The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-10 00:00:00

DIARY-LA-RONNE OFFICE.

JOSIXSON •ND THE COACllMEN.—Yesterday, this 'pose-
%vying and ingenious raker-up of annoyance to all persons who
render themselves liable to penalties under the Statutes, appeared
at this office for the purpose of prosecuting ten informations against
coachmen, for not adopting the precautionary measure of holding
their horses heads' when stopping. Anticipating some oppposition,
Johnson. like a skilful general, brought Mr. liumrssitErs, to
work any legal business for him.
The first case called on, was that of Mr. John Warms, the in-
formation charging him with leaving the Amershain coach near the
Green Man and Still, hooking-tithe:, Osford.atreet, on the Sfrth
ult. without having any persons at the horses' heads.
layers proved that on the day named in the information, the de-
fendant d -ive the A ntersham comb to the oihce above named, and
having thrown the reins over the horses' backs, alighted, and the
horses remained in that situation for some minutes.
. .

Mr. WILL IA M S, of t i ray's Inn, after closely cm's-examining the
witness, could rot shake his testimony, asked him if the horses
were either restless, dangerous, or in any way placing the public
in (faller*
livers replied he only saw the offence committed, and did not
trout le his head as to any of the consequences which might have
arisen.
Mr. NVILLTA 315 then contended at very great length, that within
the meaning of the Act of Parliament the person sitting on the
conch, is uddnubti:dir the proper person to hold the horses ; and
as to the necessity of a person being at the horses' heads, he sub-
mitted it was not required by the statute in the sense meant by the
informer. The Act of Parliament was at first caused, and he well
recollected the circumstance, by a mail coach being left without
any p_ suns to mind the horses, which starting of, caused the
death of some of the passengers, and the severe injury of the
others.

lir. Gatrnrrt observed that that was not the only Mlle. lie
knew of hundreilx of sitnilar instances. A friend of his had been
Lace', and another scverely injurtd.
31r. Witi.eams, in continuation, cited several eases, which he
contentied bore upon the case, showing that it was not in the con-
templation of the Act or Parliament that coachmen were obliged to
carry persons to hold the hones whenever and wherever the coach
stopped.
.11r II tt MPIII ret, in reply, cited the words of the Act of Par-
liament. which explicitly states that some person must hold the
horses on die coach stopping.
The Magistrate overruled the objections made by Mr. Williams.
There wns another information against the same defendant for a
similar (-tierce on the nth.

The nest cue was tliat of Mr. Kees, of the Wycombe stage, for
an offence of this kind on the ?nth oh.
Mr.IVILLIA N s cootended that the information wu faulty, as
the parish was not properly described. The information describes!
the offence to have been en mitred in St. Mary-la-bonne, whereas
the house called the Green Man and Still wu in the pariah of St.
June,.

Some witnesses 'era called, who deposed to the fact mentioned
by the Solicitor.
This point was also overruled, u the information very distinctly
described lilt place.
Tne slakiscrate convicted Sir. Warner, on the Ent information,
in the sum of ses. and costs; and on the second, in the sum of 15s.
anti come. . _ _

keen wail convict:A in the latter sum; u was also Mr.
Deacon. of the Hemel Hempstead stage, sad Mr. Ellin, of the
Trh'g coach.
There were two informations against each. The pieties gave
notice of appeal.
Johnson withdrew two informations.

Letters from Iron, in Spain, of the 30th ult., state that
several bands of Guerillas have appeared in the mountains
which border the Ebro, near Viana, Soria, Logrono, San-
gueza, Rr. Tin, Royalist inhabitants of the villages
lave all been called upon to arm themselves, and the
earls of safer delivered by Government to the Constitu-
tionalists have been withdrawn, so that they are now ex-
posed to the vengeance of the fanatics. Letters from Bar-
celona state that nearly all the Constitutionalists who have
been in prison for rcveral months, have been tried and con-
demned to tl:c galleys. Amongst them are many ns
of great respuetability. The City, generally, is sairtr4soohe
in consternati:n at this act of tyranny.