The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-22 00:00:00

•
No. 17,391.] LONDON, THURSDAY .11- E44'`,
NIP
..;;;;;;;.;;WMP17171Mi11i11..........1. • • - •
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PUBLICATIONS.

RUSSIAN DESPOTISM.
On Monday, in one vol. post Bvo., with Plates and Cuts,
price 12s. cloth,
I F E IN R U S S I A;
Or, the DISCIPLINE of DESPOTISM.
By ED WARD I'. THOMPSON, Esq.
Author of " The Note-book of a Naturalist."

To supply- authentic information on the subject of Russia, and to
place the People and the Government in their true light, without
fear or favour, is the aim of the author of this volume.
London : Smith, Elder, and Co., 65, Cornhill.

THE ORGANIZATION 01' LABOUR WITHOUT REVOLUTION.
On Saturday next, July I, will be published, No. 1., price Four-
pence-halfpenny, of the
QPIRIT OF THE AGE,
a new Stamped Journal, devoted to the Political and Indus-
trial Emancipation of the Millions. All whu wish to save the
British Empire from anarchy and insurrection should read this paper,
which will contain full and exclusive information of all the political,
social, educational, and industrial movements going forward
throughout Europe.
Office, 184, Fleet-street, to which all communications must be ad-
dressed.

Price One Penny, or Seven Shillings per Hundred, for General
Circulation.

REPRINT of thedn;rgeaelivered to the Grand
Jury of the County of the City of Bristol, by the Right lion.
Sir NICHOLAS CONYNGIIAM TINDAL, Kitt., late Lord Chief-
Justice of her Majesty's Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, on
Monday, the 2d of January, 1832, under the special Commission is-
sued into that County: containing the Law relative to Riots and
Tumultuous Assemblages.

PENCER'S CHINESE LIQUID HAIR DYE.
The thousands of individuals who for upwards of twenty
years have used this celebrated liquid, pronounce it to be the only
trticle extant which effectually changes, in a few minutes, red or
.4roy hair, whiskers, moustaches, &c., to a dark brown or black,
without trouble (by ,imply combing it through the hair), and pro-
inces by one application a pleasing and permanent change ; and it
au be incontestibly proved, that while many dyes tend to destroy
the hair by their pernicious properties and dangerous process of ap-
plication, that this article promotes the growth of hair, nourishing
the roots till the latest period of life. Price 3s. 6d., 68., and 10s.
)er bottle.
To be had of the Proprietors, 29, Nottingham-place, Fieldgate-
,treet, Whiteehapel-road, London ; also of Mr. Johnstone, 68, Corn-
; Butler, 4, Cheapside ; Prout, 229, Strand; Sanger, 150, Oxford-
street; Barclay, Farringdon-street ; Atkinson, 24, Old Bond-
street; Hooper, 43, King William-street, London bridge ; Finnigin,
slllsein-street, Bath; Elmore, Bull-street, Birmingham; and of most
Perfumers and Medicine Vendors in town and country. Sent to
my part of the kingdom by receiving a remittance, post-paid.
rlease to ask for " Spencer and Co.'s Chinese Liquid Hair Dye."
Observe. the Proprietor's address is on the wrapper.

g3RITISH COLLEGE OF HEALTH, New-
road, London.
The following is a LIST of the AGENTS for the SALE of MO-
RISON'S PILLS, the VEGETABLE UNIVERSAL MEDICINE
in London and its vicinity :-
368, Strand...• • •
65, Quadrant, Regent-street..., . *
53, Cambridge-street, Edgware-road Mrs. Good.
1, Park-place, Mile End-road..
84, Lombard-street, Cornhill ...... •• .. Mr. Chappel
Dietrichsen and Han-
-63, Oxford-street ..
nay, perfumers.
20, New-road, St. George's-hi-the-East Mr. J. Baines.
55, Watling-street •Mrs. E. Dare.
33, Great Tower-street.....
128, Strand.... • • .... • . . •
8. Townsend-street, Old Kent-road. •• . • Mrs. Foulscr.
128, Tottenham-court-road. •• • • Mrs. Bucher.
Walham Green. ....... ... •.. . • Mrs. slarchant.
Brentford (Post-office) . •• . Mr. Norbury.
Clapham ... •••• • • • • •••••• • • • • • • Mr. Batten's Library.
53, Great Chart-street, East-road,Hoxton Mr. H. Langley.
64, C0rnhi11........ • • t••••••.• • • • • • • r Mr. It. Johnstone, per-
Rimer, &c.
83, High Holborn .. . .
Randolph-street, Camden-town (Post-} Mr. J. Foster.
Deptford
Stables . . . . .
No Chemist or Druggist is authorised to sell this Medicine.

