The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-02 00:00:00

THE SUN LONDON, TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 2, 1847.

)fficers of certain

The vote of 96,532/. for the payment of o
corps for the ensuing year.
The vote of 17,633/. for the effective service for the ensuing
year.
1/The following votes were also agreed to:—
p 6,3041. to defray the expenses of the military establishment
In'the colonies.
15,7401. to defray the expense of the allowance made to the
officers of the land forces engaged in the ga rr:sons of this country.
82,000/. to defray the charge of the general officers in her
ima
jesty's service.
29,000/. to defray the charge of the retired officers of the
land forces.
420,000/. to defray the charge of the half-pay of the
military officers of the land forces.
49,136'. to defray the charge of the half-pay of foreign officers
who have been engaged in the British service.
139,652/. to defray the charge of the widows and orphans of
those who had been engaged in land farces.
96,000/. to defray the charge of the royal bounty.
36,623/. to defray the charge of the Chelsea and Kilmainham
Hospitals.
1,236,7321. to defray the charge of the out-door pensioners
of Chelsea Hospital.
On the vote of 35,000/. being proposed for the charge of the
public departments of the land forces of Great Britain and
Ireland,
Sir DE LACY EVANS complained of the way in which
the Government had acted in respect to the granting of medals,
and hoped the matter would be attended to, in order to remove
the impression which existed in the army on the subject.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in some observations which were
very nearly inaudible, was understood to say that the Govern-
ment had it under their consideration to issue medals to all
those alive who had been engaged in any engagements on be-
half of this country.
Sir R. PEEL wished to know whether or not the Govern-
ment had come to any decision with respect to a public monu-
ment to the memory of Sir Robert Sale, General Nett, and
the other eminent officers who had distinguished themselves in
India ?
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he understood that it was
the intention of her Majesty's late Government to erect some
testimonial to the memory of all the officers who had fallen in
India, and the present Government intended to carry out the
proposal.
Sir C. NAPIER said that as medals were to be given to
the officers who had fought in India, he wished to know why
the same honour had not been granted to the officers who had
behaved themselves so well in Syria ? The taking of St.
Jean D'Acre was considered at the time a very wonderful
achievement. He saw nothing wonderful in it, but still he
thought if medals were given to officers in India, the same
ought to be given to the officers engaged in Syria. He did not
care for these things himself, but still the officers and men
naturally asked what was the reason that, when others were
rewarded, they were forgotten?
Lord J. RUSSELL reminded the Hon. and Gallant Mem-
ber that no decorations had been granted for the battle of
Algiers and of Navarino.
Sir C. NAPIER said that the persons engaged in these
battles ought to have been rewarded. Algiers was one of the
strongest towns in the world, and it had been taken by four or
tire sail of the line, and probably there was no other man
besides Lord Exmouth who would have undertaken the task.
With respect to the battle of Navarino, that was a very differ-
ent thing ; but even there the officer in command had taken
an inferior fleet into a narrow harbour, and defeated a force
superior to his own. It was no excuse, therefore, to refer to
these instances.
The vote was then agreed to.
A vete of 60,000/. for the half pay pension to the army
serving in India, was, after a few words from Mr. WILLIAMS
and Sir Ds. Licv EVANS, agreed to.
The House then resumed, and the Chairman reported
progress.
CONSOLIDATED FUND LOAN BILL.
This Bill was read a second time.
DRAINAGE BILL (AMENDMENTS).
Sir G. GREY obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the pur-
pose of extending the advantage of the Drainage Act, passed
last session, to Scotland.

must have received from Miss Burdett Coutts, and yet he 1
wrote to her, warnirg her that he was about to make the
application to the bank, and giving her an opportunity of
stepping forward and preventing any publicity which might
arise by making some sacrifice of money to him ; and before
he took the next step he wrote a letter couched in threaten.
ing language, evidenly endeavouring to act upon her fears,
and induce her to prevent the step being taken which had
ultimately led to this prosecution. No notice was taken of
this letter, and he then wrote the following letter to Messrs.
Coutts

