The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-09 00:00:00

SECONDARIES' OFFICE.

CRDL CON.-lIEARN V. WELLS.

This was a writ for the assessment of damages, in
an action for criminal conversation with the plain-
tiff's wife. The damages were laid at 5001.
Mr. Mu stated, that he appeared in behalf of
the plaintiff, to seek compensation, for the greatest
injure that could be committed against the comfort
and peace of a man's life. The plaintiff was the
boatswain of a merchant-ship, in an humble situa-
tion in life. The defendant was a basket-maker, in
respectable business, and rank somewhat superior.
The Learned Counsel knew perfectly well that tin
spirit of ridicule which was sometimes' permitted to
show itself in cases where a different order of so-
ciety was not concerned, would receive no indul-
gence in the present instance. The Jury would, he
was convinced, let nothing but the nature and extent
of the injury operate upon their verdict. They
knew that men in humble circumstances felt as
deeply the bitterness of domestic wrongs as he
whose rank drew public curiosity towards him. At
an early age the plaintiff had become acquainted
with the young woman, the loss of whom he had
now to deplore : they were neighbours. She was
the daughter of an excise-officer now retired, and
had been carefully and virtuously educated. They
married when he was about 30, and she something
less, in 1825; soon after which, it would be recol-
lected, there was a great stagnation in the shipping
interests in England. Compelled by ►necessity he
took a situation in a merchant's vessel. His duty
to his wife obliged him to submit to the occasional
loss of her society, but whenever he went to sett, he
left her under the best protection, and made her a
most liberal allowance. It were to be wished that the
defendant would treat the Court with so much respect
as to appear and give an explanation of his conduct,
and that he would examine most scrupulously the
minutize of the case, for then it would be clearly
shown that the plaintiff had done every thing which
a true, honest, English seaman ought to have done.
It happened that the defendant lodged in the house
of the father of the complainant's wife, and that be
had been but lately married when he seduced the
unhappy woman. Her father, upon discovering
what had taken place, obliged her to leave his house.
It was gratifying to know that her conduct was
afterwards unexceptionable,—a proof that she had
fallen not from natural depravity, but was the vic-
tim of a perfidious solicitation. Upon the com-
plainant's return from his last voyage he found that
the wife whom he had been for months anxious to
behold was unworthy of him, and had disgraced
him, while he had been enduring labour arid pain—
and labour for her sake. If any individual was
likely to be affected more than another at such a
reverse, it was a man in the plaintiff's situation;
for, deprived of his fire-side, what had he left to
give him consolation ? Those in higher circles bad
literature and fashion, and other resources, which
contributed to weaken the impression caused by a
calamity of the kind; but the poor man, deprived
of his borne, was not only deprived of his only
good, but thrown into great dangers and tempta-
tions ; and if the secret history of many an unfor-

tunate outcast were developed, it would be found
that the loss of lespectability was to be traced to
some base attack upon the most sacred of the social

affections.

After evidence had been adduced, the Jury re-
:urned a veidici. of 52/. 10s.

TIIE RIOT IN WALES.

(From the Bristol Mercury.)

ilet3l.gr
Castle e
The cause of the excitement we are unable cor-
rectly to state—some accounts attributing it to a
partial stoppage of the works, and others to a feeling
of disgust towards the truck system. The principal
affray took place on Friday, when, in consequence
loeorfs,thteheprnopiluitlaalZe
oldib‘if,iu,e‘ttrlctieilnei,leyllee7eshis,eseii.ret,anateend)e, conduct d
fire—thirteeniicto f the
being killed on the spot, and a great many danger-
ously wounded. The letters from Merthyr are writ-
ten under feelings of much agitation—the numbers
of the rioters and their determined character, in the
absence of any considerable military force, rendering
contemporarytll them a terror to
the theorderly
Journal, in
in aan d
Supplementpeaceatde.
t o i Ouris
Paper of Saturday, hesitates not to attribute the
disturbances to the excitement consequent on the
agitation of the Reform question; but, from all we
have been able to collect, it does not appear that
there is ally ground for such a supposition. We
have been favoured by a friend with a perusal of ri
letter from a gentleman at Merthyr, which gives
tolerably circumstantial account of the principala
rencontre. We subjoin the following extracts :
" MERTHYR, JUNE 3.—There was a general 'turn
out' of all the workmen four days ago. They' met at
a place called Twyn-y-wain, and it• was expected
till the next day ; they then assembled
there would
dispersed, have
andeeri a
did
not disturbancesiio‘v inan they
formidable
evening,
appearanceconsiderable
ecahkno:drdi
Igp aihir\leaaveldanes
owners.
seized
writing
dri
Isls.o.t forr elendt sethrhi
debt,
d the parties to deliver theta up, and
attilide
a..
techifirawieneyidneeg,o('lp.brtl,`eli:gbpel°m.ruitnoglteepritlipers for taking an account of the
population, when some men came and knocked at
the door, recommending me to extinguish my lights
and depart, as the men were coming that way. When
I got into the street, I found tint they had hero at
the house of Mr. Collin, who keeps. the Court of
Requests, amide:minded the books, which Mr. Coffin
had previously- sent away. On discovering this,
ow), broke open the door arid destroyed pro-
perty to the amount of 500.% or 1,0001., making
a bonfire of all the ~w•hole
atitlled keep
3Ctii Court, itilliej l l
,atinacdmmeib.vreet:T.ekdiiinegai‘mcilaiegaebi(soistlo,r)
gakttseaasb:!eeistsl
i.oil
rtei.&:g
toto
Inn, and dispatched messengers to Swansea, Bre-
con, tnid Cardiff, for troops. A party arrived in the
iiight, and when I went to the Castle Inn in the
morning:, it presented therl appearance. of a castle
about to be besieged. '
pl,ei,rtoohOptoii,ri in which
eet-nyalleaornb°oruelal.lastmisi,leilotg;iiiii4.ebtt)iote,ie
la
ws,
~s
well
as
they give concerts and balls large
room,
sort of guard-room being filled.was converted
into
a
t‘rlb.iotuht
bllt:iod.geoOnst:
nionauders
(93d),, with a fine troop of
the outside the mob were d (I should think
there were
large
public.tns. The officers were break•
room, and the Magistrates
and iron-masters were
tfttaisdtilt,igfeji7
aas.sembled in the room adjoin-
ing. Soon after in al they agreed to receive a
deputation from mob,dit):ir
_. and twelve men were acs
cordingly admitted.
before
the
door
to
keep The soldiers were ordered out
guard, and to prevent any
letempt being made on
place. I was present at
the conference, and oxlll the
ouloy
of
the
oleo
spoke,
k.as surprised to hear how well
They appeared to be the
leading individuals poof'e.
c.c.
____,._
very
re, their party ; and, although
d'iVere"eofwtores:pecrfully, insisted upon an imme•
their.s their present receipts were riot
enough to support
" \it•. Crawslu
Mriyand Mr. 11111 addressed them in
English, and Bruce in Welsh, representing to
them the impropriety
the impossibility their allowing themselves
to bo dictated R., bo
yan armed mob. The men re-
plied that nothing
i,ho shortiiotof au immediate concession
on the part of i•masters would satisfy the
party assembled outside.:At this period of the
conference I left the toview the people. The
„oilier; assembled beloor)enllooked like specks
among:it the multitude, theanti door
fears were entertained