27 FEBRUARY 1830, Page 5

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.—One of Mr. Bellamy's waiters charged a man

and a woman with begging of the members of the House of Commons as they went to the House. The woman stood on the one side and the man on the other; and when they got nothing by their prayers, as is commonly the case with petitioners in that quarter' the woman cursed their bellies, which, for all so big as they were, contained no bowels for the poor. The female thus accused of cursing the Parliament-men boldly claimed her right to petition the House. The Magistrates of Queen Square sent both the pe- titioners for eight days to the House of Correction. We have not heard whether it be intended to treat all petitioners in the same way. KNOWLEDGE or a POLICE MaeisTeaTE.--A publican named Salter was fined in 20s. for permitting cards to be played in his house. The fine was made so moderate because Sir Richard Birnie "knew something of the defendant, and believed him to be a respectable man, and that he erred un- willingly." IThen the cards had been shuffled in this way, the two persons complaining of Salter (constables acting in their own right, and whose lenity was as singular as was Sir Richard's knowledge) proceeded to add, that " having returned to the house about half-past one o'clock the same night, and. hearing voices withiz:, they knocked at the door repeatedly, but without effect, till a prostitute came up. She laughingly observed, Oh! yotu are not up to the trick, but I will soon gain you admittance.' She then gave three distinct taps with her knuckles on a particular part of the door, which was instantly opened. At this time there were thirty or forty persons in the house, drinking ; some of them thieves and prostitutes, and by far the greater part were lads, having the appearance of clerks and shopmen." We blame not Sir Richard Birnie for the extreme ignorance he displayed of this pre- cious place of resort,—although, if his officers were worth a farthing, they should have instructed him better: but how came he, knowing as he did, nothing at all about him or his conduct, to volunteer a recommendation of this Mr. Salter ? Is it not a most singular thing, that never, even by acci- dent, can a police magistrate content himself with acting as other men do ? —that he will, as if impelled by some overruling fate, 'always overstep or fall short of the line of common discretion ? On what principles is this class of people chosen ? THE NEW POLICE.—A fellow named Little was brought to Queen Square on Wednesday, charged with personating a sergeant of the police, and extorting money on pretence of procuring situations in the corps. The person whom Little had endeavoured to swindle out of a sovereign gave evidence. He was an Irishman, but not so great a simpleton as many of his countrymen are, or as Little thought him. He speedily perceived, by the linen and general appearance of the cheat, that he was not what he pre- tended to be. He framed an excuse for going out, and, searching about, found a real policeman, who seized Mr. Little, and brought him before the Comthissioners' and by their directions before Mr. Marriot. It happened that no money had been paid ; and consequently, as the law now stands' no offence had been committed. The fellow was therefore dismissed to seek for simpler prey. The law is evidently defective. In most other crimes, the inception is an offence as well as the completion ; and in some it is punished in the same way. A burglar may be hanged though he do not steal a far- thing; an intended murderer, though his victim survive, even though he be not hurt : but though extorting money be in one case a capital offence, un- less the money be actually parted with, and the fact of it being parted with proved, there is no offence at all. The essential guilt, the mains animus of the party, goes for nothing ; and the whole offence is made to hinge on the accident of his meeting a victim who has the means of complying with his extortion, or who can be terrified into compliance.