" Gentlemen,—lt will be necessary for me to present my
bill tomorrow at your bank, for payment of the sum I deem,
under the circumstances, compensation for the injuries in-
flicted on me by Miss Coutts. I shall do so on the authority
of that lady, shown to Mr. Marjoribanks by me. If my bill
be paid it will release your partner from all legal and moral
obligations to me, and 1 shall be ready to sign any document
to that effect. If not paid I shall adopt the most summary
proceedings to protect myself from any further outrages I am
daily receiving and have been long subijected to. Ido not
intend to draw the amount out of your bank if you thick
proper to allow it to remain. Contrasting the injuries I have
received, and my consequent position, with the position of
your partner, and her immense wealth, I shall draw for
one year's income, which I understand to be 100,0001. lam
content to receive the amount of one year's income, be it
less, if I am paid the amount, it it be more."
After this letter the defendant again appeared at the bank,
and saw Sir Edmond Aittrobus, to whom ho presented his
draught for 100,000/. He was asked by Sir Edmond to show
his authority, and ne produced the same paper he had exhi-
bited before to Mr. Majoribanks. He was again told that it
was not the writing of Miss Coutts, so that there were, there-
fore, four persons who had given him that assurance. On
the 19th of March the defendant wrote this letter to Mr.
Humphreys, the solicitor fur Miss Coutts:—
" In consequence of my bill, drawn on Messrs. Coutts, pur-
suant to authority given me by your client, not having been
honoured, I am proceeding under the bankruptcy law to en-
force navment of it. It is necessary the summons to pay
should be served on your client, who I am informed has lett
her residence, for what place I cannot ascertain. Under the
circumstances, will you undertake, if I leave the summons
with you, that it should be attended to ? I shall call to-
morrow for the answer."
The answer was in these terms:—

" Your letter left with me yesterday obliges me to answer
it by saying that Miss Coutts owes you nothing, never did
owe you anything, and never gave or sent you any authority
to draw any bill or make any demand upon her or upon any
one else. There being no business upon which you can desire
to see me, I deAre that you will not call at my office, or
write to me; and I have given my clerks instructions not to
hold any conversation with you."
The defendant called the next day, received the letter, said
with an oath that it was no answer, and tore it up. This
application not advancing his object, he wrote to the bank-
ing-house on the 20th of 31arch, 1846:
" The circumstances in which I am placed by your partner,
Miss Coutts, make it absolutely unavoidable in me to seek
to obtain payment of my demand against her by the most
effectual remedy the law points out. I have, therefore, taken
the necessary: steps to bring my demand within the Bank-
ruptcy Court; but on sending to Miss Coutt's residence, I
cannot obtain information where I can have the notice served
on her; and upon asking Mr. llumphrevs lie has refused to
give the information. This course on your partner's behalf
would amount to an act of bankruptcy. Wishing to prevent
any such circumstance, I trust you will give the necessary
information, that justice may be done, for I cannot permit
this matter longer to remain unsettled."

Messrs. Coutts answered thus:—
" Messrs. Coutts and Co. have received Mr. Dunn's letter,
and they beg to decline any interference or correspondence
with him on the subject to which it relates, or any subject
whatever."
Now, it appeared that at that time Mr. Dunn had made pre-
paration for prweeding against Miss Coutts under the bank-
ruptcy law, for a letter was directed by him to Stratton-
street, which contained a demand in these terms :-
1 "To Miss Angela Burdett Coutts, of No. 1, Stratton-
street, Piccadilly, and of 59, Strand, both in the city of West-
micster.—The following are the particulars of the -demand of
the undersigned Richard Dunn, barrister-at-law, of No. 8,
Upper Ranelagh-street, in the said city of Westminster,
against you, the said Angela Burdett Coutts, amounting to
the sum of 100,000/—( Loud and continued laughter)—being
the amount of a certain bill drawn by me on the bank of
Coutts and Co., of which you are a partner, and so drawn by
me by virtue of your authority, given to me for that purpose,
and which said bill you directed me to draw, as compensation
for divers injuries done and inflicted on me by you, and
which said bill was refused payment at your said bank, al-
though you promised that the same should be duly paid, and
which bill is still unpaid. lake notice that 1, tie said
Richard Dunn, I.at•by require immediate payment of the said
sum of 100,0001. Dated this 10th day of March,- 18-16.
"RICHARD DUNN, Barrister. at-Law."
This demand was dated nine (lays before the date of the
letter addressed to Mr. Humphreys. Of course, the demand
was treated with utter contempt, and then the defendant
wickedly, deliberately, and knowingly made the following
false affidavit in the Court of Bankruptcy :
"Richard Dunn maketh oath and said', that A. B. Coutts
is justly and truly indebted to this deponent, Richard Dunn,
in the sum of 100,0001. by virtue of a certain bill drawn by
this deponent on the bank of Messrs. Coutts and Co., by the
especial authority in writing given by the said A. B. Coutts
to this deponent, which was expressly given by her as
compensation for divers injuries and imprisonments inflicted,
and for which injuries this deponent had commenced legal
proceedings against the slid A. B. Coutts, and which sum
she promised in writing should be duly paid; but which said
bill, although duly presented, was not paid or honoured, and
which said bill remains wholly due and owing to this de-
ponent ; and this deponent further saith that the said A. B.
Coutts is a partner in the banking-house of Coutts and Co.,
and is a trader within the statute, as this deponent verily.
believes."

