The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-13 00:00:00

THE AMERICAN CONGRESS.

In the sitting of the House of Representatives at
Washington on the 21st ult., Mr. Richardson, of
Illinois, moved the following resolutions :
" Resolved, That the existing war with Mexico
was just and necessary on our part, and has been
prosecuted with the sole purpose of vindicating our
national rights and honour, and of securing an
honourable peace.
" Resolved, That the rejection of our repeated
overtures of peace leaves this Government no alter-
native but the vigorous prosecution of the war, in
such manner, consistent with the law of nations, as
will make the enemy feel all its calamities and bur-
dens, and until Mexico shall agree to a just and
honourable peace, providing satisfactory indemnity in
money or territory, for past injuries, including the
expenses of the war.
" Resolved, That the amount of indemnity must
necessarily depend upon the obstinacy of the enemy
and the duration of the war." _ _

Mr. Stephens gave notice that he would offer a
proposition as a substitute, in case the question
before the House is voted down.—(Loud cries of
" Read, read.")
It was read, prefaced by a preamble, and asserted
that the war with Mexico was not waged or prose-
cuted for the purpose of conquest, or for the subju-
gation or dismemberment of that empire; and that it
is the desire of the United States that hostilities shall
terminate, on terms honourable to both parties, and
the establishment of a rightful boundary and proper
indemnity to our citizens for claims against that
country. The whole to be adjusted by negotiation,
according to the constitutional forms of each Govern-
ment respectively.
Mr. Botts—l have another—(Cries of "Read Bott's
resolution—read, read.")
The Speaker (after knocking to restore order)—
, No gentleman can present resolutions at this time as
a matter of right ; it is generally a matter of cow.-
tesy.—(Renewed cries of " Read, read," and much
anxiety visible.)
The resolutions were twelve in number ; insisting,
among other things, that the war was not brought on
by the act of Mexico, but by the President's ordering
the march of our army into the territory then in the
possession of Mexico ; that we have no right to claim
indemnity for the expenses of a war brought on by
the pet of a public functionary ; that our troops be
withdrawn to the borders of Texas, where they were
at ti.e time of annexation ; that no territory of
Mexico can he annexed to this country without in-
velvieg agitation and sectional difficulties ; that the
assertion of the doctrine that might makes right, is
the freebooter's plea and the tyrant's song ; and that,
therefore, this Government cannot insist on the dis-
memlserment of that empire as the price of peace;
that if, on the restoration of peace, necessity may
occur for gaining legal possession of a harbour in
California, we should pay for it; tied that, if it be
determined by the people that this war shall be further
prosecuted, then it becomes the duty of all parties to
support our armies, and vote money to carry it on
with energy.
Air. Thompson, of Indiana, had a very short re-
solution, and it was read—That, in the opinion of
Congress, the President of the United States should
forthwith communicate to the Government of Mexico,
that peace may be established on the following
terms :-1. The boundary between the United States
and Mexico should begin at the Gulf of Mexico,
striking the Nueces, &c. ; that the Government of
the United States will purchase to 36.30 to the Pa-
cific Ocean, to Monterey, &c., in California. [ln
consequence of the noise in the hall we could not
ascertain precisely what was meant.] And that, in
consideration of this, we should pay to Mexico such
sum of money as may be agreed on by Commis-
sioners ; that this Government shall ask no indemnity
for the expenses of the war; that as soon as a treaty
of peace shall be made our army shall be withdrawn
from Mexico, &c.
Mr. Toombs—Here is one I intend to offer.—
(Cries of " Read, read.")
It was read as follows :—" Resolved, That neither
the national honour, nor the interests of this Govern-
ment, demand the dismemberment of Mexico or its
annexation, as an indispensable condition to the
restoration of peace."—(Members were standing in
all parts of the hall.)
Mr. Van Dyke also sent up to the clerk's*table a
proposition, which was read, to the effect that the
marching of our troops to the Rio Grande was an
aggression on the part of the United States, and
produced the conflict between the two countries ;
that our armies should be withdrawn from Mexico,
and afterwards commissioners sent there to treat for
peace.
Mr. Stephens--I give notice of my intention to
debate the resolution offered by the gentleman from
Illinois. (The original submitted by Mr. Rich-
ardson.)
Mr. Botts—l move that the several propositions be
printed, and made the order of the day.
The resolutions of Mr. Richardson lie over.

