The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-23 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Dec. 22.

DE VF.AUX V. HILL.
of yesterday.)
greatest 'k nu(and other?, of the
nCI
experience
i noufe dw witnesses,
eoe
gu,nr
navigation
captains
sn
of the seas in which
the alleged perils and damage of the Bengalee occurred,
swore that the statements in the captain's log were contra-
dictory and absolutely impossible in reference to the kind
of weather described, the sails carried at the same time,
make.and t h e
sh She quantity
couoicif
notw at water which
carried m,zln, and fore-
topsail in a hurricane—and the water which she was al-
leged to make, nine inches every watch, was unimportant
at any time, but vastly less than she must have made if
strained in the manner described. It was absurd to say
that with so much sail set in a hurricane, and making so
little water, five men would be employed at each pump,
that is, ten men out of * crew of thirteen, two others being
at the wheel. Five men could not well work at one pump
at a time. It would he highly criminal for any man taking
so harassed a crew into St. Helena, to sail again in three
days, with a voyage of 5,000 miles before him, without re-
pairs. It could not be believed. Witnesses acquainted
with the navigation of the Bay of Biscay, and with the
shores of the Gironde, stated that it was easy, under the
circumstances set forth in the log, to make the port of
Bordeaux, and far preferable to going into La Rochelle.
The crocia-Avarnination elicited nothing material.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, in reply, contended that the
reports of the surveyors at La Rochelle upon the arrival of
the ship there, proved the injuries which she bad sustained
on her voyage, and were to be taken in preference to the
surmises of the defendant's witnesses. By the extracts
read from the French maritFme law, it was seen that the
Captain had no other choice than to abandon the ship at
LA Rochelle, aril according to this law, by which, subject
to the opinion of the Judges on the objection taken by the
Attorney-General at the commencement, this case must
be governed, the plaintiff was entitled to full damages.
The sailing instructions for entering the Gironde forbad
any vessel to enter without a pilot, and required the Ben-
galee, under the circumstances, to go into La Rochelle.
The LORD CUIEF JUSTICE, in summing up, said that
the sole question for the Jury to consider was, how much
of the damage was occasioned to the ship by the perils of
the sea (for which alone the insurers were liable), as dis-
tinguished from fair wear and tear.
The Jury retired at half-past sit o'clock, and at half-
past eight returned a verdict for the defendant.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSIOI\7.:HOUSE.

A young man named William Johnson was brought
before Alderman White, in the custody of Daniel For.
rester, the officer, upon a charge of forgery.
Mr. Dobson, clerk to Messrs. Martin and Stone
bankers, stated that at a little after four o'clock on Sa
turday the prisoner presented a check, of which the fol
lowing is a copy, to him at his desk :
" 101. 10s. " London, Dec. 17, 1840.

" Please to pay the bearer, John Payne, the sum o:
en pounds ten shillings.

" JOHN CHARRETIB.
"To Messrs. Martin, Stone, and Martin,
68, Lembard.street."
'Witness asked the prisoner where he got the check, to
which the latter said it came from Mr. Sewell, a hatter
(as witness thought), in Bond-street, and that he (pri-
soner) came to ascertain whether it was good ; that a
person who represented himself as a servant of Colonel
Charretie, was in custody at the hatters, it being sus-
pected that all was not right, and he had come in a cab
to learn if it was a valid cheque. The prisoner was
then detained.

_
Daniel Forres!er stated that he took the prisoner into
custody, and was told the same story by him. Witness
then accompanied the prisoner in a cal' to No. 9, New
Bond-street, where Mr. Sewell lived, and there found
that what the prisoner had stated was false, there being
no person there in the circumstances represented. The
prisoner then said that he was a servant of Col. Charre-
tic, and witness took him to the Compter, and upon
searching the cab found some pieces of paper which,
upon being put together, made a check similar to that
just produced.
The prisoner said that the check had been given to
him on the Friday evening, by a person whom he did not
know, with directions to take the cash to a place he did
not know where.

