The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 2Bl 1842.

The Volcano, steam-vessel, Lieut. Featherstone,
arrived on Tussday from Plymouth, with seamen.
The Pilot, 16, arrived at Halifax, with specie from
Jamaica; on the 20th ult.

stated to have accepted. The friends and relatives of i
the deceased were wholly ignorant of the existence of
any instrument of
.the kind,,but the writing was so well
imitated, and the difficulty of contesting the point ap-
peared to be So great, that serious intentions were enter-
tained of paying the bill, and he (Mr. Tew) had
no doubt that by this time the fictitious debt
would have been discharged if he had not
seen in the newspapers an account of the pro-
ceedings before Sir Peter Laurie on the subject of
the forged bill, which had been concocted upon view of
the wills in Doctors' Commons.- He immediately after-
wards communicated with his solicitor, and the result
was, that the attorney, who had sued for the amount of
the forged bill, not only withdrew the action, but the
whole of the costs and expenses to which the executors
to the will had been put were paid. He felt indebted in
no small degree to Sir Peter Laurie for the money and
annoyance thus saved, and lie had reason to suppose
that many other parties were under as great obligations
to the public spirit and incessant labour of investigation,
which distinguished that Alderman.
Sir P. LAURIE—I trust that the exposure has done a
great deal of good of the kind that has been rendered to
you. The system has been extensively carried on, and
by and by the public will hear more particulars. In the
mean time, it is proper to state that great facilities are
afforded at Doctors' Commons to persons who commit
frauds of the sort. For a shilling a thief may look over
a will and copy the signature, or he may go at another
time, and compare any instrument he may choose to
draw up for the purposes of plunder for another shilling.
Nothing can be more- easy than for a schemer, with a
good head up:.n his shoulders—an article all these fel-
lows are provided with—to impose upon executors by
forged bills, in which the name of the testator is con-
cerned.

The Kite steam-vessel, at Woolwich, is ready, and
was to be towed down the River to-day, where she
will get her orders. The following vessels are at
Woolwich, all preparing for sea, and nearly ready :
The Geyser, Styx, Fearless, Shearwater, and Mastiff,
with their tenders Violet, Speedwell, and Woodlark.
The Lightning is under repair ; the Gorgon, Hecla,
and Blazer, are preparing to pay of about the 31st
inst. The Black Eagle is ready for sea. The follow-
ing are in ordinary under repair :—Salamander,
Comet, Megaera, Acheron, Columbia, and Swallow.
The Raven sailed on Wednesday, for the Eastward.
The Albatross, 16, will be launched from this Dock-
yard on Monday next.
The Atholl, troop-ship, Mr. C. P. Bellamy, Mas-
ter Commanding, was paid off this day, having been
four years in commission. In this time, she has been
actually at sea, 859 days, and ran over a distance of
101,697 miles, and has conveyed to their destinations
263 officers-6,801 non-commisioned officers and
pi ivates-647 women, and 1,098 children.

The Canhadar convict-ship will sail to-morrow
morning for Hobart Town.

