The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-14 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

William Johnson, alias William Fellows Darkness,
was brought up for re-examination, charged with
robbing
.a great number of hotels, coffee-houses, and
taverns, in all parts of the metropolis. The office, as
on the former examination, was crowded with the
proprietors of establishments in the above lines, who
had been plundered of plate by the accused, under cir-
cumstances similar to those already detailed in a
previous police report.
Mr. COTTINGHAM, addressing the parties in attend-
ance, said that four cases out of the number would be
sufficient to send for trial. The magistrate added that
it was quite time the prisoner should be sent out of
the country, for it appeared he had been tried and con-
victed of robbing hotels and taverns of plate, and sen-
tenced to six months' imprisonment.

He was then committed.
CROYDON.

Inspector Collier, of the P division of police, brought
to the attention of the presiding magistrates, Messrs.
Adams, Lucas, and Barclay, a case of imposition,
which, it is feared, from the ingenuity displayed in it,
has been very successful as a means of defrauding the
humane and charitable.

It appears that, on Thursday, a document, pur-
porting to be the certificate of the magistrates of the
Croydon bench, and which represented that a trades-
man, named James Brown, who resided at Croydon,had
been robbed by burglars of property to a large amount,
and was thereby reduced to a state of poverty, was
enclosed in a letter, addressed to Mr. Howell, of the
firm of Howell and James, in Regent-street, an
application, at the same time, being made for assist-
ance. Mr. Howell not being in town, the petition
was sent down to Croydon, for the purpose of inquiry
being made respecting it, when it was, of course,
discovered to be a fraud. _ _

The inspector handed the document referred to to
the magistrates for their inspection; it was of rather
a singular character, and well calculated to disarm
suspicion. It was headed by the Royal arms ; on the
left-hand corner were the printed words " Croydon,
Surrey, to Wit ;" and below them the words
" Whereas, the bearer hereof," printed in old English
characters ; and the paper had all the appearance of
the ordinary forms of process issued from the police,
offices. It went on to state that the magistrates,
having fully investigated the circumstances of the
robbery, which had reduced the pretended James
Brown from a position of respectability and comfort
to poverty, and deeply commiserating him, had in-
structed their clerk to draw up the statement, in the
hope that it would be the means of inducing
charitable persons to assist him, and enable
him again to enter into business. The docu-
ment was represented to be signed by Mr.
George Penfold, the clerk to the bench, at the re-
quest of the magistrates, and a sum of 51. was also
placed as having been contributed by him. In addi-
tion to this, there were very excellent imitations of
the signatures of Mr. Reid, Mr. Barclay, and other
magistrates who usually act in this district; as also
the signatures of the Rev. Mr. Lindsay, the vicar,
Lady Hoare, Mr. T. L. Robinson, and others. The
name of Mr. J. Drummond, the solicitor, also ap-
peared, and he was represented to have paid over the
sum of 211., which he was stated to have received for
the use of the unfortunate Mr. Brown. It was evi
dent that the projector of the fraud had taken great
pains to get it up well, as he, must have obtained
means to copy the genuine signatures of the gentle-
men whose names appeared on the paper, the whole of
them being so excellently imitated.
Mr. ADAMS, having looked over the document, re-
marked that it was a very well got-up thing, but
there was one circumstance connected with it which
would immediately have made him doubt its authen-
ticity if it had been sent to him.
Mr. LUCAS asked what that was.
Mr. ADAMS drily observed that. the paper repre-
sented two lawyers to have subscribed—one 51., and
the other 21/. ; and this alone would have excited his
suspicion.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Penfold remarked that perhaps this was what
excited distrust at Mr. Howell's, and which led to the
petition being forwarded to him to be inquired into.
The MAGISTRATES observed that it was fortunate the
fraud had been discovered, and it would now, in all
probability, be put a stop to; and they at the same
time gave instructions to the police with a view to the
apprehension of the party, if he should again make
his appearance.

