The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-12-23 00:00:00

PO L/CS.

Aat* Meat,
ANCIENT CUSTOMS OF Cr ESTI4IOI4IIIII,
Teatertlay Mr. /awes afiere, s reapaelable tiiatitatatt, elk
plied I. Eat Rebels Bahr.. the sitting Ilbagatiratta fur hit
Itaarartiatat, wader etreatastaaera at' a tory •catauwa wed
ravel Lima.

Mr. Mwerowaidi the blagiairahe wa■ of emerseileareef the
enatons of bands of muisiemns, who were called •'.wring," c.
lug about the metropolis during the joyful minims of Christ.
Nuts; but it was not perhaps generally known, OM is West.
miirster the" wails were regularly morn before the" Covet
of Purgesees," at the Guildhall. and sued smiler the autho-
rity of • warrant, signed by the clerk, soil sealed nub the
ar.o■ of the City sail Liberty ; to addition 111/ whirl. 11w,
were hound to provide thenvielves with s silver badge, aka
hearing the arms of Weetsnioater. 'the slumber of persons
thus licromd was !Muted, soil each had his particular mend
or district assigned to him by geueral agreement. ('or I low
privilege they paid considerable ftes, •ill each wail hired
several initociami, forms,,[ s lased of his own, will' which he
serenaded the itiltabitatits of his district every sermid aright
daring a certain term, trig. trona rioverishur 29 until the flied,
of the Christm►s holidays, at 12 o'clock each night. Ile
(Mr. Munro) wai one of those so licensed and sworn,
soil during "Ile sessile." he hired musicu•, of talent, ■t
the rate of about two giiiiteas • week per mint, and his
chance of remuneration depended entirely upon the libera-
lity of those itiliabstants to whom he was in the habit a
paying his nocturnal visits. It had of late years, however,
become a coolant for other musicians, who were sot sworn
wails, to go about at aught, and at the Close of the marina
to levy coutribotions opus the ioliabitrints, smiler the amain.
nil character of " hceimeil wait.... The trick was, for 1t..?
p•rsusns to coupon their setenailing occupation ,as, the uights
when they knew that the" regulars" staid at home, io order
to avoid cosutug In MOW' with them.
'flue pretest application was to barn from the Magistra►e
whether rosy and what measerra mold be adopted to put a
stop to it.

Mr. Munro produced Lis warrant, which vim written urn
parchment, and sealed with the oficial oral of Weatusinsier.
He also produced hi. badge.
Sir Hubert Baker said, lie bad on ides that there were 11.
tensed waits, nor had he ever read in his life of suck a body
in say of the ancient books.
Mr. Munro said, the elation had existed since the limo
that Westminster was a mere village.
Sir K. Baker obserVeil, that she custom of serenading of
this time of the year was ugliaabledlif one of a very sera• nt
dale, and lie had no fault to find with it if condsirted with
good order ; but be did not know that the privilege of at re-
natling was confined to particular in tisiduals.
Mr. Munro said, the worthy Magistrate would now pr--
(vire that it was so, and it was extremely hard that the
privilege should be invaded. He wished to know elicitor
the intruders, " if caught in the fact,' could not be taken
up unit punished?
Sir H. Baker sail. that sop in considering the inviter, he
was of opinion, that any pi-room found playing in the %tires
alter midnight, without license or authority, might he an-
preliended iind lofted in cdnrieement smiler the Vagrant Act.
Mr. Munro salted if Sir Hobert would give him the as-
sistance of some of his °Hirers.

Sir a. Baker said there was no necessity for that, as any
watehmais would he justified is taking them into custody
upon a proper charge being given.
Mr. Munro mid, thai these intruders, he nedersooid,
sometime. provided themselves with triages in invitation of
those or the waits, in wiltr to obtain money.,
Sir Robert Baker told ilie applicant that any person
tertcd in duiug this, wonl.ll 'object liintself to a prosein: rrn
for otriaioiog 'Honey under fake pretences.
Mr. Munro 4 xprerved himself noith obliged by the polite
attention which had been paid to his application, and left
the office.

M ARLBOROUGH IT ft T.
THE RESCUE GANG.

