The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-24 00:00:00

MARLBORO UGH-STREET.

' ASSAULT EXTRAORDINARY.—MiSS Catherine Carey,
alias the Countess of Cork, -alias the Lady St. john, an im-
portation from " the first flower of the ocean," was yester-
day put to the bar before Messrs. DYER, CONANT, and
CHAMBERS, charged with having converted her parasol,
the fragments of which she held in her hand, into a shil-
lelah, and having exercised it, with all,the vigour of a Don-
nybrook professor, over the heads of Mrs. Horne, and her
husband's apprentice.
Mrs. Horne told the Bench the defendant came to her.
house, No. 17, Old Burlington-street, about the latter end
of November, and offered to take her apartments, repro-
senting herself to be " Lady St. John " and a near relative
at least, if not altogether, to the Countess of Cork herself.
The dress and appearance of her " Ladyship" being of the
order. " tatterdemalion," the complainant hinted- her suspi-
cions, and asked for some reference. Her " Ladyship" told
her that her particular friend, Mr. Lushington, the East
India Director, would readily satisfy her ; and, alluding to
her dress, remarked that people of title, owing to antici-
pated Peerage Reform,_ were obliged to study economy ;
nevertheless she . would feel greatly obliged if Mrs. Horne
would accommodate her with a " turn out" more suitable
to a person of her rank. Mrs. Horne allowed her to occupy
the apartments, and equipped her in one of her own gowns :
but, owing to pressure of business, Mr. Horne was unable
for a few days to go after the reference. When he did see
Mr. Lushington that Gentleman told him he knew, nothing
whatever of her " Ladyship," further than she gave a great
deal of trouble at the East India House in the practice of
her impositions. Mr. Lushington added that he had no
doubt the defendant would be gone by the time Mr. Horne
reached home. This turned out exactly as had been anti-
cipated, and nothing was heard of her Ladyship until
Tuesday last, when, having been accidentally met and
stopped by Mr. Horne's apprentice, he caused her to go
with him to Old Burlington-street. •

The apprentice stopped the defendant because he saw
she had on his mistress's gown. The defendant when ac-
costed by him begged he would show her the way to her
Noble Friend Lord Braybrook's residence, as she was about
to pay the family her usual Christmas visit. The appren-
tice walked a short distance with her, when, finding she
could not get rid of him by fair means, she began belabour-
ing him with her parasol. This proceeding caused a crowd
to assemble, and ultimately she was compelled to accompany
the boy to her former lodgings.
Mrs. Horne said the defendant came to her house, • fol-
lowed by a large crowd, on Tuesday last, and, after abusing
her, struck her several times with the parasol. .
Mr. DYER—WeII, what have you to say to all this ?
Defendant—l say that what has been stated is false. The
fact is, I found out that Mr. Horne was my friend Don
Macbrouse's tailor, and as my guardian, Lady Elizabeth
Monk—.

Mr. DYER—Stop. I will not have the names of any
parties mentioned. I will lock you.up if you persist in so
doing.
Defendant—l am what I represented • myself to be. I
am Lady St. John ; but as for being the Countess of
Cork it is the first time I ever heard myself called by that
title. When I took the apartments I told Mrs. Horne
if she wanted a reference she might inquire of Mr. Lush-
ington ; but I said for private reasons I should much
rather she would do without a reference. When I found
I was to be affronted by inquiries, I went out of the
house immediately, and when the boy met me I was just
going to call on Lord Anglesey, but as the lad would not
let me, I was obliged to use my parasol. I did not strike
Mrs.: Horne with it, but after she called me a swindler,
she stooped down to hoist up my gown, and the parasol
came against her face.
Mrs. Horne denied this part of, the statement, and' n-
formed 'l,-7 Ben:.'.. :hat the defendant still had on the gown
she lent Ler, and her n lytee in a Ludic, winch
the appr,,--0-ie had

The-
The defendant,
own right," marehecf:`
up room divestedrfor
her own ragged robe.

bail.

a " Peeress in her
lien in the lock-
:. s and assumed.

UNION-HALL.

