The Sun. — 1845-12-26 (London, England)

THAMES.  Mr. Foster, the master of a vessel called the Hopewell, was charged with breaking bulk of a cargo of coals before the dues were paid, by which be had incurred a penalty of 25/. Mr. Pelham appeared for the defendant, who did not attend.  The real question in dispute was whether coals brought from the North to London, and not intended to be used as fuel, were liable to the City dues of 13d. per ton. The Hopewell discharged a cargo of 413 tons of coals, not brought direct from the pit, for the purpose of being consumed as fuel, but which were brought from a tram-road, laid down many years ago, and recently broken up. The coals had been subjected to the action of the atmosphere for thirty-three years, and when the tram-road was broken up, the coals which composed it were shipped for London, and consigned to Mr. Heron, a brickmaker, at Uxbridge, to be used in the manufacture of bricks ; and it was admitted that before he could do so he crushed the coals, which had lost many of their qualities, in a machine. There was no intention to evade the duty, and Mr. Heron said, if the magistrate decided that a duty was payable on coals exported from the North for the purposes of brickmaking, he would not attempt to resist the payment of the duty on other cargoes. Mr. BRODERIP decided that sea-borne coals, for whatever purpose they were exported from the North to London, were liable to the duty, and inflicted a nominal penalty of 205., at the same time expressing an opinion that Mr. Heron was quite right in raising the question, The fine was paid, and Mr. Heron said he would pay the City dues on other cargoes of the stuff consigned to him.  Earl Delawarr, who has been slightly indisposed during the last few days in tipper Grosvenor-street, is convalescent, and yesterday left town, accompanied by the Countess and family, for Buckhurst-park, Sussex, for the holidays.  OUTRAGE AND ATTEMPT TO MURDER AT BULmax.—A most daring outrage was committed on Friday last, about half-past one A.m., at the house of 111 r. F. Stevens, a farmer, at Bulphan Fen, in this county. Three men, ma,ked, made a forcible entry, by breaking through a lath and plaster end of the building; and Mr. Stevens hearing them below, took the novel course of jumping out of the window, \Olen two of the villains attacked him, and one of them discharged a pistol at him, but happily missed his person. Mr. Stevens escaping from them ran towards a cottage, when a second shot was tired at him, but fortunately without injuring him. The fellows then made off, taking with them a double-barrel gun, the only thing missing. Information having been given to the police, an active search was instituted in the neighbourhood, which resulted in the apprehension of a man named Freeman, residing at Iforndon, on suspicion of being one of the parties implicated in the outrage; Inspector Smith, who immediately went to London, succeeded, on Sunday evening, in taking into custody, in Ratcliffe-highway, another party, named James Scoble, who, from the description given, is strongly suspected to be the man who fired the pistol at Mr. Stevens. The prisoners have been removed to Brentwood to await, their examination before the magistrates acting for that division. —Essex Herald.