The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-04 00:00:00

TUESDAY EVENING-, J LILY 4, 1848,

had done all that was in his power to annoy the execu-
tors, the Messrs. M'Gowran, but he was defeated in all
his legal proceedings, although it appeared that in one
suit he had entailed costs upon them to the amount of
3001., and after repeated demands of money, he at length,
it seemed, resolved upon adopting the step to charge
them with having, in conjunction with their brother-in-
law Mr. Barton, forged the will in question—the forgery
consisting in their having, as they alleged, taken away
some of the sheets from the will while it was in the
charge of the authorities at Doctors'-commons, and sub-
stituting others in their place. The case was now fully
gone into by the production of evidence.
The RECORDER, at the close of the case for the pro-
secution, expressed his opinion that whatever suspicion
there might be as to the share that Saunders had taken
in the transaction, he did not think there was sufficient
legal evidence against him, and he therefore directed the
jury to acquit him.
The other defendants, upon being called on for
their defence, merely denied that they had made a false
charge.
The REO•RDER asked them whether they had any evi-
dence to show that there was the slightest ground for the
charge they had made. The other defendant, Saunders,
had been acquitted, and they might call him if they
pleased as a witness, if they thought he could help
I them.
The defendants declined to do so. _ _ _

The RECORDER then summed up, and observed that
it appeared perfectly clear from the evidence that there
was not the slightest ground for the charge of having
altered or committed any forgery upon the will in
question, and the only point for the jury to decide was,
whether the two defendants had conspired to make that
false charge, knowing it to be false, and without
foundation.

The jury immediately returned a verdict of Guilty.
The Learned JUDGE sentenced them to be imprisoned
'or two years.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
THAMES.

W Castell, an innkeeper of Bethnai-green-r3ad, was
charged with assaulting a toll-taker named Joseph
Filden, at Harrow-bridge, in the parish of West Ham,
Essex.

This case arose out of an attempt to exact a toll, which
has kept the neighbourhood in a state of ferment since
the 21st ult. The toll is a very curious one, being only
.demandable for one month during the year, viz , from
the 21st of June to the 21st of July, and is said to be
founded on a grant made by Charles 11. to the family
'now represented by the Earl of Mornington, professedly
for the purpose of preserving the fences of Epping
Forest, and keeping in repair an old prison for the re-
ception of deer-stealers, which formerly stood where
Stratford Church has been since erected. This singular
toll has been constantly resisted on the ground that the
forest requires no fencing, and that there is no prison to
be kept in repair. It has also been objected to as an
extortion under the name of " Crimminage" exacted
after the Norman Conquest, and defined as " a toll for a
man's passage through a forest to disquiet the wild
beasts," but now as obsolete as another forest law, which,
kinder a penalty of 3s. to the owners, required that " all
dogs passing through a forest should have the claws of
the fore-feet cut off by the skin." This year a deter-
Mined resistance was made to the toll, and when it was
first attempted to be collected (on the 21st ult.), two or
three persons were charged before Mr. Yardley with as-
saults arising out of the attempted enforcement. He fined
the parties charged, and at the same time said those re-
sisting the toll were bound to prove its illegality; adding,
that those who abetted such resistance, whether legal
advisers or otherwise, were liable to indictment. On
the ensuing day (Mr. Ballantine being then presiding
magistrate) similar charges were brought against other
Parties, with a totally different result: he said the toll-
men were bound to prove their claim—that the assault
'its commenced by their stopping any horses passing
through, which warranted the owners in resisting vio-
lence by violence, and that a toll demanded only for one
month during the year, besides being obnoxious and
irregular, bore a prima facie appearance against its
Validity-. Be dismissed the charges of assault, and held
Robinson (one of the toll imposers) to bail to keep the
Peace for a month. One of the morning journals an-
nounced that in consequence of this decision the toll had
been abandoned; but it turns out otherwise, for when
the charge of assault was made yesterday before Mr.
Ballantine, Mr. Sperling, a solicitor, appeared on the
Part of the toll-takers, and a gentleman from the office
'4 Mr. Martin attended to defend the right of free pas-
sengers.
Mr. Sperling wished to keep the question entirely to
the assault. Since his Worship's late decision the in-
structions given to the toll-takers was not to distraiu,
but to get the address of the parties refusing payment,
so as to try the right before a higher tribunal. When
the prisoner was asked his address he drove rapidly
through, and on the complainant parsuing him to take
the address from his cart, the prisoner struck him with
his whip.
Mr. BALLANTINL—It is an inconvenience for any man
to be stopped for his address in a public road, and I can-
not take cognizance of a refusal to pay tolls, except
such as are created by Act of Parliament. If you want
to try the right, several gentlemen in the neighbourhood,
when cases like this were last tried, offered to send their
drays or hoses on purpose to try it by distraint. In the
Essex Roads Act, which extends over the locus in quo,
there is no mention of this toll, nor is there any previ-
sion made for its collection. Yon must try your right
in the superior courts.
' Mr. Sperling—l know we must ultimately do so.
Mr. BALLANTINE—In the meantime the passengers
along this road must not be obstructed.
Mr. Sparling—But we only complain now of the
assault.
Mr. BALLANTINE—I will not go into it. You may
take it to the sessions if you please. It is evident the
complainant interfered with Castel' in some way or other.
I Mr. Sparling—We can establish our right for the last
thirty years on the testimony of a police sergeant.
! Mr. BALLANTINE—I don't care for police sergeants;
but with reference to that road, you have no right to
stop any person passing through.
Mr. Sparling—But the prisoner used more violence
than was necessary.
Mr. BALLANTINE—Perhaps he did, and this man had
no right to interfere with him, and I dismiss the case;
take it to the sessions.

ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL.--.A public dinner took
place at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, last Fri-
day, under the auspices of the committee of this insti-
tution, for the purpose of raising the necessary funds for
the completion of the hospital. About 200 gentlemen
sat down to dinner, among whom were Lord Manvers
(Chairman), Admiral Daly, Lieutenant-General Dela-
motte, Lieutenant-Colonel Sykes, W. Ewart, Esq., M.P.,
Rudal Todd, Esq., ALP, W. R. Robinson, Esq , M.P.,
Rev. A. M. Campbell. Rev. S. Boone, Rev. P. Miles,
Rev. Halford, Whiteman, Esq., R. E. Broughton,
Esq., H. M. Kempshead, Esq., T. W. Budd, Esq., G. L.
Baker, Esq., Currie, Esq., &c. About 22,0201. has
already been raised by voluntary subscriptions, and ap-
plied partly to the purchase of the site and partly to-
wards the building operations; and we may mention,
as an incentive to the humane and charitable, that
when between 4,000/. and 5,0001. more is colleted,
the committee will be enabled to open the establish-
ment fur the reception of at least fifty patient,.
The laudable object of the present festival (as
we have already intimated) was to aid in obtaining this
latter sum, and the result of the numerous gathering on
the occasion, we are happy to say, must have been gra-
tifying to the committee, and have fully realised their
most sanguine expectations; for, before the party sepa
rated, about 2,000/. of the amount was subscribed in the
room, among the principal contributors to which were
the Noble Chairman (third donation), 100 guineas; Mr.
Hubert, bank director (third donation), ION.; Miss Har-
ley (second donation), 1001.; the Hon. Mr. Pierrepoint,
601.; B. B. Cabbell, Esq., M.P., 501.; Mr. Whitbread,
brewer, 50L, &c. &c. The usual toasts were ably pro-
posed and cordially drank during the evening, and a
corps of vocalists enlivened the company with their ex
cellent performances. Mr. Higgs officiated as toast-
master, and the entire arrangements gave the highest
satisfaction to all parties.
FATAL ACCIDENT raw" FIRE.—On Sunday Miss
Selina Turner, daughter of C. Turner, Esq., of
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was burnt so severely
that she expired three hours after the injury. It appears
that the bedding took fire from the flame of a candle by
which she had been reading in bed, having fallen asleep
without extinguishing it.
It is intended, we hear, to place every regiment
arriving from abroad under the orders of Lord Frederick
Fitzclarence at Portsmouth, in order to its inspeetion
and drill on the comprehensive system adopted by his
Lordship. It is seldom that a regiment can avoid, even
under the most skilful management, getting into some
kind of disorder, after a long period of foreign service.
Detachment duty, especially in the colonies, and the
voyage to England afterwards, separate and disorganize
a corps to a degree that render it an almost Herculean
task to restore it to efficiency. No one can deny that
this is most effectually accomplished by throwing the
regiment into the same garrison with others that have
been brought to a high pitch of perfection, and causing
it to go through the disciplinary process by which that
perfection is attained. The high reputation Lord Fre-
derick Fitzclarence has earned by his great attention to
his duties, points out the policy of selecting his command
for the probation, and we feel satisfied that every re-
turning corps will be pleased with the arrangement.—
UnNed Service Gazette.
LANCASHIRE SILK MANUFACTURE.—The silk ma-
nufacturers of Manchester and the neighhourhood are
likely to derive material advantages from the political
disorganization in which France is now plunged, and by
which its industry is disordered and paralysed. Skilled
French managers and operatives in the manufacture and
finish of the silks and silk velvets for which Lyons is
celebrated, have presented themselves for employment.
or have been engaged and introduced, by which that
great branch of industry can scarcely fail to be brought
to such perfection in Lancashire as to rival on equal, per-
haps on superior conditions, with the choicest productions
of France.—Liverpool Journal.
DESTRUCTION OF A SHIP AT SEA BY FIRE.—
On Saturday intelligence reached Lloyd's of the total
loss by fire, on the 22d of May last, in lat. 34, long. 63,
of the ship General William Nott, bound from Cua to
Swansea with copper ore. The fire had been burning
several hours when the Liverpool, Irving, master, hove
in sight. The crew were found clinging to the wreck in
momentary expectation of death, the boats being
damaged, and all escape cut off; they were rescued.
Shortly after being taken off, their vessel blew up with a
terrific explosion. The loss sustained, partly covered by
insurance, is 30,000/. The crew were landed at Liver-
pool on Friday.
Sir William Colebrook, the late Governor of New
Brunswick, who had been appointed to the government
of British Guiana, will now proceed to Barbadoes to as-
sume the government of that island, in the place of
Colonel Reid.—Observer.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, July 3.
Their Lordships met at Five o'clock.
COPYHOLD ENFRANCHISEMENT BILL.