ON NERVOUS DEBILITY AND GENERATIVE DISEASES.
lust published, the Thirty-sixth Thousand, as improved edition, re-
vised and corrected, 120 pages, price 2s. in a sealed envelope, or
forwar led by the Authors, post paid, to any addross, secure from
observation, for 2s. 6d., in postage stamps, illustrated with us-
merous Anatomical Coloured Engravings.
MANHOOD: the CAUSES of its PREMA-
TURE DECLINE, with Plain Directions for its PERFECT
RESTORATION.

A Medical Essay on those Diseases of the Generative Organs,
emanating from Solitary and Sedentary Habits, indiscriminate Ex-
cesses, the Effects of Climate and Infection, &c., addressed to the
sufferer in Youth, Manhood, and Old Age; with Practical Remarks
on Marriage, the Treatment and Cure of Nervous and Mental De-
bility, Impotency, Syphilis, and other Urine-Genital Diseases, by
which even the most shattered constitution may be restored, and
reach the full period of lite allotted to Man. The whole illustrated
with numerous Anatomical Engravings on Steel, in colour, explain-
ing the ♦arious functions, secretions, and structures of the repro-
ductive Organs in health and disease ; with instructions for private
correspondence, cases, &c.
By J. L. CURTIS and CO., Consulting Surgeons,
7, Frith-street, Soho-square, London.

" ' Manhood.' A Medical Work.—Tu the gay and thought less we
trust this little work will serve as a beacon to warn them of the
'anger attendant upon the too rash indulgence of their pa ;sions,
whilst to some it may serve as a monitor In the hour of tempts
61on, and t, the afflicted as a sure guide to health."—Chronicle
" Manhood.' Sly J. L. Curtis, and Co.—Their long experience
and reputation in the treatment of these paini tit diseases is the
patient's guarantee, and well deserves for the work its immense cir-
oulation."—Era.
" ' Curtis on Manhood' should be in the hands of youth and old
Age. It is a medical publication, ably written, and elevelopes the
treatment of a class of painful maladies which has too long been
the prey of the illiterate and tho designiug."— United Service
Gazette.
The Parent, who beholds his beloved child pining away, and last
Approaching to a premature grave, in consequence of some disease,
which, fot• want of careful investigation of its real cause, has been
:et down to the scorn of consumption, will, on perusing this work,
astonished to find, that in nine-tenths of the cases of young per-
tons of both sexes, who perish of what is called pulmonary con-
Aimption, heart disease, tabes, &c., the sole and exclusive origin has
teen the Indulgence in certain destructive habits practised by youth
ouch more frequently than it is at all suspected.
N.B. Hours of consultation from Eleven till Two, awd Six to
sight in the Evening

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, JUNE 21.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market is worse again to-day.
Prices have receded on all articles. The sales are
Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction (late C.
and B.), 271. 10s. Shares, 135,;—Lancashire and Yorkshire
(late Manchester and Birmingham), 144 dis.—London and
North-Western, 120 c.—Ditto, Quarters, 13s. 9d. c.—Ditto,
Quarters (A and B), 11/2 p.—Manchester, Sheffield, and
Lincolnshire, Eighths, 51. 1 ls. 3d. c. dis.—Midland Stock,
100 c —Ditto, New Halves, 6% c. dis.—South-Eastern and
Dover, No. 2, lAN dis.—Ditto, No. 4. Thirds, 3 dis.—York,
Newcastle, and Berwick (G. N. E. Purchase), 1 c. p.
MANCHESTER, JUNE 21.
STOCK EXCHANGL—The sales are—Birkenhead, Lan-
cashire, and Cheshire Junction, 311. Shares, 74 dis.—Edin-
burgh and Glasgow, Halves, 3 dis.—Fleetwood, Preston, and
West Riding Junction, 5% dis.—Lancashire and Yorkshire,
321. Shares (late Extension), 71X3 n. dis.—Ditto (West Riding
Union),:3 13-16 c. dis.—London and North-Western (Leeds
and Dewsbury), 12 dis.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin-
colnshire (Grimsby), 201. Shares, 84 dis. Ditto, 121. 10s.
Shares, 517 i dis.—North Staffordshire, 2% dis.—Oxford,
Worcester, and Wolverhampton, 171/4 dia.—South-Eastern
and Dover, No. 4, Thirds, 2.j4 dis.
BIRMINGH AM, JUNE 21.
STOCK EXCILANGE.—The sales are—Lancashire and York-
shire, New guaranteed 6 per cent., 3s. 9d p.— Midland, 100
—North British, Thirds, 2% dis.—Ambergate, Nottingham,
and Boston, 58s. dis.—North Staffordshire, 2% dis.—
Shrevrsbury and Birmingham (A), 98s. 9d. dis.—Ditto (B),
dis.—Shropshire Union, 565. 3d. dis.—South Stafford-
shire, 3% dis.

HULL, JUNE 21.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Eastern Counties,
141. 3s. 9d.—Great Northern, 5/. 17s.—North British, Quar-
ters, 478.