In Harbour- St. Vincent, Victory, Excellent,
Royal George, Winchester, Ringdove, and Volcano,
and Echo (steamers), and Adventure (naval transport).
At Spithead-Alfred, Candahar (convict ship).
Colonel Custance, of the 10th regiment, is ap-
pointed Colonel Commandant (an office revived), at
Parkhurst Barracks, Isle of Wight; Colonel Con-
sidine succeeds Colonel Custance in the command of
the 10th regiment.
Lieut.-Colonel Maclean (late of the 13th Dragoons)
•
is appointed Colonel Commandant of the depot at
or, Dchester, for Canadian 'cavalry.
There are 18 line of battle ships, 14 frigates, and
16 sloops, and other smaller vessels of war, now
building in the various naval dockyards. The Prince
Albert, 90, Royal Frederick, 110, Constance, 36,
Eurydice, 26, Albatross, 16, and Sealark, 10, at
Portsmouth ; the Aboukir, 90, Albion, 90, Ex-
mouth, 90, Amethyst, 26, Flora, 36, Creole, 26,
Niobe, 26, and Philomel, 6, at Plymouth; the
Algiers, 90, Victoria, 110, Centurion, 80, Co-
lossus, 80, Lion, 80, Superb, 80, June. 26, Sybil,
36, Helena, 16, Liberty, 16, Squirrel!, 16, Marmon,
6, and Martin, 6, at Pembroke ; the Cumberland, 70,
Goliah, 80, Irresistible, 80, Mars, 80, Majestic, 80,
Active, 36, Chesapeake, 36, Arab, 16, Calypso, 20,
Coquette, 20, Dispatch, 10, Dove, 10, Elk, 16, and
Heron, 16, at Chatham ; the Daedalus, 42, and Daring,
10, at Sheerness ; the Hannibal, 90, Boscawen, 70,
Chichester, 50, and Amphion, 36, at Woolwich ; and
the Worcester, 50, at Deptford. Some of the foregoing
are ready to launch, and others nearly so.
PLYMOUTH, MARCH 24.-The Alban steamer, Mr.
J. King, Master, arrived from Portsmouth, on
Monday, and sailed the next day for Pembroke,
with Mr. Anderson, Assistant Master Attendant,
and a party of men, to navigate the Spiteful, a new
steamer, to Greenock. The Volcano steamer, Lieut.
C. J. Featherstone, also arrived from Portsmouth,
with forty-two men for the Agincourt, and sailed in
the afternoon, on her return to Portsmouth. Arrived
the Alert, packet, Lieut. E. Jennings, from Falmouth,
to be paid off. Sailed the Spy, 3, Lieut. J. M. Pot-
bury, for Bristol, for newly raised men ; and Camel,
lighter, for Woolwich. The Vindictive, 50, Capt. J.
T. Nicholas, with Sir Thomas Cochrane's flag, passed
down Channel with a fine breeze from the northward;
she had been detained in Torbay some days by con-
trary winds. The Philomel, 10, to be launched from
this Dock-yard, the 28th, it is said will be imme-
diately commissioned by Commander B. J. Sullivan,
for a surveying-vessel on the Coast of South America.
The depot of the 98th regiment marced from Devon-
port barracks, the 21st instant, for Wales. • The
Growler steamer, Commander C. H. M. Buckle, ar-
rived from Portsmouth.--In Harbour-Caledonia,
San Josef, Agincourt, Resistance Crocodile, Fly,
Scylla, Growler, Alert, and Bramble.

Sir PETER LAURIE said he had received a letter from
a Member of Parliament of high rank and fortune,
through the hands of a friend, to which he considered
it necessary
.to refer. That letter, after having spoken
of a professional person stated to be mixed up in the
disgraceful transactions recently exposed at the Mansion-
house, went on as follows :---" I strongly suspect that he
is the same person who, a few months ago, brought an
experimental action against me in the Court of Queen's
Bench at the suit of a woman of the town, and after
putting me to an expense of 1501., never brought it to
trial. On my getting judgment and execution against
his client, and having traced her, I found that she had
robbed her lodgings and absconded." Now, there is no
class of men more dangerous than the abandoned vil-
lains of the law, and there were no persons whom he
should feel more gratification in holding up to public
ignominy and abhorrence than those who, knowing that
they had thieves for their clients, aided and abetted
them, and participated with them in their nefarious
profits.

CLERKENWELL.

James Bennett, a well-dressed young man, was charged
on suspicion of stealing a quantity of silver plate from
the Reform Club-house.

Mr. HuMPARIES appeared as solicitor for the establish-
ment. He stated that some few days ago a considerable
quantity of silver plate, consisting of silver spoons and
silver forks, were stolen from the club-house. That on
the 19th instant some of the stolen property, consisting
of half a dozen of silver forks, were pawned with Mr.
Baylis, pawnbroker, Hampstead-road.
The prisoner was arrested at the instance of the
pawnbroker, but it appeared he was altogether innocent
of the transaction ; and Mr. Baylis said he was now
perfectly certain he was not the person who pledged
the forks, though he resembled him.
He was accordingly discharged.
UNION-HALL.

James Bartlett, a plumber and glazier, with his face
very much disfigured, was committed to take his trial,
for an indecent assault on a little girl, named Rose,
eleven years of age. It appeared that the prisoner had
behaved with great rudeness to the child, during the
absence of her father and mother. On their arrival she
stated what happened, upon which they took imme-
diate vengeance on the prisoner, and then gave him
into custody.
John Morthaore, a well-dresSed young man, belonging
to the " swell mob," was charged with the following im-
pudent robbery:—
On the preceding day, at two o'clock, the prisoner
contrived to enter the house of Mr. Sibeth, of Herne-
hill ; went directly to the pantry, and took a watch which
was on the mantel-piece. The housemaid hearing him
went in, and, seizing him by the collar, held him until
the footman arrived, when the prisoner fell upon his
knees, said it was his first offence, and asked forgivenness.
Evidence being adduced that he was a member of the
" swell-mob," he was fully committed.

