The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-23 00:00:00

CONVICTION OF GAMBLERS.

At the Leeds Court-house, on Monday, no less
than eight parties, proprietors of booths or stalls in
the Free-Market, during the recent fair, at each of
which a " wheel of fortune" was kept, were arraigned
before the presiding magistrates, Francis Carbutt
(the Mayor), and Edward Baines, Esqrs. Their
names were Julia Bromley, Martha Lee, Thomas
Sykes, Chistopher and Mary Ann Seed, I?. Chapman,
and James Wilkinson and his son.

The parties were charged under the sth Geo. W.,
chap. 83, which provides that " every person playing
or betting in any street, road, highway, or other
open and public place, at or with any table or in-
strument of gaming, at any game, ouretended game
of chance," shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond,
and shall render him or herself liable to be impri-
soned for a period not exceeding three months. The
first case proceeded with was that of Julia Bromley.
Mr. Superintendent James, of the Leeds police,
stated that the prisoner had been cautioned on Satur-
day morning that she must not keep a " wheel of
fortune" in the market, as it was illegal. When,
however, he went into the market on the evening of
Saturday, he taw her standing at her stall, with a
tin box, containing a number of tickets, which she
invited parties to draw at a penny each. She was
surrounded by a number of boys sad girls, many of
whom were trying their Cluck by putting in their
pence, and he saw them draw out tickets and receive
some trifling article.
This statement was confirmed by two of the police.
Mr. Naylor, who appeared for the whole of the
prisoners, contended that this case did not come
within the meaning of the statute—that the act of the
prisoner could not be construed an act of vagrancy,
inasmuch as she was exerriqino. whet he
was a tairiul calling—a kind of commercial spe-
culation.

The magistrates, however, thought otherwise, and
sentenced the prisoner to seven days' imprisonment in
the borough gaol.

The ease a Martha Lee was exactly similar to the
above, and she was sentenced to a similar term of
imprisonment.
In the case of Thomas Sykes, Mr. James stated that
the prisoner was one of the parties who had been ap-
prehmcled by the poliee on the previous week, under
the Leeds Improvement Act. After it had been de-
cide 4 by the -na,.,.--istrotes that the clause did not apply
to the case, he threatened him (Mr. James) through
his attorney, with an action if he did not restore him
a-" wheel of fortune," which had been seized by the
oolice.

Kell deposed that the prisoner kept a stall in the
market on Saturday night, which was covered at both
ends, and at various times, between s:x and ten
_o'clock, he heard him invite parties to try their luck
in the wheel of fortune. He had seen several persons
put in a shilling each, and draw out articles not worth
above 21. or 3d. He had examined the 'tickets in
the box, and he found that it contained about 200.
Out of the whole of these there were only about
three priz?s worth from Is. to 4s. each, and a clock
that might be of the value of 12s. The rest of the
200 tickets were for articles varying from id. to 3d.
or 4d. The value of the whole of *the articles which
these tickets represented would not exceed 31., if they
would amount to so much; so that, reckoning the
200 tickets at Is. each, the prisoner would clear 71.
by the contents of each wheel, without risking a shil-
ling. But this was not all; parties after drawing one
ticket with which they were dissatisfied, put in an-
other 6d. and drew again, and thus they went on until
they had spent perhaps ss. or 10s., or emptied their
pockets, without getting an :illicit worth the sum
they had at first adventured.

Sir. Naylor contended that the prisoner must be
acquitted, on the ground, first, that he was a licensed
hawker, and, secondly, that, as he lived in the booth,
it did not come under the description "street or
public highway."
The magistrate overruled the objections, and the
prisoner was committed to the borough gaol for seven
days.
All the other prisoners were likewise convicted,
and sentenced to a similar term of imprisonment,
except the elder Wilkinson, against whom- the offence
was not proved.—Leeds %Mercury.

