The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-01 00:00:00

UNION-HALL

Yesterday Mr. Mason, of the firm of Mason and
Co., coal-dealers, was summoned under the Coal-
meters' Act, for using an illegal bushel measure in
the admeasurement of coals.

The summons having been read setting forth the
offence, the defendant said that he admitted art im-
perfect bushel measure was discovered on his pre-
mises, but that when he assigned the reason, he had
no doubt the penalty attached to the offence would
not be visited on him.

Mr. SIVABISY.—You must either plead " guilty,"
or " not guilty," and I should much rather you do
Cle latter, as you will then have an opportunity of
making a defence, and stating any mitigatory cir-
cumstances so as to induce me to place a lower
penalty on you if the offence should be proved, than
I should be otherwise inclined to do.
The defendant having pleaded " not guilty,"
George Wilson, a labouring land coal-meter, was
called, and he stated that on the 2d instant he was
engaged at Messrs. West and Freeman's wharf,
Lambeth, in measuring coals. While on duty there
a waggon belonging to the defendant drove into the
coal-wharf, and seeing an imperfect bushel-measure
on the sacks, he immediately seized it.

Mr. SWABEY—Describe in what way the mea-
sure was impetfect.
Witness—The rim was broken all round, and it
would have been impossible to measure a full bushel
in such an article; the coals would necessarily run
over all round.

The defendant was anxious that the case should
be deferred until the arrival of his solicitor; the ap-
plication, however, was refused, on the ground that
that an hour and is half over the time had been al-
lowed to elapse, and also the circumstance of other
pressing business waiting to be heard.
The defendant admitted the bushel measure to he
imperfect; it was an old one that had not been used
before for the last two years, and was promiscuously

flung into the waggon by one of the pellets. The
measure in question (the defendant added) vas ge-
nerally use 4 for the purpose of keeping ochre in, and
that fact could be substantiated, the ochre still ad-
hering to the bottom and sides of it.

. The coal-meter's solicitor latitl, that if it was ne-
cessary he was in a situation to prove That coals bad
been measured by the same bushel on a previous oc-
casion the same day.

• The Magistrates agreed that the offence was
clearly established, and inflicted a penalty of +l. and
costs on the defendant. The full penalty is 101.
Mr. James Sturdy, a coal-dealer• at Stockwell, was
charged with a similar offence. He,• however,
pleaded "guilty," and at the same time declared,
that it was entirely through inadvertence the mea-
sure was used on this occasion. Since it had be-
come shattered and old, he had converted it into a
machine for feeding his horses.
The defendant was fined V. and costs, and recom-
mended to destroy the measure altogether, as it.did
not redound to the credit of any man in the trade
keeping such an article on his premises.
Nfr Elias Jones, a coal-dealer, was summoned
for using 10 short sacks in the delivery of coals.
William Blinkwood, the meter, stated that on the
15th Dec., while on duty' at a private dock adjoin-
ing the Palace coal-wharf, he obierved thiee seeks of
coals placed on the defendant's cart, which appeared
to witness to he short in length. Haying measured
the fourth sack, he found it deficient, together with
more, some two inches, and others less iian that.—
He added that they were all deficient, and now in
Court, if it was thought proper to measure them. •
Mr. SWABEY—It appears the atmosphere has an
effect upon sacks; might not these have shrunk in
consequence ?—Mr. Turquand, the piincipal meter,
said that the Act specifically directed, that at the
time sacks were in use the owners were bound to
hare them of the legal adineasurement. The sacks
in question decidedly came wider the provisions of
the Act.

On the behalf of the defendant, it was urged by
Mr. Harmer that the offence was owing to inadvert-
ence, during some domestic affliction of his client's
family. The sacks were old ones, and had been
taken out of one of his warehouses by the men with-
out his knowledge.

Mr. Rickman, the principal meter, admitted that
a day or two subsequently to the seizure of the
sacks having been made, the defendant called upon
him, and described the illness of Some portion of
his family; he at the same time attributed the cir-
cumstance to have arisen in consequence, while ho
was absent, attending the sick bed of his wife.
Mr. SIVABEY said that under these ciicumstance's
he should not cpnvict the defendant, in which de-
cision Mr. Chambers also cordially joined ; the Ma-
gistrates merely directing the defendant to pay 5/.
to any charity the principal coal-meter might sug-
gest. The above sum was transmitted to the secre-
tary of the asylum for discharged prisoners in Surrey.
• A Mr. Tippet, a builder, was summoned by the
district surveyor for erecting a large timber building
in Russell-street, Bermondsey, as a circus or theatre,
intended for the performance of Ryan's equestrian
troop, against -the provisions of the Building Act,
whereby he had incurred a heavy penalty.
It appeared that the performances were to have
commenced on the Ist of January (this day), mid
that fire-works were also to be introduced. The
surveyor, having.been informed of the fact, proceeded
to the place, and finding. it was erected on a spot
contiguous to other buildings, and that the erection
was contrary to the plans required under the Build-
ing Act, summoned the parties.
The defendant said, that he had no objection to
take down the building, if he were allowed two
months to accomplish it. •
The Surveyor said, that it would not take half
that time in the erection ; how mud) easier then,
was it to pull dawn than to put up ? " The object
in view is plain," said the surveyor " the per-
formances might go on the whole of January and the
greater part of the following month, if the applica-
tion was granted."

