The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-05-24 00:00:00

Legal.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, Xxv 11.
REID O. HEARD.

LIBEL.

Mr. M. Sinitl: moved for a role calling upon Mr
Clement Heard. the proprietor if the Beid:/traere 7'Par•
t • show Clllse why a criminal information not r
1101 against him for • libel charging the laintiff. •
who resides at Burnham, with lv
practised bribery in favour iif Colonel Tynte and Mr.
Kinglake at the late election fur Bridgwater
The libel complisinedof charged tie pleintilr with
having come into town with the "sinews 0
air," that lie opened an aim! Lir the purchase
of votes in a slangliter•house, anil "
them down" at £25 a head. Mr. Reid who was a 11r4:
landed proprietor in the neighbotirlossl, denied in tle
most positive terms, that lie took any pert in the tile :tion
Ile 'nail iin the day of the polling grow over to Itridg
! ivater, and hail inquired at Colonel TiriltC alla Mr
Kinglake's committemroom the state if the all. Mr
smith then read the libel :—" At the last moment
when terror awl glismay were evident y depicted 1110)11
the face of the Liberal party. and it being as well-known
tll theM at it was to the l'unservati‘ca that 3ilessrs.
I's I wick Mill Westropp had a tier and decided majority
the promised votes up to the time of commencing the
poll, a friend in need Caine forward in the person of a
neighbouring gentleman, well known for his lore oh
electioneeuing •101 fur his orchids. and brought into the
Liberal Cause tlme sinews of war. The tieWX ataill spread.
An office fur tl.e purchase of votes was opened in a
chsugliter•lionse at the back of a butcher's premises, and
we are told that • man of the name of Jenkins, a clic-
',enter, and deacon of a Baptist chapel, formerly a
butcher, and now a small farmer. WM 11114411 e.! cashier.
A band of sups:rum, e:aries, Radical Scutchuien, Gi—
senters, and we are told even professing preachers of
the Gospel, ran about amongst the venal electors and
drove them into the slaughter.lmuse, where they were
knockt d down at the rate of a head to forfeit their
promises to vile for MeSSI,I. l'adwick aunt Westropp,
and were driven to the tall to vote for Colonel 'mute
and Mr. Kinglake." Mi. Reid depostsi in his affidavit
that on the 21111 of May lie call, 1 at the defendant's MO
asked to see the Tint,:, as lie ha,' heard there was a panic
in the Money•market 41111 Saturday. The defendant said
" I hove not got the Ti null. There was a panic here
on Seturilay. We all know you brought the money
here awl bribed the electors. I wish you had been to the
devil or in London instead of heitg here." (Laughter.)
The plaintiff illenical the imputatien, and that ien)al Ile
lipw repeated no oath. bird I 'auipbell.— You have
established your case for a rule. The libel iMplitra very
grave and indictable offences, little nisi accordingly.

JESKINs

Mr. Smith also moved for a rule fir a Criminal in
formation against the ilefeielant, who is the proprietor of
the Somerset Coast,' Heruld, for having published the
same libel. Mid which redected on the plaintiff. charg-
ing him as having acted as cashier for the purchase of
vote. The plaintiff denied the truth of the statement,
and he felt bound to prikaced that be might clear him-
self from the imputation.—laird Campbell mid that
peat licence was generally allowed at the elections, but
such grace and scandalous charges could not be endurtal,
and the learned counsel might take a rule. Rule nisi
accordingly.

COURT OF QUEEN'S KENO!,
GUILDHALL 31AV 18.
(Sitting at Nisi Prins he/ore Mr. Jetsam WiGHTUAN
UN(' a (Amnon Jury.)
CLAPraltiON V. CHAIIILEswOHTH.
Mr. Edwin Jame% 4.C.. and Mr. Henry James
appe.red for the plaintiff; Mr. M. t'hambers,
and Mr. Prentice for the defendant.
This was an action in which the plaintiff sought to
recover damages for • breach of promise of marriage.
The plaintiff. Lydia Llapperton, was a daughter of •
bookseller at Ittalishury, and her age Mats variouely stated
at from 30 to 40, but it eventually oettleil down, on the
evidenee of her sister Agnea, at 42. Thu defendant,
Samuel rharlesworth, was a somewhat elderly gentle.
lien, of the mature age of 68, who raw secretary to the
Moorftelds tiaaingw-bank, and resided in furnished
, lodgings on the worm,' floor of a " periodical shop" at
No. 82. Ehory-street. Pimlico. It at peare.l that in the
month of August in last year Alias Lyilia. slid a Younger
outer 111•1111P.1 Agnes. went to Margate. and lodged at A
boarding-house in that place. Among the pany
there was an elderly gentleman named Lowin and the
ili•fendant. The parties all lioardvl together, and it waa
not long before the plaintiff Lydia Clapperrov. and the
defendant, Samuel Charlesworth, mutually fell iii love.
Prom the correspondence which afterwards took place
between them it would seem that while at Margate they •
enjoyed " a few happy hours" in each other's c Deny.
Anil they soon made an engagement to be married.
After A very short stay at Margate the defendant
brought the plaintiff and her sister Agnes to town, all in
the same boat, and on the 20th of September he wrote
her an affectionate letter, in which, after alluding to
the few happy hours which they had enjoyed in each
others society at Margate. lie Said lie limited forward in
anticipation of " the many happy years" which lie hoped
they might Lave together. The letter wan so follows :
" Eliury.street, &mt. V. lakt.
"My Dear Lydia,—lt is with great pleamre I redeem my
promire to crib eto you, but vit hi ei short a time since I
bud had the happiness of seeing you I ha‘e no news to
send.
"I look hack with the most pleasurable recibirs on the few
happy hours we have enjoyal iii met other's tympany, and
look forsard in anticipation of the many happy years I hope
we may have together. Let us, say dearest one, le all In all to
each other.
" I shall be on the tiptoe of expectation to receive from von
a letter, which you kindly promised me at the end of this
week, and hope in it you will send me • budget of good
The portrait of my unworthy self I will forward to you so
early as pmsible this week. Earnestly hoping that you arrived
home in safety, and are enjoying good health and • large flow
01 good spirits,
"I am, my dearest Lydia, yours sincerely and affectionately,
"SAIItEL" !
, The portrait alluded to in the above letter was produced :
, In evidence. It was duly acknowledged by the plaintiff, ,
with the assurance that it made her " quite happi."
'ad that it was the opinion of her sister that, if the