The Sun.
London, England, 1818-09-11 00:00:00

IMPOSITIONS AT TURNPIKE GATES.

Several complaints having been lately made to
the Trustees of the New Cross Roads, respecting
impositions practised at the Dartford Gate Turn-
pike, the Trustees, feeling it a duty which they
owed to the Public to put a stop to these impo-
sitions, ordered the Collector of the Toll at -that
Gate to appear before them on Saturday se'nnight
last, at the Green Man, at Blackheath, and only
One imposition being on that occasion charged
against him, the Chairman, in capacity of Ma-
gistrate, inflicted on him the penalty directed by
law. As these impositions have been carried on
for some time, to the injury of the Public, it is
to be t egret red that a fine of 40s. which was paid
by the delinquent, and which is the utmost the
law allows, is far inadequate to the extent of the
offence, and the probable amount of the Toll Ga-
therer's illicit gains. It would appear that there
were two distinct artifices to which the Collector
of the Toll resorted, according to circumstances,
its order to screen his attempts at imposition.—
The toll is sixpence for a chaise and pair, and it
was his practise to demand a shilling. If the tra-
veller, ignorant of the legal toll, and unsuspicious
of fraud, complied with the demand, the Col-
lector gained his object ; if, on the other hand,
he knew the legal toll, and remonstrated against
the charge, the latter apologised for his pretended
error, by professing a belief, how incredible so-
ever that belief might appear, that the traveller
intended to pay also for the post-chaise before
him, if any happened to he in sight. If two post-
chaises belonging to one party came to the Gate
together, recourse was bad to a different artifice.
A boy then made his appearance and demanded a
shilling for each post-chaise, which, there is rea-
son to believe, was too often paid. If a remon•
strance took place, the boy was prepared with his
excuse, alledging that be had, perhaps, mistaken
the. toll, but that he would go and consult his
master. He returned, acknowledging his error,
and if inquiry was made why his master did not
attend himself, the answer was, that his master
was busy making up his accounts. It is to he
hoped that the measures which the Trustees are
determined to adopt, will 'p►ut an effectual stop to
these nefarious practices, which the Trustees have
great reason to believe are not confined to the
Dartford Turnpike.

SHIPWRECK.-We have the melancholy task to
record a most dreadful catastrophe which took
place last week on our coast by shipwreck. The
Sine, Captain N. Dostc., sailed from this port on
Monday se'unight, for Boston, having on board
thirty-four passengers, and ort the Thursday night
following, about 8 o'clock, struck on the Platters,
on the Welch coast, near the Skerries light-house,
and in about an hour the vessel went down, and
13 of the passengers were drowned ; the rest of
thetas and the crew were saved by a pilot-boat,
which fortunately happened to be near at the
moment. Not a single article either belonging
to the ship or passengers was saved. Amongst
the passengers saved is a boy about 14 years of
age, who has lost both his parents by this dis-
tressing event. We have made every endeavour
to get a list.bf the persons lost, but the Captain
does not recollect the names of any of them, and
the only copy which he had of them was on board
the vessel. The crew and passengers saved were
afterwards put on board the Mary and Sally, from
Salem, and arrived here on Friday. About ten
o'clock on the night previous to this fatal occur-
rence, the Sine run down the brig Dash, from
Bangor for London, when unfortunately three of
the crew were drowned, the others (two) were
saved by the Sine, and were on hoard when that
vessel was wrecked. Great praise, we are inform-,
ed, is due to the people on board the pilot-boat,
for their active exertions in rescuing the persons
on hoard the Sine from their perilous situation.-.-
(Liverpool Paper.)

OLD BAILEY, SEPT. 10.

STEALING ON THE RIVER THAMES.

William Pitch was indicted for stealing on the
River Thames, on the 26th of August, a coat, and
other articles, the property of John Turner ;
a watch the property of Robert Watson ; and a
coat, and other articles, the property of Cuthbert
Hawk, value 40s. and upwards.
An officer of the Thames Police stated, that on
tfie night in question, he stopped the prisoner in
A boa! , as a suspected person ; and proceeding to
search him, discovered that he had two complete
suits of clothes, the pockets of which were filled
with watches and other small articles of value.

Several sailors were examined, who
.identified
various articles of property found on the prisoner
as belonging to them, and as having been stolen
from on board their vessels, the Ann, the Britan-
nia, &c. lying off Rotherhithe.
The prisoner, in his defence, said he hail been
employed by a brother seaman to bring the things
on shore tor him. On being asked if had any
witnesses to his character, he said he had written
to Lord Exmouth, who knew him, hut he believ-
ed his Lordship had not attended to his letter.—
The Jury found him Guilty. and the Court sen-
tenced bim, to be transported tor seven years.