The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-12 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court was held, for the despatch of business.
Tim EXORBITANT FEES IN THE LATE CASE IN THE CENTRAL CRIMINAL

COURT.

Mr. ANDERTON rose to call the attention of the Court to a question
strongly affecting the privileges of the citizens of London. He had read
in the Weekly True Sun newspaper the following paragraph :—" Lsw
EXACTION.—We have just heard, from a quarter which leaves no room
to doubt its correctness, that a Learned Judge has certified to the costs in-
curred in the prosecution of Williams for forgery of a will, the particu-
lars of which appeared in our Paper of last week, in consequence of which
certificate the Corporation of London has been called upon to pay SOU,
which includes a fee of 300 guineas to Sir William Follett. It is stated
that the matter will be mentioned in Parliament, and so it ought ; for
without alluding to the magnitude of the fee, this was a question raised
especially to determine a right to private property; and as such the party
who sought to act aside the will ought to bear the expense." He was
desirous to know whether it was true that such a demand had been made
upon the Corporation.
Sir JAMES SHAW (the City Chamberlain) had considered it his duty to
represent the matter to the Police Committee, who entertained an opi.
nion that the charge was extremely high, and payment was postponed.
Since that postponement the Judges had, he was informed, under the
impression that the demand was excessive, reduced the fees to Couns 1
by 150/. The order, however, still remained unpaid.
Mr. ANDERTON said that the question was one of great importance.
If any offence were committed, it was committed in Wales. He believed
that the case was got up merely for the trial of a right between two par..
ties, but whatever might have been the exact object, the City of London
ought not to be saddled with the expenses of the prosecution. Six guineas
he considered to be too great a fee to Counsel. He should move that it
be referred to the Administration of Justice Committee, and that the
Court direct the Chamberlain to suspend the payment of the Judge's or-
der till the Committee should make their report.—( Hear, hear.)
Alderman THOMAS Wow) submitted that it would be most wise to
adopt the means of preventing any future evil of the kind, but it would
be discreditable to the Corporation to refuse the payment of the order
issued in the present case, as a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence.
Mr. ItiensaD LAMBERT JONES said that it would be necessary to have
a county rate to pay expenses of this kind. He was most anxious for
inquiry, and if the City Law authorities were of opinion that the Court
could resist the payment, he trusted that resistance would be made.
After some further discussion the question was referred to a Corn-
mittee, to inquire into the circumstances connected with the payment
of fees and expellee; of witnesses in prosecutions in the Central Criminal
Court, and it was also determined that Mr. Clarke should be requested
to consult the Judges on the subject.

The question as to the expenses incurred by the Sheriffa was also re-
ferred to the Committee.

After some other business the Court adjourned.

" Bentley's Miscellany for May is vivid with verse,"
observes the Caledonian Mercury. Oliver Twist has established him-

self in good quarters, and Boa displays as much taste and tact in his

_ .
description of the quiet of domestic life and the generous outpourings of
the poor orphan, as he formerly did in his misery and suffering. That

" Major Main should not have kept a Parrot" is demonstrated in the
ludicrous effects of his so doing ; and this, as well as " Babiography,"

"The Misfortunes and Consolations of Peregrine Tweezle." and 'Tlions

Noddy, Esq." ate richly comic.

" The Leg" is a story with a cipital

moral ; and " Book-making considered as one of the Fine Arts," is a
keen piece of satire. _ There are some curious specimens of Swiss

Poetry by Charles Mackay : and the Cannon Family, in their Adveni
tures at Boulogne, are getting further into grief than ever. Dr. Magnin
has another of his elaborate criticisms on Shakspeare. But commend us

.o " The Lay of St. Nicholas by Ingoldsby." George Cruikahank has

contributed his share to the Miscellany in two spirited illustrations.

CONVICTION OF A CLERGYMAN.—The Dublin
Evening Post refers to a very curious case at the Skibbereen Petry See-
sions, where the Rev. Mr. Trail, Vicar of Skull, was fined 51. for pre_
stinting a pistol at one of his Roman Catholic flock, on the high road, on
the return of the Rev. Gentleman from divine service, on a Sunday.

The excitement which prevails in this borough on
the subject of the proceedings before the Committee appointed to mt.

mine the validity of the return of James and Wilberforce, is fully as
great as occurred during the period of the election.—Hull Observer.