The Copyhold Enfranchisement Bill passed through
Committee.

IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT (IRELAND) BILL.
The Imprisonment for Debt (Ireland) Bill passed
through Committee.
JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES BILL.

On the motion of the Earl of GRANVILLE, the
Joint-stock Companies Bill passed throuczh Committee.

COMINIONS ENCIOSITRE BILL.

On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, the Commons
Enclosure Bill was read a third time and passed.
GOOD-CONDUCT WARRANTS FOR rriE NAVY

AND MARINES.

The Duke of RICHMOND asked whether it was
intended to introduce the system of issuing good-con-
duct warrants to the navy and the marines, as well as to
the army?
The Earl of AUCKLAND said it was his intention
to extend the system of good-conduct warrants to the
navy and the marines, if Parliament would sanction the
proposal.

responsibility, therefore, would devolve upon the Govern-
ment who had introduced the measure. The lion,

Baronet concluded by proposing the motion substituting
10s. for 13s. as the duty on Muscovado sugar.
Mr. DRUMMONI) said some Members had treated
this subject as a tree-trade question, others as a
slave-trade question, and others had treated it solely
with reference to the West Indian planters; but no
one yet had given the slightest clue by which
they could unravel that great complexity. The West
Indian interest had in the present debate, a great
advantage, because they had received the aid
of the consummate abilities, the great exertions of
the Noble Lord the Member for Lynn.—(Hear,-hear.)
The House was, in this perplexity upon this question,
that the Members on each side of it were afraid to
carry out their own principles.—(Hear, hear.) The
people of this country had broken three distinct bargains
with the West Indian proprietors. The West
Indians had a right to bring their whole produce to this
country duty free, and they ought to be satisfied with
nothing less.

Sir J. PAKINGTON here observed that if his amend-
ment was adopted by the Committee he should next
propose, as a consequence, that the duty on foreign sugars
be continued at 20s.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had so
understood the llon. Baronet.

