The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-11 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WES TERN CIR CUFF.— Bridgewater, Aug. 9.
The commission for holding the assize in the county
of Somerset was opened here on Thursday afternoon by
Mr. Jus. ice Coleridge, who immediately afterwards at-
tended Divine service. Lord Campbell, who had been
detained in Cornwall on the trial fur murder, arrived at
a lute hcur at night by the mail train. The business is
very light, there being only 42 prisoners in the calendar
and 13 causes in the cause list.
CROWN COURT.

Lord CAMPBELL took his seat in this court on Friday
morning. In delivering his charge to the grand jury his
Lordship observed that it was with very great regret he
found so few of the magistrates answering to their names
in this great and wealthy county. Farmers and other
persons who perhaps could ill afford it thought it right
to do their duty and to take their share in the adminis-
tration of justice; the richer classes, however, had not
considered it necessary to attend to their duties. He
wished they would follow the example set them by their
Lord-Lieutenant. (Lord Portman was sitting by his
Lordship).
John Chivers, alias King, was indicted for a burglary
in the house of Thomas Clark, of Bridgewater, on the
4th of May, 1850.
Mr. H. T. Cole and Mr. Reed were counsel for the
prosecution, and Mr. Edwards for the prisoner.
From the evidence of an accomplice it appeared that
on the 4th of May, 1850, the prisoner and a man named
Collins were drinking together at different beer-shops at
Bridgewater. At twelve o'clock at night they left the
Horse and Jockey and went to the house of Mr. Clark,
which is situate in the parish of Bridgewater, but about
half a mile from the town. When they got there they
took off their shoes and walked round the house to make
an inspection. They then took a pane of glass out of
the drawing room window and made an entry into the
drawing-room. They went into different rooms, and
took off a quantity of plate, a jar of gin, and other
articles. They then left the house, tied all the articles
up in their smock frocks and made them into bags, and
carried them some distance until they got into a lane,
and there they laid the things in a dung heap. They
then returned to Bridgewater. In consequence of some
suspicion Collins was apprehended and taken before the
magistrate, who committed him for trial. After his
commitment he gave information of the place where
the property had been concealed. The constable
went to the dung heap and found various articles, but
the bulk of the property had been removed. Search
was then made for the prisoner, and it was discovered
that he had absconded. Collins was indicted at the
assizes in 1850, and he was convicted and sentenced to
15 years' transportation. Subsequently information
being obtained that the prisoner was at Cardiff, Stock-
dale, the head of the police in that town, accompanied
by a constable, went in search of him, and discovered
him working in a brickfield. The moment the prisoner
saw them coming near him ho started off at full speed
across the moors, followed by Stockdale and the con-
stable; a most exciting chase then took place. The
moors were intersected with streams and deep ditches,
therefore the prisoner was compelled to leap them and
alter his course. The constables still pursued him until
they had accomplished upwards of seven miles. He was
then pressed hard, and was approaching a tidal river,
which, from the nature of its banks, was very danger-
ous. The prisoner then commenced taking his clothes
off as he ran, till he had divested himself of every article
of clothing, and when he came up to the river he
plunged in and swam across. The officers got across by
a railway bridge and headed him. He laid down for a
short time, got up again, and surrended. Stockdale took
him into custody, and having procured a sheet, wrapped
him up in it, and took him back to Cardiff, and ulti-
mately brought him to Bridgewater.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and he was sea-
tenc,d to be transported f,r 15 years.
Samuel Gadd and Shadrach Wedlock, were indicted
for robbing Bartolomeo Xuerebe of several articles on
the 3d of August last, and Jonathan Gadd, for receiving
the same, knowing them to have been stolen.
Mr. Allen prosecuted, and Mr. Stone defended the
Gadds.
The prosecutor, who is a Maltese, was returning from
Bristol to Chew Magna between 7 and 8 on the evening
of the 3d of August. When he was walking along the
Dundry-hill he was attacked by a man, who made a
snatch at his seals. The prosecutor knocked him down,
and, then, as he stated, not knowing the mode of English
fighting, he adopted the Maltese practice, and picked
him up and threw him over his head. Another man
then came up and struck at the prosecutor with a long
stick, but mis.ed him. The two men then took away his
seals and chain, and then ran away. The next morning
the prosecutor went with the postmaster to a public-
house in Chew Magna. The post-master went into
a room where Samuel Gadd was sitting, and
they began to talk of the robbery, when Gadd said
he knew all about it, and would tell if they would give
him some money. The postmaster told him to go into
the other room, and the moment ho did so the prosecutor
charged him with being the man who had robbed him,
and spoke particularly to his boots, which he took par-
ticular notice of when he threw the man over his head.
Wedlock was afterwards taken up, and the prosecutor
swore he was the other man who had robbed him. Jona-
than Gadd was apprehended on account of some of the
silk of the prosecutor's umbrella being found in his pos-
session. The seals were found thrust into the letter-box
of the Chew Magna pest-office.
Several witnesses were called, who swore the parties
were elsewhere on the night in question.
Lord CAMPBELL having summed up,
The jury Acquitted Jonathan Gadd, and found the
other two Guilty, and they were transported for 10 years.

