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issuing notes payable on demand, distinguishing the chartered banks, and the number of partners of those which were not chartered. Mr Gordon asked, if the return ought not to include the number that had failed? The reply, he apprehended, would be nil. Sir G. Clerk added, that that preposition had been already made. Mr Abercromy moved the printing of the papers now on the table, relative to education in Scotland.-Order sd.-Adjourned.

28. Accounts of the number of bankers in Scotland was presented and agreed

to.

Several petitions were presented for the abolition of slavery; for an amendment of the corn-laws for a repeal on the duty on leather; against any alteration of the corn-laws; and for a reduction of the tobacco duties.

Sir. G. Warrendar presented two petitions from Haddington against any alteration in the currency of Scotland.

The Lord Advocate obtained leave to bring in a bill for the regulation of the qualifications of special jurymen in Scotland.

COMMERCIAL DISTRESS.

Mr T. Wilson asked, whether Govern. ment had determined on granting any relief to the commercial distresses of the country? The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, that in an answer to an application from Government to the Bank of England, the Directors had answered, that they had the best means of affording relief then under consideration. Mr Ellice asked, whether the relief was to be extended to the manufacturing towns ? and whether personal security would be received ? The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, he was not at present prepared to answer the question, but was confident it was the desire of the Bank to afford relief in the most effectual manner (hear, hear). Mr Tierney asked, whether Government had undertaken to indemnify the Bank for any loss? The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that it had not. Mr Tierney said, he felt the strongest disaprobation at the whole measure, which must be less efficient than an issue of Exchequer Bills, though certainly the Bank was entitled to high praise for throwing themselves in the gap, which none else would approach (hear).

. Sir F. Burdett was glad relief was to be afforded to the distresses of the commercial community, though he could not conceive why Government should refuse to follow the precedents of former times, which had produced the best effects.

EXCHEQUER BILLS.

Mr Ellice moved, that there be laid be

fore the House, accounts in detail of the Exchequer Bills advanced by the Com missioners for Public Works, under the acts of the 51st Geo. III. caps. 34 and 124, and 3d Geo. IV. cap 86, specifying the loans granted by them, to whom they were granted, on what security they were advanced, &c. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that he could see no objection to the motion of the Honourable Member, excepting as far as related to one part of the details, which it was to be wished should be excluded, in order to avoid prying into the private concerns of individuals. Mr Tierney said, it had been argued on a former occasion, that the interference of Government in the transactions of commerce was bad, and likely to produce bad effects. But the question now was, whether a departure had not taken place from all ordinary courses, and whether extraordinary proceedings ought not to be adopted.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer :The Right Honourable Gentleman says, that we ought to follow the example of 1793. This would be to lead the public to look upon the Government as the general banker and pawnbroker of the country, (hear, hear,) and hold out an inducement to them not to rely upon their own resources, industry, and prudence, while they had a never-failing support in the assistance of others. Would not the inevitable result be, that, upon some future occasion, we should be called upon for an advance of 15 millions, and the application be justified upon the ground of precedent? (Hear, hear.) Will any body say, then, that a departure from the principle which we have laid down, would not be dangerous in the extreme, or, that making the example of 1793 a precedent, would not be a misfortune? Mr Baring said, if ever the old Latin adage, Bis dat qui cito dat, was applicable to any case, it was applicable to the present.

The question was then put, and the motion was carried.

PROMISSORY NOTES' BILL. The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the order of the day for receiving the report on the Promissory Notes' Bill. Mr J. Smith recommended Ministers to suspend the operation of the bill upon the table for a short period, in order that the public might be better acquainted with the proposed change before it was effected. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, there would be some alterations made in this bill. The first of these were to expunge the clause that empowered a Justice of the Peace summarily to levy the penalty inflicted by the Act. His propo sition was, that, instead of this, the

penalties should be levied in the ordinary way, as in other cases of offences against the stamp acts. The other alteration was, that individuals should not be precluded from drawing checks upon their bankers for sums less then £.5. After some farther conversation, the amend

MARCH.

ments were passed. Mr Denman pressed the necessity of having the bill reprinted; to which the Chancellor of the Exche quer consented, and it was ordered ac cordingly. The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House ad. journed at 11 o'clock.

