The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-03 00:00:00

CLERKENWELL.

James Kemp, an elderly man of respectable ap-
pearance, was charged by Mr. William Wood Hors-
field, of the Bricklayers' Arms, Kingsgate-street,
Holborn, with stealing a snuff-box.
The prosecutor said that on Wednesday evening,
at about seven o'clock, he was behind his bar, when
the prisoner entered and asked if he could be provided
with a bed, saying that he had come to London to see
the Exhibition. On being answered in the affirma-
tive, the prisoner said he would go and fetch his
luggage, and requested a pinch of snuff. Mr. Hors-
field handed his box, when the prisoner took a pinch,
and the box was put upon the counter. The prisoner
left the house, and the box being immediately
missed, Mr. Horsfield pursued him, and traced him
to the Orange Tree, Orange-street, Red Lion-square,
where he had attempted a similar robbery, and he
gave him into custody to William Cherryman, 153
F, who, on seaching him, other snuff-boxes, &c.,
were found in his possession, and there was no doubt
he had been in the habit of robbing licensed vic-
tuallers.
Mrs. Elizabeth Hull, of the Orange-tree, Orange-
street, Red Lion-square, said, that on the same even-
ing the prisoner entered her bar, and said he had
come to London to see the Exhibition and to inquire
for a bed. He requested a pinch of snuff, but she
told him she had lost her box. She asked him where
he had come from. He replied, " Oh, you want to
know too much." Mr. llorsfield came in and gave him
into custody.
William Cherryman, 153 F, proved having searched
the prisoner, and finding two other snuff-boxes, a
German silver teaspoon, and other articles, supposed
to have been stolen. He said he did it through distress.
A counterfeit half-crown and hat-box with a new hat
in it were also found on him.

Mr. TTRWHJTT asked the prisoner what he had to
say to the charge, giving him the usual caution ?
He replied that he was drunk at the time, and did not
know what he bad done, and h© was sorry.
He was fully committed for trial.
THAMES.

Mrs. Jane Robinson, an elderly matron, who was
attired in deep mourning, and whose manner and ap-
pearance indicated that she had seen better days,
came before Mr. Yardley, and humbly solicited relief,
under circumstances of a very peculiar and distressing
nature.

Mrs. Robinson said that she had been a house-
keeper in the parish of St. George's-in-the-East,
where her husband formerly carried on business, for
41 years, and she had been the mother of 13 chil-
dren, of whom only one survived. She was formerly
In affluent circumstance, but the death of her hus-
band, and a succession of calamities, had left her
homeless and pennyless, In the course of the last
two years she had lost three sons, who, after they had
arrived at the age of manhood, died of consumption,
after a very long and protracted illness. This be-
reavement was followed by the death of her husband,
whose illness was also a long one, and attended with
a vast expense, which nearly ruined her. In June,
1850, her daughter's husband, who was mate of a
ship, died from a sun-stroke at sea, and her daughter
was deprived of the means of support. For some
time she maintained herself and daughter by needle-
work, which was very indifferently paid for, and by
letting out part of her house furnished. A lodger
contracted a debt of :10/., by stating that he had a
judge's order for 1351., and that when it became due
he would pay her the arrears of rent. At the ap-
pointed time he had not the money, and she disco-
vered, when it was too late, that she had been im-
posed upon by a man who never meant to pay her.
The landlord accordingly levied for 12 months' rent,
and seized everything she possessed, and also the
goods of a lodger, for whom she paid 345. to enable
her to recover her goods from the broker. This was
the finishing blow to her misfortunes, and herself and
daughter were now in the greatest possible state of
distress. They had subsisted for the last three
months by the sale of her husband's books and their
own wearing apparel. Those resources were quite
exhausted, and as a last extremity and with great re-
luctance she now made this public appeal.
Mr. Levingston, the chief usher of the Court, knew
the applicant to be a roost deserving woman, over-

whelmed with misfortunes, and in a bad state of
health. She had been recommended to his notice by
the Rev. Mr. Quekett, incumbent of Christ Church,
AVatney-street, and by the Rev. Mr. M'Caul, minister
of St. Mary's Church, Back-road, both in St.
George's parish, who had given her some relief. The
mother and daughter, both widows, were very willing
to emigrate to Australia, and the Rev. Mr. Quekett
had kindly promised to obtain a free passage for them
but they had no clothes except what they stood up-
right in, and no means of providing necessaries for
the voyage.
Mr. YARDLEY said, if a sovereign would be of any
service to the distressed applicant, who had met with
a series of calamities beyond the reach of human con-
trol, she might have one from the poor-box. He had
no doubt her story was true—too true ; but a sove-
reign was all he could give her. He hoped that if
this case should come under the notice of the benevo-
lent who bad the means and the inclination to do
good, that she would obtain some further assistance.
The widow, whose sobs almost choked her utter-
ance and who with difficulty made herself understood,
expressed her thanks to the magistrate for his dona-
tion, and left the Court.

