The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER l6, 1844.

sition of an offence "of which there was no legal or
valid allegation in the record." We are reminded
that thetlst, 2d, 3d, 4th, 6th, and 7th counts are gone ;
and we are assured that the remaining five impute no
charge of which there was a " legal or valid allega •
tion." Now the simplest answer to this most impu-
dent assertion will be found in an extract
from the speech of Sir Thomas Wilde, the
leading counsel of Mr. O'Connell, setting forth his
notion of the meaning of these very innocent counts.
It will be seen that Sir ThOmas Wilde's ideas of the
meaning and importance of the counts on which the
verdict was found, differs essentially from that of our
Contemporary ; and that they contained many grave
charges beside those which the Chronicle affirms
were not legally alleged llaving
shown, on the authority of Mr. O'Connell's
leading counsel, what the counts on which his client
was found guilty do contain, and the degree of cri-
minality with which they distinctly charge Mr.
O'Connell, we shall not attempt to follow the
Chronicle through its elaborate exposition of
what they do not contain ; neither shall we
resume to-day a task in which the admir-
able article we have elsewhere extracted from a
morning Contemporary, has altogether fore-
stalled us. Suffice it for us to have shown
that the five counts pronounced to be good include all
the criminal charges in the indictment ; and that a
judgment upon any one of them would have been
valid. To the complaint that we have treated
the judgment of the three Whig law Lords with
less respect than we ought to have done,
we reply, that that judgment is common property,
and that a question on which nearly the whole of the
judges of the United Kingdom, including two law
Lords, are at issue with the Whig triumvirate, forms
an exception which would warrant the disregard of
all rules of ordinary etiquette. Mr. O'Connell and
the Morning Chronicle assail, in the most indecent
manner, eleven of those learned and exemplary
judges, whose qualificrtions for their office the
people of England have hitherto regarded, and
still regard, with the utmost veneration and respect ;
and it is something too much to attempt to debar
the public press from criticising the decision of the
three Whig law Lords by whom the opinions of that
very large majority have been superciliously set aside.
But, even when a leading member of this close court
of appeal differs not only from eleven out of thirteen
of the judges of the inferior courts, but from four out
of five of the law Lords themselves, we ought, ac-
cording to the Chronicle's notions of propriety, to
refrain from the expressions of our belief that he is
not the sole depository of the learning, talent, and
honesty of the English judicial bench ; in short,
whilst our Contemporary does not scruple to
insult the overwhelming majority of the judges
who have been consulted in this case, we are
bound to refrain from any opinion at variance
with those of the intrepid three who have thus
boldly asserted the supremacy of their judgment. A
decision from three political judges, two of whom
at least had little beyond the vigour of their sup -
port of a Whig administration to recommend them
to the important offices they have respectively
filled (one of them conferred after the Government
of which the recipient was a partisan had been
condemned beyond reprieve, with the corrupt view
of giving him a retiring salary), is forsooth to he
treated with the utmost tenderness and forbearance ;
whilst the "vile judges," as O'Connell has had the
audacity to designate those eminent men who decided
against him, and who adminster nineteen-twentieths
of the laws of England at the present moment, are
exposed to the most groundless and virulent abuse.
If such be etiquette, it is a sort of etiquette " more
honoured in the breach than the observance."

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Sept. 13.
(Before Mr. Commissioner GOULBURN.)
C. J. BANNISTERS' BANKRUPTCY.

The bankrupt in this case was a draper, carrying
on business at Derby. He has failed for about
4,0001., and his assets are said to be under 2,000/.
He was originally connected in business with his
brother, Robert Bannister, of Portsea, who, it will
be recollected, decamped with between 2,0001. and
3,0001., but was captured at Aladeria. The fiat
against C. J. Bannister was, in the first instance,
issued in Birmingham, but removed to London, in

order to work the two bankruptcies together, and
thus thoroughly investigate the state of their affairs.
The sitting to-day was for the choice of assignees,
and the only proof upon which any discussion arose
was one tendered by the trustees of the wives of the
bankrupts, they having married two sisters, fur
1,1201., cash advanced to enable them to commence
trade.

