The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-31 00:00:00

FIRE AT THE OLD SOUTH SEA HOUSE..

A fire broke nut yesterday morning, between two and three
o'c'ock, at the Old South Sea House, which for tome time put has
Fern designated AT the name of the Old South Sea Chambers, in
Bmail-etreet. This spacious building is nearly all consumed, and
that part which, as yet, has escaped, is in great danger.
Happily no lives have been lost, but the amount of property
deetroyed must be immense. as the whole of the building wits let
out in counting-houses and suites of chembers. IVhetr the lire
was discovered it was evident that it had been raging fur a wend-
dui.ble time. It unfortunately happened that on the arrival of
the engines there was a scarcity of water, and before a more plenti-
fal supply avid he obtained, the fire had reached to a great
height. Fortunately, however, some of the inhabitants recollected
that is the gardens belonging to the premises there was a fountain,
a large rcarnmir of wider ; to this two engines were imme.
d:atey conveyed, avid commenced playing with comdderable effect ;
a td te the exertions of the men who worked them way be atuibuted
the saving of some of the adjoining Premise*.
At one period of the morning great anxiety was manifested for
the safety of the Excise Mice, to which the atteatiuu of the con-
ductors of the engines was directed, and we are happy to uy with
ultims to succeu.

Two children who were in bed in one of the rooms on the second
fi•M ornm bore perished, had it not been for the great presence of
mind evinced by Mansfield, pose of the waiters at the North and
South American Coffee-house, who rushed up stairs, as the 1111011.
rem peril of his life, to their rescue. which he happily effected.
It is suppewe.l that the fire originated in one of the vaults under-
teeth the building, which was let to a wine-merchant.
Most of /he gentlemen and merchants, who inhabited the Old
Smth :tea Chambers, were fast asleep when they were aroused by a
tremendous knocking at the gate, with the alarm of fire. a little
afier two o'clock in the morning, by the watchman. When the
gate waa vetted, a great quantity of smoke noshed out of the count-
ing.hnuse of Mr. Waters, which was under the gateway, where the
fire is supposed to have originated. An alarm was Immediately
given to the several inmates. _ . .

The gentleman lobo lion appeared was Mr. Lutchers, inhabiting
one of the chambers, who immediately rendered every assintanee to
bit netahhourt, at :he sante time forgetting his own property.
abasing Isle gold watch. which he left in his drawers. and varin
Mere of value, be returned and found his bed-room full of smoltdt
and, at the rink of being suffocated, rescued his watch and most
of the papers. All the rent of his property has been tonstuned.
Unforanately he is not intoned.
We are most happy to find that 31e. James vtirtut, lobo as well
am his brother Si, William, had aparunents in the bAding.sagged
without injury. We understood that Air. Curtis 'Mae ItnnlMll to
the full amount of his property destroyed. '
A rag quantity of papers brlmigink VnittodllheiseAtEce hare
been destroyed : and several gentlemen, nre understand, have et.
perieneed great losses, as they only esailted with what clothes they
could throw on.
Those extenv;ve premises, we understand, had been purchased by
Government.

We have received the littrbadoes If/Teary to the 28th of
January. On the morning of the 25th, between ten and
eleven o'clock, an alarming lire broke out in Bridge Town,
which cantinued to rage with great violence until near three
in the afternoon. I.7.vanls of one hundred 110U$F14 were
burnt, and property to almost an incalculable amount de-
stroyed. It INa‘ Wit known how the tire originated. A
general meeting of the inhabitants was held on the '27th, at
which a committee was appointed to aszertaita the losses of
individuals, an:l a subscription immediately entered into,
which amounted. at the termination of the meeting, to
7631 71. 6d.-I.irerpool Courier, March 29.
rts.—The nutnber of passports and livrets
countersigned at Geneva in 1825 WM 13,902, the bearers
of which were-3359 Swhs, 3,091 Savoyards and Pied-
Maltese, 3,0G8 French, 1,550 Gertnans, 1,339 English,
353 Italian, I I.; Russians, sti Americans, and 45 Danes
and Swtsies.