Mr. V. SMITH denied the justice of the statement of
the Hon. Member for East Surrey as to the inadequate
compensation granted for the slaves in the West Indies.
He would remind Hon. Members who were so clamarous
about the claims of the West Indians, and the small
amount of compensation, that the original suggestion with
that view was a loan of 15,000,0001.; and that the change
from that to a grant of 20,000,0001. was the greatest ad-
vance upon record. He denied that there ever had been any
contract entered into by the mother country with reference
to giving the colonies a monopoly of the home market,
or guaranteeing to them a supply of free labour. As
to the apprenticeship, it was a matter of history that the
conduct of the planters in some of the islands to their
apprentices had caused the loudest remonstrances in
England, and that the system was at last abolished by
the colonial legislatures. Then as to the supply of free
labour, he denied that there had been any contract on
that point. The whole tone of the debate on emancipa-
tion went to prove that free labour could compete with
slave labour. He was sorry to admit that in his opinion
that doctrine was nothing more than a philanthropic
fallacy. He believed that free labour could not compete
with slave—(Hear, hear)—but nevertheless that was

the understanding and belief during the debates
on emancipation. There was only one pressure,
that of starvation, which could get out of free

abourers in the West Indies as much work as

in foreign colonies the lash obtained from slaves.—
(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member who had moved the
amendment had on the present occasion thrown aside
the veil under which he had on a former evening sought
to obtain a few stray votes, but that was only another
instance of what he (Mr. Smith) had always deemed to
be the great misfortune of the West Indies, namely—
that questions affecting their interests were always in
that House made the subject of party struggle. (Hear,
hear.)—lt had been so in 1840, when the lion. Baronet
himself and the Hon. Member for Inverness voted
against the introduction of coolies.—(Hear, hear.) The
Hon. Baronet had recommended his amendment by say-
ing that it would relieve the producer without inflicting
any loss on the consumer, but he had not proved that it
could be carried out without inflicting a serious loss on

the revenue. It was admitted that there would be risk
of loss to the amount of 182,0001., and he (Mr. Smith)

was not prepared to risk that amount in the present state
of the national finances.—(Hear.) If the West Indians
had a claim for compensation on account of reduction of
price, why might not the growers of corn in this country
put forward a similar claim? The great question was,
what was ultimately to become of those colonies? His
belief was, that those which survived the present distress
would ultimately flourish, but that those which could
not would grow out of cultivation altogether. When
was the protection now asked for to end? The Flea.
Baronet had come down from six years (the recommen-

dation of the Committee) to three; but it made little
difference, as at the end of either period the colonists
would infallibly come to that House for a renewal.—
(Hear, hear.) The Right Honourable Member for
Coventry recommended a closer attention to colonial
expense, as one remedy for West Indian distress. He
concurred in most of the Right Honourable Member's
suggestions, but certainly not in that portion which
went to give to the colonists the election of their
governors. That would be virtually yielding up
sovereignty; and certainly, if it were done, he saw
no reason why we should any longer send out
troops to maintain the governor's authority. As to
the discriminating duty now proposed, he did not see
how it could be carried out without loss both to the re-
venue and consumer. Besides, it was not what the
planters asked for themselves. He held in his band a
petition from the agents of Barbadoes, Antigua, Mont-
serrat, St. Kitt's, and the Virgin Islands, the prayer of
which was that there should be a protection of 10s. per
cwt. as against foreign free-labour sugar, and a practical
exclusion against foreign slave-grown sugar, or else 15s.
per cwt. against all foreign sugar without distinction.—
(Hear, hear.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer had
thrown fresh blued into the discussion by his announce-
ment of a former evening. He congratulated the Right
Hon. Gentleman on the prosperous state of affairs which
he understood had greatly improved confidence in the
•