The Learned Counsel here commented at some length upon
the facts which he had passed in review, contending that
they made out the charge of perjury upon which the defend-
ant was indicted. The defendant had made another affidavit
for the purpose of removing the trial from the Old Bailey into
this Court, and in that affidavit he set forth the suppose d
authority which was given by Miss Burdett Coutts, and which
was in these words.—
" Oh, Mr. D.,
You've spoilt all our fun
By your very imprudent advances;
Why didn't you meet
Me, except in the street—
Why not meet me at routs or at dances?
" You called me fair girl 1'
Till you made my head twirl,
So that all the fools thought I was silly;
At the window I stood,
With my tears in a flood—
You were posted just in Piccadilly.
" Wht n to Harrogate sweet
Papa beats a retreat,
To take spa water supersulphureons,
I could hear your heart thump
As we stood near the pump,
While you bolted that stuff so injurious.
" Oh ! how, my dear pet,
Can I ever forget
That mixture of love and aversion ;
Of love for your lass,
And disgust for your ghss,
Just like a teetotal conversion ?
" When poor papa's gout
l'ut us all to the rout,
•
And drove us to Norwood hotel,
Your flame growing stronger,
You couldn't wait longer,
So poste" away there as well.
" Our servants to cool
Your heat in the pool,
And cure you of love so mysterious,
Immersed you therein,
Nearly up to the chin;
What a scene both of comic and scions?
" But such are the antics
That come from romantics,
When once they lay hold of the brain,
That you term it Baptizing
My lover,' and prizing
My dower as much as love's chains.
" My pretensions grew grander,
mu stern Alexander,
By a capias ad sat. capiendum,
-Put the lock on your love,
And caged my sweet dove,
With his billings and cooings, to end 'ern.
" But at last I'm relenting,
My jewel, repenting
Of all that you have suffered for me;
Nay, I'm even grown tender,
Disposed to turn lender
Of cash, your sweet person to free.
"Send to Coutts's your bill—
There are lots in the till--
I'll give the clerk orders to do it,
Tnen get your discharge,
Your dear body enlarge,
And in Stratton-street do lot we view it,
"And, by the by. love,
My affection to prove,
For your long cruel incarceration
Fill a good round sum in
(As
I've
plenty oftin
To ma you a r ,
compensation.

4‘ A. B. C."
( Bursts of laughter followed the reading of each stanza in
supposed aheuent
Learned
or
aar
nirtndyeedtooen
contained
this curious production, in the last two verses of which the
or
ne
aseveralverydtehsesrs.a
ffi
davit,C ' uttsw
importanthwi eahallega-
tions.
It set forth that the defendant had been imprisoned
three times on charges by Miss Burdett Coutts ; that she was
in fear of bodily harm, nay, her life, from the defendant,
whilst all the time she was, by letters shown by him to a
gentleman of respectability and character, pretending that
she telt an honourable esteem and affection for the defendant.
It stated that the letters he received front Miss Burdett
Coutts purported to be answers to his letters; that he had
compared the handwriting with that of Miss Burdett COUtts
on record in the Crown office of the Court, in the presence
of different officers and clerks, several of whom expressed
their opinions on the similarity of the handwriting. The
affidavit also set forth that two persons had compared the
letters received by him with Miss Coutts's writing, which
they had seen her write, and offered to speak to their
genuineness in a court of justice. It stated that the de-
fendant did not press the case in the Court of Bankruptcy
front motives of delicacy ; that he had refused the sums of
10,0001. and 15,0001. offered as compensation for his in-
juries, by persons authorised to do so; that he had lost, in
consequence of Mi,s Coutts'a persecutions, a property Of
nearly 500/. per annum, besides his profession and its emo-
luments for eight years. On the ridiculous terms of the
alleged authority to draw, Sir Frederick Thesiger con-
tended that the fabrication and uttering of a formal solemn
authority to draw might have been considered by the
defendant as placing him in conyiderable jeopardy; whereas,
if he framed and used a document in absurd doggrel verses,
such as that upon which he relied, he would protect him-
self from all serious consequences. The ridiculous cha-
racter of the authority was one of the strongest causes
which induced him (Sir Frederick Thesiger) to think that
it was part of a system ingeniously contrived by the de-
fendant to act upon Miss Burdett Coutts's fears of a ludi-
crous exposure, and to extort money thereby, at the same
time that he sheltered himself from punishment. He
was quite aware that there were many parts of the details
into which he had entered which were calculated to excite
a feeling of ridicule, and there might be some portion of the
conduct of the defendant which might lead to the suspicion
that they were the effusions of a disordered mind. If the de-
fendant was a person in that unhappy situation—if he was
not accountable for his acts, he would be an object for com-
passion, not fur prosecution—he would be a subject for re-
straint, not for punishment. but he (Sir F. Thesiger) had
never heard suggested, in the course of the whole proceedings
which bad unhappily taken place in consequence of the de-
fendant's conduct, that he was a person in such a state of
mind as not to be responsible for his acts; and, unless there
Was anything either in the circumstances of the case itself; or
in 8.117 of the evidence which night be addressed to them

that day to lead the minds of the jury to that conclusion,
they would abandon it. He thought he had stated enough
to load their minds to the conclusion that Mr. Dunn, at
the time he swore his affidavit before the Commissioners of
Bankruptcy, was aware of its being false, and, if that were
so, ho apprehended the only course open for the jury to
pusue was to tlnd him guilty of the perjury charged in the
indictment.
_ _

The following evidence was then adduced :
Mr. Iron produced the affidavit made by the defendant in
the Court of Bankruptcy- on the 30th of Alarch, 1846.
M. Edwards, Usher of the Court of Bankruptcy. stated
that he administered the oath to the defendant. He was
not certain whether the Court was sitting at the time, but it
was tl.e custom to administer the oath when the registrar
was there.

