The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-24 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

MIS DAY—Morn., 53 min. aft. B—Even., 46 min. aft. 9
To-Mosaow —Morn. 36 min. aft. 10 —Even. 23 min. aft. 11

THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, MARCH 24.
1131111110 METER, IN THE SHADE.
61—highest since noon yesterday.
47—lowest this morning and during the night,
63—this day at noon.
BAROMETER, 30.23.
WIND, Westerly ; moderate, with very fine weather.

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CI t ~-....„;r' - '''. , , ,$),111T,
e ,Q..x-

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1858.

Mr. MONCKTON MTLNES last night clearly and
ably exposed the thorough absurdity of the pass-
port system, and he was well supported. The
unanimous opinion of the House of Commons was
clearly displayed in favour of the sound views
formerly entertained by LOINS NAPOLEON before
he became gmperor, or even President of France.
Several cases were cited to show the annoyances
sustained by even wealthy travellers. Sir
HAMILTON SEYMOUR was conveyed to a Belgian
Prison when going to visit the Sovereign on his
express invitation ; and even Lord PALMERSTON
was himself a victim. It is not, however, diplo-
matists or Members of Parliament, or any of the
select "upper crust" that are the sufferers. To
them the expense is a mere bagatelle, and, to use
a " Hibernicism," having nothing to do, they
"can do it" just as well in England as in France.
It is the men of business, whose interests may be
seriously ccmpromised by the delay of asingle hour,
or those who may be deprived of the opportunity
of receiving the last wishes of a dying friend or
relative, that are most to be pitied. A family
may be reduced to penury—a father may be pre-
wile of her nusolfria—or a- siscerturfeW-Lithildri—R
during the fleeting hours that precede—
" The first dark day of nothingness ;
The last of danger and distress."
May be prevented from attending the loved one
to the tomb, or once more beholding the well-
known features previously to their consignment to
the last resting-place. These are the cases that
merit sympathy, and which should' ensure
redress ! Many will remember the profound
sensation occasioned by the fact of a lady holding
the highest rank in the peerage having been pre-
vented from seeing her father in consequence of
the stringent regulations of a puritanical board of
directors against Sunday travelling. Similar cases
have occurred since the now passport regulations.
Not, indeed, with reference to persona of exalted
rank, but to those who perhaps felt as deeply,
and whose afflictions were enhanced by the vexa-
tious impediment to their progress.
Ministers are prepared to do all in their power
to effect a salutary modification in these rules,
and, we trust, eventually the abolition of the
entire system. Officials are to be stationed at
different ports, with authority to grant the requi-
site documents ; and from what fell from the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, we may assume that
the paltry tax on intending travellers will be
repealed. They will do everything to meet the
wishes of the community, not only by more effi-
cient regulations for the obtaining of passports,
but also by such temperate and reasonable argu-
ments as may produce a change in France. The
most efficient remonstrances will, however, be
offered by French hotel and shop keepers,
who, even within the brief period that has
elapsed since the introduction of the new
code, have suffered severely in pocket. Mr.
MIL.NtEs pointed out that on the single line be-
tween Dover and Calais there were no fewer than
1,16/ less passengers within the last six weeks
than during the corresponding period of last year.
What, then, will be the saving of English money
and consequent loss to French hotels ? That is a
question that may enlighten the authorities, and
induce them to regard the subject in a very diffe-
rent point of view. The annoyance to English
travellers may be, and is, a matter of profound
indifference to those who profess themselves
our very affectionate friends and allies ; but
when their own pockets are touched, then,
indeed, c'est "In autre these, and it will be
thought that the police perquisites and power of
tormenting innocent travellers are purchased at
too high a price.
Magistrates and bankers are already tormented
enough on the subject, and they may incur
serious responsibility. It would be well if they
unanimously repudiated the enormous addition to
their gratuitous labours. An unanimous resolu-
tion i
to refuse certificates as recommendations,
paniecin casesau ofe equal
le utmost emergency, accom-
rkra
part of inure
Brdaetteornaspiennadtiothneiorti
h(t)lihe
x\-.lleure-
sec
days at home, ~v• 4.
speedily
remedies.produce adequate
If any proof was wanting ,f the total inefficient
of the quasi protectioa, it cieney
in the
fact that ORSINI, when departing
w.i,ort
heavy pirttoo of the China
of death, went under cover of an olti
That very document
The Colomtio, W, ji tide
blindness' ...f.OB expe...e to given to a British. seudbtjhecete.xtraordinary
might have occasion end at the week. She 1:::e at Southampton about
.overeign, IrotinnOlg6t:rc): elver natree
of the police ; but for it, more stringent precau- and 6,n0
About 27,000/. in Australian and other ,A
to the Bank yesterday. 11.•-• was t .ktu
tions would have been taken, and the homicides
i The advices from New York yesterday describe
in the Rue Lepelletier might have d animation in the stock market, under theB
been averted.
fiance of an I
ncreasing abundance of money and f
'
The recent regulations, useless as they are, can
rained
ree
dom
only be regarded as a mode of annoying the from any
uncertainties in foreign politics such as at
people of England, and putting on the screw Yu present in Europe excite Cautign'

