The Sun. — London, England, 1832-08-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS► Some of the foolish enemies of Reform are now exerting all their malignant, but happily in efficient, efforts to convince the public, that since the people have obtained their constitutional rights, they have become indifferent to their possession, and even averse to their exercise.— The misrepresentations and mendacity of this class of persons will never cease, however fre quent and signal may be their detection and ex posure. During the discussions on the Reform Bill, when the people, satisfied with the progress of their cause, and certain of its ultimate suc cess, took a moment's pause, and ceased to pe tition or to agitate, this party immediately raised the cry of " re-action." " The nation," they bawled out ; skA would have sworn it if asked,— " the nation cares nothing about Reform. See how it has become silent and lukewarm. No thing but a revolutionary press and a place hunting Cabinet has produced all this turmoil. The people have now their eyes opened, and their mouth is shut." This falsehood, echoed from Parliament to the anti-Reform Press, and by the anti-Reform Press circu lated over the country, was received at first with silent contempt, but at last was repeated so often as to provoke indignation. The anti- Reformers meanwhile began to act on their own misrepresentation. They intrigued vkith the Court, and instigated the Lords to throw out the bill. Then the people, rising in their might, and de mandingtheir tights in a tone which made their enemies tremble, convinced the anti-Reformers that there was no " re-action." An equally ab surd cuckoo note is that now sounded about " the indifference " of the nation to the glorious results of the victory for which they so nobly contended, and which their own zealous perse verance and admirable firmness alone achieved. But where is the " indifference " shown ? At the numerous dinners and public meetings to celebrate their late triumph ? No. Is it shown in the aversion which they evince towards the hiends of reform who solicit their suffrages, or in the kind reception which they offer to its adver saries, who insult them by asking their support, without first beseeching their forgiveness ? No. That would be a result in which they would triumph, but which, happily, is not within their grasp. Is it shown in the scrutinizing questions which the Reform voters address to candidates soliciting their votes ? No. The anti-Re formers know the contrary fact to their cost, and consequently many a bitter sarcasm and lugu brious complaint do we see in the anti-Reform journals, of the " insolence " and " presump tion " of the new catechists. Even the anti- Reformers are obliged to declare themselves the friends of a law which they exerted all their arts to oppose, and to babble something of a reason or an excuse for their change, earning the epithet bestowed upon one of them by a Scotch elector, of being " conformers," if not Reformers. In none of these enumerated cases do we see any indication of that " indifference" of which we have lately heard so much ; and we do not wish to see agitation among the people continued after they have gained the end they had in view. '1 hey ore satisfied with the prize which they have at tained, and contentment is a quiet virtue. They have dined on Reform—they have toasted Rs form with nine times nine—they have speechified on Reform—they have kindled bonfires for Re form—they have congratulated their friends on Reform—they are organizing themselves on Reform principles for the future return of Re form candidates—and they are looking for great political improvements from a Reformed Parlia ment. Where, then, is their " indifference" to Reform ? Let their enemies, in order to prove it, meet them on a Reform hustings ! But though we have observed no " indifference" in the cause of Reform, we have seen in the adver tisements of reform candidates, and in the pro ceedings of reform electoral committees, some thing which proves the want of " indifference" by a more reprehensible fault—by an excess of zealous egotism—by an indiscreet personal ar dour, or by unbecoming political dissensions on account of personal considerations. In some districts Reformers are found opposing each other, and thus opening a path between their ranks for the entrance of their common foes. Nothing can be more unpatriotic, more injudi cious, more selfish, or more dangerous. Re formers, joined in a common cause, should pursue their objects by unanimity and con cert. Where several candidates, on Reform principles, have offered themselves for the same place, their friends should ascertain on whom the greatest number of suffrages would ulti mately fall, were the contest continued to the end,—which of them would be most likely to be returned if opposed only by Tories ; or which of them could add the greatest personal in fluence in Parliament to the greatest reputation of political honesty. After this point has been ascertained with scrupulousness and integrity, the least popular Reformer should retire, and try a new position, or wait a new opportunity for the display of his Reform principles. In recommending this self-denying policy, and sug gesting this personal sacrifice for the public good, we are not surely presuming too much on the sound sense and disinterested patriotism of our countrymen. The French Liberals, whom we ought not to consider as our leaders on such subjects,—but by whom it would be disgraceful to be outstripped,—have shown us the example at their last two general elections. Many liberal candidates on those occasions, whose pretensions were well received in private, and whose success might have been certain had their names been thrown into the electoral urn, withdrew their claims when they saw that their interference, by dividing the popular interest, was likely to injure the public cause, and give the victory to an ultra Royalist.