The Sun.
London, England, 1834-06-10 00:00:00

THAMES POLICE.

William Baker, a Custom-house officer, was charged
with the following most serious offence :—On Tues-
day last the prisoner was stationed on a ship called the
Earl Bathurst, off Iron Stairs, Tower, on which was
a large mastiff dog, and four boys, watermen's sons,
were bathing in the river opposite the ship. Accord-
ing to the statement of one of them, a lad, named
Obeman, the prisoner excited the dog, by clapping
his hands and exclaiming, " Fetch him out," to plunge
into the river and seize on a boy named John Jansen
by the head, which he lacerated in a very shocking
manner. The prisoner did not call off the dog after
he had seized the boy, and but for the prompt assist-
ance of a Waterman he would have been drowned.

Another lad, named Waller, gave similar evidence,
and

The prisoner, in defence, did not see the dog until
it was in the water, and called John Robertson, an
old tide-waiter of customs, who said he was standing
by the prisoner when the dog jumped-overboard at
the boys, and that not a word was said by the pri-
soner, nor did he excite the dog in any manner
whatever.

Mr. BRODERIP directed Judge, the officer, to make
further inquiries, and in the event of the death of the
poor boy, which appeared but too probable, to lay all
the facts of the case before the Coroner's jury, and
see that the prisoner was forthcoming to abide the ver-
dict of the Court.
The prisoner, who received an excellent character
from his inspector, and promised to come forward at
any time, was then liberated.

A reduction of one chief magistrate, two
chief constables, and sixty men, is at present taking
place in the Peace Preservation Force of this county.
They are to be drafted into other counties as vacan-
cies occur.—Kilkenny Moderator.

On Saturday, as some labourers in the em-
ploy of the Rev. E. Goddard, of Cliffe Pypyard,
were removing earth on the summit of the hill forming
the north boundary of Broad Town Fields, they dis-
covered, a few inches below the surface of the soil,
some human skeletons of gigantic stature. By re-
moving the earth with great care, the workmen were
enabled to expose the skeletons to perfect view. They
were lying with their feet towards the east, but the
skulls and several bones of each appear to have been
fractured. A surgeon of the neighbourhood was of
opinion, from the mouldering appearance of the bones,
that they were of great antiquity. The place where
they were found is contiguous to a Roman station,
where other skeletons have heretofore been discovered,
with several ancient weapons or implements of warfare
buried with them. An iron point of an arrow was
also found on this occasion near one of the skeletons.
Such was the curiosity excited by the discovery, that
crowds of persons visited the spot on the following
day; and although care had been taken to cover up
again these relics of mortality, the earth was removed
by some of the visiters, the skeletons disturbed, and
most of the bones have since been taken away.—De-
vizes Gazette.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF LORDS, June 9.

Earl FITZWILLIAM presented a petition from
Stirling, praying for a dissolution of the connection
between church and state, which, it said, was not
supported by the Scriptures. The noble earl did not
fully know the grounds upon which the petitioners went.
Certainly if there was nothing in the Scriptures to sanc-
tion a civil institution in religious matters, there was
nothing to be found forbidding such a connection.
The House Tax Repeal Bill was read a third time
and passed.
The Earl of CAMPERDOWN said he did not
like to occupy the house with speeches upon petitions,
but as he was so intimately connected with the
place from whence the petition had emanated,
he could not allow it to be presented without
stating to the house that the petitioners by no means
stated the sentiments of the people of Scotland,
whom he knew to be most sincerely and truly at-
tached to their religion. (Hear, hear.) He would
go as far as any one in giving religious liberty, and
would give the dissenters as many advantages as were
fair and reasonable • but he must raise his voice on the
part of the people Of Scotland, when a small portion
of them took upon themselves to state for them those
opinions which he knew they did not entertain.
Lord ROLLE presented three petitions from places
in Devonshire, praying for protection to the church.
On the motion of Lord COLCHESTER, an ac-
count was ordered of all the moneys stopped out of the
wages of seamen for the support of Greenwich
Hospital.
The Duke of SUTHERLAND brought up the
evidence taken before the committee on the Chimney
Sweepers Bill, which was ordered to be printed.