The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-10 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

FLANDERS MAIL.
BRUSSELS, JAN. 6.—The Government has received
from the Charge d'Affaires of Belgium, at Turin, a report
which contains interesting information respecting the
commerce of the island of Sardinia. This report is
accompanied-1. Byaview of the import and export trade
of the island for ten years-1826 to 1837. 2. A. table,
showing the number of ships that arrived in and left
the port of the island in 1843. 3. An estimate of the
English goods imported into the island in 1843.
4. A table of the weights and measures in use in
the island, compared with the national system.
His Majesty gave an audience, on the 4th of this
month, at noon, to the Marquis de Reimegrez, Am-
bassador of his Majesty the King of the French, who
delivered a letter from his Sovereign, notifying the
marriage of his Royal Highness the Duke d'Aumale
to the Princess Maria Caroline Augusta of Salerno.
The King has also received a letter from his Ma-
jesty the King of the Two Sicilies, on the occasion of
this marriage.
The navigation of our canals, which has been in-
terrupted fur more than a month, will probably be
resumed this week, if we should not have any return
of the frost.
We (the Courrier Beige) have just received a
letter from Berlin, which states positively that the
Prussian Cabinet understands the 19th article of its
treaty of the Ist of September, relative to the impor-
tation of our iron into the State of the Zollverein, as
it is understood in Belgium. On this point, there-
fore, the two parties are agreed, but at the same time
it has been thought proper to take the opinion of the
other States on this question.

A SHARK STORY. BY THE LATE
WILLIAM P. HAWES, ESQ.

(From a New York Paper.)
" Heartless villiain 1" I shrieked out, in the torture
of' my disappointment, "may reward your in-
humanity." The crew answered my prayer with a
coarse, low laugh ; and the cook asked me through a
speaking-trumpet, "If I wasn't afraid of catching
cold "—the black rascal!
It was now time to strip ; for my knees felt the
cool tide, and the wind dying away, left a heavy
swell, that swayed and shook the box upon which I
was mounted, so that I had occasionally to stoop and
paddle with my hands against the water, in order to
preserve my perpendicular. The setting sun sent
his almost horizontal streams of fire across the dark
waters, making them gloomy and terrific by the con-
rast of his amber and purple glories.
Something- glided by me in the water, and then
made a sudden halt. I looked upon the black mass,
and as my eyes ran along its dark outline I saw with
horror that it was a shark—the identical monster out
of whose mouth I had just broken my hook. He was
fishing now for me, and was evidently only waiting
for the tides to rise high enough above the rock to
glut at once his hunger and revenge. As the water
continued to mount above my knees, he seemed to grow
more hungry and familiar. At last he made a desperate
dash, and approached within an inch of my legs, turned
upon his hack, and opened his huge jaws for an at-
tack. With desperate strength I thrust the end of my
rod violently at his mouth ; and the brass head, ring-
ing against his teeth, threw him back into the deep
current, and I lost sight of him entirely. This, how-
ever, was but a momentary repulse ; for in the next
minute he was close behind my back, and pulling at
the skirts of my fustian coat, which hung dipping
into the water. I leaned forward hastily, and endea-
voured to extricate myself from the dangerous grasp;
but the monster's teeth were too firmly set, and his
immense strength nearly drew me over. So down
flew my rod, and off went my jacket, devoted peace-
offerings to my voracious visitor.
In an instant the waves all around me were lashed
into froth and foam. No sooner was my poor old
sporting friend drawn under the surface, than it was
fought for by a dozen enormous combatants ! The
battle raged upon every side. High black fins rushed
now here, now there, and long strong tails scattered
sleet and froth, and the brine was thrown up in jets,
and eddied, and curled, and fell, and swelled, like a
whirlpool in Hellgate.
Of no long duration, however, was this fishy tour-
ney. It seemed soon to be discovered that the prize
contended for contained nothing edible but cheese
and crackers, and no flesh ; and as its mutilated frag-
ments came to the surface, the waves subsided into
their former smooth condition. Not till then did I
experience the real terrors of my situation. As I
looked around me to see what had become of the rob.
hers, I counted one, two, three—yes, up to twelve
successively—of the largest sharks I ever saw, float-
ing in a circle around me, like divergent rays, all
mathematically equi-distant from the rock, and from
each other ; each perfectly motionless, and with
gloating, fiery eye, fixed full and fierce upon me.
Basilisks and rattle-snakes, how the fire of their
steady eyes entered into my heart ! I was the cei'tre
of a circle, whose radii were sharks! I was the un-
sprung, or rather unchewed game, at which a pack ef
hunting sea-dogs were making a dead point.
