The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-28 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF LIBEL

DOMINICA, OCT. 3.—One of the most singular,
and, in fact, unprecedented trials for libel has just been decided
here. The parties were S. Bridgewater, Esq. Collector of the
Customs, plaintiff, and the proprietor of The Dominica Chronicle
defendant. The libel was contained in a notice to correspond-
ents in the following words :
" Castigator is wholly inadmissible. We have nothing to do
with the robbery at G—n—a some years ago. It is a black-
faced business, and should have been tried in that Colony."
I This notice, it was supposed, alluded to some communication
handed to the editor of the Chronicle, relative to a transaction
which occurred during the aesidence of Mr. Bridgewater in the
island of Grenada, the place implied in the notice.
It appears, that during Mr. B.'s residing there, he received
some information that the premises of a resident on the island,
named Waugh, had been broken open during the night and were
in the act cf being robbed. Under that impression, he repaired
to thespot with his servants, to render Waugh such assistance as
he might stand in need of; but Waugh, under some misappre-
hension, and ignorant of the persons' designs who were thus
disturbing him (for the robbery was a fabrication), called to
the military guard, and gave Mr. Bridgewater into their cus-
tody, and accordingly• conveyed him to the guard-house.—
Waugh, however, in the space of ten minutes, followed him
there, accompanied by the brother of the plaintiff', and apolo-
gising for his hasty conduct, satisfied Mr. Bridgewater, and
the whole of the iiarties proceeded to their respective homes.
The paragraph above alluded to appearing to convey an in-
timation that Mr. Bridgewater had gone to Waugh's house for
the purpose of committing a burglary, that Gentleman instant-
ly commenced an action against the proprietor of the Dominica
Chronicle, for libel, and laid his damages at 5,0001.
The Jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict for the
plaintiff —Damage! 500/. • -
Upon this decision, the
,defendant moved an arrest of judg-
ment; but failing in that, put in a Writ of Error, and the cause
was argued before the four Judges, viz..:—the Earl of Hunting-
don, Mr. President Reid, Mr. Lockhart, and Mr. John Luelr,
low, and, after hearing the case minutely, the Court divided,
when it was found the votes were equal, the two former Judges
being in favour of the Proprietor of the paper, and the two
latter against him. This places the sentence in stall; quo,
there being no other power of appeal, and the case has caused
a considerable 'sensation in Dominica and the neighbouring
Islands, as it is totally a novel and unprecedented occurrence,
for which the Legislature has made no provision ; and the de-
fendant has been deprived of that benefit the law intended
should operate for him when the Act which empowered him to
appeal to a Court of Error was framed.

The Marquis CAMDEN has paid over to the
Consolidated Fund the sum of Nine Thousand
and Seventy-one Pounds, Thirteen Shillings and
Fivepence, being the amount of Fees which his
Lordship has relinquished, as Teller of the Ex-
chequer for the Year 1822.
RESPECT FOR HISTORY.—We learn from Ger-
many that the Austrian Dramatic Censor has
lately caused the denouement of SCHILLER'S Tra-
gedy of William Tell to be altered. It is no
longer true that GESSLER was the Oppressor, and
TELL, the Liberator of Switzerland. In the new
story, which alone is allowed to be performed on
the stage, TELL misses GESSLER three times, and
is three times pardoned by him, and the piece
finishes with cries of " Long live Austria: long
live Gessler!"—(Constitutionnel.)