The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-16 00:00:00

Tll.B SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, IM7

It appeared that on the morning in question the pri-
soner was met some distance frorn the bars by a man,
to whom he very cooly said, " I have been setting the
blacksmith's barn on fire, at;cl if anybody wants nv• I
shall be found going on the road to Worcester." The
man saw smoke proceeding from the barn, and
having gone to it and found it on fire, told what the psi-
toner had said, and he was pursued and found according
to his undertaking, going on towards Worcester. On
being captured, and asked why he should burn a poor
man's hou le in that way, he said, " If he had known in
time it was a prior blacksmith's, he woulfi not have burned
it, but he thought it was some old farmer's," and added,
" that he did it in order to get into gaol, as he could not
otherwise obtain any food." A box of lucifer matches
was found on him; and it appeared that he had fired a
barn also in Gloucestershire, for which he was to be tried
at the next assizes for that county.
Ile was found Guilty, and sentenced to ten years' trans-
portation.

- Mamas Haines, the ground bailiff of a mine called
the Round GI-, en Colliery, in the parish of Hales Owen,
in which an explosion of fire.dainp took place on the
17th of November last, whereby nineteen men lost their
live 3, was put to the bar to answer an indictment charg-
ing him with the manslaughter of James Shakspeare,
one of those persons. The indictment alleged that it
was his duty to keep the mine properly ventilated and
free from fire-damp and other noxious gases; that he
well knew that the deceased and other persons were at
work in the mine, and that he, notwithstanding, neglect-
ing his duty in that behalf, allowed an accumulation of
fire-damp to take place, and that the consequence was
an explosion and the death of the deceased.
Mr. Huddlestone and Mr. Hooper appeared for the
prosecution; Mr. Sergeant Allen and Mr. Whitmore for
the defence.

Verdict, Not Guilty.
It would seem the mine-owners are not sufficiently
aware of the heavy liabilities they are subject to, if sued
under the provisions of Lord Campbell's Act, passed last
session, which gives a right of action for compensation
to the relatives of a party killed by the " wrongful act"
of another.

After disposing of the above case and another for rio
his Lordship assisted at nisi prius, and Mr. Sergeant
Allen tried the remaining Crown cases.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANS! ON-HOUS E.
Thomas Clinker, a mariner, was charged with having
assaulted a revenue officer in the performance of his duty.
The complainant detected the defendant in conveying
a bottle of brandy from one vessel to another, and ap-
prehended him with the brandy in his possession. The
defendant, however, smashed the bottle, and struck the
officer violently in the face.
The defendant said there was no more than half a
pint of brandy in the bottle, that he merely wished to
give the crew a taste of it, and that the officer in his
anxiety to get hold of the bottle broke it nimself by
knocking his face against it.
The LORD MAYOR (to the complainant)—Did he wil-
fully strike you, or could the blow have arisen from the
struggle to get the bottle ? Complainant—l have every
ren,on to believe that the blow was wilful.
The LORD MAYOR asked the defendant whether he
was aware that if prosecuted for assaulting the officer he
would ha. liable to be transported for seven years ? The
defendant said he well knew it was a heavy offence to
assault an officer, and therefore he was most cautious not
to de anything of the kind.
The LORD MAYOR--If you do not pay a fine of 404.,
you must go to prison for a month.
The defendant chose the imprisonment. He had been
marked as a dealer in contraband.
A boy was charged by the same officer with having
had in his possession a few pounds of smuggled to
baccco.
The defendant had been apprehended in passing from
one of the foreign steamers, and the tobacco was about
his person.
The Loa') MAYOR—Is it usual for boys to engage in
this traffic? The officer said the men were now very
much in the habit of employing boys to take smuggled
tobacco on shore, and to pay them some trifle for the
risk. calculating that if detection shonld take place the
punishment would be comparatively lenient.
The LORD MAYOR fined the defendant 20s.
Samuel Palmer was charged with having stolen a
piece of beef and half a pig's,head in Whitechapel-
market.
The prisoner was seen by a boy "collaring" a piece
of beef which lay upon a board, and was followed and
taken into custody and to the station-house, where, upon
being questioned, ho said he had just purchased the
meat at Newgate market. The butcher would have
given him an opportunity of escape, but that one of the
police found tied up in a
,handkerchief in his pocket the
half of a pig's head, which must have been stolen some
time time before from the same shop. The double rob
bury determined the complainant to pursue the more
disagreeable course.
The Loan MAYOR—WeII, prisoner, you were not
satisfied with what you took at first, but must try a
second time?
The butcher declared that the prisoner bullied every
one about the beef, stating that he would bring an ac-
tion for it.
The prisoner—As sure as I am a flying man, my
Lord, I bought both the beef and the half-tead in New-
gate-market of a man that hawks about cheap wittles.
The LORD 11Avon (to the prosecutor)—Have you got
any evidence as to the pig's head? The butcher—l did
not know it was my property till I went back and found
the other half in the shop. As I had cut it in two my-
self, I knew it then immediately. You see, my Lord
(producing the other limit, and clapping both together),
how nicely they match —(Laughter.) Just look at that
bone, your Lordship, how it tits in where it was smashed,
and don't the animal's jaws look as if the breath was
coming out of them ?—(Applause).
The LORD MAYOR—What have you to say now, pri-
soner? Ilow does it happen that you bought the half of
the pig's head in Newgate-market, when the other halt
was lying in the prosecutor's shop in Whitechapel?
The prisoner—Why, my Lord, the man I bought it of
goes r,:ind all the markets and picks up everywhere, so
he might have called in and bought the half head he sold
to me ; but please you, my Lord, pigs is so much like
each other in the face that a man must be a good judge
to know one half a head from another. I'm blest if 1
ever knew one pig from another from looking in their
faces, and I've seen a good many in say time.—
(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR told the prisoner his ingenuity
should not avail him, and sent him to Bridewell fur a
month.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 15.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took LiS seat on the Wool
sack at Five o'eli::!1{.

