The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-03-28 00:00:00

UN' INTELLIGENCE.

COURT AC, HANCIIRT, Lunges lii;
liossiv, UMW* t 7.
JUDGMENT.
INTENDED HARKIAGG IN HIGH LIEN.

IN TUE NATTER OF SIR ROOS& ORIESLIV. TART.
NINON AND ♦ WARD OF CDANCIIIIT, AND THE
NON. LADY NOMA COVENTRY. ALSB A MINOR.
LADY GIMPY O. Tlt 'Lai Or COVSNTRY. THE
COUNTESS OF COVENTRY, AND TUN NON. JOHN
COVENTRY. _

The LORD Cumiczt.Loa observed, as he under-
stood the ease, the ward was Not noroduced into
Court for the first time in January 1810, as lie was
a ward of it before that time. It appeared that he
would he of age in December next. lo the month
of April, 1819. when he was only of the age of
oinetn years end three months, he left the -'Uni•
tersity of Oxford, and it was impossible for him to
account how au application had been made to hush
to order the ward back awaits to Oxford, when Dr.
Goodenough had written a letter to the ward de-
siring that lie should not return, as be thought it
was nut advisable on account of his ill state of
health. Then at the age of nineteen years and
three totentlis he was left wandering iu the world
without any protector, or without soy tutor to
direct his coodoct at that most dangerous age. In
January 1820 there was a petition permuted to leim,
which alleged (let the words of it• be-whet they
might) that there was • plait or a scheme ou
the part of the Noble Detiodatits to marry the
ward to Lady Sophia Coventry—and also alleging
that the wad was going abroad. accompanied by
the Defehdatit. the Hon. John Coveutry, to carry
that object into effoxt ; and it prayed that he should
make an miler to restrain the marriage from takilig
place. According to the juriatliesion of that Court. it
Was gone clear that • ward of it, whether Male or
female, could not marry without its consent, eveu if
the ward hail the consent of his or her Pettier. His
predecessor. in that chair had carried it further,
that no steps could be taken towards a marriage
without the consent of the Court. The Bail of
Coventry Lutist excuse him when he laid it down in
this case, that any step towards a marriage of the
staid without cotumunication to his guardian, was
a contempt of Court, as laid down in the case of
Hobert. in Pier Williams's Reputes. It certainly
was en ill-considered act of the Elul of Coveutry
to desire the ward to send the title deeds of but
estate to his (doe Noble Earl'.) solicitor to inspect,
cruel if an application had at that time beeu made to
him, that solicitor, a hoever lie might be, would not
hate escaped from being under the penalties attach-
ed to a contempt of Court. Ile was bound by his
notional oath to auppbrt the jurisdiction of the
Court, and he must do as his predecessor did
in Ow case of the Countess of Shaftesbury, who
wowed to many Ler rote when a minor and a ward
of Court. The Learned Judge could not commit
her as site was a Peeress, but he ordered sll the
processes to issue against her as if she stood com-
mitted. He was forced to say that the conduct of
the Earl of Coventry was not right to that Court.
The conduct of Bail Beauchamp. the guar-
dian of the ward, approred to be clear of blame.
Why Lady Gresley did not apply to the Court
before for its intetlereoce was to him quite itiesplin
cable. He could not help observing, that the man-
lier the ward had been dealt with was very far trim
being correct. He had given the.cese his most
serious coosideratioti since last Friday, and
the conclusion he had cuing to was, that the
foilowing was the proper coder for him to make
at presto, viz.—That the ward should be restrain-
ed from going out of the country ; that the Earl of
Coveutry, and Earl Beauchamp, the guardiem of
the word, should Hot allow hint to marry without
the consent of the Court. And he would consider
between then and to-morrow morning, what further
ender he ought to notice, or perhaps Mr. Hart
would inform him at that time what particular
order lie wanted further on tile part of Ludy
Gresley.
Mr. WAIT said, he would be prepared tit the
sitting of the Court to-natorroiv, to lay before lois
Lordship such an order that, iu his opinion, ought
to be grunted, with all the liability of hearing it
called a mean, dirty, mod vicious, order, by ins
1.-eased Friend, Mr. ‘Vetlierell.
J utigustut ou part.