The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-24 00:00:00

TELE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, NOVEMWEIR-24, 1855.

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LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day.)

• QUEEN'S BENCH.
(Sittings in Banco, before Lord Chief Justice Campbell,
Justices Coleridge, Wightman, and Erle.)

THE QUEEN ON THE PROSECUTION OF CHARLES NORWOOD,
A PILOT, V. THE MASTERS OF THE TRINITY HOUSE.

The Attorney-General appeared to show cause against a
rule nisi calling upon the Masters of the Trinity House to
show cause why a mandamus should notissue against them
commanding them to reinstate a pilot named Norwood,
a Cinque Port pilot of Deal, whom they had discharged
on alleged intoxication. The learned Attorney• General
said the pilot was originally appointed by the Lord
Warden of the Cinque Ports, and two questions arose :
the first whether the court could possibly interfere in
this natter ? and secondly, whether on the merits of the
case the mandamus ought to go ? Authority was vested
in the Trinity House by custom, the authority of the
Crown, and various statutes, to use their discretion in the
annulling or revoking the licences of the pilots.
Lord Campbell—Are we asked to consider whether
the members of the Trinity House did right or wrong in
exercising their discretion under the acts of Parliament ?
The Attorney-General said that that was what was
asked.

Lord Campbell said if the Board had heard the case
against the pilot and had adjudicated thereon, the court
could not compel them to review their decision.
Sir F. Kelly, who appeared for the pilot, said three
points arose in this case : first, that Norwood had been
dismissed unheard and without a trial ; secondly, that
he was dismised without cause ; and thirdly, that under
the various acts for the regulation of the pilots the
Corporation of the Trinity House had no power to dis-
miss a pilot appointed by the Lord Warden of the Cinque
Ports ; or, at, all events, not in the way Norwood had
been dismissed.

The Attorney-General having detailed the merits of
the case,

Sir Ti'. Thesiger, with whom was Mr. More, were heard
against the rule.

-Sir F. Kelly said the applicant was appointed pilot
of the Cinque Ports in 1837 by the late Duke of Wel-
lington, who was at the time Lord Warden of the
Cinque Ports, and from the terms of that appointment
it was an office given to a person who had established
his competency to discharge the duties of the office so
long as he behaved well and was competent to discharge
them; and, in pursuance of that appointment, he
had exercised the functions of a pilot, and been a
member for eighteen years of the society or brother.
hood of pilots, and paid 2001. towards the super-
annuation fund of that society—a society which had
been in existence from time immemorial. The words of
the licence were that the pilot should continue his office
s i long as he should be found capable of properly exer-
cising the same, and "fully conform himself to the bye-
laws, rules, orders, &c.," or " until this licence shall be
annulled, superslele:l, or adjudged to be forfeited by the
Lord Warden, &c." The proposition he (the learned
counsel) contended for was that it (lid not appear by the
acts of Parliament having reference to the pilots and the
Trinitj -house that the powers granted to the Lord
"Warden were not transferred from him to the Trinity-
house ; but, supposing such was the case, the proceedings
fur the Lord Warden to adopt on a complaint being
made to him against a pilot was to try a hearing, trial,
and judgment ; not certainly according to the forms of
a court of justice, but such as would give the party ae-
cus d as opportunity of hearing the charges made against
him, and of producing evidence on his behalf in answer
to the charges so made. These acts gave no appeal, and
it was only reasonable to suppose that a man (who was
by these proceedings ruined for life) should have the
opportunity of proving his innocence. This appoint-
ment was made before the change relative to annual
licences.

Mr. Bramwell, Mr. Collier, and another learned
counsel having been heard on the same side,
The Court took time to consi ler their judgment.
THE BIRMINGHAM GAOL CRIIELTIES.—This is the
day appointed for the bringing up of Lieut. Austin, the
late governor of Birciinghatn Gaol, for judgment, in re-
ference to the cruelties practised by him towards the
prisoners under his care in the above gaol. Should the
defendant be brought up and sentenced, we shall give
the result in a second edition.

CRIMINAL COURT OF APPEAL.
THE QUEEN V. GORDON.

