The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-19 00:00:00

DUCHY OF CORNWALL BILL.
...

This 11 was considered in Committee, and the report
was ordered to be brought up on Monday 'next.
The Canal Companies Bill was -withdrawn by ,Mr.
GLADSTONE, who announced his intention of bring-
ing in another Bill upon the subject in the early part of
next session. -

The report Of •the Joint-Stock Companies at Law
and in Equity Bill was brought up and agreed to.
RAILWAY BILL.

Mr. GLADSTONE postponed the Committee on this
Bill till Monday next, at one o'clock.
CUSTOMS ACTS BILL.

On the motion that the House resolve itself into a
Committee on the Customs Acts Bill,
Mr. GLADSTONE moved the following resolution:
—" That it is expedient to reduce, under certain circum-
stances, the duties payable on books and engravings."
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE wished to know from the Right
Hon. Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whe-
ther there was any objection to the printing of the evi-
dence taken before the Customs Frauds Committee.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
only objection was, that the evidence cast certain impu-
tations on particular individuals.

Mr. DURCOMBE said there were some persons who
did not object to having their names published.
Thd Bill then passed through Committee.
The District Courts and Prisons Bill was read a third
time, and passed.
The Lecturers and Parish Clerks' Bill passed through
Committee, and the report was received.

The Wes:tern Australia Bill was read a third time and
passed.
The Farm Buildings Bill was read a third time, and
passed.
The Party Processions (Ireland) Bill was read a third
time, and passed.

The Loin Societies Bill was read a third time, and
passed. _

- The other orders of the day were then disposed of,
and the House adjourned at a Quarter before Two.

SUMMER ASSIZES.

HOME ClRCUlT—Chelmsford, July 18.
CROWN SlDE.—(Before Mr. Baron PARKE.)
Elizabeth Beleham, 22, a good-looking young woman,
was indicted for the wilful murder of her male illegiti-
mate child, by casting it into the waters of the Chelmer
river, and thereby suffocating it.
Mr. Clarkson, with Mr. Espinasse, conducted the pro-
secution. Mr. Ryland appeared for the prisoner.
Mr. CLARKSON addressed the jury, and from his state-
ment and the evidence adduced, it appeared that the pri-
soner had resided with her mother at Southminster, in
this county, but about twelve months ago she became
acquainted with a man named Dean, a carrier at Chelms-
ford, and eventually went to live with him, her friends
being induced to believe that they were married.
They continued to cohabit together for several
months, when the prisoner proved in the family-
way, and it appeared that when this became apparent
Dean behaved very unkindly to her, and at length
turned her out of doors. The prisoner returned to her
mother's house, where she was delivered of a child, the
unfortunate infant in question, about five weeks ago;
and it appeared that she had several times applied to the
father of the child for assistance, but could not obtain
any from him. On the morning of the sth of July the
prisoner left her mother's house, taking the infant with
her, and, just as she was about to depart, she told the
nurse to kiss the baby, for perhaps it might be the last
time she would see it. The prisoner represented that
she was going to take the child to Chelmsford, to place
it with a wet-nurse. She was traced along the road,
and at a beer-shop in the evening, at a short distance
from Chelmsford, she had some beer and a biscuit, and
she was seen to chew a portion of the latter and give
it to the baby. The last time she was seen
with the infant alone was about ten o'clock
the same night, at which time she was going
towards the river, and at eleven she went into a
public-house; where it was observed her clothes were
very wet, and her boots were also wet and covered
with gravel of a similar description to some that had
been placed on the banks of the river. The next morn-
ing a labouring man, who went to the river to water his
master's horses, found the dead body of an inftmt in the
water. There were no marks of violence upon it, and it
had evidently died of suffocation. To prove the identity
of the deceased it was found necessary to call the mother
of the prisoner as a witness for the Crown., and she was
obliged to admit that the deceased was the offspring of
her unhappy daughter. The man was also examined, in
order to prove that the day before the dead body was
discovered in the river the prisoner wrote a letter to
him, to the effect that the child was no more, and that
it had died on the previous night, An additional fact,
tending to show the identity of' the deceased, 'MA also
proved by the medical man, who said that upon opening
the stomach of the deceased he found in It a portion of
masticated biscuit. Other facts were also disclosed,
which made out a very strong ease of suspicion against
the prisoner.
Mr. RYLAND made a very forcible appeal to the feel-
ings of the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and commented
in severe and appropriate terms upon the conduct of the
man Deans, who, he said, had first ruined and then de-
serted his unfortunate victim. He admitted that a case
of suspicion had been made oat, but contended that the
evidence was not conclusive of the prisoner's guilt, and
that, under the Circumstances, they ought to give her
the benefit of any doubt that appeared in the case.
Mr. Baron PARKE having summed up, the jury, after
a short deliberation, returned a verdict of Not Guilty.