The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-27 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Nov. 25,
(Sittings in 135 nu.)
CIIM. cuu.—PRATT V. FLETCHER.

This usrr will doubtless be fresh in the recollection of
our Fowlers. pLiatiff is a clerk in the Custom-
Irtuse, and the defendant a surgeon. The action was
brought to recover compensation in damages for criminal
conversation with the plaintiff's wife. The jury found
for the plaintiff, damages 8001.
Mr. I.lumFays this afternoon moved for a rule calling
upon the plaintiff to show cause why the verdict should
not be set aside, on the ground that the wife was not a
person of good character before her marriage. The
Learned Counsel supported his motion by the affidavits
of a hairdresser, who set forth certain matters tending
to favour that impression.
The Court granted the application.
MR. BARBER'S CASE.—It i 3 understood that Mr.
Barber will not apply to be allo•.vcd to practise as Al
attorney until next term.

POLICE INTELLIG ENCE.
MANSION-ROUSE.
RACING SWEEPS.—Aidennan Wilson waited upon the
Lord Mayor on the subject of racing lotteries, subscrip-
tions, and Derby sweel.s, the recent decision of the City
magistrates not having operated quite so extensively as
they had contemplated.
Tire ALDERMAN stated that, notwithstanding the con-
viction of Mr. Willis before Sir Peter Laurie and him-
self, and the confirmation of that conviction at the Lon-
don Sessions, the " sweeps " were still craried on, and to
can extent of which his Lordship could scarcely form any
idea, the offenders being some of them publicans, and
some persons engaged in other businesses. He hid
found it necessary in his own ward, in the spring of the
year, to intimate and to manifest his determination to
prevent so injurious and demoralizing a practice, by
refusing to renew a license to a person who held a
" sweep " in his house until he had a satisfactory srcu-
rity that there would be no repetition of the offence.
That hint had been taken, and the sweep was accord-
ingly put an end to, and the license renewed. The pub-
lican's solicitor had undertakers that no more Derby
sweeps or lotteries should be held in the house. It ap-
peared, however, that the party who had been conduct-
ing that lottery had removed his business from the ward
if Castle-Baynard to a place at a short distance outside
Temple-bar, and had printed circulars to the following
effect:—
" E. Appleton, begs respectfully to inform his friends
and the public that, in consequence of Alderman Wil-
son's continued perseverance to put down all lotteries or
raffles in his ward, Mr. Watts, of the Fleece Tavern,
Doctors'-commons, has entirely relinquished drawing
sweeps. E. A. has therefore been induced, by the num-
ber of applications made by those who are averse to such
dogmatical interference, to continue drawing at --.
Country subscribers may rely upon having their interests
attended to with the same integrity as if they were
present at the drawing. E. A., in conjunction with Mr.
Watts, returns his thanks to his late patrons during Mr.
Watts' sporting career."
One of these circulars had been transmitted to him
(Alderman Wilson)sfrom a large manufacturer in a dis-
tant town, by whom between 700 and 800 men were em-
ployed, in a letter, of which the following is a copy :
" Sir,—We take the liberty of calling your attention
to the enclosed Sweep Advertisement.' We accidently
discovered it in possession of the party to whom it is
addressed, a common labourer in our employ. From
what we can discover, it appears that parties in London
are constantly sending similar circulars with a view to
deprive poor ignorant persons of a portion of their earn-
ings ; and we feel particularly glad to hear, from this
circular, of Alderman Wilson's continued perseverance
to put down all lotteries and raffles in his ward.
" Mr. Alderman Wilson."
In another letter, received from the partners in the same
house, it was stated that the labourer who had received
the circular had about 18;. a week wages, and that an-
other of their labourers had received a similar invita-
tion to join; that the Is. was previously sent to Joseph
Watts, Fleebe Tavern, Doctors'-commons, London, to
whom "E. Appleton" professed to be the successor in
the sweep business, and that the employers did not
know to what extent the system had been at work
amongst their workpeople. Thus, the conductors of
" sweeps" in London, not content with having tried the
experiment of violating the laws in London, seemed re-
solved to pursue the course which they had so recklessly
commenced through the country, notwithstanding the
decided tone in which high law authorities had spoken,
and the peremptory judgment of the magistracy.
The LORD MATOI2 said he was ready to adopt any
course most likely, in the opinion of the City Solicitor,
to put an end to the practice.
Alderman WILSON said, he thought it would be ad-
visable, now that the magistrates in the city had esta-
blished the illegality of the " little goes," to send the
papers he had received to the Secretary of State, in
order that the Attorney-General might deal with them
as might be considered most expedient. He had also
received' several circulars which had been issued from a
place in the' Strand called the " Racing-office, at which
it was evident the " sweeps" were carried on in the most
open manner and in direct contempt of the law. (Ele
here produced several printed bills, detailing the parti-
culars of the lottery transactions he was denouncing.) To
an emporium like that which he had alluded to he thought
it most important that the notice of the Law Officers of
the Crown should be drawn, as the magistrates had no
power to interfere ; but with respect to the licensed vic-
tuallers of the city of London, he hoped the aldermen
would cause a circular to be sent to them, giving assur-
ance that in no case in which a " sweep" was sanctioned
should a license he granted. He had been given to un-
derstand by Sir Peter Laurie that the magistrates of
Middlesex had come to that determination, and he con-
sidered it but just to the respectable members of the
trade who had conformed to the law_and been defrauded
of their fair share of business by the disreputable, that
the utmost support should be yielded them by the magis•
tracy. He regretted to say that the necessity for imme-
diate activity was the greater, as there were several
public-houses in the City in which " sweeps " were
continued.
The LORD MAYOR said, he was obliged by the com-
munication made to him by Alderman Wilson on a sub-
ject which had excited such grave interest throughout
the country. It was certainly extraordinary that after
the decisions already come to, and the distinctly avowed
opinion of the Attorney-General, that "sweeps" were
illegal, there should be any person so rash as to sanction
practices of the kind ; and he should consult the City
Solicitor as to the legal propriety of issuing
notices of the description alluded to by Alderman-
Wilsor. It was to be lamented that the sinister inge-
nuity of the " sweep " managers had been pointed to
the workmen in manufactories, in particular at a time
when it was most difficult for a labourer to get bread for
his family. Independent of its demoralizing tendency,
the injustice to which it most exposed all honest pub-
licans was to be deplored, and, as chief magistrate, he
should consider himself bound to make every exertion of
which he was capable to prevent the injurious continu-
ance of the system.
Alderman WILSON said it had been ascertained that
'n many of these "sweeps," if an individual not be-
longing to a particular clique happened to turn up a
prize, he was robbed of it under the pretence that he
had a wrong number. He thought that information
would be likely to operate with many, but with those
who were induced to frequent public. houses upon the
xpectation of " Derby advantages," nothing short of
actual want was calculated to have any effect.
SOUTHWARK.
James Lipsham, a respectable-looking young man,
was charged with stealing several sweepstakes tickets,
and being concerned with others in conspiring to de-
fraud Mr. Harris, the landlord of the Equestrian Tavern,
out of various 'sums of money by unlawfully possess-
ing himself of sweepstakes tickets belonging to other
persons.
In June last the prisoner, with two others named
Worster and Miles, were examined at this court for the
offence cited. The magistrate admitted them to bail to
answer any indictment that might be preferred against
thew at the Old Bailey sessions. In the course of the
August sessions Mr. Harris preferred an indictment,
when the grand jury found a true bill agiinst Worster
and Lipsham, and bench warrants were instantly issued
for their apprehension. They both absconded, however,
but Worster was taken in October last, and the prisoner
Lipsham endeavoured to keep out of the way, but, after
considerable difficulty, ho was apprehened on the. pre-
vious night.
In answer to:the Magistrate, Mr. Harris said that in
June last the prisoner was his clerk, and had the charge
of all the tickets connected with the Derby sweeps then
held in his house. He took some letters to the post on
Friday evening, and did not return until Monday,
during which time 61. 13s. had been obtained by Worster
on a sweepstakes ticket, which Lipsham had improperly
taken away. Another ticket for 51. 14s. was presented,
but witness knowing it had been stolen, detained it, and
sent the party who brought it about his business. About
the same time one of the waiters belonging to the Coal
Hole Tavern, close by, came into his house and produced
the ticket for the 100/. prize, asserting that the gentle-
man to whom it belonged waain his master's house and
wanted the money. He (Mr. Harris) knowing that it
had been taken away in the same way as the others, di-
rected the waiter to send iu the gentleman, and then
Miles made his appearance as. the owner. Witness
gave the latter into custody, and a few days afterwards
he received information that the ticket belonged to'a
gentleman at Winchester, who had sent it up for the
cash.
The prisoner said he could prove his innocence ; but
the Magistrate toil hire that, as the case now sto he
was bound to commit him to Newgttc for trial.—Com-
mitted accordingly.

