The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-18 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, June 17.
(Sitting at Nisi Prius, before Baron ROLFE and a Special
Jury.)
TIM ATTORNEY GENERAL r. JOHN DEANE —THE CUSTONI-lIOCSE
FRAUDS.
(Continued from our paper of yesterday.)
Several witnesses were examined oa behalf of the deren-
dvut, to establish the case stated by the defendant's counsel;
which was in effect, that, under the denomination of " plain
silk," the defendant had imported ribands of an inferior
quality, made of in cartoons, which occupied the whole
space contained in the three cases, and on which he had
paid the full duty.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL. in reply. commented on the un-
satisfactory nature of the defendant's evidence, and the
facility with which, if so minded, he might have called per-
sons who could have explained the real nature of the trans-
action on which the charge was founded.
Baron ROLFE left it to the jury, upon a careful investiga-
tion of the evidence, to say whether the defendant was a
party to any fraud upon the Customs in the importation
which was the subject of the information.
After a short consultation the jury found a verdict for the
Crown, and assessed the single value of the goods imported
at 2,8401., which renders the defendant liable to penalties in
three times that amount.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron UR NEY.
Edward Yoangman Cotton; 27, 'wG
as indict) ed fur stealing
three gold seven-shilling pieces, several sovereigns, and other
articles, the property of Edwani Driver, and Henrietta Sharpe
was charged with receiving a portion of the property, know-
ing the same to have been stolen.
Air. Clarkson and Mr. Bodkin conducted the prosecution.
The facts of this case having been very recently fully de-
tailed in the police reports, it will be unnecessary to repeat
them on the present occasion. It will be recollected that the
male prisoner was footman to Mr. Driver, the auctioneer and
surveyor, and that at the time the robbery was committed an
attempt was also made to set the house on fire.
The jury found Cotton guilty and acqititted Sharpe.
The prisoner Cotton was then indicted, with a man named
Chandler, for stealing a quantity of plate, the property of his ,
master.
Loth
In this case
rs the jury returned a verdict of
giflity against prisone.
The prisoner Cotton was then upon a charge of
having feloniously set fire to the; house of the prosecutor, but
upon this indictment no e-fidence was offered, and the jury,
therefore, returned a verdict of Not Guilty.

The COurt sentenced Cotton to be transported for fourteen
years upon the first Indictment and seven for the second, and
Chandler was eter.teUeed to be transported fur ten years.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
MANSION-HOUSE.
The Lord Mayor granted a summons, calling upon the
commander of the steam-boats which ply bet Ween London
and Blackwall, to answer the serious complaint of having
overloaded the vessel on Sunday to the imminent danger of
the lives of the passengers, several hundreds of whom were
on board; The complainant, in answer to questions from
his Lordship, said that when several gentlemen not only ex-
postulated against the crowding of the boat, but actually
quitted it from apprehension of the consequences which they
considered likely to result,those in authority on board wholly
disregarded the appeal, and that'for fifty who abandoned the
vessel at ene of the places at which she stopped in her pas-
sage .100 stuffed. themselves into her.
His Lordship 'intimated, that he, as conservator of the
river, would attend to all complaints against the commanders
of steam-vessels for any acts by which the lives of the public
were endangered, and that if any awful catastrophe should
th re should be nu imputation against the magistracy of
London at all events.
George llaeket, a young fellow, who has been frequently
Mayor offending as. a smug ler brought before the Lord
AMcaty,owrhainchd
itiftrici'vtra LatAe,'cwhaa'rged under a clause of the
penalty. of. low_ The case was repre-

muted. by the Solicitor to the Customs as an aggfaVated one:
The defendant Was seen by a Custom=house racer to leatie
the Belfast steamer, eVidently taffy:llg something heavy
about hint; and was follovted by the officer; *lt i asked hint
whether he Was In possession of anything tip°, tiiiich the
duty had not been paid. The defendent replied that he had
not much, which was correctly tfansdated by the former into
the affirmative. Thret bottles of brandy were then flung by
the defendant into the water, and he smashed a fourth bottle
upon the arm of the officer, having failed in the object of
breaking the man's head with it. The Custom-house officer
and his assistant knew from the smell of the liquor which
was spilled that it was foreign brandy, and hoped the whole
penalty-would-be inflicted on account of the dangerous course
pursued by the smuggler.
The defendant denied that he had made any effort to in-
jure the officer, and said the bottle, which really contained
sugar and water, had been broken in the unnecessary struggle
which took place.
The prisoner was stated to have, about six months ago,
flung four bottles, containing, no doubt, contraband spirits,
into the Thames, when pursued by the officer.
lle was convicted in the penaly of 1001., and, in default of
payment, was sentenced to imprisonment and hard labour
for three months.