Mr. M. Chambers supported the trustees, Mr,
Young appeared fur the bankrupt, and Mr. Reed,
as solicitor fur several creditors, opposed the proof.

An examination of witnesses was entered into,
to show the bona fides of the proof; at the conclusion
of which,
Mr. Commissioner GOULBURN said he was satisfied
that the money was advanced, and therefore he should
admit the debt. The only question was whether it
was necessary, under the terms of the settlement, for
the bankrupt to join in the proof. As, however, the
wives had joined with the trustees, he did not think
it requisite for the bankrupt to do so.

Mr. REED then stated that the number of creditors
for whom he appeared carried the choice of assignees
in favour of Mr. G. Hitchcock, of St. Paul's-church-
yard, and Mr. D. Ainsworth, of Manchester, both
warehousemen ; and added that they would require
the bankrupt to give a minute and detailed statement
of his affairs in his balance-sheet. Mr. Reed parti-
cularly referred to the deficiency which appeared in
the bankrupt's stock and bank account between Ja-
nuary last and August, the latter the date of his
failure.

The bankrupt said his books would explain all, and
give, he was sure, satisfactory information of the state
of his accounts.

Mr. Commissioner GOULBURN urged the bankrupt
to be assiduous and attentive to his estate, and distin-
guish his conduct from that of his brother, which had
been exceedingly faulty.
The bankrupt promised attention to the request of
the Court, and the proceedings were adjourned till the
28th of September, when the two brothers will come
up for their last examination.;

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, Sept. 14

IN THE MATTER OF RENTON NICHOLSON.

A petition from the above-named insolvent, who
lately kept the Garrick's Head, in Bow-street,
Covent-garden, was filed in the office of the Court as
a preliminary proceeding to his appearance for hearing.
It appears from the petition and the documents an-
nexed, that the insolvent, who describes himself as
late of Exeter Hotel, Strand, out of business, was
arrested on Friday and taken to the Queen's prison.
He exdeditiously procured the necessary papers, and
was enabled within twenty-four hours of his confine-
ment to petition the Court.
By the description it seems that the insolvent had
kept the Garrick's Head, which place he rented of Mr.
Simpson, of the Albion Tavern, who had distrained
furniture to 901. and books to 101., which were on
the premises, for arrears of rent amounting to 250/.

stated that on the 10th of August he received a
clock between three and four o'clock in the after-
noon, but it was not pledged by the prisoner.—(The
clock was here produced and identified.)
Robert Vinson, of East-street, Kennington, said
that on Friday fortnight he received the clock from
a person of the name of Gould. The defendant was
not present. Witness did not know that Gold was
in partnership with the defendant. He had known
Gould twelve months.
Mr. 'Woolf stated that the two names of Gould and
Goulding were used according to the necessity of the
case, and that creditors never could find either, for
the moment one was asked for the other appeared,
and vice versa.
John Appleton, of 119, Leadenhall-street, publi-
can, stated, that he had purchased the duplicate of
the clock of Winson, for 1/. 10s., and he had taken
it out of pawn for 1/.
Mrs. Ann Harris was then called by the prisoner,
who said that she was the lady from whom he had
got the order for the clock, and she was examined
at great length, by the Lord Mayor, who elicited
from her the fact that the prisoner was her brother-
in-la w. She repeatedly contradicted herself and at
length refused to answer any more questions.
Mr. O'Brien cross-examined the prosecutor in a
very ingenious manner, and proved that the poor man
had, in his anxiety to get his property, or part of the
value of it, so acted as to convert what was a dead
robbery into an apparent debt..
The Lord Mayor and Alderman Wood very
scrupiously examined the evidence, in the hope of
being able to establish a case against the defendant.
His LORDSHIP—I regret very much that we are
obliged to discharge this prisoner; we cannot help it.
You have been plundered, but you have, by the course
you have pursued, been completely out•generalled
by the defendant. We are sorry for you, and we
hope the press will do justice to the defendant, who
has acted in the most infamous manner.
Here several persons came forward, and stated that
the defendant had obtained goods fraudulently from
them.