The defendant begg©d h;ird for a month ; brit it
was ultimately decided that the wooden 'edifice muAt
come to the ground in a fortnight from this date,
the defendant haring entered into a surety of 1001.
to that effect.

A person waited on a friend or our's a few
clays back, to ask him to copy out fairly for him, prepa-
ratory to his 4:notching_ it to his inomorata,,the follow-

ins e.xciaisite specimen of the " intellectual march :" My
dear—l n-ant to know your niind—that is, to say h. as or
now.—and sand word bark alone what you will stand to---
your humble S., and Trew bailed soil—l. J."—Hall
Packet. ' •

STATE OF TRADE.—We think there has
been this week and last,'rather a better feeling in commer-
cial matters. Though many" of the foreign merchants
have quite closed their shipments of yarn fur the present
season, a number of them have evinced a disposition to
make, at a very small concession in price, contracts for
the opening of the next. Rut, amongst the spinners,
little or no giving way has taken place. In goods, rather
more inquiry exists, and though ,for two or three weeks at
this season, business is generally comparatively .at a stand,
there seems a confident expectation that, with the com-
mencement of the new year, an improved demand may be
an tici pa texl. —3luuchester Mercury.

A short tithe since Lord and Lady W
Were sojourning at Florence. A young and spirited El4g.
Heitman of fashion, Mr. 11. lost one night to her
Ladyship 500/. at ecartl. Mr. S. very properly paid the
money, but mentioned the circumstance to a gentleman,
who suggested the possibility that there might have been
something unfair in the matter, but which, however, Mr.
S. would not permit himself to believe. It was, neverthe-

less, reported to Lady W., shortly after Mr. S.'s depai tare
for England, as if said by himself. Lady W., in conse•
quence, and very naturally, felt hart, hut was soothed by
her Lord's kind promise to shoot Mr. S. through the head
on the first possible convenient opportunity; and this pre-
sented itself last Wednesday, when (all the parties liavisg
reached Paris) Lord W. met Mr. S. in the Rue de la Nix
iI believe.) A meeting was immediately proposed and ar-
ranged, and took place yesterday morning in the Bois del
Boulogne. His Lordship attended by Colonel C., and Mr."
S. by Captain W., en the half-pay of one of your dragoon
regiments. The parties having taken their ground, the
word " Fire!" was given rapidly, and fortunately neither
shot took effect. The seconds then very properly inter-
fered. The real facts .of the care Were diseloeed, and the
parties, of course, immediately 'shook hands. " Now,"
mid Mr. S., " that the affair has terminated, let me con-
fess that I fired purposely Wide, and stiffer me to show you
what I can do.. Place this hat on that bramble, give me
the other pistol, and " the word, as qnickly as yon please."
All this was done, mad slap went the ball through the hat,
to the satisfaction, no doubt, of all parties."—Paris Lttter.

FLORENCE.—(From a private letter.)—ln
addition to the regularly-established English resident.,
amongst whom we can boast many distinguishes( names,
there are staying here nt present,—Lord and Lady War
wick, Lord and Lady Wm. Russell, Colonel and Mrs. Ca-
vendish, Lord Douro, Lord Charles Wellesley, Lord Fitz-
hirri., Ric. And in the corn-se of the last two months
we have born visited by Lord and Lady Lansdowne, I.cr*t
and Lady Salisbury, Lord and Lady Barrington, Lord and
Lady Dartmouth, &e. The principal attraction, in the
way of amusement, have hect, the private theatricals with
which Lord and Lady Normanby have, since their return
from England, been entertaining their friends. In stic
cession there have been petformed The Merchant u, Ve-
nice, Much Ado about Nothing, and other ftvourite
plsys of Shakspeare, in all of which the admirable stage
arrangements, studied attention to erratum, and scenic ef-
fect, have' been the admiration of all, as disphying a cor-
rect and highly-.cultivated theatrical taste. Of the acting
at these &lighten] performances, so unlike ordinary ama-
teur attempts, it is unnecessary to speak in praise, sine,,
owing to the affability and kindness of the nobie Lord and
his interesting Lady, there are few of our travelled coun-
trymen who have not had an opportunity of judging for
themselves of their meth.. Lord Bnrghersh has likewise
fitted up a pretty temporary theatre in his for the
performance of an Italian opera ef his own composition.
It was given with great success a few nights since. The
chorusses, which were very effertire, were Inilliantly ex-
ecuted by no hiss titan 40 amateurs, English and Italian.
Mr. Cooper, the American novelist, is *titled her. with
his family, and it is aupposed that be is engaged in col-
], vting, materials for another work. Sir Walter Scott, It
is said, intends shortly to Visit here.

"'Ammo and PUBLIMRD by MURDO YOUNG, at the

cn OFFIOE, 112, Silt A rrt, LoPriPtih.