LI, r arnnt, 11411C1119.--Our cotton market is dull and
busy, and price% inclining downwards. About 3500 bags
sold in the week.

Floor has fallen in price, at Merthyr, loa. per sack of
flloomis•—centhrtas.
f A sleeting will he held at Exeter in the Sessions week,
al the purpose oreonsideritg the props it ty of establishing
County AsYlull for the instruction of the Deaf and
plinth' Private school, far n similar purpose, has heel'
•frer some
ante carried on with
bonthood of that dty. much success in the neigh-

ASSIZE 1."117.1.16P 'CE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—NIAID+TONE, MAscii 29.

[Before the lewd Cl.ielC:Ton ALEXANDER.]
_ THY 111110 CHI.III.EII.

This was an indictnteni x. 19.4 and corrupt perjury.
assigned upon evidence given by the drfenuant on the trial at law
of a cause Coleman v. I)idava..x.

Mr. MAIIRVATT and Mr. Rot.LANI) conducted the protects-
don. and Mr. Ott IttlEY and Mr. A not.Pflus the defence.

It appeared in evidence that the defendant. who it the arm of a
respectable attorney, bed been whin". for his hither's partner, Mr.
Coleman, who. at the last siummer Atis'zi^c fns this county. brought
an action againu. Mr. ',climax, the attorney, for wersulting him
at the Canterbury race. in 1824. There had been some mistinder-
atanding heaven Mr. Coleman and Mr. ',climax. Meeting on
Barham Down., on the 17th of Augurt, the latter demanded of
the former whether he had called him a scoundrel or a swindler i
Mr. Coleman replied that he t:itl not. Mr. Delaraux then Bahl,
" Did you say I weir a blackguard ?" Mr. 'oleinan anrwered,
" It you sent me that measage by your clerk I certainly did, and
do now." Whereupon Mr. Dtlasittx .truck Mr. Coleman wit!:
hid horsewhip. fat the trial of the action for thin assault, the
defendant, who is a youth of seventeen. wan, examined as a ma-
terial witness to the transaction. Ile stated that he wan near
the spot where the asaault war committed. Mr Delatiattx, he
mid, charged Mr. Coleman with something which he, tine de-
fendant, dtd not hear, but whatever it was, 3lr. Coleman den;ed
it ; and that the assault watt committed upon that dental. The
Lord Chief Justice Bert, who tried the cause, dwelt upon Mr.
Coleman's denial of what Mr. Delasaux charged him with, as a
circumstance of aggravatioa on the part of the latter ; and the
Jury, under his lautiship'r direction's, found a venlict for the
plaintiff, damages 88!. Mr. Delasaux afterwards moved fora new
trial, on the ground that the damages were exeersive ; but the
Court refused the rule. Mr. Del i'MUX then preferred the present
indictment, and it wet that the defendant had spoken falsely
in swearing that Mr. Co!etnan had draied the accusation made by
Mr. Delasaux ; and it war farther alleged, that in tact the defen-
dant was at a different part of the race course at the time of the
assault, and consequently could not have teen the tranea:tion to
which he deposed. Mr. Miasmic, anti other witneares, proved
that they did not see the defendant on the race course at the time
of the assault, and that Mr. Coleman had admitted that he called
Mr. Manua a blackguard under the circumstance:, above men.
tioned. On his cross-examination, Mr. Delasaux denied that he
had told any body that he prosecuted young Charles from revenge.
Ile admitted that he had said. " that revenge was sometimes
sweet." Ile had suffered severely ; the Court of King's Bench
had refused hint a new trial.

On the part of the defendant it was proved, that he was near the
spot at the tinge of the assault, and that it was very possible fur him
to have been mistaken in his account of the twat part of the com-
munication between Mr. Coleman and Ur. Delaiiaux.

