The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-06 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE,

At Guildhall, yesterday, James Steptoe, who had
been acquitted on Tuesday at the Central Criminal
Court for the charge of robbing the Chipping Norton
waggon, was committed a second time to take his trial
for a robbery at the Rose Inn, Smithfield.
At the Surrey Sessions yesterday, on the presentment
of the Grand Jury, the Foreman expressed their regret
that the Magistrates were not empowered to deal sum-
marily with many trifling cases that had been brought
under their notice, and which had been attended with
considerable expense to the county, and occasioned mach
loss of time to the Grand Jury. • The Grand Jury fur;
ther expressed their regret that, in most cases, the pri-
soners could neither read nor write, and were destitute of
education.

Yesterday, at the Kensington Police Court, John
Elkins, an elderly man, was charged with refusing to
maintain his own son, a lad about fourteen years of age.
The father declared his son had robbed him so ofteri
that he was himself nearly out of doors, and quite un-
able to contribute to his support. He was willing but
unable to maintain him. The Magistrate, however, com-
mitted him for one month to the House of Correction.

Yesterday information was received at the police
offices of a robbery of watches and other property, to a
large amount, during the previous night, on the premises
of Mr. Mackie, watchmaker, City-road.

COURT-FASECIONAZZE.
The Duke of Beaufort is detained in town, by a slight
.attack of gout.
The Duke of Norfolk arrived at Arundel Castle at the
close of the past week, to join the family circle there.
Lord Fitzgerald has left town on a visit to the Duke
of Buckingham, at Stowe.
Sir It, Peel returns to town this afternoon, from a
visit to her Majesty at Windsor Castle.
Lord Crewe has arrived at Mivart's Hotel, from Bowood
Park, Wilts.
Count Matuszevic leaves town in a few days for the
Earl of Chesterfield's seat at Bretby. . _

Lord. W. Russell leaves Belgraie-square this day for
Woburn Abbey.
_

Lord and Lady John Russell left Belgrave-square yes-
terday, by the rail road train, for Woburn Abbey.
The Earl of Hardwicke, we hear, will be one of the
Lords in Waiting to the Queen, selected to escort the
King of Prussia to this country.
Viscount and Viscountess Villiers left Drayton Manor
yesterday for Packington Hall, Warwickshire.

MISCELLANEOUS.
A grand ball, in aid of the Queen's Hospital, Bir-
mingham, is to be given in the Town-hall of that town
on the occasion of the christening of the Prince of Wales.
Earl Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Stamford, Earl Howe, Lord
Lyttelton, and upwards of forty Noblemen and gentle-
men besides, have enrolled their names as stewards.

Springfield House, near Southampton, the splendid
residence of Kinelm Digby, Esq., was destroyed by fire
on Tuesday morning. The fire was discovered by a ser-
vant who slept over the kitchen apartments, and who
made his escape through a window, and alarmed the
family in another part of the house, just in time to save
their lives. Mr. Digby is a rich and learned Roman
Catholic gentleman, and has lost by the fire some very
valuable manuscripts.

On Tuesday morning, at Wornston, Lancashire, three
old houses fell, and buried a number of persons in the
ruins, all of whom were dug out alive, except an old man,
of the name of Peters, and a young child.
A gang of burglars is extremely active at present in
the neighbourhood of Blackheath. Four houses have
within a few days been broken into, but the burglars had
succeeded in only one case in obtaining booty.