IRONMASTERS' QUARTERLY MEETINGS.—WOLYER,
HAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.--The first of the usual quar-
terly meetings of the ironmastera of South Staffordshire
and Shropshire for the present year was held at Walsall
yesterday; and to-day a second took place at the Swan
Hotel, in this town. The attendance was far from
numerous, the great business being usually transacted
at the Birmingham meeting, which will be held in that
town to morrow. From the tone which pervaded the
discussions to-day, it may be asserted that in all proba-
bility prices will range during the next quarter at a
reduction of about 21. from the nominal prices fixed at
the quarterly meetings held in October last. The exten-
sive turn-out of nhe colliers, and the consequent and
increasing suspension of iron-works, may, however, have
the effect of advancing the price of some, if not all,
descriptions of iron. Stocks are said to be low, and
there appears, even amongst the manufacturers of arti-
cles for domestic use, little disposition to give orders.
COURTS-MARTIAL AT CHATHAM—Three private
soldiers, tried at this garrison by general courts-martial,
were brought out of the prison of the main guard and
received their sentences in the presence of the troops.
Private Robert Carter, of theil st Battalion Rifle Brigade,
for desertion, was sentenced to imprisonment for twelve
lunar months. Private Edward Carter, of the 89th Re-
giment, for having stolen, at Sheerness, from Ensign
Atkinson, of the 89th, a purse containing two 5/. Bank
of England notes, and a quantity of wearing apparel, be-
longing to that officer, was sentenced to two years' im-
prisonment. Private George Auld, of the 7th Dragoon
Guards, for desertion, was sentenced to two years' im-
prisonment, with hard labour. The prisoners were
removed under a military escort to the military prison,
Fort Clarence, to undergo their sentences.

MANSLAUGHTER.—Yesterday an inquest was held
at Lea Bridge, on the body of William Ives, aged 37,
labourer, whose death resulted from injuries inflicted by
Joshua Kemp and Daniel Cradgington, in a violent and
unprovoked assault upon the deceased on Christmas• Eve.
It was found, on a post mortem examination, that four
of the ribs of the unfortunate man were fractured, which
had produced adhesion of the pleura, and caused death.
At the suggestion of the Coroner the inquest was ad-
journed.

HINT TO PURCHASERS Or HOUSES. The pur-
chaser, as remarked in Mr. Hosking's new " Guide,"
must necessarily pay more for a well-built and well_
drained, than for an ill-built and undrained house, but,
buying the latter, he soon finds to his cost that he has
bought too cheaply;—the walls bulge, the floors gape
and creak; the lead on the flats and gutters, being with-
out drips, after puckering in summer, cracks in winter,
and as the snow thaws the ceilings fall; whilst the cess•
pool overflows or returns its filth to the house by the
drains which led it thither;—ho suffers in health and in
purse, and thus the public by its members suffers.—
Budder.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Jan. L 2.
MACHIN V. SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWA Y.

This case was tried at Guildhall during the last
sittings, before the Lord Chief Baron, and a verdict
entered for plaintiff for the sum of 1261. 13s. 10d.
Mr. MARTIN now moved for a rule nisi to set aside
the verdict for plaintiff, and enter same for defendant
upon the last issue. The plaintiff, it apps tired, for-
warded a bale of silk ;;,..,y the South-Wester' 'Railway
from Andover to London. The bale duly arrived at
the Nine Elms Station, and was then transferred to
Messrs. Chaplin and Horne, the carriers,, to be by
them conveyed to its destination, but was :alleged to
be stolen by one Johnson, in the employ o f Messrs.
Chaplin and Horne. The question now 'raised was
whether the company were liable to mal :e good to
the plaintiff the value of the bale, on tht. round that
it was feloniously stolen by a servant of the company.
The Learned Counsel contended that hv.; was a ser-
vant of Messrs. Chaplin and Horne, and ;not of the
company. _ _

The COURT took time to consicion
IN RE WILLIAM COBB/ITT.

