The Sun.
London, England, 1832-10-17 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, OCT. 16.

These Sessions commenced this morning before
FRANCIS CONS; Esq., Chairman, and a full bench

of Magistrates.

STEAM-BOAT NAVIGATION ON THE THAMES.

James 111'Keliar (Captain of a steam-packet trad-
ing to Scotland) was indicted for a nuisance by un-
lawfully navigating the steam-packet of which he
was the commander, upon the river Thames, from
the 11th of July last up to the 22d of September.
The indictment contained several counts, varying the
allegations; and on a second indictment the defendant
was charged with an assault upon Thomas Lennard,
Benjamin Rogers, Thomas Lyses, and William Mo-
lyneux, on the 12th of August, by upsetting and
swamping a certain wherry, in which they were na-
vigating the river Thames. The defendant pleaded
" Not guilty," and having been given in charge to
the Jury,
Mr. Thomas Lennard was the managing clerk to
Mr. Graham, a solicitor in the Temple, and be-
tween three and four o'clock OR the afternoon of

the 12th of August last, be, accompanied by two
friends, a Mr. Lyses and a Mr. Molyneux, engaged
a wherry at the Billingsgate-stairs, with a view to
go on the dyer. The party entered the boat, ac-
companied by the waterman, Benjamin Rogers, who
was directed to row towards Greenwich. They
proceeded along the Bermondsey, or Surrey side of
the river, as far as Mill-stairs, when the Glasgow
steam-trader between London and Dundee, coming
up the river, passed the witness and his party. Of
this vessel the defendant was Captain. The Glas-
gow passed about 30 yards distant from the boar,
and in consequence of the very rapid rate at which
she was coming up the river (running as she did in
shore, in order to round a number of vessels which
were lying abreast), the water, before perfectly
smooth, became very rough, arid a perfect sea was
created by the rapid course of the steamer, running
with waves from three to four feet high. In con-
sequence of the vessels moored in the river, the
party in the wherry did not observe the approach
of the Glasgow until close upon her, and the effect
of her passing at the rapid course she was then
running swamped and sunk the wherry, capsizing
the waterman and passengers, of whom only one
could swim, into the river. The wherry had
scarcely passed the steamer when the first wave of
the swell, occasioned by the rapid speed of the
steam-packet, struck the boat, the second wave filled
her up to the seats, and with the third wave she fill-
ed entirely and sunk. Fortunately, however, assist-
ance was speedily afforded to the party, and all were
saved, though upwards of four or five minutes
immersed in the water. The next day the witness
went to the office of the Company to which the
Glasgow belonged, and having ascertained the name
of the Captain, was shown to the defendant, to
whom lie stated his reasons for now waiting upon
him—namely, that it was owing to an accident
which had occurred the preceding day, by which
the lives of himself and his friends had been placed
in imminent peril and danger, stating also the spot
where it had taken place. The defendant, in reply,
stated that he ha•l not before heard of the accident,
which he was sure he should have done if any of
his people had been aware that such had happened
at the time. He expressed his sorrow for the in-
convenience and danger to which the witness and
his patty had been exposed, and added, that had
he known of the accident at the time, he should
have been the first to have ordered a boat to be
owered to their assistance, and would have stopped
his vessel.

D'njainin Rogers, the waterman employed by the
last witness on the day in question, corroborated the
evidence of his employer.
Nine other witnesses were examined, and their
evidence went clearly to show that the speed of the
Glasgow could not, at the time of the accident, have
been less than from eight to ten miles an hour.
The Jury, after a deliberation of about a quarter
of an hour, returned a verdict of Guilty generally.
The CHAIRMAN remarked, that the question was
one of great importance, and that the Magistrates
would but ill discharge their duties if they should
slightly pass over this offence, which to the satisfac-
tion of the Jury had been made out, and therefore
perhaps the best course to be followed would be
that the defendant should enter into his own re-
' cognizance in 1001., and two sureties in 50/. each,
to come up for judgment when called on. He must
also notify to the defendant, that in case he should
again offend in like manner, the recognizances would
be estreated.

The defendant then entered into the usual recog.
nizances, and was discharged.

THE KING V. BOND AND OTHERS.

Mr. BARRY applied on behalf of the defendant,
E. Bcnd, against whom, with Joseph Bond, an in-
dictment had been found for keeping and maintain-
ing a gambling-house, to respite the recognizance.;
until the adjournment day, on the ground that the
prosecutor could not be found, in order to serve
him with the usual notice of trial.—Rule granted.
The Court then adjourned.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.

Yesterday Joseph Webb and Robert Hurst were
brought forward for a final examination, the former
charged with having feloniously secreted and em-
bezzled a general post-letter, containing bank-notes
to the amount of 10/., while employed as a supernu-
merary letter:carrier, and the latter with having re-
ceived the whole or part of the money, knowing it
to have been stolen.

The prisoners were fully committed to Horse-
monger-lane gaol to take their trial at the next
assizes for the county of Surrey.

MARLBORO UGH-STREET'.

Four ragged and half-starved human beings were
charged with having sold ,the Poor Man's Guardian
and the Cosmopolite without a proper stamp. One
of them, an Irish lad, named Costello, who has been
imprisoned on the same charge twice before, was
brought into the office on Saturday three times,
quite drunk, having been allowed to go on his pro-
mise to abstain from the offence. Having three
times been found offending, he received a month,
and the other three 14 days' imprisonment.