The Statesman. — London, England, 1815-03-28 00:00:00

nor, ill I ".ich ; ) its tie f ew Di• N. D Of rd light flee et I an :( fie° so)" Inn • so gale time and We I at pt Ct`l her Cl ll 1( lines tithe awn t • t!t , kr. %t' C.llll r. e vcat rg, ors on, I St and bag' their for II Pon 1 . 11 the D..w: 011 bark( '11! rack! two 'l4O tiro tack the that out at cane wane 'ge, er ; fic!o . • • crux haul 1 • L. 1.41 mg. hot; NAL cure. b: del t!. pon • :0 heti :01 PM- mid, 3CI; hiv n , Frtra he tit re- We the b( ord Easel ott form. clutrn up- forts.' then an. H ale ilk :1 ose 10641 hat e oat sic, 4 re- final was , ley loud eat 10 of a( tin Battl ins pro was be of mi of to:l*i r. ich Ti fat- time. lett it uas itm 5. CeEd( t into e- t^re' 11 l The iev Ap p ' Ito tlnet tLe ribs. holt: nt r- Thif take tr• yen( in I. re r Jot I "'• e F., i:n h foal in Pt Sa a tal r. by c&us h° appe * r 11 tai P. 2 1V` flow is Gra whit Ir 'AP, frfirr ai:rc who t;:e II lif t It II ~j .1 \ !. 1 J , .lt I 4:1 W e yesterday saw a British Artillery Officer, who Brussels on Tuesday. He states that the King, was on that day expected at Tournav, and t he Maison du Beis (the house in the wood), of Prince of ORANGE, near the Hague, was in ~ration for his reception. Ile gives but a gloomy of of the feelings of the foreign troops in :6 3 1 1 pay, among whom it was supposed that oiAealtv's emissaries were busily at work. We are glad to find that our mention of the extra 'retry fact that BoNAPARTE'S conspiracy was 10 ,„ to one of the Secretaries of State and to the 'teach Ambassador, last year, has excited both asto :meta and curiosity, together with no small pot.- ' It will, in all probability, be „ hrott4lit hefore Parliament. The cypher which stilied the Fretyl Government, was at the same i m e communicated to the Noble Secretary of State. „ ars i„ of much, but will say no more prt-ent.--(3lorßioig Post) v e .„ l ,ley the Lotto CHANCELLOR. Viscounts t ort: at:ac.it and St)mourtt, and the Prince CAS had audiences of the -PRINCE REGENT at _ _ y„!eiilsty the F:.eo:•11 Arnhassulor transacted bu ,inei.; xith Vis , :o;:rt CAsmultrAcitt at the Foreign t)iiro. U . " ElrelletleY jots ducal a French 01Firer t• Sec.:ONQ of State. NVe niulerstand the i0!: . . - er arrived on Sunday night f, o the KING. learn by recei.ed yesterday from oliz, that KilA tiohlished a decree riTatiing to their homes all the Constitutional Cor poration of Cadiz. Siturday the 1201 Regiment of Dragoons marched in'o Windsor from Rending, with all their henry b u gage: yes!erday morning early they marched on their road to ltamsgate, where they are to embark for llu!land the latter end of this Meek. The 51st and 23d Regiments are arrived in the Dattn from Portsmouth. The 11th has been em- Ward at Plytil-+uth. Sl.t Ilrlimerit marched from Winchester Bar. rsrks 134 16:'Pk, to phi the 2d Battalion in Holland. 140 troops of the Li.;llt Dragoons, and three de. nehmen:s of dilrerent regiawtits, have passed through that city. c o y E NT.uxitnrsi Ttte.ttee.--rAst night a piece, called, in the bills, a new t;: and Melo-dramatic Ito ranee, irititled ZetOuca, or the Net-muker m.ll Lift ife, was performed at this 1 heatre for Me Ist (into. i his Piece has evidently bt MIMI- , for the hnlii:Py use, Rod mill not bear much. crit;risai; it is shot% y and splendid, decorated miih toai.tr . ::l scenery, interspersed wiili some excellent ditaiug, and conch:ding with a grand conflagration. A , to arty thing further, little need be said, it being campiii:tion of the incidents which have Nei; in diner eat mays introduced into a variety of cieres of a similar description. It an incidental b:ilet, ai it is called, :415s Lur.riNa appeared for t!- lit,t time on this sta 4 e, and danced very tastefully •:tti SO:, , SONS. The audience were so much pleased a:th tins exhibition, th,it it Ni as encored and repeated midstgreat applause. FAni.r.Y played the tyrant with hi, uscal siergy ; his confidant, who finally htrays!.iin ; and A Ett4T, a General, who turns out to he the tight heir to the throne. Enr.ror was the .Net t..,, r, was MN. Glass, his wife ; Miss S. BOOTH, 'Le biltvlietl bride of the General, whom the tyrant has made captive; and LISTON, a sort of jester or buf foon, hut with only a Slight sprinkling of wit in the liaracter. The tyrant is at length overthrown, the fortress where be keeps his Court destroyed, and all fhe rest of the parties made happy. Not!.ing was ant .ing on the part of the performers, but there iiak a great lack of novelty and originality in the ma terials of the piece. The splendour of the scenery, hit ever, added to the dancing, the airs and the mu sic, did much to cap.;vate the audience; and the final grand conflagration completed the triumph. It Was given out for a second representation amidst loud 3;iplause. Ytsonday, Sadler's Wells opened with a variety of aquatic entertainments, viz. a Naumachia, the Battle of the Me, and other Performances which proved lii t ;;7lv amusing to the audh - mce. The whole was received with great applause.