The Sun.
London, England, 1827-11-15 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Nov. 14.

We regret to state, that there is at present little
hope that the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE Will be enabled
to resume his judicial labours during thiS term.

The COURT sat in Banco for a short time this
morning, and disposed of many minor motions of no
general interest. At one o'clock, Mr. Justice GASE-
LEE commenced sitting at Nisi Prins, when the fol-
lowing, with several other ,cases, was tried.

COLSON V. HALL, SCUDDER, AND STIRLING.

This was an action of assault and false imprison-
ment. Plea the general issue.
The plaintiff in this case was a respectable trades-
man, carrying on business in the Minories, and now
appeared in Court to complain of the violent con-
duct of the defendants, some of whom were peace-
officers. The pluintiff, with several other trades-
men in the same neighbourhood, were in the habit
of occasionally going to a public-house near Well-
close-square, where they spent the evening in a so-
cial manner. On the 22d of May, 1826, they had
met, as they were usually in the habit of doing, and
had spent the evening with great conviviality. Soon
after nine o'clock, however, two of the de*fendantt-
came in, and after having behaved in a very insolent
manner, one of them, named Hall, said he would deal
the room; and on being remonstrated with by Colsoit, he

tookbirn
house,loel
bail what(
wished to
50/. and
however,
to keep him in his miserable abode, the recep.
vice and profligacy, for the whole of the night
The Jury hesitated for 0 shun time, but atle
acquitted Scudder, and found a verdict fnr
plaintiff against Hall.—Damages,

POLICE OF THE METROPOLIS.

The magistrates have had time for the exercise at
their authority in suppressing the various nuisances
which come under their particular jurisdiction, since
we disclosed to the public the disgreceful condition
of the police. We gave them full opportunity for
correcting the evils of which we knew they were
cognizant, and were ready, upon the very first faint
symptom of improvement, to give them ciedit for
the disposition to perform their duty. In the city,
something has been attempted in the shape of a new
police-bill, for the suppression of burglaries and rob-
beries ; and its officers have certainly received, and
are daily obeying, orders which are calculated to
add in some degree to the security of property. The
flash houses within Temple-bar are constantly visited
by the police, and the thieves who used to assemble
in such-multitudes for the enjoyment of the pipe end
the glass, and the arrangement of plans for future
depredations, hoe been frightened away from their
usual haunts. Indeed, a man may now go into the
cribs in the neighbourhood of Fleet-street and Grub-
street, and other parts of the city, and "not see a
single robber. The confidence of one thief in the
honour of another seems to have been broken dour:,
the police NVIII.not co-operate with them, and there-
fore each is left to his own rescenees. Those re-
sources are in many cases undoubtedly considerable.
There is in the extraordinary inattention arising front.
parsimonious causes upon the part or numbers of
opulent tradesmen, great scope afforded to the house-
breaker, and his only employment, when be is not
engaged in the practical exercise of his profession,
'is in devising new methods of plunder. The science
Of robbery is, like that of mechanics, chemistry, .or
astronomy, capable of receiving daily improvements
from the powerful hand of invention. The city police
have a greater responsibility upon them than all the
rest of the police of the metropolis, because the houses
in the city not only contain more valuable property
than those of Westminster or the county, but they.
eee rsf ss
lo3v,
uyt h;he,
seatdh establishmentinot keep
fellow,k eer,i,ooitvu
where
long are, many of them, completely deserted at night,
id
e
the congenial. season• of rapine, by- those who are
most interested in their security. One of the prin-
cipale,
,nGoled:fhtbhcli
canathge asked
an
any thing but in the city ? If we go into Bond-street,
or any other street at the west end, all we can get is
a handkerchief, and the chance is we 'get lagged for
it; but if we go into the city and meet with a
spooney clerk, why, we'll get as much as will pay
us for the danger, and, after all, they can do no-
thing but lag us." It gives us unfeigned pleasure
to declare, -that since the recent exposures have been
made, the vigilance and zeal of the cityofficers have
much increased; but we have the strongest •reasons
for believing that_were it not for what has been sta-
ted in this paper, and the apprehension of further
reproach, many of their Worships, and their wor-
shipful wards, would not have gone an inch beyond
a speech or two for the newspapers, in the wink- of
reform.

