The National Register.
London, England, 1817-12-22 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COUNT OF OF KING'S Bt ; I BrEns -!)Av. DEC.I7
ANNA IlAttlit STONE. V. JOHN T. 8A:41,30,7.
Mr. Piattovilo opened the ple.olmgs,..l4lt,i. that the pre.
Rt'llt Actiall was brought to recover compt n.attoo tar the
bleach of a promise of marriage. The damages were laid at

2.0001.
Tile facts of the case were slated by Mr. '1 oppint. fle ex-
pressed his regret in the outset Ilia, the tlet.e.),liillt 114(1 not beets
advised to prevent the present ease from Conning hoe Court,
tea the exposure of his conditet and correspoldenee could not
lint expose him to the contempt and ridicule of the public.—
The plaintiff is a lady of about 3J years old, ilie mugliter of
the late Admiral Stone, who, after sensing in the navy of this
country far many years, hail obtained permission to take 1.
distinguished a auk in the set vice of Portugal; the defendant
was attached. as secretary, to the mission of Lord S:rmiglord,
first to Liaison anti afterwards to Rio Janeiro : the acquaint.
ance iietween them co tttttt enced as long ago as 18117 or 1800,
at Lisbon frtnn which city, Admiral Stone and his family re.
tired ‘u the approach Di the French armies, aid took stielter
ill his native country. In the In gining of 181 d, he followed
the Court of Portugal to Rio Jalltilo. and there the lrivistlship
which had previously existed between lii.o and the defendant
was renewed, and the growing affection felt by the lot ter for
the slaughter of the former was revived. As his intentions
seemed honourable, he was received with the utmost kindness
and on the most intimate footing into the tinnily of the Ad-
miral, of which, indeed, he was considered a part; so 11111th
.0, that on the death of Admiral Stone, in Sept. 1811, that
gallant officer expired in his arms, leaving his widow and
Ms daughter under tinder the rare of the defendant, who
seemed marked out bv ins conduct and inclinat!..ns as their
natural protector; the closest and most affectionate con.o.xion
continued until the year following, when to the sleep g, in of
the defendant, Mrs. Stone and her dangliter foliod It necessary
to proceed from the BraiilS to England. Previous to their de-
parture, now illiag that the plaintiff should have the simidest
ftll.ollllo doubt the permaneney of his affection durisig their
separation; and desirous of gi ring lier the most unquestionable
assurances, he delivered into her Minds the follow mg wt mem
and ilisillle' hi .oinse of marriage :
" I hereby wholly promise to marry Miss Ann Maria Stone, and
further I declare, that I will nut espouse any other woman whilst she
is alive. s' J. T. S.
Only a few days after she had left Rio Janeiro, the delta.
dant commenced that long amid unequivocal cum spondence,
which would till a large volume, and wltielt until a very late
period breathed nothing but the warmest and most perms.
unlit regard; the defendant, like all other lovers, via. raptu-
rous in his expressions ; and if he dealt more than usual its
the extravagance of language, it could only be attributed to
the at dour of his pitSbloll; only a beleefliill from
bts letters
would Ire submitted to the jury ; to read the whole would only
uselessly occupy a large portion of time, and what answer
could It given to those repeated protestations remained to be
seen. No less than three epistles were addressed to the lady
while she was yet on her voyage to England, and after bee
arrival nut an °ppm tinnily was lost by the defendant to renew
and repeat the asset 'ions of his happiness an possessnig the
love of so amiable a woman, and the hopes lw iffilinged of a
speedy and a happy Utile''. What had produced the itlitirt.py
abet ation of his intentions and the estrangement of has affec-
tions, the plaintiff could not lanuecture ; but alit' the return
of the defendant to England, in October, 18115, his •eyte was
completely changed, hitt letters were few and cold, and at
length he desired that the correspondence shou.tl Ise entirely
discontinued. On the 221 April, 1510, he expressed himself
as follows:
•• Miss Stone,—l have received your two letters, and am much
surprised ut nut receiving a copy of the paper 1 asked you for [no
doubt the written engagement he had given to the plaintiff on her
quittingillio;Janciro J. 1 beg that you will nut annoy me with any more
of your letters. as I shall not answer them. My going to London is
out of the question : it is I that have been deceived, anti not you. I
cannot now write more, althou4ll I have much to say.
.• Yours,

" J. T. S."

The cruelty of such a re ply to the plattititrs's remonstrance
at his conduct could scarcely be exceeded, yet tiie defen-
dant had been ingenious enough to go oey,dt d all example.
The extravagance or Ins ilithit.,4slollS 01. love were equalled
only by the total destitution of feeling displayed by his recent
letters. He had even had the eiti outcry With till own hand
to write 4 letter to tit.• eialiititi las inottner's 114111 v, preteu•
ditig that it came froin her : a.se term,
" Miss Stone.—ln the absence of my son, who is at a watering
place about 70 miles distant, I received your letter to him, and hay-
mg read it, I shall not send it to him. I inuA tell you candidly, it
you continue to trouble my SOll with your letters, they shall all be
re d by me. and returned without his knowing the contents. My
son continues very unwell, and incapable of writing."

Under these eiretilirdaaces, the jury wulini .r• at a . ss to
conjecture the nature ut the defeat e ; and as the ease was
extraordinary,t he defence was still inure ,o, sin ha. had neidons
been heard of in 31 Unlit of juitice in .11/Swer to 4 claim like
tile present. The learned Counsei would not anticipate BO
indelicate and disgusting an exposure as lie wider-kind this
defendant WillS about to make ; the plaintiff had ever beets
anxious to avoid publicity, but the def.. 11E14111 was a candidate
for it ; and if the stigma adhered to him as Ion.; a, he ex-
isted, lie had only and 116 •nn ceuduct to 111411 k fur
the disgrace. What ins circumstances were the Duty would
find 1111 l ler his own hand, and the) wutild apportion the da-
mages not only with a view to Miens, out with a view also tur
the lesson they were to gil e persons guilty of such wanton and
shameless barbarity to • women whose adections they had at-
tracted and betrayed.
I ii•oughtoil, from the office of the !secretary of State
proved the liand-writim: of the defendant to the tot mat en.
gagement read by Alt. 'lopping, and tuts great .artery of
letters.
In this stage of the cause laird Elk *thorough asked, if it
were nut possinle to find somebody who could adjust the
difference be; w.,eu the panics. and remote something like
got.d understanding between 011111 without the exposura
which must tel take place, il• the evtdeut•e proceeded.
Air. Scarlett, on bhralf ut the defendant, agreed to onsrilt
with has c;.rat quill the suisject, and to produce All 411 Ange-
ustnt, if it were practicable.
In the mean time Ma'. Law (clerk of• Nisi P. ms) pros
ceedril to rt• Ail canoes letters of the di h inlant given-10 evi.
druce on the part (Attie plaintiff. The tir.i was 111 these
• words :

ss flip Janeiro, April 23, 1312.
" My dearest life, my only Nanny, whom 1 allure as my idol.
While I take up my pen to ante to one motto is all my Joy: and
for u :tom alone thi, mi,ersa: lite scent, to b. m ecom.e to! supportable.
my Mutt spritt‘s a itlun we. and I have this unt,olimon that I know
the one to woom I atkiat, myself lOVCS me as I do her. ..ut whoa
'NW I oaf to tvasolie stip.af to stifle sAc asumics of off cruel ea-