The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-01-20 00:00:00

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, JAN. 19.

Sittings at Guildhall, Loudon, before Lord Chief Justice Assovr
and a Special Jury.
THE ASSIGHEES OF SIR MATTHEW RIOXAM V. ELSEE.

This was an action brought to recover damages from the defend.
ant for an infringement of two patents, which had been originally
granted to a Mr. Gamble; the hrat was for making a machine for
the manufacturing of paper, and the second for various improve-
ments that had been subsequently introduced. These patents, by
virtue of certain assignments, became the property of the bankrupt.
It was contended on the part of the plaintiffs, that the machine
made by the defendant was in effect a copy of the bankrupt's spe-
cification ; and in order to prove this, several very respectable en.
gineers and mechanics were called, whose examinations were prin-
cipally directed to the question, whether the machine actually made
was in every respect so perspicuously set out in the specifications
made by the bankrupt at the times he obtained the patents, as to
enable any person conversant with the science of mechanism to
make a machine capable of manufacturing paper? Their testimony
went to show that it was. _

The defence was, that these specifications having been prepared
by a foreign gentleman, many terms were introduced into them
which were not intelligible to an English mechanic, and that there-
fore the machine made by the defendant, who was en Englishman,
could not be a copy of the specifications, which were not capable of
being comprehended without the assistance of the drawings pre-
pared at the time the patents were granted., and which it was not
contended the defendant had ever seen. One of the terms used
was " vice," instead of " screw ;" another was " centimitre," to
denote acclivity or declivity, but which term was not known to an
Englishman. The nature of the evidence, however, was such as
could not be rendered intelligible without the aid of the models
and drawings, which were produced in Court; and as the question
possessed nothing interesting to the public generally, we think it
unnecessary to do more than to notice it thus briefly.
The Jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff-4.0001.
The cause occupied the Court the whole of the day.
The ATTOINEY-GENNI•L, Mr. BURNET, Mr. MARRTATT,
Mr. TINDALL, and Mr. Cu awoon, were for the plaintiffs; and
Mr. SCARLETT, Mr. BROUGHAM, and Mr. ALDERSON, for
the defendant.

(From a Correspondent.)—As every man fancies himself
more accomplished than his forefathers, so every age commends
itself for the age of invention. %Vithout any wish to imitate the
vanity, either personally or generally, still one cannot help now
and then thinking over those modern improvements, whict, when
the scale of comparison comes to be drawn between us and those
who have gone before us, will influence our children to apportion
the merit of our days. From the wonders of steam, and its twin
brother, the gas, by which we make darkness visible, to our export
trade in bones, &c. &c., the range is ample enough, God
knows, and various too. There is now to be met with a novel
institution in the City, which bids fair to rank among the improve-'
ments of the day—the new Post-office Coffee-house, in St.Martin's-
le-Grand ; each floor of the house is thrown into a spacious apart-
mein, decked with crimson, bronze, and mahogany, and supported
by pillars breathing warm air. All this is well enough to please
the eye ; but that is nothing like all—the taste of the body, and of
the mind also, is provided for with equal care. The pretensions of
the establishment are, to serve you with every thing, not only as
vod in quality and moderate in price as you can any where obtain,
but to do this with circumstances of neatness and comfort, such as
you cannot meet with elsewhere. It really is an essential attain.
ment to know where one can breakfast for a shilling, and drink tea
for a sixpence—both, too, as good as can be desired, with a bookcase
choicely stocked over-head, from which one may read at ease, and
with the fullest assortment of newspapers, magazines, and reviews,
at command. Most heartily may the economic loungers of London,
that very numerous body of men (who love to call themselves the
Moderate Brothers) be congratulated avon this information. It
ought to be communicated to them where, and how well, they
may enjoy their Mum cam dignitate.

_ 7

THE B.

TISH PRESS.

OLD BAILI~L EDNZSDAY, JAN. 19.

SENTENCES.
The Himont)En proceeded to pass sentence upon the following
convicts, viz.:—
For Death (2l).—Joseph Wilson, James Stevens, Samuel Hunt,
George Fielder, Patrick Crawley, Wm. Snook, and Henry
Durham, for burglaries; Wm. ilartin, Ann Margaret Wright,
otherwise hock, John Norton, ilizabeth Daley, Mary Conner,
Mary Smith, Ann Maloney, /*hes Bleeds, Charles Wood, and
Benjamin Wilson, for stealing ih the dwelling-house; Cornelius
Wood, for a rape; Henry Pd'lon, for sheep-stealing ; and James
liennard, for uttering counteent money, he having before been
convicted for a similar offence.
tin Four were ordered to be tea ed for life, via. :—John Clark
(the prisoner declared he was t, so help his aid), Elizabeth
Lewis, Elizabeth Messer, and Fuller.
Thirty-five were sentenced Iht seven years, via.:—J. Lewis,
R. Smith, 11. Keller, J. A. Legge, 'l'. Booth, T. Lee, 0. Ferris,
J. Worley, T. Lushington, M. Hanlon, J. Smith, W. Randall,
M. Savage, H. Wier, E. Yorke, W. Berne, T. Timms, T. Hatt,
H. Ramat, Mary Walker, 81. Doswell, C. Shaw, T. Roberts,
P. Kerroll, T. Morgan, W. lii`Creo, J. Stems, W. J. Pearce, O.
Scam, h. Cannon, 51. Fagan, T. Clements, It. Cummings, W.
Fitzpatrick, 0. French, and J. Aihwoeth.
Four were sentenced to two years imprisonment il the House of
Correction, one for 18 months, and numerous others from one
year to one month, and kept to hard labour.
Judgments were respited on five until next Session.
Proclamation was then read, and the Court adjourned to the 17th
February next.

