The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-12-17 00:00:00

before the captain's death, and two alter. The pumps were
constantly at work, from the time we first encountered the
heavy weather. .On accoont of the expense of continuing
the repairs, it was thought proper to condemn her. She
could nut have been made lit lu curry the cargo home, under
a less expense than icoool., and there were nut funds there
to carry on the repairs. The cargo sold for between two
and three thousand pounds sterling. Messrs. Bunch and Co.,
the merchants, to w hem the vessel was consigned, would not
raise the minsee. They said they could r.ot do any thing fur-
ther for bee. tt was nut originally intended they should go
to the Havannah, but having been obliged to put in in con-
sequence of distress, the Captain applied to Bunch and Co.
There were no warehouses ashore in which the cargo could
be played. There were ships there, but they would not take.
it in. An application to that effect was made to Captain
Jackson, of the Argus, but he refused to take it in. Captain/
Steele, of the Matthew, also refused to take it in. I took
home a part of the cargo in the Matthew. We were obliged
to cot a great part of mahogany, in order to get it down
in the hatchway.
On his cross .examination by Mr. Serjeant V , he
said there came into port about sixty vessels ; he would not
swear that forty-five of them were nut English.
In answer to a question from the Bench, he said the sale of
the mahogany took place about a fortnight after the vessel
was condemned, and in six weeks after he returned home.
Mr. Cole was next sworo.—l was a merchant at the Hon-
duras for twenty years. I sold end cut mahogany there. I
have known from my own experience that mahogany has
taken the worm in salt water,aller a fortnight, and after once
begun, it goes on with great rapidity. After lying in that
state fur 100 months, it would not be worth shipping. If it
were takeu out of the water, and exposed to the sun and the
sea breeze, it would soon be rendered unmerebantable. It
could not be kept on shore with safely, uuless it was housed.
I have frequently known at Honduras a quantity of palm
bates formed into a very good covering, but still I have
known that ante i thstandiog all this oare, the timber basses-
Nine& considerable injury.
Alexander Simpson sworn—l am a mahogany broker at
Wapping. I saw part of this mahogany on its arrival in this
country. I measured it. It was very much affected by worms,
and a large allowance was made in measurement on account
of its defective slate. It was deteriorated in vaioe by about
len percent.
James Edwards sworn—l am a mahogany broker. I saw
the timber in question on its arrival, and it was very much
injured by the worm.
Mr. Serjeant Veuense addressed the Jury Ibr the Defen-
dant. The present was a ease in %Well, although be could see
no difficulty, still as affecting the shipping interests of the
country, was one of the very first importance. lie contended
th it the parties were bound to aerie notice, and state the
grounds of their abandonment. Now, according to the state-
ment of their own witnesses, the deterioration amounted to
ten percent. ; and could any thing be more preposterous than
to come forward and demand compensation for a total loss?
It was further proved by their own witnesses, tbat about 46
English vessels were there, and yet no application was made
to them to take in the timber ; he had therefore a right to
say, that the Captain had been guilty of neglect in not send-
ing home the limber, as was his duty, and was quite unwir-
gusted in taking upon himself to make this tortuous sale. It
was essential that a distinct necessity should be made out fur
Ilse sale, to justify such conduct; but indeed, in this case,
their own act in sending home part of the cargo, proves the
complete negative of any such necessity.
Captain Wm. Hill was then sworn.—l was commander of
the Aurora at the Ilavannah, in 1820. The Mackerel had been
there for three months waiting for a cargo. The Roberts was
there previous to my arrival. I remember her condemnation.
A great many ships were lying there at the same time. These
ships could have brought borne the cargo of the Roberts. No
use vessel that was there could have brought it all, for they
were all small vessels. No application was made to the Mac-
kerel, for if there had, I should have known it, and if there
had, I would have undertaken to take home 17u tons of that
mahogany.
Captain Kendall sworn.—l am the owner of the ship Slum-
atm, sou tons. She was at the Havannah in tun. She was
seeking a cargo. She would have takes a cargo of mahogany
if it had been offered.
Mr. &deslt Lens replied at some length for the Plaintiff.
The Learned Judge told the Jury that the question which
they had to try was this, whether, under all the circumstances
of the Cu., a sound discretion had been exercised in making
the sala ; and this determination must be regulated by the
statements of the different witnesses.

The Jury staled to his Lordship that it was unnecessary to
trouble him by summing up the evidence ; and, after a few
minutes consideration, they returned a verdict for the Plaits-
t damages, subject to a reference.

POLICE.

MANSION-HOUSE.
THE ROBBERY OF THE EXETER SUBSCRIPTION
COACH.

