The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-26 00:00:00

•

'THE SUN, LONDON,, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 26, 1848.

CRIMINAL-COURT.-(THIS DAY.)
OLD COURT.

(Before Mr. Baron PLATT and Mr. Alderman Gums.)

His Lordship took his seat upon the bench at ten o'clock.
Robert (2)oree, aged 24, and described as a tailor, was
placed in the dock upon an indictment charging him with
having unlawfully, in the presence and hearing of divers
subjects of our Lady the Queen, uttered and pronounced, of
and concerning the present state of Ireland and the Govern-
ment of this realm, divers wicked, scandalous, and seditious
words, tending to inflame the minds and alienate from our
said Lady the Queen the affections of her subjects, and to
incite them to tumult and insurrection against the said Go-
vernment.
The Attorney-General, Mr. Welsby, Mr. Bodkin, and Mr.
Clarke appeared for the prosecution, and the prisoner was
defended by Mr. Parry.
The ArrouNEY.GENERAr, in his opening, said as
many of the jury were present during the trials,
'yesterday, it would be unnecessary for him to trouble them
with any lengthened statement upon the law as applicable to
the charge against the prisoner. Upon this occasion the se-
ditious language would be proved, not by a short-hand writer,
but by a policeman who attended to watch the proceedings,
and who wrote down the words immediately after he left the
meeting. The trade of the prisoner was that of a journeyman
tailor, living in Orchard-street, Camden-town, and he was a
member of a confederate a,sociation which was established
for the purpose of co-operating with the confederate clubs in
Ireland. There could be no doubt about his connexion with
that society, as a card of membership was found in his pos-
session. It was headed by the motto "every man to have
his own country," and stated that " Robert Crowe, on the
26th April, 1848, was duly admitted a member of the associa-
tion," and was signed " Thos. Halket, Sec." An address was
also found upon his premises, which was signed by
himself, and which would show what description
of person he was. In one portion of it he said he had no
mercy for the aristocracy, who were nothing :but the de-
scendants of a set of robbers and thieves who some centuries
ago overran this country. The meeting at which the pri-
soner was charged with uttering seditious words was held at
the Chartist Assembly Rooms, in Dean-street, Soho, and
there were about 200 persons present. The policeman, whom
he should call before them, heard some one read the following
expression from a newspaper—"To hell with the Queen,"
and it was received with general approbation by the people
present. The words which were used by the prisoner, and
which were afterwards written down by the policeman, were
as follow :—" The late insurrection in Paris has shown how
easily a crown may be crumbled. Now is the time
to be brave, and the game is yours. I do not care
for thoseA persons present who wear other people's
clothes. I don't care if what I say is criminal.
I, for my own part, will do all in my power next
week to put a stop to trade, and to urge the Irish in
London to rebellion." The Attorney-General commented
upon the effect and tendency of those words upon the ex-
citable meeting which the prisoner was addressing, and con-
cluded by briefly referring to the law on the subject.
Reuben Brothers, police-constable, proved attending the
meeting on the 31st July last, at 83, Dean-street, Soho. He
attended in plain clothes. There were between 150 and 200
persons present, who appeared to consist chiefly of working
men and the lower order of Irish. The meeting took place
about eight o'clock in the evening. Heard some one read
something from a newspaper; the expression was " to hell
with the Queen," which was received with loud cheers, and
immediately after that saw the prisoner, who was
on a raised platform or table. He addressed the meeting,
Witness paid attention to him, but did not take a note of
what he said because he would have been observed doing so
in the room. About three hours afterwards he reduced
what he recollected being uttered by the prisoner to writing,
and it was to the effect that the late insurrection in Paris
had shown how easy a Crown might be crumbled ; that the
time had now come for action, and the game was theirs ; and
