The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-07 00:00:00

year, from 1852 to 1853, there have been committed and
tried for this offence, 99 ; and now we have 17 more.
It is said this is an un-English offence. lam sorry to say
the statistical account does not bear out that boast of ours.
Of the 99 who have been commuted for trial in this country,
only 9 have been foreigners —the 90 have been natives of
our, own dominions. No reason, therefore, to boast over
the foreigner in that respect. It ceases to be an un-English
crime—it becomes a very English -crime ; and one cannot
help lamenting that it should be so. These cases have been
..avezlFdimided... Of the 99, 30 belong to this town---they are
natives of it ; 14 only are due to all the rest of England ;
44 to Ireland ; 1 to Scotland ; Ito the Isle of Man; and 9to
foreign countries generally. What is the cause of this ? Is it
a general fierceness of disposition ? That is a serious ques-
tion to be inquired into by those who live here —clergy,
magistrates, and gentry ; and I commend it specially to
their attention, that they may do what lies in their power,
to atop an evil which seems to be so prevalent. So far as
my learned brother and myself are concerned, we will do
'the best we can by making examples, which are necessary
to be made, if the cases should be ever proved before us.
Probably we shall reserve our sentences upon this class of
offences till we arrive at the cud of the business, so that we
may see in what state the thing is, and„so apply ourselves
as far as we can to cure it. There is another class of cases
in which two or three persons are accused of a riot at Wigan,
arising from that unhappy difference of opinion between the
workmen and masters, which I am sorry to say has been so
prevalent in this county of late---not indeed in this county
alone, for this species of insanity is pervading almost all
labourers of England. It has extended even to the amricul-
tural districts, and with the agricultural labourer it has as
little good sense and as little reason, as it has in this case.
The great want of knowledge on the part of the general. body
of the people of the real causes which govern the rate of
wages in the world, is the principal cause of this evil. If
they did but know a little more of that political economy
which many people talk of, and so few under-
stand, they would see that this is not the way
in which the thing can be done even if it were
desirable to be accomplished. It is lamentable that it
should be so ; and one cannot help thinking that it is from
the want of experience that this matter arises ; for the short-
ness of life in the manufacturing districts renders it that the
people employed there are generally very young. The pro-
portion or the experienced to the Inexponenccd, then, is very
small, and it has been my unfortunate fate in the course of
my official life, to come here and try in succession, persons
of this description, for the same sort of offence. Every
eight, or nine, or ten years, a new generation arises. They
have not the experience or the sufferings of their prede-
cessors, and by their numbers, they overbear the more
experienced; and thus the thing arises from time to time. I
don't see how the thing can be prevented, unless by a more
general spread of sound education amongst the people ; that
is the only mode in which to my mind the remedy can be
provided. If we could but do that—if we could teach them
what was really for their good, they would cease to be
the prey of empty-headed fellows as they at present seem
to be. These are the only observations I have to make on
these cases. We can only deal with them as they are brought
before us ; but wish that we could save them from the
commission of these offences by that additional experience
which from our age we possess, and by our knowledge
through education, which we are willing to communicate to
our poorer brethren if we could. Ait is, we can only
repress the crime as it breaks out into violence. We
shall do that, but of course with a merciful disposition;
because after all we cannot help seeing that there are
people who believe themselves to be in th right, although
they break out into insubordination which tends to breaches
of the peace. The rest of the calendar is such that I have
no doubt you will easily dispose of the cases that come
bdore you, but if you should have any difficulty I shall be
glad to give you what assistance I can.
The grand jury.then retired.
The Grand Jury having retarned into court with a number
of bills, the trials proceeded,
_ _

ASSAULT AND 7 ROBBERY AT LlVERPOOL.—Elizabeth
Rowe, 23, Charles Hazeldine, 28, and John Lewis, 25, were
charged with having at Liverpool, on the evening of the
24th of September last, feloniously assaulted John Butcher,
putting him in bodily fear, and danger of his life,, and with
violence stealing, from his person one sovereign, and that
immediately before and at the said time of the robbery, they
did feloniously beat and strike the said John But2her.
Mr. RAFFLES conducted the prosecution. The prisoners
were undefended.

