The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-05-04 00:00:00

Mr. Loo has taken a house in Jermyn-Areet.

The Duke of BRIDGEWATER has SUbitTibed 1001.
towards the support of the Shrewsbury Volunteers. '
Lady Le Dxsectsc ea gave a grand rout last night
at her house in I lanover-square.
Lord TIDIRLOW has resided at Carlton 'louse
since Monday last.
Mr. PITT and Mr. Loo rode ont together yes-
terday to contemplate the neve order of ihLigi.
Seven skilful pbystegnomets are daily employed
by the beers and dulls to examine the countenances
of Mr. PITT, Mr. Fox, and Lord GRENVILLE, and
report accordingly.
This evening being the last but one of the present
highly popular Entertainments 24 the Rovat.
Cr acus, the house will no doubt be fashionably at-
tended each evening. 'Ratan°, whose feats of
agility art the admir..tion of the Metropolis, will
during the above time take the most astonishing
and truly surprising Leaps over a variety of objeds.
lengthways, particularly a Horse carrying a Man.
and through a Hoop only three feet diameter at
the same time, and his celebrated flight over a six
wheeled Greenwich long Coach. with three Horses
attached to it.

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LAW DITELTZENCIL

COURT asp ICING's tSENCti, Witsrosetrei, M sir a.
T,IE. SING R. EDWARD PITT.
The Defendant in this ease, a boy of fourteen
years old, cnnvieted of wilfel and corrupt perjury,
was this day !nought up to receive the Judgment ot
the Court. It appeared the Defendant had been an
apprentice of Messrs. GraiOsrook, glassblowers, and
had given evidence on their part in an information
against them, filed at the suit of the King, in the
Court of F.xcheqtter, for not giving the usual no-
tice of filling or charging the pots of metal pur-
suant to the statute. Upon that ilia', the perjury
WAS committed, and by direEtion of the Judge who
presided, this unfortunate boy was indifted cf per-
jury; the Jury found him Guilty, but in considera-
tion of his youth, and the chars Der given of him
in the •.:ourse of the trial, they.recommended him to
mercy.
Mr. Jaavis, on behalf of the Defendant, ad-
dressed the Court in a few words ; he hoped the re-
commendation of the Jury would have had its due
weight with the Attorney General, who admitted
that the Jury could not find their verdiCt without
the idea of the Defendant being suborned by some
persons interested ; that the affidavits of his mas-
ters, which were read, were sufficient to shew they
had not been the persons, and that he had always
been considered a boy of excellent conduCt and up-
right principles.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL then observed he felt
it his duty to bring up the Defendant for judgment ;
he felt for his years ; but if this had been suffered
to pass without the severe censure of that Court,
evil-minded persons would have an opportunity of
suborning infants with impunity.
Mr. Justice Gaosr then proceeded to pass judg-
ment on him. After expatiating on the enormity
of the crime, which was of such infinite importance
to society, and of which every one who beard him
was fully sati-fled he had been guilty, be ordered
t"at he should pay to His Majesty a fine of One
Shilling, be confined in the House of Correction for
the county of Middlesex, for twelve calendar months
to hard labour, and be further detained till such
fine should be paid.
THE MOO I). 2011 N LOCKER, JON*. LOCKER WAIN-
WRIGHT, AND WITE.
The Defendants, John Locker and John Locker
Wainwright, were brought up to receivelthe Judg-
ment of the Court. They were convicted of having
forcibly carried off a young Lady. Miss Pierce, a
ward of Chancery. The Court was proceeding to
read the report of the trial, for the purpose of pass-
ing judgment, and having desired to know why the
other Defendant, Mrs. Wainwright, had not been
brought. up ? Mr. Emit:tit, as Counsel for the
Defendants, said, he had an affidavit of John Locker
Wainwright, which stated, that Mrs. Wainwright
is, and has been, for a great length of time, in a
very bad state of health, which must shortly end in
her dissolution if longer confined. He also had in
his hand, a letter from Sir Vs'alter Farquhar to the
Attorney General, wherein the DoCtor says, that it
would absolutely endanger her life, were she to be
brought up in her present melancholy state of health.
She had been arrested in March, and has been ever
since confined in the King's Bench. Shortly after
her apprehension, she was wiled with art illness,
which has continued ever since, and has been in so
dangerous a state as to require the daily attendance
of two physicians ; she has been given over, and if
she remains much longer in prison, it must evidently
end in her total dissolution. Under these circum-
stances, the Learned Counsel begged the Judgment
ot the Court might not be postponed.
Lord Eti.enao It 000 is observed, that if such ap-
plications were to be granted, it would give crimi-
nals an opportunity of carving out their own pu-
nishment. He never knew an instance of persons so
very ill, under such circumstances, that did not
soon after recover.
Mr. Enstute, however, obtained leave to have
the necessary affidavits made by the physicians, and
the parties to be brought up again to-morrow.
THE KING V. WILLIAM AND AITHWR LEE, CENT.

