The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-19 00:00:00

SUITORS WRITING TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR.

The cii

GORDON V. GORDON.

of this case are already before

the public. It will be recollected that the question
■t issue was, whether Harry Gordon, the Plaiutiff,
was legitimate or illegitimate, and that on the re-
presentation of his younger brother, James, that he
was illegitimate, he gave up his right to the real
estates for an annuity. It tint came on to he heard
before the late Master of the Rolls, who directed
an issue to try the validity of the marriage of the
parents of the Plaintiff and Defendsnt, and that
the declaration of the mother might be received by
the Jury as evidence. An appeal from that judg-
ment was made to the Lord Chancellor, and his
Lordship confirmed it. The issue was tried, and
the Jury gave a verdict, declaring that the Plaintiff
was legitimate; after which it came on before his
Lordship for further direction.
The LORD CuaNcew.oa—', When this cue
was last before me I thought what I am now con-
vinced of, that that great Judge, Sir %Via. Grant,
was of opinion, that if the Jury decided for the
illegitimacy, there was an end of the case, but not
so if they found for the legitimacy. I have had a
conference with that once great !misery of the
Bench, and he has informed me I was right in my
conjecture as to his opinion. I SID happy to see
Mr. Wingfield come into Court, for the position
he took up, when this case was last before me, was
most proper, and natural that the verdict of the
Jury decided the cruse, and that it wus only neces.
'dry that au account should be taken between the
parties. This, at first view, would strike every man
of legal understanding to be the sense of the case,
and as such Mr. Wingfield most ably argued it.
But there is another view of the case to be taken.
which is, whether the Defendant. James, was igno-
rant of the legitimacy of the Plasutiff, Harry ; 'flee
was, this Court would not visit him with the
same consequences as if lie purposely imposed
on his brother. This point I wish to hear argued.
fur which reason I will hear a Counsel on each side
any day that suits their convenience. I have ooe
observation now to make. which is, that during my
indisposition I have received letters both from the
Plaintiff and Defendant—l merely menthol this
for the opportunity of saying, that whenever I re-
ceive a letter, and see by its signature that it is from
a suitor of the. Court, I never read it."
Further discus• postponed.
Mr. BELL requested that his Lordship would fix
a day to hear a certain cause.
The Lunu CHANCIIILLOIt—" Fix soy d y you

virtue hi•l 4:aturclay, which wit' he the fltrt day of
Term, for I am afraid not Ins recovered
tit seta to walk Weetsninster Hall."

COURT OF KING'S RCNCII, Gun 8841.1.,
MONDAY, JANUAftIf 18..

Adjourned Sittiags after Michaelmas Term hiliire
Chief Justice ABBOTT tula Special Juries.

- .
BUTI.IIII V. IiItVZII.LEY.
This was an action on a prilill of insrarance efl
Gov! oil the ship ProvitlesCC. at and Rout Faro
to the port ..1. London. The Vessel was lost by the
peril of the Pea*
Mr SCAMS:VT. in stating the case. declared
that he was utterly at a liwi to conceive what species
of defence was meant to he set up against the Plain-
tiff's claim—but, as it was re;i4teil, lie felt it rte.
y to enter into a shout history of the vessel.
She was foreign bath, and was captured from the
enemy, in the lute war. The Plaintiff purchased
her, as a prize, and had her properly sore...yea, and
thoroughly repaired. He souk the cot ttttt and of
her himself. and she went a voyage to Hoorn.
with corti in bulk. In her way she toothed
on a sand-bank, and, in consequence, the Piton-
tiff, on her return home, had her again sur-
veyed, when it was found that she hati not sus-
tained any injury. This was in May, iBt 7,
when she appeared to be about four years old. and
was perfectly sea-worthy. The vessel was then in-
sured out to Faro, where she arrived iii safety, and
took in a cargo of fruit. The Obey in tiuebtiuu
was then underwritten by the Defendant, inswing
the vessel home to the amount of 500?. Soon after
she quitted Faro, about eighty miles front land,
she started a plank. and, notbithstantling terry
effort to free the ship front water. it increased PO
fast, that the crew were obligsd to take to the
host, to save their lives. The vessel was entirely
lost. The cargo was insured, and the under-
writers had paid the loss—but the Defeto• sot
resisted payment of the sum due under his policy.
first, on the ground of utistaworthiness, and next,
because the vessel w..s not worth the money for
which she was insured. Now the fact was, she
was insured for 5001. and cost 5501. and, when she
sailed for Faro, she was perfectly sea-worthy. The
Learned Counsel then called wittiessei to chew the
repairs that she had undergone—the stints paid by
the Plaintiff cm account of the vessel—and to prove,
that, whets she left Faro, she was perfectly sea-
worthy.
Mr. GAZELEE, for the Defendant, observed,
that the question here was not whether the Provi-
dence. when she left this country, was see-worthy—
but whether. when she departed from Fart, she was
in that situation ? He was in a comfit' to prove
that she was not. This hue ship, said to be only
four years old, in 1817, he would shew had 'welt
condemned as prize, five years before. He would
also adduce evidence to prove, that she did not,
on her passage home, meet with weather of so
violent a nature as to et:changer her safety, if
she had been in a sea-worthy state. The Learned
Gentleman put in the log-book ; but it appeared
from this document, that the weather, on the home-
`ward passage, had been exceedingly unfavourable
—and the Jury, without hesitation, returned a
verdict fur the Plaintiff, for the full sum claimed
i
! by him.