- -
DEATH OF A CHARTIST LEADER FROM MAD-
NESS. —Mr. Councillor Briggs, of Sheffield, a well-known
Chartist leader, and one of the delegates of the late Na-
tional Convention, died on Tuesday morning raving mad
in the Sheffield Lunatic Asylum. The immediate cause
of his malady is supposed by Mr. Overend, one of the
surgeons who attended him, to have been the deread of a
Government prosecution fora seditious speech delivered
by him at a Chartist meeting on Whit-Monday.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, June 21.
(Nisi Pries Sittings at Westminster, before Lord Chied
Justice DENMAN and a Common Jury.)
COCHRANE V. YOUNG.

The plaintiff in this case is the late candidate for
the representation in Parliament of the city of West-
minster; the defendant is the proprietor of The Sun
newspaper. The action was brought to recover com-
pensation for libels upon the plaintiff, which were pub-
lished in The Sun newspaper by the de:endaut. The
damages were laid at 5.0001.
Sir F. Thesiger, Q.C., and Mr. Petersdorff appeared
for the plaintiff ; and Mr. Cockburn, Q.C., and Mr.
Welsby, for the defendant.

Sir F. THEsIGER opened the case to the jury by
stating that the plaintiff would not have complained of
any fair criticism upon his conduct when he offared
hirnselt as a candidate for a seat in Parliament, but he
felt himself bound to come forward and vindicate
himself when anonymous attacks were made upon
his private character. The plaintiff was well
aware there was one passage in his early history
that might expose him to ridicule, and possibly to
reprobation, for in very early life he had conceived the
boyish fancy of dressing himself up as a Spanish min-
strel, and travelling about the country under the as-
sumed name of Don Juan de Vega. When in mature
age we looked back at our boyish pranks, we were apt
to hug ourselves with the idea that we were much
wiser and better than we were formerly, and if the
youthful actions of others were the subject of considera-
tion we were but too apt to assume a graver and
sterner air, and make ourselves harsh censors of their
conduct. Mr. Cochrane, in looking back to his youth-
ful pranks, was, unquestionably, ready to join with
those who were disposed to smile at or condemn his
conduct; and if his political adversaries thought proper
to take advantage of this passage in his history, for the
purpose only of exposing him to ridicule and of endea-
vouring to lower him in the eyes of those whose
suffrages he was soliciting, he would not have been there
to-day to complain of it, and admitted that he would
have had no right to do so. If they had chosen to draw
pictures of him in his disguise, or to laugh at him for hav-
ing worn it, it would have been quite a legitimate course
tor them to adopt, and Mr. Cochrane would have been
peculiarly, not to say absurdly, sensitive if he had come
forward in a court of justice to complain of it. But it
was because these libels were of a graver character—
because they seriously and deeply wounded the moral
character of Mr. Cochrane ; because it was quite im-
possible, if they were believed, that he could enjoy the
estimation of any respectable person, that he felt it due
to his own character and to those gentlemen who were
pleased at the last general election to honour him with
their suffrages to come before a jury for the purpose of
calling to account the person who had chosen in this
manner to assail his character, and of desiring him, if
there were any truth in the imputations cast upon him,
to offer that truth to the jury as a justification. The
libels set out in the declaration consisted of four different
letters which appeared in The Sun newspaper in the
month of February in the last year, and a short time
previous to the general election, and he might say at
once that if the defendant had only published
the libels contained in the first three counts
of the declaration Mr. Cochrane would never
have complained of them. These, however, had
been introduced into the declaration for the pur-
pose of showing the series of attacks that had
been made upon Mr. Cochrane, and as being introduc-
tory to the fourth libel, but for which these proceedings
would never have been instituted. He would, therefore,
pass lightly over the letters published on the 13th, 14th,
and 15th of February, though they adverted in very
strong, perhaps he might say in unmeasured, terms to
that part of Mr. Cochrane's history he had referred to,
and he would come at once to what appeared to him to
contain the sting of all, and to reflect most seriously on
Mr. Cochrane's character, and he would ask the jury
whether such language could be justified. except on the
ground of its being true, and whether, if a party were
called to account for publishing such slander, he ought
not to be prepared with a vindication ? The libel he
now referred to appeared in The ,Sun newspaper, in the
form of a letter, w►th the initials "D. 8.," and was dated

" Brighton, Feb. 17, 1847." There were various inge-
nious modes by which slander was conveyed to the
public. Sometimes it was in the form of an editorial
article, sometimes in that of an advertisement, and at
another time as a letter from an obliging correspondent.
On the present occasion the last mode was adopted, and
" D. B." was the person from whom the following letter
was said to have been received, and thereupon commu-
nicated to the public :

MR. COCHRANE AND THE ELECTORS OF WESTMINSTER.

" To the Editir of the Sun.