—The other theatres of minor rank also opened their doors for the season, pod provided excllerit fare for the losers of pan tomime, singioz, dancing, and music. Tim PRINCE or AnEmur::::.--This Prince, who diorl at Vienna no the 7th, lost his life by the fol- Ito:no.; accident very si•iriteil nom, which he utis ridin g is St. Jost ; h's-scpia le, knocked down a voman. The Prince, with Inucii difficulty, sec ended in stopping his horse, anti alighted to enquire icto the sit u ation a the W(1111311, Atha had fortunately r^reved no serious injury, though greatly alarmed. The young Prince agoin mountrl his horse, whitt appeared tratic;ull, but shortly afterwards reared and threw his rider. His head was nearly laid open, and the horse, with a single kiA, beoke several of his ribs. He was conv-yotl, in a lifeless state, to the house of his brother.ins!aw, Prince SchwartzAnherg. This accident calls to mind those which have already taken in the same family. The father of the YttettA l'iloce received, when hunting, a gun-shot in his eye, hv which he was deprived of sight; his riother was guillotined ; his brother was forced to himsolf in consequence of a duel, in which he "(I the misfortune to kill his adversary; and finally, his sister perished in the fiie which brokeAut ia the house of Pi ince Schwartzenberg, at Paris. Saturday morning, about one o'clock, Mr. Selby, a tailor, in Hatton Wall, put an end to his existence by hanging himself in his chamber. No particular cause at present. i s assigned for this rash act. lie has appeared rather disconsolate for some time post. We have great pleasure in announcing the speedy apiraratice of the following very interesting works frown the 1 , rf SS of Mr. Co LSU : I . llenri le Grand, by Madame de Gcvms, the publication of which was suppressed during the ascendancy of Bo- N.l PA RTE. —(2. Memoirs of Lady' 11-imicrox, drawn rrnm authentic sources, and comprising numerous 1 1 , ecdrous , f various distinguished Personages. among 14 limo are the lore Lord and present Earl NELsore, I; , e Fart of Pitts - rot., the Duke of QuEEarsncitav, & c . 3. A .Sopplenicnt to the .31emoirs of the Life, Writings, Discourses, and professional 1 1..r/.'s of Sir JOSNC74 REY SOLOS, SS,T. Sc.,t . by .1 \ !Ars NORTHCOTE, anecdotes of J'ltN•otv. Berme, GaunicK, &c.and valuable Ex t .4.14 from the latiustlipta of Sir Josnua ) &c. &c. MANSION-HOUSE FESTIVITIES. Yesterday, according to annual custom, several of the Aldermen, the Sheriffs, Chamberlain, Recor der, Town Clerk, City Remembrancer, Comptrol ler, &c. &c. assembled at the Mansion-House, and accompanied the Lord Mayor in procession to Gllrist Church, Newgate-street, to hear the Spital Sermon, hich was preached by the Bishop of Oxford. The procession afterwards returned to the Mansion. house. The Lord Mayor gave his annual dinner, and the Lady Mayoress her annual ball, at the Mansion- House ; which were, as usual, attended by a great portion of the beauty, rank, and fashion of the me tropolis. Among the distinguished personages who honoured the Lord Mayor with their presence at din ner, were—the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Mountford, Earl of Breadalbauc., Lord Lynedock, Lord Nugent, the Dean of Winchester, &c. The company sat, at about six o'clock, down to a table covered with the delicacies of the season, and on which was displayed all the magnificence of civic hospitality. When the cloth was removed, Non vobis Dominc was sung in excellent style by Messrs. Leete, Bellamy, Pyue, Tyrrel, Broadhurst, turd Taylor. The 1'4 , 4 toast was " Church and King," which was received with considerable applause. It was followed by "The Prince Regent," but the appro bation expressed by the company did not appear to be so strong as on former occasions. 