The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-29 00:00:00

THAMES.

Mr. John Fiancis Fawcett, master of the Anna Jane,
was finally examined, charged with carrying and convey-
ing a quantity of foreign manufactured silk, over and
above the value of 201., whereby, under the 521 section
of the Bth and 9th Vic., c. 87, the goods wore liab!e to
seizure, and the defendant to .a forfeiture of three times
their value.

On Saturday last, Mr. Hammond, landing surveyor cf
Customs, saw a porter taking out a chest which defend.
ant admitted to be his, and said it only contained his
clothcs,• at a wrong gate. After s.une parly the chest
was examined, and 416 yards of China silk were dis-
covered, the grewer portion being in concealment at the
bottom of the chest, upon which the goods were seized
and information laid.

Mr. L9wiP, who appeared for tit! defence, cross-ex.:-
mined all the witnesses at great length, and took several
objections to the informations, which however were over-
ruled by Mr. Ingham.
Mr. Connell, the Queen's a?praiser, proved that the
silks were worth 401., and liable to a duty of 61. Os. The
defendant had, therefore, rendered himtelf liable to a
penalty of 120/., with power of reduction on the part of
the magistrate t) one-fourth.

Mr. YNGHAM said that, independent a the defendant's
own words, who admitted that he intended to evade the
duty, the plan ef concealment proved the intent to smug•
gle, and he should impose a penalty of 601.
Mr. Lewis—Reduce it to a fuurth, Sir.
Mr. IwoHAm —I- fear I have even now dealt too
leniently.
The tine was immediately paid.
Jam^s Evans, James Taylor, John Spencer, John
Ifew,on, Richard Mummery; Rohe, t May, Richard
ii'illiam Hallybonc, and liam Hud.on, the, crew of
the Caledonia steamer, belonging to the General Seam
Navigation Catnpany, and-trading between London and
Hamburgh, were brought before Mr. Ingham, charged
with smuggling eighty pounds of foreign manufactured
tobacco.

Mr. B,.verley, clerk to the solicitors of the 'Customs,
appeared on the part of the Crown;' Nlr. Joseph Smith for
t,e prisoner:, who were all arraigned together; and,
after some discussion, it appeared that ten informations
had been filed. The cases were heard separately.
All the defendants plaadel not guilty.
It appeared from th.e evidence of Mr. David Samuel
Harding, an inspector of Customs, that upon the arrival
cf the Caledonia at Horselydown from Hansburgh, on
Tuesday, be rummaged the vessel, and on removing
one of the lockers in the forecastle, on the larboard bow,
he found a place of concealment in the lining of the
vessel. It was painted over, and the officer had to
remove a board before he could discover the eon-
erahment, and ha then had to draw up the tobacco,
to which pieces of string were attached, . and glued
to the back of the board. It was the most skilful can-
cealmeet of smuggled goods ever know. The officer
recriested the captain and mate to musler the craw,
which was done, and the question was put to each of
them, who "concealed the tobacco." They all denied
any knowledge of it. They were a,ked what it belonged
to, and they said they did not know. Mr. !larding gave
them several hours to consider of the matter, and to
give up the name of the party td whom the tobacoa IN -
longed, but not one would i apeaett his shipm ate, and, in
consequence of instructions from the Board of Cuttems,
the whole crew were arrested, every man on board
being liable.
James Evans, who was the first called upon pleaded
not guilty, and Mr. Hording gave, evidence at length to
the above effect, and added that the Caledonia, was not
driven into this port by stress of weather or. unavoid-
able clusee, and that the tobacco was liable to a duty of
9 53. per lb. The forecastle wa3 the men's place of
living, and the tobame could not be concealed without
their knowledge.
lir. Smith male a long address in favour of the men,
and condemned thqconduct of the Board of Customs in
selecting the crew for prosecution only, told not pro-
ceeding against the captain and mate, who were more
likely to smuggle than the foremast hands. He also
said that a more disgraceful prosecution he never
heard or.

Mr. lisicsAm could not go along with Mr. Smith in
what he said, and did not think it prulable the captain
and mate concaled the tobacco or had anything tc do
with the transaction. lie had no doubt whatever the
defendant or ono of his s!..ipmates put the tobacco in the
place where it was found, and that all bad a guilty
knowledge of it. lie fined the defendant 100/, and so
default of payment, sentenced him to be imprisoned for
six cal, radar nrinths.

The other defendants were then separately charged,
and the elicit ace was repeated in each cas^, which pro-
longed the sitting of the magistrate until a late hour.
All the defendants protested their innocence. They
were all convietel (with the exception of lludeon),
and in default of pay log 1001. sentenced to six monthp,
imprisonment in Kingston Rouse of Correction. It
appired that Hudson was not on board when the seizure
W3S made, and the magistrate decided that he was not,
liable.