The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-21 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday a Court was held for the dispatch of
business.
Sheriff MUSGROVE reported to the Court that there were
atpresent 53 persons in Newgate undergoing sentence of
imprisonment, varying from three months to two years,
and that there were now in the prison some cases of in-
sanity. The subject of sentencing convicts to confine-
ment in Newgate—a system wholly at variance with the
discipline so necessary to be observed in a gaol set apart
for untried persons alone—had been more than once
before introduced to the Court, but as the evil was a
growing one, he considered it to be his duty to repeat
the fact.—(Hear, hear.)
The REMEMBRANCER stated that the subject was in
the progress of inquiry by the proper authorities.
The Report of the Police Committee upon the petition
of W. L. Brake, late one of the inspectors of the City
police, praying that the petitioner should be allowed the
expenses incurred by him, in an action of trover brought
against him, as such inspector, for the recovery of pro-
perty detained by him, was brought forward. It stated
that the Committee were of opinion that the prayer of
the petition ought not to be complied with.
It appeared from what was stated in the Court, that
the late inspector had acted in the whole business under
the direction of the Commissioner of the City I'olice, and
had by that officer's advice employed an attorney to de-
fend the action, instead of applying to the Court of Al-
dermen to authorise the City Solicitor to undertake the
matter, and that the result of the action was a verdict
against Brake, by which that individual was put to the
expense of 1401. or 150/.
Alderman BROWN said it was really very hard upon
the poor man, that he should be compelled to pay such
a penalty for doing what he considered to be an act of
duty, under the sanction of the City Commissioner. He
wished the Report to be sent back to the Committee, in
order that it might be ascertained whether some means
of relieving the petitioner from such unjust expense
could not be adopted.
Alderman WILSON said, the Committee felt the case to
be a hard one, but they considered that, upon principle,
they could not recommend the Court to pay the expense
incurred in an action defended by a strange solicitor.
Brake had, it appeared, acted under a rule which had
not been made legal, and the City Solicitor, who, if any
one ought to have been employed was the person, was
not consulted upon the propriety of the course of the
proceedings adopted.
Alderman FAREDROTHER said there was no excuse
for sending back the Report. The petitioner had im-
properly detained the goods of the plaintiff in the action,
and the Commissioner had sent his inspector to his own
solicitor to defend the action, and, now that the verdict
was against the inspector, off the Commissioner sent his
inspector for the money to pay his solicitor's bill.—
(Laughter.) The Court could never think of sanction-
ing such a mode of disposing of the City funds.
Sir PETER LAURIE—The subject has been already
twice before, in other shapes, before the Committee, and
it was quite clear that the petitioner had no claim at all.
Alderman WOOD said the Committee could not help
the conclusion they had come to. At the same time,
Brake had no alternative, except an exceedingly dis-
agreeable one. The man was obliged to obey the Com-
missioner, in peril of losing his place, and the conse-
quenee of his obedience was the action at law. The de-
fendant was but an half-pay officer, and had a family
to support, and it was a great severity upon him that he
should be obliged to pay 1401., or 1501., for having acted
in strict conformity with the direction of his superior.
The amendment, to send back the Report for reconsi-
deration was then lost, 7 hands having been held up for
and 8 against it.
THE MAGISTRATES OF THE CITY AND THE CITY
POLICE COMMISSIONER.

Alderman WiLsoN presented a petition from the
inhabitants of the ward of Castle Baynard, complaining
that the neighbourhood of St. Paul's Church-yard was
greatly disturbed and disgusted by the conduct of women
of the town at night, and praying that the Court would
take some means of abating so serious a nuisance. He
had, upon the representation of the circumstances to
him, advised the petitioners to apply to the Commis-
sioner of the City Police, who, however, had informed
them that the magistrates would not assist his efforts to
remove the women of the town from the place described
as being subject to the nuisance. The Alderman moved
that the petition be referred to the Police Committee.
Mr. KEATING (of St. Paul's Church-yard), one of the
petitioners, said, in answer to quesiions put by members
of the Court, that he and others of the petitioners
waited upon the Commissioner of the City Police, ac-
cording to the recommendation of Alderman Wilson, and
was informed by Mr. Harvey that there was no use in
taking up women of the town, for the magistrates dis-
missed them without inflicting any punishment. The
policemen had told the petitioners the same thing.
Alderman CopELAND—A more gratuitous piece of in-
formation I never heard of, than that upon the part of
the Commissioner.
Alderman FAREBROTHER said it was most ridiculous
. .

