The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-12-07 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD PETTY SESSIONS.

These Sessions were held on Thursday, at the TOP'
hall. Birkenhead, before the Rev. J. W. Fielding (681"
man), John Deane Case, Esq., the Rev. 111. '
Major-Gen. Sir Edward Cast, &c.
VAGRANCY.—Mary Giass, who, by her aPPearribcee;
had not derived any benefit from the researches 01 b,
celebrated namesake, was charged with begging in
street. It was not her first offence by several, and 51'
was committed for 21 days.
COWARDLY ASSAULT.—John Williams, a heavy-1°
ing young countryman in a smock frock, was charge
tba
with assaulting Sarah Watson, a married woman, on kg
sth of November. She was going down to the d°c_.
when the prisoner and two others grossly insulted, bels;
and upon her remonstrating, he struck her with 15
across her nose, and her face was still discoloured frau' the
blow. The prisoner admitted the cowardly act old,
which he was charged, but said the woman first heave
stone at him. He was fined ss. and costs. Churc, e

THE RIOT AT THE DOCKS.
This case, which had been adjourned from the preciohligo
Thursday, was resumed by Mr. Bramah, on bebßalef 00fiti:Kl
Dock Trustees, who made the complaint.
Cornelius Williams, who deposed as to the time when tbe
lc,
affray took place. It was a few minutes after eight oc;c'cne
The bridge was not properly secured, for he heard 1°,1,4
man say, " I cant's get a wedge in." The rails were ,05
in a direct line to the bridge.—Cross-examined
confident he saw Mr. Stevens on the south side.'t e
to t
Al'Haig, Superintendent of Police, also deposed as
time when he was applied to for assistance to Veil te
et
riot. He obtained all the force he could, having °to;
many out of bed. They arrived at the scene of war aver.
minutes after eight o'clock, and the fight was then acfor
Did not see Mr. Stevens.—This concluded the case

the prosecution.
Mr. HULL said he appeared for Mr. Stevens:, -cd.•
Downing, and the two men Price and Salisbury. Pe
gued that no case had been made out. They were chalteb,
with having opened and shut a certain drawbridge qbe
out permission, for which the punishment was a fine. , be
offence was a misdemeanour, and as by law there coulee;
no accessories, it was necessary to prove that each of thbst
actually committed the offence. He should prove t._.o
Mr. Stevens was seven or eight miles away at the titTe
the bridge was opened ; and, further, that he and
pet,
others bad acted under lawful authority ; and, moree
that Mr. Bramah had no authority under the act tonea
struct Capt. Hookey to prevent the bridge being' °Prevel:
while what was done was by permission of the m
. w„

