The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-15 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, MAY 14.

LIBEL—WHITE V. NEWMAN.
This case, the particulars of which have frequently been before the
public in the Police Reports, end also in motions in this Court, came on
this morning for trial.
Mr. Sergeant Wilde, with whom were Mr. Richards and Mr.
Clarkson, conducted the case for the plaintiff; and the defendant ap-
peared for himself.
Mr. Sergeant Wrenn stated the case. The plaintiff was a respectable
solicitor, residing in Gordon-place, Euston-square, and the defendant,
Mr. Newman, who is a Earrister, residing in the Temple, was in the
year 1836 accepted as a suitor to Miss White, the plaintiff's daughter; but
from certain circumstances was induced to put an end to the intercourse.
Subsequently Mr. Newman persisted in forcing his attentions on Miss
White, and the letters which he wrote to her and others, after the
plaintiff's prohibition of her further reception of Mr. Newman as a
suitor, contained abusive language and aspersions upon the character
of the plaintiff as well as personal threats, which constituted the libels
complained of.
Numerous letters addressed by the defendant to Miss White were
put in; abounding in the most abusive language respecting her father,
and expressions of the most passionate affection towards herself. Those
of the most recent date reproached her bitterly with having
broken her oath, and in one passage assured her that she would certainly
bedamned as a perjuress. It appeared that in June, 1837, Miss White
Prete to defendant, saying that in consequence of the bad opi.
nion which he entertained of her father and mother, she
felt that She p.uld never be happy with him, and she regretted
that she had been itiduCed to renew the acquaintance with him after
her father's prohibition. Frail the date of this letter Miss White never
opened the letters afterwards written to her by the defendant, but sent
them unopened to her father,
,A letter addressed to the Rev. A. Williams, Lecturer at St. Pancras
Chapel, where plaintiff's family attended, was also put in. It was in the
handwriting Df the defendant, but was framed in such terms as to
appear to have come from some one friendly to Mr. White, and hostile
to the defendant. Its purport was to seek the opinion and advice of the
Rev. Gentleman respecting an oath, by which Mrs. White pledged
herself on the Bible to be the wife of Mr. Newman, and no other,
Mr. Newman having at the same time taken a similar aath. The letter
set forth the circumstances under which the oath was taken, and gave a
narrative of the defendant's " whole creme) of courtship." In 1833,
returning from Fiance in a steam-boat, the parties became acquainted;
and, some time afterwards, defendant applied to plaintiff to be received as
'a
suit ,r to Miss White,but he was told that her affections were supposed to
be engaged to another. Ho was received, however, as a visitor and a
friend, and in some time, after more than one refusal, he was accepted
by Miss White, with her father's approbation. When he came, how-
ever, to press Mr. White as to what he proposed to give his daugh-
ter, that gentleman inquired into Mr. Newrnee's affairs, and not
finding that he was in a state of independence, put an end
to all negociations of his daughter's marriage, and forbade Mr.
Newman's visits. From this time the correspondence commenced in
which the defendant aspersed the plaintiff's character in letters to his
daughter ; and, in consequence of some letters containing violent threats,
_Miss Newman calledat defendant's chambers in the Temple to remonstrate,
and having remained there two hours with him, they pledged themselves
to each other with solemn oaths on the Bible. This was the case submitted
for the Rev. Gentleman's cpinion as to the obligation of the oath, and
several passages in Scripture were referred to pro and con. A copy of
verses, satirically embodying the substance of the correspondence be-
tween the ci-derant lovers, accompanied this letter.
Mr. NEWMAN spoke at great length in his defence, and stated the whole
history of his acquaintance with plaintiff's family from first to last. He
complained that he had been trifled with, and contended that he
had a right to press upon Miss White the obligation of the
oath by which sho bound herself to him after he had been ac-
cepted as her future husband with her father's approbation. He had
entered a plea of justification, on the ground that two anonymous let-
ters. now acknowledged to have been sent by Mr. White, referring him
to the 34th chapter of Genesis, which would be the first lesson for
the following Sunday. That lesson contained the narrative of Dinah
and Shechem, and the murder of the latter by Dinah's two
brothers. The imputation cast on him (defendant), and the threat
held out in that scandalous reference, elicited from him the letters
complained of. It was true Mr. White said that he had made a mis-
take—that the lesson was changed, and that he meant to refer to the
30th chap. of Numbers, which related to the non obligation of the
pledges of maidens under age.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTIOE—It was a most unfortunate mistake.
Mr. NEWMAN then referred to a subsequent letter in which it was said
that the reference to the story of Shechem was a mistake, but that the
chapter was appropriate, as an example to injured brothers. Mr.
White having at the time two grown up sons, whom he (Mr. N.) had
sup2osed to be meant as the parallels of Simeon and Levi, who
slew Shechem for his conduct to Dinah. He (Mr. N.) had been most
cruelly treated. He had been indicted and imprisoned for those letters,
and now this action followed, because he would not give a pledge which
would be equivalent to signing his own death-warrant.
Mr. Sergeant WILDE replied ;
After which the Jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages,
2501.

