The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-09 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION-HOUSE.

Mary Croley, a child who appeared to be about seven
years of age, was brought before the Lord Mayor in order
that her case (a charge of begging) might be adjudicated
upon by his lordship. The facts are as follow :—Sir Robert ' ,
W. Carden on Monday caused the child, who was ragged
and barefooted,to be taken before his lordship,and appeared
at the Justice-room to give evidence on the occasion.
Sir R. W. Carden-1 thought it right to give this child '
into custody for having asked alms of me to-day, at about
half-past 1 o'clock, in Finch-lane. She said that her
mother had sent her out to beg. Of course it is not my ob-
ject to have the poor child punished, but to assist hes and
to have justice done to those who have sent her out to beg
for their support and comfort in their idleness and vice at
home. She is, as is evident, well fed, but she has been
placed in the street in this state of almost nudity, to excite
sympathy amongst those who never think upon the injuri-
ous consequences of giving money to street beggars.
The Lord Mayer—The evil is one of the most deplorable
description, and requires the active interference of the ma.
glitracy, and I shall, during my year of office, upon all
occasions pay especial attention to every cage of the kind.
This mode of begging is, I regret to say, now generally and
effectively pursued. The idea of children crying for charity
in the streets has an effect upon all who are not aware of
the extraordinary arts used by the profligate for their in-
dulgence in abandoned courses.
Sr R. W. Carden—The result of my experience con-
vinces me that the public must exert themselves for the
reform of this desperate evil by the easy process of refusing
to give to the value of a farthing to one of these artificial
objects of charity. Those wretched chiliren, who are re-
gularly brought up as beggars and thieves, are furnished by
their parents or those other profligate wretches wl.o derive
a profit from their exposure to wet and cold, with lucifen
or flowers, or other trifles, as a protection against the charge
of begging, and I find that the practice is adopted by the
very worst order of mendicants. The people who pass along
oar crowded streets suppose that their little petitioners are
doing all they can to get an honest livelihood. Never was
a greater deception practised.
The Lord Mayor perfectly agreed with Sir It. W.
Carden in the views and opinions expressed upon the sub•
Joel. It was indispensable that the public should join the
magistrates. There was a difficulty in the law to connect
' the acts of the parent and child in cases of mendicancy, and
he trusted that some remedy would be fours(' fur so serious
a defect.
Sir R. W. Carden observed that the public fancied the
police ought to put a stop to the evil ; but that was im-
possible. The children ran off tho moment they saw a
policeman, and wherever they went, continued to beg with
an earnestness which none but the experienced could resist.
The monsters who sent them out were always in readiness
to take from them what wrong-headed charity entrusted
them with, and there must, if steady and resolute exertions
were not made, be a constant supply of infant traders in

mendicancy.
The Lord Mayor then said he would send the child to the
union, and order that the parents should be sought for and
brought before him.
When the police had made the necessary inquiry, the child
was again brought before his lordship.
The officer said that a woman whom he believed to be the
mother, but who said she was the aunt, of the little girl,
was present.
The Lord Mayor asked her how it was that the child was
found begging in the streets ?
The woman said, " Oh, then, the Lord knows, I don't
know anything about it. Sure she is my twice, and its hard
for me to support so many of them. My Imitated is a poor
labouring into out of work, barring now and then."
The policeman said he had long known the woman as an
idle, drinking woman, and he had every reason to believe
that she was the mother of the poor little creature at the
bar, but he could not prove that to be the case.
The woman.—Oh, then, the Lord snows I ai'nt.
The Lord Mayor.—l shall not give the poor child into the
care of such a wretched woman as this. I shall sentence
her to fourteen daps' imprisonment. The prison isja better
place for her than the place to which she must otherwise
go. I shall take care to have her particularly attended to,
and see by and bye what can be done about her.
Sir It. W. Caraen, upon hearing. of the adjudication of
the Lord Mayor, expressed his satisfaction et the result,
and said he was gratified to be able to state that since the
publication of what took place at the Guildhall three days
ago respecting begging children,there had not been one in-
ounce of the kind in the neighbourhood of the Bank and
Royal Exchange.
BOW-STREET.
John Burns, a young Irishman, dressed in the filthiest
rage, was charged with having absconded from St. Giles's
Workhouse with some of the wearing apparel belonging to
the Union.
The Governor of the workhouse, Mr. Fowler, proved
that the prisoner was an inmate of the house on the 2•zth of
last month, but he alp-sanded the same night, taking with
him the parochial suit with which he had been supplied,
and a new jacket, worth 12s. It had been ascertained that
he Lad pawned the clothes. He was met accidentally by
the stone-yard keeper, who gave him into custody.
Prisoner—They wits zither sending me back to Ireland,
and in coerce, it' 1 wanted to be there I shouldn't have come
here. I've no call to be in Ireland, so I ran away.
Mr. Hull—Why you are the same man, I think, that
came to me with a long pitiful story a week or two ago,
saying you wanted to go to the workhouse, and I sent you
there.
Prisoner—l'm that same, your worship, but I never said
I wanted to go to Ireland.
Mr. Hall—Well, I shall send you to prison for a month
and see how you'll like that.
Committed accordingly.