The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-07 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX ADJOURNED SESSION&

•r-gm' THE MINT AND THE MIDDLESEX JURY.
On the arraignment, yesterday, of John Divine, foe uttering
counterfeit coin, the f &owing discussion took place.
Mr. Powell. the Solicitor tbv the Mint, has always paid fees to
the amount of 175., the sum demanded by the Clerk of the Court;
but how that was distributed, or "to whom inuividually paid. he
never inquired. The sum was demanded, and, as a matter of
course, plaid for years past. The fee to the Jury on every trial is
now Is., formerly it wee NJ. On convictions by public Boards
the Is. each to the Jury is paid by the Solicitor, and in the cues of
acquittal is paid out of the county rate..
Last triday week the Mint had convictions in seven indictments
for passing bad morey, and at the end of the trials offered 17e. for
the Court tees on each trial; that is to say, Its. for the 12 Jury-
men, and bs. for minor purposes, all that they had been in the
habit of paying.
This was oliyeted to by Mr. Allen, the Deputy Clerk of the
Peace, ard successor of 31r. Stirling, as omitting his fee of Ile.,
and which, it Mr. Powell did not pay, lie should deduct out
of the Pau amount, and leave theJuty to their remedy for their
right.
Mr. POWELL said lie had never paid any more than 17s. to
Mr. Stirling, aid always understood that suns to include the tee to
the Jury.
Mr. ALLEN said it was nn argument to him that Mr. Stirling
lforeeent his ice : it was the rigid of him (.11r.Allen), and lie should
demand it.
Mr. PowELL urged never having paid more, and that if he paid
more than was customary, as a public servant, he was liable to be
called to account, or pay it out of his own pocket, as paying it in
his own wrong.
Mr. POWELL accordingly paid on the seven convictions 17s.
esaly anti Mr. Allen refused theAury their seven shillings each.
•Yestutlay, betore the trial of-Divine was proceeded with, the
Foreman a the Jury begged to know of the Chairman (Mr. Conat)
why it was they were to be left without their fees. The 31int was
the only public board that had hesitated to pay them, and he wished
to know upon. what grounded:he retinial was made.
Mr. PowErt.4.-He had a Treasury order not to pay more than
the proper and customary tees. She fees now demanded had never
been paid or demanded.
The Cssaiustart-1 do not know on what grounds the fees are
withheld, nor can I say as to the propriety of the demand.
Mr. %V itsoN. -The fees to the Jury always have been paid.
Air. PowELL—Not in any specific form. We have always paid
what has hitherto been demanded, andalways supposed the Jury to
have been paid out of the demand.
FottEMAS—We should be glad to know if. the Government is
too poor to afford the fees. There never has been made a stand by
any other public body, and it mems strange that a Treasury order
shciuld set aside our rights, and rob us of our fees.
hlr. Pow E LL—We have always paid the tees that have been
demanded ; but we know nothing of the appropriation.
Mr. FlELD—Whatever the Clerk of the Peace demands we will

