The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-01-10 00:00:00

itslP r$C gIYRVICE.
The following impott'ant case was defiled Lit
hlichaellnas Term, in the Court of Eachaver, UM.
burgh :
On the 44th of February last, a seamaa haring
been impressed at Greenock, the Regulating Officer
lodged him in the 'rown's Guard-house,under chat ge
of a party of the Essex Militia stationed there. He
was taken away, by warrant, from the Elder Bailie of
that place, for a debt of 51. and lodged in the Town
Gaol, in the custody of Benjamin M•Bain, the gaoler,
and, on the 23th of the same month, set at large,
and suffered to depart, by which his serviced were
lost to His Majesty.
The Gaoler pretended to justify himself on three
grounds:.-Ist, That the Officer on the impress ser-
vice bad no right, by warrant from the Lords of the
Admiralty, to impress on shore without the licence of
. a Civil Magistrate, ard that, therefore, the impress-
ment was illegal ;-2d, That the man was on the pro.
tedion granted to the crew of the ship Moo cc.'; and
though it was limited to the men when on board,
yet, as they did not dress their vidaals on board, it
ought to he respeCted while the crew were on shore ;
and, 3d. That though the seaman was so-impressed
by an Officer in ilis Majesty's Navy, having the
usual warrant, yet that being lodged in the Guard-
house, he was not in the custody of the Officer who
impressed him, nor in His Majesty's Navy when
arrested and put in gaol.
The Regulating Officer, in the official discharge of
his duty, having found it necessary to lay the caie
before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
their Lordships diretled it to he submitt:d to the
consideration of His Majesty's Law (hikers ; who
were of opinion, that the Lord Advocate shonld
proceed by information against the Gaoler, for not
returning the seaman to the navy, Ent suffering him
to Ro at large, and escape, in contempt of the Sta-
tute 41 Geo. 111. ch. t 3, which enacts, that for
every such offence the patty uffendiog shall forfeit
the sum of knol. sterling."
The Jury, in this ease. forted the fads of the sea-
man having been impressed, and set at line, fally
established, hut left the points of law to be decided
by the Court;; and, on Friday the 19th ult. the case
upon this special verdict was very ably debated.
The Court fully approved of every part of the
condud of the Regulating Officer, and the manner
in which the cause has been brought forward ; and
unanimously decided aga nut the Delendaat for the
statutory penalty.
The issue of this trial fully establishes the follow-
ing important points, on which the Luau CHIEF
ilseors delivered the opinion of the Court
That the impress warrant requires no authority from
the Civil Magistrates ; hut that they, and all other
Officers, Civil and Military, and all His Maissty's
lieges, are bound to aid and assist in the execution
thereof ;. and that any hindrance or obstnidion to
the service. renders the offender liable to exemplary
punishment;-2J. That ship,' protedions, bring
merely an cx gratia indulgence from the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, must be re.
`rifted to such terms as they choose to attach to
Oleos ;—and, 3d. That the moment a seaman is
duly impressed, he is virtually as much in the
service, as it ire was actually in a ship of war; and
that the officers have a right, not only to place the
impressed seaman in any guard-room, but alt., to
require the Civil Magistrate, or those ailing under
his authority, to lodge them in any gaol, or other
sloe place, appropriated fur the reception of persons
committed on civil warrants.

7() HA EDItOR.

CORK JANUARY I.

Ste—Observing► in your Paper cf Thurbday,
Dec. 27, 1806, An account of an unfortunate man,
near Chu: ing-cross, who was bit by a wad dog ;
the following cure for the bite of a mad dog may
be depended on, havin? been known and used by die
family of Colonel Hodder, near Cork, for many
years, and has never been known to fail :•--Give to
the patient two spoonsful of the juice of the leAves
of the Ribworth Pi tntain, every morning, or as
much as the stomach will bear, till all apprehension
is removed.

Case in pnint--Near to Cork-beg, the conntry
residence of Colarel Robert Uniacke Fitzgerald, a
mad dog lately hit two children and a c•ow. The
children were given the (nice of Ribworth Plantain,
and have had no symptom of hydroptaiso ; the
cow rim mad.