LIST OF NEW PATENTS.

( From Newton and Berry's List.)

To Julitit;effreys, of Kensington, in the county of Middlesex, Esq.,
for his invention ,of improvements in stoves, grates, and furnaces; sealed
March 24—six months for inrolment.
To John Clark, the younger, of Mile-end, Glasgow, cotton-spinner,
for his invention of impiAved machinery for turning, some part or
parts of which may be made Applicable to other useful purposes; sealed
April 4—six months for inrolment.
To William Angus Robertson, of Peterhorough.court, Fleet-street,
in the City of London, patent agent, for certain improvements in the
manufacture of hosiery, shawls, carpets, rugs, blankets, and of other
fabrics, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad ; sealed
April 4—six months for inrolment.
To George Barnett, of No 49, Jewin-street, in the City of London,
tailor, for his invention of an improved button for protecting the thread
or shank from friction and wear; sealed April 7—two months for
inrolment.
To Joseph Rock Cooper, of Birmingham, gun-maker, for his in-
vention of improvements in firearms ; sealed April 10—six months
inrolment.
To John Watson, of Addle-hill, Doctors' Commons, in the City of
London, mechanic, for his invention of improvements in stoves ; sealed
April 10—six months for inrolment.
To David Rodmund, of Wellington Foundry, Charles-street, City-
road, in the county of Middlesex, engineer, for his invention of certain
improvements in the construction of an apparatus of steam-boats or ves-
sels used for war or commercial purposes; sealed April 10—six months.
To Edward Cobbold, of Long Melford, in the county of Suffolk,
clerk, and Peter Richold, the younger, of the same place, coach-maker,
for their invention of improvements in the manufacture of certain pig-
manta or paints, or such like substances; sealed April 10—six months
for inrolment.
To William Fothergill Cooke, of Breed's-place, Hastings, Esq., for
his invention of improvements in giving signals, and sounding alarms at
distant places, by means of elastic currents transmitted through metallic
circuits; sealed April 18—six months for inrolment.
To William Barnett, of Brighton, iron-founclor, for his invention of
certain improvements in the production of motive power; sealed April
B—six months for inrolment.

To Thomas Murray Gladstone, of Bootlecum Linacre, near Liver-
pool, in the county of Lancaster, chain-cable and anchor.manufacturer,
for his invention of certain improvements in ships' windlasses, which
improvements are applicable to other purposes ; sealed April 2l—six
months.

To Edward Cooper, of Staverton, in the county of Wilts, clothier,
for his invention of an improvement in the making or manufacturing of
soap; sealed April 21—six months.

To James Timmins Chance, of Birmingham, glass manufacturer, for
Ms invention of improvements in the manufacture of glass ; sealed
April 21—six months for inrolmont.

To James Macnede, coach maker, George street, Edinburgh, for his
invention of an improvement or improvements in carriages; sealed
April 21—two months for inrolment.

To Moses Poole of Old.square, Lincoln's Inn, in the county of Mid-
dlc sex, gentleman, for improvements in manufacturing of carpets, rugs,
and other napped fabrics, being a communication from abroad; sealed
April 2l—six months for inrolment.

To Christopher Nickels, of York road, Lambeth, manufacturer, for
improvements in machinery for recovering fibres applicable to the
manufacture of braid and other fabrics ; sealed April 2l—six months
inrolment.