PAY.
Mr. Atte:lc—lf you pay me, you do not pay the Jury. You
only pay seventeen shillings. You do not pay more.
Mr. Powett —We have always paid what has been 'demanded.
The fees now asked have not been demanded in any previous case.
We want to know how these additional demands are to be pre.
vented.
The CHAT 11 31 aN—l canna r seven t tie demand. If the fees
see demanded iniptoperly, the Liege does it on his own responsi-
bility.
The FOREMAN—I think the best way of getting cut of the dif-
ficulty will be for the Mint Jo pay the tees at once !
Mr. POWEI.I.—I beg it to be understood ;Is not in the intention
of the Mint to withhold fees properly demanded.
Mr. HARRY—Better not waste the time of the Court now. No
doubt it will be satisfactorily settled by next Sessions.
Here the discussion ended as it began. Before the rising of the
Court, Mr. Powell and Mr. Field went up to the Jury, and ex-
plained to them that the fee might be an entitled demand by Mr.
Allen. They had not paid it to the predecessors of Mr. Allen,
nor had it been demanded. They resist-it the eight shillings as a
sum not fairly demanded. It they paid it, and paid it wrong, their
only remedy was by an action against the Clerk of the Peace.
They considered law ought to be obtained as cheaply as possible,
and nut burdened with unnecesory fees. Let the tees stand over
for a while, and they would see what could be done.
The trial of Divine was proceeded in. Mr. HARRY was Counsel
fur the Mint. —This trial was put olf till yesterday, on account of
the confinement of Mrs. Waldron, who, when the prisoner was
arraigned on Friday week, had only been a week delivered, and I
could not attend. Yesterday the %inlets attended, and the case 11
was completed.
Win. CI talenor Washington is a general dealer residing in Golden.
lane. lie has known die prisoner at the bar for twelve months ;
has had frequent dealings with him, and taken bad money of him.
His neighbourhood swarms with such characters, and lie had de-
termined to put a stop to their practices. On Sunday the 14th of
May the prisoner Wile into his shop for a pennyworth of tobacco end
tendered a counterfeit shilling; witness saw it was bad, but took it,
and gave him a sixpence, live penny pieces and the tobacco. Wit-
peas marked the shilling, and wrapsed it in a piece of paper, and
dated it. The prim-reef's brother had passed a bail sixpence with
him, which lie also preserved.. On the f intraday or Friday follow-
ing, the prisoner came again with a bad sixpence; this lie took,
marked it, and put it behind ajar, cautioning his wife not to med-
dle with it. When the prisoner passed the sixpence, witness cau.
tioned him of passing base coin, and said to him. " Now you've
done it ; you've done it too often." On the 20th of the same
month the prisoner came again for a pennyworth of tobacco, and
offered a bad shilling; this was at half-past nine at night. Witness
took the shilling and put it on a shelf behind him, and said to the
prisoner, " Now, Johnny, I'll fix thee." There was a little girl
in the shop. to whom he gave twopence to fetch the constable.
IVhen detained, the prisoner threatened to come round the counter
and " serve out" the witness. Witness advised the prisoner to go
away before the constable came, because lie saw twenty of his tom-
paniona standing in the street, who shouted " At it, Jack ; at it !"
Mrs. Waldron came into the shop, to whom he shewed the shilling ;
she said ft was the same prisoner bad offered to her a short time
before. When the constable came, witness gave the prisoner into
custody ; the shilling he gave to Edwards, the headborough, and the
shilling and sixpences to Tweedie, the constable.
Jane Waldron recollects the prisoner coming to her shop on the
28th of May ; lie wanted some long radishes, which site not hay-
tug, he took a bunch of turnip radishes, and offered her a bad
shilling ; site refused it, and be went away without his errand. It
is the same shilling he passed at Mr. Washington's.
Edwards and Tweedie confirmed the evidence of the last wit-
ims
"a.
Mr. Field, Inspector for the Mint, examined the money; they
were all counterfeit, and struck from different dies.
The Jury found the prieonot Guilty, and
I ' The Chairman sentenced lihn to six months' hard labour in the
House of Correction, and, at the expiration of the term, to give se-
Study for his geed behaviour ler all mats tenger.

James Iluyes was indicted for a wanton and unprovoked assault
au Alichael Footman on the 20th of May.
Mr. Pa E unEnoitST was Counsel for the prosecution. He said
his client was an Irishman, and the defendant, he understoon, was
from the same country. They had all heard of the feuds etill kept
up by the people of two factious counties of that country. It was a
feature of fraternity in the inhabitants of the sister kingdom. If a
neig!!bour or lodger of the same bowie got offended, for all his
*lends and partisans to espouse his cause, right or wrong, and fall
on the offender, and beet him. Such was the carte of his unfortu-
nate client. There hail been a naional quarrel among his country.
men of tiatfrombill, but the prosecutor had no more to do with it
than one of the Jury. Knowing the hostile feeling of the party,
having seen their conduct, he endeavoured to pass through them
unnoticed. The prisoner he knew to he one of them, and, avoided
him • but had not gone far before a hand from behind struck hint
in the mouth, laid hint prostrate on the earth, and knocked out
four of his teeth. He should call witness to the assault, and
let them prove the case. If an example was not made of the pri•
Boner and a stop put to such proceedings, the whole town would be
in amts. _ • . . . .

. .....
Michael Footman, of York-street, Saffron-hill, knows the pri-
soner, he lives on Saffron-hill. Theie had been no words or blows
before the day laid in the indictment. Re stopped half a minute to
look at a row, and was walking away, when a hand came behind
hint and struck him in the mouth ; he fell down stunned, and had
four of Ilia teeth broken.

