The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-10 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

On Monday these Sessions commenced, before Mr.
Sergeant Adams and a full bench of Magistrates.

The calendar is a very light one, there being but 35
prisoners for trial, 20 of whom are charged with felony,
and the remainder with assaults, misdemeanours, &c.
The Grand Jury having been sworn,
The CHAIRMAN, after briefly explaining to them the
nature of their duties, said that the Court had been fre-
quently put to very great inconvenience by gentlemen
being summoned to serve on the Grand Jury who were
past the age at which the law exempted them from
serving ; and, in order to prevent the thing in future, he
suggested that all persons who, from that or any other
causes, were exempt from serving on Grand Juries,
should at once have their names struck off the list of per-
sons liable to serve en Juries, and the present was about
the proper time for so doing, for on the three first Sun-
days of next month a list of the persons so liable to serve
would be placed on the doors of the different churches
and chapels in the county. If those legally exempt would
apply to the magistrates at the Petty Sessions in the fol-
lowing week, and prove their right to exemption, their
names would be struck out of such lists previous to being
forwarded to the summoning officers. Such a proceeding
would save not only them, but also the Court, a great
deal of trouble, and an unnecessary waste of the pub-
lic time.
ASSAULT ON THE POLICE.—Mr. Clarkson stated that
he was instructed to make an application to the Court
in the case of John Gollop, who was indicted last June
sessions for a most brutal assault upon several policemen,
but who being unwell was unable to take his trial. His
companions were tried last sessions and convicted. The
indictment had been preferred by the direction of the
Secretary of State for the Home Department, ~ the Go-
vernment having come to the determination, in future,
of instituting prosecutions in all cases where the police
were brutally assaulted. He now held in his hand a
certificate of the surgeon of the New Prison, stating that
the prisoner was still in such a state of health as to be
unable to take his trial ; but that functionary further
stated that in his opinion the prisoner did all in his
power to retard his recovery. One of the policemen who
had been assaulted had been in a very bad state ever
since, and an abscess had formed in his side, which
might prove fatal. He therefore hoped the Court would
order the trial to take place with as little delay as pos-
sible. Mr. Vizard, the solicitor to the Home Depart-
ment, was in attendance, together with the witnesses for
the prosecution.
The CHAIRMAN, after consulting with the Governor
of the New Prison, ordered the trial of the prisoner to be
postponed until the adjournment day.
ESCAPE FROM PRISON.—David Venables was indicted
for unlawfully escaping from the Westminster New
Bridewell, on the 4th of September last. The prisoner
pleaded guilty.
After his escape, nothing more was heard of the pri-
soner until about two months afterwards, when the Go-
vernor received information that he was confined in St.
Alban's gaol for felony. The Governor lodged a. detainer
against him, and at the expiration of the term he was
brought up to London.
He was then sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment
and hard labour in the House of Correction, at the expi-
ration of which time he will be taken back to Westmin-
ster Bridewell, there to undergo the remainder of the
'sentence passed upon him at the Westminster Sessions.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

The Rev. George Proctor, D.D., summoned William
Cowley, the driver of a Blackwall omnibus, before Mr.
Hardwick for endangering his life and injuring his horse
on the afternoon of Thursday last.
From the statement of the Rev. Gentleman it ap-
peared that while riding on horseback in Panton-street,
accompanied by a young lady, the defendant followed
behind with his omnibus, and then, although there was
plenty of room, drove past so close that the young lady's
horse was pressed against a lamp-post, which most pro-
bably
.prevented her from being thrown off The defen-
dant, instead of stopping or drawing on one side, pushed
on and grazed complainant's horse on the flank. The
defendant on finding that proceedings were taken
against him, had written a letter begging pardon, &c.
The Rev. Gentleman observed he wished the Benck to
be as lenient as possible, as his object in bringing the
case forward was to ensure the public safety against the
drivers of public carriages.
The defendant expressed his contrition for what had
happened, and attributed the accident to the circum-
stance of his having a jibbing horse, which would not
obey .the rein. He had not been in any way uncivil to
' the complainant.
Mn HIRDWICIIE said he could not listen to the re-
commendation of the complainant to dismiss the case.
He had daily opportunities of witnessing the reckless
manner in which omnibus men drive. It was no excuse
for the defendant that he was driving an unmanageable
horse ; on the contrary, that aggravated the offence.
Such was the reckless conduct of omnibus drivers that it
was coming round to this, that they were to do as they
pleased, and not consult either the safety or convenience
of the public. This course he should certainly endeavour
to check.
The fine of 20s. was then inflicted.