Mr. Cobbett appeared to show cause agaii rst the re-
turn to a writ of habeas corpus, granted o) a. a former
day, calling upon Mr. Hudson, the keel air of the
Queen's Prison, to say why he detained Mr Cobbett
in custody. The ground of Mr. Cobbett applica-
tion was, that he was placed by the keep of the
prison under an illegal restraint, having been. removed
on the 24th December last from that portivs i of the
prison properly appropriated to prisoners co:a fined for
debt, to another part of the prison where fri udulent
debtors, and others classed as No. 1, were c onfined.
It was submitted that the removal to a pai!t of the
prison where the prisoner was subjected to i'xiereased
privation and restraint, without the authorit2r of any
competent tribunal, amounted to an escape, and en-
titled the applicant to call upon the Court toe irder his
discharge.
Mr. UNTJIANK appeared for Mr. Hud son, the
keeper of the Queen's Prison, who acted in this case
under the orders of the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, and alleged that he had :cm desire
or design to treat Mr. Cobbett harshly. 'l7.lae facts
were, that Mr. Cobbett was proceeded &gains t by his
creditors under the:compulsory clauses of du: Insol-
vent Debtors' Act, 1 and 2 Vic.,- c. 110. :He was
called upon to file his schedule in the Insolvent
Court, and having declined doing so, after :an order
made to that effect, under the regulations enade by
the Secretary of State for the government, of the
prison, he was liable to be treated as a tie udulent
debtor, and placed amongst that class of prisoners.
The keeper of the prison had no discretion, and was
bound to obey the orders of the Secretary of State,
and justified on this ground.
The Court was occupied for a considerable portion
of the day with the arguments in this matter, and
after some deliberation amongst themselves, the Barons
declared their opinions seriatim. The' Barons were
unanimously of opinion that it was no t shown there
had been an escape, and that Mr. Col )bett must be
remanded to the custody of the keeper cif the Queen's
Prison. Whether he was kept in ones part of the
prison or another was immaterial : he• was still in
the proper custody. The Lord Chief Baron, how-
ever, doubted whether the Court had any authority to
interfere with the internal regulations o f the prison,
as settled by the Secretary of State, and Mr. Baron
Platt expressed a very decided opinion that the appli-
cant ought not to be consigned to that part of the
prison appropriated to the class of fraudu lent debtors,
as no fraud was established against him. The Court
declined at present pronouncing any opini on as to the
expediency or propriety of the regulation s made by
the Secretary of State for the government of the
prison.
Mr. Cobbett was ordered to be remanded.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.
William Death, warehouseman to Mr. Ormiston,
of 26, St. Martin's-lane, commission agent, was
brought up in the custody of Daniel Forrester, upon
the charge of having embezzled money to a consider-
able amount, the property of his employer.
The prosecutor, who deals in articles of brass,
stated that it was the duty of the prisoner to sell the
articles and receive the money and pay it over to him.
At the end of December, 1847, a considerable defi-
ciency was discovered in the' stock, and the prisoner
could not give a satisfactory explanation of that defi-
ciency, and was placed in the custody of the officer.
, The prisoner said he had no objection to be re.-
mended for a week, if such was the - wish of the
prosecutor.
Mr. Ormiston said he believed that he should by
next Wednesday be prepared with evidence of the
extent of the plunder.
The prisoner was remanded accordingly.
John .lacois was charged with having robbed Mr.
Moses Jude, of Houndsditch, clothier.
David Hart, foreman to the prosecutor, stated that
the prisoner, on the 27th of December, was at the
warehouse, and that after a goon deal of hesitation on
the subject of credit, the prosecutor agreed to allow
the prisoner to take some goods upon the understand-
ing that they were to be paid for or returned on the
Monday. The prisoner went away upon receiving
the articles, but subsequently returned, and said he
had just seen " Mo " (meaning the prosecutor), and
made an arrangement that he was to have two coats,
two pairs of trousers, and three waistcoats more.
These clothes were accordingly delivered to him in
the belief that the application was sanctioned by Mr.
Jude, who, it afterwards appeared, had not given his
consent to such increased credit at all.
Mr. Buchanan, solicitor, who conducted the pro-
secution, asked the witness whether, if the prisoner
had not made the representation that Mr. Juda con-
sented, the clothes would have been given to him ?
The witness replied decidedly in the negative.
The prosecutor said he was in the habit of letting
the prisoner have goods upon terms called " sale or
return," and had supplied him with some on the 7th
of December, but the clothes which the foreman had
delivered to him were received from the stock without
the necessary authority.
The prisoner was remanded.
Mr. Wallis, a person of very respectable appearance
and address, was charged with having endeavoured to
extort the sum of2d. from Mr. Trollops, tea-dealer and
grocer, of Eastcheap.
The case was rather a curious one, for there was no
doubt of the respectability of either party.
Mr. Trollope said—The prisoner entered my shop
to buy two pennyworth of liquorice, and I said to my
little boy, who was behind the counter—" Tom, give
the gentleman a piece ofliquorice." Tom went to wrap
the liquorice in a piece of paper, but the defendant
took off the paper, and giving it to Tom, told him to
be carefail of it, put down a fourpenny-piece, and
took the change from me-2d. He then left the
shop contented. Tom returned to the business he
had been at, and so did I, when in walked the pri-
soner again, and coming over to me, said, he had
received the wrong change, as he had put down six-
pence. I at once opened the drawer in which I had
deposited the fourpenny-piece, emptied it, and showed
it to him, and it happened that there was no sixpence
at all amongst the silver in it. He, however, per-
sisted in his statement, and I referred to Tom as to
the money the man had given me. " Oh," said the
prisoner to him, " you dog, you will swear to any-
thing your master will say. I then - sent for a
policeman ; but in the policeman's presence he per-
sisted in his statement, and charged me with having
put the money out of sight, and I was determined to
bring him before your Lordship to know whether he
or I was the guilty person.
The policeman who took Mr. Wallis into custody
said, he had searched the defendant, and found upon
' him ls. 3d., and had discharged him upon his own
bail.
Mr. Wallis said, the statement of Mr. Trollope
was remarkable for the number of falsehoods it con-
tained in a small compass, and most willingly re-
ferred to the policeman, who was an unprejudiced
witness, to arbitrate between them as to the correct-
ness of their statements. He says he emptied the
all. He did nothing of the kind; and it must be
very singular, indeed, if a man who does so much
business as he does, had not sixpence in the till. I
certainly gave him sixpence, but what he did with
it I do not know. He also commits himself to a
falsehood when he says I went away. I did not
quit the shop but after I had received the change,
remembering that I had given sixpence, I turned
round and mentioned the fact. The complainant
then took it into his head to threaten and use strong
language, putting himself into an almost fightiag
attitude. I appeal to the officer as to the conduct
of both, and I must repeat again that the truth is
not in him.
The LORD MAYOR—This may be a mistake. There
are, at any rate, two to one in favour of Mr. Trol-
, lope's version ; and it opears that Mr. Wallis was
going away under the impression that he had got
his right change. I dismiss the charge, but I am of
opinion that the complainant is right.
Mr. Trollope—Very well, my Lord, I am satisfied.
I assure your Lordship that there are a great many
experiments of this kind made every day upon us, and
it is necessary to protect us.
Mr. Wallis—At all events you had the sixpence,
and I shall summon you for the twopence.—
(A laugh.)
The complainant and defendant then departed.
GUILDHALL.
Elizabeth White was brought before Sir John
Pirie, charged with assaulting Mr. Alderman Sidney,
M.P., merely because a prison is more comfortable
than a workhouse as now managed.
Mr. Alderman Sidney stated, that as he was going
up Ludgate-hill on the previous afternoon he felt a
slight blow on the hat, and on turning about he found
the prisoner was his assailant, and she gave him a
slap on the cheek. He asked her how he had given
her offence ? She sad she was in great distress ; slit

