The National Register.
London, England, 1820-03-13 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

On the part of the defendants there were three princi-
pal grounds of defence relied upon; first, that the sop-
posed lid el did not arise from any 111:111C101/11 11101,1 e, but
purely (min the sense of ditty which the defend:nits, as
Directors of the Fire-office, owed to the Society, in
calling oroil the plaintiff to explain the particulars of a
tratisactiiiii, with which the deliqulants were not ac-
quainted until the matter came officially before a public
ineetitig Of the directors to consider of a proimositiou for
assitoolanng the mode of inswing fanning stock, to that
adopted by other Fire-olli:es, whets the atLir of the
plaiiitdrs fire was imeatigated, and was found to contain
circimutatices of strviog suspicion.—Second, Tnat iu
poiot of fact the plaiiit•frs claim did contain enumerated
items of demand for loss, to which he was not entitled,
Ito such losses having been sustained ; and to prove this
',art of the case, a vol ttttt e of evidence was adduced, one
of the witnesses being Newman, the bailiff, already
ineutioned r and 3d that the defendant, Mr. Smoothy,
could not be answerable for damages in respect of any
aggravated circumstances m tne conduct of his en-
Ile fend ant , and colisequently, as this was an action tOr a
joint part, the damages must be confined strictly to the
supposed libel.
Mr. Walforil addressed the jury in an animated and
eloquent reply.
Mr. I 4 term G irrow mistimed up the case for the jolty,
and directed them, that if they n ere of opinion that the
111,11111.1 tr was entitled to a verdict, they could not dis-
titigitish between the case of each defendant, fur in this
form of action the it jury of one was the injury of both,
and the amount of damages they most settle between
theinselo es. The conduct of the defendants collate-
rally to the publication of the libel in question, was only
to be received in evidence to thew the temper of mind
and the motive ss ith which the libel was published.
Taking all the circumstances of the case inw considei-
alien, they would give such damages as the case seemed
to require. flit lordship pronounced the libel to Ile as
gust in its temps as it was well possible to express. but
the jury were also to form their judgment of the whole
case as it was laid before thetii on both sides.

The jury found their verdict for plaintiff. Damages
Two Thousand Pounds.

IVETAIORLAND-ASSIZLS.

Arpi.gaY.—The cause which excited the greatest
interest At these assizes svgs that of limiter ie v.
Welch. This was an action of assault and battery com-
mitted upon Mrs. flouter by Mr. Welch, who, it steins,
was the Captain of the band of Bludgronmex at the last
Westliorland election. The case, which was clearly
proved, was °fa limit cruet aid aggravated nature ; and
though it was attempted to be justified upon the record
by the defendant, Mr. Justice k'-ark, who presided, was
most emphatic in reprobating Mr. %Veldt's conduct,
and told die jury, in summing ttp, that. if they believed
the evidence (and he saw no reason why they should
not), they ought by their ierdict to give liberal damages
for such outrageous and unmanly yorultict. We are
• very sorry to say that Mrs. limiter, an interesting and
respectable woman, was with-child at die time this
most unjustifiaide attack was made. The seriono effects
of the blow were clearly proved by the surgeon,, and the
swat gross and indecent language by oilier witnesses.
'fur jury, after a few moments' cons aeration, returned a
verdict against the defeiniant.—Damages 3u/. with full
Costs of suit. So much for this ca!lant commander of
the renowned corps Of yellow bludgeon-men, who, use
understand, h..i within a few weeks been appointed to
the important office of quarter-master to tha Appleby
troop of Yeomanry Cavalry.
Mr. Justice Park arrived at Appleby on Wednes-
day, and opened the Commission of Assize and Ge-
neral Gaol Delivery. The next morning, afro.
attending Divine Service, he proceeded to the Court-
house, and commenced business ut the Crown liar.

ROW S•I REET.

FORGED NOTES.—Charles Ross, a young man of
highly respectable connexions, his father being a mer-
chant, and his brother an eminent professional mats, un-
derwent a final exiiiiiiitanon, chirgi•il with lasing a com-
-1111011 utterer of forged 101. Bank in En4labit notes in a
considerable extent The prisoner was oriainaliy de-
tected in uttering a forged 10i. Kink-note at the Key
baguin, in Chandus-street, and the Fountain bagiiiii, iu
Catheritiesstreet, in the Strand. On an investigation of
his cowman, previous to his then detection, it has turned
out that he was the instrument and dupe m the hands
of a . desperate gang of villains, who were raw:led
in the manufacture and uttering of such ferged and frau-
dulent piecei of paper. as well as some forgeries to the
large amount of 201. each, but the actual forger has
not been tfwarivered. They have been traced to a man
of the name pf (larder, who keeps a brothel, Inn with
I • he trace cods; however, one of the principal o
the gang, nf the name of Sandford, had a case suffici-
ently made put against him Ili COMinil 111111 for trial.
Cho prisniter !inform:lately connected himself as the
general utterer, lie bring well qualified for it from tile
liberal education he has received, as well as his genteel
appearance and geomplished manners. A charge pre-
ferred against hijt yesterday was by Dr. Yates, of Cur-
zon-street, 11Iarlair, to ay( lie pretended in be un-
well, and 10 pay him his fee gave him a 101. Banknote,
Sir Dewy Marini was among the doctors who were
plundrred by ibis means. It was planned 10 take A-
y:image of him at the time he would leave town for
Windsor so aliend the late King. lit was called upon
by one of the gang just as Ile was about to start, and
oil a 101. • being given to limi lie chilli:cif it
in 'His hurry without taking time to examine it. Tuw.
tame system of plunder has been c:•rrying oil at schools,
under pretence of paying a ;111111C:1 or Iwo as entrance-
y for children, getting change Mr 101, onti., and
psonissing to send the children the next day. The pri-
soner was committed for trial.