The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-11 00:00:00

HO USE OF COMMONS.

The SerAxEn took the chair at the usual hour, but there
being a b.illot fcr a Committee to try the merits of a petition.
proscntcd against the return of Mr. Luke White, for the
comity of Longford, the g;dlery was not opened until a
quarter part four.
Ceptain C ET WY N D presented a petition from Stafford
in favour of tho Manchester, Cheshire, and Staffordshire Rail-
way. Lid against the South Union Railway Bill.
Colonel SEALE presented a petition from an individual
in favour of the ffirtlepo,-,1 Railway Bill.
Mr. GREENE brought en the Report of the Committee on
the Clarence (Durham) Railway Bill.
Mr. WILBRAHAM presented a petition against the Pres-
ton and Wire Railway Bill.
SOUTHWARK AND HAMMERSMITH RAILWAY.
Air. BA INES, who was in the ffallerv, having been ,ealled
upon by the Speaker, moved that all the petitions relative to
the Southwark and Hammersmith Railway Bill be referred to
the Committee on the Bill ; and that Mr. Wilks, Mr. Wason,
and Mr. Praed be added to the Commi:tee.
The S PEA K E R—You must come down.—(‘ Laughter. )
Mr. WI LKS thought the report of the Committee should
be printed, and they would then be able to ascertain whether
there was any necessity for the Hun. Member's motion.
The motion was then agreed to.
Sir J. Y. BULLER presented petitions in favour of the
Glasgow and Ayr Railway.
Lord CLEMENTS presented a petition from Leitrim
against the Lough Fo)le Drainage Bill.

d C. L K StN 0 )-t p. escnted petitions against the London
and South Ea,tern Railway Bill.

The NOBLE LORD then, :on behalf of the Hon. Member for
East Sussex, postponed the petition relative to the Dover
Railway till Thurstl.sv next.
eIIURCH-RATES.

Petitions in favour of =Church-rates were presented
by Mr. Farrand, Lord Stanley, Mr. Grove Price, Mr. Horace
Twiss, Mr. R. Palmer, and other Members ; and in favour cf the
abolition of Church-rates by Mr. Grote, Sir G. Strickland,
Mr. T. Dancombe, Major Bcau?lerk, Mr. Lennard, Mr
nett, Mr. Tooke, and Mr. Aglionbv, whose petition also prayed
for a Reform of the Houie of Lords.
Lord G LENNOX presected a petition against the Salmon
Fisheries Bill.

Mr. SCAR LETT presented a petition against certain
clauses in the Imprisonment for Debt Bill.
LONGFORD ELECTION.
The Clerk of the Election Committees appeared at the Bar
with the reduced list, and the following Members having been
called over came to the table and were sworn by the Clerk :
Lord C. Russell, Sir Rufane Donkin, Mr. Edward Horsman,
Mr. Benjamin Hall, Mr. Rushout Bowles, Lord Viscount
Clive, Mr. Roland Alston, Mr. Thomas Hawkes, Mr. George
-Houston, Mr. Andrew Lawson, and Sir J. C. Hobbouse.
SMITHFIELD MARKET.
Mr. TOOKE presented a petition from 6,000 inhabitants
of London, praying for the removal of Smithfield Market, on
the ground that it was a nuisance, and tended to the desecra-
tion of the Lord's Day.
Alderman WOOD assured the House that these petitions
bad been got up by persons interested in a railway which was
intended to terminate near the rival market at Islington.
Mr. TOOKE presented a petition from person' living
within the liberty of the Rolls, complaining of the inequality
of the land tax.

Mr. H A MILTON presented a petition from Dublin
against the Dublin Police Bill.

POOR LAWS.
Mr. P. HOWARD presented a petition from a place in
Cumberland in favour of the Poor-law Amendment Bill.
Petitions against the Poor-law Bill were presented by Sir
J. Graham, Lord G. Somerset, Mr. Walters, and Lord
Henniker.