The prisoner—Nonsense; the money has been lying
at my house for you all these three or four days.
There were several fellows, no doubt of the de-
fendant's stamp, in the Court, who was evidently de-
lighted at the decision of the magistrates. The de-
fendant put on his hat and strutted out of the bar.
LAMBETH-STREET.

William Kitigaby, a messenger at the Sailors'
Home, Well-street, Wellclose-square, was charged
before the lion. G. C. Norton, with embezzling va-
rious sums, amounting in the aggregate to upwards
of 801., the moneys.of Captain Elliott and other Direc-
tors belonging to that Institution.
From the evidence it appeared that the captains
and owners of vessels are in the habit, on their arrival
in the port of London, of sending their apprentices to
the Sailors' Home, paying for them a certain sum
weekly. Bills had been given from time to time to
the prisoner to collect the amount due for these ap-
prentices, and, though he had received the money for
them, he had never made a return of it.
After a brief examination, the prisoner was re-
manded to a future day.
Jahn Mitchell, a ruffianly-looking fellow, was
charged with committing a murderous assault upon
Mary Anne Murray, an unfortunate female with
whom he cohabited.
It appeared from the evidence of the complainant,
whose life had been for some time in considerable
danger, that on Wednesday week he, withont the,
slightest cause, attacked the unfortunate woman,
struck her with his clenched fist, kicked her all over
the body, aril jumped upon her in the most savage
manner, until he reduced her toa state of insensibility,
and the very point of death.
Mr. Brown, a surgeon, in East Smithfield, described
the nature of the injuries inflicted.
Mr. NORTON remarked that during the whole of
his magisterial experience he did not recollect a more
dastardly or savage case being brought before him,
and committed the prisoner to .Newgate, to take his
trial on the charge of wounding.
CLERKEIVWELL. .
_

A few days ago--;i woman named Stephens was
charged at this Court with presenting a begging
letter to Inspector Barton, of the G division, who
took her and her two children under his care, with a
view to benefit them incase the distress which she
pretended to be labouring under was founded in fact.
On the following day she and her children were in-
troduced to Mr. Combe, and her tale exciting much
sympathy, she was given over to the charge of the
parish officers of Islington, that a full investigation
into all the circumstances detailed in her begging
letter might be made. The case, as one of distress,
was duly inserted in the imorning papers, and fairly
represented, and as is usual in such matters,
the eyes of many benevolent individuals were
drawn thereto, and subscriptions to be applied to
her use have been sent anonymously to Mr.
Combo. One sum of 51., from D. N., is requested to
be acknowledged as received in the newspapers; but
the humane donor will, on application to the above
worthy Magistrate, receive that sum back again, or
cause it to .be appropriated to a better purpose, it
having been ascertained beyond doubt that the
woman is utterly undeserving of protection--that she
was drunk when her husband died, and that she has
been a disgrace and outcast of society, deceiving every
one that would befriend her ever since.
Mr. ComuE, in a feeling address to the defendant,

