The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-04-12 00:00:00

however, ma'

nder t

present generation, to reap in better days the re

is "denied them in these

and we cannot, ther

fore, deny to Lord Mahon and his supporters our
fervent thanks for the measure of protection which
they are about to afford to the only really deserving

and valuable literature of their country

LIVERPOOL EASTER SESSIONS

The Easter Sessions of the peace for the borough of I

verpool commenced yesterday, at ten o'clock, before
Clarke, Esq., Recorder. The calendar is extremely heavy
It contains the names of 115 prisoners for trial, on charges
of felony, and 16 for misdemeanours and assaults—total
171.
The following gentlemen were sworn the Grand Jury :
Henry Harrison, Esq., merchant, George's Dock-gates,
foreman; William Ashley, merchant, Everton-road; Simon
Crossfield, manufacturing chemist, West Derby-street; Ed-
ward Challoner, timber merchant, Sefton-street; John
Campbell, merchant, Tithebarn-street ; William Byrom
Corrie, merchant, Rumford-street; Hugh Duckworth, cot-
ton broker, Everton ; Thomas Philip Danson, merchant,
Covent-garden ; Kenneth Dowie, merchant, Old Church-
yard ; Robert Heyworth, merchant, Everton-crescent ;
Charles Humberston, merchant, Georges Dock
Richard Jones, merchant, Everton ; Robert Ledson,
house-keeper, Netherfield-road ; Thomas Lightfoot, broker,
York-terrace ; Joshua Rawdon, gentleman, Shaw-street ;
Joseph Ridgway, cotton-broker, Everton; Jon. Robinson,
merchant, Chapel-street; Thomas Stavert, wine-merchant,
South-hill ; Thomas Stockdale, soap-boiler, Roscommon-
street; James Holbrook Smith, merchant, Rodney-street;
William Holbrook Tayleure, merchant, Abercromby-square ;
Robert Wilson, merchant, Shaw-street; Mr. James Currie
Duncan, and Mr. Robert Livingstone, who did not appear
when called upon, were fined ten pounds each.
The RECORDER, in delivering his charge to the grand
jury, said, that in consequence of the excellent arrangements
made by the gentlemen to whom the management of the
criminal business of this town was entrusted, he bad been
enabled to look over all the depositions in the several cases
which would come before them. He was happy to tell them,
that although the calendar was very numerous indeed, still
the great bulk of the cases were not very heavy. At the
same time, however, he was compelled to make some ex-
ception. He was sorry to say that there was a large portion
of offenders, whose cases would come before them, who had
filled confidential situations, such as domestic servants,
clerks, and in different other ways. This was a class of of-
tenders who could not urge in mitigation the pressure of hard
times, or the force of necessity ; on the contrary, they were
in the receipt of good wages, and with means quite ample
enough to make provision for the ordinary wants of lite.
Notwithstanding they were in good and comfortable situa-
tions, they had, from time to time, pilfered the property of
their employers. Now he was determined to watch this class
of offenders, and certainly not to spare them with regard to
punishment, because as a very learned judge, one of the very
best criminal judges which this country had ever seen, Sir
Mathew Hale, had said, "There are two kinds of mercy :
there is a mercy to the criminal, and there is a mercy to the
public." He (the Recorder) was inclined to chew mercy to
both as far as he could consistently with his duty, but mercy
to the public would be his great principle in the adminstra-
tion of the law, because property in the hands of these
persons must be carefully protected. There was an im-
portant case, No. 17 in the calendar, of this description ; it
was a prosecution against a man of the name of John Barber
Love. The amount of property taken in this case was very
large indeed. He believed the silk, which was the subject
of the robbery, was in a bonded warehouse, and the prisoner
was charged with stealing a large quantity of the silk, a
quantity amounting to many bales. The way to guide the
jury to a safe conclusion in this case, because there were
many circumstances in it, would be to look at the dates of
the different circumstances, for a knowledge of dates very
often lead to a discovery of the truth. All the property was
in a bonded warehouse, and this robbery showed the
necessity of more frequently examining the property de-
posited therein. This was on the 22nd of February. The
bulk of it was at that time perfectly safe ; all the bales were
correct and proper; and the packages were right and correct.
In a short time after that, without knowing the precise day,
all this property was found traced to the prisoner,—no less
than thirteen or fourteen bales of silk, exceeding in value
£lOOO. It was traced to him that he had been very active in
the removal of it by railway to Manchester ; and when the
packages were discovered in Manchester, it was seen that
they had been opened, that the original covering on them had
been removed, and new canvas substituted. It did so hap-
pen that when the officers went to the prisener's place in
Liverpool, they found in his house a piece of canvass, com-
pletely corresponding with the new canvass found on the
bales, and ingredients for marking them. These were strong
facts; and though they were circumstantial evidence, yet if
the circumstances were brought home to the prisoner, he
thought that upon both grounds—namely, the very early
possession of the stolen property, and the circumstance of
new canvass being found in his place similar to that which
was put upon the bales, and ingredients for marking it
also, together with the other facts that would come out in
the course of the evidence, would lead the jury to the opi-
nion that the prisoner was the party who had stolen the
property. The law said that the earlier the possession the
stronger the case against the party who was found in pos-
session ; and in this case early possession was traced to
the prisoner. As he' had before said, the cases in the ca-
lendar, though numerous, were not heavy : they were
more questions of fact than of law ; nevertheless, if the
grand jury found themselves embarrassed, he would en-
deavour to do all he could to remove the diffnallty.—The
grand jury then retired.
True bills were soon afterwards sent in against several
offenders charged with felonies of trilling importance, and
the trials commenced ; but none occurred during the day
worth reporting.