— Times. Nothing pleases us so much as to see the working classes engaged in inquiries into the means of improving their condition, and into the obstacles at present opposed to their efforts. There is always hope of the man who inquires ; and, though the inquirers may not always arrive at just conclusions, their intentions entitle them to respect. In noticing the meeting of the As sociation for Exchanging Labour in the Chro nicle of Thursday last, we (lid justice to the praiseworthy intentions of the associators, while, at the same time, we deemed ourselves bound to endeavour to expose the mistakes into which they had fallen. There has been sent to us from Birmingham an account of a discussion carried on at the Mechanics' Institution on the subject of the works published for the benefit of the working classes, by the Society for the Dif fusion of Useful Knowledge. The first dis cu,sion took place on the 21st June; a second took place on July .5 ; and a third, at which cer tain resolutions were agreed to, took place on July 20.—We have derived great pleasure from a perusal of the accounts of these discussions, and we think the Society of Useful Knowledge would do well to take the objections of the Bir mingham Mechanics into consideration. The discussion was opened by Mr. Pare, who thought it would be well to convey to the So ciety for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge the opinion of a large portion of the working-classes, as to the publications of that Society. " These opinions he would venture, from very exten sive communications with the class in question, to say that he thought it was in his power to state. It was his own conviction that the leaders of the Useful Knowledge Society themselves laboured under some misconception, and were impressed with the idea that their opinions were implicitly received, and their works read by the working classes, when, in fact, their chief circulation was among the middle class. The first series of works put-- fished by the Society in question—the " Library of Use ful Knowledge"—was a collection of admirable treatises, hut abounding in works on the higher branches of ma thematical and other elevated sciences—works useful to the finished student rather than to the tyro. Other worke had since appeared, in various series, but still not touch. ing on the wants and condition of the labouring class. Surely it was to be wished that works of a more simple and practical nature had been given to the public. Mr. Pare then read an extract from the Monthly Repository for this month, in which it was complained that 'the instruction for which mil lions . were craving—political instruction—that is, the principles of social morality, was not yet provided for the people : and that the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, as well as Mechanics' Institutes, were, in a great measure, inoperative, because of the exclusion of those topics about which people cared the most.' When Lord Brougham established Mechanics' Institutes, he (fe el teed the question not to be whether the people should have knowledge or not, but whether that knowledge should be useful or not; so the question now was, not whether they should have political knowledge or not, but whether they should acquire it at the pot-house or from carefully digested works. When he spoke of political knowledge, he did not mean the party politics of the day, but the great principles of the social connection, which intimately concerned the working classes." Mr. Pare then proceeded to urge a variety of objections to one of the publications of the Society—" The Results of Machinery." The discussion on the part of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, was maintained by Mr. Alfred Fry, who observed— " That the Society had set the example of publishing cheap books, and if the world were now deluged with cheap publications, it was mainly owing to the Society who commenced the issue. Who would say that the working classes could not comprehend all prepositions ? If so, it was not for want of capacity. He was convinced that an English mechanic was capable of understanding every thing. But they wanted leisure, and they wanted money. The Society, with all its wishes for their im provement, could not remove both these difficulties, but it was surely well to remove one. The cheapness of their publications rendered them generally accestible. Still the Society's works, it was said, do not circulate among the working classes. He was sorry for that, but if those classes chose to neglect the publications in question, it was not the fault of the Society. Suppose be were to say to a working man, You spend two shillings in gin ; why not spend one of them on a Working Man's Companion ?' Oh, it contains errors.' It may be so (he would reply), but nothing is :free from error, and it is your duty to lay hold on truth as far as you can, when it is offered to you.' As to the fret that the works in question were supported by the middle classes, it was doubtles4 true. He who read these books becrme one of the middle class. It was the midd'e chats who supported everything, because they had all tie industry and all the intelligence." We ourselves observed, two or three years ago, that the Society had begun at the wrong end ; that they ought to have deemed moral science (including, of course, politics) of far more importance to the welfare of society than physical; and that it was in particular of the very utmost importance that the labouring classes should receive instruction with regard to all that concerns their happiness or misery. The Lord Chancellor, in a pamphlet on the education of the people, published in 1825, expressed him self in the same way, declaring that political as well as other works should be published in a cheap form, and in numbers; that " every topic of politics, party as well as general," might be treated of in cheap publications; that the "great interests of civil and religious liberty are mightily promoted by such wholesome instruction ; but the good order of society gains to the full as much by it. The peace of the country and the stability of the Government could not be more effectually secured than by the universal diffu sion of this kind of knowledge. The abuses which, through time, have crept into the prac tice of the Constitution, the errors corn mitted in its