The Sun. — London, England, 1828-07-31 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUTILIC 10t1INALS. When the notable 'experiment made by Lord Wellesley's Government in Ireland, for putting down the old Catholic Association, was under discussion here, we said that it never could be executed, that it was an unwise and unjust law, and, would rather defeat than promote the pur pose of its authors. While the law lasted, what were its effects ? It multiplied the meetings of the Catholic body sixfold, from weekly to daily meetings ; it raised the spirits of the Catholics to enthusiasm ; it magnified the power of their body an hundredibid ; it placed the almost undisputed representation of Ireland in their hands. The ultra Tory papers in this country have been me uaemg the empire with measures of violence for putting down effectually the Association, which found means to thrive under Lord Welleslev's law for its suppression. The best commentary on the madness of these men is, that the King's Ministers have not shared it. They let the Session close, and the law expire, without an attempt to restore it, or to substitute one more (soercive. The people of Ireland would n o t, i n tact, have borne it, nor would the people of England have endured a gag upon the complaints ssf British subjects crying out against injustice, That is the truth of the matter; and Ministers deserve praise on this occasion for understanding and bowing tem the old spirit of constitutional liberty. The original Association is now res vived, and has recommenced its sittings in Dublin. That intemperate individuals may there continue to expose their folly by want of discretion in their speeches, is more than probable, and that such persons should have the opportunity of openly discovering the little worth of indiscre tion, is devoutly to be wished, for the public peace and safety. If the Catholics are not permitted to meet and vent their dissatisfaction publicly, they will still meet and brood over it in private : the spirit will be more compressed, and the ex plosion—should our impolicy drive them to an explosion—will be so much the mere terrible. As fur the indignation which is so frequently in dulged by Englishmen at the coarseness and ap parent fierceness of the Irish orators, it is only so much good anger thrown away, and is as much slisplaced as the fears entertained of their power. There is nothing intrinsically powerful among the Catholics but their grievance : the dema e;ogues, the priests, are but its creatures. Those men who appear most prominent among them derive their whole credit from being the organ of a feeling which is general, and which, whets ex pressed by the orator of the day, finds an echo in every Catholic bosom. To reduce these children of circumstance to their proper size, it is only ne cessary to take away the food which fattens them. When the exciting cause of the actual fermentation is removed, the froth of the O'Con nells and Shiels will disappear ; and the real quality and body of the people of Ireland will recommend themselves to the English nation in all their strength and brightness. The only mo ment at which inferior men can eclipse their betters in the public estimation, is when society whirls round from some extraordinary impulsion, and objects are indistinctly seen. Tranquillize the present commotion by removing the cause of it, and character and property will soon reassert their influence. Away then go the priests and mountebanks together.— Times. The Old Catholic Association has revived, by the expiration of what the Catholics called the Algerine Act—" the illustrious old Association which (says Mr. O'Connell) has made the people quiet, and the country obedient to the laws." The proceedings on Saturday last, as reported in the Dublin Morning Register, were enli vened by the appearance of a young English man, a Mr. Robarts, among them, who gave himself out as the son of a Member of Parlia ment, and the nephew of a Minister, hut whose knowledge and discretion were not exactly in the ratio of his zeal, and made him serve as a foil to Mr. O'Connell. Ireland is not a scene on which any Englishman ought to appear with feelings of exultation. The misery which he sees around him in every direction, in a country subject for centuries to his Government, are cer tainly not very creditable to him. If he throw the blame on the Government, this would only prove that the Government is not under the controul of the people of England, and the Eng lishman is himself a slave, though a better fed one than his Irish brother. Mr. O'Connell may well, on the other hand, exult at what he has achieved by means of the Association. " When the Catholic Association was first instituted, there were eleven counties in Ireland under the Insur rection Act ; no man could then go outside his house after nightfall, without being guilty of a transportable felony. Seven other counties were in the preliminary step to this ; they were under the Peace Constabulary—this was eighteen out of the thirty-two counties. Before the Catholic Association was put down by the Algerine Act, in every one county in Ireland the Insurrection Act had been taken off, and at the present moment I defy him (Mr. Robarts) to show me where there is one single instance of disturbance, except (as I before stated) what has been done by the Orangemen or Po ice. . . . Come, then, I say to him, and read our history in our tranquillity ; learn our story in morality ; and know this from me, that there is not a peasant who has embarked in politics that is not snore observant of his religion tha n th e highest Aristocrat in the: land. In this city, since the discussion of politics became so gene, ral and extensive, the communicants that have approached the altar—those, as he would term it, who receive the Lord's Supper, ors as we call it, time Eucharist, have increased in the propor tion of 500 to 1. At the same time there is this increased attention to religion,the people have become remarkable for their good conduct, and the