The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-09 00:00:00

Pi" 'I -AAVTAIVAf
r -4,J,84.41 Int

LONDON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1851,

The grand jury having found a true bill against
Mr. and Mrs. SLOANE, on An indictment containing
many counts, an application was yesterday made by
counsel on behalf of the male defendant for the post-
ponement of his trial until next session. The motion
was grounded on an affidavit made by the attorney
for Mr. SLOANE, stating his belief that his client
could not obtain a f tir trial in the present state of
public feeling, and that Mr. SLOANE was unable to
come to court with reference to the present applica-
tion, or to consult with his counsel, or even to
venture into the public streets, so great was
the excitement which prevailed against him
in regard to the offence with which he was charged.
Under these circumstances the Learned Judges (Mr.
Justice PATTESON and Mr. Justice TALFOURD) ac-
ceded to the application, and the bail for the appear-
ance of the defendant was accordingly enlarged until
next session.

We confess that, although as anxious sB any per-
sons can possibly b 3 that this extraordinary case
should receive the most stringent investigation at the
eirliest pe:iod practicable, we cannot regret the ad-
journment, or the consequent delay that has taken
place. It is essential that Mrs. SLOANE should be
brought to trial at the same time with her hus•

THE

band. In her absence the majesty of the
law cannot be adequately vindicated, or a full
measure of justice rendered in the premises' many of
the most revolting facts and circumstances of the hor-
rible case must remain involved in obscurity, for evi-
dence will not be admissible as to any matters that
occurred in the absence of the male defendant ; and
it must be manifest that the mistress must have
had a much greater share in the management of a
female servant than the master. The corroborating
evidence applies to Mrs. SLOANE. She has been seen
by third parties beating the unfortunate victim, and
there can be but little doubt that she is the most
guilty of all the parties concerned in this frightful
outrage. We trust, therefore, that in the interval
(three weeks) which must elapse before the matter
is finally disposed of, may not be wasted or misap-
plied, but that active steps may be taken to ensure
her apprehension.
From what fell from Mr. CLARKSON yesterday, it
is perfectly clear that our anticipations with respect
to this person were perfectly well founded—that she
has no intention whatsoever of coming forward vo-
luntarily, and that the statement of the attorney, that
" there was no doubt that she would surrender to
take her trial," was but a pleasant fable, devised for the
purpose of preventing the close search that wou!cl other-
wise have been made perhaps before she had completed
her escape from the jurisdiction of the Court. It
was like the former assertion, that " she had received
an injury in her leg by falling through an area
grating, which precluded the possibility of her being
enabled to leave her bed without great danger;" but
none (except perhaps Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY, who
exhibited an extraordinary amount of credulity on
the occasion) were deceived thereby. Mr. CLARK-
SON yesterday said, that " Mrs. SLOANE was neither
in the country nor with her husband," and he in -
siited "that it would be quite unreasonable to require
that any security should be given for her appearance."
It certainly could not be enforced, as thanks to the
erassa negligentia and gross ?aches of the worthy
Alderman, no arrest had ever taken place, and Mrs.
SLOANE, with her excellent protege, Miss LOUISA
DEVAUX, were enabled to seek refuge in another land.
' We now know, however, what weight should be
accorded to the unsupported statements of attorneys
and counsel.

We rejoice to find, however, that even at the
eleventh hour the guardians of the West London
Union, and the authorities at the Home-office, have
shaken off the disgraceful apathy that was so long
exhibited—the former having, " after some delibe•
ration, come to the conclusion that the matter
was sufficiently important for the guardians to take
it up," and having heard the voice of public
opinion throughout the length and breadth of the
land speaking trumpet-tongued as to their shameful
apathy in the case of the unfortunate child that bad
been under their protection from the time she was
five years of age, and who was actually hired from
their workhouse, carried unanimously a resolution
3 that a reward of 201. should be offered for the sp
prehension of Mrs. SLoArin," although when first
mooted it "had not been received with approbation ;"
end we yesterday had the pleasure cf announcing
hat the Government had ofirred a furthzr
reward of 301. for the acme purpose. We
are also happy to say that some few persons
have responded to the noble appeal of "J. D.," and
his fellow-workmen, and that we have now a few
pounds in band in aid of the working-men's subscrip

