The National Register.
London, England, 1808-06-06 00:00:00

JUNE 6.

LAW REPORT.
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, WESTMINSTER, MAY 304

JOINT STOCK COMPANIES.
This was an action against the Defendant, the Projector of a
Lew Distillery Company; the case :•ms excited much alarm, be.
maim if the allegations could be sustained, a considerable
cum "r of beneficial associations, established by the most re-
spectal,le persons, would he dissolved. The affidavit stated,
that o; J oho Baker, clerk to a corn distiller, having seen the
Defent—nt s advertisement of a public distillery company, Meat
to the 1) lea-lanes office in 'Change-alley, paid per Cent. fur
two trataierabia shares, and obtained a receipt for Cf. The lat.
_ter was co.,rercml in the distillery. This Distiller's Clerk con.
ceiving the y roject illegal, by the Statute of the 6th of George I.
afterwards t'couglit proper to promote the interest of his em.
ployers by ordering a prosecution against the Defendant fur
breach of t ',I- statute.
Lord Elireburough delivered the,jutament of the Court, in
the King v. sodd. Ills Lordship said, that the question, which
was a very important one, had accupied a considerable portion
of their time, and had been fully considered of by the Court.
The rt .ult of their deliberation a as, that the criminal informa-
tion against the Defendant ought to he granted, and the grounds
for thinking so were, first, because the Statute of the 6th of
Geo. I. chap. IS, had not been acted upon for 88 years; and
Secondly, because the person applying for the information did
not appear to have been injured, or in the words of the Act
.‘ bubbled." The Court, his Lordship said, had looked into the
Defendant's prospects for establi.hiug his projected distillery,
and they found, amongst other mischievous circumstances, one
particularly delusive, !moiety, that of holding out to the sub-
scribers that they were only liable to„the amount of their shares.
The Company as between themselves might make such an agree-
mem, but with respect to third persons, the smallest subscriber
in time partnership was liable to the full extent of all the debts
ontracted by the Company in carrying on the concern. One
beneficial consequence, his Lordship said, a ould result from the
present decision, namely, that the statute in question would he
fully known and comprehended ; and probably the mischiefs
provided against would be avoided hi future. At the same time,
if the Officer of the Crown thought proper to interfere in his
official character for the existing violations of that statute, the
Court were ready tollatertain his suit, and the party then before.
the Court had the power of appealing to the Grand Jury if he
thought proper. llis Lordship concluded his ohservatiow, by
saying that be wished it clearly to be understood that Com-
panies, such as he was contemplating,. were expressly illegal,
and that the Defendant must not proieed in his specufation. 11 hen
he had said that he trusted his observations would operate as a
caution to Companies of' a similar nature, and prevent them from
holding out the like delusion to the public; and the Court acre
:urther of opinion, that an increase of such establishments was
pregnant with great mischief to society, and could not be coun-
tenanced by those whose duty it was to watch over the welfare
of the community. His Lordship then ordered the Rule to bo
discharged without costs.

OLD BAILEY.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1.
This day the Sessions commenced, before Sir Nash Grow,
Baron rlraham, the Recorder, and City Officers, when 14 pri-
:,(Tuers were tried, five of whom were capitally convicted ; six
were convicted of felony, and three acquitted, but the trials were
'otall devoid of interest.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2.
Margaret Rainey, a dissolute female, living in Parker's-lane,
l)rur -lane, was capitally indicted for assau!ting and robbing
Edward Stephens, on the fit h of April, putting him in fear, and
forcibly taking from his person aone-pound and two seven-
shilling pieces. The prosecutor stated himself to be a coach-
maker, having a wife and five children. He was passing through
the lane where the prisoner resided in a cc, n hen he was
prevailed upon to go in; after some time he found the prisoner's
hand in his breeches pocket, and she drew out a ,n^-pound note
and two seven-shilling pieces. He struggled with' hr, and gut
back one of the seven-shilling pieces, and on dentandiug the re-
mainder she struck him on the head with a poker, and laid him
flat on the.ground. Who) he gqt up. again, he sncceedcd in get!
tihil the Poser away I spat wbisirias polled a knife from her.