There was one fellow that kept within the circum-
ference of the circle. He seemed to be a sort of cap-
tain or leader of the band, or rather he acted as the
coroner for the other twelve of the inquisition that
were summoned to sit on and eat up my body. He
glided round and about, and every now and then
would stop and touch his nose against some one
of his comrades, to consult or give instructions as to
the time and mode of operations. Occasionally he
would scull himself towards me, and examine the con-
dition of my flesh, and then again glide back and re-
join the troop, and flap his tail and have another con-
fabulation. The old rascal had, no doubt, be€n out in
the highways and byways, and collected this com-
pany of his friends and kin-fish, and invited them to
supper. I must confess that, horribly as I felt, I
could not help but think of a tea-party of demure old
mails, sitting in a solemn circle, with their skinny
hands in their laps, licking their expecting lips, while
their hostess bustles about in the important functions
of her preparations. With what an eye have I seen
such appurtenances of humanity survey the location
and adjustment of some especial condiment, which is
about to be submitted to criticism and consumption.
My sensations began to be now exquisite indeed;
but I will not attempt to describe them. I was nei-
ther hot nor cold, frightened nor composed ; but I
had a combination of all kinds of feeling and emo-
tions. The present, past, future, heaven, earth, my
father and mother, a little girl I knew once, and the
sharks, were all confusedly mixed up together, and
swelled my crazy brain almost to bursting. I cried
and laughed, and shouted and screamed for Tim Titus.
In a fit of most wise madness, I opened my broad-
bladed fishing-knife, and waved it around my head
with an air of defiance. As the tide continued to
rise, my extravagance of madness mounted. At one
time I became persuaded that my tide-waiters were
reasonable beings, who might be talked into mercy
and humanity, if a body could only hit upon the right
text. So I bowed and gesticulated, and threw out
my hands, and talked to them as friends and brothers,
members of my family, cousins, uncles, aunts, people
waiting to have their bills paid. I scolded them as
my eervants ; I abused them as duns; I implored
them as jurymen, sitting on the question of my life ;
I congratulated and flattered them as my comrades
upon some glorious enterprise ; I sang and ranted to
them, now as an actor in a playhouse, end now as an
elder in a camp meeting, in one moment roar*—
" On the cold flinty rock I will lay down my head"—
and in the next, giving out to my attentive hearers,
for singing, a hymn of Dr. Watts's, admirably appro-
priate to the occasion:—
" On slippery rocks I see them stand,
While fiery billows roll below."
What said I—what did I not say ?—Prose and
poetry, Scripture and drama, romance and ratiocina-
tion—out it came—Quarndiu, Catalina, nostra pa-
tientia alfutere?—l sung out to the old captain to begin
with—" My brave associates, partners of my toil"—
so ran the strain. "On which side soever I turn my
eyes"—" Gentlemen of the jury"—" I come here not
to steal away your hearts"—" You are not wood, you
are not stone, but"—Hoh !—" Begin, ye tormentors,
your tortures are vain"—" Good friends, sweet friends,
let me not stir you up to any sudden flood"—" The
angry flood which lashed tier groaning sides"—
" Ladies and gentlemen"—My very noble and ap-
proved good masters"—"Avaunt! and quit my sight ;
let the earth hide ye"—Lie lightly on his bed, 0,
earth Oh, heaven and earth, that it should , ome
to this —"The torrent roared, and we did buffet it
with lusty sinews, stemming it asidi,' and oaring it with
hearts of controversf Give me some drink' Ti-
tania"—" Drink, boys, drink, and drown dull sorrow"
- For liquor it cloth roll such comfort to the soul"
- Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my
cause, and be silent that you may hear"—" Fellow-
citizens, assembled as we are upon this interesting
occasion, impressed with the truth and beauty"—
" Isle of beauty, fare thee well"—" The quality of
merey is not strained" —"Magna veritas e! precalebir
....." Truth is potent, and"—" Most potent, grave, and
reverend seigniors"—
. Oh, now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity ; these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what, weep you when you behold
Our Cwsar's vesture wounded ?"
Ha! ha! ha !—and I broke out in a fit of most
horrible laughter, as I thought of the mincemeat par-
ticles of my lacerated jacket.
In the meantime the water had got well up towards
my shoulders, and while I was shaking and vibrating
upon toy
.uncertain foothold, I felt the cold noie of
the captain of the band snubbing against my side.
Desperately, and without any definite object, I struck
at one of his eyes, and, by some singular fortune,
cut it out clean from the socket. The shark darted
back and halted. In an instant hope and reason came
to my relief, and it occurred to me that if I could
only blind the monster I might yet escape. Accord-
ingly I stood ready for the next attack. The loss of
an eye did not seem to affect him much, for, after
shaking his head once or twice, he came up to me ,
and twain when he was about half an inch off, I

turned upon his back. This was the critics
moment. With more unaccountable presence of
mind, I laid hold of his nose with my left
hand and with my right I scooped out
his remaining organ of vision. He opened his
big mouth, and champed his ling teeth at me in
despair. But it was all over with him. 1 raised my
right foot and gave him a hard shove, and he glided
off into the deep water, and went to the bottom.