66 The Queen, and the rest of the Royal Family"—" The Duke of York and the Army,"—and "The Duke of Clarence and the Navy," were drank with repeated cheers. The Loan Masrott then rose and observed, that after the above toasts, a more proper time could not he chosen for a ceremony which would peculiarly gratify the company present—he meant the presen tation of the Freedom and Sword voted by the City for the services of Loid Lynedock. The Chemberlaio and other Officers then ascended the platform of the throne, which had been prepared at the time the Prince Regent, the Emperor Alex ender, and the King of Prussia dined in Guildhall. They were followed by Lord Lynedock in full uni form, with his military decorationsf•rd the usual oath of freemen, to protect the rights and liberties of the City, was administered. The freedom, in a gold box that had been made for the purpose, and the splendid sword that had been voted at the same time, were presented to the gallant General, who, in a short address, expressed his gratitude, and dis c!aiined any further merit in the successes that were thus rewaraed, than that which belonged to every warm and zealous soldier in the British army. He • accepted these welcome presents, not so much as re wards that he had merited, but as rewards that lie would endeavour to deserve. This speech was re ceived with the loudest opplauses. • After a variety of glees, songs, and the customary toasts, the health of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress were proposed by the Duke of Somerset. His Lordship expiP .sed his pleasure at thin presence of so many of his friends, as well as at the honour done him by individuals of the highest rank, who had condescended to gratify the city by their presence. He was aware that his conduct upon recent occasions had been much blamed, but most umieserred!y. si:tce he had only acted ns became the ii , i!ottant office he held. While in this responsible sit uaticu lie would never shrink from the duties that twei - oiged to it, however unwelcome they might he to others, whom he felt eenerally inclined to suppoi t as the friends of the Constitution. But al:ho4li he had been un favourable to the measurc they had supported, lie had always felt the utmost disgust at the mode in which resistance was attempted to be given by public disturbances and flagrant outrages ; and he was happy to say that none of this misconduct had been exhibited within the populous district over which heir presided. The opposition in the city of London had been strenuous, but it had also been, as he hoped it always would be, constitutional. Great applause followed this address. Lord NCGI:Nt, after a brief and appropriate in troduction, proposed the health of the Civil Officers of the City of London, which was received with warm acclamations. The Lord Mayor retired (the Ladies having some time withdrawn) at about 10 o'clock, after drinking this concluding sentiment—" Union of sentiment and union of action—the boast and safeguard of the British Empire." The dancing commenced shortly after ten o'clock. The Ball was opened by the Envoy from the Court of Baden and Mrs. Birch (daughter-in-law to the Lord Mayor), who wore a very elegant and splen did dress of blond lace and flowers. Feathers in tine hanging plumes were worn by the Lady Mayoress and many other Ladies. The dancing was continued until a late hour. PUGILISIW.—Satprday morning, at six o'clock, a pitched battle was fought in a field near the Sir George Whitmore's, at Boston, between Samuel Bottomley, a brick-maker, and Townsend, a carter, for 21. a side. Victory was declared in favour of Townsend. They were both so shockingly bruised as to be conveyed to their habitations by their re spective friends. A great deal of money was won and lost upon the occasion. PEDESTRIAN FEAT.—Mr. Brooke, an Officer in the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, undertook, for a considerable wager, to go from Windsor to London, on foot, and return in ten hours. He started from the barracks, on Saturday morning at five o'clock, and returned to the same place at 25 minutes past two, having 37 minutes to spare. Bets were considerably against the performance of the undertaking. The unexpected meeting of two countrymen in Corollal produced the following curious conversa tion :—" Why, neighbour, what in the world could have brought you a matter of a hundred miles from home ?"—" Nowolang it, Robert, if I an't a bit of a mind to tell thee, as I ant sartain sure thou won't forestall me ; I am just going to 131 sn's to buy a Ticket, for Dame tells me we be almost sure of get ting one of the Three. V 30,000 Prizes, as there is such a mortal few 'rickets ; and harkee, Robert, if so be we don't get that, we may chance stumble on a Blank and gain a whole Thousand shining Guineas next Wednesday, and Dame has given me leave to stop in Lennon to see the upshot ou't. THE STATESMAN. ASSIZES. YORK CASTLE, Meßcu IS. TRIAL OF MR. JOSEP:I BLACKBURN, FOR FORGERY. The trial of this unfortunate Gentleman came on this morning, before Sir Simon 1.1 Billie, when Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Wainewright were placed at the bar.