in the Commissioner to make such a statement.—Wil;
Commissioner or his men could not establish a case
against the unfortunate women whom they might think
proper to take into custody, why should not the magis
trates dismiss them ?—(Hear, hear.) These poor crea-
tures must be somewhere ; in Regent-street they were
infinitely more numerous than they were in St. Paul's
church-yard ; and why, if acts of disorder were not
proved against them, should they be punished with im-
prisonment, or with the bad treatment which they often
suffered, without being brought before magistrates at
all ? He, for one, would not imprison a wretched
female merely because she was brought before him by
a policeman; and he cared nothing for the opinion of
the Commissioner on the question.
Alderman HUMPHERY regretted to see that a most
unkind feeling existed towards the Commissioner, who
had merely said to the petitioners that his men took the
women before the magistrates, and that the magistrates
discharged them. Now, what did the magistrates do
with the wpmen? Did they send them to Bridewell?
Alderman COPELA.ND.—Yes, when they have com-
mitted any offence or disorder. Let the police do their
duty. _ _ _

Alderman HUMPHERY said the police did their duty,
and so also did the magistrates. The Commissioner had,
he would contend, been most unfairly treated by such a
course of condemnation. He ought to be heard upon
the subject.
Alderman BROWN said the petitioners complained of
what they considered to be a great nuisance, and upon
stating the nature of it to the Commissioner, and asking
for his interposition, what did he say ?—That there was
no use in it, for the magistrates dismissed the accused.
A more gross libel could not be uttered against that
Court, and he was astonished to find a member of that
Court stand up as the apologist of him who had uttered
it. The Commissioner might and ought to have said,
Gentlemen, we cannot commit women of the town for
walking the streets. The streets are open to them as
they are to us; but I must do the magistrates the justice
to say that when any act of disorder is committed by
these women they uniformly carry the law into effect,
Alderman WOOD said the police not only brought
women of the town, but reputed thieves, before the ma-
gistrates, but evidence was necessary introductory to
punishment. Indeed, it was frequently the case that the
magistrates were obliged to reprove the police for ap-
prehending persons without having the slightest ground
for taking them into custody.
Sir PETER LAURIE declared that he had often dis-
charged unfortunate women against what appeared to
him to be the reasoning of the police, that if a female,
after having walked down Fleet-street, dared to walk
back again, she must be walked off to a prison.—(Hear.)
The RECORDER read the section of the City Police Act,
to show that it was not exactly according to the statute
to take into custody and imprison unfortunate women
who walked the streets without committing any offence.
The petition was then rejected.
A petition was presented praying for the removal of
the ancient cart-stand from Dowgate-hill.
Alderman Lucas opposed the removal. He had him-
self known the stand to be on Dowgate-bill upwards of
seventy years, and he thought that people ought to put
up with a little inconvenience for a large benefit ; but
really some persons wished to have the most public parts
of the City like Berkeley-square or Grosvenor-square.
Now, he liked to see carts and waggons crowding after
each other through the thoroughfares. It showed that
money was stirring as it used to be of old.
Alderman JOHN JOHNSON moved that the petition be
referred to a committee, which was agreed to.
The Court then proceeded with closed doors to con
sider the subject of the appointment of a Deputy-Gover
nor of her Majesty's gaol of Newgate.

SYMPATHY Ton IRELAND.—We are glad to learn
that the Liberals of Aberdeen have it in contemplation to
get up a meeting to express sympathy for the wrongs of Ire-
land, and to condemn the course which the Government
officials have pursued in the prosecution of O'Connell and
his friends. To join in this demonstration it is not neces-
sary that we should either be Repealers or Roman Catho-
lics; the just claims of a numerous portion of our fellow-
subjects to good and equal laws, and the necessity of
keeping a strict guard over the portals of justice, should
induce every right-thinking man to come forward, and ex-
press his opinion at this important juncture. Nor let it
be thought that we have no interest in the matter. .Apart
altogether from the ties that connect one part of the
kingdom with another, and which render it impossible
for one to escape participation to some extent in the suffer-
ings of the other, there is the immediate risk that, if Ire-
land be left unsupported on the present occasion, the same
wicked policy which has recently been pursued towards
her, will be extended to the sister: island. It is the duty,
therefore, of all parties who seek the attainment of any
public object—political, ecclesiastical, commercial, or financial
—to stand up in defence of free discussion, rational progress,
and a fair and impartial administration of the law of the
land. Aberdeen, a few years ago, when an attempt was to
be made, by the Carlton Club, to eject the Irish Liberal
Members, from the House of Commons, by mere force of
money, was among the first to contribute, and that pretty
liberally too, to the Defence Fund : it is to be hoped that
our citizens will not be less forward at this time.—Aberdeen
Herald.

CONDITION OF TURKIEU WnrEs.—The Seraskier
has generally chosen and bought Circassians, and his harem
is quite eastern and unreformed by European fashions.
Four of his wives were very beautiful, and all were good-
looking ; their toilets were all in the same style, only va-
ried In colours. Some . had. caftans of wadded silk, with
large hetkvy gold leayes. Qne blue• eyed girl, who looked ,