The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-05-11 00:00:00

NAT :IL iNTELLIGENCE.

nsayinsotirti, ffs.
Antivett the Esdaile, Cur ill, for „fmninca ; Jane,
Paittersois, for Nlisdeira ; anseveral other ontWard.
bound vessels from the Downs.—Sailett the Hope,
with a few transports for Lisbon ; the &tracers sad
Glossas with the fleet for the West Indies; unit the
Etna bomb: Capt. Godfrey, and Thander bomb,
Capt. Caulfield, with convoy for the River.

PLYMOUTH. MAY 8.
Sailed the Esuleavuur arined-brig, with a convoy
for the Westward.

GIBRALTAR, APRIL 7.

The Prince Ernest arrived here this niorning.
from Malta. The Jamaica sailed yesterday, with
a couveiy.for Eaglancl. to cull at Cadiz. .

JERE:III,M READ) U.

nit FOLLOW' X 0 CAtik; IS .EXTRACTED FROM

LEACH'e CROWN LAW. VOL.. 1.
THU RING V. JEREMIAH RE•DING.

At she Old Rai!ey, in September Session, i 713,
Jercorfak I:eading was tried before. Mr. JUSTICE
CROKE, on en indictment which stated, that Jere-
miah latent' London, labourer, haring in
his custody uyd possession • certain Via of ex-
change, with the nanie of Jdlro White thereumn
stibscribee, purporting to be signed by qpe John
Waite. and to be dirt:coal to one John. King,' by
the name and description of Julio Ring, Esq.
lierkeley-street, Partiniiii-square,i.undOn.;" for the
payment of the sum of sot. to hint the said Jere-
ntiels Reading, or ortlA., forty ila:•s uftrr the date
of the said bill of excFange, which said hill of ex-
change Sr to the tenor and effect following. that
it to say,
ss I. sn " Bristol, Feb. st, 1790.
_ _ . . .

_ -
Forty dor after datr, pnr to Mr. Jeremiad' Ileadiog, or
" tinter, die sum of EtOlty fm value received, oat
" place it to the accoritt oC
" JOHN WHITE."

" To Julio fist Berkeley-street,
' " Portinao-square, London."
He the said Jeremiah Reading, ou the 19th day
•f February, in the 32,1 year, &c. with force• and
arms at London, that is to soy, at the parish of St.
Peter, Cornhill, iu the weird of Lime-street; in
Loudon aforesaid, feloniously did falsely snake,
forge, and counterfeit, and cause and Procure to be
falsely made, forged, and conoterfeited, mid wil-
liugly act and assist in the fulse making, forging,
and counterfeiting, upon the back of the said bill
of exchange, an acceptance*, in writing, of the said
bill of exchange, purporting to be the acceptance
of the aaisl John King, of the said bill of exchange ;
which said fake, forged, and counterfeited accept-
ance is to the tenor ansl effect following, that is to
say. " Jahn King, A." with intention to defraud
William Dolby viol Richard liiresser, eguinet the
form of the statute in swell cave made and presided,
agsiust the peace, &e.
• There was a second conntin the mum forme), for
uttering it, knowing it to be forgad, with the like
intention.
The Jory found the Prieo oar guilty on the se-
cond could, and sort guilty on the Bret. But an
objection occurred to the Court, that entity Bill did,
upon the face of it, purport to he directed to Johu
King, but to John Ring, the indictment was
defective, and cdold not be cured by the evi-
dence.
Theme was reserved for the consideration of the
Twelve Judges. In February Session 1794, the
Prisoner was put to the Bar, and Mr. Justice But- ,
ler delivered the opinion of the dridgre. The Pri-
'slier at the bar eras tried in last September gezonoses
for the crime of forgery. The indictment stated,
that I baviii in his custody and possession, a etre-
tain Bill of Exchange, with tile name of Johu White
subscribed thereto, and purporting to be sigued
by John White, and to be directed to am John .
ging, by thernorne of John Ring, Eiq. for the pny-
inent of the sum of not. Isaynble to the said Jere-
miah Reading, or order. forty days after a:a dote.
thereof; did on the nh February forge and coun-
terfeit, foc. on the trick of the said Bill of Exchange,
an acceptance in writ ..; to the tenor following
so John Kiie,;, A." a ith oitention, ske. It was proved
that he negotiated the bill in tire form end words,
mated iu the indictment, and he was courts ted of
the charge, tspaii sorry clear curl satistmaitore
dente ; but the Learned Jiwtge who hi,al the in-
dictment, on txueniesess.4 tilt Itecorsi,• with his lesionl.
caution, for it does not upptistr, that 'my objs (lima
was made either by the Prisoner, or any person on
his behalf, conceived a doubt in his own !Minima
the form of the indictment. and reserved die 11•: rut
for the consideration of the Judges The doalit
nose on tlutt part of the indictment which states
tho bill to purport to he directed to nest Julio King,
by the name and description of John Rim/.
Esq. Now,
_ it is clear. that where an notniment
is to be set forth, the description that it purports a
particular fact, necessarily mean: that whet is
stated as the purport of the itistrunient, appear..
on the face of the instrument itself. On the fare
of
the bill of exchange in tile present case, 111141
the face of the bill is the only thing to he consi-
dered ; nothing snore appears when we exausine
the avermeut, than that it is a bill of exchange
drawn by John White on John Ring. therefore
when the indictment says it was drawn on Johu
king, by the naincand description of John Ring,
it is absurd and repugnant to itself, for the name
and description of out thing outwit import to lie
another thing. The drawer of the indictment was
led into this blunder by not considering what was
the original state of thy bill, and what was the ap-
pearance of it after the seeeptence was put on it :
tt seems ns if hr did WA recollect under what terms
err by whom a bill of exchange may he secepteal.
Though the bill was drawn on John Ring, it might
have been accepted by John King. for a bill
may be accepted by other persons than those
to whom it 13 dinged, as when it is eccepted for the
honour of. the drawer. or of am of the ititiorsen.
This blunder, therefore, which makes the indict-
ment absurd, and repugnant in itsoif, is, in the
opinion of all the Judges of England, a sufficient
reason for arresting tlw judgment against the psi.
▪ Bert as the opiurun is founded, not on any
proof of his innocence, but merely on the informa-
lity of the record, the prisoner may be again in-
dicted for this offence, stud therefore tonst be de-
tinned in custody for that purpose. urinal the end of
the Sessioiss.—'Flie prisoner remained in custody
until the month of March 1794, when be received
a I's r pardon, and was dischavd.

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