that he would do all in his power during the ensuing week
to put a stop to trade, and urge the Irish in London to re-
bellion.
Cross-examined by Mr. PARRY—He had been present at
the meeting about twenty minutes before the prisoner spoke.
He did not.do as Government reporters had always done an-
nounce he was there for the purpose of reporting the speeches.
The meetingwas inconveniently crowded, but there was room
for oi her persons. The prisoner might have spoken for half an
hour, but he would not swear positively as to that. Did
not hear the whole of the speech, and only
selected those portions which ho considered were the
strongest. Had only been in the police force about six months
from the present time. Previously to entering the police he
was a druggist's assistant, and received in that capacity 201.
a year and his living. His pay in the police was 16s. Bd. a
week. His father was an undertaker and a Yeoman of the
Guard, and he lived with him about a twelvemonth before
entering the police and assisted him in his business, being
then out of a situation. He was originally apprenticed to a
jeweller. Had never followed any other occupation than that
of a druggist, an undertaker, and a jeweller. He made an
application for a situation in the police a fortnight before he
was appointed.
Sergeant Gray said he arrested the prisoner in Archer-street,
Camden-town, when he told him he took him into custody
on a charge of speaking sedition at a meeting on the previous
Monday. The prisoner said he expected it. In the front
parlour he found a card which he produced. It was a card
of membership in the Confederate Association. He saw the
prisoner pass a paper to a female, whom he believed to be
his sister, and he (witness) made her give it up; and that
was the paper he now produced.
W. Davis proved that the prisoner occupied the house
in which the paper and card in question were found. The
card was produced, numbered 7,154, and contained the prin-
ciples on which the Confederation was based, the fundamen-
tal one being the unalienable right of the Irish people to
have a domestic legislature.
On the paper or address being offered in evidence,
Mr. PERRY objected, on the ground that it did not apply
to the charge against the prisoner, as it contained no allu-
sion to the speech in question, and might have been written
subsequently to its delivery.
His Lonnsinr, however, over-ruled the objection. and the
Clerk of the Arraigns read the document, which extended
over several pages of folio paper, the composition being of a
very loose and declamatory description.
Sergeant Beresford, of the C division, proved that the wit-
ness Brothers brought him the report of the prisoner's
speech the morning after the meeting.
This being the case for the prosecution,
Mr. PARRY said he had to submit to his Lordship that the
case on the part of the Crown had not been made out; and
he did not do so on vague general principles, but upon the
authority of a case decided by Lord Ellenborough. In the
present indictment the s, hole words alleged to have been
uttered by the prisoner were set down as having been spoken
continuously and consecutively, but the evidence showed
that the report which had been made by the policeman was
composed of disjointed sentences. Now he had a book,
which was edited by the Attorney-General and his colleague,
Mr. Welsby, and which said, that if parts of a publication
were selected the indictment should run thus " in certain
parts of the said speech certain false and seditious words had
been uttered," and "in certain other parts of the said
speech, &c.," so that if the words in the indictment
were not uttered continuously, they ought to be so set forth.
It was evident that the prisoner said a great deal between
those sentences which were attributed to him. In support
of his argument the Learned Barrister quoted the case of
Tabbard v. Tipper, which was tried before Lord Ellenborough,
and submitted that his Lordship ought to direct the jury to
find a verdict of not guilty.
Mr. Baron PLATT over-ruled the objection for the present,
and directed Mr. Parry to proceed with his defence, but at
the same time promised to take the matter into his consider-
ation, and give his decisson on Monday.
Mr. PARRY then rose to address the jury on the part of the
prisoner.
(Tho trial had not concluded when our report left.)

