The National Register.
London, England, 1822-01-21 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

MONDAY, JAN. 14.—This Court was crowded at an
early hour this day, in consequence of the expected trial
of Mrs. Baldwin, which was put off from Saturday, to
enable the I)uke of %Wellington and the Nlarquis of
Londonderry to attend on the part of the prosecution.
The Court did not sit till past eleven o'clock. Mr.
Const, the chairman) took his seat at that time, accom-
panied by two or three other magistrates, his Grace the
the Duke of Wellington sat nit his right.
tiristiati, the wife ofJohn Charles Baldwin, was then
put to the bar, and indicted for unlawfully and %validly
bargaining, with one John Champion, to sell the office
of store-keeper in the island of Guernsey, and taking I
the said Champion 501. upon the said bargain, as part
payment of 1,200%, for winch she agreed to sell u him
the said ollice, contrary to die statute made and pro-
aided, &c.
Tne prisoner, who was elegantly dressed, pleaded Net
Guilty.
Mr. Alley stated the case for the prosecution.
Mr. John Champion, the prosecutor, stated that he
was formerly in business, as a leather-seller, in Bridge-
water-square, Barbican. In June, 1820, he put an ad-
vertisement in the Times newspaper, offering 10001. for
" a permanent mercantile situation." In answer to that
advertisement lie received the letter produced.
The letter alluded to was then proved to be the hand-
writing of the defendant by her attorney, Mr. Curzon,
anti was put in as evidence; it was as iollows :—" if
A. B. will call upon C. B. at No. 9. Alalcolui-place,
ing'sadace, kitig's.road, Chelsea, on Sunday next, at
three o'clock, sae will talk to hint on the subject of his
advertisement."
Chc witness proceeded to slate, that in consequence of
this letter lie Wrlll to the place described, and at the hour
:Tritiated. The dart was opened by a boy, and he was
onevisti into a room on the ground floor, where he saw
the at lentlatit. She asked hint the nature of the Sll.llalinil
which lie desired, and he said he could not exactly define
the precise description of the place he wished, but was
only anxious that it should be permanent. The wetness
then went on to detail the circumstances opened by Mr.
Ailey, omitting, however, those observations which were
attributed to the defendant, as to the motives by which
ins Grace the Duke of Wellington had been influenced.
Culn oss-exammation by Mr. Adolphus, he said that
be thought at the time he inserted the advertisement in
the Times newspaper, to have settled his property and
obtained a permanent situation. lie titver said he
wanted a pi ce tinder Government, nor were his views
particularly directed to such a situation.—The day he
gave the defendant his cheque for 501. he hail made tip
,fait mind to take the storekeepership at Guernsey. lie
gave the defendant 501 bt•cause she said if there was;any
want of confidence in her there must be an end of all
transactions between them.
Mr. Adolphus then addressed the Court for the de-
fendant, and observed on the conduct of the prosecutor,
vlio was himself porky of all offence under the same Act
noon which the present indictment was finnitled, coining
forward to seek vengeance on au .unfortunate woman, to
whose guilt lie was himself instrumental, lit she induce-
ment which he had held out in his advertisement.
Time Chairman then summed up the evidence, and
having explained the law on the subject, left the Jury to
form their oviin conclusion as to the guilt or innocence
of the defendant.
Tut. Jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict
of Guilty.
The Court sentenced the defendant to be imprisoned
Itt mouths in the House tifC'orrection.
Immediately after the Jury had returned their verdict,
the defendant was put on tier trial lOr liming obtained
luol. from another person on false pretences.
Mr. Alley proceeded to state the facts of the case, hut
as they were not allowed to be proved in evidence, we
shall refrain from giving them publicity.
As soon as Mr. Alley hail concluded his statement,
Mr. Adolphus addressed the Coint. The Mit lice charged
in the indictment was made penal by the 55t.1 Geo. 111
which Act referred to the 37th Geo. 11. Mr punishment,
which was to be the same as for similar offences under
that Act. The learned gentleman read the clause from
the Act of the 524 of Geo. 111. and also the concluding
words of the indictment, which were " contrary to the
statute." He then submitted, that it was as Clear as A,
B, C, that where the offence was made by one statute,
and the punishment was fixed by another, the words id
the indictment should be " contrary to the statutes," in
the plural numbs r.
re-examination by Mr. Alley, the witnesses said,
that the defendant had taken the 501. as a security that
he should not fly from his engagement.
Mr. %Wilkinson, gun-maker. of Ludgate-hill, was ui xt
called, and corroborated the statement of his friend, Mr.
Champion. In his cross-examination, he said lie could
not swear that the defendant had mentioned the name
of his Grace the Duke of Wellinaton. He might hate
beard his Grace's name from the prosecutor.
The Duke of Welliogton was then examined; he
deposed that lie is Master General of the Ordnance.—
Tha office of swot-keeper, at Guernsey, was vacant in
the yam in& That oilier was in his gift. Ile iieVer
11.1C1 any ecntimuttication w nh the defendant on the :ob-
ject of that office. The office Was gi 1111 to a gentleman
who had served as Payntasor nutter him 011 the Penin-
sula.
Mr. Wiaiam Johnstone., head clerk under the .las.
ter General tit the Ortle nice, moved that the oilier in
question was vacant in the t-ltillitier of 1820, anti had
since been filled up.
The Chairman said the rule was, that when it was
illilsoSible to pass judgment without referring to INO
hurtles, whien was the case in the present instance, !b.!.
terms of the indictment st.ould be co itrary fu tile sit'
totes, the plural number being in such case c. :...stay
necessary. And as the present indictment was t.".I,t;LIVt
in that point, the defendant could out possibly be coat-
. tinned antler it.
The Jury were then called on for their verdict, pro
..aisa, and protiounesicl a verdict tat Out guilty.