City, and he conceived that the West India question
should be settled without any reference to such conside-
rations. As he had said before, he did not think that
the Right Hon. Baronet's amendment could be carried
out without loss to the revenue, and therefore he should
decidedly give his vote against it.
Mr. B. COCHRANE was of opinion that this country
was bound in good faith and common honesty to grant to
the West Indies the relief asked for by his Hon. Friend
the Member for Droitwich. He would remind the House
that up to 1807 this House had not only sanctioned, but
positively enacted, the slave trade, and that in the reign
of Charles 11. the monopoly of that trade was granted to
the Queen Dowager and the Duke of York. Their re-
cent legislation had injured the West Indies, while it
had encouraged slavery, and ultimately it would not
cheapen sugar, because when our colonies were thrown
completely out of cultivation, the slave-holders having a
monopoly could dictate their own price. From a wish to
protect our colonial empire, and to preserve the national
faith, he should certainly give his vote for the amend-
ment of his Hon. Friend.
Mr. SPOONER said he had voted for the Govern-
ment proposition of 1846 because he had thought that
when the protection on corn was removed, the consumers
in this country would be relieved from the protection on
sugar. He should, however, on the present occasion,
vote for his Hon. Friend's amendment, because he be-
lieved that the Government proposition had been uni-
versally condemned by the House of Commons.—(Hear,
hear.) Party alone had given them their miserable ma-
jority, but never, on a majority so composed, had any
previous Government pressed an important measure
upon Parliament.—(Hear, hear.) He must confess also
that he should never have voted for the measure of
1846 had he thought that it would give so great
a stimulus to the slave trade. They were then
told, as an inducement to pass the Bill, that anti-
slave treaties were in active progress with Brazil,
whereas the fact was, that at this moment we were fur-
ther from accord with Brazil on the subject than ever.--
(Hear, hear.) Any encouragement of the slave trade he
looked upon as a national sin, and this reason strongly
urged him to vote for the amendment. With respect to
the loan, he should deal with it as a grant, because he
knew it would never be paid, and he protested against
any such grant to enable West Indians to import labour
while thousands of labourers were out of employment in
this country. Let the Government look to the state of
Staffordshire, where one establishment had during the
previous week stopped work, thus throwing upwards of
2,000 hands out of employment. He asked, would
those men hear with satisfaction that they were to be
taxed to enable Government to grant 500,000/. to the
West Indians in aid of the importation of labour ?
(Hear, hear.) But this was only the beginning. At a
meeting of the iron masters, preparatory to the quarterly
meeting, it was determined to reduce the price to 6/. 10s.
per ton, it being well known that it could not be manufac-
tured at less than 8L The consequence of this must be
that all the workmen would be dismissed unless they
submitted to an enormous reduction of wages. In fact,
never during the whole of his experience were the great
staples of the country in such a state of depression as at
the present moment. Having the opinion he had stated
of the Government proposition, and at the same time
wishing to discourage slavery and the slave trade, he
felt bound to support the amendment of his Hon.
Friend the Member for Droitwich.
Mr. GODSON contended that while the West India
colonies had strictly adhered to their part of the contract
entered into at the period of emancipation, this country
bad broken faith with them, first in opening the Brithili
market to slave-grown produce; secondly, in putting an
end to the state of apprenticeship before the expiration
of the time stipulated; and thirdly, in neglecting to pro-
vide means for the introduction of free labour into the
colonies. It was complained that the Government plan
involved an advance of 500,000/. for the purpose of faci-
litating the immigration of labourerss but those who
made that complaint should remember that the
20,000,0001. of which they had heard so much had never
been paid in full. The amount which had been paid was
only 18,669,4021.; and it was rather too much, with a
balance of 1,330,598/. due to the colonies, to object to
a temporary advance of 500,000/. to assist in carrying
nut that which was one of the conditions undertaken by
this country when it passed the Emancipation
Act. All that was asked by the proposition of his
Hon. Friend was, that the House should come back
to what ought to have been the arrangement of
1846. The Noble Lord had told the House that the
difference of value between foreign and colonial sugar
was 6s. in favour of the former; and the evidence before
the Committee showed that it could not be less than
4s. 6d. If the Noble Lord's statement was correct -the
difference of duty from July, 1847, to July, 1848, viz ,
20s. and 145., was just sufficient to place the two articles
on equal terms, and in point of fact, there had been
free trade in sugar during the last year—(Hear, hear)—
and the effect of the Act, if continued, would be in 1851,
when it reduced the duty of foreign sugar to 145., leav-
ing that on colonial sugar at the same rate, to give a
bounty to the foreign slave-grown as against the colonial
free-labour produce of not less than 4s. 6d. a cwt., tak-
ing the lower estimate, or 41. 10s. a ton.—(Cheers.) The
price current of Drake, Brothers, and Cu., of the
Havannah, for 1844, stated thatP there was no
expectation of improvement in the price of
Cuba sugar unless the markets of England
should be thrown open to it—and if this could
be effected at 50s. per cwt. their produce would double in
value. And in the price current of 1847 it was stated
that that sugar had been kept up at its present high rate,
notwithstanding the abundant crops, by the extensive
shipments to the United States and Great Britain.—
(Hear, hear.) Here then was the evidence of the Cuba
hogses themselves as to the advantage their slave-grown