The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-16 00:00:00

TIIAMES.

Robert Brown, aged 22, of No. 28, Limehouser
causeway, boiler-maker, was brought before Mr. Milan.
tine, charged with being on the premises of Mr. Johi
Abbott, the Harrow, in High-street, Poplar, with inters
to commit felony.
Mr. Abbott deposed, at four o'clock this morning
heard a noise in my house, and I proceeded to search it
and found the prisoner concealed in the passage leading
to the garden. I said, "What are you doing here?" ant
he immediately ran into the garden, and jumped over the
wall into Harrow-lane. He has been repeatedly turne
out of my house for disorderly conduct. I know lie is $
bad character. I have turned him out of my house be-
cause I suspected ho intended to rob my customers in the
tap-room.
Mr. BALLANTTNE—You have done quite right. Was
he:in the house or not, when you discovered him ?
Mr. Abbott—No, Sir, he was in a passage between the
house and the garden.
The prisoner could give no satisfactory account of
himself, or why he came to the premises of Mr. Abbott
at all.

Mr. BALLANTINE had no doubt the prisoner intended
to commit a felony, and sentenced him, as a rogue and
vagabond, to three months' imprisonment and hard
labour.
Amelia Barberic, a middle-aged woman, was charged
with stealing a drinking-glass, value 9d., the property
of Mr. Wm. Jenson, the landlord of the Fir Treo Tavern,
Church-lane, Whitechapel.
The prisoner came into the Fir Tree on the evening
of Sunday, the 21st of May, and called] for a glass of
rum. She drank the liquor and carried off the glass.
On Wednesday evening she came to the same house and
asked for a half- quartern of gin, which was supplied to
her in a glass. Directly afterwards George Lurcher,
the barman, left the end of the bar where the prisoner
was standing, to serve another customer. On turning
round again he missed the prisoner and the glass too.
He had a perfect recollection of her former visits and
the disappearance of glasses, and he went after her and
overtook her a short distance from the house. On
pulling her shawl aside he found the glass concealed
under it, end took it from her, and meeting with a police-
constable, named Robert Gifford, 82 H, he gave her into
custody.
Mr. Jenson, who is a very humane man, said he would
not prosecute the woman for stealing the glass if he was
not quite satisfied she was an old offender, who had fre-
quently plundered him on former occasions.
Mr. BALLANTINE committed the prisoner for trial,
and said'he had no doubt a jury would relieve Mr. Jen-
son of any more visits from the woman.
James Macgregor, a tall and powerful man, described
as a ballast heaver, whose behaviour in the dock was
exceedingly wild and irregular, was charged with com-
mitting a savage and unprovoked assault on Mr. John
Gardiner, and Ellen Gardiner, his daughter.
The complainant, Mr. Gardiner, is the landlord of a
house of public entertainment, called the "Lass of
Goa rie," in High-street, Shadwell. On Wednesday
night he was returning with his daughter from the
Leith Wharf, to which place he had accompanied his
sister, who had embarked in a steamer for Scotland, and
upon reaching the middle of High-street, Wapping, a
sudden and furious attack was made upon him and his
daughter by the prisoner. Mr. Gardiner was at once
felled to the ground by a severe blow on the chest, and
he fell backwards, his head striking the footpath, causing
a serious wound to be inflicted,
.from which the blood
flowed copiously. His daughter, a fine young woman,
received a blow on the side from the ruffian, and was
also knocked down. Mr. Gardiner, on recovering him-
self, seized the fellow, and was immediately knocked down
again, and while on the ground the prisoner fell upon
him, and attempted to "gouge" his eye out by forcing
his finger into the corner of it. Mr. Gardiner, by a
desperate effort, saved his eye, and shook off his as-
sailant, who then renewed the attack on Miss Gar-
diner, tore her dress, and beat her shamefully. The
father and daughter were alternately beaten and thrown
down by the prisoner, who used dreadful threats, until
they were nearly exhausted, when a respectable inhabitant,
who saw part of the outrage from his window, sprung his
rattle, and a police-constable end others came to the spot,
and rescued Mr. Gardiner and his daughter from the
fury of the prisoner. On the way to the station-house
the prisoner made an attempt to escape from the officer
who had him in custody, and struck Mr. Gardiner again,
and, upon reaehing the station-house, threatened to take
away Mr. Gardiner's life.
The prisoner, whose person was covered with a black,
oilskin coat, spread out the remnants of a linen shirt and
flannel shirt, which had been torn to pieces in some
affray in which he had been engaged, and said that Mr.
Gardiner insulted him, and tore the shirt off his back,
and attempted to strangle him—he had no chance with
them at all.

