The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-08 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

FACTS AND ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF
A MORE FREQUENT DELIVERY OF THE
GAOLS. By Lord WESTERN.
Since 1819 Lord Western has been an advo-
cate for more frequent gaol •,deliveries, and by
his instrumentttity the gentlemen of Essex were
induced to hold '.heir sessions eight times in the
year. • They have '.iootinued the laudable
• practice to the present time, except discon-
tinuing one meeting, and in consequence they
find their gaols less incurnbered. In the present
pamphlet Lord Western has re-urged the
arguments be brought forward in the House of
Commons twenty-three years ago. We agree
with him that a prisoner should he brought to
trial as soon s possible after being committed ;
but no quick trials, no clearing of gaols by an
assize or session, can be of much advantage to the
English populace, who are now exposed
to be. committed summarily by the Ma-
,gitrates fir the most trifling offences.
Our whole system of criminal jurisprudence re-
quires revision, and it will never be placed on a
right basis till philosophy has shed some light
over the now dark field of punishment. The
public at large must not confide this important
matter to squires and lawyers. Our cri-
minal jurisprudence was originally, and still
is, based on the idea of vengeance, which
dictated torments for injuries • or insults.
All the modern theories on the subject of
punishment being intended to "protect society,"
" to reform the criminals," "to prevent crime,"
are merely excuses invented to defend the,system,
after its origin was ascertained to be erroneous.
and the practice could not be laid aside. We
know no social subject so open to investigation,
and so well worthy of engaging ,the highest
talents, as the • nature of crime, and the best
means of diminishing it. We are sure that the
fOrmei is not clearly known, and the latter not
even guessed. at.

On Saturday night a woman living near the west
end of Argyle-street, in a small one story house, heard
a noise upon the roof, which she supposed to arise
from the fighting of cats. Arming herself with an old
reaping hook, she issued forth to read the riot act,
and dislodge the disturbers of her midnight rest,
~Zhen she found, instead of a bevy of cats, a-fellow
zealously but feloniously engaged in tirring the lead
off the rigging, a quantity of which he had rolled
together ready for carrying off, on the first favourable
opportunity. The gudewife, noways daunted, made
an attack upon the thief with her hook ; he at first
showed signs of fight, but, judging that discretion was
in this case the better part of valour, at last resolved
on trusting to his heels rather than to his fists, and,
leaping from the roof, made off as fast as the former
could carry him, leaving the booty in the possession
of his female antagonist.—Glasgow Argus. . .

