The National Register. — London, England, 1814-04-03 00:00:00

I , APRIL 3• PROVINCIAL ASSIZES. SUFFOLC—At Bury, Maurice Griffin was found guilty of the wilful murder of Thomas Mac Mahon : on the trial it appeared in evidence, that they were both privates in the 69th regiment of toot, stationed at Woodbridge, and the death of Mac Mahon was comp sioned by the prisoner driffith stabbing him with a bayonet in the Let groin, of which wound he died. SCRREL—Yesterday week, at Croydon, James Smith was in dicted. for wilfully firing at, and wounding Thomas Carrington, at Walton upon-Thames, in the month of January last.—The prose cutor stated, that about ten o'clock at night, he was ringing at the bell of the prisoner's bowie, whet e lie was going to see the prisoner's wife, when he heard the report of a gun from the opposite side of the way, and felt himself wounded in the leg. His leg was badly fractured. He admitted that he was visiting the wife against the wishes of the prisoner, and that he knew the prisoner disliked it.— /Wither witness, a labouring man, just as the gun was fired, saw the prisoner at the door of a public-house, nearly opposite, with a gun in his hand. He said to him, 4 4 what have you done? you have shot the man:" he replied, " yes, lie had, he had been waiting for him for some time, and had caught him at last."--Other witnesses proved the expressions of the prisoner, stating his determination to injure the prosecutor, whom he suspetted of an improper intercourse with his wife.—The Jay found him guilty. On Thursday last, at Kingston, Charles Callaghan was tried for tine murder of Moses Merry, Miss Goinpertz'i footman, at Vauxhall, the particulars of which were detailed at the time of . the prisoner's apprehension. The trial occupied six hours ; twenty-three wit nesses were examined, including the accomplice Hylas Parish, and certainly a more complete connexion of circumstantial evidence uevs>• was presented before any Court. He was found guilty, and sentenced to be executed on Saturday, the 2d of April; lie is only 20 years of age.—Parish was ordered to be deliverod over to his father, a publican, in Southwark, on his engaging to send him to sea. BURLEY V. BETHUNE, D. D. This was an action against the Rev. Dr. Bethune, a Magistrate of the county, for misconduct in his o ffi ce, in falsely imprisoning the plaintiff' for seven weeks. Mr. Serjeant Best stated, that the plaintiff was a farmer, residing at Seal, in Kent, where he managed a large farm in the occupation of his mother. He had, however, the misfortune to have been mar. tied to a very abandoned woman, who absconded from him, and lived in an adulterous intercourse with a man of the name of Mid burst. After some time she left that man, and then would have returned to the house of her husband; but he, with the natural feelings and honest indignation of an Englishman, refused to receive back the adultress to his arms. She then applied to the parish for relief, and at a Board of Magistrates, at which Sir Thomas Tinton, a lawyer, presided, she was refused to be made chargeable to her husband. She, however, afterwards applied to Di. Bethune, who, either iu malice or shamethl ignorance of his duty, sent his warrant and apprehended the plaintiff, and then proceeded to convict him as a rogue and vagabond for having deserted his thwily. This was so far from the truth of the fact, that the only family he had was a daughter by that woman, which daughter he had always fos— tered and protected ; and, notwithstanding all these facts were well known to the reverend Magistrate, as be should prove, yet-he had the boldness to convict this honest farmer as a rogue and vagabond, end to send lririr to_ prison for seven weeks, because he had refused to provide for a wife who had abandoned her duty, and had openly cohabited with another man. The law was, that a woman who so conducted herself, forfeited her claim to her husband's protection. linen the conviction was moved into the Court of King's Bench, it was quashed as a matter of course, and the plaintiff was immediately restored to his liberty. He now sought redress for the injury he Lad sustained, by bringing the present action ' • and to this action the defendant had pleaded that he had tendered two-pence as suffi cient satisfaction for the injury which he had done to the plaintiff: The Jury would say whether they considered this as sufficient coin peusation for illegally causiug au honest man to suffer an imprison. snout of seven weeks. The conviction of the plaintiff by the defendant, and the Order of the Court of King's Bench for quashing it, were put in and read. —The fact was also proved by the daughter of the plaintiff, that her mother left her father's house, and that she always was brought tip by her father.—lt was also proved, that the wife cohabited with a man at Liug6eld, of the name of Midhutst. Marryat, for the defendant, submitted that there was sin roof a(actual alailist the plaintiff is the detc.udant, and that ISTER. 