BRITISH CHRONICLE.

13.-HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY. This day the Court met, when Mary Hogg, or Murray, was placed at the Bar, charged with theft committed in the house of Thomason Millar, (widow of David Millar, cork-cutter,) situated in Libberton's Wynd, aggravated by being habit and repute a common thief. The prisoner pleaded Guilty, and was sentenced to be transported for seven years, the Solicitor-General having previously

restricted the libel.

John Hunter was then placed at the Bar, charged with having, along with James Hughes, broken open a drawer in the house of Alexander Horn, spirit dealer at the west end of Queen-Street, and with abstracting therefrom a red leather pocket-book, containing a £.10, a £.5, and a £.1 bank.note, and also a sil. ver snuff-box, containing a gold sovereign. The prisoner, who was also charged with habit and repute a common thief, pleaded Not Guilty. Hughes was outlawed for not appearing.-The theft was clearly proven, and the jury, without hesitation, found the prisoner guilty. He was sentenced to transportation for life, the Solicitor-General having restricted the

libel.

James Jones, Richard Barton, and Robert Jeffrey, were then put to the Bar, on a charge of stealing some pairs of blankets, &c. from the house of Robert Thomson, publican in Burnett's Close, High-Street, aggravated by their being habit and repute thieves. They all pleaded Not Guilty. The crime in this case was also made out by the clearest evidence, particularly that of two intelligent children, hardly eleven years of age, and a publican, named Hugh Lockhart, who purchased the stolen property, but against whom no case of reset could be established for want of proof. In the course of Serjeant Stewart of the police giving his evidence, he stated, that he apprehended the pannels from among forty others of a similar character, in a house designated “ The Land o' Cakes," kept by a person named M'Call, in the Old Assembly Close.

66

On being asked if its character was

known to the higher authorities, he re plied, Yes, as the landlord had been repeatedly fined.

The Lord Justice Clerk said, I trust, Mr Solicitor-General, you will take care and put an extinguisher on that house. The Judges pointedly censured the toler. ation of such houses, where youth were instructed in crime, and being so well known to a serjeant, it was not to be imagined that they were unknown to the Magistrates and Police. If such laxity was not remedied, it would stamp the Police of this city with a character it ought not to possess. Without the Ma. gistrates attended more strictly to the granting of licenses, it was encouraging the growth of crime. The libel was restricted, and the pannels were found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for life.

14. This day, Walter Ewing Taylor, late wine and spirit-merchant in Glasgow, pleaded guilty to a charge of falsehood, fraud, and forgery, in the using and ut. tering a bill for £.50, and a promissory. note for £.47, 38. 10d. The Solicitor. General said, that it was seldom persons guilty of this great offence were allowed to escape without capital punishment: but in this case there were peculiar cir cumstances, which had been communica. ted to him by a mercantile gentleman of the first respectability, which had induced him to take upon himself the responsibility of restricting the libel to an arbitrary punishment.

The Jury found the pannel guilty, in terms of his own confession. He was sentenced to transportation for life.

James B. Hunter and John Howison were then put to the Bar, accused of as saulting, with a poker, John Donaldson, spirit-dealer, High-Street, Edinburgh, to the effusion of his blood, and danger of his life; also, with assaulting Margaret Rose or Macdonald, who came to the assistance of Mr Donaldson.

Hunter pleaded Guilty to the assault on Donaldson, but Not Guilty as to the assault on the female. Howison pleaded Not Guilty.

