The Express.
London, England, 1864-05-12 00:00:00

COVET OF COMMON PLEAIL-MAY 1L

&Wage at NW Prim iailtiddlo-pes7r6;tore—i; J-Ztita
Bytes sad • Ooomos Jury.,
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wu.Latia c was:co.—um. —szaiociiiiiAsass Aaanter

PAJII3II 0775011 iii.
This was an action to recover amines for two alksed
libels p si in the Shore:l9A Observer. The first libel
was published on the sth October, 1861, and was in these
term :—"A common liar end shaderer.—ltowie time ago,
ea of readers may recoils* sad that mom the comics of
Saki* sans perish coatraoki in Shareditok, • men named
Willissas, of the New North-road, *Laded • committee
sad switi • statemest to the effect that all the odious of
the.matty,u well as many of Its member", bed been bribed
bd=stices, bat nose loin premed for the sma& he
to give either that of the briber or the
sista that this fellow was mit te to
=Ullitieleo oath, as he was a welf-va
and alandtrer, whose *jest was to billow u
the vestries sad extort mossy hem the contemeters.
Similar etatemente were made to the Obirkeawell
vestry with • like memalt. We bed lost sigh* of this fellow
for souse time, bat now find that he bas tossed up duns,
the last few days both at Wlhitechapel aad 'sliest*. At
the former place he messed the °floors from the clerk I
downwards with dimboomt traumatism, and coolly isformed
that board that in Shoreditch he had been the means of
saving 2,0091. oat of • contract that was to be made for
8001.; sad that he bad proved that 1201. had been distri-
bated amoeg certain vestrymea. These charges he offered
to prove, and • committee was appointed to bar sad boss-
tigate the allegation& At the vestry of Lliagbs me Friday
last be made similar charge, and samaM en officer of
beteg privy to the parish being defrauded, and a committee,
was oleo appointed. Now, as far as the Mtat/ID•Dt made at
Whitachapel in reference to the Shoreditch vestrit aa-ci
can
coo-
versed. we propane, it to be • goateedn
lie. FM fellow las not bees the mesas of saviag •
si for sot • ward that he mid was believed,
•nd ao malt followed, sad we do sot believe a word
as to the bribing of the vestrymen, for not an Mom
of it was proved, nor do we believe that he bas the
slighted foundation for any of the statmeo a be has
made to the other vestries. One thing L maim a
scemp like this thus going about from ;Moe to
away the :characters of basest and in-
dustrieus~parochal allows and vestrymen, is • proceed*
that ought not to be tolerated for • moment, aad we hope
that those poems who have boa vilified will see •l ther
the law is sot strops enough to punish such • fellow. We
believe that say vestryman of Shonditich may indict him
for • libel in respect of this charge of bribery if he has pat it
in writing, and we ere not quite sere whether it is set the
duty of the vestry collectively to take similar steps to vindi-
cate the characters of its members wham they are assailed
is this Till**, manner." The next *Mama ex-
plained of was: published about Chriekase, 1862 ;
it was • report ef moo proaiedinp at • mhos
mart, bat the principal thing relied os by the plaintiff
wee that the report cootalned the words, " the informer
Williams." The defendant, ii addition to sot guilty, justi-
fied am one the whole of the alleged libel, except that pest
which maid that the *MOE was an Wormer.
Yr. Digby Seymour, Q.C., Mr. Sleigh, sad Yr. Hydd
appeared for the plaintiff ; and Mr. Serpent Port and Mr.
Pause for the &readmit.
Is opeulag the case It was mid that the plaintiff was •
coffeehoomkeepir n the New North-rond, Wimp*, sad
mho a contractor for eateries roads sad clammier! streets.
His object in Missive this action was to vindicate himself
from the charges contained in the libel, which be loud
were seriously interferiag with bier is his bosisses.
Mr. Williams, the pleintiff, cold—l reside et No. 292,
New North-road. I was formerly is the t ci a
contractor, and since him death I have attem myself to
get marries contracts in Shoredrich posh, bat I was
thwarted by the wafair proomediop of vestrymen. lam •
csffeehoosiskesper as well, but for the lest mu or mesa
yam I have WWI particularly devoted my attrition to
r mohial matters mid to the contract system imparimbes,
of my Intestiptions, I have hid laformaticas
ainal=le"n ce
oomphiste at times, but I sever mode say charge
the truth of which I did not believe. When I have applied
to persons in the way of bulimia they have referred to theme
libels. I have been refused ooettuata is this way.
Creemexamined—l have sever bees able to obtain public
contracts for myself in coasequeace of the roguery prac-
tised by parish officers and comorectors. I have DO hones
or carte, bet I have the means of obtaining them if I wasted
them. I consider a contract to be this, that • man does •
certain work for a metals sum. I have made hundreds of
contracts.

