The National Register.
London, England, 1819-11-29 00:00:00

LAW REPORTS.

COURT OF KING 's BENCH,
WORN MAY. NOT. ti.
CRIMINAL a•rosim4TioN.

Mr. SCA LE rru;;ltUrlea;;;;;tile a criminal incur.
Mahon asaiusl Hogli Campbell,.Esg. fur the publication
.of • libel on the character of Captain Mills, contained
in a public fester. The Learned Counsel trail the objer-
tiouable passages, charging Captain Mills with improper
con net loam& a female servant. He described the
whole to be a false and scandalous attack, which warrant.
ed an application to this Court.
A rn:c to sheer rause was granled.
PIIOCEEDINGS AT COVENTRY.
Tuesday Mr. CHITTY Obtained a ask en the Court of
Kinser Bench, to skew cause why an attachment should
not he is•ord against Bateman and A. Pickard,
constables of Covent.ry, fur treating the process of this
Court with contempt. He slated. that this application
arose out of the lisle tiansactions at Covent'''. It ap-
pealed loom the affidavits Cleat the roust bawd% prided is
role to whew rause why a criminal lotermai ion st 111 nil
be tiled attains, Mr. Goodall, the high constable of Coven-
try. and the oilier persons above named, a sleek was rise
ployed in the rosintly to serve a copy of the said rule
upon each of those persons. %lien the clerk went to
►erve the three persons Last alluded to, they Heated hits in
the most violent foamier, knocked him down, and, w hilts
011 the gronod,t.ti sick I • repeals dly, and the. without
lice least provocation on his part. affidavits contained
* full ',Niemenl of the !Janie/114r* 01 Ike uulrasgr.

11Mli KING Y. r I, W A 11111 d ,AItD 01 11 Mar.

TheSimeitor-Cieoeral ed to hate the rule for a
criminal information. Which he had obtained ou
further day, made almiliite.
Mr. Denman, on the part of 'Alderman Waiihnsan
and another, immediately rose, and stated, that his
clients had not yet had time to prepare those Aida% its
%%hick they conceived essential to their delenee ; neither
had they had an oppi ttttt of comultiug the hooks of
the city. hese fuil.nirn were extrem,ly anxious that
their case should be heard dorital the pre,ent term ; hut
unless it !Was allowed to stand over till Monday, which
lie could scarcely expect the Conn would grant, it was
impossible that they could he prepared before the next
serum. .

The Lord Chief Justice observed, that it would b.
extremely intim% einem to take such a case, winch must
occupy considerable time, on the tist day of term.
Mr. Ilion here presented himself to the notice of the
Court, and said, he was ready to show cause.
The Solicitor-General submitted, that the affidavits
must he filed briar,. the present tents expired.
The Court said, except witii re-pect to Mr.
Hunt, who did not apply for time. it was finally
orratigeil that the case should stand over till milt term.
Mr. Scar!en moved for a rule lo show cans: why a
criminal iiitarmation should
N ithaniel Conant, Thomas Collins, Esq., Oeorge Gas.
E-q., arid Samuel Mills, Esc! ,N 1 ao-trates ai Mid-
dlesex, tar a misdemeanour. Tins applieriniti, he said,
was Mantled tin a sinppascd breach of duty in this:
gentlemen, in refusing to grant a Incense Iu a 1):43011 01
the name of Merke, for keeping a piddle-house. From
the affidavits wills which he was iirovided it would ap-
pear, that in 1814, Mr. Meeke puichased the remainder
of a term in a public-lsou-e, &mot iii Si. Joiiii's-fisie,
Cleikeilwi 11, winch was in the Filislitiry nlvi>i to This
house had ex,sted as a without iii erniis-
lion, for 200 years. At the time of liar pii rciiast., it was
sonneceil with the.brewlsonse.of it. id, .Unix, and Co.,
who had a ttttt rigage nlxut it. \l r. Meeke itiveSlecl
the premises a capital of I 2 41. Oil eine. hag lie coil
tinned to deal with Messrs. Read and Co., and .11 ine
end of the.first year, 1816, °main• d a renewal at his
lioense without .any difficulty. In the ensuiti:t year,
however, from faults found with his hear, he cliam;ed
his brewer, paid oil' the inortgaite of Messis Held slid
co,, and went to deal with. kiarcl3% and Co. The emu
sequence of this change was, that his draught increase..
from two hints to ten butts per inotita. o.lsei eta se.
sitenees foNnyved of .a 1110.8 ruinous nature. A collect-
ing clerk, of the house of Will and Co., named Lords,
exhibited considerable resentment, and threw out dais.
hints of Nleeke's impending fate. lit Seocuitier, 18 :6.
he applied, as usual, on the licensing-day, to hate his
license renewed. The magistrates, whose names hat.
b_en mentioned, together with two others, Nlessis Col-
lier and Sellan,. were the licelising magistrates; agaillSl
the latter two gentlemen, It,, complaint was made. Ott
that occasion Mr. Lucas was in the ante-roam of the
Court; but as Mr. Meeke was satisfied that 11.0 fault
could be found with the manner in whieb his house Imo
been conducted, be entertained no apprehension; never-
theless, to his great surprise, he was iuf d t sat his
licence had been suspended. lie considered that this
prose f some cirentuoalice which could he explain-
ed, and, accordingly, lie resided to atteial again ass Ilse
adjausimient day. to the interim, his house was visited
by the Iligh Cousta tale, and Messrs Caller and Sel lois,
wha, so far from finding fault, cc 11111 l iended ilie stale of
his house; under these crrcutslalant.s he went to the
Alagistrates on the adjournment day, iii the coatideuce
of liatin; his wishes accomplished. lle was, however,
told, that his license would not tie grained. His bus,.
Less eras thus pot a slop in, anti it nas remarkable that
&molter publican, of the name or ,Dell, lit ing in the
same street, %t ill) ;Ike lun..clf kid ceased to deal w tit.
Reid and CO., had hi, liceusc Wilipeti at the battle litre.
Oil tile licensiox day in 18 IL I, he again applied tor the
renewal of his license, and on that OCCaSioli produceu
certificates not only of the pa ash officers of his wen
parish, but also nt the One adjoiaitr.., as well as of
et cry his tin ughhuurhuliJ, brafilii, it sti-
utiy to the mar iiiii a his house; Ira'
again unsiiccessitil, and his prayer wat ri jected. Jut
181; he attended the niapstratt s with Its solicitor, and
once More !elide; ell his eveliflealeS, stud lieJNed (lie re-
newal of his license. Ott thus (ieCaSitiii lie saw Al r.
11 illis, another collecting Cleik of Reid attd Co., in
saunecrsatlon Dell, the publican, who at first le ok-