The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-11-20 00:00:00

REVENUE TRIAL.—DunLIN•

Sir John Mortlock, aided by Commissioners Cott° and
Fitzpatrick, sat recently to try offences, alleged to have
been eommitted against the Szeise law,.
Tuesday and Friday sennigbt were principally engaged
in hearing evidence respecting a small cask of spirits,
contained in a hamper, seized on the premises of Mr. Rd.
Wright, Jeower Ormond Quay, in order to ascertain if it was
liable to condemnation ; and whether according to an
information filed, the defendant was liable to the penalty of
Re. ender the 13th sec.of the 56th Geo. 3, c. 3, for baying
said spirits in Isis possession.
• It-slip-eared that on a certain morning in August last,
before Mr. Wright was up, Mora:', a seizing officer, found
the hamper alluded to in Mr. Wright's, house where it
seemed it had been left shortly before Moran's arrival; the
defendant denied having any ownership in it, or knowing,
directly, or indirectly, to wham it belonged, or by whom
or far whom, it was deposited there.
. .

Severel rsepretable witnesses were examine:, and a
woman with whom Moran bad lodged. stated. that he had
borrowed money fur the specific purpose of purchasing the
spirits in question, mid that by his instrumentality, she
brl eyed, they were conveyed to Mr. Wrivit's premises.
About five o'clock, the evidence on -both sides having
closed.

r. Bra.ty, eounsel fur the defendant, rose to make some
observations on tile whole of the case. _

Mr. Deane tirade, for the opposite side, stated that he
conceved, from the very particular attention the Court had
paid to every thing that hail h-en brought forward,
that the case might be safely confided to their jthigineut,
without any remarks being made on it by counsel at
the other side, especially as it was so very late in the
day.
Mr. Brady said he wished only touch, with the indul-
gence of the Court, on a few of the leading features of
this transaction, and to say a word or two in reference to
Mr. Wright's character.
Mr. Grady conceived that any thing on the latter point
might indeed be dispensed with, as nut a syllable had been
said to the prejudice of Mr. Wrigit. So far from it, his re-
spectability had been upheld throughout.
Mr. Brady then 'Dade a short, hot energetic appeal to the
Court, in which he observed that the body of evidence Mr.
Wright had trespassed on the Court with, was hardly more
with a view to his individual advantage thsu to the public
benefit, as he respectfully conceived unit if a penalty were,
enforced under the present circumstances, every moan that
kept a shop or warehouse, the doors of which must neces-
sarily be opened during the day, would be liable to a similar
visitation. The Learned Counsel concluded by returning
thanks to the gentlemen composing the Court, for the
patient and polite conduct that his client, and those em-
ployed on this occasion by hien, hail experienced from them,
collectively and intlividnally, during the inquiry.
Sir John Mori-Ludt immediately rose, and briefly gave
the judgment of the Court. lie stared that. there was no
doubt the spirits were found on the premises of /dr. Wright,
but to whom they belonged was not escerteined to the sa-
tisfaction of the Court. As to the story by the women
remolding Moran, the Court certainly were not, for reasons
which be (Sir John) assigned, inclined to give credit to it.
If there had been a conspiracy of any kind, a participation
in it was not brought home to Moran, however suspicious
the circumstance might be thought of his having seized
the spirits so soon after they were deposited at Mr. Wright s;
but it seemed to the Court as a *natter not altogether
imitroba'de, th it a 'Mr. Whyte, whose name had been
introduced on the trial, and had recourse to the defendant's
house during his (Mr. Whyte s) stay in Dublin, about the
period the spirits were found, nnti oho was then going
to Van Dieman's Land, might have directed the hamper
to be left there without the slightest knowledge of the
defendant; Mr. Whyte, perhaps, intending to carry the
spirits with him on his voyage, as potted' is considered
a rich treat, -in general, by persons of this country ;
however, under all the. circumstance*, the Court, said
Sir John, shall only condemn the spirits, without indict
iog the penalty on Mr. Wright.

