The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-02 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

POLICE'INTELLIGENCE.

CHARGE OF A asoN.—At a quarter to ten o'clock on Thurs-
day night an alarm of fire was given in Greetham-street, and
Inspector Okley, on hurrying to the spot, found that smoke was
issuing from a marine store belong, to Mr. Nicholas Evans.
The premises were entered by the police, and the fire was soon
extinguished. On fUlther examination of the premises, how-
ever, police-officer No. 293 detected a light in a cupboardunder
the stairs, and on opening the dobr, which 'was effected with
some difficUlty, alighted candle was observed, which was placed
in such a situation as to excite the suspicions of the inspector.
Mr. Evans was in consequence detained by him till the arrival
of Mr. Whitty, our indefatigable bead constable, who, on being
made acquainted with the circumstances, ordered Mr. Evans to
be taken into custody. ;
On Friday the case came on for hearing before Mr. Hall—
William Earle, jun., and R. E. Harvey, Esqrs., were also on
the bench.

Mr. Whitty briefly detailed the facts which we have mentioned.
He'also stated that the pris'oner resided in Fox-street, and not
at the marine store in Greetham-street.
John Richardson, whose residence adjoins the marine store,
deposed that he heard the alarm of fire on" the preceding even-
ing. He went to the door of the store, and, finding that it was
fast, he and others broke it open. He then made to the spot
where the fire was burning, which was a small room in the back
part of the premises. He looked about to ascertain whether
the flames had originated from the fire-place; but it seemed to
him as if there had not recently been a fire. The rags and
woodwork were on fire; and he imagined that something had
fallen into a cask which • was there, and set the rags which it
contained in a blaze. He, however, saw no candle about. The
constable called his attention to the stair, where a candle was
burning, about one quarter of an inch from some rags. Nothing
under the staircase had taken fire. He had some difficulty in
getting to the place where 'the candle was burning, as the door
was, held fast by a great many rags deposited against it. The
staircase was about a. yard and a half from the place where the
rags had been on tire.
Cross-examined by Mr. Davenport.—The candle could not
have been left there by accident. It was lighted and left under
the stair. He knew that a candle was sometimes used by the
occupiar of the premises; but he was certain the one in ques-
tion could not have been accidentally left there. It was not in
a stick. The rags were a foot thick round the candle, which
was supported by them. There was also a little straw near.
Police-officer No. 294 deposed to the fact of the lighted can-
dle having been discovered by him and the other persons pre-
sent. In about ten minutes the whole of the rags and straw
under the staircase must have been in flames. The rags must
have been placed behind the door after the candle had been
placed in the situation described.
Cross-eZantined.—The fire was soon extinguished. He saw
the sky7light ; only one pane was broken, so that no person
could haVe entered or retired that way.
Police-officer No. 175 corroborated the statements of the two
preceding witnesses. He said that the rags seemed to be
nicely puffed up about the candle,
—Ankers, a baker, deposed that about half-past eight on
Thursday night, be saw Evans lock up his store, after which he
had some conversation with him. Evans said that he had in
his premises about £l5O worth of goods in copper and lead. The
prisoner's wife attends to another shop; Evans does not sleep
in the marine store. He did not know how long the prisoner
had kept the store; he had only lived in the neighbourhood
about ten months. The witness then detailed the fact of the
fire having broken out, and, after assisting to force open the
door, of his haVing run into Pitt-street to call the watch.,
Cross-examined.—Evans remained conversing with him
about ten or fifteen minutes. He said nothing to him about
rags—he spoke only of copper and lead. Witness had not seen
the prisoner for two or three days before. Evans was nut in
the habit of telling him of what he was worth.
Mr. Maxwell deposed that he was an inspector of salvage for
an assurance office, and whenever .a fire took place it was his
duty to attend and look after the property. On Friday morn-
ing he considered it his duty to go and take a rough estimate
of the property of the prisoner's premises. This he had done;
and, though he had given every thing the full value, it amounted
only to £3l 3s. He only found 1 cwt. of lead. There were
three panes broken in the sky-light; they Are, however, only
about three inches square. The wooden part was perfect.
Cross-examined.—The prisoner had said that the boys were
in the habit of throwing stones from the yard. They might
play such tricks with him as that; but he could not see how
they could have got in to play hint such a trick as to put a
lighted candle under the stair-case.
By the Magistrate.—He found no copper on the premises,
and only about I cwt. of lead.

