The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-12-28 00:00:00

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EXTRAORDINARY CASE VP LIBEL.

Dominica, Ocr. 3.—One of the most singular,
'and, in fact, unprecedented trials for libel has just
been decided here. The parties were S. Bridgewater,
Esq. Collector of the Customs, plaintiff, and the pro-
prietor of the Dominica Chronicle, defendant. The
libel was contained in a notice to correspondents in
the following words—
" Castigator is wholly inadmissible. We bare nothing to
do with the robbery at (I—n—a, some years ago. It is a Work-
force' business, and should hare been tried in that Colony."
This notice, it was supposed, alluded to some com-
munication handed to the Editor of the Chronicle, re-
lative to a transaction which occurred durirfg the resi-
dence of Mr. Bridgewater in the island of Grenada,
the place implied in the notice.
It appears, that during Mr. B.'s residing there, he
received tome information that the premises of a resi-
dent on the island, named Waugh, had been broken
open during the night and were in the act of being
robbed. Under that impression, he repaired to the
spot with his servants, to render Waugh such assist-
ance as he might stand in need of ; but Waugh, under
some misapprehension, and ignorant of the persona
designs who were thus disturbing him (for the
robbery was a fabrication), called to the military guard,
and gave Mr. Bridgewater into their custody, and ac-
cordingly conveyed him to the guard-house. Waugh,
however, in the space of ten minutes followed him
there, accompanied by the brother of the plaintiff, and
apologising for his hasty conduct, satisfied Mr. Bridge.
water, and the whole of the parties proceeded to their
respective homes.
The paragraph above alluded to appearing to con-
vey an intimation that Mr. Bridgewater had gone to
Waugh's house for the purpose of committing a bur-
glory, that Gentleman instantly commenced an action
against the proprietor of the Dominica Chronicle, for
libel, and laid his damages at 5,0001.
The Jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict
for the plaintiff—Damages 5001.
Upon this decision, the defendant moved an attest
of judgment ; but failing in that, put in a Writ of
Error, and the cause was argued before the four
Judges, viz. :—the Earl of Huntingdon, Mr. President
Reid, Mr. Lockhart, and Mr. John Ludlow, and
after hearing the case minutely, the Court divided,
when it was found the votes were equal, the two
former Judges being in favour of the proprietor of the
Paper, and the two latter against him. This places
the sentence in state quo, there being no other power
of appeal, and the case has caused a considerable
sensation in Dominica and the neighbouring Islands,
as it is totally a novel and unprecedented occurrence,
for which the Legislature has made no provision ; and
the defendant has been deprived of that benefit the
law intended should operate fur him, when the Act
which empowered him to appeal to a Court of Error
was framed.—( Glasgow Courier.)

INQUESTS.
_—„so,

On Thursday last an Inquest was held before Stirling,
Esq. Coroner, at the Belvidere Coffee and Tea Oardens,
Pcntonsillc, on the body of Mary Leek, a handsome young
female, who bad put a period to her existence by hanging
herself.
The evidence produced was of a very affecting nature, of
which the following is the substance : —The deceased had
been about a year and a half in the service of Mr. Scott, one
of the churchwardens of Clerkenwell, during which time she
had kept company with a young man in the neighbourhood, and
was much respected by beremployers, and bore the character of
an honest and industrious girl. She was, it appears, to have
' been married to the young man with whom she kept company
on Christmas Day ; but on Monday morning last she disco-
vered that all her affections had been misplaced, the man
being already married ; upon her return home it is supposed
she committed the rash act, being riund a short time after-
wards suspended by a rope from the rails of the kitchen
area Upon this evidence thcJury, atter minsulting together,
found—" That the deceased put an end to her existence in a
;slate of mental derangement, produeed by disappointment in
her expectation+, from the unprincipled conduct of Francis
Mem, also had keel company with her for several months
and bad lately married another person."
The man has abscond d, and spplication has been made
for the interference of the Magistrates upon the subject.