Well, gentlemen I suppose you'd think it a hard
story, but it's none the le-s a fact, that I served every
remaining one of those nineteen sharks in the same
fashion. They all came up to me, one by one, regu-
larly and in order, and I scooped their eyes out and
gave them a shove, and they went off into deep water,
just like so many lambs. By the time I had scooped
out and blinded a couple of dozen of them, they began
to seem so scarce, that I thought I would swim for
the island, and fight the rest for fun on the way ; but
just then Tim Titus hove in sight, and it had got to
be almost dark, and I concluded to get on board and
rest myself.

- •
INCENDIARISM.—A man named William Caskett,
who has been in custody several days, under remand,
was brought up for final examination on Monday, before
Sir R. Frederick, Mr. Roberts, and other magistrates at
Kingston, on a charge of firing a rick of barley at Wal-
ton-on-Thames, the property of a farmer named
Tubbs. It appeared from the depositions of numerous
witnesses that the fire took place between ten and
eleven at night, on the 25th of December. On
an alarm being given, one of the pohce-constables
attached to the V division hastened .towards the fire
and when he had got near Mr. Tubb's premises ho
met the prisoner coming away. He asked him some
questions. and eventually the prisoner accompanied him
back to the fire, and assisted to work the engines.
Some suspicion was entertained of him at this time,
and on his being questioned he denied that he had
had any lucifer matches in his possession on that
day. He was searched, but nothing suspicious being
found upon him, he was eventually allowed to depart ;
but, from what afterwards transpired, he was taken
into custody a day. or two 'afterwards. It was now
proved that on the night of the fire the prisoner was in a
public-house at Walton, and that he had a number of
boxes of lucifer matches in his possession, which he
offered for sale, and in the course of the evening he gave
one of them to a person in the tap-room. He left the
house, which is only a short distance, from Mr. Tubbs'
farm, shortly after ten o'clock, and in a very brief period
the fire broke out. Almost immediately afterwards the
prisoner was seen by a person named White running is a
direction away from the fire, and he remarked that his
face was very black. A box of lucifers was found in Mr.
Tubb's yard, which was proved to be of exactly the same
description as those which the prisoner had been seen
offering for sale in the public-house at Walton. There
did not appear to be any motive for the commission of
the act by the prisoner, but from the above facts and
other circumstances that came out in evidence, a case of
suspicion appeared to be made out against him. The
magistrates committed the prisoner for trial at the next
spring assizes.
DEATHS OF CHILDREN BY FlRE.—Wednesday Mr.
Baker held two inquests at the London Hospital, on the
bodies of two children, destroyed by fire. The first
was on the body of Henrietta Bagster, aged five,
whose parents reside at No. 2, George-yard, White-
, hapel. It appeared that on the 12th ult., whilst
lightins, in play a piece of paper at the fire, she
ignited her clothes, and was in consequence so severely
horned that she was removed to this hospital, in which
place she died of exhaustion, arising from her burns,
on the sth inst. The second inquest was on the
body of Edward Stevens, aged four, whose parents live
in Prince's-court, Birdcage-walk, Bethnal-green. Whilst
sitting, three weeks ago, on a little stool before the fire,
a spark flew into hisj lap, and instantly his dress was
in flames. He expired on Tuesday. The Coroner re-
marked that mortality amongst children, the result of
tire, was at present remarkably great, and that within a
few days he had held eight inquests on bodies so de-
stroyed. Fire-guards would prevent such calamities ;
but no advice or reasoning could, it appeared, induce
poor parents to make general use of them. Verdict,
in both cases,.." Accidental death."
CRICKET MATCH IN SKATES.—On Thursday, the
26th ult., the Sheffield Skating Club, by permission of
Nir. Paxton, played a game at cricket on the ice in skates
at Chatsworth Park, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire
(Scottish Pond, Sv,iss Cottage). At the commencement
of the game several loads of wood were brought to the
pond side for the purpose of making a large fire, which
had a very animated appearance, and at the conclusion
of the first innings refreshments were ordered by Mr.
Paxton to the pon side for the members of the Skating
Club, which were kindly accepted. After lunch the
game was resumed, and the scene had a more pleasing
appearance, in consequence of several ladies skating on
the pond. When the game was over, the members com-
aienced some excellent figurative skating, which was
carried on for some time, after which the laies in skates
and members of the club danced Payne's Qudrilles, which
concluded the day's amusement.
