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1.*.1.M.V:D DELAYS IV Y. THE COURT OF VIA NC /K) THE rMTOR OF THE BRITISH PRES& goy—Frem the epiriteil comments which appear on all „ a eons in your valuahlo paner, I am sure you will elem.- ely itte:rt a f.'w lines on rho shove subject . I addrees „„ d i e more confidently in conseemence of the candid 7 .4 m en ! eometente in your Intros! of thie morning. cordon of the press has for some time teem d with oe• against the noble personage who is at th e it: ad of cave • " court of Chancery, and to him has been ie le hii one ty ; v ibratd the whole of the delays which takes place there. goy of the enerees against the Lord Chancellor I believe be false, and others grossly exaggerated. n once public press inveighs against an individual, it posetaa s i.w ihe po eeee„ that its readers are generally converted to the oiniat daily inculcated into their minds. In this tnanner enlimiteil milliliter is excited against the person calum et:el, mere especially when he is above the cominoe rdiss id po t ty, and cannot therefore curve for ward to arse wer eir slander and repel the imputations. :see eeenissy,„o , et ee!!!' ebnceive that my &diet is merely to vindicate the conduct of Lord Eldon. ywoob thing—if Lord Eldon is the cause of delays, and opo pont abuses in the administration of justice, the weer he is removed from his judicial twat the better for th e community and the suitor* of the Court, for I think de ry judge who fosters delays, or who inikeel allows them , alit (if it is in bra power to prevent them), is guilty of Nazarene dereliction of his duty. will speak of the proceedings of yesterday, (which I e e avcsolne of the journals that have traduced the Noble ' -ell:are not noticed, and others beige distorted, so as to weir as favourable as possible to their purposes). It ap et.'" hi s Lordship was in attendance, pursuant to netice. at to tidy hour, to give judgment in several causes which h i b e en previously argued. He appeared in Court at the a p o ool time. No Counsel were in attendance'. Judg met therefore could not be delivered. He waited in his erot ic room fcr half an hour ; he then sent his Secretary i,quir. whether any Conner! had arrived. None were titre attendance. His Lordship again waited a try =Utterable time; he at length approached the Bench. sal with that urbanity for which be is distinguished, per wally inquired whether any Counsel had arrived ; they had act—he retired spin. At length the Barristers were v esse l to make their appearance, and his Lordship with 6 , pr o e m good humour forgave what had passed, as far s e regarded himself. With respect to the suitors he of mune could not ; their time hail been unnecessarily tweeted by the non-attendance of the Counsel whom they had in s:roe:ed. Now this conduct was not only uncourteous on the part ar the Gentlemen of the Bar, hur unjust to his Lordship amp their client', more especially as several days before novice had been publicly given of the judgments he in ended to &liver. This is only one of the numerous in rewees of the absence of Counsel which I am sorry to say en frequently occur. Any person in the habit of attending the Courts must know how often causes are delayed, and the object of the Conrt and the parties defeated from the Ativere of Counsel. Numerous instances of this deactip ;na have occurred very recently, both before the Lord anti Vise Chancellor, several of which have been reported. On one occasion. as it appeared in the public papers, his limo the Vicv-Chaneellor, on being applied to by a soli ;dor to allow the cause to stand over till his Counsel came eto Court, said, " No! attorneys should employ such entlemen as choose to attend to the interest of their eents;" and ordered the case to he struck out of the Agar—thus, by the absence of Counsel, occasioning a delay of at least twelve months, anti an enormous expense u thus client. the of the imputed faults of the Lord Chancellor is. tut Le does not deliver his judgments so soon as he ought, aryl that suitors are in daily attendance, anxiously expect ing the judgments to be given. Now the fact is, that his Lerdehie, when applied to by Counsel or others, generally yew ho judgments as early as possible. The cases that are delayed arc, in gem rah, matters of the highest import anee--tomplicated in the t xtreme, and involving nice points ot - Ise, upon which his Lordship frequently consults the Judge, previous to giving judgment, sad it should be re rein&ereel that his judgments arc hardly ever subverted. Some of the Papers assert, that parties are in attendance, ay after day, wtek after week, and Term after Term, wt:dag for judgment. How can his Lordship tell that rears are in attendance, unless it is suggtated ? and when his Lordship invariably gives the case his immediate I think, from what I have seen, the delays do not ex;st the Court. but in the offices of the Masters, where the :lasts arc delayed for months, and frequently years, and 1 . ,:‘ the Court has nea/no power to prevent. The practice su immemorially existed, hut will, I have no doubt, be trualied when the Report of the Commissioners is pub : ihrd ; ye: for this delay the Chancellor is blamed, be has no more to do with it than any private There is another evil in the practice which I will point cot, I mean the facility of appealing from the Vim-Chan ‘.llor to the Lord Chancellor, and from his decision to the lime of Lords. From this course have arisen many of the ti.eisys complained of. Certainly cases have been pointed out in Parliament and elsewhere, in which manifest abuses have rs3tetl, but they have never been brought home to his Lord ship. Bill: of costs have been produced in which attorneys have lien in attendance for different periods waiting for judg rest. But how was the Court to know they were attend without being informed? They might have waited till 11ottiaday if they had not stated what their o h iect was. At loon as that has been known immediate attention has on , loccasions been given to them. It then fore appears to me that the abuse does not exist sib his Lordship, but in the practice of the Court gene rail, over which, at present, he has little control. Whilst, Posner, a corrupt and factious ',less continues to insult i'4,l venerable personage, knowing that he is so placed that ..e cannot defend himself, I am happy to find that the more enlightened part is not willing to condemn him ur, %card, nor to distort facts to his prejudice. Meanwhile I rant-4 1 8y, I em confident, that every liberal-minded man Rill softesd his judgment until the Report of the Commis tows is published, anti not allow isitneelf to be biassed by tie rancomes hatred of a political party against one of the most eminent individuals that ever presided over the Law Coonsef this realm. tt, on I- will Ire 14. II . 