LAY OF SETTLEMENT.
The Earl of STRADBROKE presented a petition
from Bradford agiinst the law of settlerneLt as passed
last year.

Tile Earl St. GERNIAINS presented a petition fi•oin
the Chairman am! board of guardians of St. :Gentians
against the law of settlement. They also
.prayed that
the whole expense of supporting the poor might not fail
upon St. Germans alone, but that an union settlement
might be established.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
_ _

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from nine-
teen justices of Hull, calling the attention 'of the House
to the presant state of the law as affecting juvenile
offenders, and prsying for a remedy. , He would move
that the petition be referred to the Committee on Uri•
urinal Law.

number of persons who left this country it would be very
ittle short of that number. According to the returns,
therefore, there needed nit to b•.• any great anticipation
of a superahnndanee of population.
Earl PTZ WILLIAM said there were one or two ques-
tions which he was desirous of asking the Noble Earl. He

understood that the petition emanated from 1,500 persons.
Were all of these heads of families? What proportion d:d the
number of petitioners bear to the total population of the dis-
trict in which they lived? And what were the average hold-
ings of each ?
Lord ASHBURTON believed that the number of families
was 390, and that the individuals were 1,500. He could not
answer the Noble Earl's last question.
Lord BROUGHAM (looking over the petition)—Why the
signatures are all in the same handwriting.—( Laughter. )
Lord MONTEAGLE trusted that the Government would
take mean', es to insure a complete system of registration.
Local and general business was at present much impeded by
the defective system of registration, and not only was the
mere, numerical department wrong, but for matters of com-
parison—as regarded the census of one year compared with
another—it was altogether worthless. The census had been
taken three or four times in Ireland, but as it had ben taken
each rime by different parties, the results were found to be
irreconcilable and utterly useless as data. He hoped, how-
ever, now eligions animosities bad materially subsided, the.
the Government would carry out this recommendation.
A greater number of persons would emigrate this year than
during many past years, but this would not act as a remedy
for the existing distress, as those who would emigrate would
do so voluntarily ; and as they were persons of small capital.
they would deprive, by their removal, the home market of the
advantage of their capital; therefore, the result could not fail
to be injurious. But there were particular localities in Ire-
land in which the excess of population and distress was so great
that no steps they could take for the improvement of the land,
or for the promotion of peace, would afford anything like adc-
quote relief, unless the Government gave many of them means
of emigrating. The promoters of the Irish poor-law were of
this opinion, as the Government of Lord Melbourne stated, in
support of it, that that they looked to emigration as a colla-
teral evil. They must not, however, measure the good which
would accrue to a district, by the number of persons who left
it, for the purpose of emigrating, as this was a fallacious test.
—(Hear, hear.) As, however, the subject was too impor-
tant to be dealt with in a mere conversation, he trusted,
in the course of the present year, to have an opportunity of
discussing it in connexion with the measures which the
Government intended to introduce with respect to it.
Lord STANLEY hoped he would not be understood as de.
pi ecating emigration. He did not fear that any mischievous
result would take place from local efforts and local boards. On
the contrary, he hoped that a clause would be inserted in the
Poor-law at present under the consideration of Parliament to
promote emigration by local means. What he deprecated was,
that Government should interfere and hold out assistance on a
large scale.
After a few words in explanation from Lord ASHBURTON,
The Earl of DEVON ,resented a petition, signed by 1,200
or 1,400 cottiers from the barony of Forney, on the property
of Mr. Shirley, praying that some measure be made to enable
them to emigrate. With respect to the statement made a few
evenings ago, by a Noble and Learned Lord (Brougham) with
respect to emigrants receiving 2e. 6d. a head to come over to
this country, he had two letters in his hand from emigration
agents which showed that the money was only part of a large
sum which the emigrants were enti•led to receive, and which
was a remittance from their friends in America.