WO R SHIP- S TREE T.
CONVICTION OF A BEGGING-LETTER IMPOSTER.—
Thomas Hushes, a grey-headed elderly man, who was
said to have held the situation of bud( r in several
families of distinction, was finally examined upon a
charge of soliciting alms. '
It appeared that the prisoner called at the house of
Mrs. Jones, a lady of fortune, residing at Upper Clapton,
and solicited charity, and on her refusing to give him
anything:, he followed her into the parlour, and persisted in
his importunities until she gave him sixpence in order to
get rid of him.
Information of the circumstances was given to police
constable N 223, who stopped the prisoner as he was
leaving the house, and took him into custody.
Horsford and Reany, the mendicity officers identified,
the prisoner as a member of a notorious gang of begging-
letter imposters, but they were not aware that he had
ever been convicted.

The prisoner was committed to the House of Correc-
tion, to be kept to hard labour for a fortnight.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORFOLK ClRCUlT.—Cambridge, Mardi 23.

CIVIL SIDE.-TIIE QUEEN U. SAMUEL LONG,

This was an ex officio information, tiled by the late
Attorney-General at the instance of the then House of
Commons, in consequence of a special Report of the
Committee appointed to try the petition against the re-
turn of the Honourable Charles Manners Sutton for this
borough, in 1839. The indictment charged the defend-
ant with having bribed one George Smith to vote for
Mr. Sutton, %%WI a sum of nine sovereigns, in one set of
counts, while another imputed to him an offer of ten
sovereigns, for a similar purpose, to a voter named
Marsh, at the same election.
The ATTORNEY- GENERAL having stated the facts of
the case to the Jury, in a calm and temperate address,
proceeded to substantiate the charges laid in the indict-
ment by the following witness!s :
George Smith stated that he was a voter of the borough
in the Liberal interest, and that on the week preceding
the election in, question, which took place on the sth of
September, 1839, the defendant Long called at his shop,
in Hobson-street, several times, touching the purchase of
some shoes for his children and his wife, on all of which
occasions he more or less directly alluded to the subject
of the forthcoming election. On the 24th of August,
1839, Long again called at his shop early in the morning,
and asked whether the shoes he had ordered would be
done that night. I promised, said the witness, to send
them home the next morning early, and then he said
as to the expected election, if I thought well to vote for
Sutton, he thought he might put a few pounds into say
pocket. I said I thought it was a curious question to me,
who had voted the other way, to which he said, "Oh,
as to that, it was all nensense." I told him I would give
him a positive answer when I took the shoes home. He
said, " That will do," and went away. I sent the slices
home the next day. He called again on Tuesday, the
27th of September, to pay for the shoes, and gave me a
sovereign. The price was 3s. 6d. I sent for change.
While my wife was gone, he asked me- to go that even-
ing to measure Mrs. Long. I went and saw the defendant
there as well as Mrs. Long. I was shown into a room
with him alone. The door was shut. I gave him the
change for the sovereign, and he produced some wine of
which we drank. He asked me what I would charge
him for a pair of shoes. I told him 12s. ; and he said
his and Mrs. Long's would be about a sovereign, and
added, " Well, to cut the matter short about this elec-
tion, I can give you 101. if you will vote for Mr. Sutton."
I said that was a good price fur two pair; of shoes, and
I should like a lot of customers like him. He saitl he
could give me the money then, but should not ; that my
wife could call for it, and then I should know nothing
about it ; that that would not be bribery, which was all
a parcel of nonsense and stuff. I replied that he should
hear further from me, and went away: Next day I
went to Royston market, and told my wife she might go
to Long's for some money. My wife gave me nine
sovereigns next day, after my return. I marked them,
locked them up, and ultimately took them to Mr.
Francis Eaden, one of the Liberal Committee. I was
afterwards examined before the Magistrates.
Mrs. Smith—My husband told me to go at one o'clock
or eight to Mr. Long's, on Wednesday, August 28, 1839.
I did not know the house, but met Mrs. Long in the
street, who toll me where it was, and asked me to walk
into the back* room till she told Mr. Long I was there, as
he was busy. The door of the great room was open a
little, and I heard voices there. Presently afterwards
Mrs. Long left me, and in a few moments the defendant
csme to the and said, " Now, Mrs. Smith, I'll speak to
you." He then asked me into the front room, and gave
me a glass of 'wine. There were a bottle and two
glasses on the table. Afterwards 'he said, " I suppose
you know what you have come about." I said, " Yes ; I
suppose about the election." "Well," said he, "you
know all about it—the nine sovereigns I mean." He then
counted out nine sovereigns on a book which was on the
table, and told me to take them to my husband, and tell
him " that was better than his vote, for it was no matter
to a poor man how he voted." I took the money. He
added, " Your husband knows nothing of this ?" to which
I replied, "He is at Royston." I then went away, and
gave the money to my husband when he came to me.
There were an old woman and a boy in the back room
at dinner when I was there.

