The Sun.
London, England, 1821-12-21 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

SIARYLEBOITE OFFICE.—CAPTUItE OF A NUMBER OF
TitiEvEs,—Yesterday 16 young men were brought before
EDMOND GRIFFITHS, Esq., the sitting Magistrate, by 'Staples,
Bueleridge, and Wellans, three of the officers, 'under a general
search-warrant, charging them with being loose, idle, disorderly
persons, &c. Lately, in consequence of the vigilance of the •
Magistracy, and the activity of the Police of this office, num-
bers of thieves and other persons who had been constantly in
-the habit of assembling and planning robberies at houses where.
they were allowed to resort, have been dispersed by the adop-
tion of strict measures; and the licenses of some of the houses
have been stopped. - Since this time, the numerous organized
gangs of robbers have been obliged to change their places of
resort, and to whatever house they went, they have gene-
rally beei` discovered, and punished as vagrants. It appear-
ed in the present case, that a few evenings wince the tap.
room of the Bedford Arms was filled with a number of fel-
lows, whoa ever since have favoured the landlord with their
company, at all hours in the day and. evening. Their man-
ner having excited his suspicion that they were thieves, he
mentioned the new customers he. had met with to the Magis-
-trates of this office, who promised him every assistance ;
and on Wednesday' night, Staples, an active officer, was dis-
patched to the house. On his entering the tap-room, he in-
stantly recognized upwards of 20 cracksmen (burglars), Fogel-
hunters (pickpockets), &c., all of whom he knew to be des-
perate ruffians; several of theM, too, he knew has often appeared
at the Start (the Old. Bailey), and one or two had bean lagged
(transported), but returned. At one. end of the room he ob-
served a group, who appeared engaged in deep conversation,
one of whom was sketching the plan of a house and garden;
the others were conversing over this, which the fellow explained
to them, and apparently was spewing his accomplices the
easiest way of access. Othersin the room were gamblingeand
some were stretched asleep.. The officer took a seat, and joined
in a " flash song" which the majority of the Party were then
singing. At length one of the Conversing group exclaim-
ed, " Well, now we may as well 'ped (walk) it, is Sir .
Oliver (the , moon) is not out to-night." Staplesathen
thinking that he had better prevent than. punish crime, gave •
a signal, and the other Officer entering the Teom,'"Secured
the whole party, who all appeared panic-struck at. their ap-
pearance • they were lodged for the night in the watch-house,
and, yesterdayb were examined. Nothing material i4/41,s eluci-
dated during the examination, only a most convincing proof
that the entire gang were, as the officers :described, desperate
thieves : one of them gave his name .John Badon, Esq. ; and on
being asked what he was, he exclaimed, ". A genial:rill ;" ano--
ther fellow, named Moore, who 'was a' Member of Henley's
gang, and who was tried with him for. the outrage at .West-cncl
Fair, for which Henley was • executed, behaved in a very inso-
lent manner to the Magistrates; who committed a handier of
them, and discharged• five with. a-• suitable caution, on their
friends undertaking. to keep them away from the gang. The
publican received much credit for so promptly giVinginforination.
UNION-lIALL.A GERMAN ASTROI.OGER,—Vesterday
one Joseph Stevens, who has the reputation of, being a' skilful
prognosticator, was charged with being a common cheat, a rogue
