The National Register.
London, England, 1822-03-11 00:00:00

ILAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH.
THURSDAY, MARCH 7.
JACOBS V. ROWLANDS.
This was an action OD two bills of exchange, one for
441. 16). 3.1. the other for 301. 7s. 6J. Toe bills were
drawn by a perron mimeo English, an apothecary at
Newport, and accepted by the defendant, a widow
woman, carrying on the trade of a wharfinger in the
neighbourhood of Newport. Lughsl► had become in-
debted to the plaintiffs, who are druggists in London,
awl the defend ant's sun hieing about to go apprentice to
English. the defendant accepted the bills nr quies.ion,
and made them payable at Trnton and Co.'s in London.
—On the hills bccumtng due they were nut paid ; spoil.
cation was made to du: defendaut for payment, when
she said she could not 'pay, as the acceptance was not
her's but one of her children's. She could not say which
of then) it was, it was any one who was at home at the
time. She, however, acknowledged that her children
were iu the habit of accepting fur hci.

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A witness was now called, who proved the acceptance
to be either the hand-,YritinA of the son of the defendaid,
nr of one of her daughteis, recently dead, hnt they
wrote so much alike witness could not say which it w4l.
Mr. Hutchinson anbntitu•d to his Lordship, that here
was no proof of hand writing at all. The witness was
only able to say it was the hand-writing of either a suit
or a daughter of the defendam's.
The Cniet Justice said, here was also the :tallow.
ledgments of the delentlant, that her children were in
the habit of accepting fur her by her authority. and that
the hills in question were accepted by whichever of her
children were at home, when they were brought for
acceptance.
Verdict for the plaintiff for the amount of the two
bills and interest.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
THURSDAY, MARCH 7.

LIBEL.-DE R ‘STOS AND DE SILVAS V HOOFFSTEETER.

'l'uu wag an action brought by the plaintiffs lo recover
images for a libel affecting their character as wine-
merchants.
Sergeant Lens stated the case. The plaintiff-, lie said,
were respectable Portuguese wine-nterchauts in the city,
and the defendant had been for some time in their
employment as a traveller, to take orders m various
parts of the country. He stone time since entered into
the service of another house, and Mr the purpose of pro-
curing the customers of the plaintiffs in deal with his
new employers, he wrote them a circular letter, which
was a libel on the plaintiffs of so malignant and treacher-
ous a nature as he was sure the Jury would mark by ex-
emplary damages, The learned Sergeant here read the
letter, as follows

London, 201 h Ails. Uri I.

DEAR S I Ft,-1 beg leave to inform you, that in cunse.
quence of the repealed dishonourable and ii .respectful con-
duct on tne pat t of the Pottuguese clerk, (olio acts in the
city fur Messrs. de Ilui•to. and Co. who resole in liistnt),
and the int' itferent qualit;es tuf their is hits, I have deterinmed
to separate myself tt inn such an improper connexion, nod
have joined one of the oldest, and most respectable, and in-
dependent houses sit Oporto, and in this tits, (not Porta-
xtr se), in a hose tumour and probity I can place the fullest
rcluttace, to execute, is WI the best quality of %slurs, On
orders with which l may base the pleasure to he favours al
by you on my nest juurue)', fur which purpose l shall leos•
home in a few days.
As a very unhandsome occurrence has taken place at
Bristol with one of my oldest ft iends (Mr. William Cross)
and Ilastos, by which he is liksly to sutler a severe I..ss,
have to request of you not to accept any hi dundrnrin by
11:11105 and Co. or by 'twit:oil Lambert and Son, of Bristol,
for the wines vs hicii were landed at Plymouth, until I ba•e
the pleasure to see you, or you are perfectly conviaced that
the quality will iudemitify you for your acceptance.
I remain, dear Sir,
Your Waedient fait Itfal humble servant,
ALEX. 1100FISTEFFER.
The learned Sergeant, after reading the letter, sand, it
was so far front being trite that the defendant had left
the plaintiffs' employment train any part of their trans-
actions being disagreeable to h,s feelings, that he had
been actually discharged by them, and the other allega-
tions of his letter were equally unfounded ; and even had
they been all true, it would not be a justification of Ms
Co niloict.
Five wine-merchants proved their having received
letters from the defendant similar to that read by toe
learned Sens• ant, but none of them had discontiiiiwd
dealing with the plaintith in consequence.
There were no witnesys called 041 the part of the tie.
fend-nit, and there being in specific damage proved iii%
the ',art of the plaintdrs, the Jury gave a verdict for the
plailltiii—alaldgCS 403.

