ILLEGAL FEES AND OPPRESSIVE INIPRISONMENT.--TIIC Police Reports of the week

supply a narrative in illustration of the title of this paragraph, which it would be a gross injustice to our mosttivilized and law-protected country, not to quote at some length.—" A young man, named John Hall, a labourer, came to thejustice room, at the klansionhouse, and told the Lord Mayor that he had been recently liberated from prison, to which be had been consigned because «zz official person happened to wake a mistake ; and that, although he had been falsely imprisoned, permission to depart was not given him until he contrived to pay a guinea fee to the aforesaid official person. The applicant went on to state, that before the last Old Bailey Sessions, he had been, in conjunction with another man, whose name was Wooddin, bound over in the sum 1)1 401. to prosecute a female who had robbed him of his watch. They accordingly appeared at the Old Bailey and gave evidence, and the woman was convicted and sentenced to be transported for seven years. The applicant's watch was handed over to him, and he received U Ifis. to defray the expenses he had been put to. His witness also received the amount of his expenses ; and they considered that the business was entirely at an end, and returned to their work. The applicant was not, however, long occupied, when a sheriff's officer tapped him on the shoulder, told him that his recognizances had been estreated in the Exchequer, and that he must either pay the amount for which he was made responsible at once, or go to prison. The man's poverty left him no alternative, and he was locked up in Whitecross-street Prison. By some accident Mr. Barrett, the Governor of the prison, learning that Hall was confined for a debt which he never had incurred, and having been informed by him of the particulars, wrote to the office of the Clerk of the Peace, for the county of Middlesex, and represented that the man had not violated his bond, but had punctually appeared to prosecute. Upon this representation an order was sent to the prison to dis charge the applicant. But,' said the poor man to the Lord Mayor, I was not allowed to stir until I managed to raise a guinea by pawning the very watch the woman had stolen from me to pay the Clerk of the Peace his fee.' The Lord Mayor, who could not believe but that this statement was exceedingly exaggerated, immediately sent for Mr. Barrett, in order to hear the version of a disinterested man upon the subject. Mr. Barrett produced the warrant for keeping Hall in safe custody ; from which it appeared that the man had been a prisoner for eight days for nothing. The Lord Mayor asked what had occasioned the arrest of the poor man ? Mr. Barrett said he understood from the Clerk of the Peace for Middlesex (Mr. Selby, the deputy of Mr. Allen) that Hall and the other witness, against whom, it is believed, another process had issued, had been mistaken for two other persons who had been bound over to prosecute in another case, but had not appeared according to the terms of the bond. Mr. Barrett had represented the extreme hardship to which the young man had been subjected, but he received directions not to discharge Hall until the usual fee qf 11.1s. was paid. It was in vain he stated the injustice of the punishment which the man had suffered. It was still considered that he ought, in justice to pay the fee; and the Clerk, when told of the extreme impediment of poverty as stopping the way, asked whether there was nota charitable fund connected with the prison, by which the man could be assisted to pay the amount? Creditors of this description, however, were not those for whom any fund for the benefit of poor debtors was likely to be disbursed. The Lord Mayor—" And who is chargeable with the mistake by which this man is plunged into prison'?" Mr. Barrett said he did not know that any one was chargeable, except somebody in the office of the Clerk oh the Peace. Hall said that care had been taken to make him pay the fee ; hut lie had suffered still greater injury. His master, when he was libetated, told him it must be for something wrong that he had been confined, and refused to give him any more employment, so that he was now in a destitute condition. The Lord Mayor said that the case was a very desperate one, and proved, as strongly as any thing he ever heard, the necessity of a revision. It was an act altogether of the most monstrous injustice. His Lordship desired to know from Mr. Hobler whether the act of Parliament sanctioned the fee in question, 111r. Hobler said he believed it Was mentioned in one of tile by-laws; but Mr. Shelton, the late Clerk of the Peace for the City of London, never considered himself justified in taking such a fee, and therefore never made any demand of the kind. The Lord Mayor strongly expressed himself on the subject of the fee, and asked Mr. Hobler whether the applicant could not have a remedy in a court of law. Mr. Hobbes said the error was evidently an official one, whatever might be said of the demand of the fee. Mr. Shelton considered the fee as illegal. In the course of the conversation on the subject, it was stated that Hall, upon receiving the order for the payment of his expenses, was called on for two other fees—half-a-crown to one person, and two shillings, as discount upon the amount of the expenses, to another, who wore a.black gown, and immediately addressed him upon finding that the Court ordered Ins expenses. The Lord Mayor said that this discount extortion was a practice of common occurrence at the Old Bailey, hut it had been found very difficult to detect those who were guilty of it. He was determined that this instance should not pass with impunity if the party could be identified. Hall said he should know