and a vagabond. Sarah • Stubbs, ' a girl about :nineteen years
of age, stated that in. April last she • 'was 'acquainted with
the prisoner,, who lived at. Walworth, Acre he was known
to all the girls as a'fortune-teller. She went to.'him, and asked
if he could tell her her fate thrOugh life ? To whiCh he confi-
dently answered in the affirmative, and produced soave play,
ing cards and a celesuel globe for that. purpose ; and 41.80 a
large Volume printed in mystic characters. At his request she
turned the globe 'three tithes round, and the necromancer,
after examining the same, told . her there was a mole of -a
particular de-cription on her side, which (as it bore malig-
nantly on her future fortunes) it was necessary he should looK
at, that he 'might know how to apply his potent skill' for the
counteraction of those baneful ,Ifects wilich it seemed to
threaten! Notwithstanding her confidence in iris great abilities,
she refused his repeated solicitations for' this fe.voure and," by
his desire, again turned the globe in the usual way. .The seer
then again consulted the awful page, and, after muttering to
-himself some cabalistic expressions,
_he declared look of
great concern) that she was under the. influence Of the- furies;
and that she knew a fair man, who, would be the ruin ofher !
For the third time she performed the ceremony of turning the
globe, and on this occasion was informed the prevailing elestiny
was a ship, and that she might expect to go beyond the seas
with a dark man. She then left him, hot was to c 4.11 again
in a few days, when the book of fate was to' be °fermi to
her view on a more extensive scale. Accordingly she
called, and then the prisoner tried to prevail upon her
to steal- ten pounds from her parents, as he was • tne dark
man destined by fats to be her partner through . life, and
they would immediately 'go to sea ; but she was 'to tell no
one, lest she should incur .the displeasure of the fateg ! How-
ever, she told her mother_r-her mother informed the officers, and
Glannon and Hammond went to apprehend the prisoaer at his
lodging at Walworth. • Glannori got introduced 'under pretence
of wanting advice about a. watch which had been stoic: flora
him, and the prisoner undertook to recover it for halt' a guinea ;
but just as lie was about to commence the experiment, II
mond produced the warrant for his apprehension. The officers
then seized an extensive apparatus used by the prisoner in con-.
ducting this imposture, consisting of globes, circles, &n. &c.
which they brought to the office.—lle was committed to Breston
House of Correction for the space of three months.—Tae pri-
soner is a German.
Bow-STREET.—Yesterday Thomas Stokes, alias Williams,
was brought to the Office and underwent an exammatien before
Sir RICHARD BIRNIE, charged On suspicion of receiving stolen
plate to the amount of upwards of 20001. and meltingit in a •fur-
nace.--Mr. ALLEY attended for ttie prosecution. The particu-
lars of the robbery W' forbear to mention, lest we should pre-
vent the robbers being brought to punishment.
QUEEN-SQUARE.—ROBBERY AT KNIGHTSBRIDGE.
Win. Jones, alias Thompson, was fully committed to N ew-
gate for robbing a house in Trevor-square, Knightsbridge, be-
longing to the lion. Mr.-Trevor, of workinglthola and other
property, which was found in' the 'prisoner's possession, and
he being a well-known character, was appreheaded by , Pace
and:Gilmore, the officera. ..The.prisoner, on leaving the office,
said, that he should get ,a Counseller, and he should be able
„ to pull through it. •

