The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-21 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

SENDING DISEASED MEAT TO MARKET.-At the Guild.
ball, Z homas Sharp, a butcher, residing at Maruhull,
Dorsetshire, was summoned for sending the carcases of
two cows to London for sale, such being enfit for human
food. The defendant pleaded guilty. The solicitor to the
Commissioners of Sewers said the defendant usually sent
pigs and calves to the London market, but at the
end of last month lie sent a diseased cow. In
this instance the animal was bought for 308., and was
sold for 455. The foreman to the London salesman said
that such meat as that in question was made into saveloys
and sausages. The magistrate declined to inflict a fine,
and sentenced the accused to a fortnight's imprisonment.

AnsoN BY A \Wolin—At the Clerkenwell
court, Mary Crooks, a married woman, was charged on
remand with setting fire to her dwelling-house, persons
being in it at the time. The evidence proved that the pri-
soner and her husband occupied the front room of the
house in question, and for some time past she had given
way to habits of intoxication. Early on the morning of
the 14th an alarm was given that the room in the occu-
pation of the prisoner was on fire. With assistance the
fire was put out, and then it was discovered that the floor
board in front of the fireplace had been removed and the
vacant space had been stuffed with shavings, which had
been partly consumed. At the other end of the room was
found some charred wood , and one of the witnesses described
the wood as consisting of pieces of bedstead and a table.
That the place was set on fire wilfully it was stated there
could be no doubt, as there was neither fire nor candle in the
room. The prisoner, about eleven o'clock, returned the
worse for liquor, and Police-constable Cunningham, 24 G
Reserve, being called, the landlord, Mr. James
builder, of 117, St. Jan-street, gave the prisoner into
custody on the charge of setting fire tollie house, and she
then said it was all right, and that shc knew all about it.
The prisoner, in reply to the charge, said, I had delirium
tremens at the time, and I set fire to the room with a red-
hot poker. Devils were all dancing round me, and I
could see (ahem as well as I can see you now. It is the
third time that I have had delirium tremens." Mr. Cooke
committed the prisoner to the Central Criminal Court kir
trial.

hfrORTANT DECISION UNDER THE FACTORIES AcTs.—
At the South Shields Petty Sessions, Messrs. Palmer and
Co., Jarrow, was summoned, in on the information of Mr.
William Cl. i 3 tor, of Newcastle, sub-inspector of factories,
for having on the Bth April last employed in their yard
Smith Kennedy, a boy, under the age of eleven years,
for more than six hours a day. The facts were admitted,
and the only question was whether the yard in which
the boy was employed was a " factory" within the mean-
ing of the Act. Mr. Chaytor was called, and said he
found there were more than fifty persons employed
in each of the departments into which the works were
divided. In the shipbuilding yard machinery was used.
The boy was employed as a rivet boy. The complaint was
made under the clause of the Act which said that it
applied to any premises in which steam, water, or other
mechanical power is used for moving machinery.—Mr.
M'lntyre explained the situation of the different yards,
and said the accounts were kept separate, but he could
not tell whether the profits went into a common fund.
Mr. Dalglish said the case was brought under paragraph
5 of the Factory Act, which said that it applied to any
place in which steam, water, or other mechanical power
was used for moving machinery in the manufacture of any
article. Now, he said that a ship was not an article, and
therefore the Factory Act did not apply. He referred
to the definitions given of an " article"—by Richardson,
" a small part or portion ;" by Webster, " a small and
distinct part ;" and the derivation of the word from
articulus, a little joint—as shewing that a ship could not be
any article. He also argued that as the Act stated the
other large industries of the kingdom to which it applied,
it would also have specified shipbuilding if it had been
intended to apply to it. Mr. Ingledew, in reply, pointed
out that machinery was employed in strapping and bending
the plates for the ship, and these might be said to be
manufactured articles ; that the works were a whole, and
that more than fifty persons were employed in each
department ; and the Act said it applied to premises,
whether adjacent or separate, in the same occupation. He
further urged that the Act stated that every part of a fac-
tory should be deemed to be a factory, except such part as
was used exclusively as a dwelling. The magistratcsretired,
and after some consultation returned into court, and said
that, though their decision might cause some inconvenience,
they could only look to the law; and they found that the
evidence justified them in saying that the premises were a
factory, one trade establishment where more than fifty
persons were employed, within the meaning of the Act of
Parliament ; also that the articles of metal had been
made there by steam power, and therefore they were
obliged to impose a penalty of 10s. and costs. Mr.
Dalglish gave notice of an appeal, and the bench agreed to
grant a case for the superior courts.

THE IRISH CHURCH.—A great meeting of Cum-
berland and Westmoreland clergy has been held at Car-
lisle. Resolutions were carried, asserting that the union
of Church and State ought to be maintained, and that
disestablishment would be a-serious blow to the Reformed
faith. Petitions to Parliament against the disestablish-
mutt of the Irish Church were unanimously adopted.

THE REFORM LEAGUE. —The council of the Re-
forin League met on Wednesday night, at Adelphi.
terrace, Mr. Beaks in the* chair. The chairman having
spoken at some length upon the present aspect of political
affairs, the following resolution, proposed by Mr. Odger,
and seconded by Mr. Davis, was adopted " That a sub-
committee be appointed to take steps to secure a meeting
in the Guildhall in reference to Mr. Gladstone's Suspen.
sory Bill, and to ascertain Whether the Lord Mayor Las
c6rrect y represf:nted the opinions of the citizens of Len-
don cu the subject of religious freedom."
•

THE DISPUTE IN THE IRON TRADE.-.--A meeting
of puddlers has been held at Wolverhampton, and the
men again resolved not to accept the masters' terms.
Whilst, however, these resolutions are being passed, men
continue to resume. On Tuesday twelve furnaces were
being worked at the drop at the Minerva Steel and Iron-
works of Mr. Isaac Jenks ; also at the Shrubbery Works
of Messrs. G. B. Thorneycroft and Co., men continue to
drop in. Both there and at the Chillington Works as
many puddlers have resumed as the proprietors require
cIIFOg the present very contracted tiSmiulA

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