Dr. Burt, Master of the King's School, at Canterbury, proved
that the Iletendant watt a pupil of his, and that he was a youth of
unitnpeachable veracity. He never found him guilty of p ica.
lion, much lessor falsehood.
The Loan CHIEF Manx summed up the ease. and
The Jury immedisteiy found the defendant Not Guilty.
THE. KING 1.. RIDLEY.

This was an indictment against the defendant for a nuisance, in
carrying on a coal.gax manufactory at Margate. The ezistenee of
the nuisance was proved; but the case against the defendant failed
for want of proof that he took any personal part in the management
of the manufactory.—Verdict, Not Guilty.

OXFORD CIRCUI T.—MONMOUTH, MARcu 28.

CIVIL 2SIDE.
TnE XIXO v. PRICEATID OTHEIS.

This was an indictment against Joseph Price, Esq., a Magis-
trate of the county of 31ononouth, and eleven other persons, for an
alleged riot and assault. The ease excited intense interest in this
town, and the Court was crowded to excess, from the moment it
was opened, by the twn parties into which the population is di.
vided—the Duke of Beaufort's and the independents.

The witnesses on both sides were ordered Out of Court.

Mr. Cuawoon and Mr. C. Pittwes conducted the prosecu-
tion, and the former opened the casie. Gentlemen of the Jury, I
rather lament that, the find time I have the honour of addressing a
Jury of the county of Monmouth, I have to state to them a case
which, if made out in evidence, reflects disgrace upon, at least,
one man who Wilds a considerable station in the county. This is
an indictment against twelve persona for a riot, and the first per-
son named in the indictment is Mr. Joseph Price, who, I under-
stand, is a gentleman of distinction, and has been by the special
commission of his Majesty entrusted with the conservation of the
peace in this county—at least, he among others ; and yet this case
will present to you the nitwit tar spectacle of a most outrageous riot,
organised, headed, and conducted by a Magistrate, who ought to
have preserved the peace. Now. Gentlemen, I will state the facta
of the case. On Thursday, the Ith of November, int, Mr.
Hughes, who was then the Mayor o. t!iie town, according to an-
cient custom, treated his fellow.townsi....i and their ladies with a
ball in the own-hall. While they were .:toying their festivities,
a numerous party went to Mr. Price's houar, where they entered
by a back door. They then came out and a senabled at a pub,
lie-house here, called The Mason's Arms ; nod there, alter
they hail been gorged with ale, Mr. Price joined them. He came
from the parlour into the kitchen, and having mounted a chair, he
harangued the mob. Having done that, they sallied forth with the
bard of the militia before them, organised in something like mili-
tant array, and inarclic.l t. tn. C.... .r snout ten o'clock
at night. where die Mayor and his friends were assembled and were
enjoying themselves according to ancient and accustomed usage.
After a short pause, they made a rush at the hall-door, attempted
to break in, and several of them cried out, •• We will oust the
Mayor, as we oustett somebody else." To what they alluded, I
shall not now stop to inquire, but Mr. Price, on that occasion, was
most active in encouraging them and exciting them to a breach el
the peace. The constables attempted to keep the doors fast, and
one of them being outside, was most cruelly assaulted and out-
rageously beaten. He was, however, rescued from his perilous eitua•
tient. and he will detail the particulars to you. The mob then pro-
ceeded down Church.street, preceded by the band ; and when they
came in front of the houses of those persons who were obnoxious to
them, the band was directed to imitate groans and all sorts of most
indecent and disgusting noises. (Here* portion of the assembly in
Court bunt out into unrestrained laughter.)
Mr. Baron flaaanw—lf the Court is again disturbed in that
way, I will send a certain ponion of the disorderly to gaol, and the
rest of them out of Court. However the people of Monmouth may
enjoy indecent disturbances, they shall not disturb the proceedings
of a Court of Justice while lam in it. I shall have my eye upon
the persons present. I shall commit upon my own observauon,
and I expect the others to do their duty.
Mr. CURWOOD TOWITIed--.oentlelllll4 I ST much obliged to
his Lordship for repressing this spirit of insubordination. The
mob proceeded down Church-street, Gentlemen, until they came to
the house of Mr. Syner, who is a pastry-cook. and there they com-
menced an attack upon the door and shutters. Mrs. Syner had
just prepared to go to the ball, and her husband was getting ready
to accompany her. He went to his door, hearing the violent noise
that was made, and was assaulted by the mob. His wife also was
going out to see what was the minter, when some ruffian" dashed
his hat in her face, gave her a black eye, and tore off some of her
little ornaments. 31r. Price was at that time among them, and en-
couraging them, as I understand (Mr. Price was in Court, and is
a gentleman of colour, as it is canes( l ; and I say, a man who
could thus act and encourage such an outrage upon a woman
know hie not, but Nature, ever true to her laws. would de-
pict his character in his tace—is neither genuine English nor
genuine Arden. After this the mob proceeded to escort Mr. Price
home in triumph. He addressed them at his own house, and told
them it was time to go home. They went to the Mason's Arms
again, and after being overwhelmed with ale and with sleep, they
dispersed. I have thus detailed to you the outline of this case,
and I shall leave it to the witnesses to detail the particulars. A
Special Jan, Inns been summoned by the defendants, but for what
reason I know not. 15'hether they were afraid of the honest indig-
nation of the peasantry who usually form the Common Juries, I
cannot say, but., Gentlemen, I am glad to see you here; for I am
sure you will give an honest verdict, and do all that justice de-
mands. _ _

