The Sun. — London, England, 1820-04-25 00:00:00

DINNER OF 11IF. FRIENDS OF ALDERMAN WOOD, A re . specfahle Meeting ~f the Friends of Mr. Alderman WOOD dined together yesterday HI the inAldersgate Lord Erskine, Messrs. Brig and Will - thread. Joseph Hume, Esq D. W. 1-lArrey, 11 P., P. Moore ? M P. and 'se veral otter distinguished personages were pi e• stot. Mr. W. Smith, M.P. filled the Chair win, his usual shiliiy and good humour. Mier an excellent dinner " th• 2. King" was gi‘en, and " the Queen, and the other Branches of the Royal Family," which was received with the utmost enthusiasm. The Ct-tAIIIMAN,aIter observing that the health of the King, who never died, included a compli- Meta to the predecessor, said, there was one Member' of the Royal Family on whom the hearts of all Buitous had 'been affectionately fixed, and who had left no .nec,ssoe. He had scarcely any need to mention the Princess Charlotte. " The Mentor). of the Princess Cliallotte of Wales,l was then di•uak in silence. The CO AIaNIA/4 then said, there were two mem bers of the Royal Family (of whom, unfortu nately, otte only yet existed) who had been dear to the Citizens of London by their continued aften , ion to all works of charity, and who would not he the less iteae to the company' because they hatt honoured his Worthy Friend, Mr. Alderman Wm,d, with their petsonal friendship. lie would theterore propoie the health of his (loyal High net. the Duke of Sussex, to whom this mark of recpect, he observed, would not . he the less grate- Id flow its hell% Connected with the memory of leis brother. " The Duke of SOSStX" was drunk withipplause. • After some appropri ute toasts and songs, The CIIMUNI AN said, he had to propose the of a man, who was - known to them all - in si•fise capaci:y or other. To the elder among them he-as as known as the. sucutfs , tful advocate of the liberties of the sutrjec Co,:rts of Jt,srice, and as the peculiar chafopiod +and I/ igtiment of the by Joey ; to the, youst;:er a'nonag them As the equally 5.1.'111 1111 l 'suppi . o ter of the Ill?rries of the people in Plrliantent . He proposed Cite health of Loud 'ErsiOne; which was eceived with the WartMSt apptaose. ..Lord - taskficrro - etrirned thanks, and expressed the manner in o'hirh he had been affected at the recap i o n his nanae• hAd met *Hi. Fie inculcated oU the Meeting the neeessily of 4 maintenartee the sp t ;it of Tr:at by Jory, and of a Reform in the Rest eseotatiotcof the People. He 43 . s.4erved, I! at he was a citizen, thought , tint a Liveryman of London ; if be 10.0 l stood in the latter sit 'IA , ion he shan't! ha've tendered ilia rote for 1/6nOurd. Frietti4 (Mr. and :argued On tier le gality of It. This wo-:1:1 have dune Ito. good to • bis Fiend, but it word , ( (rave letised by one vote linmajwity on the poll—(applause). II is Lordship t heo .1-41 %wed in, terc.a sub Cell I e,.ki +l litsoo, on. next...sob of the Revolotion in Spain. .‘ The Cause of Frvedosu the lodependence of South Ametica,” was drank with alylaie. The CHAtumi k s .4,0, that the toasts which had been hi; !c:: to given, tho. 7 A they br e pol,ed the of the : company, were not itume diattly cona,etet! with !the object of the meeting.' He '7d now to give the licalih of a man avhov all the meeting la:,d hailed eta the" Worthy presen tative of the City—who had received honosus, he helieted tioexampled, from his fellow•cbizens, an:l bath now for a third time been sent to the House of Commons as the advocate of their tights. He should have felt ashamed if the private clia• racer, as well as the uniformly consistent con duct of the Worts'? Alderman in his public trust bad no , secured that CSait ‘• Akerman Wool, and success to him," was drank with uni vet sai.accidtuatitin. Ald,Aanaii Li o.io tetnrned thanks, and stated, that he lamented that he had not been this titue reitirno to Parliament, supported, as he had boort been, by two Gentlemen of similar poli!i cal principles. Yet, setting personal ft clings apart, be was disposed to consider, that the fact of his i.),ing placed at the head of the poll, was a species of it-in:110 to the cause of liberty, aud he had orttred this opinion front the weal-known fact that the Miniscrial party had attached the utmost input