The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-10-27 00:00:00

THE. SirAtESMAN.:

Ist. Resolved, That the prison of Newgatelitisadequate to
the , requ►ted for the average number of prison-
ers usually a ;whited therein, particalar)y fur female prisoners.
.2il. Resolved, 'rind it is expedient, and would be highly be-
neficial LO separate prisoners cn►utditted for trial froia convicted
3d. ItesfilVed, That it is expedient, and would be highly
b.ncliei ii lo remove prisoners for debt from Ness gate to some
other poace of confinement, there being nearly two hundred
del- tor- confined in a spare calculated to receive only one hun-
dred and ten—n hose renws al would affu d greater accommo-
dation to criminal primmer-.
lth Resolved, 'find the leiwth of tine which prisoners are
d iiamed in sewgate (ill scone iobtanfes 12 months), after being
sentenced to transportation, 6 One of the great causes of the
crowded slate of toe jail.
5. Revoked, That the evil Keels arising from the crowded
state of the .laiis would be greatly obviated by erecting a /louse
of Correction, for the reception of 11:e minor classes of
; a measure which bas been found highly beneficial to the
adolintstraiinii ill criminal ju•tice in various parts of the king-
duin, •and to the maid ref.,m of the garotter:.
ti. Ite,olveil, That the cootioement of Lutuatics in Newgate,
and ally% Mg them to mix kith oilier l'thmers, is repugnant
to every principle of humanity, and taught to lie disco.otinued.
7. Resolved, l'hat Irons ini4lit in all caws of commitment to
he of the Iy;hte•t kind, consistent u ith sate custody. and that
the keepers:lmola iuoo insintwe double Iron that description of
persms, cseept in cases of outrage, or by order of some one of
the Magistrates or the Slirrilf.
8. Resolsed, That none of the Assistant Keepers, menial ser-
vain-, or other p.• rsolis belonging to the prisons, should be per-
milted in receive on (TVITI I:3 from prisouers, for what are de-
nominated IS I.D CNA! es—a practice n hicn, if permitted in
any degree to exit, opens the door to every specks of ABUSE
♦ND INF.% nous TR A Eric. _

9. Resolved, That fees of every kind, taken by the Keepers
of the prison:, or by Clerks, or toner °dicers, trout prisoners,
should be entirely abolished ; and that liberal remuneration
should be made to the ditlereist persons whiiiieve hitherto been
a. costumed to receive those fees.
Re:olved, That the Poultry Compt. in n most de-
plorable and ruinous condition, and by 110 means a fit place fur
the confinement of prisoi.ers of any description; and that be-
ing entirely surrounded by private residences, its present scite
is a very improper and insecure situation for a prison, which
ought to be erected in a more open and unconnected space.
11. Resolved, That it be referred hack to the Committee for
General Purposes, to consider of the best means of giving ef-
fect to the preceding Resolutions, and k report frogs time to
time to this Court; and that the Criiimitree for City Lands do
report the state of their proceedings respecting the Poultry
Compter as soon as possible.
The Court ordered the sum of 1001. per annum
to be added to the %Titer Bailiff's salary.

• - :

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS.

THE MARKETS.

CORN EXCH.
Wheat, - 681. 80). 913.
Fine ditto - 986. 102 x.

Rye (new) - - - Cis. 465. 1
Sarley,
Halt,
W. Pens (Boilers) 64i. 701.
Grey Pens, - - - - 46.. 52,
Beaus,

PRICE

IiOPS.

Richard Wood, the keeper of the Defiance Cof.
fee-house, in Market-street, St. James's, was yes-
terday tried on an indictment, charging him with a
public nuisance, in permitting persons to play at a
certain unlawful game, called billiards, in his house,
on Sunday, the 27th of June last.
Mr. ALLEY, on the Indictment being read, con.
tended, that from its form and substance it was
impossible that the Court could pr►nced to the trial
of the Defendant, inasmuch as the game of billiards
was nut denominated an unlawful game, either by
the Statutes, or by Common Law. If, therefore, the
Defendant way guilty of any offence, which he de-
nied, that ollimee was erroneously described on the
face of the indictment. . .

Mr. NOLEY, for the prosecution, argued, that
the offence with which the Defendant was accused
was contra bonos news, and consequently punish.
able by law.
Mr. ALLEY, in reply, said, if that plea was in-
tended to have been the ground of the prosecution,
it should have been so described in the indictment,
but that not having been the case, he conceived him-
self entitled to a verdict.

