The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-01 00:00:00

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CRIMINAL LAU".

The (7/avow ee firi-gs; alluding to a la•.l named Sim.
who, after alongimprisonment and sentence of transports-
tion,proves to have bet n innocent of the crime chareed sgafw:t
him, says, " This poor lad is now at libttty, after loving
been confined nearly six months, sentenced to transportt-
tion for life, and hi.ing nearly a victim to a very bad sy,tt tit
of criminal law.' It is true Ile Walks his native city with
an untainted reputation; and excites sympathy where hi:
case is known. But should this bean ? He is a weaver, .
and, with tis, brother, who la smith, contrived to support'
a mother and some sisters. Poor fellow ! he is now cut of
work— enjoying the dignity of honesty in the miseriewa
poverty—and, truly, notwithstanding his escape, his situa- •
lion is by no means an enviable one. We trust some ma.
nufacturer will give him work.
" To Mr. Hugh Barclay, and Mr. Peter gwing, with
other frietula who stepped forward to.serve him, his heart
is most grateful. He has called at the Five Press Office,. •
;"to request that we will say so. •
" This ease is one among many to show the severity

anti injustice of our present criminal laws. Another !toor
fellow, who was condemned a couple of years ago, but who
was afterwards found to be.as innocent as the unborn babe,
had his sentence graciously remitted to transportation for
life. Ile was likewise condemned upon circumstantial
evidence, assisted by extorted answers from a witness who
was threatened with the alternative of a prosecutiim for
perjury, if he did not make those answers.—Another cir-
cumstance occurred at Edinburgh .a short time ago. A
known thief was offered hi; life in one case; it he *ouhl
convict a suspected individual of being ecincerned in en•
oilier. The temptation was too strong to be resisted—
hence a story was made up against the party who might be
guilty, by one whom certain of the authorities knew muss
he guilty ; and the life of a known scoundrel was spared,
in order that the life of a suspected individual might be
forfeited ! la it not time that such a system should bt:
amended?"

FANCT..--FI•E MINUTES TALK WITH "Mr NLvsy. '
—Jem says (so slid Napoleon) it's no good to untlerrat.,
the power of an opponent, and though Magee fought foul,
Jem will fight him again if he likes, but on a different
principle. At our last shy, says Jem, I gave it him all his
own way. Umpire, referees, and ell that sort of thilig,
was, as I may say, of his own choosing. Jcm say%
that he did not clear five pounds by the turn-up, although
he was the winner. He takes his benefit at the Tennis
Court on Tuesday night, and promises to treat his friends
(Nee public) with elf the " fancy work" in town. His
favourite, and, indeed, every body's favourite, White-
headed Bob, he says, is deadly ill with the measles; so ill,
that he has made his " will," and is to leave Jens a hun-
dred pounds and all his toggery. Burn looks well, and
only emphasis of a slight swelling in his right hand ; his
weather eye is also a little discoloured; but this was, as he
says, because he was careless after the fight, and lashed
rather too freely.
MELANCHOLY Loss.—On the morning of Friday, tha
21st instant, a Burghcad fishing boat was half way aeross
baween Lossiemouth and Tarbet-ness. It was blowing a
hard gale from the NE. when the fishermen found it neces-
sary to part from their nets, immediately upon which thus
boat swamped. The master of the boat (James Mac-
donell) contrived to extricate himself, and succeeded in
getting his son (a boy of eight years of age, who could not
be dissuaded from going to sou) lashed to the mast. John
Henry, another of the crew, also contrived to support him-
self for three or four hours. While these three persons
were in this perilous situation, a rope was thrown to the
unfortunate sufferers from an Anstruther vessel then 'wan-
ing; but as the vessel did not slacken sail, or lie to, this
slight
.effort at assistance proved useless. About an hour
after, the poor boy and Henry died. At ten deloek, a.m.
Macdonell was picked up by a fishing smack, and brought
te'"`inelhorn. The crew of this smack reported that they
had passed two wrecks of fishing boats near Hopeman.
the Burghead boat, we are grieved to say, there were lesta
man of the name of Cameron, who has left a widow and
three children to deplore his melancholy fate; another
man, name unkn own—besides John Henry and the master's
son.—ln verses., Colfrier.

11101C9 AT SHEERNESS.—This town has lately been
scene of many riots between the excavators employed in
the new works by Messrs. Joliffe and Banks, and the sol-
diers of the garrison, between whom there semis to he an
implacable animosity, much to the annoyance of the in-
habitants, who are often compelled to close their shops dur.
in g the riots: Too much cannot be said in praise of the
constables in their endeavours to keep the peace— they arc
continually on the alert, and expose themselves to much
danger in quelling the disturbances. A picquet has like-
wise paraded the town lately, in the evening, as soon as it
gets dusk. During one of the riots last week, a sergeant
drew his sword and made a thrust at a peaceable inhabitant
' as he was passing in the street; the sword was taken fro&
him and delivered to the high Constable. A private also,
who was on guard in the dock-yard, threw large stones
over the fence among the crowd. The excavators, also,
whom there are nearly <IOU, are by no means free from
blame. if these riots continue, it is to be hoped ;bat the
regiment at present stationed here may be removed, and
replaced by other soldiers; when in all probability there
will be no repetition of such disgraceful scenes.