The Sun.
London, England, 1817-08-29 00:00:00

QUEEN-SQUARE.

SWtss Cour:TEßl*Err .MONEY.—Some foreigners
have lately been apprehended by the vigilance of
the Alien Office, for dealing very extensively be-
tween Birmingham and the Continent, and after
several private examinations' before B. P. CAPPER,
Esq. pf that office, a Monsieur Noel was yester-
day brought before the Magistrates at Queen-
square, on the charge olhaving in his possession,
contrary to the Act of 43 aeo, 111. c. 139.. more
than five pieces of foreign counterfeit coin, which
were found on him when apprehended, on which
charge the following examination took place:—

THE KING V. JEAN BAPTISTE NOEL.

One of the officers of Whitechapel office stated,
that having lately discovered a considerable Ouan-
tity of foreign money at a house in the city, he
had been referred to prisoner as being the person
who placed it there. He accordingly apprised Mr.
.Cappet of the circumstance, and that Gentleman•
sent him, in company with a messenger belonging
to the Alien Office, to take the prisoner into
custody. They then proceeded to No. 26,Frith-
street, Soho (prisoner's lodgings), where they
found him at home, and informing him of their
business, he gave them the key of his drawers, in
one of which were 41 pieces of. counterfeit Swiss
money, of the Canton of Argovia. Witness asked
him if he had not been at Birmingham lately ;
prisoner acknowledged he had.
A Messenger of the Alien-Office stated, that as
soon as prisoner delivered his key to him, witness
opened and-examined all his drawers, and in one
of them found the moneyproduced in Court, which
were in number 41 pieces.
The coin, it was proved by a gentleman who
has lately beets in Argovia, represents' a piece
called a batson, of the value of 12-td. The seve,
ral pieces produced he believed to be counterfeit.
By sect. 6 of the above Act, it is-provided, that
.any person haVing in his custody without luicful
excuse any greater, number of counterfeit pieces
titan five of any kind of coin, made with intent 'to
resemble any real copper or oilier coin, shall, on
conviction, be fined. for such offence, at the dis-
cretion oflhe Magistrate, any sum not wore than
40s. nor less than 10s. for every piece above five.
so found his possession ; and any person so
convicted, not paying such fine, is liable to be
committed to prison for three calendar months,
or till such fine be paid.
The Magistrate asked the'prisoner, through the
medium of an interpreter, hoW he came by this
coin ? •

He answered, that a Mr. David had given him a
small parcel to deliver to a third person, and he did
not know that shat it contained was counterfeit.

The Magistrate's second question to prisoner
was, what excuse he had for having such money
in his possession?--The same answer.

It will be observed the words of the Act are,
" without lawful excuse."
_ .

The :Magistrate being of opinion that no law-
ful excuse had been offered, and as the offence
charged was clearly proved, prisoner was fined in
the lowest penalty of 103. a piece for every piece
above five, which amonted to 181.

In consideration of his being a foreigner, the
Magistate, with the consent of Air. Capper, per-
mitted two officers to attend him to his friends in
town, to try if he could among them raise the mo-
ney, but with directicius to bring bins back in either
case, that he might be detained or liberated only
by the Magistrate.