lance to a similar manifestation in their fa vour. He trusted that the cause of Reform would be brought torvirra in the House in the present Pacitantent unit powerful support ; and expressed lila confidence that lisis Cmit \ e, which of all others was nea, est to their hearts, wid(' speedily make way, by he CM, Vietloll of all classes in its favour. The CHAIRMAN proposed Messrs. Byng and Matt Inead, the Members tor Middlesex. When hits neighbour's house was on fire; a man was sup posed to feel most warmly interested, and on this principle nortiiitg coull be more interesting to the Citizens of London than the late contest in Mid ctiesex. 1u Mi Allesex, a Genileman who was in other respecta pertec'ly unexceptionable anti me ritorious, had been rejected by thee County for his political subserviency, while his Coll eague , w h o ditiered front btu' in no other respect but in his poliiical independence, bad been . suffered to re !ltaitt, and had been associated with a Gentleman as yet comparatively unknown, but chosen on one of the best principles, viz. that he was of a good bteed.—(Applause)—He concluded by giving the healtbs or Mr. llyng and Mr. tVoithread. Mr. BYNG 811(1 Mr. WHITEIREAD severally re turned thanks, and expressed their cordial sym •paitty in the progress of the cause in London which had already trioniphedin Middlesex. Mr. P. Moore's health svas drank. He return ed Mr. G. Tiertit-y and the friends of the People," and several other appropriate anti patriotic toasts were given. Several excellent songs were sung by Messrs. illeielloll, Broad hurst, Pine, and other professional Gentlemen, and by Mr. Shaw. The company continued to gether to a lute hour. EmloßATloN,Tholigh no general plan has yet heen adortecl tor atAivg the distressed syntk men it s g o to Gilman, v.e ate g 13 4 -1 lwar that svontant:nla esnige , iiOn to a consitlerlhle extent is taking 1.1.ee. persons from Paisley leave ;0(ely :;01) , .! for Ctill,da; null A asaseiving Citrgyoom, vri , ht3o of tii4 flock, frnin the north Or Ayssliiie, are ai)oot iernoving to. the UniteJ bia(et.—(eitticorx : Chronicle ) LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, APRIL 24. Tilts BABA. OF DAANLEY V. ROBBEIT BLIGHT Mr. Cinami?‘ rote for the p►►rpose of bringing 0 the recollection of the Court the circumstance of Mr. Bligh'a application to it upon the first thy of the present tern►. Fie had then obtained a role to. silo 1% , cause why he should out be dis• charged front confinement upon entering intocer taiu recognizances. As Counsel tor Lord Dar-II 14, hr (.Jr.Gurney) was now prepared to show cAnse ; hut as Mr. Bligh had not sued out any Habeas corpus, it was necessary to consider of some means of procuring his attendance: 'I he LORD CHIEF asked if Lord Daru iey•had exhihite:l articles of the peace during the present term. Mr. GURNEY replied in the negative ; saying., that he imaginedit might be more convenient to dispose of the t ule in the first instance ; b►►t it the Cou'rt thought otberwi•e, Lurd Darnley was at hand, and would immediately exhibit articles.— He would have previously done so, were it not for the rule which Mr-Bligh had obtained upon the fist day of Tem. Lot d Darnley soon alter entered the Court, and, being accoMmodated with aseat upon the Bench, exhibited articles of the peace, and applied for permission to retire while they were•read,- on the ground that the recital would be extremely pain ful to his feelings„ The Court, however, inform ed hint that his presence was necessary, as he would have to swear to the truth of what Was lead. The articles were then read, and set forth a long course ot insult and aggression on the part of the defendant towards the noble exhibitant 'and his family. It appeared that, on more than one oc casion, from the year - 1806 to the present time, Lord Darnley had retrained from calling lOr juda ment, and had released recognizance's under wine)) the defendant was bound to disco.linue his mo lesta;loos the same course - of - conduct had. how ever, been unifmmly pursued ; the defend.ant was perpetually in putcliit ot some member of Ilse family, both in France and in:Eng'and, _and, wheoever he happetied to meet them, loaded them with the foulest lIIVECIice dill! abuse. Atter