" Sir,—My attention has been directed to the inqui-
ries contained in your paper relative to the identity of
Mr. Cochrane, the present candidate for Westminster,
with one Juan de Vega, who some years back travelled
through some parts of England professing to be a Spa-
nish refugee, and then published adventures of a most
immoral kind, as the account of his travels. I remem-
ber a person calling himself ani Juan de Vega, solicit-
ing charity in this town, not fur himself only, but for
his fellow Spanish refugees. He came as a Spanish pea-
sant, a large slouched straw hat, an open vest, a man-
tilla cloak, breeches, and stockings, formed his dress ;
he professed to speak no English, French and Spanish
being the only languages he knew. He was of slight
figure, and dark mulatto complexion. He excited much
compassion in the town, where he professed to be a Qua-
ker, and attended the Friends Meeting House; was fed,
clothed, and had money given to him in no smallquantity;
and yet was afterwards, by his own published adventures,
found to be an impostor, a hypocrite, and a scoundrel.
He endeavoured to seduce every girl he could come near,
and those whom he could not ruin in person he sought
to lower in character, by imputing in print the actions
of charitable feeling to the promptings of the most un-
chaste passion. I know, and could identify the man. I
do not know whether the Juan de Vega of Brighton be
the candidate for Westminster. I can hardly believe
that the swarthy Juan de Vega can be the Mr. Cochrane
who appears at the meetings of charity, dances with the
daughters of the governor of the Licensed Victuallers at
their annual balls, and is alternately heard of at the
Crown and Anchor and at Exeter Hall, in company
with Dr. Leifchild and Mr. B. B. Cabbell. I say I can
hardly believe it, and yet why does he not deny it? If
they be the same person, I pity the deceived, I despise
the deceiver. But I will come up to London on his first
public appearance, and my own eyes shall, if I be
spared to see him, convince myself. If Juan de Vega
be Mr. Cochrane, I will denounce him, and the tallow
chandler and grocer' whom he so described, and whose
hospitality he abused, shall shame him from the West-
minster hustings.
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" Brighton, Feb. 17, 1847." " D. B.
Agreeing as they should probably do in all the observa-
tions he had addressed to them with reference to the
license that might bo permitted to individuals or public
journalists as to the character of the person who soli-
cited the honour of representing any constituency in
Parliament, he would appeal to their just and impartial
views of propriety whether it was to be endured that a
person should be exposed to imputations of this descrip-
tion, and that without the slightest provocation he should
have his reputation entirely blasted by charges of such
grossly immoral conduct as was here imputed to Mr.
Cochrane? With regard to the act itself he had ad-
mitted that it was an act of youthful folly and indis-
cretion. The money thus collected he had, however,
handed over to the fund for the relief of the Spanish
exiles; and so far, therefore, as any conduct could
redeem the absurdity of the act itself, there was the most
perfect redemption of it on the part of Mr. Cochrane.
He admitted, too, that he was open to attacks in re-
spect of what he had done, though this had been done
not by the Mr. Cochrane of the present day, but by
the Mr. Cochrane of more than twenty years ago ;
but he did think that if he were accused not merely of
ridiculous but of immoral conduct, that he had attempted
to seduce the different young females to whose society
he was admitted, the imputation would not merely affect
his character as a young man, but unless it were refuted
would stamp him with infamy for the remainder of his
days. He, therefore, felt it due to his character, to his
station in society, and to those who had honoured him
with their support at the last general election, to call
upon his accuser in this public manner to prove thel truth
of the slander he had inserted in his newspaper. The
jury were probably aware that it was competent for a
person who had slandered another by word or publication, '
if called to account for it in a court of justice, to plead
the truth of what he had stated in justification. It was
open, therefore, to the defendant to pursue that course,
and Mr. Young had thought proper to put on the record
three or four pleas of justification, which were, how-
ever, of that vague, general, and indefinite kind that
they presented no tangible ground whatever by which
4r. Cochrane could understand the precise issue raised
between himself and his calumniator. Mr. Cochrane,
therefore, demurred to those pleas as not being sufficient
in law, and the Court being of opinion that such was the
case set them aside, but gave the defendant a week's
time to amend them. Ho had not, however, taken ad-
vantage of the opportunity so afforded, and therefore the
record contained no plea of justification, but Mr. Young
met Mr. Cochrane merely with a denial of the publica-
tion of the libels complained of, and therefore the only
question they had to decide was, whether those libels
were published by Mr. Young, and if they should be of
that opinion, what would be the fair and reasonable
amount cc damages Mr. Cochrane would be entitled to
for the injury his reputation must have sustained by
those libels ? His Learned Friend would probably
endeavour to make them believe that the let-
ters complained of were really addressed to the
editor of this newspaper ; but this was merely
an assumption, just as a disguise was assumed by Mr.
Cochrane; and, moreover, the defendant was not now
entitled to say so, and it must be treated, as no doubt
it was, as a fiction. Nobody was more aware than
he was that trfling actions for slander ought to meet with
no encouragement in courts of justice; but the fre-
quency indicationoft thee g
odeeplyi-seated
col
everydqeuseinrecyot
tlle
person
wason
his fellow men. The person who assailed the reputation
.p
of another not only committed a positive injury by ruin
ing him in the estimation of the world, but also in tak-
ing from him that inward comfort a man possessed when
satisfied that he enjoyed the good opinion of those
around him, It was ono of the strongest motives to