FATAL RAILWAY ACClDENT.—Yesterday (Tues-
day), at the Manchester Infirmary, an inquest was held
on view of the body of Nathaniel Horstall, labourer,
thirty-three years of age. The deceased had been in
the employment of the Manchester, Bury, and Rossen-
dale Railway Company, and in the afternoon of Satur-
day, the 28th ult., whilst disengaging a horse which was
drawing three waggons loaded with earth, he fell across
one of the rails, and a wheel of the first waggon caught
his right arm. In that state he was pushed about four
yards along an inclined plane, and received a compound
fracture of the arm, and contusion of the neck and chest.
He was conveyed to the infirmary, where amputation
was performed, but he died on Saturday morning last.
A verdict of Accidental Death was returned.—Man-
cheater Guardian.
TROOPS FOR VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.--CHATHAM,
JAN. B,—The Commandant of this garrison, Sir Thomas
Willshire, K.C.8., issued yesterday garrison orders,
commanding detachments from the 51st, 58th, 96th, and
99th Regiments to hold themselves in readiness for em-
barkation to New South Wales and Van Dieman's
Land. The troops were inspected this day in heavy
marching order. The 51st King's Own Light Infantry
furnishes 22 men ; the 58th, 196 men ; 96th, 18 men ;
and 99th, 45 men ; making a total of 281 men. These
troops are to march from this garrison on Friday, the
10th instant, en route for Gravesend, when they are to
embark in boats from the Customs-quay on board the
freight-ship Ann, of 800 tons burden. The troops are
to be under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert
Henry Wynyard, of the 58th, with the following officers
of the same regiment :—Captain Joseph Henry Laye,
Ensign George Henry Wynyard. and Assistant-Surgeon
Thomas Moore Philson. Assistant-Surgeon William
M‘Andrew, of the 96th Regiment, also embarks with
the above. The 58th leaves behind a detachment at this
garrison of 5 sergeants, 5 corporals, 1 drummer, and 53
privates, under command of Captain George Ponsonby
Hume and Lieutenant Petley.
ANOTHER DEATH IN THE MILLBANK PRISON.—
Wednesday Mr. Higgs held an inquest in the Millbank
Prison, on the body of Harris Nash, aged 22, a prisoner.
It appeared from the evidence of Captain Grove, the go-
vernor, and Dr. Baily, physician of the prison, that de •
ceased was received into it on the 9th October last, from
the Model Prison, Pentonville, having been convicted on
the sth January, 1843, at the St. Alban's Quarter Ses-
aions, and sentenced to ten years' transportation. When
admitted to the Millbank prison, he was in good health,
though somewhat emaciated, and went on well until the
Ist instant, when he was seized with violent inflamma-
tion of the bowels, accompanied by a loss of appetite.
He was immediately removed to the infirmary, treated
therein carefully, and appeared to recover, until Sunday
last, when he had a violent relapse, causing such ex-
haustion that he died on Tuesday. A post mortem
examination showed inflammation and incipient mortifi-
cation of the intestines to be the cause of death. Verdict
—" Natural death."
APPREHENSION, ESCAPE, AND RECAPTURE.--We
stated last week that John Gillespie had been appre-
hended in Carlisle, on a charge of breaking into the shot
of Mr. Grindel, of Wigton. On Saturday he was takes,
to Wigton, and a clear case made out against him. The
prisoner was then conveyed to 'the lock-up by Hethe
rington, the officer, to wait the departure of the train fee
Carlisle. In the meantime Hetherington went to obtain
some refreshment, leaving the prisoner, with a pair o:
leg-irons on, in the charge of two of the Wigton police -
men. On his return, great was his astonishment to fine
that the bird had flown. Some kind friends outside
taking advantage of the watchmen's dozing propensities.
had, almost under Dogberry's very nose, applied a crow-
bar to the door of the lock-up, and set the prisoner free.
A reward of Si. was offered for his apprehension, but
without effect until Tuesday night, when he surrendered
himself in Carlisle.—Tyne Mercury.
CURIOSITIES OF POLICE.—A great book is yet tc
be written on our police-courts. We believe that some
genius—heaven-appointed for the work—will one day
arise ; in the mean time, and awaiting that luminary,
we can only gather up materials for the opus magnum
At Clerkenwell, Elizabeth Phillips was arraigned before
the celebrated Mr. Greenwood, charged with having
stolen the watch of a tradesman, in Sadler's Well:
Theatre. It was proved that the police knew nothing tc
her prejudice, and that she had lived with her fathene
the same place for seven years. The girl herself, in a
passion of tears, exclaimed—" Why, my God ! severe
people will come forward to prove I was at home al
Friday evening. At the time this gentleman and lasdy
speak of, I was ,fetching a pint of beer fur my fettle:
from the Swan public-housee: in Keate-street. Send foi
Mr. Fryer, the landlord. Oh, do pray, Sir, do, far lan
innocent." And the innocence of the girl was prove,
beyond doubt. She had, however, been taken into cut
tody at Sadler's Wells the night after the complainai,.
had lost his watch, she having been at home on th.