The prosecutor is a warehouseman in the employ of Messrs.
Gardner and Co., wine and spirit merchants, Dale-street, in
this town. On the evening of the 24th of September, last,
he was proceeding home from his place of business, when
he met the female prisoner a little above London Road, near
Gildart-street. He accompanied her for some distance, and
whilst walking along with her, he noticed the prisoner
Lewis standing at the corner of Gildart-street. Prosecutor
went with the female prisoner into an entry in Gildart-street.
When they went into the entry the prisoner Hazeldine was
standing at the bottom of it. They had not been there
many minutes before the prisoner Hazeldine came up, and
seized hold of the prosecutor, whilst the female prisoner
rifled his pockets and took a grivprpign thorofrona' and then
ran away. Tho prosecutor succeeded in struggling away
from the prisoner Hazeldine, and cried out " stop thief."
Immediately after this he was knocked down and kicked by
the prisoner Lewis. After recovering himself he still further
pursued the female prisoner and saw her run up the steps of
a house in Finch-street. He gave information to the police,
and the next day he accompanied two officers to a house
in Prudoe-street, where the prisoners were all taken into
custody. In the course of his evideme the prosecutor
swore very distinctly to the identity of all the prisoners.
Several witnesses having been called in support of the
prosecution witnesses came forward to establish an alibi
on behalf of the female prisoner Lowe, and the prisoner
Hazeldine. _ _

The learned judge having summed lip, and the jury retired,
and after the absence of about half-an-hour returned to the
court with a verdict of guilty against all the prisoners.

STA.BBLNG AT WARRINGTON.

Thomas Woods, 16, was charged with having, at War-
rington, on the 28th of August last, feloniously stabbed and
wounded Martin Connelly, with intent to do him some
grievous bodily harm.
Mr. OVENS prosecuted, and the prisoner was undefended.
From the facts of the case, as elicited on behalf of the pro-
secution, it appeared that on the evening of Sunday, the 23th
of August last, the prosecutor, who lodged with a Mrs. Flan-
naghan, in Glasshouse-yard, Warrington, was going home
to his lodging 3 about eleven o'clock, when he heard a quarrel
under the window of the house. He went to the spot, and
saw the prisoner and three or four other persons fighting on
the ground. Prosecutor took part in the quarrel, and struck
the prisoner, on which he ran at prosecutor, and stubbed him
twice in the left buttock.

The prisoner was found guilty of unlawfully wounding,
and acquitted of the felonious intent. Sentence deferred.

STABBING AT LYTHAM

Andrew Caldwell, 23, was indicted for having, at Lytham,
on tht Bth of September last, maliciously stabbed and
wounded John Fazakerley, with intent to do him some
grievous bodily harm.
Mr. MILNE conducted the prosecution, and Mr. TAYLOR
defended the prisoner. The prosecutor is a post-boy, and
the prisoner an ostler, at the Clifton Arms Hotel, Lytham.
On the evening of the day on which the alleged offence was
committed, the prosecutor and the prisoner had a quarrel in
the yard of the hotel, and fought for about five minutes,
when they were separated by some other parties present.
After they were separated.the prosecutor left the yard, with
the intention of going home, when the prisoner again ran at
him, and stabbed him twice with a knife. Afterwards pri-
soner seized a pitchfork, and again ran at the prosecutor, and
was about to stab him a third time, when the weapon was
from him by one of the bystanders. The prisoner was
taken into custouy !ma on being arrested,
he said, "He should have let me alone ; 1 dui it in sew-
defence."

Several witnesses were called for the prosecution, after
which,
Mr. TAYLOR addressed the jury on bolL.lf a the prisoner,
urginm extreme r:—vutlCloll, and that the prosecutor was
.tatruea by the prisoner in self-defence.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of unlawfully stabbing.
Sentence deferred.