The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-14 00:00:00

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Vary-, the evidence for the defendant had considerable weight
On his mind. •
The COURT granted a rule to shew cause ; but suggested
whether it would not be the interest of all parties to agree to a
rid proCcsstis.- • , •

THE XING V. HALL.
This was a proceeding upon a quo zearranto, calling upon
the defendant, who is Registrar and Clerk of the Court of Re-
quests at Bristol, to shew by what authority he holds that office.
The question came from the Assizes, in the form of a special
case, and the judges' had to decide whether the defendant had
been elected to the office by persons qualified. It appeared that
he was elected by the Commissioners of the Court of Requests;
and, under all the circumstances, it became a question whether
those Gentlemen were resident householers in Bristol, duly
qualified to Yote•at the election of the defendant.
The case was ably argued by Messrs. SELWYN and ADAMS,
and the Court took time to consider their judgment.

THE KING v. JAQUES.
The defendant at the rising of the Court, asked the Judges
whether it was convenient to proceed with his case. He was
in attendance to receive judgment for practising as an attorney
without qualification. He urged the hardship of keeping him
so long in attendance.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE said his cause, if possible,
would be taken to-morrow.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Nov. 13..
Sittings in Banco.
The Court did not meet tihtil nearly twelve o'clock, having
been occupied up to that hour in the Exchequer Chamber.
After going through several cases, none of which were of any
interest, save to-the parties concerned, it was found too late to
hear the farther arguments in the case of St. John v. Champ-
neys, which' Were deferred to a future day.—The Court rose
soon after two.

PREROGATIVE COURT, Nov. 13.
THE RING v. TAYLOR AND OTHERS.

