined. Mr. o:avatt, the engineer, amongst others, was on
the aide of the plaintiffs, whilst Mr. Brunel, the equally
eminent engineer, was for the defendants. The evidence was
of a conflicting nature. At half-past seven, p.m., his lord-
ship proceeded to sum up, and the jury returned a verdict
for the plaintiffs, with 6004 damages—lyre trial of the above
cause occupied nearly nineteen hours.—His lordship then
tried one common jury cause, and the assizes finally termi.
nated at nine o'clock.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—DORCHESTER, letAackg 16.

Mr. J~.Hee wuliim,.

RIOTOVII6OAITI:ICTO7iiiLVA-111•TAPIOA.TOAS.- Bold.
Bridge, JoAn Fetherstone, Samuel Mears, William Barnes,
Witham Treoeloan, Hirano Vivian, Samuel Palmer, George
Cosy Richard Martin, and Richard Rees (the last five on '
bail), all navigators, belonging to the Wilts, Somerset, and
Weymouth Railway, were indicted for assembling in a tu-
multuous manner and violently assaulting one James Bush-
rod, and they were also charged with maltreating George
Groves, Jethro Water., sad Thomas-Cake, constables, in the
execution of their duty. Mr. Stock for the prosecution.
Mr. Fitzherbert for the defence. The principal facts of the
case were proved by the evidence of James Bushrod, who
stated that be was the landlord of the Ship Inn, at Ridgway,
in the parish of Upway. The Wilts, Somerset, and Wey-
mouth Railway works were now in progress in the neigh-
bourhood of his house. On Monday, the 18th of January,
some of the prisoners were at his house. Mostyn and Barnes
were there in the early part of the evening. At a later
period all the rest of the men came in, and Ise served them
with two quarts of beer. A dispute arose between one of the
men and a " ganger" about some money which the letter
appeared to owe the former, sad a desperate row mimed.
The ganger having at length left the room, Yethentone told
Trevelian to knock down one of the poets which supported
the beams in the tap-room, and Trevelian having done so,
Martin endeavoured to pull down another of the posts.
Their conduct was altogether of the most riotous description.
At length the constables came, and one of them told the
prisoners they bad better sit down and enjoy themselves.
Whilst he spoke they were beating the table to pieces. The
officers demanded peace in the Queen's name, and one of the
prisoners wised Groves's staff, and snatched it out of his
hand. Other people came to their assistance, and the
prisoners drove them all out of the house. Robert Bridge
dragged witness into the road, knocked him down, and
kicked him several times whilst he was on the ground. He
became insensible, and when he recovered himself the men
had broken open the passage door and were forcing an
entrance into the parlour. He found his wife arid daughter
lying on the floor simaelesa, and the latter had • severe cut in
her cheek. The men insisted on having some more beer,
and as he drew it they broke the mugs to pieces. Be then
locked up the bar and went out of the house. About an
hour afterwards he went beck, and the majority of the
prisoners had then left. By this time the constables had re-
turned with several other persons whose assistance they had
procured, and they found two of the prisoners lying asleep
in the tap-room. They were both apprehended, and eis the
following day the other prisoners were taken into custody.
One of the witnesses stated that when the constable oat in
quest of the prisoner Bridge, he threw stones at the officer
in order to prevent his apprehension ; and this same person
also proved that a Maritime previous to the affray in question
Bridge had threatened that he " would have a b--y row at
Bushirod'e soma day." It appeared in cross-examination,
that it was a common practice for the " navvies " to receive
their wages at public. houses and that the disturbance com-
plained of had originated In the angry feelings of • man
charging the "pr " (whose duty it was to pay him)
with not haying him all that was due to him. The
prisoners were found guilty of assault. Robert Bridge,
as the ringleader, was sentenced to 4 months', and the ()thee
nine men to 2 months', imprisonment.

N Parra.—Before Mr. Justice pryierrell.

BWILOLART.— TA071144 Saunders, 36, Wee. Larcombe, sew.,
70, and Wes. Larcombe, jun. 2.5, were indicted for burgle
Surly breaking into the dwelling-housei of Edward Legg,
at Huainan; and stealing a quantity of flour, three pairs
of boots, and other articles ; and Ann Saunders and Mario
Sauna... were charged with feloniously receiving the stolen
property. Mr. Slade, for the prosecution, called witnesses
to prove that, on:the morning of the Bth of January, the
house of the prosecutor wee found to have been broken open.
On examining the premises, it appeared that the thieves had
entered by the window, several panes of glass being de-
' strayed, and one of the cross-ban removed. The
evidenu affecting the prisoners was, that on the night of
Jan. 7, about 12 o'clock, Thomas Saunders and William
Larcombe, the younger, were seen together walking towards
Mr. Legg 's bouts, about five miles distant from the neigh-
bourhood where they lived. In the course of the following
day a great portion of the stolen property
was found in
Thomas Saunders's house, and his wife and daughter, the
two female prisoner, were present during the search.
Whilst the constables were in the house Saunders endea-
voured to ewape through one of the upper windows, but he
was immediately taken, and he then asked the officer whe-
ther "he had got Will Larcombe all right ?" It was also
proved that the youaer Larcombe bad sold • portion of the
stolen property to an ironmonger at Crewkerne ; and it tip-
peered that on the morning of the 9th January some of the
goods were (sand buried under the earth near Lareombe's
house. Maria Saunders (daughter of Thomas Saunders)
having been apprehended, four silver spoons belonging to
the prosecutor were found upon her, and a piece of meat
which had been stolen was discovered at a mill where Ann
Saunders (the wife) was employed.—Mr. Justice Cresewell
directed the jury to acquit the elder Larcombe and Ann
Saunders, the femme because there was no evidence against
him, the latter on the ground that according to law she
must be considered to have acted under the authority
of her husband. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty
against Themes Saunders, Williams Laroombe the younger,
and Maria Saunders, and acquitted the other two prisoners.
A former conviction was proved against the younger Lay-
combe, and he was sentenced to 7 years' transportation.
The like sentence
.was= upon Thomas Saunders, and
Maria Saunders was to be imprisoned for 2 months.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—YORK, M•acx IC
Comm Cofna.—Before Mr. Baron Bale.
Txa STARTPORTH ROBRIXT.—George Barker, 19, John
Breekan, 24, and Thomas &Wedge Raine, 19 were in-
dicted for having. on the 9th of August, 180, at Startforth,
in the North Riding of Yorkshire, stolen one sovere4n and
ether monies, the property of Joseph Yates. The
tiri-
misers, by their counsel, put in special pica of aufr °is
sersit, which, however, eru overruled. Josep h Yates the
mower)ers,
who we. a tailorhy tradc rattled at Barnard