ST.TAUL'B, COYENT-GARDEN.-011 Saturday, the
25th inst., at ten o'clock in the merning, the Rev. Henry
'Hutton, M.A., son of the late General Hutton', of the
Royal Artillery, grandson of the eminent mathematician,
and late incumbent of Woburn, was inducted' to Vie
rectory of St. Paul's, Covent-garden, by the Rev. P. C.
Nicholson, 8.D., who had charge of the parish during
the interregnum. After the usual forms of induction,
Mr. Hutton was warmly congratulated' by' the church-
wardens, Messrs. Salter, Spice, and Ashcraft. The ap-
pointment of Mr. Hutton to this important parish refke4s
great credit upon the Duke of Bedford. Mr. Hutton
has come to his new parish with the highest testimonials
for fidelity and usefulness at his late cure, where he has
diligently laboured for the space of 14 years.
THE EDINBURGH CHARTISTS.—On Saturday, in
the High Court of Justiciary, judgment was given on the
objection raised against the validity of the verdict in the
case of the Chartists—Henry Ranken and Robert Ha-
milton. The Lord Justice Clerk, Lords Mackenzie,
Moncreiff, Medvvyn, and Wood decided against the ob-
jection; Lord Cockburn alone being in favour of it. The
verdict was, therefore, held to be good, and the priso-
ners wete'sentenced to be imprisoned fora period of four
months. • •