The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-01-09 00:00:00

-ROMSEY MARKET-STOCKBRIDGE MARKET.

[Freya the their:hire Ttlegroph.l
WRIT OF AD QUOD DAAINUNI.
The inquiry on his Majesty's Writ of rof grind domin" took
plate on Tvesday last, at the White Hart Inn, Winchester, Wine
Me 'Todd. the Deruty Undereheriff, and a meet respectable Joty.
Tbe late occurrence of this antique preceediag had previously ex..
otteteoesiderable interest, even beyond the pale of its immediate
operation, and the public curiestity woe in. no small degree increased
when it was known that things were not to pass of so quietly as
vas at inn enticirated. The circumstances under which it was
Limed are briefly these I--
At the request of a respectable meeting of the inhabitants of the
town and neighbourhood of Itomery, Lord Palmerston, as Lord of
the awe, and proprietor of the Al arket there, presented a petition
'tat the King's Attorney.(iencral, requesting that his Majesty would
toll pleased, by virtue of his !twat prerogative, to grant that the
day forrhuisllng Bonney Ithetet tin all other respects unchanged)
might be altered from Saturday to Thursday, for the benefit and
4.4s.,tewitsate of the torn itself and the greater prosperity of the
tarot's.' -fluebefore the Crown can exert its prerogative in things
uthetinn the right of the anbject, it is necessary to ascertain
owner at no such exertion will be to the damage or prejudice of
his Majesty, or any other, or ((in title case) of the neighbouring
m.arforts or hilts To this end the wisdom of our forefathers, in
thine maild'elot times when " the 'twittery of man tunneth not to
c.t.n:rary," devised the writ of Ad quad datenana—a salutary
itoceeding,•caioulated at once to protect the people and the crown
—' k bleeneth hint that gives and him that takes." At the in.
quirt' which it is the Sheriff's duty to institute as soon as cenveni.
en.ly may he after the receipt of the writ, all persona who think
nest they 'hall be injured by the proposed measure, whatever it
my he, flee entitled to attend with their complaints, and it is for the
Jury messy what damage, if ally, the complainants are likely to
sustain. The writ is thee returned by the Sheriff, together with
the verdict of his Jury. into Chancery, and the advice which is
gives to his Majesty as to the rejection or granting of the petition
eves
founded on what appears by those preliminary pro.
andiaga.
In the prevent ease the Court opened soon after eleven co clock, in
the large room at the White Hart. which was almost immediately
filled. The following gentlemen were summoned on the jury :
Henry Knight, of St. John's, gentleman, Foreman ; Robert
Krught, of the same, gentleman; J. Benham, of the same, 111i1
/11.3 Win. Menton. of St. Peter Colebrook, miller; Wm. Key-
not 9beeton, of the same, silk throwster ; R. Rogers, of St.
Thomas. draper ; H. Dialler, of the same, saddler ; %Von. !tur-
een, a Week. gentleman; Abiah Hull, of Kiae's Worthy,
gentleman ; Jas. Voting, of St. Peter Colebrook, wooletarder ;
J. Voung, of St. Thomas, gentleman ; J. Venthant, of St.
Maurice, schoolmaster ; George Finder, of St. Mary Kalendar,
turveyer.
The thirteen .Titrymen above enumerated having been sworn,
and the Writ read, the Sheriff briefly charged them as to the duty
for which they were impanelled, and
Ms. Rotates rose to address them on the pert of the inhabitants
of Ramey, bet was interrupted by
Mr. Canme (specially vet iced as Counsel for Lord Groo-
ve :or, the Lord of the 31asior of litockbridge), who claimed
the • right of makitig the first address to the Jury, which
was allowed. The Leaned Gentleman then stated his case, as
rinereeentative of the manor of Stockbridge. The market day
of that place is Thursday. the very day to which It was pro-
posed matter that of finnisey, from which Stockbridge is distant
marabout ten miles. The alteration, he contended, must therefore
week sereriderable injury. By reference to an old document in
.we Datthy'of Lancaster Mice, it appeared that the Stockbridge
motet had been held fro* time immemorial on the Thursday.
From the &anew of the inhabitants it had often been discontinued.
