The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-04-02 00:00:00

sent at the fire, and, Nat the state of the kind said
the direction which the &mei were tekiaar tiler,
was nothing to justify the act of pulling &was the
houses, because nu utle.tutage coul4 be gatnetY by
such a foroceetlitig. ..):,
Mr. Beethans, Secretary to the Eicie
Office. deposed, that ehr-Plaiittiff had insurett,the
housa-s in that Oficf P for 4Set AmAertfhi;•-sra4
made by the Plaintiff, at frit' week 4 'ti4erlfie"ll4.
to pay the In-s, hot the offier.deekledftlectierif
romlAY, hecutt*e they dui not think 'ltheisaglikes.
liable. .

Ilere the Plainnfr, esa, closed.
Mr. NIARRY AT r .ititirts*.ll the JuryJury•nh behalf a
the Defendant, Mill Opelied two headsaif derroce :
find; that in point of fact Mr. unite !lid siol even
any order for ;milli** dawn. the Itoiver in rinestioy,
but that the step "I.os token u one ofinsminerat .sei&rs-
sity, in introit tact (tribe unanimous advice ;mil vi-
llain untie MabOotracy..theCanatteastlaoi of *legit ri-
sou,. and several oilier respectable peroottri,"!l.o4,
certainly consulted wills the Defthidarit as a pqnni
whose judgment might he retied upon, at a 4nO.
meat when serious appr.lteaainaau ware entertaiiwri
fur the safety of the luau ; soil sieotiol, nouns_
ins that the order waagivers by the D,-feinlatit, yet,
if given Isom r fide, and n'ittt a firm belief that lc!
fd the best under all the circumstances, though
mistaken in his judgmeht, still he would not ti dire
111 this action. Ile elniuld distinctly prove, that the
resolution of pulling down the houses wa formed,
after mature conaideratimi, by the respectable per-
sons to whom he alluded, a 4 one, whi,h, Muster
the alarming appearances of the lire, was the belt
calculated to louses-ye the whole town from that de-
struction with which it was threatened. If thi. Act
was ertablishril, there could lie no doubt, in point
of law, that the set complained of was pert-.:e&
fle had the highest authority, both
ancient aind modern, for this poWniusi. to sunk
to state of thins, it wits 'warmly lawful to pull
houses for the benefit of the common weal; and ow
this print iple he was prepared blowfly to etajteti4,,
that the Defendant', conduct was not 0017
Gable butt praise Worthy. Adveiting to the cos/-
duet of the &tele Office, its refusing to pay• the
loss, lie would vetitine to say with ronfidento, thlt
• there was no-other Ftre Instinitice Cronpany to the
tenantry which nimbi have hesitated. lOr a MOtOrle
iu paying such a loss, under such circumstances.
without regard to Hive, legal, and ii chair:it
flow far it. we. fur their own interest, end
for the character of their Company, to refa•e pay-
ing such a paltry soot, they were them:tellies the
best jades, trot no man coo lit entertain a &unlit
upon the conscictit a and hotanir of the demand vs
against them. Ile had little dentin theta. agsiivit
Mr. Baker lie lead a clear defence, tea the grounds
already ineutioned.

Srt eral respectable witnesses were then escarmint
en behalf of the Defendant ; and, amongst ether.,,
Mi. Alderman Manelrak, 0r It.,ctiebitr; the Res.
A. Browne, a magistrate; John Trebe, high eclo-
stable of Chatham; Pasley, of the Royal
&glowers ; Mr. T. Hoowne • survoyor ; al.d T.
Wells, no ag.-ett to the Knit Fire Office. The
',tarpon of their evidence was, fir.t, to *hew that
the order fur pulling down the houses mai
founded upon a rrsolutson of the ',notify-4100i-
tants, and not on the individual suggestion ot.the
Defendant; and, seemid, that it was a measure of
urgent necessity, under all the carcusustaison of
the c. 0.5.,. c•qt. Act

Mr. Serjeont Otsvt.ow replied with greet abfAty.
The LORD CHIMP BARON summed up the ape
for the Jury, directing their ottention to .the too
proposititnis to winch the evidence on iseiti tiara
lisil been addressed list, Mod the nyder torts
in fret given by the Dehinfsnt ? mt. ,ecos,d, War
it justiti4ble on the ground of necessity ?
The Jory rosin., their verdict fur the Plaintiff--.
Damages, 320/.—Ciosts, 40s.