The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-05-12 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL MAY SESSIONS

The sessions opened yesterdiy, More Gilbert Hender-
son, Esq., the Recorder. The calendar was unusually
heavy, considering the short period that has &Lapsed since
the last sitting of the court, there being no fewer than 88
prisoners charged with felony, and 13 for misdeameanours.
Of these, 38 could rend and write imperfectly, 8 could
read and write well, 19 could read imperfectly, and 28
could neither read nor write. •

The following gentlemen were sworn in to act as the

GRAND JURY

William Fothergill Robiusou, Tithebarn-street, hide merchant,

foreman.
William Ashley, Water-strect, merchant.

John Barne• iiiancker, Exchange-alley North. broker.

William Butterfield Colton, Oldhall.street, hide broker

Christopher James Corhalli, henwick•stteet, merchant.

John Coward, India. buildings, cotton broker

John Irving Cirri ie, North John-street, merchant.
Thomas Philip Ranson. Exchange-alley North, cotton broker,

William Rathbone Duncan, Cathe:i: e-street, merchant,
Thomas Stewart Gladstone, Oldhall-street, bicker.

John Hore, George's•do: k Gates, corn merchant.
James Middleton, Humford-p'ace, merchant.
Itobrrt M'Audrew, North John-street, fruit merchant.
Daniel Mather, Mount-pleasant, gentleman.

Charley Melhuish, Castle-street, merchant.
Henry Murray. Rumford-street, merchant.
John Moore Priestmau, Chapel-street,. merchant,

Henry Alexander Stewart, Cable.street, ship broker,

George Adams Tinley. Toicteth-park, ebroker.
George Johnson Wainwright, Dale-street, broker.
The RECORDER delivered the following address. He
said—" Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, the cases you are
assembled to consider depend on the principles of the cri-
minal law, so familiar as to render any particular direc-
tions from me superfluous, especially as it will be in your
power at any moment to command my best assistance if
any case of doubt or difficulty should present itself. There
is one charge of assault which seems to have arisen out of
one of those disputes which exist between the workmen
and the masters engaged in trades connected with build-
ing. Deplorable as such a contest is, it is still some satis-
faction to observe that it has hitherto been con-
ducted without those scenes of violence and disorder
which have sometimes occurred on similar occasions.
If the same spirit of conformity to the law should
continue to, and it will be a strong proof, not only of the
increased intelligence of the parties concerned, but also of
their due sense of social duty. It is lamentable to think
that the labour of so many skilful artificers should be so
tong suspended, and that the fruits which might naturally
be expected from their exertions have been lost, not only
to them 'elves, but to the community at large. However,
gentlemen, as the law gives me no power to interfere to
settle these disputes, I shall abstain from offering any
opinion upon their merits. Gentlemen, the calendar
contains the names of 112 persons to be tried for felony
or misdemeanor, and I think it will hardly be possible for
you to contemplate such a mass of crime without feeling
an anxious wish for its diminution. In fact, gentlemen,
this is a point not merely of local but of national import-
ance. The government has for some years past found the
proper disposal of between four and five thousand con-
victs, who are annually sentenced to transportation, a sub.
ject of extreme embarrassment and difficulty ; and a new
colony called North Australia is now being established at
public expense, portly to receive those persons, and relieve
our other settlements in that part of the globe, who
complain of the oppression arising to them from the in-
flux of these unhappy persons. Now, Gentlemen, with a
view to this state of things and to the diminution of crime,
of the means at present untried there is none that seems
to hold out more hope of good effects than the improve-
ment, and further improvement of our penal institutions.
Gentlemen, the subject of prisons and prison discipline
has of late years attracted a deep attention on the
part of the most enlightened nations. It has been
the topic of a speech from the throne in France.
France, Prussia, and England have severallysinstituted
inquiries into the experience of the United States.
The results of these inquiries are before the
world ; and I only adopt the opinion of much better judges
when I say that the value and importance of what is called
" the separate system." and its superiority to all other
means hitherto discovered for the treatment of prisoners,
is now fully established. Gentlemen, of the truth of this
opinion our local government seems at an early period to
have been fully aware. That appears from the steps which
they then took. Unforeseen obstacles have since occurred
to retard the completion of their intentions. Years have
passed away, and it is now impossible that Liverpool
should be foremost, but let us hope that it will not be the
last to avail itself of those improvements from which we
may most naturally look for a diminution of crime.

The grand jury then retired to their room for the dis-
patch of business, and shortly after sent several bills into
court. The trials during the day were unimportant, the
particulars of them having already appeared in our police

reports

The following were the results up to the closing of the
lint in the evening _

Margaret Bulten—acquitted.
Matthew M'Coy—ten years' transportation.
James Williams—five calendar months, twice whipped

James Nl'Keown—seven years' transportation
Hugh Doyle—two calendar months.

Michael Phillips—seven years' transportation.
John Sullivan—fourteen days, four days solitary, and
once whipped.