211 the action could not be supported agais,st a magistrate' fur nivr error in judgment, uokss actual malice was proved. Mr. Serjeant Best, on the coufrary, argued, that m ►lice was; an infefence of law from the facts, and that where there was suds gross misconduct, malice would be presumed. The Learned Judge havin4 heard the C.mnsel on both sides at considerable length, was of opinion that express nuast be proved, and that ignorance or the law an I error in ju , ignient.- in tee Magi,trate t would not subject him to an action.—Plaustie nonntited. OXFORD.—This was an action brought for the - breach of a pro• mise of marriage, in which Mr. O'Nei . , an architectural' drawing master, of . Oxford, was p 1 aintiff. and the Rev. Mr. Evfins and wde, defendants. The plaintiff O'Neil formerly attended Mrs. Evans, then Miss Ireland, daughter of John Ireland, Esq as Ea drawiag. master. During this time the pronthe of tuarrialfe was stated to have been made. The intercourse be,2an when Miss Irvland was . under age, and was carried on without the consent or approbation of her parents. Several letters were nal, to estahash the cause of action. It was, however, strongly re,isted by the Counsel fur the defendants, on the ground of violation of faith and confidence which a teacher must be gnilty of . when directing, his views to ob jects unconnected with those for which he was introduced as an instructor. Under this impression, and in a city and neighbourhood distinguished for its aristocratic principles, the Jury (which was Special) marked the case of the poor plaintiff with one farthing ila inages.—Mr. O'Neil has himself published a narrative of the ciz. cumstances which led to this Issue, in which he appears to hare been " more sinned against than sinning."—Miss Ireland's father is an apothecary in Oxford. The farthing damages was more owing to the false (nncontradicted) colouring of the defendant's Counsel, than to the want of merit in the plaintiff's case. TITS NATIONAL POLICE. GUILIMA t.L.—A genteel looking.young man, named Fraser eras yesterday charged before the sitting Alderman, with threatesii‘ig ti/ deprive his father of life. It appeared that he had Lice!) nice years a clerk in the office of a respectable solicitor, and liaa lately, fr•but some inexplicable cause, taken an inveterate antipathy to his fatlo•r„ and exhibited other strong narks of a deranged intellect. lie lowa* given up to his triends fur the purpose of being properly restrained. No less than twenty-three of the cyprian corps were likewise brought before the Alderman, on a charge of disorderly conduct. its the parish of St. Andrew, the inhabitants el which they luta con• . stantly annoyed by their nightly misconduct. Some of the etoq violent were sent to Brillewell, and the remainder were discharged with a proper admoilition. UNION- tiALL—Yestarday James Beauchamp was ehortzed before Mr. llirnie, by Mr. Vezey, blucher, iu the Boraitgli with Stealing a piece of beef, value eleven shilliers. Mr. Vette stated, that between six alid.seven o'ctueL% on the psecialing eve.— ing lie was informed .that a man had taken a piece of beet from t:.s hooks in the front of the shop, where it Ining exposed for sale: lie' immediately pursued the thief, and stopped the prisoner with piece of meat under his arm, not tar distant trom the shop, which Mr. Vezey knew to be his property. The proseetitor expressed his regret at bringing the prisoner before a iimistrate, but eaid of late Beer so frequently plundered in a way, that he felt it hisaluty though mouth against his to do it. The prisoner in his defence said ho tumid the beef I)ing in the • sti . e..t, and not being. able to give any more SatktiletOry. aceoulit of the manlier i which lie obtained it, lie was fully committed tor trial, fur privately stealing in a shop. SwiNnt.Ens.—Wednesday.was the day appointed for a second ea. 'initiation of John Mason, alias Julia Henry Aid.les, and Andrus,- Thompson, alias Hatton, two of the principals in a gang of iwindter., which perhaps, for variety of deep laid schemes fur depredati9n.i. as well as organised and arranged plans fur carrtirig them into vx..caliati, has but 'seldom been. exceeded. For this purpose cli4in},er, in oc-- tunes-um were got p•ssesseint of. ia which one of the eieng ic,opied them as an futornev, and another al his clef k, where r;, re I. e pers and hooks argil writing znng toward, t h at ttlJo a general obiemttion, wonld have any doubt of it, being :In (, ! 1, ..r tor re gular busi'ess. They bad als3 a bn.1,2 square , and it has been avemiiiied since, that they 01 house in Portland -street, and lately had one in the iteig`itoo , od vt Briinswick•sapsare. TheV issued plmisitele advertisements in the Al wnille Pape" ic'r .7" 11 " for clerk+, b; which asuaus they hays lobtaiaini tido. sirs ay 1 4 4 a ~,: a I ; _Ai