him anywhere. His Lordship then sent for Mr. Richardson the under-sheriff, and requested him to inquire into the matter. Mr. Richardson said, the practice was, although a most culpable, a most coalition one, and that he should at once institute the necessary inquiry. His Lordship, in conclusion, advised Hall to persevere in seeking the redress to which he was entitled; and desired him to return to the justice-room in a day or two, and most probably he would hear more of the matter."

RIFLING rue Reroseronies or THE DEAD.--A singular case was investigated by the Magistrates at Queen Square on Wednesday and Friday. Dr. Farre charged the wife of a respectable master-builder in Drury-lane, and her son, on, suspicion of having stolen 225/. in Bank of England notes from the desk of MN. Keefe, a widow lady; who had lodged anti died suddenly in the defendant's house, and to whose will Dr. Farre is executor. At the second examination,Mr. Harmer appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Barry for the prisoners. Dr. Ferro, of Charter-house-square, stated that he was nephew and executer to the deceased ; who had lodged in the house of Mr. Carter, 91, Drury-lane, whose wife and MI were the prisoners at the bar. Mrs. O'Keefe died on the 8th of June last, pos. sessed of bank-notes for 225/., which were locked in a writing-desk with other money and a bill, and that the desk hail been opened, and the notes extracted. In the desk was found a metnorandunn of the death of Mrs. O'Keefe, in the handwriting of the younger prisoner. The deceased's name was written " O'Keith," and it was proved that young Carter was in the habit of thus tnis-spelling her name. Several witnesses proved that M rs. Carter had denied opening the desk, as well as all knowledge of the bank-notes. A clerk from Messrs. Barnett, the banker, proved time number of the notes paid to Mrs. O'Keefe. A clerk from the Bank of Rngland proved that some of these notes, to the amount of 150/. had been paid into that establishment, since the trill June, indorsed " Carter." Mr. ROSS, clerk to the Duke of Bedford, said he received a 20/. note, indorsed " Carter," on the 25th June, 1829, from one of the Carters; but he could not say whether from the father or son. This note was proved to be one of the numbers possessed by Mrs. O'Keefe. Sir. Barry addressed the Magistrates, contending that no case was made out against the son, and that there could be no doubt but the deceased had given the notes to Mrs. Carter' in consequence of her assiduous attention. The prisoners were fully cont. omitted for trial. The Magistrates refused to take bail.

EXTENSIVE StunROISISERY.—Last week a young man named Wilks was corms mined, along with his dere antic and the receiver of the goods, for an extensive rubbery of his employer, Mr. Verey, the silk-mercer of Regent-street. Wilks had been otily eleven months with Mr. Verey ; he is about eighteen ; the female is considerably older.

WRONGFUL IMPRISONMENT BY THE NIGHP WATCH.—Two young men of very respectable appearance, were brought to Bow-street Police-office, on Tuesday, handculled through the street, from a watchhouse, where they had been incurcerated since the night before. Warren and another patrol said, that they stopped the prisoners between ten and eleven o'clock on Monday night, in the Kent-road, near the Elephant and Castle, carrying a bundle : it was ascertained to be wet linen ; and the prisoners were taken to the watchhouse, on suspicion of having stolen it. The prisoners appeared greatly affected and ashamed at being placed f at the felons' bar : they complained of having been locked tip all night in the watchhouse, and dragged to the office like the worst of felons, when the officers might have ascertained within a quarter of an hour after they were taken into custody, that they were innocent. It was satisfactorily proved that the wet linen consisted of their own shirts, which had been washed at their sister's a little way from town, and which they were conveying to their mother, with whom they resided, in the neighbourhood of the place where they were taken. Mr. Minshull said he was satisfied they were innocent young menu; he ordered them to be set at liberty, and regretted that they had been seellardly treated.

