The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-20 00:00:00

CROYDON PETTY SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. JOSEPH REID and Mr. CURRIE.)
A pauper belonging to the Croydon Union named
Thonzas Gent, was brought before the Bench upon a
charge of assaulting a man named Charles Wells, in
the infirmary of the Workhouse, under the following cir-
cumstances :

It appears that Wells was a labourer upon the
Brighton Railway, and while engaged upon the line, he
did not get out of the way of some earth waggons, which
in consequence run against him, and crushed ene of his
legs in a most frightful manner. He was immediately
taken to the Croydon Workhouse, and upon Mr. Bottom-
ley, the surgeon, examining him, he found the injuries
he had received were of such a character, as to render
immediate amputation of the limb absolutely necessary,
and that operation was accordingly performed. The
patient was then left in the charge of the defendant and
another pauper, and it wai during this time that the
assault in question was committed.
Mr. Stevens, the master of the workhouse, stated,
that having received information, that while the unfor-
tunate man was left in the care of the defendant after
his leg had been amputated, the latter had committed
an assault upon him ; he instituted an inquiry into the
circumstances, and by direction of the parish authorities
had brought the defendant before the bench, in order
that the matter might be inquired into.
John Hill was then examined. He stated that he
was an inmate of the workhouse ; and after Wells' leg
had been taken off, he and Gent were directed to sit up
all night with him. He was in great agony, and they
could not keep him quiet ; and while he was sitting up
in the bed, Gent, who had repeatedly told him to lie
down, struck him a blow on the breast, and knocked
him back on the pillow.
Mr. RElD—What he did strike him for ? Witness
—The poor man was in great pain, and very violent,
and I suppose he struck him to keep him quiet.
The Master of the Workhouse said that from the in-
quiries ho had made, he believed that the prisoner was
exasperated at Wells not lying still as he wished, and
he struck him in consequence.
The MAGISTRATES inquired whether there was any
reason to believe that the poor man's symptoms had been
aggravated in any way by the blow he had received from
the defendant ? Mr. Stevens said there was no ground
for supposing this to be the case. The injury the man
had received was considered by the surgeon from the
first to be mortal, and there was no expectation of his
recovery.
The CHAIRMAN then asked the defendant what ex-
planation he had to give in reference to the charge made
against him ? Defendant (in a careless tone)—The
doctor told me to be sure and keep the man quiet, and
prevent him from sitting upright, but he would sit up,
and tried to pull off his bandages, and so I shoved him
back on his pillow, but I deny striking him.
The witness Hill declared that the defendant struck
him a blow with his fist, and was about to strike him
again, but he was prevented from doing so.
The MAGISTRATES, after having consulted with Mr.
Penfold, the Clerk to the Bench, said that they did not
think, under all the circumstances of the case, that they
could convict the defendant of an assault, but there
was no doubt that he had acted very brutally. They
added, that they hoped that if he was appointed a nurse
again, which was not, however, very likely after what
bad transpired, that he would govern his passion, and
not commit such an act again.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE..

MANSION-ROUSE.

Mr. Ralph Ricardo, Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, and Mr.
James Wilson, a Deputation from the Metropolitan
Anti-Corn-law Association, waited upon the LORD
MAYOR yesterday, for the purpose of calling his Lord-
ship's attention to a handbill purporting to be issued
by an Anti-Corn-law Board, No. 29, Tokenhouse-
yard. and evidently intended as a means of obtaining
money upon the strength of the names of a number
of Members of Parliament and other gentlemen be-
longing to the Committee in the Strand associated with
the subject.
The handhill, which they said was extremely well cal-
culated to impose upon the public, is as follows :
" National and Provincial Anti-Corn-law Board,
having for its sole object the welfare of the. nation,
without regard to class, sect, or party, or politics, all
being invited to join, assist, and give their most stre-
nuous exertion in grocuring every man's right—Cheap
bread.

" The Corn-laws mainly injure the many for the
mistaken benefit of the few.

" The following distinguished individuals, Members
of Parliament, and other influential parties, have not
only assisted in this righteous cause, but are pledged
to a continuance of their powerful aid and support
towards the accomplishment of this great and national
benefit."

( Here follow the names of the Marquis of West-
minster, Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord Brougham, Ralph Ri-
cardo, Esq., Hon. C. P. Villiers, M.P., J. Easthope,
Esq., M.P., J. T. Leader, Esq., M.P., Colonel Gore
Langton, M.P., and about thirty others.)
" This Board is established in conjunction with se-
veral provincial districts and manufacturing towns,
its main object being the getting up of petitions
to both Houses of the Legislature, very diff,r-
ently to those hitherto presented. A great ob-
jection to many petitions already presented on this all
important subject, the Repeal of the Corn-laws, and
which has been continually made available by the op.
ponents to the measure is, that the petitions do
not in reality speak the sentiments of the people ;
that signatures are obtained by leaving forms
at various places ; that many persons have been known
to put their !lames several times to the same petition,
by going round to where such petitions arc lying for
signature ; and that even boys have been allowed to
offer their names merely to impose upon the Legisla-
ritire by endeavouring to show a ficti..ous numerical
strength. To obviate t his objection, and to present a
petition that cannot he subject to such objections, it has
been determined by the Board (although attended with
heavy expenses, hut to accomplish which they fully
rely on the public support in so just and righteous a
cause as procuring cheap bread, to send round through
the cities of London and Westminster, and environs,
canvassers, on whose integrity they can rely, and whose
duty it will be to see that none but ostensible parties
sign the petitions and affix their address, by which means
they will be enabled to prove on oath, at the bar of
each House of the Legislature, the genuineness of the
petition, and thereby not only remove the evil complained
of, but disarm their opponents of a theme on which
they endeavour to injure the cause in which the majority
of all classes arc so deeply interested.
"Extract from the speech of Sir Robert Peel,delivered
in the House of Commons on the last discussion on
this all-important subject, April 3, 1840 :
"‘ He (Sir Robert Peel) would assure the House
that lie referred to anything connected with the manu-
factures and commerce of this country with the utmost
anxiety ; he felt that our main strength as a nation,
and our position in the scale of nations, depended upon
the maintenance of our manufactures—(Hear, hear)—
and so much so, that if he were the exclusive advocate
and partisan of the agricultural interest, he should tell
the landowners that their best friends were the manu-
facturer,;, and that the manufacturers of the country,
and not the Corn-Liws, were the main element of their I
prosperity, and the value of their land.—(Cheers.)'
The following official return shows the number of
petitions and signatures presented to Parliament on tit's
vital and important subject, up to the 16th June, 1810 :
Prayer. Petitions. Signatures.
Against the Corn-laws 3,855 1,392,022
For Ditto

Majority in favour of the repeal of the
Corn-laws 1,152,542
" District Committees will be appointed, and Local
Branches established, in various parts of the Metro-
polis and the Provinces,and every friend to the nation's
weal is invited to lend his aid for the attainment of this
great object.
Bankers—Messrs. LadLroke, Kingscote, and Co. ;
and Messrs. Coutts and Co.
" Secretary—Wm. S. J. Bvng.
" Office. —'_'9, Tckeahouse-yard, near the Bank."
The Deputation stated that such was the handbill.
Now their names were attached without the consent
or knowledge of the paqies, and they were so placed in
the body of the bill as to look like a great committee,
possessed of extensive functions. The bankers, too,
whose names appeared on the face of the document,