The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-07 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL EPIPHANY SESSIONS.

The Epiphany Sessions, of the peace for the borough of
Liverpool commenced in the Court-house yesterday (Mon-
day), before JOSHUA WALMSLEY, Esq., mayor, and JAMES
CLARKE, Esq., recorder. The calendar contained the names
of 108 prisoners for trial on charges of felony, and nine
for misdemeanours and assaults.
The following gentlemen were sworn on the Grand Jury :
Was. ANTHONY, Esq., of Hope-street, timber-merchant,
foreman •, R. W. Ashley, Everton-road, merchant; John
Bibby, Duke's place, merchant; Francis Boult, Chatham-
street, coal-agent ; Jos. Brice. Bedford-street, corn-mer-
chant ; George Barnsley, India-buildings, cotton-broker ;
Samuel Beckwith, Tower-garden, hide-broker; A. A. Cooke,
Brunswick-street, merchant; Robt. Crosbie, North John-
street, merchant ; Wm. Fosbery, Plumpton-terrace, mer-
chant; Vincent Higgins, Tabley-street, iron-merchant; Chas.
Ironside, Water-street, merchant; Samuel Job, Poweall-
street, merchant ; John Lomax, Duke's place, ship-builder ;
George Loch, Exchange-place, merchant; Jas. Muir, Goree,
merchant; Win. Macgregor, St. George's hill, merchant;
Jos. Parton, Beau-street, broker; John Pemberton, Fen-
wick-street, merchant ; George Rainsden, Canning-street,
gentleman ; John Smith, Peel-street, merchant ; Wm. Shand,
Allerton, merchant ; Rodolph Zwilchenbart, Shaw-street,
merchant.
The TOWN-CLERK having read the Queen's proclamation
against vice and immorality,
The RECORDER proceeded to address the grand jury. He
said,—l am happy to meet you on this occasion under
very different feelings from those we experienced at the ses-
sions held at the corresponding period of last year. No one
can forget the melancholy events of that time. I am, how-
ever, very glad to say, that out of those circumstances has
sprung up a very valuable institution, calculated not only to mi-
tigate much suffering, but also to suppress crime. That institu-
tion cannot be too much recommended; and if its funds should
not be sufficient for its objects, I am satisfied there is feeling
enough in the town of Liverpool not to let it cease from that
circumstance. Looking at the large jurisdiction which this
court now has by the operation of the municipal act, looking
at the extensive population which resides within it, the pre-
sent calendar does seem to be rather a large one. There is,
I am happy to say, a decided decrease of the crimes which
usually had been committed with considerable violence. The
activity of the constabulary force has been, I apprehend, the
great, but not the exclusive cause, of that decrease. But
another class of offences has sprung up, which appears to
have taken the place of those which formerly were attended
with violence. In the calendar you will see a number of
offences effected by contrivance, by deception, and by strata-
em ; and these seem to have superseded the crimes which
were accompanied with violence. You will 'observe in the
calendar a considerable number of offences committed in
obtaining goods by false pretences ; but I am sorry to say
the tradesmen of this town are exposed to other kinds of
fraud. Parties take forged orders, and tradesmen, believ-
ing them to be genuine, act upon them, and in this way
they are plundered to a very considerable extent. We see
this in various cases in the calendar. There are two other
cases which I am sorry to see have taken place in this town.
One of them is the case of a domestic servant robbing her
master to the extent of £BO. or £9O. This is a very serious
case. The relative duties of master and servant are of the
last importance to society, and ought not to be infringed
upon. There is, also, another case—number 41,—0f a con-
fidential servant robbing his master. The prisoner is charged
with robbing the prosecutor from time to time, carrying the
property to Manchester, and there disposing of it. These
kind of offences are not within the range of the police. The
police cannot prevent them. Every thing, in that respect,
must depend on the conduct and prudence of the par-
ties. The police are very valuable in taking up dishonest
servants when they are detected, but no police in the world
can prevent them. I have always felt it my duty, and I shall
invariably act upon that feeling, when confidential servants
rob their masters, to put the sentence of the law into force
against them. I remember very well the great Lord Ellen-
borough transporting a coachman who had pilfered his mas-
ter's corn instead of giving it to the horses. On that occa-
sion Lord Ellenborough, in passing sentence, said—" the
relative duties of master and servant shall be kept up and
maintained by me, and when I find them violated I will al-
ways do my duty." The man was transported, and at this