CRUEL, TREATMENT OF PARISH CHILDREN.—Two women, named Hedges and Brooks, living at Ann-street, Spa-fields, were charged at the Hatton Garden Police-office, on Tuesday, with having cruelly abused a child two years old. The woman Hodges was the mother, and received 2s. per week from the parish of Henley, the child being illegitimate. One of the witnesses was a female lodger, who discovered the child naked in a privy ; she immediately gave information to the parochial authorities, who, with prompt humanity, proceeded to the house, and found that a girl named Mary Leader had, by order of time prisoner Brooks, immersed the infant in a tub of cold water, and was scrubbing its back, covered with sores, with cinders. When removed to the workhouse and examined, it was found in a most filthy condition, and uearly dead for want of food. The child when brought in was a piteous sight, being in the last stage of emaciation. When questioned as to a wound in its hand, it stated that it had been done by its "aunt" (marting the woman Brooks), with a fork. The Magistrate, Mr. Laing, ordered the child to be properly taken care of remarking that it did not appear likely to trouble the party long ; and directed the women to find proper securities to answer the charge at the ensuing sessions.

LEGAL INCONVENIENCES.—In the course of the Chancery suit which goes under the title of " Hitchcock v. Congreve " originally connected with the Arigna Mining Company, a Mr. Henry Clarke, also connected with the company, was directed to pay into court the sum of 2000/. He did net comply with the order; and was, after going through every possible stage of contumacy, declared a rebel in flue form. The person to whom the writ for the apprehension of Henry Clarke was intrusted, went down to Kilburn for that purpose; but not finding him there, lie returnedto town, and after casting about where he might possibly be, deter, mined to call at his brother's Mr. Charles Clarke. He gained admission to Charles Clarke's on pretence of inquiring about a Mr. Walsh ; when he was asSured that Henry Clarke was not in the house, nor had been for some time. Th§ was about ten o'clock at night ; at twelve o'clock he returned with two other's, and insisted on searching the house; and after some considerable opposition' did search it, to no purpose. The whole party were given by Mr. Charles Clarke in charge to the watch ; hut he refused to take the charge, as did also the night constable. Mr. Charles -Clarke in consequence gave notice of an action of trespass for this illegal intrusion into his house ; and the officers, in return, stated to the Vice-Chancellor that they had been obstructed in their duty,—it being, it would appear, the duty of an officer to enter any house he likes and at any hour Ins likes. On this statement an order was issued for Mr. Clarke's apprehension ; and he was lodged in Newgate, not only without an opportunity of stating what really had taken place, but without even knowing, for three days after he was imprisoned, what was his alleged offence. When he at length found out the nature of the charge, application was made to the Chancellor ; and Sir. Clarke was dismissed, without costs. It follows from this case, that it is one of the essentials of a court of equity, that it shall have power to put a man into Newgate without affording him an opportunity of denying the charge made against Ilium, or even of knowing what it consists of. PARISH QUARRELS.—At the Huntingdon Assizes, James Hodge, a farmer and constable of the parish of Hilton, was indicted for libelling George Goodman Hewit, surgeon. It appeared that there had been a good deal of contention and bickering in the parish of Hilton, between the prosecutor and certain of the parochial authorities, relative to the application of the parish money and the state of the accounts. The prosecutor was in the habit, not only of severely scrutinizing the financial operations of the parish officers, but frequently preferred formal complaints against them to the Magistrates. This disagreeable activity excited a strong feeling of hostility and aversion on the part of the powers against this patriotic disciple of Galen. To assist the rural authorities the rustic muses were called in, and ballads were composed and sung in the streets of Hilton, in which the doctor was very ungraciously treated by the " ladies nine." The defendant made himself particularly conspicuous, as well as audible, in this melodious persecution of the Reformer of Hilton ; and it was proved that he both read and sung to numerous and gratilled audiences the following verses, which related to a well that had'been sunk in the highway for the use of certain cottagers, the tenants of Mr. Theed, one of the persons with whom the prosecutor was at variance, and -which well the prosecutor, on application to the surveyor, succeeded in having filled up. The stopping up of the well was represented as a wanton act of injury to the poor.

" God gave us water, Theed made it good, H—t took it from us,

God d—n his blood.

" The devil's dead,

All hell will rue it ;

His friend succeeds him, G— G— H—t.

" Alas, poor Hilton, how you'll rue it, If you are governed by G. G. H—t The Jury found the defendant guilty ; and the Court sentenced him to pay a fine of 51. to the King, aml to give sureties to keep the peace.

