The National Register.
London, England, 1816-05-13 00:00:00

ROOS •. IMITH.

This was an action tt;letuvertiresnro of 121.105. the price
of ricer of cloth, hotillit at a, sale where the plaintiff was
ric:loneer. The defence set up was, th:tt the article was
do .aged, and that the lots were deseribt d in the catalogue
as the property of a bankrupt. To controvert this, however,
U was proved by ses trot N ittif.sse, that the plaintiff, during the
•ale, had frequently mentiouel the imperfection of the cloth ;
ahti it appeared ako that time was a mark affixed to the'
article, denotink it as faulty. The jury. in consequence of this
evidence, returrad a verdict ter the plaintiff-121.105. and
costa.

MAir 6.
PEN AL STATUTIO.

The Attorney-General said, he had to apply to the Court to
discharge a rule, which hail been granted, with leave to a de-
fendant to compound a penal statute. The information was
against the Prom ietor of a IS mv spatter, for inserting an adser-
ti•emeat, offering a sum of money for a place tinder Govern-
ment, or in the East India Company's Service. The Act gave
all the penalty to the informer; and the Court bad, in the pre-
sent case, allowed the defendant, by the rule, to compound;
but it now appeared, that the whole transaction was bottomed
in fraud on the part of the informer. He had now to apply to
their Lord-hips fur a rule, to discharge the rule for liberty to
compound ; and to allow the defendant to go to trial. It ap-
pears, from affidavits which he now held in his hand, that on
the defendant applying to the attorney for the prosecution, for
the name of the plaintiff in this ca►e, they first gave him a fic-
titious name; a demand was then trade that the plaintiff
should be produced; when it appeared, the attorney for the
proserotion,and a person named Finch, procnred a man named
Clark, from u workhouse in the ncighnon:hood; and without
'felting him what he was wanted fur, took hint to the dc-
fentlant's atterney, and there exhibited him as the plaintiff
.Clark ; he being all the while ignorant that lie was plaintiff, or
at all concerned in toe information. On the whole, it appeared
(hit the entire transaction was one of a most infamous fraud.—
'Elm Court granted the tale.

POLICE.
MANSION-HOUSE:
n A /11NO WEBER V. —Sat nvda y I,uah Phillip* and Catherine
l'iig:eingede were charged with being concerned in a desperate
assault and robbery upon the person of a Mr. Douglas, a trader
in the city, a few nights since. The attack, it appears, was
one similar to those which of late have proved so dangerous
and so dkeraetfill to the city. The prosecutor was returning
home about ten o'clock, when he wits met by the female prison-
er in liishopgate-street, and who succeeded in drawing him
up a place called Alderman's Walk. Here he found there
was no thoroughfare ; and, upon his returuing towards the
public street, he was met by three men, who suddenly knocked
him down, beat him unmercifully, and, while in a senseless
state, robbed him of his watch and appendages, together with
all his property. The prisoner Phillips was taken by a patrole
a few moments afterwards, running from the place mentioned,
and was identified by the prosecutor. The others escaped ;
but the woman having frequently come to visit Phillips in
prison, she was taken, and was also recognised by the prose.
tutor, In her lodging also were found a quantity of cloth and
list, which, from certain inthrination, appears to have been
stolen from a house in Thames-street, a short time since, where
a burglary was committed. The prisoners were both re-
manded.
BOW-STREET.
Saturday, William WeLb was charged on suspicion with hav-
ing been concerned in a burglary, committed in the house of
an elderly lady, named Rainmell, residing at Eastree, near
tvandwieh. Upwards of two months since, upon a Sunday
morning, about two o'clock, the old lady was alarmed by the
. report of a pistol; she threw up her chamber window, when
she was assailed by three men and a woman, who, after secur-
ing her, carried off a considerable into of money in bank-notes
and specie, besides many valuable coins, plate, &c. &c. The
prisoner, it appears, had been living in the neighbourhood for
some time previously. He was seen at no great distance from
the place early on the following morning. His horse was in a
condition which plainly shewed that he had travelled at a furi-
ous rate. At Wickham he stopped at an inn, in company with
another person : they had a private room, and tour divisions of
notes and money were soon put out in great order upon the
tame. Some of the sib er offered to the landlord by the pri-
rimier was discoloured, and was in consequence refused by the
landlord ; but the prisoner, as a salve, said he had carried brim-
stone in his pockets, which was the cause of its appearance.
Some of the silver stolen was tarnished, from tieing hoarded ;
and it was sta. ed, that sonic of the stolen notes had been traced
to the prisoner's wife. The prisoner was remanded.
Saturday sennight, in consequence of an information laid
by the journeymen carpenters against the masters, fir con-
spiring to lower the wages of the former, a hearing came on
at this ottlee.•—The Magistrate's, after listening to the argu-
Ments of Coenvel, the same as delivered at Hatton-garden, dis-
missed the information. Sir N. Conant observed, in deliver-
ing his opinion on this question, that probably he had coin.
united m .re journeymen for combinations than any other Ma-
gistrate in his time. He had in general dine it relectantly
when they had acted from mistaken notions ; but not SO se hen
their masters had entered into commas which confined them
to time, and the journeymen then took advantage of the tie-
ceimstanee. amid demanded exorbitant wages, or refused to
and erieti-rred timers has fit ce and threats from working,
tennis their masters they knew they must give the wa4,
or be rttinvd. The Nlagr.trates 1134 always allowed the Jour-
neyillell some latitude, to meet aed talk over their :distr., -0
• ong as it was done with moderm.on. He cunfe,sed he diet
net see why masers should not he allowed a similar latitude to
tenet at a tike rn and tali, over their elm' s. in the view yes,
ste.esi, he ued nut see :dry thing rifebal in the proteeOings ut

