The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-14 00:00:00

STEAM-BOAT VENTILATION.

One of the Addiscombe Professors, Lieut. Cook, R.N.,
F.R.S.. has invented a method of ventilating steam•
boats, which promises fair to add materially to the
comfort of passengers by these vessels. Those who
have merely crossed the Channel, especially by night
in boisterous weather, are well aware of the impurity
of the air which passengers, however delicate, are
under the disagreeable necessity of inhaling, and which
of itself is quite enough to produce sickness ; but in a
hot climate, the evil is of still greater magnitude. Even
in large steam-boats, invalid passengers have been fairly
driven upon deck in the night from the lower cabins,
finding it impossible to remain in such an atmosphere.
The evil being universally admitted, it remains to be
seen how far the remedy will be applied, should
it in practice prove as efficient as in principle
it appears to be sound. A cylinder—in which a
solid piston moves air-tight—has two valves at each
end ; through one, opening inwards, fresh air is ad-
mitted into a vacuum ; which is, by the next action of
the piston, forced through the other valve at the same
end, opening outwards into tubes, and by those conveyed
to every cabin upon each deck ; while the hot, or foul
air, is at the same time drawn off from these cabins into
a vacuum above the piston, through a valve opening
inwards, from whence it is finally ejected through the
fourth valve, opening outwards into the open
air. The effect produced will, of course, depend upon
the size of the cylinder, and this upon the size of the
vessel. One two feet in diameter—the piston having a
two-feet stroke—with tubes and valves sufficiently large,
would force in about 100 cubic feet, or above 600 gal-
lons of fresh air (drawing off the same quantity of im-
pure air) every minute. Large steam-boats m'ght have
two cylinders. The machinery may, in an instant, be dis-
connected, so as to cease from acting. The fresh air
would be conveyed in a regular stream, and not be inter-
mitting in its effect.

EXCISE SALES.—On Wednesday, at one o'clock, in
pursuance of instructions from the Commissioners of Excise.
a sale by auction was announced at the sale-room of the Ex-
oise-office, Broad-street, City of a large quantity of spirits and
other articles, under forfeiture to the Government. They coh-
sist of 1,300 gallons of illicit Irish whisky, 16,090 gallons of
brandy, 4,000 gallons of Geneva, which have been condemned
and re-distilled, 6,4001b5. of scented and other soaps, 1,617
lbs. of British sugar, 102 eases of British mixed brandy, a
large quantity of bottled and pale ale, plain spirits, Scotch
whiskeyt compounds, sweet leaf tobacco, cheroots, wearing
apparel, copper stills, tubs, casks, &c. &c. There was a crowd
of bidders for the various lots in the room, the greater portion
of whom were of the Hebrew nation. In consequence of the
numerous lots, the sale will occupy three days of the present
and one of the ensuing week.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
HOME CIRCUIT, Maidstone, Marcia 13.
The Commission for Kent was opened on Monday.
There are seventeen cases set down for trial, and of
these nine are special jury cases. Notwithstanding the
winter assize, there are upwards of a hundred prisoners
for trial on thel Crown Side, but, with few exceptions,
the cases are of a very trifling description.
Baron ALDERSON, in his charge to the grand jnry,
after some observations upon the other cases in the
calendar, referred to a charge against a party of having
caused the death of his wife by wilful neglect. His
Lordship observed that he felt it was a dan-
gerous thing for him to venture any opinion upon
matters which were the subject of public discus-
sion, and he should not have done so, but that the
facts disclosed in the depositions in this case
almost compelled him. His Lordship then observed that
it became a matter of very grave consideration, whether
the system of centralisation under the New Poor-law, in
the matter of medical relief, did net fall upon the aged
and the sick with a severity which it was almost fearful
to contemplate. It appeared by the depositions in this
case, that the deceased had a distance of three miles to
go to obtain medical relief, and at this time she was not
at all in a condition to go that distance, and but
for the kindness and benevolence of another me-
dical gentlemen, she would not has e received any
medical -tssistanee at at all. His Lordship observed
that he was glad to see that the subject was
at present under discussion in the Legislature,
and he trusted that some alteration would be made, so as
to remedy such a Rrions evil. The Learned Judge then
proceeded to allude to the facts of the case, and said that
a husband was both morally and legally bound to pro-
vide for his wife; and if he wilfully failed to do so, and

