The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-15 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE.)
John Haines, aged 20, a young man of respectable ap-
pearance, was indicted for stealing a cloak and one shil-
ling, by means of threats, from the person of Mr. William
W. Thomas, a Clerk in the Coast Guard Office, Custom
House.
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE drew the attention of the jury
to the difference between the capital offence and larceny,
when they found the prisoner Guilty of the latter.
William Westbrook, and Martha Westbrook, his mother,
were indicted, the former for stealing a letter containing a
5/. note, and the latter for feloniously receiving the same,
well knowing it to have been stolen.
Mr. Peacock, (the Solicitor to the Post Office), Mr.
Green, Mr. Smith, and other gentlemen connected with the
Post-office, gave the prisoner an excellent character for ho-
nesty.
Mr. Baron BOLLAND at considerable length summed up
the evidence.

The jury returned a verdict of Acquittal in the case of
each of the prisoners.

DISCHARGE OF THE GRAND JURY.

In the course of the afternoon the Grand Jury entered
the Court with the remainder of the bills ; amongst which
was a true bill against John M. Hart. They then handed
in a written parchment, in which, at considerable length,
they spoke in high terms of the efficiency of the new police,
as well as the intelligence they had displayed in all the cases
in which they had been employed. They more particu-
larly wished to call the attention of their Lordships to the
meritorious conduct of Thomas Harrison, one of the con-
stables of the D division, who, without any assistance, ap-
prehended four coiners in St. Giles's.
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE, in a suitable speech, discharged
the Grand Jury.
At a quarter before six o'clock their Lordships retired,
and were succeeded by Mr. Sergeant ARABIN (who still
looks very unwell), who tried several unimportant cases.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

, Four young men, named Coolce, &Tie- vers, Fuller, aad
Mahony, were brought before the LORD MAYOR, charged
with having stolen a chest of tea. The prisoriers were all
sent back to prison.

HATTON-GARDEN.
Yesterday Mr. Rippingham, solicitor, of No. 17, Great
Prescott-street, Goodman's-fields, accompanied by Mr. Ap-
pleby, solicitor, of No. 1, Raymond's-buildings, Gray's Inn,
entered this office, and applied to Mr. ROGERS, the Magis-
trate, for his advice. On Monday morning last Miss Rip-
pingham, the daughter of the applicant, was missing from
her home under the most mysterious circumstances, and
although every inquiry bad been made after her, no dis-
covery could be made as to her retreat, or what had become
of her, and it was much feared that she had been inveigled
from her home, and detained in some place against her will,
and her family remained in a disconsolate condition.
Mr. ROGERS inquired whether there was any suspicion of
what had become of her ?
Mr. Appleby said that a short time ago it was ascertained

MARYLEBONE.

,that the young lady had accidentally become acquainted with E STERN LITERARY ANL
a younn•6 man, who privately addressed her, without the con- p TIM INSTITUTION—RAILROAD
sent of her parents, and he represented himself as the son or
nephew of Admiral Meredith, and that his name was George
Meredith. Ever since Monday last the most active inquiries
were made, and at length it was discovered that it person,
describing himself as George Meredith, called at Dubourg's
Hotel, in the Haymarket, in company with a young lady an-
swering the description of Miss Rippingham, where they
dined, and, after partaking of some sherry, &c., they quitted
the hotel at half-past nine o'clock on Monday evening last,
but no clue whatever could be traced of them afterwards ;
and whether the above individual had won her affections,
and she had eloped with him voluntarily, or whether she
had been forced away from her home, was a matter of mys-
tery at present.
Mr. ROGERS could do nothing for them under the cir-
cumstances, but advised them to circulate the affair as
much as possible through bills, and the officers of that
establishment should render them every assistance in their
power.
The following description was given of Miss Ripping-
ham :—She is about twenty-two years of age, low in sta-
ture, dark eyes, and hair, small features, and fresh colour ;
had on when she left home a Tuscan bonnet, trimmed with
brown gauze ribbon, a light figured chali dress, with a rib-
bon band nearly to match, a shawl with black ground and
pink and green flowers, a gold neck chain and gold watch,
and two gold rings on her fingers ; black shoes and open-
work white stockings ; had with her a brown silk umbrella
and a small green silk bag, containing a red silk purse with
ivory ornaments, a small pocket-book, and a tortoise-shell
card-case.
George Meredith, who was not intimate with the family,
and who was never admitted, but scarcely known to the
family, was described as a smart young man, with light hair,
a slight cast in his eye, and flushed countenance.
The applicants thanked Mr. Rogers, and quitted the
office, for the purpose of distributing bills, offering a
'reward, and prosecuting further inquiries.

Yesterday, William Alexander. Wood, a young man of
shabby-genteel appearance, was placed at the bar before
Mr. RAWLINSON, charged with stealing a number of books,
consisting of " Bloomfield's Poems,"" The Letter Writer,"
" Chesterfild's Advice," &c., from the shop of Mr. B.
Galpin, bookseller, No. 6, Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square.
Mr. RAWLINSON committed him to Newgate for trial. •

SHIPPING INTELLIGENC E

TOM-HOUSE, DEC. 14.

