The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-05 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, Dec. 4.

Before Mr. Sergeant ADAMS, Assistant Judge.)
The December general session of the peace for the
county of Middlesex commenced this morning, at the
sessions House, Clerken well, before the Assistant
Judge and a full Bench of Magistrates. There were
sixty-nine prisoners charged with felony, and seven
with misdemeanors for trial.
The Learned JUDGE very briefly addressed the
grand jury after they had been sworn, and they hav-
ing retired, the Court proceeded with the ordinary
business.

THE QUEEN V. WILLIAM WATSON.
Mr. BALLANTINE, addressing the Court, said he
had to make an application in a case " The Queen on
the prosecution of Alexander M'Dougal against Wil-
liam Watson," which was a prosecution for an assault
under somewhat extraordinary circumstances. Mr.
M'Dougal was a highly respectable gentleman, a soli-
citor, residing at No. 3, Charles-street, St. ames's-
square, and he had some time ago had some pecuniary
transactions with the defendant, who was a wine-mer-
chant, and those transactions terminated in a very
unpleasant
dtmuhcea
tn
pursuedni
ne
ar ,i
citnm ecbnoytn,
ms(ihqreu
believed
ecaleti
se of the peculiar
ovne .d
theO n thBethdaoyf
November, as Mr. M'Dougal was leaving the Par.
thenon Club, the defendant rushed at him, and used
a whip with a considerable degree of freedom
about Mr. M‘Dougal's shoulders. The defendant
was taken into custody, and of course . was
examined upon , the charge of assault before a
magistrate, and in answer to that charge the
defendant made some assertions respecting the tran-
sactions he had had with Mr. M'Dougal of a most
unwarrantable, and, he was instructed to state, utterly
groundless nature. The magistrate sent the defendant
to this court for trial, but in the interim inquiries
had been made by his friends, the result of which
would, he apprehended, relieve the Court from the
necessity of trying the case, for most unquestionably
Mr. Watson was a lunatic. During his imprison-
Iment in the House of Detention, Dr. Sutherland,
and Mr. Wakefield, the surgeon, had examined him
as to his state or mind, and they were satisfied that he
was incline. He was under most strange delusions
with respect to various members of his own and the
prosecutor's family, and he was under the impression
that Mr. M'Dougal was engaged in an intrigue
against him, but he was bound to say, in justice to
Mr. M'Dougal, that Mr. Watson's friends were
thoroughly convinced that the reflections thrown upon
his character by Mr. Watson were unjustifiable and
entirely devoid of truth. Dr. Sutherland and Mr.
Wakefield had given a certificate that Mr. Watson
wcwoibaarss insane,
estuancinoleswt
atcnoo n
circumstances,
net
shfia,en dehdeu inp on that cert ficate Mr. Watson
apprehended a lunatic
immediate
discharge
a s y
thereu m .
ofw otuh Under
the
dr
be
octhese:an o.
nisan c.oenps
and
nst ehs dae
iedcf eo nnh dse
ea
nan
ptte'psde
l.
oei
the
en behalf
application o f the
beingpro
granted.seeMutri The prosecutor's recognisances might be
discharged at the same time, and he might say the
prosecutor was perfectly satisfied with the withdrawal
by the friends of the defendant of the offensive asser-
tions he (defendant) had made.
The Court granted the application.
Louisa Levain, 18, convicted of felony at the last
session, was brought up for judgment.
The Learned JUDGE told the prisoner that she had
repeatedly
hbaede n in
been
sentenced prison,a
n onone
d t o
nin
nine
occasion thishard
labour for a robbery from the person of precisely the
same character as that of which she was now con-
victed. She and several other women, accompanied
by " bullies," accosted the prosecutor in the street at
night, and, having pulled him about, robbed him ; and
the other women and the" bullies" were watching, in
order, in case of alarm, to maltreat and use violence
towards him. These were very serious cases, and the
sentence of the Court was that she be transported fur
ten years.
James M'Cormack was convicted, upon his own
confession, of a very impudent robbery in the dwell-
ing-house of Dr. Charles Mackay, No. 21, l3recknock-
crescent, Camden-town.
Sentenced to three months' hard labour.

RUSSIAN COPPER.—The following arrivals of cop-
per have taken place on one day from the Russian ports:
—The vessel Command, from St. Petersburg, has brought
1,411 ingots; the William and Jane,_ from St. Peters-
burg, 1,200 ingots; and the Isis, also from the Russian
capital, has brought 2,811 ingots of the metal, the pro-
duce of Russia, and in each instance consigned to parties
in the metropolis.