Sir A. L. HAY presented a petition in favour of the
Shipping Gazette.
Lord CLEMENTS presehted a petition from Leitrim,
praying for the abolition of tithes.
Mr. GROTE presented a petition from London, praying
for a repeal of the Corn Laws.
Petitions against the abolition of Church-rates were presen-
ted by Mr. Palmer, Sir. G. Sinclair, and Mr. Trevor; and in
of the Abolition of Churc-rates by Mr. BA INES, from Leeds,
Huddersfield, and about 20 other places in Yorkshire.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented 34 petitions from various
Places in Iceland; praying for the' Abelition of Tithes and Vote
by Ballot.
Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL presented petitions from Kerry
in favour of the Irish Municipal Bill.
On the motion of Mr. L A BO ITCHERE the Lord.' Amend-
ment to the Mint Bill were agreed to.

BATH AND WEYMOUTH RAILWAY.
Mr. F. BUXTON presented a petition in favour of the
Bath and Weymouth Railway Bill.
Sir 0. MOSEL Y presented a petitron in favour of the
Manchester and Cheshire Railway, and a petition from Derby
praying for a reduction of the duty on Fire Insurances.
ADJOURNED DEBATE ON THE MUNICIPAL
CORPORATIONS (IRELAND) BILL. _
Mr. HUME moved the Order of the Day for resuming the
adjourned debate on the Irish Municipal Corporations Bill, and
addressed the House in support of the Bil. The only opposition
given to the measurc in the debate on the previous evening
was that it would endanger the stability of the Established
Church in Ireland. He begged to remind the House, that
in the year 182.2, he had put forth that tranquillity could not
be expected in Ireland until the Established Church
was reduced to such limits as were communicative
with the real wants of that part of the population
woich adhered to its doctrines. Up to the present time, how-
ever, that Church was put forward as the apology for net
giving that justice to Ireland which had been conceded to
England and Scotland.—(Hear.) He most earnestly ad-

vised the friends of that Churce, however, to yield in time,
as being the only mode of averting those dangers
with which it appeared to him that the Church was threatened.
He believed that the Church was not the real object which
lion. Gentlemen opposite were so desirous of preserving. They
made the Church a stalking.horse, or rather the Protestant
religion, wherewith to cover the real object they had in view,
which was that of preserving the revenues and the sinecures.
of the Church. It was openly advanced by Hone Mem-
bers opposite, that the Bill would not pass in ano-
ther House, but he begged leave to state that that
should be no argument with them. They had only to do their
duty in making this Bill as perfect as possible, and let the
other House of Parliament take all the responsibility of reject-
ing this measure, and denying to the people of Ireland
equality of civil rignts. He could not understand why the
majority of the people of Ireland should not have the same mea-
sure of justice as was meted out to the majorities of England
and Scotland. By the violent opposition of this Bill from
the Hon. Members opposite,they were only by these means driv-
ing headlong to distraction the Established Church which they
expressed themselves so anxious to preserve. Upon this ground
he maintained that that monstrosity in our Consttitution—the
Irish Church—and he must say that our Constitution
would be purer and better if there were no Established
Church--but until the Irish Church ceased to be the dominant
religion, peace could not be hoped for in that country. In
England the religion of the State was the religion of the
majority, and thus also it was in Scotland. An Hon. Friend near
him said it was the true religion, but it was a wise man who
knew what the true religion was. They had seen every religion
in every county and in all ages asserted to be the true religion.
The increasing intelligence of the country however, tended
every year to place the Established Church in greater jeo-
pardy, particularly in Ireland. ( Hear, hear.) If the
Hon. Gentlemen opposite rejected this Bill, they would ere
long have to regret that course. The measure before the House
was only one instalment of that which was due to Ireland,
and if it was rejected, such a rejection would only rouse
the people of Ireland to greater exertion against the
Established Church as their common enemy.--( Hear, hear.)
It was not his fault that reform had gone on faster, and he
hoped the day was not far distant when no party would be able
to be found who would say there was no such thing as Church
property. He trusted that past experience would not altogether
be lost on the Tories. He would say to the Hon. Member
for Kilkenny let the measure be rejected elsewhere, and If
thaf was the case, it would aff)rd him double ground for agi-
tation. He cordially approved of the Bill then before the
House, and he should give it his strenuous support.
Mr. A. TREVOR said he, and those who sat on his side of
the House, felt it their duty to support those principles which
had been handed down to them from their ancestors
and which had been sealed by their blood He main-
tained that the Bill before the House would convert
Ireland from a Protestant into a Popish country. Concession
after concession had been made to the Roman Catholics; a
stand must be made somewhere, and he did not see that that
stand could be made in a better place than at the al-
tar of their religion.--( Hear.) If the Church was destroyed,
every other species of property would be destroyed also.
—( Hear.) He certainly should not have troubled the
House but for the denunciations of the Honourable Member
for Middlesex against that Church which he (,Mr. T. )loved and
cherished. Whatever might be the decision of the other House of
Parliament, he was certain it would be as satisfactory to the
notion, as it would be honourable.