Tuesday evening Mr. Parkin, patentee of the invention
or making concrete railroads, delivered a lecture at this
Institution explanatory of his invention, and of its great
Advantages both in the superiority of the roads and im-
mense saving in the cost of construction. The theatre was
filled with a very respectable and very attentivc aulli tory.
Mr. PARKIN read a letter from Dr. Birkb(N.l,, :70
expected to be present, accounting for his ab,e;ic,, by tile
necessity of attending a meeting of the Mete:fro!ogical
Society, of which he is President ; and anoth-r H.ter, in
which Dr. Birkbeck expressed a very high opin:,,» cd the
utility of the invention.
, Mr. PARKIN commenced by observing that publie
opinion had now decided in favour of railroads, which must
be made. Their utility was found to be so great, that
had they been made in England at an early period, it Ivo,
probable the quantity of agricultural produce that had been
expended in the keep of draught horses, which might
in that case be saved, would equal one year's pro-
duction of the whole earth, or the full amount of the
present national debt. He then proceeded to describe the
present construction of railroads, by laying down blocks of
granite, at a yard distance, and extending the rails, as a
bridge, from one to the other. These blocks, he stated
would for the London and Birmingham railroad, amount
to 150,0001., and for the thirty Railroad Bills which
passed last Session, for making 994 miles of road,
14,000,000 of blocks would be required, and the cost
would belenormous. The rail being a bridge, must
always be subject to vibration, and should one break "
the consequences might be most disastrous ; and there
being no effectual provision for the expansion and con-
traction consequent on the changes of temperature of the
atmosphere, a continuous injury to the road must arise
from that cause, whilst, from the great quantity of iron
used in the rails, not only the cost is greatly increased, but
the large surface exposed to the corrosion of the atmos-
phere causes their decay in a much less time than if the sur-
face acted on was much smaller. For all these objections
to the present construction of railroads, Mr. Parkin pro-
poses what is considered by many scientific men an effec-
tual remedy, by the construction of concrete railroads. He
purposes instead of granite blocks, to,use blocks of vitrified
earth, the cost of which is comparatively trifling, and the
durability greater than even granite. A certificate from
Mr. Britton, of Basinghall-street, stated that he had sub-
jected one of Mr. Parkin's bricks of vitrified earth of four

inches square, and two inches thick, in a hydraulic press,
to a pressure .of 150 tons, without producing ti..! last
effect on it. Sleepers of this vitrified earth, dovetailed into
each other, are to be laid on a bed of concrete, coo posed
of sand, gravel, and lime, which becomes as i►,,rd :N rock,
the whole length of the road ; in a groove running aioag the
upper, an oak bearer is to, be laid, on which a rail of any
thickness is to be screwed down, by which nae,ms the rail
will be supported throughout its whole length. There will
be no vibration nor danger of breaking, and even if that
should happen, there would be no danger of By
laving the rails on the concrete, without the vitrified sleepers,
which would be equally efficacious, a still further saving
would be made. The cost of laying the rails according to
the present plan is 255. a yard, the maximum'cost according
to the patent invention would be 10s.•per yard, which, on
the eight lines of rails from London to Birmingham, would •
produce a saving of upwards of 1,100,006/. Mr. Parkin
concluded by observing, that by railroads on the present
plan the public would have more expeditious travelling than
at present, but not cheaper. By railroads on the patent
plan they will add to expedition, safety and' economy ;
sides' which, railways on the present plan can belconstiucted
in such a short space of time, that the public :may much
sooner enjoy all their advantages, and to a mach greater
extent, than they can ever be constructed in ,ti►e present
most expensive manner.

VESSELS ENTERED INWARDS AT '1:!IF, CUS•

The Emelie, Mascott, from Calais ; Zero, Ra;l-" Memel ;
Charlotte, Daniels, Calais; Fanny, Brown, St. Poll s!irgh ;
Helane, Dunmudas, Guernsey ; Glasgow, Gray, 1 Quebec ;
Maria, Lavelle, Gravelines ; Hamburgh, Blow, Gothenburg;
Cater, Merrels, Dunkirk ; William Wallis, Paulo, t.V Peters-
burgh; Hector, Smith, Calcutta; Robert, Gibson,
.§t. Peters-
burgh ; Belize, Howell, Honduras ; Cato, Crossnian, San.
tandec.

ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.
The Ewell Grove, Burton, for Jamaica; Emtha. Hood,
Jamaica; Charlotte, Daniels, Calais; Tourist, \Vhitcombe,
Antwerp; Lion, Noril, Montserrat; Philadelphia,. Morgan,
New York.

CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO.
The Charles, Thomas, for New Orleans ; Red Port, Gib-
bons, Oporto ; Delight, Jefferson, Cape of Good'llor ; Ro-
saline, Alexander, Trinidad; Charlotte, Wills Calais;
Tourist, Whitcombe, Antwerp.
CLEARED OUTWARDS IN BALLAST.
The Margaret, Gibbons, for Hamburgh ; La Dire, Tahel,
Dunkirk ; Wilhelmina, Deker, Baltic; Huon,- Holt, Ham-
burgh.. •