The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-19 00:00:00

Ulu intelligence.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.—TnsTERDAL
Nsit Patel AT Oolth aALL.—Bloeral TU lei Chi! UMW AIM
• LOWDoeI SIZOAL
GRATIS O. BUNSIT.—LIBBL.
This wea an orlon to recover etssinmeatiml le 'lmages
for a libel, to which the illehadast pleaded, firstly, not
and secondly, a Jostlitmlisa. Heetieg, Q.C.,
and :tr. Barstow', were leg the plabiliff; end Sir Frederick
Thesiger and Mr. Mastsgas Ilmdth km the defendaot.
In the year 1a47 the plaintiff, Robert Grua, wee am
ployed ae/a sub-sorter of letters in the General Poet-office. At
that time considerable publie interest wu melted on the sub Jase
et letter carriers being rege bed to collect information for the
" Post-case Directory," published by • Mr. Sally, who was
employed as an begetter ot lettirecarrien in the Peat aloe.
The matter was brought by Mr. Dancombe, M.P. for
Finsbury, before the Rouse of Commons, end the plaintiff
was one of the prams who had supplied the hon. gentle-
man with information. About this time a mac named
Abraham Thacker, a letter sorter, was indicted at the
Central Criminal Court on • charge of stealing letters and
sentenced to transportation That penon had else, It cep
rand, furnished Mr. Dancombe with infuriaation. A short
the, beton:Ma trial a conversation took place at a public
house, called the Nonlethal' Castle, between seven' men
empleyed in the Past-office ea the subject of the robbery.
In the course of converser's' the plaintiff (as alleged) said to
one of the witemece, named Rebut Watts, " Whatever you
say let at be the truth aid etiek to it." Another version of
the c invereation was conveyed to the Pat-office autho-
rities by Watts and another men named Thomls, and
the v-ode being repeeseoted as if the plaintiff had
tampered with the wilaimma, he war discharged hose kit
Wank* by the Poetmeatero I, after en examination
by his lordship of the persons by whom the statement wee
made. The examination took place so the 3rd of July, sad
en the 10th of the same month an article appeared la the
John Bull 'newspaper, of which the defendaat was the re-
gistered proprietor, criticising the conduct of Mr. Dula
combe, In reference to the coons he had adopted with re-
spect to the case et the letter swim. A second article was
pubii.hed on the 24th of the same month, which inter ells
anstaised the following worda:—" A worthy associate of
Abraham's is fishing up dirty matters far Mr. Duce:nate, of
the vinous same of Grape. Robert Grapes has since been
dimmed from the FeateMise for endeavouring to tamper
with the witticism by whom endgame Thasket's guilt was
roved. 'I have received a gnat deal of Information from
Grape', genii the hon. member for Finsbury—(information
we opine is sot the only Ming he has received from Gaps);
and, theeefore—(4, ! of osume)—and thereforisobia sharp
of tampering bias been trusteed up and poor Crapes has been
plucked before he was ripe.'" The article then proceeds
• Meanwhile we hope he (Mr. Dunemett, wall behave
generously to poor Grapes, end alums, him into a good
place of some sort or other, sine* at le meet manifest he ham
lon the nos he had in consequence of doles hi. (Mr. Dun-
comb-'l9 dirty—so, we mesa snow whim—work. Abraham
(aLuding to Thacker) ia the bullte,;and Grape. pining, per-
biro, in • beck garret upon nothing a day, and fin/bug hire-
selt.• "I his the plaintiff considered • libel on Ids ammeter, and
some months after, viz., on the 12th of November, a letter au
beat by him to the proprietor of the newspaper, demanding
the name of the author of the article. In reply an offer was
made to insert say esplanades of the case which might be
heedelefy, bat the pbusiiff having first had an interview with
the provender, end seen the manuscript or the article, tom-
maused u actions which was triad before Mr. Bents Pint in
December, ledj. Subsequently a new trial was rtated,Und
the plaintiff sow sought to recover damage* for the alleged
DM L These beta were supported by synral witnessed
Mr. Heap, the landlord of the Nottingham Castle, de-
posed that he heard the plaint fl soy to Watts, " Don't my
more than is neteehliTT, but speak the truth sad kto it."
Si, F. Thedger, is Ids allows' to the jury lot the de
leaden', commented ea the absence of mot aa the t
U.e editor of the taws:art, who could have no perpart osonal
fee lug melon the plaintiff', and contended that it was at t a
Lbal. He sou, however, prepared to support the truth of
the statements cohtsined in the article.
A lad in Me cffiee of the newrpsjxr deposed that the
plaintiff called and Saw the def. ad cut en the subject of the
terdclea. Theanusaipt, which war in the handwriting of
the late Mr. Unitised, the editor of the JoAn Bull, "Ns
shown to him bi eke attenuant.
The Marquis of Clearkarde said he was Postmaster Gene-
ral is Ibl7, and certain papers acre breuglit before tint rr-
latirg Grapes, Watts, and Thomas. Oa the 3rd of July,
Grains made ea explanation relative to these statement/ in
the presence of the other two. A minute of the statements
was made, end the impreadon on his was that the ex •
planation gives by Drapes was not eatisfletorT. ate Erm-
an vie were read, and were to the effect that Crams Lad cc -
de,, ~red to deb r Watts from speaking the entire truth.)
Ilia lordship added that he directed that Gaps should be
dismissed the aerobe, end in cromeameineWs stated that
when b:fore Lim Drapes dented the securaey el the import
of the staiement.
C loan klaivrl3, the aecretaty, sad Mr. Peesock, ttl• soli.
titer t, the l'oe: cur.te, were alms remised. The former
gentleman etated that he bad no recolkedos that Grapes
e spitesc d r de-ire to limn any whir redeems called in
the ,sardine ion before the Postanaster-Oeneral. Grapes
rltrii.il the statement of Watts, and minced that be had
told him to spzak the truth in eeteeeece to the um of
Than ter, and that by the enpree.ion "Jon't know too mach,"
ha only meant to say that he was it speak t'.• tenth.
Robert Watts mid be was a letter-catritr in 1547, and
cep' he to the fact of Thacker having been charged with
au eihng letters. On the ant hire ot the tame day be was at
the Nottingham Cattle, and had some convenaticie with
Thom. and Urge., deo plaintiff, on the subjeet of the
robbery. Grapes told witness he should have to go before
the inspector on the subject nest mornii g. Witmer asked
bow he knew that I Grapes replied, "Fee= Mike's
Bray' "—a cant phrase, adding that be was not 03 ray ton
much, and that the v could set e.o anythirg to him if be said
nothing. Wade. said they should sot get much out of
him.
H. Thomas generally corroborated the atalement. Crepes,
he said, told Watts to say as little as risible.
Seer rill other witnesses gave testimony ten Wailer purport.
Mr. Keating trplird, and
The Lord Chief Baron bristly mussed up,
The jury returned a Verdict for the detendant. It was,
however, arranged that the verdict should be for the plain-
tiff on the petrel Mae, and for the defendant on the second,
which was, anbatantially, e verdict for the defendant.