. Mr.:. F. Miller, the registrar of the Court of Bank-
ruptcy, stated that the affidavit of the 30th of March was
sworn be:ore him, on the authority of the sth and 6th of
♦ictoria, e. 122, s. 67. The Court, he believed, was not sitting
at the time.

Mr. C. Humphreys, solicitor for the prosecution, stated
that the signature to the affidavit was in the handwriting of
Mr. Dunn, and also the body of the affidavit. The only
means which he had of knowing that it was so was from the
letters which he had received from Mr. Dunn.
Mr. Dunn—lf you come to that conclusion from that cir-
cumstance, world yon think it an extraordinary stretch of
pagination if I came to the same conclusion with regard to
other persons? Mr. Humphreys—l can only answer for •
myself.
Mr. Bailey, clerk to Mr. Justice Patte.son, producel the
affidavit on the Nth of June to remove the proceedings into
this Court by certiorari; there was no affidavit tiled in
answer to it, alfaough the proceedings were adjourned fur
three or four days.
Mr. Fisher, clerk to Mr. Justice Wightman, stated that he
administered the oath on that affidavit to the defendant.
Mr. Humphreys being recalled, said that the handwriting
in the body of the affidavit produced, and the signature to it,
were those of the defendant. (The documents referred to in
the opening speech of Sir F. Thesiger were here put in.)
Cross-examined by Mr. Dunn—l have been solicitor to
Miss Burdett Courts since 1838, and during that, period have
been engaged for her in other matters besides the prosecu-
tions against you.
Mr. Dunn—lt has teen a very lucrative business for you,
Mr. Humphreys.—( Laughter.) Pray, how many prosecu-
tions have you had against ins? Mr. Humphreys—l think
four. The first was at Harrogate, upon which you were sent
to York Castle ; the second at Bow-street, before Sir F. Roe,
upon which you were imprisoned in Tothill-fields Prison.
Mr. Dunn—Well, the third ?—(Laughter.)
Mr. Humphreys—The third was in Middlesex, and the
fourth was that now before the Court ; upon ono of these oc-
casions, before Lord Denman, you were discharged.
Mr. Dunn—Do you believe his Lordship would have dia..
charged me if he thought Miss B. Coutts was in danger of
bodily harm from me?
Mr. Humphreys hesitated.
Mr. Dunn—Come, come, Mr. Humphreys, don't be afraid;
his Lordship will not be vexed with you.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Humphreys—l cannot tell what passed in his Lord-
ship's mind. (Several letters were produced by Mr. Dunn
to the witness, which he declared not to be in Miss Burdett
Coutts's handwriting )
Mr. Miller produced the schedule filed by the defendant in
1845, in the Court of Bankruptcy, in which there was no
statement of any debt due to him from Miss Coutts
Mr. Jarman, clerk to Mr. Humphreys, stated, that on the
20th of March, 1846, he delivered to Mr. Dunn Mr. Hum-
phreys's reply to his letter of the 19th. Mr. Dunn tore it in
pieces, and said, " D— the letter, that is no answer." The
witness picked up the pieces, arid haying put them together
he now produced the letter in court.
The affidavits referred to in Sir F. Thesiger's speech hav-
ing been handed in,
Miss Angela Burdett Coutts was sworn, on the bench, and
gave the following evidence:-1 reside at No. 1, Stratton-
street, Piccadilly, and ens a partner in the house of Messrs.
Coutts and Co. 1 received the letters now put into my hands,
and dated the 13th and 23d of January, 1846, from that per.
son (Mr. Dunn).
Sir F. THESIGER—Did you ever give an authority to the
defendant to draw on your banking-house? Miss Burdett
Coutts—Certainly not. Nor am I indebted to bins in any.
way.
Sir. F. TnEseGER (handing to Miss Coutts the doggrel
verses upon which the defendant rested his authority to
draw on the bank)—Did vou ever write that ? Miss Bur-
dett Coutts—l did not. I never wrote any letter to this
person.
Mr. Dunn—Did you ever receive two letters from me, of
which these are copies?
Sir F. Tnesicasit—l object to this line of examination. I
protest against your puttit,g in copies of letters.
Mr. Dunn—t want to show that Miss Coutts received let-
ters from me, of which these are copies.
Miss Burdett Coutts (addressing herself to the jury)—l re-
ceived a great many letters from this person.
Mr. Dunn—Did you receive two letters from me, when you
were staying at the Queen's Hotel, Harrogate? Miss Bur-
dett Coutts-1 received two letters from a stranger, signed
with this person's name.
Mr. Dunn—What did you do with them?
Mien Burdett Coutts-1 tore them up, and threw them
away amongst other waste paper.—(Great laughter.)
Mr. Dunn—Did you make any communication to Mr.
Marjoribanks about me?
Miss Burdett Coutts—l consulted him as a friend, and re-
quested bins to rid me from the annoyance I was under from
this person's conduct.
Lord DENMAN—HOW do you mean to apply this evidence?
Nlr. Dunn—l mean to show that the two letters to which I
have referred were in existence when I wrote to Mr. Mar-
