The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-25 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK COURT LEET.

Mr. Payne, the new high-steward of Southwark,
held on Tuesday the first Court Leet since his ap-
pointment. It was held at the Town-hail.

- On the old jurors' names being called, according
to custom, to make their presentments of offences
which had occurred during the past year,
The STEWARD said, that although he should receive
their presentments with all the respect that was due
to them, and with all the thanks they were entitled to
for the pains they had taken in the execution of their
office, he felt bound to tell them that he feared the
Court could not carry their presentments into effect.
It appeared to him that the proceedings of the Court
had been in error for some years past, in allowing
the jury who had been sworn the previous year to
make presentments of offences committed during a
whole twelvemonth subsequent to their being sworn.
This practice, he was of opinion, was not warranted
by law, and was contrary to the decision of the supe-
rior courts. The jury at the leet was like the grand
jury at the sessions or assizes; they might present
any offence that had occurred previously to or during
their sitting, but they had no prospective power ; and
as soon as the courts broke up the duties of the jury
were at en end. It would be competent, however,
for the jury who were then about to be sworn to pre-
sent the offences of the past year if evidence were
given them upon the subject, and the Court would
then have an authority to levy the amercements
which might be inflicted.
The Foreman thanked the Steward for the infor-
mation, which was entirely new to them, and said the
jury were all of opinion that the examination of
weights and measures by them during the year was
quite unnecessary, as there wei e inspectors appointed
by Act of Parliament to perform that duty.
The STEWARD said that there were many other
matters which would properly come under the notice
of the jury for presentment, and it was most desirable
that the utility of those ancient institution% should
not be impaired; for they had also a power, as a
grand jury, to present all criminal offences, should it
be ever necessary to do so ; and he could not help
saying that he thought Sir George Grey never en-
titled himself more to the confidence of the public than
when he withdrew from the last Parliament a Bill
which proposed to abolish investigations by grand
juries, and to give power to a single magistrate, on
his own individual opinion, to place any man in the
felon's dock for trial, a power which he (Mr. Payne)
thought could not be regarded with too much jealousy
by the community.
A jury of 23 was then chosen and sworn, instead of
31, the number of the previous year, an alteration
which elicited the highest satisfaction, as being quite
sufficient for the purpose.
The Court adjourned to Friday.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

Ellen Olding, between 14 and 15 years old, was
brought before Alderman Gibbs for final examination,
upon the charge of having robbed Mrs. Pugh, a very
benevolent old woman, of silver spoons and other
property.
Mrs. Pugh, it appeared, had been, while looking
at a shop in Bishopagate-street, addressed by the pri-
soner in the following manner :—" I have walked up
to London from Norwich, 112 miles, and I have no
friends here, and am very tired." Mrs. Pugh asked
her whether she had no change of clothes and no
money ; to which she replied that she had neither
money, nor clothes, nor parents, nor place to go to ;
and that she had not been in town more than an hour.
" Then," said the complainant, " you shall have a
bed at my lodging; but you must go in the morning
to the parish officers, and take their advice." The
girl was then taken the kindest care of by the poor
woman, washed, and fed, and combed ; and, after the
second day, she was introduced to the station-house.
On the third she returned to Mrs. Pugh, and said she
was going home, and that she would call upon her
benefactress on Sunday. " Oh, on Sunday," said
Mrs. Pugh, " I never see visitors, as I make it a rule
to go to a place of worship on that day. " Why so
do I," said the girl, " I go regularly twice every
Sunday from the Ragged School." They then parted,
and on the following Sunday Mrs. Pugh, upon return-
ing from chapel, found that her room had been en-
tered, and that the silver spoons, and her meat and
bread, and other portable goods, had been stolen, and
it was beyond a doubt ascertained that the prisoner
was the thief.

Yesterday the superintendent of the Rigged School
of Spitaltields attended, and informed the Alderman
chat the girl had been a pupil in that in.titution, and
l:(1 deserted it from hatred of walk.
The girl said that she had stolen the key of the
room and given it to another girl, who stole the pro-
perty, and that she would not go back.
Alderman GIBBS said he would try a little private
imprisonment in the case, and after a month he hoped
to find the girl improved.
THE HALL OF COMMERCE MUFF TAANSACTION.—
A gentleman applied on Wednesday to Alderman
Gibbs for information in what manner to recover the
sum of 21. 10i., which he had got rid of in the fol-
lowing way :

Applicant went to the Hail of Commerce, and
being in want of a muff he bargained for one which
he was assured was made of sable, and for which he
was asked 2/. 10i. As he was not a judge of such
articles, he stipulated with the tradesman that if
the muff did not satisfy the taste of a person to
whom he intended to show it, the money should
be returned ; and he paid the amount and took it
away with him, Upon putting the muff into the
hands of the party who was to decide on its value,
the purchaser was at once informed that his bargain,
instead of being the undoubted sable which it had
been represented to be, was the painted skin of an
American rabbit, and not worth much more than
was generally given for the hide of the English
quadruped of the same name. When he found that
the imposition was one of so gross a nature be
hastened back to the dealer in " sable muffs," and
putting down the commodity upon the counter de-
manded his money. The muffman affected to be
much surprised at the second visit of his customer,
and refused to return the money, or to have anything
more to do with the skin, and it was therefore thought
right to prevent the former from making any more
traffic of the kind.

Alderman GIBBS, who did not like such a way of
making muffs either of rabbit skins or gentlemen,
sent over to the Hall of Commerce one of the Man-
sion-house officers with a short private communica-
tion, the consequence of which was, that the sum
paid for the "s3hle" was politely returned to the
gentleman to whom it had been insolently refused a
little before.

Yesterday the officer informed Alderman Gibbs
that the message bad been effective, and of course the
Alderman issued no further directions on the subject
of " making muffs."