The Sun.
London, England, 1830-05-18 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY).

VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT.
TYLER V. PRAYTON.
In consequence of the consent of all parties, and the per-
mission of the Vice-Chancellor,

Mr. Serjeant WILDE addressed the Court this morning
on hi, own behalf. He said that he should have been

unfeignedly proud to have attended at his Honour's bar
upon any occasion but the present ; but for any man to
appear in his own cause—for an individual standing as he
did at the bar, it was most peculiarly painful, and he
trusted that it would be considered that nothing but a

strong sense of duty would have compelled him to quit
the interests of those clients committed to his care in the

Court where he usually practised. He must in the outset
beg to assure the Court, that nothing was more distant
from his mind in thus appearing than the supposition that
the Learned Counsel appearing on the part of the de-
fendants had not done every. thing that talent, ingenuity,

zeal, and learning could have done—he was fully sen•ible
of this ; but, although he was so, he could not but think
that those 'who were generally engaged in defending others
could not, in the multiplicity of their avocationq, be so
well acquainted with all the circumstances as others

might be, and that the man whose honour had
been unjustly attacked should not be backward in defend-
ing himself. For that "purpose it was (he was going to
say) that he presented himself face to face with his op-
ponent. Unfortunately, however, his opponent was not
bees. He (Mr. Sedeant Wilde) was not brought before
the Court upon the record. He was not here to advocate
any pecuniary interest be might have at stake in this case,
nor was it his intention to discuss any point relating to
pecuniary questions ; he had no doubt all such questions
had been most ably and fully discussed by those much
more acquainted with the technicalities of the Court on
that subject than he was; but even if that had happened,
which was not at all likely, namely, that there had been

any omission, he should feel himself degraded, when lie
had so much deeper an interest at stake, in embarking in
pecuniary questions. He could not find anything upon the
face of the record that would justify him in intruding
upon the Court; and had it not been for the
attack upon him be never would have done so;
where that attack had come from be could not say—

whether from instructions or otherwise he could no

tell—but certain he was, they were not to be found upon
the record. He never dreamt, until this instant, that he
was more than a formal party ; he had not the remotest
conception that he should have to stand before the
Court to defend the part which he had taken in the
transactions. The record concealing from him that
there were any imputations against him, he had now to
approach it, not for the purpose of answering any
they alleged there, but to answer that which had been
said at the bar, which was not upon the record,
and which was not warranted by any thing in the case.—
He had no doubt that the Learned Solicitor-General, in
stating what he did, had acted under a strong impulse of
duty ; he knew of no feeling more likely to lead an
honourable man into warmth of expression than those
which an advocate would feel in taking care not to sacri-
fice the interests of his clients. He did not expect for-
bearance where the client was to suffer, but he was sore
the Solicitor-General would never have stated what he (lid
if all the facts of the case had been in his memory. Thus
deceived in the shape of the record, scarcely having looked
at the evidence in the case, never having seen his Counsel,
or paid one moment's attention to it, he was surprised on
his Counsel informing him that facts had been so mis-stated
and so distorted; he could safely say the information of this
was the most painful moment of his life. Upon this he
ordered as correct a transcript of the speech of the Solicitor-
General to be procured as possible, and he there found
that Learned Gentleman commenced as he (Serjeant
Wilde) would have expected, by the known view he
took of his case, by expressing his regret at the occur-
rences that had taken place in this case, and the parties
connected with it, but making a covenant with himself,
that nothing should fall from him but a dry statement of
facts. He (Serjeant Wilde) lamented that that course
had been deviated from, for in the very beginning of
that Learned Gentleman's speech, sarcasm, invective,
and declamation, he found every thing but a plain,
clear statement of the facts of the case ; he did
not mean to say that some of the circumstances that ex-
isted in the case had not been detailed, but the order of
them had been so perverted, the facts so distorted, and
the whole deriving such a colouring from the statements
made, that it would have been impossible for any person
really to have known what the case was. Under such cir-
cumstances he thought it necessary to appear before the
Court. There was nothing here to chew the Court
that the individual whose estate was the subject
of consideration, was not as capable as any one to
understand, and was perfectly aware of the nature
of the transaction, nor was there any thing to show
that undue advantage had been taken of him. He
(Serjeant Wilde) had never profited one shilling by this
transaction, and never could.
The transaction which had been the subject of consi-
deration' before the Court was one which took place in
Igo7, and which was again the subject of certain deeds
and transactions in 1816, and the question was as to
the capacity of Jenkins's mind to do what he had
done, and as to whether he had been fairly treated in the
course of these transactions. The Court would not fail
to have observed that this was not the complaint of the
individuil who was interested in the transactions, it was
not Griffith Jenkins that was now before the Court, not
the soldier of whom the Court had heard so much, it was
not the unfortunate wretch whom the Solicitor-General
had so much pitied and commented upon, it
was not the unfortunate man who had suffered mili-
tary punishment sooner than agree to the proposi-
tions of his unfeeling grandfather, it was not the
alleged maniac that was upon this record, but it was
his aunt, that aunt who had suffered him to be in that
distress—that aunt who had permitted him to pass his
life without that kindness and protection on her part
which she ought to have bestowed towards him—that
aunt who only feels for his misfortunes when she is a
suitor in this Court, claiming his property. Griffith
Jenkins, who was a young man of good education,
he had powerful friends, possessing property, influen2e,
and information. The Solicitor-General had designated
him as the most unprotected and profligate of men. But
by whom was he unprotected? Why, by those very indi-
vidukls who ought to have afforded him protection. No
complaint whatever came from Griffith Jenkins as to
this transaction—not even a murmur comes from
him. It he had felt dissatisfied with what had been done,
all the Courts of England were open to hear the
complaint, and the arm of justice would have wielded
her sword in his favour, but his whole life passed
without his feeling that injury had been done him by those
who were brought before the Court upon the present oc-
casion. The Solicitor-General commenced by professing
to give a history of the transaction ; he (Mr. Serjeant
Wilde) had had mush more experience in the profession
than, perhaps, lain appearance would bespeak, and he
had never known a case, till the present, where
the Counsel, having all the facts of the case be-
fore them, had kept the Court in the dark as to
what the case really was; nay more, bad actually had
the boldness to call upon his adversities to say if he had
exaggerated or omitted any thing. (The Learned Serjeant
here went into a long history of the case, the facts of which
are before the public.)—He could not but designate the
whole of the Solicitor-General's address, every iota
of it, as being composed of sarcasm, satire, and in-
tentional misrepresentation ; it was libellous and slan-
derous from the beginning to the end. He (the Solicitor-
General) should recollect that he was dealing out
poison that would be circulated through every part of the
empire. It was true, that when he (iUr. Serjeant Wilde)
came into Court the other day, the Learned Solicitor-Ge-
neral had done him the honour of extending his hand
to him, but if only half of what that Learned Gen-
tleman had been represented to have said of him was
trite, smarting as he was under attacks as unfound-
ed or cruel, how could he consistently accept that
hand? When, however, he found that he had done him
injustice, when the atonement he could make for the in-
juriesinaait hand
lil adlre made,i
l that he
period,shod
be be
must most
happy
he o
had
which,
t
refuse.
The Learned Serjeant was proceeding at great length
into the details of the case when we left, and it appeared
t take shut
probable that the Learned Gentleman's addma would Oc-
copy the whole day.
The Court was crowded to excess during the whole
morning,