joribanks, requesting that they might be returned, and that
Miss Coutts refused to give them up. If I prove that, do I
not raise the question that I had a right to presume they
were retained from regard to the writer?—(Great laughter.)
I may be laughed at by the Court, but 1 think this is a ju,t
as,umption.
Lord Des:mast—l don't sea how what took place at Harro-
gate can apply to this case.
Mr. Dunn (to the witness)—'Pill you have any objection
to write the authority for me that I have shown you ?—( Loud
laughter, which lasted for some time, and at the dose of
which Mr. Dunn most composedly repeated his request, to
the great amazement of Miss Coutts and every one who
heard him.)
Sir F. TIIIISIGSIt—ReaIIy this is a most novel request.
Mr. Dunn—l wily wish the lady to do so for the satisfac-
tion of the jury relative to her handwriting.
Miss Burdett Coutts—l have no objection to do so, if the
jury or his Lordship wish it.
The jury unanimously replied—No, no.
Sir F. falissioarit-1 am your counsel, Miss Coutte, and I
must beg you will not do so.
Mr. Dunn—What did you do with the letters you received
from me?
S
Miss Burdett Coutts—l sent them all to my solicitor; he
had general instructions to take the necessary steps to rid
me of the annoyance which I was receiving from this per-
son, I did nut read all the letters which I received from
repudiate the authority
this person ; for, when ascertained them to be from hint, I
r.O
forwardedsuanittidelh
repeated
latrdo.
riell received
ranett.p3r
m you to draw on your bank ?
Humphreys,
to times the following question :
M
D which
eYt unopened.
1 cannot say that I did. I repeat, that I gave him general
instructions to take the necessary steps.
Mr. Dunn—Don't you think now, as a lady,
that my let-
ter to Mr. Marjoribanks was one that required an answer?
S;r F. TitEslGEs—That depends very much upon the per-.
:son who wrote it.—(Laughter.)
blr'
Dunn—l think you had better get into the witness-
box at once, Sir Frederick.—(Much laughter.) LTo the
witness]—How
stlrouncg tiodid you wait before giving Mr.
ns
to
prosecute me? Miss Burdett
Coutts— gave no instructions respecting an indictment; my
instructions were general.
Mr. Dunn then aske4 Miss Coutts her opinion as to the
handwriting of several persons in letters which he produced;
and n
of which he asked her to speak to.
At this last question, which was put by the defendant in
the most unfeeling manner, and amidst the disgust of the
;whole court, Miss Coutts became much agitated, and, after
!struggling for a minute or two to conceal her emotion, drew
.att7tg these
e handwriting
Burdett, was oneee from her late father, Sir Francis
'down' her veil to conceal her tears.
Lord Deristau turned with great indignation of manner
towards the defendant, and said to him, " Your conduct,
Sir, is extremely improper."
Mr. Dunn thereupon gate up his
sat down.
Edward Marjoribauks was then called, and said—l am
one of the partners in Coutts's bank. I received a letter by
the post from Mr. Dunn on the 13th of January, 1846, stating
that he had authority from Miss Coutts to draw on the bank
for such a suns as should be a compensation to him for the
injuries he had received from her. Mr. Dunn afterwards
called on me. Ile produced several papers. I said Miss
Coutts's order was the paper alone I wished to see. Ile then
produced some doggrel hues. I expressed some surprise he
should produce such a document, but stud I could assure him
it was not Miss Coutts's handwriting, and I called in Mr.
Robinson, who stated the same fact. On the 20th of March,
1846, another letter came from Mr. Dunn, stating that he
should place the matter under the bankrupt laws, and asking
Miss Coutts's address.
t
Mr. Dunn wished to put in a letter, dated in 1838, urging
if it led to show that he had been deluded, he bad a
right to put it in.
Lord DeNmAN considered it could not be read.
Mr. Duen—What do you do if forged cheques are pre-
sented. Witness-1 can tell you what we do not do; we do
nut pay them. If ar. order was presented for which there
was no authority, I should ask the party to leave the bank
as soon as he could. I should not give bins into custody,
Mr. Dunn was putting a great many irrelevant questions,
whim
Lord DENMAN 101(1 him be was wasting a great deal of
time in putting questions which bad nothing to do with the
matter.
Wi ness—l recollect seeing you a second time, when Sir
Edmond Antrohus was present. I never saw your bill.
Mr. Robinson, one of the clerks in Coutts's bank, said—l
was resent when the defendant had the conversation with Mr.
Marjoribanks. I told him the lines were not in Miss Coutts's
handwriting.
p
Cross-examined—l do not think you said that you be-
lieved the authority to be genuine, and that you should act
upon it. Miss Coutts has not a private clerk in the bank.
Sir Edmund Antrobus—l saw Mr. Dunn when he came
with an order for money.
He produced
drawn by himself on the account of Miss Coutte, and which
was as follows: a draft for 100,0004,

