The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-08-23 00:00:00

NORTH CAROLINA.

RALtIOII, JUNE 2j.
On Wednesday last, before the Circuit Court held
for this distri&, came on to be tried the suit brought
by the Sari of Coventry and others, the representa-
tives of the late Earl Grenville, against Messrs.
Collins and Allen of Edenton.

The .lury being sworn, the Plaintiff's Counsol
stated their title as follows :

That in 1664, the Province of Carotin t was
granted by King Charles 11. to eight Lords Proprie-
tors, of whom Lord Carteret, afterwards created
Earl Grenville, was one—that in 1729, seven of the
'Lords Proprieters, surrendered their parts of the
Province to the Crown—that in 1744, the Crown and
Earl Grenville divided the Province, and one eighth
part was allotted and set apart for Earl Grenville—
that in 1763, Earl Grenville died, leaving Robert,
his son, and heir at law, who took the title and
estates—that in February, 1776, Robert, Earl Gren-
ville, died, and by his will devised his estate to
trustees in trust for Lord Carteret and others—that
in 1796, Lord Weymouth, one of the trustees, died ;
the demise was laid Ist, on the title of the surviving
trustee; and 2dly, on the title of Lord Carteret;
to prove the descent ,of Robert Earl Grenville, the
deposition of John Parkinson was read ; and to prove
the conveyances between the Crown and the Lords
Proprietors, and Earl Grenville and the Crown, the
original deeds were produced and read--here the
Plaintiff's Counsel rested their case,
The Defendant's Counsel then stated their De.
fence to be :

st. That the rights of the Plaintiffs were lost by
the chanze of Government which took place on the
dissuluti• n of the lt,.yal Government; that they
thereby became Aliens, incapable of holding lands,
and this incapacity still exi.ts.

2d. That by the declarati n of Rights, and the
Constirution of the Stare, the Rights which the
Plaintiffs hart before the Revulution, became vested
in the Collective Body of the People of North Ca-
rolina.

9d. That their rights were taken away by some
of the ads of Assembly for confiscating Lin and
for opening offices for the entry of vacant and unap-
propriated lands.
4th That the Defendants had been in *dual pos-
session of the land since the year t 787, wider a
grant from the State, without any adverse claim se,
up till the suit brought by the Plaintiffs.
To prove the latter, the grant was read, and a
statement of fads tending to prove the possession.
The Plaintiff's Counsel then tendered a demurrer
to the evidence ; and upon the Plaintiff's admitting
distinctly on the record that the Defendants had
been in the adull possession of the land from 1787,
the Defendants Counsel joined in demurrer; whire-
upon the Court discharged the Jury from further
consideration of the Cause.

The argument of the Demurrer was postponed by
the Corti till Dectniher term.
The Counsel for General Davie pressed for the
snit brought against him, but the Court dirt-fled it to
be continued, nn the ground, that it was unnecessa-
ry tn'try that till the Demurrer should be argued and
disposed of.
Thus the truly important question, haw far the
rights of Earl Grenville have been affeaed by the
change of Government, the laws of confiscation,
and the-ads of limitation, is submitted to the decision
of anable and enlighten& Conrt.We do not pretend
to be acquainted with the legal principles which the
event of this question depends ; but we Ratter our-
selves that the result will be favourable to the inter-
est of the State. The importance of this contro-
versy must be obvious tnevery reffeaing mind ; and
we trust, that, as the Legislature will be in session
before argument will be heard, they will yet kind
their assistance to those who are defending her great
rights and best interests.—(.lli,croa).