The Sun.
London, England, 1829-04-27 00:00:00

INCREASE OF INFORMERS.

The informers have set to work against the
owners of fishing smacks, boats, &c. ; and Sa.
turday was appointed for hearing several cases at
Deptford, and at the Mansion-house, i❑ the
city of London. Those cases which were not
withdrawn were, however, postponed ; and it is
believed that some apprehensions are entertained
by those interested in the moiety of the penal-
ties, that there will be some serious difficulty in
obtaining convictions.
For some days Billingsgate has been in a state
of alarm, the principal fishing-boat owners having
received summonses to attend and answer in-
formations charging them with having violated
the Act 33 of Geo. the Second. That Act
states, that every fishing-ship, boat, &c., shall
within three days after its arrival at the Nore
with any fish, truly report the time of arrival to
the Clerk in the Coast Office, London, who
shall make entry and grant a certificate thereof,
for which two shillings shall be paid ; and the
penalty accruing on the neglect of making the
entry is 501., of which there is no mitigation.—
By the Act 29 of George the Second, which the
abovementioned Act repeals, sixpence of the
two shillings used to go to the Inspector at
Gravesend, and eighteen-pence to the Trustees
of the Westminster Fish-market ; and by the
later Act, the sixpence was transferred to the
deputed Clerk in the Coast Office, London, and
the eighteen-pence to the Marine Society, to be
applied to the purpose of apprenticing to fisheries,
&c. &c., the boys brought up by the Society, at
whose instance it has been stated those prosecu-
tions have been undertaken.

The object of the Bill was to prevent mono-
poly, by compelling the owners of vessels to
come up to the market at once, instead of waiting
to measure out certain quantities, in order to
keep up the price of the fish. This was a most
benevolent object, and it succeeded; but the
well-boats which were at that period in use, and
in which the fish used to be preserved alive, are
now very seldom to be seen. The fish is caught
in dry boats, and the owners are obliged to send
them up to London, in their own defence, with •
all possible expedition, as, if they did not, the
fish would be unfit for use.

For several years it has not been found ne-
cessary to require a very punctual observauce of
the Act. The owners were sanctioned in delay-
ing the entry until after the expiration of several
days, when they were accustomed to pay for
all the boats which had been entered in the
interim.

At last, the example set by Johnson and the
rest of the gang of informers, inspired some
other worthies in that line, and the proprietors
of the fishing-boats came in visits. The pe-
nalties sought for amount, we understand, to up-
wards of 2,0001.

There appeared-on Saturday, at the Mansion-
house, engaged in some of these informations
as Counsel, Mr. Comyn, Mr. Broderick, and
Mr. Scotland ; and, as Solicitors, Mr. Harmer,
Mr. Hobler, jun., Mr. Saunders, and Mr.
Young, the Attorney to the Marine Society.
The defendants were present, but the cases
were all but one postponed—that one in which
Mr. Hobler, jun. was Solicitor, was withdrawn
by the Counsel for the prosecution. All the in-
formations which were to have been heard at
Deptford were postponed.

A French Paper states that a patent has been
taken out in Paris for a new coach, with one wheel only,
capable of accommodating from 30 to 40 passengers.

A fellow is travelling the country defrauding
tradesmen, innkeepers, and ethers, under the following
circumstances :—He takes lodgings (or, if near the me-
tropolis, visits the town), for about a week, during which
time he makes himself acquainted with those he may have
a design on by purchasing goods, exchanging country bank
notes, and when he supposes the parties satisfied as
to his respectability, he offers them a cheque on the house
of WHITMORE and Co., drawn by a man of the name of
EDWARD PRESTON. It is his method to get about half
the change, with which he decamps, the cheque not being
worth a farthing. The vagabond calls hi►nse'f Mr. Rox-
WELL, and pretends to be connected with the house of
JONES, Fox, and Co., bankers, at Manchester. lie is
charged with felony. EDWARD PRESTON, the drawer of
the cheques, is supposed to reside at Oxford.