The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-02 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.-HERTFORD, FEB, 29.
THE MURDER AT TEWIN.

This morning having been appointed for the trial of Thomas Tay-
lor, who stands charged with the murder and robbery of William
Bennett, an old pensioner, under circumstances of peculiar atrocity,
at an early hour the Court was crowded, and the trial excited the
most intense interest.

Soon after nine o'clock Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE took his seat
upon the bench, and the prisoner was placed at the bar. He ap_
peared quite composed and confident, and pleaded Not Guilty in a
firm voice.

Our readers are aware that two persons named Roach and Flet.
cher were convicted of being concerned in this murder, and were
subsequently executed.
The indictment having been read, the trial proceeded.
Messrs. RYLAND and DOWLING appeared for the prosecution ; and
Mr. WORDSWORTH for the defence.

After a lengthened examination of witnesses, for which we have

not space,

•
The Learned JUDGE summed up the evidence; and the Jury hay.
ing retired to consider of their verdict, the utmost anxiety pervaded
the Court during the while. On their return into Court, they Fro.
flounced a verdict of Guilty.
The usual proclamation having been made, the most breathless
silence prevailed in the Court, while the Learned Judge proceeded
to pass sentence upon the prisoner.

Mr. Justice Li rri.Enst,h then said, that after a full, patient, and
impartial inquiry, the Jury had come to the conclusion thNt the priso-
ner was guilty of the offence imputed to him—and be, the Learned
Judge, entirely concurred in the verdict. The offence was one
of a most serious and aggravated description :—fonr young men l•dd
leagued together to: rob and, as it turned out, to murder, an old
inoffensive man. Even if they had only committed robbery, the
offence would have been of a most aggravated description ; but on.
der the circumstances, he could hold out no expectation of mercy to
him. It appeared very probable, from the evidence of the medical
men, that it was his violence which was the cause of the
death of the deceased, he having, by his own admission,
kicked the unfortunate deceased behind the ear, whit) vry
probably, was the mortal injury. He therefore entreated him to
seek for that mercy from the Supreme Power, which ,could not be
granted him by man. It only remained for him to pass the sm.
tence of the law, which was—that he, Thomas Taylor, be taken
from the bar back to the gaol from whence he came, and from
thence to a place of execution, there to be hanged b./ the n?ck
until he was dead. " And," said the Learned Judge, " may the Lord
God Almighty have mercy on your sinful soul."
The prisoner heard the Judge's address with the utmost coolness,
and walked back from the bar with a firm step.

WIGAN ELECTION.—On Thursday evening a
public meeting was held in the Commercial Hall, at
Wigan, for the purpose of hearing Mr. Ewart. The
spacious room was crowded to excess, there being at least
1,200 persons present. Mr. Thicknesse, formerly Member
for the borough, was in the chair, and introduced Mr.
Ewart to the electors. Mr. Ewart made an excelbnt
speech, for which we regret we cannot find room, and
eventually a resolution in his favour was unanimously
passedamidst shouts of applause.
The
Canton Register of October 2, states that,
on the previous evening, a very serious mutiny occurred on
board the John Bull. Blood was shed on both sides, and
Mr. Macdonald, second officer of the Castle Huntley, was
severely, if not dangerously wounded. Captain Gillett,
and other officers who had hastened to assist Captain Or-
mend, were particularly active in quelling the mutiny.- The
particulars were not known,.but there were many reports
current at Canton.

Corn-laws.
Captain WEMYSS presented a petition from a
parish in Fifeshire against any further endowment to
the Church of Scotland. Also one from the same
place praying the House for the total and immediate
repeal of the Corn-laws.
Mr. STRUTT presented a petition from a parish in
Derby to the same effect.
Mr. PRINGLE presented a petition from the land-
oshwire, nersdeapnrdecfaatrinng any diminution of the protection iers in the upper district of
af-
fordedßoxburgh-
at present to the growers of corn : also, petitions
from the counties of Mid-Lothian and Selkirk, praying
for Church Extension in Scotland.
Mr. BROADLEY presented a petition against
idolatry in India ; and one praying for the restoration of
a resident Bishop in Canada.
Mr. COLQUHOUN presented several petitions
from Scotland, complaining of spiritual destitution in
that country ; also a petition from Darleston (Stafford),
praying for a system of Religious Education ; and a pe•
tition against the continuance of the annual grant to
Maynooth College.
MUNICIPAL REFORM (IRELAND.)
. .
Mr. BEAMISH presented a petition froca. Cork in
favour of Municipal Reform in Ireland.

