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prosecution. Suffice it to say that after three days at the
Thames Police Court, the two principal defendants were committed
for trial. The charge against the third defendant was
withdrawn.
They were tried at the Old Bailey, the trial lasting two whole
days, the Counsel for the Vestry being Mr. Muir, and that for
the Defendants, Mr. Gill. The jury found the defentants
Guilty, and Sir Charles Hall, the Recorder, in passing sentence
said, "that he was convinced that for the last four months at
any rate, these persons had been guilty of retailing unsound
food to the public, well knowing it to be unsound, and to the
great danger of the public, the fact on their own admissions
that they had turned over £40,000 in four months shewed to
what extent this trade had been carried on, and said he should
not be doing justice to the public at large by imposing a less
sentence on each of the prisoners than six months' hard
labour."
It will readily be understood the great anxiety this case has
been to the officers engaged, and it was felt that to protect
the public, this infamous trade ought to be stopped. The
severity of the sentence fully justified the prosecution. I feel
that our success was largely due to your clerk, who spared
neither time nor trouble in getting up the case, which bristled
with legal and practical difficulties; and although the justice
of the prosecution was apparent to those who knew all the
circumstances, it required most skilful handling by your legal
adviser.
Fish Offal.
Unfortunately, Mile End is the high-road, through which a
very large quantity of fish offal and other offensive refuse is
conveyed to its destination from all parts of London, and for
years it has been a source of constant annoyance and complaint,
especially during the summer months. To protect the
public against this nuisance, Bye-laws were framed by the
County Council compelling proper vehicles to be used for