administration, and the im provements which a change of circum stances require, even in its principles, may most fitly be expounded in the same manner. The resolutions adopted at the institution de clare, that the publications of the Society " are but ill-adapted to the present and immediate wants of the mass of the people—the labouring classes, who have little time or inclination for reading either elaborate treatises on the sciences, or works of a light and entertaining nature, whilst themselves and families are surrounded by poverty and misery, produced by an irrational and vicious system of Government ;" that the Society would have best consulted the interests of all classes, but particularly of the working class, by either publishing works calculated to supply the desideratum, or breaking down the barriers which oppose others doing so. The 4th resolution may almost be taken as the profession of faith of the working classes at this time : " 4. That, in the opinion of this meeting, the object of the author of Rights of Industry' (Section 1— Capitol and Labour') should rather have been to insti tute an honest Inquiry into the principles of the distribu tion of wealth most conducive to human happiness, than to have attempted a defence of the present principles of distribution—the manifest tendency of which, experience woefully proves, is to favour the accumulation of power and riches in the hands of the few, who are either idle con •umers or mere distributors, whilst it degrades and im poverishes the many—the producing millions. That we find it asserted in the work in question, that capital is ready to be won by the power of the working man'— that, ' in their general effect, the laws by which the ex changes of society are regulated secure to labour the certainty that there shall be abundance of capital to exchange with'—and that if prudence and diligence go together, the labourer may himself become a capitalist, and even pass out of the condition of a labourer into that of a proprietor, or one who lives oval accumulated pro duce.' (Pages 55, 56.) And, further, that accumu lations in the form of private wealth are ready to be ex changed with the labour of all those who are in a condi tion to add to the store.' (Page 62.) Ere the indivi duals composing this meeting, however, can believe the foregoing assertions to be founded i❑ truth, they must either forget their own experience, or reject the evidence of their senses ; for so depreciated is the value of human labour, that in many branches of industry it is not of suf ficient value to procure for its possessors more than the merest subsistence, though they exert their powers for fourteen, sixteen, or even eighteen hours daily. And so utterly worthless is it in ❑umerous instances, as to have become notorious that, in nearly every city, town, and hamlet in the three kingdoms, there are numbers of per sons, possessing strength, vigour, and skill, who, though they offer themselves daily for hire, can find no one that thinks their labour worth having, even at the cost of a wretched and bare subsistence. Finally, it is the opinion of this meeting, that if the Author of The Rights of In dustry' was in possession of the facts just stated, he has offered a gratuitous and gross insult to the working classes, in the passage above quoted from his work ; but if, on the contrary, he had no knowledge of these facts, (which, in charity, this meeting is willing to believe,) then was he rot warranted in assuming to himself the title of The 11'orhing Man's Companion.' " We offer no opinion on the work which ap pears to be so unpopular with the working classes of Birmingham ; but we can see in the objec tions to " the present principles of diatribution, the manifest tendency of which experience woe fully proves is to favour the accumulation of power and riches in the hands of the few, who are either idle consumers or mere distributors," principles involved which we think of a danger oils chat actett. It may be true that the condition of the working classes in many places is so wretched that they cannot extricate themselves by any exertion of industry from their misery, and yet the present principles of distribution may not be objectionable. There is at present a notion very general among the working classes, that the working classes ought to have all that they produce ; and this we conceive to be the principle involved in the above Resolution. If A and B, with nothing to begin the world with but their industry, take opposite courses, A sav ing a part of what he earns, while B regularly consumes what he earns, ought A and B at the end of their career to be in the same situation ? Without savings out of the produce of labour, there could be no stock to support the advance of society. If I wish to till and sow a field, I must first obtain the seed, and I must be sup ported till I re a p the produce. To the indivi dual who supplies me with the seed and sup ports me till I can reap my harvest, a return must be made beyond the mere repayment of what has b een a d vance d me . H e is a capitalist, and he contributes to the production as essen tially as I do. The rate of the remuneration depends or. circumstances which are of a variable nature. The buildings, the machinery, the roads, the bridges, the canals, the drains, &c., are all made out of the savings of labour; and by means of these savings, labour is rendered infinitely more produc tive than it otherwise would have been. But if the workmen were to receive all that is produced, what motive would there be for any one to save, in order to augment production ? It is not, pro perly speaking, the principle of distribution which can be objected to, but the transference, through the evils of misgovernment, of an un due share of the produce of industry to those who do not contribute either as capitalists or workmen to that produce. The due adminis tration of justice, the defence of the country against foreigefoes, and the protection of per sons and property, are all essential to produc- Lion ; but unfortunately, in this country, these necessary burthens are as dust in the balance, compared with the unnecessary burthens