The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-12-04 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

CLERKENWELL, Dec. S.
AM-ALS.
Mr. Lewis, a herse-hair manufacturer, appealed
against a conviction which took place before two
of the Magistrates at Worship-street Police-office.
The circumstances under which the conviction
rook place were these : A person of the name of
Nelson, who worked as a weaver in the employ of
Mr Lewis, up to Oflober, 1804, brought him be-
fore the Magistrates at Worship•street, in Oftober,
1807, having charged Mr. Lewis with keeping a
portion of the wages he had earned from him.
Mr. Lewis refused to submit the matter to arbi-
tration, for which he was fined, under the Sfith and
40th of His present Majesty, chap ii the at
having been passed to prevent onlassful ccrobina-
tions of journeymen, and which specifically ex-
pressed, that all disputes should be referred to arbi-
tration, within a reasonable time, and in default of
either party, a salutary remedy was provided.
Mr. GNONLY and Mr. CONST were employed for
the Re.pondents, who called Nelson to prove the
debts, and also a Mr. Mawley, an Attorney, to
prove the application frt. payment; who produced
a letter written by him to Mr. Lewis, and also the
answer' cf Mr. Lewis's Attorney to the application.
Mr. AN DISZWS, Counsel for the Appellant, ad-
mitted the statement of Nelson, but took several
objeflioos to the conviction in Oaober, 1807. Nel•
son, who had been in the employ of Mr. Lewis,
from January, 1833, to Oft. 1104, lift his employ-
ment, and received his wages without ever betray.
ing any symptoms of dissatisfaction. He never
told Mr. Lewis he had not paid him all his wages ;
no, he did not do that; but, in the month of 0610-
tier, 1807, Mi. Lewis first heard, through Ore me-
dium of Mr.. Mawley, that Nelson was dissatisfied.
During the length of time between 041obei. 1804,
and 1607, Nelson took no means to apprise Mr.
Lewis of the debt he owed him, until he came
acie ss Mr. Mawley. The Learned Gentleman here
read the 18th clause of the 39th and 40th of His
present Majesty, in which it is specified, that all
disputes are to be left to arbitration within I era.
satiable tints. Was it, he would ask, a reasonable
time within which the present conviction took place?
If the Court were of opinion the conviction was josto
would not tradesmen be liable to be troubled by
their journeymen bringing complaints of this sort
twenty years perhaps after they had left their ser-
vice ? He put it to the good sense of the Court to
consider whether the complaint was brought within
• reasonable time or not ? If they were of opinion
it was brought within a reasonable time, then judg-
ment must go against him. He was proceeding
to call witnesses to prove that the wages paid
by Mr. Lewis to Nelson, were such as were paid
by the trade, when he was stopped by Mr.
COW?, who observed, the proceeding was irregular.
Ike CNA 1/114•No in giving judgment, said, the
conviction was unjust.
Mr. Aar) a eves moved, upon another clause, in the
same Aft, which empowered a Bench of Magistrates
to award costs to the Appellants in such cases, that
as the Chairman had declared the conviction unjust,
he would award the Appellant his costs.
The CHAIa as AN replied, though he watched such
proceedings with a jealous eye, yet, in the present
instance, he thought it would be better not to grant
them ; but inquired if there was any clause in the
Aft which could make the Attorney pay them?
To which Mr. Ameatws answered, he :vas sorry
he could not perceive any, as it would be a most
desirable thing to be able to punish them.
Mr. Raine, a retail coal-dealer, appealed against
a convietion which took place before %Vra. Kinnaird,
Esq. at the Thames police Office ; an information
was laid against Appellant, under the New Coal
Aft, passed in the 47th of His Majesty's Reign,
for selling 18 sacks of coals, containing one bushel,
to different customers, contrary to Aft of Par
liament.

Mr. I'ooley and Mr. Alley were engaged in the
Prosecution, being employed by the Wholesale
Coal-Merchants, to endeavour to put a stop to the
praßiee of selling coals in sacks, less than those de-
scribed by the Alt of Parliament.
Mr. Petite v stated, that from the evidence
taken before the Magistrate, h appeared. that Ap-
pellant sent eighteen sacks, which held one bushel
of coals each, to eighteen different customers. The
Alt of Parliament, under which the conviltion took
place, specified, that no coals should be sold in
any sack measuring less than four feet two inches in
length, and two feet one inch in width, and such
as were not marked with white paint at the Each,-
gam Office, Westminster, or at Guildhall, Lon-
don. The sacks or bags, as the coal-heavers termed
them, held only one bushel, and consequently
were contrary to the Alt of Parliament.
It was contended by Messrs. Gnawer and Dot-
/. AND, for the Appellant, that, according to the
93d, 105th, and 124th Clauses of the same AR,
the conviltion was not good, as the bags were fair
and just, purporting to contain not more nor less
than one bushel.
After a great deal of argument on both sides, in
which the different measures were stated, the
CHAIRMAN was of opinion, that, under all the cir-
cumstances of the case, the couviiltiun was just ; he,
therefore, coofit med it.
Mr. Atter declared, it was not the wish of the
gentlemen who prosecuted to exalt any penalty ;
they had mitigated it to XL, when, if they had
been ;situated by avaricious motives, they could
have claimed 401. ; and that if Mr. Rain. would
give up selling coals in the manner described, he,
would drop a number of informations occa,ioned
by the same circumstance ; on which it was agreed,
that the bags should he given up to be burnt, and
no more coals should be sold i■ any sack less than
those described by the Ad.