1 71 Cr .1 :ow h t , yui itt r • t) -t the I.W I r. K V ' v oti c .e: Ir. of I iis lON of sat tbt re re L rci I al il.. Jt of :7 of L $3? 41 • s al b 2.1 1. g?; :o r It o rr Pt z 01 1 dad • P ll th e a to set alta Ye t. by of aro and :;sr r. LP) It the :ct lye ; hri /IX one HJi It .110 sx YO JeL 1,11 1. 11 ;r 1:1.1 7. 4, Br ing Lo S. ati an oIc•• Jo chi ay C RI .1 c- -1 tc ~ t 1 to rt le top '7 5. )1. it 1, car, rs ir 110 IC dY et in] 1 raa •tt spli vie rc t i VI • At rt ail Fa! y • btu e Le it no it to Its .t 1 to roc Ira Co at tt id • • le rr co: ;y r 1,1 at .1 le le ••• rs ri rt. ly it t ill It • I M to C• ,• it. • e. n• 10 e. : it 1.. • I • 1 am, Sir, your very obedient servant, A STUDENT AT LAW. Llcla's.lon, Nov. 29,1926. ----- X 4 FIGITION OF THE MF:DITI?RI2,INEAN. We have received Gibraltar Papers to the Bth ult. They CO :Asia the Proclamation of (;eneral Don, the Governor, r•:eire to the passes granted fur the navigation of the Me :rraacan, hailed in consequence of the orders trans ' !lei by Lord Bathurst. Proclamation, which goes 4:3 Ingther.ed details, contains the following articles:— t.That no Mediterranean pass or certificate of registry would be lat. except the vessel wen owned by a British subject, or a per. tmidertt 15 yew's at Gibraltar. 2 Thrt the vessel must be. commanded by a British subject. or '".nn re.ideot 15 years at Gibraltar, and three-fourths of the L^:t•h subjects. • The newels to be British built, or prices regularly eon exerpt the crwiels of forty tons and under, whiff, al. 1 " , hare l i censes. a 1 folk's' long detsils as to penalties, according to 41 41 - !.,: of the vessels, from (001. to 1,0001., and a re :'ol Ora the pass or rezistcr must not he lent, sold, or disposed of, &e. &c. &c. vusul war belonging to the Emperor of Morocco , rr:‘,ll at Gibraltar; she mounted six guns. His oty had rondescmcled to trade with several of the i.e3o Pe wers. for the purpos , l of avoiding the de .4o much otherwiso awaited them if he decreed war. ox RAtt.vesy.—Already do the inhabitants egin to foil rt , ..it sensibly the advantages of n f. itictvien made by the orning of the new Dar- ••• ; for the price of coals, which was before of the rail-road ins. a ton at Stockton, is now '‘) I'll. Now what must be the advantage when time bag elapsed to enable the proprietors of %AIL% on the line of the rail-road to np^n the same? e' le. It is ai:eled, the itail-road Company find .." , 1 propelling powers inclntied, for one half mile.-I.irrrpra Adrertirer. urniART 61. E ANINGN. N. LXV I. There arc very faint traces. if any. of witchcraft in this country prior to the Recorination. Magic, sorcery, astro logy. and apparitions, 'sere not unrotn mon. Unhert Earl or Kers wai 3:cuavil (A. D. 123 Y) of drawing royal favour to himself by sorcery, and stealing from the Titles jewel.heese a stene that would make a man invisible. About tinny years after, Roger Bacon was twice summoned to Ken.. to give an account of his conjurations.. The story of King Duffus o:' Scotland, and his sweating sickness, caused by the roeating of a waxen ima:4e., in the tenth century, is probably apocryphal, a nd if nor , might yet be merely magic. The millions of the Duchess of Gloucester, in the reign of Henry VI. seem to have only pretended to astrological prediction: as was also the case with Friar Hopkins, who is said to have died of grief at having brought his patron, the unfortunate Duke of Buckingham, to the scaffold, and with those whose tricks bade ?" 1 f7, - .:=4 . fro!a result to Lord Hissesertrl. "'Sorcery was imputed to Jane St.. 77: Ity Richard lii. and afterwards to several Lan casterians, including the Countess of Richmond, and Dr. Morton, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. Inspiration and prophetic visions were claimed by Elizabeth Barton, the Maid of Kent. Still, the compact with the Devil was un known here, though it hail become very ftequent on the Con tinent. In 1541, an act was passed, the first in our laws, against conjuration, witchcraft, sorcery, and pulling down crosses. It is sup p osed to have been designed. against the Reinnnets, and was repealed in the first of Edward VI. though there was a direction in Cranniz•r's Articles of Visitation, two years after, to inquire after " any that used charms, sorcny, enchantments, witchcraft, soothsay ing, or any like craft, invented by the deail ;" which was renewed in Elisabeth's reign, with the addition," especially in the time of women's travail." There were several trials for conjuration and astro:ogy in the early part of this reign, and the Countess of Lennox, with four others, was con demned for treason, for inquiring how long the Queen would live? But in 1362 a new statute against witchcraft was enacted, more lenient titan that of James which fol lowed, as it only visited the first conviction with pillory ; and from this time the offence was on the increase, till that sapient ruler, who taught divinity like a king, and made laws like a priest, signalised the Ant year of his reign by making it felony to suckle imps, &c. and then the mischief rapidly mounted to its height, which it attained by the aid of that " vigour beyond the law," which the triumphant fanatics afterwards put forth, In the abundance of their zeal and wisdom. In this Statute (which was repealed Mnrch 24, 1738) the description of the oifmce or offences which were made felonious runs thus:— " One that use, practise, or exercise any Meowion or conjura tion of any evil or wicked spirit, or consult, covenant with, enter tain or ClTlploy, feed or reward, any evil or wicked spirit, to or for any intent or purpose ; or take up any dead man, woman, or child, out of his, her, or their grave, or any other place, where the dead body testeth ; or the skin, bone, or other part of