The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-05 00:00:00

reason to believe by the prisoner, but the persons who
saw him break it were not in attendance; he saw him
running away.
Jarvis, in answer to a question from the Magistrate,
said the prisoner was drunk.
The prisoner, who answered the questions of the
`Magistrate with the greatest reluctance, was fined 10s.

The fine was paid at once.
DEsEanoN.—Yesterday the Clerkenwell Board of
Guardians offered a reward of 14 guineas for the appre-
hension of fourteen individuals who have recently de-
serted their families, thus leaving between sixty and
seventy persons chargeable upon Clerkenwell parish.
One of the deserters bears the histrionic name of Charles
Mathews, and another the historical one of Cade. The
parochial' authorities do not, however, in accordance
with Parliamentary precedent, style the latter gentleman
Mister, although, apparently, much better entitled to it
than his renowned namesake, having been not long ago
a respectable tradesman in Gray's Inn-lane.
QUEEN'S-SQUARE.
Jane Brewer, a melancholy-looking young woman, was
charged with illegally pawning two blankets, two sheets, and
a flat iron, the property of the person in whose house she
occupied a room.
The defendant, who did not deny the charge, was fined
10s., the value of the goods, and 40s. for illegally pawning.
The prosecutor applied for the property ; but the Ma<ris-
trate finding they were not marked, said he could not order
their restoration.

COUNTY COURTS.
Wednesday the Bill for the more easy recovery of
small demands in the county Courts of England was
printed. It contains no fewer than 122 clauses, with
several schedules annexed. By the preamble it is de-
clared that "sundry Acts of Parliament have been
passed from time to time for the more easy and speedy
recovery of small debts within certain towns, parishes
and places, and it is expedient that th provisions of
such Acts should be amended, and that one rule and
manner of proceeding should prevail throughout Eng-
land." It then states, that as the proceedings of County
Courts which now possess authority over debts to 40s.
are dilatory and expensive, it is expedient to alter and
regulate the manner of proceeding, and that the Courts
established under the recited Act of Parliament, or
such of them as ought to be continued, should be
holden after the passing of this Act as branches of the
County Courts under the provisions of this Act, and
' that power should be given to her Majesty to effect
these changes at such times and in such manner as
may be deemed expedient,' with the advice of her
Privy Council, from time to time, to order that this
Act shall he put in force in such county or counties
as to her Majesty, with the advice aforesaid, from time
to time, shall seem fit ; and the Act shall extend to
those counties concerning which any such order shall
have been made, and not otherwise or elsewhere.
The following appear to be important provisions in
this Act, which was introduced by Sir James Graham
and Mr. Manners Sutton, on Friday night :
Sec. 43. " And be it enacted that all pleas of
personal actions, where the plaintiff claims any debt,
or claims any damages arising out of the breach of
any express or implied agreement or claims, to re-
cover the possession or value of any goods or chattels
unlawfully taken or kept from him, and where the debt,
or damage, or value of the goods claimed is not more
than 151., may be holden in the County Court without
writ, wherever the cause of action may have arisen, and
all such actions brought in the said Court shall be
heard and determined in a summary way, according to
the provisions of this Act, provided always that the
Court shall not have cognisance of any action in which
the title to any corporeal or incorporeal hereditaments,
or to any toll, fair, market, or franchise shall be in
question, or arising out of or relating to any will or
settlement."
Sec. 78. " And be it enacted, that whenever the
Judge shall have made an order for the payment of
money, the amount shall be recoverable in case of
default or failure of payment thereof forthwith, or at
the time or times, in the manner hereby directed,
by execution either against the body or against the
goods and chattels, or first against the goods, and it
no goods, or not sufficient to satisfy the claim, shall
be found, then against the body of the party against
whom such order shall be made, and the clerk of the
said Court, at the request of the party prosecuting
such order, shall issue under the seal of the Court a
writ of fieri facial or capias, as the case may be, as a
warrant of execution to one of the bailiffs of the
Court, who, by such warrant, shall be empowered to
take in execution the body (if not privileged against
arrest) of the party against whom such order shall
be made, or to levy by distress and sale of the goods
and chattels of such party within the jurisdiction of
the said Court, such sum of money as shall be so
ordered, and also the costs of the execution and all
constables and other peace officers within their
several jurisdictions shall aid in the execution of every
such warrant."
It is further provided that persons shall, in default
of payment, be committed to the debtors' prison, and
the term of imprisonment is regulated by the follow-
ing provision :—" And be it enacted, that no person
shall remain in custody under any warrant against
the body issued under this Act longer than forty
days for any sum not greater than 405., or longer
than one day for every entire shilling contained in
the sum mentioned in the warrant when such sum
is greater than 405." This section will require
amendment to prevent a long imprisonment, as it will
be in the 'cower of persons to keep back executions
until the detainers have nearly expired, and then to
put them into force. Persons who neglect to ap.
pear when summoned are liable to be fined
51., and to have the fine enforced by the
sale of their goods. The 110th clause is a pro-
hibitory provision to the bringing of actions in the
superior Courts under 151. " And be it enacted, that
if any action shall he prosecuted after the com-
mencement of this Act in any of her Majesty's Courts
of Record at Westminster, or in the Court of Common
Pleas at Lancaster, for any cause other than those
lastly herein before specified, for which a plaint might
might have been entered in any court holden under
this Act, and a verdict shall be found for the plaintiff
for a sum less than 151.. the said plaintiff shall have
judgment to recover such sum only, and no costs, and
shall have execution only against the goods and
chattels of the efendant, and if a verdict shall not be
found for the plaintiff, the defendant shall be entitled
to his costs as be attorney and client, unless in
either case the judge who shall try the cause shall
certify on the back of the record that the action was
fit to be brought in such superior court."
There is no time mentioned (in the event of the
Couc w s.
Bill passing) when it shall come into operation, fur-
ther than that her Mnail,jesty
hen shall
it di
hall rect,
take effectwith the ad-
vice of the Privy