The Jury found Hunter guilty in terms of his own confession, and Howison

not guilty, who was assoilzied and dismissed from the bar. Mr D. M'Niel urged, in mitigation of punishment, that Hunter had a wife and a young family dependent on his exertions for support. The Court taking into consideration the circumstances alluded to by Mr N'Niel, sentenced the pannel to six months' im. prisonment in the Jail of Canongate, and to find caution to the extent of 600 merks Scots to keep the peace for five years. James Wilson, a boy apparently 14 years of age, was next put to the bar, on a charge of stealing, on the 8th of February last, from the shop of Bryden Scott, spirit-dealer, Yard-Heads, Leith, a silk purse, containing a half-sovereign, and 10s. or thereby, of silver, also with stealing a small striped cotton bag, aggravated by his being habit and repute a thief, and previously convicted of theft, The pannel pleaded Not Guilty.

The Court were unanimous in holding that the intrinsic value of the article stolen did not alter the nature of the crime. The pannel was sentenced to transportation for 14 years.

15. This day, Robert Murray, lately mate of the ship Malvina of Grange. mouth, was put to the bar, on a charge of murder; but before being called on to plead, the Lord Justice Clerk observed, that, in written defences given in for him, a doubt was suggested, in regard to the jurisdiction of the Court, and until that point was fully argued by Counsel, the Court could not proceed with the trial; for which purpose the diet was continued against Murray till Monday next, at nine o'clock.

Alexander Donaldson, a boy about 13, was accused of theft, and being habit and repute a thief. The charges against him were for stealing from the shop of Mr John Kerr, hosier, South Bridge, two pairs of blue wristcuffs; and stealing some silk handkerchiefs from Mr Wardlaw's shop, in the same street, on the 26th of January last. He pleaded Not Guilty; but the thefts were distinctly proved against him. The jury found him guilty, as libelled, and he was sen. tenced to transportation for 14 years.

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Alexander Shaw, a lad of about 17 years of age, was then put to the bar, accused of stealing from the shop of Mr George Thomson, surgeon, West Nicholson-Street, a variety of small articles, on the 1st of February last, and of being habit and repute a thief. He pleaded Not Guilty; but the charges were completely proved against him in evidence, and the jury returned a unanimous verdict of Guilty, when he was sentenced to transportation for life.

VOL. XVIII.

16. This day, the diets were called against James Webster Brown, charged with falsehood, fraud, &c. and James M'Knight, accused of forgery, who failing to appear, sentence of outlawry was passed against them.

James Innes, chairmaker, aged 18: years, Adam Innes, upholsterer, aged 20 years, and Janet Shepherd, or Paterson, or Innes, were then placed at the bar, charged with breaking into the school. room of Mr Andrew Jardine, situate in Hamilton's Entry, Bristo-Street, on the 17th December, and with stealing therefrom a desk, containing various books and tracts belonging to the Sabbath School Society; they were also accused of stealing a variety of articles from the house of Thomas Leach in Toddrick's Wynd, aggravated with having been pre viously convicted of theft. They plead ed Not Guilty. The diet was deserted against the woman, and she was dismiss ed from the bar. The two men were sentenced to transportation for 14 years.

17. This day, David Campbell pleaded Guilty to three charges of forgery and fraud, in counterfeiting, and passing as genuine, three different guarantee letters, purporting to be from Robert Strachan, Esq. Leith. The pannel was found guilty in terms of his own confession, and sen tenced to transportation for 14 years.

Christian Dickson, alias Ann Hay, and Elizabeth Fraser, or Marton, alias Eliza beth Johnston, were next put to the bar, on a charge of stealing from the house of James Reikie, Leith Wynd, a silk hand kerchief, &c. aggravated by their being habit and repute thieves. The theft was proved,' in a circumstantial manner, by several witnesses. Mr Dundas restricted the libel, and noticed the number of pre vious convictions 27 against Dickson, and 11 against Fraser. Mr Ferguson then addressed the jury at considerablé length, and with great ingenuity, on behalf of the pannels. The jury found, by a plurality of voices, Dickson guilty of the theft as libelled, and Fraser guilty art and part.

The Lord Justice Clerk said, before the Court closed its present sittings, he should feel it to be his duty to call upon the Lord Provost and Magistrates of the city, and the Sheriff of the county, for a total revision and alteration in the structure and management of Bridewell. An institution for the punishment of offenders could not be permitted to become a nursery for crime.

