The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-07-19 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,

. _
The events of the Turf during the past week have not en
grossed the general attention of the sporting world, the interest
excited by the races decided being chietly of a local-character,
and as such their attractions were unabated compared with for-
mer years. The keen eye of our Lancashire lovers of the Turf
has been closely directed to the Lancaster and Newcastle meet-
ings, to them a source of much pleasure, and as regards the for-
iner a source of considerable gain or loss, . as the speculators
upon the Lancaster Cup were rather extensive. Nine were en-
tered, but only three started, infinitely to the disappointment of
those who had effected p.p. bets. Mowbray Hill, the winner of
the Cup at the Liverpool Spring Meeting, appeared in the entry,
and the confidence in his starting was so great in the early part
of the week that a number of p.p. bets were made in his favour.
against the field, but when it was ascertained that he Was not
intended to run, Satan became the " imp of choice,'' , and was
backed at even against the field, and 3 to 1 were the odds against
the winner, but, although "His Sable Majesty" figures away at
Tattersall's as a Leger horse, (and many, since the little feats
he performed upon the Aintree Course have fancied the odds
against him), he was beaten closely by Remember, which his
backers will not easily forget. .-Upon the Newcastle Races, the
business done was not extensive, the meeting being. more cal-
culated b I afford amusement for hohday visitors, than for specu-
ation, and indeed few of the horses enjoy the benefit of a vita-
racterbeyond mediocrity. The Knutsforcl Meeting, .whith com-
mences on the alst, is lOoked to with much interest, particularly
the race for the. Cup, for which about four are expected to start,
viz.: Lady Stafford, Westport, Manchester, and Penrhos, horses
whose feats of excellence are too notorious with sportsmen to
need comment, and little doubt is entertained but the sports will
realize the .anticipations formed, although we should doubt
whether Lady. Stafford, for so long'a distance, is worthy of her
place as first favourite. More has done upon the Doncaster
St. Leger, the Drawing Rooin Stakes, and the Goodwood this
week than for some time past, and business will most likely
continue to improve as the important events more nearly ap-
proach. The following is the state of the betting in the principal
sporting circles of the country up to this afternoon (Thursday) :

KNUTSFORD CUP. •
31- to 1 agst Manchester
5 to 1 agst Penrhos.
ST. LEGER.
13 to 1 agst Connoisseur
20 to 1 agst Anne
20 to 1 agst The Mole
30 to 1 agst Satan.
STAKES.
12 to 1 agst Gallopade
15 to 1 agst Baleine
13 to 1 agst Guildford
15 to 1 agst Lady Fly.

5 to 4 on Lady_ Stafford
3 to 1 agst Westport
DONCASTER
4 to 1 agst Muley Moloch (t)
7 to 1 agst Belshazzar (taken)
12 to 1 agst Mussulman (tk)
12 to 1 agst Rockingham
GOODWOO
to I agst Little Red Rover(t)
5 to.l agst Windcliffe (taken)
10 to 1 agst Tourist
12 to 1 agst Clara
12 to 1 agst Porwee

GOODWOOD CUP.
41, to 1 against Camarine (taken.)
DRAWING ROOM STAKES.

2 to 1 agsi Revenge (taken)
3 to 1 agst Young Rapid (tk)

3 to j. agokTpepiclation (taken)

THE DERBY.
6 to 1 agst the Duke of Grafton's Olympic, a most excellent
entry of 133 horses.
THE OAKS.
1 15 to 1 agst Cotillion

3 to 1 agst Zulems.
to 1 agst Dublin

SALFORD SESSIONS.

TRIAL OF MR. WILLIAM GIBSON.