any dead per son, to be employed or need in any manner of witchcraft, sor cery, charm, or enchantment; or shall use, pract:ce„ or exercise any witchcraft, ice, whereby any persnn shall be killed, destroyed, wasted, consumed, pined, or lamed in his or her body, or any part thereof : such offend e . rs, duly and lawfully cunvictcd and at tainted, shall sulfur dew h.. In the course of the fifty years following the passing of this act, besides a great number of single indictments and executions. we meet with much of suck wholesale dealing as the following. In 1612, fifteen indicted at Lancaster, and twelve condemned ; 1622, six tried at York ; 1634, seventeen condemned in Lancashire; 1844, sixteen exe cuted at Yarmouth; 1845, fiteen condemned at Chelms ford and hanged ; in the same and following year, about forty at Bury in Suffolk, twenty more in the county, and many at Iluntinp,alon ; and, according to the estimate, of 'I Ady, some thousands were burnt in Scotland. A variety of circumstances deserve notice, from either serving as symp:otas, or having operated as causes, of the peculiar abundance of the. , e notions in England, during the seventee .th century. Alchymy, astrology, &c. have always bad their believers and votaries; but, besides that they never excited the horror, nor occasioned the misery which fkr.ved from the supposed prevalence of witheract, they have not been &Meted by causes similar to those which made the latter for a time so formidable, and which were also of such a nature as to render it formidable only for a time. They have all their foundation in human na ture; they appeal to the love of power, of pleasure, of knowledge, of wealth, of vengeance; they all give way, if not to the moral philosophy which teaches to regulate these passions, at least to the progress of natural philosophy, which shows them to be ineffective means for the proposed end. Their appearances are, therefore, more uniform, their course more steady, their grasp of the human mind more firm, their reception and advance, and their exposure and abandonment, more gradual than in the case before us. The statute of the first James has been already indicated as one cause of the offences which it denounced. At first, this tendency was increased by the manner in which it was administered. The different clauses were taken dia -1 junctively, and it was held sufficient if any one of the offences specified were made out to the satisfaction of the jury. Afterwards, the judges adopted a much more hu mane interpretation, and usually decided that they should he taken collectively, and consequently that there could be no conviction for witchcraft, but in cases of alleged murder. Many causes were sent out, or kept out of court, by the mercy of this legal discovery, which was probably owing to the extent :o which they had multiplied, and the facility with which jurymen convicted. One of the latest convic tions was that of Amy Duny and Rose Cullender before Sir Matthew Hale, at Bury, in 1664. They were exe cuted, and died maintaining their innocence. Their execution is a foul blot upon his name, and fully justifies the remark, that "his piety and theological reading seemed only to have the effect of rendering him credulous and un relenting." There can be little doubt of their having ken the victims of imposture. Such was the opinion, publicly declared in court during the trial, of Sergeant Keeling, Lord Cornwallis, and Sir Edmund Bacon, who made some experiments, at the judge's request, on the children who pretended to be bewitched, and found that when their eyes were covered they played of their tits, &e. at the touch of snie other person, whom they mistook for one of the ac cused. He charged the jury without summing the evi dence, dwelling only upon the certainty of the fact, that there were witches, for which he appealed to the Scriptures, and, as he said, to " the wisdom of all nations," and the jury having convicted, be next morning left them for execution. Perhaps this trial is the only place to which we ever met with the name of Sir Thomas Brown without pleasurable asso:iations ; yet we cannot leave it without extracting his evidence : " There was also Dr. Brown, of Norwich. a person of great knowledge: who, after this evidence given, and upon view of the three persons in Court, was dedred to give his opinion, what he did conceive of them ; and he was daily of opinion, that the per• sons were bewitched ; and said, that in Denmark there had been la.ely a great discovery of witches, who used the very same way of persons, by conveying pins into them, and crooked, as these pins were, with reedits and nails. And his opinion was, that the devil, in such cues, did work upon the bodies of men and women, upon a natural foundation, (that is) to stir up and endue such humours superabounding in their bodies to a groat excess, whereby he did, In an extraordinary manner, afflict them with such distempers as unit bodies were most subject to, as particularly appeared in thew children ; for he conceived, that these swooning We were natural, and nothing else but that they call the mother. but only heightened to a great excess by the subtllity of the devil co-operating with the malice of these which we term witches, at whose instance he dot!) these villanics." For Sir Thomas Brown's speculations on the subject of witchcraft and diabolical delualons, we must content our selves with referring our readers to Vadger Error:, Book i. c. x. xi. ; B. v. c. xxii. sec. 19. and B. vii. c. xii. Very difierent was the conduct of Chief Justice Holt, nor are the obligations of humanity less than those of free dom to his firm, enlightened, and upright mind. What ever truth there may he in the well-known story of his having, in a juvenile frolic, given a charm for the ague, in plyment for a tavern bill which he bad not the regular means of discharging, and which was afterwards produced before him in evidence against his landlady, who had been practising with it ; certain it is, that his elevation was the signal for a more humane and rational procedure ; eleven were tried More him, and all acquitted, notwithstanding the customary depoeit;ons were made about vomiting pins, neeilks, &e. devils' marks, and sucking imps. So changed were the times, that even confession failed to THE BRITSII PRESS. produce conviction, and the ahstirtliti ,, s of a (!! , on'ercd imagination sunk to their real worth. Ili succ svr, Par ker, put a stop to the trial by water, by hie declaration, at the Essex Summer Atomizes in 17151, that, if it occasioned the death of the suspected witch on whom the experiment was made, all the parties concerned were guilty of wilful murder. It is laid down In Winn's Cousfry Justice that— . " Spectral evidence. 