The National Register.
London, England, 1814-11-27 00:00:00

THE KIND V. P. WOOD.

Mr. Nolan moved the judgment of the Court on the defendant, who
had been convicted at the late Assizes fur Surrey, before Mr. Justice
Heath, of disturbing the Churchwardens and Overseers of the lowish
al Croydon, in the vestry-room, on S'indny, the 31st of October, 1813,
whilst assembled there for the disrritch of parish busieess; and torthur
*'so, assaulting Mr: Farrar, one of the Overseers. Foru the Judge's
notes it appeared, that the defendant forced his way into the vestry ;
and, using must violent language, ran his fist eery rear the rice of Mr.
Farrar, and on quitting the room, he sairl----" Hell could not produce
another such a set of v4lnins." The cfPavit of the defendant wa
put in, stating, that he wended the yes!rv-mom us a parishioner, amid
had delivered his opinion as such. fie denied ever hating put his (1,1
in the face of Mr. Farrar, but said, he merely tonic!, the table in the
warmth of speaking; a warmth occasioned b: an opinion he enter-
tained, that these persons had abused the trust repmed in them. Mr.
NI len said, all the object these Gentlemen had in view was quiet fir
the future, and security boo' further violence on the part of the de-
fend int. Thee Court, on this intimation, ordered the defendant to pay
a fine of 6s. Bd. and all costa, and to enter into Lis own recognizance to
keep the peace for two year*.

FRIDAY, Nov.
THE XING V. THOMAS HUNT,' AM PYM.

791

This was an indictment tried at the last Assizes fin. the County
of Devon, charging the defendant with wilful and corrupt perjury,
of which he was .found - It appeared that the defendant was
a paper-maker, in the vicinity of Exeter, and that having insure/
his mill and other premises near it, a part of the same Was burnt
down, And he, therefore, applied to the Hope Ihsurance Office for
the amount of the same. Some doubts, however, having arisen (his
claims Will near 40001.) it was deemed expedient to file a bill in
Chancery against him, aaer .he had received about 2,7001. of the
inoney, and in his answer to •that bill the perjury was conanitted,
for which he was thus prosecuted. He swore in that answer, that a
certain building had been destroyed by the fire, and for which he
obtained 7001 from the Insurance Office, whereas be well knew at
the.time he had so sworn, that the allegation was totally faire, the
fire never having reaeied it. There were several ()thee allegations
of perjury in the indictment, all of which were manifestly proved ou
the trial.

The defendant put in an affidavit, which was read. It set forth.
that he had liven already most severely punished for the crime of
which he was found guilty, and that the prosecution against hint
had driven him and his family to beggary and ruin ; that he had,
since the trial, been imprisoned five months, and that under all these
afflictions his health had been greatly impaired.
.111 r. Gifford; for the prosecution, adverted to minutes of the
proceedings on *the trial, and said he need only call to their Lord-
ships' notice the facts set forth. which but too fidly showed the
baseness of the defendant's conduct, his crime being a compound of
the grossest fraud and the most corrupt perjury.
Mr. Justice Le Blanc, iu pronouncing the judgment of the Covrt,
censured the defendant in the severest terms, agreeing fully with
the Counsel, that his crime was a compound of the basest fraud and
the most deliberate perjury ; but taking into consideration the
punishment and the imprisonment he had already suffered, sentenced
him to be confined two years in the common gaol of tke county of
Devon.

SATURDAY, Nov. 26.
CRIMINA L IN FORMATION.

Mr. Abbot moved for a rule to shew cause why a criminal infant.
mation should not be tiled against Mr. John Phillips, under the fol-
kiwinebircumstances:—A Gentleman named Meredith, residing at
Brecon in Wales, having met Mr. Phillips one day amusing him-
self with his.doe and gun, enquired if l►e had any qualification or
licence; and being answered in the negative, he summoned him be-
fore a magistrate, and convicted him in the penalties under the
Game Laws. On the following market-day, as Mr. Meredith was
standing in the market place, at Brecon, Mr. Plrillips came up and
applied the billowing epithets to him, " Your are a liar, a poltroon,
and a coward"- Mr. Meredith took no notice of these expressions.
hut removed to another part of the market. Mr. Phillips followed
him; and publiciy repeated then►. This Mr. Meredith considered xs
intended to provoke him to fight a duel, and, therefore, had felt it
necessary to make the preser•.t application.
Lind Ellenborough asked, who. was the rank and condition of the
parties... _ _ _

Air Abbot—My Lord. Mr. Meredith describes himself as anEsq.
Nlr. Phillips, I understand was snrgeon's mate on beard an India.
man.

Lord Ellenhorough—then let thew p:o before a Grand Jury, that
i; the most fit trihuuaL—Apl►lication rcfnsed.

In the Court of King's Bench, on Thursday, Francis Drake was
brought up to receive judgment. Lc having, with others been con-
victed at the De, o!) Assizes of furnishing bread to the French pri-
soners at Dartmoor, inferior in quality to that stipulated by con-
tract ; viz. bread made up of a mixture of wheat meal, bean, flour,
Indian wheat meal, and barley sharps, instead of that manufactured
from good English or foteivi wheat. He was sentenced to six
months imprisonment—Mr. Fraser, au attorney, of Greet Grimsby,
was also sentenced to one month's imprisonment for a libel on Mr.
Clarke, the King's Counsel, and of which he was found guilty at the
late Lincoln Assizes.

A belief is entertained that the Dike of Wellington will
soon return to this country. His Grace, it is said, fin,.s his
reFidene at Park uncomfortable ; nay, it is again reported,
that his life is in danger. So far from the French conceiving
the selection of so illustrious a character to be a cotnialitnent
tQ them, they consider it as an affrout.