The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-31 00:00:00

WAY.

Mr. HUDSON said he was anxious to take that op-
portunity of making a few observations, in reference
to the statements made the previous day by two
Honourable Members, with respect to the Eastern
Counties Railway. He wished to make this state-
ment, for the purpose of allaying any public
excitement that might have been occasioned by the re-
marks of those two Hon. Members. He had made in-
quiries from the secretaries of the company, and he
thought that the result of those inquiries would
satisfy the House that, as far as the ma-
nagement of that undertaking was concerned,
the public had less cause to fear accidents when travel-
ling on that railway than on any other. Since the
opening of this line, which was in 1840, 11,000,000
people had travelled upon it, and, with the exception of
the late accident, there had been only one death
during the whole time. There had been only twenty-
one passengers injured since the opening, three of whom
had their legs broken, and one a dislocated shoulder.
The remainder of the accidents were of the most trifling
description. He felt confident that this state-
ment would be most satisfactory to the House
and the public. He would not as yet say anything in
reference to the recent accident on the line, but the state-
ment which he had made he thought was but just to the
proprietors and the public. There was as much if not
greater security en the Eastern Counties than any other
line in the kingdom.
Mr. HORSMAN wished to know what was the in-
tention of the Government in reference to the Com-
mission that had been appointed at the com-
mencement of the session in reference to rail-
roads. He wished to know from his Right Honourable
Friend the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, whether the Government intended to do
anything, in order to allay the public excitement and
confusion which prevailed on this subject ?
Sir GEORGE GREY said he was not prepared to
make any statement in reference to this question.
He hoped to be able to bring forward some measure
during the present session, for the purpose of removing
some of the inconveniences complained of in the report
of the Committee lately presented to the House, which
he hoped would come into operation before the next
session.
On the motion for going into Committee of Ways and
Means.

Mr. SPOONER said that he wished to state briefly
to the House his reasons for giving his vote in support
of the proposition of Government. He thought it the
duty of a christian nation to lay aside every consideration
of profit and commercial benefit or advantage, if they
were to be purchased by anything tending to increase
the slave trade. He did not think that the proposition
of her Majesty's Government would give the least
stimulus to the slave trade ; if he thought it :would
he said he would not givehis support to the proposition.
After the very able speech of the Noble Lord the
Member for Liverpool (Lord Sandon) he would n©t
have risen to enter on the subject if the
Noble Lord the Member for Stamford had not
risen after and made an attempt to invalidate his argu-
ments. That Noble Lord bad characterised the speech
of the Member for Liverpool as one that could not be
comprehended.—(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Spooner
was of opinion that that speech was the most
concise and the most complete answ'r to all the argu-
ments on the opposite side. He said the demand for sugar
had grown till it was more than the supply. If, however,
they excluded slave-grown sugar from the market that
only opened another market for it elsewhere im-
mediately ; a greater consumption of free-labour
sugar at home was the consequence, and that
created a vacuum on the continent, which was again
supplied with slave-grown sugar. He begged they
would observe what the effect of this had been on
trade and the manufactures of this country. The trade
between this country and the Brazils was an important
trade ; but since the treaty had ceased, the Bra-
zilian Government bad raised their duties. The
merchants there bad sent over their agents to
the Continent, and there they were buying
German goods in the German markets with English
capital, and cam ing into their markets slave-labour sugar.
It was a fact which could not be disputed that their
efforts to do away with slavery had failed,
and it was therefore completely uselesss to
persevere in a system which pressed so heavily
upon the comforts of the people. Their plan had also
given the greatest offence to the Brazilians, who felt
that their interests were wholly neglected. He
was an advocate for protection, upon which he
believed was the foundation of the prosperity of the
country ; but if it were to be maintained, it should be
so as a whole, as otherwise it would be the
source of endless injustices to different parties.
The question had already been so fully debated in the
Home, that he did not hope to give any new argument
for its consideration, but he felt that it would not be
consistent with his duty to give a silent vote upon so
important a question.
Sir R. INULIS rose, and was
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
NORFOLK. CIRCUIT.---Ipswich, July 29.

