The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-04-20 00:00:00

pllOllll sold. about 95/.4,ca11i least, 771. 134. 61.
fie produced a bill for lig 13*. tid. wind) was
endorsed by Smith, rod constituted his debt, as
yrtittnniu¢ creditor. Hodgetta .putointril next day
to call and .suss Ilse affidavit. On the Bth or No.
vember, got, were paid into hi, office a., account.
The counintvuom was dated the 131 ti of Nuoveintwr,
1817. Ilodgeits appeased and 'unwed hiv debt.
.1 Imes Taut proved the sip of bankruptcy. 0.1 the
23tlf or November the 'first meeting of cred:toirs
es held at Guildhall. It was attruiebd by

SlirrerworLantli aeveral others. Witness
•uv-
puinn that Brown'. debt was not good, and *truck
it out, droning hint to wait WI the ay.ittneea were
chor►a. Oii the stli of December, at the treoll4l

meeting. Hodgetts, Fii own, and Sherwood, were tip.
pointed assignens. Two persons, Messrs. Dtineart
mid Lockwood,.- he littler of whom was agent fur
some of the Itositshtre creditors, were proposed by
witness as anigurtes, but they were rejected. He
c .rived that there was something improper going
forward, as he NUM the Defendants whisiteriog toge-
ther in corners, but not entering into conversation
with Messrs. Duncan and Lockwood. Several pri-
vate meetings of creditors took place after the third
public ieweliog. Proceeding.; were ultimately in-
stituted m the Court of Chancery, and, on the 41st
of A sign-t, 1818, the commission was superseded.
Firth came -e or twice to wittiest'', office relative
to the comusis•ion.

John Pullen, jun. deposed, thst hr was sub.
scribing *howls to the affidavit sworn by flodgetts.
lb attended the meetings of creditors, and remark-
ed she shabby appearance of the Defendants,. The
bill. proved by theta appeared to have been newly
(trawls. The edges were quite fresh, although pains
appeared to have been taken by crumpling and
cresysint them to nitrite thew look old. _

lbwlgetts' affidavit, and the notice served on the
Derriadants to produce all Mislaid accounts exist-
nos between them and Smith, were pot in and read.
:John Smith deposed, that iu the year 1817 he
ir.orried on the business of a clothier at Holnifirth,
York.hire. in the mouth of August in that year
lie eiillte to London. He lived at • Mrs. Fleeting's,
lei St. Martin's-le-Giatid. He came to town shout
hills drawn by hum and accepted by Gabriel
J te..les, *hid) were di-honoured. He had sent up
Laurier.' purees of cloth to meet those bills—one
bale of cloth was attached by Josiah Ryder, on
account of a bill which was in his hoods. When
he left Alm needing's. he went to live at the
47oitehunikers' Artist, Noble-street, Falcon-square,
where clothiers were in the habit of meeting. He
there not the defendsnt. Firth, whom he had
known for shout twelve months. Witueas dis-
c .orsed with him on the state of his affairs, mid the
Defendant advised him to become a bankrupt,
*erring, that hr could find a moan who would swear
to the debt. He, in consequence, introduced lam
to Shaw anal Tait, at soother public-house, the
Coopers' Arms, in Silver-street. Shaw declined
swearing to the debt, hut said he could get a gnaw
to do so for 101. At that time also Firth told him
!list. Tait must have 40a. fur proving the set of
bait k r opecy. A few days afterwards witness and Firth
writ to a person of the Dome of Luplott, and asked
F.iin to accept a boll for the petitioning creditor's
debt, hut be refused to have any thing to do with it.
On the following Monday, witness wrest to the
Cooper.' Arm% where he saw Shaw, Tait, Hod.
patio, James Taylor, and James Law, and the con•
vermitiots turned on the bill. Law said, the bolsi.
bees Arnold not stand still for the want of an
acceptance. W•toess gave him three guineas, in
gold, fur which he drew a bill, fur 11-24. having pro-
• :MA a proper stamp. Hodgeits was Hot present.
lie said he must not are the bill drawn, so he went
Tutu soother room. Witness gave the bill to Shaw,
and lie handed it to llodgetts. It was theta sent to
a notary's. On the following Saturday 'l'ait caste
to the Coopers' Arms, tool told hint that Firth was
13-y at Guildhall. Ile advised wit. e's to go to his
Lea:-room. left he should he arrested, as a roan
nomad Gartliside, to whom he owed money, was its-
quietist( fur hint. Firth and Tait only were to he
admitted to hint. Afterwards, VIIII.II hr returned
to the Coachinakers' Arms, Shaw called on I ,
mid told him that Mr. Pullets wooded 301. before
lie proceeded with the commis.. . Ile got that
sum f a person of the name of Tucker, and gave
it so Shaw to deliver to Mr. Pullen, and trio) 101.
for die petitioning creditor, before the docket was
struck. He afterwards saw W. Li:o4.k, who, lie
we- miaowed, would loose false hills of exchange,
and hills of parcels miller the commission. On
the Sunday following lie went to Dover-street,
where be saw Taylor. Brown, Sherwood, Vigor.,
Taiu, and others. They met to lay plans for
poising false WI.. The persons employed were
to have 40.. apiece fur proving bills of exchange,
or bills of parcels. They met the next day
at the Horns public-house, near the steel-yard,
in Thames-strut. There were Brook, Joseph
Taylor, Firth, Swrwood, Brown, Midribs,
Tim, and Vigor% The petitioniiig ereailas's debt
was then settled. Hoilgetta gave witness a five, a
two, and a one pound cote—three he handed to
Taut—who returned them to Hodgetts.-by whom
they were given back to witness. This was repeated
until • supposed loan of money was effected to
the amount of seventy-seven sorsainds•-being that
pert of the debt which was described is money lens.
That was the first time lie bad been iutroduced to
Tani ; he was told by hint that the regular charge
for proving a debt under a commission of bank-
ruptcy was 40s. and that he would prove one for
him if lie would give I that suns. A few days
after he went with Firth to Samuel Lupton, shoal
he laid knowo some time before. Firth introduced
lion to Luptou, as a person wins was about to lie
tanole a bookrupt, mid expected a favour fruits Imo,
viz. to accept a bill for 1001. and to become the
Lrii'toiiug creditor. Lupton refused, and said he
would out do it for 1001. for bas owes brother. This
ocruired on a Saturday evening. The Mmiday
after witness and Firth went to the Coopers' ATM.,
1/1111 met Shaw, Tint, Hudgetts, Law, and James
Taylor there. A communie.stion was made-, that
L.aptoa had refused to accept the bill, us, which
Law observed, that he (the witiie”) should not fast
tor that, fur that be would du it for 40a. A •taiiip
was got, as:cl the bill was written. Hodgetis oriit
to anudwr r while a MIS ...log, liar lie said " it
WI. not right to be done where lie ass."

[The bill ',reduced by Mr. Pullen !or the
tie, ing creditor's debt, Wild li:re banded to the
voine,... who 114111 it written by Firth, sigi,ed
by 'outsell, said dccepted by Law]....-Tire bill wits