A Common Hall was held yesterday, and a petition to
the House of Commons to release the Sheriffs, and amend the law if libel, carried unanimously. Between 700 and 800 persons were present.
The Session of the Central Criminal Court commenced on Monday. The prisoners for trial were 211. The Under Sheriff apologized to the Recorder for the absence of the Sheriffs. He himself scarcely knew how to act. He feared that the same attention would not be paid to him as to his principals.
In the Old Court, Mr. Adolphus made the same apology for the
tinder Sheriff. Judge Williams said—" We regret the Sheriffs' absence;" and then proceeded to business, which went on as usual. Four prisoners, who remained to be sentenced for participation in the gold-dust robbery—Lewin Caspar, Ellis Caspar, Emanuel Moses, and Alice Abrahams—were brought up. Lewin Caspar was told that, in consequence of a technical objection in his case, decided by the Judges to be valid, judgment would be arrested. Ellis Caspar and Emanuel Moses, were sentenced each to fourteen years' transportation ; and Alike Abrahams to four months' imprisonment and hard labour. Alice Abrahams, on hearing the sentence, shrieked, and was carried out of Court in a state of extreme distress, calling upon the Judge to " have mercy on her poor father." Lewin Caspar was detained, there being other charges against him.
In the Insolvent Debtors' Court, on Wednesday, the Commissioners discharged the rule which had been obtained on 'behalf of a Mr. Chemberlayne, calling upon the Sheriffs of London to show cause why the money obtained front the levy on Hansards' property, should not be paid over to Stoekdale's credttors. It appeared that Chamberlayne's affidavit was insufficient to support the rule, as it did not set forth expresslythat he was himself a creditor of Stockdale.
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