The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-27 00:00:00

27, 1855.

:t of ttLy

Mr. Baron Alderson said the questi on for
would be upon the facts establishing the misden
Mr. Baron Martin said that he was cl early of
that the disclosure made was not a diiclosur
the meaning of the act.
Mr. Baron Alderson said it would be monstre
disclosure made by the bankrupts was to defeat
visions for which it was enacted, and he did r
any act could be so foolish as to contemplate
of the kind.
The Attorney-General, in conclusion, said
question was, whether the disclosures made ' vere of a
bona jfde character, or only made by the pr isoners to
escape the penal consequences of their cond-N 2t. It had
been admitted by their attorney that this vas only a
screen to go before the bankrupt commissior and there
make a statement to clear themselves. '1 1i ; they had
done unsolicited by any one of the creditor s. Vito learned
Attorney-General then told the jury tha ; the question
which they would have to decide was, whether they
thought the prisoner Sir John Dean Par it had, in 1854,
disposed of the securities which had be an intrusted to
him by the Rev. Dr. Griffiths, and if th a other two pri-
soners were parties to that act of whicl ihe was a prin.
cipal.

the jury
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Mr. Baron Alderson then summed ill and told the
jury that if they thought the prise 'tars, being the
agents of the Rev. Dr. Griffiths, h a d sold certain
securities entrusted to them, then they Ir could clearly be
guilty of the misdemeanour charged Iv ainet the three
prisoners, and the jury would have las say how much
the parties were severally implica a id. Against Sir
John Dean Paul it certainly pre sr ,ed the heaviest,
against Strahan the next, and, perhaps again:t
the prisoner Bates the least. Th‘ sle arm,/ Judge then
proceeded to read over the evide nee of the prosecutor
(Dr. Griffiths), commenting u .pen the fact that Dr.
Griffiths had, at the interview about the payment of the
dividend upon Danish Bonds been with the prisoner
Bates. His lordship then we at through the evidence re-
lating to the securities, and the a went into the question of
the complicity of the prisoner/ J, with the act of Sir John
D. Paul, and upon the questio nof partnership. It stood
thus: a partner was liable for the deeds of his copartners
by the deeds of his partners' lip. A partner was clearly
responsible civilly for ang 'act of the other members of
the firm, but not crimittariy, unless he took an active
material part in such criminal transaction. For in-
stance, if a man was r sleeping partner in a firm, and
lived in the country, one who merely had his name put
upend took the:profit 3,0 f the firm, but no part in the actual
transactions,of the 'firm, God forbid that such m en should
he held personallsj liable for the criminal acts of any
other. But then. they the jury must look into the actual
acts of these men. For this purpose they would have
to take into their consideration the statements made in
the disclosure upon the bankruptcy, and then con-
sidering the prisoners Bates and Strahan in the
disclosures they made had not proved that they
had not clearly established their know ledge of the acts
of their other partner. That was tha main question
upon which they had to decide. With regard to the
question of the disclosures, he (the' Learned Judge) did
not think they had made full disclosures of their acts ;
and even if they had, did any one ever suppose
that persons were to commit a misdemeanour, ren-
dering them liable to transportation, and thea
to go and volunteer a disclosure to clear them-
selves of the act, to make a disclosure En. one place and
then bring it here as a full bones fide disclosure, and if it
was as if a mere play were acting? Could the jury suppose
that it was ever intended that persons should play fast
and loose with the criminal laws like that f It was not
a disclosure ever contemplated by the act—it was a
sham, a farce. He (the learned Judge) would wish
to take the opinion of the jury eves upon that point,
even though it would not have the effect of settling that
part of the question, which would go elsewhere. The
main question they would have to decide was, did
Sir John Paul part with the securities, and did
they, the other prisoners, give their authority to do so,
with their approval and consent ? If any doubt existed
upon their minds as to the part the other two prisoners
took in the matter they would give the prisoners the
benefit of that doubt.
The jury then retired, and having been absent about
half an hour returned, and found all three prisoners
guilty.
Mr. Baron Alderson, in passing sentence, said it was
a most painful duty for him to hare to perform, to pass
sentence upon men who had held the high position which
they had, and one of whom he had known and sat beside,
when holding high office, and he would to God it had fell
to another's lot to pass the sentence ; still a public duty
demanded that he should do so, and he would not shrink
from such duty. He could not conceive a worse offence,
and should, therefore, pass the severest sentence the law
allowed him, and that was transportation fur fourteen
years.