en ,gaging to go ahroatfon conditions to tC:t Lord Darnley assented, lie still continued to, reside in the neighbourhood of Lold Darnley's house, in 13..rkeley-stinare 3 and a short time since came ttp so his Lordship, and addreised him in these terms :—" Do you acknowledge the falsehood of. yolir affidavit against me ?" Efts Lordship an swered, that he would have. nothing to sav to it : «you ‘ll.ipii the defendant exclaimed, " I must have 44ti•faction, aid, by G —, a 1 us ill !" These articles concluded by . sta!iog, that the exhibitaia had never ustd the slightest provocation, or done any thing so irritate the feelings ot the attendant. Lord Dattiky vi as filially that he WWI 14tt moved to, this application either by malice or ha tred, but in order to preserve his life And person from great bodily harm. Mr. GURNEY then applied to the Court as to appointing a day for Mr. appearance ; and a rule was maele fur Winging bun up on Wednes day next. THE KING V. SIR FRANCIS BURDETT, FART. Mr. DeNmAN moved for a rule to s':ew cause why the verdict obtained for the Crown in this case, at the last Assizes for the C ounty ClotirtrymottbeLseeit cester, before Mr. Justice Best, s aside, awl a new trial granted. Tile Honourable Barnet appeared in Court, accompanied by Mr. Hobbouse and tither friends, and tools his seat on the Attortseys''Betoth. Mods interest was excit ed by the imporance of the case, and those parts of the Court allotted to strangers were crow ( ! e d to excess. Tile 'Learned Counsel's motion occupied a considerable portion of the day, from the de sultory and interlocutory matter which look place, into a detail of which it is not necessary to enter. 'I hree principal grounds of objection to the ver• diet were urged. First, that there was no evi dence to go to the Jury of the alleged libel hav ing been published in the county of L , icester ; iecond, that the Learoed Judge had refused to receive evidence touching the matters of and con cerning which the supposed ;Wei was written, namely, the transactions at Manchester on t h e 16t1a of August ;—and, air d, that the Learned Judge had misdirected the Jury in point of law. — Upon the first point the Learned Counsel recapi tulated the evidence given on the trial, which has already beets before the public, and contended that if there was any proof of a publication ut all, it was proof of a publication in Westminster. It was true that the supposed libel was dated from the Hon. Baronet's seat called Kirby Park, in Leices tershire, and that he was seen in that County on the 22d and 23d of August ; on the former of which days the paper was dated, but there was no evi dence to shew that the libt I was published its the county. Mr. Brooks's evidence welt; to shew, that he had received the supposed libel in Landon from a professional Gentleman named Bickersteth, to whom it bad been sent in an envelope. The evidence undoubtedly went to shew that the paper and the superscriptiots of the envelope were in the hand-writing of the defendant, and that the latter was unsealed, but thete was nothing but presump tive evidence that the letter was published its the county where the venue was laid. The informa tion charged the defendant with writing, cons• posing, and publishing the all, libel its the County of Leicester, or with causing it to be composed, written and published in that cou n ty, and the onus lay upon the prosecutors to make out either of those allegations. For - any thing that appeared on the trial, the libel might has..e been published in Itutlaodaire, or some other adjoin ; .. ing county, and if so, the Court in Leicestershire had no jurisdiction to try the iofounivion. 1 . lie Jury could not be called upon to presume by in ference, from Ilse circumstance. stated; that the publication took place in Leicestershire, but ongirt to have had positive and undoubted proof that it did in fact take place there. If such a tact 'could have been established, it was its the power of the Crown to have calied - Mr. Pickerstevh, to whom the letter t at• enclosed, to prove where he re• eeived it, but that Gcosiemase was Ito: citiledh, al corgh he was wFbin the reach of a' bubea.