The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-06 00:00:00

SPEECH.

CLOSE OF THE SESSION.

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
we are. commanded by her Majesty, in re-
lieving you from further attendance in Parliament,
to express to you the warm acknowledgments of
her Majesty for the zeal and assiduity with
which you have applied yourselves to the dis-
charge of your public duties, during a laborious and
protracted session.
The result has been the completion of many
legislative measures, calculated to improve the
administration of the law, and to promote the public
welfare.

Her Majesty has given her cordial assent to the
Bill which you presented to her Majesty for regulat-
ing the issue of Bank Notes, and for conferring cer-
tain privileges upon the Bank of England for a limited
period.

Her Majesty trusts that these measures will tend
to place the pecuniary transactions of the country
upon a sounder basis, without imposing any inconve-
nient restrictions on commercial credit or enterprise.
We are directed to inform you that her Majesty
continues to receive from her Allies and from all
Foreign Powers assurances of their friendly disposition.
Her Majesty has recently been engaged in dis-
cussions with the Government of the King of the
French, on events calculated to interrupt the good
understanding and friendly relations between this
country and France.
You will rejoice to learn that, by the spirit of
justice and moderation which has animated the two
Governments, this danger has been happily averted.
GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE or COMMONS,
We are commanded by her Majesty to thank you
for the readiness with which you voted the supplies
for the service of the year.
Her Majesty has observed, with the utmost
satisfaction, that by the course to which you have
steadily adhered in maintaining inviolate the public
faith, and inspiring a just confidence in the stability
of the national resources, you have been enabled to
make a considerable reduction in the annual charge
on account of the interest of the National Debt.
Mr LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
•
Her Majesty desires us to congratulate you on
the improvement which has taken place in the condi-
tion of our manufactures and commerce, and on the
prospect that, through the bounty of Divine Provi-
dence, we shall enjoy the blessing of an abundant
harvest.

Her Majesty rejoices in the belief that on your
return to your several districts you will find gene-
rally prevailing throughout the country a spirit of
loyalty and cheerful obedience to the law.
Her Majesty is confident that these dispositions,
so important to the peaceful development of our
resources, and to our national strength, will be
confirmed and encouraged by your presence and
example.

We are commanded by her Majesty to assure
you that when you shall be called upon to resume the
discharge of your Parliamentary functions, you may
place entire reliance on the cordial co-operation of her
Majesty in your endeavours to improve the social
condition, and to promote the happiness and content-
ment of her people.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sia,—Observing your remarks in The Sun of last
evening, upon the judicial distinction observed at
Gravesend between the rich and the poor, I cannot
withhold my expressions of thankfulness that the
London press has at length condescended to notice the
vagaries of the petty Midases of this place—it is,
indeed, true that the poor are most unfairly treated in
this town, and as you have so ably exposed the donkey-
driver mode of justice with that of the nice "young
gentleman," I trust you will allow me a short space
in your valuable paper to show how much the defence-
less poor of this place are induced to respect even•
handed justice.
There are commissioners of the town for prevent-
ing nuisances, and for licensing coaches, flys, vans,
horses, donkeys, &c. The majority of the commis-
sioners are Dissenters, and consequently are horror-
struck at the idea of Sunday travelling; accordingly
they notified that no licenses should be given to per-
sons who would not abstain from working on the
Sunday. Now there is an immense demand for this
species of travelling on a Sunday, and especially at
Gravesend, and consequently the whole host of stable-
up at this extreme ab-
fl
resolvedy-m en
trearedhey
would not stand it, but
skneredpietr3sr, aanndd
with purse and time would resist it. The conse-
quence was, the mayor and his associates succumbed,
and hackney-men, horse-drivers, and van-men, and
the whole of the horse and carriage tribe were licensed
to work on the Sunday, and do, indeed, on that day
labour most hard and fast, as every citizen who
has been at Gravesend can attest—but the poor
donkey-drivers were a distinct class ; they could not
afford to give his worship a junketting on Saint
Monday for nothing—they were not members of the
respectable united fly, van, and buss club ; they had
no money to defend themselves against the public
purse of the commissioners, and so the magnanimous
mayor and his conscientious • coadjutors refused to 1
license these poor creatures, eteept for the six week
days, and have fined or imprisoned those who have
been tempted to travel on a Sunday, in imitation of
the comparatively wealthy van-men ! Is not this,
Sir, one law for the rich and another for the poor ?
But though this is bad enough, will it be believed
that the greater number of these commissioners deal
and trade most extensively on a Sunday, as carriers
per steam-packets, or as butchers, &c., and that his
worship the mayor has men actually stationed during
the whole Sabbath (not even excepting the hours of
Divine service) on the pier, for collecting tolls to pay
himself or others interest, large interest, on moneys
advanced on the speculation that the citizens of
London will travel to Gravesend on Sundays, as well
as on other days, for health and recreation.
AN INHABITANT OF GRAVESEND.

