The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-22 00:00:00

SUPPRESSION OF BETTING HOUSES.

On Saturday the new act for the suppression of
betting-houses received the royal assent. It will come
into operation on the lit of December next, before which
day all betting offices must be closed. According to the
act, no house, office, sr place, is to be kept for betting put.
poses on any race, fight, game, sport, or exercise of any
kind. Such places are now declared to be a " common
nuisance, and contrary to law." Betting houses are to be
considered gaming-houses. For keeping such a place the
owner, or occupier, will bo liable to a penalty of 1001., or to
imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for six months.
Any person receiving money, or any valuable thing, u a
deposit, on condition of paying money on the event of any
bet, will be liable to • fine of 501., or to imprisonment for
three months. Money so received may be recovered
from the person receiving the same. The act is to extend
to stakes due to the owners of horses running races. Per-
sons exhibiting placards, or advertising betting-houses,
will be liable to a penalty of 301., or to imprisonment for
two months. The penalties may be recovered by distress
warrant, and half to go to the informer, and the other half
in aid of the poor rate. In case a complaint lodged should
not be pursued, a justice may authorise other persons to
proceed. Suspected houses may be searched by order of a
justice, and the police commissioners may empower •
superintendent to search houses suspected. An appeal for
conviction under the act is given to the quarter sessions.
The act is to have effect in England and Ireland, but is not
to extend to Scotland. It is enacted that " This act shall
commence and come into operation on the Ist December,
1853." It would seem that there is nothing in the act to
prevent a person making a bet with any one keeping a
place for betting purposes, and then turning an informer to
get a large sum.

CHARGE AGAINST A GREENLAND CAPTAIN.
At the Hull police-court, on Wednesday, William
Birch, captain of the Germanica, a Hull vessel engaged in
the Greenland fishery, was charged with the wilful murder
of a youth named Shawson, whilst at Greenland. Jonathan
Bon ter Pease, said—l was the mate of the Germanic', of
which Captain Birch was the master. I remember having
on board a boy named Wm. Shawson. He was about 18 years
of age, and had never been engaged in sealing before. I re-
member arriving at the fishing ground about the sth of
April. All hands were called about eight o'clock to get
the boats, and at noon were sent to the ice for the purpose
iof sealing. Amongst those who went on the ice were Wil-
liam Shawson and another youth named William Tindal,
who was driven away. A man named Bielby, the cooper,
was there. Tindal was 16 years of age. I told the captain
that the boy had been overboard in the morning, and he
was not fit to go on the ice. He was too young, and, as
he had been overboard, it was not fitting to send
him, as he could not get along the ice. The captain
said nothing; they went down to dinner, and after the
dinner hour I saw the muter drive Tindal on the ice, and
I went to the captain and talked to him about it. He
took a broomstick to him, and struck him with it. I said
if he were sent he would have to be fetched on board. The
boy was not at all fit to go. The captain began to swear
when I spoke to him. The weather was very severe; in-
deed I have not seen it more so, though I have seen it as
bad. The captain swore and said the boy could fetch a seal
u well as anybody. He wan a demon. I did not see Tin-
dal any more alive on hoard of the vessel after that. I saw
something laid on the ice about half-past two o'clock, 700 or
800 yards from the vessel. I thought they were men when
I saw them. I took the glass and looked at the land. I
thought I made the two boys out. I saw something else,
which I thought was an old seal. I reminded the captain
two or three times between half-put two and four o'clock
that they were lying on the ice, and I thought they would
never get on board without assistance, and he made very
light of it. Witness further deposed to afterwards finding
the two boys dead, and both frozen, and a man named John
Bielby, who died shortly afterwards. The nest day the
captain wanted to bury the bodies without reading the
burial service. The case was adjourned.—York Herold.,

REPRESENTATION OF CLITHEROE.—The writ has
been received for the election of a new member for Cli-
theroe and the nomination takes place this day. Mr. Ls
Gendre Nicholas Starkie has offered himself in the conser-
vative interest, and the liberal electors are solicited to sup-
port Mr. Jonathan Peel, of Knowlmere, who has issued an
address as • sucuoretetr. of free trade, extension tho
sairsco, sod the