Mr. Gardiner and his daughter were recalled, and said
they never saw the prisoner or interfered with him till
he attacked them, and he was then without his shirt, and
threw something which appeared to be one into the
middle of the road,

After some wild exclamations from the prisoner,
Mr. BALLANTINE said he was half disposed to think
the prisoner was mad, but if he was the people in the
House of Correction would take care of him. He sen-
tenced the prisoner to pay a fine of 54 for the assault on
Mr. Gardiner, and in default of payment to be impri-
soned for two months, and for the assault on Miss Gar-
diner to pay another fine of st, or remain in gaol two
months longer.

ELECTION COMMITTEES.
DUBLIN.
The scrutiny into the validity of Mr. Reynolds's ma-
jority was resumed yesterday, and in the course of the
day the petitioners succeeded in striking offthree
additional votes.

COMMITTEE OF SELECTION.
The General Committee of Elections met yesterday
afternoon, and nominated the following Members to try
the merits of the petition presented against the last return
for the borough of Sligo, namely: Mr. Adair, Mr.
W) keham Martin, Mr. John Evans, Honourable Colonel
Pennant, and Mr. J. B. Wrightson, chairman.

WSBURY and BIRMINGHAM

RAILWAY.
A special general meeting of this company was held
yesterday, at the offices in Moorgate-street, to consider
the draft of a Bill now before Parliament for the alter-
ation of the line of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver-
hampton Railway, and for authorising the directors to
borrow the sum of 433,0001., the power to do which
is given under the Act. To the first part of the busi-
ness the shareholders present, who were numerous,
made no objection. On the resolution for the second
being put, Mr. Fielder, of the Stock Exchange, moved
an addition, to the effect that the money should
be raised by tho issue of preference shares bearing 8 per
cent. interest. On this a long discussion arose, in which
the probability of raising the money by debentures or
calls was strongly debated, and an amendment was
moved to limit the power of the directors in raising the
money, but ultimately Mr. Fielder's amendment was
embodied in the original motion, and thanks having been
voted to the Chairman (the Hon. Colonel Clive), the
meeting was dissolved.

