The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-09 00:00:00

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Feb. 7.

(Sitting at Nisi Prins, after Hilary Term, before the LORD
Crn 13.ittori and a Special Jury.)
TLIE ATTORNEY-GENERAL L. ALLAN

This was information, filed by the Attorney-General, for
the recovery of penalties alleged to have been incurred by de
fendant, for a violation of the Excise laws in the article of
soap.
The Attorney-General, the Solicitor General, Mr. Jervis,
and Mr. -Wilde, appeared on behalf of the Cro:,-n, but as a
number of the jury were not in attendancz!, the Solictor -
General refused to pray a tales, and the Court was conse-
quently adjourned till Tuesday next.
The other Learned Judges, who were sitting in Banco in the
Bail Court, then removed to the Court of Exchequer and
took the new trial paper, which engaged their attention for
the remainder of the day.

COURT OF ILINKRUPTCY, Feb. 7.
THE FORTH MARINE INSURANCE COMPANY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner FoNBLANQuE )

This matter was again before the Court the whole
day, and was now conciudei. It was the first application
against a joint stock company, under the Act 7 and 8
Vic., c. 3, "An Act f r facilitating the winding up of
the affairs of Joint Stock Companies, unable to meet
their pecuniary engagements," und,T which the Court
was called upon to make a report to the Board of
Trade respecting the formation and management of
the Company, with a view to ulterior proceedings on
the part of the Government. The Act has applica-
tion to all joint bank companies. It enables creditors
to obtain facts against companies (instead of going into
the Court of Chancery) in the same manner as against
individuals, and before the passing of the last examina-
tion a commissioner is required to make an examination,
and afterwards to present his report. The evidence
taken was voluminous. The points urged against the
Company on the part of certain shareholders were
these : &daring a delusive dividend, making unfair re-
ports, and giving preferential discharges to shareholders.
Mr. Laurence (solicitor) appeared for a number of
shareholdors, Mr. Ashurst for the estate, and Mr. Cooke
(the barrister) on the part of the bankrupts.
On the conclusion of the evidence Mr. LAURENCE ad
dressed the Court, contending that he had made out the
charges. Individually he had no complaint against the
Company, but as a body he urged that they had born
guilty of misconduct.
Mr. COOKE repudiated the notion of individually ac-
quitting the parties, and condemning them as a body.
He claimed a free discharge from the imputations cast
on their character.

Mr. Commissioner FONBIANQUE gave his opinion
that there was no imputation of dishonesty against the
Company. There might have been imprudence, but, in
his judgment there was no dishonesty of purpose, and
he should make his report to the I3oard of Trade to that
efE ct.

The official assignee (Mr. Pennell) then read the re-
port. The debts and liabilities were 50,0001. The Com-
pany commenced business in London and Leith in May,
1839, and the fiat was dated in July last. The assets
were about 7,0001., with an expectati m of further sums.
The defi,dency was calculated at 30,8731.; the actual
losses were 108,6701., and the total losses from under-
writing were somewhat above that sum. In 1841-2
they sustained severe losses from underwriting; in that
period many shipwrecks had occurred aid their losses in
one year had been to an immense extent.
The COURT declared the bankrupts to have passed
their last examination.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD. COURT.

(Before Mr. Baron Irol.rm and Mr. Justice CuEsswELL.)
Tun KNlFE.—Edward Jackson, aged 28, a cabman,
was indicted IT cutting and wounding Thomas Carter,
with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm.
Mr. Mellor conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Bal-
lantyne the defence.
It appeared that the prisoner and prosecutor had been
drinking and sparring together in a public-house,, and
eventually quarrelled. They struggled, and some one
called out to prosecutor, "mind the knife." lie stepped
back; and on putting his hand to his side, discovered
that he had been stabbed. He did not feel the blow at
the time it was delivered. They had never quarrelled
before, although they Lad been acquainted for some
time. The prisoner was found Guilty.
Mr. Justice CRESSWELL commented on the nature of
the offence. He said the act of dra,ming a knife in a
quarrel, instead of fighting with the weapons provided
by nature was a very un-English as well as a very
cowardly method of proceeding. The jury had convicted
the prisoner very justly, and he was determined to make
an example to show his abhorrence of such conduct. If
there had not been a few extenuating circumstances, he
should certainly have transported the prisoner ; as it
was, he sentenced him to be imps ironed and kept to hard
labour for twelve calendar months.

PRESENTATION OF THE GRAND JURY.-011 Saturday
the gentlemen of the grand inquest, after having been
diimined, entered the Central Criminal Court, and de-
livered in a paper, which wai read by the clerk of the
court, and its publication requested. The following is a
cipy

" February 6, 1846.
" The gentlemen of the grand jury beg leave most re-
spectfully to express their opinion to their Lordships,
the judges, that a great number of the cases of crime
presented to them have originated, or been materially
encouraged by the facility afforded to persons of evil
character to dispose of articles dishonestly obtained.
No pains whatever have been taken by the pawnbrokers
to inquire for the actual name and address of the persons
pledging, but they are perfectly satisfied with any
fictitious name and address they receive, although the ar-
ticles, as well as the circumstances, appear extremely
suspicious ; spoons pledged with initials, articles with
names at full length, new clotb, fruit knives, ivory han-
dled and silver headed, were received from a charwoman
whom the pawnbroker knew ; and, in other cases, pawn-
brokers receiving pledges after the knowledge of a party
for sight or Dine years—meaning they never. suspected

them, when the actual pawnbroker gave the party in
charge two or three years
.previously on a charge of
Nony, which afterwards was compromised. The num-
berless instances in which pawnbrokers have appeared
to us to deserve mere punishment than the prisoners,
calls for your Lordship' deepest consideration.--Signed
on behalf of the grand jury,
_ " JOHN GURNEY FRY, Foreman."

