The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-04-20 00:00:00

LAIV.

•
WESTMINSTER sEssioNs, Arm' t 9.
Btfore WILLIAM NI AINWA RING, &.q. And :I): .1;4,-
ewes of th: Pcacc for the Cit 34 /.:,edit'
minst(r.

James Bucknaid, a boy about Iti years age. ,sa •
indided for obtaining money under false .;
Mr. Po etmo tre stated the case on the part oil toe
prosecution. He said, that the Defendant fitd been
the apprentice of the Prosecutor, James Norman,
who was a blacksmith, at Chatham, aad had ab-
sconded from him on the '23d of March last, when
he was joined by two men of the same tra.lc, and
came to London to the Duke of Clarence puhlic-
house, in Charing-cross, where he inlisted in the
Royal Marines, at the same time representing him-
self not to be an apprentice, which offence. by a
late ad of Parliament, was made transportable for
fourteen years:
Here the CHAIRMAN interfered : he thought it was
better rhe boy's friends should be consulted, and
the master should give up the prosecution ; as, in
case of convidion, the boy must be transported, and
then, both he and the public would be deprived of
his services. He also thought, that the two men
who had accompanied the boy to the rendezvous-
house, should have been prosecuted for a conspiracy
to rob the public purse—they knowing the situation
of the boy, at the time they offered him for enlisting.
After some consultation, the Prosecutor persisted
in his determination to prosecute the boy : and the
Witnesses being called, and severally examined by
Messrs. Plumose, KN A PP, and Guests,' for the
prosecution—it appeared, upon the evidence of two
Recruiting Serjeants of the Royal Marines, th, t t:.e
two men, already mentioned, cams to the Duke
Clarence public-home, in Ch ring-cross, and offered
to enlist—they asked him, whether he was an ap-
prentice ? and he positively denied that he was ; in
consequence of which, he was afterwards attested,
sent down to Rochester, and received the ti.ual
beunty of five guineas ; which, it was understood,
he hed shared with the two men who brought
to the rendezvous. The Prosecutor afterwards
traced him out, had him appreneaded, and brought
up to town to take h s trial
When called upon for his defence, the boy stated,
that he had bee pers taded by Jew two men to
join them, and deny his havie:; bet an :toren:ice.
the y gave him too much zsi drink, and were the
sole cause of his miscondua.
he Jury, after a short consultation, found a ver-
did of Guilt*.
The C t:A tau A N then ordered him to be remanded,
observing, at the same time, that as his niaster had
thought propitr to carry the prosecution to the ut-
most, it would be the duty of the Court to consider
t.Te case further, and see that the public derived no
loss from the services of the boy.
lesepli Ne.ille Eiviamod was indided for a :Mis-
demeanor, in pretending to George Clements, that
he could procure for him, knowing hiM to be a ma-
riner, a protection from the Admiralty against be-
ing intr.-sued, and thereby obtaining from Hagh
51.Evoy, the father-in-law of the said George Cle-
ments, the sun, of it. (is.
Hugh McEvoy deposed, that oe the 241 of De-
cember last, the Defendant came to him in St.
vlartin's-Line, where he kept a public house, ..nd
represented himself to have been a Lieutenant in the
Navy, who was dismissed the service, and that he
could procure a motedion for his son-in-law from
the Admiralty. With this view the witness went
w;th the Defendant to the Admiralty Office, and
the latter went in, but soon after returned s.tying, it
was not the time ; they adjourned to a neighbour-
ing house for some time, and the Defendant told
the Witness, that it was necessary for him to give
him 11. Gs. its order to obtain the protedion, which
he accordingly gave him without any hesitation.
The Defendant iesmetiiately went away on pretence
that he was going to the Admiralty, and the Wit-
ness never saw him after till he was apprehended us
the month of February last.
Mr. &Jaime's, who presided in the absence of
the Chair man, observed, that this was not a case for
a criminal prosecution, the party slintild have
brought a civil anion ; he most have known that it
VMS not possible for the Defendant to procure a pro-
tedion for him, he might as well have told him he
could make him the Chief Secretary of State.
The Jury accordingly Acquitted the Defendant.

- - _
The communication between this country and
Holland, notwithstanding the reports to the con-
trary, is still open.; hut nothing can exceed the
severity with which the French visit all vessels which
they sniped of being engagei in trading betneen the
two countries.
The Calquesharm Dr! Santo', from Cork, for
Lisbon, is detained ai..d se:it into Vigo.
Last Wednesday night, or i•arly yesterday morn-
ing, a bat of gold, value 30,0001. was stolen out of
one of the Spanish prizes, lying in Mr. nue v's
Dock, at Blackwell.
The Lists which have been published of the Ma-
jovity ,and Minority on the question of the Tenth
Report, are, in many respects, very erroneous. Sir
ions Sruere, Bart. and Jamas Faaots•a, Esq.
whose names do not appear in tither list, voted for
the Committee of finther Inquiry on Lord MEL•
VILLE'S conduct ; and Mr. BRODIE, who is stated
to have voted on the same side, we have reason to
believe, was not present. Mr. Lestsz did not vote
with the Minority.
The King of PRESSI A discovers much zeal for the
improvement of the Universities in his dominions.
M. M assow, one of his Ministers, is employed in
forming and executing plans for this purpose, and
the Silvereign himself has, with his own hand, trans-
mitted circular letters to the several Universities,
exhorting them to co-operate with him in his views
for their improvement.
On Monday evening last an affray took place at
the Roil public house, Pye-street, Westminster,
between a number of men, some of whom were
soldiers. The young women, who had been running
for shifts in Tothill-liehli, went to that house to con-
elude the amusements of the day by a dance, when
a quarrel ensued, and the soldiers were beaten most
dreadfully ; and one of them killed, by some person
jumping on his breast. Several of the men have
absconded ; nine have been taken up, and two de-
tained on suspicion. Striet search is making after
those who have gone off.