The Press.
London, England, 1854-06-24 00:00:00

Sat an Volta.

THE PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS OT THE "MEDICAL
TIBIA:a" were defenda.nts in an action for libel brought
I?.Y 'Ter. IVekley,proPrietor of the Lancet and coroner
or Itlldalesex, 'in the Court of gileen's Bench. The
.
circumstances were explained' by' the Attorney-
:General, as counsel for the plaintiff:—
. naPpearod jhat, about thirty Kean ego, Mr. Wakley had the
misfortuue to have his house burned down wider very singular
cirturtimanees. The inaurante cOmpany. having refused to pay
the inaterance,,theought tit to defend an action which Mr. Wakley
brought egaiwit Utopia. 3'he jury returned averdiot in his favour
fur thu whola,tunptuit. and the company did not attetopt to die-
nub verdict; but paid the damages and costs. Air. Wakley
became it•Onhliatter early it, life, and exercised his talents in re-
forming abuses which existed iu the medical professiou, of which
~ha naa_Ammu,ber. Ile also went into politics, and, being re-
ttrnaldrfOr os d e the metropolitan boOo'n, Mid being actively

IIIIIIMMIMMIlmm••••1

Juitz.24.3_1854.

engaged in public life, had on more than one occasion had the
transaction which had been referred to—the burning of his
house—thrown in hie teeth. He had immediately come forward
and vindicated his character by bringing an action. in which
need
in ample damages. The matter having been mentioned
in the House of Commons, he bad received full and ample apo-
logy, and upon that occasion lair Robert Peel stated that Mr.
tvaley had fully and completely exonerated himself from all im-
putation. Thia, however, did not appear to be sufficient, for
some discussion having lately arisen between a gentleman who
wrote in Mr. Wakley's paper (the Lancet) and another gentleman
of the name of Wells, why. wrote In the Medical Timm, the gen-
tleman who wrote in the Lancet in joke alluded to Mr. Wells as
the " Muddy Wells." The very next week there appeared a pa.
ragraph In the Medical Tines, in answer to correspondents, con-
taining the libel complained of, alluding to the circumstance
stated—the burning of Mr. Wakley's house. It was in the fol.
lowing words:—
"To Correspondents.
"Oh! Oh!—lf such low vulgarity could be noticed, it would
be soy to retaliate by allusions to thejlery
" Damocles.—The case was tried in a civil, not in a criminal,
court. The jury awarded the sum claimed, but the oompany ob-
tained fresh evidence after the trial. The present Lord Truro
was eounsel for the company, and, on the strength of the new
evidence, called upon the gainer of the cause with the money in
one hand and a halter in the other. The risk of exhibiting in
Igewgau3 was too great, and the money was not accepted, and has
never been paid,"

After reiterating a denial of the charges insinuated
in the above libel, the Attorney-General stated that
Mr. Wakley did not wish to put damages into big
pocket, his only object being a full and complete vin-
dication of his character :
Mr. M. CHAMBERS, on the part of the defendants, was anxious
to take the earliest opportunity of stating that they were merely
the printers and publishers of the Medical Times, that they were
entirely ignorant of the fact that the libel in question had been
inserted in the paper, and that as anon as it was called to their
attention they, in the next paper that appeared, eoutredieted the
statement in the fullest manner in an address to correspond.
ants; he therefore trusted that the jury worild agree with him
that the defendants had done everything in their power to deprive
the libel of its sting, and they now wished to state that there was
not the slightest truth in the statement which had appeared in'
their paper, and to express the greatest regret that it should
have appeared. They also tendered the fullest apology to Mr.
Watley, and were ready to consent to a verdict against them such
as should carry all the coats which be had been put to.
The Arronsxv.43Exsear. said that the explanation and apo-
logy of the defendants was most satisfactory, and was ready to
secede to the proposition of Mr. Chambers.
Lord CAMPBELL thought the explanation and apology satisfac•
tory, and that it was a most proper arrngement to come to. He
wished to know what amount of damages had been agreed to.
Mr. CHAMBERS: 40e., my lord. Anything to carry coats.
Verdict for the plaintiff. Damages 40s.

111 ME.....

FowLun, a seaman belonging to a schooner lying
in the Thames, was charged at the Thames Police.
office, together with a comrade, with being drunk and
disorderly, and committing wilful damage on the pre-
mises of a publican in Wapping. The charges
seemed tolerably well proved; butithe circumstances
attending the capture of the defendant called forth
serious censure from the presiding magistrate upon
the conduct of the policeman (Marsh) concerned.
The defendant, according to Marth's own evidence,
had run away, and- when recaptured he (Marsh) had
sitruck him with his truncheon about the legs to pre-
vent him getting away again :
Mr. YARDLEY: You did? It is a very strange admission fora
evadable. Your staff is given to you only to be used in self-
itetence.
Marsh: I was very weak from the fall, and I was afraid he'd
•get away.
xeamay: Even so. Your staff, as I have already said, is
only to be used in self-defence, and not for preventive purposes.
e weichman who stopped the prisoner said, when he was
handed over to the constable, the latter belaboured him with his
staff in a most unmerciful manner on the legs, back, And body.
Mr. YARDI,EY: It is very extraordinary. I would have punished
Fowler severely fer knocking down the constable, had the latter
not conducted himself m the manner in which he did, but I
now discharge him. If be has any complaint to make against
the constable, let him go to the inspector, who will report it to
the commissioners of police. The other man is fined SlOs., or
eight days' imprisonment.
THE THEFT OF FOUR POUNDS OF COAL, value gd.
from the cellars of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
was the subject of an indictment against Joseph
Waite, who was tried for the offence on Monday at
the Middlesex Sessions. The prisoner, who #'s stated
to be a well-educated man, was, it seems, in the habit
of going to Downing-street twice a week to .receive
soup, which was given to him out of charity by
direction of Mrs. Gladstone. It was noticed that
every time he called he went into the cellar; and,
on the 25th ult., a footman on the establishment hid
himself behind the cellar door to ascertain what the
prisoner wanted, and saw him fill his pockets with
coal. He thengave him into custody. The jury
found the prisoner Guilty :
A witness named Woodman. wbo said ho was a scripture-
reader, gave the prisoner a good character.
Mr. Wrretx thought this a bad case. The prisoner went to
receive charity, and reps* the kindness shown him by taking at,
opportunity of committing petty thefts. Such conduct shut the
doors of charity, and he did not think he should be doing his
duty if he did not sentence the prisoner to six mouths' bard la-
bour.
A CHINESE BEGGAR was brought up at Marlbo-
rough-street Police-office by a
,police constable who
had watched his proceedings, which were somewhat
curious. Not succeeding in obtaining relief, after
sundry applications to passers-by, the defendant
threw himself at fall length on the pavement, and
commenced kicking and squalling in a most comical
and doleful manner. A gentleman who was passing
at the time, fancying he was ill, went up and asked
him what was the matter. Defendant then began
blubbering, and in very good English replied, " Me
got no monish, me got no monish !" The gentleman
then gave him sixpence, and defendant Wu about