The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-15 00:00:00

AI LLGED SPURIOUS TEA.

A trial !stely took place in Dublin. on s charge
exhibited against s grocer owned Cullen, of Slaving
►purinus ten in his por,session. The following is n
►ketch of the proceedings in this case, which wiry
prove interesting to our n►rrcnuti{e ►enders.

Nle. Collett got notice of trial for the 13th Nov.
1818. Vlr. _ ' _lllllle__ applied Chet the 1160 111.0Ulti
(-)
be 1101111tottrol to the 30th November, the they after
Trim. This was contiolted with ; lie also
for it s:ointole of the tea seized. in order that it might
hr examined with care h' proper scientific men;
but this war refused, it bring then understood that,
by order of 11;e Court, no rumple should be taken
out of tea seized by either party, witless in the pe-
arlier of the other; notwithstritiding which, one of
the seizing officers admitted no his wall, that Iw, on
the dt3th November after, took out of the store. 11b.
weight of said trio, rod gyve it to Mr. Frazer. the'
botanist, to examiner

Mr. Rogers was the first witness produced. he
proved the seising of the tea, rod swore it was in
his judgment spurious, becanse he sew several niii.
Owed leaves with heir upon them, ind that he had
nit doubt they were fragments of potato leaves.
Upon this evidence the Counsel for the Crown
II lit proper to rest their ease. mud Counsel for
Mr. Cullen argued that there ems not a sufficient
case made nut to warrant si conviction, and called
upon the Counsel for the Crowu to examine further
if they bad evidence, but

Mr. O'Gehor 'insisted he hail mask out a prima
fade care against l)etrnden►, and rel►ed usi it that
he was entitled to a judgment of condemnation.
Mr. O'Costritti. was then proceeding to argue,
that Defendant was entitled to an acquittal, when
Mr. Cullen interrupted him, and stated his wish
that he should. by evidence, shim to the Cou►t
and the public his innocence of the charge. ea he
had been much injured in his character and busi-
ness, by reasuu of the accusetious advanced against
him.

Mr. O'Comaint, stated Mr. Cullen's request,
but positively declared to the Court that he did uot,
nor could he, es Mr. Cullen's Counsel, waive his
right to an acquittal without going further iote the
case.

Mr. Cullen proceeded in his evidence.
Joseph Boyce, F.,q. of the firm of Boyce, Maks.
and Boyce, proved the importation of a chest of
Bohr* tea by Alarch ►ales, IBM direct from Lon.
don, the vale of it to Cullen at I Id. per lb. cash
price. and its not being adulterated in his possession.
James Culleu, the shop-boy of Defendant, a re.
spectable lad, proved tine chest of tea comisig in
to Defendant's, from Boyce, Bioko, and Boyce,
iu its original package; his opening it, and fill-
ing out of it the ca tttt ister of tea ►eized, and its
never been adulterated up to the time of
seizure; that Cullen never bought tea from any
person in the shop unless by giving orders to mer-
chants, salesmen, or clerks, and gave the most posi-
tive and slisi;:ict evidence that Cullen never di.
redly or indirectly bought or sold, or permitted to
be bought or sold, any spurious or fabricated lea.

- -
Then Mr. Cullen examined Mr. Turhott, a most
respectable merchaut, and in the tea trade for the
last thirty-five years, who inspected a sample of the
tea seized, and swore it was common Bolus tea. He
was corroborated in this by Messrs. Dorman, Fot-
terill, Rooney, and Boyce, all merchants, of many
years experience iii the tea trade; and then Mr.
Bardoti, the surveyor, and Mr. Garland, the gauger
of the district in which Cullen lives, stated their
having examined the tea in the cannister, which
was in a few days afterwards so seized, and all the
other teas iu Cullen's house, and did not seize it,
as they considered it genuine tea, VIM gave an ex.
celleut character of Cullen, and their having no
complaint against him during their time in that
that pict.

