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

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, June 17.

(Sitting at Nisi Prins, before Baron RoLFE and a Special
Jury.)

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL P. JOHN DEANE -THE CUSTOM-HOUSE

FRAUDS.

(Continued from our paper of yesterday.)
Several witnesses were examined on behalf of the defen-
dant, 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 Guu.NET.)
Edward Youngman Cotton, 27, was indicted for stealing
three gold seven-shilling pieces, several sovereigns, and other
articles, the property of Edward Driver, and Henrietta Rharpe
was charged with receiving a portion of the property, know-
ing the same to have been stolen.
Mr. 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 acquitted Sharpe.
The prisoner Cotton was then indicted, with a man named
Chandler, for stealing a quantity of plate, the property of his
master.

In this case the jury returned a verdict of guilty against
both prisoners.
The prisoner Cotton was then arraigned upon a charge of
having feloniously sat fire to the house of the prosecutor, but
upon this indictment no evidence 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 sentenced to be transported for ten years.

LAUNCH OF HER MAJESTY'S
STEAM-VESSEL PORCUPINE.

The interesting event of launching the Porcupine, the first
vessel built at the roval dockyard, Deptford, since its re-
establishment, took place yesterday afternoon, at half-past
two. There a large assemblage of spectators, and a great
number of ladies were launched in the vessel. She was named
with the usual ceremonies, by Miss Lucy Hill, the daughter
of the gallant Captain Superintendent of the dockyard, Sir
John Hill, and went off the stocks in easy and graceful style
amidst the prolonged cheering of the company. Imme-
diately after she was afloat she was warped from off the slip
wherein she was built into dock, where, from the excellent
accommodation provided, the ladies were enabled to walk
ashore. As the construction of the Porcupine is on a novel
and peculiar principle, the following account may be interest-
ing to our naval readers. In appearance she is clean and
handsome for a steam-vessel, with the unsightly paddle-boxes,
and presents no remarkable difference from other vessels of her
class. The frame of the vessel is on a new plan, introduced
by Mr. 0. Lang, the master shipwright of Woolwich Dock-
yard, similar to that on which he is constructing the Prince
Albert, 120 ; and the Porcupine is the first_ever completed
on that principle of " dowling " and bolting the timbers in
separate pieces instead of one solid block. Her planking
also is on a new plan—a modification of the diagonal plank-
ing of boats (brought forward some years since at Devon-
port by Mr. Johns, late foreman of that yard) by Mr. 0.
Lang, Jun., the acting master shipwright of Deptford Dock-
yard, under whose superintendence the Porcupine has been
built. Instead of the old plan of fore-and-aft planking, with
a single three-inch thickness, she has three one-inch planks,
two of which are diagonal, clossing each other alright angles,
and the third or outside one is longitudinal. She has been
exactly six months building. The following are her princi-
pal dimensions : ft. in.
Length between perpendiculars ..... 141 0
Ditto of keel for t0nnage........ 124 7i
Breadth, extreme ...
Ditto, for tonnage
Moulded 23 6
Depth in hold , 13 6
Burden in tons, old measurement 382 40-94
Ditto ditto, new ditto
In launching she did not break a quarter of an inch, and
her light draft of water was afore 4ft. 1 lin., abaft sft. 1 lin.
She was originally intended as an armed sloop, for service on
the coast of Africa ; but subsequently it was ordered that
Captain Bullock (who very. much liked her appearance)
should have her as a surveying vessel for the Thames, in
which operation he is now engaged in the borrowed mail
steam-packet Myrtle, from the Dover station. She will be
coppered and sent to Woolwich, where it is expected she
will be fitted in about six weeks. She is to have the engines
which were taken out of the Black Eagle steam-yacht, of
130 horse power, with new tubular boilers.
The Spitfire, steam-vessel, is ordered to be laid down im-
mediately on the slip whence the Porcupine was launched,
and is to be 50 tons larger than the latter. The Spitfire and
the Terrible steam-frigate, the largest in the service, build-
ing on the adjoining slip, are both to be launched before the
commencement of the next financial year, April 1, 1845.
Deptford Dockyard has much improved in appearance
since its re- commission on the Ist of April last. We under-
stand, among other improvements, it is in contemplation to
build a new roof over the large slip whence the Queen Char-
lotte was launched, and a new mould loft, to replace the old
sheds with new ones, to repair the two slips, in such dilapi-
dated condition, and to convert the small dock into a slip.

