The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-22 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL,COURT

MA NSIO.:V-HO USE.
A young man, named George Hawkins, was brought
hefere the LORD MAYOR, charged with having robbed his
fellow-lodgers.
The pri,uner, it was state 1, was in the habit of waiting
until some other young men who slept in the sarre room in
lodging-house, went to sleep, and then picking their
pockets. One poor fellow missed a shilling one morning,
and four shillings and sixpence another morniog. Upon
mentioning his suspicions as to the honesty of the prisoner
to the rest, he was informed that the same sort of trick
had been played upon them, and they all agreed to watch
the suspected party, and to pretend to be asleep. The)
accordingly began to snore in concert, and they observod
the prisoner move like a ghost towards the trowsers of the
complainant, and slip his hand into the pocket. The
moment the prisoner got hold of the silver the snoring
ceased, and he found himself, to his horror, in the grasp of
one of the persons whom lie had previously robbed.
Another victim stated that he had to his surprise missed
in the morning money which he perfectly well remembered
be had had in his pocket et night on going to bed.
The LORD MAYOR—Did you mark the money on the
last occasion ?
The complainant replied in the negative,
The Loan MAYOR—You were wrong in not having
done so; this is a most dangerous fellow. Well, prisoner,
what have you to say to this? Prisoner—lt's a mistake,
my Lord; I was going to bed, and the chair on which the
clothes were was in my way, so I just put my hand to it
when I was seized and accused of robbing, but I never
thought of such a thing.
The prisoner was remanded.

lON A L ED UUATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin. The strife of sects is now, as it ever has been, the
great obstacle against the mental and moral improvement
of the population. This fierce intolerance cannot be
pacified by soothing compliances. Its selfish grasp can
only be shook off by indignant resistance. Wdki the good.
will of our sect triumphant, no education of the children of
the poor should be suffered, unless its earliest lessons en-
force an implicit belief in their peculiar tenets. Nor are
the professors of other sec's behind them in eagerness to
infuse their respective dogmas among the first rudiments
of education. It is not enough that the lessons give metal
and moral instruction, and inculcate feelings of adoration
and gtatitude to the Almighty, and of reliance on his
justice under an expectation of rewards or punishments.
According to the priesthood, to render any education reli-
gious the first lessons of little children must insist on their
implicit belief in such mysteries and miracles, and personal
communications between the Almighty and mortal men
as their clergy place before them, and unless this be done,
they ought to be kept in ignorance
In the practical lessons of natural religion the good and
wise of all ages, sects, and nations, are mainly agreed,
and so far religion might be taught intelligibly to chil-
dren without disturbing the prejudices of parents of differ-
ing sects. But this reasonable course is denounced as
deistical, and even atheistical, by rapacious sectaries.
There must be an unqualified belief in supernatural
dogmas to begin with, or, say they, there is no religion.
I‘l6'w, I contend, that if we were all of one faith
nothing could be more irrational than offering as
first lessons to children tales' of mysteries and
miracles, which are unlike all that they see is na-
ture, and wholly beyond their comprehension, and in.
sisting that unless they declare in their entire belief
in these things they will commit the greatest of crimes !
What is this but to crush the mental faculties, while pre-
tending to @pen them ; and to corrupt morality in its most
vital germination—" the love of truth ?" But as there are
a vast many conflicting creeds on supernatural matters, and
each creed is insisted upon by its possessors to be the only
true faith, while all others are proscribed as heretical-and
damnable, it is additionally improper to moot the doctrinal
points of any sect in a plan of national education. Why
raise up Sectarian hatreds amongst children, even in their
first lessons of Christian charity?
The Bible and Testin cnt abound with excellent, pray
tical, moral, and religious precepts (published as selec.
tions). Why not begin with these, and leave the strife
stirring dogmas alone till the youthful mind is developed,
and may be supposed capable of understanding them ? II
this were done not only the children of Lutherans and
Papists, but of Calvinists, and Dissenters of all sects,
of Jews, and Turks, of Hindoes, Chinese, Japanese,
and Sun worshippers, might receive religious as well
as moral inst uction in one school-room. For the
pure religion of nature is acknowledged by all sects—it is
universal; it has existed in all times, and it breathes good
will and harity to all. It is only upon the supernatural,
which exceeds all human knowledge, that men arc fiercely
positive and ran.torously intolerant. I, therefore confidently
insist that the doctrinal points of religion, whereon men
are d vided into sects and exasperated against each other,
ought not to enter into any plan for the national education
of poor children, but that the practical lessons in morals
and religion contained in the Bible and Testament should
be selected and used.