with which industry is weighed down. We may have mistaken the views of the Birmingham mechanics, for there is a vagueness in their lan guage ; but it appears to savour of the heresy which is but too general among the working classes, namely, that by destroying capital they ob tam the hen that lays the golden eggs. However, there are hopes for a people when they begin to reason respecting their condition. It is due to them for those who either are, or think themselves better intormed, to meet them fairly, and to avoid all assumption of infallibility. We are sorry learn from the opening speech of Mr. Farr, that " the middle classes seemed jealous of the ad vance of the working classes in th ose ki n d s o f knowledge which most concerned them. The circumstance of the meeting of that evening formed an instance of this. It had been thought ne cessary to remove from their usual place of meet ing, because certain gentlemen, proprietors of the lecture-room, were supposed to cherish such a dread of discussion."—Morning Chronicle. We regret to have to announce in our Mary lebone report the apprehension of a clergyman of the Church of England, in a situation and under circumstances which leave no reason to doubt of his having been guilty of an unnatural offence. It has been too much the custom with clergymen to visit the crimes of individuals on the classes to which they belong. For instance, nothing is so common as their endeavour to make it appear that every one under sentence of death read Tom Paine, and associated with radicals. We should be ashamed of ourselves if we could descend to retaliate on the many respectable men in the Church of England, by reproaching them with the frequent instances within these few years of clergymen disgracing themselves and their families by this disgusting offence. It is not long since the public were shocked by an in stance of a distinguished Dignitary at one of the Universities. These instances ought to teach the Church humility and charity. Let its mem bers learn from this to avoid the practice to which they are so much addicted, of striking through the guilty at the innocent.—Morning Chronicle. There was a time when our refusing to give unqualified approbation to Lord Grey's plan of Reform, and to join in the ignorant and sense less cry of '' the Bill, the whole Bill, and no thing but the Bill," gave occasion for much invi dious comparison to be drawn by the giddy, the interested, and the intemperate, between our moderated and sober advocacy of the Ministerial remedy for an imperfect representation, and the flaming patriotism of the sycophants of Govern ment, and the place-hunters of the Press ; but we went On through " evil report and good re port," supporting the principle of the measure, but describing its machinery as complicated, clumsy, and inefficient, and predicting that with such machinery the working of the Bill would be productive of a great deal of trouble, expense, and litigation. Our objections to the machinery and to much of the detail of the Bill are now realized, to the severe disappointment of all that portion of the people who were led to believe, by the pompous and declamatory praises of the more servile of the Ministerial papers, that the Bill was all perfection, or, at least, was as near the character of pure and unblemished excellence as any thing of human legislation could be. It was, certainly, long enough on the anvil to be wrought, not only with careful, but exquisite skill. A great deal of hammering produced a great deal of noise —the legislative bellows did not want for wind, and the fires were fiercely stirred ; yet the object of all this labour—the sheet anchor of a country's hope—has come forth in a most unworkmanlike form, and the people's rejoic ings are rapidly followed by the expressions of the people's disappointment. Making the pay ment of taxes a preliminary condition to the registration of the new constituency in cities and boroughs was the adoption of' a very vicious principle. We have said before, and we say again, that a Bill of political rights ought not to he a Bill of fiscal exactions. The laws for the recovery of taxes are already strong enough. The last debt that a man has any chance to es cape the payment of is a debt due to the Crown ; a Reforming Ministry ought not to have insist ed upon the people passing through the ordeal of the Exchequer to reach the registration office —they ought not to have made a barter between revenue and reform. Is this to make up for the failure of all the financial projects of the Chancellor of the Exchequer —t o supply that fountain of charity which the same official per sonage conducts into the overflowin g stream of' the pension list—to repair the damage done to our finances by the Russian Dutch Loan job, and to make a provision fur the futur e ca ll s, aris ing out of our foolish Anglo-Russian com pact with regard to Greece ? Truly where there is so much waste, there ought to b e a l arge supply. Our " economizing" Government em ploy six Counsel, with large fees, to prosecute the poor Innatit who threw a stone at the King. Such economy, of- which this is only one ex ample, demands extraordinary means to raise taxation—so the right to the elective franchise is to be regulated by the books of the tax-collector. We are not, however, of the same opinion as some of the speakers at the recent meeting of the rate-payers of St. John's parish, Westminster, who seem to think it necessary that scot and lot voters should have paid taxes, as well as rates, as a preliminary condition to being registered. The Attorney-General has stated in Parliament that the scot and lot voters are still to qualify under the " old law.' We agree with him in opinion that they are to qualify under the old law, in all but the circumstance of being re gistered ; though we confess there is consider able obscurity in the Reform Act upon this im portant point. All the new constituency of 10/. householders must have paid, by the 20th of July, the rates and taxes payable up to the preceding 6th of April ; and if scot and lot voters choose to qualify as 101. householders, which, of course, they may do, if their