The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-07 00:00:00

plate a manner as er;minal trials are conducted.—We have
the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servants."
(Signed by upwards of 40 magistrates )
Mr. MUNDY said taut he was glad that Mr.
Crompton had given him an opportunity of explain-
ing the part he had taken in this matter. The
visiting justices felt aggrieved, and much surprised
that they were not informed by the surgeon of
the gaol when he changed his mind upon the
subject of the prisoner Townley's sanity or insanity,
he having given evidence that he considered the
prisoner to be insane, although he had previously
given opinion that he was perfectly sane. The jus-
tices had caused a minute to be entered to that
effect. As chairman of the visiting justices, he had
been applied to hy Townley's,friends to allow them
to see him, and he could not refuse so natural a re-
quest. On the day after Christmas-day he received
a request from the prisoner's solicitor to allow cer-
tain persons to examine him, with a view to induce
the Home-office to send down a Commission in
Lunacy. Upon returning, after a short absence, he
was surprised to find that that commission had
already arrived, so that Mr. Sims very properly re-
fused to allow any other interview until those
investigations were concluded. They Lad every
opportunity of making those investigations afforded
to them, and of satisfying themselves as to his con-
dition. After this it would seem that the visit of
the other justices was uncalled for and unnecessary,
but nevertheless they did see him. On Tuesday the
prisoner's solicitor came to the gaol to ask permis-
sion for the other commission to see the prisoner,
and Mr. Sims referred him to the chairman (Mr.
Evans), and leave was granted. It seemed to him
(Mr. Mundy) that his visit was entirely a work of
supererogation, and, after the report of the other
commission, it appeared perfectly unnecessary for
any local gentlemen to have any interviews with
the prisoner, the regularly formed commission
having superior authority. (Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN said there was a doubt whether

the power of giving a certificate was in the county
or the borough justices, and, therefore, both had
been represented.
Dr. HEYGATE, M.D., F.R.S., said as this painful
case had been brought before the Court, he felt
it his duty to say that never during the whole
course of his life had he known a case in which
the plea of insanity had been set up or main-
tained on such flimsy pretexts. There was no doubt
that the power of giving a certificate lay with the
visiting justices, and not the borough justices. A
more monstrous thing he never knew in his life than
the way in which justice had been caused to mis-
carry throughout the whole case.
Mr. CRoMPTON said of course the solicitor of the
prisoner was justified in taking such steps in the
interest of his client as seemed good to him, and no
blame attached to him; but it seemed that the
borough justices had been made use of in order to
violate the spirit of the Act the 3d and 4th of Vic-
toria, cap. 54, an Act which had been carried out in
Derby before by responsible persons. In this case
the solicitor for the defence had introduced into the
gaol a commission composed of persons who had
every one committed themselves to an opinion by
signing a document in which that opinion was ex-
pressed. He considered that such a procedure was
unfair, not only to the public but to Sir G. Grey,
who formed his conclusions from it. Let the public
be satisfied that the man was insane, for at present
he was considered to be sane. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. T. 0. BATEMAN wished to know whether the
gaol was in the county or the borough. He thought
that the borough justices were right in interfering
if the gaol was in the borough.
Mr. R. B. BARROW thought Mr. Crompton's re-
marks were much too strong. He could not believe '
that money could weigh at all in such a case. As
to the Home Secretary's power, if a certificate of
insanity went to him, signed by two justices, he
was bound to respite the prisoner.
Mr. CRoMPTON said that the prisoner was repre•
sented by an active and able solicitor, but who re-
presented the public ? A pressure had been put
upon the jnry, which was, to say the least, unfair to
the interests of society. They were worked upon by
being told that they had satisfied justice by their
verdict, but that the prerogative of mercy was
theirs, and it was hard to refuse to sign a memorial
when put to them in such a manner. He did not
hesitate to say that the public was injured by these
secret tribuna's. The case had been most amply
investigated in open court, with the advantage of
counsel on both sides, but the after evidence had
been given without any person being present to re-
present the prosecutio❑ and to cross-examine those
witnesses. If the Home Seceetary was to be influ-
enced by a tribunal, let it at least be a proper one.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BATEMAN—It was stated i❑ the papers that
the magistrates who signed the certificate were Mr.
Roe, the Mayor of Derby, Mr. Cox, and Mr. Fur-
man.