THE CHINA TRADE.--As one of many instances
of the improvement of business in Glasgow, a gen-
tleman informs us that when there on Tuesday, he
saw one house, where little business had been done
for months, close a single transaction of 10,0001. in
power-loom goods for the China market; and these
having still to go through the printing process at
home will yet afford some work to Glasgow hands.—
Ayr Advertiser. •
ANTI-CORN-LAW AGITATION.—Tuesday a meet •
ing took place of the City of London Young Men's
Anti-Monopoly Association, at Hart's Temperance
Hotel, Aldersgate-street, for the purpose of maturing
steps for aiding the growing agitation against
the Corn-laws ; Mr. P. A. Taylor, jun., in the
chair. A spirited discussion ensued as to the
best arrangements to be made for future operations.
and it was settled that an address should be prepared
to the young men of the City; that Messrs. Taylor,
White; Collins, Underwood, and Lyon be a deputa-
tion to th, Second Sectional Meeting of the Metropo-
litan Association ; and that the Society ireet every
evening for the enrolment of members. Other points
of detail being settled the meeting adjourned. ,
Mr. Wakley, M.P., held an inquest on Tucsiay.at
the Ship Tavern, Hampstead, on the body of John
Nicholson, Esq., aged 58, a gentleman of independent
property, who committed suicide on Saturday. The
Coroner said, there was no doubt he was insane at
the time of the commission of 'the-act, and the Jury
returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity."
GREAT ANTI-CORN-LAW MEETING AT COLNE.--•
NEARLY 3,000 PERSONS PRESENT.—The Rev. W. A.
Bonner, of Bilston,- in Staffordshire' delivered a lec-
ture on the Corn-laws, in the Cloth Hall, Colne, on
Monday evening last, to a very large and attentive
audience. On Tuesday morning the lecturer gave in-
structions to the ladies and gentlemen how to proceed
with their cards to aid the funds of the League. They
are going on with spirit and zeal ; and we doubt not
but a much larger collection will be made for that
body, to assist in enlightening the agriculturalist, than
ever was made before. In Burnley, only
,six miles
from Colne, they are' likely In- raise I,oool.—Leeds
Times.
We understand that in cenSequence of -Christmas-
day falling on a Sunday, the. customary Dock-yard
holiday will be given on the following day.--Devon-
port Telegraph.
STATE OF TRADE.—We are happy to find that the
improved spirit observable among our merchants and
manufacturers, after the receipt of the late welcome
intelligence from the East, still continues to manifest
itself. The yarn and goods markets remain firm at
the advanced prices formerly quoted, thOugh, during
the last few days, there has been less activity shown
than at the end f the previous week. This lull is
attributable to two causes ; purchasers have already, to
a great extent, supplied their wants ; and parties en-
gaged in trade are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the
Indian mail, which is expected in a day or two, with
accounts of the Calcutta and Bombay markets. There
is a strong,feeling that prices will yet materially ad-
vance : the best proof of which, perhaps, is, that
printers are willing to enter into contracts with the
manufacturers for goods at the present prices; while
the latter resolutely decline their offers. All the
spinning works, not actually at a stand, are in full
operation ; and the confidence entertained of
some revival of our general trade appears
to be as firm as formerly. Still the
opinion is that the revival will 1 e a very gra-
dual one; and that . the advantages of our com-
merce with China must be slow in their development.
As yet, the slight ,impulse given to the cotton trade
has not extended to the population generally; a spark
of hope has been lighted up—in some departments
workmen are more busily employed—but the actual
benefits derivable from an improved demand are as far
away as ever from the mass of the people. It is but
too plain that we shall yet have much cause for the
exercise of patience, and that, while we certainly an-
ticipate good from what has recently occurred in
the East, we shall, for a long period to come, have to
mourn over scenes of misery and distress among our
working population. Our neighbours in Paisley con-
shine in a most deplorable condition. The increase
of unemployed last week amounted to 934—the total
being 9,s6o—while the means of relief are entirely
exhausted; the Relief Committee are considerably in
debt, and the expected assessment of 3,0001. from the
county does not promise to amount to more than
5001.—Glasgow Argus.
We have heard from very good authority that Sir
Alexander Grant, M.P. for Cambridge, Mr. Charles
Ross, and Mr. William, alias Billy, Holmes were
the unsuccessful applicants for the C;ommissionership
of Excise, which has lately been given to a son of
Mr. 'Terries. Poor Sir Alexander, done out of the
Chairmanship of Committees, rejected in his applica-
tion for a Commissionership of Excise, will now per-
haps ' think his exertions in the Tory cause amply
repaid by an appointment to an inferior office in the
House of Commons, for which at the present moment
we believe there is a vacancy.—Cambridge Advertiser.
THE INCOME-TAX ACT.—On Wednesday last the
sittings in this division under the Property and In•
come Tax Act terminated, John Mills, Esq., was in the
chair, and four cases adjourned from a previous sitting
were finally disposed of; and we regret to add that an
inhabitant of the adjoining parish of Hove brought
upon himself a fine of 201. and treble duty, for hav-
ing, in the opinion of the Commissioners made a frau-
dulent concealment and undue return of income.
We had hoped that the publicity which we gave to
a preceding case of this disgraceful character would
have operated as a beacon to deter others from
imitation. At the termination of the proceedings the
following .gratifying resolution was unanimously
passed by the Commissioners :—" That the Commis-
sioners, with much gratification, take this opportunity
of expressing their approbation of the manner in
which the officers have carried into effect the Act of
Parliament relating to Property and Income-Tax,
which they helive has not only been highly satisfac-
tory to them, but also to the inhabitants of the bo-
rough."—Brighton Guardian.
RURAL POLICE.—A memorial has been presented
to the Magistrates assembled at the County Police-
office, in Kidderminster, signed by the churchwardens
and overseers of all the agricultural parishes situate
within the division of Kidderminster, in the hundred
of Lower Halsford, in the county of Worcester,
praying that such measures as they may deem most
effectual for ridding the rate-payers of the heavy ex-
penses .of the police force may be adopted prior to
the Epiphany sessions. A special meeting of all the
Magistrates acting within the division has been called,
-for the purpose of taking the memorial into considera-
tion ; and, meantime, it was ordered that a copy of
the memorial be laid before the Committee appointed
at Michaelmas quarter sessions to report generally on
the subject of a county constabulary, with special re-
ference to the Parish Constables' Act.
A letter from Vienne (Isere) states that, on Wed-
nesday evening, one of the statues remaining on the
summit of the spires of the ancient cathedral fell down
with such violence, as to drive deep into the ground a
flag-stone lately fixed. Two persons were close to
the spot at the moment, but neither was struck.