CAUSEWAY ACROSS THE SEVERN.7-A writer in the
Hereford Journal proposes, what he acknowledges "in
other times would be considered an extravagant and
chimerical undertaking, no less than the blockade of the
Severn at the Old Passage." He says, " Let the Great
Western Railway Company, the Severn Navigation
Company, the
Wales, and
forathe
Railway
throughi Post-office
department of the Government, unite for the purpose of
f
causeway across the Severn at the spot men-
onmmi
shalla After the proportion of expence that each is to
bear
be decided on, the engineering part at the
tePdn. gn
commencement is simple enough, by loose stones thrown
overboard, or sunk in tanks, until they rise to high water
mark. The part of the Severn above this breakwater
will then form an immense lake of transparent water con-
taining about fourteen thousand acres, or twenty-two
square miles, below Gloucester, the entrance to which,
by vessels of any size, should be by a lock from the Wye
at the narrow isthmus where the figure 3 (miles from
Chepstow) is marked on the Ordinance Map, which is
only three hundred yards across, and the mouth of the
Wye will be a good roadstead or soft mud-bed for
vessels bound up the Severn. A weir will, of course, be
formed on the breakwater of sufficient capacity for the
River Severn in its greatest floods, and for the passage
of the Salmon, and over all is to be a causeway for a
railway from Bristol through South Wales. The ad •
vantages contemplated by the proposed plan are as
follows :—First, with respect to the Post-office commu-
nication with South Wales, the letters are at present
detained in Bristol four hours after the arrival of the
London mail, because the passage (always dangerous)
can seldom be crossed in winter before daylight—but ex-
cluding this objection, Bristol alone will still be the
London of South Wales, requiring the most direct com-
munication with the principality. The navigation up the
Severn will be greatly facilitated, as the water will
always remain at the same level, with but little or no
perceptible current, and the present " boar" up the river,
with all the other annoyances occasioned by the rapidity
of the tide, be annihilated. The passage into the Severn
Lake, by the Wye, being landlocked, will always be free
from danger and difficulty, which cannot be said of the
entrance to the Berkeley Canal; and last, though not least,
the lake of transparent water will add greatly to the
beauties and attraction of the neighbourhood.

A CENTENARIAN.—There is now living under the
care of James Adam Gordon, Esq., of Naish House, in
this city, an old man of the name of Richards, who has
attained the extraordinary age of 109 years. He was
born at Broadclist, Devon, in the year 1735, and is a
fine tall, intellectual, merry-hearted old fellow, possess-
ing a most benevolent countenance. The old gentleman
is at present visiting one of his sons at Tiverton, Devon,
and he walked on Sunday last to that town from Col-
lumpton, a distance of six miles.—Bristol Gazette.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]---NONE NEED BE SICK ! READ
TIIE FOCLOWING CASE OF CURE BY HOLLOWAY'S PILLS.
—Mrs. Jessie Anderson, living near the Fountain-bridge,
Edinburgh, suffered from lowness of spirits, sick head-
aches, dimness of sight, together with a want of strength
and appetite. These symptoms were accompanied with
a cough and spitting of phlegm, and likewise much
windy spasms. No medicine bad been of any service
to her, until a lady advised her to try " Holloway's
Pills," which gave her immediate relief, and in a fort-
night made her as well as well as ever sht was in her
life. Sold (also Holloway's Ointment) at the Establish-
ment of Professor Holloway, 244, Strand (where advice
may be had gratis), and by almost all respectable vendors
of medicine throughout the civilised world.

THE OXFORD-STREET WOOD
PAVING.

- -
On Saturday the question of wood paving became
again the subject of discussion at the Marylebone
Vestry, and the vestry was very fully attended.
Mr. W. Low having been called to the chair,
A numerous deputation of the inhabitants of Ox-
ford-street waited on the vestry to present a memorial,
praying that body, as it was understood to be their
intention to take up and repair that portion of Oxford-
street between Tottenham-court-road and Charles-
street, to have it paved with wood.
The memorial urged that the inhabitants of that
portion of Oxford •street above specified had submitted
to all the inconvenience and nuisance arising from
the laying down of bitumen and other specimens of
paving from time to time, and that now they were
entitled to that consideration which had been afforded
by the vestry to their neighbours in the same street,
by having wood, instead of granite, placed before their
doors.

In answer to questions put by various members of
the vestry, the deputation said, that they did not be-
lieve the wood paving to be a bit more dangerous for
travelling than stone.
In answer to Mr. Nicholay, Mr. PACKER said that
he had paid great attention to wood paving in various
parts of the metropolis, and had never seen any wood
paving in so disgraceful a state as it was in 9xfurd-
street from filth.

Mr. JOHN WILLIAMS had no doubt that Oxford-
street was kept in this filthy state purposely to lend
Sir Peter Laurie and the opponents of wood paying a
handle against it.

Mr. IhRBUT denied that the vestry had anything
to do with the dirty state of the wood paving. He
concluded by moving that the deputation should have
the minute of the vestry read to them, which declared
that they would not entertain the question of wood
paving for a period of three years from that date.
After some observations from other gentlemen, the
motion was put and carried by a large majority ; and
on the deputation being recalled,
The Vestry Clerk read the minute of the vestry of
the 4th of March, 1843.
The deputation then withdrew.