action that could possibly be imagined. It might be a
lower principle of action than many given to us by
Providence; but the estimation of the world was that
which, amongst other motives, clung to us from the ear-
liest to the latest period of our existence, and formed
one of the strongest incentives, as well as one of the
best rewards for virtuous conduct in this life. A person
therefore who assailed the character of another inflicted
on him the deepest injury, and, therefore, al:hough he
would desire to drive from courts of justice all
trifling complaints for words or strong expressions
used without any intention of wounding character,
he trusted the time would never arrive ,vhen such would
be the lack of moral feeling in the country, that juries
would treat lightly and with indifference complaints of
so serious a description as slanders which did affect re-
putation and character. He trusted he had not ex-
ceeded the fair limits of his duty in these remarks. All
he had now to do was, to prove the publication of the
libels—which, however, he understood his Learned
Friend was ready to admit—and that they applied to
Mr. Cochrane, and then, when they had listened to
what his Learned Friend had to say, he would request
them to ask themselves whether the imputations con-
veyed in these libels were not of the most serious cha-
racter—whether they were not calculated to destroy the
reputation of Mr. Cochrane for the remainder of his ex-
istence—and whether, under these circumstances, it was
not incumbent upon them, in the discharge of their im-
portant functions, to give him such damages as a
man so outraged had a right to expect, and he trusted
would ever receive, at the hands of a jury of his fellow-
countrymen? gentle-

Mr. Joseph Randall produced copies of The Sun, con-
taining the libels set out in the declaration, and proved
that Mr. Young was the registered proprietor of that
newspaper. -
Mr. Mather, a builder, living in King-street, Golden-
square, proved that he had been canvassed to vote for
Mr. Cochrane at the last Westminster election ; that he
read the letters published in The Sun, and which were
now complained of, and he understood and believed
them to apply to Mr. Cochrane.
Lord DENMAN—Can there be a doubt of that ?
Mr. Cocisnuasf—Certainly not, my Lord ; we offered
to admit it. The Learned Gentleman then proceeded to
address the jury for the defendant, and said that in a
great deal that had fallen from his Learned Friend he
entirely agreed, for his friend avowed—and no one could
deny—that a party who came forward as a candidate
for the city of Westminster was liable to have all the
antecedent circumstances of his past conduct and character
discussed and canvassed, in order that it might
be ascertained whether he was a person to whom
that most important of all trusts should be con-
fided. It was admitted, therefore, on the part of the
plaintiff, that when he proposed himself to the conside-
ration of the electors of Westminster, he had no right to
object to an investigation taking place as to his past con-
duct. He did not mean to say that because a man came
forward as a candidate for a seat in Parliament any one
would on that account have a right to state of him that
which was untrue; but that he had a right to canvass
and discuss such a man's past character and conduct if
he thought proper to do so. No doubt, if a man at an
early period of his career had fallen into errors and com-
mitted follies, it might be harsh to bring up these against
him after the lapse of a considerable number of years;
but still a man who came voluntarily before the public
was liable to have this done; and the answer, the only
answer, would be that he had made atonement by his
subsequent conduct for the follies he had been guilty of
at an earlier period of his life. It seemed to him that
that answer, it' any could be given to these charges, Mr.
Cochrane ought to have offered; and he had hoped
that before this case was disposed of Mr. Cochrane
would have attempted to show that he had atoned for
his past indiscretions before he sought to obtain da-
mages against those who had charged him with being
guilty of them. His Learned Friend had indeed said
about Mr. Cochrane much that was not proved, and in
this respect he would follow his example for a single
moment. He was representing before them the pro-
prietor of The Sun newspaper, and he believed he was
perfectly justified in saying that no portion of the public
press was more fairly or honourably conducted. The
jury might have heard much of it out of court, but he
believed in court they had heard less of it than any other
newspaper. He believed he was justified in saying that
in the leading columns of that newspaper there were no
imputations upon Mr. Cochrane; but simply such obser-
vations as a person who was himself interested in the re-
turn that constituency would make might justly offer
to the electors of Westminster on a question
which appeared to him one of considerable im-
portance—namely, whether the man who soli-
cited their suffrages was the man who at a former
period had assumed the character that had been men-
tioned, and who was accused by those who had penned
the letters referred to as having committed gross out-
rages upon decency and propriety. The letters had been
published with this purpose; and Mr. Cochrane had
thought proper to bring the publisher into a court of
justice. Now, as his Learned Friend had stated, any
person whose conduct or character was attacked was
entitled to bring his case into a court of justice, and call
upon his assailer to prove the truth of his accusations,
if they were capable of proof; but he did not think his
Learned Friend was justified in c-mplaining, as he had
done, of the conduct of the defendant in this respect,
because, to the best of his ability, the defendant had
attempted to put a justification on the record ; but
the plaintiff had demurred to those pleas as being
too vague and general, and had, therefore, got rid
of them on the ground that they were insufficient
in law. Ho thought this was rather a curious course
for the plaintiff to pursue on such an occasion. Ile
came forward and avowed by the mouth of his counsel
that he had been guilty of gross folly and indiscretion.
lie was in addition charged with having availed himself
of the opportunities his fraud afforded him,
of violating
the sanctity of domestic life ; and, as an additional re-
ward for the hospitalities he had received, of exposing
the follies and errors which others had been led into by
himself. The action being brought, the defendant
offered to place certain pleas on the record, in which,
following the language of the libels, he declares the
matters contained in them to be true. Now, if the
plaintiff was really anxious to have the matter ex-
amined into and thoroughly sifted, and to show the
falsehood of the charges, and, as he called them, of the
calumnies against him, one would have thought that,
however technically imperfect the form of the pleas,
Mr. Cochrane would have been but too happy
to meet his opponent in a court of justice,
and to vindicate his character from such imputations.
Instead of this, however, Mr. Cochrane had got rid of
those pleas by technical objections, and be was sorry to
say it was not foreign to his experience for plaintiffs in
cases of libel to do so under similar circumstances.
It was said the pleas were so vague that Mr. Cochrane
could not tell what was to be answered; but no man
who looked at them for a moment could doubt the mean-
ing of them. The defendant said, in effect, " You are
the party who travelled about as a Spanish minstrel, and
committed many follies under that assumed character.
You a,so, by such means, got into private families, and
you abused the opportunities which you by that means
wished to obtain. You afterwards published
a book
containing an account of these adventures, and your ac-
count of them is scandalously immoral, and an outrage
on all propriety and decency." And on what did the
defendant rest his case? On the production of a book,
and on proof of the authorship. Of course the defendant
could hardly be expected to know more of these matters
than was contained in that book. lie could not otherwise

