The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-11-30 00:00:00

POLICE.

MANSION-HOUSE.
A drover was bought before the LOUD MaTos, charged by the
Rev. 31r. Brougham, one of the members of the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with having neglected to wear
his badge.
The .ter. Gentleman spoke in strong terms of the cruelties which
he said were still daily perpetrated in Smithfield by the drovers on
the poor animals placed under their charge. The officers rarely if
ever interfered, and the difficulty of checking there brutal practices
was greatly increased by the non.compliancr of the drovers with the
Act of Parliament, which required that they should wear badges
when on duty.
.Me. Scales, a butcher, of Whitechapel, spoke in terms of strong
condemnation of the titter inefficiency of the City officers in pre-
venting outrage, and disorders in Smithfield market. They spent
their time, he stated, in sauntering round the pavement, leaving
the centre of the market wholly unattended.
Mr. Brown, the Marshal, and the officers present, denied the
atatemeotsof 111 r. Scales,

t•Mr. Brangliam exhibited to the Lord Mayor an ash stick, which
was about live feet in length, and as thick as the strongest walking
stick used by old men. It wax armed at the end with • nail,
rattier more than half an inch long. The Reverend Gentleman
begged to ask his Lordship whether be thought that a proper
weapon to be used in driving cattle?
The Lour) MAYON repited, that he must confess that if he were
driving an ox or a bull, an annual which he believed did not at all
times preserve his temper, he should peeler having ameapon for his
own defence at least al strong as that exhilared. Bret,' thing
would, however, depend upon the mode in which the weapon was
used.

As the drover, who was charged with having been without a
badge, Wall nut driving mile at the time be was seen by the Rev.
Gentleman, the Lord Mayor discharged him. His Lordship ex-
pressed his opinion, that the Society had done much good, but he
apprehended that the seal with which the objects were purshed was
often immoderate.
GUILDHALL.

Mr. 4litre, the landlord of the King of Denmark pehlic.house
in the Old Salley, appeared before bit JAMES SHAM upon a sum-
mons granted against him. ostensibly for suffering tippling in his
house at unseasonable ra, but in reality that he might be ques-
tioned as to the taia parties who had misused one
Sant Darrow, who sty im self engineer to an evening newspaper.
Roberts, the wateveten to tbecoach-stand in Smithfield, was charged
with being one of the pup engaged in the said affray.
Mr. Humphreys attended on behalf of Mr. Alicroft.
Darrow stated that he was returning from a concert between three
and four o'clock on Friday morning, when tirling rather thirsty,
he stepped into Allcroft's house, which is open throughout the
night for the accommodation of the hackney-coachmen, and oh.
tamed some refreshment. In a few minutes three or four coach.
men Wile in with a gentleman, who treated them with a good deal
of spirits. The gentleman took out his purse, and was fumbling
to
_get out some silver, when one of the coachmen said to him,
" Oh, Sir, you had better change a sovereign." Witness saw that
the gentleman had a large quantity of gold in his possession, and
drawing the attention of 111r..Vaughan, of Drury-lane Theatre,
who was present, urged him to advise the gentleman to take care of
his property. 31r. Vaughan did so; one of the coachmen then
said he would take care of the gentleman himself; he should go
home and sleep in his bed. W iinesa seeing very clearly by the
winks and nudges exchanged among the party that they were de-
termined to fleece the gentleman, said to him, " My friend, you
will find that coachman's bed a hard one; you will be robbed of
your money." The words had hardly escaped Lint when the whole
body of coachmen, above half a dozen, set upon hint, knocked him
down, beat hint shamefully, and robbed him of 3n. and a silk
handkerchief. The waterman was one of his assailants ; Le knew
him because he wore a badge. Witness was afterwards turned out
of the house by order of the landlord. Mr. Vaughan sas attending
a rehearsal to-day, or he would have corroborated his statement.

sir. Alleroft said his house was not only a night-house foe the
coachmen and persons attending the markets, but said the firemen
also assembled there during the night as a house of cal There
were fatty firemen in his house when this affray happened. With
regard to the origin of the quarrel he knew nothing, but when the
noise attracted his notice he found the coin:militant chilivnging the
coachmen. lle had had a round with them, and appearing to he
a quarrelsome, pugnacious tort of grntleman, he had Mtn turn( it
out of the house. When the complainant stated be Lad lost his
handkerchief, he called in the watchman, and told him to search
every man the complainant should say he suspected. He, howtver,
declined that course, and did not then say a word about losing
money. The complainant returned to his home a word time, and
brought a man with him to act as his second, and then cliallengcd
any one of three ioachtnen to tight him. As to the gentle Lan, when
he found he had property about him, he took him into the bar, and
kept him then till seven o'clock. He name into th house to treat tso
coachmen, who had been showing him the public-house in Smith-
field kept by Harry !former, the pugilist. The contplairant had
given a men into custody in fleet-market for saying he looked like
a thief, and it was nearly five o'clock when he first rime in to treat
two watchmen with a glass of gin each for the trouble he had given
them, and not between three and four, as he had stated.

Having called witnesses in support of this statement, among them
one of the wateMmen who accepted the glass of
Sir JAMES Straw severely reprehended the conduct of the latter.
With respect to the house, he said if it had been in the ward
which he had the honour to represent he should hare set his fare
against renewing its license on the licensing day. The charge cf
felony he should dismiss. because he thought the complainant
might have lost his handkerchief before he entered the house,
although he did not miss it; and the charge of assault also mo=t
fall to the ground, be:anse the complainant seemed unable to say cf
any particular party that he had struck him a blow.
The case was therefore dismissed altogether.