The Sun.
London, England, 1833-11-29 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Our readers will find in another column an
Account of a meeting of owners and occu-
piers of land in the eastern division of Sussex,
at which resolutions were passed, having for
object a speedy settlement of the question of
tithes by a fair commutation. This is a subject
which is all in all in the agricultural districts;
and we therefore look on the meeting in Sussex
as the forerunner of a number of meetings re-
specting tithes throughout the country. It de-
serves remark as illustrative of the character for
fairness which belongs to Englishmen, that at
this meeting, consisting of a number of small
proprietors and farmers, as well as of land-
owners of greater weight and importance, as far
as property is concerned, a proposal was sub-
mitted by way of amendment, that tithes should
be abolished without adding the condition of,
"by a fair commutation." Many of the owners
and occupiers present at the meeting were Dis-
senters, and the amendment was freely and fully
discussed, but it met with a decided negative.
We observe in the Suffolk. Chronicle of Satur-
day last, a communication from a member of the
Framlingham Agricultural Association (in Nor-
folk), recommending the formation of similar
societies throughout the country :
" He urges the benefit derived from the direct and
regular communication between the society and their re•
presentatives in Parliament; and everK„Bill introduced into
the House of Commons, directly affecting agriculture, was
eent tli.wn far their guide and assistance. Now, what
system could possib'y act better than this, if generally
adopted, setting aside the great facility of petitioning either
for or against any particular measure? At one of these
meetings a letter was read from each of the Members (who,
by the bye, deserve the thanks of their constituents for the
part they took last session). The one from Mr. Shave,
in alluding to the malt tax, stated, as one reason assigned
by those opposed to the repeal, the latenem of the session,
but the friends to the repeal of the tax would he prepared
to make a grand push at the beginning of the next session,
which, if backed by numerous county petitions, will, in
my humble judgment, give a weight to our wishes which
cannot he resisted.' Here is the most satisfactory proof
that nothing is wanted but the unanimous voice of the
landed intesest to obtain the abolition of this unjust tax ;
likewise other alterations in the laws, which more seriously
affect them than even the malt tax. For who will deny,
but that it is an injustice and a robbery upon the British
farmer, that Ireland should participate in the English
markets for the produce of its soil, when it is so unequally
taxed ; has a paper currency, without the burden of poor
laws, and not only glut our markets with its produce, but
our cities, towns, and villages, with its poor. These are
questions which alarmingly affect the agriculturists ; there
are others equally momentous, which will come before
Parliament at its meeting ; it behoves us, then, to unite,
and be nn the alert, lest even greater evils befal us."
It will be seen from the above passage that
Mr. Poulett Scrope's letter to the agriculturists
of the West of England has already produced
its effect.—Moriting Chronicle.
Our extracts from the Brighton Guardian of
last Wednesday will make known to the readers
of the metropolis some facts connected with the
administration of justice in this country, which
require nothing more than to be known to pro-
duce an impression of extreme alarm for the
safety of every Englishman who may venture to
state publicly an unbiassed opinion upon the
conduct of country gentlemen in their capacity
of justices of the peace. It would appear that
on last Saturday week, when Mr. Cohen was
brought up for judgment, Mr. Sergeant Spankie
insisted that the prosecution of the Brighton
Guardian had been instituted by " the magis-
strates" of Sussex, who appeared by their solici-
tor, the clerk of the peace. This is the state-
ment attributed to Mr. Sergeant Spankie—him-
self, unquestionably, counsel for the prosecution.
Now, let us look back to the trial. The grand
jury of Sussex found a " true bill" against
the Brighton Guardian ; and who composed
that grand jury ? We shall be told that it was
the "gentlemen of the county ;" but let us
ask again, had these persons no other character
to support—no other functions to exercise—no
other interest to affect their minds, in relation
to the indictment against the Brighton Guar-
dian, but those which belonged to them as
simple country gentlemen ? Yes, unfortunately
for the reputation of public justice, they were
Sussex magistrates, as well as country gentle-
men of Sussex—that is to say, 20 of them out
of 23 (we rely now upon the assertion of the
Brighton Guardian), were members of that
very body whom Sergeant Spankie, sp(aking in
aggravation of punishment, described as the real
parties to that indictment on which a " trite
bill" was by themselves returned ; in other words,
the prosecutors found their own bill—in its
preliminary stage they tried their own cause f. Is
this consonant to the spirit or principles of even
the rudest system of jurisprudence known on
earth ? No wonder if, under such circum-
stances, the Brighton Guardian's accusa-
tions should prove true—viz , that when
the bill presented to them by one of their
own body, Mr. Mabbot, charged a libel
against the magistrates of Sussex, this Grand
Jury, consisting almost exclusively of the class
of persons thus informed that they had been
libelled, and thus naturally prepossessed and
incensed against the author of the publication,
were not over anxious to examine with nicety
into the grounds on which their decision ought
legally to be formed, but " hastened to con-
demn," without inquiring very curiously whether
the accused paragraph was or was not a libel—
whether the motives of the editor were upon the
face of his expressions of that criminal or sus-
picious nature which ought to have exposed him
to the severe penalty of a public trial, let that
trial end how it might. We set out with stating
that these circumstances, if borne out fu1137, are
of a description to alarm all reflecting men for
the pure and safe administration of justice, and
it is our firm conviction that the whole of this
prosecution of Mr. Cohen must constitute one