Its Saw Tenet al was in Mee. If it were exposed to the dangerous
riealshipef Rooney it would be quite destroyed, though it had now
great advantages far the support of a market, there haying been of
file years more corn grown around it, and an increase of its porn-
•ucn. The Learned Counsel called eight witnesses in support of
oursallat
Mr. Hoene, then addrresed the Jury en the part of the town of
Romer". The origin of this important measure was not, he said,
woh•Lard Pahrersum himself; he was a mere instrument acting in
tbe mete of the inhabitants and neighbourhood of Romney. They
Callta ta him, and said as/ mice that it would be a great benefit to
the inhabitants of Riallat y if the market day could be on a Thurs-
o*, instead of the Saturday, as before. The markets of Andover,'
Lentrington, and Winchester are all on Saturdays, Southampton on
Fridge, and Saliaburroo Tuesday. At this request, Lord Pal.
snerston, with that ',tidiness to do his utmost for the public good
whichever characterises his conduct, consented 19 present a memo-
rial to his elnjesty's Attorney• General that it might be as the
people embed. The market of Stockbridge, it was said, was of
very ancient date ; but it seemed that an unfortunate fatality hod at-
Wiled it Trom the period of its first formation down to the present
rime. We only beard of it by fits, as it was revived by a few inha.
Wattle from time to time. lit 1794 an attempt wax made by a very
stemeretts and respectable body of men to sustain the market at
Kipeltbridge, but it only lasted for about twelve months. In fact'
Vale has been no market at all. For the last teen, years it had
boas only the shadow of a shade. An attempt was now made to
reettecinve it, and the same effect was produced as would fellow the
op-onions of milvanissn on a dead rat, or half-animated members
elf a .pool expiring frog. (Laughter.) It was merely an eareris
silent oft the part of those in Stockbridge. and their newly-awed
twaelett will soon die away as it had often died before. Now, would
it be for the benefit of the people that this Stockbridge market,
which had only peeped out as it were once in an age, should set
aside a measure which would really work to to the general good
-tit. Keynes then called his witnesses on the part of Romney.
Me. Vent tit replied.
The DEPtrtir-SHERITIP then recapitulated the evidence
throughnet, with few comments. observing that the Jury were
Italy anupe•ent to weigh the condictieg ergence which had been
produced before them, and that he had no denim they would decide
ceinstiriniously and justly, according to the tenor of the writ.
the Jury retired into an adjoining room to consider of their ver-
dict, which, after a fro minutes deltheratino, they returned, through
thole fbremin, as follows That it will not be to the damage or'
prepadici of our said Lord the King, or any other. If our said Lord
the King should grant to Henry John Viscount Palmerston in the
said on; ranted, and to his heirs and assigns for ever Lords of the
21lesor of Itorneee Infra, in the said county of Southampton,
license to have, hold, and enjoy, on Thursday in every week in-
setted of Saturday, an open and public market, within the town of
Array Infra, in the mid country, for buying and selling all and
all manner of cattle and pigs, tole grain, hay and other agricul.
ulna poultice, and alkali, fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits, herbs, and
mks peovisions of victual for mankind, hardware and other goods,
wafts and merchandises and such like commodities, usually bought
and ld n arkets„ together with reasonable toils, and also with
oodbige, pimp, and all liberties, remedies, emoluments, and in.
cidetwel, to the same market belonging. and heretofore immemori-
ailg raceived and taken by the Lord of the Manor of Romney Infra,
*bias. the pariah of Ramsey Infra, in the county of Southampton
aS id, on Saturday in every week, and therefore due, and of
*At accustomed ; and that the said market should hereafter cont-
inual at the hour of eleven of the clock in the forenoon, and end
at timehour of two in the afternoon. And the Jurors aforesaid,
*pew their oath aforesaid, do say that it will rot be to the damage
se prejudice of our said Lout the King. or to any other, or to the
iiielpof the neighbouring markets or fairs."
Tllialler an investigation of six hours, ended this eventful
pied ; but it is a question whither the Lord of the Manor of
tweet ge will rest quiet under his defeat, as there are other steps
in *law which it is rumoured his Lordship's advisers will reenin-
diandelliwhir adoption. There was a eery large party to dinner at
Ow White Hart in the evening; and we understand that Rnmsey