you Mr.
have Sernaot Parry—Give me an instance of the °emirates
had.
Witness-1 have driven a cab, and recanted to carry
condemn from one place to thither. (Loud laugher.)
I have also 000tracted to manufactore pitholorter.
(Laughter.) lam in that business sow. 1 have • manu-
factory in itegeet'a-reed, Stionditch. I have respresseted
myself as a contractor for pariah work, and I conidder my.
self nob whew I make • Wader to ferry out end work. The
first time I west to Shore:lnce to make a Wrap was was
after the letting of the meant. oe the lfitk of March, 1861.
I charged the parish offioers with beiag is collasion toge-
ther. and I mean what I said. I charged some of the ves-
try ofikers aid cootructore with bang is °Winnow. I was
asked to throe seine individuals, and I rind Mr, Deakins
and Mr. Stevens as being in collosiou with Mr. Wyes,
•'the favoured coutractor." who was to takes contract that
year in Shoreditch. I charged them with brag mthersed
putting two 101. notes into a fictitious tender to ddrend
the parish. I ban no rnollecties of taring that Mr.
Dans, the vestry clerk, was the of the parties. I believed
at that period that be was 0660eCilli with the 'them
but 1 bare thee found that such was eat the ease.
and I have *eulogised to him for using his name. Ido not
recollect charging Mr. Davis, nor his soya* "Yon are a
liar." I know Millen—leaky Miltoa, as we call him is the
trade. (Latcr.) Hs was a ooatrader. H. has said
engsetlemanly things, but be sever said that I was a liar
aid a Wanderer, and that he would Da believe me epos
my oath. I sort went to Clerkeewell, and charged the
officers god cogitators with being in eellusiom, and the re.
solt was that the Aker tamed (leacher we. dismiss& I
never applied to (leacher for • 101. eels : all my envier
have bees gratuitous. Is imesequathe of threats in Clierken-
well I proceeded to lallagtoo, sad made Gerais statements
to the vestry. The eaten of the charge ins that the parish
officers famished the onetractors with the means of makimr
out tallithim seesents. I was formerly memos to Jame@
Soriano& • costrathe, and I said that I myself as his servant
bed made fallacious accounts, and delivered them to Wier
toe parish. I knew at the time that they were fallacious.
Mr. Justine Byln—You seed sot Rosen as to that
unless you like, for defog so may expose you to penalties.
Witness-1 wish to sate everythiog. I made out the
accounts by direction of my employer. I bed made out •
correct amount, sad so iI3OOIIIICI the was brought from the
vestry eMce. It would sot agree with my hooka, ad I
made oat another. I quarrelled with Somenall because he
was peeing other goes as Wog better to de the week, sad
sot heist se mark* them& Mr. Higgieq surveyor to the
sewers, finished amounts to make out false aceowits from.
I made • statimeal that the pariah was wronged to an
alarmism sated by instant's supposed to be delivered sot
being actually delivered.
Mr. Jonas Byles—These matters are set set out in the
plea, and, therefore, I cannot allow gentimese upon whom
innuatioon are coeds to be called to oonindist them. I
hope, therefore, that imputations will not be made 1111b0-
MairilMr. keneast• Parry—Tons of the gentlemen connected
with the perish care what this site.. mye of them.
Witaese—l made • written chugs aipthet Mr. Pisa, the
surveyor of latiegten. 1 oath charges in the City of la*•
doe ageing men for sweeping mud down the patisp. I
went to the vestry of Rt. James'''. Piccadilly, sal mode
statienests there. At Whitechapel vestry I charged the of
the officers with taking 31. ; aid 1 charged Mr. Terser, the
vestry clerk, with ireesivieg a hone by way el • bribe.
Shoreditch vestry offered 1/. reward for isthmian as to
mew sweeping mad does gully-holes ; ad I expected to
receive a reward when I gave isformatloo. I always Mimed
be take say share of the fines. I walk about all night,
sometimes to see if 1 cos find moo sweeping mod does
gully-holes. I applied to Mondial' vestry for TX. mostly
me account of informative of this kind.
In

the *nem asserted that bb Ant
tender bed hese ieterespted hy se sent of • esetraner, and
that pariah's wen defrauded in versns ways. Be mid that
Striae won " knock outs " aroma the entrecton to prevent
contracts being taken too low, and that fain quantities
ws: elb fo. He added that in Whitriobapel 3001. bed
la ri:Zat one "knees out."
Mr. Sorban Puffy addrinsed the fury far the ddesdast,
and said that he should prove fully that the natensets
made in the fun libel were true, and as to the mooed pub.
limbos, be should aeeteed that It we" se libel at all. It
was • report of the Mains .1 • saramoes spinet Mr.
Wyss, the ceetander, sad one of his mem awl who' the
reporter said that the parties appeared bikers the magis-
trate at the brefgailes "the informer Williams," be
simply nand the it* Us summons banes hen used
sport Informatics tarnished by the pleintiL
Mr. Davis, the vestry sten of inseeditch, stated that le
1861 the Pltldlß Treble to the menu • keg Wier, to the
course ban
tadisgspolikoaiket,".lld,orivesapoirkeyboyeervistry