The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-23 00:00:00

THAMES POLICE.

YeSterday Captain William Tisdell, the master of the
Star Gravesend steamer, was brought befOre the sitting
magistrate, in custody of Blaby, an officer, charged with
navigating his vessel at a greater rate or speed than five miles
an hour between London Bride and the eastern limits of
Limehouse Reach, by which he had incurred a penalty of
.51. The prosecution was instituted by the Waterman's Com-
pany, at the request of Mr. Tubb's, a country magistrate.
Mr. Straight, a solicitor, said the manner in which the
Sift?' was navigated was such, as to attract the attention of
the Thames police officers, and also the notice of a magi-
strate, Mr. Stubbs, -who was present. The defendant at-
tended on Saturday last, in pursuance of a summons exhi-
bited against him, but the presiding magistrate, Mr. 800-
DERIP, having occasion to retire for a minute, the defend-
ant left the office, and had behaved in a most contemptu-
ous manner towards the bench.

Mr. COMBE—Never mind that ; I care not for the con-
tempt he has exhibited for the magistrates. Prove your case.
Mr. Straight said he would do so. The Watermen's
Company, had, notwithstandinc, the trouble and expense,
taken up this prosecution on public grounds.
George Walker Judge, a surveyor of Thames Police,
stated that on the morning of the day named he was on
his way to that office in a Thames police galley with Mr.
Tubbs, the magistrate. He steered the boat, and so soon
as he opened the Upper Pool off the Custom-house, he
saw the Star coming up at a rapid rate. He observed to
the magistrate that she was going very fast, but that she
would stop when she saw the police galley. She did not,
however, slacken her speed, but passed them off Iron-
gate-stairs, and left such a heavy swell behind her, that he
was obliged to put the galley's head to it, to prevent her
from being swamped. He had been used to the water
for twenty years, and he had no hesitation in swearing
that the Star was proceeding at the rate of eight miles an
hour at least.

Mr. TUBBS said he was a Magistrate of the county of
Middlesex, and recollected being on the river in the police
galley on Monday week. The last witness pointed his at-
tention to the velocity of the steamer, and after she had
passed, he noticed the state of the water, which was greatly
agitated, and but for the exertions of the watermen, the
galley would have been capsized. The swell was likely to
prove dangerous to small boats, and he was of opinion, that
if a light wherry had been passing, nothing would have
saved it from going down.

Mr. Straight—At what pace was the Star going ?
Mr. TUBBS—I am not so well qualified to give an opinion
as the officers who are conversant with the navigation of
the river, but I have no hesitation in'saying that she was
going at the rate of aboire five miles an hour.
Mr. Straight then called Joseph Tindall, a cousin of
the defendant, and Charles Wrig, Thames police constables,
who were in the boat, and they said the steamer was going
at the rate of at least eight miles an hour, and left a very
heavy sea behind her. Tisdall further stated that the de-
fendant had since told him that he did not consider he was
going above seven miles an hour.
The Defendant—I deny that. I never said any such
thing.
Mr. COMBE said the witnesses were .respectable, and
men of experience, and he believed them.
Mr. H. S. Gibbs, the agent of the Star Steam-packet
Company, said he came from Gravesend on the day in
question in the Star, and he wished to state his most
decided feeling that every care and caution was used by the
defendant. He was on the larboard paddle-box, and on
entering Limehouse Reach he heard tile defendant call out
to the engineer to put the vessel at half speed. Three
minutes afterwards he gave orders for the vessel not to go
too fast, and his impression was that the Star was going
below five miles an hour. The Star performed the voyage
from Gravesend to London, including a few stoppages, on
the 11th of Auoe'mst, in two hours and fifty-seven minutes
against tide- The distance was twenty-six miles.
Several witnesses said the distance was thirty-two miles.
Mr. COMBE asked when the half-speed was put on ?
Mr. Gibbs replied at the eastern limits of Limehouse
Reach, about two miles and a half from London Bridge.
The agent was again contradicted, and it was stated that
the distance by measurement was somewhat above three
miles and a half.
Mr. COMBE said there was some fallacy in the conclu-
sions which Mr. Gibbs had come to, and he could not give
credence to his statements, which were, a matter of judg-
ment after all in opposition to the evidence of experienced
At the same time he was willing to make every al-
lowance for Mr. Gibbs, who as an agent of the Company
must feel interested.

men.

Mr. Banyon, the clerk, and Messrs. White, Randall,
and Thompson, rulers of the Watermen's Company, said
they had no wish to stop the progress of steam navigation,
but to compel the masters of steamers to moderate their
speed. They related some accidents which had recently
occurred from the velocity of the steamers in the Pool.
Mr. COMBS said that there was no doubt that the Star
was proceeding at the rate of above five miles an hour ; but
as it had not been proved that any actual injury was done
lie should mitigate the penalty to 3/. and costs.