As we have stated above, the calendar contains the names
of 171 prisoners. Of these, 70 can read and write imper-
fectly ; 41 can read imperfectly ; eight can read and write
well ; and 48 can neither read nor write at all.

THAMES N tiVRIV
CO MP DOCK AND 11A1LWAV
ANY.

Yesterday an adjourned meeting was held in the Claren-
don-rooms, South John-street, at the request of Lieut. Am-
sinck, for the purpose of receiving the reply of the directors
of the Eastern Counties Railway Company, relative to the
toll which they would charge for the traffic of the Thames
Haven Dock and Railway Company, upon their line from
Rumford to London ; and also to afford to Lieut. Amsinck
an opportunity of giving additional information regarding
the merits of the Thames Haven Company, so as to fill the
share list, and complete the works, as well as to the manner
in which it is proposed the share list shquld be filled.
Lieut. AMSINCK commenced by reading the resolution
agreed to at the last meeting, which was moved by Mr.
Swift, and seconded by Mr. Willett, to the effect that the
directors of the Eastern Counties Railway, be requested to
inform the meeting upon what conditions they would accept
the traffic of the Thames Haven Railway. This resolution
he said, was immediately transmitted to London • and at the
monthly meeting of the full board, the directors Of the East-
ern Counties passed a resolution to the effect, that with every
good wish for the success of the Thames Haven Company,
the Eastern Counties had so much upon their hands at pre-
sent that they could not do more than say they were willing
to accede to the terms proposed in their resolution of the
9th October, 1840, provided the Thames Haven Company
were in a position to close with them upon those terms.
This resolution in itself said nothing; nor did it hold out
any expectation or anxiety on the part of the Eastern Coun-
ties directors, that they would support the Thames Haven
Company, but he believed, from what he had beard, that the
personal feelings to do so was as strong as it could be. They
said, however, that the position in which they were would
not enable them as directors to ask their shareholders to give
assistance to any except their own undertaking, and they
could not venture upon the responsibility of diverting money
from strictly their own channel. Of course, until the
traffic of the Eastern Counties developed itself, there must
naturally be some difficulty on the part of the directors to
make that profitable which would afterwards make a profit
of itself. Since he had received this resolution, he had had
a note from Mr. Theodore Rathbone, deputy chairman of the
Eastern Counties, who expressed a warm interest in the
Thames Haven, and a desire to see it taken up. So that Mr.
Rathbone had completely done away with the feeling which
he (Mr. Amsinck) had before, that there was a disinclination
on the part of the board, and led him to view this resolution
rather in the light of declining to pledge themselves.
Some discussion took place on the merits of the Thames
Haven Railway, and its prospects of yielding a return for the
capital invested. Lieut. Amsinck entered into some long
details on these subjects, explaining that his object was to
' induce the Liverpool people to take it up, because in that
case it would be taken up in London, the coal districts in the
North, and many other places, which declined doing any-
thing in the first instance. He entered into some statements
to shew that it would lie a most profitable concern, and said
there was this further advantage in joining it, that those who
took shares would receive interest upon their payments which
would: be invested in the three per cents, so that, if nothing
were done, they would receive their money back. The toll
of the directors of the Eastern Companies, as stated in their
report for 1840, was eightpence per passenger ; but they
had not stated the rate at which they would carry merchan-
dise.