moral effects are now beginning to be perceived in every transaction of life. *They are rising above their situation. Despite of the ca lumnies of their enem es, they are becoming in fi more civilized than the people . of Eng land ; and if the political change which is how taking place among them should proceed be ,, and my calculation, it will be found that I shall b e the drag upon the political wheel, to prevent it from hurrying down the hill of revolution and destruction. I am, however, 'struck at the idea of revolution, and it will never happen in ins- time. While I say this, however, I will say that I nev er will lay my head up on my couc h a willing slave. The moral impro vement o f t h e " people, the diffusion of education amo ng /h em , must, ere long, prsduce a revolution in Ireland, if the Government do not render such a change unnecessary. Knowledge is power s and Vhat ever adds to the intelligence of the Irish, adds to their power as compared with the ascendancy by which they are oppressed. An ignorant peo ple may remain an oppressed people ; but know ledge renders the oppressed dissatisfied, and with the desire to change, suggests the r means by which the desire may be gratified. There never was a greater mistake than to suppose that the disposition to revolution increases in the ratio' of oppression. If this were the case, Spain and Portugal, Austria, Turkey, and Russia, would have been revolutionized before France. Eng land was less oppressed under the Stuarts, than under their pitdecessors. Oppression may be tarried mo far as to render a people perfectly apathetic, resigned to whatever takes place. It is with nations as with individuals—persons in the lowest order :tse often the most contented with their situation, and the disposition to better their condition grows with every step ascended in the scale ; and, in like manner, nations who have already made advances are most impatient of the obstacles which stand in the way of their further advancement. Hence the Catholics of Ireland, under the penal laws, were resigned. They had lost almost the desire of recovering their rights. The partial repeal, by enabling them to acquire property, necessarily gave them ambition, and every succeeding concession has only inflamed their desire to be rid of every re maining rtstriction. Were they under a Govern ment purely arbitrary, which could exclude them from all access to liberal opinions, there might be some hope of being able to keep them down. But they cannot be debarred from the sources of information open to their fellow-citizens. They have, therefore, the same wants that we have, with obstacles in the way of their gratifying some of them, which obstacles only serve to enhance the value in their eyes of that from which they are excluded. With this growing information, growing power, and growing dis satisfaction, it does not require the gift of pro phecy to foretel, that if the Government do not level all distinctions between the Catholics and Protestants ere long, the former will save them the trouble, and do justice to themselves. We have no doubt of Mr. O'Connell's sincerity, when he expresses himself anxious to prevent a Revolution, but we question his ability to pre vent it. The wheel, as it descends, will soon render all attempts to impede its progress un availing. Governments, in countries of any extent, generally place great reliance on the di vided interests of their subjects, so that a great part of the population can seldom be in revolt at a time. Where there are different orders, classes, and corporations, there are different interests ; so that what is to the disadvantage of one is to the advantage of another, and the content and discontent often neutralize each other. But where the religion of a whole people is made the pretext for oppressing them, the Government deprives itself of all the secu rity derivable from disunion. Religion ral lies all against authority. And this is what, indeed, renders the situation of the Government of this country so full of danger. We do not believe that the Irish at present entertain the least idea of separating themselves from us. But should recourse be ever had to hostilities, mu tual exasperation and mutual fear might destroy all hope of remaining connected. Mr. Cobbett, we think, counts too securely upon the ability of England to coerce the population of Ireland, if onee fairly committed in insurrection. " What ever," he says, "may be the troubles of England, to whatever degree she may be embarrassed by her paper money, however foreign nations may take advantage of her depressed state, whatever may be the convulsions or even revolutions that, she may be pinnged into, she will always have dominion over Ireland. She had it when she was catholic, and she will always have it. We do not see this exactly. The Irish, notwith standing all their foolish boasts of early civiliza tion, were evidently a very barbarous' people when the English obtained a footing in the country. The few buildings in the island were Danish, the natives having no towns or fixed habitations, which argues the absence of all the arts of life, and being in a state of complete anarchy. It was not the strength of the English, but the weakness and divisions of the Irish, that gave the former an ascendancy, which, after all, was little more than nominal in all but a small portion of the island, down to a comparatively recent period. But the Irish have DOW become a great nation, no longer divided into clans or septs, but united ; and though, no doubt, with the maritime superiority and superior power of England, it would be a matter of extreme diffi culty, even under favourable circumstances, to effect their independence ; yet, if it were once achieved, it might not be an easy matter to re duce them to obedience. All arguments drawn from remote times are very deceitful in the al tered circumstances of the present day.