said that he would not, if he could avoid it, have and
thing more to do with her, and left her with Mr.
Hicks, the relieving overseer of Islington, to be passed
to her own parish, believed to be White Chapel.
On Saturday Mr. John Nicholls, a gas-fitter, re-
siding at 14, Leather-lane, was charged on an infor-
mation with having defrauded the City of London
Gaslight and Coke Company. The information was
founded on the 57th of George 111., c. 23, sec. 17.
The penalty was laid at 201, and 1/. for every day
during which it should be proved the fraud existed.
The Court was crowded with professional and other
gentlemen, and much interest was manifested in the
proceedings. Mr. Hawes, father of the Hon. Mem-
ber for Lambeth, was on the bench.
Mr. Clarkson was for the prosecution, and Mr.
Charnock appeared as counsel for the defence.
Mr. Clarkson said lie had been informed that a sys-
tem had been resorted to of late, in order to defraud
gas companies, which was so ingenious in its nature,
and so difficult of detection, that if not at once put a
stop to, they would be ruined in a very short time.
There were two modes of supplying gas, one by con-
tract and the other by meter. Public-houses were
generally supplied by the latter. Now, it was mani-
fest that if by any means the gas could be turned
from passing through the meter, the Company had
no means whatever of knowing how much had been
consumed.
The gas-meter was then placed on the table and its
construction explained, which was necessary to under-
stand the alleged offence. Two tubes communicated
with it, the one conducting the gas from the main
pipe into it, whence by machinery the number of
cubical feet of gas was told on the index outside. The
other tube conveyed the gas away from the meter and
ramified it into minor ones, distributing. the gas all
over the establishment. In fact, it was in some re-
spects like the human heart, supposing the first-men-
tioned tube to be the pulmonary artery, and the latter
the aorta. The fraud was alleged to have been com-
mitted
between
nh y
themcutting
n short
eawayr portions of both tubes so as
t
tube
both, lying on the top of the meter. The tube is
which communicated with
called a "Jerry.,
The first witness called was Mr. E. Newbold. He
deposed that, in April last, he kept the Coach and
Horses beershop in Cross-street,. Hatton-garden, and
subsequently the Grapes, in Smithfield. On Saturday,
the 23d of March, a few days before he became land-
lord of the Coach and Horses, the defendant was intro-
duced to him, by a man named Sullivan, as a gas-fitter.
The defendant came on the 28th, but the meter and
pipes had been then erected, and the inspector of the
gas-works had been there. Defendant went down to the
cellar where the meter was, and returning after some
time told witness it would be all right, and that the pipes
and meter wanted to have a little job done to them,
which he would do " but it must be taken into ac-
count." The defendant came a few days after, and
having been in the cellar for some time, came back,
saying he would complete the little job with the pipes.
Witness went out, and on coming home in the even-
ing saw in the cellar Hammond, the prisoner's ap-
prentice. The next day Nicholls came again, ob-
tained a candle, went down to the cellar, and when
he came up told witness ho had now done the little
job, and that it was all right. The day after he came
again, and asked witness how the gas burned ? Wit-
ness answered very well. He then asked if he had
looked at the meter. Witness said he knew no more
about the meter than the meter did about him. He
said "Just
go and look at it." Witness did go and
look at it, and saw the jerry. On returning, witness
said, " What the d-1 is that you have got there, the
gas does not go into the meter at all ?" Nicholls said
" Never mind, it is all right." Witness said he
wanted an explanation, but he left and gave none.
When prisoner went away witness took off the jerry
and made the
Pipes communicate with the meter as
before. He hid the jerry first in his drawer and then
in the cellar. At the latter end of May or the begin-
ningM
of June he gave the jerry up to r. Butler, su-
perintendent of the gas company. The defendant
had repeatedly asked him for it,
saying he wanted to
make one of the same pattern, but witness refused to
give it up. At one time Nicholls said to him that gas
companies would be very well satisfied if they were
paid for half of the
not tell how many gas that was consumed.
'examined —C
public-
houses he had kept. Could not say, but he had kept
forty-nine. Cross Nicholls sued him in the Sheriff's Court
for gas-fittings,
and obtained a verdict for 191. asaiest
him. It was after Nicholls brought the action wit-
ness communicated with the gas company.
William Hunt, a potman to the
_Twelve Bells
,in

