The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-27 00:00:00

CORPUS.

Mrs. Cobbett, who is ever indefatigable in her
legal efforts to obtain the release of her husband,
Mr. Wm. Cobbett, from the Queen's Prison, wherein
he is confined for a debt the genuineness of which
he denies, renewed her application to-day for a writ
of habeas corpus, to be directed to Captain Hudson,
marshal of the Queen's Prison, and calling upon him
to show cause why he should not bring up the body
of her husband, that he might be discharged from
custody and restored to liberty. She moved on affi-
davit, which was read by Master Turner, and which
set out the facts, often hitherto reported, under
which Mr. Cobbett was cast into prison, and where
he has since 1856 been detained. Mrs. Cobbett
then addressed the Court, and expressed a hope that
their lordships would grant the habeas corpus, in
order that Mr. Cobbett might be brought before
the Court. The parties detaining :her husband in
custody had an act of Parliament to go by, and
should proceed by it, yet they did not.
The Chief Justice—This matter, Mrs. Cobbett,
has been before all the judges, who have already de-
cided on it, and that being so, we see no alternative
but to be governed by the law as it stands.
Mrs. Cobbett—But, my lords, Mr. Cobbett is
illegally detained in prison;
The Chief Justice—lf Mr. Cobbett is to be released
from prison there must be an act of Parliament.
Mrs. Cobbett—Will your lordships look into the
ease

The Chief Justice—Very well, Mrs. Cobbett, we
will.

Mrs. Cobbett—l have also an application to make
to your lordships for another writ of habeas corpus,
calling upon Capt. Hudson, keeper of the Queen's
Prison, to bring up the body of my.husband, and
show cause why he has confined him in that part of
the prison in which convicted felons are incarce-
rated, and why he should not remove him there-
from to the part of the prison appropriated for the
confinement of debtors. Mrs. Cobbett then put in
an affidavit made by her husband, stating that he
was wrongly east among felons, and quoting acts of
Parliament providing for the custody of debtors,
and directing that they should be separated from
criminals, and not exposed to associate with them.
The Chief Justice—We will look into the case ;
Mrs. Cobbett, and inform you of our decision on
Monday.
Mrs. Cobbett thanked their lordships, and with-
drew from the court.

SHERIFFS' COURT.
(Before Mr. Kerr.)

MACHINE PRINTERS-IMPORTANT DECISION-BAR.

BATT V. DANKS.

Plaintiff is a machine printer and defendant is a
master printer, carrying on an extensive business
in Crane-court.

Mr. Buchanan, for the plaintiff, said the present
action was brought to recover £5, being £1 wages
actually earned, and £4 for two weeks' notice. On
the 24th of December last plaintiff had earned tor
the week £2 18s. 6d., being 18s. 6d, over the " stab"
wages for overtime. Some paper had been, accord-
ing to defendant, spoilt, and ho (defendant) de-
ducted £1 from the wages earned. He then wished
to reduce plaintiff's wages to 365. per week, but
plaintiff refused to submit, and hence the present
action.

Plaintiff was called, and said he was a machine
printer. On Monday, the 19th December, he worked
all day and all night, and on Tuesday he w erked
all day and all night, up to four o'clock on Wednesday
morning, then he left and went home. When he
went to work defendant sent for him, and said,
" You have done me £7 worth of damage." Defen-
dant then produced a quantity of paper, which in
plaintiff's opinion was not spoilt. He said he should
expect plaintiff to pay for th!s paper. On Satur-
day, the 24th December, plaintiff had to take £2
18s. 6d., and defendant paid him £1 short. He
wished plaintiff to pay for the spoilt paper, and he
said he could not give more than 365. per week for
the future. Plaintiff did not agree to any such
arrangement. On Monday, the 26th December,
there was a holiday at the defendant's office, and
on Tuesday plaintiff went in and asked for his £l.
lielenciant alluded to the conversation on Saturday,
and plaintiff refused to agree, and left, after de-
manding money for his notice.
In cross-examination plaintiff said he left work
on the Wednesday, because ho was physically in-
capable of continuing. It was another man who
had charge of the machine in which the damage
was alleged to have occurred.
Defendant said that he never dismissed plaintiff,
nor did he wish him to leave. Plaintiff was a fore-
man and had the charge of the machine. Through
his neglect in leaving on Wednesday morning the
boys in charge of the machine spoilt four reams of
paper. As to the 365. per week, defendant dis-
tinctly told plaintiff that he would pay him 40s.
for two week, and then he would be reduced from
a foreman to a journeyman.
Hie Honour said that defendant could not set eff
damages against wages, and he must pay the £l.
Plaintiff, however; could not recover for the wages
in lieu of notice. He had not been dismissed, and
therefore he would not be entitled.
Verdict for £l, and costs.