The RECORDER told the grand jury that in cases wh:-re
pawnbrokers had manifexted fligrant want of caution,
the Court was in the uniform habit of refusing to allow
their expenses, and frequently to admonish them thAt
they might congratulate themselves !hat. they were not
indicted as guilty receivers. The Court thanked the
gentlemen for their expression of sentiment upon the
subject, the effect of which he (the It-corder) hoped
wou!d not bo lost, as most likely they would go forth
to the public.
The gentlemen then bowed to the bench, and withdrew.
John Sumner, and. Robe t Watson, two sailors, were
in'lic:ed, the former, fur utteting an order far the pay-
trent of money, well knowing the same to be forged, and
the latter with having incited, aided, and abetted him
in uttering the said order, he also well knowing, See.

It appeared that the order in question was what is
term- d an advancz.,-note—a document Oat i 3 frequently
issued by the captains of merchant vessels, for the
em ,unt of the first month of a seaman's wages after he
has signed the ship's erticles, &c., to enable him to
obtain the necessary outfit ; that the order in ques-
tion purported to be given in favour of William
Martin, who was therein rep-esented to have joined the
ship Albion, about to proceed to Jamaica, cad was for the
stun of 21.- 55., payable at the house of Messrs. N9wman,
and Hunt, ship agents; that on the day named in thA
indictment, Vie prisoner Sumnerwent to the shop of an
outfitter residing in Itatcliffe Highway, ani I axing made
some purchases to the amount of IL 12s , tendered in
payment the advance-note in question, and received the
d fference, promising to call for the artic'es on the follow
ing day. When the shopkeeper presented tho note
for payment he was informed that it was a turnery;
and on übsequeut inquiry it was ascertained that
no ship called the Albion had or was about to pro-
ceed to Jamaica, and no sailor named Wiliam Mirtin
was to be found in the docks named in the said note.
Information of the forgery and fraud was given to the
police, who succeeded in tracing the prisoners to the
Sailor's Home, the place of their temporary residence,
and th-re took them into custody. When informed of the
charge against them, Sumner said that Watson had
given him the no.e ; and Wagon admiqed that he had
bought the note fur a penny, that he filled it up, and
then gave it to Sumner, but he had no idea that he was
going to ut'er it.

The jury found both the prisoners Guilty ; and the
Court sentenced each of them t i be imprisoned two
years in the House of Correction, and there kept to
her l labour.

Henry Frederick Williams, a young fellow dressed as
a Sai:Or, Was convicted of stealing a variety of articles of
wearing al pixel from a house in which he had taken
up a temporary residence. Hz,, stool further indicted
for stealing two five-pound notes and three sovereigns,
the moneys of David Craig.
The prosecutor stated that 112 bad served as a marine
on b ►ard the Ueda, one of the Government steamers.
She was paid off at Woolwich, on the 20th of last
month. On that day he came to London by one of the
Woolwich steam boats, and when tie started had the
above money in his possession. He met with the pri- •
soner on board, who scraped a'quaintance with
him, by telling him that he also belonged to
the service. On their arrival in town the pri-
soner induced him to accompany him to a tfublic-house,
whither they accordingly went, and drank a glass or two
of grog together. They afterwards went to another
house and took up their quarters for the night, the pri-
soner and he sleeping in the same room together. The
prisoner woke him in the morning, and said there had
been thieves in the house, and advised him to look and
s. -e that his m muy was all safe. He did so, and finding
all right, was about to replace it in his trousers' pocket,
when the prisoner took it from him, anti hurrying him
down stairs, said .ho would give him his money as soon
as they got into the street. They left the house toge-
ther and proceeded a short distance, when witness de-
manded his money of the prisoner, and finding that it
was not forthcoming, and being convinced from the pri-
soner's manner that he intended to rob him of it, he
called for a policeman and gave him into custody.
Policeman R. C. Smith stated that he took charge of
the prisoner, and conveyed him to the station-house.
While there, and previous to his thing searched, he saw
' the prisoner throw a roll of paper away, and on picking
it up lie found it contained the two M. notes belonging
to the prosecutor. On the way to the station-house,
the prisoner told the prosecutor to mind what he was
about, for he would bring an action against him for
false imprisonment if he dared to proceed any further
in the matter.

The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
Mr. Baron ROLFE, in passing sentence, said the pri-
soner was evidently a desperate character, who went
about robbing every one who came in his way, 'The
sentence of the Court, therefore, upon him was, that for
the first offence, of which he had been convicted, he be
imprisoned three months in the House of Correction ;
and that for the second offence he be, after the expira-
tion of su, h imprisonment, transported for the term of
seven years.