The re.resurination of three of the Prisoners who wound.
ed Marsden the gaoler, look place yesterday before Sllqsl..
Conant and Farraut, when evidence of impottance to the
ends of justice riot before disclowel was adduced.
The depositions of witne:sea as sitintoted with furls
having been taken, Jones, a principal its the rescue party,
was brought up singly.
Ann Xaxfield stated, that she haul cohabited with Joisee,
the convicted barglar, htfore his spin eloassion, and on the •
day he was clematises' at this office, she waits,' nod lie r woe
out to be taken to hieweate with the oils. r necomplicer.
They lived together in Ihtek.latse, and the Prisoner afro
went by the name of Ledford. Soon after four ~c'smeh the
witness joined the Prisoners under the care of Marsden. and
Jones the burglar told her that a rescue would take n
on the spot where it did actually happen. In Brunt sissett_
street the rescuers began to chew themselves, mist wtlnrsa
observed that William JOrree •fiasConn:ry Big, was fill 111111
in the attack. Several female, were resent, nod he bran.
dished a stick amongst them, aid said, • Won-n, go away'"
,tlurh herd, a fellow nut yet in civets:lly, JPReirte, and ere't
and George Keylock, were alga present, asol waitress silo
Marsden attacked. Witness knew all the pet-soots naso..ll
before this, and she amid not be mi"tiken.
the publican in the Borough, silo was brought
to the office by warrant, and at the request of 1111111 i, the
rescuer, to speak in his behalf, stated, that on the 'fight of
the rescue the two Joness came to los hots..,, end al•o
Stanley, alias Jack Jolly. William Jones asked for a IseJ
for Sam Jones, with which the latter was acrommodeted ;
and in the montane of Friday, at ten o'clock, IS Hisies Jones
went up stairs to the bedroom of his names die, and
•ised him to go to Kennington, as he would see some_
thing in the newspapers about the rt.eue, and the
gcrous stale of Musibm. Stanley sill Melilla al
house; and in a coliversation iu the teivroom, it its
stated amongst the reamers present that he (Stanley)
was picked out as a good floater, and that it was he 'who
made the first attack upon Marsden. There wise new.
thirtyfire its number, and ths y all agrees' illji sack.topy
was a downright (Loner. Previously to the rescue slot-
were three places appointed for the gang to meet at, and it
being a re-examination of the burglars, there was 110 diffi-
culty in the arrangements. The appointed plan.., Nes,.
tie
White Horse, Short's•gardeus ; the Coach and Hoe eee,
Charley-street, Drury•lane ; and the Ship, at Weed 444 . ester.
John Bird, who was violently shuck upon der brad by tl e
gang, in their way down Hell-yard, Fleet-street, and who le.
fore identified Wm. Jones as one of the gulag, stated that
Jones had a brown coat on, which he (the witness's) tore iii
catching hold of to prevent falling. This twat was pro-
duced by Jefferies, the officer, lOW took it from Josses, and
it answered wituesi• description boils in the tear anti colour.
Mr. Humphries, the Solicitor who attends d for Jones, soh.
milted bail fur his elicit; hut the Magiorlites considered
the room itself a felony; they also considered that her
question arose, whether the rescuers were out mete...lowa
after the fact of the burglary upon which the rescued were
fully committed for trial. At all event*, the assault typos
Marsdeu was proves! against solar of die Prisoners, and cone
sapiently they would be remanded for another week.
Solicitor-0 Ho you commit for Mussy
Magistrate--•s' Yea, wildfire the assault two.'
• Mr. Humphries submitted a case which 'recurred in 1796,
of ladwell Iselwell, who was abut, 'and white the alleged
felony was sot recognised by Baron gyre. ',dwell saes
charged with Celery its the new prison, Clerkenwell, sad,
under preteens that he had a rids swot on her drath-hed,
whose property he should Isbesit, he prevailed opus the
turnkey to accompany kiss to her bed-side it Artillery brae,
where a female, appuestly sick, was in bed; bet the per
who had the cars of the gird Ludy began W howl este
their mistake, mad in the bootie ',Atwell was shot, .aad the
parties were acquitted of murder, and afterward* natficted
fur a rescue.
The Magistrates lure interposed, eel couceiviug that the
ease bore say analegy to the present one, as It um peered
is ewidesirs that ladwetl might have been shot 'memoirist.
Jeffevries, the officer, produced the blooper with which
Joaesaml Beasley bad boasted of !Menne dare the trick of
femur, sad that !owes, fkardey,Watts,aud Nia ewe Hon Wog
were ployitag at denies's whim takes 'at titileby's. .
Mr. Adams emeoberstei other teatitssauy as tat Stanley
Winos the apse of restos. armed with a idadgeoe.
,lanky sod Watts was brooglit up. sod the tomer side
be waver bad.oweseil•by.before, nor did be tuna wiper isle
house was; but whew asked I. tip Ibis weastspdapitos be

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