The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-23 00:00:00

COMMON PLEAS.-(THIS DAY.)

(Sittings in !.;:,!:n nt Prius).,

BAKER V. SOMERS.

Ia this action, for hr.acl:(ifcjrtract, which vras exp-7n_
tcd to occupy the whole day, a verdict for the plaintiff, in
3:01. damages sot jest to a raferenu, WAS taken by eons: Lt.

SMITH V. H&WKINS.

This action was brought upon two bills of exchange,
one for 721., upon which there was no defence, and the
otlicr for 159/ , apinst which it was act up in defence
that the plaintiff had, withaut cons( nt of the defend:int,
who was drawer (1 the bill, given time for payment after
it wai due, to the acceptor, Wedderburn. It appeared in
evidence that several other transactions had passed between
We her urn a:,d the plaintiff, in which the former became,
on the whole, in.!ehted to the latter, in January, 1839, to
the amount of 1,29-1/ For this entire sum Wedderburti
accep•ei a bill of exchange, and he now swears,
••ti behalf of the defendant that the 'bill of
130/. in question,
was included in the sum Covered
by the new Lill. He also states Oat-the arrangement was
positively against the wishes of Hawkins. Other -wit-
nesses however stated that there was an understanding
between the parties to leave the rook, bill in the hands •t
to cover other separate transactions between him
at,d the defendants.

The jury having consulted for a quarter of an hour in
the box, said that they were " undecided," and accou dingly
retired. In an hour they returned a verdict for the
plaintiff.

CURIOUS INCIDENT. NiANLY V SHAW.
This was an undefended action upon a bill of exchange
for 251 dated in 1833. The hand-writing having been
proved, and the bill handed to the jury, a juror named
Al 6 Hugh, one of the die sinkers to the Mint, pronounced
the stamp to be a forgery. Ho added that there
had been of late years, and were at present a great
number of forged stamps "afi,Jat" and that such paper of
the nominal valuo of 1,500/. had been seized in the pos-
session of a respectable tradesman not far from this place
(Guildhall).
Mr. JARVIS, for the plaintiff, said. that this was no
material objection to a verdict for the plaintiff, as the cic-
fndant did not appear.
The LORD CHIEF JusTice thought otherwise. The
bill must go to the Jury, and if they found tde bill to be
worthless, a verdict could not go for the plaintiff. His
Lordship asked if Mr. Jarvis was not prepared to prove
the validity of the stamp as well as the handwriting of the
acceptor?
Mr. JARVIS said he was quite taken by surprise, and of
course not anticipating such an objection, was unprepared
with any evidence such as his Lordship required.
The Loan CHIEF RIsTICE than said he must swear the
Juror as a witness, but that gentleman having, after mite',
hesitation, declined to take a second oath, being already
sworn as a Juror, the case was put to the Jury as at first,
and a verdict found for the plaintiff, with interest and costs.
In the next case, which was also an undefended action.
on a bill of exchange, Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD,. for the
plaint ff, challenged Mr. M‘Hugh.—( A- laugh:)
The Loan CHIEF Justus—He knows too much fur
you. A laugh.)
That gentleman accordingly withdrew.
This being the last day of the sittings several unde-
fended causes arc being disposed of.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

(THIS DAY.)

THE lIGN. MRS. NORTON —At the commencement of
business this morning, Mr. DYER being the presiding Ma-
gistrate, the Hon. Mrs. Norton, accompanied by her
uncle, took their seats on the Bench, for the purpose of
preferring a charge against a person who stiles himself
Captain Edmund Pearce, for being found loitering in and
about Mr. Sheridan's residence, N. 24, Bolton-street,
Piccadilly, for an unlawful purpose.
Mis. Norton, who was evidently suffering from very
severe indisposition, entered into a lengthened statement
of a series of annoyances of a most vexatious and harassing
nature which she had for a considerable time past been sub-
jected to, and which she had no doubt proceeded from `a
combination of her enemies, who acted in concert toge-
ther. She was continually being pestered with letters, the
contents of which tended to agitate and
alarm her,
and persons were continually watching about the house, as
she believed, to seize upon. the opportunity of entering it
by force, and carrying off her writings and papers. The
Honourable Lady then referred to the machinations and
plots made against her with regard to certain legal pro-
ceedings, " a mock trial with a nwek defendant," in which
she was unfortunately and moat unjustly constrained to
take such a conspicuous p-rt. Lately, the defendant had
bean seen loitering about her uncle's house, looking up at
the windows, and apparently taking especial notice of the
movements of the inmates. On Thursday last a letter
was handed to her by her, butler, which he had received
from the defendant; it was addressed ,to her, and Cot:-
tained a request to be allowed a personal interview,
vaguely intimating that the,writer could . be of essential
service in forwarding some very desirable object she (Mrs
Norton) bad in view, and which she believed referred he
her children. The defendant afterwards called the
house, and was given in charge to the police.
The butler confirmed the statements with regard to ,the
prisoner, and also said the prisoner gave .him a ticket fur
a theatre for the object, as Mrs. Norton believed, of get-
ting him out of the way, and obtaining more easy access
to the house.

The defendant solemnly protested that he was not ac.
quainted with a single individual 'who knew Mrs. Notion,
and so he could not have joined in any conspiracy to annoy
her. He wrote to her out of synipsthy, and with the in-
tention of rendering her any aid in lkis power towards the
restoration of her children.
Mts. Norton said if be had no sinister intention, she was
sorry he had been put to any inconvenience.
Mr. DYER said that oa the defendant solemnly avowing,.
that he would not in any wise in future annoy ur molest •
Mrs. Norton be might be discharged.
The defendant readily consauted, and was allowed to
depart.

LLO YD'S SHIPPING-(THIS DAY )

-
LONDON, DEC. 23.---Wind this day at noon, light
Easterly breeze, with sharp frost and tine weather.
LIVERPOOL, DEC. 22.—Wind E. S. E., moderate.
Sailed the James, White, for Sydney, New South Wales;
Golden Fleece, Hubbock, Pernambuco; Mexican Neket,
Chaplin, Vera Cruz ; Silburn, Clarke, Havannah ; Re-
public, Thompson; New York.
PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 22.—Wind E. to E N.E.—At.
rived the British Qui eu, Roberts, from New York ;
Danzic, Havannah ; Jeanette Plullipiner Rader-tinker,
Batavia. The Maria, Clarke, from Lynn to Ramsgate,
got on shore on the Kicker Point last night.
KINSALE, DEC. I9.—Arrived the Great Britain, Shax-
son, from Quebec ; Hector, Anderson, Montreal.
CARDIFF, Dac. I9.—Arrived Brothers', Mosey, Quebec
(.3110( KIIAVEN, DEC. 19.__Arrived the Richmond, Cur_
Quebec, with loss of sails, Bc.
CORK, DEC. 20.—Arrived the Wave, Pugley, from
Batavia. Sailed General Palmer, for Bermuda.
kan, from Laguna ; Thomas Worthington, Wakeban,