Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-12 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL.

BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD.

THE BILLETTING SYSTEM.—Of all the very bad systems,
forced on the licensed victuallers, the above is the worst,
the most annoying, and except sanctioned by the statute
law, is decidedly repuonant to the common law of this
realm. It has been most bitterly complained of, and even
bad and oppressive as it is, its abuse is intolerable. If a
publican refuses to comply with the Liege' and insult-
ing demands of a drunken recruit, ha is almost sure to be
mulct, right or wrong, and the publican knowing this,
suffers almost hardship and insuit, rather than encounter a
prosecution. In hen ireds of instances, too, the publican
suffers loss rather than cnns into controversial contact,
before a magistrate, with bl, clrguird recruits; for it is
acknowledged that all recruits are at first blackguards,
although subsequent good training and proper discipline
make respectable men of them; in fact, convert them into
British soldiers, whose valour and respectability the world is
bound to admire. This, however, is a subject more fitted
for a leading article than the heading of a police-court
case, but still all must admit its truth, and the sooner the sys-
tem of quartering "raw recruits " on public-house keepers is
abandoned, the more respected will the government became
in the eyes of the public, and the recruit will also become
more respectable, because ho will be under proper autho-
rity, and not allowed to indulge in wild and improper
conduct, under the influence of drink, which is invariably
the cese with every man who enlists for the first time. A
recruit named John Grant, of the 7th Fasileers, was
brought up charged with having stolen owe pair
of bed-sheets, and a variety of other articles
from the public-house of Mr. Bruce, of 17,
Uppsr Pitt-street. The prisoner was sent on a billet to
the house of Mr. Bruce, and when he went there, in an
annoying manner, very usual with such blackguards,
demanded a great deal of privileges. He was shown to a
bed, and about 10 o'clock he was seen going down stairs,
and something being suspected, he was stopped, and on
being searched, the property was found concealed on his
person. The prosecutor did not, however, (very kindly)
wish to press the charge, and the prisoner was remanded
until the recruiting serpent could send him sway. The
7th Fusileers will, no doubt, have a considerable acquisi-
tion to their brave and famous name is the person of this
scoundrel).
The next case put up was :that of a recruit, named
Thomas Riley, who belonged to the artillery. He was
chagei wish having altered a billet on Mr. Clarke, publi-
can, of 30, Kirkdale-road, from one to four nights. The
conduct of this fellow was as follows :—After enlisting,
he committed some depredation, for which, he was sent to
jaol for a fortnight. lit the time of his committal, be had
a billet on Mr. Clarke, for one night, and when he came
out, he altered the document to four pights, and demanded
sixpence a night to pay for his bed. Mr. Clarke seeing
the cheat, gave the fellow into custody. In this case too,
it was agreed to let him off, and to be sent to his regiment.
(The regiment has a bareain ?)
CHARGE UNDER THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT.—Mr.
Tyndall appeared on behalf of the Marine Board, at the
suit of a sailor named Richard Hodgoett, who proceeded
against Patrick Roche, the keeper of a boarding house in
Pitt-street, on two informations, one charg;ng him with
having solicited the complainant to board at his house,
whereby he forfeited a penalty of £10; the second for
having detained DI in money, which he lodged with him.
Mr. muck was for the defendant. The complainant was
examined at some length, and the amount of his evidence
was, that he arrived be-e sick, and that the defendant
came on board the ship, and solicited him to go and board
at his house, and that he succeeded in getting him to do so ;
that he lodged the money, and after soma days he was
obliged to go to the Hospital, and when he came out, a dis-
pute arose about the account between the parties, and hence
the present proceedings. In regard to the charge of solicit-
ing to lodge, Mr. Bluck produced two witnesses who swore
that the defendant did not solicit the complainant, and that
he (defendant) was not on board the ship, but was hailed
by him from a coach, and then went to his house. The
affair about detaining the money, Mr. Bluck was able to
reduce into a simple detail of account, and at the conclu-
sion, he showed that there was only ids due to the
complainant. An order for that sum was made and the
solicitor's costs, with a penalty of ls. The point about
the soliciting was allowed to stand over for a week, as his
Worship said Mr. Bluck had made so strong a ewe on
1 that point, that he would require some corroborative
( evidence on the part of the complainant, before he would
convict Mr. Bluce's client.
BEFORE MR. DIXON AND MR. AMIN.
Pueercsn's CASES.—Robert Britton, publican, Hanover-
street, was summoned for doing business at a quart to
one o'clock on Monday morning. Inspector O'Brien
proved that at the time in question he caught two men
and two improper females drinking rum in the house. Mr
Goodere, for the defence, sought to show that the parties
were in the house for a legitimate purpose, and denied
that the females were improper persons. He called one
of the women who said she was not an improper person.
This woman swore directly the opposite of the officer. A
fine of 103. and costs were imposed on the defendant.
John Rath, of Vauxhall-road, publican. was summoned
for having his house open at a quarter to five o'clock on
Sunday evening. It was shown that the opening of the
house was owing to the clock being wrong; and, the house
having a good character, the complaint was dismissed.
THE " TtRRISH DIVAN," LDIE STREET. —Joseph Bending,
the keeper of the "Turkish Divan," Lime street, was
summoned by Inspector O'Brien for allowing prostitutes to
assemble in his house. The case was brought under the
5 and 6 Vic., cap. 206, sec. 251. Mr. Simon appeared for
the defendant. The Inspector said, at one o'clock, on
Sunday morning, the 22nd of November, be went to the
house, where ,he found twenty women and several men,
some of whom had tea and coffee before them. He told
defendant that the women were prastitutea and that, if he
al'owed them to remain, ha would lay an information
against him. He then went away: and came back in
twenty-five minutes, and found ten women and several men
there still. They were talking very loadly—such as he
would expect from such persons, but there was
nothing particularly disorderly ix their conduct.
The evidence of the inspector was corrobo-
rated by officer George (297). Mr. Simon cross-
examined the Inspector, and then made a long speech to
the Bench, in which he characterised the proceedings as
a persecution against a foreigner, oho did not know the
laws of this country, and who had :aid out £9OO on this
place, and, if persecuted by the police after this fashion,
would be obliged to go into the Bankruptcy Court. He
said the present proceedings were got up by a certain class
cef gentlemen, who were, no daubs, very anxious in their
zeal to put down immorality; but, by such proceedings as
the present they would spread immorality all over the
town, instead of confining it tc one place. He denied
there was any Immorality in mei and women meeting in
the Divan to take tea and coffee, and contended that, as
there was at present a case of appeal pending in the
Queen's Bench, the case ought to be dismissed until the
opinion of that tribunal could be had. The Magistrates,
on that ground, dismissed the case for the present.
A man named Smith, the owner of a " hop " in Newing-
ton, which he calls by the military name of the " Welling-
ton Rooms, reprobating the name "hop," stating that
" dancing, singing, and other genteel exercises,' were
taught there, was summoned under similar circumstances
to the last, and a like order was made in the case.
EMBEZZLEMENT OF CNE AND SIXPENCE 1 —William
Brown, an apprentice to Pat Lambert, a barber in Vaux-
hall-road, was sent for trial for embezzling the sum of one
and sixpence from his " master."