—Morn ! tng Chronicle. A case was tried at Guildford yesterday which would not exhibit the lessee of Drury-lane in the most favourable light, if it were instituted at his suggestion. We rather believe, however, that Mr. Price is not the prosecutor, but that the shareholders of the theatre are. We allude to the prosecution of Mr. Davidge, of the Co burg Theatre, for four penalties of 501. each, ultimately reduced to two. There can be no question of the law on the subject, nor of the right to prosecute; but it is surely unnecessary at this time of day to tell these gentlemen share holders that he who does all that tke law autho rises, as well as he who abstains only from what the law forbids, is, for the most part, a person whom the unwritten law of respectable society teaches us to banish from our companionship.— Mr. Davidge we merely know as the active Ma nager of a minor theatre. That he has acquitted himself well, in that capacity, we have every reason to believe, and we do so the more readily, from the fact of his having attempted to inspire into his somewhat mixed audience a taste for the higher drama. To such a man the-public is morally in debted ; and it is passing strange to flirl him punished fdr the exhibition of the works of Shakspeare And Home, while the theatres that hold by patent-their privilege to corrupt the pub lic, are bringing •out, with all their attractions, - such compilatit& of ribald slang as Tom end Jerry,But not only is the public interested in the representation at the minor theatres of pieces of establiShed merit and decency, which are not very rigidly sought after at either of the Patent Theatres, but us) part of the public is more in sPoantaebrilty a h t t r x t f te r i r d e l e v t e r s ; in terested than th r e e mig As' justly and Eton, as Drury-lane put down the Coburg. The small theatres generate that love of dramatic ex hibitions, which, unless it perv a d e d t h e mass of • the community (for the higher classes alone never yet supported their o w n exclusive place o f resort), the atent Theatres could not exist for a twelvemonth. In all the requisites of the higher drama the Patent Theatres, in the nature of things, must for everstand pre-eminent, and to them alone will those who seek for the gratification that his trionic excellence bestows, have recourse. To keep down the performances in the Coburg and other similar places to the level of the lowest of those who frequent them, is the most effectual method of permanently thinning the benches of Covent-garden 'and Drury-lane—lt is destroying the seed, .the produce of. which they were after wards to reap. To say that the performance of Richard. or Douglas, at the Coburg, had au effect on the receipts of Mr. Price, is so utterly absurd, that we wonder how even a gentleman in a wig and gown could enunciate the proposition, without laughing in the faces of the Jury. We are not, however, sorry altogether at the trial that has taken place. We look on it as a sort of re ductt@ ad absurdum proof of the necessity of an alteration in the law regarding places of dramatic entertainments. That we should forbid the re sentation of anything except the regular drama, would not be unreasonable ; but that we should forbid it, and allow everything else, however ab surd or pernicious, is a singular freak of legisla tion. According to this, the sale of poison is free to all, but none may vend healthy food un less he have a patent ! The origin of so rea sonable an arrangement was well worthy of its author—the most profligate Monarch of Britain, and his basest tool.—New Times. It will be seen by a report in this day's Paper, that several applications were made yesterday for licenses to Hotels, under the Hotel-keepers' Act, at Marlborough-street Police-office, and that all of them were granted by the presiding Magistrates with only one exception. To such exercise of their authority the Licensed Victual lers, we feel confident, would not, if present, have made the slightest objection. On the con trary, we believe that they aa•e fully disposed to co-operate with the old established and respec table Hotel-keepers in procuring licenses, and that their sole wish is to exclude from the trade —first, parties whose conduct would disgrace any trade, and, secondly, those who, in defiance of the law, have been robbing them of their profits, without being liable to their burthens or risks. The licenses granted yesterday were in perfect accordance, not only with the spirit of the Act, but with the wishes of the Licensed Victuallers ; while the application which was postponed, and, we doubt not, will be ultimately refused ; was equally opposed in the same spirit. The application, be it remembered, was for a li cense, and on the ground that the house for which the license was demanded was a regularly kept Hotel ; but it turned out on inquiry, as indeed the fact is notorious to every one who has fre quented the house in question, that it does not partake in the slightest degree of the character of an Hotel. Four beds are made up in it, and 150 people may find accommodation to drink their wine ; and yet this is said to be an Hotel ! The house does not, evidently, come within the meaning and intent :of the Act ; for accommo dation for residence is the distinguishing charac teristic of an Hotel, while wine shades and other places of the same description, to which the Act was not meant to apply, are distinguished by the accommodation which is merely neces sary for the consumption of wine and other liquors. In conclusion, we cannot refrain from pointing out to the attention of our readers the cautious and praiseworthy conduct of the Magis trates. They have acted in perfect accordance with the spirit of the Act both in grai►zing and withholding licenses; and if they will but perse vere in the same course, the Licensed Victual lers will, we feel assured, be more pleased tha❑ angry that the Hotel-keepers' Act was passed.— Morning Advertiser. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL.—CharIes Jefferies, a youth about nineteen years of age, was charged with stealing a box, contaitiing Geneva watch . materials, &c. of the value of 231. the property of Mr. Peter Gottheiturr, of isro. 34, Aldermanbury. Samuel Franklin, a city constable, saw the prisoner and another between eleven and twelve o'clock yesterday morn ing lurking about the prosecutor's door. He watched them, and saw-one-inter the promecutor's door, and came out again directly- with a box on his shoulder, which he gave to the prisoner, who set off with it, when witness stopped him and seized it. - _ The prisoner said a young man . gate him the, box .to carry, and to follow him. Mr. Gottheither said, that the box was iust packed up to go to Liverpool, and he was afraid that the articles being principally made of steel, would spoil unless carefully pre served; 'he, therefore, requested the goods or part of them back immediately. Mr. Alderman Pit REBROTHEIL inquired if there was any one article worth more than al., and being answered in the negative, said it was necessary to detain the whole. It was better that the goods should be spoiled than the thief should escape: If the prisoner had got clear off it would have been worse still. He was fully committed for trial. - SQUIRES v.‘Aar.}.—This was a case of assault and battery, arising out of an attempt to throw light on sup posed improper doings. Mr. Squires, the complainant, stated his own ease ; and having informed the Court that he kept house•at No. 8, Bridgewater-square, and that he had a widow lady occupy ing apartments therein, he.procceded—" Last night, please your Worship, the widoW brought home this gentleman— or this gentleman brought the widow lady—l can't exactly say which, and, as such, I won't take upon me to say whe ther she brought hoMe he, Or he she ; but he was an entire stranger to me, and they came hoMe together, and, us such; they went rip stairs to her apartments together.; by which means I didn't feel at all comfortable; for my house is a respectable house; and, as such, I was resolved it should he. .1:ly which means, please your Worship, 1 heard a great jumbling on the widow lady's landing-place ; and, as such, I ran down stairs to strike a light ; for I consi dered that improper doings were about to commence, by which means I thought the best way would be to throw a light upon 'em ; and, as such, that was my reason for running down stairs to strike a light. By which mums when I had struck a light, and, as such, went to see what they were about—this gentleman knocked it out of my hand ; by which means I laid held of him and ordered him to quit my premises momently ; and, as such, he laid hold of my leg. 4 Sir,' says I, I shall thank you to let my leg go ;' by which means he would not ; and, as such, he split my trousers from the ane're to the hip." Mr. Allen, in reply, said, " Some of that ere is pretty true, and some of it is very false; because why—l did not knock out the light before he laid hold of my collar to turn me out like a dog; and I was not going to be served in that way, consequentially I stood up in myown defence." Mr. Squires, in rejoinder, said, " Your Worship, I have no doubt it was his intention to disparage the respectability of my house—else why should he conic home, with the widow lady, like a thief in the night; and as such be is a false loan; by whiehmeans I hope you will sec me righted." Mr. Alderman FAREBROTHER-.--" It appears to me Mr. Squires, that you have brought this assault upon yourself, by intruding yourself too officiously into the widow's apart ment. Whilst the widow pays you rent for that apartment she has a right to receive whom she pleases there ; and ' as such' I would advise you to get rid of the widow ; ' by which means' you will avoid coming into any unpleasant contact with her visitors." • And " as such" the complainant was dismissed. R osE NBERc V. SAYERS.-211r. Richard Sayers, the driver of the Newbury coach, was charged with having kicked Mr. Levi Roseuherg, a dealer in cigars. Mr. Levi Rosenberg said, " I come up and down by the -coach rare often : and when we come to. the inn I ayk Mr. Sayers to hay° a glass of some brandy and water, in politeness to him. So he ask me to bring him a pound of cigars from Mr. Lundy Foot, in the Minories. Se I get them from Mr. Lundy Foot, and take them to the land lady •at the inn, for Mr. Sayers. Then I call again fur my money for the cigars, and she say there is no answer from Mr. Sayers. So I call again another day, and she say there is no answer yet. Vet, I call again another time, and I see Mr. Sayers; and I ask for my money for my pound of. cigars. So he say, ' You be dam, and your cigar be dam too !' Then I say, ' Mr. Sayers, I shall get my money from you some other cay for the cigars;' and Mr. Sayers say, You dam rorciprre, if you don't get out from this place I shall kick you out soon.' So I drink up my smallglass of porter, and go out: and Mr. Sayers come after me and kick me on the hip so sharp, I was compel to get in a coach to go to my house." This was Mr. Rosenberg's case ; and in proof of personal damage he handed in a surgeon's certificate, by which it appeared that lie•had consulted the surgeon for a " contused hip," and the surgeon had recommended " fomentations." Mr. Sayers (who really looked like a kicker), in his de fence, said—." Why the fact is he insulted me very much. I never ordered him to bring me a pound of cigars from Lundy Foot's--nor nowhere else—not I. And 1 told him he should keep a clean mouth you know, or else take the consequences; but that a man should come into Court and take such an oath as that, Lord a' mercy upon us ! say I ; and for —" " Silence, Sir !" said Mr. Alderman FAREBROTHER, " you are not on your coach-box driving four-in-hand now, and I shall teach you to behave properly, at least while you are here. This person swears that you have grossly and violently assaulted him ; and, instead of denying it, you speak of provocations, of which you offer no proof. lam therefore bound to believe that the assault was committed; and unless you make him some compensation, you must find bail to answer him before a Jury." " Very good, your