To Robert Finlayson, of Regent-street, Cheltenham, in the county
of Ll louc es t r, M.D., for his invention of improvements in harrows ;
sealed April 2l—six months for inroltnent.

To Francis Pope, of Wolverhampton, in the county of Stafford, fancy
Iron-worker, for his invention of certain improvements in machinery
fur making or manufacturing pins, bolts, nails, and rivets, applicable
to various useful purposes ; sealed April 24—six months for inrolment.
To Thomas Vaux, of Woodford.bridge, in the county of Essex, land_
surveyor, for his invention of improvements in tilling and fertilizing
land ; sealed April 24—six months for inrolment.
To Samuel Wagstaff Smith, of Leamington Priors, in the county of
Warwick, iron-founder, for his invention of improvements in regulating
.the heat of furnaces for smelting iron, which improvements may also be
aipplied to retorts for generating gas; sealed April 24—six months for
intolment.

To Alexander Happey, of Basing-lane, in the City of London, gentle-
man, km a new composition, applicable to paving roads, streets, terraces,
and n!terplaces, which improvements are also applicable to the different
purposes of building, and also in the apparatus for making the said com-
position, be!ng a communication from a foreigner residing abroad ; sealed
April 25—six ,nonths for inrolment.

To Richard Goodwin, of St. Paul's-terrace, Camden Town, in the
county of Middlesex, wal-merchant, for his invention of an improved
prepared fuel; sealed 26—six months fur inrolment.

STATE OF TRADE AT PRESTON.—There has,
dicing the past week, been less buginess doing in most descriptions of
piece goods, excepting the better qualities of power-loom shirting and
printing cloth, the prices for which have been obtained without diffi-
culty. The demand has also been more limitad for yarns ; and this we
• regret to state, has produced a more subdued tone of feeling amongst
the holders, as to our anticipated advance.—Preston Observer.

BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, IVIAY 11.-Our
port is so completely bare of sugars, that we have no market: while in
London the arrivals are heavy, and the trade in consequence, a little
brisker. Bristol seems doomed to be sadly behind in this important
'winch of commerce.--Bristol Mercury.

APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION.—A correspondent asks
_id 's it true that Bishop Phillpotts has sent a letter to the clergy of
the diot.'", requiring them to insist in their pulpits on their immediate
and legithriAte descent from the Apostles, in order to counteract the
Increase of di: ent from the Established Church ?" We believe that
such a letter has I. ,een sent, and as we spare neither pains nor expense to
gratify our readers—we shall willingly give any of the inferior clergy
s
half a guinea for a geni'ine copy, signed and sealed by the Right Rev.
Father himself. We have been told that a clergyman, on mentioning
the receipt of the letter to a li.`end, was asked why he did not preach in
obedience to it, when he answereti, that if he did he should lose all his
congregation.— Western Times. _ _

NEGRO EMANCIPATION.—A public meeting will
be held to-morrow at Bristol, for the enfranchisement of the slave ap-
prentices. The meeting is convened by the Ni,iyor, who has consented
to preside on the occasion ; and we understand thal: Mr. George Thomp-
son, the well-known anti-slavery advocate, who perille_d his life in a mis.
slots to America on behalf of the slaves of that country, will be present,
and take part in the proceedings.
The .Jersey Times of Friday last has the following
announcement The health of his Excellency the Lieutenant.
Governor has much declined since our last. Indeed it can no longer be
ecmcealed- that little or no hope is entertained of his Excellency's
recovery."
Jacqueline, the chimpanzee, which has been repre-
sented as in a bad state of health all the winter, at Paris, is still alive.
She occupies one of the departments in the Rolonde, with the elephant,
au-awe, and the gazelles sent by Ab del Kader.
Lord Broughcm writes home word that the fruits
and vegetables on his estate, near Antibes, are now as ripe as they would
be in an English autumn.
The shipment of iron ore, at Brixham, for ballast,
continues as rapid as the vessels can take it in. This appears to be a
grand speculation the ore rising in abundance very little more than a
mile and half from the pier, and it is dug out in the ordinary way, and
no delay arises in loading the carts.—Westerns Times.