dion, and

" London, March 4, 1846.
" Gentlemen,—Pay myself, or order, the sum of one hun-
dred thousand pounds.
u RICHARD DUNN,
" Bs' the authority of Miss Coutts.
" Messrs. Coutts and Co., 59, Strand."
I. told him we had no authority. lie then produced some
lines, which I told him were not in the handwriting of Miss
Ccutts, and therefore could be no authority. Mr. Ingleback
confirmed what I had stated.
Cross-examined—This is not the order you presented to
tts.

Mr. Dunn—By the living God I had no other.
Witness—The draft you presented was on a small strip of
paper, and not, as this is, on a sheet of letter-paper.
I did not say, " Get Miss Coutts's cheque and we will
pay it." Miss Coutts has no private clerk in the bank. If
you had signed Miss Loutta's name we should have pro-
ceeded against you. You ought to know best whether it is
a fraud to sign by the authority of another. I suppose en-
deavouring to obtain money by false pretences is a crime.
Mr. Dunn—Why
Wit did you not send me to Bow-street?
ness—biecause we were too lenient with you.
Edward Ingleback—l am a clerk in the bank. The de-
fendant asked me if I attended to 'Miss Coutts's business.
I asked him what it was about. lie said he had a draft
to present for payment. Knowing him, I took him into a
private room, and he presented a draft for 100,000/. I took
it to Sir Edmund Antrobus, who told him that was no
authority to pay money upon. The defendant said he had
an authority, and produced something, and the deflidant
was told that it was not in the writing of Miss Coutts. A
little altercation took place, and Mr. Marjoribanks came into
the room and told him he bad had an answer to his applies.
Lion, ~nd desired him to leave the house.
Cro:s-examined—This certainly is not the draft you pro•
duced at that time. It was the same in substance; but it is
not on the same paper. You told him something to the
effect that you wished to take further proceediugs upon it,

You pressed Sir Edmond Antrobus to mink the dishonour on
the face of the bill, but he refused to do so.
This closed the CasE., for the prosecution.
Mr. Dunn then addressed the jury—They had been told
that he was placed in a most painful position ; he admitted,
to the fullest extent, most of the observations the Learned
Counsel had made, and he thanked him for not denying to
him what God Almighty had given him—a sound intelli-
gence. Whatever he had done, he was: ready to stand or
fall by it, pleading no excuse, either from the want of
ciency of judgment or of intellect. If he could have had his
choioe he should have been defended by sonic learned counsel,
whose calm discretion would have been exerted in this pain-
ful task, but it was unnecessary for bins to tell them the cir-
cumstances that compelled hit-n
to defend himself before the
God whom he called to witness his oath, and before Hie de-
puty, the judge who now presided, and before the jury, to
vindicate and justify, to the best of his belief, the step that
he had taken. They had now heard the evidence in support
of the prosecution, and to constitute perjury the oath must
be false to the knowledge of the party making it ; it must
be done with a fraudulent and wicked intention—it was
only upon their being satisfid, not merely that the docu.
ment was not the lady's handwriting, but that he knew it to
be a fabricated instrument, that they could come to the con-
clusion that he was guilty of the crime laid to his charge.
If a man made a mistake it was not perjury. tie might
have mistaken the handwriting of the authority, and mistakee
even of gree,er matters hael occurred, and would occur to
the end of rims, t,etween men of as sound judgment as ever
sat upon that. bench. Tie am hority upon which he acted
cense to him through the post-office, and it was signed
A. B. C." Considering that his letters might be inter-
cepted or refused, he had taken the precaution of getting
Captain Sutherland to write the direction upon the answer
he returned to ir. Every single letter admitted the receipt
of a letter in reply from 'inn. Could he, were he kneeling at
the foot of the Throne befOre which he must one day appear,
entertain any doubt., any reasonable doubt, that those letters
came from Miss Burdett Coutts ? Ilis letters were put in the
post, and by the post he received replies to them. It was a
hard thing to assert that Miss Courts would practise such a
diabolical fraud upon him. He would not go the length of
saying that she had done so, but he would prove that he
neither knew, directly nor indirectly, Miss Coutts's hand-
writing, nor did he know that those letters came from any
other party than the one to whom he bad written in reply.
He would ask, then, would any man amongst them, if
he received a letter from a party and answered it,
and got another letter book, and so on for four
betters--would they, as rational men, doubt that they were
genuine letters? The conduct of this lady was such es to
lead his mind to the conclusion that she was under restraint,
and Mr. Marjoribanks was the party who stood between him
and this most unhappy lady—fOr unhappy she was in every
way, so far as he could learn.—(Shouts of laughter.) They
might laagh, but it was no laughing matter for him ; it was
a serious anel grave imputation—that of having been wickedly
led into making an affidavit, which he had done, supposing
the authority to be genuine. He had shown the authority
to several persons, and they had all told hint that they be-
lieved it to be in the handwriting of Miss Coutts. This lady
hat exhibited articles of the peace against him, and bad de-
clared that she believed her life to be in danger ; and yet,
npon this the judges had discharged him. What reliance
could they now place on the oath of a party when the
judges had discharged him from prison, where he had been
sent upon articles of the peace? \V as not Miss Coutts bound,
as a decent woman, as a lady, as a Christian, to tell him that
these letters were not its her handwriting, and that
he was under a deception? Would it have degraded her in
her dignity—would it have lowered her rank—would it have
been anything but common decency or common humanity to
have saidto Humphreys, who was snapping at every opportu-
nity for 6s. Bd., to have said to him," Go and see Mr. Dunn ; I
don't think he will take your lite ; assure him I have not
written any letter to him ?" Had that been dune ? Did
they supprise that if he posted letters Miss Coutts did not
receive them ? And if the case stood upon that basis alone
he would ask this simple question,—had not Miss Coutts,
if she received them, and the answers were not hers, com-
mitted upon him as gross, as wicked, and as unjustitiable a
fraud as had ever been committed upon man ? The first
letter which he had received from Miss Coutts in the
Fleet Prison was not so ridiculous as Sir F. Thesiger
wished to make it appear. The commencement of it, which
would perhaps be sufficient, ran thus :
"Art thou not dear unto my heart ?
Oh, search that heart and see,
And from my bosom tear the part
Which beats not true to thee."

