The National Register.
London, England, 1820-07-03 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

rep ir to the Cbambcr in person ; but this is still un-
certain. The mambcrs of the Chamber of deputies
of the Grand Duchy of Hesse Damstadt have been
assembled at Darmstalt Cr eight days. Only one
member of the first chamber bus presented himself.
All the rest have declined against the new constitu-
tion. We are ass wed that the members of the second
chamber follow the system, and demand great modi-
fications of the constitutional act.

A letter from Copenhagen, dated June .20, an-
nounces the failure of the well-known and long-
established banking,•house of ltyberg and Co.: on
event which had produced a great sensation on the
Ext•han4e of that city
By letters from Stockholm, of the 16th June, we
are informed that a Royal decree, dated 17th May.
had been issued, permitting the traffic in oak bark,
which hatl been previously confined to the tanner*
and the workers in Lather, to all the inhabitants of
the kingdom, without exception. Another royal
decree has been issued tbr establishing a custom-
house on the island of Gronso, off Sodertelje, where,
from the Ist of September next, all vessels coming
froiu foreign countries must undergo examination
before they are permitted to proceed for Stockholsa.
The King of Sweden was about to visit the city of
Bergen, Ibr the first time since the union of the
two kingdoms.
A letter from on board the Cyan American sloop
of war, dated the 12th of April, says--
`• We watered at Sierra Leone, and proceeded immediately to
the southward. Since passing Slierbro' Island we have detained
ten slaving vessels, four of which we send in for adjudication;
the others, being so well covered with false papers, were green
up. The number of vessels engaged in this inhuman traffic is
incredible; not less than 2'X) at present on the coast, all of them
fast sailers, well manned and armed, and. I am sorry to add,
many of them owned by Americans, although under foreign flags.
We have been constantly chasing, night and day, since our arri-
val on the coast, and sometimes have had several in sight at the
tame time. We are at this moment in chase of a schooner, called
the Coloredo. which has escaped from us twice already by supe-
rior sailing, and I fear we shall not be able to come up with her
to-day."

We are happy to find that an improvement bas
taken place in the trade of tl►e West Riding of
Yorkshire within the last month. The stuff busi-
ness, in preparation for the ensuing winter, has
considerably revived, and the woollen trade has un-
dergone some improvement; but there is still a severe
depression felt both among the manufacturers and
the operative workpeoplc, and the sums paid weekly
to the paupers of Leeds, have never been so large
at this season of the year as at the present mo-
ment.

Certrom-HousE FEEL—Our commercial readers
are aware that the officers clerks, and others in the
service of the customs, have long been prohibited
by law from taking fees. It is right that the public
should know also that an Act of Parliament (Ist
Geo. IV. cap. 7) has been passed, imposing a
penalty of 5001. for offering such fee, whether it
be accepted or not.
Arthur Morris, Esq. High Bailiff of Westminster
has appointed a meeting of the inhabitant house-
holders, to take into consideration an address of con-
gratulation to the Queen, to be held to-morrow, at
12 o'clock, in Covent Careen.
The Constable of Wakefield, in compliance with
a requisition, numerously and respectably signed,
including the names of gentlemen of all parties,
has convened a meeting of the inhabitants, to be
held on Monday next, to take into consideration the
prt,priety of presenting " a dutiful and loyal ad-
dress to her Majesty Queen Caroline, on her return
to this country, and also of condolence fur the
severe losses she has sustained during her residence
abroad."

On Wednesday came on the election of a Repre-
sentative in Parliament ii)r the city of York, in the
room of the Hon. Lawrence Dundas (now Baron
Dundas), when Itotert Chalouer, Esq. Citizen and
Alderman, was elected without opposition. Au ad-
d►ess of thanks whs moved to-Lord Dundas, for the
faithful discharge of Lis duty during five Parlia-
men:s, in which he had represented that city ; and
thanks were voted to the Sherifl•for their strict and
impartial conduct in the last and present election.

Oa Saturday the Common Sergeant made a report
to his Majesty in council oldie convicts in Newgate,
who were capitally convicted in April session last,
when Win. Paley, John Robinson, Hy. Hawkins.
Wm. Arnold, Win. I lenry Stanford, and William
Sanders, were ordered fur execution on Wednesday
next.

On Tuesday, the grand jury at Glasgow found
true bilk fin• higli treason against five more indivi.
duals, viz. George Allan, cotton spinner ; W. Camp-
bell, cotton spinuLr ; John May, weaver; Matthew
Bogle, w.,aver ; and Akx,inder Graham, Wright.
'11r: Lord l're,ident in/OmA them, that they would
arraigned on Saturday the Bth, or Nionday the
1001 id July, and that their trials would come on in
a few days atitr. The Court then adjournid till
that dine. There are in all nitre pormios against
whom true bills have been found at Coasew, be-
tides the ;28 at Stirling. •

LAW REPORT.

COURT OF EXGREQU
ER.— ....ESTIN INSTEP .
Bella.' the WI llaflll4 and a Special Jury.
RADICAL COFFEE.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, V. W. G. LEWIS.

ThIS WAS an inhumation tiled by the Attorney Gene-
ral against the defendant, ior having in his possession,
and off:ring for sale, a quantity of scorched peas in imi-
tation of, and to be used as a substitute for, coffee or
cocoa. There were 18 comits in the information, al-
leging the offence differently; and the penalty to
be recovered was I out.