death was the consequence, the offence might amount to
murder, or at all events to manslaughter; and he said
that to some extent the same observation would apply
to a relieving-officer, who, by his office, was bound to
afford relief to the destitute poor, and it; by his neglect,
death ensued, he might be amenable to one or other of
the charges he had alluded to. His Lordship, in the
course of his observations said, it was a disgrace to a
Christian country that the sick poor should not receive
that immediate and proper attention which Ithey re-
quired; and he said he hoped such a state of things
would be remedied for the future.
CIVIL SIDE.
(Before Lord Chief-Justice DENMAN.)
HOCKING V. PRICE.
This was an action brought by the plaintiff to reco •
ver damages from the defendant for the seduction of his
daughter.
Mr. Sergeant Dowling and another Learned Gentle-
men were for the plaintiff ; and Mr. Platt, and Mr.
Clarkson for the defendant.
Mr. Sergeant DOWLING stated the case, and said the
plaintiff had formerly been in the Preventive Service,
and lived with his family at Dover. The defendant was
a shipwright, and it appeared was possessed of consider-
able property. The unfortunate subject of the present
action was a girl, 16 years of age, and it was for her se-
duction by the defendant that the plaintiff brought the
present action, to recover compensation for the injury
he had sustained. The Learned Counsel concluded by
calling witnesses.
Anne Hockings examined—l am the daughter of the
plaintiff. I was in service at Dover, but used to go home
to my father's house at night. I became acquainted
with the defendant first when I was about sixteen years
old. Ho was then about nineteen, and was working as
a shipwright. After we had been acquainted some time
he made me a proposal of marriage, and I told my father
of it, but he refused his assent, because I was too young.
After this the defendant frequently came to my father's
house, and the result of one of his visits was that I be-
came a mother. The defendant told me that he should
be entitled to a property of five or six thousand pounds,
and that I should enjoy it with him. I left
my place under the idea that I was going to
be married to the defendant. After I was in
the family way, the defendant frequently repeated
his promise to marry me, and he told me that he had
admitted to my mother that he was the father of my
child, and that he had told her ho would marry me.
When my father heard of it, he wished us to get mar-
ried directly, and the defendant went to get a license, as
lie said he did not wish to be married in the town by
banns as his friends would all know my state. The de-
fendant never came into our house after the time he
went away, as he said to get the license.
The witness was cross-examined at considerable
length by Mr. Platt, and in the course of her evidence
she said that she and her sister slept in the same room
with her father and mother. The father at present
carried on the trade of a shoemaker. On the night when
this business first happened, she deniedthatshe beckoned
the defendant into the house. She also said that she
was sitting on a chair by the fire when • the defendant
got up and locked the door—and then it all happened.
In answer to questions from the Court, the witness
said that the defendant gave her money to buy furniture
with, and that at present she had 4/. or 51. worth in her
possession.
Mr. PLATT, on behalf of the defendant, commented
upon the circumstances of the case, and said thrt it was
clearly an endeavour to extort money from the defendant,
who, he said, had already been compelled to pay 1001.
in damages for the breach of promise of marriage. He
said that the plaintiff, by allowing his daughters to
sleep in the same room with himself and wife, had shown
a disregard of the decencies of life in his own person,
and that he was not, under all the circumstances, entitled
to any damages for the alleged injury he had received.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE having summed up, the
jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages,
Fifty Pounds.
Maidstone, March 13.
(Before the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE and a Special Jury.)
THE QUEEN V. WILLIAM BAKER AND BENJAMIN FEA-
THERBY.
This was an indictment against the defendants for a
misdemeanour, in having unlawfully assaulted and in-
terupted the officers of the Excise in the execution of
their duty.
Mr. Thesiger, Mr. Platt, and Mr. Ryland, conducted
the case for the Crown ; Mr. Clarkson, with Mr. Smith,
for the defence.
Mr. THESIGER briefly stated the case, and said, the
present prosecution was instituted by the Commissioners
of her Majesty's Customs against the defendants, for a
very serious offence, in having, in company with a num-
ber of other persons, and with great violence, resisted
the officers of the Excise, and endeavouring to prevent
them from seizing a large quantity of contraband spirits.
The Learned Counsel then proceeded to state the facts
of the case, and it appeared that on the 19th of July,
the Customs officers stationed at Rochester re-
ceived information that a large quantity of smug-
gled spirits were concealed at a beer shop
about four miles from Rochester, and at night five
Excise-officers, named Blake, Johnson, Arnett, Taff,
and Allen, proceeded to the place in question for the
purpose of making the seizure. Three of the officers
stationed themselves in the front of the premises, and
two behind, and very soon afterwards they were sur-
rounded by a mob of between sixty and seventy persons,
some of them carrying pitchforks, and the rest bludgeons.
The defendants, Baker and Featherby, then abused
the officers, and both of them eventually assaulted them,
and several of the officers were knocked down, and the
mob hustled them away from the premises for some
distance. Featherby, it appeared, was the constable
of a neighbouring village, and on the officers calling
upon him to aid and assist in the Queen's name, he
knocked down the officer who appealed to him. The
officers contrived to get back to the premises, and
prevent the mob from getting away the spirits, and
at length it was found necessary to send to
Rochester for the military, and on their arrival the peo-
ple dispersed. The premises were then searched, and in
a sort of subterranean deposit under the house there
were found upwards of 200 kegs of brandy and geneva,
the value of which it appears was 1,3001., the whole of
which were seized and lodged in the Custom-house at
Rochester. The Learned Counsel concluded by stating
that after the occurrence the defendants came to the offi-
cers and expressed contrition for what they had done,
and said they hoped it would be looked over. The au-
thorities, however, upon having the circumstances re-
presented to them, felt that the offence was one of so
serious and important a character, that they should be
neglecting their duty if they did not institute proceed-
ings against the parties.
Witnesses were called who made out the statement of
the Learned Counsel, and on their cross. examination by
Mr. Clarkson, they admitted that there had been an
opening dinner at a public-house in the neighbourhood,
which both the defendants had attended, and that at the
time of the occurrence they were both intoxicated.
Mr. CLARKSON, on behalf of the defendants, said he
could not deny that they had misconducted themselves,
but he urged that the act they had committed had been
very much exaggerated, and that there was no proof
of any intention on their part to obstruct the officers in
the execution of their duty.
Witnesses were then called, who to some extent con-
firmed the statement of the Learned Counsel.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE having 'summed up, the
jury found the defendants guiity,of a.common assault,
and they were ordered to entAbintn a personal recogni-
zance to appear and receive Eh4' judgment of the Court
when required to do so.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
WORSHIP-STREET.
Yesterday two men, named James Burton, and Henry
Edmeads, were brought up for final examination, before
Mr. Broughton, charged with having been found en-
gaged in the manufacture of spurious money.
It appeared from the evidence, that in consequence of
the police having received information that a gang of
coiners had established themselves in a house, situate in
Green's-court, St. Luke's, Sergeants Brannan and Hull,
of the G division, repaired thither, in company with
police-constables Redmond and Cole, on the afternoon
of Wednesday se'nnight, in order to effect their capture,
Finding the street• door open, they proceeded up stairs,
to an apartment on the tint floor, the door of which
was fastened, but they immediately stove in the upper
pannel, and on looking into the room they observed the
two prisoners, who were actively engaged in their un-
lawful occupation. They were both seated in front of a
strong fire, on which a pipkin was placed, containing
molten metal, and the prisoner Burton was in the act
of pouring some of it from a large spoon into a
plaster of Paris mould, which was held by the
other prisoner. On observing the officers, the prisoner
Edmeads immediately thrust the heated mould into his
mouth and began destroying it with his teeth ; but
Sergeant Brennan, who had in the meantime effected an
entrance, instantly seized him by the throat and forced
him to disgorge the fragments, which he made a despe-
rate attempt to swallow. On searching the room they
discovered a quantity of files, scissors, and other instru-
ments used in the fabrication of counterfeit coin, to-
gether with three perfect moulds and some half-crown
pieces, which had evidently been recently cast. The
whole of the apparatus and other materials were
secured and the prisoners were conveyed to the station-
house.