The pannels were then sentenced to transportation for life. They left the bar uttering imprecations against the Judges and jury.

3 R

John Haggart, brother to the notorious character of that name, and John Smith, were put to the bar, accused of stealing from a basket in the charge of John Stewart, a boy, on the Easter-Road, on the 24th of January, a black silk gown, the property of Alison Veitch, daughter of William Veitch, farmer, Easter-Road; they were also charged with being habit and repute thieves. The prisoners plead ed Not Guilty.

The Lord Justice Clerk summed up the evidence, after which, the jury returned a verdict, finding, by a plurality of voices, Haggart guilty of the crimes libelled, and Smith not guilty. Smith was dismissed simpliciter from the bar. Haggart was

then sentenced to transportation for life.

18.-William Kerr and Joseph Connelly were put to the bar, accused of housebreaking and theft, in having forcibly entered the washing-house of William Crease, merchant, in Gilmour Place, and stolen therefrom a variety of articles, aggravated by Kerr having been previously convicted of a similar offence. Kerr pleaded Guilty, and Connelly Not Guilty. The Solicitor-General stated, that with respect to Connelly he would not lead any evidence, as he believed that the ends of justice would be satisfied by the confes sion of Kerr. As to Kerr, however, it was not without the greatest difficulty that he could bring his mind to restrict the libel, as he, though only 14 years of age, had been two years ago convicted in that Court of housebreaking and theft; yet, under all the circumstances, he had come to the conclusion of restricting the pains of law. Kerr was found guilty on his own confession, and sentenced to transportation for 14 years. Connelly was declared not guilty, and dismissed from the bar.

Catharine Brown and Grace M'Kenzie were then brought to the bar, on a charge of stealing nine £.10 notes from Robert Campbell, herd to J. M. Nairne, Esq. of Dunsinnane-also Margaret Bower, with resetting three of the said notes. The whole of the pannels pleaded Not Guilty. It appeared from the evidence, that Robert Campbell had come with ninety head of cattle to Hallow-fair. On the Tuesday, the first day of the market, his em ployer sold ten of these, and sent Campbell along with the purchaser to get pay.

ment.

He accordingly received £.90 in the High Street, in nine £.10 notes of the Bank of Scotland. Campbell, in seeking his way to the Cowgate, he being an en tire stranger to Edinburgh, enquired at the prisoner, Brown, the shortest road. She conducted him down to Borthwick's Close till opposite the house of George

Rodgers; she then pushed him in, and subsequently into a dark room, in which was the prisoner M'Kenzie. Campbell gave sixpence to get some whiskey, but which never was brought in. The two females, along with Bower and another (Janet Veitch, a witness) who were in the kitchen, left the house, and proceeded down the Cowgate, where the booty was divided; £.20 being given to Bower, £.10 to M'Kenzie, and £.10 to Veitch. Bower and Veitch then went to the house of a chimney-sweep, got one of the notes changed, and proceeded to the South Bridge, where they procured new dresses, giving the sweeps new hats and handkerchiefs for their trouble. They were apprehended that same night by the po lice. Three of the notes were produced in Court, and identified. The recital of the history of these three notes, after they came into Bower's possession, till lodged in the Sheriff's Office, excited considerable interest. The jury unanimously found Catharine Brown guilty of theft, Grace M'Kenzie guilty art and part, and, by a plurality of voices, Margaret Bower, guilty of reset of theft.

Lord Pitinilly proposed, that as it ap peared that Catharine Brown was the person who planned the theft, she be transported beyond seas for 14 years; and that Margaret Bower and Grace M'Kenzie be each transported for seven years.

Lord M'Kenzie concurred; and the Lord Justice Clerk passed sentence ac cordingly.

21. William Forrester, iron-founder, and William Mason, nailer, were then placed at the bar, charged with poaching in Duddingston wood, parish of Abercorn. The prisoners pleaded Guilty, and expressed their contrition, and were sen tenced to only three months' imprison

ment.

