The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-18 00:00:00

tin the part of one of the Licensing Magistrates of Middlesex,
from an individual with whom he was not at all acquainted,
but whole character he found, on inquiry, bore out the state-
ment which the Petition contained. He (Mr. Hume) had also
sent the Petition to the Magistrate himself, in order to see what
answer he could make to its allegations ; and e understood
that some Honourable Member was preparehd to make a
counter statement to the House. The Petitioner, Robert
Crorobie, stated, that in April, 1821, he purchased for
6001 the laze and good will of the White Horse public-
house, in Chelsea, which were transferred to the Petitioner
with the: sanction, of the Magistrates of the district. In
September, when the spirit license expired, the Petitioner ob-
tained a reneWat of .it from the Excise ; but when his beer li-
eenstaexpired, and he applied for its renewal, the Magistrates
toleidtim it could not. be done. Of this refusal he comnlained,
and sent a Petition,. signed by thirty respectable neighbours,
to tha. IsicenOng Magistrate, Mr. White, who. again refused
thedicense, assigning as a reason the disorderly conduct of the
houseepresnoosly to its purchase by the Petitioner. The Peti-
tioner submitted that he had done all in, his• power by laying
his contract with the former proprietor, one Stradling, before
the MaO_strates when he entered Into it, and who had given it
their sanction.. He implored the House, therefore, to take his
=Ate -into their consideration, and grant him such .relief as in
.their wisdom might seem meet.
Six R. HERON observed, that he :new -clothing of the me-
rits of the Petition, .but he wished it might call the attention
ot the house to one particular subject of elie greatest import-
eneee- .He was persuaded that nothing could be more mis-
ehitseoua than the practice of allowing haws to have spirit
licea3CV, and not beer licenses ,also.- The consequence was,
thattateli houses were converted into mere dram shops. .
SaYer. DAWSON, in 'reply to the statement in the Petition,
-• aid that the. Magistrates had had a complaint made to them
that thehousesin question was -kept open until a very late hour
•inehe..niese. - The Petitioner was summoned to answer to this
complaint, but did not attend. • On a. second summons he did
attend, and apologized for the late hours which he kept, by
saying that Such had been the practice under his predecessor.
The. Magistrates informed him that if he , continued to keep
lateehourss he would be,fined. He did continue to do. so, and
he -was fined for keeping a disorderly house. -Subsequent
equivoemions-and felishoods induced the Magistrates to refuse
his lieenee. • •
Mr. Alderman Bridges M. Serjeant. this" low, and. Mr.
Renee- each said a few words on the subject of the Petition.
• Me. HUME observed, that he had inquired iu the neigh-
bourheod with respect to the character of the house in question,
anti was infornied that it was by no means disorderly.
Mr. PEEL said that the persons to whom the Hon. Member
-for Montrose had spoken might possibly not have been well
informed upon the subject. The house in question stood with-
in gates, out of the public thoroughfare, and its conduct might
not be matter cf universal notoriety. There was, however, this
fast—the man had been convicted and fined 10s. for keeping a
disorderly house; . • •
• Mr. AIME said that the house was a watering house used
by Hackney-coachmen. It was necessarily, therefore, open till
a late l. •
After io
ans few further observations from Mr. DAWSON;the
Petition was ordered to lie on the table.
• NEW POST OFFICE.
Mr. WILSON presented a Petition, numerously signed,
from the inhabitant householders of St. Martin's-le-Grand,Fos-
ter-lane,comnlaining of the delay in the erection of the intend=
ed new Post-Office. At present, they were ruinously incom-
moded by the obstructions which the preparations for that build-
ing had occasioned.. They prayed either that the building
might immediately proceed, or that a passage should be made
through the obstructions to which they adverted for the influx
cf their customers.
Mr. •HOBHOUSE confirmed the statement of the Petitioners
as to the inconveniences which they experienceed. Six pas-
cages which had heretofore existed in that part of the City were
• now choked up with rubbish.
After a few words from Mr. Alderman WOOD, the Petition
-was read and ordered to be printed.
• IRISH COURT OF EXCHEQUER..
• Sir.T. NEWPORT wished to know whether it was in the
• contemplation of his Majesty's Government to propose any
• rneaeUre for the purpose-of carrying into effect the alterations
in the Irish Court of Exchequerewhich had been recommend-
ed by the Commissioners appointed to inquire into that subject?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, that
to subject Was one which had been for some time under the
-consideration of his Majesty's GOvernment; and that he hoped,
ere-long; some measure would be proposed respecting it.
Sir J. NEWPORT gave notice that unless some proposition
should' be Made by his Majesty's Government before Tuesday
4th of June, he would on that day submit to the House a mo-
tion on the subject. - •
ISLE OF MAN.
Mr. CURWEN presented a Petition from the House orKeys,
'in the tali-of Man, complaining of the Misappropriation, in that
I:fittnd, of certain Funds which had been bequeathed for the
I:tit-pose of Educating the Children of the. Poor.