Friday. Whereupon, what did and what said the sai
sagacious Magistrate ? Why—" Mr. Greenwood
charged the girl, telling her to be cautious how sl
visited k theatres in future." And wherefore ? Th
accuser might have made the like mistake as to person:•
identity, had he been robbed in a church ; yet wort:;
Mr. Greenwood have then advised the girl " to be call
lious how she visited churches in future ?"—Punch.
WHITEHAVEN AND FURNESS RAILWAY.—Th
share list in this undertaking is rapidly filling up, ate
bids fair to be soon completed. Up to the Ist inst. the
application in Whitehaxen alone amountk d to the mu-
of 114,580 L, independent of the shares which migh
have been taken in London, Liverpool, Manchester, tet.
The projectors feel sanguine that they will obtain a:,
Act early in the ensuing session, without any difficulty.
Tyne Mercury.
At a meeting of the Directors of the Whitehaw
Junction Railway, held at the Company's office in White.
haven, on Monday, the stumbling block which hes
hitherto retarded the work, was completely and satis
factorily removed, so that we may now look for imme
diate and active steps being taken for commencing th,.
undertaking.—Cumberland Pacquet.

FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOBE.—We add nothing in the way of argu-
ment to the articles which have already appeared in
our columns on the injustice and impolicy of charg-
ing enormous lees on summary convictions which
involve merely nominal penalties, and allowing those
fees to be taken bey the magistrates' clerks in lieu
of fixed salaries. lhe fines are apportioned by the
magistrates, according as the offences with which ,
they are called upon to deal are marked by
aggravating or extenuating circumstances. The dis-
cretion with which the law invests the magis-
trate is sufficiently wide. In cases of assault and of
trespass, the fine may range from the smallest coin of
the realm to five pounds. But, however frivolous the
charge, if conviction follow, and a farthing fine be
affixed, the costs upon the conviction are the same rs
they would have been had the highest penalty allowed
by the law been inflicted by the magistrates. This is
so manifestly unjust in principle, and, in the great
majority of cases, so oppressive in practice, that it
requires only to e stated in order to show the neces-
sity for a more equitable mode of apportioning the
costs on summary convictions in trifling assault and
trespass cases. A correspondent supplies us with a
case which forcibly illustrates the observations we
have now made on the practice we have on former
occasions endeavoured to expose, with a view to its
abolition:—

" At the Woodstock petty sessions, on Wednesday,
a trumpery charge was preferred against George Cooper,
a poor man, of Bladcn, by Elliott, a gamekeeper to the
Duke of Marlborough. The magistrates showed their
opinion of the charge, which was not denied by the de-
fendant, by fining him one halfpenny, which, with the
magistrates' clerk's fees—thirteen and sixpence?—was

paid."
In this case, a fine of one halfpenny was the penal
infliction for the offence committed by the poor man
against the Duke of Marlborough's gamekeeper. And
sorely did the Duke's gamekeeper feel—who, doubtless,
thought the halfpenny fine was an affront put upon
him, and upon the illustrious individual of whose game
he was one of the authorised protectors. Our cor-
respondent adds !—" Elliott, the complainant, was
insolent to the Bench. He had the impudence to tell
the magistrates that he knew more than all of them
put together. The halfpenny fine evidently did not
accord with the fellow's expectations." And yet the
complainant, had his stomach for revenge not been of
most capacious size, might have been satisfied. The
Bench, it is true, had been considerate—perhaps
merciful—in its views of the charge against the
defendant. But then the clerk's fees were suffi-

ciently exorbitant to gratify the moderate desires, even
of a Duke's gamekeeper. Thirteen shillings and six-
pence is the average amount of a fortnight's labour
wages in that part of Oxfordshire. Had the poor
fellow not been able to pay, a fortnight's imprison-
ment, at the least, in a felon's prison, would have
been the alternative ; where he must have
been maintained at the county charge, and
his family out of the parish rates. Lord
I)enman's Act for discouraging the practice which
had grown up, of bringigg actions for slander,
petty assaults, and insignificant acts of trespass, has
had a salutary effect upon the litigious propensities of
individuals who were prone to run to a lawyer upon
every trifling provocation, and upon those members of
the profession whose appetite for costs prevail over
their desire to protect the interests of their clients. The
dread of verdicts which leave the respective parties
in the action to bear their own costs, operates as a
valuable check on vexatious litigation; and thus saves
the time of the Courts and the pockets of the foolish.
If petty cases of the same kind, which are frequently
brought before magistrates in petty sessions, were
governed by the same rule ; and a frivolous complaint,
which results in a fine upon the defendant of a few
pence, were to subject the complainant to a moiety of the
costs, or to the payment of the whole, many of the
trumpery charges which consume the time of the
Bench, to the postponement of more important busi-
ness, would never be brought before the magistrates.