SINGULAR SUICIDE OF A CHEMlST.—Wednesday
afternoon, at three o'clock, Mr. I'. Wakley, M.P., held
an inquest at the Hope Arms Tavern, Oxford-street, on
the body of Mr. Clement Downes, aged 25, chemist and
druggist, of No. 1, Duke-street, Manchester-square, who
died from the effects of prussic acid. Mr. Eyre, solici-
tor,. attended on the part of deceased's friends. Mr.
Thomas Alston O'Flaherty deposed that he was a sur-
geon, and resided at 59, James-street, Oxford -street.
He was called to see Mr. Downes about ten minutes past
seven on Monday morning. He was then dying, as he
understood, from the effects of low fever, of which he
had had an attack daring the week. On a post-mortem
examination, however, a large quantity of prussic acid
was found in deceased's stomach. Mr. William Tur-
ner said he was a chemist and druggist, and resided
in Rathbone-place. Deceased was his cousin. He
last saw him alive about eleven o'clock on Sunday
night, at No. 70, Berners-street. He called upon
deceased with a friend about seven o'clock in the even-
ing, and found him in bed in a dreadfully low and de-
sponding state of mind, reading the Bible. He said he
should never be happy in this world again. They made
him get up and go out with them for a walk, thinking
it would relieve him, and having partaken slightly of
supper, ho went home. Had frequently heard him ex-
press himself in great trouble about an income-tax
paper which had been left him, and he appeared appre-
hensive that he should not fill it up properly. That
preyed much on his mind. In answer to questions the
witnesses stated that the deceased frequently alluded to
the circumstance of the assistant to his predecessor
(Mr. Farmer) having committed suicide by taking
prussic acid, in the same bed-room he occupied, and
which occurred about eight or nine months back. The
Coroner having alluded to the painful circumstances of
the case, the jury returned a verdict—" That deceased
died from having taken prussic acid, whilst in an un-
sound state of mind."
AN OTTER CAUGHT IN THE EDEN.—An otter
hunt was advertised to take place at Armathwaite on
Monday last. A fine male otter had been captured a
evening, so that it thereby escaped a more vio-
n little above the bay in the river Eden, but it died on
lentSundayeate, at Blackmoss Pool, where he wes to have made
fate,
sport on the following day. Great numbers of persons
from Carlisle and other places, with a medley pack of
all sizes of otter hounds, assembled at Armath svelte on the
appointed morning, and despite the pelting rain, deter-
, mined to seek for another otter. Accordingly the Eden
from Armathwaite to Hazonby was duly scoured; and,
although the search proved fruitless so far as otters were
concerned, the magnificent scenery, even in unfavourable
weather, compensated such of the pedestrians as could
appreciate it. It is perhaps not saying too much to
assert that no river in Europe can equal the Eden for
thewhensublimityeither th
ofitssceenAreryLwetshpecaiiiitlel,y is the above loca-
lity, Nunnery Walks,
Coom's Peak, Cat Clint, or Sampson's Chamber, would
separately repay a day's ramble.—Durham Advertiser.
GRAY'S INN.—CALLS TO THE BAR, JUNE 14.--
The undernamed gentlemen were this day called to the
degree of barrister-at-law by the Honourable Society of
Gray's Inn, viz., Daniel Harnett Stack, Esq., A. 8.,
Thomas Worthington Barlow, Esq., and Leon Ar-
naud, Esq.

