The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-22 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
BO W-STREET.

Henry Ames, a solicitor's clerk, was yesterday brought
before Mr. JARDINE, upon a warrant, charged with hav-
ing, on the goth instant, at the chambers of Mr. Sergeant
Merewether, threatened to murder his son, and also with
using threatening language to Mr. Turner, solicitor, of
Bedford-row, in whose service he had been as clerk.

Mrs. Rebecca Knott stated that on Monday the prisoner
came to the Sergeant's chambers, about twelve o'clock,
inquiring for Mr. H. Merewether, and being told he was
out of town but would return in a short time, he said he
wanted to see him, as he had got a situation to go to, but
Mr. Turner refused to give him a character, that some-
thing must be done between Mr. Merewether and Mr.
Turner to get him into a situation, or he would murder
them both. Witness said " You talk like a madman ;"
upon which he replied, " I don't care, as I am driven to
desperation. I don't mind if lam served as the man was
at Newgate this morning. The law shall not protect
them, for my arm can do more than the law."
Mr. JARDINE inquired if he used the expression in a
quiet manner ?—Witness replied he was greatly excited,
and complained of the distress of his family, and parti-
cularly of the present condition of his wife.
Mr. JARDINE asked if she had known him on any
former occasion ?—Witness said she had known him,
when he was in the service of Mr. Turner, come to the
Sergeant's chambers.
Prisoner—Did I not inform you that Mr. Turner re-
fused to give me a character, or I would be in a situation
yesterday? Witness—Yes, you said you could take a
situation of 30s. a week, had not a character been refused
to you.
Mr. Turner said, as reference had beed made to Mr.
Merewether, he deemed it necessary to explain that it
was not on that gentleman's account the prisoner had
been discharged from his service. He had been his clerk
until the month of July last, when he was discharged,
and since that time he had repeatedly applied for a cha-
racter, which witness refused to grant, and in several of
the letters he used threats, of which no notice was taken
until Monday, when he was advised by a friend to take
the present proceedings against him.
Prisoner—Did I not repeatedly request an interview
in my letters, which you refused to grant ? Witness—l
have already refused it, and will still refuse to give you
a character.

Prisoner—Did I not point out the distress of my
family ? Witness—Yes, and I felt most poignantly- for
the distress I understood your wife was labouring under.
Prisoner—Do you really believe you are in danger of
your life from me ? Witness—Yes, from what I have
known you to do on a former occasion.

Mr. JARDINE said that no master could be expected to
give a character under such circumstances, and the steps
taken by the complainant to prevent a recurrence of such
conduct were very proper.
The prisoner then went into a lengthened account of
the distress of his family and his wife, who was about
to be confined, and be could not be blamed for the course
he had adopted to gain an interview with Mr. Turner,
through whom he had lost several situations, but he pro-
tested there was no danger to be apprehended from
violence.

Mr. JARDINE considered there was much danger to be
apprehended, and the prisoner should put in bail, himself
in 401., and two sureties in 20/. each, to Iceepithe peace for
two months.

The prisoner was then removed from the bar.
WORSHIP-STREET.

RIDING DOWN THE POLICE.—Mr. John Grimley, a
master plumber, living at Edmonton, was charged with
having driven his horse and gig among a file of police-
men, whereby three of them had sustained various injuries.
Sergeant Peck, No. 7, stated, that, at nine o'clock on
the preceding evening, he was passing along Stoke-
Newington-road, with a body of policemen, who were
on their way to their respective beats for the night, when
the prisoner, who was driving his horse and gig in the
same direction, overtook them, and drove in amongst
them. One of the policemen was knocked down by the
horse, and the wheels of the gig passed over him, and
two other men were slightly injured. He considered
that the act was a wanton one, as the road was at least
twelve yards wide, and there was no other vehicle near
the spot. The prisoner was intoxicated at the time of
the occurrence.

In answer to a question from the Magistrate, the Ser-
geant said, that the relief parties of police were in the
habit of walking in the road by direction of the Com-
missioners, in order that they might pass along without
causing any obstruction to passengers on the footway.
Mr. BINGHAM said, he should order the prisoner to
pay a fine of 60s. for assaulting the police, together with
40s. for incautious and negligent driving.
The fines were immediately paid.
A donation of 10/. from the Goldsmith's Company
has been received by the Magistrates, for the relief of the
distressed and deserving poor of the district.

ELECTION OF COMMON COUN
CILMEN.
WARD OF FARRINGDON WITHOUT.

