22 APRIL 1837, Page 14

A LORD BEFORE JUSTICES.

Lord WATERFORD, Sir F. JOHNSTONE, and Mr. VILLIERS Of course kept the Magistrates waiting for some time, and

in dress of low London swells — bear-

then appeared, kin emts and large shawl cravats. In addition to knocker- Iroehing, door-roaintinc.", and lamp-breaking, it appears that after ole of the gang, Mr. REYNARD. hail been taken into custody and pra in gaol, the rest of them assaulted the constable who had the keys of the prison, and filially forced him, as he swore before the Maaistrates, "for fear of his lite, to open the prison-door and selliase Mr. REYNARD. The language reported to have been used by these noblemen and gentlemen, was as foul as ever issued from the lips of coal-porter or street-walker. WILLIAM CAMPION, the constable, thus described the assault upon him. o one had hold of my handkerchief behind and anoth,:: before, and polled it 4„ite tight ; in the struggle It tore. They got tie down, and kicked me, and tlien searched every packet I had ; but did not Slid the keys. I then got up, and was again knocked down and sear, bed, but in vain. '1 hey took me to the window of the Bridewell, to ascertain f M

font r. R i

eynard t I was the person wit locked the doors after lie was put In. NIr. Reynard said I Wit& They tion me, one on each side; while the Marquis held in my face a piece rif boo, twelve or fourteen inches long, saying, By Gad, I'll molder you if you dal'i tell me where the keys are. I had purposely dropped them in Mr. Wok's garden. I should have said they had, previous to taking me to the sadow, knocked three padlocks off the Bridewell doors. I then gave them the boss, but they could not unlock the doors. Some of them still held me fist. I then opened the door, and Mr. Reynard came out ; and they all went swav together. Finding myself at Jibe, ty too, I got over a wall and went away an fast as I could I gave up the keys for fear of my life ; nothing else would have induced me to do so. My life was threatened several times, after they used violence as well as before. They cut my eye, and the kick I received iajured my side very much. I was so blamed that for two or three days I could not put my hands behind me. The gentlemen were all sober."

Three other watchmen said they hail been knocked down and severely bruised.

The reader is acquainted with the nature of the offence : now let us see how the Magistrates treated the culprits. Dill they read them a stern lecture on their disgraceful and cowardly behaviou r— reminding them that society had a right to expect gentlemen and noblemen, magistrates themselves, and hereditary legislators, to set an example of respect for the laws, instead of violating them ? Did they warn them that their rank and property would not shield them from severe punishment ? Oh, no. The " unpaid" of Melton are like the "unpaid" elsea here. They are great against poachers, and unbending inst.:laments of justice when the prisoner is not lord or baronet. But, said the Magistrate, according to the report in the paper— We wish this was a case we could treat liqItilq: on the contrary, we must till on you, my Lord Waterford, Honourable W. Villiers, and Sir F. Johnstone, to be bound over to appear at the County Sessions, in the sum of 200/. each, sod two sureties of 100f. each." Mr. Errington and Captain Gillmore were then ieceived as security.

At the County Sessions "my Lord WATERFORD.' knows that the case will be treated " lightly." Before a tribunal of squires, what wealthy lord is in danger of more than a twenty-pounds fine, or some such trifle, for prison-breaking and a series of assults ? When the Magisterial sentence had been delivered, Lord WA- TERFORD, marching up to Justice NORMAN, said— "As far as the evidence goes, it is true ; Pm only sorry that I didn't knock tint rascal (pointing to Campion, the witness) down several times more. And as for knocking down and trampling on these old chaps the watchmen, we did nothing of the kind. I can assure you that we three young fellows could lick all Melton."

Mr. LATHAM, a solicitor, pressed an inquiry into a second case of not which he had against the Marquis, who "was a terror not only to this county but to others ;" whereupon Lord WATERFORD approached Mr. LATHAM in a threatening attitude, and said- " What do you mean ? If you had said what you have out of this room, I would have given you a damned good licking."

It is added in the Globe, from which we have taken the report of the proceedings, that though " this passed in the presence and hearing of the Magistrates, no notice was taken of it by them !" It is to the firmness and impartiality of such persons as these Magistrates that the administration of justice in England is in a great degree intrusted; and a large majority of the House of Commons consider it an insult to the gentlemen of England to propose a reform of the system which places so much power in such hands! Does anybody believe that if a plebeian had con- ducted himself in a court of justice after the fashion of "my Lord WATERFORD," that he would have escaped with less than a rnonth's imprisonment and hard labour, and perhaps a flogging? But Lord WATERFORD knew his men. He saw that the whole affair was a farce. He despised and insulted the Justices as much as "those old chaps the watchmen." Such, however, is the pre- ponderance of country gentlemen in the " Reformed" House et* Commons, that we may wait long for responsible magistrates in the provinces In the mean while, it is worse than mockery to talk of equal justice to rich and poor in England.