POLICI Of TOL MgrituPauS.-13o* Street Office prent-
ed yesterday a mod forsuidnble apprarancr. the t.fboers on
the petrol of the night attending with their arms and para.
pbernalia as they are in future,to appear. It consists of a
light coloured belt, on which is denote') their employment,
sod mob man's respective number. Ott the one side they
wear a curtaa, in front a truncheon, out] on the rigid side
a pistol, which in future is to be worn outside their cloth e,
so that it will be impossible to tairtake them. They are
also supplied with handcuffs.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
.01111 Mm—
. November 19.--WP-- ind W.--Came down from the
Riverand sailed the Ewretta, Irwin, fen Trinidad, and Harriet.
Curtis, for Sierra Leona.—Arrived and sailed for the River,
the Indus, Wright, from Quebee.—Sailed the Portland, Brace,
for Leith.
Poems,' aura, November I9.—Wind S.E.—Arrived the Olive
Rranch„ Tay.or. from Malaga ; David Walker, Phillips, from
Smyrna; and New Bearings, Comely, from Smyrna; the two •
latter have sailed for London with the wind at West.
PLYMOUTH, November IS.--Wind E.S. E.—Arrived the
Ceres, Dunn, from St. Joh 'a, New Brunswick, sailed 14th of
October; Posthumus, M•Kiver, from Jamaica, In 70daye, and
Britannia. Rigraarden. from Jamaica, in 74 days; Pomona.
Gerdes, from Zante, in 33 days ; Pomona, Mitchell, from Al-
emirs, in SS cloys ; Allison, Harvey, from Labrador.; Calpe,
Brandfird. from Petersburg, in 34 days.
FaLatotern, November IS.--Wind E. is S.E.—Arrived
aus Sarah, Hammond, from Nice; Lord Sidsouth Packet, front
New York, sailed 4th October, and from Halifax. 21st, took
the Captain and (our men off the wreck of the Ardent whaler
of Boston, which had been waterlogged from ath September.
The crow consisted of 14, the remainder were lost.—H.
Packet Frolic had boon on shore on Sable Island, but after
heaving her guns and stores overboard, had got off and matted
at Halifax.

Ltintroot, November IR. •-Arrived the Vittoria, Psttersnn,
1 from Jamaica. soiled Bth September; Golden Fleece, English,
from Bahia, sailed Slat September. —The Perseverance. Boni-,
arrived off blizen Head 11th inst. from Calcutta ; mile! from
the Sand Heads 914 Jane.
Errscess or TIM LATiSruilidtLlTfie return given in
on Saturday last of the nnmber of trees blown Town in
Earl Bathorat's pa:k was 1.042, and on the estate 1,143.
Sliakspeare's Cliff at O seer, bas lately been eirlsider.ble
reduced in height, from its base having been as li-t1
away by the sea, and the consequent fall -of parts of its
aunimit.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman residing a*. Be !-
ford :—I will now give you an account of one of the most
extraordinary floods we ever experienced in- Bedford.—
The water came npon us °instantaneously on Priddy night
(the 31st ult.) and never left us rill the Monday folh•win/.
In many Irons,. it was Seven feet deep. It ran part our
brews, carrying every thing before it, esti we raw from our
windows nothing but water, with cattle swimming f
their live., and tables, chairs, gates, carts, tubs, sides of
house., trees, casks, wheelbarrows, pigs, cows and sheep,
carried along by the tnerente. Nearly opposite ns a house
was washed down, and two or three more are in part
gone. All our clime:hes had two and three feet water in
them Many families were shot up in their dwellings svit..oot
any thing to eat from Friday night till Sunday morniog,tbei r
provisions being under aster, as the flood came on so
rapidly in the night that they had no time to get any thi g
upstairs. A lightee passed up the street, manned wits
several good watermen, but being unable to stand lo the
torrent is was driven with great force through a garden
into the fields, passing over hedges and hates without
impediment. All the bridges in the neighbourhood are
blown up; Barford-hridge had the two extreme arches
blown up while two men were standing in the centre weir,
where they remained upwards of twelve hours, and were
at length saved. 31r. Purser, of Hilington, and seven of
his n en, went to his fields in a waggon to endeavoer to
save his sheep, which he succeeded in doing, by carrNing
them to a small field' of rising ground, on whirl, was a
' deed hedge; they were qiti-kly surronwiel by the flood,
and detained from three in the afternoon till six in the
morning. A hare and two rabbits had token refuge there,
which they killed. Air. P. hail some powd, rin his shout-
ing jacket, and with a flint and knife struck a light and
mine a fire ; they then roasted the game and kept them-
, selves warm for the night."
Wiscren Assises.—The appointment of the commission
fur Surrey to sit at Newington, during the Winter Assizes is
stated to be with a view to me. t the pehlie service and
enztvenience : the far greater number of prisoners being in
Horsernooger Gant, and the officers, wittessei, &c. beiez
far more general in their local cirenrnstances connected
with this vicinity of the metropolis, of which Southwark
forms no small part.
HATTON liAßDEN.—Yest•rday, J. Marshall. a young
man who stated himself to be a stable keeper, wis brought
to this office on a charge of having assaulteri, with intent to
violate, Elizabeth Sydney, a child only nine years old.—
This atrocious offence appears to have been attempted about
a fortnight ago; it was, however. rot discovered by, the
mother till yesterday, when her suspicions being excited,
she questioned the chili!, and from het answers, it appeared
that the prisoner, who lodges with Mrs. Sydney, at 21,
ited Lion-court, Saffron Hill, availing himself of the ab-
sence of her parent., separated her from the child of a
neighbour who was keeping her c impany, and whom
he turned out of the room, then locked the door, and at-
tempted his foul purpose. The child, who appeared Intel-
lipmt, gave her evidence in a very clear manner.
l'he prisoner told a confused story of the child's being
noisy, of his threatening to flog her, when her cries induced
him to desist, also fearing that some person bearing her
cries might come and inquire the cause, and suspect some-
thing improper. It not appearing that the child had been
as yet examined by a surgeon, Mr. Sergeant Senor' ordered
the mother to take her berme the parish surgeon, and to
I afford time for obtaining his opioion,remanded the prison er
till to-morrow.
WORSHIP STRICT.—CRAROE OF VlotsTioN.—Yesterday
Mr. E. Compton.* shop keeper. King street, Islington, was
fully committed from this office, to take his trial, on the
charge of having violated the person of Hester Aigne, a
girl only nine years of age. The charge was met on th•
part oldie prisoner by an accusation of malice against the
accusing parties ; but the Magistrate, William Bennet,
Esq. thought the evidence strong enough to warrant the
committal.