was discharged from prison on Monday and had no
place to go to, and she thought she had better com-
mit an assault on a magistrate than damage a shop-
keeper's window. He told her she must have tig
parish, which was bound to support her if she was
destitute, and he asked what parish she belonged to ?
She said she belonged to Exeten He offered to pay
her fare down to Exeter. She said she would newel,-
go back to the workhouse there; they did not treat
poor people so kindly as in prison, and she would live
in the prisons till she obtained some situation. She
had not assaulted him with the intention to injure
him, and theretbre he did not wish to press hardly
upon her; and with that observation he would leave
her in the hands of the sitting magistrate.
Sir J. PIRIE asked the prisoner what she had. to
say to this charge ?—She replied, she had nothing to
say ; the Alderman bad stated the case fairly.
Sir J. PIRIE remanded her till Saturday to con-
sider how he would dispose of the matter.
B 0 W- STREET. _ _ _

Emma Hall, as—erVant, was charged with having
attempted to commit suicide by drowning herself in
the reservoir of the Green Park.

Constable 89 C --;ta;d that he saw the young
woman jump into the reservoir opposite Piccadilly
about nine o clock in the morning. lie procured a
pole, and succeeded, after she bad disappeared twice
from the surface of the water, in dragging her to
the bank and then taking her out of the water. -de
conveyed her, in a very exhausted state, to the work-
house in Mount-street, where the usual restorati:ves
were effectually applied.
It appeared that the defendant, who had got into
bad company, having taken a situation in a house
in Curzon-street which turned out to be a bro-
thel, formed the resolution to destroy herself when-
ever she could get out upon an errand.
The mother of the young woman was sent for. She
appeared greatly distressed by the occurrence, and
implored the magistrate to procure her, if possible,
the shelter of some charitable asylum, as she was
herself, being 87 years of age, wholly unable to ren-
der her any assistance.
It transpired, out of the court, that the old woman
was, formerly, for twenty-five years, the laundress at
the Chambers of Mr. Twyford, the late magistrate at
this court, then a student and resident in the Middle
Temple.
By the recommendation of Mr. HENRY the de-
fendant was received into an asylum for servants.