The Sun.
London, England, 1825-12-17 00:00:00

VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT, DEC. 61.

II is lIONOUA was employed this day in hearing causes, none
of which appeared to possess any general interest.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Dr.c.l6.
(Before the Lord Chief Justice and a special Jury.)
LIBEL.-EUCZINGHAM V. BANKES, SEN., M. F.

This was an action brought by the plaintiff, Mr. J. S.
Buckingham, the proprietor of the Oriental Herald, against
the defendant, Mr. henry Bankes, sen., the well known mem-
ber for Corfu Castle,• to recover a compensation in damages
for the injury done to his character by a libel which the de-
fendant had published against it in the following letter, ad-
dressed to Mr. John Murray, the bookseller, in Albemarle-
street :

Sir—l have received a letter from my son, dated Thebes
(Egypt), June 12, which is the occasion of my troubling you.
lie informed we that a person named J. S. Buckingham intro-
duced himself to him some time ago at Jerusalem, under the
pretence of being an intimate friend of Colonel Missett, and
also of the late celebrated traveller Mr. Burckhardt ; that in
consequence of this supposed friendship with two so respectable
men,* and so well known to my son, he permitted Mr. Buck-
ingham, whose.destination was to India, to accompany him for
some time, and to take a copy of that part of his journal which
was kept during two portions of his travels.
This ill-placed confidence has been requited in the way that
such acts of kindness usually are by ungrateful and worthless
people. Mr. Buckingham announces his intentiop of publish-
ing his own travels, of which I have before me an elaborate
and pompous prospectus in a Calcutta newspaper.
I know not whether you have ever heard of this projected
work; but, as it is intended to be printed and published in
London, in a spendid manner, it is very probable that ap-
plication may be made to You before it sees the light, in which
case I wish to put you upon your guard against having any
transactions with such an author as Mr. Buckingham, and also
against laying before the public parts of a very extensive and
curious tour in an imperfect state, which I hope and trust that
my son will he induced to submit to them in the best and most
complete form that he can put his valuable researches together,
whenever he returns.

You will oblige me in making known what I communicate,
with regard to the character of Mr. Buckingham and his in-
tended book, in any way that von may deenr proper. andl re-
main your obedient servant, H. BANKES.
Kingston Hall;'Wimborn, Oct. 3, 1819.
This day Mr. BROUGHAR and Mr. HILL appeared for the
plaintiff; and the ATTORKEY-.GENERAL and Mr. F. POL-
LOCK for the defendant. - . .

At soon as the jury had been sworn, the ATTORNEY--
GENERAL, for the defendant, stated that his client had with-
drawn the justification which he had pleaded, upon an under-
standing that the plaintiff would .be contented with nominal
damages.
Mr. BRoucliast said, that the object of. the plaintiff in
bringiM, this action against Mr. Baiikes, and a similar action
against Mr. Murray, was to clear his character from the impu-
tation which had been cast upon it. As the defendant had now
withdrawn the justification he had pleaded, and had thereby
admitted that he had no grounds whatever for the imputa-
tions which he had cast upon Mr. Buckingham, Mr. Bucking-
ham's object was attained, and therefore he would accept a
verdict for nominal damages, with costs as between attorney
and client. . _ _

The Loup CHIEF JUSTICE observed that the matter of
costs must be matter of arrangement between the parties.
The Jury then found a verdict for the plaintiff—Dainages Is.
The Lout) entEr JUSTICE expressed his satisfaction that
this case had come to such a conelusion.