she would murder him if he did not go alum:
prosecutor persisted in the struggle to get
;hen the prisoner blew out the candle, and
as drawn through a trap door into the street.
left in the dark by himself. He groped his
got into the street, where he found the pri-
in charge to the patrole. The parties were
Woody, the prisoner having torn the prosecutor's
and her own arms having been cut in strug-
On being taken to the watch-house, only
upon the prisoner, and the watch-house
i) the Judge why he did not search the pil-
1, " that they were afraid to go, she lived
;e place."
observed, that it was highly disgraceful
louln be suffered to continue in its present
the evidence on the part of the prosecution.
her turn, insisted that she took no money
, and that he attempted to murder her by
Justice Grose proceeded to sum up, and ob-
it a robbery the pri-oner must have taken
now by the prosecutor's own sheaving she
breeches pocket before he was aware of her in-
afraid too that a great deal of colouring had
rausact ion, for if the prisoner was convicted
, prosecutor would he entitled to 401. fro•ii
ides he presented himself in no very favour-
Tried man, with a wife and five children, frc-
ion of infamy, was entitled to no favourable
The Jury consulted together and acquit-
and the Judge refused the prosecutor his ex-

FRIDAY JUNE 3.
Sacchaar, Glosse, and Savnu, three Malay sea-
-1 for the wilful murder of Imambacchus, ou
by Riving him divers violent blows on thr
lanuished till the follow ing day, and died.
the three prisoners and the deceased were
t the Blue Gate public-house, at Shadwell,
Sarah Williams, who was also present, to
with her. She refused, and presently after
telbachus, with whom she had cohabited some
is two companions followed, a fighting with
Imamhachus came by his death. Sarah
Irunk at the time, that she could recollect
it passed 011 the occasion.
1, and Anwar, three of the Lascar tribe of
xamined, and sworn upon an illuminated Al-
the. East India Company. The ceremony
pressive, for on being told that the hook pro-
oran of Mahomet, they bowed most reverer,-
~ then taking it by turns in their hands, they
Imes upon their head, removing it from their
Iternately, and at Inst gave their evidence
,plume upon their head all the time. Their
\tett from the Malay into the Arabick, and
nit° English, so that the trial occupied a most
time, nearly the whole day.
said, the Jury had but a very imperfect ae-
, and nature of the quarrel that led to the
ted, and it was difficult fur him to say that
given from sudden provocation. If so, the
guilty of murder in the eye of the law, and
.ty of manslatighter.
!Wed with the Judge, and found the Prisoners
+Oder.
SATURDAY, JUNE 4.
committed forravishing Margaret West, in a
's
-inn-fields, was put to the bar, when Mr.
it all the prisoner's trial till next Session, on
,voidable absence of the surgeon who had at-
woman during her subsequent illness. The
the motion.

'FICA'. INTELLIGENCE.
AV Y.—According to the reports up to the
are in commission 800 ships, of which 154
c'roin 50 to 44 gum ; 114 frigates; 229 slool s
igs, &c.
,tier was on Frtdny received at Lloyd's :
ta., MAY 31.—A. pilot boat of this port
kittatick Bay, law a battle Illmatiof, clime



JUNE e•
-...
pocket, and sw ore she
his business. The pr
back his money, whe
cried murder,and was
The prosecutor was le
way up stairs, and got
tuner, and gave her io
both extremely Woody
face with her nails, ai
gling for the knife.
sixpence was found
keeper being asked by
soner's room, replied,
in such a desperate
Mr. Justice (;rose
that such a place shoe
state. This Ix as all t
and the prisoner, in I
from the prosecutor,
cloaking her. Mr. J
served, that to make
the money by force ;
took it from his tweet'
tention. Ile was aft
• been given to the trai
of the robbery, the p
the county. Besides
able light. A marrit
quenting the habitatit
opinion from a Jury.
fed the prisoner, and
ponces.
MußDEß.—Saccht
men, were indicted I
the ttill of April, b
bead, of which he I;
It appeared that th
- drinking together at
,*
when Glosse asked
let hint go home w
went out with Imael'
time ; Glosse and his
sticks ensued, and I
Williams was so dr
little or nothing that
Denmaar, Istnael,
Indians were next ex
corm, provided by
was extremely impn
dured was the If °rat
tinily over the book,
placed it three times
bead to their lips al
holding the sacred ye
evidence was tranAtit
from the Arablek int
unuittal space of timt
:11r. Justice Grose
count of the origin
death of the decease
the blows were not ;
prisoners were not gt
must be found guilty
The Jury coincide,
Cuing of Jlawhingh
1 Isaac Dewborrv, t
stable near Lincoln's
Yooley moved to pot
account of the unavi
tended the young xi
Court acquiesced in i
NAM
THE BRITISH NJ
present day, there ai
( are of the line; 25 fr
of war, 218 gun brig
The following Let
FowEir, CORN w
being at tea, in Llt