The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-04 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

Edward Tomlins, who described himself as " a gen-
tleman," was brought before Mr. Traill, charged with
assaulting an undertaker under the following circular
stances
Mr. William Dunkly stated that he was an underta-
ker, and lived in Tower-street, Lambeth. Between two
and three o'clock that morning he and his family were
roused from their beds by loud and continued knocking
at the street-door. When he louked out of the window
he saw the defendant and four other men, and on ask-
ing them what they wanted at that hour of . the morning,
the reply was, " We want you to do a black job, N

Undertaker—You heard that your friend died of the
cholera, and you wanted him to be "buried without de-
lay ? Defendant—l don't remember.
.Mr. TRAILL—Then it appears that you entirely lost
your recollection on the occasion ? Defendant—lf I
attempted to practise such a hoax when I was drunk
I am sorry for it, and will take care it shall not occur

again.
The undertaker said that for the last three years si-
milar tricks had been played upon him, and he now
requested that an example might be made to deter others.
The defendant begged hard for forgiveness, saying
" that when the liquor was in the wit was out," but the
Magistrate was inexorable, and inflicted a penalty of 40s.
upon him, or in default, 21 days' imprisonment.

POLICE COMMITTEE, GUILDHALL.
THE LICENSED VICTUALLERS. AND THE POLICE.

For some time past the police in the city have been
threatening the licensed victuallers with an information
under the Police Act, that if they receive prostitutes
within their doors, they "wilfully- and knowingly har-
bour persons of notoriously bad character," and are
guilty of the penalty imposed by the Act in such cases.
The present case was that of Ralph Thomas Fellowes,
of the Green Dragon, Fleet-street, summoned by a police-
man, who stated that on Monday night, about half-past
twelve, he heard a noise, scuffling, and ,(apparently)

fighting in the defendant's house, and a short time after:
wards he saw seventeen prostitutes and twelve men
turned out of the house.

Alderman JOHNSON—How do you know they were
prostitutes ? Policeman—By their walking on my beat.
Upon cross-examination by Mr. NOBLER, the
policeman said he believed Mr. Fellowes did urge the
people to leave his house, and he acknowledged that other
houses in the neighbourhood were kept open as late as
that of Mr. Fellowes ; he admitted that all the parties
were quiet and orderly in coming out, and he did not
know that any of them had been convicted of felony.

Alderman 'HOOPER said that was not necessary ; per-
sons might be of notoriously bad character without having
been convicted of felony.
Mr. Nobler submitted that there was no law to prevent
prostitutes from being supplied with refreshments, and
no law to compel licensed victuallers to close at any par-
ticular time ; and it ought not to be left to the judgment
of policenien whether their customers were of good cha-
racter or not, nor could the charge of harbouring " noto-
riously bad characters" be maintained unless there had
been a conviction,

Mr. Fellowes, in his defence, stated that he invariably
closed his house at twelve o'clock, and cleared it at half-
pas t twelve.
Alderman JOHNSON—But if this house is frequented
by those who are known to be street-walkers, they are
certainly of notoriously bad character.
Mr. NOBLER contended that they must have been
convicted of some offence, in order to establish such a
position ; and, said Mr. Nobler (emphatically), " I thank
God there is at present no law to prevent these unfortu•
nate women from obtaining refreshments."
The ALDERMEN (Messrs. Johnson and Hooper), after
consulting for a short time, decided upon inflicting a
penalty of 405., thus establishing the principle that
licensed victuallers in the city of London are not allowed
to serve prostitutes, if even they conduct themselves
orderly.

We see no reason, as yet, to abandon tie hope
.of
braining from the Conservative Ministry considefai!.4o
and valuable amendments, in points of detaq,
could not have been obtained from their predecess°re
But, even upon this head, much that was unsatisfacto
fell from the Home Secretary in the course of
speech. He went out of his way to express his coi?,
dence in the Poor-law Commissioners
credit for them, as for a rneritorous acti"'ti"
cause they have at last begun to discontinue .
scandalous evasion with which they have hitherto
ordeirg;
suited the Legislature in the matter of general
And. he represented their amended prohibitory oruv
• than
which they themselves state to be more le • strictsve
that for which it has been substituted, as " a most
portant relaxation." We fear Sir James Graham bac.
strong taint of Whige-ery about him still. He nut):
pend upon it that the country participates in the vie
and th 21,.%
expressed by Mr. Grimsditch on Monday,
will fail to give satisfaction if he surrenders his
(we shrew 0.1
went into the hands of functionaries who ha clainsbl
el tro'; t
suspect) place no confidence whatever in him.
said Mr. Grimsditch," that in any Bid which the
Hon. Baronet may bring in on this subject, he wi i
ors, t-
rely .upon information which emanates from San—e of
house, but will form his opinions from the experienc
others, and from other stalliemente further
Having said thus much, we shall reserve the °-
expression of our opinion upon the conduct of thesce
vernment with reference to this question, till svein the
next Session what they actually mean to cle• find
meantime, though they have disappointed lis'eri,,es
though we think they have committed a most s„bieets
error of judgment, we cannot forget that upon slcif,"nee,
of general policy they are entitled to our con" fr;,ni
and that
htthaatnefvreonm
their
adlrs
Iponthi.eswaeriehs.asve more to hope
them