The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-21 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
co tatr OP BA NA' UZIPTCY, Sept. 20.
(Before Litr. Gimmissioner IloLnoya)
IN RE BARNETT AND HANCOCK.

Mr. NonTuN, ly,half of the bank:opts, hoot and
shoemakers, Conduit-street, li,3gent-street, complained
that the flat in this matter had not been baliotted ac-
cording to-the general orders of the 12th of June, 1832,
the 11tit rule of vv'oicla enacted " that upn every appli-
cation for en appointavnt for opening any fiat, the Re-
gisttar shall, in the presence of the solicitor applying
for the same, illot such fiat by ballot to one of the com-
missioners of the Court, according to the regulations to
be from time to time pr: scribed by the Court of Re-
vitivv, except in cases of second or renewed fiats, which
will go to the same commissioner before whom the
former commission or fiat was prosecuted." Mr. Nor-
ton then went on to say that in the present instance the
Registrar was alisent; that the ballotting was conducted
by his clerks; and, also that the name of only one com-
missioner (Evans) was in the box. Consequently, the
general orders had been violated in two most important
particulars.
His HoNoun said that he had no authority to interfere,
bat the Registrar was surely entitled to some vacation,
and as only two commissioners were at present in town,
the regulation, if strictly adhered to, would sometimes,
in all probability, cause an undue share of business to
fall to the lot of a particular commissioner.
Nontrom observed that in several other cues in
which he was engaged the Registrar was likewise re-
ported absent, so that he conceived himself justly en-
titled to complain in the present instance. He (Mr.
Norton) then intimate] the intention of his clients to
bring the matter under the consideration of the Lord
Chancellor.

JOHN A. TRIMMER'S BANKRUPTCY.
The cortificste of this bankrupt, described as a clerk
tit the office of the India Board of Control, Whitehall,
at a salary of 1,0001. a year, had been previously refused,
bat on the statement of the bankrupt that his
salary was about to be reduced, and that in con-
sequence he was unable to comply with an
ordor of Court to pay his creditors 4001. yearly,
and subject to the fulfilment of which his protection was
accorded, the Commissioner had named yesterday for
?Iv consideration of his certificate; but, on Mr. Lewis
objecting to such a proceeding without the sanction of
the creditors having been first obtained,
His HONOUR dismissed the application.

CENT RAL CRIMINAL CO URT
OLD COURT.

Yesterday Mr. Justice Erle and Mr. Justice Vaughan
took their seats on the bench shortly after ten o'clock.
CASE OF RAPE.—Theodore Piedfort, a respectably-
attired foreigner, described as a hairdresser, aged 41,
was indicted for the commission of a rape upon the per-
son of a young woman named Rose Harris, aged 27, a
kitchen-maid in the service of Lady Dundonald, on
Thursday, the 29th of June last. It appeared that the
prisoner, who was in the habit of dressing her Lady-
ship's hair, proceeded about one o'clock on that day to
a house occupied by her Ladyship at Hampstead, which
was in the care of the prosecutrix alone, and there per-
petrated the offence after using much violence, accord-
ing to the testimony, which was unshaken in a search-
ing cross-examination by Mr. Clarkson, who appeared
for the prisoner.
-Mr. CLaitxsort made an able appeal to the jury on
behalf of the prisoner.
Several respectable persons gave the prisoner a high
character for morality and decency.
Mr. Justice ERLE carefully summed up the evidence,
and explained the law to the jury.
After an absence of an hour and twenty minutes, the
jury returned into court with a verdict of Guilty.—Sen-
teace deferred.