After much conversation, in the course of which numer-
ous questions were put to Mr. Amsinck, it was suggested
that a requisition he presented to the directors of the Eastern
Counties Railway resident in Liverpool, requesting them to
call a meeting of their shareholders here, with a view of as-
certaining how far it is possible for that company to extend
its support to the Thames Haven Company.
A requisition was immediately drawn up, and it received
the signature of every shareholder in the Eastern Counties
who was present.
The meeting then separated.

Professional Gentlemen and Strangersattending the Assizes
are respectfully informed that every description of BATH,
Warm. Shower, Sulphur, Vapour, and Medicated, as used so
generally in London and on the Continent, may be obtained
on the shortest notice, at the Victoria Baths, Cases. street,
three doors from Clayton-square, near the Railway Offices
and St. John's Market.

FLY. FISHING.—The lover of what Isaac Walton calls
" the gentle craft," should inspect a stock of flies manufac-
tured by Mr. Blacker, whose address will be found elsewhere.
The specimens we have seen are really beautiful, and appear
likely to attract and deceive the " cunning'st fish" that
swims. The angler ought now to be preparing for the
streams ; and he cannot fill his pocket-book with any better
than the flies made by this skilful tier.
MECHANICS INSTITUTION.—On 'Wednesday evening last,
Mr. Hodson commenced a course of lectures on education,
which promises to be a very interesting one. The various
influences which operate in the production of human cha-
racter, were enumerated and illustrated with great fecility
and effect ; the principal object in view being to ascertain
the place which direct or special education occupies among
them. Mr. Hodgson assigned it to the highest place, and
justified his doing so on two grounds : first, as education,
including that of home and school, was one of the earliest,
and therefore most :permanent,' causes in the production of
character; and second, because, from attention to it, we
must look to the proper direction for the other influences.
From the well-known general abilities of Mr. Hodgson, and
still more from the special opportunities he has had, to mas-
ter this subject, we cannot doubt that the course will be .
interesting to all who recognize in education the chief cause
of individual and social advancement.

GRATIFYING TESTIMONIAL.—The congregation of Laura
Chapel, Bath, where the Rev. Dr. Tottenham officiates as
pastor, having learnt that the church was on sale, and being
desirous of continuing his useful ministrations among them,
entered into a private subscription for the purpose of raising
a fund to present to the rev. gentleman, to enable him to
become the purchaser of the church. This fund, amounting
to the unusually large sum of £2,560, was presented to Dr.
Tottenham, last week, through the medium of Lieutenant-
General Innes, and the amount will enable him, with a slight
addition from his own purse, to buy the entirety of the chapel,
and thus give him a permanent interest in the place. The
rev. gentleman was announced to have delivered the fifth of
the series of lectures on the Creed of Pope Pigs, on Friday
last, hut was prevented doing so through illness, and the
Rev. Mr. Baylee fulfilled the task, an abridgment of whose
powerful address we hope to find room for on Friday. .