The Sun. — 1848-03-20 (London, England)

CROWN SIDE. Richard Allchin surrendered to take his trial upon an indictment charging him with baying embezzled threepence, the moneys of her Majesty's PostmasterGeneral. Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Ballantine conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Horne appeared for the defendant. It appeared from the evidence adduced in support of the prosecution that the defendant was keeper of the poet receiving-house at Mailing, about four miles from Maidstone, and it seemed that, at the time in ques • tion, all letters posted there addressed to villages within a very short distance, had first to be sent through the Maidstone Post-office, where they were stamped, and were then sent back to Mailing, and then it appeared there was na carrier to deliver them ; but the gentry living in the neighbourhood employed a private messenger to fetch their letters, and, with regard to the poorer class of persons, if they did not themselves fetch them, they would remain at the Postoffice for several weeks. The man who was employed as messenger, it appeared, was in the habit, where letters were pre-paid, and which were addressed to villages in the neighbourhood, to keep the penny for the postage, and deliver them without letting them pass through the Post-office, but at length it appeared the Post-office authorities made an alteration in the arrangements, and appointed a letter carrier, which situation was assumed by the son of the defendant, to the exclusion of the old messenger, who had been endeavouring to get the appointment, and he then, out of spite, gave infor 'nation to the Post-office authorities of the proceedings that had been going on, and in conse quence certain letters were posted, in order to obtain evidence, and in three cases letters were delivered without passing through the Post-office in the regular manner, or the postage being accounted for by the defendant. Ile was immediately questioned upon the subject, when he at once admitted what he had dune, and said he had always understood that the same practice had prevailed with his predecessor, and that such letters were a perquisite of the postmaster. It transpired incidentally in the course of the case that the defendant's salary was only 8/. a year, and it appeared thet he had always borne a most excellent character, and was very much respected in the neighbourhood. Mr. HORSE having addressed the jury, Mr. Justice COLERIDGE expressed an opinion that, under all the circumstances, the evidence would hardly warrant the conviction of the defendant of feloniously embezzling the money in question. Mr. CLARKSON said, that after what had fallen from the Learned Judge, he should feel himself justified in withdrawing from the prosecution. Mr. Justice COLERIDGE observed that the inquiry had been a very proper one, and it was very necessary for persons who filled the office of the defendant in country districts to know that such proceedings were illegal, and subjected them to severe punishment. The amount lost to the revenue in one district might be inconsiderable, hut if the same course of conduct were adopted throughout the length and breadth of the rural districts of the country, the amount of loss would be very large indeed, and he trusted the present proceeding would have the effect of preventing such a thing occurring again. The jury then returned a verdict of Not Guilty.  NORFOLK ClRCUlT.—Cambridge, March ls. The business of the assizes for this county commenced this morning before the Lord Chief Baron in the Nisi Prins Court, and Mr. Justice Coltman on the Crown side. The civil business is small, and, with the exception of one case, which, it is said, involves an inquiry into certain alleged corrupt practices at a former election of this borough, and will he tried on Monday, is devoid of public interest. The calendar is heavy. It contains the names of fifty-one prisoners, of whom one is charged with murder; three with manslaughter ; three with stabbing and wounding ; four with arson ; eight with burglary ; one with perjury, assigned on proceedings in a county court; one with wounding cattle ; one with administering poison —a mother to her illegitimate child ; and the rest with larcenies of various kinds. Fourteen of the prisoners can neither read nor write, fourteen can read imperfectly, sixteen can read and write imperfectly, five can read and write well, and of the instruction received by the others no account is given. Fifteen of the prisoners have been committed for offences alleged to have been perpetrated within the borough; of these there is but one who can neither read nor write ; and of the offences severally charged against them there is but one, a case of burglary, that is of a grave character.