Some other cases were then gone through, after which the Lord Justice Clerk addressed the Court to the following effect, on the subject of Bridewell :I have now prepared the deliverance on the subject of Bridewell, to which I formerly alluded. I, however, must take this opportunity to state, that the step is taken from a thorough conviction of the neces sity of an alteration in the economy of Bridewell, but with no intention to throw the slightest reflection upon any of the constituted authorities of this city; for I am perfectly sensible of the anxiety of the Lord Provost and Magistrates of the city, as well as that of the Sheriff of the county, to discharge the duty imposed upon them with the strictest fidelity. But while I call their attention to the state of the Bride

well of this city, I am bound to state, that they, in my opinion, have done every thing in their power, considering their inadequate means, to render the state of that establishment as perfect as possible. I beg distinctly to say, that the Court, in adopting the present course, is not doing any thing against the credit of those honourable persons, as the Court is only following the same course which has been adopted by your Lordships on the different circuits. We all consider it as a part of our duty to examine the state of the Jails and Bridewells, and it is equally our duty to attend to that of this city.-[His Lordship then read a deliverance, recommending an alteration in the internal structure and management of Bridewell, which is to be communicated to the Lord Provost and Sheriff.]-His Lordship continued:-It is from a conviction of the necessity of the case that I have been in duced to prepare this deliverance. The Court does not take upon itself to direct the ways and means by which these much. to-be-desired measures are to be carried into effect, nor have I the smallest intention to interfere with the powers of the Bridewell Commissioners-nor with the city on the one hand, or the county on the other; yet I have no difficulty in saying, that an opportunity is now offered for precuring a Bridewell that will be fully adequte to all purposes. In my opinion, the present Bridewell ought to be converted into a debtor's jail. A portion of it might be set apart as an auxiliary to the present jail-for, notwithstanding the great expense at which it was erected, from the great increase of crime, it has been found to be too confined. I should wish a Bridewell to be constructed on proper principles, as it is but too evident that the construction of the present one is founded on fundamental error, as it affords the prisoners not only the op. portunity of seeing and speaking together, but of instructing and encouraging each other in the most effectual modes of committing crime. Were the present Bridewell converted into a debtors' jail, which is confessedly much wanted, and upon the area reserved for the debtors' jail a Bridewell built, ample means would be afforded to have a building erected upon the best and most approved principles.

In the erection of such a building, it would be well to attend to the plan adopted in the enlarged Bridewell of Glasgow, which is what it ought to be-a place for the reformation and amendment of criminals, rather than what this Bridewell had become-a place for the encou ragement of crime. By an anonymous pamphlet, which was put into my hands last night, I am glad to learn, that since the new Bridewell of Glasgow has been erected, an evident decrease of crime has taken place in that city, which I trust will be found to be the case by my brethren who go the circuit; and I have no doubt, if the same means be adopted here, the same results will follow. Lords Gillies and Meadowbank entirely concurred.

Border Games.-These manly sports, instituted by the Society of Scottish Borderers, were held in Yarrow on the 17th instant, as usual; and the day being fine, an immense number of attendants and competitors appeared on the ground at an early hour. The prizes were superfine blue bonnets. The leaping was won by Andrew Beattie, Craik-hope, in Teviotdale-distance 424 feet. The first race by Robert Laidlaw, Chapel-hope, Yarrow; and the second by John Rae, Fauldshope, Ettrick. The first prize for wrestling was gained by George Best, Yarrow, thirty-two competitors. The second by Thomas Anderson, Ettrick, thirty-two competitors.

The third by

Mr William Glendining, Esdale.muir. This young gentleman, only eighteen years of age, threw many of the strongest men on the field, and had very nearly won both of the former prizes. The competition was excellent ; for never so many real strong men appeared. The prize for putting the stone was likewise won by Mr William Glendining. The match at the ball, after a terrible contest, which lasted three hours and three quarters, was at last won by the men of Ettrick. The most perfect harmony and good humour prevailed through the whole day, and eke the night. Some business was also transacted.

The largest stock of sheep in the county was sold that day, and a number of lasses were bespoke both for short and long terms.

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