The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-04 00:00:00

NON-DELIVERY of NEWSPAPERS, SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE
&c., ON SUNDAY. AMENDMENT OF THE LAW.
A deputation of London newspaper proprietors waited Yesterday afternoon Lord Brougham, at the request
upon the Marquis of Ciat.•ricarde' Postmaster-General, of the council of this society, delivered a public lecture
yesterday, at twelve o'clock, at his residence, in Carl-
on the importance of the possession of legal knowledge
ton-terrace, to urge upon his Lordship the necessity by all classes of the community and the means of dif-
which exists far the abrogation of the recent enactment fusing it.
•
suspending the delivery of letters and newspapers on
higThhlye. roomsi of the society were crowded with a
Sunday. The following gentlemen attended:—Mr. In- hi sectable auditory, among whom were seve-
ral eminent members of' the legal profession.
gram, Mr. Douglas Jerrold, Dr. Mackay, Mr. Murdo
Young, Mr. Serle, Mr. Wood, Mr. J. K. Chapman,
Mr. Lamb, Mr. Stiff, Mr. Ledger, Mr. J. I. Scott. Col. His LORDSHIP, in commencing his observations,
Thompson, M.P., had also an interview with the Noble stated, that nothing but the earnest request of the
Marquis. council would have induced him to undertake his
Mr. SERLE explained the object .of the deputation. present task. He feared that the dulness of the sub-
He said that a body of persons who were known as Sab- ject would cause them to spend a tedious hour, al-
batarians were endeavouring, by every means in their though it might not be altogether a useless one. It
power, to put down all kinds of Sunday trading, and was greatly to be regretted that the limited knowledge
with this view they had introduced a Bill into Peris- of the law possessed by the public in general fre-
t' placed newspapers in the same
uq ently proved a matter of serious detriment to those
category with fish and vegetables, so that in fact, if this
who had property and rights to guard, as nearly the
Bill, or indeed the recent Post-office regulations were
persisted in, news being as perishable as the commodities everyday duties of a man required him in some shape
he had named, they would become stale and valueless, or another to have a knowledge of the laws of
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE remarked that a Corn- his country. A man's social - position, whatever
mittee of the House of Lords had been appointed to it might be, required him to be able to dis-
consider the provisions of this Bill. tinguieh between legal and illegal acts ; but
Mr. SERLE said be need hardly impress upon his how could that be the case where the laws which
Lordship, who must be perfectly conversant with the regulated these acts were not generally known ?
facts, that the recent order, instead of lessening Sunday Many of the
wrong
wereactsknown
labour, would, on the contrary, materially increase it. toguardagainst
by the instructions of
Perhaps, the Post-office might not feel it; but newspaper teachers both lay and clerical, if not impressed upon
proprietors would to compelled to employ on Sundays,
them by a natural consciousness, and yet even in
ten times the amount of labour which the Post-office
would, under the old system, find it necessary to use on matters of this nature persons unacquainted with the
Sundays, but with this difference, that the newspaper law might find themselves incumbered with several
proprietors could only accomplish that laboriously, ex. difficulties. How necessary was it for a man to know
pensively, and indifferently, which the Post-office could the rights of self-defence, to be aware of the violence
do cheaply and effectively. With respect to the non- which may be used in repelling an assault or an in-
delivery of letters on Sunday, he might cite the case of a novation upon property. What difficulties might
coroner, who, in consequence of the closing of the exist in respect to the laws of conspiracy, of corns
Post-office, might be unable to hold an inquest. pounding felony, in discerning trespass from misde-
Vessels might be kept in the Channel waiting meanour—laws which in society ought to be generally
perty, but
for pilots,
to life, might result. Mr. and thus not only dangeThomas,r to pro
of - known. A. man should know the limits between
trespass and misdemeanour, between misdemeanour
Finch-lane, news-agent, had informed him that since the
on which his moral sense would
new regulation his sale on newspapers on Saturdays
had fallen off 25 per cent., those newspapers which he give him no guidance whatever. Equally grievous.
and felony—matters
had been in the habit of' dispatching on Saturday atter- might prove an ignorance of the course of judicial
noon having been discontinued, because they could not procedure in criminal matters, the laws of evidence,
roach their destination until Monday, and all the news- and those rules which guided courts in the reception
papers had received no end of letters complaining of the of evidence—matters upon which persons were very
non-receipt of papers, and'in many cases discontinuing often and grievously deceived. It was often found that
then altogether. persons committed themselves in writing to the injury
the Marquis of CLANRICARDE said, no doubt news- of their own rights, from a want of knowledge of the
paper proprietors bad a peculiar claim upon the atten- simple fact that a part of a document could not be
tion of the Government in this matter, on account of the
received without the whole. The protection of one's
stamp duty, which wee always considered to include ,
postage. Indeed, it had been calculated by Mr. Row- own character and the avoidance of injury to that of
land Hill, and it had often been remarked, that the
others comprised a knowledge of the laws of scandal
Post-office had a right to claim a portion of the re- and libel, and a knowledge of the law of parole
venue thereby derived by the Government. There evidence in matters of contract was not unnecessary
were matters of detail, the circumstances of which even to those who had frequent dealings with trades-
varied in different localities. His own opinion was— men. A knowledge of the laws of usury might often
and he believed the same opinion was entertained by be of essential benefit to many classes of the com-
all the members of the Government—that this
munity, and the law relating to wills ought to be
arrangement, which the House of Commons had known to all who had property to bequeath. (His
Lordship here entered into a detailed account of the
.
decided should be carried into effect, would be
various modes of entailing property or leaving it in
of such extreme inconvenience to the country,
trust, explaining how frequently testators left the
as it would prevent the transmission of news as
law to decide. doubtful points for them, or, from want
well as letters to individuals. As he had said, newspapers
of knowledge, reverser] in effect their real in e ions
had a strong claim to attention in all matters having re-
t intentions.)
.)
lation to speedy conveyance by post on account of the
stamp duty, but at the same time the alteration of the How many various branches of legal knowledge
order must depend upon the public; the public were re- were required even by the cultivators of the soil—
presented in Parliament; the Government were merely men of simple and plain habits, but who were often
the executive, and although there were doubtless occa- led into difficulty from want of some proper know-
sions when it was well for a Minister of the Crown ledge to guide them. The laws relating to shipping,
to interfere, yet it must be obvious that there were conveyance of land; and, in fact, most of the principal
serious objections to the Executive Government being statutes, might in turn affect the interests of all
put forward as opposing the wishes of the people, as ex- classes of individuals. How necessary, then, for in-