HARBOURS OF REFUGE ON THE COAST.
It has been suggested to Lloyd's, that if the Spatway, or
passage between the Buxey and Gunfleet Sands was better
known, and such measures as are necessary for that purpose,
such as the laying down buoys, &c., and a leading mark
through and into the river Colne, the shipping interest would
bo greatly benefited, as although that harbour is but little
known to seamen generally, it is capable of holding 500 sail.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, June 17.
Their Lordships assembled at Five o'clock.
OPENING LETTERS AT THE POST-OFFICE.
The Earl of RADNOR, adverting to the petitions
which were presented a few evenings ago in the House
of Commons, complaining that the parties who had
signed those petitions had had their letters opened at
the Post-office, expressed his surprise at this power
having been so recently exercised, and contended
that no ground existed for such a stretch of authority.
He was inclined to say that such a power ought not
to exist; but if it did exist, he thought it ought to
be exercised under responsibility. He should take
that opportunity of moving for a return of the nutn-
ber of letters which had been opened at the Post-office
since January, 1844. He would also take that oppor-
tunity of asking for some explanation as to the arrest
of the Count Ostrowski, who had been forcibly taken
From his lodgings on a vague charge being made
Against him. He (the Earl of Radnor) contended
that this arrest had been made contrary to law, and if
this gentleman had killed one of the parties who came
into his room he would have been perfectly exculpated
in law.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said that if the
Noble Lord had looked into the statute-book, he
would have found that the power of opening letters
by the Secretary of State had been exercised since
the reign of Queen Anne ; and the warrant which
was necessary at the present time, was precisely in
the same form as that which was required in the time
of Queen Anne. If it should appear that the
Secretary of State had abused this power,
that would be ground for inquiry, but in
the present instance there was nothing of
the sort, and, therefore, there was no ground
for the Noble Lord's motion. With respect
to the other matter alluded to by the Noble Lord, to
say the least of it the person alluded to had acted in
a most indiscreet manner, and if there had been any
thing improper in his arrest he had his remedy. It
was a subject for the consideration of a court of law,
and not for that House.
Lord CAMPBELL thought the question of open-
ing letters under a warrant from the Secretary of
State was a question requiring the earnest considera-
tion of their Lordships.—(Hear, hear.) He con-
tended that the words of the Act of Parliament, which
gave the Secretary of State this power, provided that
for every letter opened there should be a separate
warrant isued by the Secretary of State under his
hand and seal.
Lord BROUGHAM thought this was a matter well
worthy of the consideration of Parliament, but he
expressed his regret that-the subject had been intro-
duced without notice. He said it was impossible to
carry out the object of the provision in the Act of
Parliament for the issuing of a warrant for the open-
ing of such letter, inasmuch as to be enabled to do so
the Secretary of State would have to be acquainted
with all letters the person whose letters were to be
examined was about to be receive.
Lord DENMAN regretted that the return of the
Noble Earl was resisted, as this was a subject
that ought to be fully inquired into. It was a subject
of great importance, and was not at all connected
with party considerations, and he believed that the
only object of this motion was to obtain information.
If this motion were rejected, he, trusted that the
Noble Earl would give notice, and bring the subject
forward at a future day, with a view to the considera-
tion of the clause in the Act which gave the Secretary,
of State the power pf opening letters, for, in his (Lord
Penman's) opinion, such a power ought not to be
in existence one hour.--(Hear, hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM and Lord CAMPBELL briefly ex•
plained.
The Marquis of NORMANBY said that it was
only in cases where danger was apprehended to the
State that this power of opening letters by the Secre-
tary of State was exercised. He did not think that
at present there was any ground shown for the
production of the returns which had been moved for.
He believed that the Secretary of State would be very
glad to have this power removed out of his hands, for
it was a very unthankful and unpleasant power to
hold.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that the
letters which had been opened were the letters of a
foreigner, and he understood that they had been
opened at the suggestion of the Sardinian Minister in
this country. if this were the case, he thought it
was an interference which ought not to be tolerated.
He thought they ought to know precisely what the
law upon this sgbject is.