1. e. the afflizted eeries thinking they sea the persons that torment them, may itexiven in evideacc--that in. sensible parts and teats are si.ttni of witchcraft—that the devil's mar k may he lik e a gea.kite_gitat imps may be kept in pots, or other vessels; and that the rots and places where tbsy are kept stink detestably ; and that therefore such stiakiag places is their hoses are signs that they haws iin. a." One of the most infamous perverelnns of evidence oc curred in the trial of the witches of Werbeis, before Mr. Justice Fenner, at Huntington, in 1.593. An old man, his wife, and daughter, were accuse' of bewitching the five children of Mr. Throgmorton, sect ral servants, the lady of Sir Samuel Cromwell, and other persons. A confession was ebtained...iradietwalese — ektivomaii, - 1116 was about fourscore yesrs old, by persuading her to retest a charm, in a form prescribed to her, on which the children, who were the principal witnesses, came out of the fits, which, as they pretended, were occasioned by her arts. To obtain similar proof, rue.) as it was, against the old man, the judge told him on his trial, " that if he would not speak the words of the charm, the court would hold him guilty of the crimes he was accused of." After some browbeating, he did repeat it, when the child's fit cess,.d, and the judge exclaimed, " You see all s h e i s now we ll, b u t not by the music of David's harp;" and the poor fellow Was condemned, as was his daughter upon similar evidence. Some bystanders urged the latter to plead pregnancy as a means of saving her life, or, at least, of deferring her fate. She indignantly replied " that she never would; for it should never be said, that she was both a witch and a whore." They were all executed, and their goods. which were of the value of forty pounds, being escheated to Sir S. Cromwell, as lord of the manor, he gave the amount to the mayor and aldermen of Huntingdon, for a rent charge of forty shillings yerrly, to be paid out of their town lands for an annual lecture upon the subject of witchcraft, to be preeched at their town every Ludy-day by a Doctor or batchelor of Divinity, of Queen's College, Cambridge. _ _ • These perversions of evidence wrought • their own cure, and thus assisted to disabuse the public mind. As their absurdity and injustice were displayed, it followed either that, if (hey were retained, the decisions of courts of justice would cease to be respected; or, if they were abandoned, that conviction would no longer be obtained ; and, either way, one most impressive testimony to the fact of witchery was withdrawn. Even the statute of James was at length made to afford some protection for the poor creatures who were accused under it; for their accusers could seldom detect them without some means, which were a kind of charm, and for which they were themselves threatened with the penalties of the act.—Retrnepretive Review. THE ROYAL SOCIETY. On Wednesday the Royal Society had their Anniversary Dinner tithe Crown and Anchor Tavern. The company (which was dis tinguished and select, Members only of the Royal Society being ad mined) sat down to an elegant dinner soon after six o'clock._ Amongst the company present were, the Bishop of Carlisle, Mr. Secretary Peel, 31r. Bell (the retired Chancery Barrister), Sir Everard Home, who was accompanied by hie arm, ('apt. Boma, &c., W. Mad.lock, Esq. (of Portland-place), D. Gilbert, Evq, M. P.. the Society's Treasurer, Nathaniel Lee, Esq., the Secre tary, Mr. More, of Lincoln's-inn, the Treasurer ot the Society's Club, &r. Sir HUMPHREY DAVI', the successor of the late Sir Joseph Bankea, the President of the Society, took the Chair. On his right hand was the Bishop of Carlisle, and on his left. sat 141 r. Se em/try Peel. The cloth having been removed, the Chairman proposed, " The King, the Patron of the Royal Society." doing so, he sail it was unnecessary for him to enlarge on the claims which his Majesty had on their and the country's gra•efol acknowledg. meats. The King was not only the Patron of the Hoyal Soci. ety, he most liberally patronized the Arts and Sciences generally, and every thing that was calculated to promote the renown and the welfare of the nation. The toast was received with the most marked enthusiasm. Mr. Secretary PEEL rose. He said lie was not presumptuous enough to claim their attention for the purpose of returning thanks for the honour which they had justly conrerred on his Majesty : his object in rising was to state, that he had It in command from his Slajeaty to communicate the King's intention of annually pre senting the Society with two medals of the value of MI. each, to be bestowed as rewards for meritorious exertions on valuable and useful productions or discoveries. His Majesty had been pleased further to command Min to state that he de,ired in no way to spe cify the objects for which Pilch medals were to be deemed as re wards; that might prejudicially limit their utility ; the disposition of them would be left solely to the judgment of the Royal Society's Council. His Majesty, who was, indeed, a munifioent Patron of the Arts and Sciences, had confidence in the Society's skill and discretion, and therefore left the appropriation of the medals with them, feeling assured that they would so use and award them as to give, what was his Majesty's object, useful stimulus, and to pro mote valuable scientific retrench and discoveries. The Right Hon. Secretary added, that he felt peculiarly complimented and grateful in having been selected to tusks this commturicatioa to that dicia guished Society. " The Duke of York and the Royal Family"—" The So ciety of Antiquarians"—" The Royal Acadcmy"--were toasts that followed. Mr. D. Gtzitenz then proposed the health of the President of the Royal Society. He would not occupy the attention of the mom with dwelling on the merits of their distinguished Chairman, especially as that individual was necessarily present ; indeed it was not requisite, for his excellencies were well known to those assem bled on the present occasion. His varied acquirements, and his useful discoveries, not only reflected great honour on himself, but had been highly valuable to his country. 