This morning was appointed for the learned judges to
give their judgment in the appeal of the defendant against
Lis c mviction, relative to his not surrendering to his
bankruptcy. The defendant was a partner with a per-
son named Davidson, against whom indictments will
be preferred at the ensuing Criminal Court relative to
forged warrants.
On their lordships taking their seats, the Lord Chief
Justice said they should wish the case to be re-argued,
and appointed Friday next for that purpose.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

THAMES.

SHAMEFUL OVERCROWDING OF FERRY•BOATS. IM-
PORTANT TO THE PUBLIC. —ln consequence of a complaint
made to Mr. Ingham on a former day of the shameful
overcrowding of the ferry-boats between the Isle of
Dogs, on the Middlesex shore, and Greenwich, on the
Kent shore, the magistrate directed inspector Smith of
the K division to make inquiries on the subject, and call
the attention of the Court of the Waterman and Lighter-
man's Company to the evil. This morning Mr. Gillett,
beadle and inspector of the company, who was accom-
panied by inspector Smith, waited on Mr. Ingham, and
stated that the ferry between the Isle of Dogs and
Greenwich was a private one called Potter's-ferry, and
leased to a company. There had been continued litiga-
tion about that ferry, which originated in a grant of
King James the First, and had been most injurious
to the public interests. Complaints were made by the
harbour masters of 'the overcrowding of the boats by
the watermen who leased Potter's-ferry, and they
referred the matter to Mr. Evans, tbe superintendent
of the Thames Police, who was unable to repress the evil
complained of, and said that it was a question of law. He
(Mr Gillett) had received instructions previously, and had
waited on the watermen working the Potter's-ferry, and
warned them of the dangerous practice of overloading
their boats on a stream where large and small steam-
ships were in constant motion. The Potter's-ferry
watermen said they would do as they liked, and carry
as many as they liked. He then laid informations
against three of the watermen, George Harvey, for car-
rying 21 passengers in his boat at onetime, Thos. Keys,
12. and Wm. Giles, 16.
Mr. Ingham—How many can their boats carry in
safety at one time?
Mr. Gillett—They all navigate skiffs capable of carry-
ing eight persons only in safety. The company would have
licensed them for eight persons only. The three men
were summoned to the court of the Watermen's Com-
pany for violating the bye-laws of the company, and
they were all committed. The defendants had appealed
to the Quarter Sessions against the convictions, and it
was expected the case would be turned into a special
one for the Court of Queen's Bench.
Mr. Ingbam—Then nothing can be done to remedy
this fearful evil at present.
Mr. Gillett—Nothing, sir ; but the public have in some
measure the remedy in their own hands. The week be-
fore last an important case was heard in the Court of
Queen's Bench respecting the " Newcastle plying-place,"
$OO yards below Potter's-ferry. The proprietors of that
ferry claimed the whole island, and contended that it was
illegal to carry passengers from the Newcastle plying-
place, which was constructed by Alderman Cubitt on
his property, where be has built a new town. The judges
decided that the Newcastle plying-place was out of the
jurisdiction of the Potter's-ferry, and qualified watermen
free of the company had a right to ply for hire there.
The Newcastle plying-place is marked by the company.
The watermen plying there are subject to the rules and
regulations of the company, and dare not.overload their
boats.
Mr. Ingham thanked the beadle of the Waterman's
Company for his explanations, and said if any accident
arose to persons or property by the overloading of the
Putter's-ferry boats the owners of the boats would be
liable to serious consequences.

FRAUDS IN RUSSIA.

The Pays publishes the following letter, dated St.
Petersburg, Nov. 11 :
" In my letters I have often alluded to the fraud and
rooted,corru ptiintnexwtleinicdlis is the
widely
t deat htoofevßeruyssibar.
vice of the Czar's army, that the troops, despite the
evil
efforts of the Sovereign, era in want of nearly every-
thing. I was assured a few days since that Alexander
11., despite the usual mildness of his character, got into
a regular fury on learning what took place, and resolved
to act with extreme severity against any person, no
matter what his rank, found guilty of fraud. I know the
country well, and all his power will not be of any avail
to put a stop to these abuses. The evil is too deep-
rooted in the Muscovite soil. All will combine together
to deceive the most vigilant eye.
"The subjoined few facts of recent occurrence, the ex-
actitude of which I guarantee, will show you the extent
of the evil.