Mr. Secretary PELL.prornised that the subject should he in-
-eluired into.
• Mr. CURWEN was sure that that promise would be perfect-
'ly satisfaetory to the Petitioners.—The Petition, was read and
crdcecd to be printed.
• • AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.
Mr. WESTERN presented a Petition from the County of
reosx, complaining of the general preksure of Agricultural
diGtrenS.
;lir E. HARVEY spoke shortly in faveui of the Petition.
• Mr. LENN A RD-bore testimony to the respectability of the
i'teeting at which the Petition was resolved upon. He had no
confsdencz however in any measure proposed for the-relief of
• the Agriculturists-but a reduction of taxes.
'Elie Petition was then ordered to lie on the table and be
• • printed:

ILCHESTER GAOL.
Igr. Alderman WOOD was anxious that the Right Hon
Secretary for the Home Department should explain more par-
tteulaily what he had said on a former night respecting Relies-
ter gaol. Was he to understand that his Majesty's Govern-
meet meant to institute a prosecution against Bridle, the late.
gaoler, for the charges alleged againat him in the Report of the
Commissioners ? Was it intended that the prosecution should-
else include the case. of the visiting Magistrates, which he
thought also called for inquiry ? lie put these questions be-
cause he thought the prosecution of Bridle alone would be in-
staff cient ; and if it were not intended to call for an inquiry
into the conduct of the Magistrates, he should himself give
nctice of a motiare for that purpose.—(Hear.) ..
Mr. PEEL begged to explain what he had said on the former
night. His statement was, that he. had signified directions to
his Ai aj esty's Attorney-General to institute a prosecution against
:Bridle, conceiving that the Commissioners had reported certain"
allegations respecting that individual which called for such a
sten, and which ought not to be concluded by the mere dismissal
of the gaoler. He had also signified, that a commission was
directed to the Lord Lieutenant of the County and the local au-
theritice, desiring them to make the fullest inquiry respecting
the site and condition of Ilchester gaol, and to report with the
Jeaet possible delay upon the site and condition of that
teicon. With respect to the visiting Magistrates, what he had
said en the former night was this.;-that he had likewisewritten to the Lord Lieutenant, requiring that he would ap rise
theite Gentiemen that en explanation was expected from -t em
respecting certain matters Bet forth in the proceedings ad
under the commission. But he (Mr. Peel) was anxious that
the-prezecution of Bridle should precede thapresentatina.cf the.
Magietrates' eaplanation, lest the latter might operate to pre
write the former before his trial.—(Hear.}--For the same rea-
son he deprecated all discussion upon the subject at the pre-
- sent moment, as in his opinion its only effect must be to ex-
cite aprejudice which it would he more necessary to allay, si-
tuated M Bridle atond.—(Hear.)---It Was With that feeling he
tinaight the Hon. Alderman's decision to abstain from agi-
tating-the question the other night was wise and proper;. and
he trusted the name feeling would still operate to induce him
to nontieue the same forbearance at the present moment.. Being
c} his legs, he was anxious to explain two circumstances which
tvere stated against the Rev. Mr. Colston by the Hon. Bart-
. opposite (Sir F. Burdett), and which were not adverted to in
the report of the Commissioners. The lion. Bart.' had stated
. that a certain door through which Mr. Hunt had access to the
prison manufactory, when the prisoners had left work, had been
lately, elocod by order of the Rev. Mr. Oolston, and Mr. Hunt
•litiel thereby been deb from a passage into the yard, which
- was previously accessible to him. The explanation which Mr.
Colston tad transmitted upon that circumstance was this—the
part of the gaol near this door was lately burned "down; and
it was dot trained to rebuild it. For such a purpose, and for
...it &lane, it became necessary to asten this door, as many of
the prisoners were employed in the work. The' other circum-
Starlet taiiitbi to by the Hon.• Baronet was one which was
certainly calculated to make a great impres'sion upcu the House,
and which had, in fact, made a great impression upon him—it
was the statement that a Clergyman and a Magistrate had re-
fused permission to Mr. Hunt's dying sister to see .him hi the
prison. Now, the Pev. Mr.. Colston assured him, that up to
the hour when he read the Hon. Baronet's speech, he never
. even knew Mr. Hunt had a sister. It was never explained to
him at the time that the person was Mr. Hunt's sister, nor had
he the smallest idea of such a fact when he ordered the general
rules of the prison to be enforced against Mr. Hunt.
. Sir .FRANCIS MJR,PETT. said, that when Mr. Hunt
found by the order. of the, Magistrate a door closed through
which he had previous access, and when he knew that by the
~same Magistrate tis sister had been refased admission to him,
it was natural enough for him to construe theSe facts harshly
.agaietit the Rev. Mr. Colston. As to the precaution of the
gaoler, he thought the matter alroady disclosed required that
Ai* lousiness should not stop there. The visiting Magistrates,