-NISI PRIUS COURT.
In this court there was nothing of great interest.

HOME CIRCUIT.—Croydon, August 9.
(Before Lord Chief Justice JERVIS and a Common Jury.

HUSBAND AND ANOTHER V. HOLT.

This was an action to recover the amount of a lawyer's
bill. The defendant pleaded that he had paid the
bill and that be was not indebted.
Mr. M. Chambers, Q.C., and Mr. Bovill wero for the
plaintiff; Mr. E. James, Q.C., and Mr. Hawkins ap-
peared for the defendant.
Mr. CHAMBERS said, that the plaintiff in this action,
Mr. Husband, sought to recover the amount of his
Bill for professional services rendered to the defendant
in 1843. At that period Mr. Husband was in partner-
ship with a gentleman named Wyatt, and although
that partnership had since been dissolved, inasmuch as
all the partnership debts had been made over to the
plaintiff, it was necessary on the present occasion
that the action should be brought in the name
of the firm. It appeared that at the period ho had men-
tioned Mr. Holt was the proprietor of the Age news-
paper, and he was indicted fur a libel, and it was for
defending him against this proceeding that the costs in
question were incurred. The bill was originally of a
much larger amount, but upon a taxation by an officer
of the court, owing to the absence of vouchers which Mr.
Husband could not obtain possession of, the amount was
reduced to 321. 7s. ld., which was the amount that was
now sought to be recovered.
Mr. G. Bonbon, clerk to the plaintiff, proved that ho
was in the service of Messrs. Husband and Wyatt from
the commencement of their partnership in 1844, until
it was dissolved in 1850. They were concerned for the
defendant in the indictment against him fur libel, and he
knew that all the business charged in the bill had been
performed.
By Mr. JAMES—The defendant saw Mr. Husband oc-
casionally, but his business was chiefly conducted by
Mr. Wyatt. The endorsementof the cheque tor 401., now
product d, was in Mr. Husband's handwriting.
Mr. Traill, an attorney, proved that ho received the
sum of 301. from Mr. Husband on account of Mr. Holt.

This was the plaintiff's case.
Mr. JAMES, for the defendant, said he felt satisfied
that when the jury had heard this case to a conclusion
they would be of opinion that Mr. Husband had done
himself little credit by bringing it into court. In the
first place, ho would beg to call their attention to the
fact that the plaintiff now sought, in 1851, to recover a
bill for professional services rendered in 1843. The ori-
ginal amount of this bill was 1331. 13s. id., but it had
been minced by taxation to 411., and according to the
rule of court regulating such matters, where more than
one-sixth was struck oft' such a claim, the party claim-
ing had to pay the costs of taxation, and this
reduced the amount to the sum now sought to be re-
covered. Mr. Holt declared that the whole of the claim
the plaintiff had upon him had been discharged; and if
he proved this he thought the jury would agree with
him that Mr. Husband tied disgraced himself by bring-
ing such a case into court. The circumstances under
which the claim arose were these:—lt would ba in the
recollection of the jury that some years ago Lord W.
Paget brought an action against the Earl of Cardigan
fur criminal convenation with his wife. The case was
tried by a special jury at Guildhall, and after a careful
inquiry the jury gave a verdict fur the defendant. The
facts connected with the trial appeared in the Age news-
paper, of which at that time Mr. Holt was the proprie-
tor, and ho was indicted by Lord W. Paget for a libel
for the publication of those facts. At this period the
Act of Parliament which enabled a defendant to plead
a justification in such cases had not passed the Legis-
lature, and as the defendant was therefore unable to jus-
tify the publication he was convicted. It was for the
costs of the defence incurred in this proceeding that the,