Mr. GALLY KNIGHT altogether disapproved of the
Bill.

Mr. O'CONNELL then rose, and was left speaking.

EDGEWARE-ROAD MURDER.

CRIMINAL COUItT-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
At 25 minutes past three the Court resumed, when
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE said that an application had been
made on behalf of the prisoners, that they might have the ar-
ticles returned to them which bad not been identified by the
witnesses as having belonged to the deceased. He saw no
objection to ,this, and therefore the articles would be returned
to them.
Mr. PRICE then rose to address the Jury for the defendants.
He commenced by saying it was due to himself, his Learned
F, iend, to the Jury and the Court to state distinctly that they
had had difficulties to encounter in this case which he believed
had seldom been presented to a Court of Justice before. Every
facility which could have been afforded to the kris, ners at the
Bar by the indulgence of the Court, and every facility which
could have been afforded even by his Learned Friends who con-
ducted the prosecution, they were in the full enjoyment of; but
large as those facilities had been, they did not remove the diffi-
culties with which they all had to contend, and which he be-
lieved it would be altoge!lier impossible to put out of view.
It was quite clear that the most important evidence which
stood in the way of one of the prisoners at the bar had most
uaquestionably proceeded front himself. At the same time
he hoped he should be enabled to furnish them, if
net with an excuse, at least with an extraordinary
m itter of extenuation for conduct which he could not but
call atrocious.—(Here Grccuacre lost that self-command
which he hi-herto appeared to possess, and continued cry.
bag for 3 y:re minutes, holding a silk handkerchief to his eyes )
He was quite sure that the male prisoner at the bar himself
gas then, and h,cl been, as shocked with the dreadful recol-
lection of his dire proceeding as any cne present, or as
the public in this or any other part of Europe could
ossibly have been, if this tale had reached their cars. He was
quite su -e that, from the moment of having come to his senses,
the male prisoner had bitterly regretted and repented his offence
against decency, and against the respect which was due to the
dead.--(The prisoners, Greenacre and Gale, here ap-
peared to be very deeply affected, and were both in teara.)
He was sincere in what he was saying, and was not using the
language of a mere advocate, because he knew, and was proud
to say, it was not in human, nature to feel otherwise than he
did. But that was not the only difficulty he had to encounter—
he had to contend with another formidable engine of oppres-
sion that had been from first to last employed to crush the
irisoner at the bar, to scatter his friends and relations, and to
parelize his advocate—he alluded to that powerful engine the
Pies,. There was once an engine in the prison of that name,
which the humanity of the law had banished from its walls.
The coincidence was striking. It was formerly cus-
tomary, when men stood mute at the bar, to press them
to 'death, in the press-yard of the court of Newgate, and
the law would have been frustrated if the pressure from other
places should revive that dreadful engine of torture, which
the law, under the inspiration of God, had banished
from this civilized land. He was sure he need not ask
them, as his Learned Friend Mr. Adolphus had done,
,o banish all prejudice, and "to forget all they might have
h -ard, read, or seen. lie knew they would do it to
the utmost of their human power, but their power was
but human, and most superhuman would that intellect be
that could discard from its recollection, as an act of enforced
charity, that which it was impossible to forget, whatever an-
guish and agony it might excite to remember. He would
not dwell on that more at present. His only object was to
show how it bore upon the case, how it prejudiced every
witness that had stepped into the box—he did not aty to their
scand or their reproach, for melancholy and mischievous as it
was, it might proceed front an amiable mind. Abhorrence