Mr. CRomPTON—I name no names; I merely
say that as for Townley, money has saved him, and
I move that the remonstrance be adopted. (Hear.)
Mr. R. W. M. NESFIELD—I second that, al-
though it might have been made a little stronger,
showing from the evidence that the murderer had
duly exercised his reason. Mr. Nesfield pointed out
the facts to which he alluded, and concluded—My
own opinion is, that if Townley is let off, then Thor-
ley was judicially murdered. (Hear, hear.)
Tne CHAIRMAN put the question whether the
remonstrance be adopted, and it was carried unani-
mously.

THE BRIGHTON BOATMAN.

The Brighton boatman whose type 1 would pre
sent has generally served 17 months, neither more
nor less, in the Royal Navy. How and why he
entered, under what circumstances quitted, and
what exploits he performed in that service are, to-
gether with the precise name of his ship, points en-
veloped in mystery. He has a wife and nine small
children, who never grow any bigger, possibly be-
cause of the insufficient nutriment obtained from
skate, winkles, and starfish, on which, if the family
father is to be believed, they principally subsist. He
has neither baptismal nor family name, in proof of
which rather startling fact I may mention that my
five most intimate friends were known respectively
as "Tim," '`Jarsper," " The Shepherd,' " Streaky,"
and "Bobs," all titles conferred on them by their
fraternity. I had entertained some doubts on the
subject of Bubs, till reassured by that gentleman's
emphatic declaration that it " warn't his name least-
ways, not as he know'd on," though ho never an-
swered to any other. I took some pains to discover
the secret principle which governed beach nomen-
clature. All, however, that I could ascertain
was, that Tim was so called because he had
espoused a Mrs. Juniper; the Shepherd, for so
much as, many years ago, a gentleman had pre-
sented him with an aged vest of the plaid,
bearing that pastoral name ; and Streaky, seeing
that he had beguiled a part of his 17 months' naval
service by tattooing himself, like a savage, from
head to foot. " Jarsper" and " Bubs," being pure
fancy names, defied investigation. The Brighton
boatman has two especial forms of invitation. The
fair weather : " Take a retch (reach) off, sir ? Fine
breeze." An unconscious warning, which must
have recurred with painful distinctness to many a
pallid citizen, receding from the steadfast shore.
The foul weather : " Seen that 'ere curious fish what
our boats brought in o' Toosday, slr ? Tuppence."
Boats—in the plural—to suggest the idea of one
having proved inadequate to the towage of the
struggling monster ashore. The animal—need I
add?—turns out to be a dogfish, some 24 in. in
length, and about as interesting to coast frequenters
as a whiting. The Brighton boatman is never known
to beg ; for, although mendicancy is with him a con-
firmed habit, it is simply argumentative, based, as
it were, completely on hypothesis. " Sposen any
gel'man will give me two shillen towards a new
mainsle, I'd do a good job among they mackerel
boats next year, sir." " Happen same gel'man 'ood
rise 'alf-a-crown, I'd—" &c., &c. It is difficult to
resist a perpetual suggestion. Hence, it was only,
when I discovered that " rising" half-a-crown
meant, in reality, sinking that amount in the hope-
less slough of Mr. Bub's pocket that I finally har-
dened into stone.—All the Year Round.

ARTESIAN WELL AT DONCASTER.—The boring
having penetrated into a fissure, water in great volume has
been obtained. The present yield is estimated. by Mr.
Dale, the engineer, at four million gallons a day.