Bride-lane, was next examined—Was potman to
Newbold. Nicholls came into the bar about that
time, and said to Newbold, " Well, governor, how
does your meter get on ?" Newbold said, " Take a
candle and go and look." Newbold looked at it after,
and said, " What the d—l do you call that ? It's not
in the meter at all." Nicholls had a pint of porter
and went away, and Newbold went into the cellar
immediately afterwards with a screwdriver and
brought up the jerry in his hand. Heard Nicholls
say that he had put 47,000 cubic feet of gas back for
one individual. Heard Newbold refuse to give the
jerry up to Nicholls when the latter asked for it.
Charnock having cross-examined this wit-
ness, but without in the least degree shaking his tes-
timony, addressed the bench on behalf of his client.
He relied on the suspicious character of Newbold,—
on the extreme unlikelihood of a respectable
tradesman committing so grave an offence without
any prospect of advantage,—on the length of time
that had elapsed between the period of the alleged of-
fence and the prosecution,—on the probability of New-
bold being entirely actuated by vindictive motives, in
consequence of having lost the suit in the Sheriff's
Court, and on the supposition that Newbold, who was
alone the gainer by the fraud, d:d it himself, or had
it do le by some other person.
James Hammond, the defendant's apprentice, de-
posed to having been sent fur by Newbold to do
something to his gas-pipes, at the Coach and Horses,
and found the pipes had been broken at the meter.
Newbold came down, and said, " Have you done
that ?" Witness said, " How did you break it ?"
Newbold then pulled a " jerry" from his pocket and
said, "I broke it screwing this on; what do you
think of it ?" Witness asked him where he got it,
and he said he found it in the cellar. Witness knew
that it had been on before, for it smelt of gas. Wit-
ness refused to put it on, and said he would send his
master. When witness told Mr. Nicholls he said
that witness had acted very properly in not putting
it on.
Mr. Clarkson again addressed the bench.
Mr. Comnz said, though he placed no reliance on
Newbold's testimony per se, yet, confirmed as it was
by Hunt, a perfectly disinterested witness, he felt
it his duty to convict, and would fine the defendant in
the full penalty of 201. and costs.
Mr. Charnock gave notice that he should appeal
from the decision.

UNI ON•HAL L.
Sarah Drew,-the wife of an aged man, the pro•
prietor of a circulating library, in Castle-street,
Southwark, was brought before -Mr. Cottingham for
re•examination, charged with administering a quan-
tity of arsenic to her husband, with intent to destroy
him.

The principal object, in remanding the prisoner,
was for the purpose of giving Policeman 67 L an
opportunity of discovering where the arsenic was
purchased.
The MAGISTRATE now inquired whether the seller
of the article was found ?—Mr. James, the solicitor
for g
the prosecution, replied in the neative, and sid
that his client still exhibited great unwilling ne ssa to
appear against the prisoner, a feeling in which he was
joined by his children.
Mr. COTTINGHAM said that the charge against the
prisoner was of so serious a character that he could
not listen to such a suggestion as that just made; that
it was- his bounden duty to send the case for inve,ti-
gation before a higher tribunal, and for that purpose
should commit the prisoner.
The MAGtsraATE said that in the interval of the trial,
should it be ascertained where the arsenic was bought,
evidence of the fact might be adduced before the grand
jury when the indictment was preferred against her.
During the time the prisoner was at the bar she
trembled very much, and seemed to be labouring
under the palsy. When told that she was to be com-
mitted she wept bitterly, and was obliged to be sup-
ported out of the dock.
WORSHIP-STREET.

George Oberhausen was brought up for final eaa•
mination, upon a charge of robbing his employers
Messrs. De la Rue and Sons, and committed for trial

BRENTFORD.
CRUELTY TO A CHILD.—On Saturday a person of
respectable appearance, named John 7'olfree, an
excise-officer, living ,at No. 6, Mary-street, Palace
New-road, Lambeth, and also in Linkfield lane, Isle-
worth, appeared before Mr. H. Pownall and the Rev.
H. S. Trimmer, the sitting Magistrates, to answer a
charge of cruelty to his own child, a boy eleven years
of age.
Mr. Lewis, assistant overseer of Lleworth, attended
by desire of the Board of Guardians of the Brentford
-Union to support the charge; and Mr. Nicholas,
solicitor of New Brentford, appeared for the defendant.
John Tolfree, a good-looking, intelligent child, was
the first witness called. He deposed that he was a
son of the defendant, and was living in the house in
Linkfield -lane, Isleworth, where his father had several

