The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-07 00:00:00

SOITTHAMPTON.

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The committee assembled again this morning at 11
o'clock—Mr. H. Herbert in the chair.
The first witness called on the part of the petitioners
was a David.Witcher, a master painter, who deposed that
he had promised to vote for Mr. Cochrane at the last
election, but that Mr. Scrace, a brewer, called upon him
on the morning of the election, took him off to the pier,
gave him Bs., and sent him in a boat over to the Isle of
Wight, in order to prevent him voting. He had never
voted at an election before. He was a Tory, but had
only been so since the last election. He did not know
the difference between a Tory and Liberal. (Laughter.)
This witness's examination had not concluded when
our reporter left.

SEIZURE OF AN EMIGRANT SHIP, DETENTION
OF ITS LIVING CARGO, AND RECOVERY OF
ABOVE 2,5001. WORTH OF PROPERTY.

This day, at noon, Mr. Hamber, the senior messenger
of the Court of Bankruptcy, came up to town by express,
and reported that he had succeeded in seizing the emi-
grant ship Salsette at Portsmouth, under, the following
circumstances :

On the 23d of February last, a petitionin bankruptcy
was presented to Mr. Commissioner Goulburn by Mr.
Philp, solicitor, of Bucklesbury, against Joseph Henry
Dunne and John Venables, of 9, Craven-street, Strand,
shipowners and merchants. It appears that the parties
had purposed going out to Port Philip, the former as
passenger and part owner of the Salsette, and the latter
as the master and part owner. They had been pre-
viously arrested for debt, but had obtained their liberty.
At•the latter end of last month the Salsette left the Lon-
don docks in charge of Wm. Hay, the chief officer, with
a valuable cargo on board, and about 30 emigrants, but
on going down the channel he lost an anchor, and was
obliged to put in at Portsmouth to get fresh anchors. In
the meantime Venables and Dunne joined the vessel, and a
warrant was granted, and put in the hands of Mr. Hamber,
who proceeded to Portsmouth, and found that Venables
had been arrested and lodged in Winchester gaol by a
sheriff's officer, who met him in company with a
lady in Portsmouth. His whiskers had been closely
shaven off, and he wore a cap drawn over his
face to conceal his features, and he was otherwise
disguised. Mr. Hamber immediately proceeded to
Winchester gaol, and searched Venables, from whom he
took a valuable gold watch and chain, and a number of
letters, disclosing the intention of the parties to elude
their creditors. The messenger then returned to Ports-
mouth, seized the vessel, and left one of his assistants
named Howarth on board, who still'' remains in
possession, under Commissioner Goulburn's war-
rant. The Salsette is estimated to be worth above
1,5001., and in addition to that, Mr. Hamber seized
a valuable freightage consisting chiefly of agricul•
tural implements obtained from the celebrated machinists,
Messrs. Deane, Dray, and Co. of Swan-lane, and which
have not been paid for. The whole of the cargo is valued
at above 1,0001., making upwards of 2,5001. recovered
for the benefit f the creditors. Dunne was promised
protection if lie would surrender to the court, but up to
half-past one this day he had not done so. The emi-
grants still remain on board.

SHERIFFS COURT.-(THIS .DAY.)

(Before R. Gurney, Esq.)

IMPORTANT DECISION UNDER THE INSOLVENT LAIV.-

GEORGE V. 000 PER.

This was a judgment summons calling on defendant to
show cause why he did not,pay a sum of 151., for which
a judgment had been obtained in this Court, and why, in
default of doing so, he should not be committed.

Mr. Hicks, -Clifford's-inn, appeared for the defendant,
and put in the discharge by the Insolvent Court, and
contended that the defendant was thereby exonerated
from the present claim.

His Honour, after referring to the act, said that the
Courts had a concurrent jurisdiction, and therefore he
must inquire into the circumstances of the defendant.
Defendant, on being sworn, admitted that he was
still on the same premises as before his insolvency, and
the rent for the apartments is 1001. a-year, but he had
not been able to pay the rent, through his profession as
an artist having fallen off during the winter, and he had
also other judgments against him, and two more sum-
monses for this day.
His Honour said that madi') the case worse, and
defendant ought not to incur so much for rent ; but,i as
it did not appear he had means to pay at present, no
commitment would be made.

LADY PEEL.—The Morning Herald and Morning Ad-
vertiser of Saturday last announce, in somewhat positive
terms, that Lady Peel has joined the Romish com-
munion. There is no truth whatever in the statement,
nor in another put forth by the same journals, to the
effect that Miss Peel has also joined the Roman Catholic
Church, preparatory to her marriage with the Hon. T.
Stonor, son of Lord Camoys, a Roman Catholic peer.
Both ladies attended divine service twice yesterday, at
the Spring-gardens Episcopal Chapel of Ease.—lfforning
Post.
ROBBERY AT THE MESSRS. ROTHSCHILD'S, IN GER-
MANY.—lntelligence,; has been received in LonclOn of a
robbery at the establishment of Messrs. Rothschild's, at
Offenburg, in Germany, of a quantity of valuable mer-
chandise, consisting principally of the new description of
purses called port monnaies in every variety of orna-
mental manufacture. It is suspected that the stolen
property will be brought to this country • and as the
marks and numbers of the packages, and other parti-
culars of the property, are known, arrangements have
been made to intercept them on arrival here.

CAPTAIN JOLINSOIi'S BAIL.-At the Central Criminal
Court, on Friday, an application was made by one of
the persons who had become bail for Captain Johnson
that the enforcement of the bail might be stayed till next
session, on the ground that the prosecutrix had refused
to prosecute, and was at that moment harbouring Cap-
tain Johnson at her residence. 411 e had done his best to
cause the apprehension of the accused, but at present it
had been found to be impossible, and unless this appli•
cation were granted, the bail would be forfeited. The
Recorder said if tradesmen were so foolish as to become
bail for persons of whom they knew so little, they must
take the consequences. The bail had become forfeited
by the non-appearance of the accused, but if the appli-
cant should be instrumental in effecting the capture of
Captain Johnson, the court might be induced to take a
different view of the case.