tion to ensure the arrest of the cruel torturer of poor
JANE WILERED. We trust that something will now
be done to render this movement worthy of the la-
bouring classes. What man is there with daughters
of his own, whom the exigencies of his position may
compel bim to send to service at an early age, who
would not willingly make some sacrifice, or su‘_.-
mit to some privations in order to testify his
abhorrence of the unnatural outrage that was per-
petrated on cne of his own class, and to show
(as "J. D." justly remarked) that "English artisans
have humane hearts and feelings ?" Many penny sub •
scriptions have been made for objects of far less im-
portance. It is not the case of JANE WILIMED alone,
but a great public principle that is involved in the
result. It must be sho:r•n that such outrages cannot
be committed with impunity, and that, even if the
wealthier classes remain indifferent, the " work-
ing men" of the metropolis, aye, of England, will
not permit so great an insult to humanity
to remain unpunished. Let them, then, be up
and doing, let subscription lists be opened in every
shop, and collected from door to door. It is not the
amount that may be given by each, but the number
of subscribers that will show the intensity of the pub-
lic feeling on the subject. The widow's mite was
acceptable, and so will be the pence of the working
man. There is ample time to trace out the retreat
of the delinquents if the necessary funds be forth-
coming. But if she has indeed left the country, as
Mr. CLARKSON'S statement would seem to imply, the
reward offered by the guardians and the Government
will not render it worth the while of any acute
detective to undertake the labour and expense of
tracking the fugitive to her lair. We have confidence
in the English people, and we believe that they will
on the present occasion act in a becoming manner—
that when " weighed in the balance they will not be
found wanting." Let, then, small committees be
formed in order to carry out the object, and let it be
remembered that " if 't were done 't were well 't were
clone quickly." There is ample time to ensure her
arrest, but the "irons must be put in the fire quickly:,
Every day's delay will be of serious import, and may
perhaps retard, if not altogether prevent, the attain-
ment of the object se generally desired—the arrest of
Mrs. SLOANE, in order that she may take her trial
along with her husband at the next session of the
Central Criminal Court.

We are told that "the worst possible use to which
you can put a man is to hang him." This may be
true, but there is another practice less horrible, in-
sited, but scarcely less injurious to the best interests
of society, and which, perhaps, so far as the " object
of the experiment" is concerned, is no less cruel than
the summary termination of his existence on the
scaffo'd. We allude to the long protracted impri-
sonments for debt, by which persons are confined for
a series of years at the mere will and pleasure
of their creditors until they become practically dis-
qualified from taking any share in the active duties
of life, and begin to look upon their prisons as
places of shelter and refuge, where they are removed
from the cares and anxieties to which those in the
enjoyment of their freedom are exposed. There they
linger out existence, having long ceased to do any-
thing for their own support or maintenance, being
unprofitable consumers of the public resources—mere
drones in the national hive, in place of being the
creators and producers of national wealth,
If a man be really unable to liquidate his liabilities,
it is difficult to conceive how he can be rendered
more solvent by being taken from his family and
business, and locked up in gaol. His failure may be
owing altogether to misfortune—he may be really
anxious pay every man to the uttermost farthing,
but it may be utterly out of his power to do so. " Hispoverty and not his will" may be in fault, but he is
still left at the mercy of an exasperated creditor, who
for a time may be gratified by being enabled to
wreak his vengeance on the defaulter, but who is
seldom indeed benefited by resorting to extreme
measures. These evils are occasioned by the present
system of constituting the creditor the sole judge in
his own case, a custom derived from the ancient
law, which reduced debtors unable to satisfy the
pecuniary demands to which they were subject
to a state of
to sell them and slavery, and
mailnieds
human
creditornablaienrnmearr
mar-
ket,
he tan daisnel t ot ot
hae larpellu
etthi
oen porfi cet
hoeleenndaettbbhill
teee.d
Our debtor
and creditor law ie m
a remnant of the sa ebarbarous
code—less efficacious, indeed, because the party suing
out the writ of ca. sa. does not thereby obtain any
instalment or payment, however trifling, on account
of his claim ; on the contrary, he has to incur addi-
tional expense in bringing matters to that state, and
may even have to contribute to the maintenance of
his victim in the gaol to which he has consigned hi •
m.
We are aware that many persons will consider
these opinions as startling. They have become ac-
customed to the pr stunt system ; they have seen it in
operation from intender:, end therefore look
upon it as the natural order of things, and consider
any interference therewith as bordering on sacrilege ;
but similar views were long entertained with respect
to slavery, and also as to capital punishments for many
minor offences. The voice of reason has, however, at