If slay one strove to play a trick upon him, the fact that the
letters were addressed by a strange hand, which he was able
to establish, would be suflicieot to prove that intention. Who-
ever played such a trick must have had access to his letters.
His Lordship told him that he must not go into tie orOn
of the case, as the present inquiry was not connected with
it. He, however, certainly did tWilk it was, and he would
submit with all respect to the Noble and Learned Lord,
that the whole conduct of a party who did strange thing., or
who was alleged to do strange things, ought to be calmly a.:;(1
dispaasionately viewed, betore the last act of the comedy
which Miss Coutts seemed to think it necessary to pay at
his expense was consummated; and he thought that what
she did when he first had the misfortune to meet her—what
she did when he said, " Hand me back my letters, and I will
retire from your presence for ever," had very much the ap-
pearance of casting out an anchor to catch a man.—(Laugh-
ter. ) She was bound to have said to him, if she desired to
rid herself of hitp as an annoyance, "Sir, there is yoar trash ;
take it, and go home to your owa country; I do not want it."
—(Great laughter.) Mr. Dunn here entered into a long and
rambling defence of himself, in the course of which he
assailed the evidence of Miss Coutts, Mr. Marjoribanks, Sir
E. Antrobus, and the other witnesses called for the prose-
cution. lie declared it to be still his firm belief that the
authority on which he acted was a good authority in point of
law, and he suggested, as a reason why Miss Coutts should
grant that authority, her compunction at the persecution he
had met with from her. The doggrel verses in which the
authority was conveyed be explained as originating in a de-
sire on the part of the prosecutrix to play fast and loose with
bhn. After a very long speech, the greater part of which
was spoken in a moderate tone of voice, he concluded by
imploring the jury, as they valued their own honour, to pro-
tect hie.

The fig lowing evidence was then given for the defence:—
Sarah North—l was your servant in 1842 and 1843 in the
Fleet Prison. I know these two letters perfectly well. I
received them at your door in the prison from the post car-
rier, and gave them to you. I received three or four of
them • one was a valentine. I recollect you sending replies,
and them;
Sutherland directed them, and von told me to
post them in Piccadilly, that it might not lie known where
they ewe from. I did so. They were addressed to Miss
Coutts, I, Stratton-street, Piccadilly. I lived with you in
the Queen's Prison also. I dare say I posted three or tour
letters for you in 1812.
Cross-examined—One of the letters was a valentine. Mr.
Dunn used to show me his letters. I have heard him tell
Captain Sutherland about the letters.
Mary Turner—l called upon you at the Fleet, and you
asked me to post a letter, in 1842. I think I posted one to
Miss Coutts. It was directed by Captain Sutherland.
David Law—l am an accountant. I recollect your inter-
view with Wells in January or February, 1846, when two
letters were produced, purporting to have been written by
Miss Coutts to Lord James Stewart.

