The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-04 00:00:00

MURDER.

To-morrow is fixed for the trial of Captain Johnstone for
murder on the high seas. The ..A.ttorney-General, Mr.
Bodkin, and Mr. Clarke, prosecute; and Mr. Jervis, with
Mr. Huddlestone, are engaged for the defence.
Mary Ann Flood was found guilty of uttering a counter-
feit half-crown.—Sentence deferred.

IV hll7 COURT.
(Before the COMMON-SERGEANT.)
John Best, a working man, was indicted for stealing 10
lbs. of solder, value 45., the croperty of John Kelk, builder,
Vauxhall, on the-15th of January.
John Harley 'said he was a clerk to Mr. Kelk, and was on
the premises on the day in question, when the prisoner came
down with the plumber, Watling, to take some lead up to
the job at King-street, St. James's. He had his suspicion
excited by the manner of the prisoner, as he came down from
the plumbing shop supporting his jacket pocket, and evi-
dently: concealing something in it with Lis arm. He there-
fore laid hold of Lim and asked him what he had got there.
It was a bar of solder, be said, which was booked. He had
him taken back to the shop were he threw down the bar and
begged to be forgiven, and said the plumber had told him to
take it. Harley said nothing was allowed to go from the
premises without an order, and the prisoner knew that.

John Edwards said he ;vasj\ir. kclk's foreman at the job
in King- street, and sent Wading .on that day for lead, and
afterwards ordered the prisoner to go and help him. There
was no order given for solder, and no need for it at the job.
Charle3 Watling said he was a plumber, working at the
job in -King-street, and went to the premises in Vauxhall for
lead. The prisoner came to help him. lie did not order
him to take solder, and when the prisoner took it he was two
hundred yards distant from the shop. The prisoner was deaf,
and had occasionally mistaken his orders.
Mr. Ballantine conducted the case. Mr. Payne ad-
dressed the jury for the prisoner, and called witnesses to
character.

The jury found him guilty, but recommended him to
mercy. He was sentenced to foul' months imprisonment and
hard labour.

James Scott, George Collins, Thomas Robertson, and John
James Williams, all lads about sixteen years of age, were in-
dicted for stealing various articles of wearing apparel from
the brig " William," at present lying in the Thames, on the
Ist of February, 1846.
George Henderson, the master of the brig, said he was
roused between one and two o'clock on Sunday morning by
the police. He found that a waistcoat, coat, and trousers
were gone, which had been safe in the cabin on Saturday
evening. He identified the articles in Court.
John Innes, mate, said he was aroused at the same time,
and found several articles belonging to him missing. He
took the prisoner Collins in a barge alongside, and saw Scott
in a lighter lying near his vessel.
John Armour, a seaman on board the William, said he
found Robertson and Williams in the after-hold of the ship.
They were put into the cabin, and given over to the police,
but Collins and Robertson refused to go until they got their
shoes. Their aloes were found in a skiff, and Collins's hat
in a coal -barge alongside.
Policeman 37 of the Thames force, said he heard a noise
as of a boat moving about, and suspected there might be
thieves. He pulled off with his boat mate, Gregory, and
found a hat in a coal-barge, lying off the brig William. In
consequence of this he got aboard the brig, and roused the
crew. When they had got lights, they found Williams in
the after-hold of the brig, and took him down to the cabin..
John Gregory, one of the Thames force, said he found the
shoes in a skiff, which were claimed by Collins and Robertson.
The inspector of the Thames force said, he asked Robert-
son and Collins why they had put off their shoes. They
said they had done so to go a shoring.
Mr. BALLANTINE addressed the jury for the prisoner
Williams.

The jury found them all Guilty, and Collins was found to
bare been convicted of felony on a previous occasion.

The COURT sentenced Williams to six months' imprison-
ment and hard labour ; Scott and Robertson, as they were
known to the police by various petty convictions, were sen-
tenced to 12 months' imprisonment and hard labour; and
Collins, alias Donolly, on account of his previous conviction,
was sentenced to seven years' transportation.
Collins wished his Lordship might remain where he was
till he came back.

The COMMON. SERGEANT called him back, and said he had
made a mistake; the law left him no option, the period
could not be less than ten years; he therefore sentenced him
to ten years' transportation.

IMPERIAL PARLIA MENT.

(THIS DAY.).

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The House met at Twelve o'clock.
Mr. BARRY BALDWIN moved that there be an intruc-
tion to the Committee on the petition of the Irish Great
Western Railway Bill to entertain the petition of the Midland
Great Western Company of Ireland, and James Malley, Da-
niel Desmond, and James Malley, James Gaynor and James
Maley, notwithstanding, that the same may not have been
presented three clear days before the meeting of such Com-
mittee.
After a slight discussion, _ _

Mr. CHRISTIE moved as an amendment that such peti-
tion should be entertained. provided it should appear that
they were in the possession of the Parliamentary agent, and
would have been presented on the Friday if the House met
on that day.

Sir 5. GRAHAM said that he had always understood the
order and practise of the House to be, that if the parties were
ready to present the petition on the day on which the House
adjourned, the adjournment would be considered no obstacle.
Mr. lIODGSON said that his Hon. Friend the Member for
Cumberland, was at that time sitting in a Committee on the
Irish Great Western Bill, and it would certainly be strange
to remove the Bill out of his Hon. Friends Committee.
There was no reason to suppose that the Bill would be
opposed, and such a proceeding would certainly be at
variance with the decision already given. He for one should
vote against it.
Mr. FITZSTEPHEN FRENCH said that if an Hon.
Member pledged his word of honour that he had a petition
in his possession on or before the day of adjournment, then
such adjournment would be no obstacle to its presentation to
the Committee to which it might be referred.
Mr. ESCOTT said, that it seemed to be admitted on all
hands that the petition would have been presented if the
House had sat on Friday.—(Cries of " No, no.") At least
it was the first time he had heard that proposition denied ;
and if the petition had really been ready, he saw no obstacle
to its presentation.
After a few words from Mr. E. BULLER,
The House divided, when there appeared:—

For the amendment ._

Against it ....

39

Jlajority —3 3
The original motion was then negatived without a division.
LANCASHIRE AND NORTH YORKSHIRE RAILWAY.
Mr. 0. DUNCOMBE presented a petition for leave to
bring in the Lancashire and North Yorkshire Railway Bill.

HULL AND SELBY RAILWAY.
Mr. HUDSON presented a petition for leave to bring in
this Bill.

SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.
A petition was presented by an Hon. Member in favour of
the Bill.

CORNWALL RAILWAY.
A petition was also presented in favour of the Bill for
this line.

SHREWSBURY AND HALIFAX RAILWAY.
A petition in favour of the Bill for this line was presented.

LINCOLN RAILWAY.
A petition in favour of the Bill for this line, from the Cor-
poration of Lincoln, was also presented.
THE MILITIA.

Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from a town in
Middlesex against the enrolment of the militia.
THE CORN-LAWS.

Captain PECHELL presented a petition from the inhabi-
tants of a town, the name of which we could not catch, for
the total and immediate repeal of the corn-laws.
EMPLOYMENT OF THE IRISH POOR DURING THE