Mr. Whiny and others deposed that none -of the .property
could. have been taken away, for the door was locked by inspec-
tor Okley on retiring, and there had been a policeman on the
spot during the night.
Mr. Forshaw, agent for the County Fire Office, put in a deed
of policy, effected by the,prisoner, for £4OO, one half of which,
however, only applied to the marine store, the other half being
for his house, No. 3, Fox-stieet, (£50,) and for the property
in,the grocer's shop kept by his wife (£150.) He had been in-
sured with them nearly five years. The policy. had been re-
newed on Lady-dayjlast.
Ankers re-examined by Mr. Hall.—From the time the
fire commenced till the lock wa3 put on. the door, there was no
property removed. He was present the whole time.
Cross.exainined. He did not see the prisoner assisting ac-
tively to put out the fire. He (prisoner) was not on the spot
till the fire was extinguished.
Mr. Whittv deposed that he found nothing on the premises
but rags and old bones. He was present with Mr. Maxwell
when that gentleman made his estimate; he perhaps did not
know so well as he the value of the articles; but he should not
think that the whole of the property in the store was worth
more than £lO.

Mr. Hall said that the pr'osecution ought to be conducted by
the fire-office. He should therefore remand the prisoner, to al-
low Mr. Forshaw an opportunity of communicating with the
directors.

Mr. Forshaw thought that there would he a disinclination on
their part to prosecute, as such acts tended to bring odium on
the establishment resorting to them. Mr. Whitty was of a con-
trary opinion; he thought the directors would have no hesita-
tion in the matter.

Mr. Hall would offer no opinion upon the case ;but he said
that enough had been elicited to authorize him in detaining the"
prisoner until the directors had been written to, It would cer-
tainly appear a singular thing to him if they did not follow the
case up ; for no man nor no body of men ought to consider their
private gain in preference to their duty to the public.
Mr. Forshaw ultimately consented to write by the evening's
post, to London, and the prisoner was remanded till Tuesday.
CHAPEL ROBBING.—Edward Tarleton, who had the appear-
ance of having once been a respectable individual, was on Fri-
day placed at the bar of the police-office, charged with having
stolen and offered to pledge; at Mr. Gillaird's, in London-road, a
Wesleyan Hymn Book, the property of Mr. James William
Bogie. The book had been stolen from Brunswick Chapel. A
person from Mr. Gillaird's attended, and proved the fact of the
prisoner having offered the hymn book fur pledge. He had
previously pawned with them about a dozen Bibles and prayer-
books, from' which the names had been erased. The priSoner,
in answer to two or three questions from the magistrate, (in the
course of replying to which he burst into tears,) said that he
was out of employment, and that it was between four and five
years since he had been prosecuted (for an offence for whieh he
was committed to Lancaster Castle for twelve months.) As
complaints had been made from two or three sources relative
to the loss of Bibles, &c., Mr. Hall remanded the prisoner till
Tuesday, to give opportunity for enquiring into the ownership
of the books.

Excisg. INFonniA:rtots.—On Friday, at the Police-office,
two informations were laid 11l the Excise against David Taylor
Shaw and John Shaw, as occupants or proprietors of the public-
house called the Shades and the Saloon, in Williamson-square,
for having sold, on the 28th of October, one-eighthpart of a pint
of wine (in the Shades) and one-eighth part of a pint of rum (in
the Saloon) without a license. In support Of the &it informa-
tion, Wardle, an excise-officer, proved thiit he had purchased
the wine in the shades, for which he paid 6d., and that David
Shaw was standing iu the place at the time it was served to him
by the waiter. It was also proved by himself and another
officer, who had been stationed by him at the back of the pre-
mises to keep watch, that no person hid left the premises to
purchase the wine, during the time he was inside. Thomas
Edwards, who represented himself as a musician who had until
lately performed at the Shades, was then called as a witness for
the prosecution; but his evidence was so falteringly delivered
and so evasive and contradictory that he was indignantly and
severely reprimanded by Mr. Hall. The substance of his evi-
dence was that he had been, until within six, eight, ten, or
twelve weeks past, (but which it was impossible to determine,)
accustomed to see David Shaw at the Shades every night, from
eight to twelve o'clock ; butt he had nut seen him there since
some one or other of those periods. He at last swore, however,
that had not seen him there in the month of November, nor
since. No evidence being adduced as to the fact of either of the
Shaws being the keeper of the house, the magistrate said that
whatever might be his private opinion, he must acquit the de-
fendants. The other information was then' withdrawn.

