The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-01-24 00:00:00

CLAIMs ON FRANCE.

COPT OF TILE EIIFEROR GF 111.7V1Ifi LETTFIt TO
/Dr. DUKE Or WEt.t.tlattioff.
t‘ Moscow, Oct. 30.
" Placed as yon is e, 14 tura Marshal, at the head of the
military force!: of the Enrol. au Alliance, you have conli
hided more than once, by the wisdom and ininleration which
distinguish you, to reconcile the most important interests.
I have constantly addresser' myself to you in all circum-
stances which might influence the consolidation of that Or-
der of things which was established, principally in France,
by your glorious exploits. Your rovrgy in act' your pea.
deuce iii council, have never ceased to produce the mutt de-
sirable results.
" Now that the quest' of private claims on France ne.
quires a critical and decided character, utt as ctiunt of the
difficulties presented by the literal execution of the Conven-
tion of November, I could not think it right to conceal my
opinion front the Monarchs, my Allies, out the mode of eon-
anterior this bnrdetisome engagement, so as to prevent its in-
fraction, and to render its exec-lotion possible.
" the assertions of the French (.overument are known
to y,n, my land Manihiki; my Minister at Pails has me-
ethic,' directions to comninnicalc to you the :Memorial
' which was drawn up under my eyes, relative to this int-
variant question. I invite yon to ha all your attention sill
the cosnexion of the motives of sight and political exoetli-
este, which are laid down ill this document, in support of
the principles of accommodatiou, which alone tan simplify
the complication inherent in the payment of private debts
which were imposed upon France at a time when it was out
easy to foresee their result.
" You, doubtless, appreciate, my Lord Marshal, all those
graver considerations which plead in favour of a system of
equitable conciliation; you will luring all the warmth of a
soul elevated to the height of the occasion to a question on
which depritils, perhaps, the repose of France, awl the in-
violability of the most sacred engagements. !Moderation and
good faith have hero, in our time, the sources of a healing
and beneficent power; and it is fur Him who !prepared and
furthered the triumph, to cause to be beard, in all critical
moments, the language of that same moderation, and of that
same good faith.
" psi this conviction, if I had still a wish to express, it
would be to see you lading, with the consent of so v Al-
lies, aml that of the parties interested, the principal lot of
the negotiation which may be opened at Paris on the ivies-
limo sit the private claims, and on the most equitable mode
of deriding it with the common consent.
" Receive, Marshal, the reiterated testimonies of my ea.
tire esteem. ibigned) " ALEXANDER."

LAW INTELLIGENCk.

(Coadsded from our oecoad Page.)

COURT or CHANCERY, U
FanoAy. J•ntJAILY 23.

This being the first ildy of Hilary Term. the
Loa'► CHANCELLOR. accompanied by their Mi.
nouns Sir Tnostss Pt.tistea, the Master of the
Rolla, and Sir JOHN LEACH, Vice-Chancellor.
Wok his seat on the Bench at one o'clock.

The Court was much crowded, it beitig the tiro
time of their Honours. hneisig taken their judicial
seat■ •t Westminster Hall.
Sir SAMUEL. ROMILLY having moved, the Lord
Chancellor bowed to them, and they ►etired:
The Lott) CHAPICEI.I.da—" lit the case of the
I ) I which is to be argued, Sir Samuel, do you
recoil. et the title of the cause ?"

Sir Sa?IUEI. ROMILLT—" Yes, my Lord ; Re-
vel!."
The LORD CHANCELLOR -" 'the Judges ltav'
appointed nest ‘Vednesday for sitting here to torsit4
me its my decision, after they have heir(' the srKu-
ment. Perhaps it may be as well for me to ion-
mate now to the Ilsr, that there will not be any
appeal causes heard in the House of Lords next
week ; and I may N 4 well .4141111 y alai). that it 1, my
intention to confine myself, as mud' as possible,
during this Term, to appeal cases, and those fur
further directions."
Davis C. HIS GRACE. TIIE DUKE OF MARL•
BOROUGH.

Mr. HART—" I have to request of your Lord.
ship, that yoit wil.l fix to-morrow rooming fur the
hearing of thi. Petition,"
The Lout) CHANCELLOR--" Let it he so."
The remainder ot the day was occupied in !wor-
mh motions, of no intrust except to the parties
concerned.