11is zeal for the success of that Society they all knew, and it had been made still more ma nifest by their President's conduct and statements in the Society's Council held that morning. The toast was honoured in the most friendly and enthusiastic manner. Sir A. Darr, in returninghis orknowledgmenta, said, that he felt fully sensible of the value of the compliment that had just been conferred on him, as well as of the distinction of being the Presi. dent of so honourable and useful a Society. That Society hail hitherto been eminently valuable in promoting information, laud able inquiries, and useful discoveries; science owed much to it. The Society had heretofore stimulated to valuable reseach and dis covery ; and with such patronage, and after the communication of that evening, it could not fail to be still more eminent and useful. The spirit of inquiry was now abroad ; the desire of improvement, anti the anxiety for useful research and discoveries, now more than ever animated society. Science, within the last 100 years, bad made rapid strides, so much so, that could an inhabitant of another planet have been a century ago dropped on the mill, then with. drawn, and now brought to visit this sublunary scene, such person would hardly recognise it to be the sante spot that he had before visited. The changes were not such as to require detail from him ; though the rail-roads and canals of the country, the extensive ap plication of the steam engine, the improvements In the instinct's compass, &c. proved the varied and wonderful changes ; and they also showed what was still more gratifying, that the great dia. coverlet of science had been rendered subservient to the uses and prosperity of society. Ile concluded with assuring the company of his devotion to the interests of the Royal Society, and to the gene ral advancement of science. The health of the Vice-Presidents having been given, The Bishop of Cauxtect (on behalf of himself and Sir Eve rett' Home), begged to return heartfelt acknowledgment.; for the honour that had just been conferred. Zealous as he wan to promote the welfare of the Society, he knew bin own unworthiness for the distinguished station to which he had been raised; but he could assure them that no anxieties or attention would be wanting on his part to promote the interests of the Royal Society, and of science generally. After the Treasurer's health ha 4 been given, and Mr. D. Gilbert, M.P. had returned thanks ; and after some other toasts to Mr. Barlow, of Woolwich, &c. the company sepwated. On Thursday afternoon a person parsing by the house of Mary Kirk, at Birch-hills, near Walsall, and perceiving it full of smoke, looked through the window, when a most horrid sight presented itself, the miserable inmate lying under the grate, burnt in so shocking a manner about the head and upper part of her body, that one of her breasts was nearly reduced to a cinder; and in this condition the poor creature lingered till about ten o'clock the next morn ing. The deceased was about 63 years of age ; and, as she was addicted to drinking, it is supposed she was in a stele of intoxication at the time the accident happened, when, overcome by sleep, she had fallen from her seat against the fire. An Inquisition was held upon the body before Henry Smith, Esq. Coroner, and a verdict of "Accidental death" returned.— fn.! verliompton Chronicle. On Wednesday evening, a gentleman left his horse, a fine bay gelding, in charge of a youth, in Euston-square, where he had not left it but a few minutes, when a fel low, pretending to be the owner, mounted, and rode him of at fun speed towards the North•road, and has not since been discovered. WI ma Annzes.—The Calendar for these Asixes is likely to be heavy ; the number at alba time for trial ex ceeds sixty, amongst whom we observe eight persons charged with horse-stealing.—Eue.r ' BRITISH GAS-LIGHT CO3IPANY. 1p eoneequence of an advertisement in the daily papers, ealllng meeting of the prnprieto rot of the British 0 es Light Company, several gentlemen attended at the Auction Mart, in Bartholomew.lane, yesterday; the object of the meeting, as st a ted i n th e requis i t i on , was to take into consideration the answer of the Directors to a re wqnrinn passed at a meeting of some gentlemen, whose Antes had been declared farfeitcd because they had not paid up their deposits on the last c'fl. At the hour appointed (one o'clock precisely) there were about twenty persons in the room. hut not one of .t hem seemed to know why they were them, or what was in be done, and some were led to think that it vas altogether a timer, an opinion which received spparrit confirm.atitin by a written 'paper bei-g put up over the tie.place. containing these words: The British Oas Light Company met, and adjourned line die." The trick in part succeeded, for many went away on the Instant ; amongst the number were some reporters for th- daily preps. flow erer, the placard was anon eqrnmitted to the flames, anti in a few minutes after, Mr. Fenton, of Austie.friars, who, as Solicitor to the complaining parties,c.mlH4 timaditessi,mosawa c _ fga tagi d al i a aosw ints atersorms; eiteFfiriiirr.; sm , eral others. Mr. HORICE, an original Proprietor, begged to know from whence the requisition emanated, and what was the object of the meeting ? Mr. FENTON replied that it came from him, on behalf of such Shareholders as the Directors thought proper to say had forfeited their claims upon the Company. The meeting was intended for sorb alone, and all other persons might retire. Mr. Boast contended that, as a subscriber to the British Gas Lig .t Company. he had a right to be pres.nt. A long aid rather 1 , :?.7,11 discurion took place on this point, and it was finally agreed that., as no Chairman would be appointed, all that pleased might remain. _ _ Mt. VIGEIIS then stated that ON meeting had been convened with the view cf getting some information on the situation of the Company. A S2IAIEDOLDEII-.. Mr. Vigers