houses be of that value, they must comply with the conditions imposed upon the other 101. householders, and pay taxes as well as rates, but not otherwise. We also say, notwithstanding what fell from some of the speakers at the meet ing in question, that the rates of the scot and lot voters must have been demanded, to make their non-payment amount to a refusal to pay, and consequently to prevent their right to being registered. We tell them confidently, that if the registering Barrister should refuse to register their names, because they have not paid their rates where they have not been demanded, they will have a right of action ; and here arises the litigation which we said the Bill would produce. The trouble and vexation of its clumsy arrange ments many have already experienced ; and there are many who would rather give up their rights than go to the expense and additional vexation of contesting them in a Court of Law. We observe that the rate-payers at the meeting ex pressed their disapprobation of the conduct of Sir John Hobhouse, not because he accepted a plaCe, which Sir Henry Parnell could not retain without the sacrifice of his honesty, but because, by his attack on the pockets of the electors, he has roused all their dormant feelings of patri otism.—ltlerning Herald. We have received various communications upon the subject of our observations yesterday relating to the affairs of the Bank of England. We select two of them for publication, which will be found in another column. Our primary object was to show that the action of the Bank up to October, 1824, could not have tended to create the excitement that was then in full operation ; and, therefore, if mischief had been caused by the over issues of the Bank, they must have taken place previously to October, 1824. But we have no hesitation in accepting the challenge of our correspondents " Mercator" and " G." in carrying the amount of circula tion into 1825, when it will surely be al lowed on all bands the excitement was begin ning to wear itself out, and was rapidly moving towards the panic. On the Ist of January, 1825, indeed, we allow that the circula tion was increased by 1,300,000/. And why was it increased ? Because in February, 1824, when gold was continually pouring in upon the Bank, it concurred in the proposition of the Government to lend ita aid to pay off the dissentient Four per Cents. upon the stipulation of receiving 500,0001. per quarter, which was strictly fulfilled, and the consequence of that transaction was an increase in the circulation to the extent of 1,300,000/, for a few months. After the increase of the circulation had taken place on January 1, 1825, the Bank was then possessed of bullion equal to one-third of its liabilities. This comparatively trifling increase of circulation is fully justified by the fact we have stated ; but if the Directors had not been sup ported by this fact, and had, without a sufficient cause, extended their issues, they would only have pursued the police of the Finance Minister of the day, the present hopeful Colonial Secretary, who, two months afterwards, was asserting the prosperity of the country upon every occasion, and continued his fabrications about overflowing wealth and successful enterprise to the very eve of the panic. On the 18th of November, 1824, the first demand for bar gold was made upon the Bank, which is the only criterion by which the Directors can judge of an unfavourable exchange. But what would have been the censure cast upon the Bank if it had entered upon a forced contrac tion of the currency when the Chancellor of the Exchequer was boasting about the prosperity of the empire in all directions and upon every occasion ? Why the Directors would have been charged with casting an incubus upon British industry, and checking mercantile enterprise, and extin guishing the rising prospects of the count r y, after the lon g and arduous stuggle she h a d b een en gaged i n. At the risk of extending this article beyond the limits we had intended, we can not hut allude to the evidence of a noted stock-broker and stock jobber, said to have been given before the Committee of the House of Commons on Bank Affairs, who, strange to say in these enlightened days, has maintained that the Bank ought not to invest any proportion of the deposits in securi ties, and that the amount of deposits held by the Bank ought to form the judgment of the Directors as to the period of a redundant currency, notwithstanding the fact of that currency being daily upon the increase, by the import of gold and silver bullion from foreign countries, or, in other words, during the continuance of a highly favourable foreign exchange. We understand this individual has boldly asserted this monstrous doctrine before the Commitee, and with these opinions he would set himself up, together with hi s friend, Mr. Page, and the Editor of the Times, as guides for the correct management of the Bank. The result of this wiseacre's reasoning i s neither more nor less than this—that subse quent to January, 1822, when, as we stated yes terday, the circulation of the Bank notes stood at 17,700,000, the Bank ought to have remained passive, and never invested one shilli ng o f t h e G o vernment deposits that accumulated in their hands between that time and April, 1824 (not less than five millions), thereby either reducing the circulation of notes to 12,700,000, or suf fering such contraction to have occasioned a fur ther import of bullion, accumulating the further account in the hands of the Bank to the extent of that increase of deposits, which would vir tually have left the Bank, in April, 1824, with an a mount of bullion of ninet een or t wen ty mil lions, nearly,if not actually, equal to their cir culation. We should like to know how such a system could . have been benefici a l t o th e p u bli c , and whether it would not have had a most pre .judical action upon the commerce of the coun try ? During the whole of the period of which we have been speaking the importation of gold and silver, arising from a high foreign exchange, was enormous ; and we believe that from 1820 to 1824 the amount which passed through the Bank in the form of circulating medium was not much less than twenty millions sterling.