The parties would settle their differences in a way
better calculated to obliterate the recollection of their

quarrel, and to restore them to the tranquillity which
a trifling altercation had disturbed.
STANDARD. —The stability of the present
French Ministry is of too much importance to the
peace of Europe not to render all thinking men
anxiously alive to any danger with which Marshal
Soult and M. Guizot's Cabinet may seem to be threa-
tened. In this, as in all other cases, our suscepti-
bility to apprehension bears a direct ratio to the
value of the object in hazard. It is only upon this
ground we can account for the fears entertained
for the safety of a Ministry enjoying the most
ample and unreserved favour of the Crown, the full
confidence of the Chamber of Peers, and, clear of all
actual or possible defections, a working majority of
at the least sixty in the Chamber of Deputies, which,
comparing the numerical difference of the two assem-
blies, is just equivalent to Sir Robert Peel's majority
of ninety in our House of Commons at the com-
mencement of his auspicious administration. In
such a state of affairs in France, we have
not the slightest apprehension of danger to
the present Cabinet, and we think that even the op-
position to it that exists will sink rapidly in proportion
as its structure and design shall be developed ; the
nucleus of that opposition is the slave-trading interest.
There is at this moment sitting in Paris a committee
composed of delegates from all the slave-holding
states of the world, in communication with M.
Billault, and the other French slave-traders. The
slave-holders have taken fright at the English
law of last year, which, by giving a large prefer-
ence to sugar, the produce of free lobour,
holds out a strong temptation to the French Govern-
ment to imitate our Emancipation Act ; and it need
scarcely be said that were France to take this course,
she would give the death-blow to slavery all over the
world—we believe as much to her profit as to her
own honour. Great Britain and France united
may govern the world, to the utmost extent
that free and enlightened nations can desire to
govern ; they may command universal freedom,
and when a few years shall have thoroughly conso-
lidated the union, we trust that they will command it.
France, too, will have much less to pay for her half
of this proud position as joint guardian of the liberty
of mankind, than England has paid; because, as the
accession of France would extinguish slavery at once,
there would be no after competition with slave la-
bour, such as England has been necessarily engaged
in. We repeat it, that independently of the honour,
France would reap a great profit from the imita-
tion of our Emancipation Act. The French
slave-owners, however, would have only a common
share in this national gain, while they would lose, or
think they would lose, in the deprivation of their pro-
perty in human flesh. They therefore, stimulated as
they are by the suggestions of their brethren of the
United States, of Cuba, and of the Brazils, will
employ every exertion to overturn a Ministry which
they believe to be too honest and too philanthropic
not to detest slavery. Were these persons more nu-
merous than they are, they would, however, fail in
an assembly of Frenchmen ; and, indeed, we know
of no weapon that could be employed against them
more likely to ensure their failure than the elope
upon the human flesh trade, and invective against the
Christian religion and natural humanity, forwarded
to the American Minister at Paris by Mr. Calhoun.
France has long since purified herself of the dross
of her revolution, but the noble spirit of freedom
and of universal philanthropy which adorned it still
remain. There is no danger, it is true, that France
sa ill repeat the error committed in the case of St.
Domingo, turning an uneducated race loose to govern
themselves. Perhaps she will also avoid some errors
committed in our Emancipation Act, which left
an uneducated race too free from the neces-
sity of paying for their support and their liberty
by their labour ; but that, sooner or later,
she will govern the coloured population of her
colonies as citizens, and not as slaves, we have
no more doubt, than we have of her maintaining
her high position among nations. Meanwhile, it is
not by a conspiracy of foreign and domestic slave-
owners, that free and generous France will allow
a Ministry to be overthrown, even though that
conspiracy conciliate the aid of the parti pretre,
arid obtain the accession of the French Lord
Palmerston, Count Mole—the French Lord Pal-
merston in his political versatility, in his greedi-
ness of place, and in his Russian predilections.
France will not submit to a coalition like this. As
regards the right of search question, there can be
little doubt that the British Government would he,
merely for the sake of the peace of the world, and to
gratify the King of the French, disposed to
make every concession, and will make every con-
cession that can reasonably be demanded. And
independently of these considerations of more ge-
neral policy, it is plain that by coming to a per-
fectly good understanding with a nation so powerful
as France, and, as a nation, so resolutely bent
to suppress the slave trade, our Government will
adopt the course best calculated to effect our
common object. Let the officers of the British
and French navies cordially co-operate, as if they
were engaged in one and the same service, and
the slave trade will soon be at an end, despite
the slave-traders of the Brazils, of Cuba, of the
United States, and of Nantes. For our own part, we
would, to secure such co-operation, be disposed to
submit to anything short of an indignity, and that
we are quite certain the present French Govern-
ment would not be likely to offer. Here is the state
of the case—the slave trade exists at present only
on account of the jealousies of Great Britain and
France, though the Governments of both coun-
tries are most anxious to suppress it. What
sacrifice possible in the case would be too great fur
the attainment of the common object ? As in the
judgment of Solomon, the more sincere party will be
proved by the greater readiness to make sacrifices.