Isis" Goon WILL—On Saturday, at the Police-office, a
young artizan, named Joh❑ Hawgan, appeared before the ma-
gistrates to prefer a charge of assault against James Carr, also
an artizan, both of them natives of " ould lreland."—The
complainant stated that on Monday night, between nine and
ten o'clock, when he went to his lodgings, which are at a public
house, the defendant who was in the house, said the 'moment he
entered—" Sure an' this is dhe big spalpeen dhat's comin'."
He (complainant) took no notice of him, and he (defendant)
kept walking in and out of the public house. Soon after be
(complainant) was standing with his hand on the gas-pipe,
when the defendant came towards him, as he thought to light
his pipe, " whin," said the complainant, " he up wid his hand
an' gev ►ne tree strokes on the eye, before I knew my where
abouts; an' 'ibaciated my bead dreadful."—Carr, when asked
what he had to say in defence, said, " Why, by the beauty
o' man, I 'ed no ill will or malice agin 'int at all; only, ye see,
it happened sure, o' Christmas night, an' I'ed some dhriuk an
me;, an' how I came to sthrick dhe man I can't say, but
wouldn't I suffer all kinds o' visitation 'fore ever I 'ud giv 'ern
a whack at all ?"—Mr. Hall; " You have struck him."—lle-
fendant " Sure, au' we'd no envy, nor malice, nor spite, nor
anythin' agin one another at all; an' its only lasht Saturdhay
dhat we played earls together till two o'clock on Sunday
mornin', an' parted dhe best o' friends."—Complainant " I've
lost 10s. 6d. worth of a hat of ine head, which was picked off by
'tin; :aa' even dhe honest man, Win. Duffey, as keeps dhe
publig,house, came up an' said what, do you want to murther
the man widow. rason?'"--,Mr. Hall said he would give the
defendant an opportunity of 'settling the. matter with the com-
plainant. After a short consultation together, through the
medium of Ainsworth, the constable, the defendant agreed to
pay the complainant 10s. 6d. for his hat, And pay for the
summons.

SMUGGLING.—Ou Saturday, at the Police-office, a female,
named Mary Fay, an Irishwoman, was brought before the ma-
gistrates, on a charge of attempting to smuggle some whisky.
A police-officer deposed, that between five and six o'clock the
night before, he stopped the prisoner with three small jugs con-
cealed about her person, altogether containing seven quarts of
whisky. Mr. Hall inquired if she had a permit?
The prisoner
replied that she had not; that she had been to Dublin to see
her friends forthe first time during 15 years, and they had given
her the whisky, first one a little, and then another. Mr. Hall
said, notwithstanding convictions took place every day, people
would be guilty of smuggling things on shore. • It was quite
useless to attempt such a thing, for what with the Custom-house
officers, and police officers, it was almost impossible for them to
succeed. He had no.alternative but to inflict the penalty of
£25, or in default to be committed for three months to Kirkdale.

EFFECTS OF DOUNKENNEss.--111 Saturday, at the Police-.
office, an Irishman, apparently a pig-jobber, named M`Alister,
Trom Dunlop, in the north of Ireland, appeared before the ma-
gistrates to lay a charge against an artizan of having robbed
him of £lB, whilst they were together in a public-house, On
I h u rsd a y night. - Mr. Hall inquired what his charge was?—
Complainant.—" Why, that I have been robbed of £lB, and
the prisoner is the only man that's' got it." Mr. Parkinson said,
that the complainant hail been brought to Bridewell on Thurs-
day night quite drunk, and wanted to charge the police with
having jobbed him. Mr. Hall.—" I remember this case ; you
were in such a state of beastly drunkenness, that you had
not the smallest recollection of where you had been, what you
had been, doing, or,who you bad been with. What is your evi-
dence against the prisoner ?... Complainant.—" My evidence is

this,.that I swear he is the man that took the money. .1 don't
accuse him of the rubbery; I think it was for safety that he
took it." Mr. Ilia—What evidence have yot: that he took
your money ?" Complainant.—" I am sure of it ?" Mr.
Hall.—" How ?" Complainant.-1 know it, because he put
his hand in my left hand breast pocket, and took it out." .M-r:
Hall.—" Yesterday you were insiunating that the police took
it; and when 1 asked if you could give any account,,you told
me that you knew nothing at all about it, and yu wanted me
to believe that the police had taken you £lB. There is not the
smallest evidence in the world agaiut, the prisoner; discharge
him.