isnotasubacriber, therefore can have no right to demand any Investigation. Mr. VIOEDII said he appeared there for his daughter, Miss Vigers, who was a holder of several shares I end, Its he believed, a parent could not be denied the right of protecting the pro. petty of his child. Mr. HORNE observed, that the application should have been made before the shares were forfeited; the deposits not having been paid up on those shares, the lady could no longer be con sidered a pmrrietor. He was at a lo.s to think what could be the object of seeking for information under such circumstances. Mr. FENTON replied that the object was simply to enforce the claims of tiime whose shares were said to have been forfeited, or to get back their money, because they conceived they had been un justly excluded. _ M. HORNE could not but think it was very natural that when they declined paying up on their shares, that they should hat7e been excluded. Mr. VIGER9 was glad to meet Mr. Horne on this occasion, be. cause he recollected that, at a former time. that gentleman had taken • very active part against him. The object of than who were hostile to inquiry was quite manifest ; they did all to depre ciate the value of the property, until they brought the shares down to 9/. discount, and then they bought up all they could get, in order to speculate with the public money. The Dire. tors, at the last ge. neral meeting, had made statements without figures—they had produced no accounts nr documents to satisfy the Proprietors that their contracts were judiciously made, and a great majority of those who herd shares began to be alarmed. Mr. HORNE said, that if the conarn was as unpromising as it had been represented, there wan the less reason for regret on the part of thole who were now complaining of exclusion. Mr. FENTON said that was no reason why they should tamely submit to imposition, when they had the power to enforce their right by an appeal to a court of law. __ Sittaatiiot.mot observed, that all persons who put their names to the deed were bound to pay up the calls, and having de clined to do so, they of course had broken their contract, and had no longer any legal claim on the company. Mr. rt N ON prot , sted against this construction of the thing, The Directors were the first to break faith. It was set forth in the prospectus, that 20.000 shares would be issued, at 601. each, whereas only 8,000 had been given to the public. This reservation was evidently for stock-jobbing apeculations, and, as had been said by the first legal authority in the country, amounted to a fraud in law. Mr. HORNE said, that if there was anything that required in. vestigation, those aho felt dissatisfied had only to go about and get the names of six proprietors holding 200 shares. and they could then call a general meeting of the subscribers ; if they could not get six names it was proof that the Directors still possessed the con. tidence of the puhlic, and he for one hal as yet seen nothing in their conduct to warrant him in withdrawing it. Mr. Ft NTOm then begged leave to put the matter fairly before the Meeting, by reading the requisition, together with the Di reetore answer, as follows : " At a Meeting of the Proprietors of the British Gas Light Corn.. party, held at the office of Mr. F. T. Fenton, Austintriars, on the 16th of November, it was resolved— •• That an application be made by Mr. Fenton, on behalf of this meeting, to the Directors of the British Gas Light Company, re. questing them to call an early general meeting of proprietors, and to come to the same prepared with lists of the original shareholders, distingui..hing the number of shares taken by each ; and also a full statement of the receipts and disbursements of the Company, with the several times when, and the names of the persons by whom, the deposits were made ; and also a full statement of the several contracts entered into by the Directors, together with a general statement of the affairs of the Company." Mr. FEN TON observed, that the demands here made were no. thing but what the proprietors had a right to expect. How far the Direetors performed their duty, would be seen by the following let ter received in wmiy _ _ " Briiiah Gas Light Company's Office, George-yard, Lombard -street, 18th November. " Sir,—ln reply to your letter of the 14th instant, covering a resolution entered into at your office on the same day, I have to acquaint you, that the Directors have no wish to withhold from any part of the proprietors of the British Oat Light Company such in. formation an they may demand, and at the same time consistent with the interests of the whole ; but they do not feel at liberty to net upon the unauthenticated document which you have been pleased to transmit. I have the honour to be, Sir, " Your very obedient humble servant, " To F. T. Fenton, Esq. " CRS S. T. DILL, &c. ay. Secretary to the Company." Mr. FENvost said that it was perfectly clear this was a mete evasion. A SHAREIIOLDEII said, that notwithstanding all the objections that bad been started, he could see no very strong ground for ap. prehension ; he knew that Alderman -Thompson had purchased shares when they were at a considerable discount, and it was fair to infer that a man of his penetration would not have connected himself with the Company, if he had any doubts as to the pro priety of its management, and the honour of the managers. It was suggested that the Alderman was in the iron trade, and therefore that he might have speculated on that account. Several gentlemen observed that this could not be. as Alderman Thompson was above any such mercenary feeling, and in the nest place, that he had nothing to do with the dcscriptam of iron used by the Company. Mr. FENTON said that it was a waste of time and words to argue a matter at the Auction Mart. which could be better discussed in a Cnurt of Law ; his clients had the power, and did not want the will to try the question of right, and he would venture to say that every one who had been so expelled would get back their mo ney if they pleased. After sotne further conversation the meeting broke up. THE CHURCH. The Lord Bishop of Hererord has been pleasec to col late the Rev. IVm. Cooke, A.M. Vicar of Pipe, to the office of Portionist in the Church of Bromvard, void by the death of the