As respects the unhappy series of blunders at
Otaheite, which rendered it necessary to compen-
sate Mr. Pritchard, the opposition cam make but

a pitiful case. The French expedition sought Mr.
Pritchard ; Mr. Pritchard did not go to look for M.
Dupetit Thouars or M. d'Aubigny ; and if either
party sustained a loss by the meeting, it is only
the common rule of justice, that the volunteer must
pay. Deprived of the right of search grievance,
however, and of the Otaheite grievance, the slava-
trading—parti pretre, and Mole opposition, will not
have a foot to stand upon.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice PATTESON and Mr. Justice EanE.)
FORGERY.— William Wicks pleaded guilty to an in-
dictment charging Win with forging an order for 101.,
with intent to defraud the Union Bank, and was sen-
tenced to two years' imprisonment.
SINGULAR CHARGE UNDER THE NEW BANKRUPTCY
ACT.—Thomas Ken rick, who was described in the calen-
dar as a horse dealer, and who is a most respectable
man in appearance, was indicted under the 32d section of
the sth and 6th Victoria, chap. 142, with wilfully, know-
ingly, and unlawfully neglecting and refusing to attend
the Court of Bankruptcy on the last day specified in the
tiat.

Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Doane appeared for the prosecu-
tion, and Mr. Ballantine for the prisoner.
Mr. BODKIN in opening the case fur the prosecution
said, that this was the first one that had come before the
Criminal Court since the passing of the Act; that by
that Act the offence committed by the prisoner was a
most grave one, and subjected him to severe penalties;
the Act declaring that if a bankrupt did not appear
on the last day appointed for his examination he
committed a felony. The principal point for the consi-
deration of the Court would be, whether the prisoner had
such notice of the different adjournments that had taken
place as was required by the Act. The Learned Coun-
sel, after going shortly through the facts of the
case, which have already been publisned at some
length, proceeded to contend that the prisoner
had had proper notices of the different ad-
journments, and that therefore he must be considered
as guilty of the offence contemplated by the Act. He
should be able to show clearly that the prisoner knew of
all the adjournments, and that he went to the Continent
to endeavour to evade them, and that under the new
treaties he had been brought to this country.
Mr. BALLANTINE, on behalf of the prisoner, contended
that his case did not come within the operation of the
Act, inasmuch as the non-surrendering to an adjourned
meeting was not contemplated by the statute, added to
which, the indictment was bad, because, although it
stated that the prisoner had had personal, it did not
assert that he had had a written notice of the
adjournment, which the Act required. He (Mr. Ballan-
tine) considered the New Bankrupt Act to be ono of the
most penal and severe on the statute book.
After some further conversation between the bar and
the bench, both Mr. Justice Patteson and Mr. Justice
Erle stated it to be the impression on their minds that
the indictment was defective, inasmuch as it did not state
that the notices were in writing.
Mr. BODKIN, fter such an intimation from the
Learned Judges, felt bound, on the part of the creditors,
not to proceed with the case further against the priso-
ner ; and
The jury, under Mr. Justice Patteson's directions,
gave a verdict of Acquittal.
The prisoner, who wept repeatedly during the pro-
ceedings, bowed respectfully to the Court, and withdrew
from the dock. He has been in prison since the last
session, when his trial was postponed by Mr. Justice
Maule.
Peter Watkins, 20, druggist, was indicted for the man-
slaughter of William Watts.
Mr. Bodkin prosecuted, and Mr. Wilkins appeared for
the prisoner.
From the evidence adduced, it appeared that the un-
fortunate deceased had gone to the shop of the prisoner
to purchase some tasteless salts, and the prisoner gave
him tartaric acid, it being proved, on his behalf, that
this was the result of accident, and that the bottle con-
taining the acid had been accidentally substituted for
that which contained the salts.
The jury, under these circumstances, at once returned
a verdict of Not Guilty, but at the same time expressed
their opinion that there ought to have been some clear
and distinct label upon the respective bottles, in order to
distinguish their contents.
Mr. Justice ERLE said he concurred in what had fallen
from the jury. There certainly should be every pains
taken to prevent such fatal mistakes as had occurred in
the present instance.
James Carr, 41, milkman, was indicted for feloniously
forging a signature to a certain deed, purporting to be a
conveyance of property, with intent to defraud Peter
Price.
Mr. Wilkins appeared for the prosecution.
The facts of this case will be fresh in the recollection
of our readers, as they have been detailed in the police
reports within the last few days.
