The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-17 00:00:00

CONVICT LABOUR DT PORTSMOUTH

DOCKYARD.

PORTSMOUTH, FEE. 16,
A correspondent says: "An anticipated increase
in the number of convicts at this port, and a change in the
mode of their location, have excited considerable apprehen-
sions in the minds of the inhabitants. Hitherto the convicts
have been located on board hulks in the harbour; but the
building of a new prison, or " Convict's Home," as it is
called, has been commenced in close contiguity to the dock-
yard, and which is intended to accommodate 1,000 persons.
It is feared that these measures arc being taken with the
view of employing convict labour in the dockyard, and at
the other governmental establishments, to a larger extent
,than even at present, and that, consequently, a consider- -
I able number of free labourers will be thrown out of employ, It
becoming, in many instances, with their families, chargeable 201
to the parish, as has been the case on previous dis-
charges of such persons. It is apprehended, too, that n
1 the locality will become stigmatised as a penal settlement, le
and that the location of 1,000 convicted felons in the most
densely populated part of the borough will, by bringing :o
them into frequent contact with the inhabitants, be a u
source of great annoyance and contamination to the morals Ist
of the population. It is also thought that injury and deal
triment will result from the families and friends of convicts g. 4
making Portsmouth their home, anti thus introducing a la
very objectionable addition to the population. All the ti
above evils, or most of them, arc entirely obviated by the as
system of hulking the convicts in the harbour, and so cut. IS
ting them off from all contact with the inhabitants. So tI
strongly have the inhabitants been influenced by these and I
other reasons, that a public meeting took place—the mayor 10
la the chair—en Wednesday last, having been convened on si
• requisition signed by 300 persons, when the projected con- sr
Viet establishment was denounced in the strongest possible so
skinner. In addition to this a deputation, appointed by the IS
borough council, and consisting of the mayor (B. Bramble, is
Esq.) and councillors Henry Ford, G. Sheppard, and H. F. 20
Gauntlett, accompanied by the town clerk (John Howard, 1,5
E.g.). proceeded to London on Friday last, and had an
interview with the Home Secretary, fur the purpose of
urging the objections entertained by the locality to what it
is universally considered will be a nuisance and disgrace to
it. The deputation, although received with the greatest
courtesy by Sir George Grey, failed in eliciting anything
from him that could lead them to indulge the hope that the
obnoxious step would be either suspended or modified:
indeed all that could be gathered from the honourable rsi
baronet was indicative of an intention on the part of the 12!
flume-cam of extending the system of home location of SO

convicts, and that the erection of the prison in Portsmouth r(',l
was but one step towards tarrying such intention intoeffect. at
The report of the deputation is to be presented to the town 24
council on Monday, when avt ry display of feeling in fn
looked fur. st.

