The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-12 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS'.

MANSION HOUSE.
Tan Posr-orrica venous JOSEPH Aux.—Yesterday the
expected sopearanee of Joseph Ady to answer another com-
plaint made by the Post-office atrhoritiss brought together
a great number of people in the justice-reom. Mr. Peacock
, attended for the Post•office.
Ady WWI summoned under one of the Post-office acts fcr
haying neglected to pay the sum of 111. 6s. due to her
Majesty for the duty of portage, and to show cause why
warrant of distress should net be granted for the recovery of
that sum, pursuant to the directions of the statute.
Before the defendant appeared, he sent the following ex-
traordinary document to the Lord Mayor :
-

-- •
" Anno Decimo et undecimo Victorke Region, esp. 71,
entitled an Act for the more easy Recovery of Small Debts
and Demands in the City of London, 2nd July, 1847, Pogo
447, tr. 124. And be it enacted that nothing in this act
contained shalt be construed to alter or affect the Court of
Hustings in the City of London, or the Court of our Lady
the Queen holden beton the Lord Mayor and aldermen in
the chamber of the Guildhell of the City of London, or to
take sway, lessen, or diminish the powers and jurisdiction
of the said courts, or either of them, i. S. the two courts.
My Lord Mayen, this act, established for the more easy reco-
very of small debts, due., supersedes your viz. the Lord
Mayor sluing in the Poultry, and not at Guildhall. There-
for, I protest against your summons.
" Respectfully, Josurn ADT."
Upon appenting to answer the complaint, the defendant
read and handed In a paper, of which the following are the

contents:—
" I request and demand that my protest be noticed in the
journals of the court.
" My Lord Mayor,—Prior to pleading to the charge made
against me, I beg your lordship's sanction to an adjournment
of the cue to a future day, for the following reasons:—At a
late hour on Friday night, indeed after I had retired to
rest, your lordship's summons was left at my resi-
deuce. This summons calls me to answer nearly
fourteen hundred distinct charges, and I am invited
to inspect the whole of these letters, four hours only being
allowed me. On applying to Mr. Peacock for an adjourn-
ment, he refused one, offering, however, to extend the
time to be allowed for inspection four hours only. When
1 received this concession, two hones of the time had parsed
away, &sera' me but six hours to accomplish an impossi-
bility, as your lordship will readily perceive, when you
consider that it would give me less than a quarter of a
minute to inspect each letter. I am anxious, my lord, to
have full opportunity to carefully and more leisurelyio inspect
these letters; as lam advised that I may have ground
of deities against this claim, or at least • con erable por-
tion of it. Upon this ground, I trust your lordship will
grant an extension of time, as, upon such investigation, I
shall determine whether or not to call in professional aid.
What forgery is easier done than for that wretch, accursed of
Moses, ex-magtstrate of Greenwich, who was detected in
concocting Lake evidence, and bribing false witness
to support 500 of them ? (Laughter.) What is
easier than to print a few thousand imitations of
my circular intended for owners of unclaime dividends
printed in 1848 in the Bank, and direct each to
dead men who cannot mein them—(laughter)--and then
dooms have them returned to the Poet-office for the pur-
pose of putting me to expense."
The Lord Mayor said he had no alternative but to proceed
with the ease, and that it was well known the defendant
had been treated upon all occasions by the Post-office autho-
rities with the utmost indulgence.
Mr. Peacock then stated the ewe, as it was afterwards
supported in evidence, and said that the defendant had
resorted to the stratagemi of making hundreds of the letters
he had posted appear u if they had been stamped, and that
thestampe bad been removed from them.
Mr. William Scrivener, clerk in the Deed Letter Office of
the Post-ollos said—l produce 1,356 letters which have been
returned to the Dead Letter Office on account of the officers
not being able to deliver them to the persons addressed. I
have examined the letters. They purport to come from Mr.
Joseph My and the charge for the postage is 111.65.
W. Morgaa, assistant to the letter roomer in Fenehureis.
street, said Mr. Ady is in the habit of posting letters amyl
receivlag-house. On the 16th of Oct. 700 letters were pselQ
by Mr. Ady. They were unpaid, and most of them ben
marks as though they had previously been stamped and the
stamps had been taken off. They were mostly addressed le
farmers in the country.
My—Pray who posted those letters ?
Wnese—Yen did. You brought them in a beg with yea.
My—Olt ! very well (Laughter.)
Witness—l nandsed them immediately.
Aely—Canyes WWI that there were no stamps to them ?
Witases—l ems ewer that if there had been stamp upon
toss the 011101114 were eff when I received them.
A this desired *be allowed to examine the letters, and
apenine/dng at one of them asked whether the witness
null say that it had bad no stamp upon it ?
The witness—That was one of the 700 you brought in the
bag. You brought them to me inside, and gave them be'
my hands.
Usury Daniels, letter-carrier to the General Post-aka
mid—l tendered these letters to the defendant, and de-
manded 111. 61. postage on 1,356 letters. I saw the
defendant himself, and the answer he gave me was that
there was no money,
Ady—My Lord Mayor, you surely can't call that a refusal
to pay ? (A laugh.)
The Lord Mayor—Yon are 1100110011014 for haying
neglected to pay, sad the fact
re fol:sßx act paying is what the
law comaida or s neglecting to pay.
Ady—No man can swear that refused to pay. There
war no
1100211111 d protest against my conviction.
The Lord Mayer—Have you anything more to say, de-
fendant, than what your paper contained ?
My—No, I don't know that I have, but that I shall ap-
peal I do know.
The Lord Mayor—The evidence has satisfied me that you
owe for the postage of 1,356 letters, and you must pay 111.65.
and costs, amounting to 35., forthwith. There is no appeal.
Ady—Oh, yes, there is.
The Lord Mayor—Under what clause ?
say—Well, then, yon will allow me to protest?
The Lord Mayor—Certainly, you may protest if you
please. I have no objection at all to that ; but yon must pay
the messy nevertheless. (Laughter.)
the, requested to be allowed • month ; bat his lord-
ship sail the warrens should be forthwith issued,
OM it we In los Impel the defendant would take means of
wales se lingrosabis an ellsrutiva.
TM pules and seat wan phi WIN the mom:lingo
M as ity