The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-07 00:00:00

CLERKEN AVELL.-(THIS DAY).

William Whitlock, who had been remanded from
Tuesday last on the charge of embezzling the amount of
a cheque, with which he had been intrusted by his em-
ployers, Messrs. Cooper and Co., solicitors, of Hatton-
garden, to pay into the office of the Stamps and Taxes,
was again brought up for final examination.
Mr. T. Brown, clerk in the Registrar's-office, Somer-
set-house, produced the book, in which there appeared
no entry of any sum as having been paid by the prisoner.
In reply to Mr. Wolff, who appeared on behalf of the
prisoner, Mr. Cooper said that when the cheque was
given to the prisoner to get cashed, and afterwards to
pay into Somerset-house, it was about half-past two
o'clock on the 24th Dec., and Mr. Brown stated that the
office closed at three o'clock, and was not opened again
until the day after Christmas-day.
Mr. Wolff contended that these circumstances, at all
events, were strong presumptive evidence that the pri-
soner did not intend to steal the cheque when he got it,
and that he had yielded to a momentary temptation.
Air. GREENWOOD said, he did not intend to commit
him for stealing the check, as there might arise some
doubt respecting his intentions at the moment he got it
into his possession; but he should commit him on the
charge of stealing the amount of money he received at
the bank.

The depositions were made out accordingly, and the
prisoner was fully committed for trial at the Old Bailey.
Sarah Goodyear, was charged with stealing a silver
watch, and several other articles from the person of
James Layton, of 5, Seymour Cottage, Caledonian-road.
The prosecutor was in the midst of his statement of
the circumstances attending the robbery, to which w•e
need not more particularly allude, when he suddenly
stopped short, as if deprived of all powers of articula-
tion, and although Mr. Greenwood desired bim two or
three times to proceed with it, he still gazed fixedly into
the body of the Court, as motionless and intently tts the
bird at the rattlesnake, until Inspector Penny explained
the fascination by pointing out the prosecutor's wife,
who occupied a prominent position in the front row of
the space allotted to persons in waiting.
Mr. GREENWOOD, baying desired Mrs. Layton to stand
forward, informed her that her attendance was not re-
quired, and she might leave the Court if she chose.
Mrs. Layton begged to decline availing herself of the
Magistrate's considerate offer.
Mr. Layton then proceeded with his statement in no
very enviable state of mind, as may be imagines', his
wife sitting right before him, within about three yards,
and bringing to bear upon him a pair of bright eyes,
which seemed never once to wink during the time he
was in the witness-box. His evidence proved that the
Prisoner had snatched his watch from his pocket, and
broke the guard, while he was tete-a•tete with her, and
ran away with it.
She was fully committed for trial.

ABOLITION of the LIGHT DUES.
(THIS DAY.)
A public meeting of ship-owners, and other persons
interested in this question, was this day held at the
London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street. The chair was
taken at one o'clock by Joseph Hume, Esq., M.P.
The meetin,, was well attended, and among those
present we observed Sir James Duke, M.P., Mr. Moffatt,
M.P, Mr. Forster, M.P., Admiral Codrington, Captain
Washington, F. Philips, Esq., &c.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business of the
meeting, said, if the consideration of the present question
was one which only affected the interests of the city of
London, he would not have consented to occupy the
position which he then held, as chairman of so respectable
and influential a meeting as that which he had the honour
to preside over. It was, however, a question not of local
importance, but one which affected vitally the interests
of the whole country.—(Cheers.) The Hon Gentleman
then went into a brief review of the efforts which had
been made upon this subject. It was in the year 1821
a petition was presented to the House of Commons, pray-
ing for an inquiry into the subject. The prayer of that
petition he supported, and subsequently obtained a Com-
mittee to inquire into the subject of the lighthouses of
the country. 'The report of that committee brought to
light a.considerable amount of grievance, but still that
Committee did no go far enough, although it was a move
in a right direction. The report of that Committee
showed that one half of the lighthouses in the kingdom
were the property of private individuals, held upon leases
from the Crown, and the Committee recommended that
!elide s
bye leases
th runnCrowning
Notwithstandingut t ey should not
thisbe again
uponrene%
recom-
mendation, and the promise of Mr. Huskisson, made to
him in his place in the House of Commons, that the
leases shoald not be renewed, nine of these leases, which
pad expired, were renewed by the then Chancellor of the
Exchequer (Mr. Goulburn). Tbis act was not
only a most gross breach of faith on the part
of the Government, but an act of oppression
upon the merchants, which entailed upon them
the loss of the enormous sum of 480,0001. In the
year 1834 he supported a Bill empowering the corpora-
ion of the Trinity House to purchase the remainder of
the private leases of the lighthouses of the country.
Eleven of these lighthouses bad accordingly been pur-