" A Livonian officer of very good family, intrusted
with the provisioning of the army in Tauris, went from
province to province buying oxen, cows, and sheep,
which he bad sent to Odessa and Chereon.
_ .

" Wishing to make a rapid fortune, he hit upon the fol-
lowing fraud. He proposed to some of the peasants to
leave them their cattle for a consideration agreed upon.
The cattle were booked as delivered, and he gave a false
receipt for the price of them. He theta put them down
as died on the road.' By this means ho pocketed—
first, the money of the peasants ; secondly, the money of
the Government. It was clever, but not honest. Sus-
picions were at last aroused. When it was mentioned
to the Czar he would nut at first believe that one of his
superior officers was capable of committing a crime the
consequences of which to the army were incalculable.
The rumours, however, grew so loud that a serious in-
vestigation was ordered. The officer was commanded
to proceed immediately to head-quarters at Odessa. He
was not so slow as net to smell a rat. He felt some
hesitation in obeying the order, but overnight he hit
upon a plan, and, while staying at an hotel near Odessa,
his r.,oin caught fire so cleverly that the flames, which
purify all things, destroyed the accounts. Ile arrived
at head-quartt rs with a certificate that his papers were
burnt. What more could be exacted ? We are assured
that the fire spared the roubles in his pouch. He was
acquitted. Poor fellow !as Moliere would say.
Another anecdote, the truth of which I will gua-
rantee :

"A dealer in fLur, in the vicinity of Kiew, provides
some thousand sacks of flour to the commander of the
place, and asks an exorbitant price., He is refused pay-
ment. He is brought up for usury and fraud. The
affair is a serious one ; be is liable to a very severe
penalty and a journey to Siberia in perspective. He was
as calm, however, as if his conscience was pure and his
cause a good one. At the appointed day he appeared
before the judge, and proved by his books, A pins B,
that to accept the supply the officers had exacted for
themselves 80,090 silver roubles, or 240,000 francs.
Very flattering this for the officers of the :Russian army!
The trader was acquitted and his honour saved ; the
money was paid ; he gained nothing by the transaction.
"Everywhere, at the very steps of tha throne, the
most audacious robberies are committed. The Emperor
Alexander I. said that his sailors would steal his guns it
they dared ; Alexander 11. observed the other day that
his attendants would steal his breeches if they had the
opportunity. The following gave rise to the obserVation:
—Among the Emperor's household there is a Chamber-
lain silversmith, who has the care of the Crown plate.
He has a dozen tchinowichea' under him. For some
time these gentlemen have amused themselves by passing
the plate through acids, by which process a considerable
portion of the silver was taken off, which they afterwards
transformed into a solid state by a chemical process. This
robbery had been carried on for a long time before it was
discovered. But as all were equally guilty, no culprit
could be found for want of proof. The Crown plate has
been ordered to be melted down and recast. _ _

"The bourgeois And merchants are not personally sub-
jected to the recruiting tax, but they have to pay 500 f.
for each recruit asked from them. Thus they pr.vide as
many soldiers per thousand merchants as the nobles
provide per thousand peasants. This tax brings in a
considerable revenue to the Crown. Toe number of
merchants in the whole extent of the empire amounts to
about 150,000, and as the State has alrearly levie3 about
60 men per 1,000, it results that the merchants have
had to pay about 400,001,000 f. Thus, however good
Russians they may be, the bourgeois are beginning to
find the war taxes somewhat heavy.
" The populations who suffer most from this state of
things are precisely those who entertain the least sym-
pathy for Russia—for instance, Finland, Livonia, Estlio-
ma, Courland, Poland, and the Southern provinces,
which are almost exclusively inhabited by Tartars and
Mussulmans. The provinces of the Baltic particularly
are weighed down by taxes. Whatever may be said
about the Russian party carrying on the war to the last
man and the last rouble, the Government will have to
consult a little the Catholics, the Protestant 4, and the
141ussulinans, who, united, form more than one-third of
the population of the empire, and who have certainly a
right to be heard i❑ the matter."

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day).