The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-29 00:00:00

(BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD

MAD FROM DRINK.—A person of respectable exterior,
whose name was given as Thomas Hawthorn, who resides in
Prussia street, was brought up on a charge of having committed
assaults on a young Welshman named Hughes, and also on
police constable 576. Mr. Pemberton appeared for the
prisoner, and when the case was called on he addressed his
worship and said, he might perhaps save the court some time
and trouble, by stating that his client was not aware of what
he had done on Saturday, and that it would in a considerable
degree mitigate the punishment for the his worship to know
that the prisoner had been dragged out of bed in his ow❑ house
on Saturday night, and locked up in the station ever since.
He was sorry for anything that had happened, but he had no
recollection whatever of the transaction. He might have been
summoned by the police if he had done anything wrong, as
they knew his house. He (ifr. P.) regretted to say that his
client was mad from drink, and ho hoped all the facts would
be considered, and the prisoner discharged. Mr. Mansfield
said he must hear the charge. The constable (576) was then
sworn and stated, that soon after twelve o'clock on Saturday
night, he saw the prisoner, in Prussia-street, knock
down a man, without any provocation. Ho immediately
went after the prisoner to get his name, when he
entered his house. The witness knocked at the door (for
he did not know at the time that it was the prisoner's house),
in order to ask who he was, and, in doing so, the prisoner
opened the door, and gave him a kick right in the mouth,
which split both his lips, and knocked him down. He then
ran in and shut the door. Witness obtained assistance and
took the prisoner out of bed into custody. Mr. Pemberton
complained of the conduct of the police towards his client. Mr.
Ride, one of the chief superintendants of police, said an officer
was justified in following a man whom he saw assaulting
another. A Welshman, named Hughes, who was examined
through Mr. Thomas, one of the court ushers, as an interpreter,
stated that he lodged in a house in Prussia-street, and went to
open the door for the owner, who was coming in on Saturday
night, and the moment he opened the door the prisoner
knocked him down, and lie became senseless. This was cor-
roborated by a servant girl of the house. Mr. Pemberton again
addressed the bench for the prisoner, and his worship fined the
prisoner £5, or, in default of payment, two months' imprison•
ment.

ABANDONING CHILDREN.—A juvenile looking female,
named Mary Chester, was put forward on a charge of having
abandoned her three children, but particularly the youngest,
who is only fourteen months old. The prisoner was well
dressed, and had no appearance of either poverty or hunger.
It appeared that from information which the police had
received they went to a cellar in Chisenba'e-street, where they
found the children, particularly the youngest, in a wretched
state, and nearly dead with starvation. The prisoner was
drunk at the time. The children were removed, and taken
care of at the workhouse. From the evidence of Surgeon
Brown, of the Northern Dispensary, it seemed the young
child was very far gone, from the effects of starvation, when
discovered by the police, but with care it was getting better.
The prisoner made a rambling unintelligible statement, and
his worship ordered h •r to he remanded for seven days.
INDECENT ASSAULT.—Richard Stoyne was charged with
having committed an assault on a young woman, named
Rebeeca Humphries. The complainant said she resided in
Vauxhall-road as servant. She had seen the prisoner once
before Saturday, but had no acquaintance with him. On that
day he entered the kitchen where she was, put out a young
girl who was there, fastened the door, and made an assault on
her. She screamed loudly, and some persons coming to her
aid, broke in the door, and rescued her, and then handed the
prisoner over to the police. He was sent to jail for two
months, with hard labour.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT ON AN OLD WOMAN.—A powerful
man, named Robert Hudson Jones, who resides at No. 18,
Great Richmond-street, was charged with the following serious
offence :—lt appeared from a statement made by Mr. Ride,
one of the chief divisional superintendants of police, and the
evidence given to support'it, that, on Saturday evening, the
prisoner went to his lodging, where also resided an old woman,
❑amed Isabella Brew, who is a cousin of the prisoner. It
seemed that the fellow without any apparent cause or provoca-
tion, beat and kicked the poor old woman in a frightful manner,
leaving her for dead. The police were not informed of the
transaction until Sunday, when Mr. Ride went to the house,
and took down a statement made by tae old woman, as to the
assault. Ile then procured medical aid, but the poor old
woman got worse, and yesterday morning a magistrate attended
to take her declaration, but it was found that she had sank so
much that she was not able to make any statement, and the
doctor expected her death at every moment. The prisoner was
remanded.

POSITION OF THE MINISTRY.

STATE OF PARTIES-DISSOLUTION OF
PARLIAMENT.

Orders have been issued, both by the ministerial and
by the opposition leaders, to clear the decks for action.
The object of the Derby ite assembly is twofold—to make
arrangements for divesting the vote on Mr. Whiteside's
motion of a party complexion, in the first place ; and,
in the second, to deliberate on the party tactics to be
adopted for the remainder of the parliamentary cam-
paign. As for the meeting of Lord Palmerston's sup-
porters, the number of incidental defeats which the
government have sustained in parliament, had rendered
it indispensable that he should, once for all, come to an
understanding with the liberal party; indeed, the wonder
is that he has been so long taking this step. It is clear
that the conservative opposition are disposed to persist
in this guerilla warfare, which, without exposing them-
selves to any serious danger, may ultimately wear out
their adversaries by exhaustion. To us a dissolution,
and that at a very early period, appears inevitable. It
is not to be imagined that Lord Palmerston will throw up
the game without first resorting to this step.—Daily
News.

The Times does not treat the subject with much
warmth. It is glad that the fall of Kars is to be dis-
cussed ; but considers that, although it may have fallen,
through causes not inevitable, guilt or incompetency
cannot fairly be brought against the home government.
The Post also thinks that the mishaps of the Asiatic
campaign ought not to be saddled on the administration.
The Advertiser, which is usually quick to point out
ministerial perils, says this morning, that on the present
occasion, from the uncertain state of things on either
side of the House, it cannot state with any degree of
.onfidence the result of last night's debate, but will de-
pend on what will take place to-day.