THE N.,-iTIONAL REGITER._

the masters. l'hey had 6001 frequently called upon by persons
conducting large works to reditee their charges, particularly
fer labour, which was in general at the rate of six shillings a
day, which was a reasonable profit on chat they paid t:..eir
men. The meeting complained of, on the sth of February, by
the masters at Freemasons Tavern, was according to pub-
lic advertisement, for taking inio consideration the pre,ent
price of la hour. The meaning of which was obvious ; carpen-
ters not bring like many trades, who knew what the artieles
they hail got for sale had cost them, and therefore knew what
profit to Hirge. But they were called upon to, give esti-
mates, and therefore had to c dentate-on a certain price per
day fir into ; aml in cometque‘lee they met to agree upon the
prices, that in their estimates they shoind be uniform. There
were no proccedaigs at this meeting relative to journeymen or
their wage,; every master acting towards them in the way they
thought right, individually. they did not address the journey-
men in nombers or bodies, but individually told them of their
intentions. Some had reduced their men fourpence a day,
some siv pence, and sonic eightpenee.—lt is said to he the M-
il teetiorr of the master-carpenters to prosecute some of the jour-
neymen fur perjury.

COMIDNATION or JOIINEYMEN.—At the Sessions for So-
mersetsbire, at Wells, came on before J. Ackland, Esq. Chair-
men. and a full Beach of Magistrates, the trial of J. Flower,
A. Glidden, and 0. Gales, journeymen paper-makers, for a
violent assault on the foreman of Messrs. GiDings and Alford,
paper manufacturers, of Cheddar appeared in evi-
dence, that the above men formed part of a combination-club
of journeymen of the trade, who Is ire, for the space of four
months post, been living in a state of insubordination and
idleness, in consequence of their employers endeavouring to
lower their wages to a ratio with the reduction in the price of
provisions; which these wit-taught ligistalorr giought proper
to resist; not only by assisting each other in contributions, hut
adding revenge on those who were more inclined to work. The
prosecutor's foreman, therefore, became an object of attack by
the defendants, who volunteered (from the club-room) to Nit
him in a vat of heated water, used in the process of the ma-
nufactory.—The Jury, after a most animated charge from the
Learned Chairman, expatiating on the enormity of their crime,
and the great injury society in general derived from such un-
lawful assemblies, found the defendants guilty: who were im-
mediately sentenced to six months solitary confinement.
PICK POCKETS AND SWINDLEVS.—The pickpockets end
cheating fraternity have been very active daring Lincoln busy
week. Several horses were bought by the legs, who paid in
a description of drafts; and whilst the sufferer was going to
the Bank, some part of the gang rode the horse off. The fol-
lowing trick, tilt of some that have come to cur knowledge, is
woi tit making puddle, to prevent the like imposition again. A
onng man sold his mare, after what is called a hard bargain.
and was requested to go to the Magpies Inn, where lie should
tree ive the money : on entering the house, the buyer addressed
another man (no doubt a colleagoal, with, " Are you going to
pay me for that horse I sold you? I want the money to pay
for one I have just bought." " Yes," was the reply, "here is
a draft for 211. odd."--" No, I will not have it; I do not like
them; but let's look at it—oh ! that; I have no objection to
that, it's as good as time Bank of England." It was then !tended
over to the poor countryman, with " Take it to the Bank, and
it will be cashed directly."—Seeing the man take it of another,
the poor seller of the mare felt perfectly satisfied, till he
reached the Bank, and there found his loss. On his returning
to the inn, horse and buyer had both disappeared.
As the wife of C. Wood, a journeyman brazier, in George:.
court, Holborn, was sitting at dinner, a child which was in her
lap seized a fork, which she thrust in her mother's eye and
deprived it of sight.
A bench-warrant has been issued at Peterborough Sessions
against T. King, accomplice of W. Edgson, of Stamford, who
was convicted and sentenced to a month's imprisonment, for
cruelly killing a swan in Burghley Park, by pelting and beat-
ing it to death, whilst it was attending the female bird as she
sat on her eggs, and afterwards stealing, skinning, and hiding it.
A most diabolical attempt was made by some villains on
Sunday night last, to set tire to the house of Mr. W. Hunt, of
Milton, near Sittingbourn, by tying a large combustible sub-
stance (resembling a bomb-shell) to the duo-, which, on the fire
reaching it, exploded, doing considerable damage to the house.
InfacEsv.—An Inquest was held at the Avery Arms, Cam-
berwell, on the body of Eliz. Lawrence, who was drowned in
the Grand Surrey Canal on Sunday. The deceased had been
married about four months, since which she had been in a des-
ponding state. On Sunday she was observed by two travellers
struggling in the water, who called to a third, and he hastened
to their assistance with a hook, but which proved too short;
he then repaired to the Avery Arms for the drags, with which
she was got to land, but every mode of recovery was ineffec-
tual. Verdict—Lunacy.