The Sun.
London, England, 1824-11-20 00:00:00

G lt E E C E.

M IRMO MGHI, OCT. 2.—After .baling sup-
reined the faction which dared to disregard
the authority of the laws, the Greek Govern-
ment has published the following act of am-
nesty :•--
" According to the 988th decree of our august Senate, the
Executive Council has ordained and ordains as tUllows:—

" Art. -1. A general amnesty is granted to all those who have
taken part in the disorders against the internal safety of the
State, provided that they submit themselves forthwith to the
laws and conform to the orders of Government.

"2. Those who, in pursuance of preceding decrees, have
' been declared degradedlrom the Executive Council, from the
Legislative Senate, or any Ministerial office, and those who
have taken part in the deliberations of the refractory Council
held at Tripolizza, shall also participate in this amnesty, but
they are to be excluded from those dignities, as also from every
other employment of rank, during this second period of Go-
vernment, and during the whole of that which is to succeed it.
The present Decree shall be published in all.the provinces
of.the State, anti read in all the Churches.
(Signed) The President, CONDURIOTIS,
The Members of the ,Executive Council, BOTASIS,
COLET IS,
S PI LIOTAKIS.
The Secretary of State, Et 110 DIOS.
The. General Secretary of the Interior, MARA KIS.

" Nauplia, July 14, 111114."
For the purpose of favouring the commerce of
neutral flngs in these seas, the Greek Govern-
ment has issued the following pecree :---
".The Greek nation has taken up arms only for the purpose
of reconguering its existence and political independence, and to
re-establish in its bosom the civilization in which.the people re-
joice, with which they desire to maintain relations of friendship
and commerce. The Government has heard with respect the
complaints .of some vessels belonging to Foreign Powers,
against sonic of our corsairs. The complainants state that the
latter have unjustly molested them against our instructions and
orders, and against the principles of neutrality, and have thus
deprived them of the benefits attached to commerce, which
should not have been diverted from its natural course.
" Desirous of preventing every inconvenience of -this kind,
the Government informs all privateers of the Greek seas, that
should any one unjustly attack the commerce of neutrals, not
only will they meet with no protection, but shall be severely
punished.

" Although the deplorable state of the war requires the pre-
sence of corsairs to deprive the enemy of all means of resist-
ance, our privateers should, nevertheless, be provided with let-
ters of marque and instructions from Government. Those who
are not possessed of such letters will be punished.
(Signed) The President, G. CONDURIOTIS,
The Secretary of State, R. RIIODIOS.
" Nauplia, Aug. 2U." (('reek Chronicle.)

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH.—(Tins DAY.)
GAMBLING HOUSES.
THE SING v. JOiIIAIT TAYLOR.

The defendant in this case was indicted for
keeping a common gambling-house in the parish
of St. James's.

Mr. CHITTY now prayed for final judgment
against him. The defendant, it appeared, in-
stead of pleading not guilty, had put in a plea of
abatement, which was his having been previously
indicted for the same offence, and that plea not
:having been allowed by the Court, the defendant
had applied to withdraw his special plea and
enter his plea of" Not Guilty." Ile (Mr. Chitty)
now contended, that us the defendant's plea in
bar of the indictment was bad, the defendant must
be taken to have acknowledged his guilt, be-
cause he had neglected to plead Not Guilty.
The LORD Cul5F JUSTICE observed, although
the Court had rejected the plea in bar, to which
there was a demurrer, the Court could not per.
mit the defendant to put the plea of not guilty on
the record, until the demurrer should have been
argued.
Mr. BRODERICK then addressed their Lord-
ships at some length in support of the defendant's
application.

Mr. CHITTY replied.
The COURT consulted together for a few
minutes, when the Lase Cniur JUSTICE said
they would take time to consider judgment.

[PROCEEDINGS OF YESTERDAY.]
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Nov. 19.
IMPORTANT DECISION REGARDING STOLEN BILLS

OP EXCHANGE.
GILT. L. CUNITT AND ANOTHER.