►RICL OF STOCKS YLSTERDAY.
3 per Cent. Reduced
♦ per Cent.
Lon/ Ann.
Imperial 3 per Ca4.t
Ditto Agr.tuaties.
Omnitim / / prem.
I.Mia Ind par. It dia.
E.chequer Bills .
Consuls tar
T. DISH, iri•iwksre
.-4resinhlll. similki Warriselhes._

IRISH STOCI
Government Debenture
Government Delmotteft.
ExehanKe-.-Dublin ou

KS, • Nov 16.
SI psi mut ...... 711
%Spey Cent.
Loudon, Na,.,115 9j

COURSE OF EX,
Amin/Main s3 7 SU.
Dnw at bight .. 34 11
Rotterdam c.L. 11 4 1 U.
Harnbure. 34 4 24U.
Altana
earn
Ditto 2 Us. l4 4
/outdoors
Cadiz 391 cffcct.
Ditto.
Madrid 4O effect.
Ditto
. 39
Leghorn. 49:
Nap's. 42

(CHANGE, DEc. 1.
Dolma. 441. m. Pie.
Yeasse a. C.... 58 Do. kit.

Lisbuis so

NAVAL ins% LLIGEI4CE.

Opens ... 60
Babb% 10
Cork 11
1116111081. 4. 0.. I.
Perms', Geld in Cole

and Ears per es. 4
Now Doubloons-.. .
New Doha•s y 4
Silver In liars ....
New Louis each
Agio . n the Bank o: Flonseds
ga per Cent.

BIRTH.
On the 90th ult. at Gedahnin, the Lady of Captain S.
Ballard, of the Royal Navy. of a sort.

MARRIAGES.
The 21st ult. at Morton, near Stockton, Thomas Marin,
Eel. lat. Captain in the military seems of the Hon. East•lndia
Company at Rental, so Mies Wardell, daughter of the late
Mr George Wardell, of Sedgefield, Durham.
Oa the 26th of February last, at Calcutta, Bengal, Patrick
Maitland, Eui. to Mrs. Ann Bateman, daughter of Culthant
Bateman, Esq. county of Early, Ireland.

DEATHS.
Friday last, at his house in Se'moot, in Shrewsbury, afters
very leng,aod, at times, most palette' Shame, which be hose
with exemplary patience and res4natioo, Henry Bevan, Esq.
agedil.
The 17th wit. Thomas Fdrtuandson. son of Mr. John Ed.
muitshion, of Chester-lastreet, Joiner, aged two years; on the
18th, Ann his daughter, aged lour years; on the 110th they
were both interred in one coffin : and on the 21st, William,
son of the said Mr. Edmondson, aged seven years; all of the
sea:let fever, which bee been seri, fatal to Cbsdive and tit.
neighbourhood for several weeks past
Saturday sennigbt, at Mr. Caililwrt Fisher's, Golden
Fleece, Quarry Gate, Letween Carlisle and Penrith, Mi. Thw
mas Smith, topsman to Messrs. Smith:, drovers, near Deno
fries The deceased was on his road to Penoth with a drove
of cattle, hut being seised with a violent fit of the ehetie, was
*bilged to stop at Quarry Gate, where he breathed his last, in
grout agony, after two days illness,
The 24th oil at Whitby, aged 41, much regretted, Mr.
Benjamin Skidektilt, late Master of the ship Film, of that
port. Finding, when at Portsmouth a sew weeks ago, that
sit indisposition, which he had been for some time pest m-
illi:l,d with, hogan to exhibit symptoms of a mortal t‘itilener,
he resolve,' to tiodertakv the arduous task (whii)s ne love
pity accomplished; of travelling to Whitby. in order to have
the coluention of resigning his bripith in the bosom of his

oast, inc. 2.
Came down from the River, the Larrei,—, (or _ -
Grenada, and remains in the Downs with the ship ,
as per last.—Wind S.W.
PORTSMOUTH, DIC. ?.. HIGH W.
12A.Tr.onRin..
aTesefil lIN...D.:I,Lesz Lott!! 9X-atztft.txtl..
mi.s lits...e.. ...e-..r.•—•g
Arrived His Majesty's ship C'ego.tre,from a anise,
and sever AI outward. bound ver,els from the Downs.' town, N ~.. wee* Covent-garden, and pnbluhsedz%tb;
Among ti..em ate the Princess of Walt.. Narliliv, Office, N., -.b, ii.ek of St Cleftem,ent's Ci,hui.ch,
not. d b
LONDON —.Printed by G DAVIDSON, Nu. 17, Dm...
L,,, Acrr...'
fterfdi Hero, Aid, and the norolk, Gray, bound to v"TUCL, of No. 7, New '1%,-1 woes, (per Pjd)
Order% to tar the Papers sent OP i
the 11est Indies. wtil L., duly attended to.