—Mr. Blackburn was arraigned on two indict ments chirging him with forging and counterfeiting the impressing of a certain stamp or die used to de note the payment of certain duties imposed on vellum, parchment, or paper, and also with uttering the same, knowing it to be forged, with intent to de fraud the revenue of the duties imposed on such stamped paper and vellum. To these indictments he pleaded not guilty. He was then arraigned on two indictments, charging him with feloniously removing stamps with intent to defraud the revenue: to tht se indictments he also pleaded not guilty. He was then charged in another indictment with the same offcnce, and Mr. Thomas Wainewright, an attorney also of this place. was charged with aiding and assisting in the same illegal removal of stamps. To this indict ment bath the Prisoners severally pleaded not guilt•. Mr. Wain4wright being removed from the trir, the Court proceeded to the trial of Mr. Blackburn, for forgery. . _ Mr. IttcuAnnsoar opened the indictment, and Mr. artdressed the Jury in the following terms : " I OA also of Counsel ngai..rst the unfortunate Gen tleman now at the bar. This is a prosecution by the Commis.oriers of Stamps, who in the discharge of their professional duty, have thought it necessary to institute this prosecution, and which they could not have omitted to de, without a gross derelictjon of the duty they owed to the public; they have no other interest in it, and whatever be the event of this day's enquiry, they will be satisfied with your deci sion. The crime imputed to the Prisoner by this indictment, is not merely calculated to defraud the revenue, but to affect the security of property in a most serious manner. For if deeds, or instruments for the transfer of property, have affixed to them forged or improper stamps, they have no validity, and convey no right to the parties in whose favour they are executed. This consideration must at once impress you with a conviction of the great import ance of the present case, as property conveyed by in struments, the most solemn known to the law, under these circumstances becomes of no use, and the rights of future generations may be affected by the crime with which the Prisoner stands charged. " It is, Gentlemen, with unfeigned concern that I have risen to address you on this occasion. This is the first time, do • ing a practice of thirty years at the bar, that it has fallen to my lot to be concerned in a Prosecution for felony, against any person with whom 1 had any personal acquaintance. Mr. B:ack burnK I ought to say the l'risoner) I have long known; he has conducted actions in which I have been en gaged for him, and others, in which I h .re t:.!n re tained by the adverse party ; and thoogh, whe. heard the name, I did not know how to aifix it to the person, yet now, when for the first time since this proseent:on has been depending, I see him, 1 find that I know the Gentleman perfectly %ell. At the bar, we are however bound to do justice to the coweitry - "Ind to the Crown, on whose behalf we are engaged, and cannot shrink from the due perform ance of our professional duty, however painful to our feelings the exercise of it may be. But the Govern ment, the Commissioners of Stamps, and those who conduct this prosecution, are very far from having any wish to oppress these individuals, their only wish is, that justice should be done between them arid the country, and this justice, I have no doubt, will he done by you. " if the Prisoner is guilty of the crime imputed to him by this indictment, his guilt is greater than that of any other individual, because there is no one who is so much obliged by his profession to understand the principles of justice. The very first rudiments of his profession must have taught him the principles of justice on which the law is founded, and his long attendance at this Court, in addition to the sound lessons of law which he must have heard from the Learned Judges who have president here, must have inforced, and ought to have confirmed those good principles. " Having made these very few preliminary ob servations, I shall proceed to state the nature of the charge against the Prisoner, and the evidence by which that charge