The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-24 00:00:00

WITTE/IMO r. cosmic

Some account of this trial, which took place at Guildhall, and
wh ch, atter the case had been opened by the plaintiffs Coepisel,
was referred to Mr. Parke, haring appeared in this and most of the
other public prints, we are authorised to state, that the arbitrator
has lately made his award, directing the verdict which had been en.
'Ned by consent for the plaintiff, with 10,11.1001. damages, as laid in
the declaration, to be set aside, and a verdict to be entered for the
dtfaidant, on the general issue, as all the counts of the declaration.

Sir Walter Scott has declined the honour of being Rec-
tor of St. Andrew's University, on the score of his in-
creasing years and aversion to business.—Edifibusgh Paper.
Patna or Aecesray.—An anecdote is related of Mr.
Prager, of Werndee, iu Monmouthshire, which exhibits
the pride of ancestry in a striking point of view. The
house, which had lately been repaired for the tenant, was
in such a state of dilapidation, that the father of the last
proprietor, Mr. Proger, was in danger of perishing under
the ruins of the anciett mansion, which he venerated
even in decay. A stranger, whom he accidentally
met at the foot of the Skyrrid, made various inquiries
respecting the country, the prospects, and the neighbouring
houses, and among others asked, " Whale is this antique
mansion before us?" " That, Sir, is Werndee, a very an-
cient house ; for era of it came the Earls of Pembroke of the
first line, and the Earls of Pembroke of the second line, the
Lords Herbert of Clierbury, the Herberts of Coldbrook,
Rumney, Cardiff, and York; the Morgans of Acton, the Earl
of Hunsdon; the Junes's of Treoweis and Lanarth, and all
the poweVs. Oat of this house also, by the female line,
came the Duke of Beaufort." " And pray, Sir, who lives
thi.re now ?" " I do, Sir." " Then pardon me, and
accept a piece of advice: Come out of it yourself, or you'll
soon be buried in the ruins of it !"
_

In the British Press of Monday, we stated that a gentle-
man was found dead on the road, near Maidstone, having been
thrown from his g:g. The gentleman was James Ottaway, Esq.
cure of the Coroners for the county of Kent. He was found on
Satunley night, about twelve o'clock, quite lifeless, in the turnpike-
road, in the palish of Ala-den, between Stilebriclge and Stapieburst,
with his chaise and horse, as we stated, standing by the body. Mr.
Ottaway had been to Rochester on professional business, on Satur-
day. and passed through Stilebridge Turnpike-gate between ten
and eleven at night, on his tettan home. From the appearance of
the gig, one of the shafts of whi di was broken, it is supposed the
the horse must bars swerved from the road, and the carriage
coming in contact with some impedimt nt, the unfortunate gentle-
man was thrown out by the shock. A violent contusion was found
on the back part of the head, and the surgeon who first examined
the body gave it as his opinion that a violent concussion of the
brain took place, and that death was instantanenes. Monday an
Inquest was held on view of the body, by J. N. Pudlow, Co-
roner, and a respectable Jury of the Parishioners of Marden ;
when, after the examination of the Surgeon, and the person who
first discovered the deceased, a verdict was taken of " A eeiJetoal
Death," and a dendand of Ss. levied on the carriage. Mr. Ot-
toway was a man of most amiable disposition and gentlemanlike
habits,

In support of the charges of malversation, which extended over
the years 1821 and 1822, the Learned Counsel principally relied
apou some short castings in tie sums received, the totals of some
pages being less in amount than the items of which they were
made up.
Many witnesses were called to speak as to the manner of keep-
ing the aceounts ; a vast windier of papers and figures were referred
to, and some testimonies were adduced as to the price at which
materials for thereat, might hare been bought.
'The Court adjonrned about half-past six o'clock, a hen the case
for the prosecution closed, for the purpose of allowing the Jurors
an opportunity to take some refreshment, and at seven o'clock the
case proceeded.]
Mr. M 4 TIT, with whom was Mr. Sergeant Tanis and
Mr. Beontaici, addressed the Jury on the part of the de-
fendant, whom he contended had been hardly dealt with by those
who bad succeeded to the management of the affairs of the
parish. Ile contended that they lied denied the defendant a fair
opportunity of explaining the accounts, though lie had made
various propositions for that purpose. So far from the accounts
showing any case against Mr. Roffey, if they were looked at
with any thing like candour, they would be found perfectly
correct. ft was true, indeed, that there were some undercast-
logs, but he would prove bow they had taken place—the books
at a particular period were regularly made up, and it had
so happened that the sums assessed upon the different householders
were not at those times always paid; there were arrears; and
though Mr. Roffey had the duty imposed upon him to see to
the collection, he was not bound to be the collector ; he appointed
for his collector a Mr. Tijone, who, after he had made the books
up, had, when he received come of the arrears, inserted them in
those pages to which they severally belonged, without making any
alteration of the totals, but carrying them to a subsequent account,
the amount of which had always been carried to the credit of the
parish. iVith regard to money paid on account of the rate, but
which wan duly credited, he should prove that there was no
foundation for the charge. No pan of any such money had been
traced to the defendant's hand, with the exception of somewhere
about 7s. in 0 e instance, and I/. in another, when Mr. Roffey
I was attending with the collectors at the office of the Magistrate,
who had issued not only scores hitt hundreds of summonses against
defaulters ; and it might have perhaps happened that those sums
might have been raid to the defendant, au' by him have been
handed to the collector; but even if it were true, that he had, from
some cause which charity might easily aupinse to have arisen from
hurry or some other innocent cause, omitted to carry to account
such a trifling sum, surely it was too ninth, in such a parish,
where die assessments fur the repairs of the road amount to
between 2.000/. or 3.0001. to make that the subject of an indict..
ment. AVith respect to the charge for having purchased gravel and
flint at too high a rate, lie should ;reduce most respectable per.
sons who were conversant with the subject, who would prove that
the defendant had made his purchases at the very lowest prices.
The Learned Counsel proceeded to call his witnesses, who proved
the keeping the accounts as stated by Mr. 3larryatt, and who de-
posed that the arrears of the preceding yeur were regularly ac-
counted for when the accounts were parsed in the succeeding
year.
That part of the ease which related to the purchase of gravel and
I flint, several witnesses said the prices given by Mr. Roffey were
not only fair but low prices.
Witnesses to character were then called, who all spoke in the
highest terms of the integrity and honour %%filch they always con-
aldcred had marked the defendant's conduct.
Some of these witnesses were gentlemen of the highest teepee-
tability, including Mr. Lett, a Magistrate and Chairman of the
Trustees fur the Surrey-reads ; I). King, Esq. also in the Com-
mission ; the Rev. A. C. Onalow, the Rector of Newington, Ore.
The Lou:it:MET BACON summed up the evidence as briefly
as possible consistent with the just ice of the case.
Jury bond a verdict of Not Guilty, at the sante time saving
they considered the defendant insd been culpably negligent in the
mama of keeping his accounts.