The CH tt it Itrbken ! I thou /Id they were knocked out?
:11r. l'n taw. AST—Ves, Sir, he ha%lorthisteeth.
The Cum nmax—No, no. Ile has his teeth In his head. I
see then. _ _

Mr. PREWDEllfikit-Oil. has he? I jour pardon, Sir;
cannot ice his teeth, my vh•Mn is not v
Mr. BARRY (to the prisoner)—Vou to a dentist, I supv
pose ?
The (711 At n:stAx—Fle does not know what a dentist means.
Mr. BARRY—\C ell, then, you aunt to a tooth-doctor, did'nt
you?
. . . .

Prosecutor—Ves, he said lie must draw them out.
Mr. BARRY-But you have them in your head. How is it, if
they were all broken., you did not let him extract them ?
Pros:rotor—Oh, 1 would not let him.
l'unzroEnciatr—They are pelfectly useless to him, but he
keeps them for ornament.
Ellen Fitzpatrick—Knows the prosecutor and the prisoner ; she
saw the prisoner come behirrel him, and give the prosecutor a vio-
lent blow in she mouth, which knocked hint on the stones. She
helped to pick him up. - - •
Davies, a constable, will standing near enotigh to see the prisoner
strike Footman, and then run away. Witness pursued Idol and
took him into costae's,.

111 r. BA RR Y ridiculed the idea of hi, friend (Mr. Prendergast),
in supposing a row like this, as he deficribed, to be setting the whole
town in arms. It was the first time he ever hestd of a lodger's
giving offence being a signal for. all the rest to-fall upon and
beat
The fllAinstaw—We all know of Irish fairs: they go to a fair,
and ffithey Come away without a row it is a great disappointment.
They look about how they shall make one going home, and if they
do nos succeed •in that, they go back again, and feel among the
outside of the tents Mr a hard bead to knock at. •

The prisoner was found Guilty ; and not being able to pay five
pounds in compensation to the prosecutor, was sentenced to three
montlis' imprisonment.
Ann ltiller,a young woman " in a certain way."wag sentenced to
mix weeks' imprisonment, for an assault on Mary Barlow, of Lisson-
grove. The prisoner said she had but five weeks of her time to go!
Bridget CONaor was put to the bar for an assault on Marian
Allen, a parochial midwife of the parish of St. Giles.
The prosecution was instituted by the pariah authorities, and the
case was conducted by Mr. Dimity.
Alaty Allenlives is Great St. Andrew-etseet, Seven Dials • she
is midwife to the Charily supported by the parish board; has:been
so since the year 1017, atultrequently eutaided the prisoner. Ott
the 20th of May she passed through Bainbridge-street into
Geoege-street, ,then she met the prisoner, who insisted on her
going to the assistance of some acquaintance. Witness told her
site could not go without an ortlet teem the Board, on which the
prieoner caught her by the shoulders, and told her, that instead
of minding, her business, she had been to bed with Jem Stack.
Witnv suild -to -1)..a.,• Go about your business, Biddy, you Are
tipsy:"` Went on to Clirricr-street to see a patient ! on her return
the prisoner had collected a mob, who followed after hcr, shout-
ing, " Mother Alien ! mother Alien i" The prisoner met Mr.
Stack, and abused him for keeping the witness all night As the
mob seemed so desperate, the witness went into the Robin Hood
public-house fur security ; the landlOrd told her to give the pri-
soner in charge. Pond, the beadle, came to the spot, and she
told him to take her into custody, which he dill% but, cn her pro-
mise not to disturb the witness again, be let ber go. Witness in
the meantime had got home, and PIS changing her dress, to ap-
pear before the Committee to Kite a daily account of her patients,
when she was called down by her lendloly to answer a loud knock-
ing at the door. She was not bound to attend a patient without an
order front the Board. The prisoner created such a disturbance
that she complained to the Committee, who had the prisoner ap-
prehended.
The prisoner was asked if she had any question to put to the wit-
nets? She replied no.
James Stack was called by Mr. Battey and asked if he slept
with Mrs. Allen on the night between thel'Jth and 20th of May.
He said he did not. The question occasioned a loud laugh through-
out the Court.
Mary Ann Hurd, Mrs. Allen's landlady, confirmed the testi-
mony of the first witness as to the mob.
George Pond, the beadle, is stationed at the Seven Dials ; in go-
ing his rounds, he heard the prisoner call Mrs. Allen an infernal
w—, anti said she had slept with Stack.
John Kendie, another beadle. apprehended the pri.sonev in her
lodging; she had hid hefeelf under a bed, with a woman and child
on it. He pulled her from under it. Her language was very bad.
The prisoner, who held a child in her ands, doled that Mrs.
Allen bad been midwife to her. There was a poor creature in la-
bour that ,the parish would not relieve, because it was a chance
child and if the prosecutrix would have come to her assistance, she
would have let the woman have her bed. If a place had not been
procured ter her directly. she would have been delivered in the
street. Site never struck the proseeuttix.
The CHAIR NIAN said,. the assault was not proved. None of the
witnesses saw her assaulted, and at most it was but a push on the
shoulders. As to the law in these matters, it must not be taken
into the account with people of the description and neighbourhood
from whence the prisoner conies. He should ]Cave the case to the
Jury, who would do it that justice it merited.
The prisor.er was immediately acquitted.

