The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-06-22 00:00:00

SCOTLAND, Jams 18.

RICH COURT OF JUSTICIARY.
The trial of James Gilchrist,. stocking-Oder, at
Slatedeld. near Glasgow, accused of the murder of
Margaret Brock, or Gilchrist, his wife, on the ilst
qf .Tuatiary last, commenced before this Court
last week. The libel states, that on the night of
the 21st of January, " You, the said James Gil-
christ, haring couceived a deadly hatred, malice,
and ill will against the deceased Margaret Brock
or Gilchrisi, pour wife, did barbarously, wickedly,
and folouioosly, within your house, at or user
Slatefield aforesaid, by strangulation, or other
means to the Prosecutor uukuown, bereave of life

and murder the mid Margaret Bmck or Gilchrist ;
and, in order to prevent the discovery of your guilt,
and that it might be supposed that the said !War-
garet Brock or Gilchrist•died in consequence of her
clothes accidentally taking fire, you, the said James
Gilehdst„ did, SO4IU after you had so bereaved of life
and murdered the said Margaret Brock or Gil-
chriat, rest her body upon a chair, and then set tire
to her clothes, whereby her body, from the knees
upwards, was very much scorched and burned."
It appeared from the evidence, that the pannel
and his site were both much addicted to drinking,
and had been in the practice of taking rambles for
several days at a time. On the 2bit of Jan. the
pannel had been at Glasaow, and, returning home
abqgt four in the afternoon, found his wife carry-
ing in a cart of coals, which had been laid down at
the door. Thinkiug her fatigued, he gave her
so ne iuoney to purchase spirits, winch she did, at
a shop on the opposite side of the road. While she
was cut, the pannel went up to his neighbour's
house, immediately above, and returned a-book he
had borrowed, and received one of his owu in return.
Fle at that time appeared as if he had drunk boom,
but was by no means the worse of it. He a cut down
stiti.rs spin, after he had staid there a little tine,
and, according to Islamist' account, went immediate-
ly to Lad ; bat one of the witnesses &dared, that
some time atter she heard the pannel eindit:g his
wife, and she was in tears. About tiro o'. lock the
wife returned. and was evidently the worse of li-
quor, as she was seen to stagger across the road.
Nothing wise heard from that time in the nastier*
house till about ten minutes before 6 o'clock, when
violent screams were heard, which continuedabout
a quarter of an hour, and then ceased. The last cry
was as that of a person under a violent pressure ;
and one of the witnesses, who was its the house im-
mediately above, remarked to two other of the gra-
mme*, that that would be the last cry the deceased
would give in this world. About ten minutes
after, there was a swell of burning, sod as one of the
witnesses was engaged in trinuning a lamp, she
thouglst it proceeded from the remains of the old
wick, which she had thrown out, not being entirely
extinguished ; but the smell continuing to increase,
she was soon coovinced of her mistake.
About this time a foot was bawd to go from one
apartment to the other, and a person gave two or
three violent sneezes. Some time after, the pannel
was heard calling out to his wife to come to bed,
and immediately afterwards was heard to snore
violentl, as if asleep.—A considerable tune after
this, the pannel called out, that his wife was dead,
and Rome of the witnesses entered the house with a
light, the pannel went to the place where his wife
was, and exchtirietl, she was burnt ; on which one.
of the witnesses said, James, if your wife be dead,
it is by your own hands," to which he made no re-
ply. The body of the deceased was found kneeling
to a chair, with the hands extended, and the head
leaning a little to one side. All her clothes, from
her kuees upwards, were burnt olt, hut her hair had
*uttered little. There was a s.nall wound on her
head, and some blood was found on the floor when
the light was first brought in, hut, on being looked
for some time after, was found covered with meal.
The panne! employed some neighbours to sit all
might with the corpse, mid next morning went to
Glasgow to give orders about the Norm]. On
his return. niiderstnnding that there were great
rumours against him, lie went back to Glasgow
along with a neighbour, and gave information at
the Council-chainbar that his wife had died sud-
denly, and requested that Surgeons might be sent
to examine the body. This was done, and the
punnet was afterwards taken into custody, when he
emitted a long declaration, which was read. Seve-
ral witnesses sere examined in exculpation, who,
in some particulars, contradicted the Crown eve-.
dence, but not materially. It also appeared, from
the concurring testimony of the witnassea,that when
sober the pannel and his wife were on good terms,
but when in drink they quarrelled, and on several
occasions he had been observed to strike her.
The Jury gave in their verdict, on Tuesday,
finding, by a plurality of voices, the Prisoner Guilty.
Before sentence was pronounced, the pelmet, in
the most bUleffill manner, declared he was entirely
innocent of the crime of which he had been found
guilty. He was sentenced to be hanged at Glas-
gow, on Weiltiesday. the ROth July next, and his
body given to the Professors of Anatomy for public
dissection.
Gilchrist is a stout, decent looking man, about
50 veers of age, and behaved with much firmness
and propriety during the whole procedure.

