The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-19 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL EASTER SESSIONS.

The Quarter Sessions of the peace for the borough of
Liverpool commenced yesterday (Monday), in the criminal
court house, before James Clarke, Esq. recorder. The
calendar contained the names of -106 personS charged with
felony, and 14 with misdemeanors.
The following gentlemen were sworn on the grand jury :
John Haselden, Esq. foreman. •
Mr. Swinton Boult, M r. -Charles Groves,
Mr. William Blain, -• Mr. John Goulding, jun.
Mr. Geo. William Boyd, Air. William Huson,
Mr. James Palmer Budd, Mr. Edward Jones,
Mr. Adam Cliff, Mr. Timothy Jevons.
Mr. David Cannon, ' Mr., Samuel Kearsley ,
Mr. 'William Clare, • 111r.-George Langtry,
Mr. William Dawson, Mr; Henry Murray.
Mr. Robinson DuCkworth,
The CLERK of the Pna:6-E having read the royal proclama-
tion for the suppression of vice, profaneness, and immorality,
The RECORDER proceeded to deliver his charge. He said,
gentlemen of the Grand Jury. I have read with some atten-
tion the depositions in all the cases which will come before
You, and I am happy.to be able to state to you in the outset,
that I do not think YOU will meet with any difficulty in form--
ing the conclusion which you ought to come to on the inves-
tigation of these cases. There are not any legal difficulties
of which I am aware in any of the cases, but if, contrary to
illy expectation, any should arise, if you will apply to me I
will do all I can to remove them. The number of prisoners
is certainly very. considerable; it is above a hundred, and
some persons might at once say, under their first impressions,
" How comes it with so strong a police force, that the calen-
dar is so full ?" That, gentlemen, is a natural impression,
and one easily raised; but we must not come to such a con-
clusion hastily, because if the calendar is investigated, and
the nature of the crimes analysed, you will find that two-
thirds of the offences have been committed in spite of the
police, and that no police in the world could possibly
correct or control. them. For instance, very large num-
bers of crimes are committed, I am . sorry to say, and
they always give' me great pain, by domestic servants.
Now, you know as well as I do, that these offences cannot
be controlled by the police. Every' thing with regard to
servants depends upon their own faithfulness and interity,
and if they are not true to their employers, they have oppor-
tunities beyond all measure to commit robberies ; they have
access to property of the most valuable description, and if
they are not well inclined they may plunder for a considera-
ble length of time before they are detected. There is another
large class of crimesin this calendar, arising from the impru-
dent and improvident.conduct of the prosecutors themselves
—men who go into the streets, under the excitement of li-
quor, with large sums of money about them, where they meet
with bad company, thus encouraging the very crimes which
they afterwards prosecute. These persons should consider
what expense' the-country is incurring• in every-department, -
by police in towns and rural police in the country, and that
their conduct adds greatly to the amount—for they beget
crimes, and afterwards the expense of prosecuting them falls
upon the country. There is no item in our national expen-
diture more heavy or more severe than that which arises
from the administration of the law. There is also a number
of larcenies to come before yon, which you will find are of a
nature that no police could correct. I hope many shop.
keepers hear me, for there is a practice which they solely
should endeavour to correct. Persons come to their shops,
and say " I want such an article ; send it down to my house,
or to my lodgings." They.give credit to his story, and send
a Young boy with the goods, with this direction—" Go with
this gentleman to his house, and receive the money." The
boys are too small ; they are easily deceived ; and the man
Bays, " I will help yoii to carry the goods ;" and he knocks
at the door. He enters—no money is forthcoming—the
Party is gone—and the shopkeeper is defrauded. This is a
felony in the eye of the law, although not committed by
force; but it is not one which the police can control: it is
all done by stratagem and manoeuvre. Now in every case I
would advise shopkeepers not to trust on these kinds of
statements, unless they know the party or receive a refer-
ence. Then, if we strike out this description of cases from
the calendar, and reduce the cases to those of ordinary rob-
beries and so on, the calendar is a very light one. There
a.rep however, three cases in it which are very bad ones ; but
r do not refer to them in consequence of any difficulty in
them, but because no one can read them without being
shocked at the enormity of the crimes. The learned recorder
then referred to the cases, but in so. low a tone that we could
catch the names of two only, Susan Mitchell and John War-
l'en.; and he concluded by formally dismissing the grand jury
to their labours.

ROBBERY FROM THE ADELPIII HOTEL.
Harriet Jones, aged 19, was indicted for having feloniously
stolen two spoons and one pair of sugar tongs, the property
°f her employer, Mr. James Radley, the proprietor of the
Adelphi
Mr. Radley stated, that the prisoner had been.in his ser-
ve, as an under barmaid, between six and seven months.
the 4th instant having had a communication made to him,
47 asked her permission to search her box, which was in her
bedroom. .She consented, arid a constable being sent for
box was searched, and the property mentioned in the in-
ufetment found wrapped the sleeve of a gown.
„ Connor, a policeman, confirmed this statement, and added,
that in the box he foun I a silver pencil cafe in addition to the
other articles.
It was stated that this pencil case would form the subject
of another indictment.
her, prisoner, in defence, said she had put the plate into
box a day or two before, for the purpose of cleaning it ;
and that, owing to absence and illness, she had no Opportunity
of returning it to the head bartnaicL'
The jury found a verdict of guilty.
The Recorder sentenced the prisoner to 12 months' im-
Prhioarnent and hard labour.

ROBBERY FROM THE PERSON..
Margaret Nowland was indicted for having feloniously
stolen,, on the 7th instant, five sovereigns, from the person of
lying
Paterson, second mate of an American vessel, now
IYing in this port. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

STEALING SUGAR.
Thomas Bartholomew Dunlop was indicted for stealing
eight pOunds weight of sugar, the property of Messrs. M`Fee
flti Co., sugar makers, ariasthis town; a second count in the
lodictment charged the sug the-property of the Queen.
Mr. James prosecuted, and Mr. Fitzgerald defended. The
Prisoner was in the service of Messrs. M`Fee and Co. as an
engineer, and the-sugar he was alleged to have stolen was in
the bonded warehouse. He was met with the sugar in his
Possession, about fOur o'cloCk in the morning, in Whitecha-
Pei, by a police-officer, who took him into custody. His
4tatemefirthen,- and his defence in answer to the -ease now,
was, he had taken the sugar by way of playing a practical
Joke, on the custom-house officer. The jury returned a ver-
Wet of guilty. The prisoner received a good character from
i,Person who had employed -him some time ago in Glasgow.
sentence deterred.

STEALING FROM.TIIE WATERLOOROTEL.
Margt, ;Smith, 55, pleaded guilty to an indictment char,g-
-14 her with having.stoleii two sheets; six towcis, two nap-
kins, three glasseS, sit dishes, three 'knivos., two forks, and
other articles, the properly of Mr. William Lynn, the pro-
prietor of the Waterloo Hotel.. The
.Court sentenced her to
three monthi imprisOr thent and hard labOUr.