The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-10 00:00:00

COLTET OF EXCHEQUER, Nov. 8.

The Court this morning rose before eleven o'clock, having
disposed of all the business before it. The Loan CHIEF BARON
afterwards sat ill equity in the Etch equer Cliambcr, when tl.,
truly singular and very important cause of " Small r. Attwood"
was called on. The greatest curiosity is manifested to obtain
a view of the briefs, &c. in this most important cause ; the
Court was crowded with individuals, each one ejaculating " let
us get a peep at the briefs," &c. &c. And indeed the briefs and
other written documents are very astonishing. We should
think, on a rough calculation, they would make a moderate-
sized waggon-load. The depositions of the witnesses alone,
which are neatly bound in volumes, amount to nearly six thou-
sand folios, and the cause itself is likely to outlive any of the
credit
present parties. Each of the Counsel have an immense tin
box, with their names on it, in which are deposited the volu-
minous and the fees they have received will scarcely be
credited.
papers
Sir ;
Edward Sugden's brief (Counsel for Mr. Att-
wood) is marked 3,000 guineas, Mr, Jervis's 2,000 guineas, Mr.
Knight's 1,000 guineas, besides a great number ofjunior Counsel,
with fees unprecedented in the history of legal proceedings. In
short, money appears never to have been brought under con.
sideration by the litigating parties.
SMALL v. ATTWOOD.

Want of space prevented us from noticing yesterday the an-
swers of the defendants in this case, which were read at great
length. They denied the allegations of fraud set forth in the
bill. Mr. Attwood, in his answer, admitted that during the ne-
gotiations he was anxious that the strictest secrecy should be
observed, being apprehensive that if the purchase was not com-
pleted it might operate injuriously to his property, and prejudice
the sale of it, if it was known that he had been negotiating
about it ; besides his fellow iron-masters, who were very jealous
of this Company, might prevent him from disposing of these
mines, if they knew that he had been in treaty with the plain-
tiffs tftsh see
ws poerckt
lints
egnt ael ea
v.o.
af
rt so,mf . h lis ien wt
eanst ai
01 sno apprehensive.
f thatthe,
iproperty, they might strike for higher wages. His answer set
forth all the particulars respecting the negotiations. It denied
his having bribed Taylor, as set forth in the 11111; and accounted
for the notes which passed through Taylor's hands, as alluded to
in the bill, by stating that he had lent sums of money to a firm of
which Taylor was a member. In this, and in many other parti-
culars, he was supported by Taylor's answers. It further
stated that he had, from the commencement, expressed
a decided aversion to have any dealings with the Com-
pany,
and that his agreement was not with the Company,
but with private 'individuals. His representations res-
pecting the expense of working mines were as correct as his
knowledge of them enabled him to make. He admitted having
given the use of the furniture in the mansion-house on the
property to Philip Taylor, but it was on terms which he con-
sidered advantageous to himself. Our limits will not permit
us to enter more fully into the particulars of the answers, the
reading of which occupied more than five hours ; but, as we
gave the substance of the bill, we feel bound, in justice to the
fe to say that their answers completely met those
alle-
gationsdendanints;he bill which respectively affected them.
Mr. KNIGHT commenced his statement, at eleven o'clock
this day, by observing that the principal defendant was Mr.
Attwood ; James and Edwards having been made defendant,
on account of the share which they had taken on behalf of
Mr. Attwood ; John and 'Thomas Taylor, on account of their
conduct as agents of the Company, not because they had any
share in this property. With respect to the Company who
were the plaintiffs in this case, they comprehended some of
respectable names in the City of London. 'Their
cth3peitmolot_
wasa one
of which snore than 900,000/. had been
i
He then detailed the particulars of the nego-
tiations respecting the purchase of the mines in question. He
actually p
dwelt much on the injunctions of secrecy imposed by Mr.
Attwood, respecting the purchase of the property, throughout
the entire affair, who dissuaded the Company from making a
minute investigation into the works, by inducing them to rely
on his honour for a faithful representation of them. Both Mr.
James and Mr. Attwood represented the profits arising from the
works as amounting to 90,0001. a year, whereas since the pro..
perty caine into the hands of the plaintiffs the annual average of
the profits was no more than 7,9.501. The misrepresentati^ns
respecting the profits which these works were capable of pro- i
clueing amounted to at least 100,0001. a year ; and it was proved
by two witnesses that Mr. Attwooti must have been cognisant of
the real nature cf those works, and of what they were capable
of producing, for he had superintended the management of them I
for some time previously. Mr. Attwood told the Directors, pre.
vious to the first contract, that he had a written promise from
Lod Dudley of a lease for twenty-five years of Dudley Wood
~rid when the deputation went down to inspect the works, and
to satisfy themselves respecting the correctness of the represen.
tition made rusting to them, Mr- Attwood told them that he