Lord BROUGHAM said that on the present question he
had received a letter from a correspondent from Liverpool. in
relation to the emigration of Irish poor into that town. The
letter was from a gentleman of high authority in that town
he stated that with regard to the passage of the poor in many
instances the passage money was paid for them by parties in
Ireland ; others paid it for themselves. The latter were those
intending to emigrate to America. In no case, however, did
his (Lord Brougham's) correspondent know of a single instance
of the poor persons being brought over at the instance of the
proprietors of steam-boats, on the speculation of their being
sent back, and their fares paid by this country. Mr. Rushton
said he did not believe such had ever been done, nor did he
(Lord Brougham) think that it had, though it had been stated
otherwise. In one case it was said that 75/. had been paid for
the passage of 610 persons, or at the rate of about 2s. 6d. a
head. Of the poor persons thus brought over, there were two
classes—one class being tho.e who came to Liverpool in order

to emigrate to America, and the other class the destitute who
spread over this country. Now, he would add a word on the
subject of emigration abroad. It was a mostim-
portant, but at the same time a difficult question,
still it was one of pressing importance, considering, not only the
state of Ireland, but the demand for labourers in the colonies.
The paper for which he had moved would show this. There
was at present a great emigration going forward, and in any-
thing they did they should take care that this was not inter-
fered with. Still they should see that they did not proceed too
far in that direction. He would remark that one part of the
emigration from Ireland was most alarming, as it appeared
many of the emigrants were small capitalists, who scraped all
they could together, and left without paying their rents, taking
the executions served on them by their landlords in their
pockets. He had been astounded at ti e fact that, in one week
recently, 8,000 persons, from Ireland, had left Liverpool for
America. These constituted about one half of the poor that
had come over to Liverpool.
Lord AIOUNTCASHEL expressed a hope that some sys-
tem of emigration would be adopted, as it was impossible that
Ireland could support its present population. It was necessary
that the Government should take the subject into its most
serious consideration.

Earl RIPON was glad at seeing the good spirit which pre-
vailed on the present question. He believed a system of
emigration, judiciously managed, would have the best effect ;
still it was one they should deal with cautiously. With regard
to emigration to the United States, though it undoubtedly
possessed greater advantages for absorbing the emigrants than
the colonies, still it should be •bserved that this Government
would have no control over the emigrants when they got there,
as to their maintenance on arrival, or in forwarding them to
their destination. He did not think any emigration at the
public exp'•nse could be undertaken with that country ;
and therefore it would be for them to see
what could be done with the Canadas. This
was undoubtedly the best field, as Australia was too far,
and the Cape of Good Hope, though a desirable colony, could
not possess sufficient capacity for absorbing a large population.
He hoped that the Government would devise a measure to
meet the case, and to provide facilities for those who might de-
sire to settle in the colonies.
The subject then dropped.
The Loan Bill and the Consolidated Fund Dill passed through
committee.
Their Lordships adjourned.

