The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-05-07 00:00:00

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, FRIDAY, MAY 6.

(Its Bunco.)
THE KING v. COBDEN, AND THE KING V. PATTERSON.
The first of these was an information tried before the Lord Chief
Baron at the last Assizes for Kent. The defendant, an officer of
Excise, was found guilty of having stamped with his initials cer-
tain reams of paper manufactured by Alexander Moody, of Dart-
ford, before it hail been weighed by the surveyor, Edward Patter-
son, and the duty charged and entered, with intent to defraud the
revenue.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL filed also an information against
Patterson, the surveyor, who was a party to the fraud, and who
pleaded guilty.
They were this day brought up for judgment.
Mr. BR oDERICK, for Cobden, having handed in several affida-
vits, briefly addressed the Court on the circumstances they disclosed
in mitigation of punishment.
No Counsel appeared for Patterson, and he handed in himself
several affidavits, claiming the consideration of the Court, on the
ground of his having made very extensive disclosures in respect to
the fraud.
Mr. ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in aggravation, as respected Pat-
terson, merely directed the attention of the Court to the fact, that
he hail not made those disclosures alluded to in his affidavits until
his own fraud had been clearly established, and that in the first
instance he denied all knowledge of and participation in the affair.
With respect to Cobden, he would only say, that those numerous
affidavits of character from very respectable persons were rather an
aggravation than a circumstance of mitigation. These trawls had
occupied a period of nearly two years. A man of honest character
might, in a moment of weakness, be induced to commit a crime,
but a continued series of such offences could only spring from
habit; and therefore he should say, that the affidavits of Cobden
only showed that he had added sytematic hypocrisy to systematic
fraud.
Mr. Justice BAYLET—The judgment of the Court upon you,
Thomas Cobden, is that you be confined in his Majesty's House
of Correction at Maidstone for eighteen calendar months; and the
Court bearing in mind that you, Edward Patterson, have been
already confined five months, the judgment is, that you be con-
fined in the House of Correction at Maidstone for twelve calendar
months.

THE IMO V. sIITTOY AND ADAMS.
The ATTOK N ET-OE ISE cu. prayed the judgment of the Court
against these prisoners, who were tried and convicted at the last
Taunton Assizes, Adams for smuggling, and Britton for rescuing
Adams from the custody of the revenue officers, whilst they were
conducting him to prison.
The affidavit which was put in on the part of Britton, stated
that he was a poor man of sixty years of age; that on the occasion
in question he was not sure that he was pzesent when the rescue
took place (a laugh), but if he was it was In consequence of his
being drunk. (Laughter.) He had a wife, by whom he had-had
a family of nineteen children, eleven of them were 41111 living,
and several of them dependent upon him for subsistence.
Mr. Bustrus spoke is mitigation of punishment on the part of
Britton.
The Loss) Cum. Ji.rerlct suggested to the Attomey-General,
as both the prisoners had been already some time in confinement,
whether he would press for judgment against them ?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he had no wish to do so.
The prioners were then discharged upon their own recognizances,
and with the admonition of the Lo RD Cnizr JUSTICE to avoid
such acts for the time to coma, his Lordship observing, that the
Crown had been very lenient towards them, and adding, that it was
not every man who had had 19 children.