The Sun.
London, England, 1829-10-13 00:00:00

POLICE. INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.
Mr. Goldham, the superintendant of Billingsgate-
market, complained to the LoRD MAYOR against
tfhat he conceived to be a great nuisance. He said
that there wad arf Inditidusi of respectable outward
appearance who attended at tiillingsgtte regularly
eery Sunday lot the purpose of pteaehing. flis
tithe: of hbldihk fofth it as preciiely at the hour of
the commeneeMent of diiike seivice hi the parish
church. He mounted the tables'in tilt,: market; the
after giving out hymns and psalms he commenced a

regular discourse, sometimes to a numerous congre-
gation of boys and girls, many of whom were en-
gaged in making game of him. At the conclusion
Of the mock sertice t money:4)ox was generally
handed about for persons to put in halfpence, which
the preacher said were to be appropriated to the
funds of the Religious Tract Society, and some-
times a good bit of money was collected. The
Minister of the parish considered these proceedings
highly disgraceful and hurtful to religion. He had
therefore directed Mr. Goldham to inquire if his
Lordship had not the power to put a stop to them.
The LORD MAYOR doubted whether he had any
power to interfere. He did not know whether this
individual had not the right to preach if he liked,
provided he did not cause a breach of the peace.—
He might say that he was only following the ex-
ample of the Apostles, who preached in all open
public places.
Mr. Goldham inquired if he had any right to col-
lect money.
The LORD MAYOR thought that he was not jos•
tified in collecting money ; but he should like to
know whether the money collected ever reached the
Religious Tract Society; if it did not, the whole
was an imposition.
After some few remarks from Mr. Hobler as to
the right of persons to preach, an officer was di-
rected to make inquiry at the Religious Tract So-
ciety to ascertain whether they knew any thing of

this worthy gentleman.
Three Captains of the Guards were brought be-
fare the LORD MAYOR, charged by some watchmen
of the City, with having committed an assault upon
one of the latter body, kicked up a general row, and
uttered reproaches against the Chief Magistrate.
The watchman, who compla;ned of the assault,
stated, that on the preceding night, at about twelve
o'clock, while he was superintending his beat, the
three Captains appeared in Eastcheap, rather dis-
guised in liquor, and one of them walked up to him,
and began to abuse his profession of watchman, and
swore " dreadful" at him. He, however, in a gen-
tlemanly sort of way, begged of them to go on, and
not to break the peace, but the Captain vot led the
way brandished a stick as big us his arm, and
threatened to use it upon the witness's head, at the
same time calling him a Charley. Still the
witness continued to act in a mild manner, but the
Captain was not to be persuaded. " Your Lord-
ship," said the watchman, " he gave his stick a twist,
and made a wipe at me, and if I had not held up
my own stick, I wouldn't be here now to tell you
the story, for he would have cracked my skull."
The LORD MAYOR—Did he strike you ? Watch-
man-4ndeed he did. He hit my hat, but I pre.
vented him from breaking my head.
The Captain alluded to is a powerful young man,
and the watchman presented the usual m►serable ap-
pearance.

The LoRD MAYOR thought it strange that such a
blow, as the gentleman was able to give, had not
broken through the guard of the watchman.
The Watchman—l assure you, my Lord, that he
struck at me with all his might ; but I throwed up
my stick and catched his'n, and so it came down
tender.— (Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR—WeII, and what did the
other defendants do ?—The Watchman : They was
kicking up a scrummage with the other watchmen,
and they all behaved unbearable.—(Laughter.)—So,
my Lord, arter we see that it was no use to suy no-
thing to them, we says we'd take'em to the watchus,
if they wouldn't go off quiet, and have them up be-
fore the Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor, says they,
What ! old Thompson ?—(Loud laughter.)-oh,
we knows old Thompson well, and we don't care a
about him ; so then we takes hold on e'm, and
put them in the watchus, for we couldn't bear it no
farther.

Another of the watchmen stated, that the
three defendants didn't seem to care a single pin for
any of the citizens of London. Please your Lord-
ship, said the witness, they not only said they did
not care a for your Lordship, but they said
that you was of their way of thinking.—(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR—WeII, what did they mean
by that ?—Watchman : Why they said, my Lord,
that your Lordship was like them, all for the New
Police, and a " henemy" to all the poor creeturs of
Charleys—(laughter)--so we thought it too bad
for your Lordship to be insulted in that ere way as
well as ourselves, and we gathered together and tuck
them off to the watchus.
The defendants declared, one and all, that no at-
tempt had been made to strike any one of the watch-
men. If the attempt had been made, it no doubt
would have succeeded, as the difference in strength
between the parties was very conspicuous indeed.
The watchman had taken offence at the old salute
of " good night, Charley," and called them (the
defendants " humbugs." One of them (the
defendants) had injudiciously turned round and
asked the person who used such gross language,
whom he meant ? and then a crowd of watchmen
gathered round them, and insisted upon locking
them up in\the watch-house; no resistance what-
ever was made to the movement of the watchmen,
whose only object, it was evident, was extortion.
The LORD MAYOR said he did not believe one
word about the assault. If the blow had been struck
the watchman must have had something to show for
it. Why, said his Lordship, your hat has not even
a mark upon it.
The watchman said the hat that was hurt was at
home.

All the defendants declared, upon their honour,
that not one of them raised his hand to any of the
watchmen.
The Watchmen--But, your Lordship, we're on
our oaths; think of that, my Lord.
The LORD MAYOR—I don't believe there was a
blow struck, and I discharge the matter.