RAILWAY COHMISSIONERS.
Lord REDESDALE then rose, pursuant to notice, to
ask a question relative to the duties of the Railway
Commissioners, and the position in which they were
considered to stand with relation to the Government. He
said the question was one of great importance, when
they considered the variety of questions to which it gave
rise, one of which had just been raised by a Noble Lord,
who, when he put his question, did not seem to be
aware of the presence of the head of that very Railway
Board to whom all such questions ought to be referred.
He would briefly recal to their Lordships' recollection
the circumstances under which that board had been
formed. In 1844, when the railway question was be-
coming of the greatest importance to this country, and
when it was evident to all that in the ensuing session of
Parliamen such a mass of Railway Bills would be brought
forward, that unless some assistance were rendered to
the Committees on them,the public interests would suffer,
a Railway Department of the Board of Trade was
formed, to consider and report on those Bills. The
Noble Lord (Lord Granville) who presided over that
department, gave the greatest attention to those Bills
during the vacation, and from time to time issued re-
ports calculated to prove of the greatest public benefit.
When those reports appeared it was thought Govern-
ment would give its support to the recommendations of
their own board, and if it had so acted the result would
have tended to the public good ; but no sooner was the
question mooted than it was seen that the Government
did not mean to support the reports of the Board of
Trade, and the Committee on every Bill had more
weight than those reports. Indeed in every instance in
which the reports were opposed to the decision of a
Committee the latter was maintained as if no previous
public investigation had taken place. The _House of
Commons. at last became so sensible of the mischiefs
likely to arise from this course, that an address
to the Crown was moved for the appointment of
Railway Commissioners. At this period arose the
contest known as the Battle of the Gauges, and
the Government, aware of the importance of taking up
the subject in a serious manner, the report of the Board
oifon Trade
nn r o was
uta ken
waserae
mGeovveedrninaza Government measure,
nouses, r
aesnodlua
Billthesubjectt-
dced and passed as a Government measure to
settle the question. It was then thought desirable to
siot
appoint the Railway Board and to form Railway Com-
missioners, who would take cognisance of all things be—
longing to that department, and report their opinions
specially by orders of both Houses of Parliament. Such
a board was necessary to guide Parliament for every en-
suing session, and should such board not make such re-
ports they would be guilty of dereliction of duty, and be
consequently upset. He thought it unjust, as the Rail-
way Board had been of the greatest advantage to the
Parliament and the country, when questions of great and
paramount importance were brought before the two
Houses. There were also the gauge question and
others in which this board took a decided and
very useful step. He considered the Govern-
ment should take a decided line to pass a Bill
for the public benefit, so as to add more power to this
board, which was
,at present little better than useless.
He should also say that the amalgamation of railways
should be looked to by the Government, in which this
board has taken a decided position, and he believed no
other board stood in the same position as this. He
would refer to the superintendent of Woods and Forests,
and to other such boards, and ask was there not a very
great difference between the Railway Board and these.
In fact, he thought that the power of the Railway Board
was done away with when it was transferred to the Pre-
sident and Vice-President of the Board of Trade.
When it was known to both Houses of Parliament that
lines were made more for the good of companies than for
the advantage of the public, there was a feeling on the
part of the House that more stringent measures were ne-
cessary, and that this board should have full powers.
It was also thought desirable to continue this board,
which in those powers would be the means of restor-
ing confidence to the country, and with such an intention
a Bill was brought into the House of Commons, which
he regretted to say was allowed to drop, and thus the
board has not the power over railways which would be
advantageous to the public interest. Such a state of
things he did not think creditable to the Government or
to the Railway Board.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE admitted the im-
portance of the subject, which related to the conduct of
the railway system in this country, and the amount of
interference which was more or less incumbent on the
Government and Parliament. The question of the
Noble Lord raised two points; first, whether it was ex-
pedient that there should bo such a board intrusted with
the charge of inquiring into the state of railways and
the accidents arising out of them ; and, secondly, if
so, what should be the duties of such a board. He
had no hesitation in saying, that though there had
been an alteration in the administration of the board,
consequent on the person who had been at its head
ceasing to exercise those functions which had been
personally intrusted to him ; and though the office
which that gentleman held,. and the salary attached
to it, had, on a principle of economy, been suppressed,
yet the Railway Board itself existed, entrusted with
all the same functions and precisely in the same relation,
in respect to the Government, as before; and, though the
Noble Lord seemed to think. that the board bad become
of little importance, and insignificant in the eyes of Par-
liament, yet he (the Marquis of Lansdowne) considered
that its labours were of real importance, the Commis-
sioners and their paid officers operating, from week to
week, and from day to day, for the public benefit, and
for the assistance of the Government and the Parlia.
rnent. In order that the Noble Lord might know how
numerous and impor
the functions of the board were,
he would state the various points to which its attention
was particularly and constantly directed. They embraced
the opening of railways, and the examination of the
lines in reference to their fitness for the purpose of
public travelling; mg • ein
esinto those cases of ac-
cidents which untbrtunately too frequently occurred ;
the regulation of cheap trains ; the consideration of
all the bye-laws relating to these subjects, and all the
miscellaneous powers relating to lines ; references
under special Acts of Parliament, of disputes occurring
between company and company, references under the
standing orders, and the special duty of making reports
thereon; and the consideration of a vast number of colo-
nial railway schemes, which from time to time were sub-
mitted to the Commissioners. Not less than 780 lines
had been inspected and reported on the course of last
year, and in the present year a greater number would
be inspected. Este nsivo investigations had been made
in cases of accidents, and, in respect to 22 of those cases,
special reports had been made by the engineers acting
under the authority of the Commissioners, and valuable
suggestions had been made by the engineers, which, in
most cases, if not in all, were willingly acted upon by
tho companies. The Commissioners had also inserted
in Acts of Parliament a number of special clauses
relating to a variety of different subjects. It could
not be said, then, that the board was not discharging
useful and important duties, or that it was not in the
full exercise of those functions with which Parlia-
ment had intrusted it, and with which he thought it
should Le intrusted, for these duties ought to be per-
formed, for the public convenience and safety, under the
authority of the Commissioners, by paid officers, care-
fully selected and experienced, whose attention was not
liable to be distracted by other occupations, The Noble