At the opening of the court on Saturday morning, Mr. Wm.
Gibson, late agent to the Manchester and Salford Savings'
Bank, was surrendered by his bail, and was arraigned upon an
indictment under 'the 7 and 8 Geo. 4, cap. 29, sec. 49, chayging
him with having, on the Bth of May last, while agent to Hugh
Hornby Birley and others, the trustees and managers of the
Savings' Bank, converted to his own use the sum of £lOO, the
money of the said trustees, in violation of good faith, and con-
trary to the purpose specified in a written direction to apply the
same to the use of the said trustees and managers, contrary to
the statute, &c. The defendant, who was not placed in the
dock, but sat on the cross bench in front of it, pleaded not
guilty.
Mr. Armstrong stated the case to the jury at some length,
and called as his first witness, Mr. Broome, the accountant, who
produced the last monthly balance sheet prepared by him from
the books kept by the defendant. He also produced the minute
book of the Savings' Bank Committee, which contained the
original appointment of the defendant as agent to the bank, and
the rules and regulations.
Dr. Brown objected to any entry in this book 'being read,
until it was shewn where the book itself came from.
Mr. Peel contended that the act of parliament for the regu-
lation of Savings' Banks, made the books of the bankevidence
in all legal proceedings. The clause on which he relied was
the sth of the act 9th Geo. 4, cap. 92, which was as follows :
The entry of such rules and regulations in such book or books
as aforesaid, or the 'transcript thereof deposited with the clerk
of the peace as aforesaid, or a true copy of such transcript ex-
amined with the original, and proved to be a true copy, shall
be received as evidence of such rules and regulations respect-
ively in all cases.
Dr. Brown, for the defence, submitted that it did not come
within the 49th section of the act 7 and 8 Geo. 4, c. 29, on which
the indictment was framed, and which he would read. That
section provided " That if any money or security for the pay-
ment of money shall_ be entrusted to any banker, merchant,
broker, attorney, or other agent, with any direction in writing
to apply such money or any part thereof for any purpose speci-
fied in such direction, and he shall, in violation of good taith,
and contrary to the purpose so specified, in anywise convert to
his own use or benefit such money, security, &c., or any part
thereof, every such offender shall be guilty of a misdenieanour,
and being convicted thereof, shall be liable to be transported
beyond the seas for any term not exceeding 14 years, or, less
than 7 years, or to suffer such other punishment by fine or im-
prisonment, or by both, as the court may award."—ln the first
place, he contended, that the defendant was not an " agent,"
contemplated by that statute. The court would be aware that
by the 47th section of the same act, embezzlement by a clerk
or servant was made a felony, thus making a clear distinction
between a clerk or servant, and an agent : the clause under
which this indictment was framed applied to a different class
of persons, and to a different class of embezzlements, and must
be taken altogether as separate from the case of clerks or ser-
vants. Mr. Gibson's situatioa' then, being, as the evidence
proved, in the nature of a clerk or servant, if any money was
delivered to him by his masters, and he applied it to his own
use, the offence would be a larceny at common law, or if the
money were received from any other person for the use of his
masters, he would be guilty of embezzlement under the statute,
and in either case the offence, if any had been committed,
would be a felony, and not a misdemeanour, as now charged.
In the second place, he should contend, that there had not been
that specific direction in writing which the act required to he
given to au agent before he could be brought within the sta-
tute. There was a resolution of the trustees of the bank that
Mr. Gibson should always have £lOO in his hands to meet cur-
rent expenses, but there was no pretence for saving that up to
the year 1833, he' had misapplied any portion of the money he
had received in 1819, and the act was never intended to apply
to a matter of renewing account, but to 'a specific sum given
for a specific purpose stated in writing. He had other objec-
tions to the indictment, but he would bfirst take the opinion of
the court upon this.
The Chairman, after consulting with his brother magistrates,
said the court' were of opinion that the word " agent" must
mean some person of the same class as a "banker, merchant,
or attorney," and not to a clerk or servant ; and they were also
of opinion that as the character and duties of the defendant
were those of a clerk, and not of an agent, he had not been pro-
perly indicted under this clause.
The jury, under the direction of the court, consequently re-
turned a verdict of acquittal.