William and Daniel Kelly—each four calendar months
Elizabeth Barns—acquitted.
Rnbert Speight—three calendar months, once whipped
Edwd.M`Caffery—four calendar months, office whipped

The Bishop of Chester has licensed the Upper Room of
the Church of England North School, Bond-street, for
the celebration of divine service until a church can be
built for the district of Bevington. On Sunday next the
room will be opened for the purpose, when the Rev. A.
Campbell, and the Rev. F. A. Power, the minister of the
district, will officiate. Baptisms and churchings will be
administered every Sunday afternoon.
ORANGEISM.—GRATIFYING MARK OF RESPECT.—
On Wednesday evening last, the Brethren of L 0. L.,
No. 42, who met at Brother Marshall's, Edge-hill Coffee-
house, presented their W. Master with a very handsome
silver snuff box, bearing a suitable inscription, as a token
of their great esteem, and high admiration of the able and
courteous manner in which he has discharged the onerous
duties of his office. We believe that this is the first in-
stance on record of a similar' gift from a local lodge.
We beg to call attention to the advertisement in our
columns this day of the anniversary sermons and meet-
ings of the Church Missionary Society. We feel
it unnecessary to say anything in commendation either
of the excellent society or the object, both being already
sufficiently advoca'ed and appreciated in our town ; and
we are convinced that the liberality manifested at former
anniversaries will be exhibited in equal if net larger mea-
sure at the next. We are happy to find that in addition
to the deputation named in our advertisement, the Rev.
F. Close, of Cheltenham, will plead the cause of the so-
ciety at St Michael's Church, on Friday. 291 h May not
the 22d, as was supposed by some. Hand-bills with
particulars of the meetings, sermons, and preachers, &c.,
can be had at cur office.

CHARGE OF STEALING WEARING APPAREL, &C., AND
OF RECElVlNG.—Yesterday, at the police-court, a girl
named Fanny Larkin, (residing in New Milk-street), and
three women, Ann Rogers, Margaret Goggerty, and Mary
Murray, were charged, the two first with stealing wearing
apparel, &0., from the shop of Mr. M'Kenna, auctioneer
and general furniture broker, Manchester-street, and the
others for receiving the property, which, it appeared. was
of but trifling value. The evidence of the complainant
and his witnesses went chiefly against the girl, but it ap-
peared that her mother, who as well as herself had been in
the service of complainant, had been committed a short
time ago on a similar charge, and that the daughter had
thereupon been sent for to take charge of the house and
what was in it, for the nature of which last she was not to
be held responsible. The evidence against the other pri•
soners was by no means conclusive, and the whole four
were discharged.

LOCAL BILLS BEFORE PARLIAMENT.—A resume of
the exact condition of the local bills now before the legis-
lature may not be without interest. The Dock Bill was
under the consideration of the Standing Orders Committee
of the House of Lords, last Tuesday, and it passed
unanimously. This circumstance however, is no indica-
tion of peace; for in the committee on the merits, a
strenuous attempt, we understand, will be made to re-
introduce the warehouse building clause, whilst the good
people cn the other side the Mersey are by no means
satisfied with the issue of their exertions in the Commons
to procure a landing stage at George's Pier, for the ex-
clusive use of the ferry steamers. Hitherto no steps have
been taken in the house to obtain a locus stanch before the
committee, by the parties who wish to retain the buildina
clause ; but no doubt they will, in due time. As to the
lauding stages, the Birkenhead Commissioners are backed
by a host of petitions, namely, from the inhabitants of
Birkenhead, Chester, Trentnere, Neston, Bebington
Eastham, 11 ooton ,Bromborough,Seacombe,Newßrighton,
and Egremont ; from owners aud persons interested in
certain steam vessels running between Liverpool and
ports in Ireland, Scotland, and other places ; from certain
coal and salt proprietors; from owners of flats and other
river craft, frequenting the port of Liverpool ; from the
Chester and Birkenhead Railway Company ; and from
certain masters of flats plying on the Mersey. The Sana-
tory Bill, the Paving, Sewering, and Watering Bill, the
Liverpool Water Bill, the Harrington Water Works Bill,
and the Toxteth.park Improvement Bill, go int) com-
mittee this day (Tuesday.) The committee will consist
of the South Lancashire list, and the following selected
members :—Mr. F. G. WarJ, Mr. Gisborne, Hon. F.
Berkeley, Mr. Rice Clayton, and Mr. M'Geachy. A
great number of petitions against these bills have been
referred to the committee and counsel ord.-red. The
committee on the Liverpool Improvement BM is post-
poned until Thursday next. Mr. J. B. Lloyd is a pe-
titioner against it, probably only for clauses. The pro-
prietors of the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company
have petitioned against the Herculaneum Dock Bill. In
fact, all our local bills are opposed on different grounas,
and the several contests appear to promise considerable
employment to all the parties engaged in them for at
least a month or six weeks.
TESTIMONIAL.—fhe following testimonial is well de-
served :
" fhe undersigned passengers in the shit? New York,
cannot take leave a its commander, Captain Thomas B.
Cropper, without expressing, most unfeignedly, theF
high sense of his merits as a skilful, prudent, and vigi-
lant officer; and their sincere appreciation of his conduct,
as a courteous and accomplished gentleman. They tender
to him their thanks, and avail themselves of this occasion
to convey to him their warmest wishes for his future wel-
fare.

" William F. Speer,
Rev. E. Lapelletrie,
F. A. Huntington,
John C. Orton,
J Enteman.
William Todhunter,
Washington Greenhovr.
" Liverpool, May Bth, 1846."

Franklin Osgood and
family,
P. Mathews,
Rev. James Petrie,
E. Mills,
Albt. J. Tobias.