HOUSE 01 COMMONS, March 15.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
The following Bills were read a second time:—
Colchester Ytvigation and Improvement.
Edinburgh Markets and Customs.
Glasgow and Shott's Roads.
Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock Railway (Branches
at Port-Glasgow).
Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock Railway (Branch to
the Caldonian Railway, and Diversion of Canal).
Midland Railway (Mangotsfield to Bath).
Parkgate and Chester and Birkenhead Junction
Railway.
Sunderland Improvement, Markets, and Bridge.
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Harbour and Bridge
Trusts.

Wolverhampton General Cemetery.
RAJA OF SATTARA.
Dr. BOWRING presented a petition from the inhabi-
tants of the city of London, praying that the House
.would take such measures as would allow the Raja of
Sattira to have that privilege which belonged to the
meanest of her Majesty's subjects, namely, an oppor-
tunity of examining the charges againzt him, arid the
evidence adduced thereon.—Ordered to be laid on the
table.

Mr. FITZROY presented a petition from the col-
lectors and the assessors of the income• tax, praying tor
a remuneration more adequate to their labours.
Mr. REDHEAD YORKE presented a petition from
the parish of St. George's, in York, against the Poor
Removal Bill.

Sir J. TYIiELL presented a petition from the parish of
Halation, praying that the present criminal code might be
abolished.

Ar. ROEBUCK presented a petition from Wiltshire,
fraying the House to grant a permanent poor-Jaw for
reland.

DISTRESS IN IRELAND.
Lord LINCOLN presented a petition from the barony
of Farney, in the county of Monaghan, in Ireland,
signed by 1,084 of the cuttiers there, stating that during
the last two years they had experienced great dis-
tress in consequence of the failure of the
potato crop, and praying that the House would devise
some means by which they might be enabled to
emigrate. They calculated that the cost for emigration
would be only 51. per head for the adults and 34 tor the
younger members of their families. These circum-
stances claimed especial attention in the barony of
Farney, for there no relief had taken place by the intro-
duction of public works. They prayed that their peti-
tion might be taken into consideration, and some mea-
sures taken which would in the mean time give them
employment.
Lori G. BENTINCIC presented several petitions
from the cuttiers of the eastern portion of the barony
of Farley, in the county of Monaghan, signed by 1,490
heads of families, stating that they had suffered severe
distress during the last few Jeers in consequence of thf
failure of the potato crop. They had no means of sub •
sistence but potatoes grown upon the conacre system,
and from the failure of the crops they had reason to
believe that the farmers would no longer let them land.
The farmers could not in any way assist more than one
half of the number of persons who required it, and they
prayed that the House would take such measures as
would enable them to emigrate to the colonies. He also
present( d two petitions from the southern division of the
county of Tipperary, praying the House to encourage
the system of emigration, and also to grant a Bill to
stimulate railway enterprise on a large scale in Ireland.
HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.
Mr. lIUME presented a petition from a number of
shipowners and others of Glasgow, praying for a general
Harbour C mservancy Bill, instead of the present mode
of dealing with harbours. He gave notice that to-
morrow he should move that the petition be printed with
the votes.

DUBLIN IMPROVEMENT BILL.
Mr. GREGORY presented a petition from 3,500
inhabitants of Dublin against the Dublin Improvement
Bill.

COMMITTEE ON RAILWAY REGULATIONS.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET wished to have
some information from the Hon. Member for Inverness,
any other Memb,r of the Committee that sat on
railways last session, as to the circumstances under which
the report was issued? The evidence had been pub.
li,hed, and a report founded on it furnished to the House,
purporting to be the report of the Committee, though
!.t would appear to have been only the report of an
individual, the chairman. Such a course, he submitted,
wa.; altogether irregular.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON said that he had been a
member of the Committee alluded to by the Noble
Llrd. He recollected being at the last meeting
but one of the Committee, on the 7th of August. On
that occasion a series of resolutions was submitted and
considered and amended. These resolutions were re-
pi,rted to the House accompanied by the evidence.
About a fortnight after, the 25th of August, the Corn
mittee was summoned to meet, but no one attended
hut the Hon. Member for Inverness, the chairman.
They were, therefore, unable to make a quorum, but a
draft of the report was laid on the table, and a minute
was made by the clerk of the proceedings. After-
wards it appeared from the Totes, that the draft