Nathaniel Wells—l showed you two letters, purporting to
have been written by Miss Coutts, to satisfy you that the
letters you bad were not in the handwriting of Miss Coutts.
I beg to state that the moment I produced the letters I
had Mr. Dunn said that those letters were not hers. The
opinion I formed was, that there was such a similarity in
the writing as there is between those of ladies who have
been taught by the same sort of master. My impression
was, that your letters were not in the writing of Miss Coutts,
and I have told you so from time to time. You told mr
you should subpoena me, and I told you I did nut wish to
appear, for I should be a witness against you. I said I had
seen Miss Coutts sign one of the letters I had, which, how-
ever, was untrue, but 1 did so to prevent further annoyance.
Mr. Dunn wished to recall Mr. Las:, to give a different
account of what took place.
Mr. I, lw was recalled—Wells sail that lie could prove the
letters to Lord Stewart to be the writing of Miss Coutts, and
lie then looked at your letters, and said there was a great
similarity; and upon being asked by you if lie was called as
a witness what he would state, he said he would swear he
believed them to be in the writing of Miss Coutts
Cross-examined--My acquaintance with Mr. Dunn has
been for seven or eight years, on very intimate terms. I
visited him twice at the Fleet and once at the Bench.
John Smith—l was post-master in the Queen's Prison.
These letters Caine through the Post-office.
Sir F. THESIGER replied at some length, pointing out the
inconsistency of the defendant's speech, and the strong ad-
ditional reasons which that and the evidence supplied for
regarding his whole conduct as a deeply-laid scheme to ex-
tort money from Miss Coutts.
Lord DENMAN summed up the case. First, the jury had
to say whether it was the intention of the defendant to make
Miss Coutts a bankrupt, 23 that was laid in the indictment.
The rest of the indictment imputed to the defendant that he
falsely swore to those verses being the composition of Miss
Coutts. That the oath was false, he (Lord Denman) took
to be completely proved, and the only question was as to the
defendant's knowledge of its untruth.
The jury at once rwurned a verdict of Guilty.
The defendant took some formal objection to the indict-
ment, which we did not distinctly catch, but which we un-
derstood to be that it had undergone material alteration.
Lord DENMAN having refused to sustain the objection,
Sir F. THESSGER prayed fur the judgment of the Court; and
Lord DEarstAN, in a tone of great severity, and amidst the
moat profound silence, said--Richard Dunn, you have been
convicted upon the clearest evidence of a must base and
malignant act, founded on the most corrupt motives, and
tending to the persecution of an individual who appears to
be in the highest degree entitled to respect, and evidently
incapable of doing that which you have imputed to her by
this affidavit; because, if there was nothing but the appear-
ance of the paper itself, no man in the possession of his
senses could doubt that Miss Coutts never wrote that paper.
I cannot entertain the smallest doubt that that paper was
fabricated by yourself.
Mr. Dunn exclaimed— As I stand before Almighty God,
my Maker, I never did nor do I know whom it came from.
May I never enter into the kingdom of God if I know who
wrote it.—(Great sensation.)
thating sauchperhsoornridconieavicptreedcatoiofnpse.
Lord DEsrattar—lt is very shocking to hear a man
mustutter-
rjuiryl'utdo3e'osunot
obtain remember
credit for what he says.
Mr. Dunn—l know that; but—
LordAN DENM (with increas, d emphasis)—Nobody can
doubt but that you have done it yourself; or put somebody tod oit for you. You had no ground f it
or supposingwashers.
You have constantly persecuted her. I cannot forget what
I particularly know. Although legal defects may have
prevented your continuing in confinement, I cannot
forget the facts that were brought before us, and the
deep regret with which the judges of the land felt them-
selves bound to deprive that lady of the protection of the
law. That matter has been long before the public, and
has gained a disgusting sort of familiarity. A person
during the course of eight years, from some absurd
imagination and perverted judgment, but also from
most corrupt feeling throughout towards a pecuniary ob-
ject, seeks to persecute an individual by legal instrumentality.
This conduct no one throughout the country can think of
without some degree of shame. I hope we shall eradicate it,
and, in the present instance, I think it is most. desirable that
the !sentence should be immediately passed. I have doubted
whether it was not my duty to pronounce sentence of trans-
portation, but upon coa-iideration, and particularly with
respect to the feeling of the public mind with regard to that
punishment, I shall pronounce a sentence of imprisonment;
bat that must be severe. The sentence is, that you be im-
prisoned for eighteen months in the Queen's Prison, and give
securities at the end of that time, yourself in 1001., and two
sureties in 50/. each, for two years, and that you be then
imprisoned until those sureties be entered into.
The tipstaff instantly removed Mr. Dunn from the Court.
(Sittings at Guildhall.)
The Court, yesterday, after trying two cases of minor in-
terest, adjourced until the next City sittings, after Easter I
Term.