The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-27 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—Thomas Wilson, a private in
the Grenadier Guards, was charged with having stolen
five sovereigns from Mr. J. Johnston, of Dumfriesshire,
draper.

J. May, one of the City detective officers, said—This
morning, at half-past eleven o'clock, I saw the prisoner
coming out of the Bank. The prosecutor was with him
in the Bank-yard, and I observed the prisoner hold out
and offer him five sovereigns, which the latter refused to
take, saying that it was a ten pound note he had given
to be changed. A wrangle then took place between
them, and I went to the prisoner and asked him why he
had not given up the ten sovereigns, to whiehhe replied,
"I will do so, but in a convenient place—not here."
Finding that the prisoner would not give up the other
five pounds I took him to the police station, and there
told him to produce the money, and in a short time he
pulled off his boot, and I picked up five sovereigns, which
had fallen from it. He then said it was a bad job, and
he was sorry for it.

Barber, a private in the Grenadier Guards on furlough,
said—l met the prisoner on London-bridge this morning,
and walked part if the way with him, when we met the
prosecutor, who asked him to carry a portmanteau. He
did so, and we went with the prosecutor into a public-
house, where he a..2ked for change of a ten pound note ;
and, not procuring it, sent the prisoner to the Bank with
the note, which I distinctly saw. The prosecutor had
been drinking.
The prosecutor—l have been travelling all night and
am greatly fatigued, and I gave the prisoner the 101.
note to get it changed at the bank, and he offered me
only five sovereigns upon coming out.
The prisoner was remanded.
Thomas 'Steer was charged with having stolen a half-
cro wn.

The prosecutor put down a half-crown on a table at a
coffee shop, immediately missed it, and charged the pri-
soner, who was next to him, with having taken it. The
prisoner denied that he had taken the money, and even
refused to restore a sixpence of it, although told that he
was welcome to the other 2s. The half-crown was found
in his pocket by the policeman.
Alderman Moon—What is this prisoner ?
Policeman—He is a sort of waiter upon the cab-
drivers.

On Monday, at a meeting of the Royal Geographical
Society, over which the Earl of Ellesniere presided,
Dr. SHAW, the secretary of the society, read a paper
describing the steps which had been taken with refer-
ence to the proposed exploration of Northern Australia.
It appears that :
" On the 30th of May and 6th of June, 1853, a com-
mittee of the society, appointed by the president, met to
take into consideration a proposal to explore Australia
from Perth to Shark Bay and Cambridge Gulf, and
thence, across the great interior of the continent, to the
Darling or the Murray. ' The result of the deliberations
of this committee was a report, recommending to the
council an exploration from the mouth of the Victoria
to that of the Albert, in the Gulf of Carpentaria ; the
means of transport to be bullocks, and drays, and horses,
procured at Moreton Bay, where the expedition was to
be organised.
"On the 22d of July the Expedition Committee of
the society, to which the report of the above committee
had been referred, reported to the council that—' While
no part of Australia appeared to promise a greater
amount of rich country than on the banks of the Vic-
toria River; on the other hand, the Albert, and other
rivers flowing into the Gulf of Carpentaria, are supposed
to traverse districts of equal fertility ; hence it appears
to be of the utmost importance, both in a scientific and
economic point of view, to ascertain the nature of the
watershed which separates the streams flowing to the
N.W. and N.E. in North Australia, as there are good
reasons for believing, that a large and fertile region
may be opened out to colonists, independently of the
direct geographical interest attached to the ascertain-
ment of the northern boundary of the supposed great
desert of the interior.' It was therefore resolved that
a deputation be appointed to communicate to his Grace
the Duke of Newcastle, the Chief Secretary of State for
the Colonies, the opinion of the Royal Geographical So-
ciety, that it is highly desirable that an expedition be
undertaken to ascend and explore the River Victoria, as
far towards its sources as practicable, thence deflecting
eastward to strike the Albert, and descend that stream
to the Gulf of Carpentaria.' The deputation having
waited upon his Grace on the 27th of July were re-
quested to send in an estimate of the probable expenses
of the proposed expedition, as well as precedents for the
same ; and on the 24th of August a communication and
estimate were laid before the Colonial-office, of which
the following are extracts
" The mouth of the Victoria River having, after due
consideration, been selected as the starting point, it is
proposed that the expedition shall ascend this stream as
far as its watershed (probably about 300 or 400 miles
south of Cambridge Gulf) ; thence deflecting eastward,
as the nature of the country and the facilities of travel-
ling may permit, the explorers are expected to strike the
head-waters of the Albert, descending which stream to'
the Gulf of Carpentaria, they shall meet a small vessel
prepared to receive them.
" It will at once be seen that such an expedition
must make known the physical characters and produc-
tions of a considerable part of the continent respecting
which we are at present wholly ignorant--a part so
MARYLEBOITE.—John Dou/in, who for some time remote from any of the existing settlements as to render
past carried on business as a carpenter and trunk-maker, it improbable that the enterprise of the colonists will
at 36, Thayer-street, Manchester-square, was charged prompt them to undertake the research for some time to
with robbery and arson.
come. but which comprehends districts in which, with
Upon the former inquiry, which was.gone into on the suitable encouragement, the industry and capital of
previous Friday, the evidence, as regarded the robbery British subjects will probably at an early period be ad-
only, went to show that on the 29th ult. a gentleman vantageously engaged, situated, as it is, almost directly
named Crowhurst, who then resided in St. George's: between our rapidly increasing Australian colonies and
place, Hyde-park, and who is now in France, engaged the ports of India and China.'
with the prisoner for the rental of a room, payment for "The expense of the projected expedition is neces-
which was made at the rate of 2s. per week. The key sarily involved in some degree of uncertainty ; yet, by
of the room was given by him to Nathan Crowhurst, careful enquiry into the cost of former exploring expedi-
his son. He (the son) who had paid all the rent due, tions in Australia, and by consulting with those who
and had packed up much of the property in boxes, went have had personal and practical acquaintance with tra-
to the premises to bring the property away, when he veiling in that continent, the required sum may be
discovered that the door had been broken open, and all stated by approximation. It is true that the mode of
the furniture abstracted. The 'prisoner had quitted the I conveyance and the means of subsistence may be liable
place. It further appeared that many of the things had to considerable modification, but in some way or other
been sold by the prisoner to parties in Barrett's-court, the party will have to be both conveyed to fed, and, al-
Oxford-street. Other articles had been pawned by him, though the items may be changed, the general result
and it was stated that he had sent off numerous boxes will probably be but little altered. The sum, according
into the country from the Green Man and Still, Oxford- to the calculations revised by the committee, may be set
street. Some of the property which had been pledged, at 2,5001.”
and many articles sold, were produced and identified as After some further negotiation, a deputation from the
belonging to Mr. Crowhurst. society waited upon the Duke of Newcastle, at the Colo-
The more serious charge of arson was yesterday gone Dial office on the 18th, when his Grace stated, that on into. Police-constable 204 D, brought up the following account of the growingimportance of the expedition, the