Trustees. faele
The Bench decided that there was clearly a prinia./410,
case, as by the act the Dock-master was the onlY nu' eg
rity for opening and shutting the dock-gates and bridg
and it was proved that he had refused permission.
L 4 by
Mr. Hum. then resumed his defence, arguing tili7os
the Act of Parliament the South Reserve, v'hin,ral
claimed by the Crown, was to be connected by a higls.ti
with Birkenhead. This had not been done, and in ',411
the trustees cut Morpeth Dock, which insulated the Sn", it
Reserve ; but in the Act they were required to corm erg,
by two bridges, for the free transit of foot-Passengone
horses, carts, &c. ; and ono of these bridges was tne ive
in question, over which the trustees were ordered tran
the public free and uninterrupted communication• Bract
act passed in 1850, the trustees were required to consteoy
oathand maintain a bridge and a line of rails alongn,
porary embankment, in order to connect the Sh„ster
,
serve with Birkenhead and the Birkenhead and re•
Railway. The trustees had not performed the du"rerf
quired of them, but had only constructed a ternPetio-
bridge, which was out of repair. Under these 6°04
stances the Junction Railway Company obtained rear
to run a line by the docks across to Seacombe, anu the
tiated with the trustees for the erection of a station 400
South Reserve. Subsequently Mr. Maw, who 110,, of
works at Seacombe, contracted with the trustees to
down rails along the temporary embankment, and gr'
the bridge which formed the subject of dispute. red
ate
Hull proceeded to state that a contract had been, ~,ted;
into between the Railway Company and the Ir"„,"er
for a purchase of the South Reserve, and the Pn"Da bf
running over the docks, and powers had been obtain:ibeir
an Act. The Trustees, however, bad not exercised 4 for
own powers ; but in September the iron was renni%rell
the construction or the bridge, and up to that time. clis:
thing was carried on peaceably. In October son vis'
pute arose as to the ownership of the bride, 87,e-13C°A.
referred to three gentlemen to arrange the di,'e,‘, an;
That sub-committee agreed that the Shrevrshu,sanei
Chester Railway Company should proceed in the std
previously arranged, and be denied that the '''-,b*Ort
Trustees had ever authorised an interference with the l fiqt
rangement. On the Friday preceding the day 01. upon /5
the bridge was opened, and a railway carriage run si Oro
to test its bearing power ; and on the Monday le to
to
had mentioned to Capt. Hookey that he hen r„jen
carriage on the bridge a few days before, and inti,e4 th
run a goods train that night, to which Capt f°
expressed no objection. He should show thetZA !lett'
yens, who in the meantime went to Chester, G.w„tes
rive at the Monk's Ferry Station until a few 00;cerfittio
fore 8 o'clock, and, therefore, as far as he was c°..- 'ills
could not have been present at the time of the allroo
defence was that neither Capt. Hookey nor 1V1,!. bia
were authorised by the Dock Trustees to Orioas tit;
railway company from proceeding with the PreLtboL,,
rangement. The act of 1844, under which the I,eo, ;re
was vested in him for opening gha shutting ,Ich t
was passed when the dock had no bridges, "" $0"tlo
t
only rendered necessary when the south res ibe
off; and he argued that Captain Hookey had ri°6oolo
exercise an unreasonable power, when at 0:0,4 ro,"it.
railway company, by arrangement, bad a rig" 011,70
reasonable use of the bridge. He proceeded to ichicP
nesses to substantiate the several statements is
1)01
had made. 0A
At the close of the evidence for the defencelronLeY,
consulted for a short time, after which the ehao orreo
that they held that the bridge had no right to ha ordeted
without,the permission of the dock master, niPiptillori,
the defendants to be fined £lO each. Mr.
to the magistrates that he would appeal from their eie 0 01,
It was then arranged between the parties that e del
monses for the assault should be withdrawn, the
ants paying the expenses.

-----
1
THE ELECTIOIs S .

i‘u"
,Aoc.„elf

OLDHAM.—The polling commenced at eight fer'cet9f
Thursday, the candidates being Mr. Heald (Co °' crOgr'
and Mr. Fox (Radical). The various booths we,teDd for fos
and at ten o'clock 682 votes had been recor7 gr• bs
Fox, and 408 for Mr. Heald. The friends °`iiers 5-00'
continued at the head of the poll, and the col slcolpll,l'
number of piecers, in a beastly state of ill3ge's
commenced a general attack on the Working jecebro'
The tables and forms were upset, broken tore owe oa
thrown into the street. Several persons 'Ol tiler 610
tally assaulted, and one of them so injured tuber
arteolls'
but little hopes of his recovery ; a large )IP,ffoo/i
seriously injured. At twelve o'clock, the 11,e;:the
senior magistrate, read the riot act opposl of .-10,;
hall, and in half an hour afterwards a troogrowlryffre
Dragoon Guards were assembled near the,feets.,itte
The soldiers and magistrates paraded the getir'oliej9
room at the King's Arms, where the cent lir
were assembled, was attacked, and some winu°

CLOSE OF THE POLL

116 red
Majority for Fox.. • • vire,•• 1/1
ABINGDON.—The polling took place
the candidates, Mr. Burr, a ConservaTeers were'
Norreys, a Peelite. At the close the nun' 153
Lord Norreys ............ ••• • • • 129
Mr. Burr
24,18•/,
Majority• • • • • 'lglu.'
DURHANI.—The polling took place on
at the close the numbers were—
Lord Adolphus Vane (Conservative)
Mr. H. Fenwick (Radical)

• • 0- r
ikfsjority.• • .00 ,
Co Lic) t
BURY ST. EDMUND'S.—The polling LOO-:_scrva tot
day, the candidates being Mr. Oakes (C_2o co°
Mr. Hardcastle (Liberal). After a s"' 394
numbers were— •• • 316

Oakes ....
Hardcastle

• • • • .......... -
..... ...... • •
; ........ 1'.!( " '.•‘.011 telt 0 011'
polling took I,;e(reel4o

Majority
PETERTIOROUGh
The candidates were
Mr. Whalley (Liberal),
At the close the numbers

Luis
rr t

'kin Corneas
lio will

151 f
Ear
Majority
This is a triumph over the Whig dictation
William.

Whalley
C. Lewis