NEW COURT.

Before the COMMON SERGEANT and Mr. Alderman LAW-

RENCE. )

John Smith, 28, described in the calendar as a labourer,
but who, disliking the vulgar cognomen of Smith, had passed
himself off as Lord Barnard, Lord George Bentinck, and
Lord Alfred Harvey, for the purpose of the better enabling
him to lighten certain ladies of easy virtue of their super-
fluous jewellery, was indicted with stealing a watch, value
Si., the property of Emily Farrar, in her dwelling-house.
It appeared from the statements of the prosecutrix that
she was a lady of easy virtue, and resided in Wardour-street.
That in the early part of the present month the prisoner met
her in the street, represented himself to be Lord Barnard,
went to her house, took tea with her, stopped with her an
hour, and then deliberately marched off with her watch, as
he said, to get it repaired.
Mr. HUDDLESTONE addressed the jury for the prisoner,
contending that no felony had been committed, inasmuch as
there had been no subsequent conversion.
The COMMON SERGEANT summed up, and
The jury, after a short consultation, found the prisoner
Guilty.

The prisoner was again indicted with stealing a ring, value
205., the property of Hannah Fescher, a French lady of easy
virtue, who at the time of the robbery resided in Jermyn-
street, but who now lived at 6, King-street, St. James's.
From the statement of the prosecutrix it appeared that
early in the present month the prisoner called upon her in
Jermyn••street. She had then a ring on her finger which the
prisoner admired, and asked her whether she would not like
zt diamond one better, to which she replied that she should.
tie represented himself to the prosecutrix as Lord Alfred
Harvey, took the ring off her finger, and said he would send
a diamond ring for it by his footman the next day.
The prisoner was Acquitted on this charge.
The CommoN SERGEANT sentenced the prisoner to ten
years' transportation.

EAST INDIA.—The home accounts of the East
India Company have been printed by command of the
House of Commons. It appears that the receipts, from the
Ist of May, 1837, to the 30th of April, 1848, amounted to
4,796,9711., and the disbursements to 4,069,215/. ; leaving a
balance in favour, on the 30th of April, of 727,755/. The
estimated receipts for the year ending the 30th of April,
1849, amount to 4,725,256,., and the disbursements to
4,378,1391.; leaving a balance in favour of 347,1171. The
aggregate revenues of the Indian empire appear to hare
amounted in the years 1846-47, to 18,400,485 Company's
rupees, and the charges to 18,965,615 rupees; leaving a
deficiency of 565,130 Company's rupees. In 1845.46, the
revenues were 17,812,419 rupees, and the charges
19,307,795 rupees; leaving a deficiency of 1,495,376 rupees.
The gross total amount of the public debts of India was,
on the 30th of April, 1846, 38,992,734/. (41,59,22,492
rupees), and the interest thereon, 1,839,729/. (or 1,96,24,453
rupees).
ROYAL ORTHOPXDIC HOSPlTAL.—Yesterday the
half-yearly general court of the governors of this institution,
established in 1840, was held at the hospital, 6, Bloomsbury-
square, Mr. Quarles Harris in the chair. The following are
inst.:—ln-patients
set
.I
n- n
statisticslaot the hospital m
ad admitted, 7
efor t 9; oh e
ut-p
half-yearatin e ending
2t; total,
h e t h
741. The number of patients admitted since the formation
of the institution is 7,423. Three new beds have been
opened, making altogether 36, and there are upwards of
240 persons waiting to be admitted, the funds being inade-
quate to furnish further accommodation. The Rev. George
Kemp, M.A., chaplain, has accepted the office of honorary
secretary.
THE ORLEANS FAMILY.—The Countess of Neuilly
having applied to the Lords of the Treasury for permission
to import from Antwerp, free of duty, some sacred vest-
ments which she wished to present to her Roman Catholic
priest, and intended to be used by him solely for devotional
purposes, the revenue authorities have been informed by Sir
Charles Trevelyan, one of the secretaries to the Treasury,
that he has been commanded by their Lordships to desire
them to permit the admission of the vestments duty free, as
requested, provided they do not exceed in quantity the num-
ber which Roman Catholic clergymen are usually permitted
to import without payment of duty in their baggage on their
first arrival in this country.
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic for
the week ended Aug. 19, 2,212/. 13s. 7d.; Post-office,
for conveyance of mails, and toll from Shrewsbury and
Chester liadway Company, not included.

At ilamburgh the want of employment for money
is more than ever perceptible, the rate of discount being now
quoted at Phi per cent. Unfavourable anticipations regarding
oar harvest still cause a tendency to depression in the ex-
change on London.