times chained him up. On the previous Saturday
week, as he sat at dinner, about half-past one o'clock,
his father came in and immediately took him up
stairs, where he went to a box. and pulled some chair m,
out, with which he took him to a back room, and
having nailed the chains to the floor, fastened them
round witness's right leg with a padlock, and
left him there. He remained there chained
down all that day and all that night. At night
his father's housekeeper brought him up a piece
of bread and butter, and on the following morning
(Sunday) he succeeded in getting loose from the
chains, and went down stairs ; but on the house-
keeper seeing him, she called his father, who took him
up stairs again to the back-room, and again chained
him by the leg, that time adding, also, chains to both
hands. On that day (Sunday) the housekeeper
brought him up some breakfast about twelve o'clock,
and about one o clock his father unlocked the room-
door, and unchained one hand, giving him at the same
time a piece of dry bread. He remained in that con-
fined state until the following Thursday, when he
again succeeded in freeing himself from the chains,
and got out of the room. On the Monday he had no-
thing but dry bread and water, but on the other two
days the housekeeper brought him some meat, and
told him that his father had ordered him to have
dry bread only. While in the back room he had
no bed to lie on, but laid on the floor. On the
Thursday, when he got the chains off, he went
out into the street, and told Mrs. Russell and
other neighbours the treatment he had received.
By the BENCH—IIis father had often told him not
to call him " father." While confined from the 6a-
turday to the Thursday had water once to wash with.
His father had beaten him very much, but not so
much lately. Had not at times as much as he
could eat.

By Mr. Nicholas —Had done nothing to deserve
such punishment.
The Bench then examined the boy's legs. The
right leg bore evident marks of the effects of the
chains, but the worst was the left leg, which was
covered with bandages, and on their being removed
there was found a wound above the top of the instep
of the size of a crown piece, the effects of the chains,
which excited indig►nation from all who witnessed it.
Four other witnesses, neighbours of the defendant,
were then examined, who corroborated the statement
of the boy.
The defendant, in answer to the charge, acknow-
ledged having chained the boy up, but, in extenua-
tion, pleaded that the boy was a liar, thief, and every-
thing that was bad.

Mr. Nicholas proposed to call witnesses on behalf
of the defendant to prove his statement; but
The BENCH said they could not go into that part
of the case, as it was one of too serious a nature for
them to decide summarily. They had made up their
minds to send the case to trial, and they should re-
quire the defendant to enter into his own recognizance
of 501., with two sureties in 251. each, to appear at
the sessions.

The defendant immediately found the required
sureties.

Mr. Lewis was bound over in the sum of 401. to
prosecute.

RICHMOND PETTY SESSIONS.

On Saturday, William New, a shoemaker by trade,
was charged before Captain T. Price, Chairman, and
a full bench of magistrates, at Richmond, Surrey,
with having on the 22d of last month stabbed his wife.
The wife of the prisoner, who made every effort to
evade appearing against her husband, and who gave
her evidence with considerable reluctance, was exa-
mined at some length. From her statement it ap-
peared, that on the 22d of last month, while at din-
ner, her husband and herself had some words, when
the former made a lunge at her with the knife he was
using with his meal, and stabbed her in the side near
the lower rib. On observing her blood flow from the
wound, her husband abiconded, and had not after-
wards returned to his home.
During the examination of the wife she endeavoured
as much as possible to exonerate the prisoner, declar-
ing on her oath that she did not believe he intended
to injure her, and that the injury was inflicted in the
heat of passion, during a quarrel between herself and
her husband. The magistrates, however, took a very
different view of the charge, and it being the opinion
of the medical gentleman who attended the wife, that
if the wound had been a little more in front of her
person it must have proved fatal, they fully committed
the prisoner to take his trial at the Central Criminal
Court, on the capital charge of stabbing with intent
to murder his wife.