VICE CHANCELLOR'S COURT, WtsintigsTen,

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23.

CHARITY.

In the matter of RAVENSWORTH HOSPITAL.

Mr. Moults: stated, this was 31 Petition complain-
ing of the mistqoplication of certain funds belonging
to the Hospital, and pruviiig for the interpositions of
the Court, under the following circumstances ;
The Hospital was founded in an obscure village in
Yorkshire, for the support of 24 aged persons,
arid estates to a considerable amount were vested in
trustees, for the purpose of inaititaitiing these poor
persons. It was alleged in the Petition against the
IVardens of the Hospital, that they had engaged an
ulsiecessary 1111 l nber of (rinses, from the corrupt mo-
tive of relies ing the respective parishes to w le3 these
nurses belonged, from the burden th .y would
otherwise have been put to on the poor rates. The
Learned Counsel contended, that the appointmerst
of so many nurses was improper, inasmuch 114 it
was absurd to suppose that '24 persons would re-
quire seven nurses; and the persons mployed as
such were decrepit' and of great eve and the busi-
ness of the Hospital would certaiLly be much bet-
ter managed by two or three young persons being
engaged as nurses, as this y could' i erturni the dir-
ties of their office with Inure advantage to the in-
mates of the Ultispiral. Be,itlrs, in consequence
of the employment of so many nurses, the allow-
&Mee to the poor Lad been seduced from 40s. each
it month to 3ti.., and afterwards to 32;. The
Windt ns themselves had sliewit their conviction of
so large als establishment being ironecessary, by
their discharging one of the nurses, and increasing
the allowarice to the poor to 36.. 'fins haul, how-
ever, been done since the petition was pesented :
and such a cite suffice could not fail of being
strongly marked by the Court. The Petitioners
were supported in their application to the Court
by the master of a school attached to the Hospital,
as lie had declared his conviction of the employ-
ment of so many useless and infirm nurses to be
not only grossly wrung, but a nowt unjustifiable
waste of the funds of the Hospital ; itch this gen-
tleman had been 22 years in the situati 1111 l and wAs
therefore a competent judge of what was or was
not ail abuse. Under those ••ou•iderutiuus, lie
trusted that his Honour would give the relief pray-
ed for. _

Mr. BELL, Counsel for the Vl'ardens, contended,
that the allegatious in the petition were unfounded
and vexatious, and that on inquiry it would be found
that there was nut the !lightest groom! for com-
plaint. When the present Wardens assumed the
office, they found the Hospital iii such a state of
misery and filth, occasioned by vermin, as would
beggar description. There were only two our es
then, and they, age, were totally unable to do
any thing for the poor. The 11'aidens seeing that
the beds of the Hospital were repeatedly blotted iii
consequence of their polluted state, felt it would
be infiiiitely better, and more economical, to em-
ploy a comiwtetit Humber of nurses, and they
accordingly did so. The !hospital by fore this
was proverbeilly known for its filth, but now it had
as.unied a clean and creditable appearance, and
was in every respect admirably adapted to promote
the benevolent intentions of the founder. To prove
that this teas the case, he held in his hand a host of
affidavits made by several most respectable persons,
they being the clergyman and inhabitants or the
parish—and they declared. that from its former
miserable state, they were debarred from visiting it,
but that they can 'low do so with much comfort,
and have been highly gratified with the comfortable
and respectable appearance of its inmates. The re-
ductions in the monthly alli)1111111V In the poor had
been caused by the distress of the times, and the
difficulty of collecting the rents. But sorely the
poor could not plow of having :ills. a month
instead of rans. when they were clothed, and had
Portable healthy lodgings. The allowances had
bet ' raised from 325. to 365. in consequence of the
improved rents. That one of the nurses hail
been discharged was not denied ; but the cause
was, that live of the i tttt later of the Hospital
had died, and these live were the most infirm, and
the 11'ortletis feeling the appointment of the 7th
nurse sin longer necessary, relinquished it. To im-
pute to them corrupt lives was highly improper,
for as they only held an annual office, it was Ito
blade ilia. they could be actuated by snorter
bites. The Learned Counsel said ilia the
was mutt Vrtiritlllll.l, Mill It was to be regret
it could wit be dismissed with casts apt]