Herr Cullen closed his case, anti the Counsel for
the Crown tiodiug that be was fully entitled to an
account', claimed • right to examine witnesses to
pi,,ve the tee grandma.
This being part of their original case, Mr. PRR•
RI N argued that it was contrary to 14w and Kee,-
dent to allow a Prosecutor or Plaintiff to go into
evidence. which formed part of his original ease,
after a Defendant had gone direngli his defence.
Mr. GRADY, for the frown. replied at great
length, and insisted the Croon had a right to go
into any evidence they might think necessary, at
any stage of the proceedings.
Mr..o'CoNeEt.i. spoke in reply. and in support
of Mr. Penile* argument, and Mr. FOSTCR, fur
the Crown, replied. .

Tilt COURT after consideration gave judgment.
Mr. WYNNE, Chief Coniiiiissiutier, staled Is
decided opinion that a Plaintiff or Pup( color was
buuwl to go through has entire CAW. anal Ilidt out!C
a Defendant was put on and went auto has defruce,
the Plaintiff was not afterwards entitled to gate
.erideuce of an original care, and which should
have been given in the first instant*.
Mr. iiUTHINtiON and Mr. llastitTort, the other
two Commissioners, were of opinion tl►.nt the Crown
bail the right required, yet all adulated the wives.
say of the Crown's penis through their eutire case
lu the first isisnsuce.

Mr. Frazer wits at length called. and proved that
he ?pent two day: and a half in examining the
samples, and exhibited several irk Client% of leaves
mutilated, all of a hicit he took upou himself to
swear were nut te;t lea%ea.

Mr. ►llackey, another botanist corroborated him ;
but Coutio.l having rxiiilatird to each of them
several I taken out of chests in their
packages at the first merchants houses in
this city, they stated several of them to bu spit-
rions•leaves, and uctually iliXered to their opiiinpi
of tl►em; it followed, the same leaves thst
%ere iu Culleu'o tea were got in theft leas;
therefore the tea was genuine lea as Imported
into Jrelasid. Messrs. Frazer and Mackey were
most confident in their assertions relative to the

leder* suppourel by them to be potutu leaves ; but
Jolty Whitt, upwards of 23 years a gArdette.r us the
Botanic Gardeas, and a luau of wiaae abihh• the

Dublin Society has the highest opioioes, declared
that the leaf 1319011 which they particularly relied,
did not, in Ma opinion, belong to the potato plant.
Fog. was examined, and
produced .everal leaves taken out of tea, imported
buret by the &leave. Hoes, which the botatii.ts
swore to be Niuriuut ; said he believed the Huh

MEETINGS OF CIeEDITORN AT GUILDHALL,

TO-M Oil RUM.

M. 11,

.1. Savage, Haadassortls, rope maker
W. Huidtius, jou. latc of Castle Bromwich, victualler 3 lo
R. Toler, Plymutith-lurk, stow-merchant. ....... 3 10
T. Blink; Stiallsasaptua-street, slraw.hat.mauuGu•-
ta►er
R.Cullent, Maidstone, dealer is hop= . 2 10
J. Stasibury, late of Baru►taple, grocer 2 10
T. Byttissinia, Strand, brims-founder 2 10
I). Wheeler, Croydon, miller

j:I11111 et, lOte Charlotte-tireet, jog/eller 2 12
S. Cater and Co. Watling-street, wairlsoilwinets 2 12
W. Thomas, t'lleapeide, tailor . 2 10

W. Peyton, late of Linenln't Inu.liehls, witserner.
chant
J Perkins, Tiverton, merchant I. 10
J. Rogers, Old Oruad.street, merchant
T. Richmond, lieldpird, plumber .
J. E. Hogg, RrraJ-strceq warehouseman .. 1 It
L Ingram, Cheepsitle, halter .
J. Jaroh, Gravel-lone, tubocroniet ..
J. Blackburn, William, cormiaciur 1 10