The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-27 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

JUSTICE OF PEACE COURT, EDINBURGH.

THE FINE ARTS IN SCOTLAND.
A case of rather a novel kind was tried some time ago before this '
Court. The tams were these:—A person residing in the village of ,
Muttnnhole, beings denier in milk, wished to indicate the nature'
of his calling by a symbol of bin profession over hie door. This
sign he determined should represent a cow and a calf. Being
an agriculturist, and not a painter, he was himself hut slightly
acquainted with the divine art ' • so he applied to an itinerant Sal-
vator, whom he understood to be well versed In all its mystesieo
lie of the brush and pallet produced a work which he declared was
equalled only by some of the cattle pieces of Cuyp. The agri-
culturist, however, could not altogether coincide with this opinion
he allowed that the picture was a masterpiece, but he maintained
that the cow was not the leant like the quadruped commonly known
by that name, and that the calf was inertly something standing
upon tone legs—ntonstrum horrenclunt. He refused therefore to
pay the itinerant the price he demanded, or indeed any price
at all. A thousand beautiful lights and shades instant* flitted
ICT(1311 the face of the insulted artist, and without a day's delay,
being satisfied that there was more—tar more than a proloobilis
watt bririodj, he brought his action Define their Honours the
Justices. The Court, having heard both parties, ordered a proof,
and the order was very summarily complied with. At their nex t
' sitting the agriculturist from Muttonhole made his appearanc',
with his sign on his back, for, like Othello. he was resolved that the
Judges should have the best of all proofs—" the ocular proof "
, The painting was raised up at the bar, to the !bit view of the
bench,sslld an awful pause ensued. The presiding Justices succcs-
' sively and carefully examined it, and at length proceedeJ to give
judgment. They unanimously agreed that the cow bore a distant
resemblance to a horse, and that the calf had some remote simi-
larity to an ass ; but as the first of these animals has been seldom
known to produce milk, and as the latter has been clearly shown by
Linesegs to belong to quite a different species from that with
which the calf is usually connected, their Honours the Justices de-
clared their inability to determine what animals they were, but
being certain they did not resemble the animals ordered to be
painted, assoilzied the defender, and advised the artist to study na-
ture a tittle more accurately in his future Omura.

POLICE.
BOW-SrKEET.

A man of very respectable appearance, named Owen, who once
kept a public-house in a large way of trade. in St. Martin's parish,
and who has since been a coal,merchant, a timber-merchant, and
in various other wars of husincsa, pro. fem. was brought beme
Mr. HALLS, charivd by the officers of the pariah mentioned with
deserting his wife, and leaving her chargeable to the parochial
funds.

Mr. Rix, one of the overseers, Mr. Rawlins, the clerk of the
workhouse, and the prisoner's wife, proved that between three and
four months ago he suddenlf left his home,and Iris wife (seemtnglv
a well-bred Woman), being destitute, was compelled to seek relief
from the parish„which was readily granted, and a warrant, as a
matter of course, was issued to apprehend the husband. A short
time ago he returned to London, and as soon as the parish officers
learned that fact, they caused him to be taken into custody. When
taken he was in a respectable situation.
In answer to the charge, the prisoner stated that he had no wish
to desert his wife, but that circumstances which he could not con.
trot obliged him to go into the errantry for a time. Ile was now
willing to take his wife In a home, and to pay all the expenses
which the parish might have Incurred ; " and that of course,"
added the detendant, " will be satisfactory ; nothing further can
be required."
Mr. HAl.r.s said, he begged to set the defendant, and others in
similar situations, right upon that head. Society would soon be in
a pretty state indeed, if a man were allowed to desert his family
whenever he chose, for a time, and then return, reimburse the pa.
fish, live whit them for a while, and, when his rambling 6t came
on again, leave them once snore to be supported by the parish
funds. The desertion of a family by the husband was an offi:nce
punishable by law, and was no more to be passed over than any
other crime, except under particular circumstances. He had no
desire to press hard upon she defendant in the present instance;
butit was tit he should know, that as the matter at present stood,
he had the power to send him fur three months to the House of
Correction, to be kept at the tread-mill ; and certainly, if a recur-
rence of the offence took place, he should exercise that power in its
fullest extent. _

