The National Register.
London, England, 1822-01-20 00:00:00

AllOM)L.1 SEX SESSIONS.

MONDAY, JAN. 14.—This Court woos crowded at an
ear hoer this day, in consequence of the expected trial
of Mrs. Bali/win, which was put olh fmm Satorday, to
enable the Duke of Wellington and the Marquis of
Londonderry to attend on the part of the prosecution.
The Court did mot sit till past eleven o'clock. Mr.
Coast, the chairman) took his seat at that time. accom.
!wiled by two or three other magistrates, his Grace the
the Duke of Wellington sat on his right.
Christian, the wile of John Charles Baldwin, was then
put to the bar, and indicted for unlawfully and wilfully
bargaining, with one John Champion, to sell the office
of sore-keeper in the island olGuernsey,and taking from
the said Champion 501. upon the said bargain, as part
payment of 1,2u01., for which she agreed to sell .o him
the said office, contrary to the statute made and pro-
vided, &C.
The prisoner, who was elegantly dressed, pleaded Not
Ms. Alley stated the case for the prosecution.
Nis. John Champion, the prosecutor, stated that he
was formerly in business, as a leather-seller, in Bridge-
water-agnate, Barbican. In June, 1820, he put all ad-
vertisement in the Times newspaper, offering 10001. for
" a permanent mercantile situation." In answer to that
advertisement he received the letter produced.
The letter alluded to was then proved to be the hand-
writing of the defendant by her attorney, Mr. Curzon,
and was put in as evidence; it was as follows:—" If
A. B. will call upon C. B. at No. 9. Alalcoltultlace,
King's place, King's.road, Chelsea, on Sunday next, at
three o'clock, she will talk to him on the subject of his
advertisement."
The witness proceeded to state, that in consequence of
this letter he went to the place described, and at the hour
appointed. The door was opened by a boy, and he was
sliewil into a room on the ground floor, where he saw
the defendant. hits asked him the nature of the situation
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 witness
then went on to detail the circumstances opened by \lr.
Alley, omitting, however, those observations which were
attributed to the defendant, as to the motives by which
his Grace the Doke of Wellington had been influenced.
In cross-examination by Mr. Adolphus, he said that
he thought at the time he inserted the advertisement in
the Times newspaper, to have settled his property and
obtained a permanent situation. He never said he
wanted a pLce under Government, nor were his views
particularly directed to such a sitnation.—The day he
gave the defendant his cheque for Sol. he had made up
his mind to take the storekeeper'hip at Guernsey. lie
gave the defendant 501. because she said if there wasiany
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,
who was himself guilty of au offence under the same Act
upon which the present indictment was founded, coming
forward to seek vengeance on an unfortunate woman, to
whose guilt he was himself instrumental, by the induce-
ment which he had held out in his advertisement.
The Chairman then summed tip the evidence, and
having explained the law on the subject, left the Jury to
form their own conclusion as to the guilt or innocence
of the defendant.
The Jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict
of Guilty.
The Court sentenced the defendant to be imprisoned
12 months in the House of Correction.
Immediately after the Jury had returned their verdict,
the defendant was put on her trial for having obtained
1001. from another person on false pretences.
Mr. Alley proceeded to state the facts of the case, but
as they were not allowed to be proved in evidence, we
shall refrain from giving them publicity.
As soon as Mr. Alley had concluded his statement,
Mr. Adolphus addressed the Court. The offence charged
in the indictment was made penal by the 52a Geo. 111
which Act referred to the 37th Cho. 11. for 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 521 of Geo. 111. and also the concluding
words of the indictment, which were " contrary to the
statute." lie then submitted, that it was as clear as A,
C, that where the offence was made by one statute,
and the punishment was fixed by another, the words or
the indictment should be "contrary to the statutes," in
the plural number.
In 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, sun-maker, of Ludgate-hill, was next
called, and corroborated the statement of his friend, Mr.
Champion. In his cross-examination, he said he could
not swear that the defendant had mentioned the name
of his Grace the Duke of ‘Vellingtoti. He might base
beard his Grace's name from the prosecutor.
The Duke of Wellington sets then examined ; lie
deposed that he is Master General of the Ordnance.—
The office of store-keeper, at Guernsey, was vacant in
the year 182.0. That office was its his gift. Ile never
had any communication with the defendant on the sub-
ject of that office. The office was given to a gentleman
who had served as Paymaster under him on the Penin-
sula.
Mr. William Johnstone, head clerk under the Mas-
ter General of the Ordnance, proved that the office in
question was vacant in the su tttttt er of 1820, and had
since been filled tip.
The Chairman said the rude was, that when it was
impossible to pass judgment without referring to two
sureties, which was the case in the present instance, the
terms of the indictment should be contrary to the Slit-
tiays, the plural number bring in such case certainly
necessary. And as the present indictment was delectise
in that point, the defendant could not possibly be con-
victed under it.
The Jury were then called on for their verdict, pro
itul pro:mu:iced a verdict of not guilty.