The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-22 00:00:00

THAMES.

THE COMMISSIONERS OF POLICE AND THE MAGISTRATES
OF THE POLICE COURTS.—lnspector Dendy, of the H divi-
sion of police, called the attention of Mr. Partridge to a
police-sheet where two persons were charged with felony
and discharged, and the magistrate had not stated his
reasons for his decision.

Mr. Partridge—No, I did not assign any. reason, nor am I
bound to do so. I never intend to assign the reasons for
my decisions on the police-sheets.
Inspector Dendy—l have been desired by the C ommis-
sioners of Police to request the magistrates to give their
reasons when they discharge a prisoner.
Mr. Partridge—l will nothing of the kind. The magi-
strates as a body have considered the matter, and have
come to-a determination. I mark the sheets "No prose-
cutor" when no one appears to give evidence against a
prisoner in custody. The other matter has been amply dis-
cussed by the magistrates as a body. I refuse to give my
reasons for my decision when I discharge the prisoner.

The conversation then terminated.
ASSAULT UPON AN OFFICER OF THE COURT.—James
Swallow, a tall, well-dressed man, and described as an en-
gineer, of Gun-lane, Limehouse, appeared before Mr. Par-
tridge, to answer a charge of assaulting Mr. James Denny,
the housekeeper of the Thames Police-court.
The complainant said that at half-past two o'clock on
Wednesday morning he was in the passage of the court
near the door. A police-constable called his attention to
the defendant, who said he wanted to make an application
to the magistrate for a summons. He told the defendant
that summonses were granted at ten o'clock in the morn-
ing, and that the afternoon was not the time to make the
application. The defendant called him a puppy. He
said that's pretty language, and the defendant said, "I'll
be —if I don't see the magistrate." He left the defen-
dant and turned his head on one side, when he received a
violent blow on the eye, which stunned him. His eye was
blackened. He had been in considerable pain ever since.
He used no bad language to the defendant, and gave him
no provocation whatever.

Isaac Pawsey, a police constable, confirmed the com-
plainant's evidence, and said that Swallow was the worse
for drink.

The defendant, in reply to the charge, said he was not
drunk, and that the complainant wasinsolent to him when
ho applied to him for permission to see the magistrate.
Denny said to him, "We don't want such - as you
here," and on hearing such an odious epithet as that ap-
plied to him he certainly did strike him. He was then
seized and taken to the station-house next door and locked
up in a dark cell till 9 o'clock at night. He was then
bailed.

George Palmer, police sergeant, said the defendant was
not sober when he was brought to the station on Wednes-
day.

Inspector Griffin, of the S division, said he saw the pri-
soner at half-past four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon,
and then thought him in a fit state to go before the magis-
trate, but Pawsey was not then to be found, and a report
had been made to Mr. Paget, who marked the sheet " Too
.drunk to appear." The cell in which the prisoner was was
mopped out in the morning, and he was put into a closer
cell two hours before he was bailed.

Mr. Partridge said it was found for the public con-
venience that summonses and warrants should be granted
at 10 o'clock in the morning, except in cases of emergency.
The defendant's case was not one of emergency, and he
could have spoken to the police to remove the cart stand-
ing in Gun-lane, Limehouse, the nuisance of which he com-
plained. The evidence of Denny and Pawsey was conclusive.
They swore no bad language was used, and that the de-
fendant struck the housekeeper of the court, and gave him
a black eye. He had always found Denny to be a most
respectable and well-behaved man, and an efficient officer,
and believed him to be quite incapable of using the bad
language imputed to him. If Denny had made use of such
infamous language, it would have been a great provoca-
tion, but even then it would have been the duty of the
defendant to have complained to the magistrate. It ap-
peared that Palmer saw the defendant at half-past two and
half-past three, and he was then unfit to appear before the
magistrate. Inspector Griffin saw the defendant at half-
past four, and he was then in a fit state to appear, and
ought to have been taken before Mr. Paget. The sheet,
however, had been already marked. The defend-
ant complained he had been put into a damp
coll. He know the police cells of the sta-
tion next the court were dry and well ventilated.
There were not better cells in the kingdom. The defendant
was put into a cell which was washed in the morning, and
when it was discovered he was put into a drier one. The
defendant's motive was good in coming to the court, but
there was no doubt the prisoner was in liquor and very
stubborn, and that he had a bad feeling against Denny.
From the prisoner's appearance, dress, and manner, he was
surprised at his committing the outrage. Ho fined him
405., and if it had not been he was in the cell longer than
he ought to have been the fine would have been heavier.
The penalty was paid,

Madame Ludwika Lesniowska, editress of the
Polish journal the News of the World, has just left
the prison at Cracow, after having passed three
months there for an offence against the laws of the
press.

The Moniteur announces that a sum of 30,000 fr.
has been paid anonymously to the Treasury, by
way of restitution of registration dues, dishonestly
kept back.