-na,— He conteuded that the were ►stns D ar.d tons po9ing a Ebel, ho ever criminal its import, wa s n-,t an act for which the defendant was liable to puni,hment, because th,e author of a libel had the locus penituake, a.id could not be amenable to the law unless he actually published it. lie retell-cif to the Act for reversing the attaiinler of Alger von Sydney, to support this proposition, but when called upon to produce the Act, the Learned Counsel had it not at hand. The Learned Ser jeant- who conducted the vrosecution, had, indeed, labonred to establish the proposition that the de fendant was equally as liable for writing-and com posing the libel, as if be had published it, hut the LeHrned Judge repudiated that doctrine, and told the Jury that there must - be a publication in order to render the defendant answerable criminally.. Mr Justice BEST interposed and said, that the way in which be lett the case to the Jury was this :—That, as tar as Sir F. Burdett was con nected with the paper, all that was done by him was done in Leicestershire. That it was written by trim in that county, a> appeared by the date, •4'Kirhy -Palk, August 22,'• and, according to a ease referred to at the time,'reported•in llntrow's Reports, that fact was evidence to go to the Jury, that it was written in the place from whence it was dated. li was proved that the defendant had been seen in Leice'stersi.ire eon the day the letter bore date. A great - deal of discussion took place as to whether the letter had•been sent by the post. liere was in tact no evidence that it had been so sent ; and as there was no evidence that the letter had ever been sealed,• it was lett to the Jury ro say, Whether the letter so unsealed hod ,b;.en delivered 'to any person in the coutty of Leicester, for if i was, his Lordship was- of opi :Jinn thar it was a publication in Leicestershire. But his Lordship had forther stated io the Jury, in the langnaee of the information, that the evi deoce was sufficient to slew that the defendant had - caused the to be published in LeiCester st+ii,, wherever it was atterwaids put/Us - lied. The July, ever. had expressly found that the libel was pitfall..! ed in Leicestershire. lilt Dt.. - smAx said,,he was not aware of any dis :!Jic, Ina Takeo at tire trial, as to whether the de fett.;arit had cattsett the libel to be published in Leicestershire. The objection on which he re lied was, that there was •no evidence to go to the Jury, 44 air in - Leicestershire,. L:nel as his Lordship had said that there was finch' evidence, he did not address himself to any Col, lateral question. 1 - le now,thes clove, urged with great cw,,fitknce, .tilat the objection taken was' wed founded, .and : insisted that the defendant could not he answerable for the writing and coin poslng the libel alone, because there rlntst be a distinct publication proved. The case Of the Seven BiAops was a deciSive: gut hbrity to shew _the neeesiity of making out the venue of - the pub lication. The CHIEF JUSTICE- said he wished to be satis fied by sonic authority, that tiwe mete writing and • Composing a libel, without publication, was not a criminal act for which the author was punishable. The case- nt,Algcrnon Sydney was totally dissimi lar from the present. lle had before him an au thory, no less than that of Lout - Chief Justice which was nitrite the other wey. HisZord ship alluded to the King v. Beene, 12 Mod. 219, where it was held ,on an indictment for '' caw posing, writing, and making a libel," a verdict of No' Guilty as to the making and composing, but Guilty of writing it is sufficient. Mr. DENMAN said, that . Mr. Serjeant Viiigban had so argued at the trial, but he believed that the Case referred to had ceased to be law- Mr. Justice BAYLEY called upon the Learned Counsel to cite some case in t•bich it had been overruled. The case of the King v. Beere had ,undergo►►e much consideration. in consequence of the decision in the King v. Payne, adjudged three years before, where the Jury negatived .the publication, and found the deiend*snt guilty of the writing, and he was very severely punish ed. The King v. Beere fully established the doc trine, that writing and composing a libd, though no publication takes place, is sufficient to_sustain an indictment. The CHIEF JUSTICE said, he was not aware that the King