But how is it at the Bow-street Office, the crack -
police-oftice of the empire % Has the neighbourhood
of Covent-garden improved in proportion to the im-
provements in the city of London ?-has the flash system
been demolished? No such thing. Extraordinaryas
it may appear, although the _Beaks (as the ruling
poWers of this Office are called) are subject to the ap-
palling frown of anew secretary, they have, after a
little noise,. relapsed into the old habits of inactivity
and gossip. To be sure, the watchmen managed to
string together 14, or 13 miserable wretches: whom
they found in the streets,and the watch-board <l4 orls

in number) also appeared, with most solemn counten-
ances, to enforce the law; but beyond 'this mighty
effort nothing kas been accomplished, or 'even at-
tempted. The flash dragmen and their mots s
(women) are to be seen every night at the corners
of the streets, on the look-out for drunken customers,
and in conversation with the guardians of the night.
The, flash-houses are opened to the reception of all
sorts of vagabonds. Their worships profess that
they are interdicted by the late Act of Parliament
from effecting any improvement in them ; but why
are the unoffending public-houses, whirl) are nut in
the immediate neighbourhood of the office, com-
pelled to close at seasonable hours, if there exists no
power to check the evil ? Cannot the owners of the
former be made to feel the effect of repeated infor-
mations and indictments, laid by the direction of the.
Nlagistrates, who might give order-4 to the officers
to keep a constant eye upon the movements of the
inmates? No, the owners of the flash-houses can
afford to pay the informer, and to treat the police.
In fact, they are as frequent in their intercourse, and
as intimate, as if a partnership was regularly esta-
blished between them all, Some of the officers ate

to be seen in the flash•housee,drinking with brothel-
keepers and hell-keepers inside the bar, while the
parlour is crowded with macers and buzzmen, and
prostitutes. At three or four in the morning there is
•t general turn-out of the spirit-shops into the coffee-
shops, which arc accessible even at an earlier hour.—

It Is at the coffee-shops that the gaming-house
crimps, or touters, as they are more frequently called,
are to be seen. Those miscreants are the most ab-
stemious of thieves; always sober, always attentive
and polite, to any stranger who has a purse or a gold
watch, and they seldom fail to entice to their em-
ployers' tables, a flat or two in the course of the
morning. Poisonous spirits are supplied at the flash
cribs, and poisonous wines are retailed at the coffee-
shops (why do not the informers give the latter a
turn; they are all liable to severe penalties for retail-
ing this trash ?) Those who are 'set.down to be
robbed, are in a state the best,adapted for, the opera-
dons of the group of thieves by whom they are sur-
rounded. Blind Hisakey is frequently introduced,
laughsiiis
and the cash soon changes masters. There is a game
ho
now in very.great 'vogue amongst the MacerS, who
calledcog greg
aaffite ;ig n.igThthlyeractisthaetasell infernal
thiefnalplaw. c. t
a great deal, and whistles Moore's melodies,
and extracts music from a deal table with his
elbow and wrist. This fellow is one of the
greatest gaffers in the country. When he hides a half-
penny, and a flat cries " head" for 101., a " tail" iesure
to turn up. One of his modes of commanding the
turn-up is this :he has a halfpenny with two heads,
and a halfpenny with two tails. When-he gaffs, he
contrives to have both lialfpenee
a " head"
runs down his
' interest to conceal. If " tail" is called,a‘‘nd
,rinl:inegs
or
rramettiiscce has
leeo blfeintawhed him
i6ev to
erha under
utillyi;i'tihnisatth'ldlie:
appears, and the " halfpenny
wrist with astonishing fidelity. This ingenious fellow
has often won 200 or 300 sovereigns in the course
of a night by gaffing; but the landlord mid other
men who are privy to the robbery, and " pitch the
baby card" (encourage the loser by sham betting),
always come in for the " regulars' (their share of
the plunder.) The adept to whom we have here
particularly alluded has contrived to bilk all the
turnpikes in the kingdom. In going to a fight,
or to a race-course, when he reaches a turn-
pike, he holds a shilling between his fingers, and
t bgea
tall
gaffere pe r
says to the gate-keeper. " Here, catch," and makes
a movement of the hand towards the man, who en-
deavours to catch what he sees. The shilling, how-
ever, by a backward jirk, runs down the sleeve or
tthuerncsoarot,uand to as if lifehinduisti and While t the
drives on, saying, " keep the change." A young
fellow, who formerly was a marker at a billiard-
table, and who has the appearance of a soft inex-
perienced country lad, is another great hand at gaf-
fing. There is a strong adhesive power in his hand,
and such'e.s:quisite sensibility. about it, that he (.•,n
. ascertain, by dropping • • Ing hls•pui, w
even upon a orr-- ro