Mr. Rawlins said there would be no objection on the part of the
parish, for that once, to abandon the charge, on the expenses
being paid.
The prisoner expressed his readiness to pay, but on being fur-
nished with an account, he said he had only a sovereign, which he
tendered in part payment ; but it was refused by Mr. Rawlins,
who said that he was sufficiently acquainted with Mr. Owen to
know, that if he .once trusted hint out of his sight without toll
satisfaction of the demand, he should, in all probability, never see
him again.
Mr. Hants.—lt is trilling with the parish, and I will not allow
it. The prisoner must be committed.
Mr. Rix, the overseer (who is an ironmonger) said he had a
charge of another complexion to make against the prisoner. In
MI, the prisoner came to him. and said he wanted • sufficient
number of stoves and grates* a house which he had just taken at
Lambeth. He entered into a statement of the sort of articles he
should want, and complainant was of course willing to serve him.
but he first asked who had recommended hint, as his (Mr. Rix s)
was an old established house, and a recommendation was usual.
" Why," said the prisoner, " I suppose you will need no better
recommendation than ready money ?" " Certainly not," was the
reply, and on the following day, the stoves, &c. were sent, but the
man who took them was foolish enough to leave them without the
money. Several days having elapsed, complainant went to the
house, where he found the prisoner, who at first described himself
as a coal-merchant, the proprietor of a wharf, and about to com-
mence the retail trade, apparently occupying the premises, and
having a stock of coals, as it appeared, on sale. The prisoner
made many apologies for not sending the money, but said that
having just taken the house, his hand was never out of his pocket.
lie would, however, certainly pay by a certain day, wh:ch he
named. Complainant told him he might. in the mean time, send
hint five chaldrons aerials *account, which he promised to do the
next day, but the coals never came ; and when next tomplainant
went, the stoves and the stock in trade, furniture, prisoner, and
all, had disappeared. He had never seen him since, until he came
in contact with him, in the present case, in his capacity as
Overseer. _ _ _

Ford, the gaoler of the office, who Pnme time ago was in re.
apeetable trade, said the prisoner had cheated him of 23f. by order.
ing goods. and disappearing with them the next day.
The prisoner, wl•hnut attempting to answer these charges, said
he was now prepared to settle with the parish, a friend in the offiec
baying advanced him the money.
Mr. Ha t.t.s said it was too late. He would not suffer such
trifling. The offence had been clearly proved against the prisoner.
and lie mast stand committed to the House of Correction for one
month, there to be kept to haul labour at the tread-mill.
The prisoner was committed accordingly. He seemed much
mortified at the sentence.

HATTON-GARDEN.
DARING ifrattwaY ROBDERY.—Yestenfity two young men,
named Ling and later, were charged with robbing an elderly
gentleman, of most venerable appearance, of his watch, chain, and
seals, yesterday morning. shorn ten o'clock.
Mr. Goldswaith, of Goo.lge.street, Tottenham.court-road (the
prosecutor) deposed, that as he was passing through Portpool-lane
he was suddenly attacked by Yates, who, pushing against him with
much violence, snatched Isis watch from his fob and made off. The
prosecutor raised the cry of •• stop thief," and whilst pursuing
Yates as well as lie was able, Ling came up and struck him a
mast violent blow, which knocked hint down. Upon his recover-
ing, the watch wan handed to him with the dial broken to pieces,
having been picked up near where the transaction took place, by a
lad who had witnessed the whole proceedings.
H. Phillips, a youth, stated that he saw the prisoners in conver-
sation togs leer ; in a few n.nments afterwards one of the prisoners
snatched the Mosecuttw's watch and made off. The other, prisoner
levelled the prosecutor to the ground. lie (the witness) picked up
the watch which lie saw Vatei4at fan during the pursuit ; he never
-lon sight of Yaws ustritise.--aao:aykim, alit to also saw the other
prisoner. Ling, conceal hiFnseir in a privy, from whence he was
taken by a person named llaillic.
Baillie deposed to finding Ling in the before-mentloned place
he offered considerable resistance• and had it not been for the timely
assistance of Reid. jun. one of the officers of this establishment, lie
would have effected his escape.
Yates, in giving an account of himself, stated that he had been
a pot.boy at the Artichoke publit-house, near Drury-lane, which
situation he left about a week.

Ling said he had been atailo7, but for the last six months had
been out of employ ; both prisoners denied the charge.
The prisoners were committed for trial upon the capital- charge,
and the witnesses hound over to prosecute.
Ifelvsts or• Ir. c•Fastit.—We are glad to perceive that the
Magistrates of this district are using the most praiseworthy exer-
tions to abate as much as possible that intolerable nuisance—the
houses of ill-fame in Shire-It:ix. A portion of that infamous place
is within the jurisdiction of the Magistrates of this office, whilst
the other houses are within the City. The Magistrates are deter.
mined to exert the power they possess in the suppression of this
evil, and in consequence two beldame% ostensibly the proprietresses
of two houses of the ahovetlescriution. were co•nmitted to prison in
default of bail. and the parish officers were bound over to prosecute
them at the Sessions.

WORSIIIP-STREET.
Yesterday J. Tipprr atilt! J. Laugley were finally examined.
charged with stealing three handkerchief' from the shop window of
Mr. Aberdeen, a lincndraper. On Monday evening the prisoner
broke a square of glass in the window, and took nut three handker.
chiefs, with which they ran off, but having been observed, they
were pursued and taken.
They were fully mnnilued file the burglary.
The
The hotly of a female was picked up, floating in the
river, off' Mithank, on Tuesday, and, by an address found
in her pocket her residence was traced to No. 3, Crown-
street, Westminster. The deceased turned out to be Char-
lotte Fleming, who two years ago was considered one of
the most dashing courtesans who then infested the lobby
of Drury-lane Theatre. But poverty and ill health had
so reduced her, that she bad for a length of time existed
en the moat abject want.