Worship," said Mr. Sayers—brush ing his hat round with the cuff of his coat ; and the parties having retired to confer, Mr. Sayers " baek'd out of the consarn," as he called it, by paying Mr. Rosenberg for the cigars, with all costs of suit, an a trifle for the fo mentations. Ilumphry Murphy, a little urchin apparently not more than nine years of age, was charged with obtaining goods under false pretences. Mr. Charles Tilt, bookseller, in Fleet-street, said, that the prisoner came to his shop a few days since, and stated that he came from Mr. Kelly, a bookseller, at the west end of the town, and one of Mr. Tilt s customers, and that he wanted two copies of Omnium Gatherum for Mr. Kelly. Witness let him have the books, taking him for one of Ali-. Kelly's errand boys. Next day the prisoner came again, and had two copies more, in like manner ; but soon after wards Mr. Kelly himself called for a copy, which led to an ecluircissement, and the witness determined to stop the boy the next time he saw him. He went again yesterday morning for two copies more, on the same pretence. They were again banded over to him, and he was taken into cus tody by an officer as soon as be got outside the door. The officer said that the prisoner had given him infor mation by which be thought he should be able to find the person who had set the boy on to get these goods. Mr. Alderman FAREIMOTHER ordered the boy to be re manded, to give time to bring forward the principal offender. BOW-STREET.—CROCKFORD'S AFFAIR.—The hear ing of this case came on yesterday, at two o'clock, in the private office, before Sir R. BIKNIE, when John Wild smith, a check •taker at the English Opera-house, was charged with assaulting Mr. A. Crockford, junior, of the celebrated establishment in St. James's-street, on Saturday evening last, at the Theatre. Mr. Crockford was at the Theatre, and through curiosity looked into tide free.admision book, to see if more names were there than in the book at the Haymarket. Mr. Wild smith came up, and called him an impudent blackguard ; he then put out his tongue at him, when he (Mr. Wildsmith) struck him across the face. _ . Mr. Wildsmith, in his defence, said Mr. Crockford was sitting at the door window, in company with a female ; he vas reading the book, and was told not, when he persisted, and a scuffle ensued. lie said, " how would you like to be knocked down ?" and at length he struck him, after some irritable language. Mr. Crockford—l was sitting with no girl of the town by God ! Mr. Thomas corroborated the statement of Mr. Wildsmith. Ile said the complainant said he would appeal to his friend, Sir R. Birnie. Sir R. BIRNIE-Ah, ah ! I never sail him before. Let Mr. Wildsmith find bail. Mr. Crockford said he should attend Doncaster Races, and would not indict Mr. Wildsmith. Sir R. BIANIE said he might do so if be pleased. MARYLE B ONE. —Svc le DUNG.* TV. Hughes, alias Clarke, was re-examined again yesterday on charges of swindling. Mr. Street, house-agent, in Mount•street, Grosvenor square, stated that he let the furnished house, 32, Upper Berkeley-street, Portman-square, about three months ago, to two individuals, styling themselves Messrs. Waller ands Clarke, at 180 guineas a year. Clarke gave two referen . ces to respectable people, who stated that he was a sur-,, geon. He let the house, but had not received a farthing for rent. Mr. Tayler, of Wimpole-street, said that the prisoner called upon him and represented that his name was Clarke, and that Mr. Clarke of 32, Upper Berkeley-street, was his guardian, and the son of a harmer at Bristol ; and that H. B. Curteis, Esq. M.P. for the county of Sussex, was his gtiardian. Mr. Wilson, of Broad-street, Golden-square, produced a bill for le/. which he received from a Mr. Clarke, and indorsed by the prisoner; it was dishonoured, and when he called upon the prisoner for payment he went by the name of Hughes. The bill had never been paid. Mr. Davis, clerk to Air. Hollaston, wine-merchant, 129, Regent-street, stated that a Mr. Clarke called a fortnight ago, and ordered two ftteen of wine to 32, Upper Berkeley. street. The wine was sent with the bill, 6/. 125., and he called several times, but the prisoner informed him that Mr•. Clarke was not in town. The wine of course had not been 'paid for. Mr. Gilbert, tailor, 86, Oxford-street, proved that the prisoner ordered a suit of clothes, which Mr. Clarke, of 32, Upper Berkeley-street, would pay for. He went there and saw Clarke, who said he would pay for Mr. Hughes's (the prisoner's) clothes when his salary was due, and he therefore supplied the goods. Mr. Wright, 253, Oxford-street, bad also supplied the prisoner with hardware goods, and had not obtained pay ment for them. _ _ _ ..... Mr. Gray, livery stable-keeper, of Shepherd-street, said the prisoner hired a horse from him, at '7O guineas a year, and had not paid for the hire. Mr. Angel, an ironmonger, in Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-• square, stated that the prisoner, with a Mr. Waller, ordered three brass plates to be engraved, on two of them Mr. Waller, Professor of Gymnastics, and Teacher of the French Language ; and Mr. Clarke, Surgeon, &c. on the other plate. Mr. Hudson, tailor, New Bond-street, said that the prisoner and his companions obtained goods from him to the amount of 40/. A great number of other tradesmen preferred similar complaints. Mr. Street said, that sonic ladies who were found at the house in P,erkeleY-stret, disclaimed all knowledge of the prisoner's proceedings. Clarke had been seen driving about in a dashing equipage, with 300 sovereigns in kis pocket; and one night last week he introduced his prosti tutes, and turned his sister out of bed that he and his fe male companion might have it. The prisoner was ordered to be remanded, for other witnesses to attend. SUMMER ASSIZES. HOME CIRCUIT.-GUILFORD, JULY 30. DUN?; V. DAVIDGE. _ This was an action brought in the name of tlie plaintiff, who is the Treasurer of Drury-lane Theatre, against the present lessee of the Coburg Theatre.