The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-15 00:00:00

IN THE MATTER OF WM. COLLINS.

The insolvent had held a situation in the Navy Pay-
office, from which ho retired after a service of thirty
yearty years, with a small pension. He then got a
situation as box-keeper at Drury-lane theatre, and after-
wards at the Italian Opera. He now applied for his
discharge.

Mr. NICHOLLS, on behalf of the opposing creditor,
Mr. Hutton, said he was instructed to offer no further
opposition to the discharge of the insolvent, owing to
his old age and infirmity, and he was consequently
ordered to be discharged.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MAN SIOA -HOUSE.

A man of respectable appearance, and evidently un-
practised in the ways of the town, applied to Alderman
Wilson upon a summons which had been granted
against a person to whom a bill had been intrusted for

the purpose 1)1 being cashed. The defendant appeared
by his attorney.
The complainant stated, that having present occasion
for 20/., he applied to the defendant, whom he believed
to be able to procure the money upon his bill. The
defendant agreed to draw upon the complainant for the
sum, and for the commission of a sovereign, to procure
cash for the bill. Neither cash nor bill, however, was
forthcoming.
Alderman WILSON said that numerous applications
were- made weekly at the Mansion-house against par-
sons who fraudulently possessed themselves of the cash
produced by bills under similar circumstances, and the
complainants put it out of the power of the Magistrates
to render them any service, simply because they did not
inform themselves of the substance of the Act of Par-
liament on the subject, which Act of Parliament re-
quired that the parties who desired to have a bill dis-
counted, should give to the party employed to get it
cashed, a direction in writing to that effect. The Al-
derman asked Mr. Hobler whether such was not the
fact, and whether there was any mode by which, in this
case, service could be rendered to the complainant.
Mr. Hobler said that the Act to which Mr. Alder-
man Wilson alluded really appeared as if it had been
made to entrap men of business who might require
accommodation. The applications for summonses and
warrants against persons breaking faith after having
been entrusted with bills for discount were very fre-
quent, and unfortunately the Magistrates could render
no service in such matters.
Alderman WILSON—I have no doubt at all that this
complainant has been robbed, and I am very sorry that
it is not in my power to benefit him in aoy manner. If
he had given a written notice on the occasion, I should
send a warrant after the man who has obtained biz ae-
ceptance.

The complainant said he supposed that any person
who detained either the cash given for a bill, or the bill
itself, was chargeable with an offence cognizable by a
Magistrate.
The attorney for the defendant submitted that it
was too soon for the complainant to say that he was de-
frauded, as the bill was not yet payable, and the de-
fendant who drew the bill was responsible as well as
the acceptor.

Alderman WILSON said he entertained no doubt
upon the subject at all. The complainant was cer-
tainly defrauded. The Alderman then told Mr.
Hobler that it would be serviceable to men of business
to be made acquainted with the clause in the Act of
Parliament, which it appeared so few knew anything
about, and called upon him to read it.
Mr. Hobler then read the following from the 7th and
Bth of George IV., cap. 29. " And for the punish-
ment of embezzlements committed by agents entrusted
with property, be it enacted that if any money or secu-
rity for the payment of money, shall be intrusted to any
banker, broker, attorney, or other agent, with any
direction in writing, to apply such money or any part
thereof in the proceeds, or any part of the proceeds of such
security for any purpose specified in such security, and
he shall, in violation of good faith, and contrary to the
purpose so specified, in anywise convert to his own use
or benefit such money, security, or proceeds, or any
part thereof respectively, every such offender shall be
guilty of a misdemeanour, and, being convicted thereof,
shall be liable, at the discretion of the Court, to be
transported beyond the seas for any term not exceeding
fourteen years,: nor less than seven years, or to suffer
such other punishment, by fine or imprisonment, or by
both, as the Court shall award." It would, Mr.
Hobler observed, be extremely advantageous to the
public to know, that unless a person accompanies the
bill he desires to get cashed with the "direction in
writing" referred to in this case, however extensive the
fraud may be it is outof the reach of a criminal procedure.
Alderman WILSON—So that, if a man hand over a
thousand pounds to his broker with a mere verbal di-
rection to buy stock for him, and that broker chose to
convert the money to his own use, the Act cannot
reach this offender.

Mr. Hobler.—Exactly se.
The Solicitor of the defendant submitted that the
quotation just read took the cue quite out of the juris-
diction of the Magistrate.

Alderman WILSON-It is the case, and I very much
regret that so many delinquents escape in consequence
of what appears to me to have arisen from a very great
oversight in the powers of the Act.
Several boys who are apprentices to Messrs. Newton
and Co, extensive cigar manufacturers in Friday-street,
were brought before Sir P. Laurie a few days ago,
charged with having struck in consequence of the in-
troduction of a boy to the work who was much younger
than any of them.
Mr. Towse, the solicitor to Messrs. Newton and Co.,
appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Hobler, jun.,
attended for the prisoners, each of whom received from
10s. to 18s. a week for working in the factory.
The trade of cigar-making has, as must be well
known to every body, become of wonderfully great ea-
tent, and increases daily ; for boys not only make but
smoke cigars ; and Mr. Towse stated that his clients
had 46 apprentices and 27 labourers constantly em-
ployed, so that any check to the business was calculated
to do great mischief. Mr. Newton thought proper to
introduce a boy, about twelve years of age, into his fac-
tory, and the lads who were brought before the Magis-
trate, not liking such a liberty, declared that they
would not work any more if the boy, whom they consi-
dered, on account of his youth, as an intruder, were not
discharged.
Sir P. LAURIE said he did not relish those disputes
between masters and apprentices, and he was, therefore,
desirous to act as a mediator.

Mr. Hobler, jue., said that the apprentices very rea-
sonably objected to the employment of a boy whom they
believed to be no more than nine or ten years old amongst
them, who were many of them eighteen or nineteen.
and who would, therefore, labour under great disadvan-
tages in comparison, as such a child would, by the time
he arrived at their years, be out of his time. They
would return to their work with alacrity if their master
gave them the fair play they asked for.
Mr. Towse said the apprentices bad no right at all
to interfere with their employers.

One of the apprentices said all he and his comrades
asked was, that Mr. Newton would do them the favour
of discharging the boy.
Mr. Newton said the boy, who was twelve years old,
was taken in to learn what was called " bunch making,"
and had a brother in the concern. He (Mr. Newton),
could not, for charity's sake, think of discharging the
poor boy,' and he could not for a moment suppose that
his apprentices had the power to control him.
Sir PETER LAURlE—Certainly not. They have no
right to act in , this manner ; and I would therefore
advise them, if they wish to avoid the treadmill, to
return to their duty. They are to consider that the
employment of this boy is a peculiar matter, and I
am sure Mr. Newton will not make a precedent of it.
Several of the defendants said they were desirous to