REMOVAL OF TUE QUADRANT ARCADE.--A corre-
spondent of the Builder says—" The announcement in
your last number relative to the proposal by the Com-
missioners of Weeds to remove the quadrant Arcade,
cannot be allowed. to pass unnoticed. The object they
can have in doing so it is difficult to conceive; for as an
architectural feature it is equally pleasing and Unique,
and forms a most graceful termination to the street;
besides which it is one of the few places in London
where there is a footway sheltered from the weather. If
the objection to it is the description of loungers for
whom it forms an attraction, that is easily prevented, as
it has lately been by the police, or by the erection of
such a number of additional arcades in the newly-form-
ing streets, that one should not be more attractive than
another; or if the deficiency of light to the shops is un-
satisfactory to the inhabitants, the roof may easily be
made almost entirely of glass. While Paris rejoices in
its Valais Royale and galleries, Venice in its Piazza, and
Berne and other cities in their arcades, the convenience
and beauty of which are so strikingly felt by all who
visit them, why should a feature possessing originality
as well as beauty and propriety, be swept away to
gratify some foolish prejudice?"—[lt is only right to say,
that this step has been forced on the Commissioners by
the inhabitants of the houses.]
JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
C. S. Greaves, Esq.,
--
barrister, has just publi,hed a practical commentary on
the recent Act of Parliament applying to criminal
juvenile off.milors, and concludes his preface with the
follwing suitable observation:—" To magistrates who
may be called upon to deal with cases under the pro-
visions of this statute, I would observe that they have a
most critical and anxious duty to discharge; and I would
entreat of them, upon every occasion when a juvenile
offender is brought before them, to reflect that they are
placed in a position of judges and n
j rymen; that the
defendant is almost a child; that his d( stiny in life may
be for over fixed by their decision; and that that decision
is final and conclusive, and neither open to appeal, nor
any other proceedings, by means of which the merits of
the case can be reconsidered, or any error into which
they may have fallen can be. corrected." This most
wholesome recommendation cannot be too gravely con-
sidered by justices who now have to deal with criminal
juvenile offenders whose age does not exceed fourteen
years; and will entirely depend upon the acts of justices
in carrying out this new enactment whether it becomes
Popular or whether rendered unpopular, or, in other
words, beneficial and palatable, or whether mischievous
and distasteful.la et it have "a fair trial" before the
public pronounce their judgment.
THE REV. DR. SCORESBT.—Our late vicar, the
Rev. Dr. Scoresby, is again on a visit to the new world. He
left this country on the 6th of October, and we are glad
to hear that accounts have been received of his safe
arrival at the place of his destination.—Bradford
Observer.

MONEY-MARKET and CITY NEWS.
CITY, MONDAY EVENING:
TIMES.—The Bank of England intimated this
,morning to parties applying. for discounts that the
rate would now be 7, instead of 8, per cent., and,
• •; • to this; the .knglish Funds have experienced a
xpe• blo rise. Consols opened at 84* td -I, and,
"nfinenee of some large sales, receded to 84.
•'int the Inarket continued dull until the
dopted by•the Bank became known, when an
wince took place,--and the quotation reached 84i.
Towards the close of business, however, the market
-slightly gave way, on account of difficulties which
transpired in connexion with 'the Wsst India Bank,
and the final price was 84i to f. For the .18th of
to January ConSolsgan at 84* to 85, receded to 844,
and closed at 851
The Countess- of Lonsdale steamer, from Ham-
burgh, has brought between 15,0001. and 36,000/. in
gold. By the Giraffe, from Rotterdam, not more
than 3001. has come. The Soho, froth Antwerp, has
brought no specie.
We are glad to understand that the transactions
between the Union Bank of Madrid and Messrs.
Magniac, Jardine, and Co., have been for many
months past contracted within a very narrow com-
pass. With regard to the prospects of the liquidation
of the Union Bank, it will be impossible to form any
conjecture until the conduct of Mr. Bagneres, the
managing director, who is at present under arrest.,
on a charge of abstracting the funds of the bank,
shall have been ascertained by a formal investi-
gation.

COWL_
under th
At-that
colt-

The drafts of the West India Bank were to-
day refused acceptance by their agents, the Union
Bank of London, the reason being that the West
India Bank had, against the repeated and emphatic
warnings of the manager of the Union Bank, con-
tinued to make purchases of the bills of Higginson,
Dean, and Stott, of Barbadocs, on Barton, Irlam,
and Higginson, of Liverpool, to an extent that was
certain to prove dangerous. The capital of the con-
cern, which was established about two years back, is
only 120,0001., but its liabilities are very large, and
wholly disproportioned to this amount. Exchange
operations constitute one extensive feature of the
business carried on, and the bank is said to hold no
less than 80,0001. of the paper of Barton, Irlam, and
Co. Its cash deposits held on interest are very large,
and it also issues notes. Judging from the last
balance-sheet presented, dated August 27, 1847, a
copy of which we subjoin, the general affairs of the
institution appear to have been conducted in a most
unsound manner, the cash in hand to meet 413,540/.
of notes in circulation, balances due to other banks,
and deposits from customers, being only 34,1671., or
less than one-twelfth of the amount :
WEST INDIA BANK.
(Incorporated by Royal Charter.)
A Return of the Average Amount of Liabilities and
Assets of the 'West India Bank during the period
from January 1 to June 30, 1847.
LIABILITIES.
Promissory notes in circulation not
bearing interest ...
Bills of exchinge in circulation not
,228 18 1
Biilbnlestaerariennsdgt innoteteresstin cir.cilationbeari;;;; 312

Balance due to other banks ...
Cash desposits not bearing interest
Cash deposits bearing interest

X. 8. a.
69,385 0 0

none.

28,902 -16 10

... 6,020 9 3
... 322,414 17 0

To'al average liabilities
ASSETS.

► LIE WEATHER.—SuII OFFICE, Nov. 23.
THERM lIIETER, Lowest, 42; Highest. 51 ; Noon, 44.
IlutoisirrErt, 29.67.—Wnin W.S.W.; rain.