The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-22 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS—Jan. 21.

ADDRESS OF TEE BAR ON THE LATE SERGEANT ADAMS.
Yesterday the adjourned general January quarter ses-
'Alone for the trial of prisoners commenced at the Guild-
hall, Westminster, before the newly-appointed Assis- -
tant-Judge, Mr. Pashley, Q.C. There was a good
attendance of the rnagistrates of the county, and of the
members of the bar, and amongst the former we ob-
served Mr. Pownall (the Chairman), Mr. Witham, Mr.
Carpenter, Mr. Turner, Mr. Payne, Mr. Kempett, Mr.
Stillwell, Mr. Alsey, &c. &c.
The caleedar is rather heavier than usual, owing to
the adjournment of the court, consequent upon the
death of Mr. Sergeant Adams. It contains the names
of 73 prisoners for trial, of whom 65 are charged with
felony, and 8 with misdemeanour. The state of their
education is thus defined :-21 can neither read nor
write ; 19 can read ; 4 can read and write imperfectly ;
28 can read and write well ; and one has received a
superior education.
After the jury had been sworn,
Mr. Payne, the barrister, rose and said that, as senior
memberof the bar present, he could not allow that oppor-
tunity to pass without publicly expressing on the part of
himself and his friends the deep regret they all felt at the
loss they had sustained by the late assistant-judge, Mr.
Sergeant Adams. He remembered, in the course of the
30 years that he had practised in tbat court, no loss than
four. as.,ista.n t-j edges—Mr. Cain, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Roche,
and Mr. Sergeant Adams ; and for the latter he could
say that, take him for all in all, he might. vie with all
who had preceded him. Although occasionally he might
show little ebullitions of temper, he was satisfied that
he entertained mutual esteem for them all, and, al-
though "he nothing extenuated," he (Mr. Payne) felt
certain that he "set down naught ie malice." He
little thought when, a few weeks since, he, on behalf
of the bar, addressed some words of condolence to
him on the loss of his gal'ant nephew, that in se short
a space of time he should have to speak of him instead
of to him. With respect to bis successor, he would
only say, in the words of Bacon, " that, though our sun
has gone down, no l'ght has fallen."
The Assistant-Judge said that a'thoweh lie had not
attended much to the court when the criminal business
was g ince on, still he had seen mu; h of the late assist-
ast-judge when appeals were being heard, arid for him-
self he could say that he hart never bed a single cross
word with him. After steting that he trusted lie shouei
receive the assistance of the bar and magistrates, he
concluded by saying that the bar had better arrange
when it wool ; be convenient to take the appeal costs.
Wm. Tobin, 23, pleaded guilty to an indictment
charging him with having unlawfully assaulted Joh!,
Mitchell, a police constable, in the execution of his duty.
There was a second charge against him for an assault on
a private individual.
The prisoner urged that be was drunk when it oc-
curred, and he hoped he should be dealt lightly with.
The officer said the prisoner had already suffered six
months for an assault.
The Assistant-Judge sentenced him to nine months'
hard labour.
John Venn, 28, servant, was indicted for stealing 14
spoons, and other articles, value 1001 , the property of
the Hon Patrick Herbert Crighton Stuart, commonly
called Lord James Stuart.
Mr. Giffard appeared for the prosecution. The prisoner
was not defended.
It appeared that in March last year the prisoner en-
tered the service of Lord James Stuart, whose residence
is No. 6, Whitehall-place, as valet and butler, and re-
mained in that capacity until one day in July, when
having applied to his lordship for leave to go out, and
obtained it, he went and did not return. After he was
gone, he sent grossly insulting letters to his lordship,
in one of which he enclosed a number of pawnbroker's
duplicates relating to articles of plate which he had
purloined from his master's pantry ; and in the other
he said he was about to be united to a wealthy lady,
with whom he was going into a foreign country, and he
would remit the amount he had got on the plate to his
lordship as soon as he got there. In the month of De-
cember, however, he was seen in Picc Ldilly by a per-
son who had some suspicion that it was the same person
who had stolen the plate, and he followed him to a public
house and asked if his name was not Venn. He denied
that it was, but his voice satisfied the inquirer, who
went outside, and spoke to another person. Observing
this, the prisoner said his name was Venn, and asked the
indiyidual who accosted him to take something to drink
with him, but he declined, and give him in charge. On
being taken to Lord James Stuart's he was recognised
by the coachman, and he then admitted that he hal
pledged the plate to raise money to pay debts he had in-
curred before he entered his lordship's service, through
being so long out of place, that be applied to his master
for an advance of 401., to be at ipped out of his wages,
1. Tbh
by
with which he meant to redeem the property, the prin-
acirptiaelleasn toi interest
a n produced3s
the various pawnbrokers.
which
ttrilleet atimckoeutostinregi,toovzowreerteh
-,The prisoner in his defence said he hoped his lordship
would not press the charge, as he certainly took the ar-
ticles with the intention of redeeming them, and should
have done so, had his lordship acceded to his application
for a loan of 401., which was to have been deducted from
his wages, and at that time there was a quarter's due.
Hie lordship refused the loan, and one morning rang his
dressing-room bell, and when he entered he shut the
door, placed hie back to it, and cursed and swore at him,
so much so that the servants below thought he bad him
down in a fit.
Lord James Stuart, on being asked, said the prisoner
did apply for a loan but he did not grant it.
Mr. Giffard suggested that his lordship should be
asked whether there was any truth in the prisoner's as-
sertions as to his language.
The Assistant Judge said the prisoner bad merely
made an assertion, and had declined to ask any question
about it.
The jury found the prisoner guilty, and
The Assistant-Judge sentenced him to 18 months'
hard labour.

IRELAND.