A STRANGE AND 'FATAL ACCIDENT AT HUDDERSFIELD.
On Thwsday, a mar named Ab aham Walker, of Flunky,
was dtivinz three sheep from Mould Green to nonleY,
along Kingsmill.lace, when just at a part of the load
which runs by the river Colne, and is unfenced, one of the
sheep ran towards the river. Walker followed, and se:zed
it, but was pulled into the river, and before he could be
got out life was erinet.

PARIS, Friday Morning.—The Jifoniteur publishes the
monthly balance sheet made up to last evening. In the
four weeks, since the last return, the increase of bullion
and .specie has been £1,859,060 sterling, and the total
stock held by the bank now amounts to £9,440,863
There is a decrease of rather more than £2,000,000 in the
note circulation, and of nearly £1,000,000 sterling in the
amount of bills discounted.

A SURGEON'S CHILD POISONED AT MONKIVEAHMOUTIL—
On Monday evening, an inquest was held at Monkwear-
month, cn the le)cly of a chill, aged one year and eight
months, the sin of Mr. James Smith, surgeon. The sur-
gery door had been left open, and the child, unknown to
the femily (Mr. Smith being out professionall ), had
entered the room, and succeeded in climbing up to a
small closet, where there were a number of bottles contain-
ing various drugs. His eye was, doubtless, attracted by a
coloured bottle, which contained prussic acid, and from
which be had evidently drank a few drops, and had then
put in the stopper again. Shortly afterwards Mr. Smith
came in, and on going into his surgery found his child
lying on the floor, with the bottle close beside him
Brandy, and other remedies, were immediately adminis-
tered by Mr. Smith and by Mr. Davis, surgeon, who was
else sent for to his assistance, but without avail, as the
child died soon after Mr. Davis's arrival. The jury re-
turned a verdict of " Accidental death," and added a
caution to persons having poisons in their houses, to keep
them under look and key.