The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-03 00:00:00

THAMES.

Since the severe weather has set in several applications
for relief have been made at this court, but, owing to
the reduced state of the funds, the magistrates have been
unable to assist the petitioners.
A poor Irish widow, named Cronin, with four healthy-
looking children, who, though poorly, were decently
clad, applied to Mr. Yardley for assistance under the
following circumstances :
She said that for some time after her husband's death
the parish authorities of Poplar allowed her four loaves
and 3. a week, but since April last they had reduced
the allowance to Is., and she hoped bis Worship would
do something to induce them to revert to the previous
practice.

Mr. YARDLEY—Your children look clean and healthy.
How do you manage to support them? Applicant—By
breaking stones.
Mr. YARDLEY—And what do you earn by that? Ap-
plicant—Last week I only earned 45., your Worship.
Mr. YARDLEY—Do any of your children help you?
Applicant—God help them, no, Sir. They are too yonng
oven to look after themselves.

- -
Mr. YARDLEY—WeII, if your story be true, you are
a surprising woman, and these children, so clean, so
comparatively decent, and so hearty-looking, are a great
credit to you. But what can I do f I you, my poor
woman ? Applicant—lt your Worship could get me
back the other 21. a week I could got un very comfort-
ably, end keep them more creditably.
Mr. YARDLEY—If, as I said before, your statement be
a correct one, the allowance from the parish should be
more liberal. Your appearance, and the clean, healthy
appearance of your children, furnish obvious proofs that
you are a good, careful, industrious mother, and should
be encouraged as such. The very scanty means at my
command at present prevent me from giving you what I
could wish. You may have
,a 41b. boar, and if between
this and Christmas the poor-box be replenished, come
here again, and your claim shall not be forgotten. His
Wership then directed Littleton, one of the warrant-
officers, to call upon the parish authorities with respect
to the applicant's case.
The poor woman, who appeared more gratified with
the compliment paid to herself and chiidren than with
the prospect of the renewal of the 24. a week, thanked
his Worship very gratefully and retired.

THE LATE CHARGE AGAINST A
CLERGYMAN AT BIIENTWOOD.
BRENTWOOD, DEC. 2.—lt will be recollected that
the complainant in the above case, Mary Ann Doe,
after absconding from this neighbourhood, when sip
prehended and brought a sec ens time before the bench
of magistrates told a very different story as to the
offence of which she had previously alleged her master,
the Rev. R. A. Johnstone, to have been guilty—in
fact, contradicted in toto her first deposition. The
magistrates, oe dismissing the complaint against Mr.
Johnstone expressed their determination of preferring
an indictment for perjury against the girl, and in fur..
therance of this proceeding Mary Ann Doe was ap-
prehended on Thursday last upon a warrant issued on
the information of Superintendent Coulson, the chief
police officer of the district, and conveyed to the police
station in this town. On the following morning she
was brought before the magistrates and formally
charged with the offence. Mr. Rawlings, solicitor,
of Romford, attended on behalf of the prisoner, and it
having been determined to adjourn the case for the
production of further evidence, application was made to
the magistrates to admit the accused to bail. The bench
refused, but appointed the hearing for the next day;
and a summons having been issued for the attend-
ance of the Rev. R. A. Johnstone, as a witness against
the girl, the proceedings were adjourned over until
Saturday. On Saturday the girl was again brought
up, and Mr. Johnstone, accompanied by his legal ad-
viser, Mr. Shaw, of Billericay, was present. Mr.
Rawlings, the prisoner's solicitor, was prevented
from attending owing to a domestic calamity, but he
sent over one of his clerks to watch the case. In con-
sequence of an expressed desire on the part of the
girl's mother that her daughter should have the ad-
vantage of Mr. Rawlings' advocacy, the case was not
gone into on Saturday, but again adjourned until this
day, when it was arranged that all parties should at-
tend. The girl remained in custody at the police-
station, and was not allowed to hold any communica-
tion either with her relatives or her legal adviser.
This morning the magistrates met at half•past nine
o'clock. The Rev. John Pearson presided, and among
the other magistrates present were the Rev. Dr. Ro-
binson, Mr. Tower, Mr. P. Button, Mr. A. Hirst,
and the Rev. John Lewis.
Mr. Rawlings appeared for the accused, and Mr.
Shaw attended to watch the case on behalf of Mr.
Johnstone, who, although in attendance, did not enter
the court.
The proceedings were commenced by Mr. C. C.
Lewis, the clerk of the bench, reading the informa-
tion upon which the accused had been apprehended.
This document ran as follows :
"The information and complaint of Thomas Coul-
son, of Brentwood, in the county of Essex, superin-
tendent of police, laid before us, the undersigned, two
of her M-jesty's justices of the peace in and for the
same county, this 28th day of November, 1850, who
on oath saith that on the 24th of October last, at
Brentwood, in the said ceutity, Mary Ann Doe, of
Ingrave, in the said couny, single warren, in her
evidence o❑ preferring a certain information before
John Pearson, clerk, and Philip Button, E.q., two of
her Majesty's justices of the peace acting in and for
the said county, against Robert Abercrombie John-
stone, clerk, did commit wilful and corrupt perjury."
As soon as Mr. Lewis had finished reading the ,
above,
Mr. Rawlings, on the part of the accused, objected
to the competency of Superintendent Coulson to lay
an information of this character against his client.
He grounded his os'jection on the fact that the party
injured could alone lay' an infotmation for perjury.
The only exception to this rule was under the 224 of
George 11., which gave power to Judges of assize and
other high legal functionaries to prefer indictments