follow this wandering minstrel through all the private
scenes of disgusting proffigaeywhich the book had exposed
to the eye of the public. And what was this publication?
An account given in so mysterious a manner with respect
to the identity of individuals, that they immediately re-
cognised themselves, and their own intimate friends
knew them ; and by that means the greatest possible
misery and anguish was inflicted on their own minds and
the minds of their friends and farailios. Of course the
defendant was not in a situation to state the names and
'
particulars of the parties involved in these transactions.
The writer, who gave an account of the amorous widow
E--; of the fair daughter of B-- or of the blooming
wife of L , knew well whom he alluded to, and their
l
friends and relations might know it but the defendant
could not know it, and therefore he could not plead it on
the record. his pleas, therefore, were objected to by
the plaintiff on this technical ground, and the Court held
that they were bad in this respect, and that the defendant
was not in a situation to maintain them. His Learned
Friend was wrong in saying that a week's time was given
to amend the pleas ; what the Court said was, that if the
defendant liked to confine his justification to that por-
tion of the pleas which related to the
Ju blication of a
book under the assumed name of "Don uan de Vega,"
he might do so.
he might amend his pleas.
Lord DENmax—What the Court said wa:;, that if the
defendant wished to confine his pleas of justification to
that matter he might do so ; but, on the other hand,
that if he thought proper
Mr. COCKBURN—Even supposing the milt general
power of amendment had been given by the, Court, it
was impossible the defendant could be in a sKtuation to
state with sufficient peculiarity that which the Court
would have required of him. He had no other materials
than the book afforded him, and consequently he had
not the information that was absolutely essential for his
purpose. There was, therefore, no plea of justification
on the record ; from the nature of the case it: was im-
possible there should be, and therefore ho admitted that
in the present instance there must be a verdict, for the
Plaintiff. lie apprehended, however, that in sat isfaction
of damages he might call their attention to t be state-
ments of the plaintiff himself, not with a view to making
out a complete justification, but to show that he was dis-
entitled to anything but nominal damages at their hands.
The Learned Gentleman was then proceeding to refer to
the book containing the adventures of Don Juian de
Vega, when he was interupted by
Sir F. THESIGER, who objected that the book could

not be referrea to.
Lord DENMAN—Is it proposed to read those parts of
the book which are referred to in the libels?
Mr. COCKBURN—Yes, my Lord.
Lord DENNAN—I do not see how that can be done.
You have not pleaded that the book would make out
your case. The book would be evidence of any facts
stated in it; but you have not pleaded that the plaintiff
published the book.
Mr. WEL3BY argued that as they proposed to read the
book, not in justification, but in mitigation of damage;,

