The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-26 00:00:00

FORGERY.

William Mason, described as a tailor, who pleaded
guilty yesterday to a charge of uttering five bank notes
of 51. each, was brought up for judgment.
Mr. Clarkson thought it right to intimate on behalf
of the prosecution, that there was reason to believe
that the prisoner bad for a long time been carrying on
this practice of issuing forged notes. He was convicted
with a gang of forgers in 1851, and there could be no
doubt that he was a most dangerous character.
The prioner said he very much regretted that be had
ever fallen into the hands of bad associates, but affliction
and necessity had forced him into their society, and
driven him into crime.

The Court sentenced the prisoner to be transported
for twenty years.

POST-OFFICE ROBBERY.

George Clement, aged 34, a postman, was indicted for
stealing a post letter, containing one half-sovereign, the
property of her Majesty's Postmaster-General.
The prisoner had been a letter sorter and carrier
attached to the Charing-cross office, and on the 15th
instant, while he was engaged in the duty of sorting, he
was observed by one of the inspectors, first to examine,
and then to pocket a small letter. Re was afterwards
taxed with the theft, but by some manoeuvring he
managed to drop the letter from his person, and he
then protested that he knew nothing whatever of
the letter or its contents. The inspector, however,
was so positive in his statement that he saw the pri-
soner both open and drop the letter that he was at once
given into custody on the present charge. The letter
upon being opened, was found to contain half-a-
sovereign, let into the centre of a card, and it was ad-
dressed to a person in Westminster. Upon inquiry be-
ing institute, it turned out that it had been posted at
Walworth, and so found its way to Charing-cross in the
due course of business.

The jury found thl,e prisoner guilty, but the court de-
ferred passing sentence.

NEW COURT.
(P;efore the Recorder.)

THE SENTENCE UPOW HENRY HAMILTON, THE SURGEON.

This morning, upon his Lordship taking his seat in
this court, Henry Scott, alias Hamilton, the surgeon
who was convicted on Monday of an indecent assault
upon a young woman named Brown, was brought up for
sentence.

Mr. Parry, who appeared for the prosecution, said
that at present he Lad not the advertisement which had
been issued by the defendant, but he understood that he
was not :11 regular s u rgeon.

Mr. Ballantine said that he was instructed to say that
his client had practised and walked the hospitals in 1847.
Mr. Parry said I% e advertisement set forth that the
defendant was a irtember of the Royal College of Sur-
geons, and that his name was Hamilton, when, in fact,
it was not, and th.e advertisement was one calculated
to deceive the un wary, and most especially women,
whose diseases of a peculiar nature he professed to cure.

After some disci fEsion, Mr. Ballantine called several
witnesses of the highest respectability, amongst whom
were four ladies, whe gave the defendant a high character
for morality and de eency, he having been upon visiting
terms with their far allies. In cross-examination by Mr.
Parry, they all admitted that they were not--aware of
defendant being an .advertising surgeon.
The prisoner the.,n entered into a long statement,
denying that there 'was anything in the advertisement
of an improper character, and explained that the reason
of his advertising in -the name of Hamilton, was that he
had been for many y ears the partner of Mr. Hamilton,
who had left the business, and he continued the name.
He had studied the profession of medicine for years,
and had been duly .entered as student in the hospital,
but had not kept up his course of studies sufficiently
long to entitle him to receive his diploma.
The Recorder, in passing sentence, said that, n.Dtwith-
standing the improixabilities surrounding the story told
by the prosecutrix, he felt bound to say that the jury
had come to a very- proper conclusion. The came was
one of a very aggrra ated character, and he should sen-
tence the prisoner to twelve months' imprisonment and
hard labour.

BUILDERS' BEUTEVOLENT INSTITULF_TO.N

Last evening the sixth anniversary of this excellent
institution was celebrated by a dinner at the London
Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, The objects of this institu-
tion are to afford relief and grant pensions to aged and
decayed members of the building trade. The chair was
filled by Peter Rolt,. Esq., M.P. for Greenwich. ,Among
the gentlemen present we observed Mr. J. :Higgs, Mr.
G. Spencer, Mr. Jay, Mr. Jelf, Mr. Myers, Mr. Sewell,
Mr. Bond, Mr. Dun ning, Mr. Tyerman, Mr. ..?otter,
Mr. Forrest, Mr.!Peters, Mr. Smith, Mr. Newso m, and
several other gentle men largely connected wit ;h the
building trade. There were also present gentle men as
representatives from the establishments of Mr.. Pete,
Mr. Jackson, Mr. Co.bitt, Mr. Grissell, Mr. Locke, and
Mr. Todd.