Sergeant Brennan stated that the prisoner Burton had
been convicted of highway robbery, and had been since
repeatedly in custody for other offences.
Mr. Powell, jun., who attended on the part of the
Mint authorities, also proved that Edmeads had been
convicted of uttering spurious coin for which he had
been sentenced to six months' imprisonment.
The prisoners, who reserved their defence, were com-
mitted for trial.

CLERNWELL.
John Cresswell, a cab-driveKE
r, badge 8,470, and driver of
cabriolet 1,241, was charged by Mr. Seabrook, his em-
ployer, with misconduct.
Police-constable North, being on duty in Theberton-
street, Islington, at two o'clock in the morning, saw the
gates of Mr. Seabrook's premises open, and the cab
standing in the middle of the street opposite. He gave
information of the circumstance to the complainant, who
stated that the prisoner went out with the cab and horse
about eight o'clock, and that he had not seen him since
that time. They went to the stable and saw the horse
standing there, but neither the prisoner nor the har-
ness were anywhere to be found. They called the pri-
soner loudly by name, but no answer was made ; at
length he was seen lying under the horse, in the stall,
his head protruding from between the animal's hind
legs. The prisoner, who was stupidly drunk, was
dragged from his perilous position, mad placed upon his
.limbs, when his appearance was irresistibly ludicrous—
he was completely rigged out in the horse's furniture,
having the winkers on his head, the collar round. his
neck, and the saddle on his back. He had mechanically
stripped the horse, and then, under the influence of some
Bacchinalian freak, assumed the humiliating appearance
and position described,