The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-27 00:00:00

THAMES.

ASSAULT WITH INTINT.— Thomas Looney, a respectably
dressed man, who spoke with a strong Irish accent, and who is
a sort of hanger-on upon the medical profession, was charged
with assaulting a little girl, named Sarah Wintile, servant to
Mr. Carpue, a medical practitioner, residing in the Globe-
road, Mile-end, with intent to commit a rape. The prosecu.
trio. who said she was fourteen years old last April, stated that
the prisoner, whom she had once before seen at her master'a
house, came there on Saturday, and on being told her master
was not at home threw her on the sofa and made the Intel' pt
charged in the sheet, at the same time exposing his person.
She resisted, and he told her to be quiet and not inform her
master. Her opposition brought down a gentleman who was
upstairs, or: which the prisoner desisted.
Day, a constable of the K division, apprehended the pri•-
soner on Sunday morning in bed at his lodgings, 27, Paradise-
row, Bethnal-green.
The prisoner, when called on for his defence, said he was
under the influence of drink at the time, and remembered no-
thing. He could not, therefore, t xtenuate the offence with
which he had been charged, but to show his previous character
he had sent for a professional gentleman, who, unfortunately,
was not able to attend.

He was then committed for trial, with permission to put in
bail, himself in 30/., and two sureties of 401. each. The
required bail not being forthcoming, he was committed to
Newgate.
FIRST CONVICTION LINDER THE NEW ACT FOR Tflll
PREVENTION OF SMUGGLING.—Janus Spink, a seaman
belonging to the South Esk, was charged with having in his
possession On beard the above-named vessel four pounds and a
quarter of foreign manuiactured tobacco, the same net having
Paid duty to the Queen. The charge was made under an Act
passed in the present e•sion, Pith an.i 9th Victoria, cap, t 47,
which is intended to amei,d and seonsolidate the laws relating to
Customs and Excise. As the law previously stood any person
found possessed of, or carrying and conveying any quantity of
foreign manufactured tobacco exceeding 61b and under 300115.,
rendered himself liable to a fine of 1001., without any power ou
the part of the magistrate to mitigate the amount if the
Customs chose to prefer informations. With respect to quanti-
ties under 61b., the magistrate had a jurisdiction independent
of the Board of Customs. and generally imposed a fine prceor-
tionate to the amount of duty sought to be evaded. This.
however, did not extend to tobacco seized on board ship; for
however small the quantity. the vessel was de facto liable to deten-
tion, and every person on board could be proceeded against in a
Customs' information for thelool., per alty, without any power
of mitigation on the part of the magistrate. This provision
was found productive of great inconvenience, hi_
asmuch as several offences against the excise laws must either
go wholly unpunished, or the put the machinery of the Board
of Customs into action, and scarcely a week passed at this Court
without the presence of some person from the office of the soli-
tor of Customs to support informations involving the heavy pe-
nalties which were subsequently remitted on application to the
board. In fact, it vs as a sort of child's play. which nearly pa-
raly wed the law far any effective purpose. The 57th section of
the new Act is intended to remedy this defect by authorising
the magistrate to proceed to the conviction of smugglers in
this and other cases, without an order from the Board of Cus-
toms, in cases where smuggled tobacco does not exceed 61bs.,
and smuggled spirits are not above one gallon, the right of the
Customs, however, to proceed by way of information, if they
choose so to do, still being retained. It was under this sect], n
Spink was brought up yesterday by an officer of Customs,
named James Robertson, who proved the case. He found the
tobacco under the caboose, and the prisoner, admitting it to
be his, was taken into custody. The duty on the tobacco
would amount to 2/. 41. sd.

Mr. Beocanir having observed that this was the first con-
viction under the Act, fined the defendant 21. 10s., which was
shortly afterwards paid.
WANDSWORTH.
AbUSING A DYING MAN.—Alice Donner, an old woman
who vends fi-ewood about Battersea and Wandsworh, was
brought before Mr. Paynter on the following extraordinary
charge :
Police-constable Langton, 36 Y, itated that on Saturday