The Express.
London, England, 1847-06-11 00:00:00

evidence described; or dist ho bad been offered a bribe ; and
if that was so, how mil he pros that the defendant had
mid he had been anstopped d a bribe ? The learned Attorney-
General was
The Lord Chief Byron, who AAA that the impression of
the court was in favour of the army inasmuch as they were
unanimously of •*pinion that an offer a • bribe, even if it
had been proved to bare been false, had uo tendency to
prove anything material to the issue between the potties,
and the evidence as to it was therefore clearly inadmissible.
Mr. Baron Alderson—ln fact, the offer of a bribe rather
the person who makes it than the person to
=ls is offered. If the bribe was proved to have
b _accepted it would be • totally different thing.—
Mt. Bero4 on behalf of the defendant, contended that the
ho rho mown having sworn deliberately that he had
now bon sand a bribe, and never told Cooke he bad,
the didendont thank be allowed to contradict those state-
a ents. The dm had a right to be put in possesaion
all the feeds and whnire's statement, to enable them t
judge of the 1111111111 Mt of credit to which he was entitled, even
though ha had not accepted the bribe. The principle upon
which evidenced this kind was admissible, was for the pur-
pose of contradicting the witness and impeaching his testi-
mony, as well as to show his motives and disposition to.
war& the parties. The object here was not to raise a colla-
teral issue, but to show the witness was unworthy of credit.
The learned gentleman relied, in support of his argument,
on the principles laid down in Ist Starkie (3rd edition), page
189, and other treatises upon the laws of evidence ; also on
the cases of '. Spencely v. De Willin " (7th East, p. 108)
"Legoe v. Simmons" (3 Car. and Payne, p. 75) ; Ewyn.
ease (2nd Campbell, 638), " Carpenter v. Wall " (11th Ad.
and El.), Lord Stafford's ease (7th Howell's Trials), th
Queen's case, and several other authorities.
The court were unanimously of opinion that the ruling
the Lord Chief Baron was right, and that the evidence was
properly rejected. To render such evidence at all admis-
sible, it should have a direct bearing upon the subject matter
of inquiry, and should not relate merely to a collateral issue.
If a witness contradicted what he had himself stated in h
evidence, then he might be contradicted; but that would has
a direct bearing upon the question before the jury. It was
competent to a party, upon cross examination, to examine
into matters which would impugn the veracity of • witness,
mad show his motives and disposition respecting the parties ;
bat that principle could not be said to apply to all his state-
ments, many of which, when elicited upon CTOWOX4I37/111,
ties, should be taken for better or worse. The case before
this court should be determined upon general principle, and
not upon the individual hardship which might be soul would
orbs. However, no disadvantage could accrue here,
Ike the witness for the crown distinctly stated that b'
had sot been offered a bribe by the officers of excise,
lOU hod never said he had, so that an indictment for p.
jury Wag afford the defendant redress if the witness's state-
ment. were ontroo.—The rule was accordingly discharged,
ands vordit adored fair the crown.

POLICE.-YESTERDAY.
GREENWICH.—Su ALL I Aon Lye RATE TOUR Bala :-
James Lee Jones was charged with stealing, from the person
of Job Charlton, tke sum of eight shillings and a three
halfpenny silver coin.—Mr. Charlton said -he kept a beer-
shop, in Hog-lane, Greenwich, and on the night of the 7tl
June inst. the prisoner came to his house, and had half
pint of beer. He said it was very good, that he was •
liesn retired from business, and that he could adulterate
beer for him 60 that it would be very much to his benefit,
He (witness) refused to listen, and the prisoner went away.
He came back the same night, and again spoke about adul-
terating witness's beer, an asked if he woe(' let him has
bed for the night. Whams told hint that he could have
He stopped that night, and went away in the morning.
aftenroon he (witness) came home, and found the prisoner
in the parlour, when he again introduced the subject ,
adulterating beer. Witness refused to listen to 1
proposition, and in the course of the evening
sat in his company, and drank with him. That evening
(continued witness) I had two half-crowns and three shil-
lings, together with a silver coin value three halfpence, in
my left-hand trousers' pocket. Prisoner sat on my left side.
At a quarter past 8 the prisoner called me into the tap-room.
and said, " Now, for the last time, will you let me doctor
your beer, for lam going 7 " I said, certainly not, and be
then went away. About five minutes afterwards I missed
all the money from my left trousers' pocket, and suspected
that the prisoner had stolen it. I Tau out, and overtook
him about 300 yards from my house.—The prisoner, in his
defence, said that he went to the prosecutor's house by
appointment, and adulterated his beer, for which he gave
125., and he went again in the evening to adulterate his ale,
for which he received Ss. The articles he used for the
adulteration were, " sulphate of iron, rock alum, foot
sugar, and juice, mixed with ten gallons of water, and
added in proportion to one barrel and ri quarter of beer."—
Mr. Traill said the case of felony was clear, and upon that
he should fully commit the prisoner for trial. lie stood self-
convicted of adulteration of beer.

MONEY MARKET.
THURSDAY EVENING.
For the present, speculative business in the funds
appears to be suspended. The transactions which
take place are chiefly in money stock, of which there
would seem to be not mach at market. It is sus-
pected, therefore, that the speculators for the fall, who
had oversold themselves, have not yet been able to
get into stock for delivery at such forthcoming periods
las bargains were made for ; which makes the
market what is called bearish. There were, how-
ever, no peculiar indications to-day of such a
state of accounts. The fluctuations were few
and within a comparatively unimportant range.
Consols opened the same as yesterday, 88! to I
for account, and 88 to I for money. They were
done as low as 88 money, and 88; account, and were
called on leaving off 88 to; money, and 884 buyers
for time, although the last bargains officially
reported for time were marked 88;. Reduced Threes
86; to 7•, Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents., 881 to
; Bank Stock, 194 to 6 ; Exchequer-bills, 38. to 6s.
pm. • Long
.Annuities, 9 to' 1-16.
The foreign market showed some improvement
upon the prices of yesterday in Peninsular stocks, but
without-much demand. Spanish Fives were higher, at
211 to 2 ; the Threes, at 33; to 4 ; Portuguese at 30
to 1 ; Mexican were 20 to ; ; Brszilian, 83; to 4; ;
Buenos Ayres, 37 to 8 ; Dutch Two-and-a-Half
.per
Cents., 58l to ; the Fours, 89; to 9 ; Russian,
109 to 111. _

-- ...... .
From Mexico the Dee steamer has brought no
accounts of any interest to the bondholders in respect
i of pecuniary affairt.„.,..

Nook Stook, 1449 11 ........,.. .........
Lwow A. 40 nom 10p Oct. 10.1619
3001. NAL arm, rill 00-116.10
Ipm Ct. Com A. 91 a Oossela for Lem. INI I i
Now IA ow Ct W., NI I 1.. AWL SINS. li., 4 I 4
New 8 per Ct Assa,llB DIM, 1100, 9 4
Us, An., esp. Jon 0, 1400,1 1.11 I Dino, 9.411,9 II

6 pss CI. /1/4•11166 Bolas, /761..
'''''..-
I'per'..Cl..lll•6l6lk Bowls, Dl r. tics
11 par Cs Iluemos Ayr.. 80a62, VT Nev.. 1110, 211 0
6 per Ct. Mexican. 1544, 24 2 per Ct. Spuds 2 &oft , SI
4 per Ct. Portsrasse 1146., SO 4 12 'sr Cl. Viraeasela Mk Ile . 104
I per C 1.1145144 :cads. 14112. i St, SS per Cl. Datet Isebastis 12 OW.,
110 614 i
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