Mr. WELLS (in continuation from our After-
noon Edition) said—He would now come to the
old topic—the guzzling of the Committees. The first was
the Irish Society, the income of which was 13,0001., out of
which 7,000/ had been spent in a law suit. The whole
amount of the money paid for the estate was originally
out of ,the pockets of the Citil'ens of London,
but they did not get one farthing of the produce.
The Members' attendances upon that Committee
amounted to 4411. The Bridge House Committee was
between 2001. and 3001., yet not content with that, they
applied to the Court for one hundred pounds more,
all to be spent in eating and drinking. The
Learned Gentleman proceeded in this strain through all
the paid Committees, and charged the proceedings as
disgraceful. He then came to his own conduct upon
the Corn-laws. Although great fault had been found
with his vote on that question, he declared he ab-
horred and detested the Corn-laws—(Cheers and
laughter)—but he did not think they were taking the
proper way to remedy the evil. His remedy was to seek
for cheap Government—(Laughter)—by taking off
the window tax—(Laughter)—and other taxes, which
would enable us to grow corn cheap ourselves.—
(Laughter.) He would quote a very few words, which
were written by Mr. Cobbett in 1831. He said, so
long as fifty millions must be paid in taxes,
there must be depression in trade. We were
now paying more, yet he believed the depres.
sion of trade was as great then as now.— (Cries of
" No, no.") He was in favour of altering the represent-
ation, and of shortening the duration of Parliaments,
but he thought we ought to look to those measures and
the lightening of taxation for a remedy for the distress.
—(Laughter and hissing,) It had been said, get rid of
the squirearchy—now it was to be borne in mind that
that class of the community were frequent visitors to,
and spent considerable sums in London, much of
which probably found its way into Fleet-street.
and its neighbourhood.—(Question, question.) He had
not asked for a vote, but it they chose to return him, he
would honestly perform his duty, and he thought they
ought not to part with old friends who had served them,
merely because they differed upon a question which hap-
pened to be the one in fashion at the moment.—(Hisses.)
Sir J. WILLIAMS agreed with Mr. Wells upon the
necessity of a large reform in the Court of Common
Council, and on that ground had voted for him last year;
but now, although he would not oppose any one because
they happened to differ upon some small points—
because that would not be liberal—(Hear, hear)--still
if he differed from any one upon an essential point—say
if they differed upon religious liberty—if he had twenty
hands he would hold every one up against that man—
(Loudcheers)— so again if the question upon which they
differed was that of the freedom of a Briton. Now, in
his opinion, the Corn-law question was one which had
become of equal importance--(Loud cheering)—for
if they did not maintain the animal frame, liberty would
be of but little use.—(Great cheering.) He acknowledged
that his opinions had undergone a change upon the question,
but so had the times and circumstances of the country.
He would like to see written up in every place of elec-
tion, the advice to the elector to ask himself, "is the
man whom I am going to vote for fit to represent my
opinions—if he throws obstacles in the way of providing
food for the poor, he must misrepresent me." Each elector
ought to put the question to himself. He recollected a
story of a brewer being introduced to a clergyman,
and the friend who did so solicited the clergy-
man's custom for his friend, saying, he was a
very good and gracioui man; but, said the clergyman, is
he a very good and gracious brewer ?—(Laughter.) So
ought they all to ask themselves of the candidate bafore
voting, as to his fitness to represent them upon a great
and vital question as the Corn-laws had now become.
Mr. PROCTOR said, Mr. Wells had been very abusive of
some of his late colleagues for guzzling, as he called it.
Now, he wished to ask Mr. Wells, whether he ever knew
one of them to descend from his position as Common
Councilman, and ask a servant of the Lord Mayor for an
invitation to dinner. (Laughter.)
Mr. WELLS had expected the question, and was glad
it had been asked. He had been frequently asked by
the late Lord Mayor to dinner, but he had never gone.
One day, while he was sitting in one of the writing-
rooms, the swordbearer passed through, and jocularly
charged him with neglecting them, in never dining at
the Mansion-house. He (Mr. Wells), in the same strain,
said he was never invited now. The answer was, "It is
no use—you never come." To which, he said, " Try
me ;" and that was the whale affair.—(Laughter.)
Mr. SEELEY agreed with Sir James Williams in the
principles he had laid down, but not in their application.
His deliberate opinion was that, when corn here was
scarce and high, we should have a low duty, and when
we had plenty and the prices low, the duty should be
higher and go to the revenue. He was of opinion that a
sliding-scale was for the good of the country, provided
the averages were fairly taken.—(Cries of " No, no,"
and hissing.) He did not see the necessity of
turning away many of their friends, who had served them
for from 10 to 15 years, merely because they could not
agree with them upon a question which divided the whole
country.

Mr: WOOD was one who never would exact a pledge
except when a great principle was at stake. The ques.
tion they were now discussing was a great principle, for
it was no less than should this country maintain the
point of supremacy she had now arrived at, or should
they lose that proud position and maintain the
Corn-laws ?—(Loud cheers.) Considering the question
of so much importance, it of course became a matter of
importance to consider whether the gentleman, who re-
presented him in the Common Council—who represented
that which was necessary for his business—nay, for the
very existence of his family—actually held his, or oppos-
ing, opinions upon that question ; and if the latter, al-
though he had frequently dined with them, and they
were very good friends, he would feel bound to oppose
them, for he could not afford to give up a great public
principle.—(Cheers.)
After some other speeches, for which we cannot find
space at present, a show of hands took place, which was
declared to be in favour of the following gentlemen :
viz., Messrs. Taylor, Woollat, Redford, Barnard, Stone, .