The Express.
London, England, 1858-01-14 00:00:00

WIZ POLICZ COURTS.

MANSION-HOUSE.

dissuader Nianato, aged 68, who bits been long in the
habit et begging, was sent by the Lord Mayor to prison for
21 days, for penenwing hi him favourite occupation.
Immediately atter the committal of Neasmo, • miserable
creature named Edwa►d Rail, aged 32, was chsrged with •
similar offence.

The officer said the wretched man appeared to be to ex-
treme distress, and did not fur a moment deny that he had
asked charity.
In answer to questions from the Lord Mayor, who very
particularly investigated the car,
The defendant said—l have been in the service of the But
India Company in India fur the space of 14 years, bat I have
been discharged, and unfortunatmy forfeited all claim to a
pension in conseq .ence of habitual drunkenness. I could
not resist the temptation to drink, and I am now reduced to
the OJthlitiall your lordship mem and am unable to do any
work of anraitn to d. I run double-ruptured, as any medical
man pmcell will wan perceive, and if I attempt to
do any labour, I become paralysed inside, and am ready to
drop with agony.
The countenance and frame of the defendant bore suffieirnt
evidence to the sorrestaess of the statement se to his health.

The officer sail there were pansies in the jastiee-r.orn who
were of opinion that from what they had heard the defendant
mention u to his services and his calamity, there was no
doubt of his veracity, and
The Lard Mayor, after acme further inoairy, directed that
he should be comfortably sent home to his parish in homer•
setahire.

iiiidefendent—l fcd most grateful to yom lordship, and
I assure you that I never would have begged if I had not
been famishing, and totally unable to help myself by any
effort.

The Lord Mayor—lndeed I believe you, and I am glad to
have the opportunity of helping a poor man in so deplorable
a condition. Yon admit that you have been very improvi-
dent, but on have paid a dreadful penalty for your error.
It is to find that great benefit is derived from the
activity of the police in apprehending persona who beg in
the sirens. I have just sent a professional beggar to prison
upon their representations, and I now have occasion to
help a poor maa who, if it were not for the police, might
have perished
• . . .

In the course of the day John Turner, aged 33, wu
t2ewith haying committed a similar offence, and the
I[ayar, after having strictly investigated the case,
and uosetelned that the defendant was • :poor countryman,
whn was able and willing to work, and was not at all tie
quainted with the art of bagging, and that he had walked
many miles without food on the day he was taken into cus-
tody by the policeman, supplied him with the means of re-
turning home.

11864P1 07 AN AMERICAN' VESSEL PROM
DITINTION Al MARSEILLES.

A letter from Marledllee, dated Jan. 10, says :
" Since yesterday the whole town has been talking of •
strange affair, which it is thought may give rise to serious
diplomatic oomplieetkas. You temember the retrial col-
lision between the Lyonnais, • French steamer belonging to
the Messrs. Gauthier Brothers, and the Adriatic, an Ameri-
can ship, what the former vessel foundered. Upon that
0013111110/1 the Ameriosa captain left the scene of the disester
without troubling himself about the result, and on reaching
his destination omitted to make any mention in his report of
the unfortunate oconnence. Several months having elapsed,
the Messrs. Gauthier learned that the Adriatic was lying at
miohor in the harbour of Ciotat. An order was instantly
obtained to sequestrate her and bring her here, where a
stricter surveillance is maintained in the port. Captain
Durham lost no time in protesting against this measure,
and appealed to our Tribunal of Commerce, in which the
pleading of a young swear, M. Ayeard, himself an Amet ican
by dement, gained the day for his client. From this judg-
ment the French owners of the Lyonnais appealed to the
Court of Appeal at Aix, and the came wee brought before
that tribunal, when the previous decision was quashed, and
the American ship declared a lawful prize. During the pro-
ceedings in this latter court, the Adriatic was =rigged.
Captain Durham was not the man to submit quietly to en
adverse sentence, and biaggly, in concert with one of his
fallow-countrymen, he devissdellaefollowing scheme. The
ship Masher, commanded by Captain Smith, was also under
sequeetration on account of • heavy debt contracted by her,
and which had not been paid. Captain Smith, • daring and
resolute fellow, contrived to bring her alongside of the
Adriatic. This 111•110WTO being effected, the bleeder's cargo
was shifted in • very short time to the hold of the Adriatic,
on board of which at the same time the other's rigging wee
transferred. The captain then followed, and at three
o'olook in the morning of Saturday last, the Adriatic
pined the Joliette port. At this point there is always oa
duty • boat of the Custom-Loma, and the officer who was
in her, hailed the ship, when Captain Durham leaned over
the side. 'Are your papers all right &eke the offi(er.
' Oh, yes,' answers the captain. ' What's the name of your
ship r The Moon,' replies he, and out to sea the Adriatic
goes, though condemned to be sold for the benefit of the
Means. Gauthier, with her double cargo. Her departure
wee not perceived till broad daylight, and then • complaint
was lodged, but a whole day had been lost. They say that
the prefect ordered out the Chacal, • war paddle steamer
stationed in the old port, and away she has gone to catch
the Adriatic, if she can. She has not yet returned from her
chase, and our seafaring men think the American has run
into some creek along the Spanish coast. Captain Smith, just
before his departure, bought three gam, other arms, and
some powder, all which were conveyed from the Mealier to
the Adriatic. This curious affair wfil, perhaps, not so easily
be settled."