This was an Information, charging the Defend-
ants with having printed and published two several
Libels, and was tried before Mr. Justice HEATH,
at the last Assizes for the county of Sussex, upon
which they were convided ; but the Jury recom-
mended them to mercy on one count.
The Defendants in this case are the printers of
The Lewes Journal; or, Surscr Weekly ofdtertirer :
and in the month of December last, published the
first libel in question, which was an account of an
information taken before a Magistrate of an Excise
Officer having shot a smuggler, but couched in
such terms, and represented in such manner, as
might tend to influence a Jury against the Excise-
man, and for the purpose of perverting the due ad-
ministratinn of justice. The second libel was an
account of the acquittal of the Exciseman, but re-
prvented in such a way as to have even a worse
tendency, if possible, than the former.
Mr. Serjeant BEST, as Counsel on the part of the
Defendants, said, he could not contend that the
condud of these gentlemen was not illegal; the
verdict of the Jury in this CM was sufficient, and
that which may be injurious to the public is always
subject matter of indietment ; but in this case, these
gentlemen positively deny any malicious motive on
their part ; they were wholly ignorant they were
aaing contrary to law ; they were entrapped into it
by the London newspapers, who always published
such public information as were taken before Ma-
gistrates : this nal an example they thought they
were warranted in following; but from the mo-
ment they became acquainted with the nature of
the offence, which was not until a prosecution had
been commenced against them, they made every
atonement in their power—they had• authorised
him to plead guilty—they did not hold themselves
out against the laws of their country. The first
publication they swore was true ; the last they re-
ceived from a pet son on whose veracity they had
conceived they might rely ; he was an officer
of Excise, and one of the witnesses on the tri.J.
The lat.ier of these gentlemen, and they them-
selves, had for upwards of 58 years concluded this
business, and never was. there any public or private
accusation against them since their commencement :
they were men of most excellent charaders, and of
very large families totally dependent on them for
support, the one having eight, the other ten children.
They were P9l aduated by any hind of malice, nor

