The Sun.
London, England, 1823-03-08 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, MAncli 7.
LTBEI..---PALMER'S PRINCIPLES OF NATURE.

THE Klso V. CHARLES TRUST.
This was an information filed by the Attorney-General,
charging the defendant with vending a blasphemous publics.
Lion, entitled Palmer's Principles of Nature.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL shortly stated the case to the
Jury.
-By the evidence it appeared that the publication in question
was sold by means of an inlet in a screen, through which the
money was put, and immediately the work was delivered
through an aperture by an invisible hand.
The defendant appeared' to be an illiterate youth of about
eighteen years of age, railer smartly dressed ; he was attended
by a man, who suggested several question* by way of cross.
examination.

Several passages of the work were read by the Associate, con.
taining very coarse and irreverent expressions applied to the
Christ= Religion and its professors.
The defendant being called on for his defence stated, that
Mr. Prendergast was retained as his Counsel, who was not pre.
sent. —He then read a short defence from a paper which was
handed to him by the man who sat next him. It was preg.
nant with scurrilous epithets directed towards the two witnesses
who had been called to prove the. publication, and denied the
fact of publication.
The SOLICITOR-GENEftAL, in reply, observed that he
could not help lamenting to see the defendant surrounded by
those, who were endeavouring to make him the tool of their
base and mischievous designs.

The Lon') CHIEF JuiT ICE summed up, and the Jury imm
mediately found the defendant Guilty.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, MAncn 7.
JONgs v. TIRIQII.4II.

Mr. Serjeant __
xs stated, that this was an action of assault I
and imprisonment, brought by the plaintiff, a surgeon, against
the defendant, who was a Captain of an East India vessel, the
Arab, and who had imprisoned him on his passage, and treated
him in a very improper manner. Disputes had arisen at the
very commencement of the voyage, but the assault and impri-
sonment of which the plaintiff complained did not take place
until after the vessel had reached St. Helena. At thit time the
defendant's conduct became very viblent, and he imprisoned
the plaintiff in his cabin, and never suffered him to go on deck
hut for the purposes of nature. He had placed the plaintiff in
his cabin, and strictly guarded him by placing a sentry at his
door. These assaults were justified, end the defendant affected
on the record to say that he had been obliged to imprison .the
Plaintiff in order to secure peace on board, and prevent the_
crew from mutiny. He believed that no foundation could be
&hewn to exist for such a statement. It appeared by the evi-
dence for the plaintiff, that the imprisonment continued tilt the
vessel got into the channel.
'Mr. Serjeant PELL, for the defendant, maintained that the
action had arisen in ingratitude. The - passengers in the ship
had declined to continue their intercourse with the piaintiff.
and had signed a requisition to the Captain to exclude him from
the cabin table. The Captain sent him a letter, containing this
requisition, and desiring him to consider himself excluded. at
the same time saying that his dinner should be sent him from
the cabin mess, and that he should himself select the dishes.—
To this letter the plaintiff had teplied in "a style of unbearable
insolence.

iVitnesses were called to prove the violent conduct of the
plaintiff; and a strong manifestation of opinion having been .ob.
served among the Jury, the evidence was stopped, and the
plaintiff nonsuited.

Price.
37* Od to 40* 9d
37* & to 49**1
Ott to Ott