19 FEBRUARY 1831, Page 10

ENLIGHTENING THE Puntac.—Joseph Walker, a young Irishman, was charged at

the Guildhall, on Wednesday, with creating a mob round the door of a banking-house in Lombard Street. Walker was distributing hand-bills, announcing that a deep monological tragedy; called Swing, or Who are the Incendiaries:a would be performed at the Rotunda. The officer said he found on him a copy of the pamphlet, The Life of Swing, for publishing which Carlile had recently been convicted. [When was this?] The prisoner said the persecution he had suffered had aroused in him the boldness which is characteristic of The country he came front. He had; it seems, been imprisoned in Horsemonger Lane for publishing political prints. Sir Peter Laurie asked his trade. The prisoner an- swered, a tin-plate worker. Sir Peter said he had better try again what industry in his own calling would do. The prisoner replied, he was very well satisfied with the profits of his new trade.

Sir Peter—" Then you think that you will be permitted to get a living by defying the law ?"

Prisoner—" I don't know what you call defying the law. I am only opening the eyes of the people to a sense of their oppression. If all were animated by the same zeal as I am, the table of the House of Com- mons would groan beneath the weight of the petitions, and all would be benefited:"

Sir Peter—" Punishment has not done you any good ; I will try what kindness will do. I hold in my hand a local Act, under which I can convict you in the penalty of Si. for causing an obstruction in the Street; but I will discharge you if you will discontinue exhibiting and disseminating inflammatory papers in the City." Prisoner—" I would as soon promise you not to eat again. The best customers I have got are in the City." Sir Peter Laurie—" I am sorry to bear that. I will .give you till to- morrow to think of what I have said."

CHARGE or FEL0NY.—A charge, involving the character of a per. son of the highest respectability, was heard at Union Hall Office on

Tuesday. Mr. Boxsius, a furrier, of Newington Causeway, according to his statement, lost a fur tippet of the value of about twenty shillings, on the 213th of January. On Monday last a young lady passed his shop with the tippet on her neck. Mr. Boxsius requested her to enter the shop ; explained the circumstance of the theft ; and was informed by the young lady that the tippet had been presented to her, on the 29th of January, by a Mr. Marsden, a coal-merchant. A warrant was in consequence issued against Mr. Marsden. It was sworn that he was it the shop on the 28th; and a shop-boy swore that he was also there during the whole time Mr. Marsden remained, with the exception of a few minutes. The wife of Mr. Boxsius denied that any one was in the shop while Mr. Marsden remained, which was about an hour. Mr. Marsden, On the contrary, declared that four or five people passed through the shop and entered it while he remained : he added, that he hought the tippet on the 29th, from an old man who was exposing it for sale at the Elephant and Castle. A Mr. Morris and his wife both swore to the fact of a tippet being offered to them for sale by an old malt; and Morris said the tippet in question was the same ; but his wife had forgotten the colour and make of the tippet, and also the day when it was offered for sale. Nu- merous witnesses stood forward to speak to the character and respect- ability of Mr. Marsden ; and the Magistrates, as the case seemed to be involved in some doubt, agreed to accept of security for his appearance to take his trial for the felony. Ant Gum.—A hackney-coachman, on Tuesday, made a cock and a bull communication to Mr. Minshull, of one of his windows being broken by a bullet. He had taken up four out of five gentlemen, the fifth having refused to get in : he followed behind, however, and soon after the coachman heard a noise as of a whip striking against the window of the coach ; when he let down his fare, he found the glass smashed. No bullet was found. Mr. Minshull said it was a very serious business, and directed Bishop to take it in hand. Whether he has succeeded in finding the bullet, remains one of the interesting arcana of the office at Bow Street.

Woaxmoess Mracirs—A person named Hughes, master of Hackney Workhouse' was on Monday charged before the Magistrates of Worship Street with flogging a little boy with a whip made of bull's hide. The crime of the boy was his having, on Saturday night, washed his own face, instead of having it washed by an old woman who officiates as face- washer-general to the establishment. He was flogged naked. The boy's back was very much cut. The master excused himself, by stating that he was in a passion ; and the Trustees gave him- a strong character for humanity,—which must have been well deserved, for the schoolmas- ter of the workhouse swore he had resigned his situation rather than continue a witness of his brutality. The humane master was fined 20s.; which Mr. Dorset, one of the Trustees, immediately paid. DOO-STEALING.—A fellow named Province was fined at Marylebone Office, on Monday, in 40/., and his assistant, one Jackson, in 20/., for dog-stealing. It was stated that the carcasses of from two hundred to three hundred dogs had been found on Province's premises.