petitioners, fur, if it aere, they would not be able
psy diem. and it %as ro see the f I. PA.
A charity employed in such frivolous
The conduct 61. the petitioner. could not be too
Strongly reprob.ted, when it was considered that
the fund for the support of the charity wa: only
lioo/., and that twenty-four persons received out of
it 365. a month rads, with lodging dud attendance.
He bad no doubt, therefore, but his Honour would
see that these was no ground for complaint.
Mr. HEAI.D followed on the ►ante side.

Mr. MOORE replied.
His Honour the VICE-CHANCELLOR—" This
case is certainly of importance to the poth:ie.—
This Court cannot declare what number of nurses
are sufficient fur thus Hospital. as it must de-
pend on the state of the jimmies ; but it is clear
that if nurses are procured at all, they must be
collected from amongst the aged members of to-
ciety. The late Act of Parliament has, without
been productive of benefit in the facility it
atlnrds for the detection and exposure of abuses in
publuc institutions, but it is matter of deep regret
that some salutary clause had riot been introduced
by the Legislature luur protecting the funds of those
institutions against costs produced by law.suits.
This Hospital. at It is descisherl, Ilan lrrgume a
vast reformation, and the conduct, therefore, of its
superintendents, deserves credit. I am sorry that
a spirit of such vexatious lutigation has been exhi-
bited in this instance, for I cannot see how the Pe-
tition can be supported for a Moment. 1 therefore
dismiss it, brit without costs. I wrist again expre-s
my regret that the Legislature 113 s not done s 0.10!..
thing for protecting charitable plOperty 31;41111St
such COOS. It would he highly gratutying to every
friend of benevolence to are something done soon
in this way. The Wardens must have their coats
out of the founds of the charity.
Petition dismissed.

COL' T OF EXCHEQUER, Wti
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23.

CONTEMPT OF COURT.
Sir WATKIN LEWES r. MORGAN.

Mr. BLAKE applied to the Court to have the
Defendant, John Morgan, committed into the
custody of the IVarden of the Fleet prison, for a
gross contempt of the order of that Court. The
Learned C tttttt sel stated, that lie grounded Lie mo-
tion on two acts of the Defendant, each of whir it
will in itself a contempt, and each an Irian
of the other. The C:usirt would tecolltc ;h.t on
the 18th November last, it had made sue order in
this lung-protracted canse, restraining the 1)e-
-leittlant, Mr. Morgan, from receiving any further
rents from the Hai-rift's estates, which lie iiad so
long h. 1.1, and al•o for restoring posses ion lit Sir
Watkin Levees. Now the Defendant was himself
in Court at the time this order was made, and he
could not consequently plead the slightest iglu,-
ranee of the nature and extent of its import. Ile
need not inform the Court, that so long ago as the
time of Lord Dardwicke, it had been held that a
party personally present in Court, when an order af-
fecting him was made, was hound to submit to it
without further notice ; but even this doctrine was
carried further, for in the case of Clifton v. Dec,
2d {'ray, that it party merely having Notice of an
order of Court, even if that notice on inquiry,
proved groundless,was still honied to make the
proper is (wiry into the tact before lie presumed to
neglect obedience to the order—he was thus hound
by the injunction until lie found out the misrepre-
sentation.

Baron GRAHAM—." Mr. Blake, is thi• motion
made on notice 17"