— Morning Post. PALACE COURT, AUGUST 24. JOHNSON V. THOMPSON. This was an action to recover 41. Is. Bd., for the use of apartments in the plaintiff's house. It appeared by the plaintiff's witness, that in March the defendant took a first floor of the plaintiff at 31 6s. Bd. per month, and also a room in an upper floor, at 2s. 6d a week. At the end of the first month the plaintiff dis trained for the rent then due, and the present action was brought for a subsequent month, as well as for 155., be ing six weeks' rent of the upper room. Several n itsesses for the defendant deposed, that so far from his having taken the first floor as a monthly tenant, he had taken it as the former tenants, viz., at 401. a year ; that about the end of the first month, fearful of an execu tion which was threatened against the goods of the plain tiff, the defendant commenced removing his own property for security, and that then the plaintiff distrained what was left for the month's rent, and that a few days after wards he broke open the rooms and took possession of them. Mr. Ross, for the defendant, contended that the plain tiff was not entitled to recover for the month subsequently to the seizure of the goods, upon two grounds—first, be cause it was a quarterly hiring, and consequently no rent was due ; and secondly, because even if it had been a monthly hiring, the plaintiff had forcibly obtained posses sion of the rooms before the month for which the action was brought had become due, thereby being guilty of what was termed a legal eviction. Mr. CAPRON submitted, that the plaintiff was entitled to recover ; his obtaining possession was solely to prevent the place falling into dilapidation, and was, therefore, jus tifiable ; and as to the hiring, it was distinctly sworn, on the part of the plaintiff, to be monthly, and was so treated by the plaintiff, who had distrained for the first month. The Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff for the Iss. for the upper room, and for the defendant as regarded the other apartments, on the ground that it was a quarterly hiring. SUMMER ASSIZES. NORTHERN CIRCUIT—LANcAsrEn, Aua. 22. NICHOLSON V. PHYSICK. This was an action in which the plaintiff sought to recover damages from the defendant, for the piracy of the copyright of a print or map, which the plain tiff had published, and which the defendant had copied in a lithographic print, without the permis sion of the plaintiff. The right of action was given by the 17th Geo. 111., c. 57, and there would be no doubt that the engraving in question came within the description of publications which it was the ob ject of that statute to protect. The plaintiff was art engineer living at Manchester, and the defendant was an engraver living in the same place. In 1827 it occurred to the plaintiff that it would be useful t, publish a map or table in which the different im provements which had occured in machinery might be analytically displayed, and accordingly he had ap plied himself to the task, and produced the work which had since been pirated by defendant. The map was entitled " An Analytical Table of Improve ments in Machinery ;" and it consisted of different views and sections of various arrangements of machi nery. It was a copper-plate engraving, and sold for the price of ss. Messrs. Ackermann, of London, were at first intrusted with the sale, but it had afterwards been removed into the hands of Messrs. Banks, the booksellers, of Manchester. A short time ago some circumstances had occurred that led to an estrangement between the plaintiff and Messrs. Banks, and in consequence the latter desisted from the sale of the work. Soon afterwards a print made its appearance, published by the defendant, which was an exactfac-simile of the print published by the plaintiff. The defendant's, however, was a litho graphic print, and sold for the price of ls. The consequence had been a material diminution in the sale of the plaintiff's work. The present action, therefore, had been brought to recover damages, and to put down the pirated copy. Mr. PoLLocK admitted that the defendant's pub lication was a fac simile of the table published by plaintiff. Some evidence was then given to show that the plaintiff's was the first publication of the kind. Mr. Pou.oex, for the defendant, submitted that the plaintiff was not in a situation to maintain the action. It was true that the plaintiff's publication had preceded the defendant's, and that the latter was a fac simile of the former, even to the extent of co pying its errors; but the plaintiff could not lay claim to an original publication, as his own table was en tirely compiled from Rang and .Bellancourt's Essay on the Construction of Machinery, a French work of great ingenuity and labour. Mr. Baron BOLLAND interrupted the Learned Counsel by saying that, in his opinion, as the facts stood, the plaintiff was entitled to a verdict. A verdict was then taken for the plaintiff—da mages, 404., the defendant entering into a rule of Court to give up his plate, and all the copies of the print that remained unsold. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. LONDON MARKETS. (From the London New Price Current of yesterday.) SUGAR.—There has been a steady demand for West India Sugars this week ; the estimated purchases are 3,800 'lds. and trs. ; the prices are without the slightest variation. In Refined goods the sales are still on a con fined scale, but, as the stock is small, the Market remains firm in price. This afternoon the Refined Market re mained in the same languid state; some considerable pur chases of Lumps during the week are reported 645. a 655. Fine goods offer rather lower, and more business in conse quence reported. EAST INDIA SUGARS.—At the India House 9,345 bags Bengal, of which about one-third was taken for export, 225. a 245. ; the fine white supported prices, all other de scriptions sold 6d. a Is. lower, yellow fine 225. 6d. a 235., white ord. 235. 6d. a 245., good 245. 6d. a 265. 6d., fine 28s. a 30s. MAURITIUS SUGARS.