Their Lordships opened the commission for this county,
the last on the circuit, yesterday afternoon' after which they
proceeded to partake of the hospitality of Sir William Mid-
dleton, at Shrublands-park. This morning the courts were
opened at twelve o'clock. There being an entry of eight
causes only on the civil court, and thirty-three prisoners on
the criminal side, Mr. Justice Williams presided in the Nisi
Prins Court, and having disposed of two undefended actions,
took next a " horse cause," which was only part heard at the
rising of his Lordship. In the
CROWN COURT.—( Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON.)
Edward Juniper and Christmas Patteson were indicted for
a highway robbery at Bungay, accompanied by violence, on
the 15th of May last_
Mr. Cooper prosecuted in this case.
From the evidence of Susan Baxter, it appeared that she
was walking quietly about the fair at Bungay, on the day
named in the indictment, when she was addressed suddenly
by the prisoners, one of whom, after a little parleying, robbed
her of her pocket-handkerchief, and then dealt her a blow
which knocked her down. Having accomplished this manly
feat, the two men quietly walked off; but the prosecutrix, on
coming to her lege, pursued, and, overtaking them, gave them
into custody on the above charge. At the close of the case
for the prosecution,
His LORDSHIP, addressing she jury, directed them to ac-
quit the prisoners of the more serious part of the charge, as
it appeared that the abstraction of the property had been
fully accomplished before the blow was struck, and the case
did not therefore amount to one of highway robbery.
When called on to make his defence, the prisoner Juniper
protested that there had not been any larceny either, for it
was all a practical joke, such as was usual at fairs, and be
accused the prosecutrix of encouraging him and others to
take the like and far more serious liberties with her on the
night in question.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON having left it to the jury to say
whether they had any doubt of the prisoner's guilt,
They, somewhat to his Lordship's surprise, returned a ver-
dict of Not Guilty.
Walter Goddard, the bill against whom for the man-
slaughter of John Brown had beenrontherro,swainoquutisbityjotnh,elgyrhaicnhd
jury, was arraigned on the
charged him with feloniously killing and slaying "a man un-
known, now here lying."
Mr. Keano appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Power
for the defence.
From the statement of the Learned Counsel for the pro-
secution,
wascu t
a m
i 0 n it appealed that the unfortunate deceased, who
'an of intemperate habits, was singing, quite drunk,
about the streets of Bury on the 15th inst., at 11 o'clock at
night, when he was overtaken by the prisoner and another
man. The prisoner either pushed or tripped up the deceased,
who fell on the pavement; but, being lifted on his legs
by his assailant, he resumed his devious course. From about
that time he was not seen again till 2 o'clock, when he was
seen by a policeman lying in a beastly and helpless state of
intoxication under the window of the Assembly-room on the
Angel-hill. Strange to say, no steps were taken by that
functionary to remove him to a place of safety; but at 9
o'clock on the following morning, when the sight of such an
object might perhaps have offended the lite, ati of Bury by
coming " between the wind and their gentility," as they r
es
paired to the reading-rooms, the poor wretch was taken to a
station-house, where medical assistance was called in, though
too late, for he died at 4 o'clock.
The Learned JUDGE, on hearing this statement, interfered,
and asked the Learned Counsel if he could trace the history
of the deceased more fully on the night in question after half-
pastii2v'elcrck, and up tol-o'clock?
&lag iaswerod is 4110 negative, .

Mr. Baron ALDERSON said, that he did not think there
was sufficient evidence to go to the jury, to connect the pri-
soner with the infliction of the injury -which led to death.
It might be that the prisoner had tripped up the deceased,
and he might then have fallen, and so have received the
blow which led to death ; but it might also be that the de-
ceased had fallen down elsewhere afterwards, or received
some other blows which might have produced the very ap-
pearances on which fhe surgical testimony was founded. He
therefore thought that the case ought not to go any further,
and, besides that, it appeared to him that the inquisition was
bad, as it stated the deceased to be a " man unknown,"
whereas he was well known.

Mr. KnASE then submitted that the finding in the in -
qui,ition referred to the period of holding that inquisition.
At that time the name of the deceased was unknown.

Mr. Baron AuntasoN—Yes, but that is not the question
now. 'The petty jury are now called on to find that the'
prisoner killed a man unknown, i.e. to them, the petty jury.
which is not the case. Under these circumstances, I shall
direct the jury to find a verdict of not guilty.
The jury, therefore, returned a verdict of Acquittal.