The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-20 00:00:00

The first witness who was called, a female named
Abden, refused to be sworn.

Baron ALDERSON asked the witness on what grounds
she refused to take the oath ?.---She replied that she had
a conscientious scruple to take an oath under any cir-
cumstances.

Baron ALDERSON inquired whether she belonged to
the sect of Quakers, Moravians, &c., who are specially
exempted by Act of Parliament from taking oaths ?
The witness replied that she did not belong to either of
the sects specified, but she objected to taking an oath
because our Saviour had forbidden it.

Baron ALDERSON said she had offered no valid objec-
tions in law to her being sworn, and she was bound to
take the oath.
She still refused to do so.

Baron ALDERSON told her that by her refusal she not
only subjected herself to be committed for contempt of
Court, but also rendered herself liable for all damage
and loss that the plaintiff might sustain through the
loss of her testimony.
The witness said she was perfectly well aware of the
consequences of her refusal ; but she felt compelled to
persist in it.
The Learned JUDGE then left the Court for the pur-
pose, as it was understood, of conferring with the
Lord Chief Justice upon the subject, and on his return,
he said that Lord Denman agreed with him, that only
one course remained open for the Court, which was to
commit the witness, upon the application of the counsel,
if she refused to be sworn and give her evidence.
The counsel engaged in the cause, however, having
consulted together, consented, in order to avoid such an
unpleasant proceediLg as the one alluded to, that the
matter in dispute should be referred to arbitration.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON remarked that as the legisla-
ture had released persons of particular religious pursua-
sions from !aking an oath, where they objected to do so
conscientiously, he thought it would be a great advan-
tage if the privilege were extended to all persons who
conscientiously objected to take au oath, without any
reference to their religious belief.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—York, kfareh IS.
CIVIL SlDE.—(Before Mr. Justice PATTFAION.)
The causes at Nisi Prius are still very much in arrear.
" Dawson v. Paver and another " occupied the Court the
whole of the day.
CROWN COURT.--(Before Mr. Justice ~,,r'"l.Enti)GE.)
CHARGES OP FORGRRT -- RAILWAY SPECULATIONS.
Four young men, clerks to.
Messrs. Brownlow, Pearson, and
Co., of Hull, were indicted at these assizes upon several
charges of forging and uttering cheques, with intent to de-
fraud :11-esrq, Pease and Liddell, lymkers, of the same place.
Tile foar prioliers are Edwin Adanz.son, Thoinas .41,14i,uscm,
and Hugh Doran.
BeMneaumriin, Btlamwpslo; And CO. are merchants, ir4 a large way

of business, in Hull, wharfingers, and proprietors of steam-
packets, running from that place to London, Antwerp, Sac.
It appears that for some time past a serious amount of fraud
has been committed by some of the many clerks in their
employ, and from the evidence adduced, it seems that the
speculation in railway shares has been a promoting cause of
crime. Messrs. Brownlow and Co. have been in the habit
of banking with Messrs. Pease and Liddell, to the cashier of
which latter firm the forged cheques in question were pre-
sented, and by him paid. Towards the latter end of last
year deficiencies were discovered in the bankers' account.
This led to inquiry, when it was found that large sums of
money had been obtained from the bankers in the forged
name of Messrs. Brownlow and Co. There were nine indict-
ments against the four prisoners, one against Benjamin
Adamson, three- against Edwin, and two against Thomas
Adamson, and three against Doran.
Edwin Adamson, aged 21, was tried upon one of these in-
dictments for having forged, and for having uttered with
guilty knowledge of forgery, a certain cheque for 301., pur-
porting to be drawn by Messrs. Brownlow and Co., upon the
bankers above named.

The filling up in the body of the cheque (" pay Duty or
bearer 301.") was spoken to by several witnesses as in the
undisguised handwriting of the prisoner. The signature
purported to be that of the firm, and to have been written
by the partner, Mr. William Hunt Pearson. Pains ap-
peared to have been taken to imitate that gentleman's
signature, which is peculiar, he having a lameness in the
right hand, from which he is obliged to hold his pen in the
left.

The defence submitted was, that although the words in the
body of the cheque were of the prisoner's writing, the imitated
signature was not sufficiently proved to have been his.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.—Sentence deferred.
Hugh Doran, aged 20, was next tried on the charge of ut-
tering a similar cheque on the 29th of October last. This
cheque was for the sum of 731., also purporting to be drawn
by the same firm upon the same bankers.
It appeared that the prisoner was clerk to Brownlow and
Co. from November, 1842, up to the 29th of October last. At
his first coming in he received ss. per week for his services,
that was increased the next year to 74., the third year he
got 201. a year, and on the 29th of October he was in the
receipt of 12s. a week. The cheque now in question was
drawn and signed in a manner similar to the one before-
mentioned, the body of it being filled up in the writing of
Edwin Adamson, and the signature being a good imitation
of Mr. Pearson's partnership signature. Evidence was ad-
duced to show that the signature had been written by the
prisoner.
Mr. Charles Wilcocksen, sharebroker, of Hull, said that
he purchased some shares for the prisoner in September last,
first en the 22d of September, and then again on the 10th
of October. On the latter occasion he (witneas) purchased
thirty shares for him in the Great North and South Wales
Railway. There was now such a railway " before the House."
Prisoner paid. him for the shares on the 30th of September,
and on the 16th of November he received 421. more from
prisoner for shares. There was great speculation at that
period; merchants' clerks as well as their betters speculated,
and many could not pay. The market was rising until the
15th of October, when it began to fall.
George Christopherßoberts lodged with prisoner in October
last. He had sold prisoner tea shares in the Dudley and
Madeley Railway. The prisoner was to pay him 365. pre-
mium for each share, and the whole sum would amount to
451. odd. Prisoner paid him on the 7th of November, by
delivering a 501. Bank of England note. Prisoner showed
him some scrip in several lines, and told him that " he and
Ned went shares in them." He understood him to mean
Edwin Adamson, because they had just been before speaking
about that Adamson.

The defence offered in this case was similar to that for
Adamson.

The jury retired to deliberate, finding the prisoner Guilty,
but recommending him to mercy.

NORFOLK ClRCUlT.—Camiridge, March 18.
Mr. Baron BARRE took his seat this morning at 9 o'clock,
and having disposed of a few prisoners, proceeded to pass
sentence on John Freestone, who had been convicted yesterday
on a charge of assaulting Mr. Walsh. In so doing his Lord-
ship commented in suitable terms on the violent conduct of
the defendant, and having adverted to the recommendation
of the prosecutor himself, sentenced the defendant to ene
fortnight's imprisonment.

Bury St. Edmunde.
The commission for the county of Suffolk was duly spened
by Mr. Baron Parka at 6 o'clock.
It is said that the cause list will be light, there being only
seven venires reported at Cambridge
The calendar, however, is heavy, containing upwards of 40
prisoners, the charges against some of whom are very serious
indeed.