The Express.
London, England, 1867-08-23 00:00:00

(Before Mr. Justice Shoe.)

Alice Hudson, 22, described as • widow, was charged
with feloniously setting fire to certain rticles in the
dwelling house of Baker Smith, Caroline Elisabeth Smith
and others being therein at the time.
Mr. Daly prosecuted, and the prisoner was defended by
Mr. Montagu Williams.
The prisoner was in the service of the prosecutor, who
resides at Peckham, and shortly before the occurrence
took place that was the subject of inquiry she had received
notice to quit. It appeared that she bad gone upstairs to
dress herself, and in • abort time she came down and gave
an alarm of fire, and it was discovered that an old bonnet
and some other articles that were in • drawer on the top
of • bed-steps were on fire, and the prisoner made some
statement which threw suspicion on her, and she was
taken into custody. Very little mischief, however, was
done, and it was suggested that as there were children in
the house, some play might have been going on, and that
the fire was the result of an accident.

The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
(Before the Recorder.)

deorye Askey,l7, Wiliam Lewes, 22, and Henry Collins,
32, were charged with a burglary in the dwelling house of
La ey Newberry, with intent to steal.
Mr. Resley conducted the prosecution.
The offence was clearly established against all the pri-
soners ; and Agar the chief warder of the City prison,
proved that Askey had been five times previously convicted
of felony ; and King, another warder, proved that Lewes
and Collins had also been several times convicted. When
Collins was taken into custody it appeared that he had in
his possession a bludgeon heavily loaded with lead, and a
meet formidable weapon for mischief.
The jury found the prisoners Guilty, and the Recorder
sentenced Asksy and Lewes to be kept in penal servitude
for seven, and Collins for eight years.

Edward John Brainier, who was oonricted on Tuesday of
endeavouring to defraud his creditors, by concealing a
portion of his estate after having been adjudicated a bank-
rupt, was brought up for judgment, and sentenced to be
imprisoned for 18. months.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Kerr.)

Thomas Dunden, 28, farrier. wu convicted of a robbery
with violence upon Thomas Wheeler Baker; and several
previous convictions being proved against him, he was
sentenced to eight yeses' penal servitude, and to receive
39 Lulea from a cat-o'-nine-tails.

PIRESENTHENT OT THE GOLAND .THET.

rpon the grand jury being d scharged, they banded in
the following presentment :—" My ,—On behalf of
the grand jury, I have to make the following presentment.
The grand jury summoned at the present sessions beg to
call the attention of your lordship, the judges, and the
bench, to the nature of the numerous cases brought before
them. At a sessions heavier than has occurred for some
months, nearly two hundred bills of indictment have been
presented to them. It appears the majority of the eases
have been burglaries and robberies with violence from the
person. The grand jury would submit that the evidence
in the majority of those cases has been so clear that
it was obviously unnecessary to present the cases
for their investigation ; that the public, both
prosecutors and witnesses, have been put to serious
inconvenience as well as the time of the grand jury
taken up by these oases, which, having been fully gone
into by the police magistrates, might bars been committed
for trial without being sent before another tribunal. On the
back of arch bill is the name of at least one police con.
stable, income three and four ; and the serious detriment
to the public eel vice and the consequent failure of justice
in many instances, by such a number of constables being
withdrawn from their ordinary duty, seems, in the opt.
nine of the grand jury, to roll for some alteration in the