A long and intricate argument ensued, in which
the Council on both sides ably defended their opi.
'lions. IVitlt the concurrence of the Court, how-
ever, the cause at length proceeded.
The first witness examined was a tax-gatherer,
who merely spoke to the residence of the Defen-
dant in the home described in the indictment.

Mr. Lumley, the Prosecutor, was then eximin-
ed. lie stated, that he was landlord of the One
Tun Tavern, which was next door to the house of
the Defendant ; that on Sunday evening, the "27th
of Jane, he saw persons playing at billiards in a
back-room of the said Defendant's house; and
that on divers other days he witnessed similar prac.
tires. On cross-examination, he said, that in the
instance to which he particularly alluded, and which
formed the ground of the prosecution, he could not
swear- that the persons were 'drying for money, or
were not the relations of the Defendant ; nor could
he say that the table was within► public view,
A watchman, who was called in by Lumley, for
the purpose of seeing what was going forward, in
order that he might act as a witness on the present
trial, was also examined ; all he could say, how.
ever, was that he heard a rattling noise, but whe-
ther it was billiards that were playing, or one of
his brethren's rattles that was rattling, he could not
positively swear.
Mr. Thompson, who lives next to the Dttfend-
ant's house, in St. James's Market, deposed, that
on the day in question he heard the billiard balls
rattle, but was unable to see into the billiard-room,
as a green cloth was hung up for the purpose of pre-
venting persons from observing what was going fur-
ward.

This being the whole of the testimony adduced
in support of the prosecution,
Mr. MAINWARING, in his address to the Jary,
observed, in his opinion, there was not the -slight.
est ground for charging the Defendant with being
the author of a public nuisance.. "In the first in.
stance, he said, the game of billiards was not an
unlawful game ;. in the second place, there was no
proof that the parties who were playing were gam.
ing; and lastly, and most decisively, the Prosecu.
tor and the other nituesses stated, that every pre-
caution was taken to prevent the public from know.
ing *hat was going forward. If prosecutions were
tolerated on such slight grounds as those, no Geri.
tlemati, who chose to amuse himself by knocking his
own billiard balls about on a Sunday, could be
safe. Having thus expressed his opinion, lie left it
for the Jury to return seat a verdict as their con.
sciences dictated. _ _

A verdict of Not Guilty was immediately given.
It appears that Mr. IVood, who-was a- cook in a
Gentleman's family, has but recently taken the Dc.
fiance Coffeehouse, and has tended in a great melt.
sure to diminish the custom of Mr. Lumley 4 the
inducement to the prosecution may, therefore, be
pretty clearly divined.

,NGE, OCT. 26.
Tick Beans - 524. M.
Oats
Polandb -- -37 i.
Potatoe ditto - - - 01.

((ape Seed - - - 416 I-:51
Fiue Hour - - - 833. 9tls.
ISemi&

UXBRIDGE. 1
Corn-Inspector's Return.- rut; RADA V, OCT. 25.
Wheat, per load 221. -s. to 291. -s.
Barley, per quart: ;Ms. --(I. to 455. -d.
Oats
Beans ~ s6s. -d. to 635. -d.
Peas
...............
SM LTHEIELD-OcT. 26.
To sink the 011al, per stone of 81b.
Beer ....4s. 4d. to 55. 4d. I Head of Cattle this day :
Mutton ..4s. 4d. to ss. 4J. I Ilelst,
Veal ....ss. Od. to 7s. Od. Sheep
Pork ....ss. 0.1. to •7s. (hi. Calves
Lamb ....Os. Od. to Os. utl. Pigs
HAY-MARKET.
Hay , 71. Os. MI. to 101. Os. 01.
Straw 2l. 10s. Od. to 31. Os. 0.1.
Clover I. 10s. (M. to 101. 104. Od.
PRICE OF OF HAY AND STRAW YF.STERDA Y.
ST. J A MOWS. • WiIITECIIAP6L.
Hay, 51. Os. to 101. 5;. Od. Hay, 61. 0, to 91. Os.
Straw, 31. 4s. 6d. to Jl. 12s. 0 Clover, SI. Bs. to 101. 10s.
Straw, 'AI. 14s. to 31. Us.

POCKETS.
Kent, 41. Os. to 61. 6s.
Sussex, 41. Os. to 61. 6s.
Farnham, 61. Os. to ltd. Os.
NewHops,6l. Os. to )l. Us.