This was an action on a bill of exchange for 711. odd, of
which the defendants were acceptors. The cause was tried at
the last Guildhall Sittings, and the Jury found a verdict for
the defendants. The following were the circumstances of the
case :—The bill was generally endorsed by the drawers, and
was by their clerk forwarded, together with two other bills and
a letter enclosed in a parcel, addressed to certain persons at
Birmingham. The parcel duly arrived there, but the bills had
been stolen out of it; the delivery of the parcel, containing
the bills, at the Green Man and Still, Oxford-street, was
proved, as was also its arrival at Birmingham, with the bills
extracted from it. The account of the way in which the pre-
sent bill came into the plaintiff's possession was proved as fol-
lows:—The plaintiff's clerk swore that a person, whose face
he knew, called at the plaintiff's counting-house, No. 42,
Lombard-street (the plaintiff being a very extensive bill.
broker), two days after the date of the bill, presented it to
the witness, anti asked to have it discounted ; the witness re.
plied, that he could not do so, not knowing the parties; the
person said, that he had frequently had bills done for him
there before, and would leave the present one, in order that
the respectability of the parties might be inquired into. In
the course of two hours he returned, and the witness having
made the necessary inquiries, gave the person the amount of
the bill, with the exception of the discount and two shillings
commission. Upon the 4'itness asking this person to endorse
the bill, he wrote upon the back of it " Charles Taylor." The
wi ness did not ask the person his address, presuming that as
he said he had previous dealings with the plaintiff, that his
address would be found in their books. The Lord Chief Jus-
tice in putting the case to the Jury, observed, that the plaintiff
had not exercised due caution in the transaction ; and asked
them what they would think of a man who might post a pla-
card on the Royal Exchange, saying bills discounted here,
provided the parties are respectable, without any inquiry as to
whom the party is that brings them ; would not they say that
such a place was a complete convenience or facility for dispos-
ing of stolen property. The Jury, under this impression,
found for the defendants. _ _

11r. GURNEY, on a former day, obtained a rule Nisi for set-
ting aide this verdict, on the ground that the Learned Judge
had put the case in too strong ft manner to the Jury, and that
the verdict was contrary to the law which had always previously
been laid down.

