The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-13 00:00:00

THE POLICE CO URTS.

MARLBOROUGH.STREET.

Catherine Tavernor and Samuel Clarke, a soldier, were
charged with having stolen a valuable diamond pia, the
property of Pierre Cherie Lafont, comedian, of ;No. 30,
Bury-street, St. James's.
M. Lafont stated that he missed the pin about siz weeks
ago. lie communicated his loss to the lady of the house
where be lodged in 13ury-street, but he heard no tidings of
his property until about a week ago, when the prisoners
were taken into custody. The female prisoner was in the
house a servant.

Mrs. Butler, of No. 30, Bury-street, said as soon as M.
Lafunt named his lots she spoke to the female prisoner,
who said she knew nothing about the matter.
The prioner Clarke having stated that he received the
pin from the prisoner not knowing it was stolen, and that
he had sent one of his comrades to pledge it, he was re-
moved from the bar and admitted u evidence against the
woman, who did not deny the statement.
In defence she said she found the pin behind the drawers
when 24. Lafont was at Liverpool, and she gave it to
Clarke.
. _

r ally committed.
SOUTHWARK.

Isabella Robinson, a gaudily dressed young woman, in
the service of Mr. William Davis, landlord of the Anchor
and Rope, in Great Cha'lotte-street, Blackfriars-road, was
charged with plundering her muter to a great extent.
173 sovereigns were found tied up in a canvas bag in the
prisoner's box, which money is supposed to be the produce
of robbery.
The magistrate said he should remand the prisoner for a
week, and in the meantime the complainant would have an
opportunity of ascertaining the extent to which he had been
plundered.

MORE WORK FOR THE DOCKYARD COM-

MI TTER.

Several persons in Southampton, says a corre-
spondent, have received intimation that they will he re-
quired to attend before the House of Commons' Dockyard
Committee, to give evidence respecting Mr. Stafford's visit
to the above named town in July last. It appears that
' before any new or altered mail packet is allowed to take out
mails, some subordinate official belonging to the Admiralty
inspects it, during a trial trip. This supervision is only
adopted however with the large size mail packets. On the
Bth of July last the general election took place in South•
ampton. end on the 4th of that month Mr. Stafford visited
that town the day un which the steamer Courier, a small
Jersey packet-boat, was, as it was first understood, to rue a
few miles down the • to try her new boiler. Such an
insignificant circumstance often happening, is scarcely
ever noticed in Southampton. In this instance, however,
the trial of the Courier created quite a ferment.
It was rumoured that the Secretary of the Admiralty
had actually condescended, in the fervour of his official zeal,
to personally examine into the efficiency of the Jersey
packet-boat before she was entrusted with a bag of letters
to Jersey. Those who were curious enough to witness tho
embarkation on board the Courier previous to her trip,
were struck with the circumstance that a large party, con-
sisting of Messrs. Cochrane and Vansittart, the Derbyite
candidates for Southampton, together with the chief elec-
tioneering tories of the town, had evidently been invited by
Mr. Stafford to accompany him during his survey of the
packet. It was learnt afterwards also that a splended
dejcuner sad band of music :had been provided en board,
and that the trial trip turned out to be a magnificent day'a
excursion. In the evening agrand dinner was given at the
Dolphin Hotel, in the town, at which Mr. Stafford, Messrs.
Cochrane and Vansittart, and their friends were present.
Up to a recent period the tory gentry spoke of the pleasant
day they spent with Mr. Stafford on board the Courier, and
how they were charmed with his gentlemanly manners,
though whether the Courier trip will bring any pleasant
reminiscences to the late Secretary of the Admiralty, will
be best judged of when the Dockyard Committee have over-
hauled Inc Southampton business.