The Express.
London, England, 1861-12-18 00:00:00

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.—Dr.c. 17.

&Wogs at Nisi Prius st Guildhall.—(Belose Loot Cliki
Justice Cockburn and • Elpselahlory.)

, .
The court was occupied during ti. dab day in trying
dor came of Abuja& v. Robison:a sad &soar, involving a
question as to the liability of the dipleadmata to Fry *Main
dock charges ; but am d,stails did trot mewl any feature of
"moral interest.

COURT OF EXCREQI7ZR.—Dsc. 17.

Sittiags at Nisi Pries at Gadaltall—(Hidan the Lord
Chief Baran sad Special Juries.)

1T17681 V. "LLOTD'S WIIU.T 1111W/L. "-TRADi

110CIZTUIL -MIL.

The declaration is this awe dated that the defesdant bed
published of the plaintiff the following malicious sad de•
famatury libel :

" DAVAIS IN THZ DARK.

" We are overwhelmed with letters from independent oor-
respoodnte complainiog of the doings of Messrs. Stubbs,
Perry, and 00. Ao Icahn gentleman is especially Wawa
with this namely in free England, He asks whether we
shall suffer that en this land of freedom, of justice, and of
hospitality, mesh reputations shall be silently and secretly
assailed, and that black mail shall be levied on the timid?
Tradesmen or profusionh men who happen to owe even the
most trifling sums may fled themselves io one of the black
list, Mr. Perry, for intense, inn',/,' weekly private list for
subscribers only,' with this entice under the title, vie.:—
• The information herein being strictly confidential, sub-
scribers are reminded that ft must neither be shown
sort communicated to any other person.' This artful
warning is inteuded to create subscribers. Mr. Perry want.
his MMus! 3/. Is, for the information his circular affonla
It is clear that the calculations of these trade protectors are
Weed upon the fears as well as the meatiness of their cus-
tomers. There are tradesmen who will condescend to
patronise • spy, in the hope that he may now and then
Mad them from clanger. On the other hood, there an
foolish ion who fear the lash of the protector. They are
afraid that, not subscribing. they may be describedies wind;
not very win to go into business with such people,' whereas
a little subscription puts them forward as • good people,
very respectable , and with good business." It is easy to per-
ceive the tyranny the 000ductors of • persecuting
system of this description may exercise, not over wealthy
tradesmen, bat over the poor and struggling moo, who may
be missed by an evil word. It is 'swab that we have secret
policemffices springing up In our midst, without suffering
the degradation of surveillance by the bravo who holds •
dagger in one had and • subscription form io another. It
in the bounden duty of every honourable man to help to put
as end to this disgraceful system of espionage. The lan
are strong enough to punish offenders. There is ample
security openly offered to every rosn's booms by the police ;
he nide so skiable& detective. oo his threshold. Bet
Madwomen en net slow concerned ia putting aside theme
demon la the dark ; men of all degrees are affected by
them They strike at the practice of the yang doctor;
they lay bare the paroling difficulties of the student. All
classes, therefore, should ' take action.' Tradesmen should
decline tee be ' protected. and customers should refuse to
dial withen77 of the subscribes to private lista."
The del sdsnt pleaded nay " Not
Il guilty."
lira lerjewt Slue, Mr. Hankies, and *Mr. D. D. Rene
were newel for the plaintiff. Mr. Serjeant Ballantine re-
presested the deferdant.
Mr. fieneint Shea, in opening the case maid that the
piaisUff in this actin Will Mr. Stubbs, of Stubbs' Trade
Protection Society, and the proprietor of StoUt.' Gaunt. '
and the defes.Lint was the proprietor and publisher of
Lloyd's Weekly New*. The action, which was for libel,
was brought um:tribe following circumstanoes
Off. who bad suss-rani his father is the same
earned on • trade protection office of • most esteeming Ars
actor. The central office was in Ludo's, and there were
breach offices in Birmingham, Glasgow, Edin'oorgh, and
Dublin ; sad when he told them there were on the list of
',heathers at U. 10e. • year the names of *OOO gentlemen
Litla trade, they would he *wan of the high apprecia-
whish the services whisk the eeelety rendered to the
waisbell. ?be eirvies thus reedited to
tbelligraemmercieleill= wee this, that It pee to all personsby
its publication sad machinery thehest possible means of pre-
venting the saissidef of lemmas he.! debt.. Stu Um/ rinzerre
rontaioed informatics of the highest importance to mercan-
tile num. It pre • statement of all warrants of attorney,
all cogoorita, all jadps' orders. and .11 hills of sale which
were registered in the public Aloes, and which documents
give • prefereuce to those who lad obtained them over all
other creditors, and therefore it was of the utmost imput-
ative that mercantile men should know whether lb* property
of wrung with whom they wove dealin was pledged to
others When be told them that during the week pnor to
the publication of the Uazeto which he held in his had
these had been 12 warrants of attorney and cognovita, 14
Iztirse orders, 242 bills of isle, and 210 county court
punts registered, they would estimate the value
of the isforw.atice thus afforded to the sulunlien to whom
this Gazette was • safe sod sure guide. Mr. Stubbs main-
taint • staff sod machinery to do fur Use mercantile com-
munity what each individual could cot do for himself. Its
object was to give to the great majority of the traders of
mat city and of this great country the advantage of
61r deabog—it was with thin object that this trade protec-
Mem cake had been established ; and thus it was counten-
anced and supported by the mercantile world. It stood to
nun that if any man did not perform the work which he
undertook thoroughly, honestly, and conscientiously, so far
from doing a service, he would become • perfect pest,
sod would Min ruin on thousands : so that he
could hardly comeive any charge more disgraceful
against a man in Mr. Stubbs' position than that be had put
mosey is his pocket to destroy the character of au honest
tradesman, or to represent • man whom he knew to be un-
worthy as one who should be trusted. If they found that it
wen the delineate intention of the writer of this libel to
salt* out such • charge, no doubt he had done his very best
sot only to destroy the plaintiff's trade, but to bloat his
character. The harped unsint. having read the libel,
proceeded to say that it put the plaintiff on the level with
the midnight assassin, and Mr. Stubbs being determined to
challenge the defenslaut, who did not now dare to justify
his words to the proof, had brought this action.
Mr. Stubbs. the plaintiff, was then called is support
of the Matament m-stie by his learned counsel.

Air. florieeat BeMottoe thee addreeeed the jury for the
&keen He said the plaintiff wee a young gentleman —•
en, yang ipatlantaa indeed to Mks apte hinineN the