The prisoner made the samt defence he did before the
magistrates, and asserted that he had been induced to
attempt to raise money upon the property under the
belief that his brother. to whom it belonged, and who
was transported, was either dead, or did not intend to
come forward and claim it, but he declared that he never
received, in point of fact, any benefit from the transac-
tion, and no money was paid to him.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty, but at the
same time recommended the prisoner to mercy, as they
said they believed what he stated in his defence was the
truth.
Mr. Justice PATTESON sentenced the prisoner to be
kept to hard labour for two years.
27ternas Bateman, 27, clerk, was indicted for feloni-
ously forging and uttering an order for the payment of
1004 with intent to defraud George,Drake Sewell and
others.
The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
The Court, at its rising, adjourned until February 3.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
MANSION-HO USE.
Thomas Griffiths was brought before the Lord
Mayor, in the custody of Daniel Forrester, the officer,
charged with forgery. Mr. Bush, solicitor to the
Committee of Bankers for protection against forgeries
and frauds, attended for the prosecution.
Mr. Bush stated that the prisoner hadibeenlin the
employment of Mr. Myers, the fishmonger, of Peter's-
alley, Cornhill, whose service he left about three
months ago, and that there was at any rate one
forgery, besides that upon which the evidence was
ready, in the commission of which it would hereafter
appear the prisoner was concerned.
Mr. J. Pace, clerk in Dimsdale and Barnard's
banking-house, in Cornhill, stated that the prisoner
presented a cheque for 101., purporting to be signed by
Mr. Michael Myers, on Wednesday, between two
and three o'clock in the afternoon. It was not paid,
fcr eight or nine cheques purporting to be drawn by
Mr. Myers had previously been presented, and had
turned out to be forgeries. The cheque produced
was a considerably worse imitation of Mr. Myers's
writing than any of the preceding cheques. The pri-
soner did not say Anything upon presenting the cheque,
which the witness, upon receiving, handed to Mr. Bar-
nard, one of the partners of the firm. The prisoner
was then called into the back parlour and given into
custody.
Mr. John Barnard stated that the prisoner at the
time he presented the cheque happened to be the
only person doing business. Witness, upon taking
him into the parlour, asked him whom he had re-
ceived the cheque from, to which he replied from Mr.
Myers. Witness at once ran to Mr. Myers's shop,
-which was within a very short distance, and took Mr.
Myers to the banking-house, and confronted him
with the prisoner, who said nothing.
The LORD MAYOR—Prisoner, have you any ques-
tion to ask this gentleman ? Prisoner—No.
Mr. Michael Myers stated that he had kept an account
at Messrs. Dimsdale and Barnard's banking-house
45 years. The cheque produced was not in his hand-
writing. The prisoner had lived 13 or 14 months
with him as his house servant, and lodged in the
house.
Here a cheque-book, from which it was evident
cheques had been torn, was produced and identified
by the witness as his property.
Sophia Myers, daughter of Mr. Myers, stated that
she was in the habit of keeping the accounts of the
house, and occasionally filling up cheques from the
book produced. The cheque-book came into use in
September, when the prisoner, who had access to the
place in which it was kept, was in her father's house.
She never signed a cheque. Her father and mother
always signed the cheques, and the signature in the
cheque produced was not that of either of them. Wit-
t, ess left the cheque-book out, never entertaining any
suspicion of any bad intention.
Daniel Forrester stated that he took the prisoner
into custody, and told him to be cautious what he
said in answer to the questions which he (Forrester)
might ask him. Witness found in the prisoner's
pockets two keys, one of which opened a box at the
prisoner's lodgings, in which box witness found a
piece of a cheque similar to that produced. The pri-
soner, when first questioned, gave a false address, but
afterwards gave the correct one.
Remanded till Wednesday next.
The LORD MAYOR acknowledged the receipt of a
201. bequest, minus 21. the duty, under the will of
Francis Bailey, Esq., for the poor-box of the Man-
sion-house.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Hardinge Ackland, a well-known sporting character,
was brought up on a judge's wart ant, issued on the
finding of an indictment against him and ten other per-
sons, for keeping gambling-booths at Gorhambury
Races in May last.
Having been indicted be was, as a matter of course,
sent before a Judge at Chambers.
WORSHIP-STREET.
Joseph Mason, a bald-headed respectable-looking
old gentleman, verging on his 70th year, was charged
with being drunk, and refusing to pay the amount of
his cab fare.
David Goodwin, the cabman, stated that, shortly
after ten o'clock on the night before, while on the
stand in Bishopsgate-street, waiting for a fare, his
attention was drawn to the prisoner, who was lying
upon his back on the pavement without his hat, and
bleeding profusely from ► a wound in his head. He
immediately drew up to the spot, and having with
great difficulty succeeded in getting the prisoner into
the cab, drove him to the, shop of a neighbouring sur-
geon, where attention we s paid to him and his wound
dressed. It was then acct rtained that the gentleman's