of the earliest, as it will be one of the gravest,
subjects of consideration after the meeting of
Parliament.— Times.

The case of Mr. Cohen, the editor of the
Brighton Guardian, affords a melancholy illus-
tration of the oppressive nature of the law of
libel, even when administered under the super-
intendence of Judges above suspicion of partiality
or vindictiveness. As things stand at present,
it may be construed a libel even to complain of
the law of libel : yet shall we never cease upon
every fair occasion that presents itself, to point
out the injustice of that law, until. its reform
shall have been effected. The publication' for
which Mr. Cohen is now suffering the heavy
sentence inflicted on him in the Court of King s,
Bench, is, of course, known to our readers from
the report of the trial, which took place at the
Lewes Summer Assizes in the present year.
The article was from a correspondent, giving an
account of certain wilful burnings of agricultural
rc-
produce which had recently occurred, and mak-
ing 1-
a few comments upon the conduct of some
of the Magistracy, and also upon the condition
of the labouring classes as connected with the
origin of the crime of stack-burning. The
observatiOns were general as to the oppressed
condition and acute suffering of the pea-
santry, and what the writer considered
I=-'1

• FALSE IMPRISONMENT.—MAPPIN P. WEISS.
Mr. POLLOCK stated this to be an action brought
by the plaintiff, an ingenious workman, against Mr.
Weiss, a surgical instrument maker, residing at
No. 62, Strand, to recover damages for a malicious
prosecution and false imprisonment. Mr. Weiss
was the inventor of a valuable instrument called the
poison-syringe or stomach-pump, and the plaintiff
was a clever artisan, who during many years had
' been employed by Mr. Weiss. On some eccasions
the plaintiff took from his employer surgical instru-
ments instead of wages, and upon those articles
was allowed a discount. The defendant having dis-
covered in the shop of Mr. Blackwell, in Bedford-
court, several stomach-pumps made by himself, and
for which he had obtained a patent, inquired how
they came into his possession. Mr. Blackwell said
he had purchased the instruments from Mappin.
The defendant, under a presumption that the plain-
tiff had robbed him, made application to the Ma-
gistrates at Bow-street. The plaintiff was conse-
quently examined before Mr. Halls, and committed
to Newgate on a charge of stealing from Mr. John
Weiss three stomach-pumps and three mahogany
cases. When the charge came to be investigated
by the Grand Jury they threw out the bill. For
this attack on the liberty of the plaintiff, which was
imputed to malicious motives, he sought a satisfac-
tion in the verdict of a Jury.
The facts above stated were proved, and after Sir
JAMES SCARLETT had addressed the Jury for Mr.
Weiss, th• plaintiff was nonsuited.