had been excited, and the truth had been perverted, though
perhaps not intentionally ; yet the mind had been swayed from
that course which could only keep testimony pure. The Jury
would have observed that much had been stated, even in the
most trifling matters, which, but for those circumstances, would
have been stated in a different light. There was a contagion in
this sort of malignant fever, from which it was difficult for either
the Bar, creven the Bench, entirely to escape. He did hope the
time would come, and that it would not be long, when it would
be as criminal in a Court of Law, and as penal in a Court of
Justice, to overlay and overload a case beforehand, by such
parties and by such means, as it was vale and villainous
in social positions, and as it was murderous and as-
sassin-like in all its bearings, its motives, and objects.
The current of justice had been perverted ; the stream of
truth, which ought to flow pure in all its channels, had
been so blotted and so basely corrupted by a large proportion
of the British Press that no one could scarcely see through it.
But they must take the case as they found it, and notwithstanding
all the difficulties surrounding it their duty must be discharged.
He should in the course of his address be frequently obliged
to recur to the sequel of this melancholy accident, a sequel
which be was bound to admit—he should be stultifying him-
self and the Jury if he did not admit to its fullest extent the
hideous atrocity—which bad occasioned difficulties of which he
most bitterly complained, and which he most deplorably la-
mented. Reprobating as he had done the act of his client,
deploring as he had done the disTdvantages to which it had given
rise, he would now proceed to call their calm and collected
attention to the real circumstances of this melancholy case.
The jury had for the period of nearly two successive days
given a most praiseworthy and laudable attention to the whole
of the case—had exhibited a magnanimous patience, and had
listened to the whole detail of the voluminous evidence with a
patience worthy of any case, and worthy of the justice
which they were there to administer, under most able and
admirable Judges. If he as the advocate of the prisoners
had had the selection of a court of justice in which to
try them, he should be precisely where he then stood.
So far they had been most fortunate. His feeble aid to that
of his Learned Friend would avail the prisoners but very little
in a case of this description, prejudiced as it had been; but they
would all receive assistance from the charge of the Judge who
would state theft vidence in such a manner as would con.
siderably lighten the burthen of the Jury and of the
prisoner's advocate. There was a seven-fold shield thrown
around the prisoner, and one that was impregnable—
he meant the position in which the prisoners at the
bar then were—in the emphatic language of the arraignments
of former times they were put upon " God and their cowl-
try." The prisoner's friends (said the Learne I Coun-
sel) are scattered, he is already left alone in this world,
and probably.. ever will. The word " ever" may not be
long— he may never want more human assistance, than
the very small pittance he has received this day. Be that
as it may, whatever may be the result of this trial, I
am
sure that he will be satisfied with the verdict, let it be what it
may. It is only necessary that we should take care that it satis-
fies, and does no more than satisfy, justice. We are not to sa-
tisfy the base, the murderous passions of an infuriated public.
Within these walls we are shut in from clamour, and the
pressure out of doors does not interfere with our calm and
deliberate consideration of this case. Upon your vigorous
manhood of mind, upon your integrity of intellect we rely.
Remember always that in this case it will be in-
finitely • better for you to say "We were not
stimulated to murder by a violence offered to our minds. If
we have done wrong, if we have acquitted a guilty man, the
error is on the right and safe side—we are not guilty our..
selves." That will be a consoling recollections to you