moment he is abroad. There is also another class of cases
in the calendar which I am sorry to say has greatly increased.
You will hardly credit me when I state that one-fifth of all
the cases in the calendar are attributable to the vice of in-
temperance, and to no other cause. Now, when there exists,
as there does at this moment, a very earnest and a very gene-
rous desire to improve the moral condition of all classes of so-
ciety, one would hope that no class of persons wuuld be found
to interpose any obstacle to those who would cure intempe-
rance by prevention. It is of the last consequence to public
morals that intemperance, which is the source of so much
crime, should be checked. The law recently introduced into
London, I know, from authority, is operating beneficially.
There the public houses are closed at a certain hour on Sa-
turday night, and are not allowed to open till one o'clock on
Sunday, and I hope that by degrees this will become the ge-
neral law of the country. There is also a case in the calendar
of publishing obscene books. That, I am happy to say,
is a very rare offence in the town of Liverpool : and I
must make the same observation with regard to it as I made
just now, namely, that where there is a growing desire to
improve the moral and religious condition of the people, it is
lamentable to see offences committed which have a tendency
to counteract those efforts. Gentlemen, it is of the last con-
sequence that crime should be put down, not merely by force
of law, not merely by the vigilance of the police, but counter-
acted by order and morality spreading through the country.
That is the great source to which we must all look for the
prevention of crime.—The learned Recorder then dismissed
the Grand Jury to their duties.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY A DOMESTIC SERVANT.
Mary 21f:cilia, aged 2,5, pleaded guilty on arraignment, to
an indictment, charging her with having feloniously stolen
eighty sovereigns, one £lO Bank of England note, six £5
Bank of England notes, and one £5 Bank of Ireland note, the
property of her master, Mr. John Hall, corn dealer, of
Queen-square. It appeared that on the 18th November,
the prisoner took an opportunity of entering her master's
bed-room, and broke open a drawer, from which she ab-
stracted the money mentioned in the indictment. The rob-
bery was discovered about ten in the evening, and the prisoner
then given into custody. In answer to the Recorder, Mr.
Hall said, the prisoner had been in his servince only for two
or three days. She brought no character with her, but gave
references, which Mrs. Hall was unable to examine in conse-
quence of ill health. The prisoner told the court she was
guilty of stealing the money, that she took it to her mother,
that her mother told her for the honour of God to take it
back to the owner—and that her mother would have taken it
back but she did not know where Mr. Hall lived. All the
money with the exception of £2 or £2 103 was found by an
officer, buried in a field, about a mile from the town—Sen-
tence deferred.

