The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-18 00:00:00

MARLBRO'-STREET.-(THIS DAY

THE BETTING-OFFICE NUISANCE.— William Stevenson
and Charles Stevenson, two weil-dressed young men,
were brought before Mr. Hardwick, charged with as-
saulting Robert Campbell, under the following circum-
stances:—
The complainant stated that he was managing clerk
to Mr. Bernan, who keeps a betting-offico at No. 28,
Cranbourn-street. About five o'clock yesterday aftet-
000n he was much annoyed by two oleo, with placards
before them, who paraded before the door. The pla-
cards were to the effect that Mr. Bernan had failed to
pay his bets. As the men persisted in their annoyance
he sent for a constable and had them removed. About
ten minuses afterwards the defendants came into his
office, and William, who was formerly employed by wit-
ness as clerk, at a salary of three pounds per week,
demanded to know what he (witness) had done with
the two men with the plecards, and how he dared to call
him a thiec Witness, not wishing to have any disturb-
ance in the office, t )1d them to leave peaceably, and on
their refusing to do so he went to the door for the pur-
pose of calling a constable, when he was struck on the
breast with great forts by Charles Stevenson. He
then sent fbr a constable and gave them in charge.
The defendant Charles Stevenson did not deny strik-
ing complainant, and William Stevenson, in defence, de-
nied ever having been a clerk to complainant, nor had
he ever received any money from him, with the excep-
tion of 305., being part of a bet. He (defendant) now
held tickets for 800/. on the St. Leger, which would be
run to-day, and it was enough to make any one
excited when he knew that complainant had not a far-
thing to pay with, lie denied assaulting the complain-
ant; he (defendant) merely went to his office fur the
purpose of asking him to stake his money.
Mr. HARDWICIL said these betting places must be ex-
ceedingly profitable to pay such salaries. The existence
of these offices was bad and prejudicial in every sense
of the word, and something ought to be done to put
them down. In those places there were always something
like the present case occurring, and to prevent a repeti-
tion of such scenes he would put a stop to it, as it not only
encouraged a paltry system of gambling, which ought to
be repressed, but it was an inducement for many young
men to resort to dishonest means to raise money to bet
with. With regard to:the keepers of such places, they
must bear their own responsibility, and not come to the
magistrates for protection. As to the defendants, he
should order them to find one surety each in 101, and to
enter into their own recognisances in the like amount, to
keep the peace for three months.

BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.
The greatest possible activity pervades the whole
of this important undertaking, and tenders are now
invited for building up the line of the river-wall from
Seacombe to Woodside, under the agreement lately
made between the trustees and her Majesty's Com-
missioners of Woods. From the terminus of the
present Morpeth and Egerton Docks, which may
be called mere passage docks, up to Wallasey-
bridge, a distance of nearly two miles, the ground
is like a bee-hive, covered with human bees, at
work in building walls, excavating, &c. The first
work we meet with is the railway company's wall,
forming a sort of basin, where they will at all times
have deep-water access for their traffic, and where
the largest ship can discharge her cargo on to rail-
way trucks. Next comes the dock company's
wall, opposite their warehouse, where vaults,
sheds, and every possible convenience for trade are
in process of erection. This wall joins the
Victoria Wharf wall, a public wharf forming the
north side of what is called the Eighteenacre Dock.
Then the dock company's wall continues up the pool,
in a straight line, for about eight hundred yards, ter-
minated by another public wharf, called Duke-street
Wharf; and this forms the boundary of that portion
of the great float which is on the eve of being opened,
comprising some forty or fifty acres of dock space,
bounded by walls, quays, &c., which are also building
on the north or Seacombe side. Above Duke-street
Wharf a temporary dam is thrown across the pool
while the upper walls are building. This forms
a new contract, and the work is proceeding
rapidly; whilst Mr. Bailey and Mr. Tyrer are
building their walls to complete the whole extent
from Woodside-basin to Wallasey-bridge, a line of
wharf walls upwards of two miles in extent ; and,
simultaneously with these works, private landowners
on the north or eastern side of the pool are about to
build walls; so that it would appear the long-
talked-of great float of a hundred and fifty acres
is soon to become a matter of fact. With deep
water for a ship up to Wallasey-bridge, whilst the
margin of the dock or pool offers unequalled sites
for ship-builders, manufacturers and trades of all
kinds—Paulton will, ere long, become quite a sea port,
with the largest merchant ships moored alongside the
quays; and there is an unlimited extent of land be-
yond the bridge fur timber floats or yards. During
the present week the Morpeth and Egerton Docks
have been run dry, in order to put in the 70-feet
passage gates, preparatory to penning up the water
in the great float. These gates are prodigious
things, each half weighing some eighty tons.
The process of launching these gates into the
dock, previous to shipping them, was rather a
novel one, and such as, we believe, has never been
attempted on this side. Each gate was launched
and shipped in about forty minutes—one during the
night—and the process attracted a good deal of at-
tention. The great characteristic of these works is
their solidity—built to endure for ages, and paving
the way for commerdial facilities worthy of an em-
porium of trade like the Mersey. The rivalship
which these increased facilities cannot fail to excite
must inevitably benefit the trade of Liverpool ; and
we cannot but think that the spirited undertakers
will eventually meet with encouragement, and an
adequate return for the great outlay incurred.—
Liverpool Journal.
PUBLIC CONVEYANCES AND TURN-

