The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-03-15 00:00:00

lIATTON-GARDEN.

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JOHNSON AND THE BAKERS.--Saturday a host of bakers
(eleven in number) appeared to answer informations preferred
against them by Johnson, the informer. The cases were supported
by his witness, Byers, who visited the baker's shops in the neigh-
bourhood of lied I,io i-square, for the purpose of entrapping them,
by caking for a loots without giving a description of it, and buying
it without havittg it first weighed. In these eleven ease, be suc-
ceeded in getting a loaf, without its being first weighed; and In nine
of them Johnson obtained convictions.
_ .

The defendants not being abk to refute the eridonce of Byers,
they were convicted in the mitigated penalty of ten shillings, sad
four shillings and sixpence costs.

MAIMIKMOUGH-STREET,

LICENSE!) V IJr I: AI. LEN B.—Satutday this office was thronged
by licensed victuallers who were suramont-I before I. E. Covaav
and 11. M. DYE., &up.. cha►ged with keeping open their houses
at late hours. Out of the numerous complaints made, the follow.
*twos the only one of interest :
Mr. Metcalf, the proprietor of a reapeetable public-house, called
the Poland Arms, Poland-street, (Jolden.aquare, was charged with
having his hume .q..m at a quarter before twelve o'clock, and wal-
-1 ing drinki g in hi 4 parlour.
Wale*, tits officer, being sworn, deposed, that ou Thursday

taght, accoeciing to instruatiese be had received, he pro
various public- houses in the above neighbourhood, in the
of Clements and ScholieM, the Akers, for the porpme
that all was orderly and correct. On entering the defentlatitc
house, they found several persona inside the parlour drinking)*
smoking their pipes, when the witness gave notice of die mat
proceedings.
The defendant, a respectable-looking man, in his defame, Lai
that he endeavoured to keep his house orderly and respectable. tie
had embarked a considerable property in the concern, for the mo).
modation of respectable persons who raided in Orford-meg
They were reputable tradesmen, who came to his house after their
business was over, which was sometimes ao late as II o'clock. •
take sonic refreshment ; and it wr impossible for hint to sus
I them out without losing their custom.
Mr. CONANT.—The law will not allow you to keep open later
than half-past eleven o'clock.
Mr. M.—Hut my customers will not leave the house, anti
would offend them to make them leave the house, or all is us
watch.

Magistrate.—it is your duty, for the protevion of you
licence, to get rid of them ; if they are entertained elsewhere,'
a later hoot, make it known at th:s office ; the law cannot b;
infringed.
Mr. Metcalf remarked, that if ,a respectable man came Use
his house id eleven o'clock. and called for a glass of brandy and we.
ter, he would stop some time ; and if he was to turn hint rudely
mit of the house, he could go to many hottis and taverna u
the Vest End of the town, where he could be provid,-d midi who
he thought proper, and sit at his ease till any how. It that wee
the law, he conceived it to be very arbitpry.
llagistrate.—But that is quite different. We often read of
Public Meetings for the support of Charitable Institutions, bey a
Taverns and Motels, where Noblemen, and sometimes Bi.hops, as
tend, to take their wine, and remain until twelve and or.e to the
morning ; but then they had their carriages and savants wait %
for them, and they proceeded quietly and orderly to their beds,
without disturbing the peace ; but it was different with the Wee
orders of society, who, after being heated by their indulgence is
spirituous liquors till a late hour, 'Allied ftrrth In a 0 the revelry or
wild folly.
Mr. Metcalf denied that kis house was resorted to by the loves
orders ; but, on the contrary, the most respectable master tradesnine
of Oxford-street were his visitors, and he was in every way incline*
to preserve the.pt ace and character cf his house.
Magistrate—Well: you enter your house under • menial
understanding to conform to the regulations of the Legislators'
and a deviation from them, you must be fully aware, subjects yet
to its penalties.
Mr. Metcalf was convicted in the penalty of Ilia. which he paid
reluctantly. Several other persona were convicted under 'issue,

