The Sun. — 1841-03-16 (London, England)

REPORT OF THE IMPORT DUTIES COMMITTEE. NVe understand that this now for-ever-celet)rated document, or some abridgment of it, ha: seen reprinted at New York, and is circulated ii imerica very largely. We are heartily glad of this, for the knowledge of the inutility, or rather the mischievousness of what is calledprotection,h• Is much required in the United States as here. It _nay reach that country in time to warn the people by our example against the commercial suicide, by a tariff, which they are meditating. We are much pleased also to learn that the abridgment of the Report, published by a weekly Contemporary, has been reprinted at Carlisle, and sold to a very large amount. The very useful information supplied by that invaluable Report is spreading all over the country, indeed all over the world, and is producing an effect such as never Parliamentary document of that nature produced before.  At the recent Quarter Sessions for the county of Hertford a man named David Sams, about two and twenty years of age, was triad before the Marquis of Saisbury and sentenced to be transported for life for felony. Although so young in years the career of crime of this individual has been of an almost unprecedented character, and his case will show how unavailing are the most solemn arnings t ) the mind naturally adeicted to crime. The first offence alleged against Sims was that of the robbery Ind mureer of an old pensioner named Bent'. ti, at Tewin, near Hertford. He was tried with two other young men, named Rorch and Fletcher, at the Hcrts Assizns, when, although there appeared to be v. ry little moral doubt that he had been the original coneoetor of the scheme, and bad azt:vely assisted in the perpetratign cf the hcrrible crime imputed to him, owing to a failure cf the necessary evidence as to his identity, he was acquittee', and 1 h two unhappy companions were convicted, and sub. sequently executed. Almost immediately after this aafui avirning Sams committed another robbery, and was tried and convicted, and sentenced to six months' imf I.:mulct-it. Shortly after this period of imprisonment had expired a young min named Thomas Taylor, who had also been charged with being concerned in the robbery and murder of the old real, was taken into cut idy, and upon his tii.l Sams wa; mitted as witness for the:Crown, and he then &tad ed all the circumstances of the murder, and stated that it was committed by the two men who were executed, Taylor, and himself, and that they divided the money, between ' therm after the dreadful deed had been committed. Upon .his evidence and other corroborating testimony, Taylor was convicted, and he was also executed. It would have I ean thought that such circumstances as these would have induced Sams to change his wicked courses, the more especially as some of the gentry of the m ighbourbood of Hertford interested themselves in his behalf, and obtained him employment, whereby he might have earned a ,espectable subsistence; but he speedily took to his old course of life, and his employers could keep him no longer. He then left this part of the country, and it has been ascertained that be was afterwards tried and convicted upon two charges of felony. He then returned to Hertford, and in a very short time he and tyro of his companions broke into a farm-house, near Ware, and for this offence be took his trial at the Quarter Sessions as above stated, and the case being clearly brought home to him, the Jury found him and his companions Guilty. The Marquis of Salisbury, in pa!sing sentence upon Sams, observed that he never knew an instance of so hardened a criminal as he ap;.eared to be. He had had the most dreadful warning on a former occasion, but it appeared to have bad no Mei t upon him, and be had gone on his career cf crime until justice had at length overtaken him. The Noble Marquis then observed, that he thought he should be neglecting ais duty to the public if he did not pass upon him thn severest sentence of the law, which wAs, that ho be transa-rtel for the term cf his natural life. The convict heard the sentence with the greatest coolness, and at its conclusion he nodded to one of hi: old companions in the body of the Court, and then walked away laughing from the bar.