We have elsewhere adverted to the signal triumph
which Mr. O'Connell and the other State prisoners yes-
terday achieved over their Ministerial prosecutors. We
also beg to refer to the speeches of the three Noble and
Learned Lords, who voted for a reversal of the judg-
ment of the court below. The speeches of Lords Cot-
tenham and Campbell are severally worthy of perusal;
but we would invite especial attention to the speech of
Lord Denman. It is a bold, clear, luminous exposition
of the great principles of constitutional law. The coun-
trythe
iabserr
tmei reason
man, taking
t toat
hk
eibnesgupbt rjhoeecu
subject are
aro
rmf suche ianlalways
aaysafe.—Advertiser.
its
m judge.os A
t
comprehensive
acceptation, has not adorned the judicial bench since the
days of Lord Mansfield. In the hands of such a judge,
roerhee
inde-
pendents
FATAL ACCIDENT ON HIGHGATE-HILL.--WedOeS
day Mr. Wakley, m.p., held an inquest at the Whitting-
ton and Cat, Highgate-hill, on the body of Samuel
3
George Rogers, aged 35, who, with four other persons,
was knocked down and
.Murphy, injured on Sunday night last by
the phaeton of Mr. Joseph S agent to Messrs.
night
t to
Parsons, St. Paul's-churchyard. Mr. Murphy, who was
dreadfully injured, was brought into the Court in
the i
nl a custodysatndh
eocfaheardt the
,police.saida
thatgr e a
tMw
itJec
royihnnohnßi
his
rhdbe,a
iot.hne
siluWen
dhr
aiatyn-
tingghout
instantly, and saw a horse plunging about in a phae-
ton, and the deceased and other persons lying in the
road. The horse reared and struggled until it broke the
phaeton in half ; and after it had galloped off be had an
opportunity of going to the assistance of the deceased and
the other persons. Deceased he found quite insensible,
and bleeding profusely from a cut on the head. He had
him taken into his house, and attended by a surgeon.
There were four persons then lying in front of his house,
viz., Mr. Murphy, the owner of the horse and chaise; Mr.
and Mrs. Bynel], the uncle and aunt, and Rebecca Meade,
one of the cousins, of the deceased. The uncle and
aunt were still lying in the house, unable to move
away in consequence of the injuries they had received.
Deceased soon died. In reply to a question from the
coroner, Mr. Murphy stated that no one saw the acci-
dent, and that there was no breeching on the horse. Mr.
Thomas Duckworth, of Finchley, said that Mr. Murphy
dined with him on Sunday, and left him quite sober
about eight o'clock. The mare was free from vice, and
Mr. Murphy was in the habit of driving it. Mr. Murphy
having been cautioned not to say
anything to criminate
himself, said, that after leaving Mr. Duckworth be went
on quietly until he reached the Highgate-gate, when the
mare shied at something in the road, and galloped on
furiously. He was soon thrown out, and
,he jury became, insen-
siblel from the effects of the concussion.
in-
formed the coroner that the road was dangerous at the
spot where the accident happened. The injured persons
must have been walking in the road when the horse
rushed along, and the footpath being two feet high they
could not get on it before the horse ran against them.
It would have been almost impossible for them to escape.
The jury, after an hour's consultation, returned a verdict
of " Accidental death." Mr. Murphy gave 5/. to the
deceased's widow, and promised to make her a present
of a further sum. He was removed in custody.