— The declaration stated that " William Dunn, the plaintiff in this suit, who sues as well for the poor of the parish of St. Mary, Lambeth, in the county of Surrey, as for himself in this behalf, complains of George Bolwell Davidge, the defendant in this suit, being in the custody of the Marshal of the Mar shalsea of our Lord the now King, before the King himself, of a plea, that he renders to the poor of the parish aforesaid, and to the said plaintiff, who sues as aforesaid, the sum of 2001. of lawful money of Great Britain, which he, the said defendant, owes to and unjustly detains from them. For that the 'said defendant, within the space of six calendar ' months before the commencement of this suit — to wit, on the Bth day of November, in the year 1827, in a certain place known by the name of the Coburg Theatre, the same theatre being within twenty miles of London and Westminster, without lawful authority, by virtue of letters patent from his present Majesty, or any of his present Ma jesty's predecessors, and without license from the then present or from any other Lord Chamberlain of his Majesty's household, did cause to be acted, re presented, and performed, for gain and reward, a cer tain play and entertainment of the stage, called a Serious Drama, founded on Mr. Home's popular tragedy of " Douglas," contrary to the statute in that case made and provided, whereby the said de fendant forfeited the sum of 501., and thereby, and by force of the Statute aforesaid, an action had ac crued to the said plaintiff, to demand and have from the said defendant the said sum of 50/. as a parcel of the sum above demanded. And also, for that the said defendant, within the space of six calendar months before the commencement of this suit, &c." The second count contained a recital of the same offence, and demanded a second penalty of 50/. In the third count the defendant was charged with having caused to be performed, on the 9th November,. 1826, a serious drama, founded on Shakspeare's lebrated tragedy called the " Life and Death of King Richard 111. ; or the Battle of Bosworth Field," whereby the said defendant had forfeited a further penalty of 501. The fourth count charged a repeti tion of the same offence and forfeit, and then went on, " and yet the said defendant, although often called upon so to do, hath not as yet paid the said sum of 2001. above demanded, or any part thereof, to the said plaintiff; but he to do this bath hitherto wholly refused, and still doth refuse ; and, therefore, as well for the poor of the said parish of St. Mary, Lam beth, as for himself in this behalf, he brings his suit." Mr. GURNEY, for the plaintiff, said that, by a Statute passed a considerable number of years, their former right of patent had been secured to the two great theatres. By this Act a penalty of 501. was enacted against any one who, within twenty miles of London, should cause to be played, for hire or re ward, any play, entertainment, farce, or interlude, or any part thereof. The defendant had violated this Statute in two initanceq, and had consequently ren dered himself liable to two penalties of 501. each. From certain play-bills of the Coburg Theatre, it appeared that Doug/as and Richard the Third were brought out for the purpose of introducing a Master Smith; and, if the play-bills were to be believed, it was clear these regular plays of the legitimate stage were drawing great audiences to the Coburg,, for they were announced as being nightly received with " .he rapturous applauses of crowded houses." It must, therefore, be admitted that numbers of persons must be drawn away from the great theatres, and their patents of course suffer injury. The copyist of Drury-lane Theatre stated, that on the Bth of November he went, by instruction, to the pit ()rule Coburg Theatre, in company with his brother. He had a prompt copy of Douglas with him, and checked what was uttered by the per formers by the copy in his possession, and he found that they were going regularly through Mr. Horse's tragedy as it stood in his prompt copy. They, however, made this alteration, that they put it into three acts instead of five. On the following night he went again with a prompt copy of Richard the Third, and he heard that play performed without alteration from his prompt copy, the sole difference being that it was divided into four acts , instead of five. Cross-examined by Mr. ADOLPllUS—Witness's acquaintance with Shaksveare was very limited. Mr. ADOLPHUS—Limited I not limited, for limit implies substance, and your knowledge appears to be none at all. Do you mean to tell us that King Richard is murdered in the same manner at the Co burg as at Drury-lane ? Cross-examination of the witness continued—l received my instructions to go on this business to the Coburg Theatre in the treasury of Drury-lane Theatre. Mr. AnoLPitus, for the defendant, said if the Jury gave their verdict against him, it would be the ruin of an honest man, and of bis means of living. The plaintiff's Counsel had dwelt with great emphasis on the words " rapturous applause," at the bottom of the Coburg Theatre play-bills; but, if that Learned Counsel had been in the habit of reading the great theatre play-bills, he would have found there every day tales of " brilliant audiences," " overwhelming applause," " thunders of approba tion ;" se that, after them, Mr. Davidge'b " rap turous applause" sounded extremely modest. his Learned Friend had called Master Smith a young Roscius, but he did not know where his Learned Friend found the title. There had been a young Roscius at both the great theatres some years ago, who, after he had well filled his pockets, was found to be no comet, but a candle.—(A laugh.)