The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-15 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS-(THIS DA Y.

Mr. Serjeant Adams, Assistant-Judge, and a full
bench of magistrates, sat this morning at the Sessions-
house, Clerkenwell-green, to hear bail and appeal cases,
of which there were seven set down in the paper for
hearing.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY AN ENGINEER.
William Bolton, who was found guilty yesterday of
stealing 16 working tools, and other articles, of the value
of 101., the property of Mr. Joseph Boulton, his em-
ployer, the particulars of which were reported in The
Sun of yesterday, was this morning brought up for
judgment.
The learned Assistant-Judge, in passing sentence, said
that he had given this case the greatest consideration,
for the purpose of finding something slight, so that he
might pass a lighter sentence than it was now his inten-
tion to do. He had no doubt but that he had been
carrying on a wholesale system of robbery, and, not
content with that, had the wickedness to charge the son
of the prosecutor with the theft. Not satisfied with that,
he had brought witnesses into that court, who had com-
mittedand he (the learned judge) had
considercaobrrlielpdtopuebluLther Culter was not an accom-
plice. The sentence of the Court, therefore, was that
the prisoner be transported for the term of seven years.
Samuel Natter and George Matson were indicted with
stealing a quantity of mutton and beef, the property of
Philip Sharp, his master.
Mr. Byerly Thomson appeared for the prosecution,
and Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Rebton for the defence.
On the 2d December the prosecutor was in his parlour
at the back of his shop, and saw Slatter take down some
mutton, and take it to the slaughter:house. He went
there, and saw Slatter and Matson together, and found
in a tub the mutton, some beef, some pork, and other
articles. The prosecutor stated that he kept two shops,
and had been robbed to a very large amount..
Mr. Rebton and Mr. Metcalfe having addressed the
jury for their respective clients, the learned judge
summed up, and the jury returned a verdict of guilty
against Slatter, and not guilty against Matson.
The Assistant-Judge sentenced Slatter to nine calendar
months' imprisonment, with hard labour.

!wit health, continuos
N,
we much regret to say, to be con-
, who usually enjoys such excel-
, his rerLooMmEß::::Nit is stated, gout. His lordship did
not appear either at his own dinner party, or Lady Pal-
merston's reception on Saturday evening ; and as time
elapses, considerable anxiety and curiosity are expressed
as to whether the noble viscount will have recovered so far
as to be enabled to take part in the discussion of, or to vote
in, the division on the budget. Gout is a complaint with
which many of our most eminent statesmen have been
afflicted—none more so than the great Earl of Chatham.
With him, gout was, however, sometimes assumed to
relieve himself from royal or parliamentary embarrass-
ments.—DailY News.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE GREAT NORTHERN TER-
MlNUS.—Yesterday, as the four o'clock p.m. passenger
train, consisting of an engine and six carriages was on the
eve of starting from the King's.eross terminus, and while
it was gently moving into the station, the buffer struck
John Caten, who Was clearing the road between the rails
of bricks and other impediments. The poor fellow, who
was more stunned than injured by the blow, cried "mur-
der, and endeavoured to make his escape, but becoming
confused, instead of getting out of the way ran under the
carriages, the Wheels of which passed over him, nearly
severing his head from his body, smashing it, and also
severing his hand, and otherwise dreadfully mutilating him.
His mangled corpse was instantly conveyed to the dead
house. Deceased, who was 45 years of age, has left a widow
and several children.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.
—On Monday afternoon a fatal accident took place during
the progress of the' three o'clock down train on the South-
Western Railway. As the down train, which leaves the
Waterloo station at three o'clock, was proceeding at its
usual puce, between Basingstoke and Andover-road sta-
tions, when it had reached near Oakley-park Bridge a man
was observed on the up line. The engine-driver instantly
blew the whistle, and made every effort to shut off the
steam ; but it was, unfortunately, out of his power to pre-
vent the fatal accident. The engine and train passed over
the body of the unfortunate man, which was cut to pieces.
His name is Thompson, and it appears that he was in the
employment of the Telegraph Company, and resided al
Basingstoke.

1 AgAULI AND BATTERY.—Yesterday the case of
Dillon v. Brown was tried in the Queen's Bench. The plain-
tiffand wife sued as paupers and Mr. Berjeant Thomas stated
their case. He said it was an action for damages for an
alleged assault and battery. The plaintiff was a female
who carried on the business of a mender of glass and china
articles. The defendant was the keeper of a public-house,
near Gray's-inn-lane. The woman having heard that her
husband was at the public-house, went to fetch him home.
, The defendent thereupon seized upon her and was very
I violent, and thereby injured her very much ; he hurt her
thumb, and having thrown her down on the steps, kicked
her when she was there. She was taken to the Free Hos-
pital, and two days afterwards she miscarried, and was an
out-patient for a long period, and up to within a short
time since. Mr. Serjeant Wilkins called witnesses to
shew that the case was a gross issue of falsehoods from
beginning to end, and the jury returned a verdict for the
defendant,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE OF COMMONS—.(THIS DAY.)
o'cTlochek. SPEAKER took the chair a few minutes to 12

PETITIONS.
Mr. MACAULAY presented a petition from the
Philosophical Society of Edinburgh in favour of the
distribution of Parliamentary papers to mechanics' in-
stitutes.
Petitions to the same effect were presented by Mr.
COLLIER from Plymouth, and by Lord BROOKE
from Warwick.
Mr. J. UTT presented a petition from Youghal,
praying fora elief from the Irish Consolidated Funds
Act.

Mr. HATFIELD presented a petition from Sheffield
against the financial propositions of the Government.
ORDER OF THE POOR-LAW BOARD.
In reply to Mr. COBBETT,
Sir J. TROLLOPE said the order of the Poor-Law
Board, of the 25th of April, had been rescinded, and a
modified one would be substituted. That order was to-
day in the possession of the printers, and would be
transmitted to the boards of guardians to whom it re-
lated in the course of the present week.
In reply to an HON. MEMBER,
Lord NAAS said he hoped after the recess to intro-
duce some measure for the improvement of the health of
towns in Ireland, but he would not bring it forward unless
he saw some reasonable hope of passing it.
LAW OF SETTLEMENT.
Mr. WISE asked the President of the Poor-faw
Board whether there was any intention of altering the
law of settlement, or of proposing any change in the
mode of charging the rates for the relief of the poor.
Sir J. TROLLOPE said he had given his attention to
the important question of the law of settlement, but it
required so much consideration that he was not now pre-
pared to introduce a measure on the subject. As, how-
ever, no measure could be passed without first receiving
the assent of the Government, he had placed before them
all the information he possessed on the subject, and he
believed they had devoted their anxious consideration to
the question. (Hear.)
LAND OF POOR-LAW GUARDIANS.
Mr. WISE asked the President of the Poor-Law
Board whether there was any information in the poor-
law office as to the quantity of laud which had been
hired or purchased by boards of guardians for the pur-
pose of cultivation by the inmates of union workhouses ;
and whether any statements had been transmitted to
the Poor-Law Board showing the result of the employ-
ment of the inmates of workhouses on the land so hired
or purchased ; and if any such information and state-
ments had been given or exist, whether the President
would place a copy of the same on the table of the house.
Sir J. TROLLOPE said he could furnish the hon.
member with a return of the quantity of land either pur-
chased or hired for the employment of the poor, but the
guardians were not in the habit of furnishing informa-
tion as regarded either the financial or moral results of
the plan. All the board were in possession of on those
points was obtained incidentally through the reports of I
inspectors.