AGRICULTURE.

WEST KENT AGIZIOULTURAL'MEETINd.
[Frnm the Maidstone Journal, Decembez 18.1

A highly respectable, though not numerous, meeting ofthe
Agrictilturists of the. Western Elivision of the county was held
at the Star Inn, Maidstone, on Thursday last, forilevising
means for giving relief and encouragement to Agriculture.
On the proposition cf •Mr. R. Allnutt, seconded brMr.
James Ellis, Mr. Cator was called to the Chair. ,

The petition, - which is addressed to the' House of COMmons,
was...then read.: it states— - • -
That, actuated by a painful community' of feeling with_ the
gre.at body of the .agriculturists, the owners and occupiers of
land in the western divisions of the county of Kent did, in the
month of May last, -offer to Our Honourable ifouse a petitioh
for relief, which was referred to a Select Committee of Inquiry,
and, from the incontrovertible evidence of distress sMuced
before that Committee, youe petitioners entertained Oa most
sanguine hope that home iriVeasures would have been adopted
to aftbrd the desired relief In this they have been grievously
disappointed ; but ' although the result. of the appeals" hitherto
made in their behalf has been thus unfavourable, yet they
trust; as the report of that Committee, so fully admits
the distress of the agriculturists, and -the necessity:for 'fur-
ther protection, that your,Honourable House will be induced
again to give the subject a full, fair, and minute investigation.
Your petitioners beg to represent, that the agricultural chili-
cultieS and distress have increased and ate increasing—that the
cultivation of the land is declioing-7that many farmers are
ruined, others are leaving their farms, and all are curtailing
the employ of labourers, from their inability to remnnerate the
usual and necessary number of hands. Thus the willing and
industrious labourers are compelled either to work at inade-
quate wages, assisted by parochial relief, or become Wholly
dependent on their parishes for 'support and employ. •
Wherefore, your petitioners most 'humbly pray, that your
Honourable House will, in its wisdom, adopt such measures
as may appear best calculated to avert iippending ruin from the
cultivators of the soil, and afford them that relief so neces-
sary to their individual welfare, and- so essential to the.pros-
, perity of the nation.
The petition was carried unanimously. ,
Mr. R. K. SUMMERFIELD then rose. He thought ther-
tition which' had been read asked for no definite and specific
remedy for their relief. There could be no doubt that distress
was existing to an alarming degree, the capital employed upon
the land was fast exhausting, and. unless same specific measures
were adopted to protect agriculture, the most inevitable ruin
must follow. The price' of wages given, and' the amount of
taxation, tithes, and poor-rates, put this country upon a dis-
parity with all others in Europe. There were only three ways
by which the Legislature could afford them relief: the one was
a prohibition of the importation of foreign Corn • the second
was restrictive duty, which duty should place the produce of
this country on a parallel with other nations ; and the third was
an alteration in the present Corn Laws. The System of taking
averages now acted upon, he conceived, .was the cause of the.
dreadful depression of our markets : it was indirect, uncertain
in its effect, and liable to great evasion, collusion, and bribery.
The great glut of corn in our markets could not' be from the
superabundance of last harvest ; it was doubtless occasioned; by
one half of our farmers being obliged to come to market from
necessity; and to take whateVer price they could'obtain. True
it was, that speculations in corn were made, but at such low
prices that the purchasers would have a good chance, of gaining
considerably by selling out before the markets should advance
so much as to cause any risk of the ports opening, and thus
profiting on the unavoidable misfortunes of the poor harmer-.-
(Hear,hear !)—lt was particularly mysterious and unaccount-
able to him, how that week after week we found 13,00 or
quarters of foreit,ii corn imported, and placed under the Ring's
lock. He had as much respect for the Excise officers, as a 'body
of men, as any other body; but where there were largeprof,ts
to be made, there were strong temptations to bribe.; and where'
large bribes were offered, they were sometimes hard to resist.
With regard to the prohibition of import, either for a limited. or
indefinite period, to which he Could see no greavobjection., if,iit
was true that an average crop was equal to our annual consulnp-
ton ; but that he feared such a measure would create so much
alarm amongst the manufacturing community, that it would
be toe, Unpopular to attempt it. Ile concluded by stating, that
he thought nothing would tend to thejr
,a 1 eviationbut a restric•

tive duty.
Sir EDWARD ' KNATCIIBITLI; that he had receiv,:il
a letter from Lord Stanhope, intimating that' a requisition
was in the course of .signature to -the High Sheriff, to co:-
vene a county meeting.' He woitid; Ivith their permission,
read his Lordship's letter, of whiehthe 611oiiing is the su', -
stance : - . .

. .
" His Lordship trusted that the meeting of.this day wo;::
agree with him, that their petition could erna nothing
out the support of a county meeting,- Which Jvintld have more
weight than a private meeting. • Kent- =Amy meeting
would attract considerable attention,. and would have the effec:
of serving as an example tO Other counties. His Lordship
could not anticipate any opposition at the m,eting, as it was
not his intention to propose in his resolutions any alteration
in the corn laws. He should Merely state the existing griL--
van= ; and he hoped, with this- view of the•businesi, the
gentlethen present at this m..ting. would. give 'their sanction and
support to the county meeting. His Lordship, begged Sir Ed-
ward. would lay his letter before thexresent meeting, and ex-
press his finn attachment to the agricultnral lfitere_st, and state
that his-absence was only occasioned by the circumstance of his
having promoted a county meeting; after whichit would appear
inconsistent if
.he were to attend d private Meeting on the sub-
ject."