on your death beds. Your lives will not be haunt-
ed by the apprehension that something may transpire
which will show you that you have consigned to an ignomi-
nious death a fellow creature that was not guilty to the extent
to which it was necessary he should be for your condemnation.
The Learned Counsel then went on to say, the path of life was
sufficiently beset with misfortunea,which proceeded from our own
vices, without allowing a man to be punished for those for which
he did not deserve punishment. Ile hoped the Jury would for-
give him for telling them those things—they must be ob-
vious to every one. He only did so, lest it should be said
he had not done all that duty which, he was sorry to
Say, was cast upon him. It was not his intention to
detain them with any unnecessary observations, nor was it
his intention, at his period of life—for he was not a mere
aspirant at the bar—to make any display. His Learned
Friend had been kind enough to say the prisoners at the
bar would have the advantage of Counsel, that it was a
novel advantage, and one of which he was glad they had
the opportunity. Ile considered himself, that advantageous as
it was, under many circumstances it would also frequently be
quite the reverse. He wished the Jury could hear the
prisoners make their own defence, because then, as
far as the woman at all events was concerned, they
would bear the voice of innocence, and it would sink
into their hearts. They would then know that she was
speaking not the language of an abettor of murder; they
would have the singular advantage of the female voice speak-
ing powerfully, but striking to their humane hearts, and they
would have the advantage of hearing the language of truth
from the lips of innocence. He knew that because he had
heard it ; and he would declare to them that he was as satis-
fied as he was of her future salvation, that she deserved re-
demptim from this charge. The a; was, he was very sorry
to say, a third prisoner, whose liberty was involved in
the present inquiry, and who had been, young in its innocent
life, a prisoner—he alluded to the woman's child. That
child was in Newgate, at play perhaps at that moment. As in-
nocent as that child was so, innocent was the female
prisoner. They had not heard or seen a tittle of
evidence from the beginning to the end to affect
her in any way whatever—he declared that he had not.
The concealment of such a circumstance, however sanguinary
or sanguineous, was not to be taken as proof of murder. He
would not attempt to deny that this was a high and very grave
offence. But the man at the bar stood in a very different posi-
tion from that of any other man in 'this country. On the 24th
Dec. he found himself in the company of a body which had been
killed, and he the last personwho had beer, scenwith itwas himself
—a body which he unfortunately had assisted to kill. Naturally
every one now said he should have called in the neighbours,
but who could say, if they were placed in such circumstances
what they would do ? He was a madman almost, and the
action which he decided upon was the frantic fury of a frenzied
mind. The Jury had been relieved from a great part
of their heavy duty by the candid and open confession
which the prisoner had made of all the circumstances
attending the death of this unfortunate woman. If they took
any portion of that statement which had most improperly been
called a confession of the murder, they must take the whole of
it; and lie (Mr. P.) called it a most candid detail of all that
took place; and it showed clearly that the crime did not
amount to murder. They had been told that the mute evi-
dence of the sack which had been exhibited to them yes-
terday would prove that this was a premeditated murder.
He was glad to find that that was the only evidence which the
prosecutors could bring forward to prove this premeditation.
He would, he hoped, be able to satisfy thorn that, in fact, there
was nothing in the point so made. He would ask them what
could be the motive—the incentive—which he could have for
the premeditated murder of the woman to whom he was to have
been married so soon Was it her property,either large or small ;
a few hours would have put every shilling of it under his sole
control by marriage. Was there any malice proved? No ;
not one single word of an angry nature had been proved. It
might be said that they had words about this, very property ;
but was it likely that a few words upon such a subject would
raise such feelings in any one as would induce him to commit
murder. It was the duty of the Jury to take care that
circumstantial evidence did not commit murder. It had done
so before. Men had been hung upon circumstantial evidence,
which was afterwards found out to be untrue. It was the duty
of the Jury to take care that the sword of Justice was not
stained with innocent blood. The Learned Gentleman cited
A case from the books, and made several supposititious cases, for
the purpose of showing that even more atrocious cases than that
under discusssion had been held to amount only to manslaugh-
ter. The evidence of the talented gentleman, Mr. Girdwood,
shewed that no murderous weapon had been used in inflicting
the blow on the eye ; he gave it as his opinion that the blow
was inflicted by the hand. Now, considering the relation
in which these parties stood, was it possible to believe that
any man would have struck such a blow without very great
provocation ? Let the Jury presume that, as they must do,
and then the crime must be reduced to manslaughter. Let
them look at the gross improbabilities of the ;node
of death. They were to suppose that man, not of