—About 14,000 bags Mauritius Sugar have been sold since Friday at steady prices, good brown 50s. and 515., yellow 515. 6d. a 555. ; a parcel of very low soft brown, for export only, sold at 18s. for the lew, up to 21r. a 225. for fine brown. The market prices are firm, and there is still an extensive and general demand for Mauritius Sugar. FOREIGN SUGARS.—ForeignSugars continue neglected; the gnly purchases reported are a small parcel Para Mos covaZes, low, mid. and good yellow 225. a 245., low Brown Bahia at 20s. 6d. This day by public sale 1,542 chests Havannah Sugar, the sound all taken in, white at 365., damaged sold from 254. 6d. to 295., being Is. a 2s. lower. COFFEE.—The prices of Coffee are little varied, but there is a great heaviness about the Market. By private contract some fine ord. Brazil sold at 60g. ; the Jamaica Coffee sold, ord. at 76e. a 77s , good to fine ord. 78s. a 80s. 6d., fine and fine ord. Ha vannah 635. a 685., good ord. Ceylon 575. There were no public sales of Coffee this forenoon, and no purchases by privatie contract are reported. The Market is very dull. _ _ RUM, BRANDY, and HOLLANDS.—In Rum there is no alteration to notice, eitber in price or demand. Brandy continues in some request at the late prices. In Geneva there are no transactions to report. TALLOW..-There is more doing in Tallow; the prices are higher. TOBACCO.—There are two cargoes of rejected VirWnia Tobacco sold about 16s. and 16s. 31 per 1001bs., mani fe.t weight, and also a cargo of Kentucky ; the price of the latter is variously reported, 18s. a 20s. IRBIL PaovastoNs.—Owing to contrary winds, the arrival of foreign Butter this week does not exceed 100 casks ; but we have had of Irish about 15,000 firkins, with upwards of 1,500 bales of Bacon. The Butter Market does not improve ; there is every appearance of prices being lower. The stock of Irish at the wharfs on Monday is likely to exceed 30,000 firkins. Our present quotations must be, in a great measure, considered cmi n d. Cork and Limerick 788. on board, 80s. landed ; Waterford 765. a 78s. on board, 765. a '79s. landed ; and Carlow '7Bs. a 81s. on board, 80s. a 833. landed ; for next month's shipment Belfast is offering at 77.. a 78s. ; Sligo at 765. ; Dublin at '763. ; and Newry at 745. on board ; but very few, if any, sales effecting. For fresh-landed small singed Bacon there is a fair sale at 545. a 55'. ; but stale parcels, as to quality and condition, cannot be quoted over 50s. a 535. per cwt. Bale Middles are a heavy sale at 445. a 461.; Tierce Middles at 445. a 485.; and Bladder Lard at 565. a 625. per cwt. Fine small Lime rick Hams are scarce ; for such 765. could be obtained, although Belfast are not bringing over 565. a 645. per cwt. as to weight and quality. in Beef and Pork very little doing; prices continue stationary. INDIGO —There is no alteration in prices; the Market is rather dull. SALTPETRE.-Saltpetre is steady by private contract. By public sale tbis day 1,575 bags Saltpetre, refraction 21 to Si-, p irt sold at 34.. 6d. a 355., which is Is. higher ; purchases at 355. after the sale. Rtes.—This day by public sale 2,736 bags B•ngal and Patna Rice, great part bought in from 15s. to 17s. 6d. FRUIT.—In Fruit there is no alteration. SncEs.—The inquiries after Spices appear increasing ; the prices are rather higher, except for Cloves. By public sale about 1,000 bags Pimento sold rather lover, ord. to good sid. a 60. ; 5,589 small bags mid. heavy black Pepper, a few lots only sold aid. a Sid. Hors.—The estimated duty this day is 155,0001. TEA. —The transactions in the Market continue to be limited, and the prices of all descriptions continue as in our last. COTTON. —The Market is steady. The purchases since last week consists of 730 Surat, ord. to good fair, 4id. a sd. ; 700 ditto, public sale, ord. to good fair, 4d. to 4p.; 50 Bengal, good fair 48d. PRICE OF BREAD. The highest price of Bread in the Metropolis is 93rcl. for the Cb. Loaf. There are others who sell from 4d. to 135t1. btlow that price. PRICE OF SUGAR. The Average Price of Brown or Muscovado Sugar, computed from the Returns made in the week ending the 21st day of June, IEI2, is 28s. 2td. per Hundred Weight, exclusive of the Duties of Customs paid or payable thereon on the Importation thereof into Great Britain. PRICES OF HOPS.—Aug. 24 Kent Pockets .41 15s. 5/. 54. to Sersex Ditto Essex Ditto —. 41. 124. 51. 04. to Fat nliam Ditto, 71. Os. 91. Oa. to Seconds 01. Os. 51. Os to ........w 41. 4s. 4/. 10s. to 41. Os. 4/. Ss. to 0/. Os 01. Os. to Old Duty laid at 150,0001. 51. 12s. 51. ss. 51. Bs. 01 Os. 71 Os. 51. Os. 41. 12s. (P. Os Kent Sussex Ditto Essex Ditto., PRICE OF OIL. _.-- Ripe Oil, brown Refined f 34 0 Linseed Oil 11 0 5 0 Linseed Oil Cake at the Mill, per thousand Rape Cake, per ton WHI I'ECHAPEL HAY MARKET.—Aug. 23 Hay 355. Od. to 86s. Od. IClover—. 65i . od. to 1051. Oct. Straw. 31g. Od. to 374. Od. PRICE OF POTATOES.—Aug. 24. 2/. 10s. to 31.55. per ton. rItICES Or Lk.A',UHEtt, Per lb. d. to d. Per lb. d. to d. Butts, English ................... 15 21 English Horse Hides.. 12 14 Ditto, Foreign ............ 14 18 Spanish Ditto .—........... 14 16 Dressing Hide 5.............,, 12 14 Per dozen. Ditto —.... 16 18 Calf Skins.. 36 to 41kb. 15 19 Ditt', light ........., Ditto ........... 50 to 701 b. 21 23 C►op Hides, 1ight..,,.,, 12 131 Ditto ......... 70 to 801 b. 18 20 0itt0..,.............40 to 451 b. 131 15 Small Seals, Greenland 16 171 Ditto _ l5 16 Large ditt0..—.................... 12 13 RAW HIDES. Per Stone. s. d. to s. d. Per Stone. s. d. to s. d. Best Heifers& Steers 2 4 2 8 Ordinary 0 0 I 8 Middlings w .l 10 2 0 Market 6 0 each. SHEEP SKINS. Short Wool Os. Od. to Os. Od. I Lambs ls. GI to 2s. 6d. (ki. to 18.8 d. PRICE OF RAW FAT, per stone of 81b. Prico of Tallow (as stated by the Tallow Melters)--.......15. 6d. PRICE OF TALLOV Town Tallow 455. Od. Yellow Russia .425. Od. Whited,WW•WWWW 425. Od. Soap Ditto 40s. CA. Melted Stuff 345. Od. Ditto Rough 225. Od. , SOAP, &c. per 112 lb. Yellow Soap. 62s Od. Mottled 70s. Gd. White-. - . 745. Gd. Graves 22s. Gd. Good Graves ............. 12s. Gd. PRICE OF The price of Store Candles, in t Candles, per doa. 7s. Pd, to Bs. Od. CAL MAR Per Ton. - Adair's 18 0 Bensliain Main ---- 17 6 Hebburn Main Holywell 18 6 St. Lawrence Main 19 6 ran field .