is supported. The charge ag inst the Prisoner is that of having forged, or caused to be forged and counterfeited, the impression of a cer tain stamp or die used by the Commissioners appoint, ed by his Majesty to manage the duties on stamped vellum, parchment, and paper, for denoting the pay ment of a certain duty imposed by the 48th George 111. on mortgage deeds, which duties are laid ad va lorem, that is, a ratio proportionate to the motley secured by such deeds. The money secured by the deed which is the subject of the present enquiry, is 1801.. and the stamp required for this sum must be of the value of 21. for in the seltedule annexed to the Act, it states, that from 1501. to a sum not exceeding 2001. the duty shall be 21. The subject matter of the prosecution is, that in order to evade the duty imposed by this Act, the Prisoner affixed a forged and counterfeited stamp to an instrument purporting to be a mortgage deed—and also that he uttered or published the same, knowing it to be false, forged, and counterfeit. The Penal Act, on which this pro secution is founded, is an Act passed in the 52d year of the King; entitled an " Act • for amending and reducing into one Act, the provisions contained in any laws now in force, imposing the penalty of death for any act done in breach of or in resisOnce to any part of the laws for collecting his Majesty's revenue in Great Britain." In this Statute, cap. 143. sec. 7, it is enacted, " that if any person shall, after the passing of this Act, forge or counterfeit, or cause to be forged or counterfeited, any mark, stamp die, or plate,which, in pursuance of any Act or Acts of Parliament, shall have been provided, mad•, or used. by or under the direction of the Commissioners appointed to manage the duties on stamped vellum, parchment, and paper, or by or under the direction of any other person or persons, legally authorised in that behalf for expressing or denoting any duty or duties or any part thereof, /hid' shall be under the care and management of the said Commissioners, or if any person shall utter or sell, or expose to sale, any vellum, parchment, or paper, &c. having thereupon the impression of any such forged or counterfeited mark, every person so offending, and being thereof convicted, shall he adjudged guilty of felony, nta shall sutler as a felon, without benefit of Clergy." 1 will now lay before you the evidence by which we _propose to esta4lish this charge against ttw Pri soner. The evidence to this effect being gone through, and the case closed on the part of e pr, secution, Mr. SCARLEIT said, be bad two objections to make: the first was, that the best evidence hart not been given, that the two pound stamps bad ever been used by the authority and direction of the C ,, ermis. sinners of the Stamps. Parole evidence had been given of the contents of,a book which ought Ito e been produced, and the rule of the law was not to admit secondary evidence where it is possible to. ol:. taro better; and he insisted, that as this book was the nature of a written authority, to 'usso the die or stamp for two pounds, it ought to have been pro duced. After an argument of cousiderable length, his. Lordship determined, that there was sufficient proof of the using of this die by the Coonnissioilers, which was all that the Statute made necessary.—Mr. Scarlett then proceeded to argue, that what the Pd. soner was alleged to have done, was not a forgery, insomuch as it had not been proved that the stamp hid been altered in any material part. It was incum bent on the Prosecutors .to have shown by evidence, that this stamp was not originally for two pounds, and that it was not a re-impression of, the same shill it formerly bore, and which on the part of the Pri soner it might be assumed to be until .the contrary was proved. The Learned Counsel put the case of a person who might obliterate the word- five in a Bank.note by desicu or accident, and should re-im press it with the same word, this he contended would nqt be a forgery, because there was no alteration of a material part, it remai*4 of the same value as before. Mr. Scarlett dw t upon this objection a considerable time, placing it in various points of view, and illustrating by reference to cases of a si milar nature. Mr. LITTLEDALE and Mr. WILLIAMS followed on the same side. Mr. PARK, in reply, contended that the forgery of the denominating part of a stamp, was considered in lawns much a forgery, ,as if the %hole cleric , ' had been counterfeited, and mentionNl the instance of a person i'.7ho had been