The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-11-23 00:00:00

1.
S. .

THE

the Seortehal of the minor.

—..to, wrier was
try preside at thickened, and to ao4st t the vines of the electors.
That said Denham Jephson, to the ear 1790, became desirous of
converting his influence in the borough to his own pecuniary ad-
vantage, and did, unconstitutionally and illegally, propose to
Rickard Longfield to sell him his influence, and he did enter into a
corrupt and illegal contract to sell his influence in said town for a
gross sum of money. This agreement was nubsequently reduced
to writing, and commenced ns follows :—" Agreement between the
Right Honourable Richard Longlield and Benisons Jephson, Esq.
31r. Jephson is to renive of air. Longlield 3.000!. and Mr. Long.
Bell is to procure a pension fiat Mr. Jephson of 600 f. per annum
(being the amount of his father's peneinn), within three years after
the next general elestiou, or pay to Sir. Jeplison a tardier sum of
3.000. Mr. Jephson, in return, Is to throw all his influence at
Mallow into Sir.
nnmination as often as called upon. for the purpose of
presiding at elections, and is to give Mr. Longfield all the assist-
ance in his power, at all times, to enure the representation of the
borough of Mallow; and 31r. Jephson agrees to pay the sum of
4001. or half the expense of a petition, if any is preferred at the sa-
wing election by Sir James Cutter or Anthony Jephson, as candi-
dates: and Sir. Jephson further agrees that, us this is a mere ho-
tnurable transaction, carry thing is to be done at both sides that the
parties, as men of honour and integrity, can do, to carry into
efilet this agreement, for to accomplish the intents and pur-
peace of each party, and to secure their respective objects--uamely,
money and pennon to air. Jephson, and the representation of Mal-
low to Sir. Length:ld." The agreement then went on to state, that
it was to be carried into erect by Mr. Longtield executing two
bonds to Mr. Jephson, each =damned for the payment of 3.000!.
with interest ; and that thane bonds were to be deposited in the
hands of the Right Honourable David Latouche, as a wiutual
trustee fur both parties : and if it shall appear to the said trustee
that Sir. Jephson has fairly, unequivocally, amid honourably per-
formed his part of the agreement, the bonds are to be given up so
Mr. Jephson when they are respectively due. in order that Mr.
Jephson may enforce payment of them ; but if it shall appear to
the said trustee that air. Jephson has failed in the performance of
his part of this agreement, then the bonds are to be cancelled. And
in case Mr. Longfield shall p:ocure the pension of 6001. a year fur
Mr. Jeplison within the space before-mentioned, then the lust-
mentioned bond is to remain in the hands of Sir. Latouche, as a
security only to air. Jcpl'son for said pension during the life of
Mr. Jephson • bit the amount thereof is not to be paid to or re-
covered by Str. Jephson, unlem he shall be deprived of said pen-
sion, in winch Mat the nanl bond in to be given up to Mr. Jephson
on his being deprived of said pension, in order that he may enforce
payment of said principal sum of 3,000!. and the interest,
front the day of his being deprived of the said pension. The
bill went on to state, that the said Richard Longtield, on the
16th of March, 1790, fur the complained illegal consideration in
said agreement mentioned, executed two bonds, each conditioned
for the payment of 3,000/.. which bonds were witnessed by Robert
Beeves, his law agent. That in evidence of the illegal cannel,
said Richard Longlield, by leaSoll of his influence with the Irish
Government. procured for the said Denham Jephson a pension for
his life of 6001. per annum ; and thereupon one of the bonds was
given up to be cancelled ; the other bond was deposited in the
Mend* of the Right Hon. David Latouche, where it remained for
upwards of twenty years ; and the said Richard Longfleld, having
been crested Baron Longunille end afterwards Lord Viscount
Longuevilie, died on the ZJd d Muy, 1811. Mr. Jeplison died in
1814, and administration was granted to the defendant, Sir John
Aubrey and others. These executors, in the year 1817, applied for
and Manned the bond from Sir. Lutoucbe, and they Made applies.
non for payment of the same to the representative of Lord In, which
having been refused. an anion in debt on said bond was commenced
in the Court of Exchequer, and is declaration filed in Michaelmas
Term 18i3. Several pleas were filed to this declaration, which
put I. issue the tempt and illegal contract in bar of plaintiff's
demand: but the administrators did not go to trial on die issue
bond: The bill further stated, that said Reeves is the only witness
surviving who is able to prove several of the facto connected with
such corrupt and illegal agreement
t'
that he is seventy-two years
of age, and of infirm health, and thie. plaintiffs are in danger of
losing the benefit of his testimony. The bill therefore prayed that
the evidence of said Reeves may be taken and perpetuated, was to
be used on sue trial that may afterwards take place between the
parties. To that bill the present demurrer was tiled, stating that
the said bill contained a statement of fraud and maintenance, as to
disentitle the persona guilty thereof, and their representatives, from
any relief in a Court of Equity; anti that the matters contained in
the said bill were not fit or suitable to be discussed in that Court.
Mr. O'Connell, ie support of the demurrer, contended, in the first
pace, that the party might have had the benefit of the evidence of
Mr. Reeves without going into that Court, because it was their
fault that the suit at law was still pending. In the next place,
the transaction stated in the bill was a gvues and illegal transac-
tion, clearly punishable by indictment ; it was it geese conspiracy
on the part of the individuals who were parties to the corrupt agree-1
meat—the one by means of corrupt influence and an undue control
over a public aim, contracting to insure for the other a seat in
Parliament-stand the other undertaking to procure, as a considers
anon for that corrupt influence, a pension of 609!. a-year from the
Government of the day. It would be no fact in the CAM, whether
the person who stipulated to receive that pension, and who actually
did receive it as the fruit of that corrupt agreement, happened
to be poor or rich. It however turned out that he was a man
of great fortune and consideration. The party here were purl
deliclo, and the transaction was of a nature so unconstitutional,
so marked with turpitude and corruption, as to render it un.
fit to be discussed in that Court. The facts of the present
'cue being of a public nature, are infinitely more strong than any
case of turpitude in private life, yet laird Eldon. in Birr's case,
said that the parties being part delleto, he would not entertain the
case one way or the other. The circumstances of Birr's case were
these :—The defendant (Bin) being desirous to many a lady of
independent fortune, applied to the plaintiff to procure him a wife
of that description. Tice plaintiff promised to do so, and, in fur-
therance of the scheme, he gave several expensive entertainments,
and invited to these entertainments several Indies of fortune. That
the defendant met those ladies at such entertainments, the expense
of which he promised to defray ; and that it appeared, from the
letters of the defendant hinutelf, that he niight, if he wished, have
married any of these women. Lord Eldon dismissed the case out
of Court, as unfit for further discussion. The Learned Gentleman
concluded, on the authority of the above case, that inasmuch as the
parties to the agreement were mutually criminal, on grounds of
public principle time Court would grant no relief.
Mr. IlaTenni.L was heard at some length on the other side.
He contended, on the authority of ruled cases, that Courts of
Equity, even where then were wrrupt transactions, had given re-
lief.