late respected Areheacon Lilley. The Rev. John Davies, A.M. Rector of St. Clement's, Worcester. has been presented to the Rectory of Over Worton, Oxfordshire, void by the death of the Rev. Dr. Burton. The General Baptista of Preston having circulated in formation of their intention to baptize a number of per sons in the River Ribble, a great concourse of people, at tracted by the novelty of the scene, collected together on Sunday mottling, near the boat-house in Penwortham, to witness the ceremony. About half-past ten, when -the baptism was about to commence, Peter Herrocks, Esq. ac companied by the churchwardens of the r arisli, came up, and after some altercation with the ministers and others concerned, declared that meetings of this kind in church hours were decidedly illegal, that as high constable he was bound to interfere, and that if they attempted to proceed he would certainly use his power to prevent them, by t tking the active persons into custody. Under these cir camstancez, the parties consented to put off the ceremony until one o'clock, at which hour a considerate concourse being assembled, singing and prayer took place. after which a Mr. Ingham delivered a short address. Six can didates then came forward, and having proceeded in the water to a convenient depth, were immersed by a Mr. Hays, who baptised the converts according to the forms of this class of Christians, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Prenton Chronicle. Pidding and Co.'s lucky corner, No. 1, Cornhill, hav ing so recently (31st Aug.) left the Invession of Two Noble Prizes of 0,000/. sterling soil there in Chic Day. that they have only to mention the Fact to kind! , the de sire for another Adventure for the Four 30,000/. Prizes at the head of the present Scheme, to be drawn Next Tues day, Dee.O. No Scheme before ever contained so many of 80,0001.; end u Lotteries are so nearly terminated, the Interest in theta is augmenting : these circumstances, in conjunction with Phiding's well-known extraordinary Luck, account far the Throngs daily ohservable at the Lucky Corner, No. 1, Corphid. LAV NOTICES. COURT OF CHANCERY. The Lord Chancellor will continue to give judrnenta radar. The Muter of the Rolls will her causes this triornitig as tea o'clock. COURT OF KING'S BENCH. CAUSEI TO BE TRIED IT If IDDLI:IIEX commit ; mast, TRIS MOIIITIVO. AT NALT-PAST NINE. Stevens v. blahllow Eqpilant v. Irelagd l I rally v. Jl,rrett Smirlt v. Winter Foster v. Wel. Fuller v. Wigley Moorhoose v. Sam- Doe, &e. i. Hart Praketortiv.clapattew pave Gower v. Beethohne Thamoney v.Calver- Ileeley v. Graham Bc.ll v. Manton !mum Illakie v. Mark Cornwell v. Ricliod- Richards v. Am:lines , Hewitt • Bowden eon • Forte? s. Jones Fiorillo r. Cmwden Same v. lame I Chadwick v ; )fanning Doe, &c. v. Scram-. Sower v. Taber Wood v. Wslior Lewis, clerk, v. Stewart v. Vhittaker Kent tr, Curtis llama The Rir.gv.Lavcoek I Melton v. Gomptrtto Cole v. 31edley I Oultnan T. OFOISOI Prik. ; , ounger v. Brooks Willis v. ....kcT Chancellor v.Parsons I Bond v. Clark I Eatly v. Isaac COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. It is ordered that causes to be tried at the Sittings after Term io London, which. by the present rule of Nisi Pries, must be entered with the proper officer on or before the adjournment day, may be entered on the adjournment day and three following days. MIDDLESEX CACIRS TO RE TRIED Tills MORNING, AT Tzar o'cLocx. Thormlukev.Hervey Firth v. Harman Oomme v. Someone Tooke v. Nicholas Jerkins v. Biddulph, Davies and oaten v., Pedley v. Burch E . Burton Hicks v. Clark: S ame v. Perry, Esq. COURT OF EXCHEQUER. EXCISE CAUSES TO Jr TRIED THIS INIORNIAO. AT WIVE. attlatmey.l3lNlATAl T. Thomas I Attorney-Gen. v..ismesStutag Stevens—Part heard Ditto v. Wm. Stevens • Ditto v. Thomas Mareeet Ditto v. Robertson LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF CHANCERY, Tau Unity, Dzc. i. The Court was crowded at an early hour this morolog by the parties interested in the several causes in which It wu anderstood Judgment was to be given. COLEMAN V. SKITEIERS. The LORD CHANCELLOR said he could not, =he bad berate determined. come down to-morrow to give judgment, but would most certainly attend for that purnase on Monday; but as he felt d'.spesed to relieve the anxiety of the gentleman who applied to hint the other day, he would on Saturday morning give judgment in Coleman at. Smithers, and in the other cause which involved the same point. He was desirous of setting the question at rest, as, from what occurred on the day of the application to him, the gen tlemen seemed not to be well informed as to what took place in the other Court, for he supposed that a decree had been there pronounced in his favour. isinw, according to the icnpmsiou on his Lordship's mind that was not exactly the case. EX-PARTE ORTMSTEAD. Mr. lilowrsatt hoped his Lordship would appoint some day for hearing Counsel in this cause. it had been already arranged that only one Counsel was to be heard on each side. The Loan CHANCELLOR—I am very glad you have mentioned the matter. as I intended to have done so myself before I left the Court. The question is a very complicated one, and one of grea difficulty, and if the two gentlemen who are to argue it will give up a holiday during the vacation, rpromise that it shall be me holiday . !o me. . Mr:HART said that when he consented to have the causeeroed by one Counsel on each side, he did so from a conviction that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the Court got as much Informa tion from cne Counsel as from more. lie thought too, at the time, that the duty of addressing the Court would devolve on Mr. Mon. tap,. who had already been so much steeped in the case ; but now he found it was his client's wish that he (Mr. Hart) stiould argue it. The Loan CHANCICLLOR—No one can deny tha: Mr. Montagu has been heard long enough in it. Mr. HART felt sorry his Lordship shoulii be deprived of other assistance, as he unfortunately *as not well acquainted with the case. The Lour) CHANcrt.tott...