The prisoner was committed for trial.
A destitute woman, named Ann Stevens, was charged
with having broken a window for the purpose, az she
told a policeman, of being sent to a prison to be saved
from famishing.
Alderman WIRTH said he frequently perceived, in
the course of the performance of his magisterial duties,
that poor persons, although accused of no offence,
wished to be sent to prison, where they must associate
with offenders, rather than to workhouses ; and the
reason, he did not doubt, was, that in prisons they had
comforts which were denied to mere poverty. Was
not poverty treated worse than crime in some instances ?
The woman said that she was in great wretchedness,
and that a prison was the only place she could look to
for keeping the life in her. She knew what the other
places were well eneugh• She had been in the service
of many respectable families, and lived last at No. 8,
Aidernianbury, where she had been for 16 months, and
from she
away withlittle money,
withi she h
adh had m
which
sincecosu;ported herself. 't
Alderman %%TIME—Let her be taken to the Union
Workhouse. They will take care of her there.
The Woman—l hope you will send me to prison,
Sir ; I am sure of something there.
Alderman WHITE—You shall go to the relieving
officer, and I shall give particular directions about you.
The woman then went with the officer from the Jus-
tice-room, but soon afterwards returned, and
The officer stated that as they were going along the
street she flung a stone at and broke another window.
Alderman WittTE---Now you shall certainly go to

prison.
The Woman—Thank you, Sir ; that's what I want ;
I am able and willing to work, but it's hard to perish.
Alderman WHITE—You are committed to Bridewell
for three months.

The Woman—Oh, Pm much obliged to you--the
longer the better, Sir. 1 aul sure I urn thankful to
you, Sir.

GUILDHALL.
A man in the employment of the City Gas Company,
named Timothy L,jog, was charged with inciting a
Young lad named O'Brien to steal 82 sovereigns from
his father, and with receiving a portion of the same.
the facts of the case are as follow boy
O'Brien at the instigation of Richard Lyon, a brother
of the prisoner, broke open his father's desk, and took
from it the sum named, soon after whiA both parties
were arrested, and in consequence of the extreme youth
of O'Brien he was allowed to give evidence against
Rcha!d Lyon, who seas sentenced to ten years' trans-
portation. Prom evidence adduced yesterday it ap-
peared that Timothy Lyon wee concerned in the rob-
bery, and the Alderman having consented to take the
"31'8 evidence, he found that the prisoner was with him
whilst spending
him to commit it.
the produce of the robbery, and incited
At tho request of the Attorney for the prosecution
the case was remanded to Monday.

BOW-STREET.
John Castles, a respectable-looking young man, was
brought before the sitting Magistrate, charged with
stealing a letter containing a 101. Bank of England
note, from a receiving house of the General Yost-office,
kept by Mr. Aird, his late master, in Little Newport-
street, Long-acre.
Mr. T. Pring stated, that he lived in Great New-
port-street, and that on the 13th of October last he
gave the prisoner a letter, directed to Miss Whitfield,
at Clapham, with a 10/. note enclosed ; he told him it
should go safe. Two days afterwards he found it had
wa s a
not
boemnosneetylt-
letter, and to take caie of it : he said it ;
he went and spoke to the prisoner about
it. He said he recollected the circumstance, and knew
it was a money-letter,
but was ignorant of the amount it
contained, and that he had put it in with the other let-
ters in the carrier's bag, and that was all he knew
about it.

Mr. Whyte, servant to Mr. Barclay, of Farringdon-
street, druggist, proved receiving the note from a person
named Smith, in part payment for drugs.
Inspector Pearce stated he went to Water-street,
Blackfriars, where the prisoner lodged ; he found him
in bed ; he told him he had called respecting a 10/. note
he had given to Mr. Smith, and about which that gen-
tleman had written him. The prisoner said he had re-
ceived a letter about it, but had not answered it. He
then showed the prisoner the 10). note which had been
taken out of the letter, and askedhim where he got
that from. He said he had received it at a banking
house in Lombard-street. He told him it had been
stolen out of a letter, and then took him into custody.
Mr. Smith, residing at Alnwick, Northumberland,
proved taking the note from the prisoner, and paying it
into Mr. Barclay's, as described.
'l' he prisoner did not deny his guilt, and was fully
committed to the Central Criminal Court for trial.

SOM ET II ING REMARKABLE.—There has not,
since Wednesday last, been a single arrival at this port
from foreign parts ! Even the steamers from the west-
ward have, owing to the strong easterly gales which have
prevailed, made their passages with difficulty and after
much delay ; the Dublin mail-boats having, on Friday,
Saturday, and yesterday, been from six to eight hours be-
hind their usual time.—Liverpool Albion, Dec. 21.