SATVIIDAY, Nov. 19.
The Master of the Rolls gave jndgmcnt today. The transact.
tion out of which this application arose, was one which his Honour
declared to be corrupt, illegal, and unconstitutional. It referred to
a contract between the late Lord l.ongueville and Mr. Jephson,
by which the latter party, in consideration of a sum of money, and
a pension during his life, agreed to secure to Mr. Longfield (after-
wards Lord Longueville, the other party), or his nominee, the re.
Hetentation of the Borough of 31ellow. The contract, said his
Honour, entered into the details of a transaction which he wax
bound to declare was most fiefs:haul and abominable. The Bill
was filed by the personal representatives of Jephsun, !n order to
perpetuate the testimony of a Mr. Reeves, a witness, aged 70, with
regard to a bond for 3,0301. passed by bongfield to Jephson. To
this bill the defendant had put in a demurrer, and the question
before the Court was, whether the testimony ought to be perpetu-
ated or not.. His Honour proceeded to cite precedents for this
Court to refuse the perpetuation of evideuce in certain cases, and
declared that the present transaction waste iniquitous on both sides
as to (Humid° either party to relief in a Court of Equity. Let
them, if they pleased, seek redress in the Courts of Law. llis
judgment was, that the demurrer be allowed with costa.

POL/CE.
31 A NSI.--7Tk :"-}io LIS E.
Yesterday Mr. James Blake, a master-builder of respectability,
was brought before the LoRD MAYOR, 00 a charge ut felony of a
singular nature.
William Henry Moss, managing clerk to Mr. Bistock. an at-
torney. residing in 13mW.sttFet, stated that his employer had dis.
counted for the defendant several bills, which had been dishy.
noured. The latter, who had indorsed those bills, chose to settle
them, and lodged a check to the amount of 1151. in the hands of
the witness for this purpose. When this check was tendered for
pays em at the bankers, it was dishonoured, and a note written upon
the back of it, that the defendant had given an order that It should
not be paid. Yesterday morning, as the mimesis was making out
the necessary documents fur the purpose of holding the prisoner to
bail, and the dishonoured check was before him, the defendant en.
tered the counting-house, and, approaching the desk, suddenly
snatched up the t heck. and rushed with it to the lire, where it was
consumed before the witness had time to prevent it.
The witness, on his cmas-etamination by Mr. Blake's solicitor,
said he lied sued both the drawer and acceptor of the two bills, as
well as the indorser, and he had the bills now in his pmsession.
Mr. Blake's solicitor said. that sic writs had been issued upon
two bills for the amount of GU, and that the costs produced upon
them exceeded that sum by 2!., the expenses turning out to be no
less than 651.

The Loan Msron said, he awe not the slightest ground for
the charge of felony. The complainant bad the bills now in his
possession, and he might proceed for the recovery of his debt upon
them, and surely he could do no more if he had tile check.
air. Blake stated that he gave the check conditionally. The
understanding was, that the check should be held if neither of the
parties should come forward, hut lie had subsequently found
that one of them had lodged security with the complainant for the
payment of the money as soon as Mr. Historic's bill was taxed.
Upon hearing this fact he stopped the check at his bankers', for he
knew that it was estremely difficult to get money out of an twos.-
ney's hinds after it once passed into them.—(A laugh.) In the
morning he went to Mr. Histoek's counting-house, and seeing the
complainant with the check which had been given to him for the
payment of the debt and costs before him, at work, with fresh pro.
endings, by which to acrumulate fresh costs, he certainly telt ex-
tremely irritated (fur he hail already been compelled to par double
the amount in costs in one bill which he bed indorsed), and he ad-
mi,ted that he snatched up the check, end threw it into the tire.
The atiornees clerk, as the chalice of felony was considered in-
atiminible, said lie was ut least entitled to have Mr. Blake held to
bad fur the assault.

The LOBD volt caked whether he could produce a wit.
Hera to this attack.

The complainant called a perfon, who said he believed the clerk,
hi his hurry, had run his head aguksit tho
The LORD MATOR said, that he In,ght ital. ;Lc MC before
Jury :A the Seta:oua.