The Sun.
London, England, 1832-06-12 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

B OW-STREET.
A half-pay officer, named IV. Banbury Lavers,
was examined before Mr. HALLS in private, chatgcd
with having defrauded his Majesty of sums of mcinf y
to a considerable amount by fraudulently admini4ter-
ing to the wills of deceased half-pay officers. The
prisoner, who was apprehended in Exeter by Led-
better, the officer, was ordered to be brought up for
further examination on Thursday next.

.111 A NSION-HOUSE.
Yesterday, Mr. John Goldham, the superinten-
dent of Billingsgate-market, came before the LORD
MAYOR, to state that he had felt it his duty to seize
and condemn upwards of 1,0001. worth of fish that
morning on account of its unfitness for human food.
From the late contrary winds, the mackerel boats
had not been able to reach the port of London for
some days ; and, consequently, a large portion of the
fish were in a state of putridity. Four boats, con-
taining about 10,000 fish each, he had stopped, and
as the fish had been caught upwards of four days, he
put a man each on board, with strict orders to take
the boats beyond Gravesend, and throw their con•
tents overboard. In fact, the responsible nature of
the situation he held exposed him to a great deal of
unpleasantness ; for if he did what he considered to
be his duty to the public, then he was compelled to
expose the fishermen to a severe loss ; and, if, on
the other hand, he allowed tainted fish to be brought
into the market, then, not only the pubic blame fell
upon him, but he exposed the public health to serious
injury. It was very difficult for him in some cases
to come to a decision; for fish, when brought to the
market early in the morning, might be in a state fit
for consumption, but, being on the turn, a couple of
hours would serve to render them unfit for food. It
required all his vigilance, at the present period, to
protect the public, for no soosner was his eye off one
boat, than another was making attempts, through
the agency of the shorers, to smuggle doubtful fish
on shore. In order to exculpate himself from any
imputation of partiality, and to satisfy his mind that
what had been stated to him was correct, he had re-
quested a saleman named Cresswell, who had dis-
posed of a quantity of mackerel, of which he had
some doubts, to communicate to the Lord Mayor the
day the fish were caught, and the state t hey were in.
Mr. Cresswell said the fish bad been caught
within three days, and they were in a sound and
wholesome state, the greater part having been
bought by some of the most respectable fishmongers
in London.

Mr. Cresswell here produced a sample of the fish,
which having been cleaned and cut open, had all the
appearance of being quite fresh, and of excellent
quality.
Mr. Goldham said the present was one of those
edmaa.
esyaests'b'fievrsi ergia'evtplacedproved
l leyi
y‘lv'Ni,ern in m
warm,
mfi,t
ttsbooeybeewdoei faalleitdellty.
be in aThreeif
the
bade
a state as if kept a day longer. Now, from a large
cargo of unsound fish it would be easy to pick a
few which would be good and eatable, though the
bulk might be in a state fit to breed a pestilent
disease if consumed. He had taken at random a
fair sample from the same fish as those exhibited by
Mr. Cresswell, and they would be found to have a
very different appearance.
The sample was here exhibited, and Mr. Gold-
ham pointed out the fact of some of the mackerel
being blind, and just beginning to turn black, which
appearances he stated to be infallible symptoms that
putridity would shortly commence. Mr. Goldham
further added, that he knew Mr. Creswell conducted
his business too respectably for it to be necessary
for him to do more than give his word that the fish
had been caught within the time specified ; but
there were small dealers, who would buy fish, no
matter in what state it was. The fellowship porters,
who got 4d. a turn for bringing fish on shore, were
the principal agents for introducing bad fish ; for it
would be sure to meet with a ready sale from the
poorer classes.
The LORD MAYOR approved of the whole pro-
ceedings of Mr. Goldham, and hoped he would still
continue to exercise his very responsible office with
the same impartiality and judgment which had for
so long a period proved of such advantage to the
public.
A boy named Carey was committed on the evi-
dence of Mr. Goldham, for having attempted to pick
the pockets of those who attended the market to
purchase fish.