UNION-HALL.
This office was crowded on Saturday with licensed victuallers, is
consequence of the detection of a new species of fraud,
lately to very great extent, in the billeting of soldiers. rtv
seen that the Magistrates entered very strongly into the feeilugssf
the oppressed body, who are now petitioning the legislature bra
removal of a portion of their grievances.
Three corporals belonging to the royal marines, named
King, John Locker, and John Norton, were brought before
sitting Magistrate, charged with the following fraud :
The three prisoners, who are attached to the Uutham division
of marines, have been for some length of time recruiting for that
corps in town. They have in consequence been in the habit of ap.
plying at this office alternately for precepts for men belonging to
the division, which precepts were always grunted, upon applies.
tion, and were then taken by the non-commusioned officer to the
billeting constable of the parish to whom directed, whose duty it mss
to make out billets upon licensed victuallers for the number of sus
specified in the receipt.
A billeting constable, belonging to the Beet Half-Hundred of
Brixton, being astonished at the repeated visits of the three nun is
question, with precepts irons Union Hall, saap.cted that all in
not right, and determined to look strictly the person who
should next present himself with one of those orders. Accordingly
one of the prisoners came to him some days ago, with a precept
from Union Hall, to fill up billets for seven men, which being dooe,
the constable watched the corporal, and soon discovered, that mud
of sending the man named in the billet on the publican, he pe
seined himself at each of the houses, and received a sum dotsasr
from the landlord in lieu of the billet. This fact being
Mr. Hall, the head constable, was informed of the areneutanee,
and he gave the necessary directions, which mused the sprain
sion of the offenders.

Mr. Hall stated, that on Friday morning last the prisoner, Cs&
poral King, came to the office, and stated that he wanted=
to be filled up for seven men, viz.-two serjeants, two
and three privates, which was granted.
The billeting constable of Lambeth stated, that on the morning
mentioned he tilled up seven billets for men for the prisoner King,
upon different publications in that parish, after which he (the ('on.
stable) proceeded to one of the houses in question sod moaned
himself. lie had not been loog in this situation when King sp.
peered, and handing in a billet to the landlord for a week's quartos,
stated that he would " like to be paid out," having a wife is die
family way, and near her lying-in, who would be a tradition
customer. At this house :the sign of the Red Lion, Nana.)
the prisoner received Ss. from the landlord ; and thence hotm:
to another house, and received a similar sum, until at
was apprehended by the coastable, who on searching kinsl
that he had disposed of all the billets except one in the usootiiii
The two other prisoners wan taken into custody the same *par
Pople the officer.
A great number of licensed victuallers attended, and identified.
the prisoners, whom they stated as having received money Iran
them instead of billets, upon several occasion.
The whole of the billeting constables of the East Half-limits&
of Brixton identified the prisoners, whom they had
served with billets, by virtue of the prece is how aePtesesa
Recently they (the constables) had the impsideespee•
tised by those men upon the lammed victuallers.
The .Magistrate observed that this was amu elesieleiss Rind
practised upon a body of respeetahlo men, sin litusaleudy ep-
preseel enough, without the addition of this pass imposition.
Mara hownder, commander of the Chatham divide@ ei Alight*,
said that be was authorized to state, that if the mimesis ens
given out of the hoods of the civil power, they should be severely
punished at the depot for their conduct.
The :Magistrate said that he would leave it entirely tithe dis.
action of the licensed victuallers who had been impead spa to
the men. if they wished to pros the are against the pride" in
would certainly feel it his duty toss
commit them for trial hi She Palk
demeanour ; but, he added, the party aggrieved would be us
heavy expense in prosecuting; and if the son were kiss up fele
military power, he (the Magistrate) had eery little doubt but do
they would be dealt with according to their deserts.
This suggestion was agreed to by the licensed victuallers. The
prisoners were then released from the custody of the rind power,
and immediately placed under arrest, and marched off, under as
escort, to the depot.

At present there are upwards of one hundred
for trial in Kent, many of whose crimes are of
heinous nature.

••••••••••... ••••••••••
MLL•NCHOLY INSTANCE Or SODDEN DEATH.-Oa
Thursday last, 31r. Thome.' Phipps, of Orchard Wet Park,
Somerset, who has been for twenty-eight years the faithful Swami
of Sir ThomasCharopneys, Batt., went to Ilchester, in
with Mr. West, the banker, of Frome, and Mr. V.
one of Sir Thomas's tenants, to pay a visit to the wedgy basseisk
who has been, as we are informed, for some time esalbel M Get
place, through the influence of some long-continuedJltieN
-
On Mr. Phipps's return from Orchardleigh, late at are of
the footmen of Lady Chempneys received him, and abscised, diet
be was deeply affected with the fate of his honeansd cawed:. Be
sat down in an arm chair, and took a little gruel, when he was
seized a ith a lit, and expired before medical aid could be procured.
He was a man of great probity, and has remained faithful to Sat
Thomas Champneys during every change of his fortune. He
greed/ contributed to the improvements of the beautiful domain
on which he resided.