The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-21 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.---MAIDSTOArE, MARC!! 19.
PLUMMER V. lIUTCHINSON.
This was an action arising out of the Canterbury elec-
tion, which took place in January of last year, and was
brought by the plaintiff to recover from the defendant a
penalty of 500/., which he had incurred under the provi-
sions of the Bribery Act, the 2d Geo. 11., c. 24, s. 7, by
having given a bribe of 2/. on the occasion alluded to, to a
voter named Smithson.
The plaintiff is an alderman and magistrate of Canter-
bury, and the defendant a farmer, grazier, and horse-dealer
in the same town. On the occasion of the election of
members of Parliament for Canterbury, in January 1835,
Lord Albert Denison Conyngham, Mr. Stephen Rumbold
Lushington, and Mr. Villiers, were candidates. Party
feeling ran high, and each side made strenuous exertions to
secure the return of their candidate. At the close of the
poll, however, Lord Albert Conyngham and Mr. Villiers
were returned. Mr. Lushington afterwards petitioned
against the return of Mr. Villiers, and the committee de-
cided in his favour. On the statement of Smithson, that
he had been bribed to give his vote for Mr. Lushington, by
the defendant, Mr. Villiers objected to his vote, and the
present proceedings were instituted to recover the penalty of
bribery from the defendant. From the account which
Smithson gave, it appeared that he was beset by the parti-
sans of each candidate to give his vote, and that he went
into the house of the defendant, where he received thesum
of 2/. to vote for Mr. Lushington. He voted accordingly.
The Chief Justice TINDAL summed up, and the Jury
returned a verdict for the defendant.
CROWN COURT.—Janzes Joy, nineteen, was indicted for
having feloniously set fire to a certain stack of wheat, the
property of Thomas Rammell, at Sturry.
Joseph Bone examined—ls governor of SC:Augustine's
gaol, Canterbury. Prisoner was in his custody, and came
in the day after the fire at Rammell's. Whatever he said
was the result of free will. Witness asked him if he worked
for Mr. Rammell. He said that he did. Witness then
asked why he was suspected of setting fire to the stack.
Prisoner said. " I did.' Witness asked if he had told any
body else. Prisoner said that he told Crouch, the consta-
ble, because he said it would be better for him. Witness
said, " I have not told so ; why do you tell me?" He
said, " It is of no use to tell a lie, as lies would be sure to
be found out." Witness asked him how be came to do it.
He said it was done by the light of the pipe, and he had
not thought of doing it twenty minutes before he did it.
Witness asked him if he had quarrelled with his master.
He said no, but had left him several time, as he did not
receive so much wages as other labourers, who were not
better men than himself ; he had had it long on his mind.
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
The prosecutor recommended the prisoner to mercy.
His LORDSHIP passed the sentence of death on the pri-
soner, informing him that he could not hold out any hope
of mercy.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.-CAMBRIDGE, MARCH 19.

Thomas Pepper, George Benford, H. Flether, J. Heley,
and Emma Heley, were indicted for an assault, with intent
to disable or do some bodily harm to William Ratcliffe, on
the Gth of December last, in the parish of St. Edmund's,
Cambridge, and also for stealing 95., a purse, a hat, &c.,
his property. The jury found Thomas Pepper and James
Heley Not Guilty ; George Benford, Hugh Fletcher, and
Emma Heley Guilty.—Sentence deferred. The trial oc-
cupied twelve hours, minus ten minutes, but the details are
uninteresting.

CORONER'S INQUEST.—On Friday an inquest was
held at the King's Arms Inn, Harefield, near Hillingdon,
Middlesex, before Mr. &mudNo, on view of the body of
Samuel Warren Batt, Esq., aged 63. Mr. William Yates
Jervis, of Myrtle Cottage, Harefield, deposed that the de-
ceased, who was of unsound mind, had been placed under his
charge for the last eighteen months. The malady of the un-
fortunate old gentleman was of a most distressing nature, he
imagining that he was possessed of an " evil spirit," and that
supernatural beings were frequently in his sight. When under
the latter paroxysms, he (deceased) evinced the greatest con-
sternation, and would scream violently. Between five and six
in Lilo (n one of the Se m mil., tho
of the deceased floating in a piece of water in a meadow at-
tached to the grounds. Verdict—" Insanity,"