The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-03-18 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL MARCH SESSIONS

The Sessions of the Peace for this Born „,_
yesterday, before Gilbert Henderson, Esq. ___
Sessions began on the 3d February, and continued t _
the 12th. The number of prisoners charged with felony
at the present sessions (whose names appeared in the
calendar) was 61 within the six weeks, and there were
4 misdemeanours:_ The number of cases to be tried (of

gh commenced
The last

felony) was 46. With one or two exceptions, the offences
charged wei e of the usual kind, chiefly thefts of small
quantities of property. Of the whole of the prisoners 25
can read and write imperfectly ; 5 can read and write
well ; 10 can read imperfectly, and 25 can neither read nor
write.
The following gentlemen were sworn of

THE GRAND JURY.
George Armstrong, Abercromby-square, merchant.
Samuel James Arnold, Anfield-villa, Walton-breck`
broker.

Armstrong., Sea-view-house, Liscard, merchant
Thomas 13.irkett, Walton, warehouse-keeper.

Edward Finch, Chester-street, iron merchant

Francis John Goodwin, Fairfield-terrace, Edge-1: ill, mer-
chant.
Robert Hindley, Great George-street, brewer.

11Iichael Harnett, Blackbu, n-place, merchant.
Edward Humble, Blackburn-place, gentleman
William Itnrie, Rumford street, merchant.

Robert Livingstone,

Seaforth, merchant

John Critchlow Molyneux,Asb-house, Broad-green, gen-
tleman.
Charles M`lver, Low-hill. merchant.
Walter Feargus M'Gregor, Falkner-street, ironfounder.
Richard Wheeler Preston, Beech-hill, West Derby,
spirit broker.
John Pierce, Great George-street, tobacconist.
The proclamation against vice and immorality being
read,
The RECORDER, addressing the Grand Jury, said:—
about fifty ewes were likely to come under their conside-
ration at these sessions. The most remarkable case was
one in which a large quantity of stolen coods were dis-
covered in the possession of a man, a tailor by trade, and
which turned out to be the produce of various felonies
throughout the town, and it was singular that all was ob-
tained in a similar manner by breaking into or entering
warehouses or dwelling houses. For one of these c,ffences
two persons were tried at the last sessions, and were con-
victed and transported. In weighing the evidence against
the male prisoner (Ford) alluded to, they would have to
consider whether he had a guilty knowledge of the property
being stolen ; they would be at liberty to consider evidence
of any receipt by him of stolen goods, as well as the parti-
cular goods mentioned in the bill that came before them ;
and if they came to the conclusion that the bill ought to be
found against him, by it appearing that he was guilty, they
would then have:to consider distinctly the case as regarded
his wife. In such felonies if a wife was present at the
time that the husband received stolen goods, and was
perfectly cognizant of the nature of the transaction ; and
if she took some subsequent part in that transaction,
the law attributed her conduct to the influence or direc-
tion of het husband. It presumed that she was acting
under his control, and having a tender regard to a
female so circumstanced, it attributed the criminality
so!ely to the husband. Unless therefore it was shown
that she received goods in his absence, and acted separately
and independently, he did not think the jury would be
acting wisely in finding a true bill against her. Even,
too, if she afterwards gave a false account of certain of
the goods, it was presumed that she had done so in order
to screen her husband, and this therefore ought not to in •
volve a charge of felony against her. He might remark
that there were no fewer than six cases of stealing lead
affixed to premises. Considering the difficulty of detection
in cases of this nature, so large a number of charges
seemed to show the increasing prevalence of the
offence, which would render it necessary to make some
examples, in order to show with what severity the law vi-
sits this offence. He would impress upon them that they
were not there to try the prisoners, but merely to ascer-
tain whether there was sufficient evidence as a basis for
conviction or not. He need but add, that if they expe-
rienced any difficulty, which he did not anticipate, it
would be no less a pleasure than a duty for him to render
them every assistance in his power. _ _

Counsel then entered the court, and the trials shortly
afterwards commenced, but no case of interest took place
during the day. The following were the results up to the
close of the court yesterday :

Sentenced to Ten Years' Transportation.—Robert
Roach, aged 20, convicted of having, within the present
month, stolen a handkerchief from Mr. Busby, coach.
proprietor, at Lucas's Repository, as recently stated in
our paper. The prisoner was one of the regular swell-
mob.—Mary Ann Murphy, aged 60, for stealing a coat.
Seven Years' Transportation.—Thomas Murphy, aged
16, for being concerned with three others in stealing goods
from a shop.-Bernard M`Mahon, 19, for stealing a pair
of boots. Both were, of course, old offenders.
The other sentences were for terms of months, and the
cases presented no features of interest.

Ann Jackson and Gabriel Watson, charged with having
stolen seven sovereigns from John Pilling, (as stated in
our last,) were discharged.