it would he competent for them to refer to it for the
latter purpose.
Lord DENatAN repeated that could not be done, inas-
much as it was not pleaded that the plaintiff published
the hook.
Mr.ee
otb object
()cot
putc
os fn
ttrhi tne tipt —hi
plaintiff
iTn
book,ht
fn c
Ithona
dl
ve ntnogd
acknowledgecma
ty Learnedehis it.
character, Friend
if
ttho
let the book be put in. I am prepared to stand or fall
by it. If he will let us put in the book I will venture to
say that notwithstanding the reply my Learned Friend
would then be entitled to make you would not give him
a farthing damages.
Sir F. THESIGER.—That is rather hard upon your
" Learned Friend."—(Laughter.)
Lord DENMAK.—I fear I should be obliged to prevent
his accepting the challenge.
Mr. COCKBURN proceeded to say that he must then
discuss the case as it stood, but he could not do so with-
out commenting upon the frivolous pretence of the
plaintiff—that ho was bringing an action for vindication
of his character, and yet when an opportunity occurred
for trying the question fairly between the parties, whe-
ther he was the injured individual he represented him-
self to be, or the impostor he was called in the libel,
that ho should prevent the trial of the issue by resort-
in.. to technical objections. His Learned Friend was,
undoubtedly, justified in taking his stand on the record,
but let it be understood what was, in consequence, the
question at issue, and do not let it be said after this, that
in winning the action Mr. Cochrane had obtained that
vindication of his character which was his pretence for
bringing it. They were now limited to the question of
publication, which was admitted, and the consequential
question of damages. The jury would observe that this
was a case in which there was no pretence for saying
that the defendant had been guilty of malice, nor was it
a case in which the plaintiff had been dragged from
Private life before the public. On the contrary, the
plaintiff had placed himself before the public and had
assumed a public character. The defendant, who was
an elector of the city the plaintiff sought to repre-
sent, believing these were matters respecting him which
required explanation, called for it, but had only been
answered by that action. His Learned Friend did not
deny that the plaintiff had gone wandering about in a
high-peaked conical hat, with a great overshadowing
brim, a profusion of hair, a huge mantilla cloak, a
tvariegated s vde
sn indescribablehad in u
ede
himselfxpe r ss s
into;
pa
rnid.
vete families, where it was said that gold and silver, not
to mention other favours, had been heaped upon him.
He had published his adventures in a book, but that was
carefully withheld; and by an oversight on their part
they could not offer it in evidence. He therefore only
referred to it with reference to the question whether he
had a right to impute malice to the defendant or not.
The Learned Gentleman then proceeded to argue that
there was no evidence of any malicious motive; that
the defendant was morally, if not legally, justified
in the course he had pursued; and concluded an
eloquent speech by urging upon the jury that very
small damages would afford the plaintiff ample satisfac-
tion.

Lord DENMAN, in summing up, said he would read to
the jury what the libels were, and after making a few
observations leave the case in their hands. His Lordship
then read the first libel, as follows :

MR. COCHRANE AND THE ELECTORS OF WESTMINLTER.

To the Editor of the Sun.
" Sir,—As an elector of Westminster, allow me to ask
whether the Mr. Charles Cochrane who now so osten-
tatiously parades his pretensions to represent Westmin-
ster, is the same person as one Senor Juan de Vega who
some few years back published a journal of a tour
through Great Britain and Ireland, and who then para-
ded a series of adventures in various towns and places
at which modesty and decency felt ashamed, and whose
public avowal signally proved the want of go.od taste
and common propriety in the writer ? If they be one
and the same person, the electors of Westminster ought
to know it. If not, Mr. Cochrane cannot too soon disown
the identity.
"I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" St. James's, Feb. 12." " ALPHA.
Now to this letter the defendant appended the note—
" We cannot answer this question, but perhaps Mr.
Cochrane will?" and he (Lord Denman) must say
.he
thought the question was, a pertinent one, and that he
ought to have done so. If a book containing the adven-
tures of Don Juan de Vega were published, and was
supposed to contain improper passages, he thought it
was fair for any man under the circumstances to say to
the defendant, " Are you or are you not the author of
that book?" and that the defendant should have an-
swered the question. his Lordship then read the second
libel as follows.:—