--------
COURT OF LUNG'S BENCH.
The CouhT was occupied the whole morning in !,I:.ar..
ing arguments of Counsel in pleas and dcanurkers, none of
which up to the time our 4ep?rte: left, possessed the least
feature of public interest.

On Monday last Mr. LONG WELLEsLii,
arrived at St. Ives, and commenced a canyass of the Be.
rough on Tuesday : hie friends say that be ha; every
pros of gic(?%•o at the neAt elcz,tiou.—Fulrnouth
pocheP
The Prussian Minister gave a grand dinner,
on Saturday, at his residence, in Great Cumberland-place,
to a numerous party of the nobility and gentry.

SP ORTINC4 INTELLIGENCE.

YORK SPRING MEETING.

~ ~-

SUNDAY NIGHT.

Our Spring .Meeting commences to-morrow, and
although it must be admitted that tlo. stakes and entries
are less numerous than might have been expected from a
county so lung celehrated thr its devotion to the turf, we
are induced to believe that the quality of the spot t will, in
a great degree, compensate for the deficiency in quantity.
We some time ago noticed the falling off in the York races,
attributing it to a want of spirit in those who are bound
to support them. Here the depreciation is laid upon the
depressed state of the country, anti the superior attraction
of the Doncaster fleeting; the former, however, can
hardly be the case, for at many other less wealthy places
they gave as much money in one meeting as they do at
York in three or four. The real cause is want of energy,
and we are glad to see that steps are about to be taken to
restore the races to something like their original excel-
lence. The following notice is in circulaticn :—" A
meeting of the friends of the turf, with a view to improve
York races, will he held on Tuesday in the Spring Meet-
ing, at Etridge's Hotel, at twelve o'clock at noon." It is
supposed by some that this is intended merely as a meet-
ing of the subscribers to-the great subscriptions ; but the
object is to bring together those who are desirous of pro-
moting the prosperity of those races, which, for many
years, were second only to Newmarket. It is stated that
the venerable Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord Harewood, Lord
Scat borough, Lord Milton, and several other leading men
of the county, will attend in support of the resolutions
that are expected to be proposed. Several of the Great
St. Leger horses are engaged in the Stakes to be run for,
including Canter, Redstart, Lady Mowbray, The Cardinal,
&c. As a guide to the betting, we subjoin a list of the
horses that have arrived at Dringhouse's, and other train-
ing stables, by which it may be ascertained what will
start for the stakes down in the list :
Duke of Leeds's ch. c. Redstart, by Whisker
ch. t. Lady Mowbray
f. by Whisker
b. f. by Wanton
ch. c. by St. Patrick
Lord Sligo's Drudge, sister to Sligo, '3 yrs.
Mr. Metcalfe's Giglet, 3 yrs.
--- b. c. Mimic, by Wanton
Lord Fitzwilliam's hr. c. by Cervantes, 3 yrs.
- b. f. Dora, by Cervantes, 4 yrs.
Lord Milton's b. h. Medors, by Cervantes, 6 yrs.
Mr. R. Shepherd's b. c. The Cardinal, 3 yrs.
Lord Sligo's b. c. Canker, brother to Count, 3 yrs.