THE REGISTRATIONS.
MIDDLESEX.
Yesterday the revising barrister, Mr. Shadwell,
held his court at the Albion Hall, Hammersmith, for
the revision of the lists of voters in the polling dis-
tricts of Chiswick, Fulham, Hammersmith, St. Luke's
Chelsea, and St. Mary Abbott's, Kensington.
Mr. Alley Jones attended as agent for the Conser-
vatives; and Mr. James for the Liberals.
Mr. JONES objected to the name of Mr. George
Thompson, M Y., being retained in the list, on the
ground of misdescription of qualification. lie found
that the Hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets, who
was so deeply interested in the success of the freehold
land scheme, and who went so much through the
country instructing others how they could obtain the
elective franchise, had misdescribed his own qualifica-
tion. Mr. Thompson was described, " George Thomp-
son, place of abode, 128, Sloane-street, county of
Middlesex ; nature of qualification, yearly tenant
above 501." His (Mr. Junes's) objection was, that
a yearly tenant above 501. was not a qualification in
conformity to the provision of the statute.
Mr. G. E. Dennes, solicitor, who appeared profes•
sionally for Mr. Thompson, who was also in court,
said he could show the barrister that Mr. Thompson
occupied a house in Sloane-street, as a " yearly tenant
above 501."
BARRISTER--Mr. Thompson is objected to as not
described accurately.
Mr. Dennes—By the 40th section of the Act, sir,
you have power to amend the description. Mr.
Thompson is present, and will prove that he occupies
the house 128, Sloane-street.
Mr. Jones—l submit that the barrister has no
power to amend. The 40th section of the Act 6th
Victoria, cap. 18, enacts " that the Revising Barrister
shall expunge the name of every person whose quali-
fication, as stated in any list, shall lae insufficient in
law to entitle such person to vote." The Act also
provides that " the barrister shall not he at liberty to
change the description of the qualification, as it ap-
pears in the list."
BARRISTER—" Except," in the words of the Act,
" for the purpose of more clearly and accurately defi-
ning the same."
Mr. Jones—l submit, sir, that the qualification
here is bad on the face of it; and that being so, you
have no power to amend it. There is no mistake in
the list ; the overseers have not made a mistake ; the
mistake has been made by Mr. Thompson himself.
He has not given himself a qualification.
BARRISTER—Looking at the description, I find
the words " Yearly tenant above 501." That means
from year to year.
Mr. Jones—A " yearly tenant," that does not give
him a qualification. He might be a yearly tenant of
twenty houses " above 501. a year," and yet not an
occupier, and, therefore, without a qualification.
Mr. Dennes said he would prove the notice, and
called upon Mr. Thompson, who said the signature to
the notice was in his handwriting.
Mr. Jones—When did you sign it, Mr. Thompson?
Mr. Thompson—l cannot answer precisely.
Mr. Jones—Was it within a week ? Mr. Thomp-
son—No.
Mr. Jones—Was it within a month ? Mr. Thomp-
son—No.
Mr. Jones—Was it within a year ? Mr. Thompson
—Yes • I can speak to a year.
Mr:Jones—Was it before you went to America,
or since your return? Mr. Thompson—l think before.
Mr. Dennes then elicited from Mr. Thompson that
he had for four years occupied the house 128, Sloane-
street, at a yearly rent of 1001., and that he was
bound by his lease not to let any part of it.
The BARRISTER—Mr. Thompson has an occupa-
tion, but he has not described it in the manner in
which the statute requires. I should like to secure
him his vote, but I regret I cannot.
Mr. Thompson then addressed the court, and sub-
mitted that he had complied with the Act of Parlia-
ment. lie occupied a house at a rental of 1001. a
year. Might he ask the Barrister if the spirit of the
Reform Bill was not to give the qualification to
tenants of 50/. a year and upwards, and whether he
did not come within the provisions of the Act in that
respect.
The BARRISTER admitted that the spirit of the Act
was to give the franchise to voters of Mr. Thompson's
class ; but regretted that that gentleman had not de-
scribed his qualification properly. He must, there-
fore, expunge his name for the present year from the
list, and he had come to that decision not without
considerable regret.