William Marsh, watchmaker—l live in St. Mary's-
stre.q, in Cambridge. I am a voter. I voted first at
Mr. Gibson's election, and afterwards for Mr. Starkie.
I know Samuel Long. He called on me on the 19th of
August, 1839, about a brooch. He afterwards asked if
I had a vote, and for whom I intended to vote. He said
" There was a Mr. Gibson coming forward, a rejected
candidate from Ipswich—a turncoat was coming, and
if I would be one to support him." I said if Mr. Gibson
came forward I would hear him, and I hoped the man
who deserved it best would be at the bead of the poll.
He replied "It was all stuff, that Whigs and Tories
were all alike, and that when they got their own turn
served they did not care about the electors, and
that it was better for a poor man with a large
family to look out for his own interests." I
saw him again on Wednesday, the 28th of Au-
gust, about one o'clock, near his own door. He
asked me into his house, and I went into the front room.
He produced wine and two glasses, and we both drank.
There was a large book on the table. He asked if I had
promised my vote. I said no; and be said if I agreed to
vote for Mr. Sutton lie would give me ten sovereigns on
condition I would give him back one. I said I Could not
take any money, as I was no Tory. He pressed me, and
I said I would think about it. Some one came to the
door while I was there. I heard Mrs. Long go and
speak to the person. The door opened, and a female
asked if Mr. Long was at home. Mrs. Long said he was
engaged, and invited the woman in. I saw them both
pass the door of the room in which I was sitting into the
back room. I went away in about ten minutes, and on
the next day I told Mr. Cooper about it. He was clerk
to Mr. Cannon then. On the Saturday after I went
before the Magistrates in this Court, and made a state-
ment in the presence of Long. I also went before the'
Grand Jury and the Committee.
Mr. Titterton, superintendent of police, apprehended
Long on the 30th Au,-ust. As we went on to the station
I saw him fidgeting about his hand in his pocket, and at
the station I found sixteen sovereigns and a halt' sove-
reign loose in his pocket, with a quantity of small bits of
paper, which I put together. They turned out to be a
list of names of voters. These are the pieces which were
produced to the Committee. I also found an interleaved
copy of the registry of voters for that year.
The list was here read, as far as it was legible, and
contained about twenty names of voters, among which
were Smith and Marsh.

The case for the prosecution closed here, and the Court
was adjourned.

MA nen 24.
Mr. ANDREWS, at the sitting of the Court, addressed
the Jury for the defendant at great length, vitiating the
evidence adduced against his client, whom he repre-
sented as having been the victim o persecution, and as
having been harassed by a conspiracy, in order to trump
up a charge of bribery, as a means of throwing discredit
upon the party to which he belonged.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL having repli:d,
The CHIEF JUSTICE summed up the evidence on both
sides to the Jury, who retired to deliberate upon their
verdict, and, after an absence of nearly five hours, re-
turned with a verdict of Guilty on the counts regarding
the bribe to Smith, and Not Guilty as to the other
charge.

THE QUEEN V. WM. SWAN, JUN.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL briefly stated the facts of this
case, which had also been instituted by order of the
House of Commons, against the defendant, the son of a
large and opulent carrier for this town, for an alleged
act of bribery at the election of Mr. Manners Sutton in
1839. 'The information charged the defendant with
having bribed one Benjamin Lee to vote for Mr. Sutton,
by promising to give him U., and to lend him the fur-
ther sum of 151. after the election in September, 1839.
Two witnesses were called, whose evidence being di-
rectly at variance, the Judge interrupted the ease, and
the Jury immediately returned a verdict of Acquittal.

MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Warwick, March 23.

THE QUEEN V. ALLEYNE.
This case excited great interest, and brought together