HULL MARK ET—Nov. 8

Wheat, Old —s t,'tis. (i-s. --New —s. 565. 60s
_..... Foreign —s. Wis. 545. ln bond... —s. —s. —s.
)ats, Poland —s. 205. 2:25. Old —s. —e. 30s.
Small or Feed.... —s. 20s. 21s.
Foreign --s. 2-8. 21s ^
Barley, Norf. & Suf ... --s 40s. 425. Line. & Word —s. 36s 40s.
Foreign
—s. :12s. 341.
Beans lgis. 4ns 425. Foreign —5.36-.. 40s.
'ease, White —s. 465. 4Ss. Grey .-6. .11., —s
l'ares —s --3. —s. Foreign.— :10s. fitis

.iapeseed, in lo4)ne none.

CHELTENHAM

Pet lb. d. to
Beef 5 6
Mutton
Veal
Pork
Lamb
to 3/. 15s. Od. per ton
DUMFRIES MARKETS.—Nov. 2.

(1
~... Free, per last —/. 28/. 29!

A Mi. ET. •--N.ol'. S.

.. ,
Per Bushel s. cl. to s.d.
Wheat
Barley 4 0 5 6
Oats 4O 43
Beans
Pease
Hay 3l. 10s

s. d. a.
Wheat, Imp. Bush 7 Oto 7 8
Barley 3 9 4 0
Oats
Flour, 141 b.
Oatmeal
Potatoes. cwt.

s. d. e. d
Butter, lflos 0 0 to 0 0
Eggs, dozen 0 0 0 0
Beef, per lb. ...... 0 4 0
'Mutton 0 4 0 h
Veal O4 05
Quartern Loaf 0 7 0 ►

On Wednesday, at Berwick, while two women
were shaking a carpet on that part of the ramparts ad
joining the flag-staff, the wind blew so violently as to cause
a very serious accident to the elder of them. The younger
being unabled to withstand the hurricane let go her end of
the carpet, which was, in consequ-nce, thrust against her
companion, and completely enveloped her ; before the
lapse of a moment the strong breeze then blowing lifred
woman and carpet from the ground, and precipitated them
over a height of 40 feet to a field beneath. The pont
creature had one of her hip-joints disloca•ed by the fall ;
•he was speedily relieved from her painful situation, and
carried in the carpet (which had been both the instrument
and the alleviation of her misfortune) to the Diipensary.—
Caledonian Mercury.

Major HERBERT, the Custom-house swindler,
was a Captain in the Life Guards at the time when ha was
appointed to the office in the Long-room, which afforded
him the opportunity of pi actising his frauds upon the
Customs. He was assistant clerk of the warrants—a
situation .which was made on purpose for him. The clerk
of the warrants derives hit income from a legal fee of a
shilling, in certain cases, upon warrant for the delivery of
goods after payment of duty, and he appointed his own
clerks, paying them nut of the produce of that fee, and
taking on himself the responsibility of their conduct
About eight or nine years ago it was discovered that the
enveitienenta of the office were large enough to be a little
quartered upon, and, accordingly, the Major was sent tii
the clerk of the warrants, who had directions to admit
him into his office with the title of " Assistant," instead
of clerk, and to pay him a salary suitable to that more
dignified designation. HERBERT soon discovered, in the
process- of the business he was employed in, an opening
for plunder, which had escaped the duller. intellects of
seven clerks ; and it seems that he has been pockeiOng the
nnblie money, at the rate of nearly 2,0001. a year, almost
ever since he went into the offi.cet. He was fortunately
stopped in his career by :he accidental discovery of one
instance of fraud, upon which he decamped ; and upon an
examination of the warrants, by direction of the Commi.-
,4„,ers, all the other instances leave been distinctly traced.
The subject is now under the investigation of the
HERBERT had teen a Captain in the Life
Guards, \vith the raak of Major, and that the p'ace which
furnished him with the facilities for his plunder was one
which bad been made on purpose for din. This incidental
notice of the Custom-house frauds seems to have routed
some apprehensions whieh had nearly gone to glee? ; and,
indeed, we have been robbing out. own eyes, and woader..
ing that we had rem eined, so long as we have, without re-
verting to a subject which, at the first promulgatiore of it,
appeared to us to call loudly for inquiry. We have plena •
of means—if there be reed to employ them—ef reettiet:a
iaa the ins estigitien.-Iferythl9 Cle,satick.