AWFUL INSTANCE OF SUDDEN DEATH.
Yesterday es ening an Inquest was held before Mr. Him.
Coroner for the city and liberty of Westminster, on the
body of Mr. James Cull, a gentleman lodging at a public-
house in Long-acre, ho was found dead in the street nn
Thursday night. The deceased was sixty •siz years of age.
Robert Taylor, a atchinan is Bow street, deposed that be
observed the deceased going along the loot pavement at
twelve o'clock ; in about ten minutes afterwards he found
him at the corner of Hart-street perfectly senseless ; be
sprung his rattle, and bad him with assistance conveyed to
Covent-garden watch-house.
A medical gentleman was sent f-r, but his efforts to restore
him proved abortive, he never recovered his speech.
Mr. Remark!, surgeon, in &Alford-street, stated that he
had been sent fur, and found the deceased in a dying state.
He did every.thiag in his power to restore him, but without
effect. He thought death was produced by apoplexy.
Thorn was a bruise on the deceased'. free.

The son of the deceased, a rvspeekble shopkeeper in the
Strand, attended the inquest ; he thought the deceased's body
still felt wgrns, and if proper means had been resorted to, ho
considered animation nuts he restored.
The Surgeon expl.ined, and the Coroner and Jory ex-
pressed • wash to adjourn the Inquest, in conformity with the
wish of the deceased's son, in order that any experiment he
chow might still be tried. The deceased's son on oath de-
posed, that the deemed left his house at a quarter before
twelve o'clock on the preceding night, when he left him in
perfect health as usual.
The Jury consulted, mud returned their verdict—Neural
Death.

MEETINGS OF CREDITORS AT THE COURT OF

COMMISSIONERS OF BANKRUPTS,
THIS bAY.

--... 2. tc.
T. Parker, jno. Wood. street, hosier
R. Jame'', Stanford Baron. veterinary surgeon
R. Graham, 'Flirogmorton street, stliek•brotter
J. 0(911601, Dorset-street, cotton-manufacturer 3 11
D. Eduardo, Gloucester, tea-dealer
C. R. Husks, Newcate.street, VI holesalc glover
W. Collins, eras ford-strect, linen draper 3 li
J. H iron Banbury, grocer - 3 13
W. Oriteths, lab., a Abergavenny, seedsmas
W. Wel s, licadon, hay salesman s t
B. P. Eton'. late of Freeman's-court, law-stationer 1 11
R. G. Spcdding, jun. late of Rickmansworth, coal-
merchant
.
W. Childs, Whitehall, victualler :,/ - 1 11
or
W. °moue'', late of Combat, merchant I 1

DIVIDENDS.
J. R. Benson, Finsbury-square, merchant 1
J. M. Fuller, late of Worthing, Goan-draper lt
D. G. Stet rns, Harlow, linen-draper
W. Lloyd, sen. Peettarn. and W. Lloyd, jun. late of Loner
Thamea.strect, slopsellers la
J. Maley, late of Bankside, corn m. reliant 1
W. Law, Tbroginorton-street, merchant l2

CERTIFIC4TES.
J. Kewer, Little Windmill-street, Golden-stoat*, Middle-
sex, carpenter.—J. C. Bounith. late of Bristol, but now of
Bath, dealer.-0. 11. Edwards, Craren.street, Westminster,
winc•merchant.—J. Beley, Birmingham, dealer.—J. G. Bid-
well, Exeter, merchant.

PRICES OF FOREIGN STOCKS YESTERDAY.
Preach, Of. Ex. U f. 0 e. I Ditto, of 1622, 66
Rutsion 8 per Cent. Ditto Scrip,
Ditto Metallic, of Haring' Daa.rh, in I Isterling, In
Ditto of Silems Ditto, in Marcy lianeo,
Ditto, of 1842, Si I S 3 Columbian, 66i
Ditto Scrip, Chilian, 73
Austrian, Peruvian Scrip, 79i
Neapolitan, 7 Poyaia ditto,
Ditto Scrip, 7661/0771 n Poyais ditto,
Spanish, of IS. , 6! American 6 per Cent.
Ditto, of MI, 54i Ditto 5 per Cent.
Ditto Scrip, of 1622, lite die. Ditto 3 per Ceot.
Prussian, of 1818 ast Ditto Bank Shares
tem
The Favourite. Livingston. from Liverpool to Gibraltar, has
put into Holyhead . /laving waived her upper weeks la deg at
LivarPool.