Mr. Bf.akt,, replied in the affirmative. He
would how proceed to state the sort of obedience
which the Defendant had paid to the order. In
direct violation of the order, he proceeded, through
his agent, Henry Lewes. in Carinintliesishire, 10
collect in the rents; and as if he had fully deter-
mined to ,hew the spirit of his contempt, and his
resolution to hold out the order of the Court to
public contumely, lie hail proceeded to clienteie
unstiog thelaiistitre tenatitey the opinion delir•er-
erl its Court by one of •their Lordship's (Baron
%%rood), who lied alone dissented front the (rider of
the Court, in a separate limn. Tl:is was a gross
aggravation of the first contempt. If a party were
allowed thus to act with inspunity, and to say,
beesiuse one of the Learned Judges has disterisied
from the opinion of the Court. " I will, according
to my feelings or interest, act on his opiiii 111 l , as
being that which is right for me to obey, and re-
fuse assent to that formally delivered ;" then there
would be all end to the progress of justice, or the
Lai authority of its decisions. It was impos-
sible to conceive any timing more daring or more
bearding to to Court of Justice than this doctrine of
the Defendant. There may, anti lie could easily feel
that there were cases in which the Court might
Ise inclined to deal lightly with sit nib action of its
order—that under the cue tuners of a peculiar
cue and motive, or ignorance of the party, they
would be much inclined to mitigate the rigour with
which they would he otherwise ilitlined to enrolee
their order. But was there any such initigatou
here ? On the contrary, was not the Defendant a
veteran practitioner, a man well acquainted with
the obedience he owed the Court, and one not likt ly
to disobey its order from any ignorance of the etft et
doe to such au instr 1111 l rut ? As to the second pert
of the caste, namely, the publication of time !seamed
Judge's separate opinion, there was no prison more
highly valued than he (Mr. Blake) did the liberty
of the press ; ho person more valued the utility of
publishing the proceedings in Courts of Justice,
amid p reciwly in the same proporti 111 l that he felt the
brio fits %Odell flowed to society I faithful fe-
rmi', Ms 111 the same ratio did he feel the mischievous
tendency of publishing garbled or partial selections
to snit the views of any particular party in a bait,
or iefleet public scorn uu a judicial decision. It
was well knowli, that Irons the situation of Sir Wel-
kin Lewes, who was through this long Sitigatiusi a
primmer, it was impossible for bias to have ally per-
sonal knowledge of the facts of the contempt, he
Was nec•esscarily obliged to depend trii the informa-
tion trausiiiitted to amid he lied embodied it in
his affidavit, fully relying on the truth of what hr
I hall

wai, iii itself, a conlem;:t, he need .rf,r
the Court to the ctse of P!ther i dtl rK .131,
whet, the party published etillently **nit a
intention to prevent another rrcririuq, %%hale
certa:ii property of Admiral Hosier oa. ni litika»
t,oti; hilt even there it a 34 held though
Lord I lardo icke drew a distis,ction 1,, toe. it such a
mitigated case and that of Higginson. the Editor of
The Champion, who, through the medium of seLet
narrative, had plitili•lnd IslVCCedit.g.
Now, he submitted, that Sir Watkin situ-
ated as he was, could not lie called on to do ninre
than put it on the Defendant to chew, that Ihr
"Afton, in the idbrlavit were nut true—it was him
to do that.

Mr. Boron CIRAIIAM—" Cc ttaiisly; but Ind ton
not better go to that part of your affidavit n'llltli
sets forth your facts."
Mr. BLAKE, iii e [linnet. with this *tribe Mimi,
referred to the affidavit, whirl. stated that Sir tv
kin Lewes hail received • letter from Mr. David
Win. Stevenson, dated on the 13th January. in
South Wales, informing hint that (lett, y I.ts‘e+
on the 10th, called togethei the tenusts of Sir
NVatkin, for the purpose of collecting in the rents,
and had actually collected more thin 3001. The
said tlenry Lewee also circulated among them ti..
opinion Of the Hon. Ciro.. Wood, one of the Barons
of thi- w
Court, owl said that Air. 31in it)
hail the order dr:un up, and served upon
him yet by the until which was done he
was entitled to continue itceivitig the rents.
The CouitT thought that et iiiii 141) Ilia been rhea n
to grant a ride to spew agaitivt both Mr. MM..
giro and Mr. Henry Lewes.
Mr. Ittctuttui appeared for the litter.
Abera few *mil.; between Mr. 1..) tUNt't, Y tied
Mr. BLAKE. the latter took it rule to phew
It was understand that the former nu •iiit to :Tidy
to the Court to stay proceedings in the genersl
until the revolt of an appeal instituted by Mr.
Morgan in the !louse of Lords.

TOLLS IN COVENT-GARDEN MARKET.
tionts v. RiARoNs.

