The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-08-18 00:00:00

SALE OF fiEEP.

The sale of sheep annually held in Goalielel Hall Park,
E.-aex, took piste on Tuesday sennielst. The long•conti-
nued thy weather haring proved so injurious to vegetation,
and the indifferent prospect in respect to turnips and other
winter feed in illi! county, gave some reasons to appreltewl
that a dull sale would have brew the CosifseareliCe of such a
combination of disadvantages. It will be retolleeted, that
Mr. Tharlow, at his previous sale, disposed of all his breed-
ing ewes, and of his stock generally; still the jitelicions
selection ninth that gentleman was likely to make in form-
ing his new flock, drew together a larger company than has
been witnessed far several years.
Since the sale last year, Mr. Thorlow purchased largely
front Mr. Neut.'', one of the Members for Ipswich, who
oasts a large trail of laud between Thetford and Newmar-
ket, and has the flock, as well as the land, originally be-
limung to Lord Albemarle ; roe She wool arising fruin
which, Mr. Newton, at the last Thetford fair, obtained 3s.
p. r Ib. Mr. nodose also purchased ewes of Mr. Sixliy,
eelehrated bumex flock master. The prelwilt sale coosisted
chiefly of wafters; and the whole were brought forwaid in
far Leiser than could he expected from She heat
of the ncaihrr. The yearling wethers sold from ans. to
37. e.l. Ewes of the *time age, ras One lot only of ewe
lambs were pe•iwed; they were particularly ideal, but tint of
their wools, and !brought 22s The %bolter lambs 22•.
to 62Pb. One lot of forwaril.m.flebh cues brought Os. At.
ter the sale, about Ile Gentlemen sal down to an a•acelleal
di tttt er at She %hies Wail, when the evening was spe•nt i■
much conviviality. The etiolate of the It. v. Mr. Thorlow
was, however, arlisiblt felt and much regretted, although
Chair was ably Ailed by Mr. William Thisrlow, ►is sou;
whit, in the course of the day, was (acted Ys. 10d. per lb.
fur Li. wool

Froloy, the 7t:t instant, Cook
E/ots, tuhabitoot of the v.ii 1.40 of Shatibiogi )))))
IVA* 11.1ggril through Ow limo, pursuant to tett.
trove posbed on loin et the lubt county Svbrioro
'whirls at A)irtbur%. for tosoultoug the Itev. P. I
LONG, Vicar of that place.

NORTHUMBERLAND ASSIZES.

Before Mr. Baron Wool), mid a Special Jury.

CIVIL SIDE. .