v. lleere had ever been overruled, and his Lordship read the opinion as there delivered by Holt, C. J. Mr. Justice HOLROYD said, that in the 9th liar grave's State Trials, 273, diet e were two eases utile') expressly laid down the same doctrine as that ruled in the King v. Becre. The whole Conrt seemed to-be of opinion that this case was still good law, end they also thought the question, whether the defendant had caused the libel to be published in Leicestershire, in or der that it might be published in another County, was well kit to the July, and proof that he did so was sufficient to support the indictment. Mr. DENMAN said, that neither of the propo sitions now suggested was under consideration at the 'trial, and therefore he was not prepared to argue them. lie came prepared merely to discuss the qitesni, whether there was sufficient evi dence to go to the Jury of publication in Leices tershire, autl he insisted that there was not, re ferring to the King v. Watson, I Campb. 215 ; the King a. Williams, 2 Campb. 506; the Dutch Consul's case, 7 East Rep. 65 ; anti the King v. Harris, tried lately before the present Chief Jus tice at the Monmouth Assizes. The Learned Counsel then addressed hituseit to the second ob jection, contending that he was at liberty to offer general evidence to spew the fairness and truth of the allegtd .libel. lie had tendered evidence to spew that women and children bad been intim manly cut down at Manchester, but the Learned Judge had refused to receive it• Llad this been a libel upon'an individual, he admitted that evidence of its truth was not admissible, but being corn-, posed of general observations touching facts cap able of out, be contended that the defendant was entitled to the benefit of such evidence, to negtuice the malice Iniputed by tlic:leformation. 'I he case of the King v. Horne, in Cowper's Re ports, was a decisive authority upon this point, as was a lso that of she Icing v. Stockdade, in which Mr. Justice Best %vas Counsel. The third' objection was', that the Learned Judge, in his address to the Jury, when commenting upon the Libel Act, 32 George ill., etrargetr Wein upon the law of the ease in a manner inconsistent 'with the whole sprit the Art, the ei t ieet of which was to lent: , the Jury to the unqualified . .-exercise of their own judgment upon the law as well as the fact. His Lordsli . p said, "Itis my duty, u n der the view I - take of this Act of Parliament, to tell you, as matter of lam., that this is a libel, and it is tor you to say, whether you will adopt lit opinion, collecting the f a cts fr o m tote eviden and unless you are satisfied that I am wrong, yOn will take the law from me." This, the •Learded Counsel contended, was an objectionable node of leaving the case to the Jury, who would nacti" rally think they were bound to take the law this particular -case from the Learned 3ikiget without exercising that privilege. which the Libel Act gave them of judging for themselves upon the law as well as the fact. Upon these ihree grounds, therefore, he submitted, considering tile vast importance of the case,lhat the deiendairs was entitled to a new trial, The COURT scented to think that there was no , - thing in the third objection, and that the Judobad properly left the question of law to the Jury ;t'b t tt The CHIEF JUSTICE said - (after conferring Witii the other Judges)—As at present-advi s ed, it 'does not appear to - the Court, that sufficient fouhdr tio'n is laid before us to grain a Rule to slim catrie, but we will consider the , case further before we tither grant or refuse it, EXTENSIVE EM BEZZLEMENT. MA NSION- HOUSE.—Yesterday Nalliarlt Simpson, formerly a stork-broker, was brought beat& the LORD MAYOR by Martin, the officer, who :had apprehended hint under a warrant granted 141817. The prisoner had been abroad since that period, and had returned about a fortnight, when he Was taken into custody. He is a person who was.well known on the Stock Exchange, and his flight cleated a considerable sensation. There were persons in attendance to prefer several charges of embezzlement and felony against' hnn ; one to, the amount of near 10001., another to the amount of 8 101., a third 500, a - fourth nearly 400, and a number of others ; in the whole, we are inforris ed, about twenty charges were ready to be pre ferred against him, of felonious embrzzlement. to a frightful amount. The parties are mostly in as humble, station of life, who in several cases Itad, they stated, been deprived of the savings of years by the crime of the prisoner. .Mr. ADOLPHUS attended as Counsel in behalf of the prisoner. The first charge preferred against the prisoner was by F. C. Roseohagen, an aged German, who stated that the prisoner was accustomed totrans.. act business for him in his 'capacity as steel.