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London, England, 1824-02-19 00:00:00

them ; they were paid to the sexton, who is dead. There were no
pews set apart for the Inn in the church.
Cross.examined by Mr. Sergeant TannT.--The witness merely
described the course taken in going the perambulations.
Richard Jacks examined.—l have been twelve years upper
porter, and tire years ureter porter of Sergeant's Inn. About six
years ago Stele boys and parish officers gm into the Court; I re-
monstrated with them, and told them they ought rot to have come
in ; they then went out. 1 have seen them beat the wall against
the coffee-)muse. There is a parish plate, with S.D.W. on it,
against the coffee-house.
Mrs. Caroline Jacks, wife of the last witness.—l have lived in
the Inn twelve years • I had the misfortune to lone a child ; I paid
at lint Pa. 4d. .About a fortnight after the burial, Holmes, the
sexton, came and demanded double fees. I resisted the payment
very strongly, but my hdsband ultimately paid it. Holmes said he
must account to the pariah for double fees. lie said it was ens.
tomary to pay double fees, because I did not belong to the parish.
My residence is at the kwige, on the left hand aide going in. I have
never paid rates to the palish.
Cross-examined.-31t. Baron (arrow's chambers are over the
coffee-house, and part of Mr. Baron Graham's.
Mr. Sergeant Pet.t. then addressed the Jury for the defendant.
Ile had suffered the evidence on the other side to goon as smoothly
as possible, because he was convinced that such a course was most
desirable, and would best answer the end which both parties had
in view—that of coming to a clear decision on a very important
question. The point to be decided was, whether Sergeant's-Inn
Was within the parish of St. Dunatan's in the West or not ? With
respect to the learned plaintiff; he should not feel it necessary to
pass any encomiums upon him, as his learned opponent had done ;
he should only endeavour to answer the address of 31r. Sergeant
Vaughan. Ile had stated that no assessment h,.1 been made for
more than two hundred years ; and he (11r. BeTgeont Pell) wished
to know, if it had been neglected to be assessed if that was a reit.
son why it should not again be? A portion of Lincoln's-Inn had
not been rated till very lately, and then it was assessed by this same
parish for their poor; the result of a trial before the Lord Chief
Justice Dallas, respecting the adjoining Inn, which had not been
rated for poor rates, was, that they should be rated ; and the ques-
tion now was, whether the evidence given this day was good reason
why this inn should not also be rated, agreeable to the 43d
of Elizabeth ? He hail now before him the report of a trial, re-
specting an attempt to rate some property at Richmond, and the
answer given why it should not be rated was, that it was Royal
property ; hoe that at the trial it was ordered that the property in
future should be rated. The Learned Sergeant then animadverted
on the several documents produced, and dilated at great length
upon them. lie (Sergeant Pell) felt that the parish were now pur-
suing the proper course, and it was also creditable to them, that
they should endeavour to relieve the parish from a great deal of
the burden which they were liable to. In Isle. Sergeant
l'aughars's opening speech, he had stated that this Inn was a
sanctuary for the members of the law, but he (Sergeant Pell)
contended, that so far from its being a sanctuary, it was only
a pyre of residence for the Learned Sergeants. Again, with re-
spect to the argument used by Mr. Sergeant Vaughan, at the time
he referred to the Society havieg, a chapel of its own, he (Sergeant
I'eli) conceived this was a very weak grand to argue upon; be-
cause formerly there were very few noblemen's houses but what
lied a chapel attached to then ; Sergeant Vaughan bad also stated
that the inn and parish had never had the least connection. Now
he (Sergeant Pell) could prove., that so far back as 16611, from the
vestry-books it appears that a receipt was given for the undue
pinning the pew of the Lord Chief Justice; and also that a reso-
lution had been come to that a pew should be set aside for the War-
den at that time, viz. I.Cil. He should also prove that the Society
had paid, in 1613, poor-rates to this pariah. He should also show
that the inn and pariah *ere connected in 1606, 1613, and 1611—
and that pnor-rates were paid by the Society as soon as the Act was
passed ; and thiet the same sum cf two pounds, thirteen shillings,
and four pence, Is yearly paid, and has been paid, frau 1613
to the present time, by the Puisne Judge. He was toffy
to occupy so much of the time of the Jury, but he should not
hare another opportunity of addressing their, and it was neceasary
for him to use such arguments as he conceived Sergeant Vaughan
could not unsay. The coffee-house of the Inn pays poor-rates,
and as it belongs to the Society, he could not see why the rest of the
inhabitants of the Inn should not likewise be liable to the poor-rates
of this parish. And again, the fact of the poor woman who had
been unfortunately deprived of her senses, having been supported
by the Inn, he contended, was no argument why the Society had no
conviction with the parish, but it certainly was a circumstance that
reflected great credit upon its members. He should produce docu-
ments to contradict, In a great measure, the arguments of the
beamed Sergeant, and he also had witnesses to call, who would
contradict several of the leading points. In the reign of Chewier ll.',
it was necessary to raise money by an Art of Parliament, and he
would prove by documents that Sergeant's Inn had been levied upon
in common with the perish of St. Dunstan. It might be said, on
the other side, that this was Sergeant's Inn in fleet-street, but
this extract was headed Sergeant's lon in Chancery-lane. He bad
also several indictments, mentioning Sergeant's Inn as included in
'this pariah: He wand to call the attention of the Jury to the
point, that the other side had net attempted to produce the Wes
under which the Society held this Inn, wheelie would be mad
the pan* in which the Inn was situated. The Lemma asset
then argued at was leagth upon der insufficiency ef the
on the part of the plaimilf, to prove that no commies had mimed
between the Inn and the Parish. He esiald sore that cos dike
plates of the parish was on the eutsideqsf Sergeant Isms' Megilles
in Clifford's Inn and as that lonnow paps the uses, be 'ebbed
to knew why Si Ina should not also .
The Reverend Richard Lloyd is the Rector of this }wish; has
received IL 16s. per annum from the Treasurer date has; the sunk
was due to witness, w the Rector ; has received it aka 1806 t
always received il. His. as the does; knows nothimg ef a return
payment being made.
Several other witnesses were emnsined to prove the lids men-
tioned by the Learned Counsel far the parish, when Mr. Sergeant
A'AUCIFIAN replied at some length.
The Cities .1171ITICIt snowed up, commenting all the micas
parts of the evidence, and at a quarter after six o'dodt the Jury
returned their verdict for the defendants; thereby deciiiisLlthet
Sergeant's Inn is part of the parish of St. Dunstan 's in the West,
and consequently liable to be assessed to the poor.

COURT OF

WEDNESDAY, FED. 18.

LB filift M►. BOSON GAILEOI r.l