Mr. Serjeent I.txB moved for a Rule to •hew
cause why the verdict obtained in this c•en•e by tl e
Plaintiff' should not be bet aside 'nil a suit re-
ten's!. Ile wade his appl.cation on three g.onsols--
Ist, That no claim of right to tolls hail been made
out in the market ; 2,11 y, that there teas s o evi-
drnt•r of the existence of ;toy regular 1011, the sent
detnits.riell hens. always of a lltietsiatiog amount ;
3,11 y, that payment of toll was in this c
ol• the seller Anil not the ',flyer, as It shout.' h.', ac-
cording to the tneaseing of the sevt r i Arts mat!••
and provided oo this subject.—ltule to spew eutose
granted. •

OLD BdILEY, FRIDAY, JAR. 23.

ROBBERY ON THE TilAmrq.

John Raulintort, sen. Williams Henry I:an-lir:7,n,
and Jahn MI. the hitter two of hoot
were capitally convicted of stealing s:11c and h.ce,
on Weilliestlay, were indicted capitally for sit -01.111 v,
ma the navigable raver Thames, nine pails of boots,
value Ix/. the property of Edward Sage, a lightel -
man. The indictment had a secrind ount nt 1.,
charglig the goods to be the property of Messrs.
Marsh and Cadogan, of the Cape of Good Dope.
Daniel M.Gilvrie, 1411 accomplice, who was the
principal witness against the Prisoners on NVednes-
day, being called up, stated, that he kept u chant?.
ler's shop, near the water side, at Limelionse.—
About 'idle o'clock at night, on the 3.1 id' Decem-
ber, the three Prisoners came to his house, with a
quaidity of hoots ; each Prisoner browyht s•nn•
under his coat. One of them asked %timers if I:e
would buy them Wit►.ess told them they were
awkward things to purchase, and he did not wish
to buy them. They said it was likely they shuu•il
have something better fur him ; and Inc agreed to
give either nine or eleven shillings per pair for them.
Ile kept eight pair, and the elder Prisoner kr pt one
pair for his ow,. use he thel not pay arty money for
them then. On the Friday following the Prisoner
met him, at the house of Mrs. Backway. the Il•irnv
and Chequers, at Limehouse. On the Sunday fol.
lowing they met loin again, and the next day the
Prisoners were apprehended, and s 'loess war token
into custody two days afterwards, and underwent
two or three examinations, bilhre lie charged tl:e
Prisoners with the robbery.

Gott, a Police Officer, produced a pair r f
which lie received from 4 man mined Dal.
too ; mid Dalton proved that be purchased them of
Nl•Gikrie„

Janos Bretton, of the 6rm of Kits-pore and
Co. probed the boots produced to ire pail of those
sent to the John Palmr, fur Mesars.ll and
Callogan.
Mr. Sage stated, that the elder Prisoner's' name
was Itawlinson, and not Jones, a ti-li-.borer
fellowship-porter, as he load described I self, and
that he was a lighterman.
The capital part of the charge was abandoned Ily
Mr. ALLEY, at an roily singe of the toes', at the
suggestion of the Court, in consequence of the in-
dictment having set forth that the goods were put
is. $1" boat," whereas they were put its a lighter.
The COMMON SERJF:ANT summed sip the Gut+,
and added, that the cot ttttt er,7e of the country would
hr demsoyed, II goods in their transit to vessels
were subject to the t are of such melt as the PI I.
%osiers. It was a very lucky circumstance her thein
that they were not capitally convicted; they might
expect no less a istattishment than transportation.
3,1 r. 1.1.EY--" The two )uutiger poisoners are
already capitally convicted."
Mr. COMMON SERJEANT—" Then the elder 11,i-
stmer must be transported for seat.. runs."
Wm. Storey stood indicted for sttaliog. on the
4111 of December, a trunk contat ttttt g twelse waist-
coasts, and other articles of wearing apparel, the
property of Sir James Bart.
By some question+ put to the boy, and to some
of the other witnesses. it app. arra that the night
was very foggy and clank, and the inference drawn
was, that the tiny might babe been deceived as to ti e
per-on of toe 4'sipoi,er. The Jury consequent y
uoptittert Insp.
Tae 11Ye °novo —" You have been in greet
loci:, joking mats."