A man named Shaw, alias Lee, was brought up by
Burrage, one of the officers of this establishment. ap-
pointed to carry into effect the Stamp Act, for vending
unstamped newspapers.
The Magistrate committed him for one month besides
condeming the papers.

WESTMINSTER COURTS OF

REQUEST.

On Monday night, at eight o'clock, a meeting of the
Committee of the Commissioners of the Westminster Courts
of Request was held at the Red Lion, York-street, St.
James's-square ; Mr. EWEN in the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN said they were met for the purpose of
receiving the report of the interview of the deputation with
Lord John Russell, and to lay before them the draft of a
Bill for the reconstruction of the Westminster Courts of
Request, by giving them power to adjudicate on debts not
exceeding 101., and of adding to the number of their Com-
mittee.

Mr. WALKER, by 'direction of the Chairman, made a
communication of the nature of the interview with Lord
John Russell, which appeared in this paper ; and in refe-
rence to the question put by his Lordship as to the funds
they had for obtaining an Act, he observed, that if their
Act for the formation of Courts of Request had been made
perfe,ct, they would then have had a suitor's fund,
such as was possessed by other Courts of Request.'
Mr. CUFF then . read a draft of .a Bill which had been
agreed to by a .Sub-Committee.
On the clause referring to the oath to be taken by the
Commissioners, it was proposed that a Quaker might be
admitted on affirmation. It was stated, that at present a
Jew is qualified to be a Commissionr, and that there was one,
a Mr. Jacobs, of Regent-street, who is. one of their body.

The clauses in reference to the Statute of Limitations, as
applicable to debts under 101., and that in referenCe to im-
prisonment, underwent a long discussion.
Mr. MICHIE was against tie first clause remaining in the
draft of the Bill. He was also strongly opposed to impri-
sonment for debt. _ _

Mr. WALKER said it would be a most inquisitorial power
in the hands of masters over the workmen (if a power
should be granted to a plaintiff to attach wages), unknown
to the British Constitution.

Messrs. York (the Secretary), Harrison,, Norman, &c.,
addressed the meeting, when on a show of hinds the
clauses were left as they originally stood,
A clause that in ten years after the passing of the Act
all claims by.plaintiffs for moneys in the Court should be
disallowed, after a long discussion was, on a division,
agreed to.
Mr. MICHIE next proposed. that the 2,000/. in the hands
of the Court should be applied to the passing of the Act.
They could not expect that the public at large should be
burdened with the expense, when the Act was local.

The resolution was unanimously agreed to, and the Chair-
man received the thanks of the meeting,

INFERNAL MACHINES.----OH Saturday three small
boxes were brought to this town by the Birrriingham mail,
addressed to Messrs. David Miller, Rose, and Hobson,
dealers in different parts of the town. Mrs.. Miller was
about opening that directed to her husband, when fortu-
nately Mr. Miller coming home prevented her. He having
only one correspondent in Birmingham, a brother, from
whom he is very frequently in the habit of receiving boxes,
but of a much larger description, immediately on seeing the
box suspected some mischief was intended. - Having heard
of gunpowder plots, he determined to proceed cautiously.
He accordingly removed the box into an adjoining building,
and, having fixed a rope to a half hundred weight, he put
the band round a hook by way of swivel, and let the weight
descend with considerable velocity on the box. The con-
sequence was the box was partially broken, and the gun-
powder made its appearanec from the fissures. Water was
instantly supplied to saturate the powder, and prevent an
explosion.. Another blow completely exposed the contents
of the box, being about six pounds of powder and other
combustibles, so arranged that instant death must have oc-
curred to any person opening it in the ordinary way. Mr.
Miller then immediately applied to the coach offices, and
ascertained that the same conveyance brought two similar
boies for persons in the same businesS, one of which he
prevented being delivered, and the other from being opened.
The diabolical Machines are ascertained to have been deli-
vered at the Star Coach Office, Chesterfield. Suspicion
has fallen upon a party to whom one of the boxes was di-
rected, and he, we are informed, has been taken into cus-
tody.---Sheffield Iris.