pressed in the late address, and on a matter upon which
terest and defence of right was some general know-
strong religious feelings existed. It might be said that
those actuated by their strong religious feelings did not lege of legal matters. Passing from the possessors of
senroperty. to the possessors of offices, in what various
nreoptrneetkt the feelingsanase.
vetoyf thecn country.
naiderab considerable
Thatagit might
atinn or m
had
ad taken
t ways
might a man be called on to perform functions
place. The motion was not hastily brought on. It was under the law, clerical and parochial offices of various
and was put off from kinds, and•many others requiring a much more ex-
time n no
u to time,nce d
a duer day tended acquaintance with the law of the land than was
upon which it was actually brought on. Upon all these generally believed. With reference to the offices of
announced
ly in
noticeth e havingsessio n ' been given
occasions,
juries—happily for our judicial system and the cha-
came ratter of the people, all questions of fact are, by the
oiofnosr,ward neitherto opposet he peopthleis nor
motion,their
nor reprtehseen wishestative s
of those parties whom Mr. Serle had termed (it
was not for him to say how correctly) Sectarians. He course of common law, referred to juries of twelve
believed, however, a motion now stood for an early day, men, taken from all classes without distinction. The
and of course if the House of Commons reversed, upon
Crown had no power to abolish this ancient system,
consideration, its judgment, he should be of opinion, and even Parliament, with its omnipotent sway, had
h g i
and he might say all her Majesty's Ministers would be not ventured to erect a tribunal for criminal judicature
of opinion, though he was sot in a position to pledge without juries,
tribu-
his colleagues in any way, that the original rule should nals where deeialthout had constituted other
sion was given by the judge only. At
be reverted to. His own opinion upon the matter was
least this was the case except in ,very trivial offences,
perfectly clear, because when he came into office he was which required rather a police intervention than the
anxious to provide for the wants that then existed,
consideration of a judicial tribunal. In France a feeling
namely, the transmission through London of the mails prevailed that mere citizens were of no importance
unless they
stanch
mon
telegraph,uca hgt
ion o f
that came up from the provinces on Sunday. He, how-
ever, found much difficulty in doing so; the matter was were in some direct conjunction with
much misrepresented, but it would unquestionably be the public service. Their cry of equality and fra-
a great convenience to the country. In conclusion, the ternity was of no value, the word fraternity being
Noble Lord said, the Government would abide by the one to which no conceivable meaning could be at-
decision of the House of Commons, when the matter tached in reference to them. As to equality, every
came to be reconsidered next week, and would take the man there was in favour of it, fancying that the only
result as the decision of the people as to whether the exception to the rule ought to be in his own case.in
Post-office should be closed on Sundays or not. They would have no superiors when they were un-
See discussion then ensued, in the course of which employed. But arm them with a little brief autho-
the Noble Lord remarked, that he had been informed rity, connect them in any way with the governmental
that on the night the late address was moved, 100 Mem- functions, and those so elevated no longer cried out
hers were in the vicinity of the House of Commons, but for equality, but protested each that he was not in his
did not think well to vote.
right position.—(Laughter.) From all this pro-
ceeded corruption to public and private morals ; the
anxiety fur influence was the bane of all. He (Lord
ham) had known a Royalist Prefet become a
Republican functionary on the information of
without even waiting an hour for con-
the news—(Laughter)—so many of the
nation passed their lives either as sycophants or agi-
tators. In England the equality of right only was
acknowledged, and distinction was open to all by
honest and unfettered rivalry. This bound all classes
together, made as it were the iron chain which secured
the vast pillar of society—
"On the huge anvil forged the massive chain,
Compact, unbroken, clamped—the building to sustain."
An ignorant jury might be in the hands of the judge,
and might sometimes be called on to decide matters
of law, as in the case of malicious prosecution or
unfairly issuing a fiat of bankruptcy. A jury might
not be able clearly to separate their own functions
from that of the judge, but a general acquaintance
with the principles of law might avoid the troubles
arising from these facts. Jurors should weigh in
cases of guilt whether the animus Aran& existed,
which was not always done ; in cases of great offences
juries ever conceived a revenge if it might be so
called against the offenders, and recommendations to
mercy were frequently tendered on absurd grounds,
both here and in France, where also the juries had
their circonatances attenuantes. An unpopular law
also might be evaded by a jury notwithstanding
their oaths, and Injustice in these ways
might be done to many. Again, approaching
with a reverential feeling but a bold respect
many o f the popular
h ar
hardly
representatives
an
House had
virtually
y y lawyers,
and
to the Houses of Legislature, it would there be
found that from the want of legal knowledge possessed
by
much in-
jury was done to the common weal. The Lower
those who were lawyers worshipped rather idolus
pecus instead of idolus Joni. They adhered to their
own fixed notions rather than any thing else. Par-
liament had been said to be mops 1-
not consz tz, but
magnas inter apes mops. The objections against the
law Bills were, that the public mistrusted these dilet-
tanti lawmakers, and these objections might be re-
moved by a more universally diffused legal knowledge.
The Lords were the hereditary judges of this country,
and had always been so, and their education was
superior to that of the representatives of the people I
hut even in their body the judicial capacity was al-
most always referred to the professional peers, the
general body never interfering, as it was clearly in-
tended at first that they should. There again would be
the benefit of legal knowledge. Of what service might
legal knowledge be to the younger members of the
higher orders, whose wealth caused so manylpitfalls to
be laid for their inexperience; and how much embar-
rassment and injury might be prevented by it. The
mode of spreading this knowledge would be by the
establishment of lectures open to all classes, and while
the present system of' pupilage was by no means
checked, yet the public would have better and more
extended opportunities under the new system to be
proposed. Three gentlemen of' high legal attainments
had offered to undertake such a task, when the public
should be ready to appreciate their exertions. These
classes would be ancillary only to the present mode
of instruction, and no doubt that they would be
adopted in the larger towns of this great kingdom.
His Lordship, after expressing his thanks for the pa-
tient attention shown to him, then sat down • but
almost immediately rose again and said—" ilany
friends of the Society for Extending the Knowledge
of the Law are at work in America--that is, to ex-
tend the knowledge of the English law. It is my
intention, ,not at present or during the recess—being
otherwise engaged—but, perhaps, in the month of
January next, to visit the United States, to witness
the efforts that are being made for this laudable
object."
On the motion of Lord BnanatoisT, the thanks of
the assemblage were warmly expressed to his Lord-
ship, who briefly expressed his acknowledgment and
retired.