Tuesday evening, just before the Jury were discharged, Mr.
Anoxetins addressed the Court (Mr. Sergeant Arabia), and ob-
served, that ha had been in attendance all the morning to prefer
a bill of indictment against Joseph Wm. Trust, for a misde-
meanor, in having disposed of an obscene publication. The de-
-1 fendant, however, did not appear when called upon, he being at
large on bail. ia (Mr. Adolphus) understood that the defendant
had made his appearance since, and had pleaded guilty of the
offence imputed to him. At that advanced period of the Sessions
he (Mr. Adolphus) would abstain from remarking on the nature of
the charge against the prisoner, who was in Court, and would be
dealt with at present as the Court might deem proper.
Mr. Sergeant ASADIN complimented the Learned Gentleman for
the discretion he had Exercised; and said he should respite the
judgment of the Court until the next Sessions, and in the mean
time order the prisoner to stand committed to Newgate.
Upon hearing this determination, the prisoner wished to be
allowed to explain the reason of his non-attendance in the morn-
ing, but he was informed that the Court could not hear what
he had to say, as he did not appear before it, to do so at a proper
time. All that remained for him (Mr. Sergeant Arabin) to do,
was to commit him to prison, and by the next Session the
Court would consider what judgment they should pass up?n him.
The prisoner was again about to reply, but the Juuhe ordered
the officers to take him into custody, which was promptly attended
to, and be was conveyed to Newgate.

POLICE.

MANSION-MOUSE.

Yesterday Messrs. Rowe, Kentish, and Osborne, engravers, of
Change-alley, came before the Loan 3lascoa, attended by their
Solicitor, Mr. Hutchison.. to complain of an exceedingly injurious
statement which had gone forth, as having been made be-
fore his Lordship, and which, unless he permitted them to
state facts in contradiction to it, must do them very serious
injury.
Mr. Ilicts CHISON stated, that a few days ago, as it appeared in
the public papers, Messrs. Robson and Co. of Alichurch-lane, came
to complain that they had missed great quantities of an ink for
which they possessed a patent; that they had discovered that a
hired servant of theirs, named La Roche, hail supplied a great
number of the most opulent houses in the trade with patent
ink, surreptitiously; and amongst others, that the complainants
Messrs. Rowe and Kentish had dealt with their servant. The
public papers regarding the respectability of the house thus
charged with dishonourable conduct, in their report of the ap-
plications did not publish their names. So far there was nothing
to complain of; and had the matter rested there, the complainants
would have taken no notice whatever of the matter, but Messrs.
Robson sent to all the bankers and to the trade printed circular+, in
which they mentioned the name of the complainants, and made
the specific charge against them, thus identifying them with the
reports, and fixing upon them the effect of his Lordship's censure.
The LORD MAYO It said lie certainly had, upon the statement
made to him on that occasion, thought the conduct of the corn.
plainant highly censurable, and had so expressed himself. He,
however, thought it but fair to give the accused parties the oppor-
tunity of exonerating themselves.
Mr. Hu 'ICH tame said, that if they were allowed to go at length
into the case they would do that completely, but it would be suf-
ficient for him to state, that Messrs. Robson and Co. had obtained
a patent for an ink, which was, in fact, a vegetable water-colour,
that would give way on the application of an acid. Without dis-
cussing the whole or the merits of the invention he was instructed
to say, that it was extremely troublesome and expensive to work,
and that Messrs. Robson had themselves for a long time put used
an oil colour fat, which was made by their servant his they called
him) IA Roche, and which WAS cheaper and more easily worked
than the patent ink. This La Roche was, in fact, a clever ink-
maker, and lie openly and avowedly manufactured ink at his own
house, with the assistance of a relation, and had long supplied the
trade with it. His vegetable oil colour ink was affected by the ap-
"
plication of acids, but not so completely as was desirable. Messrs
Rowe and Co. had long printed with an animal water-colour
(cochineal), which an acid would completely obliterate. They used
this ink according to another process, which somewhat resembled
calico printing. Still it was expensive, and it was desirable to have a
cheaper ink for certain descriptions of business, and for such an
article they dealt (in common with a great many of the most re-
spectable of the trade, who were all included in the unfounded ac-
cusation of Messrs. Robson), with La Roche. They dealt with
hint, not for the patent ink, which they did not want nor care for, but
for the cheap ink, of his own manufacture; and they dealt with
him, not as the servant of Messrs. Robson, but as an open and
avowed manufacturer on his own account, which he undoubtedly
was. They sent to him at Messrs. Robsons' house, because that
was the nearest place. The Solicitor added that they had La
Roche in attendance on Tuesday, to corroborate their statement,
and he promised to attend that day, but he had since (they were in.
formed) come to terms with Messrs. Robson, who, notwithstanding
they had charged him with felony, had taken him back into their
service. The Solicitor then showed to his Lordship one of the
notes printed with the ink made by Messrs. Rowe; it was dis-
charged merely by wetting. He showed another, which he said
wu printed by La Roche's ink ; the application of an acid dis-
coloured, but did not obliterate it. He made this exhibition, as
we understood hint, for the purpose of manifesting that the com.
plainants did not stand in need of Messrs. Robson's patent ink.
The Loan MAYOR said, that he did not doubt that those who
circulated the injurious statement, would, in fairness, publish to
the same extent this explanation.
The parties thanked 11/3 Lordship for his kind attention to their
cue, and retired.