HERRING FISHERY in SCOTLAND.
FISIIERROW, FRIDAY.—Our port for the last fort-
' night has presented a scene of unusual bustle and
activity. The herring made their appearance off
Itizhkeith on the 231 ult. Their whereabouts was
made known to our fishing community in rather a
singular manner. Two young lads, the sons of a
widow, had been left behind on the departure of the
others for the fishing ground, in the expectation
of being enabled to catch haddocks for
their own and their mother's support. All
their attempts, however, had failed, and the old
woman began to suspect that, the haddocks being
entirely gone, some other fish had taken their place.
She, acting on this suspicion, ferretted out two or
three old nets from their repose in a garret; and sent
out the lads again to try their luck. The next
morning they returned, to the old woman's surprise
and gratification, with five thousand herrings, which
they sold at three shillings per hundred. This
lucky capture immediately got wind, and the boats
came in rapidly from the eastward, and a most steady
and most plentiful take has been the consequence.
The shoal was close in with the rock, awl very
often the nets were shot in two fathoms' water. The
sea around presented an oily appearance, and so nu-
merous were they that the nets were borne down by
the weight of the fish as they went over the boat's
side. From this plentiful take, their price was much
reduced. At Dunbar they were selling at 11s.
a cran. One of our most active curers has nearly
filled a thousand barrels, and at Cockenzie 500 barrels
were cured in one day. They have everywhere met
with a ready market, and have afforded to all classes
a cheap and plentiful supply of food. Other countries
will also benefit by their abundance. Several French
vessels from the ports of Dunkirk, Boulogne, Dieppe,
Fecamp, Caen, and Gravelines, have been during the
whole time off the Inch, fishing with their own boats,
purchasing from our fishermen, and curing their car-
goes on board. It is not often at this season thit the
herring have come so high up in our Firth. In 1793
a similar shoal made their appearance off Cockenzie,
and about seven years ago another equally plentiful,
in the hay of Kirkaldy.
BERWICK.—The take throughout this week has
been the best the fishermen have had during the
season. The shoal from which our fishermen ob-
tained their supply last week, lying to the north
of the harbour, at the latter part of it removed fur-
ther in the bay ; of this circumstance the Eyemouth
men were apprised by the crew of a vessel, and proceed-
ing to the place on Friday last, were amply rewarded.
This induced our men to proceed to the same place
throughout the week, and with the exception of this
morning there have been great quantities of herrings
caught. While there are instances of boats having
on each morning only one crap, others again
have had as many as forty, and in some few cases as
many as sixty. Last night the boats proceeded as
usual ; a change of weather, however, took place, and
the most of them thought proper to return in the
course of the night. A thick mist, with an easterly
wind, rendering it extremely dangerous to continue
at sea, excited considerable anxiety for those re-
maining out. During the morning there were still
three boats out, and as the thickness of the atmosphere
prevented them knowing their position or finding out
the harbour, guns have been fired by the Skylark
cutter brig, in the port ; and the bell at Spittal chapel
has been ringing throughout the morning to assist
them in finding out their course. The fishing will
in all probability close next week ; some boats have
two hundred crans for the season, while others have
below one hundred.

WICK, SEPT. s.—The fishing may be said to be
fairly over fur a season. The total catch for the week
will not add much more than three-fourths of a cran
to the general average for the season, which is about
ninety-nine crans, or eight crans lower than that of
last year. The highest take any day this week has
been 28 crans, and the quality has continued to be of
the finest description. Notwithstanding the amount
of the general average, we do not remember of a
fishing so extremely irregular; for, while many of
the boats have exceeded 300 crans a considerable
number have not reached 30. All the south boats
have left for home—those belonging to the West
Highlands and Orkney are rapidly leaving, and the
home boats are being drawn up as fast as possible. It
is not likely that any further attempts will be made
this season. One hundred and twenty-four vessels
have been entered at Pultneytown for exportation,
and many more will be required ere the total quan-
tity caught be carrier' off. It may be safely affirmed,
that the general take over the whole coast is far
below an average one; for, while the fishing at Wick
has been good, there has been a considerable falling
off at other stations. The consequence has been a
brisk demand for fish, in all quarters, at a rise in
prices. 17s. 6d has been freely given in Wick for
crown brand, and 17s. without any brand, and in
several cases these have been refused by the curers,
who seem confident of a further rise.