• ROBINSON V. BURN.
POL
LOCK opened the pleading* for the Plain-
tiff; by Waling that this :action was brought by the
friends of the hoe G. A. Dickson, a linen-draper
in Newcistlr, ugsitist the Secretory of the Hope
Assurance Society, to recover the :utn of 2,000/.
on a policy of life insurance.
Mr. SCARLET? foilotreti with., more minute de-
tail. Oil the I.t of A pail, 1814. a policy of life
insurance was effected by the late G. A. Dickson, '
far seen yetis, iii the sum of 2,0004 ill con.itlera-
him of a yearly payment of 351. 11s. ed.. Before
the expiration of this period the ilisuier died, and
the Hope Assoraiwe resisted the payment of the Mt-
inflated sum of i,OOO/. Fie tired tearcely observe,
thut had the deceii.ed heed the seven veers, the De-
fendants would have been well cniit«sit to receive the
yearly tribute of 35f. But hr would meet them di-
rectly, openly, on the grounds of their resistance. It
way the catalog, with all lu/wailer Companies to re-
quire a declaration of the health of the insurer, and a
reference to some medical gentleman. For this pur-
pose, printed forms were issued, and questions
asked—whether the psrty wishing to he insured was
ill giosl health ?—whether he had labatred under
the gout, disease of the lungs, or any other ailment
or whatsoever, which tends to shorten life ?
These questions must be answered before a policy
of life Insurance can be effected, and these (lea.
tions were answered to the satisfaction of the Dope
Assurance by the insurer, G. A. Dickson. But
now, forsooth, they had discovered that Mr. Dick-
rim hail hero afflicted with sickness prior to this
erigagetneot, and therefote they might not to pay
the 2,000/. Mr. Joistice Chatisbre held that a
corn was liable to shorten lift•—a cut in the fi.iger
might also hove a telideiley to shorten life ; but this
was lint the weaning of the rleelmatior. When
ally ailment or infirmity ro.ever lending to shorten
life was mentioned, it alltoteii oht emsly to the state
of the insUrrei health i,t the time the loulicy was
cff-cted—it meant whetlwr the insurer at that
lime hail any illkqlse iibiost lion likely soon to ter-
minate his existence—that is, In-fore the expira-
tion of the seven year.. 11'itli respect to disvapes
tending to sholtria Info, it was a vague, indefinite
expression: the co.v-pock—a fey. r of any kind—
a cold—all these might be said to have a tendency
to shorten life. In fact, man finny his cradle Car-
ried with lion the latent seeds of some disorder,
which hid a tendency to, and might terminate ill
his dissolution; so that by this mule of reasoning,
nu life was insurable. 11'hile he was addressing
them he might have some latent infirmity abant him
which might put an end to his existence before the
conclusion of the Assizes. The p • t to be deter-
mined he conceived to be this—Whether, at the
time of the insurance, the insurer lia.l any such dis.
order about him ?—What lie had before or after
he considered equally immaterial. The deceased
was said to have had a paralytic affection, a consti-
tutional palsy. If this was the but, why did they
insure his life ? They had the menus of acquiring
the alecessary information ; they had agents on the
spot ; they had the power of impairing, and they had
impitred. In the declaration they load the opinion of
the medical gentleman, Dr. Diserryhoore, who at-
tended him, that he was an insurable We. In 1812.
two years berme the insurance took !dace, it is true
Mr. Dickson hail a severe attack of the rheuma-
tism—tliis the Elope Assurance might hare known.
Yet from this he was perfectly recovered before the
policy was effected—indeed lie died of quite a dif-
ferent
complaint —a cholera modals, or violent dis-
order in the bowel*. The Defendant contended
that this complaint was palsy—whether it was or
not would be seen by the evidence. But palsy
or rheutwitisill, neither of them could possibly have
oily extraordinary tendency to shorten life, duce the
deceased was completely recovered before the
policy was effected. lie had known the
celebrated Mr. Fielding upwards of thirty years,
and during that time he had a paralytic affec.
lion; but would any person say that his life
Was not insurable ? r. Dickson gone
to the !lope Assurance and told them that he had
never beets :Aidesl with sickness, it would have
been a inisrepresentation. and the p• esent action
could not have been sustained. This was nut the
fact—he had made no misrepresentation—fie had
told them he was at that lime in perfect health. and
that was the truth. A case of a similar [MUM 041te
occurred before Lord Mansfield, on the part of Sir
James Boss, in au action against an Insurance Com-
pany. They resisted payment of the ground that
he died of a wound received in battle in his loins,
antecedent to the insurance. Lord Nlaitsfielcl was
decidedly of opinion. that the qoeStion of fraud
could not be established, as the General deemed
the wound lit the time of too little consequence, and
had no idea of its terminating in has death. The
Jury on that occasion found a verdict for the Plain-
I This was precisely the same case with Mr.
Dick.Noies ; he had not the least supposition that
any disease about him would cause mortality—lte
resorted to no fraud, and war firmly entitled to the
sum of 20001., the amount of insurance.

Several admissions, stating the opinion of Dr.
Dwerrylionse as to the Phalanlf's health. &c. and
prolong the poltcy of insurance, &c. were pert put
in and allowed.
T. Carr. Esq. solicitor, bring called, stated that
he had b-en acquainted with Mr. Oickion from
eight to tees yram,. When witsieis baW 111111, it was
generally on business. During the whole of the
year 1814, witu'ess never saw him ollorrivise than in
perfect health. He remenalseres ham having a severe
illness in the November of lb l 2; he was on a Kola
at that time, and not attending has Irositicsa. He
was apparently quite recovered soon alter this, NS
witness saw Min out. Dr. Dwert)larrow is .lead.
Witness saw him at Dackawn's hetrae during his
illtreana.