THE AFFAIRS OF CANADA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL ST.,INDdIRD.

SI R, —As a good deal of anxiety at present exists respecting
Lower Canada, you will probably give insertion to the following►
remarks, which I believe to be a true statement of the present
difference. '

_ .
Up to the year 1831, there was no very marked division of
Canadiani of British and Foreign origin, a large number of
both origins having petitioned the Imperial Parliament for re-
dress of grievances in 1827. ' The Canada Committee reported
in 1828 or 1829, and with this report and the suhsequeiit dis•
patches of Lord Goderich respecting it, all pirties declared
themselves satisfied. See Papineau's and Bourday's speeches,
28th November, and the resolutions adopted by the House of
Assembly, 29th Nov. 1831. '

Within a few. months after the French Canadians had declar-
ed themselves fully satisfied with the report of the Canada Com-
mittee, their jealousy of the enterprise and increasing numbers
of the British settlers, led them to adopt measures which created
a complete breach between the inhabitants of French and (as
the French party designated thern)'those of Britiali‘and foreign
origin. See the 92 resolutions' of the H oUse or Assembly. This
breach gradually widened, Until it has, at last created a deadly en-
mity between the two races, and made it apparent that, 'until
the one or the other decidedly predominate, there can be no
peace in the country—nothing can now 'reconcile them, and it is
useless to attempt it. •
The British and Irish inhabitants have. been stigmatised as
Tories, slaves of power, &c. &c. This is not the fact, and a
very superficial study of the politics of Canada will convince
every one that they should rather he ranked as Reformers. •
The French, from their artful framing of the election laws,
and division of the election districts, possess a 'much greater
majority in the House of Assembly than either their education,
wealth, or even their numbers warrant. They are strongly
biassed in favour of feudal law, of the French language, of the
institutions and laws of old France. They bear a perfect hatred,
to the inhabitants of British and Irish descent, and are guilty
of the most barefaced injustice towards'them.
They threw every obstacle in the .way of their settling in the
country and acquiring lands—refusing to establish registry
offices for purchases, sales, and mortgages of property, the want
of which renders it absolutely impossible to acquire a sure title to
any property, even though in posseision 20 years—secret mort-
gages, claims for dower, minor's claims, having frequently been
paid by purchases to more than the amount of what they had
previously paid for the property.
They make it indispensable for persons holding commissions
in the militia to
.possess a certain yearly revenue from landed
property ! there is a clause, however, which very moch favours
the Canadians—that sous of those possessing laud may hold
commissions.

They passed a law preventing co-partners voting on any
amount of property, but excepted co-heirs as the large majority
of the former were British, and of the latter, French. It is un-
necessary to go further into detail, in every possible way they
have endeavoured to increase their own influence, and decrease
that of the British and Irish, wishing to preserve themselves as
a distinct French race, with French laws and French language,
and in every way continuing to tyrannize over the British and
Irish interest, in this they have been encouraged by the vacil-
lating conduct of the British government.
Is it to be wondered at, under these circumstances, that the
British and Irish should display a bitter feeling towards them;
they went out to the country with the impression that under the
British flag they should have the laws, language, and institu-
tions of their own country, they found themselves bitterly mis•
taken, and have become from the repeated acts of tyranny on
the part of the French, completely exasperated—they are
roused and are determined to free themselves—they are ardently
attached to the connexion with the northern country, are loyal
to their Queen, but they will no longer submit to be ruled by a
small number of conquered and uneducated Frenchmen, they
have sworn that they will have the language, the laws, and the
institutions of British freemen, or they will die in their endea-
vour to obtain them. In North America the English language
and free institutions must prevail, and they are confident of the
result of the struggle. I cannot better describe the feeling that
prevails amongst the old countrymen in Canada than supposing
the question nut whether they would linger out, but to he go-
verned by Frenchmen, by quoting the words of Sir Walter
Scott— - -

" Not though destruction o'er the land come pouring as a flood,
The sun that sees our falling day, shall mark our sabre's deadly sway,
And set that night in blood."
AN ANGLO CANADIAN.
Liverpool, Dec. r6i, 1837.