—The Learned Counsel concluded a long address by tell ing the Jury that, if they returned a verdict against his client, he would quit that Court a ruined man. Lord TENTERDEN summed up, after which the Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff on the first and third counts—d)amages, 1001. STAFFORD, JULY 29. .Miss Mary Whatetcy, a young lady of very in teresting appearance, who was attired in deep mourning, surrendered in discharge of her bail, to take her trial, on a charge of wilfully setting her house on fire, with intent to defraud the County Fire Office. Sergeant RUSSELL stated that Miss Wite ley had carried on the business of a milliner, at Bur ton-upon-Trent, and that having effected a policy of insurance with the County Fire Office, on the 26th of June, in the present year, a fire was disco vered at the house, in the attic, at about eight o'clock in the evening of the 30th of the same month. It would be difficult, nay, almost impos sible, to suppose that this fire originated by acci dent, and it would be for the jury to say, upon the evidence, whether they were satisfied that the house had been set oa fire by the hand of its owner. After evidence had been gone into at some length for the prosecution, Mr. Baron VAvattsr: said, it was quite impos sible to say that there was any evidence upon which a conviction could take place. His Lordship then directed an acquittal, and the Jury immediately pro nounced the prisoner--• Not Guilty. Aliss Whaleley was then tried on a second indict ment, for again setting fire to her house on the 3d of July. , Mr. Sergeant RUSSELL stated, that three days after the former fire this house was discovered to be again on fire, the fire en this occasion being in the room immediately under the attic, the subject of the farmer indictment. Mr. Baron VAUGHAN—Were there no lurking embers of the former fire ? It is rather difficult to suppose that a person should effect a policy of insu rance on the 26th, and then set fire to her house in a day or two after. Several witnesses were called with a view of showing that this secund fire could not have arisen from the previous fire. Mr. Baron VAUGHAN said, there was nothing even to put Miss Whateley on her defence. Ver dict—Not Guilty. Miss Whateley was immediately discharged, and left the Court with her two sisters. Thomas Lowe and Moses Smith were charged with uttering a forged .51. Bank of England note, knowing it to he forged, with intent to defraud Geo. Bentley. Verdict—Guilty. CAMBRIDGE, Jett' SO. The business of the Assizes for this county, on the Civil Side, has been at once unusually great and unusually uninteresting. The number of causes entered, being no less than 18, is double the ordi nary. number, but they are for the most part of an interest purely local : while, on the criminal side, the business was disposed of in two hours; the' only prisoners being one for manslaughter, against whom the Jury ignored the bill, and two for lar ceny. One of the causes still standing for trial ex hibits a record of the length of nearly !?,0 feet, and the witnesses, we understand, are proportionably numerous. Mary Griggs was indicted for, and found guilty of, stealing one gold ring, and other articles, the pro perty of a young lady of the name of Bull. On her trial, a prisoner, the only other person for trial, gave evidence for her, deposing that she (the witness) and the prisoner were walking on Parker's Piece, in this town, when the latter found the ring in peti tion. • The Jury, unfortunately, disbelieved the tes timony of the witness, anal found Mrs. Griggs g uilty, and she was thereupon pUt by till the case of the other accused was disposed of. Anne Slogrove, aged 21, was put to the bar charged with having stolen a muslin flounce, value Bs., a piece of lace and other property, t he goods and chattels of Miss Anne Ball. The prisoner was a very intimate friend of Mrs. Griggs, the last prisoner, who was the cook in 1111, , s Bad's family. The prisoner was in the habit of going to the house of the prosecutrix before the family were up in the morning, and on one occasion, when all the family except the son were gone out, she was found concealed •in the pantry, and said she was there " to frighten the cook 1" Suspicion falling on Mrs. Griggs, she was discharged, and she went to reside in the house of the prisoner, whose house was afterwards searched, and the articles, the sub ject of this indictment, found in her box. The prisoner, in her defence, said that Mrs. Griggs had put the articles into herbox, and had herself acknowledged so. Mr. GUNNING then proposed to call Nrs. Griggs, who had just been convicted of a felony. • Mr. IlusT submitted that she was not a com petent witness, having been convicted of felony. Mr. Justice HoutoYD was of opinion that Mrs. Griggs was a competent witness. She had, it was true, been convicted, but had received no sentence, and non constat that she might not yet arrest the judgment. The sentence was necessary to give effect to the convictioN. The Learned Judge, how ever, suggested that it was hardly worth while to call her, as the evidence was scarcely such as to jus tify their finding a verdiet of guilty. The Jury agreed to this view of the case, and . " Acquitted" the prisoner. LINCOLN, JULY 28. Frances Stephenson, aged 21, single woman, wag indicted for stealing a bay mare, the property of E. Lindsay, of Raithby, in this county. The prisoner had lived in the service of Mr. Lind-' say, an elderly far Mer, until about three months ago, when he discharged her. At about eight o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, the 10th inst. (on which day the prosecutor missed the mare from his stable), the prisoner had her in her possession at. Holford, a village about six or seven miles from Raithby, and there employed a man, named Green field, to take her to a neighbouring market and sell her, giving him to understand that she belonged to a Mr. Taylor, of Astley, who availed himself of " a moonshine flit" to dispose of her, to prevent her falling into the hands of his creditors. Greenfield sold her for 81. 