Of this case we presented a short outline in our Paper of
Thursday last. It arises out of a caveat entered by the Law
Officers of the Crown, • against the admission to probate of the
will of Mr. J..Ruffin, deceased, on the ground that it was ob-
tained and executed by collusive pyactices, and through an un-
due influence exercised over the mind of the deceased, when in
a state of mental imbecility and derangement. Should the
affirmative of This latter proposition be established, the pros
perty and effects of the deceased would vest in the Crown, the
supposed intestate having died without family or relatives.
Sir C. ROBlxsolv yesterday concluded his review of the evi-
dence, and "Dr: JEN'NER followed in support of the same line
of argument; but as all-the material points of it are referred to
in the judgment pronounced by Sir John Nicholl, we proceed
at once to lay, that,' briefly as we can, before our readerk
The Learned JUDGE began by observing, that although the
case in support of the will might have been rendered stronger
by the production of further, and, as it appeared to him,
portant evidence, yet there was already sufficient proof to
establish its validity to his mind. The deceased wasa person
admitted to have originally been a man of shrewd understand-
ing, and_ to have amassed in the course of his business a consi-
derable fortune: ' In 'the •year 18E4, however, acommissiOn of
lunacy was issued against him I a Committee was appointed to
take the direction of his affairs; and in this state he remained
till 1815, whed the commission was superseded. He then re-
assumed the management of his tiS'n interests, and conducted
them with his former sagacity, till in 1817 he went abroad; and
then commenced the history of those transactions, from their
information respecting which, the Law Officers of the Crown
had felt it their duty to institute this inquiry ; and they had
conducted it with the candour which was always shewn on such
occasions, and which peculiarly became those who appeared
as theadvscates cf an interest so august. The reasons that in-
duced Alr; Ruffin to go abroad in 'lBl7, were not material to
the question s. but having come to that determination, he being,
a bachelor, converted the greater part of his funds into a Go-
verntnent annuity of 1,1001. for his own life, and retained about'
1501. per annum in freehold and leasehold property. He then
took the opportunity of accompanying two of his acquaintances
who were going to Calais. In no part of ins conduct in this
instance, or since his release from the captivity of a private
madhouse, did he evince any symptoms of a disordered intel-
lect; and, indeed, the lunacy for which he had been confined,
seemed to proceed rather from an excessive use of ardent spirits
than front constitutional disposition. Now it appeared to him
that nothing but general incapacity, or absolute insanity at cer-
tain periods, could invalidate the will in question; and the fur-
ther the whole subject was examined, the weaker appeared
the grounds upon which than suspicion rested. The deceased
was at this time engaged in a law-suit, and had given
very proper and rational instructions to his solicitor, Mr.
Newman His other affairs had all been arranged in a manner
that betokened a full possession of his faculties. His declining
health, had there been no other inducement at that time, fur-
nished' an adequate' motive for his removal to the Continent, and
when theiesfor his travelling about from place to place: From
Calais, it appeared that he went to Lisle, anti there fell in with
Mr: Taylor and Mr. Hind, who had been repreiented as needy
adventurers,' and were supposed, in concert with a Mr. Keys, to
have conspired to take a fraudulent advantage of his unsound'
mind, and afterPhindering him while alive, to share his property
amongtheniafterhisdecease. Now, it was tru e that Messrs. Taylor
anti itindhadmet with misfortunes, but they were, and 'Mr. Hind
in particular, very old friends and intimate acquaintances of the
deceased; and engaged at that period as contractors for supplying
the Army of Occupation. That the intimacy formerly subsisting
between them should now be revived was natural; nor was there
asy thing very extraordinary that Mr. Keys,' who was now
introduced to Mr. Ruffin, should (being in some distress) be
engaged as a kind of travelling companion or amanuensis to
him, at a salary of 2001. a year. In this state matters remained
for some time; Mr. Taylor 'went. to England, carrying with
hith authority from 'the deceasedqcir the management of his xf•
fairs, and the latter moved about till, at Germains, he was
seized with a serious illness, probably the 'result of some in-,
temperance. He recovered; and • then, according to the states
ment of 'Mr. Kepi liMself, ordered instructions or memos
randa for • the formal disposition of his property to be
drawn up'; by which paper, subscribed with his own hand,
he directed his 'property to be equally divided among the
fayllta of Messrs. Hind, Taylor and Keys. This took
place in November, 1818, and with the exception of certain
letters and correspondence with Mr. Newman, there was no-
thing very Material till the month of April, 1819. Several acts
had been mentioned as indicating an absence of mental capacity
in the deceased, such as the dissipation of his funds, over-
drawing the Bank, and contracting large debts at the different
hotels. Mi. Keys wrote to Mr. Newman, expressing his dis-
satisfaction with the -influence the deceased was under (that of
Messrs. Hind and Taylor, his ancient friends), and intimating
a wish to conduct him back to England. But all these cir-
etimstances Might be accounted for, and would never form
a sufficient proof of lunacy on the one side', or of fraud.
andeonspiritcy on, the other. The deceased, who continued:
in a languid state of health, was seized with his last illness
at Auffenbach; in Germany, in April, 1819, and he died on'
the 4th of May. • The parties interested in the validity of the,
will were all present ; and it seemed that in consequence of the.
great and sodden change 'of the deceased, an alarm was:excited
lest he should die before the will was duly attested.- 'About'
one-o'clock, therefore, Mary Forster, a servant in rtlr. Hind's:
faMily„ was called up, and with two foreign servants witnessed.:
its' execution. • -The'testirriony Of Mary Forster:lkm entitled• to
the highest credit, she having lived 111 years in the same-ser-
vice, and not being in it 'bow, nor likely to be deposing under
its influence. The two other witnesses were not indeed forth-
comin,g, but if due diligence had been-used to procure their at-
tendance, and if their absence was easily explained, all that
the law reqnired in that respect was accomplished. She then
stated that she found Mr. Ruffin sitting up in bed, and-aptia-:
rently labouring under a shortness of breath • that he said lie
was very ill and'that after Mr. Ilia had read and placed two
or three papers before him, he' said " that will do," and affixed
hiS signature to them. She added. that he died at •7 o'clock
the' next morning; to 'which she added, that although he was
noisy 'aitrititOtis when' is liquor, she laid never suspected that
' lie was unable to manage his affairs, andthat lie had beep since
his forther illnes's very abktemions. Upon the whole then of this
cases • Seeing that the codicil was written um, contextu with the
bistly•oftbe'Will ; that the facts stated admitted of the interprets
tation 'Whichhe had -nOw put lion them ; that the executors
tli&fiSelves: took no direct interest; whatever their families Might,
in the testate ii bonnty, and that the internal evidence all went
tii' repel radii... Hum favour the suspicions which had been raised;
above Ail, that to support a charge of conspiracy arrtl'fraud, the
evidence ought to be strong 'and conclusive; he thought this
will was sufficiently• proved.

PRICE SEVENPENCt.

LITERART:NOTIcE.

TIIE LIFE of ALI PACHA, of Janina, Visier of Epirus,
surnamed Asian, or the Lion, from various Authentic

cuments.