LAMOSTN-STREET.—A PERSEVERING VAGRANT --In
1822, Mary Crawley, a native of the sister kingdom, and
her five children, became chargeable to the pariah of Poo-
l:r, but having no legal Settlement there. it was resolved to
psis them ell over to Ireland. Theylwere accordingly sent
off, bu. at Colnbrook Mother Mary escaped from the
vagrant's cart, and leaving all her children to the kind
attentions of the conductor, disappeared. On their arri.
val at Bristol, the Mayor refused to pass them further
without the mother, and they were all sent back to the
workhouse at Poplar. In May of the present year Mary
also found her way hack to Poplar ; but satisfied by her
inquiries that her children were in good keeping took no
pains to see them. Still Poplar was her favorite residence
till she was discovered and taken up by the parish officers.
who determined once for all to get rid of Mary and her
five children, sent them off in the mail-coach to Bristol,
whence they were regnlarly shipped for Cork. By what
storm they were all blown hark on the ltnglish coast, or
how they reached, it is not known; but to the great surprise
of every one, in the fallowing mottle of July the four Misses
and the little Master Crawley were safely deposited on the
steps of Poplar workhouse. Mary herself was not seen till
Tuesday last, when the officers discovered her in the neigh-
bourhood of her old haunts. antltook her up. Yesterday
the Magistrates of this office committed her to prtshz,
at the request of the parish officers, who mean to pro•
scents her. The young travellers, the eldest of whom
is only twelve years old, mid the youngest 18 months,
are good looking children, and seem to bave th-iven on
par sh fare.
Itonnentr or A POSTMAN. —Os Tuesd ty eve miog,between
6 mid j o'clock, as the Brixton Postman was r• turning
home, he was knocked down and robbed of thirteen stave.
meigos, beside. silver. After the rob' cry he remained in a
state heady dead, for upwards of 2U muutes, when be was
found bleeding by spoor man who was paes;ng by. The
road os ‘lseh I.e .vasias•aelteo.haele u Lardy t ken by the
Parish of St. Mary, laanibtth., and has become the ut,eu
road to Norwood. Under these circumstances it is highly
beeesmry that a patrols shuoki be appsinted to protect
pausogon who hare occasion to trivet or it atm Or..