THE POST-OFFICE SUNDAY

REGULATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUA.

SIR,—.I have felt some little surprise at the apparent
indifferenve exhibited by the numerous class to which I
belong (viz., commercial travellers) on, and in reference
to, the recent alterations in the Post-office department;
the trite saying. I suppose, " What is everybody's busi-
ness is nobody's," influences them, or perhaps they think
as a body, as I have individually thought, the absurdity
of the alteration will bring about its own cure. Notwith-
standing this almost natural conclusion, I do think we—
(oh, that we!)—as a body, ought to petition the Legis-
lature to rescind with all possible dispatch this well-
intentioned, doubtless, but I cannot help adding, most
foolish regulation. Ido not know another class of her
Majesty's faithful, and I may well add loyal subjects (for
never a day and dinner passes but her health and blessed
babies are the first toasts, cloth removed, of course)—l
say I do not know another class whom this regulation so
materially and banefully affects.
Lord John Russell, in his remarks, quotes St. Mark,
chap. 2, v. 27, " The Sabbath was made for man, not
man for the Sabbath." I think bad he gone further into
that Gospel, and taken part of the 4th verse, 3d chap., "Is
it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days or to do evil?
to save life or to kill?" an answer might have been more
easily found; for who in this whole world has the teme-
rity to say that the timely arrival of the long sought
and earnestly prayed for intelligence, has not been the
means of saving life—ah, life itself, to say nothing of
the thousand gratifying intelligences which make that
life endurable and sweet? Besides, if it is right to free
from their labour the employes of Government in the
Post-office, why not in all other Government offices, po-
lice especially included? "The Sabbath shines no day of
rest for them," poor fellows. I could say much more,
but your space is too valuable to encroach much upon;
and thanking you, Sir, most sincerely for all your
courtesy towards me, and the noble spirit you always
evince in forwarding the cause of the people, and more
particularly our body,
I am yours, most respectfully,
A COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER.
Norwich, July 3, 1850.

