POLICE OF LONDON. IMPROVEMENT IN THE MORALS OP THE Memo-
rosts.—In the course of Thursday morning, Sir Richard Birnie took occa- sion to remark upon the improvement which seemed to have taken place in the public morals, as he scarcely ever recollected a time when so few offences were brought before him. Most of the charges which bad lately occupied his time, he said, originated in drunkenness; and if the lower orders did not drink no much gin, there would be much less crime. As for himself, he had never drunk a glass of gin in his life, and what was more, Ise never meant to drink one. Whilst the worthy magistrate was thus con- gratulating himself and everybody on the prevailing morality of the age' an officer entered, and placed the warrant to apprehend Mr. R. Stephenson be- fore Sir Richard ; and directions were given to use the utmost vigilance in procuring his apprehension. Sir Richard entered into conversation on the subject with a gentlemans who sat beside him; and remarked, that though there seemed to be a pretty general opinion that Mr. Stephenson was gone to America, he, for his part, thought it most likely that he was still in or near London It appeared to him that there was no place better calculated for concealment than a city like this; and if due caution were used, it was almost impossible to find any one out. Some of Mr.Stephenson's friends will serely convey to him this kind and considerate information.
Sze RICHARD RIRNIE AND FERSTANDIG.—M. Ferstandig, the German litterateur, came to Bow-street yesterday to demand an apology from Sir Richard Birnie for having committed him for trial on the charge of stealing a manuscript belonging to Mr. Wilks of Chancery-lane, on which charge he was acquitted by a Jury. Ferstandig said that he had been advised by the Directors of the King's College, the Committee of the Royal Society of Literature by the Bishop of Salisbury, and the Archbishop of York, to de-, mend a public apology for the wrong he had suffered. A sharp colloquy ensued; the Magistrate would not "stultify himself" by an apology,—though he had no objection to wait upon the last-mentioned prelate and explain his views of the case ; and though he would not, with his subsequent knowledge of Wilks, have committed Ferstandig on that person's testimony. Finally, Sir Richard desired to commune with the complainant in private.
Rios' IN CATO-STREET.—Fifteen of the ring-leaders in theidesperate riot in Cato-street and its vicinity on the morning of Friday week, were on Wednes- day brought to Bow-street, for examination. Amongst the prisoners, who are, with one exception, Irishmen, was a watchman named Lloyd, who, it was reported, had killed his own child. This disgraceful outrage arose, in the first instance, at the Seymour Arms, Seymour-place; - where three of the pri- soners were refused gin; upon which they demolished tire windows with iron spikes, which they tore up from the adjoining areas ; and the disturbance was augmented by four or five hundred other Irishmen who came up, and a general fight ensued amongst themselves. Some of them also attacked every person who came in their way, and several individuals were desperately beaten by them. The prisoners, with the exception of one, who was not identified, were fully committed for trial. SWINDLING.—Charles White was examined at Guildhall on Thursday, on the charge of having swindled a poor widow out of several pigs value 381-, which he pretended to pay for by a bill that proved to be worth nothing. He had also swindled a man out of three cows, value use; and had besides succeeded in getting several sheep, a horse, and grain, to the amount of 30/. - from other persons. FRAUDS UPON PAWNBROKERS.—T110111aS Wilson was on Wednesday re- manded from Guildhall on the charge of having pledged with Mr. Upsall, pawnbroker, several pieces of base metal, under the representation that they were ingots of standard silver. The metal had been washed in a prepara- tion of pearl-ash; which produced the deceptive, dull, silver-like appear- ance.
MORE COAL FRAUDS.—Three 'merchants were on Wednesday fined 5/., 4/., and 3/. each, at Union-hall, for using deficient measures.
Another coal-merchant has been tined at Marylefeme-ofiice, in 14/. and costs, for sending out coals deficient in measure. Will these people take no warning?
HAWKERS' AND PEDLARS' LiCENCES.--Mary D. Latina, who procures,her living by hawking, lace caps, wasbrought to Bow-street on Tuesday, charged with having followed her trade without a,licence. The witness to prove the
offence was a man named Smart, who had been confined in Maidstone gaol for a conspiracy ; he and another person having laid an information against a baker at Greenwich for having alum on his premises, whereas it was proved that the alum had been placed in the house by the conspirators themselves. The witness did not deny that such was the fact: the Magistrate therefore dismissed the present complaint.
BASE COIN.—A man named Wilson was committed for trial for having uttered a counterfeit dollar. He had formerly been convicted of a similar offence.
Two men and a woman were on Tuesday charged at Hatton-garden with having passed a gilt six-pence for a half-sovereign. They paid it along with a sovereign at a booking-office in Islington, as the price of a passenger's fare to Rugby. When the fraud was detected, they asked the clerk to go home with them and get the money ; but, on the road, they began to abuse him, and threatened to knock him down. The character of the prisoners is of the worst description; but Mr. Serjeant Sellon liberated them all on the payment of the 10s.!
RObBERIES.—A young lad was brought to Bow-street, on Monday, charged with picking a gentleman's pocket of a silk handkerchief. The prisoner said that he would be much obliged to Sir Richard Birnie if he would send him to sea. Sir Richard—" What right have you amongst moral men, fellow ?" Halls—" If you go on at this rate, we shall soon send you to sea." He was committed for trial.
A man maned Burnam was on Thursday committed for trial, from Mary- lebone, charged with stealing horses' tails. It appears that the farmers in the counties of Herts, Bucks, and Middlesex, have suffered severely by this novel species of depredation.
Seoe-urreee.—Anne May, a young woman of respectable appearance, was on Monday committed for trial for having stolen a pair of gold ear-rings from a shop in Oxford-street.
Mrs. Smith, the wife of a highly respectable gentleman) was on Tuesday charged at Union-hall with having stolen a fur pelerine from the sale-rooms of Mr. Day, in Bishopsgate-street. There was a sale of furs at the rooms: the prisoner bought one lot, and soon after her departure the pelerine was missed : a lady in the room saw Mrs. Smith fold it up and place it under her arm. When accused of the crime at her own house, she produced the article, and explained that she had taken it by mistake. Mr. Day, however, insisted that it had been taken with a felonious intent ; and the accused was held to bail to answer the charge at the Sessions.
Assauurs.—Mr. Campton, a gentleman residing at Regent's Park, was on Wednesday charged at Marylebone-office, with having cruelly beaten his housekeeper. The defendant stated that she was a most turbulent woman ; and during the two years and a half she had been in his service, had several times attempted to poison herself. He was fined 3/.
A fishmonger in Fleet-market complained at Bow-street, that the female servant of a publican had laid open his head,.by a blowWith a pewter pot. It appeared, however, that she had received more provocation than could be pleasant to a modest woman. Though the wound he had received was severe, the Magistrate told the complainer that he being the first aggressor must put up with it, and dismissed thercase.
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