Star.
London, England, 1828-01-05 00:00:00

GUILDHALL

- .
Yesterday, as usual, the greater part of the day was occupied in.
listening to the complaints of husbands ag.inst wives, and wives
against husbands—jealousies, heating', debts, distresses' di inking,
and other connubial devilries of all sorts and sizes; and not among
the " lower orders" only, but some who are " very well to do in
the world." But as one of the ladies said by her good man, "we
ate quite a weary of them ;" and thirefore we win leave them to
thcntselviss forthe present, and pits to miseries of another kind.
John Indiana was charged with hAving'sviifully brokeo one of
the public gas lamps ; and George Parses: was charged with having
aided and abetted him therein. The prisoners are seamen, ragged,
weather-beaten, and apparently lialf4Jmished.
John Bone, a watchman, deposed, that they -aiiiested him in
Gracechurchstreet at half-past two o'clock yesterday morning, and
asked hint to "be kind enough to take then, to the watebbouse,"
as they had no home, and were starving. " I told them," continued
the watchman " that it would be of no use taking them to the
watchbouse; fur the night constable would not receive them, unless
there wAi some charge against them. 0 Why then,' said the tall,
pale, young felkw (Williams), ""
I must do something to get a
'better for the night!" and taking a clasp knife front his pocket he
Rung it directly at the gas lamp just by, and broke the glass all -to
pieces. It was done in an instant, your Worship, before I was
aware of what he was about, and of course I took" them tp the
tvatchhouse, and gave them in charge, but," added the rough
guardian of the night—" but my heart ached for 'em the while."
" Why did you break the lamp ?" said Sir r. LAURIE to
Hams—" the tall, pale, young fellow."
" Because to beg I am ashamed, and to steal I would rather ilk!"
he replied with a determined emphasis. " I know it was very im-
proper, but I ant utterly destitute-1 have been walking the streets
these six nights—for the last three days I have been without food ;
and I broke the lamp on purpose to procure shelter for tbe night.—
As to this man," he added, pointing to his fellow prisOner, " I know
nothing of him—l picked him up, wandering about the streets last
night, like myself, without house or home; and I never saw hint
before. We were companions in misery, and we walked together;
but be had nothing to do with breaking the lamp—that was alto-
gether my own scheme." He stated limber, in answer to the
questions of Sir P. LAURIE, that he belonged to Falmouth, was out
of .employ, and for many weeks past bad been widely endeavouring
to get a ship.
Sir Paves Lanai; after having consulted with a person who at-
tended from the lamp-contracturs, said, addressing the prisoner,
" There are two ways of dealing with your offence—fining you in
the amount of the damage you have done, or, in default of payment,
committing you to Bridewell. For my own part, personally, I
would rather relieve your distresses than 'otherwise ; hut as it ap-
pears, both by your own confession and the evident's of the watch-
man, that it was a planned affair, for the purpose of exciting, com-
passion and pity, it is necessary you should be punishld ; tong.
you were to be treated kindly on such a plea, we should not hate a
whole lamp left standing."
" I know it wai improper, and your Worship will do with Ate if
poi think fit—it is quite indifferent to me, for 1 cannot be worse off
than 1 ant," replied the prisoner; and be was thereupon sentenced
to three months hard labour in Bridewell.
!Its miserable companion had now to be dealt with. It appealed
that he had nothing at all to do with breaking the lamp; and there-
fore Sir YETIS LAURI, questioned him with a view to afford-
ing hint some relief. In reply he stated that be had been at sea
ewer since he was nine years old, and he bad been thirteen years is
the king's service; but he had no pension; and being attacked
with a severe rheumatism, no Captain would take hint nut. " So,
I'm starving about the streets hete," said he, " and I hope you will
let me be passed home to my place where I •was born, at Billings;
horst, in Sussex."
This humble.request, however, it was impossible to grant ; be-
cause the Legislature, in its wisdom, has decreed that no parish
shall be compelled to pass a pauper home unless the said pauper has
" slept in a bed" in that parish ; and as this poor wretch had never
enjoyed that luxury in London, he and his rheumatism were tutned
adrift again, either to qualify himself for the shelter of the treadmill
by begging or breaking lamps, or to lie dowo and die, as time and
chalice may serve.