N 'IVA'. INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH. JUMP !O.

Sal.ll Le Fkcite. with the Genera/ GI-, en-
", u, Harbinger, Nora, Momterea, Rachael, mud
Kinoon, trim:ports. under convoy for Cork.
W ind E.

DEAL, J6\ F. O.

Arrive:l the Defence, with the reinninder ..t the
Leva%ir.l vididt ate sailed fur the
S.E.

MR. P. 4 LVER.

cIaCeLLS LITTER or um kJLM►3 TO TAU Imams
Of IRE ILOOSs O► LORDS.

16, Upper Gower-street, June en, 11100.
MY Lotto—As the Bill, fur the contiunance of the per
centage to my Father, 11r. Palmer),Jor'his life, on the net
revenue of the Poet Office, beyond 24440001. is now before
your Hessourable House, I take the liberty of enclosing, fur
your Lordship's perusal, a Cupy of the Ps talon presented to
His Majesty on this subject.
Os the grounds of this Petitios, the late Administration
consented that a similar one should be presented to the
Heise of Commons, and a Committee appointed, to examine
the evidenecon Mr. Palmer's agreement, taken in the year
1797, wad to report their opinion thereon.
The late Clieneellor of the Exchequer (Lord H. Petty)
expressed his wish, that this Committee might consist of
the Members fur the Counties, the Principal !Mercantile
Towne, with Gentlemen of the ag Rube, and Merchants,
se being the most competent to ascertain the met its of the
case, and to make a just and satisfactory Report to the
House.
The change of Administration having prevented this ap-
pointment at the time, ou the meeting of the present Par-
liament the Petition sea again presented and received, and
Mr. Lethbridge, Member for the County of Somerset, obtain-
ed froiu the pre sent Chancellor of the Exchequer a consent
to the same motion-4s being taken, relative to Mr. Palmer's
ease, which hail been recommeuded by Lord Henry Petty..
'the above-mentioned Committee being accordingly ap-
poiuted, after a deliberme investigation of the evidence laid
before them, end the examination of farther evidcuce, made
the Report, which I presume also to ioelose.
Mr. Palmer basing flattered himself that this Report,
from a Committee, approved by the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, could nut furl being satieMetury, was musts nor•
titled to learn the disapprobation of the Right lion. Gizut.e.
man, and his intended opposition to any consequent t
in the House ; tbts circumstance, joined to the late period
of the Session, with the pressure of public business, induced
Mr. Palmer to a temporise) postponement of his claims.
I farther log leave to state to your Lordship, that on be
ing returned to Parliament, at the commencerneut of the
present Session, I did myself the honour of waiting on the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, to learn his sentimeuts on the
subject, previous to any determination of submitting it to
the cousideration of the House of Commons. la this inter-
view I was expressly amused by the Right Hon. Gentleelan,
" that in any opposition which he might feel it his duty tie
make to the motion which should be brought forward, he
would out consider it as a party question, bat 'cave it to the
1111111111Meddecision of the House as in Hsi else of a rum to
Ibiet or Jeuotr," *hick the Right lluu.Gentkmau instanced,
as haying individually and ineheetually opposed uo a former

On a second mectine, prevtous to the Easter recess, in
which I submitted to the R tht Hem. Gentkulan the metier,
attic iutended mistio.i, hr kindly gave the catisciii of the
Crown to its being reftrred to a Committee of the whole
ILIUM Sad co:dinned his Wester promise of the eaudeur I
should experience from him at the discussion ; I therefore
trust, my Lord, that this assurance, ou the part of the Chan-
cellor of t►e lExcht quer, which led me, unbent further de-
lay, to take the scone of Parliament upon the suuject, will be
considered as as addition' claim to the impartial derision of
your Lordship's Howe; sad that, as Mr. Paiiner, in haviag
made a coutruct w;th instead of an individual,
is precluded that appeal to the laws of his country to which
the meanest subject in the kingdom is entitled, that your
Lordship, divested of all political or private feeling, will du
th-ot impartial jest ire i■ his case, which the benefit of a trial
b) Jury vaned have fully steered.
L..stly, oily Lord, I have rare," the liberty of annexing to
the Report of the Committee upou the Evideuce, the decide,'
opiniuu of Comm' upon the same, from the present lord
Chief Justice Slansfield, the late Chancellor Lord Erskine,
the present Attorney-General Sir Vicary Gibbs, mad Mr.
Adam, at the Arum tour assuring your Lordship, that it is
with nu view of intlueuring yuur judgment, further, than to
count ay unfavourable impression you may have re-
ceived, and to induce your Lordship to consider the whole of
the es idevice laid before you, from which only •just. CUIIChI.
Mao eau he drawn.

Venturing to hope, toy Lord, that the deep interest I most
Plurally feel ors the occasion w ill apologise for this intrusion,
I bees the armour to be, with the greatest respect,
My Lord,
Tose Lordship's most obedient Servant,
CHARLES PALMER.