Sir EDWARD then said,- be knew not what their sentiments
were with respect to a county meeting : if it was considered
expedient to have one, 'he initse hope that-enemeeting would
not clash with the other. He addressed tfie meeting under.
feelings of great anxiety, and he wished. he could giva-them
more sanguine hopes of theirobject. being attained. It would,
he was. sure, be in the recollection of many.lif them, that at a
similar meeting holden in that room, petition4:had been plaCed
in his hands to present to Parliament lunthetheped he had
faithfully. and 'zealously performed tlie;t4sk ecint,ided to him.
The petitions which had• been presented :iiitlite,ll-On'se were re-
ferred .to . a select Committee, who foutidad,o- report thereon ;
it was a 'report, which had not been satisfactoryeto the agricul-
turists. He (Sir Edward). could not: in his 'conscience vote in
favour of that report, because it did hot: -do that which ,he
conceived was absolutely necessary to afford relief.—(Urtat
applause.).--The Trotection of the farmers was the basis upon
which this country rested, and in advocating their cause, tie
was seeking the -interests and well-being of every person in the
conte=ity. iHe was there ready to speak hie sentiments on
the subject, and to answer any qurstion, he trusted, to their
satisfaction.—(Applause.) ,••
• The several resolutions were then put, and; ea: Tied
unani-
mously. Thanks were also voted. to the.. Chairman, for his
conduct that 'day, and for his general activity in the cause of
the agriculturists.
After this, .a discussion took- place one the propriety of a
county meeting.
Mr. D. J. PARKER said, that as 'here had been Meetings in
east and west Kent on this subject, he did not see the neces-
sity for a county meeting. . .
Mr. AnneruTT stated, that the distresses-7g that part of the
county from whence he came IPenshnrsty exceeded all belief.
In the six neigle:xiuring.pariShes adjoining' to his •these was
not one farmer in ten solvent, one-third of7the, population was
out of' employ, and one-third of the lanil.*,:z now vacant, and
only kept on by the kindness 'of the landlords. Ruin was quite
apparent in the western corner:of the canny,- and if the Mar-
Cquis of Londonderry,- when he came into kent to spend bis
Christmas holidays, would only give him thi'ee days' notice, he
would be bound to get together 3,000 worknianout of employ.
Sir E. KNATeitutYLL said, .. he feired jhe :agricultoxists
would not receive all that relief that Was 'desired ; but whin
the-question came forward for distaissioti, he should' be at his
post, and would Urge their claims all thatitettip possible; but. in
Parliament much difference of opinion eXists on the question.
As some ailusioh had been. made to Welttontfondeery, he
'nest express that the country owed nittetetotsflitit, ii sd that the
agriculturists have'in him a firm and elde:24vou,;,e. He must
sty., that- the agriculturists received .g7i;al4iipport from hint,
and it would be ingratitude to him were tit! hoot° do -hint the
, justice which he deserved: • - , •
.Mr. Lreer utT begged-to
.stzte, that I:4ti.nllnsierns were not
made out of any dis.espeet to the Noble Marquis ;. he merely
mentioned him from hi residing in the ';teth'ity, thid being a
past of a partihttlar body of inlet ..eholo•vOr.tbe-natkee.
Mr. JOHN 31ILI,Ea; said, the- e.F,T4nltoists would much
rather have the vote of the )larquess tiien:ll,4 fkiendShip.
• Sir E. KNATOIDULL itaid,. he cetninly exlieeted toreceive
the vote of the Noble Marquis oe neXtkiNtsico on ;he sub-
- The meeting thealeeeke up. I

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