The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-20 00:00:00

THE BOWYER GALLERY.

The dealing out of the shares of Mrs. Parkes' last
grand subscription fbr the purchase of the Bowyer
Collection of Works of Art, amounting to the value of
80,0001, took place yesterday morning at Exeter Hall in
the presence of a very numerous company. The agents
appointed for the occasion were accomodated with tables
in the body of the hall, and the whole of the proceedings
were conducted with every possible fairness and im-
partiality, under the superintendence of Mrs. Parkes.
The highest portion is valued at 3,100 guineas, and
consists of the celebrated Bowyer Bible ; and the value
of the lowest portion is one guinea and a half. It will
be some days before the names of the lucky individuals
who have been fortunante enough to obtain the highest
prizes will be known.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.

EMBEZZLEMENT.—Joseph Pickering, a middle aged
man, very respectably connected, was convicted of em-
bezzling various sums of money belonging to his em-
ployers, Messrs. Pilcher and Co., of Tooley-street, and
was sentenced to twelve months' hard labour.
THE CHARTIST PRISONERS.

Joseph illiams, who looked somewhat paler and
more downcast than he did before his incarceration,
having been placed at the bar,
Mr. BALLANTINE said—With respect to the case of
Joseph Williams, a prisoner now in Newgate, I have to
apply to the Court to reduce the bail from two sureties
of 1001. each to 501. each, which latter sum the prisoner,
who is one of the humbler classes, will be able to ob-
tain.
The RECORDER—What is his offence?

Mr. BALLANTINE—He is charged with having uttered
seditious words, and with having disturbed the public
peace.

The RECORDER—Why was not this application made
before the magistrate who committed the prisoner ?
Mr. BALLANTINE—Because since his committal
be has not been able to procure bail in the required
amount; he is therefore compelled now h© is in
Newgate to make this application to the Court. A
similar application has been made to y our Lordship with
respect to the other defendants.
The RECORDER—Have you given notice?
Mr. BODKIN said a similar application had been made

to the Court with respect to a person Lamed Vernon who
was charged with the same offence as the prisoner at
the bar. He did not wish to impugn the decision of the
magistrate with respect to the amoirast of the bail he
felt it his duty under the circumstances to require, but
having looked at the affidavit of the prisoner, ho con-
fessed it raised a reasonable probability that the
prisoner was not able to find the bail already
specified. On the part of the Crown, therefore, ho was
not instructed to oppose the application, provided
a reasonable time were allowed for inquiring into the va-
lidity of the sureties.
The RECORDER—I wish to be understood, in yielding
to the application, that I do so the more readily since it
has received the consent of the prosecution ; but
in doing so I have no wish to impugn the
decision of the magistrate in the course which he
felt it his duty to take. It is only necessary that the
amount of bail should be sufficient to render it certain
that the person for whom it is given will be produced at
the trial; but, on the other hand, it ought not to be so
excessive as to operate as no bail at all, being of
becoming
magista.t
, amount which will virtually keep the persons charged
in custody. But if the persons sought to become bail
serious in
became apprehensive of the consequences, and declined
dering its bail, they had no one save themselves to blame.
The
a matter of this description, consi-
isuatiaesdn.ature to the public feeling at the time,
therefore accede
was quite
with respect
to
oitnhrequiring the bail he did. I shall
The RECORDER,
application
hiorespect to the case of Alexander
Sharpe, en the a
of Mr. RonisisosT, acceded to
the same amount of bail.
4
John Fussell having been
at the bar,
Mr. ROBINSON made a similar placed
afPrication on behalf of
Wort jeweller whose
this defendant, and in support
i,
stating that the defendant was a o
ort read an affidavit,
we9k and that
average wages did not exceed 50s.
from his station in life he was unable
to n,_ two par-
ties competent to become bail for him iu 1501. each and
that if it was reduced to 50/. each he could procure ' bail
to that amount. His case did not differ from the others.
Mr. BODKIN said the case differed from the others.
His wages were high, and therefore there were not the
same grounds for supposing that the defendant could not
obtain the required bail ; the affidavit did not besides
state that the defendant was unemployed. He was
bound to say, after reading the depositions, that his
offence differed from the others, and therefore he could
not on the part of the Crown consent to the application:
Tne RECORDER said if a person could find responsible
bail, that was a reason for its reduction. Those who
now found that they could not obtain the required bail
shoull have considered what they were doing before
[hey placed themselves in the position they now stood;
but there was another mode of meeting this—taking
the same amount of bail, but in smaller sums, secured
by a greater number of persons.—(The Recorder here
devoted some time to a perusal of the depositions.)
Mr. ROBINSON said he was not aware that the de-
fendant was in a condition to obtain greater bail than
two persons in 751. each. The only thing in which his
case differed from the others was this—that ho did not
swear he had been out of employment for some time.
The RECORDER suggested that four sureties in 501.
each might be acceptable.
Mr. ROBINSON said, two in 75/. or three in 501. would
be nearer the defendant's means.

The RECORDER said, he should require bail in 2001.
altogether ; that was four in 501. each. Ido not, he
said, wish to prejudice the future inquiry
which will take place into this case, but
I may say this—(looking sternly at the prisoner,
an intelligent, gentlemanly-looking young man, who
stood perfectly unmoved in the dock, and whose de-
meanour was most respectful to the Coirt)—that if the
offence charged against the prisoner is proved it looks to
me like something else—a far higher crime. Ido not
know for what he is indicted, but this is my impression
from the depositions.