The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-03-22 00:00:00

KENT 4SSZEL
n-To

26 :

MAI. 'NE, MARCH
WISHES 0. CHCOLN,
Mr. Serjeant Beer stated, that this was an ac-
t;on for an assault and false imprisonment, by the
Plaintiff, a reseeaable young man, and a linen-
draper, at Gravesend, against the Mayor of that
town. His client, he said, was a young man, who
hid begun business at Gravesend, and the great of-
fence he had green to the Mayor WAS, that he had
a greater assorunent of patterns Sc' suit the taste of
the Ladies than the Mayor himself could produce.
It was usual in Gravesend, as in many other coun-
try towns, when A new cargo of any sort of goods
one ived fresh and new from the London market, to
set the town crier to work, and announce the glad
ti lings to all tha town. In conformity to this an-
c:ert and laudable prattice, his client, having in
March, last year, received a new and fashionable
assortment of linen-drapery from town, he sent the
t eve c' let finth to proclaim it to the people of
Gravesend ; and, to prove that his gongs were as
fashionable as he proitiised they were, patterns
w ire sent nut ;it the same time, to gratify the sight
of the crier's audience. This, however, it stern-
al, the Mays thought against the laws of the
Borough, aced forbade the crier to du more than
peolish by ',nice that the goods were arrived, and
not to presume to exhibit the patterns. The Plaint-
iff, upon this, thinking that he was ill used, called
upon the Mayor, to remonstrate with him, when
that great Magistrate, in the plentitude of his
poser, net only justified what he had done, but
committed him a prisoner to the gaol of that town :
here he continued a prisoner tot above an hour,
wen the Magistrate, upon cooler reileainn, thought
prover to permit him to go At large. This subse-
quent lenity, however, he was sure the Jury would
not think sufficient atonement for the insult and io-
3tiry of tiejustly depriv.ng an Englishman of his
libtrty . the Learned Selena ,dwelt with groat
wry nth on this topic, and demanded most, exem-
pluy damages frem the hands of the Jury.
Tht thtoe Witnesses to prove the cue were, the
bellman, the constable, and the gaoler. From the
evidence of these, it appeared that it had been the
custom of Gravesend to cry goods, but not to oz.
bavit imples, and that the only two instances to
• the conuary were, one of some mackarel, and the
° other of some green peas, in which cases samples
were exhibited. It also appeared, that when the
Defendant went to rhe Mawr, he was not quite re.
• sPeaftil in his rem insttan:e, but dealt out a libetal
quantity of fair Aloe, which induced the Mayor:to
send him to the Town Hall, where, it was true, he
rernarnif for about an hour ; but, instead of being a
mere pianner, he had all his friends about him,
stet thy enjoyed themselves with great jolly, the
Defendant placing himself in the Mayor's chair,
mimicking the Dcfeitilutt, and ridiculing all the
rims of the Corporation dignity.
Mr. GA a now, upon this evidence, made a very
able reply, in which he ridiculed the Learned Ser-
jeArit's commentations on the attack of English li-
berty, and stated. thatthe Mayor only forbore to
commit him from the circumstance that he was per-
sonally instil:el—that gentleman having had the;
magnanimity to say, that he wuuld not be thought
to li.rvir aged from a motive of resentment for a per-
sonal insult to himself.
V erdia for the Plaintiff-•-Damages one shilling.
SPICL T. CHA Loct,lN.
Mr. GARR ow stated, that this was the most im-
portant cause, except one, among the common Jury
causes. It was an aainn against the Defendant for
defrauding the Plaintiff, a ginger-bread-baker, of
the custom of several old Ladies who had been used
to deal with him. The Defendant had been his
servant, but having quitted hit master, he took his
cart, aid went wood to the ginger-bread-dealers,
and sold his own goods, pretending he was selling
the Plaintiff's ; not content with this, he laughed at
his former master ; and-told him when he was about
to set our on his weekly circuit, that he might as
well stay at home, f r he had gone the round be-
foie him, and forestalled the market prove
this case, he-called twis old women, one of whom
had bought ten shillings worth of gingerbread, and
the ether three shillings worth of the Defendant,
ease :old them li, was selling Spice's gingerbread.
Mr. Serjeant 'is Lee A ito observed, that if this
re lly was tele of tl.ti wrist important a'ions in the
Piper, the spirit of litigation must have got ta an
amazing height in the county of Kent i for he
thought it one of the most trumpery he eer had
witnessed. If the Plaintiff had a verdia, it could
only be for the amount of the prifits on the two
Parcels of gingerbread sold to the two old ladies who
had giten evidence.• It must be a rare profitable
trade to afford a law-suit out of such a quarrel. It
reminded him of the story of the zwo broomsellers,
one of whom stolelsis mates ids, and considered how
the other could undersell him, until he eas told by
the other that he stole his brooms reads made. He
then insisted that the old woman had mistaken what
had passed between' them and the Defendant, and
that he told them he° came to sell them good spice
gingerbread, and not Spots. He added, that all
the gingerbread-sellers aped each other. The Mi-
ele! of one town wore at the fair the same sort of
laced hat a' the other ; but, tun it was, the Maid-
stone Tittido: was not justified in saying, " I am the
genuine Canterbury Tittidol ;" that he was warranted
in saying that his gingerbread was just as good and
fine flavoured. In short, his client had done no
more—he told them that he sold fine spice ginger-
bread, and the Plaintiff being unfortunately named
Sew, the old women thought he said that he sold
:sp,es's (the Plaintiff's gingerbread). Verdia for the
Plaintiff. •

A Court Martial was lately held on a drummer in
the Ist Regiment of Glasgow Volunteers, accused
of disobedience of orders, insolent language, and
striking the drum-major when on duty. These
charges having bean clearly proved, he was sen-
tenced to receive 50 lashes, and to he confined and
fed upon bread and water for .1u days
.)Srie
Javier Sato
ranean, have not
last night re-
which left no
I the Streights
wind, in pur-
l) having re-
ly 0 course.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
FALMOUTH, MARCII IS.
Sailer! the TowNthend packet, Captain Dodd, with
a Mail for Lisbon.
_ _ DEAL, MARCH 20.

Sailed the
.7,maica and Leda frigates, Orts'es and
Harpy sloops of war, with several gun-brigs, &c. on
a cruise off the French coast.

sailed through the Downs from the River, the
Earl Camden outward bound East Indianian.
Arrived the Lard Melville, Earl Spencer, Deto,d
Srett, itannia, and Erahratet, E tst Indiame.i, last
from Plymouth. The Britannia has sailed for the
River, with the ,ir!fll...tst. India pilot-vessel ; and the
Ceres, Bennett, from Lisbon. •
_ . _

• . •
Remain in the Downs the rest of His NlAjesty's
ships as per last.

FROM LLOYDS LIST.
AN*{** U.

At L ~:rpool--The Princess Royal, Norton ; Eliza, Rowle ;
ni Or, Al -Pander, Duriva.n ; from Lisbon
At Minalt.wl—i•Hawkesoury, Minion, from ditto.
At L .1 from ditto.
At Clyd..—".:ottottesi of Rote, M.Reller ; Mr y, Gibson;
Hawk.; Gamy ; Fame, Brawn; Noire, 'rocker .and the
Prinewer Mary, Anders m ; irom

The private letters brought by the Si
mare: schooner, from the Mediterrane
yet s *livered out ; but it was 1;
ittre9itad been received, i
~,4"1"! s,,f having passed
; Yr. 411110"' • • . with fair
\''') his Lordshij
11•:' "!••(•• .f tine enemy'
1j r 144V:sifirprtes
itlTUrDiVer