No less than four Judges attended together, in
St. Martin's church, on Sunday, to hear divine ser-
vice, end to receive the sacrament, on their appoint-
Mettle. The Loan CHIEF JUSTICES of the Court
of King's Bench and Common Pleas, Mr. Justice
RICHARDSON, and Mr. Justice BEST.
MAGISTERIAL APPOINTHENTL—Yesterday J.
RAWLINSON, Esq. of Hampshire, presided as sit.
ling Magistrate at Lambeth-street Police Office,
for the first time since his appointment, in the room
of Room's, who has succeeded the late Mr.
LEACH, at I lettonsgarden.

The following Address of the Grand Jury of
Middlesex was preseuted to the Court on Saturday.,
January 16th, 1819, at the Sessions-House, Clerk-
eiiwell :--
" The Grand Jury of the County of Middlesex cannot se-
parate without stating to the Court, that the painful duty
devolving on them has been rendered more acute by the
hills brought before them, on the pert of the Batik of Eng-
land, against individuals ;barged with posseseing or uttering
forged notes, purporting to be the notes of that establish-
meet.
" The Grand Jury are aware that a strong prejudice is
abroad against the Bank on this subject, and it is not their
wish to increase it; it is, however, well known, that the notes
of the Bank of Rowland are much too easily imitated, and
they cannot forbear expressing their decided opinion that
such easy imitation might be prevented, and the frequency
of the crime be consequently diminished.
" The Grand Jury beg also to express their hope that a
revision of the Criminal Code is in contemplation, and more
particularly the law respecting forgery of Bank Notes; nod,
if they may with propriety, they would suggest some other
mode of punishment than that at present adopted, such as
perpetual hard labour and solitary imprisonment, which
would be more dreadful in the eye of the offender than the
chance of escaping capital punishment by the commutation
of death for trasisportation.
" &geed on behalf of the Grassi Jury by their Foremast,
" CHARLES BERRICK."
A considerable degree of alarm was excited
throughout the port of Plymouth about half-pest
ten o'clock on Thursday night, by the firing of
signal-guns, and the ringing of the bell in the
Dock-yard, which soon collected together malty
thousand persons. A report was circulated that the
Royal Sovereiga had taken fire, but, on inquiry,
it proved that she had drifted from her moorings.
in consequence of seine part of the chain having
given way. Before any ii,ii-tariee could reach the
ship. the warrant officers bud let No anchor go, and
etfeetually brought her up without any damage.
A gentleman of the name of nougats had his
pocket-book cut from his pocket yesterday after-
noon, in Bond-street, which contained 471. in Bank
of England notes, several bills of exchange, sod
other papers. The robbery was committed when Mr.
itottGitTi was passing through a crowd, collected to
hear some Italian bowlers.
Ott Saturday 'tight last a gaol/ of desperate cha•
meters. who have lon4 infested the neighbourhood
of Karnes, Surrey, entered a field of Mrs. SPRIG HT'S.
at Barnes. and killed a cow iii calf. After cutting
open the runnel mud taking out the calf, which
they left iii.the field, they filially carried of the
carcass of the Cow iiiiilirci‘vertd, and which is sup-
posed to have been taken to the liver-side fur mute
certain cutiveyances

OLI) BiILEY„ MostaAi, 34NVALi

BANK Poittattlr.
Tlruwns Walsow, aged 15, was itylicteol for h.:e.
nig, to the month of December hoot, loitered a forgsdt
11. note, with intent to detrain' the fltiveriorw and
Company of the Hank rof togladoil. There wows
another indictment agu►itst the Prisoner for a sionis
lay offence ; and there were also Counts in both 11,.
dietments charging him with uttering she ►votes with
intent to defraud the individuals to whom he utter:
ed them.
This Prisoner is the lad who was PO repeatetri
remanded! at the llat.stion-house, in the hope that
he would divulge the mune of the person hum whom
lie received the note..
Mr. Serieuitt BOSAPIQUET stated the case to the
Jury, soul detailed the erodence for the pre seeuf .
The first witoiesr, John Ralph, stated, he was
a grocer. and that the Prisoner came to his *hop
early in December, and purchased 1041. worth of
grocery. iii payment of which he obtained Change
far a 11. route. 'lite Priroher gave hi. addres6„
•' Mr. Nlarchant, Ingram-court, Fens:hutch-street."
Isi about two dal•• afterwards. witness ascertairdedl
tine the saute wa: a forgery. He then wo tot to Mr.
llarcliatot where lir coeds, not fiord tlw an►sllest
acconoot of such a laid ea the Pristine►. On the
I-2th Deco-usher the latter canoe again to his shop,
and witness instantly ri cognised bin) sr ahe hid who
hail a few darts to-fore ,wand the forged nate. Pro.
tarsier asked fur some ►e.+ MA antg►r, and witness Eor.
Ilug OolOillo to see how he nimbi to pay for it. mode
up► the grocery, and Prisoner produced a it. thole,
which rimers instantly found to be a had one. lie
asked the lad what 'ratite should pot night i►, and
the latter replied, •• Mr. Watson, 8,11-)afd. Grace-
churehsstreet." Mines' the► took him lido cus-
tody, and charged tuna with having passed a ball
note there on the previous day. Fie abets tuck the
lad with him to Bell-yard, where he f I son per-
son of the name of Watson resided. The r
then said he got the note at the George awl VW-
lure Tavern, but on going there the 1551(111,1d &tilt
all knowledge of him. The waiters aho
any kroowleolge of hin►. The latter then aid le
found the mote its Lomhard-stirel ; he said! ill/
tissue was Williams, aid(' that he had a brother re-
siding at No. 15, Smithfield.
Samuel Shephard, a constable. corroborated the
statement of the witness respectilog what the Pri-
soner said of his name and address, when he was
apprehended.
Some other witnesses were examiner!, but they
atildtd nothing material to what the first witness
stated, except proving that the nau►e and address
he gave were false.

1