The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-14 00:00:00

"THE GREAT UNPAID" TYRANNY.

IMPORTANT TO PUBLICANS.—EXTRAORDINARY PRO-
CEEDING.—Mrs. Catherine Hall, i❑nkeeper, of In.
goldsby, was summoned before the Spittlegate (Grant-
ham) Bench of Magistrates on Friday last, on the
information of a servant of the Rev. Jas. Hildyard,
Rector of that parish, to answer a charge of allowi❑g
disorderly conduct in her house at noon on the Ist inst.
The latter gentleman declined to sit on the case, and
appeared as witness in support of the information. The
Roy. Gentleman stated that it bad been usual on the
occasion of Ingpldsby feast to keep the festival on the
Monday and Tuesday; that he had allowed all parties
to do so this year, but finding on riding through the
village on Wednesday morning that the dancing
booths and stalls were not removed, he ordered them
to pack up and quit the village forthwith. On proceed-
ing past delendant's house he heard singing, and noises
as of persons stamping with their feet and beating with
their hands on the table, &c. Entering the house he
found fifteen or sixteen persons, who appeared to be
drunk and very noisy and disorderly. It was then ten
minutes past twelve at noon, and he directed defendant
to clear her house, informing her that if she did so im-
mediately he would not issue a summons against her;
but as it was two hours before the house was cleared, he
caused a summons to be served upon her by William
Palmer, the constable. The latter stated that he
accompanied Mr. 11. to the house ; that there
were one or two persons tipsy, end that there
were five or six persons —perheps there might
bo six or seven—present. Mrs. Hall said she
had been an innkeeper fur more than twenty years, and
that was the first time an information bad been laid
against her house; that the only person making a noise
or singing was a fiddler whom Mr. 11. had driven from
the dancing booth, and who had taken refuge there; that
she was not aware her licence required h. r to close her
house in the middle of the day; that the reason she
had not obeyed in clearing it was because her company
was respectable, no labouring men being among them
and also because Mr. Houghton, a most respectable
farmer, of Kei4by, who seldom omitted balling on a
Wednesday morning to read Bell's Weekly Messenger,
had catered the house just previous to Mr. H.
calling, and said ho had come to spend a quiet half
hour and would not be interrupted by Mr. Lidd-
y ard or any other person. Mrs. Hall added that
Mr. Houghton was present in court to answer
for himselt, and also as to the character and respecta-
bility of herself and her house. Their Worships said
they did not deem it necessary to call Mr. Houghton:
she had committed an offence against the terms of her
licence, but they would not this time convict. Defen-
dant was therefore reprimanded, and ordered to pay
10s. 6d. costs I—[We have received three communica-
tions relative to this strange proceeding against a woman
who is said to bear a character of the highest respecta-
bility-080 of them expressing a hope that the matter
will not be allowed to drop without further inquiry, and
another stating that the presiding magistrates (Messrs.
Otley, Turner, and Brown) considered the case so paltry
that they at once dismissed it; if the latter assertion
be correct, on what ground was Mrs. Hall called upon to
pay costs?]—Stamford Mercury.