Prisoner—Yes, your worship ; and I was far gone is
drink at the time. The fact is I get so much lush from
my employers that I don't know what I am about half
my time.
Committed.

Daniel Hearn, a seaman, was committed for trial upon
the charge of having robbed his messmate of 31. 14s. 6d.
and some clothes.

MARLEOROUGII-STREET.—John Boughton was
charged with having stolen a gold watch, value 20
guineas, from the person of Edward Jones, No. 41, St.
Paul-street, Islington.
Mr. Jones said he was coming out of the Princess's
Theatre about 10 o'clock the previous night, when he
felt some one pressing against him, and on looking about
he saw his watchguard hanging down, and he instantly
missed his watch. The prisoner was in front, close to
him. He (caught hold of him, seized his hand, and
found the watch in it. He asked the prisoner what he
was doing with his watch. The prisoner replied, that
another person took the watch, and gave it to him to
hold. The watch now produced is the witness's pro-
perty, and worth 20 guineas.
The prisoner denied that the watch was found in his
hand.

Fully committed.
William James was summoned by Mary Crane for
neglecting to support his illegitimate child.
The parties, it appeared, had been fellow-servants at
the Boar and Castle Tavern, Oxford-street ; and it
transpired that they only had one sleeping room between
them.

The corroborative evidence was this :
George Pooley, about five weeks ago, saw the de-
fendant give the complainant half-a-sovereign.
Margaret Barry lodged with the complainant, and
after the child was born the defendant came to see com-
plainant two or three times. The defendant asked her
how his son was, and she told him very well. Had not
seen defendant give any money to the complainant, but
had seen him give sixpence to the nurse.
The defendant denied being the father of the child.
He had given the complainant some money, but that
was to discharge a debt be owed to her. It was true
that he slept in the same bedroom as the complainant,
but another man slept in the room, and the landlord's
son also, a boy of nine years of age.
Mr. Bingham asked the complainant if this was true.
The complainant admitted it was, but denied that
the other man had ever left his bed to come to hers.
Mr. Bingham expressed his profound astonishment at
learning that a landlord pretending to respectability
could possibly sanction such an arrangement for bis
servants.
Remanded for further corroborative evidence.

Government had determined to assume the whole respon-
sibility of it, and that the offer of the command would
.be made to Captain Stokes.
Sir C. FELLOWES related to the meeting what the
Duke of Newcastle had said on the occasion referred to.
His Grace stated that the Government had entered into
the views of the society, and that the sum of 2,5001.,
calculated as the expense of the proposed expedition,
would be considered in the estimates of the year. The
Government, however, were willing to carry out the
plan of operations on a greater scale than was contem-
plated by the society, and on that account his Grace in-
timated that they were prepared to take the matter into
their own hands. They had no desire to reap where the
society had sown, but the field was a wide one, and they
had more difficulty in asking Parliament for a vote of
money to be expended by a private body than if they
went to it for what was undertaken by themselves. The
Duke of Newcastle expressed his confidence in the ex-
perience and talents of Captain Stokes to guide the ex,
pedition. He also stated his opinion that the services of
a geologist and botanist were essential on the occasion.
Sir C. Fellowes concluded by congratulating the society
on the 'enlightened view which the Government had
taken of the subject.
Captain STURT, who it was announced had volunteered
his services in the proposed exploration, also congratu-
lated the society that the matter had been taken up by
Government. The Duke of Newcastle did him the
honour to allude to him when receiving the deputation,
and said he did not expect him to go out, but the in-
terest which such adventures once bad, weighed with
him still, and he would not keep his services back if
they were considered useful. The expedition promised
to be a successful one. Captain Sturt, before sitting
down, indicated on the maps the course of his own
travels in the interior of the Australian continent.

Lord ELLESMERE intimated that Mr. Baines, the
author of some interesting sketches from South Africa,
which were exhibited in the room, had volunteered to
join the expedition.