Star.
London, England, 1823-04-05 00:00:00

LICENSED VICTUALLERS' APPEAL.

WESTMINSTER *SESSIONS.

Yesterday the appeal of Mr. Stringer, the proprie-
tor of the Red Lion public-house, in the Strand,
against the conviction by Mr. HALLS and Mr. MIN-
SHULL, the Bow-street Magistrates, upon the • info).-
mation laid against him by Johnson, the common
informer, for serving liquor after the hour specified
in the Publicans Act, came on before a full bench of
Magistrates. On the trench we observed Mr.CoNsT,
the Chairman, Sir R. Bi !ma, Mr. 13Evn.r., Mr. Ra-
w MT. RAYNSFOHD, Mr. BAKER, Mr. WHITE,
and Mr. MATTHEW.

When the appeal was called on, Byers, the jour-
neyman informer, appeared, and being sworn, de-
posed, that his employer, Johnson, was so ill as to
he unable to attend, and he therefore begged that
Mr. Johnson's attendance might be excused.

Mr. TAYLOR urged the necessity of the attendance
vi" the principal informer as indispensable in support
of the ca,e for the respondents. He also observed,
that this plea of indisposition appeared to have been
got up for the occasion, as the Solicitor in the appeal,
being anxious to serve him personally with notice,
and having called 'at his house late the night before,
was told by his wife that he was not at home; an
answer that had been given upon all previous appli-
cations of the same sort.

Some of the-Magistrates concurred with Mr.TAT-
Loa, that the personal attendance of the informer was
indispensable.
Mr. CoNsr, the Chairman, was however of a dif-
ferent opinion, and the objection was over-ruled.
The record of the conviction being produced,
Byers, as witness under the conviction, proceeded to
substantiate the case. On his examination in chief,
he deposed, that on the night of Monday the 13th of
January he went into the Red Lion public.house at
ten minutes after twelve, and saw at the bar fire men
ai:d five women, one of whom was served with a
glass of rum s% iLhout any hesitation.
The Magistrate put the usual questions to the in-
former as to his iutciest in the conviction, but he de-
nied all share in the beneficial consideration which
Johnson had in the successful resultolhis testimony.
Ile swore that. whatever decision might follow upon
his evidence, it made no difference with respect to
itiS payment, as his salaiy for services fn laying in-
formations was fixed, and could not at all be affected
by the success of his exertions.

At this moment some strong disapprobation began
to manifeq itself is the Court. •

Dyers cross-esanlined by Mr. TAYLOR.—You say
you were at the Red Lion at ten minutes after
twelve? Yes.—Whcre were lon at twelve? At St.
Clement's Church, where I heard the clock strike
twelve.—Did you take ten minutes to walk from St.
Clement's Church to the Bed Lion? I can't say as
to ten mitmutc, but thereabouts ; it might be less.—
Did )on go directly from St. Clement's Church to
tie lied Lion alont- the Strand? NO, I went by some
other stv.:ets.—Didyou go by the back ways? Yes.
For what purpose? I wished to see whether there
were any other houses open in that way.—Did you
touch nom Drury-lane in your peregrination? I be-
lieve I did —You'll swear it was not for the purpose
of seeing whether the Theatres were over, and the
people returning who were in the habit-of receiving
rlficslinnent at the Red Lion belbre they went home?
I didn't think of that. ,Don't you know. the Red
Lion to be a.house for the reception of trreeller.O. I'
believe. it is.—Have not you• seen coaches at die.
door, after twelve at night, to take home people re-
tuning from tha Theatre?" I have seen coaches at
the door.—Were there any stage-coaches at the door
on the night in.question, at ten minutes after twelve?
I saw one stage-coach at the door.—Can you swear
that the people who received the refreshment did not'
intend to go by that coach? I can't tell whetherufl
not.—Did you go among them as a traveller ? I had
no such intention.-1-low were you dressed? I. be-'
lieve I was dressed as,' usually am.—By virtue of'
your oath, wore you not dressed as a travepef ? I
can't say.—Haln't you a drab great coat and
Belcher handkerchief on, -as-travellers, going at
Light, usually have? I had-that drets, Wt. did not
mean to pass -as a traveller.—Dia not you mean to
inveigle the landlord oT the Red Lion under that
disguise?. I never intended to inveigle anybody—(4
laugh on the Butch and in tl:e body of the Court).—
Will you swear that.' you, never intended to deceive
anybody in your vocation of infotmer ? I wish to
state facts, and not to deceive.—You StatecLat Bow-
street, that you saw two women who received re-
freshment go out of the house, and not go by the
coach ? Yes and one of them was a girl of the town.
This is a neiv story-since you were at Bow-street;
when there you never alluded tna girl of the town.
At this moment it was discovered by one of the
Magistrates that there Tres a technical objection to
cvr.viction,• on the ground that thereeras a misnomer*
os to the parisji. The informant not being able to prove
is what parish the house was situated, the objection
%bus considered fatal, and the conviction quashed.

Mr. TAYLOR acknowledged theforce of the objec-
eon urged on the part of the Magistrates, and al-
lowed that the onus liy in .the informer in cases of
locality to prove the limits; but he expressed his re-
gret that there was no opportunity of determining
the ease on its own merits.

A FALAI FRIED!-At the Westminster Sessions
yesterday, Mary Hamm2nd was indicted for stealing
a number of household articles, the property of a poor
woman who was confined to her bed by illness, and
whom the prisoner visited under the• pretence of
aTording assistance. She ‘eas detected in committing
the theft, and on the prosecutrix endeavouring to get
back her property, the prisoner struck her a violent'
blow in the face.—The case was clearly proved; and
Chairman (F. CONST, E,q•) in passing judg-
c.ent, said, the case was one•of an aggravated na-
t,lre, and the sentence of the Court therefore was—
• 4 That she should be imprisoned six calendar months,
and kept to hard labour.` _ _

CIUMNEY-SWEEPERS.—Monday the Annual Din-
Ler was given to the Climbing Boys, at Sheffield.
Twenty-five boys were present, also one girl, ten years
of age, whom the poverty of her parents induced to
employ as au apprentice. She has bteri 12 months in
the habit of ascending and sweeping dimnies daily I