On Wednesday a numerous meeting of the inha-
bitants of the Tower Hamlets was held at the Court-
house,a Whitechapel, to take into consideration the
County
GC
roauhrat
ins Bil
nl
d also to adopt means for the im-
provement , about to be introduced by' Sir
of their own Court. The chair was taken
by Mr. George Offor. The report of the Committee
formed to inquire into the subject was read by Mr.
Baker, from which it appeared that a Select Com-
mittee had been appointed by the House Committee,
in September last, to take into consideration a me-
morial signed by twenty-two Commissioners, relative
to the state of their Court-house to imprison fraudu-
lent debtors ; and, from the inquiry, it transpired that
no case of complaint was ever established against
their proceedings,
week even though there had been 600
suits perduring the last twelve months. Out
of 3,353 executions issued by the Court, 1,346 had
been returned not satisfied ; the amount sued for and
lost being 1,7331. Letters of apology for absence
were read from Sir W. Clay and Col. Fox, and resolu-
tions in support of Sir James Graham's Bill, and pe-
titions to Parliament, having been passed unani-
mously, the meeting broke up.

Ex Uxo DISCE 011 INES.—We see a Parliamentary
Report has just been published "On Smoke." As this title
is so very ambiguous, could any of our contemporaries inform
us which measure of the Session is the subject of the report ?
We will do as much for them in a similar embarrassment.—
Punch.
INTERESTING COINCIDENCE.—There are two histo-
rical writers, denizens of the metropolis, of the same name
and surname (except a slight disparity in the orthography),
and bah Scotchmen—Charles Mackay, author of the
" History of London," "The Thames and its Tributaries,"
&c. &c., and Charles Mackie, author of the " Original History
of Holyrood," " Visit of George IV. to Scotland," " Roslin
Castle,' " Paisley," &c. The latter gentleman has recently
been elected Secretary to our " Southwark Literary Institu-
tion," an appointment which he is eminently qualified to
fulfil, with honour to himself and great advantage to this
highly respectable and prosperous establishment.
FIRE.—On Wednesday a fire broke cut on the pre-
mises of Mr. Crossby, soap-manufacturei, Nos. El and 9, Old
Montague-street, Whitechapel, a very densely populated
neighbourhood. The St. blary's parochial engine soon arrived,
followed by brigade-engines from Jeffrey and Wellclose-
squares stations, with others from Watling and Farringdon-
streets, and'also the County and West of England companies.
The flames were confined to that portion of the' building
where they commenced, but they were not extinguished until
nearly everything in the same, Including a quantity of valu-
able soaps, were consumed. Mr. Crossby is insured in the
RovalEotxch learned.
elFire-office. The origin of the outbreak
could nbe
The Edinbul gh Observer, says the Record, for-
merly
.a paper of Whig politics, and attached to the moderate
party in the Scottish Establishment, is announced to appear
under a new form, as the organ of the Scottish Episcopal
Church. Its politics are to be those most suited to advance
the interests of that Church.
BIRTH IN A MAIL COACH.—On Saturday evening
a lady, who had just arrived in London by railway. from
Folkestone, started for Norwich by that mail which goes
from the Belle Sanvage, Ludgate-hill, and after travelling
outside a few miles on the road, she complained of sudden
illness. Fortunately there was room in the coach for
another inside passenger, and the coachman, John Edes,
good-naturedly assisted her therein, where were three gen-
tlemen seated. The lady now appeared to have recovered,
and all went on well until they arrived within about five
miles of Newmarket, when, certain painful ejaculations
escaping her lips, the gentlemen hailed the driver, who, on
opening the coach door, to his surprise discovered his four
inside passengers had increased to five, the lady having
given birth to a fine boy. On their arrival at Newmarket
she was taken out of the coach and p!aced in an apartment
provided for her at the hotel, and she is now going on well.
Sheis the wife of a gentleman named Anderton, residing at
Norwich.