Mr. SCARLETT new showed cause against the rule. contend.
inas
atgri
nhotel.coaki a..
ttneotrlizi
nee
ov
cfewir verdict
he ic fact
tiri
oiviiet
was asve-Aildotiectiatojulocdg
at
In,
at
kiaal
ignanatdgi
an
spptoughtrarorrtpryee
rywnahioi
niotegittiel oicrti
ieveaedas des.
at to
tu
how he got it, and the note turned out to have been lost, was
declared liable for the amount to the persons whose real pro-
perty it was. He contended that in this case due caution had
not been exercised by the party discounting the bill—that the
plaintiff had therefore discounted it at his own peril, and that
the finding of the Jury was correct.
Mr. fitinNEY, for the plaintiff; said the question of due cau-
tion cut both ways ; if the party transmitting this bill to 111
minghem had exercised due caution by especially endorsing
the bill, instead of putting a general endorsement on it, which
made it nearly the same as payable to the bearer, this bill
could not have been negotiated. In the case of " Lawson v.
Weston," tried before Lord Kenyon, which was the case of a
bill discounted precisely under similar circumstances as the
present, that Learned Judge had said, that if he was to decide
against the plaintiff's right to recover, it would be a decision
that would have the effect of paralysing the circulation of all
the paper of the country, and with it all its commerce; he
contended that if a party discounting a bill acted bona fide in
so doing, he had a right to recover. A person giving full value
for property, however, it might have been obtained by the
party who sold it, had a right to maintain that property against
all the world ; the case of Lawson v. Weston had decided this
to be law, and that law ought not now, for the first time, to be
disturbed. The verdict was, therefore, against law, and the
plaintiff had a right tea new trial.
Mr. F. PoLLocit followed at great length on the same side.
The Loan CuiEr JUSTICE would bow to no man in point
of the extent of his reverence for Lord Kenyon, all who knew
him knew this was the sentiment of his heart but he thought
that if Lord Kenyon had anticipated the effect of the decision
that he gave in Lawson v. Weston, he never would have de-
cided it in the way he did. tie (the Lord Chief Justice) felt
firmly of opinion that the recent numerous and extensive rob-
beries of stage coaches of bankers' parcels were in a great
measure to be attributed to that decision ; the facility which
the law gave to persons recovering the value of property for
which they had given actual value, although that property
had been stolen, emboldened many persons to steal that de-
scription of property which otherwise they would- not do.—
The whole ground upon which this action could be main-
tained by the plaintiffs was, that the transfer of the bill
in them was bona fide. Now lie considered that the exercise of
due caution in such a case was part and parcel of that bona
fide, and he thought it high time that the world should know
that the policy of the decision in Lawson v. Weston, was
doubted; he thought the present case was matter for a Jury,
they had exercised their discretion, and in his opinion decided
properly, and the verdict otight not to be disturbed. The pre.
sent decisibn of the Court, lie ib ought, would rather strengthen
public confidence in papeirefeenty than tend- to injure or curbi
its circulation.
Mr. Justice BAYLEY anallr. Justice Hor.itoYri severally
delivered their opinions at greatlength ; they thought the cir-
cumstances of the present case justified the strong taugulge
in
which the Lord Chief Justice had put it to the Jury, and that
resent du the
the maxim of law laid down was perfectly suited to the circum.
stances of the present age.
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE not being P ring
whole of the argument, did not deliver any opinion.
The rule for a new trial was accordingly discharged.
CRIMINAL INFORNIATION.
TIIEIEI24'O, on the PROSECUTION Da.
on Dr. Baird, a
Mr. ALDERSON moved fur a rule, it v. Dn. DAiRD.
physician of Ipswich. to show cause why
lion should not be exhibited against him. langeriminal informa.
Remade this appli.
cation at the instance of Dr. Beck,
h sician in the same
_place. Some
ago, begun to practice as a physician
rumours were circulated about the town that Dr.
Beck was not
who had, about three
_ months
duly qualified to practice as
in a provincial paper,
which he thought it right to announce,
University of
a physician ,; in 'consequence of
that he was a Bachelor of medicine of the Cain.
bridge, and to publish the-opinion of a high .authority
o this an-
nouncement on the
subject, that he was as such, qualified to practice. _ T
nounceinent he added a query, whether a :scotch diploma audio-
sized a medical man to practice in the country without a certifi.
' cote from the College of Physicians ? Dr. Baird imagined this
query to be aimed at himself, and sent to ask Dr. Beck whether
he was the author of the paragraph ? Dr. Beck replied, that
before he answered this question he was entitled to know whe.
ther Dr. Baird was the author of the rumours which had
occasioned the paragraph. Dr. Baird, on this, demanded the
name of the person or persons who,luidxharged him with circu.
lating such rumours. Dr. Beck made answer, that there were two
gentlemen who had mentioned him as giving them currency,
and that he would disclose their narnes.it.they would give hun

permission. He did afterwards, with the consent of the party,
communicate the name of one of them; but Dr. Baird insist-
ed also on receiving the name of the other before 10 the next
morning. Dr. Beck immediately wrote to the party in ques-
tion ; but in consequence of his absence from home, did not
receive his answer till a quarter after 12, when he sent the
name. Just after Otis, he received a letter from Dr. Baird,
charging him with having told an atrocious falsehood, and
stating that in future he should consider him as having for-
feited his claim to the character of a gentleman. This was
followed up by a placard, in the band-writing -.4#* Dr. Baird,
posting Dr. Beck in the coffee-room of a club for which he was
then proposed as a member, and hung immediately under his
name.
The COURT granted a rule to show cause.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Nov. 19.
(Sittings in Banco.)
BRIGGS V. 110W111%

This was an action for assault and false imprisonment, tried
at last Bristol assizes. There were three counts in the declara-
tion : the first and second for the assault and battery, and the
third for the false imprisonment. The jury gave a verdict ge-
nerally for 40s. damages, and the Lord Chief Justice ABBOTT
certified, to prevent the plaintiff from getting coats.
Mr. Sergeant PELL now applied to the Court on behalf of
the plaintiff; and submitted that as there was a separate count
for false imprisonment, the certificate of the Judge could not
extend to that.

The Coua'r held that there was no ground for such an ap-
plication as the present. Such a decision as that now sought
was wholly without precedent.
The Learned Sergeant took nothing by his motion.

CONSISTORY COURT, Nov. 19.
DAVIS AND DAVIS.

In this case, which was one of a separation and divorce pro.
moted by the wife against the husband, who is a tavern-keeper
in Threadneedle-street, and has met it by a counter-charge,
there was a long discussion about an allotment of alimony to
the wife, which terminated in an allotment to her of 641/. per
annum.