10s. The prosecutor, in the mean time, procured a constable, who succeeded in find ing the mare, and the prisoner was apprehended -In defence she declared that the prosecutor had taken familiarities with her person, in con Sequence of which she was at present pregnant, and that he had made her a present of the mare in return Co!: the favours he had received. The jury returned a verdict of " Guilty," hilt re commended the prisoner to mercy. Judgment of death was recorded. LICENSING OF HOTELS. In pursuance of a notice given at •Marlborough street.Police Office on the previous day, that appli cation would be made to two presiding Justices ors behalf of several Hotel-keepers at the West-end of the town under the Hotel•keepers' Act, for permis sion to retail beer, epirits,. wine, &c. - to be drunk upon their premises, Mr. Blackrriore, the solicitor,. who was the agent in for Warding the Bill in ques tion through Parliament, attended before Sir George Farrant and Mr. Dyer, with the under-named per sons, and applied to have the provisions of the Bill extended to them, .so as to protect them against common informers until the next annual licensing day. With one exception the applicants were all suc cessful—and on each entering into his own recog nizance in 30/., and one other inhabitant household of the same parish in 201., that he shall obey the terms of the recognizance as to the regulation' of hips, house, the Magistrates sioned the necessary . license. The last application made by Mr. BlackmOre wa.s. on behalf of Mr. Ward, the proprietor -of . a.place. called the " Wine Shades," near Leicester4qUiSre,. situate in an angle of Cranbourne-street.• Mr. Blackmore; in making his application :for a license for this house, could take upon himself to say, that it was a moat respectable }Muse,. most re spectably conducted, and that Mr. Ward, its:. pro: prieter, was a most respectable man. Mr. Allen, jun., of the firm of Allen and Gilby, Vestry Clerks to the parish of St. Ann, Soho,.ap- Feared before the Magistrates, 'On behalf Of: the above-named parish, to oppose the granting of any' license to this house, notwithstanding all the re spectability that Mr. Blacikmore attachedielf. The. fact was, Mr. Allen said,'.that this place Wes is mere. wine shades. Mr. Blackmore said that the house was a regular hotel. . Sir GEORGE FAnRANT here put sevelquestions to Mr. Ward, as to th e na t ure o f hi s es lisliment, clearly with a view to ascertain whether in'the event of its having a license, it was likely to he convert id into a dram-drinking .shop.• In Characterizing his house as a family hotel, Mr. Ward, in reply to the Magistrate, said that it contained four bedi ; he ad mitted that he had a bar at present, at which. per sons might go up and drink a single glass of wine, but then they must go into the wine-rooms to get at the bar. Sir G. FARRANT said that the question *as whe ther this bar would not turn out to he a great " bar" to the granting of the licence. 'This house, by. Mr. Ward's own account, did not seem to possess much the character of an hotel. The Magistrates, hoW.. ever, would let the case stand over to give it further consideration. The terms of the recognizance upon which a licence is granted to a house, under this -new Act, are very strict in restraining the proprietor to proper hours, against the accommodating or harbouring im proper persons in his house, or suffering in it any gaming, cock-fighting, badger-baiting, &c. ?," SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. LIVERPOOL. TUESDAY, JULY 29.—High water 43 min. past twelve.—Wind N.W.--Arrived the Laughton, Dawon, from Barbadoes; Renown, Hogarth, from Trinidad ; Hi bernia, Merry, from New Orleans ; City of Rochester, , from Alexandria ; Welcome, , from Gallipoli; Prompt, —, from Finland; Shannon. Jones, from Riga ; Norval, Boyd, from Carthagena ; Ann, Steward, from Palermo ; Minstrel, Moore, from Buenos Ayres; Sophia, Sergman, from Stralsund i Ellen Claic, Roberts, from Leghorn ; Cornhill, , from New foundland ; Richard Wilmer, Chambers, from St. Pe tersburgh ; Britannia, Hamilton, froth Finland ; Tods, Black, from Archangel. ' CLEARED OUTWARDS.—Tbe Jong Margaretha, 'Yykin- Byez, for Rotterdam and Dordt ; Jong Willem, for Dordt ; Hannibal, Dickson, for Quebec ; Picton, Jones, for --; Agnes, Wilson, for Seville and Cadiz; United. States, Wilson, for New York; Lalla Rookh, Fullartoti, for the Ilavannah ; Kelsick Wood, Owen, for Quebec ; Grecian, WVicar, for ditto. • The remains of the late Viscount tLiotntia •'; were removed from his residence in Whitehall yesterday morning, to he conveyed to the family vault at Brocleet hall, Hertfordshire, for i n terment. The corpse was con- • veyed in a hearse and six, followed by three mourning coaches and four, in which were the principal domestics of the late 'Viscount ; the carriage of the deceased, those of Sir GEoRGE Womnw cr.t, Mr. WostswzrA, Sir M. TIERNEY, Mr. TurrEß, R 4!. &c. The procession would • be met at 14211-bar by the present Viscount 111ELBOURTIE,•!, Sir FREDERICK LAME, the ./10 - A. GEORGE LAM/S i :Earl CowrEa, and other relations of the deceased, who would follow the corpse to the place of interment. BIRTHS. - - On the '29th inst. at Lower Tulse-bill, Brixton, Mrs. George Wynne, of a daughter. On the 28th inst. at St. Peter's Cottage, Manchester,- Mrs. Connell, of a son. MARRIED. On the 29th inst. at Abberley, in Worcesteishirep' • Thomas James Malin;, of Birchanger, in .the county of Essex, Esq., Captain to Jemima,daughter of Howl Bromley, of Abberley Lodge, Esq.. On the 25th inst. in Dublin, by the'Rev. J. H. Stubbs , John Ward Straton, Esq. to Isabella, daughter of David. • Murray, Esq., Dundalk. DIED. On the 30th inst. Marian, the wife of Mr. Henry DWI' of Nelson-square, Blackfriars, and second daughter of Mr . Henry Smith, of Potton, Bedfordshire, aged 25. On the 29th inst. at Chislehurst, Kent, Elizabeth, the wife of Sir Herbert Jenner, Knight, his Majesty's Adso' • cate•General, in the 45th year of tier age. . Mtt; by nt. , You ge, , it the SUN ()VFW No, 112, Strand, London I th e poi Pri TW I FOt In th 4 Su] Whi ~_ F R' ieiicat: eacy, i , in cames iie n u) , lie act ( i). T° G .TO p i Onznis' I. 'npriet 'the ( the (.' ! ' e t ' n katt a cvt 12r-itte. 1 1 4 t tOti , 'eet ig ge, sting 1 , , con