Janes Berry—l am a manor. I remember the 4th of Novem-
ber, 1824. when the Mayor hail his ball. I was at the Allison's
Arm* in Monnow-street on the evening of that day. There were
bout 200 pawns there. I know Mr. Price's person, and I saw
him sitting tat the house. There were about forty or fifty of the
persons in the kitchen, and I saw Mr. Price come in, anti, stand-
ing upon a chair, Ire said something to them, all about Dr.
Bevan. I cannot say what it was. He then went out, but what
became of him I cannot say; I believe he went into the parlour.
After about three.quarters of an hour the mob went out into the
street, and there was a hand of music there. Mr. Jones told them
all to come out, and take Mr. Price home ; and when they came
back they should 'iave sonic more ale. They came out of the
house, and the bard beat Mt They marched up to the Hall,
where I heard the music inside, and suppose that dancing was
going on. They made a stand in front of the Hall, and then
James Lane (a defendant) and Edw. Gunter (note defendant) said
" I)—n their eyes, pitch into then) !" Then James Lane and
Edward Gunter began to drive at one of the constables ; I believe
they hit him, and hem leathering him ; 1 mean beating him. Ile
had not done anything to them before that. Mr. Price was pre-
sent ; he stood in the middle of the mob ; I did not see him do
anything. I continued with the mob until they went all round,
and took Mr. Price home. At some places they played tunes like
groan.. I sew the mob when before Mr. Syner 's door : I dare say
there *acre between two and three hundred of them. I saw one of
them catch hold of Alm. Syner by the cap. 1 saw her face after.
wards ; it was not marked.
John Rainey-1 am a master plumber and glazier in this town.
I remember Thursday night, the 4th of November, 1324. Mr.
Hughes. the then Mayor, gave a ball that night, and 1 was one of
the Stewards. 1 recollect being on the stairs of the Hall that night.
One of the door-keepers, a man of the name of Davis, went away
without my leave, after I had given out the beer-tickets. which was
at ten o'clock. There was then a disturbance. The music was
the first thing that arrested my attention. There was then a degree
of noise existing, but not a great deal. That occasioned me to go
down to the foot of the staircase, and from that 1 went into the
market-house, and new a con'iderable number of persons coming
from the direction of Monnow-atreet, cud they moved along until
they came nearly to the centre or the market-house. I think there
were from two to three hundred, and they were marching with a
degree of regularity, until they came to the centre of the front of the
market-place. and then the word " halt," was given. The music
then played "011 save 'he King," and tile crowd htizzaed. In the'
crowd I observed Jlr. .I:4eph Price, a Magistrate of the county,

THE BRITISH PRESS.