POLICE.

if ATTON-OARDEN.

SurctnE PaywnrTrn.LVes te;;laymorning, Read, sen.. chief
peace.otheer of this establishment, was applied to for assistance, in
consequence of a man named Jo m;•1 Jones having gone into the
house of Mr. Comyn, No. 13, Back-hill, as it was supposed with
the intention of murdering a woman with whom he had formerly
cohabited, but who had latterly den tied him, and taken up with
another man. When Read arrived, he found Jones in the woman's
room, with a poker in his hand, breaking the furniture and win-
doss, the object of his revenge having effected her escape. After
an arduous struggle, Read succeeded in disarming him ; andite then
affected to regret what he had done, but
,retuned to accompany
Read to the police office. Jones being a very powerful man, a mes-
senger was sent for another officer, which he no sooner learned than
he snatched up a large case knife, and inflicted a deep wound in Ilia
throat, sweating he would rather die than be taken into custody ;
he was just in the net of plunging the weapon again into his
throat, when the landlord of the house rushed into the room,
and suddenly seizing his arm, averted the stroke, and he
was at length secured. Ile was soon afterwards attended
by a surgeon, but he would not guar the dressings to
he applied to the orifice, until the woman, by whom he was
driven to this desperate act, consented to return to him, and
abandon her present paramour, to which she solemnly agreed—
Jones, however, is said to be in a very precarious situation.
latmeztyr flaTittato.—ln consequence of repeated complaints
having been made of persons bathing in the Brand Junction Canal,
particularly near the Small-pox hospital, Battle-bridge, the Magis-
trates of this office have given orders to their own officers and to the
ravish constables in their division, to apprehend all persons found
hashing therein at any hour after six o'clock in the morning.—
Several have been apprehended and fitted, but the practice still con-
tinues, and we regret to say that during the last week three fine
lads were drowned at the same place.

Owing to the dry weather, the hay this year is very
light, and as poor a produce as we have had for several years past,
Pasture grounds are also very barren and bunted up, so that cattle
may be consider^d very sparingly supplied. Wheat is in car, and
appears very forward ; some of it is in blossom. With regard to
the wheat etop there is no cause to boast, as in some places it is
partly foxy, and appears very stinted, and from the present com-
plexion the wheat does not promise a good average crop, although
a very early one. Beer and barley has in some places been already
repeated, and seems a tolerably good crop. Oats seem quite short,
and in ear, so that the reapers must prostrate themselves in a very
humble attitude to secure this valuable crop. Flax in general pro-
mises Imliflerently. New potatoes are in some places tieing dug,
but we have no great cause to boast of their quantity or quality.
Oats, grass, and flax, seem to be the three worst descriptions of
vegetation. If this dry weather continues much longer, it may be
feared that other crops will share the same fate. Present appear-
ances afford but a bad prospect of an abundant crop.—Waterford
Paper.
A tolerably genteelly-dressed Jewish-looking personage,
who called himself Captain Hay, alias Lieutenant Elrington, alias
Lieutenant Gerald, alias Mr. Holman, with other aliases, alto has
been attempting to take in the different Candidates for Northum-
berland, has got himself taken up. He succeeded in getting con.
veyed by laird Howick's Committee from Alnwitk to Morpctli,
under the pretext that he had voted for his Lordship. The agents
at Morpeili having their suspicions, however, would not send him
forward. Ile applied to Mr. Liddell's Committee, where he was
also unsuccessful ; he then called on Mr. Besurnont's Committee,
who had him carried before a Magistrate, by whom he was re-
manded back to Alnwick as a swindler. On his person were
found a number of keys for Bramsles patent locks, which hare
been left in the oboist: of Mr. Cousins, keeper of the Atnwick
House of Corrects& .It Is suspected, we suppose on account of the
keys, that this flash, psessusge is suer sif Ike individuals who have
bass so successful 11111110ush depredationg.—Tytte
Mercury.