The learned judge seemed deeply moved whilst paus-
ing the sentence, but the prisoners, who each drew
themselves up to their full height upon being calied upon
for sentence, and remained so during the whole of the
learned judge's address, received their sentence with the
utmost apparent indifference.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—(This Day.)

THAMES.

DEMAND FOR WAGES BY THE ASIATIC CREW OF THIS
PRINCE ARTHUR.—Captain Chas. Campbell Sutherland,
the master of the ship Prince Arthur, of Liverpool, ap•
peared before Mr. Yardley to answer the claims of 43
Lascars, who assisted in navigating the ship from Singa-
pore to London. The Asiatic crew mustered long before
the magistrate arrived, and formed a picturesque gr,up.
They were dressed in every variety of costume, the tur-
ban prevailing for head-dress, and were attended by their
Serang or chief, and the Burra Tuidal or boatswain, and
there were among them Bengalese, Cingalese, Malays,
and Calcutta men. Captain Sutherland attended before
the magistrate, with his European seamen, 11 in num-
ber, a few days ago, and said, as the ship had changed
hands since she sailed from England, he could only pay
their wages under a compulsory process, and asked the
magistrate to grant summonses to the Europeans, which
was done, and Captain Sutherland appeared to the sum-
monses against himself two days afterwards, and,
•rders having beet made, he paid the Europeans
all their wages in the court, with 103. costs in each
case, at the same tim® expressing his regret that the
state of affairs connected with the ship had compelled
them to come before a magistrate. The Lascars now
complained that they were about to be sent back to India
in another ship, and without their wages.
Captain Sutherland said the Lascars had entered into
a contract to navigate the ship to England and back to
India, but if the vessel did not return to go to the East
Indies, they would be sent home in another vessel. It
was not yet arranged whether the Prince Arthur would
return to India or not. If she did return to India, the
Lascars were bound to go back in her.
Mr. Yardley--Certainly, that is the contract. Ex-
plain that to them, interpreter. The Lascars are under
a contract to serve in the ship Prince Arthur from Sin-
gapore to England and back, and they are not entitled
to any wages until the voyage is terminated in India.
Mr. Levy, the interpreter, having explained what
the captai❑ and the magistrate said, the Lascars ex-
pressed their fears they were to be sent back to
India in another vessel without their wages.
Mr. Yardley said there was no fear of that. Captain
Sutherland had met the crew in a most fair and gentle-
manly spirit, and would pay all the wages due to them
here if the Prince Arthur did not return to India.

Mr. Levy said the Lascars wanted a little money to
purchase a few necessaries.

Captain Sutherland said he had no objection to ad-
vance the Lascars a little money ; and the magistrate),
in dismissing the two summonses which had been taken
out to try the case, said he way quite sure the Lascars
might rely on the honour and integrity of the captain.
Some time afterwards Mr. Levy said the captain had
offered to divide 201. only among the Lascars.
Mr. Yardley—That is a small sum. There are 43
men, and he can't offer them less than 11. each.

The magistrate's suggeFtion was immediately adopted.
The Lascars received 205. each, and retired apparently
quite satisfied.

REPRESENTATION 07 WELLS. —Mr. Serj eant Kinglak e
(Liberal) will contect Wells on the Liberal interest, in
opposition to Captain Joliffe (Conservative).
HER MAJESTY'S JUDGES IN THE RURAL DISTRICTS
The anniversary of the Broadhembury Agricultural As-
sociation was celebrated on Monday, and the interest
of the proceedings was enhanced by the presence of Mr.
Baron Alderson (who is spending the vacation with his
relative, Mr. Drewe, of the Grange), and Mr. Justice
Patteson, who resides in the locality. The learned baron
had the toast of " The Judges of Ploughing " confided
to him, and he proposed it in a facetious speech, in the
course of which he alluded to a portly agriculturist
named Pyle, who was one of the judges, and said that
that worthy gentleman had a particular claim on him,
inasmuch as he had told him (the learned baron) that he
had become a "judge of the land " 25 years ago, at the
same time that Mr. Baron Alderson had commenced
official duties. Farmer Pyle, in responding, butrej oiced
t
at the fraternising spirit of the learned baron, said
there was a difference between the two, "and that dif-
ference," exclaimed the sturdy farmer, slapping his
breeches' pocket, "is here." This arousing retort ex-
cited coasiderable laughter.