Mr.Witlion Matte, and. I believe, Mr. James Jones. I partieu
larly noticed Mr. l'rice waving his stick instead of his hat, when
they husswed. Upon that I observed some degree of bustle in the
mob in front of the market-home, and I particularly noticed a man
whom I did not know,'in a smock frock. who said. " Follow me !"
A general lash then Conk place Inwards the door of the Town
flail, with cries of •6 (Jo it ! go it I " I particularly noticed the
phrase, "We will oast them as we did Fame." I then went in,
and closed the do r, which woe ecceleeated by the mob pushing
against it, as the door closed inwards. In that rush I noticed the
defendants bane and Lavender After that I heard a great noise
against the door, apparently with sdrksor bludgeo ti, and tile cry.
Turn nut the bargeman. and all his crew." lir. Hughes is a
barge owner. I went and told the Mayor what was going on. lie
went down and went nut A short time atterwards there was a
knocking at the door, and I answered it. The p:ople outside said.
" We are all friends: here is the poor Duke, almost murdered."
They then brought in James Davis. Thy sere leading him by
the arms, or rather dragging him, and we stored him in a window
at the bottom of the emirs. Ile was covered with blood, partici'.
lady about his face. lie wee bleeding at the mouth. I went into
the hall. and Cork down some wafer to him, which appeared to re-
vive him. and lie was himself again.
_

(hoes-examined by Mr. TAttrrnw.-1 have been one of the
burgesses of this town, but lam ousted. I entered into a rule of
Court to dinclaim, if Mr. Ypres was defeated, and I have dis-
claimed. We have no Mayor now in Monmouth, to the beat of my
knowledge. I did not see any Mayor at church with the Judgel
last Sunday. Mr. Price, the &lend:int, decoyed the Mayor into
his house one night; and, after making him tipsy. got him to sign
deed of disclaimer. I very much question whether he would
h•tee done such a thing if he was sober, beesuae I saw him on the
Monday previous, and he made several declarations that he would
stan.l the contest, let the istme be wbat it might. I watched him
that partitmlar night, but I did not see him home from Mr. Price's
house.

Several other witnesses were maid, but each successive witness I
differed from the one who had preceded him.
Mr. TAUNTON then addressed the Jury on behalf of the defend-
ants. Gentlemen, knowing. as I think I pretty well did know, the
nature of the ease on the other hide, I think I never in the hole
course of my life saw a case so Wilde out. You must guess the sort
of spirit by which It is influenced by what you have seen to day.
Contrasting the case opened to you with that proved, you see
nothing but contradiction. from begmhieg to encl., of the moat ex-
traordinary description. My learned Friend who conducts this
prosecution has most ample cause to complain that he has been
misinstructed, misled. and deceived ; but he is only discharging a
professional duty, and no one will impute any thing to him whieh
is not perfectly consistent._( Here the Learned Counsel went over
the whole of the evidence, remarking oa the contradictory ;metal—
' It appears, Gentlemen, nothing more nor leas than this, that the
Mayor and his party thought they had a right to enjoy themselves
in their own peculiar way, with their Topry and tobacci, and the
other party tea, from some other motive, rejoiced also in a different
manner; but there is no earthly pretence for saying that any regu-
lated design existed to disturb the public peace, of to create that
which would be in law a riot.

Mr. Baton Winnow charged the Jury. His Lordship said that
the Jury were called upon, now at the beginning or IBM, to in.
quire into the imputed guilt of twelve several defendants, who
were charged with having been guilty of a riot in 1:124. His Lord-
ship warned the Jury against mixim; themselves up with those
party feelings, which were the incentives of this indictment, and
offered to read through the whole of the evidence if the July
thought it necessary.
The Jury told his Lordship that he need not treuble himself, and
found all the defend sots Not littilty.