The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-19 00:00:00

ITALY.

The Concordia, of Turin, of the 14th, says that
VINCENT GIOBERTI has been charged by the KING
with the formation of a new Ministry.
The Corriere Mercantile, of the 13th instant, says
that persons worthy of credit write from Rome, that
a counter-revolution was feared in that city.
Letters from Vienna of the 14th state, that a
Russian fleet had appeared off Trieste for the
purpoee of aiding the Austrians in the blockade of
Venice. This rumour stands in need of confirmation,
but if true, it cannot but produce a bad effect, as
the Russians are to the full as unpopular in Austria
as they are in every other European state.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

FURTHER PROROGATION OF
PARLIAMENT.

This being the day to which Parliament stands pro-
rogued, their Lordships met for the purpose of fur-
ther proroguing it till the Ist of February next, upon
which day it is to meet for the dispatch of business.
Shortly after two o'clock the Lord Chancellor, Lord
Langdale, and Lord Campbell took their seats below
the Throne, robed as Lords Commissioners, for the
purpose of further proroguing the Parliament.
Mr. Pulman, the Deputy-Usher of the Black Rod,
was then desired by their Lordships to sum-
mon the Commons to the bar to hear the
Commission for proroguing the Parliament read, and
in a few minutes Mr. H. Ley, accompanied by several
officers of the House, and only a single Member,
the Hon. Mr. Campbell, appeared at the bar.
The Commission for proroguing the Parliament
having been read by the Chief Clerk at the table,

The LORD CHANCELLOR, in her Majesty's
name, and by her Majesty's command, declared the
Parliament prorogued to Thursday, the Ist of February►
to be then holden, and it was prorogued accordingly.

CRIMINAL. COURT.—(THIS DAY.)
OLD COURT.
(Before the RECORDER.)
PERJURY.—NeIson Grant, who was formerly in the
police force, surrendered to his bail to take his trial
upon an indictment charging him with wilful and corrupt
perjury before the Lord Mayor on the 2d of Nov. last.
The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty to the charge.
Mr. Rolinson appeared for the prosecution, and Mr.
Ballantine defended the prisoner.

Mr. ROBINSON stated the case to the jury, and called
the following witnesses in support of the prosecution
Mr. Goodman, the clerk at the Mansion-house, stated
that he recollected a charge being made by the defendant
against the prosecutor, a Spaniard, of the name of Vin-
cent Perez, on the 2d of Nov., of selling cigars without
a licence in a public-house, that he found cigars upon
him, and that upon searching his house.he found several
boxes there. The charge was dismissed by the Lord
Mayor, and the prosecutor was discharged.
Vincent Perez stated through an interpreter that he
was a Spaniard, and was in the service of Mr. Newton, is
cigar-manufacturer. He never sold any cigars to any one
without their going to the manufactory or his house. Wit-
ness knew Mr. A. Lee. Saw him on the 31st of October
at his house ; he called for one pound of cigars, but
witness had none, and Mr. Lee ordered one pound,
which witness was to take to his own house. Witness
got the cigars from his master, took them to his own,
house, ar.d delivered them to Mr. Lee, with a bill. Oa
the following evening witness and Lee went together to
a public•house. The witness carried no cigars there,
but Mr. Lce did. The cigars were paid for before they'
went into the public-house. The cigars were 95., and
Mr. Lee gave him four half crowns ; the witness had no
change to give him, and they went to the public-house to
get change. They had not been in the public-house five
minutes before the prisoner came in witk two other per-
sons. When they came in they asked for a quartera
of gin—at least the prisoner did. After the prisoner
had got the gin he handed the witness a glass. He
took the gin and gave the prisoner a cigar. Witness
then ordered a quartern himself, and handed the pri-
soner one. The prisoner then told Mr. Lew that be
wished to see the cigars, which were on the counter of
the public-house, in a box that was shut. The box was
not opened till witness got a knife from the
girl of the house to enable him to do so. When
the box was opened the prisoner askedwhere the cigars
came from, and witness said from Mr. Newton'S.
The prisoner said they were not from Mr. Newton's,
that they were foreigners. The prisoner then asked tt.
whom the cigars belonged, to which witness replied, they'
had been sold by his master to Mr. Lee. The prisoner
then called Mr. Lee in a corner, and stated that the
witness was the greatest smuggler in England. The
prisoner said that a man in the street had told him that
the cigars were stolen. Mr. Lee then left, and the pri-
soner then said to the witness that Lee was the principal
informer in London. The prisoner said the same to the
mistress of the public-house. Witness then told the
prisoner that he was going, to which ho asked where,
and witness replied to his own house. The prisoner,
ho during the whole time was dressed as a policeman,
accompanied him, together with another person who was
dressed in plain clothes. As soon as they reached the
door, the prisoner and his companion took the keys, and
gave them to the person in plain clothes. They searched
witness's house, and were there about two hours and a
halt. Witness handed to them some bills, which the
person in plain clothes, whose name was Healing, told
him to put into the i.re. Witness put the bills on the
table, but not on the fire. After the prisoner
had searched his house, they took away the
three boxes of cigars, for which he had the bills. They
then put witness and his wife in a cab, and all went
together to the Strand and back again to a station-house
in the City, where the witness and his wife were locked
up. He had no license to sell cigars, because he
sold nothing. The charge made by the prisoner against
the witness was selling at the Crown and Sceptre
public- house in Old 'Change, a large quantity of cigars
without a license. Witness was bailed out, and taken
the next day before the Lord Mayor, who ordered him
to be discharged. Witness never said in the presence
of the defendant—" Cheap, very cheap, will you buy."
Mr. BALLANTINE declined asking the witness any
questions in cross-examination.