Mr. SCAICE, the parish surveyor, brought up a re-
port which he had been directed to furnish by the
vestry, as to the state of the 4,000 yards of wood
paving laid down by the Metropolitan Company be-
tween Wells-street and Rathbone-place.
The report set forth that, pursuant to the orders of
the vestry, the surveyor had minutely examined the
state of the wood paving in question. The surface of
the said paving was rather rough and uneven, and
there were many short holes in it. The workmen of
the Wood Company had, at his request, opened the
paving across the street in three places in Oxford-
street. Opposite No. 51, the blocks which are of fir
were worn from their general thickness of six inches
to four and a quarter inches. The paving facing No.
50 is of elm, and was found worn generally from six
inches to three inches ; and opposite 31, also of fir, it
was found under the coach stand worn from six inches
to three inches. This portion of the street, although
in moderate condition on the surface, is so much worn
that it was found difficult to raise a whole block. To
put it into good condition, he considered the whole
ought to be relaid, bottom upwards, about one-half
or two-thirds of the old blocks being drawn out and
new ones substituted.

Mr. HARBUT moved that the report of the sur-
veyor be adopted by the vestry, and that it be for-
warded to the Metropolitan Company, together with
an official notice that the vestry, in accordance with
the terms of their contract, required them to put the
4.000 yards of wood paving between Wells-street and
Rathbone-place in a state of efficient repair, to the
satisfaction of the parish surveyor, forthwith.
Mr. CLAPP seconded the resolution.

After a few words from one or two other vestrymen,
the resolution was then put, and carried by a large
majority, and the vestry shortly after separated.

THE CORPORATION OF LONDON
AND WHOLESALE DEALERS.

Some excitement has been occasioned by the order
just issued to the City Solicitor relative to the whole-
sale dealers in the City. The Committee appointed
by the Common Council on the eve of St. Thomas's-
day in the last year, have at length produced their
report, which has been confirmed by the Court. It
is very voluminous, and contains many curious ex-
tracts from the City records, from the Saxon era to
the present time. It is recommended in these sug-
gestions that the Corporation shall immediately com-
mence proceedings to compel all wholesale dealers to
take up their freedom, and, for the purpose of more
effectually accomplishing this object, that the ancient
practices and proceedings of the wardmotes should be
revived, and then due observance should by degrees
be more rigidly enforced. Upon these suggestions
the Committee have reported as follows :
" The subject-matter is not only of the greatest im-
portance to this City, but also involves weighty con-
siderations—having on the one side deep-rooted pre-
judices, long practice, and continued neglect to over-
come ; and on the other the necessity of extensive and
effective correction of existing evils, and the securing
the restoration of the ancient, just, and reasonable
rights of the City.
" We have weighed and considered the conclusions
which are printed, and the proceedings which are
suggested, and though we are not at present prepared
to give our final report on all the matters referred to
us, or to recommend at once all the proceedings which
may hereafter be requisite, yet there are some points
upon which we are prepared to report our recom-
mendations to this Court, and to press their immediate
adoption, as required by the existing evils, and the
necessity of a speedy correction.
"The pressure on the retail dealers, and the immu-
nity of others, who dwell within this city, and par-
take of all its advantages, have weighed much with
your Committee, and we have unanimously resolved
that the acts of Common Council imposing penalties
on persons residing in the City, and not enrolled, using
arts, trades, occupations, and mysteries within this
City, should be recommended for immediate en-
forcement.

"We have been the more inclined to recommend
to this Court the adoption of proceedings for the
penalties under the Acts of Common Council, as we
have the satisfaction of knowing that the Court of
Aldermen have likewise had laid before them,
by the Remembrancer, extracts and docu-
ments relative to the wholesale dealers, co-
pies of which have been communicated to us by the
Court of Aldermen ; and from which we find that the
same view we have taken of the liability of the whole-
sale dealers, who are not freemen, to proceedings for
penalties under the laws and customs of the corpora-
tion, is adopted by the Remembrancer."
It is stated in the corporation circles that there are
some thousands of opulent merchants and wholesale
dealers carrying on business in the City without being
free. The publicity which the report has received
has caused a very extraordinary sensation amongst
this class of persons, but it is understood not to be the
intention of the corporation to commence an indis-
criminate crusade against the whole body, but to
select from each ward one or more offenders, with
whom the question will be tried. It is stated that an
the great wholesale dealers are determined to resist
what they consider to be an usurped power, and next
term is spoken of as likely to bear the decision.