An unfortunate girl, EMMA GROOM, is now
languishing under sentence of death at Bury St.
Edmunds. She had, in an evil hour, yielded to
some scoundrel, and the result was a child,
" fatherless "is the eye of the law. The poor
mother, however, appeared devotedly attached to
her boy, and applied a large portion—two shil-
lingi per week—of her scanty earnings to his
support. It was described as a remarkably fine
child, that " attracted love on all sides ;" was
petted by EALLA. GROOM'S mistress, who sent a
bowl of milk daily from her farm for his use ;
while Mrs. LAY, who had care of him, conceived
so warm an affection for her nurseling, that she
was induced to continue the arrangement to her
own loss and inconvenience rather than part with

''`There was no concealment of the circumstances.
The error of the unhappy young woman was
notorious : she had been betrayed, and was
enduring the penalty. She had even stipulated
on entering service, that she should be allowed to
visit it every Sunday, and had regularly devoted
all her leisure hours to it, manifesting the utmost
fondness and maternal love for the baby
boy. There was, therefore, no urgent motive
for its destruction. Her character did not depend
on its removal, nor was it for a moment alleged
that she was " keeping company" with or courting
any person who might be deterred by the respon-
sibility. Under such circumstances, every pre-
sumption was in favour of the prisoner, and th© in-
culpatory evidence should have been of the clearest
and most convincing character to warrant a con-
viction.

But what were the facts 7 She took the child
from its nurse avowedly with the intention of
visiting her family, who were well aware of its
existence, and declaring that she would bring it
back on the following Monday. It was therefore
manifest that she would have to render a strin-
gent account to the nurse, who was so much
attached to it, as well as to her mistress and many
others, of the cause of its disappearance.
At eight o'clock in the evening she left
the station, taking the child with her, without
the slightest attempt at concealment. When she
arrived at her mother's house at ten o'clock
the child was gone, and she appeared "faint
and sadly." She said nothing about him,
but he was found in a pond which his mother
must have passed on her way from the railway
station.

These were suspicious circumstances, and fully
warranted her apprehension, and, if the child
had been drowned, her conviction. But the
very first link in the chain of evidence
was defective. Two medical gentlemen had exa-
mined the body, but one alone was produced on
the trial—a matter that should have causel
serious doubts in the mind of the jury, for it isthe
bounden duty of the prosecution not to spare any
expense in producing every witness that could
throw any light on the subject, and the absence
of such a person leads to the reasonable presump-
tion that his presence would not seriously affect
the prisoner, even if it were not favourable.

The other medical witness admitted that,
although he adhered to the opinion that death
was caused by immersion in the water, "it was diffi-
cult to speak positively, and it might be that the child
having been accidentally su jocated or smothered had
afterwards been thrown into the water." This
was the defence set up--and by no means an im-
probable one ; but yet the jury convicted, and
the judge sentenced the wretched girl, who heard
the fearful sentence pronounced with heart-rending
cries and sobs. We cannot believe that the
learned and humane Chief Justice will per-
mit that sentence to be carried into execution,
when the very first requisite was wanting, and it
was not established, that the unfortunate child
wbaiti:ewrhaduom„he murdered, or that its still more unfortunate
many
hcriminal
fondly
intention
cherished
against
up t o thete
very iaut 11,,,„of lna existence.