b. c. Cube, brother to Cant, Y yrs.
Lord Scarborough's br. f. Waverley, 3 yrs.
br. f. by Catton, 4 yrs.
b. f. by Octavius, 3 yrs.
- bl. c. by Comus,2 yrs.
b. c. brother to Tarrare, 3 yrs.
b. c. Cistercian, 4 yrs.
Mr. Foljambe's br. f. by Whisker, 3 yrs.
Mr. Wilson's ch. c. brother to Reformer, 4 yrs.
Lord Cleveland's br. c. Tamboff, 4 yrs,
- b. c. Chorister, by Lottery, 2 yrs.
Mr. Dowbiggen's ch. c by Figaro, 2 yrs.
ch. f. by Figaro, 3 yrs.
Mr. Gascoyne's ch. f. by \Vhisker, 3 yrs.
-- ch, c. by Blacklock, 3 yrs.
Mr. Watt's b. b. Apuntador, 3 yrs.
-- b. c. by Tramp, 2 yrs.
--- b. c. Doctor Oloroso, 3 yrs.
Colonel Crawford's b. f. by Whisker, 2 yrs.
Mr. Walker's ch. f. Victoire, 2 yrs.
Mr. Wormald's ch. f. sister to Granby, 2 yrs.
Mr. Kirby's br. f. by Alexander, 2 yrs.
Mr. Singleton's Tremaine, 2 yrs.
Mr. Jaques's ch. c. by Swiss, 3 yrs.
Mr. Walker's Cadwal, 3 yrs.
The races for to-morrow are as follow

Sweepstakes of 20 sovs. each ; for three-year-old colts,
fist. 51b., and fillies, Sot. 21b. Last mile and three
quarters.
Mr. Metcalf's b. c. Mimic
Lord Fitzwilliam's hr. c. by Cervantes
Duke of Leeds's ch. c Redstart
Mr. R. Shepherd's b. c. The Cardinal
Lord Queensberry's br. c. Hassan
Lord Sligo's b. c. Canker
The Sapling Stakes of 50 sovs. each, h. ft ; for three-
year-old fillies, Sst. 51b. Last mile and half.
Lord Scarborough's b. f. by Waverley
Mr. Foljambe's br. f. by Whisker
Mr. Petre's b. f. by Figaro
Mr. Dowbiggen's ch. f..by Figaro
Sweepstakes of 20 sovs. each ; for all ages; maiden horses
at the time of naming allowed 41b. ; fillies, 31b. Two
miles.

Mr. Wilson's ch. c. brother to Reformer 4 yrs. (41b)
Lord Cleveland's br. c. Tambod; 4 yrs.
Duke of Leeds's ch. c. by St. Patrick, 4 yrs. (41b.)
Lord Scarborough's br. f. by Catton, 4 yrs. (41b.)
Lord Fitzwilliaufs b. f. Dora, 4 yrs.
It is said that the lion. G. Petro, who is steward of the

races, Lord Mayor of the City, and High Sheriff of the
County, will take the chair at Tuesday's meeting. One
person has offered to make the course a round one, to level
it, to throw a bridge over the great drain, and do what,
ever-else the course may require, for the small sum of 100/_

LIVERPOOL SPRING MEETING, MAY 14.
The Kirkdall Stakes of 10 soya. each, with 30 added,

Mile and a distance.

Sir W. Wynne's Convoy
Mr. Clifton's Butterfly
Mr. Steele's Wellington 3
Two others started.

A Free Handicap of 20 sous. each, h. ft., with 20 added.

Two miles.

Mr. Nowell's b. b. by Walton
Air. Houldswortles Terror
The All-aged Stakes of 15 sous. each, 5 ft., with 30 added,

. .
Mile and half.
Sir T. Stanley's Dr. Faustus 1
Mr. Nowell's br. f. by Orville 2
The Great Liverpool Stakes of 25 sovs. each, 10 ft., for
horses not thorough bred. Two miles.
Mr. Johnson's b. g. brother to Hexgrave walked over.
The Ormskirk Plate, value 100 sovs., the second horse
entitled to 20 sovs. out of the plate. Two miles.
Sir T. Stanley's ch. h. May Fly 1 1
Mr. Houldsworth's Terror 0 2
Sir W. Wynne's Sir Walter
Mr. Thompson's Orthodox, aged
Mr. Walker's Cock Robin
Three others started.