There are Certain associations connected with''
the lives of particular men, which renders a notice
of any work relating to them imperative. Such is
the case with the work now before us.. The life of
Ali Pacha will always be read with avidity ovring to
the interest excited by a perusal of the fortunes of
a man who from nothing raised himself to a degree '
little short of regal dignity, and with native in-
dependence proudly set his sovereign at defiance 4
The present work' is not altogether original. It
is a compilation of historical facts, and extracts
from the notices of contemporary writers. It is
however skillfully arranged, and canducts us
from the birth, parentage, Sz.c. of our hero until
the close of his political and mortal career.--
Such a succession of cruelty and atrocity is
rarely to be met with even in the annals of
Turkish despotism. had Ali however lived at a
less civilized period, he seems to have possessed
most of the 'requisites which formed a hero-of anti
quity, and would probably have descended to pos-
terity, shorn of his most atrocious and indefensible
actions, and ranking high among the Caesars and'
Alexanders of his day. From a very early age
Ali appears to have shewn a restles and turbulent
spirit uncommon in young Turks, (who are gene-
rally sedate and indolent) together with a dispo-
sition for war and a strong propensity to appro.:
priate the property of others. These indications
of future greatness were zealously encouraged
by his Mother, a bold Amazonian ;Lady, who,
renouncing the soft delights of the Harm seizes a
musket, mounts a charger, and gives her son 'a
complete military education.
Ali does not disgrace his instructress, for at the
age of fourteen he commences robber, heads a
party of brigands, and at twenty-four years "old'
we behold him at' the head of 2,000 men enter--
ing his native town of Tepelini which had stir.
rendered to his victorious arms. We cannot in
the shoft space of our review consider Ali in his
several stages of boy, man, and parent, or we
should quote much relating to his two sons
Mouctar and Veil, of the amours of the farmer, •
of whom, With the beautiful Phrosina, an interest-
ing story is told. The following account of
the Pacha's dinner, avowedly taken from the
GC Voyage clans lu Grece" of M. Pouqueville may
not be altogether uninteresting to our English
" Gastronomers" as Dr. Kitchener styles them.

" Ins splendid retinue 'of servants and pages
having arranged the repast upon a magnificent
sideboard of silver gilt, the guests were first pre-
rented with some meats served up in beautiful
porcelain from Sevres, ornamented with designs
from the French School. According to the
Viziers custom an entire lamb was placed before
him, weighing about twelve pounds, of which he
devoured more than ha?f—[Ali does not appear
to have been deficient in appetitel besides seve-
ral cloves of garlick, hatd eggs, an eel, and many
other dishes, contenting himself afterwards with
touching a great many others with his finger
to spew that he liked them, and that they might
be cleared away. Pilow, or boiled rice, the
usual desert of the Turks, and over which

they pour curdled cream, being now served
Up, the Vizier, dipping in his spoon, discover-
ed two or three small feathers : He immediately
judged that his pilow had been boiled in the
water in which the under-cooks steep the poultry
previously to plucking it, "At that instant,"
says M. Pouquevillei " I saw the satrap tura
pale, and immediate symptoms of alarm and.
terror seize his attendants : What is this ?ah

His voice was completely altered ; when, his eyes
accidentally meeting mine, not being able (I
know not why) to continue his invocation', he
suddenly burst into a loud fit of laughter : ' You
see, my son how I am served!—some day or other
I shall certainly hang up a few of them.'—' That
will not improve their cookery.'—' Oh ! indeed
it will ; if you knew how essential it is to good
order !'—' For this once, I hope you will pardon
them.'—' Yes ; but they must eat the pilovr,
boiled in the dish-water, with all the feathers iu

it (And this sentence was executed, to the
very letter). 'But for you,' ,said he, 4 their heads
should be in my court-yard!' At this time there
were about half-a-dozen exhibited there, pre-
viously to being sent to Constantinople," We
have not room for further extracts, or we would
willingly quote the passage descriptive. of Ali's
death. We therifore dismiss the`work, covine-
ed, from the amusement contained, in its pages,
that oar Readers will not censure our judgment
for_ recommending to their notice ".The Life of
Ali Pacha."

• • 7 :

This work, 'which is very interesting altoge-
ther, and, apparently founded , on, authentic
sources, was, we understand, compiled by Mr.
DAVENPORT, who is well known,oa Professor
and. Teache- of. Languages, and, lilt.° has cer-
tainly afforded ,the public a very amusing pro-
ductioin

' There is now trained against a fi-oUse at Chel-
sea, in a westerly direction, a May-duke Cherry Tree, which
has six cherries on it—one, half ripe. It blossomed the second
time this season in the middle Of September. When the .o)d
'leaves fell'off, and others supplied their place. The tree wsi
transplanted last December, tind bore fruit last May. •
On Friday last; a most serious accident happen-
ed to 'a roan Of the name of Nicholson, while war
ing as a' labourer in Dover liarhouw. Iti Icitrering
a piece of timber of considerable weight, some
, part 'of the apparatus gace wisy and the beam,
by this accident, falling an the poor'man, crushed
him in so dreadful a Manner that his life is des-
paired (Ketitish G netta, Nor: V.)