THE GAME LAWS.—INFAMOCA OISTRAGE.—A ease It
which has produced no trifling sensation, came before the Di
4udgi, of the County Court, at Holheach, Lincolnshire, on at I
Tuesday lad. A young fisherman, named Daniel Cleo, rt i
sued a Mr. Elliff, an opulent fame r, residing in Ilona:act
Marsh, (or 101., as compensation for injuries sustained as
from being purpoecly shut by the defendant. On the s
ith of December the plaintiff, it appears, went upon some 121
land belonging to a Mr. Wooley, and killed a hare. He $
was about going away from the spot, when he saw the de- 94-
ftudant (Mr. Ellin) in an adjoining field. Defendant 15.
lowed him, and, on nearing him, he painted a double-bar to
relied gun close to Gee's head, and vowed he would mark At
him. Ile kept walking up with the plaintiff, when he 30
suddenly lingered behiud, and plaintiff distinctly heard a 40
percussion-cap explode, and the content of one of the bar- ge„,,
eels lodged in the ground. Plaiutiff then addressed EUitf,
and maid, " Surely you don't mean to shout me in this eL
lonely place ?" He replied, " I du mean to shout you." to
After accompanying him about a quarter of a mile, he 10
stopped, and having taken a deliberate aim, fired, and g
the shot of the second barrel struck him in the right tul
hand and arm. inflicting serious wounds. Defendant then ex- 5.
claimed-- Now lean take you ; I have marked you so
shall know you again, and I will g" back and look for the ot.
hare." The plaintiff thus contrived to crawl on to Hol Sa
-
beach, enduring the most excruciating agony, when he gt
was taken into custody Sir trespassing in pursuit of game,
and was committed to Spoiling gaol for one month. Mr. 5
Wilkinson, a surgeon, attended the wounded man in prison. at.
There were from :10 to IO shot wounds on his right arm and 5
hand, and great fears were entertained of lock-jaw setting
in. The injuries he hail sustained had entirely prevented
him doing any work since. The her. Mr. Murton, a ma- ;5
gistratc, before whom the case was first brought, stated, If
that he asked defendant why he committed so rash an act 21,
as to shout Gee, when he replied, that he had merely done
so to " mark him." The judge ;Mr. J. D. Burnaby) said,
the act of the defendant in firing at Dec was wholly unjus-
tifiable. In calculating damages, he did not conceder the
It. of time for the month's imprisomnent, because plaintiff
had rendered himself liable to that by trespa'sing in pursuit
of game, but considered the acute pain endured in gaol,
and the probable loss of time to come ; and he gave a Ter-
diet fur plaintiff fur 3,a/. and costs.
DESPERATE CONFLICT WITH Two BURGLARIC—OR
Saturday morning, between the hours of one and two
o'clock, a most deaperate attempt was made by two bur-
glars on the life of Mr. Bateman, carrier, of King John's-
court, Shoreditch.. Mr. Bateman went home at that time,
and had entered by his outer gate, when he was pounced
on by the ruffians, one of whom felled him by a blow front
a life-preserver, while the other snapped at him a pistol,
which Lashed in the pan. Mr. Ltateman, who is a power-
ful young man, struggled with the vagabonds bravely, and
compelled them to make a hasty retreat. Puliee-coustables,
who had been drawn to the spot by the cries for assistance
of Mr. Bateman, found him lying. insensible, and bleeding
from several wounds on the head. They of course immedi-
ately, rendered all necessary attention to him, and after he
had been restored to consciousness an investigation was
made with him by Sergeant Harvey, 1 1 0, and it was dis-
counts] that nearly every portable article, consisting of
plate, jewellery, and other valuables, bad been packed up
by the thieves en the kitchen, as if fur a speedy removal.
A WOMAN SHOT BY HER IIUSIIAND.-011 SHOP-
day night last, the neighbourhood of Sheaf-street, in D6Ttn.
try, was thrown into great consternation and alarm um*.
abased by a report of lire-arms, accompanied by shrieks,
which proceeded from a public-house, called the Waggon
and Horns. A great number of peop:c soon suaenahled to
ascertain the cause, when it was discovered that a woman
had been shot in the passage by a man who, on effecting (as
he supposed) his purpose, ran off, but being observed Con-
ning. he was overtekes at the top of the street, and, with-
out any resistance, gave himself up, exclaiming at the same
time, " Lam the man that shot her; she is my lawful wife."
Ile was immediately handed over to the custody of the
police, by whom he was properly secured. The knowing
are some of the particulars of the apace tragical event
The man, whose name is Hurst, has been resident at
Northampton many years, where he maintained a reputable
character as a journeyman shoemaker His marriage with
his present wife took place about twelve months ago, and
for a short time they lived together very comfortably ; but
she turned out a had character, and about two months ago
absconded with another married man, who was lodging in
the same house. After a short tins,• he traced them to Ket-
tering, where he followed them and had an interview, but
she refused to return with him. On Saturday last, hearing
that she was at Daventry, and feeling exasperated at her
conduct, he resolved to be revenged upon her for the in-
juries he had sustained. Accordingly, basing provided himself
with a pistol, he proceeded to search for her, and succeeded
in Eluding her at the above public-house. He requested the,
waiter to call her out to him, and on b. r entering the passage'
he immediately discharged the pistol (which contained a
double charge of No. 3 shot) at her, the contents of which
passed through her arm (which she had raised in defence),
and grated the left side of the head. She now lies in a
dangerous state ; it is supposed that some shots have pene-
trated the brain. On Tuesday he was brought befon, the
magistrates, Joseph Cartel', Msg., mayor, and Matthew
Sharman, Esq., when several witnesses were examined, and
the prisoner entered into a somewhat lengthy statement of
his wife's conduct, with a view of exonerating hizmelf in'
some measure for committing so rash and desperate an act.
He was then fully committed, end taken to the county gaol
at Northampton to await his trial.—Northansptus Mercury.
ALLEGED NIVRDER By IRISIDIEN.-011 Sunday 1
night last a murderous attack was made at Wednesbury, in
Staffordshire, upon John Welsh, an Irishman, by four or
five fellows, also Irishmen. It is supposed that the offend-
ing parties entertained some ill feeling against Welsh, and
upon meeting him near the Gate, at Lea Brouk, they com-
menced a deadly assault upon him with bricks, cinders, &e.
Leaving him weltering in his blood and apparently dead,
they proceeded to a house in the immediate neighbourhood,
occupied by a relative of Welsh's, and who, it is conjec-
tured, had also in some way excited their ill will. They
were in the act of battering down the door when fortu-
nately some of the police arrived, and succeeded in cap-
turidg one of the !party, named John Moran, upon
whom they found a quantity of furnace cinders. Welsh,
who was conveyed to his home, lingered in a !date of mad-
ness until Tuesday morning, when death put an end to his
sufferings. On Friday an inquest was held on the body,
when a number of witnesses were examined, from whose
evidence it appeared that the men who committed this most
brutal homicide were named William Moran, Patrick
M'Farlane, Francis Cosgraye, and John Moran. A verdict
of " Wilful murder" was returned, and M'Farlane and W.
Moran, who are in custody. were committed for trial.
The Ernors, Captain Lott, sailed from Liverpool,
on Saturday, for Halifax and Boston.