, How long have you been eitilikiyed ill this sort of
trade.
witness said, he would decline answering this
quertion.
Tne alledged libels were then put in and read. They
consisted of the " Atidress to the Hen 1111 l ers," upon
which Vampleu was removed on Friday night.
Mr. Hill now rose, and proceeded to remark upon
the " damages" which it was said was likely to result
limo the publication, aml observed, that so tar from the
passibility of danger resultimr, from the publication
cl such trash as Ihe pamphlet now before them, he
would maintain that the very assertion was a upon
vie people tit England. If such insane ;rash were to
be made the subject of crlininal prosecution, he would
recommend the Governors of New to prevent
the unhappy imitates of that place front having Ole use
of writing in aerials, for if perchance ally of their lite-
rary proiluetions should fall Imo the lianas of the
notary Secretary," or the Honorary Assistant ;Secretary
of the Constitutional Association, we should have ikd-
Limites appear at that bar to take their trial fur libelling
the Constitution I In some further observations, the
learned gentleman begged to call the attention of the
Jury to the circumstance Of members of the Constitu-
tional Association, who were the avowed prosecutors in
this case, being engaged in procuring the work ior which
they had now thought proper to prosecute the defeadant
at the bar.
The Common Sergeant.—Nothing has been proved
respecting die Constitutional Association, and I most
say you are abusing the privilege which is given you, oh
atalressing the Jury, by making such an asserlion.
Mr. 1101.—The witness Porton said he behoved Mr.
Stiarpe and Mr. Murray—
Tile Common Sergeant—The belief of the witness is
no evidence.

11111 was proceeding to remark on the Conritu-
tioird Association, when

'lnc Common Sergeint silt! he could hear nothing 01
such an A-sociation. Tiltre was nu oidence about ii
Lccorc tlic Court.

Mr. Hill said that on the trial of Vamplew Mr.
Adolphus had help allowed to indulge in a lot eulo•
van upon the Constitutional Association, and he con-
tended that he was entitled to the slum privilege,
although lie should happen to speak or the society in
tallier a different strain.

lire Common Sergeant made no replp
Mr. 11111, in continu Ilion. said, we had at different
tittles had quacks oi various kinds—we had known of
quacks iu medicine, quacks advertisiwz to core the body
natural—but now he had a body of political quacks—
and a new medicine to physic the people into loyalty w..s
adt erused and attempted to be thrust down their throws
by these constitutional gentry. We had now an asso-
ciation of persons who were seized, it would appear,
with a sun of political hypocondriacism, and who fancied
that the constitution On the country, he meant) was
aglilicied with all sorts of dangerous diseases, which they
in their infinite wisdom hail undertaken to cure. After
some hardier observations of tins kind, the learned gen-
tleman concluded by contending that prosecutions of
tins sort did infinite harm, and calling upon the Jury to
;Acquit the defendant.
'toe Common Sergeant then proceeded to chzrge the
Jury, and the Jury, alter an absence of One hour,
found the defendant guilty ; but recommended him to
mercy.
Ile was sentenced to six months imprisonment in the
Loose of correction.

AKRAI‘NMENT 07 A NIAN UNKNOWN.—The shoo-
man of Cathie, who has relished to give his 11.11110, was
put to the har to be arraigned while the Jury were con-
sult-611z their verdict in the last case.
The indictment was read by the clerk of the court, and
it coininenced "'That you, a cenain man, whose name
is unknown, face. When the clerk had finished reading
the indictment, he put the usual goesuun, " Are you
guilty, or not guilty."
Prtsoner.-1 demur.

The Common Sereeant.—Do you understand the
nirat.icw.of a dcitiortur ?
Pn*uurr.—Yes, l do.

Tile Common Sergeant.—What then is the meaning
of ill 1 should be stir ry, it through ignorance of the law
you should bring yourself into any awkward dilemma.
Mr. PretwerLi.ast.-1 am h.s counsel, my lord, and
ad% iscd

The demurrer was put in and read. The substance
of its as, mat lie (the prisiniei) was nut described in the
indictment by any nailie.
The Common Sergeant asked Mr. Adolphus if he
joined issue upon the demurrer r
Mr. Adolpliti,.—Dues your Lordship ask me join
issue immediately?
lMr. Prendergast said the defend int was ready to be ar-
raigned last session, and issue uugat IiIt:ILIUM to be
joimd immediately.
Mr. Adolphus.—Then, if your Lordship pleases, I
wall take till next sessions.

r.Pretidergost.—The law directs you to join imbants.
Al r. AdtdpilllS.-11 the court WISH the to jolt. Itisieati
1 till (10 SO.

The Common Sergean•.—lf you feel any difficulty,
Mr. Adolphus, the Court will allow you time.
Mr.Prenderg,lst said, tile law required that issue should
Le joined iititatiltr.
The Commo.l Sergeant.—" I know of no such law."
I\lr. Prendergast °tiered to show, to the satisfaction of
the Court, helore it rose, that such was the last•, but
alter some further conversainni tile argument was ad-
joi,
TUESDAY, MARCH s.—This afternoon, at five o'clock,
the G1111:11U11 Straeant and Sir Coristopher Sandi luck
1;1,1r seals un toe %viten a young matt dressed in
black, arid of decent appearance, ..as placed at the lyir.
—Tuts was the mall silo Oil the et.ming Lennie put
tit a heiiiiiirer, and to iili:ad out

Mr. I'r„..ll(l4..rgist told hits, " 1, as your rouw,cl,
advim: titsit tLu I.l;:auurrcr is ii4l 4.-„Liti;iablc."