There was only one prisoner for trial at these Assizes John Smith, alias John Wilks, for horse-stealing. He had mounted the horse for the purpose of trying his paces, and rode away with him twenty-six miles, and offered him for sale. His defence was that the horse ran away with him. Verdict Guilty ; sentence of death recorded, GIVING A BAD Name.—At the Chelmsford Assizes, Ward was prosecuted by Cook, for publishing in the Colchester Gazette, that " a Cook, on his return from the trial of Corder, the murderer, had gone into a public-house, where the comp:lily had manifested great anxiety to knew who he could be, and it was at length determined on all hands that he was Jack Ketch." This statement, said the plaiiitiii's counsel, could not be misunderstood, and the effect was to turn him into ridicule with all his neighbours. He could not go into a public-house but some person managed to introduce the name of " Jack Ketch." His daughters could not go out but they were called by some nickname or allusion to that word, such as " Miss Ketch. ' On the part of the defendant, it was Proved that the name ".Jack Ketch had originally emanated from the plaintiff himself. Verdict for the plaintiff—Damages 10/.

A Neer:writ lorris. &Y.—At the Salisbury Assizes, on Tuesday, the Court was occupied for nearly two hours iii the investigation of a charge—a very solemn one indeed—namely the stealing of a piece of gooseberry-pie by an urchin of fourteen years of age. The indictment Went on, in its solemn strain, to set forth that Thomas Penny, late of White Parish, labourer, on the 7th of June last past, in the tenth year of our Sovereign. Lord King George the Fourth, with force and arms, at the parish aforesaid; the dwelline-house of John Batten, there situate, lying, and being, feloniously did break and • enter, and one piece of pudding, of the value of one penny, and one half-pint of gooseberries, of the value of one penny, of the goods and chattels of the said John Batten, in the same dwellinghouse, then and there feloniously did steal, take, and carry away. Such was the indictment The boy was found Guilty.

CHARGE OF PORGERY.—Joint Hunter, Esq. was tried at Worcester on the 5th, for erasing certain words in a will. The accused is a gentleman of standing and respectability in the county, and the trial excited a keen local interest. The charge was attempted to be proved by a witness who, on his cross-examination admitted he had himself been guilty of the crime of forgery end a few others. dr. Hunter was honourably acquitted, amidst the applause of a very crowded court, expressed so loudly as to call for the notice of the Judge.

Mummass—Between two and three o'clock on Friday orning, the inhabitants of Pimlico were alarmed by a report that a woman had been murdered by her busbaud. it appeared that the unfortunate woman was Ann Harris, between thirty and forty years of age, who for some years had cohabited with Michael Kennedy, a workman at a manufactory in Milbank. Southerwood, the beadle, was called by a watchman, who informed him that he had heard the cries of " Watch !" and " Murder!" in King-street, and found a woman lying in the street, who had been thrown out of a two pair of stairs window by her husband. He immediately hastened to the house and found the poor woman lying on a bed, almost insensible. Medical assistance was sent for and two surgeons arrived, who bled her, but she expired about half-past six o'clock. Before she died she told several persons in the room that Michael Kennedy had beat her severely, and then threw her out of the window. Kennedy is apprehended.

There was a scene almost similar in St. Giles's, on Tuesday. An alarm was spread of a murder having been committed upon a female named Cummings, by tier husband, a tailor. The parish-officers discovered the head of the unfortunate victim of her husband's jealousy literally smashed in pieces. The woman gill lingers in a state of extreme danger. The assassin is in custody.

Tile WITHAM Buitenses.—Edward l'otto, a young man, a tailor by profesaion, was tried on the 6th at Chelmsford, for setting tire to several outhouses and stacks belonging to Mr. Shoobridge and others. In a strange story balled a confestion, Potto acknowledged setting fire to the stacks, and charged four men, labourers, as his accomplices; but afterwards acknowledged that he alone was guilty. His only object, he said, iu the different burnings, was to make a handsonic bonfire! A plea of insanity was attempted. The Jury acquitted him of the arson ; but he was next day tried for sending a threatening letter, and pleaded guilty, and is t,-) be transported for life. He is now only nineteeu.

NICE DISTINCTIONS.—Two men, Reader and Turner, were indicted at Cambridge on the 5th, for setting fire to a stack of huu/m. They were acquitted, after a learned philological discussion, and an appeal to Johnson, proving that haulm was not straw. Next day, the same parties were tried for setting fire to certain buildings, the haulm stack being the mean* employed to kindle the -.house; which is, it seems, a statutory use even of haulm. They were found guilty. They have clearly a plea of autrefois acquits. Haulm we believe, means strictly, the dried sterns of the leguminous in contradistinction to the dried stems of the culmiferous grains.