Mr. FOX MAUL E begged to ask the Noble Lord
opposite (Ashley) whether he had any objection to state
specifically to the House the course which he intended
to pursue with regard to a motion he had upon the
paper for bringing the Report of an Inspector of Fac-
tories before the House.
Lord ASHLEY said he did not wish to bind himself
to any particular line, and the course of proceeding
which he might adopt would depend upon the answer
which the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Home De-
parmeot made to his statement.
SMALL DEBTS RECOVERY.
Mr..HINDLEY inquired if the Noble Goid; the

Mr. HARVEY confessed that lie was somewhat
surprised, and a little mortified to find there should be
any resistance made to this motion. It looked like an
attempt to defeat the object of it, because though
it might be conceded, as was known to every one
who had real the repast to which the Noble Lord
and the Right Hon. Gent. had alluded, that Lord
Durham stated he had appointed Charles Buller, Esq.,
to an office, and two or three other persons who were
named, yet the Noble Lord and the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman must be aware that the appointments themselves
were not set forth in that report—the words of
.the
appointment were not set forth. What he wanted
was to have before the House the specific terms of the
appointment under the band and seal of Lord Durham.
Now that certainly did not appear in the document which
had been referred to, and what pretext there could be
for opposing the production of these papers in a better form
than that which was to be found in the report, he could not
understand, unless it was with a view to give the go-by
to this motion. He cared nothing as to bow the House
dealt with the motion—they might deal with it as they
thought fit. Al he wanted was, if he could, which
he owned it was very difficult to do, to come to
the conclusion that there was something like
impartial justice dealt out in that House. There
was no opposition made to the production of hi:
(Mr. Harvey's) appointment. That was regularly
granted. No Minister of the Crown appeared
in his Committee to give a verbal explanation—
there was none of that zeal on his behalf which had been
exhibited in another Committee.—( Hear, hear, and a
laugh.) All he wanted was to have something like
impartial justice. Whether the House adopted or re-
jected the motion was a matter of perfset indifference to
him, but if it was an object of convenience to the Noble
Lord that the motion should stand over in order that it
might be made more explicit, so as to promote the ob-
jects of it, he would most readily accede to any sugges •
tion of that sort. But if this was, as it occurred to him
to be, an endeavour to defeat the object of the motion,
he begged leave to say that he should take the sense of
the House upon it, and would move that these returns
be made.—( Hear, hear.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL had not the slightest
objection to this motion, and if the Hon. Gentleman
thought it would be more convenient to have on a
single sheet of paper what had already been laid before
the House, he for one would not refuse it. It was not
worth while to make any dispute upon the subject. His
Right Hon. Friend and himself had merely wished to point
out to the Hon. Gent. that the information he wanted
was already in the papers before the House ; and it cer-
tainly was rather a remarkable accusation to make, that
they were endeavouring to conceal facts that had already
been laid before the llouse.—( Hear, hear.) Whether
the Hon. Gentleman put the motion in this shape or any
other, with or without the dates, he could have no ob-
jection to the motion.
Mr. C. BULLER said that he had a very strong
objection to the motion—( Great laughter)—and simply,
for this reason, that it tended to delay the decision at
the House on the subject. He had no wish to throw
any obstacles in the way of the Hon. Member for South-
wark—ho merely wished to prevent him throwing ole.
stables in his own way, and he thought it was
rather hard that the Hon. Gentleman should cast im-
putations on the Noble Lord, and other persons in that
House, that this was an endeavour to protect him (Mr.
C. Buller) in possession of his seat. The real objection
he had to the motion was that the information was al-
ready before the House in two shapes. It was laid
before the House not only in the despatches of Lord
Durham, but all the information now sought was laid
before the House by two distinct returns in the course
of last Session. The House had information with re-
spect to his appointment and the salary, before it broke
up last year ; and if any question was to be raised about
his seat, he wished it to be decided as soon as possible.
Let the House appoint a Committee, and decide upon
_his case at once.
• Mr. HARVEY aid riot apprehend the-motion be-