A deputation of merchants had proceeded to Athens
for the purpose of soliciting the privilege of a free port for Syra, but the
request was refused. The Government apprehended the loss of about
2,0001. a year, which it derived from duties paid upon goods for tho
consumption of the island—a loss it was too poor to afford. It is re-
marked, however, that it would gain infinitely more in time by the
great increase of the general traffic of which Syra would more than

ever become the emporium. It was intended to renew the application.
It is stated that the Austrians had been granted extraordinary priv..

loges for their steam navigation, from which the French and English
were debarred. They were exempted from the duty on coals imported
from England and elsewhere for the supply of their steamer depots, and
also from the payment of transit duties on merchandise imported and
exported by steamers. The Austrian steamers also were considered in
Greek ports as men of war, and as such not subject to hat bour dues, al-
though their steamers belong to a private company at Trieste. Both
French and English steamers were obliged to pay duties on coals, and
were excluded from the other privileges cited. Nearly 4,000 tons of
coal had been imported in 1837 from \Vales and Newcastle for the
French and Austrian depots. About three months back a lazaretto had
been ordered to be built at Syra ; but as Government had sent no funds
it had not been proceeeded with.
An inquest was held on Wednesday, at the Dover
Castle, Commercial road, Waterloo.bridgo,,upon the body of Ellen
Thomson, aged 10, who died from the effect of arsenic. The deceased
was in the service of Airs. Christie, of Cottage-place, Commercial road.
On Monday week she called on a female friend in the neighbourhood,
and appeared to be in good spirits; in a short time she fell, as if seized.
with giddiness, and became sick. She was put to bed, and died on the
following morning. Upon a post mortem examination of the body, the
wornach was found highly inflamed from some corrosive poison, and on
analysis, it was discovered to be arsenic; it was also ascertained that the
deceased was in an advanced state of pregnancy. Verdict—" That the
death of the deceased was caused by arsenic, but whether taken by her.
self, or whether administered by the desire or instigation of any ono, the
jury have evidence."
The race across the Atlantic between the Great
Western and the Sirius steam ships, continues to attract considerable
attention, particularly at Bristol, where heavy bets are said tobe pending
on the result. The course is probably the longest ever run, and time
jockeys on both sides are experienced and skilful. The Sirius
had a start of 700 nautical miles ; but still the confidence of the Bristol
pcoisle in the powers of the Great Western is unbounded, and the fol-
lowing is their calculation of the chances in her favour :—The Sirius was
spoken with on the 17th April, in lat. 45 N., long. 37 W. The Great
Western was spoken on the 15th April, in lat. 46 26 N., long. 37 W.
At these respective dates the Great Western had run 1,305 miles in
seven days, from King's Road; and the Sirius, 1,305 miles in ten days,
from Cork. The Great Western averaged 1861 miles per day; the
Sirius, 1301 miles: Great Western gained on Sirius b 6 miles
per day. The Great Western averaged 7} miles per hour ; the
Sirius barely averaged 51 miles per hour. Great Western had to
run 1,800 nautical miles, and according to her past average, she
would accomplish the remainder of the passage in 9i days. Sirius had
to run 1,600, and according to her past average, she would accomplish
the remainder of her passage in not less than 121 days. The general
opinion at Bristol is, that if the weather continued adverse after the 15th,
the Great Western will have reached New York first. If the weather
was fine after the 15th it is thought that both ships may have arrived on
:he same day- The race homeward will be one of high interest.

SLANDERS UPON O'CONNELL. (From the
Pilot.)—A New York Correspondent mentions a slander recentlydirected
against O'Connell, which is only of consequence as showing the extent to
which his enemies endeavour to poison the public mind against him, and
because of the character of the party from whom the misrepresentation
proceeded. It would appear that the two men, named Bamber, from
the county of Sligo, were lately arrested in New York, at the instance of
the British Consul—the charge against them being that they had corn_
mitted a murder in this country several years back. The Governor
ordered them to be given up ; but upon an investigation before the re.
corner they were subsequently set at liberty. During the proceedings,
as we are informed, the lawyer employed by the British Consul openly
declared that the Englishnient Government did not want the Bom-
bers, but that O'Connell Influenced the authorities here to pursue
them, because they were Protestants. We need not trouble ourselves
with the ridiculous lie here set forth. But it is right that the Govern.
ment shou,d require from their Consul a distinct answer to the question
him to make the statement in question? The
—Did he thus deliberately dishonour Ifni patrons by instructing the
has also been put forward by the Scotch editor
craoburnicsealtioeirni,pwloeyepderbuyive,
of the New York Herald.