The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-12 00:00:00

WESTI.:RN CIRCUIT.

SALISBURY, JULY IL
The Commission was opened here on Saturday. and the Judges
hiving attended Divine Service at the Cathedral yesterday, pro-
ceeded to Court at an rally hour this morning.
The Calendar contains- the description of no less than 63 cases,
none of which appear to be of extraordinary enormity. A consi-
derable cumber of persons are charged with riotously assembling
at Bradford and Trowbridge, in this county. In the Civil Court
only 13 cases are entered, and but one of these is a Special Jury
case. )lr. Justice LittWale presides in the Criminal Court, and
Mr. Justice liaselee at the Civil Side.
CROWN COURT.—PERJURY.
Ann Davis, who was indicted at the last Asdres, was first put to
the bar, charged with wilful and corrupt perjury.
The evidence in thin case was of a nature which cannot properly
be submitted to the public, but the circumstances are as follow:
The prisoner, who is a coarse, and by no means agreeable-looking
countrywoman, aged about 25, was In the service of a farmer, and
was observed to be pregnant. Upon the interference of the parish
officers, she stated that Walter Long, Esq. of Beynton House. a
Magistrate of Wilts, was the lather of her child, and subsequently
went before the Magistrates at the Quarter Sessions, and swore to
the same effect ; adding, that she had met Mr. Long between
Corshatn anti Bath, in the middle of the day, a short time before
tae spring fair of Corsham ; that Mr. Long was driving his gig,
but, that he pulled up when he saw her, and that after some conver-
' safion he alighted, and she was induced by his solicitations to ac-
company him to a quarry by the road side, where an intercourse
took place which was followed by the birth of her child. Upon
has examination the prisoner torture stated, that she bad no inter.
coarse sith any other tnan but Mr. Long, except on one occasion,
with a person of the name of Carter, the servant of a farmer. She
also described Mr. Long's dress very minutely. The present
prosecution was founded on the evidence given before the
Maristrates on this occasion. It depended mainly on the evidence
of 31r. Long, who is a married man, and who positively contra.
dieted the prisoner's evidence in every particular. lie distinctly
swore that he had no intercourse with the prisoner on any occasion,
and that lie never remembered to have seen her but once, when she
called at his house on some businee, connected with his Magisterial
duty. Mr. Long's testimony was corroborated by the evidence of
several witnesses, who stated that the dress which wan described by
the prisoner, was not that which Mr. Long was in the habit of ap-
pearing in at the period alluded to. and that the harness of his gig
was different front that described by the prisoner. It was also
proved that when the prisoner was first interrogated about her
pregnancy, she old one person that the father of the child was s
cart enter, resident in London ; and on another occasion she said
that the father of her child was a cabinet-maker.
The Learned JUDGE having recapitulated the evidence, the
Jury, after consulting for a few minutes, returned a verdict of—
" Guilty, by mistake."
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE said the Jury must reconsider this
verdict. The prisoner was charged with wilful and corrupt per-
jury, and if they did not believe her guilty of this, she must be
acquitted.
Formai
Long.
Air. Justice I.trTLEDAI.E—If you think the prisoner made a
mistake, she is not guilty of wilful and corrupt perjury.
Foreman—We With to clear 31r. Long.
The Jury then consulted together for a short time, when the
Foreman said they had reconsidered their verdict, and determined
that the prisoner was " Guilty."
This verdict was recorded, but the prisoner was not sentenced.

-We think she mistook some other person for Mr.