I am, &c.,

B. B.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
(LLOYDS.)

DEAL, JUNE 19. —Wind W. S. W.
PORTSMOUTH, JUNE 19. Wind S.W.
PLYMOUTH. JUNE 19.—Arrived the Mary Hudson, John-
30n. from Marseilles.
FALMOUTH, JUNE 18.—Wind E. S. E. to S. S. E., fresh
breezes.—Arrived the Express packet, from the West
lodies—sailed from Bay badot's Ist ult., Tobago 31, Trini-
dad 9th, Grenada 11th, St. Kitts 13th, Tortola 15th, St.
Thomas 16th, Porto Rico 17th, and Cape Hayti 22d.
Sailed the Helen Symons, Jopp, Hamburg. Off port, the
Circassian, Ritchie, from. Monte Video.
LIVERPOOL, JUNE 19.—Wind variable.—Arrived the
Cabotier, Ashton, from Bahia, sailed the 29th April ;
Monongahela, Miercken, Philadelphia, sailed the 20th ult.;
and Tweed, Micenzie, Trieste. Off port the Alpha, from
Monte Video; Dale, New Orleans; Garland, Trinidad;
and Archer, Barbadoes. Sailed the John &Gaunt, Ro-
bertson, for Batavia ; Betsy Hall, Coker, Monte Video ;
St. Cloud, Colman, Boston; Ellen Brooks, Lindsay, Bal-
imore ; and William Harris, Luby, Venice.
AMSTERDAM, JUNE 18.—The Vigilantia, Rentell, from
Pillau to this port, put into Terschelling, 14th inst., with
four feet water in the hold, having been onshore, and must
discharge to repair.
BAYONNE, JUNE 14.—A vessel with gilt stars on her
stern, supposed to be about 300 tons, capsized, and with
little more than part of her keel out of water, was seen
drifting into Gijon Bay, Ist inst.
PORT ANTONIO (JAMAICA) MAY 10.---TIVO hogsheads of
sugar, marked B E 13, were lost from the long-boat of the
Elizabeth, Whitmore, during a heavy squall, 3d inst.

VESSELS SPOKEN WITIL —The Margaret, from Cadiz to
Newfoundland, 7th inst., lat 45, long. 28, by the Ca-
botier, Ashton, arrived at Liverpool; Two Friends, Sa-
vannah to Hamburg, 14th ult., lat. 36, long. 58; Minerva,
Sunderland to Quebec, 11th inst., lat. .59, long. 10, by the
Georgians, Brian, arrived at Pentland Frith ; Ipswich, of
Plymouth, bound westward, 24th ult., lat. 45 N., long. 24
NV., by the Edouard, Chumier, arrived at Havre; Equi-
table, Bordeaux to Mauritius, long. 21, April 26.

-----
The Caroline, from St. Ives to Quebec, was wrecked on
Green Island previous to the 20th ult.
A brig and a blrque were reported on shore on Apple
Island ( River St Lawrence), previous to the 20th ult.

The venerable Countess of Cork and Ossory,
now in her 92d year, was at Lady Elizabeth Fielding's
party in the Regent's Park, the other evening, in her
usual good health and spirits.

THE CHELSEA MURDER.
William J. Merchant having been placed at the bar charged
with the wilful murder of Elizabeth Paynton, pleaded guilty.
When that part of the indictment was read, which stated "that
you then and there did, 31 ith a razor, inflict a deadly wound
eighteen inches long and one inch deep in the throat of the said
Elizabeth Paynton, of which wound she died," the prisoner
became dreadfully agitated, large drop of tears rolled down his
cheeks, and he was nearly fainting. He presenteg a lamentable
spectacle, which will not soon be effaced from the memories of
t'.ose oho witnessed his wretched state, every muscle of his
body appeared convulsed. After a short pause
The prisoner, in tremulous accents, said " I am guilty."
Lord Chief Justice TlNDAL—Prisoner at the bar, I wish
you well to understand the nature of your plea, and the conse-
quences attending it. Do you say that you at-e guilty of the
murder charged against you in the indictment ?
Prisoner.—Yes, my Lord, I am guilty.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE.—DO not suppose by pleading
guilty that there will be any extenuation of punishment. It is
a eime in which mercy cannot be shown in this world.
The prisoner persisted in his plea of guilty.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE.—Let the prisoner's plea be re-
corded,
Lord Chief Justice Txxn,tr, then put on the black cap,
and proclamation of silence having been made, proceeded
to pass sentence in a most solemn and impressive manner.
His Lordship saA,—Prisoner at the bar, you stand convicted
on your own voluntary confession of the wilful murder of
a fellow being. By your own voluntary confession you stand
at that bar guilty of a crime which the laws of God as well as
the laws of man visit the offender with unsparing severity. On
loAinn, over the depositions, I am not surprised that you
should have confessed your guilt. ( The Learned Juddge here re-
marked on the circumstances attending the murder, which must
be fresh in the recollection of our readers, during which the
prisoner was obliged to be supported by two of the officers of
the court. He cried most bitterly.) His Lordship proceeded—
I do not wish to aggravate your unhappy and wretched state by
alluding to the probable motive which instigated you to commit
so foul a crime. I will leave these motives to your own con-
science, and to the discerning eye of Him who is the Searcher
of all hearts, and from whom no secret is hidden. I must, how-
ever, implore yon during the short thxe you have to live in this
world, to devote it to prayer and penitence—in prayer that is fer-
vent, and penitence which is sincere. (The Learned Judge was
greatly affected, and could scarcely proceed.) After a pause, he
said, Prisoner, let me beseech you to offer up your fervent prayers
to that Being who alone can show mercy ; and may Almighty
God have mercy on your soul. His Lordship then passed sen-
tence of death on the prisoner in the usual form, and ordered
that his body should be buried within the precincts of the gaol.
The prisu.icr is only 18 y ears of age, of small stature, and
very mild countenance. He was removed from the bar in a
most deplorable state.
POLICE INTELLIGENCE.