—Well, then, to reliave you, I'll glee up two days for the hearing. Mt. HART said he could not resist going into it if his Lordship thought tit. The LORD CHANCELLOR said he was not fond of hearing only two Counsel in a cause. In the other Courts. where four Judges sat, they were more likely to be able to give sufficient answers to the arguments of Counsel than one individual Judge could ; particularly (said his Lordship) if that single Judge is so foolish as to inquire into ail the bearings, and think that he ought to look in, through. and around a case. before he decides on it. 'Nothing can be more lit than that, in tlfs Court or King's Bench, one Counsel only should argue on each side ; for if one of the Judges were called off to at tend at Nisi Prius. he leaves three behind him, who prepare infer, motion for him. This is not the case, however, with an unfortunate Judge who sits alone. Mr. HART hoped his Lordship would have the benefit of Mr . Montagu's assistance. Mr. Mowvanu said that if the opposite party consented, he ha,l no disinclination to be heard again. The Lorna CHANCELLOR—It is not with any pleasure I hear the case at all; it w;11 impose a very great labour on me. Mr. HART intimated that he would make arrangements to attend the Court on whatever day his Lordship should appoint. EX-PARTE WADE IN THE MATTER OF WADE. In this come a petition had been presented by a Mr. Wade of Saxmundharn, praying that the commission of bankrupt whici4 wes sued out against him might be superseded, and that if it were superseded the petitioning creditors be ordered to pay the costa. It appeared that Mr. Wade, in April, IEI9, being then in embar rassed circumstances, executed a trust deed, by which he conveyed. all his property to his attorneys, Messrs. Lebat and Mayhew, and to certain other persons, for the general benefit of his creditors. His affairs were managel under this trust deed till 1821, when 4 commission was sued out by two of Mr. Wade's creditors, whose joint debts merely amounted to as much as entitled them to sue it out. Megan. Lebat and Mayhew were the solicitors employed by the petitioning creditors, became solicitors to the commission. Their bill of costs, up to the issuing of the commission. aniounted to 211 f. All the items in the bill of costs had been alies - eel, sou.' two of them were for travelling to consult the petitioning creditors. The LORD CHANCELLOR, in giving judgment, said he was sorry the advice which he had given to the parties before the long vacation. to come to a private arrangement, had not been followed. It was clear, he said, that the execution of the trust deed by Itlr Wade was an act of bankruptcy, and the only question for the Court to consider was, whether the great seal could allow the com mission to stand for he did not see What the issue which the Viee.Chancellor directed when the case was before him had to do with the matter. His Lordship was clearly of opinion that the commission ought to be superseded. After an accurate investlga. tion of all the circumstances of the CAM, be came to the inevitable conclusion that the petitioning creditors were the mere instruments of Messrs. Lebat and Mayhew, that recourse was had to them by the solicitors, solely because it was necessary to have petitfonteg creditors, and that the suing out of the commission was, in fact, the work of Messrs. Lebat and Mayhew. Now he thought the safety of mankind required that those who advised their eltents to execute deeds, the legal effect of which their clients might not be aware of, should not be allowed, after acting under these deeds for two or three years, to turn round on their clients and call for s commission of bankrupt, grounding there demands on a deed. which they themselves advised, and under which they bad AW long acted. This was a principle from which he thought the Court should never depart. He ordered the present commission to be superseded ; he saw no reason, however, why an othkr. , ers-• ditors, not being polies to the deed, might nor app ly for a hods comaiissioe. s• ii PARRY AND DE TASTE?. The Lotto CHANCELLOR said that in the present eases dill r. enee of opinion existed between the Gooey' of Common Pleas and King's Bench, aa to whether Mr. de Twee should, under certain . circumstances, retain a quantity of rum. lie said that his deckling was final in all cases of bankruptcy. and he must decide which eff these high judicial authorities he thought right, unless some meaner were afforded him of having the opinion of the Twelve Judges ea' the question at issue. Ile knew no other way of coining at that: opinion than by directing that another action be brought. and that a bill of exceptions be taken to the Judge's charge, whatever .its eras. He would then wish that the bill of exceptions be argoeff the usual way. If the parties did not consent to that arrangers's*. he should be reduced to the necessity of saying which of the Wee judicial authorities he thought right. t t Mr. Lowe, the Solicitor, said, the question could at anytkage be brought before the Twelve Judges by a writ of error. • . The LORD CHANCELLOR—It appears you and I direr. t Mr. LowE said, he was an Old practitioner both in the L•• sad Equity Courts. The LORD CHANCELLOR—You think yturself leas likely fall into error than I am• There u a mighty difference Detests!' writs of error and bills of exceptions, for many things may be ad,/ 'bitted imo the latter which cannot enter into the former. Lct tot see the hill of exceptions, and pardon me if I then decide on say. own judgment. Mr. L owE said, there was always great diMcul , y is sett Counsel to take exceptions: he had himself tender e d some, which he took great credit to himself. The Loan CHANCELLOR WAS willing to give Mr. Lowe sAtlier credit he could require, ar.d expressed a wish to see the Si g .. cepiiors, as all bills of exceptions might not please him. His Lonnsilie said, there were some other muse. in wbiAilkis wav then prepared to give judgment, but should defer 40111 elf until Saturday, in consequence of Mr. Apr's absence. COfltT OF KINO'! BENCH, Wiragutstra„ t : THURSDAY. DEC 1. Sinedgs at Xis: Flail, before the 11.01 D anti' JUST'S/I.llle a Common jar,. • There were twenty five crver net down for tritd, of Which twenty Went off, and the records were withdrawn, tn. conswassete the absence of anciney v. TAPS:OTT V elves,. The plaint'ir is a r..ltlicso t the ditrndanc is the CAW er at u i a lia ttelah-ated female acroveut, who, In the salt met of List u, an eu:;•1 with alt Hattie, why wee killed en that usaneina L ~~ f ~x ,~