The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-01 00:00:00

THAMES-POLICE.

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On Thursday Mr. T. Vickers, the chief mate of the
Thomas Lee, East Indiaman, appeared before Mr.
Ballantine to answer a charge of assaulting Joseph
Gabbie, an apprentice boy, during the outward voyage
to Singapore.
The boy detailed a series of assaults committed
upon him by the mate. On the 11th of last December
the boy was sent up to varnish the masts, and he
dropped some of the varnish on the deck, whereupon
the mate beat him severely with a rope's end. On
the 18th of the same month the lad was at the wheel
steering, as close as the squally wcather permitted
him, when the mate came to him, and said he was
two points out of his course, and struck him a violent
blow on the face and broke his nose. The mate beat
him almost every day, and on one occasion beat him
over the head and stunned him. Sometimes he was
kicked from one end of the deck to the other, and
knocked down and was rendered at last so completely
miserable by the tyranny of the mate, that he ran
away from the ship at Singapore, and joined another,
the William Stewart Hamilton, in which he came home
to London, and arrived here at the same time as the
Thomas Lee.

A witness confirmed the statement of the corn..
plainant, and said the mate used him very badly indeed.
The mate, in defence, said the boy was very saucy
when he spoke to him at the wheel, and he gave him
a slap of the face, which made his nose bleed, but did
not break it. He never chastised the boy except win n
it was absolutely necessary, and then not unmercifully.
Mr. BALLANTINE asked the complainant's witness
if there was a scar on the boy's nose when he joined
the ship ?
The witness replied in the negative, and said that
Gabble complained that his nose wasbroken by the
mate, and it bled very much.
Mr. BALLANTINE was of opinion the boy had been
used very cruelly, and harassed and made so uncom-
fortable that he was glad to escape from the tyranny
of an unfeeling man. He heard of these things almost
daily, and the tyranny and cruelty of those intrusted
with a little power on board ship, and who did not
know how to use it, either drove seamen to make re-
sistance, which was mutiny, or else to leave the ship
and forfeit their wages. If the present laws were not
sufficient to protect seamen and boys from such but-
rages, others more stringent would be passed, for
public feeling would not allow such harshness to be
exercised on board merchant-vessels. The defendant
had no right to strike the boy at all. If he bad mis-.
conducted himself, a complaint should have been made
to the Captain who might, if the circumstances de-
manded it, and after "due inquiry, have ordered proper
and temperate chastisement. He could not dispose
of this case summarily, as the assaults had been com-
mitted more than three months ago, and he ordered
the defendant to enter into his own recognizance in
the sum of 401. to appear at the next sessions of the
Central Criminal Court, where the boy could go and
indict him.

Captain Henry Street, the master and owner of the
ship Victoria, from Monte Video and Buenos Ayres,
was next charged with assaulting a lad named James
Thompson, at sea.
It appeared from the evidence, that on the 10th of
February last the complainant, who is one of the ap-
prentices, gave offence to the Captain, in consequence
of delaying the breakfast, and he beat him across the
head with both his fists. On another occasion, while
the boy was at the helm, the Captain came aft with
a sextant in his hand, and struck him on the face and
cut his eye very severely.
John Murray, a seaman, stated that he had seen
the Captain beat Thompson on three different ocea,
sions, and he never "gave tongue" or did anything to
deserve it. He saw the boy's eye cut.
Mr. BALLANTINE said he should treat this case as
he did the last, and ordered Captain Street to enter
into his own recognizance in the sum of 401., to
answer the charge at the sessions.
A Solicitor said he had a complete answer to the case.
Mr. BALLANTINE—You shall make your answer at
the Old Bailey Court, for the case will go there for trial.

THE MARKETS.-4YESTERDAY

CORN EXCHANGE.

The week's arrivals were small of English Grain,
good of Irish Oats, and considerable of Foreign
Wheat. ' The price of Wheat the same as on Monday.
Barley, Beans, and Peas unvaried. Good Oats with-
out alteration, and Irish rather cheaper.
SMITHFIELD.
The supplies were moderate, at a reduction of
four-pence per stone for Beef and Mutton, while the
demand for Veal and Lamb AILS still worse, at prices
from 6d. to Bd. per stone lower. Pork was much the
same. Beasts, 676; Sheep and Lambs, 7,000;
Calves, 270 ; Pigs, 417. Beef, 3s. to 4s. 2d.; Mutton,
3s. to 43. 2d. ; Veal, 3s. 4d. to 4s. Bd. ; Pork, 2s. 6d.
to 4s. Bd. ; Lamb, 4s. 2d. to 4s. 9d.

COLONIAL MARKET.
The demand for Produce was rather limited, but
fair business was done. The sales of West India Raw
Sugar were about 300 hhs., and the prices were
rather lower. Mauritius and Bengal passed off
quietly. Good White Bengal sold at 675. to 68s
and fine yellow Mauritius at 655. 6d. to 665. 6d. per
cwt. Refined Sugar also rather lower; standard
Lump at 775. 6d. per cwt. Coffee was very flat, and
prices 2s. to 3s. lower. Rice in moderate request,
Saltpetre firm, and Cassia Lignea in demand.

TEA MARKET.
There were several public sales, consisting of 27,000
packages, wl.ich were well attended, but the biddings
were by no means animated. The deliveries were
larger.

TALLOW MARKET.
There was a fair demand for Russian Tallow at
48s. 3d. on the spot, and 48s. for arrival up to the
close of the year.

PRICE OF BREAD.
Ihe highest flite of Ilre if the Nktropo!is is Sd. for the 4lb.
Gotal Bread may be had at 6%d.