The Sun. — 1832-04-21 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.  W OR SHIP- STREET.  On Thursday Mr. Drake, a respectable trader in Pittfield-street, Shoreditch, attended for a re-hearing of a case under the Metropolitan highway Act. At the first examination, it was proved by Jack Sheering that a cask lay for several hours on the footway pavement before the shop-door of the defendant. Sheering on that occasion admitted he was both informer and witness, and expected onehalf of the reward (the Act makes the informer a competent witness). Mr. Drake then applied for an adjournment, in order to prove that Sheering was unworthy of belief on his oath, which was granted. After Sheering had entered the witnessbox, he underwent a long and severe cross-examination from Mr. Drake. He said he lined in Hoxton, and was a gardener, but forgot the name of his last employer ; he would not tell how often, or that he was ever confined in the House of Correction ; he admitted that he had been accused of being a bodysnatcher for several years, but would not say he ever lifted bodies out of a grave-yard with others; he dropped that profession for the more honourable one of a public informer. Mr. Drake—And do you call the profession of a pUblic informer honourable ?—I do, for I now call myself a gentleman (Laughter.) Mr. Drake—Under what authority do you claim that title ?—That part of the Act which makes me a competent witness qualifies me to claim the appellation of a gentleman.--(lncreased laughter.) The magistrate, after some further questions, considered there was nothing elicited to invalidate his testimony; and:the Act not leaving him a discretionary power, he was bound to inflict the penalty of 40s. arid costs.  The Council of the Birmingham Political Union have declared their sittings permanent till the fate of the Reform Bill is decided.  STATISTICS OF CRlNlE.—Within the last 21 years the number of commitments in England and Wales has been, males 224,152 ; females, 46,522 ; total, 270,674. In 1811 the number of commitments was 5,337 ; in 1816, 9,091 ; in 1821, 13,115 ; in 1826, 16,16 t ; and in 1832, 19,647, exhibiting a progressive increase of about the same ratio in each period of five years: between the first year and the last, crime, as evidenced by the commitments, has increased nearly 400 per cent. The number of conviction.; in the seven years ending in 1817, 35,259 ; acquitted, 11,762 ; no bills found, 9,287 ; total commitments, 56,309 ; of these, 4952 were sentenced to death, executed 584, about one in nine. In the seven years ending 1824, convictions, 62,412 ; acquitted, 17,708 ; no bills found, 12,726 ; total commitments, 92,848 ; sentenced to death, 7,988 ; executed, 628, one in thirteen. In the seven years ending 1831, convictions, 85,259 ; acquitted, 23,442 ; uo bids, 12,819; total commitments, 121,518 ; sentenced to death, 9,316 ; executed, 410, about one in 23. In the seven years ending 1817, there were executed for forgery, 101 ; the seven years ending in 1826, 55 ; and the seven years ending in 1831, the number was only 17 out of 218 convictions. The convictions for murder have also decreased. In the first period there were 151 ; executed, 182. In the second, 122 ; executed, 104. In the third, 100 ; executed, 87.