convicted of forcing it medicine stamp. _ _ _ Mr. SCARLETT, in reply, insisted that Mr. Park - had not touched his objection. Mr. P.'s argument • was grounded in the supposition that a material part had been counterfeited, and which he agreed %WI him would be forgery; but in this case - :le contended' there was no proof, that any material part had beets altered. His Lordship said. before it was ttece‘sary to . consider the argument of the Counsel for the Prisoner, it should he proved that the stamp in question, hail originally been of the value of two pounds, as this.' material part of the stamp was proved to-be false and counterfeit, the burden of the proof, that it was ori. ginally of the value of two pounds, lay upon the Pri. Boner. Ile could not, therefore, on these objectiohs,! stop the cause from going on. The Prisoner being . called upon for his .defence, addressed the Court and Jury in nearly.t4 following • • terms : " DILLY IF PLEASE TOUR Lounsnip!-- . ~ " GENTLEMEN OF TUE JURY , -4is the painful anti , 1 anxious situation in which I am unhappily placed,' . I am ill fitted for the task of addressing you on this ? occasion.—Agitated as I am between hope and fear: I can only solemnly assure you that I never forged a stamp in my life; but the public mind has beer( prejudiced against me by unfounded reports, and ad:. vertisements containing vile insinuations against me. But, Gentlemen, I entreat and charge you upon - your oaths that you banish all that you have heard out of the Court from your minds, and all that I have to wish from you is, that you be influenced on ly by the evidence, and that you will do unto me as you would wish to be done unto you, were yois placed in my unfortunate situation. I have prac tised as an attorney among my townsmen and neigh bours- with credit and respectability for 27 years: you will hear from them, upon their oaths, the cha racter I have maintained during that period. In making my defence, I have many great and insuper able difficulties to contend with : I am called upon to furnish an answer, and that by evidence, aeainst a charge which I never heard of until I entered this Court ; for until I heard the indictment read I had no knooledeo of that which they have imputed to me by this indictment, of course it was absolutely impossible for me to be . prepared with evidence to rebut the charge. With respect to the deed in ques tion, I know nothing of it, it has been long out of my possession, and it is clear by the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution, that it has been very much exposed. I would only observe, that if it and not had a regular stamp affixed to it the engrossing clerk must have seen it, and it must likewise have been observed at the office, when the deed was re gistered. When my house was searched ray account books were taken away, which has deprived - ne of all means of tracing the deed in question, or of prov ing where the stamp was bought;• I had therefore on clue to direct me in my seateh. With respect to tl.e spoiled stamps I would ohOfve, that they have lairs by me a long.time, and that the period for claiming the allowance for them had long elapsed. It often happens that after a deed is engrossed the executkot may'l , delayed a very considerable time beyond mile peri , .d allowed for claiming the allowance, and if ul• timateiy it mould not he executed the stamp would be entirely lost ; this wilt account for the spoiled stamps, which in a long series of.time have been ac cumulated.. I declare to you, Gentlemen, that this deed in question had upon it a regular stamp when it was executed in my office, and I trust you wi I net presume any thing against me ; that you will attend only to the evidence, and that you will decide upon my fate with the same candour as you would wish,. in similar circumstances, to have shown to you.— My life is in your hands. I shall bow with resieem. tiun to your decision, and 1 trust that that decision will be right." During the delivery of this address, and partici'. larly at its close, the whole Court was moved to tears. The solemn and impressive manner of the Prisoner, the rank in society from which he ila4l fallen, and the perilous situation in which he stood, Pngrossing .wise hi:ve al was re- ly account vett - ne of r of pror- srefere lect to t!e have lain r claiming Lt off en executkit event the (1 if of • tip wnuid :e Pll4.ilvll , • t been ac- , (hut the p when it wi ngt ill attend Bide upon ald wish,. yna.--- t resigna. decisinn partiCn. noved to 4. or she he Itati he stood,