The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-12 00:00:00

MONDAY

WESTRIIVSTER.

---
Mr. John Wyatt, the proprietor -of the Crown and
Sceptre, Chapter-street, Westminster, was on Friday
summoned before Mr. Broderip for keeping his house
open beyond the hour allowed by law on Christmas-eve.
William ',hippo, 94 Ii! stated that at 25 minutes past
12 on the night in question he was on duty
street, and heard voices in defendant's house. He knocked
at the door, which was shut, when a voice from within
inquired who was there. i
-is replied "Police," and was
admitted, in company with another constable, 255 B. He
found four or five persons in front of the bar engaged
had in conversation, but they in Chapter-
no spirits or liquor of any
sort before them. In the parlour he found six or seven
men, some of whom were smoking pipes. He did not
see any of them
drink, but there was a quart pot with
some malt liquor in it upon the table. Defendant, who
was at the bar talking with the
persons who were
standing there, observing witness, said, " You may sum•
mon the - and bed .
" but, correcting himself,
n
observed, " I beg pardon_, .5
i words were, ' And glory
in it, and you may Put that in your pocket-book.'"
In cross-examination by defendant's solicitor witness
admitted that he had no difficulty in getting into the
The people in the house conducted themselves in an or-
quiet he should enter it:
derly manner. it
parlour, and.
--e had been on duty by the house for a
fortnight, and had no
that he saw nothing but the pot of beer.
servocomplain of
it. Ile had had no dispute with Mr. Wyatt. Witness
had watched the boas© ad had said that if it was not
,e
and
i offues
nee:ears occasion to
h he
would
1 defendant out.

The other constable was called in confirmation of
Phipps' account.

In do ence it was declared tbat Mr. Wyatt was most
desirous of closing
enom not
moment.
ucln tloired
of his any-
thing after twelve his hens©, and had not drawn
o'clock; but it being Christmas-eve he
could
leave
aet
con nistable Phippi wholeertosho show the
customers to
hefeelingby
which th
was actuated,
George Dawson, a young man living at 4, Chapter-
street. was called, and deposed that on the Saturday
night previous to Christmas-eve ho saw Phipps and
another constable facing defendant's, and heard Fhipps
say "ore yea BUN you heard voices ? because if you
are we can go in directly, because it is past twelve."
Witness hearing this, and being a neighbour, continued
a
to listen, and after conversation carried on in a whis-
per between the constables, beard Phipps say„" I should
mmons or
like to pull (se inform against) the i•
-.
Witness communicated what he had overheard, Dud
which he felt confident to Mr. applied Wyatt, to him the
next morning,
In reply to an inquiry from Mr. BitODEBIP it Wag
stated that there ban been no previous complaint of any
kind against defendant's house.
Mr. BRODERIP observed that after what bad been
stated with respect to th® previous proper oonduct of the
house he could not help regretting that this case should
have been selected by the police for prosecution. They,
however, acted upon their instructions' and the matter
being before him he must dispose of it. There were,
however, ingredients in the case which made it of great
comeggenco ig another point of view, 'or •191119 iill2o

it was impossible to understand what was meant by the
observation used by tho defendant to the constable
Phipps, "You may summons the -," but the witness
caned by the defendant cleared that matter by proving
that he had communicated to the defendant tho filthy
expression he had overhead. It was impossible to sup-
pose that that observation was not intended for Mr,
Wyatt; that expression was so odious and offensive that
any man making use of it was not fit to hold a situation
in which temper and decency were both required. The
law in the case had indeed been broken, and he should
only inflict the penalty of ss.