Yesterday JeAn Baker, the guard of the Exeter Subscrip-
tion Coach, out of *hick a parcel, containing 1,0371. in bank
notes, and 4101. in light guineas, was stolen some days ago,
illiderwent a second exaniination before the Lord Mayor.
The house from a hit+ the notes were issued is that of Sparkes
and Co. of Exeter.
Five of the 81. notes which were contained in the parcel
were produced in the justice room and identified.
Mr. Richards, clerk in Sparkes's bank, stated that he made
an entry of the notes, and packed them op for the suerd, to
whom ho delivered them to carry to London. The parcel
should have come to Hankey and Co.'s at No. 7, Fenehurch-
street, was directed in that manner, and wrapped up in a
paper, on which ass the name of the guard. Witness stitch-
ed the parcel into the pocket of this guard, who did not ob-
ject to its weight, and who had been very frequently intrust-
ed with money under similaricircumstances. The gold con-
tained in the pare •t did not render it heavier than the parcels
sent by the house usually were.
Mr. John Cock, a clerk in Itankey'm Bank, stated that the
house had not received the parcel described. On the night
of the Friday on which the robbery. was said to have been
committed, the guard came to bins as Fenchurch-strect and
said be bad bad news to tell—a parcel was lost. Witness
asked how that could be, and the guard replied, that be bad
taken it out of his pocket and put it in the coach seat. Wit-
ness detained him until the return of Mr. Hankey, who, after
some conversation, permitted him to depart, upon his pro-
mise to be in attendance next morning. The excuse he gave
for taking the parcel fawn his pocket was that he found it
cumbersome.

Mr. Thomas Alers liankcv stated, that he received the
tare di. notes just produced-from the house ofltanbury and
Cu., who stated that they nere brought in on Friday, the
7th inst.

Miss llolenim stated, that she and another female came to
Wen in the Exeter subscription coach. Upon the arrival of
the coach at Piccadilly, the guard looked at the parcels in
the seat, and at the same moment was addressed by a man
who looked in at the opposite window. He took nothing out
of the coach ; but the man who had spoken to him, witness
believed, afterwards asked for the parcel, and witness raised
th.• seat and handed out a parcel with a white cover.
Mrs. Susannah Martin, the other passenger from Exeter,
stated that the guard acted in the manner described, but she
did not observe that the man who asked for the parcel had
pre,. ions!, spoken to the guard. Witness had a baby in her
arms, but was confident that her attentions to the child could
not ave prevented hearing gay eon lion between the
guard and the man who got possession of the parcel.
Mr. Boone, from the house of Hanbury and Co. stated that
the fire al. notes produced were paid in on Saturday, the rth
instant.

Te Prisoner's Sulicitor here stated, that the Guard was a
man on whose integrity his employers had the utmost re-
liance. The evidence was not calculated to alter that opinion,
for it was obvious that he was alarmed at the loss, meg betray-
ed all the anxiety of innocence. Under suet. circumstance it
was to be hoped that the Lord Ma)or would at MOO dismiss
the ease.

The Solicitor for the prosecutor submitted that there were,
et all events, very stroog grounds of suspicion. Certainly
there had been reliance upon the honesty of the guard, both
upon the part of the bankers and of the coachooners, but he
would leave it to any coalman observer to decide, whether
thai reliance would now be continued.

Mayo■ said ho should certainly make further
inquiry into this most suspicious case. The height to which
the couch robberies were carried required that the utmost
exertions should be made by the magistracy. The guard, if
bedid not participate in the robbery, was at any rate guilty
of the grossest negligence. Ile bad received extra pay fur
taking care of the property of the bankers, and new the im-
portance of the parcels be was in the habit of receiving.
However free from the more serious guilt, he was unques-
tionably deserving of some privation, for his culpable aban-
donment of the parcel. His Lordship then remanded the pri-
soner till Friday.
BOWSTREET.
WAITS AND MINSTRELS.

Yesterday morning a number of itinerant musicians. ceiling
themselves "the Waits," were brought to this office by cer-
tain watchmen and night constables, charged with having
been, without lawful authority, at the hour of one o'clock
yesterday morning, " discoursing most eloquent music," op-
posite the watch house in St. Martin's-lane, by exercising
their skill upon certain instruments, viz., horns, violoncellos,
violins, trombones, &c., which "eloquent ensisio" was, by
certain official persons " that had not music in their souls,
u our great bard expresses it, mistaken for " discordant
sounds," and they seized both players and instruments, and,
vi et ernes, conveyed them to the watch•house.
The particulars of Ibis arrest arc as follow :
Abort a week ago, a Mr. Mann), jrn., who called himself,
we believe, a Serjeant Trumpeter, and produced his license
granted by the. lord Chamberlain to play at "Opera.," &c.,
o+ll/10 before their Worships at this office, and complained of
a hand of itinerant musicians having usurped, or invaded,
cert•in privilues, which were lawftillv granted to him exam
-
Mario. He then stated that his predecessor,ooe Thomas Clay
now defunet, being *skilful mnsician,was appointed " Chief
Minstrel and Wait" of the City and Liberties of Westmin.]
star, and that the said Thomas Clay was empowered to form
a band, and to play daring the night la the variols streets at j