The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-11-15 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGkNCR.

OGURT OF CHANCERY, Itatutuay, Nemissa 13.

ILLFGITIMATE CHILD.
SERGVS9OI V. lIILIGSMION.

This extraordinary rear again occupied the atten-
tion of the Court, whir+ was crowded to excess.
it was an application by the Plaintiff to the Court,
praying that the annual allowance of three hundred
pounds to the Defendant might he snspended. anal
that an issue might he directed for the purpose of
trying whether she was the legitimate child of the
late Colonel tisrgesenn. The Plaintiff having mar-
ime‘t the Colonel's sister. swarmed the mime of
Sergesson, and took the faintly estates. The De-
fendent is a child of thirteen years of age. and
being entitled to the perennial estate of her deceased
Ersitslnintiser. and other property, in value nearly
90,000/. she was made a wind of the Court, and the
300/. a year 'Mowed her for her education and sup-
port. In consequence of the PI if having re-
ceived various accounts respecting the child being
sispposi ti t nous child, he went to Dublin, where he
rollected ma number of affidavits, stating the man-
her in which the child had been palmed on the
(Vont I as his own. These he submitted to Orm
Court. awl applied to have an issue to try the
question of the legitimacy.
Messrs. 1! sat end FAIRAII, at great length,
Mated the case um behalf of the Plaintiff, and reed
•he affidavits, which stated that the late Colonel
was extremely deeiront to have a child., sod used hi?
wife very harshly in coosequence of her
none. A plan was accordingly formed befsmen her,
Nelly Cunningham, Dr. Fitzommitoint. Mrs. Gib-
son, tic. by which Nelly went to Sycamore.
alley, in Dublin, where she prevailed on a young
woman to give her a child of a few days old, in re-
turn for which she gave the woman three crowns
and some spirits, assisting her at the same time
that the child should be properly taken care of.
The child was given to Mrs. Gibson, who con-
trived, with Dr. Fitrimmotts, to make the Colonel
believe that his wife had been prematurely deli-
vered of a seven months child, while in a coach.
The Colonel at once believed the story, and re-
joiced that he had become a father. The child was
innerly six years of age when the Colonel died, in
19 tit. and she had uniformly been treated kindly by
Inns as leis own. An annuity of Ili. was annually
vat-1 to ;Melly Cunningham till a few years ago,
v!trii she gave this nifoi minion to the Plaintiff. The
uffidavits were very numerous, anal gave a long (le-
ts,: of the plot. The Leaned Counsel strongly
urged that the annuity of 12/. to Cunningham was
is strnnn proof of the truth of the story, especially
as Cunningham .wore it Iva, given her to keep the
secret till the death of the Colonel. The object of
l:•• Plaintiff, in this application to the Court, was
merely to ascertain the trimili of such testimony, es-
pecially es Mrs. Sergesson, iti I ef affidavit, hed de-
ieit there was any privacy in the payment of the
eianey, while, on ihr contrary, all her letters proved
it was a secret payment. she hariog directed the
letters to be sent to her model's horse, and not to
her own. Brides, her second atF davit proved quite
tierently from the first, in the manner in which
she accounted for that annuity being allowed.—
These points were urg-al with considerable energy
by the Counsel.
Mr. WiscetEED made an admirable speech for
the Defendant. He went into a minute detail of
t' e affidavits, which, lie contended, were so contra.
ohctory in tileir contents, as to slim they were an.
no:rily of credit. The very conduct of the Plain-
t ft himself marked the whole case with suspicion,
fur instead of this being the first. it was the third
rtaplicetion. lie conceived that time Went was
justified is resisting this application in every point
of view. The story was most improbable ; for in
the first place, where was there any likelihood in
Cu:onel Sergesson being induced to believe that a
clim:d of seven days old was a new-born infant ?
I) rot the slightest consideration spew the vast
il.flerence in the appearance of a child seven days
aid from a new born one? Further, he would ask,
was it at all Imktly that any mother would sell a child
for three crowns amid a glass* of whiskey ? Without
sus reflection. on the character and conduct of the
Plaintiff, it could nut but be regretted that he had
gone into all the kennels and sinks of Dublin to
procure information on this subject, and to bring
down the contempt and disrespect of the public on
this child. The Learned Gentleman then read a
resmber of affidavit% in reply to those of the Plain•
tiff end otlwrs. Ile also read several letters of the
Defendant's mother, Mrs. Sergesson, and coo-
t-Wiled en animated speech by hoping the Court
would refuse the motion. _ _

Mr. Cower followed on the same side, and Mr.
n'r replied.
use Loan CnsecELLoa went into a loog detail
of all the focis ut the case, and strongly declared
lam opinion on the infamous conduct of the persons
who had given the Plaintiff such affidavits, and he
thonght it his duty to send the case to a Jury, on
the point of legitimacy, and not on the annual el-
-I..wasice of 300/. to the infant. The parties would
4410. meet &cc to five, for certainly some of them
were perierrd, either on one side or the other:
The ig•ite ass ordered to be triedin die Court of
IC ing's Bench in the Sittings after Hilary Term.

COURT OF BINH'S BENCH, Weirrawsma,
SATURDAY, Novragssit 13.

TIWICIIXO C. SIR 1114 M. I.OIOIZ. ♦MD EIGHTIIIIN

°TRICIA.

Ift will he recollected that Sir M. Lopez, end the
sutler Defetalams. were convicted at the Devon
A—te,s last Spring of bribing certain electors of
the b..roogh of Grampound, for the purpose of pro.
coring, by corrupt means, the return of a Member
to were in l'arlisment fur that beromtle. There
waa also a second conviction against the Baronet,
far on offence of the same description committed
iii Cornwall.
.The particulars of the cue have al-
ready been (ally detailed to the public. The
Defendants now put in affidavits, iii which they
severally stated, that Sit Manasseh bad not re-
quested any of them et the time of election to vote
toe him, or had he pointed out to them any person
for whom he desired they should vote.
Alr. SCARLETT addressed the Court in elitiga.
tits°. and contended that Sir Manissweh Lope* had •
not completed his offer S, inesasech as he had
e4ped u• basest frees it. lie had Dot been elected,