OLD BAILEY SESSIONS.—These sessions opened on Thursday. The calendar is
light, and the cases have been without interest. The Common Sergeant has begun his career with a vigour that promises in time to rival that of his father. William Ewin, a young fellow, was convicted of snatching twelve shillings from the hand of one John Wilson, and running off with them. The Judge sentenced him to transportation for life. There were no circumstances of aggravation.
A Juror—" My Lord, is not the sentence rather excessive ?"
The Common Sergeant—" Do you speak from your own individual opinion, or are the Jury of opinion that the punishment is excessive ?" Juror—" It is only my own opinion."
Common Sergeant—" Then the Court cannot take notice of any suggestion which does not emanate from the whole of the Jury. If the Jury are unanimously of opinion that the sentence is too severe, the Court will take the subject into consideration."
ST. JoRN LoNc.—It was stated some time ago that this worthy had emigrated to France. By a letter from Dover, however, it would appear that he only crossed from that town to Calais last week. The weather was rough when he reached Dover, and he was concealed in the City of London Hotel until it moderated. Mr. Long has for some time past been coquetting with public justice and public opinion, with a view, we suppose, to procure a more favourable verdict than his demerits deserve. At the Old Bailey yesterday, an application was made by Mr. Alley for a day to be fixed for his trial, in order that he might not be subjected to unnecessary inconvenience He made a similar application last sessions, but did not surrender. The Court, on the present occasion, refused to interfere. It is a fine thing to see the poor and unprotected imprisoned for weeks, and then hurried to the bar early or late, as snits the convenience of the public,—and to have the Court gravely moved to interrupt the order of its proceedings to suit the convenience of an impudent quack, who, if be had got his deserts at his last trial, would now have been steering his way to New Holland.
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