THE SUGAR REFINERS AND THE GOVERN-

M ENT

On Friday last a deputation of parties interested in the
Refining of Sugar, consisting of Messrs. Davis, P. Mar-
tineau, Hodgson, and Lucas, from London ; Messrs.
R. A. M'Fie and W. M'Fie of Liverpool; and Mr.
Eales, of Plymouth, accompanied by Mr. P. M. Stewart,
M.P., Mr. Lockhart, M.P., and Mr. Bouverie, M.P.,
bad an interview with Sir Robert Peel and the Chancellor
of the Exchequer for the purpose of uging their claim
for a return of the duty paid upon their stocks under pro-
cess of refining. No favourable impression, however,
was made upon the minds of Ministers; and ultimately
the deputation retired in almost utter hopelessness of
their just demands being conceded. A new turn, how-
ever, was given to their case by the result of the debate
that evening, upon the motion of Mr. Hawes, and the
concession, by Sir Robert Peel, of the duty paid upon
Sugars remaining in the Queen's Warehouses. The claim
of the Refiners was generally considered even more un-
deniable than that of the wholesale Grocers ; and Mr.
Clay at once rose to bring it afresh before the considera-
tion of Government and the House. Under the changed
circumstances of his position—the principle having just
been admitted in the case of the Grocers—the Chancellor
of the Exchequer at onct, stated that the only difficulty
which he felt was to devise such a plan of ascertaining
the amount of stock, upon which duty was to be re-
turned, as would meet the justice of the case without
opening a door for fraud upon the Revenue ; and inti-
mated that he wou!d make enquiry into the subject, and
probably be able to announce his determination to the
house on Monday (last night). We expect that, accord-
ingly, some announcement would be made last night upon
the subject ; but it is the opinion of parties well-informed
that the details of the plan will require a few days to
mature, although there is no material difficulty in coming
to an arrangement of a nature just and sate to all parties.
Whilst we congratulate the Sugar Refiners upon what
we sincerely trust will result in a satisfactory s-ttlement
of their claims, we must accord the tined of praise, which
is their due, to both the members for this Borough, for
rheir unwearied exertions in behalf of the Sugar Refiners
and the wholesale Grocers of Liverpool and of the king-
dom, upon the present occasion. Sir Howard Douglas,
we are informed by a gentleman who was in the house on
Friday night, made the most powerful speech delivered on
behalf of the Trade. which we regret to find is not re-
ported ; and Lord Sandon both in the House and out,
has been most energetic in his endeavours. Indeed it
is the feeling of the trade in London, where these exer-
tions have been witnessed,as well as here, that to the mem-
bers for Liverpool is mainly due the satisfactory conclu-
sio❑ of this difficult business.

Sir Howard and Lady Douglas, and Mr. and Mrs.
Cardwell, were among't the circle ac Lady Stanley's
soiree on Saturday evening.
The Rev. J. Gro,m, A.M., at present curate of Padi-
ham, has been appointed to the curacy of St. John's, in
this town.

INQUESTS, YESTERDAY.-0O view of the body of
Richard Skelton Jacks, aged three years and a half, son
of Mr. Jacks, fruiterer, &c., London road. On the 2d
instant, deceased, in play, lighted some straw in the
house, and his clothes taking fire, he was so severely
burnt that he died on Saturday last. Verdict, " Acci-
dental death."—On the body of John Jones, aged seventy-
three, who resided in Hill-street, Copperas-hill. Ori the
21st of January he went out, and, in walking along the
footroad, slipped and fell, fracturing the neck, or upper
joint, of the right thigh bone. He was taken to the
Infirmary, where every attention w `"nri : but,

.vas pain tun, ,
from his great age, and probably the effects of the wea-
ther. in addition to the injury, he died on Saturday.
Verdict, " Accidental death "—On the body of William
Miles, second boots of the Stork Hotel, Queen's•square.
It will be remembered that on the 21st of last month,
deceased, while cleaning a window outside the fifth story
of the inn, fell to the ground, and the wonder was that

he survived a minute, the height being forty-five feet.
It has been found that Le had two of the vertebra of the
back, both avels, and the pelvis fr ctured. He lingered
on until Saturday, when he died. Verdict, " Accidental
t?

MORE STEALING OF LEAD FROM PREMlSES.—Yes-
terday, at the Police•court, two young men, Joseph
Harper and James Potter, were charged with stealing a
qaantity of lead from the exterior of a house. Mr. Thos.
Ashbury, agent for Mr. Alexander Good, executor for
some houses in Falkner-street, said that some time ago
twopieces of lead had been cut from the premises, and
that on Saturday last he found that some more was cut
off. The pieces produced precisely fitted the parts left.
A polic:.officer said that about eight o'clock on Friday
night he saw the two prisoners hastening along the street,
and, observing something bulky upon one of them, de-
tained them. On one of them he found 241bs. of sheet.
lead, and on the other about Sibs. On being questioned,
with the usual caution, they said that they had iibserved
two lads running with something, and on pursuing them,
saw them hide something, and that they afterwards found
the lead in a hole which the lads bad made. The officer
also stated that the prisoner Harper, after being stopped,
dropped a chissel, which he produced. Harper's father
appeared in court, and said that his son was looked after,
but was beset with idle vicious lads in the neighbourhood,
who led him astray. Mr. Rushton remarked that a
chisel had fallen from him which did not argue much for
his innocence in this case ; and as robberies of lead had of
late been so frequent in the town, he should send both the
prisoners for trial. This makes the seventh case to be
tried at the pending sessiSns for stealing lead from build-
ings.