• STEALING FROM AN EMPLOYER.
Samuel Thomas, 28, was indicted for having stolen one
box of wards and keys, the property of Robert Bridson.
The prosecution was conducted by Mr. PAGET, and the pri-
soner was defended by Mr. VENABLES. When the prisoner
was placed at the bar, it was evident that he was violently
agitated. His lips were livid, his countenance frequently
changed colour, and his frame trembled. The governor of
the gaol said he had been, since he was in confinement, sub-
ject to very severe fits. The Recorder ordered a chair to be
provided for his accommodation. The trial had not proceeded
long when the prisoner was seized with convulsions. Mr.
Venables intimated that he had been subject to tits from his
youth, and that under their influence be had taken the pro-
perty. Mr. Paget having made some inqUiries respecting the
prisoner's character, said he had no desire to press the case.
A verdict of acquittal was consequently taken, and the pri-
soner, who was all the time in strong convulsions, was
ordered to be delivered to his friends as soon as he should
be sufficiently recovered.
ANOTHER THEFT FROM AN EMPLOYER.
John Bolton, 28, was indicted for having feloniously
stolen ninety-eight skins, the property of Messrs. Robin-
son and Iladwen, his employers. Mr. flesneitSON and
Mr. CARDWELL conducted the prosecution, and the prisoner
was defended by Mr. MURPHY. The prisoner was employed
as confidential warehouseman, by Messrs. Robinson and
Hadwen, and took the Neutria skins, named in the indict-
ment, and, without any authority, sent them to a person
in Hanging Ditch, Manchester, with a regular note, request-
ing him to sell them. The jury returned a verdict of guilty,
but recommended the prisoner to mercy, on account of his
good character.—Sentence deferred.
STEALING CORN.
Edward Robinson, 45, pleaded guilty to an indictment
charging him with having stolen eight sacks of wheat, the
property of John Tomlinson and another. The prisoner, it
appeared, had gone into the warehouse, and, when he arrived
in the top room, he lifted up some beards and descended into
the room below, and filled the sacks. He received a good
character. Sentence deferred.
EMBEZZLEMENT.
Thomas Barber, 2G, was indicted for having feloniously
embezzled the several sums of £5 13s, A.:2 3s 9d, £1 11s 2d,
.£1 is 2d, and .:£22 14s, which he had received on account of
his master, William Gillinore, butcher. The prisoner pleaded
guilty. The prosecutor said he had been in his service from
three to four years, and, in consideration of his wife, recom-
mended him to mercy, but he would not again receive him
into his service. Sentence deferred.
MINT CASE.
George Ford and Mary Ford, (husband and wife,) were
indicted for a misdemeanour, in having in their possession,
on the 31st December last, twenty pieces of false and coun-
terfeit coin resembling half sovereigns, and one counterfeit
sovereign, with intent to utter them. Mr. LAWRENCE and
Mr. HENDERSON appeared for the prosecution ; the pri-
soners were undefended.
George Ackers said, he was a clerk in the carrying depart-
ment of the Grand Junction Railway Office, in Liverpool.
On the 27th December there was a reticule came by the mail
train from Birmingham, addressed to " Mary Ford." At
that period they were in the habit of receiving provisions and
perishable articles, and be was separating them from the
others for the purpose of delivering them in the morning,
when he found the dirionaenetdfooonodthe t
it
tte,teicouolteaiNt l defaced.viaecounerfHeiet
eirt"he informed Mr. Dowling. On the 31st
hthaelfresofovreereoir
nansneagadnd acounterteit sovereign. By the instrue-
Ainsworth and Fell) Caine,and
it
war
givenattiodptheendrieetnicour)le.,wthaes
ttiwoon
ooffif tneheram(
pmaardoeeludpelai:eiret hra. d come,
James Ainsworth, a police-officer, said, it had been ar-
ranged that the retie4le should be taken to Hendrick's pub-
lic-house in Bannister-street. Fell had previously taken the
female prisoner, and witness apprehended Ford afterwards.
saidpFaorredelmo o
a lie knew
him t
ewnoto signhin
nothing about
forabo itutts delivery.hereticule, but that the
Joshua Fell confirmed the testimony of the last witness.
He added that the male prisoner came into the public-house
followed by the woman. Pendlebury then came in, and said
there was a parcel addressed to Mrs. Ford from Birmingham.
She said she knew it came from Birmingham, and that the
carriage was only Is. 3d. instead of Is. 6d. Ford's house is
nearly opposite to Hendrick's house. The parcel was ad-
dressed.-- Mary Ford, to be left at Hendrick's public-house,
Bannister-street, Liverpool."
William Pendlebury proved that the female prisoner paid
the carriage of the reticule, anti that the other prisoner
signed the delivery-book.
Mr. Dowling produced the counterfeit coin.
This was all the evidence for the prosecution. The pri-
soners denied the charge, but called BO witnesses. The jury
returned a verdict of guilty against both the
'prisoners. The
Recorder sentenced them to twelve months imprisonment,
with hard labour.
The court adjourned about five o'clock, till half-past nine
:en
this morning, (Tuesday.)

FOOT-RACE.—A foot-race of 135 yards, between Fowler
and Savage, of this town, for £4O, will take place this day.
at two o'clock in the afternoon, half-way between the Black
Bull and Aintree Race-course. From the well-known speed
of both men, it is looked upon with much anxiety as to the
termination. Betting is 6t04 on Fowler, at which figures
deal has been done.

UNPRECEDENTED QUICK PASSAGE: NEWS FROM PERU.
Th 6 Maypo, Captain Seymour, arrived at this port on
—Thursday night, after the quickest passage from Lima on re-
cord, she having been only 85 days from port to port. The
Maypo has on freight 500,000 dollars. The dates from Lima
by this vessel are to the 10th of October. The Chili troops
were to leave Callao on the 18th, for Valparaiso. Santa
Cruz had been elected President of Bolivia, and it was the
general opinion in Lima, that, immediately on the departure
of the Chili troops, a revolution would break out in that city
in his favour, as Gomarra's Government was very unpopular.
Several of the Chili troops had been assassinated in the streets,
so much were they detested by the Limanese. The state of
trade was favourable, The Congress was tri session, but Its
ptoceedings had not been of general interest.

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