The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-04 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

A special session of the above Court was held on
Saturday, in accordance with the provisions of the
Central Criminal Court Act, for the purpose of fixing
the days for holding the sessions in the ensuing year.
The Learned Judges who attended were the Lord
Chief Chief Baron, Mr. Justice Patteson, Baron Alderson,
Mr. Justice Erskine, Mr. Justice Coltman, Mr. Justice
Wightman, Baron Maule, Baron Rolfe, Mr. Justice
Cress well, and Mr. Justice Coleridge. The Learned
Judges were ushered into Court by the Lord Mayor.
Mr. CLARK, the Clerk of Arraigns of the Central
Criminal Court, then said that the periods for hold-
ing the sessions for the ensuing year had been fixed
as follows, by order of the Court.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON said it was not the order of
the Court, but according to the terms of the Central
Criminal Court Act—the order of not less than eight
Judges.
Mr. CLARK suggested that the Learned Judges
formed a Court for this purpose.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON intimated his opinion that
the term was not in accordance with the provisions of
the Act.

The form was then amended. The following list
of the periods for holding the sessions was next read :
1844.—Monday, Nov. 25; Monday, Dec. 16.
1845.—Monday, Jan. 6 ; Monday, Feb. 3 ; Mon-
day, March 3; Monday, April 7 ; Monday, May l 2 ;
Monday, June 16 ; Monday, July 7 ; Monday,
August 18 : Monday, Sept. 15 ; Monday, Oct. 27.
The LORD CRIEF BARON then inquired, whether
there was any other business to transact, and
Mr. CLA.RK having replied in the negative, the
Court was adjourned to November 25.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
BO W. STRE E T.

A well-dressed man, named James William Poyntz,
was placed at the bar before Mr. Twyford, charged
with obtaining a gig from Mr. Holdman, a coach-
maker, and selling the same.
Mr. Samuel Holdman, of 128, Long-acre, stilted
that about eleven years ago, he believed in January,
1833, the prisoner came to him and ordered a tilbury
to be built for him. Witness agreed to perform the
job, and the prisoner then said he wished to have a
vehicle which he might use until the tilbury was
finished. Witness said he could lend him a gig, and
the prisoner desired it might be sent to a livery-stable
in Marylebone, which was done accordingly, and
witness never heard of the prisoner or saw him again
until this morning. lie heard, however, that he had
sold the gig for 151., but the person who purchased it
wus,not present. The prisoner had called at wit-
ness 3 shop last evening, and said he wished to pur-
chase a vehicle, if Mr. Holdman would give him six
months' credit.
givelVitness was not at home, excl
his clerk couldno4r answer,ifi and the pri-
soner desired that if
.o dman
.woulg, agree
to his terms he wouldThineeealdres at
givenhis (risoner's)
agent's in the City.
•as
the
went
Wentnall's, 1, Angel-ourt, (lays
was " Mr.
into
who
there, and recognised the prisoner
had obtained the other gig. He enterede
sation with him, and at length gave him int:Cc:B77v-
The prisoner, in his defence, declared that the° ' * gig
had been purchased by him and paid for.
Mr. TWYFORD said it was a very suspicious case,

but he must have the evidence of the person who pur-
chased the gig before the prisoner could be committed
for trial. He therefore remanded him until Wed-

nesday.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Two young country-looking girls came before Mr.
Hardwick to make the following statement :
They said they took a lodging at No. 2, Heddon-
street, Regent-street, about two days ago, telling the
landlady, Mrs. Thomas, that they were shoe-binders,
and that they were likely to have visitors, as they had
several acquaintances in London. On Friday evening
they had two young men in their room, when their
landlord sent for two police-constables, and insisted
on giving all of them in charge. The constables
ransacked their box, and ultimately carried them off
to the Vine-street station-house, where they were
locked up, and detained about an hour. They were
then discharged, as also the two young men, who had
also been in confinement, and they were obliged to
find lodgings elsewhere, as they were given to under-
stand that they would not be admitted again into the
house in Heddon-street. Yesterday they applied for
their property, and this was refused, and they, there-
fore, came to this Court, to ask for the assistance of
the magistrate.
Mr. HARDWICK said the proceedings, on the part
of the police, appeared to have been so perfectly un-
justifiable, that it was necessary the truth of the ap-
plicants' story should be tested. Mr. Hardwick re-
quested one of the constables to go for the inspector on
duty the overnight.
Inspector Baker shortly entered the court, and, on
being put in possession of the particulars of the
young women's statement, said he believed that they
had not quite disclosed the whole truth, as they had
omitted to state that the young men in their room
were in bed with them—at least, so the landlord of
the house declared.