great strength, was to attack a strong woman, who got
her bread by severe toil, which was usually employed by
men. This murderous assault also was supposed to have
taken place in a small room, where the walls were not the
usual thickness of partitions in good threlling-houses, where
every sound was distinctly heard ; yet the woman was never
heard to scream, or make the least noise. Then as to the
time. Was it likely that a murderer would select a
time when all Christi. Europe was wringing with
preparations for the holy festival of the Redeemer ? He I
thought no man could commit a murder on such a night—it '
was blasphemy to suggest it ; and, in his opinion, it would be
infidelity to believe it. No one could be a Christian who could
believe such a monstrous crime. If it were true, it would be
a libel upon all religion. He would show that the inhabitants
of Nos. 5 and 7, the prisoner's house being No. 6, were at
home the whole of the 24,h December.
This course was objected to, unless Mr. Adolphus was de-
clared entitled to a reply.
Mr. PRICE would then say that no one of the neighbours had
been called before the Jury that day. He begged to, impress
that fact upon the minds of the Jury as being a most impor-
tant fact, and he hoped they would bear it in mind and give it
its due weight in their deliberations. He was anxious to save
the Jury, wearied as they were, from hearing a reply, although
he had no doubt they would be gratified, and perhaps instruc-
ted. However, he would now leave the male prisoner's case in
the hands of the Jury, and he would proceed to say n few words
upon the case, as made out against the woman Gale. She had
been brought up respectably, in the lower walks of life, of ho-
nest parents. The child in the prison was not her own.
The Corer said the Learned Counsel was stating facts,
which was irregular.
Mr. PRICE was obliged to the Court, and would en-
deavour to perform his most arduous duty as regularly
as he possibly could. Ile was sorry indeed that she
should have been placed at the Bar, when no more
evidence could be brought against her than had been brought
before the Jury. She was not proved to have been privy to
the murder, as it had been called, for f,ur months ; she was
not even connected with the concealment of the body.
From whom would the prisoner (Greenacre) endea-
vour to conceal the murder, had it been so, more
jealously than from the woman at the Bar, who was
living with him in this lonely place. She was turned out of
the house in order for the reception of the deceased. She
was charged with aiding, assisting, and comforting the mur-
d, rer. Was that possible—she a woman much poorer than
Greenacre himself—attempting to procure food for herself and
child by the precarious and ill-paid trade of shoe-bindings.
The haste and hurry of the male prisoner was all for
the purpose of hiding it from the knowledge of that wometi
whom he expected to share his exile, and who was to be
his comfort through life. She was before the Jury firm
and unchanged, while every one had noticed the change in
Greenacre. Was it in human nature, that the weaker of the
two should be firm and unmoved, while the other was
shaken. Then the Jury had her character from the respect-
able persons with whom they had last taken up their abode,
and it was a good one, notwithstanding the way in which she
was connected with the prisoner Greenacre. They noticed
no change in her—was that consistent with guilt. She
was certainly entitled to the favour of the Jury, and
he demanded it on her behalf, and he hoped they would
give her the benefit of such an acquittal as would restore her
to society, which she had not outraged. It then became his
duty to surrender his task into better hands. He would
leave the case in the hands of the Jury; and notwith.
standing the great and overwhelming fatigue which they
had undergone, he trused that they would calmly and
dispassionately go into the whole of the manifold
and intricate facts of the case. He had the most implicit con-
fidence in the Jury, and he hoped that all who had heard
of these proceedings would not be shocked by the shuddering
verdict of platy against the woman.
lived
great
ain
hti labnadn k
b,
es
ha id
ed Gale%vi t
nuefrseM,
affection and attention during the whole time. So much so
i Johnfam family
Freeman, aan ,y setaorn
ase mason,w et
that Mrs. Freeman gave her a favourable character some
months after.

...---- -
Mr.- PRICE proposed to call witnesses to the charac-
ter of Greenacre, But Mr. Adolphus having stated if
that he did so, he would claim his right of reply. The Learned
Gentleman declined to call any.

The LORD . CHIEF JUSTICE then commenced to sum up the
evidence. He said the prisoner, James Greenacre was
indicted for the wilful murder of Hannah Brown, and the
Jury were to determine as to his guilt upon the evi-
dence which had been laid before them. It was of a
contradictory nature. Some
.parts went t o the more
serious charge of the atrocious murder, and seemed
to bear it out, while on the other hand other parts seemed to
reduce the offence to a very atrocious case of manslaughter.
He would read over the evidence, and then it would be
for the Gentlemen of the Jury to determine what class
the offence belonged to. He was inclined to think that
the same serious charge might not be supported, with re-
spect to the woman Gale, if they found the male prisoner
guilty of the murder, or whether they reduced it to
manslaughter, she might be equally guilty of the offence with
which she was charged. He then proceeded to read over his
notes of the evidence, which will occupy a long time.
[The Verdict is not expected to be given till a very late hour.]