Star.
London, England, 1826-08-23 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH•STREET.

Yesterday, Lord Maryborough stated to the Sitting Magistrate,
Mr. CONANT, that he had an application to make on behalf of a poor
old woman of the name of Ellen Goodall, who had been committed
from the office on Thursday last. •
The worthy Magistrate replied, that he was ready to bear what-
ever statement b 6 Lordship wished to make.
Lord Maryborough then stated, that he bad been given to under-
stand, that on Thursday last, a poor old blind woman, whom be had
known for these last twenty years, had been charged an act of
vagrancy, and committed for that offence. Now be was ready to
I say suck was not the case; that he would defy any person to say
that they had ever seen her beg; the fact was, she was in the habit
of earning to Saville-row, that she might be near his house, and from
which she received broken victuals, and alio clothes; and to enable
her to procure a little additional assistance, his family had given her
a basket, in which were plisced cakes, &c. foe sale, and at times she
received alms from the humane; but a better behaved woman did
not live, for not a couple of words was she in the habit of speaking
in a week. Although so harmless and inoffensive, yet she had been
taken into custody two or three times before, but in those cases Lady
Maryborough had interested herself in her behalf,and had procured
her discharge.

Mr. Cowan? observed, that he was not aware of the committal,
as he was pot at the Office on the day in question ; but he would
send for the vagrant book, and ascertain for what offence she bad
been committed. On inspecting the book the Magistrate said, she
is committed for being idle and disorderly.
" Idle and disorderly ! (exclaimed his Lordship); they had better
have brought me here, and made that charge against me."
At this instant, Fagan and Jackson, two of the officers belonging
to the Mendicity Society, and Buckland, one of the Beadles of St.
James's parish, entered the Office, when Jackson stated, that on the
day she was apprehended, she was begging, by holding out her
hand, at the same time she had a basket with her.
_ _

Lord 114iwyborough—Do you call that begging, by holding out
her hand? That is the first time to my knowledge that she had
ever been guilty of such an offence; but, as I have previously
stated, she has no immediate cause for doing so.
Air. ConanT—By the recent alterations in the Vagrant Act, a
person placing him or herself In a patticular position for the pur-
pose of eliciting alms, is an offence.
Lord blaryborough—That I will admit.
Buckland stated that he had apprehended the female several
times, once or twice on a Sunday, when she held a small kind of
cap, but had no basket. Besides he had been directed by Sir
George Farrant to bring her and the man with whom she lived to
the Office; and he had been informed by Mr. Dawson, the So-
licitor, that if he did not remove her, he would make a complaint
at the Vestry.
Fagan—She would have been provided for by the Parish of
Mary-la-botine, if she would have entered the House; but this she
would not do, for she would much rather live and support the man
with whom she has cohabited these twenty-two years by prosti-
tution, than be taken care of.

Lord Maryborough—Nonsense; talking about an old woman,
nearly seventy years of age, living by prostitution, and that to
support a man of eighty; and because she will not enter into a
workhouse, to lose by that act all her little comforts, she is to be
persecuted!
Fagan—The reason is, because she knows she shall be separated
from the man she is living with.
Lord Marybotough—And she is in the right; supposing they
are living together, what is that to any person? where is the im-
morality of such, then?
These and similar observations occasioned a long discussion, in
which his Lordship frequently delivered himself with considerable
warmth. In the end, the Magistrate said that he would state his
Lordship's application to Mr. Roe, who committed the old woman
fur fifteen days, and he had no doubt it would be attended to.—
His Lordship, in reply, said, that as be had begun it, be would not
care what trouble and expence he might be put to, in behalf of the
poor woman, and if his application was not attended to by the
Magistrates, would apply to another quarter. His Lordship
then left the office.

Ennis, who stood charged with forging bills of exchange, by al-
tering the dates, was discharged.
Mr. Humphreys, the solicitor for the prisoner, said he had looked
over all the authorities fora case in point, making it forgery to alter
a date, when it was net to accelerate the payment, and could find
none. In this case the alteration was to delay the payment. He
left the onus to the Attorney for the prosecution.
The Attorney for Finch, who casiu d one of the bills, admitted
he bad not a relevant ease, and should give pp the charge of for-
gery, but indict the prisoner for obtaining the bills under a fraudu-
lent pretence.