The National Register. — London, England, 1808-06-06 00:00:00

i ~-•~ EAST INDIA AFFAIRS. Mr. Braham, it is no wonder that she has brity for her musical skill. As an actress, parti cularly good. She had always a want of manner, not to say a Vulgarity, which rendered her by no means pleasing on the th stage. She mistook boldness for archness, and never knew e Fuint where gaiety borders on ill-breeding. However, in the its of servants, and in similar characters requiring nothing t confidence, jollity, and good singing, Signora Storace was always a favourite : and though every body must commend her prudence in anticipating rather than yielding to the decay of her powers, and leaving her audience, rather than waking to be deserted by :thetn, yet we have no doubt but there will be some persons who will regret the loss of so good a singer, and two sprightly an actress. CITY. Tuesday a Court of Common Council was held at Guildhall, which was numerously attended. Previous to the Lord Mayor holding the Court, his Lordship ordered the price of Bread to be continued at 1 lid. the quarters loaf of wheaten, and 10d. household. The Committee appointed to examine the Petition of John Christey, an impressed foemin ' reported to the Court the pro ceedings thereon, which was read and ordered to be printed, and a copy sent to every Member of the Court. They also reported their proceedings on the case of Nathaniel 4 r 0 ng , another impressed freeman, that an application had been made to the Court of King's Bench for a Writ of Habeas Corpus, to bring him up, which the Court refused to grant ; upon which a long debate took place, and the Committee were directed to take every step in their power to assert and support the ancient rights and privileges of the Citizens of London. Same day Sir Thomas Hardy attended at the Chamberlain's Office, Guildhall, where he was presented with the Freedom of the City, and an elegant sword, voted him by the Corporation of London. He was attended by Alderman Shaw, in whose mayoralty the vote of thanks passed, Mr. Alderman Birch and Dir. James Dixon, the mover and seconder, with two other naval captains. The baronet expressed hisgratitude to the City of London for the favour conferred upon him. Friday the Lord Mayor held an especial Court of Aldermen at Guildhall, when the following Gentlemen wereelected Rulers of the Watermen and Lightermens' Company for the ensuing year : Messrs. John Hamer, Richard Rowed, Henry Grey, William Devy, Abraham Sanderson, William Chapman, Thomas Black stone, and James Betts, Water Rulers.—Matthias Lucas, John Dinkald, Jun. and Francis Theodore Hay, Lighter Rulers.— Messrs. Hannon, fate., .Tolenstone, and Opey, were re-elected Beadles of the Court of ftt•quests.—A dividend of two per cent. to the Orphans, due the sth of July, was ordered to be paid on the 12th of July next. On Tuesday a Court of Directors was held at the East-India House, when the ships Asia and Walthamstow were taken up for India this season ; they were ordered to be afloat the 24th instant, sail to Gravesend the 7th of July, and to be in the Downs the 13th of August. The shi ps Sir S. Lushington, Ocean, Devaynes, General Stuart, Tottenham, and Union, were ordered to be afloat the 7th of July, and to sail from Gravesend the 7th of August. The Warren Hastings, Capt. Larkins, was appointed to be in preparation for a vo age to Bengal and China. Capt. APTaggart was sworn in•o the command of the Ocean. The Court adjourned till Wed,--day next. • THE LOAN. On Tuesday the Gentlemen inclined to bid for the Loan, at tended the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at his Office in Dow r ing -street, at ten o'clock. No conversation took place. The Gentlemen merely gave in their Biddings, which here as follow : Sir Francis Baring and Co £llB 3 6 Messrs. Robarts and Co. llB 18 0 Goldsmid and Co. llB 19 0 - Walsh and Nisbett l2O 10 0 - Barnes, Ricardo, and Co. l9O 14 0 Whereupon Sir Fran. Baring and C:,. were declared the highest Bidders. The price they have given is near 2 per cent. above what the highest price of Monday would warrant, so as to allow a profit to the subscribers; notwithstanding which the Omnium was sold at 9 per cent. premium, on its being announced at the Stock Exchange. The bargain is very.favourable to the pub lic, who have saved nisi half 4 million by the competition . of the different lists. TILE NATIONAL REGISTER. acquired great cele- LA she never was parti- If JUNE 6. LAW REPORT. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, WESTMINSTER, MAY 304 JOINT STOCK COMPANIES. This was an action against the Defendant, the Projector of a Lew Distillery Company; the case :•ms excited much alarm, be. maim if the allegations could be sustained, a considerable cum "r of beneficial associations, established by the most re spectal,le persons, would he dissolved. The affidavit stated, that o; J oho Baker, clerk to a corn distiller, having seen the Defent—nt s advertisement of a public distillery company, Meat to the 1) lea - lanes office in 'Change-alley, paid per Cent. fur two trataierabia shares, and obtained a receipt for Cf. Th e l at . _ter was co. , rercml in the distillery. This Distiller's Clerk con. ceiving the y roject illegal, by the Statute of the 6th of George I. afterwards t'couglit proper to promote the interest of his em. ployers by ordering a prosecution against the Defendant fur breach of t ' , I- statute. Lord Elireburough delivered the,jutament of the Court, in the King v. sodd. Ills Lordship said, that the question, which was a very important one, had accupied a considerable portion of their time, and had been fully considered of by the Court. The rt .ult of their deliberation a as, that the criminal informa tion against the Defendant ought to he granted, and the grounds for thinking so were, first, because the Statute of the 6th of Geo. I. chap. IS, had not been acted upon for 88 years; and Secondly, because the person applying for the information did not appear to have been injured, or in the words of the Act .‘ bubbled." The Court, his Lordship said, had looked into the Defendant's prospects for establi.hiug his projected distillery, and they found, amongst other mischievous circumstances, one particularly delusive, !moiety, that of holding out to the sub scribers that they were only liable to„the amount of their shares. The Company as between themselves might make such an agree mem, but with respect to third persons, the smallest subscriber in time partnership was liable to the full extent of all the debts ontracted by the Company in carrying on the concern. One beneficial consequence, his Lordship said, a ould result from the present decision, namely, that the statute in question would he fully known and comprehended ; and probably the mischiefs provided against would be avoided hi future. At the same time, if the Officer of the Crown thought proper to interfere in his official character for the existing violations of that statute, the Court were ready tollatertain his suit, and the party then before . the Court had the power of appealing to the Grand Jury if he thought proper. llis Lordship concluded his ohservatiow , by saying that be wished it clearly to be understood that Com panies, such as he was contemplating,. were expressly illegal, and that the Defendant must not proieed in his specufation. 11 hen he had said that he trusted his observations would operate as a caution to Companies of' a similar nature, and prevent them from holding out the like delusion to the public; and the Court acre :urther of opinion, that an increase of such establishments was pregnant with great mischief to society, and could not be coun tenanced by those whose duty it was to watch over the welfare of the community. His Lordship then ordered the Rule to bo discharged without costs. OLD BAILEY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1. This day the Sessions commenced, before Sir Nash Grow, Baron rlraham, the Recorder, and City Officers, when 14 pri :,(Tuers were tried, five of whom were capitally convicted ; six were convicted of felony, and three acquitted, but the trials were 'otall devoid of interest. THURSDAY, JUNE 2. Margaret Rainey, a dissolute female, living in Parker's-lane, l)rur -lane, was capitally indicted for assau!ting and robbing Edward Stephens, on the fit h of April, putting him in fear, and forcibly taking from his person aone-pound and two seven shilling pieces. The prosecutor stated himself to be a coach maker, having a wife and five children. He was passing through the lane where the prisoner resided in a cc, n hen he was prevailed upon to go in; after some time he found the prisoner's hand in his breeches pocket, and she drew out a ,n^-pound note and two seven-shilling pieces. He struggled with' hr, and gut back one of the seven-shilling pieces, and on dentandiug the re mainder she struck him on the head with a poker, and laid him flat on the . ground. Who) he gqt u p . again, he sncceedcd in get! tih il the Poser away I spat wbisirias polled a knife from her. 4