ESCAPE AND RE-CAPTURE OF TWO

CONVICTS.

Yesterday morning, about quarter before eight
o'clock, a party of convicts, with the man in charge of
them, took shelter from a sudden squall of rain under
building at the Charlton-pier end of the Royal Dock-
yard, Woolwich, when, by evident concert, two of the
gang, named Griffiths and Hindmarsh, the former under-
going sentence of transportation for 7 years, and the
!atter under sentence of 15 years' transportation, escaped
in the most barefaced and daring manner, in sight of
many parties, by using a five or six bar ladder, and
jumping over the low wall at Charlton. A sick work-
man, who saw them start off when outside the boundaries
of the establishment, reported the circumstance on his
arrival at the yard; and the active police force being
speedily put on their trail, the officers were so successful
in tracing the convicts that Griffiths was retaken in a
few hours, and the last intelligence of Hindmarsh was
-o the effect that there was little doubt of his recapture,
fur he had been driven into a copse at Eyling, which
was surrounded by about 40 policemen. Au investiga-
tion into the circum. stances of their escape resulted in
the confinement of the two sentries who were posted
near the wall over which the convicts had climbed, and
also of the man who had charge of the gang.
It is reported of one sentry that he admitted having
seen a convict in the act of getting over the wall; and of
the other sentry it is stated that he was induced to allow
his musket to be examined by a convict, who declared he
had never a gun in his hand before; and whilst the sol-
dier was interested in conversation with the keeper, the
ball and cartridge were taken out of his musket, and the
cap off the nipple, and his pouch also emptied of its
contents, so that when the other prisoner bolted the
soldier could not make use of his firearm. The convict-
keeper's explanation is to the effect that be was afraid of
following the convict, whose escape he witnessed, be-
cause of his desperate character, the prisoner being a
very powerful and determined man, whose crime had
been that of manslaughter.
In the course of the convicts' rambles they arrived at
a hay-field, and were about to appropriate the clothes
and victuals of the workpeople to their own use, but the
owners disputing this unceremonious disposal of their
property, a fight ensued, when by the unsparing use of
stones in pocket handkerchiefs, the convicts severely in-
jured some of the countrymen.

ESCAPE OF ONE OF TUE LIVERPOOL BURGLARS.
—The three men and women apprehended under suspicion of
being concerned in the recent burglaries in the neighbour-
hood of Liverpool, were brought before Mr. Rushton, on
Saturday, and were re-committed. Half an hour afterwards
the greatest consternation was occasioned by the discovery
that the prisoner Mutch had escaped out of Bridewell. It is
supposed that as he was being conveyed with a number of
others along the passages to the cells, he contrived to crouch
behind a door and afterwards to pass up the stairs, and by
wrenching off the box of the lock of one of the doors, to
escape through the Crown Court. Mr. Rushton was sitting
in the Nisi Prius Court, so that the man had only to adopt a
little caution to get off unobserved. This man is supposed
to be the planner of the burglaries, and is said to be possessed
of great ingenuity and acuteness. When the prisoners were
apprehended, he endeavoured to escape by jurdping thrOligh
the window of the railway carriage. Suspicion points towards
' Scotland as the place of his flight, but no trace of him has
l be= dig,9yerede..4l42toliater Guardian.

We are authorised to state that the horse from
which Sir Robert Peel received his fall on Saturday last was
bought at Tattersalls' on the 22d of April last, by Mr.
teckett Denison, and intended to be offered to Sir R,)bert
Peel. Mr. Denison rode him daily for a week. He met the
troops with their bands playing, as well as omnibuses and
carriages in Piccadilly—all which the horse passed without
showing the smallest disposition to shy. Mr D?nison in-
sisted upon Sir Robert riding him for a week before he de-
cided on keeping him. He did so, and then requested he
might have him. The horse had been r gularly hunted, was
eight years old, and had been ridden by Lord Villiers, who
thought he would suit his father•in-law exceedingly
well.
For the last two 1/1011t1.13 Sir Robert has ridclea this horse re.
gawp...2i=