PIKE GATES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—Knowing your usual readiness to expose and
put an end to any grievance that comes under your
observation, I have ventured to intrude upon your
valuable time to make the following statement, trust-
ing that even coming from so humble an individual
as myself it may have some effect in putting a stop
to a system that is now so rapidly spreading. Within
the last few days three turnpikes have been put up in
Peckham, thereby doing great injury to the omnibus
proprietors of that place. If I am rightly informed,
turnpikes are put up to defray the expenses of
forming the various roads, and that the parish in
which the roads are situated keeps them in repair
from funds arising out of the highway rate. If so,
by whose authority are there turnpikes raised upon
a road the expenses of forming which must have been
defrayed long since ? In these days of cheapness,
when the cry of anti-monopoly is sounded on every
side, it is hard that the public should be called upon
to pay such gross impositions as these. The Kent-
ruad and Peckham omnibuses have to pay 9s. 6d. per
diem for turnpikes, and 63. for duty, without
reckoning expenses—driver,, conductor, stabling,
horses' keep, &c.; they must therefore carry upwards
of 100 passengers at 31. before they pay their ex-
penses. Every one knows that since cheap fares
have been in existence they have earned but a scanty
living—how much worse will their condition be now,
since the new turnpikes take away the sum of 791. per
annum from their earnings! The inhabitants of Peck-
ham cannot go to London in any vehicle but an omnibus
without paying about 10d. for turnpikes. Tne same sy s-
has been adopted on the other roads under the pretence
of granting a boon to the public. Newington-gate
was removed ; at the same time the toll was raised at
Kennington-gate, and omnibuses that used to pay
7d. for the two gates now pay 101 for one. The con-
sequence is, the fare has been raised from 3d. to 4d.,
and such must be the case in all places where the toll
is so heavy. Cheap fares are, without doubt, a great
boon to the public ; it is therefore our duty to protect
from injustice and oppression those parties whose con-
veyances furnish the boon, so as to enable them to
continue it. If we fail to do so, we cannot expect
them to ruin themselves for public convenience..
I enclose my card, and trusting that you will ex-
cuse this long intrusion your valuable time,
I am, Soirn , yours obediently,
FAIR PLAT.

SKITTLING.—A. prominent official having rendered
skittles a popular game in Southampton, we record, for the
information of those interested in the amusement, that Mr.
Ireland, a tradesman of Southampton, played skittles for
twelve hours incessantly on Thursday last, at Mr. Woolver-
ston's brewery in St. Mary-street. The conditions were
that the play was to commence at ten in the morning, and
last till tea at night, durint, which time as fast as the pins
could be set up, Mr. Ireland was to throw at them till he
got them down ; for every time he knockedes them
were al-
at
twice he was to pay sixpence. Five minut only
lowed for refreshment. The pins were set up by two men
ina
kepttwink up his
twinkling time, and for twelve mortal hours Mr. Ire-
land play, throwing a ball of above ten pounds
weight incessantly during the time, generally getting the
pins down in what, in the language of the " alley," is termed
a " twicer." At the close of the play Mr. Ireland was a
winner of 14/. and upwards. lie ate a Sandwich during hi,
live minutes' rest, bat drank nothing. Our informant
describes tips company present as imulense."— Hampshire
Advertiser.

LONDON,