The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-30 00:00:00

QUEEN-SQUARE.

A young man of colour, whose attenuated figure
and threadbare garments indicated the extremes of
disease and poverty, applied to the magistrates for
relief.

Applicant, who had evidently received a liberal
education, was, he said, a native of Demerara, and
came to this country at a very early period. On the
death of his father, who was connected with the West
India trade, applicant, who was educated for the me-
dical profession, was obliged to relinquish it on account
of pecuniary difficulties, and the prejudices he had to
contend against as a person of colour. In consequence
of long-continued ill health, which had now assumed
an asthmatic form, he had been reduced to very great
distress, and, with a wife and child to support, was
compelled, by dire necessity, to make the present ap-
plication.
Mr. BOND inquired how long his father had been
dead ? Applicant replied ten or eleven years.
Mr. Bor) asked his means of support since that
period ? Applicant replied that he had carried on
business as a chemist at Liverpool for about eighteen
months, but was unsuccessful. He had visited other
parts of the country, and had exerted himself to the
utmost to obtain a living, but had been most unfortu-
nate, and his slender resources having become ex-
hausted, he had supported himself by the sale of a
few engravings, until having parted with all he pos-
sessed, he was left in the most lamentable state of
destitution.

Mr. BOND asked whether he had any relations in
England ? Applicant replied that he had not.
Mr. BOND inquired whether there was any person
to whom he could refer him, who could confirm his
account ?

Mr. Taylor, the second clerk, observed, that he
could speak to the truth of a portion of his account.
He had been made acquainted with the circumstances
connected with a part of his painful history by a
friend who had gone to school with the applicant,
and had at times afforded him some temporary relief.
Applicant said he had been engaged for a short
time by Dr. Sutro, of Beaufort-buildings. He had
been transcribing a German work from that gentle-
man's dictation.
Mr. BOND observed that the assistance that could
be afforded him from the poor-box would be but tri-
fling, and inquired how he intended to employ himself
for the future? Applicant replied that he hardly
knew. He was competent to any work in an office,
but in his present deplorable state it was not likely
that he should succeed in obtaining any employment.
Had he the means of procuring a stock of engrav-
ings, he might manage to procure a subsistence as he
had done before.
Mr. BOND commiserated the unfortunate man's
condition, and gave him a trifle to relieve his present
necessities, at the same time desiring him to repeat
his visit in a day or two.
In the course of the afternoon inquiries were made
at his humble abode in Westminster, where it was as-
certained that he had resided for a long period of time,
was a very honest, sober, well-conducted person, but
was afflicted, and in such distress that he and his
family had not had food for many hours previous to
his application at this Court.

LAMBETH-STREET.

SEIZURE OF SMUGGLED TOBACCO, &C...--111F. ..T.

B. Thomas, a tobacco and snuff manufacturer, of No.
115, Ratcliff Highway, appeared before Mr. Henry,
to answer to two informations charging him with
having on his premises 173,-;lbs. of smuggled tobacco,
which had been found by the Customs' officers on the
sth and ,7th instant.
C. A. Davis and other officers of Customs deposed
to having found the tobacco seized upon the two days
beforementioned. They also deposed to having found
seven empty canvass wrappers, such as are used for
smuggling, and contained, when full, 501bs. of tobacco.
The defendant said he knew nothing whatever
about the bags produced, which he said had been
found in the lumber room.
The officers and the gentlemen who attended from
the office of the Solicitor of Customs particularly
directed Mr. Henry's attention to the appearance of
the canvass wrappers, and observed that by their
newness and the glossy appearance which they bore
it was perfectly evident they had been recently used
and emptied, an opinion in which his Worship per-
fectly coincided.
Mr. Thomas, in defence, said that, in the first

place, the house in which he resided and carried on
business had been upwards of half a century in his
family, and that such was the competition in his
business at present, and the means resorted to by
smuggling and adulteration, that goods were sold at
much less than they could be fairly manufactured for,
and he should throw himself entirely upon the consi-
deration of the Court.
Mr. HENRY—Then what you mean to say is, that
you cannot carry on and live by your business with-
out smuggling.
Mr. Thomas—Why, Sir, I did not say that ex-
actly ; but I have said that there is so much smug-
gling and adulteration in the trade that there is no
getting a living in a regular way. The competition
is, I assure you, Sir, so great, that goods are sold
at much less than they can be manufactured for.
Mr. HENRY—Your defence is, I must say, a most
extraordinary one. A thief charged before me at that
bar might as well say that robberies were carried on
to a very considerable extent, and that he could not
live without robbing also. The charge of the tobacco
found being smuggled is not at all disproved ; and I
have very little doubt, also, that these canvass bags
found upon your premises contained albs. each of
tobacco, so that you have had the benefit of and profit
on 1701bs. of tobacco. I, therefore, see no reason why
you should not be convicted in the full penalty.
The defendant was then convicted in the penalty on
both informations of 1681. 18s. 6d., or to be impri-
soned until such sum was paid.
The defendant asked for time to pay the penalty,
upon which
Mr. HENRY observed that he was frequently
called on and obliged to send sailors and other per-
sons to prison in default of such penalties, and he
could make no distinction in the present case.
The defendant was then taken in charge by Cook,
the gaoler, to be detained until the money, which he
had sent for, arrived.
The law requires that proceedings for the five cwt.
of adulterated stuff should be taken before the Com-

