The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-16 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCIIIT.—STArroaD, MAR= 14.
(Won Mr. Justin* Crompton.)
HAMPTON V. ALLII.—ACTION 101 BLAND®.. _ _

In this ease the plaintiff claimed damages from the de-
feat/sat, in consequence of slander alleged to have been
uttered by the latter.
Berjeant Pigott and Mr. Gray appeared for the plaintiff ;
and Mr. Eileston, Q.C., and Mr. Griffiths for the de-
feedant.

Plaintiff is vicar of St. John's church, Wolver-
hampton, and has been a clergyman for thirty-
eve years. In 1863 he gave up the chirp of St.
James's, Liverpool, where he had officiated for fourteen
years, and was appointed to the incumbency of St. Luke's,
Holloway. Here he remained for about two rears, when, in
mosequeaos of a charge brought against him by some of the
membees of hie eongrega doe of misapplying certain moneys, he
resigned. He was followed by many of his congregation
to • chapel in the neighbourhood, where he preached with-
out a license until about nine months since, when, with the
approbation of the Bishop of London, he undertook his
moment obsess. Though refused a license for the Holloway
district he had never been suspended. The defendant was
at this time organist of the church to which the plaintiff
was appointed, and was shortly afterwards, through the
lastrumentality of the latter, requested to resign his situa-
tion. He complied with the regal., end • few days after
the event, in croaversation with a member et the
doe, wail alleged to have uttered the dander wiatrair
be was charged. To this individual he wee said to have
made the following statement :—"Hr. Hampton will shortly '
be found out. He is now living in adultery with • u
whom he represeuta to the public as his daughter. penes
also been charged with theft, his been euspeaded the
in bishop, and is consequence oompelled to
license." The plaintiff had in 1841 separated from g
wife In consequeorm of her intemperate babita. The daughter
of the latter Mill continued to reeide with her stepfather
until 1848, when ohs wee married. Pear years afterwards
she separated from her husband, and again returned to the
plaintiff, over whose household she has ever since presided.
The imputation of adultery was of course denied, although
it was admitted that repwts to the same effect had been
circulated in other localities. Respecting the alleged mis-
appropriation of the money, the plaintiff uederwent a long
erces.examination, in the mune of which he admitted that,
out of • sum of money collected for the erection of • church
at Holloway and placed in his custody, he had in a moment
of embarrassment used 2001. for his own purposes, intending
shortly to ropey the amount. The money was required within
• week, sod in order to meet the difficulty • sub-
eniption amongst his Moods was neoeseary. Elie
had also applied 12/. of the sacrament money to the
payment of a poor clergyman's rent. It also transpired
that • committee of inquiry, appointed before Kr. Hamp-
ton left the Holloway district to investigate these and other
matters, amongst which IMO the charge of adultery, had
acquitted him of all blame. For the deletes it was
contended that the evidence of the principal witness for the
prosecution was • fabrication. The defendant himself was
placed in the box, and positively denied that he had made
the charge of adultery. Hie words had, he said, only
amounted to se maation that the plaintiff had been
with misapplying money at Holloway, and that=
been suspended by the bishop. This 'barmiest he believed
to be perfectly true. Ultimately the deader was restricted
to that part of the defendant's statement in which was con-
tained the imputation ci adultery.
After addresses from the learned counsel on each side,
sad after his lordship had summed up, the jury deliberated
about half an hour, when they returned • verdict for the
plaintiff ; damages, one farthing.
The hearing of the case occupied the attention of the
court daring the whole of the day.

NOBTHKRN CIRCUIT.—Yost, MAica 14.
(Balm Yr. Bane Xartis sad H special jury.)
BATINUDGE O. atIINSON. —HIRAM Of PROM= 01

WARILkaI.

Mr. James, Q.C., and ltr. Maine, ware for the plaintiff ;
Mr. °mead, Q.C., was for the defendant.
The plaintiff is a dressmaker at Appleby, and is 52
yews of age, and the defendant is a respectable tanner at
the same place, andel., years old. They Lid been lovers for
• very long period—sines the time when the plaintiff was
17 or 18 yeas of age. The defendant bad often promised
the plaintiff but for family mindaratioes he post-
poned the emit, not Ming desirous of displeasing his near
relatives. At first he promised that the marriage should
take place at the death of his father, and when he died some '
yaw ago the defendant said he would wait until the " old
girl meaning his mother, departed this life, sad she died,
said Mr. James, at the very mature age of ninety and Dine
years. (A laugh.) This latter event occurred at the latter
end of last summer, when the plaintiff called upon the de-
fendant to fulfil the promise he had repeatedly made, but
as be declined the present action was brought. By virtue
of that promise the defendant had, as an early period of hie
mortally with the plaintiff, been guilty of a very nnjusti•
table act. The plaintiff, believing that she should become
the defendant's wife, had yielded to his desires, and the re-
sult was the birth of a child, now • young woman 24 years
of age. That the praline had been made was not disputed,
and therefore the only question to decide was as to the
amount of damage the defendant should be wiled upon to
pay. It was proved that be was possessed of landed, per-
usal, and other property, amounting in value to upwards
of 1,8001.
Mr. Overand went to the jury in mitigation of damages,
conteeding that u to some of the property said to belong
to the deJetdant there was • dispute about it, and proceed-
inrarre now readies in Chancery.
jury retired, and were absent for thru-yearters of an
hour, when they folind for the plaiatiff—demages, 2504

NORTH WALES CIRCUIT.—WiazapooL,
MAIOII 13.
(Before Mr. Berea Bramwell.)
TIM LLANIDI.OIIII IMMO, RIOTS.

Edward Edwards, John Armen, John lona, sad Jame
Milk four rrepectabie-looking mechanics, were charged
with unlawfully intimidating electors from voting at this
county election on the 12th of July, 1862, at Llaindlors.
The prisoners pleaded not guilty.
This ins a ease arising out of the last election for the
county of /doetiontery, w►ea Kr. Charles Williams Wynn
(conservative) was returned by s large majwity over his
o RCaptida Tracey (liberal), now Lord Webs,. A
body of 400 or 500 men assembled at laSaidleia, who pre-
vented the Wynn voters going to thepoll, Twelve of the
riagleaders were committed is October last for trial, but of
these the grand jury. on Thundery, fond "no
spinet all bat the above four.
The jury brought in a verdict of Guilty, and each of the
primmer, WM matensed I. three months' imprisonment.

Tmi Bironautzes Wm.—Purrs AND IaDDIN'II
WIDDIM•FIZI
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fee or 11. Meei.-4. New beadoseme. W.—(meersisuseas.)