- broker. On the 12th of April, 1817, the prisoner called at the house of the witness, and represented - to him that k would be to his advantage to trans-. fer 8101. of stock, which the witness had in the five per cents., • and that by so doing he would gain 701. ; he seconded this powerful reason with others equally cogent, and represented that the Governiutint were going to take hold of the five per cents, for the property-tax. He did as the prisoner represented that it would be his interest to do, and subsequently saw him in the Rotunda. where he signed a book, understanding that be •trad trensferred the stack. Upon • going to d. c Batik to receive the interest, he discovered ital.' he had been defrauded of nearly ail that he pos sessed, and that the prisoner had decamped. Other charges were about !,) ::e iaeferr:l against the prisoner, when, Mr. ADOLPHUS it:ter posed, anti rept esenting that his very heavy dt.i.irs at the .Ohl Bailey required his attendance these, and That several of the proecutors niere . uo , with the whole of their witnesses, 'he reqaesied hisLOldship to put Off the examination of the psi-. sorter until another more convenient day, a:nia the case might be fully entered into. The LORD IVIaYoa acceded to this request, and reCatnmended the prosecutors to meet, dud ttao arrangements for the conducting of the c ,, se io manner commeasubte with its importance. The.prisooer was remanded for further exatai' nation. CURIOUS FACT.—A goose, belonging to the landlord of the Saracen's Head Inn, Paisieli walks regularly from morning WI night with the sentry stationed in the Inn-rod, for the protec tion of the jail, When the sentry stops the go , $e stops, when the sentry turns the goose turns short, it as faithfully follows the sentry as were his shadow, It would continue to do 30 during the night, were it not forced off and lock' ed up.—(Glasgow Courier.) SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. Apiil IR, James Poddiq, mason and builder, presently r siding. at •Renfield-house, Iterifrewshire—Creditors tneetal the Black Bull Inn, Glasgow, 2d and 17th May, at 1. Apr:l 19, E. Cochran M‘Nair, merchant and milliner. Glasgow—Creditors meet in Hagart's Tavern there, 27 111 April and 11th May, at 2. COAL MARKET, APRIL 24. Ships at "lariat. Ships sold. Price. 102 i Newcast Iv p 3os Od to 41$ O d 15 Sandeiland 1 Cinders .. • BIRTH. On the Roth inst. at Hoefyser, near the Hague, the Lit l l of John Twin Ferrier, Esq., of a son. IkIARRIED. By license, on the 15th instant, by the Rev. Mr. FEUD':: field. at St. George's Church, Hanorer-square, Mr. Thg.o" • Hoohhaw, of Old Bond-street, to Mary Anne, the danghti rt of Mr. George Augustus Starling, of Brewer•street, Gul4c°' square. On Sattirday, the 22d inst. at ldsworth Park, 1 : 101 1 1 11 ; Dehue, Esq. of Cams Hall, Hants, to Mary, eldest daugl o " of John Gage, Esq. DIED. On the 14th of Septinther last, at Madras, Lied. 0i .. ,( 1 61 Moubrav Smith, of the sth Regiment Nativavalry, = fir sun of the late George Smith, Esq., formerly of Canton. Suddenly, on Saturday evening la , t, in his cOtintilOOtl st ' Seething-lane„ . Edward Friend, Esq., late of Fielati" . street. On Sunday morning last, in Pratt-street, Lambeth, bi r " Joseph Harrison, aged C 7. h tie ° On Saturday, the 22d inst., at : Woolwich-common, C- 2 , Peter, the infant sun of Lieut.-Colonel Fyers, Royal Hor 7 b - Artillery, aged three years and eight months. 19NDON: Printed by 3. B. CAP,STAIRS, of No. 49; Gr Ortliorid-street. Queen-square; and published :11 , ' SCLIIPPS, of No. 7, South Molton-street, at 'lns (Mice, No. 112, Strand ; where Adrettisements, 00 0 " Letters, &i, (post-pRi4) must he addresiedi .