Mr. HARDWICK said, even supposing the women
had brought these young men into their own room for
an immoral purpose, what authority had the police for
interfering ? A landlord might find out that he had
unawares introduced an improper lodger into his
house, but it was no part of the duty of the police to
assist him in turning out this lodger. The landlord
must take those steps to clear his house which the law
pointed out.
Inspector Baker said the landlord, Thomas, and a
person named Gabriel, whose house communicated
with Thomas's, made the charge against the two
young men and women. Their charge was, that they
believed the young women had obtained possession of
the room by fraudulent representations, and that they
had introduced the two young men into their room
for the purpose of planning a robbery in Gabriel's
house. This belief was strengthened by the fact of
one of the young men having been formerly in
Gabriel's employ.
Mr. HARDWICK said the story of the contemplated
robbery was apparently got up for the purpose of
procuring the assistance of the police in ridding the
house of an improper lodger. But he wanted to know.
as these parties were in custody and locked up on so
serious a charge, how it happened that they had been
discharged without the sanction of the magistrate ?
The police had no authority to discharge of their own
accord any case when once given, and so jealous were
the Legislature of entrusting them with any portion
of such power, that they were expressly forbidden,
notwithstanding the inconvenience which occasionally
occurred to discharge cases of drunkenness without
the sanction of the magistrates.
Inspector Baker said there was. a mistake here ; the
parties were not locked up on any charge. It was
true that they were taken down to the cells by the
gaoler while the charge was being heard, but as soon
as he ascertained that the charge was not likely to be
pressed, he directed all the parties in custody to be
liberated.

Mr. HARDWICK said it was quite clear the police
had exhibited most extraordinary ignorance of their
duty. They had no authority, and as far as he could
see, they had no excuse whatever for acting as they
had acted. He had always been most ready to afford
protection to the police, and to bestow approbation
where they did their duty properly and efficiently ;
at the same time he felt it to be his duty to mark his
sense of misconduct on the part of the police in an
equally stringent manner. He hoped the inspector
woub teach the constables, who had so completely
mistaken their powers and functions what their duty
really was, that he might not have the painful task
of animadverting on the conduct of men who were
were intrusted with important responsible situations.
The inspector said he never would have sanctioned
the interference of the constables had he been made
acquainted with the circumstances of the case.
Mr. HAunwicx desired a constable to go to Hed-
don -street, and see that the young women obtained
their property.
A foreigner of military appearance, accompanied
by another foreigner, who could speak English, ap-
plied to Mr. Hardwick for some pecuniary assistance.
The spokesman said that he had recently become
acquainted with the state of distress to which his
foreign companion was reduced, and he had consented
to accompany him to the court, to ask if the magis-
trate would relieve him from his distress. The
foreigner was an Austrian Pole. He had resided at
Warsaw and in other Polish places, and had contrived
to render himself so obnoxious to the Russian govern-
ment that he had been obliged to fly for his life. The
political offences had been so distasteful to the Russian
government, that his own government would not give
him shelter, and after making his way to Trieste, he
was enabled, through the kindness of the English Con-
sul, to make his escape to England. He landed at
Liverpool, and was recommended by the police
there to make his way to London. He had taken
the advice, and had been living for some
time at an hotel in Leicester-square, but
being without money, or means of getting any just
at present, the proprietor had told him he could not
be allowed to stay any longer. The Pole, who was
of high connexions, and whose only offence was of a
political nature, was exposed to perish for want in
the streets if some relief were not afforded to him.
The Pole had neither papers nor persons to refer to
in support of the truth of his story, and he (applicant)
knew nothing but what the Pole had told him.
Mr. HARDWICK said he would not pronounce an
opinion one way or the other as to the accuracy of
the Polish gentleman's representations ; but the term
" political martyr" had a wide range of meaning
among foreigners, and frequently included offences
which went by a totally different name in this country.
It could hardly be expected that every foreigner who
was obliged to fly from the police of his own country
should have a claim for support and assistance on the
police of this. It was placing magistrates here in a
very invidious position. Looking at the applicant's
case as one of personal distress, and without reference
to his alleged political offences, he would present him
with half-a-crown from the poor-box to help him to
communicate with his friends.