The RECORDER said that as the case was an attempt
to charge a member of the police force with attempting,
through perjury, to %isit a foreigner with punishment,
he would sift it to the bottom.

The jury acquitted the prisoner.

GUNS FOR DOVER CASTLE.—The officer command•
ing the Royal Artillery at Dover has received directions
from the Honourable Board of Ordnance to have four
guns, recently sent from Woolwich, of an improved con-
struction and superior range to any others in Dover,
mounted on the east and north sides of the Northern
Keep of the Castle. The calibre of these guns is
8 inches in diameter, and will propel a shot 681bs. (not
to Calais-green) the extraordinary distance of more
than three miles. The difficulty of raising guns 50cift.
a perpendicular height of nearly 100 ft. appears at first
sight to be very great ; but when we look at the effi-
ciency of that very scientific and useful body of men, the
Royal Artillery, before whom much greater difficulties
have often speedily vanished, we feel confident (weather
proving favourable) we shall see these very formidable
and effective guns fit for action in the course of pelt
week.—Dover Chronicle.

A short time ago, a lady and gentleman were
married in the neighbourhood of Nottingham, and pro-
ceeded in their own carriage to spend the honeymoon by
the Cumberland Lakes, the gentleman giving strict
orders to Murphy, his Irish footman, on no account to
state to inquirers that they were newly married. When
leaving the first inn on the road, the happy couple were
much astonished and annoyed to find the servants all
assembled, and pointing to the gentleman, mysteriously
exclaiming, " That's him—that's the man." On reach-
ing the next stage, the indignant master told Murphy
he must certainly discharge him, as he had divulged
what he had impressed upon him as a secret. "An
pray yer honour," inquired Murphy, " What is it yer
complains ov ?" "That you told the servants at the last
inn we were a new married couple." "By Jesus, an it's
not thrue, yer honour," replied Murphy ; " I told. the
whole kit that yer honour and yer honour's lady—God
bless herl—would'nt be married yet for a fortnight!"
THE EARLY CLOSING MOVEIIIINT.—Last night a
meeting of employers and assistants of the Camden and
Somers Town and St. Pancras districts was held, in the
St. Pancras Vestry Hall, King's-road, Camden Town,
for the promotion of the early closing of shops in all
trades. The chair was taken by F. Healy, Esq., church-
warden of St. Pancras, who forcibly pictured the phy-
sical and moral evils induced by the late hours of busi-
ness, and the results attendant on the employed without
producing any benefit either to the trader or consumer.
The Rev. D. Laing, the Rev. R. Ainslie. the Rev. J. C.
Harrison, C. Tonally, Esq., M.D., and Mr. T. W. Smith
addressed the meeting in support of resolutions favour-
able to the early closing movement, which were unani-
mously adopted. After the usual courtesy to the chair-
man the meeting separated.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—TWO LIVES LOST.--On Tues..
tiaylast, as James White, engineer, and William WWI
collier, connected with the Fordel colliery, were about
to descend into the l.it called the Roadside Pit, and while
standing on a scaffold ready to be lowered into the pit by
a rope, the rope broke, and both were precipitated to the
buttum of the pit, falling a depth of not less than forty
fathoms. It was apparent that they had been instants;
neously killed, as both bodies were dreadfully mangled.
The one has left a wife and two ckilren, and the other a
wife and three children, to lament their bereavement.--
Edinburgh Witness.
The season for grouse shooting closed on Tuesday
last; the sport, considering the unfavourable weather,
has been pretty good, and birds hare boo plentiful.)