The Solicitor General stated the
Crown
of the case to
the Jury, and the evidence for the Crown being closed,
Mr. Lewis addressed the Jury in his own behalf. To
say that it was an offence to sell a substitute for an
exciseatde commodity was alisind. The decoction of
stssafras was co 1111 l tonly sold as a substitute for tea, and
yet this was not objected to by the Excise. Herbs were
sold as a substitute for tobacco, and the same remark
was aipheabiee lie had sold scotched peas—not, he
begited tt to be understood, as coffee, hut as a substitute
kir coffee. in what did the difference of these acts
consist? There wits no difference recognizable by any
rational mind : and he ventured to believe that the
twelve intelligent men to whom he addressed himself
would come to the same conclusion.

Tile Solicitor-General having replied,
Mr. Baruu Richards in snumuiug up the evidence,
gave it as his opinion, that by the section of the act
under which this iffinrmation had been tiled, any persons,
whether dealers in coffee and cocoa or not, having m
p their ossessinn, or selling, or of Bring for sale, a powder
in imitation of, or to be used as a substitine for coffee,
whatever might be the name by which it was described,
rendered themselves liable to an information by the
Attorney-General, and to the payment of the penalty
fixed by the mantic.
The Jury, after his Lordship had stated the law of the
case, and recapitulated the evidence, found a verdict toe
the Crown for one venally of 1001.

THE QUESTION AS TO THE RIGHT CLAIMED OF
THE LONDON JURY TO VISIT NEWGATE.

Ott Saturday, the London Grand Jury having finished
their labours, and having delivered the last bills into
Court, the Foreman addi eased the Judges. He was. (he
stated) requested by his colleagues to ask their Lordships
if any and what decision had been come to respecting the
right of Grand Juries to visit his Majesty's gaol of New-
gate?
Mr. Justice Holroyd observed, that a request was made
by the Gentlemen of the Grand Jury of the City of Lon-
don, on the 20th of May last, to the Judges, to give their
opinion as to She legal right of the Grand Jury to visit and
exansiue his Majesty's gaol of Newgate. Those learned
Judges, upon that occasion, refused to give their decided
opinion until they had received the concurrent opinion of
the rest of the Judges. There was. in consequence, en
application from the Grand Jury received by those
Judges, who were then present, which application was
allerwurds submitted to the cciisideration of all the
Judges. The Jury, in the document they presented,
claimed it as a matter of right, and not of courtesy, to
visit his Majesty's gaol of Newgate, and this right they
claimed from custom and long usage. The learned
Judges accordingly consulted upon a disputed right
founded upon custom and long usage, and concerning that
a future Jury might feel disposed to chiim admission, and
to try the legality or illegality of the question ; then, its
such case, one or some of the Judges would have to give
their opinion in the course of the judicial proceedings,
consequently they (the Judges) thought they could not
I consistently give their opinion a priori to the matter
coining before them in the regular way.
Ti.i, Foreman thanked his Lordship for the attention
the Judges had paid to the consideration of the subject,
and the Jury were then regularly discharged, with she
usual thanks for their services.

As the Rev. Mr. Ford was passing by the side of the
!loose of Correction, Coldbattofields on Friday, two
respectable lookingmen came up to him, and seeing him
feeble, and walking with ihe support of a stick, they
()titled to assist him home ; lie puhtely declined their
assivance, and strove to disengage !nausea from their
grasp ; on which one of the viilams clapped a band on
his mouth, and the other swore a horrid oath, that if lie
made the smallest resistance, Ie would slab linti to the
heart; and then hurrying hint Into the field at the back
of the Haute of Cotrectiou, tiny knocked him clowo,
and robbed him of what isioneyatul other thin4s he had.
The %Mains then gait: loin several tilmvs with their
sticks, and kicked bun whilst lie was down, and Otir
of the villa:its, with a penkitile, cut Mr. Ford's throat
(tom ear to var. The kitile however being sioall, to-
gether with time pail of his mck-cioth, saved the wind-
the wthuitl, hve mciies ill kill:ail, boric, in the
Liner part of tile neck, tinder the chin. Tut, voihins
uttu eau cull, and eliecirii their escape, lean().. lino, :is
tney sisp:m-ed, I)ing for dead. 'Die Rev. (...Iciiiivimoi
rues 31)111V tunic was able to crawl to the roadside, where
tie ssus bison!) a.tur found by two gentlemen, who pro-
cured a Mici.iity euacu aml home Le-
Cl.ll 'MAO. Surgeon Aber;icilly tel
1), m,.tcd t/i. toe tvt,mod, which be
uev,areil not to be 151011,11, am; ~piduti lellIttlt:
to -Litt Oi ti!bt. :Old 111:. 1111,1111,111.1 ti
VC,IS put to Ii ti Ills r, cm, ry is expected, al.
is-• al. kin. ill 1/100,1*
It is under total that there will he a epeeittl eon:-
inision in the autumn, for the trial of those persons
ogiattst whom bill< for high treason may b:: hound
by the gt mt jury at York assizes. 1.t.r.1 Chid
• ...d the Lord Chief Baron are c-N-
-y,ci,_it to ot. i :to iglC.4iu the COM •

- - • •
LONDON . rtint.-1 and I'ublt>hed by the Vl...prime, .11,011>i
'I 11 it,;(:, at the WILL', ',6, 1 I.IA St re.2t, Wiit:, ea Ltttett. tei
the httitur, 6.e. (pint 1,:4:(1) taih4t Le adtkesaeti.