missioners of Excise, which will be immediately done,
and the defendant upon this will be liable to a penalty
of 6001., if fully proved against him.:

UNION-HALL.

Yesterday Mr. John Quincy Harris, late M.P. for
Newcastle. under-Lyme, was charged with using lan-
guage of a threatening nature towards Mr. Philip
Roberts, of Upper Montague-street, Russell-square,
with intent to provoke him to commit a breach of
the peace.
The complainant stated that he was married to the
sister of the defendant, who on frequent occasions of
late had used lfiguage of a threatening nature to
him. The defendant called at his house at a most
unseasonable hour, between one and two o'clock in
the morning, and ultimately challenged him out to
fight. Complainant of course refused to accept such
a challenge, and as the present was not a solitary in-
stance of the defendant so conducting himself, he
(complainant)
considered it necessary to adopt the
present proceedings, with a view to prevent it in
future. The complainant produced some letters
which he had received from the defendant, to prove
that he had been menaced by the writer.
Mr. TRAM. having perused them, and the de-
fendant having admitted he was the writer, the Magis-
trate asked the complainant if he was apprehensive
that the threats contained in them would be carried
into effect ?
The defendant objected to the production of such
evidence. The letters related to matters of a family
nature, and he contended that they ought not to have
been exhibited in Court.

Mr. TRAILL said that the complainant was perfectly
justified in producing the documents containing
threats against his personal safety, and written by the
defendant.
The defendant—But they are of a private and con-
fidential nature.
Mr. TRAILL—But you had no right to send letters
of a private and confidential nature containing threats
against the individual to whom you have addressed
them.

Defendant—Mr. Roberts is a professional man. I
am not, and therefore should wish to have the case
postponed, in order that I may have an opportunity
of consulting my solicitor on the subject.
Mr. TRAILL here read a passage in one of the let-
ters, in which the writer said, in allusion to the com-
plainant, that when he met him he would make him
bitterly repent his ungrateful conduct. The magis-
trate said this was all confirmatory of Mr. Roberts's
complaint against the defendant, and showed that he
was perfectly justified in the steps that gentleman
had adopted against the writer.
The complainant, in answer to Mr. TRAILL, having
stated that he was apprehensive of personal violence

at the hands of the defendant, the latter was asked
what he wished to say in answer to the charge ? •

The defendant declared he had no intention of com-
mitting any violence, and he again expressed a wish
that the case might be allowed to stand over until he
was prepared with professional advice. The process
taken against him was done so instantaneously, he
having no intimation of it until the officer called at
his house that morning, that he had no time to consult
with his legal adviser.
Mr. TRAILL said he could see no reason whatever
for an adjournment, and that he should therefore call
on the defendant to find sureties for keeping the
peace.

- Defendant—lf I give my word of honour that I
will not touch the complainant, and have no commu-
nication with him except through my attorney, will
that be sufficient ?

Complainant intimated that he should not be satis-
fied with such an assurance unless security was given
that he should not, in future, be subjected to such
treatment as he had already experienced at the hands
of the defendant.

Mr. TRAJLL asked the complainant if he would be
satisfied if the defendant was adjudged to enter into
his own recognizances to a considerable amount?
The complainant answered in the affirmative, upon
which the defendant exclaimed, " Oh, make it 500/. ;
lam willing to be bound in that amount to convince
him that from henceforth all communication between
us ceases."
Mr. TRATLL said as the defendant was satisfied
with the former amount, he should therefore call on
the defendant to enter into his own recognizances to
that amount.

The complainant expressed a hope that it would
have the effect of keeping the defendant away from
his house, and also of preventing h'm from sending
any more letters of a threatening nature.
Mr. TRAILL said that if the defendant forfeited his
recognizance it would be estreated at the sessions, and
he would be compelled to pay the amount.
The defendant having entered into the required re-
cognizances, the parties then retired.