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had they any view or intention ce OA* either of.
fence to the laws of their country, or to individuals,
He observed, in etre@ of the punishment. eighteen
innocent children were involved ; but he woultk
admit, they should be aware.of the consequences of
such a crime to themselves and family. The
Learned Serjeant concluded with hoping the Caere
would take all these circumstances, along with the
recommendation of the Jury, into their considers-
tion, and trusted they would go some length is
mitigation of their punishment.
The ATTORAI EY GENEII AI. admitted the offer of
pleading Gail!/ had been proposed to him by Se'- .
jeant Besr but it proceeded horn an expeaation of
mercy, which the Defendants thereby hoped to ob-
tain, and prevent the matter coming before the
public. He said there appeared to him a misunder- •
standing with respea to the recommendation of this
Jury • if the Jury recommended mercy as to the •
second publication, it was conceiving sentence had
been passed upon the first. The Libel, he insisted,
was published for the purpose, and with a view to
influence the minds of the Jury ; it does not merely ..
give an account of faas ; they go further, they out
step all bounds of moderation : it is not sufficient to
state the death of the unfOrtunate smuggler by the
Excise officer, but they call the officer a polisher
and informer, and his shooting the young man was ..
premeditated, and here the publication can only it .
viewed as having a natural tendency to mischief ;
the death of the man was proved to have been demo
in self defence, in the discharge of his duty ; but
what does the second publicauon ? :dm many op-
probrious epithets, he even goes so far as to insinuate
It was a premeditated and bloody intention of mur-
der. The affidavits which were produced, he hoist-
ed, were a further aggravation of the offence.
Mr. GARROW made several observations OA the
same side with the ATTOLNEV GENERAL, with his ,
usual ability ; he declared his astonishment at the
Learned Serjeant (Belt) stating that the libel. was ,
truth. But how were the fads? The sante Judge
tried both cases, the Jury judged of them. He ,
supposed it would be contended, and indeed some
have even gone so far as to assert that it would be
very hard, forsooth, to be prevented publishing pri- _
vate slander ; that the trade could not be cased on
without it. The libel in question was published for •
the very purpose of preventing justice, to prejudice
the Magistrates, theWitnesses,and the Jury, to cause
it to be believed the exciseman was guilty of wilful
m'trder. The Learned Counsel then expatiated
very largely on the liberty of the press ; and cow, ,
eluded with observing, that the Court would rend a
severe and necessary lesson to the public, in punish-
ing these gentlemen according to their de-orts.
Lord EL esistioeotost—ss It appears to rat an
offence the most enormous in its nature : the first
publication tends to poison justice, by a statmaant
so mixed with circumstances, that a person re:=
it must be biassed against the party ; the
tends to digrace and draw into disesteem even pc.
tice itself, and to defeat the effea of the verdia of a
jury. I can hardly conceive a crime of greater .
enormity. Let the Defendants stand committed,
and let them be brought up on the last day of
term."
Richard Possess, William West, Thomas Tea-
gue, Richard Teague. William Smith, and Joseph
Cvrangy, were all severally brought up to rionve
the judgment of the Court. They all had bees con-
visaed of similar offences, that of assaulting and ols-
struaing Excise Officers in the discharge of their
duty. They were ordered to stand committed, and
to be brought up again on the last day. of Term.
•
GENERAL PICTON.
TMs ICING v. THOMAS IPIC7OII, aro.
In this cause Mr. DALLAS moved the Court for
their writ of mandamus, to be direaed to the Go-
vernor of the Island of Trinidad, to take the evi-
dence of several witnesses on behalf of the De-
fendant, General Piaon ; who is charged with wil-
fully commanding and causing Louisa Cddron, a
young girl, to be tortured in a moat barbarous
and cruel manner, in suspending her by a rope
fastened by pullies to the cieling of a room, ix
which manner she was repeatedly tortured for the
space of two minutes together ; and in this situa- i
tion was obliged to stand on iron spikes, fixed in
the ground, until she swooned away ; this was
a crime, the Learned Counsel observed, of gla.•
gatias
greatest magnitude, brought against a
of high rank and respeaability. He declined •
any observations upon the subjea in the present
of it; the object of the present application was to.
enable him to bring that evidence which was mecca.. f
sary for his defence, and which,by the statute relate
ing to India Affairs, he was authorised to procure is-
this way.
Not having an affidavit of the evidence of the wit-
nesses at Trinidad being necessary. the Court de-
sired the usual affidavits should be produced, and
the business mentioned again in the morning.
---- ---- -
COMMON PLEAS, W _ 15TM17411711.
Sitting: boron Sir JAMES MANIFIELD.
PERIINS and •NoTusa v. Lowe.
The Plaintiffs in this case, assignees of Mr. Key.
mer, a bankrupt, brought their anion to recover
1000 1. for stock in trade, and other articles pur-
chased by the Defendant of Mr. Keymer after the
litter became insolvent. It appeared thet Eimer
was a surgeon and apcthecary, in Tavptock street,
Covent-Garden ; where, failing in business, a con-,
traa was entered into by the Defendant to buy the
whole stock, drugs, Ike. in the shop, for * thousand
pounds; and an assignment was executed in January
last, about which time Keymer became is trankrupt,
and assignees were appointed under the commissior.
who, conceiving there was a collusion betireen the
parties, also, that the bankrupt's effeas ought
to be solely appropriated to his creditors, resisted
the assignment, and claimed the 10001. given for
the property. On the part of the defence, evi..
dente was adduced to prove mot, y had been paid
exceeding 10001. by the Defendant. to Keymer, em
account of Inc contra& fir the stock, &c. long be-
fore Kevmer became insolvent, drafts given by
the Defendant, on the House of Child and Co.
Blinkers, for considerable sums received-by Keymer,
were produced in Court ; and it appeared the De-
fendant was the aaual possessor et the property.
having purchased it antecedent to :he bankruptcy.
The Plaintiffs were consequently nonsuited. This
cause occupied several hours.

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Landon: Dated by .1. BL ACK, No. Q, Goldmith's.amet, Great New-.treet, and poblished by W. W zee, at the Offire, No. IS. Rack of St. Clement's, Strand. Advertisements, and (*.0m!p0n,C391.1, 7.
the Editcr;Teceiscd at the Office, and by the following Booksellers : Messrs. BA Mita and Son, Great Russel-street, Covene-7 ardent Mr. I. Ksaait, No 190, Ostard4treet I Mr. it..-3w, No. t.-; Great Ms, !ham." ..-1-
Wert ; Mr. It AT CM A tiN No. 190, liCCAdilly Mr. BARRY, Bie-street, Westminster; Mcisrs. MUGGER, Oat and CO. No. 9`2, Borough;' Meurs. PA itsu lit s anj abN, Ludgate.hill; Mos. ;.=. 0....,,,N t.....: I'A . e
.‘kollittrr
AR. SR iitihrfrn ;Mr..l. Asratvts Cornball ; Mr. limisd aait, litanies ; I. and J. Haim?, N. 161, IN:At-meet Sladvecll; Mr. CNA Frt.; N 0.66 Pall N 141; 'Mi. I: t y ',otos, NV. I -.",' . 0.. rj- ::... '. , • .1 44Viisti in the tittirs• Linemen.
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