Grace having been sung and the cloth removed ,

The CHAIRMAN rose and said he needed not to 1 ;reface
the toast he was about to give in a company like the
present. He would therefore give them "The Q,ct een."
The toast was drunk amid loud applause.
The other loyal and constitutional toasts having been
given and responded to,
The CHAIRMAN rose to propose the toast of the even-
ing—" Prosperity to the Builders' Benevolent la istitu-
tion ;" and in doing so stated that he should nxa ke no
apology for claiming their attention for a short p eriod,
because the object for which they were all assemb led was
to endeavour to enlarge the funds of the B milders'
Benevolent Institution. They had met that even-
ing in that noble hall to celebrate the sixth
anniversary of this excellent institution--an inst itution
well deserving the utmost support. Every gen tl eman
present must be aware of the many noble charititis: that
adorned this great and wealthy land ; indeed, the re was
not a country in the world so renowned for the many
glorious charities which shed a lustre on the n .ame of
England. Among those charities and benevolen t insti-
tutions there was none that deserved more big Illy the
cordial support of every gentleman than the o ne for
which he had the honour of appealing. He woi ild not
dilate at length upon the benefits conferred by I in-
stitution, because they were well and honourably 1 :.nown
to all present ; but he might be permitted to stat e that
there were at the present time 22 male and female: reci-
pients of their bounty. That was not a smaller nu n ober,
considering that their institution had only been in exi s tence
six years, and he therefore called upon them to most
strenuously support the directors in their praisewo othy
endeavours to augment the numbers that now hat I the
happiness to receive its bountiful assistance. He
need not to remind those now in affluence, that they
might, by accident or disease, be brought, like thorn 3 for
whom he was now appealing, to need the assistant of
of an institution like this, and all who now subsea ibed
would be amply repaid by the knowledge that they • were
conferring support and shelter upon those who, u nfor-
tunately, were, through no fault of their own, un ab le to
help themselves. He would not detain them any Ler nger,
for there were others far more able than himself to set
before them the benefits and blessings of this insti Ltution.
But of this he was sure, that none could wish to see the
means of this charity more, much more ex tended,
than himself. The hon. gentleman concluded a very
eloquent speech by making a most energetic appeal
on behalf of the funds of the institution, and r esumed
his seat amid loud cheers, by proposing " Prc isperity
to the Builders' Benevolent Institution."

The toast was drunk amid great enthusiasm.

The SECRETARY then read the list of subscrilr,tions,
among which were the names of the Chairman f 'r 50
guineas ; Mr. Cubitt, M.P., 10 guineas ; Mr. Gto .ney,
10 guineas ; Mr. H. Lee, 21/., and a great many of s
for like amounts. The aggregate amount of the sub-
scriptions was 5001.
The CHAIRMAN then gave the health of Mr. G. 3 3ird,
treasurer of the institution, and in doing so pars ed a
high eulogium upon that gentleman for the noble ( .xer-
tions he had made on behalf of the interests of di' 3 in-
stitution.

Mr. BIRD responded in a neat speech, and stated that
if suffioient funds were placed at the disposal o.{ the
directors, they would have the happiness to elect the
whole of the unsuccessful candidates at the last el ec Lion
to participate in the benefits of this noble insti tu.tion
before Christmas.

A number of other toasts followed, among which
were "The President," "The Patrons of the II istitu-
tion," "The Press," &c., all of which were most ably
responded to.
The musical arrangements were admirable. The
vocalists consisted of Mr. Allen, Mr. Day, Mr. D intin,
Miss Rose, and Mrs. Distin. It is nearly superfl ti ous
to remark that the dinner was served in a style tha t re-
flected the utmost credit on the proprietors of the 1.4 on-
don Tavern. We must also compliment Mr. IT gs,
who officiated as toastmaster iu capital

LATEST FOREIGN N \VS.

FRANCE.

A telegraphic message received by the French
Government yesterday confirms the news already
received as to the passage of the Dardanelles by
the combined fleets of England and France, on the
14th.

M. de la Cour, the French Ambassador at Con-
stautinople, is to be, if he has not already been,
recalled from his post. For some time past mur-
murs or complaints have been heard in official
quarters respecting the manner in which French
interests have lately been represented at Constan-
tinople, and which were felt all the more under
such circumstances as the present.

It appears that the stag-hunt at Compiegne, in
which Madame Amedee Thayer, wife of the senator,
had her leg broken, was very nearly occasioning
more numerous and graver accidents. The stag
rushed into a stable, and there kept the dogs at
bay. In so doing lie almost touched the horses of
the Emperor and Empress. As it was, the horses
were greatly frightened, and were with difficulty
restrained. M. Edgar Ney, in his quality of grand
huntsman, rushed on the stag, hunting-knife in
hand, and killed him.
Prince Jerome is not yet entirely recovered ;
the state of his health does not inspire uneasiness,
although it requires much care. His Imperial
Highness had a relapse, but is again getting better ;
he left his bed on Monday, and transacted business
with several persons of his household. At three
o'clock the bulletin of his health was satisfactory.

The Union mentions a rumour that not feiver
than 15,000 copies of Ledru Rollin's pamphlet were
seized in the recent domiciliary visits.
The Bourse, which opened firmly yesterday, be-
came feeble towards the conclusion of bilsiness,
and the Three per Cents., which were first called
at 72f. 85c., closed at 72f. 40c. for the end of the
month. The Four-and-a-Half per Cents. closed
at 99f. ; Orleans Railway shares, 1,145 f. ; Rouen,
1,002 f. 50c. ; Havre, 477 f. 50c. ; Great Northern,
836 f. 25c. ; Paris and Strasburg, 895 f. ; Paris and
Lyons, 890 f. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean, 721 f.
25c. ; Western of France, 685 f. ; Bordeaux and
Cette, 582 f. 55c. ; Great Central, 513 f. 75c. ;
Lyons and Geneva, 495 f. ; Shares of the Bank of
Credit Mobilier, 692 f. 50c.