The Sun.
London, England, 1821-08-06 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

•
SIR—A matter of greater importance to the pure administra-
tion of justice has seldom occurred than the recent prosecution
of Britton, Jones and Mason, three Officers, at Hicks's Hall,
convicted of conspiracy, in extorting money from two poor
women, Mrs. Hawlett and Mrs. Hutton, under an engagement
to withhold evidence against their sons, and to get the Bills
thrown out before the Grand Jury, and upon whose evidence
these lads, with another, were convicted and transported. The
offence cannot be better described than in the emphatical lan-
guage of Mr. Const, the Chairman of the Sessions, in summing
up the evidence. "An offence," he observed, " f the greatest
enormity, as it tended to defeat the ends of justice, by falsely
accusing the innocent, or of screening the guilty, by a corrupt
bribe ; these shameful practices have been carried on to great
extent ; some instances have come within my knowledge,
and it is now in contemplation to institute.similar pro-
secutions. From the poverty, and often the ignorance of
the persons upon whom these extortions are committed,
the public must be aware of the difficulty of detection
and prosecution." Knowing the character and situa-
tion of the above poor women, and all the circumstances of
the case, • I have undertaken to receive subscriptions to reim-
burse them the loss they sustained, and also the expence of the
prosecution • and, under the peculiar and distressing circum-
stances of the case, allow me to state, through the medium of
your Journal, that these poor women had pawned their clothes,
and one of them her bed, to raise the money extorted by the
said officers, and they were unable to proceed with the indict-
ment, when Mr. Burgess kindly advanced the money out of his
pocket; indeed, Mrs. Hawlett had not had a bed to sleep upon
when she attended the Sessions, and such has been her distress,
that I have found it necessary recently to advance a trifling sum
for her present necessities. I entertain no doubt but the public,
feeling the importance of the above prosecution, and the distress
of these poor women, will cheerfully contribute small sums for
the purpose of relieving them, and defraying the expences,
I remain, Sir, your obedient Servant,
New Bridge-street, Aug. , 1821. ROBT. WAIT lIMAN.
*** However we may differ with the writer of the above let-
ter in politics, we conceive it a duty of humanity to insert what
is intended to expose villainy, satisfy justice, and promote
benevolence.

BUONAPd% RTE'S SL rrE.—We have already an-
nounced the arrival of his Majesty's store-ship
Camel, Mr. T. WEBB, Commander, at Ports-
mouth, from St. Helena, with the Count and
Countess Bertrand, and their four children (Na-
poleon, Hortense, Henry, and Arthur Bertrand),
Count Montholon, Professor Antomarchi, Sur-
geon ; Signor Vignoli, Priest ; and twelve ser-
vants—in all twenty-one, who (permission having
been received fran Lord Bathurst) landed on
Friday noon and proceeded to London. They
were treated in every respect, on landing, ac-
cording to the provisions of the Alien Act. Sir
James IVhitshed sent off his barge, for their
conveyance on shore, with his Secretary, J. R.
Glover, Esq. who accompanied them, and a car-
riage was in waiting at the Sallyport to convey
them to the George Inn ; but it w4s previously
drawn to the Custom-house, where they were
examined, and a description of their several per-
sons and characters registered. It is understood
to be Count Bertrand's wish to take up his fu-
ture residence in England. His fidelity and
constancy of attachment to his late friend and
fallen master, reflect an honour upon him which
generous Englishmen admire, and know how to
appreciate. The Count and Counte.is, and
Count Montholon, dined on Friday with Sir
James and Lady Hawkins, at the Admiralty
House, and on Saturday with Sir George Cooke,
at the Lieutenant-Governor's house. Buona-
parte is said to have left a considerable share of
his property to the Count. Countess Bertrand
has brought home some slips of the willow under
which Buonaparte was buried—they had taken
root in some large pots of the earth that covered
his remains. The King, in passing the Camel,
in his yacht, with that urbanity which ever
marks his character, sent Sir William Keppel,
and others of his suite, on board, to inquire
after the health of Madame Bertrand and fami-
ly, as also the health of others, the attendants
of Napoleon.

We understand, that by the report .of the
Scotch Malt Committee, the Act equalising the
Malt Duty is to be made permanent, conse-
quently the Malt Duty in Scotland will be as
high as during the war, while in England
it is diminished 20 per cent. • . Notwithstand-
ing, we believe, that malt liquor has been af-
forded here at as cheaP a rate as in the' sister
kingdom; and with respect to small beer, that
species is now actually lower in Edinburgh than
in any other part of the
:country. The recent
-system of granting permits with every firkin or
half firkin of beer: has been found completely im-
practicable is :ScotTland.—(Edinburgh Cote:Yuri,
Aug. 3.) '