WESTAIINSTEn ELECTION.
" To the Editor of the Sun.
" Sir,—A correspondent in your excellently con-
ducted journal asks Who is Mr. Cochrane, the pre-
sent candidate for the representation of Westminster?
travelled throughout the country as a Spanish mtn-
stlshehsee the same Mr. Cochramo who, some years since,
rel? Is he the party who published a descriptive
account of his wanderings through Kent and Sussex?
that the large and influential city of Westminster shall
since
it questions
not requirer n
ea,
is: rine iga
shtt fonrowt a
br de t
oalue
rs
awteerd,
be represented by a person who, in the disguise of
instances, a
travelling musician, succeeded, in many in-
stances, alas I too many in in-
sinuating himself into private families, and
ohfi
nsgu n
thatd ry mq sessetsi,o
os
ao
hml
ee
age when ladies begin to think they are forgotten by the
iu afterwards
their
to o
teens,
exposedan d
othersth e
a flirtationpproac
sterner portion of the sex. I do not state that Mr.
Cochrane is the man who thus acted. Ido not aver that
he is the individual who published sundry amours in his
book, which he pretended took place at Canterbury,
Dover, Hastings, and Brighton. I can scarcely believe
that a man who could betray the confidence of any '
female, after having been fed and pampered to satiety
by her friends, and supplied with money, believing the
said individual to be in the conditiou of an unfortunate
political exile, would dare to. affront a highly respectable
and honourable constituency with his presence. But,
sir, you say, Perhaps Mr. Cochrane will inform the
electors whether he is the. person I have thus hastily
alluded to ?' My reply is, do not take Mr. Cochrane 's
word for his innocence. I knew the wandering minstrel
the poor amiable young man, who had been driven from
friends and home owing to political disturbances in his
own country. I hare seen him often, but not since he
gathered silver and gold from those who pitied his pre-
tended misfortune—from those who fostered the viper--
who felt for and sympathised with him in his assumed
distressed condition, and I might be able to identify him;
yet there is a probability of clearing up the point beyond
the possibility of doubt. The minstrel's work was
printed by Mr. Brettel, of Rupert-street, Haymarket,
and I have reason to know that that gentleman is per-
fectly acquainted with the person of Mr. Cochrane, and
can, therefore, without difficulty, set the matter at rest
and thumsr. eacseonthhreanmeintdhseir support,ofma
many parties
who would
who haveprao-:
once withdraw it if Mr. Cochrane can be identified as the
wandering minstrel. Allow me to add that for years
Mr. Brettel has taken a very prominent part in the
Westminster election; he is a Liberal, too, and would no
doubt, not only for the credit of the House of Commons,
but for the honour and reputation of Westminster, set
the matter at rest.

" I am, Sir, faithfully yours,

"Fleet-street." 14 W.
Now here were the same questions, and he must repeat
that he thought Mr. Cochrane ought to have answered
them. The third libel was this:—

"SIR. COCHRANE AND THE ELECTORS OP WESTMINSTER.
"To the Editor of the Sun.
" Sir,—ls Mr. Cochrane the same person as Don
Juan do Vega,' or is he not? If he be the same person,
then the violated hospitality and outraged kindness
shown to him at Brighton, Canterbury, Dover, and other
places, will rise up in judgment against him, and serve
as a warning to the electors of Westminster not to con-
fide in any such wandering personator. If he be not
Juan do Vega, then why not disown it ? Let Mr.
Cochrane beware, if he be the fraudulent Spanish re-
fugee that Juan de Vega pretended to be, that he does
not meet such an exposé as he well deserves, if identical
with that vagabond.—Yours, an Elector,
" Feb. 16, 1847." J. C.
This letter was followed by the one which was chiefly
complained of.—(His Lordship then read the fourth
libel, which will be found printed in the speech of Sir
Frederick Thesiger.) The plaintiff had brought his
action for the publication of these libels, but he had
not said whether he was the author of this book or
not, or whether he was the wandering minstrel, whose
adventures were described in it. He had left the de-
fendant to justify himself as well as he could. The de-
fendant had pleaded a number of pleas, and the plaintiff
had demurred to them, as being too general. The
defendant had liberty granted to him to amend ; but
instead of doing so, he left no plea but that of " Not
Guilty" on the record. He much regretted the course
taken on both sides. It seemed to him to be a sort of
ingenious contrivance to keep the jury in perfect igno-
rance of the truth of the case they had to try. The
plaintiff said he came to vindicate his character, but he
would not acknowledge whether he published the book
or not ; and the defendant would not plead that the
plaintiff published it. It was quite plain that in pursu-
ing this course the defendant had not done himself jus-
tice. He (Lord Denman) could not conceive why it was
that, in a court of justice, the truth was thus always lost
amidst forms and technicalities ; so, however, it was at
present. Under these circumstances, they had to say
whether the plaintiff was entitled to more than nominal
damages.
The jury retired for some time, and returned into
court with a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 40s.

DEATH OF MAJOR-GENERAL SIR FULLERTON
DUNDAS, BART.—This Baronet, for many years, a dis-
tinguished officer in the East India Company's service,
died on the 16th inst., at Richmond, Surrey, in the 63d
year of his age. He is succeeded in the baronetcy by
his brother, Captain John Burnet, R.N.
Lord and Lady Strathmore, Sir Hervey and Lady
Bruce, and many fashionables, left Blackwell Pier yes-
terday morning. by the General Steam Navigation Com-
pany's Mail steam-ship, Rainbow, for Rotterdam, en
route to the Loo, where the Great Falcon Hunt will
commence at the end of the preient week,