The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-27 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Yesterday Lord Ranelagh waited on Mr. Hardwick, to
lay before the magistrate a statement of the case of se-
veral foreigners, by whom his Lordship was accom-
panied, who had been sent by the French Government
to England under remarkable circumstances.
His Lordship said, the foreigners were Spanish Car-
lists—several holding high military rank—who had been
obliged, for their own personal safety, to leave Spain,
and take refuge in France. These foreigners had been
suddenly compelled to quit France, and they had been
shipped off to England by the French authorities, and
left on the shores ()This country quite destitute, and ig-
norant of the English language. A paper which Lis
Lordship handed to the Bench explained the case of the
foreigners as follows :
" There are Spaniards who, for some years past, have
been refugees in France. For the slightest infringe-
ment of the French police regulations relative to
foreigners, they are seized, put in irons, thrown into
prison, and marched from town to town, in company
with the vilest felons, until they reach Calais, where they
are placed on board ship, and landed on the shores of
this country, not only ignorant of the language, and
without the means of even temporary subsistence, but,
in most instances, exhausted by fatigue and want of food.
Ilere they wander about in utter destitution, besides
suffering from a climate so much more severe
than that to which they have been accus-
tomed. Their earnest entreaty to the French Govern-
ment for permission to proceed to Italy or Germany
is disregarded, and England is consequently made
the penal settlement for every offence against the orders
of the French police. The Spanish Consul refuses to
grant them passports under any consideration but that of
swearing to observe a form of government which they
despise, and under which their lives would not be worth
an hour's purchase. The other foreign Consuls in
London, by virtue of their instructions, are unable to
assist them ; therefore the refugees or martyrs to their
political opinions remain without the means of existing
in this country, as well as destitute of the power to leave
even when a passage to a more eligible place of abode is
provided for them by private charity."
His Lordship said, that deeming it right that our
Government should be made acquainted with the pro-
ceedings of the French Government, more especially as
lie had reason to believe that other victims would shortly
find their way to this country in a similar manner, he
had addressed a letter to the Foreign Secretary, Lord
Aberdeen, and he would now read that letter and the
reply to it :

" 3, Bolton-row, Dec. 19.

"My Lord,—l take the liberty of representing to your
Lordship that there are, and have been for some time
past, in London, various Spaniards, who had previously
been resident in France, as refugees from the recent po-
litical troubles in their own country.
" That of these the greater number have been
sent from France by the. French Government, on
account of some slight infringement of the laws relating
to strangers (such, for example, as an attempt to cross
the frontier, or as being found in a state of destitution),
and landed upon the shores of Britain, as though they
had been transported to a penal settlement, only
without the slightest provision for their maintenance.
" That the Spaniards referred to have not been al-
lowed the choice of their destination, even where they
have earnestly prayed to be sent to Germany, Italy, &c.
" That such exiles are unjustly cast as a burden upon
the resources of English benevolence, or left to the fright-
ful alternative of starvation ; and, finally, that I have
reason to believe that the number of such cases is likely
to increase.

" I have felt it my duty to bring this subject under
your Lordship's consideration, in the hope that, either
by a rtmonstanee to the French Government, cr by
some public means of relief, your Lordship wid see right
to put an end to so great an evil.—l have the honour to
be, your Lordship's obedient r ervant,
" The Earl of Aberdeen." " RANELAGIL"

He had received the following reply:—
" Foreign-office, Dec. 21, 1844.

"My Lord,—l am directed by the Earl of Aberdeen to
acknowledge the receipt of the letter which you ad-
dressed to his Lordship on the 19th inst., relative to the
arrival in this country from France of various Spanish
refugees.-1 have the honour to be, your Lord4hip'k►
humble servant, " 11. F. ADDINGTON.

" To Lord Ranelagh."
His Lordship said, as nothing was to be hoped from
Lord Aberdeen's interference, he had advised the
foreigners to come to this court to seek advice, and to
ascertain it anything could be done for their relief.
Some of the foreigners had received trifling assistance
from the parish in the way of food, but this was such a
precarious and insufficient prospect that he trusted
something more advantageous could be suggested.
Mr. HARDwicx said the case was one in which he
possessed no means of interference. Even if he was
disposed to assist the parties, his power would only ex-
tend to some temporary relief from the poor-box fund ;
but even then it was a very doubtful point with him
whether such a disposal of the money sent for the uses
of the poor would be exactly in accordance with the
wishes and intentions of the benevolent donors. The
only course which he could suggest to the foreigners was
to apply to the parishes in which they were respectively
located for relief.

Lord Ranelagh promised to communicate this sugges-
tion to the parties in whose behalf he had interested
himself.

William Wicks was charged with having uttered a
forged cheque of 101., purporting to hare been drawn by
his master, Joseph Shaw, on the Regent-street branch
of the Union Bank of London.

Robert Seton, one of the clerks, said the prisoner pre-
sented a cheque for 101.. about four o'clock on Saturday
afternoon at the banking-house, in Argyll- place. From
information which witness had previously received he
handed the cheque to another cashier, who took it into
the manager's private room.
Henry Clack, manager, said as soon as he was shown
the cheque hesent for the prisoner into his private room,
and questioned him about the possession of it. The
prisoner said he got it from a Mr. Howard, and then, in
reply to other questions, said that his master, Mr. Shaw,
was waiting for the money. When the inconsistency of
the two stories was pointed out to the prisoner he at-
tempted to screen himself by alleging that witness had
misunderstood him. He then said he had some errands
to execute for Mr. Shaw, and if witness would allow him
to go, he would be back as soon as he had done what he
had to do. Witness told him he had sent for Mr. Shaw,
and he must wait till Mr. Shaw came. A police-con-
stable was subsequently sent far, and the prisoner was
given into custody.
Joseph Shaw, upholsterer, No. 47, Mortimer-street,
Cavendish-square, said the prisoner had been in his em-
ploy as light porter since March last. About the begin-
ning of December he ascertained that several forged
cheques had been presented and paid at the Union Bank,
and feeling assured that the offender was some one in his
employ who had obtained access to his cheque-book,
from which several blank cheques had been taken,
he kept watch and the result was, that he missed
two of the paid forged cheques from the drawer in
which he had placed them:., On' Thursday morning
last, about half-past seven o'clock, after the prisoner
came as usual to his work, and was let in by the
cook, witness was so placed as to see the pr.soner
enter the house, and to ascertain that he proceeded im-
mediately to the counting-house. Witness, by means
of a trap-door in a room above, which commanded a
view of the counting-house, was enabled to see the
prisoner take out the drawer in which the cheque-
book was placed and tear out a bank cheque. Witness
did not immediately act on the information he had ob-
tained, but he went to the banking-house, and stated
what he had discovered, and then it was arranged that
time should be given to see if the prisoner would present
the cheque after it had been filled up. On Saturday, just
before the bank closed, the prisoner presented a cheque
for 101, and was taken into custody.
poli•ce-constable Lister, 143 C, said he searched the
prisoner's lodgings, 27, Castle-street, Oxford-market, and
fourid part of g genuine cheque.
This fragraeut. Mr. Shaw said, must have been taken
out of the drawer whero he kept his cheque-book and
cancelled cheques.
Mr. Woolf (for the prisoner) cross-examined the wit-
nesses, but elicited nothiag material.
The prisoner was fully committed.
The following seasonable donations for the poor-box
have been received :—" J. H. IL," 21. ; " G.," 21. ; and
" E. C.," 51.