POLICE INTELLIGE'NC'E'—Ian. 26.

THAMIS.—ROBBERY BY A DISCHARGED SOL-
DIER FROM INDlA.—William Reid, aged 21, was
brought before Mr. Yardley, charged with stealing
13 sovereigns, a half-sovereign, ss. in silver, a rupee
and a quarter rupee, from the person of William
Beattie.
The parties are both discharged soldiers from
India, and natives of Scotland. They both served
in the same regiment, the European Light Cavalry,
and arrived in London on Tuesday morning last.
They agreed to lodge in the same house, and to leave
London for Scotland in one of the General Steam
Navigation Company's ships on Wednesday.
Beattie deposited his gold with an officer who came
from Calcutta to England in the same ship, and
when it was returned to him he noticed there was
a George the Fourth sovereign amongst it, and one
only. Before leaving the ship which brought him
to this country he put his gold 13 sovereigns and a
half, in a bag, and fastened it to his waist under his
clothes with a piece of string. The two comrades
drank pretty freely in the course of Tuesday, the pro-
secutor more so than the prisoner. They hired lodg-
ings, at a coffee-house in King-street, Tower-hill.
Soon after their arrival there on Tuesday afternoon
the prosecutor became very ill and almost help-
less. Reid pulled off his comrade's clothes, and
put him to bed. His money was then safe in
the bag. Beattie was falling asleep when he felt
Reid pulling at the string to which the bag con-
taining the money was attached, and asked his
comrade what he was doing, to which Reid re-
plied, " Nothing, go to sleep." The prosecutor soon
fell asleep, and did not wake again until seven or
eight hours afterwards, when he missed his comrade
and found his bag and money gone. He made known
his loss to a boy in the service of the coffee-house-
keeper, and the police were soon acquainted with
the robbery. On Wednesday afternoon the prose-
cutor and a police constable, named George Read,
199 H, went on board a steamship bound to Leith,
and found the prisoner on board. He had provided
for his passage to Scotland. The prosecutor asked
the prisoner for his money, on which he assumed a
bold air, and said, " I have got no money, I have
,b,ecenome, robbedmyself."nononsense; y
oTuhheavpoolgicoet
year c
constable
orad
saieds,
money." The prisoner insisted he had not got a
farthing. The constable immediately searched him
and found upon himlssovereigns, and among them
one of the reign of George the Fourth, which Beattie
had previously described to the policeman, a rupee,
a quarter rupee, and some English silver coin.
The prosecutor, in answer to questions by the ma-
gistrate, said--All the money the prisoner had
when he came on shore was two sovereigns, a half-
sovereign, and two rupees, which were exchanged
for English money. The
prisoner went out with a
woman on Tuesday afternoon, and before he left
the coffee-house counted out his money, and left it
with him.
Re He
was
sturned it to the prisoner the scums
evening, going to Glasgow. The prisoner
belonged to Edinburgh. The prisoner had very bad
eyes, and said he was like an infant.
Thcmas Crafford, a coffee-house-keeper, of No.
20, King-street, Tower-hill, said the two disc& rged
soldiers came to his house on Tuesday last, and
hired a bed. Between eight and nine o'clock the
same evening the prisoner left the house, and said
he should not stop any longer.
The prisoner, in defence, said the money found
upon him was his own, and that he carried it in a
bag tied round his neck.
Mr. Yardley committed the prisoner for trial and
directed OA% one sovereign should be given to