THE CHARTIST TRIALS.
John Shaw surrendered to take his trial, charged with
sedition, and with having attended an unlawful assembly.
The ATTORNEY•GENERAL stated the case against the
prisoner. The defendant was an undertaker, carrying
on, he believed, a respectable business, and therefore, in-
stead of inciting other classes to violate the law, he
should have set them an example of obedience to the
law. It was the duty of the jury to see that the Govern-
ment did not by these prosecutions interfere with the
liberty of the subject, but, on the other hand, it was their
duty to see that the machinations of wicked and designing
persons were not allowed to menace the administration
of the laws and the Government of the country, in which
ease they would be placed under a government of
tyranny. The meeting was held in the Milton-street
Theatre; Cripplegate, on the 28th of July, the day
following the unfounded rumour that Ireland was in
rebellion, and the object of his address was to foment re-
bellion here. The meeting was called by placard, and in-
vited the Irish of the vicinity to attend, and the prisoner
was called to the chair. (The Attorney-General then
read fife speech which, since it has recently appeared in
the papers, will be no doubt fresh in the recollection of
our readers.)
Mr. White, the short-hand writer, deposed to attend-
ing the meeting, and taking the speeches delivered at it
in short-hand. About 500 people wore present at the
beginning of the proceedings, but the number increased_
to 1,004 before their close. The majority present were
Irishmen. The witness read the speech from his note-
book. Persons named White, Collins, and Waddington,
spoke.
Mr. Cope produced a copy of the Times of the 27th
of July, containing the statement that Ireland was in
open rebellion,and said there were rumours in London to
this effect on the day in question.
Mr. PARRY addressed the jury for the defendant, and
remarked that many persons had been convicted of the
offence laid to his charge and were now undergoing
punishment, :but yet it seemed that the justice of the
country, in the view of the Government, had not
been satisfied. It was true the defendant was a man of
respectable character, but he complained that he had
been brought before them as a Chartist—as one acting
in conjunction with persons calling themselves Irish Con-
federates; in fact, they had been called upon to convict the
defendant not upon the evidence but upon the issue that
ho was a Chartist. If they gave a liberal construction
to the words of the defendant they must acquit him.
The Crown expected their ♦erdict before they were em-
pannelled, they relied upon the disgust which
they naturally, as tradesmen, entertained towards
the proceedings of Socialists and others in France,
Why, Mr. Shaw was no more a Socialist than the At-
torney-General. The word had been introduced to
prejudice the defendant with the jury, because he depre-
cated those notions of division of property which others
entertained. It was not fair, therefore, to have lugged
it into the matter. However, this was an evi-
dence of weakness on the part of the Crown. If
kings were driven from their homes to exile, and if
rebeflion existed in other countries, people must talk of
them. Never, since the world began, did the people
complain of grievances that had no existence. People must
talk of them; and were speeches made in our exciting
period to have their words measured, or the same
rule applied to such addresses as were in use in
the House of Commons, where you must not say Sir
John Jervis, but Mr. Attorney-General, or the Hon. and
Learned Member for Chester. (Laughter.) The
Learned Counsel then proceeded to urge upon the jury
most of the topics that were introduced upon the former
trials for sedition, and complained that proceedings
should be instituted by the Government against a poor
man like the defendant, when persons in a much higher
station, who (40ping the excitement of the Reform B

and the corn-law agitation, had made infinitely more
violent, spesphes, were not only not prosecuted, but ac-
tually rewarded for what they had done. The Learned
Couresel then proceeded to comment upon the different
portions of the speech, and endeavoured to show that
they bore a much more innocent interpretation than was
put upon them by the Government, concluding by stating_
Mitit if even the meaning of the defendant was doubtful,
he was entitled to the benefit of that doubt, and ought to
kle acquitted.
Arroattitv-GENERAL, in his reply, said that the
Learned Counsel for the, defendant had represented him
as coming there that day flushed with victory; but he
could assure them that the task of conducting these pro-
secutions had been a most painful one, and nothing but
a strong sense of duty and feeling that if he had acted
otherwise would be detrimental to the public interest and
endangered the public peace, induced him to institute
them. Ile then referred again to the speech made by
the defendant, and said that nothing would give him
greater satisfaction than to find that a jury who, after
reading it, and considering it with attention, should
come to the conclusion that it was of the innocent cha-
racter represented by the counsel for the defendant. If
that should be their opinion, they would acquit the de-
fendant; but if, on the other hand, they should be satis-
fied that the object of the defendant was to create ex-
eitement and endanger the public peace, it would be
equally their duty to find him guilty.
Mr. Justice EftLE summed up very briefly, and the
jury almost immediately returned a verdict of Guilty
upon both counts.
The defendant was theniremoved from bar, the
judgment being respited.
At half.past six o'clock the grand jury came into
Court, Winging true bills for felony and misdemeanour
against all the Chartist prisoners.
The ATTOXNEY-GENERILL applied. to have the trial of
the 'wiped persons axed for the following morning.
lb% PARRY said he was retained to defend some of the
Tisotwrs, and his Learned Friends, Mr. Ballantine and
ter.elrfuldlestone, who were not present, ho believed
Z_melee retained for others. He considered it would
neet
tnosisnibnlne for them to be prepared to conduct the de-
as the following morning. For his own
part, he certainly
nenoduld not, at such a short notice, un-
grant more time.' he therefore prayed the Court to
Aftee some discussion, th
Mind foe Friday morning.e Court ordered the trial to

POLICE
INTELLIGENCE.
MARYLER
George Burchell, Nattaate.eel_Ki°,l9lV, and Edward Farris,
were charged with a disgra tul and infamous system of
•xtortioo.
a respectable 1 o •
Thomas Stenson,
oittog young man,
residing in Hanover •place, Upper -Baker-street,wen deposed
itnine and ten
that on the previous evening, het
o'cjock, he was walking through the
Stewards home, in company with a femalegV3-Park,
that they sat down to rest upon one of theseats'friend
nearle ZkOrth-gate, Avenue-road. They had not been
long when Burchell and King came up to them, alleging
that they were constables in plain clothes, and at the
same time King seized had of the woman, whom he
dragged away, remarking that neither of them had any
business there, and that he :should take him (complain-
ant) to the station4touse, which would result in his
being brought before the magistrate and fined 15s. or
14 days' imprisonment; Burchell then laid hold of
the female, whom he took a short distance off, and King
asked complainant if he had any money, to which he re-
Feed that he had only 7d., and he gave up to him the
money alluded to, upon which he said, " Now make