--. 19 0 Townley l7 6 Willington 19 6 Walls End Bell & Brown 19 0 Ditto Bewicke and C 0.... 20 3 Ditto Blake.. lB 9 Ditto Burraton 19 3 Walk End Callerton •18 0 Walls End ('err and Co. 18 3 Ditto Clarke and 17 9 Walls End Gosforth 20 3 Walls End Heaton l9 9 Walls End H0t5pur.........., 19 0 Walls End Hilda— 19 0 Ditto Killingworth 19 3 Walls End Newniarch— 19 6 Ditto Northumberland.. 19 3 Walls End Riddell's 19 9 Bells 16 6 Lambton'aPrimrose 2O 0 Ships arrived sin C A NDLES. :he retail shops, is as follows : . 1 Moulds, per dozen..,. 98. 6d. KET.—Aug. 24. Per Ton. sd. Walls End Hetton ....... 21 0 Walls End Lamhton —2O 9 W. E. Russell's Helton.. 21 0 Ditto Russell's Lyon's...., 19 3 Walls End Stewart's.... 21 0 Walls End Stobart's 16 9 Walls End Adelaide 19 9 Walls End Cleveland.... 17 Walls End Gordon—. 19 3 Walls End Tees ......... 21 3 Blythe... l5 6 Cowpen Denny 18 0 Walls End E1gin..,,.,.,..,,, 19 6 Graigola 20 0 Thorpe's Gawber Hall 17 6 Hartley 21 0 Merthyr 2l 0 t Silkstone Field and Co.. 19 0 Scremerstone Engine... 16 6 Walls End Selby 15 6 South Hetton 17 0 South Togston . 17 6 Tan fleld Trader 18 ice last market-day, 99. COUNTRY CORN MARKEIS DURING IHE WEEK. Wheat. Barley. I Oats. Beans. Per Quarter. Ashburn 62 66 22 27 38 42 Basingstoke 58 70 28 34 20 24 40 43 Bath Bridgewater 54 70 26 29 22 26 28 38 56 60 34 39 20 23 36 42 Chesterfield 58 64 21 26 36 42 Derby 64 66 30 33 24 26 36 38 Devizes 52 63 29 33 18 28 33 42 Doncaster 48 65 30 34 16 25 40 44 Dorchester—....,—. 54 75 30 38 27 35 37 52 Exeter---.... 65 68 32 34 19 26 38 48 G10uce5ter.~.....,,. 60 64 34 36 119 22 34 44 Hungerford 49 68 25 35 18 26 34 40 33 39 —. 23 37 Ziewbury 44 64 28 39 24 32 38 42 Romsey 56 62 30 38 23 27 Shaftesbury 56 37 27 44 Sheldon Mallet 56 63 32 39 20 26 36 42 Sherborne----... 56 62 30 36 22 26 34 40 Taunton 5B 72 35 20 38 Yeovil 56 60 32 36 20 26 36 38 Per Bushel. s. d. s.d. s. d. s.d. s. d. s.d. s. d. s. d. Shrewsbury 90 94 50 6 0 5 0 6 0 0 0 00 Thursday afternoon, between 2 and 3 o'clock, a number of lads, front 10 to 12 years of age, were amus ing themselves bathing in the Regent's Canal, between Meetwater-bridge, Regent's-park, and the Locks, Hamp stead-road, when one of them, the son of Captain GRIP. Fall, residing in Seymour-street, Somers-town, got out of his depth. The poor little fellow called to his com panions for assistance, but none of them being able to swim, they could not render him any. Captain BURTON, a gentleman residing in the Alpha-cottages, Regent's-park, who was swimming his large Newfoundland dog about 100 yards from where the lads were bathing, hearing the cry of " Help me, help me,-1 am drowning," called big dog out of the water, and ran to the spot, when he directed the animal's attention to the drowning youth, who in stantly sprang into the canal, and seizing him by the hair of his bead, succeeded in bringing him safe on shore, just as he was on the point of sinking. After a abort time he recovered, and proceeded home with some of his com panions. DESPERATE AND FATAL AFFRAY.—OR Friday last, a number of poachers having shown them selves in the vicinity of the moor called Stanhope -hope, in Weardale, they were cautioned against shooting there by FENWICK, principal gamekeeper to the Bishop of DURHAM, and they agreed to withdraw. No sooner, however, had FENWICK en'ered upon the moor, than the poachers made th, it appearance, and the consequence was a quarrel, and subsequently a fight. FENWICK defended himself gallantly against a superior force, until over powered by numbers, when he was knocked down, and held upon the ground by his assailants. Some of the watchers and other assistants soon came to his relief, and while one of the latter, named WILLIAM HoLMEs, who had mastered one of the poachers, was kneeling over him, another poacher, named JOHN PRICE, came behind, and with a dreadful blow with the butt-end of his gun, lite rally smashed in the back part of HOLMES'S skull. Paiwzr in his turn, was severely wounded by a watcher, a nd taken into custody. He was brought t o D ur h am gao l o e Saturday morning , and has since been committed on the Coroner's warract on a charge of wilf u l murder, the tin fortunate roan Hot.3tEs having di e d w hil e undergo i ng t he operation of trepanning._Durham Advertiser. BIRTHS. On the 2 , lth inst. at Barrock Lodge, near Carlisle, - the lad,' °I William James, Esq., 11.1. P., of a son. On the 23(1 inst. the lady of the Rev. R. B. Greenlaw, of daughter. MARRIED. On the 18th inst. at Edinburgh, by thesitev. Henry Gr ain Alexander Campbell, Esq., surgeon in the Hon. East WI, Company's Service, M a d ras E,tablishment, to Miss Elizab e L Charlotte Henrietta M urray Staveley, only daughter of ii Francis Staveley, Esq. On the 23d inst. at Rottingdean, Sussex, Lieutenant Joachim' R.N., to Elizabeth, third daughter of Thomas Beard, Esq. avid On the 21st inst. at St. John's Church, Manchester, Mr. 1) r id Thomas, of Charlton-upon-Medlock, merchant, to Anne, sew n daughter of the late Mr. George Bramston Roberts, of Dub . 11 1 . 1... On the 16th inst. at Charlton Mackrell, Somerset, Wlta. 3 _ j ' s t Lewis, Esq., of Woburn-place, Russell-square, to Anne, eldest daughter of the late Titus Livie, Esq. On the 23d inst. Halsey William Tyrwhitt Drake, Esq.,, l of to Emma, thi r d d aug ht er o f th e l a te Jos e ph Halsey, 1 0 1' Gaddesden Park, Herts. _ DIED. On the 23d inst. Rosetta Marianne, the infant daughter (dale Rev. Alfred Williams ' of Burton-cresent. On the 23d inst. at York-buildings, New road, James Ma d Siordet, in the Seth year of his age. e On the t..2d inst at Kennington-oval, of inflammation of t brain, Mr Thomas Scott, draper, of Walworth aged 36. - On the 23d inst. at Enfield-chase-side, after a long illn e :j Henry, youngest son of Mr. Noble, of Charing-cross, in his year. rs. On the 24th inst. at Forest-hill, Sydenham, of Asiatic eholet,4 Stephen Howell Phillips, Esq., of Norfolk-street, Strand, 35 hi years, after a few hours' illness, —doe PRINTLD AND PUBLISHED BY MU it DO YOUN (I, AT 111 AO ° SUN OFFICE, 112, STRAND, LONDON. Ward