Not many days back, some ...
The Times, 1824-11-06T00:00:00

Not mTany days baclk, some remarks were made on the subject of the gross breach of public decency, and otber injUrioUs conseqUellces, resulting from the notorious and reprehenlsible praeticeof making ars exhibition of persons merely charged with fraudulent or criminal offnieces, by al- lowing th}es to be conducted through the streets loaded with fetters: a well-authenticated fact which occurred not very long since, may be pertinently adcluced in confirma- tionX of thc arguments then made use of, for the purpose of exposing, and ultimately abolishingR, a custom so unconge- nial with the spirit of the Engvlish laws. It harpened, by one of those tnischances wvhich occasionally befa'U the most prudent and hoiiourable characters, thst an officer in the army oii half-pay, whose seputation through life had bee-n previously unblemished, was charged with having privately stolen some article from one of the sliops in the Bazaar; a constable was sent for, and the supposed culprit led to a place of confinement, and subeaquently conveyed to one of the police-offices, handcuffed. The Magistrate, however, upon an e?amination taldig place, quilTry perceived that there was some uirstake in the affair; that there was ro foundation for the imputation cast upon the prisoner,and or- dered him to be immnediately discih-ged. But it wasthemis- fortune of the disgraced officer, that the injury he had sustained did not terminate here; for soan after this -n- pleasant aiair, on his repairing to a coffee-house at the West end of the town, with the intenitior of dining with some gentlemeD, whion he had been accustomed to meet at an economical but -respectable sort of table d'ote, he-was ghuost confountded by one of the party,a 6siil oneira- and protesting that he could not thit3k of di'gr.iig him. self by sitting dowin with a ran a'ho had 1ecently been conducted aloug thc atreets ironed like a feloni, and imme- diately walking into another room, he was fbllowetl by all 2ihe-est~ oftie company, leaving the mortified officer to en- joj his huuistiih2g soitudel This is one among many in. seances: w'liid-snigh t be adduced to exemplify the consee quences, of t . injurious customi alluded to: it is not .aiffict to an ipate aenswer thiat will be made-to -what Ugs ,been said on6 hs subject; it willh binquired-How are prisoners to hbe safely removed -fronlnlace to place, unless thay beaccure~iiu the manner eompiaed of?- - Tierepiy fo nhicl nterrogatoryis tdis.t-either let aovezedeare be prbvitetl after the mode adopted in Southwarkj or let Wtore uards be einiployed, if the present nurabcrbe aoi su cient; floulgh.t is aaid,-that at some of the-nolice e ^ tabh!shwepts, .be officers are unnecessarily engageu2 asstate attendants npou the magistrates, insr.ad of being vccupii in the --performance of duxties obviously Mi6re ilaVorlant., It is Eiut just to notice that-the odioCustom whbch the foregoing statsemnit is designed to reprobate does. noM o.,I tamn in the city of London, much- to the credit of . ihnta m gistrates and police. .AELACiOtY AccIEsrT.-Qn Tuesday se'nnigLrtt bqtmen -bavlng been hired by Lieutenant Thomas, , -to Ao vey hiin to Lostwithiel,,en thbi: return- from,thezce they teowk or board two men &da woman to-bring-them lo YFowwei#. -Theyh Q reached tovwthinan1ileoftharplace, whenose-of the-loattne' a- he: would oiit ow any morc; but--ouiM hoist the aih., The boatman strozngloobjected to this, ar3d!de irdluiott do it. COp.mDion, however, obXlStC inaey;estisz an5 ut as thie. were.iup, ii wodden squa-oF-wind'upsetSthe boat, -when Jwmes S4 - pheris~ one oftbebosnes, xritka psaslleoger.siaied ROrt Xtae oftanLvery.iscvre unfertunately irowned, ari haveBc ler" widow end tbEeehihen -to-laent-their unhappyi fate: niestr1 the bbdieslhavebeen akenup.-.Pl,incdht7cu,;utc -